I Wasn’t Built To Be A Prisoner

Isaiah 61

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Yesterday we remembered the infamous signing of our nation’s Declaration of Independence. A document that claimed freedom from the oppression the colonies were enduring from England. Tension between the Colonialist and the British Army often sparked battles throughout New England.

In 1754 at age sixteen, Sarah and Patrick were married. Nearly a year later, Sarah gave birth to her first child Martha and by 1771, the couple had six children together.

Sarah Shelton started to show signs of mental illness after the birth of her last child, Edward (whom many called Neddy). Patrick Henry's mother sent a letter to his sister which stated, "We feel Sarah is losing her mind after the birth of little Neddy". We know today that she was probably suffering from postpartum depression or puerperal psychosis. It is unknown when Sarah's private doctor strongly suggested that she be sent to the new Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia. However, her husband disagreed and did not want to send her to an asylum. He likely wanted to keep her home due to the horrible conditions and treatments. [1] Patrick was politically active when he decided to keep his wife in confinement in the cellar of their home.[2] Because of her husband's money and resources, she was able to avoid suffering the consequences of the poor laws.

It was said that her behavior was so unmanageable that "she was confined in a cellar room, bound in a straightjacket, and attended by a servant. There are very few documents about the confinement of Sarah likely due to the fact that her husband became the governor of Virginia and this secret was kept from society.

It is said that Patrick Henry being so well known and he threw parties at his house, that from time to time one of the guest would say that they could hear chains rattling, or someone screaming out. Henry would look at them and just laugh it off, and say the house was haunted. In reality what was in the basement was Haunting him, it was his beautiful wife that he loved dearly, that she was locked away in chains and straight jacket so she wouldn’t harm herself.

After three or four years in confinement, Sarah died in the spring of 1775.

Although the precise location of her burial is unknown, it is believed that her grave is thirty feet from the cellar door.

In March of 1775, the Second Virginia Convention met at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, to discuss the state’s strategy against the British. It was here that Patrick Henry delivered his most famous speech, with passion, after seeing his wife in chains, and a strait jacket, screaming from the pain of a mental illness, he understood what chains were, he stood before the Founding Fathers of our Great Country and spoke these words:

“Gentlemen may cry, ‘Peace, Peace,’ but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? ... Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!"

• This impassioned speech made by Patrick henry stirred the souls of men to fight for liberty.

• We still hold him up as one of America’s greatest heroes

• Americans are quick to respond to the call to fight for freedom.

• WE have sent troop all over the world to fight injustice, and to help people live free lives.

• But when it comes to living out our Christianity, we give up our liberty w/o a fight. I preached about how the devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy.