CHAPTER XIV.

THE PUBLICATIONS OF EMMONS.

"As a biblical scholar, scrmonizer, and profound logical reasoner, he had few, if any, superiors ; yet as a successful preacher to win souls and gather them into the fold of Christ, he was no more to be compared with such men as Nevins, Patterson, and Nettleton, than was Franklin's angler, exulting over ' one glorious nibble,' to be compared with the fishermen of Galileo, who, in obedience to their Lord, cast their net on the right side of the ship, and drew it to land full of great fishes, ' an hundred and fifty and three.'"

These are the words of Rev. E. N. Sawtelle, D. D.,1 the Chaplain to British and American Seamen at Havre, France, an early and beloved pupil of Dr. Isaac Anderson, and of the Tennessean School, already described.8 If the words were accurate, they would not disprove the great influence of Dr. Emmons; for, besides being the teacher of ninety or a hundred ministers, he has also for seventy-seven years been working through the press on the minds of men. He started early, in his career of authorship ; and he thus exerted a formative influence on our churches, at a time when books were like " angels' visits," and when sermons were read by elect minds as religious novels are devoured at present. His influence on the cause of missions, for example, has been often measured by the amount of time which he spent in public meetings. A more accurate measure would be, the amount of time which he spent in eliminating the principles on which the work of missions must depend.

The first printed notice which we have ever seen concerning him is the following paragraph in the Century Sermon of Mr. Bean, of Wrentham, published in 1774 : " After the dismission of Mr. Barnum, that [Second] Parish was destitute about five years ; when to their great joy, we trust, the vacancy was supplied with their present worthy pastor, the Rev. Nathanael Emmons." 1 The second printed notice which we find of him, alludes also to his happy pastoral relations. Rev. Jason Haven, of the First [and the parent] Church in Dedham, published in 1796 his Half-Century Sermon, and there speaking of the Franklin Church, names Mr. Emmons as " the beloved pastor of that flock."'

Among the earliest unpublished notices of Dr. Emmons, is a characteristic one from President Stiles, written in his Diary as early as 1787:

" The New Divinity gentlemen perceive some of the pillars are removed ; President Edwards has been dead twenty-nine years, or a generation ; Dr. Bellamy is broken down, both body and mind, with a paralytic shock, and can dictate and domineer no more; Mr. Hopkins still continues, but past his force, having been somewhat affected by a fit and nervous debilitation ; Mr. West is declining in health, and besides, was never felt so strong rods as the others. It has been the ton to direct undents in Divinity, these thirty years past, to read the Bible, President Edwards, Dr. Bellamy, and Mr. Hopkins's writings;—and this was a pretty good sufficiency of reading. But now the younger class, but yet in fall vigor, suppose they see further than these oracles, and are disposed to become oracles themselves, and wish to write theology and have their own books come into vogue. The very New Divinity gentlemen my, they perceive a disposition among several of their brethren to rtruggle for preeminence; — particularly Dr. Edwards, Mr. Trumbull, Mr. Smalley, Mr. Judson, Mr. Spring, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Strong, of Hartford, Mr. Dwight, Mr. Emmons, and others. They all want to be Luther*. But they will none of them be equal to those strong rcasoners, President Edwards and Mr. Hopkins."

" President Edwards's valuable writings in another generation will pass into as transient notice, perhaps, as scarce above oblivion, as Willard, or Twiss, or Norton ; and when posterity comes across them in the rubbish of libraries, the rare characters who may read and be pleased with them, will be looked upon as singular and whimsical, as in these days are admirers of Suarez, Aquinas, or Dionysius Areopagita." *

In the same year, 1787, Dr. Burton of Thetford highly extolled Dr. Emmons as " a gentleman of great ingenuity ;" and as early as August 10, 1790, he remarked in an epistle to Dr. Levi Hart: " In one of your letters, you speak very favorably of Mr. Emmons, and indeed there is scarcely any person I more wish to see and converse with, from what I have heard respecting him and seen of his writings." The writings of Dr. Emmons, which were published before this date, were the first six in the following catalogue:

He printed in 1783, his effective Sermon against Univcrsalism; in 1786, his Sermon at the Installation of Eev. Caleb Alexander, and also his Sermon at the Installation of (the Revolutionary Chaplain) Rev. David Avery; in 1787, his celebrated Discourse on the Dignity of Man ; in 1789, his elaborate Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. John Robinson, and also his Discourse at the Ordination of Rev. Dr. Walter Harris.

In 1790, 1792 and 1793, he published three Sermons preached to the Society for the Reformation of Morals ; in 1791, a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Elias Dudley; in 1793, a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Calvin Chaddock, and one at the Ordination of Rev. Eli Smith; also in 1793, a Dissertation on the Scriptural Qualifications for admission to the Christian Sacraments, in answer to Dr. Hemmenway; in 1794, a Sermon on the Mode and Subjects of Baptism ; in 1795, a Candid Reply to to Dr. Hemmcnway's Remarks on his Dissertation on the Scriptural Qualifications, etc.; also two Sermons, one at the funeral of Rev. Elisha Fish, the other at the Ordination of Rev. James Tufts ; in 1796, a Thanksgiving Sermon; in 1797, a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. (Prof.) John Smith; in 1798, an Essay on Miracles, in the " Mendon Evidences of Revealed Religion," also a Fast Sermon and an Election Sermon; also, in 1799, a Fast Sermon.

