A Puritan would search every event of life for a sign of whether they were one of God's chosen elect. They believed that only a small percentage of people were predestined to be saved through Christ's limited atonement, and that the rest of humankind was doomed to eternal suffering for its sins. Although no one can influence whether they are one of the saved or not, the elect saints always persevere in the paths of righteousness. Therefore, the Puritans would be extremely devout, in hopes that they were, indeed, among the select minority. Every word, thought, action, decision, and outside influence was dissected into possible signs of their eternal fate. For a Puritan, the purpose of life was to act as though they were a true saint, in hopes that it would prove true.
