1a. According to Edwards, what does the average person think keeps him or her alive? To what does Edwards give complete credit?
The sinners are not aware that God is the real reason that they have not been engulfed by Hell, contrary to their beliefs that the basic elements such as air, the ground, and their bodies are simply just sustaining them without divine interference.
1b. In Paragraph 2, Edwards compares the sinner first with a fallen rock and later with chaff on a threshing floor. What does he mean by each of these similes?
These are two items are merely discarded by humans and/or taken for granted as they are still God's creation yet they are of practically no use. The chaff is chucked aside and ignored for the sweet corn and wheat to feed, and the rock sifted through to make way for the precious gold. Humans can be treated just as such by God; thrown aside, cast away, and given no purpose.
2a. What are some of the elements of creation that Edwards lists as "notwillingly" serving the sinner?
The sun and it's fulfilling beams of light, the earth bearing the movement of us all, the crops and their growth and ability to be harvested, the air for breathing, the creatures that roam along with us to cooperatively serve God together.
2b. Which elements of nature does Edwards use in paragraph 2 to represent God's anger? What qualities do these elements have in common with anger?
Black clouds hanging over the heads of sinners, ready to bring forth a storm and erupt with thunder. Anger is a loud emotion when mixed with rage, which the sound of thunder can emulate very well. This, as well the black colour of the clouds indicating darkness, gloom, and a foreboding nature, typical in the build-up of anger
3a. What does Edwards claim is required to take a person out of the sinner classification?
You may reform your life by having religious feelings, keeping God in your mind and heart, keep up religion in your family, your studies, and stay in church and worship him among the people you love.
3b. What abstract ideal is personified--Described as a person--in paragraph 3? In what action is this personified ideal occupied? Why is this comparison frightening?
That justice is pulling the string on the bow of God's wrath. Justice invokes God's anger into the lives of his/her creations which he/she can merely then kill everything it wants. This is frightening because it is as if we are living our whole lives whilst a sniper is pointing a laser sight on our foreheads. Is it shocking to find out that the sniper could pull the trigger at any time if provoked. Death is scary... :(
4a. In paragraph 4, what progression does Edwards trace in speaking of the threat to the sinner's existence?
He paints the picture of the sinners being spiders or a mini insect that humans kill and think nothing of. They are small, in the mercy of those far larger and with greater power than they. Such is the predicament with the snake and the human. Snakes have a much more powerful bite and there really isn't much a human could do to win in a fight against a serpent. (No guns/RPG's/Nukes/Knives or Swords... just barehanded against a snake!) And yet again wit the stubborn rebel and his prince. God is the prince, the serpent, and the person with more power in every situation and with such little effort can put an end to everyone's life if he/she so chose.
4b. Why might this progression be particularly effective in arousing fear?
Because burning in hell, being allowed not to live peacefully on Earth, and suffering eternal damnation aren't things on most people's to-do lists. They are by far some of the biggest things you should want to avoid and by presenting such things as a result of your current situation, you can freak a lot of people out!
5a. Do you think that this sermon could be influential, on a short-term basis, in inspiring listeners to throw themselves on the mercy of an angry God? What would you expect to be its long-term impact? why?
By provoking fear, yes it could most definitely influence many to do such a thing. The amount of people in the congregation on Sundays would increase as well I can tell you that much. Although the long-term effect might not be as beneficial as you would think. (Maybe it is, what do I know?) It seems that preaching your religion by telling your audience that the deity of choice can strip life from us all in mere milliseconds without regret is quite disheartening. The message Edwards is actually sending is positive, that God could do all of these horrible things, but he/she doesn't out of the intense joy of his creations. However, if angered by sin, he/she will snap and enter Hulk-Rage mode and totally decimate everything which is the part of the sermon people will remember and fear. I would think that you would want your followers to be uplifted with such a belief and have Church be safe, warm place to seek refuge from the harsh daily world that we sometimes live in.
5b. Read the following speech from William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. Write a brief essay comparing and contrasting the view of God presented in this speech with that presented in Edwards's sermon.
Both Gods are the same, they love their creations and do as much as they can to please them. However, Edwards's depiction presents God when angered due to the sinners not giving in to a religious lifestyle. They need to be reminded of the danger they're in if they do not accept God's love. However, Shakespeare is presenting God how he/she is: merciful and loving and it really is how Edwards presents it, he just poses a hypothetical situation that IF God were to lose many of his creations to the devil, he'd sooner kill them all then lift a finger which provides the message of powerful and mighty God is and how thankful and devoted everyone should be to him/her.
5B is well done. Outstanding job.
ReplyDelete10/10