People today would probably question the relevance and true meaning of Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The language and examples that are used may be typical of the 18th century, but are not something that we can relate to in modern day society. For example, Edwards states, “ The Old serpent is gaping for them, Hell opens its mouth wide to receive them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost” (Perkins 94). Not many people have seen or experienced a serpent during the 21st century. Thus, this analogy of God allowing sinners to be swallowed by a serpent is something that they cannot relate to, and it makes the meaning less significant or less likely to be believable.
Another example is the language used which can be hard for people today to understand. “He that believeth not is condemned already. Ye are from beneath. And thither he is bound” (Perkins 94). If this could be put into today’s language it might not only be better understood, but it could provoke some serious thought or contemplation. The sermon written in the manner it was by Mr. Edwards is not very appealing or interesting to people today, especially teenagers. This classic is boring, hard to read, as well as hard to understand for people in the 21st century. It needs different examples and an updated vocabulary.
Work Cited
Perkins, George, and Barbara Perkins. The American Tradition in Literature. Ninth ed. McGraw-Hill, 1999. Print.
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