It is difficult to have people maintain the same governmental and religious beliefs if they are allowed to have an option. Viewing a relationship with God as a contract allowed the religion to stay the same throughout generations. It ensured that people would do and be their best to get on God’s good list. The Puritans did what they could to accomplish the direct calling from God.
With a predestined fate of being on the good list or bad, the Puritans still tried their best to fall in God’s good graces. In order to do so, they maintained a good public reputation and never questioned the leaders of the church, for it was like questioning God himself. “…God predestinated all men to eternal life, but on condition of their faith and perseverance, no one can be certain of his salvation'. The Puritans knew they needed to be a perfect people to ensure their life in eternity. Needing to work hard for these spots, they were thankful for the difficult times because they knew it meant that God was still testing them and they still had an opportunity to fulfill the contract and have eternal life.
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With the Puritan beliefs came responsibilities. They kept themselves in check to make sure they all had the best chances. Being called to spread this to others was also something they took quite seriously. Converting others as well as destroying those who didn’t believe, just as the Israelites did, was a prominent way they handled the situations. “The Puritans desired that every person, activity, and relationship might become ‘holiness to the Lord’” (Packer). They wanted God to be in everything they did, thought, or spoke. Drawing attention to themselves was very frowned upon amongst themselves and other groups of people. Forcing the others into the belief, in the name of being saved, was seen as an act of mercy.
Most were very devoted and knew the benefits of following the covenant of Puritanism. Throughout all the hardships they knew that God was with them and it was for the good of their eternity. “It is not my tongue or pen can express the sorrows of my heart and bitterness my spirit that I had at this departure: but God was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying me along, and bearing up my spirit, that it did not quite fail” (Rowlandson 83). Trusting God in times of her difficulties, Mary was able to stay strong as well as share her story when she returned from captivity. It was a much needed encouragement to others to remain strong in the task set before them since they also caused many anxieties. Having hardship wasn’t joyous but it let them know that God had not given up on them yet. Despite that, they still struggled with having assurance that they were saved because not all the times were bad. God surely must have had a purpose for the good as well. “And yet the Lord so upheld these persons as in this general calamity they were not at all infected either with sickness or lameness…”. Those who hadn’t fallen ill were able to help all the others in their illness. Either being a gift from God or a chance to redeem themselves by being helpful, it allowed them to show the love they had as well as assist in the healing process of the ill.
Doing what they could to complete the calling of God, the Puritans had a variety of things they were required to do. They had many responsibilities as well as benefits and anxieties. The contract style of their religion made it especially important for each person to follow the leaders and rules to the best of their ability.
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