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MBMOIR OF SAMUEL HOPKINS, D. D.

245

The year 1793 produced his "System of Doctrines contained in Divine Revelation, explained and defended; shewing their Consistency and Connection with each other: to which is added, A Treatise on the Millenium;" the whole making two large volumes in octavo. This System is considered as the Doctor's. great work; but is hardly known in this country, except by report, very few copies having crossed the Atlantic. Of this work the author himself thus writes: "I sold the copy-right to the printers for 900 dollars; which has been a help to me in the low deranged state of my church and congregation; without which I know not how I should have subsisted. I had no expectation of getting a penny by the publication when I began, and while I was preparing it for the press, nor had the least view or thought of it. I was about ten years composing and preparing it for the press. It has been a laborious work to me, which I consider as the greatest public service I have ever done."

It is but justice to observe, that out of this sum' he gave 100 dollars to promote the preaching of the gospel among the Africans; in whose favour he had some time before written pamphlet, against the Slave Trade. After this period he wrote Memoirs of two pious Ladies, Miss Anthony and Mrs. Osborn. The former of these works has been reprinted in this country, with the recommendation of Mr. Fuller and Dr. Ryland. These, with a few pieces in the New York Theological Magazine, closed his literary labours.

We have remarked, that the Doctor was frequently engaged in controversy, in defence of his peculiar sentiments. What those opinions were, we have not room at present to enquire*; but we have already stated that he was a pupil of President Edwards, and of course imbibed his sentiments; to which he made some additions, and added some illustrations. But instead of entering into theological speculations, it may be more acceptable to our readers to give some farther extracts from his ex, perience in a late period of his life, in which something will be seen both of his sentiments and their foundation, in his own exercises and feelings.

"On the 10th of last January (1799) I was suddenly seized with a paralytic stroke, which affected my right side, and rendered my limbs of that side in a great measure useless, and much affected my speech; but was attended with little or no pain; and the exercise of my reason and mental faculties was not in the least affected. This appeared to threaten my.speody dissolution in my view, and in the view of my friends, either by a greater or more deadly stroke, or some other way, To La sure, I seasonably considered it as a warning to be ready for death. I felt that God had laid his hand lighty upon me;

See a very clear and candid account of them in H. Adams's Fiew of Religions, revised by Mr. Fuller, p. 168.

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that the affliction was attended with much tender mercy; and was resigned and thankful. For a short time, at first, my mind was dark; and I seemed to myself to be in a measure shut out from the sensible presence of God and the Saviour: but soon I was led to a view and sense of Jesus Christ, as exalted to the throne of the universe, having all power in Heaven and Earth, clothed with infinite power, wisdom, rectitude, and goodness, governing the world, and ordering every event, the least and greatest, as it shall be most for his glory, and the greatest ge neral good; having mercy on whom he will have mercy, and hardening whom he will; and showing mercy to every one, to whom he can do it, consistently with wisdom and goodness; that is, consistently with the greatest display of his character and perfections, and the highest happiness of the creation and that all this, and every thing, and event, and circumstance were determined and fixed from eternity, by eternal unerring wisdom, righteousness, and goodness. In this view the Saviour appeared infinitely great and important, and divinely worthy and amiable. I felt myself, and all creatures and things, to be in his hands and was pleased and rejoiced in this, knowing that every thing was ordered and conducted in the wisest and best possible manner, so as to answer the best and most desirable ends: that the Saviour would injure none, fulfil all his promises to a tittle, and accomplish all his designs in the best time and the most desirable and perfect manner; so that all is well, in the best and most desirable situation that possibly can be. In a belief and sense of this, and more, which cannot be expressed, my soul was full of comfort and joy, saying, " The Lord Jesus Christ reigns, let the earth rejoice! Our God is in the heavens; he hath done, doth, and will do, whatsoever he pleaseth.

"In these pleasing and comfortable views and exercises I had no particular attention to, or thought of myself, whether I were a Christian, and should be saved or not. But my comfort and joy were derived from, or rather consisted in a view and sense of the excellent, glorious character of Christ, in whose hands I and all things were, and who would order and dispose of things concerning me, and all men, and creatures, so as in the highest degree to promote his glory, or the glory of God, which is the same; and effect the greatest general good or happiness, or the wisest and best ends. In this view my heart said, with strong emotions, and the most pleasing sensations, "Amen! Thy will be done!" without knowing or considering what his will was concerning me. Had I reflected judiciously on my own exercises, I might have rationally judged them to be agreeable to the truth, and an evidence that I was a friend to Christ; but I did not so reflect as to make this conclusion. This view and sense of things still abides with me; but at different times in a higher and lower degree; but not so that I can infer from it, without hesitation, that I am a real Christian, and shall be

MEMOIR OF SAMUEL HOPKINS, D. D.

247 saved. My views and exercises appear to me so much below the truth, and so inconstant, that, sometimes, I doubt of their reality, or of their being real Christian exercises; and I have such a deceitful heart, that I fear delusion, though, at times, all doubts subside. My person and whole interest in time and to eternity is, compared with the grand whole, the glory of God, and the best interest of his kingdom, so small and inconsiderable, that when I have the latter in a sensible view, the former sinks into a mere speck, or nothing, and is almost wholly overlooked and forgotten; and the language of my heart is," Let God be glorified by all; and the best interest of his kingdom be secured and promoted, let what will become of me and my interest!" And while I see the former grand interest is secure, and will be in the best manner promoted, I am satisfied and rejoice!and this so engrosses my thoughts and reflections, that I do not attend to the interest of any individual person, my own or any one else, so as to excite any sensible joy or sorrow, hope or fear; the interest of such individual being overlooked, as not worthy of any regard, in comparison with the grand interest of the whole. This so impresses the mind, and fills it, as to exclude the other.

