Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God By Jonathan Edwards

Religion has been a founding factor in colonization since the beginning of colonial expansion. Sermons given by preachers during colonial settlement were written to convince, convert and cause contrition within congregations, especially during the first Enlightenment. During this time, church and religion were being overpowered by science and technology discoveries. These newfound expositions caused panic within clergy members across colonies, spreading a surge of ghastly preachings to ultimately terrify congregations back into concordance with God. Jonathan Edwards, a pastor of a church in Northampton during the mid 1700s and a profound speaker of God, gave the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” to convince his listeners to repent

He tells his congregation and listeners that “there is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of Hell, but the mere pleasure of God” as evidence that though they themselves have caused their damnation, God is who decides when they fall to their doom. Hell and the Devil are always ready to accept sinners into their pits for they are “prepared, [and] the fire is made ready...to receive them,” but Edwards repeats the inability of people to fall to the Devil without God’s permission. He touches on the idea that souls are owned, and that every soul is under God’s power and God’s will. By using massive amounts of imagery, Edwards creates a picture similar to that of a puppet on a string, emulating the idea that with one small decision the fates of millions could be destroyed. Edwards stresses God’s powerful and omnipotent judgement was an effect of his wrath, and continuously mentioned this wrath to instill panic in his listeners. Besides repetition, Edwards exclaims that the wrath is more than just an anger; he states that it is an all encompassing anger, an everlasting anger, and has not been completely revealed. This mysterious wrath, Edwards states, encompasses all the pain of the world and is poured out onto the unrepentant, otherwise known as the souls within the listening congregation. His

He repeats the idea that God’s everlasting wrath is continuously omitted onto his people, bringing them to their knees. This anger is thrown onto the people without pity everyday, and Edwards knows that bringing it to the attention of the people will keep them close to God. While they are damning themselves to Hell, God is continuously disciplining his people under his wrath. He inflicts pain on the people, and with Edwards’ constant reminders, these are enough to scare them into repentance and good deeds. The people are afraid of pain and suffering, and God’s wrath is the essence of their pain, but Edwards convinces the congregation that they deserve what they are put under if they do not repent. The continual mention of this wrath causes a panic in his listeners, stirring up thoughts and needs to repent and be