Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Themes
Power
Edwards is believed to have been preaching to a congregation that was said to be difficult to influence. People during this time had gotten comfortable with a life of affluence in New England, and so had begun to believe they were in control of their lives. Edwards attacks their sense of control and seeks to remind them that their only route to salvation lay in Christ. He repeatedly emphasizes the point that human beings have no power and that all of it rests with the Almighty who exercises it at his whim. Edwards tackles the case of the self-deluded man who thinks that he is in control of his fate only to realize that God could have ended his sinful life in an instant. He does this through the use of metaphors, including the metaphor of a man in a slippery place. He establishes that a man in a slippery place falls suddenly due to his own weight. The reason why people continue to remain in a slippery place is that God holds them up, but that he will one day suddenly take away his support so that the sinners will rush into his pit. He also uses the metaphor of a rotted bridge over the pit of hell, and of being suspended over hell through a slender thread.
Wrath
Edwards repeatedly emphasizes God’s infinite wrath that is directed at humankind. This is a reflection of the Puritan belief that all humans are born in a state of sin due to the failure of Adam and Eve in abiding by God’s law. Edwards quotes different parts of the bible to prove God’s anger at humankind. Edwards doesn’t stop there, as he goes further to insinuate that God is not only angry but also vindictive. In the application section of the sermon, Edwards discusses God’s wrath in detail, and he explains how God would use the punishment of the sinners as an example. He implies that God would humiliate sinners in front of the whole universe for their wickedness.
This dark subject of God’s wrath is tempered with optimism through Edward’s discussion of Christ. He explains how God’s wrath is not checked by his mercy but rather by the benevolence of Christ who keeps God’s wrath contained. The covenant of grace is shown to be necessary for the salvation of making, and Christ is thus depicted in the role of a mediator. He saves the sinful man from Hell when the man recognizes Christ as his savior and practices true faith in him.
