Why did the author write the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?

In Edwards'
sermon "," he uses the fear factor to compel people to turn to God. He condemns the
people, hoping this will straighten them out. His Puritanism was the driving force behind his
message:

The Puritans emphasized the covenant of
works, which was in the control of human beings, and the covenant of grace, which was in God's
power to bestow.

Edwards believed that the
works of mankind could save. In other words, it is in mankind's control to save himself. He
believed God's grace could be limited. He insinuated that God can be judgmental and angry.
Edwards' belief in God was that He was ready to throw people into hell.

Edwards used his sermon to prove that the people were worthy of hell and only God's
restraints kept God from tossing the people into a lake of fire:

There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would
presently ignite and burst into flames of hell-fire, if it were not for God's restraints. There
is laid in the very nature of all unsaved men, a foundation for the torments of hell.

Edwards believed man was so corrupt until hell was waiting. He
believed that mankind could burst into flames at any moment. He preached that God had restraint;
otherwise, mankind would be destroyed by hell's fire.

Edwards was judgmental
and self righteous. Had he search out the true loving nature of God, he would have found in John
3:16-17 that God sent his son into the world to save them, not condemn them.

Edwards preached as if he were angry with the people. He was the one who insisted that
God was so angry until He was about to throw the people in hell. For some people, the sermon may
have been successful. Needless to say, for those who had an image of God dangling people over
the fires of hell, no doubt some would run to the altar in repentance:

What distinguishes this most famous example of Puritan revival
sermons is its use ofso vivid that it left people in the pews trembling and weeping.