Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis

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, 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.

Jonathan Edwards uses masses of figurative languages to describe how he feels about the attitude of the sinners and towards God. He uses figurative language to get his point across to the sinners that God is frantic and has a wrath towards all the sinners and they need to repent immediately. He uses figurative language like imagery, similes, and metaphors.

Jonathan Edwards's sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is moving and powerful. His effectiveness as an eighteenth century New England religious leader is rooted in his expansive knowledge of the Bible and human nature, as well as a genuine desire to "awaken" and save as many souls as possible. This sermon, delivered in 1741, exhibits Edwards's skillful use of these tools to persuade his congregation to join him in his Christian beliefs.

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

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.

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.

Furthermore, Jonathan Edward says, "...hell is gasping for them..." Giving his audience a visual picture of hell gasping its "mouth" open to those who anger the god. God becomes the hand that holds the people from the fiery pit of hell, of someone where anger the god, he would remove his hand for the persin to fall into hell. Edward gives this visualization to scare them before the people start to sin and get sentence to hell.

Through the use of hopeful repetition, Jonathon Edwards conveys to the readers optimistic thoughts the shows us how God upkeeps. . Edwards stresses the fact that God wants us to be on the right path of life “restrains” (3) from sending us into hell as in giving us a second chance. Edwards uses the word “restraint” to show how God is on our side and he expects great thing out of us, the loving side of God. Furthermore, Edwards uses the word “promise” (5) multiple times to show the readers that God is not just making a promise to let everyone into heaven. Trying to convey the theme of devoting oneself to Christ, Edwards uses the phrase “God made no promise to keep any natural man out of hell one moment” (5) as a reference that only true Christians will get into Heaven. This pressures the unconverted because it makes them think, “Should I convert so I can get into Heaven?” With this thought process in mind, Edwards also exclaims that God’s wrath is “eternal and everlasting” (10). This means that people cannot just call themselves Christians and get into Heaven. They have to show God that they

Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, uses fear in order to make the people, or the congregation, fear god and to manipulate and control them at all cost.

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

“If I could, I’d trade it all. Trade it for a halo. And she said that she’ll pray for me. I said, ‘it’s too late for me.’” These dark lyrics in the song, “Ordinary Life” by The Weeknd contradict the general Christian concept of forgiveness. Because The Weeknd feels he has strayed so far from God he believes he can not be forgiven, even though the Christian Church teaches that you can always repent your sins to God and be forgiven. This is similar to Jonathan Edwards views on God at the time because he opposed the idea of God being a loving savior, and said he was capable of mass destruction with his ultimate power. In the short story “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Jonathan Edwards preaches that God is a powerful and dangerous leader of his people through his use of imagery of natural elements, such as water, fire, and weather.

In Johnathan Edward's, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards has a particular style of writing that conveys an underlying purpose when delivering the sermon. Throughout the sermon, he uses multiple writing techniques and tools to engage the listener more, and to assure the listeners believe and trust him. Edwards purpose of writing and delivering the sermon, is to warn his people and to whomever else wants to agree, that they all must show their remorse of their sins to God before it is too late. Every sentence in the sermon, is based around scarring the people even more and more. Edwards accomplishes this by using certain diction and structure, a certain tone, and persuasive figurative language.