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REV. BARON STOW, D. D. 
 
A IvIODEIv PASTOR. 
 
 A MEMOIR 
 
 Life and Correspondence 
 
 OF 
 
 REV. BARON STOW, D. D. 
 
 JOHN C. STOCKBRIDGE, D. D. 
 
 A New, Illustrated Edition 
 WITH Biographical Appendix. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 Lee and Shepard, Publishers. 
 
 1S94. 
 
Entered, according- to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, 
 
 By KMZABKTH L. STOW. 
 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washing-ton. 
 
 PRINTED BY 
 
 SNOW & FARNHAM, 
 
 PROVIDENCE, R. I. 
 
This New Edition of tiie Memoir of Dr. Stow 
 
 IS DEDICATED 
 TO THE MEMORY OF 
 
 MRS. ELIZABETH L. STOW, 
 
 THE BELOVED WIFE, 
 AND TO 
 
 MISS MATILDA D. STOW, 
 
 THE AFFECTIONATE DAUGHTER 
 OF 
 
 BARON STOW. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 This volume is a compilation. Tiie editor has en- 
 deavored to make such a selection from the mass of 
 materiais placed in his hands as, in his judgment, will 
 interest the largest number of readers. In the journal 
 of Dr. Stow there is an entry which has been kept con- 
 stantly in mind in the preparation of this Memoir. It 
 bears the date of October 3, 1829. 
 
 "Reading memoir of Legh Richmond, by Grim- 
 shawe. The compiler shows himself too much. A 
 biographer should leave his biography to be executed 
 by another." 
 
 Scrupulous care has been taken to bring out in full 
 relief the man whose life we have tried to portray, let- 
 ting him speak to us in his journal and correspondence, 
 and throuijh the activities of a lonii, laborious, and 
 successful professional life. A feeling of continual 
 regret has followed the editor, through his whole work, 
 that he has been obliged to omit so many things that he 
 would gladly have laid before his readers, and which, 
 he doubts not, they would have read with pleasure. 
 
 (6) 
 
6 PREFACE. 
 
 Restricted, however, as be was, to one volume, and 
 therefore obliged to say all be wished to say within 
 what appeared to him to be such narrow limits, be has 
 sacrificed his personal wishes to the suggestions of the 
 publishers of the book. 
 
 Special thanks are due to the friends of Dr. Stow 
 who have prepared the delightful reminiscences which 
 will be found in this volume. Nor would it be just to 
 omit to notice the excellent service performed by Rev. 
 S. F. Smith, D. D., whose good taste in the selections 
 made from the very voluminous journal of Dr. Stow 
 entitles him to our warmest praise. No one more 
 deeply regrets than does the editor that Dr. Smith was 
 uhable, on account of impaired health, to complete the 
 work, upon the performance of which he entered soon 
 after the decease of Dr. Stow. May the divine blessing 
 accompany the publication of this volume, with all its 
 imperfections, leading all its readers to adore that grace 
 which wrought so wonderfully in fitting him whose 
 character it delineates to perform such blessed service 
 in the church of the living God. 
 
 J. C. S. 
 
 Providence, E. I., March 1, 1871. 
 
 The Memoir of Dr. Stow, has, for some time, been out of print. 
 This new, ilhistrated edition, is commended to the kind regards of all 
 who revere the memory of a servant of Christ, who, though dead, 
 continues to live in the results of the work he did, and in the trains 
 of holy influences he set in motion, which remain to this day, and 
 
 will remain for years to come. 
 
 J. C. S. 
 Pkovidence, R. L, January 15, 1894. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Parentage. — Baron Steuben. — Youthful Development. — 
 Conversion. — Death of his Father. — Correspondence 
 with Alonzo King. — Enters Columbian College. — Remi- 
 niscences BY Rev. E. Hutchinson 13 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Columbian College. — College Lite. — Journal. — Preaching 
 Tour into Virginia. — Return to his Studies. — Journal. 27 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Visit to New Hampshire. — Last Year in College. — Recep- 
 tion of General Lafayette. — Journal 40 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Anxieties about the Future. — Graduation. — Editor of the 
 Columbian Star. — Life in Washington. — Marriage. — 
 Resiiniscences by President Caswell 49 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Calls to settle in the Ministry. — Accepts the Invitation 
 TO Portsmouth, N. H. — Ordination. — Journal. — Calls 
 TO Salem, Mass., and Waterville, Me. — Urgent Appeals 
 from President Chaplin 59 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Last Year in Portsmouth. — Invitations to remove to dif- 
 ferent Places. — Journal. — Call to Baldwin Place 
 Church, Boston. — Letters from Rev. J. D. Knowles and 
 Dr. Sharp. — Dr. Lamson on Dr. Stow's Ministry in 
 Portsmouth 75 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Sketch of the History of the Baldwin Place Church. — 
 Personal Reminiscences. — Installation. — Success in his 
 Work. — Journal 87 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Elected Secretary op the Triennial Convention. — De- 
 clines. — Journal. — Correspondence. — Letter to the 
 Baldwin Place Church. — Journal 99 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The earnest ^yoRKER. — Longings for a Revival. — A use- 
 ful Sermon. — The great Revival of 1838. — Gathering 
 in the Harvest. — Missionary Discourse. — Death op Pro- 
 FESSOK Knowles Ill 
 
CONTENTS. y 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Hi^ACTiox. — Letter to Deacox S. Beal. — Physician pre- 
 scribes Rest. — Continded Labou. — Colony sent to Bow- 
 DOiN Square. — Effect on his Mind. — Trip to Europe 
 PROPOSED. — Embarkation. — Correspondence. — Journal. . 128 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Improved Health. — Letter to the Baldwin Place Church. 
 
 — Naples- — Rome. — Northern Italy 150 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Crossing Mont Cenis. — Geneva. — London. — Visit to Bar- 
 ley Wood. — Embarkation for Boston. — Home again. — 
 Called again to the Presidency of Waterville Col- 
 lege. — Elected Secretary of the Triennial Convention. 
 
 — Revival of 1842. — Its Results. — Physical Prostration. 163 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Correspondence betwekn 1836 and 1815 183 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Call to the Presidency of Granville College, Ohio. — 
 Discouragements at Baldwin Place. — Call to the Ninth 
 Street Church, Cincinnati Advice of Dr. Sharp. — Let- 
 ter OF Rev. John Stevens. — Embarrassments of the For- 
 eign Mission Board. — Correspondence 197 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 .V BUSY" MINISTERIAL LlFE. AnXIETY WITH REFERENCE TO HIS 
 
 Church. — Journal. — Resignation 215 
 
10 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Reminiscences of Baldwin Place Church. — Cobrespond- 
 ENCE. — Call to the Pierrepont Street Church, Brook- 
 lyn, N. Y. — Call to the Roave Street Church, Boston. 
 — Acceptance of the latter Call. — Journal 225 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Chalmers's Memoir. — Inner Life. — A Harvest Year. -^ The 
 Spiritual Physician. — Record of twenty-five Years. — 
 Death of Dr. Sharp. — "First Things." — Call to Brook- 
 line. — Letter to the Executive Committee of the Mis- 
 sionary Union. — Record of the Year 2t3 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Correspondence. — Fourth Invitation to the Presidency of 
 a College. — Journal. — Death of Edward D. Chamber- 
 LiN. — " Christian Brotherhood." — Second Voyage to Eu- 
 rope. — Journal while abroad. — Home again 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Reminiscences by Dr. Child. — Letters from Europe. — Cor- 
 respondence 273 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Ministerial Work recommenced. — Discouragements. — Rem- 
 iniscences of Anniversary Periods. — The Dark Days of 
 the War. — Conflicts of Feeling. — A happy Surprise. — 
 Journal. — Criticisms on Robertsoi^, Bowles, and Hugo. — 
 Views on "Evangelism." — Ravages of Death. — Review. 30] 
 
CONTENTS. 11 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Called to an Account. — Corkespondence. — Resignation of 
 THE Pastorate of Rowe Street Church. — Call to Alton, 
 Illinois. — Letter of Advice from Ministering Brethren. 
 — Decision to remain in Boston. — Correspondence. . . . 313 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Connection with the Watchman and Reflector. — His last 
 Article, " Calvinism a Power." — Sickness and Death. 
 — Funeral. — Letters from President M. B. Anderson, 
 De. W. Dean, Dr. R. Fuller, and Dr. B. Sears 335 
 
'i 111 
 
MEMOIR OF lUl{Oi\ STOW, D.D. 
 
 CIIAPTETt I. 
 
 Parentagk. — Baron Steuben. — Youthful Development. — Con- 
 version. — Death of his Father. — Correspondence with 
 Alonzo King. — Enters Columbian College. — Reminiscences 
 BY Rev. E. Hutchinson. 
 
 1801-1822. 
 
 The subject of this Memoir was bom at Croydon, N. H., 
 June 16, 1801. His father, Peter Stow, was born in Graf- 
 ton, Mass., June 21, 1771, and his mother, Deborah Nettleton, 
 in Killingworth, Ct., February 11, 1775. 
 
 The family of which Peter Stow was a member were i^io- 
 neers in a new settlement, and their occupation that of farm- 
 ing. Having an eager desire to acquire knowledge, he availed 
 himself of such books as he could obtain, and improved all 
 leisure hours in study. The only periodical then taken in the 
 town was one small weekly j^aper. At an early age he com- 
 menced teaching, and for several successive years devoted the 
 winter season to that employment. 
 
 When twenty-one years of age, Peter Stow became a sub- 
 ject of renewing grace, and united with the Baptist church, 
 where, until death, he maintained a consistent Christian char- 
 acter, and was prominent as a faithful member and officer, 
 winning the confidence and resjiect of all who knew^ him. 
 The town honored him with the office of first selectman for 
 many years in succession. He was also representative to the 
 
 13 
 
14 MEMOIK OF DR. STOAV. 
 
 legislature. " The poor," says his son, " found in hiui a ready 
 benefactor, the rich a welcome visitor, the afflicted a sympa- 
 thizing companion and counsellor. As a husband he was 
 kind, affectionate, appreciative ; as a father, strictly exem- 
 plary, judiciously indulgent, implanting in the hearts of his 
 children an abiding impression that the homage and respect 
 divinely inculcated were preeminently due to such parents as 
 God had given them." 
 
 Peter Stow seems to have cherished an admiration for the 
 memory of Baron Steuben, so well known as a Prussian officer, 
 who came to this country iii 1778, and distinguished himself 
 in our revolutionary war. He had resigned the high offices of 
 government which he held at home, and, by the persuasion of 
 Count de St. Germain, French minister of war, and of other 
 gentlemen connected with the French cabinet, with whom the 
 baron had come in contact wliile in Paris, he came to this 
 country at the age of forty-eight, " a soldier of fortune," says 
 Irving, " to the rude fighting-grounds of America, to aid a 
 half-disciplined people in their struggle for liberty." It is 
 easy to conceive that the advent of such a distinguished 
 military officer, once the aide-de-camp of the great Frederic 
 himself, landing on our shores at a time when our affairs were 
 in their most desperate condition, must have formed a theme 
 of conversation, not only in the larger circles of city life, but 
 in the rural homes of the dwellers in the villages and hamlets 
 of the land. Peter Stow was a boy of nearly seven years of 
 age when this event took place. For several years the baron 
 was identified with the fortunes of his adopted country, and 
 his career was undoubtedly watched with deep interest in 
 every section of the land. We find that as late as 1789 he 
 was present at the inauguration of President Washington. 
 It is believed, either because he was pleased with the name, 
 or because he had a high appreciation of his services, that 
 Peter Stow called his first-born son Baron Steuben Stow. 
 The middle name was subsequently dropped, and this son 
 was known as Baron Stow. 
 
 We have been able to glean but few facts concerning his 
 
YOUTIIFUr. DKVEI.OPMKXT. 15 
 
 early days. In cliiMIiood there began very soon to be devel- 
 oped traits of character which made him a boy of mark. He 
 was fond of study, and was blessed with a memory so reten- 
 tive that he made himself master of whatever he intrusted 
 to that important faculty. His partial, fond friends, observing 
 the progress he made, were wont to make the remark, "That 
 boy is destined for a statesman or a minister." 
 
 Writers of biography almost always see, or think they see, 
 in the early develoDmeuts of the intellect and tastes of the 
 subjects of their sketches the sure prognostics of their coming 
 greatness. We read that, when Chalmers was three years 
 old, one evening, after it had become dark, he disappeared, 
 and search being made for him, he was found alone in the 
 nursery, " pacing up an<l down, excited and absorbed, repeat- 
 ing to himself, as he walked to and fro, the Avords of David, 
 ' O, my son Absalom ! O, Absalom, my son, my son ! ' " 
 Says his biographer, Dr. Hanna, " Almost as soon as he could 
 form or announce a purpose, he declared that he would be a 
 minister. The sister of one of his school-fellows at Anstru- 
 ther still remembers breaking in upon her brother and him, in 
 a room to which they had retired together, and finding the 
 future great orator (then a very little boy) standing upon a 
 chair, and ju-eaching most vigorously to his single auditor be- 
 low. He had not only resolved to be a minister, but had 
 fixed upon his text — 'Let brotherly love continue.'" 
 
 In like manner, we are told, the youthful Baron began " to 
 exercise his gifts," as our fathers used to say, and that, even 
 at the early age of five years, he showed what was the bent 
 of his inclinations. Not far from the house of his father, by 
 the road-side, there was a boulder of considerable size, which 
 was called " the pulpit." Ascending " the pulpit," the boy- 
 preacher, having called around him an audience of his play- 
 mates, would act the sacred orator, exhibiting a gift of elocu- 
 tion and a command of language which made him quite the 
 admiration of his listeners. 
 
 When he was eight years of age his fiither moved from 
 Croyden to the adjoining town of Nevvport, where he had 
 
l(j MEirOIU OF DR. STOW. 
 
 purchased a farm. Here the hid attended the district school. 
 We judge that he was a boy of dehcate organization, not for 
 ward in the sports of his schoolmates, but more disposed to 
 study than to play. Apt to learn, and passionately eager, 
 like his father, to acquire knowledge, his progress in his 
 studies was rapid, and he invariably took the highest rank in 
 his class, easily keeping the position which he gained. So in- 
 f-atiable was his thirst for reading, that at the age of fourteen he 
 had read every volume in the town library. A boy of so pre- 
 cocious intellect could not fail to make for himself a warm 
 place in the heart of his proud, loving father. With tender 
 solicitude he watched the unfoldings of his mind, and resolved, 
 if it was in his power, that his son should enjoy all the advan- 
 tages of a liberal course of study. But he was a farmer, and 
 a farmer among the cold hills of New Hampshire, where the 
 most earnest and untiring efforts are necessary to secure often- 
 times no more than the ordinary comforts of life. Tlie labors 
 of his son, now reaching an age when greater physical strength 
 was developed, were demanded to assist him in carrying on 
 his farm. And yet, as the obedient, respectful child, who would 
 not thwart the wishes of his parent, toiled by his side, there 
 would, ever and anon, rise a mental vision of the future career 
 wliich might be his boy's, if he were prepared, by study and 
 discipline, to enter upon it. In the intervals of i-est from the 
 labors of the farm, books were the recreation of the lad, and 
 he was never happier than when poring over the pages of 
 some favorite author. 
 
 A dark, sad day was it Avhen death entered that quiet 
 rural home, and, when Baron was fifteen years old, removed- 
 from him his best earthly friend, the proud, happy fathei-, ?rho 
 liad laid out so many plans for the future welfare of liis son. 
 At a single stroke the hope of obtaining an education seemed 
 to be overthrown. As the eldest son in a family, now con- 
 sisting of a widowed mother and five children, grave respon- 
 siljilities immediately came upon him. The means for obtain- 
 ing a support for these dependent ones must come from the 
 farm. With a pang of regret more bitter than can be de- 
 
Ills EAKLY CONVERSION. 17 
 
 scribed, the fatherless boy, abandoning the idea of getting an 
 education, at least for the present, turned his attention to the 
 ])aternal patrimony, which had been bequeathed to liim. He 
 resolved, with his characteristic ardor, that he would sjjare no 
 jiains to secure the means of support for the family, which 
 now looked up to him as their natural protector and friend. 
 At once he began to lay his plans for improving the firm, or 
 rather, for carrying out those commenced by his father. Al- 
 th.augh he gave himself most conscientiously to this work, the 
 old aspirations would be aroused in his soul. The love of 
 knowledge could not be sujipressed. As opportunity pre- 
 sented, he would return to his beloved books, determined to 
 supply the want of a more public education by his persistent 
 efforts for self-culture. The work of the firm engrossed his 
 attention during the summer; but the greater leisure of the 
 winter months afforded him an opportunity to avail himself 
 of the privileges, of the district school. At length he has so 
 far mastered the studies to which he has applied himself, that 
 we find him, in the autumn of 1818, when not eighteen years 
 of age, engaged himself in teaching a country school. 
 
 Not far from this time there was an interesting revival of 
 religion in NcM'port, and among its earliest subjects was 
 young Stow. Without giving a minute detail of the circum- 
 stances of an event transcending in importance any other that 
 was to occur in his history, it is enough to say that his con- 
 victions of sin were deep and thorough, and his view of sal- 
 vation through a crucified Saviour clear and satisfactory. 
 As might be well supposed, from our knowledge of the sin- 
 cerity of his views, he did not long delay in making a public 
 profession of religion. On the last day of December, 1818, 
 in comjDany with fifteen happy converts, he was baptized by 
 Rev. Leland Howard, of Windsor, Vt., and united with the 
 church in Newport. 
 
 The new impulse which was thus given to his whole nature 
 
 made him pant more than ever to go forward in the work of 
 
 training his faculties, that he might bring to the Redeemer, 
 
 who had so largely blessed his soul, the best gift which he 
 
 2 
 
18 MEMOIR OP DR. STOW. 
 
 coxilcl lay upon his altar — a cultivated intellect, along with a 
 regenerate heart. Who can describe the conflict which was 
 carried on in that sensitive soul between the claims of filial 
 affection and duty to his widowed mother on the one hand, 
 and what, on the other hand, seemed to him a call of God, 
 coinciding with his own inclinations, to enter upon the work 
 of preparation to preach the gospel? The struggle was at 
 last ended. The heart of a loving mother yearned over him, 
 whom, though recognized by her as her son by natural birth, 
 she had come to regard in a higher and holier sense, as a " son 
 of the Lord God Almighty." Interposing no objection, but 
 rather giving him her maternal benediction, she sent him to 
 Windsor, Vt., where he put himself under the tuition of Rev. 
 Mr. Howard, who so recently had baptized him. With this 
 Christian brother, who proved to be his life-long friend, he 
 remained a year. 
 
 And here seems the proper place to speak of one of those 
 early friendships which Baron Stow formed, similar, in its 
 warmth and sincerity, to many others which he fonued in 
 later years. Among his acquaintances was a yoimg man of 
 about his own age. In many respects they were kindred 
 spirits. Both had that delicate, sensitive organization w'hich 
 in both Avas the source of the exquisite enjoyment, and, we 
 may say, of the keen mental suffering, of which at times both 
 were alike the subjects in their maturer life. Both were 
 refined in their tastes by nature and by cultivation. Both 
 had fine intellectual abilities, although Mr. Stow always gave 
 the precedence to his friend in this respect. Circumstances, evi- 
 dently providential, called the one to fill a more prominent 
 sphere than the other occuj^ied ; but the Boston pastor never 
 ceased to look up to his friend, who, wasted away by con- 
 sumption, died as the minister of what was then a humble 
 church of a quiet village in the interior of Massachusetts. 
 The friend to whom I refer was Alonzo King, the gifted 
 compiler of the Memoirs of the sainted missionary George 
 Dana Boardman. 
 
 The earliest letter which I find in the mass of correspond- 
 
LETTER TO ALONZO KING. 19 
 
 ence from "which I shall have occasion to draw, was written 
 by Baron Stow to his friend King. It bears the following 
 date, and is reproduced just as it Avas written. 
 
 Windsor, May 11, 1819. 
 
 Brother King : Having an opportunity to convey a line directly 
 to Cavendish, I will devote a few moments in writing to a friend wliom 
 I esteem in sincerity. Through the mercy of God we are all alive and 
 in good health, enjoying unmerited favors and privileges. Brother Ely 
 and myself are now construing in the New Testament. Brother E. says, 
 " We are prospering marvellously" (his manner of speaking). It is a 
 very pleasing study, rich and sweet. The English appears like husks 
 to the Greek. God is still the Lord, gracious and long-suffering. Let 
 us proceed, leaning upon tlie arm of the great " I AM." There appears 
 everything to discourage me wiien I look upon one side of the case; 
 but cast these behind, like Satan, and nothing but encouragements ap- 
 pear. So I am changeable as the wind ; but God's will be done, what- 
 ever it is. 
 
 " Pax fratribus et caritas cum fide a Deo Patre et Domino Jesu 
 Christo." — Paulus. Vale. 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 While thus pursuing his studies at Windsor, Mr. Stow had 
 no prospect of obtaining a liberal education. His plan was, 
 after remaining for a time Avith Mr. Howard, to commence at 
 once the Avork of the ministry. ProA^dentially meeting with 
 ReA'. Dr. Baldwin, he was won by the genial, sympathetic 
 manner of one aa'Iio ahvays loA'ed to encourage his younger 
 brethren, and disclosed to him his purposes, and solicited his 
 adAdce. His wise counsellor urged him not to stop short of a 
 collegiate course of study, and prophetically remarked, "Per- 
 haps you AA^ll some day fill my j^lace." Nothing is easier 
 than to giA^e advice and to tell a young man, struggling to 
 get an education, to go forward, and yet, to point out no AA-ay 
 by which, for years, he is to pay his bills, seems almost a cruel 
 mockery. The good j^eople of Ncaa' Hampshire used to say 
 to Dr. BaldAA'in, at the close of a hard Sabbath's labor in 
 l)reaching, " Well, Brother Baldwin, you haA-e been very kind 
 to come among us to-day. The Lord will ncA-er let such a 
 good man as you are want for anything." All Avhich AA^ae 
 
20 MEMOIR OF DR. STOAY. 
 
 veiy pleasant, but it would not fill up the flour barrel, nor 
 keep the wolf from the door. Happily, in giving bis advice 
 to his good friend, Dr. Baldwin was able to point out a way 
 by which he might defray his expenses. His mind set at 
 rest on this jjoint, he went forward in the work of preparation 
 for college. 
 
 The correspondence with his friend Iving, in the mean while, 
 is ke])t up. It exhibits the warmth of his religious feelings, 
 and shows how earnestly his heart is being enlisted in what 
 is to be the great work of his life — the j^reaching of the 
 gospel. 
 
 Windsor, Monday Evening, December 13, 1819. 
 
 Dear Brother King : " As I was musing, the fire burned." My 
 unstable imagination, wandering up and down the earth, at last fixed 
 itself upon my little circle of friends in Newport, and there fastened, 
 immovable. I fancied Brothers F. and King surrounded by those who 
 can speak of the dying love of Jesus, while I myself, a poor, despised 
 creature, am in Windsor, grovelling in the midst of a valley of drj', dry 
 bones, surrounded for six hours in the daj' with about thirty or forty 
 souls, who are bound up in sin and slumbering in carnality. But, 
 thank Heaven, I find the same God here as there, and I think, for a few 
 days past, I have found him precious to my soul, through the merits of 
 his Son. O, what a blessed Jesus is brouglit to light in the gospel ! For 
 the first three evenings after I began my school, I studied my Latin 
 Grammar; but since that I have laid it aside for the precious volume 
 of truth. It is a dry study now. Six evenings out of the seven has the 
 " midnight oil " been consumed in my lamp. One evening I was at Mr. 
 Howard's at a prayer meeting. O, blessed employment, to pray to God ! 
 I am now boarding at a place where little or nothing is said about 
 lieaven or divine things ; therefore I have no company but my God and 
 my Bible. Perhaps you think me enthusiastic, but 
 
 " Sweet is my frame. 
 And I'll bless Jesus' name; 
 Though men scoff and jeer, 
 Yet men 1 don't fear." 
 
 Yesterday I went to meeting with such feelings as my soul never 
 felt before. Joy, peace, and consolation filled my heart. I could not 
 forbear relating my exercises to others. But how was I surimsed to see 
 Mr. Howard introduce a Boanerges into the pulpit ! 'Twas Leland, the 
 judge. He prayed. The moral heavens appeared opened, and the 
 Spirit descended. He preached : " They that trust in the Lord shall be 
 
COKRESPONDENCE. 21 
 
 as Mount Zion," &c. Silence and solemnity pervaded the assembly. 
 In the evening he preached to a great number, Psalms Ixii. 5 : " My soul, 
 wait thou only on God, for my expectation is from him." My soul was 
 fed with the finest of the wheat, and with honey out of the rock was I 
 satisfied. How fleeting and transitory are all earthly enjoyments I Alas, 
 how often have I forsaken the substance, and snatched the wind ! How 
 often have I broken the commandment, " Thou shalt have no other God 
 before mn ; " and again, " Love not the world, nor the things that are in 
 the world." I liave found, by sad experience, that " if any man love the 
 world, the love of the Father is not in him." O, can I ever reach 
 heaven? Yes, " The blood of Jesus is free, and cleanseth from all sin." 
 Trust in the Lord, then, O my soul, and take his yoke upon you. Learn 
 of Jesus, who is meek and lowly in heart, and rest, unceasing rest, shall 
 be your portion, while ages shall roll on ages, and time be lost in the 
 vast ocean of eternity. Vale. 
 
 Yours in Christ our Lord, 
 
 B. Stow. 
 
 Passing over tlie next year or two, during which he was 
 occupied with his prej^aratory studies, we find hiiu acknowl- 
 edging the receipt of another letter from his ever-constant 
 friend. From this letter we form an idea of the vast 
 changes which have taken place during the past fifty 
 years in the facilities of travel. At that period how fir 
 distant from their homes did those seem to be, who had 
 gone a few hundred miles ! Waterville College had been 
 but recently founded, and Mr. King was among its first stu- 
 dents. From the mountain home of his friend Stow, it 
 seemed as if he had departed to some far-off region of the 
 earth. 
 
 Newport, N. H., March 17, 1821. 
 
 My Dear Brother : 
 
 " What pain unusual thrilled my heart, 
 Wiien you and I were called to part, 
 
 Perhaps no more to join 
 In praising God within the doors, 
 Till passed beyond these mortal shores 
 
 To kneel before his shrine." 
 
 I acknowledge the receipt of )-our friendly letter, which arrived 
 here in twenty days after it was written. It was more than was ex- 
 pected, K. It was a fiivor which I could not deem myself worthy from 
 your hands, or any friend situated at such a distance. The letter was 
 
22 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 mailed at Rochester, N. H., so that you may well think I was aston- 
 ished, upon breaking the seal, to discover the name of my beloved 
 brother Alonzo. I was somewhat disappointed to find that you had not 
 written tlie particulars of your journey and voyage, as also your situa- 
 tion at Waterville, and the studies you were pursuing. But I have 
 since, in a degree, been informed with respect to your passage and safe 
 arrival at your destined residence. As I think my desires and enjoy- 
 ments are, in a degree, bound up in your joys and prosperity, I am 
 sorry to find that you did not feel that contentment and satisfaction you 
 would wish. I am not able to sympathize with you, having never passed 
 through the scene of forsaking parents .and friends to traverse unknown 
 lands, a stranger to every mortal creature, and depending on the charity 
 of others for maintenance. Yes, I feel for you, and endeavor to remem- 
 ber you in my feeble petitions at the throne of grace, that you may be 
 supported in your situation, enjoy the comforts of the Holy Ghost, that 
 God would smile upon your labors to obtain both human and divine 
 science, and in all things your trust may be in God alone. O that I 
 could visit you, whether it be in your study, in the house of God, or in 
 the gloomy wilderness ! I would unbosom to you, with satisfaction, a 
 series of joys and sorrows, through which I have passed since the sor- 
 rowful evening of your departure, I taught school the winter past in 
 Unity, near Brother Gilman's. Had a pleasant season. The Lord lias 
 graciously wrought wonders in that place a few months past. Several 
 have been baptized, and others cherish a hope of eternal life. In 
 Claremont truly the work of the Lord is powerful. Brother Kimball, 
 from Marblehead, Mass., is preaching there to the Baptist church. 
 
 After alluding to several other places in which there are 
 revivals, he adds, — 
 
 That happy scene is drawing nigh, when 
 
 " Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 
 Does his successive journeys run." 
 
 0, may it be hastened, and we be prepared ! 
 
 Unworthily yours, B. Stow. 
 
 The next communication is written in a sad strain. Some 
 of its gloom is doubtless attributable to a morbid state of 
 mind, brought on by excessive application to study. As we 
 shall have occasion to see, all through life, Mr. Stow was sub- 
 ject to these fits of depression and self-depreciation. Persons 
 of his peculiar temperament rarely escaj^e them. 
 
COKRESPONDEXCE. tl'S 
 
 Newport, N. H., April 30, 1821. 
 Beloved Brother : I received your interesting favor of March 28, 
 on Friday last. Though I did not endure much trouble, fearing you 
 liad forgotten or possessed a disposition to neglect me in the least, yet 
 I was apprehensive my letter might bo mislaid, or have gone to tlie 
 President of the United States, or in some other improper direction. 
 Truly I was higldy gratified, on seeing the mail opened, to find another 
 communication from friend A. K. I perused its exhilarating contents 
 V ith a cheerful iieart. I had been confined to my room for several 
 days by indisposition of body, but your cheering language and mani- 
 festations of unalterable sympatliy gave a vigorous spring to both soul 
 and body, and almost transferred me from a sick bed to the beloved 
 society in Waterville, and to the embrace of an absent friend and broth- 
 er. I feel to endeavor to answer your epistle so far as my weak capaci- 
 ties will allow ; but never expect to find in me the ability to express 
 sucli ecstatic raptures of soul as flowed from your pen. The friendship 
 we have contracted, I trust, is inviolable; but truly I often feel, K., it 
 has not on my part " Christ for its foundation." I often fear a separa- 
 tion will ere long take place, more trying and sad than we have ever 
 yet experienced, and I must depart to the left hand and you sit at tlie 
 riglit hand of our offended Judge in the burning day ! Still I iiope — 
 but how dare I hope, wliile the pride and arrogance of my lieart are so 
 great? Am I doing my duty in thus confining the powers of body and 
 soul down to the dead languages ? But I hope soon to be released from 
 tlie trammels of Cicero, Graeca Minora, and Sallust. My liealth is sueli 
 that I often think tiie Lord never intended me to obtain a collegiate educa- 
 tion ; and alas, how many poor souls, during that time, will go down to 
 perdition ! But should I find prosperity, I shall probably enter either 
 Harvard University, or Middlebury College, Vt., at next commence- 
 ment. O, pray for me, that I may be humble and lead an exemplary 
 life. 'Tis a joy to me to correspond with such a friend. Cease not to 
 counsel me, and may we pray for each other's growth and prosperity 
 in time and eternitj^ 
 
 Your friend indeed, 
 
 B. Stow. 
 
 The time had arrived when Mr. Stow must decide the ques- 
 tion, at what college he should pursue his studies. It may 
 be interesting, as it corresponds with the experience of so 
 many other young men, to note the perplexity into which he 
 was thrown when he came fairly to meet the question. A 
 letter to his Waterville friend reveals the struggles through 
 which he passed in reaching the decision to which finally lie 
 
24 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 came. "We see in this communication tlie ardor of Lis feel- 
 ings, and his earnest desires to enter uj^on the great work of 
 preaching the gosj^el, leading him to doubt whether he ought 
 to devote so much precious time in gaining merely secular 
 knowledge. 
 
 Newport Academy, August 9, 1821. 
 
 Brother A. : Your last came to hand safely and joj'fully. I had 
 long waited with impatience for an answer to my inquiries. That sub- 
 ject has greatly agitated my mind at times, and almost deprived me of 
 rest. I find it of great moment to decide upon a place where to reside 
 four years. And my anxieties have been greatly heightened by the 
 obsequiousness of correspondents at different literary institutions. I 
 have been urged by some to enter Yale — by Brethren Elliott and Rice 
 at Harvard — by General Forbes and others in Vermont, at Middle- 
 bury, Vt. Visiting Hanover a few weeks since, I was beset and 
 thronged with arguments in favor of Dartmouth. Some even venture 
 to recommend Columbian College, at Washington, as preferable to all. 
 At some of the aforesaid institutions, expenses are so high as will pre- 
 clude the idea of my pursuing a collegiate course with them. Others, 
 not so respectable either in moral or literary character, render it un- 
 pleasing. What can I do ? Waterville is too far situated from friends 
 and home to attract me thither, unless advantages far exceed other 
 colleges. My mind seems, however, to settle on Middlebury, Vt. 
 as I have received some charitable offers from the patrons of that in- 
 stitution. That grows extremely in respectability, and promises fair to 
 excel many that now stand high in the esteem of many literati. Pro- 
 fessor Patton has just arrived from Europe, whither he was sent to 
 receive his education on purpose for the professorial office. Board is 
 there from one dollar to one dollar and twenty-five cents per week, 
 tuition twenty dollars per year, and room rent six dollars. If Provi- 
 dence will, I hope to enter there in the spring. I should enter this 
 season, but, having read most of the studies of the first quarter, I think 
 to teach school five months between this and the first of March, Thank 
 you much for your frankness in answering my inquiries. 
 Affectionately yours, 
 
 B. Slow. 
 
 Notwithstanding his decision to enter Middlebury appeared 
 to be final, circumstances seemed providentially to point to 
 Columbian College, Washington. His health was delicate, 
 and it was thought that a milder climate might be beneficial 
 to him. It is evident that he had overworked himself. In 
 
KEMIXISCENCES. 25 
 
 one of his letters he speaks of havhig suffered from a severe 
 attack of inflammation in the head, by which he was deprived 
 of his reason for nearly a week, and confined to the house for 
 almost three weeks. Having recovered from this attack he 
 began, with earnestness, to consider all the reasons which 
 were to govern him in the decision of the question, where 
 he should spend the years of his college life. He concluded 
 to go to Washington. He became a member of Columbian 
 College in September, 182'2. 
 
 Perhaps this chapter cannot better be closed than by pre- 
 senting extracts iVom reminiscences of the early life of Mr. 
 Stow, furnished by one of his warmest friends. Rev. E. Hutch- 
 inson, of Vermont. 
 
 " The name of Baron Stow brings up most precious memo- 
 ries, which , extend back forty and fifty years. From child- 
 hood it was my privilege to know and love the good man 
 who bore that honored name, for he was my teacher, pastor, 
 and life-long friend. His first effort at teaching was in my 
 father's school district, in the year 1818. There he began to 
 show forth those great powers of mind which so remarkably 
 distinguished him in after years. His accurate scholarship, 
 thorough discipline, and wonderful fiiculty of drawing out his 
 pujjils and making them think for themseh'cs, made his first 
 teaching a sure success. During that winter occurred the 
 great event of his life. The church were enjoying one of 
 those old-fashioned revivals, or 'reformations,' as they were 
 called, so common a half century ago, continuing two and 
 three years, when God's people could, in the language of the 
 old patriarch, ' stand still and sec the salvation of God.' 
 The young schoolmaster felt the Spirit's convicting power, 
 but determined to resist it. At length the eventful evening 
 came. The young people met for prayer at the house of the 
 pastor, and he was induced to attend, resolving to close his 
 heart against all influences that might be brought to bear 
 upon him. The house Avas crowded, and the divine Spirit 
 was there in mighty power. As one and another of his 
 associates sjaoke, he trembled and resisted. At length the 
 
26 MEMOIK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 pastor's little son was brouglit from his dying bed, by his own 
 earnest request, to speak to his young friends of the love of 
 Christ. All hearts melted, and God made the last message 
 of tliat dying boy the means of salvation to Baron Stow. 
 He at once raised the altar of prayer in his school, and as 
 that young man bowed for the first time in j^rayer with his 
 scholars, many of whom were older than himself, the stoutest 
 hearts were subdued, and the majority of them were brought 
 to Christ. He immediately became an active worker in the 
 revival, and was soon looked upon by his elder brethren as 
 designed of God for the Christian ministry. 
 
 "His baptism, which occurred soon after, was beautifully im- 
 pressive, and is fresh in my recollection. It was midwinter. 
 The ice was cut in the charming Sugar River^ and the great 
 congregation surrounded the place of burial ; and as good 
 Elder Howard buried him with Christ in baptism, and raised 
 him from the Avatery grave, hundreds of voices joined in sing- 
 ing those favorite lines, — 
 
 " Cliristians, if your hearts be warm 
 Ice and snow can do no harm ; 
 If by Jesus you are prized, 
 Rise, believe, and be baptized." 
 
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE. 27 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 CoLOMBiAx College. — College Life. — Journal. — Preacuino 
 Tour into Virginia. — Return to his Studies. — Journal. 
 
 1822-1824. 
 
 As a member of Columbian College, Mr. Stow at once was 
 brought in contact with congenial society. The change from 
 the quiet scenes of his home among the hills of New Hamp- 
 shire to the capital of the country must have been very great. 
 He was now almost twenty years of age. He had learned the 
 lesson of self-reliance, and had known something of the stvug- 
 gles and discipline through which a young man passes, who is 
 seeking, with few resources, to obtain an education. Thus his 
 character was in a good degree matured, and there was every 
 reason to believe that he would derive the greatest benelit 
 from the course of study upon which he was now entering. 
 
 Columbian College was the child of the Baptist Triennial 
 Convention. Professor Gammell, in his excellent History 
 of American Baptist Missions, says that "the constitution 
 of the new society" — the Triennial Convention — "was 
 framed with but little experience, and almost without the aid 
 of models ; yet it was, perhaps, Mell suited to the condition 
 and spirit of the denomination as it then was in this country. 
 It originally contained provisions only for the support of 
 foreign missions, but, at subsequent meetings, it was modified 
 in several important particulars, and made to include both 
 domestic missions and the establishment of ' a classical and 
 theological seminary ' for the education of young men espe- 
 cially for the gospel ministry. The introduction of this latter 
 object into the organization of the convention had its origin 
 
28 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 in the deep sense of the importance of a well-educated min- 
 istiy, Avhich at that time pervaded the minds of the fathers 
 and the leading men of the denomination. This provision of 
 the constitution gave rise to the establishment of the Colum- 
 bian College at Washington, D. C, an institution which was 
 managed by the Triennial Convention." 
 
 The first president of the new institution was Rev. Dr. 
 Staughton, who was elected to this office, and entered upon 
 its duties, in 1821. No man more thoroughly possessed the 
 confidence of the denomination, or occu2:)ied a higher rank as 
 an eloquent preacher of the gospel. The influence Avhich Dr. 
 Staughton exerted on the susceptible mind of the ardent, 
 warm-hearted young man who had come under his supervis- 
 ion, was of the most positive and permanent character. A 
 prince among pulpit orators, he left the impress of his teach- 
 ings and his example on the whole professional life of his 
 pupil. Other men who have gained a reputation in the de- 
 nomination, who were connected with the college at the 
 period of which we are Avriting, were Dr. Irah Cliace, Dr. 
 Alva Woods, Thomas Sewell, M. D., Professor William Rug- 
 gles, and President A. Caswell, among the professors, and 
 Dr. R. Babcock, Professor J. D. Knowles, Professor T. J. 
 Conant, and Dr. R, E. Pattison, among the tutors. Among 
 the classmates of Mr. Stow were Dr. R. W. Cushman, Hon. 
 Thomas D. Eliot, and Professor James Jones. With several 
 of these gentlemen Mr. Stow's relations, during his whole 
 life, were of the most intimate and endearing character. 
 
 The following letter to his old friend and correspondent, 
 Alonzo King, is in his most pleasant vein, and happily con- 
 tiasts with the somewhat morbid conimunication found in the 
 first chapter. It gives us an insight into his college life and 
 t'xperience which we are glad to find. 
 
 Columbian College, D. C. March 1, 1823. 
 Dear Brother King : Your poetic effusion came safe to hand 
 January 10, and ever since I liave been invoking tlie muse; but she is 
 as contrary as a yoked pig. She ■will not be compelled, and if I succeed 
 
IXSIGIIT INTO COLLEGE LIFE. 29 
 
 in allowing her to follow, slio hobbles sadly, and tumbles over every 
 stick and stone. I thought of Polyphemus (I don't mean Brother CalebJ 
 and iEneas, but you had spent all the force of epic on them, and I dared 
 not approach the terrific scene of the eyeless, long-legged monster chas- 
 ing the poor tempest-beaten Trojans through the Sicilian waves. I 
 thought of Nimrod, and Cain, and Titus ; but Lord Byron had stolen 
 them away. I thought of Newport, and mused, and found somewhat to 
 dedicate to Melpomene, but none to "Venus. Juno, the goddess of mar- 
 riage, and Diana, of , claim a part. 'Twould be a motley mess. 
 
 I looked around on the groves, the hills, the great river, the Capitol, the 
 shades of Mount Vernon, &c., &c., but imbibed not one poetic feeling. 
 And rather than give you blank verse, or rhyme upon stilts, I deter- 
 mined to answer in stiff, old-fashioned prose. 
 
 Alonzo, were you not really at home when you wrote last? I was, 
 when I had read your letter. O, I am at Newport every time Somnus 
 infuses her papaverous influence, and more than once in a week do I 
 salute mj" dear brethren and friends in the land I have left. Home 
 thrills in my soul, and draws forth a vain sigh for its comforts and 
 pleasures. They are marrying and giving in marriage ; some removing 
 to other lands, others to " the land of silence and of death." A variety 
 of feelings possesses my soul at different times. Yes, Baron is still the 
 same old variable creature. I have not the same hypochondria as for- 
 merly, though often low-spirited. 
 
 My duties are such as employ every moment of my time, and leave 
 no leisure for moping melancholy. By the request of the publishing 
 committee of the General Convention, I have undertaken to conduct 
 the Latter Day Luminary. This occupies every leisure hour. Dr. 
 Staughton has just closed a course of lectures on natural history. 
 These were very interesting. For seven weeks we have been per- 
 mitted to go one day in a week to hear the debates in Congress, and the 
 pleas in the Supreme Court of the United States. Many of these have 
 been instructive and animating. 
 
 This letter shows us what he seldom reveals to us — the 
 plaj^ul side of his character. The daily duties wliich he was 
 called to perform, and the pleasant surroundings of his new 
 home, had their influence on his mind, and took his thoughts 
 out of the channel in -which they so frequently ran. Some 
 extracts from his journal reveal his inner life, " the life hid 
 with Christ in God." They furnish us, moreover, some hints 
 •which fill up certain gaps in his history, which we know not 
 how otherwise to fill. 
 
30 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 June 16, 1823. I now enter upon the twenty-third year of my life. 
 Twentj'-two years have passed rapidly, and, I may say, unprofitably. 
 Four years since I professed to know the Lord, and commenced the 
 liighly responsible and sublime work of preaching salvation to sinners. 
 One year ago to-day I preached in Goshen, N. H., bade adieu to friends 
 in Newport Village, previous to leaving for the south. It was a trying 
 scene. May it never be repeated. But here I am in my college course, 
 witli many intervals of pleasure ; preaching occasionally. Kegligent as 
 ever in other duties. I dare not resolve again to devote m3'self wholly 
 to God's service. I long for complete holiness. Gracious Heaven, 
 purify and increase this desire. Humbly may I ever lie at my Redeem- 
 er's feet. May my intellectual improvement be great, but my spiritual 
 be far greater. 
 
 June 21. Walked from the city this morning. Attended the meet- 
 ing of the society for missionary inquiry. Much interested. A genial 
 shower fell last evening, which makes all nature revive. The breezes 
 are truly pleasant. O that the breath of Heaven would blow upon ray 
 soul, refreshing my thirsty graces ! I am parched in a land of spiritual 
 drought. 
 
 June 23. Preached yesterday in the College Chapel, from 2 Cor. 
 iv. 5, with enjoyment. One year this morning I sailed out of Boston 
 harbor for the south. At this hour (midda}') was moving very pleas- 
 antly down the Cape. It was Sabbath. What were my feelings ! What 
 have I since been doing? How little have I been thankful for a life 
 preserved from the dangers of both sea and land. 
 
 July 9. Yesterday' was our semi-annual examination. Succeeded 
 as well as I expected. My class (the Sophomore) was thoroughly ex- 
 amined in Horace, Plato, Xenophon's Memorabilia, Aristotle's Philo- 
 sophic works, Blair, and Legendre's Geometry. In Horace I was 
 somewhat lame ; in all other parts was well prepared. Twenty-six 
 weeks of successive toiling at books. Now the respite will be pleasant. 
 I expect to take charge of the Star, a paper that has been under the 
 direction of Brother Knowles. Engagements to preach are numerous. 
 Heaven grant me that humility and zeal for God which shall make me 
 truly faithful. May I ever remember that great examination day when 
 God shall trj' me. 
 
 Jul}' 11. Weather exceedingly warm. My mind greatly alienated 
 from divine things. Too fond of other books, to the neglect of the 
 Bible. I desire more conformity to God, more holiness, and more 
 preparation to serve him. 
 
 July 18. Lonely. The college is now nearly vacated; two tutors 
 and one student beside myself remain. I have two reasons for so 
 doing — one, that I may have full leisure to attend to the Star and 
 Luminary; another, to keep alive our Sunday schools, and maintain 
 
JOURNAL. 31 
 
 divine service on the Sabbath. Retirement is, however, profitable, if 
 rightly improved. I have health, I have books in abundance round me. 
 What want I more? Alone, I can pray, read, and meditate at any hour. 
 If Christ be with me, how can I be melancholy } 
 
 July 20. Air cool and refreshing. Genial showers liave refreshed 
 vegetation. When plants are parched and drooping beneath scorching 
 beams, how delightful to see the rains descend from heaven, and raise 
 them to life and vigor! So the Christian rejoices, when travelling 
 through this dry and barren waste, to see a cloud of mercy rise .ind 
 pour down the divine blessing on the heritage of God. 
 
 July 2G, Saturday. Busily engaged all this week. The Star aad 
 Luminary employ almost my whole time; nor do I then make them 
 appear as I could wish. Here I learn my weakness and ignorance. 
 Sometimes I am tempted to think I am " somewhat," but when seated to 
 write an article for the public, then I feel how insignificant I am. 
 
 August 2. Time closely occupied in editing, and visiting friends; 
 little time for reading and meditation. Last summer vacation I studied 
 languages, preached often, and attended prayer meetings. This, I. 
 preacii little and pray less. 
 
 August 3, Sabbath. Great comfort in prayer. 
 
 Saturday evening, August IG. Fatigued and overworked. Con- 
 template relief next week, bj' a trip into Virginia with Brother Cas- 
 well. Embarrassed in my pecuniary affairs, but in a worse condition 
 of soul. I preach so little, and so seldom engage in public religious ser- 
 vices, that I am growing dull and formal ; but in private have some sweet 
 seasons, perusing God's word, and imploring the divine blessing. Such 
 periods are my greatest comfort and joy. The smiles of a Saviour's 
 countenance, how lovely, how enrapturing! " God is love." 
 
 Sabbath, August 17. Preached in the Chapel, from Luke xiii. 5 — 
 an unusually pleasant season. To-morrow, or the next day, set off, with 
 Rev. O. B. Brown and tutor Caswell, for Virginia. 
 
 These extracts, despite the self-depreciation which is so 
 often expressed in them, exhibit the subject of tliis Memoir 
 as a busy man, not only carrying on his college studies with 
 buch success as to keep him at the head of his class, but edit- 
 ing a paper, and preaching as occasion offered. We rejoice 
 with him that a respite, short, indeed, but so beneficial, has 
 come from his long-protracted labor, and that his energies are 
 to be recruited amid the hospitable homes of Old Virginia. 
 The journal continues, — 
 
 Tuesday, August 26. This day week set off for Virginia. Pirst 
 
32 MEMOIR OF Dll. STOW. 
 
 night, stopped at Mr. Edmond's, Alexandria — heard Rev. 0. B. B. 
 preach in the eveni-ng. Next day, went to Dumfries, passing Accatank 
 Hun, Fohick Church, Neabses Bun, Occoquan Biver, &c., in Fairfax 
 County, into Prince William's County. Tarried at the house of Cap- 
 tain Fairfax, in Dumfries ; heard Bev. Mr. Bryce preach. Next morn- 
 ing, took breakfast with Major Toulson, near Chapawansick. Arrived 
 at Rock Hill, Stafford County, at eleven A. M. Met the Columbia As- 
 sociation. Rev. Bobert Latham preached the introductory sermon, from 
 Gal. vi. 14 (rank Antinomian). Tarried with Mr. Tacket two nights, 
 and one with Colonel Mason ; treated with true hospitality. Ten ser- 
 mons were preached at the stand by Brethren Caswell, tutor in Co- 
 lumbian College, D. C, from John xv. 24; Bryce of Alexandria, from 
 1 Tim. i. 15; Raynolds, of Ninevaii, from John i. 1; James, of Fred- 
 ericksburg, from Col. iii. 3; Garnett, from the Shiloh Association, 
 from Matt. xvi. 18; O. B. Brown, from Washington, text Romans 
 viii. 28; Johnson, of Little Falls, Isa. Iviii. 1; B. Stow, Columbian Col- 
 lege, text Ezek. xxxiii. 11; Joseph Ballard, Coluaibian College, 2 Cor. 
 V. 10; H. O. Wyer, Columbian College, Rom. i. 15. I preached Sunday, 
 the 24th, at twelve and a half o'clock. Immediately set out on my return, 
 in company with Brother Prettyman, of Alexandria (Brother Caswell hav- 
 ing left the day before, via Harper's Ferry). Dined at Major Toulson's ; 
 preached at candle-light at Dumfries; staid the night with Brother Fair- 
 fax; next day dined at Alexandria — arrived at College Hill at sunset, 
 refreshed in body and mind. The roads are bad, but the people kindly 
 affectionate. 
 
 Many years after this, Dr. Stow wrote a sketch of this 
 preaching tour, a part of wliich may be worthy of a phice here, 
 as ilkistrating Virginia hospitahty, and the amusing incidents 
 to which it somethnes gave rise. 
 
 After a hard and almost break-neck ride of twelve hours, V3 
 reached Dumfries, and, as introduced by Luther Rice to one of his 
 resting-places, Ave were cordially welcomed for the night by Brother 
 Fairfax. He had already received a large number bound on the same 
 errand. He liad not out the sign of country inns in France — " Loge 
 pour cheval et pied," where horse and foot lodged under the same roof, 
 and sometimes in the same apartment, but he had large hospitality, and 
 that night it was exorbitantly taxed. An appointment for preaching had 
 been given out, and we all went t» hear a "strange brother " hold forth. 
 The singing was congregational, led by one whom we knew, and who, 
 with abundant power of lungs, " gave out the lines," two at a time. 
 
 On retiring for the night, the ladies occupied all the beds, and the 
 
RETURX TO WASHINGTON". 33 
 
 sixteen gentlemen, of whom ten were preachers, camped on the parlor 
 floor. The men, disposed to make the best of their imperfect accom- 
 modations, were rather jocose, and indulged in story-telling that inter- 
 fered with slumber. At length, by general agreement, all was hushed, 
 and one o'clock found the most of us beginning to sleep. But one 
 old gentleman had a thought, and he must needs violate the compact. 
 So he called out, " Brother Grub, Brother Grub, you are the bestest 
 man to give out a hymn that I ever hearn." This was too laughable to 
 admit of rebuke for the disturbance, and further quiet was out of the 
 question. So we went on the next day to the place of meeting, hoping 
 to double our rest the following night. 
 
 The absence was brief, but so thorougli a change from the 
 usual course of his every-day life, and the religious work in 
 which he was engaged, greatly " refreshed him in body and 
 mind," and he returned to Washington, in some measure pre- 
 pared to enter with fresh zeal upon his college studies. His 
 journal shows that he was not idle during the fcAV days that 
 intervened between the last date and the commencement of 
 a new term. 
 
 August 29. Reading North American Review, and Johnson's Lives 
 of the Poets. The Bible to-day is a sealed book. For several days 
 have too much neglected closet devotion. 'Tis impossible for me to 
 live without mrich prayer. My conscience smites severely; what is 
 worse, my soul shrivels and becomes barren. 
 
 September 4. Preached last Sabbath eve for Rev. O. B. Brown; 
 text, Luke xiii. 3. Endeavored, with as much seriousness and earnest- 
 ness as possible, to teach my hearers the nature and importance of true 
 repentance. Some deny the obligation of sinners to repent, consequent- 
 ly the propriety of preaching the doctrine. Others say, if repentance 
 be the gift of God, how can man repent ? Others think they need no 
 repentance; and indeed it is far easier dealing with such than either of 
 the other classes. Notwithstanding all these hindrances, I am com- 
 missioned to preach the word to all men indiscriminately. I hope to do 
 it with affection and fidelity, whether men will hear or forbear. 
 
 Although ]\[r. Stow entered college in 1822, he was so 
 well prepared, and had applied himself so diligently to 
 the prescribed course of study, that he soon passed into 
 the Sophomore class, and was a Junior at the commence- 
 ment of the new year, 1823-24. He begins the year in 
 3 
 
34 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 a happy frame of mind, and takes up bis college work with 
 his wonted ardor and determination to excel. Those great 
 alternations of feeling, which, all through life, were so marked 
 a feature of his character, are ever showing themseh'es, both 
 in his letters and in his journal. Much of his depression, as 
 in the case of that eminent servant of Christ, whom, in many 
 res])ects, he so much resembled. Rev. Dr. Payson, of Portland, 
 Maine, must be attributed to his peculiarly sensitive organiza- 
 tion, and is to be set down to the account of hard intellectual 
 work and the exhaustion of nerve power. He was consti- 
 tutionally prone, at times, to look on the dark side of things. 
 All his ideals were of the loftiest kind, and it pained him that 
 he fell so far short of reaching them. No man could dwell 
 with more pathos on the riches of the divine mercy, or more 
 glowingly set forth the blessed truth that where " sin abound- 
 ed, grace doth much more abound." In tei-ms of exultation, 
 when addressing others, he could assure the downcast and 
 the disconsolate, that " like as a father pitieth his children, so 
 the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our 
 frame, he remembereth that we are dust." But the sweet 
 jjromises which he could always apply so successfully to 
 others, he could not always claim for himself. Was he singu- 
 lar in this respect ? 
 
 September 13. Have entered again upon my college studies. 
 Health greatly improved, spirits buoyant ; my principal embarrassments 
 are in pecuniary affairs. Among such friends as I have here, however, 
 I fear neither starvation nor nakedness. Four years and a half I have 
 been well supplied by a good Providence — still trusting him. Here 
 again I wish to renew the solemn vows I have made to my Maker. O 
 God, I would glorify thee. Keep worldly ambition (that cursed thing) 
 far from mc. May I lay all my talents and all my attainments at Jesus' 
 blessed feet. May this desire inspire me to improve every moment to 
 tlie best advantage. 
 
 SeptJmbar 21. Bilious fevers are now very prevalent. My tem- 
 perament is rather pulmonary than bilious ; a slight cold often irritates 
 my lungs, and produces fever, which, in several instances, has well nigh 
 terminated in consumption. About ten years ago this season, my dear 
 father, who was then at Concord as representative for his native town, 
 took a severe cold, — not more severe than my own at the present time, — 
 
.lOUKNAL. 35 
 
 which, three years after, terminated his life by a complication of dis- 
 eases. Perhaps my days are destined to be ended by a similar process. 
 With me, it is all the same. I pray Jesus to accept me. 
 
 September 22. Letters from dear friends in Newport. My dear 
 cousin AVilliani Heath was, I learn, buried in baptism on Sunday, 
 the 7th. 
 
 October 6. Yesterday heard Dr. Staughton preach two excellent 
 sermons, A. M., at the chapel; text, Matt. xv. 28, in which he con- 
 sidered, 1. Suppliant; 2. Solicitation; 3. Embai'rassments met by sup- 
 pliant ; 4. Success. The discourse was simple and plain, but melting. 
 Speaker's sensibilities were greatly moved, as were those of tlie assem- 
 blj". The evening text was Job xl. 9. His eloquence is frequently too 
 powerful for me. It often gives me pain by exciting my feelings too 
 liigh. If I covet anything, it is his preaching gifts. 
 
 October 10. Reading Memoirs of Fuller. Much interested in the 
 peculiar character of the man. The biography discloses very little 
 of the private character of Mr. F. It presents the journal of the good 
 man's soul, represents him as a worthy pattern of devotion and en- 
 lightened zeal — preaching, writing, travelling, and collecting for the 
 mission at Serampore. 
 
 October 15. To-day finished Memoirs of Fuller. lie was a man 
 of prayer. His was a life of devotion and toil, and now in heaven he 
 meets the reward of his labors. Let me imitate such good examples. 
 
 November 10. Different Protestant congregations assembled with 
 the Sabbatli schools in Georgetown, when a large assembly was ad- 
 dressed on the importance of giving to youth religious instructions. 
 Rev. Mr. Mcllvaine, Episcopal, spoke first, in a very eloquent, impres- 
 sive manner, followed by Rev. Mr. Mines, Presbyterian, of Leesburg, 
 Va.jRev. Charles Davies, Methodist, of Baltimore, Rev. Dr. Staughton, 
 Baptist, of this college. A collection of thirty-eight dollars was taken 
 for the benefit of the schools. 
 
 November 20. Thanksgiving day in some of the New England 
 States. How many have this day assembled, in obedience to the re- 
 quest of their rulers, to praise and adore God ! My heart is with them. 
 May the practice of my forefathers be long perpetuated. 
 
 November 21. The anniversary of my father's death. My thoughts 
 fly homeward. Does not my dear mother think of that hour when she 
 was stripped of her companion? Is not this a solemn day to her? God 
 has been her comforter; in him may she ever trust. 
 
 December 6. Called to mourn the loss of Professor E. B. Craven, 
 professor in botany. His aged parents are bereaved of an only son, 
 and science mourns the premature loss of one of its brightest lights. 
 
 Saturday evening, December 13. Unusually busied, arranging for 
 
86 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 semi-annual examination on Monday. After that, we look for rest to 
 body and mind, a while. 
 
 Tuesday, December IG. The confusion is over. I had apart original 
 — "The effect of certain causes on the development of genius." Though 
 not well, I was enabled to perform my part easier and better, I hope, 
 than I anticipated. • May I watch and pray against every vain thought, 
 making all, improvements subservient and subsidiary to the cause of 
 " Him who has redeemed me." If I improve in the powers of reason- 
 ing, writing, or eloquence, may my sole object be to use my acquire- 
 ments in the great life work of persuading men to believe on the Lord 
 Jesus. 
 
 Thursday. Last evening attended a levee at Dr. Staughton's, where 
 were the Faculty, some of the trustees, and the young gentlemen who 
 exhibited the day before, entertained in the politest manner. 
 
 December 25. To multitudes this is a day of feasting ; some there 
 are, doubtless, who feel the kindling of devotion, sincerely thankful to 
 God for the gift of our Saviour I would at all times be devoaonal, 
 and remember that for me " the babe was born in Bethlehem." 
 
 Monday, December 29. Engaged to-day in writing an address to the 
 students, on the subject of the " Struggle of the Greeks to obtain their 
 liberty." Much is now doing in the United States for their relief; stu- 
 dents in particular are urged to show their patriotism by contributions. 
 My zeal and enthusiasm in this cause reproach me, for tliey rarely are 
 so deeply engaged in pleading for the cause of my beloved Lord. 
 
 January 2d, 1824. Yesterday attended the president's levee. The 
 crowd of people was immense, all anxious to pay their respects to the 
 chief magistrate of the nation. The company, moreover, was very re- 
 spectable, all the proceedings were conducted with propriety and deco- 
 rum. The president appeared to great advantage, welcoming all who ap- 
 proached him with great ease and familiarity. His cabinet were all pres- 
 ent except Mr. Crawford. General Jackson was one of tiie company. 
 He is very easy and polished in his manners. There were considerable 
 show and display, but much less than I anticipated. The thouglit struck 
 me, How readily do men do homage to an earthly ruler ! but when the 
 Prince of Peace claims their attention and respect, they obstinately re- 
 fuse him altogether. 
 
 January IG. College re-opened. Attended Congress to-day, and heard 
 Henry Clay, of Kentucky, on roads and canals. He was powerfully el- 
 oquent. 
 
 Saturday evening, January 17. Addressed the students in College 
 chapel, on the "Greek Revolution." Arrangements were made for aid- 
 ing them by contributions. 
 
 Friday noon, February 6. Attended United States Supreme Court. 
 
JOURXAL. 37 
 
 Heard Mr. Oakley of New York, plead the right of his state to monopo- 
 lize its waters, and grant to individuals the exclusive right of navigat- 
 ing tliese waters, as it had done in the ease of Livingstone and Fulton 
 with tiieir steamboats. Mr. Webster spoke for the plaintiff (Mr. Gib- 
 bons) the da}' before. Mr. Oakley is counsel for the defendant (Mr. 
 Ogden). 
 
 February 11. Five years ago to-daj', commenced my studies, prepar- 
 atory to tlie great work before me, with Brother Howard, at Windsor, Vt. 
 Wliat has been my improvement? How have I advanced in holiness and 
 zeal for the Lord of Hosts ? In many respects I fear I am more sinful 
 than at that period when I left my parental roof to prepare to act my 
 pait on " the world's wide stage." I have just commenced to make im- 
 provement. I hope yet to make gradual and profitable advances. The 
 kindness of my heavenly Fatlier has exceeded my most earnest petitions. 
 I feel this evening a glow of love to my blessed Redeemer for his excel- 
 lency and loving-kindness. I feel disposed to unite with etherial worship- 
 pers, honoring him as " God over all, blessed forevermore." Amen. 
 
 Sunday, February 15. 
 
 '• Woloome, sweot day of rest, 
 That saw the Lord ariso." ' 
 
 The brethren students have a prayer meeting every Sabbath morning, at 
 nine o'clock, to invoke the blessing of God on the services in the chapel. 
 In these meetings I have more real enjoyment than in all the preaching 
 through the day. I delight to hear the truths of tlie Bible explained and 
 enforced upon the conscience ; but this is not communion with God; 'tis 
 more tlie work of the understanding; prayer is the feeling of the heart- 
 conversation with a kind indulgent Parent. My closet is too much neg- 
 lected; I do not derive a tithe of the blessings from it I might. My 
 mental enjoyment through the day is generally in proportion to the 
 degree of devotional feeling in the morning. 
 
 February 19. Engaged ia intense study — Paley's Theology, and 
 Lacroix's Analytic Geometry. My health is now so good that study is 
 botli easy and pleasurable. 
 
 February 20. Heard Mr. C. J. IngersoU in the Supreme Court, 
 General .Tackson in the Senate, and Mr. Trimble, of Kentucky, in the 
 House. Wrote a comnmnication this evening for the Columbian Star, 
 recommending a Baptist Tract Society, first suggested by Brother 
 Samuel Cornelius, pastor of the Baptist church in Norfolk. 
 
 Wednesday, February 25. Attended the formation of the Baptist 
 Tract Society. A constitution was adopted and the following officers 
 chosen: Rev. O. B. Brown, President; Rev. Joim Bryce, Vice-Pres- 
 ident; JNIr. George Wood, Agent; Rev. Luther Rice, Treasurer; Mr. 
 Isaac G. Hutton, Secretary. Directors, Rev. Dr. Staughton, James 
 
38 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 D. Knowles, Joseph Shaw, Joseph Gibson, E. Reynolds. xVnnual Meet- 
 ing, last Wednesday in February. 
 
 Sabbath evening, February 29. This morning heard Mr. Mcllvaine. 
 of Georgetown, preach a most powerful sermon, from Matt. xxv. 46. 
 He is the most evangelical, faithful Episcopal preacher I ever heard. 
 
 March 5. Reading Griscom's Year in Europe. Many of his moral 
 reflections are very judicious, and show he has a philanthropic heart. 
 lie deplores most heartily the causes and effects of our war. 
 
 Sabbath, March 21. The past week, have been very busily engaged 
 in my studies and the concerns of the Seminary. I feel quite unfit 
 for the devotions of the holy Sabbath. Read several chapters in Isaiah 
 this morning. He is that prophet that said, in reply to the interrogations 
 of the Almighty, " Here am I ; send me." May I feel the same spirit. 
 
 Tuesday, March 23. Attended a reception given by Professor James 
 Staughton at his father's for the tutors, Mr. Rice, and tlie two high- 
 est classes in college. Professor Sewall gave a similar one last Friday 
 evening. At both of these companies I was pleased with seeing the 
 great propriety of conduct manifested by all present — cheerful, but none 
 vain or trifling. Our president is remarkable for a vast fund of anec- 
 dotes and instructive stories, as well as for ease of communication. He 
 interests a company, while he amuses, he does not fail to instruct them. 
 
 Sabbath evening, March 28. This evening have attended a prayer 
 meeting in college, at which there was more than usual animation. 
 Eight brethren prayed, besides other appropriate exercises, in one hour. 
 Such meetings afford a relief from the tedium of dry abstract studies, 
 giving a tone to my mind during several days. I do not consider time 
 wasted, though three or four times a week 1 turn aside, with my dear 
 brethren, to call for God's blessing upon my fellow-students, as well as 
 the whole family of man. Shall /ever be fit for a missionarj-? 
 
 April 4. Yesterdaj- (Saturday) set off for a trip on foot with 
 Brother Ballard. At half past two P. M. we arrived at Montgomery 
 Court House, fifteen miles distant. Tarried two or three hours. Re- 
 turning, reached Washington at nine in the evening — a comfortable 
 walk: of thirty miles. 
 
 April 13. Attended an adjourned meeting of the " Sunday School 
 Union of the District of Columbia." Had the honor of being elected 
 vice-president of that body for the Baptist denomination in the Dis- 
 trict. The report from the schools was highly interesting and encour- 
 aging. 
 
 April 22. Been reading " Cowper's Private Correspondence," 
 edited by his kinsman John Johnson, LL. D. They are, as a whole, 
 the best examples of easy familiar letter writing that I have seen. His 
 afflictions, arising from severe nervous affections, and consequent de- 
 
A BUSY LIFE. 89 
 
 pressioii of mind, very strongly remind me of my own troubles. A good 
 man, and, doubtless, a real Christian, but for many years his mind was 
 clouded witii melancholy. 
 
 May 19. Preached last Sabbath for Mr. Brown, in the city. Text 
 Gal. iv. 15, first clause. My principal object in preaching from tliis 
 text was to point out some of the causes of the alarming declension of 
 religion in this place. To me the season was solemn and affecting; the 
 effect upon others I know not. The subject opened upon me in a m;in- 
 ner almost surprising, filling my soul and mouth with arguments of 
 which I had not before thouglit. God was with me of a truth, and the 
 favor demands my gratitude. The religion of my Redeemer has, for 
 eight or ten days, seemed more precious and divine than ever. 
 
 The extracts thus given cover tlie academic year of study. 
 We seem to be with the busy college student. He is not a 
 monkish recluse, bitt finds time to gather improvement not 
 only from books, but from intercourse with others, from attend- 
 ance on the debates in Congress, and from the displays of 
 forensic eloquence Avhich he witnessed in the rooms of the 
 United States Court, holding its sessions in Washington. 
 He is brought in contact with j^ublic men, and acquires that 
 urbanity and polish of manners which marked him through life 
 as the true Christian gentleman. Although but a junior in col- 
 lege, he is honored by being elected vice-president of the Sun- 
 day School Union of the District of Columbia. It is evident 
 that, even at this comparatively early period in his life, he is 
 becoming known and respected as a man of marked ability, 
 and destined, if God spares his life, to exert an imjiortant part 
 in the promotion of the Redeemer's kingdom. 
 
40 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Visit to New Hampshire. — Last Year in College. — Eeceptioh 
 OF General Lafayette. — Journal. 
 
 1824-1825. 
 
 The hard intellectual work of the academic year having 
 been accomplished, the lieart of the toiler in the fields of 
 knowledge turns with longing towards his eastern home. It 
 is interesting, as throwing light on the modes and speed of 
 locomotion in those days, to trace his progress from day to 
 day, as he travelled towards his New Hampshire home. 
 
 June 4, Newport, N. H. Tlirough the kindness of a merciful Prov- 
 idence have arrived safely at my mother's house. Left Washington 
 the 27th, with Dr. Sewall and family. Reached Baltimore at four in 
 the evening. Left for Philadelphia at five, arriving there at ten o'clock 
 the next day. Called on Deacon Bradley, and visited Poale's Museum. 
 Reached Trenton, N. J., the next day at four, where we took stage for 
 New Brunswick, there remaining over night. On Saturday morning 
 we set out in the steamboat for New York, arriving at ten and a half. 
 Called on Rev. Mr. Sommers, Mrs. Talmadge, and Mrs. Cauldwell. 
 At three P. M. left New York in steamboat Fulton, for Providence, 
 R. I., which place we reached Sunday evening at five o'clock. Made 
 no tarry, but rode half way up to Boston, which city we entered the next 
 morning at nine. Called on several friends. Met with Brother Alonzo 
 King, from Waterville, Brotiier George D. Boardman, from Andover, 
 Brother Going, from Worcester, and Brother Boswell, from Middle- 
 town, Conn. Monday night spent with Rev. Mr. Elliott, of Roxbury. 
 Tuesday night staid with Dr. Baldwin, and the next morning took the 
 stage for home. Stopped on the way one day. My health is consider- 
 ably improved now. I desire to be very grateful to my heavenly 
 Father for his protecting kindness. 
 
 Monday morning, June 7. Preached yesterday afternoon for Mr. 
 person, in tlie First Baptist Church; text, Isa. Ixv. 17. A pleasant sea- 
 
JOURNAL. 41 
 
 son. INIuch satisfaction in meeting my friends, wlio all greet me with 
 cordiality. I hope tO" be able, wiiile here, to keep myself unspotted 
 from the reigning follies and vices ; to exhibit the example of a sincere, 
 warm Christian. 
 
 June 14. Just returned from Windsor. Heard two excellent dis- 
 courses from Mr. Elton [the late Rev. Dr. Elton]. Some changes 
 have taken place. Mr. Howard's absence almost destroys the pleasure 
 of a visit to W. 
 
 June IG. Another birthday. As has been customary, I would 
 make some reflections if I had any worth the record. It is difficult to 
 realize that twenty-three years have passed over my head. I see but 
 little improvement in the past. May the next year witness much 
 more. 
 
 June 26. Perhaps no person sympathizes with the seasons more 
 than myself. My animal feelings are greatly aflTected by the weather. 
 When clear and serene, my mind is free and spirits buoyant. If cloudy 
 and damp, my spirits are low. 
 
 July 12. Yesterday preached for Mr. Person, from the words of 
 Moses to Israel concerning Joshua — Deut. i. 38, ■' Encourage him." 
 My object was to point out the duty of a church to a pastor. My mind 
 was tolerably clear, and I enjoyed a good season, though under the 
 necessity of preaching some truths which, I apprehend, were unpalatable. 
 Nevertheless I was strengtliened and enabled to declare what I conceive 
 to be scriptural truth. I like to feel an independence where I have no 
 comjjromise to make, no favors to solicit, but, without any obstruction, 
 can come forward and plainly publish the " whole counsel of God.'' 
 
 July 24. A fine rain. Have been working three days with the 
 haymakers. ]My health would be far better were I to labor on a farm. 
 Had I not the conviction that another course of life is real duty, I should 
 certainly of choice return to the farm. But my Maker and Redeemer 
 lias other work for me to do, and to his service my powers of body and 
 mind are humbly consecrated. I have no wish to forsake the work 
 assigned me by the Bishop of souls. 
 
 Saturday evening, August 21. This week Wednesday attended the 
 Commencement at Dartmouth. Hardly equal to what I expected. Met 
 several friends, among them Mr. J. P. Skinner, with whom I returned 
 tf) Windsor to say good by to friends there. Returning to Newport 
 with my friend E. L. S., who is on her way to school at Concord, N. H. 
 
 Thus in pleasant social intercourse with his friends and in 
 active out-door exercise, he passed his vacation, and with 
 renewed strength returned to his college duties. It is his 
 l:ist year in a spot which has become very dear to him. it 
 
42 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 may be questioned if it is wise for students generally to at- 
 tempt to do so much work outside the dOurse of study pre- 
 scribed by the regulations of the college. His was evidently 
 an exceptional case. His mind had been so well disciplined, 
 that he carried along with ease his usual studies. The con- 
 scientiousness which was so marked a feature of his cliaracter 
 would not allow him to neglect any known duty. If, tliere- 
 fore, we find him making addresses on a subject which has 
 already awakened his warmest symj^athy, — the subject of 
 foreign missions, — if he does the work of an editor, if he de- 
 livers an oration on the fourth of July, and preaches as oc- 
 casion offers, we may be sure that he does none of these 
 things at the expense of any other claims which light fully 
 demand his attention. The account which he gives of tlie 
 reception of General Lafayette, in Washington, is very 
 graphic, and cannot fail to interest the reader. As usual, 
 he mingles moral reflections with his descriptions. 
 
 September 2, 1824. (College Hill, D. C.) To leave my beloved 
 mother, brotiiers, and sisters was severely painful ; but I cheerfully 
 committed them into the hands of our lieavenly Father, who has hitiier- 
 to protected them and me. Also feel heartiU' grateful to a kind Provi- 
 dence which has preserved me, restored my health, and safely returned 
 me to engage in the duties of collegiate life. 
 
 September 4. " Thoughts of home rush on my excited nerves." 
 My kind mother deserves all the affection and attention I can bestow. 
 Never could I desire more affection than has been demonstrated the 
 past summer. I love them all — may I never love them less. My late 
 visit has greatly endeared to me my home and New England. 
 
 September 7. Attended monthly concert for prayer at St. Jolm's, 
 in the city. Addressed the congregation on the subject of missions. 
 
 ■ gave a brief narrative of the labors and success of the London 
 
 Society's missionaries in the South Seas. In relation to that interesting 
 mission, it may triumphantly be said, " What hath God wrought? " 
 
 Monday, September 27. Fifteen years ago to-day my father re- 
 moved his family from Croyden to Newport — well do I recollect the 
 day, with many of its occurrences. During my late visit to New Hamp- 
 shire, I visited the old place where I was born and received the first 
 rudiments of my education, which I am now endeavoring to mature and 
 make profitable to myself and others. If I mistake not, ray desire to be 
 
JOURNAL. 43 
 
 useful increases. I feel more anxious to render some service to the 
 cause of Christianity. I need grace and humility. 
 
 Tuesday, October 12. Mingled with the crowd of thousands to-day 
 in welcoming our distinguished guest and national benefactor, General 
 Lafayette, recently from France. An attempt to make a great show, 
 and an almost total failure. Tlie general arrived about one P. M., when 
 he was received under the tent of General Washington. Tlie mayor of 
 the city oead an address to him, to which he replied extempore. Here 
 were a confused mass of black and wliite huddled together in Capitol 
 Square. After a salute of twenty-four guns, awkwardly fired, the pro- 
 cession of ill-appearing military marched through clouds of dust from 
 the Capitol to the president's house, where he was received by Mr. 
 Monroe ; then passed on to Gadsby's Hotel. There was nothing grand 
 or magnificent in the display, tliough an attempt at both. It pains me 
 to see my fellow-citizens departing so rapidly from republican sim- 
 plicity. If I mistake not, the general will despise many of the pro- 
 ceedings in Washington. 
 
 November 21. Professor Chase arrived in the city yesterday, after 
 fifteen months' absence in Europe. Good man. I rejoice at his return. 
 His counsel and example are much needed among us. 
 
 Sabbath, November 28. Heard this morning Rev. Eustace Carey 
 preach an excellent discourse from Heb. xiii. 12-14. Just arrived 
 from Calcutta, where he has for many years been a devoted, laborious 
 missionary (English Baptist). He is a nephew of the learned, pious 
 William Carey, D. D., of Serampore. An aff'ectionate mildness and soft- 
 ness characterized his wliole manner, but in faithfulness did he preach 
 the pure, humiliating doctrines of the cross. Seldom have I heard a 
 richer discourse. 
 
 December 3. Just finished my oration for Commencement. As the 
 graduating class is small, only three, — J. D. Knowles, Alexander 
 Ewell, and Albert Fairfax, — the faculty have been pleased to appoint, to 
 take part in the exercises, two from the Junior class, Tliomas 1). Eliot 
 and myself, and two from the Sophon)ore class, John Boulware and John 
 W. James. This is the first Commencement of Columbian College. We 
 hope neither to disgrace ourselves nor the institution, rather so to suc- 
 ceed as to honor both. In all things may I have tiie honor cf my 
 Redeemer and the best interests of his church at heart. 
 
 Friday, December 10. Passed tiie day in the city. Witnessed the 
 reception of General Lafayette in the House of Representatives. The 
 scene was noble and august, sublime and afiecting, beyond description. 
 He was addressed by the speaker, Henry Clay, in that style of imposing 
 eloquence for which he is so justly distinguished. The general replied 
 in a manner and style calculated to excite some of tiie most generous 
 
44 MEMOIR OF DR, STOW. 
 
 and grateful emotions of the heart. The whole scene was affecting — • 
 many eyes were suffused with tears at the recollection of the services 
 and voluntary sacrifices of the hero, patriot, and sage who stood before 
 them, and with his benign accents cheered the representatives of twenty- 
 four free states to firmness and union in support of their excellent in- 
 stitutions. This reception had notliing of exterior pomp or splendor. 
 The grandeur and sublimity of the scene consisted altogether in the 
 associations awakened. The house was crowded above and below — 
 all, in breathless silence, listening to the unanimous expression of grate- 
 ful feeling as delivered by the speaker on behalf of ten millions of free, 
 enlightened people, and tlie responsive expressions of affectionate at- 
 tachment as they fell from the lips of Lafayette. The whole was a gush 
 of grateful feeling — a glow of liberal sentiment. 
 
 Monday, February 14, 1825. Commenced my studies. This term 
 I have for a room-mate a young man who is not pious. I praj' to be 
 faithful to him. 
 
 February 27. Been reading tlie journal of Rev. Joseph Wolf, 
 missionary to Palestine. He was born near Bamberg, in Bavaria, of 
 Jewish parents, in 179G. His father was a Rabbi. At seventeen years 
 of age he professed Christianity, and soon began studying for the 
 ministry. After spending some time in the Propaganda at Rome, he 
 was dismissed on account of his opposition to Papal authority. Soon 
 after he went to England (1819), he entered the Missionary Seminary 
 at Ilampstead Park, and in 1821 set out for Palestine. His journal 
 breatlies the spirit of a true missionary, devoted to God. He is now but 
 twenty-nine years of age, but has done more to bring the missionary 
 cause into notice and reputation there tlian any otlier living man. 
 
 March 1, Tuesday. Heard Dr. Staugliton, Sabbath. In the evening 
 attended the Annual Meeting of the Baptist General Tract Society. Re- 
 ports read, and addresses made by several members, and officers chosen. 
 
 March 4. This day Jolm Q. Adams is inatigurated President of the 
 United States, and John C. Calhoun Vice-President. The oatii of office 
 fl'as administered to the former by Chief Justice Marshall, to the latter 
 by General Jackson. Crowds were disappointed in not being able to 
 witness the ceremonies. How strongly do such multitudes remind one 
 of that day when all the universe shall be gathered before the bar of 
 God! 
 
 ]March 7. Heard Dr. Laurie in tlie morning. Brother Newborn in 
 the afternoon, and a stranger at Mcllvaine's in the evening. I must 
 cease wandering from place to place. It begets unsettled, unsteady 
 habits, and prevents the exercise of spiritual feelings. I find more 
 enjoyment by attending some regular churcli. I must be more stead}', 
 and confine myself to tlie church to which I belong. May God enable 
 
JOURNAL. 45 
 
 me to keep these resolutions. If a man would grow in giace, I am 
 sensible he will not be assisted in that growth by indulging in a vain 
 curiosity, rambling from church to church, from preacher to preaclicr. 
 
 March 17. Last evening I was elected as orator for the college on 
 fourth of July next. My mind for the past four days has been seriously 
 excited to earnest supplication for the salvation of my dear room-mate. 
 
 April 7. Yesterday I went early to the city collecting scholars to 
 the Sabbath school ; succeeded well, but the ignorance and wretchedness 
 of the blacks at Washington is beyond deseription. 
 
 April 11. A few weeks since a friend of mine, Mr. J. P. Fenncr, 
 commenced a school on Sabbath afternoon exclusively for blacks; he is 
 a pious, zealous man, and I trust will do them much good. In the 
 jchool at Brother Brown's we have seventy-two scholars; the prospect 
 is good for the number reaching one hundred next Sabbath. Brother 
 Rice preached in the morning, and pleaded earnestly in behalf of Sabbath 
 schools. At three o'clock Mr. Brown went into the baptismal waters 
 with three. As many as two thousand gathered at the river-side to wit- 
 ness the ceremony. On our return we sat down to the Lord's Supper, 
 and a precious hour it was to my soul. I had some glimpses of my 
 Saviour's fiice, some tokens of his love. 
 
 Monday morning, April 18. Spent the morning searching for chil- 
 dren to attend Sunday school. Found a young man preaching in the 
 suburbs to these verj' poor, wretched creatures. My heart burns within 
 me to be employed in the same work — preaching the gospel to the 
 poor, ignorant, and vicious. In the afternoon I assisted my dear friend, 
 Mr. Fenner, in his school of colored people, established in his own 
 house. There are eighty children and adults. 
 
 Sabbath evening. In the morning attended Sunday school. Our 
 numbers are steadily increasing. Instead of four we have twenty-four 
 teachers, and from twenty-five, our scholars number one hundred and 
 nineteen. In the afternoon the schools of the Union met at Dr. Balch's, 
 Georgetown, when we had various religious exercises. I read the re- 
 port. Dr. Staughton preached from these words: "Be not weary in 
 well doing." Rev. Mr. Bedell, of Philadelphia, made an address, and 
 Rev. Mr. Hawley addressed the children particularly. 
 
 May 28. The present is a time when I need health and strength. 
 Studies, preparation for fourth of July oration, duties in Sunday schools, 
 and matters of the Baptist General Tract Society make requisitions. The 
 Lord has thus far given me grace and strength. I feel that I indulge too 
 much a worldly spirit. I have too much pride and vain-glory. What 
 grieves me most is, that I frequently indulge them without remorse. I 
 desire constantly an increase of holiness. 
 June 9. Last evening had some sweet conversation with a pious stu« 
 
46 MEMOIK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 dent, Brother Robert Eyland, about experimental religion, and about 
 preaching. He thinks he must preach, and I think so too. How de- 
 lightful it was to converse about Christ and heaven ! 
 
 June IC, 1825. Another birthday ! I hardly dare review the scenes 
 of the past year. The mercies of my God have been so many, and my 
 ingiatitude so great, I meet reproof at every step. 
 
 June 20. Heard Brother Caswell in the morning, from Matt. x. 
 32 and 33. In the afternoon attended and addressed Mr. Fenner's 
 Of lored school. At night heard Brother George D. Boardman, a mis- 
 sionary designated for Burmah. He appears a person of sound, dis- 
 criminating mind, and sterling piety. Last summer, when in Boston, I 
 had consideral)le conversation with him in relation to my own impres- 
 sions concerning my duty to become a missionary. He had learned 
 from dear Brother King, of Waterville, that I sometimes thouglit it to 
 be my calling; but I apprehend he did not feel satisfied that I possessed 
 much ardor for the good work, for since he came here he has not hinted 
 to me a syllable on the subject. Many circumstances combine now to 
 produce the belief that I am not called to be a missionary, at least ia a 
 foreign field. If I know my own heart, I am willing to go anywhere, 
 at any time, at the command of my Lord. 
 
 June 22. This evening parted witii Brotlier Boardman. He is soon 
 to sail for Burinali. He is a good man, full of tiie Holy Ghost. May 
 the Lord go with him, and crown his labors with success. 
 
 July 4. The hour is passed for which I have been so long prepar- 
 ing. The day has been exceedingly fine, and we had a large, respec- 
 table audience. After the reading of the Declaration of Independence 
 by one of the Juniors, I pronounced my oration, an hour in length. I 
 have abundant reason to be grateful for the goodness of God to me to- 
 day. 
 
 July 5. In compliance with a request from the two societies, I 
 have just given to the committee of arrangements a copy of my 
 oration. 
 
 Soon after the delivery of his oration, he returned to his 
 home in New Hampshire. He makes the following record of 
 the visit, and the incidents attending it : — 
 
 Newport, N. II., July 24. Preached for Mr. Person. Must begin 
 to think of doing something for the Baptist General Tract Society. 
 
 August 3. Returned from Springfield, Vt., where I went Saturday to 
 visit Brother Ely. The Lord has been doing wonders tliere in the con- 
 version of sinners. About eighty have given evidence of a change of 
 heart; forty-three have been baptized by Brother Ely. It was a little 
 heaven on earth. They are much engaged in the cause of their Re- 
 deemer. 
 
JOURNAL. 47 
 
 Sabbath, August 7. Heard the Rev. Ariel Kendriek this morning, 
 from Jonah ii. 7. lie is still the same luimble, devout, and able divine. 
 He is one of the fathers of this association (Woodstock), and has borne 
 much of the burden and heat of the day. His labors at times have 
 been very greatly blessed, although he has had little advantages of edu- 
 cation. He will meet many in .heaven who have been saved through 
 the means of his foithful preaching. The satisfaction of doing good to 
 the souls of men is far superior to that of possessing much knowledge. 
 '• Knowledge often puffeth up, but charity edifieth." 
 
