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R « ,. S AM I TEL H OTKBSS . BD. 
 

 SKETCHES 
 
 OF THE LIFE OF THE LATE, 
 
 REV. SAMUEL HOPKINS, D. D. 
 
 Pastor of the first Congregational Church in Newport, 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF ; 
 INTERSPERSED WITH MARGINAL NOTES 
 
 EXTRACTED FROM HIS PRIVATE DIARY : 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED ; 
 
 A DIALOGUE, 
 
 BY THE SAME HAND, 
 
 ON THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF TRUE 
 CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION; 
 
 ALSO, A SERIOUS ADDRESS TO 
 
 PROFESSING CHRISTIANS : 
 
 CLOSED BY DR. HART's SERMON AT HIS 
 
 FUNERAL : 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WHOLE, 
 
 BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 STEPHEN WEST, D. D. 
 
 Paetor of the Church in Stockbri ; ge. 
 PUBLISHED ACCORDING ?0 ACT OF CONGRESS. 
 
 HARTFORD : 
 
 PRINTED BY HU0SQN AND GOODWIN. 
 
 1805. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 JL HE knowledge of the lives and c!nr- 
 a&ers of fuch as have been eminent for piety r.nd 
 ufefulnefs, can hardly fail of being inftructivc 
 and edifying. We trace, in them, the footfta^ 
 of divine power and providence in preparing 
 ♦hem for fervice in the kingdom of Chrift, and 
 to be blc flings to the world. And the examples 
 we have, in them, of the manner and feveral 
 fteps by which they attained, through the blefP- 
 ing of God, to eminence in knowledge and piety, 
 are greatly fitted to infpire candid minds with a 
 defire to imitate them. 
 
 In thefe views, the memoirs of few lives have 
 been prefented to the public, which may be ex- 
 pe£led to be more entertaining and ufeful, than 
 thole of the late Rev. Dr. Samuel Hopkins. 
 Thefe, the reader will find contained in " Sketch- 
 es" written by the Do£lor himlelf ; which were 
 compofed and arranged in a late period cf his 
 life. The former part was written before the 
 attack of that paralytic diforder, which, finally, 
 occafioned his death : the latter, after it. B/ 
 
 
IV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the laft it appears, that however his nervous 
 fyftem and bodily organs had been affe&ed by 
 the fhock, his mental powers remained entire ; 
 being fcarcely at all impaired, either by age, or 
 by a diforder, which ufually debilitates the mind 
 as well as the body. The manner in which the 
 following fketches are written, and the unaf- 
 fected fimpliciiy in which they appear, cannot 
 fail of engaging the attention and eftcem of the 
 gjous and judicious reader. 
 j) * 
 
 "With a mind naturally clear and difcerning, 
 he appeared, in early life, to have felt the power 
 of divinetruth,andtohave imbibed the fentiments 
 and fpirit of chriftianity. And fo deep were 
 the impreffions made, by the power and fpirit of 
 God, on his conscience, and on his heart, that 
 he was foon brought to a fixed, fettled determin- 
 ation of mind to devote himfelf — his powers — 
 his all — his life to the fervice of Chrift. The 
 work of the gofpel miniftry being more congen- 
 ial with the feelings of his heart than any other 
 employment in life, he early, on leaving college, 
 engaged in a courfe of ftudy with a view of be- 
 ing qualified for it. As this was the work for 
 which his heart thirfted, he judged that, in this, 
 he might be mod ufeful. The deep and folemn 
 fenfe he had of its importance, and the views 
 and fentiments with which he entered upon it 5 
 
INTRODUCTION. V 
 
 may be fecn in fome of the extracts from his j 
 diary inferted in marginal notes. 
 
 A I his mind was peculiarly formed for Rudy 
 and improvement, he was favored with a bodily 
 conflitution capable of enduring greater and 
 more conftant application, than moit others. 
 Few men have fpent more hours in ftudy and 
 intenie application", than Doctor Hopkins : And 
 few have made fuch advances and improvements 
 in knowledge. His ftudies were more confined 
 to divinity, than thofe of mod men of his genius 
 and application. This was the fubject, which 
 was ever neareft his heart — In this was his great 
 delight. And the uncommon proficiency he 
 made in the knowledge of divine truth, and the 
 extenfive acquaintance he gained with the doc- 
 trines of the chriftian religion, have enabled him 
 greatly to benefit mankind by his publications. 
 
 He poflefTed an unuiual talent of opening and 
 explaining the holy fcriptures — To him their 
 doclrines and inftru£tions teemed familiar. His 
 mind appeared readily to enter into the fpirit, and 
 comprehend the meaning of paflages, which, to 
 others were obfeure. And, though he did not 
 negleft confulting expofitors and commentators, 
 with whofe works he was well acquainted, hi- 
 uncommon difcernment of the fenfc and impor 
 A 2 
 
Vl , INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of the facred writings, feemed to arife, rather 
 from a peculiar reliih of divine truth, than from 
 any afiiftance he derived from others — He ap- 
 peared to be an example of the truth of our 
 Saviour's words, " if thine eye be fingle, thy 
 whole body fhall be full of light." 
 
 The natural ftrength and powers of mind he 
 poffefled — his great application — and the clear 
 and comprehenfive view he had of the doctrines 
 of divine revelation, very evidently appear in his 
 various publications ; but more especially, in 
 that Syjiem of divinity, contained in two volumes, 
 with which the public has lately been favored. 
 . This will remain a lading monument of uncom- 
 mon ability and application, as well as extenfive 
 knowledge and piety. Nowhere can the reader 
 find the doctrines of the facred writers fo clearly 
 drawn out to view, fo juftly arranged, and fo 
 fully and unanfwerably vindicated as in this : — 
 Nor is there, probably, any other human com- 
 pofition extant, from which fo good an under- 
 Handing may be obtained of the gofpel-plan of 
 falvation by Chrift — the terms on which this fal- 
 vation may be had — and, the temper and charac- 
 ter neceflaVy to the enjoyment of it. Here the rea- 
 der finds tliofe doctrines, which are generally 
 moft unwelcome to the human heart — fuch as 
 thofe, of the total moral depravity of human 
 
INTRODUCTION. vii 
 
 nature — the abfolute decrees of God — particular 
 election — univerfal divine providence and agency 
 — and the diftinguifhing dottrines of grace % all 
 treated with great perfpicuity and clearnefs ; 
 and, fupported by a ftrengh of argument, both 
 from reafon and the holy fcriptures, which, it 
 is thought, will forever exceed the ability of 
 oppofers to anfwer or overthrow. No human 
 compofition, it is apprehended, can be read with 
 greater profit, by ftudents in divinity, than thefe 
 volumes. From thefe may be obtained a better 
 and more extenfive acquaintance with the doc- 
 trines of divine revelation, than from many of 
 the more voluminous writings of ancient, though 
 refpe£table divines. 
 
 To Doctor Hopkins are v/e indebted for a 
 better understanding of the defign and end of 
 what are generally termed the means of grace, and 
 their ufe and application as they refpecl impenitent % 
 Unconverted Jinners^ than was before had. His 
 difcerning mind, in the early part of his public 
 miniftry, difcovered a manifeft inconfiftency in 
 the exhortations and directions given to unbelievers 
 by eminent divines, with the doclrines they public- 
 ly taught and ftrenuoufly maintained. Though 
 the do&rine of the total moral depravity and 
 corruption of the human heart was clearly 
 taught, and forcibly urged by Calviniftic divines \ 
 
Vill INTRODUCTION. 
 
 and, clear evidence produced from the holy 
 fcriptures, that all the exercifes of the natural 
 heart — all the doings and fervices of unregene- 
 rate finners, were, not only unacceptable, but 
 hateful in the fight of God ; yet to fuch doings 
 and fervices did the unregenerate find themfelves 
 exhorted and urged ; and this as the appointed 
 way to obtain the favor of God and converting 
 grace. Though the doclrines were jufl and 
 fcriptural, the exhortations naturally operated, 
 rather againft, than in favor of the finner's fen- 
 fible conviction of their truth. By attending to 
 the Do£tor's writings on this important fubject, 
 it foon became obvious, that, as the holy fcrip- 
 tures require the immediate exercife of godly 
 forrow and repentance, finners of no defcription 
 are ever to be exhorted to any other doings, or 
 fuppofed duties^ than fuch as imply love to God 
 and holinefs. 
 
 No uninfpired divine, before Doctor Hopkins, 
 had ever fet this fubjeft in a proper and fcriptural 
 light. And the benefit derived to the chriftian 
 caufe, from his writings on this interefting and 
 important fubje£t, is fufficient to compenfate the 
 ftudy and labors of a whole life. 
 
 On account of his publications relative to this 
 fubjeft, he was the object of much obloquy and 
 
INTRODUCTION. IX 
 
 reproach. Thefe he bore with great patience 
 and meeknefs ; fupported by a full conviction, 
 that it was in the caufe of truth lie fullered ; and, 
 by a hope and firm perfuafion, that the fenti- 
 ments he had advanced were truly evangelical, 
 would gain ground and become prevalent among 
 the friends of truth and vital piety, and be blefled 
 to the benefit of the caufe of chriftianity in gen- 
 eral. And, through the goodnefs of God, he 
 was preferved in life to fee the fentimenjs he had 
 advanced on this fubject in connexion with other 
 important do&rines of divine revelation, obtain 
 greater fpread and prevalence than he had, 
 probably, ever expected would have been in 
 his day. 
 
 By people of piety and difcernment Dodlor 
 Hopkins was efteemed one of the beft of preach- 
 ers. Though his public difcourfes were lefs 
 adapted to the paffions, than thofe of many 
 others, they were unufually full of matter and ' 
 excellent inftrudlion, fitted to reach the con- 
 ference, and the heart, and to feed and nourifh 
 the lovers of truth and vital religion. Avoiding, 
 thofe abftrufe reafonings, which tend rather to 
 confound, than to inftrudt the hearer, his fer- 
 mons were clear, perfpicuous and fcriptural. 
 Few, who paid any tolerable attention, ever 
 found difficulty in underftanding him. He 
 
X INTRODUCTION. 
 
 neither concealed, nor difguifed what he viwed 
 as truth, however unpalatable, through fear of 
 its being unpopular. However ungrateful the 
 fentiments he delivered might be to fome, he ever 
 meant to be underftood. And fo peculiarly 
 fitted were his public difcourfes to carry convic- 
 tion, that fuch as were not altogether friendly to 
 doctrines he often taught, were yet at a lofs, when 
 they heard him, to find any place for objection. 
 He dwelt much on experimental religion, and 
 was eminently an evangelical preacher. Few 
 men equalled him in that air of folemnity and 
 gravity, in the pulpit, which rarely fails of .en- 
 gaging the attention of an audience. And, as 
 his delivery was far from being unanimated, his 
 manner was fuch as gave reafon to fuppofe he 
 felt what he fpoke. He, accordingly, exceeded 
 moil others in folemnizing his hearers and com- 
 manding attention, wherever he preached. 
 
 As he obferves in the fketches of his life, he 
 was never favored with any general awakening 
 and attention to religion among the people of his 
 own immediate charge. This, as the reader will 
 find, he confiders as an argument againfl the fin- 
 cerity of his chriftian profeffion. But when we 
 reflect, that there is no divine promife, that the 
 fuccefs of minifterial labors among a people, fliall 
 be in proportion to the wifdom and fidelity with 
 
INTRODUCTION. XI 
 
 which they are difcharged \ this ought to be con- 
 lidered as an objection of little weight againit his 
 piety and faithfulnefs. To eitimatc the charac- 
 ter and fidelity of a gofpel preacher by the num- 
 ber of converfions, which are effected under his 
 immediate miniftrations, would go near to re- 
 proach the great Saviour himfelf. But few, 
 comparatively, were brought to the love of the 
 truth under the miniitrations of Chrift on earth — 
 He was then, as has been the cafe ever fince, 
 generally defpifed and rejected of men. And 
 though it be a great mercy, and a very rich blefT- 
 ing — meriting eternal thankfulnefs and praife, to 
 be made inftrumental of converfions among ft the 
 people to whom we preach, it is yet to be re- 
 membered, the glorious God ever fhows himfelf 
 ^fovereign in the beftowment of faving, convert- 
 ing grace. Though Paul plant, and Apollos 
 water, it is God who gives the increafe. 
 
 Weaker means and inftruments are, many 
 times, peculiarly owned, and blefled to the fal- 
 vation of finners ; while fuch as, to human view, 
 are more able, feem left to complain, <we have 
 labored in vain. Things are wifely ordered to 
 minifter univerfal conviction, that the power is 
 all of God. 
 
 Doctor Hopkins feems to have been railed up, 
 
Xll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 in divine providence, rather for miniftering 
 light, comfort, and edification to chriftians ; 
 opening, explaining and enforcing the true doc- 
 trines of the gofpel of Chrift, and benefiting the 
 church at large and mankind by his inftruttions ; 
 than for gathering new fubje&s into the family 
 and kingdom of God. And, in thefe refpedts, 
 he fhone as a ftar of the firft magnitude * though 
 he was not without the other feal of his min- 
 iftry. 
 
 The principal features of the Doftor's charac- 
 ter appear in his publications, and thoit Jketches 
 of his life, which are now offered to public view. 
 There are others, however, which it is defirable 
 fhould be known. 
 
 Honored as I was with his friendfhip, I may 
 be liable to prejudice : But, on long and intimate 
 acquaintance, it has appeared to me, that he 
 poflefled a candor of mind which is rarely to be 
 found. Men of the firft abilities and acquire- 
 ments, like others, are apt to be tenacious of 
 opinions they have once imbibed. Having form- 
 ed them, as they apprehend, on mature thought 
 and deliberation, they foon become poflefled of 
 a prejudice unfavorable to light and evidence, 
 .which might correct them. Rare it was, that 
 any one was capable of detecting an error in the 
 
INTRODUCTION. xiii 
 
 fentiments of Doctor Hopkins on moral^id re- 
 ligious fubje&s. But he was remarkably open 
 to convi£Hon, whenever evidence was exhibited 
 of the incor re chiefs of any of his opinions. 
 Truth appeared to be fo much the object of his 
 fearch, that he discovered an unufual readinefs 
 to admit it, from whatever quarter it came ; 
 and that even though he might find error in him- 
 felf detected by it. Did we, all, fearch the 
 fcriptures without any prepofleffion or prejudice, 
 we fhould undoubtedly imbibe truth without 
 error. 
 
 As might be expected with fuch candor of 
 mind, his manner, in verbal difpute, was unu- m 
 fually mild, fair, and moderate. Far from be- 
 ing overbearing, he ever gave every juft advant- 
 age to his opponent •, patiently hearing whatever 
 he advanced in favor of his opinions, and giving 
 him full opportunity to vindicate them by every 
 argument he thought favorable. And as the 
 Doctor had a happy talent of expreffing his own 
 arguments with peculiar perfpicuity ; by thefe 
 means he often convinced and gained over his op- 
 pofers •, when, had his manner been auiter j and 
 overbearing, however conclufive his arguments, 
 the oppofite party would have remained uncon- 
 vinced and received no benefit. 
 
:>IV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 He had a mind peculiarly formed for friend- 
 iiiip ;**id appeared to be indeed the faithful 
 friend. No one entered into greater nearnefs 
 and intimacy of chriftian friendfhip, or gave, or 
 ieemed to enjoy greater pleafure in the fociety 
 and friendfhip of chriftians. And his unaffe&ed 
 eafe and opennefs, together with the inftructive- 
 hefs of his converfation were fuch, as made his 
 company greatly fought, and his friend (hip high- 
 ly valued by the lovers of religion and truth. 
 
 He never appeared defirous of enriching him- 
 felf and laying up treafures on earth. As he 
 pcffefled but a moderate portion of worldly fub~ 
 fiance, he never fought opportunities to enlarge 
 it. Having but little, he was content with little. 
 The congregation, to which he miniflered in 
 Newport was fmall : and though he was highly 
 eiteemed by the people of his charge, he yet re- 
 ceived but a fcanty fupport from them. What 
 he ftatedly received was in weekly contributions : 
 but, though content with moderate living, this 
 was infufficient without affiftance from other 
 quarters. 
 
 Confideringhis worldly circumftances and the 
 fcantinels of his means, he was uncommonly 
 liberal — He took pleafure in miniftering to the 
 relief of the neceffitous. Many ftriking in- 
 
:roduction. 
 
 fiances of this, though conduced with fccrccy 
 and unaffected modeily, will be rer 
 thofe, who experienced his liberality. lie uni- 
 formly contributed, on quarterly meetings for 
 prayer ; and, on one of thofe occafions, an 
 hundred dollars, which he appropriated to the 
 promotion of the gofpel among the Africans. 
 This was, probably, out of the money he unex- 
 pectedly received for the copy-right cf his " Syf- 
 tem," which he mentions in the fketchcs of his 
 life. Without this, it cannot well be fuppofed, 
 he would have had it in his power to make fo 
 large and generous a donation. To have the 
 gofpel preached in Africa, and the knowledge of 
 divine truth diffufed there, was an object, in his 
 view, of very great importance — His mind and 
 his heart were much upon it. The conviction 
 he had of the wickednefs of enflaving our fellow 
 men, and of the injuries we had done to the 
 nations of that continent, imprefled him with 
 a fenfe of peculiar obligation on us, to contri- 
 bute, as far as in our power, to the promotion 
 of their fpirkual good. This, he conGdered, as 
 thebeft compenfation we are capable of making 
 for our flagrant abiffes of them, and the very 
 great injuftice we have done them. Nor czn wc 
 exhibit proper evidence of genuine repent 
 toward God, for the wickednefs of which we 
 have been guilty in enflaving the negroes, with- 
 
XVI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 out much exertion to bring that unhappy people 
 to the knowledge and acknowledgement of the 
 truth as it is in Jefus. 
 
 Doctor Hopkins had great command of his nat- 
 ural temper — Unkind treatment from others, he 
 bore with great patience and meeknefs. The re- 
 <naifitc qualification of abifhop, that he be notfoon 
 angry y he poflefled. Paffionate anger was rarely 
 vifible in him — No inftance of it had been ob- 
 ferved, for many years before his death. Though 
 far from being unfeeling, he appeared calm and 
 ferene under afflictions, many of which he ex- 
 perienced by deaths in his own family, and by 
 the lofs of other near and dear friends. That 
 they were all in the hand of Chrift, feemed to 
 be the principal fupport and comfort of his heart. 
 
 His " Treatife" on the Millennium, at die clofe 
 of the " Syftem of doctrines" which he pub- 
 lifhed fome few years before his death, difcovers, 
 not only his firm belief and joyful hope of the 
 coming and approach of that happy period 5 but,, 
 his careful ftudy and great application to the 
 prophetic writings, and comprehenfive view, and 
 underftanding of the general fcheme of fcripture 
 prophecy. He has fixed the commencement of 
 this happy ftate at the fame period with other the 
 molt noted and judicious writers on the fubject. 
 
INTRODUCTION-. 1V11 
 
 At the clofe of the trcatife, he gives his opinion 
 what events, according to fcripture prophecy, may- 
 be expected to take place, before the commence- 
 ment of the happy, peaceful ftate of the church 
 upon earth. How far the opinion he has given 
 on this fubject is authorifed and fupported by 
 fcripture authority, every reader will judge for 
 himfelf. It will be recollecied that this \ 
 publifhed, A. D. 1793, and muft, of courfe, 
 have been written and prepared fometime before. 
 That feries of mighty revolutions and remarka- 
 ble events, more particularly in Europe, which 
 have, fince, aftonifhed the world, had then 
 fcarcely commenced. But no attentive reader, 
 who carefully reviews that fcene of events, and 
 evils of various kinds, which have taken pi 
 fince that period, can help observing a ftriking 
 coincidence of the fubiequent events with the 
 predictions. So vifible a correfpondence of 
 events, and thofe of various and different kinds, 
 with what the Doctor has confidered and fore- 
 told as likely to take place previoufly to the M 
 lennium, and preparatory to it, would almoft 
 lead fome to think that he was end i a 
 
 prophetic fpirit. So far from this however, that 
 be himfelf confidered all pretences of this kind 
 at the prefent day, by whomever made, as 
 wholly without foundation, and a mark and evi- 
 dence of great deluficn. 
 
 B 2 
 
XV111 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 But themanifeft agreement of events, in ma- 
 ny refpeds, with what he has predided as likely 
 to take place, may reafonably be confidered as 
 fome degree of evidence, that he puts a juft con- 
 ftrudion on thofe prophetic v/ritings, in which 
 he fuppofes thefe events to be foretold : And, 
 may rather ferve to ftrengthen, not only our be- 
 lief in prophecy in general, but our expecSation 
 of a fucceffive train of evils and judgments be- 
 fore us. In this view of the matter, we may be 
 excited to greater prayerfulnefs and vigilance — to 
 watch, and keep our garments, left when, our 
 Lord cometh, we be found naked : — It being 
 one obvious defign of the great Head of the 
 church, in forewarning his people of the dangers 
 before them, and the evils he is about to bring on 
 diem and on the world, to excite them to expert 
 and be prepared for them ; that when they actual- 
 ly ccme, they might not faint, nor their faith fail. 
 
 The intereft, which is felt in the lives of fuch 
 as have been eminent for piety and ufefulnefs, 
 naturally excites a defire to know fomething of 
 the manner in which they finifhed their courfe> 
 and the character and appearance they exhibited 
 at the clofmg fcene. In this view the following 
 extract from a letter, written by a judicious 
 friend in Newport, who was much with him in 
 the laft fcenes of his life, may be gratifying to 
 manv. 
 
INTRODUCTION. . XIX 
 
 '< Lait May, (that is, May, 1803,) the Doc- 
 « tor had a very fevcre fever, by which he was 
 " brought to the door of death ; yet recovered 
 €( fo far as to preach in July, and continued to 
 " preach until a young man, whom he fent for, 
 " came to aflift him, who was here four Sab- 
 " baths, and then left us — The Doctor then, 
 u though with diiHculty, preached five Sabbaths, 
 " the laft of which was the 16th of October. 
 
 * He faid, when he got home, that now he had 
 m done — he could preach no more ! though he 
 " was not fick, only feeble, and much fatigued 
 * — his text, 1 Peter, v. 8. He flept comforta- 
 " bly, that night $ but, in the morning, feemed 
 
 * to be poorly ; and, after breakfaft, lay down 
 c; about two hours and flept, then waked, told 
 " me he was almoft gone, and in a few minutes 
 <•' went into a ftrong convulfion fit, which was 
 " thought to be apoplectic, and had all the ap- 
 
 arance of death. But, by the ble fling of 
 
 * God on the exertions, which were made, he 
 
 * was brought to his fenfes before night. Sooa 
 " after he was feized with a violent dyfentery, 
 
 * which reduced him very low indeed : Yet he 
 " recovered fo far as to fit up in the eafy-chair 
 
 * two or three hours in a day ; but never had 
 " any appetite for food — and, for the whole 
 " nine weeks which he lived, hardly took an 
 « ounce of folid food* 
 
XX INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " I efteemed it a peculiar favor that the Doo 
 " tor was fpared, though in fuch a ftate of weak- 
 H nefs, that he had an opportunity of converfing 
 « but a little with his friends, to exhibit a moft 
 " ftriking example of patience and fubmiflion to 
 " the divine will. 
 
 " He poflefled an uninterrupted peace ; and 
 " though he could fay but little, through his great 
 •f inward weaknefs, yet he feemed to dwell in 
 " the cleared views of divine truth. The glory, 
 " which would arife to God, in the falvation of 
 ** finners, filled his foul with ineffable joy. He 
 " had not one anxious thought about death — re- * 
 " joiced that he was in the hand of Chrift, and 
 " wholly at his difpofal. He thought much 
 " on thofe words " the glory that Jhould follow /" 
 u — Said he fometimes had the joy of faith. He 
 " was greatly refrefhed to fee the wonderful 
 " work of God, in the congregation, under the 
 " preaching cf the man, whom he introduced •, 
 " and, gave his approbation and bleffing to thofe, 
 M who joined the church at this time — ". 
 
 p He fenfibly declined for better than two 
 w weeks \ and, for more than two days, his 
 « bodily diftrefs was beyond defcription. He 
 u felt himfelf going, and faid he was willing. 
 u His reafon was perfect to the laft, and his pa- 
 
INTRODUCTION. XKl 
 
 " tience, in his agonies, aftonifhing. After a 
 ft very diftrcfling turn we laid him down in his 
 " bed — he fcemed eaficr ; and while a number 
 " of us were fitting round him, he breathed his 
 " lad without a figli or a groan — nor could *we 
 • tell the moment in which he went !" 
 
 Thus died this excellent man, who has been 
 fo great a blefling, and whofe praife is in the 
 churches. Mark the perfeel man y and bthold the 
 upright i for the end of that man is peace. Though 
 his perfonal labors on earth are at an end, their 
 happy and beneficial effects ftill remain, and are 
 and will be thankfully enjoyed and rejoiced in by 
 many. Though he is gone, the excellent wri- 
 tings he has left behind him, are ftill read with 
 pleafure and profit ; and generations yet to come, 
 we truft, will receive benefit and inftrudlion 
 from them. 
 
 That the following " (ketches" of the life of 
 the late Do£lor Hopkins may be entertaining, ■ 
 inftru&ive and ufeful — That they may excite 
 thankful acknowledgements to God for his great 
 mercy inraifing up fo eminently faithful a fervant, 
 fo long preferving his valuable life, and ftrength- 
 ening him to go through fuch a feries of ufeful 
 labors — That they may awaken the friends of 
 Chrift to earneft and conftant prayerfulnefs, that 
 
XXII INTRODUCTION. 
 
 a double portion of the excellent fpirit, which 
 appeared to be in him, might defcend and reft 
 on his brethren in the miniftry, whom he has 
 left behind — And efpecially, that they may be 
 the means of quickening miniflers of the gofpel 
 to application, to duty and to faithfulnefs, and 
 to more conftant, earned prayerfulnefs to God 
 — That thefe may be the happy effects of the 
 publication of the following " life," is the defire 
 and prayer of the 
 
 EDITOR. 
 
LIFE OF 
 
 SAMUEL HOPKINS, D. D, 
 
 SOME brief Jketches of my pafl life, which I am 
 induced to recoiled, and commit to writing, for 
 my own benefit, and for the gratification, and> 
 perhaps, advantage of thofe of my particular 
 friends, and relatives, who jhall furvive me ; 
 being now in the feventy-fifth year of my age. 
 
 1 WAS born at Waterbury in Connedli- 
 cut, on the Lord's day, September 17, 1721, 
 My parents were profeflbrs of religion ; and I 
 defcended from chriftian anceftors, both by my 
 father and my mother, as far back as I have been 
 able totrace my defcent. I conclude I and my an- 
 ceftors defcended from thofe called Puritans in the 
 days of queen Elizabeth, above two hundred years 
 ago, and have continued to bear that denomina- 
 tion, fince, and were the firft fettlers of New- 
 England. This I have confidered to be the mod 
 
24 LIFE OF 
 
 honourable and happy defcent, to fpring from 
 ancestors, who have been profeflbrs of religion, 
 without interruption during the courfe of two 
 hundred years, and more : and many of them, if 
 not all real chrijlians. And I have confidered it 
 as a favour that I was born on the fabbath, and 
 was perhaps publicly dedicated to Chrilt by bap- 
 tifm on the day in which I was born ; and if 
 not, certainly foon after. 
 
 As foon as I was capable of underftanding, 
 and attending to it, I was told that my father, 
 when he was informed that he had a fon born to 
 him, faid, if the child fhould live, he would 
 give him a public education, that he might be a 
 minilter or a fabbath-day-man, alluding to my 
 being born on the fabbath. 
 
 I was the fir ft child of my parents that lived. 
 They had one before, which was not alive when 
 born, or died as foon as born. My mother was 
 twenty years old when I was born, and my 
 father thirty. 
 
 I have confidered it as a great favour of God, 
 that I was born and educated in a religious fam- 
 ily, and among a people, in a country town, 
 where a regard to religion and morality was 
 common and prevalent ; and the education of 
 
samoel ■MCIM* 25 
 
 children and youth was generally pratlifed in 
 fuch a degree that young people were generally 
 orderly in their behaviour, and abftained from 
 thofe open vices, which were then too common 
 in feaport and populous places. I do not recoi- 
 led that I ever heard a profane word from the 
 children and youth, with whom I was conver- 
 fant, while I lived with my parents, which was 
 till I was in my fifteenth year. 
 
 I from my youth was not volatile and wild, 
 but rather of a fober and fteady make, and was 
 not guilty of external irregularities, fuch as dif- 
 obedience to parents, profanation of the fabbath, 
 lying, foolifh jelling, quarrelling, paflion and 
 anger, or ram and profane words ; and was dif- 
 pofed to be diligent and faithful in whatever bu- 
 finefs I was employed ; fo that as I advanced in 
 age, I gained the notice, efteem and refpect of 
 the neighbourhood. I was, in general, greatly 
 carelefs about all invifible things ; but was often 
 plotting for fomething, which then appeared to 
 me good and great in this life ; and often indul- 
 ged and pleafed myfelf with vain and foolifh 
 imaginations of what I fliould be and do in this 
 world. And fometimes, though rarely, had 
 fome ferious thoughts of God, and about my 
 fool and a future world of happinefs and mifery. 
 And I once had a dream of the future judgment, 
 c 
 
20 LIFE OF 
 
 in fome meafure agreeable to the reprefentation 
 made of it by Chrift himfelf in the xxvth chapter 
 of Matthew. I dreamed that I and a brother of 
 mine, who was about two years younger than 
 me, were fentenced to everlafting mifery, and 
 driven down to hell, with the reft of the wicked. 
 This greatly imprefled my mind, for a long time 
 after. And the impreffion then made has not 
 wholly worn off to this day. 
 
 As my father was a farmer, I was employed 
 in labouring on the farm, with which bufinefs I 
 was pleafed, and made proficiency in it. I was 
 frequently told, and often thought of the decla- 
 ration of my father on the day on which I was 
 born, that he ivculd bring me up to college, as the 
 phrafe then was for a public education. But I 
 felt no particular inclination to this ; but was 
 rather inclined to labour on a farm : But what 
 always turned my mind againft going to college, 
 was the years of abfence from my parents and 
 their family, which were involved in it. Such 
 abfence was intolerable to my childifh mind, and 
 was fufficient tp iupprefs the thought of going 
 to learning. 
 
 But in the winter after I was fourteen years old , 
 I retired much to a chamber in my father's houfe^ 
 and fpent confiderable time in reading, efpeciallj r 
 
SAMUEL HOPX, 27 
 
 Tcading the bible ; and began to feel more incli 
 tion to learning, and lefs to working on a f 
 our farming budnefs did not go on fo well as it had 
 done, by reafon of fome particular circumftanccs 
 which had taken place. When my father per- 
 ceived this, he told me, if I was inclined to go 
 to learning, he would put me to a icve 
 
 I might be fitted for the college. To which I 
 readily confented. Accordingly, I was put 
 under the care and tuition of the Rev. John 
 Graham of Woodbury, which joined Weft or 
 terbury, his meeting-houfe being about ten 
 miles from my father's houfe. Here I fitted for 
 college, with a number of others ; and was ex- 
 amined and admitted a member of college in 
 September 1737, being fix teen year j old on the 
 feventeenth day of that month. 
 
 While a member of the college, I believe, I 
 had the character of a fober, ftudious youth, 
 and of a better fcholar than the bigger half of 
 the members of that fociety *, and had the ap- 
 probation of the govcrnours of the college. I 
 avoided the intimacy and the company of the 
 openly vicious ; and indeed kept but little com- 
 pany, being attentive to my itudies. In 
 eighteenth or nineteenth year of my age, I can- 
 not now certainlv determine which, I made a 
 
28 LIFE OF 
 
 profeflion of religion, and joined the church to 
 which my parents belonged in Waterbury. I 
 
 • was ferious, and was thought to be a pious youth, 
 and I had this thought and hope of myfelf. I 
 was con-ftaat in reading the bible, and in attend- 
 ing on public and fecret religion. And fome- 
 times at night, in my retirement and devotion, 
 when I thought of confeffing the fins I had been 
 guilty of that day, and afking pardon, I could 
 not recollect that I had committed one fin that 
 day. Thus ignorant was I of my own heart, and 
 of the fpirituality, ftri&nefs and extent of the di- 
 vine law ! ! In this time I was at home, in a 
 vacancy at college j and feveral men, who were 
 grofs Arminians, entered into a difpute with me 
 about dodirines and religion. I was in theory a 
 Calvinift, and attempted to defend that fcheme 
 of doctrines, in oppofition to them. In thefe 
 we could not agree : But when we came to talk 
 of practical religion, and of converfion, I agreed 
 with them, allowing it to confift chiefly in ex- 
 
 * ternals, overlooking the real and total depravity 
 of the heart, and the renovation and great change 
 which muft take place in that, in order to true 
 converfion and the exercife of real religion, 
 having never experienced any thing of this kind. 
 My mother heard the conversation ; and after the 
 company was gone, fhe told me, {he was fur- 
 prized to hear me agree with them in their no- 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 
 
 tion of converfion -, and that I fhould think r 
 converfion was no more than that which I and 
 they had defcribed. This put me upon thinking, 
 and railed a fufpicion in my own mind that I 
 ranger to real converfion. But it wore 
 off, without any abiding conviction of my defi- 
 ciency. 
 
 From this experience of mine, I have been 
 led to fear, and, in many inftances, to conclude 
 perfons to be flrangers to true converfion, v 
 appear to have the fame or no better notion of it, 
 than I then had, and talk much as I did on that: 
 head, while they profefs to believe Galviniiiic 
 doctrines, though they choofe to be confidered 
 as moderate Calvinifts. There are many of this 
 fort of profefiing chriftians, with whom I h 
 been acquainted. When perfons build up 
 fuch a falfe foundation, and let cut in religion, 
 i think themfelves chriftians, without being 
 i of G:d> and continue flrangers to a true 
 I found converfion ; they will be inclined to 
 eppofe or flight the mod important and excel- 
 lent exercifes cf experimental religion, and will 
 be dry and fruitlefs chriftians, and- ignorant of 
 true religious affections and enjoyments. And 
 it will be no wonder if they loofe all their zeal 
 for the peculiar doctrines of the gcfpel, and 
 c 2 
 
30 LIFE OF 
 
 grow indifferent about them ; if they do not 
 gradually give them up, and renounce them. 
 
 While I was in this ftate and fituation of mind, 
 Mr. Whitefield came into New-England ; and 
 nfter he had preached in Bofton, and other places* 
 came to New-Haven, in his way to New- York. 
 The attention of people in general was greatly 
 awakened upon hearing the fame of him, that 
 there was a remarkable preacher from England 
 travelling through the country. The people 
 flocked to hear him, when he came to New- 
 Haven. Some travelled twenty miles out of the 
 country to hear him. The aflemblies were 
 crowded and remarkably attentive ; and people 
 appeared generally to approve, and their con- 
 verfation turned chiefly about him and his 
 preaching. Some difapproved of feveral things 
 which he advanced, which occafioned confider- 
 able difpute. I heard him when he preached in 
 public, and when he expounded in private in the 
 evening ; and highly approved of him; and was 
 fomewhat imprefled by what he faid in public 
 and in private ; but did not in the leaft call in 
 queftion my own good eftate, that I remember. 
 He preached againft mixed dancing and frolicing 
 of males and females together : which practice 
 was then very common in New-England. This 
 offended fome, efpecially young people. But I 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. jZ 
 
 remember I juftified him in this in my own 
 mind, and in converfation with thofe who were 
 difpofed to condemn him. This was in October 
 1740, when I had entered on my laft year in 
 college. 
 
 During that fall and the fucceeding winter, 
 there appeared to be much more attention to 
 religion, than before, among people in general : 
 And a number of minifters in New-England 
 were aroufed, and preached oftener than they 
 had done, and appeared much more engaged 
 and zealous, than before ; and feveral came to 
 New-Haven and preached in a manner fo differ- 
 ent from what had been ufual, that people in 
 general appeared to be in feme meafure awaken- 
 ed, and more thoughtful on religious fubjects, 
 they had been before. 
 
 Early in the next fpring, in March, Mr. 
 Gilbert Tennent, who had been itinerating in 
 New-England, in Be (Ion and other places in the 
 winter, came to New-Haven from Bofton, in his 
 way to the fouthward. He was a remarkably 
 plain and roufing preacher, and a remarkable 
 awakening had been produced by his preaching, 
 nd many hopeful converfions had taken place 
 under his preaching, where he had itinerated. 
 On his coming to New-Haven, the people ap- 
 
32 LIFE OF 
 
 pearcd to be almoft univerfally aroufed, and 
 flocked to hear him. He flayed about a week 
 in New-Haven, and preached feventeen fermons, 
 moil of them in the meeting-houfe •, two or 
 three in the college hall. His preaching appear- 
 ed to be attended with a remarkable and mighty 
 power. Thoufands, I believe, were awakened ; 
 and many cried out with diftrefs and horror of 
 mind, under a conviftion of God's anger, and 
 their conftant expofednefs to fall into endlefs de- 
 finition. Many profeflbrs of religion received 
 conviction that they were not real chriftians, and 
 never were born again ; which numbers publicly 
 confefled, and put up notes, without mentioning 
 their names, but their number y defiring prayers 
 for them as unconverted, and under this convic- 
 tion. The members of college appeared to be 
 univerfally awakened. A fmall number thought 
 themfelves chriftians before they came to college, 
 and I believe were fo. Several of thefe appear- 
 ed with an extraordinary zeal, and concern for 
 the members of college ; and without paying 
 regard to the diftindtions of higher and lower 
 claffes, they vifited every room in college, and 
 difcourfed freely and with the greateft plainnefs 
 with each one ; efpecially fuch whom they con- 
 fidered to be in an unconverted ftate, and who 
 acknowledged themfelves to be fo, fetting before 
 them their danger, and exhorting them to re- 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 
 
 pent, &c. The confciences of all feemcd to 
 be fo far awakened as to lead them to hang their 
 heads, and to pay at leaii a filent regard to their 
 reprovers. And every perfon in the college ap- 
 peared to be under a degree of awakening and 
 conviction. The perfons above mentioned, who 
 thus diftinguifhed thcmfelves in zeal were two 
 of them my clafs-mates, Buell and Youngs. 
 The other was David Brainard. I attended to 
 "he whole, and approved of all they faid and did. 
 But retained my hope that I was a chriftian, and 
 had little or no converfation with thefe zealous 
 men. At length Brainard came into my room, 
 I being there alone. I was not at a lofs with re- 
 fpecl: to his defign in making me a vifit then ; 
 determining that he came to fatisfy himfelf 
 whether I were a chriftian, or not. And I re- 
 folved to keep him in the dark, and if poflible 
 prevent his getting any knowledge of my ftate 
 or religion. I was therefore wholly on the re- 
 ferve, being confeious that I had no religious 
 experiences, or religious affections to tell of. 
 In his converfation with me, he obferved that he 
 believed it impoffible for a perfon to be converted 
 and to be a real chriftian without feeling his heart, 
 at fometimes at leaft, fenfibly and greatly affect- 
 ed with the character of Chrift, and ftrongly 
 going out after him ; or to that purpofe. — This 
 obfervation ftruck conviction into my mind. I 
 
34 LIFE OF 
 
 verily believed it to be true, and at the fame time, 
 was confcious that I had never experienced any 
 thing of this kind ; and that I was a ftranger to 
 the exercife cf real chriftianity. I then deter- 
 mined that no one fhould know from me, or 
 any other way, if I could prevent it, that I was 
 not a chriftian, until I fhould be converted : 
 For it was mortifying to my pride to be thought 
 to be no chriftianj having made a chriftian pro- 
 feffion,. and having had the charadter of a chrif- 
 tian for fome time ; though I now knew myfelf 
 not to be one. Brainard took his leave of me 
 without bringing me to put off my referve ; and 
 what he then thought of me, I know not ; but 
 believe he ftrongly fufpe&ed, if he did not 
 without hefitation conclude, that I was not a 
 chriftian. 
 
 My convi&ion fixed upon me. I faw I was 
 indeed no chriftian. The evil of my heart, the 
 hardncfs and unbelief of it came more and more 
 into view ; and the evil cafe in which I was, ap- 
 peared more and more dreadful. I felt myfelf 
 a guilty, juftly condemned creature, and my 
 hope of relief by obtaining converfion failed 
 more and more, and my condition appeared 
 darker from day to day, and all help failed, and 
 I felt myfelf to be nothing but ignorance, guilt 
 and ftupidity. I now loft all defire to conceal 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 35 
 
 my cafe from thofe whom I confidercd to be 
 chriftians, ami freely opened it to fome of them. 
 They appeared particularly to intcrcft themfelves 
 in my condition, and often converfed with me, 
 and afked me if I had any new views, &c. 
 I conltantly told them I was (till the fame, in an 
 unconverted (late, &c. Thus I continued for 
 fome v/eeks, generally retired, unlefs when I 
 attended private meetings of young people, for 
 prayer, &c. which were frequent then in college, 
 and in the town. 
 
