"phoenix of women": Puritan spirituality in the letters of Brilliana Harley

The life of Lady Brilliana Harley of Brampton Bryan, Herefordshire, England, was marked by a deep and living relationship with God. A Puritan Presbyterian by conviction, Brilliana was shunned by her neighbours during the tumultuous English Civil Wars and is remembered as valiantly resisting the siege of her home by the forces of Charles I.

Brilliana's letters reveal the heart of her spirituality. While concerned about her son Edward (Ned)'s studies at Oxford, his diet and exercise, she especially encourages him about the value of a vital relationship with God. Her letters also expose the breadth of her reading and her theological acumen. As the troubles around her increased, she took increasing solace in the truths of election, the sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross and the sovereignty of God in salvation. The soil of her heart was truly warmed by "the sweet waters of God's Word."