sinners in the hands of an angry god essay

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

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Summary: “sinners in the hands of an angry god”.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is a sermon written by Jonathan Edwards , pastor of the Congregational church of Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1741, during the period of the First Great Awakening. Edwards delivered the sermon to remarkable effect on July 8, 1741, in Enfield, Connecticut, during a revival tour, and it was published shortly thereafter in Boston. Though its hellfire-and-brimstone style is not typical of Edwards’s work, it quickly became his best-known publication and during the succeeding centuries came to epitomize the Calvinist fixation on sin and damnation of the early New England Puritans. Sinners is the most famous text from the period of the Great Awakening, the religious revival movement that occurred in the British colonies in North America from Maine to Georgia in the 1740s and in which Edwards played an influential role as preacher and apologist. Sinners has been anthologized innumerable times and is considered by many the greatest sermon in American literature. The citations in this guide are from the Library of America edition in Jonathan Edwards: Writings from the Great Awakening , ed. Philip F. Gura.

Sinners follows the typical four-part structure of most Puritan sermons: biblical text, doctrine, proof, and application. The sermon begins with a scriptural epigraph , which Edwards explicates to arrive at the sermon’s doctrine. Edwards’s text is a verse from Deuteronomy (xxxii. 35), “Their foot shall slide in due time.” Explaining that the verse refers to the “wicked unbelieving Israelites” (625) who broke the Mosaic laws, Edwards identifies four implications of the text: The sinful Israelites were always exposed to destruction—in fact, sudden, unexpected destruction; the wicked are liable to fall of themselves; and the sole reason they haven’t been destroyed already is that God’s appointed time has not yet come. Edwards synthesizes these points in an “Observation,” which provides the sermon’s doctrine: “There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God” (626).

In the next section of the sermon, Edwards demonstrates the truth of this proposition in 10 enumerated proofs, or “Considerations”:

God is all-powerful; he can destroy the sinner as effortlessly as a human being can crush a worm or cut a spider’s silken thread.
The wicked deserve damnation; divine justice calls out for the sinner to be cast into hell.
The wicked, moreover, have already been condemned by God’s righteous justice; their proper place is hell.
They are objects of the same divine wrath that the damned already suffer in hell; in fact, God is angrier with many alive than those already enduring the flames of eternal torment.
Satan stands ready to seize the wicked as soon as God permits him; hell opens its maw to receive sinners, and demons gather like hungry lions to devour them.
Within the souls of wicked men are hellish principles that would burst into hellfire and consume them if God did not temporarily prevent it. Man’s corruption is boundless in its fury and would incinerate his soul without God’s restraint.
Even if no means of death are visible, this should not give comfort to the wicked. The natural means of death are innumerable and usually unseen; God does not need a miracle to destroy those whose wickedness offends Him.
Prudence and care cannot protect human beings from the wrath of God; their wisdom avails no security.
Humans, assuming their cleverness will enable them to escape damnation, delude themselves as to their eternal prospects. If we could hear a miserable sinner bewailing his fate in hell, he would lament that death came suddenly and unseen, like a thief outwitting him, and he would ruefully curse his own foolishness.
God has never promised to keep sinful (or “natural”) man out of hell for one moment. The only promise of salvation is that secured by Christ’s sacrifice, known as the covenant of grace, which applies only to the faithful who accept Christ as Savior and are reborn within Him. Prayers and good works can avail nothing regarding salvation; only submission to Christ can save human beings from damnation.

Edwards concludes the proof section of the sermon with a single, forceful sentence that summarizes point by point the 10 claims he has made in support of his doctrine.

Shifting to the “Application,” Edwards explains the use of the doctrine for his listeners’ spiritual benefit. His exposition of the sinner’s perilous plight is meant to awaken the unconverted in the congregation before the opportunity for redemption has passed. Addressing his audience directly, he says that the case he has made applies to each of them who are outside of Christ. Though they don’t realize it, they are suspended precipitously over the flames of God’s wrath, as if in midair, with no support but the mere pleasure of God holding them up. Edwards graphically depicts God’s anger and the hateful sinfulness of his listeners in a series of rapid images: Wickedness is like a leaden weight dragging the unregenerate toward hell but for God’s support; the earth and sun recoil from the odious presence of the wicked within His creation; the wrath of God is like black thunderclouds threatening to wreak havoc on the sinner, or like dammed floodwaters continually increasing and yearning for release. Like unseen arrows, God’s vengeance will strike down the unsuspecting sinner in broad day. Edwards implores the listener to consider his utter helplessness and offensiveness to God; like a spider or insect, he is held over the pit of hell by God, solely dependent on His forbearance to escape destruction at each instant. Nothing in the sinner’s power can provide the slightest degree of security. Good health, benevolent intentions, and affectations of holiness are worthless; only the conversion of the heart by being reborn in Christ can atone for sinfulness and lead to salvation.

Edwards develops four points about God’s anger toward the wicked for his audience to contemplate: (1) The wrath to which they are exposed is that of the infinite God, unimaginable in His majesty and power; (2) God’s wrath is inconceivably fierce and will be executed upon sinners without any pity; (3) God will make their suffering a spectacle to show the universe the full terror of His wrath; (4) God’s wrath is everlasting; the sinner’s punishment, therefore, is infinite and unimaginable in its misery. It is wondrous that many now sitting in the church stalls have not already been cast into hell, considering the wickedness of their hearts; many may be there before the end of the year, if not by tomorrow morning.

The sermon concludes with Edwards’s urgent appeal that his listeners take advantage of the extraordinary opportunity now afforded them of coming to Christ. A day of mercy is at hand, and many are flocking into the kingdom of God from the surrounding towns, even Suffield, Enfield’s neighbor. Edwards addresses the town’s elderly, young adults, and children in turn, urging each group not to neglect the precious season of redemption. This day is one of favor and forgiveness for some but will be remembered as a day of remarkable vengeance by others. God’s spirit is now pouring out over the land, as it did during the time of Christ’s apostles, and He is hastily gathering in those who will be saved. Those who reject the gift of grace will be blinded and cut down, like a tree that refuses to bring forth good fruit. The sermon closes with an admonition recalling the faithful Hebrews who fled Sodom when God turned against its wicked inhabitants: “Haste and escape for your Lives, look not behind you, escape to the Mountain, least you be consumed” (641).

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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God: Annotated

Jonathan Edwards’s sermon reflects the complicated religious culture of eighteenth-century America, influenced not just by Calvinism, but Newtonian physics as well.

Title page for Sinners in the hands of an angry God, 1741

Enfield Congregational Church shares its name with the small Connecticut town in which its worshipers have occupied four different buildings since its founding in 1683. The current iteration, which opened 174 years ago, is a handsome, white-washed Palladian and steepled structure with rainbow bunting, reflecting the liberal politics of the Protestant denomination of which it is a member, the United Church of Christ. Architecturally, the building looks similar to its first three permutations, even while theologically much has changed among Congregationalists. As a demonstration of this evolution, consider that the most significant event in the congregation’s history was in 1741, when, during the midst of what’s remembered by historians as the First Great Awakening, the Massachusetts minister and guest speaker Jonathan Edwards delivered what is among the most influential of early American sermons: the stern, doctrinaire, and terrifying “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Standing at the pulpit, Edwards stared out at the congregation in Enfield and declared that the “wrath of God burns against them…the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them.” If eyewitness accounts are accurate, the audience moaned, lamented, and screamed at Edwards’s visceral descriptions of damnation.

Sermons were the most respected literary genre in colonial America, both edifying and entertaining, and Edwards was celebrated for his performances. A century after the Puritan colonization of New England, he was among a coterie of ministers who bemoaned “back-sliding” amongst the populace, and so their orthodox Calvinist theology, with its uncompromising belief in humanity’s wickedness and God’s providence, would be reaffirmed in terrifying descriptions. Many preachers borrowed from the founder of Methodism, John Wesley , an ecstatic approach to worship; ministers such as Edwards put the old wine of Calvinism into the new jugs of Wesleyanism. Such exuberance marked the series of revivals known as the First Great Awakening which proliferated from Boston to Savannah.

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Often remembered as the prototypical “fire and brimstone” sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” reflects the complicated religious background of eighteenth-century America, influenced not just by Calvinism, but by Newtonian physics. As unpalatable as Edwards’s message might have been, his significance can’t be doubted, and from a rhetorical perspective his sermon is among the greatest American examples of the form. Independent of its theological content, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a harbinger of American Romanticism, a literary work that prefigured Poe and Hawthorne, Melville and Lovecraft, in its intimations of a terrifying and alien God.

SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD

Deuteronomy xxxii. 35.—their foot shall slide in due time..

In this verse is threatened the vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites, that were God’s visible people, and lived under means of grace; and that notwithstanding all God’s wonderful works that he had wrought towards that people, yet remained, as is expressed verse 28, void of counsel, having no understanding in them; and that, under all the cultivations of heaven, brought forth bitter and poisonous fruit; as in the two verses next preceding the text.

The expression that I have chosen for my text, Their foot shall slide in due time , seems to imply the following things relating to the punishment and destruction that these wicked Israelites were exposed to.

That they were always exposed to destruction ; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall. This is implied in the manner of their destruction’s coming upon them, being represented by their foot’s sliding. The same is expressed, Psalm LXXIII. 18: “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction.”
It implies that they were always exposed to sudden , unexpected destruction; as he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he can’t foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once, without warning, which is also expressed in that Psalm LXXIII. 18, 19: “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment !”
Another thing implied is, that they are liable to fall of themselves , without being thrown down by the hand of another; as he that stands or walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down.
That the reason why they are not fallen already, and don’t fall now, is only that God’s appointed time is not come. For it is said that when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide . Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God won’t hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall to destruction; as he that stands in such slippery declining ground on the edge of a pit that he can’t stand alone, when he is let go he immediately falls and is lost.

The observation from the words that I would now insist upon is this, “ There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God .”

By the mere pleasure of God, I mean his sovereign pleasure, his arbitrary will, restrained by no obligation, hindered by no manner of difficulty, any more than if nothing else but God’s mere will had in the least degree or in any respect whatsoever any hand in the preservation of wicked men one moment.

The truth of this observation may appear by the following considerations.

There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men’s hands can’t be strong when God rises up: the strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands.

He is not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but he can most easily do it. Sometimes an earthly prince meets with a great deal of difficulty to subdue a rebel that has found means to fortify himself, and has made himself strong by the number of his followers. But it is not so with God. There is no fortress that is any defence against the power of God. Though hand join in hand, and vast multitudes of God’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 ’tis 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. What are we, that we should think to stand before him, at whose rebuke the earth trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down!

They deserve to be cast into hell; so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God’s using his power at any moment to destroy them. Yea, on the contrary, justice calls aloud for an infinite punishment of their sins. Divine justice says of the tree that brings forth such grapes of Sodom, “Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?” Luke XIII. 7. The sword of divine justice is every moment brandished over their heads, and ’tis nothing but the hand of arbitrary mercy, and God’s mere will, that holds it back.
They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. They don’t only justly deserve to be cast down thither, but the sentence of the law of God, that eternal and immutable rule of righteousness that God has fixed between him and mankind, is gone out against them, and stands against them; so that they are bound over already to hell: John III. 18, “He that believeth not is condemned already.” So that every unconverted man properly belongs to hell; that is his place; from thence he is: John VIII. 23, “Ye are from beneath:” and thither he is bound; ’tis the place that justice, and God’s word, and the sentence of his unchangeable law, assigns to him.

