Entry 23: Tom Walker and John Edwards

Consider the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and relate it to "The Devil and Tom Walker." The story takes place roughly at the same time and in the same place that the sermon was delivered. What do the story and sermon have in common and how do they differ in terms of the idea of the relationship between human beings and supernatural justice? The sermon was intended to strike fear into people's hearts. What about the story? Edwards said there was only one way to salvation, and that it could not be achieved through prayer, church-going, or good deeds alone. How does the story relate to that idea?

• The sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and the story "The Devil and Tom Walker" is common because both of these preach about faith, and also about people's religions and beliefs. However, they differ in the subject, the topic, of what they are preaching about, and the difference of their beliefs. The sermon given by John Edwards preaches about the belief in supernatural justice, namely Jesus, and their main goal is to pray for salvation, to pray for being able to go to heaven instead of being damned in hell. On the other hand, the story of Tom Walker warns people to stay away from supernatural justice because many of it is evil. This is related to the pessimistic view of the Dark Romanticists, that even though the events of nature gives clues and hints to the truth and about the spiritual world, not all may be good - some may be bad. And that is what the story is trying to say: stay away from supernatural justices because they may be bad. Not only is it trying to say stay away from supernatural justices, but the story "The Devil and Tom Walker" is also trying to strike fear inside people's hearts and minds to keep people from being greedy for money and wealth. I believe that these two are related in the way that they are opposites of each other. One says to act good and pious, and to believe in Jesus (supernatural justices), while to other says not to believe in supernatural justices.