Today is the congregation’s best chance to be saved—if they pass Christ over now, their hearts will continue to harden and it will be even more difficult to accept Christ in the future. “Sinners in the Hands of Angry God” is a direct reply to the threat of liberalism which Edwards viewed as a threat to the purity of his church. 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. It was such creeping secularism and spiritual lethargy that Edwards sought to correct in the 1730’s through a revival movement called the Great Awakening. Wisdom, too, is useless, since wise people die unexpectedly just as often as fools. In fact, sinners already belong to the Devil; scripture says he has their souls in his possession. 3. The sermon he stresses how the weakness can affect your body “Heavy as lead” (Edwards 89) Ironic metaphor talks about the weight of the lead is heavy but not and heavy as the human body, so a body is as heavy as lead is very solid. Copying content is not allowed on this website, Ask a professional writer to help you with your text, Give us your email and we'll send you the essay you need, Please indicate where to send you the sample. Undoubtedly, education is a priority, but sports achievements of students are also highly appreciated. In part two, Edwards argues that men live and die at the mercy of God and that God is the ultimate judge of each soul. Edwards urges the congregation to try to imagine being in hell—enduring torture that is, even for one moment, unendurable—and having to look forward to an eternity of this. Third, Edwards clarifies that when a person falls on a slippery surface, the fall is due only to their own weight (or, metaphorically, their sin)—they do not need to be pushed. Since sinners deserve to go to hell, “divine justice” is no reason for God to stay his hand. Edwards asks the congregation to imagine being sent to hell while others are rejoicing. He then evokes God’s wrath through a series of frightening metaphors and descriptions. Therefore, the hard-hearted congregants must “wake thoroughly out of sleep” and accept Christ. The congregation should not take false comfort from finding “no visible means of death at hand.” Sinners walk on a rotten floor over the pit of hell and the floor could collapse unexpectedly at any moment. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Instead, it is Christ who promised salvation and eternal life through the covenant of grace. Additional materials, such as the best quotations, synonyms and word definitions to make your writing easier are Student sport has become as public domain as national games. The following section of Edwards’ sermon, the “Application,” applies the lessons from Edwards’ readings of the Bible to the congregation’s lives. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. God’s wrath is fierce.