No. II. Containing a Short Sketch of Mrs EDWARDS'S LIFE and CHARACTER. MRS RS SARAH EDWARDS, the amiable confort of Prefident Edwards, did not long furvive him. In September the fet out in good health on a journey to Philadelphia, to take care of her two orphan grandchildren, which were now in that city; and had been fince the death of Mrs Burr. As they had no relations in those parts, Mrs Edwards proposed to take them into her own family. She arrived there, by the way of Princeton, September 21. in good health, having had a comfortable journey. But in a few days fhe was fuddenly feized with a violent dyfentery, which put an end to her life on the fifth day, October 2. 1758, in the forty-ninth year of her age. She faid not much in her fick nefs, being exercised moft of the time with violent pain. On the morning of the day fhe died, the apprehended her death was near, when the expreffed her entire refignation to God, and defire that God might be glorified in all things; and that fhe might be enabled to glorify him to the laft; and continued in fuch a temper, calm and refigned, till fhe died. Her remains were carried to Princeton, which is about forty miles from Philadelphia, and depofited with Mr. Edwards's. Thus they who were in their lives remarkably lovely and pleafant, in their death were not much divided. Here lie the father and mother, the fon and daughter, who were laid together in the grave, within the pace of a little more than a year, though a few months before their dwelling was more than one hundred and fifty miles apart. Two prefidents of the fame college and their conforts, than whom it will doubtless be hard to find four perfons more valuable aud useful, in a few months are cut off from the earth forever; and by a remarkable providence are put, as it were, into one grave! And we, the furvivors, are left under the gloomy apprehenfion that thefe righteous are taken away from the evil to come. Surely America is greatly emptied by thefe deaths! How much knowledge, wifdom, and holiness is gone from the earth forever! And where are they who shall make good their ground! Mrs Edwards was born in New-Haven, in Connecticut, January 9. 1709-10. Her father was the Rev. Mr James Pierpoint, who was long an eminent, godly, and useful minifter of the gospel at New-Haven*. She was married to Mr Edwards, July 20. 1727, in the eighteenth year of her age. Though Mrs Edwards's full character will not be attempted here, yet it is thought proper to mention a few things, in which fhe excelled, and fet an example worthy the imitation of all. She remembered her creator in the days of her youth and became truly, and remarkably religious at about five years old. Was a more than ordinary beautiful perfon; of a pleasant, agreeable countenance, of an amiable, courteous converfation and behaviour; the law of kindness was in her tongue. She was eminent for her piety and experimental religion. Religious converfation was much her delight, and this fhe promoted in all companies, as far as was proper and decent for her; and her difcourfe fhowed her understanding in divine things, and the great impreffion they had on her mind. The friends of true religion, and they, who were ready to engage in religious converfation, and delighted in that which was most es fential and practical in true religion, were her peculiar friends and intimates. To whom fhe would open her mind freely, and tell them the exercises of her own heart, and what God had done for her foul, for their encouragement and excitement in the ways of God. Her mind appeared to them who were most converfant with *He was the eldest fon of Mr John Pierpoint of Roxbury, who came out of England. Her mother was Mrs Mary Pierpoint, eldest daughter of the Rev. Mr Samuel Hooker, minifter of the gospel at Farmington in Connecticut, and fon of the Rev. Mr Thomas Hooker, once minister of the gospel at Hartford, and famous as a divine through all the churches in England. with her, conftantly to attend to divine things, even · on all occafions, and in all bufinefs of life. The religious duties of the clofet fhe was a great friend to, and took much delight in them. She highly prized focial worship. Was wont to attend the private meetings for religious worship, which were kept up at Northampton while Mr Edwards lived there. And promoted and attended meetings of perfons of her own fex only, in order for prayer and religious converfation. She was a conftant attender on public worship, and behaved with great gravity and ferioufnefs in the houfe of God. She paid proper deference to Mr Edwards, and treated him with decency and refpect at all times. As he was of a weakly, infirm conflitution, and was peculiar and exact in his diet, fhe was a tender nurse to him; cheerfully attending upon him at all times, and minifiring to his comfort; and spared no pains to conform to his inclinations, and make things agreeable and comfortable to him. She accounted it her greateft glory, and that wherein fhe could beft