Another sort of hearers Christ compares to good ground-good strong land, which is well fitted for seed. The seed falls into this, comes up, and grows, and brings forth good fruit. So some that hear the word receive it into good hearts. They love the word and obey it heartily, and when they die, they go to heaven.

Now, which of these sorts of hearers are you? What effect do the words of Christ have on your heart? You all hear the word; Christ sends his ministers to sow the word among you. Are not some of you like the path? You don't mind or care any thing about what you hear. Do you not forget what you hear at meeting before you get home, and never think any thing more about it? The word never comes to your heart so as to make you concerned about your souls. Other things come to your heart. You are greatly concerned about them and affected with them; but you don't care about what Christ says to you. Don't some of you mind the devil more than you do Christ, and suffer him to take away Christ's words out of your heart?

Are not some of you like the stony ground? You have been affected with the word, it may be. The word once seemed to come to your heart, and you reformed your wicked practices, and prayed to God. You was concerned about your souls, and wanted to get an interest in Christ. You loved to hear the word, and had great hopes you was good and should be saved. But have you not fallen away, and forsaken Christ and religion? Have you not been like the wheat that comes up on a rock? At first you seemed to grow and flourish, as if you would bring forth a good crop; but have you not since hearkened to temptations, and forsaken the ways of Christ? Is not all your religion withered and dried up? If it is so, the word of Christ never had root in your hearts. Your hearts are like the hard rock, where the seed cannot take root and grow. This stony heart must be broken and taken away, and a new, soft heart given you, or you cannot be saved.

Are not some of you like the ground full of thorns? The word has been sown upon your hearts, and seemed to take some root. You reformed many things, and said you would be good, you would love and serve Christ; but have you not altered your mind and changed your course since? Have not your lusts and the wickedness of your heart turned you away from Christ? Don't you care more about the things of the world, now, than about Christ? Is not the word become unfruitful by your worldly cares and lusts? The good seed cannot grow in such hearts, that mind the world more than Christ. Your wicked hearts must be changed, and the bad things must be torn out of them, as the roots of thorns are torn out of the ground, or the word will do you no good.

Are any of your hearts like the good ground? Has the word fallen into your hearts, and do you keep it there? Do your hearts love Christ and his ways? Do you love to hear of Christ, and do what he bids you? And do you bring forth good fruit by obeying Christ? You ought seriously to inquire how it is with you in these respects.

Christ has been sowing the seed of his word among you. Mr. Edwards has been here a good while, sowing the word among you. He has sowed a great deal of good seed among you, and has watered it with his prayers and counsels, and tried to make it grow. But now he has done sowing the good seed among you, and is gone; and now you ought to sit down and consider what is become of the good seed that is sown. If your hearts are not bad, if they are like the good ground, the word he has sown among you will do you a great deal of good, and bring forth much fruit; but if your hearts are bad, the good seed will all be lost; there will be no good fruit, but 'tis to be feared you will go to hell, after all.

It may be you have been a little affected with the word sometimes, but then it has vanished away and come to nothing. And have not some of you grown worse and worse while the word has been sown among you, rather than better? Are you not werse than you would have been, if you had never heard the word? Many times this is the case. If you cut trees off of land,

and do not plough it and kill the roots, it grows worse than it was before, in a few years, and often gets full of briers and thorns. So it may be with some of you. You are worse than those that never heard the word. If this is the case, the fault is not in the seed sown, but in your hearts.

All good folks in the country are looking on you, and inquiring about you, whether the word sown among you is fruitful. They will inquire of Mr. Edwards whether you have received the word into your hearts, and bring forth fruit in your lives. The good angels, that come down from heaven to earth, are looking on you, to see what effect the word has upon you; and news is carried to heaven about you, and it is there known whether the word sown brings forth good fruit. Christ is every day looking upon you, to see what effect his word has among you. Surely, then, it becomes you to inquire and see how this matter is. How must we answer this question? Does the word sown at Stockbridge grow and flourish, or is it all lost? Must it not be said there are a great many who receive the word no better than the highway does the seed, where it makes no impression at all? — that many that made a hopeful appearance, and promised to be good, are fallen away and come to nothing? I hope it can be said there is some good fruit; but who of you are fruitful, so as to be an honor to Christ and a credit to religion?

And now let me entreat you to hear the word and receive it into your hearts. He that has been sowing the word among you is gone, but we hope Christ will send another still to sow good sced among you. You ought to pray earnestly every day for this. But how will you pray heartily for this, if [you are not willing] to receive the word? You ought to be concerned, therefore, to get good hearts. Though you have never so good a minister, if you have no heart to receive and obey the word, he will do you no good. Yea, it would be better for you if you had never heard of Christ, than to hear and refuse to mind what he says to you. So St. Peter says, (2 Pet. ii. 21,) Christ will be exceeding angry with you, and cast you into hell, if you will not mind what he says; and you will be more tormented than those that never heard his gospel. The devil is trying to catch the word away, and hindering its laying hold of your hearts; and if you hearken to him once, he will have more power against you.

