Providential Thinking in Puritan America
The works of authors William Bradford and Anne Bradstreet are currently read in high school and college classrooms with the hope of the readers finding a glimpse into colonial American life. While these works do show pieces of colonial American life, both authors dealt heavily with the nature of providence and predestination, which was a huge part of the lifestyle of that time. William Bradford took a more straightforward approach of his thoughts, writing the work entitled "Of Plymouth Plantation," which deals with the Puritans landing in Plymouth and the colonization of the land. Anne Bradstreet, however, took a more artistic approach, creating poetry to describe her thoughts of providence. While both authors are extremely different on the surface, they have the same subject running through the heart of their works; they believe that each person is already selected by God to go to Heaven, and there is no way that works could change God's selection. William Bradford was with the first group of Puritans that made the daring voyage from England to America. Though there were many problems getting to America, Bradford believed that every problem arose for a reason. Bradford said that "...these and many other sharper things which af
Of this, Bradford wrote that "For it pleased God to visit these Indians with a great sickness and such a mortality that of a thousand, above nine and a half hundred of them died, and many of them did rot above ground for want of burial. Even though the two writers are different in style and technicalities, they both focus on God and his providence. " This illness, and later death, of the young man created a strong argument to those whom did not believe in providence or in the intervention of God through faith alone. On the ship that was carrying Bradford to America, a young woman named Anne Bradstreet was also on board. If a person is not part of the elect, they will die in either a violent or untimely death. here is to be noted a special providence of God, and a great mercy to this poor people, that here they got seed to plant them corn the next year, or else they might have starved, for they had none nor any likelihood to get any till the season had been past, as the sequel did manifest. In her poem "Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666," Bradstreet writes that "And to my God my heart did cry/To strengthen me in my distress/And not leave me succorless [. Both of these writers are dramatically different if their works were to be compared superficially. " Bradstreet demonstrates her firm belief in the infallible truth of God in her poems and her letters. " This passage describes Bradstreet's devotion to the Glory of God. We know what we know because of what was written down. My thoughts of this particular passage having to do with providence is that since God is all knowing and all powerful, Bradstreet is implying his power to make things happen.
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Acceptance Essays
