physician should advise to it, and the corporation would give their consent. Accordingly, by the advice of the physician, and the consent of the corporation, he was inoculated February 13th. He had it favourably, and it was thought all danger was over; but a secondary fever set in, and, by reason of a number of pustules in his throat, the obstruction was such, that the medicines necessary to check 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 55th year of his age.

"After he was sensible that he could not survive that sickness, a little before his death, he called his daughter to him, who attended him in his sickness, and addressed her in a few words, which were immediately taken down in writing, as near as could be recollected, and are as follows:-"Dear Lucy, It seems to me to be the "will of God, that I must shortly leave you; therefore give my "kindest love to my dear wife, and tell her, that the uncommon "union, which has so long subsisted between us, has been of such a nature, as, I trust, is spiritual, and therefore will continue forev"er and I hope she will be supported under so great a trial, and "submit cheerfully to the will of God. And as to my children, you are now like 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 funeral, I would have it to be like Mr. Burr's; and "any additional sum of money, that might be expected to be laid "out that way, I would have it disposed of to charitable uses.”*

66

"He said but very little in his sickness: but was an admirable instance of patience and resignation, to the last. Just at the close of life, as some persons, who stood by, expecting he would breath his last 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 interest of religion in general; to their surprise, not imagining that he heard, or ever would speak another word, he said, "Trust in God, and ye need not fear." These were his last words. What could have been more suitable to the occasion! And what need of more! In these there is as much matter of instruction and support, as if he had written a volume. This was the only consolation to his bereaved friends, deeply sensible, as they were of the loss which they, and the church of Christ, had sustained in his death: Gon IS ALL-SUFFICIENT, AND STILL HAS THE CARE OF HIS CHURCH.†

*President Burr, ordered, on his death bed, that his funeral should n be attended with pomp and cost; that nothing should be expended, bet what was agreeable to the dictates of christian decency; and that the sm which must be expended at a fashionable funeral, above the necessary c of a decent one, should be given to the poor, out of his estate.

The reader may wish to see the notice taken of the death of Mr. Ea wards, at the time when it occurred. The following is the account

"He appeared to have the uninterrupted use of his reason to the last, and died with as much calmness and composure, to all appearance, as that with which one goes to sleep."

The physician, who inoculated and constantly attended him, in his sickness, addressed the following letter to Mrs. Edwards, on this occasion:

"To Mrs. Sarah Edwards, Stockbridge.

"Princeton, March 22, 1758.

"MOST DEAR AND VERY WORTHY MADAM,

"I am heartily sorry for the occasion of my writing to you, by this express, but I know you have been informed, by a line from your excellent, lovely and pious husband, that I was brought here to inoculate him, and your dear daughter Esther, and her children, for the small-pox, which was then spreading fast in Princeton; and that, after the most deliberate and serious consultation, with his nearest and most religious friends, he was accordingly inoculated with them, the 23d of last month; and although he had the smallpox favourably, yet, having a number of them in the roof of his mouth and throat, he could not possibly swallow a sufficient quantity of drink, to keep off a secondary fever, which has proved too strong for his feeble frame; and this afternoon, between two and three o'clock, it pleased God to let him sleep in that dear Lord Jesus, whose kingdom and interest he has been faithfully and painfully serving all his life. And never did any mortal man, more fully and clearly evidence the sincerity of all his professions, by one continued, universal, calm, cheerful resignation, and patient submission to the divine will, through every stage of his disease, than he; not so much as one discontented expression, nor the least appearance of murmuring, through the whole. And never did any person expire with more perfect freedom from pain;-not so much as one distorted hair-but in the most proper sense of the words, he fell asleep. Death had certainly lost its sting, as to him.

"Your daughter, Mrs. Burr, and her children, through the mercy of God, are safely over the disease, and she desires me to send

in the Boston Gazette, of April 10, 1750.-" On Wednesday, the 22d of last month, died, by inoculation, at Nassau Hall, an eminent servant of God, the Rev. pious, Mr. Jonathan Edwards, President of the College of New Jersey; a gentleman of distinguished abilities, and an heavenly temper of mind: a most rational, generous, catholic and exemplary christian, admired by all who knew him, for his uncommon candour and disinterested benevolence; a pattern of temperance, meekness, patience and charity; always steady, calm and serene; a very judicious and instructive preacher, and a most excellent divine. And, as he lived, cheerfully resigned to the will of Heaven, so he died, or rather, as the Scriptures emphatically express it, with respect to good men, he fell asleep in Jesus, without the least appearance of pain."

her duty to you, the best of mothers. She has had the small-pox the heaviest of all, whom I have inoculated, and little Sally, far the lightest; she has but three in her face. I am sure it will prove serviceable to her future health.

"I conclude, with my hearty prayer, dear Madam, that you may be enabled to look to that God, whose love and goodness you have experienced a thousand times, for direction and help, under this most afflictive dispensation of his providence, and under every other difficulty, you may meet with here, in order to your being more perfectly fitted for the joys of heaven, hereafter.

"I am, dear Madam,

"Your most sympathizing

"And affectionate friend,

"And very humble servant,

"WILLIAM SHIPPEN."

This letter reached Mrs. Edwards, while in a feeble state of health, when she was preparing to pay a visit, first to her sister, Mrs. Hopkins, at West Springfield, and then to her mother, Mrs. Edwards, of Windsor, in consequence of the death of Mr. Edwards' father. What her feelings were, and those of her family, under this unexpected and overwhelming dispensation, can be more easily conceived than described.

