Writings of Johathan Edwards

I was struck at the beautiful story of his life that Jonathan Edwards tells. I love to read autobiographies and I feel that this one is the best I have ever read. His purpose in writing this narrative is to tell others in a very personal way about his conversion. It seems that it took a lifetime, as it ought to take. He speaks of learning the gospel and believing it early in his life, but falling away later in his life. Yet, he returns to it in a far deeper way as he matures and sees his uneasiness with his past choices. He begins to feel God in his heart and find the joy that is promised in a very deep and remarkable manner. He feels it repeatedly and in many ways. It is beautiful.
I was also surprised to find that “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” was not the fire and damnation that I expected. It is a very reasonable and well laid out explanation of the scripture that opened his mind to the precarious situation of man. While I do not agree with all the doctrine in the sermon, I see that he sincerely felt this to be true. It stands in stark contrast to the very personal tone in his narrative in that it this is a very public tone. He is obviously teaching a principle here, and trying to awaken his congregation to a sense of peril and the need to be truly converted to Jesus Christ.
I feel that these are two excellent examples of Jonathan Edwards public and private thoughts.