dard, and was ordained to the | sively confided to her direction. work of the ministry at Northampton, February 15, 1727.

She proved herself to be one in whom the heart of her husband might safely trust; she looked well to the ways of her household and ate not the bread of idleness. Her children arose and called her blessed, her husband also, and praised her.

Mr. Edwards was of a slender person and of delicate health, early inured to close study, but incapable of much bodily fatigue or exercise. He peculiarly needed the assistance of a consort, whose entire direction of domestic concerns might leave him at leisure to pursue, without interruption, the private studies, and the public duties of his office. He deemed this the way in which he was calculated to do more good to the world than in any other, and it seemed to be his most determined resolution to employ himself only in the way of doing good. He was so wholly devoted to the work of the ministry, that he scarcely knew more of the manner in which the supplies for his family were furnished than many of his neighbors.

Mr. Edwards, before he was settled at Northampton, had made a practice of keeping a diary, in which he noted every important incident of life as it occurred, and the changes of the state of his own mind. In the government of his conduct he prescribed certain rules to himself, which he wrote down under the title of resolutions.He made it his constant practice to read these over, once every week. They relate to the examination of his own heart; the government of his thoughts and passions; his improvement of time; his course of study; his treatment of dumb animals; -his conduct towards his ene- mies, his neighbors, friends and relatives; his duties towards God; and the observance of holy time. These resolutions are couched in a language becoming the lowly and diffident disciple of Jesus Christ, relying not on his own strength, but on the grace of God. They express also his fixed determination to check the first aberrations of his heart In the manner of his life he from the plain beaten path of was, from choice as well as from duty. He was married July 20, a necessary regard to his health, 1727, to Miss Sarah Pierpont, very uniform; he was an early daughter of the Rev. James riser, temperate to abstemiousPierpont of New-Haven, a wo- ness in his diet, regular in his man, by her benevolent disposi-meals, in his duties, and in his tion and her amiable deportment, hours of rising and retiring as well as by the rare endow- [to rest. He was strictly economments of her mind, and by her piety, rendered singularly dear to him throughout the whole of his life. Mrs. Edwards was well qualified to superintend the domestic affairs, and indeed the whole temporal concerns of her husband; and they were exclu

ical of his time, he knew its value, and he endeavored to occupy every moment in some useful pursuit or reflection : even his amusement,s riding on horseback and walking, were of such a nature as would exercise his body, without much impe

ding his opportunities for medi- | studies, and his severe temper

tation and study. Whenever he walked or rode abroad, it was his custom to take with him a pen and ink, that he might write down any thought which occurred to him, and which he wished to pursue. His avidity for reading extended to all writers on religious subjects, of every class of Christians or infidels; their works he read, not for the purpose of accumulating a store of borrowed ideas, but for the sake of assisting and directing his own reflections to see where and how correct principles had been maintained, what had been omitted in their defence, and wherein they yet needed support; to learn what arguments had been urged against religion, to examine their weakness, and see how they might be best answered.-His manner of study was, in reality, a conversation and argument with dead or distant writers, such as he would have carried on with them if they had been living and present. With very different views he studied the Holy Scriptures: he sought therein for the words of eternal life, as for treasures in an inexhaustible mine. He devoted more time to reading, studying and commenting upon the bible, than to all other books. Reading was with him but one mode of study; he spent much of his time in reflecting upon what he read, and committing his tho'ts to writing, with a view to his own improvement, as well as for the purpose of communicating instruction to others. Although he was of a feeble constitution, yet by attending to the exact arrangement of his time and

ance, he was able to apply more closely to his ministerial labors and studies, without impairing his health, than most men of even firmer bodily constitution than himself. He alotted thirteen hours of the twenty-four to his studies. He was regular and constant in his devotions, both in his family and in secret, and on certain occasions, set apart by himself, he kept days of fasting and prayer. His charities to the poor were distributed liberally according to his means, but for the most part were concealed during his life from the knowledge of his nearest friends. In his dealings with men he was punctiliously just; in narrative, he confined himself to mere recital of facts as they hap pened, without the least embellishment or coloring, lest he should in some degree, without intention, vary from the truth. He was a man of few words in conversation, and somewhat reserved in the company of stran gers; but among his acquaintance he was affable, ready to hear the sentiments of others and free to communicate his own, but at all times avoided every thing that had the least appearance of levity and trifling in his lan guage. He was not forward to enter into disputations, nor reluctant to vindicate his own opinions when called in question, and whenever engaged in dis cussing any subject of contro versy, he was distinguished for candor, and for being patient of contradiction. His passions and appetites were completely subdued and in subordination to his judgment.