Sowing time will be over by and by; and they that bear good fruit, Christ will take to heaven, but the unfruitful he will burn in hell, as men burn briers and thorns. O, then, root every wicked thing out of your hearts. Cross and kill every lust. Pray earnestly to God, that he would make your hearts soft and good. God only can change the hearts of men, and make them good, and fit, like the good ground, for seed. If he does not change them, they will bring forth briers and thorns. Cry earnestly to God, then, for this mercy, as David did: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Observation 1. Men may hear the word, may have it sown among them a great while, and yet get no good by it. The devil and their own wicked hearts may join to reject it all. Their hearts do not grow softer and better, but harder and more wicked, under the word. How sad is the case of such! They will be cast into a fire that never can be put out, and tormented by devils forever and ever. The devil will laugh at them, in hell, for being so foolish as not to mind what Christ said to them, and they will be angry at themselves and curse themselves for their own folly.

[Obs.] 2. Many may do a great deal in religion, and come to no good at last, but fall away when they are tempted, &c.

[Obs.] 3. The best way to know whether the word does good, is to see what fruit is brought forth.

[Obs.] 4. They who fall away when temptations come have reason to think they have no goodness. When they have no temptations, they will be very good, and resolve always to be so; but every time they come into temptation, they fall away. This is because goodness has no root in their hearts.

Men that have good hearts can resist temptation, and they [will remain good in spite of temptation]; but when the heart is not right, men will lose all their goodness in the time of temptation.

[Obs.] 5. The word of Christ and they that sow the word, are not to blame that men are not good, and do not bring forth fruit. They sow good seed, and it does not prosper because the heart is not good. If men sow good seed on bad ground, it will not grow, though they sow it never so well, and never so often. So it is with those that sow Christ's word. If it is sown in bad hearts, it will not grow and bring forth fruit; but wickedness will grow up and choke the word of Christ.

[Obs.] 6. They that hear the word are in great danger of going to hell. Most that hear the word live wickedly, and go to hell. You have all need to be afraid of this. You had need to be concerned to have your hearts made soft and [mellow],* that the word may take root there, and bear fruit to eternal life.

SECT. XIV. SOCIAL INTERCOURSE.

It must not be supposed, that while his parishioners at Housatonick remained poor, and ignorant, and fearful of savage invaders, their pastor was deprived of all congenial society. He was regular in meeting the clergy at Yale College commencement. Sometimes he attended the election at Boston, where he had several wealthy friends. Often we find David Brainerd coming to see him; sleeping with him, preaching for him, etc. Often we find Hopkins at his uncle's parsonage in West Springfield. Still oftener we read, in his Journal, such notices as the following:

"Northampton, July 23, 1743. Am kindly received by Mr. Edwards and his family. Made Miss Jerusha a present of a Bible. Mr. Edwards is desirous that I would preach for him part of the day to-morrow, but I cannot be willing. Sunday, July 24, 1743. Heard Mr. Edwards preach all day. I have been very dull and senseless; much discouraged about preaching. Hearing Mr. Edwards makes me ashamed of myself. - Brookfield, Thursday, May 24, 1744. Set out to-day from Northampton for Boston, in company with Madam Edwards and her daughter, who rides behind me [on horseback]. We lodge at Colonel Dwight's, at Brookfield;" [afterwards the well-known General D., of Great Barrington.]

After Mr. Edwards had removed to Stockbridge, and was within about one hour's ride from Mr. Hopkins, we read, on almost every page of the Journal, such notices as these:

"Bethlem, October 13, 1754. Mr. Edwards not being able to travel, I am yet with him at Mr. Bellamy's. - Friday, October 18. Having done my business at Waterbury, and Mr. Edwards continuing to have a severe fit every day, I left Mr. Edwards at Waterbury, and set out homewards to-day. Lodge at Mr. Bellamy's. - Thursday, August 28. This day being attended as a public Fast, Mr. Bellamy preached for me all day. I believe there is not a better preacher in America, on all accounts. August 30. Rode with Mr. Bellamy yesterday to Stockbridge. February 12, 1755. Mr. Bellamy came to my house last Tuesday, with whom I went to Stockbridge, and staid there two

Some of the words enclosed in brackets, throughout this discourse, were left by Dr. Hopkins in cipher. They are here inserted, after a careful comparison of his short hand with the context, and with his own glossary.

e

nights and one day to hear Mr. Edwards read a treatise upon the Last End of God in the Creation of the World. Returned home to-day. Mr. Bellamy came with me, &c.

"March 9. Went to Stockbridge to-day to borrow some books, and returned.

"September 2, 1756. Rode to Stockbridge to-day on an important secret errand, and returned. - September 3. Mr. Edwards and Madam, and their son Timothy, at my house to-day."

