Jonathon Edwards Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God
Jonathon Edwards, in his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, influences his congregation through rhetoric that contains a strong pathos appeal.
First off, Edwards compares man and his righteousness to insects to demonstrate the unworthiness and insignificance of man and to make the audience feel helpless. For example, Edwards writes, “The God that holds you over the pits of Hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over a fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked:” (Edwards 89). In this imagery, Edwards tells how the only thing keeping humanity from Hell is God holding them in His hand. Insects like bugs and spiders are often seen as inferior, just as Edwards describes humans in the eyes of God. This emphasizes the dangerous situation humanity is in, saying that they are all hanging by a string over …show more content…
For example, Edwards says that “…your destruction would come like a whirlwind, and you would be like the chaff of the summer threshing floor” (88). Edwards stirs fear in this image by describing man’s destruction like a whirlwind. Whirlwinds come suddenly and quickly, showing how man’s destruction will come quickly and without warning. Additionally, Edwards says, “…it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being drunk with your blood.” (88). In this part of the sermon, Edwards is comparing God’s justice to a drawn arrow that’s ready to be fired. This emphasizes God’s justice could strike any one of them down at any moment. The phrase “drunk with your blood” evokes fear as well. Blood is often associated with war and usually has a negative connotation. By using imagery to describe the urgency of mankind’s situation, Edwards stirs the audience to repent their
First off, Edwards compares man and his righteousness to insects to demonstrate the unworthiness and insignificance of man and to make the audience feel helpless. For example, Edwards writes, “The God that holds you over the pits of Hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over a fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked:” (Edwards 89). In this imagery, Edwards tells how the only thing keeping humanity from Hell is God holding them in His hand. Insects like bugs and spiders are often seen as inferior, just as Edwards describes humans in the eyes of God. This emphasizes the dangerous situation humanity is in, saying that they are all hanging by a string over …show more content…
For example, Edwards says that “…your destruction would come like a whirlwind, and you would be like the chaff of the summer threshing floor” (88). Edwards stirs fear in this image by describing man’s destruction like a whirlwind. Whirlwinds come suddenly and quickly, showing how man’s destruction will come quickly and without warning. Additionally, Edwards says, “…it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being drunk with your blood.” (88). In this part of the sermon, Edwards is comparing God’s justice to a drawn arrow that’s ready to be fired. This emphasizes God’s justice could strike any one of them down at any moment. The phrase “drunk with your blood” evokes fear as well. Blood is often associated with war and usually has a negative connotation. By using imagery to describe the urgency of mankind’s situation, Edwards stirs the audience to repent their