W - yy XV \^ — --■^ feO LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRAR Af- LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRAR. ^^ LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ^ m nVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFC W^^ : ^^^^ NIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA /ft) -^.•- oy LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIF NIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIF fOI I IFOI FO THE CLERGY OF AMERICA M ^ti^t^dat^s ILLIJSTKATING THE LIFE AND LABOITE MINISTERS OF RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES. LONDON: MORGAN AND CHASE, 38, LUDGATE HILL. May be ordered of any Bookseller. ^ PinLADELPIIIA : J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. CS"6~ PREFACE. The facts placed before the reader of this voluirie, are no! only pleasing to the fancy, and interesting as calling up many deiightfid and solemn reminiscences, but they are important as materials of History. They show the character of the age, illustrate nature and religion, and supply those details oC knov>- ledge which cherish the habits of induction : without these there can be no certain philosophy. In the compilation of this work, fir more labour and pains have been expended than the vast majority of its readers would suppose ; but its editor has been well repaid by the happiness he has enjoyed in going through the biography of so many eminent men, at once ornaments to the church and blessings to the world. No part of the globe has furnished brighter specimens of what Christian ministers should be, than these United States. It is scarcely necessary to say much either of the materinis of which the volume is composed, or the manner in which they are classified. The former, the editor believes, are all true ; and, as to the latter, he has done what he could so to arrange the facts as to please and to profit his readers. At all events, here is a volume perfectly imique — unlike every thing else in the language. 1* rrO »/••>>« /~»/^>« «* VI PREFACE. In carrying out his design, the editor has found materiala accumulate on his hands far beyond the capabilities of a single volume. Whether the other collections shall see the light, remains in a very great degree for the readers of this volume to decide. He has contemplated somewhat even beyond this, and would be happy to furnish one or two volumes of import- ant and valuable specimens of American pulpit eloquence. Time will decide as to whether these projected volumes may hereafter be called for and published. The Editor has now only to commend his volume to the blessing of God and the friendship of the Reader. CONTENTS. PREPARATION OF THE CLERGY FOR PUBLIC DUTIES, Rev. William Robinson. Rev. Hugh Knox, Rev. Mr A. Kev. Mr. Ravencross, A New England Divine, Two Clergymen, An Able Minister, Six Young Ministers, Several Young Ministers, Rev. J. W. James, A Young Clergyman, A New England Clergyman, Rev. Mr. Polk, Rev. S. Nightingale, Rev. S. Stoddard, Rev. Dr. M'Cartee, . A Pious Bishop, A Zealous Minister, Rev. W. Cooper, A New England Minister, Kev. Dr. West, An Old Clergyman, 'I'he Beecher Family, Rev. Joseph Eastburn, Rev. Mr. C, Rev. President Edwards, Rev. Dr. Dwight, Several Young Clergymen, Rev. Mr. Japhet, Rev. Dr. Patten, Rev. W. Tennent, Rev. S. Blythe, An Indian Preacher, Rev. Charles Beatty, PARE 17 18 22 22 23 '25 27 28 30 33 34 35 36 37 38 38 40 4(3 41 4U 44 44 46 47 48 48 49 53 54 54 57 58 59 vm CO? fTENTS. Rev. Presidem Davles, • . • 60 Kev. Dr. Rodgers, . • • • 61 Rev. Dr. Harris, • . . 63 Rev. Dr. King, , • , ^ 64 Rev. Dr. King and Rev. H. Lyman, • • • 65 A Clergyman, . . • • 1 68 An Indian Missionary, . . • 69 Several Clergymen, , 71 A Young Minister, , • • • 71 Rev. Mr. Willey, . , • « 72 Rev. Dr. Griffin, , • • • 73 Several Eminent Clergymen, . • • 74 Rev. E. T. Taylor, . • • • 76 Rev. Dr. Payson, , , • 78 Rev. Dr. Strong, . * 7i) INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH THE PULPIT LABOURS OF THE CLERGY. Rev. Dr. Rodgers, ...... 83 Rev. Mr. S., . 87 A Clergyman in Indiana, ..... 88 Rev. J. kennaday, ..... 89 Rev. Dr. Griffin, ...... 90 Rev. W. Robinson, ..... 94 A Clergyman in Maine, ..... 95 An Indian Missionary, .... 96 An Impressive Preacher, .... 103 Rev. Dr. Pavson, . . . . • 104 Rev. E. T. Taylor, ..... 106 Rev. Sylvester Larned, .... 107 Rev. Dr. Fisk, ....'. 108 Two Clergymen, ..... 109 Rev. Dr. Bedell, ...... 109 Rev. Dr. Miller, ..,,.. HI Rev. T. Hooker, ...... 111 A Forcible Preacher, . . . . . 112 Rev. Dr. Staughton, ..... 113 Rev. Dr. Humphrey, ...... 115 A Faithful Minister, . . . ^ . 116 Rev. VV. Tennent, . . . ' . 117 Rev. Bradford Homer, ..... 120 Rev. Mr. Howe, ...... 122 Rev. Dr. Lathrop, ..... 122 Rev. Dr. Beecher, ...... 123 An ElFective Clergyman, .... 124 Rev. Dr. Mercer, ..... 125 A New England Clergyman, .... 130 Rev. T. Porter, 130 R-^v. Mr. Rawson, ... 131 CONTENTS. \X Rev. Dr. Welsh, An Aged Clergytnan, Rev. John Sunday, , Rev. George Whitefield, . Rev. Mr. Bennett, Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, A Minister in New England, Kev. Mr. S., Rev. Dr. Stillman, . An Eminent Clergyman, , Rev. Mr. Gillespie, . Rev. Mr. Moody, . . Rev. Mr. Willard, Rev. Mr. Truair, Rev. Dr. Waddell, Peter, the Indian Preacher, Rev. Z. Adams, A Clergyman in Massachusetts; A Good Preacher, . Rev. Mr. S., Rev. President Edwards, A Methodist Clergyman, An Eccentric Clergyman, Rev. President Davies, . Rev. B»en]amin Harvey, A New England Clergyman, ^3olored Preachers, ilev. Dr. J. M. Mason, i{ev. Dr.F., .{ev. Mr. Stevens, . Rev. B. Standford, • Several Clergymen, Rev. Professor Sheppard, Rev. Dr. Stanford, . A Universalist Minister, Rev. John Eliot, Rev. John Gano, A Clergyman, A Practical Preacher, Rev. Luther Rice, Rev. John Summerfield, A Young Clergyman, 131 133 134 135 145 145 148 148 149 150 161 152 154 155 155 159 160 161 ibl 162 163 165 166 166 167 169 171 172 172 173 175 175 177 177 178 178 180 181 181 182 184 185 DEVOTEDNi:;SS OF CLERGYMEN TO THEIR LABOURS. Rev. John Brock, Rev. President Davies, Bishop Griswold, A Missionary in New York, 189 190 191 192 CONTENTS Kev. S. Stoddard, Kev. S. H. Stearns, Kev. G.Whitefield, A City Minister, Rev. S. Allen, Rev. Dr. J. M. Mason, Rev. President Edwards, Rev. John Eliot, . , Rev. Dr. Rodgers, . Rev. Dr. Manning, • Rev. D. Tinsley, • Rev. Dr. Coke, Rev. Dr. Chaplin, * Rev. Dr. Rice, . . Rev. Dr. Payson, . Rev. John Shepherd, • Rev. Dr. Byles, Rev. Dr. D wight, . . Rev. Dr. Nott, A Popular Minister, Rev. Dr. Porter, . A Missionary to the Indians, Rev. Dr. Beecher, . A Devoted Pastor, . Rev. Dr. Mather, Rev. Mr. Bailey, Rev. Mr. Backus, Rev. Dr. Mercer, Bishop Asbury, 195 195 196 197 200 200 201 202 202 203 204 204 205 206 206 207 207 208 208 209 210 210 211 213 215 2] 7 217 218 219 INTERCOURSE OF THE CLERGY WITH EACH OTHER. Rev. Dr. Rodgers, Thoughtless Ministers, Rev. Dr. Stanford, Rev. Dr. Harris, A Minister in New Hampshire Rev. Gideon Hawley, A Minister, Rev. Joseph Craig, A Universalist Preacher, Rev. Dr. Livingston, Two Clergymen, • A Baptist Clergyman, Rev. Dr. Emmons, Rev. Dr. Dwight, Rev. Dr. Scudder, Rev. Thomas Brown, Rev. Dr. Taylor, 22.3 2:24 225 225 2:26 227 228 2:39 229 23J 231 231 232 235 235 235 237 CONTENTS. XI Rev. Lemuel Haynes, , Kev. Dr. Nettleton, Aged Clergymen, Two Clergymen, Rev. Dr. Furman, . . Rev. Dr. Pond, Rev. Drs. Cooper and Chauncey, Two Ministers, » . Rev. Dr. Staughton, . . Rev. Dr. Payson, Rev. John Eliot, . . Rev. Dr. liathrop, A Persecuting Clergyman, Bishop George, Two Young Ministers, Rev. Dr. Bellamy, Two Clergymen, Rev. George Whitefield, Several Clergymen, Rev. John Leland, Rev. Dr. Mercer, Rev. Caleb Blood, INTERCOURSE OF THE CLERGY WITH SOCIETY, Bishop Chase, A Faithful Minister, Travelling Clergymen, Rev. Dr. Armstrong, A Young Minister in the West, A Colored Preacher, Rev. Mr, Moody, An Unsuccessful Minister, Rev. Thomas Brown, An African Preacher, Rev. Dr. Staughton, A Presbyterian Clergyman, A Delighted Minister, A Wise Pastor, A Clergyman in Virginia, Rev. Dr.' Nettleton, A Baptist Minister, A Poor Minister, A Courteous Clergyman, Rev. Joseph Eastburn, Rev. John Wesley, R''v. Dr. Spring, Rev. Mr. Clap, Rev. Dr. Waddell, . 238 241 244 24.^ 246 247 248 249 250 252 254 255 256 257 262 263 264 264 266 267 268 269 273 276 277 280 282 283 285 286 287 289 290 290 292 292 293 296 311 312 312 313 315 316 317 •^17 XII CONTENTS. Hev. Mr. Spencer, Rev. Bela Jacobs, . l\cv. Mr. Estabrook, All Anxious Pastor, A Clergyman, . , Kev. Dr. Judson, A Good Pastor, A Minister in New York, Bishop Griswold, . . A New England Clergyman, Kev. Dr. Mercer, A Clergyman in Philadelphia, Rev. Mr. F., . A Faithful Minister, A Minister in Boston, Two Clergymen, Rev. John Gano, . . Rev. 'I\ P. Benedict, An Unknown Preacher, • Rev. Samuel Harris, . Rev. Dr. Laidlie, . • An Aged Minister, . Rev. Dr. Stanford, • A Village Clergyman, A Travelling Minister, • Rev. Mr. Grafton, Rev. Calvin Colton, . Rev. Dr. Beecher, . Rev. Dr. C, Rev. Mr. Coley, A Clergyman in New York, Rev. E. Byne, Rev. Mr. Baker, Rev. Dr. Todd, A Clergyman in Tennessee, Rev. W. Tennent, An Aged Clergyman, Rev. Dr. Harris, Rev. Mr. Hyde, . . Several Clergymen, A New England Minister, Rev. Dr. Griffin, A Penitent Minister, A Universalist Minister, A Methodist Clergyman, . A New England Clergyman, Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, • A Good Preacher, ilev. Dr. Baldwin, . • CONTENTS. XUl Rev. Mr. Bushnel, Kev. Mr. Walker, A Clergyman in Virginia, Rev. John Cotton, Kev. Dr. Coke, « Rev. Mr. Cross, Kev. Dr. C. Mather, An Aged Clergyman, Rev. Mr. Bennett, Kev. Dr. L., A Wise Clergyman, Rev. Mr. Hull, Rev. John Summerfield, Rev. Dr. J. M. Mason, Rev. Mr. Worcester, Rev. J. Armstrong, A Clergyman at New Orleans, Rev. Mr. Case, Rev. Dr. Lathrop, Rev. T. Hooker, Rev. Mr. C, A Pastor, Rev. Dr. Livingston, Rev. Dr. John H. Rice, Rev. Dr. Payson, A Minister in New York, A Clergyman at St. Louis, Rev. Dr. Henry, Rev. Mr. Trefit, A Shrewd Minister, A Travelling Clergyman, SUCCESS AND ENCOURAGE MEIVT OF" THE CLERGY Rev. President Edwards, Rev. Mr. S., . . , . . Rev. Dr. Rodgers, .... A Universalist Minister, . . . Rev. John Bailey, .... An Aged Minister, .... Several Pastors, .... American Missionaries, The Puritan Ministers, Rev. Dr. L. Beecher, .... Rev. Dr. Hopkins, .... Rev. J. Patterson, .... Rev. Mr. M., .... A Clergyman in New York, A New England Minister, XIV CONTENTS. Rev^ Mr. Prince, . Bishop M'llvaine, A Minister among the Cherokees, A Preacher from England, Rev. G. Whitefield, A Mistaken Minister, Rev. David Brainerd, Kev. President Davies, Rev. Gilbert Tennent, Rev. Dr. B., Rev. Dr. Backus, A Home Missionary, A Minister in New York, Rev. Mr. Massey, A Discouraged Young Minister, Rev. Dr. Stanford, A New England Minister, A Southern Clergyman, Rev. Joseph Smith, . . A Missionary among the Indians, Moravian Missionaries, • A Discouraged Pastor, • Rev. Sylvester Lamed, • A Clergyman, . • 444 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 455 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 466 467 468 469 469 PREPARATION OF THE CLERGY FOR PUBLIC DUTIES. (15) THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. WILLIAM ROBINSON. One of the most eminent Christian ministers of the South n the last century was the Rev. W. Robinson, whose conver- sion was exceedingly striking. He was the son of a weahhy Quaker in England. Being permitted to pay a visit of a few weeks to an aunt in the city of London, from whom he had considerable expectations, he greatly overstayed the time which had been allowed him ; and becoming deeply involved in dis- sipation, he incurred large debts, which he knew his father would never pay, and which his aunt refused to discharge. In this situation, fearing to return home, and unable to remain long in London, he determined to quit his native country, and seek his fortune in America. In this determination his aunt reluctantly acquiesced, and furnished him with a small sum of money for that purpose. Soon after his arrival in America, he had recourse, for subsistence, to teaching a school in New Jersey, within the bounds of the Presbytery of New Bruns- wick. He had been for some time eni2;a2;ed in this business, without any practical sense of reliirion, when it pleased God to bring him to a knowledge of himself, and of the way of sal- vation, in a remarkable manner. He was riding at a late hour, nne evening, when the moon and stars shone with unusual brightness, and whon every thing aroimd him was adapted ?o 2* (\7) 18 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. excite reflection. While lie was meditating on llie beauty and grandeur of tlie scene which the firmament presented, and was saying to himself, " How transcendently glorious must be the Author of all this beauty and grandeur!" the thought struck him with the sadness and the force of lightning, " But what do I know of this God ? Have I ever sought his favor, or made him my friend ?" This happy impression, which proved, by its permanency and its effects, to have come from the best of all sources, never left him until he took refuge in Christ as the hope and life of his soul. He soon resolved to devote himself to the work of the gospel ministry ; completed his academical education, and studied theology, while he went on with his school ; and was, in due time, licensed and ordained by the Presbytery of New Brunswick. He was remarkable for the native vigor'of his mind, and still more for the fervour of his piety. Wherever he went, it pleased God to grant him some precious fruits of his ministry. He died at St. George's, in Delaware, April, 1746. REV. HUGH KNOX. Mr. Hugh Knox, a native of Ireland, came to America when quite a young man, about 1753 or 1754. He immediately waited on his countryman, the Rev. Dr. Francis Allison, then residing at New London, Pcnna., to whom he had letters, and in whose academy he hoped to find employment as a teacher. Dr. Allison, not being able to give him a place in his seminary, furnished him with a letter to Mr. Rodgers, requesting his good offices in endeavouring to procure a £[rammar school for the young stranger, within the bounds of his parish. Mr. Rod- gers soon succeeded in formingf a respectable school, at the REV. HUGH KNOX. 19 Head of Bohemia, about ten miles from St. George's, as mas- ter of which Mr. Knox was comfortably placed. He conti- nued to preside over this school for more than a year ; and having received a good classical education in his own country, being remarkably prepossessing in liis personal appearance and manners, and attending with great assiduity to the duties of his station, he soon became much esteemed by his employ- ers ; and was considered as most agreeably settled. He at- lended public worship, with great punctuality, at Mr. Rodgers's Lower or Forest church, near Middletown, and looked up to the pastor as his patron and friend. Things had been going on in this happy and promising manner for a number of months, when a sudden reverse occurred. Mr. Knox, though a respect- able attendant on public worship, and a young man, hitherto, of decent morals, had manifested nothmg like real piety. He was accustomed, every Saturday afternoon, to meet some gay companions at the tavern of a Mr. VVitherspoon, near the place of his residence, with whom he passed several hours, at first with decency and temperance; but, after a while, not so entire- ly in this manner as could have been wished. On a certain S[iturday afternoon, when Knox and his companions had been diverting themselves in their usual way, some of the company said to him, " Come, parson," (a title they gave to him on ac- count of his beino; the most i!,rave of their number, and a jrreat admirer of Mr. Rodgers,) " Come, parson, give us a sermon." He declined. They urged liim. He still resisted. At length, however, overcome by their importunity, and probably excited, in some degree, by liquor, he said, " Well, come, I will give you the sermon which Mr. Rodgers preached last Sunday.' Mr. Rodgers had preached, on the preceding Sabbath, from 2 Cor. V. 20, and had given an unusually solemn and excellent discourse. Mr. Knox, having a good memory, a flexible voice, and great powers of imitation, was enabled, not only to recol- ject and repeat the substau'-e of the discourse, as he heard it :?0 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. ilclivrrcci, but also to copy the voice aiul manner of Mr. Rod- gers so closely, that Mr. Witherspoon, who heard it all from an adjoining apartment, declared that, if he had not known to the contrary, he should really have supposed it was Mr. Rod- gers himself preaching. In short, he was carried beyond him- self, and spoke so much like a man preaching the gospel in good earnest, that his profane hearers were deeply affected, and when the discourse was ended, one after another silently with- drew. But what is still more remarkable, Mr. Knox himself was solemnly impressed by his own mock preaching, especially as he drew towards the close of the discourse ; and when it was finished, he sat down with mingled emotions of shame and horror at the profane mockery of which he had been guilty, and deep conviction of the important doctrines he had been de- livering in application to himself. So strong, indeed, were these impressions, that he could not bear the thought of looking Mr. Rodgers, or any of his other pious patrons, in the face, after such conduct: and accordingly, early the next morning, with- out waiting to collect any of his dues, or to adjust his affairs, he precipitately quitted thai part of the country, and was not heard of for a number of months. The next autumn, when Mr. Rodgers attended the commence- ment of the college of New Jersey, which was then seated at Newark, he was surprised to find Mr. Knox at the house of the Rev. Mr. Burr, the president of the college. The young fugi- tive had applied to Mr. Burr, soon after his retreat from Bo- hemia, for admission into one of the classes of the college ; but having informed him that his last residence had been in the neighbourhood of Mr. Rodgers, and being unable to produce testimonials from that place of his good moral character, Mr. Burr advised him to wait in Newark until the commencement, when he expected to have an opportunity of seeing Mr. Rod- gers, and of conversing with him on the subject. Mr. Knox, upon first meeting his old pastor, was much agitated, and, as REV. HUGH KNOX. 2l soon as possible, took him aside ; acknowledged his unworthy conduct, with every appearance of humiliation ; implored his pardon for the offence committed against himself, in turning his sermon into profane mockery ; and informed him of the situa- tion in which he stood with regard to his expected admission into the college. Mr. Rodgers promised to speak as favourably of him to Mr. Burr as truth would permit, and not to disclose the conduct which led to his elopement from Bohemia, unless it should be drawn from him by unavoidable questions ; and, with these promises, left him in the most painful anxiety. Here Mr. Rodgers learned from young Knox, that the seri- ous impressions made on his mind by tlie sermon which he had so profanely repeated had never been eradicated ; that his wick- edness had been overruled, as he hoped, for his eternal good ; that he had for some time cherished a hope concerning him- self, as a real Christian ; and that his earnest desire was to complete his education at the college with a view to the gospel ministry. Happily, president Burr, in the hurry of the commencement, only asked Mr. Rodgers whether he knew Mr. Knox ; and whether he would advise that he should be admitted into the college. To both these questions Mr. Rodgers answered uromptly in the affirmative. The young man was admitted • passed through the college, and his subsequent theological stu- dies, with reputation ; and, afler receiving many testimonials of sincere and active friendship from his old pastor at St, George's, entered on the work of the gospel ministry, and be- came equally honoured and useful in his profession. 22 THE AMERICAN CLERGY, REV. MR. A. The Rev. Mr. A — , of B — , Mass., some time since public- ly stated that when a student of law in the vicinity of B — , and in the midst of fatal error, he became desirous of know- ing more about religious truth. He went to B — , and searched through all the book-stores of that city, asking for a copy of Baxter's Saints Rest, of which he had heard in his youth. At last he found an old, mutilated copy, with a green morocco cover, in Bumstead's second-hand book-store. He seized it as though it were a treasure, and bore it home ; "and now," said Mr. A., "if I ever attain to the 'saints' everlasting rest,' I owe it, under God, to that old book." He became one of the most evangelical and useful ministers in New England. REV. MR. RAVENCROSS. Mr. Ravencross was a slave-holder in Virginia, and re- puted a hard master. His poor distressed slaves were in the habit of meeting at night in a distant hut, for the purpose of worshipping God. He was informed of this, and at the same time put on his guard, as it wns suspected their motives for meeting were different from what they held out, and that an in- surrection might be the consequence. Under this impression, he determined to prevent their assembling in future, chastised the promoters of this work, and gave positive orders, under the most serious penalty, that they should never assemble again under any pretence whatever. A short time after he was told t.hey had been seen going in a body into the hut.. ' Much dis- A NEW ENGLAND DIVINE. 23 pleased at their disobedience, and resolving that night to put a stop to their proceedings, he approached the hut with all the feelincrs of an offended master. When he reached the door, it was partly open. He looked in ; they were on their knees. He listened ; there was a venerable old man, who had been long in his service, pouring out his soul in prayer to God. The first words which caught his ear were, " Merciful God, turn my poor massa's heart : make him merciful, that he may ob- tain mercy ; make him good, that he may inherit the kingdom of heaven." He heard no more, but fainted. Upon coming to himself, he wept ; went into the sacred hut, knelt by the side of his old slave, and prayed also ! From this period he became a true penitent, studied the Scriptures, took orders, and became a shining light. He preached at the general conven- tion of the Episcopal church, in the cit^ of Philadelphia, before more than two hundred of the clergy, in the year 1820. A NEW ENGLAND DIVINE. A clergyman in New England, thus addressed his congrega- tion : — I once knew a young man, who was a student in one of our universities, who, by reading the works of Combe, and others of similar character, had become very skeptical on such points as prayer, the total depravity of man, regeneration, and the influence of the Holy Spirit. Though he professed religion and was studying for the ministry, he had lost all religious en- joyment, and was fast going down an inclined plane into the abyss of infidelity. During a vacation in mid- winter, he was travelling on business among the Germans in the interior of 24 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. Pennsylvania, when he was laid on his bed with a dangerous disease — hundreds of miles from home, "a stranger in a strange land." When he began to think of dying, he found himself entirely unprepared. His new sentiments hovered like dismal clouds around his sick-bed, so that not a star of hope shone through. There was little time for logic then : but one short mode of reasoning swept away his skeptical notions like chaff. He thus reasoned from effect to cause : — Embracing these new sentiments has evidently brought my mind into this wretched condition ; and as the fruit is bad, the tree must be bad also. He that followeth me, says Christ, "shall not walk in dark ness ;" therefore, as I am walking in darkness, it must be be- cause I have been led astray from him. These new opinions must, therefore, be erroneous. I will renounce them forever, and embrace, in all humility and simplicity, the truths of the Gospel, as I embraced them at first. Speedily did he put his re- solutions into action, and he soon found his way back to the fold of Christ, to the Shepherd and Bishop of souls. He re- covered from his sickness, and returned home, rejoicing to tell his friends what great things God had done for him. And that young man, my hearers, is preaching to you to-day ! I have many blessings for which to thank God, for he has strewn my way with the gifts of his providence ; but for the blessing of that affliction, I sometimes feel that I ought to praise him most. And if I am ever so happy as to get to heaven, I shall remember that affliction with gratitude still. TWO CLERGYMEN. 25 TWO CLERGYMEN The folio nt and pressure of my business, that to do it then seemed im- possible. The subject made me unhappy, and after much de- liberation, I sought relief to my troubled feelings by most so- lemnly renewing my promise to God. When, I said, the press- ure of business is past, I will devote my whole attention ro a preparation for eternity. :3'-3 THK AMERICAN CLERGY. No snonor lind I li.xed my mind on tliis course, than my anxiolics lel't me — tlie strivings of tl)e Spirit ceased in my bosom, and ceased for ever. When sickness warned me of ap- proaching death, I sought to fix my feelings on this subject, but it was in vain. There was a gloom and terror drawn around reliiiion, at which mv soul slmddered. I felt that I was forsaken of God, but it did not move me. 1 had no love to God, no repentance for sin, nor wish to forsake it. I felt no- thing but the sullen gloom of despair — I knew I was in the hands of a justly offended God, from whom I expected no mercy, and could ask none. With these feelings I am now about to enter the eternal world. To you, my children, I can only say — Profit by my example ; quench not the Spirit ; seek religion now, if you would avoid a miserable eternity — put noi off the concerns of your soul till The sentence died upon his lips ; his strength, which had been all summoned to make this last effort, suddenly failed — he fell back upon his bed, and with a groan that seemed to speak the pains of another world, the immortal spirit took its flight from that body which it had inhabited nearly fourscore years, to receive according to that it had done. This little narrative 1 had from a grandson of the old man, who stood by his dying bed. He was a minister of the gos- pel, and dated his first permanent conviction from the solem- nities of that awful scene. The descendants of the old man were numerous, most of whom became hopefully pious. Two, who are now preachers, and several others, were first awaken- ed by his dying charge. REV. J. W. JAMES. 33 REV. J. W. JAMES. In a lecture to Sunday-school teachers, a few years since, the Rev. J. W. James, of Philadelphia, related the following narrative : — A young man who had been piously educated, and whose religious impressions in early life had been strong, while at college mingled with worldly and gay companions; so that in a short time he ceased to be serious or prayerful. He gradu- ated as worldly and careless as his classmates, and removed to a distant city. Ambitious of eminence in the profession he had chosen, he secluded himself from society, not from fear of its contamination, but to preserve his time from unnecessary waste. VV^hile thus engaged, he became acquainted with the pious superintendent of a Sabbath-jchool, whom he was not long after invited to succeed. After much persuasion he reluctantly consonted, but was unacquainted with the duties of the school. On finding that he must open the school with prayer, he started and turned pale. He had formerly been taught by his mother to pray, but he had now forgotten how to address the Author of his mercies. By the aid of the prayer-book he succeeded, but his conscience allowed him no rest. He could not retire from the work. For some weeks he endured the lashes of an awakened and guilty conscience, until at length, by the assist- ance of the Holy Spirit, he was enabled to give up all for Christ. Ho retained his office of superintendent for more than a year: then, at length, after a course of theology, was settled as a Christian pastor in one of the Atlantic cities, where he was engaged in winning souls to Christianity ; " and now," he added, — and his face grew pale, and his limbs trembled with emotion as he spoke — " and now, he has the satisfaction of addressing this assemblage of superintendents and teachers." 34 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. A YOUNG CLERGYMAN. A YOUNG licentiate, after throwing off a highly wrought, and, as he thought, eloquent gospel sermon in the pulpit, in the pre- sence of a venerable pastor, solicited of his experienced friend the benefit of his criticisms upon the performance. " I have but just one remark to make," was his reply, " and that is, to request you to pray that sermon." "What do you mean, sir?" " I mean literally just what I say ; pray it, if you can, and you will find the attempt a better criticism than any I can make upon it." The request still puzzled the young man beyond measure ; the idea of praying a sermon was a thing he never heard or conceived of; and the singularity of the suggestion wrought powerfully on his imagination and feelings. He resolved to attempt the task. He laid his manuscript before him, and on his knees before God, undertook to make it into a prayer. But it would not pray ; the spirit of prayer was not in it, and that, for the very good reason — as he then clearly saw for the first time — that the spirit of prayer and piety did not compose it. For the first time he saw that his heart was not right with God ; and this conviction left him no peace imtil he had " Christ formed in him the hope of glory." With a renewed hsart, he applied himself anew to the work of composing ser- mons for the pulpit ; preached again in the presence of the pious pastor who had given such timely advice ; and again solicited the benefit of his critical remarks. *' I have no remarks to make," was his complacent re])ly, " you can pray that sermon." A NKW ENGLAND CLERGYMAN. 35 A NEW ENGLAND CLERGYiMAN. A FEW years ago, a gay iady in New England had occa- sion to go to a neighbouring town, where she had often been before. In the immediate vicinity was a stream which she had to go near, um\ which at this period was high. With a viaw of showing her courage to a young person whom she had taken with her as a companion, she went into the stream with her horse, and in a very little time was thrown into the water, — had already sunk once or twice to the bottom, and felt that she was within a few moments of an eternal world, without being prepared for so great a change. It so happened, that a young man in another neighbouring town had felt a powerful impression on his mind that morning, that he should visit the same place He had no business to transact ; but, being forcibly impressed with the importance of going thither, he invited a young man to accompany him. Ar- riving at the side of the stream just as the young ladies were about to cross it, they saw it was improbable that they could ford it ; yet, as the ladies went, they determined to follows By the time the young lady was thrown from her horse, the others had nearly reached the opposite shore ; but, perceiving her danger, one of them immediately followed her on his horse, and in the last moment of life, as it then appeared, she caught hold of the horse's leg ; he thus secured her, and I snatching hold of the other drowning young lady, she was ' saved also. After the use of proper remedies, they recovered ; i and the young gentlemen, believing that the design of their ' coming from home was now answered, returned hack, i The impressions made on the mind of this voung lady wore. permanent, and she was led to reflect on the sins she had com- mitted against God, to pray for the pardon of her guilt, and to 36 THE AMERICAN CLEKGY. devote herself to the Divine service. She embraced the mercy of the Lord, believing in the Redeemer, who alone saves from the wrath to come. In the same town with herself lived a young gentleman, who 4 had often spent his hours in vain conversation with her. On her return home, he went to congratulate her on her escape, and to his surprise, found she attributed her deliverance to the ppwer of God, and urged him to seek that grace which they had both neglected. Her serious conversation was blessed to his conversion, and he became a faithful minister of Jesus Christ. REV. MR. POLK. The Rev. Mr. Polk, at a general meeting of the Religious Tract Society, in London, stated, that he had a right to speak of the value of tracts, because, under God, he was indebted for all he knew of Christianity to a tract. In an institution for the education of young men, in his own country, out of two hundred and fifty individuals, there was not one who was a Christian ; and though the minister laboured among them with great zeal, he seemed to labour in vain. At last, he got a young man to go through the building, and distribute some religious tracts. He left a tract on infidelity in one of the rooms, where two young men lodged together, one of whom was apparently of doubtful principles. The other, however, got hold of it, and read it. It arrested his attention, and set his mind on inquiring; and he afterwards fell in with Dr. Olin- thus Gregory's "Letters," which led him to procure a Bible. The truths of that blessed book were brought home to his mind with great power, and he became a converted man. And his REV. S. NIGHTINGALE. 37 conversion was the beginnins; of a revival of religion in that place, during which twenty other young men, and some of the professors, became converted to Christ. REV. S. NIGH riNGALE. In the beginning of 1845, at a union prayer-meeting in Phi- ladelphia, the Rev. S. Nightingale, a Baptist minister from Montgomery county, was present by invitation, and at the close of an exhortation related the following anecdote : " About twenty years ago, there was a wild and daring lad in the city, who feared neither God nor man. One day he was thrown accidentally into the company of a clergyman, who had some serious conversation with him on religion. Amont; other things, he told him that it was his opinion, that in after life he would either join the aTmy or become a minister of the Gospel. A few years after this conversation, that boy made a profession of religion and entered the ministry. I," added he, " am that individual ; and," pointing to Dr. Ely, who sat on the platform beside him, " this is the minister who held the conversation with me when a boy." The congregation appeared electrified ; and Dr. Ely, who had forgotten the boy in the person of the speaker, now recol- lecting the circumstance, started from his chair, and embraced him. 38 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. S. STODDARD. The Rev. Solomon Stoddard, of Northampton, the prede- cessor of" the far-famed President Edwards, was engaged by hrs people on an emergency. They soon found themselves dis- appointed, for he gave no indications of a renewed and serious mind. In this difficulty iheir resource was prayer. They agreed to set apart a day for special fasting and prayer, in reference to their pastor. Many of the persons meeting for this purpose, had necessarily to pass the door of the minister. Mr. S. hailed a plain man whom he knew, and addressed him, "What is all this! What is doing to-day?" The reply was, " The people, sir, are meeting to pray for your conversion." It sunk into his heart. He exclaimed to himself, " Then it is time I prayed for myself!" He was not seen that day. He was seeking in solitude what they were asking in company ; and "while they were yet speaking," they were heard and answered. The pastor gave unquestionable evidence of the change j he laboured amongst a beloved and devoted people for nearly half a century; and was, for that period, deservedly ranked amoui^ the most able and useful of Christian ministers. REV. DR. MCARTEE. The Rev. Dr. M'Cartce, of New York, in delivering an ad- dress at a tract meeting in Philadelphia, related the following anecdote : — The mention of two of the publications of the American REV. DR. M'CARTEE. 39 Tract Society, in your report, sir, has excited emotions in my own mind whicli 1 cannot repress. I well remember when two young lawyers, both far from God, and engaged in the pursuit of the honours and wealth of this world, met in the city of New York, when, as one took some legal documents from his pocket, the other, to his surprise, discovered among them ' Doddridge's Rise and Progress of Religion.' Nor was the surprise of the first at all less, when he discovered lying on the table, at the hand of his fellow, ' Baxter's Saints' Rest.' Each appeared at first confused and ashamed at the discovery, for they had not yet learned to glory in the cross. But a few moments, however, had elapsed, when they mutually found that the attention of each had been powerfully arrested by those volumes, and that each was deeply anxious for the salvation of his soul. Together they sought the Lord ; and, agonizing to enter into the kingdom, they both, about the same time, were enabled to hope in the mercy of .Tesus Christ for eternal life. One of them, having fought the good fight, and kept the faith, has long since gone upward, I doubt not, to rest m the bosom of the Saviour he loved and served. The other, called, as he believes, of God, became a preacher of the Gos- pel of Christ, and still lives to proclaim to dying sinners, in his native city, salvation through the blood and righteousness of the blessed Redeemer ,* and now, when he finds your soci- ety engaged in sending forth, among your other valuable pub- lications, these two precious volumes, he (referring to himself) presents himself before you to add, this evening, his feeble, but heartfelt testimony to the excellence of the Tract Society. 40. THE AMERICAl^ oLERGY. A riOlJS BISHOP. A WORTHY and excellent bishop of the Episcopal oliurch, was in early life an immoral and dissipated man. Dining one evening with a party of gentlemen, they sat late over their wine, and with a view to promote merriment, this young man sent for one of his slaves, who was in the habit of preaching to his companions in slavery, and ordered him to preach a ser- mon to the company. The good man hesitated for a time, but at length began to address them. Instead of the mirth, how- ever, which they anticipated from the ignorance and simplicity of the poor man, the piety and fervour of his discourse pro- duced a contrary effect. The solemn truths he delivered sank deeply into the hearts of some of the company, and, through the Divine blessing, carried conviction to the heart of his mas- ter, who now seriously inquired after the way of salvation ; which having learned, he began from a sense of dnty to pub- lish the grace of Christ, and became an ornament to the Chris- tian ministry. A ZEALOUS MINISTER. The Rev. J. Perkins, a missionary to Persia, has recorded the following remarkable anecdote in his journal : — A physi- cian, who had been personally acquainted with the infide^ Paine, had embraced his sentiments, and was very profane nd dissipated. After striving for more than a year against the convictions of the spirit of God, which were so powerful. I REV. W. COOPER. 41 and his stubbornness so great, like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, as to bring him to a bed of long confinement, and the most awful depression of mind, he became an humble, zeal- ous, exemplary Christian. And as soon as his health was recovered, he qualified himself, by preparatory studies, to go forth to the world, and preach that Jesus, whom he for many years considered as an impostor, whose name he had habitu- ally blasphemed, and whose religion he had counted foolish- ness, and a base imposition on the world. REV. W. COOPER. The late Rev. W. Cooper, of Boston, very early in life set his heart upon bemg a minister of Jesus Christ ; and this ob- ject of his choice he never abandoned. At seven years old, while hearing a sermon from the Rev. Mr. Colman, with whom he afterwards was colleague, he was so attracted by the elo- quence of his manner, that he went home with a determination to read like him : a circumstance which drew from that vene- rable man, who survived him, and preached on the occasion of his death, the following humble but affectionate remark : '* I ought to thank God, if I have served, in any way, to form him for his since eminent pulpit services; and, in particular, his method of preaching Christ and Scripture. So a torch may be lighted at a farthing candle." 4* 42 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. A NEW ENGLAND MINISTER At a missionary meeting in New Hampshire, in 1833, a minister rose and said that he once knew a man in a very awful state, for whom the wood was drawn together, to make a cage, in which he might be kept from doing himself and others injury. " While in that state, one solitary female prayed for him ; God heard her prayer, and now he is in the midst of you, a happy man, and a minister of Jesus Christ. I am," added he, " that man : and that woman was my wife, whom I wish to honour by making her a life member of the Missionary Society." REV. DR. WEST. Mk., afterwards Dr. Stephen West, had entered the ministry, and settled in Stockbridge, while yet a stranger to experiment- al religion. Like other learned men, who trust in their own righteousness, he had laboured to accommodate his theology and his preaching to his own standard of personal religion. Two pious female members of the church, who had often lamented their want of spiritual instruction and benefit from the ministry of their pastor, at length agreed to meet once a week, to pray for him. Amidst many discouragements, they continued their united supplications to the Hearer and An- swerer of prayer ; but, as they afterwards remarked, they were never both discouraged at the same time. On leaving the house of God, one would say, " We have had no food to-day ;" REV. DR. WEST. 43 ihe other would usually answer in words of encouragement, - * God is able to do for us more than we ask ; let us continue our meetings tor prayer." At length their prayers were heard ; there was a sudden and remarkable change in the preaching of their pastor. They met as usual at the close of worship: "What is this?" asked one. " God is the hearer of prayer," answered the other. The means by which this change was brought about were truly interesting. Mr. West, and Mr. Hopkins, a neighbour- ing minister, were in the habit of frequently meeting to discuss their different views of divine truth. At those meetings Mr. Hopkins allowed Mr. West to state his views, and to exhaust his arguments before attempting a reply ; and then proceeded, in the kindest and clearest manner, to show their opposition to the word of God. In one of these interviews, Mr. West, who had been walking up and down the room in great agita- tion, said to Mr. Hopkins, " Only reconcile Divine sovereignty with man's agency, and I will give up my sentiments to em- brace yours." "And cannot you reconcile them, Mr. W^est ?" "No," said he, "I cannot." "Well," said Mr. Hopkins, with great mildness and sincerity, " I have, to your conviction, proved that God is a Sovereign ; and you are conscious that man is a free agent. Now, therefore, if you cannot reconcile God's sovereignty with man's agency, you must, be damned." The solemn appeal was not in vain. The words rested on his mind day and night. He felt he was a stranger to godliness, and a blind leader of the blind. With great fearlulness he continued to preach, but became more practical, and preached the truth as he began to feel it. The first sermon he preached after this change filled the hearts of those females with holy joy. Dr. W^est was afterwards the author of an excellent work on the Atonement of Christ. 44 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. AN OLD CLERGYMAN. A VENERABLE clergyman, and doctor of divinity, in New Hampshire, at the age of seventy years, lodged at the house of a pious friend, where he observed the mother teaching some short prayers and hymns to her children. " Madam," said he, " your instructions may be of far more importance than you are aware: my mother taught me a little hymn when a child, and it is of use to me to this day. I never close my eyes to rest, without first saying, ' Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep : If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.' " THE BEECHER FAMILY. The huiTfible, weary, and anxious toils of the nursery, some times need glimpses of the future, to impart to them their true dignity and value. Let any mother who feels that she is of small value, and that her duties and cares are of little account, ponder over such incidents as these : On the east of Long Island, in one of the most secluded spots in this country, more than thirty years ago, a mother, whose rare intellectual and moral endowments were known to but few, made this simple record : "This morning I rose very early to pray for my children: THE BEECHER FAMILY. 45 and especially that my sons may be ministers and missionaries of Jesus Christ." A number of years alter, a friend who was present, thus describes the mother's dying hour: "Owing to extreme weak- ness, her mind wandered and her conversation was broken ; but as she entered the valley of the shadow of death, her soul lighted up and gilded its darkness. She made a feeling and most appropriate prayer, and told her husband that her views and anticipations had been such, that she could scarcely sustain them ,* and that if they had been increased, she should have been overwhelmed ; that her Saviour had blessed her with con- stant peace, and that through all her sickness, she had never prayed for life. She dedicated her five sons to God as minis- ters and missionaries of Jesus Christ, and said that her greatest desire was, that her children might be trained up for God. " She spoke with joy of the advancement of the kingdom of Christ, and of the glorious day now ushering in. She at- tempted to speak to her children, but was so exhausted, and their cries and sobs were such, that she could say but little. ller husband then made a prayer, in which he gave her back to God, and dedicated all they held in common, to him. She then fell into a sweet sleep, from which she awoke in heaven." The prayers of this mother have been answered. All her eight children have been "trained up for God." Her five sons are all "ministers and missionaries of Jesus Christ." And the late Rev. George Beecher was the first of her offspring whom she welcomed to heaven. 46 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REA^ JOSEPH EASTBURN. When a youth, after he had entered upon his apprentice- sliip to the trade at which he so long worked, this young man fell into company which would have led him into evil practices. Being removed from parental guardianship, and showing an unregenerate heart, he was disposed to follow the evil example to which he was now exposed. On one occasion he had en- gaged with some of his companions to spend the Sabbath in sinful amusement in the country ; he had already passed the suburbs of the city, when the distant sound of a church-bell struck upon his ear. He was affected by the sound ; he re- membered that often, in company with his parents, he had been summoned by it to the house of God ,* and now what was he doing? turning his back upon the sanctuary, and violating the holy Sabbath. Entertaining such reflections for a moment, he suddenly stopped, then left his companions, and went to the house of prayer. It was the turning point of his life ; this salutary remembrance of the manner in which he had been taught to regard the Sabbath, induced a change of conduct, and he subsequently became one of the most devoted servants of Jesus Christ, This excellent minister is well known as the founder of the first Mariner's Church in Philadelphia, and as an eminent preacher to seamen. At his grave, the Rev. Dr. Green gave an account of the origin of this peculiar department of labour. When he began to preach to seamen, about 1820, he procured a sail-loft, and on the Sabbath hung out a flag. As the sailors passed by they hailed him and his friends, "Ship ahoy!" " We," says Mr. Eastburn, "answered them. They asked us wnere we were bound ?" We told them to the port of New Jerusalem — and that they would do well to go in the fleet. REV. MK. C 47 'Well,' said they, ' we will come in and hear your terms."* Such was the commencement ot' a work on which the blessinii ot" God has so greatly rested. REV. MR. C. At a meeting of a Religious Tract Society, at Otsego, the Rev. Mr. C, a clergyman well known to the meeting, arose with deep emotion, and said, " My friends, I stand before this congregation as a monument of the etTicacy of tracts. When a young man, careless, unbelieving, and impenitent, as I was one day passing along the road, I saw a little piece of paper half-covered with mud ; it attracted my attention ; I picked it up, and t'ound it to be the tract ' Poor Joseph.' I seated my- self on a bank beside a small stream, and read it ; and oh ! I shall never forget the feelings I had as I rend over that simple story. The Spirit of God sent home its truths to mv heart. 1 trembled and wept in view of my sins, and f never rested until 1 reposed on the blood of Christ for salvation. If I have ever done any good in the cause of Christ, and if I may be here- after made instrumental in leading lost and perishing souls to the Redeemer, it may be all traced to that tract, [t has started a train of causes that must operate through eternity." 48 THE AMERICAN CLERGY REV. PRESIDENT EDWARDS. Few things would tend more to encourage the Christian education of children, especially on the part of pious mothers, than a careful examination of the history of eminent Christian ministers. President Edwards was the only brother of ten sisters, and the son of eminently pious parents. He was the great-great-grandson, on his mother's side, of a n)inister in London in the days of Queen Elizabeth ; and the family of his mother for several generations was equally singular for their devotedness to God. To his mother, especially, is the church indebted, under God, for much of the eminence to which this extraordinary man attained. REV. DR. D WIGHT. Still more remarkable than the case of President Ed- wards, was that of his grandson. President Dwight. His mo- ther, the daughter of Edwards, possessed uncommon powers of mind; and for the extent and variety of her knowledge, she has been rarely excelled in this or any other country. Though married at an early age, and a mother at eighteen, she found time, without neglecting the ordinary cares of her family, to devote herself, with the most assiduous attention, to the instruc- tion of this son, and a numerous family of children, as they successively claimed her regard. She began to instruct him almost as soon as he was able to speak, so that at four years of ajie he could read his Bible with ease and correctness. She SEVERAL YOUNG CLEKGYMEN. 49 aimed, at a very early period, to enlighten his conscience, to make him afraid of sin, and to know the way of pardon only through the righteousness of Christ. The impressions tl)us made were never effaced. His most valuable instructor through life was his mother. SEVERAL YOUNG CLERGYMEN. A FEW years since, some gentlemen in this country, who were associated in preparing for the Christian ministry, felt interested in ascertaining what proportion of their number had pious mothers. They were' greatly surprised and delighted in finding, that out of one hundred and twenty students, more than a hundred had been blessed by a mother's prayers, and directed by a mother's counsels to the Saviour. Though some of these had broken away from all the restraints of home, and, like the prodigal, had wandered in sin and sorrow, yet they could not forget the impressions of childhood, and each was eventually brought to Jesus, and proved a mother's joy and blessing. From the " Quarterly Register," published about the same time, we learn that of the one hundred and fourteen students whose names were tlien on the catalogue of the Theologica' Seminarv at Princeton, one hundred and four, oi- about oleven- twelfths of tlie whole number, had mothers embracing Chris- tianity ; eighty-two had parents both of whom were professors. In twenty-two instances the mother professed religion, and the father did not. Mot a single case where the father was a professor, and the mother was not. 5 50 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. A Missionary from this country says, " I recollect particu- larly, that once my mother came and stood by me as I sat in the door, and tenderly talked to me of God and my duty to him, and her tears dropped upon my head. That made me a missionary.'' Another clergyman has stated that in his boyhood a colored nurse impressed it upon his mind, by her simple remarks, that he was to become a minister. This impression never left him, even during his most sinful years, but proved a leading instru- mental cause of turning his mind to religion, and fmally of constraining him to enter the ministry. The Rev. Dr. Scudder states that a clergyman told him that when he was about five years of age he saw some pictures of the Tuscarora Indians which had been sent by a lady who had gone as a missionary from his native place. This circum- stance made an impression upon his mind respecting missions which he never lost, and he considered this as one of the means which God used for his conversion. Some years since, a gentleman was travelling from Phila- delphia to Boston with his daughter. At Providence a young man, a profane sailor, entered the coach, whom the gentleman reproved for his profanity, and recommended him with much seriousness to read Doddridije's Rise and Proiiress of Religion ; and at Boston they parted from each other with regret. In the coach with them travelled a young anan, a student at one of the colleges, of whom, however, but little notice was taken, A few years afterwards, a gentleman came into thf store of our traveller at Philadelphia, whom, however, he dio SEVERAL YOUNG CLERGYME.X. ~)l not know till he was informed that he was the y(.inig man who travelled with him and the sailor to Hostoii. 'Vho pleasing- facts were now elicited, that, influenced by what the gcuirlcman had said to the sailor, the present visitor had bo(Mi iiHluc<'d to rend " The Rise and Progress," which had been blessed to the conver- sion of his soul, and that he was now come to reside in Philadel- phia, to study for the ministry, under the ex •client Dr. Staiigh- ton. The young man thus benefited by a casual conversation m a stage-coach, became a minister in Massachusetts. Rev. Mr. B , of C , related the following interesting fact at an anniversary meeting of the benevolent societies of Chittenden co., Vermont : " Previous to entering the ministry, while on a short journey, as he stopped to water his horse, there came along a ragged, dirty boy, to whom he gave a tract. About six years after, while in the seminary, a young man called at his room and asked him if he recollected that tract — holding one in his hand. He replied in the negative. The young man then opened the tract, and inquired if he did not remember that pencil-mark ? He observed that it was his own handwriting, and replied that he had a faint recollection of giving such a tract to a boy some years before, ' I am that boy,' replied the young man. ' I was very wicked and abandoned, when I received the tract, and my parents were equally bad. They never attended church or gave me any religious instruction. I read the tract again and again, and thought it was very wonderful : my wickedness seemed so great that I had no rest till I found" it in the Saviour. I am now in my junior year, preparing for the ministry.' ' A drunkard naving obtained possession of a good book, pledged it for liquor. Before the vendor of ardent spirits had i)2 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. removed it from the bar, a very dissipated young man entered the place, and being too well known to obtain credit, he was constrained to lay down three cents for a glass of rum, before he could obtain it. This troubled him, for it was the last three cents he had, and he dreaded being unable to get his usual dram in the morning. While these thoughts perplexed him, he saw the book, and judging rightly how it came there, he sup- posed that, could he purloin it, his difficulty would be removed, for he could in like manner pledge it at some other bar. He accomplished the theft unobserved, and, much pleased with his success, went home. That he might avoid being suspected when offering the book, he opened it to see what it was ; the first words he saw were these : " There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed." In a moment this solemn truth was im- pressed upon his conscience ; and his course of life, his deeds of darkness, his choice of wicked associates, and his future prospects, forced themselves upon his attention. He lay down, but could not sleep : and after spending a restless night, he arose to seek, not the Jire-water to which he was accustomed, but those streams that make glad the city of God. An intole- rable burden oppressed him, and in bitter anguish of spirit he went to some of the servants of Jesus Christ, and asked for .their counsel and their prayers. In this state of mind he con- tinued for a season, but at length the Lord heard his cry, and delivered him from the horrible pit, and set his feet upon a rock, and put a new song into his mouth, and established his goings. That man is now a minister of the Gospel REV. MR. JAHHET. 53 REV. MR. JAPHET. Dr. Cottox Mather has related a very pleasing incident which occurred in the seventeenth century, in connection with Mr. May hew. It appears that soon after he began to preach in Martha's Vineyard, the wife of Pammehannit, a leading man among the Indians, became deeply impressed with the gospel. In the con- fession she made before her admission into the church, she stated that long before she heard the gospel, she lost five child- ren m succession, while very young, and that when her sixth was borji, who was a son, agitated with fear lest she should lose him also, she took him in her arms, and walked into the fields. While there she mused on the insufficiency of all hu- man help, and it was suggested to her mind that there was an Almighty God who ought to be prayed to, — that He had cre- ated all things — and that He who had given life to all was able to preserve the life of her child. With these feelings she cried to God for the life of her child, and the child lived. As soon as this poor woman heard the gospel, it was evident that her mind was fully prepared to receive it. Her son became an eminent Christian, and a laborious minister of an Indian church, consistinii; of some scores of regenerated souls. He was livincr when Dr. Mather wrote in 1696, faithfully and successfully labouring to extend the Gospel among the Indians on the main land. His name was Japhet. 54 THK AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. DR. PATTEN. The Rev. Dr. Patten, of New York, stated, at a meeting of the American Tract Society in that city, that a pious man of colour, in the vicinity of Philadelphia, whom he knew and often conversed with, when he first began to turn his thoughts to the Christian ministry, held with him an interesting conversa- tion. This poor Tom, for so he was called, had been convert- ed when a slave, had learned to read, was called to the dying- bed of his master to read the Bible, was emancipated by his master's will, and, after having redeemed his wife, had re- moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia. Poor Tom said to Dr. P., " Massa, me hear you are going to study to be a minister !*' "Yes." "Will you let poor Tom say one thing to you ?" "Yes." "Well, you know the good Master says. Watch and pray. Now you may watch all the time, and if you no pray, the devil will get in. You may pray all the time, and if you no watch too, the devil will get in. But if you watch and pray all the time, the devil no get in ; for it is just like the sword of God put into the hand of the angel at the entering of the garden — it turn every way. If the devil come before, it turn there ; if the devil come behind, it turn there. Yes. massa, it turn every way." REV. V^. TENNENT. The history of very few ministers has ever been found to present more remarkable events than those connected with this extraordinary man. REV. W, TENNENT. i)D In early life he was a very diligent student, and made great proficiency in the languages. Being very deeply impressed with a sense of divine things, he determined to follow the ex- ample of his father, and to devote himself to the ministry. He was preparing for examination by the presbytery, when his health failed, and he became almost a skeleton. He was at- tended by a young but eminent physician, who was attached to him by warm friendship, but who had to grieve over the entire loss of his health and spirits. One morning, while Mr. Tennent was conversing with his brother, in Latin, on the state of his soul, he fainted, anu a} y^arently died. On the fol- lowing day, the neighbours were invii'-w to attend his funeral. In the mean time his physician, who had been in the country, returned, and was greatly affected with the news of his death. He could not be persuaded that it had taken place. He tried every means to ascertain the existence of life, but without effect. The funeral, by the determination of the physician, was delayed. On the third day the people were again invited to discharge the last duties owing to the dead ; still, however, the physician was not satisfied, and implored, at length, for only one quarter of an hour more delay. x\t this critical moment, the body, to the great astonishment of all, opened its eyes, uttered a dread- ful groan, and sunk again into apparent death. This, of course, put an end to all thoughts of burying him, and every effort was employed in hope of speedy resuscitation ; in about an hour the eyes again opened, and in a few hours he was restored to life. Still, however, for about six weeks his recovery was doubt- ful, and twelve months elapsed before he was in good health. After he was able to walk about the room, his sister, who had stayed from church on the Sunday afternoon, was reading in the Bible, when he asked her what book she had in her hand. She told him, and he asked, " What is the Bible ? I know not v hat you mean." She was deeply affected, and with tears told hun ')() THE AMERICAN CLEKGY. tliui he was once well acquainted with it. On examination it was found that he was totally ignorant of every transaction of liis ibrmer life. He could not read a word, nor had he any idea of wliat it meant. He was taught to read and write after the manner of children, and be. BLYTHE. 57 Mr. T.'s papers after his death, as he was known to have writ- ten them; but unhappily these papers, by the calamities of war, and the sudden death of his son, were lost. REV. S. BLYTHE. This worthy man, who emigrated from the east to Alabama in a very early period of his history, entertained considerable doubts as to his cull to the ministry ; and arranged with his wife that his having preached should, for a time at least, be kept secret. Not many days after, he met with a pious old lady, who had newly arrived in the wilderness, and who deeply lamented that there was no house of God, no preaching, no preacher, and no one who felt like herself. She was anxious .0 find a congenial spirit with whom she could hold in rcourse. After a very little conversation, she looked anxiously and seriously ui his face, and said, " My dear sir, are you not a professor of religion?" He answered, with a faltering voice, " Ah ! I am a sort of one." The good old lady instantly asked, "Are you not a minister of the gospel?" He could con- ceal the fact no longer, but acknowledged that though he had wished to conceal it, he had been accustomed to preach. The good woman was greatly delighted, and urged him to make an appointment for preaching, which he did, and in the course of ? year or two, established several churches. 59 THE AMERICAIV CLERGY. AN INDIAN PREACHER. HiACooMES, the first Indian convert on Martha's Vineyard, was a remarkable man. He was an Indian of Great Harbor, now Edgartown, The Indian sachems and others of their principal men looked upon him as an ordinary or mean person, on account of his humble parentage, slow speech and uninteresting countenance — yet there was that within him, which afterwards appeared of greater value than the endow- ments of those who looked upon him with contempt. Living among the English, some of them visited him in his wigwam, and were courteously entertained by him ; and he visited them in return, evidently that he might learn something that would be for his advantage. About the same time, he went also to the English meeting, where the Rev. Thomas Mayhew, vi'ho was then minister to the few English families in Edgartown, preached. Mr. Mayhew had not, as yet, made any direct efforts for the conversion of the Indians, but was revolving in his mind some plans whereby to reach them. The coming of Hiacoomes to his meeting, the disposition he manifested to hear and receive instruction, and the gravity of his demeanour, in- duced the preacher to try what he could do in innucncing him (o become a Christian He immediately sought an opiJorl unity for conversation, and finding encouragement in his interview, he invited the Indian inquirer to come to his house every Sab- bath evening, that he might speak to him of religion. The news soon spread among the Indians, and the sachems and paw- waws were much alarmed, and tried to discourage Hiacoomes from holding communication with the English and receiving their instructions, but all to no purpose, as he was strongly bent after still higher attainments in the knowledge of God. This was in 1643, and in two years afterwards, having in the REV. CHARLES BEATTY. 59 meanwhile been prepared by Mr. May hew, he commenced teaching to the Indians the things of Christianity. He was not suffered to proceed without opposition from the pawwaws, sachems and other Indians — but he made this improvement of the injustice done him. " I had," he remarked, " one hand foi injuries and another hand for God ; whilst I received wrong with the one, I laid the faster hold on God with the other." These words should be written in letters of gold. REV. CHARLES BEATTY. Many of the most eminent ministers have been introduced to their work in a very unexpected manner. This was the case with Mr. Beatty, an excellent Presbyterian minister of the last century. He was a native of Ireland, where he obtained a pretty accurate classical education ; but his circumstances being narrow, he emigrated to America, and employed several of the first years of his life on this side the Atlantic in the business of a pedlar. In the pursuit of this vocation, he halted one day at the " Log College," on the Ncshaminy, then under the care of the Rev. William Tennent, the elder. The pedlar, to Mr. Tennent's surprise, addressed him in correct Latin, and appeared to be familiar with that language. After much con- versation, in which Mr. Beatty manifested fervent piety, and considerable religious knowledge, as well as a good education in other respects, Mr. Tennent said to him, "You must quit your present employment. Go and sell the contents of your pack, and return immediately, and study with inc. Il will ho a sin for you to continue a pedlar, whon you inav be so inii«.-h 60 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. more useful in another profession." He accepted Mr. Tennent's offer, returned to Neshaminy, completed his academical and theological studies, and m due time became an eminent mi- nister. He died in Barbadoes, where he had gone to solicit be- nefactions for the college of New Jersey. REV. PRESIDENT DAVIES. A LITTLE more than a century ago, the Rev. W. RobinvSon had been preaching in North Carolina^ having been sent there by the " New-light" presbytery of New Brunswick. He was compelled by persecution to make a precipitate retreat, which was so hasty that his many warm friends had no opportunity to contribute any thing as a compensation, or even to defray his expenses. A collection was, however, made, and sent after him by some trusty friends. But he peremptorily refused to receive a penny of it, saying he knew what his enemies would say if he should receive any part of it, and he was resolved they should have no occasion to speak ill of him or of his Master's cause. He at length consented to receive it, saying he knew a very pious and promising young man, who was in very in- digent circumstances, and had been for some years prosecuting his studies for the ministry ; he would, with their leave, expend it upon him, with the promise that if he should enter the minis- try, he should come and preach to them. To this they con., sented. Samuel Davies, then studying under the care of the Rev. Samuel Blair, at Fogg's Manor, Pennsylvania, was this youth ; and by his coming and labouring among them the pledge was redeemed. REV. DR. RODGERS, 61 One of the confidential elders of this extraordinary preacher once said to him; — " Mr. Davies, how is it, that you, who are so well-informed upon all theological subjects, and can express yourself with so much ease and readiness, should think it ne- cessary to prepare and write your sermons with so much care, and lake your notes into the pulpit, and make such constant use of them? Why do you not, like many other preachers, ofreiier preach extempore?' Mr. Davies replied, " I always thought it to be a most awful thing to go into the pulpit, and th'^re speak nonsense in the name of God. Besides, when I have an opportunity of preparing, and neglect to do so, 1 am a 'raid to look up to God for assistance, for that would be to ask him to countenance my negligence. But when I am evi- dently called upon to preach, and have had no opportunity to make preparation, I am not afraid to try to preach extempore, and I can with confidence look up to God for assistance." REV. DR. RODGERS. There is something in the following anecdote equally adapted to interest the Christian and to excite a spirit of inquiry in the mind of the philosopher. In the earlv life of Dr. Rodgers, he was appointed by his presbytery to visit three congregations in Virginia, in com- pany with the Rev., afterwards President Davies. On thoir way a remarkable circumstance occurred. Mr. Rodgers, from his earliest years, had been unusually fearful of lightning and thunder. So great, indeed, were his agitation and sufiin'ing during thunder-storms, that the prospect of one made him un- happy. He had taken much pains to get the better of lliis 6 62 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. weakness; but, to use his own language, "neither reason, phi- losophy, nor religion availed any thing;" and it was the more distressing, because both he and his friends thought it might seriously interfere with his ministerial usefulness. But in the course of the journey of which we are now speaking, he was entirely delivered from this infirmity, and by means the most unlikely to be imagined to produce such a happy effect. While he and Mr. Davies were riding together in Virgniia, one afternoon., they were overtaken by one of the most tremen- dous thunder-storms ever known in that part of the country. They were in the midst of an extensive forest, and several miles distant from any house which offered even tolerable shelter, either to them or their horses. The storm came up with great rapidity; the lightning and thunder were violent beyond all de- scription; and the whole scene such as might be supposed to appal the stoutest heart. Their horses, terrified and trembling, refused to proceed. They were obliged to alight; and, standing by their beasts, expected every moment to be precipitated into eternity by the resistless element. Providentially, however, they escaped unhurt: and the consequence was as wonderful as the preservation was happy. From that hour Mr. Rodgers was entirely delivered from the infirmity which had hitherto given him so much distress. A member of the Doctor's congregation in New York once complained to him that his prayers were too methodical, and that they appeared to be studied. "You are right, sir," said the doctor, " my prayers are studied. Would you hav(> m^ offer to God that which costs me nothing?" REV. DR. HARRIS. 63 REV. DR. HARRIS. The Rev. N. Hall, in his funeral sermon for this valuod minister, relates an incident which occurred i the first year in College, interesting in itself, and which exercised a great influence on his character in the whole of his after life. His mother, having learned, by a visit to his room, his great need of comfortable clothing, and unable herself to help him, save by her hands, had proposed to him to raise in some way the sum of money, a very small one, which would enable hi.T to purchase for him what he needed. After many, fruitless attempts to do this, he set off to meet his mother, as by pre- vious arrangement, in Boston ; having nothing in possession or prospect, but a few* cents, which he had transferred from his trunk to his pocket as he left his room; and these — so strong were his benevolent sympathies — he gave to a poor cri|)plo(l soldier that he met on his way, and who, faint and famishing, solicited his aid. As he went on, deeply depressed at his des- titute condition, and in despair at his seeming fate, he perceived something: adhering to the end of his rude staff he had cut on his way ; and found it to be a gold ring, into which his stafi" had stuck itself as he walked, and having engraved upon it the words, " God speed thee, friend." Its pecuniary worth proved sufficient for his present exigency, and its moral value was in- calculable, giving him a cheerful faith and confidence in Ckh]. The whole incident, acting upon his sensitive nature, subdued and overwhelmed him, and gave to his character a stronirer religious determination. "That motto," said he in after life, '' has ever been the support of my faith when it was feeble, and the strentith of mv heart when it was faint." tJ4 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. DR. KING. 1\ the month of December, 1807, Mr. Maynard was teaching «'hool m Plainfield, Mass. One cold, blustering morning, on entering his school-room, he observed a lad whom he had not seen before, sitting on one ot^ the benches. He was fifteen years old; his parents lived seven miles distant ; he wanted an education ; and had come from home on foot that morning, to see if Mr. M. could help him to contrive how to obtain it. Mr. M. asked him if he was acquainted with any one in that place. " No." " Can your parents help you towards obtaining an education?" " No." " Have you any friends that can give you assistance T' " No." " Well, how do you expect to obtain an education'!" " I don't know, but 1 thought I would come and see you." Mr. M. told him to stay that day, and he would see what could be done. He discovered that the boy was possessed of good sense, but no uncommon brilliancy, and h-e was parti- cularly struck with the cool and resolute manner in which he undertook to conquer difficulties which would have intimidated weaker minds. In the course of the day, Mr. M. made pro- vision for having him boarded through the winter in the family with himself, the lad paying for his board by his services out of school. He gave himself diligently to study, in which he made good, but not rapid proficiency, improving every oppor- tunity of reading and conversation for acquiring knowledge, and thus spent the winter. When Mr. M. left the place in the spring, he engaged a minister, who resided about four miles from the boy's father, to hear his recitations ; and the boy accordingly boarded at home KKV I)K. KiNi; AM) KEV. HENRY LYMAN. anil pursued his studies. It is unnecessary to pursue the nar- rative further. Mr. M. has never seen the lad since; but this was the early history of the Rev. Dr. Jonas King, whose exer- tions in the cause of oriental learning, and in alleviatiufj- the miseries of Greece, have endeared him alike to the scholar and the philanthropist, and shed a bright ray of glory on his native country. rf:v dr king, and rev. henry lyman. ^^''e propDS'^ to sketch another incident, or series of incidents, connected with Mr. King. They were communicated by an ardent friend of the missionary cause, and who has contri- buted largely of his abundant means for its advancement. It will be remembered that Mr. King, after his election to a pro- fessorship in one of the eastern colleges, was sent to Europe on business connected with the institution. While there, it was deemed important by the American Board of Commissioners, that he should proceed as a missionary, under their direction, to Palestine. The college, after some solicitation, was prevail- ed upon to consent to the arrangement, and a letter was writ- ten to Mr. King, informing him of the wishes of the Board of Commissioners. This letter reached Mr. King at Paris, and was received for him by the gentleman to whom we have alluded, who was then engaged in mercantile business in that city This gentleman received a letter at the same time, d(:siring him to unite with the Board in their endeavours to pro- cure the valuable services of Mr. King, in that most interest- ing and important field of labour, Palestine. When Mr. Kins :;ame into the counting room, the letter was handed to him f)6 niE AMERICAN CLERGY. He inmirdiafclv retired with it to a small private adjoining room. He did not return for about three hours. When he came out, reaching his hand, he inquired, "What shall I do?" "Go." "Behold," says he, "I go bound in the spirit to Jeru- salem, not knowing the things that shall befal me there." The gentleman immediately wrote to several friends of the missionary cause in Europe, saying, " Mr. King has consent- ed to go to Palestine. I will give a certain sum for so many years : will you do the same ?" Affirmative answers were returned in every case. Before he left for Jerusalem, Mr. King requested his friend, on his return to America, to go and see his aged parents, and administer to them such consolation as their condition should require. This he promised ; and this promise he kept, when, a few years after, he found himself at Northampton, in Massa- chusetts, and within a few miles of their residence. Knowing that they were still in indigent circumstances, he determined not to visit them without an open hand. It was in the winter season : a sleigh was procured and laden with provisions, and, rccompanied by a young man, the son of the host from whom he had procured the sleigh, he started on his long-promised errand of mercy. On arriving at the house, he found it as he expected, small and decayed, the inmates of which might well say : "No beggar soils the knocker of my door: The child of rags by instinct shuns the pocr." VVhen that door was opened by the aged mother, in every liiu'am(;nt was seen the features of Jonas King. There was no mistaking the parentage. " I have come," said the am- hnssador, for such he may well be termed, "from your son at Jerusalem." The venerable father rose up to receive him, nnd, after a few hurried questions, said, "Let us pray ;" and bending down, he returned fervent thanks for his social privi- leges, and especially for the opportunity offered him of hearing REV. DR. KING, AND REV. HENRY LYMAN. 67 from his long-absent and beloved son. The provisions were brought ill. "These," said the ambassador, "are sent by your son ; at least I present them in his name." "What!" said the aged and simple-hearted mother, "did these things come all the way from Jerusalem ?" As the coffee, and tea, and sugar, were successively placed before them, the good old man said, "Of a truth God has this day abundantly blessed us : again let us return thanks;" and he bowed the knee and lifted up his voice, and gave thanks to God for his goodness to them. The table was soon spread, and the aged pair, and their son's friend and their benefactor, were gathered around it ; the lad who had driven the horses was among the number. A blessing was invoked, and the meal partaken of with grateful hearts. When it was over, the day was drawing to a close, and the gentle- man signified his intention of returning. Before he departed, the old family Bible was brought forward, and a chapter read. The eyes of the pious old man were dimmed with ay;e, and he regretted their decay, especially as it prevented his reading the sacred word. Again the old man said, "Let us unite in prayer," and again he bowed himself, and invoked the choicest blessings upon hi? son and upon his friend. With a heart filled with love and admiration of the piety of these aged saints, and depos't- ins secretly between the leaves of the old Bible a twentv-dol- lar bill, that friend departed, expecting in all probability never to see their faces again on earth. A few years afterwards, the same jientleman was attending a Commencement in one of the New England colleges. After the close of the exercises, a young gentleman approached him, and, addressing him by name, said, "You probably do not recollect me, but I am the person who accompanied you on your visit to the parents of Jonas Kincr ; I date my first serious religious impressions from that day." That young man was the Rev. Henry Lyman, who was afterwards missionary to India, and whose prospects ot usefulness, and whose life, were terminated by the melanc^holy '^9 THE AMERICAN CLB:RGY. je.ith of liimsoir and associate, by the cannibals of the island of Borneo. The good old man has gone to his rest, and by his will, left to the friend of his son, the old family Bible. A CLERGYMAN. Some years ago, a clergyman, who was a widower, married the widow of a deceased minister of another denomination. She was a woman highly esteemed for her correct views of Divine truth, and for sincere and consistent piety. She had not long accompanied her new companion in his public and social worship, before she became pensive and dejected. This awakened the solicitude of her companion, who insisted on knowing the cause. At length, with trembling hesitancy, she observed, " Sir, your preaching would starve all the Christians in the world." " Starve all the Christians in the world !" said the astonished preacher ; "why, do I not speak the truth ?" "Yes," replied his wife, "and so you would were you to stand in the desk all day, and say my name is Mary. But, sir, there is something besides the letter in the truth of the gospel." The result was, a very important change in the ministerial efforts of this clergyman ; after which his partner sat and heard him with great delight. AN INDIAN MISSIONARY. 69 AN INDIAN MISSIONARY. Every Christian must review with deep interest the history of the rise and progress of religion among (jur Indians. The following narrative was given by a gentleman of the United States, when on a visit to England, and was published in that country in 1838 : — It was in the autumn of 1832, in the regions of the far-west, when the shadows of the forest were deepening in the twilight over the waters of the Columbian river, that a traveller, whom commerce had led to seek out the tribe of Indians dwellinor upon its borders, (commonly called "the Flat-headed Indians,") appeared at the entrance of a wigwam, asking for food and water, in broken accents, but in their own language. When rested and refreshed, its owner asked his errand, which proved to be one of barter, and made him very welcome to these child- ren of the wilderness. The savage who received him was tall, erect, and finely formed, with an expression of intelligence about his eyes and forehead which might have bespoken the power of civilization. "You are weary," he said to the stranger, "and it was well that you reached our shelter before the voice of the great Eagle was abroad upon the mountains." "What do you mean ?" asked his guest, at the same m-MTient looking forth at the clouded sky ; — " and what is the voice of the o;reat Ea2;le ?" " Hear it now," replied the savage, as the first peal of thun- der rolled, and echoed round the hills. "The great Spirit is riding down the water-fall ! Do you not hear him in the wind? I am afraid of him, and so surely you must be. Let us speak against his harm." "I fear nothing," replied the hardy wanderer. " Rut is this spirit a good or a bad spirit? — and have you more spirits than one in your country ?" id THE AMERICAN CLERGY. "We have a good Spirit," was the answer, " but we never speak to him — he will do us no evil : and we have a bad spirit, who is the great eagle I told you of; and we pray to him, that he may not work us harm. What spirits have vou in your country ?" " 1 come," said the stranger, "from the Ohio ; and the men in those parts have a book which teaches them a new way to heaven ; or, as you would call it, to the sky. They say that they shall live again after they die, and live up there — that is, if they please their great Spirit." " What is a book ? — 1 should like to see it," said the Indian. "And about living after death, I want to know. How far is it to the Ohio?" " It is three thousand miles," replied the traveller, "and all through the desert. You never will reach the Ohio; — but all I have said to you is true." The Indian turned into his hut to sleep ; but he could not sleep at all, — and he walked out again into the clear still moon- litrht, when the storm was hushed, to think about the book which could teach the way into the sky. There were two men in his tribe to whom he repeated, the next morning, what the traveller had said ; and he asked them if they would go with him to fetch such a book from beyond the mountains. They agreed, — and after a~ season the traveller went on his way, and they too took their journey in an opposite direction. They lived by the chase, endured innumerable perils, and were six pionths on their road ; — but at last arrived at their destination, and entreated to see the book of which they had heard, and to be taught that which they did not know. Their history excited great interest — they were welcomed and instructed ; but ere many months had passed, the savage who had first heard the good news from the traveller, — worn out with the fatigue and hardships of his journey — fell ill and died : not, ' ( wever, before he had listened to the glad tidings of sal- A YOUNG MINISTER. 71 vation bv Jesus Christ ; and declared that he believed the book. A still deeper feeling was occasioned by his death. A mission- ary offered himself to return with the two others to their homes ; and did accompany them back to the Columbian River. Accounts were received from him of his safe arrival, his joyful reception by the tribe, and of his beginning to dis- tribute among them the water of life. SEVERAL CLERGYMEN. Pains taken in the composition of sermons are not labour thrown away. An eminent scholar, the president of one of our universities, re- wrote the most useful of his sermons thirteen or fourteen times, and laboured, in connection with a literary tnend, two whole days on two sentences. A living divine, who has been called the prince of our pulpit orators, spent a fortnight on a single discourse, which has already ac- complished more good than four thousand sermons written by another of our pastors, at the rate of two a week. On the blank leaf of one of Dr. Griffin's manuscripts, it appear- ed that his discourse had been preached ninety times ! Thus had it been touched and retouched, reviewed and rewritten, till, so far as the author's power availed, it was perfected. A YOUNG MINISTER. A YOUNG minister, a few years since, received a call from wo different societies at once, to become their pastor. One I i2 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. ()'■ them was unit(?d and rich, and therefore able to give him a large salary ; the other was poor, and so divided that they had driven away their minister. In this condition he applied to his father for advice. An aged coloured servant, who over- heard what was said, made this reply; "Massa, go where there is the least money and the most devil." The minister took the advice, united the church, and converted many souls to Christ. REV. MR. WILLEY. The Rev. Mr. Willey, of New Hampshire, at a public meetmg in Park Street church, Boston, gave the history of a lad in a retired part of the country, to whom a pious lady, after seri- ous conversation, gave the " Saints' Rest." He read it, became deeply interested, and carried it to the barn where he was em- ployed, weeping over its pages, and over his hardness of heart, and praying to be saved from the miseries of the lost. But these impressions died away ; and some years after, on the Sabbath, in Boston, he wandered into the very church where the meeting was then assembled, where, under the appeals of the venerable Dr. Griffin, all his former solicitude for his un- dying soul was revived, and he was led immediately to apply to a clergyman of the city for the " Saints' Rest." After con- siderable trouble the long-sought volume was found and read, portions of it, time after time, during the week. On the Sab- bath this youth was seen in this house, a weeping stranger, sometimes in one part of it and sometimes in another. It was in that gallery, referring to the west galk^ry, as he has since ventured to hope, he poured out his soul unto God, and that light began to dawn upon him, which has since been as the KEN. DR. GRIFllN. 73 rising light of day. This youth was the eldest in a family of ten children, all of wJiom, together xcith both parents^ have since been brought to hope in the mercy of God, and to unite with his people ; and of the five sons, four are in the Christian ministry. ^ REV. DR. GRIFFIN. TifE late Rev. Dr. E. D. Griffin was exceedingly careful in the preparation of his sermons. Dr. Sprague says that he was once at his house, and in view of preaching, went into his study to read over his sermon. He called for ink and sand, and began to strike out, and to pour on the sand. The manu- script was already black with erasures and insertions, but the work went on, the paper growing darker every moment. One of the little children coming up, and looking on the blotted and blurred manuscript, corrected and re-corrected, said, " How can you read your sermon? It is all scratched out'.'" He was particular in covering with ink every word erased, so that it could not be read. The remark of the child led him to speak of his custom; and said he, " This I regard as one chief excellence of my preaching, if I have any." He continued, " I have a plain figure which I use in the study ; it will not do for the public ear; but it serves to illustrate my point. If you put swing- ling tow upon a hetchel, you can ride to Boston on it ; but if you pull out the tow," holding up his fingers to represent the process, "and let the points stick up, they will prick : so," added he, " you may cover up the truth with ornaments and words, till the conscience cannot be reached. You must jiull out the 7 7 4 iHl:: A.MKKKJA.N CLLKGV. tou- — tlie points arc the truth — pull out the tow, and let lh<: points stick up." A better illustration, ns Dr. Sprague remarks, was never given. If our sermons had less " tow," and more naked " points," they would do more execution. SEVERAL EMINENT CLERGYMEN. The Rev, Dr. Hill, of Virginia, some time since, made the following statement at a public meeting of a Tract Society : — I lost my sainted mother when I was a youth, but not before the instructions which I received from her beloved lips had made a deep impression upon my mind ; an impression which 1 carried with me into a college, (Hampden Sidney,) where there was not' then one pious student. There I often reflected, when surrounded by young men who scoffed at religion, upon the instructions of my mother, and my conscience was frequent- ly sore distressed. I had no Bible, and dreaded getting one, lost it should be found in my possession. At last I could stand it no longer, and therefore requested a particular friend, a youth whose parents lived near, and who often went home, to ask his pious and excellent mother to send me some religious books. She sent me Alleine\ Alarm^ an old black book, which looked as if it might have been handled by successive generations for one hundred years. When I got it, I locked my room and lay on my bed reading it, when a student knocked at my door; and although I gave him no answer, dreading to be found read- ing such a book, he continued to knock and beat the door, until I had to open il. He came in, and seeing the book lying on the bed, he seized it, and examining its title, he said, — "Why, Hill, do vou read such books?" I hesitated, but God enabled SEVERAL EMINENT CLERGYMEN. 75 me to be decided, and tell him boldly, but with much emotion, " Yes, I do." The young man replied with deep agitation, "Oh, Hill, you may obtain religion, but / never can. I came here a professor of religion ; but through fear, I dissembled it, and have been carried along with the wicked, until 1 tear that there is no hope for me." He told me that there were two others, who he believed were somewhat serious. We a<'-reed to take up the subject of religion in earnest, and seek it toge- ther. We invited the other two, and held a prayer-meeting in my room on the next Saturday afternoon. And Oh, what a prayer-meeting ! We tried to pray, but such prayer I never heard the like of. We knew not how to pray, but tried to do it. It was the first prayer-meeting that I ever heard of. We iried to sing, but it was in a suppressed manner, for we feared the other students. But they found it out, and gathered around the door, and made such a noise, that some of the officers haa to disperse them. And so serious was the disturbance, that the President, the late excellent Rev. Dr. John B. Smith, had to investigate the matter at prayers that evening, in the prayers' hall. When he demanded the reason of the riot, a rinsleader in wickedness got up and stated, that it was occasioned by three or four of the boys holding prayer-meeUng^ and they were determined to have no such doings there. The good President heard the statement with deep emotion, and looking at the youths charged with the sin of praying, with tears in his eyes, he said, "Oh, is there such a state of things in this col- lege? Then God has come near to us. My dear young friends, you shall be protected. You shall hold your next meeting in my parlour, and I will be one of your number.'' Sure enough, we had our next meeting in his parlour, and half the college was there ; and there began the glorious revival ol religion, which pervaded the college and spread into the coun- try around. Many of those students became ministers of the gospel. The youth who had brought mo AHeine's Alarm from 76 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. his mother was my friond, the Rev. C. Still, preaching in this State. And he who interrupted me in reading the work, my venerable and worthy friend, the Rev. Dr. H , is now pre- sident of a coUeue in the West. REV. E. T. TAYLOR. A PIOUS English widow, who resided among ignorant and vicious neighbors in the suburbs of Boston, Mass., determined to do what she could for their spiritual benefit. She opened her little front room for weekly prayer-meetings, and engaged some pious Methodists to aid in conducting them. Among others who attended was a young sailor of intelligent and prepossessing countenance. A slight acquaintance showed him to be very ignorant of even the rudiments of education ; but he had evidently such superior talents that the widow became much interested in his spiritual welfare, and prayed much that God would instruct and convert him, and make him useful. But in the midst of her anticipations, he was suddenly sum- moned away to sea. He had been out but a short time when the vessel was seized by a British privateer and carried into Halifax, N. S , where the crew suffered by a long and wretch- ed imprisonment. A year had passed away, during which the good woman had heard nothing of the young sailor. Still she remembered and prayed for him with the salicitude of a mother. About this time she also was called to Halifax on business. While there, her habitual disposition to be useful, led her with a few friends to visit the prison with Bibles and tracts. In one apartme t were the American prisoners. As she approached the grat- ' REV. E. T. TAYLOR. 77 door, a voice shouted her name, calling her mother, and a youth appeared and leaped for joy at the grate. It was the lost sailor boy ! They wept and conversed like mother and son, and when she left she gave him a Bible — his future guide and comfort. During her stay at Hali ax, she constantly visited the prison, supplying the youth with tracts, religious books, and clothiuir, and endeavouring by her conversation to secure the religious impression made on his mind at the prayer-meetings in Boston. A-fter many months she removed to a distant part of the pro- vince ; and for years she heard nothing more of the young sailor. We pass over a period of many years, and introduce the reader to Father Taylor, the distinguished mariners' preacher in the city of Boston. In a spacious and substantial chapel, crowded about by the worst habitations in the city, this distin- guished man delivered, every Sabbath, discourses as extraordi- nary, perhaps, as are to be found in the Christian world. In the centre column of seats, guarded sacredly against all other intrusion, sat a dense mass of mariners — a strange medley of M'hite, black, and olive, Protestant, Catholic, and Pagan. On the other seats in the galleries, the aisles, the altar, and on the pulpit stairs, were crowded, week after week, and year after year — the families of sailors, and the poor who had no other temple — the elite of the city — the learned professor — the stu- dent — the popular writer — the actor — groups of clergymen, and the votaries of gayety and fashion, listening with throb- bing hearts and wet eyes, to a man whose only school had been the forecastle, whose only endowments were those of grace and nature, but whose shrewd sense, keen wit, glow- ing fancy, melting pathos, and energetic delivery would allow none to be inattentive or luiafTected in his audience. In the year 183-, an aged English local preacher moved into the city of Boston from the British provinces. 78 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. 'I'lie old local prrachf'r was mingling in a public throng one (lay wilh a friend, vviicn ihcy met " Father T — ." A few words of introduction led to a free conversation, in which the former residence of his wife in the city was mentioned, and allusion was made to her prayer-meeting — her former name was asked by "Father T — ;" he seemed seized by an impulse— inquired their residence, hastened away, and in a short time arrived in a carriage, with all his family, at the home of the aged pair. There a scene ensued which must be left to the imagination of the reader. " Father Taylor" was the sailor boy of the prayer-meeting and the prison. The old lady was the widow who had first cared for his soul. They had met once more ! REV. DR. PAYSON. A WRITER in the Christian Mirror says : — As a preacher, Payson was eminently prayerful. It was manifest in private intercourse with his Divine Master. " Payson," said an elder- ly minister of Christ, respecting him, "Payson does not need to go to the throne of grace, for he is ahvays there." About the time I was licensed, and was leaving for the field where I laboured sixteen years, he said to me — " Brother M., I would never leave my study without having first prayed." And he seemed to read the holy word with much prayer. He studied, he planned, he wrote, he pronounced his sermons in prayer. He seemed to be habitually sensible that God only could give his words success ; and such was his faith in the efficacy of prayer, that he once said to the writer, "If 1 really knew I needi.'d two such worlds as this for my own private accommoda- REV. DR. STRONG. 79 tion, I should no more hesitate to ask for them, tlinn I should hesitate to ask for my daily bread." And exercising this laith in the efHcacy of prayer, it is not strange that he should be much in prayer for the Holy Spirit to accompany his efforts in the ministry. Here was his chief dependence for success. For though his powers of oratory were far above most in the holy office — though his imagination was most inventive and brilliant — seldom surpassed — his memory remarkably tena- cious, and his reading extensive, yet his dependence for suc- cess, I repeat it, was on the promised assistance of the Holy Spirit. This was seen in his sermons. It was especially seen in his addresses at the throne of grace. The assembly to whom he administered were, by his manner in prayer, made to feel that their minister leaned upon an almighty arm, in his great work. They heard him address the Saviour in such humble confidence, as to convince them that there was his only hope. REV. DR. STRONG. The Rev. Mr. was appointed many years ago to preach the election sermon before the governor, senators and repre- sentatives of Connecticut. Unaccustomed to such an audience, he displayed no little diffidence and trepidation in prospect of appearing before so much talent and dignity. This being no- ticed by the company in which he was, a brother in the minis- try, of a different mental character, said to him, "Why, bro- ther , don't mind the governor and the great people; just think they are all cabbage heads, and then you will be at your ease." "Think no such thing," said the excellent Dr. Stronu, taking his friend aside; "think that you are going to preach 80 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. before the most intellectual, and honorable, and learned audi- ence that can be assembled in the State ; hear in mind that they are immortal men, who will stand with you in the judg- ment of the great day ; remember that angels are present, and so is your Lord and Master ; fill your thoughts with a sense of his presence, and your obligations; think of his goodness and his promises ; let God fill your whole field of vision, and man will appear in his proper diminutiveness ; rely upon it, the more your mind is awed by reflections like these, the more calm, and balanced, and composed will it be." The preacher took the advice thus rendered, and afterwards thanked the friend who gave it, for the happy effects which it produced. INCIDENTS CONNECTED AVITH THE PULPIT LABOURS OF THE CLERGY. (81) REV. DOCTOR RODGERS. P"l REV. DOCTOR RODGERS. The following is one among many instances which migh De given of the striking character of the preaching of this ex- cellent man, while he resided at St. George's, before his remo- val to New York. The celebrated George Whitefield had appointed, on a cer- tain day, to preach within a few miles of Mr. Rodgers' resi- dence; and the people of the neighbourhood assembled to the number of from five to six thousand. Owing, however, to some circumstance, not now known, Mr. Whitefield did not arrive. The people, after waiting in vain for a considerable time, urged Mr. Rodgers, who was present, to rise and address them. For any man, with the best preparation, to take the place of Whitefield, and preach to an audience assembled to hear hiin^ would have been an arduous task ; but to do this on a sudden call, and with scarcely any preparation, was much more so. Mr. Rodgers, however, wisely made it one of the first principles of his ministry, never to shrink from any ser- vice to which the providence of God evidently called him. He therefore determined, without any hesitation, to comply with the request of his friends ; and, after a moment's premeditation, rose and preached to the multitude in the open air. The con sequences were most happy. It proved, indeed, a day of power. It was the opinion of many who heard him, that not- withstanding all the disadvantages of the occasion, the preacher scarcely ever spoke so acceptably or so well. The congregation, on dispersing, unequivocally manifested that they had not been disappointed ; and very many had reason long to remember tn*; soi?mn;nes of the day with grateful and endearing joy. \ &4 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. When the Doctor was a young man, in the summer of 1748, he spent some time in Maryland, where his preaching and his manners were very attractive, and where he met with con- siderable success. One case, that of a Mr. Winder, a gentleman of great wealth and urbanity, may be more distinctly alluded to. He was a polite scholar, and a member of the Episcopal Church, but, neverthe- less, called with much courtesy on his neighbours where Mr. Rodgers was visiting, and invited the young Presbyterian preacher to pay him a visit. Mr. Rodgers accepted, and, pre- viously to his going, was apprized by his friends that Mr. W. was a zealous, high-toned Episcopalian, and a very determined opponent of the doctrine of Election. He was scarcely seated in his chair at Mr. W.'s house, before that gentleman introduced the controversy respecting Election, by asking his opinion of a book on the subject which lay upon the table. Our young preacher replied that he had never before seen the book, but that he was a very firm believer in the doctrine of Election, and regarded it as a very important and precious part of the Christian system. This plunged them at once into the very midst of the dispute, which was continued, with a few interruptions, during the day. At its close, Mr. W. acknowledged himself silenced but not convinced, and dismissed his guest in the evening with much respect and friendliness. The next Sabbath Mr. Rodgers preached in the neighbour- hood, and Mr. Winder was one of his hearers. The faithful and animated discourse was founded on Ephesians, ii. 8 ; " For by grace are ye saved, through faith ; and that not of your- selves, it is the gift of God." This sermon reached the heart of Mr. W. He, in common with a number of others, was deeply affected in the course of the service, and retired from trie house of worship with very different views of himself, and of the way of salvation, from those which he had entertained before. The next day he called on Mr. Rodgers, not to cavil REV. UK. KODGEUS, 85 ut the doctrine of Election, nor to speculate on the mysteries of religion, but to ask, as a convinced .simier, what he must do to be saved. His heart was now softened, his difficulties in a great measure removed, and he was convinced that if he were saved at all, it must be by grace alone. He was ready to acknowledo-e himself an instance of the sovereimity of divine mercy, and in a short time found peace and consolation in the truths which a few days before he had opposed as unscripturai and forbidding. He united with the church, and became for many years an exemplary ruling elder, and often spoke of the revolution which his views and hopes had undergone, and of the circumstances attending it, with deep humility and lerveni gratitude. The impression which this excellent man could produce b\ his preaching, may be further judged of from the following facts : At the meeting of the Synod in 1774, he was appointed to spend a number of weeks, in the summer and autumn of that year, on a missionary tour, through the northern and north- western parts of the province of New York. He devoted seve- ral months to that service, and with renewed zeal and assiduity, for the most part in places utterly destitute of the means ot' erace. These labours were the immediate or remote means of forming many churches, which have since proved large, flourishing, and happy. The period at which the Doctor fulfilled this mission was that rendered memorable by the warm dispute hot ween the settlers in the territory whirh is now Vermont, and the government of New Yoi-k, which claimed that territory as lying within its jurisdiction. Measures of great decision, and even violence, had been taken bv both parties a short time before he went into that country ; so that ho found the public mind, particularly in 86 THE A3IEKICAN CLERGY. Vermont, highly irritated and inflamed. Nothing was further from tlie Doctor's view than any j)olitical design; but some of tlie jealous and exasperated Vermonters, knowing that he came Irorn the capital of New York, and connecting every thing with the existing disputes, suspected him of being engaged in some mission or plan unfriendly to their claims. Tn a par- ticular town which he had entered by appointment, for the solo, purpose of preaching, he observed, a little before the public service began, several rough and fierce-looking men approach the house in which he was about to preach, and enter into very earnest and apparently angry conversation with those who stood near the door. He was utterly ignorant at the time of their design, or of the subject of their conversation; but was afterwards informed that they were very warmly contending with his friend that he was a spy, and of course a very dangerous person, and th'it he ought to be immediately arrested. It was in vain that the friends of the Doctor remonstrated, on the ground of the sac redness of his office, and the solemnity of the duty in which he was about to engage, and to attend on which the people were now collected together. His angry accusers replied, that the more sacred his office, the greater his power of doing mischief; and that to allow him to escape would be treason to their cause. At length, finding that all they could say availed nothing to his exculpation, and that the most positive assurances of his being known to be a man of pious and exemplary character, only rendered these hostile and ardent spirits more determined in their original purpose, the Doctor's friends only begged them to delay the seizure of his person until after divine service should be closed, as it would be a pity to disappoint so large a congregation as had then assembled for public worship. To this proposal, after much persuasion, they reluctantly consented, and divine service began. The exercises were more than usually solemn and .mpressive ; many of the congregation were in tears; and even REV. MR. S. 87 those who had come into the assembly filled with so much resentment, were observed to be softened with those around them. When worship was ended, they said nothing about their plan of arresting the preacher, but quietly retired, and suffered him to pursue his journey. Two or three days after this, while the Doctor was preaching in a more northern town in the same district of country, soon after the service had begun, he saw two men enter the assembly, marked with countenances of peculiar ferocity and rage. He afterwards learned that they had come under the same impres- sions and with the same views as their predecessors in violence. They had, however, resolved to wait till the service should be ended, and then to arrest the preacher. The exercises of the day, as in the former case, were the means of disarming them. When the benediction was pronounced, they withdrew, saying to each other, that they were probably mistaken in the man, and had better go home. REV. MR. S. The Rev. Mr. S., a distinguished Methodist preacher, who was well known in the West, was once preaching with great fo rvQur on the freeness of the gospel, and around him was an attentive congregation, with eager eyes turned to the preacher, and drinking every word into their souls. Among the rest was an individual who had been more remarkable for openinK, STILLMAN. 149 Its api)lication, he c-ame so close, that some persons were sur- prised, knowing how deliglitful the harmony had always been in that church. One of them soon began to persuade himseli, however, that there was a Diotrephes there, Imt could not sa- tisfy himself who it was. He ventured to seek information, and turning to a good brother, an elder in the church, he said, " Mr. L , who DOES Mr. S. mean?" " Fow and we," was his quick reply. That hearer has never asked since, who Ids mmister Tiieant^ when he was delivering the message of his Master. REV. DR. STILLMAN. Ix the course of two weeks, the late Dr. Stillman was called to bear the loss of two children, who had attained adult age. The stroke was heavy, and the wound grievous, like the pierc- ing of a sword to the heart; the support of religion, however, not onlv sustained him, but also caused him to triumph ov'\'' the trial. For his first sermon after this bereavement, he took for his text, Romans viii. 18: "For I reckon that the suffer- ings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." The congregation had expK'cted to hear an account of the mournful state of his mind, but were delighted with the cheerful picture he presented of liis own feelings in the prospect of that eternal glory, which faith presented to his animated vision and certain hope. Ow one occasion, in his study, a few who were candidates for ad- mission into his church, had expressed their faith and hope in Christ with freedom and cheerfulness. Their views evidently affecting the pastor's heart, he looked round most affectionately upon the little group, and with a smile of delight thus made known his feelings: "VVhat a wonderfully strange thing rcli- gion is! How happy it makes us!" Flis cheerful countenance l.S* I r)0 THE AMERICAN CLEKGY indicated his entire willingness to leave all earthly soeiety for the presence of Christ in glory. A person said, " Sir, I was recently walking in the street in happy meditation, and my mind was so delightfully elevated that heaven appeared to be but a little way off." "Ah!" replied he, "heaven is not far off when we feel right." The Rev. Dr. Pierce, in his discourse delivered on the fiftieth anniversary of his settlement at Brookline, Mass., in alluding to Dr. Stillman, says : " The bare allusion to this godly man recals delightful asso- ciations, of which I must ask leave to take a passing notice. When a boy, no greater boon could I ask of my father, than permission to walk live miles, on the Lord's-day morning, to hear this good man preach ; and to remain, through the day, to be sure of a seat in his crowded house, for the afternoon. It has been my privilege, in my time, to hear eloquent preach- ers of great notoriety ; but, for pulpit eloquence, I have been m the invariable habit of assigning him the very first rank. Indeed, every sermon he delivered was with an earnestness, as if he had received one more important message from his Master, and the present might be his only opportunity for delivering it." AN EMINENT CLERGYMAN. It is related of a clergyman, distinguished alike for his elo- quence and exemplary piety, that having an appointment to nreach in a certain village, he stopped on Saturday evening, at the house of one of his early acquaintances, a resident of the village. To his surprise, he found his old friend a distiller and vender of ardent spirits, and exceedingly bitter against the REV. MK. GILLESPIE. 151 fo'iiperance cause. He could not refrain, all the evening, from givi;iL» vent to his feelings against all the temperance men and every temperance movement. The next day the preacher took Ills text from Jonah: "Dost thou well to be angry?" He showed what good was doing in the days in which we live, and esjeciaily in the temperance cause; how that cause was dry- mg up the fountains of pauperism, and crime, and brutality ; saving thousands on thousands from the drunkard's path, and restoring many a lost man to society and his family ; trans- forming the most degraded and abject beings in the community into useful, respectable, and wealthy citizens. And as he enu- merated one blessing after another, he would look down upon his friend and ask, "Dost thou well to be angry?" It was more than the poor man could bear : shame and confusion were his. He hid his face from all the congregation, and as soon as possible made the best of his way home from church ; and from that day, no man became a stronger advocate of tempe- rance reform, or made greater pecuniary sacrifices in its behalf. REV. MR. GILLESPIE. This energetic minister, ii) iiis '' Lectures to Young Men on the Formation of Characttfi,'' says, very fcicibly, '•''I emit do iV never did any thing— Plo try" hao worked wonders — and '■'■ I ivill do iC has pLf''^rr'.ecl piudigies k. Ib'-i THE AMKKICAN t'LERGV. REV. MR. MOODY. Father Moody was born at Newbury, in 1675, graduated at Harvard College in 1697, was settled at York, Me., in 1700, and died, at 72 years of a sition upon a stranger." " If that is all, I niust and will stop and preach for you," was Mr. Moody's reply. When the Sabbath-day came, and Mr. Moody had opened the service and named his text, he looked round on the assembly, and said, " My hearers, I am going to speak to two sorts of folks to-day, saints and sinners. Sinners, I am going to give you your portion first, and I would have you give good attention." When he had preached to them as long as he thought well, he paused and said, " There, sinners, 1 have done with you now ; you may take your hats and go out of the meefing-house as soon as you please !" But all tarried and heard him through. A young clergyman was once visiting him, and on the morn- ing of the Sabbath, he asked him if he would not preach. " Oh, no, Father Moody," was the young gentleman's replv, " I'm travelling for my health, and wish to be entirely relieved from clerical duties. Besides, you, sir, are a distinguished father in Israel, and one whom I have long wished to have an opportunity of hearing, and I hope to-day for that gratifica- tion." " Well," said the old man, as they wended their way to the meeting-house, " you will sit with me in the pulpit ?" It was immaterial, the young mmister replied ; he could sit in the pulpit or in the pew, as Father Moody preferred. So, when they entered the meeting-house, Father Moody stalked on, turned his companion up the pulpit stairs, and went him- self into the parsonage pew. Tlie young man looked rather blank when he found himself aione, and waited a long while for his host to " come to the res- cue." But there Father Moody sat before him, as straight and 154 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. Stiff as a statue, and, finding there was to be no reprieve for him, he opened the Bible, and went through with the exercise. Perhaps the excitement caused by this strange treatment might have enlivened h s braiji ; at all events, he preached remarka- bly well. Alter the conclusion of the services, Father Moody arose in his pew and said to the congregation, — " My friends, we have had an excellent discourse this morning, from our young brother; but you are all indebted to me for it." REV. MR. WILLARD. Mr. Treat, a minister of Eastham, married a daughter of Mr. Willard, one of the pastors of the Old South Church, Bos- ton, in the seventeenth century. The matter of his sermons, it is stated, was excellent, but it was greatly injured by the badness of his manner. After his marriage with the daughter of Mr. Willard he was sometimes invited by the latter to preach in his pulpit. Mr. Willard possessed an agreeable de- livery and harmonious voice, and as a natural consequence, he was generally admired. Mr. Treat having preached one of his best discourses to the congregation of his father-in-law, in his usual unhappy manner, excited much dissatisfaction. Several persons waited on Mr. Willard, and begged that Mr. Treat might not be invited into the pulpit again. To this request Mr. Willard made no reply ; but he desired his son-in-law to lend him the discourse, which being left with him, he delivered it, without alteration, to his people, a few weeks after. The hearers were delighted, and requested a copy for the press. " See the difference," said they, " between yourself and your son-in-law. You have preached a sermon on the same text a^ Mr. Treat's ; but while his was intolerable, yours was excel lent." liKV. DK. WADDELL. I5b REV. MR. TRUAIR. When we do a little good, who can tell us where the hai)p} efTecrs of it will end ? In the year 1822, soon after the elibii.b for the benefit of seamen were commenced in New York, the Rev. Mr. Triiair was on a tour, preaching and making collec- tions for that cause. In the course of his journey he preached one evening at a school-house in a little town in Veniioiit, containing only a few scattered inhabitants. The next morn- ing he met a poor woman in the neighbourhood who had heard his sermon, and felt desirous of doing something for the sailor's cause. Having no money, she brought a bag of mustard seed, whiv-h she begged him to accept, hoping it might turn to some good account. Mr. T. conveyed the mustard seed to New York, and on his stating the facts, some of the members of the board of directors purchased it for three dollars, proposing to present it to some missionaries then about to sail to Palestine, that they might sow it there. The next day, the circumstances were mentioned to a few friends, and several dollars more were added to the purchase. The following Sabbath evening it was mentioned at the Mariners' church, and twelve dollars more were added. And on the following Tuesday evening, the in- cident was told at a prnyer-meeting, and the sum of nine dollars more was taken. The amount thus received for the poor woman's " two mites" was thirty dollars. Surely " she of her penury cast in more than they all !" FEV. DR. WADDELL. 'I'hi: followinii narrative, written bv the Inte distinguished \ttornry General, Wiiiiau) ^\"il•t, is too good either to he "iiilif>d or abridged: — lod THIi AMEKICAN CLEKGY. It was ono Sunday, ns 1 travelled through the county of Orange, inal my eye was caught hy a cluster of horses lied near a ruinous old wooden house in the forest, not far from the road-side. Having frccjuently seen such objects before, in travelling through these States, I had no difficulty in under- sianding that this was a place of religious worship. Devotion alone should have stopped me to join in the duties of the congregation ; but I must confess, that curiosity to hear lli;i preacher of such a wilderness was not the least of mv in.>tiv('s. On entering, I was struck with his preternatural appearance. He wa« a tall and very spare old man; his head, which was covered with a white linen cap, his shrivelled hands, and his voice, were all shaking under the influence of a palsy, and a few moments proved to me that he was per- fectly blind. The first emotions that touched my heart were those of mingled piety and veneration. But how soon were all my feelings changed ! The lips of Plato were never more worthy of a prognostic swarm of bees, than were the lips of this holy man. h was a day of the administration of the sacrament: and his subject was, of course, the passion of our Saviour. I had heard the subject handled a thousand times : I had thought it exhausted long ago. Little did I suppose that in the wild woods of America, I was to meet with a man whose eloquence would give to this topic a new and more sublime pathos than T had ever before witnessed. As he descended from the pulpit to distribute the mystic symbols, there was a peculiar, a more than human solemnity in his air and manner, which made my blood run cold, and my whole frame shiver. He then drew a picture of the sufl^ermgs of our Saviour; his trial before Pilate; his ascent up Calvary ; his crucifixion and death. \ knew the whole history; but never until then had I heard the circumstances so selected, so arranged, so coloured ! [f was all new ; and 1 seemed to have heard it 'or the first KEV. DK. WADDELL. l-'i/ tiMio in mil e. ilis enu iciiiion was so deliberate, that his voice trembled on every syllable, and every heart in the assem- bly trembled in unison. His peculiar phrases had that force of description, that the original scene appeared to be at that lime actiniji: boi'ore our eyes. We saw the very faces of the .lows; the staring, frightful distortions of malice and rage. W' saw the buffet: mv soul kindled with a flame of indisj;- nati 'U, and my hands were involuntarily and convulsively clcnclied. But when he came to touch on the patience, the forgiving meokness of our Saviour; when he drew, to the life, his blessed eyes streaming in tears to heaven; his voice breathing to God a soft and gentle prayer of pardon on his enemies, ^' Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do !" the voice of the preacher, which had all along faltered, grow fainter and fainter, until his utterance being entirely obstruct( I by the force of his feelings, he raised his handkerchief to his eves, and burst into a loud and irrepressible flood of grief. The effect was inconceivable. The whole house resounded with the mingled groans and shrieks of the congregation- It was some time before the tumult had subsided so far as to permit him to proceed. Indeed, judging by the usual but fallacious standard of my own weakness, I began to be very uneasy for the situation of the preacher ; for I could n if conceive how he would be able to let his audience down from the height to which he had wound them, without impairing th- solemnity and dignity of his subject, or perhaps shocking thetn by the abruptness of his fall. But — no; the descent was as beautiful and sublime as the elevation had been rapid and enthusiastic. The first sentence with which he broke the awful silence was a fjuotation from Rousseau: — "Socrates died like a philosopher, but .lesus Christ like a Ood !" 1 despair of giving you any idea of the effect produced bv 14 108 THE AJIEEICAJN CLLKGV this short sentence, unless you could perfectly conceive th( whole manner of the man, as well as the peculiar crisis in the discourse. Never before did I completely understand what Demosthenes meant by laying such stress on delivery. You are to bring before you the venerable figure of the preacher; his blindness constantly recalling to your recollection old Homer, Ossian, and Milton, and associating with his perform- ance the melancholy grandeur of their geniuses ; you are to imagine that you hear his slow, solemn, well-accented enun- ciation, and his voice of affecting, trembling melody ; you are to remember the pitch of passion and enthusiasm to which the congregation were raised; and then the few moments of por- tentous, death-like silence which reigned throughout the house; the preacher, removing his white handkerchief from his aged face, (even yet wet from the recent torrent of his tears,) and slowly stretching forth the palsied hand which holds it, begins the sentence, " Socrates died like a philosopher," — then paus- ing, raising his other hand, pressing them both, clasped toge- ther, with warmth and energy to his breast, lifting his " sight- less holes" to heaven, and pouring his whole soul into his tre- mulous voice — " but Jesus Christ— like a God !" If he had been indeed and in truth an angel of light, the effect could could scarcely have been more divine. Whatever I had been able to conceive of the sublimity of Massillon, or the force of Rourdalone, had fallen far short of the power which I felt from the delivery of this simple sentence If this description gives you the impression that this incom- parable minister had any thing of shallow, theatrical trick in his manner, it does him great injustice. I have never seen in any other orator, such a union of simplicity and majesty, fie has not a gesture, an attitude, or an accent, to which he does not seem forced by the sentiment he is expressing. His mind is too serious, too earnest, too solicitous, and at the same tijne too dignified, to stoop to artifice. Although as far removed from PETER, THE INDIAN PRKACHBR. 159 ostentation as a man can be, yet it is clear, from the train, the style, and substance of his thoughts, that he is not only a very polite scholar, but a man of extensive and profound erudition. I was forcibly struck with a short, yet beautiful character which he drew of Sir Robert Boyle; he spoke of him as if " his noble mind had, even before death, divested herself of all in- fluence from his frail tabernacle of flesh ;" and called him, in his peculiarly emphatic and impressive manner, " a pure intelligence ; the link between men and angels." PETER, THE INDIAN PREACHER. The following anecdote equally illustrates the genius and falent of the speaker to whom it relates, and the usefulness of Mr. Kirkland, the honoured missionary under whose labours he had received his Christian instruction. While Mr. Kirkland was a missionary to the Oneidas, being unwell, he was unable one Sabbath afternoon to preach, and told Good Peter, one of the head-men, that he must address the congregatiou. Peter modestly and reluctantly consented. After a few words of introduction, he began a discourse on the character of the Saviour. "What, my brethren," said he, "are the views which you form of the character of Jesus ? You will answer, perhaps, that he was a man of singular bene- volence. You will tell me, that he proved this to be his cha- racter by the nature of the miracles which he wrought. All these, von will say, were kind in the extreme. He created bread »o feed thousands vvho were ready to perish. He raised lo life the son of a poor woman who was a widow, and to whom his labours were necessary for her support in old age. Are these, then, vour only views of the Saviour'.' I tell .you 160 THE AMERICAN CLER-'^V. they are lame. When Jesus came into our world, he threw his blanket around him, but the God was within !" This anecdote was related to the late Dr. Dwight, by Mr. Kirkland himself. tREV. Z. ADAMS. The Rev. Z. Adams was well acquainted with a neighbour- ing minister, a very mild, inoffensive man, and the exchange of labours for a Sabbath was proposed. Knowing Mr. Adams's peculiar bluntness of character, the minister said, " You will find some panes of glass broken in the pulpit window, and pos« sibly you may suffer from the cold. The cushion, too, is in a bad condition ; but I beg of you not to say any thing to my people on the subject ; they are poor." " O no ! O no !" said Mr. Adams. But before he left home he filled a bag with rags, and took it with him. When he had been in the pulpit a short time, feeling somewhat incommoded by the too free circulation of air, he deliberately took from the bag a handful or two of rags, and stuffed them into the window. Towards the close of his discourse, which was upon the duties of a people to- wards their clergyman, he became very animated, and pur- posely brought down both fists with a tremendous force upon the pulpit cushion. The feathers flew in all directions, and the cushion was pretty much used up. He instantly checked the current of his thoughts, and simply exclaiming, "Why, how these feathers fly !" proceeded. He had fulfilled his pro- mise of not addressing the society on the subject, but had taught them a lesson not to be misunderstood. On the next Sabbath the window and the cushion were found in excellent repair. A GOOD PREACHER. lUl A ChEIJGYMAN IN MASSACHUSETTS. AuouT one hundred years ago, a clergyman in Massachu setls had a respectable neighbour belonging to his parish, who was notoriously addicted to lying: not from any malicious or pecuniary motives, but from a perverse habit. The minister was every day grieved by the evil example of his neighbour This person was Captain Clark, a friend of the clergyman in all tf^mporal matters, and a man useful in the parish. But his example was a source of much inquietude to the divine. He was determined to preach a sermon for the occasion. Accord- ingly he took for his text, " Lie not one to another." He ex- patiated on the folly, the wickedness, and evil example of lying in such a pointed manner, that nearly every person present thought that the clergyman was aiming at the Captain. The service being ended, some one said to the captain, "What do you think of the sermon ?" " Excellent, excellent," he re- plied ; " but I could not for my life keep my eyes oft' old mo- ther Symington, thinking how she must feel, for he certainly meant her." Tiiis srory was told by a daughter of the cler- gyman, who heard the sermon; to which she added, "When you hear any folly or vice exhibited from the pulpit, before you look out for a mother Symington, look within yourself, and see if Captain Clark is not there." Her advice had some eft*ect, and mav have again. A GOOD PREACHEK. It has been well remarked that u > individual is benefited by preaching, till he supposes that it means JiinK It sometimes appears so personal to wicked men, that they leei as (hough thev were just about to be called out by name beforr the ron- 14* 10*J THE iV.HERlCAN »JLERGY. grpgati'on. A minister was once preachins^, and when de- scribing certain characters, said, " If I were omniscient, I could call out by name the very persons that answer to this picture." A man called out, "Name me !" and he looked as though he were going to sink into the earth. He afterwards said that he had no idea of speaking out, but the minister described him so perfectly that he really thought he was going to call him by name. The minister did not know that there was such a man in the world. REV. MR. S. The Cincinnati Advertiser, some time since, gave an account of an eccentric clergyman, who, not being a very animated and interesting preacher, was often deserted by his flock, at least by parts of them, on the Sabbath. The old gentleman finally adopted some rather novel methods of keeping the delinquents up to the point of duty. When any family was absent two or three Sabbaths in suc- cession, Mr. S. would publicly state to the congregation that as Mr. 's family had been for some time absent from public worship, he presumed there was sickness or trouble in their household, and would appoint a prayer-meeting at their house on the next Tuesday afternoon. The old gentleman on one occasion also caught the wander- ers by the following piece of harmless guile : — On one Sab- l)alh afternoon, he told his people that he should take a journey the next day, and be absent for a short time ; but he would take care that some person should come from Boston, and sup j>ly his desk the next Sabbath. On the next Sabbath morning the meeting-house was filled. The whole town turned out to hear the Boston minister. They waited a while in ea^rer ex- ppctation of his entrance, when in marched the Rev. Mr. S.. REV. PKESIDLNT EDWARDS. JfiS am] vvalked up the broad aisle, as he had been accustomed to do tor many years gone by. On ascending his pulpit, lie smiled graciously upon his large audience, and said ; " I am glad, my dear hearers, that I have got you out — you're all here as you ought to be — and I hope your minds are prepared to receive instruction — I came from Boston yesterday myself." REV. PRESIDENT EDWARDS. This distinguished man was an eminent proof that power- ful preaching consists in somewhat more than manner, and that true eloquence is truth spoken with feeling. It is believed that no preacher, who has appeared in this country, ever engrossed the attention of his audience so often, so long, and to so great a degree, except Mr. Whitefield. Yet his voice was low, his style slovenly and uncouth, and he was without gesture. During the first third part of his ministry, he read his sermons; the remaining part of his life, he preached either from sliort notes or extemporaneously. The propriety of his pronunciation, his earnestness, his gravity, and his singular solemnity, controlled, in the most absolute manner, the minds of those who heard him. 'Mr. Hooker, who succeeded him — who was distinguished for his learning, good sense, and ele- gance of mind and manners, as well as for his moral worth — well said to Dr. Dwight, that eloquence is so variously under- stood and defined, that it is difficult to determine what is intended by it ; but that, if it consisted in making strong im- pressions of the subjfict of a discourse on the minds of an audience, Mr. Edwards was the most eloquent man he ever knew. Mr. Strong, afterwards Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in Vale (JoUege, in early youth heard Mr. Rdwards deliver tlu' sonnms which now constitute his " His- 104 THF, AMKRfCAIV CLERGY torv of R('(](M)ii)li()ii."' lie says tliat his mind was iVom tlie begiiininir deeply interested in the subject ; as it advanced, his feehngs were more and more engaged, till, when the preacher came to a consideration of the final judgment, his mind was wrought up to such a pitch that he fully expected the awful scene to be unfolded on that day, and in that place. He waited with the deepest and most solemn solicitude, to hear the trum- ^ei sound and the archangel call ; to see the graves open, the dead arise, and the Judge descend in the glory of his Father, with all his holy angels; and was deeply disappointed wlien the day terminated, and left the world in its usual state of tranquillity. The following narrative of this extraordinary man cannot but prove interesting : — While the people in the neighbouring towns were in great distress for their souls, the inhabitants of Enfield were very secure, loose, and vain. A lecture had been appointed there; and the neighbouring people were so affected at the thought- lessness of the inhabitants, and in such fears that God would, in his righteous judgment, pass them by, while the Divine showers were falling all around them, as to be prostrate before Him a considerable part of the evening previous, supplicating mercy for their souls. When the appointed time for the lecture came, a number of the neighbouring ministers attended, and some from a distance. When they went into the meeting- house, the appearance of the assembly was thoughtless and vain The people hardly conducted themselves with common decency. Edwards preached. His plain, unpretending manner, !)()th in language and delivery, and his established rcpuiatjon fir holiness and knowledge of the truth, forbade the suspicion that any trick of oratory would be used to mislead his hearers. He began in the clear, careful, demonstrative style of a Teacher, \ A METHODIST CTLERGYMAN. 105 solicitous for tho result of his effort, and anxious that ever)' step of his argument should be clearly and fully understood. His fe t was Deut. xxxii. 35 : " Thejr foot shall slide in due time." As he advanced in unfolding the meaning of the text, the most caroful logic brought him and his hearers to con- clusions, which the most tremendous imagery could but inade- quately express. His most terrific descriptions of the doom and danger of the impenitent, only enabled them to apprehend more clearly the truths which he had compelled them to believe. They seemed to be, not the product of the imagina- tion, but what they really were, a part of the argument. Tho effect was ajs might be expected. Trumbull informs us that \ " before the assembly was ended, the congregation appeared deeply impressed and bowed with an awful conviction of their sin and danger. There was such a breathing of distress and weeping, that the preacher was obliged to speak to the people and desire silence, that he might be heard. This was the beginning of the same great and prevailing concern in that place, with which the colony in general was visited. A METHODIST CLERGYMAJN. A Methodist preacher, at a camp-meeting held in Massa- chusetts, at the conclusion of his sermon, took occasion tc impress upon his hearers the propriety of contributing freely of their substance for the benefit of the church ; and urged them to make the " collection, which was then abeut to be taken up, a good one." After the collection had been made, he arose with great solemnity, and looking into the contribution bo.xes, which although they contained a great nunilxM- of <»l.» ntt: ,\Mi^ttliJA.H VLtAtaV. merits, showed a lamentable deailh ol" silver, exclaimed, with much gravity, " 1 perceive that Alexander the copjwrsiniUi katlh done i/s much hcinn.'''' AN ECCENTRIC CLERGYMAN. A .SHREWD, eccentric, but withal talented preacher, of ui. ./ounded influence among his people, once administered reproof n a very effectual manner. One warm summer afternoon, his 20 ng relation, like some other conojregations, got drowsy, and :iot a few went off into a regular doze. The orator went on, apparently undisturbed by the apathy, and finished his dis- course. He paused ; the silence, as is often the case after the hum-drum of a not very animated preacher, roused up the congregation : some rubbed their eyes, and all stared ; for there stood the minister, sermon in hand. He waited till he snw :hem all -fairly awake, and then very calmly said, " My good t'riends, this sermon cost me a good deal of labour, rather more than .usual ; vou do not seem to have paid to it quite as much alttMition as it deserves. I think I will go over It again ;" and he was as good as his word, from text to exhortation. REV. PRESIDENT DAVIES. \\'hen Mr. Davies was yet under thirty years of age, hv. was induced to accompany the Rev. Gilbert Tennant to Eng- land, to solicit donations for the college of New Jersey, of which he afterwards became the president. His fame, as a pulpit orator, was so great in London, that i' REV. BENJAMIN HARVEY. 167 reached the ears of King George II., who expressed a strong desire to hear him. This was brought about; and iMr. D. preached before a splendid -uidience, com[)osed of the royal family and many of the nobility. It is further said, that while JMr. D. was preaching, the king was, at different times, seen speaking to those around him, who were seen also to smiJe. Mr. Davies observed it, and was shocked at what he thoughl was irreverence in the house of God, utterly inexcusable in one, the influence of whose example was so great. After pausing, and looking sternly in that direction several times, the preacher proceeded in his discourse; but the same conduct was still observed. The American preacher then exclaimed : " When the lion roars, the beasts of the forest tremble; and when King Jesus speaks, the princes of the earth should keep silence !" The kinjr is said to have given a significant but courteous bow to the preacher, and to have sat very com- posedlv and reverentlv during the rest of the service. The king is said to have been enraptured with the preacher's manner and eloquence, and to have been expressing his d(;light to those around him. He sent for the preacher, who renentej his visit, and received from the king a handsome donation for the c llese. REV. BENJAMIN HARVEY The following anecdote, of proba])ly the oldest clerg man of his day, is copied from the New York Baptist Register, pub- lished at Utica, in 1845. The venerable man dird in 1847. Elder Benjamin Harvey, who is to open the reliijious ser- vices at the meeting-house, on the fourth, is now in the one hun dred and elevpnlh vear of his age, and still retains his facul- ties to an astonishini; degree. His health is excellent. He Iti8 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. walks about with great ease, and to all human appearance mav last several years longer. On Lord's-day of last week wo had the privilege of conversing with him in regard to his employment during the winter. He informed us that since December last, he had preached every Sabbath, and several times during the week likewise. In the afternoon, at the request of the pastor of Broad Sreet Baptist chtirch, he made the first prayer, which he prefaced substantially with these remarks: "We are now about to pray — but we shall not change the mind of God by our prayer, if we were to pray until we drop into our graves. God will not be altered by it. He is perfectly right, and needs no alteration. If there is any alteration, it must be in us; and our prayer mui^t be that we may be penitent and conformed to his will, and find mercy through Jesus Christ." He said he had two objects to pray to ; one was the congregation, and the other the great Father in heaven — and the prayer to the congregation is, " 'We pray you in Christ's stead, bo ye reconciled to God.' And now, let us unite in prayer to Him, that he would grant us poor sinners the mercy we need." In the evening he preached a sermon of fifty-five minutes, from the passao;e in Revelations, " I saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach," and was listened to with interest and astonishment. Thoui^h it was somewhat scattering, to use a common phrase, yet there was manifestly method peculiar to himself, and many thoughts truly valuable. His strength of lungs, and accuracy of Scripture quotation, were indeed wonderful ; and his vigour of action, and his great animation, are not often surpassed by ministers in the meridian of life. The Bible must have been closely studied by him in former years. His animation was •^uch frequently, in speaking of the blessedness of the Re. deemer, that he would clap his hands under the exercise. Ho referred to the two previous sermons in his opening, that he A NEW ENGLAJNI) CLERGYMAN. 169 iiiia preached in the same pulpit, and gave the main division u'itl) astonishins accuracy; showing his memory as well as his other faculiies lemarKably sound, and that he is indeed the greatest wonder of the age. A NEW ENGLAND CLERGYMAN. An eminent minister gave, in one of his sermons, tne fol- lowing illustration of the Divine dealings with sinners. A clergyman sitting in his study, saw some boys in his gar- den stealing melons. He quietly arose, and walking into his garden, called them ; " Boys, boys." They immediately fled with the utmost precipitation, tearing through the shrubbery, and tumbling over the fences. " Boys," cried out the gentle- man, " stop, do not be afraid. You may have as many me- lons as you want. I have more than 1 know what to do with." The boys, urged by the consciousness of guilt, fled with in- creasing speed. They did not like to trust themselves in the gentleman's hands ; neither did they exactly relish the idea of receiving favors from one whose garden they were robbino-. The clergyman continued to entreat them to stop, assurintr them that they should not be hurt, and that they might have as many melons as they wished for. But the very sound of his voice added wings to their speed. They scampered on in rvery direction, with as determined an avoidance as though the gentleman was pursuing them with a horsewhip. Ho ilcf.r- mlned, however, that they should be convinced that he was sin- cere in his oflers, and therefore pursued them. Two little lll- lows who could not climb over the fence were taken. He (cd them back, Telling them they were welcome to melons when- ever they wanted any, and giving to each of them a cou|)le, 15 I 170 THE A3IERICAN CLERGY. allowed them to go home. He sent by them a message to the other boys, that whenever they wanted any melons, they were welcome to them if they would but come to him. The other bovs, when they heard of the favors with which the two had been laden, were loud in the expression of their indignation. They accused the clergyman of partiality, in givmg to some without giving to all; and when reminded that they would not accept of his offers, but ran away from him as fast as they could, they replied, "What of that? He caught these two boys, and why should he have selected them instead of the rest of us? If he had only run a little faster, he might have caught us. It was mean in him to show such partiality." Again they were reminded that the clergyman was ready to serve them as he did the other two he caught, and give them as many melons as they wanted, if they would only go and ask him for them. Still the boys would not go near him, but accused the gene- rous man of mjustice and partiality in doing for two, that which he did not do for all. So it is with the sinner. God finds all guilty, and invites them to come to him and be formven, and receive the richest blessings heaven can afford. They all run from him, and the louder he calls, the more furious do they rush in their endea- vours to escape. By his grace he pursues, and some he over- takes. He loads them with favours, and sends them back to invite their fellow-sinners to return and receive the same. They all with one accord refuse to come, and vet never cease to abuse his mercy and insult his goodness. They say, "Why does God select some and not others ? Why does he overtake others who are just as bad as we, and allow us to escape? This election of some and not others, is unjust and partial." And when the minister of God replies, " The invilation is extended to you : whosoever will, let him come and take of the COLOURED PREACHERS. 171 water of life freely," the sinner heeds it not, but goes on in his sins, still complaining of the injustice and partiality of God, in savinfT some and not savins all. COLOURED PREA.CHERS. A COLOURED preacher in Philadelphia, a few years since, showed his correct theology and his ingenuity, in telling his auditory, in language and style they could well comprehend, an important truth. — " My dear breddren, de liberal man, what gibs away his property, ain't gwine to heaben for dat, no mor..^ dan some of you wicked sinners. Charity ain't no good wid- out righteousness. It is like beef-steak widout gravy ; — dat is to say, no good, no how." An agent of one of our Missionary Societies, not long since, visited and addressed a coloured church in Kentucky. VVhen the collection was about to be taken, the pastor, himself a coloured man, arose and said, " My dear brethren, when we have our meetings for prayer, you are generally present, and I am pleased to see this house filled. Whenever, at such times, any thing is said about the wants of the heathen, and the duty of praying and giving for the conversion of the world, you give me groans of approbation. Now I wish you to come for- ward with your money, or I shall conclude that you did no' » groan honestly." An African preacher, speaking from the wofds, *'What is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" mentioned, among other things, that many lost thoir 172 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. souls by being too charitable! Seeing the congregation as- tonished beyond measure at his saying it. he very emphatically repeated it, and then proceeded to explain his meaning. "Many people," said he, " attend meeting, and hear the sermon ; and when it is over they proceed to divide it out among the congre- gation ; this part was for that man, that part for that woman ; and such denunciations were for such persons; these threats for you sinners — and so," continued the shrewd African, ^^ they gii'e away the whole sermon^ and keep none for themselves P REV. DR. J. M. MASON. Many facts are related of the power of Dr. Mason's pulpit eloquence. His mind was of the highest order, his theology Calvinistic, and his style of eloquence irresistible as a torrent. When the distinguished Robert Hall heard him deliver his celebrated discourse on Messiah's Throne, at a missionary meeting in London, in 1802, it is said he exclaimed, "I can never preach again !" REV. DR. F. An intelligent writer says : — In one of my college years, a fellow-pupil suddenly died. On the Sabbath following, the venerated Dr. F. connected his discourse with this event, which was itself preaching very solemnly to some of us. This was a sentence: "Yoting mnn, thou art now strong and full of health ; but I will tell thee, the spade which shall dig thy grave may be already forged — thy winding-sheet be lying in yonder store — and that clock (point- REV. MR. STEVENS. 173 ing, to the one on the gallery) be counting out the moments m ihc last Sabbath-day of thy life.'*'' He jmused. It was the stillness of the grave, for a nninute : but, oh ! tlie tick of'-'-tJiat clock /" It entered my sotd ; it seemed like the sound of the keys in the doors of the eternal world. No voice, no speech, could have searched the audience as did that awful voice of our departing moments. Since that day, I have ever looked seriously upon the face, and listened solemnly to the voice, of the sanctuary clock. REV. MR. STEVENS, A FEW years since, the Rev. Mr. Stevens, of Boston, deli- vered a sermon at Newburyport, before the " Society for the Relief of Aged Females ;" which he concluded, by relating a part of the history of a family in Philadelphia, with which he was intimately acquainted. It consisted of the parents and four children. The husband was in an employment which enabled him to maintain his family comfortably, and lay by something as a provision for old age. In the midst of his joys, he was seized with con- sumption, nearly spent his all, and died. After his death, the mother laboured with constancy at her needle, to support her children, till almost incessant efforts brought on the same dis- ease, and she also descended to the grave. Before this, how- ever, the eldest boy, then about seven years of age, went from door to door, seeking employment, to keep the family from starvation. Those upon whom he thus called, were generally too busy to listen to the story of a child. He at length obtained a situation in the Globe cotton mill, in Philadelphia^ receiving for his services seventy-five cents a week, and sue- ceeded in getting a younger brother into the same establish* 15* I 7 1 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. iiK nr, who was paid fifty cents a week. This .lollar and a quarter per week served for some time to sustain the sick mother and family. None interested themselves in their fate ; for their neighbours were generally vicious and degraded, and as poor as themselves. For a long period, roasted potatoes were their only food, and the small pieces of wood which they collected in the streets, their only fuel. Finally, a female, who had been bridesmaid to the mother, heard of her distress, and sought her out. Her assistance and personal services were freely given ; but, alas ! it was now too late — she could but smooth the pillow of death ! The mother was laid in the grave, by the side of her husband, and the children were left orphans. Situations, however, were obtained for them, and at their meeting, at the end of every year, they could speak of increasing prosperity. Finally, the eldest boy was introduced into the ministry, and, added the preacher, "w the individual who now addresses you /" " We have rarely," say the editors of the paper from which we transcribe this account, "witnessed a more powerful effect than the announcement of this fact produced. It was as though an electric shock had been sent through the whole audience. So entirely unprepared were the assembly for such a termination ; so completely had their sympathies been given to sufferers whom they supposed were at that time many miles distant,. that the declaration that one who had passed through the scene in which their feelings had been so strongly enlisted stood before them, was unexpected, and in the highest degree startling !" SEVERAL CLERGYMEN. 175 REV. B. STANDFORD. A FEW years since, a very interesting religious exercise was held at Bridgewater, Massachusetts, on the occasion of Deacon John Whitman's arriving at the age of one hundred years. The deacon, a rather tall, stout man, in good health, with mental faculties scarcely affected, excepting his hearing and sight failing, occupied an arm-chair in front of the pulpit. The assemhly was the largest ever witnessed in that house, and intense interest was generally visible. The Rev. B. Standford preached the sermon, from 2 Tim. iv. : '' For [ am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand," and addressed, both to the venerable deacon and to the congregation, a variety of important re- marks and counsels. He stated that Mr. Whitman was blessed with pious parents, and was from a child the subject of serious impressions. His mind was led fully to embrace the gospel of Christ, under the ministry of the distinguished George Whitefield ; and that for seventy years he had adorned the religion of Jesus, during thirty of which he had sustained the office of deacon. SEVERAL CLERGYMEN. A CLERGYMAN, in a recent discourse, was speaking of the practice of pointing to the sins and follies of the members of the churches, as an excuse for others, when he thus illustrated the evil of such an argument : " Ah !" said he, " it is the com- mon device of the devil, to blind the eyes of his disciples with the dust shaken from the soiled garments of Christians." 1 70 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. A celebrated divine, who was remarKable in the first period of his ministry, for a boisterous mode of preaching, suddenly changed his whole manner in the pulpit, and adopted a mild and dispassionate mode of delivery. One of his brethren observing it, inquired of him what had induced him to make the change. He answered, " When I was young, I thought It was the thunder that killed the people ; but when I grew wiser, I discovered that it was the lightning — so I determined in future to thunder less and lighten more." A reverend clergyman from Ohio, preaching in the city of Brooklyn, New York, observed two young ladies talking to- gether. Stopping suddenly in his discourse, and looking seriously at them, he said, " I observe two young ladies in the congregation, earnestly engaged in conversation ; and as it is not a mark of true politeness for more than one to speak at a time, in church, I will remain silent for a short time, to give them an opportunity to finish their discourse, when I will re- sume tnine.^'' The worthy minister, allter standing in silence a moment or two, resumed his subject. Several years ago, a town in New England was blessed with ■A revival of religion. One evening, a lady and her little daughter attended a meeting; and while the minister was speaking of the neglect of family duties, of reading the Scrip- lures, and of family prayer, the little daughter, who listened attentively, and perceived that the preacher was describing a neglect that she had noticed herself, whispered to her mother, REV. 1>R. STANFORD. " M;i, is Mr. talking to you?" This was powerful preaching to the mother ; she was immediately brought under deep convictions of sin, which resulted in her hopeful con version to God. REV PROFESSOR SHEPPARD. The Rev. Professor Sheppard, of Bangor, was engaged to preach in the First Baptist Church, at the period of the occur- rence of a great flood. He arrived at the church with some difficulty, and finding but few there, in the general consterna- tion, he offered prayer, and then addressed them, in a manner which must, though short, be regarded as truly subhme : — " God himself has the audience of the people to-day ; and while He speaks, his ministers may well keep silence." REV. DR. STANFORD. The late Rev. Dr. Stanford, of New Yonc, on a particular occasion preached a sermon from a passage in the Canticles : " Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." After he had, in a very interesting manner, described a beautiful garden, and spoke of the variety and fragrance of its shrubs, flowers, trees and fruits, and then applied the subject to the state of the Christian church ; as he descended from the pulpit, one of the deacons said to him, " Well, brother Stan- ford, you have laid out the garden in due form, and you have described the varieties and excellences of its productions ; but where is your fence ?" With his usual promptness he replied, " Oh ! I left Vhat for you deacons to put up ; and see that vou keep it in good order." 1 78 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. A UNIVERSALIST MINISTER. It is not often we recommend the neglect of the pulpit ; but in one instance, at least, we should unite with one of the par- ties in the following narrative, in thinkins; it desirable. A Uiiiversalist minister was travelling to the West, and had sent on an appointment to preach in a certain place. On his arrival, he found a congregation, to whom he proclaimed the doctrine of unconditional salvation. After the sermon, he in- formed his hearers that he should be that way on his return, at such a time ; and if they desired it, he would then preach again. No one replied till he had twice repeated his statement. At last an old Friend, in the back part of the congregation, rose, and said, " If thee hast told the truth this time, we do not need thee any more ; and if thee hast told us a lie, we do not want thee any more." REV. JOHN ELIOT. This eminent man was very justly styled The Apostle to tlie Indians. On the 28th of October, 1646, he set out from his home, in company with three friends, to the nearest Indian settlement. He had previously sent to give this tribe notice of his coming, and a very large number was collected from all quarters, [f the savages expected the coming of their guest, of whose name th(>y had often heard, to be like that of a warrior or sachem, they were greatly deceived. They saw Eliot on foot, drawing near, with his companions ; his translation of the Scriptures, ike a calumet of peace and love, in his hand. He was met REV. JOHN ELIOT. 179 by tluir chief, Waubon, who conducted him to a large wig- warn. After a short rest, Eliot went into the open air, and, standing on a grassy mound, while the people formed around him in all the stillness of strong surprise and curiosity, he prayed in the English tongue, as if he could not address Hea- ven in a language both strange and new. And then he preached for an hour in their own tongue, and gave a clear and simple account of the religion of Christ, of his character and life, of the blessed state of those who believed in him. Of what avail would it have been to set before this listening people the terrors of the Almighty, and the doom of the guilty? This wise man knew, by long experience as a minister, that the heart loves better to be persuaded than terrified — to be melted than alarmed. The whole career of the Indian's life tended to freeze up the finer and softer feelings, and make the more dark and painful passions familiar to him. He resolved to strike a new chord ; and when he saw the tears stream down their siern faces, and the haughty head sink low on the breast, as he painted the ineffable love of Christ, he said it was a "glori- ous and affecting spectacle to see a company of perishing, for- lorn outcasts, so drinking in the word of salvation." The impressions this discourse produced, were of a verv favourable nature : as far as the chief, Waubon, was concerned, thev were never effaced. Afterwards, the guest passed several hours conversing with the Indians, and answering their questions. When night came, he returned to the tent with the chief, and the people entered their wigwams, or lay around, and s\o\)i on the grass. What were Eliot's feelings on this night? At last, the longing of years was accomplished ; the fruit of his pray- ers was given him. Such was the perseverance of this holy man in his great «\ork, that on the day of his death in his eightieth year, the 1':'0 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. ' Apostle of ihe Indians" was found teaching the alphabe. to an Indian child at his bedside. "Why not rest from your labours now?" said a friend, "Because," said the venerable man, "I have pra>ed to God to render me useful in my sphere; and now that I can no longer preach, he leaves me strength enough to teach this poor child his alphabet." REV. JOHN GANG. The Rev. Dr. Cone, pastor of the first Baptist church in New York, in 1845 preached a centennial sermon, in which he gave a sketch of his predecessors in office. In speaking of the Rev. John Gano, who was pastor from 1760 to 1788, he said that it might be interesting to state a reminiscence of the revolutionary war. Mr. Gano was a chaplain to the militia, and fleeing up the island before the British, the regiment to which he belonged turned to resist the pursuers, and the man- ci3uvre bringing him in front of the line, he fought there in the place of the lieutenant-colonel, who was absent. He fought bravely, which gave courage to the men, who said, " Surely God IS on our side, when our chaplain is our leader." At the close of the war he returned to the city, and found his house destroyed, and his place of worship a stable of British cavalry. He gathered what he could of his flock, and preached to them from these words in Haggai; " Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory ? Is it not now in comparison of it as nothing ''" A PRAt'TICAL I'REACHEK. I'*'! A clergyman, some time since, imparted instruction to his congregation by relating the following facts : Two travellers put up for the night at a tavern. Early in the morning they absconded without reckoning witli their liost, also stealing from him a bag of beans. A few years after the> passed that road in company again ; and again they asked for lodging at the same inn. The identical landlord was yet at his post ; and in the evening was overheard by them, talking in one corner of the bar-room, in a suppressed voice, with one of his neighbours, about a swarm of bees. One of his disho- nest guests said to the other, " Did not he say beans ?" " I think he did," was the reply, and quickly they were missing. I often think, added the clergyman, about the beans. When the church member complains that the minister means him, this anecdote about the beans will pop into my mind. On a thousand other occasions, I notice people whose consciences are not easv, saving to each other, bv various modes of com- munication, "Did not he say beans?" though perhaps the preacher was no nearer the subject about which they were ex- cited than the bees were to the beans. A PRACTICAL PREACHER. A New England clergyman enforcing on his congregation the necessity of practical godliness; and contrasting the (\arly Christians with those of the present generation, very properly remarked, " We have too many resolutions, and too little action. ' The Acts of the Apostles,' is the title of one of the books of the New Testament ; their Resolutioris have not reached us." 16 IS2 TJIE AMERICAN Cl.EKGY. REV. LUTHER RICE. When Mr. Rice was travelling as an agent in the cause of foreign missions, he was once in attendance at a public meet- ing of the Shiloh Association, held in Culpepper county, — that part of it now forming Rappahannock county. He had been urging the claims of the heathen on the sympathies and efforts of Christians with his accustomed eloquence and effect ; but among his hearers was a brother of the name of Jonathan Waters, an excellent man, but somewhat eccentric, a great stickler for sound doctrine, and perhaps not altogether uninfect- ed with the anti-ism somewhat rife at that day in his neigh- bourhood. When asked what he thought of the cause, he re- plied he could tell better if he knew what sort of gospel was to be sent to the heathen. Brother Rice had not preached to them ; he had only spoken to them on the subject of missions. " Well," said Mr. Rice, " suppose I preach to-night." Arrange- ments were accordingly made for holding the service at a pri- vate house. A goodly number was present, and among fhem Brother Waters, seated at some distance from the speaker. The text was announced, — John x. 27, 28,—" My sheep hoar my voice, and 1 know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." The preaclier had proceeded a little way, when FJrother W. became bent in the posture of deep thought. By and by, he raised his head, and fixed his eyes on the speaker ; soon his mouth was agape ; a little after, he hitched forward his chair, and gradually a].- proached the table, until, at length, lie was under the very lips of the charmer. In due time — Luther Rice seldom preached long sermons — the discourse was concluded ; but no soonei was the "Amen" out, than the good brother, inflicting a "right REV. LUTHER RICE. 183 smart" slap on the shoulders of Mr. R., exclaimed, " Well, brother Rice, you can preach !" Brother Waters, from that evening to the day of his death, was known as one of the warmest friends of Christian enter- prise in all his region. He continued as firm a believer as ever in the Lord doing his own work ; but insisted no less strongly that it was the part of a true friend of Christ to obey his Master's commands. Mr. Rice was eminently a practical man. He once attended a meeting in Virginia, where the people had gathered frcnn alar, and a large number of 'ministers were present. Sermons on Election, Perseverance of the Saints, Justifying Faith, and the various doctrines of grace, had been preached. One of the ministers alluded to this fact, and said that there had been much strong meat given, but thought it necessary in order that young preachers and young converts should be established in the truth. It was proper to go over, at such times, the round of doctrines. Beside him, on that occasion, sat Luther Rice. He at length arose to speak. He remarked that he could not ao-ree with all that his predecessor had said. "Strong meat! Call the doctrines of electing love, preserving grace, justifying faith, strong meat ! No, no, this is the very milk of the word, fit food for babes. It is for mc to preach the strong meat. Give as the Lord has prospered you. There is strong meat for youy His eye flashed, and the full tone of his voice, as he enunciated this, could never be forgotten. He had visited Vir- ginia, to arouse to the work of missions. His labors were not in vain. ist THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. JOHN SUMMERFIELD. Seldom, if ever, has tliis or any other country produced a more zealous or eloquent preacher than this truly rennarkable young man. Among many other illustrations of his power in the pulpit, we learn that in 1822, he preached in New York, m behalf of the institution for the instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, and the following were his concluding sentences ; but although they are the very words of the preacher, those only who heard them in that great congregation, can conceive of the fervour with which they were uttered : — " But I transfer these children now to you. Behold them.'*' Here dropping his handkerchief on the platform, the objects of the charity stood up in the presence of the congregation, while he proceeded, — " They now stand before you, as you must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. Turn away from these children of affliction, and when the Lord says, ' Inas- much as ye did it not to the least of these, ye did it not unto me,' you too may be diunb, speechless in shame. Dare you on this occasion say : — The mercy I to others show, That mercy show to me 1 Do you realize that day ? You must stand stripped of every earthly treasure — naked before God ! While you plead for mer- cy, — cast all earthly treasure from you now, — these now plead with you, as you will plead with God : — hear them ! I do not mock you ! — Silence like theirs is eloquence. The hand of God has smitten them, but the stroke which blasted, consecrated them ! Heaven has cast them on you : — if you withhold, 'tis sacrilege! Will a man rob God? Are you still passing by on the other side? Still griping, with a miser's fist, the pelf of earth ? — Father of Mercies ! palsy not that hand ! wither A YOITNG TLERGYMAN. 