Kwashee Totimeh12

1Kwashee Totimeh

12/3/08 The American Soul

“Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” is a good example of literature showing the American soul. The American soul can be defined as what people declare to be “typical American”. There are many traits why “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” displays a good example of the American soul. One trait that reflects the American soul in this text is dramatic. Another trait “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” demonstrates is hateful. Last trait that reflects an American soul in the text is honest. As stated before one of the three traits or characteristic that defines the American soul is dramatic. In “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” Edward was being very dramatic when he was talking about God. One way that dramatic was reflected in the text is shown in the following quote. “His anger is as great toward them as to those that are actually suffering the executions of the fierceness of His wrath in hell” (Edwards 46). Dramatic is reflected through this quote by Edwards telling how God should be feared for what he can do and just the smallest things people do wrong they should be feared of their punishment just because it will feel very horrible. There is Another way dramatic is being reflected in the text. [Edward says] “the wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more,....till an outlet is given” (Edwards 47). Again Edward is being dramatic by telling how Gods anger builds up until he finds a way to release it when he does not know for sure what God does to people. The last way in the text that dramatic is being shown is in this last quote. “If God should only withdraw His hand from the floodgate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power”(Edwards 47) said [Edward}. This quote proves that Edward was pushing the truth a little to far about what would happen if God would not hold back. These are just three of the many reasons why “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” reflects the trait dramatic of the American soul. Another trait that reflects the characteristic of an American soul is hateful. In the text hateful is shown in many different ways. In [ “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God”], [Edward] states “It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity. There will be no end to this exquisite horrible misery”(Edwards 49). Hateful comes through in the way that just because they

have not been reborn yet they deserve to be judged so early and punished. There is another way that hateful is reflected in the text. “The devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them...... And they have no interest in any Mediator, there are no means within reach that can be any security to them”(Edwards 46) stated [Edward]. This shows hateful by Edward telling how sinners and non reborn people have no way out once they are in the fiery pits of hell. The last way that hateful is shown in the text is in the following quote. [Edward] says “It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity. There will be no end to this exquisite horrible misery. When you look forward, you shall see a

long forever, a boundless duration before you”(Edwards 49). Basically Edward was just trying

to get a point across that once you sin there is no way out and you future is sealed forever, which came off kind of hateful. As stated earlier honest is the last characteristic that reflects what the American soul is. There are a lot of many reasons why “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” reflects being helpful. [Edward] says “There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell’s wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor anything to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up”(Edward 47). This quote proves that the text shows being honest because Edward told what he thought of how it would be in hell. Another way that honest is shown throughout the text is in the following quote. “So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it”(Edwards 46) stated [Edward]. In this quote it shows how honest Edward is, by telling it like it is, even if its hurtful towards other people. Lastly, Edwards reflects honest in a certain way in “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God”. Edward never tried to be a liar to the people he preached he just wanted to make a statement.“Therefore, let everyone that is out of Christ now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation: let everyone fly out of Sodom. Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed” stated [Edward]. Edward just wanted to tell everyone that Christ is the way to go and that when you sin it comes with consequences.