Ever glow in my breasts to God and them and as I have freely received in times of my distress so let me freely give as God enables and occasion offers. Lord ever open my hand and heart to the sick poor and needy and make me a blessing in my day. O make me extensively useful in my family in my school in the dear society to all around me. Oh let the Lord God almighty delight to own me to use me to set me apart for Himself in secret in private and in every way my proper station admits. (Sarah Osborn’s diary, October 21, 1761)
In last week’s post we recounted Sarah’s life through the early 1760’s when she was in her fifties. Though Sarah was suffering with chronic pain she was continuing to hold meetings in her home that were a blessing to thousands. She was overloaded with work caring for others. Many women might have felt like retiring at this point. But God still had nearly three more decades of service for Sarah.
During the 1760’s the pastor of Sarah’s church lost his wife and fell into alcoholism. The congregation tried to be understanding but more and more services began to take place at Sarah’s home as the congregation avoided the unpleasantness at church. By 1769 Sarah’s home was the spiritual center of the church.
The minister, William Vinal resigned from the pulpit in 1769 after being charged with drunkenness. Over the next two years, temporary pastors came and went to fill the pulpit. Often they ended up preaching at Sarah’s house.
Sarah and the women of the church had founded a female society in 1741. Though the women were not allowed in leadership positions they played significant roles in the affairs of the church. It was through their influence that the church called Reverend Samuel Hopkins to be its minister. Many in the church did not agree with Reverend Hopkins’ ideas, especially about equality for blacks, and the vote to call him as their minister was very close. It failed the first time and succeeded the second time due to the influence of the female society.
Samuel Hopkins knew that it was through Sarah’s influence that he was called and he treated her as one of his most trusted friends and confidantes. In fact, when her illness prevented her from being able to walk to church he preached at her house. This was not seen as unusual, since Sarah’s house had been the spiritual center of the church for many years anyway.
Now that the church had a full time minister, Sarah stopped holding all of the weekly meetings at her house. She still met with the women’s society and prayed with them regularly. As her health declined, Rev. Hopkins took over most of the meetings.
Samuel Hopkins became convinced that slavery was sinful. Sarah had not questioned the morality of slaveholding even though she believed that black people were equal as Christians with whites. Prejudice against color was one thing and slavery, though related, was quite another. Sarah had become convinced that slavery was sinful and she joined with Samuel Hopkins in his work against slavery.
Many people considered slavery a fact of life. They did not agree that it was morally wrong and Sarah lost a few friends because of her stance in favor of the blacks. Sometime during this period of her life she composed a poem expressing her heartfelt belief:
New wonders still! Lo, here are they,
Unjustly brought from Africa!
They’ve heard the gospel’s joyful sound,
Though lost indeed they now are found.
Those we see here who once have been
Made slaves to man by horrid sin.
Now through rich grace in Christ are free,
Forever set at liberty.
When the colonies went to war against Britain for their independence (1776 – 1783) Sarah was in her sixties. In Newport poverty and destruction of property and life abounded. The 
winter of 1779 was extremely cold. Americans remember it as the time when George Washington was worried about his troops freezing to death. British soldiers had been known to freeze to death at their posts. Newport residents feared that they would not survive the winter. There were no jobs, high taxes, and the British commandeered what little food they had. Pews in churches were ripped out to provide fuel for their fires. Many people just moved away looking for a better life. The population of Newport decreased from over 9,000 residents to 5,530.
Sarah did not think she would outlast the war. Henry died in 1778 at the age of ninety-three. Sarah thought she would soon follow but God had more work for her to do. Sarah did not wish to move. The interior of the First Church had been gutted, so Sarah’s home again became the spiritual center of the church. The friends that she had blessed over the years now returned the blessing and gave her food and fuel to keep warm by.
When the devastating war was finally over Sarah looked to God to somehow bring good out of evil. Sarah had always believed that God truly loved her and wanted the best for her. She concentrated on God’s grace and blessings. Always wanting to be a blessing to others, she continued to comfort the poor and needy for nearly two more decades.
Sarah continued to write with help from friends. Her eyesight was failing and she could no longer keep a diary. Incapacitated by her illness she began a prayer ministry. Her friends and acquaintances assured her that her prayers touched many other lives.
Sarah died quietly in her room on August 2, 1796 at the age of eighty-two. Like many people Sarah hoped that her life would have made a difference to others. She hoped that the memoirs that she had written would encourage people to keep on trusting God no matter what happened.
Near the end of her life she wrote, “I know that my Redeemer liveth (Job 19:25), and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. O transporting thought! O glorious resurrection! Then I shall gaze to eternity. Then I shall drink my fill. Then I shall be like him, for I shall see him as he is.”
Sarah’s life did make a difference to others. She put others before herself. Through all of her sorrows and afflictions she gave the glory to God and did not let her own suffering prevent her from sharing the love of Christ in many ways. In 1826 the women of the First Church of Christ changed the name of the society that Sarah had founded from the Female Praying Society to the Osborn Society.
Like Sarah Osborn we should never despair. She is an encouragement to us to see God’s love in every area of our lives.
