Sermons by Jonathan Edwards on the Matthean Parables, Volume III

This third volume of Sermons by Jonathan Edwards on the Matthean Parables contains a previously unpublished series of sermons by Edwards on Jesus' Parable of the Net, as found in Matthew 13. Edwards preached these sermons in 1746, after the major phase of the Great Awakening had passed in New England and during the very months he was completing and publishing A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, his masterful statement on the true and false signs of true grace. Therefore, this series is significant for its place in Edwards' rich and evolving view of the nature of religious experience. To assist the reader, preceding the series are two introductions that describe Edwards' preaching style and method, and provide an historical context. Prepared from the original manuscripts by the staff of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University, this series represents a significant addition to the available Edwards corpus that will be of interest to scholars, religious leaders, and general readers.

""These sermons give us a window into a crucial moment in Edwards's career and theological development. Written just as the fervor of the Great Awakening was receding, and as he was composing his study of true and false Christianity--Religious Affections--these searching studies on the Matthean parable of the Net provide scholar and pastor with much theological meat upon which to chew. Minkema and Neele have placed us in their debt.""
--Oliver Crisp, coeditor of After Jonathan Edwards

""This volume is another contribution to the wonderful project of making the sermons of Edwards, previously virtually unknown, available for a general audience. Edwards's reflections on the parable of the Net are especially revealing of one lesson he learned from the now-past awakenings--it was almost impossible to distinguish between the truly converted and the seemingly converted.""
--George Marsden, author of Jonathan Edwards

""It is well known that Edwards experimented with his sermon style, and this collection represents a rich and evocative stage in his work. The various introductions will ensure the reader is in and not out of his or her element. This is a fascinating addition to the published works.""
--Michael McClenahan, author of Jonathan Edwards and Justification by Faith

""Scholars and lay people alike will find these previously unpublished sermons on the parable of the Net, delivered towards the end of the Great Awakening, a rich resource for learning more about Edwards's mature view on true religious experience. The introductions help the reader appreciate the historical context and Edwards's unique style. While this series has been overshadowed in the past by Religious Affections, the reader will value their simplicity, beauty, and enduring biblical truths.""
--Karin Spiecker Stetina, author of Jonathan Edwards' Early Understanding of Religious Experience

""Often overlooked, Matthew's gospel is a resource the church can't afford to neglect. We can be thankful then to the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale for publishing for the first time Edwards's sermons on the parable of the Net. They provide a fine introduction to Edwards's skills in preaching, and pithy summaries of his theological priorities. We find here the big ideas of the Religious Affections, but preached in direct and simple language.""
--Rhys Bezzant, Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center in Australia


Wilson H. Kimnach is the Presidential Professor in the Humanities (Emeritus), Bridgeport University, and General Sermon Editor of The Works of Jonathan Edwards.
Kenneth P. Minkema is the Executive Editor and Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University, and Research Scholar at Yale Divinity School.
Rev. Dr. Adriaan C. Neele is