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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 4 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When, in the introductory section of his sermon, Edwards mentions the "cultivations of heaven," (405) to what is he referring?

2. In the introductory section of his sermon, Edwards speaks of the works that God "wrought" (405). How is this word pronounced?

3. What is Deuteronomy?

4. In the introduction of his sermon, what is the fourth thing Edwards says is true of the Israelites' destruction?

5. What criticism does Edwards level against the people mentioned in the opening of his sermon?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Edwards mean when he says the Israelites "under all the cultivations of heaven, brought forth bitter and poisonous fruit" (405)?

2. When Edwards preached his revised sermon to the Enfield Congregation, what was the reaction, and how did Edwards respond?

3. According to Edwards, what is the meaning of the Biblical passage that opens the sermon?

4. Summarize Edwards' four-part argument from the introductory section of his sermon.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Within the syllogistic logic of his sermon, Edwards also uses other types of argument. One of these is argument by analogy. What this means is that Edwards claims that the situation of the sinner is like another situation, and therefore what happens in the second situation will also happen to the sinner. Find an argument by analogy in this sermon, and write an essay in which you both explain and critique Edwards' analogy.

Essay Topic 2

Choose a poem by Phillis Wheatley (her work is widely available online.) Explain how the poem exemplifies the ideas of the Great Awakening.

Essay Topic 3

Identify an aphorism in Edwards' sermon. Explain what qualifies it as an aphorism and discuss its rhetorical effect.

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