 At length as I was in my clofet one evening, 
 while I was meditating, and in my devotions, a 
 new and wonderful fcene opened to my view. 
 I had a fenfe of the being and prefence of God, 
 as I never had before ; it being more of a reality, 
 and more affecting and glorious, than I had ever 
 before perceived. And the character of Jefus 
 Chrift the mediator came into view, and ap- 
 peared fuch a reality, and fo glorious •, and the 
 way of falvation by him fo wife, important and 
 defirable, tlr^t I was aflonifhed at myfelf that I 
 had never feen thefe things before, which were 
 fo plain, pleafing and wonderful. I longed to 
 have all fee and L bings as they now 
 
 appeared to me. I was greatly affected, in the 
 view of my own dep; 
 and odioufnefs of my tt ; and tears fl< 
 
36 UPE 0* 
 
 ed in great plenty. After fome time I left my 
 clofet, and went into the adjoining room, no 
 other perfon being then there. I walked the 
 room, all intent on thefe fubje£te, and took up 
 Watts's verfion of the pfalms, and opened it at 
 the fifty-firft pfalm, and read the firft, fecond 
 and third parts in long metre with ftrong affec- 
 tions, and made it all my own language, and 
 thought it was the language of my heart to God ; 
 I dwelled upon it with pleafure, and wept much. 
 And when I had laid the book afide, my mind 
 continued fixed on the fubje£t, and in the exer- 
 cife of devotion, confeffion, adoration, petition, 
 Sec. in which I feemed to pour out my heart to 
 God with great freedom. I continued all atten- 
 tion to the things of religion, in which moft ap- 
 peared more or lefs engaged. There were many 
 inftances, as was then fuppofed, of converfion. 
 I felt a peculiar, pleafing affe&ion to thofe, who 
 were fuppofed to be chriftians. 
 
 But two things appear, now, to me remark- 
 able, with refpeft to my views arid exercifes 
 which I have juft now mentioned. Firft y I had 
 not then the leaft thought or fufpicion that what 
 I had experienced was converfion, or any thing 
 like it, nor did fuch a thought enter my mind, 
 fo far as I can recollect, till near a year after 
 this, or if any fuch thought was fuggefted at any 
 
SAMUEL HOrk. 37 
 
 time, it was immediately rejected. I had for- 
 med an idea in my mind of converfion, what 
 perfons who were converted mult be, and how 
 they muft feel, which was fo entirely different 
 from that which I had feen and felt, that I was 
 fo far from a thought that I was converted, that 
 I thought I knew I was not, and made no fcru- 
 plc to tell my friends fo, from time to time. 
 Sc\:ndly y I do not recollect that I faid a word to 
 anypcrfon living of thefe exercifes, or gave the 
 lead hint of them to any one for almoft a year 
 after they took place. I did not think they 
 were worth fpeaking of, being nothing like con- 
 verfion. And by degrees I ceafed to recollect 
 any thing of them, ftill hoping and looking for 
 fomething greater and better, and of quite a dif- 
 ferent kind. 
 
 When I heard Mr. Tennent, as mend 
 above, I thought he was the greateft and beft 
 
 D) and the belt preacher that I had ever feeit 
 or heard. His words were tome, " like apples 
 of gold in pictures of fiiver." And I then 
 thought that when I ihould leave the college, as 
 I was then in my laft year, I would go and live 
 with him, wherever I fhould find him. But 
 juft before the commencement in Sept/nuer, 
 when I was to take my degree, on th ith 
 
 day of which month \ was twenty years old, Mr. 
 
 
LIFE OF 
 
 ids of Northampton came to New-Haven, 
 ^nd preached. He then preached the fermon on 
 
 trial of the fpirits y which was afterwards 
 
 red. I had before read his fermons on jufti- 
 .kation, &c. and his narrative of the remarka- 
 
 converfions at Northampton, which took place 
 about feven years before this. Though I then 
 did not obtain any perfonal acquaintance with 
 him, any farther than by hearing him preach : 
 vet I conceived fuch an efteem of him, and was 
 jo pleafed with his preaching, that I altered my 
 
 ner determination with refpect to Mr. Ten- 
 nent, and concluded to go and live with Mr. 
 Edwards, as foon as Ifhould have opportunity, 
 though he lived about eighty miles from my 
 father's houfe. 
 
 After I had taken my firft degree, which was 
 in September 1741, I retired to my father's in 
 Waterbury. And being deje&ed and very 
 gloomy in my mind, I lived a reclufe life for fome 
 months. Confidering myfelf as a finful loft 
 creature, I fpent moft of my time in reading, 
 meditation and prayer ; and fpent many w^hole 
 days in fading and prayer. My attention turn- 
 ed chiefly to my own finfulnefs, and as being 
 wholly loft in myfelf, of which I had an increaf- 
 ing convi&ion. But I alfo attended to the ftate 
 of religion in the vicinity. There was a general 
 
SAMUEL HOP'v 
 
 and uncommon attention to religion, an 
 preaching by minilters who went from 
 town, but oppolition was made to the revival of 
 religion, which now began to irtcr 
 minillers and people. Some c 
 evil work, in the whole of it. Others zllov 
 there was fome good attending it : but 
 greatly to many things which took p: 
 were pra6tifed by the friends and fi 
 work, as imprudent and wrong. I was 
 advocate for the doctrines preached by the min- 
 illers who were inftrumetita of prcmoi' 
 revival, and for the practices of thole who w 
 the lubjecSts of it, and were fuppofed to be con- 
 verted. It is true, there were fome things I 
 and pra&iied, which I did not underftand, 
 fully fee through. But as I considered them 
 chridians, and myfelf as not one, and cqi 
 quently ignorant and incapable of judging, I 
 concluded they mud be right. I fpent days in 
 fading and prayer, ft of 
 
 that which to me appeared to be true religion, 
 and the fuppreflionof all oppofition to it. I en- 
 deavoured to promote religion among tfo 
 people in the town : and encouraged them who 
 were attentive and concerned to meet tog^ 
 for grayer, and to fpend day i 
 prayer together ; efpecially thole who v 
 thought to be converted. When I faw perfons, 
 
40 LIFE OF 
 
 whom I confidered to be unconverted, I felt dif- 
 pofed to pray for them that they might be con- 
 verted and faved ; and felt great concern for 
 lome individuals of this character. 
 
 In the month of December, being furnifhed 
 with a horfe, &c. I fet out for Northampton, 
 with a view to live with Mr. Edwards, where I 
 was an utter (tranger. When I arrived there, 
 Mr.- Edwards was not at home ; but was re* 
 ceived with great kindnefs by Mrs. Edwards and 
 the family, and had encouragement that I might 
 live there during the winter. Mr. Edwards was 
 abroad on a preaching tour, as people in gene- 
 ral were greatly attentive to religion and preach- 
 ing, which was attended with remarkable effects, 
 in the conviction and fuppofed converfion of 
 tttudes. I was very gloomy and was moil of 
 the time retired in my chamber. After fome- 
 days Mrs. Edwards come into my chamber, and 
 laid, « As I was now become one of the* family 
 a feaibn, fiie felt herfelf interefted in my 
 .welfare ; and ihe obferved that I appeared gloomy 
 
 I dejected, ihe hoped I would not think fts: 
 
 intruded by defirihg to know, and afking me 
 
 it was the occafion of it," or to that pur- 
 
 Ce. w I told her, the freedom me uied was a- 
 greeable to me \ that the occafion of the 
 
 trance which ihe mentioned was the (late is 
 
[UBL hop: 4? 
 
 which I considered myfelf. I was in a ChriiL 
 gracelei tui had been under a d 
 
 convi£U<fll, and concern for myfelf for a num- 
 ber of months : Had got no relief, and my cafe, 
 jad of growing better, appeared to grow 
 worfe. Upon which we entered into a free c 
 verfation. And on the whole fhe told me, 
 (lie had peculiar exercifes repealing me, fince I 
 had been in the family •, that flie trufted I mould 
 receive light and comfort, and doubted not that 
 God intended yet to do great things by me, &c. 
 This converfation did not fenfibly raffe n 
 in the leafl degree. My views of myfelf v 
 fuch, and my profpect and hope : ;ood 
 
 were fo low, that I then paid no f 
 to what (he faid. 
 
 Religion was now at a lower c 
 sunpton, than it had been of I 
 appeared to be in the 
 
 New-England in general. In the month of 
 January Mr. Buell, my clafs-mate, whom I r 
 tioned before, came to Northampton, 
 commenced a zealous preacher cf the 
 and was the means of greatly rhe peo- 
 
 ple to zeal in religion. He preached every days 
 and fometimes twice a day publicly, Mr. Ed- 
 wards being out of town, preaching i 
 towns. Frofsfiing chriftians appeared gre 
 v 2 
 
42 LIFE OF 
 
 revived and comforted, and a number were un- 
 der convi&ion, and I think there were fome 
 hopeful new converts. After Mr. Bliell had 
 preached in Northampton a week or two, he fe-t 
 out on a tour towards Bofton, to preach in the 
 towns in thofe parts ; and I went with him. 
 People crowded to hear him in every place ; 
 and great numbers were awakened, and many 
 were thought to be converted. After continuing 
 with him about two weeks, I returned to North- 
 ampton, when my exercifes of mind were fuch 
 that I fir thefirft time admitted a hope that they 
 were really gracious, and my mind immediately 
 recurred back to the time when I had thofe views 
 and affections, almoft a year before, which have 
 been mentioned, and they appeared to me to be 
 of the fame kind with thofe which now poflefled 
 my mind, and that the courfe of exercifes which 
 I fince had, did not differ in kind from the firft, 
 and from thofe which I now had : though I had 
 within this time often faid I was certain I had no 
 grace \ and never had for a moment, that I can 
 recolledt, entertained the leaft degree of hope, 
 cr one thought that I was not in a ftate of na- 
 ture. While at Northampton before this, I con- 
 verfed with a number of chriftians who were 
 thought to be knowing and eminent. I per- 
 ceived that they thought I was a chriftian. But 
 this did net have the leaft perceivable influence 
 
HOPKINS. 43 
 
 on my mind, fo as to excite the leaft hope that I 
 was n : but thought and felt that I kn 
 
 this was not, and could not, be true.* 
 
 I now determined to make known the whole 
 of my exercifes to Mr. Edwards, as far as I could 
 communicate the m. I told him my prefent ex- 
 ercifes, and thofe which I have related which 
 took place at college near a year before. When 
 he had heard me, he alked me, Why I had not 
 told him thefe things before ? I told him it was 
 becaufe I had no thought that fuch exercifes were 
 converfion, or chriitian exercifes, till very lately. 
 He gave not his opinion exprefsiy ; nor did I 
 defire he ihould ; for I was far from rejging on 
 any man's judgment in fuch a cafe. But I fup- 
 pofed he entertained a hope that I was a chris- 
 tian. 
 
 From this time I turned my thoughts upon 
 ng the gofpel. And with a view to ob- 
 tain a licenfe to preach, I left Mr. Edwards's in 
 the latter end of March, 2nd went home to 
 
 * This. toitbfundry motes iikich fdLiv, \v?re tt 
 ait diary of I 
 tained a hope, that I did experience a Caving change ab 
 year ago ; and, I find my felf more, and more .n it. 
 
 The Lord grant that I may not be d< 
 thought* (Gcd willing) of being examined, I 
 der to preach the fweet and everiafting gofpel or J 
 Though, many times, my heart lhrinks at the thought. I 
 hope the Lord will dire A mc. 
 
44 LIFE OF 
 
 Waterbury. And in May I applied to an AiTo- 
 ciation of minifters for approbation ; which they 
 granted, after I had pafled and examination be- 
 fore them.* 
 
 * April 29. This day, I obtained a permit to go forth and 
 preach the gofpel : but this is only from men It hath been 
 my requeft, and I hope my fin cere defire, that I might have 
 a commifiion from the Lord Jefus Chrift, the great Lord cf 
 the harveft, and be fent forth by him, as a labourer in his 
 vineyard. 
 
 July 3. I have this day rode from Hampton to Suffield, 
 in order to preach. By the way I was much drawn out in 
 ardent defires that God would go with me, and that I might 
 do fomething for his hcnor. I heard two fermons, and bejng 
 deilred, I preached a third. The power of the Lord came 
 down, and many of his children were fiiled, with the. Holy 
 Ghofl ! I had a freedom in fpeaking which I never had be- 
 fore, iffculd not be heard all over the meeting houfe, by 
 reafon of the out cries of the people. Oh! wonderful, that 
 the Lord mould make me his inftrument to feed his lambs. 
 
 Being defired, I preached again, this night, at the houfe 
 where I lodged ; many people came to hear the word ; and, 
 we had the divine prefence — many chriftians were fweetly 
 refreihed. 
 
 Auguft 7. Seeing Chrift requires that I deny myfelf, take 
 up my crofs and renounce all for hinij taking him for my only 
 portion here and for ever : 
 
 . I do now afrefli dedicate myfelf to the Lord, fokmnly 
 promifing to renounce all other lords, and take him for my 
 portion* I call heaven and earth to witnefs, that I now take 
 the God of heaven and earth for my God. I now make my- 
 felf over, withal] that Ihave, or ever mall have to him. I 
 now promife allegiance to the God of heaven, that henceforth 
 I will make it my only bufirefs to ferve and honor him ; beg- 
 ging his gracious affiftaRce to perform my obligations, and 
 to keep my folemn vows ir. violate. It is done, 1 am no more 
 own, but I give myfelf away to God, to be his for- 
 ever. S« H* 
 
VEL HOPKINS. 45 
 
 After I had preached a few times at my native 
 place, and places adjacent, occasionally, I 
 turned to Northampton, propofmg. to ipend 
 fometime in purfuing my Itudies with Mr, Ed- 
 war, c I lived during the fummer, prfeach- 
 ing fometimes in Mr. Edwards's pulpit, and to 
 private meetings j and fometimes rode out to 
 neighbouring towns, and preached ; for which I 
 neither demanded, nor received any pay, except 
 forty (hillings old tenor, for preaching one Sab- 
 bath at Weit field : which was given without any 
 demand or expectation from me. I alio preach* 
 in the fall a number of fabbaths at Bethlem 
 to Mr. Bellamy's people, gratis, while he took 
 a tour as far as Philadelphia in order to preach j 
 as people in general then had a hearing ear. 
 
 In the beginning of December 1742, I was 
 invited to preach at Symfbury in Connecticut, to 
 nfiderable congregation, who had lately left 
 their minifter ; where I continued preaching 
 moil of the time till the next May. The greater 
 part of the people appeared attentive and in r 
 meafure engaged m religion 9 but * , "* x \ v ;'" 
 fome oppofers ot tf lc U~ revival of religion, 
 and of the do&rines which were preached, and 
 re much infilled upon by the friends of the. 
 •val. Though I refufed to preach as a can- 
 didate, having no inclination to fettle in the min- 
 
46 LIFE OF 
 
 iftry at prefent ; yet the town infilled upon hav- 
 ing a meeting to fee if they would give me a 
 call to fettle in the work of the miniilry among 
 them. When they met, it appeared that one 
 hundred voted to give me a call, and that thirty 
 voted againft it. I told them, that I had no 
 thought of fettling in the miniftry at prefent : 
 But if I had, I thought their want of unanimity, 
 and the number of oppofers was a fufficient rea- 
 fon for not complying with their requeft. I 
 therefore left them, and went to Northampton, 
 with a view to purfue my ftudies for a longer 
 time with Mr. Edwards.* 
 
 * M&7 4, 1743. This evening, through the goodnefs of 
 God, have had feme refreshing discoveries cf divine 
 things longing that the whole world might be brought to 
 the knowlege of God; and, that the children of God might 
 live like themfelves, have views of an approaching eternity, 
 and feel the love of God in their fouls. That the miniftera 
 cf Chrift might always experience how fweet it is, to preach 
 Chrift, and offer him to fallen undone fmners. Oh ! how 
 fweet is it to get on mount Pifgah, and from thence behold 
 the pramifed land ! 
 
 Auguft 25. Had forne freedom in fecret prayer, this night — 
 
 Quite willing that God mould flop my mouth and never 
 
 ;o fpeak in his name to this people again, if he has 
 
 « ot « -? it be his will I mould not ; ~t die fame 
 
 time greatly dcfirous t:.-. v by fe^c; means, they might be 
 
 brought into the right way. 
 
 November it. Have had more than ordinary longings after 
 hoiinefs and fandification ; at the fame time thirfting after 
 God, longing to know more of him, and be more acquainted 
 with him. 
 
 26. }Ud a little, but* fweet glimpfe cf foxac of the sttri- 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 47 
 
 But after I had continued there a few weeks, 
 I found myfclf unwell, grew more and more 
 feeble, and was attended with rheumatic pains; 
 fo as to be unable to attend to my iludy, as I ex- 
 pected : And haying, at that time feveral invita- 
 tions from diftant places, to go and preach to 
 them, I concluded it was bed to ride as the like- 
 lieft way to recover my health. And being in- 
 vited to go to a place then called Houfatonod> 
 which was about fixty miles from Northampton, 
 I engaged to go there, and to preach to them two 
 or three fabbaths. Accordingly I arrived ther^ 
 the beginning of July, 1743. I found they 
 were a fmall people, there being but about 
 thirty families in the town ; that a number of 
 them were poor, and generally they were with- 
 out any concern about real religion, and gives to 
 many vices, which an eafy country to live in, 
 and living without the Ready preaching of the 
 gofpel, or public worfhip, naturally produced. 
 But as they appeared unanimous in inviting me 
 to fettle among them, after I had been there a 
 number of fabbaths, I confented, and was or- 
 dained on the 28th day of December, juft at 
 
 butes of God, in fecret prayer, efpeclally of his wlfdom, jjf- 
 tice and holinefs. I faw that he knew what wa- 
 could do nothing but what is perfe&ly right ar.d juft, and in- 
 finitely beft. What reafoa have I, to commit, ftU niy con- 
 cerns into his ha; 
 
48 LIFE OF 
 
 the end of the year 1743, when I was twenty- 
 two years, three months, and eleven days old.* 
 
 I continued there in the work of the miniftry 
 till January 18, 1769, twenty-five years and a- 
 bout twenty days, when I was difmiffed, by the 
 
 unanimous voice of a council called on that oc- 
 
 • 
 
 * December 24, 1743. Have fafted in fecret to day, and 
 had fome unufual afliftance and enlargement. My courage 
 5s increafed about fettling here in the work of the miniftry, 
 being willing to go where God calls me, knowing that, this 
 life is not L*e place for happinefs, I muil wait for that, till 
 I launch inro eternity and leave my corruption behind. I 
 hope God hath given me ftreugth to defire his prefence in the 
 great work of the miniftry. 
 
 2,8. I have this day folemnly and publicly given myfelf 
 up to the work of the miniltry. I am now engaged in a 
 great work. Oh, that I might be faithful unto death. 
 
 Auguft a8, 1744. This evening T have had unufual free- 
 dom inpra}er — had fome fenie of the miferabie £ate of my 
 people, and fome wrefiling.- foe then — Was enabled to give 
 myfelf up afrefh to drift, taking him with his crefs, being 
 heartily willing if I migu ' ifence, to undergo all 
 
 poflible hardfhips and trial? — was ith an holy fcorn 
 
 to trample upon, and defpife the world, with all ere; 
 good. 
 
 July 25, 1/49- ^ a( * freedom in fccrC prayer this evening, 
 I think I canfafely appeal to God, and rclare be- 
 
 fore him, that Idefirehis fmilea <\n& acceptance in his fight 
 above all things ejfe/ that I had rather be firipped of -very 
 worldly comfort than to be withx hia all 
 
 thu world is nothing. I am alfo confeious h-fore G >d that I 
 am fmcere, (though alas ftioxJ nt) in the great 
 
 work I huvc undertaken, ^nd have never declined 
 I ferioufly thought was for the fpirituai good of xny people, 
 for any worldly intereft. 
 
49 
 
 cafiottj and the confent of the church. Duri 
 dm time I had no gr< ruccefs in the 
 
 m'miftry. A fmall number were hopefully con- 
 verted, and a number of chriftians moved into 
 the place ifliei which increafed the num- 
 
 in the church. But the congregation in 
 :ral did not attend public worfhip, except 
 fome times •, and were not willing to fupport the 
 gofpel. And a number turned churchmen, ap- 
 parently and fome of them profeiledly, to get 
 rid of paying any thing for the fupport of the 
 gofpel. And fo great a number of others refufed 
 to do any thing this way, that after the church, 
 and others who wifhed to have me ftav anions 
 them, had made a number of attempts, the/ de- 
 clared there was, in their view, no profpeel or 
 hope of my having a fupport, if I continued 
 with them ; and therefor-: they could not obj 
 to my leaving th an ecclefnf- 
 
 tical council fhould adv ;y there 
 
 joined with me in calling a council, and la] 
 the circumitances of the cafe before them : who 
 advifed to my difmiilion, as mentioned above. 
 
 I then had a wife and eight children, 2nd own- 
 ed a houfe and good farm ; and could, by I 
 ing my ftudy and attending to my farm, 1 
 fupported myfelf and family, and continued to 
 preach to thofe who would come to hear me, 
 after a fort, with little ftudy. But I then 
 thought, and it was the judgment of the coun- 
 
LIFE OF 
 
 oil, and of the church, that as I could not be 
 fupported there, fo as to be able to give myfelf 
 wholly to the work of the miniftry, and purfue 
 my ftudies without any great interruption from 
 worldly cares and labour, it was my duty to leave 
 m, and go where I could be fupported. And 
 if no fuch place prefented \ I could by turning 
 attention to farming fupport myfelf. But 
 :e I have feen the unhappy confequences to 
 ; people of my leaving them, many of which 
 ! it probably have been prevented by my ftay- 
 with them, though I had ftudied but little, 
 and fpent great part of my time in attention to 
 my worldly concerns, I have fometimes been 
 ready to call in queftion the reafonablenefs of 
 that conclufion, and have thought it probable 
 we were all wrong in judging as we did, and 
 that it was my duty to flay with that people in 
 thofe circumftances. It is certain this would 
 s been greatly to my worldly advantage. But 
 I then thought I did right, and took the moft 
 prudent and proper fleps, in taking the advice 
 of a council, &c. And the iffue rendered it 
 neceffary for me to leave the work of the minif- 
 try there. God has ordered it fo, and his ends 
 will be anfwered by it. This will be feeiij 
 another day \ and it will be known who were the 
 blameable inftruments of bringing it about, and 
 m what degree they were fo. 
 
 In lefs than a year after I was ordained at Shef- 
 
SAMUEL IIOPK 
 
 field (as a cillcd •, but has Gnce obtain- 
 
 ed the nsu 
 
 ag about 
 
 forrv-thr Id. She died in chiW-b 
 
 ! foon after. My father tent for r 
 when it was fuppofed my mother was like to die. 
 But as I lived at the diftanceof fifty miles, and 
 it was diificult travelling at that time of t 1 
 I did not get there before my mother died. This 
 a grievous lofs to me, which touched my 
 tender feelings to the quick, as (he was a ki 
 tender mother, and I loved her above any otl 
 
 On January 13, 1748, I was married tr 
 Joanna Ingerfol, daughter of Mofes Ingerfol of 
 Great- Barrington. And on February 5, 
 
 rutty 4, 1749. Reached my father's honfe late in the 
 r, find my father very Tick, and two brothers and two 
 fitter* with the meafeb. My father knew me and 
 
 M fa long in coming? told me he lent for me that 
 ght fee him once more before he di 
 r.ot think ! I toli him do: T afked him if he 
 
 g to die, hit anfwef was fiicl 
 
 : him. I was quickly willing to part with him if 
 he might bnt gire me evidence of hi re in 
 
 Chrift, before he died, but was fcon brought to ^ivc up 
 point, if he might but have a faving intereft in C 
 the comfort of it in his own foul, which my foul 
 1 to feck God earned!; 
 ny mouth filled with arguments, and af:er all w 
 
 and acfcnov I 
 ng a right to do what he would, and that he c 
 
 -rye. We apprehend my f« 
 
52 LIFE OF 
 
 my father died at Waterbury, being abotit fifty- 
 eight years old. He made me executor of his will. 
 He left three young fons, my brothers James, 
 Daniel, and Mark. James was in his fixteenth 
 year, Daniel in his fourteenth, and Mark in his 
 tenth. The two oldeft my father furnifhed with 
 a farm, and utenfils to cultivate it, propbfmg that 
 they fhould be farmers- The youngeit he com- 
 mitted to my care, defiring me to give him a pub- 
 lic education, for which he left a fufficient eftate. 
 The two oldeft foon got difcouraged with farm- 
 ing, living fifty miles from me. Upon which, 
 on their defire, I fold the farm, and took them 
 into my own houfe, and fitted them all to enter 
 the college at New-Haven. James, the oldeft 
 msde fuch proficiency in his ftudies, that he en- 
 d the college before the other two. He was 
 a promifmg young man, much efteemed in col- 
 lege ; efnecially by his clafs-mates. But was 
 taken tick with a fever before his firft year at col- 
 lege was ended, which put an end to his life. I 
 was fent for, when his ficknefs was thought to 
 be mortal ; but my houfe being eighty miles from 
 New-Haven, when I got there, he was juft ex- 
 piring, and died in an hour or two : This was a 
 trying fcene to me ! 
 
 two prayers with him, ha having been fometime before 
 fpet chiefs, revived a lit lie, 2nd faid, be lad mors left 
 
 rring to the difcourfe I had with him before. Thefe were 
 ; Imoft the laft words which, he fpake, and the mofl comforta- 
 ble. I Lad fome views of the infinity of God's mercy, ar.cf 
 cxprefTed it in prayer, and hope his foul felt it. 
 
re 
 
 53 
 
 other two brothers entered college after 
 , and were graduated. Ill cart 
 
 of their A, ^ providing for tfa 
 
 trouble of which was not fmall. 
 
 My youngeft brother, Mark, ftudied the law, 
 and followed that bufinefs. Waa married, :md 
 had a number of children. lie profpered in the 
 world, and fuilained a good and fair ch 
 But died with ficknefs when engaged in the v 
 with Britain, about the time the American ai 
 evacuated New-York, being driven out by the 
 Britifli, I think in the year 1776. My brotl 
 Daniel is yet living, being fettled in the miniftry 
 at Salem. 
 
 It was difagreeable to me to go fo far from Mr. 
 Edwards, as I did when I fettled at Great-Bar- 
 
 rington, being at leail fixty miles, with whom I 
 had itudied 1" :id who was able to affilt 
 
 me farther to .ivancement in knowkv 
 
 could I live in his neighbourhood, fo as to be 
 able to vifit him often, and converfe with him, &c. 
 But I was relieved and gratified with refp 
 is, in a few years after my fettlement, by his 
 bioving from Northampton, and fettling at 
 Stockbridge, within feven miles of my houfe. 
 Mr. Sergeant, who was miflionary to the Indians 
 at Stockbridge, when I fettled at Great-Barring- 
 ton, died on the 27th July, 1749. The next 
 year the commiiBoners in Bofton, who had the 
 
 E 2 
 
54 
 
 LIFE OF 
 
 . care of the Indian miffion at Stockbridge, fent 
 to me their propofaJ and defire that I would ac- 
 cept of that million, in which invitation both 
 the white people, and the Indians at Stock- 
 bridge earneftly joined. And the Indians fent a 
 particular meflenger to me, to intreat me to come 
 and be their minifter. My anfwer was, that I 
 would take the matter into ferious confideration. 
 But as I did not think myfelf equal to fuch a 
 fituation and bufinefo, I fhould hefitate with re- 
 H^ard to accepting the offer, though I (hould not 
 * know of any other man better qualified to take 
 the place. But as I had one in view who was 
 much better qualified, every way, for fuch a 
 miffion, if he could be obtained, as I hoped he 
 could, if I otherwife were inclined to accept, I 
 fhould refufe, in order to introduce him. Mr. 
 Edwards was the man whom I had in view. He 
 had been difmiffed from the church in Northamp- 
 ton in the year 1750. I therefore wrote to the 
 commiflioners in Bofton recommending him in 
 the ftrongeft terms, as the moft proper perfon 
 for that miffion, and mentioned him to the white 
 people, and to the Indians, as the moft fuitable 
 man for their minifter. Accordingly he wagpl 
 introduced and fettled there in Auguft 1 75 1, n£wP 
 quite eight years after I was fettled at Great- 
 Barrington.* He continued at Stockbridge a 
 
 * Monday May 9, 1 753. Vifited H, D. to day, who is 
 very fick, and is not like to continue long ; her lifter, E. 
 ^ame owt of the door after me, appearing tenderly wi~ 
 
SAMUEL IIOPK 55 
 
 little more than 1 -nc I en- 
 
 .t by his company 
 
 But lie was invited to the 
 
 : the college in Princeton, and in 
 
 ecrr.ed il * defired me to pray for her, which I 
 
 emit.. to my clofct at home, and 
 
 God lor mercy lor her foul with free- 
 dom an J importunity. I ca: no- hut h«ijc that God enabled 
 me to a(k c . ace lor her : and I humbh 
 
 - time and wsy, give it. Oh ! what a fweet duty 
 faith will the whole heart. 
 Ev«ry fervent intcrcefior has his reward paid down, and 
 his prayer immediately returns into his own bofom. 
 
 8. This day H. D. died, fhe was a defirable youtl 
 and hopefully convened a few weeks before fhe was taken 
 fick : and God wai It me a mean of awakening 
 
 her, which I efteem a^: than it hi had gi 
 
 the whole world. This is the fir/l that I have evidence cf the 
 . m of, fir.ee I have been in the place ; and furcly it 
 is well worth while to preach feven years, (which i* the 
 time I have been here) to be any ways inftrumental of the 
 fion of one foul. 
 Wednefday, December 26. I have lately had diftrefilng ap- 
 .; the badnefs of my ftate, being ready to con- 
 clude that fuch a fmner as I am, cannot pcfiibiy have any 
 grace. Thil i-beured under an unfup- 
 
 lc load of fin ; and, my fpir :unk up with 
 
 anguifh ! As fooa ai I could, I faut myfelf up in my ftudy, 
 upon my knees before God. 
 
 firft, I felt, and tcld God, that I had no where elfe 
 go bu* to him, though I had finned fo gr ft him. 
 
 It and exprcfTci, the extreme folly of forfaking hirr. — :hat 
 was beyond all concept! n. I reflected on the 
 
 ins and faw they were fo vafUy multiplied and 
 numerous, that it was impofiible my mind fhc; 
 a full view of them, or be able to reckon them. Yea, that 
 there was not one aggravation, but what exceeded all my 
 thought? and conceptions. I thought it a wonder th 
 rot in hell, and confeffed that God might juftly fend me there 
 immediately; yea he might juftly do what was i.nfpeakably 
 
 id ^^ 
 
 m 
 
56 LIFE OF 
 
 the beginning of January 1758. He was dii~ 
 miffed from Stockbridge by the advice of a coun- 
 cil. This was a fore trial to me, to have him 
 thus taken from my neighbourhood, by which I 
 
 more dreadful, viz. continue me in ths world till I had filled 
 up the dreadful msafure of my iniquities, and become a 
 great and remarkable veflel of wrath, fitted for that deftruc- 
 tion, for which I was before appointed ; that I might fink 
 down unfpeakably below Judas, and bear a more awful 
 weight of wrath, than any other who fhould go to hell. 
 
 Under thefe (hocking apprehenfions of the weight of 
 wrath which belonged to me, it came int© my mind, that 
 Chrift could fave from all this ; he could deliver from fuch a 
 • weighty wrath ! 
 
 Immediately upon which my foul applied to him for help ; 
 and, this was the language of my heart, Lord Jefus, Pceme, 
 I come, I come to thee, 1 come for deliverance from this dif- 
 tinguifhed place in hell, this uncommon weight of wrach. 
 I thought I might hope in him for deliverance, though 
 others went to hell, whofe fins were unfpeakably lefs than 
 mine, tind the truth contained in thofe words, " Iwill&ave 
 mercy on ivhom I will Lavs mercy," feemed fweet and wonder- 
 ful. I felt confounded, and my foul was filled with bluihing 
 and Hiame, faying from my heart, " Righteoufnefs belong- 
 eth unto thee, O Lord, but unto me ihame and confufion of 
 face becaufe I have finned " In the conclufion of my peti- 
 tions when I mentioned Chrift as the perfon, in whofe name 
 I prefented myfelf and offering, I felt that he was the only 
 Saviour, and ground of hope for finners. Had it not been 
 for him, the leaft fin mud have damned infallibly : and it 
 feemed wonderful, even that the leaft (inner, and efpecial 
 fuch a (inner as I was, might have hope. When I came 
 conclude my devotions with afcriptions of praife to God, 
 heart dwelt upon this, and I longed that the angels mi; 
 praife God. I faw that God could glorify himfelf by faving 
 me, but the tribute of praife which I could offer was mean, 
 and inconfiderable — I wanted to lifp out his praife in fome 
 humble place. I rofe from my knees lightened and comfort- 
 ed : all nature put on a rcore pleafant afpedfc, and thofe words 
 " I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy" dwelt on my 
 heart with pleafure and delight. 
 
 d it 
 
HOPKINS. 
 
 fhould lofe the future benefit of His comp 
 and inftru&ioaa* But I considered him as fo 
 
 eminently qualified for the prefidency of a col- 
 , that the profpeel of the good he would do 
 in that Qation, (o much over balanced the bene- 
 fit of his flaying at Stockbridge and my perfonal 
 advantage, that I thought it my duty to give my 
 voice for his removal to Princeton. But the a- 
 greeable profpecT: cf his ufefulnefs, as prefident 
 of the college, was foon ended : For he had 
 been but a few weeks in that ftation before he 
 I, by the advice of the truftees, inoculated 
 with tke fmall pox, which put an end to his life 
 he month of March 1758. 
 
 Upon the death of Mr. Edwards, Mrs. Ed- 
 Js, in confequence of verbal directions giv en 
 to her by Mr. Edwards in his life time, put all 
 his manufcripts and his library into my hands, 
 and care : His manufcripts to be difpofed of by 
 me, and two oth Icrs. And Mrs. Ed- 
 
 \!s folicited me to write the life of Mr. Ed- 
 to be publifhed, with a number of fer- 
 :cled from his manufcripts. I 
 xed myfelf very unequal to writing his 
 ut as by having the pofiefTion of his manu- 
 fcripts, I was under better advantage to do it, 
 than others, I engaged to do the bed I could - 9 
 and if it fhould be approved of by a number of 
 friendjA judicious minifters, I would conient to 
 : lifhcd, on condition that my name 
 
 
 bi 
 
58 LIFE OF 
 
 flioirid not be put to it. Accordingly it was pub- 
 lifhed with a number of pofthumous fermons, 
 the moft of which I tranfcribed myfelf from his 
 manufcripts. 
 
 As thefe manufcripts were in my hands a 
 number of years, I paid my chief attention to< 
 them, until I had read them all, which confided 
 of a great number of volumes, fome of them 
 large, be fides fermons, of which fermons I did 
 not read the whole. In doing this I had much 
 pleafure and profit. My mind became more 
 engaged in ftudy, rifing, great part of my time, 
 at four o'clock in the morning to purfue my 
 ftudy, in which I took great pleafure. 
 
 In the twenty five years which I fpent at 
 Great Harrington,, I had but little apparent 
 fracefs in the converfion of finners, though a 
 number were hopefully converted, and the 
 church was confiderably increafed in numbers. 
 And the town made advances and profpered in 
 a good degree in their worldly circumftances. 
 And it appears from what has taken place at 
 time of my leaving them, and fince, that 
 labours among them were a means of prevfki 
 many vices and evils, which have fince that 
 time been apparently increafing among them. 
 They have had no minifter fettled among them, 
 except for a ihort time, fince I left them. The 
 church has dwindled, and come to idmoft 
 
 ces. 
 
HOPKINS. 59 
 
 nothing, or worfe. They have not profpered 
 in their worldly concerns, but the contrary. 
 And arc far from being r le as a people 
 
 or town in the fight of thofe who are acquainted 
 with them, and their circumftances. 
 
 While I lived at Great Barrington many things 
 took place in the exercifes of my own mind, 
 and in refpett to other perfons and objects, 
 which cannot now be narrated : but muft be left 
 to that dav, when every work will be brought 
 into judgment, with every fecret thing. I went 
 through many trials and discouragements, both 
 from within myielf, and from things without. 
 
 p mind w Umk in darknels and def- 
 
 pondency, difcouraged with myfelf ; difpleafed 
 with my own character and performances *, and 
 burdened with a fenfe of my awful depravity and 
 great deficiencies ; and often doubted whether 
 I were a real christian. Yet I was Supported by 
 views of divine truths *, and at times raifed above 
 all doubts, and to high religious enjoyments in 
 the exercife of thofe affe&ions which appeared 
 to be truly gracious, and excluded all doubts and 
 fears refpe&ing my ftate. And I had often great 
 ^■joyment in contemplating divine truth, and in 
 B exercifes of hear;: which attended and were 
 
 plied in thefe truths, independent of any de- 
 termination, hope or thought that I was a chrif- 
 the exercifes and experiences of my 
 art, were the ground of my preaching, in 
 
6o LIFE OF 
 
 general, and led to thofe paflages of fcripture 
 and fubjefts which I chofe for my public dif- 
 courfes. 
 
 A number of chriftians, though not large, 
 who were members of the church, were a com- 
 fort to me, and appeared to be pleafed and edified 
 under my miniftry. I had, from time to time, 
 fome oppofers of the doctrines which I preached. 
 But being perfuaded, and knowing that they were 
 the truths contained in divine revelation, this op- 
 pofition, from whatever quarter, did not in the 
 lead deter or difcourage me from adhering to 
 them and vindicating them publicly and in pri- 
 vate. And this was the occafion of my under- 
 {landing them better, of enlarging my views of 
 the extent and confiftency of the truths of chrif- 
 tianity ; and more and more confirming and ef- 
 tablifliing me in the knowledge and belief of 
 them. 
 
 When I was difmifled from Great-Barrington, 
 I thought it not probable that I fhould refettle in 
 the work of the miniftry, fince I could not think 
 df fettling any where, unlefs with a church, 
 which were friendly to the doctrines and disci- 
 pline which I believed and preached, and ajB^ 
 peared, at lead a good number of them, to be 
 real chriftians. And it was not probable that 
 fuch a church could be found, feeing religion 
 appeared generally to be funk to fo low an ebb, 
 
6i 
 
 and the do&ri !i I incul- 
 
 cated, were lb much oppofed and rej 
 
 I was then engaged in writing a reply to Mr. 
 Mills entitled, the 
 
 unrc of all mifrepreferttation and 
 
 d*fg u if e - * n attending to and finifliing this I 
 fpent feme months at home, and moit of the 
 time rode on Saturday to North Canaan, about 
 twelve miles from my houfe, and preached to 
 that people, they having no minifter, and re- 
 turned home on Monday. When that work was 
 finilhed, and put to prefs i -Haven, I fet 
 
 out on a journey to Bofton, deGring to vifit my 
 
 itian friends there, of whom I had a c 
 iiderable number, with whom I had a particular 
 acquaintance, and who had mown great and 
 fpecial kindnefs to me for a number of jre 
 Doctor Lowell being then aged and fick, unable 
 to attend the work of the miniitry, a number of 
 the church and congregation of the old foutk> 
 were defirous to have me introduced there. But 
 fome of the leading men in the church being op- 
 pofed to it, exerted themfelves in oppofition to 
 it, and took meafures effeQuaily to preven: it. 
 
 "While I was in Bolton, there came a man 
 from Topfham, a town one hundred and fifty 
 miles eaft of Bolton, on Kennebec river ; be 
 fent to get a minifter to come and preach to tha 
 people. Having been defirous for fometime to 
 
62 LIFE OF 
 
 get acquainted with that eaftern country, of 
 which I had heard much, I confented to go, and 
 arrived there the beginning of June. I found 
 the fettlement new ; the people ignorant and 
 generally ftupid in matters of religion ; and no 
 church or profeflbrs of religion in the town. 
 The people, however, came pretty generally to 
 hear me : and many came from the adjacent 
 tbwns, there being but few minifters in thefe 
 parts. They profeffed highly to approve of my 
 preaching, and none appeared to oppofe. When 
 I had fpent a few fabbaths there, the committee 
 came to me, and faid, the people appeared u- 
 nnnimous in defiring me to flay with them.; they 
 therefore defiredthatl would confent to have the 
 people collected in town meeting to fee if they 
 would invite me to fettle among them, in which, 
 without doubt, they would be unanimous. *I 
 told them that -they were but a young fettlement, 
 and their lands in general were uncultivated : 
 that as I had a wife and a number of children, 
 and w as fo far advanced in life, I did not believe 
 it my duty to move my family fo far, and fettle 
 among them, in my time of life, and in their 
 prefent circumftances ; therefore would not have 
 them think of calling a meeting of the people, in 
 order to invite me to fettle with them : that I 
 hoped they would find a young man y who might 
 be willing to fettle with them. * 
 
 * Monday June ix, 1769 Spent Saturday in fading and 
 prayer, had a variety of exercifes, more ftrcng than com- 
 
SAMUEL H 
 
 I then concluded in my own mind, t!i 
 would be my duty to live with my famiiy at 
 Great-Barrington, and cultivate my farm fur x 
 
 mon, was in tears great part of the day ; fe thl V'cd 
 
 to ftW myfefTup. no: lit to be fern. If ever I knew \ 
 .>, to call my fe if upon Chrift, I did fo DOW. Sovc. 
 
