Patrick Henry And Jonathan Edwards Essay, Research Paper

Jonathan Edwards and Patrick Henry?s biographies and speeches showed a lot of

similar characteristics, but also many differences, Their speeches both

contained incredible power and impact. Yet the effects and results were hardly

on the same subject. Jonathan Edwards was a powerful speaker. He made his

audience feel the words that he spoke. An example of this is in his speech,

?Sinners in the hands of and angry God? when he says ?…hell is gaping

for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold of

them and swallow them up…? Jonathan?s speeches influenced the lives of

many people. His congregations feared sinning. They fainted and cried at his

services. Edwards was one of the pastors who were greatly involved in the Great

Awakening. He spoke most of his sermons during this time and people listened.

Patrick Henry was also a very powerful speaker. In his speech to the Virginia

Convention, he was said to have grabbed an ivory letter opener and plunged it

towards his breast with the word death. Henry?s speeches influenced many

people. A clergyman who was present at the time of Henry?s speech recalled

that during it he felt ?sick with excitement.? He convinced the United

States and Virginia governments to fight for the freedom of our country, and if

that isn?t influencing a few lives, then I don?t know what is! Now you may

not have known this, but Patrick Henry was involved in the Great Awakening too.

As a child he and his mother often sat in congregations to hear the great

traveling speakers. Patrick Henry found his calling in the law. He at first

tried farming, but failed. He was said to have one of the best law minds in the

country at that time. Henry spoke about government issues, like his speech to

the Virginia Convention, trying to convince the men to fight for our freedom. He

pointed out faults in government system, rather than pointing out the faults of

the people in the government. Jonathan Edwards turned to his grandfather?s

profession, as a preacher. It was his calling, even in his early childhood years

he knew he would become his grandfathers successor, and he did. He spoke on

religious matters such as in his speech ?Sinners in the hands of an angry

God.? He didn?t point out the faults in religions as a whole, but he pointed

out the faults of the people in his audience regarding religious matters.

Patrick Henry and Jonathan Edwards exhibited many of the same characteristics,

like being wonderful speech makers. Both men had many differences between them.

They spoke on different subjects and affected people in different ways but had a

great influence on the way those people lived.