185 noL that eye which can ^aze on these objects, and not rt?el affJ'cted ! On me be the wrong ! I have failed to affect them — these children have failed. Thou canst move them ; — Oh, descend as with cloven tongues of fire! and find thou an en- trance into every heart. — But — I can no more!" The sermon being concluded, the collection was taken up, which amounted to more than one thousand dollars, a gold necklace, and several rings. Preaching once in Allen Street Church, New York, this eloquent young clergyman wished to define and illustrate Christian confidence; and he did it in this way . — "You remem- ber Peter, when he was imprisoned, chained between two sol- diers. The church was praying in tears, wondering what would become of them if their strong champion was taken from them. The enemies of God on earth, and the devils in hell, were rejoicing that they had Peter in their power. The angels in heaven, ever intent on the mysteries of Providence in redemption, were sending down to see what the Lord would do with Peter. When heaven, and earth, and hell, were think- ing of Peter, what were Peter's thoughts? What was Peter doing 1 Peter was asleep y A YOUNG CLERGYMAN. The following lines, descriptive of a beautiful incident, are from the pen of Mrs. A. L. Angier, and are said to describe an actual occurrence. The rosy light of Sabbath eve On hill and valley lay ; And lingered long, as if to leave A blessing on the day. If)* *^6 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. Tlie village bell had sweetly tolled Its chime upon the air, To summon to their hallowed fold The worshippers for prayer. The organ's deep and solemn peals Fell on the listening ear, As o'er the senses gently stole The feeling — God is near ! The youthful preacher rose, and took His theme — 'twas Jesus' love ! When lo ! beside the sacred book There stood a snow-white dove ! With timid gaze and folded wing, It paused — then soared away ; In vain we sought to track its course. In vain we bade it stay. Onward and upward still it flew, Till not a speck was seen, To tell that in the vaults of blue Its graceful form had been. I know not if the thought be wrong, But it hath seemed to me, That some mute herald from the skies That gentle bird might be, To teach us, if to innocence Our days on earth are given, We too may plume our spirits' wings, And take our flight for heaven. The memory of that Sabbath eve. That quiet sunset scene, Did on my heart an impress leave, From which this truth I glean : That nature's simplest lessons tend To show some moral plain ; For, on the page that God hath penned, No line is writ in vain. DEVOTEDNESS OF CLERGYMEN TO THFIR LABOURS. atrry REV. JOHN BROCK. This eminent minister, who died at Reading, Mass., in 1668, was truly remarkable for devotedness to his work, and for a spirit of fervent prayer, of which several remarkable facts are related. When he lived at the Isle of Shoals, he persuaded the people to enter into an agreement to spend one day in every month, besides the Sabbaths, in religious worship. On one of these days, the fishermen, who composed his society, desired him to put off the meeting, as the roughness of the weather had for a number of days prevented them from attend- ing to their usual employment. Ke endeavoured in vain to convmce them of the impropriety of their request. As most of them were determined on seizing the opportunity for mak- ing up their lost time, and were more intent on their worldly than on their spiritual concerns, he addressed them thus : " If you are resolved to neglect your duty to God, and will go away, I say to you, catch fish if you can ; but as for you, who vyill tarry and worship the Lord Jesus Christ, I will pray unto him for you, that you may catch iisii until you are weary." Of thirty-five men, only five remained with the mi- nister. The thirty who went from the meeting, with all their skill, caught through the whole day but four fishes; while the five who attended divine service, afterwards went out and cau"-ht five hundred. From this time the fishermen readily attended all the meetings he appointed. A poor man, who had been very useful with his boat, in carrying persons who at- tended public worship over a river, lost his bout in a storm, and lamented his loss to his minister. Mr. Brock said to him, " Go home, honest man ; I will mention the matter io the Lord ; you will have your boat again to-morrow." The next day, in earnest prayer, the poor man recovered his boat, which (189) 190 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. was brought up from the bottom, by the anchor of a vessel, cast upon it without design. A number of such remarkable correspondences between the events of providence and the prayers of this holy man, caused Mr. John Allen, ofDedham, to say of him, " I scarce ever knew any man so familiar with the great God, as his dear servant Brock." REV. PRESIDENT DAVIES. Such was the devotedness of this excellent minister, that even in very early life, when only entering on his labours, and when he was judged to be in an irrecoverable consumption, entertaining no hope of restored health, he determined to spend the remains of an exhausted life, as he apprehended, in endea- vouring to advance his Master's glory in the good of souls. Accordingly he removed from the place where he was, to an- other, about a hundred miles distant, then in want of a minis- ter. Here he laboured in season and out of season ; an i preached in the day, and had his hectic fever by night, and sometimes to such a degree as to be delirious, and to be in net^d of persons to sit up with him. It .is said of this extraordinary man, that he never preached " a sermon which was not instrumental in at least one con- version. Some of his sermons brought many to the foot of the cross. For the explanation of this, it need only be said that his soul was made of heavenly fires. He delighted to be in his closet. BISHOP GRISWOLD. I'Jj BISHOP GRISWOLD. Dr. Stone relates that this eminent Christian minister hav- ing once reached Newport, it became necessary to cross Nar- ragansett Bay, in order to keep an appointment which he had made at Wickford, in the old St. Paul's or Narragsnsett Church. But a violent gale, which had prevented an outward- bound vessel from sailing for Cuba, was still raging, and had kept the regular ferry-packet from coming over, on that day, from Wickford to Newport. Here, indeed, was a difficulty, which would have kept most men housed. The swelling Nar- raijansett, b iwing its thousand waves before the stronij blast of a still powerful wind and tempest, lay, eight miles broad, between him and his place of destination. Yet he could not give up, without an effort, his purpose of being punctual to his engagement. By the offer of an extra reward, he induced a strong boatman, in an open sea-craft, to attempt the passage. Thev set forth too;ether on the dangerous essav. But bv the time they were midway on the water, the boatman felt the peril to be too great for farther progress. Addressing his pas- senger, therefore, he said : " Bishop, I dare go no further against such a wind as this !'' The announcement was full of import. Still, the bishop was undismayed. He did not, in- d'jed, emulate the moral sublime of the ancient conqueror, in the inquiry, "Quid times? Cresarem vehis?" "Why fearest thou ? Thou carriest Ccesar.'' But, rising above, into the higher sublime of a calm trust in him who holdeth the waters in the hollow of his hand, he simply asked, " Why, what is the matter?" "The craft has not ballast enough," was the quick reply ; if she carried more of that, she might perhaps live through the bay." " Would it help her," asked the bishop, " if I were to lie down in the boat?" " No better ballast than that could she have " said the boatman. The suseestion was 1^^ THE AMERK AN CLERGY. no sooner made than adopted. Casting himself at full length upon his face, into the bottom of the boat, with the weight of a strong frarn-^j much heavier th; n that of common men, the little vessel braced herself more strongly to the blast ; and though in peril of going down, }et, after long toiling, she reached Wickford harbour, and the bishop stepped thankfully upon the firm land. Yet, so wet and encrusted had his hat and garments become, under the gray brine which had been splashed over him, that the inhabitants of the village were scarcely able to recognise in him their old and well-known visitoj. But, upon reaching the house of the rector of the parish, in season for the service which he had appointed, he found thai he had not been expected, and that therefore the church had not been opened. The violence of the storm kept every one jjt home. The rector himself was in utter amazement at his arrival, and exclaimed, " Why, bishop, I would not have crossed the Narragansett, such a day as this, for a wairanty deed of the whole Narragansett country!" Nor would the bishop, for such an inducement as that. But, under a sense of duty, he was ready to dare what no pecuniary considera- tion could have bribed him to attempt. " I had made my appointments," said he, calmly, " and was not willing that the people should be disappointed through my fault." A MISSIONARY IN NEW TORK. Some time m the latter part of the last century, a missionary from one of the New England societies was labouring in the nterior of the state of New York, where the settlements were v'ery few and far between. This missionary was much devoted to -his worV, meek and affable, and possessed a remarkable A MISSIONARY IN NEW YORK. 193 talent for introducing the subject of religion to- every indivi- dual with whom he came in contact. On a hot summer's day, while his horse was drinking; from a small brook throuo;h which he rode, there came along a poorly dressed, bare-headed, bare-footed boy, about seven years old, and stood looking at the missionary from the bridge just above him. " My son," said the missionary, " have you any parents?" " Yes, sir ; they live in that house," pointing to a cabin near by. " Do your parents pray ?" " No, sir." " Why do they not pray V' " I do not know, sir." " Do you pray ?" " No, sir." " Why do you not pray ?" " I do not know how to pray." " Can you read ?" " Yes, sir; my mother hus taught me to read the New Tes- tament." " If 1 give you this sixpence, will you go home and read the third chapter of John, and read the third verse over three times?" The little boy said he would; and the missionary gave him the sixpence, and rode on. Some twenty years had elapsed ; and the same missionary, advanced in years, was labouring in a sparsely-peopled region, in another part of the same state. While on his way to a little village, one day, late in the afternoon, he called at a small house, and inquired the distance. " Six miles," was the reply. He then stated that himself and horse were very weary, and inquired if he could not stay all night. The woman of the house objected, on account of their poverty; but the husband said, " Sir you shall be welcome to such as we have." 17 194 THE AMERICAN CLEKGY. The missionary dismounted and went in. The wife began to prepare his supper, while her husband proceeded to take care of the horse. As he came in, the missionary addressed him : " Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ?" " That," said the man, " is a great question." " True," said the missionary ; " but I cannot eat till you tell me." "•Sir," said the man, " about twenty years ago, I lived in the interior of this state, and was then about seven years old. While playing in the road, one day, a gentleman in black rode into the brook, near by me, to water his horse. As I stood on the bridge above, looking at him, ho began to converse with me about pray- ing, and reading the Bible; and told me he would give me a six- pence if I would read the third chapter of John, and the third verse three times: 'And Jesus answered and said unto him. Verily, 1 say unto thee, except a man be born again, he can- not see the kingdom of God.' I gave him my promise, took the money, and felt wealthy indeed. I went home, and read as I had promised. That verse produced an uneasiness in my mind, which followed me for days and years ; and finally I was led by its influence, as I trust, to love Jesus as my •Saviour !" "Glory to God!" said the missionary, rising from his seat; " here is one of my spiritual children ; the bread cast on the waters is found after many days !" They took their supper, and talked and sang, and prayed and rejoiced together all night long, neither of them having any disposition to sleep. The missionary found him to be poor in this world's goods, but rich in faith, and an heir of the kingdom. Early in the morning they parted, and the mission ary went his way, inspired with fresh zeal for the prosecution of his holv labours. KEV SAMUEL H. STEAKNS. 1U5 REV. S. STODDARD. This eiiiinent preaclier and writer was the predecessor, at Northampton, of President Edwards. He probably possessed more influence than any other clergyman in the province, dur- ing a period of thirty years. The very savages are said to have felt towards him a peculiar awe. Once, when he was riding from Northampton to Hatfield, and passing a place called Dewey's Hole, an ambush of savages lined the road. It is said that a Frenchman, directing his gun towards him, was warned by one of the Indians, who some time before had been among the English, not to fire, " because that man was the Englishman's God." A similar adventure was reported to have befallen him, while meditating, in an orchard immediately behind the church in Deerfield, a sermon which he was about to preach. REV. SAMUEL H. STEARNS. This young minister, who was cut off in the commence- ment of a highly promising course of usefulness, while yet a student at Andover, formed high and correct views of the mm- istry, and prepared and adopted the following resolutions, which cannot be too strongly commended as a model for others : — I wholly renounce ambition, and self-indulgence, as motives of action. I must be absolutely and entirely devoted to God, in heart and life ; and live not unto myself, but unto him who loved me and died for me. I must glorify God, in the improvement of my own charac- ter, and in doing good to mankind. I will follow my own taste and genius, so far as circumstances allow; and trust in God that his providence will guide mo. 1^' THE AMERICAN CLERGY. I will never intrude myself on the public, or take a conspi- cuous part, without good and important reasons ; nor will I shrink from the exposure when duty calls, but generously go forward, and endeavour to acquit myself with Christian pro- priety. My intercourse with the world, so far as it extends, shall be perfectly honourable, christian, frank, kind, and magnani- mous; — any good attained or done at the expense of this, costs too much. It shall be my pleasure to exert a happy influence on all within the little circle in which I move. I will never be disturbed or diverted from my purpose, by the remarks, conduct and opinions of those who do not know my character or understand my motives ; but will ever maintain that self-possession, freedom, independence, and liberality of feeling which constitute true dignity. Why should we be for ever undoing the work of life? Why should we wish to be just like everybody else ? I will be my- self, and make the best of it. God grant that I may grovv better! REV. G. WHITEFIELD. Every thing about Whitefield commanded attention. His voice, accompanied by his look from crossed eyes, and pro- ceeding from a man of his robust frame, must have produced wonderful effects. It is said that when once preaching in a grave-yard, two young men conducted themselves improperly, when he fixed his eyes upon them, and with a voice resembling thunder said, "Come down, you rebels!" They fell, neither of them being inclined to come into contact with such a look, or to hmr such a voice a^ain. A CITY MIMSTEK. I J>7 A CITY MINISTER. A minister of the Gospel, in one of our Northern cities, some years ago, became deeply impressed with a desire for in- creased usefulness. He thought much upon the most probable means for the accomplishment of this object. The ordinary opportunities of access to his people, by pulpit ministration and customary pastoral visilings, did not satisfy his soul. He longed to lead his flock directly to Christ — to witness a j^reater degree of spirituality among them. At length, he resolved to visit every family, and, as far as practicable, to ascertain the spiritu il condition of each of its members, by personal con- versation upon religious experience. At an appointed time, he entered upon his labours of love. He called on one and an- other of the families of his people — had every household ga- thered — and with much affectionate concern, spoke to them of the necessity of living each day for God and for eternity. His own soul was comforted, and he felt that his labours were not in vain in the Lord. A day or two after he had commenced this heavenly em- ployment, he called at the house of one of his most pious and influential members — a man of wealth. The father was absent at his place of business ; but the mother, an amiable and pious woman, was at home. On making known to the latter liis desire that she should summon her family to the parlour, and acquainting her with his design to speak personally to them — to exhort, admonish, or encourage, as they might need — the mother thanked him with tears of gratitude ; but said : — " I have one request to make of you, sir." What is that?" said the minister. " It is, that you will say nothing to my eldest daughter, Mary, on the subject of religion. I have prayed for that child f<)r years. I have talked to her again and again ; but her 17* IDS THE AMERICATV CLKRGY. heart is set upon vanity. Fashion and the world are predomi* nant in her affections. She has become, of late, exceedingly sensitive to reproof or admonition. Respectful in every other relation, she will not permit me to speak to her on religious subjects, without returning a violence of language entirely unbecoming a daughter. I have determined, therefore, to re- frain from any direct appeal to her, until she shall give evi- dence of greater docility. You will please, therefore, say nothing to Mary, whatever you may say to the others. I should be very sorry to have your feelings injured, as well as my own, by the manner in which I am but too confident she would respond. May God bless your admonition to the rest." In a few moments, the family were gathered in the presence of the minister. Mary sat among them. She had entered with a respectful courtesy, and taken her position at a window upon the street, apparently more interested in what was going on without, than attentive to the conversation within. The minister spoke first to the mother, of her responsibilities and duties; then to a son, a youth of intellect and promise; then to a younger daughter, and so on, until he had administered his kind and fatherly instruction to all — I mean all except Mary. To her he said nothing ; he seemed to be unconscious of her presence. As the tears of tenderness flowed freely from all who parti- cipated in the delightful interview, Mary sat at the window, playing idly with the tasseling of the silk curtains ; her proud spirit refusing the first intimations of sympathetic feeling. The brightness of her eye was undimmed by any gathering tear; the loftiness of her carriage was not for a moment relaxed by the affecting scene before her; and when the minister said, " Let us pray !" she arose not from her seat to bow with the rest, but remained still in her position of scornful unconcern : her delicate fingers toying with the silken fringes of the drapery before her. The ministe** poured out his soul in a fervent A CITY MINISTER. 199 prayer to the throne of grace. Oh ! how earnestly committed he that family to the guardianship of Heaven; referring to them in his supplications individually, and appropriately pre- senting them to the mercy of the Father through the merit of the Son. But he oOered no prayer for Mary. Unconcernedly and proudly, she still played with the silken toys. The prayer ceas(>d — the good man arose. Taking each by the hand, he affectionately gave a parting admonition and invocation ; and bowing coldly to Mary, who as coldly returned his civility, he left the room, and made his way to the entrance of the building. He had scarcely passed the threshold, when the words of the Redeemer, " I am not come to call the righteous, but sin- ners, to repentance," flashed upon his mind. Suddenly paus- ing, he said to himself, " Shall I refuse exertion for any soul, to save which my Master came down from Heaven] Nay; God being my helper, I will return !" Again he stood in the parlour. The family sat just as he had left them, musing upon the things he had spoken. Mary was, to all appearance, still cold and unmoved. With a courage imparted by the Holy Spirit, he walked up to where she sat, and taking her hand in his, said, " It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Shall he save you ?" The rock was smitten ! The waters gushed forth freely and fully ! Mary, proud and scornful as she seemed to be, needed only the word of invitation to bow and weep and pray. Then was heard the bitter cry of "God, be merciful to me, a sinner I" Angels hovered over that little assembly, and ere the descend- innr sun jjave place to the sratherinsr twiljcrht, the shout of con- version ascended to the throne, and there was joy in heaven over the sinner that had repented. •JOO THK AMERICAN CLERGY. The moral of tin's narrative is twofold, and is borne upon its very face. Motliers may learn from it never to despair, and ministers never to falter ! REV. SOLOMON ALLEN. This excellent minister, who laboured in the beginning of this century, first in Hampshire county, and then in the west- ern part of the state of New York, did not commence his ministry till he was fifty years of age. His zeal was irre- pressible, and his disinterestedness exceedingly striking. He endured great hardships, making every possible sacrifice in the pursuit of his great object. And such was the happy effect, that many felt as did one avowed enemy of the gospel : " This is a thing I cannot get along with ; this old gentleman, who can be as rich as he pleases, comes here and does all these things for nothing ; there must be something in his reli- gion." REV. DR. J. M. MASON. Being asked by a physician why he did not give to the world the result of his observations in his frequent travels in different parts of the world. Dr. M. replied, "Alas! what sort of travels can I write? I neither understand the nature of the air I breathe, nor the water I drink, nor the earlh I tread upon ; my life has been appropriated to Divinity.'''' The frankness of this answer was characteristic of this great and nonest man, who long bore the name of the American Paul REV. PRESIDENT EDWARDS. 20 i and may be considered as a rebuke of a class of the clergy not small, who know every thing but the o?ie to which they have professedly devoted their lives. REV. PRESIDENT EDWARDS. The most eminently useful men have been those of the deepest piety. President Edwards's success may be attributed, in a very eminent degree, to this fact. He writes: "Once, as I rode out into the woods, having alighted from my horse, in a •retired place, for divine contemplation and prayer, I had a view, that for me was extraordinary, of the glory of the Son of God, as Mediator between God and man. The person of the Son of God appeared ineffably excellent, with an excel- lency great enough to swallow up all thought and conception. This view continued, as near as I can judge, about an hour, and kept me the greater part of the time in a flood of tears, and weeping aloud. I felt an ardency of soul to be, what I know not otherwise how to express, emptied of self, to lie in the dust, and to be full of Christ alone; to love him with a holy and pure love; to trust in him; to live upon him; to serve and follow him ; and to be perfectly sanctified and made pure, with a divine and heavenly purity." Such passages as these constantly occur in his moral history. Who can wonder that such a man was eminently useful as a preacher? VVhen he preached, it was with a heavenly unc- tion and power that subdued a whole assembly. Many aim to be very intellectual, and avoid the manifestation of deep emo- tion, as if it were allied to weakness; than which nothing can be more untrue. There is in their discourses an affectation of argumentative power. Every thing is viewed by them in the mere light of reason, rafhor fh;in in the soft and mellow ''ghl 202 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. of forvid and holy feeling. We care not how rigid the preach- er's logic; but it must be a logic warmed and vivified by a spirit of deep and earnest piety. The preacher must not be ■professionally pious. He must study the Bible with a constant reference to his own personal wants, and to the sanctification of his own heart. REV. JOHN ELTOT. Some of the Indian chiefs having become the open enemies of the gospel, Mr. Eliot, sometimes called the "Apostle of the American Indians," when in the wilderness, without the com- pany of any other Englishman, was, at various times, treated in a threatening and barbarous manner by some of those men; yet his Almighty Protector inspired him with such resolution, that he said, " I am about the work of the Great God, and my God is with me; so that I fear neither you, nor all the sachems (or chiefs) in the country. I will go on, and do you touch me if you dare." They heard him, and shrunk away. KEV. DR. RODGERS. The wisdom of Dr. John Rodgers, of New York, was in nothing more evident than in his way of opposing error, and in his dislike of persecution. When he was once strongly urged by some of the officers of his church to preach against the errors of a particular sect, and to warn his people against them by name, he firmly refused; saying, "Brethren, you must excuse me ; I cannot reconcile it with my sense either of policy or duty to oppose these people from the pulpit, other REV. DR. MANNING. 20.M wise than by preaching the truth plainly and faithfully. I believe them to be in error ,* but let us out-preach them, out- pray them, and out-live them, and we need not fear." REV. DR. MANNING. In the Rev W. Hague's excellent " Historical Discourse," we meet with the followinor anecdote of Dr. Manning : — It was the delight of Dr. Manning to aid the needy, and to throw the sunshine of Christian sympathy around the path of the afflicted. His knowledge of the world, his courtly man- ners, his christian meekness, combined with great energy of character, enabled him to move at ease with every class of society, and to promote the pood of all. In a recent memoir which forms an elegant tribute to his memory, it is stated, that he enjoyed the confidence of the general commanding in his department, and in one instance in particular, had all the be- nevolent feelings of his heart gratified, even at the last mo- ment, after earnest entreaty, by obtaining from General Sulli- van an order of reprieve for three men of the army, who were sentenced to death by that inexorable tribunal, a Court Mar- tial. The moment he obtained the order revoking the sentence, he mounted his horse at the general's door, and bv pushing him to his utmost speed, arrived at the place of execution at the instant the last act had begun, which was to precipitate them into eternity. With a voice which none could disobey, he commanded the execution to stay, and delivered the <'-eneral's order to the officer of the guard. The joy of the attending crowd seemed greater than that of the subjects of mercy : ihey were called so suddenly to life, from the last verge of death, they did not, for a moment, feel that it was a reality 20A TIIK AMERICAN CLEKGI. REV. D. TINSLEY. Time was, when, under other government, persecution was rile in our h\nd. The Rev, David Tinsley was born in Vir- ginia, about i749. He preached with Samuel Harris, the Virginia apostle, and Jeremiah Walker, and as the result, was imprisoned four months and sixteen days, in the winter season, in Chesterfield jail. Through the grates of his prison he pro- claimed the Saviour to hundreds who came to listen. Hit. enemies burned red pepper and tobacco in order to suffocate him, but he continued to preach. REV. DR. COKE. This eminent minister, who to a very great extent obeyed the Divine command, " Go ye, and preach the gospel to every creature," extended his labours to the most distant parts of the earth, and preached in the greatest variety of situations, and under the most varied circumstances. At Raleigh, the seat of government for North Carolina, he obtained the use of the House of Assembly ; the members of both houses attended, and the speaker's scat served for a pulpit. At Annapolis, he occupied the theatre. " Pit, boxes, and gallery," says he, "were filled with people, according to their ranks in life; and I stood upon the stage, ?nd preached to them, though at first, I confess, I felt a little awkward." But preaching in I he Tores's delighted Coke the mc^st. " It is," said he, " one of my most delightful entertainments, to embrace every opportunity of engulfing myself, if I may so express it, in the woods : I seem then to be detached from every thing but tli' quiet vegetable creation,, and my God. REV. DR. CHAPLIX. 205 Sometimes a most noble vista, of half a mile or a mile m length, would open between the lofty pines ; sometimes the lender fawns and hinds would suddenly appear, and on seeing or hearing us, would glance through the woods, or vanish away. The deep green of the pines, the bright transparent green of the vales, and the fine white of the dogwood flowers, with other trees and shrubs, form such a complication of beau- ties, and is indescribable to those who have lived in countries that are almost entirely cultivated." The manner of tracing the preacher was curious ; when a new circuit in the woods was formed, at every turning of the road or path, the preacher split two or three bushes, as a di- rection for those that came after him, and notice was sent round to the neighbourhood at what place he was going to preach. REV. DR. CHAPLIN. It is related of the late Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Chaplin, as an illustration of his unwearied industry, that while he was yet a student at Brown University, a neighbouring clergyman made some inquiries into the peculiarities and merits of Dr. Hop- kins' Body of Divinity, then just published, and was answerer!, *' Ask Chaplin, he can tell you." Dr. Pattison, in his funeral oration, says that he acted to the fullest extent on the maxim, " Never to ask another to do that for him which he could do for himself." 18 206 THE A3IEKICAN CI.KKliV. REV. DR. RICE. The Rev. Dr. John PI. Rice was an eminently distinguisheH Presbyterian minister in Virginia, and for some years editor of the Evangelical and Literary Magazine. After his death, which occurred in 1831, a series of resolutions intended to govern his conduct was found, among which were the following: — "Never spare person, property or reputation, if I can do good ; necessary that I should die poor. Endeavour to feel kindly to every one ; never indulge anger, envy, or jealousy towards any human being. Endeavour to act so as to advance the present comfort, the intellectual improvement, and the purity and moral good of my fellow-men." REV. DR. PAYSON. Never has the ruling passion been more strongly exempli- fied in the hour of death than in the case of this excellent mi- nister. His love for preaching was as invincible as that of the miser for gold, who dies grasping his treasure. He directed a label to be attached to his breast when dead, with the admo- nition, " Remember the words which I spake unto you while I was yet present with you ;" that they might be read by ail who came to look at his corpse, and by which he, being dead, still spoke. The same words were, at the request of his peo- ple, engraved on the plate of the cofhn, and read by thousands on the day of his interment. REV. DR. BYLES. 207 REV. JOHN SHEPHERD. Of one of the eminent men bearing this name, it is recorded that he was greatly distinguished for his success in the pulpit. When on his death-bed he said to some young ministers who were present, " The secret of my success is in these three things : — " 1. The studying of my sermons very frequently costs me tears. " 2. Before I preached a sermon to others I derived good from it myself " 3. I have always gone into the pulpit as if I were immedi- ately after to render an account to my Master." All who knew that devoted man would have united in express- ing his secret in three words — " In the closet." REV. DR. BYLES. Dr. Mather Byles, of Boston, in a period of great politi- cal excitement, was asked why he did not preach politics. He replied, " I have thrown up four breast-works, behind which I have entrenched myself; neither of which can be forced. In the first place, I do not understand politics ; in the second place, you all do, every one of you ; in the third place, you have politics all the week — pray, let one day in seven be de- voted to religion ; in the fourth place, I am engaged in a work of infinitely greater importance. Give me anv subject to preach on, of more consequence than the truths I brinor to you. and 1 will preach on it the next Sabbath." 208 THE AMERICAN CLERGY, REV. DR. DWIGHT. Every year's experience, in the ministry of this country, shows the vast importance of scriptural exposition. Let min- isters be encouraged to discharge this duty, from the advan- tages derived from it, as stated by Dr. Dwight. He says, " I took up the practice of expounding the Scriptures, when I was a minister of a parish. I never was thanked so much for any other sermons as for those. For this reason, I think it is necessary to explain the plainer truths of the Scripture, as well as the more intricate." REV. DR. NOTT. The following extract, from the Norwich (Conn.) Courier, February, 1848, while it shows the deserved respect due to a venerable Christian minister, will be read with interest, " for a good while to come :" — On Monday, of last week, the people of Franklin, Conn., to the number of nearly one hundred and fifty, made their aiinual visit to their venerable pastor, the Rev. Dr. Nott. They have, for a number of years, celebrated his birthday in a similar manner. The doctor having reached the very advanced age of ninety. four years on Sunday, the 23d of January, his parishioners fixed upon the Monday following for their anni- versary occasion. The day being propitious, at an early hour the old time- honoured mansion was filled with happy, warm-hearted friends, of every age, from the octogenarian to the child of a year, embracing whole families as well as solitary individuals, and including not only those who were upon the stage sixty-six A POPULAR MFNISTEK. 209 years ago, but the contemporaries also to the sixth generation , all commingling in happy groups, each anxious to salute and honour their devoted pastor, whose birthday had brought them together. For all this long period he has officiated statedly, without the aid of a colleague, and has been kept from the pulpit bur, eleven Sundays, through indisposition. We think a like case can hardly be found, in which so great an amount of ministe- rial labour has been performed, by 'the same individual, for so long a period. A POPULAR MINISTER. An eminent and deservedly popular preacher contmued, after his introduction to the pastoral office, to live in the free and generous manner to which he had been previously accus- tomed, and in which his pecuniary circumstances allowed him to indulge. His table contained every thing to stimulate and to gratify the appetite. He had soon to complain of headache, giddiness, and other like symptoms. After suffering in mind and body for a length of time, he was led to the philosophical examination of his own case ; and the conclusion to which he came was, that he must entirely change his mode of living, or pay a heavy penalty in the loss of health, or perhaps life itself. On this conviction he acted; and he says: "I soon lost all relish for wine or porter, or any thing of the kind ; and I now regard them with dislike, if not with positive loathing; and for tea or cofflee, I have no lontjer the least appetite. I now relish plain food with a greater zest than I ever did highly seasoned dishes, when my taste was perverted by unnatural stimulants, and yet I eat as great or a greater variety than I then did, I now enjoy that perfect health, buoyancy of spirits, and corpo- 18*" " 210 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. real and mental energy to which I was ever before a stranger; and no inducement on earth can have sufficient influence to cause me to return to my former mode of living, for I regard It almost with horror." REV. DR. PORTER. It was one of the excellent resolutions of the late Dr. Porter, of Andover, that he would never identify^ nor by his example, tempt others to identify religion with 7nela?icholy ; " for," says he, " if I were to paint a Pharisee, I should give him a sad countenance ; but if an angel or my Saviour, a cheerful one. The fact that painters, who are strangers to vital godli- ness, so generally, in representing Christ, give him the aspect of sadness, I will endeavour to make instructive to myself." A MISSIONARY TO THE INDIANS. Sir William Phips, a governor of New England, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, was a man of great Christian excellence. He maintained a missionary to the In- dians, and that missionary was of the right kind. When the ired him to come and preach to them. To this he would by no means consent, without an express invitation I'rom the pastor, and of that he had little hope. But there happened to be a desert spot on the borders of the town, where religious meetings were seldom held, and where the influence of the pastor did not particularly extendi When he was made acquainted with the fact, he said that he had no objection to go there and hold a few evening meetings with them. He went, and, without exciting observation, held several religious meetings. In a short time, a number of the youth were under deep conviction for sin. As soon as he perceived the joyful appearance, he requested all who were under serious impres- sions to meet with him the next day, informing them that he had something of an important nature, which he wished to communicate. When they had all met, he advised the young ladies to go that same evening to their pastor, and ask his counsel respecting the present state of their minds ; and the voung men he advised to go the evening following, for the same purpose. They all did as he had prudently directed them ; and the effect was so powerfully electric, that the sloth- ful pastor rose up at once, went to work with all his might, j)reached and laboured with assiduous energy, and was the favoured agent in reaping a glorious harvest of souls. As soon as the pastor got thus fairly to work, Dr. N. retired. The pastor ever remained a faithful and useful man. AGED CLERGYMEN. A YOUNG " divine" said to an old preacher : — " How does it liappen that you write but one sermon a week ? I preach three new sermons every Sabbath. I could write a sermon every day in the week, and make nothing of it." TWO CLERGYMKN. 245 " No doubt ; precisoly nothing^^ was the reply : " but that is exactly what I wish to avoid. I labour to make som£thing of my sermons." The following advice was once given from an aged minister to a young one : — With respect to your conduct in the house of worship, I have a word or two to say to you. If you happen to make a blun- der in prayer or preaching, don't stop to rectify it, but go boldly on ; for, 'tis ten to one, if a single person in the whole church be listening to a word you say : but, if you stop and go back to the word, and begin to hum and haw, the hearers will immediately prick up their ears, and whisper to one another, "Ah! the minister's out, the minister's out;" and thus you'll be exposed to ridicule. TWO CLERGYMEN. VVhile we must lament the existence of difTerences of opinion tending to destroy intercourse and fellowship among brethren, it becomes us to respect the rights of conscience, wherever they exist. There is a lesson conveyed in the fol- lowing fact, although it is adapted to create a smile : — An Episcopal clergyman resided in the immediate neigh- bourhood of a reverend pastor of a Baptist church. Their intercourse was kind, and they occasionally occupied each other's desk. The Baptist asked his Episcopal brother to address his people, one Lord's-day morning, to which he acceded. As they sat at dinner, after the sermon, the Baptist minister was evidently unhappy ; and the Episcopalian at 2\* 246 THE AMERICAN CLERGV. length elicited the fact, that this Sabbath was the time when the Baptists celebrated the Lord's Supper, and that his brother was grieving that he could not invite him to commune with them. "Oh," said his visitor, "don't let that distress you ; perhaps you are not aware that, bemg an Episcopalian, I do not consider you ordained, and therefore could not receive the Lord's Supper at your hands." Each was amused, and each respected the conscience of his friend. REV. DR. FURMAN. The late Rev. Dr. Furman, of Charleston, S. C, was once present in a small company of brethren who had assembled to dine with a common friend, when the usual style by which they addressed each other was the affectionate appellation of " brother." Those present were very exact in using this mode of address. While their convei^sation was progressing, and they were freely " brothering" each other, there came in an aged coloured woman, well known for her piety and good character. The brethren present saluted her, one in this man- ner and another in that ; as, " Well, old woman ;" " How do, Clarinda?" and so on. When she came to Dr. F., he leaned forward, extended to her his hand, and said, "How do you do, sister Clarinda?" He probably designed this as a gentle reproof to those present, who did not seem to recognize the true equa- lity in which all stand who belong to the family of Christ. REV. DR. POND. 247 REV. DR. POND. There is something so truly noble in the following hand- some apology, from the pen of the Rev. Dr. Pond, that we rannot forbear to record it on our pages. Would that all of us were found to breathe the same spirit ! " I am happy in the opportunity thus afforded me, of paying what I conceive to be a merited tribute to the high missionary character of Dr. Judson. It will be recollected by many who read this article, that' soon after his change of sentiments, and the publication of his sermon on the subject of baptism, I pub- lished a reply to the sermon ; in the introduction to which, some things were said, impeaching the motives of Dr. J., and implicating to some extent his Christian character. In the statements there made, I had the concurrence of the then mem- bers of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and of most of the Congregational ministers and Christians of that day. But, in view of the course since pur- sued by Dr. J., his labours and sufferings, his zeal, his con- stancy, his well-directed and successful efforts in the best of causes, and especially after the explanations he has made of some things which, at the time of his change, were regarded by many as mysterious, I think no one can question the purify of his motives, or the distinguished excellence and devotedness of his Christian character. From the later editions of my work on Baptism, I have expunged every thing which could be interpreted as disreputable to Dr. J. I have long followed him, in what I have known of his studies and labours, with deep interest, and regard him as entitled to stand among the foremost of living missionaries." 249 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. DRS. COOPER AND CHAUNCEY. Dr. CoorER, who was a man of accomplished manners, and fond of society, was able, by the aid of his fine talents, to dis- pense with some of the severe study that others engaged in. This, however, did not escape the envy and malice of the world ; and it was said, with a kind of petulant and absurd exaggeration, that he used to walk to the South End on Satur- day, and, if he saw a man riding into town in a black coat, would stop and ask him to preach the next day. Dr. Chauncey was a close student, very absent and irrita- ble. On these traits in the character of the clergyman, a ser- vant of Dr. Chauncey laid a scheme to obtain a particular object from his master. Scipio went into his master's study, one morning, to receive some directions, which the doctor hav- ing given, resumed his writing; but the servant still remained. The master, looking up a few minutes afterward, and suppos- ing he had just come in, said, "Scipio, what do you want?" " I want a new coat, massa." " Well, go to Mrs. C, and tell her to give you one of my old coats ;" and was again absorbed in study. The servant remained fixed. After a while, the doctor, turning his eyes that way, saw him again, as if for the first time, and said, "What do you want, Scipio?" " I want a new coat, massa." " Well, go to my wife, and ask her to give you one of my old coats;" and fell to writing once more. Scipio remained in the same posture. After a few minutes, the doctor looked toward him and repeated the former question, "Scipio, what do you want?" "I want a new coat, massa." It now flashed over the doctor's mind, that there was something of repetition in this dialogue. " Why, have I not told you before to ask Mrs. Chauncey to give you a coat? Get away." "Yes, massa ; but I no want a black coat." "Not want a black coat! And why not?" "Why, TWO 3IINISTERS. '249 massa, 1 Traid to tell you ; but I don't wnni a black coat." "What's the reason you don't want a black coat? Tell me, directly." " Oh, nnassa ! I don't want a black coat ; but I Traid to tell the reason, you so passionate." " You rascal, will you tell me the reason?" "Oh, massa ! I'm sure you be angry." " If r had my cane, you villain, I'd break your bones. Will you tell me what you mean ?" " I Traid to tell you, massa ; I know you be angry." The doctor's impatience was now highly irritated. Scipio perceiving, by his glance at the tongs, that he might find a substitute for the cane, and that he was sufficiently excited, said, "Well, massa, you make me tell, but I know you be angry ; / y'raidj massa, if I ivear another black coat. Dr. Cooper ask me to go preach for him /" This unexpected termination realized the negro's calculation. His irritated master burst into a laugh. " Go, you rascal, get my hat and cane, and tell Mrs. Chauncey she may give you a coat of any colour ; a red one, if you choose." Away went the negro to his mistress, and the doctor to tell the story to his friend, Dr. Cooper. TWO MINISTERS. The following fact, from the pen of a writer in the New- buryport Herald, contains an important truth, which our edu- cated ministers should well understand : — I recollect listening, when a boy, to a conversation between two Baptist clergymen ; the one an uneducated, but valuable extemporaneous speaker ; the other an educated man, and a writer of beautiful, clear, and logical sermons, but notorious for the hesitancy which he manifested whenever he attempted to preach " without notes." " How is it, brother L.," said the latter, • that you, without education, a-e able to fret up, af -i 250 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. moment's warning, and speak so well, while I just as certainly fail as I attempt it?" " Well, brother S., I'll tell you. You're just like a rich farmer, who goes into his tool-house to get a hoe, and tinds so many there that it takes him half an hour to pick out the best ; and, as likely as not, after all, goes off in a hurry with a poor one ; while I'm just like one of his men who hires out by the day, and comes in the morning to the corn-field, all ready for work, uitli his old hoe on his shoulder. ''"' The thoroughly educated man very often fails as an extempo- raneous speaker, from the mere excess of thought and good taste ; while a man without education, and sometimes with scarcely brains enough to furnish the head of a clever parrot, " goes off" in a steady stream of words, as if he were a rain- spout in a thunder-storm. " Many a full barrel of cider," once said a witty friend of mine, " runs slower than a nearly empty one, which runs all the faster when so nearly out that it has to be propped up behind." REV. DR. STAUGHTON. One Saturday afternoon, as Dr. Staughton was preparing for the pulpit services of the following day, a stranger called at his study, and introduced himself as " the Rev. Mr. John- son." He had no credentials, except a copy of the Minutes of an Association, in which his name was given in such a con- nection as to satisfy the Doctor, that in "his own country" he was " not without honor." In the course of conversation it became apparent that Mr. J. would be tvilling^ if invited, to preach at least a part of the day, even in Sansom street. The Doctor did not feel very well, and was desirous to preserve his strength, as far as possible, for his evening lectuie, which, as many remember, was uniformly attended by admiring crowds. REV. DR. STAUGHTON. 251 Me the>>efore rec^uested the " strange brother" to take the morn- ing service, and received the prompt assurance that his wish should be gratified. Tradition has j)i'eserved no account of that "morning service," except the fact that the preacher was heard. His voice filled not only that spacious house, but a circle of much larger radius. As the Doctor was passing out, one of the deacons asked him what he thought of the stranger. " Oh, he is sounds he is very soand^'' was the significant reply. On Monday morning, Mr. J. requested the Doctor to give him a letter of introduction to the Rev. Mr. Healy, of Balti- more. The good man was too kind to refuse altogether, and too conscientious to recommend a person of whom he knew so little. He therefore gave the applicant the following letter: Philadelphia, , , Dear Brother Healy. — The bearer, who says his name is JcJhnson, and says also that he is a Baptist preacher, desires me to introduce him to your acquaintance. He cried aloud and spared not in my pulpit yesterday, and if you should find it convenient to let him preach for you, he will lift up his voice among you. Ever affectionately, W. Staughton. Dr. Staughton cultivated a due regard to ministerial etiquette and yet it was always so exhibited as to show that it was a spontaneous effusion of religious affection. Rather than wound the feelings, or disregard the official dignity of the plainest minister of the gospel, he would violate the fastidious taste of a whole church and congregation. Men of the most ordinary talents and acquirements, but honoured by their respective churches, he admitted to his pulpit as fully equal to himself, and worthy of all fellowship and esteem. In a position like that of Sansom Street, there would almosl ntxcssarily be a number of supernumerary ministers. By this 252 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. we mean ministers wlio have no pastorships. One is a teacli- er — another an edit )r — a third something else. All preach- ing as often as opportunity afforded, hut none supported by, and therefore not devoted to the ministry. Among those at the time of which we now speak, there was one in Sansom Street church, known as Father Strawbridge. This was a vcrv worthy old gentleman, and a very acceptable preacher; but he was never willing to occupy the Doctor's pulpit, even in the greatest emergency, for fear he might not meet the expecta- tions of the audience, and thus, contrary to his best wishes, in- jure the cause he designed to promote. Here is the way in which the Doctor managed Father Straw- bridge : One Sunday, when the Doctor had to preach four ser- mons, he determined to apply to the old gentleman to sup))ly his pulpit in the afternoon, when the audience was smallest, and composed chiefly of religious persons. So he went to him, and said: "Brother Strawbridge, can you do me the favour to preach this afternoon to some coloured people for me? If you can, you will very much oblige me, as my duties are very hard to-day, and T am quite indisposed." "With a great deal of pleasure. Doctor," replied the venerable old man ; " you know I am always willing to render you any service in my power." " Very well," rejoined the Doctor ; " I shall then rely on you ; and you will find the place and the hearers in the following man- ner : Just pass through the vestry of Sansom Street church, ascend the flight of stairs to the right — go into the pulpit — and you will see some coloured people in the gallery on your right hand. I wish you to preach to them one of your plain, affec- tionate, gospel sermons, telling them of Jesus Christ and his izreat salvation." The old gentleman complied with the request. It is not ne- cessary to state that the white people who sal below all heard It, and were probably as much edified as if the sermon had been preached exclusive ly to themselves. REV. DR. I'AYSON. 253 REV. DR. PAYSON. The Ruv. Dr. Payson being once asked what message tie would send to the young men who were studying for the min- istry, in one of the colleges, thus addressed them: — "What if God should place in your hand a diamond, and tell you to inscribe on it a sentence which should be read at the last day, and shown there as an index of your thoughts and feelings ! What care, what caution, would you exercise in the selection ! Now, this is what God has done : he has placed before you immortal minds, more imperishable than the diamond, on which you are about to inscribe, every day, and every hour, by your instructions, by your spirit, or by your example, something which will remain, and be exhibited for or against you, at the judgment-day." Dr. Payson seems to have touched the right string, when, writing to a young clergyman, he says : — " Some time since, I took up a little work, purporting to be the lives of sundry characters, as related by themselves. Two of those charac- ters agreed in saying that they were never happy until they had ceased striving to be great men. This remark struck me, as you know the most simple remarks will strike us, when heaven pleases. It occurred to me at once, that most of mv sorrows and sufferings were occasioned by an unwillingness to be the nothing which I am, and by consequent struggles to be something. I saw if I would hut cease struggling, and con- sent to be any thing, or nothing, just as God pleases, I might be happy. You will think it strange that I mention this as a new discovery^ In one sense, it was not new; I have known ^t for years. But I now saw it in a new light. My heart ■'i">4 TfIL AMERICAN CLERGY. saw it, and consented to it; and I am comparatively happy. My dear brother, if you can give up all desire to be great, and feel heartily willing to be nothing, you will be happy too." REV. JOHN ELIOT. The attachment of the Rev. John Eliot, usually called the "Apostle to the Indians," to peace and union among Christians, was exceedingly great. When he heard ministers complain that some in their congregations were too difficult for them, the substance of his advice would be, " Brother, compass them !" " Brother, learn the meaning of those three little words — bear, forbear, forgive." His love of peace, indeed, almost led him to sacrifice right itself. When a bundle of papers was laid before an assembly of ministers, which con- tained the particulars of a contention between parties who he thought ought at once to be agreed, he hastily threw them into the fire, and said, " Brethren, wonder not at what I have done; I did it on my knees, this morning, before I came among you." The piety, personal and relative, of this holy man, was very distinguished, and he was always zealous in promoting the same spirit among others. When he was informed of any public news, he would say, " Brethren, let us turn all this into prayer." When he paid a visit to his friends, he used to say, "Come, let us not have a visit without prayer; let us pray down the blessing of heaven before we go." And whenever he was in the company of ministers, he said, " Brethren, the Lord Jesus takes notice of what is said and done among min- isters ; come, let us pray before we part." And at the end of REV. DR. LATHROP. 255 his Indian Grammar, he records this memorable sentence; " Prayer and pains, through faith in Christ Jesus, can do any thing." REV. DR. LATHROP. The hite Rev. Dr. Lathrop was a man of genuine piety, f)ut was greatly opposed to the noisy zeal which seeks commenda- tion by constantly talking about it. A young divine, who was much given to religious cant, one day said to him, " Do vou suppose, sir, you have any real religion ?" The good doctor admirably replied, "None to speak of." 