 -11 my plea. . hopt\ 1 hid unfpeakabie 
 
 ire in thinking t:. nda- 
 
 greatejl exercife and difpby race ; 
 
 e, diftinguilhed 
 
 this afforded opportunity for the exercife of divine power, 
 
 n, and goodnefs, in ail then- infinite height ar-d 
 tude. ThatiajM, there was a />.• far the trial of 
 
 divine grace, on which it may have full fee 
 
 rrecx the greateft monument, to the praifeof the glory 
 of God's grace to ail eternity ! My foul feemed to rejoice 
 and exult in this, more, unfpeakably more thun in my own 
 eonfidercd as ff parate from this. Yea, the latter, 
 ■i no acount ind not worth afking for, in 
 paxiforj with the former, or altdefron] that. 
 '/ exercTes were uncommon, and remarkable in on: I 
 viz. in the quick fuccefii«n of li^ht and joy, and*'. 
 tion and gloom. I* was fometimes lifted up, and then . 
 cafi down, and my exercife:. as it were obliterated. 
 
 The chief things I propofed to feck God for I 
 firft, his direction and fniiles, with regard to my futir 
 cumftances, and ■fcfufoefi in the world, w ith rJ'pcdfc to 
 which, I have had a variety of exercT:s ; which would fill a 
 recorded, 
 ndly, For my chriftian friends. 
 
 the church of Chrift, A 
 This ; ith the words of Chrift in my mini 
 
 " he th^t hath nj mdments, ai n, he 
 
 it is thatlovcth me ; and h_» that loveth me mall he loved of 
 
 . and I will love him, a: 
 him." I feemed to long to keep Chrift 'i i 
 and thought the great one was to love 
 • p, to read the 14th, 1 
 f John. And oh, how full 
 
 ', inexprc: 
 
6j\ life of 
 
 living, rather than to fettle at Topsham, or any- 
 place like that ; and felt reconciled to fuch a 
 plan, unlefs I fliould have fome better profpeft 
 of fettling in the miniftry. 
 
 Saturday morning July I. Purpnfe to fpend this day in 
 fading and prayer. The day is to be fpent in the following 
 manner. 
 
 i. In attending to my fins, and confefliag them before 
 Sod. 
 
 1. In praying for pardon and holinefs. 
 
 3. That God would make the path of duty plain before 
 me, form me for hisfervice, and improve me in it. 
 
 4. In fceking mercies for my wife and children. 
 
 5. Praying for direction and affi fiance while with this 
 people, that fome good maybe done here. » 
 
 6. For my chriftian friends, and kind benefactor?. 
 
 7. For the church of Chrift in general and for the worli of 
 mankind. Ciofe the day with thank fgiving. 
 
 When I firft rofe this morning, read the feventy firft Pfalrr., 
 with fome exercifes of heart and pleafure. Mary pansge*, 
 in it feemed applicable to my circumftances ; and I thought 
 I could make them the language of my own heart. The 
 ^cations on enemies, verfe, 13, 24, I could apply toin- 
 vilible enemies, the devils, and wicked men, confidered at 
 enemies to me, becaufe enemies to Chrift, and fo far as 
 are fuch, they may be cenfumed and deftroyed. This is- 
 confident with their being converted andfaved. 
 
 " Their feet arefwift to Ihed blood, but how to de good 
 ih ?y know not." This is the very character that I have been 
 ef,all my days. A!! fin of omiffion or commifiion is {bedding 
 blood, it is mifchief, it is murder. In all my connections, I 
 have been conftantlf guilty of omitting fomething which I 
 :ve dons ijt their good, or doing fomething which 
 ftende hurt. I have miffed ten thoufand opporruni- 
 
 to do good, and have not feen them till they were pair, 
 through the ftupidity and wickednefs of my heart. If I have 
 everdefired to do any good, it has been the effect of fover- 
 cign grace. 
 
 I have been longing to get rid of Gn — the thought of living 
 as I have, is dreadful. . In this feufe I groan being burden 
 
, ill the I 
 g of July, 
 mittce of the {"nit c I 
 
 rningjulyj. 1 I .Tweet hcur be- 
 
 , :en. Surely if tJ enjoyments &n 
 
 earth " m >' ^et, to have them to all cteri.it/ 
 
 without God, I would not give this hour' Qt for 
 
 i would defpife them. " It is good for me, 
 
 to daw near to God." How fwift, and how fweec' 
 
 - pal's the mind, when i: ll in ai 
 frame ! I r i-. impoflible to exprefa ah the the 
 
 :d my mind in thii hour on my knees ! 
 Qod ! " There i% none on earth that 1 defire bcUes tine'* 
 were words to which my foul did echo, and which I could 
 cfpoufe with all my 1 
 
 or without thee, and not in union with thee. I 
 eluded with a iolenin, and I hope beurty dedicatii 
 
 to God, believing that he could, and in a degree of con- 
 ce that he wou d, do more than I am able 
 . .ve. 
 
 rnir.g July 6. Rofe early this mori 
 . fhing that I may fay it ! have had a giacioy.s, 
 
 en I fir ft attempted to bow be- 
 fore G 
 
 feeing, infinitely wife, good, and every * ay mod ex: 
 
 : ful in cou . . 
 I adored and \ rejoiced in 
 
 vas drawn o 
 I praife, in a view of v . and 
 
 his works. My i '., let 
 
 would with me. I faid I will praife thee as 
 .s I live, and blefs thy name while I have a being. O, 
 how did my heart rejoice and exul: that there \%fucb a G 
 
 :er i:. nor c :h part of 
 
 It appeared fo~v. ; 
 inzxy firabje, to he:!:-: inftrumen? i 
 
 one foul to theknowlev'ge of this glorious G 
 :-om darknefs to this marvellous light, 
 rig, I have been led to view. 
 confidcred in hi? abfolute, divine perfection, him 
 
 id through C'r.rift, more than ii common fcr e:c. I gene- 
 F 2 
 
66 LIFE OF 
 
 Newport, with an invitation to come and preach 
 to them, with a view to fettle with them, if they 
 and I could agree. 
 
 rally, when I have the greateft freedom at the throne of 
 grace, fpeak dire<5Uy to Chrift, as if he was in a fenfe, the 
 only object of worfhip, being God, and haying all power in 
 heaven and earth ; but now it wasocfrerwife. 
 
 I have fometimes been troubled about this matter, and 
 feared I had no right idea? of the father, and the fon, of 
 God and Cfirift, as I feemed not to know how to conceive of 
 them, and addrefs them in my devotions. And have been 
 hence led to afk that I might know the only true God, and 
 Jefus Chrift whom he hath fent ; might have ideas, and con- 
 ceptions of the glorious God and Saviour, agreeab'e, and an- 
 fwerable to the revelation he has made of himfelf. I have 
 been more fatisfied about it, this morning. I now Relieve 
 that chriftians may have different views with refpect to this, 
 and yet all be right. Sometimes their minds may be fixed 
 on Chrift", in whom dwells all the fullnefs of the Godhead; 
 and, he may be more immediately the object of their adora- 
 tion and wormip, addreffing him more directly, in which 
 he is confidcred 3s fet up by the father, and invefted with all 
 authority, and fo comprehending all that is called God. At 
 other times, they may have their minds more efpecialiy fixed 
 en the divine perfections, more absolutely confidered, yet 
 not exclusively of Chrift the mediator, and fo more directly 
 addrefs God over a 1 blefTed forever as exercifmg mercy 
 through a mediator. And I believe different chriftians may, 
 in a ftated way, differ in this refpect in their view and ad- 
 dreiTes ; and fo be naturally led to talk of their exercifes in a 
 little different language ; fomefpeaking more of God, others 
 more of Chrift. Our ideas are very fcant at beft, and we 
 fee but by parts and in a very partial manner. Hence when 
 we view God in one attitude, if I may fo exprefs it, his other 
 relations and attitudes are more out of fight, and lefs attend- 
 ed to. Yet when all our ideas and views, are compared 
 together, they are perfectly uniform and confiftent, however 
 various and different they may he. 
 
 3 o'clock. Have had a fweet time in a walk in the woods. 
 Had more hope and confidence before God, that I mould 
 4well with him forever in his kingdom, than I ever had be- 
 
SAMUF.L HOPKINS. 67 
 
 On ihc icth July I 1 ham to go to 
 
 Newport, by way of Bofton and Providence, 
 
 and arm ; on Friday, July 21, and 
 
 idled my iirit fermon there on Lord's day 
 
 July 23.* 
 
 fore. Chrift appeared jreat and glorious in redeeming hi» 
 and cvjn m redeeming 
 I will rraife thee forever" but thi« 
 tribute appeared nothing. Then I faid, "let all the angels 
 
 thee for thy wonderful works to me." But thi 
 
 appealed to be little, which led me to fay, glorify thyfelf. 
 
 * Saturday September 3c. Have been reading the 25th 
 Pfaltn, with application to myfelf, have particularly attended 
 to the 7th vcrfe. wl ere the Pialmift defires that God would 
 give what he aiks for, fr his gr>oJn,fifafo y i. e. for the fat 
 the difplay of hi here mud be a great and 
 
 wonderful exerclfe and difplay of ic in (hewing mercy to him, 
 was i'o finfal, tmwoTthy and ilideferving. This has 
 been often my only n f ■.;••■: ^nd plea. God ihews mercy, for 
 lit good* eft fake. This it a rcafon then why he fhould fhew 
 mercy to mc, for his own goodnefs, cannot be moredifplayed 
 and honored than in his being good to me. BleiTed he God for 
 this pica. I can now fay. mine iniquity for it it 
 
 gre.it" verfe 1 1. 
 
 iiber 10 Had a pleafant feafon this morning fion 
 after I rofe. It bc?an with defirei af.er the holy fpirir. I 
 faw this was ail I ,0c for : an 
 
 the promife, M Aik, and ye fhail receive." Thcfe words of 
 Chrill were on my mind, he that forfaketh houfe, or lands 
 &c. &c. I thought 1 had a heart to do t fled Chrift 
 
 that he had given fuch a heart, as the greateft poflible gift, 
 infinitely greater than to have the whole world beftowed on 
 me. 1 know I ought to be wil ing to naffer and die in the 
 caufe of truth, Oh that Chrift would give me fuch a heart. 
 
 January 6, 1770. 1 have been walking in a rnpe walk, by 
 myfelf. There I dedicated myfelf to Jefus Chrift, v 
 lirength of heart and with unfpeakable joy. I felt it to be 
 an amazing privilege that I might be devoted to him, and 
 tha: he would accept fuch an offering, I felt that 1 was under 
 
68 LIFE 0* 
 
 I had not been at Newport more than five or 
 fix weeks before the church and congregation 
 gave me a call to come and fettle among them in 
 the work of the miniftry. I took the matter into 
 confideration, and went home to my family \ 
 
 and after a few weeks returned with a determina- 
 
 % 
 
 infinite obligations to this, and that the obligation is every 
 way unbounded and that there u a peculiar happinefs in being; 
 thus obliged 'o him. 
 
 T have promifed that by his grace I never will recall this 
 dedication of myfelf to him, praying him to fubdue every 
 thing in my heart that oppqfes this confecration, and that 
 he would caufe it to rile higher and higher continually. 
 
 Saturday, near funfet January 13. Have had fome fenfe 
 of God's mercies to day, and fome difpofitiori to praife him 
 for his wonderful goodncfs. I have had a degree of confi- 
 dence that I am devoted to God. I call myfelf, and all my 
 concerns, the concerns of the church, and the world on him, 
 with fome degree of fenfible refignation and cheerfu*nefs. 
 Have had more ftrong defires than ever for the good of the 
 congregation I am preaching to ; and have been enabled to- 
 plead for it with God: My mouth has been filled with ar- 
 gument? and have had ilrong defires to be the inftrument of 
 building of it up. 
 
 Thutfday evening January 18. Have begun to write re- 
 marks upon Mr. Hart, .and think it my duty to profecute it 
 3s fail as I can, fuppofing I am called to it by God. O that 
 God would guide my heart, and my pen, through the 
 whole. 
 
 Lord's day, January 21. Preached from Heb. ii. 3. How 
 fhall we efcape &c. had freedom of fpeech, and now feel 
 ca m- and eafy in my mind, as having in fome meafure de- 
 clared the truth clearly and plainly, and recommended myfelf 
 to men's conferences in the fight of God. I pray God to 
 give his blefling to what has been faid, may it be the means 
 of falvaticn to fome poor foul 
 
 Saturday January 27. I feemed to have fome fenfe, to 
 day, of God's goodnefs to me, it furpaftes a 1 expreflion — 
 all thought. Oh! how reasonable, how comely is praife! 
 Let me ipend an eternity in this I 
 
SAMUEL HOPr: 69 
 
 tion to comply with their invitation, a> I found 
 here a numb appeared to be excellent 
 
 christians, and the belt regulated church that I 
 feen. But when I returned the committee 
 came tome, and faid that in my abfence a num- 
 ber in the congregation had appeared diflatisfi 
 with my doctrines, and pains had been taken to 
 promote prejudices againit me. They therefore 
 
 Monday morning 4 o'clock. Have been worried about 
 my preaching yefterday. I believe it was the truth, but 
 perhaps I had better not have preached it then, but 1 fufpeft 
 the devil has a hand in my ur.eafinefs, and perplexity. Oh 
 that Chrift would deliver me from this roaring lion, andbaf- 
 fb and coofound him ! I know he will, and that however 
 imprudent I am, and whatever advantage the devil gets by 
 it at prefent, it fhall all turn againft him at laft, and he (hall 
 be moft effect ual'y difappointed and confounded. This is 
 fome comfort to me, I think ; but it is unfpeakably dreadful 
 to me, to think of giving him advantage by my imprudence 
 and fin. O Lord, in thy righteoufnefs deliver me from this 
 fubtle, powerful, cruel, unjuft, injurious foe ! He has no 
 right to feek my ruin or the ruin of others. So far as I am 
 againft him and defire to oppofe him, and fincerely cry to 
 thee for deliverance, and his overthrow, I am in a rtghi 
 cjufe, O deliver me in thy righteoufnefs. Let him be bhftcd 
 forever ! 
 
 Saturday evening February 10. Have had freedom, in- 
 thought, and prayer — have been enabled to caft all my cares 
 and burdens on God, as an infinitely full fountain, and the 
 portion which my foul'dcfires. 1 have fometimes feemeel to 
 have nothing to pray for ; every thing i> right, and juft as \ 
 fhould defire to have it be. So long as Chrift reigns and has 
 every thing in his hands, I feem to have nothing to do, but 
 praifc. 
 
 It fcems to me I have fome higher fenfe of what is meant 
 by living by faith §n the fen of God, than I ufed to have. It is 
 to make Chrift all, to feek him for every tbing, and live en- 
 tirely on hi* expence and charges, having nothing of cur own 
 tut emptinefs and poverty. 
 
JO .LIFE OF 
 
 wifhed that I would not give any anfwer to their 
 call at prefent, but defired me to continue to 
 preach with them, by which they hoped the pre- 
 judices againft me which had taken place would 
 fubfide. I complied with their defire, and con- 
 tinued to preach to them till fome time in March; 
 My friends, and the committee then thought it 
 was belt to call the church and congregation 
 together, to fee if they would renew the call 
 they had given me to fettle with them, fuppofing 
 they would be fo unanimous that I mould confent 
 to Itay. But when the leaders among thofe who 
 were diiTatisfied were informed of this proceed- 
 ing, they exerted themfelves to get people to 
 fubfcribe in oppofition to my fettling among 
 them ; and when the congregation met, it ap- 
 peared that there were more fubfcribers againft 
 me, than there were for me. And the com- 
 mittee were defired to inform me of the ftate of 
 the cafe.* This decided the affair which had 
 
 * Saturday, March 3. I think I have given up every 
 point but this viz. that the path of duty may be made plain. 
 If I have a call to leave Newport, and fhali fee it to be fo, I 
 think I can cheerfully go forth not knowing whether 1 am to 
 go. And I hive a p eafing hope and confidence that the way 
 will be made p ain, why fhould I not trufl in that God for 
 this, who ha> hitherto Jed me in a plain path efpecially ever 
 fince I have had a heart to feek this in a more particular 
 manner, making it my great petition, not caring, fo mach 
 what God called me to, if his call might be made clear and 
 plain. 
 
 God's goodnefs has been increafing upon me continually, 
 and I will hope in him for I fhall yet praife him. I will now 
 praifc him for all his wonderful goodnefs to me, which is in- 
 
IllttUU HO] . L 
 
 I long in fufpcnfcj and the way \vns clear for 
 my leaving N fadtion 
 
 that the path of duty was mack fo ,.nd 
 
 thai my friends who had been fo defiroua that I 
 iliould fettle with them, would have no objeo 
 
 , but juftify me in leaving them. And I 
 liad a degree of pleafure, in the thought of re- * 
 
 beyond al! account. God has forgiven me from my 
 youth unto this Jay, ami why may I not trufl in him now ? 
 By hii grace I will ; on him I caft myiclf, on him I rely for 
 pardoning, and upholding mercy. 
 
 Lord's day evening, March 4. Had fome uncommon ex- 
 ercifes, this morning. I longed to be improved in the work 
 of the miniltry, that Chrift would be with me and make 
 mc a blciEng. I offered myfelf, defiring that he woutd fend 
 me, fincc he had fo much work to do in the world, and fince 
 he muft employ unworthy, guilty Tinner?. I offered myfelf, 
 as fuch an one : and fince he glorified himfelf in improving 
 fuch, the more, unworthy and vile, the mort he would be 
 glorified. I therefore made this an arguirent that I might 
 improved, as I was the mofl guilty and vile, that could be 
 found. 
 
 rch 7. Teel ca'm, refined, and In fome ::h- 
 
 ful. Oh! what confoLtion is it that God reigns, and 
 
 the bed car-.- :ft ! And what 
 
 an infinite mercy, that I may hope, and be coi fie'ent, that 
 •\ is my Clod and Rede 
 
 night me that three 
 men who hid keen moll (lead 1 lad 
 
 evening, that they were lorry they I . end 
 
 they were:: rem. 
 
 They were brought to (hi-, by rr.y faj 
 faid thil L -: 
 before. S . 
 now appear 
 
 c to (land fl 
 How [ 
 live to hi:r 
 
 •-;de. 
 
fl LIFE OF 
 
 turning home to my family, and living a private 
 life on my farm. I therefore gave my anfwer to 
 the people on the next fabbath, and preached my 
 farewell fermon, expecting to go to my family 
 that week. The congregation appeared atten- 
 tive and folemn, and numbers were obferved to 
 weep.* 
 
 The next morning it was reported, where I 
 lodged, that there appeared to be a revolution in 
 the congregation : That feveral of the leaders 
 in the oppofition to me appeared to repent of 
 what they had done, and faid that their con- 
 sciences accufed them fo feverely of their wick- 
 ednefs in what they had done, that they had little 
 or no fleep during the night ; and were now de- 
 termined to do all they could to prevent my leav- 
 
 * March »i. My mind has been full of comfort and joy 
 this morning. Have had unfpeakabiy lv/eet exercifes, more 
 than can be mentioned. The fuccefs of "my preaching, Jaft 
 fabbath, is an inftance of God's goodnefs, beyond any thing 
 of the kind I ever experienced befonJ! The walls of Jeri- 
 cho are fallen down by the blowing ofram's horns. 
 
 Friday March 23. The amazing inftance of laft fabbath, 
 dwells on my mind, though I fear it will not be improved by 
 me as it ought. When the walls of Jericho fell flat before 
 the people of Ifrael anaccurfed thing w r as foon found in the 
 camp, All was not dedicated to the Lord, and he was dif- 
 pleaied. How juftly difpleafed may he be, if this remarka- 
 ble iiiterpofition of divine providence fhould not be all cc«- 
 fecrated to hi^ praife, and honor, Oh Lord : keep me back 
 from coveting any thing of the fpoils of this victory to my- 
 felf, to be improved in the gratification of my pridf and 
 worldliuefs — Tkis I am in the utmoft danger cf, and fnall do 
 worfe than Achan did, unlefs the Lord hold me back. O may- 
 all be ccr.fccrated to thy glery. 
 
SAMUEL HOP: 
 
 ingthem. And accordingly they went to thole 
 whom they had influenced to fubferibe againft 
 
 my (laying, to peifuade them to ivi.-r.icl. And 
 
 that of thofe who had been 
 
 at the head of the oppofition to me, came to 
 , and confefled they had oppofed my fettling 
 in the congregation, and influenced as many as 
 they could againft me. But now were convinced 
 they had don , and had taken pains to 
 
 undo what they had done, and perfuade thofe 
 whom they had fa A to appear againft my 
 
 fettling among them, to alter their fentiments 
 and conduol ; that they now fincerely defired 
 that I \vc md be their minifler, &c. And 
 
 I was at the fame time informed that a number 
 of the congregation, who had been in a great 
 degree in I with regard to my flaying or 
 
 going away, now appeared to be aroufed and en- 
 gaged in fa\ iy ftaying, and faid they 
 would do all in their power to prevent my leaving 
 them. ^ 
 
 The next day the committee of the congrega- 
 tion applied to me, i I it appeared 
 that thofe who had been in oppjiition to my fet- 
 tlement among them, had .1, and were 
 now defirous that I \ iy with them ; at 
 leaft, this was true cf the moft of them : And 
 they believed, if the c nd congregation 
 v.vre now to meet, they v <ms 3 
 or nearly fo in renewing their former invitation 
 G 
 
74 LIFE OF 
 
 to me to fettle with them in the miniftry. They 
 therefore defired me to fray till the church and 
 congregation could be called together, and renew 
 their call, if they fliould appear, when met, dif- 
 pofed to do it. I confented to this, and in the 
 beginning of. the next week the church and con- 
 gregation met, and renewed their invitation to 
 me to fettle in the miniftry with them. In this 
 they w r ere almoft unanimous : but two or three 
 cf the congregation, diflented, who had little or 
 no influence in the congregation. And two or 
 three of the church, chofe to be aeuters, and 
 vote neither for, nor againft it. 
 
 Upon this I confented to fettle with them ; 
 and the committee of the church, agreed with 
 me that the inftalment fhould be on the eleventh 
 day of April ; and to fend to five churches to 
 affift in the tranfaftion. Which, accordingly, 
 took place on April n, 1770. 
 
 This event appeared to give fatisfaction to all. 
 And it was a time of peculiar gratitude and joy 
 to my chriftian friends, of whom there was a 
 confiderable number, who had fleadily adhered 
 to me, from my firft acquaintance with them* 
 And their pious affections, gratitude and joy 
 were greatly heightened, by the dark and trying 
 fcene which preceded, in my being apparently 
 rejected by the congregation, and cenfequently 
 determined to leave them ; and the remarkable 
 
 J 
 
» 
 
 in which took plac 
 
 vor of 1: ich the band of * 
 
 tion to me, that God had in inch a i 
 opened the way for my fettling here, and m 
 
 the way of duty fo plain •, and that inch a nu 
 
 berof very dear and excellent 
 
 were hereby fo greatly gratified. And I confider- 
 
 ed myfelf to be under new and gr 
 
 tions to devote myfelf to the fervice of j 
 
 Chrift, and to faithfulnefs to him, and the church 
 
 and congregation to whom I now Rood re': 
 
 as th tor and minifter. And now, with 
 
 fhame I relledl upon my great deficienc y. I faid 
 
 I would be wife ; but it has been far from me ! 
 
 Lord, enter not into judgment with me :, for 
 
 1 cannot Rand, or anfwer. I fly to pardoning 
 mercy, through the atonement of Chrift, a. 
 only refuge. 
 
 • I was thus f considerable r 
 
 to the church, which confi. 
 I think, of above one Inl- 
 and female. I preached a y Thurs- 
 day evening, which was well attended, I in- 
 vited the young people to meet at my hou . 
 males on one week and the I on the nexu ; 
 
 I to to continue to meet < rk alternal 
 
 to hate quedions propofed to them, which tl 
 wer rer, &c. Above forty you 
 
 fubferibed to an engagement to .iofe 
 
16 LIFE OF 
 
 meetings : and more than feventy young women 
 After thofe meetings were attended a confidera- 
 ble time, I propofed that inftead of thefe, which 
 began to decline, I would attend a lediure every 
 fabbath evening at 6 o'clock in the meeting 
 houfe, in which I would explain to the young 
 people the fhorter catechifm, compofed by the Af- 
 femblyof Divines at Weftminifter. The young 
 people to fit by themfelves in the body of the 
 meeting houfe below ; and elder people who 
 were difpofed to come, to fit in the gallery, and 
 the pews round the fides of the houfe below. 
 Thefe leflures were crouded \ the congregation 
 being larger then than at -the meetings in the form- 
 er part of the day, as numbers attended them from 
 other congregations in town. And the young 
 people appeared attentive, gave conftant attend- 
 ance, and behaved decently. 
 
 When I had gone through the catechifm in 
 this way, I undertook to give a htftory of the 
 bible, in a courfe of Ie£lures, endeavouring to 
 join entertainment with inftru&ion, and reli- 
 gious, profitable reflections, particularly appli- 
 cable to young perfons. Thefe le£tures were 
 continued, and well attended till they were 
 ken up by the war between Britain and 
 America. 
 
 "My continuance in peace and quietnefs in this 
 fituation and bufinefs, was not more than four 
 
SAMUEL HOP: 
 
 years ; for by that time the Britifh v 
 
 and it w« 
 
 to lii my farm I 
 
 continued, b >rt, till the Britffli 
 
 took of it in the hitter end of 
 
 17761 when I left the town, and retired to 
 
 my family, where I had been a few month*? 
 
 >re, and was inoculated, with mv family for 
 
 mall pox, through which we were carried 
 
 favourably. 
 
 :it great part of the fummer of 17- 
 
 , preaching to the congregation, 
 which w I believe, the I 
 
 , being deftitute by the l 
 
 Parlous. The next winter I (pent at Canterbury 
 in Conneclicut, preacl 
 
 irly in the fpri .: to 
 
 ration, to wl 
 I pre 
 
 town of 
 nfordj aiul preaci. 
 tow -d Woe r.ow 
 
 .d. Here I had my v 
 and one daughter with me, and continued h 
 through the winter and fummer of 1770, and 
 the winter of 1780. In the fpring of 
 
 c my wife and daughter went to Gr 
 Barrington and I went to Newport : 
 having left it the fall before. 
 g z 
 
78 LIFE OF 
 
 My church and congregation were greatly 
 diminifhed. Some had died, while the Britifh 
 were here, and many had removed into the 
 country, who had not yet returned, and numbers 
 were fo fettled in the country, that they were not 
 likely to return foon, if ever. And thofe who 
 remained in town were fo reduced in their world- 
 ly circumftances, and deje£tion of their minds, 
 by living fo long under the tyranny of the Brit- 
 ifh, that, excepting a very few, they had not 
 courage enough to think or do much to preferve 
 the congregation from coming to nothing, by 
 fupporting the preaching of the gofpel. And 
 it was a particular difcouragement that the meet- 
 ing houfe was fo damaged, by being made a 
 barrack for foldiers, that we could not meet in it. 
 The bell was taken away by the Britifh, when 
 they left the town ; and the pulpit and moft of 
 the infide work was demolifhed or taken away. 
 And the few who were here had not courage or 
 ability to repair it. I continued more than a 
 year among them, while in this fituation, hav- 
 ing no fupport, but what was given by a few 
 generous friends : the congregation doing noth- 
 ing, as a congregration, not having courage to 
 attempt to have fo much as a public contribution 
 for a confiderable time. 
 
 Having continued in this fituation above a 
 year, I thought it was not my duty, or even 
 right to flay with them any longer, unlefs they 
 
[tfSL no: I 
 
 thought thcmfclves able, ; to 
 
 fup] had 
 
 a prcili:i >ple 
 
 at Middl with tfa re I 
 
 and my fami. >mfortably fupported. 
 
 I let the church igregation know this, 
 
 and told their illing and defirous to 
 
 d my life with them, if 1 could live among 
 them with my family. But if this could no: 
 
 uld think it my duty to leave them, and 
 accept of the invitation I had e!fewhere ; or 
 return home, and live on my farm. Upon this 
 had a meeting to fee what could be done : 
 at which meeting the people appeared fo much 
 concerned an d in the matter, and fo 
 
 defirous to Have ra ith them, and made a 
 
 fubfeription to that end fo much more than was 
 expected, that they fent to me their defire that I 
 would ftay with them, and fend for my wife and 
 family ; as th i to be able to lupport us 
 
 comfortably. 
 
 I then concluded to (b 
 wife and one daughter came to live with me, as 
 the reft of my children were otherwife fettled. 
 There was no particular funi mentioned which 
 . would give ; and thus I have lived ever 
 fince, receiving what has been given by a w 
 ly contribution, and donations which particular 
 friends have made. I have taken care not to run 
 in debt for the neceffaries of life ; though fre- 
 
8o LIFE OF 
 
 quently if a dollar extraordinary had been cal- 
 led for, it would have;, rendered me a bankrupt, 
 I have endeavoured to live as cheap and low as 
 I could, and be comfortable, and anfwer the 
 ends of living in my ftation and bufinefs •, and 
 have experienced, through a courfe of years re- 
 markable interpofitions in divine providence, by 
 which I have been fupplied with the neceffaries 
 of life in ways unthought of ; and have been 
 preferved from iuffering, for want of food or 
 raiment, whether I received lefs or more. 
 When more than common has been given, calls 
 for living have been equally greater \ and when 
 I have received but little, there has been a* lefs 
 demand for neceffaries to fupport the family, 
 and lefs has been as fufficient as more. This 
 has made me often think of what is laid of the 
 children of Ifrael, with refpecl to the manna on 
 which they lived. « He that gathered much, 
 had nothing over, and he that gathered little had 
 no lack." I have been faved from anxiety about 
 living : and have had a thoufand times lefs care 
 and trouble about the world, than if I had a 
 great abundance, and been in high life, attend- 
 ed with fervants, equipage, much company, 
 entertainments and high living. Being thus 
 freed from worldly care and anxiety, endeavour- 
 ing to caft my care on God, with refpecl to 
 living, not feeking great things in the world ; and 
 being in a great meafure unconnected with the 
 great and rich in the world, and gay, unprofita- 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 8i 
 
 blc company, I have had more time to attend to 
 my ftudies, in which, and in a retired life, k 
 have taken t; And particu- 
 
 ifufC to write my fyltem of 
 divinity ; which I hope will not prove ufclefs . 
 
 The church and congregation have been 
 enabled, by divine providence, in fome good 
 meafure to repair the meeting houfe *, and do 
 yet fubfift. But they are fo diminifhed by deaths 
 and removals ; that the appearance Yiow is, that 
 n death (hall remove me from them, which 
 may be expected to be foon, they will be diflbl- 
 ved as a church and congregation, unlefs there 
 fhould be an unexpected revolution in their 
 difpofitions or circumftances. But this I would 
 leave with him, who knows what to do with me, 
 with them, and with all thtegs elfe. 
 
 As to my domeftic affairs. I have had eight 
 children : Five fons and three daughters, all 
 which lived to grow up ; and all of them have 
 been married, except my youngeft fon, who 
 died in Maryland on the 26th February 1788, 
 in the twenty fifth year of his age. My three 
 daughters were married, and are now dead. 
 The oldeft left two fons. The fecond left a 
 daughter, who now lives with me. The third 
 left an infant fon, who now lives with his fath- 
 er's parents in Vermont. My two oldeft daugh- 
 ters were profefibrs of religion, and were hope- 
 
•8a LIFE OF 
 
 fully real chriftians. The youngeft died in hope 
 that fhe was a chriftian, and her appearance and 
 converfation were fuch in her laft ficknefs, that 
 her friends who were with her and heard her 
 converfe, had hope for her, that (he made a hap- 
 py end. I have four fons yet living. One of 
 them, the oldeft lives in Maryland, near Balti- 
 more. Another, the third lives in the weftern 
 part of Virginia. I attempted to give him a 
 public education, and he was a member of the 
 college at Princeton two years or more ; but 
 want of health prevented his continuing there 
 till he had a degree. My other two fons live at 
 Great Barrington. 
 
 My wife was attended with a fcrofulous, flow 
 confumpticn for a great part of the laft twenty 
 years of her life ; "and a number of times ap- 
 peared to be almoit gone, and then would revive 
 again and be better for a time. She indured 
 great diftrefs of body, almofl conftantly for 
 years. In May, 1793, * v/ent to Great Bar- 
 rington with her, by water as far as Hudfon, 
 hoping the journey, and living with her children 
 in the country might be for her health and com- 
 fort. She bore her journey better than was 
 feared, and appeared better when fhe arrived 
 there, than when fhe fet out •, and continued 
 better great part of the fummer. But in the 
 end of July and in Auguft, fhe grew worfe \ 
 and died on the laft day of Auguft 1793, in the 
 Cxty eighth year of her age. 
 
SAMUEL Horr 83 
 
 She was a profeffor of religion, and I h 
 real cliriilian. In the 1 I of her life, 
 
 under her bqdily difurders, which W* 
 dilli-cllm. . appeared to 
 
 .jiation ; and 
 to 1. belief of the great truths of 
 
 chriitianity, and a fenfe of their weight and 
 importance. 
 
 After the death of my wife, I was left alone 
 at Newport, as to relatives, not having the mod 
 diftant relation, within many miles of that place. 
 
 On the 14th September 1794, I was married 
 to Mifs Elizabeth Weft, who was Gxteen or 
 feventeen years younger than myilif. She \ 
 born and educated in Bcllon ; but had lived in 
 Newport a number of years. I have had a 
 particular acquaintance with her for more than 
 irs, whom I n of 
 
 uncommon difcernment with refpect to the 
 doctrines of chriitianity ; and moil fincerely 
 ►ted to die fervice of Chrift. In our union 
 in this n 
 
 bation of our chriftian fri 
 where, \. be pie., 
 
 gratified by it. Which n to 
 
 our happinefs in this r 
 
 in finding fuc 
 
 come into this relation s *, and d 
 
&4 LIFE OF 
 
 as one of the greateft favours of my life to have 
 fuch a companion in my advanced years, in 
 whofe prudence, good family economy, friend- 
 fhip, and benevolent care I can confide ; and 
 who is to me the firft obje£t among creatures, o£ 
 the love of efteem, benevolence, complacency 
 and gratitude. 
 
 My bodily conftitution, I believe, has been 
 much better, than mod of thofe who live a fe- 
 dentary life. In the former part of my life, in- 
 deed, from the twenty firft to the thirty-fifth 
 or fortieth year of my age, my conftitution was 
 rather flender and infirm ; but not fo as to pre- 
 vent my attending to bufinefs and my ftudy, as 
 much or more than is common among minifters. 
 Since that time of life my conftitution has been 
 better, and I have enjoyed generally a good ftate 
 of bodily health ; and have been able to ftudy 
 fourteen and frequently eighteen hours in a day, 
 generally rifing at 4 o'clock in the morning, or 
 between four and five •, efpeciaily in the winter 
 feafon. I have had feveral fits of ficknefs, in 
 which I have been brought very low, and have 
 been thought by my friends to be near death; 
 But thefe ill turns have not broken my conftitu- 
 tion, but have appeared to be the means of my 
 better health, as this has generally been the con- 
 fequence ; and I now enjoy more bodily eafe, 
 health and ftrength, than is common to men of 
 my age. This, and every thing relating to my 
 
mofl mint ow 
 
 is ordered by God, to anftrer Com md 
 
 1: And v - to 
 
 do for and by me in thi he will I 
 
 out of it. How loon, and in v. -.-ill 
 
 be I know not. Nor have I any reafon to b. 
 
 lealt anxiou9 about it. May I wifely im- 
 prove the gifts of heaven, and life 
 while I enjoy them, and be alw to quit 
 
 this life, whenever I fhall be calied to do it ! 
 
 Of my perfonal religion, I have given fome ac- 
 count already. I have never in the courie of my 
 life, fince I fir it entertained a hope that I had 
 been brought to the knowledge of the truth, 
 given up my hope, and come to a fettled conclu- 
 iion that I had no grace ; but my doubts have 
 frequently rofe very high. Many times my e::er- 
 cifesliave been fuch, as for a ti .lade all 
 
 doubts. But I have been conftantly confeious 
 I have always fallen ui. hat 
 
 I ought to be, and what I hoped I fhould be. 
 My Itrongeft religious exercifes, and higheft en- 
 joyments have taken place in my retirement and % 
 fecret devotions ; and in my public performances, 
 praying and preaching have generally been very 
 low; which I have fometimes fufp. an 
 
 argument that my religion is not genuine. I 
 know it is an argument againft me, that I am . 
 
 finfully defective in my focial and public 
 religion ! I have been frequently carried out in 
 
 H 
 
LIFE OF 
 
 ret in views of divine truth, and exercifes, 
 
 :n to an ecftafy, while tears have flowed abun- 
 with groanings and defires truly unut- 
 terable. My religious emotions and exercifes 
 of foul in the view of the truths refpecSting God, 
 
 : the Saviour, the way of falvation, my own 
 evil character, &c. have been unfpeakably more 
 lively and ftrong, than any emotions and exer- 
 
 -s I have ever experienced, refpecting any 
 .-, temporal objects. I have loved retire- 
 ment, and have never been comfortable when 
 deprived of it ; and have taken more pleafure 
 * alone j than in any company : And have often 
 chofen to ride alone, when on a journey, rather 
 
 n in the beft company. I have for a Jong 
 courfe of years, even from my fir ft entering on 
 the work of the miniftry, fpent the laft day of 
 the week in retirement, and in fading and 
 prayer, unlefs interrupted by fomething ex- 
 traordinary ; and have found great advantage 
 by it. This I have practiced not as a burden and 
 talk, but as a privilege. I have felt and known 
 myfelf to be a low and fhamef ul chriftian, if I 
 were one ; and have generally reflected on my- 
 felf, character and conduct, as a chriftian and 
 minifter of the gofpel, with a painful Jloame and 
 felf condemnation, of which none can have 
 conception but thofe who have felt the fame ; 
 knowing that in many things I offend, and in 
 every thing have come unfpeakably (hort of what 
 I ought to do and be, confidering my advantages, 
 
8 ? 
 
 mercies and obligations. My life and d 
 and all m 
 ful A 
 
 irom any >uf- 
 
 01 moral goodnefs that can recommend mc 
 
 to the favour of God; and if I am dealt with 
 
 according to my i , I 
 
 mud be cad otY by God, and made miferable 
 
 I iiave i. but the rightcoufnefs, 
 
 the infinite merit and worthinefs of Chrift. In 
 
 him I hope ; to him I come for pardon, juftifica- 
 
 tion and ion from all iniquity, while I 
 
 am willing to be confidered as infinitely unwor- 
 
 ind ill d - even the greateft finnet 
 
 that is, or ever was on earth : And know that 
 
 if I , it will be wholly owing to 
 
 infinite, fovereign grace ; to eternal, ele&ing 
 
 love ; for which I cannot give or conceive a 
 
 foil but that which was given by the Son of 
 God, " even fo, Father, for fo it feemed good 
 in thy fight." I am truly afhamed of my; 
 that I have lived fo long, and ha 
 
 9 in mental religiot 
 am, attl. me, confeious that I fee but 
 
 little of my ihameful depravity which lias 
 actually taken place, and now cxiiis, and a^ it is 
 
 * ed by the omnifcicnt Saviour ; and the 
 fore my confeflions, fhame and humiliation, in 
 his fight are inconfiderable and nbthinj 
 
 i with my real fliameful depravity and ( 
 •ufnefs. ;n well t ac> 
 
88 LIFE OF 
 
 « God, be merciful to me a firmer !" And how 
 happy are they who can and do underftandingly 
 heartily and conftantly make it ! I have kept a 
 journal at fome feafons of my life, in which fome 
 of my religious exercifes are recorded more par- 
 ticularly than they are here defcribed. 
 
