Sproul’s image of hell and the wrath of God are crazier than Edward’s regardless of the eternal wrath they both believe in.
It’s not when Edwards makes virtually the same comparison, just not quite as overtly.
Anyway, we’ll end it there I think because this is just going round in circles on technicalities 
Even if that were true it would be like saying Stalin was better than Hitler… Not sure about you, but that doesn’t mean much. Or when Darth Vader said “The emperor is not as forgiving as I am…” Neither were forgiving.
Well Sproul’s image is crazier but I guess they both can cause psychological damage.
**Speaking of the furnace in that story, we remember that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in the fire with a fourth person who looked like “a son of the Gods”: Jesus; and they came out unharmed. The only thing consumed by the fire was their bondage (the ropes). Too bad Edwards didn’t realize that God is not like Nebuchadnezzar, Satan is.
A good cure for that confusion is “SATAN: Old Testament Servant Angel or New Testament Cosmic Rebel?” by Richard Murray.
Blessings.**
I understand why Sproul takes on this “insane” viewpoint. To do so, I had to throw myself into Sproul’s shoes.
First, I realized the only way for someone to have an insane viewpoint is for them to be insane or to at least copy ideas from an insane person. The viewpoint of hell that Sproul has comes from the Reformers like Luther and Calvin. In that time period, religion was very violent and any excuse to annihilate someone for different beliefs was happily accepted. It was no wonder that the reformers had violent theologies. It was a product of the utterly insane culture of that time.
As for Sproul’s personal reasons for why people want to be in the hell for eternity, I am convinced that it is because he believes God hates sin AND sin is a property of the sinner. Therefore, God hates sinners. It would only be “fair” if God gets what he wants and that is for sinners to be tortured. God could do further torture by purposely designing not only the final designation of sinners but also their natural desires (which would ultimately cause them to want to be in hell for all eternity.)
It’s a very skewed view of the sovereignty of God. All in all, it’s another brick in the wall between the darkness of Calvinism and Truth.
Nick,
You are correct that Sproul believes that God hates the sinner in hell. He believes that God shows grace (common or saving) to all while we are here on earth. According to Sproul, however, there is coming a time when God removes all grace from the reprobate and they feel His wrath full force in hell.