They are now the objects of that very same anger and wrath of God, that is expressed in the torments of hell: and the reason why they don’t go down to hell at each moment is not because God, in whose power they are, is not then very angry with them; as angry as he is with many of those miserable creatures that he is now tormenting in hell, and do there feel and bear the fierceness of his wrath. Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers that are now on earth, yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this congregation, that, it may be, are at ease and quiet, than he is with many of those that are now in the flames of hell.

So that it is not because God is unmindful of their wickedness, and don’t resent it, that he don’t let loose his hand and cut them off. God is not altogether such a one as themselves, though they may imagine him to be so. The wrath of God burns against them; their damnation don’t slumber; the pit is prepared; the fire is made ready; the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow. The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened her mouth under them.

The devil stands ready to fall upon them, and seize them as his own, at what moment God shall permit him. They belong to him; he has their souls in his possession, and under his dominion. The Scripture represents them as his goods , Luke XI. 21. The devils watch them; they are ever by them, at their right hand; they stand waiting for them, like greedy hungry lions that see their prey, and expect to have it, but are for the present kept back; if God should withdraw his hand by which they are restrained, they would in one moment fly upon their poor souls. The old serpent is gaping for them; hell opens its mouth wide to receive them ; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost.
There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would presently kindle and flame out into hell-fire, if it were not for God’s restraints. There is laid in the very nature of carnal men a foundation for the torments of hell: there are those corrupt principles, in reigning power in them, and in full possession of them, that are seeds of hell-fire. These principles are active and powerful, exceeding violent in their nature, and if it were not for the restraining hand of God upon them, they would soon break out, they would flame out after the same manner as the same corruptions, the same enmity does in the heart of damned souls, and would beget the same torments in ’em as they do in them. The souls of the wicked are in Scripture compared to the troubled sea , Isaiah LVII. 20. For the present God restrains their wickedness by his mighty power, as he does the raging waves of the troubled sea, saying, “Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further;” but if God should withdraw that restraining power, it would soon carry all afore it. Sin is the ruin and misery of the soul; it is destructive in its nature; and if God should leave it without restraint, there would need nothing else to make the soul perfectly miserable. The corruption of the heart of man is a thing that is immoderate and boundless in its fury; and while wicked men live here, it is like fire pent up by God’s restraints, when as if it were let loose, it would set on fire the course of nature; and as the heart is now a sink of sin, so, if sin was not restrained, it would immediately turn the soul into a fiery oven, or a furnace of fire and brimstone.
It is no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand. ’Tis no security to a natural man, that he is now in health, and that he don’t see which way he should now immediately go out of the world by any accident, and that there is no visible danger in any respect in his circumstances . The manifold and continual experience of the world in all ages shows that this is no evidence that a man is not on the very brink of eternity, and that the next step won’t be into another world. The unseen, unthought of ways and means of persons’ going suddenly out of the world are innumerable and inconceivable. Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering, and there are innumerable places in this covering so weak that they won’t bear their weight, and these places are not seen. The arrows of death fly unseen at noonday; the sharpest sight can’t discern them. God has so many different, unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world and sending ’em to hell, that there is nothing to make it appear that God had need to be at the expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course of his providence, to destroy any wicked man, at any moment. All the means that there are of sinners’ going out of the world are so in God’s hands, and so absolutely subject to his power and determination, that it don’t depend at all less on the mere will of God, whether sinners shall at any moment go to hell, than if means were never made use of, or at all concerned in the case.
Natural men’s prudence and care to preserve their own lives , or the care of others to preserve them, don’t secure ’em a moment. This, divine providence and universal experience does also bear testimony to. There is this clear evidence that men’s own wisdom is no security to them from death; that if it were otherwise we should see some difference between the wise and politic men of the world and others, with regard to their liableness to early and unexpected death; but how is it in fact? Eccles. II. 16, “How dieth the wise man? As the fool.”
All wicked men’s pains and contrivance they use to escape hell , while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, don’t secure ’em from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security, he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do; every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that he contrives well for himself, and that his schemes won’t fail. They hear indeed that there are but few saved, and that the bigger part of men that have died heretofore are gone to hell; but each one imagines that he lays out matters better for his own escape than others have done: he don’t intend to come to that place of torment; he says within himself, that he intends to take care that shall be effectual, and to order matters so for himself as not to fail.

But the foolish children of men do miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in their confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow. The bigger part of those that heretofore have lived under the same means of grace, and are now dead, are undoubtedly gone to hell; and it was not because they were not as wise as those that are now alive; it was not because they did not lay out matters as well for themselves to secure their own escape. If it were so that we could come to speak with them, and could inquire of them, one by one, whether they expected, when alive, and when they used to hear about hell, ever to be subjects of that misery, we, doubtless, should hear one and another reply, “No, I never intended to come here: I had laid out matters otherwise in my mind; I thought I should contrive well for myself: I thought my scheme good: I intended to take effectual care; but it came upon me unexpected; I did not look for it at that time, and in that manner; it came as a thief: death outwitted me: God’s wrath was too quick for me. O my cursed foolishness! I was flattering myself, and pleasing myself with vain dreams of what I would do hereafter; and when I was saying peace and safety, then sudden destruction came upon me.”

God has laid himself under no obligation , by any promise, to keep any natural man out of hell one moment. God certainly has made no promises either of eternal life, or of any deliverance or preservation from eternal death, but what are contained in the covenant of grace , the promises that are given in Christ, in whom all the promises are yea and amen. But surely they have no interest in the promises of the covenant of grace that are not the children of the covenant, and that do not believe in any of the promises of the covenant, and have no interest in the Mediator of the covenant.

So that, whatever some have imagined and pretended about promises made to natural men’s earnest seeking and knocking, ’tis plain and manifest, that whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes, till he believes in Christ, God is under no manner of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction.

So that thus it is, that natural men are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, his anger is as great towards them as to those that are actually suffering the executions of the fierceness of his wrath in hell, and they have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger, neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold ’em up one moment ; the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them and swallow them up; the fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out; and they have no interest in any Mediator, there are no means within reach that can be any security to them. In short they have no refuge, nothing to take hold of; all that preserves them every moment is the mere arbitrary will, and uncovenanted, unobliged forbearance of an incensed God.

APPLICATION

The use may be of awakening to unconverted persons in this congregation. This that you have heard is the case of every one of you that are out of Christ. That world of misery, that lake of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell’s wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take hold of. There is nothing between you and hell but the air; ’tis only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.

You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but don’t see the hand of God in it, but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling, than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it.

Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock. Were it not that so is the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it; the creation groans with you; the creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly; the sun don’t willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan ; the earth don’t willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air don’t willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God’s enemies. God’s creatures are good, and were made for men to serve God with, and don’t willingly subserve to any other purpose, and groan when they are abused to purposes so directly contrary to their nature and end. And the world would spew you out, were it not for the sovereign hand of him who hath subjected it in hope. There are the black clouds of God’s wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you. The sovereign pleasure of God, for the present, stays his rough wind; otherwise it would come with fury, and your destruction would come like a whirlwind, and you would be like the chaff of the summer threshing floor.

The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose. ’Tis true, that judgment against your evil work has not been executed hitherto; the floods of God’s vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are continually rising, and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God that holds the waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward. If God should only withdraw his hand from the floodgate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.

The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood.

Thus are all you that never passed under a great change of heart by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin to a state of new and before altogether unexperienced light and life, (however you may have reformed your life in many things, and may have had religious affections, and may keep up a form of religion in your families and closets, and in the house of God, and may be strict in it), you are thus in the hands of an angry God; ’tis nothing but his mere pleasure that keeps you from being this moment swallowed up in everlasting destruction.

However unconvinced you may now be of the truth of what you hear, by and by you will be fully convinced of it. Those that are gone from being in the like circumstances with you see that it was so with them; for destruction came suddenly upon most of them; when they expected nothing of it, and while they were saying, Peace and safety: now they see, that those things that they depended on for peace and safety were nothing but thin air and empty shadows.

The God that holds you over the pit of Hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire , abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked; his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times so abominable in his eyes, as the most hateful and venomous serpent is in ours . You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince: and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. ’Tis ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you was suffered to awake again in this world after you closed your eyes to sleep; and there is no other reason to be given why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God’s hand has held you up. There is no other reason to be given why you han’t gone to hell since you have sat here in the house of God, provoking his pure eyes by your sinful wicked manner of attending his solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be given as a reason why you don’t this very moment drop down into hell.

O sinner! consider the fearful danger you are in. ’Tis a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment.

And consider here more particularly several things concerning that wrath that you are in such danger of.

Whose wrath it is. It is the wrath of the infinite God. If it were only the wrath of man, though it were of the most potent prince, it would be comparatively little to be regarded. The wrath of kings is very much dreaded, especially of absolute monarchs, that have the possessions and lives of their subjects wholly in their power, to be disposed of at their mere will. Prov. XX. 2, “The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.” The subject that very much enrages an arbitrary prince is liable to suffer the most extreme torments that human art can invent, or human power can inflict . But the greatest earthly potentates, in their greatest majesty and strength, and when clothed in their greatest terrors, are but feeble, despicable worms of the dust , in comparison of the great and almighty Creator and King of heaven and earth: it is but little that they can do when most enraged, and when they have exerted the utmost of their fury. All the kings of the earth before God are as grasshoppers ; they are nothing, and less than nothing: both their love and their hatred is to be despised. The wrath of the great King of kings is as much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is greater. Luke XII. 4, 5, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
’Tis the fierceness of his wrath that you are exposed to. We often read of the fury of God; as in Isaiah LIX. 18: “According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay fury to his adversaries.” So Isaiah LXVI. 15, “For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.” And so in many other places. So we read of God’s fierceness , Rev. XIX. 15. There we read of “the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” The words are exceeding terrible: if it had only been said, “the wrath of God,” the words would have implied that which is infinitely dreadful: but ’tis not only said so, but “the fierceness and wrath of God.” The fury of God! The fierceness of Jehovah! Oh, how dreadful must that be! Who can utter or conceive what such expressions carry in them! But it is not only said so, but “the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” As though there would be a very great manifestation of his almighty power in what the fierceness of his wrath should inflict, as though omnipotence should be as it were enraged, and exerted, as men are wont to exert their strength in the fierceness of their wrath. Oh! then, what will be the consequence! What will become of the poor worm that shall suffer it! Whose hands can be strong! And whose heart endure! To what a dreadful, inexpressible, inconceivable depth of misery must the poor creature be sunk who shall be the subject of this!

