Jonathan Edwards creates a more effective argument for the intended audience in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" than "The Speech to the Virginia Convention" written by Patrick Henry, using various techniques. Patrick Henry makes a strong argument, but ultimately Edwards' sermon becomes more effective. Edwards creates the argument by strengthening the writing through tone, structure, errors, and knowledge of the congregation that has become his audience. Henry's piece uses methods of oratorical persuasion, but the actual theme of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” has the advantage from the start of appealing to fear, a fallacy of logic. Even with the strong foundation of Patrick Henry's “The Speech in the Virginia Convention,” Edwards' “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” proves to be the most effective piece in the end. Eerie and terrible describe the tone of “Sinners in the Hands” of an angry God.” Edwards makes the tone very clear by saying “The God who holds you over the pit of Hell, just as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire” (154). He tries to convey the wrath of God that will fall upon them if they do not dedicate themselves to Christ by saying, "So all of you who have never undergone a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon souls, all of you that you have never been born again, and have created new creatures, and have risen from being dead in sin, to a state of new light and previously entirely unexperienced life, you are in the hands of an angry God.” Edwards however lightens the tone at the conclusion of the sermon by explaining how the people c...... middle of paper ...... did not believe him wholeheartedly because the Chairman of the convention might have previously been influenced by the opinion of another. Knowledge of the audience becomes one of the things that helps Edwards provide a more convincing argument “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” proves to be more effective because it creates more fear and concern in the audience, while “The Speech in the Virginia Convention” attempts to inspire a need for freedom in the intended audience. Not to say that “The Speech in the Virginia Convention” becomes any less effective because of the persuasion used in the piece, it is simply not as effective as “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Both pieces manage to get their points across quite well, but ultimately “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” proves more effective for its intended audience than “The Speech in the Virginia Convention”.”.