Notes

Jonathan Edwards's sermon to his congregation is essentially one long emotional appeal. Because his topic is not provable through facts and logic, Edwards relies on vivid descriptions and charged words to draw his audience in and convince them of his point. Consider the following segment:

That world of misery, that lake of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you . . . [and] there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.

Using charged words such as misery, wickedness, judgment, and multiple uses of wrath throughout his text, Edwards convinces his audience to associate these negative terms with the idea of a lack of faith. His intent was to intimidate his audience into reaffirming their commitment to God. The fact that Edwards is considered a spiritual and intellectual leader from his time shows the effectiveness of his persuasive arguments.