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What's a quote for ethos in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?
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In "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Jonathan Edwards uses ethos by citing numerous Bible verses to establish credibility. One notable quote is "Their foot shall slide in due time," from Deuteronomy 32:35, which forms the basis of his argument. This citation of scripture serves as an authoritative source in Edwards's time, enhancing his credibility and persuading his audience by aligning his message with the Bible's authority.
This sermon is a treasure trove for memorable quotes. Here is one that always struck me: it is the image of the heaviness of sin. According to Edwards, the wrath of God is upon sinners. Edwards’s text come from the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 32:35. Edwards initially speaks of the wrath of God upon Israel, but he really applies it to all who are non-believers. He breaks the picture of a benevolent God on account of our sin. Here is what he says about our sins:
Your wickedness makes you, as it were, heavy as lead, and to rend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell, and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink, and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf; and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold...
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you, and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock.
What is striking here is twofold. First, our sin is heavy. It propels us downward. Our sins are “heavy as lead” and move us “toward hell,” “the bottomless gulf.” Hence, Edwards is clear that God’s wrath is the outcome of our sin—and that outcome is hell. Second, Edwards makes it clear that there is nothing that we can do in and of ourselves to change the situation. All of our best attempts, or, as he says, “our constitution, care, prudence, contrivance, righteousness,” amount to nothing. The imagery that he uses here is particularly memorable. He says that all of these attempts have no power to hold us up from hell. In fact, these attempts can do nothing, just as a spider’s web can do nothing to stop a falling rock.
All of this shows the precarious situation we are in. Based on his emotive, urgent, and effective diction, Edwards must be judged as a wordsmith.
References
It is not surprising that you would have trouble finding examples of ethos in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” This sermon is based much more on pathos than on ethos. Edwards does not say anything about his own qualifications. He does not offer any personal testimony about how he has felt God’s mercy. Instead, the examples of ethos in this sermon are to be found in his numerous citations of Bible verses.
When a speaker or writer uses ethos, they are trying to persuade by showing that they are credible. They are saying we should believe them because they know what they are talking about. In this sermon, Edwards proves that what is saying is true by citing many Bible verses. In Edwards’ time and place, many people believed that the Bible was the ultimate source of authority. Therefore, if you could say “look, the Bible agrees with me and that proves I know what I’m talking about,” you would be able to persuade many people. This is part of what Edwards does to persuade in this sermon.
As far as quotes go, any passage in which Edwards cites a Bible verse will do. You might want to simply use the quote “Their foot shall slide in due time,” since that is the basis for Edwards’ argument.