These and similar records have a theological value. Many of them show that, in regard to their professional literature, Hopkins, Bellamy, and Edwards had all things common ;" and each was in the habit of loaning to the others all the books, pamphlets, theological epistles, which they desired to borrow; that they were also in the habit of submitting to each other's criticism the manuscripts which they intended to publish.

"In one instance," says Dr. Patten, "from some inconvenience in consulting Mr. H., he [Mr. Edwards] published a work without his [Hopkins's] previous inspection. After it was in print, he inquired of Mr. H. if he saw in it any thing objectionable. Mr. H. replied by asking him if he had considered such a particular proposition in the work. Mr. E. answered that he had not; that it was a current expression among divines. Wherein was it not correct? Mr. H. pointed out an objection, which Mr. Edwards immediately perceived and acknowledged, and remarked, 'I am sorry that you did not see the manuscript; but this I promise, that I will never publish another book without showing the manuscript to you, if you are in life.'

"Long after this, Dr. Hopkins observed to the writer, that the very few errors of Mr. Edwards's writings were owing to the" fact that "some things were taken for granted as true, because they had appeared in the earlier writings of divines, and in creeds. They were admitted as first principles, which, as to correctness, required no examination." *

Before Dr. Bellamy published his "True Religion Delineated," Dr. Patten says that Bellamy "requested Mr. Hopkins to make him a visit of two or three days, that he might attend to the manuscript, and make his remarks upon it. When Dr. B. had proceeded some way in reading, Mr. H. said, 'Stop.' 'Why,' said Dr. B., 'what is there here?' 'I would not, for five hundred dollars,' replied Mr. H., publish that sentence, with the sanction of my name to it.' 'But it is a quotation from Edwards,' said Dr. B. 'I know it, but it is wrong.' 'We are brought to a strange pass, indeed, if we cannot adopt the sentiments of Edwards!' The quotation referred to self-love. It had beenthe opinion of divines, that the self-love of the natural man is sinful only in its excess; that in regeneration it is brought down to its proper level in principle; like a fire, which, unrestrained, spreads over the house, but is useful when reduced to burn on the hearth. This opinion, as a matter of course, and without examination, had been adopted by Mr. Edwards. The criticism of Mr. H. was, that in the exercises of one who is not sanctified, there is nothing holy; that holiness depends on the nature of the exercise, and not on the degree in which it is exercised; that the love of the sinner for himself has nothing of that love which the law requires, more than his love for God or his neighbor; as his love for God has nothing of the nature of loving him with all his heart, and as his love for his neighbor has nothing of the nature of loving his neighbor as himself, so his love for himself has nothing of the nature of loving himself as he does his neighbor; that in regeneration he has but one love, which is new in each of these relations. Dr. B. admitted the justice of

the criticism, and corrected that part of his work. And during the examination, both entirely concurred in approving of that which was published. This distinction of the new love which one is brought to exercise for himself in regeneration, Mr. H. considered as having occurred to him without meeting with it in any commentator, and as more original in this sense than any other doctrine in his system." *

66

As Bellamy confided in the criticisms of Hopkins, so did Hopkins confide in the criticisms of Bellamy; and writes to him very frequently in a style like the following: July 9, 1756. The enclosed letters to Dr. Mayhew lay themselves at your feet and wait your sanction. Please to say whether either of them shall be sent. If one, which? And with what corrections and emendations? Please to give the sanction, et eris mihi magnus Apollo." More than once he sends his manuscripts to Bellamy with such deferential words as, "From your sentence there will be no appeal." Beautiful, indeed, was this mutual confidence of Edwards, Bellamy, and Hopkins in each other.

Mr. Edwards lived nearly seven years within seven miles from his beloved pupil. When he was invited to the Presidency of the College of New Jersey, Hopkins was the leading member of the council which advised him to accept the invitation. It has often been said, that if Hopkins had expressed a different opinion, that invitation would have been rejected. With his usual disinterestedness, he parted with his revered teacher.

"When the council," he says, "published their judgment and advice to Mr. Edwards and his people, he appeared uncommonly moved and affected with it, and fell into tears on the occasion, which was very unusual for him in the presence of others, and soon after said to the gentlemen who had given their advice, that it was matter of wonder to him that they could, so easily as they appeared to do, get over the objections he had made against his removal to be the head of a college, which appeared great and weighty to him. But as he thought it his duty to be directed by their advice, he should now endeavor cheerfully to undertake it, believing he was in the way of his duty.” †

In less than three months after this result of the council, Edwards

was in his grave. The death of so dear a friend had a depressing influence upon Hopkins, whose temper was too despondent. He became more and more distressed with the fear, that he had sinned in advising the removal to Princeton. Its calamitous issue was unwisely interpreted into a sign of its original wrongfulness.

SECT. XV. STUDIOUS LIFE AT GREAT BARRINGTON.

Having a giant frame, he could endure a great amount of severe mental application. His plain diet and his rural abode aided him in his intellectual processes. True, the fever and ague and other dis

* Reminiscences, pp. 49, 50.

+ Hopkins's Memoir of Edwards, Edinburgh edition, p. 94.