Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

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Enfield,Connecticut,July8,1741

Sothat,thusitisthatnaturalmenareheldinthehandofGod,overthepitofhell;theyhavedeservedthe
fierypit,andarealreadysentencedtoit;andGodisdreadfullyprovoked,hisangerisasgreattowards
themastothosethatareactuallysufferingtheexecutionsofthefiercenessofhiswrathinhell,andthey
havedonenothingintheleasttoappeaseorabatethatanger,neitherisGodintheleastboundbyany
promisetoholdthemuponemoment;thedeviliswaitingforthem,hellisgapingforthem,theflames
gatherandflashaboutthem,andwouldfainlayholdonthem,andswallowthemup;thefirepentupin
theirownheartsisstrugglingtobreakout:andtheyhavenointerestinanyMediator,therearenomeans
withinreachthatcanbeanysecuritytothem.Inshort,theyhavenorefuge,nothingtotakeholdof;allthat
preservesthemeverymomentisthemerearbitrarywill,anduncovenanted,unobligedforbearanceofan
incensedGod.

Application

Theuseofthisawfulsubjectmaybeforawakeningunconvertedpersonsinthiscongregation.Thisthat
youhaveheardisthecaseofeveryoneofyouthatareoutofChrist.--Thatworldofmisery,thatlakeof
burningbrimstone,isextendedabroadunderyou.Thereisthedreadfulpitoftheglowingflamesofthe
wrathofGod;thereishell'swidegapingmouthopen;andyouhavenothingtostandupon,noranything
totakeholdof;thereisnothingbetweenyouandhellbuttheair;itisonlythepowerandmerepleasureof
Godthatholdsyouup.

Youprobablyarenotsensibleofthis;youfindyouarekeptoutofhell,butdonotseethehandofGodin
it;butlookatotherthings,asthegoodstateofyourbodilyconstitution,yourcareofyourownlife,and
themeansyouuseforyourownpreservation.Butindeedthesethingsarenothing;ifGodshould
withdrawhishand,theywouldavailnomoretokeepyoufromfalling,thanthethinairtoholdupaperson
thatissuspendedinit.

Yourwickednessmakesyouasitwereheavyaslead,andtotenddownwardswithgreatweightand
pressuretowardshell;andifGodshouldletyougo,youwouldimmediatelysinkandswiftlydescendand
plungeintothebottomlessgulf,andyourhealthyconstitution,andyourowncareandprudence,andbest
contrivance,andallyourrighteousness,wouldhavenomoreinfluencetoupholdyouandkeepyououtof
hell,thanaspider'swebwouldhavetostopafallingrock.WereitnotforthesovereignpleasureofGod,
theearthwouldnotbearyouonemoment;foryouareaburdentoit;thecreationgroanswithyou;the
creatureismadesubjecttothebondageofyourcorruption,notwillingly;thesundoesnotwillinglyshine
uponyoutogiveyoulighttoservesinandSatan;theearthdoesnotwillinglyyieldherincreasetosatisfy

yourlusts;norisitwillinglyastageforyourwickednesstobeactedupon;theairdoesnotwillinglyserve
youforbreathtomaintaintheflameoflifeinyourvitals,whileyouspendyourlifeintheserviceofGod's
enemies.

...

ThebowofGod'swrathisbent,andthearrowmadereadyonthestring,andjusticebendsthearrowat
yourheart,andstrainsthebow,anditisnothingbutthemerepleasureofGod,andthatofanangryGod,
withoutanypromiseorobligationatall,thatkeepsthearrowonemomentfrombeingmadedrunkwith
yourblood.Thusallyouthatneverpassedunderagreatchangeofheart,bythemightypowerofthe
SpiritofGoduponyoursouls;allyouthatwereneverbornagain,andmadenewcreatures,andraised
frombeingdeadinsin,toastateofnew,andbeforealtogetherunexperiencedlightandlife,areinthe
handsofanangryGod.Howeveryoumayhavereformedyourlifeinmanythings,andmayhavehad
religiousaffections,andmaykeepupaformofreligioninyourfamiliesandclosets,andinthehouseof
God,itisnothingbuthismerepleasurethatkeepsyoufrombeingthismomentswallowedupin
everlastingdestruction.Howeverunconvincedyoumaynowbeofthetruthofwhatyouhear,byandby
youwillbefullyconvincedofit.Thosethataregonefrombeinginthelikecircumstanceswithyou,see
thatitwassowiththem;fordestructioncamesuddenlyuponmostofthem;whentheyexpectednothing
ofit,andwhiletheyweresaying,Peaceandsafety:nowtheysee,thatthosethingsonwhichthey
dependedforpeaceandsafety,werenothingbutthinairandemptyshadows.

