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Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis

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“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a sermon written by Jonathan Edwards, a 17th century Puritan preacher. The sermon is about the fury of God upon sinners, and how He can decide a person’s eternal resting place based on their choices throughout life. For those who are Christ-like, and follow God’s commandments, they will be gifted with a home in Heaven. However, sinners shall face unspeakable doom and misery while they burn in Hell for the rest of eternity. For the majority of the sermon, Edwards highlights the consequences of sinners’ lives, and the rage they shall face from God. Throughout “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Jonathan Edwards utilizes the rhetorical devices of emotional appeal, imagery, and simile to convey the extreme wrath of God, the intensity of Hell, the eternal consequences of someone’s actions, and to provide a powerful warning and opportunity to sinners.
To begin, Edwards employs imagery in his sermon to allow his audience to visualize the suffering they will soon be afflicted with. For example, in Edwards’ sermon, he says: “The old Serpent is gaping for them; Hell opens his mouth wide to receive them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost. There are in the Souls of wicked Men.” (Edwards 10) In this quote, the author describes the visuals of being dropped down into Hell. He explains that Hell would open wide for them, and that they would be swallowed up by the flames. This descriptive imagery allows
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