SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF EZRA STILES, D. D. LL. D., FORMER PRESIDENT OF YALE COLLEGE.

Abridged from Holmes' Life of President Stiles.

EZRA STILES was born at North Haven, Conn., on the tenth day of December, 1727. His father was the Rev. Isaac Stiles, and his mother a daughter of the Rev. Edward Taylor of Westfield in Massachusetts. Born with a feeble constitution, he was, from his infancy, subject to infirmities; and it long remained doubtful, whether he would survive the age of childhood. But the providence of God preserved, through this critical period, a life destined for future usefulness and eminence.

At the age of nine years he began to learn his Latin grammar; and having finished his preparatory studies, under the instruction of his father, at twelve he was prepared to enter college. An admission at so early an age being judged inexpedient, he waited three years longer; and in September, 1742, entered Yale College, in the fifteenth year of his age. A small estate in Glastenbury descending to him in right of his mother, his father sold it, in 1741, to defray the expenses of his education; but, from some cause now unknown, he did not receive all the avails till 1747. Hence his situation, while at college, was rendered dependent, in a degree, on the patronage of friends. A youth of a fine genius, of amiable manners, and of a promising character, easily found those who had a disposition, as well as ability, to patronise him. President Clap, among others, was his friend and benefactor; and, by various acts of friendship, lessened the expenses of his education. The vestiges of his progress, while at college, are not now easily traced. His favorite researches, however, are discernible in his observations on a comet, which appeared in the beginning of his Sophomore year; in an account taken at the same time of the number, periods, distances, velocity, and other prop

erties of the comets; in numerous geometrical mensurations; in the calculations of eclipses; and in a copious chronological compendium of the history of the Old and New Testaments. While an undergraduate, he stood, if not the first, yet among the first of his contemporaries; and when he proceeded Bachelor of Arts, he was esteemed one of the most perfect scholars that had ever received the honors of this seminary.

In 1749, he was chosen a Tutor of Yale College, and was inducted into office on the 25th of May. This was the completion of his wishes; "truly," to use his own words, "not so much for the honor of the office, as for the advantage of a longer residence at the seat of the Muses."-Having received a license from the New Haven Association of ministers, he preached his first sermon at West Haven, in June. At the public Commencement, in September, he received the degree of Master of Arts, and pronounced a valedictory oration.

In the summer of 1752, he was afflicted with a hectic complaint. This was the fiftieth year from the first Commencement at Yale College, holden in September, 1702. At the President's desire, he composed a Latin half-century oration for the Commencement. This year he was invited to a settlement in the ministry at Kensington; but he declined the invitation. The exercise of preaching being prejudicial to his health, he determined to pursue the profession of the law, and applied himself to the study of it. In November, 1753, he took the Attorney's oath before the County court at New Haven; and practised at the bar till 1755.

In April, 1755, being invited to preach, during the vacation, at Newport, in Rhode Island; he went, for the benefit of the journey, and with no view of settlement. In May, the second church and congregation in that town gave him a unanimous call to settle with them in the ministry; which call, after mature deliberation, he thought it his duty to accept. The ordination of Mr. Stiles was solemized October 22, 1755; on which occasion his venerable and pious father preached a discourse, which is an interesting specimen of his ministerial talents, and of parental affection.

On the tenth of February, 1757, he was married to Elizabeth Hubbard, the eldest daughter of Colonel John Hubbard of NewHaven; a woman of excellent accomplishments, intellectual, moral, and religious; and who, therefore, deservedly possessed his tenderest affection. By her prudence, and exclusive care of everything pertaining to domestic economy, she left him in possession of his whole time for literary pursuits and pastoral duties.

We have seen already that, after having been licensed to preach the Gospel, Mr. Stiles resolved to devote himself to the profession of law. His health was not the only consideration which led him to adopt this course. He entertained many doubts, not only as to the doctrines of the Gospel, but respecting its Divine inspiration

and authority. After his mind had become settled on these great subjects, and he had entered on the work of the ministry, he wrote an account of his previous views, and of the manner in which his scepticism had been removed. From this interesting narrative, the following passages are extracted: "I was always charmed with the character of the Saviour, who, in every respect, appeared to me infinitely superior to the best philosophers, both as to sublimity of doctrine, and purity of morals. But his incarnation was a difficulty; whether he were supposed to be coeternal with the Father, or the highest created being. In either case, it appeared a condescension amazingly too great, to become incarnate, and submit to such a scene of indignity and sufferings, to recover even the whole of such an infinitesimal part of the universe as this little despicable world, of whose deplorable apostacy and ruin I had always a most awful sense, and never the least doubt. I longed for the joy of seeing the redemption of Jesus a verity. I was not clear in the supreme divinity and atonement of Jesus; but was satisfied, if Revelation was true, that the excellency and dignity of his character were the basis of all acceptance with God, and accordingly entirely relied on a union and connexion with him for salvation; and to all his institutes and laws I most freely submitted. I believed the Holy Spirit to be the great illuminator and sanctifier of men.'

“In 1749 I had read Taylor on the Romans, and on Original Sin. The Key of the former I read with great approbation, except his two-fold justification, which, to me, was always absurd. But I never could get through his Paraphrase, nor his piece on Original Sin, to this day. They always appeared to me to stumble at the threshhold. I also read, with pleasure, Scott's two volumes of Sermons, though I was not pleased with his explaining away the eternity of future punishment, because I thought he proceeded on principles equally giving up the perpetuity of happiI judged it a too great concession to the Deists; besides, the Bible seemed to assert it positively."

ness.

