Northampton, in the year 1734, from Math. xvi. 17. III. Five Difcourfes on the following Heads: 1. Juftification by Faith alone. 2. Preffing into the Kingdom of GOD. 3. Ruth's Refolution. 4. The Juftice of GOD in the Damnation of Sinners. 5. The Excellency of Jefus Chrift. IV. A Sermon preached at Enfield, July 8, 1741, entitled,

have exalting thoughts of GOD, that he fubfifts in three perfons; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The sweetest joys and delights I have experienced, have not been thofe that have arifen from a hope of my own good estate; but in a direct view of the glorious things of the gofpel. When I enjoy this sweetness, it feems to carry me above the thoughts of my own fafe eftate. It seems at fuch times a lofs that I cannot bear, to take off my eye from the glorious, pleasant object I behold without me, to turn my eye in upon myself, and my own good estate. Once, as I rid out into the woods for my health, anno 1737; and having lit from my horse in a retired place, as my manner commonly has been, to walk for divine contemplation and prayer; I had a view, that for me was extraordinary, of the glory of the Son of GOD; as Mediator between GOD and man; and his wonderful, great, full, pure and fweet grace and love, and meek and gentle condefcenfion. This grace, that appeared to me fo calm and fweet, appeared great above the heavens. The perfon of Chrift appeared ineffably excellent, with an excellency great enough to swallow up all thought and conception: Which continued, as near as I can judge, about an hour; which kept me the bigger part of the time in a flood of tears, and weeping aloud. I felt withal, an ardency of foul to be, what I know not otherwife how to exprefs, than to be emptied and annihilated; to lie in the dust, and to be full of Chrift alone; to love him with a holy and pure love; to truft in him; to live upon him; to ferve and follow him, and to be totally wrapt up in the fulness of Chrift; and to be perfectly fanctified and made pure, with a divine and heavenly purity. I have feveral other times had views very much of the fame nature, and that have had the fame effects. I have many times had a fenfe of the glory of the third Person in the Trinity, in his office of fanctifier; in his holy operations communicating divine light and life to the foul. GOD, in the communications of his Holy Spirit, has appear'd as an infinite fountain of divine glory and fweetnefs; being full and fufficient to fill and fatisfy the foul: pouring forth itself in fweet communications, like the fun in its glory, fweetly and pleasantly diffufing light and life. I have vaftly a greater fenfe, of my univerfal, exceeding dependence on GOD's grace and strength, and mere good pleasure, of late, than I used formerly to have; and have experienced more of an abhorrence of my own righteousness, The thought of any comfort or joy, arifing in me, on any confidera tion or reflection on my own amiablenefs, or any of my perform, ances or experiences, or any goodness of heart or life, is naufeous and deteftable to me. And yet I am greatly afflicted with a proud and felf-righteous fpirit; much more fenfibly, than I used to be formerly. I Tee that ferpent rifing, and putting forth it's head, continually, every where, all around me. Though it feems to me, that in fome refpects I was a far better chriftian, for two or three years after my first converfion, than I am now; and lived in a more conftant delight and pleasure; yet of late years, I have had a more full and con

ftant

entitled, Sinners in the hands of an angry GOD. V. A Sermon on the diftinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of GOD, preached at New-Haven, Sept. 10, 1741, from 1 John iv. I. VI. Some Thoughts concerning the prefent Revival of Religion in New-England, and the Way in which it ought to be acknowledged and promoted, humbly offered to the Public, in a Treatife on that fubject, in five Parts. Published in the year 1742. VII. A Treatife concerning re- · ligious Affections. Publifhed in the year 1746. VIII. A Treatife entitled, An humble Atteinpt to promote explicit Agreement, and vifible Union of GOD's People in extraordinary Prayer, for the Revival of Religion, &c. Recommended by five of the principal Minifters in Boston. Published in 1747. IX. An Account of the Life of the reverend Mr. David Brainerd, Minifter of the Gospel and Miffionary to the Indians, &c. with Reflections and Obfervations thereon. Publifhed in the year 1749. X. An Inquiry into the Qualifications for full Communion in the vifible Church. Publifhed in the year 1749; intended as an explanation and vindication of his principles in the matter, which occafioned his difmiffion from Northampton. XI. A Reply to the reverend Mr. Williams's Answer to the forementioned Inquiry. Publifhed in the year 1752. XII. A Sermon preached at Newark, before the Synod, Sept. 28, 1752, from fam. ii. 19. entitled, True Grace diftinguished from the experience of Devils. XIII. A careful and ftrict Inquiry into the modern prevailing Notion of that Freedom of Will, which is fuppofed to be effential to moral Agency, &c. Publifhed in the year 1754. XIV. The great Chriftian Doctrine of original Sin defended; Evidences of its Truth produced, and Arguments to the contrary anfwered. Containing, in particular, a Reply to the Objections and Arguings of Dr. John Taylor, &c. publifhed in 1758. This was in the prefs when he died. XV. An History of Redemption. A very excellent pofthumous publication." Befides thefe, feveral Sermons have been feparately publifhed on various occafions:

ftant fenfe of the abfolute fovereignty of GOD, and a delight in that fovereignty; and have had more of a fenfe of the glory of Chrift, as a mediator, as revealed in the gospel. On one Saturday night in particular, had a particular difcovery of the excellency of the gospel of Chrift, above all other doctrines; fo that I could not but fay to myfelf; This is my chofen light, my chofen doctrine:" And of Chrift, "This is my chofen prophet." It appeared to me to be sweet beyond all expreffion, to follow Chrift, and to be taught and enlightened and inftructed by him; to learn of him, and live to him.

fions: But I know not, at prefent, of any large work unpublished of this admirable Author.

JAMES

HER VE Y,
HERVEY,

A. M.

1

TH

HIS amiable Chriftian and excellent Minifter was born on Friday the 26th of February, 1713-14, at Harding flone, a country village, one mile from Northampton; his father being then minifter of the parish of Collingtree, within two miles of Harding stone. His first instruction was from his mother, who taught him his letters, and to read. Under her tuition he continued till he was feven years of age; when he was fent, as a day-fcholar, to the free Grammar-school at Northampton, of which the reverend Mr. Clarke, vicar of St. Sepulchre's, in the said town, was at that time master.

At this fchool he remained till he was feventeen years old, and learned the Latin and Greek languages; in which his genius and memory would have enabled him to have made a much earlier progrefs, if it had not been prevented by his fchoolmafter, who would not fuffer him, or any other of his fcholars, to learn fafter than his own fon. Whilft Mr. Hervey was at fchool, though he fhewed a remarkable dexterity at all the innocent games ufual among children; yet he had an indifference, uncommon among boys, for the acquifitions he made by them, which he purfued only for exercise and amusement.

In the year 1731, at the age of feventeen, he was sent by his father to Oxford, and was entered of Lincoln-College,

under the tuition of the reverend Mr. Hutchins. He refided in the university seven years, yet only took the degree of bachelor of arts. The first two or three years he spent with fome degree of indolence, or rather lefs application to his ftudies than he afterwards used. But in 1733, about his nineteenth year, becoming acquainted with fome perfons, who began to distinguish themselves by their ferious impreffions of religion, and their zeal for the promotion of it, he was engaged, by their influence, in aftricter attachment both to piety and learning; of the former there are confpicuous marks in his letters written to his fifter in the years 1733, 1734, and 1735: And of the latter, in the courfe of his labors.

He