Which Style

ge filled with sincerity and directness. Although there may not seem like there is a method to the madness, his overall message of universality is made abundantly clear; it places the individual above the masses, as long as they act according to there own desires. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writings are full of bold claims, of passages that read like bumper stickers, “Trust thyself” and “To be great is to be misunderstood”. In “Sinners in the hands of an angry God,” Edwards Enhances the urgency of redemption through a provocative style that, at times, might seems a bit too scary. Emerson writes as if he does not care to concern himself with form. He has the ability to pull his thoughts together just before his point is lost, leaving the reader a bit dazed, a little confused, but impressed never the less. Full of hell, fire and brimstone, passionate and dramatic; Edwards utters these words from the pulpit:

“Therefore, let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake

And fly from the wrath to come. Emerson’s reasoning proves to be more ethical than theological; he emphasized the importance of the human soul and the relationship of the spirit within oneself. The reader must be moved by them, as well as build their life and choices around those ideas.

While Emerson finds his answers in the individual, Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards looks to God for all areas of guidance. He encourages the reader to free himself from the square box in which all others reside, but rather proclaims, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind (Emerson, 657). It doesn’t hurt either that they both present perfectly comprehendible arguments on the importance of their own ways of thinking. Edwards’ famous sermon is meant for more than merely understanding religious ideas. ”

“Sinners in the hands of an angry God” suggests the intense desire for salvation.