I think Edwards is my favorite author we have read yet. I don't think I've ever felt so simultaneously amazed and repulsed at the same time. His "Personal Narrative" was beautiful. It was so elegantly written and he puts himself out there in a very vulnerable way.
One part I found particularly admirable was on page 174:
The inward ardor of my soul seemed to be hindered and pent up, and could not freely flame out as it would. I used often think, how in heaven, this sweet principle should freely and fully vent and express itself. Heaven appeared to me exceeding delightful as a world of love. It appeared to me, that all happiness consisted in living in pure, humble, heavenly, divine love.
Edwards definitely had a way with words.
While I find "Personal Narrative" to be very appealing, "Sinners" was a different story. I don't argue that it wasn't well written - it was fabulously written and I think Edwards does an amazing job of getting his point across. However, I think it was almost too much so.
To be frank, "Sinners" was absolutely terrifying. Even as I was reading it, I could picture what a congregation's reaction to this would be. He paints God to be this raging being, full of wrath and anger who is ready to condemn the human at any second. On page 198 he says:
...God is under no manner of obligation to keep him (natural man) a moment from eternal destruction.
If that isn't frightening enough, he goes on to say:
There are black clouds of God's wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you...
The wrath of God is like great waters that are damned for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course once it is let loose.
He even mentions the condemnation of children! Now, I'm not saying children cannot be condemned, but talk about wanting the scare the pants off a child - this speech will do that!
The whole sermon revolves around God's wrath, anger, condemnation, damnation, and every other bad -nation would you can think of. The problem I have with it is that Edwards fails to also mention God's grace, mercy, and love.
If I were an unbeliever and new nothing about religion and heard this speech, I would not (as Edwards probably hoped) turn to Jesus for salvation. I would run the opposite way screaming in fear! I think he makes good points about God's wrath, but I also he needs to mention the love He has for us through the cross.
Overall, I really did enjoy Edwards. His "Personal Narrative" as by far my favorite we've read so far, and even if "Sinners" was a little off and slightly frightening, I still appreciated reading it.
No comments:
Post a Comment