Comparison of John Winthrop and Jonathan Edwards as Influential Preachers

John Winthrop and Johnathan Edwards are both influential males in their historical time periods, but they both had different ways to persuade people. Both lived in the New England colony which greatly influenced their views on religion. They preached sermons to big crowds but approached it differently. Together they both used similar tactics. The main difference between the two would be the tone in their message. John Winthrop used God to create an ideal society. Jonathan Edwards used God’s words and criticized them. These two seventeenth-century writers used God for drastically different reasons.

Edwards and Winthrop’s sermons look substantially different, but nonetheless they have a vast amount of similarities. Edwards and Winthrop both use consequences of God to put fear into his followers. They capitalized on fear because people react to fear more than they do to love. Winthrop gives his followers an option, but he knows that they are God-fearing people. A Model of Christian Charity states, “the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us” (Winthrop 7). Edwards constantly uses metaphors to create a vivid, scary picture of Hell. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God states, “There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is Hell’s wide gaping mouth open” (Edwards 108). Likewise, they were both religious zealots just on different ends of the spectrum. Similarly their metaphors also allude to a body. Edwards used God’s hand and Winthrop declared that we all must be a body in Christ. God’s hand in Edward’s sermon is the only thing saving people from Hell. The body in Christ metaphor of Winthrop is all of God’s followers working together as one collective unit. While they both used God for different reasons, they both used the Bible to prove their observations and reasons. Winthrop does a question and answer style sermon using verses from the Bible to prove why his reason was correct. For example, the text states, “ What rule must we observe in forgiving (a debt)?” (Winthrop 3). Winthrop respond with a verse from Deuteronomy to explain why they should follow his rules. On the other hand, Edwards uses all of God’s “promises” against him to prove how God is lying. Both sermons are used to call people to action and be the good Christians they are supposed to be.

Even though Edwards and Winthrop have many similarities, their writings also show that they can be polar opposites. John Winthrop positively speaks to his followers about his model utopia. He wants people to see his vision of an ideal Christian society. Winthrop uses words that have a more positive connotation. The text speaks of love a lot. Winthrop uses the word love 75 times and affection 14 times. He uses the word love a lot to give a welcoming feeling. You can’t force people to act with love and kindness, but when seeing something positive going on, you want to be apart of it. The Bible states in 1 John 4:7, “Love cometh of God and every one that loveth is born of God.” Winthrop uses that verse to show how love works. He uses God’s word but also lives by it. He states, “ There are two rules whereby we are to walk one towards another: Justice and Mercy” (Winthrop 1). Witnhrop includes himself in the group alluding that he is not better than anybody else. One who preaches about God must also live by it. Everyone has to have the same values. John Winthrop was a man that worshipped God to the fullest.

Opposed to Winthrop’s gentleness and compassion, Edwards was the complete opposite. Edwards was a corrupt Puritan who used God to put on a show. He would deliver sermons that would have people screaming in terror. Edwards would commit blasphemy by criticizing the works of God. He states, “He will have no compassion upon you, he will not forbear the executions of his wrath, or in the least lighten his hand” (Edwards 110). Edwards assumed God’s position on each person. He also personifies God. Personifying God is another way of being blasphemous. He is putting God on the same level as humans. Edward’s personifies God’s hand as the wrath he has for us. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God states, “ If God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it” (Edwards 108). Contrary to Winthrop using words with a positive connotation, Edwards uses words with negative connotations. He uses the word wrath 51 times. Jonathan Edwards tried to scare people into following God’s laws.

John Winthrop and Jonathan Edwards were very influential Puritan preachers that touched many people. Using different tactics, they arrived at the same point. They both wanted people to abide to the laws of God; if not, there would be consequences. Both writers used reason and the word of God to prove their point. The words of God can move people in many different ways.