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Lara Vizon

Storer

English 3 Honors American Literature

4 September 2019

The Image of God

As Steven Furtick once said, “The only way God can show us he’s in control is to put us

in situations we can’t control.” In the poem Upon the Burning of Our House the author, Anne

Bradstreet, conveys the story of her house burning down, but ultimately realizes that God is

trying to communicate with her in a loving and compassionate way. She also comes to terms that

He has the authority over everything so he can give or take when he desires. Jonathan Edwards

also perceives God in the same light as Bradstreet, however as seen in his sermon “From Sinners

in the Hands of an Angry God” he conveys the narrative of a tyrant God who holds sinners over

the pits of hell. Edwards both perceive God as the ultimate controller. However, Bradstreet sees

God as a loving and compassionate creator, unlike Edwards who sees Him as a merciless judge.

Both Bradstreet and Edwards’ perspective on God is a puppeteer. For example,

Bradstreet focuses on the idea, “I blest His name that gave and took, that laid my good now in

the dust. Yea, so it was, and so ‘twas just. It was His own, it was not mine” (Bradstreet lines 14-

17). Bradstreet is looking back on the ruins of her home asking God for help. However, she then

remembers that it was God who gives and takes, and it is up to Him to withdraw certain things

whenever He thinks it is time. Just as a puppeteer controls their puppets and decides the outcome

of events, God did the same for Bradstreet. He controls events to fit the story and wanted

outcome that He predestined for Bradstreet. Edwards also has the same perspective on God as

Bradstreet. He makes it know in his sermon, “Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save
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yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever had

done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment” (Edwards 99). Edwards

is announcing to the crowd that there is not much they can do to save themselves. God is the

ultimate controller and He gets to decide whether or not they get to be saved from the fires of

hell. The puppeteer gets to decide the faith of each puppet and the scenes they are placed in. In

Edwards’ eyes, God is seen determining their faith and since it is up to Him to make all the

ultimate choices, the people do not have a say in it and His choices becomes inevitable to them.

Just as how the puppeteer is the only person that has the say in how the scenes are run, God is the

same with the choices He makes for the people. Although Bradstreet and Edwards both see God

as the ultimate controller, they have different perceptions on the way He specifically controls.

Bradstreet sees God as a loving and compassionate creator. For instance, after the fire,

Bradstreet tries to remind herself, “Far be it that I should repine; He might of all justly bereft But

yet sufficient for us left” (Bradstreet 18-20). She is telling herself she should not feel melancholy

and at loss from the events of the fire because after all it all, God has left her enough possessions

and goods. God is a loving creator which can be seen from the materials He left for Bradstreet

despite the horrendous fire. Though most things have perished through the fire, God left enough

for herself and her family to survive on. He shows love for her by giving the materials she needs

to survive after everything that has happened. He did not leave her in the dark searching for

essentials to help her move on. Another example would include the change of perspective

Bradstreet has, as she states, “Yet by His gift is made thine own; There’s wealth enough I need

no more” (Bradstreet lines 50-51). After all the mourning and praying she went through, she

realizes it was a sign from God. God was being compassionate towards Bradstreet by giving her

a sign that she was going towards the wrong path. Through the fire He makes her realize that the
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wealth she once had, before the fire, was starting to become more of a priority than Himself. God

gives her a small nudge and reminds Bradstreet what she needs to prioritize in Him back into her

life. Instead of neglecting her and thinking she will not change, He gives her an opportunity to

refine herself and her life. Edwards, on the other hand, thought otherwise about God.

Edwards perceives God as a man who does not accept mercy and acts more of a judge.

For instance, as Edwards introduces his sermon, he exclaims, “So that thus it is, that natural men

are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already

sentence to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, his anger is as great towards them as to those that

are actually suffering the executions of the fierceness of his wrath in hell, and they have done

nothing in the last, to appease or abate that anger…” (Edwards 97). Edwards is opening his

sermon with a well detailed description for the consequences God has upon sinners. He states

there is nothing anyone can do to receive any mercy from God. They are held above the pit by

God’s own hand. He makes it known that God does not show any remorse or mercy towards

those who “have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it.” There is no room for

error because with the judgment of God, He looks at every minuscule movement and will be

unforgiving towards any mistakes made. Another example includes a promise Edwards makes to

the crowd, “Those of you that finally continue in a natural condition, that shall keep you out of

Hell longest will be there in a little time! Your damnation does not slumber; it will come swiftly,

and in all probability very suddenly upon many of you.” (Edwards 99). Edwards is warning

everyone that those who think they are safe, are actually not. Everyone will be judged by God

and He will not have mercy towards any, even those who might have lasted long enough to be

kept out of hell. Edwards also sees God prejudging others and thinking certain people are
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predestined to go to hell. Both Edwards and Bradstreet have similar, yet very two different ideas

of God.

Overall, though both Bradstreet and Edwards have a similar perspective of God, they

individually think different with the way He acts towards humanity. Bradstreet and Edwards

perceive God as someone who controls everyone’s path and life. However, Bradstreet ultimately

sees God as loving and compassionate towards humanity and Edwards sees Him more as a

ruthless judge towards every action made by humanity. God can be seen in many lights through

different religions, however He is still there for everyone and it does not change the power He

has.
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Works Cited

Bradstreet, Anne. “Upon the Burning of Our House.” Glencoe American Literature, by Jeffrey

D. Wilhelm et al., Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009, pp. 91.

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.