Wednesday, Sept. 20.-Arose early; attended to secret duties; took leave of the honest man and his family, and came on my way towards Brunswick, being obliged to go that way because I could not accomplish the business at Amwell that I went upon. Arrived there about one of the clock, being about thirty miles. Dined at Rev. Mr. Arthur's;* tarried some time in town, but could not accomplish the business I aimed at. Left the town about five o'clock, and came home in the beginning of the evening. Read a little, but felt tired with my journey; so, after attending family and secret duties, went to rest. Blessed be the Lord for all his goodness in carrying me forth and returning me home in safety! Oh, may I speak and live his praises!

Thursday, Sept. 21.-Spent the forenoon in writing. In the afternoon, called my people together and preached to them from Eccl. xii. 5, giving a particular view to the young people and children. After sermon, catechized the children, and concluded with some exhortation. Spent the remainder of the day and evening mostly in writing.

Friday, Sept. 22.—Attended religious duties, and sat down to write. Spent most of the day in transcribing my journal. Attended family and secret prayers, and, blessed be the Lord, had some freedom and comfort in both!

Saturday, Sept. 23.-Spent some time with the Indians, discoursing with them, and especially with one of them,

*This was Rev. Thomas Arthur, pastor of the church of New Brunswick. He graduated at Yale in 1743, and was an original trustee of New Jersey College. His obituary says: "He was a good scholar, a graceful orator, an excellent Christian." early age of twenty-seven.

He died at the

on a matter of difficulty and prejudice. Set out on a journey for Shrewsbury,* and came to Justice Little's after sundown. Felt very poorly in body, and not very comfortable in mind. Attended family prayer, and spent some time in private meditation and but had very little freedom. The Lord pardon and quicken me for his mercy's sake.

prayer,

Lord's day, Sept. 24.—Spent the morning mostly in meditation. Attended divine worship in public, but had no special freedom in the forenoon service; in the afternoon had considerable enlargement, both in prayer and preaching. Oh that it might be set home upon their hearts for spiritual good! Spent the evening mostly in conversation and singing psalms, and had something of freedom in holy duties, especially in secret prayer.

Monday, Sept. 25.-Spent the forenoon at Mr. Eaton's (it being rainy), partly in reading and partly in conversation. In the afternoon came to Dr. Le Count's, but, it being very stormy, could proceed no farther.

Tuesday, Sept. 26.—After family and secret duties, took leave of the doctor and his spouse, and came to Rev. Mr. Tennent's, and then returned home. Called my people together; exhorted as usual, and afterwards made some practical reflections.

* Shrewsbury is a village of Monmouth county, N. J., twelve miles east from Freehold, and fifty southeast from Trenton. It is a seaport town. Shrewsbury township embraces Long Branch, the famous watering-place. Visitors of the present day can hardly picture the country as, in its wildness, it met the eyes of Brainerd in 1749.

CHAPTER XVII.

NEW JERSEY COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT-JOHN BRAINERD TAKES HIS MASTER'S DEGREE HIS GRATITUDE-THE REV. MR. POMROY-REV. SAMUEL FINLEY.

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 27.-Set out with Mr. Ten

nent for Brunswick, it being the day of college commencement there. Had opportunity of seeing and conversing with many of my friends and acquaintances, which was very comfortable and refreshing. The Lord make me truly thankful, and graciously pardon any thing that may have been amiss in me, or wherein I may have misimproved the opportunity!

About two o'clock, attended upon the commencement exercises, and, after the disputations were over, took my Master's degree with Mr. Davenport, Mr. Finley,* and Mr. Green,† which was given me gratis. Oh that I

*The Rev. Samuel Finley was born in Ireland in 1715, prepared for the ministry at the Log College, and was licensed by the Presbytery of New Brunswick August 5, 1740. He was a zealous revivalist; was prosecuted for irregular preaching in New Haven, Conn., put in jail, and sent out of the colony as a vagrant. He was settled in Nottingham, Md., in June, 1744, and remained pastor seventeen years. He there established a famous school, and counted among its pupils Governor Martin, of North Carolina, Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia, Rev. Dr. Alexander McWhorter, of Newark, and Rev. James Waddell, of Virginia. He was elected President of New Jersey College at the death of President Davis.

