For years I have wanted to visit the grave of Jonathan Edwards, one of my heroes of the faith. I have long been an Edwards enthusiast, and even did my D.Min. dissertation on “The Pastoral Theology of Jonathan Edwards.” I have visited some of the other important places from his life such as Northampton, MA, Stockbridge, MA, and New Haven, Connecticut. However, I had never been to Princeton Cemetery in New Jersey, where Edwards was laid to rest.

Well, two weeks ago my wife and I were headed to the Jersey Shore for our anniversary, and we took a slight detour, in order to see Edwards’ grave. Princeton Cemetery was easy enough to find, but it did take us a while to find his grave on a day that was particularly hot. We were thankful for a cemetery worker who pointed us in the right direction. I realize that for many of you Edwards is relatively unknown. Perhaps you have read or heard about his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” but beyond that your knowledge is limited. I hope to post more about him in the future, including to a short biography. But for now, you can check out the pictures below.

Here is yours truly next to Edwards’ Grave. As you can see, it’s not very elaborate.

Not sure what it says on top because it is in Latin, but it says a lot!

Here is Edwards’ grandson Aaron Burr Jr.’s gravesite. He was a Founding Father, and the third Vice President of the US under Thomas Jefferson. He is infamous for his dual with Alexander Hamilton in 1804. Edwards’ grave is right behind on the left.

Lastly, this is John Witherspoon’s grave just a couple down from Edwards’. Not only was he president of Princeton, but he was also a Founding Father, and the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence.