Edwards And Homily Essay

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a sermon written by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), a theologian and philosopher in the British Colonies of America. He was raised as a puritan in Connecticut and grew up to be one of America’s most influential protestant revivalists of that time. He delivered many sermons, the most well-known being “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Edwards gave this sermon on July 8, 1741 in Northampton, Massachusetts. The main purpose of this sermon was to convey to the audience the reality of hell, the need to change their wicked lives, and, ultimately, that they should fear the wrath of God. Edwards does this to motivate the audience to live their lives as perfectly as they can in order to not anger God and to avoid Hell.

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 Edwards (1703-1758) is widely recognized as one of America’s most profound Theologians. Some might even consider him the master of Puritan revival, since he was the leader of the Great Awakening. During his time he was a devout Calvinist who had the power of single-handedly keeping the Puritan faith strong for over twenty-five years, by using vivid imagery to provoke his audience. Edward's dialect was exquisitely influential and yet wielded with class and ease. This essay argues that Edwards was a prestigious theologian in his time that helped shape modern religious culture.

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

The 1700s was a time period of religious revival, people were now beginning to convert from Puritan beliefs to Christianity. This was called The Great Awakening, a great influence to this religious revival was Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards was a very passionate pastor who in his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” called out unrepentant people he believed had turned their backs against the word of God and had not yet accepted his son Christ or salvation, causing them to be condemned to the pits of hell. In order to express his concern for those who had no yet accepted salvation and were on their way to hell, Jonathan Edwards utilizes rhetorical devices in order to persuade those who neglect God into accepting him and his salvation so they won’t have to live for eternity in hell.

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.

In his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (1741), Jonathan Edwards claims that anyone who is not “born again” is a sinner and is waiting to be thrust down to hell in a state of endless misery and the only way to be saved from this is to become a Puritan. Edwards supports his claim of the Puritan religion being the only saving thing from damnation by explaining how hell is being prepared for those who are not “born again,” that any unconverted are in the hands of an angry God, and then concluding by saying to the people that they have the chance to be saved and live in a happy state, of they are “born again.” His purpose is to illustrate the woe that awaits for those who are not “born again” in order to persuade them to want to be

It reflects on the Puritans’’ ideals and beliefs. Such as, they believed in salvation and that the fate of individual soul was predetermined by God. Also, that salvation was a private choice among God and the 'Elect'. Elects or Saints were the ones who were saved and the ones who weren't were 'wicked’.

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

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

In Jonathan Edwards sermon he gives a few depictions of Puritan ways, he first starts off to discuss eternal life, “dreadful pit of the glowing flames” (Edwards 111). Edwards is saying that there is a place for you if you sin and also a place for you if you obey and live in God’s light, the glowing flames are illustrating hell. He then progresses on to describe the relationships between God and people, “ It is true that

In the sermon, Edwards seems to be angry with his congregation for sinning so much. He even begins to attack the children in the audience about their sins. “But the foolish children of men do miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in their confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow.” (Edwards 10) Here, Edwards is telling his congregation that their children were also avid sinners. Edwards plays on the fear factor of his Puritan audience, he wants to terrify them into believing that their children are sinners so that they will do what he wants in order to become holy people. He knows that the parents of his congregation would do anything to ensure their children would be safe, especially from the Devil. Edwards later moves on to accuse the adults in the congregation of not worshipping God correctly. “So that whatever some have imagined and pretended about promises made to natural men’s earnest seeking and knocking, ‘tis plain and manifest that whatever prayers he makes, till he believes in Christ, God is under no manner of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction.” (Edwards 11) Here, not only does Edwards try to convince his congregation that their children are sinners, he also tries to convince them that no

On July 8th, 1741, a well-known preacher, Jonathan Edwards, delivered an inspiring sermon describing the horrible afterlife the unconverted would have. In 1741, the American colonies were undergoing a period of religious revival which played a large role in the presentation of Edwards’ sermon. Throughout the speech, Edwards’ purpose was to motivate the “natural men” in his congregation to wake up and make a change in their lives. He adopts a blunt and urgent tone in order to convey to his audience the life they are living now is going to result in Hell for their afterlife. Edwards’ use of negative diction, figurative language, and understanding of syntax to imbue the minds of his people with fear and tries to persuade them to convert to Puritanism.

In the eyes of God, we are all sinners. July 8, 1741, John Edwards preached to his congregation that no matter what we do, God would send us to hell unless we spill our blood on the cross. Edwards’s sermon was one of the most pivotal, volatile, and stirring sermons that set the standard for hellfire and brimstone sermons. Edwards’s describes all of us as sinners and how our lives lay perilously in god’s angry hands. To this day, we still have pastors preaching hellfire and brimstone sermons. While 272 years separate John Edwards from modern day pastors, we can still see the ever-lasting correlation that is derived from John Edwards in modern day pastors.