ardent longing for the salvation of the heathen. He spent whole days in fasting and prayer, that God would prepare him for his great work; and indeed throughout his whole life he was truly a "man of prayer,' lifting up his heart to God on all occasions, frequently spending whole days in prayer and meditation in the fields and woods, desiring holiness of heart far above every other object.

In 1743, Mr. Brainerd was sent by the "Society for the propagation of Christian Knowledge" to the Indians at Kaunaumeek, a place in the woods between Stockbridge and Albany. In this lonely place he continued about a year, and endured many hardships and privations; 66 yet," says he, "my spiritual conflicts and distresses so far exceed these that I scarcely think of them." The number of Indians being small at this place, and the field of his usefulness limited, Mr. Brainerd thought he could do more for the cause of Christ to labour among the Indians at the forks of the Delaware, in New Jersey. Here, at a place called Crosweeksung, was the scene of his great success. He laboured for a number of months with little apparent success, and became almost discouraged; but the love of Christ constrained him to go forward, and at length the power of God evidently attended the word, so that a number of these savages were brought under great concern for their souls. The work of grace now progressed. Mr. Brainerd, in his journal, gives an instance of the effects which followed the preaching of the word of God. "There was much concern," says he, "among them while I was discoursing publicly; but afterwards, when I spoke to one and another whom I perceived more particularly under concern, the power of God seemed to descend upon the assembly, like a mighty rushing wind,' and with an astonishing energy bore down all before it.

"I stood amazed at the influence that seized upon the audience almost universally. Almost all persons, of all ages, were bowed down together. Old men and women, who had been drunken wretches for many

years, and some little children not more than six or seven years of age, appeared in distress for their souls, as well as persons of middle age. These were almost universally praying and crying for mercy in every part of the house, and many out of doors, and numbers could neither go nor stand; their concern was so great, each for himself, that none seemed to take any notice of those about them, but each prayed for himself. Methought this had a near resemblance to the day of God's power, mentioned Josh. x. 14; for I must say I never saw any day like it in all respects; it was a day wherein the Lord did much to destroy the kingdom of darkness among this people." A church was soon afterwards gathered among these poor pagans; and such was the change effected among them, that many exclaimed with astonishment, "What hath God wrought!"

Mr. Brainerd laboured excessively among the people of his charge; he frequently made long and tedious journeys to the English settlements, for assistance to forward the objects of his mission, and also among the surrounding tribes of Indians, to carry the gospel to the outcasts who were ready to perish. The hardships and dangers which he encountered and escaped in the wilderness are almost incredible. He continued among the Indians till March, 1747, when the ravages of disease, brought on by his hardships and exposures, forced him to leave the people of his charge. He died at Northampton, Mass., at the house of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, Oct. 9th, 1747.

81. ANTHONY Benezet.

Anthony Benezet was born in France in the year 1713. His parents belonged to the society of Friends. The persecution on account of religious opinions, which then existed in that country, induced them to leave France. After a residence of many years in London, they and their son, the subject of this sketch, came to America, and settled in Philadelphia.

He was a man of sound understanding, great piety, humility, and self-denial, and of a very benevolent disposition. Being desirous of spending his life in a manner the most useful to his fellow-creatutres, he devoted himself to the education of youth. In this arduous but truly honourable employment he passed about forty years; and acquitted himself very much to the satisfaction of parents and children. His great object was, to imbue the minds of his pupils with reverence for religion, and to train them up in a course of virtue. Pecuniary advantages were of small moment in his estimation, of which he gave many striking proofs. A short time before his decease, he declared, in a letter to a friend, that though leisure and retirement would be very agreeable to him, he was well satisfied to remain in his occupation; and that he knew no other, whatever might be its advantages, for which he would exchange his employment, unless it were a cominission to preach and propagate, as a minister, the gospel of Christ.

When the school established in Philadelphia "for the instruction of black people and their offspring" was suspended, on account of the indisposition of their teacher, he voluntarily surrendered his own school to other competent persons, and undertook the instruction of those people, though in a pecuniary respect he lost considerable by the change. His humility and his sympathy with that unhappy race of men disposed him to think no condescensions degrading by which he could be peculiarly useful to them; and he was greatly desirous that they might be so improved in their minds as to render the freedom which they had lately recovered a real blessing to themselves, and a benefit to the

state.

He was a friend to the poor and the distressed of every description, and laboured most earnestly for their relief and welfare. It may indeed be said of him, that his whole life was spent in going about doing good unto men. He appeared to do every thing as if the words of his Saviour were continually sounding in his ears: Wist ye not that I must be about my father's busi

ness?" He was, as Dr. Rush observed, a man of a truly catholic spirit; one who loved piety and virtue in others, wherever he found them; and who respected all sincere worshippers of God, in whatever manner that worship was performed.

The miseries of the enslaved Africans, and the great injustice done to them, very deeply affected his compassionate heart. He published many tracts on the subject; supported an extensive correspondence with persons in Europe and America who were likely to aid his benevolent views; and exerted himself to the utmost to meliorate the condition of the blacks, and to procure the entire abolition of the trade. As he was one of the earliest advocates of these injured men, and indefatigably pursued his object, we may fairly attribute to his labours, with the divine blessing upon them, a great part of that spirit of inquiry into their situation, and sympathy with their distresses, which have spread over the world; and which, we trust, will ere long lead to the best results.

About a year before his decease, his health became much impaired; but being of a lively disposition, very temperate, and zealously concerned to occupy his talents to the last, he supported his school till he was quite disabled from performing the duties of it. But his charity and beneficence continued with life. The last time he walked across the room was to take from his desk six dollars, which he gave to a poor widow whom he had long assisted to maintain. Three hours before his death he delivered to his executors a number of tracts in sheets, on religious subjects, with directions for their being bound and dispersed. He devised nearly the whole of his estate, after the decease of his wife, to trustees, for the support and benefit of the African school, of which he had been the tutor. And thus, having lived a most useful and exemplary life, he was well prepared for the approach of death. He died in 1784. He endured his pains patiently; and, with Christian composure of mind, resigned this mortal life in the firm expectation of a happy immortality.

The loss of this benevolent man was deeply felt by his fellow-citizens; and his funeral was attended by a great number of persons of all ranks, and all religious professions; and many hundred of coloured persons joined the procession. It may justly be said that "the mourners went about the streets," and that his memory was embalmed with tears. An officer, who had served in the American army during the late war, in returning from the funeral, pronounced a striking eulogium upon him: "I would rather," said he, "be Anthony Benezet, in that coffin, than the great Washington with all his honours."

82. WESLEY AND WHITEfield.

Mr. John Wesley, the celebrated founder of Methodism, was the son of a clergyman of the church of England.

He was educated for the ministry, received episcopal ordination, and ever considered himself as a member of the church of England.

In the year 1729 Mr. Wesley, then a fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, with some others at the college, began to spend some evenings in reading the Greek Testament. They began also to visit the sick in different parts of the town, and the prisoners in the castle. They continued in those laudable practices, and in 1735 they were joined by the celebrated George Whitefield, then in his eighteenth year. At this time their number in Oxford amounted to about fourteen. They obtained their name from the exact regularity of their lives, which gave occasion to a young gentleman of Christ's Church to say, "Here is a new sect of Methodists sprung up;" alluding to a sect of ancient physicians who were called Methodists, because they reduced the healing art to a few common principles, and brought it into some method and order.

At the time Mr. Wesley and Mr. Whitefield entered upon their public ministerial labours, it is said that the whole kingdom of England was tending fast to in