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 no 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 god’s fury.
○ prayer is the thread that connects the devout to god.
○ god’s fury is like a sharp, pointed needle.
done

Explanation:

To determine the meaning, analyze the quote: Edwards describes sinners hanging by a slender thread with divine wrath's flames around it, and sinners have nothing of their own to save themselves.

• Option 1: The quote doesn't mention climbing the thread to heaven. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The "slender thread" implies a tenuous protection from God's wrath (since it's slender and flames threaten it), and sinners have no means to save themselves, so little protects them from God's fury. This matches.
• Option 3: The quote doesn't frame the thread as prayer or a connection for the devout. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The quote compares God's wrath to flames, not a needle. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. There is little that protects sinners from God’s fury.