History is a kind of introduction to more interesting people than we can possibly meet in our restricted lives; let us not neglect the opportunity. ~Dexter Perkins
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” is perhaps Edwards’ most famous sermon; it was delivered on a visit to the congregation at Enfield, Connecticut, in 1741. His sermons are often noted for their fire-and-brimstone imagery. This one is no exception. Edwards’ purpose in this sermon was to awaken and persuade the “natural men” in the congregation to accept Christ as their savior or convert them to Christianity. What language does Edwards employ to achieve his purpose? Give five examples of language/ fire and brim stone and analyze what he is saying. Analyze why he is saying it this way. Debate with your peers on the blog.
He uses language that somewhat scares the people, it's powerful and indescribable words. Its a strong form of imagery and symbolism. 1. Fire and brimstone ( nothing can stop you from going to hell if it's your destiny ). 2. Their foot shall slide in due time ( the punishment and destruction that these wicked Israelites were exposed to ). 3. There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell but the mere pleasure of god ( if you have god you don't have to worry about anything ). He say it that way to scare/persuade the people to become christians and accept christ
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Ivey K
8/25/2014 03:29:50 am
I agree with Donmonique because he use alot of symbolism and imagery and some of the people were probably terrified of what he was saying and they had to accept Christ no matter what
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donald
8/26/2014 08:26:57 am
I agree with Donmonique because he do show powerful and indescribable words and that he has a strong form of imagery.
Devante d
8/24/2014 08:43:05 am
He used a lot of imagery and metaphors to get his point a cross.1. There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment out of the hell but the more pleasure of God (he is talking about the corruptness of the church). 2. Their foot shall slide in due time ( related to the punishment and destruction that these wicked Israelites were exposed to) 3. That they were always exposed to destruction as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall (the manner of their destruction coming upon them). 4. The devil stands ready to fall upon them.. ( scripture represents them as his goods). 5. There's is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God (he wants people to see god as a powerful God).
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Yasmeen
8/24/2014 09:40:06 am
I disagree , he was doing more than trying to get a point across. He was informing the people on how life will end for them if they don't obey the "rules" he talks about how god will see them and if they sin how the devil will take advantage of them. He talks about the devil waits to make people his own because of their sinful duties. He wants the people to live right so they can go to heaven. The way explains himself and the circumstances are harsh and it may scare people. He just wants them to know what to expect when the/their time here is up.
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Vada
8/25/2014 01:40:36 am
I disagree because Edwards was proclaiming how the people should turn to Christianity as it well benefit them and how it increased the church's population growth. He was trying to put sinners into Christianity by using a powerful tone to grab their attention and to persuade them with great enthusiasm.
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Yasmeen
8/24/2014 09:34:55 am
His language was to aware the people of their life choices , to inform them what would happen if the participated in sin ,& to scare them out of their sinful ways. 1.) There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment , out of hell but the mere pleasure of god. 2.) They deserve to be cast into hell so that divine justice never stand in the way it make no objection against god using his power at any moment to destroy them. 3.)
They are already under a sentence of confirmation to hell. 4.) They are not the objection of that very same anger and wrath of god this is expressed in the torments of hell. 5.) The devil stands ready to fall upon them and seize them as his own , and what moment god shall permit him. He is saying it this way because he wants them to know where they will go if they don't obey gods commandments.
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Vada
8/25/2014 01:36:52 am
The languages that he uses is powerful and has a lot of enthusiasm. The languages that he used was 1.) have their hearts touched and what he was interpreting was that he felt that the young people need to be saved because of how they were struggling. 2.) Edwards preached in a powerful voice that increase the church growth. 3.) He used enthusiasm to persuade people to accept Jesus Christ as his lord and savior. 4.) He said that God would be responsive to the peoples desires. 5.) Edwards proclaim Jesus Christ's name to have more Christians.
