One thing I learned from reading it in this book and going over it in class is that he didn't necessarily read it in an angry or furious fashion, as I had previously thought. In a class in my high school, we had to read this speech aloud, and we read it angrily. We also had to write short speeches that were of a similar nature and read them aloud in class (all I remember is I had some colonial time period insults in my, which I thought were pretty funny). Now, after learning that he didn't necessarily present this speech the way I thought he had, I see it in a whole new light.
Before, I saw it as he was angry and was really trying to drive home the point that everyone was probably going to die and go to hell or face God's wrath at some point. Now, I see it as so much more than that. What I believe Jonathan Edwards was trying to do with this sermon was show people how "in the wrong" they were, but not just condemn them and leave them there. No, I believe this message is one of conviction and not condemnation. The difference being that he is calling them back to God and saying, "Hey, you did wrong. You messed up. Thankfully, it doesn't have to stay that way. You're better than this. Come to God. Let Him work through you and save you from the ending you deserve," rather than being full of condemnation and only saying, "You messed up. You failed. God doesn't want you back. You're all going to die and go to hell. There is no hope for you."
So although most people might have a problem with Jonathan Edwards because of this sermon, I think they have a problem with him for the wrong reasons. It's not one of pure anger, as most people seem to think it is, but rather one of compassion, trying to help them back from their wrongdoings by showing them where they will end up going if they continue on this path they're on.
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