Comparing Bradstreet, Taylor, And Edwards

Puritans. Simple, direct, godly, concise. God was everything to the men and women who scorned the tradition and ceremony of the churches of their time for a simpler life where God reigned supreme. Yet, a comparison of three authors; Bradstreet, Taylor, and Edwards, shows both the stark contrast and similarities many Puritans shared in their time. While these three authors were all Puritan and their writings of God, their messages varied greatly in their deliverance. From a message of sorrow and rediscovering God to the damnation of humankind and even in the language they used can give us a look into the hard lifestyle of Puritans.
In the poem, Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666 by Anne Bradstreet, she tells,
He used vivid language, yet was very direct in describing for them their doom unless they had “a great change of heart” and repented of their ways. Bradstreet uses simple language, stating it how it is without further deviation, as she tells how she rediscovered God in the midst of fire. In the lines “Adieu, Adieu, all’s vanity/Then straight I ‘gin my heart to chide” is when Bradstreet begins to realize that her possessions are not her own nor are they eternal. She realizes that “Yet by His gift is made thine own;/There’s wealth enough, I need no more,” which means that she now knows that she does not need her worldly possessions to be complete, but rather that she needs God and must return to him. Her way of saying that we must return to God is much more subtle and gentle that Edwards’ in that she is not using fear to urge a return to faith but rather a realization that they are nothing without
Bradstreet began her poem out with immense sorrow at the burning of her home. The poem then turned to scorn for herself as she realized how dependent she had become on her possessions. However, the poem ends on a joyful note as she remembers her faith and turns back to God. Taylor’s poem did not change tone as drastically as Bradstreet’s yet he still gives a sense of humility in asking for God to use him and joy in the idea that his life is part of something much greater than himself. Edwards’ sermon, a “doom on you” spree, was extremely dark and foreboding throughout the whole of his sermon as he condemned the unconverted, and even the converted. The very last paragraph serves to spark a spot of hope in the hearts of his listeners when he says that there is still a chance for eternal life with