Analysis Of Jonathan Edwards Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

Decent Essays
3. This quote comes from a sermon from Jonathan Edwards, a Calvinst preacher and philosopher, called [Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God]. In his sermon, Edwards uses descriptive and vivid phrases to describe the relationship between man and God. Using the metaphor "The Bow of God's Wrath" for God and his anger, he states that humans are sinful creatures that provoke God and bring upon his wrath. God is a powerful being who "without any Promise or Obligation at all" has no incentive to help mortals or lead them to heaven. This Calvinistic view of all humans being damned from the beginning results in "an angry God" who "keeps the Arrow one Moment from being made drunk with your Blood." God looks down on humans and could easly bring them down if it were not for his "mere Pleasure." The condescending attitude that God has for mortals and his obvious disdain are shown in this sermon, displaying the relationship between God and humans. …show more content…
This quotes comes from the poem "Upon a Spider Catching a Fly" written by Edward Taylor, a Puritan colonial poet. In his poem, Taylor uses the extended metaphor of a spider and its prey to describe the power of God and His relationship with people. The "pettish wasp" represents humans that follow God and do not fall into the temptation of sin. The wasp falls into a web, the trap set by the spider who represents the devil, yet "thy whorl pins did not clasp." The spider does not attack the wasp in fear that "he should fling/ His sting." This "sting," the trump card of the wasp, is given by God. Edwards uses the wasp and its sting to show that God helps his people who follow him by giving them power and strength to escape the

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