THE WORKS OF PRESIDENT EDWARDS. IN TEN VOLUMES. VOL. X. CONTAINING, MEMOIRS OF THE REV. DAVID BRAINERD. NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY S. CONVERSE. 1829. E25.1 V,10 CONTENTS. From the time of his examination and Commission as a Mission- Page From the close of the first part of his "JOURNAL," Nov. 5, 1745, to the 19th of June, 1746; when the second part of his Journal General remarks on the preceding narrative of a work of grace at Crossweeksung. I. On the Doctrines preached to the In- dians. II. On the Moral Effects of preaching Christ crucified. General remarks on the work of grace at Crossweeksung continued-Introduction-Method of Learning the Indian Language-Method of Instructing the Indians-Difficulties in the way in converting them to Christianity-Attestations of ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. ABOUT the year 1740, several distinguished ministers in the city of New York and its vicinity; and among them, Rev. EBENEZER PEMBERTON, of New York; Rev. AARON BURR, of Newark; and Rev JONATHAN DICKINSON, of Elizabethtown; communicated to the " Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge," "the deplorable and perishing state of the Indians in the provinces of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania." In consequence of this representation, the Society charitably and cheerfully agreed to the proposal of maintaining two missionaries among them, to convert them to Christianity; and in pursuance of this design sent those gentlemen, and some others--both clergymen and laymen, a Commission to act as their Commissioners, or Correspondents, "in providing, directing, and inspecting the said Mission." "As soon as the Correspondents received their commission," to use their own language, "they immediately looked out for two candidates for the ministry, whose zeal for the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, and whose con passion for perishing souls would prompt them to such an exceedingly difficult and selfdenying undertaking. They first prevailed with Mr. AZARIAR HORTON to relinquish a call to an encouraging parish, and to devote himself to the Indian service. He was directed to Long Island in August, 1741, at the east end of which there are two small towns of Indians; and, from the east to the west end of the island, lesser companies settled at a few miles distance from one another, for the distance of more than a hundred miles. At his first arrival, he was well received by most, and cordially welcomed by some of them. Those at the east end of the Island, especially, gave diligent and serious attention to his instructions; and many of them were led to ask the solemn inquiry, "What they should do to be saved?” A general reformation of manners was soon observable among most of these Indians. They were careful to attend, and serious and solemn while attending, upon both public and private instructions. A number of them were under very deep convictions of their miserable, perishing state; and about twenty of them give lasting evidences of their saving conversion to God. Mr. HORTON has baptized thirty-five adults, and forty-four children. He took pains with them to teach them to read: and some of them have made considerable proficiency. But the extensiveness of his charge, and the necessity of his travelling from place to place, renders him incapable of giving so constant an attendance to their instruction in reading, as is necessary. In his last letter to the Correspondents, he heavily complains of a great defection of some of them from their first reformation and care of their souls; occasioned by strong drink being brought among them, and their being thereby allured to relapse into their darling vice of drunkenness. This is a vice to which the Indians are everywhere so greatly addicted, and so vehemently disposed, that nothing but the power of divine grace can restrain that impetous lust, when they have opportunity to gratify it. He likewise complains, that some of them have grown more careless and remiss in the duties of religious worship, than they |