Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Other Sermons

Preached at Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741, this is perhaps the greatest sermon ever preached in America—and is certainly among the most well known. Owing to its forthright dealing with God’s wrath and His intense hatred of sin and the sinner, it is also one of the most controversial. Indeed, for more than three-quarters of the sermon Edwards lays down a relentless stream of the most vivid and horrifying descriptions of the danger facing unregenerate men. While it is difficult to read such graphic language, there is abundant hope in the sermon’s conclusion. Edwards puts it this way, “And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open and stands calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners.” While those who would rather ignore God’s justice in favor of His mercy condemn Edwards and his sermon, those who were present and actually heard him preach that day reacted in a decidedly different manner. According to the diary of Reverend Stephen Williams who attended the sermon, “Before the sermon was done there was a great moaning and crying through the whole House, ‘what shall I do to be saved; oh, I am going to hell, etc.’” The diary goes on to indicate that Edwards had to interrupt his sermon and come down to minister to those who were under such awful conviction. And so, in spite of what the scoffers might think or say, “the amazing and astonishing power of God” was manifested among the people that day—with many falling not into the hands of an angry God, but into the arms of a mighty Savior.

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" combines vivid imagery of Hell with observations of the world and citations of the scripture. It is Edwards' most famous written work, is a fitting representation of his preaching style, and is widely studied by Christians and historians, providing a glimpse into the theology of the Great Awakening of c. 1730–1755. The sermon emphasizes the belief that Hell is a real place. Edwards hoped that the imagery and language of his sermon would awaken audiences to the horrific reality that he believed awaited them should they continue without calling on Christ to be saved. The underlying point is that God has given humanity a chance to confess their sins. Edwards says that it is the mere will of God that keeps wicked men from the depths of Hell. This act of restraint has given humanity a chance to mend their ways and return to Christ.

Presents sermons by influential Puritans from the sixteenth century to the eighteenth century, including Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Shepard, and Cotton Mather.

"Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open," and He stands crying out to all to accept His call. Delivered more than 250 years ago, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards remains the most famous sermon ever preached in American history. He presents a clear picture of the predicament of every sinner and lukewarm Christian, while showing how we can know we have God’s favor, avoid the tricks of the devil, and find our reward in heaven. With compelling words and now-classic imagery, Edwards describes the shaky position of those who do not follow Christ and God's urgent call to receive His love and forgiveness today. This new, updated edition includes two other sermons that demonstrate the great mercy of God as well as Edwards' own pastoral heart: "Pardon for the Greatest of Sinners" and "Many Mansions."

Memorable (and sometimes shocking) sermons from the most influential Puritans of the 16th to 18th centuries. Includes works by Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Shepard, Cotton Mather, John Winthrop, Jonathan Mayhew, and 5 other religious leaders.

Selected sermons, including:Man's Dependence,Divine Light,Ruth's Resolution,Many Mansions,Sinners in God's Hands,Breaking and Withering,Farewell Sermon.

Pastor Brian Zahnd began "to question the theology of a wrathful God who delights in punishing sinners, and has started to explore the real nature of Jesus and His Father. The book isn’t only an interesting look at the context of some modern theological ideas; it’s also offers some profound insight into God’s love and eternal plan." —Relevant Magazine (Named one of the Top 10 Books of 2017) God is wrath? Or God is Love? In his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Puritan revivalist Jonathan Edwards shaped predominating American theology with a vision of God as angry, violent, and retributive. Three centuries later, Brian Zahnd was both mesmerized and terrified by Edwards’s wrathful God. Haunted by fear that crippled his relationship with God, Zahnd spent years praying for a divine experience of hell. What Zahnd experienced instead was the Father’s love—revealed perfectly through Jesus Christ—for all prodigal sons and daughters. In Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Zahnd asks important questions like: Is seeing God primarily as wrathful towards sinners true or biblical? Is fearing God a normal expected behavior? And where might the natural implications of this theological framework lead us? Thoughtfully wrestling with subjects like Old Testament genocide, the crucifixion of Jesus, eternal punishment in hell, and the final judgment in Revelation, Zanhd maintains that the summit of divine revelation for sinners is not God is wrath, but God is love.

Can an orthodox Christian, committed to the historic faith of the Church and the authority of the Bible, be a universalist? Is it possible to believe that salvation is found only by grace, through faith in Christ, and yet to maintain that in the end all people will be saved? Can one believe passionately in mission if one does not think that anyone will be lost forever? Could universalism be consistent with the teachings of the Bible? In The Evangelical Universalist the author argues that the answer is ‘yes!’ to all of these questions. Weaving together philosophical, theological, and biblical considerations, he seeks to show that being a committed universalist is consistent with the central teachings of the biblical texts and of historic Christian theology.