Jonathan Edwards and Patrick Henrys 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…
Jonathans 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. Henrys speeches influenced many people.
A clergyman who as present at the time of Henrys 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 isnt influencing a few lives, then I dont 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 grandfathers 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 didnt 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.