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Ivey K
8/25/2014 03:22:14 am
The languages he was using is something a leader would say or someone to rise to power and he use similes and the languages of a preacher or to sum it up he was like God's messenger. The languages was 1.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. 2.Another thing implied is that they are liable to fall of themselves, without being thrown down by the hand of another 3.By the mere pleasure of God, I mean his sovereign pleasure, his arbitrary will, restrained by no obligation, hinder’d 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 4.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 5.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
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Ivey K
8/25/2014 03:28:19 am
The languages he was using is something a leader would say or someone to rise to power and he use similes and the languages of a preacher or to sum it up he was like God's messenger. He use Fire and Brimstone on 1.They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell.He was trying to get what God was saying on 2.By the mere pleasure of God, I mean his sovereign pleasure, his arbitrary will, restrained by no obligation, hinder’d by no manner of difficulty and 3.There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment, and some on this 4.Men’s hands can’t be strong when God rises up, 5.it makes no objection against God’s using his power at any moment to destroy them
Basically what he's saying he wanted the people to do what God wanted them to do and and serve him and obey him for now on
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Anderson W
8/25/2014 09:48:36 am
I agree with ivey. In the passage it does not speak against god using his destructive powers to smite at anytime as if he were an allpowerful three year old with a vaste arsonal at his disposal
Anderson W
8/25/2014 09:46:03 am
He used a crap load of imagery and metaphors to get his point through.1. There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of the hell but the more pleasure of God (he is talking about it being your destiny to go to heaven or hell). 2. Their foot shall slide in due time ( in reference to the conciquinces and destruction that those evil and twisted people were exposed to) 3. They were always exposed to destruction as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall (the state of the destruction coming over them). 4. The devil stands ready to fall upon them.. ( scripture wieghs them in as his prey). 5. There's is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God (he wants people to create a mental image and fear the idea of aswell as the wrath of god).
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Donald
8/26/2014 08:25:05 am
The language he is using is somewhat like a leader and it is descriptive and telling you about something while using imagery and metaphors.
1. Their foot shall slide in due time(he is talking about the punishment that the Israelites had went through and gone through the pain.2. There is nothing that keeps wicked men,at any moment out of hell but the mere pleasure of god(he is talking about how men were back then and how they treated people and god chooses them to go to heaven or hell.3.There are no visible means for death at hand(he is talking bout that no one knows when they are going to die it just happens when god wants it to happen.4. The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.5. Who knows the power of gods anger(nobody knows the power of Gods anger because he is the almighty and ahead of everybody else
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jordan R
8/26/2014 12:27:42 pm
he use a lot of imagery and metaphors in this writing.
1. in this verse is threatened the vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites , that were God visible people , and lived under means of grace( people that use to believe and follow god don't feel that way anymore use now the will feel the wrath of god
2. their foot shall silde in due time, seems to imply the following things ( he saying there true colors well show soon )
3.that they were always exposed to destruction , as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall. (there always where to fall in due time )
4.thou didst set them in slippery places thou casteth them down into destruction.(you don't give these people a break you need set them up for there doom)
5.as he that stands or walks on slippery ground , needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down (you can only bring your self down nobody else)
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Katie
8/28/2014 09:42:25 am
He plays on people's emotions.
Examples:
- Their foot shall slide in due time. Implies to the punishment and destruction that these wicked Israelites were exposed to.
- Also something that is implied is that they are liable to fall. He needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down.
-There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men to Hell at any moment. ... The strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands.
-God has laid himself under no obligation by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell at one moment.
- Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell.
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Taylor L.
8/28/2014 10:04:27 am
He said things in his sermons to scare people into believing.
Examples:
1.) God has laid himself under no obligation by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell at one moment.
2.) The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger, sinneth against his own soul.
3.) 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
4.) 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?
5.) And let everyone that is yet out of christ, ad 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.
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Jordan k
8/28/2014 11:10:20 am
The words he used where powerful and scared people into believing
The Devil stands Ready to fall upon them seizing them as his own and god will permit him.God has laid himself under no obligation by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell at one moment.
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Abbie
8/28/2014 12:31:24 pm
His language is strong but he is trying to make a point. He uses imagery and symbolism to help this.
1) "Their foot shall fall in due time." This is relating to the Israelites exposure to the destruction and punishment.
2) "There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of GOD." This talking about your fate in heaven or hell.
3) "For the present God restrains their wickedness by his mighty power" Sin will cause God to leave and leave misery in the soul.
4) "God has laid himself under no obligation by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell one moment." This is saying that not one person is promised eternal life or eternal death, but God can keep you one moment from eternal destruction until you believe in Christ.
5) "it's the fierceness of his wrath that your exposed to." God is getting angrier with the people because of the decrease in belief. Soon, the people will feel his destruction.
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Alexis
9/18/2014 08:15:30 am
He likes to play with peoples emotions a long with scaring them and in a way threatening them with hell to get them to become Christians.
My examples are:
1."Their foot shall slide in due time." Implies the punishment and destruction that these wicked Israelites were exposed to.
2." He needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down." Basically means that he doesn't need someone to put him down or knock him down he can do it on his own.(he being the people)
3."Here is no want of power in God to cast wicked men to Hell at any moment. ... The strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands." God doesn't have to allow you into heaven he can just as easily let you fall to hell.
4."For the present God restrains their wickedness by his mighty power" When God leaves he will leave with no mercy and nothing will be left in your soul.
5"They were always exposed to destruction as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall" That just because destruction is happening now doesn't mean it would've never happened, just like you can fall you can have destruction.