Sinful Reflection

Many times two apparently dissimilar items, upon closer inspecting, have much in common. Such is the case with John Edward's sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Edward Taylor's poem "Upon a Spider Catching a Fly."
The traditional view of the Puritans is on of a hardworking, holy people, who live stoically without any major fault. However, this generous stereotype is dramatically changed for students during their years of high school, when the Puritan civilization is more closely scrutinized. The teachers shine light on such aspects of this primitive lifestyle as their hypocrisy, which plagued even the magistrates. In the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Edwards' preaches all sinners are very close to hell, and it is only for the amusement of the Lord that they still inhabit this earth. Edwards expresses his opinion in the matter by stating, "…that (sinful) men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, an...