'J'his eminent man seems to have possessed considerable talent for administering reproof, as the following facts will show : — He once engaged a young man to preach for him, who un- Ibrtunately delivered a sermon which had very little connection with his text. The day after its delivery, the author of it called on the doctor to ascertain its merits. " Well," said he, m answer to the anxious inquiry of his young friend, " your sermon was well enough ; but if your text had had the small- pox, your sermon would not have caught it." On another occasion, a neighbouring minister, not much distinguished for eloquence, had engaged to deliver a .ecture for him. The hour for the service came, but not the lecturer, fhe doctor went through the preliminary services, and then sat down to await the arrival of his tardy brother. After an in- terval of a few minutes, he made his appearance, and walked '256 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. to the place where the doctor was sitting. It happened to be a rainy day ; and the minister of whom we are speaking, hav- ing got somewhat of a drenching, began to shake his coat, and express his sorrow for the condition he was m. ". Oh," said the doctor, " never mind ; go up into the pulpit ; you'll be dry enough there." A PERSECUTING CLERGYMAN. It has not unfrequenlly happened that the laity have been wiser than their clergy, and have been qualified to administer reproof to them. Here is an illustration. Soon after the late Dr. Rodgers reached Williamsburg, in Virginia, then a British colony, one of the established clergymen of Hanover appeared with him before Sir William Gooch, the lieutenant-governor^ and complained that this young gentleman, before going (o Williamsburg, had preached one sermon in Hanover, contrary to law, urging Sir William to proceed against him with rigour. Sir William's reply did equal honour to his religious senti- ments and his official liberality : — " Mr. , I am surprised at you ! You profess to be a minister of Jesus Christ, and yet come to complain of a man, and wish me to punish him, for preaching the gospel! For shame, sir! Go home, and mind your own duty ! For such a piece of conduct, you deserve to have your gown stripped over your shoulders." BISHOP GEORGE. 257 BISHOP GEORGE. An ii^red traveller, worn and weary, vvas gently urging on iUS tired beast, just as the sun was dropping behind the range ot" hills that bounds the horizon of Springfield, Ohio. It was a sultry August evening, and he had journeyed a distance of twenty-five miles since morning, his pulse throbbing under the influence of a burning sun. At Fairfield, he had been hospi- tably entertained by one who had recognised the veteran sol- dier of the cross, and who had ministered to him for his Mas- ter's sake, of the benefits he himself had receivisd from the hand " which feedeth the young lions when they lack ;" and he travelled on, refreshed in spirit. But many a weary mile had he journeyed over since then ; and now, as the evening shades darkened around, he felt the burden of age and toil heavy upon him, and he desired the pleasant retreat he had pictured to himself when that day's pilgrimage should be accomplished. It was not long before the old man checked his tired animal at the door of the anxiously looked-for haven of rest. A mid- dle-aged woman was at hand, to whom he mildly applied for accommodations for himself and horse. " I don't know," said she, coldly, after scrutinizing for some time the appearance of the traveller, vvhich was not the most promising, "that we can take you in, old man. You seem tired, however, and I'll see if the minister of the circuit, who is here to-night, will let you lodge with him." The young circuit preacher soon made his appearance, and, swaggering up to the old man with great consequence, ex- amined him for some moments inquisitively ; then asked a few impertinent questions; and, finally, after adjusting his hair half a dozen times, feeling his smoothly-shaven chin as often consented that the stranger should share his bed for the niijht^ und, turning upon his heel, entered the house. 2oS THE AMERICAN CLERGY. The traveller, aged and weary as he was, dismounted, and led his faithful animal to the stable, where, with his own hands, he rubbed him down, watered him, and gave him food, and then entered the mansion where he had expected so much kind- ness. A Methodist family resided in the house, and as the circuit preacher was to be there that day, great preparations were made to entertain him ; and a number of the Methodist young ladies of the neighbourhood had been invited, so that quite a party met the eyes of the stranger as he entered, not one of whom took the slightest notice of him, and he wearily sought a vacant chair in the corner, out of direct observation, but where he could observe all that was going on ; and his anxious eyes showed that he was no careless observer of what was transpiring around him. The young minister played his part with all the frivolity and foolishness of a city beau, and nothing like religion came from his lips. Now he was chattering and bandying senseless compliments with this young lady, and then engaged in trifling repartee with another, who was anxious to seem interesting in his eyes. The stranger, after an hour, during which no refreshments had been prepared for him, asked to be shown to his room, to which he retired unnoticed, grieved and shocked at the conduct of the family and minister. Taking from his saddle-bags a well-worn Bible, he seated himself in a chair, and was soon buried in thought, holy and elevating, and had food to eat which those who passed by him in pity and scorn dreamed not of. Hour after hour passed away, and no one came to invite the old worn-down traveller to partake of the luxurious supper which was served below. Towards eleven o'clock the minister came up stairs, and, without pause or prayer, hastily threw off his clothes, and got into the middle of a small bed, which was to be the resting- place of the old man as well as himself. A Her a while the BISHOP GEORGE. 2o9 aged stranger rose up, and after partially disrobing himself, knelt down, and remained many minutes in fervent prayer. The earnest breathing out of his soul soon arrested fhe atten- tion of the young preacher, who began to feel some few re proofs of conscience for his own neglect of duty. The old man now rose from his knees, and after slowly undressing himself, got into bed, or rather upon the edge of the bed, for the young preacher had taken possession of the centre, and would not, voluntarily, move an inch. In this uncomfortable position the stranger lay for some time in silence. At length the youngest of the two made a remark, to which the elder replied in a style and manner that arrested his attention. On this he removed over an inch or two, and made more room. " How far have you come to-day, old man?" " Thirty-five miles." " From where ?" " From Springfield." " Ah, indeed 1 You must be tired after so long a journey for one of your age." " Yes, this poor old body is much worn down by long and constant travel, and I feel that the journey of to-day has exhausted me much." j The young minisier moved over a little. I "You do not belong to Springfield, then?" 1 " No ; I have no abiding place." " How ?" " I have no continuing city. My home is beyond this vale of tears." Another move of the minister. " How far have you tra- velled on your present journey ?" " From Philadelphia." "From Philadelphia! (In evident surprise.) The Methodisl 260 TH-E AMERICAN CLEKGY. (-eiioral Conference was in session there a short time since had it broken up when you left?" " It adjourned the day before I started." " Ah, indeed !" moving still farther towards the front side of the bed, and allowing the stranger more accommodation. " Had Bishop George left when you came out?" " Yes, he started at the same time I did ; we left in com- pany." " Indeed !" Here the circuit preacher relinquished a full half of the bed, and politely requested the stranger to occupy a larger space. " How did the bishop look ? He is getting old and feeble, is he not ?" " He carries his age tolerably well ; but his labour is a hard one, and he begins to show signs of failing strength." " He is expected this way in a week or two ; how glad shall I be to shake hands with the old veteran of the cross ! But you say you left in company with the old man ; how far did yon come together?" "We travelled alone for a long distance." "You travelled alone with the bishop ?" "Yes, we have been intimate for years." "You intimate with Bishop George?" "Yes, why not?" " Bless me ! Why did I not know that ! But may I be so bold as to inquire your name?" After a moment's hesitation, the stranger replied, "George." " George ! Not Bishop George ?" " They call me Bishop George," meekly replied the old man. "Why — bless me, Bishop George!" exclaimed the now abashed preacher, springing from the bed, '■'•You have had 710 -iiqyper! I will instantly call up the family. Why did you not tell us who you were?' BISHOP GEORGE. 261 " Stop, stop, my friend," said the bishop gravely. " I want no sup})er here, and should not have eaten any had it been got for me. If an old man, toil-worn and weary, fainting with travelling through all the long summer day, was not considered worthy of a iueal by this family, who profess to have set up the altar of God in their house, Bishop George surely is not. He is at best but a man, and has no claims beyond those of" common humanity." A night of severer mortification the young minister had never experienced. The bishop kindly admonished him, and warned him of the great necessity there was of his adorning the doctrines of Christ, by tbilowing him sincerely and hum- bly. Gently, but earnestly, he endeavoured to win him back from his wanderincrs of heart, and direct him to trust more in God, and less in his own strength. In the morning the bishop prayed with him long and fer- vently before he left the chamber ; and was glad to see his heart melted into contrition. Soon after the bishop descended, and was met by the heads of the family with a thousand sin- cere apologies. He mildly silenced them, and asked to have his horse brought out. The horse was accordingly soon in readiness, and the bishop, taking up his saddle-bags, was pre- paring to depart. " But surely, bishop," urged the distressed matron, " you will not thus leave us? Wait a few minutes; breakfast is on the table." "No, sister L , I cannot take breakfast here; you did not consider a poor toil-worn traveller worthy of a meal ; and your bishop has no claim but such as humanity urges." And thus he departed, leaving the family and minister in confusion and sor''ow. He did not act thus from resentment, for no such emotion rose in his heart ; but he desired to teach them a lesson, such as they would not easily forge^ Six months from this time the Ohio Annual Conference met 26 i THE AMERICAN CLERGY. lit Cincinnati, and the young minister was to present himself for ordination as a deacon ; and Bishop George was to be the presiding bishop. On the first day of the assembling of Conference, our young minister's heart sunk within him, as he saw the venerable bi shop take his seat. So great was his grief and agitation, tha. he was soon obliged to leave the room. That evening, as the bishop was seated alone in his chamber, the Rev. Mr.- was announced, and he requested him to be shown up. 7^he bishop grasped the young man by the hand with a cor- diality which he did not expect, for he had made careful in- quiries, and found that since they had met before, a great change had been wrought in him. He was now as humble as he was before self-sufficient and worldly-minded. As a father would have received a disobedient and repentant child, so did this good man receive his erring but contrite brother. They mingled their tears together, while the young preacher wept as*, a child, even upon the bosom of his spiritual father. At tlia' session he was ordained, and became one of the most pioui and useful ministers in the Ohio Conference. TWO YOUNG MINISTERS. Two young men entered the ministry at the same time. One of them had great success in the conversion of sinners, the other had none. Meeting one day, the one inquired of the other how this fact was to be accounted for. " Why," replied the other, " the reason is, that I aim at a different end in preaching from you. My object is to convert sinners, but you aim at no such thing. And then you go and lay it to sove- reiontv in God, that you do not produce the same ef!ect, when you never aim '\\. it. Here, ^1ke one of mv sermons, and REV. DR. BELLAMY. 263 preach it to your people, and see what the effect will be." The other minister did so, and preached the sermon, and it pro- duced effect. He was frightened when sinners began to weep ; and when one came to him after the meeting to ask what ho should do, the minister apologized to him, and said, " 1 did not aim toward you ; 1 am sorry if 1 have hurt your feelings." REV. DR. BELLAMY. Holy activity in the cause of God, and caring for the souls of men, has ever been found by ministers, as well as by more private Christians, the best remedy against mental dejection. The Rev. Dr. Bellamy, of Bethlehem, Conn., whose eminence for piety and talents must long live, was often subject to great anxiety of mind, when he was filled with the impression that he was certainly going to hell. At such times, his ministerial brethren visited him, and endeavoured to relieve his mind ; but all experiments having failed, one of them said to him, ' Well, doctor, it may be that, after all, your convictions con- cerning yourself are true, and that you will certainly go to hell ; but have you thought what you will do when you get there? how you will spend your time?" The doctor instantly caught up the inquiry, " What will I do when I get there I Why, I will set up prayer-meetings, and vindicate the law of God !" " But," replied his friend, " the devil will not have you there, if you engage in such employments." This had the happy effect of showing him that he had no sympathies for the employment of hcH. and that his heart was united to the cause of God. 204 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. A young clergyman once visited the good old doctor, to propose the inquiry, "What shall I do to supply myself with matter for my sermons?" The doctor quaintly replied, "Fill up the cask, Jill zip the cask, fill up the cask ; and then, if you tap it anywhere, you will get a good stream. But if you put in but little, it will dribble, dribble, dribble, and you must tip^ tip, tip, and then you get but little, after all." TWO CLERGYMEN. A FEW years since, two New England divines were con- versing together respecting the various theories concerning the origin of sin, when a lady who was present interrupted them, saying, "It seems to me that it would be far better for minis- ters, instead of puzzling themselves to know how sin entered into the ivorld, to unite their efforts and try how much of it, with God's blessing, they can drive out." " You remind mo, madam," said one of the clergymen, " of my aged deacon, who, after listening to a sermon in which I had endeavoured to explain why God suffered sin to enter the world, being asked what he thought of my theory, shook his head, and said, ' Ah, sir! all J know about it is, I am a sinner, and I wish I wasn't 1' " REV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD. We transcribe the following anecdote from a recent English publication, in which it is said to have been related to a gen- tleman in New Y^ork, by an individual still living, v/ho was then a hoarder in Dr. Finley's family. It will be remembered REV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD. 265 by our readers how exactly Whitefield's death llilfillcd his pre- diction : — In the last visit but one which Mr. Whitefield paid to Ame- rica, he spent a day or two at Princeton, under the roof of the Rev. Dr. Finley, then president of the college at that place. At dinner, the doctor said, " Mr. Whitefield, I hope it will he very long before you will be called home; but when that event shall arrive, I should be glad to hear the noble testimony you will bear for God." Whitefield replied, " You would be dis- appointed, Doctor; I shall die silent. It has pleased God to enable me to bear so many testimonies for him during my life, that he will require none from me when I die. No, no I It is your dumb Christians, that have walked in fear and darkness, and therebv been unable to bear a testimony for God durinir their lives, that he compels to speak out for him on their death- beds." A short time before the death of Mr. Whitefield, the Rev. W. Tennent paid him a visit, as he was passing through New Jer- sey; and one day dined with him and several other minist(M'.-5, at a gentleman's house. Arter dinner, Mr. W. adverted to the difficulties attending the Christian ministry ; lamented that all ihoir zeal availed but little; said that he was weary with the; burden of the day; and declared the great consolation, that in a short time his work would be done, when he should dtM^art and be with Christ. He then appealed to the ministers, if it was not their great comfort that they should soon go to rest. They generally assented, except Mr. T., who sat next to Mi W., in silence, and by his countenance discovered but little pleasure in the conversation. On which Mr. W., tapping him on the knee, said, " Well, brother Tennent, you are the oldest man among us; do you not rejoice to think that your time i.s so near at hand, when you will be called home?" Mr. T. 2'S 260 THE AMERICAN CLERGY bluntly answered, " I have no wish about it, Mr. W. pressed hiin again. Mr. T. again answered, " No, sir, it is no pleasure to me at all ; and if you knew your duty, it would be none to you. I have nothing to do with death ; my business is to live as long as I can, as well as I can, and to serve my Master as faithfully as I can, until he shall think proper call me home." Mr. W. still urged for an explicit answer to his question, in case the time of death were left to his own choice. Mr. T. replied, "1 have no choice about it; I am God's servant, and have engaged to do his business as long as he pleases to continue me therein. But now, brother, let me ask you a question : what do you think I should say, if I were to send my man into the field to plough ; and if at noon I should go to the field, and find him lounging under a tree, and complaining, ' Master, the sun is very hot, and the ploughing hard ; I am weary of the work you have appointed me, and am overdone with the heat and burden of the day. Do, master, let me return home and be discharged from this hard service.' What should I say ? Why, that he was a lazy fel- low, and that it was his business to do the work that • I had appointed him, until I should think fit to call him home.'' SEVERAL CLERGYMEN. A CORRESPONDENT of a New York paper says : — Not many months since, I was standing in a certain store, in a city in which there were several ministers and other Christian brethren, conversing about a clergyman then just leaving the said city for another field of labour. Among other remarks, an expression was dropped, about ministers not being respected; when one of the company, a worthy deacon, spoke up with considerable apparent warmth, " Well, ministers need REV. JOHN lELAND. 267 not expect to be respected much by the people till they respect each other a little more." " How so .'" said one. " How so !" replied the deacon, " why, many ministers come into this store, and I often hear them talkinii about one an- other, and seldom hear them speak well. They criticise their brethren severely, and speak meanly of their talents." A distinguished divine was not lono- since conversincr with a Methodist clergyman of devout piety and zeal. In all their religious feelings, they perfectly harmonized, till at last the Methodist gently suggested his astonishment, that his compa- nion should believe in the doctrine of election. " Why, my dear sir," was the reply, " if you are a Christian, did not God always intend that you should be one? There is the doctrine of election?" What can be said upon the subject, more clear, or more convincing, by the longest dissertation that was ever penned? REV. JOHN LELAND. At one period of the ministry of this good man, he was considerably annoyed by a Universalist minister, who endea- voured in every possible way to draw him into controversy, but entirely without effect. At length, as the worthy pastor was riding along, finding a crowd around the shop of the vil- lage blacksmith, he turned his horse in that direction, and saw the Universalist minister addressing his ncishbours, boastino" of the inability of Mr. Leiand to hold an argument with him Not a few questions were proposed to Mr. L. on the subject, to which he returned mild and ready answers. At length, the 268 THE A3IERICAN CLERGY. preacher of error asked, in a tone of triumph, why he had neglected to answer several notes addressed to him, challenging him to a discussion on their differences. The worthy old cler- gyman, who had hitherto never touched the subject, now felt that he must "answer a fool according to his folly," and said, with great mildness, " Sir, when I was a lad, my father used to say to me, ' John, never kill a skunk ; for, even when dead, it will be but a skunk still.' " The result was decisive ; the Universalist was silent ; and such was the tone thus given to public opinion, that the said preacher was soon compelled to leave the neighbourliood. REV. DR. MERCER. The Rev. President Manly gives the following illustration of the intense feeling of this venerable minister : — 1 saw him at Eatonton, in 1824, in an aspect which I must relate, as it illustrates the simple piety and tenderness of his heart. It was on a Sunday of the meeting of the Georgia convention. Brother S and I were present. Brother Mer- cer sat in the pulpit with us. S got up, and, in his quaint way, surveyed the very large assembly, with several glances, and opened his address thus : " Where shall we obtain bread to feed so great a multitude? For my part, I am unprovided and penniless ; but there is a lad here," turning round and putting his hand on my head as I leaned forward in the pulpit, " who has five barley-loaves and two little fishes, which, with the presence and blessing of Jesus, shall constitute a feast." This well nigh upset me. But it drove me to prayer. The Lord loosed my mind, and unlocked the fountain of tears, so that it was computed that, through a great part of the discourse, there was an average of at least five hundred persons continu- REV. CALEB BLOOD. 269 ally bathed in tears. There was nothing in all this Bochirn that to me was so affecting, as when I turned round and saw the sympathetic streams coursing swiftly down the furrowed cheeks of Father Mercer." This shrewd observer, once conversing about a preacher who had a little learning and a great deal of conceit, made this re- mark : " He reminds me of a ^oolish dog I once heard of, that was in pursuit of a deer, but coming to a place where a fox iad crossed the track, he left the deer and ran after the fox. He had not followed the fox far, before he arrived at a spot where a rabbit had crossed. Forthwith he leaves the fox, and pursues the rabbit; and when the hunter came up, he had left the rabbit and was barking at a mouse-hole. Brother sometimes sets out after something valuable, but before he stops, his folly drives him to the mouse-hole. When this wise counsellor would at any time dissuade his brethren from projects which required pecuniary means beyond what they had in hand, he would often say, " Let us get the fodder before we buy the horse.'' REV. CALEB BLOOD. The late Rev. Caleb Blood, of Boston, was once walking to his church, in company with the Rev. Lewis Leonard, of New York, then a very young man. On his way to worship the young mmister, who felt the dignity of his friend, and who was 270 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. well aware of the high respectability of the Charles Sfrert Church, said, with much modesty, " How can I preach before youV* The reply of the aged minister of the cross was, "Preach before me! how can you preach before God?" and then went on to make to him the most soothing and comforta- ble remarks, which at that time inspired him with moral cou- rage, and became eminently useful in his future hfe. / VTERCOURSE OF THE CLERGY WITH SOCIETY. I BISHOP CHASE. 273 B16HOP CHASE. There lived in Poughkeepsie a venerable lady and her talented son-in-law. The former was exceedingly anxious about the latter, because of his loose and infidel opinions on religious subjects ; and yet few men were more amiable in manners, or more sprightly in conversation. " Oh, sir !" said the lady to Bishop Chase, the writer of this account, " I wish you to have a serious conversation with my son-in-law, on the subject of Christianity. Perhaps he may hearken to you, though to all of us he turns a deaf ear, whenever we speak of the Holy Scriptures." A proposal of this kind seemed to be identified with the writer's profession. Accordingly, a day was appointed when the lady would spend a social afternoon with the writer and his family, there being no doubt that the interestinm!)ers of ('hrist, and that it was displeasing to God. Rut ,10 — the evil rankled in his breast; revenge he would have. A ( LERr.YMAN T\ VrRGIMA. 203 How ti) neeoniplisli his purpo.sp he know not. With tliese feelings, he went to his jmstor to obtain Ids assistance. His pastor reasoned with and tried to dissuade him. Failing in this, he finally said, " I know of but one kind of revenge allowed by the Scriptures, viz.; ' If thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink : by so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head." " With joy beaming in his countenance, the good man, clapping his hands, exclaimed, -'^r II burn him! Fll burn him!'''' W^ould it not be well if there were more such burning in the world ? How easy would it be to melt down the hearts of thousands into love and ten- derness ! A CLERGYMAN IN VIRGINIA. A HIGHLY respectable clergyman in Virginia, some tim(» fcifice, gave a very interesting account of a soul-thrilling scone in which he was one of the parties concerned. Ho was preacli- ing to a large and attentive audience, when his attention \\ i^ arrested by seeing a man enter, having every mark and \\\\<^'\\- ment of a Jew. He was well dressed, his counteu.ince was noble, and he thought it was evident that his heart had lately been the habitation of sorrow. He took his seat, and was .-ill attention, while an unconscious tear was often seen to wcH lii^ manly cheek. After service, the clergyman fixed h.is vw steadily upon him, and the stranger reciprocated the look. 'I'll* minister went to him, and said, " Sir, am I correct, am I not ad- dressing one of the children of Abraham?" "You are." " I^ur how is it that T meet a Jew in a Christian assembly ?" The sub- stance of his narrative was as follows: — He was a very respecta- ble man, of a superior education, who had lately come from Lon- don ; and with his books, his wealth, and a lovely daughter of 294 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. sov(Miteen, had found n charming retreat on the lovely b;Hik.s ( r the Ohio. He had buried the wife of his bosom before bo left Europe, and he now knew no pleasure but the company cf his endeared daughter. She was indeed worthy of a |)ar( iiTs love. She was surrounded by beauty as a mantle; but }■< r cultivated mind, and her amiable disposition, threw around li; i a charm superior to any one or all of the decorations of !;< r body. No pains had been spared on her education, '-lu; coidd read and speak with fluency several languages; and ber manners charmed all who saw her. No wonder then that a doating father, whose head had now become sprinkled with gray, should place his whole affections on this only child of his love, especially as he knew no source of happiness beyond this world. Being a strict Jew, he educated her in the principles of that religion ; and he thought that he had presented it with an ornament. It was not lonij asjo that his dausfhler was taken sick. The rose faded from her cheek, her eye lost its fire, and it was soon apparent that the worm of disease was rioting in the core ol' her vitals. The father hung over the bed of his daughtei with a heart ready to burst with anguish. He often attempted to converse with her, but seldom spoke except in the language of tears. He spared no trouble or expense in obtaining medi cal assistance, but no human skill could extract the arrow of death now fixed in her heart. The father was walking in ? small grove near his house, in great distress of mind, when he was sent for by his dying daughter. With a heavy heart he entered the door of the chamber, which he feared would soon be the entrance of death. He was now to take a last farewell of his child, and his religion gave him but a feeble hope of meeting her hereafter. The daughter grasped the hand of her father with a death- cold hand : " My father, do you love me?" " My child, you know I love you — that you are more dear to me than the whole A CLERGYMAN IN VIRGINIA. 295 world besides!" "But, father, do you love me?" "Why my child, will you give me pain so exquisite? Have 1 never given you any proofs of my love?" " But, my dearest father, DO you love me ?" Tlie father could not answer ; the daughter added, " I know, my dear father, you have ever loved me — you have been the kindest of parents, and I tenderly love you. Will you grant me one request ? — O, my father, it is the difing requt^st of your daughter — will you grant it ?" " My dearest child, ask what you will, though it take every cent of my property, it shall be granted. I ivill grant it," " My dear father, / heg you never again to speak against Jesus of Nazareth P'' The father was dumb with astonish- ment. " I know," continued the dying girl, " I know but little about this Jesus, for I was never taught. But I know that he is a Saviour, for he has manifested himself to me since I have been sick, even for the salvation of my soul. I believe that he will save me, even though I have never before loved him. I feel that I am ""oinff to him — and that I shall be ever with him. And now, my dear father, do not deny me ; I beg that you will never again speak against this Jesus of Nazareth ! [ entreat you to obtain a Testament that tells of him ; and when I am no more, you may bestow on him the love which was formerly mine !" The exertion here overcame the weakness of her feeble body. She stopped ; and her father's heart was too full even for tears. He left the room in great horror of mind : and ere he could again summon sufficient fortitude to return to her, the spirit of his beloved daughter had taken its flight, as we trust, to the Saviour whom she loved and honoured, though she had not seen him. The first thing her father did, after committing to the earth his last worldly joy, was to procure a New Testa- ment. This he read, and, taught by the Spirit from above, ho became numbered with the meek and humble followers o! thr Lamb. --'9') TUr. AMKUICAX TLKRC'V REV. DR. NETTLETON. A Christian minister can possess no talent more enviable than that of skill in stopping the mouths of gainsayers, and in speaking a word in season to all with whom he may meet. This talent Dr. N. possessed in a very high degree. Being accosted by a Universalist, who wished to engage in a discussion on the doctrine of eternal punishment, he replied, " I will not enter into any dispute with you at present; but 1 should be pleased to have you state to me your views, that I may have them to think of," The man accordingly informed him, that in his opinion mankind received all their punishment in this life, and that all would be happy after death. Dr. Net- tleton then asked him to explain certain passages of Sci'ipture, such as the account of the judgment in the twenty-fifth of Matthew, and some others; merely suggesting difficulties for him to solve, without calling in question any of his positions. After taxing his ingenuity for some time in this way, and thus giving him opportunity to perceive the difficulty of reconciling his doctrine with the language of inspiration ; he said to him, "You believe, I presume, the account given by Moses of the deluge, and of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah?" " Certainly," he replied. " It seems, then," said Dr. N., " that the world became exceedingly corrupt, and God determined to destroy it by a deluge of water. He revealed his purpose to Noah, and directed him to prepare an ark in which he and his family might be saved. Noah believed God, and prepared the ark. Meanwhile he was a preacher of righteousness. He warned the wicked around him of their danger, and exhorted them to prepare to meet their God. But his warnings were disregarded. They, doubtless, flattered themselves that God was too good a being thus to destroy his creatures. But not- withstanding their unbelief, the flood came, and, if your doc- REV. DR. NETTLETON. 297 trine is true, swept them all up to heaven. And what became of Noah, that faithful servant of God ? He was tossed to and fro on the waters, and was doomed to trials and sufferini^s for three hundred and fifty years longer in this evil world ; whereas, if he had been wicked enough, he might have gone to heaven with the rest. " And there were the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which had b(^come so corrupt, that God determined to destroy them by a tempest of fire. He revealed his purpose to Lot, and directed him and his family to make their escape. 'And L<>t went out, and spake to his sons-in-law, saying. Up, get ye out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city. Hut he seemed as one that mocked to his sons-in-law.' They did not believe that any such doom was impending. They doul)ll(\ss flattered themselves that God was too good a being to burn up his creatures. But no sooner had Lot made his escape, than it rained fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven, and they all, it seems, ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire; while pious Lot was left to wander in the mountains, and to suffer many grievous afllictions in this vale of tears ; whereas, if he had been wicked enough, he might have gone to heaven with the rest." After making this statement, he requested the man to reflect on these things, and bade him an aflectionate tarewell. Dr. Nettleton was once attacked by a restorationist, who quoted, in support of his doctrine, the words of the apostle Peter: "By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison." Dr. N. observed to him that the time was specified in the next verse, when Christ preached to these spirits in prison. Tt was, " when once the long-suflering of God waited in the days of Noah." It was by his Spirit which dwelt m iVoah, that he preached to those who are now spirits in prison. 298 THE AMKRICA.X CLERGY. " N(.," said the man, " that cannot be tlie meaning of the pas- sage. The meaning is, that Christ, after his crucifixion, went down to hell, and preached to the spirits in prison." "Be it so," said Dr. N., "and what did he preach?" "I do not know," he replied, " but I suppose he preached the gospel." " Do you think," asked the doctor, " that he preached to them any tiling different from what he preached on earth?" "Cer- tainly not," replied the man. " Well," said Dr. Nettleton, " when Christ was on earth, he told sinners that, if they should be cast into prison, they should not come out thence till they had paid the uttermost farthing. If he went down to hell, to preach to the lost spirits there, he doubtless told them, ' You must remain here till you have suffered all that your sins deserve.' What influence, then, would his preaching have towards releasing them from the place of torment ?" A man once said to him, " I sincerely desire to be a Chris- tian. I have often gone to the house of God, hoping that some- thing which should be said might be sent home to my mind by the Spirit of God, and be blessed to my salvation." "You are willing, then, are you not," said Dr. N., "that I should converse with you, hoping that my conversation may be the means of your conversion?" "I am," he replied. "If you are willing to be a Christian," said Dr. N., " you are willing to perform the duties of religion ; for this is what is implied in being a Christian. Are you willing to perform these duties ?" " I do not know but I am." "You are the head of a family. One of the duties of religion is family prayer. Are you will- ing to pray in your family?" " I should be," he replied, "if I were a Christian. But it cannot be the duty of such a man as I am to i)ray. 'The prayers of the wicked are an abomi nation unto the Lord.'" "And is it not," said Dr. N., " p'« REV. DR. NETTLETON. 29fl abomination unto the Lord to live without prayer? But just let me show you how you deceive yourself. You think you really desire to be converted. But you are not willing even to be convicted. Just as soon as I mention a duty which you are neglecting, you begin to excuse and justify yourself, on pur- pose to keep your sin out of sight. You are not willing to see that it is a heinous sin to live in the neglect of family |)rayer. How can you expect to be brought to repentance until you are willing to see your sinfulness? And how can you flatter yourself that you really desire to be a Christian, while you thus close your eyes against the truth?" A voung lady, who was under concern of mind, said to him, " I certainly do desire to be a Christian, I desire to be holy. I would give all the world to have an interest in Christ." He replied, " What you say will not bear examination. IC you really desire religion for what it is, there is nothing to hinder you from possessing it. I can make a representation which will show you your heart, if you are willing to see it." " I am," said she. " It will look very bad," said he, " but if you are willing to see it, I will make the representation. Sup- pose you were a young lady of fortune ; and suppose a certain vounsc man should desire to obtain vour fortune, and should r. 307 for the religion you profess." The gentleman wept, and a decided change took place in his future deportment. In his visits from house to house, Dr. Nettleton was pecu- liarly careful to leave a deep impression; he therefore con- versed but little on general topics, and soon left the house. He knew not only what to say, but when to be silent. Many have been thrown into distress by his apparent neglect. He had a significant way of addressing individuals. While preaching in Malta, where his efforts were signally blessed, he found a young lady, the daughter of a deacon, who was very stubborn ; she was masculine in appearance, and apparently in the way of the conversion of many young persons; he dreaded her in fluence. He had a serious, direct conversation with her, ap- parently without any good effect. When about to leave her, he approached her with a resolute step and look, and said, call- ing her by name — " Do not think of shutting your eyes to- night without prayer ; before you retire to rest, go down on your knees and call upon God ; remember, I tell you to do it." This he said with great emphasis. He left her abruptly. She was more offended than ever, and said many hard things against him. When she went to her room at the close of the evening, as he predicted, the struggle commenced. Slu thought of his words ; she was alone ; her proud heart resisted, and she exclaimed aloud, "What right or authority has he fo dictate to me my duty ?" It rung in her ears, " I tell you to do it." "You tell me! old Nettleton, I will not do it." " Per- haps he spoke by the Spirit ; what will become of me if I re- fuse?" The struggle was long; she trembled in every nerve. She finally fell upon her knees and cried for mercy. She be- came an humble Christian, and was instrumental in turninii many to riiJ^hieousness, How many such instances, where ho .'{')^ THE AMERICAN CLEKGY. (list I;iv((] womiciTul tact! Truly the Lord was with him. He n.is tlicrclore a host. He had but one object, that was — to do <40()d. [Je knew the importance of keeping the mind intent ui)on the great subject ; he therefore requested his friends who l,ii)()ur(Hl with him to avoid ail levity, and, as much as possible, worldly conversation. He watched every cause which might divert the attention. The following facts we copy from " The Christian Index." We liave heard an anecdote of Dr. Nettleton, a Presbyte- rian revivalist, which is apropos here. A parcel of gay young persons got up a ball in a neighbourhood in which Dr. N. had been preaching with great success, and for the amusement of themselves and others, inserted the reverend gentleman's name at the head of the list of managers. The company assembled at the time appointed. About the hour for commencing the dance. Dr. N. made his appearance, and observed to the com- pany that he perceived, from the tickets that had been issued, that he had hern appointed a manager, and therefore, he pro- posed to open the services with prayer. He then offered up a very affecting prayer for the thoughtless group ; which was blessed of God, to the conviction of a number of those pre- sent, several of whom afterwards professed conversion, united with the church, and were never afterwards found within the walls of a ba-U-room. This anecdote we believe to be true. The circumstances were narrated to us in Virginia, while Dr. M. was labouring in the county in which we then resided. A young man just completing his professional studies, wat- induced to accompany some female friends to the pastor'? REV. DR. NETTLETON. 309 Study. He there gave a promise that before he retired that night, he would, on his knees, offer prayer for himself. Pos- sessing strict integrity, when he went to his room, he thought of his promise ; he was embarrassed — he walked the room, in a cold winter's night, till late, before his proud heart would yield ; and when he fell on his knees, such was the strugi^lo in his mind, he said, " He would not, if he could be President of the United States, that any should know he was on his knees in prayer." There he was awakened, and after more than a week's struggle, he was made willing in the day ol God's power. He became, not only distinguished as a physi, cian, but as a Christian and an officer — in the church. I A writer in the American Messenger says : — More than twenty years ago, I had the pleasure of spending some time in two places in the stale of New York, in which powerful revivals of religion were in progress, by the blessing of God, upon the labours of the Rev. Dr. Nettleton. In the course of the first revival, in the town of , a gentleman of my acquaintance became deeply anxious for his soul. He wept, he mourned, he sighed, and no doubt prayed for days and days together. But he was proud and obstinate ; he would not submit to God. One day, his amiable wife, whose anxieties about her hus- band were almost beyond control, came into his room, and, finding him still lingering in his wretched condition, and solemnly fearing that he would grieve away the Holy Spirit, and turn back to the world, she fell upon her knees, in his presence, and fervently prayed for him. The husband's state of mind, aOer that praver, may be conjectured, but not easily described. He literally wrilhed in mental anguish. Dr. Nettleton was the wisest man that I ever saw, in fracin*' .'UO THE AMERICAN CLERGY. out the operations of the human mind, when under the influ- ences of the Divine Spirit. He seemed to possess almost in- tuitive knowledge of this subject. When he saw a sinner long lingering under conviction, he judged that there was a special cause, and he was pretty sure to detect that cause. One day, after my friend Lambert (for so I will call him) had been struggling with and stifling his convictions for some time, Dr. Nettleton called to see him once more. He talked with him, pointed him to the Saviour, and perhaps prayed with him. But there Lambert lingered still — a miserable, dis- consolate, lost sinner. No light, no hope. What could be the matter ? Dr. Nettleton smelt ardent spirits. That was enough. He immediately intimated to Lambert that he was drinking with a view to drive away his convictions; and, I believe, the latter did not deny the charge. Dr. Nettleton solemnly warned the wretched man, and left him. What was the result ? The Spirit of God left my friend, and the unclean spirit, who had gone out, returned to his old habitation, accompanied by seven other spirits, more wicked than himself; and the last state of that man was worse than the first. Perhaps ten months pass away, when a blast and a mildew rest upon all that pertains to this miserable man. Nothing prospers in his hands. His business, though formerly flourish- ing, is in ruins; and he is com[)elled to leave the beautiful house in which he lived. This is not the worst ; he is given up of God ; he is undone, to all appearance, for time and eternity. His lovely wife and his interesting children are dis- consolate and broken-hearted. Go with me now through yonder street of the town, at night, and what do we see? There lies poor, wretched, ruined Lambert, a drunkard in the ditch I Oh, God ! what is man, when left of thy Spirit? Let a veil, for the present, cover the sequel. Reader, if the Spirit of God strive with you, as you value '^alvation, grieve him not away. A BAPTIST 3IINl!>rER. 31 * A BAPTIST MINISTER. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is often abused. Common sense, however, will sometimes sweep away the sophisms of Antinomianism, and I leave it without any dis- guise for its ugly absurdity. A recent instance of this occurred in the city of Philadelphia. A man, who had been a professor of religion, was in a very backslidden state, to say the least of it. He was approached by a minister, who endeavoured to awaken him to a sense of danger, and arouse him to efforts such as his case demanded. " I cannot believe," the man replied, " that I never have known the grace of God. It is impossible that I can have been deceived in my former feehngs ; and 1 am very well assured that the work which God has begun, he will carry on till the day of the Lord Jesus." Here he rested, and seemed perfectly contented to abide in his backslidden condition, supporting himself by his misquota- tion of Scripture. The minister listened to him patiently, until he had finished, and then replied, " Yes, I know very well, that where God commences a work of grace in the heart, he will carry it on. This is what makes me fear for you. In your case, the work has stopped. I cannot believe, then, that God ever began it. You must certainly be deceived." The man was silent, and appeared moved. At length, he frankly confessed that this was a death-blow to the false hope on which he had been depending. S[2 THE AMERICAN CLERGY, A POOR MINISTER. 1 HEARD a story, the other day, says a writer in one of our periodicals, .\i)ich seems too good to be lost. A church in the country had just engaged a good minister, who had not attended long, when, after preaching on a Sunday, the deacon gave him a pull, and said, " I want to speak with you." After going aside, the deacon said, " Brother, I saw something about you, to-day, that hurt my feelings." " What was it, my dear brother?" said the minister, in sur- prise ; " do tell me,^'' " It was about your arm, while you were preaching, I saw it." The poor minister became still more alarmed, and anxious to know in what way he had hurt the dear old father's feel- ings. The deacon pointed to his elbow. " There it is yet," said he The minister began to brush his sleeve. " Stop," said the deacon ; " you can't mend it now ; there is a hole in vour coat, right on the elbow. I am hurt to see our minister have to wear such a coat. Now, I want you to go to and choose a coat pattern, and I'll pay for it." The minister thanked him kindly, and was entirely relieved of his fright. A COURTEOUS CLERGYMAN. Some years ago, a young man, a bricklayer by trade, re- moved from IVew Hampshire to work in the city of Lowell. He cherishrd at heart a strong prejudice against professed Christians, considering them as proud and supercilious, and REV. J. EASTliUirN 313 ever ready to say to him, "Stand by thyself ; we are holier than thou !" His feeling of repugnance was so deep-sealed, and had such a controlling influence over his intellectual nature, as to generate skeptical thoughts, and lead him to question the truth of the Bible. One day, as he was going to his work, he saw a gentleman approaching, who had been pointed out to him as the Rev. Mr. , and represented as one of the most affable and courteous of his profession. " Now," said he, " I will put this matter to the test. Here I am in my work-day clothes. If this man notices me, I will think there is, after all, something o-ood in relifrion." They met. The clergyman raised his hat, bowed, smiled, and looked as if he would say, " I should be happy to become acquainted with you." The young bricklayer passed on to his labour, but could not forget his promise. The next Sabbath, he went to hear that " gentlemanly minister," and an acquaint- ance of the most agreeable and salutary kind ensued. His skeptical notions melted away before kind treatment, like snow in an April shower; and he soon became an honest inquirer after truth and mercy. Now, he is the beloved pastor of a flourishing church. How clearly does this fact prove that a kind and courteous attention to young men, is a very cheap and effective mode of usefulness. No men ought practically to study the apostolic injunction, " Be courteous," more than the ministers of Christ. REV. JOSEPH EASTBURN. Manv of our readers entertain an alH^ctionate remembrance of the late Joseph Eastburn, the preacher to the mariners, and for many years esteemed for his patriarchal piety and unwea 27 314 THE AMERICAN CLKKGY. ried zeal. In his doi-trinal views, Mr. Eastburn was Calvinis- tic ; and, among other points, he believed fiilly in the sove- reignty of God in election. An Arminian acquaintance, who highly esteemed Mr. Eastburn, frequently expressed his regrel thai he should believe in so horrible a doctrine, and took occa- sion oftentimes to endeavour to argue him out of his belief. Mr. Eastburn, who was unobtrusive in his manners, and disin- clined to controversy, endeavoured to appease him, but without effect. At a religious conference meeting, at which they were both present, the subject was again in some way introduced ; when Mr. Eastburn arose, and, in his peculiarly striking man- ner, addressed this gentleman before the persons assembled, in the following manner: — "Brother , have you not told me that, in your earlier life, you were an avowed and malig- nant infidel, and that you were the leader of an infidel club, and that you and your companions treated every sacred subject with impious ridicule? And have you not told me that, out of that profane company, you were the only one who was brought, by the grace of God, to a sense of your sins, and to embrace the Saviour?" " Yes, yes," said the gentleman, with emphasis — " glory be to God !" "Then," said Mr. Eastburn, quietly, "I have often been disposed to te'l you, that that was election y There was no reply. Thus it is. The opponents of this doctrine hesitate not to say that it would be unjust and cruel in God to determine from eternity who should be saved, and who should be left in their sins ; but they make no such charge on the Almighty, when, in fact, by his sovereign grace, he calls one into his kingdom, and leaves others to perish. The determination is mysterious, but the execution of that determination is all right. This gentleman was ready to ascribe glory to God for selecting him as a trophy of grace from the midst of his ungodly compa REV. JOHX WESLEY. 315 nions, but, according to his profession, he would have been struck with horror at the thought that God should have loved and have chosen him from eternity. REV. JOHN WESLEY. The first time I had the pleasure of being in the company of the Rev. John Wesley, says a correspondent of the New York Evangelist, was in the year 1783. I asked him what must be done to keep Methodism alive when he was dead ^ To which he immediately answered, "The Methodists must take lie(>d to their doctrine, their experience, their practice, and their discipline. If they attend to their doctrines only^ they will make the people Antinomians ; if to the experimental part of religion only, they will make them enthusiasts; if to the practical part onlij^ they will make them pharisees ; and if they do not attend to their discipline, they will be like persons who bestow much pains in cultivating their garden, and put no fence round it, to save it from the wild boar of the forest." Mr. Wesley, in the course of his voyage to America, hear- ing an unusual noise in the cabin of General Oglethorpe, the governor of Georgia, with whom he sailed, stepped in to in- quire the cause of it. The general addressed him : " Mr, W., vou must excuse me ; I have met with a provocation too great for a man to bear. You know the only wine I drink is Cyprus wine ; I therefore provided myself with several dozens ol if, and this villain Grimaldi" (his foreign servant, who was pre- sent, and almost dead with fear) " has drunk up the whoh' of it. But I will be revenged on him. I have orderH him to he ;U6 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. tied hand and foot, and to be carried to the man-of-war which sails with us. The rascal should have taken care how he used me so, for I never forgive." " Then I hope, sir," said Mr. W., looking calmly at him, " you never s'n." The gene- ral was quite confounded at the reproof; and, putting his hands into his pocket, took out a bunch of keys, which he threw at Grimaldi. "There, villain," said he, "take my keys, and behave better for the future." REV. DR. SPRING. Dr. Spring, of New York, related, some time ago, that during the period of a revival of religion in that city, a young lady, the object of high hope, the centre of wide influence, capable of noble things, yet careering on the giddy steep of fashion and of folly, created in him no small solicitude, as he would have to give an account for her soul, every avenue to which seemed most sedulously guarded. He delayed the visit of counsel and exhortation; and delayed till, rebuked by con- science, he could do so no longer. As soon as he called, and was ushered into the saloon, the first and only person whom l»e saw was this young lady, bathed in tears, who immediately exclaimed, " My dear pastor, I rejoice to see you. I was fear- ful I was the only one who had escaped your friendly notice." What a rebuke to fear! What an encouragement to hope and to action ! REV. UR. WADDELL. 31 *« REV. MR. CLAP. The lute Rev. Mr. Clap, of Rhode Island, was asked by a member of his church, whether he thought it right to engage in dancing? His reply was, "I should think that those who are out of Christ should have no heart to dance, and thos • who are in Christ will have enough else to do." REV. DR. WADDELL. Those who have read Mr. Wirt's fine work, the " British Spy," will remember the graphic and touching description of the preaching of the blind Presbyterian preacher, as already narrated in this volume. It is no fancy sketch; the scene actually occurred as it is described. A descendant of his has lately published a letter which was originally addressed to Mr, Wirt, but not printed by him. It will be read with great interest. To the Author of the British Spy: The distinguished notice you have taken of the Rev. James Wadd;"Il, of Virginia, in the character of the " Blind Preacher," has induced me to give you some account of an event un- noticed by you, and which forms an era in his life. I refer to the restoration of his sight. I do this with less reserve, since it is generally understood that the " British Spy" had been long a warm friend of the subject of this notice; and that nis removal from the vicinity of the " Blind Preacher," in whose hospitable mansion he had received many and warm greetings, had left him uninformed of the event to whith I have alluded, ;il8 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. and of the circumstances which I propose to detail. You have described him as blind, and, while occupying the rude enclo- sure of a forest pulpit, addressing an unseen multitude in strains of eloquence which might captivate cities and win the admiration of grave senates. The incidents to which 1 refer were more private ; in his own house, and in the midst of his liimily. For eight years he had been blind — a stranger equally to the cheerful light of day and the cheering faces of kindred and friends. It will readily be supposed, that in this lapse of time great changes had taken place. The infant had left the knee to rove amidst the fields ; the youth had started into man- hood, and, bidding adieu to the haunts of his childhood, had gone forth to act for himself upon the theatre of life; with the hope, indeed, of again and again looking upon his venerable father, but without hope of that father's ever looking upon him. A calm and patient resignation had settled over the mind of this man of God, as a summer's cloud settles over the horizon of evening. Peaceful, hopeful, and reclining upon the bosom of heaven, every painful solicitude about himself had fled away. This personal peace and Christian submission were calculated, however, to concentrate his reflections and solicitudes upon the destinies of his family, here and hereafter. His eye could not now see for them; but he had a heart to invoke the watchfulness of an eye that neither slumbers nor sleeps; that neither grows dim with age nor infirmity. His palsied hand could guide them no longer, but patriarchal coun- sel was freely given, and enforced by the tremendous realities of a future existence. The thread to be followed through the labyrinth of life, it was taught, had its fastenings in eternity ; time and all sublunary things should be viewed in the light of eternity. But, although the mental vision was acute and wisely circumspect, the dark curtain still hung over the organs of sight, and seemed to rise no more. And what if it siiould be otherwise; that hope of sioht REV. DR. WADDELL. 