The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-01

judgment testified that 30 vivid and solemn was
the impression made on his own mind that he
fully supposed rs soon M Mr.. Edwards should
close his discourse the Supreme judge would
descend and tho final separation take place.
The sermon with which. on another occasion.
no is said to havo thrown the people Of Enfield,
Conn. into n paroNysm Of terror had this title.
Sinners in tho Hands Of an Angry God"
and Prof Tyler gives us an analysis of
the method in that discourse. Tho text
was Their feet shall slide In due time"
from which the speaker doduced tho PROPOSE
ton that there is nothing that keeps wicked
men az any ono moment out OF hell but tho
nero pleasure Of God. Ho proceeds to Justify
this postuate by n series Of ten considera-
tons. each stated with great sharpness and
force. aud all accommodating upon the central
thought IN indoscrihahc emphasis These Sow
rral considerations follow one after another with
dreadful swiitncss and force. each hurled by
swift mercilcss logic and by nm overwhelming
intensity OF realism. IIo then reaches the APP
plicalion where the urgency Of reasoning OF
menace. and " conservation is said W have be-
come intolcrablc. His power oyor tho people
whom he addressed seems to have consisted
partly in his minutcncss Of imaginative detail.
bringing forward each element In the case ono
by one 30 that drop after drop OF the molten
metal Of the scaldng oil falls steadily ON the
same spot. til tho victim cried out In shroks
Of agony.
We are told that IN the latter part OF bic life
Jonathan Edwards CHANGED TO open and to read
so frivolous n book rs novel. namely. " Dir
Charles Grandson" The dolilsht that no took
10 that work led him to analyza the source Of
his pleasure. and especially to consider the
power OF mere style In the exposition of Thought.
and to say to his son that he regretted hie own
neglect OF II. As a thooogian and taphysl-
clan, ~ tho author Of Inquiries into the free-
dom Of the will and tho champion Of Calyinism.
as the inspirer and drill master OF innumerablo
minds in his own country and in Great Britain.
Edwards Ills. Of course. large place in eccle-
siastical and philosophical history. But even
from n literary point Of view. and In spite Of his
own low estimate OF his literary merit. he seoms
TO deserve high rank. The passages quotei BY
Prof Tyler attest tho fundamental Nirtues OF q
writer-abundant thought and the utmost pre-
cision. clearness. and simplicity in tho utter
ance OF il. Nor arc its pages wanting In exam
pies OF bold. original. and poetic imagery and
although the nature Of his subjects and tho
temper OF his sect rcpresscd tho exercise OF
wit, Edwards Ia said to have poescssed wit Of
the keenest edge and IN early lilo WIS sadly
an ictcd boy tho burden OF checking the move
ments OF this faculty.
But the man who did moet to dlspol the ei-
fccis Of colonial isolation aud 10 liit American
literature into general recognition was Prank
lin. OF whom Humo. writing In 1904 uses tho
following words: America has sent Us many
good thinRs but YOU arc the fret philosopher
and indeed tho FIRST great man VI letters for
whom We are bohoden TO her" Even eight
years before that dato an eminent French
scholar In sending % Franklin at Philadelphia
the greetings OF Button and Other great savans
OF Paris had given this testimony: Your
name Is vonorated in this country" Within
the period, however. treated IN Prof. Tyler's
volumes. Franklins ronown was rather that Of
great scientific experimentor than n great
writer He had. indeed. acquired very carly
the pure pithy. racy. and delightful detion
which he never lost. and had prod ucod q multi
tude Of essays on politics. commerce. education
science religion, and the conduct Of lilo. But
all his writing had been composed for some
immediate purpose. and. II printed at all. had
been printed separately. and as rule. without
the authors name.
At the close Of our colonial epoch. Benjamin
Franklin WIS on the verge Of old age. and his
splendid career rs scientific discovcrcr aud
"a a citizen seemed rounded 10 III full Yet
there lay before him stll another career Of Just
a quarter Of q century In which his political
| services were to bring him more glory than he
| had gained from all he had done before, and in
| which he was 10 write one book-the story OF
! his own life-that is stlll tho most famous pro-
dnction in American literature and has passed
into nearly all the literary languages Of the
globe. M.w.H.