"May I with those for ever dwell,

Who here were my delight,

While sinners banished down to hell,

No more offend my sight."

I am, my dear daughter, with much love to your husband and children, Your affectionate parent.

THE EDWARDSES.*

IF in making out a catalogue of the most distinguished American Divines, we were required to arrange them according to our best judgment, we should certainly assign the first and highest place to JONATHAN EDWARDS the elder: and then, leaving a blank space, as is sometimes done in the English Universities, to indicate the comparative standing of candidates for academical honours, we should not know what name to insert next, in preference to that of Jonathan Edwards the young"Few and far between," in any part of the world, have such centinels appeared upon Zion's watchtowers. Rarely, indeed, has the church been blessed with champions, so highly gifted by nature, so well furnished with the "whole armour of God," so skilful in wielding the "sword of the Spirit," and so triumphant in every quarter. It is but seldom that a son has such a father; and it is still more rare, that such a father leaves behind him a son so worthy of his lineage.

er.

A parallel drawn by the hand of a master, between these two great men, would not fail of being highly interesting and instructive. For such a parallel as might be furnished, from the ample materials which they have left behind them, we have not room in the present article, even if we possessed the ability of doing full justice to the subject. But we cannot let the opportunity pass, without inviting the attention of our readers to the following brief and imperfect sketch. Of the father, we had occasion to speak at considerable length, in our review of his theological works. We shall therefore say less of him here, than might otherwise have been reasonably expected, in a comparison between him and the author of the present discourse,

In the leading and governing incidents of their lives, the parallel is very close and remarkable. They both graduated early-the father at seventeen and the son at twenty. Both of them spent two years as Tutors in their respective colleges. Both were early and very eligibly settled in the ministry-the father at Northampton, Mass. and the son at New-Haven, Ct. Both were dismissed on account of their religious opinions :-the former in the twenth-fourth, and the latter in the twenty-seventh year of his ministry. Both were afterwards resettled in retired situations, where they had leisure to pursue their favourite theological studies; and to give the finishing touch to their most valuable treatises, on various important and controverted sub

*This article is extracted from a review, in the Christian Spectator for January, 1823, of a sermon preached many years ago by Edwards the younger, on the subject of slavery, a second edition of which has lately been printed at Boston. + Christian Spectator for 1821.

jects. At the end of six years, the father was called from his retirement, to preside over the college of Princeton, N. J,. and the son, in less than four years from resettlement in Colebrook, Ct. was invited to the presidency of Union College, N. Y. The former died a few months after his removal to Princeton, in the fifty-fifth year of his age the latter, in about two years from the time of his inauguration at Union, aged fifty-seven. So many and such striking coincidences in the lives of two great and good men, are rarely to be met with.

But the parallel, though not perhaps quite so remarkable, is far more deeply interesting in other particulars. The talent of the first President Edwards, for philosophical and metaphysical disquisition, was of the very highest order. There was no subject within the legitimate range of human investigation, which was too high or too deep for his powers. He saw those relations of things, that lie far beyond the ken of ordinary minds with a clearness which has excited the admiration of the most distinguished metaphysicians of a later age; and in tracing out remote analogies; in straightening and shedding light upon dark and intricate paths; in putting his finger at once upon the sophistry of an argument, and foiling his opponents with their own weapons; in striking out new trains of thought and following them up to the point of complete moral demonstration; in anticipating, inventing and answering objections; and in all that pertains to what we shall venture to call the pure algebra of mental philosophy, and metaphysical science,-few men have ever equalled, and perhaps, all things considered, none have gone before him.

Others have been greatly his superiors both in learning and eloquence-have had much more of what is loosely styled "genius"have lived much longer, and moved in far higher spheres. For a century to come, Locke and Reid, Steward and Brown, may possibly be more extensively known and admired than Edwards. But to say nothing here of his heavenly crown, he has taken his place permanently in the very first rank of intellectual greatness. It can hardly be necessary to add, that among the righteous he will be held in everlasting remembrance." In the unclouded brightness of that sun, which will not go down for a thousand years, his name will shine with new and increasing lustre.

