What does Edwards hope to accomplish with his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?

delivered this sermon to his congregation in Northampton on July 8, 1741 and establishes his
purpose with the two Biblical readings with which he chooses to open this sermon:

Though they dig down to the depths below,
from there my
hand will take them.
Though they climb up to the heavens above,
from there I
will bring them down.
Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,
there
I will hunt them down and seize them.
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of
the sea,
there I will command the serpent to bite them (Amos 9:2€“3, NIV).

It is mine to avenge; I will repay.
In due time their foot will
slip;
their day of disaster is near
and their doom rushes upon
them(Deuteronomy 32:35, NIV).

These verses paint a
particular image of God: He is a mighty force who will condemn sinners.

Edwards seeks to do nothing less than terrify his congregational members through this sermon and
convince them of the need to repent of their sinful ways to escape the wrath of Godand Hell
itself....