John Winthrop And Jonathan Edward's Sermon Analysis

John Winthrop and Jonathan Edward’s sermons both relate to the puritan ideas; both create a call to action telling the people exactly what they should do in order to be considered faithful puritans. They are trying to influence people to view their ideas and believe in them. Although there are major significant similarities there are also extreme differences in the sermons due to the huge time gap between when these sermons were expressed to the people. The enlightenment time period, and the aging and evolving of the colonies both had a magnificent contribution on the tone, and drive of each sermon. John Winthrop’s sermon “A Model of Christian Charity” conveyed in 1630 at the very beginning when colonies were just starting to form, the wide …show more content…
“‘He that believed no is condemned already.” So that every unconverted man properly belongs to hell; that is his place; from thence he is” (Edward 210). He has a lot of dramatic phrases that make people worry that not doing exactly as he says you would then be condemned from the start. Edward’s sermon takes place in an entirely different time setting of 174, the colonies had been long established. People were no longer strong believing puritans. Other religious ideas had come to the people and other views and beliefs were becoming established in the colonies. The enlightenment period had a huge impact on the puritan religion becoming less of a majority the ideas shifted and became more individualistic and free thinking which was an extremely different idea from the beginning of the original colonies and new world. A major change had occurred in religious beliefs compared to the original puritans in the New World. Edwards is trying to regain as much control as he possibly can, attempting to reel people back in with the tactic of fear, and bullying in order to make them do exactly what he says. “That they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall. This is implied in the manner of their destruction coming upon them” (Edward 209). Edward uses a lot of doom and destruction for those that do not comply with the puritan’s ideology. His method is a more aggressive approach to get people to believe. He uses a lot of negative possibilities that God can strike upon them, everything he says is taken to extreme to show that God will do harm to you if you do not believe in him. People naturally fear the wrath of God, using gods anger and potential punishment deters people from disobeying in fear that God may actually go