He published in 1800, a Sermon on Washington, also a Sermon before the Massachusetts Missionary Society, nnd also a Sermon at the funeral of Mrs. Sanford, wife of his friend, Rev. David Sanford, and a Thanksgiving Sermon; in 1801, a Fast Sermon, and a Funeral Sermon ; in 1802, a Fast Sermon, and a Fourth of July Sermon, and also a Funeral Sermon; in 1803, a Fast Sermon, and a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Joseph Emerson ; in 1804, two Funeral Sermons, and a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Edward Whipple, and also a Sermon before the Massachusetts Convention of Congregational Ministers, and a Thanksgiving Sermon; in 1805, a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Dr. Stephen Chapin, and a Sermon at the funeral of the wife of Rev. Elisha Fisk, and also a Sermon on the death of Deacon Peter Whiting; in 1806, a Sermon on Sacred Music, and also a Sermon on the death of Hon. Jabez Fisher; in 1808, a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Gains Conant, and also a Funeral Sermon; in 1809, a Sermon, entitled, The Giver more blessed than the Receiver, (which was reviewed in the Panoplist).

He published in 1810, a Sermon (which when he delivered, he was overcome with emotion) at the funeral of Rev. David Sanford; in 1811, a Sermon at the funeral of the wife of Rev. John Wilder; in 1813, a Sermon at the funeral of Rev. Timothy Dickinson, nnd an elaborate Sermon before the Mendon Association, and also a Thanksgiving Sermon ; in 1814, a Funeral Sermon ; in 1815, a Sermon at the funenl of Ber. John Cleavland, and a Thanksgiving Sermon, and also a Sermon at the
Installation of Rev. Holland Weeks; in 1816, a Funeral Sermon, and also a Sermon
al the Installation of Rev. Thomas Williams; in 1817, a Sermon before the Norfolk
Education Society; in 1820, a Sermon at the close of the Second Centnry from the
landing at Plymouth; in 1821, a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Zolva Whitmore,
and aLtoa Sermon (preached in the Yale College Chapel) on the Foreknowledge of God;
is 1834, a Sermon at the Installation of Rev. Thomas Williams ; in 1826, a Sermon
(the last of his Discourses before Ecclesiastical Councils) at the Installation of Rev.
Dr. Calvin Park, and aim his Discourse, entitled, " The Platform of Ecclesiastical
Government established by Jesus Christ;" in 1836, a Sermon in the National
Preacher, on Reconciliation with God.

■ his contributions to Periodicals arc the following:
On Praying for Perfection, New York VOL. V.

Theological Magazine, Vol. I. 254.

Bopkinsian Magazine.

VOL. L

Purpose of God to display his Grace, 390

Vol. n.

Superiority of Men to Animals, 127

Certain Knowledge of Truth, 204

On Vindictive Justice, 247

Sermon on Modem Prayer of Faith, 393 Present Evils demonstrate future Punishment, 399

VOL. ITL

Gross Ignorance incompatible with

Piety, 145

Future Unity of Zion's Watchmen, 169
On Fear of God, 193

On Intemperance, 248

VOL. IV.
Cause of God, 17

God knows what is best to do with

Creatures, 97

God's Supremacy, 129

God does not abuse Sinners in his

Word, 193

A sight of God tends to transform

Men, 241

Way to Heaven opposed by Sinners, 257

The Everlasting Gospel,

Saints delight to know what the Bible

contains, The Gospel its own witness to those

God displeased with inconsistent Pro-
fessors, 139
The nature of the Will, 147
Self-denial of Christ, 176
Condemnation of false Teachers, 194
The Bible easily understood, 193
Merciful Purpose of God, 203
Angels pleased with the work of Re-
demption, 225
Peaceful effects of Confidence in God, 257
Godliness, 353
Happy Influence of Holy Fears, 356

VOL n.

The Unreasonableness of worldly
Anxiety, 9

Decrees of God, 33

The Gospel of God glorious, 54

The God of Abraham the Father of
Christ, 65

Peter's Love to Christ, 97

Tbe Scaling Influence of the Holy
Spirit promised to Believers, 129

The least degree of Grace constitutes
a real Saint, 199

Piety a peculiar ornament to Old
People, 289

The peculiar Excellence of divine
Teaching, 321

More invited than are elected to Sal-
vation, 353

VOL. m.

Objection of Sinners to the conditions

of Salvation, Divination, Mankind bring nothing into, and

carry nothing out of, the World but

themselves, The Wisdom of God in the Plan of

Creation,

193

Paul's direction to awakened Sinners, 321