Throughout his sermon, jonathan edwards discusses people’s relationship with god. how does edwards change or refine the idea of god and people’s relationship with god from the beginning to the end of the excerpt? cite evidence from the text to support your response.

Presenting a God who is vengeful and angry over the sinful ways of is people, Edwards reveals how the relationship with God is diminishing and could lead to everyone in "hell". But then, towards the end of his sermon, he presents God as someone who is forgiving, ever ready to welcome anyone who would seek his forgiveness. This allows the change from an 'evil and angry' God to a God of 'forgiveness, love and understanding'.

Explanation:

In his sermon "Sinners In The Hands of An angry God", Jonathan Edwards presents an image of God who is to be feared, 'vengeful, bitter' and always ready to inflict punishment over the world. In his zeal to bring the people back to the right fold, he uses 'scaring tactics' to try to threaten them into leaving their sinful practices and approach God and ask for forgiveness.

He puts God as someone who'll "cast wicked men into hell at any moment", for rightly they "deserve the be cast into hell". The image of hell as a "lake of burning brimstone" also captures the listeners' attention, which Edwards hopes, will bring them to God. In these ways, he uses the 'angry' face of God in trying to persuade the people to turn away from sin. He continuously used the word "the wrath of God" in his statements, bringing into account the dangerous perils that await anyone who still refuse to turn to God.  

But towards the end of the sermon, he seemed to change his stance in his depiction of the image of God. He mentions how "Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open", ready to accept anyone with open arms. He also used the questions such as "Are not your souls as  precious as the souls of those who are flocking from day to day to Christ?" to imply the greatness that will be theirs if they come back to the Lord.

So, even though he presents God as a vengeful God, Edwards painted a more light, loving and ever forgiving picture of God towards the end of his sermon. Starting with an angry tone, accusatory and threatening tone, he ends the sermon in a more friendly, warm and 'heavenly' tone, so that listeners will feel the gracefulness of the merciful Lord.

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