“Propounder and defender of a creed, logic-tight in theory, of predestination, foreordination, and an inescapable saving or damning of his soul, no one in practice has ever insisted more emphatically than the New England Puritan on the complete responsibility of every individual. Scorner of dishonesty but famous for sharp trading; grasping and acquisitive yet the first to give freely to a worthy cause; inhumanly cruel to the savages yet often laboring with patience to bring them to the light; making fortunes from rum yet the first to advocate temperance; slave trader and missionary; smuggler and saint; often lustful, drunken, avaricious, and bloodstained, but oftener self-denying, peaceable, and full of good works; human in his weakness, almost superhuman in his strength, the Yankee Puritan in his first two centuries was a man whose like has rarely moved between earth and heaven.”
Edmund W. Sinnott, Meeting House & Church in Early New England, (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. 1963) 12-3.
This is kind of a long quote, in fact if you, the reader, actually read the whole thing I am pretty impressed. This is a quote from a book about Puritan meetinghouses. The author is describing the mentality of a standard Puritan. I read this and my first thoughts were about the inherit evil of man. I mean, look at the Puritans they structured their whole life around trying to follow the bible in a strict pattern. They would go to church over 5 times a week and organize their whole town government around the church. Their hope was that they would be the new Israelites. They saw the boat ride over from the old world as a crossing the Jordan into the land of milk and honey. Just because you have a community full of people who love the bible and believe in Jesus Christ as their savor does not mean life is perfect. The Puritans produced a lot of good for the Kingdom but they also produced a lot of evil. They produced their own particular brand of hypocrisy. They had problems with lust, greed, pride, hate, and idolatry just like we do today. How is it that one of America’s best example of a people group trying so hard to follow the rules of the Bible mess up so much? The Puritans just like us deal with a heart that is pulled more towards evil than good. I know that most people hate hearing that. They like to quote all these acts of kindness towards people in 3rd world countries or other social acts. But the reality is acts of kindness are not in our natural nature. We rebel before obey. That is why a savior is so important. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday when we remember the resurrection of Christ. The Son of God who died for our sins and wipes all our sins/rebellion/shame away. I read the quote above and it reminds me how much I want to change myself on my own good ability. But this quote also shows me that I can’t. Every rule or life change or barrier I put up will not help me past the realization that Christ has set me free. Legalism will not take care of the sin. It will just give me an action to make me feel like I am taking care of my own problem.
I had to take a few moments to reflect on this quote especially since it is relevant to this weekend. Also I have to do anything to avoid the paper I am doing. Happy Easter to all!
