This religion the Puritans are following is outrageous! Their views are one of a barbarian. Telling their own people that they will go to hell is not a way of God. "The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened its mouth under them." This is what Pastor Edwards told his people during his sermon. I would never tell my people in the house of God that they will go to hell. The Puritans need a reality check.
"The bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being drunk with your blood." What does this quote mean to you? It makes me sick and disgusted. Any pastor with the right mind to tell his people that God is ready to happily kill them and be "drunk" on their blood is out of their mind! We were made to spread the GOOD word of God, not tell people they have to hope to go to heaven. With no hope, there is no happiness. Hell is the last option for believers in God.
I believe people should view heaven and God in a much different way. God is our salvation. We look to him for answers in life and for the problems that arise every day. God is here to help us on this journey. We should not fear God. Heaven is a place for happiness and anyone can go there. You should not be fearful of dying because it is undeniable. No one can hide from death, just like no one can hide from their sins. If only the Puritans could realize there is a lot more to life than going to hell and being fearful of death, their lives would be so much more enjoyable. God is here for our guidance on the short time we have on Earth. God is our creator. We should rejoice in his presence.
Your response is filled with passion/anger, which is really good. Keep in mind that you're writing as another pastor, and during that time this might have been another Puritan preacher with a different style. Not all Puritans were speaking this way about God/religion.
ReplyDeleteAside from that, this is pretty well written. It explores the alternative to a very scary speech, and it does so in a well-written fashion. 10/10