Jonathan Edwards
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 1700's 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. Edwards's 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; t
Jonathan Edwards uses two tones through out "From Sinners in the hands of an angry god" his angry tone expresses how the audience's lives were and how they will end up in hell and gives the audience the image of hell. His optimistic attitude gives the audience hope and something to work toward for their afterlife. Edwards tone changes from fear to an optimistic attitude with hope for the audience's 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 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). This is meant to show them how they should now live their lives from that day on, and they will stay in the good graces with god. Edwards use of fear and despair puts an image of hell and scares the audience into going with what he says. It gives them a way to stay out of the dark depths of hell he explained earlier in the preaching. This optimistic outlook he puts on the audience at the end reawakes their attention and gives them something to think about as they leave. Edwards uses the two tones to keep the audiences attention while he puts dark and scary images into the minds of the people until they are almost scared to keep on living then tells them that there is a way out of it all and that all they have to do is too start living the puritan life and that Christ will forgive them and will not be sent to hell. here is hell's 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. God is shown here to hold your afterlife in his hands and you are at his mercy and how he doesn't care much for anyone, as they have done nothing for him to make god care.
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