into the resentment of the last evening; he knew that he had given him reason to be indignant; and, although he had felt a transgressor's triumph during the night, he was now assured, by this humble confession, that a pious heart is nobler than worldly tact. He never forgot that morning's visit. He spoke of it till his dying day. Under the influence of it, he became a man of God. His father, (who was a friend of David Brainerd, and named this son in honor of that pious missionary,) had originally designed him for the sacred office, and had once sent him to pursue his theological course with Dr. Bellamy. The son, however, then felt his unfitness for the work, and soon relinquished the preparative study. But now he recommenced the delightful preparation. For thirty-seven years he satisfied and delighted one of the largest churches in Massachusetts. He became a theological author and teacher. He was honored as an instrument of many religious revivals. He has now several descendants in the ministry. He was an intimate friend of Samuel Spring and Nathanael Emmons. The latter divine, unused to extravagant praise, says of him:

"The Author of nature endowed Mr. Sanford with a rich variety of rare and superior talents. He possessed a quick apprehension, a clear and sound judgment, a lively imagination, and an uncommon knowledge of human nature. These intellectual powers, sanctified by divine grace, fitted him to shine with peculiar lustre in every branch of his ministerial office. But perhaps he appeared to the best advantage as a speaker, for which his body, as well as his mind, was peculiarly formed. He had a piercing eye, a significant countenance, a majestic appearance, and a strong, clear, melodious voice, which he was able to modulate with ease and propriety. I know no man, of any profession, in the circle of my acquaintance, who surpassed him in natural eloquence. He was able to move any passion which he wished to move, whether love or hatred, hope or fear, joy or sorrow. He knew every avenue to the human heart, and could make the deepest impressions upon it."

It was often said, that if Hopkins had possessed the oratorical gifts of his brother-in-law, he would have been another Whitefield. But although destitute of Whitefield's power, Hopkins would have been a benefactor to his race, if he had done no more for them than that which he did through the medium of the eminent divines just named. How few have accomplished more than the younger Edwards in exhibiting the truths of the Bible, free from the admixtures of a false and bewildering metaphysics.

One secret of the power which the subject of this Memoir wielded over his theological adversaries, lay in his general self-possession. When past the age of fourscore years, he confessed to his friend Dr. C. J. Tenney, that in his early life he had found it difficult to

* See Emmons's Works, vol. i. p. 341. A Discourse at the Funeral of Rev. David Sanford, A. M., Medway, who died April 7. 1810, aged 73. See also Dr. Emmons's Discourse at the Funeral of Mrs. Bathsheba Sanford, wife of Rev. D. Sanford, and sister of Mrs. Dr. Hopkins; Works, vol. iii. pp. 9-13.

preserve an even temper; but he added: "For more than thirty years [referring to his interview with Mr. Sanford], I have not felt an angry emotion, nor do I think it probable that I shall ever feel another." It was this command over himself which gave him his command over others. His equanimity qualified him for successful debate. He was wont to hear his opponents patiently, and when they had stated all their objections without being interrupted by him, he would make his calm, but sometimes pithy reply. Dr. West, who knew, for he had keenly felt, the power of Hopkins's logic, makes the following ingenuous, and, in itself, very probable

statement:

Honored as I was with his friendship, I may be liable to prejudice; but, on long and intimate acquaintance, it has appeared to me that he possessed a candor of mind which is rarely to be found. Men of the first abilities and acquirements, like others, are apt to be tenacious of opinions they have once imbibed. Having formed them, as they apprehend, on mature thought and deliberation, they soon become possessed of a prejudice unfavorable to light and evidence which might correct them. Rare it was, that any one was capable of detecting an error in the sentiments of Dr. Hopkins on moral and religious subjects. But he was remarkably open to conviction, whenever evidence was exhibited of the incorrectness of any of his opinions. Truth appeared to be so much the object of his search, that he discovered an unusual readiness to admit it, from whatever quarter it came; and that even though he might find error in himself detected by it. Did we all search the Scriptures without any prepossession or prejudice, we should undoubtedly imbibe truth without error. As might be expected with such candor of mind, his manner, in verbal dispute, was unusually mild, fair, and moderate. Far from being overbearing, he ever gave every just advantage to his opponent, patiently hearing whatever he advanced in favor of his opinions, and giving him full opportunity to vindicate them by every argument he thought favorable. And as the Doctor had a happy talent of expressing his own arguments with peculiar perspicuity, by these means he often convinced and gained over his opposers; when, had his manner been austere and overbearing, however conclusive his arguments, the opposite party would have remained unconvinced, and received no benefit. He had a mind peculiarly formed for friendship, and appeared to be indeed the faithful friend. No one entered into greater nearness and intimacy of Christian friendship, or gave, or seemed to enjoy, greater pleasure in the society and friendship of Christians. And his unaffected ease and openness, together with the instructiveness of his conversation, were such as made his company greatly sought, and his friendship highly valued, by the lovers of religion and truth."