Consider this, you that are here present, that yet remain in an unregenerate state. That God will execute the fierceness of his anger implies that he will inflict wrath without any pity. When God beholds the ineffable extremity of your case, and sees your torment so vastly disproportioned to your strength, and sees how your poor soul is crushed, and sinks down, as it were, into an infinite gloom; he will have no compassion upon you, he will not forbear the executions of his wrath, or in the least lighten his hand; there shall be no moderation or mercy , nor will God then at all stay his rough wind; he will have no regard to your welfare, nor be at all careful lest you should suffer too much in any other sense, than only that you should not suffer beyond what strict justice requires: nothing shall be withheld because it is so hard for you to bear. Ezek. VIII. 18, “Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.” Now God stands ready to pity you; this is a day of mercy; you may cry now with some encouragement of obtaining mercy: but when once the day of mercy is past, your most lamentable and dolorous cries and shrieks will be in vain; you will be wholly lost and thrown away of God, as to any regard to your welfare; God will have no other use to put you to, but only to suffer misery; you shall be continued in being to no other end; for you will be a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction; and there will be no other use of this vessel, but only to be filled full of wrath: God will be so far from pitying you when you cry to him, that ’tis said he will only “laugh and mock,” Prov. I. 25, 26, &c.

How awful are those words, Isaiah LXIII. 3, which are the words of the great God: “I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.” ’Tis perhaps impossible to conceive of words that carry in them greater manifestations of these three things, viz., contempt and hatred and fierceness of indignation. If you cry to God to pity you, he will be so far from pitying you in your doleful case, or showing you the least regard or favor, that instead of that he’ll only tread you under foot: and though he will know that you can’t bear the weight of omnipotence treading upon you, yet he won’t regard that, but he will crush you under his feet without mercy; he’ll crush out your blood, and make it fly, and it shall be sprinkled on his garments, so as to stain all his raiment. He will not only hate you, but he will have you in the utmost contempt; no place shall be thought fit for you but under his feet, to be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

The misery you are exposed to is that which God will inflict to that end, that he might show what that wrath of Jehovah is. God hath had it on his heart to show to angels and men, both how excellent his love is, and also how terrible his wrath is. Sometimes earthly kings have a mind to show how terrible their wrath is, by the extreme punishments they would execute on those that provoke ’em. Nebuchadnezzar , that mighty and haughty monarch of the Chaldean empire, was willing to show his wrath when enraged with Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego; and accordingly gave order that the burning fiery furnace should be heated seven times hotter than it was before; doubtless, it was raised to the utmost degree of fierceness that human art could raise it; but the great God is also willing to show his wrath, and magnify his awful Majesty and mighty power in the extreme sufferings of his enemies. Rom. IX. 22, “What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?” And seeing this is his design, and what he has determined, to show how terrible the unmixed, unrestrained wrath, the fury and fierceness of Jehovah is, he will do it to effect. There will be something accomplished and brought to pass that will be dreadful with a witness. When the great and angry God hath risen up and executed his awful vengeance on the poor sinner, and the wretch is actually suffering the infinite weight and power of his indignation, then will God call upon the whole universe to behold that awful majesty and mighty power that is to be seen in it. Isa. XXXIII. 12, 13, 14, “And the people shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire. Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites,” &c.

Thus it will be with you that are in an unconverted state, if you continue in it; the infinite might, and majesty, and terribleness, of the Omnipotent God shall be magnified upon you in the ineffable strength of your torments. You shall be tormented in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and when you shall be in this state of suffering, the glorious inhabitants of heaven shall go forth and look on the awful spectacle, that they may see what the wrath and fierceness of the Almighty is; and when they have seen it, they will fall down and adore that great power and majesty. Isa. LXVI. 23, 24, “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”

It is everlasting wrath. It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity : there will be no end to this exquisite, horrible misery. When you look forward, you shall see a long forever, a boundless duration before you, which will swallow up your thoughts, and amaze your soul; and you will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance, any end, any mitigation, any rest at all; you will know certainly that you must wear out long ages, millions of millions of ages, in wrestling and conflicting with this almighty, merciless vengeance; and then when you have so done, when so many ages have actually been spent by you in this manner, you will know that all is but a point to what remains. So that your punishment will indeed be infinite. Oh, who can express what the state of a soul in such circumstances is! All that we can possibly say about it gives but a very feeble, faint representation of it; it is inexpressible and inconceivable: for “who knows the power of God’s anger?”

How dreadful is the state of those that are daily and hourly in danger of this great wrath and infinite misery! But this is the dismal case of every soul in this congregation that has not been born again , however moral and strict, sober and religious, they may otherwise be. Oh, that you would consider it, whether you be young or old! There is reason to think that there are many in this congregation now hearing this discourse, that will actually be the subjects of this very misery to all eternity . We know not who they are, or in what seats they sit, or what thoughts they now have. It may be they are now at ease, and hear all these things without much disturbance, and are now flattering themselves that they are not the persons, promising themselves that they shall escape. If we knew that there was one person, and but one, in the whole congregation, that was to be the subject of this misery, what an awful thing it would be to think of! If we knew who it was, what an awful sight would it be to see such a person! How might all the rest of the congregation lift up a lamentable and bitter cry over him! But alas! instead of one, how many is it likely will remember this discourse in hell! And it would be a wonder, if some that are now present should not be in hell in a very short time, before this year is out. And it would be no wonder if some persons that now sit here in some seats of this meeting-house in health, and quiet and secure, should be there before to-morrow morning. Those of you that finally continue in a natural condition, that shall keep out of hell longest, will be there in a little time! Your damnation don’t slumber; it will come swiftly and, in all probability, very suddenly upon many of you. You have reason to wonder that you are not already in hell. ’Tis doubtless the case of some that heretofore you have seen and known, that never deserved hell more than you and that heretofore appeared as likely to have been now alive as you. Their case is past all hope; they are crying in extreme misery and perfect despair. But here you are in the land of the living and in the house of God, and have an opportunity to obtain salvation. What would not those poor, damned, hopeless souls give for one day’s such opportunity as you now enjoy!

And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him and pressing into the Kingdom of God. Many are daily coming from the east, west, north and south ; many that were very likely in the same miserable condition that you are in are in now a happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him that has loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. How awful is it to be left behind at such a day! To see so many others feasting, while you are pining and perishing! To see so many rejoicing and singing for joy of heart, while you have cause to mourn for sorrow of heart and howl for vexation of spirit! How can you rest for one moment in such a condition? Are not your souls as precious as the souls of the people at Suffield, where they are flocking from day to day to Christ?

Are there not many here that have lived long in the world that are not to this day born again, and so are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and have done nothing ever since they have lived but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath? Oh, sirs, your case in an especial manner is extremely dangerous; your guilt and hardness of heart is extremely great. Don’t you see how generally persons of your years are passed over and left in the present remarkable and wonderful dispensation of God’s mercy? You had need to consider yourselves and wake thoroughly out of sleep; you cannot bear the fierceness and the wrath of the infinite God.

And you that are young men and young women, will you neglect this precious season that you now enjoy, when so many others of your age are renouncing all youthful vanities and flocking to Christ? You especially have now an extraordinary opportunity; but if you neglect it, it will soon be with you as it is with those persons that spent away all the precious days of youth in sin and are now come to such a dreadful pass in blindness and hardness.

And you children that are unconverted , don’t you know that you are going down to hell to bear the dreadful wrath of that God that is now angry with you every day and every night? Will you be content to be the children of the devil, when so many other children in the land are converted and are become the holy and happy children of the King of kings?

And let every one that is yet out of Christ and hanging over the pit of hell, whether they be old men and women or middle-aged or young people or little children, now hearken to the loud calls of God’s word and providence. This acceptable year of the Lord that is a day of such great favor to some will doubtless be a day of as remarkable vengeance to others. Men’s hearts harden and their guilt increases apace at such a day as this, if they neglect their souls. And never was there so great danger of such persons being given up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind . God seems now to be hastily gathering in his elect in all parts of the land ; and probably the bigger part of adult persons that ever shall be saved will be brought in now in a little time, and that it will be as it was on that great outpouring of the Spirit upon the Jews in the Apostles’ days, the election will obtain and the rest will be blinded. If this should be the case with you, you will eternally curse this day, and will curse the day that ever you was born to see such a season of the pouring out of God’s Spirit, and will wish that you had died and gone to hell before you had seen it. Now undoubtedly it is as it was in the days of John the Baptist, the axe is in an extraordinary manner laid at the root of the trees, that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit may be hewn down and cast into the fire.

Therefore let every one that is out of Christ now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over great part of this congregation. Let every one fly out of Sodom. “ Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest ye be consumed. ”

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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Jonathan edwards.

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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay

Outline 1. Introduction a. Hook - “Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering.” ( A quote from Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”) b. Thesis – Jonathan Edwards’s sermon portrayed Puritans as sinners of their religion through the use of rhetorical strategies such as ethos, pathos, and logos. 2. Body Points c. Body 1 i. Topic Sentence - Ethos is referred to as the trustworthiness or credibility of the speaker and their tone of the literature. d. Body 2 ii. Topic Sentence – Pathos is referred to as the literature’s emotional appeal to the audience’s senses or imagination. e. Body 3 iii. Topic Sentence – Logos is referred to as …show more content…

Edwards' creative choice of words that he uses describes the power of God and the terrible Hell awaiting sinners. These words easily infiltrate into the minds of his congregation and frighten them beyond belief. These choices of words and his use of such vivid images are mostly successful in their intent, to scare and put fear into his audience. Edwards held his audience locked up with his promises of eternal damnation if proper steps were not taken. The congregation felt the intense impact of his rhetorical strategies and lived on the fear of the power of God. In this way, he was able to keep his followers from sin and away from the fiery pits of Hell. Pathos is referred to as the literature’s emotional appeal to the audience’s senses or imagination. Edwards uses imagery to paint a horrifying picture of eternal damnation for unsaved souls. His use of detailed words describing the horrors and nuisance awaiting sinners has a significant effect on his audience. Hell may or may not be a real place and all of the suffering and pain described is a lie, Edwards' way of delivering his message is so effective that it puts fear into his listeners so that they believe and follow his suggested method of recovery. Moreover, he uses imagery to give his audience a mental picture of God holding sinners above the fiery pits of Hell. After filling their minds with fear, he uses this image to show them that there is a light at the end of the

Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Rhetorical Analysis

In the works of Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” uses numerous persuasive techniques and biblical allusions. Edwards’ sermon lectures Puritans, people who strictly pursue to live by the bible, on how they are straying from the path of the bible. During his sermon, the Puritans were terrified of what he had said ,because every little sin each Puritan had committed they thought they were going to go to Hell. Edwards’ play on words, as well as his use of persuasive techniques, and biblical allusion convinced the Puritans that they were severely in trouble of going to Hell.

Jonathan uses Pathos by emphasizing how he sees sinners within “Sinners In The Hands of An Angry God”, creating a fear amongst the audience. Edwards suggests that “hell opens its mouth wide to receive them” (5) which is a way how Edward thinks that sinners could be rid of. The statement, which contained personification influenced the appeal to Pathos with saying “hell” could open its mouth and eat something, the imagery in this statement helped improve the audience’s emotion towards sinners and John’s feelings towards sinners, using the anger that Edwards has for sinners further supports the element of Pathos.