 My preaching has always appeared to me as 
 poor, low and miferable, compared with what 
 it ought to be \ and frequently a fenfe of my 
 deficiencies in this has been very painful and dif- 
 couraging \ and I have felt often as if I muft 
 leave off, and never attempt any more ; and 
 commonly, if not always, a profpect of preach- 
 ing and when I have been entering upon it, has 
 brought a peculiar burden on my mind. And 
 many times, when I have been preaching, it has 
 left a painful confcioufnefs that I have come un- 
 fpeakably fhort of what ought to be. And I 
 haye never wondered that my preaching has been 
 attended with fo little apparent good effect:, fmce 
 it has been fo deficient every way. But few per- 
 fons have appeared to have been awakened and 
 converted by means of my preaching. The 
 moft apparent good it has ever been the means 
 of doing is the inftruclion, quickening and com- 
 fort of chriflians. Many of this character, and 
 efpecially thofe who have appeared moil eminent 
 in difcerning and chriftian experience, have 
 highly approved of my preaching, which has 
 been a great fupport and encouragement tome ; 
 
SAMUEL HOP! 89 
 
 though i »ften difpofcd to attribute 
 
 tion and appi 
 
 velith for the truth, b 
 
 the delivery arid exhibition of it maybe, It 
 ofteu given me pleaiure to look forward to the 
 millennium, and coofidei w I prcach- 
 
 1 take place; when the miniftei 
 d fhall be full of 
 and exhibit the important, amiabl of 
 
 chriflianiry, in their true com. 
 beauty : and their hearers full of fenfibi 
 difcerning, ai fe of a high 1 
 
 for I Kquifitely ;ind 
 
 nouriihing food for their minds, will giv< 
 pleafmg and folemn a 
 partaking of the h :id moil 
 
 tent How low, mean and uner 
 
 : preaching we now have ; and how- 
 low the attent 
 
 compared with that, oi which 2 but 
 
 a faint and WCT] 
 
 forty years or more, mice I entered on the 
 workoi it my px 
 
 bible, one in the 
 forenoon, and the other in the afternoon ; and to 
 
 thing on the chapter by way of 1 
 tion, and improvement, i 
 confined myfclf, as to the time I (fa 
 upon it, but have faid more or k I 
 
 would be mod inltruaive and \ 
 11 2 
 
9° LIFE OF 
 
 der to do this in the beft manner I could, I have 
 attended to the chapters to be read, before the 
 fabbath, and confulted thofe expofitors which 
 were within my reach ; which has generally coft 
 me as much time and pains, as the ftudying of 
 my fermons. And I have thought this was as 
 profitable part of the public exercifes, as preach- 
 ing, which has not been neglected by thus read- 
 ing and expounding. And I have had fatisfac- 
 tory evidence that the hearers in general have 
 been pleafed with, and thought themfelves rnoft 
 edified by this pra&ice. And I have for fome 
 years paft neglefted to preach a fermon, in the 
 common way, in the forenoon, and, inftead 1 of 
 it, have expounded and improved the chapter 
 which comes in courfe in the new teftament. 
 And this, fo far as I can learn, has been as accept- 
 able to the congregation in general, as preaching 
 from one particular text, if not more fo. 
 
 I have not been confined to my notes in preach- 
 ing, except for a fhort time, when I firft began ; 
 and have not generally written my fermons in 
 full length ; but only the heads of them, and 
 fome fhort hints to fugged ideas, which were to 
 be mentioned under the general heads. I do not, 
 however, recommend this as the befl method. 
 I think it would be beft, in general, to write all 
 the fermon, and commit it to memory, with an 
 allowance to deviate in fome inftances from what 
 has been written, and to add to it, what may 
 
91 
 
 be fi I to the mind in .cry. If 
 
 ticc be diligently me, 
 
 .iblc not only 
 to preaci. , but his mind will be 
 
 fo furniihed with the knowledge of divinity that 
 lie will be able to preach without writing 
 
 I hare not written the fermons which I have 
 preached for fome years pad. I have written in 
 this time more on the various fubjects of divinity, 
 than in former years •, but not in the form 
 
 l m<. And I iuppofe that a minifter cannot 
 improve his mind in the beft manner, and make 
 jyoper advances in the knowledge of divinity, 
 unlets he ules himielf to write on divine fub- 
 jecls. 
 
 I am fenfible tint I was greatly deficient and 
 negligent in the former part of my life in my at- 
 tention to lai j id taking pains to obtain a 
 goo ! hich occafioned a very bad and 
 difagreeable delivery, and rendered me not a 
 good, but a bad fpeaker ; efpecially in the former 
 part of my miniilry ; though fince for above 
 thirty years I have made fome improvement in 
 my delivery, by paying more attention to it, and 
 to language, by which I have been in a great 
 meafure cured of fome of my bad habits, con- 
 tracted through inattention, and the want of a 
 friend to point them out to me, and admonifti 
 
92 LIFE OF 
 
 me. When I firfl began to preach, my mind 
 was inquiring after truth ; and this pleafed and 
 fatisfied me where ever I could find it, without 
 attending much to the manner or the language 
 by which it was conveyed to my mind. And I 
 took it for granted that this was the cafe with 
 others. This led me to enquire after truth and 
 in my fermons to convey it to others, without at- 
 tending properly to the manner and the language 
 in which it was communicated. So that while, 
 I truft, I made fome proficiency in the knowl- 
 edge of the truth, I was carelefs as to the manner 
 of communicating it, and contracted thefe bad 
 habits, with refpecT: to this, which it was not 
 eafy, if poflible, to get wholly rid of, when I 
 became fenfible of my miftake, and was convinc- 
 ed of the importance of ftudying good language 
 and a proper delivery. 
 
 If I have been the mean of doing any good; 
 snd of promoting the true intereft of the church, 
 or kingdom of Chrift ; by detecting error and 
 difp laying and vindicating the truth, I believe 
 it has been principally by my writings and pub* 
 lications, which involved me, for a number of 
 years, in difputes, as there were feveral minifters 
 who wrote againft what I had advanced in fome 
 of my publications, whom I anfwered ; and I 
 believe truth Ins gained great advantage hereby. 
 
 In the year 1759 1 publifhed three fermons 
 
from R itlccl * £ 
 
 throu • to 
 
 the a 
 
 encouragement to it." tie was fo (hock- 
 
 ing to many, that they would read no 
 And many who read the fermons, were far from 
 falling in with the fentiment advanced. But 
 few had ftudied the point and it was a new doc- 
 trine to many. Yet no one undertook publicly 
 to confute it. And many who read the fermons 
 
 convinced of the truth exhibited in the 
 and thought the rcafoning from fcripture to be 
 traanl , and the fentiments which were 
 
 advanced to be important and ufeful. And this 
 conviction Ins been fpreading from that time, to • 
 this, and the mod who are fcrious and attentive, 
 
 her minifters or others, approve of this pub- 
 lication, fo far as I can judge. And light on this 
 fubje£t has been, and itill is increafmg. Theft 
 fermons had a fecond edition in Bofton, in the 
 
 [773. And about the fame time another 
 edition of them was printed in Edinburgh, Scot- 
 land. 
 
 In the year 176^, I publifhed a book of one 
 hundred and forty-five pages, octavo, the tide 
 of which was, " An inquiry concerning the 
 promifes of the gofpel : Whether any of them 
 made to the exercifes and doings of perfoni 
 in an unregenerate itate. Containing remark 
 <^n two fermons, publifhed by Doctor MayhdiB 
 
 U1C 
 
 em I 
 
 MIS 
 
 rks . 
 
* 
 
 
 94 LI*E OF 
 
 of Bofion." In thefe fermons Do£lor Mayhew 1 
 .attempted to prove that there are promifes to the 
 doings of the unregenerate. In the tenth and 
 lad feclion of this book I attempted to {hew what 
 is the defign and end of the ufe of means, with 
 refpect to the unregenerate, in order to their 
 falvation •, where I obferved, that the end was 
 not to render the unregenerate better or lefs finful 
 while they continued unregenerate : For per- 
 fons while they continued to reje£t the gofpel, 
 which all the unregenerate did, under all the 
 means ufed with them, and with all the light 
 and conviction they might have, did not become 
 lefs finners, but greater and more guilty what- 
 ever external reformation might take place. 
 Though this truth had been at lead implicitly af- 
 ferted in the writings of many calvinifts, and 
 in their preaching, yet it had not been fo ex- 
 plicitly and particularly aflerted and explained 
 by calviniftic writers and preachers in general ; 
 and many, in contradiction to what they at other 
 times faid, and to true calvinifm, faid things 
 which implied the contrary, and reprefented 
 the convinced and externally reformed finner, 
 though unregenerate, and continuing to reje£l 
 the gofpel, as a much lefs finner, and lefs guilty 
 than the una wakened, fecure finner. Therefore, 
 though Doctor Mayhew, who was not a calvinift, 
 made no reply to my remarks on his fermons, 
 yet many profeffed calvinifts thought the fenti- 
 inent I had advanced was contrary to the truth, 
 
95 
 
 and of a \mong the reft, 
 
 Lipton in ( 
 alarmed 5 and thought the d had pub- 
 
 lilhed wm new and (1 .ry to the bible, 
 
 and tended to gr He therefore 
 
 thought it his duty to oppoie, and attempt to 
 ie, and publiflied a book of one hun- 
 dred and twenty-tour pages againlt me, in the 
 1 767. 
 
 In 1768, a fermon which I preached in the 
 
 old fouth meeting-houfe in Bofton was publiflied 
 at the defireof a number of the hearers. The 
 title of it is, " 1 he importanee and neceflity of 
 chrillians confidering Jcfus Chrifl in the extent 
 of his high and glorious character." The ; 
 Hebrews iii. 1. It was compofed v fign 
 
 to preach it in Bofton, as I expected foon to go 
 there, under a conviction that the doctrine of 
 the divinity of Chrift was much neglected, if 
 not difbelieved by a number of the miniiters in 
 Bofton 
 
 In the f u I publiflied two fermon- . 
 
 from Roman- he other from John i. 13. 
 
 ing fixty-five p fmallcompi 
 
 A fecond edition oT thefe fermons 
 printed in 1793. 
 
 In the year 1 769 I publiflied my anfwer u 
 Mills of one hundred eighty four p 
 on a fmall eomprehenfive type. The following 
 
 «t 
 
 % 
 
•. 
 
 y6 LIFE OF 
 
 was the title of it. " The t-^z ftate and char* 
 acl;r of the unregenerate, It ripped of all mif- 
 repreientation and difguife." I believe this 
 book, v/ith what was afterwards published on 
 the fame fubject, was the means of fpreading 
 and giving much light and conviftion, with 
 refpecl to the real character and doings of the 
 unregenerate ; and has in a great meafure put a 
 flop to exhorting the unregenerate to do duty in 
 order to obtain regeneration, which was very 
 common among preachers before that time. 
 Some of my friends thought I treated Mr. Mills 
 with too much feverity, in taking pains to fhow 
 how many felf-contradi£tions were to be found 
 in his writings, and to difcover his weaknefs,,&c. 
 fince I, as well as others, believed he was a good 
 man, and had done much good, and the oppofi- 
 tion he had made to me was more owing to his 
 weaknefs and his old age, and his fpeculative er- 
 ror, than to his oppofition of heart to the truth. 
 And I believe there is fomething of this kind, 
 which ought, all things confidered, to be left 
 out, or otherwife exprefled -, though I had no 
 perception of it in the time of it ; but thought 
 I was confeientioufly careful to leave out all 
 perfonal refleftions and every thing which was 
 not neceffary in the bed manner to expofe error 
 and vindicate the truth. But how deceitful is 
 the heart ! Who can underftand his errors ! 
 
 In the latter end of the year 1 769, or beginning 
 
SAMUEL HOI'K 97 
 
 177c, Mr. William Hart of Saybrook pub- 
 liihed a dialogue, under the foil. tide, 
 " Brief remarks on a number of falfe politic 
 and dangerous errors, which are ' in 
 the country •, collected out of fundry difcourfes 
 . publiihed, wrote by Dodtor Whitaker and 
 Hopkins." And foon after there was a 
 Imall pamphlet publiihed, which was doubtlefs 
 written by the fame Mr. Hart, which was writ- 
 ten in a i arc a (tic a 1 way, without argument or 
 reafon, in which the doctrines I, and others who 
 agreed with me, had publiihed were mifrepre- 
 fentcd ; attempting to fet them in a ridiculous 
 articular defign, as it ap- 
 red, to difgrace me before the public, he 
 called them Hopiintonian ! . the 
 original of this epithet. And fince that time*}! 
 wlio embrace the c 
 
 were publiflied by Prefident Edwards, Doctor 
 Bellamy, Doclor Weft of Stockbridge, 
 felf, have been called 
 
 /tans. Thus I am become the head of a denomi- 
 nation, who have finite greatly increafed, and hi 
 which thoufands are included, and a large ni 
 ber of minilters, who, I :he mod 
 
 found, confident and thorough call 
 who in general fuitain as good a di 3 to 
 
 their morality, preaching and perfonal religion, 
 as any fet of clergymen wl . 10ft 
 
 popular where there appears to be molt attention 
 to religion : And, at die fame time, 
 1 
 
9o LIFE 01 
 
 hated, oppofed and fpoken agaiifft, by arminiaiis, 
 delfts and perfons who appear to have no reli- 
 gion. And I believe, though this denomination 
 or name originated from no fuch defign, that it 
 has proved an advantage to truth and true reli- 
 gion, as it has given opportunity and been the 
 qccafion of collecting thofe who embrace the 
 fcheme of chriftianity exhibited in the foremen- 
 tioned publications and ranking them under one 
 ftandard. It has excited the attention and pro- 
 moted enquiry into the principles and do£lrines 
 which are embraced and held by thofe of this 
 denomination, by which light and conviction 
 have been fpread and propagated. 
 
 Thefe writings of Mr. Hart's were publiflied, 
 w r hile I was at Newport, preaching on proba- 
 tion. Pains were taken to fend and fpread them 
 there, by thofe who were not friendly to my 
 fentiments, and confequently -not friendly to me, 
 and to my fettling in the firft congregational 
 church in Newport ; with a view, no doubt, to 
 prejudice the people of that church and congre- 
 gation agamfl me. And it had this cfteft, in 
 fome meafure for a time ; but was foon ccun- 
 terucled and loft the influence defigned -> and 
 probably had a contrary effect in the iiTue. 
 
 Tliis occasioned my writing remarks on thofe 
 
 ; efpecially the dialogue, with the 
 
 following title. " Animadverfions on Mr, 
 
er to a 
 
 ; 
 
 I 
 id publiihed ; but rather to 
 nefs an'.: nuity of Mr. 1 1 
 
 - 
 had 
 
 Mr. : 
 
 f!:or) hal 
 before publii t fermons to 
 
 con. one hundred twei 
 
 linft me and my p 
 
 ■ . 
 
 mentioned Mr. Hart:, 
 
 tion 
 
 ntioned rr 
 
 bation. And about the E 
 
 lemned f 
 
 and my v. I 
 
 • 
 As I was fenfible the difference bet 1 
 efe authors originated in i 
 
 ure of true holinef -, in i- 
 publtfhed a book of two hundred : 
 ocravo; containing, " An inquiry in:o r 1 
 
IOO LIFE OF 
 
 of true holinefs ; with an appendix," in which 
 I anfvvered the publications above mentioned. 
 That on the nature of true holinefs had a fecond 
 edition of one thoufand five hundred copies, in 
 the year 1791. Mr. Hart and Do&or Mather 
 wrote no more. But Do&or Hemmenway pub- 
 lifhed remarks on my anfwer to him, in 1774* 
 containing one hundred fixty fix pages, o£tavo. 
 But as little or nothing was in this added to what 
 was contained in his firft book, and it contained 
 perfonal reflections, and too much heat and 
 haughtinefs ; -all which he confefied to me after- 
 wards in a perfonal interview, I did not think it 
 worth while to take any public notice of it. 
 And I believe it was not much read, and had 
 but little influence on the minds of any. 
 
 In the year 1776 I publHhed, « A dialogue 
 concerning the flavery of the Africans •, {hewing 
 it to be the duty and interefl of the American 
 ftates to emancipate all their African flaves." 
 Dedicated to the honorable continental congrefs. 
 To which I did not fet my name. It was re- 
 printed by the Abolition Society in New York 
 in 1785, to which is prefixed the inftitution of 
 that Society. To this edition I added aa 
 appendix. 
 
 In the year 1783 I publifiied "An enquiry- 
 concerning the future ftate of thofe who die in 
 their fins," In which I attempted to fhow from 
 
t the pui 
 
 . 
 ? >. I pul 
 
 the do£lrine of ui 
 
 I an I - 
 number, and began to fj 
 
 In 
 
 er. To 
 
 in tv. 
 taining o 
 
 page?. Sold to fubferibers •$ a 
 
 let. There was a targe fubfeription for this 
 work of above one thoufand two hundred. I 
 - right to the printers f( 
 en helj 
 in the low, deranged ftate of my chu 
 
 tidn ; without which I kno 
 I ftio : no exp< 
 
 of gettin 7 by the publication, when I 
 
 began, and while I v g it for the 
 
 prefs, nor had the lead view or thought of it. 
 I wafrabout ten years conn 
 !t for the prefs. It ha;, been a Lbork 
 
 rhicli I conildev as the , 
 fervicc that I have ever done. It ha 
 
102 LIFE OF 
 
 I expefted, both in America and Europe ; and 
 no one has undertaken to anfwer it ; though 
 fome curfory remarks have been made upon fome 
 parts of it, by way of objeftion ; which, I 
 believe, will not have much, if any influence to 
 prevent the credit and ufefulnefs of it. 
 
 I have lately been writing the life of Mife 
 Sufannah Anthony, who died in the year 1791* 
 confifting chiefly in extracts from her writings. 
 Itis gone to prefs, and I expeft will be printed 
 in a few months. She was an eminent and ex- 
 traordinary chriftian. And I think it a great fa- 
 vor to have the particular acquaintance I have 
 had with her $ and to have enjoyed her friend- 
 ship and prayers for a number of years. I have 
 pleafure in the profpeft of promoting her ufe- 
 fulnefs, after her death, and mine, by publifh- 
 ing her life, and a fmall part of her writings. 
 It now appears to me pi'oft probable that this is 
 the laft publication I fhall be concerned in ; ex- 
 cept fome fhort eflays which I may prepare for 
 the Theological Magazine, which is now print- 
 ed once in two months, by Mr. Davis in New- 
 York. 
 
 About forty years ago there were but few, 
 
 perhaps not more than four or five v/ho efpoufed 
 
 the fentiments, which fince have been called 
 
 ^ Ed-wardeatiy and new divinity and fince, after 
 
 fome improvement was made upon them, Hop- 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. J03 
 
 kintonuiUy or Hopkinfum fentiments. But thefe 
 ftntimentS have fo fpread QnCC that time among 
 mini. Uj thofc who have fince come 
 
 on the it ... , there are now more than • ■ 
 
 e miniftry who cfpoufe the 
 fentiments, in the United States of Amcri- 
 ca. And the number appears to be fad increas- 
 ing, and thefe fentiments appear to be coming 
 more and more into credit, and are better under- 
 stood, and the odium which was caft on them 
 and thofe who preached them, is greatly fub- 
 iided. 
 
 This appears to me to be favourable to the 
 caufe of truth, and of Jefus Chrift and to be af- 
 cribed to his power and grace, and is matter of 
 great encouragement j in the mid ft of the fpread 
 of error and delufion, of infidelity, and all man- 
 ner of vice and wickednefs. And fo far as I 
 been made a mean ana* inftrument, ^f this 
 by my writing Jiing and cenvenation, I 
 
 have reafon to rejoice and be thankful, while all 
 is to be afcribed to the fovereign grace of the 
 Redeemer. And I have particular reafon to be 
 thankful and rejoice that I have been the means 
 of the conversion of more than one, who are 
 now h%the miniftry, which they themfelves think 
 fact ; and of enlightening and removing the 
 prejudices of others, who were before in a great v 
 mcafure blind to thofe truths, which they now 
 fee to be evident and important. May I not re- 
 
E OF 
 
 joice in this : And may I not hope " to rejoice 
 in the day of Chrift, that I have not run in vain, 
 neither laboured in vain r" May God have all 
 the glory, Amen. 
 
 N. B. I finifhed writing the foregoing (ketches 
 of my life on the 21 ft day of July 1796. 
 
 'This is an addition to the former Jk etches of my life 
 fni/hed July 21 , 1796, having lived to this day 
 December 16, 1799. 
 
 SOON after I had finifhed the foregoing 
 fketches, Mrs. Ofborn died, and left all her 
 manufcripts in my hands, with a defire that I 
 would make that ufe of them that I thought 
 proper. Atjd it was thought beft to publiflx 
 memoirs of her life, confiding chiefly in extracts 
 from her w T ritings, which were many. This 
 made & neceffary to read all her manufcripts 
 which filled above forty volumes of confiderable 
 bignefs ; in order to extract for publication 
 what fhould be thought neceffary, in order to be 
 moft ufeful. On this, and in tranfcribing for 
 the prefs I employed all my fpare time for a year 
 or more. It makes a volume in print of near 
 four hundred pages; 
 
 I confider it as a great and peculiar favor of the 
 head of the church, that he has, in his provi- 
 dence, given me opportunity to psblifh the lives 
 
SAMw 'INS. IO5 
 
 of Mrs. Ofborn . -honw w 
 
 in mv judgment, the mod eminent hrif- 
 
 tians with whom I have had any acquaintance. 
 The public and even chriiiia.: ;, v. ho never were 
 acquainted with them, will not, by reading what 
 is publifhed of them, have a full and adequate 
 idea of their excellent character. I think it a 
 great happinefs to have been intimately acquaint- 
 ed with them for near thirty years, and to en- 
 joy their friendihip and prayers. I hope that 
 what is publifhed of them will be of great bene- 
 fit to die church not only in this generation, but 
 mages yet to come. 
 
 On the tenth of lad January I was fuddenly 
 feized with a paralytic ftroke, which affe&ed my 
 right fide, and rendered my limbs of that fide 
 in a great meafure ufelefs, and much affected 
 my fpeech ; but was attended with little or no 
 pain > and the rxercife of my reafon and mental 
 faculties was not in the leaft affected. This ap- 
 peared to threaten my fpeedy diflblution in my 
 view and in the view of my friends, either by a 
 greater and more deadly flroke, or fome other 
 way. To be fure I feafonably confidered it as a 
 warning to be ready for death. I felt that God 
 had laid his hand lightly upon me, and that the 
 ajftttion was attended with much tender mercy ; 
 and was refigned and thankful. For a fhort 
 time at firft, my mind was dark, and I feemed 
 to myfelf ^to be in a meafure fbut out from the 
 
lerO LIFE CF 
 
 fenfible prefence of God and the Saviour : but 
 foon I was led to a view and fenfe of Jefus Chrift, 
 as exalted to the throne of the univerfe, having 
 all power in heaven and earth, cloathed with in- 
 finite power, wifdom, rectitude and goodnefs, 
 governing the world and ordering every event, 
 the lead and greateft, as it (hall be mofl for his 
 glory, and the greateft general good ; having 
 mercy on whom he will have mercy, and har- 
 dening whom he will ; and fhowing mercy to 
 every one, to whom he can do it, confidently 
 with wifdom and goodnefs : That is, confidently 
 with the greateft difplay of his character and 
 perfections, and the higheft happinefs of the 
 creation : and that all this, and every thing and 
 event and circumftance were determined and 
 fixed from eternity, by eternal unerring wifdom, 
 righteoufnefs and goodnefs. In this view the 
 Saviour appeared infinitely great and important, 
 and divinely worthy and amiable. I felt myfelf 
 and all creatures and things to be in his hands, 
 and was pleafed and rejoiced in this •, knowing 
 that every thing was ordered and conduced in 
 the wifeft and beft poffible manner, fo as to an- 
 fwer the belt and moft defirable ends; that the 
 Saviour would injure none, fulfil all his promif- 
 es to a tittle, and accomplifh all his defigns in 
 the beft time and the moft defirable and perfect 
 uner : fo that all is well, in the beft and moft 
 rraWe fituation that poflibly can be. In a be- 
 lief and fenfe of this, and more, whrch cannot 
 
io7 
 
 my foul was full of comfort a 
 Lord Jefl l 
 the :1 is in tfa 
 
 ad will do w r he 
 
 In thefe pleafing and comfortable views and 
 
 exercifes I had no particular attention to or 
 thought of myfelfj whether 1 Wei 
 
 (hould be fared ov not. But my comfort and 
 
 joy were derived from, or c unfilled in a 
 
 view and icnic of the excellent, glorious charac- 
 ter of Chrift, in whofe hands I and all things 
 uld order and difpofe of things 
 me and all men and creatures, fo as 
 
 he higheft degree to promote his glory/ or the 
 glory of God, which is the fame ; and effect the 
 
 ateft general good or happinefs, or the wifeft 
 and bed ends. In this vie w my heart laid, with 
 llrong emotions, and the mod pleafing fenfations, 
 Amen ! "Thy will be done !" without know- 
 ing or confidering, what his \\ concern- 
 ing me. Had I reflected judicioully on my 
 own exercife^, I might have rationally judged 
 them to be agreeable to the truth, and an evi- 
 dence that I was a friend to Chrilt ; but I did 
 notfo reflect as to make this conclufion. This 
 view and fenfe of things ftiil abides with me, 
 but at different times in a higher and lower de- 
 gree *, but not fo that I can infer from it, w 
 aut hefitation, that I am a real chriftian, and 
 
10$ LIFE OF 
 
 fhall be faved. My views and exercifes appear 
 to me, fo much below the truth, and fo incon- 
 flant that, fometimes, I doubt of their reality, 
 or of their being real chriftian exercifes : and I 
 have fuch a deceitful heart, that I fear delufion ; 
 though at times all doubts fubfide. My perfon 
 and whole interefl in time and to eternity is, com- 
 pared with the grand whole, the glory of God, 
 and the beft interefl; of his kingdom, fo fmall 
 and inconfiderable, that when I have the latter 
 in a fenfible view, the former finks into a mere 
 fpeck or nothing, and is almoft wholly overlook- 
 ed and forgotten, and the language of my heart 
 is, " Let God be glorified by all, and the beft 
 interefl of his kingdom be fecured and promoted, 
 let what will become of me and my interefl: !" 
 And while I fee the former grand interefl is fe- 
 cure, and will be in the beft manner promoted, 
 I am fatisfied and rejoice. And this fo engroiTes 
 my thoughts and reflections, that I do not attend 
 to the interefl of any individual perfon, my own 
 or any one elfe, fo as to excite any fenfible joy or 
 forrow, hope or fear ; the interefl of fuch indi- 
 vidual being overlooked as not worthy of any re- 
 gard, in comparifon with the grand interefl, of the 
 whole : This fo imprefles the mind and fills it> 
 as to exclude the other. 
 
 But as my mind cannot- have a view of all ob« 
 je£ts with equal clearnefs and attention, at one 
 and the fame time, but different obje&s, are 
 
ICO 
 
 mo oprc^M 
 
 more particularly to n eft, 
 
 1 natural 
 
 ami * n g 
 
 to t' lev and works of Chnlt, 
 
 and > gl OI 7 an( ^ happinef* 01 
 
 cms to be pi 
 that I am a friend to thefc objects : but I am 
 not able I at any time, to fee the truth of 
 
 this confequence with clearness and certainty. 
 When theclearnefs and fenfibility of thefe vie 
 and exercifes in a meafure fubfide, and I attejid 
 more to my own character ; and my depravity, 
 ftupidity, unbelief, and the evil and deceitfulnefs 
 of my heart rife into view, I am difpofed to call 
 in queftion my own good eftate, and to fufj 
 that my exercifes fall fhort of real chriftianity : 
 yet maintaining a hope that this is not the cafe, 
 which is fometim and fometimes ftron^- 
 
 er •, and, frequently for a fhort fpace, rifes fo 
 high as to exclude doubting : but even then, 
 though this excites gratitude, it does not raife 
 my comfort and joy to that degree, as doeb 
 Jireft view of the character of Chrift and his 
 kingdom, above-mentioned, without ft 
 
 iar attention to my own character and per- 
 fonal intereft. When my doubts and fears p 
 molt, refpecting my perfonal union to 
 'ft, and I attend particularly to my perfonal 
 :crns and intereft, it appears, when cor.: 
 
LIFE OF 
 
 ereB by itfelf to be beyond all conception, and 
 initely great, which I feel to be wholly in the 
 ds of Chrift, to be determined by him wheth- 
 er I ihall be happy or miferable forever. And 
 is fo far from being difagreeable to me, that 
 I am highly pleafed with it, and would not have 
 ;:herwife on any confideration whatever. I 
 I that I am in the belt hands, and, in this re- 
 -l, in the belt fituation, that I poffibly 
 could be in. He certainly will not injure me 
 in any refpeft, or in the leaft degree. He is in- 
 :ely wife, good and merciful, and knows 
 what is molt for his own glory, and the higheft 
 good and happinefs of his kingdom ; and, can 
 and will certainly fave me and every one elfe 
 with whom I have any connection, if it may be 
 I confident with his glory and the greateft happi- 
 nefs of his kingdom, or confident with wifdom 
 and goodnefs, which is the fame : And I can- 
 not fo much as wi(h or have the leaft defire to 
 be faved on any other fuppofition \ that is, if 
 this be inconfiftent with infinite wifdom and 
 goodnefs, and contrary to the greateft good and 
 glory of Chrift and his kingdom : and feel that 
 it would be awful impiety and rebellion to afk 
 for falvation on any other fuppofition. 
 
 But when I refle£l on the dreadfulnefs of being 
 caft away for ever by Chrift, to fufrer the juft 
 defert of my fins, feeling the ftrokes and tokens 
 of his righteous anger and vengeance \ and being 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 1 I 1 
 
 given up to evil lulls to join with the devil and 
 exift eternally on his fide an enemy to Chrift and 
 his kingdom, my foul recoils, and feels .this to 
 be intolerable ! then I fly to Chrift and his atone- 
 ment, and call myfelf down at his feet, to dif- 
 pofe of me as he pleafes ; yet hoping and crying 
 for mercy, Oh ! be merciful to me a finner. 
 Which is accompanied with a number of various 
 exercifes which cannot be eafily defcribed. 
 
 And when I reflecl on thefe exercifes they ap- 
 pear to me to be confident with chriflianity, and 
 an evidence of real friendfhip to Chrift : and I 
 am fenfible that if another perfon mould relate to 
 me fuch views and exercifes as experienced by 
 him, I mould think them an evidence that he 
 was a real chriftian. Yet I often greatly doubt 
 of my being a true chriftian; efpecially when I 
 have ibme more clear view and fenfe of my bar- 
 ren and finful life, and attend particularly to 
 that. 
 
 Thefe are feme of my daily various exercifes, 
 in ail which I maintain a hope that I am 
 
 a chriftian, which fometime3 excludes all doubt, 
 being conftantly afiured of the truth of the gof- 
 pel, that this is a revelation of the only true Go^ 
 and of eternal life ; and, that the truths which I 
 have preached as contained in the gofpel, are in- 
 deed the truths of God, and fuincient to fup- 
 port and comfort a chriftian in the near view of 
 
112 LIFE OF 
 
 -death and eternity, and under all the affli&ions 
 of this life. And I live in the conftant aflurance 
 of the truth of the doftrine of the decrees of 
 God, and of his univerfal and particular provi- 
 dence directing every event, and every thing 
 which . comes to pafs, and exercifing abfolute 
 fovereignty in his dealing with men ; without 
 which I could have no fupport and comfort. And 
 my chief comfort and joy, does not confift in or 
 ariie from an aflurance or hope that I (hall be 
 faved ; but in a view and fenfe of the perfections 
 and glory of Chrift, his power, wifdom and 
 goodnefs, reigning and ordering all things for 
 the glory of God and the greatefl good of his 
 kingdom. And this is accompanied with an ex- 
 perimental affurance, that the exercifes of true 
 religion are wholly difinterefted, and in dire£t 
 oppofition to all felfifhnefs : a doctrine which I 
 have endeavoured to maintain and inculcate for 
 many years. 
 
 When I was firft taken with this diforder, and 
 for moft of the time fince, I have had little or 
 no fenfible defire of recovering, and was not in- 
 clined lb much as to afk for it ; my mind rather 
 reluftated at the thought of recovering fo as to 
 
 f^fcach after the poor dull way in which I had 
 itherto preached, and with as little fuccefs. 
 But God has been pleafed to recover me, fo that 
 I have been able to attend public worfhip and 
 xh for feveral months pad , and, I do not 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. I IJ 
 
 feel that preaching hurts me, or aggravates my 
 diforder ; which encourages me to proceed : but 
 with many and great difcouragements from my 
 own great deficiencies, and the want of a proper 
 attention, apparent in the congregation in gene- 
 ral. But Chriit will anfwer his own ends by 
 me, and continue me in the world, and take 
 me out of it in the bed time and manner, fo as 
 bed to anfwer thefe ends : and in this I daily ac- 
 quiefce and rejoice. Amen ! 
 
 January 10, 1800. As I think it may be life- 
 ful particularly to attend to, and record thofe ex- 
 ercifes, which appear to me to be an evidence 
 that I am a real chriftian, and at times, r.re faf- 
 isfadtory and remove all doubt, when they are 
 more ftrong and fenfible, and I refledt upon, 
 them with more particular attention^ and thejr 
 appear real and certain. — And, on the contrary, 
 mention and defcribe thofe things which I find 
 in myfelf which appear againft me as evidences 
 that I am not a chriftian, and fometimes are the 
 ground of ftrong fufpicion and doubt whether I 
 am a real friend to Chrift, 
 
 The former of thefe may be reprefented in the 
 following particulars. 
 
 1 
 1 . I have been fo far convinced of my fins and 
 
 reproved for them, that I know that I am infi- 
 nitely guilty, and deferve eternal deftruction and 
 k % 
 
114 £IFE OF 
 
 mifery : that God would be juft, and I fliould 
 have no reafon to complain, if he fhould punifli 
 me forever, with aggravated torments. This 
 convidiicn is abiding and increafing, v/hile I 
 heartily approve of the law of God which curfes 
 the tranfgreflbr, as holy juft and good. This 
 conviction and fenfe of the evil of fin, and of 
 my depravity and finfulnefs, rifes much higher 
 fometimes than others ; but I am never difpofed 
 to caft it off or doubt the truth of it, but it is 
 fixed on my mind, and when I have the greateft 
 fenfe of it, I know that I fee but little of what 
 It really is in the fight of God, that the num- 
 ber of my fins and the magnitude and aggrava- 
 tions of each one are infinitely beyond my com- 
 prehenfion, and are known perfectly to God 
 alone. That I am wholly and beyond exprenion 
 depraved and finful naturally, being infinitely far 
 from any moral goodnefs to recommend me to 
 the mercy and favour of God : and that if my 
 I heart be changed fo as to exercife holinefs in any 
 degree, yet this is fo defective, and attended 
 with fo much moral defilement and fin, that all 
 taken together, it is worfe than nothing, and af- 
 fords matter of condemnation, and is infinitely 
 far from deferving any good or favour. And if 
 j^hvere wholly recovered from my depravity and 
 were made perfe£Uy holy, this would be lb in- 
 finitely overbalanced by the guilt of my fins, that 
 it could not be reckoned in my favour, fo as to 
 procure die pardon of my fin^ or render me de- 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. I %$ 
 
 ferving of any good thing. I have ' a conftant 
 and growing conviction that I am wholly de- 
 pendant on the preventing, fovereign grace of 
 God for my recovery, from this miferable, loft 
 ftate of infinite guilt and total depravity, and for 
 the lead degree of fmcerity and faith or conformi- 
 ty to the law of God ; that I am wholly loft, 
 and (hall fink down to hell an enemy to God and 
 all good, and juftly perifh forever, unlefs Chrift, 
 by his fovereign goodnefs, cloathed with omnipo- 
 tence and infinite wifdom, fhall recover and fave 
 me, while I fhall not do any thing towards my 
 falvation, or make the leaft exertion for it ; but 
 all that I will and do is contrary to it, unlefs and 
 no farther than he fhall work in me to will and 
 to do, of his fovereign good pleafure, what he 
 requires as heeeffary to my falvation. Thus I 
 feel myfelf to be an infinitely guilty, odious * 
 creature, utterly undone in myfelf, and have not 
 a word to fay, and have not a thought in my fa- 
 vour ; my mouth is flopped in this refpec~t, and I 
 I am guilty before God, and accept the punifh- 
 mentof my iniquity. 
 
 If this which I have imperfectly defcribed im- 
 plies the eflentials of real repentance, in which 
 I humble myfelf in the fight of the Lord, with 
 a broken and contrite heart, then I have a new • 
 heart and am interefted in the divine prornifcs. — 
 But if not, — Then I have never yet underftood 
 the true meaning of thefe words of fcripture, 
 
l\6 LIFE OF 
 
 and my eyes are yet blinded with regard to my 
 own character ! 
 
 2. I think I do moft heartily approve of, and 
 acquiefce in the perfon and character of Chrift, 
 and am pleafed with the way of falvation of fin- 
 ners by him. All his directions, exhortations, 
 commands, doctrines which he taught, all that 
 he faid, did and fuffered, and all his revealed 
 purpofes and defigns, appear wife, good and ex- 
 cellent, and carry clear marks and abundant evi- 
 dence of divinity in them. Hence 
 
 3. I do, I think, place all my hope in him, 
 and defire not to be found and accepted in any 
 righteoufnefs of my own, were this poffible ; 
 but to be pardoned and juftified by the merit and 
 righteoufnefs of Chrift. I am fenfibly and great- 
 ly pleafed with being wholly dependant on him 
 for righteoufnefs, fan£tification, and compleat 
 redemption. If there were any other poffible 
 way of falvation, which I know there is not, I 
 would reje£t it, not defiring to be faved in any 
 Way but that which is revealed in the gofpel. 
 
 4. I think I defire and feek the glory of God 
 and the greateft good and happinefs of the uni- 
 verfe, as my higheft and ultimate end ; and in 
 this view am pleafed with and rejoice in the 
 chara£fc%r and defigns of God and Chrift, who 
 is doing every thing for this end, and will ac- 
 eomplifh it in the moft perfect manner, and in the 
 
 1 
 

 SAMUEL HOPKINS. I I 7 
 
 higheft poffiHe d^He. And on this account I 
 am highly pleafed with Chrift and the gofpel, 
 as by the redemption of man by Chrift, God is 
 glorified in an eminent degree, and the greateffc 
 happinefs of creatures promoted and effe£ted. 
 And for this reafon I acquiefce in it that all of 
 the human race fhould not be faved, but a part 
 of them perifh forever in their fins, as divine 
 revelation has declared ; becaufe I know this is 
 necefiary for the glory of God, and the great 
 good of his eternal kingdom, and not one will 
 be loft forever, who could be faved confiftently 
 with this ; and therefore all will be faved who 
 can be faved confiftently with infinite wifdom and 
 goodnefs. Therefore 
 
 5. I am moft fatisfied and pleafed, when I 
 have the moft clear and feeling fenfe of my being 
 in the hands of Chrift in the moft perfedl and 
 abfolute fenfe and degree, and wholly at his dif- 
 pofal in time and to eternity ; knowing that he 
 will do with and by me what is moft for his glory 
 and the good of his kingdom ; and that he will 
 fave me, if he can do it confiftently with this ; 
 and this is all that I can defire. Therefore I am 
 well pleafed with being in his hands and wholly 
 at his difpofal, let him do what he will with me, 
 and cannot conceive of a better and more defina- 
 ble fituation : yea, I know there cannot be a 
 better. 
 
 When I reflect on the feelings and exercifes ex- 
 
1 1 8 LIFE OF 
 
 prefTed in the two laft partic J^R they feem to me 
 to be the expreflion of true 'difmtereiied benevo- 
 lence, or that love by which we are formed after 
 the likenefs of God, and he dwelleth in us, and 
 we in him. The reafon of my doubting of this, 
 efpecially at times, has been in fome meafure 
 fuggefted before, and v/iiL be more fully ex- 
 preffed in the fequel. 
 
 6. I think I do hunger and third after righte- 
 oufnefs. My longing to be perfe£Uy holy is, 
 fometimes, very fenfihle and ftrong, exceeding ail 
 defires of earthly things that I have, or of which I 
 am capable. I have often, felt willing and a de- 
 fire to die immediately, if this might bring me 
 to perfe£t holinefs, to a complete conformity to 
 Chrift. 
 
 7. I feel my heart ftrongly united to thofe 
 whom I confider to be real friends to Chrift, in 
 benevolent and complacential love ; efpecially 
 thofe with whom I am more particularly and in- 
 timately acquainted. I have a quite difFerent 
 feeling toward them from that which I have 
 toward others, and have a peculiar delight in 
 their company and converfation. 
 
