"the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them" Gaping means"wide open". why is this word so effective in conveying Edwards's purpose to his audience?
The word creates a mental image of a giant hole into which nearby people are falling in an almost inescapable fashion. The sermon is essentially about society rejecting religion in favor of rationalism/intellectualism, and the all-consuming spiritual void that created.
