Jon Edwards - Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

Reflection:

This was a very interesting sermon. The main reason why I found this sermon so interesting is that Edwards didn't hold anything back. He didn't try to hide anything, he just said everything point-blank. Just the pure boldness of this sermon caught my attention, and I was very surprised from everything he said. One of the main things Edwards was trying to convey to the audience was the pure power that God has. Not only that, he can easily unleash a wrath upon you by placing you into hell. I was very interested in this idea because I did not think that anybody would speak of this so freely, as if he didn't care one bit. Further, I was deffinitely surprised as well by the reasons one person may be cast into hell. After reading this sermon, I am almost scared! I feel as if I must watch everything I say and do in order to stay out of hell!

Diary Entry:

Dear Diary, today I witnessed one of the most intense speeches ever. The speaker, Jon Edwards, scared me to death with all the talk about going to hell. Now even I, an honest Christian that lives a humble life, am scared of going to hell! I must use what I learned today in his speech to ensure that I will reach heaven. I will now do anything I can because after hearing that speech I fear that so many people may soon find themselves in an unfortunate situation that may result in them being sent to hell.

Excerpt:
"There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men's hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands. -- He is not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but he can most easily do it. Sometimes an earthly prince meets with a great deal of difficulty to subdue a rebel, who has found means to fortify himself, and has made himself strong by the numbers of his followers. But it is not so with God. There is no fortress that is any defence from the power of God. Though hand join in hand, and vast multitudes of God's enemies combine and associate themselves, they are easily broken in pieces."

Edwards, Jonathan. “Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God”. Oct 16. 2004. Mar 27. 2008<http://www.piney.com/JonEdwSinHands.html>

Application of Essential Question:
In this speech, Jon Edwards instills fear in the audience so that the audience can then utilize this fear to achieve the American Dream for themselves. This is made possible by the fear that is then transitioned into hope (as in hope to get into heaven, because in the speech Edwards makes it seem as if everyone is going to hell) and that hope is used to strive for a better life.