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accepting this invitation, and of
leaving his people was referred
to an ecclesiastical council, by
which he was dismissed from

by the society to the council, for | ed at Schenectady in the state of
their desire to have him dismis- New-York, and endowed with
sed. was that they were unable ample funds by the Legislature
The propriety of
to maintain a minister. Imme-of that State.
diately after his dismission from
New-Haven, he was invited to
preach in several places, but he
accepted the invitation of the
society in Colebrook in Litch-his pastoral charge over them.
field county, and was installed as
the pastor of that society in
January 1796.

In July following he removed with his family to Schenectady, and for the two following His numerous parochial du- years, the last of his life, he deties, his many avocations and voted himself wholly to the inhis close application to study at struction of youth and the conNew-Haven, had much impair- cerns of this infant seminary of ed his health and rendered some learning, occasionally preaching relaxation indispensibly neces- in places destitute of settled misary for him. At Colebrook his nisters, whenever his services labours were less arduous, and were requested, and his health his abode was rendered pleasant would permit. In the month of by the uninterrupted harmony July 1801, after much fatigue in which subsisted between him preaching, added to his other laand the people, and it contribu- bours, he was seized with an inted to the enjoyment of more termitting fever of the regular established health than he had type, apparently no wise danfor several years possessed. His gerous, till eight days before time here was, as usual, devo- his death, when nervous sympted to his favourite studies, and toms appeared, which soon deto the performance of his min-prived him of speech, the reisterial duties; and his recrea-gular exercise of his limbs and tion was the superintendance of at intervals of his reason. From a small farm. It was his inten- this time he declined rapidly till tion and expectation to spend the 1st day of August 1801, here the remainder of his days; when he expired. His disease but an unexpected call of Pro- after it became alarming, was vidence solicited him from this such as to deprive him of the pleasant and favourite retreat: power of conversing with his and to the call of Providence friends, as to his views on the near approach of his future state. when clear, he always yielded a ready and implicit obedience, In the beginning of his illness remembering that his time and he expressed to the friends who talents were not his own, that were near him, his firm and unthey of right belonged to his shaken reliance on the atoneMaker, and had been expressly ment by Jesus Christ as the onand solemnly dedicated to him ly foundation of his hope of glory. His domestic concerns in his youth. were set in perfect order, and no anxiety in his gave him last moments.

In the month of May 1799, he was elected President of Union College, then recently found

His peace, we

trust, was made with God, and when called home by his heavenly Father, he had nothing to do, but cheerfully to obey the summons. It had been the main | business of his life, to prepare for his departure to a future world,and he had endeavoured to become familiar with death, by reflecting much upon it, and making it the frequent subject of conversation with his most intimate acquaintance. His remains are interred in the Scotch Presbyterian church-yard at Schenectady. His funeral, by his desire, was conducted with as little parade and expense as was decent, and the expenditure, which would have been required by fashion, on such an occasion, was distributed to the poor.

and the horse being very warm, probably pressed forward into deep water, and drew the chaise down a very steep precipice. Mrs. Edwards was thrown out of the carriage and remained under water more than an hour before she was discovered. Every effort was made to resuscitate her, but without success. She was universally beloved in life and bewailed in death by all her acquaintance. She left her three children, at a very tender age, in the sole care, under Providence, of her bereaved husband.

Doctor Edwards' second wife was Mercy Sabin, daughter of Mr. Hezekiah Sabin, and Mrs. Mercy Sabin, of New-Haven. This lady is yet living.

