Theology, Devotionals 

"This beautifully bound edition of Edwards' works is the best in print. His perspectives in "The History of the Work of Redemption"--his last work before he died--have all but been lost by today's church. It is simply written, easy to understand, and sets forth the history of the world through the eyes of Bible prophecy. Such a work required a person with comprehensive knowledge of world history and an exceptional knowledge of Bible prophecy in both testaments. Edwards had both. He was said to be the last of the Puritans in early Christian America. His works throughout are a treasure."

"Volume 2 includes many sermons, including:
God Glorified in Man's Dependence
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
A Divine and Supernatural Light
Many of his "Miscellanies"
The Divine Decrees, and many more"

"The highlight of the second volume is collections of several sermons. To appreciate these, we must remember that Edwards lived closer to the time of Luther and Calvin than he did to the age of radio, film, television, and the Internet. Sermons, printed at Boston printing presses, were one of the main sources of diversion and information for pre-Revolutionary War New Englanders. Relatively speaking, an important sermon was delivered, printed, and distributed about as fast as a viral video today. It is important to note when and where each sermon was delivered. Those delivered in Boston may have had political implications. Those delivered in 1735--1736 and in 1741--1742 were fuel to the two episodes of Great Awakening sparked by Edwards' preaching.

One of Volume 2's contents may seem strange to those not familiar with Edwards' life. This is the Life and Diary of the Rev. David Brainerd. (According to George Marsden, this biography was the second most popular biographical work in America, up to the Civil War, after Ben Franklin's autobiography.) It is an object lesson on a virtuous live, a pastor whom Edwards mentored, and who literally boarded with the Edwards family (as several other young pastors did) before going off to his calling. Before Brainerd died, prematurely, he conducted a mission to the local Indians, a task whose importance we need to be reminded today. Central Massachusetts, in 1740, was literally on the frontier of a global struggle between England and France. The North American Indian tribes were pawns in that struggle. Whether they sided with the French in Quebec or the English in the NE colonies could tip the balance of power on the frontier. Thus, the Puritan missionaries were indirectly contributing to the military balance of power on the frontier. What made it worse for the Reformed Puritans was that the `other side' owed its allegiance to the Catholic Pope, viewed as the `Antichrist' as much in 1740 as he was in 1540. And the anger at the French Catholics was flamed by their persecution of the French Reformed Huguenots, especially after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes granting religious freedom.

This is not `complete' even of Edwards' published works.(it's missing Edwards' popular letter, Advice to Young Converts.) But as an inexpensive source for most of his major works, it can't be beat.

One cost for having so much of Edwards in two volumes is that the volumes are heavy, the print is very small, in double columns, and the typesetting, from 180 years ago, is distracting. It is also very light on commentary. It does not even give authorship credit for the introductory essay. It does, however, cite the date, place, and occasion for most of the sermons, and it has good citations on references to the Bible. This is the `Joe Friday' edition of Edwards. `Nothing but the facts, Ma'm'."

"Mount Everset of Theology!
Martyn Lloyd-Jones said that he was "tempted, perhaps foolishly, to compare the Puritans to the Alps, Luther and Calvin to the Himalayas, and Jonathan Edwards to Mount Everest!" (The Puritans: Their Origins and Successors, p. 355). I concur. Nothing in my library holds such a storehouse of wealth, as do these two hefty tomes. Edwards was a brilliant theologian, a zealous evangelist, an astute philosopher, a warm hearted pastor, and an eye-witness (and one of the primary instruments causing) the first Great Awakening. If you want theology at its richest go to Edwards' "End for Which God Created the World." IF you want a passion for souls, read his "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." If you are interested in well-articulated philosophy at its finest, peruse "The Nature of True Virtue." If you want biography geared to cultivate godliness in your own heart, read "The Life of David Brainerd." If you want pastoral counsel concerning the state of your soul, you will find nothing better than "The Religious Affections." And if you want to know what a REAL revival looks like, study "A Narrative of Surprising Conversions." (And those works are less than half of what is in here!) If my house were burning, I would probably grab for these two books second only to the Bible. To get Edwards is to get theology. So get Edwards!"