I have been wanting to read Jonathan Edwards for over a decade. I own several books by Jonathan Edwards. But this collection of previously unpublished sermons turned out to be the most reader-friendly of the bunch. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who wants a more reader-friendly introduction to Jonathan Edwards. I have two ideas on what might make this one more reader-friendly. One, each sermon stands on its own. So as a reader, you can approach each sermon on its own. I found the chapters to be of a good length, a varying length. Some sermons being about twelves pages perhaps, and, others being a bit longer. Personally, I set out to read one to two sermons per day over two weeks. I found this worked really well. Two, sermons have a definite audience. These sermons were written, were preached, to an audience with the intent of being understood. So there is a certain clarity. He wanted to save souls; he wanted to reach the lost and/or teach the saved. Here we find instruction and food for thought. His sermons offer a bit of a challenge in that they are asking the reader (or the listener, originally) to evaluate where he/she stands in relation to Christ. Each sermon is broken down into two sections: Doctrine and Application.
Here are the sixteen sermons:
- God Never Changes His Mind
- It Is Well For Us That God Is Not As We Are
- God Doesn't Thank Men For Doing Those Things He Commands Them
- Men's Addiction to Sin is No Excuse, But An Aggravation
- God Is Kind to the Unthankful and the Evil
- A Man May Eternally Undo Himself in One Thought of His Heart
- There Is A Mutual Abhorrence Between God and Wicked Men
- There Is Nothing Like Seeing What God Is To Make Men Sensible To What They Are
- God Does What He Pleases
- Tis The Spirit of a Truly Godly Man to Prefer God Before All Other Things Either In Heaven or On Earth
- Christ is the Christian's All
- God Is Everywhere Present
- Spiritual Appetites Need No Bounds
- There Is Much of the Goodness and Mercy of God Appearing in the Commands He Has Given Us
- Contending With God
- God Is A Being of Transcendent Mercy
I loved, loved, loved this collection. Did I love, love, love each sermon equally? Did I profit by each sermon equally? Of course not. I needed to hear some more than others. I am so glad I didn't assume that this collection of sermons would be "too difficult" for me to read and appreciate!
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
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