Which Great Awakening preacher warned people that God would punish them if they did not change their ways?
1 Answer
Jonathan Edwards.
Explanation:
In 1741 Jonathan Edwards preached the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" to a church that previously resisted the calls for revival of the Great Awakening.
In the sermon Edwards preached that hell is real and terrible. That God is just and right to allow sinners to suffer the natural consequences of their sins by allowing them to go to hell. Edwards compared the descent into hell of sinners to the laws of gravity.
Edwards did not leave out the self righteous. He taught that those who thought they could take care of themselves were deluded. Those who thought they were good, no matter how good would without the help of God would also go to hell.
Edwards did not leave his listeners dangling over the pits of hell. He told them that as undeserving as their were God loved them and offered a way of escape. If they accepted the free grace of God by believing in Christ and repenting of their sins they could be saved. The grace of God was offered as lifeline to sinners.
Lee Stuart attributed the the success of Edwards sermon in that it ended on a positive note. The negative aspects detailing the horrors of hell only served to highlight the beauty of God's free gift of grace.
