In Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," he compares sin to the following creatures:
* Serpents/Snakes/Vipers: He speaks of sinners being held over the pit of hell, and God's hand is the only thing keeping them from falling in and being devoured by these creatures. This imagery underscores the venomous, deadly, and lurking nature of sin.
* Spiders: He uses the image of a spider being held over a fire to illustrate the sinner's utter powerlessness and vulnerability in the face of God's wrath.
These comparisons emphasize the repulsiveness, danger, and destructive nature of sin, as well as humanity's helpless state without God's grace.