†The Rev. Mr. Green, who took his Master's degree with Brainerd, was the Rev. Jacob Green, father of the Rev. Ashbel Green, D.D., late of Philadelphia. He was born at Malden, Mass., in 1722,

may have grace to improve this and every advantage I am favored with to the praise and glory of Him who is the giver of all!

After meeting, spent some time in conversation with one and another of my dear friends, and then attended an evening lecture, and heard the Rev. Mr. Pomroy, of Hebron, in Connecticut, from Exod. xxxii. 10; but, before he had proceeded far in his discourse, I was called out to wait on the Correspondents and to give them some account of the circumstances and affairs of the Indians I have the pastoral charge of; which being done and their meeting broke up, I soon returned to my lodgings, and there spent the remainder of the evening in company with Mr. Pomroy, Mr. Davenport, and Mr. Spencer, and after some conversation attended family and secret prayers, but was very cold and lifeless. O Lord, forgive and graciously quicken me for thy mercy's sake!

Thursday, Sept. 28.-Waited on the Governor, having some particular business with him. Spent the day with the ministers and other gentlemen of my acquaintance. Towards night took leave of them, and came home;

graduated at Harvard in 1744, and ordained pastor of the church at South Hanover (now Madison), N. J., in 1746. He was a faithful minister and warm patriot. Against his will he was elected to the Provincial Congress. As a decided abolitionist, he provoked the malice of slaveholders around him. Dissatisfied with strict Presbyterianism, he separated himself from the Synod and organized Morris Presbytery, of which he was the head. In short, he was as remarkable for ultraism as his distinguished son Ashbel was for conservatism in Church and State. But, if one moved in an eccentric and the other in a regular orbit, both were equally shining orbs, leaving in their track a broad train of light on the world. The memory of both father and son is blessed.

was informed by the Mistress that several Indians had been drunk, and that one family had gone to the Moravians,* which things were a great exercise to me. Oh, how distressing it is to have the charge of such a people! How much need have I of Divine support! O Lord, I design to depend on thee alone; I am not able to bear this people, it is too heayy for me! Oh, grant me Divine help and support, suitable to bear all the distressing difficulties thou knowest I labor under, and let me have grace and wisdom from above so to behave under all my trials that I may be an honor to the holy religion I profess and the character I sustain among these poor people. Attended family and secret prayers, and found some relief and comfort therein. Blessed be the Lord!

Friday, Sept. 29.-Had some discourse with two persons who had lately come into town. In the afternoon

*As this is the first allusion which Brainerd makes to the Moravians, it may be proper to caution the reader on a few points. One class of Whitefield's disciples, in their enthusiastic reliance upon the teaching of the Spirit and distrust of dead orthodoxy and cold forms, had assimilated to the Moravian modes and adopted their name. Whitefield himself was supposed to lean in that direction. His friends and the friends of truth and order became alarmed, and filled the country with pamphlets and exhortations against the errors and moral effects of the Moravian communities. Imbued with the spirit of these warnings, Brainerd approached the Moravian settlements. As he had no confidence in their orthodoxy or order, but regarded them as perverters of his brother's Indian converts, and as he was entirely ignorant of their language and early training, it is no wonder that he thought "no good could come out of Nazareth," or the Moravian Bethlehem itself. There was, doubtless, much that was puerile, fanciful, and fanatical among the early Moravians; but, at the same time, they have evinced a godly sincerity, a Christian earnestness and benevolence, which for more than one hundred years have made them models of piety and martyrs in spreading the gospel. In noting their defects, we must not overlook their virtues.