Imagery in Edward's Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay

Figurative language is another important factor for the story. In the story, he talked about wickedness in a persons body. Your wickedness makes you as it were as heavy as lead. This will make you think that the amount of wickedness in ones body is equivalent to the weight of lead. This might persuade people to go be reborn since they would want to get rid of most of that wickedness. Another example is the comparison of a person to a spider. The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider. Edwards use this to say that were no different than spiders in Gods eyes. We could be squished or dropped to our doom in a mater of seconds. Edwards also compared Gods wrath to the great waters. The wrath of God is like great waters that are damned for the present, they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given, and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and

2.04A Edwards Essay

It reflects on the Puritans’’ ideals and beliefs. Such as, they believed in salvation and that the fate of individual soul was predetermined by God. Also, that salvation was a private choice among God and the 'Elect'. Elects or Saints were the ones who were saved and the ones who weren't were 'wicked’.

Jonathan Edwards Essay Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Jonathan Edwards, a famous preacher in pre-colonial times, composed a sermon that was driven to alert and inject neo Puritanical fear into an eighteenth century congregation. This Bible based and serious audience sought after religious instruction and enlightenment. Through the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards offers a very harsh interpretation to humankind. Edwards utilizes various rhetorical techniques to evoke an emotional response in his audience and to persuade the members of his congregation that their wicked actions will awaken a very ruthless and merciless God.

Examples Of Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

Edwards, Jonathan. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. In Literature of America, complied by Jan Anderson and Laurel Hicks, 19-25. Pensacola: A Beka Book, 2010.

Just as effective as language manipulation is Edwards's use of language transformation; indeed, his skillful employment of descriptive language adds a visual dimension to his message. Even if the foundation is misinterpreted, these transformations allow any listener to mentally "see" Edwards's overall direction. For instance, God's wrath is referred to as "great waters that are dammed", "a glittering sword", and a "drawn arrow". These terms indicate powerful and deadly forces. On the other hand, sinners are likened to "worms of the dust", "miserable creatures", and "loathsome insects"; consequently, these labels are receptors of God's wrath through the forces Edwards introduces. Although these conceptual images appear basic, Edwards's frequency and placement throughout his delivery produce a clear and precise overview to even

Quotes In Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

Jonathan Edwards begin with his sermon, implying that hell is a bad place to be chosen to go and being feared by it. Edwards asserts, “...the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up; the fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out…”(Edwards, Para.1). Edwards begins to give negative connotations of hell. It states how hell is wide open for the audience and it also would like the pleasure to hold onto them. He continues to show how they would be swallowed up by flames and fire. And how the fire is struggling to break out and get them to burn or torture them. This gives the people, the congregation, the negative impression and vibe of them once leaving to their afterlife they will be going to hell. He uses the devil as a threat to them so they will fear hell and all the horrible things waiting for them. This means that Edwards tries to scare them off. Jonathan Edwards believes that in order to manipulate them, he must include fear in his writing to make sure his listeners/ readers obey god. Because this whole sermon is basically warning his congregation that they must repent from their sinful ways. That they must turn to god for forgiveness before everything is

From Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis

Edwards instills fear in his congregation by threatening the wrath of God and what will happen if one does not omit their lives to Him. “So that thus it is, that natural men’ are held in the hand god over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it;” (102). Here Edwards uses sharp descriptions to show his congregation that any wrong move can put one in Hell, promoting the practice of religion, more specifically; his church. Edwards also writes and speaks very poetically in such a way that his sermons are delivered with an intense amount of imagery that it seems as if those in attendance are watching a movie. Comparing the earth to God’s hand and the mention of God’s wrath being a loaded bow that is ready to rain down on sinners at any moment, helps add the the fear and the image. Another way Edwards creates his atmosphere is by referring to the mass in front of him as ‘you’. When spoken to in such a personal manner one is more likely to be afraid or concerned about the subject as opposed to the sermon being delivered with a more general

Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis

In the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Edwards displays controversial viewpoints and ideas concerning heaven and hell. As Edwards speaks to the congregation he warns them of the misery and suffering they will face if they do not repent of certain sins. He also describes God as angry which probably struck fear into the hearts on many. To illustrate his own point that hell is unenviable without repentance Jonathan Edwards creates the idea of an angry God using intense similes, a harsh tone, and strong emotional appeal in “Sinners in the hand of an Angry God”.

Rhetorical Analysis Of Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a sermon written by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), a theologian and philosopher in the British Colonies of America. He was raised as a puritan in Connecticut and grew up to be one of America’s most influential protestant revivalists of that time. He delivered many sermons, the most well-known being “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Edwards gave this sermon on July 8, 1741 in Northampton, Massachusetts. The main purpose of this sermon was to convey to the audience the reality of hell, the need to change their wicked lives, and, ultimately, that they should fear the wrath of God. Edwards does this to motivate the audience to live their lives as perfectly as they can in order to not anger God and to avoid Hell.

Edwards’s intense, persuasive technique was very effective in guiding non-believers back into religion. It also helped the Puritans that were not swayed by the reform advancements to stay engaged in God and willing to spread His word. His persuasive technique proves to be effective when his audience, authority and reason are considered. Puritans were “member[s] of a group of Protestants that arose in the sixteenth century within the Church of England, demanding the simplification of doctrine and worship, and greater strictness in religious discipline” (Collins English Dictionary). Because of their adamancy about reforms, Puritans were more likely to be open to new ideas. Subsequently, Edwards’ directed the sermon

Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God By Jonathon Edwards

Within the eighteenth century, Christians were going through the Great Awakening, a wave of religious enthusiasm that swept through the colonies in an effort to make an impact on the religion within the areas. In the sermon written by Jonathon Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” he is trying to persuade nonbelievers into joining his religion in a way unused by many. To show nonbelievers the two altering sides of God based on what people believe and “they may imagine him to be so” (3), Jonathon Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” utilizes threatening tone, conveying repetition, and augmenting similes to express the fury and hopefulness of God.

An Angry God Diction

Edwards uses words like “wrath” and “omnipotent” to display the power that God posses, and chooses negative connotation words to describe the relationship between God and man (para. 15, 46). Making the comparison of the relationship between God and humans like a spider web or thread, the author wants the audience to know that it can be broken at any time, and that the “pit is prepared” down in hell for sinners (para. 17). Edward chooses diction that leaves humans hopeless, and at the mercy of God. He wants the audience to know that God is always in control, using words like “if God should permit” and “the mere pleasure of God” (para. 13, 7). Additionally, Edwards uses diction to portray God as merciless and immoral, saying that has God is “without pity” and “will have no compassion upon you” (para. 41). This leaves the audience despaired, and they feel as if they have no choice but to reestablish their relationship with God, or certainly face an “everlasting destruction” at any time God pleases to (para.

Literary Devices In Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

In Johnathan Edward's, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards has a particular style of writing that conveys an underlying purpose when delivering the sermon. Throughout the sermon, he uses multiple writing techniques and tools to engage the listener more, and to assure the listeners believe and trust him. Edwards purpose of writing and delivering the sermon, is to warn his people and to whomever else wants to agree, that they all must show their remorse of their sins to God before it is too late. Every sentence in the sermon, is based around scarring the people even more and more. Edwards accomplishes this by using certain diction and structure, a certain tone, and persuasive figurative language.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Deuteronomy 32:35.—Their foot shall slide in due time.

The expression that I have chosen for my text, their foot shall slide in due time , seems to imply the following things relating to the punishment and destruction that these wicked Israelites were exposed to.

1. That they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall. This is implied in the manner of their destruction’s coming upon them, being represented by their foot’s sliding. The same is expressed, Psalm 73:18: “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction.”

2. It implies that they were always exposed to sudden , unexpected destruction; as he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he can’t foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once, without warning, which is also expressed in that Psalm 73:18, 19: “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment !”

3. Another thing implied is, that they are liable to fall of themselves , without being thrown down by the hand of another; as he that stands or walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down.

4. That the reason why they are not fallen already, and don’t fall now, is only that God’s appointed time is not come. For it is said that when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide . Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God won’t hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall to destruction; as he that stands in such slippery declining ground on the edge of a pit that he can’t stand alone, when he is let go he immediately falls and is lost.

The observation from the words that I would now insist upon is this,

There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God.

The truth of this observation may appear by the following considerations.

1. There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men’s hands can’t be strong when God rises up: the strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands.

2. They deserve to be cast into hell; so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God’s using his power at any moment to destroy them. Yea, on the contrary, justice calls aloud for an infinite punishment of their sins. Divine justice says of the tree that brings forth such grapes of Sodom, “Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?” Luke 13:7. The sword of divine justice is every moment brandished over their heads, and ’tis nothing but the hand of arbitrary mercy, and God’s mere will, that holds it back.

3. They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. They don’t only justly deserve to be cast down thither, but the sentence of the law of God, that eternal and immutable rule of righteousness that God has fixed between him and mankind, is gone out against them, and stands against them; so that they are bound over already to hell: John 3:18, “He that believeth not is condemned already.” So that every unconverted man properly belongs to hell; that is his place; from thence he is: John 8:23, “Ye are from beneath:” and thither he is bound; ’tis the place that justice, and God’s word, and the sentence of his unchangeable law, assigns to him.

5. The devil stands ready to fall upon them, and seize them as his own, at what moment God shall permit him. They belong to him; he has their souls in his possession, and under his dominion. The Scripture represents them as his goods , Luke 11:21. The devils watch them; they are ever by them, at their right hand; they stand waiting for them, like greedy hungry lions that see their prey, and expect to have it, but are for the present kept back; if God should withdraw his hand by which they are restrained, they would in one moment fly upon their poor souls. The old serpent is gaping for them; hell opens its mouth wide to receive them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost.

6. There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would presently kindle and flame out into hell-fire, if it were not for God’s restraints. There is laid in the very nature of carnal men a foundation for the torments of hell: there are those corrupt principles, in reigning power in them, and in full possession of them, that are seeds of hell-fire. These principles are active and powerful, exceeding violent in their nature, and if it were not for the restraining hand of God upon them, they would soon break out, they would flame out after the same manner as the same corruptions, the same enmity does in the heart of damned souls, and would beget the same torments in ’em as they do in them. The souls of the wicked are in Scripture compared to the troubled sea, Isaiah 57:20. For the present God restrains their wickedness by his mighty power, as he does the raging waves of the troubled sea, saying, “Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further;” but if God should withdraw that restraining power, it would soon carry all afore it. Sin is the ruin and misery of the soul; it is destructive in its nature; and if God should leave it without restraint, there would need nothing else to make the soul perfectly miserable. The corruption of the heart of man is a thing that is immoderate and boundless in its fury; and while wicked men live here, it is like fire pent up by God’s restraints, whenas if it were let loose, it would set on fire the course of nature; and as the heart is now a sink of sin, so, if sin was not restrained, it would immediately turn the soul into a fiery oven, or a furnace of fire and brimstone.

7. It is no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand. ’Tis no security to a natural man, that he is now in health, and that he don’t see which way he should now immediately go out of the world by any accident, and that there is no visible danger in any respect in his circumstances. The manifold and continual experience of the world in all ages shows that this is no evidence that a man is not on the very brink of eternity, and that the next step won’t be into another world. The unseen, unthought of ways and means of persons’ going suddenly out of the world are innumerable and inconceivable. Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering, and there are innumerable places in this covering so weak that they won’t bear their weight, and these places are not seen. The arrows of death fly unseen at noonday; the sharpest sight can’t discern them. God has so many different, unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world and sending ’em to hell, that there is nothing to make it appear that God had need to be at the expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course of his providence, to destroy any wicked man, at any moment. All the means that there are of sinners’ going out of the world are so in God’s hands, and so absolutely subject to his power and determination, that it don’t depend at all less on the mere will of God, whether sinners shall at any moment go to hell, than if means were never made use of, or at all concerned in the case.

8. Natural men’s prudence and care to preserve their own lives , or the care of others to preserve them, don’t secure ’em a moment. This, divine providence and universal experience does also bear testimony to. There is this clear evidence that men’s own wisdom is no security to them from death; that if it were otherwise we should see some difference between the wise and politic men of the world and others, with regard to their liableness to early and unexpected death; but how is it in fact? Eccl. 2:16, “How dieth the wise man? As the fool.”

9. All wicked men’s pains and contrivance they use to escape hell , while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, don’t secure ’em from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security, he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do; every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that he contrives well for himself, and that his schemes won’t fail. They hear indeed that there are but few saved, and that the bigger part of men that have died heretofore are gone to hell; but each one imagines that he lays out matters better for his own escape than others have done: he don’t intend to come to that place of torment; he says within himself, that he intends to take care that shall be effectual, and to order matters so for himself as not to fail.

10. God has laid himself under no obligation , by any promise, to keep any natural man out of hell one moment. God certainly has made no promises either of eternal life, or of any deliverance or preservation from eternal death, but what are contained in the covenant of grace, the promises that are given in Christ, in whom all the promises are yea and amen. But surely they have no interest in the promises of the covenant of grace that are not the children of the covenant, and that do not believe in any of the promises of the covenant, and have no interest in the Mediator of the covenant.

So that thus it is, that natural men are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, his anger is as great towards them as to those that are actually suffering the executions of the fierceness of his wrath in hell, and they have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger, neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold ’em up one moment; the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them and swallow them up; the fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out; and they have no interest in any Mediator, there are no means within reach that can be any security to them. In short they have no refuge, nothing to take hold of; all that preserves them every moment is the mere arbitrary will, and uncovenanted, unobliged forbearance of an incensed God.

APPLICATION

You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but don’t see the hand of God in it, but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it.

Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock. Were it not that so is the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it; the creation groans with you; the creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly; the sun don’t willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth don’t willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air don’t willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God’s enemies. God’s creatures are good, and were made for men to serve God with, and don’t willingly subserve to any other purpose, and groan when they are abused to purposes so directly contrary to their nature and end. And the world would spew you out, were it not for the sovereign hand of him who hath subjected it in hope. There are the black clouds of God’s wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you. The sovereign pleasure of God, for the present, stays his rough wind; otherwise it would come with fury, and your destruction would come like a whirlwind, and you would be like the chaff of the summer threshing floor.

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked; his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times so abominable in his eyes, as the most hateful and venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince: and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. ’Tis ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you was suffered to awake again in this world after you closed your eyes to sleep; and there is no other reason to be given why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God’s hand has held you up. There is no other reason to be given why you han’t gone to hell since you have sat here in the house of God, provoking his pure eyes by your sinful wicked manner of attending his solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be given as a reason why you don’t this very moment drop down into hell. °

And consider here more particularly several things concerning that wrath that you are in such danger of.

1. Whose wrath it is. It is the wrath of the infinite God. If it were only the wrath of man, though it were of the most potent prince, it would be comparatively little to be regarded. The wrath of kings is very much dreaded, especially of absolute monarchs, that have the possessions and lives of their subjects wholly in their power, to be disposed of at their mere will. Prov. 20:2, “The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.” The subject that very much enrages an arbitrary prince is liable to suffer the most extreme torments that human art can invent, or human power can inflict. But the greatest earthly potentates, in their greatest majesty and strength, and when clothed in their greatest terrors, are but feeble, despicable worms of the dust, in comparison of the great and almighty Creator and King of heaven and earth: it is but little that they can do when most enraged, and when they have exerted the utmost of their fury. All the kings of the earth before God are as grasshoppers; they are nothing, and less than nothing: both their love and their hatred is to be despised. The wrath of the great King of kings is as much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is greater. Luke 12:4, 5, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

2. ’Tis the fierceness of his wrath that you are exposed to. We often read of the fury of God; as in Isaiah 59:18: “According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay fury to his adversaries.” So Isaiah 66:15, “For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.” And so in many other places. So we read of God’s fierceness , Rev. 19:15. There we read of “the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” The words are exceeding terrible: if it had only been said, “the wrath of God,” the words would have implied that which is infinitely dreadful: but ’tis not only said so, but “the fierceness and wrath of God.” The fury of God! The fierceness of Jehovah! Oh, how dreadful must that be! Who can utter or conceive what such expressions carry in them! But it is not only said so, but “the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” As though there would be a very great manifestation of his almighty power in what the fierceness of his wrath should inflict, as though omnipotence should be as it were enraged, and exerted, as men are wont to exert their strength in the fierceness of their wrath. Oh! then, what will be the consequence! What will become of the poor worm that shall suffer it! Whose hands can be strong! And whose heart endure! To what a dreadful, inexpressible, inconceivable depth of misery must the poor creature be sunk who shall be the subject of this!

Consider this, you that are here present, that yet remain in an unregenerate state. That God will execute the fierceness of his anger implies that he will inflict wrath without any pity. When God beholds the ineffable extremity of your case, and sees your torment so vastly disproportioned to your strength, and sees how your poor soul is crushed, and sinks down, as it were, into an infinite gloom; he will have no compassion upon you, he will not forbear the executions of his wrath, or in the least lighten his hand; there shall be no moderation or mercy, nor will God then at all stay his rough wind; he will have no regard to your welfare, nor be at all careful lest you should suffer too much in any other sense, than only that you should not suffer beyond what strict justice requires: nothing shall be withheld because it is so hard for you to bear. Ezek. 8:18, “Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.” Now God stands ready to pity you; this is a day of mercy; you may cry now with some encouragement of obtaining mercy: but when once the day of mercy is past, your most lamentable and dolorous cries and shrieks will be in vain; you will be wholly lost and thrown away of God, as to any regard to your welfare; God will have no other use to put you to, but only to suffer misery; you shall be continued in being to no other end; for you will be a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction; and there will be no other use of this vessel, but only to be filled full of wrath: God will be so far from pitying you when you cry to him, that ’tis said he will only “laugh and mock,” Prov. 1:25, 26, &c.

How awful are those words, Isaiah 63:3, which are the words of the great God: “I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.” ’Tis perhaps impossible to conceive of words that carry in them greater manifestations of these three things, viz., contempt and hatred and fierceness of indignation. If you cry to God to pity you, he will be so far from pitying you in your doleful case, or showing you the least regard or favor, that instead of that he’ll only tread you under foot: and though he will know that you can’t bear the weight of omnipotence treading upon you, yet he won’t regard that, but he will crush you under his feet without mercy; he’ll crush out your blood, and make it fly, and it shall be sprinkled on his garments, so as to stain all his raiment. He will not only hate you, but he will have you in the utmost contempt; no place shall be thought fit for you but under his feet, to be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

3. The misery you are exposed to is that which God will inflict to that end, that he might show what that wrath of Jehovah is. God hath had it on his heart to show to angels and men, both how excellent his love is, and also how terrible his wrath is. Sometimes earthly kings have a mind to show how terrible their wrath is, by the extreme punishments they would execute on those that provoke ’em. Nebuchadnezzar, that mighty and haughty monarch of the Chaldean empire, was willing to show his wrath when enraged with Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego; and accordingly gave order that the burning fiery furnace should be heated seven times hotter than it was before; doubtless, it was raised to the utmost degree of fierceness that human art could raise it; but the great God is also willing to show his wrath, and magnify his awful Majesty and mighty power in the extreme sufferings of his enemies. Rom. 9:22, “What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?” And seeing this is his design, and what he has determined, to show how terrible the unmixed, unrestrained wrath, the fury and fierceness of Jehovah is, he will do it to effect. There will be something accomplished and brought to pass that will be dreadful with a witness. When the great and angry God hath risen up and executed his awful vengeance on the poor sinner, and the wretch is actually suffering the infinite weight and power of his indignation, then will God call upon the whole universe to behold that awful majesty and mighty power that is to be seen in it. Isa. 33:12, 13, 14, “And the people shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire. Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites,” &c.

Thus it will be with you that are in an unconverted state, if you continue in it; the infinite might, and majesty, and terribleness, of the Omnipotent God shall be magnified upon you in the ineffable strength of your torments. You shall be tormented in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and when you shall be in this state of suffering, the glorious inhabitants of heaven shall go forth and look on the awful spectacle, that they may see what the wrath and fierceness of the Almighty is; and when they have seen it, they will fall down and adore that great power and majesty. Isa. 66:23, 24, “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”

4. It is everlasting wrath. It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity: there will be no end to this exquisite, horrible misery. When you look forward, you shall see a long forever, a boundless duration before you, which will swallow up your thoughts, and amaze your soul; and you will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance, any end, any mitigation, any rest at all; you will know certainly that you must wear out long ages, millions of millions of ages, in wrestling and conflicting with this almighty, merciless vengeance; and then when you have so done, when so many ages have actually been spent by you in this manner, you will know that all is but a point to what remains. So that your punishment will indeed be infinite. Oh, who can express what the state of a soul in such circumstances is! All that we can possibly say about it gives but a very feeble, faint representation of it; it is inexpressible and inconceivable: for “who knows the power of God’s anger?”

How dreadful is the state of those that are daily and hourly in danger of this great wrath and infinite misery! But this is the dismal case of every soul in this congregation that has not been born again, however moral and strict, sober and religious, they may otherwise be. Oh, that you would consider it, whether you be young or old! There is reason to think that there are many in this congregation now hearing this discourse, that will actually be the subjects of this very misery to all eternity. We know not who they are, or in what seats they sit, or what thoughts they now have. It may be they are now at ease, and hear all these things without much disturbance, and are now flattering themselves that they are not the persons, promising themselves that they shall escape. If we knew that there was one person, and but one, in the whole congregation, that was to be the subject of this misery, what an awful thing it would be to think of! If we knew who it was, what an awful sight would it be to see such a person! How might all the rest of the congregation lift up a lamentable and bitter cry over him! But alas! instead of one, how many is it likely will remember this discourse in hell! And it would be a wonder, if some that are now present should not be in hell in a very short time, before this year is out. And it would be no wonder if some persons that now sit here in some seats of this meeting-house in health, and quiet and secure, should be there before to-morrow morning. Those of you that finally continue in a natural condition, that shall keep out of hell longest, will be there in a little time! Your damnation don’t slumber; it will come swiftly and, in all probability, very suddenly upon many of you. You have reason to wonder that you are not already in hell. ’Tis doubtless the case of some that heretofore you have seen and known, that never deserved hell more than you and that heretofore appeared as likely to have been now alive as you. Their case is past all hope; they are crying in extreme misery and perfect despair. But here you are in the land of the living and in the house of God, and have an opportunity to obtain salvation. What would not those poor, damned, hopeless souls give for one day’s such opportunity as you now enjoy!

And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him and pressing into the Kingdom of God. Many are daily coming from the east, west, north and south; many that were very likely in the same miserable condition that you are in are in now a happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him that has loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. How awful is it to be left behind at such a day! To see so many others feasting, while you are pining and perishing! To see so many rejoicing and singing for joy of heart, while you have cause to mourn for sorrow of heart and howl for vexation of spirit! How can you rest for one moment in such a condition? Are not your souls as precious as the souls of the people at Suffield, where they are flocking from day to day to Christ?

