Nations lately become Liicrarij. 



One of the greatest divines that ever lived. Besides 

 many Tracts of high reputation, on detached points 

 of theology, and which have been well received, 

 not only in America, but also in Europe; a num- 

 ber of volumes of Sermons have been produced by 

 our countrymen, which show, that the eloquence 

 of the pulpit is by no means neglected. The first 

 volume of Sermons ever published in America, 

 that had any just claim to correctness and elegance 

 of style, w r as printed in Boston, in the year 1727, 

 by Ebenezer Pemberton, pastor of a Church in 

 that town. Since that time, the collections of 

 Sermons, by President Davies," Dr. Lathrop, Dr. 

 Seabury, President Smith> Dr. Linn, Dr. Strong, 

 Dr. Clarke, Dr. Emmons, and several others, of 

 different kinds and degrees of merit, have received 

 much public approbation. 



In the Philosophy of the Human Mind, the eigh- 

 teenth century did not produce a greater effort of 

 genius, than the Treatise on the Will, by President 



ft Rev. Samuel Davies was born In the County of Newcastle, in the 

 State of Delaware, November 3, 1724. He received the greater part of 

 his academic and theological education under the care of the Rev. Mr. 

 Samuel Blair, of Fog's Manor, in Pennsylvania, and was licensed to 

 preach the gospel, by the Presbytery of Newcastle, about the year 1745. 

 Soon after this event, he travelled into Virginia, where he settled in the 

 rainistry, in Hanover County, and remained there in an extensive sphere. 

 of usefulness, and highly respected for a number of years. In 1753, he 

 was chosen by the Synod of New-York, at the solicitation of the Trustees 

 of New-Jersey College, to accompany the Rev. Gileert Texxext on 

 a mission to Great-Britain and Ireland, to solicit benefactions for said 

 College. In 1759, he was elected to succeed Mr. Edwards in the Presi- 

 dency of that institution. In this station he remained but eighteen months, 

 being removed by death in January, KT61, in the thirty-seventh year of his 

 age. The genius, taste, learning, and eminent piety of President Davies, 

 have been so much celebrated, that it is unnecessary to dwell on them 

 here. His Sermons, in three volumes, were first published in 1765. Then 

 uncommon merit is well known. They have undergone a number of im- 

 pressions. 



o Besides the more formal volumes of Sermons above mentioned, it 

 would be easy to select smaller collections of discourses on particular sub- 

 jects, which do honour to the genius, learning, and taste of their respective 

 authors; and the single Sermons of merit are much more numerous; but 

 it is obviously impossible to indulge such minute details, consistently with 

 the reouisite brevity. 