319 should take the place of resignation to blindness ; and, more than this, that hope should be turned into fruition ; that, after the darkness of eight years, he should be presented with a broad daylight view of every thing around him ! And this, I assure you, was almost a fact; for, after an operation for cataract, which, in the progress of years, had rendered light sensible, and then objects faintly visible, a strong and well constructed convex lens, procured by the kindness of a distant friend, enabled him to see with considerable distinctness. At this juncture, I happened to be at his residence — called by himself, long before, " Hopewell," and now fulfilling, in ha|)[>v reality, the import of a soft and cheerful name. The scene, without dispute, was the most moving that I ever witnessed. The father could again see his children, who riveted his atten- tion and absorbed his soul. Among these, emotions of intense interest and varied suggestions were visible in the eye, the countenance, and the hurried movements. The bursts of laughter — the running to and fro — the clapping of hands — the sendino; for absent friends — and then the silent tear bedewins: the cheek in touching interlude — the eager gazes of old serv- ants, and the uirmeaning wonder of young ones — in short, the happy confusion from the agitation of joy — all taken together, was a scene better adapted to the pencil than the pen, and which a master's hand might have been proud to sketch. How 1 regretted that the mantle of some Raphael or Michael An^elo had !iot fallen upon me; then had my fame and mv feelings each been identified with the scene, and others should have been permitted to view upon the canvas what I must fail to describe upon paper. The paroxysm produced by the arrival of the glasses having passed away, and a partial experiment having satisfied all of their adaptation to the diseased eye, behold the patriarch seated m his large arm-chair, with his children around him, scanning with affectionate curiosity the bashful group. There was a 0*20 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. visible shyness among the lesser members of tlie family com munity, while undergoing this fatherly scrutiny, not unlike that produced by a long absence. The fondness of a father in con- templating those most dear to him, was never more raiionallv exemplified, or exquisitely enjoyed, than on this occasion. And now, the venerable man, arising from his seat and grasping a long staff which lay convenient to him, had pro- ceeded but a short distance, when the staff itself seemed pow- erfully, but momentarily, to engage his attention : it had been the companion of his darkest days, the pioneer of his domestic travels, and the supporter of a weak and tottering frame. He next proceeded to the front door, to take a view of the mountains ; the beautiful south-west range stretching out in lovely prospect, at the distance of about three miles. All fol- lowed, myself among the rest ; and the mountain scene, though viewed a thousand times before, was now gazed upon with deeper interest, and presented a greater variety of beauties than ever. Indeed, this mountain scenery ever after continued to delight my unsatisfied vision ; whether my attention had not before this been carefully drawn to its beauties, or that the suggestive faculty, linking the prospect with the sympathetic pleasures previously enjoyed, had thrown around me a pleasing delusion, I am unable to decide. Delusion apart, however, this sunny base of the south-west mountains is a delightful region, distinguished not only by the natural advantages of a fertile soil, salubrious climate, and beautiful scenery, but by a race noted for the social virtues and for a higher order of intellect. But to return to the individual whom I had left exercising a new-born vision upon the external world. The book-case in- terviews I had looked for with solicitude, and presently had the pleasure of witnessing. Watts, and Doddridge, and Locke, and Reid, with a host of worthies, had been the companions of his best days: there had been a long night of separation. Th^ meeting and communion was that of kindred souls, and REV. MR. SPENCER. 321 complimentary alike to his piety, scholarship," and taste. The sight of his own handwriting, upon the blank leaves of his books, was in itself a small circumstance, but seemed to aftect him not a little, associated no doubt with varied circumstances of past days. 1 left the house, full of reflections. I had been always awed by the solemn sanctity and personal dignity of the " Blind Preacher." The yearning solicitude which I had just wit- nessed, of such a father over his children, seen now for the (irst time after the dreary blindness of years, had melted my leelings. My imagination took flight, and, passing rapidly through time, was conducted by the incidents of this day to the resurrection morning ; when the saint of God, throwing ofl* the trammels of the tomb, with quickened vision and more than mortal solicitude, looks around for the children of his pilgrim- ase. REV. MR. SPENCER. The Rev. Mr. Spencer, of New York, has furnished the fallowing statement : — . A poor minister once called upon me, saying that his horse and carriage were under a mortgage, which was soon to be foreclosed, and he had no money to pay it. During the night on which he stayed at my house, I was much disturbed in thinking over his case. I felt that I must help him, though my circumstances, at first view, seemed to forbid even the idea. On parting with the good man, in the morning, I presented him with live dollars, which was all the money I had. He hesitated when he saw the amount, and said that so large a donation might embarrass me. " No," said I ; "it is, indeed, all I have, but you should have more if I had it. I fonsidcr '•^'22 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. that I am lending lo the Lord, and have no doubt that it will soon be returned again." The same day, making a call upon one of my parishioners, who paid regularly towards my support, three dollars were unexpectedly put into my hand. And not long after, as I was dining with another family of my congregation, who likewise helped to make up my salary, we were conversing on the reflex benefits of beneficence ; and 1 remarked, that all I had ever lent to the Lord, had been paid back in some unexpected way, with the exception of two dol- lars. The lady of the house immediately arose and stepped towards the mantel-piece, while the husband smilingly observed that his wife, a short time ago, had laid up two dollars in the clock for me, and that they were now happy to have thi' opi)ortunity of completing my recent loan to the Lord. REV. BELA JACOBS. The late Rev. B. Jacobs, of Cambridgeport, Mass., could, when necessary, administer reproof very forcibly, though the gentleness of his character was always seen in the manner in" which it was done. Some young ladies at his house were one day talking about one of their female friends. As he entered the room, he heard the epithets "odd," "singular," &c., applied. He asked, and was told the name of the young lady m question, and then said, very gravely, "Yes, she is an odd young lady ; she is a very odd young lady ; I consider her extremely singular." He then added, very impressively, "She was never heard to speak ill of an absent friend." The re- buke was not forgotten by those who heard it. REV. MU. ESTAliKOOK. 3*23 This excellent minister rarely punishcMj his children; his own evidently sincere grief at any wrong committed, was usually sufficient to deter from what was so sure to grieve one so tenderly loved. On one occasion, however, one of his children had committed a serious act of disobedience. They were all called into his study ; and when he had, with tears, expressed his sorrow at his child's misconduct, he knelt, and, putting his arm around the offending one, he implored the Father of all to forgive a child who had broken His commands by refusing to obey her mother. That child never forgot that prayer ; nor would the most stubborn heart have refused to repent of a sin, punished, not in anger, but in such sorrowful affection. Penitence was expressed before leaving him, and his kiss seemed to seal her forgiveness on earth and in heaven. REV. MR. ESTABROOK. Mr. Estabrook, formerly a clergyman of Athol, was well known for his pleasant turn of mind, no less than for fervent, unaffected piety, and genuine benevolence. He died at a very advanced age. Towards the close of his life, a proposition was made in parish — or, as it then was, in town meeting, to increase his salary, to an amount corresponding with the in- creased expenses of living and the growing wealth of the so- ciety. The motion was in a fair way of passing, when, to the surprise of every one, the old gentleman rose and begged \u^ friends not to vote a larger sum lor him. He asked it as a favour of the parish. Some one inquired if it was not the fact, as had been stated, that the present salary was insutlicient for his support. Mr. Estabrook admitted this, but begged that ;324 THK AMERICAN CLERGY. they would not vote him a larger sum. His friends pressed around him to inquire the reason, which he declared peculiar, and of rather a private nature. On being pressed, however, he stated his inducement to the course "he had taken. He de- clared that he was opposed to voting any more money, because it was difficult to get what had formerly been voted ! The hint was taken — the increase was voted, and, what was better, promptly paid AN ANXIOUS PASTOR. During the closing service, one Sabbath, says a pastor, my eyes rested on a lovely youth. I approached- him, and ex- horted him to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He replied, " I am not ready now, but in two weeks I am re- solved to seek the salvation of my soul." A few days after, his minister was summoned to visit him upon a bed of sick- ness. He said to the minister, " I was invited to the Saviour at the meeting of the Sabbath. I replied that I was not ready then, and now I am not ready to die." On a subsequent visit the dying youth exclaimed, " I was not ready to seek God at the meeting, I was not ready to die when the message came, and now I am not ready to lie down in hell ! My two weeks have not yet elapsed, when I hoped to have made my peace with God, and sickness, death, and hell have overtaken me. and I am for ever lost." REV. DR. JUDSON. 325 A CLERGYMAN. A GENTLEMAN who had formerly been very skeptical, vvas one day met by a clergyman who had frequently been accus- tomed to converse with him, but who had not seen him lor some time. The clergyman asked him, " Well, my dear sir, what do you think now of the doctrine of the resurrection?" The former skeptic replied, "Oh, sir, two words from the apostle Paul conquered me, 'Thou fool,' Do you see this Bible, taking up a copy of the Scriptures, fastened with a clasp, " and will you read the words upon the clasp which shuts it ?" The clergyman read what was deeply engraven, "Thou fool." "There," said his friend, "are the words that con- quered me ; it was no argument, no reasoning, no satisfying my objections ; but God convinced me that I was a fool ; and henceforward I was determined I would have my Bible clasped with those words, and would never again come to the considera- tion of its sacred mysteries but through their medium. I will always remember that I am a fool, and that God only is wise." The words, " Thou fool !" were used, both by the apostle and bv this convert to his doctrine, to express the unspeakable follv of man, in setting up his own pretended wisdom in oppo- sition to the pure and perfect wisdom of God. REV. DR. JUDSON. I'his veteran missionary of the cross of Christ, on his re- cent visit to Boston, when asked, by "an old disciple," "Do yon think the prospect bright for the speedy conversion of the heathen?" nobly replied, "As bright as the promises of God!" 28 326 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. A GOOD PASTOR. It is evident that some persons do not understand the senti- ment which is sometimes advocated, that the more the Chris- tian advances in holiness, the more he will see of his own sinfulness. The following conversation occurred more than fifteen years since, between a pastor and a lamb of his flock. The young inquirer said to his experienced teacher, " I do not tully understand what you preached to-day. You observed, that the more a child of God increases in holiness, the greater his own sinfulness appears in his view. Is the man really growing ^c•o?^se while advancing in holiness?" The watchful pastor, " apt to teach," smiled, and thus replied : " I will illustrate the idea. Suppose a dark room, which for a long time has not been cleansed. You enter it, and view it by moonlight ; you say that it is filthy. More light is intro- duced, and more, and more. During this process of in- troducing more light, a cleansing process is going forward. But, though much filth has been removed since you began to examine the room, yet it now appears tenfold more filthy than when you first surveyed it by mere moonlight." The youth saw and felt the force of the illustration ; and while writing this, he distinctly recollects the appearance of the affectionate pastor as he gave it. A MINISTER IN NEW YORK. Some few years since a person called on a minister in New York, requesting him to go without delay to a certain house, to visit a person who was sick. The mmister went, and, on ■entering the room where he expected to find the sick person, BISHOP GRISWOLD. 327 he found it occupied by a company of gamblers, who arose from their seats, and, in a very peremptory manner, detnanded why he came there 1 At the same time, two or three of them went to the door and bolted it, while the others surrounded the minister, demanding the reason of his presence. He first offered each one a tract, which was received ; then took out his Bible, and began to read; and, not knowing what would follow, fell on his knees and raised his voice in prayer to Him who delivered Daniel from the mouth of the lions. VVhile thus pouring out his heart to God, the door was thrown open, and one after another of the company went out, till he was left alone, " and Jesus standing in the midst," by his Spirit, to sustain and protect him. BISHOP GRISWOLD. During the residence of this excellent clergyman in Bristol, d minister, with more zeal than discretion, became impressed with the conviction that the bishop was a mere formalist in religion, and that it was his duty to go and warn him of his danger, and exhort him to "/^ee fro?n the wrath to conie.'^'* Accordingly, he called upon the bishop, very solemnly made known his errand, and forthwith entered on his harangue. The bishop listened in silence till his self-constituted instructor had closed a severely denunciatory exhortation, and then in substance replied as follows: "My dear friend, I do not won- der that they who witness the inconsistency of my daily walk, and see how poorly I adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour, should think that I have no religion. I often fear for myself that such is the case, and feel very grateful to you for giving me this warning." The reply was made with such an evi- dently unaffected humility, and such a depth of feeling and 3*28 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. sincerity, that if an audible voice from heaven had attested the genuineness of his Christian character, it could not more ef- fectually have silenced his kindly intendini?, but misjudging censor, or more completely have disabused him of his false impression. He immediately acknowledged his error, begged the bishop's pardon, and ever afterwards looked upon him as one of the distinguished lights of the Christian world. A NEW ENGLAND CLERGYMAN. A FARMER of good substance, possessing much influence in his neighbourhood, not far from Boston, had not for a long time been seen at church. His minister was deeply grieved, and called to remonstrate with the farmer, both on his own account and on account of the pernicious influence of his ex- ample. The farmer heard him with attention, and seemed penitent. " I hope, friend," said the good pastor, as he was leaving him, " 1 hope I shall see you at church next Sabbath ?'' The farmer looked down to the ground in an attitude of deep thought ; then suddenly raising his head, with a cheerful look, as if conscience had conquered, replied quickly, " Well, Til go ; but," pausing a moment, he added, " yes, I'll go — or I'll send a handy Alas ! how many, in different ways, evade the duty of personal religion ! REV. DR. MERCER. 329 REV. DR MERCER. The late Dr. Mercer seems to have had a very happy talent of so conversing with disconsolate Christians as to lead them to rich sources of consolation. On one occasion, a good man rode twenty-five miles to converse with him. He had been for more that] twenty years a member of a Christian church, but was exercised with great darkness and sorrow of mind. After he had told his sad tale of woe to Dr. M., he wound up ail by saying, " I would not for a thousand worlds say that I am a Christian." " Would you," asked Dr. M., " for as many worlds say that you are not a Christian?" "No, I would not." " Do you believe that the devil suggests to one de- ceived, that he is deceived, and that he strives to convince him of it?" "Certainly not." "Do you not believe that he often worries the Christian by such suggestions, persuading him that he is deceived, and, in proof of it, calls to his mind his daily departure from the paths of rectitude and purity ?" " No doubt of it." By this short category, and by narrating some of his own trials, the brother was greatly relieved, and went home with a lisht heart. Another brother, who had not been long in the church, while reading the Scriptures regularly through, was greatly sliocked at many of the heinous sins of the saints of old, par- ticularly some of the actions of Lot and of David. He in- ([iiired within himself, how could holy men commit such deeds, and could the vilest sinners do worse? He became ahnost convinced that religion was a farce, and the Scriptures an im- position. Under these circumstances, he obtained an interview with Dr. Mercer, and told him his difficulties. " Whv," said he doctor, " if the Scriptures had recorded none but virtuous 28* 330 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. and holy actions of the ancient saints, they would not have met my case ; but they give an honest and impartial history, iheir bad and their good acts, and from their weakness I gather strength." The brother went away consoled, and was no more troubled in that way. It is said of this valued minister, that he presided at his church conference meetings with great gravity and dignity, seldom allowing any irregularity to pass unreproved. The clerk of one of his churches was calling over the names of the male members, preparatory to the adjournment of the con ference. It was a cold day and a cold church. The members answered to their names in such a li/eless tone of voice, that they could scarcely be heard ; and, in some instances, the lan- guid answer would not come until the name had been two or three times repeated. The clerk, however, patiently perse- vered in his task, attentively listening for answers till he had finished the list. The worthy pastor, whose head all the while had been hanging very low, arose from his seat with much concern on his countenance, and gravely said, " Well, brethren, if your religion is as weak as your voices, it is weak indeed : If't us pray." The reproof was deeply felt, and during the prayer, which was the concluding service, many indications of deep feeling were manifested. Its good effects were seen for a long time afterwards. A CLEKGYMA.N IN PHILADELPHIA. 331 A CLERGYMAN IN PHILADELPHIA. I ONCE heard a little incident, said to have occurred to a venerable clergyman of Philadelphia city, now no more, but who, if named, would be instantly recognised as familiar to many. It occurred some thirty years since, at which time our reve- rend friend was called upon to officiate at the nuptials of the only child and daughter of a wealthy retired merchant, then residing a few miles in the country. The time which had been appointed for the wedding, proved to be a chilly, rainy day, toward the latter end of the month of September. The rain having commenced falling on the night previous, continued throughout the day. The roads were in a miserable condition; the rain fallen upon them, still heavy with dust, rendered them almost impassable in mud. This was any thing but a pleasant prospect for the doctor ; but weddings must not be delayed, nor do clergymen generally in the least desire it ; they entertain a peculiar partiality for them; they find pleasure in uniting " two fond hearts," and profit in it. So, barring the weather, the doctor had no cause to com- plain, and, rain or shine, he was bound to go. Accordingly, a horse and chaise were procured, and the doctor, fully equipped for the journey, was soon on his way to the scene of bridal festivity. At the country mansion, all was in readiness for his coming; and when he reached there, some time after nightfall, he found the bride and her lover already waiting for him. It was not necessary to lose any lime, and the doctor u'MS not long in entering upon his appropriate duties. The necessary preliminaries being speedily arranged, within a spa- cious hall, richly ornamented, and in the presence of a ga\ and numerous company, the doctor pronounced the nuptial reremony. 832 THK AMERICAN CLERGY. Tlie sceno was unusually affecting, even to the doctor him- self. The bride, as we have said, was an only child, and, aside from her education and accomplishments, upon which every care and attention had been bestowed, she possessed qualities of the heart which endeared her to all. She was amiable and affectionate; and these traits, combined with sin- cere and early piety, had won the reverend old gentleman's highest friendship and esteem. To one thus interested in the happiness of a bride, the joy attendant upon her nuptials is never unmingled with tender emotions ; and tears of parental sympathy trickled down the pious countenance of the old gen- tleman, as, at the conclusion of the ceremony, he invoked the smiles of Heaven for the future happiness of the newly wedded. Nor was he alone in these feelings : a solemn stillness for a while pervaded the whole company, yet, like a transient cloud in the morning, it was soon dispelled, leaving all bright and cheerful as before. Shortly after the ceremony was over, the doctor prepared himself for home. So, taking an affectionate leave of the bride and her happy partner, he ordered his vehicle. Not a word had yet been hinted to him concerning a marriage fee : as for himself, he was too much absorbed in reflection to have given a thought upon the matter. The " fee," however, such as it was, had not been forgotten ; but Mr. E., the bride's father, after accompanying and assisting him into his chaise, placed in his hands a little package, containing, as he said, a " present" for himself, and a " little notion" for his wife. The doctor, presuming, of course, that it was his fee, and no doubt a rich one, which was thus modestly tendered, accompanied with some small token for his wife, thanked Mr. E. accord- ingly; and the courtesies of the night being exchanged, the doctor lost no time in regaining his home. Imagine, now, the old gentleman, after two hours' hard ride, ♦hrough mud and rain, well drenched and bespattered, sitting A CLERGYMAN IN PHILADELPHIA. 333 by his fireside, opening, with the eager assistance of his wife, the above described package. Imagine, also, if possible, the surprise and disappointment of both, as, contrary to the lowest expectations of either, in lieu of a fifty dollar note, and a rich laced cap, the package was delivered of a plain neckcloth and an unpretending pair of gloves. Now, fortunately for our friend the doctor, of all things he knew best how to brook disappointment ; it is characteristic of the profession in general. Hence his share of the disap- pointment was soon smothered, and he contented himself with the reflection that his services had been well repaid already, in having been rendered to one whom he felt most happy in serving. Not so with his wife; like the most of her sex, ay, and of her kind, disappointments were not in the least agreeable to her. Besides, on this occasion, as she was personally inte- rested, hers was by no means small. The marriage of Miss E. had long been in contemplation ; and as long had the doc- tor's wife been anticipating a rich fee for her husband, which, according to a good-natured agreement existing betwt^en them, in relation to the above marriage, they were to divide equally ; and no marvel is it that she had magnified her share into " something very handsome." For some time she was speechless with vexation and disap- pointment. She knew not how to vent her feelings; she felt hurt as well as vexed and disappointed. "Certainly, I am greatly at a loss to account for this," at length she exclaimed, recovering herself; "surely, I would never have expected such conduct from Mr. E." "Tut ! tut! mv dear," returned the doctor, "I am sure it's not worth while grieving about it." " Indeed, I think it is," rejoined his wife, somewhat vexed, and tossinor, at the same time, the gloves from her ; " Pm sure '334 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. your ride through mud and rain was itself well worth ten times as much." " Well, well," said the doctor, " I'm very well satisfied, and I see no reason why you should be otherwise." So saying, he was in the act of spreading out the neckcloth, to examine its dimensions, when lo ! a hundred dollar note dropped upon the floor. If, by the touch of a magic wand, the doctor had converted the cambric mto a silken sash, the surprise of his wife could not have exceeded what she now felt. She knew not what first to say. No time, however, was lost in re-obtaining the gloves ; and if her surprise was great before, it was in no degree diminished, when a ten dollar note was discovered snugly stuffed away in each thumb and finger. " My patience ! did you ever !" shouted the old lady, in ecstacy. " Ha ! ha !" laughed the doctor. But let us drop the curtain upon the happy doctor and his wife. REV. MR. F. While the Rev. Mr. F. was pastor of a Presbyterian church in the state of New York, he enjoyed the happiness of witnessing several very delightful revivals among his peo- ple. One old man, however, withstood all, and, by the per- version of truth, seemed to seal the doom of his eternal misery. He had used to say, that as he could not convert himself, it was no<^ his fault if he perished. During the last revival Mr. F. enjoyed, he called at the house of this old man, to converse and to pray with his family, and was going away without speaking to the old man himself. Perceiving, however, that A FAITHFUL MINISTER. 335 he had something to say, Mr. F. listened to him, and found it was pretty much the same tale as usual. Mr. F. at length turned to him, and, with somewhat of a severe tone, said, " Jesus Christ demands to be received by you, and proposes himself as your Mediator with the eternal God ; but you con- tinue to reject him, and so you must perish for ever. Good bye." The old man's heart was broken — he wept over his sins — sought for mercy, and found it through Christ Jesus. In old age, he became the humble, child-like follower of the Son of God. A FAITHFUL MINISTER. Professors of religion have never yet felt, as they should do, that their property is the Lord's, given to them to sustain his cause. Hence they talk about giving their property for the support of the gospel ; as though the cause of the Lord Jesus were to be supported as an act of alms-giving. A mer- chant, in the state of New York, was in the habit of paying a large part of his pastor's salary. One of the members of the church was relating the fact to a minister from a distance, and speaking of the sacrifice which this merchant was making. At this moment, the merchant came in. " Brother," said the minister, " you are a merchant ; suppose you employ a clerk to sell soods, and a schoolmaster to teach your children, and you order your clerk to pay your schoolmaster out of the store, such an amount for his services in teaching. Now, suppose your clerk gave out that he had to pay this school- master his salary, and should speak of the sacrifices thai lie was making to do it; what would you say to this?" "Why," said the merchant, "I should say it was ridiculous." "Well," said the minister, " God employs you to sell goods as his clerk, 33G THE AMERICAN CLERGY. and your minister he employs to teach his children, and re- quires you to pay the salary out of the income of that store. Now, do you call this your sacrifice, and say that you are making a great sacrifice to pay this minister's salary? No; you are just as much bound to sell goods for God, as he is to preach for Him." A MINISTER IN BOSTON A MINISTER in Boston paid a visit to a lady of his acquaint ance, who was newly married, and who was attired in the modern fashion, with bare arms. After the usual compliments, he familiarly said, " I hope you have got a good husband, madam ?" " Yes, sir," replied she, " and a good man, too." " I don't know what to say about his goodness," added tlie minister, rather bluntly, " for my Bible teaches me that a good man should clothe his wife, but he allows you to go half naked." TWO CLERGYMEN. Two very gayly dressed ladies, being in company with a clergyman, on his being informed that they were professed Christians, were kindly, but very solemnly reproved by him for their extravagance in dress. He reminded them that God had commanded that "women adorn themselves in modest ap- parel, with shamefacedness and sobriety ; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but (which becomefh women professing godliness) with good works ; whose adorn- REV. JOHN GANG. 3*37 jng, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and the wearing of gold, or oi putting on of apparel \ but let it be the hidden nian of the heart, in that which is not cor- ruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price." They were somewhat offended, and, with the hope of quieting their consciences, went To another clergyman, and asked him if he thought there was any harm in their wearing feathers in their hats, with artificial flowers, &c. He gravely replied, "There is no harm in fea- thers 3.u^ flowers. If you have in your hearts the ridiculoy.s vanity to wish to be thoughi pretty^ you may as well hangout the sign^ and let every one know what is your ruling passion." REV. JOHN GANO. This gentleman warmly espoused the cause of his country in the contest with Great Britain, and at the commencement of the war joined the standard of freedom in the capacity of chap- lain. His preaching, in which he was inferior only to White- field, greatly contributed to impart a determined spirit to the soldiers; nor was his private intercourse less adapted tn use- fulness. When a lieutenant, after uttering some profane ex- pressions, accosted him, saying, "Good morning, Dr. Good Man ;" he replied, " You pray early this morning." The man thus reproved answered, "I beg your pardon." "Oh!" re- torted Mr. G., "I cannot pardon you; carry your case to God." Of such a man we do not wonder to read the testi- mony, " The careless and irreverent stood arrested and aw("\ before him, and the most insensible were made *o 'eel." 29 338 THE AMERICAN CLERGY REV. T. P, BENEDICT. A MAN having heard the late Rev. Thomas P. Benedict preach a sermon, the object of which was to show that salvation is en- tirely of grace, said to him, "If what you have preached is true, what is it my duty to do?" " It is your duty to believe it." " What else is it my duty to do ?" " It is your duty to love it. You ought surely to love the truth." "What else is it my duty to do?" " I fear I have told you now more than you will ever do. [C you will do these things, you will find no difficulty in regard to any other part of your duty. It will b' very plain." AN UNKNOWN PREACHER. The spontaneous preference which all persons, free from prejudice, are ready to yield, other things being equal, to a preacher who has had the advantages of education, may be illustrated by the following incident: — In the vicinity of one of our literary institutions, where several young Baptist ministers were pursuing their studies, a church, whose members were violently prejudiced against col- lege-learned ministers, had passed a vote that they would ad- mit no one from the neighbouring institution into their pulpit. iShorfly after this they sent to a minister then residing near the institution, whom they did not know, but with whose preach- ing they supposed from information they should be plosed. I'he minister agreed to attend and preach for them, on the day named in their request. Circumstances, however, prevented REV. SAMUEL HARRIS. 339 his going in person ; he therefore engaged a young ministering brother, who had nearly completed his studies at the institu- tion of which he was a member, to go in his stead. This young brother was unknown to any of the church. He came to the place at the hour appointed ; and, with a fluent and rea- dy utterance, with a warm heart and fervent spirit, and with a well-furnished mind, he delivered his Master's message. The members of the church, who supposed all this while that the preacher was the individual for whom they had sent, and who had never been in a literary institution, were delighted. Their hearts were opened. They pressed him to visit them again, to which he consented. In the mean time, they ascertained who their preacher was, that he was a member of the neigh- bouring institution. But they had committed themselves; he had gained their hearts, and the approbation of their judgment. It was the end of their prejudice against learning in a minister. Atler this they were ready to admit and act on the principle, that learning cannot make a minister, but that it can greatly increase his power of being useful. REV. SAMUEL HARRIS. This excellent minister, who laboured in the last century, was called the Apostle of Virginia. In his power over the affections of his hearers, he was thought to be equal to White- field. The Virginians say that he seemed to pour forth streams of lightning from his eyes. The following anecdotes may illustrate his character. Meeting a pardoned criminal, who showed him his pardon received at the gallows, he asked, " Have you shown it to Jesus Christ ?" The reply was, " No, Mr. Harris, I want you to do it for me." Accordin£;lv, the good man dismounted and kneeled, and with tin- pardon in one 340 THE AMERICAN CLEEGY. hand, and the other on the offender's head, rendered thanks and prayed for pardon from God. He once requested a debtor to pay him in wheat, as he had a good crop ; but the man re- plied that he did not intend to pay until he was sued. Unvvill- ing to leave preaching to attend a vexatious suit, he wrote a receipt in full and presented it to the man, saying he had sued him . in the court of heaven ; and that he should leave the atfair with the Great Head of the Church, with whom he might settle another day. The man soon loaded his wagon and sent him the wheat. REV. DR. LAIDLIE. Shortly after the arrival of the Rev. Dr. Laidlie, one of the early emigrants from Europe to New York, he was thus accosted by some excellent old Dutch people, at the close of a prayer-meeting: "Ah, Domine!" (the title which the Dutch, in their affection, give to their pastors,) "we offered up many an earnest prayer in Dutch for your coming among us; and truly the Lord has heard us in English^ and sent you to us!" AN AGED MINISTER. A VENERABLE minister at H — preached a sermon on the subject of eternal punishment. On the next day, it was agreed among some thoughtless young men, that one of them should go to him, and endeavour to draw him into a dispute, with the design of making a jest of him and of his doctrine. The wag accordingly went, was introduced info the minister's study, and REV. 1)K. riTA.XFOKl). ^41 commenced the fiinvers.ition by saying, " I believe there is a small dispute between you and me, sir, and I thought I would call this morning and try to settle it." " Ha !" said the clergy- man, "what is it?" "Why," replied the wag, "you say that the wicked will go into everlasting punishment, and I do not think that they will." "Oh, if that is all," answered the mi- nistor, " there is no dispute between you and me. If you turn to Matt. XXV. 46, you will find that the dispute is between you and the Lord Jesus Christ, and I advise you to go immediately and settle it with him." REV. DR. STANFORD. It is every way important that Christian ministers should secure the love of young persons. The late Rev. Dr. Stan- ford, of New York, always did this in a very eminent degree. Though the peculiar gravity and dignity of his appearance was such as to preclude rather than to invite juvenile Himi- liarity, yet scarcely any other man was so universally a favour- ite among children as "Father Stanford." One little boy, the son of a clery;vman, was asked whom he liked best as a preacher. " Oh," said he, " I like old Father Stanford best, because he is a very good man, and he speaks out, so that 1 can understand him." In their intercourse with their friends, the ministers of Christ often gain instruction as well as give it. So it occurred to Dr. S. After having once preached to the inmates of the state prison of New York, he was passing through the middle hall, to visit the sick piisoners in the hospital, when Mr. Hauman, u Ibreigner by birth, and one of the keepers, stood at the back- 29^ ?t42 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. door with the key in his hand, and pleasantly offered him a pinch of snuff. After the usual salutation, the following dia- logue ensued ; — " Sir, wot use you come here to visit dis vicked people ?" " My heavenly Master has made it my duty to visit the sick, ynd especially those who are in prison." " Den, let me ask you, vot use it be for de rain to come down upon de ocean .' — de sea be full enough of vater vidout it." " I am somewhat surprised at the intention of your question." " Sir, I vill tell you ; dere be von ship go along 'pon de sea, vich be vant of vater, and de sailors dey be ready to die ob dirst; dey no drink de vater out de ocean. By and bye dey see cloud, and de rain begin to come down ; den de sailors spread deir sails on de deck ; dey catch de rain vater ; dey d(j drink, and den go on lifely. So you come to dese poor wretches — you spread de sail — de rains ob Got's blessing come down, and den dey drink and be glad. So, sir, I vill now open de door, an you may spread your sail." Dr. S. says in his diary, " Thanking Mr. H. for his remarks, I passed through to the hospital, with a design to spread my sails of instruction anjd prayer, in the pleasing hope that some mercy-drops from above might descend to refresh the souls of the poor prisoners. I have often indulged pleasing reflections on this little incident, as conveying to me valuable instruction. For, as the mariner can only spread the sail, it is the Lord alone that can raise the wind, or give the gentle rain ; so I can only spread the gospel sail of instruction, and wait for drops of mercy from heaven." This eminent clergyman, in the discharge of his official duties, had once closed his sermon to the prisoners, in Nc \v York, when one of them, familiarly called "Ned Craig," for- formerly a lawyer, was, at his own particul-ir request, per- RI'V. DR. STANFORD. 343 rn ?' d to propound a doctrinal question to the - preacher. Among the individuals present, were several prisoners who formerly ranked high in the learned professions, and one who had occupied the chair of professor of languages in a uni- versity. " Pray," asked Ned, " how can you reconcile the general invitations of the gospel with the doctrine of a particular election ?" Dr. Stanford, turning to th' se present, replied, "These gen- tlemen know, that it is not customary to teach children ;ih- struse doctrines in any science, until they have first learned their grammar. I am no polemic, but preach to you the plain gospel ; but you must learn the A. B. C. of divinity before I shall attempt to explain the subject of your inquiry." This pungent reply to an impertinent question, propounded not with a view to improvement, but for the purpose of embar- rassing the preacher, afforded ^reat satisfaction to the oth(^r prisoners. How awful are the scenes which the Christian minister js sometimes called to witness ; at once reminding him of the dreadful consequences of sin, and rousing all his energies to action ! Dr. Stanford was once travtOling through New Jersey in the stage. When they stopped at Plainfield, the driver in- formed the company that, a short distance further on the road, an intoxicated man had, on the preceding night, murdered his two sons, his wife, and himself As the stage had to pass by the door, the passengers insisted on stopping at the house, and requested Dr. S. to accompany them. It was one of those neat little cottages which now and then attract the admiring ij'jze of the traveller, and seemed, from the silence that pre- vailed, to be an abode of blessedness and of peace. But, alas ! it was the silrnre of death that rein-ried within its blood-sloined SA4 THE AMEKIUAN CLFEGY. walls. On enteniig the front room on the lower floor, they Ibund a table plentifully spread on the preceding evening for the family repast. Here was every thing to secure, content- ment and domestic comfort; but the demon of intemperance had entered the enclosure. As they ascended to the room im- mediately above, they beheld one of those awful spectacles, from which, with instinctive horror, the heart unsteelcd by crime involuntarily rec;oils. In the cradle lay a lovely lillle boy, about eight years old, murdered in a shocking manner ; and on the floor, at a short distance from him, and covered with wounds and blood, lay his brother, about ten years of age. The unhappy mother of these victims of a father's rage, was found in the back parlour, to which, it is probable, she had fled for safety, but was there stabbed to the heart, by the hand of him who had vowed at the altar to love and protect her. Near the gory bosom of the martyred woman was seen the ghastly corpse of the sanguinary monster. After perpe- trating the diabolical crime of murdering his unofi^ending family, it was supposed that he loaded his rifle, and receiving the muzzle into his mouth, deliberately discharged its contents, by which one half of his head was entirely blown away, and the barrel of the gun severed from the stock. The apartments were literally a human slaughter-house, where death reii^ned in undisturbed dominion. This tragic scene closed the lifts of the beholders in silence, and astonishment seemed to have pa- ralyzed then). No one was able to give utterance to the deep- and oppressive feelings of the heart, and the company retired, increasingly convinced that great indeed is the depravity of man. The biographer of Dr. Stanford records his interviews with many dying persons. The following is very instructive: — This morning I was requested to visit a man, supposed to REV. DR. STANFORD. iMo l)C near death. After tenderly inquiring about the state of his mind, he replied, "It is very easy — I know that there is one God — I believe that there is a future state — I believe God, when I die, will take my poor soul — I believe all these." I nsked, " Do you know that you are a sinner, and that you need mercy ?" " Oh, we are all sinners." I answered him, that God could not save him at the expense of divine justice; that we both stood in need of a Saviour; that God had in mercy given his dear Son, whose blood cleanseth from all sin; and that there was none other name given under heaven, whereby we may be saved, but the name of the Lord Jesus; who is, therefore, the only Saviour. To my great astonish- iiKMit, this man replied, " I don't know any thing about him." " Then," I replied, "it is high time that you should know him. If is, indeed, our encouragement that this Jesus is able and willing to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by liiin ; and it becomes you, under your circumstances, to pray to him for mercy." I was equally surprised at his answer: " 1 never prayed in my life." I thought it my duty solemnly U) warn him of his danger. After which, I prayed. At four o'clock, I ordered the coachman to put me down at the hospital-gate, and I went into the sick man's room ; but, what was my astonishment, as I looked around, to find both t-lie man and the bed removed. " Nurse, what have you done with the patient?" "He is in the dead-house; he died at Mvelve o'clock." " How did he die?" Instead of giving me a direct reply, she told me, that soon after I left him, in the morning, two of his friends came to visit him, who informed her that he was a deist, and had lived a very irregular life. " But, nurse," I said, " you do not answer my question ; how did he die?" She replied, "Sir, when he knew he was going, he cried loudly enough to Jesus Christ to save him : he died a poward, and, with his last breath, renounced his former infi- flplity." " Men may live fools, but fools they cannot die.'* 346 THE AMERICAN CLEKGY. A VILLAGE CLERGYMAN. An active and skilful young minister, while engaged undei circumstances of the most promising kind in the village of J , was told of a miller who, with more than usual pro- fa neness, had repelled every attempt to approach him on the subject of religion, and had discouraged the hopes and efforts of the few serious persons in his vicinity. Among other prac- tices of sinful daring, he uniformly kept his windmill, the most striking object in the hamlet, going on the Sabbath. In a little time, the minister determined to make an eflxjrt for the benefit of the hopeless man. He undertook the office of going for his flour, the next time, himself. "A fine mill," said he, as the miller adjusted his sack to receive the flour; "a fine mill, indeed ; one of the most complete I have ever seen." This was nothing more than just — the miller had heard it a thousand times before ; and would firmly have thought it, though he had never heard it once: but his skill and judgment were still gratified by this new testimony, and his feelings con- ciliated, even towards the minister. " But, oh !" continued his customer, after a little pause, "there is one defect in it!" "What is that?" carelessly asked the miller. "A very seri- ous defect, too." " Eh !" replied the miller, turning up his face. "A defect that is likely to counterbalance all its advan- tages." "Well, what is it?" said the miller, standing straight up, and looking the minister in the face. He went on: "A defect which is likely to ruin the mill." "What is it?" re- joined the miller. '^And will one day no doubt destroy the owner." " And can't you say it out?" exclaimed the impa- tient miller. " It goes on the Sabbath !" pronounced the mi- nister, in a firm, solemn, and monitory tone. The astonished man stood blank and thunderstruck ; and remained meek and submissive under a remonstance and exhortation of a quarto A TRAVELLING MINISTER. 347 of an hour's length, in which the danger of his state and practices, and the call to repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, were fully proposed to him. A TRAVELLING MINISTER. A MINISTER who was urged by his people to go out on a begging excursion, to solicit money to liquidate a debt on their meeting-house, put up on Saturday night with the deacoQ of a church to which he was to present the subject on the ensuing Sabbath. He seemed to be quite wealthy ; and, as he treated his guest with great cordiality and kindness, the preacher cherished glowing expectations of a very generous contribu- tion from his purse. On the Sabbath, after setting forth the claims of his object in as forcible and eloquent a manner as possible, the plates were passed around for money. As the deacon sat near the pulpit, the preacher could not resist the temptation of rising up a little and peeping over the pulpit, to witness the expression of the good man's liberality. As the plate approached the deacon, he leisurely put his hand into his pocket. The preacher's heart palpitated with anxiety. Rut, alas ! the deacon just dropped from his thumb and fingers two rod cents upon the plate, and allowed it to pass ! The preacher suddenly sank back into his seat, and hope and faith died, within him. The collection was small, and the preacher, mor- fifiod and indignant, went straight back to his people, told them (h(^ story of the two cents, and assured thorn they must raise thf^ funds needed themselves, or send some one else forth to hi'!r, rather than him. The people caught his spirit — they de- tf-rminf^d to solicit no fin-thor — increased their subscriptions, and paid their debts themselves. 348 THE A3IER1GAN CLERGY. REV. MR. GRAFTON Father Grafton, as he was called, was for nearly half a century a Baptist pastor at Newton, in the vicinity of Boston. He was highly esteemed, and often invited to the corporate and other public dinners of that city. On one of these occasions, he was greatly annoyed by the profane swearing of a young man who sat opposite to him ; whom he sometimes reproved, but without effect. At length, the old gentleman determined to settle the affair, and rising, with a sharp voice, he called out, " Mr. President !" That gentleman immediately com- manded silence, and called on the company to hear " the Rev. Mr. Grafton." " Mr. President," said he, " I beg leave to move that there be no swearing done here" — looking at the young man, and attracting the general attention towards him — *' except by my friend, the Rev. Dr. Homer," a well-known, estimable clergyman then present. The resolution was carried by acclamation, and the good old minister enjoyed himself for the remaining part of the afternoon. REV. CALVIN COLTON. AVhfn this gentleman was in England, a tew years ago, he published an interesting little book, under the title of " The American Cottager." In it he gave an account of a female cottager on a missionary station, in one of the Western States, who had recently been received as a member of a Christian church, but who had not yet had the privilege of obeying the Saviour's command : " This do in remembrance of me." She was suddenly laid on a sick-hed, which indeed proved the bed RE\. CALVIN COLTON. »^49 of death. She sent for Mr. C, and expressed a most ardent desire that he should administer to her the holy ordinance of the Supper. Her ardor on the subject was so groat, that he began to fear she was attaching to it too much importance, and was regarding obedience to it as a passport to heaven, and de- licately expressed his fear on the subject. Her reply, however, was more than satisfactory. " No, sir, I do not think that the reception of the Lord's Supper is essential to the salvation of my soul ; but I do feel that if I die without it, I can never be happy, because I shall never forget that there was a command of my Saviour, who loved me, that I never obeyed." On the voyage of Mr. Collon to England, a few years sinre, he had, one Sabbath, complied with the request of the captain and passengers in preaching to them ; and, towards evening, was hanging over the stern of the ship, engaged in meditation, when the current of his thoughts was interrupted by the ap- pearance of a young man, one of the cabin passengers, before him. Fie begged pardon for the intrusion, and observed that he owed an apology, on his own behalf, for he was unjustly suffering in the estimation of the preacher. "Pray, sir," said the preacher, "explain yourself." He went on, regardless of this request; adding, much to the sur- prise of the minister, " 1 bought those books at an auction- room ; thev were struck off to me in one parcel, the night before I left New York. I was ignorant of what they were. "'What books?" interrupted the minister. " I intend to destroy them," continued the young man ; " and I should suffer injustice if I allowed you to suppose that I had not been better educated, or that I can relish such vile trash." It turned out, after the parties in this colloquy had come to a better understanding, that the said books were of an infidel 'SO 350 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. rtnd otherwise vile character. Soon after the commencerr)ent of the voyage, the young man had politely oflcred the minister the use of any o(' his books that might interest him. Oi' this privilege lie had availed himself, but had not happened to have seen any of the bad ones. It had also happened that, in his sermon of that day, the preacher had taken occasion to make some remarks on the absurdity of infidelity, and the vicious state of the moral affections that could relish it. The young man felt mortified and ashamed, supposing himself to be directly aimed at in the preacher's remarks, and took this opportunity to vindicate himself. The interview proved that " conscience needs no accuser." REV. DR. BEECHER. When the venerable Dr. Lyman Beecher was a young man, he was once returning to his native town in Connecticut, and fell into conversation by the roadside with an old neighbour, an Episcopalian, who had been mowing. " Mr. Beecher," said the farmer, " I should like to ask you a question. Our clergy say that you are not ordained, and have no right to preach. I should be glad to know what you think about it." " Sup- pose," replied Dr. Beecher, "you had in the neighbourhood a blacksmith, ' '• > said he could prove that he belonged to a re- gular line of icksmiths which had come down all the way from St. Peter, but he made scythes that would not cut ; and you had another blacksmith, who said he could not see what descent from Peter li.ul to do with making scythes that would cut, \\ here w, uld you go to get your scythes ?" •' Why, to the man who made scythes to cut, certainly," replied the far- mer. " Well," said Dr. Beecher, '■'■that rainister which cuts, is the minister ivhich Christ has authorized to preach.'*'' In a REV. DR. C. 351 more recent conversation on the same subject, Dr. Beecher gave liis opinion by relating this story. In my early ministry, says Dr. Beecher, I was called to attend a neighbour at East Hampton, Long Island. He was skeptical and intemperate. " Pray for me !" he exclaimed, " pray lor me ! — pray for me !" " You must pfay for your- self,' I replied. " Pray — I cannot pray ! 