New Heroine - Mrs EdwardsShe describes Jonathan Edward's wife as her "new heroine", whom she describes as having been "a very godly and wonderful woman, and she fell under the power of the Spirit of God to such a degree in the 1740's that for 17 days she was insensible. She was drunk as a lord for 17 days. [Emphasis mine] She could do nothing." This is just plain inaccurate. The 17 day period was a wonderful experience for Mrs Edwards, of that there is no doubt. But she was very lucid and aware of what was happening to her. She was not insensible. She herself gives a full account of the things that happened to her during those 17 days. Even when she collapsed, as she did on more than one occasion, she was not unconscious, but overwhelmed with thoughts of either the power of God or the dreadfulness of lack of love of many toward God. Mrs Mumford continues the story by relating to a recent, apparently parallel, incident, then continues. "Jonathan Edwards had 17 days in which his wife was insensible." False statement—she was not insensible. And Mr Edwards wasn't even there! He was away at the time. Let Mrs Mumford continue: "And on one occasion she decided it was time to arise from her bed and try and minister to the household and they had a guest. So she got dressed in her best bib and tucker and she went downstairs lurching [word I cannot discern], and as she passed the study where the door was open, and Jonathan Edwards was talking to his friend about the Lord, as she heard the name of Jesus, her bodily strength left her and she hit the floor. [Laughter from congregation] So they carted her back to bed and there she stayed, and as it said in the history books, no one recorded who made the lunch."
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Copyright © 2002 Homerton Baptist Church. |
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