fhining with fuch diftinguished luftre, that it is truly hard to fay in which he most excelled, and equally hard to mention one valuable or useful accomplishment in which he did not excel. A large and capacious understanding—a folid, unbiaffed, and well-regulated judgment a quick apprehenfion-a genius truly penetrating-a fruitful invention-an elegant tafte,-were all happily united in him, and conftituted a real greatness of mind, which never failed to strike every obferver with an agreeable surprise.

"To this extraordiary natural capacity were added the improvements of a learned and polite education, which, though in the early years of his ftudy it was embarraffed with many peculiar difadvantages, yet by the strength of his genius, and dint of indefatigable application, was cultivated to fuch a degree of elegance and refinement, that attracted the notice and admiration of all the friends of fcience wherever he was known.

"And as the powers of his mind were enriched with every valuable human accomplishment, fo they were eminently improved by the influence and efficacy of fanctifying grace; in confequence of which they were all fincerely devoted to the fervice of God, and the good of mankind. In the early ftages of his life, it pleased a Sovereign God to call him effectually from his natural alienation to the knowledge and love of himfelf, to take a powerful poffeffion of his heart, and feize all the faculties of his active and capacious foul for his fervice. Upon finishing therefore the course of his preparatory ftudies, he entered into the facred employment of the gospel-miniftry, and folemnly dedicated himself with all his fuperior talents to the work of the fanctuary.

"In the exercife of this facred office, his fervent zeal and undiffembled piety, his popular talents and engaging methods of addrefs, foon acquired him a diftinguished character, and general admiration. Scarce was he known as a public preacher but he was fent, on the earnest application of the people, to fome of the

the diftant fettlements of Virginia, where many of the inhabitants, in refpect of religion, were but a small remove from the darknefs and ignorance of uncultivated heathenism, and where the religion of Jesus, which he endeavoured to propagate, had to encounter with all the blindnefs, prejudice, and enmity, that are natural to the heart of the most depraved finner. Yet under all apparent difadvantages, his labours were attended with fuch remarkable fuccefs, that all oppofition quitted the unequal combat, and gave way to the powerful energy of the divine spirit, which was graciously pleased by his miniftry to add many new subjects to the fpiritual kingdom of our glorious Immanuel.

"The work of the miniftry was Mr. Davies's great delight; and for it he was admirably furnished with every valuable qualification of nature and grace. Divinity was a favourite ftudy, in which he made a proficiency uncommon for his years, and yet he generally preferred the most neceffary and practical branches of it to the dark mazes of endless controversy and intricate disputes; aiming chiefly at the converfion of finners, and to change the hearts and lives of men by an affecting reprefentation of the plain, but most important, interesting truths of the law and the gospel. His talent at compofition, especially for the pulpit, was equalled by few, and perhaps exceeded by none. His tafte was judicious, elegant, and polite, and yet his discourses were plain and pungent, peculiarly adapted to pierce the confcience and affect the heart. His diction was furpaffingly beautiful and comprehenfive, tending to make the moft ftupid hearer fenfibly feel, as well as clearly understand. Sublimity and elegance, plainnefs and perfpicuity, and all the force and energy that the language of mortals could convey, were the ingredients of almost every compofition. His manner of delivery, as to pronunciation, gefture, and modulation of voice, feemed to be a perfect model of the most moving and ftriking oratory.

"Whenever he afcended the facred defk, he feemed

to

to have not only the attention, but all the various paffions of his auditory entirely at his command. And as his personal appearance was august and venerable, yet benevolent and mild, fo he could fpeak with the most commanding authority, or melting tenderness, according to the variation of his fubject. With what majesty and grandeur, with what energy and striking folemnity, with what powerful and almoft irrefiftible eloquence would he illuftrate the truths, and inculcate the duties of chriftianity! Mount Sinai feemed to thunder from his lips, when he denounced the tremendous curfes of the law, and founded the dreadful alarm to guilty, fecure impenitent finners. The folemn fcenes of the laft judgment feemed to rife in view, when he arraigned, tried, and convicted self-deceivers, and formal hypocrites. And how did the balm of Gilead distil from his lips, when he exhibited a bleeding dying Saviour to finful mortals, as a fovereign remedy for the wounded heart, and anguished confcience! In a word, whatever fubject he undertook, perfuafive eloquence dwelt upon his tongue; and his audience was all attention. He spoke as on the borders of eternity, and as viewing the glories and terrors of an unfeen world, and conveyed the moft grand and affecting ideas of these important realities; realities which he then firmly believed, and which he now fees in the cleareft light of intuitive demonstration.