 Newport. August 8. Heard the Eev. Mr. Frey, a converted Jew, 
 preach in tlie South ISIeeting-house, from these words : "Is there no 
 balm in Giload" ? It was a very elegant and eloquent discourse. His 
 representations of the degraded condition of tiie Jews, and the difficul- 
 ties which lie in the way of their conversion to Christianity, were truly 
 affecting. A collection of twenty-eight dollars was taken, and a society 
 of sixty-four members formed, auxiliary to the " American Society for 
 the Amelioration of the Condition of the Jews," in which he is deeply in- 
 terested, and for which he pleads with a becoming zeal. A settlement 
 of Jews has already commenced in West Chester, N. Y. To this place 
 Jews are received by reconnnendation of Count Von der Reche, in 
 Germany, who employs them for a season before they emigrate. His 
 object is one of the best, and merits the prayers and liberal contribu- 
 tions of Christians. 
 
 August 15. My friend and classmate, E. W. Cushman, writes me 
 to come and preach in his place, on Fort Hill, during his absence on a 
 sLcrt trip into Maine. I have, besides, some wish to pass a few days ic 
 the city of Boston, to attend Harvard Commencement, as also the Com- 
 mencement of Brown, at Providence. My friend Knowles is solicitous 
 to see me at Providence, and I quite as anxious to see him, esteeming 
 mj'self unfortunate to be deprived of his society and judicious counsel. 
 
 Boston. Made my home at Dr. Baldwin's, where Brother Knowles 
 met me on Tuesday, and remained with me until Thursday. Heard 
 him preach for Mr. Sharp. Brother Cushman started Tuesday for 
 Bath, Me., Dr. Baldwin and wife for Water ville. Passed part of the 
 day with my friend T. D. Eliot, a classmate from Washington. Wednes- 
 day attended examination of the public schools, dined with the mayor, 
 aldermen, &c., and about four hundred citizens, at Faneuil Hall. 
 Preached in the evening at Charlestown for Brother Jackson, from Isaiah 
 Ixv. 17. On my return to Boston, found Professor Chase, who had re- 
 signed his professorship in the Columbian College. The intelligence, 
 ihougli anticipated, gave me pain. It seriously affects my plans. I did 
 not think he would so soon abandon his post ; but he is a good man, and 
 doubtless has done all things well. It would be difficult to persuade me 
 that he has done anything rashly or indiscreetly. 
 
48 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 Boston, September 2. Dr. Baldwin is no more ! He died sudden- 
 ly last Monday night, August 29, at Waterville, Me. His remains ar- 
 rived to-day, via Portland, by steamboat. He was a good man, and 
 thousands will deplore his loss. 
 
 College Hill, September 14, 1825. On my return trip, remained 
 several days at Providence, with my deg,r friend K. Attended the Com- 
 mencement exercises, which were fair; also went to the celebration 
 of the Federal Adelphi. The oration by T. Kinnicutt, Esq., of Seekonk, 
 was very good ; tiie poem, by Benjamin F. Hallett, witty and amusing. 
 By steamboat I came to New York, from there to Philadelphia to spend 
 the Sabbath, then safely on to Washington. Here again I will make 
 mention of the loving kindness and tender watch-care of my heavenly 
 Father. I have visited my loved ones, and once more received their 
 benediction, formed new, interesting acquaintances, and been treated by 
 all with great kindness. May I now have grace to pursue my studies 
 with ardor and profit. 
 
LEAVES COLLEGE. 49 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Anxieties about the Future. — Graduation. — Editor of the 
 Columbian Star. — Life in Washington. — Marriage. — 
 Reminiscences by President Caswell. 
 
 1825-1827. 
 
 In the preceding cliapter we have made copious extracts 
 from the diary of Mr. Stow. We have deemed it wise to 
 bring to the notice of our readers the varied influences which 
 developed and gave shape to his character in this formative 
 period of his life. "We see him engaged in his college duties. 
 As he passes down the gentle declivity by which the city is 
 reached, we walk by his side. We go to the Capitol, and 
 imagine the eflTect produced on his mind as he listens to the 
 debates in Congress, or the able pleas which are made at the 
 bar of the United States Court. It is pleasant to follow him 
 in his preaching tovirs in Virginia, and we can readily believe 
 that, for a young man, his preaching must have been of a high 
 order. Mr. Stow took part in the exercises of the first Com- 
 mencement at Washington, in December, 1824, and, by antic- 
 ipating some of his studies, was able to graduate in Decem- 
 ber, 1825, having been a member of college a little over three 
 years. Several months before his graduation, the attention 
 of the college authorities was turned to him as a suitable jDcr- 
 son to receive the appointment of tutor. Correspondence 
 had been carried on with him with reference to other impor- 
 tant posts of labor, and he was now passing through an exjic- 
 rience which is often so full of anxiety to the yoiuig man 
 completing his collegiate studies, and the solemn question of 
 life's responsibilities presses itself upon his serious attention. 
 With great sincerity, and a i)rofound conviction of his depen- 
 4 
 
50 MEMOIR OF DR. STOAV. 
 
 dence on God, lie committed the whole matter to the direction 
 of his ever-gracious Lord and Friend. 
 
 September 23. Health unusually good. Propositions have been made 
 to me to remain after I graduate in December, as a tutor. Also have 
 had a request to assume the charge of an academy in South Carolina. 
 Something has been said to me also about preaching to a church in New 
 Hampshire. I need direction, as I must decide soon. Lord, what is 
 duty? What course shall I take? Since Brother Knowles left, I have 
 no friend to consult with. Perhaps it is well, that I may go to 
 God. 
 
 September 27. Still in a state of suspense as to the course I shall 
 pursue after I finish my studies. The world furnislies for me but few at- 
 tractions. I desire to live, that by living I may glorify God. Lead me 
 to Greenland or Patagonia, to California or Japan, it matters but little, 
 if I do what is pleasing to my heavenly Father. 
 
 October 7, 1825. Rose at three o'clock this morning to look at Jupi- 
 ter and Venus — now a little past conjunction. By means of a three-feet 
 telescope I had a good view of them, as well as of the moon, now in her 
 last quarter. Jupiter seen very distinctly in Leo. I hope to see them 
 again to-morrow morning, in order to make some more accurate obser- 
 vations. Have for two nights been observing Encke's comet, visible 
 after eight o'clock P. M. ; now visible in tlie neck of Cetus. I find a 
 taste for natural sciences increase as I advance. There is something 
 agreeable in discovering and investigating physical phenomena. But I 
 would not let such a taste overcome or displace a taste for studies more 
 suited to my calling. Perhaps, however, divine Providence is opening 
 the way for me to turn my attention more to science, in order that I may 
 be qualified for a place in some public institution. Circumstances seem 
 to indicate at present that it is not my duty to enter immediately on the 
 ministry, but pursue my studies farther. O for divine direction ! The 
 path of duty is the only path in which I desire to walk- 
 October IL Read Duncan, On Creeds and Confessions. His sub- 
 ject now seems to be agitating the Presbyterian churches to a fearful 
 extent. Severe language is used on both sides. Duncan writes like a 
 bDld, fearless Christian, who has great reverence for the Word of God, 
 who earnestly loves the truth ; in the main, very evangelical. 
 
 October 18. Attended Sabbath schools as usual. My faith is not 
 in lively exercise. My hopes are weak ; prayer too much like talk. 
 O God, give me the light of life ! Impress my heart more deeply with 
 a sense of thy great goodness. May I be more humble, more thankful, 
 more prayerful, and have the awful things of eternity resting more 
 weightily upon my soul's recollection. I a Christian? I a minister of 
 
JOURNAL. 51 
 
 Christ? — so cold, so dull, so indififercnt to the interests of my own im- 
 mortal soul, and the souls of those around me I 
 
 October 20. How powerful is association ! sometimes contributing 
 to our pleasure, sometimes producing painful emotions. Rogers has 
 sung the Pleasures of Memory, Merry the Pains of Memory. I 
 have many of both. I see little in my own life upon which I can reflect 
 with satisfaction. I see too much sin in all I have said, and thought, 
 and done, to be much pleased with myself. Yet, in tracing the opera- 
 tions of divine Providence in relation to myself, and the influence they 
 have had upon my course of life, &c., I meditate with great pleasure. 
 God has led me in a way I apprclicndcd not. I have been successful 
 in my plans and wishes beyond my highest hopes. I desire to cherish 
 constantly towards him a heart full of earnest and devout gratitude. 
 
 November 1. Am for the present the editor of the Columbian 
 Star — an arduous undertaking, with my other duties. Assist Professor 
 Euggles in his iihilosophical lectures. 
 
 November 7. The Senior class has this day been dismissed, and 
 the parts assigned for Commencement. I have received the first honor 
 — the Valedictory ; Thomas Dawes Eliot has the second — the Salutatory 
 Address. This is not as I anticipated, although, as I believe, all my 
 friends expected and wished it. Let me be grateful to Heaven. 
 
 December 1. As a family we shall soon be dispersed, at least more 
 so than now. My sister J. is to be married. I feel very solicitous to 
 know what my dear mother will do. She has for some time engaged 
 more than a usual sliare of my sympathy. All in my power shall be 
 done to render her declining years peaceful and happy. She has en- 
 dured much toil and self-denial in order to release me, so that I might 
 obtain an education. I am now under most solemn obligations to return 
 the kindness fourfold. May God help me so to do. 
 ' December 7. Exceedingly occupied in arranging matters for the 
 Star, and preparations for Commencement. Have decided to go to 
 New England after Commencement, in consequence of an invitation 
 from the Second Baptist Church in Salem. I hardly think it my duty 
 to become pastor of a church immediately, but am solicitous to enjoy 
 the advantages of the Theological Seminary at Newton, Mass., in which 
 Professor Chase is teacher of biblical theology. How or where the 
 Lord may direct my steps, I know not. To him I commend myself. 
 
 December 18, 1825 (Sabbath). This day bade adieu to the Sabbath 
 school in Brother Brown's church, of which I have for some time been 
 secretary and manager. It was very trying to my feelings. I did not 
 know I was half so much attached as I am to teachers and pupils. May 
 God in mercy bless them all. 
 
 December 21. Commencement passed. I rejoice, for I am ex- 
 
52 ■ MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 ceedingly weary. "We have had a beautiful day, and the house was 
 crowded. 
 
 Order of Exercises. — 1. SaUitatory in Latin, with English Ora- 
 tion, on the Causes of the Paucity of splendid Productions of American 
 Genius in Poetry, Sculpture, and Painting, by Thomas D.Eliot, D. C. 
 2. Pernicious Effects of Imitation on our Literature, by John Arm- 
 strong, Penn. Music. 3. Eulogy on Alexander Hamilton, by John 
 Brewer, IMaryland. 4. The Feudal System contrasted with the Constitu- 
 tion of the Federal States, by William A. Smallwood, D. C. Music. 
 5. Instability of Civil Institutions, by James Jones, D. C. G. Influence 
 of Metaphysical Speculation on Character, by Robert W. Cushman, Mas- 
 sachusetts. 7. The Elevation which Mind appears destined to reach, by 
 Baron Stow, New Hampshire, an Oration, with valedictorj' addresses. 
 The president of the United States, the vice-president and secretaries, 
 were present, as well as some members of Congress, besides a large 
 number of other distinguished individuals. 
 
 I have now completed my collegiate course. But what little gratitude 
 do I feel to that kind Being who has preserved me amidst all my toils 
 and anxieties. I have suffered considerably from ill health, but at no 
 period of life was it better than now. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and 
 may I now think more earnestly of entering his vineyard, and devoting 
 myself, soul and body, and all, to him. 
 
 " Lord, I am thine ; but thou wilt prove 
 My faith, my patience, and my love." 
 
 Wednesday evening, December 28. Attended the president's drawing- 
 room. A large gathering of ladies and gentlemen of distinction {)res- 
 ent. Was introduced to the president and his lady by Colonel Eichard 
 M. Johnson, senator from Kentucky. His brother introduced me to 
 the vice-president, also to Mr. Webster. Received a number of flatter-, 
 ing compliments from Mr. Webster and Mr. Calhoun, Mr. Bartlett 
 (New Hampshire), Mr. Seymour and Mr. Chase (Vermont). Eemained 
 about an hour, and then retired, pleased with having formed new acquaint- 
 ances. I have no solicitude to be present at another such occasion. 
 Godliness does not grow there. I should not have attended but for the 
 curiosity to see in what the scene consists ; probably it is the only op- 
 portunity I shall ever have. For happiness, I should much rather go 
 and visit a humble Christian in his cottage, though in the midst of 
 poverty. " The friendship of the world is enmity against God." 
 
 December 31, 1825. This day closes the year, and is the anni- 
 versary of ray baptism. Seven years ago about this hour (12 M.), I 
 went down into the water for baptism. That was a happy day. Now I 
 am in a different state of mind, distracted by care and anxieties. What 
 is my duty ? 0, let me with my whole soul commit n)y ways unto the 
 
EDITORIAL AVORK. 53 
 
 Lord, that lie may direct my paths. I wish to do duty — that is my 
 only desire concerning my future course of action. My present de- 
 cision will give a coloring to every act of my future life. "Lord, be 
 thou my guide." 
 
 The reader lias thus followed the subject of the Memoir 
 through his college life. We feel that there has been a con- 
 stant growtli in his intellectual and religious life during his 
 residence in Washington. He possesses and exhibits manly- 
 traits of character. Occasionally a little morbid, perhajDs, in 
 his feelings, and predisposed to a pensiveness Avhich may, 
 without difficulty, be explained, we find the whole man de- 
 veloj^ing and ripening into maturity, and Ave predict for him 
 a bright and successful future. He acknowledged God in 
 all his ways, and He directed his paths. Nothing can be 
 plainer than the hand of his Father leading him, and his 
 right hand upholding him. 
 
 During the latter part of his collegiate course, Mr. Stow 
 had acted as editor of the Columbian Star, the organ of the 
 Triennial Convention. He had found the work so far con- 
 genial with his literary tastes, that after his graduation he 
 was Avilling to continue his editorial work, to the best of his 
 ability. Providence seems to decide that he shall remain in 
 Washington, at least for the present. As usual, he is crowded 
 with work in these days of his early manhood, exhibiting that 
 marvellous facility for writing for which he Avas always dis- 
 tinguished, and that graceful use of the pen, which, on so 
 many important occasions, made his services so acceptable. 
 Pie finds time, amid his multifarious duties, to Ausit the halls 
 of Congress. We can imagine what an effect must have 
 been jiroduced on a man of his fine taste and exquisite sensi- 
 bilities by the splendid eloquence of Edward Everett, and do 
 not wonder Avhen Ave find him using terms of the Avarmest 
 admiration as he gives expression to his feelings after listen- 
 ing to one of his matchless efforts. 
 
 Washington, January 19, 1826. Some probability I may remain 
 here a year or two, at least, as editor of the Columbian Star. Four 
 weeks ago I expected to be in New England before this date. Provi- 
 
54 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 dence seems to order my footsteps otherwise. I wish to pursue the 
 right course, and my prayer to God is, tliat I may be directed by hira in 
 all things. I need more piety, more humility, more confidence in God. 
 Lord, grant me all I need. 
 
 Monday, January 30. Took my place yesterday in the Sunday 
 school. The pain I felt in parting with it, when I expected to leave the 
 city, was more than counterbalanced by the pleasure of returning. It 
 is a good cause, and one in which I feel a deep interest. 
 
 January 30. The souls of my pupils, I thank God, appear to me 
 •very valuable, and I desire to be useful to them in turning their feet into 
 the path of peace. I esteem it the most effectual method which human 
 benevolence has adopted of producing real benefit to society. 
 
 Saturday, March 4. Had some enjoyment this morning in reading 
 the word of God, and in prayer. Who that knows the worth of this 
 high privilege does not wish to be often at a throne of grace? It is of 
 more value to the peace of my soul than all the wealth of the Indies. 
 Without it I cannot grow in grace ; without it I am unhappy. Yet how 
 much do I neglect it! Surprising, Immbling thouglit, that when I know 
 its worth, I am not more constantly and devotedly engaged in it ! How 
 should a sense of my negligence depress me in the dust of lowest hu- 
 miliation and penitence ! 
 
 March 9. Had the pleasure of hearing Hon. Mr. Everett speak to- 
 day in the House of Eepresentatives. Cannot describe the emotions I 
 had. His eloquence was overpowering. His diction is chaste and ele- 
 gant, his voice clear and distinct, and his gesticulation forcible. The 
 galleries were thronged with anxious and delighted spectators. Such 
 bursts of real oratory I never witnessed in any place. In the evening 
 heard Captain Symmes explain his theory of a concave earth. What a 
 burlesque on science! 
 
 March 30. Since writing the above, been confined to my bed with 
 pulmonary fever. Am very feeble, but my spirits are excellent. I have 
 considerable religious enjoyment. The Lord is kind and merciful in 
 all my afflictions. 
 
 April 6. Raised from a bed of sickness and pain, how thankful 
 should I be, how engaged for my Redeemer ! I am a monument of 
 divine compassion and forbearance — so often brought to the border- 
 land, and so often restored ! Where shall I find language to declare the 
 ioving-kindness of God? I am lost in confusion and amazement! 
 Lord, wake up the fires of pure religion in my torpid bosom, and seal 
 me thine forever. 
 
 May 14, Sabbath. Three weeks ago I went to New York to attend 
 the triennial session of the Baptist General Convention. Was kindly 
 received and entertained by Mr. Thomas Stokes, 46 Franklin Street. 
 
JOURNAL. 55 
 
 Among other interesting services, attended the anniversary of the New 
 Vork Sunday Sciiool Union, at Castle Garden. Have been elected a 
 trustee of Columbian College. 
 
 July 7. News just received of the death of Thomas Jefferson, at 
 Monticello, Va., on the 4th instant, aged eighty-three years. 
 
 July 8. The mail brought to-day news of the death of John Adanu-;, 
 father of the president. He, too, died on the 4tli instant, at Quincy, 
 Mass., aged ninety-two years. Affecting coincidence. How mysterious 
 are the ways of Providence ! 
 
 Sabbath, July 16. This day has been set apart to religious ser- 
 vices in honor of Messrs. Adams and Jefferson. Dr. Staughton preached 
 a discourse in the Capitol at the request of the citizens. Text, " Lovely 
 and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided." 
 2 Sam. i. 23. 
 
 August 3. My duties and vexations multiply. I am now editor of 
 the Star, depositary of the Baptist General Tract Society, secretary of 
 a board of trustees of Columbian College, secretary of the Sunday School 
 Union of tlie District, a director of the Auxiliary Seaman's Friend Societj', 
 a member of the committee to investigate the condition of the old Co- 
 lumbian office, secretary of Sabbath School No. 1, a member of Colum- 
 bian Institute, a member of three standing committees in the board of 
 directors of the Baptist General Tract Society. 
 
 August 13. Spent the day in Alexandria very pleasantly. Heard 
 Brother Cornelius preach on Christian hope — a very sensible discourse. 
 A good man and zealous preacher. 
 
 On the 7th September, 1826, I was married to Miss Elizabeth L. 
 Skinner, third daughter of the late Benjamin Skinner, Esq., of Wind- 
 sor, Vt. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Christopher Hale, pas- 
 tor of the Baptist church in that town. As I have now entered into 
 new relations in life, I would devoutly pray that we may both have 
 grace to live in the fear of God, and to devote ourselves to him, who 
 has been our constant helper. A union which has long been contem- 
 plated now has been consummated. May we both so live as to give no 
 occasion to citlier to regret we are thus united. Our obligations and 
 responsibilities are solemn. May we never forget or violate them. 
 
 October 1. A pleasant morning. O that my soul could, in full 
 harmony with nature, rise in concert to our heavenly King, and praise 
 his name for his wonderful works to man ! I have some few emotions 
 of joy and satisfaction, while contemplating divine goodness and jus- 
 tice. This is a day of rest. May I find it a day of spiritual rest and 
 refreshment. 
 
 Saturday, October* 29. Heard Rev. Mr. Baker preach from Psalms 
 Scv. 7, 8 — a counsel, a caution, and wa^-ning. The discourse was touch- 
 
66 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 ing and solemn. In the afternoon listened to Mr. G. W. Blagden, a 
 young Presbyterian licentiate. Text, Luke xvi. 25. 
 
 January 21, 1827, Sabbath evening. This evening preached from 
 Isaiah xxxii. 2. A very comfortable season. How rich and full of con- 
 solation is the doctrine of the cross ! It is delightful to preach Jesus, 
 and him crucified. The Lord helps his servants who fully and faith- 
 fully declare the gospel of his Son. 
 
 March 19. The Lord is pouring out his Spirit upon the Second 
 Baptist Church in this city [Washington], of which I am a member. 
 Eev. E. H. Neale is now our pastor. Jlany seem prostrated with sol- 
 emn convictions. My soul longs for God, and the comforts of liis grace. 
 I am barren as the fig tree in the Scripture. How can I avoid the 
 curse ? 
 
 May 5. Just returned from Boston, where I preached several times 
 at different places. There is now, in Boston and vicinity, an extraordi- 
 nary revival of religion, such as has not been seen tliere for eighty years. 
 The work is silent, but powerful. 
 
 May 26. I have this day discontinued my connection with the Co- 
 lumbian Star. Am henceforth to have no further concern in it. My 
 resignation as editor was the result of a firm belief that the time had 
 arrived for me to engage in the great and good work of preaching the 
 gospel. My friends all concur with me in the opinion. In a few weeks 
 I shall start for Boston. 
 
 His life in Washington liad been an exceedingly laborious 
 one. At one time during the year 1826, which is now pass- 
 ing under review, he was, as he tells us, editor of the Colum- 
 bian Star, depositary of the Baptist General Tract Society, 
 secretary of the board of trustees of the college, secretary of 
 the Sabbath School Union of the District, a director of the 
 Auxiliary Seamen's Friend Society, a member of the commit- 
 tee to investigate the condition of the old Columbian office, 
 secretary of Sabbath School No. 1, a member of the Colum- 
 bian Institute, a member of three standing committees in the 
 board of directors of the Baptist General Tract Society. It 
 is clear tliat his post in "Washington was far from being a 
 sinecure. He had, moreover, some i^eculiar trials, growing 
 out of his connection with the Columbian Star, and Rev. 
 Luther llice, who had taken so active a part in denomination- 
 al aft'airs. These trials weighed heavily on his spirits. And 
 yet, although his responsibilities were grave, and his duties 
 
PRESIDENT CASAVELl's REMINISCENCES. 57 
 
 often exceedingly burdensome, he became warmly attached 
 to "Washington. Many of the friendships which he had 
 formed there he kept up as long as he lived. For the gentle- 
 men with whom he was associated in college he always cher- 
 ished the most tender regard. He followed also with great 
 interest the fortunes of the public men, whose acquaintance 
 he had made at the seat of government. He read their 
 speeches, and, as one by one they passed away, if biographies 
 were written of them, he was sure to peruse them. His occa- 
 sional visits to Washington, in subsequent years, were always 
 anticipated with i)lcasure, and were keenly enjoyed by him. 
 
 The following communication, j^repared at the request of 
 the editor of this Memoir, will be read with pleasure by the 
 numerous friends of Mr. Stow : — 
 
 My dear Dr. Stockbridge : You have kindly requested me to 
 give you some reminiscences of our late lamented brother, Dr. Baron 
 Stow. You must bear in mind, as I do, that reminiscences running 
 back nearly half a century are liable to become dim, and shadowy, 
 and uncertain. I will, however, do the best I can to meet your wishes. 
 
 I first met Baron Stow at the Columbian College, in the District of 
 Columbia, in the latter part of November, 1822. I repaired to the col- 
 lege, attiiat time under appointment as a tutor, and found him a member 
 of the Sophomore class. James D. Knowles, Robert AV. Cuslmian, 
 Jonathan Meriam, and others wliose praise has been in all the churches, 
 were members of the college at the same time. 
 
 Mr. Stow became known to me as a most diligent and successful stu- 
 dent, as a grave, exemplary, and most conscientious Cliristian. With 
 some considerable acquaintance with young men professing faith in 
 Christ, I had rarely met one, who, in the discharge of his Christian 
 duties, so fully exemplified the precept of doing with his might what his 
 hand found to do. He suffered then, from time to time, as through his 
 wliole life, from severe nervous headaches. But it seemed hardly to 
 produce any relaxation in his labors. He had no idle hours. He was 
 literally a worker in the vineyard of the Lord. He seemed every day 
 to feel a great burden of responsibility resting upon him. So devout 
 was he, and so intent upon doing the great work which iiis Master had 
 assigned him, that he seemed, far more than most Christian men, to 
 walk with God. Hence, though at times cheerful, he was never light 
 and frivolous, never in tlic smallest degree given to that "jesting" 
 which tne apostle mentions as " inconvenient." Indeed, the habitual 
 
58 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 tone of his mind at that time, as I now remember him, was almost too 
 serious to enter fully into the enjoyment of that playfulness of wit and 
 humor which often give so rich a zest to social intercourse. 
 
 I think Brother Stow had been accustomed to exercise his gifts in 
 preaching before he went to Washington. He continued this practice 
 during his collegiate course. He was always an acceptable, sometimes 
 an impressive preacher, and hence he had frequent invitations to preach 
 in Washington and its vicinity. It was often my privilege to attend 
 religious services with him, and witness the earnestness with which he 
 pleaded witli sinners to be reconciled to God. He was accustomed to the 
 use of his pen, and composed with facility, and with a maturity of 
 thought and style not common to persons of his age. But I think his 
 general practice at that time was to preach without written sermons. 
 He was aided in this by his ready command of language, and the happy 
 faculty of analyzing a subject, and throwing its main points into proper 
 perspective, so that the hearer would at once, and without difficulty, 
 seize the plan of his discourse, and follow him in his argument and illus- 
 trations. I remember to have been present on more than one occasion 
 when he was called upon to preach with very little opportunity for 
 special preparation, and where he acquitted himself with great advan- 
 tage, leaving upon the minds of his hearers a deep and solemn convic- 
 tion of tlicir religious responsibility. 
 
 The power of his preaching at this time was not derived from any 
 classic finish of style, or any special grace of elocution and delivery, 
 but from the profound conviction of his own mind that personal 
 religion was a great and solemn reality, and necessary to salvation. I 
 might add that the cross of Christ was eminently his theme. 
 
 Brother Stow left Washington, I think, in 1826. I left in 1827. 
 Since that time I have often been associated with him in the different 
 religious and educational interests of our denomination. To every post 
 of duty and labor he brought a sound judgment, an earnest purpose, a 
 prayerful and conciliatory spirit. His early activity and zeal fore- 
 shadowed the labors and successes of his subsequent life. It is pleas- 
 ant to dwell upon the memory of one whose character exhibits so much 
 to admire and love, and so little to regret. 
 
 I am yours, in the bonds of Christ, 
 
 Alexis Caswkll. 
 
 47 College Street, November 1, 1870. 
 
INVITATIONS TO SETTLE. 59 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Calls to settle in the Ministry. — Accepts the Invitation to 
 Portsmouth, N. II. — Ordination. — Journal — Calls to Salem, 
 Mass., and Waterville, Me. — Urgent Appeals from President 
 Chaplin. 
 
 1827-1830. 
 
 The scene now changes. The same kmd hand which thus 
 far had led the subject of this Memoir was now directing his 
 steps back to New England, where, in two of her cities, he was 
 to spend the remainder of his life in the work of the ministry 
 of reconciliation. Years had passed since he decided that he 
 was called of God to this work. His concej^tions of the dignity 
 and importance of the pastoral office had been intensified by his 
 long reflections upon the magnitude of the interests intrusted 
 to the hands of the minister of Jesus. With sincere modesty 
 and misgivings, he shrank from entering into the work, much 
 as his soul panted to proclaim to men "the unsearchable 
 riches of Christ." Two invitations had been sent to him to 
 preach as a candidate for settlement as a pastor — one from 
 Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and the other from Portsmouth, N. 11. 
 The prospect of success in either church, in some respects, 
 was not very flattering. The church in Portsmouth, which 
 had been in existence but a short time, was comparatively 
 small in numbers, and in its means was considerably strait- 
 ened. Humanly speaking, therefore, the hoj^e of great suc- 
 cess was not very bright, and the young minister was fully 
 aware that if he became the j^astor of the church, he must gird 
 himself for hard work, and prepare himself for a severe trial 
 of his patience and faith. In reading the record of his feel- 
 
00 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 ings, we are reminded very much of a similar record made by 
 Dr. Wayland under like circumstances : " If God should place 
 me in any station of responsibility, may he abundantly enrich 
 me with every literary and intellectual qualification, but espe 
 cially with the infinitely richer endowments of his Holy 
 Spirit, tliat I may be sincere, wise, pure, holy, vigilant, and 
 prayerful, and deeply impressed Avith the value of souls. In 
 fine, Avhatever may be my lot in this world, may I live a life 
 of holiness, and be received at last to the place where there 
 is no more lukewarmness, but where they see as they are 
 seen, and know as they are known." It is in the same spirit 
 that Mr. Stow turned his face towards his new home. We 
 will follow him as he departs from Washington, and becomes 
 tairly settled in Portsmouth. 
 
 June IG. I have now an invitation from the Baptist church in 
 Portsmouth, N. H., and another from Poughkeepsie, N. Y., to preach 
 as candidate for the pastoral office. But 0, my utter unfitness for tlie 
 high and responsible vocation ! My only hope is in the God of Jacob. 
 
 Portsmouth, N. 11., July 2i, 1827. On the 22d June myself and 
 companion bade adieu to Washington for the eastward. I had spent 
 five years there. I shall count them among the pleasantest of my life. 
 On the 2od we reached Pliiladelphia. Passed the Sabbath with Mrs. 
 Wythe (Dr. Staughton's sister). He being there, heard him preach. 
 
 1 preached twice — once for Mr. Dagg, at the Sansom Street church, 
 once for the brethren in Bank Street, a minority of the First Baptist 
 Church. 
 
 Monday we left for Boston, Avhere we were hospitably entertained 
 by our dear friend and brother, James D. Knowles, during a stay of 
 three weeks. Preached several times for the diiFerent churches, and 
 at JuUien Hall. 
 
 On Wednesday last, the ISth July, the new house of worship in 
 Federal Street, Boston, was dedicated by religious services to the wor- 
 ship of Almighty God. Sermon by Mr. Sharp, "Keep thy foot when 
 thou goost to the house of God; " dedicatory prayer by Mr. Grosvenor; 
 recognition and address to the church by Mr. Knowles. Services 
 higldy interesting and solemn. 
 
 Thursday we came by stage to Portsmouth. The small Baptist 
 church here is destitute of a pastor, and have invited me to preach for 
 them a few Sabbatlis. I pray my labors, however short may be my stay, 
 may prove useful. The Baptist cause here is in a low state. An effort 
 

ACCEPTS THE CALL TO TOUTSMOUTII. Gl 
 
 is making to raise it anil give it dignity. I wisli to feci engaged in tiic 
 work before me. My faitli is weak, and I iiave too little of a spirit of 
 prayer. Wheresoever God in his Providence may direct my feet I wish 
 to go. My desire is to serve him and promote his cause. lie has done 
 great things for me. I ought to be more grateful. My heart is too 
 insensible to divine goodness. 
 
 Portsmouth, August 29. Have been here six weeks laboring. 
 Visited much. Preached four discourses every week. The meetings 
 are well attended by tliose of all denominations. The word is listened 
 to with much solemnity, and the desire seems to be unanimous that I 
 should stay here. AVhat I shall do I know not. May God direct me 
 in the way of duty. 
 
 September 1. Good is the work of the Lord. Feel more and more 
 encouraged to labor for the good of souls. Some incidents of recent 
 occurrence lead me to believe that we shall yet see a work of grace in 
 Portsmouth. 
 
 September 3. This day received from the church and society to 
 which I am preaching a unanimous invitation to become their pastor. 
 My coming here, under God, seems to have rendered their prospects 
 more encouraging. They propose a salary of seven hundred dollars, 
 with promise of increase. The meetings are crowded and interesting. 
 
 September 8. Answered the church in the affirmative. In so 
 doing have sought divine direction, and, I trust, obtained it. The 
 die is cast. I rejoice. My mind is now at rest. In the strength of 
 God I hope to go forward. May he make me a blessing to liis cause in 
 this town. The field here is wide. May I be humble and faithful, and 
 may the Lord establish the work of my hands. The immense responsi- 
 bility ! " Who is sufficient for these things ? " " My grace is sufficient 
 for thee." " They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, that 
 Cannot be removed, but abideth forever." Precious promises these. 
 
 It will be seen, from these extracts, ihAt the new pastor at 
 once found favor with the jieople, and that the seal of the 
 divine approbation was j^ut upon his ministry. His elo- 
 quence, his piety, his aflable, yet dignified bearing, at once 
 won for him a place in the affections of his people, and com- 
 manded the resiject and homage of the community in which 
 he had cast his lot. The feeling of discouragement which 
 had for some time been creeping over the church, disap- 
 peared, and they became assured that, in answer to their 
 prayers, a brighter day had begun to dawn on them. The 
 
C2 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 day to which for so many years he had been looking forward 
 with so much interest — the day of his ordination — had 
 come. How many hearts sympathized with him in the event ! 
 With Avhat glad emotions did she, who stood to him in the 
 tender relation of mother, welcome the happy day which was 
 to see her beloved son publicly set apart as a minister of 
 Christ ! For him she had toiled and denied self, and prayed 
 unceasingly that the common Lord of both parent and child 
 would lead him in the way that should most glorify him. 
 The prayers and benedictions of other loved ones followed 
 the object of their affections. 
 
 The ordination of Mr. Stow took place on the 24th of 
 October, 1827, in the " South Meeting-house." The services 
 were as follows : Reading Scriptures, Rev. Mr. Cooke ; 
 prayer. Rev. Mr. Houghton ; sermon. Rev. R. Babcock ; oi-- 
 daining prayer, Rev. Mr. Ellis ; charge. Rev. Dr. Bolles ; 
 right hand of fellowship. Rev. Mr. Miller ; address to church 
 and congregation, Rev. Mr. Davis ; concluding prayer. Rev. 
 Mr. Davis. The new jDastor, thus solemnly set apart to the 
 work of the ministry, writes, " The responsibilities which I 
 have assumed seem immense. Without the grace of God I 
 shall certainly fail. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, be thou my constant guide and helper. May I be 
 humble, prudent, and faithful." 
 
 From our knowledge of his conscientiousness and his sincere 
 love for the duties of the sacred calling, we can readily con- 
 ceive with what earnestness he addressed himself to his work, 
 and how he longed to " make full proof of" his " ministry." 
 With a preparation for the ministry superior to that of most 
 ministers in the denomination Avith which he was connected, 
 with an impressive manner and attractive 2:)ersonal appear- 
 ance in the pulpit, and by means of that peculiar style of 
 chaste eloquence which always made him so acceptable as a 
 preacher, he gave evidence at once that he was destined to 
 take no ordinary rank as a public speaker. It is true, his con- 
 gi-egation did not embrace the elite of the town, but there 
 were enou2;h in it of the class to which his blessed Master 
 
SUCCESS IX HIS "WORK. 63 
 
 loved to proclaim the gospel, and to liim the winning of one 
 Boul to Christ was a matter of such supreme joy and satisfac- 
 tion, that in the gladness of his heart he overlooked all social 
 distinctions, while he welcomed to his heart the humblest one 
 who had been " born of the Spirit." 
 
 On the 4th of November he tells us that he had greatly 
 enjoyed the presence of Christ in preaching his word. It was 
 on this day that lie first administered the sacred rite of bap- 
 tism. " Nothing occurred," he remarks, " to interrupt or 
 diminish the pleasure of the hour. What infinite satisfaction 
 the harbinger of our Lord must have felt as he walked into 
 Jordan with his blessed Saviour, and hiid him beneath its 
 wave ! " We learn incidentally how small the church was at 
 this time, from the recorded statement that, on the day when 
 this baptism took place, twenty-eight persons commemorated 
 the Saviours dying love. 
 
 Not far from four months had passed since he preached his 
 first sermon in the plain, unpretending meeting-house of the 
 Baptist church in Portsmouth, when he thus writes under 
 date of Sabbath, November 11, 1827: — 
 
 To-day have preaclied four times — three discourses at my own place 
 and one at tlie Almsiiouse. God strengthened me wonderfully for the 
 task. Bless the Lord, my soul ! Congregation is gradually increas- 
 ing; our prospects of raising a large society are flattering. Sabbath 
 evenings our small place of worship is crowded by people of every rank 
 and persuasion. A greater variety of characters and belief could not 
 well be collected in any place. I find myself in danger of being "lifted 
 up" with pride. I have endeavored to examine myself, and to ascertain 
 what are my motives in preparing and preaching my sermons. I am 
 afraid I have too much regard to the praise of men rather than the 
 praise of God. My heart is deceitful above all things, and too often 
 leads me to forget the God for whom I profess to labor, and to whose 
 lienor and approbation I ought to have constant regard. 0, the pride 
 of human nature ! Lord Jesus, divest my heart of a man-pleasing spirit, 
 and helji me to glory in thy cross. 
 
 Perhaps we cannot do better than to let the toiling, earnest 
 minister and pastor tell to us the tale of his hopes and fears, 
 his joys and sorrows. Such a rehearsal cannot fail to encour- 
 
64 MEMOIK OF DPv. STOW. 
 
 age the hearts of tliose ■who are just entering the ministry, 
 and often feel crushed under the burden of resi^onsibiHty laid 
 on them. 
 
 1828. 
 
 January 1, 1828. " Now my days are swifter than a post; they are 
 passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle hasteth to the prey." How 
 true is this testimony hy tlie godly patriarch of Uz in regard to the 
 celerity of time's flight! How quickly has another year passed! and yet 
 how momentous have been its transactions, when considered as bearing 
 on my eternal interests ! Since the year 1827 commenced, I have passed 
 through various changes in my external circumstances. In all I can 
 perceive the hand of God so ordering everytliing as to place nie where 
 I now am. Preaching seems a duty and delight. Since I left college 
 I have prospered in no other vocation. 
 
 January' 20. This day I have been " down into the water " with three 
 happy converts. The weatiier was cold, and many thought us madmen 
 for presuming to perform the ordinance at such a time. But we suffered 
 not the slightest inconvenience. If the cross was great, the joy in tak- 
 ing it up was proportionably great. Worldly men have no conception 
 of those feelings which prompt the Christian to so much self-denial and 
 renunciation of the world. 
 
 July 17. This day concludes the first year of my labors in P. Have 
 preached one hundred and seventy-three discourses, one hundred and 
 fifty-four of which have been preached to one society. Parochial visits 
 more than four hundred ; officiated at eight funerals ; married ten cou- 
 ples ; baptized sixteen. The church has increased from twenty-seven 
 to fifty-three. The congregation numbered sixty-three July 22, 1827, 
 when I preached my first sermon to them. Now it amounts to over 
 three hundred. These facts I record simply for recollection, not to 
 boast; for, when the providence of God has so evidently done the whole, 
 boasting is excluded. 
 
 July 20, Sabbath. Had some enjoyment in preaching my anniver- 
 sary sermon. I trust my heart was touched at a view of what God has 
 done for me and my people during the year. I desire to be humbled 
 that I have done so little for him. My imperfect labors God has been 
 pleased to bless. 
 
 August 31. Exchanged this morning with Eev. Israel W. Putnam 
 (Congregationalist). "What though we may differ on some points not 
 essential to salvation, yet may we not retain our own doctrines and prac- 
 tice, and at the same time treat each other as friends and brothers? As 
 Baptists, we are thouglit precise and narrow in our views and discipline. 
 Yet none ai'e more libei'al than we in those ofiices of kindness and that 
 
JOURNAL. 65 
 
 interchange of civilities whicli do not require a relinquisliment of prin- 
 ciple. Would wc were more filled with the spirit of Christ. We should 
 thereby furnish to an infidel woi'ld a better proof of the excellence of 
 Christianity. 
 
 September 24:. This day our new house of worship in Middle Street 
 was dedicated to Almighty God. The discourse was from Isa. Ixvi. 12. 
 The season solemn and interesting. May it be crowned by the blessing 
 of Heaven. 
 
 1829. 
 
 January 1, 1829. 
 
 " The year rolls round, and steals away 
 The breath that first it gave; 
 Whate'cr we do, whate'er we be, 
 AVe're travelling: to the grave." 
 
 Little, too little, alas ! have I done the past year for my blessed Sa- 
 viour. Been blessed with unusual health, and have enjoyed an unin- 
 terrupted series of blessings from the hand of my heavenly Father. 
 Would I had lived better, prayed more, preached with greater fidelity ! 
 To-night I address the 5'oung. 
 
 January 25. Enjoyed a refreshing season, — preaching from Hosea 
 xiii. 9, — especially in the afternoon, when considering the gracious 
 offer of restoration, " In me is thine help " did I find peculiar com- 
 fort. My soul longs to see a revival of God's work. Two have re- 
 cently been seriously affected by the power of truth, and now cherish 
 hope, through Christ, of eternal life. The church and society liave 
 been compelled to struggle with severe difficulties. No eff'ort has been 
 omitted to check our growth, and, if possible, to ruin us. But God 
 has kindly interposed, has overruled all opposition for his own glory 
 and our good. The Lord has promised, " When the enemy comes in 
 like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him " 
 — and verified it to us. 
 
 August 10. This day commences the fourth year of the existence of 
 the church of which I am pastor. Three years ago it was constituted 
 of eight members — Eev. Duncan Dunbar, Deacon Samuel Cleaves, 
 Elisha C. Crane, Allen Porter, Sampson Sheafe, Christiana Dunbar, of 
 Newcastle, Mary Brewster, Susan Parke. A small and feeble band 
 truly. Yet God has blessed them beyond measure. They were first 
 publicly recognized in an old hall in Vaughan Street called Assembly 
 House. Now they have a neat, commodious house of worship, with a 
 good, growing congregation. Great harmony of feeling and unity of 
 action prevail in the church. There is also an untiring spirit of prayer- 
 fulness, which has an excellent effect upon the members, producing en- 
 couragement and faith. We trust the Lord is yet on our side, and will 
 5 
 
66 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 appCcar for our help. I have too little faith, too little confidence, in Him 
 whose promise is to "give the increase." 
 
 Recovering from a severe illness. Have not preached for two Sab- 
 baths, and must be deprived of the privilege yet another. My people are 
 exceedingly kind, and have exhibited much sympathy. May I be able 
 to requite them by faithfulness to souls. 
 
 October 3. Heading Memoir of Legh Richmond, by Grimshawe. 
 The compiler shows himself too much. A biographer should leave his 
 own biography to be executed by another. To me the life is highly in- 
 teresting. Legh Richmond was a man of God, zealous and useful. His 
 tracts, The Dairyman's Daughter, The Young Cottager, or Little Jane, 
 and the Negro Servant, have been useful beyond a parallel. They are 
 read in every quarter of the globe. Mr. Richmond did not write his 
 discourses. 
 
 October 7. First anniversary of the Portsmouth Baptist Association. 
 Met at Brentwood. Received a visit from a young lady (M. J.). She 
 professes to indulge some confidence that her sins are pardoned ; that 
 she is justified before God by the atoning merits of Christ. Had consid- 
 erable conversation with her relative to her views of God's character, 
 her own heart, the way of her past life, &c., &c. So far as I gained 
 evidence that the work is genuine, I rejoiced with her. By this inter- 
 view I trust my own heart was quickened. "Awake, O north wind, 
 and come, thou south." 
 
 October 13. This morning had some warmth in prayer. God seemed 
 near, eternity seemed near. Desired holiness for its own sake. Was 
 told yesterday several young people in the congregation are thoughtful. 
 Refreshing news. What do I desire more than to see my dear people 
 turning to God ! In my visits from house to house heard everywhere of 
 the effect produced by my Sabbath sermons. Perhaps I have never 
 preached two discourses that took deeper hold on the assembly. I ob- 
 served throughout the assembly, especially in the afternoon, an unusual 
 solemnity ; but I was not aware the effect was either so great or general. 
 O, my soul, give God tlie praise ! None but God could thus touch hard 
 and stupid hearts. " Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it." 
 
 October 18. This is the last Sabbath in the second year of my pas- 
 toral labors. What thoughts does it suggest for my admonition! How 
 little have I done ! Everything stained with self. What good have I 
 done? What has the Holy Spirit done by me, a poor, remiss, unfaith- 
 ful servant? Preached this morning from Phil. iii. 18. Described the 
 enemies of the cross, and the causes of their enmity. Lord, enable me 
 this afternoon to speak affectionately and faithfully from the passage, 
 *' To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." 
 
 November 21. This evening had five inquirers. What pleasure there 
 
LETTER TO II. B. HART. 67 
 
 is in directing the sin-sick soul to the groat Pliysician ! It is sweet 
 work to preach Jesus, to dwell upon his love, his sufferings, and his 
 death. 
 
 November 28. Three presented themselves before the church for 
 baptism and admission to fellowship. They gave interesting relations 
 of the work of grace upon their hearts, ami were unanimously received. 
 Enjoyed a refreshing season. 
 
 December G. Preached three times ; baptized three ; administered 
 the Lord's Supper. Had unusual peace and comfort. It is easy doing 
 duty when tlie Lord is at work upon the hearts of the people. May I 
 be stimulated to greater activity in my Master's service. . 
 
 December 16. Received a letter from my dear sister (J.), announ- 
 cing the deiiglitful fact that my youngest brother, Peter, has been hope- 
 fully converted. 
 
 December 29. Earnest desires for the conversion of young men. 
 Wrote several letters to individuals in the parish, in whom I feel 
 especially interested. Lord, accompany these letters with thy blessing. 
 
 Only one of the letters referred to in the last extract has 
 come into the hands of the editor. It was addressed to Mr. 
 Henry B. Hart, late of Portland, Me., but then residing in 
 Portsmouth, and a member of Mr. Stow's congregation. It 
 is only a sample of many others written during the ministry 
 of Mr. Stow, and it resulted, as doubtless many others did, in 
 the awakening and conversion of the person to whom it was 
 addressed. In less than two months from the time of receiv- 
 ing it, Mr. Hart came to rest in Christ as his Saviour, and 
 soon after both himself and his wife were baptized, and re- 
 ceived into the fellowship of the Portsmouth church. He 
 subsequently removed to Portland, Me., and, till the close 
 of his life, was known as an active and influential mem- 
 ber of the Free Street Church, in that city. Ho always 
 cherished a very tender affection for the man whose faith- 
 ful admonition and entreaty led him to Christ, and lived 
 in relations of confidence and intimacy with him till death 
 intervened. The interruption, however, was not long; for, 
 since the preparation of the Memoir was undertaken, the 
 tried^ friend, the faithful Christian, and the liberal supporter 
 of all good works, followed his early teacher and guide to 
 the rest and glory of heaven. The letter is here inserted. 
 
68 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Portsmouth, November 19, 1829. 
 
 My dear Friend : As your occupation renders it difficult for me to. 
 see you, and converse with you jjersonally, as I would wish, permit me 
 in this familiar manner to address you upon a subject of unusual im- 
 portance. I have long felt a tender anxiety for your spiritual interests ; 
 and this anxiety, instead of diminishing with the lapse of time, is daily 
 increasing. Very few individuals in my congregation have occupied 
 so much of my thoughts and prayers. At the time your dear companion 
 professed to receive comfort from the grace of God in Christ her Saviour, 
 I was rejoiced to see that you felt solicitious for your own soul, and 
 hoped that you, like her, would be led to exercise genuine faith in the 
 Redeemer of sinners. Having had since no opportunity for personal 
 conversation, I know not the result of the convictions with which your 
 mind was then affected. I presume, however, that you yet indulge no 
 hope that your sins have been forgiven, and that you are prepared to 
 meet Christ in judgment. I have been ever delighted with tlie serious 
 and fixed attention which you give to the word preached on the Sab- 
 bath, and have consequently indulged the hope that truth would find a 
 lodgment in your heart, and bring you to deep repentance for sin, and 
 belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 Permit me, my dear friend, to urge upon you the great importance 
 of turning to the Ijord and serving him with all your heart. I now ad- 
 dress you, not merely as your pastor, but especially as your sincere 
 friend — one who would be willing to suffer much for your soul's salva- 
 tion. Tell me, are you doing what you should to secure that soul's 
 best interests ? Do you live a life of prayer ? Do you make the Bible 
 the rule of action? Do you labor to imitate the meek and lowly Jesus? 
 Are your afiections more upon God and heavenly things than upon 
 the objects of earth? I am aware of the excellence of your moral 
 character, the uniform propriety of your conduct, your strict temper- 
 ance, your dislike of vicious society, your regard for the public services 
 of religion, and your respectful treatment of all who give evidence of 
 sincere piety. But, my friend, is your heart right with God? Have 
 you ever seen the sinfulness of your nature ? Do you think you have 
 any genuine love for God? Can you rejoice that the Lord reigns, and 
 that he does everything according to the pleasure of his own will ? Do 
 you feel any gratitude to him for the conversion of your wife ? Do you 
 correctly understand and feel the righteousness of his holy law ? O, 
 how often do you and I violate that good law in heart, even when there 
 is no outward act. Jeliovah says, " My son, give me thine heart." 
 How affectionate his language ! How reasonable his demand ! Oj Avill 
 you not comply with this demand, and give liim your heart without delay ? 
 What pleasure should I feel in being permitted to direct you, penitent 
 
JOURNAL. 69 
 
 and broken-lioartcJ, to tliat bleeding sacrifice tliat was offered on Cal- 
 vary ! What satisfaction would it afford, nut to me only, but to your 
 nearest friend, your wife, as well as to numerous others who feel a deep 
 interest for you, could wo see you become a genuine disciple of Christ, 
 devoting your youth and health to God, and striving to benefit your 
 fellow-creatures by deeds of rigiiteousness ! And do you feel contented, 
 my friend, to remain in your present dangerous condition? Have you 
 no fears that you shall lose your soul ? Is not the mercy of God bound- 
 less? May you not «ow be saved? Will you not now give up your 
 heart to God, and secure an interest in the Redeemer's blood before it 
 is forever too late? If you have any desire to escape the tremendous 
 con.-^equences of sin, or any desire to enjoy an eternal heaven, now is 
 the time. Do not delay. Every hour you lose is bringing you nearer 
 to death and the grave. O, be persuaded to repent and believe the 
 gospel. 
 
 Receive this, dear sir, as a proof of my undissembled regard for you; 
 and may we Ije so happy as at last to meet in a happier, holier state at 
 God's right hand. 
 
 Yours with esteem, 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 "We return now to the journal, beginning with the entry on 
 the first clay of 
 
 1830. 
 
 January 1, 18:10. Preached last evening for the Methodists. Am to- 
 night to address the young. The good work still continues ; my labors 
 increase. Our prayer meetings are crowded and solemn. 
 
 January 2-i. A good day. Preached three times ; baptized nine. 
 The day was the coldest of the season, but the candidates went forward 
 with firmness, and found a blessing in obedience. I never enjoyed the 
 ordinance more. The good work still advances ; some are daily brought 
 into liberty. 
 
 January 25. Read often Ezek. iii. 33. If ever I reach heaven, how 
 true that salvation is all of grace ! 
 
 March 11. Last Sabbath I baptized six, rnaking nineteen since the 
 meeting of the Association in October. Had a delightful season at the 
 Lord's table. A letter from my dear brother P., giving an account of 
 his experience and baptism, &c. He writes like a real child of God. 
 O that he may hold fast his profession, and be trained up for useful- 
 ness. The Lord may clioose him for a minister ; if so, I trust he will 
 be far more holy than his brother B. Bitter storm of wind and sleet. 
 Read the first part of Memoirs of Dr. Payson. What a holy man! 
 Lord, make me more like Payson ; more like Paul ; nay, more like Jesus. 
 
70 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 April 20. At church meeting last evening, four gave us the relation of 
 the work of grace in their hearts. Our new members are nearly all 
 young. They devolve on me, as well as on the church, a great re- 
 sponsibility. O, thou great Shepherd, keep these lambs, protect them, 
 nourish them, and may they remain steadfast, "perfecting holiness in 
 the fear of the Lord." 
 
 May 1. Have labored hard to prepare three sermons. I remem- 
 ber Professor I. Chase once told me " to prepare my sermons with 
 a view to benefit one soul; to prepare them with a distinct appre- 
 hension of the value of one soul, and with a willingness to preach to one, 
 should no more be present. In such a case I should not be disap- 
 pointed if my congregation should happen to be very small." Good 
 advice, but, alas ! little regarded. 
 
 May 2. Had a refreshing hour last evening at the inquiry meeting. 
 Found one more soul rejoicing in the liberty of the gospel — Captain 
 J. L. Some weeks since his wife was brought to a knowledge of the 
 truth, and commenced praying for him. He has been deeply convicted. 
 He is really a new man. His tongue is active in praising the Lord, and 
 warning his companions to repent and return to God. [He was bap- 
 tized early on the morning of his sailing, and subsequently perished 
 at sea.] 
 
 July 1. Have received a pressing invitation from the Second Bap- 
 tist Church, Salem, Mass., to become their pastor. Cannot accept. 
 
 July 6. Have sent a negative answer to the request of the Salem 
 friends. Lord, strengthen me for thy work in Portsmouth. 
 
 July 15. A committee from Salem waited on me to press their claim, 
 and endeavor to persuade me to think favorably of their request. Could 
 give them no encouragement. They seem determined not to relinquish 
 their object. O that I may be guided in the right way! I would not 
 be obstinate, but must be decided. At present, cannot leave this in- 
 teresting field. 
 
 July ?)0. This day have returned from Maine, where I have been 
 twelve days, attending the examination and Commencement at Water- 
 ville College. On Tuesday was elected a member of the board of 
 trustees. Wednesday, pronounced the Oration. Was honored with 
 the degree of A. M. 
 
 October IG. Received a letter this morning from Dr. Chaplin, of 
 Waterville, renewing the request that I would remove and become the 
 pastor of the church in tiiat place. He is very urgent. In sucli cases 
 I ought to look to God for direction. I need wisdom from above. 
 Evidently my work is nearly finislied iiere. Wiiither I sliall go I know 
 not, nor do I much care, provided the Lord go before and with me. 
 Blessed Saviour, make me more like tliyself. 
 
CALLS TO OTHER CHURCHES. 71 
 
 It will be observed tli;'.t Avithin a few months Mr. Stow 
 received tAVO urgent invitations to remove from Ports- 
 mouth. The Second Baj^tist Church in Salem, Mass., had 
 become vacant by the resignation of Rev. Mr. Pattison, 
 who had been called to the First Baptist Church in Prov- 
 idence, R. I. The correspondence conducted by the com- 
 mittee — among whom I find the honored names of J. Mori- 
 arty and Robert Ui^ton — is before me. It urges the case 
 very strongly, and presents weighty reasons wdiy the Ports- 
 mouth pastor should accejit the call so heartily extended to 
 him. But he did not feel that he was justified in leaving his 
 present field of labor. After having reached the conclusion 
 that it was not his duty to accept the call of the Salem 
 church, he addressed a letter to Rev. Mr. Babcock, then pastor 
 of the First Church, in which he gives the reasons which 
 have led him to the decision to which he had come. Thia 
 letter presents Mr. Stow in the most praiseworthy light, as 
 actuated by noble, Christian jDrinciple in the course which he 
 
 pursued. 
 
 Portsmouth, August 9, 1830. 
 
 Dear Brother Babcock : While the negotiation between the 
 Second Church in Saleni and myself was pending, I was several times 
 at the point of writing you, for the purpose of ascertaining your views 
 and feelings upon the subject. But it occurred to me, that, however 
 ready you might be to express j'our personal feelings, you would find 
 it difficult, from your peculiar situation, to suggest anything that might 
 have a tendency to dissuade me from accepting their proposal. As the 
 negotiation is now concluded, you will permit me to say a few words in 
 reference to the motives which induced me to decline the request. 
 
 He then alludes to certain pecuniary embarrassments, 
 which were weighing heavily upon his spirits, from which he 
 could free himself if he were to change his pastoral connec- 
 tion. He also refers to the want of denominational sym- 
 pathy which he finds in Portsmouth, the nearest Baptist 
 church being twelve miles off. He says he has to be " bishop, 
 rector, vicar, curate, &c., &c.," and the burdens he carries are 
 almost insupportable. And yet his heart clings to liis beloved 
 flock, and he cannot make u]) his mind to desert them in the 
 hour of their great need. lie writes, — 
 
,:: MEMOIR or dr. stow. 
 
 The ties which bind me to this Jear people, and them to me, could 
 not be sundered without pain — I liad almost said, without blood. They 
 have done their utmost to sustain the cause, and to make me comforta- 
 ble. They have actually sacrificed for my sake, and could I leave 
 such friends? This interest is important, and ought to be sustained. 
 Should I leave them in their present condition, I fear that disaster would 
 follow. Besides, my brethren in this state importuned me so urgently 
 to remain, and made out so strong a case in regard to tfie moral neces- 
 sities of our Baptist churches, that I found it difficult to resist their 
 entreaties. After balancing all the circumstances, I found that personal 
 considerations lay chiefly on one side, and the claims of Zion on the 
 other. I could not hesitate. For Zion's sake I trust I felt willing 
 still longer to sacrifice and suffer, and commit myself to Him who best 
 knows what discipline we need to keep us in our proper places. I see 
 little else than suffering before me ; but if the cup cannot pass from me, 
 I implore grace to render me ever willing to drink it. 
 
 The overtures from Waterville were presented in two let- 
 ters, written by Rev. Dr. Chaplin, president of Waterville 
 College. These letters are characteristic of the writer, and 
 exhibit in a very striking light the persistent energy which 
 carried him through the toils and sacrifices incident to the 
 foundation of what is now " Colby University." The sec- 
 ond of these letters contains a re-statement of the matters 
 urged in the first, and we cannot resist the impulse we feel to 
 give it entire, both as illustrating the characteristics of the 
 writer, and as showing the inducements which w^ere expected 
 to influence the decision of one of the most promising Bap- 
 tist jDreachers of that day. 
 
 Waterville College, October 23, 1830. 
 Kev. Mr. Stow. 
 
 Dear Sir : When I wrote you last (ten or twelve days since) I 
 had not room to say all I wished to say. The present letter is accord- 
 ingly intended to be an appendix to my former one. I hope you will not 
 be offended because my letters follow one another in so rapid succes- 
 sion, but will impute their frequency to the deep anxiety which I feel 
 for the promotion of learning and religion in this region. 
 
 In my last I stated that I had secured of our State Convention aid 
 for the Baptist churcli in this place to the amount of one hundred dollars, 
 on condition tliat a suitable preacher should be obtained, and that I had a 
 prospect of obtaining two hundred more in Massachusetts and Rhode 
 Island, by the assistance of two of the students of the college. I added, 
 
LETTER FKOM PRESIDENT CIIAPLIX. 73r 
 
 tliiit WO would engage to raise at least two IiundreJ dollars in this place. 
 I have since, I think, seen some good reason to believe that a larger sum 
 might be raised, provided I could give assurance tliat you would come. 
 I attended a meeting of our church a week ago. It was much fuller than 
 usual, and very interesting. The members present appeared deeply 
 impressed with the importance of having a faithful and an able pastor, 
 and nearly all the leading men in the church seemed to be sensible of 
 the necessity of more efficient and systematic efforts for the support of 
 the gospel. No vote was passed in relation to the sura to be raised, but 
 I apprehend that in the event of our receiving encouraging assurances 
 from you, we should be able to raise two hundred dollars in the 
 church alone, and two hundred more from people in Waterville. I 
 have expressed to several of the brethren, confidentially, the hope I 
 had that you might be obtained; and I sliould have done the same to 
 the members generall}'. did I not fear we might be disappointed. Con- 
 sidering all things, I thought it best to say no more than this in the 
 church meetings, viz., that matters were in train for procuring a man 
 with whom they would all be satisfied ; and I think you may rest assured 
 that there is not a member of our church who would not be rejoiced to 
 hear that }-ou could be obtained. 
 
 As it respects myself, and mos-t, if not all, of the officers of the college, 
 we do not want you here merely as the ininister of the place. We want 
 you here as a member of the board of trustees, as one of our examin- 
 ing committee, and as a friend whom we may consult in difficult cases, 
 and to whom we may open our minds with freedom and confidence. We 
 want you to visit the pious students, particularly the beneficiaries of our 
 education societies, and to assist us to raise the standard of religious 
 feeling in the college. We want you also to visit our academy fre- 
 quently, and unite with us in concerting measures for promoting its 
 growth and reputation. I will add, we greatly need your aid in our 
 Association, in our Education Society, and in our State Convention. 
 Should you remove to this place, and be favored with the blessing of 
 God on your efforts, your sphere of action would be extensive, and your 
 usefulness, as it seems to me, very great. I sa.y, should the blessing of 
 (led attend your efforts. I am sensible that your talents and acijuire- 
 nients would avail nothing without this ; but this, I trust, will not be with- 
 held. For it really seems to me that it is your duty to come ; and I need 
 not tell you that the way of duty is the way of blessing. 
 
 It seems to me that Waterville is the very place where you are most 
 needed, and where your talents may be employed with the greatest effect. 
 I know there are other places where you may have more hearers. But 
 the character of our hearers is more to be regarded than the number. 
 CUir assembly is not large, but a more interesting assembly can hardly 
 be found in any part of New England. Besides a considerable number 
 of educated and professional men residing in the village, nearly all the 
 
74 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 students of the college and the academy may be expected to attend oui 
 meeting. And how important it is that young men, who, in consequence 
 of their talents and their acquirements, are destined to occupy impor- 
 tant stations in the church or in the civil community, and exert a 
 mighty influence on thousands and tens of thousands of their felIo\r- 
 men, — an influence which must be felt to the end of time and through 
 eternity, — how important that they have the advantage of sitting under 
 a ministry which is not only distinguished for orthodoxy and piety, but 
 which shall give them clear and extensive views of divine truth, shall 
 make them feel that there is nothing in pure religion incompatible with 
 intellectual greatness, and that a humble, devoted Christian may be a 
 genius and a scholar! Had you not, my dear sir, rather preach to such 
 an assembly as ours, though comparatively small, than to one much 
 larger, composed of people in the ordinary walks of life? And, I may 
 add, would you not have the prospect of doing much more good? Per- 
 haps, however, I need say nothing of the smallness of our assembly. 
 There is, I apprehend, good reason to expect that our congregation 
 would greatlj' increase should you consent to become our pastor. 
 
 In closing, allow me, my dear sir, to express my earnest desire and 
 my hope that God will graciously assist you in ascertaining your duty, 
 and will give you much of that wisdom which is profitable to direct. 
 If I know my own heart, I do not wish you to remove to Waterville, 
 unless you can do it with his approbation. To his blessing I desire to 
 commend both you and yours, while I subscribe myself 
 
 Your friend and brother in the gospel, 
 
 Jeremiah Chaplin. 
 
 It is not easy to conceive how great the disappointment of 
 Dr. Chaphn must have been when he received from Mr. 
 Stow a negative reply to his letters. Evidently his hopes 
 had been highly raised, and his imagination drew a bright 
 pictm'C of the delightful results which would be sure to follijw 
 Mr. StoAv's acceptance of the call which would have been 
 extended to him had he given the slightest encouragement 
 to believe he woidd become the pastor of the Waterville 
 chm-ch. He had, hoAvever, waded through too mmy diffi- 
 culties, and encountered too many trials, to allow himself 
 long to brood over this blighting of his hopes. Meanwhile, 
 the subject of our Memoir, having disposed of a matter 
 which, we doubt not, he most seriously took iuto considera- 
 tion, continued to make full proof of his ministry in Ports- 
 mouth. 
 
CLOSE OF AIIXISTKY IX PORTSMOUTH. 75 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Last Year in Portsmouth. — Ixvitatioxs to remove to differ- 
 ent Places. — Journal. — Call to Baldwin Place Church, 
 Boston. — Letters from Rev. J. D. Knowles and Dr. Sharp. 
 — Dr. Lamson ox Dr. Stow's Ministry in Portsmouth. 
 
 1830-1832. 
 
 The course of events has brought us nearly to the closing 
 year of Mr. Stow's ministiy in Portsmouth. He is im- 
 pressed, at the commencement of the year, that his ministry 
 here is probably drawing to an end. Some special tokens of 
 the divine favor manifested themselves early in the year. A 
 few inquirers came to him to converse with him on matters 
 connected with the salvation of their souls. He had suc- 
 ceeded in awakening much interest in the cause of temper- 
 ance. He tells us an anecdote which amused him much. 
 " A genuine dram-drinkei*, being asked if he were going to 
 hear my address on intemperance, replied, 'No, I don't like 
 him. I believe, if he were to look at a hogshead of rum, the 
 head would fall in.'" He observes, "I notice how carefully 
 the drunkards shun me, and retailers give me little opj^ortu- 
 nity for conversation." As the weeks pass away, his anxi- 
 eties for a revival of religion increase. In the month of 
 April there w^as held, for several days, a series of meetings. 
 All these efforts, however, failed to accomplish the results 
 which he so much desired to see. 
 
 We give a few more extracts from his journal, which, 
 while they represent him as still active m his ministerial 
 labors, also disclose to xis the chain of causes, each one of 
 which had some connection with the dissolution of the ties 
 which bound him to Portsmouth. 
 
7G MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 ]Miiy 19. Preached at Stratham last evening, from Psalms Ixxxv. 6. 
 Had unusual liberty. In times past I have generally enjoyed more free* 
 dom at home than abroad; but during the past five or six weeks this 
 thing has been reversed. I have little freedom at home, and much en- 
 largement abroad. Is this an indication from the Lord touching duty? 
 I now have an urgent call to remove to Lowell. Shall I go? I am al- 
 most decided in the opinion that my work is done in Portsmouth. I 
 have, indeed, no desire to leave this place. Everything, with one ex- 
 ception, is quite as agreeable as I could expect in any place on earth — 
 my labors are not blessed. In other places, wherever I go, the Lord is 
 pleased to give efficiency to my poor labors. Does this fact speak a lan- 
 guage at all definite upon this point or not? I think I am willing to 
 stay if it be the Lord's will. I fear I may be too impatient, too much 
 unreconciled, too much disposed to think vny labors deserve the divine 
 blessing. I know I am greatly wrong at heart. I need, I beg forgive- 
 ness of my God. Show me the right way, O Lord, and sanctify my 
 unholy dispositions. 
 
 May 30. Returned from Boston. Have been to attend the religious 
 anniversaries. On Wednesday delivered two addresses — one before 
 the Northern Baptist Education Society, upon "the importance of su- 
 perior piety in those whom the church may encourage to preach the 
 gospel ; " the other before the Massachusetts Baptist Missionar}' Society, 
 on "the physical and moral ability of the church." Sabbath day 
 preached on exchange for Brother Knowles, in Baldwin Place ; in the 
 evening, for Brother Jacobs, Cambridgeport. Weather exceedingly 
 warm, but my heart excessively cold. 
 
 June 10. Returned from Newburyport. Preached for Rev. Mr. 
 Proudfit in the house under whose pulpit sleep the ashes of that man 
 of God, Rev. George Whitefield. There was something really inspiring 
 in the thought I was so near the dust of such a man. Would that I had 
 more of his spirit. 
 
 September 29. Since the preceding date, I have passed over consid- 
 erable territory, and through varied scenes. Visited Concord, New 
 Hampton, New London, Newport, and from there came to Boston ; 
 thence to Newton to consult with friends on one or two points : first, 
 Shall I go to Ohio, as has been proposed, to be president of a college? 
 or shall I go to New Hampton, and take charge of the theological de- 
 partment? or shall I stay here? Decided not to go west at present. 
 Could not fully decide between the other two. How good the Lord has 
 been to me ! Praised be the Lord for all his mercies ; bless him, O my 
 soul ! 
 
 September 30. Heard of the death of dear Brother George D. Board- 
 man, missionary to Burmah. He died among the Karens, February 
 
JOUIINAL. 77 
 
 11, 1831. He was "a good man, and full of the Holy Gliost." Un 
 labors were blessed among the Karans. The day before his d-cath he 
 witnessed the baptism of thirty-four eonverts. Who will go and take 
 his place? How do the vacancies in our churches multiply! Great 
 Head, send forth more laborers ! 
 
 October 7. Returned from Exeter — the meeting of our Baptist As- 
 sociation. The Lord was evidently with us. Much seriousness exists 
 in the place. Several seem to be affected in view of their sinfulness. 
 O that the Lord would pour out his Spirit plentifully upon Exeter, and 
 turn that people to himself! And may I not pray again and again for my 
 own church? 
 
 October 18. A day of fasting and prayer in the church. Some signs 
 of returning life. The following evils are to be deplored : 1. Languor 
 in prayer; 2. Deficiency of foith ; 3. Want of brotherly love ; 4. Con- 
 fidence in means; 5. Want of self-denial; 6. Worldly-mindedness ; 
 7. Ingratitude for past mercies ; 8. Indecision ; 9. Inconstancy of 
 feeling. 
 
 October 19. Feel some quickening in prayer. Can get a little nearer 
 the throne. It seems as if the tempter had permission to vex and 
 worry me to his heart's content. He spares no effort to keep me away 
 from a throne of grace, and when I bow before the Lord, he is around 
 me and within me, disturbing my thoughts, drawing away my mind 
 from God, and thrusting in sceptical suggestions. I experience more 
 of his temptations when on my knees than everywhere else. Lord,, 
 grant me grace to resist the devil. 
 
 October 29. Preached last evening in the vestry, from John vi. 45. 
 More men than usual at the meeting. All very attentive. For two 
 weeks I have felt great solicitude for the young men in my parish, that 
 they might hear the truth with profit, and, learning of the Father, they 
 might come to the Son, be useful in his church, and glorify him here- 
 after. For the pupils in the Sabbath school I have been unusually in- 
 terested. They are light and thoughtless. O God, change their hearts, 
 and bring them to the arms of Jesus, that he may bless them. One of 
 the lambs of my flock has died the past week. Help me, O Lord, to 
 improve this providence for the good of the children. 
 
 November 15. Perplexed and disturbed by another invitation to re- 
 move. The call now is unanimous and persistent from Portland. 
 Within sixteen months I have refused applications from several places. 
 
 December 15. Sent a negative reply to Portland. My trial and per- 
 plexity in ascertaining duty have been severe, but a kind Providence 
 has marked out my course with sufficient clearness, and I have con- 
 cluded to continue with this dear people. They are doing all in tiicir 
 power to sustain the interest, and it appears; should I abandon them, it 
 must seriously suffer. 
 
78 MEMOIR OF DR. STOAV. 
 
 December 31, Saturday evening. In a few short hours the year 1831 
 will have finished its course. My labors the past year have been many. 
 In not a few instances, here and elsewhere, have they been made useful 
 by the special blessing of God. May I not hope that yet other fruit 
 will appear ? To God be all the glory. 
 
 1832. 
 
 January 1, 1832. A monument of divine mercy I come to thee, O God, 
 and dedicate myself anew to thy service. Thirteen years ago yesterday 
 I was baptized upon a profession of faith. What little progress have I 
 made in the divine art of holy living! I now come to thee to acknowl- 
 edge my dependence, and to take thy Son, with fresh faith, as my 
 Teacher, Priest, and King. On his merits I repose my soul, my all ; 
 in him, and him only, would I hope. 
 
 January 5. Delivered an address last evening before the Mechanics' 
 Association, on "aristocracy." A large and attentive audience. Have 
 since felt not a little mortified on a review of the exercises. I fear I 
 may have done injury to the cause of Christianity by indulging my pro- 
 pensity for satire. 
 
 February 10. My mind has sweet peace, trusting God. Have some 
 comfort in prayer. It seems as if God really listened to my petitions. 
 O that I may be fully recovered from my backslidden state, enjoy again 
 the light of the divine countenance, find duty a delight, preach, and 
 live more exclusively for Christ. 
 
 February 17. Heard of the death of the Rev. Dr. Cornelius, corre- 
 sponding secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for For- 
 eign Missions. He was a great man, and eminently good. O, my soul, 
 prepare to meet thy God ! 
 
 February 27. Returned from Boston, to which place I went this day 
 week to assist my dear Brother Knovvles in a " four days' meeting." I 
 hope our labors were with profit, through grace. The friends of the 
 Second Church were exceedingly kind — too much so to me. Besides 
 my expenses they presented me with the gift of seventy dollars — a free- 
 will offering. Honestly I can say for no part of this did I visit or labor 
 with them. The Lord reward their manifold kindness. 
 
 February 29. Reading the Life of Thomas Scott, author of the 
 Commentary. Much interested in its developments of internal charac- 
 ter. He entered the ministry September 22, 1772. His motives, he 
 says, were these : — 
 
 "1. A desire of a less laborious and more comfortable way of pro- 
 curing a maintenance than otherwise I had a prospect of. [He we.s 
 previously a grazier.] 
 
 "2. The expectation of more leisure to employ in reading, of which 
 I was inordinately fond. 
 
JOUKNAL. 79 
 
 •' 3. A proud conceit of ray abilities, witli a vain-glorious imagination 
 that I should some time distinguish and advance myself in the literary 
 world. These were my ruling motives in taking this bold step." 
 
 After reading these confessions I felt constrained to examine my own 
 motives in entering the ministry. Of a trutli, I find much to condemn. 
 Still I cannot ascertain that I was influenced in the least by any of the 
 considerations suggested by Mr. Scott. I am aware I never loved man- 
 ual labor — generally avoided it when practicable. This was not occa- 
 sioned by any love of idleness. It was owing to an unconquerable 
 thirst for knowledge. I loved books better. But for a whole year pre- 
 vious to my first thoughts about the ministry, I had fully made up my 
 mind to seek a livelihood, yea, even wealth, by agriculture. I formed 
 plans which are now fresh in my memory, and I became quite ambitious 
 to carry them into splendid execution. There are, probably, a hundred 
 persons in Newport who will never tiiink otherwise tlian that I entered 
 this most holy work because I was too indolent to labor on a farm. In 
 this, however, I honestly aver that they were mistaken. Neither do J 
 discover that either of the two motives named by Mr. Scott had any in- 
 fluence upon me at the time. I think I then felt an ardent love for souls, 
 a desire to consecrate myself wholly to the Lord's service. I can easily 
 perceive that I did not sufficiently reflect upon the subject, or pray over 
 it, as I should have done. One selfish consideration often had too much 
 weight with me. I greatly dreaded the probability of spiritual declen- 
 sion, and thought the studies preparatory to the ministry, and the duties 
 of the sacred office, would be effectual safeguards against backsliding. 
 How little did I then know of the human heart, or of my own! how 
 little of the temptations to which those very studies and duties would 
 subject me ! 
 
 September 4. Self-examination makes terrible havoc of my hopes. 
 It shows me more and more the stability of the foundation, but compels 
 me to doubt whether I ever have reposed true confidence thereon. 
 Tlu! shipwrecked mariner knows, when his feet are planted on " terra 
 firma," he has the evidence of sensation ; but in spiritual things there 
 is no such certainty. I know Christ is a rock, and if I build upon him 
 I shall never be confounded. But the evidence of so building is not 
 found in my feelings and impressions, but in the course of conduct pur- 
 sued as a consequence. "What is my manner of life? I would search 
 myself throughout. 
 
 September 28. Just returned from Portland, where I assisted in or- 
 daining Brother John S. Maginnis as pastor of the Baptist Church. 
 Gave him the charge, and preached in the evening. 
 
 October IG. Brother Knowles has resigned his pastorate of the 
 Second Baptist Church in Boston, and accepted his appointment as pro- 
 
80 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 fessor at Newton. Letters from him and others inform mc that I shall 
 probably be invited by that church and society to become his successor. 
 However flattering may be such a proposition, it will place me in truly 
 perplexing and trying circumstances. With the feeble interest here 
 I have become almost wholly identified, and the thought of leaving is 
 very painful. There is but one object on earth that I love as I do this 
 church and its welfare. " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? " If I 
 can live here, and survive my many and crushing embarrassments, 1 feel 
 I must. Into thy hands, my Master, I will endeavor to surrender my- 
 self, willing to be guided "'bj' thine unerring wisdom." It matters little 
 what I am, or where, if I am only in the path of dutj'. 
 
 October 19. The dreaded invitation has at length arrived, and tlie 
 question is before me — Shall I go or stay ? Duty must be done. What 
 that duty is, I am not yet able to decide. I need wisdom from above — 
 that wisdom which is profitable to direct. O God, be thou ray guide, 
 even unto death. 
 
 October 24. The case is decided. I have asked and received a dis- 
 mission from my present charge, and shall soon remove to Boston. A 
 bold and important step. I believe it to be in accordance with the divine 
 will. The way seems plain, and I trust the Lord will enable me to go 
 forward in it, confiding in him. His grace is sufficient for me. 
 
 October 28. Concluded my labors with this dear peojile. Preached 
 my last sermon this afternoon. A solemn occasion. O that it may 
 prove a profitable season ! 
 
 The extracts thus given cover the entire period of his 
 ministry in Portsmouth. Following his own suggestion, 
 and wishing to escape the criticism to Avhich reference has 
 already been made, the writer has let the subject of this 
 Memoir present the great focts of his history in his own 
 language. No words we could use could convey a better 
 idea of his_ outer and inner life, while he was performing the 
 work intrusted to his hands during the first five years of 
 his ministry. The question of dissolving the relations which 
 he had sustained to his people was one Avhich deeply touched 
 his sensitive spirit. Besides laying the matter before Him 
 to whom he was Avont to repair in all the emergencies 
 of life, he took counsel of his brethren. The following let- 
 ters from two of his brethren in the ministry, for whom he 
 felt the most sincere regard, may with propriety be intro* 
 duced here. 
 
LETTEIl FROM PROFESSOR KXOWLES. 81 
 
 Boston, September 22, 1832. 
 
 Dear Brother Stoav : I have designed to write to you, but I havo 
 been so much occupied by the distressing crisis in wiiich I liave been 
 placed, and I have so confidently expected a visit from you, that I have 
 not written. I have been passing througli deep waters, but I have at 
 length arrived at firm footing. Suffice it to say that I havo become 
 fully persuaded of my duty to leave my present post. My health is 
 not as good as when I first returned, and I am abundantly convinced 
 that if I am to be saved to my fiimily and to the cause, I must throw otf 
 the " load would sink a navy." The necessity of another professor at 
 Newton is imperative. Professor Chase must be absent this winter, or 
 he will die ; and to leave the institute Avith but one professor would im- 
 peril the best interests of the seminary. 
 
 I have accordingly been appointed professor. I have presented my 
 resignation to the church and society. The former have accepted it, 
 and the latter probably will to-morrow. After the 1st of October, there- 
 fore, I shall no longer be pastor of the Second Baptist Church. The 
 result has given me great pain, and my people feel deeply grieved. 
 Some are unreconciled, and a few, perhaps, will leave the church and 
 society. But there is a general conviction that God has decided the 
 question, and that our plain duty is to acquiesce. There will, I trust, 
 be harmony still, and God will, I hope, guide them to the speedy choice 
 of another pastor. 
 
 On whom they will fix their choice I cannot tell. There will, un- 
 doubtedly, be preferences for diflerent individuals ; but I think that you 
 will be more likely to receive their choice than any other person. God's 
 providence has brouglit you to the notice of my people, and has attracted 
 towards you their aflections in a remarkable degree. He has, too, re- 
 served you at Portsmouth in a way which has always seemed to me in- 
 dicative of some important design. You will probably be requested, at 
 any rate, to come and preach as a candidate; and if so requested, you 
 must come, and if invited to become their pastor, you must consent. You 
 cannot in such a case mistake the will of God. Whether you will be 
 able to sustain the duties here is a serious question ; but with your ex- 
 perience and your stock of sermons, you may, I think, with prudence 
 labor here a few years at least. 
 
 The Lord bless and guide you, my dear brother. Our. time is short. 
 Let us do with our might what our hand findeth to do. 
 Your affectionate fellow-servant, 
 
 J. D. Knowles. 
 
 Mr. Stow seriously objected, under the circumstances, to 
 preach as a candidate, and actually declined to do so. Ap- 
 pealing to his friend Dr. Sharp as to the propriety of the 
 6 
 
82 MEMOIK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 course be pursued, he received the following reply to his 
 
 letter : — 
 
 Boston, October 9, 1832. 
 
 My dear Brother: I was unexpectedly called out of town yester- 
 day, or I should have answered your letter. I have not seen Mr. Beals, 
 but I had a confidential conversation with Mr. Knowles on Saturday. I 
 learned fi-om him that the brethren approved of the course you had 
 pursued, and the motives which they supposed influenced you in refus- 
 ing to supply them as a candidate. My impression is, that the brethren 
 are satisfied; but they thought then, and probably think now, that, were 
 it expedient on your part, it would be desirable that the congregation 
 should be better acquainted with you before they proceeded to nominate 
 you as their future pastor. This, no doubt, would secure universal har- 
 mony of action. I understand, however, that you will be invited to 
 preach, with the expressed hope that you will become their pastor. 
 This will be an event deeply interesting, both to yourself and tD your 
 people. I can only say that, in view of all the circumstances in the 
 case, I trust you will be enabled, in the fear of God, to do what will be 
 best for your own happiness and for the cause which you profess to love. 
 
 "Were your affairs prosperous at Portsmouth, I would remain. But it 
 has appeared to me that a man of inferior, but of different talents from 
 yourself, might, perhaps, succeed you to advantage. 1 consider your 
 relation to the churches in Kew Hampshire more important than your 
 relation to the church in Portsmouth. How that deficiency would be 
 supplied I am at a loss to know. I fear tliat many interests that are 
 dear to you would suffer. Still, a man cannot for any length of time 
 be useful abroad, if he is harassed and perplexed at home. 
 
 Should it, in view of all the circumstances of the case, appear to be 
 your duty to accept the invitation which will be given you to settle as 
 pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Boston, I can only say that I 
 shall rejoice in the event, and cordially welcome you as a fellow-laborer 
 in our Master's vineyard. With the brethren in the vicinit}' you are 
 ac;iuainted. Your knowledge of them will be a sufficient pledge of the 
 kind intercourse you will enjoy by being in their neighborhood. May 
 the Lord direct you in this and in all your other concerns. 
 
 With kind regards to Mrs. Stow, in which my wife unites, 
 1 am, dear brother, affectionately yours, 
 
 Daniel Sharp. 
 
 A few days after this date, Professor Knowles wrote a 
 
 BGCond letter to his friend. 
 
 Kewton, October 14, 1832. 
 
 Dear Brother : You perceive by the date that the agony is over, 
 and that I have torn myself away from my church and congregation. 
 
REV. DANIEL SHARP, D, D. 
 
LETTER FKOM PROFESSOR KNOWLES. 83 
 
 The struggle has been severe. Had I known what it wouhl have cost 
 me, and been aware how much some of my people would suffer by my 
 removal, I could not, I think, have determined to go. But the step has 
 been taken, and, whether for good or evil, it is now irrevocable. My 
 conviction remains unshaken that it was required by a prudent regard 
 for my own iiealth and my future usefulness. I feel, too, that there is 
 here a post of great responsibility, where I may serve Zion more ex- 
 tensively than in any pastorship ; and the existence almost of the insti- 
 tution required another officer here at this juncture. Yet I feel that the 
 l)astoris the most important man on earth, and I have made many great 
 sacrifices by coming hither. The Lord grant me grace and wisdom, 
 that I may perform my duties faithfully and usefully. Pray for me, 
 dear brother. 
 
 I should have written to you on the subject of your last letter, but 
 the bustle and cxcilement of my removal have prevented me. I see the 
 force of your objection to supplying the pulpit under existing circum- 
 stances. 1 approve of your decision, and believe that it has raised j'our 
 character in the estimation of the church. Yet it was well to give you 
 the invitation, because some would not have been willing to act in your 
 favor if the attempt had not been made to give them an opportunity to 
 hear you further. It need not, and ought not, to mortify you that the 
 people are not ready to invite you to become their pastor witliout know- 
 ing \'0U better. There are, I presume, hundreds in our congregation 
 who would not know you if you should enter the pulpit. They hear so 
 many preachers that they take no notice of any particular individual 
 unless they hear him very often. 
 
 The church, however, I understand, have voted to invite 30U to be- 
 come their pastor, provided that the society concur. Many of the 
 church have been unwilling to invito you without hearing you more, 
 and some are opposed to calling a jiastor from his people. But our 
 church are accustomed to act together, and those who felt objections 
 have acquiesced in the will of the majority. AVhether the society will 
 concur is not certain. They are less acquainted with you than the 
 church are. I hear of no objections, except the want of knowledge of 
 your qualifications. I have no fears that you will fail to satisfy them 
 all, when j-ou have had sufficient opportunities. You ought to consider 
 a call from such a church and congregation as a strong intimation of 
 God's will. You will find them, if you come, a kind people. Trials 
 you nmst expect, and labors beyond measure. If you consulted your 
 own case, and the prolongation of your life, you would not come. No 
 one who has been a pastor in Boston would choose the station again, 
 honorable, and in many respects pleasant, as it is. But we are not our 
 own, and have no right to choose our place of labor or of rest. " Lord, 
 
b-l MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 what wilt thou have me to do?" is the only question for us. You will 
 come under many advantages, and I pray that you may be sustained 
 for many years, and made a blessing to thousands. 
 