"But as my mind cannot have a view of all objects with equal clearness and attention, at one and the same time, but different objects, are more attended to, and make a greater impression at some times than at others; so when I attend more particularly to my own state and interest, I naturally reflect upon the views, and affections, and enjoyments I have experienced in attending to the person, character, and works of Christ, and the great ness, glory, and happiness of his kingdom; and the inference seems to be plain, that I am a friend to these objects: but I am not able always, if at any time, to see the truth of this consequence with clearness and certainty. When the clearness and sensibility of these views and exercises in a measure subside, and I attend more to my own character, and my depravity, stupidity, unbelief, and the evil and deceitfulness of my heart rise into view, I am disposed to call in question my own good estate, and to suspect that my exercises fall short of real Christianity; yet maintaining a hope that this is not the case, which is sometimes weaker and sometimes stronger; and frequently, for a short space, rises so high as to exclude doubting; but even then, though this excites gratitude, it does not raise my comfort and joy to that degree as does the direct view of the character of Christ and his kingdom, before mentioned, without any particular attention to my own character and personal interest. When my doubts and fears prevail most, respecting my personal union to Christ, and I attend particularly to my personal concerns and interest, it appears, when considered by itself to be beyond all conception, and infinitely great, which I feel to be wholly in the hands of Christ, to be determined by him

whether I shall be happy or miserable for ever: and this is so far from being disagreeable to me, that I am highly pleased with it; and would not have it otherwise on any consideration whatever. I feel that I am in the best hands, and, in this respect, in the best situation that I possibly could be in. He certainly will not injure me in any respect, or in the least degree. He is infinitely wise, good, and merciful; and knows what is most for his own glory, and the highest good and happiness of his kingdom; and can and will certainly save me and every one else with whom I have connexion, if it may be consistent with his glory and the greatest happiness of his kingdom, or consistent with wisdom and goodness, which is the same: and I cannot so much as wish, or have the least desire to be saved on any other supposition; that is, if this be inconsistent with infinite wisdom and goodness, and contrary to the greatest good and glory of Christ and his kingdom; and feel that it would be awful impiety and rebellion to ask for salvation on any other supposition.

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But when I reflect on the dreadfulness of being cast away for ever by Christ, to suffer the just desert of my sins, feeling the strokes and tokens of his righteous anger and vengeance; and being given up to evil lusts, to join with the Devil and exist eternally on his side, an enemy to Christ and his kingdom, my soul recoils, and feels this to be intolerable! Then I fly to Christ and his atonement, and cast myself down at his feet, to dispose of me as he pleases; yet hoping and crying for mercy, Oh! be merciful to me a sinner! which is accompanied with a number of various exercises, that cannot be easily described.

"These are some of my daily various exercises; in all which I always maintain a hope that I am a Christian, which sometimes excludes all doubt, being constantly assured of the truth of the gospel, that this is a revelation of the only true God, and of eternal life; and that the truths which I have preached, as contained in the gospel, are indeed the truths of God, and sufficient to support and comfort a Christian in the near view of death and eternity, and under all the afflictions of this life; and I live in the constant assurance of the truth of the doctrine of the decrees of God, and of his universal and particular providence directing every event, and every thing which comes to pass, and exercising absolute sovereignty in his dealing with men; without which I could have no support and comfort: and my chief comfort and joy does not consist in, or arise from, an assurance or hope that I shall be saved; but in a view and sense of the perfections and glory of Christ, his power, wisdom, and goodness, reigning and ordering all things for the glory of God, and the greatest good of his kingdom: and this is accompanied with an experimental assurance, that the exercises of true religion are wholly disinterested, and in direct opposition to all selfishness: a doctrine which I have endeavoured to maintain and inculcate for many years.'

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THOUGHTS ON THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF
THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Ir is not the design of this paper to enter into a full statement of the argument on this important subject, or even to recapitulate all the numerous heads of evidence which have been successfully advanced in defence of the Christian Scriptures; but rather to afford some aid to the candid mind, whose means of information may be contracted, to engage others in the delightful task of personal research, and to raise the devout affections of the Christian to Him, who has so plainly delineated the way of life and peace.

1. In reflecting on this subject, our thoughts will naturally be led to the characters of the first Christian preachers and writers; and, surely, if proof can be derived from circumstances of this nature, we are possessed of it in the highest degree. Who were the men that went forth to preach the gospel of Christ, and that afterwards committed to writing the life of their Master, and directions for the faith and practice of the churches? Were they swayed by any interested motive? or rather, Was not the purest benevolence stamped on every action of their life? They left all, that they might be useful to the souls of men; neither counted they their life dear unto them, " that they might finish their course with joy."

Now what could have induced men to have undergone such unparalleled hardships, but a firm persuasion of the interesting truths which they taught? What else could have supported their minds in hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness, racks and tortures, prisons and death? Their testimony was one of which they could not but have the firmest persuasion, since it respected plain matters of sight and touch, in which deception was impracticable, and mistake under all the circumstances impossible; and it is worthy of particular remark, that their enemies never required of them to retract their former evidence, but merely to teach no more in the name of Jesus; yet they constantly remained" stedfast and immoveable*." Nor must we forget the numerous miracles by which the Holy Ghost gave witness to these primitive teachers, miracles, so well authenticated, that the enemies of the truth could not deny them; and to which the apostles themselves make their appeal in proof of their divine mission +.

2. Primitive testimonies in favour of these sacred books, deserve our serious regard; and these we have, both relative to their genuineness and undoubted inspiration.

There is still extant an epistle of Barnabas, the companion of

⚫ Acts iv, 19.

+ Rom. xv. 19. 2 Cor xii. 12.

XIV.

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