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The progress of a human being in his passage through time to eternity, only requires to bo exhibited with fidelity, in order to become an interesting object to a contemplative mind, whatever may have been his moral or intellectual qualities. Conquest achieved or object attained, conscience cowering under the tyranny of the passions, or asserting her dignity by subjecting them to her sway, are equally instinc- tive, provided we arc informed by what steps virtuous or vicious habits were superinduced j by what stratagems temp- tation prevailed,- or by what efforts and expedients evil was vanquished and good obtained. The moral warfare in which each has to engage, is pregnant with consequences which reach to eternity, and possesses an intrinsic and essential im- portance, totally independent of the peculiar circumstances with which it may be surrounded. The history of the hum- blest and least eventful life, which faithfully revealed the secret causes that contributed to form and determine the character, might be studied with profit by the great and the noble. Whatever tends to enlarge our acquaintance with any of our race, is an accession to the most valuable part of our knowledge; and althougl :-> know ourselves has ever been deemed of the very utmost consequence, perhaps the power of self-examination is never executed with so much vigour, as when it is called into action by the exhibition of individual character. The improvement derived from narra- tive in this view, will be proportioned to the degree in which the objects described, the scenes delineated, and the inci- dents related, bear a resemblance to those with which the reader is conversant. PIETY POBTBAYED. For tM» rca80.. tlio l,io„rapl>j- „f oMimvy i>„livi,l„al- t^o«Kh Ic.. ,la..li„g i3 more i„,,tructivo to the ml" If r^aora tl,u,. that of .,uol, a» arc .li,t,-„K„i,,od ,Z2'1 ho. „1 tl,on- rank, or the .splen.lou,- of their a<,hievcmontr obtauMd or position w„„, and few need to l,o warned Zinst tl.c mistake, and errors i„ whieh battles have b enZ J pooulat,ons frustrated. Sue,, events, however brilliLt ' , tie Instonc page, affor.l l,„t little nseful instruction to^he g oa bulk of n,ankind. But when a eharaetcr, selected frm the co,n,uon walks of life, is faithfully and minutely delineated no effort H required to enable us to place ourselves in the same situation; wo accompany the subject of the ,ar at with an mterest undiminished by distance, unimpa red t d.8s.mdanty of crcmnstanees, and from his example we derive the most useful practical lessons. Such behig he case wo deem no apology necessary for laying before tenmorol friends of the late Mr. and Mrs. Burpee, a brief acer„ „ their exemplary lives and their eminently peaceful deat^ Mr^Isaac Burpee was born in SlielSeld, Sunbury County New Brunswick, on the 10th of December, A. D. 1793. He' was the eldest son of the late Jeremiah and Bfeabeth Burpee ovorTrf """^*"''*"'^,'° ">'» """"'■•y from Massachusetts; of his the oldest settlement in the Province. New Bruns wick, at that time, presented a rather uninviting appearance to the stranger, and it required considerable nLe TCe the difficulties and dangers of pioneer life. The rich alluvial ands on the Saint John wore uncultivated, and the wate Jof the lovely river were unrippled by aught but the birchen canoe of the red man. Nature's wealth was unappropriated and the blessings of civilisation were unknown ' Many an anecdote might be related, illustrative of the fTRTY POUTItAYED. < an(tc,-« tl,o .lifficUie.,, and the l.anlshi,,. „f pio.u.o,. n,;. rcumstanee.s, they worke.I with a will an,! ,.ne,-,ry, he- fore wh.oh overythins t-'ave way. The wildorneH, wo, converted mto a frailful Pehl. indi^enee wa» sueceeded by .ndopendenco, and from this .,„,„1I hc.innin^, has ^rown a weauT rr '""""<"'""'« l'-vin.^e, for inteIh>„co, wealth, an,l the comforu of life. And now as the touris pa>..se. up or down the raaKniflcent .Saint Jo with no niaeo SheffieM """' """' "'" '"'"""'"' ""'" ™W''""-'"'«1 "I- in the hrin^nnK about of thi. deliKhtful chauKO, the deeoa.sod played no .uumportnnt part. A sober, rfeady, and industri- ousman, he aboured diligently and pcseveriigly to in.pro ve h,s tempora cire„msta„oe.s, and to provide for himself and for those who were dependent upon hin,, whatever might contnbute to their comfort. Early and lato, beneath ^1,0 ummer s heat or the winter's cold, on the farm or otherwise, wc find lum abouring with unremitting ellbrt. « Make the bes of both worlds," is good adviee, and well wonid it be for in- dmduals and for society were it more generally attended to. nrrr^^l"!"""