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15 votes
15 votes
Read the passage from “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

That world of misery, that; lake of burning brimstone is extended abroad under you.
There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell’s wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand
upon, nor anything to take hold of: there is
nothing between you and hell but the air; ’tis
only the power and mere pleasure of God that
holds you up.

What MOOD does the narrator develop in this passage?

Thought Starters
- What what kind of imagery is used?
- What does that imagery do to the reader?
- Think about the language that appeals to you five senses.


Use complete sentences, give examples from the text, and keep your answer between 3-5 sentences.

User Ferenc Deak
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1 Answer

18 votes
18 votes

Answer:

The narrator's tone is elevated. Because it's not meant to make people feel better, but to tell them what will happen if they don't change their ways and follow God's rules. He wants to make his readers and listeners afraid and dreadful, but he also wants them to want to stop doing bad things and change their lives. He speaks directly to the congregation at times, which adds authenticity and relevance to the sermon's ideas.

"They were always exposed to Destruction, as one that stands or walks in slippery Places is always exposed to fall" - simile, or comparison of two actions using the preposition "like" or "as" "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?" - a rhetorical question that doesn't require an answer because the answer is self-evident. To put it another way, we are nothing.

"The Sword of divine Justice" - a metaphor that represents something else. In this instance, the Sword of divine Justice symbolizes God's wrath, which may be cruel to sinners but is necessary for his justice.

"The Pit is prepared, the Fire is made ready, the Furnace is now hot, ready to receive them, the Flames do now rage and glow" - visual and tactile imagery. Even though he's discussing moral concepts like sin and punishment, his use of imagery like a blazing Hell can transport listeners to another world entirely.

These elements may have created a fearful atmosphere in the audience. As sinners, we all have a sense of dread and fear, which they help to evoke in the reader.

I hope this helps you

:)

User Vuong Pham
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