Rhetorical Analysis Of The Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

Many people know the Christian God as happy, forgiving, and accepting of others. In the Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards’ sermon completely shocks and scares people by claiming that the Christian God is the only God, and if you weren’t to believe in him, you would burn in Hell and be destroyed. The tone of this piece in the eyes of Edwards is dedicated, passionate, and pro-Christian God. Edward achieves his purpose by using metaphors, repetition, personification, and visual imagery numerously throughout the sermon.

Edwards starts his sermon stating his claim and intentionally scaring people by saying, “There is nothing that keeps wicked Men at any one Moment, out of Hell, but the meer Pleasure of GOD”(5) Edwards says that there is nothing that is keeping a person that does not believe in God out of Hell, but the feeling of God at that moment. He is trying to scare the audience and say that at any moment God could change His mind and throw you into Hell and would not have a second thought about it. The tone of the piece can be easily seen through this quote as very dedicated and devoted to God, while the mood for the audience

may be threatening and cautioning. The diction is purposely negative and dark because Edwards is pushing to persuade everyone into joining team Christian God. The idea that at any moment the rug can be pulled from right under a person, scares the audience and in a way forces them into believing in the Christian God, so that they will not be damned in Hell.
A device repeatedly used in the sermon is metaphors. “They are as great Heaps of light Chaff before the Whirlwind; or large Quantities of dry Stubble before devouring Flames.” (5) Edwards compares sinners to chaff and dry stubble. A chaff in the terms of a metaphor means something worthless and unimportant so when Edwards writes, “...light Chaff before the Whirlwind...”, he means the mass of sinners tossed around left and right through the air like they are nothing. The “dry Stubble” meaning is similar to the chaff, but means the leftovers and scraps of a harvest that is abandoned on a field and is then thrown into “devouring Flames” to burn and reduce to ashes. Another metaphor is, “Sometimes an earthly Prince meets with a great deal of Difficulty to subdue a Rebel, that has found Means to fortify himself, and has made himself strong by the Numbers of his Followers.” (pg5) This metaphor compares the earthly Prince to God and the Rebels to the sinners and the prince having trouble quieting down the rebels and also making himself known powerful because he has so many followers. Another decorated metaphor is “We find it easy to tread on and crush a Worm that we see crawling on the Earth; so ‘tis easy for us to cut or singe a slender Thread that any Thing hangs by; thus Easy is it for God when he pleases to cast his Enemies down to Hell.” (pg5) The analogy comparing strengths and abilities of humans and God are recognized. Edwards is saying that for humans if it is easy and simple to crush a worm under your foot, then it is just as easy and simple for God to cast those same people to Hell. Through diction and metaphors, Edwards intimidates his audience, making them feel scared that they are the chaff or the dry stubble that will be destroyed, or the Rebels unsubdued, or the person that steps upon the worm, so makes for an uncomfortable environment stating these metaphors.
Another device repeatedly used in the sermon is repetition. Words like “wicked Men”, “Destruction”, “Flames of Hell”, and “Wrath of God” are frequented and apply negative connotations to the sermon. Rarely are there any positive connotated words like hope or sun, so the mood is very violent and fierce for the audience. “There is no Want of Power in God to cast wicked Men into Hell at any Moment… They deserve to be cast into Hell… They are now the Objects of that very same Anger and Wrath of God that is expressed in the Torments of Hell.” (5-6) Edwards consistently uses these negatively connotated words to get his point across that if one does not believe in the Christian God, he will be damned in Hell by the hand of God. He is trying to make everyone realize that they have a choice of choosing either the Christian God or being nothing; that those who do not choose the Christian God will be mean nothing to Him, so He will have no mercy upon them when He pushes them into Hell. The repetition and diction of the words he wishes to repeat shake the audience into their senses and bring more attention to the words he wants embedded in people's’ heads.
Personification is giving something inanimate or lifeless real life qualities.

Edwards uses personification to over exaggerate and phrase his point into a more elaborate or in this context, a more dangerous way. For example, “...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.” (11-12) Using this personification make what Edwards is saying more realistic and treacherous, like giving the Devil lifelike qualities and saying that he is waiting for the sinners and that Hell has opened its mouth, and the flames are gathering around to swallow the sinners up as they come. Personification collectively “glams up” and makes the writing have a life of its

own.
There are different types of imagery seen in the sermon, but the most memorable one is visual imagery. “The Sword of divine Justice is every Moment brandished over their Heads, and
‘tis nothing but the Hand of arbitrary Mercy, and God’s meer Will, that holds it back.” (6) The picture painted in the audience's head should be a picture of God holding a sword, waving it over the sinners’ heads and whenever He feels like killing one He would. This tells the audience that whenever God feels like doing something to any of them, He will do something and not have a second thought about that. Visual imagery makes the audience understand first hand what would happen to them and makes it easier and realistic for them to interpret.
Edwards’ sermon is very effective. Starting from the diction, to the metaphors, to the imagery, and all the literary devices used, the sermon was very effective in achieving his purpose. The main idea he wants to get across is that if one does not believe in the Christian God, they are automatically a sinner and will have no mercy from God destroying them in Hell. Through diction, the tone of dedication and passion remain constant throughout the sermon and by the end of his speech Edwards has to say no more to convince others of believing.