Question

you hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce god to spare you one moment.

—jonathan edwards

what does edwards mean when he says that sinners \hang by a slender thread\?

• sinners must climb that thread if they hope to reach heaven.
• there is little that protects sinners from gods fury.
• prayer is the thread that connects the devout to god.
• gods fury is like a sharp, pointed needle.

Explanation:

⚡ Using what you learned: inferential comprehension and textual evidence

Step 1: Analyze the metaphor

The passage states: "You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder..."

A "slender thread" is fragile, weak, and easily broken, especially when surrounded by fire ("flames of divine wrath"). This imagery emphasizes how precarious and vulnerable the sinners' situation is.

Step 2: Evaluate the options

• Option 1: "Sinners must climb that thread if they hope to reach heaven."
• Incorrect. The text does not mention climbing the thread to reach heaven; the thread is holding them up over destruction.
• Option 2: "There is little that protects sinners from God's fury."
• Correct. The fragile thread represents the extremely weak and temporary barrier keeping them from falling into the flames of God's wrath.
• Option 3: "Prayer is the thread that connects the devout to God."
• Incorrect. The passage emphasizes that the audience has "nothing of your own, nothing that you can do" to save themselves.
• Option 4: "God's fury is like a sharp, pointed needle."
• Incorrect. The fury is compared to flames, not a needle.

Answer:

There is little that protects sinners from God's fury.