The "pit of fire" is repeated several times as a source of terror to the audience due to the choice of diction. According to human instinct, a pit of flames is a horrible image to have in our minds, especially if we imagine ourselves inside it. Edwards uses it because he understands the emotional effect it will have on the audience and will convince them to improve to avoid such an atrocious end of life. This image also serves as a symbol of hell, which for Puritans is the place where those who have been punished by Almighty God are sent. Edwards depicts hell as a place so horrible, painful, hideous, bloody, and gruesome that his audience is almost forced to pursue Edwards' ideas due to their desperate attempt to avoid this fate. Throughout the sermon, Edwards used rhetorical strategies of rhetorical appeals, imagery, and symbolism to support his claim about the fate of sinners. Edwards' audience was emotionally moved by his exemplary use of descriptions of afterlife punishment and was moved towards "purity" in their lifestyle. The Great Awakening was a time of enlightenment as many rhetorically supported preachers spoke out to connect their audiences to the themes of their