If Dr. Edwards was not in all respects equal to his honoured father, there was, nevertheless, a striking similarity in the structure of their minds a strong intellectual resemblance, which is very observable in all their writings. Thoughts and not words, arguments and not ornament, were the things which engaged their most earnest attention. Neither of them borrowed his pen from the wing of the eagle: nor did father or son, so far as we know, ever spend an hour in wishful gazing at the heights of Parnassus. It was the "hill of Zion" which they loved-it was the holy "mount of God" towards which their kindling eyes were oft directed; and it was to sit down there and shout redeeming love, that they ardently aspired. It was not to make a vain parade of their prowess that they engaged in controversy; but to defend what they believed to be important truth; and they never

entered the field, till they had carefully reconnoitered every position, and thoroughly proved their own armour. The first advances of both were slow, but direct and sure. Neither of them ever attempted to frighten or trample down his antagonist by a furious onset-nor to carry a strong place by assault. Every thing of this kind was entirely foreign from the temperament of these two distinguished champions of the truth. But when they had once buckled on their armour, neither of them ever thought of putting it off, till the enemy should be effectually discomfited.

In managing a controversy, the method of both, was nearly the same. The point in dispute was first clearly stated, the thing to be proved or disproved, was placed by itself in a strong light, and then the principal terms to be used were carefully defined. After that, the opponent was generally met upon his own ground. His statements and arguments were compared and analyzed. He was often proved to be unacquainted with his subject-inconclusive and even absurd in his reasoning; and palpably inconsistent with himself. This being done, the step with the Edwardses was, to bring out their own strength, and to show by many separate and almost independent trains of argument, that the scheme which they were opposing, was contrary to reason, at war with common sense, and above all, contradictory to the plainest declarations of Scripture. For the correctness of this statement, we need only refer our readers to the treatises of President Edwards on the Will and Original Sin; to that of Dr. Edwards on Liberty and Necessity, and to his answer to Dr. Chauncey's book on Universal Salvation.

Moreover, neither father nor son, was scarcely ever satisfied with merely proving his point; so that often when it would seem as if every one must be already convinced, we find from five to fifteen strong reasons still to be adduced, besides hints at many others, which might be brought forward in case of need. And what must have been extremely mortifying, not to say provoking to an opponent, in the writings of the Edwardses, is, that they would anticipate more objections, than he ever dreamed of himself, and then answer them in such a way, as to discourage every attempt at reply. We have often, from our very hearts pitied the prostrate theologian; and have been ready to sue for quarters in his behalf, when we found that he was too far gone to speak for himself.

Neither of the Edwardses appears to have relied at all upon his genius; but they were both indefatigable in their studies. In these too, and in their exercise and rest, they were as systematic as possible. They rose early, and lived by rule, as every man must, who would enjoy a clear mind, and accomplish much in a little time. They were not afraid to let it be known that they had their hours, sacred to study and meditation. In this way they avoided needless interruptions, as most other men in the sacred office might do, and thus bring much more to pass than is generally accomplished. In looking over the controversial writings of the times in which they lived, and thence passing down to the present hour, it is curious to observe how few attempts have been made formally to answer any of those larger

works in which they put forth their strength. Nibbling enough about the points of their arguments there certainly has been-but for the most part it has been extremely chary and we suspect that the few who have taken hold in earnest, have in the end, found pretty good reason to repent of their temerity. Or to change the figure, it is quite amusing, when some slight impression is made upon an Edwardean outpost, to hear the shouts of victory, as if the citadel itself had been carried by storm. To forget, has been found vastly easier than to answer; and of this convenient forgetfulness, particularly on the subject of innate depravity, the religious public will recollect one recent and memorable example in the occupant of the Theological Chair in a distinguished literary institution.*

We have said, that in our opinion, the first President Edwards was a greater man than the second; but if the father had higher powers of invention, the son was perhaps most acute and dexterous as a logician. If the former could dive deeper and bring up more pearls from the bottom, he could not arrange them when procured, with greater skill and advantage. If his eye was more excursive, it was not keener. If he could lift the telescope easier, we doubt whether he could manage the microscope quite so well. But we have already pursued the parallel further than we had intended when we began this article, although it is a theme which exceedingly interests our own minds, and which is far from being exhausted.