 We are not yet settled here, and cannot form a judgment respect- 
 ing our prospects of personal comfort; but "the Lord reigneth; let 
 the earth rejoice." 
 
 Professor Chase will perhaps go to Italy and Greece to spend the 
 winter. Our love to Mrs. Stow. 
 
 Your affectionate brother, 
 
 James D. Kxowles. 
 
 B. Stow. 
 
 The following communication, iDrepared by Rev. W. Lam- 
 son, D. D., of Brookline, Mass., who for several years Avas 
 the pastor of the church in Portsmouth, properly finds a 
 jjlace at this stage of the Memoir : — 
 
 Dr. Stow's Ministry in Portsmouth, N. H. 
 
 My dear Brother Stockbridge : In response to your request 
 for a paper on Dr. Stow's ministry in Portsmouth, I must express my 
 regret that I can do little more than record general impressions. It 
 was my privilege to hear only one sermon from him during his minis- 
 try there, but that made a profound impression on me. The text I have 
 forgotten, and the theme; and I only remember that the crucifixion was 
 so vividly painted, that I — a lad then — felt as though I had actually 
 seen it. 
 
 Many years after that, in 1848, I accepted a call to the pastorate of 
 the same church in Portsmouth to which he had ministered. Sixteen 
 years had passed since he had finished his labors there, and during those 
 years the church had had a succession of good and able pastors ; but, as 
 I became acquainted with the people, I found it was his^ ministry 
 that was most vividly and affectionately remembered, and that not by 
 his own people alone, but by the whole community, he was held in the 
 highest esteem. It was in 1827 that Baron Stow received and accepted 
 the invitation to settle in Portsmouth. There was little there to attract 
 an aspiring man in the condition or prospects of the church. It had 
 been but recently constituted ; its members were few, and its resources 
 were limited. What there was to draw a young man of brilliant talents 
 and of good education in the little handful of Baptists who then consti- 
 tuted the church, we may not be able to see. But Portsmoutli was in 
 his native state, and was the seaport of the state. Its population was 
 but a little rising eight thousand; yet it was, as it over since has been, 
 distinguished for the general refinement and culture of its citizens. The 
 
REMINISCENCES BY DK. LAMSON. 85 
 
 learned professions at that time embraced some wlio were just rising 
 into distinction, and who afterwards became eminent. In tlic law were 
 such men as Jorcmiaii Mason, Ichabod Bartlett, Levi AVoodbury, Est- 
 wicke Evans, and W. II. T. llackett. In the ministry were Charles 
 Biu-roushs, Israel W. Tutnam, and Nathan Parker, and others. Per- 
 luqis tiiere was no town in New England, of its size, wiiere the standard 
 of j^eneral culture was highor, or in which there were more men of 
 eminent intellectual power. And then the town was finely located at 
 the mouth of a noble river, and abounded in historic associations. 
 These attractions, added to the hope of seeing the little obscure band 
 of Baptists grow in strength and prominence, decided the young and elo- 
 quent preacher to accept the call. At that time the church numbered 
 but thirty, and only eight male members. The old " Pitts Street 
 Chapel," as it was called, was the place of worship. Through the cour- 
 tesy of the proprietors of the "South Meeting-house," Baron Stow 
 was ordained to the Christian ministry in that more spacious edifice, 
 and installed as pastor of the Baptist Church. The little church gave 
 him their affection, their sympathy, and their cooperation, and he 
 thrilled and delighted them every Sabbath by his earnest and eloquent 
 sermons. Tiiere were no men of large resources among them, but 
 there were some of large hearts and strong faith. Led and stimulated 
 by their pastor, this little band conceived and executed the bold project 
 of building one of the most beautiful churches in the state, in perhaps 
 the most eligible lot in the town. The house was erected in 1828. And 
 now the young preacher had a fit place in which to deliver his messages. 
 At his Sabbath evening services the house was thronged, and among his 
 hearers were many of the most cultivated and intellectual from all the 
 congregations. His popularity as a man and a preacher steadily in- 
 creased. He became an active member of a forensic club, and made 
 his mark there. He was made welcome in many homes beyond the 
 limits of his own parish. Without compromising one iota of his de- 
 nomin.itional views, he was tlie cheerful companion and the agreeable 
 guest of those who, theologically, differed widely from him. Attracted 
 to hear him by his fervor and eloquence, they were certain to listen to 
 the most evangelical doctrines and the most pungent appeals. 
 
 But his ministry was not merely popular — it was, in the best sense, 
 effective. The church grew in spiritual strength, in Cliristian zeal, and 
 in numbers to the very close of his labors among them. It was a bright 
 and happy period in the history of the church, when, with their almost 
 idolized preacher, they entered their new place of worship. The strug- 
 gle was over. They had a home. The question was settled. They were 
 to live. They seemed just about to receive the reward of their anxieties, 
 and toils, and sacrifices. But after a short season of this enjoyment 
 
86 MEMOIR OF DR. STOAV. 
 
 and hope, the blow came which almost crushed them. The Baldwin 
 Place pulpit, Boston, was vacant. The church was nearly a century 
 old, and had been ministered to by Baldwin and Knowles as its latest 
 pastors. It was the Baptist church in the state. In looking over the 
 whole denomination, their eye could rest on no one but the popular 
 preacher of Portsmouth. It was hard for the little church, then stagger- 
 ing under a heavy debt, exhausted by the mighty effort they had made, 
 and resting all their hopes, under God, in their pastor, to be deprived of 
 him. It was felt to be so. Baldwin Place acknowledged it. But, then, 
 Boston was the centre. It was the place for the best gifts. Mr. Stow's 
 influence would be increased many fold. The call was unanimous and 
 imperative. It was accepted, and the little flock in Portsmouth, bereft 
 of tlicir shepherd, mourned as one that mourneth for an only son. 
 
 It has been said that Baldwin Place is where Baron Stow did his great 
 work, and exhibited his great power. And it was tliere that the largest 
 crowds of '' admiring, tearful, penitent, converted hearers hung upon 
 his lips." He was in tlie prime of his manhood. He knew his strengtli. 
 Preacliing was no longer an experiment. He was at home in the pulpit. 
 Measured by popularity, by the number who attended his ministry, or 
 by immediate results, Baldwin Place was the theatre of his noblest ex- 
 ploits. But it may be doubted if he was ever more beloved, or ever 
 happier, than during the brief period that he ministered to his little 
 Portsmouth flock. 
 
 In just five years his ministry there closed. Ordained October 24, 
 1827, he took leave of them October 24, 1832. The fruits of his minis- 
 try remain to this day. No subsequent pastor lias been able to fill tlie 
 place which he filled in the hearts of the older members of that church. 
 The house built for him still stands, reconstructed and made more 
 beautiful, and is filled each Sabbath with an earnest and vigorous con- 
 gregation. Scattered among this congregation are a few, a little rem- 
 nant, of those who, forty years ago, saw tlie " electric flash of his eye," 
 and listened to the tones of his magic voice. But by far the greater 
 number preceded him to the spirit world, and these will soon follow. 
 
 William Lam son. 
 
 Brookline, October, 1870. 
 

 BALDWIN PLACE CHURCH, BOSTON. 
 
BALDWIN PLACE CHURCH. 87 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Sketch of the History of the Baldwin Place Church. — Peb« 
 soNAL Reminiscences. — Installation. — Success in his AVork. 
 — Journal. 
 
 1832-1834. 
 
 A BRIEF glance at the history of the Baldv/m Place 
 Church, to Avhich Mr. Stow had been called, and to which he 
 gave the best energies of his ministerial life, will not be 
 deemed out of place. The occasion of its formation was the 
 dissatisfliction of quite a number of the members of the First 
 Baptist Church with the preaching of the pastor. Rev. .Jer- 
 emiah Condy, whom they regarded as not "somid in the 
 faith." The church was organized July 27, 1743, and was 
 known as the Second Baptist Church of Boston. Its first 
 ])astors Avere Rev. Ephraim Bownd, Rev. John Davis, Rev. 
 Isaac Skillman, D. D., and Rev. Thomas Gair. The death 
 of Mr. Gair, a young man of great promise, was a sad blow 
 to the church. A few months after his decease, the church 
 invited Rev, Thomas Baldwin, D. D., to become his suc- 
 cessor. During his pastorate of thirty-five years, eight hun- 
 dred and twenty-six persons united with the church. The 
 ministry of Dr. Baldwin was an eminently successful one, 
 and the infiuence of his preaching, and his holy example, still 
 remain in the venerable church over which, for so many years, 
 he presided. He was succeeded in the pastoral ofiice by 
 Rev. James D. Knowles, who retired, at the end of seven 
 years, to enter upon tlie duties of professor in the Newton 
 Theological Institution, where he remained until removed by 
 death, May 9, 1838. 
 
bo MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 The cliurch, being once more destitute of a minister, begau 
 to think about a successor to Professor Knowles. The suc- 
 cess which had followed Mr. Stow in Portsmouth, and his 
 marked ability as a preacher, Avere well known to them. 
 "While tlicy believed that a wider, and j^erhaps more fruitful 
 field would be opened to him in Boston than he was now 
 occupying, yet many of the church conscientiously held the 
 opinion that it is wrong to call a pastor from another church, 
 wliere his relations are all j^leasant, and they were opposed 
 to taking any action which might sever the tie which bound 
 the Portsmouth pastor to his church and society. There 
 was, however, one man among the members of the Baldwin 
 Place Church, of great force of character and strength of 
 will, who was attached to his church, and who was inclined 
 to adopt the more modern theory that a good minister, wher- 
 ever found, is a lawful prize. This was Deacon Ezra Cham- 
 berlain. In company Avith one or two brethren, he visited 
 Portsmouth, and had a frank, fraternal conversation with Mr. 
 Stow, and discovered Avhat the state of his feelings was, as it 
 has been revealed in the extracts which we have already laid 
 before the reader. The church of which he was the pastor, 
 with all the spiritual prosperity which had attended it, was 
 crippled in its resources, and it seemed exceedingly difficult 
 to get out of the straits in which they found themselves. 
 Calling together a few of the prominent men of the church, 
 Deacon Chamberlain asked them in a plain, business-like way, 
 what it would cost to remove their debt, and put their meet- 
 ing-house in repair. He then, in an equally frank way, stated 
 tlie great importance of securing at once a pastor for the 
 Baldwin Place Church; that he had no doubt Mr. Stow 
 would receive a unanimous vote, if he would consent to be a 
 candidate ; that he would be more comfortably j^rovided for 
 than he could be in Portsmouth ; and he pleaded with tliem 
 to release liira from liis pastoral connection, pledging himself, 
 at the same time, to endeavor to raise a sufficient sum to pay 
 off all their liabilities, and put their place of worship in per- 
 fect repair. 
 
EAKLY MIXISTRY IN BOSTON. 89 
 
 Returning to Boston, Deacon Chnmbeilain called together 
 some of his brethren, and related to them tlie circumstances 
 connected with his visit to Portsmouth. "Now," said he, 
 " bretliren, we must open our purses, and raise what is re- 
 quired to ])ay the debt of the Portsmouth churcli, and repair 
 the meeting-liouse." There was a cheerful response to this 
 demand, and the sum needed — which, as we shall hereafter 
 see, was one thousand dollars, and which, in those days, was 
 no inconsiderable sum — was in due time subscribed, and the 
 church at Portsmouth, not without the severest pang of 
 regret, consented to relinquish their claim on their pastor. 
 The sorrow at parting was mutual, and there never ceased to 
 be the warmest affection, the one for the other. 
 
 A letter written by Dr. Stow, and read at a large gathering 
 of the members, past and present, of the Baldwin Place 
 Church, Feb. 13, 1865, is full of pleasant reminiscences of the 
 early days of his ministry in Boston. The church were about 
 to abandon the old sanctuary, around Avhich clustered so 
 many holy associations, and the letter, of which we quote a 
 part, was j^repared by him as his contribution to the memorial 
 services. 
 
 Coming direct from my New Hampshire home, one hundred miles 
 away, I first entered Boston June 19, 1822, and stopped with Dr. Bald- 
 win, then residing in the large wooden house at the north-west corner 
 of Portland and Hanover Streets. To see that godly veteran had long 
 been my desire. When he resided in Canaan, N. H., he had often 
 preached in my native town ; and I had heard the older people speak 
 warmly of his sermons in private dwellings, in barns, and in orchards, 
 and of his baptizing the converted in streams, which had to me, on that 
 account, a special sacredness. I had read everything from his pen that 
 came in my way, and especially the quarterly numbers of the Massachu- 
 setts Baptist Missionary Magazine, of which, for many years, he was 
 sole editor. One of his printed sermons, read by my fiither to his fam- 
 ily on a Sabbath evening, made a deep impression upon my mind, and 
 was never forgotten. 
 
 The man of God, upon whose hospitality I had no claim, gave me a 
 cordial welcome, and assigned me what he pleasantly called " the 
 prophet's cliamber." To him, and the late Ensign Lincoln, both of 
 precious memory, I was indebted for means to defray the expense of 
 
90 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 my passage in the schooner Reaper, Captain Percival, to Baltimore, on 
 my way to enter Cohimbian College, at Washington. Brother Lewis 
 E. Caswell, then keeping a shoe store in Union Street, interested him- 
 self for me, and, besides other favors, gave me a book, — Jones on the 
 Trinity, — which I still have, and cherish as a memento of appreciated 
 kindness. The Rev. Joseph Elliot, whom I had known in the coun- 
 try, was then pastor of the Dudley Street Church, in Roxbury, and I 
 walked out to see him, and acknowledge some tokens of his generosity. 
 The long road, now Washington Street, was then called, in different 
 sections, by different names — as Cornhill, Marlborough Street, New- 
 bury Street, Orange Street, &c. The bookstores of Samuel T. Arm- 
 strong, Lincoln & Edmands, Manning & Loring, were to me objects 
 of interest, for I had read many a book with their imprint. I looked 
 long at tiie Old South Church, for I knew its history in connection with 
 the American revolution. As I passed onward, I was interested in the 
 signs on shops and stores, and noted especially the frequency of one, 
 " Licensed to keep and sell gunpowder." Beyond Boylston Market 
 the buildings were mostly of wood, and scattered. Much of the space 
 was devoted to vegetable and flower gardens, with shrubbery and fruit- 
 trees. In what is now ward eleven, a city in itself, there was but one 
 street, and the dwellings were very few. The South Cove, on the one 
 side, and Back Bay on the other, were visible for a long distance. There 
 was the isthmus, and I thought of Charles Wet^ley's hymn, — 
 
 " Lo ! ou a narrow neck of land ; " 
 
 but, as I could see across the waters on either side, I could not exactly 
 
 add, — 
 
 " 'Twixt two unbounded seas I stand." 
 
 As it was then high tide, I noticed at one point that the water on each 
 side came nearly up to the rude fence. In the pastures were masses of 
 conglomerate rock, or pudding-stone, and clumps of barberry bushes, 
 and other shrubs. Little did I then dream that " the Neck " would, in 
 two scores of years, receive such a dilatation, and have lavished upon it 
 such an outlay for the homes of a swarming population. Roxbury was 
 tlien too far off for " annexation ; " now she is too near for her long to 
 avoid that result. As I looked over the expanse of Back Bay, and 
 marked the long line of beach, there was no prophecy indicating that the 
 Second Baptist Church, nestled at the foot of Copp's Hill, would ever 
 be transferred to a point then far out from the shore, and deeply buried 
 in tide-water. 
 
 I had heard of Dr. Baldwin's theory that "the way to learn to preach 
 is to preach," but did not suppose he would call for a specimen of my 
 proficiency. That thing, however, he did in his own peculiar way. On 
 
EEMINISCEXCES. 91 
 
 Friday morning he inquired if I liad ever preached. My answer was, 
 '• I have tried a few times." " Well," said he, " did you not succeed? 
 This evening will be our weekly lecture, and I wish you to give them a 
 plain New Hampshire talk, such as I used to give the folks up among 
 your native hills. We are a plain people, and you need not be afraid." 
 I had then more confidence in my ability to preach than I now have, 
 and required not much urging in that direction. As tlie vestry on the 
 south side of the narrow court, since widened into Baidwin Place, was 
 Email and inconvenient, the service was held in the house which you 
 are now vacating, and I stood at the communion table. My text was 
 Matt. xvi. 26 : " What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole 
 world, and lose his own soul"? Like some other beginners, I was not 
 dismayed at the greatness of my subject. I was favored with "liberty," 
 and had good attention; but it did not once occur to me how presump- 
 tuous I was in venturing to stand in the place of the great Baptist apos- 
 tle of New England. Those who remember him will understand me 
 when I say that in two days I had seen enougli of his meek gentleness 
 and paternal cordiality to make me unembarrassed by his presence. At 
 the close of the service he put his hand upon my head, and blandly said, 
 " My young brother, you have a good voice. Go to Washington, and 
 let Dr. Staughton tutor it a while, and I guess you will make a 
 preacher." 
 
 My college room-mate, James D. Knowles, and myself were guests at 
 Dr. Baldwin's in August, 1825. On the Sabbatli, August 21, Mr. 
 Knowles preached in the morning, and Dr. Baldwin in the afternoon — 
 his last sermon in Boston. That evening Dr. Baldwin bade us good 
 night, and retired early, saying he must meet Deacon Bacheller and 
 wife, of Lynn, at the steamboat wharf by half past three the next morn- 
 ing. We heard the carriage at the door before dayliglit, and soon it 
 bore away the good man and his wife, to return the following week under 
 greatly changed conditions. The next Friday evening I preached the 
 lecture in the Second Church, and was introduced to several members, 
 who, seven years afterwards, welcomed me as pastor. I was stopping with 
 Deacon Heman Lincoln, then residing in Lynde Street, when, at the hour 
 of breakfast, news came of the sudden decease, on the 29th, of Dr. 
 Baldwin, at AYaterville, Me. As the steamer bearing his remains came 
 up the bay, the bells of the city were tolled, and the crowd on the wharf 
 was immense. I'he impression of that scene is deep and ineffaceable in 
 my memory. Boston has since paid funeral honors to many a great 
 man departed, but over no one have so many tears of affectionate 
 grief been shed. Goodness commands a deeper heart-homage than 
 greatness. 
 
 During the ministry of Mr. Knowles as your pastor I was often in 
 Boston, and preached for him many a sermon. From our earliest 
 
1)2 MEMOIE OF DE. STOW. 
 
 acquaintance we had been intimate. Few knew him as well as myself. 
 Hundreds admired him for liis superior talent, his pure taste, his literarj 
 culture, and his refinement of manners, but only those whom he admit- 
 ted to liis confidence understood the warmth of his heart. With the 
 appearance of cold reserve and self-satisfaction he was really one of the 
 most simple-liearted and child-like of men. Luther Rice once said of 
 him in my hearing, " I could never get beneath his jacket." That Avas 
 probablj- tlie feeling of many, but it was not true of all. He was far 
 from demonstrative with his affections; but he was kind in spirit, and 
 remarkably lenient in his judgment of othei's. I have never known the 
 man whom I loved more, or who proved himself, on long acquaintance, 
 worthy of greater respect. 
 
 In February, 1832, I assisted him a whole week in a protracted meet- 
 ing. The streets were almost impassable from the depth of the snow, 
 but the attendance was good. The meetings were held principally in 
 the vestry, and, as the pastor was not in good liealth, were chiefly under 
 my direction. Prayer was heard, and good was done, but the apparent 
 results were not large. 
 
 Early in the following autumn, soon after the resignation of Mr. 
 Knowlcs, I was invited by a committee to preach a few weeks in Bald- 
 win Place, apparently as a supply, but, as I well understood, with refer- 
 ence to something furthei*. I was tlien pastor of the Middle Street 
 Clmrch, in Portsmouth, N. H., and my sense of justice to that dear peo- 
 ple forbade my compliance with such a request, and I simply declined it. 
 A few weeks afterwards an invitation came from both the cliurch and 
 society to become their pastor. That I could honorably accept, and my 
 afSrmative answer was promptly given. My first sermon was the week- 
 ly lecture in the vestry, November 2, 1832, from Psalms Ixxxv. 6 : 
 *' Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee? " 
 The sermon was intended as a key-note of my ministry in that place, as 
 it had been in my previous pastorate, and many of you are aware how 
 conformable to it w.ere my labors. My first residence was at 39 Charter 
 Street, in a house owned and long occupied by Deacon Joseph Woodcock. 
 My first funeral was of a child of Lewis Smith, in Prince Street. The 
 first couple I married were Samuel Parks and Eliza S. Fuller, in Port- 
 land Street. 
 
 At the time of my settlement, the nortliern part of the city contained 
 very few foreigners. The nearest Roman Catholic place of worship 
 was in Franklin Street. The population was dense ; and, though not 
 of the wealthier classes, they were of tiie kind most easily reached by 
 evangelical influences. The congregation was remarkably homoge- 
 neous. There were no aristocratic famihes. None were above attend- 
 ing a vestry meeting. It was refreshing to see how general and how 
 
INSTALLATION. 93 
 
 cordial was the feuling of social equality. To the prevalence of that 
 feeling I attribute, under God, much of my success in that field. I hud 
 no temptation to cater to the taste of any particular class ; all were 
 about on a level, and every sermon, like tiie scythe of a mower, might 
 shave to the ground. 
 
 Very few of my hearers resided south of a line running from Long 
 Wharf through State, Court, and Cambridge Streets, to Cambridge 
 Bridge. When the house was fullest, from 1834 to 1845, the great 
 body of my people resided north of Elm and Portland Streets. I proba- 
 bly had then more Americans every Sabbath than can now be found in 
 the first ward. 
 
 Wo sliall have occasion hereafter to quote other portions 
 of this letter. Resuming our sketch from the time when he 
 commenced his labors in Boston, we find the same distrust 
 of himself, and the same looking up to God for help, that we 
 have noticed in other crisis jjeriods of his life. "The charge 
 I now assume is immense. I am inadequate to its duties. I 
 would take hold of God's arm." The services of installation 
 occurred on November 15, 1832. Rev. Professor Knowles, 
 as was most fitting, preached the sermon. Rev. Dr. Sharp 
 ofiered the installing prayer, and Rev. Dr. Hague gave the 
 right hand of fellowship. 
 
 Passing over the record of the next few weeks, Ave turn to 
 his journal, commencing with the following date: — 
 
 1833. 
 
 January 1, 1833. Another year forever gone. How eventful it has 
 been to me ! How full of anxious care, hopes, and disappointments ! 
 My mercies have been numerous, and so have my sins. Have labored 
 much, and apparently effected little. To-day I would bow down in 
 gratitude and penitence before my Maker, Benefactor, and Preserver. 
 
 that my heart may love him and adore ! 
 
 March 30. Cheering intelligence. The Rev. Luther Crawford has 
 accepted the invitation of the Portsmouth church to become their pastor. 
 
 1 feel grateful to God for providing them so good and able a man. May 
 he prove a blessing to that dear people. A heavy burden of care and 
 responsibility is now removed from me. I can give myself more fully 
 to my duties in Boston. Yet God forbid I should cease to pray for deal 
 Portsmouth. 
 
94 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 April 19. Eeturned from Portsmouth. Preached there last evening, 
 at the installation of Rev. L. Crawford, as pastor of the Middle Street 
 Baptist Churcli. Enjoyed a refreshing scene among old friends. Lord, 
 bless both people and pastor. 
 
 May 11. Called upon Mr. and Mrs. Sutton, arrived recently from Cal- 
 cutta. Mr. Sutton is a missionary of the English Baptists ; has long been 
 laboring in Hindoostan. Mrs. Sutton went from this city as the wife of 
 Brother Colinan, w!io died at Cox Bazaar, Arracan. They came home 
 in the Fenelon, together with Brother and Sister Wade, and a Burman 
 and a Karen, botli converts. 
 
 August 4. Baptized four this morning in our new baptistery. The 
 season was trul3- a pleasant one, the congregation large and attentive. 
 
 October 3. We liave now eleven candidates for baptism. Should 
 my health permit, I shall baptize them next Lord's day. Five are re- 
 cent converts ; two are members of a Congregational church ; the others 
 have had hope in Jesus for some time, but the Lord has now brought 
 them out not only to see, but to feel, the claims of duty. We trust we 
 are beginning to see good days. Tlie church are more awake than I 
 have seen them since my removal to the city. Lord, arouse them still 
 more. 0, shed forth the vivifying influences of the Holy Spirit, and 
 excite all our powers to more vigorous action. Let us see thy glory in 
 the sanctuarj', and rejoice in thy salvation. Thanks, everlasting tlianks 
 for what 1 now enjoy. Bring me forth as gold from the furnace, seven 
 times purified, and more fit for the Master's use. 
 
 October 6. Though feeble, performed some service in tlie sanctuary. 
 Baptized two in the morning, in the afternoon gave tliem the riglit hand of 
 fellowship. In the forenoon my dear Brother John N. Brown preached, 
 " on tlie nature and importance of positive divine institutions." It was 
 an excellent discourse. In the afternoon mj' equally dear Brother 
 Eufus Babcock, Jr. preached upon the " adaptedness of the divine good- 
 ness to lead sinners to repentance." It was truly refreshing to hear 
 him. This has been a good day. Many of the saints have richly en- 
 joyed it, and I trust the services may be rendered useful to the whole 
 congregation. 
 
 October 9. Eeturned from Salem, where, last evening, I assisted in 
 setting apart Mr. John B. Cook and wife as missionaries to Siam. Pro- 
 fessor Ripley addressed the people. Dr. Bolles gave them instructions, 
 and I gave them tlie right hand of fellowship. 
 
 Lord's day, December 15, 1833. Preached this morning from Psalms 
 xlvi. 10, " Be still and know that I am God," with reference to the death 
 of two young men, S. W. L. and W. C. Had some clear and soul- 
 humbling views of the divine sovereignty — contemplated God as above 
 all, managing with perfect case and rectitude the whole machinery, 
 material and siiiritual, of his universe. How great is God ! How per- 
 fect ! 
 
THE EARNEST M'OKKER. 95 
 
 December 31. Tliis year is closinj?. Let me review, before God, 
 its scenes — its cares, sins, blessings, and joys. Mucli liave I to be 
 thankful for, much to repent of. I have preached one hundred and 
 fifty-five sermons, married forty couples, attended thirty-nine funerals, 
 and baptized forty-three. 
 
 To God I commend my labors, my family, my people, my whole self. 
 I am a sinner, with no hope of heaven except through the merits of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 The year just ended had been a memorable one in the life 
 of JMr. Stow. He had begun to learn how pressing and with- 
 out cessation are the cares which devolve on the pastor of a 
 large city cliurch. With his usual zeal, and earnest longings 
 for the s])iritual welfare of those intrusted to his care, he had 
 thrown himself into his work. Dissatisfied unless he saw 
 ])Ositive and visible fruits of his ministry, he taxed mind and 
 heart in the preparation and delivery of his sermons. Those 
 who remember the early days of his ministry in Baldwin 
 Place recall with great vividness his personal appearance in 
 the pulpit; how his eye would light up with a sacred fire, his 
 countenance beam with unwonted emotion, and his whole 
 form become dilated into an appearance of dignity and solem- 
 nity which both captivated and awed his hearers. Very 
 rarely docs the eloquence of the pulpit send forth a purer 
 lustre than it shed from that holy spot Avhere he stood who 
 was "a burning and a shining light." And if his ministerial 
 greatness showed itself in the sacred desk, not less did it 
 appear in his pastoral work. It can be said of him, as Pro- 
 fessor Park has said of William Bradford Homer, " He visited 
 the sick chamber with literal sickness of heart, and, when 
 called to attend a funeral, he felt as one personally bereaved," 
 " He was desirous of seeing an immediate influence from 
 eveiy sermon, and was grieved if he did not see it. The 
 truths which he uttered from the pulpit so absorbed his atten- 
 tion, that they often aAvaked him by night." All through the 
 year, to the record of which we have briefly adverted, his 
 journal indicates the intensity of his desires for the religious 
 welfiire of his people. Every hopeful sign of the coming of 
 a revived state of religion was watched with most lively 
 
96 JCEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 interest. His whole being seemed to be pervaded witli unut- 
 terable joy and gratitude, if he saw anything like the tokens 
 of the presence of the Holy Spirit. How often, in reading 
 these outgushings of his heart's longings, we have been 
 reminded of the w^ords of the Psalmist, "I wait for the 
 Lord; my soul doth Avait, and in his word do I hope. My 
 soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for 
 the morning; I say, more than they that watch for the 
 morning." A minister of less sensitive temperament would 
 have dismissed these anxieties with the feeling that he had 
 no right to indulge in them, if he had a reasonable conviction 
 that he had done his duty. But Mr. Stow was ever placing 
 the standard of duty higher and higher. Any approximation 
 to what might once have been his ideal seemed to raise that 
 ideal to a loftier plane, and in proportion as he struggled to 
 reach it, it was ever eluding his grasp. No wonder that the 
 laboring spirit made such great drafts on the depressed 
 and often physically prostrated body. No wonder that the 
 nerves, stretched to such a tension for days and weeks, felt 
 the strain, and that, in the reaction, there came a gloom some- 
 times as great as the exultation he had felt in the service of 
 his Master. Again we lift the veil, and once more look on 
 the record of his daily life, both inner and outer. 
 
 1834. 
 
 January 1, 1834. " The goodness of God enduretli continually," 
 whereof the preservation of my life, and the numerous blessings that 
 encompass my path, are witnesses. Now entering upon a new year, I 
 would devote myself afresh to God — would take the Lord anew as my 
 portion, all my hope. May my growth in grace be more and more rapid. 
 
 January 6. A day of general fasting and prayer among the church- 
 es. May the prayers to-day be fervent, believing, and effectual, 
 so God may be glorified and his churches benefited. For fourteen 
 evenings in succession the church under my charge have met to con- 
 fess, exhort, and praise, and praj'. The effect has evidently been good. 
 Backsliders have been reclaimed; some sinners seem touched with a 
 sense of their guilt. I trust they are not mere appearances, yet I hard- 
 ly dare confide in them, so deceitful is the heart, and so easy is it to 
 produce excitement, when there is no dejotli of principle. 
 
JOURNAL. 97 
 
 January 24. This morning had some enhirgemcnt in prayer — some 
 sweet sense of the divine presence. A portion only of the church 
 seem awake and earnest in prayer; but God lias heard them, and given 
 some tokens of good. " My heart breaketli for the longing it hath" 
 unto the salvation of God. Lord, enable me to confide wholly in Thee 
 — vain is man. 
 
 February 17th. O Lord, my Lord, one thing I desire of thee — 
 that thou wilt convert sinners, and give me souls for my hire. Even 
 if I am not permitted to see the fruit of my labors, let this he the fruit- 
 age, that " I may rejoice in the day of Christ Jesus." Thou seest the 
 multitudes that come to hear : shall they hear in vain ? Into thy care 
 I commit my dear people, my labors for their good, and myself. Wilt 
 thou sanctify me, and qualify me more fully for my work.'' Wilt thou 
 not give effect to my labors here? Is anything too hard for thee? 
 
 March 31. " Truly God is good to Israel." My people continue 
 to be blessed with the life-giving influences of the Spirit. Since the 
 meeting of the Boston Baptist Association, in September last, I have 
 baptized forty, some of them the fruits of the venerable Baldwin's 
 labors, others of the labors of my immediate predecessor, and not a few 
 recent converts. Yesterday I baptized eight; others give evidence of a 
 change of heart and life. Surely we have occasion to bless God, and 
 magnify his name. Two young men have been very active in procur- 
 ing an organ for the church at an expense of two thousand dollars, 
 which was used j'esterday for the first time. 
 
 May 9. Just returned from New York, where I have been for the last 
 two weeks, attending tlie anniversaries of various religious socie- 
 ties. Preached three times, made two public addresses, saw much and 
 heard much, enjoyed seeing many friends. Delighted again to recom- 
 mence my labors. Regular pastoral duty I prefer to all things else. 
 
 Lord's Day, June 29. This morning Brother Knowles preached for 
 me, — an excellent discourse, — and I baptized three interesting candi- 
 dates. Evening services were held ; eleven new missionaries were set 
 apart to their work in Burmah and Siam, at the Baldwin Place Church. 
 The throng was immense. 
 
 July 2. This morning the missionaries sailed for Burmah. They 
 were Messrs. Wade, Dean, Howard, Vinton, Osgood, and Comstock, 
 with their wives. The crowd on the wharf was large, and the services 
 truly solemn. At half past nine "the gallant ship was sheeted home," 
 and she moved down the harbor with a mild but fiivoring breeze, while 
 the brethren and sisters on board sang, " Yes, my native land, I love 
 thee," &c. God speed them on their way. " Thy kingdom come." 
 
 August 8. Left home on the 7th ult., with my dear E. Journeyed 
 by a circuitous route to Windsor, Vt., Newport, N. H., &c., &c. Re- 
 
 7 
 
98 MEMOIR OF Dll. STOW. 
 
 turned last evening after a delightful visit to our numerous connections. 
 Preached ten times ; delivered one temperance address. Walked and 
 rode very much. Enjoyed good healtli, and revived in memory a thou- 
 sand scenes of our childhood; lived over again the joyous days of 
 youth. 
 
 October 29. This evening had but half a congregation, owing to 
 heavy rain. Preached from 2 Cor. v. 19 — " God was in Christ recon- 
 ciling the world unto himself." Had labored hard Saturday to get hold 
 of the glory of the declaration, but accomplished little. While preach- 
 ing, the subject opened upon my mind with fresh splendor, but, cramped 
 by my plan, I was utterly unable to present my views to the people. So 
 deeply was my mind impressed with this grand theme, 1 wanted to preach 
 it over again. Is God in Christ? Then let me be in Christ also. 
 There the two extremes can meet. There the hostile parties can be 
 reconciled, and there only. God was of old in the tabernacle, and in 
 the holy place of his temple, ready to hold intercourse with men — 
 those were shadows of this great truth, God in Christ. Am I in Christ? 
 Then am I a new creature. Then am I not condemned. (Rom. viii. 1.) 
 Then have I peace with God. (Kom. v. 1.) Glorious, glorious plan! 
 Thus God retains his dignity, and shows his abhorrence of our rebellion 
 and depravitj-. Thus he condescends without impairing his integrity, 
 or conniving at our guilt, or jeopardizing the interests of holiness. I 
 wonder not the proud, the pharisaical, the vicious, hate the doctrine of 
 Christ in God. I wonder not that the humble, the broken-hearted, the 
 holy admire and love it. 
 
 We might Imve made more coidIous extracts from the jour- 
 nal of Mr. Stow dming this year; but those given present us 
 with good iUustrations of the general tone of his feelings, 
 and the cliaracter of the work in which he was engaged. 
 With great conscientiousness and untiring industry he de- 
 voted liimself to his ministerial and pastoral work, and God 
 set the seal of his approbation upon these labors. His con- 
 gregations were uniformly large and attentive, and already 
 his church had increased so much in numbers, that the ques- 
 tion of colonizing began to be agitated. The opening of a 
 new year finds him at his post, and he begins it with im- 
 ploring anew the divine blessing upon his work. 
 
DECLINES THE SECKETAKYSEIIP OF THE CONVENTION. 99 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Elected Secretaky op the Triennial Convention. — Declines. — 
 Journal. — Correspondence. — Letter to the Baldwin Place 
 Church. — Journal. 
 
 1835-1836. 
 
 The beginning of a new year found Mr. Stow cherishing 
 the hope that the special favor of Heaven would be vouch- 
 safed to him in the discharge of his duties. His service of a 
 httle more than a year had made him acquainted with his 
 peoj)le, and his ready sympathy had brought him in close 
 contact with their hearts. We know how strong were the 
 ties of aifection which bound the pastor and his church in 
 the bonds of a union which only grew closer and dearer with 
 the lapse of time. From tlie commencement of his ministry, 
 the church felt that God had highly fevored them in granting 
 them so choice a ministerial gift. As his reputation extended 
 and his influence widened, they felt a new pride in him, and 
 were not backward in showing their appreciation of him. We 
 shall observe, from the extracts which we continue to give 
 from his journal, that he was growing in the estimation of the 
 churclies and the community. The interest which he took in 
 the cause of foreign missions led the board of managers of 
 the Triennial Convention to turn their attention to him as 
 a suitable person to fill the responsible position -of secre- 
 tary; and we shall find that, at the meeting held this year 
 in Richmond, Ya., he w^as elected to this office. He declined 
 it, however, "not because his heart was not in the work, but 
 because his attachment to his people was so strong that 
 he would not leave them for any other position to which 
 
100 aiEMOIE OF DR. STOW. 
 
 his brethren miglit invite him, unless the call of God waa 
 too clear to be resisted. No man ever placed a higher esti- 
 mate on the pastorate, or gave stronger evidence of his sin- 
 cere love for ministerial work, than Baron Stow. 
 
 1835. 
 
 January 1, 1835. In the grace of God I am preserved to see the 
 opening of a new year. Should my life be prolonged another year, may 
 it be more completely devoted to God, and filled up with useful service. 
 
 May 10. Eeturned, after an absence of four weeks, to Richmond, 
 Va., where I attended the session of the Baptist General Convention. 
 Services were delightfully refreshing. 
 
 May 16. The Convention saw fit to elect me as one of their corre- 
 sponding secretaries. My duty seems clear not to accept. I cannot 
 leave the dear people over whom the Lord has manifestly placed me, 
 and in whose eyes he has given me undeserved favor. I wish no higher 
 honor than to be pastor of the Second Baptist Church. 
 
 August 21. This afternoon a large meeting has been held at Faneuil 
 Hall, to denounce, and if possible put down, the friends of the crushed 
 slave. There seems to be a fixed determination that they shall be de- 
 prived of the freedom of speech and of the press. All the churches, and 
 almost every hall are closed against the discussion of the subject of sla- 
 very. The cause of the oppressed is shut out, and with it the God of tlie 
 oppressed. The number of names to the call of the above meeting is 
 over fifteen hundred. Who will like to read his name there one hun- 
 dred years hence ? 
 
 September 22. This day twenty missionaries, accompanied by Mr. 
 Malcom, as agent of the board, sailed for the East. The scene was de- 
 lightful. O God, preserve thou them, and render them all extensively 
 useful. 
 
 Painful news from Lowell. Brother Enoch "W. Freeman, pastor of 
 the First Baptist Church in that town, died this morning, of cholera 
 morbus. 
 
 For a week past I have felt unusual solicitude for the conversion of 
 sinners. All seem thoughtless ; but God has given me desires such as 
 I have seldom had. O that the church were more deeply impressed with a 
 conviction of their responsibility upon this subject ! 
 
 September 24. Attended the funeral of Brother Freeman. Preached 
 from Num. xxiii. 10. It was as solemnly impressive a scene as I ever 
 witnessed. Thousands in tears. He was tenderly beloved by his peo- 
 ple, and his labors have been greatly useful. May we all be profited by 
 this admonitory dispensation. 
 
 October 19. Preached three times yesterdav. Endeavored, in two 
 
JOURNAI.. 101 
 
 Kormons, to persuade my dear people to be in earnest in tlie pursuit of 
 heaven. Evening, preached tlie annual sermon before the Fatherless 
 and Widows' Society. Full house, but meagre collection. 
 
 October 22. The Female Anti-Slavery Society met to-day, and were 
 dispersed by a mob! Mr. Garrison was seized, and, but for the inter- 
 ference of the mayor, would have been roughly handled, if not mur- 
 dered. All this for what? For being the friend of the crushed slave. 
 Put this and the meeting at Faneuil Hall (August 21) together ! Tliis 
 mob seems the fruit of that respectable gathering. O God, hast thou 
 not favor in store for two millions and a half of thine oppressed crea- 
 tures? 
 
 November 3. Overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility touching 
 the souls committed to my charge. Many of the church give no evi- 
 dence of piety. Very few are really living Christians. What shall I 
 say of the congregation ? Hundreds senseless and immovable as the 
 dead. For them I watch as one that must give account of my steward- 
 ship. How shall I acquit myself of their blood.'' How discharge my 
 duty to them? Canst thou not grants wie thy Holy Spirit, to enable me 
 to declare the whole counsel of God? Beget in the church a spirit of 
 prayer. May they awake, and live for God. 
 
 November 21. Nineteen years has my dear father been in heaven, 
 and /so much nearer the time when I shall meet him. ' 
 
 December 13. God has come near to me in the death of my dear 
 Brother Alonzo King, pastor of the Baptist Church in Westboro', 
 Mass. We joined the church in Newport, within a few months of each 
 other, in the year 1818; entered the ministry about the same time; have 
 always loved each other, and, thougli ver}' dissimilar in temperaments, 
 have always agreed in feeling, principle, and action. His leading moral 
 characteristic was humility. He thought little of himself, and of him- 
 self always spoke ill, though uniformly well, if at all, of others. He 
 was a very holy man, and to me is " not lost, but gone before." 
 
 December 16. Went to Westboro', and preached a sermon with a view 
 to improve the divine dispensation in the removal of dear Brother King. 
 It was his request that no sermon should be preached at his funeral, 
 and that, if his family and people should desire, I should preach a dis- 
 course to them for their good after his burial. I endeavored to exhibit 
 to the afflicted friends the consolation to be derived from the fact of the 
 Saviour's resurrection as confirming the divinity of our religion, as sig- 
 nifying the divine acceptance of Christ's mediation, as containing a 
 pledge that the entire plan of redemption should be executed, and as 
 rendering certain the resurrection of all believers. To-day has been 
 intensely cold, and while I was preaching the mercury out of doors 
 sto od twelve degrees below zero. My ride of thirty-two miles home 
 
102 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW 
 
 was bitterly cold. The day, I trust, lias been profitable As I looked 
 upon the afflicted widow and children, my heart melted in view of God's 
 goodness to me and mine. 
 
 The journals of Mr. Stow abound in the most touching 
 references to his mother. Her toils and sacrifices for him- 
 self, his brother, and his sister, are often gratefully recorded. 
 But what most impressed him, and left its savor longest on 
 his heart, was the deep piety evinced in the careful training 
 of lier children in. the way of personal purity and holiness. 
 The first of the following letters was written to his mother 
 after her recovery from a severe illness, which it was feared 
 would terminate her life : — 
 
 Boston, March 12, 1834. 
 
 My vert dear Mother : I feel that we all have occasion to be 
 grateful to God for his goodness in restoring you to health, and permit- 
 ting you to continue still longer for the benefit of your children. We 
 doubt not but you are prepared for a better world, and that for yourself 
 it migiit be better to depart and be with Christ, but for the sake of those 
 who need your society and counsel it is every way desirable that you 
 should live many years. The Lord is good and wise, and blessed be 
 his holy name forever and ever. Our prayer is that your affliction may 
 be sanctified to your benefit, so that your holiness and comfort may be 
 thereby promoted. 
 
 At present we are enjoying a precious revival, and my labors are 
 more numerous and severe than ever. Since October 1,1 have bap- 
 tized thirty-two, and many more are rejoicing in hope. God is merci- 
 fully blessing my labors fiir beyond my highest anticipations. 
 
 JNIaiiy of the churches in this region are now blessed with encoura- 
 ging revivals, and the prospect is that this will be a year of great in- 
 crease to our Zion. O that the Lord's people would all aivake and live 
 not unto themselves, but for the glory of Ilim who died to redeem them I 
 
 To his brother-in-laAv, W. L. Beal, whom the following let- 
 ter was expected to reach in Paris : — 
 
 October 28, 1835. 
 
 One week has passed since we gave you the partmg hand, and 
 while we are quietly housed at No. 11, you are doubtless tossing 
 on the bounding billows. Our morning and evening prayer, as we 
 bend around our domestic altar, is, that Heaven may give you a safe 
 ftnd a speedy passage, preserve you from all dangers, and soon return 
 
LETTER TO AV. L. BEAL. 103 
 
 you to Uio friends wlio love you, and whom you love. TVe cherish a 
 strong oonfitlence that it will be so. 
 
 We have nothing new among us. All things move on quietly (sinca 
 the riot on the day you left, in which Mr. Garrison was endangered, but 
 not injured), and I trust we shall be saved from evils which are dis- 
 turbing and disgracing other cities. Several of the celebrated " ten 
 hour men" have been apprehended as the "incendiaries " who have 
 occasioned the late fires. Some have confessed, and against others the 
 proof is clear. 
 
 I have just returned from Worcester, where yesterday I preached 
 the installation sermon of Rev. Mr. Aldrich. To-morrow I go to per- 
 form the same service at Lowell for Mr. Porter. "Then," says E., 
 peremptorily, " you must stay at home." Really, I hope all hands will 
 let me alone, and allow me to labor on quietly in my own vineyard. 
 The Federal Street Church and Society have invited Mr. Ide. Should 
 he accept, he will bear a part of these burdens. 
 
 To tlie same : — 
 
 November 28, 1835. 
 
 We have "rumors of war" with France, and we sometimes feel 
 apprehensive that President Jackson will, in his forthcoming mes- 
 sage, apply tiie match to the train and create an explosion that will 
 affect, not only i/ou7- business, but the interests, temporal and eternal, 
 of millions. You will do well not to plunge deeply into engagements 
 for the future, until you know how this troublesome matter is to issue. 
 Our treasury is to have a surplus of twenty-seven millions at the close 
 of the year, and our politicians know not what to do with it, except to 
 shoot it away at Louis Philippe and his refractory subjects. O, how 
 pitiful is this war spirit! I loathe it from my inmost soul. So undigni- 
 fied, so unbefitting immortal, accountable beings, so opposed to the 
 mild and benignant spirit of Christianity. 
 
 The correspondence tlms given shows the warmth of his 
 domestic affections, and indicates that he was becoming more 
 widely known, and that his services as an acceptable preacher 
 were in constant requisition on public occasions. Returning 
 once more to his journal, we gWe a few extracts wdiich have 
 reference to his ministerial life during the year 1836. 
 
 1836. 
 
 January 16. Since the great prayer day (first Monday in the month), 
 the Lord has revived his work in many places. A brother just 
 
104 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 in has informed nie of .a gracious outpouring in Beverly. I rejoice, 
 Lord, tliat Thou art working anywhere ; but may I not still plead for 
 Baldwin Place? Last evening our prayer meeting was full, and more 
 spirited than usual. Had I not so often seen such aj^pearances vanish, 
 I should he a little encouraged. I hope still in thy promises, thou 
 God of mercy. 
 
 January 23. This evening received from this dear church a fresh 
 token of their kindness — a donation of two hundred dollars in money. 
 On the first ult., I received from two young men of the society, as 
 a New Year's remembrance, fifty dollars. I am oppressed by such 
 kindness, and cannot perceive why I am thus distinguished. God has 
 a purpose in it. O that I may never cease to be grateful to God or my 
 friends ! I ought to labor with greater zeal and fresher courage. 
 
 February 15. Having received an invitation from the Middle Street 
 Cliurch and Society in Portsmoutii to return and again become their 
 pastor, have to-day sent them a negative reply. I truly love that dear 
 people, and should be glad to render them any practicable service. 
 
 During the last seven days we have held a series of evening prayer 
 meetings with special reference to the low state of religion among us. 
 A few individuals in the church seem partially awakened, but the mass 
 are still apparently unconcerned whether sinners be lost or saved. 
 
 April 5. A letter from Sister J. H. P. brings the tidings that my dear 
 brother Peter is no more. He was our youngest, and around him our 
 hearts clustered. Of a peculiarly delicate constitution, he has been an 
 object of much solicitude. Loving and lovable in his chiiracter, he en- 
 deared himself to us all by a thousand ties. But now thou art in the 
 society of the blessed. I cannot mourn for thee. Thou hast left a 
 world of suffering, and found rest in heaven. I hope to meet thee, and 
 rejoice with thee before the throne. May God support and comfort my 
 d'?ar mother. For more than twenty-two years she has watciied over 
 this son with tenderness and fidelity never surpassed. 
 
 I know her heart bleeds at the separation. O Thou who didst console 
 the widow of Nain speak peace to her soul, and bid lier rejoice in tliee ! 
 What a favor to have had such a brother I to have him leave behind him 
 not only an untarnislied reputation, but the hope and prospect of a 
 bright immortality beyond this vale, — 
 
 " Where the loved and parted here below 
 Meet ne'er to part again I " 
 
 April 14. I have been reflecting on the causes, in myself, of the un- 
 fruitfulness of my labors. 
 
 Is my preaching defective in doctrine, in illustration, in style, in 
 spirit? Does my life contradict my preaching? Are the susceptibilities 
 of my mind such that it would be unsuitable for me to see the effect of 
 
LETTER TO HIS CIIUPX'II. 105 
 
 my labors ? Do I trust myself more tlian God ? the means used more 
 tlian the grace, wliicli alone can make them effectual? Is my piety sc 
 defective that God cannot honor my efforts ? 
 
 God forbid that I should murmur. God forbid that I should think 
 too higlily of self, or mj efforts. I am unworthy. If I must labor on 
 witiiout seeing the good I do, my desire is to glorify God. 
 
 May 1. This morning baptized seven. House thronged. Rev. 
 Basil Manly, of Cliai-leston, S. C, occupied my pulpit. A good, sensi- 
 ble discourse. 
 
 May 24. Just returned from a most affecting scene — the funeral of 
 Rev. Bela Jacobs, pastor of the East Cambridge church. On Sunday 
 morning, as he drove to the church in his chaise, the ringing of the bell 
 started the horse, and he ran furiously until the wlieel struck a building, 
 throwing him out with such violence as to shatter his head most shock- 
 ingly. He lived but one hour after. His wife survives him. The event 
 has thrown a deep gloom over the whole community. To-day we have 
 paid him our last sad respects. By request of the bereaved family and 
 flock, l^preaclied tlie discourse from Luke xxiii. 28 : " Weep not for 
 me." Tiie solemnitj' was overwhelming. 
 
 July 15. Returned after an absence of forty days. Visited my dear 
 mother at Evans's Mills. N. Y. Found her much better in health than 
 I expected. Went to the grave of my beloved brother Peter. He 
 sleeps in Jesus. Passed a few days at Saratoga Springs, Windsor, and 
 Newport. Health very much invigorated. " I will sing of the mercies 
 of the Lord." 
 
 During this absence from home, he wrote to his church the 
 following letter : — 
 
 EvAxs's Mills, N. Y., June 15, 1836. 
 Dear Brethren and Sisters : After a fatiguing journey of five 
 hundred and fifty miles, we arrived safely at this place, and were cor- 
 dially welcomed by friends whom we tenderly love, and from whom we 
 have long been separated. The meeting was of that joyous kind 
 which reminded me of tiie final meeting of pious kindred at the right 
 hand of God in the kingdom of heaven. The pleasure, however, was 
 embittered by one consideration. One member of the beloved circle 
 was absent, and the breach was a wide one. From the window wiiere I 
 now sit I can see the little hillock that rises over the sleeping dust of a 
 dear brother, whom I had not seen for seven years, and whom I shall 
 never again see until I behold him in glory before the throne of God. 
 But though he is gone, other friends, dear friends, are left, and among 
 them a mother, to whom, for counsels, prayers, and examples, I owe 
 
106 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 more than to any other eartlily being. Truly God is good, and no one 
 of liis creatures has such occasion as I have to be grateful for his pecu- 
 liar kindness. So unworthy, so vile am I, that, whenever I reflect at 
 all, I am amazed that God should show me any favor. While I have 
 breath I will praise him, and when my voice shall be lost in death, 
 praise shall still employ my emancipated and purified powers while 
 eternity rolls. 
 
 But, dear brethren and sisters, do not imagine that because I am in 
 the society of endeared and affectionate kindred, I have forgotten the 
 beloved flock " over wiiom the Holy Ghost hath made me overseer." 
 No, no ; I love the church with an affection too intense to be modified 
 or diminished by any circumstances. 
 
 *' For her my tears shall fall, 
 For her my prayers ascend, 
 To her my cares anrl toils be given. 
 Till toils and cares shall end." 
 
 The ties that bind me to you are delicate and strong. Your interests 
 are mine, your consolations and sorrows are mine, and my daily and 
 hourly prayer is, that God will watch over you and keep you unto life 
 eternal. Yesterday, while thinking of you and endeavoring to lift up 
 my heart in prayer for your peace and prosperity, I had some sweet 
 reflections upon the Saviour's language in the tenth chapter of John : 
 •' My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and 
 I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall 
 any pluck them out of my hands ; " also upon the words of the apostle, 
 " Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." How precious 
 are these assurances ! God has opened to us the fountains of strong 
 consolation. lie will take care of his people. " His foundation stand- 
 eth sure, having this seal — the Lord knov/eth them that are his." 
 
 Allow me here, beloved, to make some suggestions upon some points 
 touching your spiritual welfare. 
 
 1. The importance of careful and prayerful study of the Scriptures. 
 I know that in a former epistle I brought this matter before you, and 
 also that the Lord's day before I left, I exhorted you " to search the 
 Scriptures." But such is the importance of the subject that I cannot 
 forbear again to present it, and entreat you to take diligent heed to the 
 " sure word of prophecy," with wliich our merciful Father has favored 
 us. Three reasons urge upon us this duty : — 
 The Bible is the standard of truth. 
 The Bible is the rule of our duty. 
 The Bible is the source of spiritual nutriment. 
 
 Let us not neglect this blessed book, but study it with care and with 
 sincere desires to be instructed in all wisdom and righteousness. 
 
LETTER TO BALDWIN PLACE CHUKCH. 107 
 
 2. The importance of prayer in the closet, in the family, in the 
 church. Do any of the members neglect private devotions? Do any 
 that are heads of families omit morning and evening worship around tlie 
 domestic altar? If so, your pastor would affectionately inquire if it is 
 rtgi/t^ to neglect so important a duty ? Do any forsake the assembling 
 themselves together for purposes of social devotion? Dear brethren, 
 do not neglect the Friday evening prayer meeting. Last Friday even- 
 ing we remembered you with not a little feeling, and though crowded 
 with others into the cabin of a canal-boat, where we had no place for 
 retirement, yet we conversed upon your state, and raised our silent 
 desires to the " God of all grace," that he would meet with you and bless 
 you abundantly. Again I entreat you not to lose your interest in the 
 prayer meeting. 
 
 3. The importance of strict discipline. A cliurch cannot prosper 
 that connives at sin in its members, and that charity which shrinks from 
 plain, faithful dealing with offenders is false charity, and deeply injuri- 
 ous. A straightforward course in discipline, in accordance with the 
 rule laid down by the Saviour, is the only one that will insure his ap- 
 probation. We have many delinquent members whose negligence re- 
 quires attention. If the efforts required by the gospel to reclaim them 
 are unsuccessful, it is decidedly wrong to retain them as members. May 
 God help you to be faithful in this duty. 
 
 4. The importance of carefulness and tenderness in speaking of one 
 another. I greatly fear that in this respect there is not sufficient cau- 
 tion. We ought not, indeed, to cloak sin ; but when our brethren and 
 sisters do wrong, our first duty is to go to them and ^5rti;ai!e??/ reprove 
 them in tlie spirit of meekness and love. The path of duty in such cases 
 is prescribed by the Saviour himself, and unless it be carefully and con- 
 scientiously followed, we shall all incur his displeasure. Brethren, will 
 you not reflect upon this duty? Let parents be prudent in speaking of 
 the faults of church members before their children, and let all be care- 
 ful how they speak of their brethren and sisters before the ungodly. 
 The reasons I need not assign, for they must be obvious to every mind. 
 
 These few hints I send you, with the earnest praj-er that God will 
 render them useful in promoting your sanctification. My desire is for 
 your perfect holiness. 
 
 In conclusion, let me solicit your prayers not only that we may be 
 kept from dangers in our journeyings, but also that we may be pre- 
 served from sin, and rendered useful wherever we may go. Join with 
 me, brethren and sisters, in seeking a blessing on the unconverted in 
 the congregation. My soul groans over them with earnest longings fof 
 their conversion to God. 
 
 Your affectionate pastor. 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
108 MEMOIK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Writing- to Deacon Samuel Beal, from Saratoga Springs, 
 he says, — 
 
 I am anxious to return, and shall not prolong my stay a moment 
 beyond the necessities of the case. A wandering life I should never 
 love. The life of a pastor is my desire and my highest pleasure. 
 Where I have l-f^en the churches are exceedingly languid. The whole 
 country has been overrun with the " new divinity," and the moral soil 
 is burnt out so that no green thing will grow. In one place where there 
 was last winter a protracted meeting of twenty days, and consequently 
 a great excitement, called a revival, and where I expected to see some 
 life, I found all dead and cold. I attended there a prayer meeting of a 
 pleasant evening, and only seven were present! I longed to be trans- 
 ported to Baldwin Place. Indeed. I am often with you in spirit, and I 
 long to be present bodily. 
 
 The record of his journal reveals to us with what earnest> 
 ness he resumed his labors : — 
 
 September 9. On the fith ult. went to Providence, and delivered the 
 annual address before the Philermenian Society of Brown Universit}'. 
 Did not satisfy myself, and very much doubt if I did others. My busi- 
 ness is not to deliver orations, but to preach the gospel. 
 
 November 5, Saturday evening. The Sabbath is again at hand, and 
 I have the prospect of pleading with sinners to be reconciled to God. 
 Last Sabbath evening, as usual, I felt I could say no more. I had 
 pleaded with Christians to labor for the conversion of sinners, and with 
 sinners to forsake the service of sin, and become the disciples of Jesus. 
 But now I feel Christ has given me more messages, and, by his grace, I 
 will declare them. Will they do good.'' My preaching evidently har- 
 dens hundreds, and increases their condemnation. "Who is sufficient 
 for these things?" Paul was not. Surely I am not. O God, I need 
 thy grace to strengthen me. I cannot bear this mighty responsibility 
 without thine aid. It is a comfort to lean on thee. In the pavilion of 
 thy faithfulness I hide myself. O, put me not to shame. 
 
 November 10. Commenced last evening a course of lectures on Old 
 Testament facts, beginning with the temptation in Eden Lecture-room 
 crowded. My heart's desire is, that good may be done. 
 
 November 12, Sabbath. Conversed half an hour this evening respect- 
 ing cwiiVe consecration to God. What is it to be thus consecrated? 
 Wholly, WHOLLY ! My own deficiencies appeared before me in a new 
 light. How little do I live for God ! How much for otiier ends than his 
 glory! If I were now called to exchange earth for heaven, I am sure I 
 sliould not be prepared to engage in the one great employment of that 
 
JOURNAL. 109 
 
 holy world witli ;ill my heart. A groat work remains to be accomplisliod 
 before I can say, " I am ready to be offered." 
 
 November 15. Visited a lady who is near the end of her course. 
 Her soul is in a most heavenly frame. Her chamber seems a nook of 
 heaven — its very atmosphere celestial. Would I could take my con- 
 gregation into such a scene, and show them the believer's joy in pros- 
 pect of death. 
 
 November 18. Visited the same lady again, and had another hour's 
 sweet communion with her almost beatified spirit. Her husband has 
 here found sweet peace in believing. The interview was truly refresh- 
 ing. She says she can now die with increased felicity. Her companion 
 she hopes to moot in glory. 
 
 November 19. Had some intense longings that the sermons I am pre- 
 paring for to-morrow may be blessed. I have labored carefully to speak 
 on death in sin and Christ our life. Wilt thou, O Lord, render them 
 effectual? Help thou my unbelief. 
 
 November 21. Twenty years this day my dear father entered into 
 rest. Blessed thought ! rest — an eternity of rest — eternally with God. 
 Who would not labor and suffer here a few years patiently, with the 
 prospect before him of eternal joy ! Feel exhilaration to-day. How- 
 ever, it is not spiritual — it is owing to the society of endeared friends. 
 The pleasures of religious company are great, exquisite. They will be 
 perfect in heaven. 
 
 November 28. Was told that a lady inquired of one of my family if 
 I am as much devoted at home as in the pulpit. Important question. 
 Does my life correspond with my preaching? Am I a consistent minis- 
 ter? a consistent Christian? Lord, forgive my failures. 
 
 December 24. Had some enjoyment to-day in preparing a sermon to 
 be addressed to the children of pious parents. Feelings of peculiar 
 tenderness have been awakened by a recollection of the instructions, the 
 examples, and prayers of my own dear parents. I could not forbear 
 bowing more than once before God in gratitude for such parents. How 
 much, under God, do I owe them for their fidelity to me when young! 
 Under other circumstances what should I have been? My heart is full. 
 Bless, O God, my dear mother. Let her days be many, and her joys 
 as numerous as her days. May she and my beloved father meet all 
 their children in the mansions of eternal rest. Whether I shall be able 
 to preach this sermon with affection and faith is yet to be seen. I pray 
 for grace to honor God, and do good. 
 
 A fcTv individuals have recently professed to be the subjects of grace, 
 who refer to my sermons as having awakened or comforted them. The 
 fact is encouraging; but I am ashamed of myself when I think how un- 
 grateful I am for such favors. I pray God to give me souls for my 
 
110 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 hire, and when he gives them I fail to realize his goodness, or acknowl* 
 edge the benefit. Wretch that I am, I overlook answers to prayer be- 
 cause the persons converted are not those for whose salvation I have 
 special desires. They are converted one by one, and not scores, as my 
 pride desires. How humbled ought I to be before God ! When I look 
 at the evils of ni^ own heart, the imperfection of my motives, my 
 prayers, my preaching, my whole efforts, I cannot wonder God with- 
 holds large blessings. Yet, after all deductions for selfishness, I trust 
 I have some sincere, disinterested desires for the salvatian of my dear 
 people. J have had some enlargement to-day, and this evening, in 
 prayer for them. I long to see the arm of the Lord made bare, and 
 stretched out for the destruction of Satan's dominion. I long to see 
 this church roused and quickened. I long for a descent of the Holy 
 Spirit, producing a spirit of repentance, of confession, of forgiveness, 
 brotherly love, prayer, faith, zealous individual effort. When shall this 
 thinj; he ? 
 
IDEALS OF TIJE MINISTRV AND THE CHURCH. Ill 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The earnest Worker. — Longings for a Revival. — A tjsErui 
 Sermon. — The great Revival of 1838. — Gathering in the 
 Harvest. — Missionary Discourse. — Death of Professor 
 Knowles. 
 
 1837. 
 
 The year upon which we now enter presents but little va- 
 riety in the outward life of Mr, Stow. We shall find that 
 there is no diminution of interest on his part in the spiritual 
 welfare of his church and congregation. Habit does not blunt 
 his sensibilities, neither does it lead him to go through with 
 his duties in a sort of perfunctory way, satisfied if he per- 
 forms them to the general satisfaction of his congregation. 
 Every year his ideal of the true minister of Christ becomes 
 more lofty, and he groans in spirit because he falls so far short 
 of reaching it. And, too, his conception of what a cliurch of 
 Christ ought to be, and, as he thinks, might be if it is properly 
 trained, becomes more intelligent and spiritual; and, in his 
 view, there is on earth no such society as a church of. the 
 Lord Jesus, formed after the model in liis mind, such as he 
 believes the New Testament, under the inspiration of the 
 Holy Spirit, holds up to our view. With these high ideals 
 of ministerial and church life, we do not wonder if sometimes 
 his heart is pained as he reaches the conclusions to which he 
 is brought by self-examination, and his observation of the 
 church as he finds it in his actual contact with it. If his own 
 soul burns with the fire of earnest longings for the reviving 
 of God's work, he is grieved if the flame does not spread 
 until the hearts of his church are a'^ aelow with a zeal like 
 
112 MEMOIR OF DR, STOW. 
 
 his own. If anxiei^y for the conversion of men follows hira 
 to a slee2:)less couch, and he cannot shake off the burden, he 
 wonders that they, for whom he bears these heavy burdens, 
 are apparently so careless about their own condition and pros- 
 pects. Men of cooler temperament and less ardent suscepti- 
 bilities may be disposed to chide him, that he took on his 
 heart the load whicli he carried, and to say, that with a firmer 
 trust in the providence and spirit of God, he ought to have 
 done his duty, and left results with a higher power. But he 
 was so constituted that this was an impossibility. He never 
 was satisfied that he had done all the duty which devolved 
 on him, and which was in some sense the established condi- 
 tion of success in his work. " When Zion travails, she shall 
 bring forth sons." Anxious as he was to see those "new 
 births," without Avhich our Lord declared there could be no 
 entrance into the kingdom of God, he saw, oftentimes, very 
 little in the spiritual condition of the church that warranted 
 him to expect any of these " new births." That his ministry 
 was a very successful one, no one can deny. Can it be doubt- 
 ed that one secret of this success is to be found in his quick 
 sympathies, his tender solicitude, and his unwearied endeavors 
 to raise the tone of religious feeling, both in his own heart 
 and in the hearts of the members of liis church ? 
 
 January 6, 1837. Why do I desire the conversion of sinners? There 
 are three motives, either of wliich may influence me : — 
 
 1. Love of approbation. A successful minister gains credit, at least 
 among religious people. He has the name of being " very pious," " very 
 faithful," &c. , and this becomes as much a snare to him as if he had the 
 name of being " very learned " or " very eloquent." If his labors are 
 blessed, he is in reputation with his people, and throughout the religious 
 comnmnity generally, and his aid is sought abroad on important occa- 
 eions. It is one mode of becoming popular. 
 
 2. Benevolence — a desire for the happiness of others. Religion 
 makes men happy. A benevolent heart, even though not itself reli- 
 gious, may desire others to possess piety as the means of happiness. 
 
 3. Love to God — a desire that God may be glorified in the repent- 
 ance and return of his rebellious creatures to himself. 
 
 Now, which of these motives is mine? / am snre 1 desire the con- 
 version of sinners. Wiiy do I? 
 
JOURNAL. 113 
 
 I see a mixture of motives. After the most careful examination, I 
 can say tliat I desire the glory of God; I desire to see his Son hon- 
 ored witli a rich triumph. Whatever becomes of me, let God be glori- 
 fied. I also desire tlie happiness of my fellow-men, and I fear tlie 
 otlier motive too often intrudes itself. I fear I am selfish in many of 
 my efforts. Yet I think I rejoice in the conversion of sinners, even 
 though my own instrumentality be not acknowledged, and the converts 
 join other churches. I have a vile heart, but my prayer is, that it may 
 be sanctifed. " Father, glorify thyself." 
 
 February 2. Finished reading the Life of Samuel Kilpin, a Baptist 
 minister, late of Exeter, England. He was a very holy and useful 
 man. A man of much prayer and much action, he brought much to 
 pass. How little am I like him in faith, self-denial, and industry ! How 
 few there are that exhibit such piety ! I look about upon the ministers 
 of my acquaintance, and see but few who can be called spiritually- 
 minded. I hear very little spiritual praying or preaching, and still less 
 spiritual conversation. Truly there is something wrong in ministers, 
 and we must ourselves repent and turn to God before we can expect to 
 see refreshing works of grace among our people. " He that goeth forth 
 and weepeth, bearing precious seed" &c. We do not weep as we sow 
 the seed. Our hearts are not enough in the work. I fear we are too 
 much seeking our own things rather than those of Jesus Christ. I am 
 satisfied the ministry is not what it should be. I am far from being 
 " a good minister of Jesus Christ." I ought to be immensely better. 
 
 February 19, Sabbath day. Preached this morning on an exchange 
 with Mr. Taylor at the Bethel, Nortii Square. Made wretched work ; 
 my soul was dry and senseless. In the afternoon God smote the rock, 
 and the waters gushed forth. My subject, founded on Proverbs vi. G, 
 was, "The importance of providing in season for future necessities." 
 I could hardly realize I was the same being who had labored so hard to 
 preach in the morning. My desire was intense for the conversion of 
 my dear people. I fear I do not cultivate enough tenderness as essen- 
 tial to an effective manner. How altered are my views of preaching ! I 
 once thought the severe, denunciatory, dare-devil style and manner 
 were those which would do the most good. I had a preference for the 
 awful, and dwelt thereon too much. Possibly I may still have too 
 much of it in my sermons, but my feelings and views are certainly 
 changed. Now I see a man may be faithful, and yet affectionate. 
 Everything should be baptized in love. O that I might conform my 
 preaching to this truth ! 
 
 February 24r. Heard of a member of the church — one baptized by 
 myself — who had left the meeting because of my "close preaching." 
 Now and then I hear that my preaching is too close ; but I can learn 
 g 
 
114 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 from no one definitively wlmt is meant by too close. Do I not preach the 
 truth? Do I exaggerate the truth? Is the f.iult in my manner? I do 
 not understand the complaint. O God, thou knowest that my con- 
 science smites me every day for unfaithfulness. I do not perform either 
 my duty to the church or the world, and I sutler constantly under a sense 
 of my deficiencies. Yet I fear there may be a want of tenderness in 
 my manner. O that I may never forget I am a sinner, dependent on 
 the grace I recommend to others ! May I never forget love is the grand 
 solvent of hard hearts. May I ever keep before me the touching scene 
 on Olivet — Jesus weeping over lost souls. Yes,, my dear people, 1 
 love you. 
 
 March 15. Visited a worthy brother who is near his end. Found 
 him in a delightful frame of mind — dwelling mostly upon that glorious 
 idea, Christ is all. His charge to me as we parted was, " Preach 
 Christ, preach him more and more." O that I may remember and 
 profit by it! Unless I preach Christ more, I shall f:iil in my duty. 
 
 April 5. Am told I have too much perplexing anxiety about matters 
 which should be left to God. I am told it is my business to preach to 
 the people, and visit them, leaving the results to ray heavenly Master. 
 Is it nothing to me whether my labors are a savor of life or of death? 
 Shall I cultivate a spirit of indifference? My heart bleeds to see pro- 
 fessors of religion so intensely pursuing the world, forgetful of their 
 own vows and the condition of men about them. 
 
 Returned from a trip south. Left on the 20th ult. Attended the 
 Convention in Philadelphia for the formation of a Bible Society ; was 
 one of the secretaries of the Convention, and witnessed the organiza- 
 tion of the American and Foreign Bible Society. Visited College Hill 
 (Washington) ; recalled days and scenes gone by. God has kindly re- 
 turned me with health greatly invigorated. 
 
 , June 17, Saturday evening. Just returned from a scene of afliic- 
 tion and mourning. Mrs. M., one of my congregation, wife of Mr. N. 
 M., about an hour since breathed her last. During her illness of sev- 
 eral months I have visited her often — for the past four weeks nearly 
 every day. I believe her to be a Christian, though her excessive timid- 
 ity and distrust of herself made her diffident in the expression of her 
 views and feelings. She died very tranquilly, assuring me that she 
 rested wholly on Jesus for acceptance, and was ready to depart. The 
 scene was solemn and impressive. 
 
 June 19. Fifteen years ago to-day I first set foot in Boston. Little 
 did I then apprehend the scenes that were before me ! Through what 
 changes have I since passed! 
 
 June 24 — Evening. Wrote a letter to a member of my congrega- 
 tion whose wife has recently died, endeavoring to direct his attention to 
 
JOURXAL. 115 
 
 Christ as a friend. Ilis wife was an amiable Cliristian. Afterwards I 
 reviewed my own life, and found abundant oecasion for humility and 
 repentanee. Reading a few pages in the Life of Dr. Payson, I was 
 struck and affected by a remark of his, that " he was never happy until 
 he reliiuxuisiied all desire to be distinguished." My ambition to be 
 great has cost nie many hours of sorrow, has prompted nie to do and 
 say many things of which I have afterwards repented, and has made 
 me abhorrent to myself. O that, like my Master, I " was meek and 
 lowly in heart" making myself of "wo reputation!" I wonder God 
 does not hate me ; I am so hateful, it amazes me how he can love me. 
 But for the depth of the riches " both of his goodness and loving- 
 kindness to usward," I should despair. 
 
 .Tune 25. Preached this morning for the First Church. Their pastor, 
 Rev. William Hague, has, the past week, left them to become the pastor 
 of the First Church in Providence. I feel his removal to be a personal 
 affliction, for I had became much attached to him, and hoped long 
 to labor by his side. 
 
 This afternoon preached on Conversion; warned and entreated ray 
 dear people as faithfully and affectionately as I knew how. I know 
 not how I could say more in so short a time, or say it more kindly. 
 
 July 19. A review of my life, especially since I commenced preach- 
 ing the gospel, has filled me with mortification. How little have I 
 cultivated personal holiness ! How much have I been actuated by self- 
 ish motives ! How imperfect my services as an ambassador of the 
 heavenly King ! I wonder often I am still allowed to preach the gospel, 
 still kept alive. I should despair at once were it not for the perfect 
 righteousness of Christ. He is all in all. O that I may " win him," 
 and " he found in him." 
 
 " Jesus, I throw mine arms around, 
 And hang upon thy breast; 
 Without one gracious smile from thee 
 ily spirit cannot rest." 
 
 July 22. Some pleasant reflections while meditating on the offices 
 of the Comforter, and was almost disposed to throw aside my prepara- 
 tion for the morrow morning, and give these views to my people. 
 There is a way in which he comforts ; there are reasons why he com- 
 forts. Lord, fix thou this subject in my mind. Enable me to under- 
 stand, feel, and illustrate it. 
 
 October 5. 
 
 " Trials make the promise sweet, 
 Trials give new life to prayer." 
 
 Within a few days I have been subjected to unwonted trials. I 
 doubtless need them. The correction is administered by a Father. 
 
116 MEMOIR OF DU. STOW. 
 
 that I maj- have grace to endure tlicin, and not sin against God, and 
 to improve tlieni so that they may subserve my sanctification ! Lord, 
 purify me by whatever means tliou choosest. Unless I am holy I 
 cannot see thee. 
 
 October 12. A ray has pierced the darkness. A young lady called 
 to-day, desiring instruction, and expressing some hope, recently ob- 
 tained, in the pardoning mercy of God. Her perceptions are dim, and 
 her impressions rather indefinite. Her case is encouraging. This 
 afternoon I visited one of the loveliest young men of my flock (S. O. S.), 
 who is ill of typhus fever, and, I fear, must soon die. lie has no hope 
 in Christ. He has been a very attentive hearer, and a member of the 
 Bible Class. More than once have I conversed with him respecting 
 the interests of his soul. He has known his duty. He has had time, 
 yea, a favored season ; but now his reason is gone, and his probation 
 seems ended. God gave me a spirit of prayer for him, and I had 
 some glimpses of hope that prayer might be answered in liis restora- 
 tion to life. How ought I to live, preacii, and pray ! My people are 
 hurrying off to the bar of God unprepared to meet him. May not the 
 guilt of unfaithfulness attach to me. 
 
 October 13. This morning at five o'clock my young friend men- 
 tioned above ceased to breathe. The familjs and a large circle of 
 friends to whom he was peculiarly dear, are deeply afflicted. May 
 I feel the force of this admonition not only to be ready, but to use all 
 means to get others ready also. 
 
 October 21. Prepared a sketch of a discourse from Matt, xxiii. 27 
 — " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem." Have felt somewhat as I imagined 
 Jesus felt when from his full soul he uttered that moving lamentation. 
 My heart yearns over my people, and longs for their salvation, llov 
 precious are tiieir souls ! How have they been warned and entreated 
 to fly to Christ for protection ! and how have they refused ! Lord, show 
 thou nie what more I can do to persuade them to come to thee. How 
 different should I preach as to doctrine and manner? Wouldst thou 
 have me do more by private eff"ort with individuals? Is there noway 
 that these souls can be addressed, so God will render the truth eff'ectual 
 to their conversion? I can tell my brethren what they ought to' do. 
 Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? Am I doing my full duty ? " All 
 my help must come from thee." 
 
 October 24. Ten years ago to-day I was ordained to the work of the 
 ministry, and took upon me those vows which I have thus far so imper- 
 fectly fulfilled. Five years ago this evening I resigned the pastoral 
 charge of the church in Portsmouth for the purpose of removing to this 
 city. I was to-day asked by one of my family if I had never regretted 
 the step. I could unhesitatingly reply in the negative. I have never 
 
A USEFUL SERMON. 117 
 
 doubted that I was required by God to remove. Tlie trial was a sore 
 one, such as I hope never again to suffer. I do not think I shall ever 
 love a people as I did them. 
 
 December 31. Nineteen years to-day I was baptized. This morning 
 I baptized seven interesting young people. The house was crowded, 
 and the season a solemn one. This evening I preached from the words, 
 '■ Boast not thyself of to-morrow." Felt deeply, and had some enlarge- 
 iLent. that my dear people were wise ; that they understood this; 
 that they would consider their latter end I 
 
 Few sermons in the course of the ministry of Mr. Stow 
 were followed by such results as attended the preaching of 
 the one liere referred to. Some years after its delivery, he 
 wrote a little sketch of the circumstances under which it was 
 prepared, and the effects which followed the jjreaching of it. 
 The sketch was entitled A Useful Sermon. 
 
 " In the summer of a church in one of our Atlantic 
 
 cities was in a very languid condition. The attendance on 
 public worship was large, but meetings for social devotion 
 were thinly attended, and the services were heavy and spirit- 
 less. The little life of the church seemed to be concentrated 
 in a few who continued to walk by fluth, though nearly dis- 
 pirited, while the great majority were cold and Avorldly, The 
 pastor had for months been oppressed at heart by the un- 
 promising state of things, and at times had felt that he must 
 retire from a field where severe labor had been productive of 
 so little fruit. 
 
 " After earnest prayer for divine direction, he called togetlier 
 six of the more prayerful and active brethren, stated to them 
 his feelings, and proposed that they should hold weekly a 
 private meeting for conference and prayer, with special refer- 
 ence to a revival of piety in the church. The proposition was 
 cordially received, and the whole seven, upon their knees, 
 gave themselves to the work. It was then agreed to invite 
 two more to join them at the next meeting. They came, and 
 two were added at every successive meeting. In this way 
 the number slowly increased through a jieriod of four months. 
 
118 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 The meetings were held in private dwelUngs ; few, except 
 those personally invited, knew of their existence. The pastor 
 was encouraged, especially as he found the weekly prayeil 
 meeting more fully attended, and better sustained in its de- 
 votional services. Towards the close of the year, these pri- 
 vate meetings were marked with a peculiar tenderness and 
 the spirit of Avrestling prayer. 
 
 " On Saturday, December 30, the pastor rose at a very early 
 liour, and commenced the preparation of a discourse for Sab- 
 bath evening, from the words, ' Boast not thyself of to-mor- 
 row, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.' As 
 it was to be the last day of the year, he wished to make a 
 solemn appeal to the unconverted upon the danger of presum- 
 ing on the future. Scarcely had he written the introduction, 
 when he was called to visit an estimable young man, a friend 
 of his earlier years, who was regarded as near his end. It 
 was not yet daylight, but he hastened to the chamber of the 
 sufferer, and passed two hours with him, endeavoring to direct 
 his attention to the Saviour, whom he specially needed. 
 There he heard from the lips of the dying, words of apparent 
 contrition and agonizing desire, which made upon his mind 
 an ineffi-iceable impression. He returned to his sermon with a 
 practical commentary upon his text which was better than 
 any reasoning of his own. As yet, however, he knew not the 
 purpose of God in thus burdening his mind with a painful 
 fact. In a few hours he learned that the young man was 
 dead. 
 
 " The ncxif morning he preached from the words of Christ to 
 the cured lunatic, ' Go home to thy friends, and tell them how 
 great things the Lord hath done for thee,' showing the obligar 
 lion of the Christian to labor for the spiritual good of his 
 kindred. After service he was summoned to a scene of x\n- 
 utterable sorrow. A young lady of his congregation, Avithout 
 any apparent cause, had terminated her own life. How dread- 
 ful was that place ! There was anguish indeed. His burden 
 before was nearly iusupjiortable. There his heart was crushed. 
 What did God mean by this ? 
 
RESULTS OF THE SEKJtON. 119 
 
 "111 tbe evening, with such emotions as he had never pre- 
 viously known, he preached the sermon, prepared under a 
 mountain pressure. The house was densely filled ; an un- 
 usual solemnity pervaded the congregation ; but it was not 
 known that in all the crowd there was a single anxious in- 
 quirer. The discourse was one of the simplest in both method 
 and style ; but somehow it secured unwonted attention. While 
 the preacher was describing and illustrating the uncertainty 
 of life, a lady, overcome by the strength of her emotions, was 
 borne insensible from the house. A silence unbroken by an 
 audible breath reigned, and paleness came over many a face. 
 At the close of the service a minister present said to the 
 pastor, ' You will hear from that sermon.' 
 
 " The next day, the first Monday in the year, according to 
 its custom, the church met for sj^ecial prayer. The lecture- 
 room was filled ; there was a general melting down before 
 God ; prayer was offered v.'ith many tears. In the evening 
 more came than could find admittance. It was then evident 
 that the Holy Spirit was acting with power upon the minds 
 of the unconverted. Meetings were multiplied, and constant- 
 ly thronged. There was excitement, but it was deep, still, 
 and effective. Every sermon, every exhortation, seemed to 
 have unusual power, and do unwonted execution. The re- 
 vival spread to other churches, and large accessions were 
 made to the churches. The number added to that one 
 church during the year, by profession, was one hundred and 
 seventy-seven, and in five years, from the commencement of 
 the revival, five hundred and two. 
 
 " The pastor did hear from that sennon, .and often to his 
 amazement. He had the pleasure of welcoming into the 
 church more than one Imndred who referred to tliat discourse 
 as the means of their awakening and conversion. Several 
 others, who ])rofessed their faith elsewhere, made the same 
 reference. The hand of God was perce23tible in the wholo 
 matter. To him belongs the glory." 
 
120 MEMOIK OF DK. STOW. 
 
 1838 
 
 We now enter upon one of the most eventful years in the 
 ministry of Mr. Stow. The intensity of his longings for the 
 outpouring of the Spirit upon his people has been apparent in 
 the record which he has left us of his inner life during tlie 
 past year. Such desires as he felt, and such prayers as, for 
 so many months, he had been offering, were clear proofs that 
 a higher power had been exerting its influence in his soul. 
 We are not surprised to learn that the blessing so eagerly 
 sought, so patiently waited for, is at last bestowed. As we 
 have already learned, the last Sabbath of the year, which was 
 also the last day of the year, was one of great solemnity. 
 Never, probably, had Mr. Stow preached a sermon which 
 was more manifestly attended with a special " unction from 
 tlie Holy One" than this sermon at the close of the year 
 1837. In a record of what he knew to be the actual results 
 which followed its delivery, he has told us, in 1857, that 
 " more than one hundred subsequently professed Christ, who 
 were awakened under that sermon." In the historical sermon, 
 also, which he preached, September 11, 1861, on the occasion 
 of the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the Boston 
 Baptist Association, he says, "In 1831 and 1838, several of 
 the churches (and prominent among them was the Baldwin 
 Place Church) were riclily refreshed and augmented, in 
 strength, both revivals furnishing an unusual number of 
 candidates for the ministry." His own words convey to us 
 a better idea of this "time of refreshing," Avhich the Baldwin 
 Place Church enjoyed, than any we can select. . 
 
 January 1, 1838. God lias mercifully permitted me and my family to 
 see the opening of a new year. With him I would ''renew covenant." 
 To him I would dedicate myself — my all. To him I would look for 
 grace to carry me. forward in every duty, serving him with all my pow- 
 ers. I wish to live wholly for him, to spend every day and every hour 
 in advancing his glory. 
 
 January 7, Lord's day. A most impressive day. House exceedingly 
 full, and the hearers unusually attentive. My dear Brother Knowles 
 preached this morning from the words, " Behold, now is the accepted 
 
SERMON ON THE EFFICIEXCY OF PRIMITIVE MISSIONS. 121 
 
 time," &c. The discuurse was very pertinent, pointed, and impressive. 
 Afternoon I preached from Luke x. 11. Evening prayer meeting was 
 held in the church, which was filled to overflowing. Tiie oldest breth- 
 ren say, they " never saw the like before." Probably a thousand per- 
 sons were present. Many excellent things were said, and very many 
 fervent prayers were offered. The indications are encouraging. May 
 we all do duty judiciously and faithfully. My soul longs especially for 
 the conversion of the young. 
 
 January 15. Truly "God is good to Israel." My dear people are 
 now sharing in the tokens of his special goodness. Many of the mem- 
 bers have an unusual spirit of prayer. A considerable number have 
 repented and turned to God. Many others — I know not how many — 
 are inquirers. Verily God is in our midst by his Holy Spirit. To him bo 
 all the glory. May the good work go through the congregation. 
 
 February 10. Of all God's servants I have most occasion to be hum 
 ble and thankful. The past week has been distinguished by special dis- 
 plays of God's power and grace. The good work is spreading all over 
 the city, and God is multiplying on all sides the trophies of his power. 
 
 February 25. Baptized twenty, three of whom are men advanced 
 in life. The church was thronged as I have never seen on a Sabbath. 
 
 March 3. Read my journal for the past three months. One feeling 
 has been very uniform — a desire for the conversion of my dear people, 
 ^lore than one hundred tell me they have been converted, and my soul 
 would praise the Lord for his goodness. But how many still remain! 
 
 March 18, Lord's day. Baptized twenty. A good day. 
 
 March 25. Still more additions. Baptized twenty, making seventy- 
 one since the meeting of the association in September. God is indeed 
 gracious. The work is still in progress. 
 
