Jonathan Edwards Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

Jonathan Edwards and John Locke’ views of ‘Human nature’ and their views of the ‘Law’

Jonathan Edwards’s persuasive sermon focuses on puritan religious beliefs. Edwards’s tone seems very angry in his sermon “ Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God”. He is trying to warn people by telling them that we are sinners by born. It is our duty to do the right work. He proposes that God has the power, and he will decide who will be in hell or who will not. We cannot do anything to save us from hell. We have no control over it. Edwards says, Hell is a real place, where we belong. He declares, God is giving us a chance, and it is our duty to obey his power, and keep us away from sin. Edwards also mentions, it is God’s will that keep sinner men from the

Edwards compares the human position with spider. He assumes God is holding the sinners over the hell as “Ones holding a spider over the fire”(10). Edwards wants to convince sinners to repent. This sermon is based on only laws of nature. As Edwards lived in a God ruled world, and He is the only ruler. Edwards emphasizes ‘human’ as weak and vulnerable, and shinier. When God elected someone for heaven or hell, he or she is elected. His salvation cannot help him from going to hell. Only thing he/she can do is to live a Christian life. According to Edwards the whole power lies only on God. So, salvation cannot protect anyone from going to hell. In his “Religious Affections” Edwards is trying to explain how our minds work. Edwards says, “True religion is evermore a powerful thing; and the power of it appears, in the first place in the inward exercises of it in the heart, where is the principal and original seat of it” (4). Therefore, God does not speak to us through logic, but He speaks to us through the Bible. Edwards point of view only focuses on feelings. His law based on the authentic Puritan religious beliefs. He goes with strong emotion, and feelings when he convinces his audience. Thus his sermon gives rise

Locke’mentions that power lays on us. Locke mentions, “MEN being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and independent, no one can be put out of this estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent” (Sec 95). According to the states of nature, men are free and independent, and all have the same rights. Moreover, he declares, natural reason has its own language, and it does not need the Bible to tell us. He mentions rules are made by people. He says, people choose their king or ruler to protect our rights, and property. In order to live a peacefull life we need a strong government. Also God does not choose our king. Therefore, we can give some of the rights to government, and some of the rights we will take. Nonetheless, if the government fails to protect our property or rights, we can rebel against him and remove him from his place. Locke’s law creates a government, that can run the society peacefully, and the law of the society is based on practical reasons. Locke thinks the majority rules is the best system of government. Locke has a positive view of ‘human nature’. He thinks men are good, and they are born with natural rights. Locke believes in democracy. Locke’ sermon based on ‘natural rights’. Locke says, “Though the earth, and all inferior creatures, be common to all men, yet every man has a property in