AMERICAN MISSIONS.

THE Missionary Herald, for January, 1823, contains a "view of the missions under the direction of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions." The system of operation adopted by the Board, is considered under two divisions-its HOME DEPARTMENT, and its Foreign DepartmENT. Under the head of Home Department, are placed the executive officers of the institution to wit:

Home Department.-JEREMIAH EVARTS, Esq. at the Missionary Rooms, No. 69 Market-street, Boston, is Corresponding Secretary of the Board, and Clerk of the Prudential Committee. To him should be addressed all communications which relate to the appointment of missionaries and assistants, and to the general concerns of the Board.

HENRY HILL, Esq., at the Missonary Rooms, is treasurer of the Board; to whom all letters relating to donations, or to any pecuniary concerns of the Board should be addressed.

The following gentlemen compose the Prudential Committee of the Board,— The hon. WILLIAM REED, the Rev LEONARD WOODS, D. D. JEREMIAH EVARTS, Esq., SAMUEL HUBBARD, Esq., and the Rev. WARREN FAY. Though the committee have not stated weekly meetings, the exigencies of the missions require, that meetings should be held, on the average, about once each week, through the year. In addition to the above, the increasing labour at the Missionary Rooms, demand that there be stated and competent assistants employed.-The establish

* See Dr. Ware's answer and rejoinder to the letters of Dr. Woods.

ment at home, must bear some proportion to the number and extent of the establishments abroad.

We have selected the "introductory remarks" and conclusion of the "view," as containing a concise and eloquent appeal to the Christian public in behalf of the system of missions under the American Board, which we hope will not be disregarded. Our notice of the Foreign Department of the Board will be reserved for the Survey at the close of the volume.

THE Board was instituted in June, 1810; and was incorporated, by the Legislature of Massachusetts, June 20, 1812. Its beginnings, as is well known, were small, and the anticipations of its supporters not remarkably sanguine but its resources and operations have regularly increased, till, in respect to the number of its patrons-the amount of its funds -and the extent of its influence, it is entitled to a place among the principal benevolent institutions of the earth. Its patrons are found in all parts of the country; its funds, though small compared with the exigencies of its missions, with the wants of a dying world, and with what we trust they are yet to be, are highly respectable; and it exerts a direct influence upon a multitude of immortal minds, among Pagans, Mahommedans, and Jews; and an influence, both direct and reflective, perhaps upon a still greater multitude, in this Christian land. All this calls for a grateful remembrance, and for devout thanksgiving; but, God forbid that the Board, or its officers, or missionaries, or patrons, should arrogate praise to themselves on account of it. He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces.

The American Board of Foreign Missions, however, can neither claim, nor does it desire, exclusive patronage. There are other Foreign Missionary Societies, for whom there is room, for whom there is work enough, and for whose separate existence there are, doubtless, conclusive reasons. There are also Societies for Domestic Missions, which, by increasing the number and strength of the churches at home, are an important and necessary aid to foreign Missions. There are, also, Tract Societies, and Bible Societies, and-at the foundation, as it appears to us, of the great system of moral means organized for the renovation of the world-Education Societies. All these are but different departments of the same administration; and have a mutual dependance, and a mutual influence; and perfectly harmonize in their tendencies and results. All have claims upon the churches, claims which are not to be set aside. None have been patronized too much; but some have been neglected to the great detriment of the whole system. This has been the case, more especially, with societies, whose object is the education of young men for the ministry. If past facts will furnish any rational ground for conjecture in respect to what is yet to come, we should suppose that, as a general thing, the great agents in benevolent enterprises, will hereafter be the men, who have been aided, in their preparations for usefulness, by the hand of charity. At any rate, most of the agents, and missionaries of the American Board of Foreign Missions, have been, at some period of their education, and in a greater or less degree, charity scholars,