Although Bradstreet and Edwards both have strong puritan beliefs, Bradstreet’s poem is on the merciful side and Edwards’s sermon is harsh. In Edwards’s sermon he had imagery of Hell for those sinning and Bradstreet’s poem was about her burning house. Edwards used his harsh wordings of hope to awaken the people around him into going onto the right direction. He scares the people into knowing that if they continue on a sinning path they will have Hell awaiting for them after death with no way of turning back. He shows how threatening he is by stating that God has a burning pit waiting for those who are sinning and that the Devil already possesses those who are going to Hell (Edwards 7). On the contrary, Bradstreet’s poem shows her personal side with God. She is going through the loss of her house and asking God for strength to go through the loss of her possessions (Bradstreet 9). She scolds herself for missing her belongings that got burned in the fire, which a sinner would do. Bradstreet’s poem changes throughout from shocked to accepting of the fire. She goes from whining about the loss of her possessions and then to bringing up God in a strengthening way. Bradstreet showed God capable of mercy while Edwards showed God as harsh and judgmental. In comparing Bradstreet’s poem and Edwards’s sermon, they both have strong Puritan beliefs. They both follow the same Puritan beliefs with knowing that each person is not in control of their destiny. They show this by Bradstreet
