, in his
sermon "," presents God as loving but wrathful, omnipotent and infinite.
Edwards spends quite a bit of time developing the idea that man is so far beneath God
that he is almost insignificant in comparison. He compares man to a loathsome spider that God is
holding by one leg, dangling over the fires of hell. This image shows man as a being that is
easily destroyed by God and far beneath Him in terms of ability, significance, and
worth.
The idea that God is omnipotent is developed through His control of
the entire universe, how small and insignificant man is in comparison to Him, and by comparing
His wrath and might to earthly kings. Earthly kings seem majestic to us, but they are nothing in
comparison to God's power. In the quote below, Edwards speaks of God exacting his wrath on the
sinner:
When the great and angry God hath risen up and
executed his awful vengeance on the poor sinner, and the wretch is actually suffering the
infinite weight and power of his indignation, then will God call upon the whole universe to
behold that awful majesty and mighty power that is to be seen in it. Isa. xxxiii. 12-14. And
the people shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire.
Hear ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The
sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites.
The idea that God is wrathful is very well developed throughout the
sermon. The quote below shows not only God's wrath, but also the infinite nature of
it:
It is everlasting wrath. It would be dreadful to
suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all
eternity. There will be no end to this exquisite horrible misery. When you look forward, you
shall see a long for ever, a boundless duration before you, which will swallow up your thoughts,
and amaze your soul; and you will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance, any end,
any mitigation, any rest at all. You will know certainly that you must wear out long ages,
millions of millions of ages, in wrestling and conflicting with this almighty merciless
vengeance; and then when you have so done, when so many ages have actually been spent by you in
this manner, you will know that all is but a point to what remains. So that your punishment will
indeed be infinite.
God is also portrayed as loving
because he has sent the antidote to His wrath in the person of Jesus Christ. The work of Christ
is implied rather than stated explicitly; other than stating that Jesus has thrown the doors of
mercy wide open, Edwards focuses more on what will happen to those who do not receive Jesus
Christ's atonement. At one point, he passionately appeals to sinners to consider the danger they
are inthey are in danger of being the object of the wrath of God by not accepting
Jesus.
Humanity is portrayed as depraved. It is man's wickedness that makes
the wrath of God burn. Humanity is also portrayed as frail and wholly at the mercy of God. God
can destroy everyone quickly and easily if he so chooses.
What are we, that we should think to stand before him, at whose rebuke the earth
trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down? They deserve to be cast into hell; so that
divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against Gods using his power at
any moment to destroy them. Yea, on the contrary, justice calls aloud for an infinite punishment
of their sins. Divine justice says of the tree that brings forth such grapes of Sodom, Cut it
down, why cumbereth it the ground? Luke xiii. 7. The sword of divine justice is every moment
brandished over their heads, and it is nothing but the hand of arbitrary mercy, and Gods mere
will, that holds it back.
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