And you children that are unconverted, don’t you know that you are going down to hell to bear the dreadful wrath of that God that is now angry with you every day and every night? Will you be content to be the children of the devil, when so many other children in the land are converted and are become the holy and happy children of the King of kings?

And let every one that is yet out of Christ and hanging over the pit of hell, whether they be old men and women or middle-aged or young people or little children, now hearken to the loud calls of God’s word and providence. This acceptable year of the Lord that is a day of such great favor to some will doubtless be a day of as remarkable vengeance to others. Men’s hearts harden and their guilt increases apace at such a day as this, if they neglect their souls. And never was there so great danger of such persons being given up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind. God seems now to be hastily gathering in his elect in all parts of the land; and probably the bigger part of adult persons that ever shall be saved will be brought in now in a little time, and that it will be as it was on that great outpouring of the Spirit upon the Jews in the Apostles’ days, the election will obtain and the rest will be blinded. If this should be the case with you, you will eternally curse this day, and will curse the day that ever you was born to see such a season of the pouring out of God’s Spirit, and will wish that you had died and gone to hell before you had seen it. Now undoubtedly it is as it was in the days of John the Baptist, the axe is in an extraordinary manner laid at the root of the trees, that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit may be hewn down and cast into the fire.

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Figurative Language in Sinners in The Hands of an Angry God

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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

by Jonathan Edwards

Discussion Topic

Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development

The central idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is the severe and imminent judgment of God on sinners. Jonathan Edwards uses vivid imagery and urgent rhetoric to instill fear and persuade listeners to repent. The sermon develops this idea by depicting the precarious state of sinners, emphasizing God's wrath, and urging immediate repentance to avoid eternal damnation.

literary devices: imagery

historical context: Great Awakening

themes: Sin

themes: Damnation

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Who are the experts? Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team.

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5,773 answers

Golden-Apple Award winner. Check out my really awesome blog at http://www.lingtechguistics.com.

Can anyone provide a brief summary of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?

The gist of the sermon can be found in the sentence

"There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God."

The sermon's goal was to a) instill a fear of God's omnipotence over the human race, b) to create an awareness of man's nature as an original sinner, c) to reinstate the Puritan foundation of pre-determination which argues that men have no control over their fate, and that it is God who decides whether you will enjoy the company of Grace or the Firepits of Hades.

The audience for this sermon were people with similar believes, but it is argued in the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University that such sermon was probably prepared especially after a specific situation occurred in the congregation that led Edwards to believe that his sheep were walking in the wrong path. This is supposedly evidenced by the strength of the message. Why would Edwards be so emphatic in reinstating what everyone already knows if not that something occurred among his people that upset him enough to scold them with such sermon.

Regardless, he sees men as a race which hangs from the threads of God's will facing directly the fire of Hell. Only God's will will determine the end of each man's soul, and we always must humble ourself before God in remembrance of our "messed up" nature compared to his merciful and much superior greatness. That is what the sermon basically included.

Cite this page as follows:

Ossa, Michelle P.. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 31 Oct. 2009, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

16,815 answers

I currently teach middle school history and have taught at various K–12 levels over the last 13 years.

I think that the first distinction that has to be made is that Edwards' work is not a short story as much as it is a sermon delivered to a congregation. In a brief manner, I would submit that Edwards delivers his sermon in the examination of where Colonial life perceived religion at the time. Edwards delivers his work at a time when colonial obsession with money and commerce was on the rise and when spiritual faith was on the decline. Colonists were more adept to embracing a pragmatic and practically utilitarian view of life, where commerce and economic prosperity was preferred and where religious spirituality was placed in a position secondary to this drive. At the same time, the Colonies were reeling from the miscarriage of justice at the hands of the Salem Witch Trials, causing a lack of zeal in spirituality. Edwards delivers his sermon with this in mind and the message is quite clear: The powers of the divine are not happy with this lack of faith and God is angry. According to Edwards' sermon, if colonists do not repent and embrace God as the only power and sole notion of the good, few, if any, will be spared from God's wrath. The entire sermon is built upon different ways to express this theme, one where the focus was driven to change the spiritually worship of the colonists from one that was waning and passively secular to a more zealous orthodoxy and an active expression of faith.

Kannan, Ashley. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 30 Oct. 2009, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

Educator since 2012

35,349 answers

I grew up in Micronesia and went to high school in Hawaii.

First of all, it's not a short story, it's a sermon delivered in church by Jonathan Edwards, who was an American preacher in the 1700s.

The basic idea of the sermon is that people are inherently evil and that God is very angry at them. Edwards believes that people all deserve to go to Hell and it is only the mercy of God that prevents them from all being sent there.

Edwards ends by encouraging all his listeners to repent and come to God so that they will not go to Hell as they deserve.

Schimmel, Isabell. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 30 Oct. 2009, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

Educator since 2015

370 answers

Undergrad in English (Creative Writing); Master's of Liberal Arts in History; Master's of Arts in English Literature.

What is the central idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?

The central idea in this classic sermon is that God not only can and will send Edwards's parishioners to hell in the blink of an eye, but that he has the power and is anxious to punish them for turning their backs on them. Not only that, but he is angry, so angry that he holds the hapless sinner like a spider over a fiery pit, just waiting for the chance to drop it in. The point was to scare the bejeebers out of Edwards's parishioners, and according to reports, it worked.

The scare tactics were designed to get their attention so they'd understand that they could not get to heaven on their own. They had to turn their back on reason and good works (as means to attain eternal life) and confess their sins to God and beg his forgiveness.

Black, Diana. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 9 Nov. 2015, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

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What is the thesis of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?

In " Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God ," Jonathan Edwards's central thesis is threefold: all sinners deserve hell, which is their natural environment; it is only through the grace of God that they are not already in hell; and it is only by accepting the sacrifice of Christ as quickly as possible that they will be able to escape.

Most of the sermon is devoted to presenting the first two parts of this thesis as graphically as possible. The theology is quite orthodox and would have been familiar to everyone in the congregation. The sermon, therefore, draws its power from Edwards's emphasis on the immediacy of the threat. The listener who was quite willing to admit that he ran the risk of dying and going to hell in a few years is made to feel the fragility of his position. The bow of divine justice is bent, and God has only to release the string for the arrow to fly at the sinner's heart. God holds the sinner above hell as the sinner himself might have held a spider over a fire. All God has to do is let go.

Although it is only at the end of the sermon that Edwards turns to the question of penitence, by this time the vivid imagery has done its work. It is quite clear that the danger of hell is immanent and that the sinner must not merely make a mental note to repent at some time in the future, but must do so immediately.

Cavendish-Jones, Colin. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 26 Oct. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

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Jonathan Edwards was born in the colony of Connecticut in the early 1700s. He was one of the preachers who had a large influence on the Great Awakening, a time of spiritual revival in the 1700s. Edward's sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was characteristic of his style of preaching. This sermon centers on the sinful nature of man and the wrath of God. In the sermon, Edwards writes, "All you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God." This is his basic thesis. Simply put, all of mankind has only two choices: a person can be spiritually reborn into a new creation by the mercy of God, or they can remain dead in their sin and experience the eternal wrath of God. A man's wickedness makes him poised on the very brink of hell, and only because of the sovereign pleasure of God are men not cast immediately into hell for their sins. Edwards's sermon is meant to invoke terror into the hearts of those who hear it and to cause them to repent and be "born again" immediately.

Further Reading

https://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/sermons.sinners.html

Crosby, Amy. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 20 Sep. 2018, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

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Jonathan Edwards's thesis in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is that without God's mercy man's souls are destined for Hell due to their sinful natures. Edwards's view of God is that He cannot stand sin, and, in the eyes of God, all sin is equal. Because man is tainted with sin as he is not perfect, his soul cannot be in the presence of God in Heaven. Using graphic imagery, Edwards tells his parishioners that their lives are hanging by a spider's web over Hell and that they are only one instant away from eternal torment and damnation. Edwards does offer hope though; through acceptance of God's mercies and repentance of sin through Jesus the soul can be saved. Edwards's sermon was like many others from the Great Awakening period—the hearer was meant to be shocked into action and accept Jesus immediately.

Holland, Phillip. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 16 Oct. 2017, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

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I taught English, social sciences, and education at the college level from 2005 to 2008.

The thesis, or central argument, of this fire-and-brimstone sermon of Jonathan Edwards is that those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour dwell on the brink of damnation and the eternal horrors of Hell. Edwards paints a picture of the insecure nature of man's existence, arguing that those who have not had a transforming religious experience (so that they are "born again") could be "dropped" by God into Hell at any moment. Thus, in response to the precarious position occupied by man, Edwards argues, we should throw ourselves upon the grace and mercy of God to be spared this fate.

It is clear that fear is one of the main tactics that Edwards uses in this sermon. He is trying to make his listeners so afraid of the thought of eternity in hell that they will act now to be "born again." Note how this fear is introduced:

So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, His anger is as great toward them as to those that are actually suffering the executions of the fierceness of His wrath in hell, and they have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger... the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash before them...

Thus Edwards establishes his central argument. Without trusting in God and being "born again," we have only one fate to look forward to, and this fate he spends much time and uses many figures of speech to paint in all its horror.

Hathaway, John. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 31 Mar. 2011, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

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Jonathan Edwards gives an apt title for his sermon, with "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" expressing much of the core message (as well as imagery) he in it expresses. At its core, I would suggest that Edwards is dealing with three critical Christian themes: God's power and omnipotence, the subject of sinfulness, and the subject of damnation, all of which are, in this sermon, closely intertwined. Critical to this sermon is his understanding of the sheer scale of which God operates, far beyond any human limits, so that concepts such as justice and anger which exist in human terms, are magnified to a degree far exceeding anything humans could easily comprehend. God is a being of justice, and also possessed with wrath, and just as a King's justice and wrath (when combined) is terrible to whoever has wronged him, then how much more terrible must God's wrath and justice be in comparison? This theological viewpoint serves, I would suggest, as the foundation upon which Edward's message here rests.

Now we can address the core theme which makes up the greater part of the sermon: the ever looming specter of damnation. Ultimately, the core message Edwards is stressing here is that, given the inherently sinful nature of man, no human being can be truly assured of their own goodness, or of their own salvation. All people exist under the mercy of God, but God is free at any moment to rescind that mercy, and cast them into hell. Questions of salvation ultimately lies outside human knowledge, and any sense of self assurance or security as it regards to salvation, amounts to nothing more than an illusion.

David, Scott. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 5 May 2019, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

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Puritan theologian Jonathan Edwards delivered the "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon as a visiting minister to a congregation in Enfield, Connecticut in 1741 during the religious revival movement known as The Great Awakening. Puritans had traditionally been taught that people were predestined for heaven or hell, thus it was a religion that produced uncertainty and anxiety in its followers as they searched themselves for signs of being among God's "elect." Notably, Edwards's sermon rejects the idea of predestination and offers the hope of salvation that can be earned.

Edwards lectures at length on the horror that unredeemed sinners will face: "The Wrath of God burns against them, their Damnation don’t slumber, the Pit is prepared, the Fire is made ready, the Furnace is now hot, ready to receive them, the Flames do now rage and glow".

