Journal #17
Posted By: Melissa Veum
11-16-09
Engl 48A
"We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by: thus easy is it for God, when he pleases, to cast His enemies down to hell (Edwards, 426)."
"The best, most beautiful, and most perfect way that we have of expressing a sweet concord of mind to each other is by music (Edwards, quotationspage.com)."
Sometimes people think that just because they are bigger or more powerful than something else, that gives them the right to do what they please with it, like killing poor defenseless worms. When it seems that something is hanging onto life by a small thread or last bit of power, sometimes it feels like your doing the thing a favor by ending it's life or helping it go faster, but maybe if this thing that's hanging on had some encouragement to hang in there or help not to let go, it would survive and hang on longer. For Edwards to say that it is easy for us to cut or singe that thread is discouraging to hear. You don't want to think that people want to be mean and vicious, you want things to be encouraged and helped so as not to have to end their lives or be stepped on.
In this statement God has the most control because it seems that when he is angry, he can just cast people or things away into hell and never worry about them again. Edwards compares a lowly worm being stepped on to an enemy of God being cast into hell by God himself, whenever he pleases. He states that this is an easy task for God to do when he comes in contact with an enemy and all should be very afraid not to cross God on a bad day. When God sends his enemies into hell it is the lowest form of punishment I can think of, you are no longer welcome in Heaven and on this earth and you will burn forever in the fiery pit we call hell. This, according to Edwards, is easy for God to do to someone.
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