occafion, does the college of New-Jersey, in a great degree, owe its prefent flourishing condition.

As his light fhone, his abilities to fill the Prefident's chair in this College, then vacant, was not doubted by the honourable board of Trustees. He was accordingly chofen, and earnestly invited to accept the charge of this Society. Yet he once and again excufed himfelf, not being convinced that he was called in duty to leave his then important province. But repeated application at length prevailed to make him apprehend that it was the will of GoD he fhould accept the call; yet, left he should mistake in fo important a cafe, he withheld his express confent, until the Reverend Synod of New-York and Philadelphia gave their opinion in favour of the College. This determined his dubious mind. He came, and undertook the weighty charge.

And what were the confequences? had his inceffant labours in travelling and preaching the gospel, his difadvantageous fituation, and want of opportunity for improvement made fome of his best friends diffident of his capacity and acquirements for moving with honour in this unaccustomed fphere? He agreeably disappointed their friendly fears, and convinced them that strength of genius, joined to industrious application, had furmounted all other difadvantages. Had any fuch raised expectations as feemed hard to answer? they were fully fatisfied: fo that from being highly approved he came to be admired.

His manner of conducting the College did honour to himself, and promoted its interefts. Whatever alterations in the plans of education he introduced were confeffedly improvements on thofe of his predeceffors. Had I never had other means of intelligence, fave only my knowledge of the man, I fhould naturally have expected that all his public appearances would have been conducted with spirit, elegance, and decorum; that his government would be mild and gentle, tempered with wisdom and authority, and calculated to command re

verence

verence while it attracted love, and that his manner of teaching would be agreeable and striking.

But I propose not these as mere conjectures. The learned Tutors of the College, the partners of his counfels and deliberations for its good, and thefe young Gentlemen, once his care and charge, who judged themselves happy under his tuition, all know more than I shall speak.

You know the tenderness and condefcenfion with which he treated you; the paternal care with which he watched over you; the reluctance with which he at any time inflicted the prescribed punishment on a delinquent; and how pleafed he was to fucceed in reforming any abuse by private and eafy methods. You felt yourselves voluntarily confined by the restraints of love, and obliged to fubjection, not from slavish fear, but from principle and inclination. You have yet fresh in memory his inftructive Lectures, and can tell with what ease he communicated his fentiments, and imprefied his ideas on your minds, and the entertaining manner in which he would reprefent even a common thought.

But his perfuafive voice you will hear no more. He is removed far from mortals, has taken his arial flight, and left us to lament, that "a great man is fallen in "Ifrael!" He lived much in a little time; "he "finished his courfe," performed fooner than many others his affigned tafk, and, in that view, might be faid to have died mature. He fhone like a light fet in a high place, that burns out and expires.

He went through every stage of honour and usefulnefs, compatible to his character as a diffenting Clergyman: and, while we flattered our fond hopes of eminent fervices from him for many years to come, the fatal blow was ftruck: our pleafing profpects are all at an end, and he is cut down like a tree that had yielded much fruit, and was loaden with bloffoms even in its fall.

This difpenfation, how myfterious! how astonishing! nay, how discouraging does it feem! Why was he

raifed,

raifed, by Divine Providence, in the prime of life, to fo important a ftation, and, amidst useful labours, whilft he was faft increasing in ftrength adapted to his bufinefs, quickly fnatched away? This is a perplexing cafe; and the more fo that it fo foon fucceeded the yet fhorter continuance of the venerable Edwards. Were they fet in fo confpicuous a point of view, only that their imitable excellencies might be more obfervable? or, was Naffau-Hall erected by Divine Providence for this, among other important purposes, that it might ferve to adorn the latter end of fome eminent fervants of the living GOD, itfelf being adorned by them? In this view, the short Prefidency of a Dickinfon, a Burr, an Edwards, and a Davies, instead of arguing the difpleasure of the Almighty, will evidence His peculiar favour to this inftitution; which I know was planned, and has been carried on with the most pious, benevolent, and generous defigns. These defigns God's goodness has hitherto amazingly profpered, amidst apparent frowns; and, if we may infer any thing from what he has already done, it is an encouraging expectation that he will continue to blefs this Society, and make it an honour and happiness to this venerable Board to have been engaged in fo noble and fuccessful an undertaking.

Now one more fhining orb is fet on our world. Davies is departed, and with him all that love, zeal, activity, and benevolence, for which he was remarkable. This the Church, and this the bereaved College mourns. For this we hang our once cheerful harps, and indulge to plaintive ftrains. Yet we are not to lament as those who are hopeless, but rather with humble confidence to "pray the LORD of the harvest," with whom is "the refidue of the Spirit," that he would fend forth another Davies to affift our labour and forward his work.

Nor fhould the decease of useful labourers, the extinction of burning and fhining lights, only send us to the throne of grace for fupplies, but excite us to greater

diligence

diligence and activity in our bufinefs, as we have for the present the more to do. And, instead of being difpirited by the lofs of fuch eminent affiftants, we fhould be animated by their example, and hope for the fame divine aids that carried them through all the duties and dangers of life with fafety, fuccefs, and honour.

Finally, this difpenfation fhould leffen our esteem of this tranfitory difappointing world, and raise our affections to Heaven, that place and ftate of permanent bleffedness. Thither afcends, as to its native home, all the goodness that departs from earth: and the more of our pious friends that go to glory, fo many more fecondary motives have we to excite our defires of "de"parting and being with CHRIST; which is far better" than any state under the fun for there, in addition to fuperior felicity, "we fhall come to the general affem"bly, and church of the firft-born who are written " in Heaven,—and to the fpirits of juft men made perfect."(0) Amen.

(0) Heb. xiii. 23.

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