In person Doctor Edwards was Doctor Edwards was twice slender, strait and somewhat married; his first wife, was Ma- above ordinary stature; his comry Porter, daughter of the Hon. plexion was rather dark; his feaEleazer Porter, of Hadley, in tures were bold and prominent; the State of Massachusetts, and and his countenance commandMrs. Sarah Porter; by her heed the respect of every person in had four children, of whom, one his presence. Naturally he was died in infancy, and three, a son of a firm constitution, but habitand two daughters survive him.ual and close application to stuThis amiable and excellent wo- dy made his bodily frame less man was drowned at New-Ha- robust, as his mind by constant ven on the 24th day of June exertion became the more vigo1782 as she was riding out alone rous. in a chaise. Mr. Edwards had set out from home to ride with her to a place about two miles distant, and having labourers at work near the road, he stopped a short time to give them directions, and Mrs. Edwards rode forward alone to attend to some business at a house about a mile beyond, intending on her return to call and take him into the chaise. But on her return she suffered the horse to drink at a watering place, on the road side, by the margin of a small river,

He was temperate in his diet, regular in his habits, and his passions, naturallystrong, were kept in perfect subjection. Although he was keenly sensible of an injury, he was utterly incapable of resentment, and ever ready to forgive it. He had but few enemies, and those he was always disposed to treat with kindness, and assist with every friendly office, not inconsistent with the higher obligations of duty. He himself was the personal enemy of no man. In his business, he

was deliberate in devising a plan | conversation, he avoided even of conduct, prompt in executing the smallest degree of trifling it, and resolute in surmounting and levity, and discountenanced all obstacles to its execution. it in others; the language of His philosophical and religious passion and slander never fell principles were adopted after from his lips, and was scarcely mature reflection and a cautious ever uttered in his presence examination of every objection, without his rebuke. His conand when adopted he was in-versation was generally upon flexibly tenacious in adhering to some topic of religion, some them. doubtful question in theology, or some subject in the sciences; and with the members of his own family, his own, and their death and future state was the very frequent subject. To the poor and unfortunate he was benevolent, and really but not ostentatiously charitable; and compassionate to those who were in affliction.

In his family he was an affectionate husband and father; he was very strict in watching over the conduct of his children and servants, and particular to correct their errors as soon as discovered, before they should become confirmed habits, and this he did not by chastisement, but by pointing out the dangerous consequences of the errors, in a way that could not fail to convince them, that he was seeking their benefit and not aiming to establish his own authority. His house was a temple, on the altars of which, he was continually offering incense to the throne of grace.

Doctor Edwards' creed, was strictly Calvinistic, coinciding generally with that of his father; but in some particulars he differed from him. His religion had nothing of austerity, nothing of that gloom, which sometimes incapacitates for intercourse with the world, nothing of that pride which sets others at distance, but he was remarked for a childlike humility and contrition of heart. In his dealings with man

His time was regularly apportioned to his studies, to the duties of religion, and to his domestic affairs. It was his usual custom to rise very early in the morn-kind he was discreet, he was ing, commonly at 4 o'clock and punctual in the performance of begin his studies, and to retire his promises, gentle in his treatto rest early in the evening; he ment of others, plain in manners, suffered no part of his time to and in narrative he adhered exbe wasted in idleness, but im-actly to the truth, without the proved every moment in study, least degree of colouring or exwhich was not employed by aggeration. He was prudent some necessary duty orbusiness. and economical in the manageWalking, riding, conversationment of his temporal concerns, and reading, were the only a- in prosperity little elevated, in musements in which he indulged adversity not much cast down. himself, and he endeavoured as much as possible to make his business serve as recreation from study. In his deportment and

Endowed by nature with strong powers of mind, he had cultivated and improved them by constant study and exercise.

In the pulpit, his manner was plain, unaffected and solemn; he aimed, not at a. refinement of

tion; he sought not to display himself, but to preach Christ crucified.