 8. My preaching and converfation has 
 been gehef-ally acceptable and pleafing to thofe 
 whom I have efteemed the moft judicious and 
 beft chrift ians, fo far as I have been able to learn. 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. I T9 
 
 I have not only preached the doctrines which I 
 verily believed to be true, but heartily approved 
 of them, and have delivered thofe truths of the 
 word of God refpedting practical and experi- 
 mental religion, which were the dictates of my 
 heart, and often, if not commonly, fuggeited 
 by my own feelings and exercifes ; and have not 
 endeavoured to appear better or in a more agreea- 
 ble light, than was agreeable to the truth, though 
 I am fenfible that my christian friends, have in 
 many inftances and refpects, thought too highly 
 of me, which has been matter of fhame and 
 humiliation to me •, yet their love and efteem, I 
 have been ready to confider as an evidence in my 
 favour, though of little weight confidered by it- 
 felf, as we know not each others hearts, and are 
 liable to be greatly deceived in others. I there- 
 fore mention this as coinciding with, and in 
 fome meafure ftrengthening the evidences which 
 have been mentioned. This is at leaft an evi- 
 dence that what appears in my preaching, con- 
 verfation and external conduct, which, fo far 
 as I know, is in general agreeable to my heart, 
 at leaft I do net on defign attempt to play the 
 hypocrite, is to judicious chriftians, who are 
 moit acquainted with me, an evidence that I am 
 a real chriftun. 
 
 I proceed to mention fome things which ap- 
 pear to me, at times at leaft, reafon of fear that > 
 I never have known what it is to be a real chrif- 
 
120 LIFE OF 
 
 tian, and are at times, if not generally the ca*ufe 
 of many doubts. 
 
 I. My ftupidity and hardnefs of heart, with 
 refpe£t to things divine and invifible, or the truths 
 exhibited in the goipel. At times, and I believe 
 I may fay generally, I have very little or no fenfe 
 of thefe things, and they make very little im- 
 predion on my heart, if any ; and I often feel as 
 if they had no exiftence, while in my reafon and 
 judgment I have no doubt of their truth and 
 reality : And when I have fome fenfe of the 
 truth, reality and excellence of them, and even 
 when I have the greatefl fenfe and the molt af- 
 fe£Hng view and impreffion of them on my heart, 
 and I am moft ftrongly and deeply affe&ed with 
 them, I am fenfible that the view and fenfe I have 
 is very imperfeft and unfpeakably fhort of the 
 truth, and of what I ought to have, and even 
 the greateft impreffion, and higheft affe£lion 
 that I at any time experience, commonly foon 
 abate and fubfide, and I am left as ftupid and 
 fenfelefs as ever : and what I thought I had ex- 
 perienced feems like a dream, and as if, it was 
 not a reality. This ftupidity and fenfeleflhefs is 
 commonly moft fenfible and burdenfome in my 
 public performances of prayer and preaching $ 
 and even when I have freedom of fpeech and a 
 flow of words, and my chriftian friends have 
 thought I was great' y affifted, I have been con- 
 scious of my great and fhameful ftupidity and 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 121 
 
 want of a proper fenfe of the things of which I 
 have been fpeaking. This, which is more of 
 lefs fenfibly felt, is my conftant attendant, and 
 the grief and burden of my heart, and matter 
 of my conltant confeflions and prayer to God for 
 deliverance from it ; being always fenfibly con- 
 vinced that no external light and advantages, or 
 any means ufed, will in the leaft remove this 
 ftupidity and hardnefs of heart ; but that the 
 fpirit of God alone can remove it, and give me 
 that fpiritual fenfibility and feeling of heart, 
 which I feem moll earneftly to defire. I confider 
 this ftupidity, blindnefs and infenfibility of heart 
 to divine things, to be altogether, and infinitely 
 criminal, as it mufl be owing to the moral cor- 
 ruption and depravity of my heart, or rather con- 
 fift wholly in depravity and wickednefs of heart, 
 being hardened, contracted and bound up in felf- 
 ilhnefs and pride, and all the evil propenfities 
 which are implied in thefe. This is unbelief of 
 hearty which is confident with a conviction of the 
 reafonand judgment, of the truths contained in the 
 gofpel ; for no degree of fuch conviclion will in 
 the leaft remove this blindnefs, hardnefs and 
 unbelief oi heart, which I am confidering. But 
 blindnefs and unbelief of heart have a ftrong 
 tendency to prevent or remove a convi&ion of the 
 judgment and confcience of the truth and reality 
 of invifible things, and to promote fpeculative 
 unbelief oi them ; and, are the real and only 
 ground of all deifm and atheifm, and all fpecu* 
 h 
 
122 - LIFE Of 
 
 lative infidelity. This gives fatan great advant- 
 age to blind the minds of them who believe not, 
 and lead them captives to infidelity, which he 
 improves to the utmoft of his power. 
 
 I. do not fenfibly perceive the real ground and 
 reafon of this darknefs and ftupidity of my mind 
 with refpeft to invifible things, but am moll 
 fenfible of the fadl, while the caufe of this la- 
 mentable fa£t is out of fight, and is rather the 
 object of reafon and fpeculation. This blind- 
 ...eisand ftupidity of heart are fo fenfible and 
 appear fo great to me, efpecially at times, that 
 I much doubt whether it be confident with the 
 true knowledge of God, or my having any real 
 chriftian light and difcerning, which Chrift calls 
 « the light of life," which he gives to all his true 
 followers. Yet I know that when I hear pro- 
 fefling chriftians complain of their ftupidity and 
 blindnefs,- &c. I do not confider this as an evi- 
 dence that they are not chriftians, but rather in 
 their favour, as a fign that they have a fenfibility 
 and difcerning refpeding their own hearts, which 
 is peculiar to chriftians. But it is not eafy for 
 me to apply this to myfelf, and draw fuch a con-^ 
 fequence in my own favour. I am apt to con- 
 fider my blindnefs and ftupidity not to be like 
 that of others, but greater and peculiar to my- 
 felf. 
 
 2. My life and converfation, all taken to- 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. I 23 
 
 gether, both external and interna!, appear very 
 much againft me, and fo deftitute of any good 
 fruit, and fo full of deformity and fin both of 
 omiffion and commiffion, that I know not how to 
 reconcile it with the life of a chriftian, efpecially 
 at fome times, when I have a view of it as a molt 
 deformed and odious life, confidering the many 
 and peculiar advantages and opportunities I have 
 had, and my great obligations to live a holy life, 
 wholly devoted to Chrift ; all which I have abufed 
 in a greater or lefs degree continually. Though 
 I dare not fay I have not been, and am not in 
 any degree fincere in my regard to Chrift and 
 the truths of the gofpel ; and have a hope that 
 I have had and now have fome fincerity : Yet 
 I cannot look back upon a well /pent life, for it 
 appears unfpeakably far from fuch an one. I 
 have often laid, " I will b%wife," but it has 
 been far from me. I cannot view myfelf as a 
 good and faithful '(errant of Jefus Chrift, but much 
 to the contrary ; and therefore cannot ra^Jize l h 
 cr even conceive how he can view and call me 
 fuch an one, as^re reprefents that he will do all 
 who fhall be owned by him at the laft day. 
 This is often caufe of great doubts, and fears 
 that I am not a real fervant of Jefus Chrift. I 
 know he will own and accept of the lead thing 
 done for him from a true regard to him, but I 
 feel that I have nothing that I have done to plead 
 in my favour. 
 
124 LIFE O? 
 
 3. It has been matter of doubt and difcour- 
 agement to mc, that I have little or no fuccefs 
 by my preaching, in being made the inftrument 
 of awakening and converting finners. But very 
 few inftances of this have come to my knowl- 
 edge^ and thefe not very remarkable and clear. 
 I came upon the ftage and began to preach when 
 there was a great and general revival of religion 
 in New-England ; many were awakened, and 
 thought to be converted, and many minifters 
 were fuccefsful in this, and had great revivals in 
 their congregations : but no fuch thing has ap- 
 peared under my preaching, though fome, indi- 
 viduals have fometimes appeared to be in fome 
 degree awakened. I fhoufd expect that a good 
 minifter of Chriit would be fucceeded in this 
 refpeft efpecially when others round about him 
 were fuccefsful, more than I have appeared to 
 be. This has led me to fear, eip ecially at times, 
 that there is fome eiTential defect in me, and 
 that Urad not the true fpirit of Chrift, and his 
 realprefence and approbation. I do not think I 
 havgfeafon to conclude that myminiftrations in 
 preaching, writing and conversation have been 
 altogether ufelefs and unprofitable. They have 
 been acceptable to many, if not to all, who have 
 appeared to be chriftians, efpecially to the mod 
 attentive, engaged and judicious ; and many 
 have thought themfelves greatly inftru&ed, 
 ftrengthened and comforted by them ; and my 
 ufefulnefs, if there has been any, has not con- 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 1 2$ 
 
 lifted in being the mean of convincing and con- 
 verting finners ; but chiefly in miniitering to the 
 faints and building them up in faith and holinefs : 
 and I believe my publications have been the 
 means of fpreading light with refpecl to fome 
 important do£trines of chriftianity. This I con- 
 fider as matter of thankfulnefs m , but, it does not 
 wholly remove my gloom and doubts, which 
 arife from the inefficacy of my preaching, with 
 refpe£t to finners ; and when I attend to the 
 great and fhameful defeats and poornefs of my 
 preaching, and the little fenfe I have of what I 
 do fay, &c. together with want of fuccefs, I 
 don't wonder my preaching is without effect, and 
 my doubts of my having any true grace are in- 
 creafed. 
 
 Thus I have endeavoured to ftate thofe things 
 which appear to be evidences in favour of mv 
 being a real chriftian, and thofe which, on the 
 contrary, appear to be evidences againft it. 
 There are many other things, which, iflPthem- 
 felves perhaps, are of lefs weight, but when 
 confidered with* thofe mentioned both for and a- * 
 gainft me, fometimes have confiderable influence 
 on my mind to increafe my hopes or fears : but 
 as they are not eafily defcribed ; and are in feme 
 meafure included in the above particulars, I pafs 
 them over without a more particular mention. 
 
 When I have only or chiefly zfpeculativevv&ti 
 h 2 
 
126 LIFE OF 
 
 of all thefe things which have been mentioned, 
 and more, both for and againft me, and they 
 are feldom out of my thoughts ; the whole taken 
 together to my reafon and judgment appear to be 
 rather in my favour, and ground of hope that I 
 am what I profefs to be, a real chriftian. But 
 this fpeculative view, without any great degree 
 of fenfe of heart, is not attended with any com- 
 fortable affurance, or fenfible enjoyment, as this 
 confifts in a fenfe of heart of the truth and excel- 
 lency of the things of the gofpel, which is 
 entirely different from the cleareft fpeculative 
 view of them. This fenfe of heart is various, 
 fometimes in a greater, and fome times in a lefs 
 degree, and fome times has a particular object 
 in view, and at other times another object is 
 more in view and makes the greateft impreflion, 
 and the heart cannot be equally fenfible of all 
 objects at once, or one muft be more in view 
 than another. 
 
 This is agreeable to my experience. When I 
 have an impreffive and affe&ing fenfe of heart 
 ©f the truths of the gofpel, and thofe fenfible 
 ' views and exercifes which have been mentioned 
 as evidences in my favour, and my attention is 
 fixed on thofe objects, my doubts vahifh, and I 
 think little or nothing of myfelf, and my own 
 character : but the objects viewed engrofs my 
 attention. But when I reflect on my prefent 
 exercifes, my hope revives and is ftrengthened \ 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 1 27 
 
 but I have great comfort and enjoyment inde- 
 pendent of my hope, and while my own ftate is 
 not attended to. Indeed my comfort and enjoy- 
 ment are previous to the revival of my hope, and 
 the ground of it. For inftance, when I have 
 an affc&ing view and fenfe of heart of the glo- 
 rious character of Chrift, his works and defigns^ 
 his exaltation and dominion, &c. this is attend- 
 ed with a fenfible, fweet approbation of heart of 
 all that is feen and that relates to him, and 
 gives high fatisfa&ion and enjoyment, when this 
 view and fenfe, approbation and delight, &c. are 
 reflected upon, be it fooner or later : and while 
 thefe fenfible views and exercifes continue and 
 do not fubfide, my hope of my intereft in thefe 
 things revives, and my doubts vanifh : and 
 often, if not always, this reflexion is fo imme- 
 diate, that it feems to attend thefe views, exerci- 
 fes and enjoyments, and to be fo connected with 
 and implied in them, that I do not diitisguiih 
 one from the other in my own feelings, but the 
 hope and even affurance of my intereft in Chrift 
 feems to be intuitive and I am not confcious that 
 it is by refle&ion. 
 
 But when my fenfible exercifes towards thefe 
 afFe&ing objects, and my attention to them in 
 fome meafure fubfide, and thofe things which 
 have been mentioned as evidences againft me 
 are more clearly in my view, which of courfe 
 will be the cafe> and are the obje&s of my 
 
128 LIFE OF 
 
 particular and painful attention, they preponder- 
 ate in the fcale of my mind, and doubts arife, 
 and fome times greatly prevail ; and, I queftion 
 the truth and reality of my former views and 
 cxcrcifesf or that they were truly gracious, and 
 they appear rather as a dream than a reality. 
 
 Thus my mind fludtuates, and paries from 
 one objefl to another, and has foinetimes more 
 clear and fenfible views of one object than of 
 another, and is more imprefled and affected with 
 it : and then the other has its turn of attracting 
 my fenfible attention, and the former goes more, 
 if not wholly, out of view for a time. And I 
 believe a chriftian cannot live without doubts of 
 his good eftate, and maintain a well grounded 
 uninterrupted confidence and aflurance that he 
 is a chriftian, unlefshe lives in a view and fenfe 
 of divine truth, and in the exercife of chriftian 
 grace. I am in fome meafure fenfible that it is 
 wholly my fault that I do not live fo, in fuch 
 conftant view and fenfe of divine truth and high 
 exercife of conftant love toChrift, and faith in 
 and devotednefs to him, which would exclude 
 all doubts of my intereft in him, and be attend- 
 ed with an aflurance that I have the fpirit of 
 Chrift. And I defire no other evidence of my 
 intereft in Chrift but this ; or, to be allured of 
 my good eftate in any other way, but in the 
 lively exercife of true grace. I have been ac- 
 quainted with fome profefling chriftians, who 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS, 1 2£ 
 
 have declared that they have lived many years 
 without a doubt of their good eftate, and they 
 were conftantly affured that they were interefted 
 in Chrift and fhould be faved, who did not 
 appear to me to have any folemn conftant fenfe 
 of the truths of chriftianity, or to live anfwer- 
 able to fuch a profefiion ; and therefore am 
 difpofed to think they are deluded, and mofi 
 probably have no grace at all. 
 
 There are others, who appear to be real, and 
 fome of them excellent chriftians by their life 
 and converfation, who appear never to call in 
 queftion or doubt their having true grace ; but 
 fome how always take it for granted as a fettled 
 point that they are chriftians : while there are 
 others who appear to be as good and eminent 
 chriftians as the former, who have many doubts, 
 efpecially at times, of their being real chriftians^ 
 and never fpeak of their being fuch with that 
 confidence as the former do, nor without an if, 
 or fome hesitation. Thefe may, perhaps, both 
 be equally good chriftians, and have equally 
 ftrong and high exercifes of grace at times, and 
 their difference above mentioned may »be owing 
 to their different natural temper, or education, 
 or the different public inftruaion they have 
 lived under, or to the circumftances and manner 
 of their firft difcoveries of divine truth, and 
 peculiar impreflions and exercifes when they 
 were converted or afterwards, or from fome- 
 
I30 LIFE OF 
 
 thing elfe which is not known to them or to us. 
 But it is probable they are both in fome degree 
 wrong in two oppofite extremes. The former 
 being habituated to confider themfelves to be 
 chrittians without having the prefent evidence of 
 it in their own minds by the fenfible exercife of 
 grace, relying upon it that they have had fuch 
 exercifes often, and an affurance that they did 
 devote themfelves to Chrift, and that he was 
 their chcfen Saviour, 8cc. and think it is a fin 
 ever to doubt of this. And perhaps they, at 
 leaft fome of them, think, having been taught 
 fo, that this is living by faith, arid not byjight 9 
 and that it is a fin to doubt, let their prefent 
 frame and exercifesof mind be what they may. 
 
 The latter have minds of a contrary caft. 
 They are difpofed to be diffident with refpecl to 
 their own exercifes which may be fuppofed to be 
 thofe of real chriftians. They are habituated to 
 look on the dark fide, and draw conclufions 
 againft themfelves. Though, at times, they 
 have fuch views and exercifes as to revive their 
 hope, and even remove all doubt of their being 
 real chriltians. Yet when thefe exercifes fubfide 
 in a confiderable degree at leaft, and they fee 
 much in their heart, contrary to thefe, their 
 doubts arife and they fear they have been delu- 
 ded. They attend moft to the evils in their 
 hearts and lives, their felfifhnefs and pride, 
 hardnef&of heart and unbelief, &c. their want 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. I3I 
 
 of love to God and great deficiency in every 
 right exercife, if they have the leaft degree of 
 them \ and they view their lives as very defec- 
 tive and unfruitful, the fruit of floth and indif- 
 ference to the moil affedting and important things 
 &c. &c. They are difpofed to dwell moft upon 
 thefe things in their thoughts and meditations, 
 which tends to keep up a gloom in their minds 
 and a defpondency which feems not fo well to 
 become chriftrans, who are required to be cheer- 
 ful and to rejoice always. Thefe therefore do 
 undoubtedly err on the other hand from the 
 former, though the fource and manner of their 
 error may not be eafily discovered and explained. 
 If I am a real chriftian, I mull be numbered 
 with the latter, though differing in fome refpects 
 perhaps, from many of them, if not from all. 
 But I could wiih that I were fuch a chriftian as 
 not to be juftly claffed with either the former or 
 the latter ; but with thofe who live in fuch a 
 conftant affe£ting view and fenfe of invifible, 
 eternal things, and in the exercife of fuch pleat- 
 ing approbation of the chara£ter of Chrift, and 
 fuch ftrong and fenfible love to him, as to 
 exclude all doubt, and enable me at all times, 
 to fay with Peter, « Lord, thou knowelt that I 
 love thee." 
 
 They who oppofe faith to fenfibility and all 
 gracious exercife of heart- are grofsly erroneous 9 
 and abfurd in their notion of true fpiritual fenfi- 
 
132 LIFE OF 
 
 bility and of faith, and they wholly pervert and 
 . mifapply the words of the Apoftle Paul, when 
 he fays, " "We live by faith, and not by fight," 
 for he does not here oppofe faith to fpiritual fight 
 and fenfibility of heart ; but to the difcerning 
 and fight of the things of this prefent world. 
 Not living by fight is the fame with not looking 
 at the things which are feen 
 
 Faith i$ fpiritual fight and fenfibility of heart, 
 and where the one is not, the other cannot exift, 
 and to attempt to diftinguifh and feparate them 
 is juft as unreafonable and abfurd as to attempt 
 to make two different things of that which is 
 one and the fame thing. Spiritual fight and dif- 
 cerning of invifible things, or the truth revealed 
 in the gofpel, imply fenfibility and exercife of 
 heart, and in this true faith confifts, or this is the 
 effence of faith, fo that where this is not, there 
 is no true faith •, for with the hearty man believ- 
 eth, and none have faving faith but they who be- 
 lieve the truths of the gofpel with all their heart* 
 Faith worketh by love. That is, faith a£b and 
 operates efficacioufly by love. Love is the life 
 and adlive nature of faith ; fo that where there 
 is no love, there is no faith, but that which is a 
 lifelefs dead one. Faith purifieth the heart, it is 
 itfelf purity of heart by which it fees God, and 
 confequently all thofe invifible things which are 
 implied in his Being and perfe&ions, and which 
 he has revealed to man. Faith is the fmgle eft 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 
 
 which belongs to the heart, is the fame with pu- 
 rity of heart, by which the mind fees the truth 
 and is filled with fpiritual light, love and holy af- 
 fection. 
 
 There is therefore no fuch thing poffible as 
 Jiving by faith, without fpiritual fight and that 
 fenfibility of heart in which is implied the exer- 
 cife of every chriftian grace ; for this is a plain 
 contradiction, and a dangerous error. So that 
 they are under a great delufion, who think that 
 they are living, in this fenfe by faith and not by 
 fight ; for this is the fame with living by faith 
 and not living by faith. Such either have no 
 idea of faith, or they mean by it a mere fpecu- 
 lative belief which wicked men and devils may 
 have : Or by faith they mean a perfuafion or be- 
 lief that Chrift died for them, that they are in- 
 terefted in all the promifes of the covenant of 
 grace, Sec. This indeed appears to be the mean- 
 ing of mod, if nQt all of thofe of whom I 
 am now fpeaking. They hold that faving faith 
 is believing that Chrift is my Saviour, and that 
 confequently all his promifes are mine, &c. or 
 that this belief is neceffarily implied in faving 
 faith, and effential to it. They contend that this 
 faith is not founded on any evidence from within 
 ourfelves, any exercife of heart, of love to God, 
 &c. but it is a direel: perfuafion and undoubting 
 belief that Chrift died for me and is mine and 
 will fave me, without any evidence that I have 
 
 M 
 
 i 
 
i v 34 LIFE °* 
 
 any fenfibility or friendlinefs of heart towards 
 his chara&er, or confcioufnefs of any thing in 
 ;>:e different from what was always there, or 
 from what any man in the world has. In fhort, 
 it is a faith or belief not grounded on any evi- 
 !ence difcerned in ourfelves, by which we differ 
 m zny other finner, and to which any promife 
 is made j and without any evidence of what we 
 believe from the bible or any reafon whatever. 
 This is with them a ftrong heroic faith, and even 
 the only true faving faith •, for it is their opinion 
 ;hat men cannot have any grace in their hearts, 
 inch as love to Chrift, repentance, &c. until they 
 believe that Chrift loves them and died for them. 
 This faith and perfuafion being the caufe or 
 aground of every chriftian grace, and true fenfi- 
 - bility and gracious affection of the heart. Hence 
 they think that looking for any fuch thing in 
 ourfelves, as an evidence that we have an intereft 
 in Chrift and (hall be faved by him, is an un- 
 certain and legal way of obtaining aflurance* 
 and not to be depended on, and will be attended 
 -with endlefs doubts and uncertainty, at beft. 
 
 Mr. Marfnal wrote a book, many years ago, on 
 this plan, and exprefsly fays that faith, by which 
 he means believing that Chrift is ours, and that 
 we (hall be faved by him, is not grounded on any 
 thing we find in ourfelves, which has been 
 wrought in us by the fpirit of God, or on any 
 evidence iromfcripture, or fenfe> or reafon / but 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 13$ 
 
 this proportion that Chrift and falvation are ours, 
 
 we mult believe and be allured is true, without 
 any evidence of the truth of it from any thing 
 whatfoevtr. And from this faith when men at- 
 tain to it, the heart will be filled with love to 
 God and every chriftian grace. This book has 
 had a number of editions, and has been read 
 and admired by thoufands. Mr. Hervey a late 
 noted and celebrated writer in England, was in 
 the fame fcheme with Mr. Marftial, and he 
 fpeats of his book in terms of warm approba- 
 tion, and recommends it as the next book to the 
 bible. Mr. Hervey's dialogues, which are on 
 this plan, have had a great run and have been 
 greatly approved by religious people in general. 
 And no man has exprefsly written againft his and 
 Marftial's notion of faith, &c. in Great-Britain 
 that I have heard of ; and their fcheme or fome- 
 thing like it, is generally embraced now by thofe 
 who call themfelves calvinifts both clergy and 
 laity in Great-Britain. The only perfon who 
 has written exprefsly againft thefe writers, and 
 expofed the falfehood and abfurdity of their no- 
 tion of love to God, faith in Chrift, and affur- 
 ance of a title to eternal life, is Do&or Bellamy, 
 which book is read but by very few m Great-Bri- 
 tain; partly, I fuppofe, becaufe it expofes and con- 
 demns the fentiments of thefe men on the heads 
 mentioned, who are in high efteem there for 
 their eminent piety. But were *hey ever fo truly 
 pious in heart, and religious and exemplary in 
 
I36 LIFE Of 
 
 their conduft •, yet thefe principles, which they 
 advocated, are not the lets, but the more dan- 
 gerous and mifchievous on that account, and 
 therefore ought to be expofed, in all their falfe- 
 hood, abfurdity and evil tendency. For they 
 are indeed directly contrary to the fcripture, to 
 fenfe and reafon, and of the mod dangerous and 
 hurtful tendency ; and reprefent experimental 
 religion as the moft irrational and abfurd thing 
 that was ever imagined. The papifts' doctrine of 
 tranfubftantiation, and any doctrine contained in 
 the alcoran of the Mahometans, is not more 
 contradictory, irrational and abfurd than thefe 
 fentiments are, with whatever artful and foe- 
 cious colors t 1 : be d relied up. 
 
 I have dwelt thus long on this head as thefe 
 fentiments appear to me fo contrary to fcripture, 
 and are of fuch pernicious tendency, and are 
 contrary to all my religious experience, as they 
 are to my reafon. But if I am not a ch 
 and all my exercifes of heart and religious ex- 
 periences fall fhort of true religion, and 
 mere delation ; yet I am certain that tfc 
 ments concerning lave to God, faith in Jc 
 Chrift, and affurance of an intereft in him now 
 mentioned, cannot be true, but are grots delu- 
 fion ; and they, whofe exercifes of heart, and 
 experimental religion are wholly built upon thefe 
 principles, are awfully deluded, and ftran^r 
 to real religion. I wHl now mention fome of tat: 
 vcafons on which my affurance of this is grounded. 
 
SAMUEL HOPKINS. 23 7 
 
 i. Such a faith has no evidence of what is ♦ 
 believed, and therefore is without foundation, 
 and a mere delufion. They fay it is believing 
 that of which there is no evidence from fcrip- 
 ture, fenfe or reafon 5 and this implies that it is 
 contrary to fcripture, fenfe and reafon, for what 
 is not agreeable to thefe muft be contrary to 
 them. And we are certain it is contrary to rea- 
 fon and fcripture to believe without any evidence, « 
 and the latter abundantly declares that they have 
 no interefl in Chrift, who do not come to him, 
 and are not poflefled of that which implies love 
 to him. Therefore fuch a belief is a delufion and 
 a belief of a lie. 
 
 2. Such a faith is not the faith which the gof- 
 pel defcribes. No fuch faith is fpoken of as 
 faving faith. It does not confift in believing 
 Chrift is mine, &c. but in believing with all the 
 heart that he is the fon of God, &c. And the 
 evidence that we have this faith and thofe things 
 which are implied in it, is the only good evi* 
 dence we can have, according to fcripture or the 
 reafon and nature of things, that Chrift is our 
 Saviour. This leads to another particular, 
 
 3. Theaflurance a man gets that Chrift is his 
 Saviour, only by believing it to be true without 
 any evidence, is always falfe aflurance, and only « 
 the belief of a lie. There is no other true af- 
 lurance or belief that Chrift is our Saviour, but 
 
 m 2 
 
I38 LIFE OF, &C. 
 
 that which is grounded on evidence that fome- 
 thing has taken place in us which implies a new 
 heart, and real love to him, which is real holi- 
 nefs. So that fandlification of heart is the only 
 good evidence any one can have of juflification, 
 or an intereft in Chrift. 
 
 4. This plan is wholly built upon felfifhnefs, 
 and according to it felf-love is tire foundation of 
 love to God, and of all chriftian grace. There- 
 fore in order to our loving God, we muft believe 
 he loves us, and Chrift died for us, &c. But this 
 is not true love to God. And all the religion 
 which is built on this plan is nothing but a piece 
 of felfiQinefs, which according to fcripture and 
 reafon is not true religion, but wickednefs. 
 
 END OF THE LIFE. 
 
DIALOGUE, 
 
 BETWEEN A 
 
 CALVINIST 
 
 AND A # 
 
 SEMI- CALVINIST, 
 
A DIALOGUE. 
 
 Semi-Calvinist. 
 
 SIR, I have wanted, for fome time, to talk 
 with you about the notion, which fome lately- 
 advance, viz. That chriftians may, yea, that 
 they ought, and mud be willing to perifh for- 
 ever, in order to be chriftians. This is a (hock- 
 ing doctrine to me : For I believe it abfolutely 
 impofiibie for any one to be willing to be eternal- 
 ly wretched ; and, if it were poflible, it would 
 be very wicked ; for we are commanded to do 
 that which is directly contrary to this, viz. to 
 defire and feek to efcape damnation, and to be 
 laved ; as all our moil confiderable and beft 
 
 ines have taught, which I could eafily prove, 
 were it neceflary. 
 
 Calvinist. I can decide nothing upon this 
 matter until I know what is meant by being wi- 
 ling to be miferable forever > by thofe who aflert this, 
 or youy who oppofe it. Let me then afk you, 
 Do you fuppofe that by being willing to be mif- 
 erable is meant a being pleafed with damnation, 
 or choofing to be miferable forever, for its own 
 fake or in itfelf confidered ; and preferring mif- 
 ery, eternal mifery, and being juft as the damned 
 will be, to eternal happinefs, and being juft as 
 the blefled will be forever, confideringthe form- 
 
142 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 er as being in itfelf better than the latter 1 This 
 is doubtlefs impofiible, and if it were not, would 
 be very unreafonable and wicked. And I quef- 
 tion whether any one ever believed this, or meant 
 to aflert it, by faying that chriftians ought to be 
 willing to perifh forever. But if by being wil- 
 ling to be caft off by God forever, be meant, 
 that however great and dreadful this evil is j yet 
 a chriftian may and ought to be willing to fuffer 
 it, if it be necefiary in order to avoid a greater 
 evil ; or to obtain an overbalancing good, if fuch 
 a cafe can be fuppofed : This, I think, is true, and 
 ought to maintained, as eflential to the character 
 of a chriftian •, and that the contrary do&rine 
 is dangerous and hurtful. For it is effential to 
 true benevolence to prefer a greater good to a 
 lefs, and a lefs evil to a greater, and that whether 
 it be private or public good or evil ; or his own 
 perfonal good or evil, or that of others. 
 
 Semj. I am unable to conceive what you 
 mean by " a greater evil" than eternal dam- 
 nation, or " a greater good" to be promoted by 
 this evil. Is not this tjie greateft of all evils ? 
 And what good is kft for him, who is doomed 
 to eternal mifery*? I grant that a man may, 
 and ought to fubje£t himfelf, in many cafes, to 
 a lefs evil, in order to avoid a greater, or to ob- 
 tain a greatly overbalancing good •, but in the 
 prcpofed cafe all good is loft forever, and the 
 greateft poffible evil takes place, and nothing but 
 evil, without end. 
 
A DIALOGUE I43 
 
 Calv. Is not the damnation of millions a 
 greater evil than the damnation of a fingle per- 
 fon ? And is not the eternal happinefs of mil- 
 lions a greater good, than that of one individual i 
 This I know you will grant. Suppofing it were 
 neceflary for one individual to be miferable for- 
 ever in order to fave a million from this mifery ; 
 and by his fubjecting himfelf to this, they would 
 all be faved from this evil, and be eternally hap- 
 py : ought he not to be willing to perifh, in fuch 
 a cafe and on this fuppofition ? And if he {hould 
 not be willing to give himfelf up to this evil, to 
 fave a million from it, and to make them eter- 
 nally happy, would he not prefer a million times 
 greater evil to one a million times lefs ; andchoofe 
 a million times lefs good and prefer it to one a 
 million times greater ? And if this is not un- 
 reafonable and wicked, and direftly contrary to 
 true benevolence, what can be ? 
 
 Semi. This is making an impoffible fuppofi- 
 tion. The damnation of one man cannot fave 
 one, much lefs a million. 
 
 Calv. I grant it is an impoffible fuppofition ; 
 but it neverthelefs ferves fa (how that there may 
 be a greater evil than the damnation of one in- 
 dividual •, a good that will overbalance a million 
 times, the evil of the damnation of one man ; 
 and that on fuppofition , this greater evil can bea- 
 voided, and the overbalancing good obtained, by 
 the damnation of one man, and can be done no 
 other way, then it is defirable he (hould be dam- 
 
i44 A DIALOGUE 
 
 ned ? and he ought to be willing, and to choofe 
 it. St. Paul makes this fame fuppofition, when 
 he fays, " I could wifh that myfelf were ac- 
 curfed from Chrift, for my brethren, my kinf- 
 men, according to the flefh," and declares that 
 he fhould be willing to perifli and could even 
 <wj/b it, if by that means, all the nation of the 
 Jews might be faved. 
 
 Semi. This is carrying things too far. It is 
 impofiible that any man fhould be willing to give 
 up all good, and to be miferable forever, for the 
 fake of the good of others, be it ever fo great. 
 And you mifunderftand St. Paul, when you 
 fuppofe he fays that he fhould be willing to perifh 
 for the fake of the falvation of his brethren. 
 By being accurfed from Chrift, he means fome 
 temporary evil only, which he might fuffer con- 
 fidently with his being a chriftian, and his ob- 
 taining eternal life. 
 
 Calv. You implicitly grant in what you 
 have juftTaid, that a man may be willing to fuf- 
 fer evil, and a great degree of it, for the fake of 
 the good of others : And indeed, this mull be 
 granted by all who allow there is any fuch thing 
 in nature as diiinterefted benevolence, or loving 
 our neighbour as ourfelves. And that this is the 
 nature of true iove or charity the fcripture af- 
 ferts " charity feefreth not her own." And all 
 men will grant that it is reasonable that a man 
 fhould give up his own good to a great degree 
 for the fake of his neighbour's good : He ought 
 
A DIALOGUE. 145 
 
 •:o be willing, for inftance, to endure hunger a 
 whole day, to fave his neighbour from ftarving : 
 He ought to be willing to give up his whole 
 worldly intereft and comfort, and live a life of 
 poverty and want, if this were neceflary to fave 
 a whole nation from ruin, and make them rich 
 and happy : yea, he ought to be willing to ex- 
 pofe, and give up his life, if this were neceffary 
 for the good of his country, and to fave the lives 
 of millions. 
 
 And if this be the nature of benevolence, and 
 moft reafonable, what bounds can be fet to it, 
 and where fliall it flop ? If true benevolence 
 will give up twenty degrees of perfonal good for 
 the fake of a thoufand degrees of gcod to others : 
 it will give up a thoufand degrees^ for the fake 
 of obtaining fifty thoufand degrees of good to 
 others ; and fo on, till he has given up all his 
 own perfonal good for a proportionably greater 
 good to the public. Nothing but a want of be- 
 nevolence or a defect of it, can render a man un- 
 willing, in the cafe propofed, to give up all his 
 perfonal good. And there is the fame reafon for 
 his doing it, as there is for his giving up one de- 
 gree of his own good for the fake of procuring 
 fifty degrees of good to others. 
 
 And if benevolence will lead a man to fuffer 
 one degree of pain and mifery, in order to fave* 
 another from an hundred degrees of pain, and 
 it be moft reafonable that he fhould ; then, for 
 the fame reafon he will be willing to fuffer an 
 
 N 
 
1 46 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 hundred degrees of pain or pofitlve evil, if this 
 be neceflary in order to fave his neighbours from 
 ten thoufand degrees of evil ; and he mutt be 
 willing to fuffer all the pofitive evil and pain that 
 he is capable of through the whole of his exift- 
 ence, if this be neceflary to fave an hundred 
 thoufand or even an hundred, from this evil. 
 For there is the fame reafon why he fhould be 
 willing to fuffer all this for the fake of a propor- 
 tionately greater good to others, as that he fhould 
 be willing to fuffer one degree, to fave others 
 from an hundred degrees. And if it be contra- 
 ry to benevolence to be unwilling to fuffer one 
 degree, of evil to fave others from an hundred 
 degrees of it ; it muft be equally contrary to it to 
 be unwilling to fuffer all poffible degrees of evil, 
 for the fake of faving others from a proportion- 
 ably greater evil. 
 
 It hence appears that the apcftle Paul, fpoke 
 the language of true benevolence, and declared 
 he felt, as he ought to feel, when he faid, he 
 could wifli himfelf accurfedfrom Chrjflj if by this 
 means his brethren might be favcd, if we un- 
 derftand him as meaning, that he was willing to 
 be loft forever for their fake, that they might be 
 faved. And why {hall he not be underftood to 
 fay, what he ought to fay, and to fpeak the 
 language of true benevolence ; fince this is the 
 natural import of his words, and to be accurfed 
 
 m Chriftj cannot mean lefs than eternal dam- 
 nation, without putting an unnatural, forced 
 
A DIALOGUE. 147 
 
 meaning upon them ? St. Paul certainly 
 thought it was a great evil which he mentions, 
 and was willing it fhould come upon him for the 
 fake of his brethren ; fince he meant hereby to 
 exprefs his love to them. If the evil were fmall 
 and inconfiderable, it exprefled but a frnall and 
 inconfiderable degree of benevoLnce •, and the 
 greater the evil was, which he was w illing to 
 fuffer for their fake, the greater benevolence was 
 exprefled. He therefore doubtlefs mentioned 
 the greateft evil, that he could conceive, and 
 that he was capable of fuffering ; when he mean': 
 to exprefs the greatnefs and ftfength of his love 
 to them. And, by the way, as it was no argu- 
 ment that Paul thought it to be a fmall evil or 
 none at all to be accurfedfrom Chrijl, or that he 
 had no averfion to it, and that it was not dread- 
 ful to him ; but the contrary, becaufe he was 
 willing to fuffer it, for the fake of his brethren : 
 fo it is no argument that any man does nor 
 damnation infinitely dreadful, and has not a 
 proper averfion to it, becaufe he is willing to be 
 damned, rather than a greater evil iliould take 
 place, or for the fake of promoting a greater 
 cod. 
 
 Semi. For my part, I mufl fay, this is all 
 darknefs to me. How can thefe thing be ? 
 
 Calv. Let us take another, or a little differ- 
 ent view of this point ; perhaps it may be fet in 
 a more eafy, convincing light. I conclude you 
 will grant that the glory of God, or the greateft 
 
 6 
 
I48 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 and mofl advatageous difplay of the divine per- 
 fections, is of the higheft importance •, and that 
 it is reasonable, and our duty to make this our 
 higheft and fupreme end, in all our defires and 
 actions 5 and that we ought not to be willing 
 any thing mould take place, inconfiftent with 
 his glory ; and that we ought to be willing that 
 mould take place, be it what it may, which is 
 mod for his glory \ even though it be the eternal 
 damnation of finners. 
 
 Semi. I grant that we ought to make the glo- 
 ry of God our fupreme end. But this will be fo 
 far from making us willing to be damned, that it 
 will lead us to defire and purfue our falvation, 
 that he may be glorified in that, and that we may 
 glorify him forever. 
 
 Calv. But it is not for the glory of God that 
 all fhould be faved j but molt for his glory that 
 a number fhould be damned ; other wife all would 
 be faved. We will therefore now make a fup- 
 pofition, which is not an impoffible one, viz, 
 thatitismoftfor God's glory, and for the univer- 
 sal good that you fhould be damned ; ought you 
 to be willing to be damned, on this fuppofi- 
 tion, that God cculd not be glorified by you in 
 any other way ? 
 
 Se:vII. You are full of your fuppofiiions ; I 
 will not, I cannot, I have no bufinefs to fuppofe 
 any fuch thing. 
 
 Calv. You know that it is mod for the glo- 
 ry of God that fome {hould be damned. And 
 
A DIALOGUE. I49 
 
 if youdo not know that you area chriitian, you do 
 not know but itisinfaft true, that it ismcftfor the 
 glory of God, that you mould be damned \ the 
 fuppofition is therefore natural and eafy, and 
 you cannot well avoid making it. Suppofmg 
 then this were true, which may be true, notwith- 
 ftanding any thing you know, how ought you 
 to feel with refpedt to it ? ought you not to be 
 willing to be damned ? 
 
 S^ii. This is impoffible ! 
 
 Calv. I grant it is impoffible to one who val- 
 ues himfelf, and his own perfonal intereft and 
 happinefs, more than he does the glory of God, 
 and the higheft intereft of his kingdom. And 
 it is infallibly certain that every one who lives 
 and dies with fuch a difpofition, will and muil 
 be damned. But to him who loves God fu- 
 premely, and defires his glory above all things, it 
 is fo far from being impoffible to be willing to be 
 damned, on fuppofition this is mod for God's 
 glory, that he could not will or choofe any thing 
 elfe. He mud fay, " let God be glorified, let 
 what will become of me." If he cannot fay fo, 
 it is becaufe his own intereft and happinefs, are 
 of more importance with him, than the glory 
 of God \ or in other words, becaufe he is not a 
 true friend, but an enemy to God. 
 