™" "'' *• ^"'P'O' "« P'-actically ex. pressed .nh.s hfe, and he was glad to know that nis well directed efforts in this respect were eminently successful. The later years of his life were comparatively easy and free irom toil, and m the various comforts with which he was surrounded, he felt amply repaid for all his previous labours. In his children's welfare he was deeply interested, gav, .!,em a good education, and lent them such assistance as he deem- od best calculated to ensure their success in life. And it mast have been very gratifying to a father's heart to see his children so comfortably situated. " PIETY PORTUAYED. Considerably more than half a century has elapsed since Mr. Burpee experienced the renewing power of Divine grace. When his mind was first led to a consideration of sacred things IS not known, but he made a public profession of reli- gion, and united with the Congregational Church, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Dunbar. The time was one of general awakening, and both churches-the Conffre- gational and the Methodist, the latter then under Rev. Mr Birt s superintendence-received large accessions. He had borne the burden of sin, felt the pangs of a guilty conscience, ^ shed the tears of penitence, and renouncing every other ground of dependence, thrown himself by faith on the merits of Christ's atonement. From that time he became decidedly pious, and manifested the reality of the change by all those scriptural marks which show the regeneration of our corrupted nature. He soon took an active part in the various services of the sanctuary and evinced a sincere desire to persuade others to flee from he wrath to come. In the house of mourning, and at the bedside of the dying, he was ever a welcome visitor, and his earnest pleadings at the throne of grace, rendered such scenes much less sad than they otherwise would have been By thus employing his talents his own soul was greatlv blessed, and he felt a longing desire to be wholly devoted to tlu) work of the ministry. He had, indeed, at one time decided to do so, and had started for Europe to secure a theological education, when circumstances, the particulars of which we are not acquainted with, led to his abandonment of the Idea. Doubtless, in this, he followed the indications of Providence; the Church here had need of him, and subsc quent events clearly proved that this was his allotted sphere of action. Shortly after this he married Miss Coburn, in whom he found a real helpmate, and with whom he spent nearly fifty years of happy wedded life. PIETY PORTBAYED. ' IJ In the reJations of husband and parent, hfa piety was strik- ngly exh.b.ted. Whilst the kindness which disposed him to the most afifecfonate communieations with them was a pro- minent feature in his oharaeter, this was so tempered by prudenee and judgment, that ho always retained their grate- ful confidenee. There was no ostentation in his piety, he said but h tie to them on the subjeet of personal 'reliion, but he wielded over them a powerful influence, by his blame- ess co„s,steney of eondnet. The language of his everyday hto seemed to say, "Be ye followers of me even as I am of Chnst"; and whilst he thus kept them back from evil, he proserved not only their respect, but also their affection. About h.m there was nothing harsh, nothing austere, and in h,s presence they felt perfectly easy, and free to engage in any k.„d of ninocent amusement. heneve. he read before hem the sacred volume, they could discern in its precepts the directory of his own conduct; and in those trials which are almost necessarily connected with the transaction of toiness, or from those which will sometimes arise even from Christian friends, such was his demeanour that it was not necessary to tell them that he was a Christian. He was a plain, unpretending man, free from form and ceremony never sjieaking in debasing terms of himself, nor exaggera- t ng his own imperfections in order to obtain commendaLs from others. Humility with him was real, not affected ; and rts genuineness was exhibited in his appearance, manners, and conversation. From such a husband, from such a parent degree of affection; and this was indeed exemplified; for Sr t'T'*'^^'''-^'^''"'""' hWy-a more nuited lamily. And this was particularly shown in his long and distressing illness, when all its members, who were within reach, seemed so anxious to devise some means of lessening Ills SUiterino-g o 8 PIETY PORTRAYED. At an unusually early time of life, he was ehosen to fill tte responsible position of deacon, the duties of which he tlsto ; T """''^ ""^ "^''- Ho a'™y» manifested wM. Iftf T""' "P''" "" '"""'^'•^ ^™« ^™' received with deference. He was not a forward talker, but when the occas.o„ required it, he would fearlessly decllre his ^dj ment, and t ,s was sometimes decisive of the question at baud He bad an established reputation