“The God … abhors you!” Imagine a preacher who would openly insult the congregation, tell them they were all damned, and that they could and should go to hell. Jonathan Edwards was one of these preachers. In “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards uses strong imagery to “excite” his audience into stronger religious devotion and sometimes even move them to hysteria. These powerful sermons sparked the religious revival in which people lived more devoted, spiritual lives. This “Great Awakening” spread throughout New England during the eighteenth century.
The idea Edwards tries to convey is that God is ready to kill you, and your death could occur at any given moment. The words Edwards uses also serve in striking fear into the congregation: bow, arrow, angry, blood. Both the bow-and-arrow image and Edwards's diction combine to create a stern, harsh tone. While Edwards sets a stern tone, he also sets a benevolent, compassionate one. He doesn't write Elias and Nichols 2 this sermon
For sinning he gives consequences which are most likely being sent to hell, but god gives forgiveness. Jonathan Edward’s use of the imagery helps the reader understand the motives in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. The title itself explains its self ,”Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” , god is holding the people who sin in his hands and is angry which means he would like to drop us into hell. Edwards hoped that the imagery and message of his sermon would awaken his audience to the horrific reality that awaited them should they continue without Christ. The imagery puts an picture or image inside the readers mind so they could get a better understanding in what’s actually going on in the story which is sinning.
“Sinners in the Hands of an angry God” In the “Sinners in the Hands of an angry God” Edwards talks to the puritans in a form of imagery, stating how God has us in his hands and at one point he might just have to let us go because of our sins. Edwards tries to get his point across by stating the awful weight of sin, the wrath of an angry God, and the power of God and his ability to do horrible things to sinners. He wants to put fear into the unconverted people of the church. As he starts his sermon, he beings to talk about the unconverted people in a different way using the words “they” or “them” but the people already knew that sermon was referring to them. He uses this topic to penetrate main point inside the people’s hearts.
Righteousness is showcased as the natural men’s sin and weakness. Furthermore, to describe hell and the merciful God to the natural men, Edwards continues to illustrate Gods’ mercy. Edwards describes Gods’ tolerance for the natural men as, “…the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood” (Edwards 10).Edwards references that God could eliminate the natural men conveniently by shooting an arrow, but God refrains from killing the natural men through his conflicting emotions of pleasure and wrath, that he allows the natural men to live. Furthermore, Edwards utilizes scare tactics throughout his metaphors, attacking the natural men emotionally and spiritually. The effectiveness of comparing the natural
He immediately assumes that the plague has come to punish the sinners of Oran. He says “you” instead of “we” in his first sermon, signifying that the plague is the sinners problem not his own. He preaches that everyone will suffer and he actually frightens people instead of comforting them. He is basically telling the people to become self reliant because no one is going to be there to help. After his first sermon Rambert was so disturbed by the priest’s words that he tried to escape the town.
“If God should withdraw his hand, by which they are restrained, they would in one moment fly upon their poor souls. The old serpent is gaping for them; hell opens its mouth wide to receive them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost.” (Edwards 3) People tend to forget consequences after a long period of time, like a child would forget to wash his hands before dinner. Using words that are impactful and descriptive, will make the consequences more clear, and instil a picture in the listeners mind. In the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” He uses three specific writing tools that get his point across. Though imagery, similes, and metaphors, the qualities of his sermon are shown.
In the story, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” a homily from a Puritan minister, named Jonathan Edwards, the symbol of God’s Wrath is broken down and reformed into a thousand different facets. From an arrow drawn and ready, to malicious waters kept at bay by inches, one thing is clear: the sinner has no power to control their destiny; they are in the hands, literally, of a ruthlessly enraged puppet-master. Imagine the entire state of aforementioned sinner; bound and gagged, like cattle on a meant hook, agonizing over the final seconds before slaughter. The sinner is a doll, with limbs attached by string to a wooden cross; it is a situation flooding with irony. Imagine living an eternity filled with strangers with ugly faces.
This statement was not on an attention grabber, but evoked fear in the congregation, fear of hell and their own safety from Gods wrath, as well as fear and pity for those sitting around them. Another instance, are the strong emotional appeals used to influence his congregation, "So that, thus it is that natural men (unsaved) are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked," potentially evoking fear, pity and even guilt in the Colonists. Lastly Edwards uses common comparisons to appeal to the audience's fear, with a multitude
To die beneath their tender gluttony seems the culmination of every temptation I have ever known”. Through the use of imagery and metaphors the reader is able to understand that Reynald is not the saint he portrays himself to be. He has given into temptation which has resulted in the issue he has within himself and the church. He believes that the villagers will see him as weak and a hypocrite. Furthermore Reynauld is conflicted with himself once again.