"Accordingly, having had, by the application of the Trustees of the College, the consent of the Commissioners of the "Society in London, for propagating the Gospel, in New England, and the parts adjacent," to resign their mission; he girded up his loins, and set off from Stockbridge for Princeton, in January. He left his family at Stockbridge, not to be removed till the spring. He had two daughters at Princeton; Mrs. Burr, and Lucy, his eldest daughter, that was unmarried. His arrival at Princeton was to the great satisfaction and joy of the college. And indeed all the greatest friends to the college, and to the interests of religion, were highly satisfied and pleased with the appointment.' It was a singular fact, that, soon after his arrival at Princeton, he heard the melancholy tidings of the death of his father. It occurred on the 27th of January, 1758, in the 89th year of his age. "The corporation met as soon as could be with convenience, after his arrival at the college, when he was, by them, fixed in the president's chair. While at Princeton, before his sickness, he preached in the college-hall, sabbath after sabbath, to the great acceptance of the hearers ;* but did nothing as president, unless it was to give out some questions in divinity to the senior class, to be answered before him; each one having opportunity to study and write what he thought proper, upon them. When they came together to answer them, they found so much entertainment and profit by it, especially by the light and instruction, Mr. Edwards communicated, in what he said upon the questions, when they had delivered what they had to say, that they spoke of it with the greatest satisfaction and wonder. 66 During this time, Mr. Edwards seemed to enjoy an uncommon degree of the presence of God. He told his daughters he once had great exercise, concern and fear, relative to his engaging in that business; but since it now appeared, so far as he could see, that he was called of God, to that place and work, he did cheerfully devote himself to it, leaving himself and the event with God, to order what seemed to him good. "The small pox had now become very common in the country, and was then at Princeton, and likely to spread. And as Mr. Edwards had never had it, and inoculation was then practised with great success in those parts, he proposed to be inoculated, if the dian congregation at Cranberry, New Jersey, if they would remove to Stockbridge-and another letter to the Trustees of the College, requesting that they would use their collective and individual influence, to procure the appointment of Mr. Brainerd, and his removal to Stockbridge. *The first sermon, which he preached at Princeton, was on the Unchangeableness of Christ, in Vol. VIII. It was upwards of two hours in the delivery; but is said to have been listened to with such profound attention, and deep interest, by the audience, that they were unconscious of the lapse of time, and surprised that it closed so soon. VOL. I. 73 physician should advise to it, and the corporation would give their consent. Accordingly, by the advice of the physician, and the consent of the corporation, he was inoculated February 13th. He had it favourably, and it was thought all danger was over; but a secondary fever set in, and, by reason of a number of pustules in his throat, the obstruction was such, that the medicines necessary to check the fever, could not be administered. It therefore raged till it put an end to his life, on the 22d of March, 1758, in the 55th year of his age. "After he was sensible that he could not survive that sickness, a little before his death, he called his daughter to him, who attended him in his sickness, and addressed her in a few words, which were immediately taken down in writing, as near as could be recollected, and are as follows:-"Dear Lucy, It seems to me to be the "will of God, that I must shortly leave you; therefore give my "kindest love to my dear wife, and tell her, that the uncommon "union, which has so long subsisted between us, has been of such a "nature, as, I trust, is spiritual, and therefore will continue forev"er: and I hope she will be supported under so great a trial, and "submit cheerfully to the will of God. And as to my children, you are now like to be left fatherless; which I hope will be an "inducement to you all, to seek a Father, who will never fail you. "And as to my funeral, I would have it to be like Mr. Burr's; and "any additional sum of money, that might be expected to be laid " out that way, I would have it disposed of to charitable uses. "He said but very little in his sickness: but was an admirable instance of patience and resignation, to the last. Just at the close of life, as some persons, who stood by, expecting he would breath his last in a few minutes, were lamenting his death, not only as a great frown on the college, but as having a dark aspect on the interest of religion in general; to their surprise, not imagining that he heard, or ever would speak another word, he said, "Trust in God, and ye need not fear." These were his last words. What could have been more suitable to the occasion! And what need of more! In these there is as much matter of instruction and support, as if he had written a volume. This was the only consolation to his bereaved friends, deeply sensible, as they were of the loss which they, and the church of Christ, had sustained in his death: GoD IS ALL-SUFFICIENT, AND STILL HAS THE CARE OF HIS CHURCH.† *President Burr, ordered, on his death bed, that his funeral should not be attended with pomp and cost; that nothing should be expended, but what was agreeable to the dictates of christian decency; and that the sum which must be expended at a fashionable funeral, above the necessary cost of a decent one, should be given to the poor, out of his estate. The reader may wish to see the notice taken of the death of Mr. Edwards, at the time when it occurred. The following is the account of it, "He appeared to have the uninterrupted use of his reason to the last, and died with as much calmness and composure, to all appearance, as that with which one goes to sleep." The physician, who inoculated and constantly attended him, in his sickness, addressed the following letter to Mrs. Edwards, on this occasion: "To Mrs. Sarah Edwards, Stockbridge. "MOST DEAR AND VERY WORTHY MADAM, "I am heartily sorry for the occasion of my writing to you, by this express, but I know you have been informed, by a line from your excellent, lovely and pious husband, that I was brought here to inoculate him, and your dear daughter Esther, and her children, for the small-pox, which was then spreading fast in Princeton; and that, after the most deliberate and serious consultation, with his nearest and most religious friends, he