Jonathan Edwards Rhetoric

When Jonathan Edwards spoke of eternal damnation, and described the fiery pits of hell people listened. Edwards lived in the late 1700s, and was devoted to his life’s work. He was a persuasive pastor whose sole purpose in life was to convert unbelievers into accepting Jesus Christ. Edwards was known for delivering his sermons “in a composed style, with few gestures or movements” (Edwards 40). During the great awakening Edwards delivered a sermon known as “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in which he uses the rhetorical devices pathos, logos, and ethos to persuade his congregation to convert and trust Jesus as their savior.
When “the speaker or writer appeals to the audience’s emotions” it is known as pathos ("Using" 13). Jonathan Edwards

was a man who believed that religion did not only deal with reason, but it also dealt with emotion. Jonathan used the appeal to fear throughout his sermon to try and convince his congregation to be “born again” (Edwards 40). For example, Edwards says “Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering, and there are innumerable places in this covering so weak they will not bear their weight, and these places are not seen" (41). This is saying that if one does not convert they will fall to hell without warning, and they are blindly going through life. If they keep traveling on the path they are on they will unexpectantly reach a weak point, and fall into their worst nightmare where one can never escape or find peace. In addition, the sermon states "God has so many unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world, and sending them to hell, that there is nothing to make it appear, that God had need to be at expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course..." (Edwards 41). This quote explains that there are so many normal ways to die that God does not have to think of some extreme way for one to pass on. God does not have to send a lightning bolt down or great floods to wipe out all sinners; He has an abundance of natural and ordinary ways that he can send sinners to hell. Edwards used the appeal to fear to bring the fiery pits of hell to life and let the congregation know that being saved is only way to be saved from an eternity in pure agony. Descriptions such as these were so surreal that most of his listeners were left weeping and moaning after the sermon was finished.
Edwards also appealed to the audience’s sense of logic also known as logos.

Edwards’s uses logos in his sermon to try and help his congregation understand what life will be like if they choose to continue on the path they have chosen. For instance, “When you look forward you shall see a long forever, boundless duration before you, which will swallow up your thoughts and amaze your soul; and you will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance, any end, any mitigation, any rest at all” (Edwards 43). This makes the reader think do I really want to spend all eternity here with no future to look forward to, but more of the same fiery pit. If one is to choose not to be saved by the grace of God is one willing to burn in the fiery pits of hell with no family or friends. Edwards also states “How awful is it to be left behind at such a day! To see so many others feasting, while you are pining and perishing! To see so many rejoicing and singing for joy of heart, while you have cause to mourn for sorrow of heart, and howl for vexation of spirit (44). This makes the reader think, why would anyone like myself want to be left out of such a joyous day. Who would want to be in agony in hell when they could be in heaven rejoicing with their loved ones? These examples of logos help Edwards’s congregation understand the importance of being converted. It makes them think about their future and whether or not they want to spend an eternity in hell alone or spend an eternity in heaven

with their loved ones. For all these reasons Edwards successfully uses the rhetorical device logos to help persuade his congregation to convert.
Although there were many examples of logos there was also an abundance of ethos in Jonathan Edwards’s sermon.

According to the National Math and Science Initiative worksheet "Using the Persuasive Appeals", ethos is when "the writer appeals to the audience's trust by establishing his credibility" ("Using" 13). Ethos also deals with allusions and historical events. One example of ethos is Jonathan Edwards himself. As said before, Jonathan Edwards was a well known and well respected pastor. For this reason Jonathan’s congregation was more likely to listen and believe what he was preaching. Another example is “for who knows the power of God’s anger” (Edwards 43). This example uses a Bible verse—Psalm 90:11—to help unconverted sinners be “born again”. Edwards uses this piece of allusion to help his congregation realize that God is real and that his anger is real. This lets the audience know that the expanse of God’s anger is unknown and that being converted as soon as possible is imperative. Lastly Edwards states in his sermon “Many that were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in, are now in a happy state with their hearts filled with love to him who has loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood” (44). This is letting the congregation know that God died on the cross to save them from their sins. God does not want to see any individual in hell so he created a simple way for one to spend eternity in heaven with Him. Edwards utilizes many

examples of ethos throughout his sermon to try and convince his congregation to convert.
Without rhetorical devices—pathos, logos, and ethos—it would have been challenging for Edwards to let his congregation know how urgent it was to be born again. Edwards used pathos and logos to frighten his congregation into trusting the Lord. He also made them think whether they wanted to spend a lifetime in hell in agony or in heaven singing and rejoicing. He then used ethos to show that he was a credible speaker, and let them know that he could be trusted; that what he was saying was important, and they needed to convert as soon as possible or face the wrath of and all powerful, angry God. Edwards was devoted to the Lord and only wanted to help his congregation grasp the importance of becoming “born again”.