this system, that the youths, who were placed under his care, loved and revered him as an affectionate father. When admonition or censure, or even more severe measures, at any time, became necessary, his course of proceeding was in a high degree efficacious and salutary. These admonitions and censures were delivered in a manner, affectionate, indeed, but plain and searching; and rarely failed of producing their intended effect. Many a youth, whose conduct had subjected him to the discipline of the College, has found his stubborn temper subdued, his heart melted into contrition, and himself compelled to submission and obedience, by the private, solemn, but pathetic and eloquent remonstrances of his kind and affectionate teacher.

President Dwight's talents, as an Instructor, were no where more conspicuous than in the recitationroom of the senior class.

The year commenced with the study of Rhetoric, in which the Lectures of Blair were the Text-Book. The questions, naturally arising from the lesson, were first answered; and the principles of the author freely examined. This usually occupied not more than half an hour; and was succeeded by a familiar extemporaneous lecture on the subject, which filled up the residue of the two hours commonly devoted to his recitations. This lecture was often enlivened by anecdote and humour, and interspersed with striking illustrations. It frequently exhibited lively sallies of the imagination, and occasionally high specimens of eloquence. Yet it was in fact, though not in form, a regular dissertation, a connected chain of powerful reasoning, calculated to leave a distinct and permanent impression on the mind. When the course of Rhetoric was completed, that of Logic and Metaphysics succeeded; in which the regular text

books were Duncan, and Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding. After this followed Ethics; when Paley's Moral Philosophy was studied. In these recitations, also, a similar method was adopted. Those three courses occupied three days in the week through the year. On each of these days the class exhibited written compositions. Two more were devoted to forensic disputation. The discussions of the students were commonly written, but at times extemporaneous. When these discussions were finished, the President closed the debate, in an argument giving a comprehensive view of the question; and occupying, according to its importance, sometimes the space of half an hour, and sometimes that of several recitations. The series of questions thus discussed usually involved the more important disputable points in science, politics, morals, and theology. Many of his decisions, as specimens of reasoning, and eloquence, were not surpassed by his happiest public efforts. On Saturday, Vincent's "Exposition of the Shorter Catechism" was recited. The lesson terminated in a few minutes, and was followed by a Theological Lecture on the subject. At the close, he heard Declamations. The students regularly looked forward to the Senior Year as peculiarly interesting and important; in which their minds were to be disciplined and furnished for action. No compulsion was necessary to secure their presence in the recitation-room. Even those, who had previously been indolent, attended of choice. In each of the four courses of Rhetoric, Logic and Metaphysics, Ethics and Theology as taught in Vincent, he spent more time in instructing his class than is customarily spent in the regular lectures of Professors in those sciences. In addition to this, he was the stated Preacher twice on the Sabbath; addressed the stu

dents at length in the Theological Chamber on Saturday evening; superintended the general administration of the College government; wrote by the assistance of his pupils or of a regular amanuensis almost all the works which he ever wrote; and attended with marked punctuality to all the calls of civility and friendship. It ought here to be remembered, that, for the first twenty years of his Presidency, he was rarely able to read so much as a single chapter in the Bible in the twenty-four hours.

One important feature of his administration was the selection of his assistant officers of the Faculty. The Professorship of Theology, it has been mentioned, was occupied by himself. The others were filled with much youger gentlemen than had been usual; the education of nearly all of whom he had superintended; and with whose talents and qualifications he was thoroughly acquainted. The advantages of this course were numerous; and the wisdom of it has been fully proved and acknowledged. The College Faculty entertained perfect confidence in one another, and entire harmony of opinion as to the system of government. The welfare of the College was a common interest; to promote which, they lent their whole united influence. In its administration, they always moved as one man. The experience, judgment, and energy of the President, and the active and vigorous co-operation of his younger associates, had the happiest effects on its good order and regularity, even in times the most turbulent and threatening. The consequence was, that Yale College was tranquil at a period well remembered, when almost every other public Seminary in the Union was shaken to its centre

As a Minister and Preacher of the Gospel, it is not easy to convey an adequate idea of his characteristic

excellence. Having been compelled, from the weakness of his eyes, to adopt the plan of preaching without notes; his sermons, except those designed for extraordinary occasions, were for the first twenty years chiefly unwritten. Usually, he barely noted the general divisions, and some of the most important and leading ideas. There is no doubt, that this mode had its peculiar advantanges; nor that his style and manner, as an extemporaneous preacher, were more popular and captivating, than at a later period when his Discourses were written at length. When unconfined by notes, the whole field of thought was before him. Into that field he entered; conscious where his subject lay, and by what metes and bounds it was limited; and enjoying also that calm self-possession and confidence of success, which trial alone can give, and which every successive effort had only served to increase. Within these limits, his powers had full scope, his imagination was left to range at will, his feelings were kindled, and his mind became in the highest degree creative. Its conceptions were instantaneous; its thoughts were new and striking; its deductions clear and irresistible; and its images, exact representations of what his eye saw, living, speaking, and acting. When we add, that these were accompanied by the utmost fluency and force of language, a piercing eye, a countenance deeply marked with intellect, a strong emphasis, a voice singular for its compass and melody, an enunciation remarkably clear and distinct, a person dignified and commanding, and gestures graceful and happy; we need not inform the reader, that his pulpit efforts at this period possessed every characteristic of animated and powerful eloquence. Many instances of its effects upon large audiences are remembered, and might easily be mentioned, which were

most striking proofs of its power over the feelings and the conscience.

He could not Religious books in his family on

In the formation of his Sermons he pursued a course in a great degree original. Texts familiar, by common use among preachers, to the mind of his audience, would form the subject of Discourses, new, solemn, and impressive. The truth to be illustrated was often new, the arrangement and arguments were new, the images were always new, and the thoughts peculiarly his own. The very weakness of his eyes, which occasioned him so much pain and self-denial, was in some respects advantageous. himself read the Sermons of others. of a different class were read aloud the sabbath. And most rarely indeed was he permitted to listen to the sermons of his brethren. deriving no assistance from the efforts of others, he was compelled to depend exclusively on the resources of his own intellect. Happily these were rich and inexhaustible. It is probably owing to this fact that his Sermons bear the characteristic stamp of his own mind, and are throughout in the highest sense his own. In this respect; in a fair claim to originality of thought, of method, and of illustration; it is confidently believed, that the sermons of President Dwight need not shrink from a comparison with those of any other writer.

Thus

In his extemporaneous efforts, though his fancy was ever visibly active, still it was controlled by judgment and taste. They were indeed more richly ornamented with imagery than most of his written sermons; yet figures were introduced not merely because they were beautiful; but for the purpose of illustration or impression. His own views of the duty of a minister of Christ in this respect are happily conveyed in several of the Discourses in these volumes; and still more