for wisdom and fe Church had never cause to blush for any reproach brought triUir""*' '■""*'"' Pri-iples of honourable in. like the righteous Abel, though dead, is yet speaking. His last illness was long and painful, but he bore it with exemplary patience and resignation to the Divine will I„ the moments of his greatest distress, he was cheered with fto consciousness of the Master's presence, and was enabled to say, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him." The Trltft^v '""/"'""' ^' '"'^'"y ™'"'^'J' ^»J ^l-™ they prayed wit^, him he evidently took gi-eat pleasure therein and derived much profit therefrom. His natural reticence tion often difficult, and sometimes impossible. But he eaned in hfe, was aU-suffieient in death, and he wont down to death and to the house appointed for all Uving, with the assured conviction that " Our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh ,or us a far more e.xceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which ^e seen, but at the things which are unseen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are PIETY PORTRaVed. '9 eternal." The day p :ous to his death he was visited by the resident Methodi. Minister, the Rev. Robert Wilsoii who spent some time vilh him in conversation and prayer' and who was very much pleased with what he said on the occasion: "Do you think," said he, ^' we shall know each other m heaven ?" Mr. Wilson replied that he did, and re- garded It as clearly taught in numerous passages of Holy Scripture ; and assured him that it was one of those doctrines that he would not willingly surrender his belief in. Such views harmonized with his own, and the thought that death was not a dissolution of friendship, but merely a temporary separation of friends, appeared to give himVeal pleasure Doubtless, he was thinking of those so soon to be bereft of a husband and father, and was looking forward to the time of a blessed re-union in the land beyond the tide. Several things contributed to render his departure very distressing. Most of his children were unavoidably absent and his dear wife was too ill to leave her bed. It was hard to die without a parting word or a farewell kiss, but it was unmurmuringly acquiesced in, and the language of his heart was -Not my will, but thine, God, be done." His last words were "From the Cross to the Crown," and about clock on the morning of the 8th of April, A. D. 1870 he sweetly fell asleep in Jesus, in the seventy-sixth year of As the Congregational Church was at the time without a Robert Wilson, before mentioned. The congregation was large and attentive, and much real sorrow was expressTd A sermon was preached from the words, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord," at the close oV which the mint tIT.'! errr ^"i^^*l:^ "^.^ ^-^^ of the deceased. „„ ,...„^, „„^ ,,,^^ ouininitcea to the gra.ve " in sure and 10 PIETY PORTRAYED. ^rtam hope of a glorious resurrection to eternal life," and while the ear,, was thrown upon the coffin lid to the words "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust," the fleW of every hear was the prayer of the prophet of Mesopatem^^ aet^me^che the death of the righteous, aud let n.y fatS' " How blest the righteous when he dies ! When sinks a weary soul to rest! How mildly beam the closing eyes • How gently heaves th" expiring bre'ast. So fades a summer cloud away; So sinks the gale when storms are o'er- So gently shuts the eye of day ; ' So dies a wave alohg the shore." Phebe Elizabeth Burpee, his beloved wife, was born m SheMd, Sunbury County, New Brunswi k, on the 20th of September, A. D., 1797. She was the second daughter of Moses and Hannah Coburn, who come oriZllv then ;t„r„?*K ""^ '" *' P'"™"^ *«'<"' ot the then s ate of the country, the character of the people and he pnvafons to which they were exposed, is as anp Lb le o the family of Mrs. Burpee, as U> that of her husband, and need not be repeated hero. Like others they toiled Uke warltX'"''''' ""' '''" '^--''»*» -P tt re! I K^"" rr"? ^'""' """"'"''' »'■*«' Methodist Church and laboured to bring up their children in the nurture andTd momtion of the Lord. When Phebe was about seventeen years of age, she was brought to see and feel herself a sinner in the si|ht of G„^ and to seek forgiveness through the merits of the Crucified In the revival of religion already alluded to, under thefaith: M mimstrahons of the Rev. Mr. Birt, she happily experienced i PIETY POBIKAYED. jj the renewing grace of God, and was enabled to rejoice in a con^cousneBs of 'he Divine favour. Her confidence n God was strong, her,,y deep and abundant, and the language of her heart was: «0, Lord, I will praise Thee, for tW. thou wast once angry with me, thine anger is urnld away and now Thou eomfortedst me." She at