In “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards uses many different figures of speech to persuade his congregation. The first figure of speech that Johnston uses is a simile.
Jonathan also uses metaphors in his sermon to persuade the sinners. The most important example of figurative speech would be imagery. Jonathan’s use of figurative language is important to the overall meaning of the sermon because figurative language helps to explain the overall meaning.
The first type of figurative language that Jonathan uses is a simile. In this part, Jonathan is explaining that when God returns, it will not be good for the sinners. “The wrath of God is like great waters that are damned for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given, and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is it’s course, when once it is let loose” (Edwards 80).
The purpose of this figure of speech is to get the congregation to think about when God releases his anger he will do it with great force. The next example of figurative speech and “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a metaphor.
Jonathan uses a metaphor to compare gods anger to the string of a bow. He explains that God’s precious love is what keeps the arrow from going through the people’s heart,“The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the error made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mirror pleasure of God…that keeps the arrow from being made drunk with your blood.
” (Edwards 109). This metaphor compares gods anger to the string of a bow being pulled and ready to let go, but not yet let go. The comparison shows that God’s wrath comes with great power and could severely destroy mankind. The last example of figurative speech in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” would be imagery.
Imagery plays an important role in Jonathan …
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