"The unufual luftre with which he fhone could not long be confined to that remote corner of the world, but foon attracted the notice and pleafing admiration of men of genius, learning, or piety, far and near; and therefore, on a vacancy at the college of NewJerfey, occafioned by the decease of two former Prefidents*, in a clofe and awful fucceffion, he was elected to that important office in the year 1759.

"Diftreffing as it was both to him and his people, united in the ftrongest bonds of mutual affection, to think

*The Rev. Mr. Aaron Burr, in 1757, and the Rev. Mr. Jonathan Edwards, who fucceeded him, and died the winter following.

think of a feparation, yet a conviction of abfolute duty, refulting from the importance of the ftation, from the various concurring providences, and laftly, from the unanimous advice of his reverend brethren convened in fynod, determined him to accept the propofal. Great and pleasing were the expectations with which we beheld him enter into that exalted sphere of service; yet I may boldly fay that they were vastly exceeded in every refpect by the reputable manner in which he discharged the arduous truft. The progrefs he made in all the branches of fcience, with his capacity and diligence to acquire new improvements, enabled him to conduct the youth with great advantage through the several stages of ufeful and polite literature. And, while he endeavoured to improve the minds, he was not lefs folicitous to reform the hearts and lives of his pupils, to make them good as well as great, and fit them for both worlds. He knew that religion was the brighteft ornament of the human, and the fairest image of the divine nature, that all true benevolence to men must have its foundation laid in a fupreme love to God, and that undiffembled piety in the heart was the beft fecurity for usefulness in every character of life. It was therefore his conftant endeavour to promote the eternal as well as the temporal good of the youth intrusted to his tuition, not only by his fervent preaching and exemplary life, but by inculcating at the proper feafons the worth of their fouls, and the vaft, the inexpreffible importance of their everlasting interests.

"In the government of the college, he had the peculiar art of mingling authority and lenity in fuch a due proportion, as feldom or never failed of the defired fuccefs. Hence he was revered and loved by every member of that collected family over which he prefided. His performances at public anniverfary commencements, as they never failed to do honour to the inftitution, fo they always furprised his friends themfelves by exceeding, far exceeding their most fanguine

expectations. His poetical compofitions, and his elegant tafte for cultivating the Mufes, gave additional embellishments to thofe performances, and greatly heightened the pleasure of his crowded auditors.

"His acquaintance with mankind, his eafy and polite behaviour, his affability and condefcenfion, his modefty and candor, his engaging manner of addrefs, with his fprightly and entertaining converfation, all the genuine fruits of a moft benevolent heart, rendered him greatly beloved through the large circle of his acquaintance, and as greatly admired even by ftrangers, whofe occafional excurfions gave them only the opportunity of a tranfient interview.

"His natural temper, amiable in itfelf, and fweetened with all the charms of divine grace, rendered him peculiarly dear in all the relative characters of focial life, whether as an husband, a father, a tutor, or a friend.

"With this excellent man at the head of the college, what pleafing profpects did we form of the extenfive usefulness of that infant feminary, both to the church and to the commonwealth! He was, in fhort, all we could wifh or defire in a man, to promote the valuable interests of learning and piety, and render the college reputable and useful.

"But, alas! all his ample furniture of gifts and graces, all the amiable qualities of the mind, with the advantages of the happiest constitution of body, could not fecure him from the fate of mortals. He is gone; he has quitted this inferior world amidst the unfeigned forrows of his family, his friends, the college, and our country: he has taken his flight to his native skies, and joined with kindred spirits in the regions of a glorious immortality, while his remains are gathered to thofe of his predeceffors, in the dark and dreary repofitory of the grave.

"O the unutterable and extenfive loss to a diftreffed family, to a bereaved college, to the ministry, to the church, to the community, to the republic of letters, and in fhort to all the valuable interefts of mankind!"

SERMON