Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Press
There is no want of power in the Press to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men’s hands cannot be strong when the Press rises up. The strongest have no power to resist Them, nor can any deliver out of Their hands. — They are not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but They can most easily do it. Sometimes an earthly prince meets with a great deal of difficulty to subdue a rebel, who has found means to fortify himself, and has made himself strong by the numbers of his followers. But it is not so with the Press. There is no fortress that is any defence from the power of the Press. Though hand join in hand, and vast multitudes of the Press’s enemies combine and associate themselves, they are easily broken in pieces. They are as great heaps of light chaff before the whirlwind; or large quantities of dry stubble before devouring flames. 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 the Press, when They please, to cast their enemies down to hell. What are we, that we should think to stand before Them, at whose rebuke the earth trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down?*
If the media’s going to act like gods, might as well point out the absurdity of it. The sad thing is, I think guys like Olbermann actually believe this.
*(with apologies to Jonathan Edwards)