The power of religion was manifest in himself, and he endeavoured by an earnest manner, and by arguments, addressed to the understanding and consciences of his hearers, to make them also feel it. Neat

He had no brilliancy of imagi- | learning in the United States nation, keenness of wit, or and in Europe. quickness at repartee; but he had a mind, clear and discriminating, adapted to profound and patient investigation, and of re-style, or gracefulness of elocusources almost inexhaustible. His conceptions of things were strong, he studied and considered every subject to which he turned his attention, in all its relations and bearings ; he viewed it on every side, and dissected it into every possible division, till he was completely master of the whole subject. As a metaphy-ness and precision were the cha sician, he was profoundly skilled racteristics of his style. Du in the philosophy of the human ring the latter years of his life, mind, as a logician or reasoner, he preached almost wholly with the premises he assumed were out notes; or with nothing more always clear, generally self-evi- than the outlines of his discourse dent, and his conclusions irre- sketched down in brief. sistible, and every possible objection was anticipated and obviated so that the fortress which he defended was impregnable. He was cautious in admitting the premises of his opponents, and acute in detecting their sophistry; and in short, he was aand in a remarkable series of champion with whom but few could contend. As he contended not for victory, but for truth, he was ever ready to follow where truth led, to detect any errors, which might have insinuated themselves into his own reasoning, and to abandon the conclusion unless it could be supported by other arguments.

Such was the life, death and character of this great and good man like his venerable father in the structure of his mind, and in his professional pursuits, he resembled him also in all the excellent qualities of the heart,

The

the events of his life. name, education and early em ployments of both were alike, both were pious in their youth, both were distinguished scho lars, both tutors for an equal pe riod of time in the colleges where they we educated, were both settled in the ministry as successors to their maternal As a scholar he was critically grandfathers; both were dis skilled in the Latin, Greek and missed on account of their reliHebrew languages, well ac-gious opinions and were again quainted with the whole circle settled in retired country towns, of sciences, and eminently learn-over congregations singularly ed as a divine. He was a mem-attached to them, and both were ber of several literary societies, again removed without any soliand maintained a very extensive citation in their behalf to precorrespondence with men of side over new and flourishing

seminaries of learning, and both were shortly after assuming their new duties, removed one in the 56th, and the 'other in the 57th year of his age, to the world of glory.

The literary works of the younger President Edwards, beside several sermons preached on various occasions and published in his life time, are

are the infallible word of God, why did not his good providence give them to all mankind? It is true that the scriptures have not been given to men of all ages, and since the cannon of scripture was completed, have not been propagated through all nations. Sundry reasons justifying the divine dispensations, in this matter, were hinted briefly: it was however finally resolved into the sovereign wisdom and will of God. He hath a right

1. Three Sermons upon the Nature of the Atonement by Christ. 2. Observations on, the lan-to do what he will in the exerguage of the Muhhekanew or Stockbridge Indians.

3. The salvation of all men, strictly examined, and the endless punishment of those who die impenitent, argued and defended against the reasoning of Dr. Chauncy, in his book entitled, The Salvation of All Men.

4. A Dissertation concerning Liberty and Necessity.

He was also author of a great variety of Essays published in the Theological Magazine, having the signatures I. O. N. & IOTA.

Answer to a Disbeliever.

(Continued from page, 214.)

SOME reasons why all Christians do not agree in their religious opinions, although the scriptures, which they receive as an unerring rule of faith, are perspicuously written.

SIR,

"N a former number I made

ing objection" If the scriptures VOL. II. NO. 7.

cise of his own grace. Our eyes ought not to be evil, because he is good. What no man deserves he may in wisdom grant to some and deny to others. Creatures, although ready to complain, must necessarily be ignorant of the reasons for many things which are appointed by infinite wisdom; nor can any one judge truly concerning the fitness of many present appointments until he can comprehend eternity with all its glories and events. Therefore, let the earth rejoice, let the inhabitants of the isles be glad, for the Lord reigneth as he pleases.

But why, if the scriptures' are perspicuously written, do not all Christians, who receive them as an unerring rule of faith, agree in their opinions on the subjects of religion?

I might answer such a question as this by proposing another, which is equally deserving of an answer. Why doth not the evidence of a revelation from God, which convinces nine tenths of those who have received it, also give conviction to that small number of persons in

selves disbelievers? But as the Hh

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