Jonathan Edwards

What was the reaction to Jonathan Edwards’s sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?

I chose to answer this question because after reading "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" all I could think about is how did people react. Reading this frightened me, and I couldn’t even imagine being there while he preached. So, I can’t help but wonder if the people were just as frightened as I was? Did everyone automatically react to his sermon?

Jonathan Edwards was unlike most Puritan preachers because he used the “fire and brimstone” approach to confront his congregations. He literally tried to scare the devil out of the congregation and make them feel pathetic. Scaring everyone wasn’t Edwards’s main goal. He wanted to let people know that they desperately needed God (http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200201/200201_104_johnathan.cfm). In my opinion, we could use some Jonathan Edwards’s in the world today. Even though Edwards preached many sermons "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" became the most famous one.

 In this sermon he reminded the people of the power of God and His capacity for doing away with sinners (http://www.articlemyriad.com/puritan-ideology-sinners-hands-angry-god/). This sermon is widely known because it made the audience want to change their sinful ways by using compelling and fearful imagery (http://edwards.yale.edu/education/one-day). Edwards preached this sermon because he believed fire of God was falling everywhere. He first preached the sermon at his home church and got no reaction from them. Then Edwards went to preach at the neighboring town of Enfield, Connecticut where he felt led to use the sermon again. Nothing in Edwards’ style or presentation could account for what happened that day at Enfield. The only account of what happened is from diary entries of people that were there. One eyewitness, Stephen Williams, wrote in his diary "We went over to Enfield where we met dear Mr. Edwards of Northampton who preached a most awakening sermon from these words, Deuteronomy 32:35, and before the sermon was done there was a great moaning and crying went out through the whole house…. ‘What shall I do to be saved,’ ‘Oh, I am going to Hell,’ ‘Oh, what shall I do for Christ,’ and so forth. So yet ye minister was obliged to desist, ye shrieks and cries were piercing and amazing.” (http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200201/200201_104_johnathan.cfm) Edwards couldn’t even get through the whole sermon before the people at Enfield went crazy. They reacted by thinking they were going to hell. Also they couldn’t wait to change and do everything they could for Christ. Williams continued, "After some time of waiting the congregation were still, so yet a prayer was made by Mr. W. and after that we descended from the pulpit and discoursed with the people, some in one place and some in another, and amazing and astonishing ye power of God was seen, and several souls were hopefully wrought upon that night, and oh ye cheerfulness and pleasantness of their countenances." Williams is saying that the power of God was seen in the town. Even after the sermon people were getting saved and right with God. I found that it is estimated that 10 percent of New England was converted during time of The Great Awakening. It seems Jonathan Edwards was one of the reasons for that (http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200201/200201_104_johnathan.cfm).

Anne Bradsrteet Blog

What would my life have been like if I had lived in the New World during Anne Bradstreet’s time?

I chose to research this question because I am interested in learning about what women lived like during this time in the New World. What was their role in society, and what was expected of them? Did they do anything for fun? How were they supposed to dress? I have always enjoyed writing in a diary. So I have decided to write a diary like blog of how my day in the life of a Puritan woman would have been.  

                Sunday September 1, 1630

Today is the second month since we sailed from England on the Arabella, which was one of the first ships to bring we Puritans to the New World. It has been a hard few months filled with disease and death. Many chose to go back to England, but we have decided to stay (http://www.annebradstreet.com/anne_bradstreet_bio_001.htm). Like most women in the colony, I am only educated in basic reading and writing skills. I was trained to become a mother and housewife ( http://www.cgc.maricopa.edu/academic-affairs/library/communityhistory/Old%20Community%20History/Women%20Activists/index-2.2.shtml.html). 

 Today we will attend church, the church established by Pastor John Winthrop. Being late is not acceptable, and I had to have on the appropriate church clothing. The women must wear a long black dress that covers from head to toe and a white-head dress. While the men wear all black and have to have their hair short. This is just what we wear on the Sabbath and is a lot different from our wardrobe during the week (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_Puritans_dress).

 

The sermon today is about town problems and concerns. Usually we have a sermon about male supremacy, because Massachusetts Bay Colony is a man's world (http://www.ushistory.org/us/3d.asp). The church is being patrolled by a man who holds a long pole. On one end is a collection of feathers to tickle the chins of old men who fall asleep. On the other is a hard wooden knob to alert children who giggle or sleep. Children in the church who rebel against their parents are punished by death (http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/New-England-Colonies.topicArticleId-25073,articleId-25010.html).

