A Call to the College of New Jersey

In early 1758 Jonathan Edwards, already known as a pastor-theologian of unusual clarity and seriousness, was newly called to lead the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in Princeton. The school stood at the crossroads of training ministers and shaping public life in the colonies, and its leaders sought a president whose character matched the weight of the task. Edwards accepted the summons with reluctance and humility, leaving a settled ministry to serve a wider good.

Inoculation and Providence

Smallpox threatened towns and campuses with swift contagion and grief. In that setting, Edwards submitted to inoculation on February 23, 1758—an early medical precaution intended to protect students, neighbors, and the institution entrusted to him. His decision joined prudence with submission: using lawful means while resting in God’s rule over outcomes. “A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:31)

Complications followed. Rather than gaining protection, Edwards contracted smallpox and weakened rapidly. The same man who taught that God governs every moment now faced the nearness of death, not as a theory but as a personal trial. Princeton, meant to be a place of new labor, became the place of his final illness.

Death and Final Witness

Edwards died on March 22, 1758. His passing, coming just after his appointment, displayed how quickly earthly plans can be cut short and how firmly Christian hope can stand when they are. “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Romans 14:8)

His quiet heroism was not in spectacle but in service: choosing a course aimed at the safety of others, accepting risk without presumption, and meeting weakness with faith. His life continued to preach what he long urged upon others—humility, courage, love of neighbor, and steady confidence that Christ’s work outlasts every unfinished assignment.

Enduring Significance

Though his presidency was brief, the example remained: God may redirect even the best-laid callings, yet no faithful obedience is wasted. Edwards’s death at Princeton stands as a sober reminder that providence is not fragile, and that the gospel endures when servants fall asleep in hope.