colonial Literary figures
...ow ready to be made “drunk with your blood”, frighten the audience and gains that much more power in the sermon room. (Edwards 74-75) Not only does he give this sort of sinister image to God, but he points the finger at the audience, saying, “…you are ten thousand times more abominable in his [God] eyes, than the most venomous serpent…” (Edwards 75). This would have been enough to scare any falling churchgoers at the time back into becoming a righteous person. Now Taylor’s exultant tone is more of an inviting and peaceful one as he presents the audience with a very humbling experience; a request to God. The speaker wants to go from a dirty and unfinished state (yarn) to essentially the cleanest and purest state (holy robes). And when this person reaches this pure state, he will fill his holy robes with the shine of his words and actions. His heart is now a finished work, fully devoted to God and limited not only to himself, but also to reach out to others and bringing others to devote their lives to God as well. His "apparel shall display before [God]" that he is "clothed in holy robes for glory."(Taylor ll. 17-18) In other words, he has done his best, followed the Lord all his life, and now he is ready to be taken to his eternal reward in Heaven. This poem gives a hopeful thought to the people who read it and so would have been looked to with much less fear than Edwards’ sermon. Though both authors have differing tones throughout their works, one thing is clear, they both show in one way or another, the importance of dedicating one’s life to God as well as God’s omnipotence. Taylor shows this in his conceit as he equates God with the spinner who essentially cleans the speaker of sin, making him sinless and also a tool in order to spread the word of God. The first line of both the first and second stanza show just how much power God has as they both start with “Make me…”, conveying the idea that God is the only one who has the ability to cleanse people of their sins. Edwards expresses this supreme power of God throug...