Therefore, let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation. Let every one fly out of Sodom: “Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.”
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Sermon Analysis by Mason Firestone
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was written by Jonathan Edwards in July 1781. Edwards wrote this sermon to teach his listeners about the dangers of Hell and sin in this world. When Edwards first preached this sermon, it was in his hometown church in Northampton to all of God’s believers in the town.
Edwards’ one goal with this sermon was to convince everyone, not just in the towns he preached at, but everywhere, that God is great. He wanted to convince them that if one does not follow God, they will go to hell and suffer endlessly. “Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell,” When Edwards mentions “wickedness” he is talking about those who do not believe in and follow God (Edwards). The rest of the quote is mentioning how one will without a doubt go to Hell if God is not by their side. Edwards also believes and preaches that “there are black clouds of God’s wrath now hanging directly over your heads… and if it were not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you” which is implying that God could very easily send the nonbelievers to hell but has trust and patience that the people will convert to Christianity and believe in Him (Edwards). Lastly, towards the end of the sermon, Edwards writes about how “you have an extraordinary opportunity” and how there is “a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open” so that all the current nonbelievers can change their ways to believe in and love God for eternity (Edwards).
Overall, Edwards wants everyone to be aware of the conflicts and possibilities that may occur if they do not follow God. He also wants them all to know how forgiving and patient God will be with the nonbelievers. Finally, Edwards preaches that there are many and possibly endless opportunities to take in the way of the Lord and be a true and loving Christian.
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Sermon Analysis by Xavier Byams
Jonathan Edwards is one of the best speakers of the 1700s. Jonathan Edwards was a Calvinist who was one of America’s most prominent preachers during the early to mid-eighteenth century. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a sermon by Jonathan Edwards that was preached on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. This sermon is one of the most well-known because of its highly purist ideas and Edwards’s powerful words.
Edwards’s sermon reflects on two passages one is from the Book of Amos, which is about God’s ability to snuff out sinners and take them to hell no matter what. The other passage is from Deuteronomy, which says, “Their foot shall slide in due time.” In his sermon Edwards speaks about how mankind cannot interfere with God’s power and God can cast them into hell whenever he pleases. Edwards targets the people who go to church every day, but not fully giving in to God and the unconverted. He indirectly calls the crowd hypocrites and shames them with such harsh words that it would be hard to not succumb to the immense pressure Edwards puts on his listeners with his words. Edwards constantly uses dark imagery like, “There are black clouds of God’s wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you.” Edwards pounds the idea that you, the sinner, can be and will be sent to hell at any time no matter where you are. It is just about when you will be sent to the depths of hell. Edwards has such a way with words it’s hard to deny the things he is saying.
After Edwards is done ranting about how everyone is going to hell and that God will leave no man standing, Edwards switches the tone of the mood. He goes from condemnation to providing a threshold. Edwards states, “Therefore, let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation: Let everyone fly out of Sodom: Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.” Through out the speech Edwards preaches about how death will come to his definition of a sinner while also stating that sinners will be sent to the pits of fire to be eternally burned forever. He offers people a way out by converting to calvinism. Edwards persuasively preaches about converting sinners and he uses crippling language to place fear upon listeners.
Edwards is a great speaker because of the way he can play from the fear of the people. The fear that everyone has of the unknown. Not knowing what happens when death comes scares people into falling into Edwards’s hands thus Edwards’s religion Calvinism.
“from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Bell McKee
In 1741, Jonathan Edward presented a fiery sermon entitled, “from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” was delivered using diction meant to rile his audience and create a sense of urgency to better themselves. Edward starts out his Sermon by quoting Deuteronomy XXXII informs them that “their foot shall slide in due time” (Edward). What Edward attempts to convey here is that while things may be going well for those in his audience now, it will at one point of another go south. In opening with this verse, he sets a very clear tone for his sermon: get yourselves together or else you will lose our Father’s mercy. Bearing in mind his goal to persuade his audience to repent, Edward starts with this verse to establish the credibility of this thoughts, this strategy of establishing credibility is identified as a Logos when forming and presenting an argument. He continues to allude to other biblical lines and stories throughout his sermon to help point out how the stories of those involved ended. Edward alludes to Noah’s Arc at one point and then later he directly tells his parishioners to “fly out of Sodom” (Edward). He utilizes other methods besides Biblical allusions though to motivate his audience.
Edward compares his gathered congregation to another nearby town, telling them that the people of that village are “flocking from day to day to Christ” to save their souls (Edward). This comparison is meant to be another motive for those in the audience. Edward attempts to essentially peer pressure the members of the congregation into repentance, asking them if they are just going to let their peers be so much better than them.
He continues to bear in mind his audience by utilizing language that they would be able to understand. Edward knows that he addresses a group of farmers, so he formulates analogies they would understand that tie directly into their profession. One such analogy would be comparing them to “chaff of the summer threshing floor” if they allow for God’s fury to reach the point of unleashing. The language and tone of Edward’s sermon ignite feelings of urgency and successfully motivate his audience.
