God could throw you into hell at any time. Jonathan Edwards believed this and shared it with his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. His sermon was about how God is disgusted by humans and thinks they deserve his wrath. He convinced people using different techniques which made him so effective. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Persuading others can be a difficult task, but not for Edwards. His aim was to convince people to change their lives and he succeeded. Edwards used scare tactics, believing that scared people will want to change so they don't go to hell. God “does not count you worthy of anything except to be thrown into the fire” (Edwards 2). A human being is seen as weak and disgusting in the eyes of God, someone who should be thrown into hell. They will want to change their lives because “it is nothing more than [God's] simple pleasure that keeps you from being swallowed up at this moment in eternal destruction” (Edwards 2). There is hope though. “You have an extraordinary opportunity, a day when Christ has thrown open the door of mercy and stands on the threshold calling and crying aloud to poor sinners” (Edwards 3). He believes that even if you are a sinner, there is hope that you can change when Christ offers his help. His persuasion was strong enough, or scary enough, to make people change the way they live. Persuasion uses techniques to influence others. Edwards uses some persuasive techniques such as repetition, emotional appeal and metaphors. Repetition is very important in his sermon, as he repeats things about God's wrath and how God is angry with you. Edwards appeals to people's emotional appeal. It shows “how terrible it is to be left behind on such a day! To see so many others feast, while you pine and die! Seeing so many rejoice and sing for the joy of the heart, while you have reason to cry for the sadness of the heart and scream for the vexation of the spirit!” (Edwards 3). The audience reading this will feel grieved or fearful at the thought of ending up “languishing and perishing” and “will have reason to weep with pain of heart” instead of being joyful (Edwards 3). It scares the audience, makes them feel guilty, but then gives them hope that they can be saved. Metaphors are also inserted into his sermon. He compares God's wrath to a sword, a bow, and an arrow, with which he can strike at any time. Edwards' sermon was not successful with his own people, but that may be because they were accustomed to hearing him. When he went to different churches and gave his sermon, people were very moved. Edwards used powerful imagery in his sermon, such as describing someone “hanging by a thread over the fire” (2). It would ignite people's emotions and scare them or some images would give them hope. He had influence over people because they believed they could change if they did as Edwards said in his sermon. With his use of imagery, emotional appeal and persuasion, his sermon was very successful and people changed their minds because of it. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Many sermons like this would not be as successful today due to religious diversity and it is not that important to the mass of people. In Edwards' time, however, it was a very important writing that inflamed the lives of many. A sermon can influence people so much that they want to change everything about themselves.)..