 Semi. But fuppofe he knows he loves God, 
 and therefore knows that it is for the glory of God 
 that he fhould be faved ? 
 
 N2 
 
15° A blALOGUE. 
 
 Calv. No man can know that he loves God, 
 until he does really lovehim; that is until he does 
 feek his glory above all things, and is difpofed to 
 fay, « let God be glorified, whatever may be 
 neceflary in order to it," without making any 
 exception : and this is to be willing to be damned, 
 if this be neceflary for the glory of God. And 
 as he cannot know that he loves God, till he has 
 this difpofition, which is neceflarily implied in 
 love to God, he does not know that it is not ne- 
 ceflary for the glory of God that he fhould be 
 damned. He therefore cannot know that he 
 loves God, and fhall be faved, until he knows he 
 has that difpofition which implies a willingnefs 
 to be damned, if it be not moil for the glory cf 
 God that he fhould be faved. And if any one 
 thinks he loves God, and fhall be faved ; if he 
 finds that his love to God does not imply, awil- 
 lingnefs to be damned, if this were moft for his 
 glory, he has reafon to conclude that h,e is de- 
 ceived, and that what he calls love to God is 
 really enmity againft him. For he, who cannot 
 love God on any fuppofition but that he will not 
 damn but fave him, is not a friend, but an ene- 
 my to God. 
 
 Let us examine this matter in a little different 
 light ftill. I would afk the following queflion. Is 
 it notreafonable, and a duty to fubmit to the will 
 of God, and acquiefce in it, refpefting his gov- 
 erning providence, and difpofal of all things ; fo 
 as to be able to fay. " thy will be done," with- 
 out making any exception ? 
 
A DIALOGUE. 151 
 
 Semi. I cannot obje£l againft this ; it mult 
 be anfwered in the affirmative ; for God's will is 
 infinitely wife and good, and it is rebellion 
 againit him to be unwilling that he fhould do as 
 he pleafes, or to make any exception whatever. 
 
 Calv. You have conceeded all that is necef- 
 fary, I think, in order to decide the point in dif- 
 pute between us. God has revealed it to be his 
 will to punifh fome of mankind forever. You 
 know not but you are one of them. Whether 
 you fhall be faved or damned depends entirely on 
 his will : And fuppofing he fees it moil for his 
 glory, and the general good that yon fhould be 
 damned, it is certainly his will that you fhould 
 be damned. On this fuppofition then, you ought 
 to be willing to be damned ; for not to be willing 
 to be damned, in this cafe, is oppofing God's 
 will, inftead of faying, "thy will be done." 
 
 In this cafe, it is eafy to fee that there is no 
 way to efcape damnation, but by being willing 
 to be damned, on fuppofition it is the will of 
 God to call you off; as there is no other way to 
 fubmit to his will, and acquiefce in it, choofing 
 his will fhould be done : Without which fub- 
 miffion it is impoffible a man fhould be faved. 
 For to make anyexception, and to be willing God 
 fhould do as he pleafes, if he will fave you, and 
 on no other condition, i3 no true fubmiflion to 
 God ; but a fetting up your will to be the rule of 
 God's conduct, towards you. And to attempt to 
 to get to heaven, or to obtain aflUranre or any 
 
152 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 evidence that you fhall be faved, in oppofition to 
 fuch a fubmlffion to the will of God, without 
 making any condition, or exception in favour of 
 yourfeif, is to fight againft God, and to go in 
 the road to hell. 
 
 Semi. I think thefe things had better be let 
 alone, fuppofing there be any truth in what you 
 advance : for fuch a way of talking only tends to 
 puzzle people, and to difcourage, and perplex 
 chnitians ; and will be of no advantage to any 
 body. 
 
 Calv. It may puzzle and difcourage half- 
 chrijiiansy who never were brought to an unre- 
 ferved lubmiflion to the will of God, and' to de- 
 fire his glory, above all things. And it is to be 
 wilhed they might be fo difcouraged, as to be 
 convinced that they are not real chriftians. It 
 may alfo puzzle fome real chriftians, for a time, 
 who have never carefully attended to this matter, 
 fo as to compare their own feelings with this 
 truth, when rightly underftood : They having 
 never viewed this point in a true light, but by 
 their education, and the inftrudtions they have 
 had, have imbibed prejudices againft it, as it has 
 been reprefented, or rather /^reprefented to 
 them. But when thefe have the truth fairly 
 laid before them, and it is properly explained \ 
 it is to be prefumed, it will be fo far from per- 
 plexing and difcouraging them, that it will re- 
 move all their prejudices, and it will become a 
 ftrengthening, encouraging do&rine to them, 
 
A DIALOGUE. 153 
 
 while they find their hearts in fome meafure, a- 
 greeing with this truth, and feel that to have 
 God loofe his honour, and the greater! general 
 good not promoted ; and the will of God not 
 done, and his infinitely wife and good plan marr- 
 ed and hurt : is to them an infinitely greater 
 evil, than their own damnation, or that of mil- 
 lions of others. And if they cannot be faved, 
 confidently with God's higheft honour, and the 
 greateft good of the whole, and agreeable to the 
 divine will and plan, there can be no falvation* 
 for them, which they would defire ^ but are 
 willing to be damned, if that only be confiftent 
 with all this. 
 
 But let the matter be ftated on a yet different 
 footing, and the fame truth, I believe, will turn 
 up to view, and perhaps, with fome additional 
 evidence, if it can be made more evident. You 
 believe, I conclude, that God will for his own 
 glory, and the greateft general good, punifh 
 many of mankind with everlafting deftruction. 
 
 Semi. To be fure. 
 
 Calv. And to this, I fuppofe you have no 
 objection ; but acquiefce in it, and are quite 
 willing it mould be fo, fince it is neceflary for 
 the glory of God, and the greateft good of the 
 whole. 
 
 Semi. Yes, fince this is the will of God, 
 and neceflary to anfwer the end you have men- 
 tioned, I am willing they Ihould be miferable for- 
 eveT. 
 
154 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 Calv. And how do you know that it is not 
 as aeceffary that you fhould be damned to an- 
 fwer the fame ends, as that any one elfe mould ; 
 and that therefore it is the will of God to damn 
 you with them ? At leaft, we may make the 
 fuppofition that this is really fo. How do you 
 feel on this flate of the cafe. Are you willing 
 to be damned, if it be neceffary to anfwer the 
 fame end, that is fought by the damnation of 
 others, and for the fake of which you are willing 
 they fhould be damned ? 
 
 Semi. This is a hard queftion, I fufpe£t there 
 is fome puzzle in it. 
 
 Calv. It appears to me to be a plain cafe. 
 If there be the fame reafon, and the fame necef- 
 fity, that you mould be damned, as that others 
 fhould be caft off \ and this is a fufficient reafon 
 with you to be willing they {hould be damned ; 
 th~n fcr the fame reafon^ you mud be willing to 
 be damned yourfelf, and cannot but be willing, 
 if you feel according to reafon, and love your 
 neighbour as well and as much as yourfelf. 
 You mult, therefore, if you would not be in- 
 confiftent, either riifapprove of your neighbours 
 damnation, and gbjetl to it, refufing your con- 
 fent : or you muft be willing to be damned, 
 there being the fame reafon and necemty for it, 
 as there is that your neighbour mould be thus 
 punifhed, who deferves it no more than you. 
 Nothing but an unreafonable felfifhnefs, and dis- 
 regard to your neighbours welfare, can make 
 
A DIALOGUE. I55 
 
 you object to your own damnation, and confent 
 to his. 
 
 Semi. I confefs I fee no way out, and have 
 nothing to reply to this at prefent. But I have 
 one thing to fay that will prove your arguments 
 muft be defective fome where though I do not 
 fee it at prefent. For the damned will be per- 
 fectly wicked and enemies to God forever ; and 
 it cannot be right to be willing to be abandoned 
 to fin and enmity againfl God, and blafpheme 
 his name forever. Therefore no man ought to 
 be willing to be damned, unlefs he ought to be 
 willing to be God's enemy, and like the devil 
 forever ; to aflert which would be {hocking, and 
 no man furely can believe it. 
 
 Calv. This, I confefs is a plaufible objec- 
 tion, and has fo much feeming weight in it, that 
 no wonder it (hould appear to many, at the firft 
 view at leaft, infuperable and unanfwerable. 
 But fince it feems to be proved, beyond contra- 
 diction, by what has been faid above, that a 
 man ought to be willing to be damned, on the 
 fuppofitions which have been made ; and it is 
 impoffible tha't two contradictory propofitions 
 fhould be both true ; we muft not admit this ob- 
 jection to be unanfwerable, without carefully 
 reviewing and examining it. And if, upon ex- 
 amination, it fhall appear to be without founda- 
 tion, and contrary to the truth, what has been 
 before proved, will be yet more confirmed. 
 ,j+ You have granted, and all muft grant, that 
 
I56 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 we ought to be willing that fbme of our fellow 
 men fliould be abandoned to fin and ruin, and I e 
 confirmed enemies to God forever : And it is 
 plain that to acquiefce in this is fo far from being 
 a friend to fin, or finful, or implying any enmi- 
 ty againft God in our hearts, that thus to con- 
 fent to it, becaufe it is the revealed will of God, 
 for his own glory and the general good, is an 
 exercife of love to God, and his law ; and of 
 benevolence to being in general : And not to 
 be willing, in this cafe, and to refufe cordially 
 to confent to it, would be rebellion againft God. 
 So that there is no other way for us, not to turn 
 enemies to God ourfelves, but to be willing that 
 fome of our fellow men fliould be enemies to him 
 forever. And why muft not this be juft as true 
 in our own cafe, or fuppofing it is moll for 
 God's glory and the general good that we fhould 
 be given up to eternal enmity againft God ; and 
 therefore, God hath determined we (hould be 
 thus given up, and fent to hell, with others ? 
 Not to confent to it, on this fuppofition, would 
 be an aft of enmity againft God and to be an 
 enemy to him : But to confent to it, and be 
 willing that God's will fhould be done, for his 
 own glory and the general good, would be fo far 
 from being friends to fin, that it would be an 
 exercife of love and friendfhip to God, and 
 benevolence to being in general. And fo long as 
 we continue willing to be ourfelves with others, 
 abandoned to fin and ruin forever, for the reafons 
 
A DIALOGUE. IJ7 
 
 Mid ends mentioned, we fhall not, we cannot be 
 enemies to God or friends to fin, for this implies 
 a plain contradiction : But as foon as we ceafe to 
 be willing to be thusgivenup to fin, wearegivenup* 
 and turned enemies to God and all good : And the 
 evil never can come upon us until we withdraw 
 our fubmiflion, and refufe to acquiefce in the 
 will of God. Hence it appears that all the fore- 
 going reafons to prove that we ought to be wil- 
 ling to be damned, if this be the will of God, 
 and for his glory and the general good, (land 
 good, and equally prove that we ought to con- 
 sent to. this, on this fuppofitron •, even though 
 damnation includes a being given up to fin and 
 enmity againft God forever. 
 
 Perhaps this point may be farther illufirated, 
 and fet in a more convincing light to fome, by 
 the inftance of the angels, who were all created 
 perfectly holy. It was beft, on the whole, mod 
 for God's glory and the general good, that vaft 
 numbers of them, (hould rebel and continue in 
 fin and ruin forever : And therefore it was 
 God's will that this fhould take place. Suppofe 
 this had been revealed to them, when they were 
 all perfe&ly holy, and each one could not know 
 but he was the perfon, who among others was to 
 be given up to fin and deftruction ; for the glory 
 of God, and the good of the whole. How 
 ought they to have felt on fuch an occafion ? 
 They mult all confent to the will of Jehovah, 
 and fay « let it take place however many of us, 
 o 
 
I5S A DIALOGUE. 
 
 or whoever of us, muft fall into this fmful ruined 
 {late, or whatever becomes of us." If they did 
 not thus willingly fubmit to the will of Jehovah, 
 they would by that, turn enemies to him, and 
 fall into that very ftate, and bring that evil upon 
 themfelves, which they oppofed, or to which 
 they refufed to fubmit for the glory of God, and 
 the general good. But fo long as they had fuch 
 a fupreme regard for the will of God, his glory 
 and the general good a§ to fay, " thy will be done, 
 let what will pome upon us," they would be fe- 
 cure from the evil ; and this would be the only 
 way to avoid it. So long as they all continued 
 
 this difpofition, they continued happy and 
 holy. They, who fell into a ftate of endlefs 
 fin and woe, did it by giving up fuch a difpofi- 
 tion and indulging a contrary one ; and they who 
 continue holy and happy, do continue and per- 
 ievere in this ftate and chara£ter, by perfevering 
 in a fubmiftion to the will of God, and fuch a 
 regard for his glory and the general good, that 
 they are willing to be given up to eternal fin and 
 ruin, if this were neceflary to anfwer thefe ends, 
 or if they could not remain in this holy and hap- 
 py ftate, confiftently with God's glory, and the 
 greateft good of the whole. 
 
 In a word, God thought it beft, and there- 
 fore was willing that great numbers of angels 
 fhould become finful and miferable forever ; and 
 all the angels before any of them fell, were like 
 God in their difpofition, and choice, and there-* 
 
A DIALOGUE. 
 
 fore were difpofed to acquiefce in his will and 
 choice, when made known to them. Confe- 
 quently had God's will been difcovered with 
 pe£l to this, they would all hav 
 fo long as they were holy as God is holy. And 
 if any one {hould feel the leafi: reluctance to it 
 even though he knew he was one that was to fall 
 into fin and ruin, he would by that reluctance- 
 and oppoiition of heart to God's will, be an ene- 
 my to God, and fall into ruin. And none could 
 fall into that ftate, in any pofiible way, but by 
 oppofing God's will or by being unwilling that 
 his will fhculd be done. 
 
 Semi. This is more puzzling yet. You car- 
 ry us away to the angels, concerning whom we 
 know but little •, I choofe to keep nearer home, 
 and mind my own bufmefs. 
 
 Calv. If you are determined not to thinly 
 and will not range into any quarter of the uni- 
 verfe, to get light, you will remain in darknefs, 
 and always be puzzled, with a thoufand things, 
 while a child of fourteen years old, who has a 
 right tafte and difpofition, and improves his un- 
 derftanding, as he ought, will be at no lofs about 
 them ; but will fee them in the light of demon- 
 stration. 
 
 Your laft objection was, that for a man to be 
 willing to be a confirmed enemy to God, if ne- 
 ceilary for the glory of God and the general good, 
 would be a finfujARition ; and therefore he 
 ought not to bcjJ^fijr. I have undertaken to 
 
I<5o A DIALOGUE. 
 
 fhew, that this is fo far from being true, that 
 not to be willing, in the cafe propofed, as to op- 
 pofe this, would be a finful volition ; and there 
 is no other way, in order to avoid fin, but to be 
 willing, in this cafe, it being neceflary to an- 
 fwer thefe ends, to be call off into a flate of 
 Jefl: wickednefs and ruin. And I think what 
 has been faid amounts to a clear demonftration, 
 and wifh you to review it with calmnefs and at- 
 tention, and fhew, if you can, where the argu- 
 ment fails, or elfe yield to the force "of it, and think 
 of it until it becomes eafy and familiar to you. 
 
 Semi. Your reafonings on the fubje6t feem 
 to be clear and conclufive, I confefs. At lead, I 
 fee no way at prefent to confute them. But I 
 do not choofe to have this matter fettled by 
 metaphyfical reafouing only. I want fcripiurt 
 proof and evidence ; for when we go by this, we 
 are on fure ground. I obferve you have made 
 but little ufe of the bible in your arguing on this 
 point \ from which I concluded you can. find Ut- 
 ile to your purpofe in that. 
 
 Calv. I have aimed to keep the fcripture in 
 view in all. I have faid on this fubject, and think 
 I have made what is there revdfclea, the founda- 
 tion of all my reafonings and arguments on the 
 points ; and, that I have been, through the 
 whole of our converfation, 4i reafoning with 
 you cut of. the fcriptures." From the fcriptures • 
 we learn that the glory c f^&pd ought to be our 
 ultimate and higheft end : th« we are command- 
 
A DIALOGUE. l6l 
 
 cd to feek his glory in all we do •, and therd 
 
 are forbid to defire or purfue any thing which is 
 contrary to his higheft glory ; and required to 
 fubmit to any thing and defire it may take place, 
 which is moft for his glory. Therefore, on fup- 
 pofition it be mod for his glory that I fhould not 
 be faved but loft : I ought to fubmit, ana 
 defire to be faved. 
 
 Again, the fcripture teaches us that we o 
 to be all fubmiffion to the will of Gcd, and al- 
 ways to be difpofed to fay from the heart, "not 
 my will, but thine be done." Therefore on fup- 
 pofition it is the will of God to caft me oft, I m 
 fay heartily, « thy will be done." Not to 
 andfeelfo, is to rife in rebellion againft God. 
 
 Moreover, the fcripture requires us t 
 our neighbour's as ourfelves. If I do fo, anr 
 am willing God fhould caft any of my fellow 
 men into hell forever, for his own glory and the 
 general good, which I mud be, u 
 againft his revealed will ; then I rauft be wifli 
 to be caft off myfelf, if this be nee. 
 fwer the fame ends. 
 
 Thefe are the reafons and arguments by which 
 I have endeavoured to prove what I have ad- 
 vanced : And is not this arguing from fcrip- 
 ture P All thofe paflages of fcripture which 
 teach us to make the glory of God our fupreme 
 end — To be all fubmiffion to his will, without 
 making any exception, and to love our neigh- 
 bour as ourfelves, all which it is difficult and 
 o 2, 
 
l62 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 needlefs to mention, do prove and really affert 
 the do£trine I have affirmed. 
 
 Befides, I have introduced the exprefs words 
 of Paul, ttrongly expreffing this to be his wiih 
 and defire with refpect to himfelf, might this be 
 the means of faving his brethren. 
 
 The words of Eli exprefs the fame fentiment, 
 
 1 Sam. iii. 18. " It is the Lord ; let him do tvhat 
 feemeth him good" This he fays with refpe£i to 
 
 God's awful threatening, " That he would judge 
 his houfe forever, and that he had fworn that 
 the iniquity of Eli's houfe fhould not be purged 
 with facrifice nor offerings forever. An4 does 
 not David exprefs the fame thing when he fays, 
 
 2 Samuel xv. 26. " But if he thus fay, I have 
 no pleafure in thee : behold, here am I, let him 
 do to me, as feemeth good unto him." Does 
 he net refign his whole intereft, temporal and 
 eternal, to God's pleafure, without making any 
 condition ? If he fay, I have no pleafure in 
 thee, is not this to caft him off forever ? " Be- 
 hold, here I am, let him do to me as feemeth good 
 unto him," How could he exprefs this fentiment 
 in plainer and more ftrong language ? 
 
 Semi. But what advantage will this be to me, 
 or any one elfe ? If it be true, I fee not that it 
 is a point worth contending about, or what will 
 be the benefit of underftanding and believing it. 
 
 Calv. I may afk you, fir, what benefit there 
 is in oppofing it, if it be not true ? It is rep- 
 resented as a very hurtful and wicked do&rine 5 
 
A DIALOGUE. 1 63 
 
 and if I am not miitaken, you confidered it in 
 this hght, in the beginning of our converfation 
 upon the fubject. In this, view, you thought 
 it of importance to oppofe it. And if it be true, 
 the contrary error mull be as wicked and hurt- 
 ful, as this would be, were it not true. The 
 truth will bear examination, and ought not to be 
 given up, becaufe fome do not underftand it, and 
 do oppoie it. It certainly can do no one any 
 hurt to believe it ; but may be of great fervice, 
 if rightly improved ; and the contrary error, I 
 believe to be of a very bad tendency. Suffer me 
 to illuftrate this, in a few words — 
 
 A denial of this truth, and molt of the ar- 
 guments to fupport fuch denial, do mifreprefent 
 the nature of difmterefted benevolence, and are 
 really a denial of the exigence, of any fuch 
 thing : And it is fuppofed that felfifhnefs is jus- 
 tifiable, and not oppofed by real chriftianity ; 
 but that chriftians are warranted to a£r, and muit 
 a£t. from felfifh principles. This, I think, is 
 evident, from what has been faid on this fubject, 
 and moft of the objections you have made. 
 This tends to give a wrong idea of true religion, 
 and to encourage profeffed chriftians in the in- 
 dulgence of a felfifh fpirit ; and to think them- 
 felves chriftians, while their feelings and exer- 
 cifes, are in direcT; opposition to true chriftianity : 
 And this way of thinking, as I think, difcov- 
 ers a contra£tednefs of mind, fo it tends to con- 
 tract it more and more, and to fink it down to a 
 
164 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 narrow And low way of thinking and acting, con- 
 trary to that enlargednefs of mind, and noble- 
 nefs of foul, with which real chriflianity infpires, 
 and which is implied in difmterefted benevo- 
 lence. 
 
 And it is implicitly a denial of the eternal 
 damnation of any of mankind. For, as has 
 been obferved, if we love our neighbour as our- 
 felves, which is necefiarily implied in true holi- 
 nefs, and we are unwilling to be damned our- 
 felves, when this is neceflary to anfwer the fame 
 ends, to anfwer which they are damned •, then 
 we cannot acquiefce in their damnation j nor 
 ought any in heaven or earth to be willing that 
 there fhould be any fuch thing as damnation, 
 « Confequently, there cih be no fuch thing, con- 
 fiftently with the inclination of any holy being. 
 But if this unwillingnefs to be damned ourfelves, 
 when this is as neceflary for the glory of God and 
 the general good, as that any of our feliow men 
 fhould be damned, is owing to felfifhnefs, and 
 an exercife of that affection which is contrary to 
 loving God fupremely, and our neighbour as 
 ourfelves ; then this juftifies felfifhnefs, as has 
 been obferved, and juftifies the chriftian in avow- 
 ing it, as a good and holy principle ; by which 
 he is willing others fhould fuffer that for the 
 glory of God, which he is not willing to fuffer 
 were it neceflary to anfwer the fame end : And, 
 in fhort, cares not what becomes of his fellow 
 men, or of God's honour, if he can but be fafe 
 
A DIALOGUE. 165 
 
 and happy. Surely that do&rine which em- 
 braces and fupports one of thefe alternatives, and 
 doe3 really avow the latter, and juftifies all the 
 felfifhnefs in the world, and fuppofes there is no 
 fuch thing as difinterefted benevolence, is a very 
 dangerous and hurtful doctrine, and tends to 
 root all true religion out of the world. 
 
 On the other hand, the doctrine which I 
 have endeavoured to explain and vindicate, 
 tends to the advantage of chriftians many ways, 
 which advantages naturally come into view, by 
 attending to what has been faid, of the evil con- 
 fequences of the oppofite do£trine. 
 
 It is fuited to enlarge the mind of the chriftian, 
 and to extend his ideas and thoughts to obje£ts 
 which, are great and immenfe, and to wake up 
 the feelings and exercifes of difinterefted benev- 
 olence, of fupreme love to God, and regard to 
 the general good, which fwallows up and for- 
 3 his own perfonal intereft, as nothing, in 
 comparifon with thefe grand objects. This will 
 help him, in the bed and eafieft manner to diftin- 
 guifh between true religion and falfe : and to 
 obtain, and maintain the evidence in his own 
 mind, that he is a friend to God, and has that 
 benevolence in which holinefs does fummarily 
 confift. 
 
 This will prepare him to acquiefce in the 
 eternal deftruction of thofe who perifli, and 
 even to rejoice.in it, as necefiary for the glory of 
 Gcd, and the greateft good of the whole* in 
 
I 66 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 the exercife of that difinterefted benevolence, 
 which makes him to be willing to be one of that 
 finful, wretched number, wer£ this neceffary to 
 anfv/er thefe ends. 
 
 This will prevent his preaching, or talking in 
 thzt felf/h way about religion, which too many 
 miniiters, and others do ; or indulging felfifli 
 affections, under the notion of their being the 
 exercife of true religion. 
 
 A belief of this doctrine, and exercifes an- 
 fwerable, will bring and keep in view, true, un- 
 referved refignation to the will of God. And pre- 
 vent his deceiving himfelf, with an imagined 
 refignation which is not true refignation, but 
 the exercife of wicked felfifhnefs, and impie- 
 ty ; and with which many are deceiving them- 
 felves. For inftance, when a parent loofes a 
 dear and only child, he is refigned, and willing 
 hi;> child fnould be taken from him by death, if 
 Gcd will make it happy forever. This condition 
 fpoils the refignation, and it exprefies no true 
 regard to God, but only a regard to his child : 
 which the moft felfifh parent has, as well as the 
 moft benevolent. So one who thinks, himfelf a 
 chriftian, is willing to be poor and defpifed, to* 
 be fick and fuffer great pain, if it may work for 
 his goody and Gcd will make him eternally happy at 
 la/ij and thinks this true refignation, and that 
 in a high and uncommon degree. Whereas this 
 is not real refignation to the will of God, and 
 exprefies nothing but felfiflmefs, in making God 
 
A DIALOGUE. 167 
 
 a tool to anfwer our own felfifli etids. He will 
 confent that God mould make him happy, and 
 anfwer his ends, and is willing to be in his hands 
 on no other condition. This exprefles no true 
 regard to God, or the general good. To con- 
 clude, the chriftian who believes this truth, and 
 has feelings and exercifes anfwerable to it, with 
 pleafure gives himfelf into the hands of God, 
 and rejoices that he and all things are in his 
 hands, and that he will glorify himfelf by all 
 men either in their falvation or damnation, and 
 fays, to God, " if it be mod for thy glory that 
 I mould be caft off, thy will be done, " Father 
 glorify thy name." I have no condition to make, 
 let God be glorified, and his kingdom be mod 
 happy and glorious, whatever becomes of me." 
 And the ftronger and more clear thefe exercifes 
 are, the greater evidence he will have, when he 
 reflects upon them ; that he is a true friend to 
 God, and that it is moft for his glory, and for 
 the greateft general good, that he fhould be per- 
 fectly holy and happy in his kingdom forever. 
 
 END OF THE DIALOGUE- 
 
A 
 
 SERIOUS ADDRESS, 
 
 TO 
 
 PROFESSING CHRISTIANS, 
 
 IN THE NAME, AND FROM THE WORDS OF 
 JESUS CHRIST, RECORDED 
 
 REVELATION Xvi. 15* 
 
REVELATION Xvi. 15. 
 
 " Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that 
 watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he 
 walk naked, and they see his shame." 
 
 THE warning, exhortation and encourage- 
 ment here given, by Chrrft, to his profeffed 
 friends, fuited to excite them to attend to their 
 duty and faithfulnefs to him at all times, are ap- 
 plicable to them in whatever circumftances and 
 age of the world they have lived, fince they 
 were published : But are more efpecially appli- 
 cable to thofe, who live in the time and circum- 
 ftances to which the words have a particular 
 reference. In order to know what time this is, 
 and what are the events which will then take 
 place, the context with which thefe words are 
 connedlsd mud be carefully attended to, and 
 underftood. 
 
 Thefe words are fpoken by Chrifl, while John 
 is narrating the events which were to take place 
 under the fixth vial while it was running. In the 
 midft of his narration, or before he had finifhed 
 it, he is interrupted, and Jefus Chrift fpeaks 
 thefe remarkable and important words ; fo that 
 they immediately refpeft the events contained in 
 the fcene which was opening to John. In this 
 chapter we have an account of the preceding 
 vials by the angels to whom they were given. 
 Thefe feven vials or cups are faid to be full of 
 
I72 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 the wrath of God, and to contain the feven laft 
 plagues or remarkable judgments, which were to 
 be inflicted chiefly on the bead and his adherents ; 
 that is, the Pope and the hierarchy of the church 
 of Rome, his fupporters and followers. He 
 was to continue one thoufand, two hundred and 
 fixty years, and the fe vials contained the feveral 
 fucceflive calamities and judgments, the effects 
 of the divine wrath, which were to be inflicted 
 on him and his adherents during his continuance; 
 which, in the events under the laft vial, fhall 
 complete his utter deftrudtion. If the time of 
 the running of thefe feven vials, be computed to 
 take up or comprehend one thoufand, two hun- 
 dred and fixty years, the time in which the beafl 
 is to continue, each vial will take up lefs than 
 two hundred years. But nothing appears to 
 confine the time of each vial to the fame num- 
 ber of years. Some of the vials may compre- 
 hend more, or fewer years than others, accord- 
 ing to the longer or fhorter continuance of the 
 calamitous events, which they reprefent and pre- 
 dict. This can be determined beft by the time 
 and duration of the events, which have come to 
 pafs, and were predicted under the vials which 
 have been poured out. A number of able ex- 
 pofitors who have carefully confulted the mod 
 learned, and credible hiftorians who lived in 
 thofe times, have made it evident, that the events 
 predicted under the firft four vials took place 
 before the reformation from popery by Luther 
 
AN ADDRESS, I 73 
 
 and Calvin, which began near the beginning of 
 the fixteenth century. " The fifth vial was 
 poured out on the feat (throne) of the beait \ and 
 his kingdom was full of darkneis, a: 
 gnawed their tongues for pain, and blafphemed 
 the God of heaven becaufe of their pains and 
 their fores, and repented not of their deeds. 1 " 
 When the reformers arofe and declared the pope 
 to be anti-chrift, and forfook the church of 
 Rome as not the true, but an anti-chriitian 
 church, the mother of harlots, many became 
 their followers, and embraced their doctrines. 
 Men in high office, who had great power and 
 influence, joined with the reformers and protect- 
 ed them, and a number of nations and king- 
 doms renounced the pope and his authority* 
 By this his throne, his power and influence, 
 which had been very high, great and univerfal, 
 were greatly contracted and weakened, arcl 
 threatened with annihilation. This greatly 
 alarmed the pope and his party, and they exeftecl 
 all their power, policy and cunning to fupprefs 
 it, and deiiroy the chief promoters of it. And 
 the emperor of Germany was excited and per- 
 fuaded, with all his power and the forces which 
 could be raifed, to make war on the protefl ants , 
 but he was defeated, and great numbers of his 
 followers were deftroyed : And he relinquished 
 his crown and office and fnut himfelf up ict ag 
 cloifter, and fpent the remainder of his days inr 
 dejection and a painful melancholy and gloom, 
 p a 
 
174 * N ADDRESS. 
 
 And various other methods were taken by them 
 to deftroy the proteftants, and put an end to the 
 reformation, for more than a century ; but they 
 were continually defeated, and all the policy and 
 craft, by which they had profpered, and by which 
 the pope had been exalted to univerfal dominion, 
 now failed them, and they were involved in po- 
 litical darknefs, and the painful gloom of difap- 
 pointment and defeat. Thefe were wounds and 
 fores v/hich gave them unfpeakable anguifh and 
 pain, and could not be healed. 
 
 And they repented not of their deeds, and op- 
 pofed all reformation in dodtrine and practice. 
 They called a council of many bifhops and infe- 
 riour clergy under a pretence of healing matters, 
 which fat eighteen years ; but were fo far from 
 doing any thing towards a reformation, that they 
 decreed a number of things which were (till more 
 blafphemous of God and divine truth. This vial 
 was running till near the end of the feventeenth 
 century. 
 
 The fixth vial probably begun to be poured 
 out at the latter end of the feventeenth century 
 or at the beginning of the eighteenth, and has 
 been running all the laft century, is running now, 
 and will continue to run to the middle of the 
 prefent, if not longer. Some of the events, 
 which were to take place under this vial, are 
 defcribed in the following words. « And the 
 
AN ADDRESS. \J$ 
 
 fixth angel poured out his vial upon the great 
 river Euphrates ; and the water thereof was 
 dried up, that the way of the kings of the eaft 
 might be prepared." In order to underftand 
 thefe metaphorical, typical words, it muft be 
 obferved, that ancient Babylon, which was an 
 enemy to the vifible people of God, and perse- 
 cuted and deftroyed many of them, and Sub- 
 jected the remainder to a ftate of grievous cap- 
 tivity for Seventy years, until it was taken by the 
 eaftern kings of the Medes and Perfians, was a 
 type of the antichriflian church of Rome. 
 Therefore this church with its appendages is 
 repeatedly called Babylon in this book of Reve- 
 lations. 
 
 The great river Euphrates run through the 
 midft of Babylon entering in on one fide of it, 
 and pafling out on the other Side under the 
 walls ; and was a defence to the city, and by it 
 they had a great Supply of provifion. Cyrus 
 king of Perfia, a£ting in conjunction with hu 
 uncle Darius king of the Medes, took the city 
 by turning the water of the river into another 
 channel, which prepared the way for his army 
 to march in under the walls where the river ufed 
 to run, and was now dried up : in this way 
 they entered the city, flew the king and chief 
 men, and took pofleflion of it, which iiuied in 
 its final deftru&ion. 
 
I76 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 The prophecy before us has an allufion to this 
 type and figurative reprefentation in predi&ing 
 the fall of Spiritual Babylon, and the manner in 
 which it was to be effe£ted. By drying up the 
 river Euphrates is meant the removal or diminu- 
 tion of whatever has been the great and chief 
 fupport of the pope, and the church of which 
 he is the head. And this chiefly confifts in the 
 ftrength and power which he has in various ways, 
 and by different inftruments, obtained, efpecially 
 by the ftream of money and riches which have 
 been made, by various means, to flow into 
 that church for many agesrfrom all parts of chrif- 
 tendom. This ftream has been in a confiderable 
 meafure dried up in the laft century, by the na- 
 tions withholding much of the money which ufed 
 to flow into that church like a great river, and 
 turning it into another channel. And the or- 
 der and fociety of Jefuits, which has been a 
 ftrong pillar and fupport of that church many 
 ways, has been demoliflied and taken away in 
 the laft century. And what has been done in 
 the latter part of that century in pulling down 
 and impoveriihing the pope and the church of 
 Rome, by which it has fallen almoft to the 
 ground, is notorious to all. 
 
 By the kings of the Eaft are meant all thofe, 
 in whatever part of the world they live, and who- 
 ever they are, who are enemies to the fpiritual 
 Babylon; and feek to pull down and deftroy it, 
 
AN ADDRESS. 177 
 
 typified by the kings of the eaft, who fought a- 
 gainft and fubdued the ancient, literal Babylon. 
 
 The late revolution in France, by which the 
 church of Rome is again introduced there by 
 an agreement between the chief conful and the 
 pope, at a firft and fuperficial view, may appear 
 to be a revival of the caufe of that church, and 
 a (lep toward the pope's rifing to his former 
 height. But when the fubje<3: is carefully exam- 
 ined it will doubtlefs appear otherwife. The 
 chief conful really claims, and has obtained the 
 power in France, and in other ftates, over which 
 he claims a jurifdi£tion, which the pope ufed 
 to claim ; and the latter is only made a tool 
 by the former, to anfwer his own ambitious pur- 
 pofes. It may foon appear that this event was 
 the only proper ftep to effe£t the utter ruin of 
 the pope and of that church. Be that as it may, 
 we are fure that this fpiritual Babylon will fall to 
 the ground under the vial which is now running, 
 and the fueceeding one, and that all the fucceed- 
 ing events will iffue in its utter overthrow, though 
 the particular fteps which will be taken to effect 
 this, cannot be known and defcribed, as they are 
 future, any farther than they are revealed in 
 fcripture prophecy. 
 
 There is a prophecy in the book of Daniel, 
 w'nich illuftrates the cafe before us. In defcrib- 
 ing the fourth beaft, which now confifls of the 
 
178 AN ADDB.ESS, 
 
 pope and the hierarchy of the church of Rome, 
 he fays, " And whereas thou faweft the feet and 
 toes, part of potters clay, and part of iron, the 
 kingdom fhail be divided. And as the toes of 
 the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, fo 
 the kingdom (hall be partly ftrong, and partly 
 broken. And whereas thou faweil iron mixt 
 with miry clay, they (hall mingle themfelves with 
 the feed of men : But they fhall not cleave one 
 to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." 
 
 This prophecy has doubtlefs been fulfilled in 
 other inftances, but is eminently fo in the concor- 
 date between the chief conful of France and the 
 pope, in which the latter attempts to unite with 
 the feed of men, the men of the world, who are 
 apparent infidels and real enemies to chriilianity, 
 even as it confifts in popery, unlefs when they 
 can anfwer their own ends by it. By this the 
 pope has not ftrengthened, but weakened his 
 caufe, and prepared the way to be dafhed in 
 pieces, by the ftone cut out of the mountain 
 without hands ; to be deilroyed by Chrift. 
 
 John goes on to relate what he further faw 
 in vifion as taking place under this fixth vial. 
 " And I faw three unclean fpirits like frogs come 
 out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the 
 mouth of the bead, and out of the mouth of 
 the falfe prophet. For they are the fpirits of 
 devils, working miracles - (or doing w onders) 
 
 ■ 
 
AN ADDRESS. 1 79 
 
 which go forth unto the kings of -the earth, and 
 of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of 
 that great day of God Almighty." While the 
 beait and the hierarchy of the falfe church of 
 Rome, here called the falfe prophet, who is elfe 
 where defcribed as the great harlot, fitting on the 
 bead, who is the mother of harlots, and abomi- 
 nations of the earth •, while thefe are finking and 
 expiring, they, in conjunction with the old drag- 
 on, the devil, who had been the great invifible 
 agent in fetting them up and fupporting them, 
 and by whom they were always infpired, emit a 
 filthy fpawn, a moft mifchievous progeny, which 
 are no other than the fpirits of devils, which 
 rufli forth to the kings of the earth, and the in- 
 habitants of the whole world, to corrupt the 
 world, and promote all manner of wickednefs 
 in principle and practice, in rebellion againft 
 Chriit and his gofpel. And in doing this they 
 will effect wonderful events, which were not ex- 
 pected, and never had been in fuch a manner 
 and degree. By this they will arm mankind in 
 general, efpecially thofe in the chriftian world, 
 againft God and the Redeemer, and unite and 
 gather them to the battle of that great day of 
 God Almighty. The beafl and harlot will live 
 in theie times, and not become extintt till this 
 battle comes on. 
 
 This gathering to the battle, does not mean a 
 local collection into one place ;_J>ut a 
 
 \*4 
 
J80 AN 1DDRESS. 
 
 agreement among the nations, to oppofe Jefus 
 Chrift and the gofpel, in principle and practice, 
 and thus arming themfelves againft God, by 
 which they will be prepared for the battle, which 
 will not confift in any particular combat with 
 carnal weapons, between chriflians and thofe 
 who oppofe them : but in the judgments and 
 deftru£tion, which God will infli£t on the open 
 and incorrigible enemies of Chrift and his church, 
 by which they and their caufe will be amply vin- 
 dicated and avenged, and deferved wrath and 
 vengeance will be inflicted on their enemies, to 
 the uttermoft. This battle will commence in 
 the fulnefs of it when the feventh vial fhall be 
 poured out, when by the events which take* place 
 under the fixth vial : the body of the inhabitants 
 of the world will be ripened for the punifliment 
 and vengeance by which they (hall be deftroyed ; 
 which battle is defcribed in the latter part of this, 
 and the nineteenth chapters. 
 
 While thefe evil fpirifcs are doing their work 
 and are ufing all their influence to arm wicked 
 men and unite them againft Chrift, he ftands 
 forth and fpeaks in the words now under con- 
 fideration ; and certainly fpeaks them with ref- 
 erence to the events predi&edin this vifion, ref- 
 lecting this battle, and the events preparatory 
 to, it •, and therefore are fpoken to thofe profeffing 
 chriftians who live in thefe days, as a warning, 
 direction and encouragement to them, And if 
 
 # 
 
AN ADDRESS. l8l 
 
 we live in the very time pointed out in this vifion, 
 it concerns us to know it, and earneitly attend 
 to, and confcientioufly improve thefe words of 
 Chrift, as the only way to be fafe and bleffed. 
 
 It becomes chriftians to difcern and know the 
 figns of the times in which they live : To attend 
 to the events of divine providence compared with 
 fcripture ; with difcerning and judgment to view 
 the ftate of religion and morality in the world, 
 fo far as they are under advantages to extend their 
 knowledge of thefe important concerns. And 
 they have opportunity, which they ought dili- 
 gently to improve, to compare the circumflances 
 and particular events of the times, in which 
 they live with the prophetic paj£ of fcripture, 
 to find, if they can, with a degree of fatisfac- 
 tion and certainty, the agreement of the events 
 which are before their eyes, with the predictions 
 of fcripture ; and, hereby learn what is their 
 particular duty, and what is come and coming 
 in the world, as it refpefts the moral corruption 
 and confequent mifery Gf mankind, and the de- 
 prefled ftate of chriftianity, and the final victo- 
 ry it (hall obtain. 
 
