Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-01-09

time among the good people of New ENGLAND
The Dutch Of New York and New jersey"
said one of them, "are little better than the saw
ages Of our American deserts" Jonathan Ed
wards was sent by company Of cicrgymen to
this desp rate place much in the spirit Of those
who, at the present day, send missionaries to Or
ogcn or 10 the mining districts of California.
Everything was adverse to the spread Of his
faith at that time in New York, and the young
clergyman, after residence Of only a few
months, went home TO resume his studies Dear
ly loved and highly priced by some members of
his little congregation in New ork he certainly
was; but there is no reason to suppose that the
preaching Of the greatest of American Clergy
men attracted the slightest attention from the
unintellcctual citizens of the place. Yet a hap
pier, more cxultant youth, ,yer lrod The
shores Of this island than jonathan Edwards
lie had giaepcG the trnels of his sect no, with
the langui1 assent with whici an inherited creed
is frequently received, but with that eager, en-.
thuslastic love which ~ccompanics original CON
ceptlons. To him they were the most real of all
realities. Ills manner was very calm and gen
lie. lie spoke little, and kept apart from the
busy life ofthe city. But the light Of perfect
benevocnce and rapt devotion rested upon his
noble, tho1ght-laden counteuauce, and pro-
found enthusiasm animated his heart.
OF his life in New York he writes in after
years a brief account, which still exists to reveal
to canting age a soul d,rotcd to the object of
It's love. How touching is this extract: .lf
heard the least hint Of anything that happened
in any part Of the world that appeared, in some
respect Or other, to Lave a favorable aspect on
the interests of Chrisi's kingdom, my soul eager
ly caiched al It; and it would much animate and
refresh me ] used 10 be eager 10 read public
ne'rs letters, mainly far that emit; 10 see If
c0ud MT Fpd some newS tdrordNe 10 me inter
est J religion IN The worid. very frequently
used to retire into solitary place, on the banks
of Hudson's River, at some distance from the
city. for contemplation on divine thnes and
secret converse with God and had many sweet
hours there. Sometimes Mr. Smith and walk
ed there together, TO converse on the .Aings of
God aud our converting used TO turn much on
the advancement Of Chiisi's kingdom IN the
world, and the glorious things that God would
accomplish for his church in the latter DAYS.
had then. and al other times, the greatest delight
in the holy Scriptures, Of any book whatsoever.
Oiicniimes IN rciding it, every word seemed to
touch my heart ! felt harmony between some
thing in my heart and those sweet and 20 yer.
iul words. seemed often TO see so much light
exhibited by every sentence, and such a refresh.
ing food communicated, that could not get
along in reading; often dwelling long on one
sentence. to see he wonders contained IN il and
Yet almost every sentence seemed to be full Of
wonders"
Through the obsolete phraseoloey Of this pas
sage, one easily disc rms fine dsintcres,edness
OF character which. unless the human race should
become wholly debascd can never become OBJ
scleie.
or the religion called "evangelical." he was.
perhaps, the most perfect cxemplifcation tina,
ever existed The child was father of the man
We see him. as boy Of ten, building booth in
swamp near his fathers house, to which he and
two OF his companions used to 90 regularly to
pray. In his eleventh year. We read of his de-
monsirating, with a sort of solemn joculariiy the
material, aud remaineI 1i'Ihe body till the ia "Ss
direction. AT twelve, We find him beginning
letter 10 one Of his sisters thus Through the
wonderful goodness and mercy Of God, there has
been IN this place a very remarkable outpOurng
Of the Spirit Of Cod lie proceeds to inform
his sister that he "has reason 10 think 1t is in
some measure diminished, but lie hopes not
much, and that above thirty persons came com
nionly Mondays To converse with father abont
their souls" At the same time he exhibited in
things not religious, an intelligence truly remark
able. lie wrote. in his twelfth wear. an elabor-
ate description of the wondrous way of the
working Of the forest spider which shows that
he possessed a rare talent for the observation of
nature. One of the greatest OF natural philoso-
piers was lost to the world when Jonathan Ed
wards became theologian.
At thirteen, he was one OF the thiriy-onc stu
dents who, in 1876, composed Yale College, and
here occurred the events which decided his ca
reer. Toward the latter part OF my time AT coll
cgc," he wrote, "it pleased God 20 seize me with
pleiirisN which hrourht oh To ,ho
grave, and shook me over the pit of hell"
Alarmed. the exemplary youth "made seeking
his salvation the main business OF his life'-with
the usual evangelical result The other event
was, for his country and the Protestant world
far more important. 1t was his reception Of
what theologians call the doctrine of election.
From his childhood up, as he himself records
his ingenious mind has revolted from tho idea
of Gods choosing whom he would TO eternal
life, and rejecting whom he pleased, leaving
them etcrnally to perish and be everlastingly
tormented in hell" But the time came when
he thought lie believed this doctrine. lie could
not tell how, or why. On sudden, conviction
flashed upon his mind, and what had once seem
ed horrible doctrine, he contemplated with de
light Henceforh, the leisure Of his life and
the best efforts of his intellect were devoted tC
its elucdaion. His treatise on the "Freedom
the recent world, is an ingenious attempt tt
make that reasonable which, not through his res
son, he had himself received. To reconcile The
orthodox tenotS with the facts of nature and tn,
reason of man is the task at which the brain o.
New England grew large and the chest narrow
Of those who have lived and died in that voca
ton, the greatest and the best was Jonathan Ed
wards
The Edwards stock is famous in New Eng
land. The remoiest known ancestor of the rae,
was London clergyman in the reign of Queer
Elizabeth. Three generations of worthy, sub
stantial persons, his descendants, lived in Con
neclicut. From Jonathan Edwards surprising
number Of distinguished individuals have dc
scended; men of worth, talent and station wo
men, beautiful, accomplished ard gifted. His
tories OF the United States have been written il
which his name does not occur; but upon every
person reared since his day in New England he
has made discerniblc impression, and be innu
cnccs, 10 this hour. millions who never heard hi
name. The thing he chiefly did in his life wa.
this the church and the world, two hostile bod
les, were beginning, as it werc to relen, towarC
one another, to approach, to minge Jonathan
Edwards, with his subtle, feminine intellect anc
solnto ,r;ll fbro salc ho,,,ooo ,Lo bol;oa