Johnathan Edwards
America Vail
Mrs. Puleo
English 10
10 November 2012
Chronological Narrative/ Reflective Essay The room was hot and his voice was pounding at me. All eyes were upon Jonathan Edwards while he preached. Listening to Edwards’ lecture was as if the Lord himself was speaking to me. That day I listened to the most powerful sermon I would ever hear. As soon as I walked into the church, I could feel how tense the room already was. My two children grabbed my hands, fearfully, as we walked into the room filled with emotion. We searched for a place to sit. Pastor Edwards had already started his sermon, so we sat in the back pews. He immediately began pointing out our iniquities and used very vivid metaphors that clearly shown God’s wrath towards the congregation. When Pastor Edwards yelled, “You have offended Him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but His hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment,” it was as if he aimed this directly at me (48). He thrusted his fist down on the podium and his eyes filled with tears. All of my past sins seemed to haunt me when he shouted, “O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: It is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell” (48).
My husband was stunned that Pastor Edwards would speak such harsh words and was offended by his preaching. I, on the other hand, believed that Pastor Edwards struck fear into the hearts of his listeners in order to persuade them to avoid an everlasting torment. He gave a way to escape God’s wrath by explaining God’s mercy. This day was a turning point in my life. Jonathan Edward’s speech was a revelation to my sinful life. I realized how I was living in my wicked ways, and vowed to change. I was relieved to know that I have an
Mrs. Puleo
English 10
10 November 2012
Chronological Narrative/ Reflective Essay The room was hot and his voice was pounding at me. All eyes were upon Jonathan Edwards while he preached. Listening to Edwards’ lecture was as if the Lord himself was speaking to me. That day I listened to the most powerful sermon I would ever hear. As soon as I walked into the church, I could feel how tense the room already was. My two children grabbed my hands, fearfully, as we walked into the room filled with emotion. We searched for a place to sit. Pastor Edwards had already started his sermon, so we sat in the back pews. He immediately began pointing out our iniquities and used very vivid metaphors that clearly shown God’s wrath towards the congregation. When Pastor Edwards yelled, “You have offended Him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but His hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment,” it was as if he aimed this directly at me (48). He thrusted his fist down on the podium and his eyes filled with tears. All of my past sins seemed to haunt me when he shouted, “O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: It is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell” (48).
My husband was stunned that Pastor Edwards would speak such harsh words and was offended by his preaching. I, on the other hand, believed that Pastor Edwards struck fear into the hearts of his listeners in order to persuade them to avoid an everlasting torment. He gave a way to escape God’s wrath by explaining God’s mercy. This day was a turning point in my life. Jonathan Edward’s speech was a revelation to my sinful life. I realized how I was living in my wicked ways, and vowed to change. I was relieved to know that I have an