Jonathan Edwards’ Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was a really moving and strong speech, the shock woke the people up from their sin, the sermon also shows us what’s the spiritual life and morality of the people like, we see how the people was fallen into the hell, how they enraged God, and how they awake and back to God.
In 1730s, the people lost the faith from their ancestors, they forgot and broke the promise of God. The Anglicanism Church was fear of two extremes: Roman Catholic and Puritanism. They chose a steady way, which means they lose their power of sermon, there’s no more strong emotion in their prayers and the words they talk are just words. Also, the political struggle is suffocating the spiritual life, the King George I and his son George II was not care of Christian, Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford publicly prohibit the spread of the Gospel. The technology and social was also going through a upheaval, The development of commerce and increased wealth have spawned materialism, and the hearts of believers who have witnessed Christ have gradually shrunk, the Puritan ideal of God-based is gone, tradition has been destroyed. In England, Anglicanism could ask the government to help Church in Danger, but there’s no such way in north America, the colonial people are under the government’s exploitation rather than helping. The ruling classes in each region attempt was trying to establish their beliefs as the official sect, and to treat other sects as heretics. Even if the church has recognized the need for reform, the enthusiastic pastor constantly appeals to the meeting to lament, but ‘except for the thunder, lightning and the most terrible earthquake, nothing can wake us up, we are still asleep.’
The disintegration of faith led to the fall of morality, and the indulgence of tolerance became a fashion. Economic development has brought about material wealth, and material prosperity has given birth to materialism. John Wesley proved that disrespect for God has become a universal, unchanging, and unique feature of Britain, but what he didn’t know was that the same situation is happening in the North American colonies, too. Morality degenerated, people can only see their future in darkness, deteriorating living conditions and the ultimate self-destruction, they lost their kindness and be selfish.
At this time, the church finally understood that what they needed is more than just reform. Enthusiastic priests began to call sinners to repent, and people shouted for revival. The Great Awakening came into being, and Jonathan Edwards, the author of Sinners in the Hands of an Angary God was the leader of the movement. In 1741, he carried out this sermon, the Great Awakening also arrive at its summit.
Finally, the Great Awakening changed the Christian history of the world. In North America, the religious barriers have been broken, new spirit of cooperation has spread, higher education has been encouraged, and people are full of hope again for the future. The Great Awakening cheered people up to fight for their freedom, it laid the foundation of the American Nation.