Towards his excellent con

sort he was tender and affection- | most common understanding,

without descending beneath the dignity of the pulpit, or debasing the subject by vulgarity of style. He especially in the earlier part of his ministry, wrote his sermons out at length, but in delivering them, he did not confine himself to the language which he had written, but adapted it to the situation of his audience, and his own personal feelings at the time. In the pulpit he often pursued his subject, farther than in his study, by enlarging upon particular topics, which then first occurred to him, or which seemed particularly suitable to his hearers. His reasoning was clear and perspicuous, his consequences deduced from undeniable premises, by such easy steps, and so plainly illustrated by reason and scripture, as to force the assent of every unprejudiced hearer. He had but little gesture-his voice was not strong-his enunciation was dis

ate, he made it a part of his daily devotion to pray with her in secret, and in his private conversation with her, religion was the frequent topic. His children were early subjected to his authority by kind and gentle means, without any violence or undue severity. By this mode of government, he acquired their esteem and reverence; they knew not how to disobey him, for obedience was a pleasure as well as a duty. He took all suitable occasions to instruct them in the principles of religion, by teaching them the Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, and making such remarks and enquiries as were proper for their respective ages and capacities in the same way he taught them out of passages in the bible which they read over to him. He was wont upon every new and solemn event which occurred, as in the death of friends and neighbors, intinct and clear-his sentiments úmes of sickness and calamity, and in seasons of awakening, to direct their minds to suitable reflections thereon. Thus were they taught to think, and thus were their thoughts directed in the most proper channels.-He was watchful of every, the slightest, deviation in their conduct from the plain beaten path of duty; and was prompt to take them by the hand and lead them back. In this way he trained up a large family of eleven children, all of whom attained to years of maturity.

were often novel and always striking-his language was perfectly intelligible-his manner was grave and solemn, yet easy, natural and animated. He felt the force of every sentiment which he uttered, and he communicated to his hearers the same emotions which he himself felt. He could, more than most preachers, arrest and fix the attention of his audience to the subject of his discourse. His sermons were usually upon practical subjects.

His prayers, wholly free from As a preacher, he had a hap-form, were the natural effusions py faculty of treating the most of a pious and devout heart, eximportant subjects in such a pressed in language becoming a way as to be familiar to the suppliant at the throne of grace.

As to Mr. Edwards' religious character, the genuineness of his profession will perhaps best appear from an account of his own conversion and experinces written by himself, and found among his manuscripts after his decease.

In his own family, in his so- | the way in which it ought to be ciety and in the church at large, acknowledged and promoted:" Mr. Edwards, by his example and in a few years afterwards he and instruction, with the blessing also published a "Treatise on of Almighty God, appears to Religious affections ;" and "the have been favored with success, Life of the Rev. David Brainerd, answerable to the diligence with with reflections and observations which he pursued his private thereon." All which were puband his public labors.-The year lished with a design to mark the 1734 was memorable as a time distinction between true and of very great awakening, in false religion. which the Spirit of God was remarkably shed abroad upon the people, especially on those of the church and society at Northampton. Many were renewed by the Spirit of God, and converted from the error of their ways to the wisdom of the just. Of this a particular account was written and published by Mr. Edwards, entitled "A faithful narrative of the surprising work of God in the conversion of many hundred souls in Northampton." Another very great revival of religion took place at Northampton, and indeed generally throughout the whole of New-England, in the years 1740 and 1741. Some of the subjects of impressions of a really religious nature, were at this time undoubtedly led away by enthusiasm: this gave an occasion of reproach to adversaries.

"I had a variety of concerns and exercises about my soul from my childhood; but had two more remarkable seasons of awakening before I met with that change by which I was brought to those new dispositions, and that new sense of things that I have since had. The first time was when I was a boy, some years before I went to college, at a time of remarkable awakening in my father's congregation. I was then very much affected for many months, and concerned about the things of religion, and my soul's salvation; and was abundant in duties. I used to pray five times a day in secret, and to spend much time in religious talk with other boys, and used to meet with them to pray to

It became a business of the utmost importance to distinguish the subjects of real conversion from counterfeits-a business which engaged the attention of all ministers, especially of him whose life we are rela-gether. I experienced I know ting. Mr. Edwards published not what kind of delight in reliabout this time, a Sermon " On gion. My mind was much enthe distinguishing marks of the gaged in it, and had much selfSpirit of God," and a book en-righteous pleasure, and it was titled "Some Thoughts con- my delight to abound in religicerning the present revival of ous duties. I, with some of my Religion in New-England, and school-mates joined together,