Examples Of Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

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.

In the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards, there is a usage of rhetorical devices including imagery, alliteration, and personification to create an impacting scene for the audience to obey and follow the path of Christ. He engages with his audience through rhetorical devices and lists consequences of being doomed to hell.

This excerpt, “Hell's mouth is open for them. The flames gather and flash around them, longing to take them and swallow them up,” personifies Hell and scares the Non-Puritans into believing so they will not be “swallowed” by Hell. Edwards also says the phrase “The sword of divine justice waves over their heads at every moment,” to show that at every moment God is watching over us and he will decide whether you will fall due to your sins. By demonizing Hell and God’s wrath, Edwards uses personification in a way that convinces the Puritans to rededicate

First, Jonathan Edwards uses imagery in order to show those who have not yet accepted Him what awaits them “The devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up.”(Edwards 48)

This shows cautionary tone because its warning the sinners that God can easily send you to hell unless you repent. Therefore Edwards has an emotional impact on his Puritan audience because of his cautionary tone,

187997 A3 Sinners Hellfire and brimstone speeches crowded the minds of early puritan settlers in America in the 15th and 16th centuries. They were used as a scare tactic to get people to be free of sin and live a life guided by the teachings of Christ. In the case of Jonathan Edwards, he used this as a way to get people in his congregation to become born again.

Throughout Edwards’ sermon, he used an amount of metaphorical imagery to persuade his listeners to confess their

Edwards instills fear in his congregation by threatening the wrath of God and what will happen if one does not omit their lives to Him. “So that thus it is, that natural men’ are held in the hand god over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it;” (102). Here Edwards uses sharp descriptions to show his congregation that any wrong move can put one in Hell, promoting the practice of religion, more specifically; his church. Edwards also writes and speaks very poetically in such a way that his sermons are delivered with an intense amount of imagery that it seems as if those in attendance are watching a movie. Comparing the earth to God’s hand and the mention of God’s wrath being a loaded bow that is ready to rain down on sinners at any moment, helps add the the fear and the image. Another way Edwards creates his atmosphere is by referring to the mass in front of him as ‘you’. When spoken to in such a personal manner one is more likely to be afraid or concerned about the subject as opposed to the sermon being delivered with a more general

Jonathon Edwards maintains his audience’s attention by creating intense and meaningful similes. Edwards uses these similes as a way for his audience to understand the points he is making and adds dramatic imagery and piercing words to get the audience to consider what he is saying. The first simile he uses says this, “…they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall” (Edwards 1). Edwards includes this quote in his sermon to provoke the readers thought. The point he is trying to make is that God’s people are exposed to destruction which is a hard to imagine so he breaks it down for his audience by saying that just as they are exposed to destruction if you walk in a slippery place you will also fall. The next memorable simile Edwards uses says this, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked. His wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire…” (6). Here Edwards compares his congregation to a “loathsome insect”. Edwards does this to try and describe how God views them. He continues his claim by comparing God’s wrath on them burning like fire, which would probably spark fear in the hearts of the people that they may repent. This simile helped further Edward’s main point, that hell is inevitable. One last simile Edwards uses is this, “Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards

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

In Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God the persuasive and strong message is sent across the story line as Jonathan Edwards uses multiple techniques to speak so solidly. They increase and more, and rise higher and higher. Jonathan Edwards uses several persuasions techniques in his sermon that are extremely effective.

Edwards uses words like “wrath” and “omnipotent” to display the power that God posses, and chooses negative connotation words to describe the relationship between God and man (para. 15, 46). Making the comparison of the relationship between God and humans like a spider web or thread, the author wants the audience to know that it can be broken at any time, and that the “pit is prepared” down in hell for sinners (para. 17). Edward chooses diction that leaves humans hopeless, and at the mercy of God. He wants the audience to know that God is always in control, using words like “if God should permit” and “the mere pleasure of God” (para. 13, 7). Additionally, Edwards uses diction to portray God as merciless and immoral, saying that has God is “without pity” and “will have no compassion upon you” (para. 41). This leaves the audience despaired, and they feel as if they have no choice but to reestablish their relationship with God, or certainly face an “everlasting destruction” at any time God pleases to (para.

You never know when you’re going to fall in the pits of hell. The last example provided is the place of hell. “…dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God…” If he wanted to say hell, he would’ve say hell but he didn’t. Instead, he described it even further but using adjectives and repeating “the wrath of God” to frighten us. Jonathan Edwards not only used imagery. He used figurative language.

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