 April 8. Baptized twenty-four. Many more are waiting to follow. 
 For the last three months my labors have been severe, but God has 
 strengtliened and upheld me beyond my expectations. If anj' minister 
 on the footstool has occasion to be humbled and grateful, I am he. 
 
 April 15. Twenty-two were baptized. A most interesting group. 
 *' Not unto lis, not unto us," &c. 
 
 April 22. Baptized twenty-one. 
 
 In the midst of all these delightful but exhaustiug labors, 
 Mr. Stow found time to prepare his able sermon on the 
 Efficiency of Primitive Missions, which he jireached before 
 the General Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the 
 United States, April 25,1838, in the Oliver Street Baptist 
 Church, New York. The effi^ct of the scenes through which 
 
122 MEMOIR OF DR. STO'SV. 
 
 for many weeks he had been passing, and of the bajDtism of 
 the Holy Spirit, which himself and so many of his beloved 
 flock liad experienced, is everywhere traceable in this dis- 
 course. The theme which he proposed to discuss was this : 
 " What were the causes which produced the marvellous re- 
 sults which attended primitive missions ? " If one would see 
 bow differently men reason on this subject, according to the 
 stand-point which they take, and according to the bias of the 
 moral character, which always has so much to do in reaching 
 our conclusions, let him read the famous chapters fifteen 
 and sixteen of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman 
 Emj^ire, and this sermon of Baron Stow's. We select a few 
 passages from the discourse, which indicate the fervor of his 
 spirit, and the glow of enthusiasm with which his soul was 
 fired. 
 
 Yet, notwithstanding circumstances are so much in our favor, they 
 made advances in the production of effect sucli as we have never wit- 
 nessed. Without the world's favorite instrumentality — learning, elo- 
 quence, wealth, arms — nay, with all these leagued against them, and 
 in the face of them all, the primitive church expanded, and achieved 
 triumph after triumph — all the triumphs of truth and holiness. All 
 the apparatus of torture and death was brought out, and arrayed in her 
 path to arrest her progress ; but heedless of its terrors, she moved for- 
 ward to the consummation of her lofty purpose. Some of her most 
 malignant foes became her devoted champions, and even martyrs, and 
 every day new territories were added to her growing empire. Persecu- 
 tion often kindled her fires, and with her blood she as often extinguished 
 them. Her progress from place to place was marked by the dethrone- 
 ment of idol deities, and the fall of idol temples. On the high places 
 of idolatry she planted her banners, and in all lands known to the mer- 
 chant, the traveller, the warrior, the trophies of her power were multi- 
 plied. " So miglitily grew the word of God and prevailed." 
 
 Hereafter we shall see that Mr. Stow was a sincere mourner 
 over the almost innumerable divisions of the Christian chmx-h. 
 He fondly looked forward to the coming of the day when 
 the prayer of our Lord would be answered, " that they all 
 may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that 
 they may be one in us, that the world may believe that 
 
UNITY OF THE PRIMITIVE CIIUKCH, 123 
 
 thou hast sent me." It is thus that ho sj^eaks of the eany 
 Christians : — 
 
 Tlicre were no clashing creeds, no sectarian bickerings, no rival 
 interests, no party plottings and counter-plottings, no wasteful ex- 
 penditure of time, and feeling, and moral energy, in attempts to 
 maintain and fortify party positions. "By one Spirit" tiiey were 
 "all baptized into one body," and they regarded themselves, and were 
 regarded by all around tliem, as members of o??e liarmonious and de- 
 voted brotherhood. Christ was the centre of attraction, around wliich 
 they rallied and united, and, like the radii of a circle, the nearer they 
 drew to tlie centre, the nearer they were to each other. Assimilated by 
 the grace of God, and fused and welded by the fires of persecution, their 
 affinity and cohesion rendered them the admiration of tlie world that 
 hated them, and gave tliem a moral power which the modern church 
 does not possess, and never will possess, until brotherly love shall re- 
 sume its ancient influence, and become, as it then was, a " bond of 
 perfectness," — until " the multitude of them that believe " shall be "of 
 one heart and one way," keeping " the unity of the Spirit in the bond 
 of peace." O, when will the " whole family " of Christ become one, and, 
 with " hearts knit together in love," discontinue their petty contro- 
 versies among themselves, and, following their one Leader, converge 
 and direct their whole energies towards the one point — tlie salva- 
 tion of the human soul? We may speculate as we please about 
 the incidental advantages of our division into sects or denomina- 
 tions, comparing th.em poetically to the prismatic hues of tlie rainbow, 
 and from the pulpit and the platform shouting in ecstasy, " E pluribus 
 tinum,!"h\it the practical man will tell us that if we would dissolve 
 the intractable substances of earth, we must have the colorless ray of 
 virgin light. 
 
 Another extract, which we give, furnishes additional evi- 
 dence that he was living amid revival scenes when he wrote 
 it, and that his own soul was enjoying those visitations of the 
 Holy Si)irit which he so devoutly prayed might be granted 
 to the whole church of God, 
 
 It has been remarked respecting a modern preacher, whose labors, 
 while living, were eminently blessed in the conversion of his hearers, 
 and who, " being dead, yet speaketh," that the secret of hi^ success lay 
 in his devotional habits. He dwelt on the sides of eternity, and carried 
 with him into iiis pulpit, and into all his intercourse with his people, the 
 very atmosphere that circulates around the throne. Hence a member 
 
124 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 of his congregation once declared, "When our pastor praj-s, it h 
 riglit into the lieart of God. When he preaches, it is right into the heart 
 of the sinner." Tliis description, true perhaps of a few moderns, is 
 truer still of the great body of the ancient preachers. They had pe- 
 culiar access to the hearts of men, because they had peculiar access to 
 the ear and heart of God. With him and the glories around him they 
 were familiar, and ever as they came forth from his presence, they 
 brought to the people, fresh from the tree of life, the leaves that are for 
 the healing of the nations, — sparkling from the river of life, the wa- 
 ters " clear as crystal," that purify the unholy, and refresh the way- 
 worn and weary. 
 
 Another pastor, whose success was proverbially great, when asked 
 how it happened that under his ministry " the word of God "so " grew 
 and multiplied," returned the significant answer, " I have a praying 
 chmcb." The early church was eminently a praying cliurch. The sin 
 of indevotion could not be laid to her charge. The oft-repeated and 
 unanimous request of the apostles, " Pray for us," " Pray for us that 
 the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified," was never 
 made in vain. Indeed, the request scarcely needed to be made. The 
 Christians of those da^'s waited not for a specified season, bu\ at all 
 times and everywhere they remembered before God the cause of mis- 
 sions, and the self-denying missionary laborers. In the closet, in the 
 family, in the church, the burden of their prayer was, "Thy kingdom 
 come." Every prayer meeting was a concert of prayer for the universal 
 spread of the gospel of Christ. And theirs were the effectual, fervent 
 prayers that avail much. They knew how to touch that delicate chain 
 which Jesus has passed over the tiirone, and by which the faintest spark 
 of holy desire may be easily transmitted ; and through it they sent a 
 continual stream of invisible but powerful intiuence away into the 
 deepest recesses of heathenism. 
 
 The whole discourse, from beginning to end, glows Avith 
 tlie ardent love and the burning zeal which are kindled in 
 the soul when it is "baptized with the Holy Ghost and with 
 fire." It is not difficult for the imagination to rej)roduce the 
 scenes through which its author was 2)assing when he was 
 penning these eloquent passages. The study in which they 
 Avere written was his closet of prayer. Many a poor sinner, 
 burdened with the Aveight of transgression, had found his 
 way into that consecrated room, and in the great sorrow of 
 his troubled heart had cried out, " Sii', what must I do to 
 be saved ? " What the preacher had gleaned out of the Avord 
 
Tiir: iiEvivAL OF 1838. 125 
 
 of God, as evidences of the operation of the divine Spirit, he 
 now saw, in actual demonstration, with his own eyes. It was 
 reducing tlieory to practice. Here were the rough materials 
 which the heavenly Architect was moulding, shaping, and 
 polishing, that they might be introduced as " lively stones " 
 into the temple of God which he Avas rearing; or, to change 
 the figure, he who " commanded the light to shine out of 
 <larkness " was bringing these precious souls " out of dark- 
 ness into God's marvellous light." He who gazed upon the 
 transformation could but stand still, and admire the wondcr- 
 Avorking power of Him " who spake and it was done," say- 
 ing, " Let there be light, and there was light." Blessed is the 
 minister of Christ, Avho, in the earlier years of his professional 
 life, is permitted to witness such scenes. He feels the sacred 
 impulse which comes from them so long as he continues to 
 preach the gospel. His commission seems clothed with new 
 authority, and the credentials which he bears from the eter- 
 nal throne have enstamped upon them the seal of a divine 
 authority. 
 
 If we mistake not, Mr. Stow always regarded the revival 
 of 1838 as the purest, the freest from the admixture of those 
 human imperfections which so often mar the beauty even of a 
 work of the Spirit of God, that he was ever engaged in. His 
 own heart was thoroughly interested in the work, and he had 
 the indescribable satisfaction of seeing a large number of the 
 members of his church cooperating Avith him. The ears of men 
 were open to hear the truth, and their hearts to receive it in the 
 love of it. The congregation gave to their pastor their sincere 
 respect and their warm affection. Their confidence in his 
 piety, and their belief that he was in earnest in seeking their 
 spiritual welfare, were entire. As a preacher, there was every- 
 thing about him that arrested their attention. His pulpit 
 services were full of "unction," and the hundreds of admir- 
 ing listeners who gathered within the walls of his church. 
 Sabbath after Sabbath, were constrained to acknowledge thiit 
 a power higher than human had taken possession of that con- 
 secrated soul, and that those lips had been touched with a 
 
126 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 coal from off tlie altar of God. We doubt not that very many 
 who recall these hallowed services will say that, for solemnity, 
 and power, and permanent etVect, they have never seen them 
 surpassed, perhaps never equalled. 
 
 At the meeting of the Triennial Convention, when the ser- 
 mon on the Efficiency of Primitive Missions was preached, 
 his honored and cherished friend, Professor J. D. Knowles, 
 was present. Without doubt he had listened to this dis- 
 course of his successor in the pastoral office. Ko one could 
 have rejoiced more sincerely than he over the fervid elo- 
 quence and the earnest spirit of the preacher. Their ac- 
 quaintance and friendship dated back many years. They had 
 been fellow-students in college. Both had been editors of 
 the Columbian Star, the organ of the General Convention. 
 The fortunes and successes of each had been dear to his 
 brother. Long they hoped to labor, side by side, although 
 in different departments of their Master's work. But w^hen 
 Mr. Stow returned to his home, and again girded himself 
 afresli for ministerial toil, he received the mournful intel- 
 ligence that his predecessor, and the friend of so many years, 
 had been suddenly stricken down by a mortal disease. 
 
 Mny 9. Sad, sad news. A messenger has just arrived from Newton 
 announcing tlie death of my dear Brother Knowles. O God, can it be? 
 For nearly sixteen years we have been as brothers, we have had each 
 other's love and confidence. Now he is cut down ; and why am I 
 spared? The better man is taken, the worse left. "Verily thou art 
 a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour." I heard on 
 Monday (the 7th) he was not well; threatened with varioloid or small 
 pox, the physician could not determine which. The next intelligence 
 is of his death. How sudden ! how unexpected ! Lord, pity his poor 
 wife; sustain her, and comfort her. He was a good man. Surely he has 
 found rest in the bosom of God. The admonition to me is emphatic. 
 " Set thy house in order." 
 
 May 13, Lord's day. Preached in the morning from 2 Cor. iv. 18 — 
 on " the eternity of things that are not seen." Afternoon, preached a 
 funeral discourse for my dearly beloved brother, James D. Knowles, 
 from the words, " That disciple whom Jesus loved" — John xxi. 7. It 
 was a difficult service, not because there was little to be said, but be- 
 cause I was disqualified, by oppression of feeling, to say it. I have 
 
JOURNAL. 127 
 
 intended to do him justice. If I liavc failed, may some abler hand be 
 brought to the effort. I never thought to be called to render this ser- 
 vice. Often has it occurred to me that he would preach my funeral 
 discourse. On earth I shall never find another such friend. He was 
 to me more than friend — a brother " born for adversity." My counsellor 
 is taken from me. My God, I come to thee. I have leaned too nmch 
 on him, and thou hast cut him away with one fell stroke. Henceforth 
 let me lean more fully on God. 
 
 May 24. Visited Newton. O, how desolate ! Stood over the grave of 
 my brother, my dear brother, and thought of the resurrection. Wo 
 sliall meet again. Prepare me for that meeting, and eternal glory, O 
 God, my God. 
 
128 MEMOIK OF DE. STOW. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Reaction. — Letter to Deacon S. Beal. — Physician prescribes 
 Rest. — Continued Labor. — Colony sent to Bowdoin Square. 
 — Effect on his Mind. — Trip to Europe proposed. — Em- 
 barkation. — Correspondence. — Journal. 
 
 1838-1841. 
 
 It is not strange that, after a season crowded with so many 
 exciting incidents, and the constant strain made upon him 
 by the vast amount of work which the revival made abso- 
 lutely necessary, Mr. Stow should feel a craving for rest and 
 recreation. It is not, moreover, strange that the nature upon 
 which he had made such continuous and long-protracted 
 drafts should become exhausted, and the overtasked brain 
 should succumb for a season, on account of the burden it had 
 been carrying for so many months. We follow him to the 
 homes of beloved friends in New York and Vermont. How 
 joyfully is he welcomed to the circles so dear to him ! With 
 what fond pride his partial friends receive him whose fame 
 has reached their ears. They behold in him one of the most elo- 
 quent and successful pastors in the favored metropolis of New 
 England. Dark days, however, and sad hours were appomted to 
 him, and he must go down into the valley of sorrow before he 
 can again stand upon what to him was a more glorious spot than 
 any earthly throne — the platform of the Baldwin Place pulpit. 
 We may say that he has violated the laws of his physical 
 being, and he must pay the penalty of such violation. But 
 how little is accomplished in this world by men who never 
 overwork themselves! The toilers in all the fields where 
 brain and heart are sometimes so severely tasked, must expect 
 
SICKNESS. 129 
 
 that days and weeks of reaction will come. But raeanwliile 
 the seeds which they have sown are germinatinu-, and ere 
 long will spring up in a ripe harvest. All that friendship 
 could dictate, and skill could do, was done for the suiferer's 
 relief. Those who were his nearest of kin were by his side, 
 and, in the warmth of his gratitude and love, he does not fail 
 to pay a touching tribute of affection to her who, in all limes 
 of sorrow as well as of joy, stood by him. 
 
 August 10. On the 2cl July, with Mrs. Stow, left home for a visit 
 to dear friends in New York and Vermont. On Wednesday, the 8th 
 August, we reached our loved and longed-for home. God has been 
 good to us in every place and every hour. 
 
 August 26. Immediately after writing the above, I was obliged to 
 call a physician, who pronounced me ill with nervous fever, with symp 
 toms of inflamniation of the brain. For several days I was a sufferer, 
 and doubted whether I should ever recover. But God heard the 
 prayers of a praying churcli, and I am now recovering.* My flesh and 
 strength are much reduced. Still God has not forsaken me. He has 
 chastened me like an affectionate Father, and I would be grateful for 
 the correction. This is the eighth Sabbatli I have been absent from my 
 dear people. I long to meet them. T!ie Great Shepherd has taken me 
 off from the work, and he is able to take care of the flox;k. 
 
 September 2. By the great goodness of God, have been allowed to 
 go into his house, and hear his word, and assist in administering the 
 Lord's Supper. 
 
 September 7. Twelve years ago to-day, God gave me the woman of 
 my choice for a companion, a help-meet along the rough journey of 
 life. During this period we have lived together in love, and I have 
 never seen the hour when I had not occasion to bless God for the 
 union. Together we have shared in the divine goodness ; together we 
 have passed through trials; in sickness and health, at home and abroad, 
 she has been a faithful wife ; all I could ask; better than I have de- 
 served. May the Lord in mercy spare her for many years to be the 
 partner of one of his unworthiest servants. 
 
 At length, restored to his flock, the pastor addresses him- 
 self, Avith his wonted zeal, to his labors. But it is evident 
 that he does not at once recover the elevated tone of religious 
 feeling which had marked the experience of the earlier months 
 of the year. He oftert writes bitter things against himself; 
 but we will bear in mind that, in the violation of the laws of 
 9 
 
130 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 his physical being, he has clone his work, and we must not be 
 surprised if his depression corresponds with his elevation. 
 
 September 27. Returned from a meeting of the Salem Baptist Asso- 
 ciation, lield at Beverly. Preached yesterday afternoon from Eph. ill. 
 15. In the evening addressed tlie meeting of the Salem Bible Trans- 
 lation and Foreign Missionary Society. Lost my self-control, and be- 
 came unduly excited. The consequence has been a wakeful night and 
 lieadache. The cause of foreign missions has a strong hold on my sym- 
 pathies, and I cannot speak in its behalf without emotion. 
 
 " Pity the nations, O our God, 
 Constrain the earth to come." 
 
 If I was a fit person for a missionary, I would offer myself without 
 delay. 
 
 October 14. Last evening I made an effort to preach from Matt. xxi. 
 37. At first it was really a great effort, owing to tiie darkness and slug- 
 gishness of my mind. After about fifteen minutes, the subject began 
 to open, the clouds cleared away, and I had unusual enlargement. My 
 discourse was nearly one hour long, and I could easily have extended 
 it another hour. It is delightful work to preach when the Holy Spirit 
 is present, giving light and life to the mind. I am never happier, ex- 
 cept in private devotion, than when preaching the gospel and recom- 
 mending the Lord Jesus as the only, all-sufficient Saviour. 
 
 Lord's day evening, December 30. Preached twice to-day. The 
 tide of feeling is manifestly rising in the church and congregation. 
 
 December 31. This year is closing: how much better, how much 
 holier, am I than when it commenced 'i Lord, forgive the sins of the 
 whole year; accept my thanks for its mercies to mj's elf, family, and 
 this dear people. Since the year commenced I have had the pleasure 
 of baptizing one hundred and seventy-seven. 
 
 1839. 
 
 The record of the year 1839 contains nothing of special 
 interest to the general reader. Ministerial work is performed 
 Avith fidelity, and the results of this labor are thus summed 
 up: "During this year I liave preached one hundred and 
 six sermons, baj^tized thirty-four persons, married forty-five 
 couples, attended thirty-eight funerals, and made nine hun- 
 dred and sixty-four parochial calls." How much is compre- 
 hended ill these brief statistics it is not easy to measure! 
 They imply constant, hard toil. Brain, and heart, and body 
 
LETTEK TO DEACON SAMUEL BEAL. 131 
 
 must all have be^jn j^ressed into the service, and each have 
 done its work well. 
 
 We find but one letter written this year worthy of special 
 note. It was composed at Windsor, Vt., where he was 
 spending a few days of vacation, and addressed to Deacon 
 Samuel Beal : — 
 
 , AViNDSOR, October 19, 1839. 
 
 My dear Brother : We arrived here in safety on Tuesday evening, 
 Biid found our friends well. Our motlier is much better than vvc ex- 
 pected to find her. She is now past eiglity, and iier faculties are much 
 enfeebled, but she is happy in Christ, and has no desire to remain an- 
 other day. O, it is delightful to see an nged Ciiristian, jnst ready to 
 enter heaven, llow sweet to such, after the toils and trials of a long 
 life, to come into the enjoyment of the promised rest! 
 
 We hope to reach Boston on Thursday evening. I wish I could be 
 with you on Tuesday evening. The Lord pour out his Holy Spirit upon 
 the dear church, and bring them near to himself in prayer and praise. 
 I feel anxious respecting our special fast, and hope the beloved breth- 
 ren and sisters will all enter into the spirit of it, and be prepared to 
 renew covenant with God and with one another. 
 
 I find that the churches in this region are in a most wretched condi- 
 tion. Under the new mode of converting people, without conviction 
 by tlie law, they are filled up witii unconverted members, and conse- 
 quently not only devoid of spirituality, but overrun with errors and 
 heresies. Blessed be God for his abounding goodness to tlie dear flock 
 in Baldwin Place. I know not how happily I am situated until I leave 
 home, and become acquainted with t!ie circumstances of other pastors. 
 I would not exchange my dear people for any that I know on the conti- 
 nent. Pray for me that I may prove myself worthy of such a people 
 by laboring with them and for them as a faithful, persevering pastor. 
 Pray for me that my labors may be blessed. I long for the salvation 
 of my whole people, and towards that point I intend to direct my efforts 
 with all the wisdom and energy that God may give me. May I not hope 
 for the powerful cooperation of the church ? 
 
 1840. 
 
 The 13th of January, 1840, will long be remembered as the 
 day on which the i!l-lated steamer Lexington was burned on 
 Long Island Sound. We well recall the shudder of horror 
 which ran over all this section of the country as the sad 
 
132 MEMOIK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 tidings reached our ears. Mr. Stow thus alkides to the 
 event : — 
 
 January IG. Awful tidinf,s ! the_ steamer Lexington burnt on Long 
 Island Sound on the evenir.g of the 13th! ]More than one hundred 
 souls on board, and only four saved ! Among tlie lost is one of my 
 neighbors and hearers, Mr. C. W. W., a most estimable man and a 
 Christian. Have spent some hours to-day with liis afflicted wife and 
 children. My heart bleeds for them. Lord, support hnd comfort them. 
 They need thy succor. 
 
 Mr. Stow had never entirely recovered from the attack, 
 which, as we have already seen, had so completely prostrated 
 him a few months before this date. He returned, it is true, 
 to liis labors, but the burden of care pressed upon a spirit, 
 which, in a measure, had lost its elasticity. His anxiety for 
 the continuance of the good work among his people had not 
 abated. He preached, he prayed, he toiled with his custom- 
 ary fervor and zeal. With the deepest solicitude he watched 
 for every token that the blessing was about to return. " The 
 indications for good," he tells us, early in the year, " seem 
 encouraging among us ; the brethren are looking for another 
 revival. God grant it may be so." His heart is gladdened 
 by hearing of the workings of the Holy Spirit in his old 
 church in Portsmouth. He alludes to meetings held every 
 evening in the week, in the lecture-room of his own 
 church. The vestry is crowded. Souls are anxious, or find- 
 ing "peace in believing;" and as Saturday comes, his prayer 
 is, " Lord, assist me on the morrow, that I may give the 
 trumpet a certain sound." He goes through with the duties 
 of the day, in the evening attends the ordination of Rev. 
 William Howe, to whom he gives the charge, and is weary 
 and worn when he returns to his home in Sheafe Street. We 
 are not surprised to hear him say, a few days after this, that 
 he went with his physician to consult with Dr. J. Jackson 
 about his case. Dr. Jackson advises him to give up all pvo' 
 fessional labor, at least for a season. " How can I at this 
 present time," he exclaims, " how can I retire, when the 
 services of two men are constantly needed ! " The advice 
 
JOUKNAL. 133 
 
 of the physician is not followed, but some relief is found from 
 the assistance of a young man from the Theological Institu- 
 tion at Newton. The next extracts will show the reader 
 how little real relaxation he found. 
 
 A])ril 5. Proacliod once, nml baptized nineteen, eleven of whom are 
 young men. Tlio house was crowded in every part, and I must hope 
 good will appear as the result of this day's services. Afternoon I gave 
 the right liand of fellowship to twenty-five, and administered the blessed 
 sacrament. 
 
 April 9. At six o'clock this morning public services were held at the 
 laying of the corner-stone of the new church to be erected in Bowdoin 
 Square. I delivered the address. Dr. Sharp and Brother R. 11. Neale 
 oftered praj'crs. The concourse was large and attentive. 
 
 April 26. To-day have preached twice, and baptized twenty-four. 
 Had a good season. 
 
 May 2. Returned from New York. The anniversaries were very 
 interesting. The brethren seemed to be under a divine influence. The 
 meetings of the Foreign Missionarj"^ Board were distinguished by fra- 
 ternal harmony and brotherly love, realizing David's description in 
 l\<alm cxxxiii. 
 
 May 31. Baptized twenty-six. The oldest candidate was nearly 
 eighty-five, the youngest was fourteen. The season was one of pecu- 
 liar solemnity. 
 
 June 7. Preached twice, gave the right hand of fellowship to thirty- 
 three, and administered the Lord's Supper. Enjoyed myself more 
 than usual in preaching this afternoon, from Phil. iii. 10 — ^'Being 
 made conformable to his death." The Spirit let me into the meaning 
 somewhat of that expression, and also showed me there were still 
 depths I could not yet fathom. Lord, may I have more of this blessed 
 conformity ; then shall I be better able to explain it. 
 
 June 21. Preached in the morning from the words "T'o die is gain." 
 Had unusual freedom and sweet enjoyment. In the afternoon went to 
 Clielsea, baptized six, gave the hand of fellowsliip to tiiem after preach- 
 ing, and then we together enjoyed the "breaking of bread." Attended 
 a funeral, and prayed with another afflicted family. I am wearied in 
 body, but the spirit is still willing. It has been a good daj' to my soul 
 — " man did eat angels' food." 
 
 September 17. This evening I have aided in the organization of a 
 new church in Bowdoin Square — a very solemn occasion. 
 
 Seventy-six of the number were dismissed on Tuesday evening by 
 the dear church of whicli I am pastor. The deduction from our strength 
 is large, and I have some fears whether, after this removal of so many 
 
134 MEMOIR OF DR, STOW. 
 
 tried and faithful helpers, I shall be able to sustain the labors and re- 
 sponsibilities of my office. I submit this question to the " Head of the 
 church." If 1 can remain here, I shall. I know of no spot this side 
 of heaven which I should prefer to Baldwin Place. 
 
 October 15. At times I am nearly decided to remain, and give this 
 people the last remnant of my strength. A voyage to Europe is some- 
 times a vision. An absence of one whole year for physical rest and im- 
 provement ! 
 
 October 17. Still undetermined and perplexed. My dear people are 
 endeavoring to devise means of relief; but, though I love them for their 
 kind intentions, yet I have little faith in their success. The evil lies 
 beyond the reach of the few who sympathize with me in my sufferings. 
 As they are sanguine in their hopes, I may think it duty to repeat the 
 experiment once more, and to lay myself again, perhaps for the last 
 time, upon the altar. 
 
 And thus the weeks and months had been crowded with 
 unremitting labors. The departure of so many of his old 
 friends, and among the band some to wliom he was warmly 
 attached, to form the new church, saddened his spirits. Other 
 trials, from which the servant of Christ must not expect to 
 escape, had oppressed him. He needed absolute rest and a 
 complete change of employment. The church saw the con- 
 dition of their pastor, and they were ready to devise gen- 
 erous things in his behalf. What their proposal was we 
 shall see. 
 
 October 30. It is nearly decided that my wife and myself shall make 
 the tour of Europe, and be absent some six or eight months. Tliis is 
 tlie order of my physicians, and the expressed wish of my beloved peo- 
 ]»le. I ought not to hesitate. The Hon. Nathan Gurney and wife pro- 
 pose to accompany us, much, very much to our gratification. The Lord 
 be praised for such mercies. 
 
 November 5. This evening the new house in Bowdoin Square was 
 dedicated, and the new church publicly recognized. I addressed the 
 church, and gave them the right hand of fellowship. Lord, bless tliat 
 church, build them up, make them united, useful, and happy. Eighty 
 of the members went from Baldwin Place, fifty of whom were baptized 
 uy my own hands. 
 
 November 29, Lord's day. Preached twice. Gave the hand of fel- 
 lowship to fifteen, and administered the sacrament. Solemn season. 
 Shall I ever preach to this dear people again? 
 
LETTKU FROM HALIFAX. 135 
 
 We arc now to follow Mr. Stow as he enters upon new 
 Bcenes. As he leaves his native shores our prayers go with 
 him, and we beseech Ilirn whom he so often addressed as 
 the " Fathei of mercies and God of all grace" to watch 
 over him in a'l his wanderings, and bring him safely back to 
 the church of his love and the field of his toils. Every- 
 where he bears his people on his heart, and sends them his 
 friendly Christian greetings. On Tuesday, December 1, he 
 embarks on board the steamship Britannia, and, having 
 reached Halifax, he sends to his church the following com- 
 munication : — 
 
 Halifax, December 3, 1840. 
 
 Dear Flock of Christ : Having been safely brought thus far on 
 our wintry voyage, let me request you to join me in thanksgiving to 
 God for his tender mercies which have been over us, shielding us from 
 danger and preserving us from suffering. 
 
 The separation from you, tliough designed to be temporary, cost rae 
 severe and unaccustomed pangs, and I pray I may be spared a repetition 
 of the painful process. Now that I am away, my heart still turns to- 
 wards you, and towards the place of your assembling, afflicted that I 
 cannot be with you, "joying and beholding your order." Nothing but 
 the clearest conviction that duty demanded the sacrifice I am making 
 could ever have induced me to take this step, or reconciled me to the 
 prospect of so long an absence from the people I love, and whom I de- 
 light to serve in the gospel of the grace of God. If there are any who 
 doubt my unwavering attachment to the church, or who suppose that in 
 leaving them I am seeking my own ends, I only wish they knew the 
 struggles of my bosom during the last two months ; nay, that they could 
 at this hour look into my heart, and see the emotions which rush up at 
 the recollection of the dear flock of my pastoral care. No, dearly be- 
 loved, I have not thus retired from my post for a season because I love 
 you less, but because I love you more. Had I not done this I should 
 have been obliged to resign my charge, and request you to procure a 
 successor, wlio might render you a more efficient and more constant 
 service. The choice was your own that I should go abroad at your ex- 
 pense, for your own sake and for the sake of the cause. T am acting 
 in accordance with your own wishes, solemnly expressed; and if any of 
 your number differ in opinion from the great body, deeply as I may re- 
 gret it, I have not felt it right for me to yield to the wishes of the few 
 rather than of the ma;iy. The Lord be praised for the union that pre* 
 vails among you, and nay it never, never be disturbed. 
 
136 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 The Lord be witli you, precious disciples of ray Master, and give 
 you evermore the spirit of faitli and tlie spirit of prayer. O, remember 
 my hist text; drink in its spirit, exemplify its principles. Be faithful 
 to the unconverted, be faithful to one anotiier. Hold together in love, 
 work together in love. Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in 
 the work of the Lord. 
 
 Your affectionate pastor, 
 
 Bakon Stow. 
 
 St. Paul prayed to be delivered from " unreasonable men." 
 From the foregoing ej^istle we infer that in even so loving and 
 considerate a oliurch as the Baldwin Place Church has always 
 ^lad the reputation of being, there may possibly have been a 
 few sucli. Had there been but one, the peculiarly sensitive 
 spirit of the jaded, worn pastor would have felt it. 
 
 His next letter to his cliurch bears the following date : — 
 
 G Queen Street Place, London, 19 Dec, 1840. 
 
 My very dear Brethren and Sisters of the Baldwin Place 
 Church: Grace, mercy, and peace from God, even our Father, be mul- 
 tiplied to you all, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 I wrote you a few lines from Halifax, not because I had anything new 
 to communicate, but as expressive of my fervent aflfection and of my 
 tender solicitude for your welfare. Since the date of that letter we 
 have passed over a long distance, been exposed to some dangers, and 
 experienced much of the goodness of God. Our passage was thirteen 
 and a half days, and was quite as fevorable as could be expected at this 
 inclement season. From all on board we received the kindest possible 
 attention. We passed two Sabbaths on the ocean, and though prayers 
 were read in the saloon, we were quite too unwell to attend. I was in 
 both instances requested to preach, but really I was not in preaching 
 mood. The ship was quite too unsteady for my weak nerves. The 
 blessed pulpit in Baldwin Place would have been far preferable. We 
 thought of you during tlie hours of service, and wondered who might be 
 dispensing to you the word of life. Our prayer was, and still is, and 
 shall continue to be, that the Spirit of the Lord may be with 3'ou, and 
 keep you alfectionately united, and revive your graces, and make you 
 active and useful in promoting the interests of Christ's kingdom. 
 
 The next day after our arrival at Liverpool, we left for London l)y the 
 way of Birmingham. We have now been in London two days, during 
 wliich time we have been engaged in preparations for our tour upon the 
 continent. Of course we have not been able to become acquainted with 
 
LETTER FROM EXGLAXD. 137 
 
 inimy of the excellent Cliristians with which this city ahoumls. It is 
 now Saturday evening, a time when I have been accustomed to prepare 
 for preacliing on tiie holy Sabbatli. Instead of preparing sermons I am 
 doing tlie best thing I can as a substitute. Accept this, dearly beloved, 
 as a token of my afFectionato remembrance, and of my readiness to 
 serve you, even though separated from you by thousands of miles. 
 
 I long anxiously to hear from you, and to leara how you are prosper- 
 ing in the Lord. I doubt not that you have good preaching. May you 
 profit by it, and grow in both grace and knowledge. Are your prayer 
 meetings well attended? Are they deeply spiritual? Do you agree as 
 touching what you shall ask of a prayer-hearing God? Are you anx- 
 ious for the conversion of souls? O, my dear, dear brethren and sisters, 
 fail not to keep your skirts clear of the blood of souls. Let them not 
 perish through your neglect. 
 
 No essential cliange has yet occurred in my health. I expect no 
 improvement until I reach milder climes. I need not say, " Pray for 
 us." Your very afiectionate pastor. 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 In the correspondence which was thus begun by the absent 
 pastor, we notice the warmth of affection which was so prom- 
 inent a feature in his character. A few of the letters which 
 were sent to him as replies we have foitnd among his papers. 
 They are fall of expressions of attachment on the part of his 
 church, and earnest prayers that their minister may recover 
 liis health, and be restored to them again. We resume the 
 thread of our narrative in the w^ords of Mr. Stow. 
 
 London, December 20. At half past six went to St. Jolin Chapel, 
 Bedford Row, to hear the Hon. and Kev. Baptist W. Noel. The chapel 
 is very spacious, containing seats for twenty-two hundred. The service 
 was well i-ead by an aged clergyman with a strong, clear voice. Mr. 
 Noel preached from 1 Peter i. 18, 19. The discourse was decidedly 
 evangelical in sentiment, chaste and simple in style. lie is represented 
 as one of the most laborious and useful ministers in the Establishment. 
 God give the Churcli of England many more such. 
 
 Paris, December 28. Several Americans called, and showed much 
 kind sympathy. It is good to find friends who know how to show kind- 
 ness without charging five francs for it. 
 
 Paris, December 29. Still feeble and ineflacient. Kind friends still 
 overwhelm us with attentions. Walked around the garden of the 
 Palais Koyal with Mrs. S. Tiie sliops are magnificent. Tiie French 
 
138 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 truly understantl the art of display. Every American we have yet seer 
 here testifies they will lie and cheat. How could we expect truth and 
 honesty among an infidel people.^ 
 
 1841. 
 
 Januar}' 1, 1841. Called on Dr. Motte, a distinguished physician 
 from New York, now here with his family for the improvement of his 
 health. He made minute inquiries respecting my case, and said it most 
 exactly resembled his own. Approved of my course in leaving home, 
 and the field of my labor, and recommended that I remain for a consid- 
 erable period, hoping, by these means, for full recovery. My mind is 
 quite at ease upon one point; that is, tlie question if I had not made a 
 mistake in yielding to the advice of my Boston physician and friends in 
 coming to Europe. 
 
 Have received invitations from General Cass and lady to dine with 
 them on Friday. 
 
 Paris, January 3. Though far away, and surrounded by exciting 
 novelties, yet my mind is more occupied with this one subject, the sal- 
 vation of my dear people, than with any or everything else. Nothing 
 would impart a purer, richer satisfaction than to hear of a revival in 
 Baldwin Place. Lord Jesus, my Saviour and my Friend, grant me 
 this sweet satisfaction. 
 
 In the evening Dr. Wayland called and took tea. His conversation 
 was both instructive and spiritual. At ten he closed the interview with 
 a most humble, fervent prayer. This evening will be remembered by 
 us in years to come. 
 
 After he left, we took a walk through the Place du Carrousel, and 
 looked at the illuminated palace where the queen was receiving " the 
 calls " of ladies by thousands, and this on the Lord's day. Afterwards 
 walked upon the Pont Koyal, and gazed upon the splendid scene up and 
 down the river. Beautiful evening! beautiful, enchanting sight! but 
 alas ! how does God, the Holy One, look down upon this people, upon 
 what tliey are, and what they are doing? Returned grateful that I was 
 born in America, " that goodly land," a land of Bibles, Sabbaths, a re- 
 publican. Christian land. 
 
 Paris, January 4. Had I no other object in tiiis tour than sight-see- 
 ing, I should at once turn about and go liome to my work. It is small 
 business for persons in health. A man wlio has but one life to live, and 
 that a short one, has enough else of more imjjortance to do. If I had 
 not the hope of regaining my health, so as to enable me to continue my 
 lal)ors at Baldwin Place, I would not proceed another league. Much as 
 I should like to sec Italy, Greece, and especially the Holy Land, I know 
 
JOURNAL. 139 
 
 not how I could account to Christ for time iind money thus employed, if 
 my own gratification were the primary object. 
 
 January 6, evening. Called on Rev. Mr. Baird, IC Rue de la Fernie 
 des Mathurins, and conversed upon professional subjects. His piety 
 i-j of the gentle, sweet, attractive kind. O that Paris had a thousand 
 such, as salt in the midst of her impurity, as lights in the midst of her 
 darkness. 
 
 Paris, January 7. Our party were invited to the soiree of General 
 and Mrs. Cass, at nine and a half this evening — a kind of business that 
 ill accords with my healtli and reelings. My fear in attending is, that I 
 shall do something inconsistent with my profession as a Christian and a 
 minister. Lord, keep me in the path of purity. I would not be squeam- 
 ish or over-careful, but I would " magnify mine office," and please my 
 Master. 
 
 January 8. Dined with a compan}' of sixteen gentlemen. Among 
 tliem were Monsieur Julienne de Paris, secretary of Robespierre, also 
 of Napoleon Bonaparte, and Monsieur Champollion, brother of the cele- 
 brated Monsieur Champollion, whose investigations in Egyptian hiero- 
 glyphics have so much interested the learned world. General Cass is 
 much interested in the same subject, and has written two articles in the 
 North American Review. Two of the South American ministers were 
 present, one from Chili, tlie other from Montevideo. 
 
 January 11. Mr. Buckingham called. We conversed upon the pro- 
 priety of clergymen doing in Paris what they would not do in America. 
 His remarks were somewhat piquant, and showed his views of Christian 
 consistency. It seems public opinion does not make it a question of 
 right and wrong, but of consistency. I feel it would be wrong in me 
 "to go everywhere." Theatres, operas, balls, and all amusements of 
 that class, I regard as wrong in themselves. They are unbefitting 
 moral, accountable beings ; they minister to depravity. They who fol- 
 low them "live after the flesh." I therefore avoid them, not only as a 
 Christian and a, Christian minister, but as a man, a being wiiom God 
 has made "a little lower than the angels;" a being destined to an im- 
 mortal life. 
 
 Paris, January 12. Here, as elsewhere, the purest gospel is preaclied 
 in the humblest places. It would add nothing to the effectiveness of tlio 
 evangelical message to have it proclaimed in the Madeleine, or St. 
 Sulpice, or Notre Dame, or even in St. Paul's and St. Peter's. Plain 
 and convenient places of worship are decidedly the best. 
 
 Walked through the Place de la Concorde, into Champs Elysees. In 
 the evening read aloud in Oliver Twist. Dickens is truly a powerful 
 writer; his sketches of character are exceedingly graphic and vivid; 
 he makes each distinctly visible, inside and out. 
 
140 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 The following letter, which he wrote to his church and 
 congregation may properly be introduced here : — 
 
 Paris, January H, 1S41. 
 
 My DEAR People : Before I left America I was earnestly entreated by 
 many of you to throw off all care and anxiety, and surrender myself to 
 mental as well as bodily relaxation. This I have endeavored to do as 
 far as possible; but God, who knows my heart, can best tell how diffi- 
 cult it is for me to detach my thoughts and solicitudes from the jjeople 
 whom I have reason to love, and whom I shall ever love, so long as 
 this heart continues its throbbings. As the Sabbath comes round, how 
 can I forget Baldwin Place, and the people and the scenes associated 
 with that hallowed spot? I could not if I would, I would not if I 
 could. Every Sabbath since I left you I have in spirit been present in 
 that temple where witli an aching heart I bade you adieu. The assem- 
 bly has been before me, and I have anxiously looked round to see if 
 any were missing, desirous to be assured that all had j^rinciple enough 
 regularly to fill their places, and to know that wlioever might stand as 
 my substitute, he had a full attendance of devout and attentive worship- 
 pers. I have had before me, also, the whole choir, not one absent, and 
 as heretofore, lifted my heart to God, that he would inspire their hearts 
 to feel, as well as their lips to pronounce, the praises which they sing. 
 I have sympathized with the preacher, and joined the longings of my 
 heart with his, that the message of love might reach your hearts, and 
 be made, by the Holy Spirit, the power of God unto your salvation. O 
 my people, how has my heart yearned over you, and poured its peti- 
 tions into the ear of the Lord of Sabaoth, that you might be profited by 
 the hearing of the gospel! Much as I should rejoice to be employed 
 by God as the subordinate agent in your conversion, yet I should be 
 delighted to know that, even through the labors of others, you had 
 come to the saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. You and I 
 may not meet again on earth, but we must meet at the bar of the Son 
 of Man. that our meeting there may not be a painful one ! 
 
 As the evenings consecrated by you to social prayer recur one after 
 another, I am also with you in spirit, beholding the familiar faces, and 
 joining in the devotions — such devotions as the angels love to observe, 
 and the Saviour honors with his promised presence. These precious 
 seasons have a deep hold on my heart, and wherever I may rove or rest, 
 tliey will not, they cannot, be forgotten. If anything associated with 
 them detracts from my comfort, it Is the thought that so many of my 
 dear people love not the place of prayer, and habitually stay away from 
 those sacred scenes where true piety finds its congenial home. How 
 happens it, my dear hearers, that you have such an aversion to tlie 
 
LETTER FKOJI PARIS. 141 
 
 prayer- room, such dislike of prating society? Can you, in sucli a state 
 of inintl, have one qualification for heaven? I beseech you, lay this 
 subject deeply to heart, and be neither too worldly nor too proud to 
 meet witli the people of God, and there lift up your hearts witii theirs 
 in supplication for the promised influences of the Holy Sjiirit. 
 
 Since I left America I have seen six Sabbaths, but I have not preached 
 a single sermon, and, owing to the state of ni}' health, iiave attended 
 public worship only twice. We have endeavored to maintain family 
 \7orship, and in this J have found much comfort. Last Sabbath Dr. 
 Wayland called at our lodgings, and prayed with us, and expounded the 
 eighth chapter of Romans, and we conversed together upon the things 
 of the kingdom of God. But the service, refreshing as it was, painfully 
 reminded me of the privileges from which I am for several long months 
 to be exiled. 
 
 We are in the midst of a people who pay no religious regard to the 
 holy Sabbath, and who, though they are decorated with crosses, are '^the 
 enemies of the cross of Chi-ist.'" ^^God is not in all their thoughts." 
 They " live after the flesh." O, when shall the gospel be preached here 
 in its purity and power, and this wicked city be distinguished by revivals 
 of religion ? 
 
 All that I liave seen here and in England only makes rae love my coun- 
 try the more. I love the land of my birtii, not for her buildings, piles 
 of brick, and wood, and stone, not for her armies, her navies, her mili- 
 tary schools, her painting, her statuary, but for her constitution, her 
 laws, her churches, her schools, her libeity, her religion, her thousand, 
 thousand excellences and privileges, of which the old world knows 
 nothing, and under her present system can know nothing. I love my 
 country because she is the best spot on the earth in which to recover 
 the lost image of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. If I get no 
 other good by this temporary absence, I shall certainly obtain this — 
 the deeply-wrought conviction that Americans have occasion to be grate- 
 ful and contented. No consideration but the one which tore me from my 
 loved home and my loved duties would induce me to remain in Europe 
 longer than I could find a safe and swift conveyance away from her 
 polluted shores. He wlio preaches " total depravity," without having 
 seen it as here developed, knows it only in theory. I have come to the 
 conclusion that the millennium is somewhat farther off than I formerly 
 supposed. Cliristianity has much to do before even France, wi:h her 
 thirty-five millions, shall be prepared for the reign of the Son of Man. 
 
 For particulars respecting my health, I must refer you to my friend 
 and brother. Dr. E. W. Leach, to whom I have, some days since, for- 
 warded a letter containing a detail of facts. Many of you know that I 
 was never very sanguine as to the result of this tour. 1 submitted tc 
 
142 MEMOIR OF VR. STOW. 
 
 the judgment of others, because I had not confidence in my own, and 
 because it appeared in tlie circumstances to be the only course which I 
 could take, and yet retain my place as your pastor. The best wisdom 
 that God gave was used, and nothing has occurred to change my opinion 
 tliat the step taken was, on the whole, the best. My medical adviser here 
 — and lie lias, perhaps, no superior — says that I have followed right 
 counsel ; and if I stay away two or three years, I may be able to resume 
 my parochial duties with some prospect of safety. Such an absence, 
 however, I do nut think of for a moment. I shall carefully obey the 
 instructions of my Boston physician, and follow out your wishes, and 
 then, by God's permission, return, and hope to be able, not only to re- 
 sunip, but long continue, these labors, which, by a strange paradox, are 
 my life, though they have well nigh been my death. I know of no 
 other way than to do present duty, and leave the future to Ilim whose 
 purposes are as wise as they are inscrutable. 
 I remain, dear friends, as ever. 
 
 Your affectionate and devoted pastor, 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 What n warm, affectionate heart is spread out before our 
 gaze in this loving communication to the clturch and society, 
 of whose welfare he never lost sight ! He was not insensible 
 to the charms of the beautiful capital of France. There Avere 
 many objects of interest, which, as a tourist, he desired to see. 
 In the diversion which Avas given to his thoughts, and the 
 necessary physical exercise. Avhich he was obliged to take, 
 who can doubt that he found the best medicine for the res- 
 toration of his prostrated nervous system? We will look 
 through his eyes as he passes from place to place, and with 
 him will visit spots so memorable. 
 
 Paris, January 15. At eleven we four took a fiacre, and went first to 
 the Palace of the Luxembourg. The paintings there surpass evciything 
 we have yet seen. Went into the Chamber of Peers, also Chambre ti 
 Coucher de Marie de Medicis, a splendid apartment decorated in the 
 most sumptuous style for those times. Went next to St. Sulpice, and 
 there witnessed a Catholic funeral. 
 
 Visited Notre Dame. Stood on the spot where Napoleon was crowned. 
 Saw the robes worn by the archbishop and by Napoleon at the corona- 
 tion. Splendid trifles. 
 
 In the evening took tea at Mr. Baird's, where I met a pleasant com- 
 pany of French and American Christians; among them were Messrs. 
 Audebez, Lutterwoth, and Koussel. 
 
JOURNAL. 143 
 
 Moi.sieur Roussel is a preaclier, but not a pastor. Is editor of a reli- 
 gio-political paper, called L'Esperance. He is below the medium size, 
 witli a face that indicates mind and severe study. He is said to be a 
 truly pious man, a lover of the truth. As an editor he is often severely 
 sarcastic, especially on the Catholics, thus pleasing his infidel readers, 
 who care little for liis orthodoxy, provided he will "cut hard" upon 
 " the hypocrites." 
 
 We passed the evening pleasantly. It was good to find Frenclimen 
 who could talk about '' the grace of God," and "justification l)y faitli 
 alone," as if tliey understood and loved what they said. 
 
 Paris, January 17. Another, and the fourth Sabbath in Paris. Went 
 to ill 3 Church St. Roch, in Rue St. Honore. Heard a discourse fjrom 
 
 Monsieur , the priest wlio went out to St. Helena with tlie Prince 
 
 de Joinville after the remains of Napoleon. His manner was spirited 
 and every way impressive. The queen was present, and appeared very 
 devout. She is spoken of by all as a very good woman. She is dis- 
 tinguished for her simplicity of manners and dress, her industry and 
 benevolence. 
 
 Weather soft and balnw. Walked through the garden of the Tuile- 
 ries, and saw thousands of people; all civil and orderly. 
 
 Paris, January 18. Went to the Foundling Hospital. Rode next to 
 the Triumphal Arch L'Etoile, a huge and splendid structure, commem- 
 orative of military events. From the summit we had a fine view of 
 Paris and its environs. Height one imndred and fifty-two feet. 
 
 Lyons, January 2i. Left Paris January 21. We took the whole of 
 the Intcrieur, and provided ourselves with as many comforts as we coujd 
 aflord. Tlie air was uncommonly clear as we emerged from Paris. It 
 was delightful to look abroad upon earth and sky, and breathe the 
 healthful atmospliere. We took our route par Chalons sur Saone. We 
 were sixty-five hours on the road, a distance of one hundred nineteen 
 and a half French leagues, or three hundred English miles. We reached 
 Lyons this (Sunday) morning at seven o'clock. Pleased enough to 
 arrive without trespassing more on holy time. The ride has been a 
 very tedious one, but we have sufTered no more than we anticipated. 
 Some parts of the country were lightly covered with snow; others were 
 quite bare. In some places the ground was soft; in others, hard frozen. 
 The frightful stories told us in Paris of the state of the roads were hap- 
 pily untrue. The road was nil the way exceedingly good. It is a mac- 
 adamized road, and along tlie whole lengtli were heaps of broken stone, 
 ready to be thrown in when the road at any point becomes soft or 
 yielding. ' 
 
 Thousands, nay, millions, of acres we have seen covered with vines, 
 especially in Burgundy. It must be a most beautiful route in summer, 
 
144 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 As in otlicr parts of France, we saw more of the women than the men, 
 as they were out with tiieir donkeys bearing various articles,, such a? 
 vegetables, wood, &c., to the nearest markets. The houses are clustered 
 compactly in villages, with no appeai-ance of cleanliness or of comfort. 
 Some of the cafes where we took our meals were disgustingly dirty. 
 The coffee, with boiled milk, has everywhere in France been a luxury, 
 and the bread excellent, though baked in shapes that appear ludicrous. 
 
 Lyons, January 2.5. Went up and down the Khone ; viewed the quaj'S 
 and bridges. Ascended the hill west of the Saone, on which stood the 
 ancient city Lugdunum; prospect was extensive. Visited the man- 
 ufactories of silk tapestry. 
 
 River Rhone, Januaiy 2G. So we are here in a French steamer, 
 upon the ancient Rhodanus, hastening rapidly towards the Mediterra- 
 nean. The whole region through which w^e are passing is classic 
 ground, containing remains of Roman antiquities, such as aqueducts, 
 bridges, &c. No place has so much interested me as Vienne, a short 
 distance below Lyons. Here the Christians of early times were furi- 
 ously persecuted. The gospel was preached through all this part of 
 France very soon after the ascension of our blessed Saviour. Query, 
 if Paul visited England, did he pass up the Rhone? What route did he 
 take into Sjiain ? 
 
 Avignon, January 27. In three hours from St. Esprit Ave reached 
 this ancient and famous city. Went into the Chapelle du St. Office, 
 where the popes perform their devotions. Next was the Chapelle de 
 ITnquisition, where those who were condemned " pour crime d'here- 
 sie " to sutfer punishment, came to make the " amende honorable." 
 Then we entered the Salle des Tortures, where the heretics were dealt 
 with after the manner of St. Dominic. A part of the oven remains 
 into which they were thrust to be roasted into confession. 
 
 Next came the " Tribunal de ITnquisition," where the heretics were 
 tried. After this we saw the " Tour de Taurias," a prison designed for 
 criminals. Thence we went upon the rock, the highest part of the 
 city, where the prospect up and down the Rhone is very fine ; also the 
 famous country of Languedoc. 
 
 Avignon, January 29. Yesterday afternoon we took a caleche and 
 visited the tomb of Laura — " Tombeau de la belle I.aure." She 
 was interred in the church of the Cordeliers, which was demolished 
 fifty years ago, during the French revolution. Parts of the walls are 
 still standing, and the ruins lie in heaps on all sides. The site of the 
 church is now a garden, of a very ordinary character. The spot upon 
 which strangers have gazed with so much interest is marked by a small, 
 rude monument, erected in 1823 by Charles Kelsall, a travelling Eng- 
 lishman. It is encompassed by a row of small cypresses, thirty in 
 
JOURNAL. 145 
 
 number, set in elliptical form; four small weeping willows bend over 
 the spot hallowed to so many minds by deeply interesting associations. 
 
 Avignon. January 30. At eleven o'clock took a cal6clie, and went out to 
 Vauclusi', fifteen English miles. The road lay througli a pleasant, well- 
 cultivated country, which in summer must be most delightful to tlie eye. 
 We passed several villages where the inhabitants were mostly out of doors, 
 upon tiie southern sides of tlieir houses, saving fuel by warming them- 
 selves in the sun. We saw several women spinning flax upon small, 
 awkwardly constructed foot-wlieels, bearing some resemblance to tiiose 
 which my grandmother used. A greater portion of the ground was 
 ploughed, and planted with madder and teasles, the principal products 
 of this neighborhood. We saw on the way beautiful hedges of cypress, 
 also rows of the plane tree, in our country the "sycamore," or "button- 
 wood." Upon a ridge, rocky and gravelly, we saw, the first time, the 
 olive, of which there are extensive orchards. The plain lands were 
 planted with the white mulberry. 
 
 At LTsle our coaclnnan was obliged to stop to get a shoe set on 
 one of the horses. Mr. G. and myself walked until we came to the 
 •' Hotel de Petrarque et de Laure," "which," Madame Starke says "is 
 celebrated by travellers for its dinners, consisting of excellent trout and 
 other fish." We were met by the landlord, a bluff, blowzy man, impor- 
 tuning us, in his peculiar patois, to take dinner at his house. As we 
 had determined to do so, we ordered it, hoping for once to get a dinner 
 that would relish "at trois francs" per head. Our caleche came up 
 soon after, and in half an hour more we were at Vaucluse, a little vil- 
 lage of eighty inhabitants. The road wound along the stream, which 
 dashed limpidly and rapidly over the rocks. On our right, as we as- 
 cended, was the torrent; on our left, as also on our right across the 
 stream, were high, precipitous rocks, which became higher and bolder 
 as we advanced. Occasionally, between the path and the water, there 
 was a small patch of earth, containing a cypress, or an olive, and a few 
 garden vegetables. The bed of the stream was in many places cov- 
 ered with a vegetable most luxuriantly green, and manifestly a lover 
 of pure cold water. I pulled some, finding it, from its appearance 
 and odor, to be a species of parsnip. 
 
 Half way from the village to the fountain, on the bank opposite 
 to the path, are the ruins said to be of the house of Petrarch, occu- 
 pied by him some five hundred years ago. It must have been about 
 one hundred feet above the bed of the torrent, and had but one way 
 of access — by a steep ascent on the west side. 
 
 At the distance of about one quarter or one third of a mile from 
 the village, we arrived at the termination of the path. It was the 
 
 10 
 
146 MEMOIK OF DK. STOW. 
 
 fountain of Vaucluse ! We stood in silent admiration, liardly able to 
 believe that we were upon the spot of which we had read much, and 
 of which we had heard many speak in terms bordering upon enthusiasm. 
 We felt an interest in tlie associations of the place; besides, there was 
 grandeur in the scene. We stood where the sun is seldom seen, so en- 
 closed is the spot by liigh, overhanging rocks, which we could not con- 
 template without awe approaching to terror. At our feet wa? a quiet, 
 limpid pool, some fifteen or twenty yards in diameter, supplied copiously 
 from hidden sources known only to the Creator, and unruffled either by 
 the wind from above or the rushing waters from beneath. The rock is 
 calcareous, and the stones around covered with tufa. I have seen some 
 of the sublime scenes of nature, but none whose sublimity resembles 
 that of the scene before me. It was peculiar, and led me to think not 
 of Petrarch, but of Him who made all these things, and before whom Pe- 
 trarch and his contemporaries must stand in judgment. 
 
 The sun was declining, and we turned reluctantly away, bearing with us 
 some memorials of the spot. The whole of this chasm in the calcareous 
 rock, varying in depth from two hundred to three hundred feet, exhibits 
 proof of having been worn down by the action of the current. At the 
 height of one hundred and fifty and even two hundred feet from the 
 present bed of the stream, are large excavations in the sides of the 
 rock, evidently produced by attrition of water. When was all this 
 done? pow long has this fountain been flowing? Was it ever nacre 
 copious than now? What do geologists say of these striking phe- 
 nomena? 
 
 The quantity of water poured from this fountain is immense. At 
 L'lsle the stream is divided into several canals, in each of which there 
 is water sufficient to turn heavy, cumbrous water-wheels. 
 
 At eight we reached our lodgings, and, what is unusual for us, called 
 for tea. Since we have entered France, we have breakfasted from 
 nine to ten, and dined from four to six. So we have dispensed with 
 suppers, and of course with tea. At ten o'clock read John xvii., and 
 found it good to draw near to God in prayer. Precious privilege. 
 
 Avignon, February 1. Engaged our places for Marseilles — toot 
 the whole intcrieur " for thirty-six francs, or six francs apiece for us 
 four." 
 
 Marseilles, February 2. Left Avignon at six o'clock last evening, 
 had a cheerful ride, reached Aix at five this morning, then took refresh- 
 ments. At daylight we found ourselves approaching a better country, 
 and appearances improved as we advanced. The houses, gardens, vine- 
 yards, and olive-yards all indicated moi'e neatness, thrift, and comfort 
 than we had seen or expected to see in France. At nine, instead of 
 
jouBisrAL. 147 
 
 levcn, as promised, we were sot down in Marseilles, in the Hotel de 
 rOfient, a new house, better arranged and apparently better kept than 
 anything we had seen in Europe, — not even excepting Dee's Royal 
 Hotel in Birmingham. 
 
 After breakfast went directly to the banking-house, and to my great 
 gratification found letters from home ; all well and prosperous up to 
 January 1. The Lord be praised. Deacon B. gives a most encoura- 
 ging account of the state of tiie church and congregation — no death, no 
 sickness, and prospect of a revival. The Lord in mercy pour out his 
 Holy Spirit and bless his own word, and hear the prayers of his people. 
 The committee have engaged Rev. Mr. Johnston, a native of Scotland, 
 late pastor of tiie church in Auburn, N. Y., to preach until my return. 
 May he do that dear people great good. 
 
 We have taken our places in the steamer Phararaond, which leaves 
 to-morrow at four P. M. for Naples, via Genoa, Leghorn, and Civita 
 Vecchia. As we went down the harbor in a boat to examine tlie 
 steamer, I had some peculiar emotions, occasioned by the thouglit that I 
 was actually on the Mediterranean ; tliese emotions, mingling with those 
 awakened by tlie letters from home and the thoughts of home produced 
 a state of mind quite new, well nigh overwhelming. 
 
 Harbor of Genoa, February 4. When I rose this morning it rained, 
 but the clouds soon cleared away, and disclosed on our left the Italian 
 coast, with high mountains capped with snow; the Sardinian towns 
 scattered along, some in the gorges of the hills, and close down by the 
 sea; others, high up on their sides, gave to the scene an air highly pic- 
 turesque. In the afternoon, the wind, north-east, increased to a gale, 
 and I was driven to my berth by the motion of the vessel. At six we 
 came to anchor in the harbor of Genoa, where we hope to-morrow to go 
 on shore. The storm is furious indeed; .and we feel that we have occa- 
 sion for special gratitude to God that we are safe in port. 
 
 AYe are pleased with Genoa. It lies in a semicircle around the 
 harbor, and upon the sides of the Apennines, in tlie form of an 
 amphitheatre. The view from the outer harbor is particularly charm- 
 ing. The streets, though narrow and crooked, are tolerably clean. 
 The people are well dressed and orderly. We saw very few beggars. 
 
 Leghorn, February 6. Left Genoa in due French time, that is, two 
 hours after the time promised. At five this morning we reached Leg- 
 horn. As the captain promised not to leave till four P. M., saying he 
 should start precisely at that hour, we took carriages, seven persons in 
 all, and went out to Pisa, some twelve or fourteen miles nortli of Leg- 
 horn. The road was delightful, winding through a level country, well 
 cultivated, and lined on either hand with the white mulberry, and vines 
 
148 MEMOIR or PR. STOW. 
 
 trained from tree to tree in a manner that must be beautiful indeed 
 when in full foliage. "We were often accosted by beggars, that w&uld 
 come hobbling up to the carriage windows as if very decrepit; but when 
 our coachman quickened the pace of his beasts, they would quit their 
 hobbling, and run with a speed which we could scarcely outstrip. In 
 two hours and a quarter we were set down at the " Hotel des Trois 
 Demoiselles," in Pisa, fiicing the Arno, now swollen and turbid. En- 
 gaging a cicerone, we set off at once to see the most important lions. 
 On our way we stopped to take a passing look at the Clmrch of St. 
 Stephen; soon we were at the foot of the " Leaning Tower," the ad- 
 miration of the world; next came the Cathedral, the most splendid 
 church we have yet seen ; next the Baptistery, once used for the immer- 
 sion of both adults and infants, now only for the sprinkling of infants. 
 Madame Starke says, "The practice of immersion was discontinued in 
 the thirteenth century." Why? we ask, why? The building is spacious, 
 with some very handsome bassi-relievi. We reached Leghorn at three. 
 After slight refreshment at a damp, dark restaurant, hurried on board, 
 the boatmen quarrelling who should take us off, and thus make a few 
 sous of the job. We were punctual, as required. The steamer got under 
 way at five and a half. We were grieved that we could not have had 
 this time on shore, for we much desired to see the cemetery and the 
 synagogue. 
 
 Civita Vecchia, February 7. Reached this place at eleven and a half 
 this morning; had a very boisterous passage, with head wind, and heavy, 
 rolling sea. Confined to my berth all the way. It is the Lord's day. 
 E. and myself went by ourselves on deck, and read several of the Psalms 
 of David — "sweeter than honey and the honey-comb," especially the 
 sixty-first and sixty-second, with the eighty-fourth. The rest of our 
 company went on shore; but as it was the Sabbath, we preferred to 
 spend the few hours while in port in the most devotional way possible. 
 We had no retired place for joint prayer, but still found it good to lift 
 our hearts on high, to praise and pray "in secret silence of the mind." 
 
 Naples, February 8. Had another boisterous, uncomfortable night. 
 At ten and a half this morning we entered the grand mole of Naples. 
 The sea was so heavy, and the ship rolled so badly, I could not go on 
 deck as she passed up the bay ; so I lost that beautiful view of tlie city, 
 of which travellers speak with such raptures. We had so many cere- 
 monies to go through on shipboard, and at the custom-house, we did 
 not reach our hotel until three P. M. Wc have found a home for a day 
 or two in the "Hotel de liussie," directly on the beach, and facing 
 the bay, in Strada di San Lucia. 
 
 Naples, February 9. We walked to the Ville Reale, a most beautiful 
 promenade along the beach of the bay, for a mile or more elegantly 
 
JOURNAL. 14^ 
 
 set out with trees and shrubbery, and liberally interspersed v. ith statues 
 and fountains. It was full of gay company. Vesuvius is in full view 
 from our windows, but ever since our arrival has been capped with 
 clouds. Tlie day has been charming, and we have realized what is meant 
 by '• the silken climate " of Italy. An Italian said to us at Marseilles, 
 " O, you will find a sweet climate at Naples;" and so we have found. 
 Surely every day cannot be like this. 
 
1^0 MEMOIE OF l>lt. STOW. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Improved Health. — Letter to the Baldwin Place Church. — 
 Naples. — Rome. — Northern Italy. 
 
 1841. 
 
 It is evident from the journal of Mr. Stow, that the de- 
 cision to which he came, to break away from tlie cares of the 
 ministry, was a wise one. It is easy to see that the tone of 
 his animal spirits is very much raised, that he derives sincere 
 pleasure from sight-seeing, and that he exercises his wonted 
 discrimination in observing the objects which pass imder the 
 notice of his eye. We rejoice to see this improvement in his 
 feelings, and predict that in due time he will retura to his 
 duties with new strength. 
 
 The following communication, addressed to the Baldwin 
 Place Church, indicates the warm affection of the absent jjas- 
 tor for his beloved flock : — 
 
 Naples, February 10, 1841. 
 Dearly beloved Brethren and Sisters : My last communication to 
 you was dated at London, about twenty days after I bade you a painful 
 and reluctant adieu. I now address you from this classic land, where, at 
 almost every step, I am reminded of bj'-gone generations, of whose 
 deeds I have all ray life been reading, and among the ruins of whose 
 greatness I have long desired to wander. I am writing before a win- 
 dow which faces the beautiful Bay of Naples, and from which I can dis- 
 tinctly see Mount Vesuvius, one of the chimneys of the globe, from 
 whose crater the smoke is continually issuing. I can hardly realize 
 that I am here, looking out upon the Mediterranean, that sea so famed 
 in sacred and profane history — the sea that laves the shores of Greece, 
 Egypt, Asia Minor, and Palestine — the very sea upon which Paul the 
 
LETTER TO HIS CHURCH. 151 
 
 prisoner was tcmpcst-tossed wlien on liis way to Rome to sustain liis ap- 
 peal to Caesar. Yet so it is. By the great goodness of God I am here, 
 and within fifty yards of me tlie billows of that Mediterranean are 
 breaking upon the beach. A thousand associations rush into my mind, 
 and I am overwhelmed with emotion. Yet, amidst the multiplicity of 
 thoughts and the gush of feelings, there is one prominent thought, 
 there is one master feeling. It is the thought of home — it is the feel- 
 ing occasioned by a recollection of the endeared objects in that far-off 
 land from which I am a temporary exile. The needle does not more 
 surely turn towards the north than does my heart towards the west. 
 Many degrees of longitude separate us, but my affection for the people 
 of my charge docs not diminish as I recede. I am surrounded by ob- 
 jects of animating interest, which I find pleasure in contemplating; but 
 they do not counteract the attractive force of home, nor will they de- 
 tain us an hour beyond the time appointed for our return. Were our 
 principal object accomplished, we would gladly turn our faces at once 
 towards the western continent. 
 
 Our original purpose, you know, was to visit the Holy Land. We 
 have all along hoped that the political diflficulties would be settled in 
 season to allow us to proceed without jeopardy or inconvenience. As 
 yet the prospect is rather discouraging, and we fear that we shall be 
 compelled to relinquish our purpose. At present we could not travel 
 in that country without a military escort — a convenience which we did 
 not bring with us, and which we could not easily command. The disap- 
 pointment to us will be great, for we had anticipated our highest pleas- 
 ure in visiting Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jordan, Capernaum, Bethany, 
 Gethsemane, and Calvary. But as matters now are, the hazard at- 
 tending such a visit is greater than we could prudently run. However 
 pleasant to the Crusaders was the thought of laying their bones in the 
 land of Judea, I confess there is nothing romantic to me in being 
 robbed by a horde of Arabs, or of welcoming among my heart-strings 
 the point of a Turkish sabre. Unless, therefore, we hear of something 
 more favorable touching the condition of Syria, we shall hardly ven- 
 ture into the Levant. In that case Naples will be the utmost limit of 
 our tour. We should bo glad to visit Greece, but the attractions there 
 are not of themselves sufficient to induce us to encounter the discom- 
 forts of another sea voj^age. 
 
 We arrived in this city on the 8th instant. Why we did not reach 
 here, as we intended, a month sooner, you will probably have learned 
 ^rom my letter to the congregation. I was detained at Paris by an ill- 
 ness, which, at one time, rendered it doubtful whether I should be able 
 to proceed another league, but which God in mercy removed, so that, 
 »fter twenty-six days, I resumed my journey. At Avignon, about five 
 
152 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 hundred miles south of Paris, I had another attack, wliiuh delayed us, 
 however, only a few days. From Marseilles we came to this place by a 
 steam packet, which touched at Genoa, Leghorn, and Civita Vccchia. 
 "We were five days on the passage, which was rather uncomfortable, 
 owing to a heavy, rolling sea, occasioned by southerly winds. We 
 really do not fancy sea life, and shall have as little of it as possible. 
 Our return route will be by land, through the pope's dominions, Tus- 
 cany, Lombardy, Sardinia, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, &c. 
 
 ■ We have seen many interesting objects, from some of which we have 
 gained instruction. I cannot in a single letter do anything at descrip- 
 tion, .and therefore shall not attempt it. But I will just say that, as a 
 Baptist, I was particularly interested in the " Baptistery," at Pisa. 
 That is the name of a splendid circular edifice, which will contain three 
 thousand persons. The architecture is magnificent, and the amount of 
 money expended upon it must have been immense. It stands near the 
 Grand Cathetlral, and was erected for the administration of baptism, in 
 those good old days when the ordinance was un corrupted. The font is 
 in the centre, elevated a little above the floor, with a fountain which 
 supplied a continual stream of pure water. Since the thirteenth cen- 
 tury this font has fallen into disuse, and now stands a silent but keen 
 reprover of those who trifle with Christ's institutions. Upon the rim of 
 this font a marble basin has been fitted, from which the little, uncon- 
 scious candidates are sprinkled. 0, if that font had a tongue, how 
 would it speak out, and ask the innovators by what authority they have 
 made the change, and so miserably perverted the significance of the holy 
 rite ! 
 
 We have visited many cathedi-als and churches, and while we have 
 admired the architecture and paintings, we have been displeased and 
 grieved at the ignorance and superstition of both the priests and the 
 people. O, brethren and sisters, bless the Lord that you were born in 
 America! Fail not to appreciate your privileges and your respon- 
 sibilities. 
 
 Vou will, of course, be gratified to know that I feel encouraged re- 
 sj)ecting my health. It has improved considerably since I reached a 
 milder climate. Here the air is soft and balmy, and I think the effect 
 will be favorable. The fields are green, farmers are planting their 
 seeds, and roses and other flowers are blooming in the gardens. We 
 have not all the comforts of home, but we have more than we expected. 
 
 While at Marseilles I received a precious letter from Deacon Beal, 
 iated January 1, which gave a most satisfactory account of your condi- 
 tion and prospects. I rejoice to hear that you continue united. God 
 forbid that any " root of bitterness " should spring up to trouble you, 
 that any heresy should creep in to lead any astray, that any of you 
 
THE traveller's RECORD. 153 
 
 eliouUl be driven about by winds of doctrine. Dearly beloved, I am 
 persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, 
 though I thus speak. " Faithful is lie that hath called you," and I am 
 confident that he will keep you from schism, and error, and defection. 
 I beseech you, keep the cords of discipline straight. Deal kindly with 
 one another, and yet faitlifully. Seek for the peace and purity of the 
 body. Hold iogether. Work together. Be one in heart, one in action, 
 and the God of love and peace will be with you. 
 
 The younger members of the flock, my own dear children in the Lord, 
 I e.xliort to abide true and faithful to their profession. Cultivate 
 acquaintance with the older members. Seek their society, follow their 
 counsel. Ye " are my joy and the crown of my rejoicing in the day of 
 the Lord Jesus." 
 
 I long to hear that sinners are converted among you, and hope, im- 
 mediately on my return, to have many to bury in baptism. 1 have not 
 preached a sermon since I left home, nor performed any other public 
 service. INIonths will elapse before I shall be where a congregation 
 could understand me. 
 
 Now, beloved, once more adieu. Pray, pray for us. You have our 
 coustant prayers. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 
 you all." 
 
 With unwavering attachment, 
 
 Your absent pastor, 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 Other and similar letters may have been written by the 
 absent pastor to his church ; but if so, they have been mis- 
 laid. Fortunately the record of his movements is so full, that 
 we are able to supply every deficiency in this respect. We 
 have read not a few books of travel, the scene of which was 
 laid in the fair, classic land of Italy ; but we think the record 
 of the wanderings of our })ilgrim friend Avill compare favora- 
 bly with that of any other traveller. We are to keep in mind 
 that he was an invalid ; that excitement and fatigue affected 
 his sensitive brain, and often prostrated his sjjirits. The life 
 of a busy sight-seer is one which, while it is full of richest 
 enjoyment, makes a peculiar draft on the vital energies. After 
 a long, wearisome, and most active day of running about a 
 great city, and viewing its objects of interest, it is not always 
 easy to sit down at the late evening hours, and carefully and 
 elegantly pen do\An the results of the day's work. Nowhere, 
 
154 MEMOIR OF PPw STOW. 
 
 we think, does the great faciUty for writing, ibr which the sub- 
 ject of this Memoir was always distinguished, show itself more 
 conspicuously than in the chaste and beautiful manner in 
 which he has recorded the adventures of his life as a tourist. 
 Cheerfully we let him act as the guide of our readers, as he 
 takes them over spots of so much romantic interest as those 
 which he visited in Southern Europe. 
 
 Naples, February 10. Went with our party to the Studii Publici, 
 or Museo Borbonico Reale, and examined several of the galleries, 
 especially the ancient sculpture and the antique remains, excavated 
 from the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. 
 
 In one gallery we saw the famous Hercules of Glycon, found at 
 Rome in the baths of Caracalla, and which is considered one of the finest 
 statues extant. It represents Hercules previous to his deification. 
 He is a giant of a fellow. 
 
 In much of the ancient sculpture I was deeply interested, espe- 
 ciall)' in several of the busts of philosophers, consuls, and emperors. 
 The female figures are some of them very fine, and all properly cov- 
 ered with drapery. Among these was Agrippina, the mother of Nero, 
 seated. There was a magnificent porphyry basin, which is said to have 
 been used as a lustral vase in the temple dedicated to ^sculapius. 
 In one hall was a colossal statue of Flora, a grand production of the 
 Grecian chisel. Atlas, supporting the globe, very properly bends 
 beneath the burden. I felt that this figure, like the fable, was in bad 
 taste. The statue of Aristides, found in Herculaneum, struck me as 
 a masterpiece. 
 
 In one hall was a large painting, a copy of a celebrated one by 
 Raphael, at Rome — the Transfiguration. Why should the Saviour 
 be represented as elevated above the earth ? Why that promiscuous, 
 gazing group in the foreground? The perspective in this copy is not 
 good. We saw a copy in Paris witli the same faults, yet it is ad- 
 mired. Perhaps the original will strike me more favorably. 
 
 The streets of Naples are full of people. They must live out of 
 doors by day; and who can blame them in sucii weatlier as this? 
 About every tenth person appears to be a priest. 
 
 February 13. At eight and a half this morning we started for 
 Pompeii, being seven in all. We hired two caleclies, one with three 
 horses, the other with two, for which we paid ten piastres, and one 
 piastre to tiie coachman. We were two hours and three quarters in 
 going the fourteen or fifteen miles. Passing out of Naples by a 
 dirty street, crowded with dirty people, engaged in dirty work, we 
 
JOURNAL. 155 
 
 crossed the Scbcthus by the Ponte deUa Maddalena, between Naplea 
 and Portici. The country is beautiful, covered with l.ixuriant gar- 
 dens and vinej'ards. At Portici is one of the king's palaces. Next 
 is Torre del Greco, which was destroyed by an eruption of Vesuvius, 
 June 15, 1794. This eruption was not from the crater on the summit, 
 but towards the middle of the mountain, on the western side. Torre del 
 Greco was five horizontal miles from this new volcano, and contained 
 eighteen hundred inhabitants. The stream of lava, which took this 
 direction, was one mile in width, and was three hours in reaching the 
 sea, into which it poured, driving back the water for one third of a 
 square mile, and rising above it some twelve or fifteen feet. Every 
 part of the country to which the lava ran became a desert, and its 
 appearance now is awfully desolate. The next town is Torre della 
 Monziata. Along this route we saw many villas, with groves or or- 
 chards of lemons and oranges, yellow with fruit. Arrived at Pompeii, we 
 engaged a cicerone and commenced our rambles. I had been consider- 
 ably excited in anticipation, but as I entered this wonderful place, 
 which has lain buried since A. D. 79 under the ashes and cinders 
 of Vesuvius, the excitement was more than doubled. My poor heart 
 felt the bitter effects, and began to palpitate most uncomfortably. We 
 went first into the Comic Theatre, then the Tragic Theatre, then, cross- 
 ing to the northern side of the city, over the part which still lies buried, 
 and upon which are luxuriant vineyards and fields of esculent vegeta- 
 bles, we came to the Amphitheatre. It is very spacious, and is capable 
 of seating at least fifteen thousand persons. Its form is elliptical, and 
 it has thirty-tliree rows of seats, with a row of boxes, for ladies, above 
 the whole. Here were those bloody shows of which the ancients were 
 so fond, but which, thanks to the humanizing influence of Christianity, 
 have long since passed into disrepute. In this place the people of 
 Pompeii and tlie surrounding country were assembled, when Vesuvius 
 suddenly poured forth those volumes of ashes and pumice-stones which 
 covered this devoted city, and hid it for centuries from the face of mor- 
 tals. What an hour was that! Bulwer, in his Last Days of Pompeii, 
 has very graphically described it. 
 
 We then proceeded to examine other wonders, among which were 
 the public baking-house, the house of Sallust, a chemist's and druggist's 
 sh.op, public baths, houses with large and small fountains, temples of 
 Fortune, Isis, Hercules, Romulus, ^sculapius, and Venus, merchant 
 shops, banking-houses, the Pantheon, the Forum Civile, the ancient 
 aqiieducts, and the Villa of Diomcd, — of wliicii Bulwer has made so 
 much account, — Forum Nundinarium, tribunal of justice, &c., &c. 
 
 In several places we saw beautiful mosaics, shell-work, &c. One of 
 the mosaics represented the battle of tlie Granicus. 
 
156 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 Only about one third of the city lias been disinterred, and that mostly 
 by the French. We saw a few men excavating and sifting the earth; 
 they are employed by the government; and all valuables which they find 
 are removed to Naples, and placed in the Museo Borbonico Reale. We 
 were narrowly watched, especially while examining the better class of 
 mosaics, lest we should pocket something belonging to his majesty. We 
 had no disposition to steal, but we would gladly have purchased a few 
 interesting specimens. 
 
 While we were wandering among these ruins, and laboring hard to 
 understand the poor Italian and poorer French of our cicerone, a man 
 brought us two bottles of the wine of Pompeii, called " Lachrymae 
 Christi," for which we gladly paid four carlini, both because we were 
 thirsty and because we wished to try the article of which we have heard 
 so much. It is light, and rather palatable. Before our cicerone had 
 finished his circuit I was so prostrated as to be compelled to desist, and 
 seat myself for breath, and rest upon the front door-steps of Diomed's 
 house. Having finished three hours and a half of hurried and excited 
 sight-seeing, we took a lunch in our carriages, and started for home, 
 driving much more rapidly than in the morning. 
 
 Naples, 14th February, Lord's day. Rose after a night of suffering, 
 anxious to devote the day to the Lord in the holiest and most profitable 
 manner. Read the last two chapters of Mark and fifteenth of John. Hear- 
 ing there would be Episcopal worship near us, we went to the place at 
 the hour appointed ; but finding we should be exorbitantly taxed for a 
 poor seat, we turned away, and resolved to worship God in our own 
 apartments. F'ound some comfort in bowing at the foot of the throne, 
 and acknowledging the mercy of God, in confessing our sins and in im- 
 ploring continued fiivor. Descend, Holy Spirit, to-day, not only upon 
 us, but upon the dear people in Baldwin Place. Clothe the gospel 
 message with power, and refresh the hearts of tliy chosen, and convert 
 sinners from the errors of their ways. 
 
 This is now carnival time, and to-day tiiere are exhibitions in one of 
 the principal streets. 
 
 February IG. Disappointed. It storms furiously, and so we cannot, 
 to-day, ascend Vesuvius — the chimney-top of Italj-. We regret to lose 
 so much time, but we would not murmur. God has some kind design 
 in thus defeating our plans. How ought we to rejoice that there is One 
 above us who is infinite in knowledge, wisdom, goodness, and power! 
 How much is comprised in this short expression, " The Lord reigneth " ! 
 May I never, at any time, or in any place, forget it. Read this morn- 
 ing several chapters in Job, and was struck, as I have often been before, 
 with his complaint in chapter nine, verses thirty-two and thirty-three — 
 especially the latter. 
 
JOURNAL. 157 
 
 The time wliich our travelling party proposed to give to 
 Naples having expired, they set their faces towards Rome 
 We regret tliat we are com])clled to give so brief an account 
 of tlieir visit to the Etern:il City. The selections we have 
 made from the journal of Mr. Stow are perhaps no more in- 
 teresting th:ni those which we have omitted; but we are 
 forced to draw the line somewhere, and have endeavored to 
 lead our readers to some of the places which may be regarded 
 as most worthy of note. 
 
 Eomc, February 20. Yesterday morning we were called at two. I 
 liad slept none, and felt quite overcome by tlie excitement and fatigue 
 of tbe two preceding days. In descending to take our scats in carriages 
 which had been engaged to convey us to the diligence office, we found 
 that another imposition had been practised upon us. The carriages were 
 not those which we had engaged, and for which we had agreed to pay a 
 pi.astre each. But it was too late to complain, and we rolled away from 
 the " Hotel de Geneve, chez J. Mounier," without a tear or regret. At 
 three we set off in the "rotonde" of a voiture which was none of the 
 best, but which we were determined to like, for it was bearing us away 
 from a land of despotism, beggary, and perfidy. We were not sure that 
 we should find anything better in Rome; but we could conceive nothing 
 worse. Naples is an unclean place, physically and morally. 
 
 At the gate of the citj' our passports were demanded and vised. The 
 first place of interest was Capua, where our passports were again called 
 for and vised. Here we saw prisoners chained two and two, and sweep- 
 ing the streets. The chains were about their ankles and bodies. This 
 city is older than Rome itself. Here Hannibal's army encamped, and 
 was enervated by the luxurious habits of the place. 
 
 At San Germano we breakfasted and had our passports vised. This 
 town is built partly at the foot of Monte Casino and partly on the accliv- 
 ity. A baronial castle of the middle ages overhangs the town, and the 
 pinnacle of the mountain is crowned by a most spacious and splendid 
 Benedictine convent. A little beyond the town, on the right, are the 
 remains of an ancient Amphitheatre, which Mr. B. and myself visited. 
 The hotel at San Germano is called " Grand Albergo del Marco Var- 
 sone." A short distance from our route (the Via Latina) we saw the 
 ancient city of Aquinam, the birthplace of Juvenal. 
 
 At Arce our passports were again vised, as also at Ceprano,. the fron- 
 tier town of the Ecclesiastical States, — making five times during the 
 day. In each case we paid a little buono mano — a thing which every 
 
158 MEMOIK OF DK. STOW. 
 
 ItLilian demands when he has done anything for one, even though paid 
 a stipuLited price. 
 
 On our arrival at Ceprano, we were driven into the custom-house, 
 and the doors were closed and guarded by a soldier. Our luggage was 
 then taken off and examined by a very quiet, civil young man. He 
 made an apology for the trouble he occasioned us, but said he must do 
 it ^^ pour formalite." We then went to the Hotel de I'Europe — a 
 favorite name for inns on the Continent, — and found a good supper and 
 a tolerable bed. 
 
 From nine till two we slept well, wlien we were again called — a 
 Roma; and we rose, partly refreshed. 
 
 Tlie road yesterday was remarkably fine, and led througli a most 
 beautiful country : what a pity that such a country had not an intelli- 
 gent, industrious, enterprising population! Let New Englanders have 
 this soil, and tliey would soon make much of it. Our route lay between 
 the ridges of the Apennines, and was exceedingly level. To-day it has 
 been more hilly. Near Frosinone the ascent is very steep, and though 
 we had eight liorses we were obliged to prefix a j'okc of oxen. 
 
 At half past eleven we set our faces once more towards Rome. At 
 two o'clock we saw, across the Campagna, the towering dome of St. 
 Peter's, and at a little past four we entered the Porta Maggiore. In 
 half an hour more we were in the custom-house, surrounded by sol- 
 diers, and our luggage was subjected to another examination. Having 
 paid the conductor and some lialf a dozen others their " buono inano" 
 we started for our hotel. We had scarce entered the street, when we 
 were met by the carnival procession — a nonsensical, farcical rabble — in 
 carriages and on foot; and we had no small difficulty in picking our 
 way. At length, between five and six, we reached the Hotel de Russie, 
 near the Piazza del Popolo, and engaged apartments for a week. 
 
 Here we are in Rome, — the Eternal City, — once the mistress of 
 the world. What has she been ! What has she done ! What people 
 have lived here ! What scenes have been enacted ! How full of inter- 
 est are the associations suggested by tiie history of this spot! Let me 
 survey the ground and gain instruction. 
 
 February 21, liOrd's day. First Sabbath in Rome. What did Faul 
 do the first Sabbath he spent here? Mrs. G. and myself went to the 
 place of English worsliip, and heard the Episcopal service, and a clever 
 discourse well read. The preacher's text was Haggai i. 2-6. His prin- 
 cipal topic was, " self-examination as a means of grace." I should tliink 
 the assembly amounted in number to five Imndred. It was interesting 
 to attend so good a service in sucli a place. Protestant worsliip in 
 Rome! O, how important that the true light should be held up in this 
 dark place I I could not help thinking of Paul. Where was " his own 
 
JOURNAL. 159 
 
 hired house," in wliicli lie preaclicd, a prisoner? How did he preach ? 
 Acts xxviii. 17-31. 
 
 February 22. Called on Mr. Green, tiie Anic'rican consul, who re- 
 sides at the Four Fountains on the Quiriiial, and on Tortonia & Co., 
 Piazza di Venizia. Afterwards hired a window in one of the churches 
 at the head of the Corso to witness the show of the carnival. To us it 
 seemed a very silly affair. Many of the people, mostly young, were 
 arrayed in fantastic costumes, with hideous masks, and " cut up " all 
 kinds of " antics " and " capers." Thousands were in carriages, and 
 tens of thousands on foot. Flowers, sugar-plums, and oranges were 
 thrown in profusion. At five o'clock a gun was fired, and the centre of 
 the Corso was cleared. Twelve horses, one for each apostle (?), were 
 then brought out, arrayed somewhat like the people, and let loose. Oft' 
 they started down the Corso. The one which arrived first at the foot of 
 the Corso drew a prize. This is the seventh day of the carnival. To- 
 morrow is the last and greatest. What is the origin of this fete? How 
 long has it been celebrated? What does it mean? It is certainly con- 
 ducted with great spirit, and without disorder. Tens of thousands 
 passed before us, and acted foolishly enough ; but we saw not one per- 
 son intoxicated or angry, or guilty of any breach of decency or deco- 
 rum. 
 
 February 23. The grand farce is over. There has been to-day a 
 repetition of the scenes of yesterday, with an additional one more silly 
 than all. After the horses had finished their race, the people in the car- 
 riages lighted their candles, and the sport consisted in eff'orts to keep 
 them from being extinguished by those on foot. When the last candle 
 was put out, then all retired from tlie field. To-morrow is Ash- Wednes- 
 day, the beginning of Lent. A fine preparation this for forty days of 
 self-examination and self-mortification ! 
 
 February 24. At nine this morning we were on our way to St. Peter's 
 to witness tlie ceremonies of Ash- Wednesday. The services were in 
 the Capella Sistina, where we had an opportunity to see the pope in 
 function. He and his cardinals were gorgeously arrayed, and made 
 quite a show. The services lasted about two hours, including music, 
 prayers, bowing, genuflexion, crossing the heads of the cardinals with 
 ashes, kissing the pope's toe and the hem of his robe, with a harangue 
 in Latin by one of the ecclesiastics, which lasted about twelve minutes, 
 and reminded me of the salutatory oration at a college commencement. 
 The whole aff'air struck me very unfavorably. Can it be that the pope 
 and his cardinals, all of whom appear to be men of years and intellect, 
 consider this as Christian worship? What does it comprise that re- 
 sembles either the spirit or the practice of New Testament Christianity? 
 The pope has a large military establishment. What a combiuation, 
 
160 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 the churcli and the military! Jesus said, " My kingdom is not of this 
 world." The kingdom of tlie pope, then, is not the kingdom of Jesus. 
 His soldiers are to be seen at all points throughout his dominions. 
 They were employed in large numbers to-day at all the doors and ave- 
 nues leading to the Sistine Chapel. 
 
 February 25. At nine this morning we took a carriage and a valet- 
 de-place for the day, and set off with the intention of seeing as much 
 as possible. We commenced at the Capitoline Hill. The modern Cap- 
 itol contains galleries of works of art, some of which are interesting. 
 
 On the site of the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus stands the church of 
 the Ara Coeli, to which we ascended on the south side by steps that led 
 to the ancient temple. Passing' through the church, we heard persons 
 at prayer behind the screen that concealed the high altar, who lifted up 
 their voices as if they intended to be heard. Passing near a side altar, 
 I took up a card which contained a prayer to the " Blessed Virgin,'* 
 commencing, " O, Maria, dolce Rifugio de miseri peccatori," &c. Such 
 prayers are offered by persons professing to know the true Refuge ! 
 Alas ! Alas ! Having passed through the church, we came to the long 
 flight of ancient steps which led to the front of the temple, one hun- 
 dred and twenty-four in number. 
 
 In the rear of the Palace of the Conservatore we saw the famous 
 Tarpeian Rock, from which those declared guilty of treason to their 
 country were hurled headlong. It was once very high, but the earth is 
 now filled up at the base more than forty feet above its ancient level. 
 From tliis rock Manlius was precipitated, and found an inglorious death. 
 
 We then descended into the Roman Forum, and endeavored, though 
 with poor success, to trace the localities of the memorable spot. The 
 rubbish of successive centuries has not been wholly removed, and the 
 appearance of the place is very uninviting. There are the foundations 
 of the several edifices, and we fixed upon the probable location of the 
 ancient rostra whence the orators harangued the people. There are 
 standing three pillars of the Temple of Jupiter Tonans, and eight of 
 the Temple of Fortune. There are some remains of the Temple of 
 Concord. The Arch of Septimius Severus and the Column of Phocas 
 are in a good state of preservation. Three columns of the Temple of 
 Jupiter Stator are standing. 
 
 We descended into tlie Mamertine prison, where many distinguished 
 personages found their death — Jugurtha by starvation, Lentulus Ce- 
 thegus, Statilius, and others by strangulation. Here, it is said, Peter 
 and Paul were imprisoned ; and we were shown an indentation in the 
 wall apparently produced by a man's head. Our guide said that a sol- 
 dier struck St. Peter a hard box on the side of his head that drove him 
 against the rock with such violence as to make this impression ! Peter 
 
JOURNAL. 161 
 
 must have had a very hard head, or this tufa rock would never have 
 yielded in this manner. It was in the lower TulUan prison that these 
 apostles were confined, and there stands the pillar to which they are 
 said to have been chained. The chain is preserved in St. Peter's ! 
 At the bottom is a spring of water said to have been used at the bap- 
 tism of Processus and Martinian, the keepers of the prison. Over tliis 
 prison is the Clmrch of St. Gieuseppe. 
 
 Passing the Temples of Vesta, of Antonius and Faustina, of Ronm- 
 lus and Remus, the Temple of Peace, or Basilica of Constantine, tiie 
 Arch of Constantino, the Arcli of Titus, the Temjile of Venus and Rome, 
 the Meta Sudans, and the pedestal of the Colossus of Nero, we came 
 to the Colosseum, the proud relic of antiquity, the admiration of the 
 world. Description of it is out of the question. Its dimensions and 
 proportions are magnificent: circumference, one thousand six hundred 
 and sixty-one feet; height, one hundred and fifty-seven feet; length, 
 two hundred and eighty-five feet; breadth, one hundred and eiglity-two 
 feet. Vasi says it had room on the seats for eighty-seven thousand 
 persons, and on tiie terrace for twenty thousand. There the beasts and 
 the gladiators fought. There the people delighted themselves with 
 scenes of suffering and blood. Tiiere, too, the meek and humble fol- 
 lowers of Jesus were torn to pieces by tigers, lions, and leopards, while 
 the people looked on and rejoiced in their agony. (Did it take its 
 name from its immense size, or from the neigliboring bronze colossal 
 statue of Nero — one hundred and twenty feet?) Thence we went to 
 the Basilic of St. Jolm Lateran, the principal temple of Rome, and per- 
 haps of the Catholic world. We pas-^ed through the Baptistery of Con- 
 stantine, very inferior to the one at Pisa. In the church they pretend 
 to show the table on which Christ instituted the Supper, as also in silver 
 reliquaries the heads of the apostles Paul and Peter. We had not the 
 curiosity to allow the priest to show us these relics. At St. Peters 
 they will offer to show us where the bodies of these apostles repose ! 
 
 In the rear of the Lateran palace we entered a portico erected by 
 Sixtus v., under which he placed the staircase " which," it is said, 
 " existed in the palace of Pilate at Jerusalem, up which our Savicmr 
 passed several times. Having been thus sanctified, the faitliful now 
 ascend it on their knees, and descend it by the four lateral staircases." 
 It consists of twenty-eight marble steps, so consumed by friction that 
 it became necessary to cover them with wood. They are now called 
 " Scala Santa." We then repaired to St. Peter's, and took a general 
 view of the galleries of the Vatican. I can now say no more than 
 merely that everything is splendid, altogether surpassing my concep- 
 tion. Our cicerone to-day pointed out the Tower of Nero, from which 
 the tyrant looked out upon Rome burning by iiis orders. He said that 
 11 
 
162 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 women who had bad husbands ascend on their knees the high steps 
 leading to the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus •' praying that the great 
 one would change their heads and make them better." 
 
 We to-day visited the Golden House of Nero, and the Thermae of 
 Titus. The Forum Romanum and parts adjacent have been used as a 
 cattle market; hence it is known among modern Romans by the very 
 unclassic name of " Campo Vaccino." When at the Basilic of St. John 
 Liiteran, we saw the remains of the aqueduct of Nero. The aqueduct 
 of Claudius we saw as we entered the city, on the 20th, by the Porta 
 Maggiore. 
 
 Februarj' 26. Went out this morning alone, and walked round the 
 Piazza del Popolo, and examined the various objects — the fountains, 
 the statuary, the Porta del Popolo, the obelisk, and the church Gesu e 
 Maria, where a priest was officiating — reading prayers with most irrev- 
 erent rapidity and lightness of manner. 
 
 S. Carlo, one of the most magnificent churches in the city, is divided 
 into three naves by pilasters of the Corinthian order. Over the prin- 
 cipal entrance are the words, "Domine, dilexi decus domus tuae;" over 
 each of the six arcades of the central nave, and below the transept, is 
 an inscription which I copied. 
 
 Over a fine picture of the Virgin, in a side chapel, are the words, " Tu 
 sola universas haerises interemisti." 
 
 Next I went to the Piazza Colonna, which occupies part of the forum 
 of Antoninus Pius, and where is a column raised by the senate to Mar- 
 cus Aurelius, in commemoration of his victories in Germany. In front 
 of the column is the general post office, and in the adjoining Piazza of 
 Munte Citoria, which occupies the site of the ancient tlieatre of Statil- 
 ius Taurus, is another obelisk, evidently Egj^ptian. In the immediate 
 neighborhood are the remains of the Temple of Antoninus. 
 
 I passed the church S. Maria in Via Lata, said to be " built on the spot 
 occupied by the centurion with wliom St. Paul resided when sent to 
 Rome by Festus." I thought that Paul " dwelt by himself in his own 
 hired house." Acts xxviii. 30. They show a fountain which they pre- 
 tend sprang up to enable the apostle to baptize those wlio were con- 
 verted under his ministry ! I passed also the church of St. Silvestro 
 in Capite, where they pretend to have the head of John the Baptist. 
 These two churches I did not enter. 
 
 February 27. At half past ten, with our carriage and cicerone, we 
 sallied out sight-seeing. Our first object was the Baths of Caracalla. 
 These ruins are immense in extent. The form of the edifice was 
 square, measuring ten hundred and fifty feet on each side. We passed 
 over portions of the ancient roads Via Appia and Via Latina, and 
 visited the Temple of Vesta, the Arch of Janus Quadrifrons, the Porta 
 
JOURNAL. 163 
 
 Latina (now closed up), the ancient city walls, with rooms for the Pre* 
 torian Guards, the ancient fish market, and the Circus Maximus, now a 
 vegetable garden. 
 
 The family tomb of Augustus, recently discovered, is deep — perhaps 
 twenty-five feet — and square. Wo descended by tiie antique steps, 
 and viewed the scenes below. In the wall are nine rows of niches, one 
 above another. Each niche contains two urns, filled with ashes and 
 calcined human bones. Over each niche is a small marble slab, on 
 which are engraved the names of tiie persons whose ashes there repose. 
 It was a solemn sight. We were looking upon the remains of persons 
 who lived and died before the Christian era ! 
 
 We descended also into the Columbarium of Augustus, where in urns 
 are deposited tiie ashes of the slaves and freedmen of Augustus. We 
 descended likewise into the tombs of the Scipios, where sleep the ashes 
 of great men, who, in their time, astonished the world by their valor. 
 
 In the cliurch of S. Stefano Rotondo. formerly the Temple of Claudius, 
 we were horrified by paintings representing the modes by which the 
 early Christians were tortured. The question came home with power, 
 Have we piety that would endure such trials? Both there and at an- 
 other church they pretend to have the body of Stephen. 
 
 We next went to the Palatine Ilill, and wandered among the ruins of 
 the Palace of the Ca3sars. Almond trees were in bloom there, and a 
 gardener was hoeing cauliflowers and artichokes. From the roof of the 
 library we had a fine view of the six otiier hills of Rome — the Aventine 
 on the west, the Coelian on the south, Esquiline on the north and north- 
 west. The Palatine once held all Rome. Afterwards it was not large 
 enough for Rome's tyrant, Nero. 
 
 Returned to our new lodgings, and then went out to the Villa Bor- 
 ghese, perhaps the most splendid in Italy. The gallery contains a choice 
 collection of frescoes and sculpture. The grounds are finely laid out, 
 interspersed with serpentine, sliady walks, fountains, Grecian temples, 
 Egyptian obelisks, statuary, parks, gardens, &c., including also a church 
 and a cafe. 
 
 The Borghese family have a palace within tlie walls of the city, dis- 
 tinguislied for its richness and splendor. Rome abounds in palaces as 
 well as churches, both of which are interesting to strangers on account 
 of tlieir rich collections of works of art. Vasi, in his New Guide to 
 Rome, recommends eighty-eight churches as worthy of being visited, 
 as also thirty-one palaces, fifteen gates, nine villas, fifteen galleries, and 
 nine bridges. 
 
 Evening, Took a walk by moonlight, and in the clear blue sky, and 
 the brilliant moon, and the starry constellations, saw God, and experi- 
 enced, in communion with him, something of the blessedness promised 
 
164 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 to such as have fellowship with tlie Father. It was jjooil to turn awav 
 from man and all his works, and contemplate perfect Intelligence. It 
 was good to hold converse with the Great, the Pure, the Good. O, how 
 small did all around me appear, how insignificant, how shadowy and 
 worthless ! For a little while I felt swallowed up in God. A perpetu- 
 ity of this feeling would be heaven. Lord, grant me this heaven, 
 through Jesus Christ, thine own dear Son. Amen ! 
 
 February 28. At daylight the bell of Monte Santo, a church very 
 near us, commenced ringing, whose tone at once reminded us of the 
 bell on the Middle Street Baptist Church, in Portsmouth. Thence fol- 
 lowed a long train of associations, some pleasing, some painful. And 
 the tears involuntarily started. 
 
 The history of the five years passed in Portsmouth is deeply engraven 
 on my memory, and will never, never be effaced. They were to me 
 important years, and the effect of the discipline which I there had is 
 daily apparent. 
 
 At a quarter before eleven went to the place of Protestant worship, 
 which was well filled with orderly people. The service was well read, 
 but I should have enjoyed it more had it been less prolix. Not less than 
 five times was the Lord's Prayer repeated. There was no music, and 
 yet the service previous to the sermon occupied one hour and a half. 
 The Scriptures read were Gen. xix., Ps. cxxxii.-cxxxiv., Luke xii., 1 Cor. 
 vi., and Matt. iv. The sermon, founded on Lam. iii. 40, was a contin- 
 uation of the subject of last Sabbath — self-examination. The preacher 
 treated it with special reference to repentance, which he very properly 
 defined to be " that godly mourning for sin which leads to godly refor- 
 mation of life." In some parts of his discourse he was very plain and 
 pointed, but in others he softened down the severity of truth in a way 
 to injure the effect. At times I felt the power of his searching interro- 
 gations, and lifted my heart to God in prayer that the scrutiny might do 
 me good; and I could not be otherwise than grieved when he began to 
 explain and to apologize, as if he was afraid lest I should examine a lit- 
 tle too deeply, or repent more than I ought. As I retired I felt that 
 every one might say. " Well, we had a very good, faithful discourse, 
 but it was not intended iox me ; the preacher made me an exception." 
 That is preaching which God will hardly bless. O, why cannot those 
 who profess to be " the messengers of trutli, the legates of the skies," 
 be willing, like their Master, to make themselves "of no reputation," 
 and declare the whole truth, regardless of man's smile or frown, approv- 
 al or censure. In my soul I honor the man who can say, with truth, 
 " / liave not shunned to declare unto yon all the counsel of God." Lord, 
 give me grace ever to be faithful to the souls of men. 
 
 It is now Lent, during which the people in Europe, and some in 
 
JOURNAL. 165 
 
 America, profess to humble themselves before God, and to pray that by 
 practising abstinence they may so subdue the flesh to the spirit, that 
 they may be able to attend to the godly motions produced within them 
 by the Holy Ghost. Mrs. Stow inquired of me to-day if I did not 
 think the influence of Lent was salutary in checking the people and re- 
 quiring them to give time to self-examination and devotion. Unques- 
 tionably some good may result from the practice of observing forty 
 successive days in this manner. But it should be remembered that this 
 service is not required by Christ or his apostles. It savors more of the 
 old than of the new dispensation. If observed as required, it is bur- 
 densome. If otherwise, it is mockery and hypocrisy. Besides, it is a 
 temptation to the people to confine their self-examination, and mortifi- 
 cation, and repentance to this period, and live loosely the rest of the 
 year. 
 
 One grand objectionable feature in the whole Papal system is, the 
 making of religion to consist in the observance of certain days and 
 seasons, while to other days and seasons extraordinary indulgence is 
 allowed. The Church of England has too much of this radical fault. 
 O, when will the nominally Christian world embrace the simple gospel, 
 and regulate their whole conduct b}' its simple precepts? A great 
 change is to be wrought before the millennium can commence. 
 
 March 3. We went this morning to the Wednesday market, in the 
 Piazza Navona. There were all sorts of folks with all sorts of things 
 for sale, and there were all sorts of noises by men, women, and chil- 
 dren, dogs, horses, and donkeys. It was a grotesque but interesting 
 spectacle. 
 
 At one o'clock we sallied forth b}' the ancient Porta Capena, af- 
 terwards Porta Appia. The first object in our route was the Church 
 of St. Sebastian, through which we descended into the Catacombs, 
 which are very extensive, in the form of corridors or galleries. The 
 excavations were first made for the purpose of obtaining the sand, 
 now called pozzolana, or Roman cement. In the times of the per- 
 secutions they were enlarged by the Christians, who here concealed 
 themselves, maintained religious worship, and buried their dead. 
 Many of the bones are now sacred relics. 
 
 lleturning through the Appian Gate, we went to the Church of St. 
 Pietro in Vincoli, where they pretend to have the chain with wliich the 
 apostle Peter was bound when imprisoned by Herod at Jerusalem ! The 
 statue of Moses, from a design by Michael Angelo, is a masterpiece of 
 modern sculpture. It is of colossal size, and is full of soul. In the trib- 
 une is a consular chair taken from the Therms of Titus. 
 
 March 4. The great roads of ancient Rome ran from the golden pil- 
 lar in the Forum to the gates, and thence to the extremities of the em- 
 
166 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 pire. The Via Appia extends to Bruntlusium, the port whence the 
 Eomans embarked for Greece. At Pompeii we saw portions of this 
 Way with tiie cuts of the carriage-wheels in the stone pavement. The 
 wheels of their carriages must have been a little less than four feet 
 apart. Rogers, in his Italy, speaking of the Forum, says, — 
 
 " Tt was once 
 And long the centre of this universe, 
 The Forum ; whence a mandate, eagle-winged, 
 Went to the ends of the earth." 
 
 Along the Appian Way, leading to Cecelia, Metilla, &c., we saw half 
 dilapidated pyramids, which were probably sepulchral monuments. O, 
 what millions have mingled with the dust we tread ! 
 
 " The Appian, once an avenue 
 Of monuments most glorious, palaces, 
 Their doors sealed up, and silent as the night. 
 The dwellings of the illustrious dead." 
 
 March 6. At eight o'clock in the evening rode to the Colosseum, to 
 see it by moonlight. Disappointed to find some fifty people there, all 
 for the same purpose. I wished to enjoy the scene alone, but could 
 hardly distinguisii my own thoughts amidst the universal chattering of 
 Italians, French, and English, and I know not what other languages. 
 Yet the view fully answered my expectations. Every time I have seen 
 the immense pile it has appeared grander than before. To-night it has 
 been seen in a new light — shaded, sombre, and impressive. As the 
 moon poured her silver beams among the broken arches and dilapidated 
 corridors, my mind ran back through the hundreds of years since this 
 pile was reared, and I thouglit of tlie thousands, perliaps millions, who 
 had there assembled to be entertained, all of wliom have long since gone to 
 their account. O, what changes have these walls witnessed in the world 
 around them ! What scenes have been enacted within them ! How 
 many of my dear brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus have there been 
 tortured and torn to pieces to gratify the worse than brutal passions of 
 a blood-loving people ! While musing thus, the bell of St. .Tohn Later- 
 an struck nine, sending its heavy echoes among these ruins, and re- 
 minding me that my time is also running away, and soon will leave me 
 and my works remotely in the past. 
 
 March 8. Walked with Mrs. Stow to the Fornm Romanum and Col- 
 osseum. About that region my mind loves to linger. There are gran- 
 deur and solemnity in the associations. 
 
 We are now to bid adieu to Rome. The twenty-two days spent here 
 have been days of intense and exciting interest, but never to be re- 
 peated. 
 
DEPARTURE FROM ITALY. 167 
 
 Tlie ]).ivty left Rome on the 15lh of M:vrch, and proceeding 
 north, reached Florence on the 22d. Under date of March 24, 
 ho speaks of calling on Governor Everett, who soon after 
 returned the call, and spent an hour in pleasant chat with 
 his fellow-countrymen. " He forcibly reminded us of home." 
 The chief places of attraction in Florence were visited. We 
 should, did our limits allow, love to wander with our friends 
 amid these interesting scenes. Several days were given to 
 Florence and Turin. In the latter place Mr. Stow writes in 
 his journal that more than five months have passed away 
 since he had preached or offered a public prayer, and he 
 longs to be again in the pulpit. In leaving Italy, after a two 
 months' residence in that beautiful land, he says, "I have seen 
 much, thought much, and felt much, and though I have been 
 deeply interested, yet I have not one regret in turning my 
 back upon the country and all it contains. America, Amer- 
 ica! my native land, the sphere of my labors — my home. 
 Lord, speed my way to her loved shores, and let me soon 
 resume my work in connection with thy redeemed people." 
 
168 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Cbossing Mont Cenis. — Geneva. — London. — Visit to Barley 
 Wood. — Embarkation for Boston. — Home again. — Called 
 AGAIN to the Presidency of Waterville College. — Elected 
 Secretary of the Triennial Convention. — Revival of 1842. — 
 Its Results. — Physical Prostration. 
 
 1841-1844. 
 
 We have followed Mr. Stow and his friends, as they have 
 visited the principal cities, and travelled over a portion of 
 sunny Italy. No one can read his journal and not feel that 
 there was an unwonted elasticity to his spirits, and that he 
 entered most heartily into the enjoyment of the scenes in 
 which he found himself. He was now to pass from Italy to 
 France. He took one of the most frequented routes of travel, 
 crossing the famous Pass of Mont Cenis. He has given us 
 a charming descrij^tion of the passage, which was prepared 
 by his own pen, for the columns of one of our denom- 
 inational papers, after his return, which will be read with 
 peculiar j)leasure, since it is hardly probable that a similar 
 sketch will be Avritten again, as Mont Cenis has been tun- 
 nelled, and the travel hereafter will be through the mountain, 
 and not over it. The sketch bears the title 
 
 CROSSING MONT CENIS. 
 
 We left Rome, four of us, with the addition of a courier, in a hired 
 carriage, and travelled leisurely northward, visiting the most interesting 
 places along our chosen route, as Sienna, Florence, Bologna, Modena, 
 Parma, and Milan. Our journey up the valley of the Po was every 
 way interesting. On our left was tlie range of the Apennines. On our 
 right were the Alps, rising in niiijestic peaks, encased in snow, and 
 
CROSSING MONT CENIS. 169 
 
 glittering in tlie uunlight like burnished silver. I have seen them on the 
 northern side all the way from Munich to Lyons, and thence down the 
 western side to Nice ; but the most picturesque view is from the plains 
 of Venetia and Lombardy, where their continuity is less broken, and the 
 eye can survey them in their extension stretching along hundreds of 
 miles, like an impassable barrier reared by Omnipotence. It must have 
 been of this southern aspect that Ileinrich Stilling wrote, " When one 
 looks at the whole Alpine range, as it lies along the horizon, it appears 
 like a great saw, with which planets might be cut asunder." 
 
 It was late in the month of March, the weather was mild, ■v'egetation 
 was coming forward in luxuriance, the fruit trees were loaded with 
 bloom. That valley is eminently fertile, and, were it cultivated by 
 almost any people but Italians, miglit be the granary of Europe. It has 
 been for twenty centuries the battle-ground of nations. Probably no 
 territory on earth, of equal extent, has taken into its soil the blood and 
 bones of so many slaughtered human beings. It is, on an enlarged 
 scale, the Esdraelon of Europe. As I passed over its rich plains, the 
 history of wars from the days of Julius Caisar to the time of Napoleon 
 the Great came up fresh from the depths of memory, and I felt as if 
 traversing a cemetery of tlie ages. 
 
 We passed the first Sabbath in April in Turin, and the next day 
 started for the Pass of Mont Cenis. Our course was due north. On our 
 left were the Maritime and the High Alps, a range extending along the 
 western border of Piedmont, and dividing the kingdom of Sardinia from 
 Southern France. During this day's journey my mind was busy with 
 the remembered history of the Waldenses, whose home in the days of 
 their persecution was in the gorges and among the fastnesses of the 
 snow-clad mountains near whose base we were travelling. I thought 
 of the inimitable sonnet written by John Milton when he was Cromwell's 
 secretary : — 
 
 " Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones 
 Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold; 
 p]ven them who kept thy Truth so pure of old, 
 When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones, 
 Forget no'c : in thy book record their groans. 
 Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient fold, 
 Slain by the bloody Piedmontese, that rolled 
 Mother and infant down the rocks. The moans 
 
 Tlie vales redoubled to the hills, and they 
 To heaven. Their martyred blood and ashes sow 
 O'er all the Italian lields, where still doth sway 
 The triple tyrant, that from these may grow 
 
 A hundredlold, wlio, having learned the way, 
 Early may fly the U;ibylonian woe 1 " 
 
 We reached Susa early in the evening. It had rained all the day on 
 the plains ; but as carriages came in from the mountains, the passengers 
 
170 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 gave fearful accounts of the sno-w-storins above that had made journey- 
 ing through the pass difficult and perilous. Such stories made us 
 anxious for the morrow, and wakefulness that night was not diminished 
 by misbehavior on tlie part of our coachman, or by a brawling torrent, 
 the Doria Riparia, that came rushing down from Mont Genevre, and 
 passed directly under our window. We were called at three in the 
 morning of the Gth of April, and soon commenced the ascent with five 
 horses and a postilion. In one hour we found snow, that deepened as 
 we ascended. 
 
 The r»ad of Mont Cenis was constructed by Napoleon I., in 1811, to 
 facilitate his military movements. Giovanni Fabroni was the engineer, 
 and three thousand men were employed five months upon the work. It 
 connects the valley of the Arc in Savoy with that of the Doria Riparia 
 in Piedmont. Its highest point is five thousand eight hundred and 
 ninety-eight feet above the Mediterranean. Several galleries, zigzag 
 or serpentine in their course, were cut through tlie solid rock, one of 
 which is two thousand feet in length. On tiie most exposed parts of the 
 route. Napoleon had caused to be erected twenty-six small inns, — 
 Ricovtri, or refuges, — provided with bells to be rung in storms and 
 fogs, and tenanted by cantonniers, persons employed to keep the roads 
 passable, and render all needed assistance to travellers. To support 
 these fifty men and families a tax is levied by fixed tariff" on every horse, 
 mule, and carriage passing over the road. 
 
 At the first stopping-place, Molaretto, we began to realize that we 
 were among the Alps, first, because of the lofty peak of Rocliemelon, 
 that towered far up into the heavens, and second, by the appearance of 
 the cretins, idiotic dwarfs, afflicted with tlie goitre. As several of that 
 class, with heavy pouches hanging from their throats, came out and 
 stared at us, one of the ladies of our company exclaimed, "Merciful 
 Father! are these thy children.?" Hardly did tliey seem human. 
 
 Our carriage moved heavily through the deep drifts, and was kept 
 upright only by the aid of four men wliom we employed for the purpose. 
 The hoi'ses floundered, tlie wind blew furiously, the voiturier swore in 
 both French and Italian, and reminded us that he should be entitled to 
 large huono mnno, and altogether our condition and prospects were any- 
 thing but enviable. A little above the Pass of Gaigloine, the road is cut 
 through rock, and we found it full of dangers. On the left was a high 
 peak, with its masses of snow nearly overhanging us. At the right was 
 a chasm of fearful depth, into wliich, notwithstanding the parapet wall, 
 an avalanche might any moment plunge us. For several rods" we held 
 our breath and felt quite unromantic. Our guide-book told us of terri- 
 ble disasters at that point. A little farther on. after passing " Ricovero 
 No. III." we were stopped by a mass of snow, wiiicli had just come down 
 
CEOSSING MONT CENIS. 171 
 
 from the precipitous side of the mountain — a real, though comparativelj 
 small, avalanche. We all left the carriage, and made our way through 
 and over the snow to No. IV., fifty rods distant, the ladies being lifted 
 over the worst heaps by the strong arms of our guides. We found a 
 good fire, and though the place was not very inviting, it was a " Refuge," 
 and we blessed the memory of Napoleon for so much comfort. The 
 cantonniers were on hand, and in about an hour they had opened a way 
 for the carriage. Soon we were moving along the wild and terrific plain 
 of San Nicolo, which presented to us scenery of the grandest kind. O, 
 what mountain peaks ! We seemed shut in, with no way of egress Lut 
 up, by winding galleries, the almost perpendicular sides of a mountain 
 whose top was rendered invisible by clouds of snow driven by the wind. 
 In some such place as this, though in another part of the great Alpine 
 range, Byron must have written, — 
 
 " Above me arc the Alps, 
 The palaces of Nature, whose vast walls 
 Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps, 
 And throned Eternity in icy halls 
 Of cold sublimity, where forms and fiills 
 The avalanche — the thunderbolt of snow! 
 All that expands the spirit, yet appalls. 
 Gathers around these summits as to show 
 How Earth may pierce to Heaven, yet leave vain man below." 
 
 Up along those galleries we slowly rose, turning by very acute angles 
 from one to another, which seemed to be almost parallel. Above us we 
 could not see ; below was that wild gorge through which we had come ; 
 away was that Italy we had left rejoicing in sun and shower, verdure 
 and bloom. We looked, and bade adieu to a land rich in historic associ- 
 ations — a land of bright skies and beautiful scenery, but wofully 
 cursed by the rule of the Man of Sin ! Suddenly one of the guides 
 appeared at the carriage window, and pointing up, exclaimed, " La 
 Grande Croix! La Grande Croix!" There, indeed, was the desired 
 summit, and on it a large red cross. In our circumstances, having gone 
 through many dangers, the words of the guide were musical. How 
 suggestive of something higher, raising the thoughts from the physical 
 to the spiritual, turning them from Sinai to Calvary ! 
 
 After dining at the " Hotel de la Grande Croix," our carriage was 
 put upon a traineau, a kind of ill-shapen sled, and we set off for the 
 point of descent. For six miles our route lay along what is called the 
 plain of Mont Cenis, the road being so constructed as neither to as- 
 cend nor descend. The snow was deep, but the faithful cantonniers had 
 excavated a patii. On our left was the towering peak of Mont Cenis, 
 reaching up many thousand feet, and glowing ever as the sunlight came 
 Uirough the rifts in the wild and angry clouds. Our progress was mod* 
 
172 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 crate, owing to the constant drifting of tlie snow, antl the rickety con- 
 dition of our improvised vehicle. Near the lake, of wliich many strange 
 stories are told, we came upon the Hospice, founded in the ninth cen- 
 tury by Charlemagne for the accommodation of travellers, suppressed 
 at the time of the French revolution, and restored by Napoleon. As 
 then we were entering Savoy, a man came out in a dilapidated military 
 uniform, with a greasy chapeau a la Bonaparte, and asked to see 
 our passports. After looking them over and finding all right, he 
 touched his cap, and then extended his hand, and in the tone of a men- 
 dicant said, '' Pour-hoire, messieurs." I repeated his words, as if not 
 understanding him. " 0, irink-geld," he replied; '^ buo>io mano." He 
 could beg in three languages, and so I gave him a small coin, that 
 seemed to more than satisfy him, for he doffed his chapeau, and was 
 profuse in thanks. 
 
 At about five in the afternoon we had passed so far through the snow- 
 drifts as to be able to resume our wheels and proceed without post-horses 
 and guides. The descent of the mountain was by six long galleries. 
 From the top it seemed as if it would require but a few minutes to reach 
 Lans-le-bourg, which lay far down in the valley of the Arc. But the 
 descent, though rapid, was so circuitous as to take an hour and a half. 
 The passage from Susa is generally made in eight hours. We were 
 fifteen. That day will never be forgotten. 
 
 To the truthfulness and life-hke accuracy of this descrip- 
 tion those who have crossed Mont Cenis can bear witness. 
 The impression made upon the mind by the subUme scenery 
 will never be erased from memory. At Geneva Mr. Stow 
 lingered for a day or two. His description of a Sabbath sj^ent 
 in tliis beautiful city is worthy of record. 
 
 Geneva, April 11, Lord's day. A most beautiful morning. Mont 
 Blanc is distinctly visible. The lake is perfectly placid, and reflects 
 from its mirror-like surface the buildings and eminences upon its mar- 
 gin. The streets are quiet, and tlie few people who are moving to and 
 fro seem, by their gait and expression, to recognize the sacredness 
 of the day. O for the delicious comfort of a New England Sabbath ! 
 Shall I have anything like it to-day ? 
 
 At ten o'clock we went in search of Rev, Caesar Malan's place of wor- 
 ship. Passing out of the Porte de Rive, we found it outside of the I'ara- 
 parts, and were disappointed to learn that it would not be open for ser- 
 vice until two o'clock. A woman, who seemed to be the porter, 
 unlocked the door, and let us in. The phicc is small, and exceedingly 
 plain. I then left Mrs. S. in the garden, and went to the house of Mr. 
 
SABBATU AT GENEVA. 173 
 
 Malan, to wliom I had brought a letter introtluctory from Mr. Edward 
 J. Woolsey, of New York, one of liis former i)upils, and only brotlier 
 of the late C. W. Woolsey, who was lost in the Lexington, and who was 
 also a pupil of Mr. M. He is gone on a mission to the, south of France, 
 and will not return till the middle of May. One of his daughters, 
 who speaks some English, received me, and answered my questions 
 quite intelligently. Mr. M. suffers less from persecution than formerly, 
 and has the pleasure of seeing evangelical sentiments on the increase in 
 Geneva. Much truth is now preached by several clergymen, two or 
 three of whom belong to the national church. We then went to the 
 catliedral, called St. Pierre, and found the place crowded full. As we 
 entered the congregation were singing a tune which I have often heard 
 at home, accompanied by a noble organ. The officiating minister then 
 rose, and offered an extemporaneous prayer in a manner that indicated 
 devotional feeling. The sermon was upon the resurrection of Christ, 
 and was delivered with deliberation, pathos, and energy. The tones of 
 his voice were peculiarly rich and mellow. Twice during the discourse 
 he desisted for a minute, and in each instance the whole congregation 
 moved their feet, took out their pocket-handkerchiefs, &c. While he 
 was speaking the silence and attention were perfect. The services were 
 in French. In this church John Calvin preached. 
 
 From Paris, a few days after this date, he writes, " Boston 
 is preferable to any place I have yet seen, and towards it I 
 am glad to press ray way. The Lord still be onr gnide and 
 protector." Early in May he reaches London. It is the 
 season of the great anniversaries, and so far as his health will 
 permit, he is in constant attendance on the services. We can 
 only express our regret that we cannot follow him to tl>ese 
 great public gatherings, and give to our readers his comments 
 and criticisms on what he saw and heard. With the scenery 
 around Windsor Castle, Avhich he visited during one of those 
 charming May days, he expresses himself as highly delighted. 
 Pleasant memories are called up at Eton. From the " Round 
 Tower " he speaks of seeing, in the north, the church Avhere 
 Gray wrote his inimitable Elegy, also a mansion of one of 
 the descendants of William Penn. We let him tell us how 
 he passed one of his Sabbaths in London. 
 
 London, May IG. 
 
 ■ This is the day the Lord hath made; 
 He calls the hours his own." 
 
174 MEMOIR OF DPw STOW. 
 
 May I regard them and observe them as his own. Eead a part of 
 Psahii cxix., and in prayer found sweet refreshment of soul. God was 
 pleased to allow me near access, and to lift upon me the light of his 
 countenance. I lingered long at the tlirone, gazing upon uncreated 
 beauty, and found more real enjoyment than all things human can pos- 
 sibly afford. My very soul was drawn out in petition for uiy dear peo- 
 ple in Baldwin Place. " God be merciful unto them, and bless them, 
 and cause his face to shine upon them," to-day, to-morroR^, and forever. 
 AVent this morning to New Park Street. Heard a precious discourse 
 from Rev. Mr. Miall, an independent minister. It wanted point and 
 application to the conscience, but was full of good instruction, and 
 breatlied a charming spirit. My name was announced as the preacher 
 for next Lord's day. I very reluctantly consented to this arrangement, 
 and should gladly be excused. I have no ambition to preach in a Lon- 
 don pulpit. Should I do so, however, I pray the Lord to purify my 
 motives, and give me grace to do my duty. Several things in the pub- 
 lic worsliip in London I much admire, and should be glad to see them 
 imitated in Boston. 
 
 1. When the people enter the pews, tliey bow their heads in silent 
 prayer for one or two minutes. 
 
 2. They have their pews well supplied with Bibles, as well as hymn- 
 books, 
 
 3. When the benediction is pronounced, they stand for half a minute 
 in silence. 
 
 4. They are exceedingly moderate in leaving the house, never crowd- 
 ing the aisles. 
 
 5. Gentlemen do not put on their hats until they have reached the 
 door. 
 
 G. They have pew-openers, wlio not only open the pews for their pro- 
 prietors or regular occupants, but conduct strangers to such seats as 
 might not otherwise be occupied. 
 
 The next Sabbath, as announced, he preached at the Xew 
 Park Street Chapel, and writes in his journal, " O that good 
 may prove to have been done to precious souls ! " On the 
 27th the party left London, and went to Bristol, parting 
 with great affection from the many friends they had made 
 during the nearly four Aveeks of their residence at No. 6 
 Queen's Street Place. While at Bristol, they rode out to 
 Barley Wood, the residence of Hannah More. Mr. Stow has 
 left on record an exceedingly interesting account of this visit, 
 but we are obliged to omit it. The 1st of June he reached 
 
RETURN' TO KOSTON". " 175 
 
 Livoi-pool. The fullowing is the last entry in the journal 
 wliicli he kept of his first European tour : — 
 
 Liverpool, June 1. Attcndod to business preparatory to embarkation. 
 M'as introduced to Mr. Samuel Stillman Gair, of the house of Baring 
 Brotliers, and son of Rev. Mv. Gair, the predecessor of Dr. Baldwin, 
 as pastor of tlie church which I have tlie honor to serve. He made 
 many kind inquiries resjjecting some of the aged people of whom he had 
 beard his motlier speak. Mr. G. appears to be quite a gentleman, and 
 generously offered to serve mc in any way practicable. In every in- 
 stance during my tour I have found bankers attentive and obliging, 
 whether I did business with them or not. Six months have now passed 
 away since I bade adieu to liome and country ; during that period I 
 have seen much, enjoyed much, and suffered as well. God has been 
 God all tlie way of my wanderings, and I would ever speak well of his 
 goodness. 
 
 One of the most discouraging circumstances in the prospects of the 
 dissenters in England is, the strong propensity of the better sort to 
 sympathize with the Establishment. "The third carriage goes to 
 church." No sooner does a man become wealthy, or exhibit unusual 
 talent, than he is noticed by Episcopalians ; and poor human nature, 
 too weak to withstand such influences, soon yields, and he is lost to the 
 dissenting interest. The church has a power of patronage that draws 
 off the superior minds; as one of the ministers said to me, " Sir, we 
 are constantly skinned by the Establishment." 
 
 During all the public meetings in London, I did not hear of a single 
 prayer meeting; even the monthly concert of prayer, for the first Mop- 
 day in May was omitted. Very few of the great meetings were opened 
 with prayer. 
 
 On the 4th he embarked on board the Cokmibia, and after 
 the usual ocean experiences, reached Boston on the 16th. 
 At the wharf a large company of his church and congrega- 
 tion met him, and gave him and his associates in travel a 
 " most fervent and affecting welcome," The following Sab- 
 bath, with emotions which Ave can readily conceive, he stood 
 once more in the spot so dear to him — the pulpit of the old 
 Baldwin Place Church. 
 
 June 20, Lord's day. Preached this morning to my dear people, from 
 P.^alni cxix. Co, in which I endeavored to glorify God by recounting 
 some acts of his providential kindness. The house was crowded, the 
 
176 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 audience very attentive. The following hymn was sung as I entered 
 the church : — 
 
 " Welcome, welcome, blessed pastor, 
 Messenger of Jesus' grace, 
 Herald of a free salvation, 
 Minister of gospel peace. 
 Welcome, welcome, 
 Man of God, thy people's joy. 
 
 "For a season, at God's bidding, 
 Called in pain to bid adieu. 
 By his care again now meeting, 
 We our songs of praise renew, 
 Joy and gladness 
 Filling, warming every heart. 
 
 " Heavenly Father, bless his message, 
 Give us hearts to hear thy word. 
 Speaking pardon, dearly purchased 
 By the sufferings of our Lord. 
 O, reveal it 
 In its wondrous saving power. 
 
 " Let thy favor crown thy servant. 
 Prosper all his work of love, 
 ^ And at last, with us all ransomed, 
 
 May he take his place above. 
 » Bless, O bless him 
 
 Now, henceforth, and evermore." 
 
 The objects which were contemplated by this tour abroad 
 were in good part accomplished. Mr. Stow returned home 
 greatly refreshed in spirit, and was jDrej^ared with new zeal 
 to enter upon his ministerial labors. These labors he at once 
 resumed with a joyous, elastic spirit. His heart was with 
 his people, and he was ready to devote his recruited energies 
 to any work by which their spiritual welfare might be j^ro- 
 moted. He seemed, however, destined not to be left in 
 peace. For the third time he received a pressing invitation 
 to accept the presidency of Waterville College, which he de- 
 clined, saying, in his own emphatic words, " So long as I can 
 preach the gospel, and do the work of a pastor, I would ac- 
 
REV. ROLLIN HEBER NEALE, D D. 
 
ANTICIPATIONS OF A REVIVAL. 177 
 
 cept no presidency on earth." His journal everywhere in* 
 dicates the intense longings of his heart for the revival of 
 religion. If "Brother Neale" calls at his house, the con- 
 versation turns on the best means of promoting tlie religious 
 \velfare of the churches of Avhich they are i)astors. If pleas- 
 ant intelligence comes from different places of refresliing 
 seasons enjoyed by the churclies, tlie prayer is put up, "Lord, 
 send down showers of divine influence upon us, and revive 
 our dying graces." Every jDastor, Avhose labors have been 
 especially blessed to the conversion of men, understands what 
 it is to have strong impressions that the tide of religious feel- 
 ing and inquiry is about to rise, and to find afterwards that 
 these impressions have been realized. Mr. Stow records such, 
 and does it almost in a strain of exultation, as if he Avere sure 
 that 'the blessed vision which had dawned upon his enrap- 
 tured gaze would prove to be more substantial than an airy 
 dream. Adhering to his cherished purpose to continue in 
 the pastoral oflice, l>e declines the offer made to him to be- 
 come one of the corresponding secretaries of the Baptist 
 Board of Foreign Missions, to which position he had been 
 unanimously elected. "The indications of Providence all 
 assure me that I ought to remain where I am — the path of 
 duty is plain." What these " indications " were, which in 
 his mind were so strong, we learn when he tells us, under 
 date of December 29, 1841, " The Lord is truly in our midst. 
 Christians are melted down before God, and sinners are con- 
 verted." With such proofs of ansAver to prayer, which, for 
 so many months, had been ascending to heaven for a blessing. 
 Baron Stow was not the man to leave the post of duty, no 
 matter how urgent the invitations which called him else- 
 where. 
 
 1842. 
 
 The year 1842 will long be remembered as having been a 
 year of great spiritual blessing to the evangelical churches of 
 Boston. Rev. Mr. Kirk, for so many years the honored and 
 beloved pastor of the Mount Vernon Congregational Church, 
 < 12 
 
llO MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 had, for some months, been preaching with singular unction and 
 success. "We have ah'eady alluded to the strong impression 
 which seems to have been made on the mind of the Baldwin 
 Place jiastor, that God was about to pour out his Spirit in 
 copious measure. His own public and social religious services 
 were marked by unwonted solemnity. Christians had been 
 getting into a better state, and anxious sinners were inquir- 
 ing the way of salvation. In the First Church, Rev. Jacob 
 Knapp was preaching with great plainness and power. Every- 
 where the religious atmosphere seemed to be pervaded with 
 divine influences. His engagement at the First Church being 
 ended, Mr. Knapp preached a number of times at the Bald- 
 win Place Church, and the most marked results attended his 
 labors. Under date of February 6, Mr. Stow alludes to an 
 inquiry meeting, held in his vestry, at which more than one 
 hundred presented themselves as converts and inquirers, and 
 a few days after he refers to a " prayer meeting of remarka- 
 ble power; the Holy Spirit was manifestly i^resent." He 
 adds, " The revival is daily becoming more and more interest- 
 ing. The Lord is adding daily to the churches such as, we 
 trust, are truly converted, and shall be saved." As an evi- 
 dence of the way in which his own heart is stirred, and 
 how, while under the influence of the Holy Spirit, his soul 
 was enlarged and expanded, he tells us of the longings he 
 felt for a general revival of religion in the English Baptist 
 churches. As the result of his own observation, he gives it 
 as his impression that these churches do not pray and labor 
 as they should for the conversion of souls. So full is his 
 heart of desires for his brethren " over the water," that he 
 thinks he would like to go to England and labor there as an 
 evangelist, endeavoring to kindle up the revival spirit, and 
 encourage them to the use of true revival measures. As the 
 weeks pass away the religious interest increases. He esti- 
 mates that, on the last Sabbath in February, one hundred 
 persons were baj)tized in the Baptist chm'ches of the city, 
 of which number twenty-five received the rite at his hands. 
 On the first Sabbath in March, he gave the hand of fellow- 
 
THE GKEAT KEVIVAL OF 1842. 179 
 
 ship to fifly-eiglit persons. On these occasions of receiving 
 members into the cliurch, lie was always peculiarly happy, 
 having some appropriate word to say to each candidate. A 
 Sabbath or two after this solemn and impressive scene, he 
 baptized twenty-one more, six of whom were aged persons ; 
 and the following Sabbath thirteen others were led down 
 into the waters of baptism, and on the same day he gave 
 the hand of fellowship to fifty-nine persons. In such scenes 
 as these how did the heart of this loving, laborious pastor 
 rejoice with holy delight ! All that strength and new nervous 
 energy which he had been accumulating for so many months, 
 in his foreign tour, he cheerfully expended in the cause of 
 his Master. It was matter of unutterable gladness to him 
 that he could " spend and be spent " in the service of the 
 Lord whom he so much loved. At length he thinks he 
 notices the signs of an ebb in the tide of religious feeling 
 which has risen so high. His heart is pained as he sees that 
 some in the congregation, for whose conversion he has prayed 
 and labored, have not yet become the subjects of the con- 
 verting grace of God. " I have warned and entreated them 
 with tears day and night. I can do no more than I have 
 done. Lord, teach me duty, and give me the right spirit." 
 
 The spring and summer of 1842 passed away. The large 
 accession to his church imposed on him a great burden of 
 pastoral care. He felt too deep an interest in the spiritual 
 welfare of the scores of converts who had been brought into 
 his church to leave them as sheep vrithoiit a shepherd. He 
 was personally acquainted with them all, followed them to 
 their homes and places of business, and exercised towards 
 them all the watch-care of a tender friend. 
 
 Resuming his labors in the fall, after his summer vacation, 
 we find his mind especially exercised on the subject of foreign 
 missions. Alluding to a sermon an hour and three quaiters 
 in length, which he had preached, he says, " Never am I 
 happier than when j^ieading the cause of the heathen. For 
 several weeks my mind has been more deeply than ever 
 interested in the cause of foreign missions, and I have given 
 
180 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 it mucli time and thought. In preaching upon the subject 
 six times, I have liad unusual liberty and comfort, and I trust 
 have, by the grace of God, done some good." At a special 
 missionary meeting held in Worcester, which was suggested 
 by himself, he preached the sermon. His whole heart had 
 become so completely absorbed in the subject, that it becomes 
 a question of personal duty, whether he ouglit not, in view 
 of the wants of a perishing world, and the great lack of 
 laborers, to lay himself on the altar of sacrifice, and devote 
 himself to the work of preaching the gospel to those Avho 
 are sittinsr " in darkness, and in the remon and shadow of 
 death." "If others will not go, I must. O, my Saviour, 
 show me what thou will have me to do. I am not my own. 
 I am thine. I submit myself to thy disposal. Place me 
 where thou wilt, only make me useful to the largest possible 
 extent." 
 
 1843-1844. 
 
 Extensive alterations and improvements haA'ing been made 
 in their place of worship by the Baldwin Place Church, they 
 took possession of the same on the 22d of January, 1843, 
 when the pastor preached an appropriate sermon on his 
 favorite theme, " The Moral Grandeur of the Death of Christ." 
 Soon after this, he was prostrated by the disease from which 
 he was to suffer so much, and which, so many times, laid him 
 aside from his duties — a serious difficulty in his throat. It Is 
 an experience which tries h's faith to the utmost, thus to be 
 withdrawn again from his chosen work. He knows how dis- 
 appointed his people are, after having made so many sacrifices 
 to remodel their church, and confidently expecting the hap- 
 piest results from what had been accomplished. How many 
 anxious pastors, situated as he was, will sympathize Avith the 
 almost agonizing outburst of his feelings, " Lord, must the 
 Avinter pass away, and there be no reviving, no conversions ? 
 I would not complain of thy ways. I would not be unsub- 
 missive to thy toill ; but. Lord, do, in mercy, show me where 
 the evil is, that i)revents the answer to prayer. Is it in me ? 
 
ANOTHER CALL TO WATEKVILLE COLLEGE. 181 
 
 What can I do to remove it ? Arc there sins in tlic church, 
 covered up, unrepented of, justified? O Lord, my heart 
 Itreaketli with desire for the salvation of my people. Only 
 two conversions in more than eight months. Let me pray." 
 
 Again there comes another pressing invitation to accept 
 tlu' presidency of Waterville College. Special stress is laid 
 on the fact of his physical jirostration, incaj^acitathig him for 
 the performance of his duties as a preacher, and the hope is 
 expressed that, relieved from the work of a public speaker, 
 lie may be able to occupy a sphere of labor, in which he may 
 be largely useful. To all the solicitations of the trustees of 
 the college he feels that he must return a respectful neg- 
 ative, believing that God has still more for him to do iu 
 his chosen vocation as " an ambassador for Christ." A 
 res]>ite of a tew weeks restored him to comparative health, 
 and on the 27tli of July we find him preaching the centen- 
 nial anniversary of the founding of the Baldwin Place Church 
 — an occasion, he tells us, of the deepest interest, especially to 
 the aged members of the church. For several months he per- 
 forms his duties with a good degree of regularity ; but as the 
 i»|)ring of 1844 returns, bringing with it, what Willis so sig- 
 nificantly called the " salt and pepper " weather of the lati- 
 tude of Boston, his old malady returned. Under date of 
 May 19, he alludes to the sad forebodings which he has 
 that his work may be done, and fervently prays that he may 
 be able, Avith our Lord, to say, " If it be possible, remove this 
 cup from me ; nevertheless, not ray will, but thine, be done." 
 A few days after, he writes that he has prepared a communi- 
 cation for the church, exj^ressive of his feelings towards them, 
 and stating the necessity of retiring for a season from all 
 ]iarochial labor, in order to give his voice absolute rest, 
 "With tendei*, grateful emotions he reviews his connection 
 M'ith the church. " Such a church I may, I must, love. May 
 Heaven's smile ever rest on them." Cessation from ministerial 
 labor for a brief period was again followed by favorable re- 
 sults. November 6th is the twelfth anniversary of his Bald- 
 wm Place pastorate. The statistics of these years he thus 
 
182 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW, 
 
 gives. Two years of the twelve, sickness has Laid him aside 
 from the active duties of the ministry. He has preached 
 one thousand two hundred and thirty-seven sermons, made 
 eight thousand five hundred and thirty-two visits, solemnized 
 four hundred and eighty-two marriages, attended five hun- 
 dred and eighty-six funerals, baptized six hundred and forty- 
 three, added by letter two hundred and sixty-one, dismissed 
 three hundred and ninety-four, excluded seventy-one ; one 
 hundred and twenty-seven have died. What a i^icture of a 
 busy, earnest, ministerial life is presented to us by these 
 dgures I i# 
 
LETTER TO DR. CONE. 183 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Correspondence between 1886 and 1845. 
 
 We commence a new chajoter by giving our readers some 
 of the correspondence which is embraced within the years 
 1836 and 1845, the letters being written by Mr. Stow, or 
 friends with whom lie was in communication. 
 
 To Dr. Cone. 
 
 Windsor, Vt., September 1, 1837. 
 
 Allow me to .assure 30U that many brethren in Boston and vicinity 
 rejoice heartily at the prospect of seeing you among them, and hearing 
 from jour lips an exposition of the character and claims of the Ameri- 
 can and Foreign Bible Society. 
 
 Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the anniversary of the 
 Newport (N. H.) Baptist Association, wliich met at Cornish, about seven 
 miles from tliis place. Resolutions were passed approving of the for- 
 mation of tlie American and Foreign Bible Society, and recommending 
 that it reserve to itself the right to print and circulate Bibles in any lan- 
 guage, and any part of the world. You will receive a copy of tlie reso- 
 lutions. They were passed unanimously. 1 trust that our brethren in 
 New York and other places will yet learn that there is no " New Eng- 
 land party " opposed to the great enterprise in which you are engaged. 
 1 presume every association in New Hampshire and Vermont will decide 
 in favor of home distribution. 
 
 To tlie same. 
 
 April 2, 18.SS. 
 
 . . . God grant that at our anniversaries this year we may liave nothing 
 but charity for each other and zeal for God. I long to attend one meet- 
 ing of our Triennial Convention, wliere love shall be the predominant 
 feeling. Let us pray that our approaching session may be distinguished 
 by the spirit of primitive Ciiristianity. 
 
 Have you seen Brotiier Hinton's (J. H.) letter to Lord Bexley, presi- 
 
184 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 dent of tliH British and Foreign Bible Society? Brother March, of 
 Stepney College, writes me under date of February 1, and says, "He 
 very powerfully demonstrates the injustice and inexpediency of the 
 policy of the society' in their treatment of the Baptist versions. It has 
 enlightened many Pedo-Baptist ministers in the metropolis, who are free 
 to acknowledge that the society is in error, though I believe there is 
 not the slightest hope that the committee will retrace their steps." 
 
 To Dr. Cone. 
 
 March 9, ISdO. 
 
 Would it be possible, some evening during our anniversary week this 
 year, to have all the ministering brethren together to tea? Last year, 
 during our May meetings in Boston, this was done two evenings in suc- 
 cession, with the happiest eflfect. The meetings were held, as usual, in 
 the liouse of the Federal Street Church. After adjournment in the af- 
 ternoon, the brethren were invited into the Sabbath school room in the 
 basement, and partook of simple refreshments provided by the brethren 
 and sisters in the dlfFei-ent churches. After tea, which was taken stand- 
 ing, and in a truly social manner, the whole company was seated, and 
 some of the aged ministers gave an account of their predecessors, such 
 as Smith, Backus, Stillman, Baldwin, &c. ; also of the times in which 
 they lived — times that tried men's principles as well as souls. These 
 seasons were peculiarly refreshing, and the results were of the happiest 
 kind. Brethren became acquainted with each other, and had opportu- 
 nity for a free interchange of thought and feeling. The practice is to 
 be continued. 
 
 Now, why can we not have something of the kind in New York, at 
 least for one evening? I should be glad to pay for a ticket to such an 
 entertainment, and so would every other brother who loves Christian 
 social enjoyment. 
 
 I have one other suggestion. After tea let us form a " North Ameri- 
 can Baptist Union," to consist of all Baptist ministers in North America 
 wiio are in good standing in the associations to which they belong. Let 
 the organization of the Union be simple; the principal oflScers, besides 
 the president and treasurer, to be four secretaries, one in the Eastern, 
 one in the Middle, one in the Southern, and one in the Western States, 
 whose duty it shall be to collect, from year to year, as much as possible, 
 the current history of the denomination, and through one of their num- 
 ber prepare a report. In this way a most interesting document would 
 bq every year prepared, embracing facts that ought to be brought to- 
 gether and preserved. Some day, during our anniversary week, let this 
 report be read, and tlien let the Union take tea togetlier, and endeavor 
 to promote good fellowship. 
 
 How do these suggestions strike you? If favorably, will you do any- 
 
AMONG FRIENDS IN NEW YORK. 1S5 
 
 tliinjj to forward the object? You may possiblj' hear from Brother 
 Babcook upon the Sivmc subjects. If they appear to you, as they do to 
 me, botli desirable and feasible, I cannot doubt your readiness to pro- 
 mote them. 
 
 You may be gratified to hear that the Lord is again pouring upon tho 
 dear people in Baldwin Place his Holy Spirit, and subduing to himself 
 the hearts of his chosen. 
 
 To Miss Susan R. Jones. 
 
 Denmark, Lewis County, N. Y., July 17, 1840. 
 
 Well, Sister Susan, here you have, what you so tremulously and deli- 
 cately solicited, a letter ; but whether it will be found to be such a letter 
 as you are desiring and expecting, I am not so certain. I know what 
 kind of a communication is befitting both you and myself, but I feel 
 unusually disqualified for so common a service. I left dear home on 
 Monday afternoon, quite unwell, having exhausted myself by the duties 
 of the precerling day, and having slept none the previous (Sunday) 
 night, and therefore was ill-fitted for a journey of five hundred and fifty 
 miles. After travelling day and night with no rest, no sleep, and with 
 a constant headache, I reached this place at a little past eight on Thurs- 
 day morning. The excitement occasioned by meeting loved friends, 
 however delicious the pleasure, did not diminish the physical suffering, 
 and I am still the victim of a most excruciating headache. How, then, 
 can I write anything which will afford you either pleasure or profit? 
 I would postpone the execution of my promise, but I know not when 
 I shall feel better, or have the requisite leisure. So I give you the prod- 
 uct of a suffering brain, not doubting but that you will make all the 
 allowance that the largest charity can demand. 
 
 Here I am transferred — not by magic, for really there is no magic 
 in travelling in the middle of July with the mercury at ninety de- 
 grees, and one's pulse at one hundred and ten per minute — but by 
 steam and horse muscle, from the din, and dust, and villanous odors 
 of a city into the pleasantest part of this " Black River country," 
 where Nature is " beauty to the eye and music to the ear." It is a 
 charming region, and though I cannot say, with Byron, of another, 
 that it is 
 
 " the land of the cedar and vine. 
 Where tlie flowers ever blossom and the beams ever shine," 
 
 yet I can adopt the remainder of his description, — 
 " Where all, save the spirit of man, is divine." 
 
 I'he spot where I am is an elevated ridge in a high state of cultiva- 
 tion, and teeming with a profusion of products for the comfort of man 
 and beast. At the foot of the eastern slope of this ridge runs Black 
 
186 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 River — a stream " unknown to song," but not unknown to Yankee 
 enterprise and tlie lovers of a fertile soil. Beyond the river, stretching 
 away towards Lake Champlain, lies a dense forest, still the undisturbed 
 liaunt of the bear, the wolf, and the panther. From the window where 
 I am now sitting, I can see at least tiiirty miles, and the appearance is 
 much like that of the ocean — dark, hazy, undulating, and, in the dim 
 distance, seeming to meet the blue heavens. The scenery is peculiarly 
 enchanting, and, if I felt well, I know I should enjoy it richly. But, 
 Susan, this delightful country is inhabited by sinners, who draw largel}- 
 from the soil, the sun, the rain, the dew, for their comfort, and render 
 not to God the gratitude and the service that are due. There ai'e good 
 people here, but really they seem not to be sensible of God's great 
 goodness to them. It is painful to see how unmindful even the children 
 are of their Father's bounty. 
 
 You ask, perhaps, how I enjoy absence from my flock and home. I 
 answer by asking how you would feel were you on a visit of a few days 
 to your mother after a sei>aration of four years. Even you have not a 
 better mother than I am blessed with, and did you know her you would 
 admit she was second only to your own. O, how much is comprised in 
 that one word, mother ! And yet above all is a word infinitely more ex- 
 pressive and soul-ravishing : it is Jesus ! At that word the heart of the 
 Christian, be he as you are, or as I am, bounds with exultation and de- 
 light. The ties tliat bind us to our kindred are delicate, and often the 
 medium of exquisite pleasure; but perhaps they vibrate notes of woe 
 about as often as of joy. The relation between Jesus and his loved ones 
 is the occasion of nothing but enjoyment, and that of the richest kind. 
 Let us cultivate closer intimacy with him, and then we sliall be less de- 
 pendent for satisfaction on frail and dying creatures. 
 
 To his mother. 
 
 Boston, September 5, 1840. 
 
 I feel that I have occasion for gratitude to God that he has permitted 
 me to visit you once more, and find you in such health, encouraging 
 the fond hope tliat you may be spared for many years to j'our children, 
 to wiiom your life is, indeed, desirable. May he allow us to meet yet 
 again and again, and every time we meet may we find one another ad- 
 vanced in a life of holiness, and more fit for the heavenly rest. 
 
 AVe are now in a state of trial, and desire your prayers tliat we mny 
 have grace to endure it as Christians. We are about dismissing a colony 
 of bretliren and sisters to unite with others in forming a new church, for 
 whom a new meeting-house is nearly finislied. True, we have a large 
 churcli, consisting of more tlian seven hundred and fifty members, and 
 can spare a large number. Yet we are tenderly attached to our dear 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 187 
 
 flock, and find it afflicting to part with them. Many of our best mem- 
 bers are going. We part in love. They go for Christ's sake, and we 
 surrender them for Clirist's sake, and yet the separation causes pain. 
 O, how delightful the prospect of meeting in heaven, where parting will 
 be unknown. 
 
 To the same. 
 
 Boston, October 31, 1840. 
 
 In consideration of the severity of my labors during the last eight 
 years, and the general decline of my hcaltii, my dear people have re- 
 quested me to take a voyage to Europe, and be absent from six to ten 
 or twelve montlis, as the case may require, for the recruiting of my 
 strength, and for mj' general improvement. They offer to continue my 
 salary, and to supply the pulpit at their own expense. Also, that E. 
 may accompany me, they offer an additional donation of one thousand 
 dollars. This, you will say, is great kindness. We so regard it, and 
 feel that never had a minister and wife more occasion for gratitude. 
 
 We have concluded to accept their generous proposition, and this 
 morning I have engaged berths on board the steamsliip Britannia, which 
 is to leave tiiis port for Liverpool on Monday, November 16, at one 
 o'clock P. M. I am thus particular that you may know the hour, and 
 pray for us as we put off upon the heaving billows. With ordinary 
 prosperity, we shall be about twelve or thirteen days on tiie ocean. 
 We then purpose to proceed to London and Paris, and thence to Italy, 
 and — if hostilities have ceased in the East and the Holy Land — we 
 hope, b\' divine permission, to visit the scenes of our blessed Saviour's 
 labors, sufferings, and death. 
 
 You will doubtless inquire whether my health is less firm than usual. 
 Permit me to say, that the symptoms of a dangerous affection of the 
 heart are such that my pliysicians (three in number) have directed me 
 to quit my post and abstain from all mental labor for several months. 
 They are not very confident that I shall ever be able to resume my 
 charge in Baldwin Place ; but they recommend this course as the only 
 thing likely to restore me. I have proposed to my people to resign, and 
 take a smaller charge; but they will not consent to it so long as any- 
 thing can be done that gives the least promise of recovery. 
 
 We regard tiie undertaking as a serious one, and likely to subject 
 us to many discomforts, and perliaps dangers. But we have felt that 
 God has marked out our course, and we think he will be our Keep- 
 er, Provider, and Eriend. 
 
 •' We'll go and come, 
 Kor fear to die 
 Till from on high 
 lie calls us home." 
 
 The Lord bless you forever. 
 
188 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 To Miss S. R. Jones. 
 
 Paris, January 8, 1841. 
 
 I avail myself of an hour to converse with you in your loneliness, 
 and endeavor to cheer that saddened spirit which has long been borne 
 down under providential burdens. You have still the sympathy of 
 your pastor. Distance has not alienated this heart from any of my 
 flock, much less from those who are the children of suffering and sor- 
 row. Their griefs are still my griefs, and for their alleviation and 
 support my daily supplications still ascend to Him who is " touched 
 wilJi a feeling of our infirmities," and who " bindeth up the broken- 
 hearted." 
 
 God has been very good to us, and though I have suffered considera- 
 bly from my trouble at heart, yet not more than I expected, and we 
 have been subjected to as few privations and vexations as most travel- 
 lers on the same route. I am remaining here a few days to recruit and 
 obtain medical advice before proceeding to Italy. The winter here is 
 much more severe than we anticipated. That extraordinary personage, 
 " the oldest inhabitant," says this is the coldest winter he remembers to 
 have seen in Paris. We have tolerably comfortable quarters here, 
 although the houses are far more open than ours, and provided with 
 fireplaces, very ill-constructed, for warming the apartments. As wood 
 is very expensive, say forty dollars per cord, we cannot build large 
 fires ; so we obtain heat the best way we can. We find many Americans 
 in Paris, some of them old acquaintances, among whom are Dr. Way- 
 land, J. H. Buckingham, S. H. Walley, Martin T. Brimmer, Rev. 
 Charles Brooks and lady, Jabez Howe and lady, &c. 
 
 After all, we infinitely prefer home to any place that we have yet 
 seen or heard of. Had I not the hope of regaining lost health, I would 
 gladly set my face this very day towards Boston. We never realized 
 home blessings as we do now, and could I be heard to-day in Baldwin 
 Place, I would say, " My dear people, appreciate and improve your 
 privileges." 
 
 I trust, my good friend, that you are sustained in your affiction by 
 the promises of a Saviour's love and faithfulness. "Having loved his 
 own which are in the world, he loved them unto the end." His love 
 never cools, never terminates. When he prayed for iiis disciples, as re- 
 corded in John xvii., he said to his Father, '-These are in the world." 
 He saw that they were exposed to temptations and subject to trials, and 
 he sympathized with their condition, and prayed for their succor and 
 protection. Tiius he intercedes for us in heaven. He knows that we 
 are in the world ; and having himself been in the world, he knows what 
 It is to be a sufferer. "He knoweth our frame; he reraemberelh that 
 we are dust." How precious the thouglit tliat we are interested in the 
 
DESCRIPTION OF LIFE IN ROME. 189 
 
 intercession of such an Intercessor! Let us not doubt liis ability or hia 
 disposition to help in every time of need. Let us think more of him, 
 and converse with him more, and confide in him with our whole hearts, 
 and be ever ready to say, " This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, 
 O ye daughters of Jerusalem." The Lord be with you by day and by 
 night, and multiply your comforts and relieve your sufferings. 
 
 To his brother-in-law, W. L. Beal. 
 
 EoME, March 2, 1841. 
 
 Our stay at Naples was shorter than we originally intended, owing 
 partly to our delay, first at Paris and then at Avignon, occasioned by 
 my illness, and partly by the fact that we did not find ourselves very 
 comfortably situated. We liked the climate exceedingly, it was so soft 
 and balmy ; but the streets are narrow and dirty, the people unclean 
 and perfidious, and living is very expensive. We were deceived and 
 clieated more in Naples than we could well endure, and so we finished 
 up our sight-seeing as rapidly as possible, and departed without a reluc- 
 tant feeling. 
 
 Omitting what has ah-eady been so fully described in Mr. 
 Stow's journal, we transcribe from this letter a few of his 
 exjjeriences in Rome : — • 
 
 At Rome we found it very expensive living at a hotel, and so we have 
 hired furnished apartments. Our courier, Henry, prepares our break- 
 fasts ; our dinners are sent to us from a Trattoria, or restaurant. We 
 take but two meals a day. This has been our custom all the way on 
 the continent — breakfast at eight, dinner at five, with a luncli between. 
 In this way we have time to go out and employ the day to the best ad- 
 vantage in sight-seeing. We do not much admire Italian cooking or 
 Italian beds, but we endeavor to take things as they are. We like 
 Kome better than Naples. It is more quiet and cleanly, and we suffer 
 less apprehension of mischief from the vicious habits of the people. 
 While I now write in a huge saloon on tlie fourth floor of a prodigious 
 house, No. 12 in the Corso, Elizabeth is near me reading Vasi's ac- 
 count of the objects we have visited to-day. Mr. G. is sitting with his 
 feet over a few ignited coals, and Mrs. G. is writing a letter to Boston. 
 It is the coldest evening we have had since we left Avignon. The sky 
 is cloudless, and truly Italian. The moon is wading through the depths 
 of ether, and casting down her silver light upon this ancient city, where 
 BO many millions have run the race of life and found its goal. Tiie 
 associations that follow in rapid succession are enough to make a dull 
 bead poetical. 
 
i90 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 I cannot even name tlie objects we have seen. We have been here 
 ten days, and we have been by no means idle. We arrived in the midst 
 of the carnival, which continued eiglit days. The last two days we 
 saw, and it was quite enough for us grave old folks. More fun and 
 nonsense could hardly be crowded into two days. If you see Mr. Hague, 
 he will tell you how silly the multitude act. On Ash-Wedncsday I 
 stood two hours and a half in the Sistine Chapel gazing at the services, 
 in which the pope, twenty of his cardinals, and many others participated. 
 After the cardinals had kissed the pope's robe, and the others had kissed 
 his toe, he sprinkled ashes on their heads. The whole atfair was about 
 ns farcical as the scenes of the carnival, only it was more sober. The 
 music by the pope's choir was very good. Wlien you were in London, 
 I suppose you regarded St. Paul's as a huge structure ; and so it is. 
 But, compared with St. Peter's, it is a baby-house. I had no conception 
 of the majesty and grandeur of this incomparable basilic until I saw it. 
 I shall hope in vain ever to give you any conception of its magnitude 
 and splendor. 
 
 Yesterday we visited, by special permission, the Pope's Palace on the 
 Quirinal Hill. It is spacious and riclily furnished. His garden is ex- 
 tensive and admirably arranged. It has one hundred fountains, no two 
 of which are alike. As we walked through the palace and the garden, 
 which occupied two and a half hours, we could not forbear inquiring 
 whether Peter, the fisherman of Galilee, the pope's boasted predecessor 
 in the pontifical chair, ever had such a palace and such a garden, such 
 a cafe, such a billiard-room, such galleries of sculpture and painting, 
 such frescoes, arabesques, and mosaics, such thrones, and divans, and 
 couches, such saloons, halls of audience, staircases, &c. Is the pope 
 really a minister of Jesus, the successor of the apostles, who would pay 
 tribute-money only by taking it from the mouth of a fish? Was Peter 
 surrounded wherever he went, with a guard of soldiers? 
 
 To his mother. 
 
 Boston, July 19, 1841. 
 
 When we returned to our native shores, I did not suppose that I could 
 allow more than four weeks to pass away without giving you the pleas- 
 ure of hearing from me the particulars which a mother would wish to 
 know respecting her children. But perhaps you can conceive that, 
 having been absent from a large congregation for so long a period, I 
 should find myself at once overwlielmed with care and duty, so as to 
 find little time for the gratification of private feelings. 
 
 We were warmly welcomed by our dear flock, and have received 
 from them many additional tokens of affection. Within an hour after 
 our arrival, a committee of the young men waited upon me with a most 
 
ELECTED SECKETARY OF FOREIGN MISSION BOARD. 191 
 
 affectionate letter, enclosiiij; a Ixiiik-note of five liiunlred (lollars. A 
 kinder people no pastor ever had. O that I may be able to serve them 
 long and faithfully in the gospel of God's dear Son ! 
 
 I wrote you from some place in Italy, — I believe from Rome, — and, 
 as the letter reached Boston, I suppose you received it. From that 
 place wc had a long overland journey, of more than a thousand miles, 
 to Paris, which, although it was considerably fatiguing, we enjoyed ex- 
 ceedingly. We crossed the Alps the IGth of April, and, as the snow- 
 was deep and the wind furious, we were several times in great danger. 
 But God conveyed us safely over, through scenery as wild and terrific 
 as can be imagined. At Geneva we rested a few days, and there wor- 
 shipped on the Sabbath in the church where John Calvin used to 
 preach. 
 
 In London we attended the anniversaries of the great religious socie- 
 ties. Our stay in Englafid exceeded a month. Right glad were we to 
 embark for home ; and in twelve days and eight hours we traversed 
 three thousand miles of ocean, and found ourselves once more at home. 
 We have thus gone out and returned in safety. We have travelled 
 more than ten thousand miles, and no accident has befallen us. We 
 have had fewer comforts and more vexations than at home ; but, on the 
 whole, we have enjoyed the tour, and God has rendered it highly bene- 
 ficial. I am now in better health than usual, and if I can avoid exces- 
 sive labor, I hope not to sink so low again. 
 
 We have seen how frequently Mr. Stow was urged to leave 
 the post which, for so many years, he had filled, to occupy 
 other positions in the denomination, and hoAV uniformly he 
 declined all these calls. The urgency of some of these invi- 
 tations will be seen from the following communication, in- 
 forming him of his election as one of the corresponding sec- 
 retaries of the Foreign Mission Board of the Baptist Gen- 
 eral Convention: — 
 
 Baptist Missionary Rooms, Boston, December 6, 1841. 
 
 Rev. Baron Stow. Dear Brother : The Acting Board of Foreign 
 Missions believing, on mature deliberation, that the interests confided 
 to them demand the services of an additional corresponding secretary, 
 who shall be specially charged with the duties of the financial depart- 
 ment, they have this day elected you to the office by a unanimous vote, 
 and have instructed the undersigned to communicate the same to you, 
 and to the church and society under your pastoral charge. 
 
 The committee, in fulfilling this duty, refrain for the present from 
 
192 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 stating the weight^' considerations which have led the Board to tender 
 to you an appointment the acceptance of which involves a dissolution 
 of 3'our particular connections with a people deservedly endeared to 
 you, and a discontinuance, in great measure, of ministerial labors, fur 
 which, we are aware, you have cherished a peculiar predilection. "NVe 
 will merely say, that the Board have endeavored to give due weight to 
 the objections against the course they have adopted, and we have only 
 to request that, with like simplicity of motive, you will give to the sub- 
 ject, as we believe you will, .all the consideration which its great impor- 
 tance claims ; earnestly looking to the Great Head of the church to 
 guide you in the way that he shall choose, and heartily submitting j'our- 
 self to his disposal, to do and sutfer for liis sake, and for the salvation 
 of those for whom he died, whatever he shall appoint to you. 
 la behalf of the Board, 
 
 Your brethren in Christ, 
 
 Solomon Peck, 
 Heman Lincoln. 
 
 To his mother. 
 
 Boston, March 2, 1842. 
 
 The revival had commenced at the First Church and at Baldwin 
 Place before Elder Knapp began his labors, whicli was the 23d of 
 December. It has now become quite extensive in the city and vicin- 
 it\', and is proceeding with astonishing power. I cannot tell you the 
 number of converts, even in my own congregation, much less in the 
 city. I have baptized seventy-six, and many more will follow in the 
 same path of obedience. New converts are daily appearing, and my 
 hands are full of labor. Brother Knapp has labored in most of the 
 churches, and his services are in constant demand. Last Sabbath one 
 hundred and nineteen were baptized in the several churches in the city. 
 The converts may now be numbered by hundreds, and probably exceed 
 two thousand. The opposition has been great, but many of the violent 
 opposers have been converted, and are now laboring to promote the 
 conversion of others. The ministers are nearly worn down, yet the 
 Lord sustains them, and permits them to rejoice in the midst of severe 
 labors and ponderous responsibilities. Brother Ely was with me nearly 
 four weeks, and rendered me important service. My health has suf- 
 fered considerably, and, without futher assistance, will suffer still more. 
 I know I have the prayers of my dear mother, that I may be guided, 
 sustained, and blessed. 
 
 The following is a specimen of scores of similar letters, 
 which the faithful pastor wrote during his ministry : — 
 
A LOVING pastor's PLEA. 193 
 
 To Mr. Edward Cliamberlin. 
 
 February 20, 1843. 
 
 Your fatlier was so kind as to call this morning and show me the let- 
 ter of your sister, Mrs. D., giving a most interesting account of the 
 great and gracious change which has recently taken place in her views 
 and feelings. Such intelligence is, to me, peculiarly refreshing. In 
 this instance I have felt that there is special occasion for gratitude, and 
 my heart has poured out its holiest thanksgivings at the mercy-seat. 
 May I not ask you to join me in praises to that rich, free, sovereign 
 grace which has so signally blest your family circle? 
 
 The letter contained an expression of tender solicitude for •• brother 
 Edward." 0, how natural! Having seen her own guilt and peril, and 
 found in Christ the Saviour she needed, your sister looks back across 
 that " gulf " which she has safely passed, and longs for the rescue of 
 the brother whom she loves, and whose feet she sees standing on " slip- 
 pery places." Think it not strange that your pastor joins his entreaties 
 with hers, and prays you in " Christ's stead to be reconciled to God." 
 I have felt to-day that I could not let the opportunity pass without an 
 effort, a special effort, for your soul's salvation. Shall it be in vain? 
 Do you not feel that now, emphatically " now, is the accepted time and 
 the day of salvation ? " 
 
 My dear friend, you have tried the world, and it has deceived you. 
 Why will you longer pursue its painted bubbles, and neglect the solid 
 pleasures of the religion of Jesus ? Death has often come into your 
 circle, and admonished you that life is very uncertain, and that you 
 ouglit to be continually prepared for your appearance at the tribunal of 
 your Judge. How is it that you have been able to resist such appeals, 
 and neglect so long this great salvation ? You have, more than once, 
 had seasons of tenderness, when the truth seemed to make some im- 
 pression, and when your friends cherished fond hopes that you would 
 yield your heart to the Saviour, and make sure of eternal life. By 
 what process did you succeed in grieving away the Comforter, and dis- 
 lodging serious thoughts, and disappointing the hopes of the pious? 
 Are you aware of what you have done, how much you have displeased 
 God and injured yourself ? Now God; in mercy, has come near, very 
 near to you, and uttered in your ear another compassionate call — " My 
 son, give me thine heart." Shall it be ineffectual? May it not be the 
 last? Will you turn a deaf ear to Heaven's gracious appeal, and thus 
 treasure up additional "wrath against the day of wrath?" O, no ! I 
 feel a strong assurance that you will not, that you will now discontinue 
 rebellion, and submit to Christ, the precious Saviour. The Lord ena- 
 ble you to decide for yourself, "I will, I will at once seek my soul's 
 salvation." 
 
 13 
 
194 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 To Rev. Elijah Ilutcliiuson. 
 
 Boston, March 8, 1843. 
 
 A few days since Brother J. A. B. Stone called and left your letter of 
 the 10th ult., from which, as well as from other sources, I learned with 
 regret that you were laid aside again from the work you so dearly love, 
 and in which God has made you so useful. Por nearly four weeks, the 
 inflammation in ray throat has been of such a character as to render all 
 conversation, except in a low whisper, impossible; and even that is ex- 
 ceedingly painful. I see no company except my physician and those 
 who insist upon looking at me. The affliction is a severe one both to 
 myself and to my people, especially at the present time, when we have 
 so recently returned to our place of worship, and when the labors of the 
 pastor are so much needed, apparently, to " set in order the things that 
 are wanting." But I have found sweet consolation in the assurance that 
 Christ is infinitely wise and good, and that he is doing all things well. 
 
 Yesterday Rev. called and insisted upon seeing me, as, he 
 
 said, God had sent him tome! Of course I would not refuse to see 
 such a man. I sat in silence for more than one hour, and heard his ac- 
 count of the wonderful exercises and impressions of which he has recent- 
 ly been the favored subject. I cannot doubt that he has undergone 
 some spiritual clianges which are for the better, and which, were they 
 unmixed with extravagant enthusiasm, would render him a holier 
 Christian and a more useful minister. According to his own statement, 
 he has said and done much that I should call foolish and inconsistent 
 with Christian sobriety, lie professes to have peculiar intimacy with 
 God, who gives him special revelations ! He has embraced the whole 
 system of Malian's Perfectionism, and Wesley's too, for God has told 
 him that the doctrine is true. Last week God revealed to him the cer- 
 tainty of the speedy coming of Christ, and last Sabbath he disclosed the 
 whole revelation to his people ! He has renounced all his books, and 
 says he intends never to open one of them again ! His direct converse 
 with God supersedes the study of the Bible, and his preaching hence- 
 forth is to consist of the Spirit's immediate communications. " My wife 
 and child," said he, with a snap of his fingers, " are now to me no more 
 than that." lie proposes now to become an itinerant lecturer, pro- 
 claiming the " midnight cry." Let us pray God that he will restore 
 him to his right mind. 
 
 From Dr. B. T. Welch. 
 
 Albany, November 6, 1843. 
 
 Your truly acceptable present came to hand yesterday. Many thanks 
 for your kindness in this matter — you have certainly done me a great 
 favor. The head of Dr. Baldwin is a treasure. I was under his ministry 
 
LETTER FROM DR. WELCH. 195 
 
 from infancy until I was seventeen, and so strong upon my mind was 
 the impression of liis benevolent features, that to this day his image ia 
 upon my memory as distinct as if I had yesterday listened to his faith* 
 ful voice. The memory of tliat man is dear to me, and his portrait is 
 regarded by me as a most valuable possession. 
 
 You are aware, or, in Yankee phrase, " ought to be," tliat I have ever 
 entertained a high estimate of your head, and I assure you that it is not 
 at all diminished by the opportunity of carefully examining its phrenolo- 
 gical developments, faitlifuUy portrayed. This is truly an admirable 
 lucture, the resemblance accurate, and beautifully executed. I regard 
 it as one of the best, if not the very best work of the kind that I have 
 seen. This must be gratifying to all your friends, and a little so to you, 
 for when one's head goes upon paper, to have it murdered outright "by 
 a botch at the burin " is one of the most provoking things imaginable. 
 But the artist has done you justice, for which he has my sincere thanks 
 in common with the gratitude of many who will know how to prize it. 
 Permit me to say, that the favor is greatly enhanced by the accompany- 
 ing "Centennial Discourse," your kindness not only presenting the 
 head, but an interesting indication of its furniture, the " vraisemblance," 
 outside and in, simultaneously. In giving this little volume to the 
 public, you have certainly done good service, not only to the church in 
 Baldwin Place, but to the entire denomination. The appendix, not less 
 than the discourse as a record of interesting and important facts, is truly 
 valuable. I sincerely wish for it — what it richly merits — an extensive 
 circulation, and especially in our churches, and pray that the favor of 
 the Great Head of the church may rest upon it and its author. How 
 grateful should you be, my brother, for the ability to " wield the pen" 
 with success ! When dead you can yet speak, honor your Master, 
 vindicate and advance his cause. But as for me, it is little good I can 
 do while living; and "when this lisping, stammering tongue lies silent 
 in the grave," there is an end of me and of all my influence and useful- 
 ness. Most bitterly do I lament the want of early discipline, and the 
 mental poverty of which I am the subject, the utter and miserable blank 
 in the first thirty years of ray life. Regrets are now useless ; time can- 
 not be recalled ; and moreover I am gettin_g prosy and taxing your 
 patience. 
 
 To Mrs. C. R. Emery. 
 
 Boston, June 15, 1844. 
 
 I had heard of your affliction, and determined to address you a line 
 expressive of my heart's deep sympathy. I need not tell you where to 
 go for consolation, for you have long known the fountain of true com- 
 fort, and the path to it has been often trod by your feet. But I may say, 
 
196 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 that in your former pastor you liave a friend and brother, who would 
 gladly alleviate your sorrows by any means in his power. I rejoice to 
 find that you entertain right views of the dispensation under which you 
 suffer, and that you bow submissively under the chastening rod of your 
 gracious and faithful Father. Let it be your concern, my dear sister, 
 as it shall be my prayer, that this trial may contribute largely to your 
 increased sanctification. Open your whole soul to its influence, and 
 allow it to work out your more complete emancipation from sin, and 
 your preparation fur the glories of heaven. 
 
CALLED TO THE PEESIDENCY OF GKANVILLE COLLEGE. 197 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Call to the Presidency of Granville College, Ohio. — Dis- 
 couragements AT Baldwin Place. — Call to the Ninth Street 
 Church, Cincinnati. — Advice of Dr. Sharp. — Letter of 
 Rev. John Stevens. — Embarrassments of the Foreign Mission 
 Board — Correspondence. 
 
 1845-1846. 
 
 Early in the year 1845 Mr. Stow was again called upon 
 to decide the question so often presented to him, whether he 
 •would continue his relation with the Baldwin Place Church, 
 or enter upon another sphere of duty. According to the ordi- 
 nary methods of deciding as to what are the plain indications 
 of Providence, yve see not how he could well resist the con- 
 viction that he was specially called to be the jDrosident of 
 some seat of learning. We have seen that in the east, Water- 
 ville had again and again stretched out her hand and endeav- 
 ored to draw him away from his beloved flock and home in 
 Boston. Now, the west beckons him away from New Eng- 
 land, and urges him to accept the i^i'^sidency of Granville 
 College, Ohio. While he felt honored by the nomination, and 
 treated it respectfully, he decided, as in other similar cases, 
 to decline it. He believed then, and cherished the belief 
 to the day of his death, that for him, with his peculiar 
 tastes and long-cherished associations, no situation any- 
 where would present such attractions as the pastorate of a 
 church in Boston. To the last he continued to be warmly 
 attached to the home of his adoption, and resisted every invi- 
 tation which called him away from it. And so far as his per- 
 sonal residence was concerned, it continued to be his home 
 
198 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 till God took him to " the house not made with hands, elei^ 
 nal, and in the heavens." 
 
 After what the readers of this Memoir have learned from 
 its pages, it is needless to say that his most hearty sympa* 
 thies were enlisted in the cause of foreign missions. The an- 
 nual meeting of the Board in 1845 found the treasury sadly 
 crippled on account of a heavy debt, which, in the prosecution 
 of their legitimate work, the Convention had contracted. Dr. 
 Sears and himself were appointed as special agents to en- 
 deavor to raise funds for the liquidation of this debt. To- 
 gether they went to Hartford for this purpose, and he alludes, 
 in grateful language, to the success which attended their joint 
 effort. " In every application thus far we have been success- 
 ful. Providence has favored us in a peculiar manner." 
 
 Amid all these varied labors, the conviction was constantly 
 gaining hold of his mind that his work at Baldwin Place was 
 drawing to a close. He was beginning to feel the influence 
 of the tide of emigration which was drawing away the native, 
 Protestant jjopulation from the north-east section of the city. 
 As is well known, the final result was the change of the 
 location of the place of worship, many years after he ceased 
 to be the pastor, to its jiresent site on Warren Avenue. 
 Already very heavy drafts had been made upon the member- 
 ship of the church by the formation of other churches. Some 
 of the pastor's warmest and most reliable supporters had re- 
 moved their church relations. There were, moreover, some 
 trials through which he was called to pass, not unusual in- 
 deed, in the experience of almost every fiiithful minister, 
 which weighed heavily on his sensitive spirit. Enough has 
 been said in the preceding j^ages to show that his peculiarly 
 delicate and refined nature led him to shrink from everything 
 which came not up to his lofty ideal of the Christian charac- 
 ter. Although he supposed he had made a final disposition 
 of the call to Granville College, w^e find him still brooding 
 over the matter, questioning whether, after all, it may not be 
 the path which Providence is opening before him to lead him 
 out of the difficulties which are depressing him so much. 
 
OLL TO THE NINTH STREET CHURCH, CINCINNATI. 199 
 
 On tlic lotli of October, Dr. Jiulson arrived in Boston with 
 his three cliiUh-en, and for tliree weeks they were tlie guests 
 of Mr. Stow ; and he dwells upon the pleasure which he feels- 
 in contributing to the comfort of one who had been so hon-^ 
 ored of God in the work of giving the gospel to the heathen. 
 
 Again another call. Under date of November 9, he alludes 
 to the reception of three letters from Cincinnati, one from a 
 committee of the Ninth Street Baptist Church, inviting him 
 to the pastoral office, and two from Baptist ministers, urging 
 him to accept the call. It was an urgent plea which these 
 brethren presented, and the invitation was extended wath true 
 western heartiness. The church occupied an important posi- 
 tion, and it naturally felt that it had a right " to covet ear- 
 nestly the best gifts." We give some extracts from a letter 
 which was wa-itten by Dr. Sharp in reply to one addressed to 
 him by Mr. Stow, Avho had sought counsel from one to whom he 
 was tenderly attached, and in wdiose judgnient he was accus- 
 tomed to place so much confidence. 
 
 Boston, November C, 1845. 
 
 My dear Brotiiek : I trust you will never hesitate for a moment to 
 write to me, or to call on me personally on any subject which may affect 
 your duty, your usefulness, or your happiness. I hope that I have yet 
 left to me a heart to sympathize and a readiness to give the result of 
 my own observation, experience, and reflection, when there is a proba- 
 bility that either will be acceptable, or do good. 
 
 I confess that you have set me a difficult task. Had you proposed 
 one inquiry, instead of three, I should have experienced less hesitation 
 in answering you. To have three places presented to your considera- 
 tion for acceptance, and all so important, may well perplex you. It 
 perplexes me to give you just such advice as it may be wise and best 
 for you to take. 
 
 In regard to your own people, you have no just cause for despon- 
 dency. So far as my own personal feelings are concerned, I could wish. 
 that you miglit live and die their pastor, as I intend to live and die the 
 pastor of the clmrcli in Charles Street. Where can your people find a 
 man who will fill your place? Still I do not see that it is your impera- 
 tive duty to remain. 
 
 In regard to the west, I have not the least doubt that, in either of 
 the stations which are offered you, were you to go, as Fishback onca- 
 
200 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 said of himself, you would " do a heap of good." But the change from 
 eastern to western society would be exceedingly great. T fear that at 
 Granville you would be loaded with cares and perplexing responsibili- 
 ties unfavorable to the heart disease, to which you are liable. I should 
 rather see you connected with an institution, if connected at all with 
 one of that sort, where you would not have to be steward, and agent, 
 and general purveyor, as, I suppose, Dr. Going was. Perhaps it is now 
 placed above such necessities. As pastor of the church in Cincinnati, 
 you would occupy a very important and conspicuous station. You would, 
 in many respects, if not in all, without seeking it, be at the head of the 
 Baptist ministry at the west. Still, I fear that your delicacj', and sus- 
 ceptibility, and modesty would be in the way of your happiness. There 
 is more of the rough-and-tumble and jostling against one another in 
 western hianncrs, if I have judged rightly, than would suit your com- 
 fort. They say very hard things to one another in public, which 
 would not suit your taste. If you were knocked down, you would not 
 get up and knock your brother down, and then go home and laugh at it. 
 All this would give you the nervous headache — nay, you would have 
 the heartache. For one, I confess I think you would be happier, and 
 probably as useful, in your present position as in either of the two at the 
 west. And yet, if you went to either place, I have no doubt (if God 
 spared your life and granted you health) but that you would do much, 
 great good. The turning-points for you to decide in regard to the 
 west are, in my judgment, personal considerations, rather than gen- 
 eral usefulness. Of the latter I have no question. 
 I am, truly yours, 
 
 Daniel Sharp. 
 
 To comi:)lete the narrative of the facts connected with the 
 call to Cincinnati, we anticipate a little the course of events. 
 Influenced by the considerations presented by Dr. Sharp, and 
 by others which seemed to be of Aveigltt in his own naind, he 
 decided to decline the call. He remarks, however, a few 
 days after he sent his letter of declination, " I have received 
 a letter from a brother in Cincinnati, saying my negative 
 reply is not to be received as final, and that further efibrt will 
 be made to effect my removal. So I am again to be disturbed 
 with a question I regarded as settled. What shall I do? O 
 Lord, give me wisdom, give me humility. Point out plainly 
 my path of duty, and enable me to ascertain and do thy will." 
 
 As an evidence of the pertinacity and the earnestness with 
 
LETTER FROM REV. JOIIX STEVENS. 201 
 
 wliich tlic cliurcli at Cincinnati urged their suit, it may not be 
 out of place to give some extracts from a letter written by 
 Rev. John Stevens, who, witli two otiiers, was appointed to 
 confer with him on the subject. 
 
 Cincinnati, O., February IS, 184G. 
 
 Kev. Baron Stow. Dear Brother: The Ninth Street Baptist Church 
 in this city still have their hopes fixed on you as their future pastor. 
 We know not where else to look. The church have, by a unanimous, 
 hf arty vote, at tiic close of a day of solemn prayer in reference to this 
 subject, repeated their invitation. We hope you will find cause to re- 
 consider your former decision. We sincerely hope for and earnestly 
 desire your acceptance. On what do we rest this hope and desire? 
 On our belief that you combine the various qualifications necessary for 
 this post in a higher anr\ happier degree than any other individual with- 
 in our knowledge, and on our view of the vast importance to the cause 
 of Christ at large of this station being adequately filled. 
 
 As it regards the first point, we need only refer to the invitation we 
 have given and repeated, and to the measures we take to lay our case 
 fully and fairly before you. 
 
 As to the second, — the importance of the situation, — it needs, in 
 order to be justly appreciated, to be viewed in detail, both as to its 
 intrinsic character and in its relations to the general interests of the 
 liedeemer's cause. 
 
 First, as to the church itself. 
 
 The writer here refers to the house of worship, its favora- 
 ble location, the rentage of the pews, the number of members 
 belonging to the church, its high rank among the best Prot- 
 estant churches in the city, and says, — 
 
 Viewing the church by itself, in its present and prospective character, 
 we think we cannot be mistaken in the opinion that it affords a mere 
 eligible sphere of usefulness for a pastor than any other Baptist churca 
 on this side of the mountains. For its own sake, then, — that is, for the 
 sake of those who compose the body, church, and congregation, — it is 
 eminently eligible as a sphere of pastoral labor. We know not the 
 Baptist pulpit where the persons coming under the direct influence of 
 iis ministrations will be more numerous or influential. Come, then, and 
 live with us. We pledge you an ample support. Come, preside over 
 us, and lead us on in the Master's service. We trust there will not be 
 wanting those who will follow you, as you follow the Great Leader. 
 The foundation has been laid. There is ample room. Material 
 
202 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 abounds. Come, enlarge and adorn this palace for God, and make it a 
 model throughout this valley. 
 
 A modest man, like the subject of this Memoir, might well 
 suppose, from the glowing description thus given, that the 
 pastor of a church of four hundred members, in a populous 
 community, with every prospect of reaping a large harvest 
 from the seeds which he might scatter broadcast, would have 
 his head, his heart, and his hands full to overflowing, if he 
 conscientiously devoted himself with a single eye to the spe- 
 cial and exclusive work of a pastor. But what were sup- 
 posed to be other most desirable features in the position to 
 which he was so urgently called, were not overlooked, and 
 Brother Stevens proceeds to speak, — 
 
 Secondly, of the relations of the church to the cause at large. While 
 acknowledging that, looking at the church of which he is now pastor, 
 and the one to which he is invited, the scale might turn in favor of 
 remaining where he is, yet, viewing the relative positions of the two 
 churches, there can be no doubt, tlie writer thinks, what tlie decision . 
 should be. 
 
 Returning to the order of our narrative, we remark, that at 
 this period now under consideration, the Baptist General 
 Convention was passinfj through great trials. While a 
 good measure of prosperity was attending its missionary 
 operations abroad, and the blessing of Heaven was evidently 
 resting upon the work which it had undertaken to accomplish, 
 its treasury was greatly embarrassed for want, of funds. 
 Two principal causes led to this embarrassment. One was 
 the unprecedented financial troubles which had spread over 
 all parts of the country, thus curtailing very largely tlie 
 income of those who had been accustomed to contribute to 
 the cause of missions. The other was the dilHculties which 
 grew out of the discussion of questions connected with the 
 system of domestic slavery. Without wishing to revive the 
 unhappy feelings and the bitter dissensions Avhich, we trust, 
 have been buried beneath the sea of blood which was poured 
 out in our late civil strife, fidelity to the truth, and a just 
 
EMBARRASSMENTS OF THE FOREIGN MISSION BOARD. 203 
 
 presentation of the cliaracter of the suhject of tliis Memoir, 
 demand the recital of some of the facts whicli make tlie 
 period now passing under review one of tlie most memorable 
 in the history of our foreign missions. Not a few sincere 
 lovers of the cause felt that they could no longer give to it 
 their charities, if its support must be maintained by the prod- 
 ucts of slave labor. Accordingly they Avithdrew their con- 
 tributions from the treasury of the General Convention. 
 The causes referred to, and others, which we need not stop 
 to enumerate, had served to increase the indebtedness of the 
 Convention to the amount of forty thousand dollars. Hith- 
 erto its financial credit has been of the highest character. 
 
 In the transaction of its business with foreign bankers it 
 had met every obligation at maturity, and such perfect confi- 
 dence was placed in its integrity, and the moral certainty that 
 every liability would be met, that it had no serious difficulty 
 in raising any reasonable amount which it needed to meet its 
 emergencies. But to maintain this financial credit required 
 guarantees, which, while they were cheerfully given by certain 
 warm friends of the cause, ought no longer to be expected. 
 When the debt had reached what, in those days, was regarded 
 as the very large sum of forty thousand dollars, men of cau- 
 tion and prudence began to be anxious, and to inquire, What 
 will be the end of all this plunging deeper and deeper into 
 financial embarrassment? It would not do, in a blind and 
 unreasoning way, to say that there must be fiiith in the God 
 of missions. Under the present circumstances, most emphati- 
 cally "faith without works was dead." In the midst of all 
 these embarrassments, and as if to comj^licate the difliculties 
 tenfold, there came to the Board the fiimous Alabama Resolu- 
 tions, sent by the Baptist Convention of that state. These 
 resolutions called for an explicit answer to the question 
 whether the Board would or would not appoint as missionaries 
 those who were actual holders of slaves. Brought face to 
 face with the system of domestic slavery, and called upon 
 thus peremptorily to say what they would do in the supposed 
 emergency, the Board did not long hesitate what answer to 
 
204 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 give to the inquiry thus put to them. Their reply was, that 
 " if any one should offer himself as a missionary, having slaves, 
 and should insist on retaining them as his property, they could 
 not a])point him." It Avas understood that this reply was 
 given, not because it was suggested by prudential reasons, 
 but because slavery was regarded as a wrong which ought not 
 to be sanctioned. The Board would not consent to make it- 
 self in any way jxrrticeps criminis in this matter of human 
 bondage. It might alienate the affections and lose the pecu- 
 niary support of some of the earliest and warmest supporters 
 of the cause of foreign missions, but it must be true to its 
 honest convictions of duty. Such was the stand taken, not 
 merely by men who were known by way of distinction as 
 " abolitionists," like Dr. Colver, but by men who had been as- 
 sailed as too conservative, like Dr. Sharp. Of course the con- 
 sequences of the step taken were not overlooked, and many 
 were the anxieties as to the methods which were to be re- 
 sorted to that the Convention might extricate itself from its 
 financial troubles. 
 
 Mr. Stow was deeply interested in all these movements. 
 How much he felt about the debt we have already noticed, 
 and what personal effort he put forth, in connection with Dr. 
 Sears, to have it removed, he has himself told us. An extra 
 session of the General Convention was called, " to be held in 
 the Baptist Tabernacle in the City of New York, on the 
 third Wednesday of November, at ten o'clock A. M." Mr. 
 Stow thus writes about this meeting : " November 17. This 
 evening I leave for New York, to attend an extra session of 
 the Baptist General Convention. My fears as to the result 
 are many. Lord, interpose, and make the north united in 
 the work of foreign missions." Leaving his home that even- 
 ing, he reached New York the next morning. He will tell 
 us something, a few pages farther on, about the meeting at 
 the Tabernacle. 
 
 Additional interest was given to this meeting from the 
 circumstance that Dr. Judson was present, and received the 
 warm conirratulations of those who loved him for his work's 
 
DR. JUDSON IN NEW YORK. 205 
 
 sake, and as one " bearing in his boily tlie marks of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ." Introduced to the Convention by Dr. Cone, 
 in his own matchless, inimitable manner, at the time when he 
 was in the zenith of his power as an eloquent speaker, he was 
 ■welcomed by the president. Dr. Wayland, " in an address," 
 says Professor Gammell, " of great eloquence and beauty, to 
 which, with a feeble voice, he made a brief but touching re- 
 sponse. The scene was one of subduing interest, and will 
 never be forgotten by those who beheld it. Hundreds were 
 gazing, for the first time, upon one, the story of whose labors, 
 anil sorrows, and suiferings had been familiar to them from 
 childhood, and whose name they had been accustomed to 
 utter with reverence and affection, as that of the j^ioneer and 
 fother of American missions to the heathen. They recalled 
 the scenes of toil and privation through which he had passed; 
 they remembered the loved ones with whom he had been 
 connected, and their bosoms swelled with inexpressible emo- 
 tions of gratitude and delight." 
 
 The Convention, however, had come together not merely 
 to enjoy this meeting with its earliest and most revered mis- 
 sionary, and to indulge in the elevated emotions which were 
 so befitting the occasion. There was serious businejis to be 
 transacted. The secession of the southern Baptists, and the 
 acknowledged defects which the results of a thirty years' ex- 
 perience in the workings of our missionary organization had 
 revealed, made it necessary that there should be an entire 
 reconstruction of the society. Mr. Stow has left on record, 
 in his own modest Avay, the part which he performed in this 
 most important work. He tells us that — 
 
 In 1845, after the disruption of the General Convention b}' tlie seces- 
 sion of the southern wing, a committee of nine, of wiiich Dr. Wayhind 
 was one, was appointed to prepare a new constitution for tlie body, to 
 be submitted at a special session. As the members of tlie committee 
 were widely scattered, and could not conveniently meet, it was agreed 
 that Dr. Cone should draw up one, and Dr. Wayland another, and that 
 a Boston member should, as secretary, construct one out of the two for 
 final consideration. The two forms prepared by Drs. Cone and Way- 
 
206 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 l.ind, and tlieir letters to the secretary, are now in my possession, and 
 contain materials for a chapter, showing an equal fervor of interest in 
 the missionary enterprise, but a wide diversity of opinions as to the 
 shape of the organization for carrying it forward, the views of Dr. Cone 
 being eminently democratic, those of Dr. Wayland insisting on greater 
 power in the executive agency. As the instrument was finally adopted, 
 — and we understand that the secretary's careful hand of revision had 
 passed over it, — it embraced all that Dr. Wayland regarded as essential 
 in preserving the organization from harm by any sudden irruptions of 
 popular excitement. In the compromise effected between Drs. Cone 
 and Wayland on tliat occasion, there was a beautiful exliibition of their 
 strong points uf Christian character. 
 
 The above we find in the second volume of the Memoh's 
 of Dr. Wayland. The following is the record in Mr. Stow's 
 journal : — 
 
 November IS. Arrived here (New York) this morning, and went 
 with Dr. Sears to Mr. G. N. Bleekcr's, 58 Henry Street, where we have 
 a delightful home. At ten, met the committee on the constitution at 
 the Bible Rooms, 350 Broome Street. After a laborious session of 
 nearly nine hours, we agreed, unanimously, on a draft to be submitted 
 to the Convention. This is the first ray of light that has pierced our 
 dense darkness. May it be the presage of a full day. 
 
 November 22. The meeting of the Convention has been one of the 
 most remarkable. The constitution was adopted unanimously, and 
 nearly sixteen thousand dollars, in sums of one hundred dollars each, 
 wei-e raised. Thus the debt of forty thousand dollars is provided for, 
 and arrangements are made for the enlargement of our operations. 
 " What hath God wrought ! " All are amazed at the result. Such a 
 meeting I never anticipated this side of heaven. O that we may be 
 humble before God, and henceforth trust him with our whole hearts! 
 He has done great things for us. May we never cease to be grateful. 
 
 Dr. Wayland, Maiting to Mr. Stow under date of Novem« 
 ber 23, says, " We are all filled with wonder at the deliver- 
 ances of the past Aveek. May we all love and serve him bet« 
 ter in future." 
 
 The following correspondence may properly be introduced 
 at this point. The letters were all written to Dr. Cone. 
 
CONSTITUTION OF TUK MISSIONARY UNION. 207 
 
 Boston, October 1, 1845. 
 
 Much esteemed Brother: Yours of the 29tli ultimo came to hand 
 yesterday. Tlie draft of a constitution was at once hiid before Brotliers 
 Lincohi and Fletcher. The former is in such a state of mental suffer- 
 ing, occasioned by the condition of the treasury and the approliension of 
 his own pecuniary ruin, that he is hardly qualified to render us much 
 service. Mr. Fletciior remarked, " Well, this looks something like a 
 constitution," and then gave utterance to his earnest wonder that wise 
 men should so long have consented to do business under the old system. 
 Some few alterations and additions were agreed upon, and to-morrow, 
 if the Lord permits, I shall go to Providence, and lay the whole before 
 Dr. Wayland. 
 
 The only points of importance, with respect to which we suggest 
 changes or additions, are two. 
 
 1. The name. We should prefer the American Baptist Association for 
 Foreign Missions. Lewis Tappan & Co. have a Foreign Mission Union. 
 Besides, " Association " is a name familiar and dear to Baptists. 
 
 2. The introduction of an article creating honorary life members of 
 the board of managers, with power to attend the meetings of the board, 
 to discuss all questions, but to vote on none. 
 
 I mention these points in anticipation, that you may reflect upon 
 them. 
 
 Allow me to say that I am highly gratified with your plan as a whole, 
 and believe it will unite those who have any heart to unite together in 
 the blessed enterprise. There may be spirits who will endeavor to in- 
 troduce restrictive elements ; but you may be assured that our leading 
 New England brethren desire nothing of the kind, and will stand with 
 you in resisting everything that is not broadly catholic. We wish for 
 an organization on a purely missionary basis, and nothing else. 
 
 My dear brother, cannot the subscription in your city, for the extin- 
 guishing of the forty-thousand-dollar debt, be hastened to a favorable 
 consummation? On the 1st of September we provided temporarily 
 for fifteen thousand dollars of the amount. In about six weeks another 
 large portion must be provided for. Were the whole amount subscribed, 
 we could at once collect all that we shall then need. The treasurer is 
 nearly crushed under his burdens, and unless something is speedily 
 done for his relief, he will sink, I fear, beyond recovery. Pardon me 
 for these suggestions. 
 
 In great haste, I am, as ever, 
 
 Yours, with aflfectionate esteem, 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 Rev. S. 11. Cone. 
 
208 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Boston, October H, 1845. 
 
 Eeverend AND DEAR Sir : Accompanying this I send you our draft 
 of a constitution. I regret that it has so long been delayed. We have 
 separately and jointly spent much time upon it. I have transcribed it 
 seven times. 
 
 You will perceive that we have retained some features that distin- 
 guish our present plan. 
 
 1. We provide for a convention of life members, with limited powers 
 and responsibilities. 
 
 2. A large board for the purpose of securing a proper supervision 
 and extending an interest. 
 
 3. A small executive committee, with powers accurately defined, and 
 responsible to the board. 
 
 Our object has been to combine the popular and the conservative ele- 
 ments, and interpose such checks and balances as shall insure safety in 
 the action of the machinery. 
 
 We hope the other members of the committee will be able to give it 
 a thorough examination. 
 
 Dr. Wayland will probably write you, or Dr. Williams, more fully 
 on the subject. 
 
 Mr. Fletcher has given much attention to tliis business, and rendered 
 us essential aid. 
 
 Deacon Lincoln is nearly crushed under his burdens, and must soon 
 have relief. We hope soon to hear favorable news from New York, 
 showing tliat the forty-thousand-dollar debt will le i^aid. 
 With true esteem. 
 
 Your brother in Christ, 
 
 . . Bakon Stow. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Cone, New York. 
 
 Boston, October 15, 1845. 
 
 My dear Brother : I wrote you yesterday, forwarding the draft of 
 a constitution. 
 
 This morning our beloved Brother Judson and three children arrived 
 in the Sophia Walker, Captain Codman. 
 
 When at the Isle of Franco, Mrs. Judson appeared to be so much bet- 
 ter that he thought it best to send back his Burman assistant, and pro- 
 ceed to tlie United States, for the purpose of only a brief visit. But 
 tliey had scarcely left when Mrs. J. was again taken quite ill. Leaving 
 the Paragon, in which they sailed from Maulmain for England, they 
 took passage in the Sophia Walker direct for Boston. While at St. 
 Helena Mrs. Judson died. She was interred the same day, Septem- 
 ber 1. 
 
CONSTITUTION OF TUE MISSIONARY UNION. 209 
 
 Brother Judson's general healtli is quite good, but his voice, owing to 
 a bronchial affection, is feeble. lie is now at my house, where he will 
 remain a few days, and joins in Christian assurances to yourself and 
 family. 
 
 In much haste, 
 
 Yours, fraternally. 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 Rev. Dr. Cone, New York. 
 
 Boston, October 22, 1845, 
 
 Mt dear Brother : Your favor of the 20th came to hand this morning. 
 Mr. Lincoln I have not been able to see. I read it to Mr. Fletcher, and 
 then enclosed it to Dr. Wayland. 
 
 I am not aware tiiat the New England members of the committee are 
 determined to adhere to their plan. They thought it best to make out a 
 draft in accordance with their olen views, and submit the same for tlie 
 consideration of the other members. We devoted to it much time and 
 thought, and we feel a strong confidence that, if it should be adopted, 
 the plan would work well. 
 
 As it regards the word "Convention" in the name, we of course 
 shall not be tenacious. The term has been ours for more than thirty 
 years, and it certainly will be no infringement of the rxyhts of our 
 southern brethren if we retain it. 
 
 My own impression is, that a large majority of the Convention will 
 prefer, in tlie second article, "throughout the world" to any other 
 phrase. I am willing to concede that, and so is Mr. Fletcher. 
 
 Most of the other questions at issue between us will probably be set- 
 tled whenever we can agree with respect to the main point — the struc- 
 ture of an organization. The difference is so wide that I see not how 
 we shall be likely to come together unless we can have a meeting of the 
 whole committee, in which the subject siiall be thoroughly canvassed. 
 My own opinion is, that if the executive committee or acting board is 
 to be located in Boston, our plan will be decidedly the best. The Amer- 
 ican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions have a prudential 
 committee of seven, who meet once a week, and do their work well. 
 Not a member of that executive committee expends as much time and 
 labor as I do in an acting board of fifteen. Not one of them is a 
 " paid soldier." Everything is done systematically and efficiently. We 
 can find seven or nine brethren who would do as well, and ask no com- 
 pensation. 
 
 I need not enlarge. Dr. Wayland will probably write you his views. 
 May God give us all wisdom, and enable us to coincide in some plan 
 that will please himself. I desire onlv that we may devise some method 
 14 
 
210- MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 by which we can hibor together, in love, for the propagation of the 
 blessed gospel throughout the world. 
 
 Your brief sentence respecting the subscription for the forty-thousand- 
 dollar-debt gives me pain. I fondly hoped to hear from you some- 
 thing encouraging. How can we in good faith change our constitution 
 before provision is made for the extinguishing of that debt? If the 
 old Convention should be dissolved, to whom may our creditors look for 
 the liquidating of their claims.'' Mr. Fletcher says the individual mem- 
 bers of the Convention will be held in law. Other questions i^ill 
 arise involving us in legal difficulties. I see not how we can move in 
 our new-modelling enterprise unless the entire debt is provided fcr. 
 New England will furnish her twenty-five thousand dollars. Cannot 
 New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania supply the remainder. 
 
 I ought to have said a word respecting the clause in our plan, making 
 the members of the Convention who may be present life members, &c. 
 Our object was to create at once a body that could organize and pro- 
 ceed to action ; and we could think of no other plan so feasible, and 
 which would conciliate good feeling on the part of such as might be 
 at the trouble and expense of SLt^ending an extra session. We do not, 
 however, attach great importance to that item. It appeared to us a 
 happy mode for the transmigration of the soul from one body to another. 
 
 Brother Judson is now with his sister at Plymouth. Providence per- 
 mitting, he will be in New York at the Convention. 
 With unabated esteem and confidence, 
 
 Your aflfectionate brother, 
 
 Bakon Stow. 
 
 Boston, October 28, 1845. 
 
 My dear Brother : Your favor of the 24th came to hand yesterday 
 morning. Of course we are highly gratified with the prospect of eight 
 thousand dollars from New York towards the forty tliousand dollars. 
 Our current receipts, apart from the debt, this month, have been already 
 more than six thousand dollars. By the steamer of November 1, we 
 forward ten thousand dollars to the Barings in London. 
 
 Should the right kind of feeling prevail among the brethren at the 
 extra session of the Convention, perhaps something can be done on th«j 
 spot towards completing the forty-thousand-dollar subscription. 
 
 I see not, my dear brother, how the minds of our committee of nine 
 can be harmonized by correspondence. Ought we not to have a meet- 
 ing of the whole committee, and endeavor to agree upon something 
 that we can all readily support.'* 
 
 I regret that I should have unwittingly led you to suspect that I prefer 
 Presbyterian aristocracy to Baptist or New Testament republicanism. 
 
COERESPONDBNCE. 211 
 
 I referred to the fact that seven men in the system of the A. B. C. F. 
 M. do a certain service witliout pay simply to answer one of your objec- 
 tions to our plan. Whether so small a number of Baptists could be 
 trusted to do a similar work for a single year under the instructions of 
 a board of sixty or seventy-five, is another question. 
 
 Let us seek wisdom from above. If we are willing to do Christ's 
 work upon his own plan, we shall certainly come together and affection- 
 ately cooperate. As far as we have attained, let us mind the same 
 thing, and walk by the same rule. And if in anything we are otherwise 
 minded, God will reveal even this unto us. 
 With true affection, 
 
 Your brother and fellow- laborer, 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 Rev. Dr. Cone, New York. 
 
 Boston, January 30, 1846. 
 
 My dear Brother: Ever since that blessed meeting of the General 
 Convention in November last, I have intended to write you, tendering 
 my personal thanks for the noble part which you acted on that occasion. 
 Knowirlg fully, as I did, your views and feelings on various points, I 
 regarded your course with admiration, and almost wonder. A richer 
 specimen of Christian magnanimity I have never witnessed. Pardon 
 the freedom with which I write. My heart guides my pen. I shall 
 ever associate that precious occasion with the grace of God bestowed 
 upon yourself as the chairman of the committee of nine. 
 
 I feel much solicitude with reference to the organization of our Union 
 in May next. There ought, it seems to me, to be some correspondence 
 or conference of our more aged and experienced brethren in different 
 parts of the country touching the appointment of a home secretary. 
 We have, for some time, had our eyes fixed on Brother Bright, of 
 Homer, N. Y., as the most suitable man for this post. His heart is fer- 
 vently enlisted in the cause of foreign missions, and we can think of no 
 one else so well fitted for the place vacated by Brother Pattison. 
 
 I have read with pain the "statement" of a committee of the Ameri- 
 can Bible Society. It savors of the old spirit of persecution. The 
 counter statement of the Arnerican and Foreign Bible Society is manl}^ 
 dignified. Christian, and will tell to the full weight of its metal. 
 
 In heaven there will be none of this squabbling. May j'ou and I find 
 that peaceful home. 
 
 Most fraternally, 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Cone. 
 
212 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Boston, May 9, 1846. 
 
 Mt dear Brother : I have seen this morning, in the last number of 
 the New York Baptist Register, published at Utica, an article that occa- 
 sions me unutterable distress. The editor, in his leading article, pro- 
 fesses to have ascertained the true author of the constitution of the 
 American Baptist Missionary Union, and gives the source of his infor- 
 mation. 
 
 The facts are these. Just before " Elder" Bennett left New York city 
 for an excursion into the western part of the state, he wrote me, 
 requesting me to furnish him with suggestions that might aid him in his 
 enterprise. He wished to remove prejudices from the minds of some 
 good bretiiren, &c. I accordingly wrote him at Rocliester, giving my 
 views on various points. 1 stated that I knew the meaning of every 
 word and syllable of the constitution, as I had transcribed it seven 
 times, and spent weeks of labor and prayer in its preparation. I cer- 
 tainly never said or intimated that I was the " sole author " of the docu- 
 ment. I did not intend to convey such an impression. The outlines of 
 the constitution were agreed upon by the four New England members 
 of the committee, and the labor of preparing the instrument was com- 
 mitted to me. Subsequently, at a full meeting of the committee in 
 New York, several important modifications were made at your own 
 suggestion. 
 
 Providence permitting, I shall be in New York on Wednesday. My 
 throat and lungs are in a bad state, and I greatly fear that I may be 
 wholly unfit for the Thursday evening service. 
 Very sincerely, 
 
 Your brother, as ever, 
 
 Barok Stow. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Cone, N. Y. 
 
 The foregoing correspondence shows us the interest which 
 Mr. Stow took in the formation of the "Missionary Union," and 
 the important service he rendered in drafting its excellent 
 constitution. Modestly disclaiming, as he does, the entire 
 authorship of this constitution, it is, nevertheless, evident that 
 his peculiar gift in drawing up such papers is to be traced in 
 all its sections and parts. It was his aim to preserve a just 
 mean between an organization so loose and general in its 
 character, that it had no power of concentration, and one 
 which should be but little better than a close corporation. 
 While both exj)erience and observation taught him that a 
 
DEATH OF niS MOTHEE. 213 
 
 society having so large a constituency as the " Union " must 
 do its work through a few men of responsible character and 
 tried integrity, yet he would not lodge power in the hands 
 of a few, even of the best of men, without making them 
 accountable to some higher authority. He knew how jealous 
 the denomination has been of any approach to what might 
 seem ecclesiastical authority placed in the hands of a few 
 persons. The wisdom of the steps he took has been amply 
 justified by the history of the Union. 
 
 The narrative of his ministerial life is the record of the 
 usual cares and toil which are incident to the life of a faith- 
 ful pastor; and for several months we find nothing of such 
 interest as to be worthy of a special prominence in a Memoir 
 like this. On the 23d of May, 1846, the Missionary Union was 
 fully organized, with Dr. Sharp for its president. Mr. Stow 
 was urged to accept the office of corresponding secretary, but 
 he felt obliged to decline. He was, however, appointed on 
 the executive committee. A Sabbath or two after this he 
 alludes to an address made by Dr. Dean to the Baldwin 
 Place congregation, " in a strain of Christian simplicity and 
 tenderness," he remarks, "which I never beard surpassed. 
 At some points hundreds were overpowered with emotion, 
 and melted into tears. I have never witnessed in any man 
 stronger proofs of entire consecration to Christ. In the 
 evening a public meeting was held in Bakhvin Place pre- 
 paratory to the departure of Bi'other Dean and Ko A Bak 
 for China. It was good to be there. Brother Neale gave 
 the address." The next day Dr. Dean left for New York, 
 where he embarked for the distant field of his mission- 
 ary labor. Within a month Dr. Judson and those who 
 accompanied him, left in the ship Faneuil Hall for Bur- 
 mah. Scenes like these kept buniing the flame of missionary 
 zeal which long since had been kindled in the heart of Mr. 
 Stow. 
 
 He makes a touching record in his journal, a few weeks 
 later, on receiving the intelligence of the death of hia 
 mother. 
 
214 MEMOIE OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Auo:ust 31. 1846. Found a letter from sister P., communicating the 
 expectt'd hut most afflictin;^ Intelligence of my precious mother's depart- 
 ure for a hetter world. She died August 19, at three and a half P. M., 
 aged seventy-one. I need grace to enable me to regard the dispensa- 
 tion in its right light, and to derive from it spiritual benefit. God has 
 come near to me. O, how excellent that mother 1 How faithful has 
 she been in every relation I How prudent, how quiet, how pious ! How 
 mu<li am I indebted to her prayers, instructions, and examples I Have 
 I valued her as I should? 
 
PERSONAL ANXIETIES. "215 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A BUSY MINISTERIAL LlFK. — AnXIETY WITH REFERENCE TO HI3 
 
 Church. — Journal. — Resignation. 
 
 1847-1848. 
 
 We return ngain to those more quiet scenes in the life of 
 Dr. Stow, * when, as a pastor, he gave liis best energies of 
 mind and heart to tlie promotion of the rehgious welfare 
 of his people. The year 1847 opens with some discourage- 
 ments. In his view a long period had passed away since 
 his church had been blessed with one of those seasons of 
 religious refreshing in Avhich he so much delighted. He 
 hails with joy every token that seems to indicate the return 
 of the Spirit to the congregation, whom he unceasingly bears 
 in his affections. " Is God about to appear for us ? " he 
 writes at the close of his record of the meeting, held, as usual, 
 at the beginning of the new year. If he is " prostrated in 
 body," he is " hopeful in mind." " Lord, help me to rely on 
 thee alone," is his fervent prayer. Weeks pass, and no such 
 blessing comes as he has been hoping for. One inquirer — "a 
 rare visitor" — calls on him. "It is a sweet privilege to direct 
 him to Christ, and to kneel with him before the cross in 
 supplication of God's forgiviug mercy. O, when shall I see 
 many of my congregation turn the weeping eye and the anx- 
 ious heart towards Calvary ! " 
 
 At the meeting of the Missionary Union in Cincinnati, in 
 May, he preached the annual sermon. The change of scene, 
 
 * The honorary degree of D. D. was conferred on Mr. Stow by 
 Brown University in 1846, and by Harvard College in 1855. 
 
216 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 as usual, operated favorably in the restoration of his health 
 and spirits. On the return of the party who were his com- 
 panions, they passed a day or two at Niagara Falls, which 
 he now saw for the fii'st time. " O, how tame," he writes, 
 " are all descriptions that I have ever read of this wonderful 
 cataract ! The image is fixed in my mind, and will long re- 
 main, but M^ords are inadequate to represent it." A few 
 weeks afterwards we find him at Waterville, attending the 
 commencement of the college, to the presidency of which he 
 bad so often been invited. As the guest of Professor M. B. 
 Anderson, he received those kind attentions which were 
 always so grateful to him. On the 15th of August occurred 
 a farewell missionary meeting at the Rowe Street Church, 
 which was addressed by Rev. Mr. Abbott, " whose descrip- 
 tions," says Dr. Stow, " were graphic, and his appeals power- 
 ful. The Loi'd go with and preserve him, and make him 
 useful. Fifteen hundred converted Karens are waiting for 
 baptism, and he hastens to meet them, and administer to 
 them that precious ordinance." He is ready to resjjond to 
 calls frequently made on him for services in places more or 
 less remote from Boston. On the 18th of August he de- 
 livers an oration in Sherburne, on the occasion of the erection 
 of a monument to the memory of his ancestor, Henry Leland. 
 A little more than a month later he preached the sermon at 
 the dedication of the new house of worship of the First 
 Baptist Church in Springfield. In the record of November 7 
 he refers to the circumstance of having completed the fifteenth 
 year of his ministry in Baldwin Place. " Soon I must give 
 an account of my stewardship. Lord, help me to be faithful 
 unto the end." 
 
 Allusion has already been made to the discouragement 
 which Dr. Stow felt as the pastor of a church whose fimiilies 
 were moving to other and more attractive sections of the 
 city. These losses keenly affected him. The friends who 
 left him were those to whom he felt a joeculiar attachment. 
 Athough for a time some of them, influenced by feelings 
 of personal attachiiient, retained their membership in his 
 
ANOTHER CALL. 217 
 
 church, yet he could not help noticing that gradually they 
 Avithdrew from the more social, and what he regarded as the 
 more spiritual, meetings of the church, and at length no 
 longer tilled their places in the house of worship on the Sab- 
 bath. The distance was too great, and the inconvenience too 
 serious, to be overcome, and these fomilies, by degrees, fell 
 into other places of worship nearer their own dwellings. He 
 was too sincere in his own affection, and too candid in his 
 judgment, to ascribe the action of his friends to any diminu- 
 tion of attachment to him. He acknowledged that the sacri- 
 fice was too great on their part to leave churches which pre- 
 sented as many attractions, and perhaps more than his own, 
 to go to the extreme north-eastern section of the city, through 
 streets some of which had become largely the residence of 
 a foreign population, who were not altogether the most 
 agreeable people to meet every Sabbath. He was beginning, 
 moreover, to feel seriously the almost constant drafts which 
 had been made on his energies for so many years, and to 
 question whether it might not be for the honor of the Master, 
 and the promotion of his own usefulness, to change the scene 
 of his ministerial labors. In addition to these things, there 
 were some internal difficulties in tlie church, not uncommon, 
 indeed, because they are liable to befall any church, but such 
 as weighed upon his spirit, affecting a nervous system alreaidy 
 jaded and worn by the unremitting labors of years of active 
 service. We do not wonder, therefore, to find him, at the 
 beginning of the year 1848, weighing carefully and prayer- 
 fully the question of personal duty. "Can I resign the 
 ])astorate without essential harm to the interests in Baldwin 
 Place ? I can sacrifice anything but the cause of Christ. O, 
 my Saviour, show me thy Avill, and helj) me to obey, what- 
 ever the cost to myself." In the midst of liis perplexity, he 
 tells us that an " old friend and former parishioner called to 
 sound me, respecting the transfer of my pastoral relation 
 to another church out of the city. The duties there would 
 be light, the sujjport ample, and the pleasures of residence 
 desirable." Unable, however, to answer affirmatively the 
 
218 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 question, " Is my Avork in Baldwin Place done ? " he would 
 give no encouragement to his friend. His j^urpose was, if he 
 resigned, to give himself a respite of several months before 
 accepting another call, and he did not wish to have his mind 
 harassed by invitations to settle elsewhere. 
 
 We present a few extracts from his journal, showing the 
 general state of his feelings, and making allusions to passing 
 events. 
 
 March 10. Wrote several letters, and finished reading Dibble's 
 Tiioughts on Missions — a work which has stirred my inmost soul, and 
 given me many a feeling of compunction. Two P. M. The bells are 
 tolling, the body of J. Q. Adams has arrived, and the grand procession 
 is bearing it to Faneuil Hall. God sees how much of benevolence and 
 how much of selfishness are mingled in these pageants. How ready we 
 are to honor others, living or dead, when, by so doing, we can honor 
 ourselves ! 
 
 Baltimore, April 10. Concluded to remain here another day. The 
 air is truly balmy and refresliing. Dr. Fuller called. We spent two 
 hours agreeably. His mind is working deeply on the subject of slavery. 
 Dr. Plummer joined us, and the conversation turned on High-churchisui, 
 becoming occasionally' quite piquant. I said but little — listened the 
 more. Dr. Fuller remarked, " that the Baptists had more charity for 
 the Presbyterians than the latter had for the former." This Dr. Plum- 
 mer denied. " Why," said Dr. Fuller, turning to me, " I expect to 
 baptize Dr. Plummer yet, and see him pastor of a Baptist church." Dr. 
 Plunmier rose and approached me, saying, " As for Brother Fuller. I 
 never expect to see him anything but a close communion Baptist." 
 " There," exclaimed Dr. Fuller, " I told him we were more charitable 
 than they. I have hope of him that he will yet come into the light, and 
 do better, but he has no hope of me." 
 
 Washington, April 18. Last Saturday night seventy-seven slaves 
 escaped from the District, and went on board a vessel in the river, and 
 started on a race for freedom. Sunday morning two thousand dollars 
 were offered for the capture of the vessel and the recovery of the fugi- 
 tives. A steamboat, armed, was sent in pursuit, news was sent by tele- 
 graph to Baltimore, and the revenue cutter went down the bay for the 
 same purpose. They were overtaken and seized ; at eight and a half this 
 morning the captain of the vessel and two other white men were brought 
 up from the wharf, past our lodgings, and shut up in jail. At tlie 
 same time the slaves were marched by, shackled together two and two, 
 and likewise lodged in jail. O, it was a pitiable sight. France drives 
 away her oppressors, and emancipates her slaves, and the people here. 
 
RESIGNS PASTORATE OF BALDWIN PLACE CHURCH. 219 
 
 are boisterous in their expressions of sympathy. A few Africans 
 endeavor, without violence, to gain tlieir freedom, and tlie men wlio aid 
 them are cursed, seized, and punished. How does God view these 
 things? My soul is sickened and disgusted. 
 
 Washington, April 20. Rode to College Hill ; spent the remainder of 
 the day with President Bacon and family. How familiar were all the 
 surroundings — the room occupied by Brother Knowles and myself, 
 " No. 30," the room of the Enosinian Society, with the banner of the 
 society (a device of my own), tlie library, the cliapel, &c., &c. There I 
 saw the very books which I devoured with avidity, and from which 
 I derived stores of valuable knowledge. The only one about the 
 premises whom I recognized was Professor W. E. He has been there 
 from the beginning, and is the same precious good man. 
 
 Washington, April 21. Threatened with my heart trouble. I keep 
 my room to-day. The excitement witliout is alarming. For tliree nights 
 the mob has collected around the otlice of the National Era (an able 
 anti-slavery paper), and made some threatening demonstrations. Mr. 
 Palfrey, of Massachusetts, in the House, and Mr. Hale, of New Hamp- 
 shire, in the Senate, yesterday introduced resolutions for the aj)point- 
 ment of committees of inquiry touching these disturbances, which were 
 as firebrands in a magazine. I cannot walk out, or enter a shop, with- 
 out hearing violent and profane language, denouncing and threatening 
 the opponents of slavery. What a savage a man is when his passions 
 are aroused ! 
 
 During this visit among his friends in Wasliington, Dr. 
 Stow came to the decision which cost him so much pain, and 
 which he reached only after long and earnest deliberation. 
 It is thus that he alludes to the disruption of the ties which 
 for so many years had bound him to Baldwin Place : — 
 
 May 18. This has been one of the most trying days of my life. I 
 have written my letter of resignation, intending, if Providence permit, 
 to have it read to my people next Lord's day. It is an act which I have 
 long dreaded, but to which I can see no alternative. O God, tliou 
 knowest my heart, and wilt judge me at the last day ! Do I not love 
 this people? Do I not leave them in obedience to thy will? Does not 
 thy providence make my duty plain and imperative? 
 
 Those who place as high an estimate as Dr. Stow did on 
 permanency in the pastoral relation, and the sacredness of the 
 ties which bind church and minister, will be able to sympa- 
 thize with him in the great struggle through which he passed. 
 
220 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 Those, on the contrary, who view the relation very much in 
 the same light that some of our modern reformers regard the 
 marriage bond, will have but very little sympathy with this 
 greatly perplexed pastor. The following was the communi- 
 cation which he read to the congregation at the close of the 
 morning service. May 21. He very touchingly says, "God 
 gave me strength to do it firmly. My heart ached, but I was 
 able to suppress emotion, and to control myself so as to make 
 no demands on the symj^athy of others." 
 
 To the Baldwin Place Baptist Church and Society. 
 
 Dear Brethren and Friends : When my esteemed pred- 
 ecessor, the Rev. James D. Knowles, entered upon his duties 
 as your pastor, he had perfect health ; and yet, before seven 
 years had elapsed, he found himself oppressed by the cares 
 and responsibilities of his onerous charge, and compelled, by 
 a regard to self-preservation, to retire to another field of labor. 
 I succeeded him, in the autumn of 1832, with a constitution 
 naturally slender, and impaired by repeated attacks of dis- 
 ease, to which, from early childhood, I had been subjected. 
 Consequently I did not indulge the expectation that my 
 period of useful labor in your service could possibly equal 
 that of the worthy brother who had jjreceded me. That I 
 have been able to retain my position for more than double 
 that time is to be attributed, under God, to your jDeculiai 
 kindness and forbearance. 
 
 I am happy to bear testimony that you have never de- 
 manded of me service beyond my ability to perform. On the 
 contrary, you have ever been tenderly considerate and careful 
 of my liealth, and given me every desirable facility for its 
 jjreservation. Not only have you provided for my regular 
 support in a way that has given me entire satisfaction, but m 
 numerous instances you have, by special acts of liberality, 
 created occasion for my fervent and lasting gratitude. In 
 return, I have endeavored, to the full extent of my capability, 
 to serve you in the gospel of Christ. Of the manner in which 
 I have executed my trust it does not become me to speak. 
 
LETTER OF KESIGNATION. 221 
 
 Ye are my witnesses, and God is my Judge. Many of you aro 
 not ignorant that during the last five years I have often been 
 compelled by pliysical infirmities to contemplate tlie probabil- 
 ity of a dissolution of the ties which have bound us in a happy 
 connection. The thought of such an issue has always been 
 painful to myself; but I could not avoid the apprehension 
 that Providence would force it upon us. During the last four 
 months, other considerations, of a very emphatic kind, have 
 contributed with my impaired health to settle my convictions 
 that my continuance as your pastor is incompatible with both 
 my usefulness and my happiness. This announcement would 
 have been sooner made but for the persuasions of others, 
 whose reasons for delay appealed to feelings to which I hope 
 never to be a stranger. 
 
 The indications are so clear that no alternative remains 
 but for me to declare, respectfully and firmly, that duty to 
 you, to myself, and above all, to the cause of our common 
 Lord, demands my retirement from the oflice with which you 
 have so long and so indulgently honored me. To that de- 
 mand I yield as to a necessity Avhich I have not created, and 
 which I can neither resist nor modify. 
 
 But that my action may occasion you as little embarrass- 
 ment as possible, and that you may have time to mature 
 an-angements for the future, I am not unwilling to postpone 
 for a few weeks the final act of separation. I will see the 
 pulpit supplied until the 1st of July next, and will render such 
 other service in the mean time as the state of my health may 
 permit, and as may best contribute to your interest. 
 
 I leave you, my beloved flock, with emotions which no 
 language can adequately represent. I cannot trust myself in 
 any attempt to give them utterance. 
 
 Reminiscence!#of the tenderest character crowd my mind, 
 and awaken feelings Avhich can better be inter])reted by your 
 own hearts than by my w'ords. I shall therefore spare you, 
 as I would spare myself, the review of the years which we 
 have passed in happy union. My aftection for you has been 
 as strong as my nature permitted, and that afiection remains 
 
222 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 undhnlnisbed, I have given you my best days and my best 
 strength, and I now retire with no prospect of future occupa- 
 tion, simply committing myself to the care of that faithful 
 Providence which has never left me unemployed or uncom- 
 pensated. Whatever may be the lot which that Providence 
 shall assign me, your prosperity will, to the last, be the object 
 of my constant solicitude and my fervent prayers. 
 With affectionate respect, 
 
 Your friend and brother. 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 Boston, May 21, 1848. 
 
 The most sincere endeavors were made by the church to 
 induce him to withdraw his resignation, but he had long and 
 anxiously weighed the matter which had been pressing upon 
 his mind, and his purpose remained fixed and unalterable. 
 The record of his closing service as pastor of the Baldwin 
 Place Church is in the following words : — 
 
 June 25, Loril's day. In the morning preached from Rev. xxi. 4, 
 first clause, and baptized five young jiersons. The house was very full, 
 and the occasion was one of tender interest. Lord, bless thou the ser- 
 vices to the conversion of sinners. Afternoon I remained at home. 
 The services of the morning drew deeply on my excitability, and I have 
 suffered severely as the result. The Baldwin Place Baptist Society met, 
 and, I am told, passed some kind resolutions, expressive of their feelings, 
 in consequence of my decision. They are indeed a generous people. I 
 have occasion to love them. Nothing but a clear conviction of duty 
 compels me to leave them. 
 
 The next day the resolutions referred to were placed in 
 his hands. They are alluded to in the following record : — 
 
 June 26. Received a communication from N. ]5|clson, clerk of the 
 Baldwin Place Baptist Society, with a copy of the following resolutions, 
 adopted yesterday afternoon. 
 
 Resolved, That the reply of Rev. Baron Stow to our request that he 
 would withdraw his resignation of the pastoral office fills us with the 
 most profound sorrow. And while we cannot suppress the painful emo- 
 tions occasioned by the severing of the tie that has so long bound us 
 
SUMMARY OF LABORS. 223 
 
 together, as pastor and pooplc, yet, believing him to be actuated by a 
 sincere conviction of duty, we accept his resignation. 
 
 Resolved, We cannot permit this opportunity to pass without bear- 
 ing testimony to the faithfulness, assiduity, ability, and untiring zeal 
 that have distinguished both liis pulpit and pastoral labors ; and while it 
 will ever be our happiness to cherisli the recollections of the many 
 liallowed associations that crowd so thickly all the way along his pastoral 
 connection with us, we will pray that, whatever post of duty God may 
 hereafter assign him, he may continue to be distinguished for a faithful 
 discharge of his duty, and receive at last from the lips of his Master the 
 welcome, " Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy 
 of thy Lord." 
 
 Resolved, That sixteen years of faithful service, resulting in the 
 prostration of his health, and in his inability to perform any labor 
 probably for several months to come, render it a duty, as it is also a 
 pleasure, that we should make some provision for his support until he 
 is able to resume his professional duties. 
 
 Resolved, That the treasurer be directed to pay to Rev. Baron Stow 
 his salary to 1st of October next, less the expense of supplying the pul- 
 pit up to that date. 
 
 The record of his work while pastor of the Baldwin Place 
 Church he thus briefly sums up : " I have preached fifteen 
 hundred and sixty-six sermons, made thirteen thousand four 
 hundred and thirty-four pastoral visits, baptized six hundred 
 and fifty-five, attended seven hundred and fifteen funerals, 
 and solemnized five hundred and seventy-eight marriages. 
 During this period I have travelled more than twenty-five 
 thousand miles." 
 
 June 30. This day concludes my pastoral relation to Baldwin Place. 
 J am oppressed by the recollections that crowd my mind. I remember 
 the goodness of God to me and mine, my sins and imperfections, my 
 labors, my successes, my enjoyments and trials. O that God would 
 forgive all that has been wrong in thought, feeling, desire, word, and 
 action ! May I to-day be cleansed, by the blood of Christ, from all sin. 
 May I believe anew in the atoning Saviour, and be anew accepted 
 through him. May I be thankful for all mercies. A fresh consecration 
 will I make to the service of my Lord and Master. Body and soul I lay 
 upon the altar. Lord, I am thine, wholly, thine, forevermore. My heart 
 bleeds fur my dear people, soon to be no more my peculiar charge. Lord, 
 take them under thy paternal care. Keep them affectionately united. 
 
224 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Provide for them an intelligent, kind, devoted, faithful pastor, who shall 
 feed them with knowledge and understanding. "Peace be within thy 
 walls, and prosperity within thy palaces." 
 
 How Baron Stow, for so many years the laborious, af- 
 fectionate pastor of a confiding flock, felt, on being thus 
 drawn aside from the chosen j)ursuits of his life, may be in- 
 ferred from his own Avords. 
 
 July I. To-day I enter upon a new era of my life. I am without 
 employment ! To be free from the burden that has long pressed upon 
 me is truly a relief, and yet this very relief has its sadness and sorrow. 
 I have loved my people and my work, and now to surrender both is a 
 heavy trial ; but my conviction of duty is unclouded by a doubt. Every 
 day adds to its strength. One of the interesting facts in the case is, that 
 no one, to my knowledge, has blamed me, or questioned my motives. 
 All say, " You have done right." It is gratifying to have the approba- 
 tion of the wise and good, but still more to have the approval of Heaven. 
 Still let me trust my heavenly Father. He has ever guided and pro- 
 tected me, and provided for me. Into thy hands I commend myself 
 and family, and all our interests for time and eternity. The Lord ia 
 my portion. 
 
VR. STOW'S REMINISCENCBS. 225 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Reminiscences of Baldavin Place Church. — Cobrespondence. — 
 Call to the Pierrepont Street Church, Brooklyn, N. Y. — 
 Call TO THE Rowe Street Church, Boston. — Acceptance op 
 the latter Call. — Journal. 
 
 The ministry of Dr. Stow, as the pastor of the Baldwin 
 Phicc Church, commenced, as we have ah-eady seen, Novem- 
 ber 15, 1832, and closed July 1, 1848, thus covering a period 
 of nearly sixteen years. That it was an eminently successful 
 ministry, the record we have given abundantly proves. In a 
 previous chapter Ave have quoted from a communication 
 written by Dr. Stow, on the occasion of the forewell service 
 held in the venerable church pre\ious to its being given up to 
 the corporation of gentlemen known as the "Baldwin Place 
 Home for Little Wanderers." This letter has so much to do 
 with his own connection with the religious society which was 
 removing to its new home in the south part of the city, that 
 we cannot do better than lay another extract from it before 
 our readers. 
 
 " When I commenced my labors, the deacons were Edward 
 Smith, Jacob Hiler, Ezra Chamberlain, Samuel Beal, Benja- 
 min Kimball, and Benjamin Smith, all good men and true. 
 Of these, two survive, having their membership in other 
 churches. Subsequently two others were elected. I de- 
 light to remember the many who were then active in the 
 church, ready co-workers with the pastor. Hardly shall I 
 dis|)arage the brethren if I speak in strong terms of the piety, 
 steadfastness, and holy consistency of a large body of female 
 members. Might it not seem invidious, I could, from 
 15 
 
226 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 memory, give the names of a hundred, mostly baptized by 
 Dr. Baldwin, and trained by him in doctrinal belief and in 
 ways of holy living. I can understand the apostle when he 
 speaks of godly women who labored with him in the gospel. 
 But the brethren were not deficient. They stood by me, and 
 encouraged me in my S23iritual work; and I remember with 
 gratitude their zealous, useful fidelities. 
 
 ^' When I entered upon the charge of the church, its mem- 
 bership was four hundred and seventy-nine. In the next ten 
 years three hundred and forty-eight were dismissed, mostly 
 to form new churches. Yet at the end of ten years the 
 membership was eight hundred and sixty-one. In that.period 
 we had three revivals of great power. The most memorable 
 one >vas in 1838, for it was most decidedly marked as the 
 product of the Holy Spirit. Many still remember, and will 
 never forget, that hallowed evening of December 31, 1837, 
 when under a sermon — the union lecture of the four 
 churches — more than a hundred were awakened, Avho sub- 
 sequently related their exj^erience of sovereign grace, and 
 w^ere baptized. The strength added to the church by that 
 revival was greater than by any other, except by the one 
 in 1803-4 
 
 " Since my retirement from the j^astorate in Baldwin Place, 
 I have often been called to officiate at the funerals of the 
 more aged members. I could render the service with heart. 
 I knew their history; I knew the depths of their experi- 
 ence ; I could bear candid testimony to their Morth. Of the 
 many who drew from me a 2:)roraise, that, if within reach, I 
 would i)erform for them that final service, only a very few 
 remain, waiting their Lord's time to pass over the river, and 
 join the great multitude on the shining shore. The prospect 
 of reunion with so many of that dear church in the better 
 land is to me inspiring and glorious. My heart would fain 
 give their names. But, no : I must forbear ; for I might omit 
 some precious ones of whom the world was not worthy. They 
 are all registered in the Lamb's book of life. 
 
 " The Baldwin Place Church, as I have known it, has been 
 
CHARACTERISTICS OF BALDV.^IN PLACE CUURCII. 227 
 
 distinguislicd for union of the body. I doubt if any church 
 of equal numbers has been more closely united than this has 
 been since the settlement of Dr. Baldwin, nearly seventy-five 
 years ago. 
 
 " There has been special attention to corrective discipline. 
 Regard has been had to the purity of the church. Scandals 
 have been promptly noted and reprehended. Some things 
 tolerated in other churches have ever been in this church 
 subject to animadversion. If any may have thought her dis- 
 cipline sometimes too stringent, none have charged it with 
 favoritism or partiality. By acting promptly, she has cleared 
 herself from reproach, and vindicated the cause of truth and 
 good morals. Where evidence of contrition was apparent, 
 no church was ever more forgiving, or ready to welcome back 
 the censured. 
 
 "The liberality of the Baldwin Place Church is worthy of 
 mention. Knowing the limitations of their pecuniary ability, 
 I was often amazed at the ease with which they could raise 
 generous contributions for necessary purposes. In other 
 churches, often the few give largely, and many give nothing. 
 In Baldwin Place, none gave largely, but many gave some- 
 thing ; and thus aggregates frequently exceeded my anticipa- 
 tions. Such giving I regarded as healthful to the church. It 
 is the gospel rule, — every one according to cihiliti/. 
 
 "As I knew the church, it was, by the grace of God, eminent 
 for spirituality. The great majority of the members main- 
 tained habitual devotion. Family altars were numerous. 
 Prayer meetings were such in reality, as well as in name. 
 The prayers of that people Avere all along my comfort and 
 support. The number of those wdio w\alked with God was 
 large ; and I felt as if I were among those who willingly were 
 ' strangers and pilgrims on the earth.' 
 
 " Brethren and friends, my heart is full, and I could write 
 indetinitely ; but I must not monopolize your attention. I feel 
 tenderly under the melting reminiscences called up by the 
 occasion. When quite young, I read in Ossian, that 'the 
 memory of joys past is like the music of Caryl, 2">leasant, but 
 
228 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 mournful to the soul.' Such is my state of mind. The re- 
 view is pleasant^ because it pertains to joys ; it is mournful, 
 because those joys are jmst. But, blessed be the God of all 
 grace, there are joys to come. We are going, in rapid suc- 
 cession, to a home where no changes bring sadness to the 
 heart ; where no separations lacerate the sensibilities ; where 
 all the good will be together, and remain together forever, 
 one consolidated church. Let us unweariedly perform our 
 allotted service, and patiently wait for the setting of our sun, 
 and steadfastly hope for the promised rest ! These tearful 
 partings are only for a season. The children of God never 
 see one another for the last time. And, best of all, the Master 
 says, ' Yet a little while, and ye shall see ME.' " 
 
 Before we proceed farther in the order of narrative, we 
 will lay before our readers a few extracts from the corre- 
 spondence embraced within the years 1845-48. The letters 
 written by Di'. Sharp are all eminently characteristic. Those 
 of the readers of this Memoir who recall the traits of charac- 
 ter of the venerable pastor of the Charles Street Church will 
 see in these letters a true transcript of the man. Early in 
 the year 1845 he had left his home for the purpose of revisit- 
 ing the scenes and reviving the associations of his youthful 
 days. Fx'om across the ocean he thus writes to his beloved 
 friend in Boston : — 
 
 Boston (I mean Manchester), April 14, 1845. 
 My dear Brother : A fortniglit ago this afternoon I was at home, 
 receiving the parting visits of my friends. Now I am in England. 
 Truly steam navigation brings distant places near. I can scarcely real- 
 ize that I am so far from Boston. We arrived yesterday (Sabbath) in 
 Liverpool, at about five o'clock in the morning. Our passage was a very 
 pleasant one. We had, in fact, a fair wind all the way, with the excep- 
 tion, perhaps, of half a day. I was very sick a few days, and very 
 squeamish a few more days ; but I was an entire stranger to timidity or 
 fear. I missed the Sabbath services \ery much, and always felt that I 
 had sailed away from the patii of duty. The captain read prayers with 
 very great propriety, and also read a good sermon on the " rest which 
 remaineth for the people of God." None of us (in conformity with the 
 
DR. SHARP IN ENGLAND. 229 
 
 usage of the captain) were asked to preach. We were treated, how- 
 ever, with respect and kindness by every one. I doubt wliether within 
 the hist forty years there was ever an equal number of passengers who 
 conducted with more propriety tiian the one liundred and twenty on 
 board tlie Cambria. I confess, in that respect, I was greatly disappoint- 
 ed. I received far more attention and respect from every one than I 
 was entitled to. Drs. Codman and Parkman were very pleasant fellow- 
 travellers. AVe conversed agreeably on a great many topics, both in- 
 structive and interesting, but quarrelled about none. No one gave up 
 liis principles, nor avoided giving a pleasant utterance to them ; but no 
 one beat them into the other. I should be very happy to return with 
 either or both of them. 
 
 On the Sabbatii (i. e., yesterday) I went in the morning to hear Mr. 
 Lister. He preached from 2 Peter iii. 17. A very judicious sermon. 
 Witli the singing I was delighted. There were an organ and a choir; 
 but in addition to tliese almost the whole congregation sang. O, when 
 will our brethren and sisters begin to feel that singing, any more than 
 prayer, ought not to be performed by proxy ? And then the practice of 
 each one, male and female, making a short prayer so soon as they enter 
 the chapel, and doing the same at the close of the service, was very 
 gratifying to me. It left a solemn impression on my own mind. The 
 effect on tny feelings was better than some sermons which I have heard. 
 1 confess I should love to see this practice general in all our congrega- 
 tions. The truth is that, in avoiding the errors of Popery, we have gone 
 to the otlier extreme, and have cast out everything that appeals to the 
 senses. Hence, to supply this want of man's nature, we have to resort 
 every few years to measures which, in my opinion, are as humiliating, 
 objectionable, and unscriptural as some of the greatest fooleries of 
 Popery. 
 
 In the evening I went to hear Dr. Raffles ; but he was from home on 
 an exchange. I do not know the gentleman's name who preached, 
 neither do I care to call it up. It was an exceedingly connuonplace 
 sermon, delivered in a pompous, mouthing, swelling style. It was 
 merely inflated words, and measured cadences, now rising and now 
 falling, without one original thought, and almost without one old thouglit. 
 I said to my friend Koberts, as we went home, that I thouglit we of 
 New England could preach as well as that. 
 
 To-morrow I expect to visit Yorkshire, and to place myself amid the 
 inanimate objects of my youtliful days, for among the animate ones 
 how few shall I find that I knew ! You will smile at my weakness when 
 I tell you that the sight of a female to-day with a red cloak brought 
 tears to my eyes, for I had not seen one on any one since I last saw my 
 own dear mother in hers. It awakened recollections which alone a son 
 loved of his mother, and revering her piety and wisdom, can under- 
 etand. 
 
230 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Camberwell, May 17, 1845. 
 
 My deaR Brother : Your letter of tlie 28th ultimo came duly to 
 hand. I was glad to recognize the writing of one I so much love and 
 respect. I approve of the propositions in regard to which you express 
 a. belief that the board will stand together. In looking over the papers 
 wiiich have been sent me, I confess I am astonished at the flames of in- 
 dignation which have burst forth in every portion of the south from 
 the perusal of so calm and so cool a letter as that sent out to Alabama by 
 the board. I have said to myself, truly, "How great a matter 7io fire 
 kindlethi" I perceive that all sorts of names are given to it. It is 
 termed an unconstitutional, morose, bad-tempered, assumptive produc- 
 tion I Is it so? Could the writer of it be so self-deluded.? It was cer- 
 tainly penned with great deliberation, with sincere and affectionate good- 
 will, with perfect calmness, and in words of measured courtesy and re- 
 spect. But so it has always been — " your good will be evil spoken of." 
 I can only say that, had I the same duty to perform again, I would not 
 alter a single word, except to make the expressions stronger, and, so far 
 as I am concerned, I would give more emphatic utterance to my abhor- 
 rence of slavery. 
 
 The whole system is the perpetration of an atrocious wrong to human 
 beings, whose only guilt is, that their ancestors were kidnapped and 
 forced away across the sea to be slaves, and that they cannot Ifelp them- 
 selves, and have a skin, alas ! darker than our own. And yet, for the sake 
 of a few paltry dollars, to send the gospel to the heathen — that gospel 
 which teaches us to " do unto all men as we would they should do unto 
 us '' — we must be silent, and never plead the cause of the suflering and 
 the oppressed, who cannot and dare not plead for their own personal 
 rights ! We have been silent, my brother, too long. And for one, I will 
 never consent either to be tongue-tied or pen-lied in regard to the sub- 
 ject of slavery. If missions can be sustained only by receiving hush- 
 money in regard to an enormous evil in the Southern States, then may 
 our missionary operations sink to the bottom of the great deep. But 
 they can and will be sustained, and yet every man be left to his own 
 dis( retion and inclination, whcyi and where he shall speak of the sad 
 con equences which are attendant on the holding of human beings in 
 bondage. 
 
 I have, my dear brother, no new views ; nor do I feel any new-born 
 zeal springing up to life within me. From my earliest life I have 
 always felt that I would not hold a slave " to fan and feed me, to sweat 
 and labor for me, for all the gold that blood, and bones, and sinews ever 
 earned." Nor have I ever intended to say or do anything that would 
 contravene these inmost sentiments of my heart. It is true, I have 
 mingled with respectable and good brethren at the south, and seeing, 
 
DR. sharp's ABIIORREXCE OF SLAVERY. 231 
 
 ov supposiug I Siiu', the great practical ilifficultics of iminocluite emancipa- 
 tion, I have sometimes apologized for ihem, hut never for the system. I 
 have done more. While I have apologized for them, I have never 
 hesitated, on all fitting occasions, to say to them that I considered 
 slavery a great evil, personal, social, and domestic, and have entreated 
 many of them to use tlieir influence at once in favor of and in preparing 
 the way for the abolition of slavery at the earliest practicable moment. 
 And this I will say : I was always listened to with respect, and answered 
 with candor. I have at times hoped tiiat my own friendly and tem- 
 perate appeals would not be lost. But if, in regard to missions, we can 
 have union only with silence on that subject, then I would say, — 
 
 " And what is Union but a naiiio, 
 A charm that lulls to sleep ; " 
 
 and the sooner it is dissolved the better. As a member of the Foreign 
 Missionary Board, for the sake of giving no offence, I have, no doubt, 
 taiten a less active part in some of the abolition movements than other- 
 wise I might have done. I thought that I could really do more good by 
 such a course ; but as all that has passed for nothing, I shall act as may 
 seem good in my own sight. 
 
 I have, as you know, desired union and cooperation with our 
 brethren at the south in regard to our great denominational interests, 
 but never at the sacrifice or concealment of anj^ principle. I desire the 
 same now, because in my conscience I believe that we might thus do 
 each other more good. But I plainly see that union and cooperation 
 are impracticable. Mj' hope now is, that we shall separate in peace — 
 each great section of the denomination doing its own business in its 
 own wa}'. For one, I will never consent to be a party to a union which 
 can only be maintained by secrecy, management, and the relinquislmient 
 of principle, nor of a union which is constantly interrupted by jealousies, 
 insinuations, and bitter reproaches. 
 
 I have expressed my astonishment that the south should have taken 
 our letter in so high dudgeon. But I feel more than astonished at the 
 communications of some at the north. I feel grief, shame, and mortifica- 
 tion that there can be any who can be all delicacy and reserve for fear 
 of offending slaveholders, and have not a word to say in behalf of th.it 
 largB class of human beings, whose cries and groans, not needlessly 
 made, have gone and are going up to heaven. I am ashamed tliat there 
 are men who can censure the board for informing the south, in the most 
 respectful manner, that they could not appoint a person as a mission- 
 ary who should insist on retaining his slaves as his property, especially 
 as these very men had declared, before that information was given, that 
 they would not vote for a slaveholder as a foreign missionary. 
 
 I should like to know, under their own proper signatures, who are the 
 
232 MEMOIR OF DB. STOW. 
 
 men, in all New England, who would send out a missionary that should 
 insist on leaving his slaves here to add to his income by unpaid or not 
 equitably paid toils and labors. If there be such Christian Baptists, 
 let tliem come out, and have their names handed down to posterity as 
 the friends of missions, of justice, of equity, and of humanity. 
 
 As to the letter, it has no obscurity to any one who is willing to 
 understand it. It needs no explanation. It explains itself. If any 
 brother feels that he must give a new version of its secret or latent 
 meaning, let him do so for himself; but I trust he will not undertake to 
 explain the meaning of his brethren. If the acting board were censured 
 at Providence for exceeding the constitutional authority bestowed upon 
 them by the Convention in sending forth that letter, you have my special 
 request to tender my resignation. I should consider myself insulted and 
 disgraced to acknowledge that I ever belonged to a Board of Foreign 
 Missions who were bound in honor by their constitution, or articles of 
 agreement, to send a man forth as a missionary who insisted on using or 
 on holding his slaves as his property. 
 
 From the same. 
 
 Boston, February 27, 1846. 
 
 My dear Brother : I most cordially approve of the objects to which 
 you have called my attention in your note of yesterday. Were I to follow 
 my own personal convictions and inclinations, I should probablj' go far- 
 ther in the practical illustration of Christian union than you are pre- 
 ]>arcd to go. And yet I am so much of a practical man that I suppress 
 some of my best feelings for the sake of not disturbing the peace of my 
 own denomination. 
 
 Having said so much, I confess to you that I have but little, or scarce- 
 ly any, confidence in conventions for any object. I do not know, to be 
 i;ure, thiit we can altogether do without them. But, after all, it is hu- 
 miliating to hear men make eloquent speeches in favor of Christian 
 union, and proclaiming that they have met together to attend the funeral 
 of Bigotry, and yet, so soon as they return from this speech-making, and 
 from this festive funeral, it would seem as if Bigotry had risen from her 
 grave, and had followed those who buried her, home, wliispering in their 
 ears to be very chary of their attentions to ministers of the same towi; 
 who differ from them, and not to know them in the streets, nor in com- 
 pany, except by way of patronizing them for the evening, and at all 
 events to save their speeches, and to do nothing towards promoting real 
 union until the next great public meeting. 
 
 If I am uncharitable in tliis judgment, the Lord forgive me. But all 
 I l.:ive ever seen or experienced for the last forty years — save a few 
 honorable exceptions — has contributed to produce these sad and discour- 
 
CHEISTIAN UNION. 23S 
 
 aging impressions. I grieve to liave tlieni ; hut here they are in the 
 raised letters of my memory, so that were I a pupil of the blind asylum 
 I could read them by the touch of my fingers. 
 
 I never was a bigot. My early training and religious associations and 
 attachments kept me from the spirit of bigotry. I set out in my minis- 
 terial career coveting and expecting Christian union. I liave sincerely 
 laid myself out for it, and have always made personal advances towards 
 it, so far as I could consistently with the harmony of my own denomi- 
 nation ; but, with a few exceiHions, it has not yet come. I have heard 
 of it at a distance, but I have not seen it and felt it to be near. If I 
 have thought it hud come to me in tiie warm, and frank, and living man- 
 ifestations of a true-hearted charity from Christians of other sects, and 
 liave exclaimed, "It is good to be hero," alas! the vision has soon de- 
 parted, and I have found myself at the foot of the mount, surrounded 
 by other beings than the " spirits of just men made perfect." Perhaps 
 the fault has been in me. It may be in something which, to other 
 Christian sects, appears chilling and forbidding in our own denomination. 
 The absence of Christian union prevails to a lamentable extent. Its 
 causes, if traced, would fill a volume. Perhaps they could not be de- 
 scribed with fearless honesty without giving offence, and widening 
 breaches which already exist. 
 
 What, then, can be done towards promoting Christian union among 
 different sects.'' It would, perhaps, be difficult to say what would most 
 speedily and effectively accomplish this blessed object. A public con- 
 vention may do some good in placing this important subject before the 
 world, but I should rely more on each Christian minister and on each 
 church member carrying out the spirit of union in their intercourse 
 with one another. Let there not only be kindness, and candor, and 
 Catholicism in the speeches of a convention, but flowing out from the 
 lips and in the actions of the ordinary and religious relations of differ- 
 ent Christian sects. 
 
 I need not confess to you that I hold Popery in detestation. It is a 
 system of spiritual despotism and of gross superstition, keeping the 
 great mass of the people under its sway in ignorance and in bondage, 
 both of mind and heart, and causing, by its superstitions and puerilities, 
 the educated classes in its communities to become infidels or atheists. 
 Yet I would not league with otlier Christians to hold up even Popery to 
 opprobrium and contempt. In so doing the Convention will awaken 
 bad passions, but create no converts. It will strengthen the hands of 
 Papists by creating in the friends of civil and of religious freedom a 
 sympathy for them as a persecuted people. I believe that the warfare 
 waged against the Catholics by the agents of the American Tract So- 
 ciety and of the American Sunday School Union has done more to pro- 
 mote Popery than to diminish it. I abhor bigotry in Protestants as 
 much as I do in Catholics. 
 
234 MEMOIR OF DR. STOAV. 
 
 I have written you with freedom, and shall love and respect you none 
 tlie less if you come to an entirely dift'erent judgment, on any or all of 
 these subjects, from myself. 
 
 Should you feel it your duty to go to the proposed Convention, any 
 service that I can render to you or your people will be performed with 
 the gratifying recollection of j'our great kindness in making my late 
 and delightful visit to England so free from ministerial perplexity and 
 care. 
 
 I shall be happy to converse with you on this subject, or any other. 
 
 To his brother-in-law, Deacon S. Partridge. 
 
 Boston, September 1, 1846. 
 
 On my return last evening from Barnstable, where I had been spend- 
 ing a few days in public service, I found sister's letter of the 24th ult., 
 communicating the expected but dreaded tidings. Our dear mother has 
 closed her earthly mission! Her spirit, emancipated from all evil, has 
 joined the happy, holy throng on high. 
 
 Though I was quite certain, before I read the letter, that it contained 
 the painful announcement, and endeavored to fortify my mind against 
 the shock, yet, as I passed down the first page to the last line, my feel- 
 ings were completely overcome, and I could hardly command myself 
 sufficiently to proceed with the subsequent detail of facts. O, is it so? 
 Has that dear, precious mother gone from us? Are we really orphans? 
 
 I had a wakeful night. Her calm, sweet image was before me. I 
 felt sure that if there is a single human soul in heaven, hers is there. 
 Yes, and I felt that heaven was nearer and dearer to me than ever. 
 
 that we may all be profited by this dispensation. We shall soon 
 follow. Lord, prepare us for thy right hand. 
 
 To Miss p. D. Nettleton. 
 
 Boston, October 19, 1846. 
 
 1 need not say that the decease of my precious mother was a severe 
 affliction. You know the bitterness of that cup, and can appreciate my 
 feelings. Though for two years I had expected the event, yet at last 
 it came suddenly, and when I was hoping tliat I might again see her. 
 But severe as is the affliction, it is alleviated by many considerations. 
 She had finished her mission, and was both prepared and desirous to 
 depart. Not a shade of doubt rests upon my mind in regard to her 
 safety. She is in heaven. She is there with her husband, and two of 
 her children, and she is with your mother, and with a host of the holy, 
 redeemed by the blood of the cross. Heaven is now more attractive to 
 me than ever. 
 
FRATERNAL SYMPATHY. 235 
 
 To Mrs. J. H. Partridge. 
 
 Boston, August 20, 1847. 
 
 I know not, my dear afflicted sister, how to write you, or how to pray 
 for you, for I am ignorant of your present condition, whether you are 
 a widow or the iiappy wife of a recovering husband. My mind is un- 
 liinged, and yet I feel rebuked by tlie cahnness and resignation wiiich 
 you so sweetly manifest. God has done great things for you, and as 
 he is your covenant God he will do more. As your day, so shall your 
 strength be. You remember what lie did for our dear, dead niother 
 when she was called to drink the bitter cup. How firm was her trust 
 in the divine faithfulness ! how largely did she experience the support 
 and succor of the divine arm ! 
 
 My heart bleeds for you, and gladly would I hasten to your side, and 
 share with you in all your sorrows ; but you have One infinitely better 
 to sympathize with you, and whisper in your ear the words of comfort. 
 He says, " I will be with thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will strength- 
 en thee ; I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness ; " 
 "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." 
 
 My dear sister, you are on the Rock of Ages. There rest with your 
 whole weiglit. It will bear up yourself, your family, your cares and 
 burdens. 
 
 To the same. 
 
 Boston, September 3, 1847. 
 
 Yours of various dates, containing the sorrowful intelligence of your 
 and our loss, came to hand this morning. The information was not un- 
 expected. Ever since the receipt of your letter, dated two weeks be- 
 fore the last date of this, I have anticipated the result, and daily prayed 
 for you as probably " a lone widow." And yet I was unprepared for 
 the tidings. That black seal sent a pang to my heart; and, as I walked 
 home from the post-office, I felt oppressed by a burden that well nigh 
 crushed me to the ground. 
 
 My nervous system has been for two weeks in a shattered state, and I 
 am now too much agitated to write as my feelings would prompt me. I 
 cannot take that religious view of the dispensation with which j'ou 
 seem to be favored. My mind is perturbed, and I cannot pray with 
 anything like Christian composure. 
 
 Of one thing you may be certain. Our hearts bleed with sympathy 
 for you and your children, and we long to know how, after the lapse of 
 a few days, j'ou bear up under the pressure. By this time you see and 
 feel the vacancy in your circle ; but we are sure that He who has thus 
 far sustained you will be faitliful to help you entirely through the* deep 
 waters. Lean with your wihole weight on the omnipotent arm. 
 
236 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 How sweet the thought that he whom we loved sa well is now safe 
 at liome, free from all evil, and perfectly happy forever! He is with our 
 dear parents and brother. That group is increasing in numbers. Who 
 will be the next to join it? Are we all ready to depart and be with 
 Christ? 
 
 After Dr. Stow sent in his resignation as pastor of the 
 Baldwin Phxce Church, an effort was made on the part of both 
 the church and society to induce him to recall his letter. 
 The following is the communication sent to him by the church. 
 It shows how deep and strong was the affection cherished for 
 him, who for so many years had labored for their spiritual 
 welfare. 
 
 Boston, May 25, 1848. 
 
 Dear Brother : Would that we could still address you 
 by the endeared title of pastor ! But by an act of yours dic- 
 tated by a sense of duty, we are deprived of this privilege, 
 which we have so many years enjoyed. 
 
 The copy of the letter addressed by you to the Baldwin 
 Place Church and Society, resigning your pastoral office, was 
 submitted to the church on Tuesday evening ; and the under- 
 signed were appointed a committee to express the earnest 
 desire of the church that you would reconsider the step you 
 have taken, and, if possible, recall your resignation. 
 
 The duty with which we are charged is one which we 
 cheerfully undertake, and we would fain hope to meet with suc- 
 cess. We are fully aware that your resignation is the result 
 of mature deliberation, and is intended to be positive and 
 peremptory ; and it is on this account that we approach the 
 subject with unfeigned delicacy. We do not design to in. 
 tcrfere with your convictions of duty. We would not urge 
 our request so far as to tempt you to swerve from the path 
 Avhich God shall open before you. Your conscience we will 
 leave free and untrammelled, and will simply lay before you 
 such considerations as may possibly have sufficient weight 
 as to* lead you to change your views as to what may be duty. 
 
 You say in your communication, that " during the last four 
 
EARNEST PLEADINGS OF HIS CHURCH. 237 
 
 raontha, other coiisiderutions, of a very emphatic kind, lir.ve 
 contributed, with my impaired health, to settle my convic- 
 tions that my continuance as your pastor is incompatible 
 with both my usefulness and happiness." You well know 
 — for your eyes beheld the gush of feeling which this an- 
 nouncement produced upon the congregation — we simply 
 state the truth when we say that we have no recollection of 
 any occasion on which such intense and painful emotions 
 Avere produced on the congregation as were caused by the 
 reading of that paragraph. We would have wept in silence, 
 and have been resigned to the Avill of God, had the fact of 
 your impaired health alone rendered the step you have taken 
 necessary ; but, dear pastor, — for we must still call you by t jat 
 endeared name, — we cannot be resigned to such a separation. 
 That the time has arrived when your happiness renders your 
 removal from the Baldwin Place Church necessary, is too 
 much for us to admit. 
 
 When we recollect the years of labor which you have de- 
 voted to us, " toiling in season and out of season," in the 
 pulpit, in the sick chamber, by the bedside of the dying, and 
 with the mourning group, performing every duty with faithful- 
 ness and assiduity, and a most untiring zeal, we feel that we 
 have been a people fovored of God. If warnings have been 
 needed, you have not hesitated to warn and admonish in 
 faithfulness ; if encouragement has been necessary, you have 
 deliuhtcd to impart it ; and if afHictions have visited us, how 
 many can testify, as you have sat by their bedsides, ad- 
 ministering the cheering consolations of the gospel, or as you 
 liave made one of our little mourning groups ovei- the coffin 
 of «;ome dear one, mingling your tears with ours, that you 
 ha\ e been as ready to sympathize with us in our afflictions 
 as to rejoice in our prosperity ! What people have been more 
 blessed with a faithful and devoted pastor ? And now, as 
 the accumulated labors of years have borne you down under 
 their crushing weight, and we see you fainting and exhausted 
 from incessant toil, how can we help feeling for you ? When 
 our pastor suffers, his people suffer. They feel that they are 
 
238 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 one with him ; and as he has been a strong pillar in the day 
 of his strength, so, in the day of his trial, will they be to him 
 a sovirce of comfort and support. 
 
 We accept the pledge of unabated attachment which you 
 have given us in your communication, and in return we 
 tender you the pledge of our unwavering attachment and 
 undiminished confidence ; and whatever else may befall you, 
 be assured that never shall the faithful and devoted pastor, 
 in the day of his affliction, be forgotten by a grateful and 
 affectionate people. 
 
 May we not hope that, after re-deliberation on this sub- 
 ject, you may find the path of duty plain for you to recall 
 your resignation ? 
 
 In behalf of the church, 
 
 Samuel Beal, 
 Jonx C. Pratt. • 
 
 We shall have occasion hereafter to see that Dr. Stow 
 never ceased to feel and manifest the liveliest interest in the 
 fortunes of the Baldwin Place Church. In all its spiritual 
 prosperity he rejoiced, and as the dark days, which he foresaw 
 must inevitably come in its history, cast their shadows over 
 the religious society for which he had labored for so many 
 years, he sympathized with his brethren, and gave them the 
 benefit of his wise counsel. And when the church started out 
 in its new career, and pitched its tabernacle in another sec- 
 tion of Jhe cily, no one bade it a warmer " God speed" than 
 did their old and well-beloved pastor. 
 
 Passing over the events of the next three months, we come 
 to a record in Dr. Stow's journal, under date of October 5, in 
 which he tells us that on the morning of that day he received 
 a call from a committee of the Pierrepont Street Church in 
 Brooklyn, X. Y., who were the bearers of a unanimous invita- 
 tion to him to become the j^astor of that church. For reasons 
 which we shall presently understand, he declined the call. 
 A few days after the committee from Brooklyn waited upon 
 him, another committee, rejiresenting the Rowe Street 
 
•''It ■ ft ' Ksstaw ^ ■ I 
 
 l^ 
 
 
 ROWE STREET CHURCH, BOSTON. 
 
ACCEPTS THK CALL TO ROWE STKEET. 239 
 
 Church Ttnd Society, vit^ited liim, ns the beiirers of a cull from 
 this ehurcli to become tlieir pastor. This was the third call 
 which he had received since the opening of the year, tlie tirst 
 having been extended to him by the Jamaica Plain Church. 
 His feelings with reference to the last two he has thus ex- 
 pressed : — 
 
 October 12. I am oppressed by a heavy burden of responsibility. I 
 wisli to do right — just that which will please God. How can I best as- 
 certain his will ? His Book supplies principles, and his providence gives 
 indications. How shall I interpret them in reference to my own case? 
 How can I get light but by prayer? Will not God hear the cry of his 
 servant, and illume the path of duty? This afternoon, had an inter- 
 view with Dr. Sharp, and received from him expressions of kindness 
 and friendly opinions, which were a balm to my aching heart. How 
 valuable is such a counsellor ! May I never prove myself unworthy of 
 his friendship. 
 
 October 16. In regard to one of the situations offered me, I have 
 decided. Both are very desirable as fields for useful labor. Both propose 
 the same salary. But the reasons for my continuance in Boston seem 
 greatly to overbalance all others, and I have accordingly declined in a 
 letter of this date tlie invitation from Brookl^-n. 
 
 October 19. Delivered to the Hon. Heman Lincoln, chairman of the 
 committee of the Rowe Street Church and Society, my reply, accepting 
 their invitation. I trust my decision has the approval of the Head of 
 the church. My anticipations of success are not very sanguine; yet, 
 having weighed well the whole subject, and received the advice of the 
 most judicious counsellors, I feel satisfied with my decision, and hope 
 for the best results. To God I commit myself, praying for his blessing. 
 
 The transfer of Dr. Stow from the Baldwin Place Church 
 to Rowe Street was a removal to a scene of ministerial labor 
 for which he was admirably adapted, and in which he found 
 himself surrounded by old and loving friends. He Avas still 
 to remain in the city to which he was so much attached, and 
 in which he had given to the cause of Chri§t the i:)rime of 
 his years and the best eiforts of his mind and heart. The in- 
 fluence which he had acquired on account of the prominent 
 position he had occupied, which had led to his being held in 
 so much respect and affection by his brethren in the ministry 
 all over Xcw England, he was not only to retain, but very 
 
240 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 greatly strengthen. His valuable experience as a wise coun 
 seller and manager of the affairs of the Missionary Union 
 was still to be felt at the seat of its operations. The ties by 
 which he had bound liimself to a variety of causes and insti- 
 tutions were to remain unbroken. There was a creneral re- 
 joicing that Boston was still to be the home of Dr. Stow, and 
 that in the city of his adoption he was to continue as an am- 
 bassador of Christ. Easily and naturally he fell into the 
 6]3here which God had evidently marked out for him, and at 
 once girded himself afresh to the Avork which a gracious 
 Providence had assigned to liim. 
 
 A few extracts from his journal will introduce our readers 
 to Dr. Stow at the commencement of his ministry in Rowe 
 Street. The peculiarities of his character are at once revealed 
 to us — his love of order, his regard for special anniversary 
 days, his intense desire to secure the cooperation of the church 
 in the promotion of the w^ork upon whicli he had entered, and 
 his earnest longing for the spiritual prosperity of the people 
 over whom the Saviour had placed him as a watchman. 
 
 October 2i. Twenty-one years ago to-day I was ordained to the 
 work of tlie ministry. Sixteen years ago this evening I resigned as pas- 
 tor of the church in Portsmoutli. This evening I talce my letter of dis- 
 mission from the Baldwin Place Church, for the purpose of joining the 
 Rowe Street. Read portions of Upham's Life of Madame Guyon. 
 She was doubtless a very sincere woman, but her piety does not seem 
 to have much solidity. It is quite too fanciful in its principles, and too 
 mystical in its spirit. It professes to deal too directly with God, and 
 makes too little of the Bible, and too little of the mediation of Christ. 
 It is Quietism sublimated. One page of good Robert Leighton is worth 
 more than tlie wiiole of these two volumes. 
 
 October 25. This has been a day of noise and confusion without. 
 The water has been introduced by the new aqueduct from Cochituate 
 Lake, in Framingliam, and the occasion has been celebrated with great 
 pomp and ceremoay. I liave kept close at home, and written a sermon 
 upon Romans xv. 29. God lias been witii me, and I have enjoyed more 
 than in any day for many months. So far as I can learn, my decision 
 to remain in Boston is generally approved. Many of ni}'^ late flock have 
 expressed the most earnest satisfaction. 
 
 December 12. This evening the church met by special invitation 
 from the pastor. Though the weather was very threatening, the attend- 
 
JOURNAL. 241 
 
 ance was liberal. I occupied nearly the whole evening in a statement 
 of my own views and feelings witli respect to the conversion of sinners, 
 and an expression of my wislies as to the cooperation of the individual 
 members. May God bless the effort to some good end. 
 
 January 1, 1849. My soul burns with desire for the conversion of 
 souls. Will not God appear for us, and by his Holy Spirit awaken the 
 dead in sin? May we not experience the reviving power operating on 
 all hearts, and causing many to rejoice in God's salvation? 
 
 March 1. Morning. This day has been set apart by several pastors 
 and others as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer, with special ref- 
 erence to the low state of religion in our churches. The meetings are 
 to be held in Bowdoin Square. O that our hearts may be broken before 
 God, and that we may pray for the Holy Spirit with a deep sense of our 
 need, .and faith in the divine promises 1 Lord, I would not think of the 
 sins of others, but of my own sins. I would myself be humble and 
 penitent before tiiee. I would forgive all others, as I hope to be for- 
 given by thee. At ten and a half, met, with a large number of ministers 
 and others, in the vestry of Bowdoin Square Church. The place was 
 crowded. There seemed to be considerable feeling, but it lacked con- 
 centration. The prayers and exhortations were long and discursive. 
 O, why not all bow together before the throne, and ask for the Holy 
 Spirit? 
 
 March 8. A brother called to inform me of the effect of some of my 
 remarks at the monthly concert last Sabbath evening. He confessed 
 he had not contributed to foreign missions according to his ability, and 
 said he had made up his mind to give five hundred dollars immediately 
 to that object. A brother from Philadelphia was present on Sabbath 
 evening. He called at the Mission Kooms to-day, and said he had decided 
 to add a hundred dollars to his annual contribution. 
 
 May 27. Preached twice ; baptized six j'oung persons. The morn- 
 ing service had a full attendance, and the audience seemed to be deeply 
 affected by the services. I pray the impression may be permanent, and 
 Christ may multiply among us the trophies of his grace. 
 
 June 30. I have had some sweet reflections while preparing a dis- 
 course from Matt. xi. 28 — " Come unto me," &c. I have several times 
 preached from these precious words, and in each instance have prepared 
 a new sermon. I have also had more enjoyment in prayer than usual. 
 God has seemed nep.r, and I could speak to him with freedom and fa- 
 miliarity. When we have the spirit of adoption, and can cry, " Abba, 
 Father," how easy, how refreshing is prayer! 
 
 August 21. Four were received into the church by letter, and two as 
 candidates for baptism, last evening, thus making fifty additions since 
 my settlement. 
 
 16 
 
242 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 September 22. How delightful to see those who profess to be con' 
 verted under my ministry get safely through, leaving no stain upon 
 their profession ! I hope to meet many such in heaven. The Lord in 
 mercy give me more, as the seals of my ministry. 
 
 October 14. A' very pleasant Sabbath. Preached twice to a full 
 house, and attended the evening praj^er meeting, which was unusually 
 full and interesting. O that tlie Spirit of God might descend upon this 
 people, and work in them the needed changes ! How utterly impotent 
 am I ! The din of the world drowns my voice, and I am like an insect 
 buzzing among thunders. 
 
 These extracts, and many others like them scattered 
 through the journal of Dr. Stow which covers the j^eriod 
 now under review, bring him to our notice as the anxious 
 pastor of the flock over which he had been set by the 
 Great Shepherd. How he longs for the prosperity of Zion ! 
 With what joy he hails every token of the divine pres- 
 ence, and with what sadness he marks every indication of 
 the departure of the Holy Spirit from his church ! Above 
 all, how he examines his own heart with a scrutiny bor- 
 dering almost, at times, on the morbid, lest he, by jiositive 
 sin, or by wicked neglect of duty, may have driven the 
 heavenly Comforter away! And the history of the months 
 of toil shows that a continual blessing followed his faithful 
 labors. The church, if it did not come up to his ideal 
 standard, was, nevertheless, greatly quickened. Souls were 
 converted. The worship of the sanctuary was invested 
 with new charms, and no one who came within the sacred 
 influence coitld fail to notice the signs of the presence of 
 Him who is ever to be worshipj)ed " in spirit and in truth." 
 
HANNA's life of DK. CHALMERS. 243 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Chalmers's Memoir. — Inner Life. — A Harvest Year. — Thk 
 Spiritual Physician. — Record of twenty-five Years. — Death 
 OF Dr. Sharp. — "First Things." — Call to Brookline. — Let- 
 ter TO the Executive Comjiittee of the Missionary Union. — 
 Record of the Year. 
 
 1850-1855. 
 
 If we do not dwell, in minute detail, on the events which 
 occurred during the first two or three years of Dr. Stow's 
 ministry at Rowe Street, it is not because these events are 
 wanting in interest, but because there is so great a uniformity 
 in their occurrence, that the experience of one week, or one 
 month, is nearly like that of every week, and every month. 
 He loves his work, and delights in the round of ministerial 
 and pastoral labor, which he is called to ])crform, more than 
 in anything else. "I have not the ambition," he writes, 
 "I once had to appear on the platform, and address large, 
 promiscuous assemblies. The pulpit, the prayer meeting, and 
 pastoral visitation comprise my field of sympathy and labor." 
 Under date of November 12, 1850, he makes an interesting 
 record of the efiect produced on his mind by the perusal of 
 Dr. Hanna's Life of Dr. Chalmers. 
 
 November 12. Read in Chalmers's Life this morning that partwiiich 
 relates to the great change in his views of the plan of salvation. His 
 private journal gives a clear view of the process. Struck with the in- 
 fluence certain books had in the direction of his mind, such as Wilber- 
 force's Practical View, Scott's Force of Trutii, and Hannah More's 
 Practical Piety. Interested to see how his theology, after his change, 
 corresponded with that which I liave for years been preaching — Christ 
 crucified, the foundation, and faith in him, as indispensable to pardon 
 and practical holiness. O that Calvary may ever be the position from 
 which I shall study, preach, pray, and engage in every good work ! 
 
244 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 November 27. Eead in Chalmers's Life. More and more pleased with 
 the evangelical spirit of that great and good man. I like exceedingly 
 his views of Christ as the only ground of a sinner's trust for acceptance 
 with God. I am delighted also to see how little he was injured by his 
 popularity. How different his case from that of his countryman, 
 Edward Irving! Grace made the difference. 
 
 November 28. Read in volume second of Chalmers's Life. Much is 
 said of his laboriousness and his eloquence, but little of the conver- 
 sion of souls under his ministry. These great men render other ser- 
 vice to the cause of Christianity, but they are too popular to be directly 
 useful in awakening sinners and leading them to Christ. 
 
 At a later date he gives us an insight into his inner life, 
 which might lead us to question whether the views which he 
 would probably advance, if he were preaching a sermon on 
 "progressive sanctification," would be corroborated by his 
 own experience. What shall be said of such a record as the 
 following? Payson and other eminently holy men have 
 expressed themselves in the same way. Can we ascribe 
 these feelings to nervous depression? Shall we conclude 
 that they who have them are less loved by Him who "pitieth 
 them that fear him " ? Will our readers who believe in the 
 "higher life" confidently assert that a simpler foith in Christ 
 would have lifted him up to that loftier plane on which it was 
 his privilege, as it is that of every Christian, to stand ? We 
 will not speculate, but let Dr. Stow speak for himself. 
 
 May 27, 185L Eead a portion of my diary for 1838. I do not feel as 
 I did then. I fear I have deteriorated in my piety. I never had much — 
 it seems now as if I had less than ever. I have not a lively sense of 
 divine things. I have very little of the spirit of prayer. I am not so 
 much concerned for souls as formerly. I do not so deeply realize my 
 responsibilities as a Christian and a minister of the gospel. I am more 
 sluggish in my affections, and less energetic in my efforts. O God, help 
 ine, by thy Spirit, to examine my case, and review the process by which 
 I have so greatly declined. I know that my mind has been too much 
 distracted by a diversity of objects, many of which are extraneous to my 
 particular charge. I am connected with too many boards and com- 
 mittees. My time is cut up into fragments, and I am driven rapidly 
 from one thing to another, so that I do nothing well, and have little 
 fixedness of attention to my one paramount class of duties. I do not 
 read the Scriptures, or meditate, or pray so much as I ought; I do not 
 
LAMENTS OVER SPIRITUAL DECLENSION. 245 
 
 live for eternity as I sliould ; consequently I am backslidden in heart. 
 O that I might realize my condition and my danger! I am vile in the 
 sight of God. May I see more of my own vileness, and abhor it, and so 
 repent as to secure forgiveness. My public services, as well as my 
 private devotions, lack spirituality. O God, grant me thy grace. With- 
 out thy Spirit to work in me, I shall decline more and more. Lord, 
 help me now to repent and turn to thee with my whole heart. • 
 
 In the journal and letters of Dr. Stow the readers of this 
 Memoh* will find many a record like this, as the years pass 
 away. There is an expression of deep regret that the reli- 
 gious sensibilities seem to be growing more dull, the percep- 
 tion of divine things less clear and less sharply defined. 
 While in the earlier stages of Christian experience, it was 
 anticipated that the maturer life of the disciple of Jesus 
 would be marked by greater delicacy, and a more distinct 
 consciousness of glowing emotion and pious feeling, the Chris- 
 tian finds that his real experience does not correspond with 
 his cherished expectations. No man has traced with more 
 accuracy the philosophy of these phases in the life of a Chris- 
 tian than Bishop Butler. " From our very faculty of habits," 
 he remarks, "passive impressions, by being repeated, grow 
 weaker. Thoughts, by often passing through the mind, are 
 felt less sensibly : being accustomed to danger, begets in- 
 trepidity, i. e., lessens fear ; to distress, lessens the passion 
 of pity ; to instances of mortality, lessens the sensible appre- 
 hension of our own. And from these two observations to- 
 gether, that practical habits are formed and strengthened by 
 repeated acts, and that passive impressions grow weaker by 
 being repeated upon us, it must follow that active habits 
 may be gradually forming and strengthening by a course of 
 acting upon such and such motives and excitements, whilst 
 these motives and excitements themselves are, by propor- 
 tionable degrees, growing less sensible, i. e., are continually 
 less and less sensibly felt, even as the active habits strength- 
 en." In these remarks of Butler there is matter for profound 
 thought. Had they been carefully considered by the subject 
 of these Memoirs, he might have found in the busy activity 
 
246 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 of the life which he was now Uving a sufficient reason foi 
 what he regarded as the deadening of his religious sensibili- 
 ties. "While his active habits were strengthening, and he 
 was conscientiously working iu such fields of labor as his 
 Master opened to him, the passive impressions, the kind of 
 emotions, which were awakened in his heart in the earlier days 
 of his ministi-y, he was not conscioiis of feeling in their origi- 
 nal force. That the great JDr^>^c^/:)/es by which a minister of 
 Christ should be governed in doing his work, were becoming 
 constantly rooted in his very nature, no one can doubt ; and 
 if he complained because he detected the absence of the 
 warmth and earnestness which characterized the first years 
 of his professional life, he complained of that, the existence 
 of Avhich could be accounted for by the workings of a law as 
 certain in its operation as the law of gravity. A record in 
 his journal of December 27, 1851, exhibits so clearly what 
 we think should be the spirit with which the servant of the 
 Lord should engage in the great work to which he is called, 
 that we cannot forbear to quote it. 
 
 A Sabbath school teaclier called to inquire how she could be the most 
 useful to her class. I could tell her only three ways : — 
 
 Eirst. Plainly, tenderly, earnestly exhibit the whole truth. 
 
 Second. Sustain your teaching by a corresponding spirit and manner 
 of life. 
 
 Third. Commit the whole case to God, and pray fervently, per- 
 severingly, and with faith, for his blessing. 
 
 Deep as may be our anxiety for sinners, there are limitations to our 
 responsibility. When we have done all we can, it is both pious and 
 wise to submit the whole to tlie sovereign wisdom and grace of God. 
 O, let me ever lie low at God's feet, and while I petition and plead, still 
 submit, adore, and trust. God of mercy, the souls of my people are 
 dear to me ; but how much dearer are they to thee ! How much hast 
 thou loved them ! how much hast thou done for them ! Though I ata 
 grieved at their impenitence and hardness of heart, yet may I not c 
 impatient towards tliee. My theory is, None but God can convert a sin- 
 gle soul ; let me conform my j)ractice to the theory ; let me look to God 
 for help, and rely entirely on his power. O that I migiit do this froia 
 the heart. 
 
CALLS FKOM INQUIRERS. 247 
 
 The year 1852 was a harvest year. A quiet work of grace 
 commenced at the beginnhig of the year, the blessed fruits of 
 which kept developing as the mouths passed away. Of his 
 method of dealing with anxious souls we give the following 
 illustrations : — 
 
 March 1. At twelve M. a young lady called, borne down under a 
 heavy burden of conscious guilt, seeming to need nothing but the direc- 
 tion given to the jailer, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou 
 shalt be saved." I presented before her Christ as a Saviour of sinners, 
 and submitted the question, " Will you now renounce the world and 
 sin, and consecrate yourself to Christ, depending on him for acceptance 
 witli God, and serving him while life lasts?" She reflected a moment, 
 then burst into tears, and said, " I will ; I have done it! Christ is mine, 
 and I am his!" O, what a thrill shot through my soul ! I felt that 
 Christ was near, receiving a new-born soul. Her countenance bright- 
 ened. " O, what a change ! " she said ; " ray burden is gone : twenty-five 
 years I have lived in sin. How could I have so treated God? I deserve 
 his displeasure ; but Christ has accepted me. I will endeavor to be a 
 faithful Christian." I conversed further with her, and prayed with her, 
 and she left me, calm, peaceful, hopeful. How can I doubt the power 
 and presence of the Holy Spirit? 
 
 In the afternoon a young lady. Miss S., called, heavily burdened with 
 a sense of guilt, earnestly inquiring what she must do to inherit eternal 
 life. She is from Somersetshire, England. She seemed to have no idea 
 of the gospel plan of salvation. She supposed she had many things to 
 do in order to be good, and such things as would require time. I ex- 
 plained to her as clearly as I could the method of grace; but she was 
 slow to believe that Christ would accept her until she should become 
 " better." Though apparently intelligent, she was deplorably ignorant. 
 When informed of the simple requirement, "to believe on the Lord 
 Jesus Christ," she inquired with earnestness, "Is that all? Have I 
 nothing to do?" For nearly an hour and a half I kept the Saviour 
 before her mind as her only refuge, and had the pleasure of seeing her 
 mind gradually receiving the truth. Her errors, one after anotiicr, 
 yielded, till at last the question was pressed, " Will you now give up all 
 idea of helping yourself, and cast your guilty soul on Christ, and trust 
 in him for salvation?" Then she hesitated. "Is not Christ aWe to 
 save you? " " Yes, I believe he is." " Well, is he notwilling?" She 
 was doubtful. " How can he be willing to save me as I am — O, such a 
 sinner?" The struggle was long and hard. I prayed with her, and when 
 I had concluded, she did not rise, but for some minutes continued kneel- 
 ing and weei)ing. When she rose she proposed seeing me again to-morrow 
 
248 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 or Monday. I inquired if she was sure the Holy Spirit would continue 
 with lier if she postponed her decision. This was a new thought. She 
 sat down overpowered. I presented Christ once more, and explained 
 again, with all possible simplicity, the way of a sinner's acceptance. It 
 was easy to see her soul was letting go its hold on everything else, and 
 coming to him as her only hope. The Saviour seemed near. My spirit 
 yearned over her case. Mrs. H., who came with her, was melted. It 
 was a moment of inexpressible solemnity and tenderness. The decision 
 was soon made. " I will trust Christ; I will be his; I will serve him 
 all my days. Is it possible salvation is so free!" The process was to 
 me very exhausting — all my faculties and feelings were enlisted. I 
 hope well for the result. Time will prove its character. 
 
 March 15. This evening met the converts' class. Though the weather 
 was unpleasant, yet fifty-six were present. The young lady who called 
 upon me was one of the number, rejoicing in Christ. O. never can I 
 forget the agony of soul in leading her to the cross. " Travailing in 
 birth " is the apostle's figure, and eminently expressive. 
 
 How do such scenes as these reveal to us the workings of 
 the Holy Spirit, as witnessed not merely in those brought 
 under the power of converting grace, but as operating on the 
 mind and in the heart of one set apart to the solemn work 
 of leading men to Christ ! We look into that pastor's study, 
 as we would look into the surgeon's office, to observe the 
 processes by which they who seem to be hastening down to 
 the gates of death are brought to the portals of everlasting 
 life. The anxieties in either case are not unlike, and the 
 strain on all the best faculties of our nature are not dis- 
 similar. Tlie responsibilities in either case are great beyond 
 our power to estimate. If we admire the calm earnestness, 
 the kindness combined with firmness, the fidelity which does 
 not shrink to give pain if needed, which mark the one case, 
 why may we not admii e precisely the same qualities as seen 
 in the other case ? Tl le physician w'lo deals with precious 
 souls occupies a positio i of higher dif nity, of moral grandeur 
 loftier than that on A/hich he staids Avhose regards are 
 limited to the wants cf the perishing body. 
 
 The twenty-fifth ai niversary Ot' Dr. Stow's ordination 
 occurred on the 24tli Df October, 1852. He makes a few 
 memoranda of what, h] ■ the grace of God, he has been ena« 
 
KEVIEAV OP A QUARTER CENTURY. 249 
 
 bled to do during the quarter of a century. Into the three 
 churches of wliich he has had the pastoral charge there had 
 been received twelve hundred and sixty-five members, of 
 which number he had himself bajDtized eight hundred and 
 thirty-five. He had married six hundred and eighty-nine 
 couples, and attended nine hundred and sixty-two funerals, 
 and made sixteen thousand pastoral visits. During this 
 period of his ministry he had preached three thousand one 
 hundred and eighty-four sermons, of which six were at the 
 recognition of new churches, eleven at the dedication of 
 ]ilaces of worship, forty-four at the ordination and installa^ 
 tion of ministers, sixty-three before conventions and associa- 
 tions, charitable societies, &c., &c. "Goodness and mercy 
 have followed me all these years. I have sufiered some, have 
 enjoyed much, have worked hard, but might have worked 
 better. God has been faithful. His promises have never 
 tailed. I cannot expect to labor, or even live, another quar- 
 ter of a century. O that henceforth I may live better, pray 
 more, and maintain ' a closer walk with God ! ' " 
 
 It pains us that tlie limits within which we must compress 
 tliis volume compel us to omit so many things which we find 
 in his journal, the perusal of which could not foil to be full 
 of both interest and profit to the reader. Now and then we 
 get sweet, charming glimpses of Dr. Stow's domestic life, and 
 they open to our view a nature rich in gifts which make 
 home so full of quiet joy and peace. Take the following, 
 under date of June 16, 1853, the fifty-second anniversary of 
 his birth : — 
 
 At twilight tliis evening I sat down with my dear E., and we cora- 
 nienced a review of the past. I forgot my studies and cares as we went 
 back to the old homesteads and scenes of our early childhood, and con- 
 versed of dear places and dearer friends, parents, brothers, sisters, 
 schools, meetings, ministers, &c. 0, how fresh, how vivid, how tender 
 were the recollections ! Thus we lingered about the loved of departed 
 years until the hour of family prayer. We both concluded we had 
 been especially the children of Providence. How wonderfully God has 
 led us these more than fifty years ! We had our offering to lay upon our 
 evening altar — a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Accept it, O God, 
 
250 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 for thy dear Son's sake. For his sake accept us, and make us ever, 
 ever thine. 
 
 Allusion has been made to the warm friendship which 
 existed between Dr. Sharp and Dr. Stow. The former had 
 for many years been the senior in age and settlement among 
 the pastors of the Baptist churches in Boston. As such he 
 was held in the highest esteem by all his brethren in the min- 
 istry. They were accustomed to respect his judgment, and 
 to go to him for advice. When he was removed by death, 
 a vacancy was made in the ministerial ranks which was keen- 
 ly felt, esiDCcially by those who had labored by his side for 
 so many years. The record which Dr. Stow made of the 
 event is found in the following extract from his journal : — 
 
 June 24. Sad, sad news. Dr. Sharp died hist evening at Baltimore. 
 I liave, by request, just written some resolutions to be laid this evening 
 before the bereaved church and society. The Lord support the deeply- 
 afflicted family. The Lord sanctify this event to his ministers. I am 
 now the oldest Baptist pastor in the two Boston associations. 
 
 June 28. To-day the funeral services connected with the interment 
 of Dr. Sharp were attended in Charles Street Church. A few friends 
 were invited to meet the family at his late residence, 20 West Cedar 
 Street, when prayer was offered by Eev. Dr. Neale. At church t!ie ser- 
 vices were as follows : — 
 
 Invocation by Rev. Dr. Gannett. Reading Scriptures by Rev. Dr. 
 Neale. Hymn read by Rev. Dr. J. Wayland. Sermon by Rev. Dr. 
 Francis Wayland, Acts viii. 2. Hymn read by Rev. Dr. Blagden. 
 Prayer by Rev. Baron Stow. Hymn read by Rev. William Howe. 
 Benediction by Rev. Dr. J. W. Parker. An immense procession of 
 carriages followed the body to Mount Auburn, where prayer was offered 
 by Baron Stow. I was absent from my house seven hours, so pro- 
 tracted were all the services. Returned much oppressed in spirit. 
 
 We give further extracts, referring to events in which Dr. 
 Stow was interested, some of which will be recalled by many 
 of the readers of this Memoir. 
 
 October 7. " Heaven is attracting towards itself all the good and 
 lovely of earth." How true, gloriously true ! Last night the Hon. Simon 
 Grcenleaf, of Cambridge, suddenly entered into his rest, aged seventy 
 years. He was a member of the executive committee of the Ameri* 
 
"first things." 251 
 
 can Tract Society, Boston, in the meetings of which I often met him 
 He was a man of great simplicity and purity, eminently a, godly man. 
 For many years an Episcopalian, he became dissatisfied with the Pusey- 
 istic tendencies of his church, and witiidrew, and joined the Orthodox 
 Congrogationalists. He loved the doctrine of grace ; he loved the whole 
 Christian brotlierhood. He is now "present with the Lord." Thus 
 Christ is taking home his disciples, according to his promise. Will he 
 take me to that blessed home? Have I a valid hope of heaven? Lord, 
 teach me what I aui. Let me not be deceived. Prepare me to dwell 
 M ith thee in glory. 
 
 January 8, ISo-l. Commenced a series of Sabbath morning discourses 
 on "First Things in the Christian Church." To-day was "The First 
 Prayer Meeting." Acts i. 12, 14. Had a full house and good attention. 
 
 The discourses here referred to, together with several oth- 
 ers of a similar character, were published, several years after 
 they were delivered, under the title of First Things, or the 
 Development of Church Life, and were favorably received 
 as a valuable contribution to Christian literature. 
 
 February 19. During the past week I have had the pleasure of lead- 
 ing to Christ a granddaughter of the late Eev. Abel Woods, who, in 
 the winter of 1821-22, sought me out, and opened the way for me to go 
 to Columbian College for my education. I have erer remembered him 
 with gratitude. Little did I think, after thirty-two years, I should have 
 an opportunity to render a service to one of his posterity. " God works 
 in a mysterious way." 
 
 April 23. In the evening heard Rev. Dr. Duff, missionary of the 
 Scottish Free Church in Bengal, at the Tremont Temple. His sermon 
 was one hour and three quarters in length. Like most Scotch preach- 
 ers, he was very wordy and repetitious ; but evidently he is a very strong, 
 earnest man. His heart is in the work of missions. I should have 
 liked his discourse better if he had made fewer apologies for his plain- 
 ness. .4 minister should say nothing but what he has a right to say, 
 and, having said it, he should let it cut ivith its full force. The ambas- 
 sador is responsible for nothing but the right delivery of his message. 
 He speaks for his superior. 
 
 May 27. The city is disturbed by the arrest of a slave under the 
 fugitive slave law. In a riot last night at the Court House one man 
 was killed. There is danger of further violence. 
 
 June 2. This has been anniversary week in Boston. Having much 
 to occupy me, I have attended but few of the meetings. The excite- 
 ment about the fugitive slave, Anthony Burns, a Baptist brother, has 
 
252 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 been great, airl often alarming. To-day he has been carried off by 
 the United States authorities. A division of Massachusetts (fifteen 
 hundred) troops was on duty to preserve tlie peace. So, in obedience 
 to a most infamous law, we are obliged to look on and see humanity 
 outraged. It will not always be so. The blood in my heart has 
 boiled with emotion, and I have been compelled to repress my feelings. 
 I hope never to witness another such scene. 
 
 October 30. This morning attended the ministers' meeting, which 
 is held weekly in one of the rooms of thn Young Men's Christian As- 
 sociation, Tremont Temple. Owing to the prostration of ray physical 
 system which I feel on Monday, I seldom attend these meetings ; but 
 to-daj I made an extra effort to be there to plead for city missions, 
 which was the appointed subject for consideration. A good impres- 
 sion, I think, was made upon some minds as to the duty of preaching 
 the gospel to the poor and neglected. But I was pained not a little 
 to hear some remarks bearing unkindl}' upon another denomination, 
 that is doing a hundred fold more than the Baptists for the spiritual 
 good of "the perisliing classes." O, how narrow, how unchristian! 
 
 November 2. A committee from tiie Brookline church and society 
 called on me, and tendered their unanimous invitation to me to be- 
 come their pastor, with a salary of two thousand dollars. The com- 
 mittee were very courteous, but very urgent, and seemed to suppose 
 that they could make out a strong case for me as well as for them- 
 selves. I now have the subject before me. The question is a grave 
 one, and must not be decided without calm and prayerful deliberation. 
 I have labored six years in this field, and twenty-two in Boston. Still 
 I do not see that the time for me to withdraw from the city has come. 
 Brookline presents an eligible place for my retirement. But can I 
 consult my own ease? My inquiry must be for the will of my Master. 
 "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? " I am not my own, but thine. 
 Show me what will please thee, and give me grace to do it. 
 
 November 14. Wrote my reply to the Brookline invitation. There 
 were reasons why I should regard their propositions with favor, but 
 stronger reasons why I sliould decline it, and my answer was negative. 
 I am on the altar in Howe Street, and there must remain until God 
 shows me clearly that he would have me remove. 
 
 He writes in his journal, Jiuie 4, "Information having 
 reached me of the circumstances under which I was re-elected 
 as a member of the executive committee of the Missionary 
 Union, I have decided I cannot, consistently with self-respect, 
 accept the appointment. Accordingly I have to-day sent in 
 the folloAvinjr letter : " — 
 
PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS. 253 
 
 To the Execvtive Committee of the American Baptist 
 Missionary Union. 
 
 Dear Brethren : My interest in the cause of foreign mis- 
 sions is coeval witli my conversion to Christ. For more than 
 thirty-six years that enterprise lias had a prominent place in 
 my thoughts, my prayers, and my labors ; and if I have not 
 given proof of a cordial and earnest devotedness to its ad- 
 vancement, it is because I have been incapable of furnishing 
 such proof I have applied to it heart, time, money, and 
 toil, and know not that my sincerity has ever been ques- 
 tioned. 
 
 In April, 1832, 1 was elected a member of the board of the 
 General Convention, and, on my removal to Boston, the same 
 year, I took ray seat, and commenced labor with honored 
 brethren, only one of whom is now of your number. In 1835 
 I was elected, by the Convention, one of its corresponding 
 secretaries. By declining that appointment, my place in 
 the board Avas temporarily alienated. The same office was 
 unanimously tendered to me by the acting board in 1841, 
 and for the same reasons that influenced my former decision, 
 was again declined. After the death of Professor Knowles, 
 in 1838, 1 was for eight years the recording secretary of the 
 board. 
 
 Thus, from November, 1832, to the present time, with the 
 exception above named, I have served the Convention and 
 the Union as a gratuitous laborer at the Missionary Rooms. 
 Hoio I have served them, a few now surviving, and many 
 gone home to their reward, have been witnesses. The history 
 of many labors cannot be written by human hand. "My 
 record is on high," unrequited by man, often misjudged and 
 misrepresented. I have toiled on, calmly, relying upon the 
 assurance, " Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection 
 of the just." 
 
 The time has now arrived for me to retire from the position 
 which I have so long held, and allow you to su])ply the va- 
 cancy with some one who may have the confidence of those 
 
254 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 from whom you liave received your ajjpointment. The re- 
 cent election, if I am correctly informed respecting its detail, 
 was too significant in some of its aspects to leave me any 
 honorable alternative but to refuse a trust which, for the 
 first time in twenty-three years, has been grudgingly con- 
 ferred. With my selt-respect undamaged, I now embrace the 
 opportunity to give myself wholly to the spiritual care of a 
 people, v.'ho, no less than their pastor, have supplied the evi- 
 dence of substantial interest in foreign missions. 
 
 You may be assured, dear brethren, that my attachment to 
 the enterprise which you have in charge will not be dimin- 
 ished by this severance of ray official connection. It is an 
 element of my Christian life, and lies too deep to be unfavora- 
 bly affected by any injustice of which I have been, or may be, 
 the victim. 
 
 In jiarting from you, I am happy to testify to the uniform 
 kindness and courtesy with whicli I have been treated by all 
 my associates in both the acting board and the executive 
 committee. I think I have had their confidence, as they 
 certainly have had mine. 
 
 It has been my misfortune occasionally to diifer from the 
 opinions and policy of the foreign secretary ; but you are 
 witnesses that I have never opposed liim in a captious or 
 persistent spirit. And it is due to him that I should here 
 say, that his bearing towards me personally has, without ex- 
 ception, been that of a gentleman and a Christian. 
 With affectionate esteem. 
 
 Your brother in Christ, 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 Boston, June 4, 1855. I am now relieved of a heavy burden. Un- 
 pleasant as are some of the circumstances, I rejoice in the opportu- 
 nity atforded me of turning my whole force to my one field. I desire 
 no other work ; there is none better. Studying, preaching, praying, 
 visiting, — be these my employment during my few remaining years. 
 
 June 6. This morning at an early hour a sub-committee, appointed 
 yesterdaj' by the executive committee, called upon me, requesting me to 
 recall my letter declining the appointment. I heard all they had to say, 
 
JOURNAL. 255 
 
 flnd simply promised, if tliey would oommuniojite tlieir wishes in writing, 
 to reconsider the question. I am thus vindicated by my associates, 
 who know my whole course, and now have the matter in my own hands. 
 As yet I see no reason why I should change my purpose. The Lord 
 give me a spirit of candor and charity, and lead me to right conclusions. 
 I pray for grace to sacrifice all that I ought, and act purely for^ Christ 
 and his cause. I shall take time to consider well the whole question. 
 
 June 16. My birthday. Solemn thoughts are mine as I look back 
 and as I look forward. I am preparing a sermon for to-morrow from 
 the question, " How old art thou?" 
 
 Late this evening I received from one of my dear brethren (II. S. C.) 
 a kind letter, enclosing a donation, from a few individuals, of eight hun- 
 dred dollars. He was aware that during the first four and a half years 
 of my connection with this people, my salary was insufficient to meet 
 my expenses, and that consequently my mind was not free and unem- 
 barrtissed, and in his great kindness he has brought me this relief. The 
 Lord reward him and all his fellow-donors. I feel overwhelmed — 
 heavily oppressed. I know not how appropriately to acknowledge this 
 act. I fear I shall not be suitably grateful to God, " the God of all 
 grace." 
 
 June 19. Concluded to return to my place in the executive commit- 
 tee of tlie Union. In my answer to the sub-committee, I say, " I shall 
 do it at no small sacrifice, and with many misgivings as to the utility of 
 any service I may render." This is emphatically true, and I feel as if 
 I were bowing my neck to a heavy yoke ; but the committee and foreign 
 secretary, Dr. Peck, seem to regard my services as necessary to the 
 prosecution of their work; and to their earnestly expressed wishes I 
 yield, in the hope that I may, a little while longer, be useful to a cause 
 which I truly love. The draft upon my time and strength will be great, 
 but if I am in the way of duty God will help me. While I cease from 
 man, let me trust Him who " giveth power to the faint." 
 
 July 18. The University at Cambridge conferred on me the hon- 
 orary degree of D. D. The same degree was conferred on me by Brown 
 University in 1846. On some accounts these unsought honors are grat- 
 ifying; on others, they are undesirable. Their value is small. 
 
 August 23. Have passed hours to-day in a solemn place — a cham- 
 ber of death. Mrs. H. S. C, an endeared neighbor and friend, this 
 evening, at ten and a half o'clock, entered into her eternal rest. I bap- 
 tized her August 25, 1850. Lord, sanctify to us all this sore bereavement. 
 
 August 28. A telegraphic despatch says, " Dr. Cone, of New York, 
 died this morning, of paralysis." He was a man of great energy of pur- 
 pose, of untiring industry, of devoted loyalty to Christ and his truth. 
 He was my personal friend, and I am happy in the recollection of the 
 
256 MKMOIK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 sympathy which I have shown to him. He rests from his labors ; he is 
 with Christ, whom he loved and served. 
 
 December 31. During this year I have preached ninety-nine dis- 
 courses, of which eighty-one were in Rowe Street, made four hundred 
 and seventy-one visits, attended twenty-seven funerals, married thirty- 
 six couples : other services I cannot enumerate. God knows all I have 
 done, and how everything has been done. I have nothing of which to 
 boast. I would lie as a poor sinner before the mercy-seat, and depend 
 wholly for justification on the righteousness of Christ. If he is not my 
 Redeemer, then am I lost, justly condemned forever and ever. 
 
COKBESPONDENCE. 257 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 cobrfispondence. — fourth invitation to the presidency of a 
 College. — Journal. — Death of Edward D. Chamberlin. — 
 "Christian Brotherhood." — Second Voyage to Edrope. — 
 Journal while abroad. — Home again. 
 
 The correspondence of Di*. Stow, during the period which 
 has passed in review in the last two or three chapters, is 
 quite voluminous, and Ave are obliged to confine ourselves to 
 such selections as will bring to our notice well-known traits 
 of his character. 
 
 To his cousin, Mrs. Nettleton. 
 
 Boston, May 17, 1848. 
 
 When I inform you that I have been absent more than six weeks on a 
 journey for the benefit of my health, you will understand why no answer 
 has been returned to your kind favor of April 8, and, of course, will 
 excuse me from all suspicion of culpable negligence. 
 
 My dear E. and myself left home the last day of March, and travelled 
 as far as Washington, where, in a very balmy climate, I gained a little 
 relief. I am still an invalid, however, and unfit for any useful service. 
 I shall probably soon dissolve my connection with dear Baldwin Place, 
 and endeavor, by entire relaxation from mental labor, at least for a few 
 months, to recruit my exhausted energies. It has cost me immense 
 suffering to reach this conclusion ; but I see no alternative, and hope to 
 have grace to submit quietly to the divine will. 
 
 Tc your inquiries I can give you the following answers : — 
 
 1. The Scriptures are, for the most part, translated with great faith- 
 fulness. A few passages might be better translated, but I do not know 
 the man whom I would trust to make the improvement. 
 
 2. There is no " virtue in going to communion," apart from the simple 
 fact of obedience to the command of Christ. The Lord's Supper is a 
 commemorative ordinance, to be observed by baptized believers, and, 
 
 17 
 
258 MEMOIE OF DR. STOW. 
 
 when rightly observed, has a good moral effect upon themselves, and is 
 well pleasing to the Saviour. 
 
 3. I know nothing in ray own experience of a feeling in prayer as if 
 I " talked with God face to face, as with a person." I am not aware of 
 any requirement that we should thus feel. We may " draw nigh " to 
 God, and feel that we are in his presence, but we are not permitted to 
 give him any form or shape, as if he were " a person." " God is a 
 spirit," &c. 
 
 4. God has appointed prayer as a means to an end. He has promised 
 to answer prayer. He has often answered it, and none of his "fixed 
 laws " can prevent his doing as he pleases. The law of prayer, I sup- 
 pose, is as much a " fixed law " as any other. Prayer changes no pur- 
 pose of God, for his eternal plan includes every prayer that is offered. 
 Prayer places tlie praying man in such a relation to God as to ren- 
 der it suitable for God to treat him in a different manner from what he 
 would were he a prayerless man. But apart from all theories, it is 
 enough for me that God hears and answers prayer. He says, " Ask and 
 ye shall receive." Why should I speculate? 
 
 5. I am accustomed, when I administer the Lord's Supper, to repeat 
 the exact words of the Saviour — "This is my body," &c. ; " This is 
 my blood," &c. I do not know that the form is " important; " but there 
 seems to me to be a fitness in such a solemn ordinance that we should 
 keep before our minds the very idea which the Saviour presented to the 
 minds of his disciples. 
 
 To his sister. 
 
 Boston, November 27, 1850. 
 
 I am afraid you will think me quite unfraternal, I write so seldom. 
 October 7, I think, was my last date. Fifty days are rather too many 
 for me to be silent. But, be assured, I have not forgotten you, nor does 
 my love for j'ou in the least abate in fervor or strength. I think of you 
 daily, and pray for you and yours. Gladly would I write oftener, but my 
 time is cut up into inch pieces by all sorts of duties, calls, interruptions, 
 &c. Last Thursday, November 21, I wished to write, and tell you how 
 much I thought of our dear fether, who, on that day, thirty-four years 
 ago, looked upon us for the last time, and went home to his everlasting 
 rest. I suppose you, too, remembered tlie day, and, like me, had your 
 solemn thoughts and tender remembrances. My poor, hard heart was 
 a little softened, and I prepared a sermon from " Christ liveth in me" — 
 Gal. ii. 20. 
 
 I am now writing the evening before our Thanksgiving, and I am 
 again carried back to the old red house near Endicott's Mills, and the 
 scenes of early life are revived afresh. Koyal and I have just been out 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. * 259 
 
 to the barn, and wrung the necks of roosters, hens, and chickens, and 
 Tempe and Judy, and Hannah Buel, or some otlier cousin, are picking 
 and singeing the murdered creatures. And mother, dear mother, is 
 making pastry, and preparing other good things for the great occasion. 
 A hirgo pile of oven-wood is in "the corner." Peter sits on the " dye- 
 tub," looking wistfully at the whole process. Above, the poles are full 
 of drying apples and pumpkins. A bright fire is burning in tlie great 
 fireplace, and the wind whistles through the casements, portending the 
 first snow-storm. The school is to commence next Monday, and the 
 schoolmaster is to board with us ; and we talk about books and pencils, 
 and wonder how many spelling-schools we shall have. In the midst of 
 all, uncle Nat, or Major Trask, or Mr. Whittlesey conies in, and talks 
 about the weather, or the last funeral, or Ben Noyes. And so the even- 
 ing passes. 
 
 Now you will say, Brother Baron is certainly growing old : he lives 
 in the past ; he loves to talk about old times. Yes, sister, I am older 
 than I was, and I think a great deal of the days when we were all to- 
 gether, an unbroken circle. O, how changed ! One half of the family 
 are in heaven. Soon we shall all have passed away ! God grant that 
 we may all meet, and spend an eternal Thanksgiving before the throne. 
 
 To the same. 
 
 Boston, June 2, 1851. 
 
 You are certainly one of my best correspondents, for you write 
 just what I wish to know, and write from the heart. But it certainly 
 is a little too bad that you should have to do the work of the church. 
 The direction of the apostle was, " Help those women who labored 
 with me in the gospel." In Newport it seems the order of things 
 is reversed. I suspect the gentlemen are not afraid of the " D. D." 
 Shame on them if they are ! Those semilunar appendages add noth- 
 ing to me. I never put them there, and if they scare away my old 
 friends, I will renounce them as not only worthless, but injurious, and 
 stand forth without them, simply as Baron Stow, the Newport boy. 
 No, Persis, those who knew rae thirty years ago, and looked down upon 
 me, have now no more occasion to look up to me. I have grown older, 
 but I fear not better. I am but a sinner, dependent upon grace. My 
 cffice I would magnify, but God forbid that it should ever magnify me, 
 in fact or in feeling. 
 
 From Dr. Sharp. 
 
 Boston, May 3, 1852. 
 
 I cannot find words wliich will express to you my grateful sense 
 of the most admirable address wliich you communicated to me on 
 the 29th ultimo. Nothing could have been more delicately, respect- 
 
260 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 fully, and affectionately composed and expressed. As I suppose 
 your hand and heart were in it, I thank you most sincerely. I 
 have read it over repeatedly, and with tears ; and, although I may not 
 deserve all the kind things you say, yet I am willing to appropriate 
 them as one who has intended to be what you have so kindly said of mc. 
 I also owe a debt of gratitude to the brethren who have signed, or may 
 intend to sign, the address, which I can never repay. The vase, so ele- 
 gant, so simply beautiful, with the chaste and yet loving inscription, 
 shall always occupy a conspicuous place in my house, to remind me 
 of the donors, ministers of Christ ever dear to me. And the bouquet, 
 most beautiful and fragrant, emblem of the brightness, the beauty, and 
 the sweet odor which love diffuses through a wide circle of Christian 
 brethren. 
 
 Read this to all the brethren interested in my imperfect acknowledg- 
 ment of your kindness and theirs. 
 
 To his sister. 
 
 Boston, April 11, 1853. 
 
 You allude to the possibility that I may have done good to souls, 
 even when I did not know it. Certainly I have reason to be 
 grateful to God that he has made any use of me in his service. I 
 have been pastor a little over twenty-five years. During that 
 period I have baptized eight hundred and forty-six persons. Some of 
 this number have fallen away ; some are, I trust, in heaven ; and many 
 are living, active Christians. I have often detected impurity in my mo- 
 tives, and God has seen more than I have; but I think my ruling aim 
 has been to glorify Christ in the salvation of souls. 
 
 When I came to Rowe Street it was with much trembling. My health 
 •was very imperfect. The interest was quite low, and the church were 
 nearly dispirited. They had built an expensive place of worship, and 
 had a debt upon it of fifteen thousand dollars. I could do nothing by 
 the force of popularity. If anything was to be accomplished, it must 
 be by the blessing of God upon work. I addressed myself to the task, 
 at first cautiously ; and I have kept on laboring as God gave me strength. 
 In four years and five months I have welcomed two hundred and sixty- 
 four into the church. The house of worship is full. During the past 
 year, in addition to the four thousand dollars for our current expenses, 
 we have raised three thousand dollars for benevolent purposes. More 
 than this, my people have raised among themselves fifteen thousand 
 dollars, and paid off their entire debt. Yesterday we worshipped for 
 the first time in a house free from encumbrance. Now, I trust God 
 can accept the dedication. O that we may be humble in prosperity, 
 and not grieve the Spirit by any unhallowed feeling of self-gratulation. 
 For lack of spirituality in a church there is no substitute. 
 
LETTER OF CONDOLENCE. 261 
 
 To Rev. Dr. Cone. 
 
 Boston, August 24, 1854. 
 
 One of our city papers last evening announced that you had be- 
 come the subject of a heavy bereavement, and my heart at once 
 went out towards you in earnest, affectionate sympathy. You have, 
 I believe, for years had frequent occasion to anticipate tliis event; 
 but you doubtless find tliat you have never, until its occurrence, fully 
 realized the magnitude of tlie affliction. We talk of being " prepared " 
 for such dispensations ; but the preparation, at best, is only partial. 
 Tiie reality ditJ'ers from the picture which fancy has sketched. There 
 are ingredients in the cup which we have not expected. There 
 is a desolation of heart and liome which cannot be preconceived. 
 You now have tlie experience which teaches the whole trutli. Liga- 
 ments are severed whose delicacy and strengtii you now understand 
 as you never did before. Tendrils of affection, of whose tenacity you 
 were scarcely conscious, now lie broken and bleeding. A thousand 
 lender recollections come up, which no other event could have revived. 
 It is the heart that suffers, for a part of itself is torn away. 
 
 In this hour of your peculiar sorrow, human sympathy can do but 
 little for your relief. You must have solace from a higher source. 
 And I am sure that you have it. Your tlieology embraces large views 
 of God's gracious sovereignty, and they are now productive of a rational 
 and solid consolation. The Bible view of the divine cliaracter, and gov- 
 ernment, and plan of mercy is rich with the higher order of comforts, 
 and the believer knows the sweetness of submission to Him who says, 
 ^'Be still, and know that I am God." 
 
 I can tell you nothing new of the sources of true relief under such a 
 trial. You can teacli me. But I cannot forbear to assure you of my 
 fraternal sympathy, and my fervent prayer that tlie Master whom you 
 have long served will ever be near for your support and succor. 
 Henceforth tlie Bible will be to you more precious, and the mercy-seat 
 far dearer; the work of the Lord will be more deliglitful; the gloom 
 will be more effectually dispersed from the grave; heaven will be a 
 more attractive home. May your faitii not fail. In all the remnant of 
 y^ur pilgrimage may the joy of the Lord be your strength. 
 
 Early in the year 1856 Dr. Stow was again urged to con- 
 sider the question of accepting the presidency of another in- 
 stitution of learning. This was the fourth time that he had 
 been invited to take charge of a college; but neither the 
 frequency nor the urgency of the calls had been able to turn 
 him aside from the duties of his chosen profession. Although 
 he doubts whether he can much longer perform the exhaust" 
 
262 MEMOIR OF Dll. STOW. 
 
 ing labors of a city pastor, yet lie will persevere in the en- 
 deavor to meet the responsibilities of his position so long aa 
 God gives him health and strength. How many a pastor will 
 symj^athize with him in the record which he makes, exjjres- 
 sive of the difficulty he feels in trying to cast all his care on 
 God! He is troubled with the idea that his preaching is 
 useless, that the people feel no interest in it, and that God 
 gives it no success. To the discouraged minister, toiling on 
 in his hard work, and seeing very little visible fruits of his 
 labors, it may afibrd a kind of comfort to know that such a 
 man as Baron Stow was " a man of like jsassions " with 
 himself; that the cares, and solicitudes, and sorrows of a life 
 in which there is so much to try both faith and patience, are 
 the common heritage of all the ambassadors of Christ. The 
 view of a suiferiug Lord brings the coveted alleviation. " O, 
 what a sufferer was Jesus for my sake ! Why should I shrink 
 from suffering in his service ? Poor creature that I am ! Plow 
 light a burden crushes me ! Let me look at Gethsemane, at 
 the palace of CaiaiDhas, at the halls of Pilate and Herod, at 
 Calvary ! Let me dwell upon the particulars of the dreadful 
 Passion, and open my heart to their softening influence." 
 
 We pass over the events of this year, as there is but little 
 in the external life of Dr. Stow "wortliy of special notice. A 
 few extracts from the journal of 1857 are all our limits will 
 allow. 
 
 Received a sermon, preached in Portsnioutli, N. II., February 15, by 
 Eev. A. P. Peabody, D. D., at the closing of tlie Sunday scliool-room 
 in Court Street, which is to be replaced by a new building for the same 
 purpose. Tiiat was the dear old chapel, erected in 1761, in which I 
 preached for more than a year, from July 22, 1827, to September 21, 
 1828. The sermon is mainly historical. As a specimen of Christian 
 candor, charity, and justice it is remarliable. 
 
 October 24. A memorable day in my history. Thirty years ago this 
 day I took upon me solemn vows, and my seniors consecrated me to the 
 work of the Christian ministry. I have for weeks anticipated this anni- 
 versary ; and, as I have reviewed my history for all these years, I have 
 said I would observe the day in a special manner. As I have remem- 
 bered God's goodness to me, I have wished to observe the day as one 
 
PERPLEXITIES AND GRATEFUL EMOTIONS. 263 
 
 of tlianksgiviiig and praise. Then, as I have remembored my many 
 sins, my defective services. I have felt I ought to observe it by fasting, 
 humiliation, and prayer. Ought I not to be botli tliankful and penitent? 
 If I do not grievously mistake my feelings, I am grateful to God for his 
 multiplied mercies, and I have some penitential feelings in view of my 
 unfaithfulness. I have had some trials, but no more than I needed. I 
 liave had blessings infinitely beyond my deserts. I have never been 
 suitably grateful for Gud's kindness to me and mine. I have often been 
 unreconciled to my discouragements and sufferings. My trust in God 
 has been defective. I have prayed too little, and often without faith. 
 
 November 29. Passed the evening in my study, reading Spurgeon's 
 "The Saint and his Saviour" — a work in which I am more interested 
 than I expected to be. It has blemishes ; but when I consider the age 
 of the writer (about twenty-four), and his popularity as a preacher, I am 
 surprised to find so few. I have had, and still have, fears that he would 
 be puffed up by popular applause, and explode in some disgraceful form ; 
 but really it seems God must be with him, or he could not have made 
 such attainments in Christian knowledge. His book is full of brilliants, 
 many gathered from old authors, but many unquestionably original. It 
 is a mystery to me how one so young is so richly acquainted with the Bible 
 and Christian experience. Is he not eminently instructed by the Spirit? 
 O God, shield him from every danger. " Hold up his goings in thy 
 path.'-, that his footsteps slip not." 
 
 In the spring of 1858 a, few friends of Dr. Stow placed in 
 his hands a generous sum of money to defray the expenses 
 of a siunmcr vacation to bo spent abroad, and the standing 
 committee of his society voted him leave of absence. This 
 unexpected token of the affection of his i^eojile greatly at- 
 fected his heart. And yet he was embarrassed by the act. 
 The church had been religiously i-evived, and quite a number 
 of conversions had gladdened the heart of the anxious pastor. 
 He was perplexed to know what was duty. Meanwliile, before 
 reaching a decision, he was informed that, for the tliird time, 
 he had been elected one of the secretaries of the Missionary 
 Union. Grateful for the honor done him, he declined to 
 leave what he regarded as his appropriate work — that of a 
 pastor. lie decided also to postpone tlie visit abroad to 
 another season. 
 
 Under date of July 7, Dr. Stow alludes to an event which 
 brouglit sadness to an afliicted family, and great grief to his 
 
264 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 own heart. Intelligence had reached Boston that Mr. Edward 
 D. Chaniberlin, son of Edward CliaraberUn, Esq., liad been 
 drowned in Providence, R. I. Young Chaniberlin was a 
 member of Brown University, and greatly beloved and re- 
 spected by a large circle of friends. Dr. StOAV preached a 
 touching and most impressive sermon, suggested by the sud- 
 denness of the event, to which allusion has been made, from 
 1 Sam. XX. 3 — " There is but a step between me and death." 
 Those Avho listened to this discourse will not soon forget it. 
 
 The commencement of 1859 finds Dr. Stow busily en- 
 gaged in preparing for the press his " Christian Brotherhood," 
 and his " First Things." Wc think Ave speak the truth when 
 we say that of all the works Avhich were the product of his 
 pen, (and he gave to the j^ublic quite a number), this one on 
 Christian Brotherhood was his favorite. The subject was a 
 congenial one to his generous and catholic spirit. He felt that 
 the points of contact between himself and all true Christian 
 souls were vastly more in number than the j)oints of diver- 
 gence which separated him and them. He delighted to speak 
 of "the communion of saints," and deplored the sjiirit of 
 bigotry and sectarianism which led even good men to cherish 
 unkind and ungenerous sentiments towards each other. In 
 the introduction, which is irt the form of a letter to his long- 
 cherished fiiend, Deacon Heman Lincoln, he says, " The 
 manuscript has remained in my hands more than fifteen 
 years — a period much longer than Horace recommends to 
 authors for purposes of revision and emendation." Its pub- 
 lication gave rise to the expression of an opinion that per- 
 haps its author was a little lax in his denominational views, 
 and not as warm in his denominational attachments as he 
 should be. This objection Dr. Stow anticipated in the letter 
 to Deacon Lincoln, and avows his wish to remove none of 
 the old landmarks, but still declaring that he finds in the 
 faith and spiritual life of all the real followers of Christ so 
 much that is attractive, that he cannot help feeling drawn 
 towards them with an affection which he must regard as the 
 fruit of the Holy Spirit. He quotes with great pleasure the 
 
SECOND VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 265 
 
 words of a clergyman of anotlier denomination : " I have been 
 a happier man ever since I adopted the practice of always 
 praying for other denominations before I ])ray for my own, 
 or even for myself My heart has been drawn out, as it never 
 was before, in love to all Christians. I now know what it is to 
 sympathize in their afflictions, and rejoice in their prosperity, 
 and they all seem to mo as my Father's family." 
 
 How all the work which he was now doing taxed his 
 energies, and drew on his vital powers, none but those who 
 have had a similar experience can well comprehend. At 
 the close of one of these weeks of unremitting labor he 
 writes, " I now conclude another week of care and toil, but 
 with no prospect of rest to-morrow. Seven days I labor and 
 do ray work. One half of the night is all the time I get for 
 repose. Sweet is the thought — there is rest in heaven." 
 The coveted relaxation at length came. He embarked on 
 board the steamer, which was to bear him once more over the 
 ocean, on the 20th of AjDril, and landed in Liverpool on the 
 2d of May. It was among his own cherished plans, strength- 
 ened by the ardent wishes of those who had generously con- 
 tributed to send him abroad, to extend his trip to the Holy 
 Land. Amid the sacred associations of Palestine he hoped 
 to find a new stimulus to his piety, and bear back to his 
 beloved flock a heai-t into which new life had been infused 
 l)y his contact with the scenes ever hallowed by the presence 
 of our blessed Lord and Master. We may judge of his dis- 
 r;|>pointment when we find that he is discouraged from mak- 
 ing the attempt to visit the East, by learning that there is a 
 probability that communication will be disturbed by war; 
 lliat the lateness of the season will render it hazardous to 
 make the attempt to go to Palestine; and moreover that the 
 vexatious quarantine arrangements, to which every one from 
 Egypt was subjected, will compel him to spend fifteen pre- 
 cious days at Jafila. As we shall see hereafter, he abandoned, 
 though reluctantly, his purpose to visit the Holy Land. 
 
 We shall give a few extracts from the journal of Dr. Stow, 
 written during this his second tour in Europe. 
 
266 JIEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 May 20. A beautiful day. I have passed it in the Grand Duchy of 
 Nassau. Went with jNIr. G. in the morning over the bridge to Castel, 
 and then b_y railway to Weisbaden, a faraoiis watering-place, where 
 thousands from all countries pass the warm season. It is the capital of 
 the duchy, situated in a beautiful valley at the base of the hills of the 
 Taunus, and is rich in saloons, gardens, and splendid private residences. 
 Visited the Greek Chapel, up on the side of a hill, in a forest — a splendid 
 little temple, dedicated to the service of the Greco-Russian church ; in 
 it is a beautiful recumbent statue of the first wife of the present grand 
 duke, who was a Russian princess, and died at the age of nineteen 
 years. Visited the hot spring, and drank of the water, which tasted 
 much like chicken-broth, rather salt. Looked in upon the ganibl«!rs, 
 men and women, with piles of gold and silver rapidly changing hands. 
 A sorry sight ! 
 
 On the 21st of May, he sailed down the Rhhie, admiring, 
 in common with all travellers, the beautiful scenery which 
 everywhere met the eye. Returning the same day, he passed 
 the Sabbath at Mayence. How this Sabbath was spent will 
 appear from the following : — 
 
 May 22. Hohj Sabbath. How shall I here "remember the Sabbath 
 day to keep it holy " ? Had some comfort this morning, upon my knees, 
 before my heavenly Father, thanking him for his mercies, supplicating 
 his favor upon my family, my flock, and myself. God is here as well as 
 in Boston ; but here are not, as there. Christian privileges. Would that 
 I could bow this morning, with my precious two, at our domestic altar! 
 Would that I could be in Rowe Street one hour to-day, and look on the 
 faces of my loved people, and speak to them of Jesus and his salvation ! 
 This is my fifth Sabbath away. Let me devote it wholly to God. This 
 my exile is a discipline, not joj'ous for the present, but rather grievous. 
 Help me rightly to view it, and to derive from it benefit. O that I may 
 return to my home a better man, more contented with my lot, more 
 . grateful for my blessings, more zealous in my ministry ! Surely I shall 
 be remembered and prayed for in Rowe Street to-day. Would that my 
 people could know how my heart goes out to God for them ! At eleven 
 went to the English Chapel, and made one of nine worshippers — seven 
 women and two men. It was a cheerless place. The swallows over- 
 head, feeding their j'oung, kept up a constant twittering. A burly 
 Scotchman mumbled the service of the Anglican church, and preached 
 a sermon from I\Iatt. xx. 8. I endeavoreil to worship, but did not suc- 
 ceed as I hoped. 0, give me the simplicity and solemnity of our Rowe 
 Street service I 
 
nEIDELBERG. 267 
 
 May 23. Frankfort on the Maine. At 10.40 this morning, I left 
 Maj'cnce on the Taunus railway, and arrived here at noon. News has 
 arrived of some hard fighting in Italy, and the excitement here is any- 
 thing but agreeable to me. Mr. Ricker, United States consul general, 
 whom I have just seen, is confident there is to be a general European 
 war. He expresses doubt as to the expediency of my going farther east, 
 and advises me to keep on ground where I can retreat at a moment's 
 notice. Eeally tliis is not very comforting. To God I commend my- 
 self, for he is my guide and my keeper. 
 
 May 24. The political horizon looks squally indeed. I may be obliged 
 again to change my plan of travel, and hasten out of Germany, perliaps 
 return to England, and even to America. Well, having surrendered 
 my main object, I can more easily give up any other portion of my 
 proposed tour. On Ilim who careth for me I cast all my care — trust 
 him to lead me in his own way. O that I may have grace to confide 
 in him ! 
 
 Heidelberg, May 25. At 10.20 A. M., I left Frankfort, and at 12.25 
 reached this place, stopping at " Prinz Carl." From my window I 
 look up the heiglits to the famous old castle, and down upon a square 
 filled with children engaged in all manner of sports. Now, at three 
 P. M., hear thunder for the first time in Europe. The day has been 
 very warm. After dinner took a fiacre, and rode up the Neckar, 
 then by a winding route ascended the mountain by way of the Wolfs- 
 brOnnen, where I saw immense numbers of trout in the terraced fish 
 ponds ; thence through forests and cultivated fields to the fine old castle, 
 which dates back more than five hundred and fifty j'ears. Through tliis 
 immense structure I followed my guide, a German young lady who 
 could speak " lettle Anglish," for more than an hour, up and down, and 
 round about, admiring and wondering. O, how my pleasure would have 
 been increased, tenfold, had my family been with me ! In all I enjoy, 
 the feeling steals over me that I am alone : to press on in my lonely 
 wanderings I am obliged to summon all my powers of will. There is 
 little pleasure in doing a thing because one must ; but whatever of pleas- 
 ure tiiere is, precisely that pleasure is mine. 
 
 Munich, May 27. At four P. M. rode out of the city to see the bronze 
 statue of Bavaria, sixty feet liigli, and weighing thirty-six thousand 
 nine hundred pounds. It is a beautiful work of art, and eligibly situated 
 on a high bank, overlooking a meadow which lies between it and the 
 city. From this position had a fine view of the Tyrolese Alps on the 
 one side, and a dark thunder-storm on the other. 
 
 Zurich, June 1. Walked to the reading-room, and saw the only 
 American paper, the Weekly New York Herald. In a shop window 
 saw a large " Bird's-eye View of Boston." O, how my heart leaped as I 
 recognized Rowe Street Church, Boylston Market, and, more than all, 
 
268 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Harrison Avenue, tlie very spot where I would be I I stood long and 
 gazed at the fiimiliar objects ; but O, how crushing the thought that I 
 am four thousand miles away ! 
 
 June G. A beautiful day this has been. At ten A. M. I went on 
 board a little steamer for an excursion up the lake. The scenery on 
 this lake is said to be the finest in Switzerland. If there is any finer, 
 I would go far to see it. 
 
 Stopped at Weggis to land a party who were going up the Rhigi, and 
 then wound about in almost every direction between mountains of im- 
 mense altitude and of all shapes. Interested in the basaltic formations. 
 On the right, at the bottom of a small bay, is KOsnacht, near where Wil- 
 liam Tell shot Gessler (the tyrant who sought to enslave Switzerland), 
 piercing his heart with an arrow. 
 
 Farther on is GrCltli, the place where Arnold, and Walter Fiirst, and 
 Stauffaeher, with thirty others, confederated, in 1307, with solemn oath, 
 to free their countr}'^ from Austrian oppression. On the left, near 
 .4gensburg, is the spot where Tell leaped ashore from the boat that was 
 bearing him, the prisoner of Gessler, marked by a little chapel built 
 in 1522. 
 
 At Fluelen, the termination of tlie lake, commences the road over the 
 Mount St. Gothard. Here Mr, McM. and myself hired a carriage and 
 rode to Altdorf, where are two fountains, the one surmounted by a rude 
 statue of Tell and his cross-bow, the other by a statue of Gessler. They 
 are eighty yards apart, the latter marking the spot where stood Tell's 
 little son Walter, with the apple on his head ; the former, the spot from 
 which the father, at tlie command of Gessler, shot the arrow through 
 the apple. 
 
 Then we rode up a brawling stream to Buglen, and saw the chapel 
 standing where Tell was born, and the place where he was drowned in 
 an attempt to rescue a child from the rushing torrent. The scenery 
 around this place is awfully grand. 
 
 Eeturned to Fluelen, dined, and reached Lucerne at six and a half 
 P. M. Seen much to-day to be remembered. Were I well, I would, as 
 Dr. Gould charged me, " go vp the Rhigi." The effort would be im- 
 prudent. 
 
 We had on the boat to-day, from Weggis to Lucerne, a school of fifty 
 bright boys, who, with their teachers, had taken an excursion. They 
 sang with spirit several Swiss songs, which added not a little to the 
 pleasvire of the trip. 
 
 Berne, .Tune 7. I have now been in eight of the twenty-two cantons. 
 I think better of Switzerland than I expected. I like not only the coun- 
 try, but the people. They are very industrious and civil. 
 
 Geneva, Hotel des Bergues, June 14. This morning took a carriage 
 alone, and went out to " Ferney," about four miles, a small village in a 
 
VOLTAIEE. 2G9 
 
 beautiful valley near the foot of the Jura range, and on the great road 
 over which my dear E. and myself passed May 14, 1841, by diligence to 
 Dijon and Paris. 
 
 The excursion was through a delightful country. How rich and lux- 
 uriant the vegetation I How loaded the atmosphere with floral perfume I 
 The farmers were cutting the grass in their hay-fields, and I tried to 
 imagine myself in some rural district of New England. 
 
 At Ferncy, for two francs, was permitted to see the private npart- 
 ments of Voltaire in his chateau, which is situated in the department do 
 I'Ain, France. He resided there from 1759 to 1777. The chateau is 
 not remarkable for its architecture, but resembles a plain, country 
 house. It is on a small eminence, a little soutii of the main road, and 
 nearly hidden by a forest of old oaks. Tlie grounds are prettily laid 
 out, and kept in fine order. The bed-chamber remains nearly in the 
 condition that he left it when he went to Paris to finish his career. In 
 1845, the Marquis de Villette placed in it the " mausolee pyramidal," 
 which contains the heart of Voltaire. Over the monument are the 
 words, " Mes manes sont consoles, puisque mon coeur est au milieu de 
 vous." Below is the inscription, " Son esprit est partout, et son ccEur 
 est ici." 
 
 There were busts, portraits, medallions, &c., of the man. Among the 
 pictures was one of Frederick the Great, of Prussia, the Empress 
 Theresa, of Austria, and an engraving of our own Washington. There 
 are the bed on which he slept, his chairs, his writing-table, &c., &c. 
 
 In the park I walked in the beautiful arbor where he was accustomed 
 to walk, and dictate to his secretary. Close by is tiie little stone 
 chapel, bearing the inscription, "Deo erexit Voltaire, 1761." When 
 superintending its erection, he jestingly said, " Si Dieu n'existait pas, 
 il faudrait I'inventer." Of course ho had no worship there. 
 
 When I was at Geneva before, I felt that I owed nothing to the mem- 
 ory of Voltaire, and declined visiting Ferney. My views are unchanged 
 as regards tiie man, but I wished to see the place where so many, in his 
 lifetime, visited him, and paid him a homage that he did not deserve. As 
 I looked at the various objects which so manj- travellers have de- 
 scribed, I could not forbear to think of his condition in the eternal 
 world. " Son esprit est partout; " but where? 
 
 If Universalism be true, then he is with Christ. When I refer to the 
 grounds on which he opposed the Christian religion, I find no manly 
 candor. When I see in what scenes of pliysical beauty he lived, with an 
 horizon filled with grand exhibitions of the divine power, I ask, How 
 could he have so perversely reasoned against the existence of the God 
 of the Bible? 
 
 Ah, the Bible contains the explanation in its disclosures respecting 
 human depravity. In every age, as men have appeared who united in 
 
270 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 themselves the sum of the heavenly vhtues, so also have men appeared 
 who were the concentration of all the evil elements of fallen human na- 
 ture. Voltaire was the impersonation of that inspired truth, " The car » 
 nal mind is enmity against God." His heart was the expository of hate. 
 What of real good did he not hate? With abilities that raiglit have 
 made him a great blessing to the world, he was really a signal curse. 
 And yet God employed him indirectly as a means for the accomplish- 
 ment of great and good ends. 
 
 Since Voltaire went to his final account, leaving so much evil in- 
 fluence to damage the world, Christianity has made niore progress than 
 it had previously made for many centuries. Christ has shown himself 
 to be the Living Head of his empire. On him the crown has flourished. 
 His enemies he has clothed with shame. O, my Saviour, I adore thee 
 the more profoundly, and I love thee the more fervently, as the result 
 of this day's observations and reflections. Thou art the King of Kings, 
 and Lord of Lords. Tliine enemies die, but thou, who wast dead, liv- 
 est, and art alive forevermore, and hast tlie keys of hell and of death. 
 At thy feet I fall ; to thee I render homage ; in thy power and promise I 
 ■confide ; on thy blood and righteousness I depend ; to thee I consecrate 
 myself for time and eternity. O that I may love thee more, serve 
 thee better, and dwell with thee forever! To be where thou art is 
 heaven. 
 
 Since writing as above, I have compared my thoughts and feelings 
 while at Ferney with those whicli I had, but did not record, as I stood 
 over the resting-place of the inortal part of John Calvin. How diflferent 
 the man of the sixteenth century from tlie man of the eighteenth ! The 
 one held up the " Light of Life" to enlighten the nations, the other la- 
 bored to extinguish that Light, and to darken both the present and the 
 future pathway of humanity. 
 
 Is Universalism true? Are John Calvin and Voltaire both in heaven? 
 Are they now engaged in similar pursuits ? 
 
 London, July 24. Holy Sabbath. Went in the morning to the Scotch 
 church, in Crown Court, and heard llev. Dr. Gumming. Had a front 
 Beat in the gallery. The services lasted two hours. Singing four times, 
 three prayers, reading, and exposition of Scripture, and sermon. The 
 doctor preached a very simple, jilain, rich gospel sermon, from Matt. 
 xxvi. 19, on the significance of the passover. I was instructed and 
 delighted. Saw him afterwards in the vestry. Went with Mr. Ciiild, in 
 the evening, to New Park Street Church, and heard Mr. Spurgeon. He 
 was in his best mood, and he answered my conception of him as formed 
 from his printed sermons. Text, Ps. Ixxxiv. 5, "Blessed is the man 
 whose strength is in thee." 
 
 July 28. After dinner proceeded by railway to Kettering, and visited 
 the house in which Andrew Fuller lived and died, and the chapel in 
 
JOUEXAL. 271 
 
 wliicli he preached, and the house in wliich the Baptist Missionary 
 Society was formed in 1792. Keceived special attentions from a Mr. 
 Toller, son of the Independent minister of that name, who was con- 
 temporary with Fuller. 
 
 Went to Norlliampton, on tlie River Nen ; visited the chapels in which 
 the Kylands preached ; also Dr. Doddridge's chapel, where we saw his 
 likeness, chair, table, &c. 
 
 Came to Blisworth, and then took a fly nine iniles to Olney. Saw 
 Cowper's house and garden — the summer-house where, it is said, he 
 wrote The Task. Went to John Newton's house, and were | ad- 
 niittted to the church in which he and Thomas Scott preached. At 
 Bedford we were shown a small cabinet that belonged to John Bunyan. 
 Kev. John Gill was born at Kettering. 
 
 July 31. Iloly Sabbath. A briglit, beautiful day. In the morning 
 went to the Scotch Church, Ecgent Square, where the erratic Edward 
 Irving formerly preaclied. Heard Dr. Hamilton on Rev. i. 6 — " The 
 priestliood of believers." A very good discourse — well delivered. The 
 congregation sang from the Scotch version of the Psalms and Scripture 
 paraphrases. I have thus heard the four great preachers of London, 
 Noel, Camming, Hamilton, and Spurgeon. They have given me sound 
 doctrine, but none of them said anything adapted, as I conceive, to 
 awaken and convert sinners. 
 
 Evening. Heard Rev. Dr. Brock, at Bloorasbury Chapel, from James 
 ii. 20. It was every way the best sermon I have heard in England. 
 
 Belfast, Ireland, August 17. At one P. M. attended a Union prayer- 
 uieeting. More than a thousand persons were present, among whom 
 were at least sixty clergymen. The services, conducted by an Episcopal 
 clergyman, consisted wliolly of reading Scripture, prayer, and singing. 
 A revival of great power is now prevailing in Belfast, and other parts 
 of Ulster. 
 
 August 18. Have devoted myself to inquiries respecting the revival. 
 Walked out into one of the suburbs, and visited Ewart's Row, a collec- 
 tion of small tenements occupied by the families of operatives in linen 
 mills. There we saw a gathering of convert*, among them one young 
 woman who had been '^ si7-uck down," and just "gained hope." I con- 
 versed with her as I would with an inquirer at home, and was delighted 
 with all she said. Three clergymen were present, one an Episcopalian, 
 from London, one a Baptist, from Darlington, England, and one from 
 Scotland. They had all come to observe " the work." And all testified 
 that they were fully convinced that it is the work of God. I cannot 
 record a tenth part of what I have learned, and must refer to a large 
 collection of printed documents. At one open-air meeting I was pleased 
 with the decorum and solemnity. 
 
272 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Boston, September 9. Here at last. Home again. The Europa, 
 Captain Leitch, left Liverpool at ten A. M., August 27, bearing one hun- 
 dred and fifty-three passengers. She took the northerly passage, around 
 the north coast of Ireland. The voyage was protracted by constant head 
 winds, and much of it very rough. "We reached the wharf at East 
 Boston to-day about noon. Find dear ones well. O, the goodness of 
 God I Let me not fail to be thankful. 
 
DR. CHILD S REMINISCENCES. 273 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Reminiscences by Dr. Child. — Letters from Europe. — Corre- 
 spondence. 
 
 Rev. W. C. Child, D. D., has furnished the following remi- 
 niscences of his excursions with Dr. Stow to various localities 
 in England, and we doubt not they will be read with interest. 
 
 "In the summer of 1859 I met Dr. Stow in London. He 
 had been spending some time on the Continent ; but, as he 
 was alone, he had failed to obtain from his journeyings the 
 pleasure and profit which he had anticipated. He seemed to 
 me peculiarly unfitted to be a solitary traveller. His timid 
 nature shrank from that contact with the rough w^orld which 
 a tourist's position necessitates ; and hence he neglected to see 
 many things which would have greatly delighted him. I was 
 certain, from what he said of his continental wanderings, that 
 this was the case. He was lonely and sad. His joy, how- 
 ever, Avas great at meeting the members of my family and 
 myself Our fimiliar faces reminded him of home, and, in- 
 deed, seemed to constitute a part of home, especially as that 
 term was associated in his mind with Boston, where he had 
 lived so many years. 
 
 "As I had several days of leisure, I proposed to him and 
 Drs. Gillette and Phelps, who were also stopping in London 
 at that time, an excursion of two or three days to certain 
 localities, with which is intimately associated the memory of 
 some of Christ's servants, whose names are embalmed in the 
 church's heart, and of certain events which have had, and are 
 still having, a powerful influence on the Christian development 
 of the age. I refer to such places as Bedford, Elstow, Car- 
 18 
 
27-i MEMOIR OF DU. STOW. 
 
 dington, Kettering, Northampton, and Olncy, ■svitli wirich wc 
 connect the names of John Banyan, John Howard, Andrew 
 Fuller, Philip Doddridge, Jolin Rylaud, William Cowper, 
 Thomas Scott, John Newton, and others. I was confident 
 that Dr. Stow's heart, keeidy alive to true excellence of Chris- 
 tian character, would bound with joy amid scenes and locali- 
 ties so sacred. He was in full sympathy Avith that great 
 evangelical movement of which these men were such distin- 
 guished representatives. Their history was familiar to him ; 
 and I knew that, as we might pass from point to point in our 
 contemjilated excursion, he would be ready to appreciate every 
 element of interest. So that, however reluctant his sensitive, 
 shrinking temperament might render him to join in it, he 
 would enjoy it with the liveliest pleasure when actually under- 
 taken. 
 
 " This was literally true. He hesitated about going, seemed 
 incredulous as to whether it would prove enjoyable, but was 
 finally prevailed upon to accom2:)any us. We set ovit early in 
 the morning by rail, and arrived at Bedford, some seventy 
 miles from London, about nine o'clock. After breakfasting, 
 we proceeded in our researches, first visiting the chapel be- 
 longing to the church of which Bunyan was pastor, where, 
 besides other objects of interest, we saw an old arm-chair, in 
 which he used to sit when presiding at the church meetings — 
 a memento of him for which the owners have refused the 
 sum of a hundred guineas. Kcpairing to the house of the 
 pastoi', we had the satisfaction of seeing some articles of fur- 
 niture which had been owned and used by Bunyan, The 
 place was pointed out to us where stood the bridge over the 
 Ouse, in a structure at the end of which lie spent twelve years 
 of ])rison life, and where his immortal allegory, the Pilgrim's 
 Progress, had its birth. Then we rode to Elstow, and visited 
 that lowly and unique cottage in which he was born ; then 
 to Cardington, the seat of John Howard, the world-renowned 
 philanthropist, where we found interesting memorials of that 
 remarkable man. Certain|y not one of the 2:)arty could have 
 had more enthusiasm amid such scenes than Dr. Stow. His 
 
VISIT TO KETTEUINCx AND NORTHAMPTON. 275 
 
 soul seemed to kindle into a sacred rapture as he trod on soil 
 and visited localities tliat had been consecrated by men of so 
 exalted worth as John Bunyan and John Howard, 
 
 " The next point of interest in tliis excursion was Kettering, 
 where Andrew Fuller lived and labored so long, and where 
 tlie English Baptist Mission;]ry Society was formed in 1792. 
 There we entered the 2)ulpit in which Fuller preached, and 
 stood by the side of the grave in which he sleeps, and looked 
 up the street in which Dr. Gill lived. Surely Dr. Stow could 
 not be there witliout a quickened pulse ! Every feature and 
 movement bore witness to the deep interest he felt. And 
 ■when we went with Dr. Toller, son of that pious Independent 
 minister who so many years lived and labored side by side 
 Avith Fuller, in affectionate and coniiding intercourse, and with 
 whose life and character the beautiful Memoir written by 
 Robert Hall makes us so well acquainted, to visit the house 
 in which the broad-minded and noble founders of missions in 
 India did their first work, and planted the seed from which has 
 grown so great and fruitful a tree, no one of the party felt more 
 jtrpfoundly than Dr. Stow the inspiriting influence of the i^lace. 
 "We were on the very spot where the men sat, and counselled, 
 and prayed, who ' attemjDted great things for God, and ex- 
 pected great things from God ;' and while there our dear broth- 
 er's soul was radiant Avith a peculiar joy, which discovered 
 itself in every feature and lineament of his expressive face. 
 
 "As we were entering Northampton, on the morning of the 
 second day. Dr. Stow was in a difl^erent mood, doubtless suf- 
 fering a reaction from the strong and pleasing excitement 
 through which he had passed on the previous day. He could 
 not see Avhat we had come to Northampton for ! ' Surely 
 nothing can be found in this dull place to charm or interest 
 lis.' I reasoned Avith him. I assured him that we should 
 find something. He seemed incredulous ; but I Avas confident 
 that, if he would patiently persevere, he Avould be rewarded, 
 and told him so ; that a place Avliere Philip Doddridge lived 
 and died could not be barren in objects and associations dear 
 to the heart of the Christian ; and that a short time would 
 
276 MEMOIR OF DM. STOAV. 
 
 undoubtedly bring to view what would delight us. Never 
 did I see him in a more depressed or unhopeful mood. Soon, 
 however, we found our way to the place where the elder Ry- 
 land used to preach ; and subsequently, after much effort, we 
 were standing in the vestry connected with Doddridge's 
 Chapel. Then it was that the doctor's susceptible heart was 
 aroused, and responded to the sweet influences of the place. 
 Before us stood the identical table on which Doddridge wrote 
 the Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul — a Christian 
 classic, with which no one, perhaps, was more familiar than 
 our dear brother. There was also the chair Avhich that same 
 saintly man occupied while engaged in the composition of 
 that immortal work. Hanging in frames on the walls of the 
 vestry were the letters containing the call of Doddri<lge to 
 the pastoral care of the church, and his acceptance of the call, 
 the latter in his own handwriting. Through a side door we 
 passed into the chapel, and there entered the pulpit in which 
 he was accustomed to preach. The pew that Colonel James 
 Gardiner and family used to occupy was pointed out to us, 
 lined with green baize, and different in that respect from all 
 the others. Here it was that Dr. Stow's enthusiasm reached 
 its culmination. Raising his hands, his face beaming with 
 joy, he exclaimed, ' This is deeply interesting ! This is glo- 
 rious ! ' I could not help saying to him, ' Doctor, haven't 
 we found something in Northampton ? ' ' O, yes,' he re- 
 sponded. ' How glad I am we came to this place ! ' 
 
 " In walking around the town, we passed by the building 
 known as Doddridge's College, erected originally for the 
 education of yomig men for the ministry, but subsequently 
 converted into residences, on account of the failure of the 
 enterprise. Our visit to Northampton closed with a call on 
 the late J. E. Ryland, Esq., the biographer of John Foster, 
 whom we found cordial and agreeable. I may safely say, 
 from the manifestations of interest which he gave, that that 
 brief stay at Northampton was one of the most pleasing in- 
 cidents of Dr. Stow's life. 
 
 " In carrying out our plan, we turned our steps towards one 
 
HOME OF COWPEK. 277 
 
 more interesting locality. This was Olney, a quiet, se- 
 cluded town, nine miles from the railway, and with which 
 are associated mcMuories of John Newton, Thomas Scott, and 
 William Cowper. Wo rode in a fly from the station to the 
 village, passing through Newport Pagnell, a name familiar 
 to those who are acquainted with the life and writings of 
 the poet. We easily found our way to the house in which 
 Cowper lived with Mrs. Unwin. We went into that little 
 parlor, whose windows look out upon the principal square of 
 the town, and wdiere the poet spent so many pleasant hours 
 with his ever-faithful friend. There Avas the grate, which 
 used to be all aglow with its cheerful fire in the gloom of 
 winter, and on which the kettle would sing its song, as if re- 
 joicing to make these good peo])le happy by aiding in the 
 ]n-eparation of that beverage ' whicli cheers but not inebri- 
 ates.' This was the ' loophole of his retreat ' from which 
 he was accustomed to look out u]5on the Avorld ; and here 
 could have been seen the original of that picture of domestic 
 life which his inimitable pencil invested with so many charms. 
 " In the rear of the house was the poet's garden — a favorite 
 resort of his. There we saw standing, leafless and dead, the 
 apple tree which was planted by himself. Its history and 
 associations keep it from destruction, and no vandal hand is 
 allowed to come upon it. In the same enclosure is the ' sum- 
 mer house,' still well preserved, which was Cowper's favorite 
 resort. Here he loved to compose. Here, it is said, the 
 Task was written, as also that familiar and beautiful hymn — 
 
 •There is a fountain filled with blood, 
 Drawn from Imnianuel's veins.' 
 
 Here we sat down and sang some stanzas of it, more deeply 
 impressed, if possible, by the thought that this was the place 
 of its inspiration. 
 
 " It could not be otherwise than that Dr. Stow's soul should 
 be thrilled amid such scenes, and by the thoughts and emo- 
 tions they engendered. At every place referred to he was 
 deeply interested. Those good men whose lives had been 
 
278 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 associated with these localities seemed to him to have a more 
 real existence, although they had all passed away, and their 
 names only remained. And we cannot but think with pleas- 
 ure of the delightful acquaintance with them which he has 
 since formed in the ' better land,' where the hand of sorrow 
 no more presses uj^on the sj^irit, and the tear of sorrow no 
 more moistens the eye." 
 