 That we live in the time when the fixth vial is 
 poured out, which has been running during the 
 laft century, or longer, is eviden^oom fcripture 
 prophecy, as has been obferveowend is abun- 
 dantly confirmed and rendered certain by tht 
 
?82 AX ADDRESS. 
 
 events which have taken place in the laft century, 
 and are now coming to pafs before our eyes ; 
 which were predicted under this vial. The 
 river Euphrates, agreeable to the explication now 
 given, has been drying up for many years, and 
 church of Rome is impoverifhed and weak- 
 ened many ways, by which the way has been 
 opened for her enemies, whoever and wherever 
 hey be, to alTault and deftroy her, and fhe has 
 iunk in a manner which never took place before, 
 as has been obferved. And while this old har- 
 lot, who is the mother of all the abominations in 
 the earth, who rides on the beaft, fupported by 
 the old dragon the devil, is falling and expiring, 
 they three, join to emit and fend forth evil Tpirits 
 like themfelves, which muft therefore be fpirits 
 of devils, which go forth to corrupt the world, 
 fo as to arm the peq^le in general again ft God, 
 in a ftate of open and high rebellion againft the 
 Redeemer. And is not all this now taking place, 
 which began many years ago, and is now in- 
 creafmg in a remarkable and rapid progrefs ? Let 
 chriftians, who have difcerning to know the 
 times, attend and judge. 
 
 In the laft century there has been a greater 
 fpread and prevalence of error, infidelity, and 
 all kinds of immorality and wickednefs, than 
 was ever befo^^ncwn ; and that in a manner 
 and by meaiiffew and ftrange. Men of great 
 id *lean 
 
 abilities and yarning have rifen up champions 
 
AN ADDRESS 183 
 
 for infidelity, and confequently for vice and im- 
 morality. And fecret focieties have been formed 
 and combined to do every thing in their po\* 
 to put an end to chriftianity, and every irtftitu- 
 tion that would lay any rcftraint on their lufls. 
 To this end they fpread their emiilaries wherever 
 there is a profpeft of the gaining profelytes. 
 They introduce themfelves and their difciples as 
 teachers of fchools, and into colleges, and the 
 courts of princes and kings, to profelyte as many 
 of the great as they can. They have been de- 
 tected, and their doctrines and fchemes have 
 been expofed to the public ; but this has not 
 difcouraged them ; and through the connivance 
 of the great and obfequioufnefs of the multi- 
 tude, they have gone on to practife and profper. 
 In their unwearied exertions and attempts they 
 turned their attention particularly to France, and 
 were fo fuccefsful as to influence a great part of 
 the leading men there, and a number in the 
 kings court to embrace their principles and 
 fcheme, which produced a revolution in that na- 
 tion, by which Chriftianity and all the institu- 
 tions of it were abolifhed, and infidelity intro- 
 duced in the room of it : In the prefence of the 
 National Convention, a man of note arofe and 
 declared he was an atheift, that there was no 
 God but liberty, &c. which gained the appro- 
 bation and loud applaufe of the whole conven- 
 tion. And a number of priefts appeared in the 
 hall of the convention, and eaftj^the garments 
 
1 84 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 and the badges of their facerdotal office, and 
 thus publicly in this contemptuous manner re- 
 nounced chriftianity ; afcd in a literal fenfe and 
 mod exprefsly put off their chriftian garments 
 themfelves inftead of keeping them. The lead-' 
 ers in this fcheme, in their endeavours to over- 
 throw chriftianity, efpoufe and propagate among 
 their difciples this maxim, " that any means ne*- 
 ceffary or tending to promote a good end, cannot 
 be wrong, but muft be right and commendable." 
 Hence, as they propofe the total abolition of chrif- 
 tianity, as neceflkry for the happinefs of man- 
 kind and of their own, and therefore the higheft 
 and beft end, they confider any means which 
 they can practife, and in their view are fuited to 
 anfwer this end, to be right and laudable. Con- 
 fequently, when the groffeft hypocrify^fraud, ly- 
 ing, cheating, murder, and even f^lf-murder, or 
 any vice which can be mentioned, are in their 
 view neceffary or needful to anfwer this end they 
 are to be pra£tifed, without the lead remorfe of 
 conference. Therefore when they think it the 
 beft way for them to injure chriftianity, they 
 will appear zealous advocates for it, and af 
 and deny any thing, however contrary to the 
 truth, when they think it will anfwer their ends. 
 There have been volumes written in Europe by 
 ti, whofe learning, knowledge and veracity 
 cannot be reasonably queftioned, who have de- 
 leted and abundantly proved thefe things, and 
 many more gqA immoralities to be practifed and 
 
AN ADDRESS. I 3j 
 
 promoted by the leaders in this iniquitous icheme 
 to crufh chriftianity. 
 
 While infidelity has fpread in Europe, vice 
 and grofs immorality have kept pace with it. 
 In France efpecially, thefe prevail to an extent 
 and degree never known before. This is f up- 
 ported by the moil credible teftimony. And as 
 far as their armies have carried their conquefts, 
 which have been rapid and extenfive, they have 
 fpread the principles of infidelity, and the prac- 
 tice of immorality to a degree never known before 
 fince chriftianity was received by thofe natio 
 This is abundantly tefhified by the learned and 
 pious in Europe. And multitudes of thofe, 
 who do not profefiedly renounce chriftianity, 
 embrace thofe dodtrines which are fo contrary 
 to the gofpel, as to lead to infidelity, and really 
 are no better! While the multitude of common 
 people are funk into vice, careleiTnefs about re- 
 ligion, and ignorance of the nature and true 
 doctrines of it. Can any one who takes a prop- 
 er and attentive view of all this, doubt that ths 
 evil fpirits, the fpirits of devils have been let 
 loofe with an extraordinary commiffion to cor- 
 rupt mankind, efpecially the chriftian world, 
 during the lad century, and are ft ill progrefling, 
 with uncommon power and rapidity, agreeable 
 to the prophecy before us ? 
 
 America has not efcaped the fangs of thefe 
 
I 86 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 unclean fpirits of devils. There are traces and 
 fruits of their operation, which mud be ftriking- 
 ly vifible to all who do not wilfully fhut their 
 eyes. There was indeed a remarkable and gen- 
 eral attention to religion in America, particular- 
 ly in New-England about the middle of the laft 
 century ; and a number were hopefully conver- 
 ted. But a great part of the profefled fubjetts 
 of this revival were fo imprudent and irregular 
 in their converfation and condudt ; and fo many 
 apoftatized to error, irreligion and vice, that, 
 on the whole it tended to ftrengthen the prejudi- 
 ces of many againft religion, and was the means 
 of leading many to infidelity, under the in vifible 
 influence of fatan. Since that, infidelity, irre- 
 ligion and vice have increafed, but the firft of 
 thefe not fo openly but in a great meafure fecret- 
 ly and under cover. But in the latter part of the 
 laft century many European infidels were intro- 
 duced to America, who difieminated their infi- 
 del principles by converfation, and fpreading 
 books written againft divine revelation. One 
 man in Europe wrote a pamphlet againft the 
 bible, which is reprinted and fpread in America, 
 and was read with avidity by multitudes, both 
 youth and others ; and gave a turn in their igno- 
 rant and already vitiated minds in favour of infi- 
 delity. And a number of books and pamphlets 
 have been publifned againft chriftianity, and in 
 favour of deifm and atheifcn which are fpreading 
 and highly approved by many. And focieties 
 
Atf ADDRESS. I 87 
 
 are formed compofed of infidels, who- are affid- 
 uous in doing all they can fecretly, and by any 
 means in their power, to difcredit and root out 
 chriflianity and all religion and morality. This 
 is a wonderful and in fome fenfe and degree a 
 miraculous event. That in a chriftian land, 
 where the body of the people were friendly to 
 chriflianity there fnould be fuch a great and fud- 
 den change in favour of infidelity, and fuch 
 great and unwearied exertions to promote it, in 
 a manner and degree which never were experien- 
 ced before in the chriftian world. It cannot be 
 accounted for, but by fuppofing it to be produ- 
 ced by that invifible agency of evil fpirits on the 
 corrupt hearts of men, which is in the prophecy 
 before us, predicted to take place at this time ; 
 and is a certain and undeniable evidence that 
 this prophecy is now fulfilling ; and is therefore 
 a demonflration of the truth of chriflianity, 
 which infidelity is attempting to deflroy. And 
 that though it may feem for a time to prevail, it, 
 with the promoters of it, will foon and unex- 
 pectedly be deflroyed, and chriflianity will 
 revive, profper and triumph. 
 
 It is proper to attend to fome other things not 
 only as a further evidence, if needed, that thefe 
 fpirits of devils are now among us, and produ- 
 cing great effe&s before our eyes •, but that they 
 are making rapid progrefs and have not yet fin- 
 iflied, but have only begun their work There 
 
1 88 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 are a number of circumftances and events taking 
 place favourable to the caufe of infidelity and 
 vice, and leading to the progrefs of theSe, which 
 it is not prudent or needful particularly to men- 
 tion •, which are in the full view of thofe chriS- 
 tians who have their eyes open. There is an 
 apparent general decay and negleQ: of religion 
 among thole who do not in words exprefsly 
 renounce chriftianity, but think themfelves 
 friends to it. There is a prevailing indifference 
 and careleflhefs about religion, and conSequent- 
 ly ignorance of the nature and doftrines of it. 
 The churches are generally fmall, by far the 
 greater part of the people negle£t to join them. 
 And many, if not moft of the members of 
 churches are luke warm •, ignorant or erroneous* 
 if not immoral ; and the discipline of moft 
 churches is very lax, if not wholly laid afide. 
 The Sabbath is neglected and profaned as it nev- 
 er was before, efpecially in New-England : and 
 public worfhip is greatly negledted ; and family 
 religion is generally and almoft univerfally laid 
 afide, and parental government, and religious 
 education and inftru&ion of their children and 
 domeftics, have almoft wholly ceafed. Conse- 
 quently a general ignorance in religion, and the 
 practice of vice take place. Some of the impor- 
 tant truths of the gofpel are neglected and oppo- 
 fed, and many errors imbibed, which really 
 Subvert the gofpel, and have a diredl and ftrong 
 tendency to infidelity and atheifm, as may, per- 
 haps, be more particularly confidered hereafter. 
 
AA ADDRESS. 189 
 
 In this fituation of affairs, public and private, 
 there is a ftrong tendency to univerfal infidelity 
 and atheifm : and we are ripening fafl for it. If 
 God do not prevent ; to which mercy we have 
 no claim : but rather are provoking him to 
 give us up to the lufts of our hearts, to run on 
 to the mod grofs infidelity, and all manner and 
 degrees of vice and wickednefs, which will 
 introduce great temporal mifery and wretched- 
 nefs, and bring on utter and eternal deftruction. 
 And they who will keep their chriflian garments 
 will fuffer fhame and reproach, and innumera- 
 ble other evils, and it may be the moft cruel 
 death that evil men can invent and inflict. 
 
 All things will go fafl on to this iflue, unlefs 
 prevented by the interpofition of divine power 
 and grace, which we are fure will not be done 
 till mankind in general are refolutely and fully 
 armed againft Chrift, prepared for the battle, 
 and ripe for definition, from the prophecy un- 
 der confideration. How long time this is yet to 
 take, none can with precifion tell. It will con- 
 tinue till the fixth vial is expended, which, as 
 has been obferved, will yet run, moft probably, 
 for half a century, or more. But it is worthy 
 obfervation, that the vials may not be fo perfectly 
 diftin£l, as to wholly run out before the next, in 
 a meafure, begins. Under the feventh vial the 
 great battle which Jefus Chrift will carry on 
 againft fatan and a wicked world armed againft 
 
I9O AN ADDRESS. 
 
 him, will come on in the full ftrength of it, and 
 will continue, till by die expreffions of the di- 
 vine anger, in inflidting various and dreadful 
 fucceffive judgments, of which no particular, 
 and full description can now be given \ or any 
 adequate idea be formed of them, till they {hall 
 take place, the obftinately wicked mall be de- 
 ftroyed and fwept from off the earth, having 
 drank the dregs of this dreadful cup which is 
 in the hand of the Lord, and wrung them out 
 [Pfalm Ixxv. 8.] But fome drops of this vial 
 may fall upon the world, in fome parts of it, 
 before the time is come to pour it out without 
 reftraint or mixture, and before the events pre- 
 dicted under the fixth vial are finifhed, but 
 while that vial is yet running. Sore calamities 
 and awful deftru&ions, may be inflifted in many 
 places, and at different times, as a teftimony of 
 die difpleafure of God with the wickednefs of 
 men, and a warning to the world of the greater 
 calamities and certain definition which are 
 coming on mankind, unlefs they repent. The 
 great and remarkable calamities which have been 
 lately felt in France and other parts of Europe, 
 while infidelity and wickednefs have been in- 
 creafing and fpreading, maybe confidered to be 
 of this kind, and as a warning to the world, 
 and to the United States of America in particu- 
 lar. And as great, if not more dreadful judg- 
 ments will doubtlefs be inflifted on thefe ftates 
 before the fixth vial is ended, as a warning and 
 call to repentance. 
 
AN ADDRESS. IpJ 
 
 It is doubtlefs thought by fome profeffing 
 chriftians that the above reprefentation of the 
 ftate of religion, and the profpe£l with refpeft 
 to it in America, is not juft. There have been 
 lately remarkable revivals of religion in many 
 places and parts of the United States, and great 
 numbers hopefully converted, and a number of 
 deifts have renounced their infidelity and become 
 chriftians. And not a few men of judgment 
 and obfervation have thought that religion is rath- 
 er in a progreffive ftate than otherwife. 
 
 Upon this it is obferved, that there is reafon 
 of much thankfulnefs that there have been fa 
 many remarkable revivals of religion of late, 
 and that fuch a number have been hopefully con- 
 verted. But this number is prefumed to be 
 much lefs than the reft of the inhabitants of moft, 
 if not all, of the places where thefe revivals have 
 taken place ; and when compared with the num- 
 ber of inhabitants of thefe ftates it will appear 
 that thefe converts bear but a very fmall pro- 
 portion to the whole, and thofe which make the 
 body of the people have in general received no 
 benefit by thefe revivals, but the contrary : They 
 are more hardened in impenitence, vice and in- 
 fidelity ; fo that there may be and doubtlefs is an 
 increafe, on the whole, of infidelity and wick- 
 ednefs, notwithftanding thefe revivals. Jefus 
 Chrift will have and maintain his church in the 
 midft of the greateft oppofition to it, and in or« 
 
IQ2 AH ADDRESS, 
 
 der to this fmners mud be converted, more or 
 lefs, and raifed up as witneffes to his truth and 
 caufe. And thefe revivals are a warning and 
 loud call to all the people to repent, whether they 
 will hear or not. In the mean time, there is 
 no evidence that they will increafe or continue. 
 
 It is alfo fuppofed by fome that the caufe of 
 infidelity is rather on the decline in this nation, 
 and that difbelievers now think more favourably 
 of chriftianity than they did fometime ago, as 
 they are lefs open, bold and noify in oppofition 
 to it, than they were : and fome of them fpeak 
 in favour of it at times. 
 
 To this it may be replied, that fuch a change 
 of difbelievers, in appearance and conduct, may 
 not be the leaft evidence that they are really more 
 friendly to the gofpel, as a revelation from heav- 
 en, than they have been, or that their caufe is 
 on the decline and does not increafe in ftrength 
 and numbers. This may be in their view, the 
 bell way they can take to fupport their caufe and 
 carry on their fcheme, and they will turn into 
 any fhape, and fay any thing which they think 
 will beft anfwer this end, as has been obferved. 
 Befides, in the political conteft which now fub- 
 fifts in the United States, in both parties of which 
 there are doubtlefs difbelievers i& divine revela- 
 tion, there are a variety of circumflances, which 
 need not be mentioned, which do operate as a 
 
AN ADDRESS. I93 
 
 reftraint upon infidels in different ways who are 
 on either fide to produce the effett mentioned, 
 confidently with their being as much engaged as 
 ever in the caufe of infidelity, -and their profpe& 
 of fuccefs. 
 
 The foregoing has been defigned to point out 
 the figns of this time, and to (how that the Sa- 
 viour has particular reference to the events which 
 are now taking place before our eyes, and others 
 which are foon to follow, in his words under 
 confideration ; and that, therefore, they arc 
 fpoken, in a particular and fpecial manner to 
 thofe profefled chriftians, who are now on the 
 ftage of life, and to all of this denomination 
 who fhall live before the feventh vial fhall be 
 poured out. 
 
 The following will confift in an explanation of 
 thefe words, and a practical improvement of 
 them, fuited to excite the attention of all pro- 
 fefled friends of chriftianity to the warning, 
 threat, command, encouragement and promife 
 contained in them, and to induce them to re- 
 gard and pra&ife what is here recommended by 
 the glorious head of the church as the only way 
 to fafety and happinefs. 
 
 " Behold, I come as 3 thief." This is intro- 
 duced with a note of attention. Behold ! Thte 
 denotes that what Chrift is going to fpeak is of 
 
AN ADDRESS. 
 
 gffcat importance, and demands the ferious and 
 clofe attention of all who have ears to hear. 
 The coming of Chrifl is often fpoken of in 
 fcripture, and intends various and different times 
 and manners of his coming ; and he is often 
 laid to come as a thief, to denote not the end of 
 coming, but the circumltances and manner 
 of his coming. The thief comes to do mifchief 
 and ileal. Chrifl comes to accompliih the wifefl 
 ' and beft ends. And though he often comes in 
 judgment, to inflift evil, yet he never injures 
 any, and he always defigns kindnefs and mercy 
 to his church. But he comes as a thief, that is 
 unperceived, and while his coming is not thought 
 of by the men of the world, and by all who are 
 spiritually afleep whether profeffing chriflians or 
 not. His coming is perceived and realized by 
 none but thofe who are awake and on the 
 watch. 
 
 The coming of Chrifl here feems to compre- 
 hend two events which are nearly connefted 
 together, and in fome fenfe one, viz. the gath- 
 ering of the people to the battle by the influence 
 of evil fpirits ; and his coming to the battle, and 
 carrying it on till it is finimed. Chrifl really 
 comes by and with his enemies, when they rife, 
 oppofe and attempt to deflroy his church. He 
 fuperintends and diredls the whole, and his hand 
 and prefence is to be feen in all the tranfa£lions 
 and events which are accomplifhed by wicked 
 
AN ADDRESS. 19} 
 
 agents, whether vifible or invifible. This is in- 
 timated in the words immediately following. 
 " And he gathered them together into a place, 
 called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. J> 
 He, that is Chrift, gathered them together. 
 This is faid to denote the fuperintendance and 
 agency of Chrift in gathering them together, 
 while men and devils are active in producing the 
 fame event. Thus when the king of Aflyria 
 gathered a great army together with an intent to 
 invade and lay wafte the land of Judah and Je- 
 rufalem, God fays he fent him to accomplifh his 
 purpofe ; and that the king and his army were 
 in his hand, and under his influence and direc- 
 tion, as much as the faw and ax are in the hand 
 of the workman. And when the falfe prophets 
 were deceived, and flattered Ahab that he mould 
 profper in going to war, in which his army was 
 conquered, and he loft his own life, it is faid 
 the Lord put a lying fpirit in the mouth of all 
 thefe falfe prophets. So Chrift is faid to come 
 with the Romans when they gathered their army 
 to deftroy Jerusalem. 
 
 Jefus Chrift is therefore now come and coming- 
 in all the remarkable, unexpected wonderful 
 events which are taking place under the fixth 
 vial, by the agency of men and devils. He fu- 
 perintends and directs the whole until all things 
 are prepared for the battle of the great day of 
 God Almighty, and he has gathered together the 
 
i<)6 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 army of his enemies. Then he will come to 
 battle, and deftroy his enemies, and deliver his 
 church, and caufe it to profper as it never has 
 done before. But in all this coming of Chrift 
 none will be properly fenfible of it or prepared 
 for it but thofe who are awake, watch and keep- 
 their garments, to the reft he comes as a thief. 
 
 M Blefled is he that watcheth." When he that 
 watcheth, &c. is pronounced blejfed it fuppofes 
 that none who are not of this character are blefs- 
 ed, but the contrary ; to watch, in the fenfe of 
 the text, is to be fpiritually awake, to look in- 
 ward, and view their own motions and moraj ex- 
 
 ifes, and on their outward condu£t to learn on 
 whofe fide they are •> and to look round and dif- 
 cern the ftate and condition of the caufe of 
 Chrift in the world •, what is the moral ftate of 
 the world, what the enemies to chriftianity are 
 doing \ what is their apparent ftrength, and fuc- 
 cefs in their caufe , and what appears to have 
 come to pafs, and to be foon coming, from di- 
 vine prophecy •, and to be concerned to be in 
 readinefs to do all they can, and whatever they 
 are called to do for the caufe of Chrift, and in 
 oppofition to that of his enemies. 
 
 « Blefled is he that keepeth his garments." 
 This feems to be an allufion to a foldier fet on the 
 watch in the time of war and danger, when the 
 army to which he belongs is furrounded, and 
 
AN ADDRESS. I97 
 
 threatened to be invaded and conquered by a hoft 
 of enemies. His duty is to continue awake, and 
 obferve the motion of the enemy, &e. If he 
 put off the livery of a foldier, and lie down to 
 fleep, he may be furprized by the enemy and 
 obliged to run away naked, or will fall into the 
 hands of his foes and be carried off by them. 
 In the fpirituai warfare, in which every chriftian 
 is engaged, every one muft be continually on the 
 watch, and keep on him the livery of a chriftian 
 foldier, and never on any occafion put thefe gar- 
 ments off and lay them afide. Watching and 
 keeping his garments imply each other, and can- 
 not be feparated. He who doth watch keepeth 
 his garments, and he who keepeth his garments, 
 watcheth. 
 
 The garments of a christian, by which he is 
 diftinguifhed from all others, and are the chrif- 
 tian livery, confift in the knowledge and prac- 
 tice of the truths in which he " puts on Chrift," 
 and is conformed to him in heart and condudt, 
 wherein he has fet an example to be imitated, and 
 embraces the truth, the doctrines he taught, and 
 commands he has enjoined, both in the exercifes 
 of his heart and in his conversation and conduct,. 
 This is to be clothed with every chriftian grace 
 and virtue, of which a very important one is 
 humility. The whole is comprehended in fove f 
 in putting on charity, that is love, and walking 
 in love. This comprifes the whole of the ehrlf- 
 
 R 2 
 
I98 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 tian chara&er, and the garments with which he 
 is clothed. None but true chriftians, as has 
 been obferved do put on thefe garments in reali- 
 ty ; but many others do put them on by profef- 
 fion and in appearance in the fight of men. The 
 latter often in times of temptation do not keep 
 their garments •, but fall from their profeffion or 
 apoftatize in conduft fo as to difcover their fhame. 
 And real chriftians are in fuch danger of loofing 
 their garments, that it is neceflary for them to 
 watch and exert themfelves to keep them, left 
 they (hould walk naked, &c 
 
 But it is of importance that thefe chriftian gar- 
 ments fhould be more particularly defcribed, and 
 to fhow how they may be kept, and what is ne- 
 ceflary to do it, and in what ways they may be 
 foiled, or put off and loft. The chriftian has 
 put on Jefus Chrift, he is clothed with him, by 
 imbibing the fame fpirit that is in him ; by fin- 
 cere and ardent love to him, union and conftant, 
 and clofe adherence to him and truft in him for 
 all he wants ; a cordial, ftrong devotednefs to 
 him, his fervice, intereft and caufe, as the great 
 and only intereft worthy to be fought and pur- 
 fued, in which his heart is principally engaged 
 and fwallowed up. Confequently, whatever is 
 Contrary to, and oppofes the honour and intereft 
 of his dear Lord and Mafter, he is quick to dif- 
 cern \ and he moft fenfibly feels it, and is difpofed 
 to oppofe it in all proper ways, whatever he muft 
 
AN ADDRESS. Ipp 
 
 be led to facrifice for it, not excepting his own 
 life. All this is neceffary for a chriftian to keep 
 his garments. Jefus Chrifl has exprefsly aflerted 
 this. He who is only a vifible, profefling chrif- 
 tian, is not thus a friend to Chrifl, and really 
 cares nothing about his honour or intereft, and 
 may really put off the garments of a chriftian 
 and betray the caufe of Chrifl, while, through 
 his infenfibility, and want of love to Chrifl and 
 his caufe, or a contrary difpofition, he is wholly 
 infenfible of it. And when he cannot continue 
 his chriftian profeffion without endangering his 
 life, or in fome way hurting his temporal intereft, 
 he will part with this vifible chriftian garment, 
 or do that which is equivalent. 
 
 This love, without which there can be reaily 
 no part of thefe chriftian garments, alfo, carries 
 in the nature of it a peculiar and ftrong union to 
 the friends of Chrifl, as they are clothed with 
 the fame garments, love> in all its branches, and 
 with one heart and foul engaged in the fame 
 caufe. When a profefled chriftian walks difor- 
 derly and is the caufe of ftrife and contention in 
 the church, he does not keep his garments, but 
 fo far puts them off. Hence the ground and ne- 
 ceflity of chriftian difcipline, in the exercife of 
 this love \ in the total negleil of which chriftians 
 do not keep, but fully and lofe their garments. 
 And the chriftian cannot wear or keep his gar- 
 ments without exercifing benevolence to his fel- 
 
200 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 low men, in general, by doing good to all men 
 as he has opportunity. 
 
 In order to have a full more clear and full idea 
 of the garments, and how he may keep or loofe 
 them, they muft be confidered as they confift 
 in the armour by which he defends himfelf, 
 mantains his ground, and obtains the victory, in 
 his warfare with his enemies. In this view the 
 clothing neceilary for a chriftian as a foldier of 
 Chrifl and engaged in a warfare under him, in 
 which fituation he is confidered in the words be- 
 fore us muft be put on. This clothing is often 
 mentioned in fcripture ; but mod particularly 
 defcribed by the apoftle Paul in the conclufion 
 of his letter to the church at Ephefus. Which 
 ought to be often read, underftood and commit- 
 ted to memory, by every chriftian. After defcri- 
 bing the vaft number, fubtilty and power of their 
 inviiible, Spiritual enemies, he calls upon chris- 
 tians to arm themlelves, " to put on the whole 
 armour of God," in order to withftand thefe 
 enemies, " in the evil day." The apoftles and 
 primitive chriitians lived in an evil day, and all 
 the days of chriitians in every age fince have 
 been evil in a fenfe and degree greater or lefs. 
 They had the devil^ and all the men whom he is 
 allowed to influence and ftir up to hate and perfe- 
 cute them, to oppofe* But the time in which 
 we live, and is yet coming on, is in a peculiar 
 fenfe and degree evil, as thefe evil Spirits have a 
 
AN ADDRESS. 201 
 
 particular and large commiftion to go forth, and 
 by their influence to ftir up men in general, at 
 leaft in the chriftian world, in zealous and ftrong 
 attempts againfi Chrift, and to deftroy chriftian- 
 ity and the church. And to what lengths they 
 will be permitted to proceed,: and what particu- 
 lar deeds, in their feeking to deftroy chriftians, 
 they will be fuffered to do, at prefent none can 
 certainly know. It is enough for us to know that 
 they will do what God has defigned they fhall, 
 and -proceed till they have filled the meafure of 
 their iniquity, and are completely ripe, and fit- 
 ted for the deftru&ion which (hall come upon 
 them in the battle of that great day ; and that 
 they are and fhall be blefTed who watch and keep 
 their garments, having put on the whole armour 
 of God. Since all this is true, there is a par- 
 ticular and loud call to all profefied chriftians to 
 put on this armour, and be prepared for what- 
 ever is coming even the worft, however fudden 
 and unexpected it may come ; and be unfeen 
 and not thought of, till fudden deftru&ion come 
 upon them and they fhall not efcape. 
 
 Let chriftians then ftand, having their loins 
 girt about with truth. By truth is meant that 
 fcheme and plan of important, confident con- 
 nected truth revealed in the bible. This is often 
 denominated the truth in diftin&ion from all er- 
 ror, and every fcheme of doCtrine which men 
 have invented, or may or can invent, which 
 
202 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 though they may contain feme things which are 
 true ; yet there is fo much error and falfehood 
 mixed with it, as to fpoil t'ue whole, and render 
 it wholly inconfiftent and ruinous. In oppofition 
 to this, the doctrines of revelation are called the 
 truth, pure, important, faving truth, without 
 any the leaft mixture of error. They who know 
 and embrace this truth, and not any others, are 
 and fhall be faved. They only love the truth, 
 walk in the truth, and by love are united to all 
 who appear to know, love the truth, and walk 
 in it. This is the truth of which Jefus Chrift 
 ipeaks when he fays to Pilate, "To this end was 
 I born, and for this caufe came I into the world, 
 that I fhould bear witnefs unto the truth" 
 
 The apoftle reprefents this truth by a girdle, 
 by which a man girds himfelf and ties up his 
 loofe garments, by which he is fitted for aftion. 
 The girdle was then confidered as an eilential 
 part of clothing ; efpecially for thofe who were 
 engaged in warfare. And in the cafe before us 
 fitly reprefents the truth, by which the chriftian 
 is ftrengthened, and all his garments are made 
 tight, without which he cannot take one ftep. 
 A proper girdle, to anfwer the end for ftrength 
 and ornament, muft confift of one fort of ma- 
 terials, ftrongly united together into one belt or 
 firing, without any chafm or weak place, by 
 which it may become two, or fall into parts. 
 So the truth by which the chriftian is girded is. 
 
AN ADDRESS. 2C3 
 
 perfectly conne&ed together. The whole makes 
 but one girdle ; and one part cannot be taken out 
 without fpoiling the whole. If it be confidered 
 as compofed of feveral links, all harmonious, 
 and of one and the fame fort ftrongly connected 
 and implying and depending upon each other ; if 
 one"of the links be marred or broken and taken 
 out, the girdle is marred and fpoiled, and is not 
 fit or capable of girding the loins of a chriftian. 
 If one eflential truth of the gofpel which is com- 
 prehended in the truths be denied or left out of the 
 chriftian's creed, it is not a chriftian girdle, but 
 like the girdle which the prophet Jeremiah hid in 
 a hole in a rock by Euphrates, it is marred and 
 good for nothing,* 
 
 * Numbers will fay, " Many often fpeak of ejfential do&rines 1 
 but it has never yet been determined and agreed what thefe 
 effential doctrines are ; fo that to fpeak of eflential truths, 
 leaves the matter as vague and uncertain as ever ; for none 
 can tell, and chriftians cannot agree to fay what they are." 
 
 Anfvver. It may be alked, who they are who make this 
 objection, and talk after this manner ? Are they thofe who 
 give proper and good evidence that they are born again of 
 the fpirit of God and of truth ? Do they appear to have 
 that holy love which they only exercife who are born of God, 
 and by which alone they know God? The apoftle John 
 fays, " he that knoweth God heareth us ; he that is not of 
 God hearetk not us." i John iv. 6, 7, 8. And Chrift. fays, 
 the fame, " To this end was I born, and for this caufe came 
 I into the world, that I mould bear witnef3 unto the truth. 
 Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." John 
 xviii. 37. They who are not of this character, but of the 
 contrary, do not hear the voice of Chrift, or the words of 
 the apoftles. They know not God, " They receive not the 
 things of the fpirit of Gad : for they are fooiimnefs unto 
 them ; neither can they know them, becaule they are fpirit- 
 
.:4 AN ADDIv 
 
 _ 
 
 The apoftl ! .ds, " and having on the breaft- 
 plate of righteoufnefs." Here by righteoufnefs 
 is meant true holinefs or uprightnefs of heart by 
 which the chriftian is guarded and fortified againft 
 theaflaults of fatan. This is indeed implied in 
 having his loins girt about with truth, as every 
 part of armour here mentioned is implied in the 
 other, and each one really implies the whole, 
 for one cannot be put on without the other. It 
 
 ually difcerned." I Cor. ii. 14. They hate the truth, and 
 will not come to it. John iii. 19, ao. No wonder thatfuch 
 are in the dark and cannot tell what is eflential truth, or what 
 is the truth. 
 
 But there have been thoufands and millions who being 
 born again have come to the knowledge cf the truth, and 
 have been united in embracing the truth, and in what are 
 the eflential truths of the gofpel. And there have been and 
 are innumerable chriftian churches, who agree in a creed 
 which they believe and arefure contains the eflential truth* 
 contained in divine revelation. Which are, in fubftancc, 
 the following. 
 
 That there is one God polteffing all poffible perfe&ions, 
 both natural and moral, which are infinite and unchangeable : 
 confequently he is unchangeable in his will and defigns or 
 decrees, by which all things from the greateft to the leafb 
 which mould take place were determined and fixed ; and 
 that perfectly confident with the freedom of all moral agents. 
 
 That God fubfifb in a trinity of three, called in the fcrip- 
 ture the Father, the Son, or the Word, and the Holy Spirit. 
 
 That mankind who were made upright have in confc- 
 quence of the fin of Adam, fallen into a ftate of tttal moral 
 depravity, being dead in trefpafles and fin. 
 
 That God has determined to fave fome, not all of man- 
 kind, whom he has chofen out of the reft and given them to 
 the Son to be favedby him. That Chrift the Saviour is God 
 manifcft in the flefti, and has by his fuffering, and obedience 
 made atonement for fin, and obtained that merit and right- 
 
IN ADDRESS. 20$ 
 
 is a whole armour : h all hang ' -^ether, as one 
 whole. The breaft-plate of righteoufnefs joined 
 with the loins girded with truth, diitinguifhes 
 the latter from that which is fpurious and falfe. 
 The apoftie had fpoken of thofe who « hold the 
 truth in u n right eoufnefs" He here fpeaks of di- 
 rectly the contrary, holding the truth in righte- 
 oufnefs ; which is, receiving it into an hone ft and 
 good heart. Men may hold the truth in fome 
 part of it, if not the whole, in fpeculation, while 
 their hearts are neither good or honeft, but hate 
 and oppofe it. This is to hold it in unrighteouf- 
 nefs, as they do not put on the breaft-plate of 
 righteoufnefs \ neither are their loins girt about 
 with truth. 
 
 eoufnefs, by which Gnners maybe pardoned, juftified and 
 laved confidently with the righteous law and government of 
 God. — That the finner who believes in Chrift is juftified, by 
 the righteoufnefs of Chrift and not on accoun: of any thing 
 good and deferving in himfelf. That in order to believe on 
 Chrift, men muft be born again by thefpirit of God, which 
 God of his fovereign grace effects in the hearts of the elecSt, 
 who being jnftified by faith, fhall perfevere in holinefs to 
 'eternal life. — That the law of God requiring perfect obedi- 
 ence and holinefs, is binding on all men both faints and di- 
 ners, which none attain to in this life. 
 
 That there will be a refurre&ion of all the bodies both of 
 thejuft and unjuft ; when all (hall be judged by Chrift, who 
 will invite the former into his eternal kingdom, to be holy 
 and happy forever ; and will fentence the latter to everlafl- 
 ing puniihment. 
 
 There are many truths not expreffed but implied in the 
 above creed, and numerous things which maybe called ap- 
 pendages to it, in the knowledge of which the attentive 
 discerning chriftian, who embraces the foregoing fundamen- 
 tal doctrines, will make advances, as he grows in grace and 
 in the knowledge of his Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. 
 S 
 
206 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 The truth, as it has been explained, is hated 
 and oppofed by fatan and all wicked men. The 
 rulers of the darknefs of this world, and all 
 their followers hate this light, which is deftrutt- 
 ive to the kingdom of darknefs, error and delu- 
 fion, which is the kingdom of the devil •, which 
 none can fuccefsfully oppofe, unlefs their loins 
 are girded about with truth. 
 
 It might not be unprofitable to proceed to men- 
 tion and explain the other parts of the chriftian 
 armour fpecifiedby the apoftle: But as this would 
 fwell this addrefs beyond the propofed limits, it 
 mud be left to every ferious chriftian to examine 
 and meditate on the whole of this important 
 pafiage. One particular, however, here men- 
 tioned muft not be wholly pafled over, which is 
 faith, that faith which is the fubftance of things 
 hoped for, and the evidence of things not feen, 
 which is rcprefented as effential to the whole, 
 and covering all the reft. This implies a firm 
 and unftiaken truft in the glorious head of the 
 church, in his power, wifdom, goodnefs and 
 truth ; a hope and confidence that he will main- 
 tain his own caufe, protect his church and 
 friends, and lead them on to complete viftory, 
 and in the beft time and manner defeat all his 
 and their enemies,, and turn all they have done 
 or will do to his own advantage and the benefit 
 of his church and kingdom. Were it not for 
 this faith the chriftian muft fink into a fpirit of 
 
AN ADDRESS. 207 
 
 defpondency and heavinefs ; but in the exercife 
 of this he puts on the garment of praife and 
 joy, however much and long fatan and wicked 
 men may feem to fucceed, prevail and profper. 
 
 This fubjeft will be concluded by a few cau- 
 tions,* dire&ions, and motives to regard and 
 obey thefe words of Chrift, which are more ap- 
 plicable, and fpeak more direftly to the profef- 
 fed chriftians of this generation and thofe which 
 fhall follow, than to any who have lived hereto- 
 fore. 
 
 1 . Be concerned to be awake. Do not fleep 
 as others, but watch and be fober, left this day 
 ihould overtake you as a thief. Watch again ft 
 every the lead deviation from the way of truth 
 and duty. Look round you and fee what others 
 and the world are doing, and maintain that love 
 to Chrift and concern for his honour and intereil 
 as fhall produce a mod lively and fenfible feeling 
 of every thing which is againft him and his 
 eaufe, and be ready to oppofe it in all proper 
 waySr 
 
 2. Take heed what do&rines you imbibe as 
 true. Study the bible with care and conftancy. 
 Be concerned to know and embrace the whole 
 truth, which you can fee through from begin- 
 ning to the end ; and though there be fome 
 things incomprehenfible in it, yet you can fee the 
 whole to be perfe&ly confiftent, and to form one 
 
208 AN ADDRESS, 
 
 conne&ed chain, which cannot be broken, and 
 with which you may fafely gird up your loins. 
 
 There are many errors embraced and propa- 
 gated at this day, which are inconfident with the 
 conne&ed chain of truth, which if confidently 
 followed would land men in total infidelity and 
 atheifm. They who are afleep may be wholly 
 infenfible of this ; but chridians ought to be 
 awake, able to difcern and guard againd fuch 
 errors. It w r ould take too much room to particu- 
 larife here, and mention all the errors which 
 have this tendency, and fhow that they will land 
 all thofe who embrace, and confidently follow 
 them, in the darknefs of atheifm. But it may 
 be of importance to mention one, which indeed 
 is connected with many others. It is this, that 
 the do£fcrines of the gofpel are of fo little impor- 
 tance, that it is really no matter what men be- 
 lieve, if they do but live a moral life. It is eafy 
 to fhow that this is not only contrary to the 
 whole bible, but really fets it afide, as no better 
 than deifm or atheifm itfelf. 
 
 3. The world is a dangerous fnare to chrif- 
 tians at all times, especially in this time when fa- 
 tan is with power and fubtilty tempting men to 
 worldly-mindednefs among other vices. So far 
 as men are inclined to infidelity, and immorali- 
 ty in general they love the world, and the things 
 of the world, and are eagerly purfuing the plea- 
 
AN ADDRESS. 20p" 
 
 Aires, profit and honors of it. And indeed this 
 is the leading vice, and the parent of all the reft. 
 Chriflians cannot give way to this, and* keep their 
 garments unfpotted by it. Their faith, if true and 
 exercifed with proper ftrength, will overcome 
 the world. They cannot ferve God and mam- 
 mon. All their concerns with the things of the 
 world are fubordinated to the honour and caufe 
 of Chrift, and wholly devoted to this : and in 
 their worldly bufinefs, they exercife as real reli- 
 gion in love to Chrift and adling for him and his 
 intereft, as in any of their adls of piety and de- 
 votion. He who lays afide his religion for a 
 week, day or one hour, that he may take care 
 of and purfue his worldly concerns in any man- 
 ner and fhape whatever, is fo far from keeping, 
 that he puts off the chriftian garment. And if 
 he returns one day in the week, or at any other 
 time, when his temporal affairs will admit, to 
 fome attention to religion, 2nd pra£tice of it, he 
 is fo far from putting on the chriftian garments, 
 that in the fight of him who has faid, " Ye can- 
 not ferve God and mammon," it is nothing but 
 deceit and mockery. Let chriflians beware of 
 this, "would they keep their garments in this evil 
 time. 
 
