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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Edwards' sixth argument for the truth of his statement of doctrine?

2. In the Doctrine section of his sermon, when Edwards says "as the heart is now a sink of sin, so, if sin was not restrained," (408), this is an example of which literary technique?

3. When Edwards uses the phrase "natural man," what is he referring to?

4. According to Edwards, what key difference exists between God and earthly authorities?

5. What is Edwards' eighth argument for the truth of his statement of doctrine?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to the Doctrine section of Edwards' sermon, what is God's attitude toward the sinners who are not yet in hell?

2. In the Doctrine section of his sermon, Edwards compares God's power to the power of a human to crush a worm. Explain the meaning and significance of this analogy.

3. According to the Doctrine section of Edwards' sermon, what different promises has God made to the converted and the unconverted?

4. Explain what Edwards is saying, in the Doctrine section of the sermon, about the nature of the souls of sinners when he says "There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would presently kindle and flame out into hell fire, if it were not for God's restraints" (408).

5. When, in the Doctrine section of his sermon, Edwards says of sinners that "The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened her mouth under them," (407), what does he mean, and what analogy found elsewhere in the sermon is he making reference to?

6. In the Doctrine section of his sermon, what does Edwards mean when he says that the "mere pleasure of God" (406) is all that keeps sinners out of hell?

7. Why does Edwards say, in the Doctrine section of the sermon, that those who think that they are protecting themselves from hell are fooling themselves?

8. Explain why, in the Doctrine section of his sermon, Edwards says that God is not like an earthly prince.

9. When, in the Doctrine section of his speech, Edwards says that "The Scripture represents them as his 'goods'" (407), to whom does he refer when he says "them" and "his," and what point is he making about these people?

10. Why, in the Doctrine section of his sermon, does Edwards say that sinners should not be comforted by the fact that there is no "visible means of death at hand" (408)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain how Edwards uses metaphor to make abstract ideas more concrete for his listener.

Essay Topic 2

Explain how the structure of the Awakening sermon creates a sense of approaching doom in Edwards' audience. How does the sermon gradually bring its "action" closer and closer to the audience?

Essay Topic 3

Choose a passage from "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" that makes use of parallel structure. Explain what makes the structure parallel and defend a claim about the rhetorical purpose of this parallelism.

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