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Rachel Penick

Mrs. Storer

English 3 Honors

3 September 2019

Religion as a lifestyle

Religion has been portrayed as a second thought in modern times. That was not the case

for Puritans in Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edward’s writings. In Anne Bradstreet’s “Upon the

Burning of Our House and to my Dear and Loving Husband” and Jonathan Edward’s “From

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, the puritan people portray their need for religion and

God in their life. The Puritan people valued religion above all in the 1600s and 1700s and strived

to reach heaven.

The Puritans looked to God in times of distress. Anne Bradstreet portrays the way a

Puritan would think as she proclaims, “and to my God my heart did cry. To strengthen me in my

distress” (Bradstreet 8-9). In other words, they cried out to God for the strength to persevere. The

Puritans saw religion as a big part of their lifestyle. They looked to God in times of need. This

shows how much they relied on God to motivate them through times of need.. The word distress

was intentionally used in this line to show that God was there for them, even when they were

suffering. In addition, they saw God’s strength. With her knowledge of Christ’s strength, Anne

Bradstreet states, “A price so vast as is unknown. Yet by his gift is made thine own” (Bradstreet

49-50). In other words, God’s crucifixion is the ultimate gift, and he makes himself known

through it. This shows that the Puritans see God as their ultimate savior. God shows himself to

them through his works. He helps them when they need it and that, they praise him above all.
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The Puritans saw God as the most powerful being ever and they knew that he had complete

control over their lives.

The Puritans saw God as all-powerful. Jonathon Edwards writes, “But indeed these things

are nothing if God should withdraw his hand” (Edwards 98). In other words, God has control

over everything, and he has the power to take anything away at any time. This shows how the

Puritans knew that God had control over their lives. They wanted God to bring good things into

their lives. But they knew that it was all his choice. They knew that, “if God should let you go,

you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf” (Edwards

98). In other words, if God did not hold save one, one would fall to hell. This shows that God

determined the Puritans fate. This made some of them feel safe, while others feared him. All

Puritans saw God as a power figure. But some saw him as a ruthless, power hungry figure.

Some Puritans feared God’s power. Jonathon Edwards portrayed their fear stating, “there

is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God” (Edwards 97). In other words, God

is an angry God who will punish the sinners. This shows that some Puritans lived their lives in

fear, trying to be perfect for God. They thought that if they made a mistake, God would not

forgive them. Furthermore, Jonathon Edwards adds, “O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you

are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you

are held over in the hand of that God…” (Edwards 98). In other words, sinners need to beware of

their unforgiving and ruthless God that will send them to hell. This shows how some Puritans

thought and how this would affect their lives. They lived as if they could not sin or do anything

wrong, or else they would go to hell. All of the Puritans thought differently but shared the same

goal. They all wanted to live a religious life and spend their eternity in heaven.
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The Puritan’s life revolved around religion. The Puritan people idealized their religious

lives and worked to reach heaven. Many people in modern times keep religion as a second

thought, while others do not even bother exploring religion.

Works Cited

Bradstreet, Anne. “To My Dear and Loving Husband.” Glencoe American Literature, by Jeffrey

D. Wilhelm et al., Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009, pp. 92.

Edwards, Jonathan. “from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Glencoe American Literature,

by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm et al., Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009, pp. 97-99.