1 am going straight to perdition !" He lived three days, almost without food, and then died — so far as we know — without any disease. It was the power of conscience. RflV. DR. C. A YOUNG gentleman fresh from college, who had more knowledge of books than of men, was wending his way to the residence of the Rev. Dr. C. — The Doctor was extensively known and respected for his energy of character, his learninsr, piety, and moral worth. But, like the great apostle, he did not disdain to " labour with his own hands." With a letter of introduction to the aged divine, whom he had known only by reputation, our gent9el young friend was seeking the privilege of an acquaintance with him. " Old daddy," said he to an aged labourer in the field by the way -side, whose flapped hat and coarse-looking over-coat — it was a lowering day — and dark complexion and features, contrasted strongly with his own broadcloth and kid gloves and liiir person : — " Old daddy, tell me where the Rev. Dr. C lives." " In the house you see yonder " the old man modestly replied. OOZ THE AMERICAN CLERGY. Witiioui condescending to thank him for the information, the young man rode on, and soon found himself sealed in'^the par- lour of Dr. C.'s hospitable residence, at the invitation of the lady of the house, awaiting the expected arrival of the Doctor. in due time the host appeared, having returned from the field, laid aside his wet garments, and adjusted his person. But, to the surprise and confusion of the younii; guest, whom should he meet in the Reverend Dr., but the same old daddy he had so uifteremoniously accosted on his way ! " It was very respectful in you," said the venerable divine, with an arch look, and in a pleasant tone — for the aged man was not wanting in wit and humor — " it was very respectful in you to call me old daddy ; I always love to see young men show respect to old age." The confusion and mortification of the young man were in- describable. He could have sunk through the floor, and buried himself in the darkness of the cellar beneath him. With a countenance crimsoned with blushes, he began to stammer out an apology for his incivility. " No apology," said the doctor, very pleasantly, " no apo- logy, — I always love to see respect shown to old age." But the kindness and assiduity of the family could not relieve the unpleasantness of his situation; a sense of the mortifying blunder which he had committed, marred all his anticipated pleasure from the interview, and he was glad to take his leave as soon as he could do it with decency. REV. MR. COLEY Several years ago, a man, decently clothed, of good ap- pearance and address, with some degree of intelligence, called REV. MR. (;OLEY. 353 on the Rev. Mr. Coley, of Albany, whose benevolent feelings readily sympathized with the distressed, exhibiting testimonials of being a good Christian, and professing, in rather an Irish accent, to be a Scotch Baptist, but possessing no formal letter from a Baptist church. Mr. C. told him that to receive him as a good Baptist brother, a letter was indispensable. Still, he protested solemnly, loudly, and with tears, that he was a Baptist. In about two months afterwards, he returned, with a letter, but an exceedingly doubtful one, and professing that all he wanted was, to raise money enough to get back to Halifax. Mr. C. having been often imposed upon, and suspicions run- ning high on this occasion, invited him to dinner, determining to try, by a very proper test, whether he was really a Baptist or not. Sitting around the dinner-table, he asked him to pray for God's blessing upon the food of which they were about to partake. " O, yes, sir, yes, sir." — A few minutes' silence. " Pray out loud, brother," said Mr. C. — A mutter. — " I can have no such sacrifice as that at my table," said Mr. C. ; " pray out loud, brother." '' O," said the man, " I can't pray before a minister." Mr. C. then excused him. Dinner being over, Mr. Coley observed, if he were a good Baptist brother, he loved prayer; as for himself, like Daniel, he had prayers three times a day, and now he wanted the privilege of hearing him pray. The familv being called in, they knelt down. — Silence. — "1 want you to pray, brother," said Mr. C. — A mutter. — " 1 want you to pray out loud, brother," said Mr. C. " O," said the man, who by this time was wrought up to a dreadful state of |)er- turbation, " I could not pray before a minister." " If you are a Baptist brother," said Mr. C, "you can pray." Upon this, the man muttered over some parts of the Lord's prayer " Now," said the minister, '* I have all the evidence I need tlia! 30* .'^54 THE AMKRTCAN CLKKGY. vou are an impostor. You are not a Baptist, sir." " I have called jn ministers all over the United States," said the man, " ; nd you are the sharpest man I ever met with." — With this, lie made towards the door, which Mr. C. locked, and, in the tones of a second Stentor, said, ^^You shall not go, sir. James, fetch a police officer." By this time the man trembled like an Hspcn leaf, and cried, "Don't send for a police officer." "Conf(>ss, then, who and what you are," said Mr. C. He then confessed that he was not a Baptist, and lived by getting money in such a manner, and added that his honour was the sharpest man he ever met with. After some conversation and much entreaty, Mr. Coley allowed him to go, satisfied that he had found out a tolerably sure method of detecting impostors. Were every minister to adopt some such expedient, such cliaracters would become exceedingly scarce, and their acts of benevolence centre on needy and deserving objects. When ministers help such persons, they are a party to an extensive robbery among the most benevolent members of the church, thounh unconscious of it. A CLERGYMAN IN NEW YORK. A CLERGYMAN of Ncw Y'ork related from the pulpit the ff)llowing facts : — A clergyman in a neighbouring town, some lime since, as he was riding, passed some young females, near a school-house, and dropped from his carriage two tracts, u liich he had previously marked. Some time after, he was conversing with a young woman with reference to her spirit- ual state, and found her rejoicing in the hope of pardoned sin. He inquired the history of her religious feelings, and she traced them to a tract dropped by a traveller, which was manifestly KEV. E. BYNE. 35l one of the two above referred to. He was afterwards called to visit another young woman on a sick-bed, whose mind was c dm and composed in view of death, which the event proved was near at hand. She traced her first serious impressions to tlie circumstance of two tracts being dropj)ed by a tr.ivcller; one of which, she said, was taken up by her cousin, and the other by herself; " and now," said she, " we are both hoping in Christ." She had retained the tract as a precious treasure, and putting her hand under her pillow, showed it to the cler- gyman, who immediately recognised the marks he had written on it. REV. E. BYNE. The late Rev. Edmund Byne, though somewhat eccentric in his manners, was an eminently faithful and fearless servant of the Lord Jesus. When a young man, soon after he had joined the church, he was invited, with his wife, by some of his old companions in sin, to attend a dancing-party, which he agreed to do on the express condition that he should entirely direct the whole proceedings of the evening. VVhen the com- pany had collected, a young lady stepped forward and invited the preacher to dance. He so far accepted her invitation as to walk out on the floor with her, when the violin struck up a lively air. Mr. Byne claimed his right to give direction to the exercises of the evening, and immediately sang a hymn, in which he was joined by several of the party, and then knelt down and offered up a fervent prayer. By the time he had completed his second hymn many were in tears. The dance was converted into a prayer-meeting, and no other frolic was ever attempted in that house. '^5(\ THK A3IERICAN CLERGY. REV. MR. BAKER. Rev. Mr. Baker, a Free-will Baptist evangelist, was visiting from house to house, in a certain neighbourhood, in New Eng- land ; and met on his walk three young men with axes on their shoulders. He stopped and conversed with them. Two ap- peared somewhat serious: the third, a gay, frank young inan, replied, "You see, sir, that splendid white house on that farm yonder?" " Yes." "Well, sir, that estate has been willed to me by my uncle ; and we are now going to do chopjiing in the woodland that belongs to it. There are some incumbrances on the estate which I must settle, before the farm can be fully mine; and as soon as I have cleared it of these incumbrances, 1 mean to become a Christian." " Ah ! young man," said the minister, " beware ; you may never see that day ; while you are gaining the world, you may lose your soul." " I'll run the risk," said he, and they parted. The three young men went into the woods ; and this daring procrastinator, and ano- ther, engaged in felling a tree. A dry, heavy limb, hung loosely in the top; and as the tree was jarred by the success- ive strokes of the axe, it quitted its hold, and as it fell crashing through the branches to the earth, it struck the head of the young heir, in its way, and stretched him on the ground, a lifeless corpse. Thus were his hopes cut otT; and, hazarding the delay of months, he lost his soul in an hour. His fellow- labourer was converted; for conviction struck his mind when he saw the young heir quivering in death ! " T felt then such a horror at the danjrer of delavius relioion, when I thouo;ht of what he had just said, and 3aw his end, that I determined to neglect my soul no longer." His example was followed by others ; and a great revival ensn( d REV. DR. TODD. 357 REV. DR. TODD. The following account of a Sabbath in the solitudes was given by the Rev. Dr. Todd, at one of the benevolent cele- brations at Boston : — In the northern part of the state of New York, between the St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain, and between the Mohawk and the Hudson, there is a wilderness one hundred and tifty miles long and one hundred miles wide. I had no conception that there was such a wilderness this side of the Mississippi. This wilderness is filled with lofty mountains, little inferior to the White Mountains of Now Hampshire. On the tops of these mountains, clouds gather and pour down their rains and scatter their snows, so that large reservoirs are needed lo hold the superabundant waters. The hand of God has hollowed out a number of beautiful lakes, in the bosom of these moun- tains, Ibr this purpose — and here arise the rivers which flow in various directions to the sea. In the course of the last summer, in company with a learned friend, I entered that wilderness, and penetrated to the centre, where is a beautiful lake of twenty or thirty miles in length, and several miles wide, interspersed with little islands. Here we found seven families that lived al ne. They had a little foot-path through the wilderness, so that when they wanted to step into a store to buy any necessaries, they could do so by following this foot-path only forty-three miles ; or if a man wanted bread for his family, he had only to take his grain on his back and go the same distance and get it ground, and then bring it back in the same way. These people were keen nt hunting and fishing, but children at every thing else. But (loath had entered even there, and taken a beautiful girl of seventeen, who had just died, with no one to administer the 3o8 THK AMERICAN CLERGY. coiisoi:iti'-.ns of religion, or to perform relij^ious services at her funeral. It was Saturday night. The sun was an hour high. When it was known that we were ministers of the Gospel, two young ladies jumped into a little boat and rowed four or five miles, to tell the neighbours. The next morning was still. ''I'here was no hunting or fishing. The 'coons screamed unmolested after their prey. It was the first Sabbath that was ever kept there, and I was to preach. We met in a little hut covered with bark. All were there. W^e could not sing, for no one knew how to raise a tune. In the afternoon, to accommodate a mother that had a young child, the meeting was appointed seven miles up the lake. We found them all there. One of our boats was rowed by the father, and the other by the two sisters. One old hunter came down from forty miles farther up ; and he was able to raise a tune — a half-hunter's and half- psalm tune. What a meeting was that ! There were only thirty-three souls ; but they came round me, and said, if I would come and live among them, they would give me fish enough to cat, and stop hunting on the Sabbath. When we separated, as we got out a little way from them, there was a pause — they raised the tune and began to sing the hymn, " People of the living God," &c. Was I weak because I wept? These are the sheep which have strayed from our fold — the poor ones of the family, whom we are to send after A Cl.ERGYMAN IN TENNESSEE. A coiNVENTioN being held in Tennessee, a clergyman, with a friend, made their home at the house of Dr. D., an emin<3nt A CLERGYMAN IN TENXEaSEK. .S50 physician^ .v^ho, it was said, was greatly addicted to profanity in ordinary conversation. No evidence of this fact presented itself for the several days of their visit. At length, on the evening before their departure, the clergy- man determined to draw a bow at a venture, and contrived incidentally to refer to profane swearing. He then said, " Doctor, we leave you to-morrow ; and be assured we are very grateful to iMrs. D. and yourself; but, may I add, my dear sir, that we have been disappointed here?" " Disappointed !" " Yes, sir, but most agreeably." "In what, Mr. C?" '* Will you pardon me, if I say we were misinformed, and may I name it ''" " Uertamly, sir, say what you wish." " Well, my dear sir, we were told that Dr. D. was not guarded in his language ; but, surely, you are misrepre- sented." "Sir," interrupted he, "I do honour you for candor; yet, sir, I regret to say, you have not been misinformed. I do, and perhaps habitually, use profane language ; but, sir, can you think I would swear before religious people, and one of them a clergyman ?" Tears stood in the eyes of the clergyman as he took him by the hand, and said, " My dear sir, you amaze me ! Can it be that Dr. D., so courteous and intelligent a man, has greater reverence for us than for the injinite God?'''* " Gentlemen," replied the doctor, with a tremulous voice, " I never did before see the utter folly of profane swearing. I will abandon it for ever." 360 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. W. TENNENT. The eminent minister of this name was settled as a pastor, several vcars before he married. Totally ignorant of the way in which he ought to manage his temporal concerns, he was frequently embarrassed. In this emergency, a friend from New York told him the only remedy against the recurrence of the evil, was to get a wife. " I do not know how to go about it," was the answer. *' Then I will undertake the busi- ness," said his friend ; " I have a sister-in-law, a pious and prudent widow." The next evening found Mr. Tennent in New York, and the following day he was introduced to Mrs. N . Pleased with her appearance, he abruptly told her that he supposed she knew his errand ; that neither his time nor inclination would allow him to use much ceremony ; and that, if she pleased, he would return from his charge on the following Monday, and be married. With some little hesita- tion, the lady consented ; and she proved a most excellent wife. Mr. Tennent and the Rev. S. Blair were sent, by the synod to which they belonged, on a mission to Virginia. They stopped, one evening, at a tavern for the night, where they found a number of persons, with whom they supped, in a common room. After supper, cards were introduced ; when one of the gentlemen politely asked them if they would not take a cut with them ; not knowing that they were clergymen. Mr. Tennent pleasantly answered, "With all my heart, gen- tiemen, if you can convince us that we can serve our Master's cause, or contribute anv thins towards the success of our mis- sion." This drew some smart reply from the gentleman ; when Mr. T., with solemnity, added, "We are ministers of the Lord REV. W. TENAENT. 361 Jesus Christ; we profess ourselves his servants; we are sent on his business, which is to persuade mankind to repent of ihr'ir sins, to turn Xrorn them, and to accept of that happiness and salvation which are offered in the gospel." This ver}' un'\[)eclod reply, delivered in a tender, though solemn man- ner, and with great apparent sincerity, so engaged the atten- tion of the gentlemen, that the cards were laid aside, and an opportunity was offered for explaining, in a social conversation during the rest of the evening, some of the leading doctrines of the gospel, to the entire satisfaction and apparent edification of the hearers. When Mr. Tennent was once travelling in Virginia, he lodged one night at the house of a planter, who informed him that one of his slaves, a man of more than seventy years of age, and who could neither read nor write, was eminent for his piety and knowledge of the Scriptures. Having some curiosity to learn what evidence such a man could have of their divine origin, he went out in the morning, alone, and without making himself known as a clergyman, entered into conversation with him on the subject. After starting some of the common obj(^rttions of infidels against the authenticity of the Scriptures, in a way adapted to confound an ignorant man, he said to him, " U'hen you cannot even read the Bible, nor examine the evi- dence for or against its truth, how can you know that it is the word of God?" After reflecting a moment, the African re- plied, " You ask me, sir, how I know that the Bible is the word of God ? I know it by its eff'ect ujjon yny own hearty :n 362 THE AMERICAN CLEKGV. AN AGED CLERGYMAN. The following fact may show Christian ministers the im- portance of the greatest possible simplicity in the language they use : — A young clergyman, who had delivered a discourse in the place of an aged brother minister, requested the opinion of the latter respecting it. " Oh," said he, plainly, " many of the words you used were beyond the comprehension of your hearers. Thus, for in- stance, the word 'inference,' perhaps not half of my parish- ioners understand its meaning." " Inference, inference !'" ex- claimed the other, "why, every one must understand that." " I think you will find it not so. There's my clerk, now ; he prides himself upon his learning, and in truth is very intelli- gent : we will try him. Zechariah, come hither, Zechariah ; my brother here wishes you to draw an inference ; can you do it?" " Why, I'm pretty strong, but Johanadab the coachman is stronger than I; I'll ask him." Zechariah went out a few moments, to look after the coachman, and returned, "Joha- nadab says he has never tried to draw an inference, sir; but he reckons his horses can draw any thing that the traces will hold 1" REV. DR. HARRIS. The late Rev. Dr. Harris, of Dunbarton, walking out one day, in one of the large villages of a neighbouring stato, mot one of the champions of Universalism. It was General P , the leader and main supporter of the large Universalist society which hud for many years existed in that place. He was a REV. DR. HARRIS. 363 high-minded man, quite wealthy, and very influential ; having :i good deal of general information, and considerable skill in argument, which last he did not hesitate to use whenever opportunities were presented. He and Dr. H. were personally strangers ; but, knowing something of each other by rcputa- rist ; and my greatest desire is, that 1 may spend my future nniiaining days to the glory of God, and in doing good to man. ••'And now, standing on the borders of eternity, I find that I have arrived at old age, and gray hairs, and many infirmities, much sooner than I had expected. Truly, few and evil have the days of my life been. Though I am sensible that God has s('(;n much heart-wickedness and coming short of duty in me, yvX 1 am not aware that since I professed religion, men have accused me of any immoralities, or charged me with delin- quencies in ministerial or Christian duties ; yet I do not by any means extend charity so far towards myself; 1 know thiit I have a great account to settle with God, which nothing can cancel but the blood of Christ. "There is no part of my life and conduct upon which I can look back with greater approbation and peace of mind, than my manner of preaching the word, and the pains I have taken to support the discipline of Christ's church, though it has cost me jnuch labour and toil, and I have passed through evil re- port as well as good report in defending the truth. For a long time I had to bear the reproach of bringing in new and strange doctrines ; of being a hard, severe, and unfeeling preacher, whose doctrines and manner of preaching were calculated to divide the people, to set the father against the son and the son against the father, to break up the church and throw society into disorder. And why? Because T preached that God is unchangeably the same for ever ; that he is a holy sovereign, nnd works all things according to his own most holy, just, and REV. DR. HARRIS, 8(1.") good will, anil that it is man's duty to submit to that will u) all things — instead of doing which, man has resisted that will, and violated God's law, and thus become the enemy of his Maker. For this God pronounced his curse upon him, binding him over to everlasting punishment ; under this curse, all the human race must have suffered the vengeance of eternal fire, had not God in his own sovereign grace provided a way ol escape. He so Icjved the world that he gave his own Son to die that sinners might live ; still, none can be saved, but those who repent and forsake their sins ; who believe in Christ, and be- come holy. Faith, repentance, a new heart and true love, are all the sovereign gifts of God ; he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. I preached all the doctrines of strict Calvinism; and truly this was new doc- trine and strange preaching in these parts at that day ; for when I began to preach in this town, the whole region was given over to Arminianism, both ministers and churches em- bracing that system, with but few exceptions ; of course, in whatever direction I went, I met with opposition. The new minister brought new and strange things to their cars, which thcv were not willing to endure. But I found it necessary, and believed it to be my indispensable duty, to dwell much on the (lo(^trines of grace, wherever I went; and it was often thrown out against me, that I always preached on doctrines, and the hardest doctrines too; such as would raise the opposition of tiie human heart, and turn the feelings of unreconciled men against the preacher. I very well knew then, as ministers do now, that I was not taking the way to be popular; but I believed it to be the right way to do good, to gain the approbation of God and save the souls of men. I believed it the only way to make men acquainted with the true character of (jod, with the nature and requirements of God's holy law, the condition of man before and after the fall, and the way in which sinners ?an be saved through the atonement of Christ. 31^ 306 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. "I am now entirely satisfied that the course I pursued wns correct ; the course which God will approve ; the course which promoted sound doctrine in this and neighbouring churches, and led to the conversion of many souls; linally, it has fixed the churches in this region firmly on the doctrines of Christ and his apostles. Instead of regretting that I have preached these doctrines so much, I am glad, and rejoice with exceeding joy. There is no part of my life in respect to which I can look forward to the Judgment with greater composure, than that which was spent in preaching plainly and pungently, to the best of my ability, the great and glorious doctrines of sovereign grace, as understood by the fathers of New England. And I think if the ministers of the present day would preach more like the ministers of a hundred years ago, they would be much more likely to do good, and save the souls of men. The historical, biographical, geographical, astronomical, rhetorical, and egotistical preaching, which we frequently hear in these latter days, will do but little to feed the hungry souls of the saints, and much less to convict the hard hearts of poor, dyinc sinners ; and therefore I leave my dyirig testimony againsi- Slick an unprojitabh and unscriptitral mode of preaching^ REV. MR. HYDE. The memoir of the Rev. Mr. Hyde, of Lee, Mass., \\\\c^ died in December, 1833, presents him in a very lovely view as the head of a family. One of his sons writes : — He never came to the family altar as if to perform an un- meaning and irksome ceremony ; but it ever seemed to him a delightful spot — a spot where he loved to linger. And I i e- licve we were all happy in the hour of family devotion. T! ev SEVERAL CLERGYMEN. 367 are delightful spots in the retrospect; and nothing, iiollnnL^ makes such a chasm at home; nothing makes the paternal mansion appear so gloomy, as not to hear the well-known accents of our much-lamented father ascending in afTection.itc supplication at the hours of morning and evening devotion, and invoking a blessing upon the bounties of Providence at the social repast. And he was not content with supplicating the best of Heaven's blessings upon his children at family prayers only. Often has he taken me with him in solitude, particu- larly when I was about to leave home, and there, upon our bended knees, has he committed me to the special care and keeping of our heavenly Father. What he has done for me in this respect, I presume he has done for the others. SEVERAL CLERGYMEN. Ax old Connecticut pastor, whose peculiarities of preaching were proverbial, and who was blest with a temper of great value, was one day told by a parishioner that he did not like his sermons. "Well," said the old man, "I don't wonder at it ; I don't like 'em myself." A deacon went to his minister, and professing to speak iiie sentiments of the congregation, began to complain of his stvie of preaching. " I do not say these things for myself," s^'d the deacon; "I am not at all dissatisfied; but the people et vrrv uneasy, and I am afraid we shall have trouble." "ITc-v is it," in(]uircd the pn'-tor, " that you hear all these complaints' No other member of the church seems to be so familiar with them as yoa are?" "Oh," said the deacon, "they all know :}(i8 nil', AMERK^AN CLERGY. lii.ii 1 ;ini on tfnns of intimacy with you, and they make me i!ic ninncl into which they pour every thing which they wish vou to hear." "Yes," replied the pastor, "and it is because you are a tunnel that they use you as such." A lady of suspected chastity, and who was tinctured with infidel principles, conversing with a minister of the Gospel, objected to the Scriptures on account of their obscurity and the great difficulty of understanding them. The minister wisely and smartly replied, ''^ Why, madam, what can be easier to 2(7i(lerstand than the seventh commandment, ' Thou shalt not commit adultery V " An elder of a church in the state of New York, a few yea^s ago, owned a distillery, and manufactured ardent spirits. The elder was an active Christian, and seemed quite awake to the benevolent efforts of the day. His pastor was grieved that so worthy a man should be engaged in a business which brought temporal and eternal ruin upon his fellow-men, and resolved to giv(^ him faithful warning. While visiting the elder, at his house, the elder looked toward the grave-yard, and said, " I love to look there ; it seems to be the way to heaven." " Yes," said the ftastor, "and that," pointing to the distillery, " is the wav to hell." It was a word in season ; and, in a few weeks, the distillery was levelled to the ground. The North American Review gives us the followmg dialogue between a clergvman and a female parishioner:-- SEVERAL CLERGYIViEN. 309 Parishioner. — It amazes me that ministers don't write better sermons. I'm sick of their dull, prosy affairs. Minister. — But it is no easy matter, my good woman, to write good sermons Parishioner. — Yes, but then you are so long about it. J. could write one myself, in half the time, if I only had the text Minister. — Oh, if a text is what you want, I will furnish ihnt. Take this one, from Solomon: "It is better to dwell in a corner of the house-top, than in a wide house with a brawl iui?- woman." Parishioner. — Do you mean me, sir? Minister. — Oh, my good woman, you will never make a ir')od serninnizer ; you are too soon in your application. " It is true I have but little to give," said Dr. Finley to an agent ; " but I consider it a privilege and an honour, so far as the Lord allows, to have something, if it be but a single nail, in every edifice that is going up for Christ." A lady, in genteel but very moderate circumstances, when presenting the clergyman of with a small sum for a fharitable object, said, "You may put it down as the Widov:''s Mite., sir.^^ " Not so, my friend," replied the worthy pastor. '' [ beg you may," the lady earnestly added ; " it is but a tiiOo," "I am aware of that, madam, but it is not all your living.'''' How very few have in truth presented the " widow's inito," although many apply the passage to themselves. ;37U THE AMETRICAN CLERGY. A minister, not favourable to the doctrine of the eternal '.ilecUon oC the people of Christ, intending once to puzzle an awed woman, who was regarded as "a mother in Israel," said to her, " Do you really believe that God chose you to salvation before you were born 'f" Her answer was remarka ble lor its promptness. " Oh, most certainly ; for I know He never could have seen any thing in me for which to choose me since I was born." A skeptic, meeting a clergyman of one of our large cities, with a view, probably, of showing his wit, asked, " If we are to live after death, why have we not some certain knowledge of it ?" The clergyman, feeling it important sometimes to answer a fool according to his folly, asked in return, "Why didn't you get some knowledge of this world before you came into it?" " If we go to war, father," said a bright-eyed boy to his clerical parent, " from what part of the Bible shall you get a text for a new sermon?" The good minister, being taken by surprise at the question, thought a moment, and then, sniooth- ing the locks of the child with a sort of paternal pri(lf\ an- swered that he believed it would be from Lmnentat'tons. Some years since, as the venerable Father Patterson of Pni- ladelphia, of excellent memory, was riding in a public convey- ance, through one of the most fertile counties of Ponnsylvania- his attention was attracted by the many large farms in \\v.\' part of the country. He admired the beauty of the laiids. ; j, •, SEVERAL CLERGYMEN. 371 the richness of the soil, the luxuriance of vegetation, the ex- tensive meadows and ample fields waving with the yellow har- vest, and ripening for the sickle. As he looked abroad, over the highly cultivated fields, on the right hand and on the left, he said to a friend, " Indeed, indeed, the Lord has many fine (arms in this region; but 1 fear He receives very little rent from them all." VVe fear this passing remark is applicable to (arms in many other parts of this as well as other countries. That was a noble answer which was given by a clergyman to one of his acquaintances, when urged to drink wine at a wedding. " What ! Mr. M.," said one of the guests, " don't you drink wine at a weddinsj?' " No, sir," was the reply ; " I will take a glass ot water." " But, sir," said the officious guest, " you recollect the ad- vice of Paul to Timothy, to take a little wine for his infirmity." " I have no infirmity," was the reverend gentleman's reply. As the Rev. Mr. Field, formerly of Westminster, Vermont, went to give his vote at an election, a man of opposite politics expressed his surprise at seeing him there; and, to confirm his objection, quoted the remark of the Saviour, that his " king- dom was not of this world." " Has no man a right to vote," rejoined the witty clergyman, " unless he belongs to the king- dom of Satan ?" A minister writes : — In obtaining subscriptions for a Hbne- volent purpose, I called upon a gentleman, in one of our larijcii oTli THE AMERICAN CLERGY. c'tios, w lu) (Tonerously contributed to the object. Before leav ing, 1 said to him, " How much, think you, will such an in- dividual subscribe?" "I don't know," said he, "but could you hear that man pray, you would think that he would give you all ho is worth." So 1 called upon him ; but, to my sur prise, he would not contribute. As 1 was about to take my leave, 1 said to him, "As J came to your house, I asked an individual what you would probably give? 'I don't know,' said he, 'but could you hear that man pray, you would think he would give you all he is worth.' " The man's head dropped, tears gushed from his eyes, he took out his pocket-book, and gave mc seventy-five dollars. Bishop Elliot, of Georgia, has published a sermon, in which he says : — It will be a happy day for the church when her clergy and laity shall plant themselves firmly upon the four principles of this sermon : That wealth can be lawfully and innocently got- ten only by labour. That, in the choice of rulers, virtue and wisdom are to be preferred to party. That education is not the mere acquisition of knowledge, but includes moral and re- ligious training. That the religion of Christ is not the fruit of excitement, but of scriptural instruction, united with prayer and watchfulness. Such principles would, in these days, make her members what Scripture says all Christians ought to be, a " prculiar people !" 'JMic Ivcv. John Elliot was once asked by a pious woman, who was vexed with ^ wicked husband, and bad company fre- ( u^itly infesting her house on his account, what she should do? " Take," said he, "the Holy Bible into your nand, when SEVERAL CLERGYMEN. 373 bad company comes in, and that will soon drive them out of the house." A clergyman, in New York, not long since, remarked from the pulpit, while preaching on faith, that Faith was " God's Magnetic Telegraph." One of his hearers, who was perhaps more inquisitive than thoughtful, was desirous of knowing " where the office is?" To which the admirable answer was given, '-'■In every lowly heart of prayer. '''' An aged clergyman, in Baltimore, states, "that during the time he was chaplain to the Maryland Penitentiary, he took great pains to ascertain from the convicts, what was the com- mencement of their downward career ; and that the testimony of about ninety-nine out of a hundred was, that their career of wickedness commenced with Sabbath-breaking.'''* A clergyman in New England, eminent for talents, was one day accosted by a parishioner, who highly commended some of his performances, of which he himself had a very low opinion. After patiently hearing him a few minutes, the cler- gyman replied, " My friend, all that you say gives me no better opinion of myself than I had before, but it gives me a much worse opinion of you." A venerable minister, who has preached some sixty-five years in the same place, being asked what was the secret of long life, replied, " Rise early, live temperately, work hard, and keep cheerful I" 32 374 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. An English publication gives an anecdote of a clergyman of this country worth transcribing. He was desirous of com- municating the idea of faith to a little boy, and taking a chair, he placed it at a distance from him, and setting the boy upon it, told him to fall forward, and he would catch him. The boy had readily mounted the chair, but declined to fall forward as requested. He wished to obey, but was afraid the clergyman would fail to catch him. He, however, put one hand on the mantelpiece, thinking to save himself if not caught ; but the minister told him that would not do — he must trust to him alone ; adding that he would surely catch him, provided he would fall forward. The boy summoned all his courage, placed confidence in what had been said to him, he fell, and was im- mediately caught. The clergyman then told him that was faith, and that -he wished him to go with the same confidence to Jesus Christ. Any child may comprehend this illustration; but alas, the disposition is too often manifested to lay hold of some '* mantelpiece," — something in which self is interested, rather than go direct to the arms of the Saviour ! A Christian pastor, in America, was in the frequent habit, during the tours he made in his extensive parish, of stopping for a night at a village inn, and of continuing his journey the next day. On one occasion he found the principal apartment converted into a ball-room. The host apologized for his not being able to accommodate him as comfortably as usual ; but the pastor, without being disconcerted, asked to have his sup- per served to him in a corner of the room. When it was ready, he begged the assembly to grant him a few moments' silence, that he might, according to his practice, make an au- dible prayer ])efore partaking of the meal. He accordingly commenced praying, but before he had finished, the' dancers had disappeared. A NEW ENGLAND MINISTER. 375 A Universalist, clergyman was once robbed on the road by a man who had formerly lived with him as a servant. After his arrest, the preacher asked the man how he could be so base as to rob his old employer. The robber's answer speaks vo- lumes against the soul-destroying heresy: — "You yourself tempted me to commit this offence against the law ; for I have often heard you say, both in public and private, that all men will enjoy everlasting bliss after death, and that there i& no such tiling as eternal punishment in the next world. You thus "emovcd my greatest fear: why should I dread the less?'''' A NEW ENGLAND MINISTER. A WORTHY minister of the gospel, in one of the New Eng- land States, was in the habit of inviting any of his lay bre- thren, who mijjht feel impelled by a sense of solemn duty, to exhort, or pray, or to perform any other religious acts which might to them seem proper, at the close of the preaching. It accordingly became a common practice, for some one or other of the members of the church to engage in exhortation or prayer, at the conclusion of the service. Among those who seemed anxious to take a part on such occasions, was a rough, uncouth sort of a lad, who would seldom permit an opportu- nity t ) pass, without ministering some word of admonition to the people. At ordinary times the forwardness of tiie lad j)r iduced no particular inconvenience. He was, therefore, ge- nerally permitted to go through his regular harangues. On one occasion, when the minister rose to preach, he saw in the meet- ing several very genteel-looking strangers, who had come in to hear his sermon, and appeared to be prepared to give very earnest heed. He thouj^ht at the moment that it would be a M70 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. fine opportunity for him to make a powerful impression upon the hearts of these strangers ; and prepared his mind for one of his hest efforts. Still he was apprehensive that if the boy got a chance to exhort at the end of the service, he might frustrate all the benefit of his sermon ; and he was therefore exceedingly anxious to close, and dismiss before the young man had time for his speech. But this could not be done; Inr ihe boy was watching his opportunity, and as soon as the preacher had finished, he commenced, and continued his speech for some time, to the no small mortification of the minister. After some time, this same preacher was travelling at a dis- tance from home, when he met a very interesting stranger, who appeared instantly to recognise him, and approached and cordially saluted him, after which the following conversation took place : Stranger. — Did I not have the pleasure of hearing you preach at , on a certain day, when there were several strangers of us present? Minister. — I was preaching there at that time. Stranger. — I shall have reason to re^member that day, not only in time, but in eternity ; for it pleased the Ljprd there to fasten an arrow in my heart, which left me uneasy ana wretched, until I found peace in Christ. Minister, — I desire to be very thankful to God, that he was pleased to make my public ministry on that occasion, the means of doing good to you, and I shall ever desire to be hum- ble before him, for such honour put upon me. Stranger. — My friend, it is true that the Lord has made mo, 'as I trust, one of his jewels ; but I shall not sparkle in your crown, in that day, but in the crown of that boy, who exhorted when you had done. The Lord made use of that boy to convert 1 mv soul. A PENITENT MINISTER. 377 REV. DR. GRIFFIN. Un. E. D. Griffin was often extremely felicitous in his allu- sions to Scripture, especially on public occasions. In his Memoir, ^v•e have an atleciing account of the dangerous illness of his eldest daughter, and of his trials connected with it. Some years afterwards, when by marvellous grace that daughter had been brought into the kingdom of heaven, and had become the mother of children, she came forward, with her husband, according to the practice of the Christian denomination to which they belonged, to "offer them to the Lord;" Dr. G. stood for a moment before he uttered a word, and then, with deep emo- tion, said, in a way that affected every person present to tears, " I had not thought to see thv face: and lo, God hath showed me also thy seed!" A PENITENT MINISTER. A Christian minister, writing from Boston to England in 1705, remarks that the religion of the gospel is the grand restorative of the disturbed soul. In illustration of the remark, he states that he was once told a story by one of his hearers in reference to another, which he improperly believed, and made some strong remarks on the conduct of the offender. These were soon carried to him, losing nothing of their asperity on the road, and in his turn the offender was offended; both were verv anp-ry, the one stayed from church, and the minister was rathf-r pleased than otherwise that he did so. After a short time the rupture was public, and each had a party to commend and another to censure him. The con- science of the minister convicted hmi of wrong-doing, but it 32* HTS TIIK AMERICAN CLERGY. was verv long before he could persuade himself to do what was right. At length he went to his brother, whom he found (juite indisposed to receive him. At last the minister said, •■' You are justified, sir, in your conduct on this occasion ; I deserve it all, yea, and more than this; and I can bear all with more ease than 1 can the reproaches of my own heart. I am come, sir, to acknowledge my error; I have done wrong in taking up a report of you, or saying any thing about you but to yourself; 1 beseech you to forgive me." He was going un — but his friend rose, his face being suffused with tears, and would have spoken, but could not. He extended his hand, and It was received with as warm a heart as ever beat in a friend's bosom. Their hearts never cooled towards each other, till they were made cold by death, and doubtless their friendship shall extend throughout eternity. A UNITARIAN MINISTER. An o\dfrie?id, or Quaker, a few years since, happening one Lord's-day morning to meet a Universalist minister in front of a meeting-house in Providence, R. I., fell into conversation vviih him upon his favourite doctrine of universal salvation. The minister endeavoured to support his system with consider- able warmth ; but the Quaker professed to doubt its correctness, which served to increase the zeal of his opponent. At length, finding it in vain to reason, he remarked, "Well, friend, I think thee must be very happy when walking round the market, and seeing men w-omen, and children of every description, to think that they are all safely bound to heaven." The Universalist could only re[)ly, " I don't know — I think we shall do very well, if we can make out faith enough for ourselves." A METHODIST CLERGYMAN. 379 A METHODIST CLERGYMAN. Not many years ago, the Rev. Mr. , a native of Balti- more, was stationed by the Conference at Augusta, Georgia, where, by his exalted piety, zealous devotion to the Christian cause, And uniform cheerfulness and kindness of disposition, he made many friends, who will long continue to remember him with se.'ntiments of veneration and esteem. His eloquence, and espectally his logical mode of reasoning, never failed to interest and impress the minds of his hearers ; but the old gentleman was of that old-fiishioned school of preachers who entertain a higher reverence for the sanctuary in which they worship, than for the feelings of any who dared to profane it by indecorous conduct, and quaint and harsh as it seemed to the thoughtless offenders, he permitted none to interrupt the services, or deport themselves unbecomingly in his church, with impunity. It was his custom from time to time, whenever a travelling preacher chanced to be present to fill his place, to extend the sphere of his usefulness, by preaching in the neighbourhood wherever he could obtain a congregation. On one of these occasions he had gone to fulfil an afternoon appointment in Hamburg, on the opposite side of the river from Augusta, where, at that time, there was no regular preaching. He had ascended ' the pulpit, and was earnestly addressing a very respectful and attentive audience, when a man entered and seated himself in a conspicuous part of the room. After looking listlessly about him for a few minutes, vain'ly endeavouring to adjust himself in a comfortable position, he extended his person at full length upon the bench. The preacher paused in the midst of his dis- lourse, and fixed his eyes upon the reclining auditor. " My friend," said he, in the blandest tone, " gGt up. Sit up in your seat as you should. You would not deport yourself J^^;' THE AMERICAN CLEKGY. thus In the house of a neighbor for whom you had any respect." The eyes of all were directed upon the delinqnent, who read, in every countenance, an approval of the minister's rebuke. He rose from his position — sat erect with a crimsoned face for a few minutes, and then left the house. The minister went on with his discourse. When the services were over, he received the thanks and congratulations of his Christian friends, who pressed around him at the*door, and promising to meet them again on the following Sunday, took his leave. He had not proceeded far from the house before he was overtaken by the man whom he had rebuked for his im- proper conduct. " Stop, Mr. ," said he, " I want to have a talk with you." The preacher turned smiling to hear what he had to say. " You have insulted me, sir," said the man, with extreme agitation; "and I did promise to whip you on sight; but as you have given out that you will preach here next Sunday, and in consideration that you are an old man, I have concluded to give you a chance to apologize." "For what.'" inquired Mr. . "Why, for insulting me in the manner you did before everybody." " My dear sir, I can do no such thing. I cannot apologize for doing what 1 conceived my duty." " Hut you must, sir; and I now give you notice, that if you rion't apologize for insulting me to Ihe congregation next Sun- day — if you don't make the apology as public as the insult was — preacher as you are, I'll give you a thrashing." " Tut, tut, — you would not do any thing so rash. You " " 1 will! — so help me " " Stop, my friend — make no rash promises," said the A METHODIST CLERGYMAN. 381 j)reucher; "I did not desire to insult you, or to wound your tt;elings unnecessarily; but you must not expect me to apolo- gize lor doing my duty as a faithful steward of the house ol" God." " Well, you come here next Sunday and preach without making an apology, and you know what to depend upon," replied the man as he turned away. The following Sunday, true to Jiis appointment, the preacher was there. The insulted auditor was there also, and kept his eyes steadfastly fixed on the preacher during the whole of his discourse. But not the slightest allusion was made to the u'currence of the previous Sunday. After the cousrejiation were dismissed, the man followed Mr. , as beiore. " Well, sir," said he, " you did not make the apology which [ required of you?" " No, my friend ; I told you that I could not. I feel that I hcivi-i done no wrong. If I were to make a public apology to appease vour feelings, I would acknowledge that I had done wrong, which would be falsifying myself. I would do any proper thing to serve you, but, as I said before, 1 can make no such apology." " Well, sir, you need not think to put me off in this way. 1 will permit no man to insult me; and I now tell you, once more, that if you don't apologize for the insult to me last Sun- day, the next time you preach in Hamburg, I will whip you, as sure as I live." " I hope you may live to form better resolutions, my friend," said the smiling clergyman; "but you require of me what I cannot do, even to avoid a whipping." They parted; Mr. with a polite bow, and tfu; nvaU w th fierce threats and violent gestures. On the following Sunday, the preacher was pimctual to his appointment. As on the former occasion, the holliuerent indi- :\8'2 THE A3rERICAN CLERGY. vidiial WMS in his place, an attentive listener to the sermon. The meeting was an extremely interesting one, and did not break up until later than usual. This time the man did not accost him, nor did the worthy clergyman see him again for several days. But, about a week after the last meeting, as he was going down Broad street, he saw the man who had so solemnly promised him a whipping, approaching him on the sarne side of the street. He easily guessed the object of his visit to Augusta, and determined to meet his fate as gracefully as possible. The man approached within a foot or two of the minister, and, with apparent timidity, drew a letter from his pocket, placed it in the clergyman's hands, and passed on, without uttering a single word. The first thought the worthy minister had was, that possibly the unhappy man had sent him a challenge ; but, on opening the letter, what was his surprise to read, Hamburcx, S. C, April 10, 18SS. " Respected Sir : — Enclosed you will find fifty dollars, a part of which I have collected from your Hamburg friends. It is tendered to you in acknowledgment of your praiseworthy efforts in the cause of religion. Hoping that you will continue to visit us, whenever your pastoral engagements will permit, I remain, Gratefully yours. Such was the haiipy result of faithful preaching. The good minister pleasantly remarked, that he would have no objection, every now and then, to receive such a flogging; and continued to visit Hamburg whenever opportunities presented. REV. DR. WITHERSPOON. 3b3 A NEW ENGLAND CLERGYMAN. As a minister was walking upon one of our eastern wharves, he heard a man in a fishing boat just pulled up, swearing very profanely, and resolved on reproving him. For this purpose he stepped up to the boat, and began to enquire concerning the manner of taking fish. The fisherman answered this enquiry by saying, that for one kind of fish he baited his hook with such a material, and for such other kind of fish, baited his hook with such an article. The clergyman asked, " Do you not take any without bait?" " No," said the fisherm.-in, " I never did but one ; one fool bit the naked hook." " Well," said the clergyman," the devil is a great fisherman, and to take the ambitious he baits with the honor of the world, and to take the avaricious he baits with silver and gold, and for the pleasure-seekers he baits with sensual gratifications, but the profane swearer is like your foolish fish, he bites at the naked hook. REV. DR. WITHERSPOON. The Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, formerly president of Princeton College, was once on board a packet ship, where, among other passengers, was a professed atheist. This unhnppy mrin \va.> very fond of troubling every one with his pernliar bclir-f, and of broaching the subject as often as he could get any one to listen to him. He did not believe in a God and a future state, not he ! By-and-bye there came on a terrible storm, and the prospect was that all would be drowned. T'hcre was much consternation on board, but no one was so greatly frighlencd as the professed atheist. In this extremity, he sought out ihe clergyman, and found him in the cnbin, calm and collrcled, in ,'^84 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. the midst of danger, and thus addressed him ; " Oh, Dr. VN'ithorsnoon ! Dr. Witherspoon ! we're all going ; we have hut a short time to stay. Oh, how the vessel rocks; we're all going; don't you think we are, doctor?" The doctor turned to him with a solemn look, and replied in broad Scotch, " Nae doubt, nae doubt, man; we're a' ganging; but you and 1 dinna gang the same way." A GOOD PREACHER. How beautiful is simplicity ! Who can read the following illustrations of faith without emotion? A beloved minister of the gospel was one day speaking of that active living faith, which should at all times cheer the heart of the sincere follower of Jesus ; and related a beautiful illustration that had just occurred in his own family. He had gone into a cellar, which, in winter, was quite dark, and entered by a trap-door. A little daughter, only three years old, was trying to find him, and came to the trap-door,- but, on looking down, all was dark^ dark — and she called, "Are you down cellar, papa?" " Yes ; would you like to come, Mary?" " It is dark ; I cafi't come, papa." " Well, my 'daughter, I am right below you ; and I can see you, though you cannot see me, and if you will drop yourself, I will catch you." " Oh ! I should fall ; I can't see you, papa." " I know it," he answered ; " but I am really here, and you shall not fall or hurt yourself. If you will jump, I will catch you safely." Little Mary strained her eyes to the utmost, but she could catch no glimpse of her father. She hesitated, then advanced KEV. DR. BALDWIN. a little farther, then, summoning all her resolution, she threw herself forward, and was received safely in her father's arms. A few days after, she again discovered the cellar door open; and, supposing her father to be there, she called, " Shall I come again, papa?" " Yes, my dear, in a minute," he replied ; and had just time j to reach his arms towards her, when, in her childish glee, she : fell shouting into his arms, and, clasping his neck, said, " I knetVj dear papa, I should not fall." REV. DR. BALDWIN. The Rev Dr. Baldwin, when living in New Hampshire, was under an engagement to preach at some distance from home ; but, having set out too late to reach the place of his appoint- ment on the same day, he found himself at night on a rough and dreary road, which lay, for the most part, through the woods. Being very much fatigued with his ride on horseback he resolved to tarry, for the night, at the first house he might find. He came to a sort of cabin, at the door of which he knocked. A woman presented herself, of whom he begged the favour of a night's entertainment for himself and his horse. She eyed him suspiciously, for the doctor, (when in his old hat and threadbare clothes, was not particularly pre- possessin£f in his appearance,) but finally told him that he might stay. The doctor put up his horse in the old, rickety barn, and then relnnuil lo the house. Here, upon a pine-wood table, he found a boul of milk, a loaf of bread, and a small quantity of butter — the materials for his supper. The good woman, after giving him an invitation to be seated and partake, added, as she looked earnestly in his face, " There, such as 33 Ofi6 rflE AMERICAN CLERGY. the house affords, I give you — if you are a good man^ it is good enough; and if you are not a good man, it is altogether too ffoody REV. MR BUSHNEL. Mr. Bushnel, of Utica, New York, a Wesleyan Methodist preacher, having business at a neighbouring town, was obliged, HI consequence, to see the landlord of the village inn ; so he stopped at his house. When he entered the bar-room, he saw about twenty men, most of whom were intoxicated — several of them quite dmnk. After a little time, one of them said some- thing to Mr. Bushnel, who replied in a courteous manner, and spoke of the subject of temperance. Immediately the attention of the assembly was arrested, and the cause was denounced as the work of prie«ts and politicians. Mr. Bushnel, finding it impossible to stem the current of abuse by an appeal to their reason, proposed to sing a temper- ance song ; to which they all agreed, and he accordingly com- menced the " Staunch Teetotaller." On glancing around the room, after he had concluded, he observed the tear trickling down the cheek of almost evcrv man. The sentiment of the song, and the melodious, touching manner in which it was sung, had awakened their purest sensibilities — had carried their ihoughts back to their families and firesides, surrounded, as they once were, with plenty, happiness, and afl^ection ; and then the contrast of a drunkard's home — its dark wretchedness and misery, were wisely presented to their minds ; and those hardened men could not resist the appeal, but acknowledged its truth by tears ! The song was unanimously called for again, and their wishes were gratified by its repetition. Soon after, the landlord came in ; and Mr. B. was requested to re- peat it for his especial benefit. It produced the same efl^ct REV. 3rR. WALKER 387 upon him; and, after lie had concluded, he grasped him bv tlie hand, and exclaimed, " I will never sell another glass of liquor as long as I live!" He acted immediately on his reso- lution, cut dovvn his sign-post, and closed his bar; the others promising to go to the temperance meeting that evening, and sign the pledge. And they all did so, except one. REV. MR. WALKER. A DIFFICULTY having arisen in the Presbyterian church of Rome, New York, between the pastor and the people, a coun- cil was called. Mr. W. made out charges of slander against five or six of his brethren, and procured his witnesses. They also made out charges against Mr. W. for his improper expres- sions concerning them. But the council, soon after its organi- zation, decided, for certain reasons, that it was imj)roper for them to act as a council in the case, and so dissolved. Thus the way to adjust the difficulties of the church seemed hedged up. Rev. Mr. L., of Auburn, now rose and delivered a solemn address to the church ; and his address was followed by a moving scene. One of the brethren who was complained of by Mr. W. had been to Sherburne, to engage Rev. Mr. Truair, of that place, as an advocate. In that town God was pouring out his Spirit ; and Mr. D. returned convicted of his errors. At this interesting moment he came forward, took his pastor by the hand, and made the most humble and melting confession of his faults. Mr. W. as frankly forgave him, and cordially embraced him as a friend and brother. No sooner had he done this than Mr. D. kneeled down and poured out his soul in .