Women in the community are considered inferior to men. So I have no say in politics, legal issues, government, or anything else.  I am mainly excited about the festival at the end of the week. People will sing and tell stories. Children will be allowed to play games with their parents' permission ( http://www.ushistory.org/us/3d.asp). Life in the New World is much different than England, but I do not regret taking part in the “Great Migration” to my new home. We did not originally want to separate from the church and just try to purify it. Eventually harassment by the Church of England, Charles I, and an economic recession led us to decide to settle in the New World (http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/New-England-Colonies.topicArticleId-25073,articleId-25010.html). Many people think we are crazy to travel across the ocean to a new world and risk death. Maybe we are crazy, but I would do it all again just to have the freedom of religion.

Sources:

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/New-England-Colonies.topicArticleId-25073,articleId-25010.html

http://www.ushistory.org/us/3d.asp

http://www3.gettysburg.edu/~tshannon/hist106web/site15/HOLLY/public_html/Intro.htm

http://www.cgc.maricopa.edu/academic-affairs/library/communityhistory/Old%20Community%20History/Women%20Activists/index-2.2.shtml.html

John Smith

What were the settler’s lives like in Jamestown when they arrived and how did John Smith help them survive?

The settlers arrived at Jamestown on May 13, 1607 ready to start life in the New World, but what they did not know is how much hardship they were about to face. Jamestown was located in the middle of about 14,000 Algonquian-speaking Indians ruled by the powerful leader Powhatan. The Indians made life for the settlers almost impossible by raided their camps, stealing pistols, gunpowder, and other necessary supplies. The Indians wanted the settlers to just give up and leave. Other hardships faced by the settlers were the harsh winter, lack of fresh water, and lack of food. Many of the first settlers were upper-class Englishmen who lacked sufficient labor and farming skills. All of the hardship resulted in disease or death of the settlers. In the book The Proceedings and Accidents of the English Colony in Virginia John Smith describes this time by saying “Being thus left to our fortunes, it fortuned that within ten days, scarce ten amongst us could either go or well stand, such extreme weakness and sickness oppressed us. And threat none need marvel if they consider the cause and reason which was this: While the ship stayed, our allowance was somewhat bettered by a daily proportion of biscuit which sailors would pilfer to sell, give, or exchange with us for money, sassafras, furs, or love. But when they departed, there remained neither tavern, beer-house, nor place of relief but the common kettle.” Smith is basically blaming the settler’s hardship on the ship abandoning them to go back to England for supplies. Also he wrote “But now was all our provision spent, the sturgeon gone, all helps abandoned, each hour expecting the fury of the savage.” Then in September John Smith became president of the local council. He instituted a policy of rigid discipline, strengthened defenses, and he encouraged farming with this admonishment:"He who does not work will not eat."  Also he made friends with the Powhatan Indians and traded things like guns for food. Smith writes of the Powhatan princess Pocahontas bringing the settlers food “Now every once in four or five days, Pocahontas with her attendants brought him so much provision that saved many of their lives, that else for all this had starved with hunger.” In this text he is saying that without the Indians many would have died from lack of provisions. Because of Smith’s leadership and friendship with the Indians the settlers survived another year.

This video clip from the beginning of the Disney movie Pocahontas shows the settlers leaving England to go to the New World.

This is a picture of Jamestown today. The settlers choose this spot on the James River for its deep water anchorage and good defensive position.

This is a picture of what is left of the Jamestown settlement.



This is a picture of John Smith statue in Jamestown. It is thought that Smith is the reason the Jamestown settlers survived.



Sources:

http://www.preservationvirginia.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=25

http://www.historyisfun.org/History-Jamestown.htm

Baym, Nina, Wayne Franklin, and Robert S. Levine. "John Smith." The Norton Anthology ofAmerican     

          Literature. A,. New York [u.a.: Norton, 2007. Print.

B

Introduction

My name is Lindy Green. I graduated from Ranburne High School. This is just my second semester at JSU, so I'm probably the only freshmen in this class. My major is nursing. I hope to learn a lot from Lit 201 and meet new people.