In the famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Jonathan Edwards infamously struck fear in the hearts and minds of the Puritans listening to his speech. He did this by using strong images and effective persuasion, and he also used several strong metaphors to help prove his point -- men should repent their sins before it was too late and they were punished violently forever by God.
One of the first metaphors, and a very strong one, is one comparing human powerlessness to a spider web. He claims that those who believe they can avoid hell without God have no chance, then he compares it to a spider web having the ability to catch a rock falling through the air. Of course, it's virtually impossible that a spider web could stop a rock, so is it that a man needs God to help govern his life.
Another example of a metaphor comes soon after when Edwards compares God's wrath to a bow bent, while "justice strains the bow." This image of God's wrath as a weapon reinforces the idea that God is not a benevolent being, willing and ready to forgive; instead, Edwards invokes fear in his listeners to get them to repent and live in an honorable way.
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