was accordingly inoculated with them, the 23d of last month; and although he had the smallpox favourably, yet, having a number of them in the roof of his mouth and throat, he could not possibly swallow a sufficient quantity of drink, to keep off a secondary fever, which has proved too strong for his feeble frame; and this afternoon, between two and three o'clock, it pleased God to let him sleep in that dear Lord Jesus, whose kingdom and interest he has been faithfully and painfully serving all his life. And never did any mortal man, more fully and clearly evidence the sincerity of all his professions, by one continued, universal, calm, cheerful resignation, and patient submission to the divine will, through every stage of his disease, than he; not so much as one discontented expression, nor the least appearance of murmuring, through the whole. And never did any person expire with more perfect freedom from pain ;-not so much as one distorted hair-but in the most proper sense of the words, he fell asleep. Death had certainly lost its sting, as to him. "Your daughter, Mrs. Burr, and her children, through the mercy of God, are safely over the disease, and she desires me to send in the Boston Gazette, of April 10, 1758.-"On Wednesday, the 22d of last month, died, by inoculation, at Nassau Hall, an eminent servant of God, the Rev. pious, Mr. Jonathan Edwards, President of the College of New Jersey; a gentleman of distinguished abilities, and an heavenly temper of mind: a most rational, generous, catholic and exemplary christian, admired by all who knew him, for his uncommon candour and disinterested benevolence; a pattern of temperance, meekness, patience and charity; always steady, calm and serene; a very judicious and instructive preacher, and a most excellent divine. And, as he lived, cheerfully resigned to the will of Heaven, so he died, or rather, as the Scriptures emphatically express it, with respect to good men, he fell asleep in Jesus, without the least appearance of pain." her duty to you, the best of mothers. She has had the small-pox the heaviest of all, whom I have inoculated, and little Sally, far the lightest; she has but three in her face. I am sure it will prove serviceable to her future health. "I conclude, with my hearty prayer, dear Madam, that you may be enabled to look to that God, whose love and goodness you have experienced a thousand times, for direction and help, under this most afflictive dispensation of his providence, and under every other difficulty, you may meet with here, in order to your being more perfectly fitted for the joys of heaven, hereafter. "I am, dear Madam, "Your most sympathizing "And affectionate friend, "And very humble servant, "WILLIAM SHIPPEN." This letter reached Mrs. Edwards, while in a feeble state of health, when she was preparing to pay a visit, first to her sister, Mrs. Hopkins, at West Springfield, and then to her mother, Mrs. Edwards, of Windsor, in consequence of the death of Mr. Edwards' father. What her feelings were, and those of her family, under this unexpected and overwhelming dispensation, can be more easily conceived than described. "She had long told her intimate friends, that she had, after long struggles and exercises, obtained, by God's grace, an habitual willingness to die herself, or part with any of her most near relatives. That she was willing to bring forth children for death; and to resign up him, whom she esteemed so great a blessing to her and her family, her nearest partner, to the stroke of death, whenever God should see fit to take him. And when she had the greatest trial, in the death of Mr. Edwards, she found the help and comfort of such a disposition. Her conduct on this occasion, was such as to excite the admiration of her friends; it discovered that she was sensible of the great loss, which she and her children had sustained in his death; and, at the same time, showed that she was quiet and resigned, and had those invisible supports, which enabled her to trust in God with quietness, hope, and humble joy." A few days afterwards, she addressed the following Letter to Mrs. Burr. "MY VERY DEAR CHILD, "Stockbridge, April 3, 1758. "What shall I say! A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod, and lay our hands on our mouths! The Lord has done it. goodness, that we had him so long. He has made me adore his has my heart. O what a legacy my husband, and your father, has left us! We are all given to God; and there I am, and love to be. "Your ever affectionate mother, "SARAH EDWARDS." On the same sheet, was the following letter from one of her daughters. "MY DEAR SISTER, 'My mother wrote this, with a great deal of pain, in her neck, which disabled her from writing any more. She thought you would be glad of these few lines from her own hand. "O, sister, how many calls have we, one upon the back of another. Q, I beg your prayers, that we, who are young in this family, may be awakened and excited to call more earnestly on God, that he would be our Father and friend forever. 66 My father took leave of all his people and family as affectionately, as if he knew he should not come again. On the Sabbath afternoon, he preached from these words,-We have no continuing city, therefore let us seek one to come. The chapter that he read was Acts the 20th. O, how proper; what could he have done more. When he had got out of doors he turned about," I commit God," "said he.-I doubt not but God will take a fatherly care of us, if we do not forget him. "I am your ever affectionate sister, Stockbridge, April 3, 1758. you to "SUSANNAH EDWARDS." "Mrs. Burr and her children were inoculated, at the same time that her father was, and had recovered when he died. But after she was perfectly recovered, to all appearance, she was suddenly seized with a violent disorder, which carried her off in a few days; and which, the physician said, he could call by no name, but that of a messenger, sent suddenly, to call her out of the world. She died, April 7, 1758, sixteen days after her father, in the 27th year of her age. She was married to Mr. Burr, June 29, 1752. They had two children, a son and a daughter. "Mrs. Burr exceeded most of her sex, in the beauty of her person, as well as in her behaviour and conversation. She discovered an unaffected, natural freedom, towards persons of all ranks, with whom she conversed. Her genius was much more than common. She had a lively, sprightly imagination, a quick and penetrating discernment, and a good judgment. She possessed an uncommon degree of wit and vivacity; which yet was consistent with pleasantness and good nature; and she knew how to be facetious and sportive, without trespassing on the bounds of decorum, or of strict and serious religion. In short, she seemed formed to please, |