Jonathan Edwards has no shortage of analogies when the topic turns to eternal damnation. One of my favorites being " you cannot bear the weight of omnipotence treading upon you." Initially Edwards' work appears to be a pretentious writing of a choleric God and the torment under his wrath. What I inferred from his writing was that he was trying to bully Christians into leading virtuous lives by referring only to the consequences of sin.
After completely reading Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, I understood what points Jonathan Edwards was trying to make. The first point he was trying to make; God can and will smite you for your sins. The second point being that you cannot save yourself from hell, nor can others save you. Lastly, the will of God is the only reason you are not damned already and you should use this time to repent.
The consequences of sin definitely note mention; sane men rarely wish God's wrath upon them. Yet I think that positive reinforcement is a better way of teaching than by punishment. Brenda L. Gargus describes, in her internet article Why Positive Reinforcement Works!, positive communication as a way to reinforce good behavior and eliminate bad while building self-esteem. If Jonathan Edwards were to focus some on God's kindness, while defining the consequences, he could convert more sinners to lead .
virtuous lives than by frightening them. The ends sometimes justify the means, and I would rank salvation as one of those 'sometimes.' As long as Jonathan Edwards's writing terrified some sinners to convert from their previous practices, he is due some credit.
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