Tradition has it that this letter from Jonathon Edwards to his future wife, Sarah, was written in 1723. This would have put Sarah Pierpont at age 13, and Jonathan Edwards, at 20 years of age. Although they were not married until 1727, Jonathan was clearly smitten by young Sarah.
The letter spoke volumes to me (and convicted me deeply) about the heart of a virtuous woman who loves her Lord. Is my heart stricken with this kind of devotion to Jesus? Am I transferring this undying devotion to my children? Are my daughters smitten with Him because of my example?
“They say there is a young lady in [New Haven] who is beloved of that almighty Being, who made and rules the world, and that there are certain seasons in which this great Being, in some way or other invisible, comes to her and fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight, and that she hardly cares for anything, except to meditate on him–that she expects after a while to be received up where he is, to be raised out of the world and caught up into heaven; being assured that he loves her too well to let her remain at a distance from him always. There she is to dwell with him, and to be ravished with his love, favor and delight, forever.
Therefore, if you present all the world before her, with the richest of its treasures, she disregards it and cares not for it, and is unmindful of any pain or affliction. She has a strange sweetness in her mind, and sweetness of temper, uncommon purity in her affections; is most just and praiseworthy in all her actions; and you could not persuade her to do anything thought wrong or sinful, if you would give her all the world, lest she should offend this great Being.
She is of a wonderful sweetness, calmness and universal benevolence of mind; especially after those times in which this great God has manifested himself to her mind. She will sometimes go about, singing sweetly, from place to [place]; and seems to be always full of joy and pleasure, and no one knows for what. She loves to be alone, and to wander in the fields and on the mountains, and seems to have someone invisible always conversing with her.”
9 comments
Blessings to you, Kelly.
This was pleasant reading.
After reading Jonathon’s letter that you posted, I went looking for more information about Sarah.
Came across this site on the internet:
“Portraits of American Women in Religion”
http://www.librarycompany.org/women/
portraits_religion/intro.htm
Beautifully Spirited Christian Women. Interesting reading.
OMG, this is beautiful! Thanks for sharing! Imagine receiving a letter like that…….wowsa!
Deanna,
Those are some amazing portraits…thanks for sharing that link.
Beautiful!
I love this Kelly, and it is my hearts’ cry to not just have these things said about me but to *be* these things.
I’m really hungry now 😉 I’ll give a try to this cook…
Kelly,
I know this post is years old and I’m not sure that you’ll see this comment, but I thought I should mention that this was actually not a letter to Sarah Pierpont but a reflection of an evidently love-stricken and distracted Johnathan Edward’s found in his college notebook about her. (Sources: Marriage to a Difficult Man & Extraordinary Women and their Faithful God) It’s very sweet indeed! It made me mourn my wasted girlhood, yet also filled me with hope and vision for what God can do.
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