THE HE character of a public man must be drawn from his labours, and whether in this instance we consider the number, variety, or individual excellency of Dr. Dwight's, they will rank him among the most considerable divines of the age.

As a preacher, we have already remarked his popularity and use fulness; and specimens of his talents for the pulpit were frequently exhibited in the publication of single discourses, on special occasions, from 1798 to 1813. It was however as an extemporary preacher that he was chiefly remarkable; and perhaps much of his readiness in public speaking may be ascribed to the inconvenience with which he wrote his discourses, through his defect of sight, So Providence often balances our advantages and disadvantages,

peared to be melted, and "his lips to be touched as with a live coal from off the altar," when he was engaged in this sublime and delightful duty.

We have already mentioned that our author had an early taste for versification, and ranks honourably among the poets of his country. "His Conquest of Canaan," says Dr. Miller of New York," though a juvenile performance, and labouring under several disadvantages, contains much excellent versification, (for which he quotes the authority of Dr. Darwin) and in general correctness has not been often exceeded. Greenfield Hill, a moral, didactic, and descriptive poem, by the same author, is also entitled to considerable praise, for exhibiting pure and elevated senti,ment, just principles, and beautiful descriptions, in harmonious and excellent verse."*

Dr. Dwight, it is well known, possessed a vein of satire; and employed this weapon, so often used against Christianity, in its favour. We have now before us a poem ironically entitled, "The Triumph of Infidelity: supposed to be written by Timothy Dwight, D.D. in 1788."+ From this pamphlet, which we believe to be genuine,

* Miller's Retrospect of the 18th century. Vol. iii. p. 67.

+ Printed for Mathews, Strand, 17912 E

we extract the following lines, wherein Satan is made to say

-"Straight in a cloud

Of night involved, to Scotia's realms I

rode,

There, in the cobwebs of a college room, I found my best amanuensis, Hume, And bosom'd in his breast. On dreams afloat [wrote; The youth soar'd high, and as I prompted Sublimest nonsense there I taught mankind, [times refin'd, Pure, genuine dross, from gold seven From realm to realm the strain exalted [sung: And thus the sage, and then his teacher "All things roll on by fix'd, eternal, laws; "Yet no effect depends upon a cause: "Hence every law was made by chance divine,

rung,

"Parent most fit, of order and design!"

&c. &c.

In the year 1797 Dr. D. was applied to by the General Association of Connecticut, to revise Dr. Watts's Psalms; to versify those which he had omitted, and to make a selection of Hymns suited to the general purposes of public worship. This task was completed in 1800, and was performed with so much satisfaction to his employers, that it was approved by a joint committee of that body and of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and by them recommended to the Congregational and Presbyterian Churches throughout the United States.

It is, however, as a Tutor, and the President of a College, that Dr. D. attained the highest eminence, and most extensive usefulness. Here his great and varied powers found a sphere adapted to their utmost exertion, and in which he shone as a star of the first mag nitude in the literary horizon of North America.

Professor Dwight excelled not so much perhaps in the extent of professional and general learning with which his mind was stored, as in

the

sions, whether in the parlour, the pulpit, or the lecture room. His conversation was remarkably instructive and entertaining. His defect of sight prevented his perpetually poring over books, as literary men are apt to do, and induced him to draw more knowledge from the conversation of his friends and family than is generally done; and whatever he borrowed, he repaid with rich and abundant interest.

admirable manner in which he had digested those stores, and in the promptness with which he drew them forth on the most sudden occa

ever

In the pulpit, circumstances have occurred which induced, and even compelled him, to change the subject of his discourse; and he has adopted a new one, instanter, with such happy facility, that the circumstance was not perceived by his most attentive hearers. In the Lecture room no topic could arise for which he was unprepared. If others may have read more, none thought more; and his own thoughts, as well as the stores of knowledge which he had derived from reading, were always at command; it must not however be dissembled that providence had endowed him with a most extraordinary memory, which "talent" was "tenfold" increased by judicious and grateful occupation. His self-possession was equal to his memory, of which some of the instances related by his American Biographer are most extraordinary.

"When engaged in the composition of sermons, or any other literary performance; not only did the conversation of those around him not interrupt his course of thinking, but, while waiting for his amanuensis to finish the sentence which he had last dictated, he

would spend the interval in conversing with his family or his friends, without the least embarrassment. His mind took such firm hold of the subject which principally occupied it, that no ordinary force could separate it from its grasp. He was always conscious of the exaet progress which he had made in every subject."

When any other occurrence com pelled him to break off suddenly, it

would sometimes happen that he did not return to it for several days. On resuming, all he required of his amanuensis was to read the last clause that had been written; and he would instantly proceed to dictate, as if no interruption had occurred.

"In several instances he was compelled to dictate a letter at the same time that he was dictating a sermon. In one, a pressing necessity obliged him to dictate three letters at the same time. He did so. Each amanuensis

was fully occupied; and the letters needed no correction but pointing."

Our professor was not only the father of his family, but of his students; and watched over each of them with a paternal care. The interests of learning were dear to him, but much more so the interests of religion and the souls of men. All the lines of his knowledge terminated in one centre, "Christ and him crucified;" which was not only the constant theme of his discourses, but the joy and rejoicing of his heart. The trumpet which he blew, ever gave a certain sound, and it was the great ambition of his life to train up other Heralds to multiply that sound, and not the echoes of their own praise. Every attempt at display, every attempt to exhibit his own talents, or taste, or fancy, or learning, in a preacher, was in his view an obvious prostitution of his office to private and unhallowed purposes. His rules and his conduct were in this respect harmonious.”

