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I have alfo many other things in hand, in fome of which I have made great progrefs, which I will not trouble you with an account of. Some of these things, if Divine Providence favour, I fhould be willing to attempt a publication of. So far as I myself am able to judge of what talents I have, for benefiting my fellow-creatures by word, I think I can write better than I can speak.

My heart is fo much in thefe ftudies, that I cannot find it in my heart to be willing to put myself into an incapacity to purfue them any more in the future part of my life, to fuch a degree as I must, if I undertake to go through the fame courfe of employ, in the office of a president, that Mr Burr did, inftructing in all the languages, and taking the whole care of the inftruction of one of the claffes in all parts of learning, besides his other labours. If I fhould fee light to determine me to accept the place offered me, I fhould be willing to take upon me the work of a prefident, fo far as it confifs in the general infpection of the whole fociety, and. fubfervient to the fchool, as to their order and methods of study and inftruction, affifting myself in immediate inftruction in the arts and fciences, (as difcretion fhould direct and occafion ferve, and the state of things require,) especially the fenior clafs; and added to all, fhould be willing to do the whole work of a profeffor of divinity, in public and private lectures, propofing queftions to be answered, and fome to be difcuffed in writing and free converfation, in meetings of graduates and others, appointed in proper feafons for thefe ends. It would be now out of my way to spend time, in a conftant teaching of the languages, unless it be the Hebrew tongue, which I fhould be willing to improve myfelf in, by inftructing others.

On the whole, I am much at a lofs, with refpect to the way of my du ty in this important affair: I am in doubt, whether, if I fhould engage in it, I fhould not do what both you and I would be forry for afterwards. Neverthelefs, I think the greatnefs of the affair, and the regard due to fo worthy and venerable a body, as that of the trustees of Naffau Hall, requires my taking the matter into ferious confideration: and unless you fhould appear to be difcouraged by the things which I have now reprefented, as to any further expectation from me, fhall proceed to ask advice, of fuch as I esteem most wife, friendly, and faithful: if after the mind of the commiffioners in Bofton is known, it appears, that they confent to leave me at liberty, with refpect to the business they have employed me in here."

In this fufpence,he determined to ask the advice of a number of gentlemen in the miniftry, on whofe judgment and friendship he could rely, and to act accordjugly, Who upon his, and his people's defire, met at Stockbridge, Jan. 4. 1758. And having heard Mr Edwards's reprefentation of the matter, and what his people had to fay by way of objection against his re

moval, determined it was his duty to accept of the invitation to the prefidency of the college.

When they publifhed their judgment and advice to Mr Edwards and his people, he appeared uncommonly moved and affected with it, and fell into tears on the occafion, which was very unufual for him in the presence of others; and foon after faid to the gentlemen, who had given their advice, that it was matter of wonder to him, that they could so easily, as they appeared to do, get over the objections he had made against his removal, to be the head of a college, which appeared great and weighty to him. But as he thought it his duty to be directed by their advice, he fhould now endeavour cheerfully to undertake it, believing he was in the way of his duty.

Accordingly, having had, by the application of the trustees of the college, the confent of the commiffioners to refign their miffion, he girded up his loins, and fet off from Stockbridge for Princetown in January. He left his family at Stockbridge, not to be removed till fpring. He had two daughters at Princetown, Mrs Burr, the widow of the late Prefident Burr, and his oldeft daughter that was unmarried.

His arrival at Princetown was to the great fatisfaction and joy of the college. And indeed all the greateft friends to the college, and to the intereft of religion, were highly fatisfied and pleafed with the appointment of Mr Edwards to the prefidency of that college, and had their hopes and expectations greatly raised hereby. And his correfpondents, and friends, and well-wishers to the college in Scotland, greatly approved of it.

The corporation met as foon as could be with conveniency, after his arrival iu the college, when he was by them fixed in the prefident's chair.

While at Princetown, before his ficknefs, he preached in the college-hall Sabbath after Sabbath, to the great acceptance of the hearers; but did nothing as prefident, unless it was to give out fome queftions in divinity to the fenior clafs, to be answered before him; each one

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having opportunity to ftudy and write what he thought proper upon them. When they came together to anfwer them, they found fo much entertainment and profit by it, especially by the light and inftruction Mr Edwards communicated in what he faid upon the queftions, when they had delivered what they had to say, that they spoke of it with the greatest satisfaction and wonder.