"The dispersion of the Jews I could but regard as a standing and unquestionable fulfilment of prophecy, showing that the Old Testament contains matters which could be derived from inspiration only-hence, that inspiration had been conversant in the sacred writings. If so, I felt the reasonableness of presuming that there was more inspiration in the Old Testament than what related to this dispersion; and that the fairest way was to examine the whole as inspired. This opened my mind to the discerning of more and more of this inspiration, particularly in those parts which instituted a sacrificature pointing to a future Messiah, which describe his sufferings, and the future glory of his kingdom."

"I have seen great glory in the doctrines of Revelation, since I have studied it as an inspired volume. I particularly now

clearly see, that the whole scheme of the Gospel salvation is founded on a supposition, and certain implication, that the human race. was totally corrupted, in a lost and ruined state; and that its redemption is wholly founded on the vicarious sacrifice of the Son of God; and I perceive the necessity of regeneration by divine grace."

After stating the religious sentiments, which he had been imbibing for several years, and in which he was established when he wrote this Review, he subjoins: "In general, the more I examine the Scriptures, I see the more reason to believe the doctrines of grace, exhibited in the confessions drawn up at the Reformation, and particularly held by the Puritan divines in England, and the venerable fathers of the New England churches. I thank God, that I have lived to obtain this precious and satisfactory faith in the most holy religion of our Lord Jesus Christ."

In the spring of 1765, Mr. Stiles was honored with the degree of Doctor in Divinity from the University of Edinburgh. He continued to labor with much diligence and usefulness among the people of his charge until the autumn of the year 1775, when Newport was in a great measure evacuated, and his congregation dispersed, by the breaking out of the revolutionary war. He removed his family to Dighton, Mass., where they continued for more than a year. After having received several pressing invitations to labor in the work of the ministry, at Taunton, at Providence, at Boston, and other places, he concluded to accede to a proposal of this kind from the first church in Portsmouth, N. H., lately made vacant by the removal of Dr. Langdon to the Presidency of Harvard College. He commenced his labors in this place, in the spring of the year 1777. His residence here, however, was short, as in September of this year he received notice of his appointment to the Presidency of Yale College. After much consultation and prayer, and a long and painful struggle on the question of duty, he signified his acceptance of this appointment in the spring of 1778.

Before we follow Dr. Stiles to the Presidential office, it may be proper to present in one view the more prominent traits of his pastoral character. His early discourses were philosophical and moral; and, at first, "he was not so much admired as a preacher, as he was, as a friend, gentleman, and scholar. But, gradually becoming less a Newtonian and more a Christian, he became a serious, zealous, and powerful preacher of the momentous truths of the Gospel." He "employed his time in preaching faith and repentance the great truths respecting our disease and cure-the Physician of souls, and our remedy in Him-the manner of a sinner's being brought home to God in regeneration, conversion, justification, sanctification, and eternal glory-the promises of future rewards—the terrors and glories of the world to come—the influ

ence of the Spirit, and the efficacy of truth, as well as of the Spirit, in the great change of the moral character, preparatory for heaven, and a glorious immortality."*

The doctrines of the Trinity in Unity, of the Divinity and Atonement of Christ, with the capital principles of the great theological system of the doctrines of grace, he believed to have been the uninterrupted faith of eight-tenths of Christendom, from the ascension of Jesus to this day. "This system," he observed to his flock, "I have received from God, in the Scriptures of truth; and, on the review of my ministry, I hope you will find, that I have preached the unsearchable riches of Christ."+ On this great system of evangelical truth, which had been the burden of his ministry for many years, he cheerfully rested his own salvation, and that of those who had heard him. "I am apprehensive," says he, "that, for half a century, the evangelical doctrines of human nature in ruins, and its reparation, commencing radically in a change of heart, the propitiation and Atonement of the Redeemer, and justification through his vicarious sacrifice, and the doctrines connected with these grand principles of the Christian system, may have a little too much given place to what is called a more rational and polite manner of preaching."

"We find the great Atonement making a principal figure in the Gospel, as being the only basis of the recovery and reconcilation of this world to the favor of Jehovah, and of its reunion with the innumerable myriads of moral systems which compose the universe."

Dr. Stiles entered on the duties of President and Professor of Ecclesiastical History in Yale College in July, 1778, being at this time about fifty years of age. "I have a difficult work to accomplish," says he in his journal," similar in many respects, to the sacerdotal office; especially do I become accountable for the formation of some who may go into the ministry, and who may adopt their religious principles from me; if they should be erroneous, how shall I answer it at the last great day? at the last great day? Blessed be God, I hope I am so well assured of the great principles of my faith, especially of the capital doctrines of the Divinity and Atonement of Christ, and, in general, the doctrines of grace, that I can propagate them with an undoubted confidence of finding them true, ten thousand ages hence, even to eternity. I pray God that I may be directed in this arduous undertaking. To me it is weighty as eternity."

Dr. Stiles continued his connexion with College, much to the honor and success of the institution, his own credit, and the acceptance of the public, until the 12th of May, 1795, when, after a

* President Stiles' Sermon at the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. Channing. + Valedictory Address.