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

2. Edwards' claim, the the Doctrine section of his sermon, that "Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering" (408), is what type of argument?

3. According to the Doctrine section of the sermon, what is always hanging over the heads of sinners?

4. In the Doctrine section of his sermon, Edwards speaks of the "enmity" in sinners' souls (408). What is he saying is in their souls?

5. In the Doctrine section of his sermon, Edwards makes reference to the "manifold" experience of the world. What kind of experience is this?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

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

3. 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)?

4. 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.

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

6. 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?

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

8. What reasons does Edwards give, in the Doctrine section of his sermon, for divine justice not stopping God from casting sinners into hell?

9. 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).

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the use of listing in Edwards' sermon. What is its purpose, and how does it work to accomplish this purpose?

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