21 August 23 Jonathan Edwards – A Poetic Voice for God

The Redemption of the Spider

Today’s post is decidedly something completely different (as Monty Python would say), and it involves the possibility that a sermon delivered by a “hellfire and brimstone” preacher in the nineteenth century could come from that preacher’s poetic voice. I’m not going to tell you the answer. In fact, the final Exploration (as usual, at the end of this post), repeats this paradoxical question and throughout the post there is material to help you come to your own conclusion. Now, don’t tsk-tsk or turn up your noses. Pushing our little gray cells’ analytical abilities is not so bad. In fact, “is good for you,” as spoken by an insistent cook with a tureen full of meat-heavy soup, a ladle poised over your bowl.

The Sermon and Two Quotes

On July 8, 1741, Jonathan Edwards delivered a sermon in Connecticut that is known as “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Despite its age, this Christian writing is still studied, and in some quarters remains a legacy touchstone for people of Christian denominations. (I need to do my research on this point). Today, Edwards receives somewhat less attention; however, when I was a sophomore at a Christian high school, we dutifully studied Edwards’ work. I wonder how many students have been exposed to this piece; I wonder when/if it was dropped from curriculum. If you have not at least read a summary of this piece, you can’t decide for yourself whether it is a work of merit or monstrosity. 

I’ll do my best to keep my neutral scholarly cap on; however, amid the sermon’s anger of the title, its violent images, its assumption of “born bad’ and blamed, and even hopelessness (were it not for divine grace). Even the cheeriest Pollyanna might be hard-pressed to see the sunshine or the horizon.

Within the sermon are two metaphors of a spider. Maybe it’s because many, if not most, humans, are averse to curling up with an eight-legged arachnid. It seems that children especially have an aversion to creepy crawlers, although I’ve known a few adults who have full-blown fear when they see the usually small offenders. 

The Spider:

There are the two infamous quotes from Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” They both feature a spider, probably the same one. This spider has no opinion about Edwards’ assertions. This is in contrast to the poem written in emulation of Edwards’ sermon, but this time we have a feisty spider that does have an opinion or two, and who comes armed.

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect, over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked; his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times so abominable in his eyes as the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.

Several lines later, the spider shows up again:

. . . if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock.

Poem is meant to inspire emotion, change of heart, change of point of view – so is sermon

POEM by a Spider Friend / CAS

The Spider’s Redemption

Threatened at every turn

Squashed by passing feet

Dangled from my very web

Although my form is graceful

     And my webs, works of grand design

I persist until my web is breached

Creatures have no understanding in them

     nor mercy as their flailing leaves behind 

eight broken limbs

But no, these are only fears for

I am large in spirit. 

I contain multitudes of webs.

Yea, their feet shall slide in due time

I watch them fall 

chuckle through my jaws and piercing fangs 

Though I dangle from the web of my own making,

 I do not fall!

For my body harbors a multiple of webs to hold me up

and never fall

My appointed time has come

     Though it seems by immutable

And righteous ways of nature

And my cunning

And my terrifying visage

All aglow with anger

tormenting those who feel my awful caress

those who look upon me shake with dread

I sing and save myself and do not fall

I center myself over the pit of vermin

And when I am provoked my fierceness flares

With my octet appendages and I jump on interlopers

Hold down with my pedipalps, adhering gluelike with

mani-pedi scopulae on the termination of each leg.

with the coup de gras of my fangs’ injections 

I am a god unto myself.

and cannot be hung over earth or fire unless

I let fly my glorious spinneret full of the silk of maidens

How perfect is my form

How like an angel my aerobatics

Forever do I float

 . . . until the blackbirds of my nightmares 

slide me down their throats

Background

Jonathan Edwards was an American revivalist preacher, philosopher, and Congregationalist theologian. A leading figure of the American Enlightenment, Edwards is widely regarded as one of America's most important and original philosophical theologians.

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a sermon written by Edwards who preached it to his own congregation with profound effect, and a second time in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741. The preaching of this sermon was the catalyst for the First Great Awakening. Like Edwards' other works, it combines vivid imagery of Hell with observations of the world and citations of Biblical scripture. It is Edwards' most famous written work, and a fitting representation of his preaching style. It is widely studied by Christians and historians, providing a glimpse into the theology of the First Great Awakening of c. 1730–1755.

This was a highly influential sermon of the Great Awakening, emphasizing God’s wrath upon unbelievers after death to a very real, horrific, and fiery Hell. The underlying point is that God has given humans a chance to confess their sins. It is the mere will of God, according to Edwards, that keeps wicked men from being overtaken by the devil and his demons and cast into the furnace. Edwards provides much varied and vivid imagery to illustrate this main theme throughout.

Reverend Stephen Williams attended the Enfield sermon, with his diary entry for that day containing the following account of the congregation's reactions during and after the sermon:

[B]efore the sermon was done there was a great moaning and crying out through the whole house — "What shall I do to be saved?" "Oh, I am going to hell!" "Oh what shall I do for a Christ?" and so forth — so that the minister was obliged to desist. [The] shrieks and cries were piercing and amazing. After some time of waiting, the congregation were still, so that a prayer was made by Mr. Wheelock, and after that we descended from the pulpit and discoursed with the people, some in one place and some in another. And amazing and astonishing: the power [of] God was seen and several souls were hopefully wrought upon that night, and oh the cheerfulness and pleasantness of their countenances that received comfort. Oh that God would strengthen and confirm [their new faith]! We sang a hymn and prayed, and dispersed the assembly.

Explorations

Exploration 1: Can a revivalist sermon also be a poem?

Exploration 2: Is Edwards’ voice that of a poetic spirit? Defend your decision.

Exploration 3: How is Edwards’ sermon like and not like a poem? Here are some poetic terms that might help make the comparison/contrast: simile, metaphor, rhyme, vivid images, allusion, onomatopoeia, rhythm, alliteration, cacophony, euphony.

Monument in Enfield, Connecticut commemorating the location where 

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was preached.