It was in view of such facts as those above recited, that Hopkins closed his Autobiography in 1796, with the words of joy:

"I have particular reason to be thankful and rejoice that I have been the means of the conversion of more than one who are now in the ministry, (which they themselves think is a fact,) and of enlightening and removing the prejudices of others, who were before in a great measure blind to those truths which they now see to be evident and important. May I not rejoice in this? And may I not hope to rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain?' May God have all the glory. Amen.Ӡ

* West's Sketches, etc. pp. xii.-xiv.

Ib. pp. 103, 104.

The influence of Dr, Hopkins on public men has been, of itself, enough to call forth the gratitude of posterity. Many of the most prominent individuals in the early benevolent operations of this century were his pupils or disciples. For instance, on the 28th of May, 1799, thirty-eight men formed the Massachusetts Missionary Society, of whom the greater part were firm Hopkinsians, and the first two names subscribed to the constitution of that society, were David Sanford and Daniel Hopkins. Dr. Emmons was the first, and Dr. Daniel Hopkins was the second president; Dr. Austin was the first secretary of the society. Dr. Emmons was the first preacher before it. Mr. Sanford and Dr. Daniel Hopkins were the first two on the list of trustees. Dr. Emmons, Mr. Sanford, Dr. Daniel Hopkins, and Dr. Spring were the first four on the editorial list of the Massachusetts Missionary Magazine, a periodical projected by the society in 1802, and in 1808 united with the Panoplist, and in 1817 merged into the Missionary Herald. The object of this society was, "to diffuse the knowledge of the gospel among the heathens, as well as other people in the remote parts of our country, where Christ is seldom or never preached." Dr. Samuel Hopkins evinced the liveliest interest in it. His missionary spirit animated his disciples. He manifested this spirit in his intercourse with them, and in his public addresses: see particularly his "Farewell to the World."*

SECT. XVIII. GENERAL INFLUENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.

A parish minister is a city set on a hill. His light radiates over the surrounding vales. While Mr. Hopkins resided in Great Barrington, he gave a decided impulse to the formation of every Congregational church, beginning its existence at that period and in that neighborhood. For a quarter of a century, he did more than all others in establishing the new churches on the right basis, with regard to the Half Way Covenant. In this particular he “ fought a good fight" for modern Christians, some of whom, forgetting the conqueror, rejoice in the victory. He was regarded as a champion for the unpopular doctrine, that persons exhibiting no evidence of a renewed heart should not be admitted to the Lord's supper, and that persons not coming to the Lord's supper should not offer their children for baptism. Having been urged by some of his friends

*It may here be mentioned, by the way, that the American Doctrinal Tract Society, which now publishes Dr. Hopkins's works, was at first formed exclusively by Hopkinsian divines.

Testimony of Rev. Samuel Shepard, D. D., of Lenox, Massachusetts.

Many clergyman, on ordaining councils, opposed the ordination of any candidate who adopted the Edwardean theory on this subject. Mr. Hopkins was often summoned to contend against them, in behalf of religious liberty. He sometimes came as near

in New Jersey to discourse on this subject in that colony, he writes, December 21, 1764:

"I am not clear that it is worth while or prudent to raise all that fire which will unavoidably be kindled up in the Jersey, for many miles round, both among ministers and people, if I should go and declare and inculcate my sentiments, in the present situation of affairs. Is it not a pity to break in upon that peace and harmony they now enjoy? I am sure, if it may and ought to be done, it is an ungrateful task. I should be stigmatized through all that world, as a stiff, rigid, imprudent mischief-maker; and all the ministers would sincerely wish me back to New England, if not to the moon. And what good would be done? The maxim our Saviour acted upon, (John xvi. 12,) is perhaps applicable to this case."

It is obvious, from his correspondence, that he was often consulted by clergymen in New Jersey with regard to their theological interests; and the following letter to Bellamy shows how important his services were regarded by some friends of the college at Princeton:

"Great Barrington, March 25, 1767. I have a number of letters to you from Jersey, which were brought by Mr. Timothy Edwards, [eldest son of the President,] last week. I don't send them with this, because I have no direct and safe opportunity, and because I expect to come myself and see you, the second Monday in April, (if God will.) I have letters from Messrs. Caldwell, McWhorter, Chapman, and Jonathan Edwards, importing that they, with a number of others, are now in high zeal about a professor of divinity at the college; that Mr. is not chosen, nor generally esteemed fit for that place; that no way is yet provided for the support of one; that if they don't get one, and one of the right sort too, and equal to the business, the college will die a natural death; that some of the trustees of principal influence have been consulted, and they manifest an approbation of one of your friends in New England, from what they have heard of him, and encourage that he shall be undoubtedly chosen, if a support for him can be provided by subscription; that a larger subscription can be procured for him, than for any other. Therefore they have sent to him, to know if he will accept, if chosen, and to desire him not to put himself under any engagements inconsistent with this, till they can make a fair trial, which cannot be completed till next fall; to effect which, they now intend to pull every string and turn every stone; the subscription to be but for five or seven years at first, concluding that another can more easily be filled up, if needed, when that term expires, than a longer one can be procured now. They want to know whether 'tis probable any subscriptions for this design can be procured in New England, especially at Boston. And [they] want your judgment, advice, and assistance in the affair. They have engaged the messenger to treat with your friend more

as a man of his habitual tranquillity need come, to a loss of his patience with these men. One of the most impetuous sentences in his correspondence is the following: "July 8, 1756. I value a correspondence and intercourse with you, by writing and conversation, more than ever; as I have lately had an uncomfortable interview with three neighboring, senseless, stupid, wilful, ignorant, blind, illiterate, thoughtless, confident, suspicious, disdainful, (forgive me, dear sir; I have a great sense of it.) He that says, '1 see,' and yet is blind, has no sort of notion about seeing, and knows not what it means. How great and immovable is that blindness! I pray God to deliver me from such blindness and infatuation! I had need to look to myself, for I am charged with having no thoughts of my own, being wholly -; with contradicting myself; with being so dark and confused as that I neither know myself, nor can any one else know what I mean or aim at, &c., &c."

f*

particularly on the affair, than they could write; have [written] you on the head, I suppose, and tried to engage the messenger to go to you on his return; but he says he can't. Edwards writes, that all the officers at college are warmly engaged in the affair, &c. They are so sanguine, as to think the fall of the college and of the religious interest of all those provinces turns upon this affair. I write these hints, that your thoughts may perhaps be more ripe upon the head when I shall see you, which I hope will be in less than three weeks from this time. 'Tis thought that the proposed coalescence (perhaps it might be more properly called a collision) of the Old side and New, with respect to the college, must and will take place. And I think, if Dr. Witherspoon don't come, (and the Old side will hinder it if they can,) Dr. will be President, and that this is what they are, at bottom, driving at. But this is conjecture.” *

The name of the individual who was thus proposed for the Professorship of Divinity at Princeton may be easily conjectured. This proposal casts some light upon the statement of Dr. Patten, that after President Edwards's death, in 1758, Mr. Hopkins was named by some as the successor to the Presidency.

"But before the proposition was laid before the Board of Trustees, one of the members was requested to visit Mr. H., that by actual observation he might form an opinion of his qualifications for the office and station. Mr. H. had not the least apprehension of the object of the gentleman in making him a visit; but received him with great courtesy, and entertained him with liberal hospitality, not only according to his custom, but as he considered due to a gentleman of his standing, and a friend of Mr. E. This gentleman, on his return, reported unfavorably to the appointment, and assigned, as a reason, the country style in which Mr. H. lived, and the correspondence of his manners to such a state." +

For this statement, there is now, perhaps, no other authority than that of Dr. Patten; yet the assertion that Hopkins was a candidate for the vacant Presidency may seem not improbable, from the fact that some of the most active men in founding and sustaining the college at New Jersey (as, for instance, Hon. W. P. Smith and Rev. T. Arthur,) were the associates of Hopkins at Yale; and Governor William Livingston, one of its firm friends, was his classmate. The gentleman first appointed to succeed Edwards in the Presidency at Princeton was Rev. James Lockwood, a Connecticut minister, whose tendencies were to the New Divinity. Hopkins was not formed for such an office; but it is grateful to record that the

* After the Professorship of Divinity, spoken of in the text, had been filled by the appointment of Rev. John Blair, of Fogg's Manor, Pennsylvania, Mr. Hopkins continued to manifest the same interest in it. Thus, after having visited Boston, he writes to Dr. Bellamy July 23, 1767. : Mr. Blair [Rev. Samuel B., pastor of Old South Church, and nephew of the newly-appointed professor] and others are beyond expectation friendly and zealous, with respect to the professorship. Mr. Blair tells me he can easily get thirty pounds sterling per annum subscribed in Boston. My friend Mr. P. thinks you ought to go to New York, to forward the matter there." As early as April 5, 1769, there is a record that Mr. William Phillips and his two brothers, of Boston, had subscribed three hundred pounds, i. e., a thousand dollars, for the college at Princeton. + Patten's Reminiscences, pp. 44, 45.