2. Accordingly, Washington believed that heaven was active in the affairs of his life, and so in this sense it was a synonym for Providence: “interposing hands of heaven,” “events produced by heaven,” “events left to heaven”; “Heaven saves” or “rescues,” “helps” (3x), “Heaven assist me” (1x), “protects” (5x). And “an appeal to heaven” (3x), was a synonym for a prayer that was offered at the time of battle.
3. The graciousness of heaven was captured by Washington with phrases such as “blessings of heaven” (10x), “smiles of heaven” (11x), “under the smiles of heaven” (2x), “favor of heaven” (5x), “fostering influence of heaven” (1x), “as heaven could flourish” (1x), “heaven crowns blessings” (3x), “bountiful heaven” (1x), “benediction of heaven” (1x), “indulgent care of heaven” (1x), “gracious indulgence of heaven” (1x), “not forsaken by heaven” (1x), “that heaven may continue to you...” (1x). By way of contrast, the nation was reminded that it must consider “the vengeance of heaven.” (1x). Washington also used a figure of speech comparing romantic love to heaven: “heaven taken its abode on earth.”
4. Washington understood that the work of heaven was sovereign. This is reflected by these phrases, each of which was used once: “Heaven determined,” “heaven ordains,” “heaven has spared us,” “the will of heaven whose decrees are always just and wise,” “heaven inspires,” “approved by heaven,” “heaven points out,” “precepts of heaven,” “under heaven” (2x), “moving heaven and earth.”
5. Washington wrote of the “road to heaven,” “to repent and be forgiven are the precepts of heaven,” [emphasis in the original] and “in the hope of an approving heaven” giving expression to the basic ideas of Christian teaching on salvation.
6. Man’s response to heaven is “gratitude” (4x), “sincere acknowledgement” (1x), and “dependence upon heaven” (1x).
Based upon Washington’s extensive use of the idea of heaven, it is clear that he held to the concept of the efficacy of prayer and the Providential care of God, according to God’s own purposes in history. Because of this vital interconnection between heaven and earth, Washington called on men to have a grateful dependence upon God. Further, Washington affirmed that there was a “road to heaven”40 for man, and stated that “to repent and be forgiven are the precepts of Heaven,”41 and that there was a “hope of an approving heaven.”42 Given this Christian doctrinal matrix that is woven throughout his writings, we must thus take Washington’s affirmations of eternal life and eternal destiny in the historic Christian sense. To refuse to do so is to uproot Washington from the historic milieu in which he lived as an Anglican Christian and as a Christian Mason—each of which were deeply committed to immortality.
Not only did Washington have an understanding of heaven, but as we saw in the chapter on Washington’s Christian world view, he also had an extensive recognition of the Christian doctrines of the last things. Washington’s phrases that reflect the Christian understanding of the last things, or what is called eschatology by theologians, include the following:
• Raise the dead43
• Send to life eternal44
• Throne of grace45
• Reward of good and faithful servant46
• Separation of wheat and tares47
• Blessings of a gracious God upon the righteous48
• Wise man counts the cost49
• The millennial state50
• Last trump51
• Until the globe itself is dissolved52
Given all of this, did Washington have a belief in an afterlife in heaven? It seems to us he did. Consider, for example, Washington’s remark about the usefulness of conscience:
Conscience again seldom comes to a Mans aid while he is in the zenith of health, and revelling in pomp and luxury upon ill gotten spoils; it is generally the last act of his life and comes too late to be of much service to others here, or to himself hereafter.53
In light of Washington’s extensive commitment to Christian eschatology, it does not seem inconsistent to understand him to be committed to immortality and eternal life when he speaks of this concept.
WASHINGTON ON IMMORTALITY
Given the Christian understanding of heaven that is at the heart of Washington’s perspective, we must take his claims for belief in immortality seriously. He speaks of immortality from a philosophical standpoint: “You see how selfish I am, and that I am too much delighted with the result to perplex my head much in seeking for the cause. But, with Cicero in speaking respecting his belief of the immortality of the Soul, I will say, if I am in a grateful delusion, it is an innocent one, and I am willing to remain under its influence.”54 But he also speaks of immortality with a Christian vocabulary as well: “May the felicity of the Magistracy and Inhabitants of this Corporation, be only limited by the duration of time, and exceeded by the fruition of a glorious immortality.”55 Consistent with this, Washington also uses phrases such as “the other world,”56 “eternal happiness,”57 “the Sweet Innocent Girl [his step-daughter Patsy] Entered into a more happy and peaceful abode than she has met with in the afflicted Path she hitherto has trod,”58 “happier clime,”59 “happier place,”60 “happiness here and hereafter,”61 “heaven’s favours here and hereafter,”62 and “must be happy.”63 Also, in Washington’s reciprocal prayers, he affirms the ideas of a heavenly rest,64 the salvation through the Lamb of God.65 We have also encountered his use of the concepts of the hope of religion,66 the hope of the approbation of heaven,67 the reward of good and faithful servants,68 the throne of grace,69 “the gates of eternity,”70 and “life eternal,” and “eternal happiness.”71 To these can be added his phrases “land of spirits,”72 “world of spirits,”73 and the classical name “Elysium,”74 the abode of the honored dead.