-in appropriate, humble, penitential prayer. Before he con- cluded, two-thirds of the audience were bathed in tears. Ho 38S THE AMERICAN CLERGY. was followed by addresses and prayers from some ol the coun- cil ; and then another was ready to confess his faults, and then another, to the last of the accused; each one taking Mr. Walk- er by the hand, and receiving forgiveness. He in turn asked their forgiveness wherein he had expressed himself improperly towards them. Pardon was also asked of the church, and cheerfully granted. This opened the door forMr. W.'s friends, who, one after another, confessed whatever they had said, in an unchristian manner, against the opposite party. Thus two whole days, with the exception of time occupied in hearing two sermons, was spent in mutual confession and forgiveness. Before the council separated, they took the papers which con- tained the charges on both sides, held them up to the view of the audience, declared they were about to make a burnt-sacri- fice of them, and committed them to the flames. On the even- ing of the second day, a conference meeting was held, in which several were so deeply impressed as to ask for prayers. From tnat time a revival of religion commenced. The above facts occurred in Rome in 1819-20. A CLERGYMAN IN VIRGINIA. A CLERGYMAN in Virginia, speaking very highly in com- mendation of Legh Richmond's excellent tract " The Negro Servant," describes a very interesting scene in connection with it. He says that he was riding one day, and saw a group of coloured persons sitting under a tree, and eating their homely dinner. He asked them if they would like to hear an account of one of their own colour who became religious. They con- sented; and says he, "I leaned against the tree, which spread :>ut its branches far beyond us, and I began to read. Ther^ REV. DR. COKE. 389 %vas soon breathless attention. It was sultry noon-tide, and the leaves of the tree made no rustling. Sighs and groans were audible, though evidently suppressed ; and tears coursing one after another down their sable cheeks, showed that the story of poor William had reached their hearts." REV. JOHN COTTON. The Rev. John Cotton, of Boston, was distinguished for his tbrbearance and meekness, which greatly contributed to his happiness and usefulness. When he was once told that his preaching was very dark and comfortless, he replied, " Let me have your prayers, brother, that it may be otherwise." Having once observed to a person, who boasted of his knowledge ot the book of Revelation, that he wanted light in those myste- ries, the man went home, and sent him a pound of candies ; which insolence only excited a smile. " Mr. Cotton," says Dr. Mather, "would not set the beacon of his great soul on tire at the landing of such a little cock-boat." A drunken fel- low, to make merriment for his companions, approached him in the street, and whispered in his ear, " Thou art an old fool." Mr. Cotton replied, "I confess I am so; the Lord make both me and thee wiser than we are, even wise unto salvation." REV. DR. COKE. The following anecdote was related by Dr. Coke himself, to his brother in-law. In attempting to cross a river in the United StaUs, Dr. Coko 390 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. missed the ford, and got into deep water, and was carried, with his horse, down the stream. Feeling himself in dangei, he caught hold of a bough, and with some difRcuUy got upon dry land, but his horse was lost. After drying his clothes in the sun, he commenced to finish his journey on foot; and at length met a man wha directed him to the nearest village, telling him to inquire for a Mrs. , from whom, he had no doubt, he would receive very kind treatment. Dr. C. found the good lady's house, and received all the kindness and attention she could show him. The next morning he proceeded on his iourney. After a lapse of five years, the Doctor happened to be in America again. As he was on his way to one of the provincial conferences, in company with about thirty other per- sons, a young man requested to be allowed the favour of con- versing with him ; to which he assented with Christian polite- ness. The young man asked him if he recollected being in such a part of the States about five years before, to which ho replied in the affirmative. " And do you recollect, sir, in at- tempting to cross the river, being nearly drowned ?" " I re- member it quite well." "And do you recollect going to the house of a widow lady in such a village?" "1 remember it well," said the doctor, " and never shall I forget the kindness she showed me." " And do you remember, when you departed, leaving a tract at that lady's house?" "I do not recollect that," said he, ' but it is very possible that I might do so." *' Yes, sir," said the young man, " you did leave there a tract, which that lady read, and the Lord blessed the reading of it to the conversion of her soul; it was also the means of the conversion of several of her children and neighbours; and there is now in that village a flourishing Christian society." The tears shed by Dr. Coke showed something of the feelings of his heart. The young man resumed, "I have not, sir, quite told you all. I am one of that lady's children, and owe my conversion to God, to the gracioii? influence with which he ac- REV. MR. CROSS. 391 companied the reading of that tract to my mind ; and I am, Dr. Coke, on my way to conference, to be proposed as a preacher." REV. MR. CROSS. This gentleman is one of the colporteurs of the American Tract Society, and the following interesting anecdote of the success of his labours was related by the Rev. S. T. Wells. While visiting from house to house, with an elder of Rev. Mr. J.'s church, they came to the hut of a coal-digger. "We will not go into that house," said the elder, "the man is so wicked, it would be of no use." Mr. Cross maintained that such were the very men he was sent to. They entered the hut, which indicated great poverty both within and without, and found sit- ting on a broken bench in the corner, a large athletic man, nearly naked. He had remained unwashed so long that the coal-dust lay like scales all over his body. The face of his wife was black and swollen with bruises which he had given her, and his own countenance was very fierce. "We have come," said Mr. Cross, "to sell you some good religious hooks, and to have some conversation with you on the subject of re- ligion." "I have no money, »sir," he said, "and don't wnnt any of your books." " If you have no money," said Mr. Cross, " you shall have the books and welcome. You have a soul, and you must die; you are not prepared to die now, are vou, friend?" His eye, which had been fixed with a savage glare upon him till this question, lowered a little, and began to soften, and he replied that he was not ready to die. Before Mr. Cross left him, he wept like a child, and told him that he was the first man who had ever come there to talk with hin about his soul. 392 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. DR. COTTON MATHER. The following anecdote is full of instruction, both as illus- trative of Dr. Mather's ingenuity in ihe comnaunication of di- vine truth, and as suggesting a valuable hint to ministers of the present day. In the year 169(5, Bommaseen, a chief of the American Indians, was a prisoner in Boston, with some others of his countrymen. He desired a conference with one of the Boston ministers; Dr. Mather waited upon him, and was told that he wished to be instructed in the Christian religion, for he was afraid that the French had imposed upon them in what they had taught them respecting Christianity. The doctor inquired of him what appeared to them most suspicious in the instruc- tions of the French, and Bommaseen said that they had told him that the Lord Jesus Christ was of the French nation ; that his mother, the Virgin Mary, was a French lady ; that English- men murdered him ; and that as he rose from the dead, and had ascended to heaven, all who would recommend themselves to his favour must avenge his quarrel on the English, as far as they could. The doctor, knowing that the_ best medium of communicating religious knowledge to the Indians was to deal much in similitudes, began t > think of some suitable imagery, and as a cup of drink stood U[>on the table, he employed thai as his medium of instruction. He told them that the Lord Jesus had given to men a good religion, which might be compared to the good drink in the cup on the table. That if we take this good religion, like the good drink, into our hearts, it will do us good, and preserve us from death. That the Bible, God's book, is the cup wherein that good drink of religion is offered unto us. That the French, having the cup of good drink in their hands, had put poi- S071 into it, and then made the Indians drink, and that this REV. DR. COTTON MATHER. 393 made them mad, leading them to kill the English, though they knew it would end in their own destruction. That it was plain the English had put no poison into the drink, for they set the cup wide open, and invited all men, even the Tndians, into whose language Mr. Elliot had translated the Bible, to come and see before they tasted ; but that they might fairly infer the French had put poison into the good drink, because they kept the cup closely shut, (not having given them the Bible,) and kept their hands to the eyes of the Indians when they put it to their mouths. The poor Indians, having expressed their satisfaction with what he had said, entreated him farther to explain about the cup of good drink and the poison. He then, in the most simple manner, placed before them the chief points of Christianity ; and showed them how the Catholics had poisoned and corrupted most of its truths, and that it was important for them to dis- tinguish between truth and error. He then said — " To obtain the pardon of your sins, you must confess them to God, and pray that he would pardon them for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died for poor sinners ; and if you place your eye on Jesus Christ only, when you beg the pardon of your sins, God will forgive them. You need confess your sins to none but God, except in cases where men have known your sins, or have been hurt by them ; but even then, none but God can pardon them." He then showed them how the French had corrupted the truth, by enjoining them to confess their sins to a priest, to carry skins to him, and to do penance at his bidding. The poor creatures were much delighted with this discourse of the doctor, fell at his feet, kissed his hands, and showed every mark of affection. Bommaseen, lifting his eyes and hands to heaven, said, " Sir, I thank you for these things ; I r( solve to spit up all the French poison ; you shall be my fa- ther, I will be your son ; I beseech you continue to instruct ir^ oy4 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. ill tliat religion, whicii may bring me to the salvation of my soul." Dr. Franklin once received a very useful lesson from the excellent Doctor, which he thus relates in a letter to his son : — The last time I saw your father, was in 1724. On taking my leave, he showed me a shorter way out of the house, by a narrow passage, which was crossed by a beam over head. We were still talking us I withdrew, he accompanying me behind, and I turning towards him, when he said hastily, " Stoop, stoop !" I did not understand him till I felt my head hit against the beam. He was a man who never missed an opportunity of giving instruction ; and upon this he said to me, " You are young, and have the world before you ; learn to stoop as you go through it, and you will avoid many hard thumps." This advice, thus beat into my head, has frequently been of use to me ; and 1 often think of it, when I see pride mortified, and misfortune brought upon people by their carrying their heads too high. Dr. Mather was remarkable for the sweetness of his temper. He took some interest in the political concerns of his country, and, on this account, as well as because he faithfully reproved iniquity, he had many enemies. Many abusive letters were sent him, all of which he tied up in a packet, and wrote upon the cover, " Libels ; — Father, forgive them." I happened once, says Dr. Mather, to be present in the room ,vhore a dying man could not leave the world until he lamented to a minister whom he had sent for, the unjust calumnies and \niurios which he had often cast upon him. The minister asked AN AGED CLERGYMAN. iVJo the poor penitent what was the occasion of this abusive con- duct ; whether he had been imposed upon by any false report. The man made this answer: "No, sir, it was merely this; I thought you were a good man, and that you did much good in the world, and therefore I hated you. Is it possible, is it possi- ble," he added, " for such a wretch to find pardon?" What a contrast did the character of the doctor himself pre- sent to all this ! It was his laudable ambition to say, that " He did not know of any person in the world who had done him any ill office but he had done him a trood one for it." AN AGED CLERGYMAN An aged clergyman, in the State of New York, not long since gave a very interesting narrative of scenes in which he was personally concerned. Two young men from Birmingham, in England, emigrated to the United States in 1793. On the vessel arrivins: in si<:ht of her destined port, a storm suddenly arose, the ship was wrecked, and the two brothers, always affectionately attached to each other, died locked in each other's arms. Their bodies being washed ashore, they were decently buried, and our re- verend friend preached a funeral sermon from the counsel of Solomon, " Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." It was ascertained front their papers from whence they came, and how their friends could be addressed : the minister wrote to their widowed mother, now most aflfectingly bereaved of her sons, and deeply sym- pathized with her under her accumulated sorrows. A corro- spondence ensued, and our friend ultimately received a piece of plate with a suitable inscription on it, recording his kindness This he carefully placed in his study. Many years afterwards, a gentleman from England, over- 336 THE OrERlCAN CLEKGY, taken in a violent storm, sought for shelter at the house of the minister, where he was invited to stay for the night. As, on the next morning, he was looking over the worthy pastor's study, his eye caught the plate, the inscription on which he read with deep interest, for these young men were his cousins. The character of the subsequent intercourse between the minis- ter and his new friend need not be described. REV. MR. BENNETT. The following is an extract from an anniversary sermon, delivered by the Rev. Mr. Bennett, of Woburn, Mass. The introductory remarks are so judicious in their charac'ter, and are so very naturally connected with the anecdote which fol- lows, that no apology will be needed for their appearance : — I am sorry to say it, the first open complaint is made against the pastor, in three cases out of four, by a deacon of the church. Deacons, the world over, are like Jeremiah's figs — that is, very sweet or very sour. They either aid their pastor, and, like Aaron and Hur, stay up his hands, or decidedly the reverse. It is a sober fact, and it ought to make the ears of such dea- cons tino-le, that at least three out of four of all the ministers in New England, who have been driven away from their peo- ple, have been driven awny by deacons; by men who, in one respect, have with a vengeance " magnified their oflice." I might point you to numerous examples all over the land. But 1 forbear. I thank God, however, that I have never been plagued by such deacons. I have never had the slightest diffi- culty with any of my deacons, except in a single instance, and mat lasted but five minutes. It was with good deacon Wyman, at the commencement of the Temperance Reformation in 1826. Some one had told him that I said at a church meeting that 1 KEV. DR. L. 397 would never drink another drop of ardent spirit, (unless or- dered by a physician,) or give it to a workman or a visitor, while I lived. The deacon called upon me the ;iext day, and asked me if I said so. I told him I did^ and should stick to it^ at all hazards. " Well," said he, " then you will not be a mi- nister of this parish three months." "Very well," said I, "I have taken my stand, and if I knew I should be drawn in quarters within three months, if I did not recant, I would not do it." Said the deacon, " You are a crazy man, and I will not talk with you ;" and arose to go out of my house, when I thus accosted him : "Deacon Wyman, the next time you enter your closet, will you ask God to teach you by his Spirit, who is right on this subject, you or 11" " I tell you," said he, "I will not talk with you," and marched out of doors. The next m.orning, long before sunrise, some one knocked — I went to the door, and behold, there stood deacon Wyman. He instantly grasped my hand, and, with tears rolling down his cheeks, ex- claimed, "My dear pastor, I went home from your house yes- terday, and in accordance with your advice, retired to my closet, and asked God to teach me by his Spirit, who was right in regard to the use of ardent spirits, you or I. In five minutes a flood of light broke in upon my mind, and I was fully con- vinced that you were right, and I was wrong. And now," said he, "go aliead with your temperance reformation — to the day of my death I will do all in my power to sustain you." He was as good as his word. He did sustain me as long as he lived." KEV. DR. L. It has been well said that weighty solemn sentences, dropped into the ear of the sinner in private, are often far more useful than even the most eh^pucnt sermons. Some years since, 34 31/8 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. Mr.. B., a worldly man, who dealt in lottery tickets, was one of the committee of supply for a rich evangelical congregation, and the Rev. Dr. L. was invited to supply the pulpit for a Sabbath or two. On their way from the meeting-house to the residence of Mr. B., Dr. L., who had discovered that several persons had been opposed to his being invited to preach, re- marked, "If I had known that so many had been opposed to me, I do not know that I should have preached ; but I have one consolation — I preached the titUh to them." " Yes," re- plied Mr. B., somewhat hesitatingly. The faithful minister then looked him full in the face, and said to him, with great solemnity and emphasis, "-TF/iy/ <^o you not believe it then V The inquiry seemed to strike him dumb; he retired to reflect, to weep over his misspent life, to repent and pray. The solemn inquiry, of which conscience told him the justice, was like "a nail fastened in a sure place." He was soon brought to " the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind," and be- came one of the most active and useful Christians in the city of his residence. A WISE CLERGYMAN, " An Atheist !" exclaimed a devout clergyman, when Mr. B. was introduced to him to advocate the cause of infidelity ; ' it is impossible." "Yes, sir," said Mr. B., "I am an Atheist; and I should be glad of an argument, as I hold it impossible for any man to prove that there is a God ; and, sir," " But hold," said the minister; " T must first be satisfied that you are an Atheist." " Well, sir," said Mr. B., " do I not tell you that I am so ?" " But, my Bible." said the minister, " declares that every A WISE CLERGYMAN. 399 human heart, wliich of course includes yours, is not only des* perutely wicked, but deceitful above all things; and the Holy Ghost, therefore, asks, Who can know it? Peradventure, you may be deceived in this matter." "But, sir," said Mr. B., ^'-do I not know what I believe?— am I not a rational creature?" "Well," said the minister, " let us try the point. I will pro- pose a test to which you can submit without difficulty or trouble; if you will pledge yourself to pursue the course which I shall direct, I will then proceed to the argument which you seem so much to desire." "I do not wish," said Mr. B., "to pledge myself thus blindly to do any thing. What would you have me to do?" "It shall be," said the minister, "such a thing as shall be perfectly consistent with your professed belief, and reasonable, and easy. If (yourself being the judge) it shall not be so, according to your oiL-n scheme, you shall be under no obliga- tion to perform it." "Very well," said Mr. B. promptly, "I will. W^hat do you propose, sir?" "This night," said the minister, "when deep sleep shall fall upon man, and thick darkness shall cover the world, you shall, taking solemn thought, and after deep meditation, walk delibe- rately and alone to yonder hill, and in the thick darkness of the forest which covers its summit, you shall stand and raise your eyes and your clenched hands to the firmament above you, and then shall declare: — 'There is no God who created me — There is no God who preserves me — There is no God whom I fear.' Will you do this?" The Atheist was confounded with the proposition. "Oh," said the minister, you arc no Atheist; I was sjure vou were mistaken. We agree on this point. There is no ground for an argument." 4(10 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. MR. HULL. Father Hull was a preacher of the old school, connected with the South Carolina conference. Passing along the high- way one evening, in a strange and wicked part of the country, weary and faint, he called at a respectable-looking house to ask for a lodging. After a while, as he sat by the fireside, a number of well-dressed ladies and gentlemen entered his room, and very shortly they began to dance to the music of a violin. It was a ball, at which the stranger looked silently on. At length a partner was wanted, and the old gentleman was in- vited to take the floor. "Certainly, madam," he replied, walk- ing out on the floor as he spoke; "but I have long made it a rule never to commence any business till I have asked the direction of the Lord, and his blessing upon it. Will you all join in the prayer with me?" He instantly fell on his knees, and began to pray. Some kneeled, others stood still, all were petrified with astonishment. In prayer he was intensely earn- est and powerful, and the heavens and the earth seemed drawn together. Some groaned, others shrieked aloud, and many fell prostrate like dead men on the floor. The dance was turned into a religious meeting, from which many dated their conver- sion to God, and was the commencement of an extensive revival REV. JOHN SUMMERFIELD. On a journey in the stage from Brunswick to Trenton, this worthy young clergyman, with two others, occupied the mid- dle seat. His pale, youthful countenance, with his general appearance, led an elderly respectable gentleman, who occu- REV. JOHN SUMMERFIELD. 401 pied the front seat, to suppose him to have been a student from Princeton college. Under this impression, he requested hnn, ■ — lather peremptorily^ however, — to change seats. Though struck with surprise, rather perhaps at the mmifier in which the request was made, than at the request itself, after a mo- mentary hesitation — during which his pale cheek was tinged with a momentary flush — he changed seats without uttering a word. Of all in the stage, not one, on the ground of health, (which was the reason assigned afterwards for making the re- quest,) required accommodation so much as Mr. S. As it was, the change of seat affected him considerably. It is pleasant to add, however, that the gentleman having arrived in Trenton, and discovered his mistake, took the earliest opportunity to apologize to him, and by the greatest kindness endeavoured to remove any unpleasant feeling which he might inadvertently have occasioned. The meek spirit of his Master, with which Mr. S. was imbued, led him at once to forget the occurrence, and to cherish the most sincere gratitude for all the after kind- ness of this gentleman, with whom an interesting correspond- ence was kept up. It has been well remarked that that clergyman cannot have the feelings of a pastor, who does not cherish special love for the young of his flock. The following is one of many instances of attention to the lambs of the Christian fold in the life of this highly popular minister: — A boy, about eleven years of age, after one of his sermons to children, remained till the congregation had nearly dispersed, when he attracted Mr. Summerfield's notice; who, stepping forward, said, " My little boy, do you want any thing with me?" — The little fellow appeared overcome with his feelings, and could only say, " Mr. Summerfield." "Well, my Kn-e, uhat df) vou want with Mr. Summerfield?" The bov, b«Mn^> 34* 402 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. now encouraged, said that he wished Mr. Summerfield would call at his mother's house: on inquiring where his mother -ived, the name of the street and the number of the house were given. "What is your name?" — "John Brown," replied the boy. " Well, .Fohn Brown, to-morrow at eleven o'clock, [ shall pay you a visit." Accordingly, at the time appointed, Mr. Summerfield waited upon him; he found John busily employed sweeping and fixing the fire, and preparing for his visitor. '• Well, John, here I am, according to my appointment." — John requested him to take a seat, until he had found his mother. She was a pious woman, and said that her son had heard him preach, whenever he had addressed the children, and that his mind in consequence had been much impressed. Mr. S. knelt down and prayed with them; and before he went away, encouraged John, and gave him some good advice; entered his nanie on the list of those for whom he felt a peculiar inte- rest, and told him that he should keep his eyes upon him; re- questing him to come and speak to him whenever he had an opportunity, that he might ascertain what progress his little (Viend John Brown was making. Carping criticism, or cold philosophy may despise these little traits of character, but mi- nisterial wisdom will admire them. REV. DR. J. M. MASON. tiVERY one, says the late Rev. Dr. J. M. Mason, of New York, has remarked the mixed and often ill-assorted company, which meet in a public packet or stage-coach. The conversa- tion, with all its variety, is commonly insipid, frequently dis- gusting, and sometimes insufferable. There are exceptions. All opportunity now and then occurs of spending an hour in a REV. I)K. J. M. MASON. 40.3 manner not unwortliy of rational beings ; and the incidents of a stage-coach may produce or promote salutary impressions. A few years ago, one of the stages which ply between the two principal cities of the United States of America, was filled with a group which could never have been drawn together by mutual choice. In ihe company was a young man of social temper, affable manners, and considerable information. His accent was barely sufficient to show that the English was not his native tongue ; and a very slight peculiarity in the pro- nunciation of the th^ showed him to be a Hollander. He had early entered into military life, had borne both a Dutch and a French commission, had seen real service, had travelled, was master of the English language, and evinced, by his deport- ment, that he was no strano;er to the society of o-cntlemen. He had, however, a fault, too common among military men, and too absurd to find an advocate among men of sense — he swore very profanely and frequently. While the horses were changing, a gentleman who sat on the same seat with him took him by the arm, and requested the favour of his company in a short walk. When they were so far retired as not to be overheard, the former observed, "Although I have not the honour of your acquaintance, I per- ceive, sir, that your habits and feelings are those of a gentle- man, and that nothing can be more repugnant to your wishes than giving unnecessary pain to any of your company." [le started, and replied, "Most certainly, sir! I hope I have com- mitted no offence of that sort ?" "You will pardon me," replied the other, "for pointing out an instance in which you have not altogether avoided it." ." Sir," said he, "I shall be much your debtor for so friendly an act; for, upon my honour, I cannot conjecture in what 1 have transgressed." "IF you, sir," continued the former, "had a very dear friend, to whom you were under unspeakable obligations, 404 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. should you not be deeply wounded by any disrespect to him, or even by hearing his name introduced, and used vvilh a fre- quency of repetition and a levity of air, incompatible with the regard due to his character?" " Undoubtedly, and I should not permit it ; but I know not that I am chargeable with such indecorum to any of your friends." " Sir, my God is my best friend, to whom I am under infi- nite obligations. I think you must recollect that you have very frequently, since we commenced our journey, taken his name in vain. This has given to me, and others of the com- pany, severe pain." " Sir," answered he, with very ingenuous emphasis, " I have done wrong; I confess the impropriety. I am ashamed of a practice which I am aware has no excuse ; but I have imper- ceptibly fallen into it, and I really swear without being con- scious that I do so. 1 will endeavour to abstain from it in future; and, as you are next to me on the seat, I shall thank vou to touch my elbow as often as I trespa,ss." This was agreed upon ; the horn sounded, and the travellers resumed their places. For the space of four or five miles, the officer's elbow was jogged every few seconds. He always coloured, but bowed, and received the hint without the least symptom of displea- sure ; and, in a few miles more, so mastered his propensity to swearing, that not an oath was heard from his lips for the rest of his journey, which was the greater part of it. After this, he was more grave; and, having ruminated some time, after surveying first one and then another of the com- pany, turned to his admonisher, and addressed him thus : "You ^re a clergyman, I presume, sir?" " I am considered as such." He paused ; and then, with a smile, indicated his disbelief REV. DR. J. M. MASON. 405 in Divine revelation in a way which called for further conver- sation on this subject. He avowed himself an infidel, and an animated conversation followed. At length he exclaimed, " I own I am beaten, com- pletely beaten ; I have nothing more to say." A silence of some minutes succeeded ; when the young military traveller said to his theological friend, "1 have studied all religions, and have not been able to satisfy myself." "No, sir," answered he; "there is one religion which you have not yet studied." " Pray, sir," cried the officer, roused and eager, "what is that?" " " The religion," replied the other, " of salvation through the redemption of the Son of God ; the religion which will sweeten your pleasures, and soften your sorrows; which will give peace to your conscience, and joy to your heart ; which will bear you up under the pressure of evils here, and shed the light of immortality on the gloom of the grave. This relifi-ion, [ believe, sir, you have yet to study." The officer put his hands upon his face; then, languidly clasping them, allowed them to fall down, forced a -smile, and said, with a sigh, " We must all follow what we tbmk best." His behaviour afterwards was perfectly decorous, b"^ nothing further is known of him. To a young infidel, who was scoffing at Chnsli-^nity, on account of the misconduct of some of its professors, D" Mason once said, " Did vou ever know an uproar to be made Hocau>e an infidel went astray from the paths of morality?" The in- fidel admitted that he had not. " Then, don't you see," .i«U(>d Dr. M., " that by expecting the professors of Christianit''- t(- 406 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. be holy, you admit it to be a holy religion, and thus pay it the iiighest compliment in your power?" The young man was silent. The Doctor was once requested to visit a lady in dying circum- stances, who, together with her husband, openly avowed infidel principles, though they attended on his ministry. On ap- proaching her bedside, he asked her if she felt herself a sinner, and perceived the need of a Saviour. She frankly told him, she did not; and that she wholly disbelieved the doctrine of a Mediator. "Then," said the doctor, "I have no consolation for you; not one word of comfort. There is not a single pas- sage in the Bible that warrants me to speak peace to any one who rejects the Mediator provided for lost sinners. You must abide the consequences of your infidelity." Saying that, he was on the point of leaving the room, when some one said, " Well, but. Doctor, if you cannot speak consolation to her, you can pray for her." To this he assented, and kneeling down by the bedside, prayed for her as a guilty sinner, just sinking mto hell; and then, arising from his knees, he left the house. A day or two after, he received a letter from the lady herself, earnestly desiring that he would come and see her without delay. He immediately obeyed the summons; but what was his amazement, when, on entering the room, she held out her hand to him, and said, with a benignant smile, "It is all true; all that you said on Sunday is true. I have seen myself the wretched sinner which you described me to be in prayer. I have seen Christ that all-sufficient Saviour you said he was; and God has mercifully snatched me from the abyss of infi- delity in which I was sunk, and placed me on the Rock of ages. There I am secure; there I shall remain. I know in whom I have believed'" All this was like a dream to him; but she proceeded, and displayed as accurate a knowledge of the way REV. DR. J. M. MASON. 4(17 of salvation revealed in the gospel, and as firm a reliance on it, as if she had been a disciple of Christ for many years. Yet there was nothing like boasting or presumption — all was hu- mility, resignation, and confidence. She charged her husbana to educate their daughter in the fear of God; and, above all, to keep from her those novels and books of infidel sentimentality, by which she had nearly been brought to ruin. On the even- ing of the same day, she expired, in fulness of joy and peace in believing. The account which the Doctor received from her attendants was, that his prayer at his first visit was fastened on her mind, — that soon after he left her, she became alarmed re- specting the state of her soul, — that at one period, though her voice had previously been so feeble that she could scarcely be heard, yet her cries were distinctly audible from the second floor to the cellar of the house, and that at length she found peace in believing in Christ as he is exhibited in the gospel. Dr. Mason was accustomed to visit some small congresa- tions in the country, and was returning from one of these ex- cursions, when he stopped at a house for some refreshment. Some bread and milk were handed to him, which he ate with an iron spoon. On his return, he smilingly mentioned the cir- cumstance among his friends; and his remark about the iron spoon soon reached the ears of his kind hostess. She replied, with grief, that she was sorry Dr. Mason had made himself merry at her expense : for if she had possessed a silver spoon, he should certainly have used it: as it was, she furnished him with the best she had. This being related to him, he mounted his horse, and rode more than filty miles, to apologize for his thoughtless speech, and to ask trie old lady's pardon. 408 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. MR. WORCESTER. The Rev. Mr. Worcester, of Salem, at a Convention, saiJ, that as he was once putting on his over-coat to go out on a visit to his parishioners, he heard a loud and unusual knock at the door. He opened it, and there stood a miserable-looking man in a state of intoxication. He was kindly invited to come in, and he did so. "You don't know me," said the stranger, " but I know you. My mother is a member of your church, and I used to go to your father's meeting."- A long conversa- tion ensued, in which the minister caught the substance of his story. He had known him when they were boys, but not since. The unfortunate being had become an infidel, and a degraded drunkard, and actually debated on his way, whether to eat opium and die, or go and see the minister, and let him know his case. Finally he determined on the latter course. He had then been drinking, but after serious, solemn conversa- tion, he determined to drink no more. A day or two after, Mr. Worcester called to see him, and found him in the depths of de- spair on account of his sins. " I had never seen," said Mr. Wor- cester, "such misery; but I pointed him to 'the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.' At length he found peace and forgiveness at the cross oi" Christ, and finally, with his wife, united with my church; and, as I see the individual in this house, I will only say he has since sustained an honour- able and consistent profession." Mr. Worcester sat down, when an individual, of a gentle- manly bearing, rose and said, "I am the individual to whom the pastor has referred ; and it is all true." He spoke for some time, with much force, and related the trials he had gone through by imbibing infidel principles, and following the paths of intemperance ; and his remarks were laid up in many a REV. J. ARMSTROiSG. 409 heart, who felt then, as they never felt before, the stupendous change that may be produced by total abstinence, and the influ- ence of the faithful ministerjr of true religion. REV. J. ARMSTRONG. Several years ago, the Rev. James Armstrong preached at Harmony, near the Wabash ; when a physician of that place, a professed deist or infidel, called on his associates to accom- pany him while he " attacked the Methodists," as he said. At tirst, he asked Mr. Armstrong if he followed preaching to save souls. He answered in the nfiirmative. He then inquired, "Did you ever see a soul?"" "No." "Did you ever hear a soul?" "No." "Did you ever taste a soul'.'" "No." "Did you ever smell a soul ?" " No." " Did you ever feel a soul ?" " Yes, thank God," said Mr. Armstrong. " Well," said the Doctor, " there are four of the five senses against one, that there is a soul." Mr. Armstrong then asked the gentleman if he was a doctor of medicine, and he was also answered in the affirmative. He then asked the doctor, " Did you ever see a pain?" "No." "Did you ever hear a pain?" "No." Did you ever taste a pain?" "No." "Did you ever smell a pain?" "No." "Did you ever feel a pain?" "Yes." Mr. Armstrong then said, "There are also four senses against one, to prove tl at there is no such thing as a pain; and yet, sir, you know that there is a pain, and I know there is a soul." The doctor appeared confounded, and walked off. 35 410 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. A CLERGYMAN AT NEW ORLEANS. A Presbyterian minister, American by birth, but of Scot- tish parentage, happening to be in New Orleans some time ago, was asked to visit an old Scottish soldier who had wandered to that city, sickened, and was conveyed to the hospital. On his entrance, and on announcing his errand, the Scotchman told him, in a surly tone, that he desired none of his visits, — that he knew how to die without the aid of a priest. In vain he mformed him that he was no priest, but a Presbyterian minis- ter, come to read to him a portion of the word of God, and to speak to him of eternity. The Scotchman doggedly refused to hold any conversation with him, and he was obliged to take his leave. Next day, however, he called again, thinking that the reflection of the man on his own rudeness would prepare the way for a better reception. But his tone and manner were equally rude and repulsive; and at length he turned himself in bed, with his face to the wall, as if determined to hear nothing and relent nothing. The minister bethought himself, as a last resource, of the hymn well known in Scotland, the composition of David Dickson, minister of Irvine, beginning, " mother dea?', Jerusalem, ivhen shall I come to thee,'''' which his Scot- tish mother had taught him to sing to the tune of "Dundee." He began to sing his mother's hymn. The soldier listened for a ^ew moments in silence, but gradually turned himself round, with a relaxed countenance, and the tear in his eye, to inquire, '' VVha learned you that?" "My mother," replied the minister; "And so did mine," rejoined the now softened soldier, whose heart was opened by the recollections of infancy and of country, and now gave a willing ear to the man that had found the Scot, tish key to his heart. REV. MR. CASE. 411 REV. MR. CASE. This valued minister relates a very interesting and striking conversion, which may show us the possibility of a work of Divine mercy in the heart of a sinner, after he has ceased to iiold communication witli the outward world, though assuredly it can furnish no rational ground for indolence and presump- tion : — A. Mrs. D., whom he baptized in Charleston, Maine, in 1811, when but a young lady, was one of a party who rode out on a sleigh, drawn by two horses, on the river from Hampden to Bangor ; the ice gave way, and she, with her companions, was plunged beneath the watery element. Happily, however, the lives of the whole party were saved. During this immersion, her soul, by the instantaneous and powerful work of the Holy Spirit, was converted to God. The rapid progress of thought and feeling in this short moment, as she distinctly recollected, was, as she was falling, a most vivid and impressive thought of death filled her mind. This was instantly succeeded by an overwhelming consciousness of her sins, her guilt, and her just condemnation, and this was combined with a view of the cha- racter and law of God, shining in incomprehensible brightness, reflecting his love and justice; and then, in a moment, every energy of her soul seemed concentrated in one unyielding desire for mercy. At this instant, those who escaped from the water drew her upon the unbroken ice, when her soul was filled with love to God and Christ, and her tongue unloosed to praise his name. She said that she hardly thought of her temporal sal- vation, but with unutterable astonishment and gratitude she beheld that glorious grace which gave her heavenly delight. This was no delusion. Her subsequent life of piety gave evi- dence of its reality. 412 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. REV. DR. LATHROP. I WAS once requested, says Dr. Lathrop, to preach against prevailing fashions. A remote inhabitant of the parish, appa- rently in a serious frame, called upon me one day, and pressed the necessity of bearing my testimony against this dangerous evil. I observed to him, that as my people were generally farmers, in middling circumstances, I did not think they took a lead in fashions. If they followed them, it was at an humble distance, and rather to avoid singularity than to encourage extravagance ; that as long as people were in the habit of wearing clothes, they must have some fashion or other ; and a fashion that answered the ends of dress, and exceeded not the ability of the wearer, I considered as innocent, and not deserving reproof. To this he agreed ; but said, what grieved him was, to see people set their hearts so much on fashions. I conceded that as modes of dress were trifles compared with eternal concerns, to set our hearts upon them must be a great sin. But I advised him to consider, that to set our hearts against such trifles, was the same sin as to set our hearts upon them; and as his fashion was different from those of his neighbours, jus* in proportion as he set his heart against theirs^ he set his heart upon his own. He was therefore doubly guilty of the very sin he imputed to others. REV. T. HOOKER. The Rev. Dr. Dwight, in his excellent travels, describes this eminent colonist of New England, as one of their wisest and most influential men. He was universally respected for his excellent qualities. He was remarkable, among other things REV. MR. C. 413 for his mildness. A story, illustniling this trait in his charac- ter, is still preserved. It is said that he was once suddenly awakened, in the night time, by an unusual noise in the cellar of his house. He sus- pected that some person had crept in without leave, and imme- diately arose, dressed himself, and went silently to the foot of the cellar stairs. There he saw a man, with a candle in his hand, taking pork out of a barrel. Mr. Hooker stood still and looked on till he had taken the last piece. He then stepped towards him, and accosted him in perfectly good humour: — " Neighbour, you act unfairly ; you ought to leave a proper share for me." Thunderstruck at being detected, and espe- cially by a man of Mr. Hooker's character, the culprit fell at his feet, condemned himself for his crime, and implored his pardon. Mr. Hooker cheerfully forgave him, and concealed his crime, but seriously admonished him, and then made him carry half the pork to his own house. REV. MR. C. During the progress of a protracted meeting, held in Johns- town, Ohio, by the Rev. Mr. C, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, it happened that most of the persons who desired the prayers of the church, were females. This led some objectors to say that weak-minded persons were generally the first to seek relifrion. This came to the knowledge of the worthy clergyman ; and the next evening, he took occasion, at the meeting, to notice the objection. " Well, friends," said he, " we have had a very profitable meetincr to-night ; but I wish to notice a fact which I have heard to-day. Some persons have said that this is n«>t the work of the Lord, because nearly all who profess to seek him .S5* 414 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. are females. They, moreover, challenge us to tell them why there is so large a proportion of the weaker sex thus engaged. Now, sirs, I will not answer you directly ; but see here : — Two years ago, I hnd occasion to preach to the prisoners in the Ohio Penitentiary. Now, how did it happen that there were more than four hundred males, and but about half a dozen of the weaker sex? When you answer this, I will be prepared to speak to your question." A PASTOR. Dr. Goodrich has beautifully said that it was the reflection that there was bread enough and to spare in his father's house, which compelled the prodigal to exclaim, " I will arise, and go unto my father." Some years ago, two young ladies, under deep conviction of sin, went, after an evening meeting, to the house of a pastor for further instruction. As he conversed with them much at large, and was urging them, by motive? drawn from the love of Christ, instantly to accept the offeree^ salvation, one of them was observed to rest her head upon hei hand, as if in deep abstraction, till her face at last sunk upon the table, in solemn and overpowering emotion. After a few moments of entire silence, she looked up with a countenance of serene joy, dropped upon one knee before her companion, and said, with the simplicity of a child, " Julia, do love Christ. He is so beautiful ! Do come with me, and love him !" This led Julia to the reflection, " She has entered in, while I remain out. One shall be taken, and another left." This, under God, H^as the means of bringing her also to Christ, before she laid her head that night upon her pillow. REV. DR. JOHN H. RICE. 415 REV. DR. LIVINGSTON. The late Rev. Dr. Livingston, of this country, and Louis Bonaparte, ex-king of Holland, happened once to be fellow- passengers, with many others, on board of one of the North River steamboats. As the doctor was walking the deck in the morning, and gazing at the refulgence of the rising sun, which appeared to him unusually attractive, he passed near the dis- tinguished stranger, and, stopping for a moment, accosted him thus : " How glorious, sir, is that object !" pointing gracefully with his hand towards the sun. The ex-king assenting. Dr. Livingston immediately added, "And how much more glorious, sir, must be its Maker, the Sun of Righteousness!" A gentle- man who overheard this short incidental conversation, being acquainted with both personages, now introduced them to each other, and a few more remarks were interchanged. Shortly after, the doctor again turned to the ex-king, and with that aii of polished complaisance for which he was so remarkable, invited him first, and then the rest of the company, to attend morning prayer. It is scarcely necessary to add, that the in- vitation was promptly complied with. REV. DR. JOHN H. RICE. A LATE eminent judge, of Virginia, once remarked, that the most cutting reproof he had ever received for profaneness, was without words. He happened to be crossing a ferry with the late Dr. John H. Rice. On account of shallows, the boat could not be brought to land, and they wfre carried to the shore by the coloured ferrymen. One of these was so care- 416 THE a:>ierica.n clergy. less as to suffer the judge's clothes to become wetted, and he expressed his anger by an innprecation. Dr. Rice, without saying a word, turned to him his large, speaking eye, with sorrowful expression. " I never so felt a reproof," said the judge, "in my life; and instantly asked his pardon. 'Ask pardon of God,' said Dr. Rice. I shall never forget it." At this time, the judge was entirely ignorant who his reprover was. A fine instance of the disinterestedness of this excellent clergyman, has been recorded by his biographer. A Mrs. Randolph, a lady of his congregation, and who died in his house, some time betore her death made her will, and felt ex- ceedingly desirous to leave him a handsome legacy, as a token of Christian regard for him. Apprehending, however, that such an act might possibly expose him to some unworthy im- putations of mercenary views, and prizing his honour above every other consideration, she resolved to suppress her inclina- tion, and leave him nothing. Still, she could not feel satisfied to do so, without having the reason of her conclusion commu- nicated to him. This was accordingly done ; and she was much gratified to find that her conduct was entirely approved by him. After all, however, when her will came to be opened, it was found that she had so far altered her mind as to have left him one thousand dollars. But on hearing of the fact. Dr. Rice at once resolved not to touch a cent of it. He instantly gave it all to public Christian charities, which he knew she had favoured while living. REV. DR. PAYSOX 417 REV. DR. PAYSON. Dr. Payson was very eminently devoted to his work as a minister of Christ, and never at a loss, in the pulpit or out of it, fo; plans to accomph'sh the great object to which he had de- voted his life. The following rencontre with a lawyer of Port- land, who ranked among the first in the place for weaUh and fluency of speech, will show the doctor's insight into character, and also that his conquests were not confined to " weak wo- men and children." A lady, who was the common friend of Mrs. Payson and the lawyer's wife, was sojourning in the family of the latter. After the females of the respective families had interchanged several " calls," Mrs. was desirous of receiving a foraml visit from Mrs. Payson ; but to effect this. Doctor P. must also be invited ; and how to prevail on her husband to tender an invi- tation was the great difficulty. He had been accustomed to associate experimental religion with meanness, and of course felt or affected great contempt for the divine, as if it were im- possible for a man of his religion to be also a man of talents. He knew, by report, something of Dr. Payson's practice on these occasions, and dreading to have his house a place for what appeared to him gloomy conversation, resisted his wife's proposal as long as he could do so and retain the character of a gentleman. When he gave his consent, it was with the po- sitive determination that Dr. Payson should not converse on religion, nor ask a blessing over his food, nor offer a prayer in his house. He collected his forces, and made his preparations in conformity with this purpose. When the appointed day arrived, he received his guests very pleasantly, and entered at once into animated conversation ; determined, by obtruding his own favourite topics, to forestal the divine. It was not long be- fore the latter discovered his object, and summoned together 418 THE AMERICAN CLERGY. his powers to defeat it. He plied them with that skill and ad- dress for which he was remarkable ; still, for some time, vic- tory was inclined to neither side or to both alternately. The lawyer, not long before, had returned from Washington city, where he spent several weeks on business at the supreme court of the United States. Dr. Payson made some inquiries re- specting sundry personages there, and among others, the chap- lain of the house of representatives. The counsellor had heard him in the devotional services of that assembly. " How did you like him?" "Not at all; he appeared to have more re- gard to those around him than he had to his Maker." Dr. Payson was very happy to hear him recognise the distinction between praying to God, and praying to be heard of men ; and dropped a series of observations on prayer, passing into a strain of remark, which, without taking the form, had all the effect on the lawj^er's conscience, of a personal application. From a topic so unwelcome, he strove to divert the conversa- tion ; and every few minutes would start something as wide from it as the east is from the west. But as often as he wandered, his guest would dexterously, and without violence, bring him back ; and as often as he was brought back, he would wander again. At length the trying moment, which was to turn the scale, arrived. The time for the evening repast had come ; the servant had entered the parlour with the pro- visions ; the master of the feast became unusually eloquent, resolved to engross the conversation, to hear no question or reply, to allow no interval for " grace," and to givfv no indica- tion, by the eye, the hand, or the lips, that he expected or wished for such a service. Just as the distribution was on the point of commencing. Dr. P. interposed the question, "What writer has said, ' The devil invented the fishion of carrying round tea, to prevent a blessing being asked?'" Our host felt himself " cornered ;" but, making a virtue of necessity, re- plied, " I don't know what writer it is ; but if you please, we REV. DR. rAVSO.X. 119 will foil the devil this time. Will you ask a hiessing, sir?" A blessing, of course, was asked ; and he brooked, as well as he could, this first certain defeat, still resolved not to sustain ano- ther by the offering of thanks on closing the repast. But in this, too, he was disappointed. By some well-timed sentiment of his reverend guest, he was brought into such a dilemma, that he could not, without absolute rudeness, decline asking him to return thanks. And thus he contended every inch of his ground, till the visit terminated. But, at every stage, the minister proved too much for the lawyer. He sustained his character as a minister of religion, and gained his point ir every thing ; and that, too, with so admirable a tact, in a wa^ so natural and unrestrained, and with such respectful deference to his host, that the latter cc THE AMERICAN CLERGY. four religious biographies, and his ten additional publications, he nas given an impulse to many who have been esteemed more useful than himself. 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