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Edwards Puritan Audience

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Often in the sermons pastors persuade their audience to behave in a spiritual or more fashion. Such is the case in Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” where he sends sinners to hell, who do not repent. Edwards wanted to impact his audience by appealing to their fears, pity and vanity. Edwards had a powerful impact on his puritan audience because of his use of a cautionary tone, clear imagery and complex figurative language. Foremost, Edwards has a powerful impact on his puritan audience because of his use of a cautionary tone. For example, “A day where in Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners”. This reveals that God can only give sinners second chances …show more content…

For Instance, “The bow of God’s wrath is bent and the arrow made ready on the string”. This shows that Gods anger is the bow and the arrow using the instrument of Gods anger. Also he states “All you that was never born again and made new creatures will be punish”. If you don’t accept God, he won’t accept you in. This means that the sinners have to be born again to be in the kingdom. Moreover, Edwards had a powerful impact on his puritan audience of his puritan audience because of his use of a complex figurative language in the passage. In paragraph 2, it states that “They are now the objects of that very same anger and wrath of God, which is expressed in the torments of hell”. It also states that “Is not at present very angry with them as he is with many miserable creatures now tormented in hell”. Theses quotes reveal that God power is fear so that it can shut the sinners down and destroy sinners who made him angry. In essence, Edwards had a powerful impact on his puritan audience of his puritan audience by his use of a cautionary tone, a clear imagery and complex figurative language. Edwards wanted to impact his audience by appealing to their fears, pity and vanity. Edward describes the tone, imagery, and figurative language in the passage to use an awesome metaphor to get his point across the audience. Edward view was also to get sinners to hell, who does not

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