Jonathan Edwards essays

Jonathan Edwards essays Puritans wanted to purify the Church of England and live a life dedicated to the church. These were the people who were first to arrive to America to escape religious persecution. Jonathan Edwards the author and preacher of from sinners in the Hands of an Angry god was a preacher in the mid 1700s was part of the religious great awakening to bring the puritan people back to their old ways. Edwards uses two different tones a tone of fear to begin with, then a tone of hope to help manipulate his audience or reader. Edwardss use of fear makes the audience pay attention and scares them into believing that they will all be going into hell, That world of misery, that lake of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of god; there is hells wide gaping mouth open(98). This sense that is extended to the audience gives them a terrible picture that is burned into their minds about where they will go if they continue to live there lives the same way they are. This image is of a dark and despair place that people can only fear and is almost unreal in how horrible it is, The god that holds you over the pit of hell; much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over a fire, abhors you and is dreadfully provoked(100). God is shown here to hold your afterlife in his hands and you are at his mercy and how he doesnt care much for anyone, as they have done nothing for him to make god care. Edwards use of fear and despair puts an image o f hell and scares the audience into going with what he says. Edwards tone changes from fear to an optimistic attitude with hope for the audiences afterlives, And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice too poor sinners(101). This optimistic ou...