“When the summons comes I shall endeavor to obey it with good grace.”
Given Washington’s extensive use of the term “heaven,” and the doctrinal ideas that he coupled with it, these multiple phrases are clearly intended to be taken in the sense that a Christian would have normally used them. Simply put, when Washington’s writings are taken in his own context, not in the context of secular doubt, then it is completely evident that he was an advocate of immortality. As we have already seen, even the Deists of Washington’s day believed as much. Certainly the Christian Masons did as well. It is simply time to dismiss the evasions that have been put forward on this topic by many contemporary historians of Washington.
WASHINGTON’S PREPARATION FOR DEATH
Washington’s preparation for death was not only somber, there was even a bit of good-natured humor that was shared by Washington and founding father Robert Morris. (Morris was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was known as the financier of the American Revolution. Furthermore, Washington stayed with him during the summer of 1787, when the Constitution was written). Apparently the two made a pact not to die before 1800. Washington only missed his lighthearted promise by a few weeks, since he died on December 14, 1799. (Morris died in 1806.)
On September 22, 1799, just eleven weeks before he died, we find Washington preparing for death as he writes to nephew Burgess Ball from Mount Vernon who had informed him of the death of George’s brother:
Your letter of the 16th inst. has been received, informing me of the death of my brother [Charles Washington]. The death of near relations always produces awful and affecting emotions, under whatsoever circumstances it may happen. That of my brother has been so long expected, and his latter days so uncomfortable to himself [that they] must have prepared all around him for the stroke though painful in the effect.
I was the first, and am, now, the last of my father’s children by the second marriage who remain. When I shall be called upon to follow them, is known only to the Giver of Life. When the summons comes I shall endeavor to obey it with good grace.75 (emphasis in the original)
These words quietly reflect several Christian ideas. Death for Washington is not just a natural or unavoidable occurrence that is borne with a stoic or Deistic indifference of unyielding resolve. Rather, Washington believed that his death would occur when he was “called upon” by the “Giver of Life,” who issues a “summons” that he intended to “obey with good grace.” Each of these phrases reflects an element of Christian biblical teaching:
• called” upon (Romans 8:28)
• by the “Giver of Life” (Job 1:21)
• who issues a “summons” (Luke 12:20)
• that he intended to “obey with good grace” (Matthew 26:39)
Washington’s language is consistent with the lifelong education that he had from his religious tradition and the books he held in his library that addressed this topic. As mentioned before, the childhood family spiritual text read by Mary Washington to her family was Sir Matthew Hale’s Contemplations Moral and Divine addressed this topic. “Of Our Consideration Of Our Latter End,” the first study in Hale’s work, finishes with these words:
...we are to be thankful for our life, and not be desirous to leave our Post, our Station, our Business, our Life, till our Lord call us to himself in the ordinary way of his Providence; for he is the only Lord of our lives, and we are not the Lords of our own lives.76
Washington’s words also seem to echo another book he had in his library entitled, The Sick Man Visited. It was published in London in 1745 by the Reverend Nathanael Spinkes, the Prebendary (that is, one who received a stipend from the Church) of Sarum. His prayer “For One of Middle Age” says,
Suffer me not to set my affections upon any thing here below, but upon the eternal enjoyment of thee, and thine inestimable rewards in Heaven; nor to reckon upon the wonted vigour of my age, but upon my present inability, and the nearness I am possibly in to death, and a future state. Teach me a perfect submission to thy holy Will, that I may account of life, only as an opportunity of doing thee farther services; and may use it whilst continued to me, to be in a great readiness for death, that whensover that comes, I may receive its summons without surprise, and may willingly quit all that I have here, to depart, and be with Christ, which is far better. My time at best is short; but if thou art pleased to make it shorter than might have been expected, by taking me away in the midst of my days, I commit myself into thy hands, to do with me as seemeth thee good. Only, I beseech thee, remove me not hence, til thou shalt have fitted me for a better and more lasting state, through Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.77
And Washington’s words above (about his readiness to die) also reflect the classic prayer of “The Order For The Visitation Of The Sick” in 1662 The Book of Common Prayer that says, “...give him grace so to take thy visitation, that, after this painful life ended, he may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”78