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His chief work, and by which his name will be most honourably handed to posterity, and his usefulness perpetuated to many generations, has been just reprinted in London under the title of "Theology explained and defended in a series of Sermons," making (with his life) five volumes in 8vo., and which fall more properly under the department of our Review: we shall therefore only here remark, that

though in the form of sermons, they were delivered as Theological Lec tures to the Students of Yale Col lege; and the plan of his system affords another proof of the compre hensive mind of the Author, who, so far as appears, never committed it to paper; the analysis prefixed to the discourses being drawn from the discourses themselves, for the convenience of the reader.

It remains to add only a very brief sketch of our author's private he was no less amiable as a Man character, by which it appears that and a Christian than he was eminent as a Divine.

"It is rare," says Professor Silliman, who had been long and intimately acquainted with him in private as well as in public life," that a man so great and splendid in the public eye, is in private life so desirable: for to his particular friends his society was delightful, and the only effect of long and intimate acquaintance with him was, to exact towards him every sentiment of respect, admiration, and

affection."

The purity of his sentiments and language was remarkably exemplary; and from early life he had been distinguished by a sacred re-gard to truth, never disguising principles, or exaggerating facts. His manners were those of a gentleman, characterized by ease, grace, and dignity. The law of kindness was on his lips, and his heart was filled with true philanthropy. His private charities were unceasing; and the zealous part he took in every benevolent Institution, and particularly in the great Christian Societies, has been already mentioned. In all the relations of domestic life he was a pattern of every Christian virtue. As a son, his mother testified but a short time before his death, that she remembered no one instance of his disobedience. His highest earthly enjoyment was in the bosom of his family, where he

The connexion of this passage with the rest of the chapter, plainly shows that the prosperous state of the Christian Church is the object in view; and that "the new heavens and the new earth," signify that glorious and happy state of believers, when the knowledge of the Lord shall be universal, when war shall have ceased, and peace and joy prevail all over the world.

The duration of human life will then be lengthened. At present nearly half of the human race die in infancy; but this sad mortality shall cease, and there shall be no more “an infant short-lived;" one that

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comes up like a flower" in the morning, and fades before noon. The man who now dies at 70, is thought to have lived long; but then, he who shall die at an 100, shall be thought to have died—a youth; and the sinner (for a few such will be found even in the Millennium) will be judged to have perished by an early and untimely death, if he complete only a century. But, generally, the people of that period shall enjoy a continuance of life, equal to that of a long-lived tree; and some trees have doubtless remained for a thousand years * Not that every

one born in the Millennium shall live exactly that period; the expression denotes a great length of life, probably equal to that of the Antediluvians, who lived seven, eight, nine hundred years, or more. Some suppose that their longevity was for the purpose of the more speedy population of the earth, and that, when that design was accomplished, the duration of life was reduced. The restoration of the original duration of life may be intended for similar, yet for superior purposes, which may presently be noticed.

One advantage, mentioned in the text, to be obtained, will be the enjoyment of man's labour. It was a curse denounced on a wicked man of old, Deut. xxviii. 30, "Thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein; thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof; "-death shall cut thee off, and so deprive thee of the expected fruit of thy toil. And how frequently do we still behold instances of this nature! But in the millennial state, the case will be reversed—the builder of a house shall live long to enjoy the accommodations he had planned and produced; and he shall be gratified with the rich produce of the orchard which he planted. And this enjoyment shall be so extended, that he shall have occasion to build and plant

translation of which was published at Paris 1770, speaks of a tree in his country, which lives more than 100 ages; and of another, which after 80 ages is only in its prime. His commentator carries the matter much farther, but the chronology, &c. of the Chinese is often extravagant. The pro

phet's idea seems to be, that they shall live to the age of the Antediluvians.

The cedars of Lebanon are reputed to be almost incorruptible and immortal. In the Temple of Apollo at Utica, it is said there were cedar trees nearly 2000 years old. Maundrel and others describe cedars 22 or more yards in diameter. See Encyclopædia Britannica, under the word Pinus."

again, for "he shall wear ou the works of his own hands." This is rarely, if ever, the case now. Even a slightly-built house will generally be habitable long after its builder is in the grave; and mansions, such as men of affluence erect for their own use, may be tenanted by succeeding generations of the same family: but in the Millennium the builder must set to work again, and build another house, which may accommodate him and his increasing family for a few centuries longer.

It may be asked," What advantage will there be in all this? Do we not find that old age is usually attended with labour and sorrow; that desires fail; the senses become blunt, and the man of many years says, I have no pleasure in them? True, it is so now, but the longevity which we contemplate will be vigorous and tranquil-the old age of Moses, concerning whom, when he had finished his 120th year, we are told that "his eye was not dim, neither was his natural force abated." Grey hairs will then indeed be a crown of glory. These aged saints will descend the hill of life, rejoicing in the consolations of the Gospel; and their hearts exult in the pleasing hope of being ere long removed from earth, and united to the general assembly and church of the first-born in heaven, where they shall be ever with the Lord.*

It