The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards

PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED SERMONS BY JONATHAN EDWARDS

Prepared from the original manuscripts by the staff of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University, this series of sermons on the Matthean Parables represents a significant addition to the available Edwards corpus. The first volume contains a previously unpublished series by Edwards on Jesus’ Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25). Edwards preached these sermons in 1737-38, in the lull between the Connecticut Valley Revival and the subsequent Great Awakening. This volume provides an important index of Edwards’ developing thought on the nature of sainthood and related topics of theoretical and practical Christianity, particularly in the context of widespread spiritual renewal.

The second volume contains a series of six sermons on Jesus’ Parable of the Sower and the Seed. Edwards preached these sermons in October of 1740, immediately following George Whitefield’s visit to Northampton. Not only does this series have a historical significance for its place in the Great Awakening, but it contains important pronouncements on the preacher’s craft and the hearer’s responsibilities. The third volume is a set of sermons on the Parable of the Net, also found in Matthew 13. These sermons, delivered in 1746, were concurrent to the completion of Edwards’ work on Religious Affections – his masterful statement on the true and false signs of true grace. Assisting the reader in all volumes are introductions describing the historical context and Edwards’ preaching style and method.

Series Editor

Adriaan C. Neele