As Gonzales explains the Great Awakening was a time in colonial America when people began to turn to an emotional connection with God. The preachers of this period were known to illicit extreme response from their listeners, as Gonzales states they had “emotional outbursts” (288) which involved fainting and yelling out during services. Although many never set out to cause such reactions the preachers gained them from putting their parishioners in connection with their emotions. Critics of this movement condemned this style believing it to be “undermining the solemnity of worship” (289) and “substitution emotion for study and devotion” (289). But despite what the critics believed this style was surprisingly efficient, showing many more people coming to Christ and dramatic lifestyle changes. The preachers stressed the emotional revelation and did not feel you were saved unless you had the experience of conversion. This belief that you had to have a personal relationship with the lord lead to many to reject child baptism, and started conversations about human rights and the role of government.

In Edward’s “Sinners in the Hands of an angry God” he uses this stress on emotion to make it clear to his parish the state of their salvation. In this piece of writing he states that all people are evil and that all wicked people believe they can save themselves from hell. But, Edward’s stresses that all men are destined for hell and are only held up by God. He stresses that salvation can only be achieved through belief in Christ. He envisions God as angry at the people he holds in his hand and just as bad as those who are already in hell. God is angry at his people for not turning to Christ and believing that they hold themselves away from hell.

Edwards brings the readers to see themselves in the sermon by his descriptive language that paints a vivid picture. He describes God’s support as a “hand” and hell as a “pit”. This helps his readersrd turn abstract terms into concrete items. He also uses “you” in order to make the sermon personal. Edward’s goal in describing such an angry God is to illicit emotional response. Anger from the supreme being should illicit fear from the people. He hoped it would help them to see the magnitude of their sin and turn to Christ so they may save their soul from hell.