A PERSONAL LETTER FROM WASHINGTON FILLED WITH SCRIPTURE

Since most of this chapter consists of various snippets of letters, let’s look at an example of a short letter in its entirety with an eye to scriptural references. Washington wrote a personal letter to his dear friend Marquis de Lafayette (a small portion of which we cited earlier in this chapter) in which he uses several different biblical allusions in the same correspondence. This is not the result of a speech writer. It is totally private, purely Washington, and remarkably saturated with scripture. To Marquis de Lafayette, July 25, 1785.

As the clouds which overspread your hemisphere are dispersing, and peace with all its concomitants is dawning upon your Land, I will banish the sound of War from my letter: I wish to see the sons and daughters of the world in Peace and busily employed in the more agreeable amusement of fulfilling the first and great commandment, Increase and Multiply: as an encouragement to which we have opened the fertile plains of the Ohio to the poor, the needy and the oppressed of the Earth; any one therefore who is heavy laden, or who wants land to cultivate, may repair thither and abound, as in the Land of promise, with milk and honey: the ways are preparing, and the roads will be made easy, thro’ the channels of Potomac and James river.⁶⁶ (emphasis ours)

Here are some of the biblical allusions:

1) increase and multiply (Genesis 1:28)

2) first and great commandment (Matthew 22:38)

3) poor and needy (Deuteronomy 24:14)

4) heavy laden (Matthew 11:28)

5) land of promise (Exodus 12:25)

6) with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8)

7) ways are preparing (Isaiah 40:3)

EXTENSIVE BIBLICAL ALLUSIONS REFLECTING MASTERY OF THE BIBLE

There are several other examples we could use of several different themes from the Bible. When one looks at all these he can see that here was a man very familiar with the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, who was clearly communicating to men and women that he expected to be likewise familiar with the sacred volume.

Adam & Eve (Genesis 3)

To Mrs. Annis Boudinot Stockton, September 2, 1783:

“….You see Madam, when once the Woman has tempted us and we have tasted the forbidden fruit, there is no such thing as checking our appetites, whatever the consequences may be.”⁶⁷

A Time for All Things (Ecclesiastes 3:17)

To George Washington Parke Custis, June 13, 1798, in a reference Washington makes to the wise teacher who wrote Ecclesiastes, sometimes identified as Solomon.

“Recollect again the saying of the wise man, ‘There is a time for all things,’ and sure I am this is not a time for a boy of your age [emphasis in the original] to enter into engagements which might end in sorrow and repentance.”⁶⁸ (“Sorrow and repentance” is a further biblical allusion to 2 Corinthians 7: 10.)

Blessings of Heaven (Genesis 49:25)

From a proposed address to Congress:

“…the blessings of Heaven showered thick around us…”⁶⁹

Count the Cost (Luke 14:28-33)

Jesus told two parables to the effect that those who were thinking about becoming his disciples should first sit down and count the cost (See Luke 14:28-33). To his largely Christian audience, Washington could refer to this text and instantly they would understand what he meant. It’s almost like today’s mass media or movies. Someone could say someone had a “Grinch-like” attitude toward the holidays, and we instantly know what he means. So in the same way, when Washington (and the settlers and the founders in general) spoke, it was in a biblically literate milieu.

To The Secretary At War, January 5, 1785:

“In humble imitation of the wise man, I have set me down to count the cost…”⁷⁰

No Peace in Israel (Jeremiah 6:14)

To Gov. Jonathan Trumbull, August 30, 1799:

“I will venture to predict, without the gift of “second sight” that there will be “no peace in Israel.” Or, in other words, that the restless, ambitious, and Intriguing spirit of that People, will keep the United States in a continual state of Warfare with the numerous tribes of Indians that inhabit our Frontiers.”⁷¹

Righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34)

–AND–

The Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16)

To the German Lutherans of Philadelphia, April 27, 1789:

“I flatter myself opportunities will not be wanting for me to shew my disposition to encourage the domestic and public virtues of industry, oeconomy, patriotism, philanthropy, and that righteousness which exalteth a nation. . . and amidst all the vicissitudes that may await me in this mutable state of existence, I shall earnestly desire the continuation of an interest in your intercessions at the Throne of Grace.”⁷²

Recoil on their Own Head (Psalm 7:15-16)

To Colonel Adam Stephen, July 20, 1776:

“Dear Sir: Your Letter of the 4th. came duly to hand. I thank you for yr. kind congratulations on the discovery of the vile Machinations of still viler Ministerial Agents. I hope the untimely fruit of their Intentions will in the end recoil upon their own heads…”⁷³

Rise as One Man (Judges 20:8)

To Theodorick Bland, July 8, 1781:

“Would to God they could rise as one Man, and extirpate Lord Cornwallis and his whole Band.”⁷⁴

Haman’s Gallows (Esther 6:4)

To President Joseph Reed, December 12, 1778:

“…the most attrocious of each State was hung in Gibbets upon a gallows five times as high as the one prepared by Haman.”⁷⁵

To Open the Eyes of the Blind (John 10:21)

To The Secretary of State, April 16, 1798:

“….One would think that the measure of infamy was filled, and the profligacy of, and corruption in the system pursued by the French Directory, required no further disclosure of the principles by which it is actuated than what is contained in the above Dispatches, to open the eyes of the blindest”;⁷⁶

Blind the Eyes of the Enemy (2 Kings 6:12-20)

To Joseph Reed, January 14, 1776:

“….If I shall be able to rise superior to these and many other difficulties, which might be enumerated, I shall most religiously believe, that the finger of Providence is in it, to blind the eyes of our enemies; for surely if we get well through this month, it must be for want of their knowing the disadvantages we labour under.”⁷⁷

Blessing vs. Curses (Deuteronomy 28)