During this time, Mr Edwards feemed to enjoy an uncommon degree of the prefence of God. He told his daughters he had had great exercife, concern, and fear, relative to his engaging in that bufinefs; but fince it now appeared, fo far as he could fee, 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 Princetown, and likely to Spread. And as Mr Edwards had never had it, and inoculation was then practifed with great fuccefs in those parts, he propofed to be inoculated, if the phyficians fhould advife to it, and the corporation would give their confent.

Accordingly, by the advice of the phyfician, and confent of the corporation, he was inoculated February 13. He had it favourably, and it was thought all danger was over; but a fecondary fever fet in, and by reafon of a number of puftles in his throat, the obftruction was fuch, that the medicines neceffary to ftanch 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 fifty-fifth year of his age.

After he was fenfible that he would not furvive that fickness, a little before his death, he called his daughter to him, who attended him in his fickness, and addreffed her in a few words, which were immediately taken down in writing, as near as could be recollected, and are as follows:

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DEAR LUCY,

to my

It seems to me to be the will of God that I must fhortly leave you; therefore give my kindeft love dear wife, and tell her, that the uncommon union which has fo long fubfifted between us, bas "been of fuch a nature, as I truft is fpiritual, and "therefore will continue forever: and I hope she "shall be supported under fo great a trial, and fubmit

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cheerfully to the will of God. And as to my chil"dren, you are now likely 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 fu"neral, I would have it to be like Mr Burr's; and any additional fum of money that might be expected to be laid out that way, I would have it difpofed of to "charitable ufes."

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He faid but very little in his fickness; but was an admirable inftance of patience and refignation to the laft. Juft at the clofe of his life, as fome perfons, who ftood by, and expecting he would-breath his laft 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 intereft of religion in general; to their furprife, not imagining that he heard, or ever would fpeak a nother word, he said, " Truft in God, and ye need not fear." Thefe were his laft words. And what could have been more fuitable to the occafion! And what need of more! In these is as much matter of inruction and fupport, as if he had wrote a volume.

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This

* Prefident Burr ordered, on his death bed, that his funeral should not be attended with that pomp and ceft, by procuring and giving away a great number of coftly mourning-scarfs, &c. and the confumption of a great quantity of fpirituous liquors; which is an extravagance that is become too customary in thofe parts, especially at the funerals of the great and the rich and that nothing fhould be expended but what was agrecable to the dictates of Chriftian decency. And that the fum which must bé expended at a modifh funeral, over and above the neceffary cost of decent one, fhould be given to the poor out of his eftate.

It is to be wifhed and hoped, that the laudable example of thefe two worthy prefidents, in which they bear their dying teftimony against a practice fo unchriftian, and of fuch bad tendency fo many ways, may Fve fome good effect,

This is the only confolation to his bereaved friends, who are fenfible of the lofs they and the church of Christ have sustained in his death; God is all fuffi cient, and still has the care of his church.

He appeared to have the uninterrupted use of his reafon to the laft, and died with as much calmness and compofure, to all appearance, as that with which one goes to fleep.

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The phyfician who inoculated and conftantly at tended him in his fick nefs, has the following words in his letter to Mrs Edwards on this occafion : "Never "did any mortal man more fully & clearly evidence the "fincerity of all his profeffions, by one continued, universal, calm, cheerful refignation and patient sub"miffion to the divine will, through every ftage of his disease, than he. Not fo much as one difcon"tented expreffion, nor the leaft appearance of murmuring through the whole. And never did any perfon expire with more perfect freedom from pain : not fo much as one distorted hair, but in the most "proper sense of the words, he really fell asleep."

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PART IV.

Containing an Account of his MANUSCRIPTS, and the Books published by him.

SECTION I.

His MANUSCRIPTS.

R.-EDWARDS has left a great many volumes in manufcript, which he wrote in a miscellaneous way on almost all subjects in divinity; which he did, not with any defign they fhould ever be publifhed in the form in which they are; but for the fatisfaction and improvement of his own mind, and that he might re

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