Damning Of The Masses Essay

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.

In Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an An Angry God,” shows an extreme viewpoint of God. According to Edwards, humanity is naturally infected with sin despite our efforts to overcome it. Throughout his sermon, Edwards goes on about how God shows such mercy in not throwing all humanity in the deepest depths of hell. As said by Edwards in his sermon, “ You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about

One of the tones that Jonathan Edwards uses is threatening. On page 2 and section 5 there is evidence of Edwards using this tone against “them” or humans. He states “The wrath of god burn against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready”. This line is threatening because it creates the scenario that God is brutally punishing them for their sins. The use of phrases such as “burn against them” and “pit is prepared” makes the audience feel threatened. If this line were different, the message would not be as clear. Using this tone clearly shows the anger of god and how they will be punished.

Jonathan Edwards, a negative and realistic man, focused on how God is a judgemental god and sinners will be put to a painful death, they should be fearful. He says in the first few lines of his speech, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, “So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit.” (Edwards, Pg. 23) Edwards implies that everyone deserves to be in hell and he goes on to say that God is an angry God and that no one had done anything to try to ease His anger. Edwards also played a large role in the Great Awakening. He wanted people to experience Christianity in an intense and emotional way. In his speech, he said, “O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: It is 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.” (Edwards, Pg. 26) Edward’s speech was opportunity knocking at everyone’s doors. He influenced people to want to be saved in a way that made many fearful of what could happen to them if they weren’t saved or a child of God. Edwards believed that God set the world in motion, but was not active in everyone’s life. Edwards believed that God created the world and

Imagery is used by Edwards to induce terror onto the congregation by illustrating the power of God on “wicked men” (para. 10). In the beginning of the excerpt, Edwards paints a picture of sinners ready to fall into the pit of hell, with only God’s will keeping them up. He describes it as such,

Edwards misused many texts and took a verse out of context. He used it to prove what context denied : God will not restore his people. He applied the imagery of fire to frighten unidentified listeners into repentance. He invoked God’s temporary negative corporate sanctions to scare men regarding permanent negative personal sanctions and invoked God’s wrath against public corporate apostasy top justify preaching against invisible personal

This sermon was preached to warn people to convert to faith or face the danger of the Afterlife, which was the gave logic to the church audience. "Edwards image of god's hand holding 'Natural Man' by a thin thread out of the path of his wrath is a wonderful accounting of God's grace." According to Authors Dens, "God does not want to let go of that thread". This is a logos statement because Edwards is stating the logical fact. In Edwards sermon, as well as Authors Dens analysis of the speech, Edward mentions that " Only God’s own desire to keep us from falling into

Edwards appeals to ethos by quoting a text from the bible at the beginning of his sermon. He uses outside “facts” from a Bible which is well known and studied by many of the Lin 5 people. Edwards also appeals to logos by basing his sermon on reality of God and the existence of hell. The only way to be saved from hell is to believe and have faith in God. Though he uses both logos and ethos, Edwards appeals to pathos the most. Throughout the sermon, he is constantly using figures of speech to describe consequences of hell to force the audience to be fearful.

Jonathan Edwards begin with his sermon, implying that hell is a bad place to be chosen to go and being feared by it. Edwards asserts, “...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; the fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out…”(Edwards, Para.1). Edwards begins to give negative connotations of hell. It states how hell is wide open for the audience and it also would like the pleasure to hold onto them. He continues to show how they would be swallowed up by flames and fire. And how the fire is struggling to break out and get them to burn or torture them. This gives the people, the congregation, the negative impression and vibe of them once leaving to their afterlife they will be going to hell. He uses the devil as a threat to them so they will fear hell and all the horrible things waiting for them. This means that Edwards tries to scare them off. Jonathan Edwards believes that in order to manipulate them, he must include fear in his writing to make sure his listeners/ readers obey god. Because this whole sermon is basically warning his congregation that they must repent from their sinful ways. That they must turn to god for forgiveness before everything is

Jonathan Edwards’ memorable sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, was first delivered in 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut during the peak of New England’s first Great Awakening. When he delivered this sermon with horrid descriptions of hell, the congregation listened. It left a dramatic effect on the listeners leaving them weeping, and some even considering suicide! Jonathan Edwards conveyed his message to turn their lives back to religion and repent to their god by his use of tone, emotional appeal, and imagery.

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.

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 the speech, Edwards terrifies you directly and places in your mind, a dark and grueling image of what is to come for you should you continue to sin. Though this speech is motivational, it does not appeal to everyone and is most likely frowned upon by many.

When Jonathan Edwards wrote the sermon, he most likely wanted to frighten the congregation of people into submission and obedience of the church. As mentioned before, he uses scary words in the sermon. For example, phrases like “damnation”, “hell”, and the name of the devil. This creates a foreboding atmosphere as the sermon is read, and it helps create a dire warning that shows the price of your sins. The use of the words make the sermon more persuasive and they further make the audience want to live a good Puritan

Edwards preaches of sinners and non-Christians that do not convert going to hell by the hands of God. Edwards states “all that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin to a state of new and before altogether unexperienced light and life, you are thus in the hands of an angry God; its nothing but his mere pleasure that keeps you from being this moment swallowed up in everlasting destruction”. Passages like this is the entire sermon. As a Christian we realize that sin is wrong and there are consequences on earth and in heaven if we do not ask God for his forgiveness. What this sermon fails to mention is God knows all humans sin. During this “fire and brimstone” sermon people might have outwardly proclaimed Christianity and having a sin-free life, but they did this out of the fear of God and hell not from the Love of God, the God that sent his son Jesus to die for our sins, because he loves us. Instead of preaching about snakes, burning in hell, terror….to led people to God, a sermon of the love, kindness and the forgiveness of God might have had lasting and genuine effects on his congregation and the community as well. God is our judge not another