Osborn wrote about her experience during the First Great Awakening, reviving aspects of religion and a spiritual pilgrimage.
[1] She would eventually go on to write a series of memoirs, which were later preserved by Samuel Hopkins, entitled Memoirs of the Life of Mrs. Sarah Osborn, Who Died in Newport, on the Second Day of August 1796 First written on 1742 at the age of 29 as a way to deal with life's difficulties, she quickly became aware of her work's value, and later "emerged as the leader of a remarkable religious revival that brought as many as five hundred people-including large numbers of enslaved people-to her house each week."
Dedicated to the teachings of Nathaniel Clap, a preacher who believed in personal holiness, Osborn stood independent from her parent's wishes to maintain the religion of The Second Church.
She considered herself a “feeble worthless worm,” “guilty,” “wretched,” “a monster in sin,” and “worthless.”[2][3] This led Osborn to feel despair and eventually struggle with suicidal thoughts.
While experiencing personal hardships, she started the “Religious Female Society,” which focused on keeping the church alive.
Osborn was closely aligned with Calvinist beliefs and criticized other denominations that were either too relaxed or too strict in their interpretation of God.
Enclosed within her diary are the musings of a troubled and complicated woman who experienced a great deal of hardship and, in turn, wanted to show that her life had meaning through the "grace of God."
Through all the trials and tribulations Osborn wrote about, she describes her life as “evidence of God.”[2] Her background in experiencing poverty through her late husband, encountering the death of her child, depression, and chronic illness made her realize the truth of God.
[2] Her interracial meetings allowed Osborn to influence many slaves, such as Occramar Marycoo, to read, write, and preach.
[1] With the continual work of the teachings to the slaves, Sarah Osborn eventually understood the monstrous stories behind slavery and was an advocate for abolition.
[3] Forming the Religious Female Society in the seventeenth century, she welcomed women concerned for their spiritual souls and would aid in fostering them to salvation through faith.
Osborn's ability to preach to women became so popular that she traveled across southern New England to speak at religious meetings.
Humanism provides an optimistic view for believers and boasts individualism, which Sarah Osborn rejected.
So, The Enlightenment reinforced the ideas of male culture and was a prominent platform for elite men to share their thoughts.
The Great Awakening was a religious revival movement in the Americas during the 1730s and 1740s that included emotional preaching, personal experience, and salvation through grace.
Greatly influenced by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, it shared its importance in a second rebirth, something Osborn appealed to.
Osborn's personal experience with The Great Awakening allowed her to think more deeply about the languages used during preaching and the role of feminine tradition.
Using personal experience and the teachings of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Gilbert Tennent, Sarah Osborn worked under the First Church in forming revival groups, bringing together New Light and New Divinity Christians.
[1] In the 1760s, Osborn established the Religious Female Society in the seventeenth century, encouraging women to be weary of their spiritual souls.
[1] The First Great Awakening solidified Sarah Osborn's theology and allowed her to become a prominent figure in New England.
Sarah Osborn's memoirs and diaries have been published with great thanks to Samuel Hopkins, a New Light pastor.
The publication of Osborn's personal work provided evidence for God's existence and encouraged forthcoming ideas in the Second Great Awakening.