TheGodthatholdsyouoverthepitofhell,muchasoneholdsaspider,orsomeloathsomeinsectoverthe
fire,abhorsyou,andisdreadfullyprovoked:hiswrathtowardsyouburnslikefire;helooksuponyouas
worthyofnothingelse,buttobecastintothefire;heisofpurereyesthantobeartohaveyouinhissight;
youaretenthousandtimesmoreabominableinhiseyes,thanthemosthatefulvenomousserpentisin
ours.Youhaveoffendedhiminfinitelymorethaneverastubbornrebeldidhisprince;andyetitisnothing
buthishandthatholdsyoufromfallingintothefireeverymoment.Itistobeascribedtonothingelse,that
youdidnotgotohellthelastnight;thatyouwassufferedtoawakeagaininthisworld,afteryouclosed
youreyestosleep.Andthereisnootherreasontobegiven,whyyouhavenotdroppedintohellsince
youaroseinthemorning,butthatGod'shandhasheldyouup.Thereisnootherreasontobegivenwhy
youhavenotgonetohell,sinceyouhavesathereinthehouseofGod,provokinghispureeyesbyyour
sinfulwickedmannerofattendinghissolemnworship.Yea,thereisnothingelsethatistobegivenasa
reasonwhyyoudonotthisverymomentdropdownintohell.

Osinner!Considerthefearfuldangeryouarein:itisagreatfurnaceofwrath,awideandbottomlesspit,
fullofthefireofwrath,thatyouareheldoverinthehandofthatGod,whosewrathisprovokedand
incensedasmuchagainstyou,asagainstmanyofthedamnedinhell.Youhangbyaslenderthread,with
theflamesofdivinewrathflashingaboutit,andreadyeverymomenttosingeit,andburnitasunder;and
youhavenointerestinanyMediator,andnothingtolayholdoftosaveyourself,nothingtokeepoffthe
flamesofwrath,nothingofyourown,nothingthatyoueverhavedone,nothingthatyoucando,toinduce
Godtospareyouonemoment.

...
Howdreadfulisthestateofthosethataredailyandhourlyinthedangerofthisgreatwrathandinfinite
misery!Butthisisthedismalcaseofeverysoulinthiscongregationthathasnotbeenbornagain,
howevermoralandstrict,soberandreligious,theymayotherwisebe.Ohthatyouwouldconsiderit,
whetheryoubeyoungorold!Thereisreasontothink,thattherearemanyinthiscongregationnow
hearingthisdiscourse,thatwillactuallybethesubjectsofthisverymiserytoalleternity.Weknownotwho
theyare,orinwhatseatstheysit,orwhatthoughtstheynowhave.Itmaybetheyarenowatease,and
hearallthesethingswithoutmuchdisturbance,andarenowflatteringthemselvesthattheyarenotthe
persons,promisingthemselvesthattheyshallescape.Ifweknewthattherewasoneperson,andbutone,
inthewholecongregation,thatwastobethesubjectofthismisery,whatanawfulthingwoulditbeto
thinkof!Ifweknewwhoitwas,whatanawfulsightwoulditbetoseesuchaperson!Howmightallthe
restofthecongregationliftupalamentableandbittercryoverhim!But,alas!insteadofone,howmanyis
itlikelywillrememberthisdiscourseinhell?Anditwouldbeawonder,ifsomethatarenowpresent
shouldnotbeinhellinaveryshorttime,evenbeforethisyearisout.Anditwouldbenowonderifsome
persons,thatnowsithere,insomeseatsofthismeeting-house,inhealth,quietandsecure,shouldbe
therebeforetomorrowmorning.Thoseofyouthatfinallycontinueinanaturalcondition,thatshallkeep
outofhelllongestwillbethereinalittletime!yourdamnationdoesnotslumber;itwillcomeswiftly,and,in
allprobability,verysuddenlyuponmanyofyou.Youhavereasontowonderthatyouarenotalreadyin
hell.Itisdoubtlessthecaseofsomewhomyouhaveseenandknown,thatneverdeservedhellmorethan
you,andthatheretoforeappearedaslikelytohavebeennowaliveasyou.Theircaseispastallhope;
theyarecryinginextrememiseryandperfectdespair;buthereyouareinthelandofthelivingandinthe
houseofGod,andhaveanopportunitytoobtainsalvation.Whatwouldnotthosepoordamnedhopeless
soulsgiveforoneday'sopportunitysuchasyounowenjoy!
...
Therefore,leteveryonethatisoutofChrist,nowawakeandflyfromthewrathtocome.Thewrathof
AlmightyGodisnowundoubtedlyhangingoveragreatpartofthiscongregation.Leteveryoneflyoutof
Sodom:"Hasteandescapeforyourlives,looknotbehindyou,escapetothemountain,lestyoube
consumed."