"SINNERS"

Diamond Bell
AP English III
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
9/2/09

The “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” was one of the most interesting and
controversial papers I have read so far. It went into a different world that I never would have thought of. The crazy thing is that this paper is actually a sermon. Jonathan Edwards is the creator of this “sermon”. He is definitely twisting the Bible and God’s words out of term most of the time. He is taking everything and making it evil. The first sentence of the paper stated that God had a vengeance in Him. I couldn’t grasp the fact of God having a vengeance or holding a grudge against someone or something. In Edwards’s sermon he took everything and made it negative or evil. He contradicted himself multiple of times. Edwards states that, “There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God”. I believe that God gave everyone free will and he does not make choices for us, but he guides us through life. The statement that Edwards made about it is up to God to send someone to hell is not fully true because everyone does have free will. One statement that Jonathan Edwards made that actually made some sense was that the strongest still can’t rise against God. Edwards also said in his sermon that God can cast anyone to hell when he feels like it. In my mind I think God gives everyone a second chance maybe even a third and would not just send them to hell that easily. Edwards makes it seem like he is everyone’s God and he knows everything that is going to take place. One statement he made that goes along with the previous sentence is that “It is the place that justice and God’s word, and the sentence of his unchangeable law assign to him”. That statement got under my skin because John does not know if God changes his mind and no one knows. I don’t think that Edwards can see that everyone sins and that everyone can change. John doesn’t realize that he too is also a sinner. So with that stated he should be due for damnation right? Edwards is a hypocrite and doesn’t realize what is doing and saying. He is not helping anyone by his sermon but in actuality scaring them and more than likely making them dislike him. He keeps talking about everyone plan but he also keeps stating how everyone’s life is already made up. John also says that everyone believes they are going to escape hell, but he is saying it sarcastically. If everyone put strength and effort into living a good life then no one can judge you, but God and Edwards doesn’t realize that. He says that god doesn’t promise eternal life or preservation of eternal death but we all know that John is going to think what he wants even though he did make this statement. Jonathan Edwards uses lots of repetition in his sermon. He should have thought out his words and diction before stepping into the church that day.