gave his
"" sermon because he felt a great burden to see unsaved persons turn to Christ, which
he believed was the only way to God and eternal life. In this sermon, Edwards describes vivid
pictures of the dire situation of those not in favor with the almighty God.
He says, The Use may be of Awakening to
unconverted persons in this congregation (see the entire sermon
Edwards's purpose and use of powerful, persuasive language is excellently displayed in
this excerpt:
So that thus it is, that natural men [i.e. people in their
present state; unrepentant] are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell; they have deserved
the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked€¦ and they have
done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger, neither is God in the least bound by
any promise to hold 'em up one moment; the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them,
the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up;
the fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out; and they have no interest in
any mediator, there are no means within reach that can be any security to them. In short, they
have no refuge, nothing to take hold of, all that preserves them every moment is the mere
arbitrary will, and uncovenanted unobliged forbearance of an incensed God (
in the Hands of an Angry God).
With these frightening words,
Edwards is saying that we, in our natural stateas we are bornare sinners. We have blatantly and
irrevocably offended an all-powerful God, and are now hanging by a thread over the mouth of
Hell. The only thing keeping us from suffering in horrifying anguish is that Gods will has not
decreed us to dieyet.
Edwards does not leave us to complete despair, however.
There is hope for salvation from this damnation. He says, here you are in the land of the
living, and in the house of God, and have an opportunity to obtain salvation.
And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the
door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor
sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him€¦many that were very lately in the same
miserable condition that you are in, are in now an happy state, with their hearts filled with
love to him that has loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing
in hope of the glory of God.
Edwards desires to awaken his congregants from
(what he perceives to be) their blindness, pride, and darkness, to see that Jesus Christ is what
we need. Jesus is the only One who can rescue us from the impending wrath of an incensed
God.
Edwards speaks terrifying words. He also speaks words of hope, but does
so urgently, knowing we could die at any moment and forever be banished from Gods presence and
plunged into eternal wrath and damnation. Once we die, it is too late.
In
John 14:6, Jesus says, I am the way, and the truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father
but through Me (NASB).
Edwards desperately wants us to see that Christ is the
only salvation from this terrible fate, and he hopes we will be driven to Christ once we hear
Edwards describe the wrath of God and our hopeless state.
You can read his
whole sermon
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