From Awakening The Sinners To An Angry God

Awakening the Sinners to an Angry God When Jonathan Edwards gave his sermon to his congregation in the 1700s, he based it on the ideas of moral behaviors and his ideas of right and wrong. On July 8, 1741, the height of the Great Awakening, Edwards delivered a revival sermon in Enfield, Connecticut, that became the most famous of its kind. Edwards not only gave this sermon once, but he gave it twice to his congregations in order to convert them to Christ. When he gave this sermon for the second time, it was different; it was more intensifying and eye-opening. He always read with a composed style and used very few movements. Edwards helped intensify the Great Awakening with his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by telling of hell

He used fear to scare his congregation into believing and accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior to avoid hell’s fiery wrath, so people could live joyously forever in heaven. He used imagery to show a threatening and violent hell. Edwards’ whole purpose was to effectively change the minds of sinners, and his sermon was designed to “Keep his congregation in line” (40). The 1740’s literature talks of a sermon delivered in Connecticut. It contains his “hell and brimstone” delivery encompassing an emotion of fear he was instilling into the congregation. During the time of Edwards’ sermon, a revival movement known as the Great Awakening was happening. The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals that spread throughout the American colonies. It was a time when many were realizing that they needed to be saved, and they were being converted because of the power and the seriousness of the speaker. Edwards, however, tried to get many to realize they will be judged by God, and this judgement will be more painful and fearful than one can ever imagine. He wanted his congregation to realize that God’s wrath will come suddenly and unexpectedly. Edwards wanted many to perceive that hell is a real place, and some people will be going there if they don’t accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. In his sermon Edwards wants them to realize that God has given

According to “Using the Persuasive Appeals…”, ethos is when “the speaker or writer appeals to the audience's trust by establishing his credibility or trustworthiness as a writer or speaker.” (“Using the Persuasive...” 1). One example of ethos is Edwards himself. He was a well-known and respected pastor. Considering this, Edwards’ congregation was more likely to listen to him and believe what he was preaching. Another example Edwards gives of ethos is “for who knows the power of God’s anger?” (Edwards 43). In this example it alludes to the Bible verse, Psalm 90:11. This helps Edward’s congregation realize that God is indeed real along with his anger and power. His information is based from the Bible; thus, it is credible. This lets the congregation know that God’s anger is unknown, and it is important to be converted as soon as possible. Lastly, stated in Edwards sermon is “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 emphasizes that Jesus died on the cross to save all from their sins, and he doesn’t want any individual in eternal hell but living in eternity in heaven with Him. This statement was made to make sure the unbelievers see that there is a difference in hope that one would convert and not pass up God’s offer to be with