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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Summary
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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Summary
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Johnathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is arguably the most famous sermon every preached. Being of a Puritan background, Edwards, focuses on the afterlife, but unlike other writers during his time he uses a “fire and brimstone” approach to convey his belief of sin equaling condemnation to hell. The most important point Edward’s tries to communicate to his audience is God’s ability to cast wicked men into hell at any given moment. This topic is important during his time and even today, because people stray from the path laid out within the bible to obtain eternal life in heaven.
The use of God’s wrath toward sinners in place of a more sympathetic forgiveness of sins proves to be very successful for Edwards. “Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering” (Edwards Para. 14) is a quote that paints this image of sinners possibly being damned to hell at any moment. A rotten covering implies that the individual, the sinner, that is walking across the covering does not know when he or she will fall through a soft spot, thus falling into hell without any action
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from God too safe them. In today’s society we lean toward the gentler belief involving God’s forgiveness coming as easy as just asking, but I believe that Edward’s sermon would open up “believers” eyes to the truth that asking for forgiveness without making a change results in God feeling no remorse when they are sent to hell for living a sinful life. Showing mercy is the act of refraining from showing discipline toward an offender, and this is another topic expressed within “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” that shows God’s disapproval of sin.
“We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth” (Edwards Para. 7), this quote correctly encompasses Edward’s view of the relationship between humans and God. He says as people find it easy and pleasurable to kill a bug or worm, God finds it pleasurable to kill a sinner. This comparison is very controversial, but the message intended is that God views sinners as the most despised bugs and waits until he is ready to smash them. Again, the unknown timing in this example serves as a warning that if an individual is not living according to the way of the bible, then changes in their mindset and actions are necessary for forgiveness to be truly
gained. Although Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” was written over two hundred years ago the sermon could make a change in the ignorant belief of hell in today’s society. God’s ability to cast wicked men into hell at any given moment is a very important concept for believers to understand, and is stressed throughout Edwards’ entire sermon. The time an individual believes he or she has before they are to answer for their actions is only a guess, but God’s timing for your death is in his time and for his reasoning.
Foreboding and dreadful describe the tone of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Edwards makes the tone very clear by saying “The God that holds you over the pit of Hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire” (154). He tries to convey the wrath of god that will come upon them if they do not devoted themselves to Christ by saying “Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon souls, all you 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, are in the hands of an angry God.” (154).
Edwards immediately begins with a harsh, almost cruel, tone with the use of abrasive diction. His first moments of preaching the sermon had the use of words such as, “over the pit of hell;..deserved the fiery pit… wrath in hell… devil is waiting for them,” (1). Edwards
The passages given from the Edwards' 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God'; and the opening sentence of the Declaration both include many points such as the tone, diction, and syntax. The points shown throughout each sentence aims for the intent of obtaining the attention of the audience. The way each sentence is arranged with its own syntax can very well appeal to listeners, depending on its structure and imagery.
On July 8th 1741, Jonathan Edwards preached the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in Enfield, Connecticut. Edwards states to his listeners that God does not lack in power, and that people have yet not fallen to destruction because his mercy. God is so forgiving that he gives his people an opportunity to repent and change their ways before it was too late. Edwards urges that the possibility of damnation is immanent. Also that it urgently requires the considerations of the sinner before time runs out. He does not only preach about the ways that make God so omnipotent, but the ways that he is more superior to us. In his sermon, Edwards uses strong, powerful, and influential words to clearly point out his message that we must amend our ways or else destruction invincible. Edwards appeals to the spectators though the various usages of rhetorical devices. This includes diction, imagery, language/tone and syntax. Through the use of these rhetoric devices, Edwards‘s purpose is to remind the speculators that life is given by God and so they must live according to him. This include...
In the story “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” the author Jonathan Edwards uses
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Rhetorical Analysis “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards uses imagery and symbolism to persuade the audience to become more devout Christians by channeling fear and emphasizing religious values. Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan minister who preached during the time of the Great Awakening in America. During this period of religious revival, Edwards wanted people to return to the devout ways of the early Puritans in America. The spirit of the revival led Edwards to believe that sinners would enter hell. Edwards’ sermon was primarily addressed to sinners for the purpose of alerting them about their sins and inspiring them to take action to become more devoted to God.
Edwards, who also had Puritan beliefs, was a philosopher and theologian and his way of thinking was more in-depth and complex. He used repetition to drive his sermons home and convinced his congregations of the evils and wickedness of hell through the use of intense analogies. His “fire and brimstone” way of preaching frightened people and made them feel a deep need for salvation. Edwards believed that all humans were natural sinners and God was eagerly awaiting to judge them. He wrote "their foot shall slide in due time" meaning that mankind was full of inevitable sinners.