"She had long told her intimate friends, that she had, after long struggles and exercises, obtained, by God's grace, an habitual willingness to die herself, or part with any of her most near relatives. That she was willing to bring forth children for death; and to resign up him, whom she esteemed so great a blessing to her and her family, her nearest partner, to the stroke of death, whenever God should see fit to take him. And when she had the greatest trial, in the death of Mr. Edwards, she found the help and comfort of such a disposition. Her conduct on this occasion, was such as to excite the admiration of her friends; it discovered that she was sensible of the great loss, which she and her children had sustained in his death; and, at the same time, showed that she was quiet and resigned, and had those invisible supports, which enabled her to trust in God with quietness, hope, and humble joy."

A few days afterwards, she addressed the following Letter to Mrs. Burr.

"MY VERY DEAR CHILD,

"Stockbridge, April 3, 1758.

"What shall I say! A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod, and lay our hands on our mouths! The Lord has done it. goodness, that we had him so long.

He has made me adore his
But my God lives; and he

has my heart. O what a legacy my husband, and your father, has left us! We are all given to God; and there I am, and love to be. "Your ever affectionate mother,

"SARAH EDWARDS."

On the same sheet, was the following letter from one of her daughters.

"MY DEAR SISTER,

"My mother wrote this, with a great deal of pain, in her neck, which disabled her from writing any more. She thought you would

be glad of these few lines from her own hand.

"O, sister, how many calls have we, one upon the back of another. O, I beg your prayers, that we, who are young in this family, may be awakened and excited to call more earnestly on God, that he would be our Father and friend forever.

"My father took leave of all his people and family as affectionately, as if he knew he should not come again. On the Sabbath afternoon, he preached from these words,-We have no continuing city, therefore let us seek one to come. The chapter that he read was Acts the 20th. O, how proper; what could he have done more. When he had got out of doors he turned about,-"I commit you to God," said he.-I doubt not but God will take a fatherly care of us, if we do not forget him.

"I am your ever affectionate sister,

"Stockbridge, April 3, 1758.

"SUSANNAH EDWARDS."

"Mrs. Burr and her children were inoculated, at the same time that her father was, and had recovered when he died. But after she was perfectly recovered, to all appearance, she was suddenly seized with a violent disorder, which carried her off in a few days; and which, the physician said, he could call by no name, but that of a messenger, sent suddenly, to call her out of the world. She died, April 7, 1758, sixteen days after her father, in the 27th year of her age. She was married to Mr. Burr, June 29, 1752. They had two children, a son and a daughter.

"Mrs. Burr exceeded most of her sex, in the beauty of her person, as well as in her behaviour and conversation. She discovered an unaffected, natural freedom, towards persons of all ranks, with whom she conversed. Her genius was much more than common. She had a lively, sprightly imagination, a quick and penetrating discernment, and a good judgment. She possessed an uncommon degree of wit and vivacity; which yet was consistent with pleasantness and good nature; and she knew how to be facetious and sportive, without trespassing on the bounds of decorum, or of strict and serious religion. In short, she seemed formed to please,

and especially to please one, of Mr. Burr's taste and character, in whom he was exceedingly happy. But what crowned all her excellencies, and was her chief glory, was RELIGION. She appeared to be the subject of divine impressions, when seven or eight years old; and she made a public profession of religion, when about fifteen. Her conversation, until her death, was exemplary, as becometh godliness."-She was, in every respect, an ornament to her sex, being equally distinguished for the suavity of her manners, her literary accomplishments, and her unfeigned regard to religion. Her religion did not cast a gloom over her mind, but made her cheerful and happy, and rendered the thought of death transporting. She left a number of manuscripts, on interesting subjects, and it was hoped they would have been made public; but they are now lost.

Mrs. Edwards did not long survive her husband. In September, she set out, in good health, on a journey to Philadelphia, to take care of her two orphan grand-children, which were now in that city; and had been, since the death of Mrs. Burr. As they had no relations in those parts, Mrs. Edwards proposed to take them into her own family. She arrived there, by the way of Princeton, Sept. 21, in good health, having had a comfortable journey. But, in a few days, she was seized with a violent dysentery, which, on the fifth day, put an end to her life, October 2d, 1758, in the 49th year of her age. She said not much in her sickness; being exercised, most of the time, with violent pain. On the morning of the day she died, she apprehended her death was near, when she expressed her entire resignation to God, and her desire that he might be glorified in all things; and that she might be enabled to glorify him to the last and continued in such a temper, calm and resigned, till she died.

Her remains were carried to Princeton, and deposited with those of Mr. Edwards. Thus they, who were in their lives remarkably lovely and pleasant, in their death were not much divided. Here, the father and mother, the son and daughter, were laid together in the grave, within the space of a little more than a year; though a few months before, their dwelling was more than 150 miles apart : -two Presidents of the same College, and their consorts, than whom, it will doubtless be hard to find four persons, more valuable and useful!

By these repeated strokes, following in quick succession, the American Church, within a few months, sustained a loss, which probably, in so short a space of time, will never be equalled.

Mr. and Mrs. Edwards lived together, in the married state, above thirty years; in which time, they had eleven children, three sons, and eight daughters. The second daughter died, Feb. 14,