' famous
sermon "" is an excellent example of the revivalist movement in churches during the
Great Awakening. Grounded in the dominant theology of the day, the Great Awakening introduced an
emotional component to the role of the church, using images and prayers to evoke affective
responses from the congregation.
Soteriology, or the question of what we must
be saved from and how we are saved, is at the heart of Edwards' sermon. He uses vividto describe
Hell, a literal place of eternal torment for those he terms the Wicked. He further describes
that the Wicked are literally held, dangling over the pit, by God. It is only the willpower of
God, he asserts, that keeps them from falling into Hell at any given moment. People can work to
stay healthy, avoid death, profess the best of intentions, even sit in church every
Sunday.
Ultimately, Edwards points toward a covenant of grace between man
and Godthe idea that God is the ultimate power, but that God created a covenant with mankind
through Jesus Christ. God alone has the power of life over death, redemption over sin.
For Edwards, it is merely at his own whim that God keeps man from the pit at any given
moment. In order for the pit to be avoided entirely, man must enter fully into the covenant
through the mediation of Christ. Intention, good works toward their fellow men, and sitting in
church are not enough. Edwards is calling for full-on conversion. It is not simply the mind
which must accept and contemplate a concept of covenant and grace. The heart must be fully
devoted to Christ. God's restraint from simply throwing them into Hell is a chance to
change.
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