But because the purpose of the Great Awakening and Edwards's sermon was to bring lapsed Christians back to their faith and convert the rest, his tone changes toward the conclusion of the sermon: "And now you have an extraordinary Opportunity, a Day wherein Christ has flung the Door of Mercy wide open, and stands in the Door calling and crying with a loud Voice to poor Sinners".

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1053&context=etas

Sumner, Bridgett. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 26 Aug. 2016, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

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What is the main theme of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?

The main theme of this sermon by Jonathan Edwards is that all sinners will be judged by a God who will not hesitate to cast them into the depths of hell, to endure a more painful and dreadful eternity than they can possibly imagine, if they do not repent of their sins now, before it is too late . He argues, for example, that

There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God.

Edwards argues that God certainly has the power to cast us into hell, or the will to allow us to "slide" there like people walking on slippery ground. He argues, further, that we deserve to go to hell—that we are, in fact, already damned to hell. God is already angry with us, Edwards says, and it is not because he is unmindful of us that we do not now go to hell. The devil is ready and awaits us whenever God gives the go-ahead. The fact that one might feel no present and immediate danger does not mean one is safe. Nothing but accepting Christ can prevent a wicked person from going to hell.

Guggenheim, Laura. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 2 Feb. 2019, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

Educator since 2013

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a sermon delivered by Jonathan Edwards during the Great Awakening. Edwards is literally trying to use fear as a motivator to get his audience to come back to God whole heartedly. In simple terms, his theme/message is that if his audience (the sinners) does not do this, then they will be punished by God at any moment. Edwards is effective in this sermon by relating the abstract to concrete things people are familiar with. For example, he describes God's wrath, an abstract concept, to damned waters, a drawn bow and arrow, and a dreadful storm, all concrete items. He also creates a sense of urgency with his message by saying he doesn't know why God has not already taken these sinners to Hell; there is no explanation so they need to act now before it is too late.

Saunders, Ben. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 19 Apr. 2013, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

What is the general theme of Jonathan Edwards' sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?

The general theme is the power of God’s will versus the power of human beings to resist temptation and avoid damnation through their own efforts. Edwards’ intent here is, to borrow a phrase from Reinhold Niebuhr, to “afflict the comfortable” – to unsettle his congregation to the extent that they will understand that in his view their comfortable lives have nothing to do with their own efforts and everything to do with God’s sovereign will:

… you find you are kept out of Hell, but don’t see the Hand of God in it, but look at other Things, as the good State of your bodily Constitution, your Care of your own Life, and the Means you use for your own Preservation. But indeed these Things are nothing; if God should withdraw his Hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling, than the thin Air to hold up a Person that is suspended in it.

Edwards exhorts his audience to understand that only a direct experience of God – being “born again” and experiencing what he refers to as the “Great Change of Heart” (the focus of the Great Awakening) – can keep one from God’s wrath, and that merely observing the forms of religion and righteousness are useless exercises. It isn't enough to simply go to church and mouth the right words – one must undergo what Edwards considers a genuine conversion experience to save himself from the fury of God.

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?refere...

Curl, Will. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 6 Oct. 2016, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

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I am a high school English teacher.

In his sermon, Edwards is works to bring his audience to God. A part of the Great Awakening, Edwards is sharing with his congregation- and those who may have moved from the Puritan way of life. He reminds (and frightens) his congregation into returning to the church and a holy way of life.

Edwards tells his parishioners that they only reason they are alive and the only reason they woke up this morning is because God allowed them to. He paints a scary image of a spider hanging over the fiery pit of hell. Here the Puritans are the spider and God is the string protecting them. He warns that death could come at any moment, and so the only way to be saved, truly saved, is to repent and return to the church.

Eaves, Lizette. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 4 Oct. 2012, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

What is the theme of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?

The previous thoughts were very well articulated. I think that the overall theme is to bring fear into the hearts of Edwards' listeners. The vision of God presented is one where the time is now to repent and fall into his favor. This is something that Edwards was deliberate in constructing. If we examine theme as a message of a work, I think that to be in fear of God and to immediately strive to be in his favor becomes the theme of the sermon. Edwards aims his message at those who fail to believe and those who are actively participating in spiritual transgressions. There is little in the sermon that is intended to reassure those who are following the path. In fact, Edwards' hope seems to be to strike fear in all of his listeners, to ensure that even those who are spiritually intact do not become complacent and stray. In the end, the theme of being afraid of the divine is something that resonates in a lucid manner.

Kannan, Ashley. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 4 Sep. 2010, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

Educator since 2010

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I am a former high school English teacher and writing specialist.

Keep in mind that Edwards was a Puritan - the theme of this sermon is largely the theme of the Puritan way of life which was essentially based around the following Puritan theological principles:

humanity is inherently evil – Puritans believed that all humans were born sinners and deserved eternal damnation
God is merciful but unreachable - Puritans believed in the mercy of God but that only “the elect” would be saved through the death of Jesus Christ

Therefore this left a BIG question: How do you know if you are “saved” or “damned?” The truth was, nobody really knew, so preachers played on this very fear to condemn society into a guilty sense of constant overcompensation for simply being human.

One reason Edwards' tone is so emotional (as the first post suggests) is that Puritanical Christianity was largely an emotional response to a God that no one felt worthy enough to know personally, but certainly respected and feared his ever present power and possible anger.

It was logically assumed, also, that the clergy of this day had to be part of the elect. How could they not be? If they can tell everyone how to live their lives, certainly they must be doing something right. More likely than not, God had already chosen them. Therefore, this sermon is also riddled with that smug sense of self-righteousness that apparently permeated the colonial "heirarchy." This theme was later exposed by Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter and revealed the sheer hypocrisy of many Puritan religious leaders.

Wait, Claire. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 4 Sep. 2010, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

M.A. from University of Idaho

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I have taught high school English for 25 years.

There are several themes in this piece, but I think the central theme is that God has the power to let each and every individual go to hell whenever he so chooses.

Theme is a difficult literary device to identify for this one because it is often known as a piece that includes so many other elements. It is often used to teach persuasive techniques, to illustrate the emotional appeal of fear induced by typical Puritan preachers, to exemplify the "fire and brimstone" attitude of the era, and finally to demonstrate how author's achieve their purpose.

If you need to give theme as a one-word concept, I would use conviction, fear, God's power, or sin.

I do think it is important whenever reading this piece to note that Edwards offers a come-to-Jesus moment at the end literally. He tells people in spite of God's great power to destroy them, God won't... if they turn back to him.

Hope that helps!

Nichols, Missy. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 4 Sep. 2010, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

I would argue that there are two major themes in this sermon.

First, I would say that Edwards wants people to understand how utterly sinful they are and how angry God is at them. He wants them to understand that it is only by God's grace that any of them can be saved. He believes that nothing they do can make them deserve to go to heaven.

Second, I would say that he is trying to get them to embrace God. He wants them to have an emotional relationship with God. This is the only way that they can be saved.

So Edwards is trying to help his congregation avoid the damnation that they richly deserve. The fact that they deserve it and his advice for how to avoid damnation are the two major themes of this sermon.

Schimmel, Isabell. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 4 Sep. 2010, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

A thesis statement is a device used in essays and papers (usually appearing as a single sentence at the end of the first paragraph of your paper) that tells the reader what your paper is about. It can confront the reader with a claim that you'll persuade them to agree with (which is later backed up in the body of the essay with textual evidence and examples) while also providing somewhat of an outline to the paper.

The essay's prompt typically serves as a jumping-off point for your thesis statement. If the prompt is a question, you can directly answer the question and provide a brief statement on why you're answering it that way.

For example, let's say I was confronted with the following topic:

Was Bilbo still a coward at the end of The Hobbit ? Give examples from the journey to back up your answer.

My thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph may look something like this:

Bilbo's encounters with the trolls, the goblins, and Gollum show how, along the journey, he transformed from a coward into a brave hobbit.

The thesis statement answers the question while providing an outline of the points I'll be talking about. The body paragraphs of the essay will then elaborate on those examples and explain how they prove Bilbo grew from a coward to someone brave.

Additionally, we can consider Edwards's use of literary devices and techniques to craft a thesis statement for "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Edwards's sermon is designed to appeal to and persuade sinners, telling them about Hell, comparing the wrath of God to great waters, and saying:

The floods of God’s vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are constantly rising, and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, that holds the waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward.

This quote is an example of the language Edwards uses throughout his sermon as a way to intimidate the sinners (and subsequently the readers). We see other examples throughout the sermon, like when Edwards writes that God will inflict wrath without pity, that He will hold sinners over a pit of hell. This mix of intimidation and fear is even more evident when he writes that you "hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about," ready to break the thread.

Intimidation isn't the only tactic or device he uses. A good example prompt for this could be as follows:

What literary devices and techniques does Edwards use to persuade the reader and how does he use them? Provide textual evidence.

Throughout the sermon, we see a tonal shift, a shift in point of view, intimidating language, and so on. An example thesis statement could be as follows:

Language, tone, and point of view are used throughout Edwards's sermon to convey the life of a sinner and ultimately persuade sinners to follow God.

There are examples of these throughout the sermon, directly up until the concluding sentence when Edwards states "that every tree which brings not forth good fruit, may be hewn down and cast into the fire." The strong language at the end leaves a heavy feeling in the reader, and likely the sinner, and would act as a final persuading note. Strong language like that can be found throughout the piece and used as textual evidence and explained in the context of the thesis statement.

Hufford, Kiera. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 14 Aug. 2018, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

Jonathan Edwards's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is by far his most famous sermon, although it is necessarily the most characteristic of his style of preaching. The reason for this fame \ lies in the sensational message, style, and imagery of the sermon. Edwards depicts God holding the sinner over the pit of hell as one might hold a spider over the kitchen fire. Edwards points out that it would be far easier to let go than to hold on, and he asks rhetorically why God should spare such a loathsome creature from a punishment so highly deserved. Elsewhere in the sermon, God has set his arrow to the bowstring and is aiming directly for sinners' hearts.

These terrifying images are intended to reinforce the main message of the sermon, though they may have the effect of drawing attention away from it. The point is that Edwards's listeners have an opportunity to escape this terrible doom. They can repent, turn to Christ, and accept his sacrifice on the cross for their sins, and thus they will escape the wrath of God. Edwards only turns to this opportunity in the last few paragraphs, by which time it may seem an immense relief that such a ready escape is available.

Cavendish-Jones, Colin. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 7 Oct. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

In "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," what sin is being discussed?

The European Renaissance had taken hold and was beginning to infiltrate American thought when Jonathan Edwards delivered this sermon in 1741. Renaissance thought stressed the triumph of reason (which tends to negate the need for faith), where ""Man is the measure of all things" (a quote from Pythagoras).

After he finishes explaining the several reasons God can and will crush all sinners--with whom he is enraged--at any moment, he addresses why they will die and go to hell, unless they embrace Christ and beg for forgiveness.

The sin he points out is implied in paragraph 9, where he says that "almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do." That is, you just think that you can get into heaven by your own actions, just by being a good person, but you can't. This is the sin of pride .

Later, in his "Application" section, he adds that "the sun does not willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth does not willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts," suggesting that lust was also a matter of concern. However, the greater part of the sermon is clearly aimed at those who believe they can reach heaven without God's help (that is, God grace ).