once uni ed S the Church, became a regular attendant at the private Tud socal means of grace, and was thenceforward reM a' Znft '^*;"''^P™f«™» °f '■«'• faith, wearied not in well domg, kept her eye fixed upon the recompense of the rewari walked m the light of God's countenance" and by a"S Chnstia^ character, proved the reality of her conve^r and the genuineness of her piety. conversion. At the age of twenty-three she entered the married state husband, he found m her a kind, true, and loving wife To h.m she was a true help-meet, and well and ffitlwivdid i 'I b r!,*' "^-^ '*^»f '"f'^ -" -other B^vf: t to be her duty to him and that the spiritual interest" of themselves and family would be promoted the eZle united with the Congregational Church, and by the memben of which she was ever loved and held in the highesHlr lon^ The heart of her husband did safely trusfrh td she did him good and not evil all the days of her lie She opened her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongaetas fte law of kindness. She looked well to the ways ofherXut hold, and ate not the bread of idleness. She was U, com CZ'V:f' f .^^«'''="''- '""our, a fellow-partekri" s™2; . '" ''^'' '''' '"^"^ '- ^iotio". and his Wa hizing partner when pining with sickness, o. suffe^ ZtT}^"^"- .^' '"^ '"« ^''■'^o- of the iave w" nia..a,s aiouna mm, and the time of his departure draw^ 12 PIETY PORTIUYED. ing near, she ministered to him i,, the double capacity of Illness. Her children have risen «p to call her blessed and her works praise her in the gates." She proved how salvation of her family, and to leave no means untried to rerr;ttft'^ r*- ™^ ""j-*™^ ----efor! M^hthem ^ 'bought pervaded all her correspondence with them. Solomon's description of a good wife, was stri fengly applicable to her, for she was Frugal, d irt Ti mdustrions^ As there are offices which only a mott r an perform, affections which only a mother can feel, and d ffi" oulties which only a mother can surmount, sh; felt that special grace was needed, to do her work wdl and lel^ and m the numberless and n*meless anxieties of youth she be estimated-her influence cannot be measured, and nothing perhaps is sopowerfiil to restrain from wrong, ir en„ to good as a consideration of a mother's fSlings,TZ hopes of a mother's approbation. And as her chiWren r^ fleet upon how much they are indebted to her, may thev not truly say with the poet :— ^ ^ " That sainted mother riLr above, I owe her much for her pure love, In patient teaching,— thousand cares— But O, how much for secret prayers. She led me to the house of God, Her weary feet had often trod j I learned of dangers, of God's cares, The rmiojw for " my mother's prayers." • When leaving home, how oft she said. With holy hands upon my head, " Though sto has many thousand snares, Pray, and remember mother's prayers." PIETY POKTIUVED. J3 She won mjr love, 1D7 youthftil heart, To God by her penuiuire art; My ohMtened spirit never dare« To sin against " my mother's prayers." When heaven breaks upon my sight. And we shall meet where all is bright, Ithenshallknowtheendof cares, The Korth of all " my mother's prayer,." Her last illness was of very brief duration. Worn with watctogbyaiesick bed of her husband, she took totr bed a few days before his death, but nothing serious ™ apprehended until ailer that had taken place. Whe„Th melancholy mteUigence was borne to her room thrhe w passed away, she sank beneath the blow, and all hope of her bered, that the closing moment was at hand, and that she would soon be re-nnited to him in the hap^y home lie She gave the most satisfactory evidence thafshc wl l2' mg on the arm of the Omnipotent, and the last wZ Z ^rembled upon her dying lips were, «Kock of ageTdeft fo Zyr^^:^T''''V'''-" S"-^ continued to Sink 01 Apni, A. D. 1870, she peacefully passed away without , truggle or a groan, in the seventy-slnd year ofTer 1 "They were lovely and pleasant in their lives LT,^' deaths they were not long divided." ' """■ Nearly all the family had got home in time for the flineral tPn.rs flo-^^ A...n. .. 7° ""^^ exhibited Oil the occasion. ._3 ..ovv... ....,, ,aa ineiiymu commencing, ^'Sister, thou 14 PIETY PORTRAYED. wast mild and lovely," was with difficulty sung. And as tho grave received the lifeless clay, we all felt that the Church had lost two of its most valued members, and the neighborhood two of its most worthy and saintliest charac- ters. This melanch^.ly visitation has made a deep impression upon tho public mina, and the hope is entertained that the influence wielded by them in life, will be increased by the circumstances connected with their death, and that all mav be over-ruled for the good of souls and for the glory of God. *' »:.» t nd as it the id the larac- ission it tlie y the may ry of