In the first few weeks of class we have discussed the thought and religion of the early people that first began the development of our counrty. As we have looked at the literature in class the works of these writers seem to be simlar in that each one talks about a higher being that these people all worshipped. However, that is where the comparisons would end. One of the writings that I found interesting was that of Jonathan Edwards. Born in 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut, Jonathan Edwards lived at a time when the Calvinistic Puritanism of the American colonies, particularly New England, was giving way to thoughts coming out of Europe. We had discussed in one of first classes the reason that so many of the laws and rights found here in the United States were the same as in Europe. The reason was for this is because that is where the people of early America came from. This is the reason for the large population of people believing in these thoughts and beliefs coming from Europe.
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.
In summarization, Edwards has shown in history that he is very convincing to others about his opinions and ideas. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is one of the best examples of this, because all the literary devices he uses, and all of the means of persuasion, are very easily detected by the audience, and make it very easy for the audience to become afraid, and take Edwards’s side in order to feel safe. Edwards’s use of loaded language, vivid imagery, and sentence style all contribute to conveying the ideas of fear in the audience. These ideas of fear persuade the audience to become better Puritans, or to convert altogether.
He uses specific and powerful wording to portray the effects of not undergoing a conversion. Edwards horrifies the people when he uses powerful, frightening words to portray these effects. He speaks of the notorious Devil, whose name makes people shutter; they will do anything to escape from the Devil, even undergo a conversion. Edwards states, “The Devil is waiting for them,” as in the ones whom do not undergo conversion. Edwards also explains to the congregation that not only will they be greeted by the devil if they do not convert, but they will also be endangered by their own God. Their God will be outraged of those who do not undergo a conversion. He explains, “You are in the hands of an angry God.” Edwards’s explanation of this outraged God urges the congregation to undergo conversion fast. Moreover, Edwards uses one last horrific wording to convince the congregation to undergo conversion when he speaks of how some may not escape this dreadful future; this ultimately urges others to hurry in undergoing an emotional conversion. Edwards states, “There are many in this congregation … that will actually be the subjects of this very misery to all eternity.” To conclude, Edwards’s use of negative diction on the outcome of not undergoing conversion urges the congregation to undergo an emotional
Determining whether the God you praise and worship is choleric because of your presence by the sins you’ve created is at never ending battle in the 17th-18th centuries. Upon the Burning of Our House is a poem, with nine stanzas, written by Anne Bradstreet explaining her understanding and ability to live and learn from sin to God. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is a work, written as a sermon by Jonathan Edwards, who preaches to all the non-Puritan sinners. His belief is that if they don’t convert and take blame for their sins, God’s anger toward them will be unbearable and force them to the pits of hell. Analyzing Bradstreet’s and Edwards’ works, a reader can distinguish the personality of the two writers and the different views of God
Jonathan Edwards was a man who could petrify any eighteenth century Puritan. He was born in East Windsor, Connecticut and was raised in a household with strict religious beliefs. In 1727 he began his preaching career as an assistant to his grandfather, Solomon Stoddard, the pastor at the church at Northampton, Massachusetts. When his grandfather died two years later, Edwards became the pastor of the Church at Northampton and began preaching all over New England. He then emerged as one of the leaders of the Great Awakening with his determination to return to the orthodoxy of the Puritan faith. That is when he adopted his “fire and brimstone” emotional style of sermon. Although people often ran out of the church in hysterics, most stayed in the church captivated by his speeches. He had always purposely chose to address his congregation with a sermon, using all of the elements of an oratory. In Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards displays all elements of an oratory by appealing to emotions, including expressive and rhythmic language, addressing the needs and concerns of his audience, and inspiring others to take action.
For example, he argues that “every unconverted man properly belongs to hell” (322). Right before he makes this claim, he quotes John 3:18, and right after, he quotes John 8:23. By bracketing his claim with direct quotes from the Bible, he provides evidence that defends his belief about where non-Christians are destined to end up. This pattern of justifying his arguments with biblical scriptures continues; for instance, when Edwards proclaims “All the kings of the earth, before God, are as grasshoppers . . . The wrath of the great King of kings, is as much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is greater.” (328) he immediately quotes Luke 12:4-5. This provides validity to his claim that God’s wrath is infinitely more terrible than any earthly king. He goes on to expand on God’s powerful wrath and asserts that “Nothing shall be withheld, because it is so hard for you to bear.” (329); he follows this up by quoting Ezekiel 8:18. Through once again following up his claims with a reference, Edwards proves that his argument of a non-pitying, wrathful God is biblically
In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Satan seeks revenge against God and causes the fall of man. He deceives Adam and Eve and gets them to disobey God. God ends up seeming cruel because of the way He punishes Adam and Eve but, He’s not. God could have killed them for disobeying him, instead He’s giving them a second chance with life, its just going to be a harder life. God is just doing what He has to by sending them out of the Garden. He is the high and almighty God, He made Adam and Eve, He made the world, He can do whatever He wants and if you disobey him you will get punished. It’s the same thing with Satan, Satan rebelled, and God had to do what he had to do and that was to send him out of heaven to hell.