ferve God and her generation, in being a means of promoting Mr Edwards's comfort and ufefulness in this way. And no perfon of difcerning could be converfant in the family without obferving and admiring the great harmony, and mutual love and efteem that fubfifled between them. When the herfelf laboured under bodily diforders and pains, which was often the cafe, fhe was not wont to be full of her complaints, and put on a dejected or four countenance, being out of humour with every body and every thing, as if fhe was difregarded and negleted, but he would bear up under them with patience and a kind of cheerfulness and good humour She was a good economift, managing her household affairs with diferetion; in which fhe was laborious and diligent. She was very careful that nothing fhould be wafted and loft; and often, when fhe did any thing to fave a fmall matter, or directed her children to do it in any inftance, or faw them waste any thing, fhe would mention the words of our Saviour; which, fhe faid, fhe often thought of, as containing a maxim worth remembering; when, as the reason why his difciples fhould gather up the fragments, he fays, THAT NOTHWING BE LOST. She took almoft the whole care of the temporal affairs of the family, without doors and within; and in this fhe was peculiarly fuited to Mr Edwards's difpofition, who chose to have no care of any worldly business. She had an excellent way of governing her children: She knew how to make them regard and obey her cheerfully without loud, angry words, or heavy blows. She feldom ftruck her children a blow; and, in fpeak ing to them, used mild, gentle, and pleasant words. If any correction was needful, it was not her manner to give it in a paffion. And, when fhe had occafion to reprove and rebuke, fhe would do it in few words, without heat and noife, with all calmness and gentlenefs of mind. And in her directions or reproofs, in any matters of importance, fhe would addrefs herfelf to the reason of her children, that they might not only know her inclination and will, but, at the fame time, be convinced of the reasonablenefs of it. She need fpeak but once; fhe was cheerfully obeyed; murmuring and answering again were not known among them: and the kind and gentle treatment they had from their mother, while fhe ftrictly and punctually maintained her parental authority, feemed naturally to beget and promote a filial regard and refpect, and lead them to a mild, tender treatment of each other; for quarreling and contention, as it frequently takes place among children, was not known among them. She carefully obferved the first appearances of refentment and illwill towards any, in her young children; and did not connive at it and promote it, as many who have the care of children do, but was careful to fhow her dif pleafure at it, and fupprefs it to her utmoft; not by angry, wrathful words and blows, which often provoke K. 29 children children to wrath, and ftir up and confirm their irafcible paffions, rather than abate and fupprefs them. As fhe was fenfible, that, in many refpects, the chief care of forming children by government and inftruction, naturally lies on mothers, as they are most with their children in their most pliable age, when they commonly receive impreffions by which they are very much formed for life; fo fhe was very careful to do her part in this important business. And when she met with any special difficulty in this matter, or fore. faw any, fhe was wont to apply to Mr. Edwards for advice and affiftance; and on fuch occafions they would both attend to it as a matter of great importance. But this was not all in which the expreffed her care for her children. She thought that parents had great and important duty to do towards their children before they were capable of government and inftruction. For them she constantly and earneftly prayed, and bore them on her heart before God, in all her fecret and most solemn addreffes to him; and that even before they were born. The evidence of her pregnancy, and confideration that it was with a rationl, immortal creature, which came into existence in an undone, and infinitely dreadful ftate, was fufficient to lead her to bow before God daily for his bleffing on it ; even redemption, and eternal life by Jefus Chrift. So that through all the pain, labour, and forrow, which attended her being the mother of children, fhe was in travail for them, that they might be born of God by having Chrift formed in them. As the law of kindness was in her tongue, so her hands were not withheld from beneficence and charity. She was always a friend and patronefs of the poor and helplefs, and much in acts of charity, as well as recommending it to others on all proper occafions. She was remarkable for her kindness to her friends and vifitants, who reforted to Mr Edwards. She would fpare no pains to make them welcome, and provide for their convenience and comfort: and fhe was peculiarly kind to ftrangers who came to her houfe. She would take fuch |