Black, Diana. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 1 Nov. 2015, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

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There are arguably two sides to how God is portrayed in this famous sermon. On the one hand, he is merciful, and it is this mercy that prevents people from going straight to hell and enduring an eternity of hellfire and brimstone. On the other hand, it shows God as a harsh ruler, insisting that people confess their sins, change their ways and return God.

From start to finish, the sermon takes a cautionary tone, and Jonathan Edwards cites a quote from the book of Deuteronomy that reminds listeners that one's damnation and destruction could be a heartbeat away at any moment, just like the danger that could befall someone walking on a slippery surface.

God is portrayed as all-powerful and able to cast sinners into hell at will. A comparison is made between God's relationship with people and the relationship between a man and a "loathsome insect" that he is holding over a fire. Sinners are powerless to stand up to God, just as that spider is powerless to save its own life. Edwards also makes the point that there is no one in the world to whom God has any obligation.

Finally, an important distinction is made between God, who is angry, and Christ, who is the harbinger of salvation and grace.

Müller, Steph. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 8 Oct. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

857 answers

Born in New Orleans, LA, and raised in San Jose, CA.

How does the central idea develop throughout the sermon in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," preached by Jonathan Edwards in Enfield, Connecticut in 1741, is perhaps the most well-known sermon of the Great Awakening, 1738 to 1742, a period during which Puritan leaders were trying to re-light religious enthusiasm among their congregations. The sermon, subtitled "Mr. Edwards's Sermon on the Danger of the Unconverted," is a masterpiece of rhetorical skill in service to Edwards's Puritan belief system, in this case, centered on the dangers of damnation his congregation was exposed to every minute of their lives. An often repeated story about this sermon is that several listeners fainted during Edwards's exhortation.

The sermon's central theme—that an angry God is about to send each person to Hell but is withholding that terrible event—begins with the mildest image in the sermon, one that sets the stage for each person's imminent danger from God's wrath:

The Expression that I have chosen for my Text, Their Foot shall slide in due Time; seems to imply the following Things, relating to the Punishment and Destruction that these wicked Israelites were exposed to.

A mild image, to be sure, but Edwards follows this by reminding his listeners that their slipping feet expose them to "sudden, unexpected" destruction, the first warning that they have no control over when they will fall into Hell. One of the main tenets of the Puritan belief system is that all mankind is already damned at birth (Original Sin—Adam and Eve's failure to obey God) and that only by God's grace are they kept out of Hell. And God, as the sermon's title states, is not the loving New Testament God but an angry, even hostile, God who is as ready to punish as he is to save.

As Edwards escalates the imagery, he increases the tension between his congregation's presumed concept of their safety and their real and unsuspected danger:

Unconverted Men walk over the Pit of Hell on a rotten Covering, and there are innumerable Places in this Covering so weak that they won’t bear their Weight, and these Places are not seen.

Edwards carefully and methodically presents images of increasing violence, all leading to damnation, in an attempt to convince his listeners that an invisible world exists all around them whose main purpose is to cast them into Hell at any moment.

Should any of Edwards's listeners believe he or she is immune to God's wrath, Edward dispels this notion in a frightening image:

The Bow of God’s Wrath is bent, and the Arrow made ready on the String, and Justice bends the Arrow at your Heart, and strains the Bow, and it is nothing but the meer Pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any Promise or Obligation at all, that keeps the Arrow one Moment from being made drunk with your Blood.

This is perhaps the most threatening and violent image in the sermon, an image calculated to reinforce Edwards's central argument that each of his listeners is in the hands of an angry and even capricious God, who is not obligated to either save a sinner or strike a sinner down in a gruesome way—"drunk with your blood."

Edwards's use of increasingly violent images reinforces his congregation's belief that they are subject to a wrathful God who might, depending solely upon his whim, cast them into Hell or save them. The security some may have felt in their righteousness is shattered by God's metaphorical arrow.

Holliday, Stephen. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 23 Dec. 2018, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

Rebecca is a writer and journalist.

In "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards builds to his central theme by breaking his sermon into three main sections.

The first section lays the groundwork by quoting from Deuteronomy, an Old Testament verse that emphasizes God's attitude towards sin. This verse prepares the congregation by giving them something that they are familiar with as the introduction.

Edwards's second section builds on this groundwork by introducing different points that all have the same underlying message: God is the final judge, and He hates sin.

This all leads to the last section of the sermon, where Edwards's central idea is fully fleshed out as he makes the sermon personal for his parishioners. He reminds them that they are sinners, and unless they change their ways, they too are going to Hell.

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Wright, Rebecca. "Summary and Central Idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Its Development" edited by eNotes Editorial, 17 Oct. 2018, https://www.enotes.com/topics/sinners-hands-an-angry-god/questions/summary-and-central-idea-of-sinners-in-the-hands-3123040.

by Jonathan Edwards

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Summary

" Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God ," Jonathan Edwards ' the most famous sermon, is now considered as a masterpiece of colonial American literature. It is a revival sermon delivered in 1741 during the Great Awakening. The sermon itself is rigorously structured, falling roughly into five distinguishable parts: text, context, doctrines, arguments, and applications. The text from which Edwards begins is a portion of a Bible verse from the Old Testament, specifically Deuteronomy Chapter 32, which reads simply “Their foot shall slide in due time.” In the context given in the following paragraph, Edwards clarifies that this verse concerns "the wicked Israelites," who were once the chosen people of God. They had to abide by The Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, to remain God's chosen people, but failed to do so, and so fell into damnation.

Only after he has laid out the exceedingly perilous, tenuous, sinful state of the Israelites, does Edwards pivot to addressing the congregation directly, making clear that he has in fact been describing their own condition this entire time. From then on, “you” (the congregation) are the “Sinners,” and Edwards spends the vast majority of the sermon that follows reiterating in highly colorful, compelling imagery the extent of God’s anger towards “you” and the horrific punishments that await should “you” fail to allow yourself to be “reborn” in the “mediator” and “redeemer” Jesus Christ. “Sinners…” is a brilliant piece of rhetoric, calculated to inculcate an overwhelming fear in its audience, a fear powerful enough that they are willing to do absolutely anything necessary to avoid the horrific fate he describes.

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From the text:

“There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God.”

The Four Lessons:

1) The Israelites were “always exposed to destruction”

2) They Israelites were “always exposed to sudden unexpected destruction”

3) The Israelites “are liable to fall of themselves” without any outside force causing it

4) That “...

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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God study guide contains a biography of Jonathan Edwards, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Key Facts about Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Full Title: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. When Written: 1741. Where Written: Northampton, Massachusetts. When Published: Delivered on July 8, 1741 to a congregation in Enfield, Connecticut. Literary Period: Great Awakening. Genre: Sermon.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay
Jonathan Edwards's sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is moving and powerful. His effectiveness as an eighteenth century New England religious leader is rooted in his expansive knowledge of the Bible and human nature, as well as a genuine desire to "awaken" and save as many souls as possible. This sermon, delivered in 1741, exhibits ...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Summary
Summary. Last Updated October 16, 2023. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a famous sermon delivered by Jonathan Edwards in 1741 during the First Great Awakening, a religious revival in ...
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Selfishness: The Essence of Moral Depravity is now available. It contains 20 sermons of Nathanael Emmons and is 271 pages in length. It also has a brief biography of Nathanael Emmons and an introduction by Richard Smith and William C. Nichols. This book retails for $34.95. We are offering it to you for $23.95 + $5.00 shipping.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Matthew 3:10. Analysis. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a sermon, and sermons are meant to be spoken and heard. Sermons are also meant to be persuasive, and that message must be rhetorically conveyed to an audience in a manner that is more visceral than in a text meant to be read.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay Analysis
Analysis: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". Sinners is the most famous document of the Great Awakening and widely regarded as the greatest sermon in American literature. Its historical and literary significance derives from several sources: the circumstances of its reception in Enfield, Connecticut, in the midst of the spiritual ...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Summary
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Summary. In accordance with traditional sermon structure, Jonathan Edwards opens "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" with the two Biblical readings on which the sermon is based. One passage, from the Book of Amos, is about God 's ability to find sinners and take them to hell no matter where they are.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
8 July 1741. " Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God " is a sermon written by the American theologian Jonathan Edwards, preached to his own congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts, to profound effect, [1] and again on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. The preaching of this sermon was the catalyst for the First Great Awakening. [2]
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Summary: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is a sermon written by Jonathan Edwards, pastor of the Congregational church of Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1741, during the period of the First Great Awakening. Edwards delivered the sermon to remarkable effect on July 8, 1741, in Enfield, Connecticut ...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Analysis
Jonathan Edwards became increasingly aghast at his congregation's behavior. His fiery sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is designed to bring the people back into the Puritan fold ...
PDF Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God, Saints in the Hands of Their Father
Jonathan Edwards sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is unquestionably his most famous and most analyzed work. It has received a remarkable amount of attention; still, when it has been considered as a piece of persuasive discourse, it has generated more questions than answers.1 It is a commonplace that "Sinners"
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God: Annotated
Independent of its theological content, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a harbinger of American Romanticism, a literary work that prefigured Poe and Hawthorne, Melville and Lovecraft, in its intimations of a terrifying and alien God. SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD Deuteronomy XXXII. 35.—Their foot shall slide in due time.
PDF Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741)
The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked. His wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire. He is of purer eyes than to bear you in his sight; you are ten thousand times as ...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Themes
The main themes in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" include the danger of damnation, the justice of God's wrath, and the opportunity for redemption. The danger of damnation: Edwards warns ...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Personification. 5. The Devil is also ready to receive sinners at whichever moment God decides—after all, sinners belong to the Devil, and their souls are already in his possession. Devils watch sinners "like greedy hungry lions" at all times; the Devils are restrained from their prey only by God's will.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay
Good Essays. 972 Words. 4 Pages. Open Document. Outline 1. Introduction a. Hook - "Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering.". ( A quote from Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God") b. Thesis - Jonathan Edwards's sermon portrayed Puritans as sinners of their religion through the use of ...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God study guide contains a biography of Jonathan Edwards, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay Questions
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay Questions. 1. What is the essential underlying call to action in this sermon? A sermon is essentially just a persuasive speech. Sermons exist to sell an idea just like commercials. In this particular case, the "product" being sold is the salvation of the soul or, at least, the avoidance of eternal ...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Studying "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" will give them historical insight into the First Great Awakening and reveal the rhetorical artistry of church sermons. This guide highlights ...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Deuteronomy 32:35.—Their foot shall slide in due time. In this verse is threatened the vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites, that were God's visible people, and lived under means of grace; and that notwithstanding all God's wonderful works that he had wrought towards that people, yet ...
Figurative Language in Sinners in The Hands of an Angry God
The figurative language used in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" serves as a powerful rhetorical device that elicits a strong emotional response from the audience. By employing metaphors, similes, hyperbole, and biblical allusions, Edwards effectively conveys the severity of God's wrath and the urgency of repentance.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
The central idea of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is the severe and imminent judgment of God on sinners. Jonathan Edwards uses vivid imagery and urgent rhetoric to instill fear and ...
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Summary
These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God study guide contains a biography of Jonathan Edwards, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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