1. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards
Feature Menu
Introducing the Sermon
Literary Focus: Figures of Speech

2. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards
O Sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: It is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath . . .

3. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards
Introducing the sermon
This is Edwards’s most famous sermon, delivered in Edwards, like English philosopher John Locke ( ), believed that
everything we know comes from experience
understanding and feeling are two distinct kinds of knowledge

4. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards
In this fire-and-brimstone sermon, Edwards uses the metaphor of fire to link his listeners’ experience of fire to the idea of burning in the fires of Hell because of their sins.
How do you think Edwards would change his sermon if he were preaching today?
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5. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Literary Focus: Figures of Speech
Figures of speech are words or phrases that compare one thing to another, unlike thing.
Edwards uses figures of speech to compare God’s wrath to ordinary, everyday things that his listeners could relate to and understand.

6. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Literary Focus: Figures of Speech
Edwards uses personification to focus his audience’s attention.
Hell has a mouth and hands.
God has hands.

7. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Literary Focus: Figures of Speech
Edwards uses the metaphor of God as an archer.
The flight of an arrow is compared to the swiftness of God’s justice.
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8. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Background
The “natural men” Edwards was trying to awaken were those in the congregation who
knew about the Gospel, that is, the biblical accounts of Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection
had never made a personal commitment to Jesus
were complacent in their religious tradition
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9. Quickwrite

10. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Quickwrite
Make the Connection
Many people would agree that fear is one of the most powerful motivators of human behavior. Fear of injury makes us buckle our seat belts. Fear of failure makes us study or work harder. Edwards and other pastors used harsh warnings in their sermons to make “sinners” understand the precariousness of their situation by actually feeling the fear and horror of their sinful state. Do you think fear is a great motivator? Write about what motivates you and whether you would use fear to motivate someone else.
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11. Vocabulary

12. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Vocabulary
Previewing the Vocabulary
provoked v. used as adj.: angered
appease v.: calm; satisfy
constitution n.: physical condition
contrivance n.: scheme; plan
inconceivable adj.: unimaginable; beyond understanding
omnipotent adj.: all-powerful

13. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Vocabulary
Previewing the Vocabulary
abhors v.: scorns; hates
abominable adj.: disgusting; loathsome
ascribed v.: regarded as coming from a certain cause
induce v.: persuade; force; cause

14. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Vocabulary
Vocabulary Activity: Synonyms
Match the synonyms in the left-hand column with the Vocabulary words in the right.
enraged ___
unimaginable ___
attributed ___
satisfy ___
all-powerful ___
persuade ___ e
a. omnipotent
b. induce
c. inconceivable
d. appease
e. provoked
f. ascribed c f d a b
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15. Meet the Writer

16. from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Meet the Writer
Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) was not merely a stern, zealous preacher. He was a brilliant, thoughtful, and complicated man. Science, reason, and observation of the physical world confirmed Edwards’s deeply spiritual vision of a universe filled with the presence of God.
More About the Writer
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