The Half-Way Covenant brought upon Edwards' beliefs and reason to preach this sermon. He thought people were becoming too lenient in their actions and too focused on material things rather than religion, which made him furious. People were becoming accustomed to attending church at their own convenience instead of what was wanted by God himself. This is why he wrote "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", to open the eyes of the people and snap them back into reality. In this sermon, he emphasized that Hell was a real place and that if they continued in their ways, God would send them straight there. Even though he didn't spend much time describing Hell to the people, he made sure they were aware it existed and it would be an unbearable misery for eternity.
He only hoped that the imagery depicted in this sermon would make them realize where they were headed if they continued without Christ. He explains that it is nothing but the mere hand of God keeping them from Hell, and it is up to us to rectify our sins before it is too late. Edwards' sermon was so powerful that people were proclaiming the name of Jesus, moaning and crying for help before it was finished. His tongue was compared to a sharp two-edged sword to his viewers. His words must have caused unbearable pain giving these reactions. People all over repented and were saved during and after this sermon's deliverance.
As you can tell from the excerpt above, his tone is what most likely shocked people. He says that people in this very congregation will suffer from misery and asks how it's possible for them to rest knowing this. These are pretty strong statements, and he delivers them in such a monotone, calm, structured manner. He hardly gestured at all in this sermon, and he didn't force his beliefs on anyone with scorn or anger. He simply remained calm and used his intellect to enlighten people of the truth, and people noticed that. He didn't create horrific visions of torture in order to bring despair, their conscience did that for them. The intense feelings brought upon them through this sermon is what struck them.
Above is a picture of Jonathan Edwards, the man who delivered this sermon and a man remembered for making such a powerful impact on numerous people during this time and even today. Some people did criticize his sermon, probably because they were scared of the truth, and some believed he was very forward and condemning. Aside from the few that opposed it, most were awakened. It was so powerful that Christians still teach and practice from it today.
Works Cited:
No comments:
Post a Comment