ample of the virtue he taught. He exhibited to the world such an illustrious pattern of humility, divine love, discreet zeal, self-denial, obedience, patience, resignation, fortitude, meekness, forgiveness, compassion, benevolence, and universal holiness, as neither men nor angels ever saw before. God also in his providence has been wont to make use of both these methods to hold forth light to mankind, and inducement to their duty, in all ages. He has from time to time raised up eminent teachers, to exhibit and bear testimony to the truth in their doctrine, and oppose the errors, darkness, and wickedness of the world; and also has, from age to age, raised up some eminent persons that have set bright examples of that religion that is taught and prescribed in the word of God; whose examples have in divine providence been set forth to public view. These have a great tendency to engage the atten.. tion of men to the doctrines and rules that are taught, and greatly to confirm and enforce them; and especially when these bright examples have been exhibited in the same persons that have been eminent teachers, so that the world has had opportunity to see such a confirmation of the truth, efficacy, and amiableness of the religion taught, in the practice of the same persons that have most clearly and forceably taught it; and above all, when these bright examples have been set by eminent teachers in a variety of unusual circumstances of remarkable trial; and God has withal remarkably distinguished them with wonder ful success in their instructions and labours, consisting in glorious events that have been, in many respects, new and strange.

Such an instance we have in the excellent person, whose life is published in the following pages. His example is attended with a. great variety of circumstances,

tending to engage the attention of religious people, especially in these parts of the world. He was one of distinguished natural abilities; as all are sensible, that had acquaintance with him; he was a minister of the gospel, and one who was called to unusual services in that work, whose ministry was attended with very remarkable and unusual events, an account of which has already been given to the public; one whose course of religion began before the late times of extraordinary religious commo tion, but yet one that lived in those times, and went through them, and was very much in the way of the va rious extraordinary effects and unusual appearances of that day, and was not an idle spectator, but had a near concern in many things that passed at that time; one that had a very extensive acquaintance with those that have been the subjects of the late religious operations, in many of these British colonies, in places far distant one from another, in people of many different nations, of dif ferent educations, manners, and customs; one who had peculiar opportunity of acquaintance with the false appearances and counterfeits of religion; one who himself was the instrument of a most remarkable awakening, and an abiding alteration and moral transformation of such subjects as render the change rare and astonishing.

In the following account, the reader will sec, not only what were the external circumstances and remarkable ins cidents of the life of this person, and how he spent his time from day to day, as to his external behaviour; but also what passed in his own heart, the wonderful change that he experienced in his mind and disposition, the manner in which that change was brought to pass, how it continued, what were its consequences in his inward frames, thoughts, affections, and secret exercises, through

many vicissitudes and trials, for more than eight years, till his death. He will also see how all ended at last, in his sentiments, frame, and behaviour, during a long season of the gradual and sensible approach of death, under a lingering illness, and what were the effects of his religion in dying circumstances, or in the last stages of his dying illness. The account being written, the reader may have opportunity at his leisure to compare the various parts of the story, and deliberately to view and weigh the whole, and consider how far what is related is agreeable to the dictates of right reason, and the holy word of God.

I am far from supposing, that Mr Brainerd's inward exercises and experiences, or his external conduct, were free from all imperfection: the example of Jesus Christ is the only example that ever was set in the human nature, that was altogether perfect, which, therefore, is a rule, to try all other examples by; and the dispositions, frames, and practices of others must be commended and followed no further, than they were followers of Christ.

There is one thing in Mr Brainerd, easily discernable by the following account of his life, that may be called an imperfection in him, which though not properly an imperfection of a moral nature, yet may possibly be made an objection against the extraordinary appearances of religion and devotion in him, by such as seek for objections against every thing that can be produced in favour of true vital religion; and that is, that he was one, who, by his constitution and natural temper, was so prone to melancholy and dejection of spirit. There are some who think that all serious religion is a melancholy thing, and that what is called Christian experience, is little else than melancholy vapours disturbing the brain, and exciting enthusiastic imaginations. But that Mr Brainerd's tempe

or constitution inclined him to despondency, is no just ground to suspect his extraordinary devction, as being only the fruit of a warm imagination. I doubt not but that all who have well observed mankind, will readily grant this, that it is not all those, who, by their natural constitution or temper, are most disposed to dejection, that are the persons who are the most susceptive of lively and strong impressions on their imagination, or the most subject to those vehement impetuous affections, which are the fruits of such impressions; but that many who are of a very gay and sanguine natural temper are vastly more so, and if their affections are turned into a religious channel, are much more exposed to enthusiasm, than many of the former.

And as to Mr Brainerd in particular, notwithstanding his inclination to despondency, he was evidently one of that sort of persons who usually are the furthest from a teeming imagination; being one of a penetrating genius, of clear thought, close reasoning, and a very exact judgement; as all know, that knew him. As he had a great insight into human nature, and was very discerning and judicious in things in general, so be excelled in his judgement and knowledge of things in divinity, but especially in things pertaining to inward experimental religion; most accurately distinguishing between real and solid piety and enthusiasm, between those affections that are rational and Scriptural, having their foundation in light and judgment, and those that are founded in whimsical conceits, strong impressions on the imagination, and those vehement emotions of the animal spirits that arise from them. He was exceeding sensible of men's exposedness to these things, how much they had prevailed, and what multitudes had been deceived by them, of the pernicious

consequences of them, and the fearful mischief they had done in the Christian world. He greatly abhorred such a sort of religion, and was abundant in bearing testimony against it, living and dying; and was quick to discern when any thing of that nature arose, though in its first buddings, and appearing under the most fair and plausible disguises; and had that talent at describing the various workings of this imaginary enthusiastical religion, evinceing the falseness and vanity of it, and demonstrating the great difference between this and true spiritual devotion, which I scarcely ever knew equalled in any other person.

His judiciousness not only appeared in distinguishing among the appearances of others, but also among the various exercises of his own mind; and particularly in discerning what within himself was to be laid to the score of melancholy; in which he exceeded all melancholy persons that ever I was acquainted with. This was doubtless owing to a peculiar strength in his judgment: it is a rare thing indeed, that melancholy people are well sensible of their own disease, and fully convinced that such and such things are to be ascribed to it, as are indeed its genuine operations and fruits. Mr Brainerd did not obtain that degree of skill, which he had in this matter, at once, but gained it gradually; as the reader may discern by the following account of his life. In the former part of his religious course, he imputed much of that kind of gloominess of mind and those dark thoughts, to spiritual desertion, which in the latter part of his life, he was abundantly sensible, were owing to the disease of melancholy; accordingly he often expressly speaks of them in his diary as arising from this cause; and he was often in conversation speaking of the difference between melancholy and godly sorrow, true humiliation and spiritual desertion,