Examples Of Sinners In The Hand Of An Angry God

Johnathan Edwards is trying to scare his churchgoers into believing what he has to say, by saying things like “There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would presently kindle and flame out into hell fire, if it were not for God's restraints.” No one is safe that means! The title of this sermon is Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. This first part of the sermon is him telling us what will happen to sinners in the hands of an angry God.

In the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Edwards displays controversial viewpoints and ideas concerning heaven and hell. As Edwards speaks to the congregation he warns them of the misery and suffering they will face if they do not repent of certain sins. He also describes God as angry which probably struck fear into the hearts on many. To illustrate his own point that hell is unenviable without repentance Jonathan Edwards creates the idea of an angry God using intense similes, a harsh tone, and strong emotional appeal in “Sinners in the hand of an Angry God”.

Jonathan Edwards Sermon “ Sinners in the Hands of an angry god” contributed into the Great Awakening, showing that Hell was real, and whoever defied god was put down. Edwards used dark imagery to get his our heads, the meaning that everyone is predestined and anyone can be sent to hell. Edwards says in his sermon that “ God's enemies are easily broken into pieces, they are a heap of light chaff before the whirlwind”(2). Edwards hoped that the imagery and language of his sermon would awaken audiences to the horrific reality that he believed awaited them, should they continue life without their devotion to Christ? This made many people horrified and help start the great Awakening, making Christians more aware of the power of Christ, and increase their devotion to Christ.

Figurative language is another important factor for the story. In the story, he talked about wickedness in a person’s body. “Your wickedness makes you as it were as heavy as lead.” This will make you think that the amount of wickedness in one’s body is equivalent to the weight of lead. This might persuade people to go be “reborn” since they would want to get rid of most of that wickedness. Another example is the comparison of a person to a spider. “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider.” Edwards use this to say that we’re no different than spiders in God’s eyes. We could be squished or dropped to our doom in a mater of seconds. Edwards also compared God’s wrath to the great waters. “The wrath of God is like great waters that are damned for the present, they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given, and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and

Edwards uses figurative language to explain his point that his audience needs a change in heart. He personifies the burning fire in hell to make it seem as if it is waiting for everyone that has not yet fully accepted God into their hearts. He describes the fire swallowing people to threaten death upon his parishioners that have not yet changed. Edwards also said, “The God that holds you over the pit of Hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect

Edwards' creative choice of words that he uses describes the power of God and the terrible Hell awaiting sinners. These words easily infiltrate into the minds of his congregation and frighten them beyond belief. These choices of words and his use of such vivid images are mostly successful in their intent, to scare and put fear into his audience. Edwards held his audience locked up with his promises of eternal damnation if proper steps were not taken. The congregation felt the intense impact of his rhetorical strategies and lived on the fear of the power of God. In this way, he was able to keep his followers from sin and away from the fiery pits of Hell.

He compares it to “great waters that are dammed for the present” and states that “the bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, justice bending the arrow at your heart… (Edwards, 47).” He also compares the sinner to “a spider, or some loathsome insect (Edwards, 48).” Likening God’s wrath to simple things that the audience can visualize allows Edwards to illustrate the intensity and magnitude of His anger to the congregation, instilling worry and fear, as he paints a picture of the fate that awaits

To begin, Edwards uses a particular simile to describe God’s fury. On page 47, Edwards compares God’s wrath to water. “The wrath of God is like Great Waters that are damned for the present, they increase more and rise higher…”. The water God is being compared to is rising overtime, and soon the dam holding the water will soon breakdown, causing the water (or God’s fury) to unleash. The large amount of water will cause massive destruction when it breaks just like God’s wrath. Edwards has an anticipation of God’s wrath to crash soon on sinners.

In Jonathan Edwards's sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," he uses imagery, allusion, and metaphors to convince his congregation to be reborn. In the first paragraph, Edwards declares, "...that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell..." Jonathan Edwards uses this passage to scare his congregation through frightful examples. The excerpt gives the image that if we remain as "natural men", our doom is inevitable.

Edwards tone and use of vivid imagery and similes targets his audience's fears. Edwards knows that emotion is a substantial component of religion, so instead of bombarding his audience with tedious information, destined to be ignored and overlooked, he overwhelms them by targeting their fears and anxieties. He creates this trepidation with his negative, urgent tone and descriptions of “God [holding] you over the pit of hell”. His vivid similes of God’s wrath being “like great waters that are dammed”, also help to support his impactful use of pathos. Throughout his sermon, Edwards targets his audience's fears, making them revere God’s wrath and in turn achieve his

A Harsh Awakening for the Unconverted Fear is one of the most powerful motivators in the world. As humans we will say anything cruel in order to get what we want by instilling fear in others. In the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards displays an array of suffocating metaphors, exaggerated repetition, and a harsh emotional appeal, in order to awake the unconverted and strive to save them from their “sudden, unexpected destruction”(1). Exaggerated repetition, such as Edward’s recurring statements on the “wrath of God,” instills fear into the souls of the congregation and was used to scare them into belief. In his sermon Edward says, “ ‘Tis a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you as against many of the damned in hell”(8).

In "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards, Edward implements personification and similes to persuade his congregation into thinking that they will eventually be punished by god if they continue their sinning habits. In the sermon, Jonathan Edwards utilizes personification to describe the way god is shielding a person from their own punishments. In addition Edward states, " It is nothing but his mere pleasure that keeps you from being this moment swallowed up in everlasting destruction. " The act of destruction is being presented with a human trait which is swallowing.

Nearly a century later, Jonathan Edwards realized that his congregation were acting the same as Bradstreet’s; they were not putting their faith in God and keeping a strong relationship with Him. In his sermon, “Sinners In the Hands of An Angry God”, Edwards used a completely different approach to convince his sermon to get closer with God. Instead of using a story of grief to convince his people to get closer to God, Edwards uses phrases like, “...you find you are kept out of Hell, but do not see the hand of God in it…” (108) and “...if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf…” (109). Edwards tries to convince his people that if they do not become closer to God and start obeying Him, they will be cast into the depths of Hell. Unlike Bradstreet, Edwards is aggressive and upfront with his claim. Edwards states, “There are black clouds of God’s wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder, and where it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you” (109). Unless citizens of the congregation begin to follow God more devoutly, they will not be allowed into

The illustration was composed as a response to the six hour sermon entitled “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God.” Delivered by Jonathan Edwards, the sole purpose of the sermon was to inflict so much inner turmoil in each listener that they would seek the perfect Christian life. In this specific drawing, the artist is able to interpret a metaphor within the sermon and create in into a literal action. Because of the tone, mood, and the similarity of ideas/concepts, the illustration is able to portray the same message that Edwards achieved in his fire and brimstone sermon.

Edwards begins his sermon by making his listeners feel as if there is no escape from hellfire or God’s wrath. He alludes throughout the beginning of his article that there is no way out and “only the power and mere pleasure of God is holding you up.” By repeating “you,” Edwards make his speech personal and points out the individual rather than the whole just as he does using the wrath of God as a bow, “ready on the string ...moments from being made drunk with your blood.” Unlike picking each man out, one by one, the wrath of God is seen through a rising flood that could potentially wipe out all of mankind. The structure of Edward’s language builds up as if the water is, “continually rising and waxing more and more mighty.” The sins that continue