On July 28, 1727, a tall, thin man married a lovely 17-year-old girl. The groom was Jonathan Edwards, who became a great preacher and writer. The bride was Sarah Pierrepont, who became a great lady. Sarah soon became the mother of a little girl, who was named Sarah after her mother. Then came Jerusha, Esther, Mary, Lucy, and Timothy, their first boy. Then came five more children, making eleven! Of course Sarah’s family was very busy, making clothes and washing them, growing food and cooking it, dipping candles and lighting them, and making birch tree brooms and sweeping with them. They washed, combed, and dyed the wool for knitting sweaters (the purple paper the sugar came in made good purple dye), and even made the soap for their baths. Her children learned to help, so that each one had his specialties. (One of Mary’s was making hot chocolate!) A household servant named Ruth was a great help, too.

In those days, travelers often stayed with the minister in whatever town they reached by nightfall, so Sarah had many visitors. In fact, more and more people planned their travels so they could stop at the Edwards home in Northampton, Massachusetts.

One winter, a shy young man named Samuel Hopkins came to live with them so that he could study with Mr. Edwards. He observed the family having Scripture reading and prayer in the morning and evening, and he saw the love of God in their home. But he was not yet a child of God himself, and stayed gloomily in his room much of the time.

Sarah noticed this and knocked on his door one day. She explained to him that, since he was a member of the family for a time, she cared about him and wanted to know what was troubling him. He replied that he was “in a Christless, graceless state.” He poured out his troubled heart to her. She assured him that she had been praying for him and was sure that God would give him light and comfort and do great things by him. M Hopkins did become a Christian, and learned much from Mrs. Edwards. His memoirs tell about Sarah’s cheerful, quiet way with her family.

Sarah’s husband wrote that she did her daily work as part of her service to God, as important as praying to Him. You’ll understand why Sarah Edwards was great in God’s sight when you remember that Jesus said, “The greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 20:11).