On Edwards’ Porch

After the death of his son-in-law, Jonathan Edwards took office as the third president of Princeton University. Today, Stephen Nichols discusses the short yet impactful tenure that Edwards held at this institution.

Welcome back to another episode of 5 Minutes in Church History. For this episode, I’m on location. I’m standing on the porch of the President’s house on the campus of Princeton University. Jonathan Edwards came here at the end of January in 1758. He reluctantly came here. His son-in-law was the previous president, Aaron Burr, and when he died, the trustees of the College of New Jersey, as it was then known, sent the letter inviting Edwards to succeed him as president. Well, Edwards didn’t want to leave Stockbridge. He loved ministering to the Mohicans and the Mohawks that were there at Stockbridge. He had a number of writing projects that he wanted to tackle, and he did not want to come here. He submitted the decision to the Ministerial Association. The congregational churches up in New England at that time functioned very much like Presbyterian churches, and the Ministerial Association was very much like a presbytery.

Edwards submitted the decision to them, and they thought for the good of the church and the potential impact that Edwards could have, that he should come here, take the position and be president. He arrived in January 1758, and he was active as president for about five weeks. In the month of February, he preached a few sermons. His final sermon was on June 6th. On February 16, he met with the trustees, and at the conclusion of that meeting, he was installed as the third president of the College of New Jersey. He wrote up a list of theological questions for the senior students. The idea is that he would give them these questions, they would have the full term to study these questions and research the answers, and then at the end of the term, he would quiz them on all of those questions.

Well, at the end of February, he partook of a smallpox inoculation. A few days later, he contracted smallpox. It began on the roof of his mouth. It then traveled throughout his mouth and also through his throat. This was very painful for Edwards. And as he had this and as it restricted his throat, he was not able to eat, and eventually he was not able to even take a drink. He died, essentially, of starvation and dehydration, and it was here in this home. Then it was called the Maclean House. Now it’s called the President’s House. It was here in this home that he died on the second floor and the windows that are facing Nassau Hall to the right. Edward’s death is a testimony to his faithfulness in life. Some of his final words were transcribed by his daughter, Lucy, who was with him, and by the Dr. William Shippen, a doctor from Philadelphia who was tending him.

Sarah was back in Stockbridge. She was gonna sell off some family property, settle the family affairs, and then the plan was for her to join Edwards in the spring. But at the time of his death, they were separated. He spoke in that letter or in those final words, rather of the uncommon union that was this marriage that he had with Sarah. And he expressed that while they were separated now, he trusted that someday they would be reunited again. He then committed Sarah to the care of God and trusted that she would rest in God's will. When Edwards was buried in March 22nd, 1758, not far from here at the Princeton Cemetery, the next year, the inscription that was written for him covered the entire top of the grave. It listed the accomplishments of Edwards, and then it went on to extol his virtues, spoke of him as an eminent theologian, spoke of the precision of his mind, spoke of his passion for the truth, spoke of his dramatic preaching and the impact it had. And then at the very end of that inscription, the inscription turns to the one reading it and gives a command, “Go now stranger and follow in the pious footsteps of Jonathan Edwards and his example as a faithful disciple of Christ.” Well, that is the final weeks of Jonathan Edwards' life spent here at Princeton in New Jersey. And I'm Steve Nichols, and thanks for joining us for 5 Minutes in Church History.