Review the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards, and answer the following questions.
Part A
Considering the time period during which Edwards delivered the sermon, how might his audience have reacted to his words?
Part B
Throughout his sermon, Jonathan Edwards discusses people’s relationship with God. How does Edwards change or refine the idea of God and people’s relationship with God from the beginning to the end of the excerpt? Cite evidence from the text to support your response.
To review the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards, let's address each question separately.
Part A:
To understand how Edwards' audience might have reacted to his words, it is essential to consider the time period in which the sermon was delivered. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was delivered during the early 18th century, a time known as the Great Awakening in America. This period was marked by fervent religious revivalism, with preachers seeking to evoke strong emotions and convictions in their listeners.
Given the religious atmosphere of the time, Edwards' audience would likely have been receptive to his sermon. The Great Awakening created a sense of religious anxiety and a desire for personal salvation. Edwards capitalized on this by using impassioned language and vivid imagery to provoke fear and guilt in his listeners. He spoke of hellfire, damnation, and the wrath of an angry God, aiming to awaken his audience to their sinful nature and the need for repentance.
Part B:
Throughout the sermon, Edwards sought to convey the tumultuous state of people's relationship with God. At the beginning of the excerpt, Edwards portrays a God who holds sinners over the fiery pit of hell like a spider dangling above a flame. This imagery emphasizes the fragile and precarious nature of the sinner's existence. Edwards emphasizes the wrath and anger of God, creating a sense of fear and impending doom.
However, as the sermon progresses, Edwards offers a more hopeful message. He speaks of God's long-suffering and patience with sinners, even though they deserve immediate damnation. Edwards argues that God's mercy and willingness to forgive sinners extend the opportunity for repentance and salvation. He urges his audience to seize this chance and turn to God before it is too late.
To support this interpretation, one can cite various lines from the text. For example, Edwards states, "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." This shows the initial portrayal of God's anger and wrath. However, Edwards later states, "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," underscoring the potential for salvation and mercy from God.
In summary, Edwards' sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" likely evoked a mixture of fear, guilt, and hope in his audience during the Great Awakening. While he initially emphasizes God's anger and the sinners' desperate state, he also highlights God's mercy and the opportunity for salvation through repentance.