 4. Take heed of engaging and a&ing in po- 
 litical and civil concerns fo as to weaken or coun- 
 teract the caufe of chriftianity, or lofe or abate 
 your own r^jgious exercifes and zeal in the caufe 
 s % 
 
210 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 of Chrift. We live in a time when this caution 
 is peculiarly proper and necefiary ; when the 
 public are greatly divided in their fentiments and 
 conduit ; and difputes and political contention 
 rife very high, and are carried on with great heat 
 and animofity. This is in itfelf but a temporal, 
 worldly matter, and comparatively of Fmall im- 
 portance, fo far as the intereft of Chrift and 
 chriftianity has no concern with it, and is not, 
 in fome refpefts involved in it ; which is not 
 often the cafe. Bat when religion is connected 
 with civil affairs, the chrifiian feels intereftedin 
 them ; but, as in all other worldly concerns, he 
 fubordinates them to this all important intereft. 
 He will therefore be on that fide in politics, 
 which in his beft and mod mature judgment will 
 moft promote the caufe of Chrift. And if he 
 thinks his acting with either party will not tend 
 to help this caufe, he will fit ftill, and aft on 
 neither fide. And if he thinks religion calls him 
 to fpeak and aft on one fide, he will be calm and 
 fteady, and not join in the fierce contentions and 
 unchriftian words and actions of thofe of either 
 party ; but condemn and reprove them. When 
 profefled chriftians are fo engaged in politicks, 
 as to fubordinate the caufe of religion to their 
 political caufe, and fay and do that which tends 
 to wound and fink chriftianity, or when the 
 caufe itfelf which they efpoufe has evidently this 
 tendency, they do not keep, but put off their 
 chriftian garments. Therefore*eJ^iftwns take 
 heed to themfelves in this point. 
 
 let chrift: 
 
AN ADDRESS. 211 
 
 Should the body or majority of the people of 
 a community or nation become fo corrupt and 
 carelefs about the intereft of chriitianity, as to 
 join with profefled infidels in choofing rulers who 
 were known to be real enemies to chriftianity, 
 which may be in fa£t the cafe under the fixth 
 vial, which is. now running ; could a chriftian in 
 this cafe watch and keep his garments, and yet 
 join with them to promote and carry on this bufi- 
 nefs ? And if this man fhould attempt to ex- 
 cufe and juftify himfelf by faying that political 
 matters and religion are entirely diftinft and dif- 
 ferent things ? therefore while he acts in the 
 former and joins with thofe who are attempting 
 to deftroy the caufe of the latter, he leaves the 
 latter with a view to refume it, when he has an- 
 fwered his political ends \ will not this make bad 
 worfe ? Let the difcerning chriftian who 
 watches and keeps his garments, judge. 
 
 This particular will be concluded, by a quota- 
 tion from Mr. Fuller, an Englifti writer. In his 
 preface to his book entitled " The gofpel its own 
 witnefs," he writes as follows. " One thing 
 which has contributed to the advantage of infi- 
 delity is the height to which political difputes 
 have arifen, and the degree in which they have 
 interefted the paflions and prejudices of man- 
 kind. Thofe who favour the fentiments of a fet 
 of men in one thing, will be in danger of think- 
 ing favouraMfeof them in others \ at leaft they 
 vrill not beako view them in fo bad a light, as 
 
 W" 
 
212 AN ADDRESS. 
 
 if they had been advanced by perfons of differ- 
 ent fentiments in other things, as well as in reli- 
 gion. It is true, there may be nothing more 
 friendly to infidelity in the nature of one political 
 fyftem than another ; neverthelefs it becomes 
 thofe who think favourably of the political prin- 
 ciples of infidels to take heed left they be infenfi- 
 bly drawn away to think lightly of religion. All 
 the nations of the earth, and all the difputes on 
 the beft or word mode of government, com- 
 pared with this, are lefs than nothing and 
 vanity. 
 
 " To this it may be added, that the eagernefs 
 with which men engage in political difputes, take 
 which fide they may, is unfavourable to a zeal- 
 ous adherence to the gofpel. Any mere worldly 
 object, if it becomes the principal thing which 
 occupies our thoughts and affections will weaken 
 our attachment to religion : And if we once 
 become cool and indifferent to this, we are in 
 the high road to infidelity." 
 
 This- addrefs will be concluded by fuggefting 
 motives to pay fpecial attention to thefe words 
 of Chrift, and carefully obey them. 
 
 i. Jefus Chrift fpeaks in thefe remarkable 
 words particularly and moll exprcfsly to thofe 
 who live in this day, as has been fhown. There- 
 fore to difregard them now will be highly and in 
 a peculiar degree criminal and dangerous. 
 
AN ADDRESS, 
 
 2. If you do net watch and keep your gar- 
 ments, confider the awful, the infinitely dreadful 
 confequence. Chrift will come upon you as a 
 thief, and you fhall not know what hour he will 
 come. The confequence will be your fuffering 
 all evils of this day, and final and everlafting 
 deftru&ion. 
 
 3. Many and great evils are faft coming,onand 
 are even at the door, in which the church will 
 partake, and greatly fuffer, even to a degree at 
 prefent unknown. In the time of the prevalence 
 of infidelity and immorality, and all kinds of 
 vice which attend it, chriftians mud fuffer many 
 ways, and endure great trials and temptations to 
 turn afide and fin. And many calamities and 
 divine judgments will take place before the fixth 
 vial is ended, as a warning and anticipation of 
 the battle which is coming on, as has been ob- 
 ferved. In thefe, chriftians muft fuffer in a great- 
 er or lefs degree with others. And they will 
 doubtlefs come fuddenly and unexpected to all, 
 who are not prepared to meet them by watching 
 and keeping their garments. 
 
 And chriftians have no warrant to conclude, 
 that perfecution will not take place before the 
 vial which is now running is out. And how 
 foon and fuddenly it will come on, none can 
 tell. There is nothing in the volume of Revela- 
 tion which intimates that the church (hall be no 
 more perfected, and that to a degree beyond 
 
214 A N ADDRESS. 
 
 * any thing of the kind that has yet taken place, 
 And there are fome paffages of fcripture which 
 feem to foretel the contrary, fome of which will 
 be here mentioned. The prophet Jeremiah 
 fpeaks of the fufferings of Jacob, that is of the 
 church of Chrift, as peculiarly great in the time 
 immediately previous to her deliverance and pros- 
 perity which Chrift fhall effe£t when he fhall 
 come to reign in the millennium. [Chap. xxx. 
 4 — 9.] " Alas ! for that day is great, fo that 
 none is like it : // is even the time of Jacob's trou- 
 ble ; but he fhall be faved out of it. For it (hall 
 come to pafs in that day, faith the Lord of hofts 
 that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and 
 will burft thy bonds, and ftrangers fhall no more 
 ferve themfelves of him. But they fhall ferve 
 the Lord their God, and David their king, whom 
 I will raife up unto them." By David Chrift is 
 meant. This expreffion is frequently ufed by 
 the prophets to denote the reign of Chrift in the 
 millennium. The fame we may underftand as 
 predicted, Dan. xii. 1. This is expreffed by 
 Z e char iah [chap. xiv. 1, 2, 3.] " Behold, the day 
 of the Lord cometh, and thy fpoil fhall be di- 
 vided in the midft of thee. For I will gather all 
 nations againft Jerufalem to battle, and the city 
 fhall be taken, and the houfes rifled, and the 
 women ravifhed, and half of the city fhall go forth 
 into captivity, and the refidue of the people 
 fhall not be cut off from the city. Then fhall 
 the Lord go forth and fight againft thefe nations* 
 
AN ADDRESS. 215 
 
 Who can attentively read this paflage with 
 what follows, without perceiving that in this 
 predittion there is reference to the fame events 
 which are foretold under the fixth and feventh 
 vials in the Revelation ? When it is faid, " half 
 of the city {hall go forth into captivity," the 
 meaning probably is, that the falfe profeflbrs in 
 the church, which is meant by Jerufalem, (hall, 
 in the time of perfecution, fall away and join 
 the enemy. The reft who keep their garments 
 fhall be faved. 
 
 Thefe pafiages of fcripture, and others which 
 might be mentioned, feem to indicate that the 
 time of the greateft fufferings of the church is 
 yet to come, and is faft approaching, and even 
 at the door. There is nothing in the prefent 
 ftate or difpofition of mankind that is the lead 
 fecurity againft this, but much to the contrary. 
 What has taken place in Europe the laft centu- 
 ry, and in a few years paft, and is now progref- 
 fmg there, and even in America, is an evidence 
 of this. Unbelievers, of whom there are many, 
 think and fay they have found out that chriftian- 
 ity has been the fource of moft of the evils 
 which mankind fuffer : and they cannot be hap- 
 py until chriftianity and chriftians are wholly 
 fuppreffed and deftroyed. Nothing can prevent 
 their attempting this, by pra&ifing the moft 
 cruel and horrid perfecution of chriftians that 
 has ever yet been known, unlefs reftrained from 
 it by God, which there is no reafon to expe&y 
 
2i6 An address. 
 
 but the contrary, from the prophecy in the Rev* 
 elation, which has been confidered, and thofe 
 juft now mentioned. 
 
 This may be neceflary as a mean to purge the 
 vifible church of the many and great corruptions 
 in do&rine and pra£Hce, which have been intro- 
 duced and do continue •, and to detedt and ex- 
 clude the many falfe profeffors : and to purify 
 and render real chriftians more holy, and fo 
 prepared for that more perfedt ft ate which fhall 
 commence with the millennium. It is predicted, 
 and probably refpe£te this very time, that " many 
 fhall be purified and made white and tried." 
 [Daniel xii. 10.] When Chrift {hall comb in 
 this way he will lit as a refiner and purifier of 
 filver : and who fhall ftand, when he appeareth ? 
 None but thofe who watch and keep their gar- 
 ments. 
 
 4. The fure and only way to be blefled, is to 
 watch and keep your garments. This is the 
 only way. This is implied in thefe words of 
 Chrift, as has been obferved. And that it is a 
 fure way, is as certain as it is that Chrift him- 
 felf fpake thefe words. And it is implied that 
 they fhall be in a peculiar manner and degree 
 blefled, who in this day of great temptation and 
 fuffering, are faithful to Chrift, and perfevere 
 in adherence to him and his caufe through great 
 oppofition and trials. 
 
 END OF THE ADDRESS. 
 
DISCOURSE, 
 
 DELIVERED AT 
 
 NEWPORT, RHODE-ISLAND, 
 
 AT THE FUNERAL OF THE 
 
 REV. SAMUEL HOPKINS, D. D. 
 
 Pastor of the first Congregational Church there. 
 
 WHO DIED ON THE 
 
 20th of December, A. D. 1803, 
 
 IN THE EIGHTY-THIRD YEAR OF HIS AGE, 
 AND SIXTIETH OF HIS MINISTRY. 
 
 BY LEVI HART, D. D. 
 
 PASTOR OF THE NORTH CHURCH IN PRE S TON. 
 
FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 2 KINGS 11. 12. 
 
 -My father , my father ', the cl 
 
 of Ifrael and the horfemen thereof I 
 
 1 HIS pathetic exclamation was uttered by the 
 prophet Elifha, when he law his venerable teach- 
 er and guide afcending to glory in a chariot o£ 
 fire. The prophet Elijah lived in a very degen- 
 erate age, and was commifiioned to prophecy to 
 a flupid and obftinate generation. Yet he per- 
 fevered with inflexible refolution and unabating 
 fidelity, in declaring the counfels of God, and 
 warning the wicked of approaching deftruclion. 
 
 When advanced in life, he called Elifha to an 
 immediate attendance on him, and gave him the 
 needful inftru£tions, for the place he was defin- 
 ed to fill, as his fucceflbr in the prophetic office.* 
 Their mutual exprelfions of pious friendfhip 
 previous to their feparation were inflructive and 
 edifying. Afk, faid the old prophet to his 
 friend, « what I fliall do for thee before I be 
 taken away from thee." " I pray thee, laid 
 Elifha, that a double portion of thy fpirit may 
 reft upon me." 
 
 * I Kirgs six. 19— %i. 
 
220 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 What are the friendfhips of the world when 
 compared with this ? — We fee an aged Minifter 
 of God about to afcend. But he could not 
 leave the world until he had performed the laft 
 kind office to his beloved pupil. A parting 
 bleffing too was the object of Elifha's praver. 
 Their wifhes united in the moft valuable acqui- 
 fition ;— • « The fpirit of Elijah refted on Elifha." 
 
 Happy for him, as it opened an extenfive field 
 of ufefulnefs and felicity on earth, happy for 
 his country and generation, as he was hereby 
 qualified to fucceed his mafter, as their gu;de, 
 defence and ftay. — Happy for the old prophet as 
 it occupied his laft moments, on earth, in bene- 
 fiting his moft beloved friend whom he left be- 
 hind. — Happy for them both, as it ferved the 
 intereft of God's holy kingdom, as it united them 
 in more endearing bonds, and prepared the way 
 for mutual congratulation at their re-union, in 
 the blefled manfions occupied by the fpirits of 
 the juft made perfect. 
 
 In the words of the text we have the expreflive 
 exclamation of the young prophet, at the afcent 
 of his mafter. — « My father, my father, the 
 chariot of Ifrael and the horfemen thereof !" 
 
 The import of tnefe expreffions will be plain 
 and fignificant to us, if we remember that the 
 principal defence and fafety of the ancient Asiat- 
 ic nations, was in their cavalry. They v 
 
FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 221 
 
 accuftomed to righting either on horfeback or in 
 chariots, built for war, and armed in fuch a 
 manner, as to be well adapted for defence and 
 to be terrible to the enemy. Thefe in a cam- 
 paign country, were the principal ftrength of 
 an army •, though they could net be brought to 
 acl: with equal fuccefs in the hills and moun- 
 tains. Hence that faying of the fervants of the 
 king of Syria, after their defeat by the men of 
 Ifrael. " Their Gods are Gods of the hills. 
 Therefore they were ftronger than we. But let 
 us fight agamft them in the plain, and we fhall 
 be ftronger than they !" * 
 
 From various fcripture texts, it appears that 
 God's people were directed to place their confi- 
 dence in him alone for protection and fafety. 
 That as a vifible evidence of this they were not 
 allowed to multiply horfes and chariots, tl 
 when taken in war from their enemies the horfes 
 fliould be difabled from war and their chariots 
 fhould be burned.f 
 t 
 
 From the whole it appears, that Ifrael was un- 
 der the peculiar care of Jehovah, their God an d 
 king ; and that they were tomanifeft their de- 
 pendence on him by remaining deftitute of thofe 
 means of defence, which were common to other 
 nations. 
 
 * i Kings xx. 23. f Deut. xvii. 16, Joft. xi. 6—9. 
 Pftlmxx. 7. Ifai. ii. 7. xxxi. 1. 
 
 T 2 
 
222 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 It is however important to remark, that rdtho' 
 this chofen people were protected by God with- 
 out the means adopted by other nations, it was 
 not his good pleafure, ufually, to defend and 
 fave them without any means. It is edifying to 
 obferve the wifdom and goodnefs of God in 
 conftituting means for the accomplifhment of 
 his defigns, of wifdom and love, to his people. 
 Though it would be equally eafy with him to 
 effect them without means. This is eminently 
 illuftrated, in his providential difpenfations to 
 his ancient chofen people. The bleflings they 
 enjoyed were ufually conveyed from heaven to 
 them, through the inftrumentality of able and 
 pious rulers, prophets and teachers. 
 
 This difplays the intent and meaning of our 
 text. Under the divine fuperintendance, Eli- 
 jah had been to Ifrael all that which horfes and 
 chariots were defigned to be to other nations ; 
 even their ftrength and flay. His venerable 
 age, character, and relation to Elifha, as his 
 guide and teacher, induced him to apply the 
 honorable epithet of father. Hence, palling all 
 other applications of the paffage before us, we 
 fhall attend to the following propofition, viz. 
 To fhowin what refpects, able and pious teach- 
 ers of religion, are the means of defence and 
 fafety to the people of God. It is admitted that 
 fafety is from God, as really, when brought to 
 us through the agency of men, as when imme- 
 
FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 223 
 
 diately from him. It is alfo admitted, that the 
 truth in the text applies to public men in all rela- 
 tions to fociety, who are able and who faithfully 
 ferve their generation by the will of God. But 
 at prefent we apply it only to the able and pious 
 teachers of religion. 
 
 We fhall attempt to illuftrate and confirm it by 
 the following obfervations, viz. 
 
 1. The public teachers of religion are quali- 
 fied and appointed by God for this purpofe. 
 Scripture hiftory abundantly confirms this ob- 
 fervation. 
 
 Mofes was defigned by God for a public teach- 
 er of religion. Provifion was therefore made 
 for his education, in Egyptian, (as well as He- 
 brew) learning. He was then carried through 
 the fchool of adverfity in a ftrange land, employ- 
 ed in the folitary and contemplative life of a 
 fhepherd. At length he received the divine 
 commiflion conflitutingiiim the leader and fhep- 
 herd of the flock of Ifrael. Great and difficult 
 were the duties of his office. How could he 
 have discharged them without that diftinguifhed 
 fhare of grace, of gifts and learning with which 
 he was endued ? Who would have guided the 
 chofen tribes to the land of liberty and reft had 
 there not been a Moles : 
 
 The duties of a puHifc teacher require a found 
 
224 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 underftanding, and other mental powers adtive 
 and vigorous. A well cultivated mind and a 
 heart enlarged in the fervice of God, and for 
 the good of men. Without each of thefe, and 
 eipecially this laft, there is fmall ground to hope 
 that the teacher will be found to be " the chariot 
 of Ifracl and the horfemen thereof*" 
 
 Hence we may reft in the comfortable prof- 
 peel, that when it pleafes God to ufe any one for 
 this purpofe he will raife up and qualify him $ 
 and that he calls to this important fervice thofe 
 only whom he hath firft qualified to perform 1 it. 
 Such he calls to it and affifts them in it, and to- 
 fuch the promifes of the divine prefencc and af- 
 fiftance arc made. The manner of his conftitu- 
 ting public teachers, and inducting them to their 
 office has been various in the different ages of the 
 church : but all terminating in the fame object. 
 The perfons are marked out, either by the imme- 
 diate agency of God, or by him through the 
 agency of man. But always fo as to imply the 
 importance of the before named qualifications. 
 
 2. The inftrucYions of public teachers, who 
 are qualified for their work, are defigned and 
 adapted to guide, protect and fave their hearers. 
 Thefe inftru£tions have been various, as to form 
 and circumftances, in the different ages of the 
 world ' 9 but have always bggp adapted to the ca- 
 pacity andflate of maiij. to lead him to the true. 
 
FUNEUAL DISCOURSE. 22ff 
 
 knowledge of God, of himfelf and the way to 
 perfedt and durable felicity. 
 
 Under the chriftian revelation they are abun- 
 dantly clear. 
 
 It is the obje£t of the public teacher to lead 
 his hearers to be wife and happy, by inftructing 
 them concerning the being and perfections of the 
 one living and true God. — The nature, extent 
 and perfection of his providential and moral 
 government. — The nature, relations, and prof- 
 pe£ts of man as an accountable being. — The ex- 
 tent and perfection of the moral law, and the fin 
 and ruin of man as a tranfgreflbr. — Utterly de- 
 praved, and juftly condemned and in a.hopelefs 
 ftate, without the intervention of fovereign 
 grace. — And the wonderful method of grace for 
 man, exhibited in the mediatorial fyftem, through 
 which there is complete ialvation for the moft 
 guilty of our race who fly for refuge, to the 
 hope fet before them in the gofpel. — By an ex- 
 hibition of thefe and other connected truths, the 
 public teacher leads his hearers to the light of 
 life ; and if they receive the truth in the love of 
 it, they will not fail of obtaining in the final if- 
 fue, complete deliverance from the ruins of the 
 apoftacy and an inheritance among all thofe who 
 are fan£tified through faith in Chrift Jefus. 
 
 Ig^BL goo> 
 
 3. The examploBot good public teachers, is 
 excellently adaptecMBtforce their inftruttions, 
 
226 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 fo as to protect, guide, and fave their hearers. 
 Notwithstanding the imperfections of the pres- 
 ent itate, good public teachers do in a meafure 
 exemplify their inftructions, by their pious con- 
 verfation. This, above mod other things, is 
 adapted to influence their hearers, by fixing a 
 ftrong conviction on their minds of the truth and 
 importance of their inftruttions ; the guilty and 
 miferable ftate of man, as a (inner, the great 
 and awful danger of final ruin, the neceffity of 
 gofpel grace, . the precioufnefs of Chriil, the 
 excellency of chriftianity, and the worth of an 
 intereft in the divine favor. The influence of ex- 
 ample is well known to be great. That of fu- 
 periors has peculiar advantage ; in which rela- 
 tion, public inftruftors are generally viewed by 
 mod of their hearers. 
 
 If they are pbfleffed of a candid and ingenuous 
 mind, in matters of religion, they cannot fail of 
 profiting by the combined influence of good in- 
 struction and pious example. 
 
 Man is expofed to many evils from the cor- 
 ruptions of his own heart, from the temptations 
 of the world, and efpecially from evil men, and 
 from the great adversary of good, " who goeth 
 about like a roaring lion feeking whom he may 
 devour."* 
 
 * i Peter v. 
 
 ^ 
 
funeral discourse. ^27 
 
 The inftruttions of wifdom and the example 
 of good men united, are excellently adapted to 
 guide him in his way, to protect him from all 
 thefe enemies and bring him to final peace and 
 fafety. 
 
 The bible hiftory of ancient Ifrael is eminently 
 adapted to illuftrate and confirm the truth we 
 are confidering. While Mofes and Jofhua lived, 
 and while the Elders remained who over-lived 
 Jofliua, the people obeyed the commandments 
 of the Lord ; but when thefe were removed, 
 they turned to idolatry. The fame truth is ef- 
 tabliihed by the hiftory of the good leaders and 
 the evil ones- in Judah down to the Babylonifli 
 captivity. When they had good kings and 
 priefts, they kept the divine commands ; but no 
 fooner were thefe removed and fucceeded by evil 
 ones, than the people departed from the Lord. 
 
 The hiftory of good Jehoiada deferves our at- 
 tention. He was an able and faithful initruclor, 
 and his example confirmed the truth of what he 
 taught. Tn confequence of this, the kingdom 
 was reftored from the very corrupt ftate, into 
 which it had fallen under the ufurpation of the 
 wicked Athaliah, and the people followed the 
 Lord ail the days of Jehoiada, and he was ex- 
 ceedingly venerable in their eyes. The infpired 
 writer of the hiftory informs us, that, " Jehoiada 
 waxed old and wa^ljk of days when he died, 
 
 *M 1 of 
 
 1 
 
:^8 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 an hundred and thirty years old was he when 
 he died. And they buried him in the city of 
 David, among the kings, becaufe he had done 
 good in Ifrael, both towards God, and toward 
 his houfe."* 
 
 4. The influence of public teachers in pre- 
 paring others to fucceed them, when they (hall be 
 removed, is highly beneficial to the church of 
 God. It is ufually one part of the labor of emi- 
 nent teachers in religion to form the minds of 
 youthful ftudents, to fill important places hereaf- 
 ter. By this, divine knowledge is preferved in 
 the world, and able and well qualified public 
 teachers are provided for the church ; and thus, 
 from generation to generation, there is a happy 
 fupply to repair the wafle of time and death. 
 
 Thus was the prophet Elijah employed in his 
 day, and Elifha after him, in training up " the 
 fons of the prophets," for important fervice, in 
 their day, and to tranfmit to the children of fu- 
 ture times, the knowledge of divine truth. 
 
 Thus alfo are eminent teachers employed in 
 this and former ages. Some propagate divine 
 knowledge by oral inftrucHons, and fome by 
 their writings, and fome by both, efpecially 
 fince the art of printing has been known. «By 
 each of thefe, the ufefulnefs of able and pious 
 
 % Chronicles xxiv. 15 
 
 * 
 
FUNERAL DI9C0UE 22$ 
 
 public teachers is much advanced. How tgftis 
 the benefit even to us, of this very diitant age, 
 from the writings of Mofes and the prophets 
 and other facred penmen of the old teftament 
 and the new ! and how great will be the debt of 
 future ages to the end of time ! Yea, may we 
 not expe£t that the blefled in heaven will be wifer, 
 better, and more happy forever, not only from 
 their knowledge of the fcriptures, obtained in 
 this life, but alfo from tKeir advance even there, 
 in happifying difcoveries in the deep myfteries 
 wrapped up in thefe divine books ! May not 
 the pleafing reflection extend, (with the limita- 
 tion due to the bed publications of uninlpired 
 man) to the many excellent books on divine fub- 
 jects, which have been publifhed in this and the 
 preceding ages ? What an accumulation of 
 benefits to the church of God, advancing in an 
 ever increafing proportion, from this fource ; 
 and how abundant the evidence that able and 
 pious public teachers, are « the chariot of Ifraft, 
 and the horfemen thereof !" 
 
 5. Able and pious public teachers are the de- 
 fence and fafety of the church by their prayers. 1 
 Though it is equally eafy with God to grant 
 bleffings to his people, without the application of 
 this or any other mean ; yet it hath feemed good 
 to%nernng wifdom to eftablifh this connexion, 
 and fix ihe plan of beftowmenf in anfwer to 
 prayer. Notwithftanding the fupplications of 
 the moil pious can make no change in the coun- 
 u 
 
-3° <ERAL DISCOURSE, 
 
 of God, they may prepare the fubjedk fof 
 the reception cf the good fought, and anfwer 
 other purpofes of fixing this connexion, which in 
 the divine mind are amply fufficient. 
 
 That fuch a connexion is fixed in the revealed 
 
 will of God, between the ^prayers of his people 
 
 and the beflowment of the needed blefhngs, is 
 
 evident from the hiftory of the prayers of Abel, 
 
 Ii, Abraham, Mofes, Jofhua, Samuel, the 
 
 us kings of Judah, the prophets of the old 
 teilament and the apoflles of the new. Men of 
 description are reprefented by God as thofe 
 who " make up the hedge and ftand in the g^p 
 before him for the land, that he fhould not des- 
 troy it."* Such in their day were Abraham,f 
 Mofes4 and Aaron,§ and Phineas, and fuch, in 
 all ages, are the able and pious leaders of the 
 church of God. What chriftian therefore can 
 hefitate to believe that the effectual fervent 
 prayer of a righteous man availeth much.|| So 
 manifeft is the truth that able and pious public 
 teachers are the defence, protection, and fafety 
 cf the church, or, they are " the chariot of Ifrael 
 and the horfemen thereof." 
 
 IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 I . Able and pious" leaders in the church of 
 Chrift are a great bleffing. Thefe take a pl^ce 
 and fill a relation in the chriftian church, in many 
 refpe&s, fimilarto that of Elijah, Jehoiada, and 
 
 * Ezek. xxii. 3$. f Gen. xviii. 23, 32. f Num. xlv. H— %Q< 
 xvi. 44. § Cl;ap. xxv. 6, 13, || James v. 16. 
 
FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 23 I 
 
 other pious leaders under the ancient difpenfa- 
 tion. 
 
 Their miniftrations ought to be thankfully re- 
 ceived and wifely improved. The wifdom and 
 goodnefs of divine inftitutions, obvious indeed 
 in other cafes, are eminently confpicuous in d 
 The great things, which God effe£ls through the 
 inftrumentality of thefe earthen veffels, abun- 
 dantly " prove the excellency of the power to be 
 of God and not of man/ 5 and in various refpecls 
 this method of divine operation is adapted to 
 the character of God and tKe condition of man. 
 How deeply doth it concern thofe who are em- 
 ployed in the chriftian miniftry, to magnify their 
 office, by difcharging its duties to the bed of 
 their ability : and to fee that the miniftry be not 
 blamed through any fault on their part. 
 
 Animating is the thought of imitating though 
 at a humble diftance the piety, the wifdom, the 
 philanthropy of Elijah, of Jehoiada and other 
 venerable and ufeful characters under the an- 
 cient difpenfation and the new. The hope of 
 uniting (in the bleffed exercifes and enjoyments 
 of futurity) with the long lift of faithful fervants 
 in the houfe of God, mult exceedingly animate 
 us, in the profpe£t of that world, and render 
 the labours and forrows of the prefent flate, 
 light and momentary. 
 
 2. The aged and wife in the chriftian minif- 
 try fhould do their utmoft for the inftructicn and 
 
232 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 improvement of their younger brethren in divine 
 knowledge, and to encourage them to diligence 
 and fidelity in their work ; and the younger 
 fhould improve the feafon of benefiting by their 
 inftructions, before they are removed. 
 
 Agreeable to the language in our context, the 
 aged fhould fay to the young, " afk what we 
 fhall do for you before we be taken away from 
 you." And the young fhould reply we " pray 
 that a double portion of your fpirit may reft on 
 US." " This is truly friendfhip in death" — how 
 amiable ! how congenial to the foft and tender 
 emotions of chriflian love, in the near profpeft 
 of feparation ! Great are the benefits to be de- 
 rived to the church of God by fuch friendly in- 
 tercourfe between the aged in the chriftian tnin- 
 iftry and the young. Eythis, the treafure of 
 theological knowledge, the refult of many ftudi- 
 ous years, and of the experience of a long life, 
 may be, in a happy degree, tranfmitted from- 
 age to youth, and the fund of religious knowl- 
 edge and experience may be conftantly accumu- 
 lating ; and the wife and good will live in their 
 fucceffors. 
 
 3. When the ag.ed and venerable in the chrif- 
 
 miniftry, are removed from our world, fuc- 
 eeflbrs are called to take up the lamentation in our 
 text. 
 
 Such are " the men who make up the hedge 
 and (land in the gap." — Their removal indie, 
 the divine difpleafure. They are often take.:- 
 
FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 233 
 
 from the evil to come. Thus it was in the cafe 
 of the good king Jofiah, and in many others. 
 When men eminently ufeful in the church on 
 earth, are removed from our world, the means 
 of our protection and fafety are thus far removed ; 
 and we are eminently expofed to be the prey to 
 our enemies. This is no lefs true in regard to 
 the interefts of the church of God, than to thofe 
 of fociety in the prefent world. God prefides 
 over both and protects them, but he doth it by 
 the inftrumentality of thofe excellent men who 
 ftand in the gap. Under fuch divine rebukes, 
 therefore, furvivors fhould be deeply humbled ; 
 for however it may be in mercy to the departed, 
 it is an expreffion of divine diipleafure to them 
 for their fins. They fhould, therefore, accept 
 the punifhment of them, and acknowledge the 
 righteoufnefs of God, in their affliction. They 
 fhould learn by it, the great evil of fin, as being 
 againft God, difplayed in the extenfive reign of 
 death and all other evils. They fhould be deeply 
 humbled under the tokens of divine diipleafure 
 — they fhould « be ftill and know that he is 
 God." 
 
 They fhould learn the vanity of the world, the 
 dying nature of earthly good, and the uncer- 
 tainty of the deareft enjoyments below the ikies. 
 Above all, they fhould learn their entire depend- 
 ence on God, and turn off their expectations 
 from creatures, and place them on him, caft 
 themfelves and ail their concerns on his grace, 
 u 2 
 
234 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 < < and be careful for nothing, but in every thing, 
 by prayer and fupplication with thankfgiving, let 
 their requefts be made known." 
 
 They mould not, however, in mourning for 
 the venerable dead " forrow as thofe who have 
 no hope," for as Jefus died and rofe again, even 
 fo, thofe who fleep in Jefus will God bring with 
 him." This " wipes the reproach of faints away 
 and clears the honor of his word." By this it 
 appears that " he is not afhamed to be called their 
 God, for he hath prepared for them a city," 
 even " an houfe not made with hands eternal in 
 the heavens." 
 
 Let us hail the fpirits of the juft made perfect ! 
 The refurre£Hon morning and the complete and 
 unfading glories of immortality ! Blefied ftate 
 where fin and forrow, pain and death, never 
 come. Where all tears are wiped away. Where 
 our departed chriftian friends, and the long lift 
 of our venerable and pious anceftors, "have en- 
 tered into peace are refting in their beds, each 
 one walking in his uprightnefs."* 
 
 Will not the hope of a reunion with them in 
 the world of fpirits, difiipate the dark and melan- 
 choly gloom which hangs round their grave, and 
 dry the falling tear — rather teach us to be, " as 
 forrowful yet always rejoicing." Holy joy, fweet 
 peace and everlafting confolation, mingle in ths 
 ibrrows of parting chriftian friends. 
 
 * Ifaiah lvl* z. ' 
 
FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 W 
 
 M The chamber where the good man meets^his fate, 
 
 Is privileg'd above the common walk 
 
 Of virtuous life ; quite in the verge of heav'n." 
 
 4. Surviving leaders in the church of God 
 fhould take up the falling mantle of the venera- 
 ble dead, and fay " where is the Lord God of. 
 Elijah ?" They fhould imitate their fpirit, their 
 zeal and their active fidelity. 
 
 The refpectful debt of chriftian friendfhip* 
 in the funeral folemnities, being paid, they recol- 
 lect that to do the higheft honor to their depart- 
 ed friends they muft emulate their virtues, and 
 " follow them wherein they followed Chrift. ,> 
 That the removal of men, eminent in the church 
 of God, leaves a gap in the walls of the city 
 which muft be guarded by others. A vacant 
 place in the field of labor which mull be fuppli- 
 ed by frefh hands, or by the more active and 
 unremitted exertions of furvivors, or by both* 
 Survivors muft be " baptized for the dead." 
 They muft advance to fill the ranks left vacant by 
 the fall of thofe before them. In fuch a cafe, 
 how powerful the motives to chriftian minifters, 
 for unceafing labors in the caufe of truth, and 
 for united fupplications to " the Lord of the 
 harveft that he would fend forth laborers into his 
 harveft." " By whom Lord fhall Jacob rife for 
 he is finall." 
 
 5. We are called to a particular application of 
 the fubjeel: to the prefent folemnity. In celebra- 
 ting the funeral of this venerable minifter of 
 Chrift, we are conftrained to repeat the language 
 
 4n ,m». j-^f . cc f\„* f^l„»r wr father, the rh?,r~ 
 
2^6 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 iot of Ifrael and the horfemen thereof." In how 
 many refpecb he was fo, is molt fully known by 
 thofe whofe intercourfe with him was longed and 
 mod intimate. Furnifhed, by the Father of 
 lights, with mental powers eminently adapted 
 for critical and patient invedigation, and early 
 devoted to literary purfuits, he paffed the ufual 
 courfe of academic dudies, and graduated at 
 Yale College in New-Haven in the year 1741, 
 juft as a mod uncommon and extenfive attention 
 to religion was beginning to appear in Nqw- 
 England and elfewhere. Having hopefully be- 
 come a fubjeft of the faving grace of God, 
 he refolved to confecrate his life and talents to 
 the fervice of God in the gofpel of his Son. 
 He wifely chofe the eminent Mr. Edwards, then 
 of Northampton for his director in his theologi- 
 cal dudies. 
 
 Kr.ving finifhed the courfe of his preparitory 
 ftudy, he was regularly recommended to preach 
 the gofpel, and in due time was inducted into the 
 paftoral office. 
 
 His field of minifterial labors has been at 
 Great Barrington in Maflachufetts, and at New- 
 port in Rhode Ifland : to this lad his dated la- 
 bors have been diredted ever fince the year 177c, 
 a few years excepted, when the congregation was 
 difperfed by the events of the revolutionary war. 
 Mod of thofe who were aftive in his fettlement 
 here, have gone before him to the world of fpir- 
 its, the few who remain are waiting the fura- 
 
FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 237 
 
 the common lot, we cannot witnefs the remove! 
 of fo much wifdom, piety and ufefulnefs from 
 the church but with the deepeft fenfibiiity. 
 
 Thofe who bed knew him and are moil able 
 to judge of miniflerial eminence, will agree that 
 he was, even beyond moil evangelical minifters, 
 the chariot of Ifrael and the horfemen thereof, 
 in all thofe refpecls, which have been already no- 
 ticed. For this important work he was emi- 
 nently qualified by natural endowments, ac- 
 quired knowledge, and divine grace. 
 
 His inftru£tions as a chriftian teacher were 
 plain, clear, impreffive and entertaining to the 
 attentive hearer, conveying the moll effential 
 and practical knowledge. His example confir- 
 med to his hearers the truths and duties which 
 he taught. He was eminently ufeful to young 
 minifters and to thofe preparing for the chriftian 
 iltry, by verbal inftruttions, and by various 
 publications on theological fubjecls. All his 
 printed works may be read with profit, and efpe- 
 cially the fyftem of divinity in two volumes, 
 
 ich he publiihed in the latter part of his life. 
 
 We add, that he was the defence and fafety 
 to the church by his prayers ; in which we have 
 abundant reafon to believe he was devout, ar- 
 dent and perfevering to the laft. In thefe ref- 
 pects and others not mentioned he was a pillar in 
 the church below, a man to make up the hedge 
 and ftandin the gap. 
 
 He we drop the filial tear in committing 
 
238 FUNERAL DISCOURSE, 
 
 his venerable dufh to the houfe of filence, as a 
 common lofs to the church on earth, ftill more 
 oppreflive forrow mult pierce the hearts of his 
 family connexions and the people of his charge* 
 
 Yet while the bereaved widow dwells on the 
 fources of grief, the ought not to forget the 
 fprings of confolation. She is well afTured that 
 this event is the work of infinite perfection. 
 She doubts not but the removal of her belt 
 friend on earth, is an important accefiion to the 
 general aftembly and church of the fir ft born, 
 who are written in heaven, to the fpirits of juft 
 men made perfect. She firmly believes* that 
 hereby God is glorified, the Redeemer exalted, 
 and his kingdom benefited. That this event is 
 well adapted to wean her affections from earth — 
 to fmooth her own paffage through the dark val- 
 ley, and animate her in the profpe£t of joining 
 that bleiTed and holy fociety, where fo many of 
 her chriftian friends are gathered together and 
 ra*e waiting her arrival. Thankful for all the 
 good fhe has enjoyed on earth, in the company 
 of the faints, and for the opportunity given her, 
 by the near connexion between them, to minifter 
 to the comfort and promote the ufefulnefs of 
 that fervant of the Lord. Keeping in mind, that 
 though chriftian friends and minifters die, Jefus 
 Chrift lives and is the fame, yefterday , to day and 
 forever : fhe will caft all her cares and forrows 
 on him and follow him as the fhepherd and bifh- 
 op of her foul, and realize his molt gracious pro- 
 mife that he will never leave her nor forfake her. 
 
FUNERAL DISCOURSE* 239 
 
 May the furviving children of this venerable 
 father fo wifely improve his removal, that they 
 may be fecure in the protection and favor of 
 that father in heaven, who will guide them by 
 counfel and afterward receive them to glory, 
 and leave to their children, when they die, the 
 blefTed hope concerning them, which they enter- 
 tain refpe&ing their father. 
 
 The members of this church and congregation, 
 will notice, the work of the Lord and confider 
 the operation of his hand. Separation by death 
 between a minifter and his people, is an event 
 weighty and important. His province is to watch 
 for fouls as they who muft give account ; theirs to 
 take heed how they hear and to hear fo that 
 their fouls may live. In the review of many 
 pall years under the miniftry of their late Paf- 
 tor, this people will enquire how they have 
 heard, what religious improvement they have 
 made and how they are prepared to meet him, 
 and what is infinitely more folemn, to meet their 
 judge, and render their account for the ufe of 
 their religious privileges and for all things done 
 in the body. 
 
 May they fo remember his words as to praftiie 
 the holy religion he taught them, and teach the 
 fame diligently to their children, and after all 
 the calamities fuffered by this fociety and this 
 town, in thofe years which have paiTed over our 
 heads, may the good fhepherd take them by the 
 hand and lead them in the right way. And 
 though the Lord hath giv^ipthem the bread of 
 
TUNETIAL DIS 
 
 adverfity and the water of affliftion? yet may 
 not their teachers be removed into a corner any 
 more, but may their eyes fee their teachers, 
 and may their ears " hear a voice behind them 
 faying this is the way walk ye in it, when they 
 turn to the right hand and when they turn to the 
 
 left. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 The folemmties of this day addrefs to * all of 
 us prefent the folemn warning voice, Be ye alfo 
 ready. No one has more caufe to apply it than 
 the fpeaker. An intimate acquaintance, of 
 more than forty years, has furnifhed to him much 
 ^dvUntage for divine inftru£tion from this venera- 
 ble father in our Ifrael. 
 
 Advance in life and attending infirmities ad- 
 momfli him, and his companions in years, that 
 jhey mull fhortly put off thefe tabernacles. 
 May they be ready for their departure, by la- 
 boring with diligence and fidelity in the- foxvice 
 of Cod, and (landing with their Ukagirt and 
 their lamps trimmed and burning. And may 
 this afiembly always have thefe things in remem- 
 brance, after the departure of their minifters, in 
 as much as we have not followed cunningly de- 
 vifed fables, in making known to them the pow- 
 er and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrifl. 
 
 Ifaiah xxx. so, 21. 
 
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