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Edward Taylor
Edward Taylor (circa 1642 – June 29, 1729) was an English-born American preacher, poet, and physician whose ministry and writings made him a significant figure in colonial Puritanism. Born in Sketchley, Leicestershire, England, to William, a yeoman farmer, and Margaret Taylor, he grew up in a Nonconformist family during the Commonwealth period. After losing both parents—his mother in 1657 and father in 1658—he worked as a schoolmaster until the 1662 Act of Uniformity barred him from teaching due to his refusal to conform to the Church of England. In 1668, he emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony, enrolling at Harvard College in 1671, where he graduated with a divinity degree. Taylor’s preaching career began when he accepted a call in 1671 to serve as minister in Westfield, Massachusetts, a frontier town he led for over 50 years. His sermons, over 60 of which survive, emphasized God’s grace and the believer’s relationship with Christ, reflecting his role in administering communion and defending orthodox Congregationalism against liberalizing trends like those of Solomon Stoddard. Alongside preaching, he wrote over 200 Preparatory Meditations, poetic reflections on Scripture, though he forbade their publication, and they remained unknown until 1937. Married twice—first to Elizabeth Fitch in 1674, who bore eight children before her death in 1689, then to Ruth Willys in 1692, with whom he had six—he died at age 87 in Westfield, leaving a legacy as a devoted pastor and one of America’s earliest literary voices.
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Edward Taylor's sermon emphasizes the infinite nature of God's glory and the inadequacy of human praise in comparison. He reflects on the idea that even if the entire world were to be atomized into countless particles, the number of praises offered to God would still be immeasurable. Taylor contemplates the magnitude of praise that could be offered if each atom represented a pious man, each man had multiple tongues, and each tongue sang numerous songs of praise. Despite our limitations and shortcomings, Taylor acknowledges God's compassion in transforming us from sinful beings to ones capable of offering praise, albeit imperfectly.
Our Insufficiency to Praise God Suitably, for His Mercy.
Should all the World so wide to atoms fall Should th'Aire be shred to motes, should we Se all the Earth hackt here so small That none Could smaller bee? Should Heaven, and Earth be Atomizd, we guess The Number of these Motes were numberless. But should we then a World each Atom deem, Where dwell as many pious men As all these Motes the world Could teem Were it shred into them?. Each Atom would the World surmount wee guess Whose men in number would be numberless. But had each pious man, as many Tongues At singing all together then The Praise that to the Lord belongs As all these Atoms men? Each man would sing a World of Praise, we guess, Whose Tongues in number would be numberless. And had each Tongue, as many Songs of Praise To sing to the Almighty ALL As all these men have Tongues to raise To him their Holy Call? Each Tongue would tune a World of Praise, we guess Whose songs in number would be numberless. Nay, had each song as many Tunes most sweet Or one intwisting in't as many, As all these Tongues have songs most meet Unparallelld by any? Each song a world of Musick makes we guess Whose Tunes in number would be numberless. Now should all these Conspire in us that we Could breath such Praise to thee, Most High? Should we thy Sounding Organs be To ring such Melody? Our Musick would the World of Worlds out ring Yet be unfit within thine Eares to ting. Thou didst us mould, and us new mould when wee Were worse than mould we tread upon. Nay Nettles made by Sin wee bee. Yet hadst Compassion. Thou hast pluckt out our Stings; and by degrees Hast of us, lately Wasps, made Lady-Bees. Though e're our Tongues thy Praises due can fan A Weevle with the World may fly, Yea fly away: and with a span We may out mete the Sky. Though what we can is but a Lisp, We pray Accept thereof. We have no better pay.
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Edward Taylor (circa 1642 – June 29, 1729) was an English-born American preacher, poet, and physician whose ministry and writings made him a significant figure in colonial Puritanism. Born in Sketchley, Leicestershire, England, to William, a yeoman farmer, and Margaret Taylor, he grew up in a Nonconformist family during the Commonwealth period. After losing both parents—his mother in 1657 and father in 1658—he worked as a schoolmaster until the 1662 Act of Uniformity barred him from teaching due to his refusal to conform to the Church of England. In 1668, he emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony, enrolling at Harvard College in 1671, where he graduated with a divinity degree. Taylor’s preaching career began when he accepted a call in 1671 to serve as minister in Westfield, Massachusetts, a frontier town he led for over 50 years. His sermons, over 60 of which survive, emphasized God’s grace and the believer’s relationship with Christ, reflecting his role in administering communion and defending orthodox Congregationalism against liberalizing trends like those of Solomon Stoddard. Alongside preaching, he wrote over 200 Preparatory Meditations, poetic reflections on Scripture, though he forbade their publication, and they remained unknown until 1937. Married twice—first to Elizabeth Fitch in 1674, who bore eight children before her death in 1689, then to Ruth Willys in 1692, with whom he had six—he died at age 87 in Westfield, leaving a legacy as a devoted pastor and one of America’s earliest literary voices.