An Angry God Annotation

Jonathan Edwards, a famous preacher in pre-colonial times, composed a sermon that was driven to alert and inject neo Puritanical fear into an eighteenth century congregation. This Bible based and serious audience sought after religious instruction and enlightenment. Through the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards offers a very harsh interpretation to humankind. Edwards utilizes various rhetorical techniques to evoke an emotional response in his audience and to persuade the members of his congregation that their wicked actions will awaken a very ruthless and merciless God.

    Hell is said to be the worst place to ever exist, and it is greatly feared about on earth and in the minds of people. “Hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them and swallow them up,” this illustrates personification in giving the flames of hell the live ability to hold and swallow us. It portrays how we will be consumed by our own sins if we do not act on them to better ourselves. If we let our sins pile up they will weigh us down and we will eventually be brought down to hell to pay for our wrong doings.

In the sermon “Sinners in the Hand of An Angry God”, Reverend Edwards uses the rhetorical appeals ethos, pathos, and logos to convince unbelievers to become born again in Christ. Reverend Edwards was known for capturing people’s attention with his intense sermons on hell and eternal damnation. His sermons contributed to “The Great Awakening” which was a religious movement in the 1700’s. He used rhetorical appeals in his sermons to reach out to unbelievers. These rhetorical appeals are what helped him to be so persuasive in his sermons. This sermon is one of the many he gave to his congregation.

In the works of Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” uses numerous persuasive techniques and biblical allusions. Edwards’ sermon lectures Puritans, people who strictly pursue to live by the bible, on how they are straying from the path of the bible. During his sermon, the Puritans were terrified of what he had said ,because every little sin each Puritan had committed they thought they were going to go to Hell. Edwards’ play on words, as well as his use of persuasive techniques, and biblical allusion convinced the Puritans that they were severely in trouble of going to Hell.

Jonathan in his sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (July 8, 1741), claims that the unconverted are hanging from the hands of God, and can be dropped off to the eternity of hell, his sermon is used to make the sinners be afraid and understand how the power of God is saving them, but it is only for his pleasure, unless if they return to Christianity. Edwards strengths his argument by using metaphors and imagery of a wrathful God to make the unconverted people afraid of being sinners and encourage them to have a relationship with Christ to be fully saved from falling to an eternity in the flames of hell. Edwards purpose is to start his sermon with such powerful use of visualization to provide fear to the sinners and give them a

Throughout Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, he strategically utilizes an immense variety of different rhetorical and literary devices to not only bring his sermon to life, but also increase the persuasiveness of his message. For instance, in the fifth paragraph, he creates a simile illustrating that,“the wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given” (Edwards 2). The simile along with his use of descriptive language intensifies his message as well as emphasizes God’s omnipotence. By emphasizing the omnipotence of God, he instills fear within the audience hoping that they realize the importance of having a connection

God is illustrated as an all-powerful mighty being, unsympathetic of our mere souls. He has no pity for us in any way, shape or form. By using imagery the author shows how God has no pity for sinners and “at the right hand” they could be “hastily swallowed up and lost” in hell (Edwards, 1741, pg. 211). Edwards’s harshly states that “God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go, and then, at that very instant, they shall fall to destruction” (Edwards, 1741, pg. 210).

He’s serious, thought Cecilia. He really believes he’s going to hell, as if hell is an actual physical place, not an abstract idea. She went to say Thank goodness for eternal damnation! but she didn’t. He was referring to God in a chillingly familiar

Quote 1: “The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher,

The speaker of “Sinners In The Hand of an Angry God” is Jonathan Edwards a preacher and a pastor. The occasion of the story is to inform the reader to value life and don’t take God lightly as he is the creator of heaven and earth. The sermon tells us the audience as christian and sinners are supposed to fear God because he will judge you on the day he comes to save people. The purpose of the sermon tells the readers that being in hell is a terrifying, painful, and scary place to be and God is the only way to escape that. God chooses to hang you over the pits of hell and drop you in or at any moment.

Edwards is telling his congregation that it only by the grace of god that people are not suffer the eternal agony of hell. If people stay clear of any sins they may stay lifted by the hands of their merciful god. Many of early settlers of the new world came traveled seeking religious freedom and wanted to live a wholesome life under their vengeful but merciful god. People had be drawn to this because that what they wanted to here. They want reassurance that they are not sinning and they are safe from "lake of burning brimstone". In his sermon he illustrate how scary and dreadful hell. He says this hell is "dreadful pit of the glowing flames" and if you sin you'll be heavy as lead and it will weight you down close to hell. For the people at

This quote is referring to hell being nothing but a world of fire and intense heat. A place where those who do evil things go after death.

What is he telling them? He is speaking of the godlessness and the wickedness. What the signs shown in the sinful world? They are godlessness and wickedness. What is godlessness? This is not retaining God in your heart. What is wickedness? Wickedness is the sinful actions because you do not want to retain God in your heart.

This passage is a warning, but also an encouragement. As Paul begins to talk about the righteous judgment of God he takes two different ways of approach. The first is of the Christian. He shows us to look forward to the day of when we meet our LORD, that we will be with Him always. He also encourages one to persevere in this continuance of faith in verse 7 pushing us to not waiver, and to no matter what come, live for the Lord and keep your eyes on Him. Then there's the warning, and this warning has two sides. The first is obvious, to those who do not follow the Lord they will spend eternity in Hell. In anguish and pain for eternity. So this warning is also a call to repentance for the unbelievers. The second warning is for us, we as a Christians

It warns those who deny God's message that they will be thrown into the fire of hell, and it promises those who accept the messages that they will be given the bliss of paradise .