Similes In Sinners

In "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Jonothan Edwards makes use of similes, hyperboles, and repetition to strike fear into his audience in order to persuade them. By utilizing the sense of fear along with the rhetorical devices he manages to prove his point. By utilizing similes, Edwards makes a comparison to illustrate his point. An example would be when he states, "his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else..." In the quote the comparison being made is of the wrath of God and fire. This gives the audience a clear image and idea as to how fierce the wrath of God is so beware. This helps with the fear factor of the sermon. It scares people and persuades them into repenting. To over
exaggerate what needs to be said Edwards uses hyperboles. Edwards states, "There will be no end to this exquisite horrible misery." By saying "there will be no end" he means forever or endless. You will endlessly suffer, but not any kind of misery but an "exquisite" horrible misery, a one of a kind misery like no other. However this is quite an exaggeration because there is always a stop to every start or and to everything plus it does not matter the type of misery you experience you still suffer. This quote especially helps with using fear for persuasion because the last anyone want to endure is an endless misery. For repetition Edwards constantly states, "the wrath of God..." or "God's wrath..." The reason as to why he does this is to emphasize the importance and significance of the subject. By repeatedly stating the consequences of "God's wrath" or what the "wrath of God" is capable of, one is reminded of what we should fear most and why it is so important. This fear is what persuades one to repent or give into God and ask for salvation. The constant reminder is easily recorded and remembered and permanently kept. Making use of rhetorical devices to persuade his audience with fear of the omnipotent and his capabilities, worked to the advantage of Jonothan Edwards. He managed to persuade the people into repenting for the wrong doings they have committed and beg the lord for forgiveness for their immoral lives.