 From among the many letters which Dr. Stow wrote while 
 in Europe, we select a few, only regretting that we must 
 confine ourselves to these few. 
 
 To his wife. 
 
 Waterloo Hotel, Liverpool, Room No. 10, May 2, 18.19. 
 
 How often did I hear you say you would feel relieved when assured 
 that I was " safely over." Well, here I am, a fresh monument of God's 
 preserving goodness. O that I could telegraph you one word — safe ! 
 
 I tried to keep a journal on shipboard, but could not write; did my 
 best to bear up by keeping on deck. At two o'clock this morning we 
 dropped anchor in the Mersey. At nine, thanks to Captain Hiler, I 
 found a good room at the Waterloo. 
 
 Now, my dearest, join me in special gratitude to our faithful Father, 
 who never disappoints the confidence of his children. AVe had news, 
 at Halifax, of the aspect of affairs on the continent, that sadly disheart- 
 ened me. War has commenced, and there is scarcely a probability I 
 shall venture into the Mediterranean. All on board of the Canada, 
 bound for Italy, gave up, this morning, that part of their plans. I sliall 
 wait till I get to London before I decide upon my course. 
 
 May 3. Here I am in London, at the Golden Cross Hotel, Charing 
 Cross. The day has been remarkably pleasant, the country green, and 
 the orchards in full bloom. Called on our friend JMrs. Moore this P. M. 
 She received me very cordially, and constrained me to remain to tea. 
 
 The opinions of my bankers, and of our legation, are decidedly 
 adverse to my attempt to go east. Hundreds of travellers bound east, 
 through tlie Mediterranean, have given up their purposes. I could go 
 round by the Bay of Biscay and the Straits of Gibraltar, but it would 
 be nearly as far as to go home, and by a most comfortless route. 
 
 I shall do my best to go farther, but you may learn, in my next letter, 
 I am shut up in Europe. A failure to reach the Holy Land will be the 
 first great disappointment of my life. You will regret it, my people 
 will regret it ; but neither you nor they would have me rashly adventu- 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 279 
 
 rous. I am now more anxious than ever to accomplish an object upon 
 wiiich my heart has long been intent, and I know not how to be recon- 
 ciled to the result. 
 
 I am shut up to faitli in the lesson of my last sermon — Trust and 
 pray. I endeavor calmly to rely on God. My plans are likely to be 
 superseded by his, which must be better than mine. 
 
 To his daughter. 
 
 Hotel Wagram, Paris, May 9, 1859. 
 
 Tlmrsday, the 6tli, I came to Paris. Here too I have sought counsel, 
 and all dissuade me from venturing out of Europe. This disappoint- 
 ment in tlie primary part of my plan has been very severe. Three 
 things are quite certain. 
 
 1. I am at least six weeks too late to make it prudent for me to go 
 into the Levant. 
 
 2. If I go, I cannot ref^nter Europe by the way of the Adriatic and 
 Venice; for the gulf is blockaded, and not an Austrian steamer is run- 
 ning anywhere on the Mediterranean. Consequently, to get into 
 Europe, I should liave to come back to Marseilles, and very likely 
 round to England, by the Strait of Gibraltar. 
 
 3. None are now venturing over my proposed route by Egypt and 
 Syria, and I should have io go alone, which all tell me would be 
 madness. 
 
 Paris is daily sending off soldiers to the seat of war; thousands have 
 passed under my windows. Poor fellows ! going like cattle to the 
 slaughter ! 
 
 Evening. Called on Messrs. Munroe and Company, bankers. There 
 met an American gentleman just from the East. In telling him of my 
 plan of travel, he at once said, " You cannot prudently go." Several 
 gentlemen concurred in his advice ; thus I have not found one person 
 who has encouraged me to proceed. 
 
 Tiie emperor is to leave Paris to-morrow, to place himself at the 
 head of liis army in Piedmont. You cannot image tlie excitement 
 through all Europe; you should be here, to understand tlie agitation of 
 feeling, and painful apprehensions of a general continental war. 
 
 Accept a telegraphic kiss thirty-four hundred miles long, each of you. 
 Remember me to all my dear people. 
 
 To liis wife. 
 
 Hotel Wagram, Paris, May 9, 1859. 
 
 Have just mailed letters to M. and Deacon L. The interruption in 
 my plan of travel has been a severe trial. From the time of my meet- 
 ing the war news at Liverpool, I liave been thrown as never before 
 
280 MEMOIR OP DR. STOW. 
 
 directly upon God. I turned, as a child, to my heavenly Father, and 
 said, " I will trust him at all times ; I will pour out my heart hefore 
 hira." My constant prayer has been, " Lord, direct thy perplexed ser- 
 vant; show me what will please thee." From day to day the darkness 
 thickened, but my confidence in him did not waver, and he has now 
 given me peace. 
 
 I propose now to proceed to Strasbourg, Frankfort, and Mayence ; so 
 my nest letter will be from the banks of the Rhine. 
 
 While I now write, the Archbishop of Paris is saying high mass in the 
 chapel of the Tuileries, preparatory to the departure of the emperor. 
 Soon we shall hear of terrible slaughter, such as Europe has not seen 
 since the days of Napoleon I. 
 
 To-day the Convention meets in New York to consider great denom- 
 inational questions. May God preside over all the meetings, and give 
 all the brethren one heart and one way. 
 
 Accustomed as I am to lean upon you, I now understand how de- 
 pendent I am upon you. During the past week I would have given a 
 hundred dollars for two words of advice from yourself. But that was 
 impossible. My trust was in God, and to him alone I had access. Ex- 
 plain, please, my position to the proper friends. 
 
 To bis daughter. 
 
 Paris, May 12. 
 
 This morning I met Dr. H. and wife, of Boston, who has been nearly 
 two years in the East. He says, " Under existing circumstances it 
 would be rashness for me to venture beyond Europe." 
 
 After a lunch at two P. M., rode to the Bois de Boulogne, beyond 
 the Champs Elysees and L'Arc Triomphale de I'Etoile. The air was 
 soft and balmy, the forest in full foliage, the shrubbery and grass 
 in full bloom. I can give you no description of the scene, surpass- 
 ing anything that I ever conceived of physical loveliness. The 
 avenues were full of carriages, from the very simplest, like my cab- 
 riolet, to the state coach of the " Petit Prince." What gayety, frivolity, 
 display ! 
 
 At a central point, under a broad canopy, was an immense orches- 
 tra; and there I sat for an hour listening to music such as I never 
 before heard. It brought tears to my unmusical nature, and I was 
 reminded how much you both would have enjoyed it. 
 
 To-morrow I start for the Rhine. In thus turning from my in- 
 tended route, I feel sad indeed. All the trials of my life embodied 
 would not equal this. My purpose now is to see as much of Ger- 
 many as I can, and, if the fortunes of war permit, pass round through 
 Switzerland to Geneva. 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 281 
 
 May 10. I'm here in Strasbourg, on the ea.stern frontier of France, 
 in this old city of sixty thousand inhabitants, and strongly fortified. 
 The journey from Paris has been a delightful one. The distance of 
 three liundred and twelve and a lialf miles was acconiplislied in 
 eleven iiours and twenty minutes. Two Frencii gentlemen, with their 
 wives, occupied the same carriage witii me. As tliey could speak 
 Anglaise a ' leetle small," and 1 Frencli about the same, conversation 
 was iiard work. 
 
 To-day I have been to the Grand Cathedral, of which I had 
 often read, but of whose architectural grandeur and beauty I had 
 no conception. There is the famous astronomical clock, one of the 
 wonders of human ingenuity. Descriptions I shall reserve for that 
 happy future when we three shall meet. 
 
 Visited the Lutheran Clmrch of St. Omer, where are the tomb of 
 Marshal Saxe and tiie embalmed body of the famous Count of Nassau, 
 after more tlian four Imndred years in a good state of preservation ; 
 also the house of the architect of the cathedral, where are preserved 
 his models of the various parts of the structure. 
 
 I walked outside of the city, through the grand promenade, looking 
 beyond the Rhine at the German mountains. Though this is a French 
 city, the people are mostly German. 
 
 It is Saturday niglit, and I am tliinking who will occupy my pulpit to- 
 morrow. God bless you and all my dear people. 
 
 To bis Avife. 
 
 Hotel d'Angleterke, Mayence, May 16. 
 
 Left Strasbourg this morning at ten minutes after seven, and arrived 
 at ten minutes after one P. M. — distance one hundred and seventy- 
 five miles. Passed through Wissembourg, Neustadt, Ludwigshafen, 
 Worms, &c. 
 
 I have a room looking out upon the river, and the bridge of boats 
 leading to Castel, on the opposite bank. This is a very old city, and in 
 tiie wars of Germany has had a conspicuous place. 
 
 May 20. A beautiful da}', warm and exhilarating. Mr. J. and my- 
 self have been over the river into the Grand Duchy of Nassau. Went 
 first to the Weisbaden, a famous watering-place, visited in summer by 
 thousands from all countries. 
 
 Drank of the hot springs, visited many places of interest, looked in 
 upon the gamblers, engaged — men and women — in their diabolical 
 work. AValked through miles of gardens, ascended tlie hills back of the 
 town, passing through rye-fields, grass-fields, vineyards, &c., among flow- 
 ers and singing birds innumerable. Then came down to Bieberich, on the 
 lihine. Walked in the ducal park, lunched in a coffee garden, return- 
 ing to Mayence in a little steamer. 
 
282 MEMOIE OF DR. STOW. 
 
 May 21. Kose at lialf past four this morning, and saw the sun rise'. 
 Went on board tlie Stadt Bonn for a trip down the llhine. Tlie day 
 was one of the loveliest, and the scenery surpassing in bsauty anything 
 I ever beheld in the terrestial. 
 
 May 22. At eleven A. M. went to the English Chapel, and made one 
 of nine worshippers — seven women and two men. A burly Scotchman 
 mumbled the Episcopal service, and muttered a short sermon. I tried 
 to worship, but could not, so gave myself up to home thouglits, loving 
 better than ever the simplicity and solemnity of Rowe Street service. 
 
 To his wife. 
 
 Frankfort on the Maine, May 23. 
 
 Crossing the Rhine to Castel, took the Taunus Railway and came 
 through a most beautiful country. Among the grasses in full bloom I 
 recognized the daisy, the buttercup, and red clover, of our own land. 
 
 I am here at the Hotel de Hollande. Living at hotels in Germany is 
 much cheaper than in England or France. I like the Germans, and 
 get along better with tlieir language than I feared. 
 
 Now, my dear, may grace, mercy, and peace be ^-ours continually-, 
 and a pastor's affectionate regards to all the members of his flock. 
 
 May 24. I am still in Frankfort. To-day the news is threatening. 
 Thirty-one thousand troops from Austria and Bavaria are moving to- 
 wards the Rhine, monopolizing the railways, to the great annoyance of 
 travellers. 
 
 For three hours I have been sight-seeing. To one, however, who has 
 seen the galleries of art in Rome and Florence, those here seem flimsy 
 concerns. I am most interested in places of historic association, such 
 as the window from which Luther preached to a crowd in the street, the 
 house in which Goethe was born, the birthplace of the Rothschilds, — the 
 money kings of Europe, — the spot where the Prince of Hesse fell in bat- 
 tle, the old cemetery, the cathedral in which the emperors, for nearly 
 nine hundred years, were successively crowned, &c. 
 
 After dining, I took a "fly" and rode around the city, admiring the 
 environs, the beautiful groves of linden and button-wood, the gardens, 
 the promenades, the residences of tlie wealthy, then far away up and 
 down the river and the cultivated country. 
 
 Heidelberg is a small, old town, of much historic interest. Arrived 
 here to-day to dine. Situated on the River Neckar, at the base of a 
 range of high hills, it is a pleasant place, much frequented by foreigners, 
 who coiue here to spend the summer. It is forty-nine degrees twenty- 
 four minutes north latitude, seven north of Boston, and yet the season 
 is a month earlier. It is twenty-six degrees eighteen minutes east long., 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 283 
 
 about nincty-scvcn degrees east of Boston, adifTerence of more than six 
 hours; its population about fifteen thousand, of wiioni six hundred are 
 students in the University. It belongs to the Palatinate, under the 
 Grand Duke of Baden. 
 
 Evening. Have been up and down the Neckar. Ascended the hill 
 to the castle, the most remarkable in Europe. I can give you no idea 
 of the picturesque, beautiful, grand views. I have been enrapture 1. 
 Far down, tlie Neckar flowed rapidly on its way to the Rhine, which 
 seemed, in the hazy distance, like a ribbon of silver. Beyond were tlie 
 Vosges Mountains. The whole valley appeared like a garden tastefully 
 cultivated. 
 
 I had a fine sunset view of the castle from the opposite side of the 
 river. Bought some flowers and strawberries from a little girl, then 
 returned, past nine, to enjoy the twilight. 
 
 To-morrow 1 push on. 
 
 To his wife. 
 
 Munich, May 27. 
 
 This has been a busy day. Joined a party from New York, and went 
 through all of the king's palace. Visited churches, gardens, obelisks, 
 statues, and a multitude of other objects. Munich in every respect ex- 
 ceeds my expectations, and j'ct I have hardly begun to see it. 
 
 The news to-day from Italy is exciting. You can scarcely imagine 
 how feverish is the mind of all Germany respecting the war. The sym- 
 pathy is strongly with Austria. O, how Napoleon III. is here hated ! 
 
 May 29. At eleven A. M. I went to the English Chapel, but found it 
 overfilled, and then strolled away north, out of the city, among the trees 
 and green fields. There I could worship. In the shade of the lindens 
 and chestnuts I breathed the sweet air and meditated. Having read in 
 the morning the thirty-first and thirty-second Psalms, I had themes of 
 reflection. The hum of the gay, Sabbathless city I scarcely heard. 
 Nature was in her loveliest attire, and trees, grass, flowers, birds, 
 insects, all spoke a language I could understand. 
 
 A JIunicli paper announced, yesterday, an American Baron had taken 
 apartments at the Bilj-ererishschen Hof. 
 
 The dear people of my care are now collecting for afternoon worship. 
 Commending them and you to the grace of God, I seek rest. Blessings 
 on you two. My heart reaches them by way of the mercy-seat. 
 
 To his daughter. 
 
 Lucerne, June 4, 1859. 
 I thank you warmly for your two good letters. Continue, my daugh- 
 ter, to supply me with every item of information you can think of. May 
 
284 MEMOIR OF DR, STOW. 
 
 you never know wliat it is to be alone, four thousand miles from home, 
 and to hear from those you love only once in a fortniglit. Perhaps in my 
 letters I have said too much about my loneliness ; but how could I sup- 
 press the fticts? My only refuge has been prayer, and thus far God has 
 kept me. I hope the worst is past ; but the future, the three months re- 
 maining — O, how long! 
 
 I have just walked a little out of town, to sec the monument of which 
 I send you a picture. It is a colossal lion, cut in the face of a high, per- 
 pendicular rock, and commemorates the Swiss Guards who fell at Paris, 
 August 10, 1792, in defence of the royal family. It is after a model by 
 Thorwaldsen, and is a superior work of art. The place is surrounded 
 by forest trees, and in front of the rock is a limpid pool fed by springs 
 that trickle down in miniature cascades. Lucerne has a population of 
 about ten tliousand, and is situated on both sides of the Reuss which 
 empties by the lake into the Rhine. On the one side is Mount Pilati, on 
 the other the Rhigi. This lake is said to be the grandest in mountain 
 scenery in all Switzerland. On Monday, I hope to go up the lake and 
 see. My health will hardly allow me to ascend the Rhigi ; and indeed I 
 shall probably leave Switzerland after having looked vp rather than 
 down upon her grand scenery. In my letter to mamma, I have stated 
 the fixcts of my physical condition. By prudence I hope to prevent my 
 case from becoming chronic; but it will be a sacrifice of health to climb 
 these mountains. Besides, my cough is harsh, and my throat and lungs 
 will not endure the air in the region of snow. 
 
 June 5. A very rainy day. I pass it in my chamber — reading, 
 writing, thinking. The town is very still. No sounds reach my ear but 
 the ripple of the lake on the levee beneath my window, and the hourly 
 bell of the grand old cathedral. The day is very, very long. I wish I 
 could transfer myself, for a part of it, to dear Rowe Street, and see who 
 is in the pulpit and who are in the pews. 
 
 To his Avife. 
 
 Zurich (Swissk), June 1, 1859. 
 On Monday, the 30th ultimo, I forwarded a letter to you, my precious 
 wife, from Munich, via Liverpool. Then I went with Mr. F., an Ameri- 
 can student from Michigan, to visit the Glyptothek, or gallery of sculp- 
 ture, and other interesting objects. Then I joined a Mr. A., of New 
 York, in a ride of two hours in the environs of the city. I could have 
 spent a week or more in Munich, for I was delighted with the place, and 
 my expenses were reasonably moderate ; but the climate did not agree 
 with me — the days were so hot and the nights so cold. Yesterday 
 morning I rose at three and a half o'clock, and started for this place. 
 Passed through Augsburg, Kimpten, Lindau, Romanshorn, and Winter* 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 285 
 
 then, a journey of twelve hours — more than two liundretl and fifty 
 miles. Had tlie snow-clad Alps in view nearly all the wa}'. Some of 
 the views were magnificent, and, ill as I was, I enjoyed them. From 
 Lindau to Romanshorn was hy a steamer, through Lake Constance. As 
 the daj' was warm, I sat on deck and admired the heautiful, the pic- 
 turesque, the grand! Here I am at the Hotel BcUevue, and have a 
 corner room on the zweiter stock {seconde etage), looking out upon the 
 debouchure of Lake Zurich. A few English are here, but no Ameri- 
 cans. It is a town of sixteen thousand inhabitants, bcaiitifully situated 
 on both sides of the Lemraat, which empties the lake into the Elune. 
 The ragged, snowy Alps tower high beyond the southern end of the 
 lake. Went to the reading-room, and found the New York Herald, and 
 various English papers. Am looking-for letters to niglit. Shall I not 
 devour them? 
 
 Evening. Kept my bed till seven. I read God's word and bowed in 
 prayer, with my window open, not like Daniel, towards Jerusalem, but 
 like your husband, towards Boston. It is a refreshing thought, that six 
 or seven hours hence you will remember me before God my preserver. 
 It is good to trust in him at all times, and to pour out the heart be- 
 fore him. 
 
 June 2. Another mail has come in, and no letter. Well, I can wait 
 for the next. It is " Ascension Day." The shops are closed, and the 
 people throng the churches. It seems like a New England Sabbath. 
 Kept quiet till towards evening, then took a cup of tea with bread and 
 honey ; and as, in the condition of my health, I could not walk, and, as I 
 greatly needed fresh air, I went on board of a gondola just under my 
 window, and was rowed a few miles up the lake. I was alone, and 
 made the excursion in silence. The lake lies in the form of a crescent, 
 between high hills. The shores are lined with pretty villages, and the 
 slopes of the hills, highly cultivated, are dotted with white dwellings that 
 have an air of thrift and elegance. Along the south and south-west 
 horizon tower the mighty Alps, looking rough and cold. The descend- 
 ing sun was hot, but I was sheltered by an awning. 1 made an effort to 
 enjoy the scenery, and partially succeeded; but I wanted some one to 
 whom I could speak a single sentence. 
 
 Evening. At six o'clock I was walking in front of the hotel, and form- 
 ing my plans for leaving to-morrow, when I saw the postman coming. 
 I sprang towards him, and at once caugiit sight of a letter bearing my 
 name. The letter had stopped at Basel, and only by a kind Providence 
 had reached me. 
 
 Lucerne, June 4. I left Zurich this morning quite too much indis- 
 posed to journey, and yet hoping that change of scene might revive me. 
 The direct distance was only about forty miles, and yet, to avoid the dili- 
 gence, I came hy rail through B;iden, Aarau, and Olten, nearly a hundred 
 
286 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 miles. The route was through heautiful vallej-s shut in by snow- 
 covered mountains. I am very happily disappointed in this part 
 of Switzerland. There is much of industry and thrift. The people 
 interest me more than any I have yet seen. 1 am at the Gasthof zum 
 Schuanen, with a room looking up the lake, a beautiful sheet of water, 
 blue as the Ehone, embosomed in high mountains. Before me, too, is 
 the Rhigi, of which you heard the B.'s speak. I can see distinctly the 
 hotel on the summit. 
 
 June 5. This is my seventh Sabbath away. It rains, and the clouds 
 cover all the mountains. Alone in my chamber I have read Psalms 
 xlii.-xlviii. Never before have I so valued and relished the blessed 
 Bible. By it my Father speaks to me words of instruction and com- 
 fort. This has been the happiest.Sabbath since I left home. Though 
 very unwell, I have found my chamber a Bethel. My thoughts riso out 
 of this deep mountain dell, and cross over the land and sea, and look 
 into your chamber, and then into my study ; but they are empty. I fol- 
 low you to the sanctuary at the morning service. But how soon the 
 sweet cliarm is broken ! I turn to my window. The rain has ceased ; 
 the sun is coming out; Rhigi is in sight; a little steamer is coming up to 
 the quay; the blue lake is as smooth as a mirror. I am not in Boi?ton; 
 I am in the heart of Switzerland, not far, on tlie one hand, from where 
 Zwingle preaciied the doctrine of the Reformation, and finally fell in a 
 battle ; and on the other, from the spot where William Tell perished in 
 his struggle for his country's freedom. You are hearing tlie word of 
 God. I am gazing on the works of God. Both teach the same lessons 
 as to the divine power ; each is the interpreter of the other. The Lord 
 bless you, and fill your heart with his love. 
 
 To his Avife. 
 
 Geneva, June 9, 1859 
 
 My last was from Lucerne, Sunday evening. Tlie next morning I 
 started on a little steamer for an excursion up the lake. The scenery 
 of this lake is said to be unsurpassed by any in Switzerland. It is very 
 irregular in shape, and presents views of the mountains both grand, 
 awfully grand, and beautiful beyond description. Butii shores are 
 marked by places of historic interest connected witli the life and ex- 
 ploits of William Tell, of whom, in my boyhood, I read nmch. At 
 Fluelen, the head of the lake, we took a carriage, and rode up along a 
 rapid torrent to Buglen, Tell's birthplace, and where, in a humane 
 attempt to rescue a drowning child, he perished in the swollen tiood. 
 At Altdorf, a little below, we saw the spot from which, at the command 
 of the tyrant Gessler, he shot with his cross-bow, at eighty yards, the 
 apple from the head of his little son. Ill as I was, I enjoyed the excur- 
 
CORKESPONDEKCE. 287 
 
 sion. Tlic pleasure was augiiiented on our return by the company of a 
 Bchoolmaster and fifty boys, wlio sang Swiss songs, and made the moun- 
 tains echo witii their melody. Kcturned at sunset. At nine the cathe- 
 dral bell, on which is the mediaeval inscription, " Vivos voce, mortuos 
 plango, fulgura frango," rang out over lake and mountain. In the 
 morning decided to proceed to Berne, seventy-five miles by railway, 
 with the intention, if possible, of proceeding to Interlaken. Left 
 Lucerne with many pleasant recollections. Tiie route to Berne was 
 through most interesting scenery, but the inflammation in my eyes, 
 occasioned yesterday by the reflection of the sun from the snow, would 
 not allow the feast. 
 
 Wednesday morning. Tliougli I did not finish up Switzerland, I felt 
 that a regard for my health required rest, and needed treatment, and I 
 took the first train for Nidau, on tlie Bielu Lake, thence by steamer 
 down Lake Neufchatel to Yverdun, and from that place to Geneva by 
 rail. From Lake Neufchatel are some of the finest views of the Alpine 
 range ; but I could not stay on deck. Between Lausanne and Geneva 
 we had a most terrific thunder-storm. Came to the Plotel des Bergues, 
 and took a room on the third floor front, and retired. You will see by 
 the papers what a terrible battle was fought last Saturday, on ground 
 over which we passed April 2, 1841, between Milan and Novara. The 
 French and Sardinians are driving back the Austrians, and all Western 
 Europe is rejoicing. I am glad enough to be out of the regions where 
 the sympathy is with Austria, and where travellers are constantly an- 
 noyed. Next to home, I am now where I would be. 
 
 Yesterday, the Emperor of France and the King of Sardinia entered 
 Jlilan in great pomp. Ail tlie talk here is of the war. To me, exulta- 
 tion over such butchery of human beings is horrible. O, the brutality 
 of man ! Nothing so tests my faith in the prophecies as travelling 
 among these millions. Will Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France ever 
 be converted to Christ.'' 
 
 June 11. This morning it was pleasant, and I went to the city library 
 tj see what I always regretted I did not see when here before — the por- 
 traits and manuscripts of the great reformers, Wickliffe, Huss, Luther, 
 Melanchthon, Calvin, Beza, Zwingle, &c., &c. The hour spent there 
 was one of great interest. 
 
 June 12. At ten A. M. went to St. Peter's Church, and had a seat 
 near where j'ou and I sat April 11, 1841. The services were such as 
 you remember — the same old organ and congregational singing, the 
 pauses in the sermon, &c. Then I walked for an hour in the Protes- 
 tant cemetery — a rural spot, full of trees, shrubbery, and flowers. 
 Saw the graves of John Calvin, Sir Humphry Davy, and several 
 Americans. 
 
iioy MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 To his wife. 
 
 Brussels, Jul}' 4, 1859. 
 
 Dr. Bigelow advised me not to undertake tlie journey; but as I was 
 anxious, if jjossible, to intercept Mr. and Mrs. H., who had informed me 
 they were coming to the Continent by way of Belgium, I left Paris 
 without a regret. On Saturday came liere by the express train in eight 
 hours. 
 
 I am at tlie Plotel de Saxe, a quiet, airy house. Have a room on the 
 " premiere etage," looking into a court filled with shrubbery and singing 
 birds. Yesterday I kept quiet until towards evening, when I walked to 
 the cathedral, Place des Martyrs, Grand Place, Place des Congrt^s, the 
 Botanical Garden, and saw much to admire. 
 
 This is Independence Day, and with a party of English and Ameri- 
 cans, I have been to Waterloo. This has been one of my most interest- 
 ing excursions. We passed two hours walking over the famous battle- 
 field where the great Napoleon's sun of glory set in blood, June 11, 
 1815. An old English soldier, who was in the battle, explained every- 
 thing intelligibly. 
 
 I like Brussels. The upper part of the city is beautiful, and here I 
 have a more contented and home-like feeling. 
 
 To his wife. 
 
 London, July 11, 1859. 
 
 The treatment of Dr. B. in Paris was very successful. My visit to 
 Belgium, where I met friends, Mr. and Mrs. H., Mr. and Mrs. P., and 
 the B.'s, contributed greatly to my happiness. 
 
 On Friday, the 8th, went on board steamer Rhine, passed down the 
 River Scheldt seventy-two miles, then across the German Ocean, and up 
 the Thames, arriving in London Saturday, at nine A. M. Was kindly 
 welcomed by Mrs. Moore, and assigned a room looking westward — 
 liomeivard. 
 
 Sunday morning I went with three American gentlemen to Surrey 
 Garden, to hear Mr. Spurgeon. What a congregation ! Having a shil- 
 ling ticket, I had a good seat in the lower gallery. Though we were 
 there an hour before the service, yet two thousand people were already 
 seated. 
 
 I tried to repress all curiosity, and worship God. Mr. Spurgeon was 
 suffering from hoarseness, and evidently spoke with pain. I could 
 sympathize with hiiu, and must not give my impression of the man's 
 preaching, for it is hardly just to criticise a speaker with an inflamed 
 throat. I hope to hear him again. The congregational singing was 
 grand. I have heard many of the best organs on the Continent, but 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 289 
 
 none of them gave me such music as swelled from these ten thousand 
 voices. Tliey sang New Tiverton and the German Hymn. 
 
 Monday morning I wont to the Mission House, and had a pleasant 
 interview with Mr. Underhill, one of the secretaries. Then, by invita- 
 tion, went at eleven A. M. to breakfast witli the delegates from the 
 Young Men's Christian Association of Great Britain. There was intro- 
 duced to the Earl of Shaftesbury, and heard him speak. 
 
 We here have family worship at Mrs. Moore's, and she has appointed 
 me chaplain. How precious the privilege, after the privation of nearly 
 tliree months ! 
 
 July 12. I dined witli the Underwood fomily to-day. It was so good 
 to sit down with a Christian family, and talk of the interests of Christ's 
 kingdom ! With what relish shall I return to my proper work — precious 
 home-laboring for the spiritual good of my people ! 
 
 Pray for me, that I may profit by this absence. 
 
 To Deacon H. Lincoln. 
 
 London, July 17, 1859. 
 
 I should have written you more frequently but for the sadness of 
 heart with which I have been oppressed. You have enough of that ele- 
 ment without any addition from me. 
 
 While last at Paris, I had the benefit of medical treatment that was 
 of essential service to me, so that I went to Belgium with some com- 
 fort. In London I am forming acquaintances with good men of vari- 
 ous denominations, whom I admire and love. 
 
 Ere this shall reach Boston (or Saratoga) you will have learned that 
 on Monday last the two bull-dog emperors met and made peace. All 
 Europe, glad enough to have peace, is indignant at the terms, and you 
 may be sure the end is not yet. Napoleon III. has deceived the world, 
 and will be called to account for his conduct. 
 
 To his wife. 
 
 London, July 25, 1859. 
 
 To-day I have engaged passage in steamship Europa. Leaves 27th 
 August. Happy day when I reach that dear home, around which my 
 heart's aflTections tenaciously cling. 
 
 Have several excursions to make before leaving London. I have 
 visited the Crystal Palace, the Britisli Museum, the Zoological Gardens, 
 &c., &c., and, by the kindness of Sir S. M. Peto, M. P., spent an even- 
 ing on the floor of the House of Conmions. 
 
 Have heard Baptist Noel, Dr. Cumming, Mr. Birrell, and Mr. Spurgeon 
 again, and found many pleasant friends. I shall take your advice, seeing 
 as much of England, Ireland, and Scotland as my time and funds per- 
 19 
 
290 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 mit; but.ray disappointment in regard to the East is keen. Wlien 1 
 think of narrating, even to you, what I have seen, the sickening thought 
 comes up, " I cannot tell of Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, and Hebron, 
 and the Jordan, and the ]\Iount of Olives, &c., &c." 
 
 Evening. Just taken a long walk, and visited one of the ragged 
 schools. Jt will give me a pleasant hour with my people to tell them 
 of this form of service. 
 
 July 14. Have just read the death of young Nott, of New York; also 
 Drs. Belcher and Harrison. They rest from their labors. " Blessed 
 rest." 
 
 July 28, Thursday evening. Early yesterday morning Drs. Phelps 
 and Gillette, Dr. Child and myself, started by the North-western Rail- 
 way for an excursion into the Midland counties. First we went to Bed- 
 ford, and saw all the remaining memorials of John Bunyan ; then to 
 Elstow, to the cottage in which he was born ; then to Cardington, the 
 home of John Howard, the pliilanthropist; thence to Kettering, the 
 scene of Andrew Fuller's labors ; this morning to Northampton, where 
 we saw much in connection with Dr. Ryland and Dr. Doddridge ; thence 
 to Olney, to see the house, garden, and summer-house of the poet 
 Cowper. 
 
 Returned to London tliis evening, having travelled two hundred miles, 
 and enjoyed two days of real pleasure. 
 
 To his wife. 
 
 London, August 4, 1859, 
 
 Last evening yours and M.'s of the 17th reached me. How great 
 God's goodness in preserving us all, and giving us the prospect of a 
 happy reunion in our dear home ! 
 
 Saturday morning the B.'s arrived, and I am to have their company 
 through Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and HOME. 
 
 Sunday I heard Dr. Hamilton, Regent Square, in the morning, and 
 Mr. Brock in the evening. Thus I have heard all the great guns in 
 London. 
 
 Warwick, August 3. This morning a party of four of us left the Pad- 
 ington Station, and in one hour and twenty-five minutes were at Ox- 
 ford, sixty-three miles from London. There we visited for three hours 
 among the nineteen colleges, seeing much of which I had often read. 
 Was deeply interested. 
 
 At four P. M. we came, in one hour, — forty-three miles, — to this 
 place, engaged rooms at a hotel, and then went to the castle, where we 
 were taken through all the apartments of the Earl of Warwick, grounds, 
 &,c., &c. 
 
 We have before us three weeks in which to see castles, cathedrals, 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 291 
 
 abbeys, parks, mountains, lakes, &c., &c., all of which I shall note, and 
 try to ronieniber for your benefit. 
 
 Good night. 
 
 Birmingham. We took a " fly" this morning, and drove to Stratford- 
 on-Avon. There we entered the room where Shakespeare was born ; 
 also the church where he was interred, and saw, in a private cabinet, a 
 variety of articles that belonged to him. 
 
 We walked over the Avon by the foot-bridge, and through tlic mead- 
 ow, returning by another bridge. Saw all that was possil)Ie in two 
 hours, then returned to Warwick, eiglit miles, and " by rail " twenty- 
 two to Birmingham, stopping at Dee Royal Hotel, wiiich you re- 
 member. 
 
 Early to-morrow morning we leave for York, one hundred and thirty 
 miles north, to see the famous Minster; then to Edinburgh, one hundred 
 and seventy miles farther, there to pass the Sabbath, and hear some 
 rare preaching. Shall keep full notes. Can hardly write you particu- 
 lars. Hope for all when we meet. 
 
 To his wife. 
 
 August 14, 1859. 
 
 Last Wednesday evening we left Edinburgh for Stirling, where we 
 visited the famous old castle and other objects of interest. Tiien went 
 by rail to Callender, and hired a carriage to take us througli the Tros- 
 achs, by the way of Loch Vennachar and Loch Orchray. A heavy rain 
 obscured our view of the scenery. We stopped at the Trosachs Hotel, 
 and proceeded, Friday morning, through the wild pass of the Trossachs 
 to Loch Katrine, through which we passed in a small steamer, and 
 viewed on either side the points rendered famous by Scott's Lady of the 
 Lake. 
 
 At Stronachlachar, the foot of Loch Katrine, we hired an open car- 
 ruTge, and drove through Rob Roy's country to Inversnaid, on Loch 
 Lomond, and visited the beautiful cascade, &c ; then came by steamer 
 through the whole of Loch Lomond, thirty-live miles in extent. Tlie 
 scenery was very interesting. At Balloch we took the rail for Glasgow, 
 passing near Dumbarton Castle, and along the Clyde to Glasgow. This 
 is a city of tliree hundred and fifty tiiousand inhabitants, and one of the 
 most busy and prosperous in Great Britain. 
 
 One thing charms me in Scotland — the perfect quietness of the Sab- 
 bath. My room looks across one of the bridges, and up a long street. 
 Not a wheeled vehicle do I see, and very few pedestrians. I look from 
 my window down the quays on both sides of the river, full of shipping, 
 but nothing is doing. How different all over the Continent ! Blessed 
 be Scotland for her reverence for God's holy day ! I wish I could see 
 
292 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 Boston as quiet as is Glasgow to-day, and as one week ago I saw Edin- 
 burgh ! 
 
 We have yet to see portions of Ireland and North Wales, — a circuit 
 of five hundred miles, — and then, — 
 
 " Over the deep blue sea." 
 
 Belfiist, August 17. We left Glasgow j-esterday, and came hither, 
 first down the Clyde, then across the Irish Sea. The weather is so 
 thick and damp I am prevented from going to the Giant's Causeway, as 
 intended. I resign that pleasure, and attend a union prayer meeting, 
 where I shall learn many facts respecting the powerful revival now pre- 
 vailing in Belfast and other parts of Ulster. 
 
 To-morrow we go to Dublin, where we stop until Monday, and tiien 
 proceed to North Wales. 
 
 Three weeks from to-night I hope to be with you, never to separate 
 again — no, never till death. 
 
 Before commencing a new chapter, pursuing the plan whicli 
 we have carried out in the previous images of this Memoir, we 
 laj before our readers extracts from the correspondence of 
 the last two or three years. 
 
 To Mrs. Partridge. 
 
 BosTOK, February 12, 1856. 
 
 I am not a stranger to the exercises which you describe. My ministry 
 of nearly twenty-nine years has led me into contact with many minds 
 similarly troubled, and all my knowledge of the human heart, of Satan's 
 devices, and of God's dealings with his children, has been thoroughly 
 tested in my efforts to enlighten and comfort the suffering. Some 
 cases have been on my hands for months, and both my intellect and my 
 heart have been tested to their utmost in labors to facilitate their deliv- 
 erance. More than this, I have personal experience of the same sor- 
 rows, and know their bitterness. O, how often have I prepared and 
 preached sermons for the instruction and the comforting of others, 
 when I had not the light of God's countenance, and feared lest I should 
 myself be a castaway ! 
 
 In my own case, I have ordinarily found relief just as I did at first, 
 in December, 1818, by a full submission of myself to the will of God. 
 Sensible of my utter unworthiness and vileness, I saw but one refuge. 
 I was shut up to the faith of one remedy. The Saviour said, " Come 
 tinio me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
 " Uim that cometh vnto me I will in no wise cast out." By coming to 
 him, just as 1 was, helpless and dependent, and relying upon him as 
 
COMFOKT TO A DISTRESSED SOUL. 293 
 
 " mighty to save," I have always found him true to his word. Ife gave 
 v.ie rest. lie did not reject me. He " cam.e into the world to save sin- 
 ners." He died and rose again to save sinners, "//e ever liveth to 
 m,ake intercession for us." " Looking unto Jesus " has been my only 
 resource. It never yet failed. 
 
 In dealing witli others, however confident I have been of their safe 
 estate, I have never undertaken to convince them that they were Chris- 
 tians, for they would baffle me in every argument, and I would thus do 
 them no good. My uniform endeavor has been to present scriptural 
 views of the character of God, and of the plan of salvation, and to get 
 them to go to Christ as sinners, and believe in Him who is both able and 
 willing to save the worst. Nothing is gained by raking over the rubbish 
 of past experience for some ground of hope. All that is a dishonor 
 done to Christ. He is our Saviour to-day, and he only. The soul, in 
 all its stages of experience, must look away from everything else to him, 
 and cast itself wholly on him. All along our course to heaven's gate 
 there is one direction, with one promise — " Believe on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and thou shalt be saved." " Only believe" and the blessing is 
 sure. 
 
 O, my dear suffering sister, my heart bleeds for you. Fain would I 
 lead you to Jesus. ^'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the 
 sin of the world.'' Do not offend him by doubting either his ability or 
 his willingness to save you. Look to his cross, and see how much he 
 loved you. At the foot of that cross lay yourself, with all your bur- 
 dens, and fears, and griefs. 
 
 " Just as I am, without one plea, 
 But that thy blood was shed for me, 
 And that thou bidd'st me come to thee, 
 O Lamb of God, I come." 
 
 There, my loved and loving sister, is your only help. One act of 
 faith in Jesus Christ will do for you what all the universe cannot do 
 apart from it. The simple question, then, is, Will you trust Christ as 
 your all? Methinks I hear you firmly say, " I will." The contest is 
 ended. The burden rolls off". You have peace. You cast yourself at 
 the feet of your Deliverer, and pour out the tears of gratitude, and 
 promise that, by his grace, you will never again look elsewhere for com- 
 fort. 
 
 " I cannot half his love express; 
 Yet, Lord, with joy my lips confess, 
 This blessed portion 1 possess, 
 O Lamb of God, in thee. 
 
294 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 To the same. 
 
 Boston, March 2, 1856. 
 
 I wrote you on the 12th ult. in answer to yours of the 7th. Since 
 then you have seldom been out of my mind, and I am hoping to liear 
 that tlie clouds liave all cleared away from your liorizon, and that you 
 have the clear shining of the Sun of righteousness. My daily prayer 
 has been that God would lift upon you the light of his countenance, 
 and, as " the God of hope," fill you with all joy and peace in believing. 
 
 I have lately been unusually interested in Psalm ciii., and have 
 preached upon parts of it, especially from the eleventh to the eighteenth 
 verses inclusive. My general theme has been the greatness of God's 
 •mercy to his people — its height, verse eleven ; its breadth, verse twelve ; 
 its depth, verse thirteen ; its duration in contrast with the brevity of 
 human life, verses fifteen to eighteen. His is " loving-kindness and ten- 
 der mercy." How much of it we have experienced ! Well does David 
 say, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Now 
 I remember tliat the first time I ever heard our dear, precious mother 
 speak in meeting she quoted these words. It was at the house of " Father 
 Kibbey," in December, 1818, just after I had spoken, avowing my hope 
 in Christ, and my purpose to live a new life. She rose and commenced 
 with that language. O, how fresh in my memory her looks, her tones 
 of voice, at that moment ! Dear mother, may I not fail to reach that 
 blissful world where thou dost bless the Lord, and forget none of his 
 benefits! And really, how can we here omit to bless him? How can 
 we forget his mercies? The tendency of my own mind is to depression. 
 I look too much on the dark side of everything, and am not grateful, as 
 I should be, for God's constant goodness and abounding grace. I have 
 often to stir up my inner nature by recounting my many mercies, and 
 calling upon all within me to praise the Lord. I am always the hap- 
 piest when I am most thankful. Is not gratitude the spirit of heaven? 
 
 To the same. 
 
 Boston, April 21, 185G. 
 
 Our paths have lain through different scenes — some joyous, some 
 afflictive; but God has led us every step of the way. Not more cer- 
 tainly did he conduct Israel in the wilderness, than he has guided, and 
 protected, and provided for us — now more than half a century. A 
 review of his paternal care and goodness ought not only to awaken our 
 gratitude, but also to inspire our confidence. His object, manifest at 
 ten thousand points, has been to bring us to " a city of habitation." I 
 have just been reading Newton's hymn, 166 in the Social Psalmist, — 
 
 " Begone, unbelief j my Saviour is near," &c. 
 
TRUE SOLACE UNDER SPIRITUAL TRIALS. 295. 
 
 And I can adopt it, and so can you. I have suffered much in my own 
 mind during the last six months. Some of the time I have felt as if 
 passing through the valley of the shadow of death. But the Great 
 Shcplierd has not forsaken me, and thougli vile and unworthy, I have 
 his promise that he will never leave nor forsake me. Can I not trust 
 him? Is not his grace sw^cien^ for me? Is not his character, as re- 
 vealed in Christ, a rock of repose? When I look at Calvary I see my 
 blessed liedeemer loft in darkness, and I hear him cry, " My God, my 
 God, wliy hast tliou forsaken me ? " No answer was returned. But I 
 understand that he hung there in anguish and spiritual gloom for my 
 sake. He was forsaken tiiat I might not be forsaken. Justice will not 
 put the cup to my lips which my Lord has drained to the dregs for my 
 benefit. 
 
 O, my sister, do we realize what a Saviour we have? Has he not 
 borne all for our sakes? What less can we do than trust him with all 
 our hearts ? Could I see you, how would I preach to you " Jesus and 
 the resurrection " ! There is in him a fullness that " passeth knowl- 
 edge." Who can comprehend its height or depth, its breadtli or length? 
 Let us believe in him. Let our simple faith be the conduit through 
 which his grace shall flow into our souls, thus filling us '" with all the 
 fullness of God." If I am a believer, I am "the least of all saints; " 
 but I do see a glory in the once crucified, now exalted, Jesus, and I 
 long to love and serve him better than I do. I come short every day of 
 my duty, and even of my purposes. Constantly I have occasion to say, 
 "God be merciful to me a sinner; " and he is merciful. He multiplies 
 pardons ; he does what he requires of us, forgiving seventy times seven. 
 Thus the saving process goes on by repentance and faith, repentance 
 and faith, all the way through. Only by " looking unto Jesus" have we 
 peace and joy. 
 
 " When I turn my thoughts within, 
 All is dark, and vain, and wild." 
 
 But when I look to Him who bled for me, and now intercedes for me, 
 then I have hope. I am notliing. He is " all and in all." How glo- 
 rious the assurance, "Ye are complete in him"! " His blood cleanseth 
 us from all sin." O Christ, I cling to thee as my only hope ! What 
 shall separate me from thy love? Hast thou not said, "Because I live, 
 ye shall live also".'' Lord, help me to trust tliee without wavering, to 
 follow thee, however dark and diflScult the pathway in which thou mayst 
 lead me. 
 
296 MEMOIK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 To the same. 
 
 Boston, February 7, 1857. 
 
 A pastor called on one of his parishioners, just in the dusk of the even- 
 ing, and found a little boy sitting in the doorway, holding firmly a string, 
 and looking up into the deepening gloom. " What are you doing here, 
 my little friend? " said the minister. "I am flying my kite, sir,*' re- 
 plied the boy. " Your kite.? " said the minister. "I see no kite, and 
 you can see none." " I know it," quickly answered the little fellovr ; 
 *' but I am sure it is there, for I feel it pull." 
 
 It is often thus with the Christian. He is interested in something 
 abo'te him. All is gloom; he can see nothing; but his affections are 
 attached to heavenly things ; and so long as he feels these heavenly 
 things pulling upward, he knows that the connection is not dissolved. 
 One of the most difficult of Christian attainments is to trust God in the 
 darh. What though we see him not? What though he is silent.? Yet, 
 if our hand is in his, if he holds us up, and leads us, and throws around 
 us his paternal care, why should we not be assured of his love? We 
 must not choose in disregard of iiis will ; we must not dictate as to the 
 manifestations witli which we will be satisfied. " Not as I will, but as 
 thou wilt," is the example set us by Ilim who redeemed us. 
 
 Our hope is said to be " as an anchor of the soul, hath sure and stead- 
 fast. An anchor tiiat is seen renders no service ; but when it is unseen, 
 down many fiithoms beyond the reach of vision, it lias hold of the bot- 
 tom of the troubled sea, and there it is useful. " Hope that is seen is 
 not hope," &c. Rom. viii. 24, 25. We must not expect "open vis- 
 ion " in this world. " We see through a glass darkly." " We walk by 
 faith, not by sight." " Whom, not having seen, ye love." We must 
 learn to trust and obey, for those are the fundamental elements of all 
 personal godliness. I remember, while our dear fother was ill — I think 
 in 1815 — he read the Life and Diary of David Brainerd. One morning 
 very early, as Royal and I lay in the trundle-bed, I was awake, and 
 overheard father say to motlier that he thought Brainerd " made too 
 nmch account of frames and feelings, for his hope rose and fell with his 
 happiness or unhappiness." That remark I have pondered much in my 
 heart. Hope is the effect of faith. Joys are incidental things, of very 
 little worth as evidence of Christian character. "Therefore being 
 justified by faith," &c. Rom. v. 1. 
 
 To Rev. C. W. Flanders. 
 
 Boston, February 11, 1857. 
 
 It has been said that " the sanctuary of private grief is sacred." Rec- 
 ognizing this truth, I am slow to obtrude my foot within such a sanc- 
 tuary, lest, with the best intentions, I might trespass upon territory con- 
 
TUE SYMPATIIIZIXG HEART. 297 
 
 Becratcd to heart sorrows. But I remember the inspired requirement, 
 " Weep witli them tliat weep ; " and I remember, too, the gohlen rule, 
 " All tlnngs whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you," &c. 
 
 You do not, I am sure, !aek for sympatiiizers in your repeated afflic- 
 tions ; but I cannot forbear to volunteer tiie assurance to you, as one whom 
 I have learned to love, that my heart has been touciied by the informa- 
 tion of your double bereavement. You feel yourself stricken by tlie 
 hand of God. As a brother I would fain place myself by your side, and 
 say or do anything that might assuage your anguish, or encourage you 
 patiently to endure. Accustomed as you are to administer consolation 
 to others, and familiar as you are with that magazine of comforts, the 
 Bible, I need not refresh your memory with the many " exceeding great 
 and precious promises " which abound in true solace to the afflicted. 
 Your mind has reverted to them all; you have applied "them all; you 
 have found them equal to all the purposes for which you Iiave com- 
 mended them. You know the way to the mercy-seat. You have gone 
 thither for ligiit and peace, and there God, your own God, has met and 
 blessed you. 
 
 Ministers, like other Christians, are often afflicted for their own good, 
 but perhaps quite as frequently for the benefit of their people — 2 Cor. 
 i. 4-6. Henceforth, my dear brother, you will be able more tenderly 
 and deeply to sympatliize with the sutferings of your flock. You will 
 better understand the Scriptures, and therefore you will be a better 
 preacher. After all, there is no theology for either the pulpit or for 
 pastoral visitation like the experimental. The Saviour, whom we com- 
 mend, was "made perfect through sufferings." His most useful ser- 
 vants are perfected in the same way. There are souls like the alabas- 
 ter vase of ointment, very precious, which shed no perfume of holiness, 
 Iccause a great sorrow has never broken them. Great good may yet 
 accrue to your flock from this discipline, and consequently great glory 
 to your Lord. 
 
 To Rev. N. M. Williams. 
 
 Boston, April 20, 1857. 
 
 Your allusion to your dear father touched me tenderly. I loved him ; 
 1 respected him; and, during the long period of our acquaintance, 1 
 always felt that I should like to pass my eternity with " a great multi- 
 tude " of just such as N. W. Williams — the more the better. It grati- 
 fies me to know that his children do not forget their father's friend. 
 Your note, now before me, is indicative of a feeling which he, in nu- 
 merous instances, manifested towards me in seasons of trial, and which 
 often cheered me to endure patiently tlie burdens of life. In the de- 
 parture of such men as your father. Dr. Sharp, Dr. BoUes, Professor 
 
298 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 Knowles, Mr. Jacobs, &c., I have looked around for the ministers in 
 whom I could equally confide, and from whom, in my afilictions, I could 
 hojie for words and acts assuring me that their vacancies were likely to 
 be supplied. In you I have not been disappointed, and I cannot give 
 you a better testimony than bj' saying that you do not dishonor the 
 name of Nathaniel. May the richest blessing of Him who saw one of 
 that name •' under the fig tree " rest ever upon you and all yours. 
 
 To all the Saints in Christ Jesus which are at Howe Street, 
 
 Boston. 
 
 " Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and 
 the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remem- 
 brance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you .all 
 making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel 
 from the first day until now ; being confident of this very 
 thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will 
 perform it until the day of Jesus Christ : even as it is meet 
 for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my 
 heart ; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and 
 confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 
 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in 
 the bowels of Jesus Clirist. And this I pray, that your love 
 may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judg- 
 ment ; that ye may approve things that are excellent ; that 
 ye may be sincere and without oflTence till the day of Christ ; 
 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by 
 Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." 
 
 Beloved in Christ Jesus : Though I am one of the ini- 
 worthiest of pastors, yet from my heart I can adopt these 
 apostolic sentences ; and they express my feelings more ac- 
 curately than any language that I can frame. My interest 
 in you is not abated by absence, or by any measure of per- 
 sonal stiffering. For your peace, your purity, yotu- growth in 
 grace, your love one to another, your zeal and usefidness in 
 the cause of our common Master, I daily, hourly pray. In 
 all your gatherings for public or social worship, I am with 
 you in spirit. How gladly I would be with you in person, 
 God is my record. No one of you, I fondly presume, im« 
 
PASTORAL ADDRESS. 299 
 
 agines that I am away seeking my owu gratification. I love 
 my liome and its endearments too well ; and I love my work, 
 with all its cares and responsibilities, too well to be unneces- 
 sarily absent, an idle exile, rendering to no one any service^ 
 and cut off from almost every social enjoyment. Were I 
 able to do for you more than I can do here, forty-eight hours 
 would show me among you, doing it to the extent of my 
 ability. I am here the prisoner of Providence, and, though 
 not, I hope, sinfully impatient, yet I long to be loosed from 
 these bonds, that I may go to my own company. The word 
 of the Lord is as a fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary 
 of forbearing, and I would fliin be preaching to you the un- 
 searchable riches of Christ. This, I trust, will yet be my 
 privilege ; for, though I have not thus far derived much bene- 
 fit from my experiment, I am still hoj^eful as to the ultimate 
 result. When I left home, I thought it probable that I might 
 return in four weeks, and so be with you at our next church 
 meeting. Of that privilege I am likely to be denied. When 
 I shall be able to resume labor is quite uncertain. I am in 
 the hands of Him Avhose I am and whom I serve. I desire 
 to be submissive to his will. Let us lay the Avhole case before 
 his throne, and say, in the spirit of the resigned Sufferer who 
 bore for us the cross, " Father, glorify thy name." The 
 delay, I trust, will not be long. Pray for me, that I may be 
 wisely directed, and humbly patient. 
 
 For some days you have been occupied with the anniver- 
 saries. Would that I could hoi)e to find you benefited by 
 their influence! My own experience has taught me that, 
 apart from special watchfulness, the effect of such meetings 
 is to dissipate the minds of Christians, and thus be unfavora- 
 ble to their spirituality. God grant that the meetings in 
 Boston may leave behind them a savor wholly good, con- 
 tributing to your individual holiness. In my seclusion, I 
 know very little of what has been said or done. My prayer 
 throughout lias been that God would direct his servants in 
 all things, and give them largely of the spirit of their un- 
 selfish Master. 
 
300 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 I can report nothing of interest, for I see very few persons, 
 and hear comparatively notliing from the ministers and 
 churches in this latitude. I have attended public worship 
 once each Sabbath, and found it good to wait upon God in 
 his house ; but I have met with very little that reminds me of 
 Rowe Street, except by dissimilarity and contrast. 
 
 Dear brethren and sisters, do you appreciate your priv- 
 ileges ? Are you grateful for the " goodly heritage " which 
 the Lord has given you ? Are you living and laboring for 
 Him who has so i^eculiarly distinguished you, and crowned 
 you with so many tokens of his loving kindness ? Do you 
 bring forth the fruits of grace in a godly life, and in efforts to 
 advance the Redeemer''s kingdom ? Do you desire the sal- 
 vation of souls, and prove it by prayers of fliith and labors of 
 love ? How much do you know of selt-denial and cross- 
 bearing for Christ's sake ? Are you all walking in the narrow 
 way that leadeth unto life ? Are you actually following 
 Christ, and does the world see that you resemble him, and 
 are every month becoming more like him ? 
 
 " Let every man prove his own work ; then shall he have 
 rejoicing in himself, and not in another." 
 
 Accept this, dear Christian friends, as a very imj^erfect 
 token of my interest in your welfare. " May the grace of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." 
 
 Your truly affectionate pastor, 
 
 Bakon Stow. 
 
 Baltimoke, May 20, 1867. 
 
KECORD OF WOKK RE-COMMENCED. 301 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Ministerial Work recommenced. — Discouragements. — Reminis- 
 cences OF Anniversart Periods. — The Dark Days of the 
 War. — Conflicts of Feeling. — A happy Surprise. — Journal. 
 — Criticisms on Eobertson, Bowles, and Hugo. — Views on 
 "Evangelism." — Ravages of Death. — Review. 
 
 1859-1866. 
 
 So far as personal comfort was concerned, Dr. Stow did 
 not derive the pleasure from his second trip abroad that he 
 did from his first. He was poorly fitted to travel alone. His 
 heart craved the companionship of congenial spirits, and the 
 absence of the religious associations to which he had so long 
 been accustomed made him sigh for his home, and the round 
 of religious duties, in the discharge of Avhicli he found his 
 chief joy. It was out of a soul overflowing with grateful 
 emotions that he wrote in his journal, September 12, 1859, — 
 
 First Sabbath at home. It was good to reenter the loved sanctuary, 
 and conduct the worship of my loved people. Though the day has been 
 rainy, the attendance has been large. Preached in the morning from 
 Psalm ciii. 2; afternoon, from Psalm xlii. 1, 2; evening, occupied an 
 hour in sketches of the great revival in Ireland and Scotland. It has 
 been a good day. O, how sweet to be at home ! 
 
 And now recommences the record of his work, so similar 
 in many respects to what we have already laid before our 
 readers, and yet each event recorded having about it some 
 peculiar interest, which, in his view, made it stand out promi- 
 nent from all the other events of his life of multifarious toil in 
 the vineyard of his Master. He makes a statement under date 
 of February 12, 1860, which, we doubt not, was one of great 
 sadness to him — that for ten months he had not had among; 
 
o02 MEMOTK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 his people a single earnest inquirer ; and lie adds that such a 
 period he had not known in a ministry of thirty-eight years. 
 In addition to this want of the visible fruits of his ministerial 
 work, which weighed so heavily upon his spirits, there were 
 other things also Avhich dei^ressed him. Some of the causes 
 which had operated in leading him to resign his pastoral 
 charge at Baldwin Place Church were at work in making 
 Rowe Street a less inviting field of labor. Commerce wa.s 
 pressing its irresistible way into the locality, and in almost 
 every direction, massive warehoiises were rising from their 
 granite foundations, and forcing the families which had lived 
 in the neighborhood of the church to seek for homes in other 
 parts of the city. Every year it might reasonably be ex- 
 pected that the burdens would rest more heavily upon those 
 who could not feel that the time had come to abandon the 
 locality in which, for so many years, they had found their re- 
 ligious home. Many persons from sincere convictions that 
 the time for removal had not come, and many from ardent 
 attachment to the spot endeared to them by so many hal- 
 lowed associations, could not make up their minds that they 
 must turn away from the sanctuary they so much loA'ed, to 
 rear in another section a temple for the worship of their 
 God and Saviour. Meanwhile the most casual observer could 
 not foil to see that the vital forces of the religious society 
 were being weakened, and a feeling of discouragement was 
 creeping over the hearts of both pastor and people. The 
 position of any church situated as the Rowe Street Church 
 was beginning to be, is trying in the extreme. Dr. Stow 
 loved his church, and they loved him. But neither could 
 blind their eyes to the true position of affairs. Neither the 
 fidelity and earnestness of the pastor, nor the desire of the 
 church to cooperate with him in laudable methods for the pro- 
 motion of the cause of Christ, could change the laws of social 
 life, or modify the action of the causes which were at work in 
 turning a section of the city, once the home of a large number 
 of families, into the marts of trade and the scene of a busy 
 activity, to meet the all-engrossing demands of a prosperous 
 
ANNIVERSARY OCCASIONS. 303 
 
 commerce. The Rowc Street Cliiurli, like several other 
 churches in its neighborhood, was obliged at last to yield to 
 the pressure, and to remove to another locality ; but in reach- 
 ing the conclusion to do this, it is hardly possible for us to 
 realize what a struggle it cost. 
 
 We have noticed how much Dr. Stow made of anniver- 
 saries — periods of peculiar interest in his life and experi- 
 ence. Among the most prominent of these, to which, in the 
 journal of almost every year, he makes special allusion, are 
 the day of his birth, that of the death of his fither, for whose 
 memory lie ever cherished the most profound reverence and 
 affection, and the days of his baptism and ordination. In like 
 manner the anniversary of his marriage was always alluded 
 to with the most tender interest, and he is ever thanking God 
 that he gave to him the wife of his choice, whose love for him 
 had never wavered. 
 
 In the following record he alludes to several of these pe- 
 riods, which he loved to recall : — 
 
 June 16. Fifty-nine years ago to-day my mother gave me birth. 
 Thirty-eight years ago to-day I left dear home for Washington, to pur- 
 sue my studies in the Columbian College. Nineteen years ago to-day 
 I returned, with my dear wife, from my first trip to Europe. One year 
 ago to-day I was travelling, lonely and sick, from Geneva to Chamouni. 
 Forty-one years ago Wednesday, the 13th, I preached my first ser- 
 mon, at the age of eighteen. Since then I have labored very imperfect- 
 ly, but God has blessed my poor endeavors beyond my expectations. 
 
 November 21. Anniversary of my dear fathet's death. Forty years 
 in heaven! Does he know I am thinking of him? How grateful I feel 
 for his counsels of wisdom, guiding my youthful feet in the paths of 
 purity and peace ! I do not register my thoughts at the remembrance 
 of my dear mother. She died far away, and the picture of her depart- 
 ure was never imprinted on my memory. Would that it were ! She 
 was beloved by me, as was my father. Her faithfulness to me, her ef- 
 forts for my welfare, her sacrifices for my good, her holy example, her 
 godly teachings, I can never, never forget. She has been more than 
 fourteen years in heaven. The memory of my parents is precious. 
 
 The course of events has brought us to the dark and try- 
 ing period in our national history, when the horrors of civil 
 
304 MEMOIR OF BR. STOW. 
 
 war cast a black pall of gloom over the whole land. Famil- 
 iar although the story may be to the readers of this Memoir, 
 they may be glad to know how the exciting times on which 
 we are now entering affected so devout and earnest a spiiit 
 as that of Dr. Stow. Under date of December 3, 1860, he 
 writes, — 
 
 The political excitement is becoming more violent, and ominous of 
 bad results. Lord, lay tliy restraining hand upon madmen, and let them 
 not involve our country in disaster. 0, what aspects do we see of hu- 
 man nature ! 
 
 December 15. The cloud over our country daily grows thicker and 
 darker. I see not how we are to avoid a rupture of the bonds of our 
 Union, and consequent civil war. "None of the men of might have 
 found their hands." We have no Clay or Webster to step in with tiieir 
 healing counsels. For years our ablest statesmen have been thrown 
 into the background, and third-rate men have been put forward — dema- 
 gogues lacking wisdom and moral principle, men who could raise a 
 whirlwind, but knew not how to control it. 
 
 Our help is in God alone ; but 1 fear the people will not humble them- 
 selves, and seek his interposition. In their madness they have forsaken 
 him, and it appears as if he might leave us to our destruction. Would 
 that we miglit have national fastings and prayers ! We are a " sinful 
 nation," laden with iniquity, and must repent and turn to God, or we 
 are undone. 
 
 December 16. Such is the state of the people's minds with reference 
 lo our political and financial troubles, that preaching the gospel is quite 
 useless. The prospect before us is gloomy indeed. In my day there 
 has been nothing like it. 
 
 December 17. The president has appointed Friday, January 4, 1861, 
 as a da}' of fasting, humiliation and prayer, with reference to the pres- 
 ent condition of our country. Will the people regard this summons? 
 Will they bow before God, and implore his interposition? 
 
 December IS. My mind is distracted and worried by public calami- 
 ties. O, to realize in personal experience the truth, " Thou wilt keep 
 him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee : because he trusteth 
 in thee." 
 
 A convention is now in session in South Carolina, and is to-day ex- 
 pected to pass the fatal ordinance of secession from the Union. O God, 
 appear in that convention, and give the members a better mind ! 
 Change their counsels, and save our land from the fearful effects of 
 their contemplated rashness. Our hope is in thee alone. Forsake us 
 not utterly. 
 
JOURNAL. 305 
 
 January 4, 1861. National fast. We have met three times to-day to 
 pray for our country. Our meetings were eminently satisfactory. The 
 prayers were appropriate, fervent, and in harmony. 
 
 January 11. In union witii Christians throughout the world, we have 
 observed this as a week of prayer. Tiie great burden of petition has 
 been for " our distracted country." Every evening we have laid our 
 requests before Ilim who only can help us. Every day the darkness 
 thickens. 
 
 January IG. Reading Milllcr's Life of Trust — a most remarkablo 
 book. It is a lesson to this age. God bless it to me. 
 
 March 4. To-day Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, is to be inaugurated 
 President of the United — alas ! now dis-united — States. Unprece- 
 dented interest is felt in the programme of policy which he will indicate 
 of his administration. Ilis position is one of great difficulty, and much 
 prayer has been offered for him that he may have wisdom from above. 
 My only consolation is, that " the Lord reigneth." Never have I seen 
 the foolishness of human wisdom so perfectly illustrated as during the 
 four months of our national troubles. What a spectacle have we pre- 
 sented to the nations of the old world ! 
 
 April 13. The war is begun ! Yesterday morning the secessionist 
 forces commenced an attack on Fort Sumter, at Charleston, S. C. This 
 is but the beginning of an end known only to God. My heart sickens 
 at the prospect. 
 
 April 17. The excitement is deep and all-pervading in the free states. 
 The determination is earnest to sustain the government. This evening 
 a regiment of volunteers passed our door on their way to Washington 
 for the protection of the capital, which is threatened by the secession- 
 ists. My heart was sickened in France, in May, 1859, as I saw the 
 troops moving by tens of thousands towards Italy ; but it was a sadder 
 sight to see our young men going soutli, to kill and be killed. O God, 
 interpose, and save my country from the horrors of civil war! 
 
 April 19. " He shall not be afraid of evil tidings ; his heart is fixed, 
 trusting in the Lord." Every day brings evil tidings. Virginia has 
 seceded, and other slave states are going. How precious now iz the 
 forty-sixth psalm ! I read it over and over. It is rich ! 
 
 May 18. The preparations for armed conflict are becoming more 
 and more formidable. God only knows what sorrows are to be multi- 
 plied upon our unhappy country. I hope much from the prayers of 
 our Christian people, who are bending devoutly and earnestly at the 
 mercy-seat. May they pray like Jacob, and Moses, and Elijah, and 
 Daniel. O Lord, hear, and come and save us. 
 
 June 10. No trial of strength, as yet, between the government troops 
 and the secessionists. Great preparations have been made, and there 
 will soon be collision. O, my heart sickens at the prospect. God of 
 20 
 
806 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 mercy, look down upon us in pity, and stay the brutal passions of men 
 Is there no way to avoid bloodslied and desolation? Slavery, I am sure, 
 is doomed, be the result of this contest as it may. But how can figliting 
 bring about the love and amity necessary to the continuance of our Union 
 as a nation ? Dark, dark to me is the future. Lord of mercy, help me to 
 resign the whole matter into thy hands, and trust thy wisdom and fiiitli- 
 fulness. Help me to go on with my evangelical work with unwearied 
 fidelity, and calmly await the developments of thy wise and holy provi- 
 dence. Tliou art above all, and doest all things well. I will trust, and 
 I'.ot be afraid. 
 
 June 17. I am sad. I cannot leave our national troubles wholly in 
 the hands of God, and thus have rest and peace. I know I am often 
 sinfully anxious and distrustful. O, for more of the tranquillity of faith ! 
 I know that God will do right, and yet I wish him to do what / regard 
 as right. When shall I reacli the point where I shall be in full sympa- 
 tliy with my Master, and cordially, with no reservation, say, "Not ray 
 will, but tliine be done? " 
 
 November 1. Received a letter from my nephew, S. B. Partridge,* 
 stating he is about to enter the United States army as a lieutenant. 
 He graduated in August at Middlebury College, and had in view the 
 work of the Christian ministry. His mother, brother, and sisters gave 
 their full consent, believing that his duty lay in that direction. He 
 goes with my blessing. Would that our armies were made up of such 
 as he. 
 
 March 8, 1862. On Thursday, President Lincoln sent a message to 
 Congress bearing upon the question of Emancipation, — keeping carefully 
 within constitutional limits; yet foreshadowing a policy to which, under 
 certain conditions, it may be necessary to resort. This war cannot last 
 mucli longer without an onset upon slavery, of the most determined 
 cliaracter. The more carefully I watch the course of events, the more 
 convinced am I that God has put his hand to that great question, — the 
 underlying cause of all our present troubles, — and that he will in some 
 way, vindicate the claims of four millions of slaves to be treated as 
 human beings. 
 
 May 24. The fate of the nation seems to me to be depending upon 
 events now near at hand. I can do little else than pray for our armies, 
 now on the eve of great conflicts. O for the " perfect peace " of him 
 " whose mind is stayed" on God! Will he permit the cause of wrong 
 to triumph? Lord, stand by our generals, and give them victory. My 
 heart aches with solicitude. Lord, increase my faith ; enable me to trust, 
 and not be afraid. I turn to the Bible, and find it sweeter than ever ! 
 Precious book! do I not love thee? 
 August 31. A sad, sad Sabbath! Soon after commencing public 
 
 * Now a missionary to the Chiuese at Bangkok, Slam. 
 
PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. 307 
 
 worship this morning I received a message from the surgeon general 
 of tlic state, requesting me to. dismiss my congregation, and set all mv 
 people at work preparing bandages, lint, and other hospital comforts for 
 our wounded soldiers. Tlie reports of the numbers killed and wcjunded 
 yesterday and tlie day previous aue appalling. I responded at once to 
 the demand, and all are busy doing the needed work. At five o'clock 
 this evening a train is to leave with surgeons, hospital stores, &c. We 
 are in an agony of susi)ense, — not knowing of either defeat or victory. 
 O, how terrible tliis war! 
 
 At four P. M. I went to tlie Tremont Temple, and witnessed a most 
 aftecting scene — at least fifteen hundred women at work, making ban- 
 dages, lint, compresses, &c. Men were assisting in various departments. 
 From appearances, enough will be sent from Boston to meet the wants 
 of thousands of poor sufferers. 1 thought of Christ's teachings — 
 Matthew xii. 1-13, and Luke xiii. 10-17. What Sabbath service more 
 acceptable to him than works of humanity? Dr. Reynolds said to me, 
 " This is a glorious day! Here you have a demonstration of the spirit 
 of your Lord and Master." As I looked on, I could not refrain from 
 tears. My heart pronounced blessings upon these patriotic women. 
 
 Amid these (.listractiiig scenes, as many of us vividly re- 
 member, the pastors of our churches hibored on, with but lit- 
 tle, coni]»aratively, to encourage them in their special religious 
 Avork. Men's minds were necessarily preoccupied with mat- 
 ters connected with the war ; and in those terrible weeks and 
 months of susj^ense, through which the country was passing, 
 we may not wonder if, for the time, the higher spiritual inter- 
 ests of the soul should be ovei'looked. " Nothing is plainer," 
 writes Dr. Stow, "than that I am powerless. God only can 
 move my people. Month after month I toil on, without know- 
 ing that I do the least good." A little light seemed to dawn 
 on the prospects of his church. A proposition had been made 
 to unite with the Shawmut Avenue Church, then under the 
 l»astoral care of Rev. Dr. Parker; and it was at one time seri- 
 ously entertained, but was subsequently, and, as the event has 
 sh(j\vn, wisely abandoned. 
 
 It is interesting to notice the phases through which the 
 mind of Dr. Stow passed, as the fortunes of war turned ou 
 one side or the other. The writer remembers very distinctly 
 conversing with him, the latter part of June, 1863, on the 
 
308 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 position of our uational affairs, and finding liim in a most 
 discouraged mood of mind. Mattca's looked, he said, fearfully 
 gloomy. He would be glad to take encouraging views, but 
 where was lie to turn for them ? The enemy, in strong force, 
 was moving across Maryland, above Harper's Ferry, into 
 Pennsylvania, and the authorities did not seem to know at 
 what they were aiming, whether Philadelphia, Baltimore, or 
 Washington, or all together. Meanwhile, so far as it ai)peared, 
 Hooker was doing nothing to resist them. A few days elajise, 
 and, in exultant tones, he writes that the news is favorable 
 from Pennsylvania. " To-day we hear of the fall of Vicks- 
 burg, that stronghold, \mder General Peraberton, having sur- 
 rendered to General Grant on the 4th of July. The last 
 week was a glorious one for the Union cause. The rebellion 
 is by no means broken, but it is greatly weakened." 
 
 We continue our extracts from the journal of Dr. Stow, 
 with special reference to matters connected with the war. 
 Alluding, July 23, 1864, to the feeling of discouragement that 
 was growing among the people, he says, " I wish I could see 
 some honorable mode of restoring peace, and stopping the 
 effusion of blood. But I see none so long as the South insists 
 upon a division of the Union, and a recognition of the Con- 
 federacy." 
 
 August 31. The President of the United States has requested tliat 
 thanks might be returned to-day in the cliurches for recent victories. 
 Other ministers, I presume, have preached on national affairs. I have 
 endeavored faithfully to preach the gospel of Christ. In prayer I en- 
 deavored to comply with the president's wishes. By no process could I 
 bring xny mind to a preaching service tliat would be likely to be inter- 
 preted as promoting partisan ends. I can preach for my country ; for 
 party I cannot. I am earnestly in fevor of the reelection of Abraliara 
 Lincoln ; but I cannot help him in my pulpit. This has been my rule 
 from the beginning, not to prostitute my vocation in any political prefer- 
 ences. " I am set for tlie defence of the gospel." 
 
 March 1, 18Go. Much anxiety is felt for General Sherman, wlio is 
 moving into North Carolina, and to check wliose movements the rebels 
 are " concentrating" their scattered divisions. Having cut loose from 
 his base at Savannah, he had, at last dates, reached no other. Whence 
 come his commissary stores? His movement is a bold one. Is it safe? 
 
JOURN^AL. 309 
 
 He has become the idol of our people. Is he not in danger of being 
 overthrown? When a man becomes popular for a certain thing, he is 
 very apt to undo in that direction. Lord, preserve him, direct him, and 
 make liiin fsuecessful. 
 
 March S. No news from General Sherman since he left Columbia, 
 S. C. He is supposed to be moving north; but of his movements even 
 the government knows nothing, and probably will not until he gets far 
 into North Carolina, and can communicate with Wilmington. Whence 
 come his supplies for so largo a force? His expedition is certainly a 
 bold one. Happy if it prove not a rash one. I know nothing of mili- 
 tary affairs; but, looking at Sherman's enterprise in the light of com- 
 mon sense, its wisdom appears to me doubtful. Should it be successful, 
 it will be a wonder in history. 
 
 March 11. Read cheerfully Ezek. vii. — a most extraordinary chap- 
 ter. Who ever wrote like the prophets ? What a description is that 
 of the desolations coming upon Jerusalem! and what a commentary to 
 subsequent history ! 
 
 April 15. Painful news — the assassination of President Lincoln. 
 
 Evening. This has been a day of gloom through all the loyal states. 
 Nothing since the death of Washington has so affected the people. 
 The mourning for his tragical end is profound and sincere. In medi- 
 tating upon this event, some questions have arisen. 
 
 Is it not possible that Mr. Lincoln had fulfilled his mission, and done 
 all that he was best capable of doing? 
 
 Having united the country in breaking down the military power of 
 the rebellion, was he tlie man to inaugurate and carry through a plan 
 for the reconstruction of the Union? 
 
 ilay not his death at this time and under such circumstances, have 
 been a necessity for the deepening of an impression as to the "barba- 
 rism of slavery," and the strengthening of a determination that the ac- 
 cursed system shall be effectually rooted out? 
 
 Was not this calamity needed to strike an awe into the heart of the 
 nation respecting tlie supremacy of God, and as a warning not to de- 
 pend upon an arm of flesh? 
 
 Had not Mr. Lincoln reached the acme of his glory, and was not his 
 death at this juncture necessary to put his name in history without a 
 blot ? 
 
 May not his successor be the man to take up the work just at thi3 
 point, and finish it with desirable thoroughness ? 
 
 I pretend not to interpret the designs of Providence ; but I am sure 
 that God has some great purposes to accomplish by this seeming disas- 
 ter, lie may still be trusted. O, that all the people may adore him, 
 and reverently await the development of his designs ! 
 
310 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 But we have dwelt longer, perhaps, than we ouglit to have 
 done on the stirring events which so deeply interested the 
 exceedingly sensitive nature of the subject of this Memoir. 
 In the midst of the record of these exciting transactions, we 
 find a picture of early home life and exj^eriences, which seems 
 like a gentle strain of music borne over the waters of a tem- 
 pestuous sea. 
 
 July 9. Sky cloudless. A lovely Sabbath indeed. I am reminded 
 of summer Sabbaths in boyhood, when I "went to meeting" at the Old 
 Meeting-house, on " Baptist Hill," in Newport, N. H. Thomas Brown 
 was the preacher, and as I sat in the window in the west gallery, in- 
 stead of listening to the preaching, I watched the river winding down 
 a deep valley, and I looked over the hill-sides on fields of grain and 
 grass waving in the wind; at the shadows of the clouds moving across 
 the landscape of wild forests and cultivated farms. How soothing were 
 those views ! how suggestive of real beauty ! My soul hath them still in 
 remembrance. 
 
 It will be remembered how much interest was awakened 
 in the circles of religious thinkers by the publication of the 
 works of Rev. F. W. Robertson. We will let Dr. Stow ex- 
 press his own opinion on this remarkable man, although we 
 are aware that many of the admirers of this gifted clergyman 
 will differ somewhat from this opinion. 
 
 December 20, 1865. Still reading the Life and Lettors of F. W. Rob- 
 ertson. No better pleased. An analysis of his mental history would 
 be instructive. All his aberrations may be traced back to a defective 
 heart experience at the time he entered the ministry. His theories of 
 religion were a mixture of the worst vagaries of Maurice, Kingslty, 
 Theodore Parker, French Socialists, German Neologists, &c., &c. 
 
 Of two other books which he had been reading he takes 
 note. The one, Bowles's Across the Continent, made a deep 
 impression on his mind, as presenting a picture of the vast ex- 
 tent and unlimited resources of our country. " What," he is 
 led to inquire, " will it be a half century hence? O that our 
 churches, our ministry even, were more fully awake to the 
 work before them ! How weighty the responsibilities that 
 press upon this generation of Christians ! " The other book 
 
YIEWS ON EVANGELISM. 311 
 
 was Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. " Disgusted with botli its 
 pliilosopliy and its morality," he remarks, " I have thrown it 
 aside. Satan has no more corrupting agency than such a 
 writer. But as my heart is, I bless God it loathes such litt-r- 
 ature. O, Avhat an account will French novelists have to 
 render ! " 
 
 We introduce at this point two extracts, in Avhich may be 
 traced his opinion of the system of " Evangelism." It will 
 be seen that while he alludes in kind, even commendatory, 
 terms to one who has for several years been regarded as one 
 of the best exponents of the system, he speaks cautiously, and 
 as the result of his own experience of the system itself. 
 
 April 10, 1866. At eleven A. M. went to Park Street Church, and 
 heard a discourse from Rev. A. B. Earle, the revivalist, who is now 
 laboring at Chelsea. The house was full, and the preacher had good 
 attention. His text was Ps. li. 12 — " Restore unto me the joy of thy 
 salvation." He said many good things in a very tender manner. Noth- 
 ing eccentric, nothing vulgar. I think a good impression was made. 
 
 April 27. In several of our city churches there is considerable reli- 
 gious interest, but all under the high-pressure system of revival agen- 
 cies. I caimot introduce such expedients. They are dangerous, I 
 know. I am endeavoring to do my duty to my people, and must leave 
 with God the results. I may temporarily be blamed for not cooperating 
 with my brethren; but one year hence what will be their judgment re- 
 specting these measures? My heart aches for the unconverted of my 
 flock, but my responsibility has limitations, and if they perish it will 
 not be because I have failed to tell them the whole truth. 
 
 The question of personal duty in his relations to his church 
 grew only more perplexing as the weeks passed by. He 
 hoped to get some light on the subject by consultation with 
 leading brethren in the church ; but he came to the conclusion 
 that he must decide the itiatter for himself. To add to the 
 weight of the burden he was bearing, death was constantly 
 making sad havoc in the circle of his friends. Under date of 
 September 15 of this year, 1866, he alludes to the removal of 
 his "excellent physician," Dr. Augustus A. Gould, who, for 
 thirty-three years, had been his family physician. The blow 
 was a heavy one, and nearly unmanned him. A few days af- 
 
ol2 MEMOIK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 ter, lie records the death of another life-long friend, Williara 
 Crane, of Baltimore. Not long after, another friend. Rev. W. 
 Jenks, D. D., is called to his reward, and again he feels hke 
 one pei"sonally bereaved. 
 
 In touching words he closes the record of the year. 
 
 December 31. Anniversary of my baptism, forty-eight years ago. 
 How fresh in my recollection are the incidents of that memorable day — 
 of the grave cut through the ice, of the administrator (dear Brother 
 Leland Howard), of the candidates (eleven in number), of the specta- 
 tors, of the day, much like this, bleakly cold, &c., &c. ! I am now far 
 along in life ; but 0, how little has been my spiritual progress ! Gladly 
 would I set apart this day to a review of my Christian course, to fasting 
 and to prayer; but I have work, work, and " must be about my Father's 
 business." 
 
 God, in great mercy forgive my sins of this year; accept my thanka 
 for the favors of the year ; bless my labors for the year. 
 
 Farewell. 1866. 
 
ANTI-SLAVEllY rOSITIOX QUKSTIONED. 313 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Called to an Account. — Correspondence. — Resignation op the 
 Pastorate of Rowe Street Church. — Call to Alton, Illi- 
 nois. — Letter of Advice from Ministering Brethren. — De- 
 cision to remain in Boston. — Correspondence. 
 
 While in England, in the summer of 1859, Dr. Stow had 
 been called to an account by some of his Baptist brethren, 
 because he had failed, in their opinion, to come up to their 
 standard as " Abolitionists."' They accused him of lukewarm- 
 ness, of a backwardness to take a position of open, avowed 
 liostility to the system of American slavery. To those who 
 had known Dr. Stow's views on this subject, this charge was 
 simply ridiculous. These brethren went so far as to send a 
 written communication to him, calling upon liim to explain, 
 and if possible vindicate, his conduct. As he did not recog- 
 nize the authority of this self-constituted jury, who were thus 
 sitting in judgment on him, he would not condescend to take 
 any notice of their dogmatic communication. The corre- 
 siiondence which grew out of this affair is worthy of perusal. 
 Tiie letter sent to Dr. Stow from England is too long to 
 transfer to our pages, but the principal points in it will be 
 brought out in the correspondence referred to. 
 
 Providence, March 19, ISCO. 
 
 My dear Brother : T think tlie communication a very cxtraortlinaiy 
 one. You cannot satisfy such men, and yet maintain a proper self- 
 rospect. They interfere with your (Miristian Hbcrty, and take ground 
 that is higlily offensive. 
 
 I would eitlicr make no reply, or I would reaffirm what you said, and 
 express a regret that your Christian integrity is publicly questioned by 
 
314 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 brethren. A gentle remonstrance niiglit be added against such a mode 
 of trial. 
 
 If it is probable that they will mangle and maul you again, I would 
 not give them another chance to " disapprove of Dr. Stow representing 
 himself" — falsely — in plain English. 
 
 I would write more, but I begin to grow indignant, and am really 
 afraid I shall get angry. You cannot answer the communication as it 
 deserves. Tiiey have taken great pains to spread a net for you. If you 
 show nmch feeling, they will tiunk they have the bull in their meshes. 
 I should like to know how Martin Luther, my old friend, would treat 
 such a communication. He jirobably would say some very injudicious 
 things. In fine, I would take my leave of the good bretliren in tlie 
 briefest way possible, and hope to meet them in heaven without these 
 conditions of fellowship. 
 
 I know j-ou are anti-slavery, and always have been, in your senti- 
 ments since my first acquaintance with you. I tliink we shall both con- 
 tinue to be so in spite of provocations such as these to a contrary 
 course. 
 
 Now I have got cool again, I will say I tliink the action of our dear 
 brethren on the other side of the water, supercilious and insolent. They 
 even limit the time of your reply, making no provision either for sick- 
 ness or death. The secretary delays writing a whole month, and tlien 
 holds the ban over you if you are not more prompt than he has been. 
 But I am getting warm again, and so will stop. My final opinion is, 
 that the liord only can manage such Christians. You may sliow this 
 letter to anybody, if you have occasion. It will prove that I try to gov- 
 ern myself. 
 
 Yours, not in bonds, 
 
 B. Sears. 
 
 Boston, U. S., March 23, ISGO. 
 
 My dear Brother : Soon after my return from Europe last autumn, 
 I learned indirectly that brethren in England were discussing certain 
 questions pertaining to myself. No part of that discussion have I 
 seen, and I have felt, respecting it, no solicitude. 
 
 A few days since I received a letter from the secretary of the 
 Board of Baptist Ministers in and near London, communicating, as 
 instructed, a copy of a report of a committee of said Board adopted 
 in January last. From two documents, bearing the signatures of men 
 whom I do not know, it appears that I have been made the subject 
 of elaborate inquisitorial proceedings. Of the contents of these pa- 
 pers, unless I copy them entire, I can give you no adequate concep- 
 tion. Should you see them, as I hope you may, I think you will 
 
CORRESPONDEXCE. 315 
 
 concur with mo, that self-respect forbids all reply. In form and spirit 
 they are both decidedly offensive ; for, as I interpret them, they im- 
 plicate my veracity, judge my motives, and interfere with my Chris- 
 tian Kberty. To men who thus approach mo I cannot sacrifice my 
 manhood, either by recognizing their jurisdiction or by conceding to 
 any of tlieir assumptions. Tlicy offer me an opportunity, within a 
 limited time, to make explanations; but they do tiiis in a style and 
 tone which but too plainly involve a menace. AViiat they intend to 
 do, provided I remain silent, they do not intimate, and I am not 
 anxious to know. What little reputation I have is in the custody of 
 Ilim whose I am and whom I serve. My prayer is, that both they 
 and myself may have more of the spirit of Christ, and that, through 
 tiie riches of his grace, we may all meet in heaven. 
 In the Crucified One, 
 
 I am, dear brother, 
 
 Most affectionately, &c.. 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 Rev. S. Manning, Fronie, Somersetshire, England. 
 
 To Rev. S. Manning. 
 
 Boston, U. S. A., July IG, ISGO. 
 
 When I wrote you, March 23, I did not intend to subject you to 
 the trouble of even acknowledging tlie receipt of my letter. My ob- 
 ject was to place in the hands of one whom I was quite sure I 
 might trust, a definitive expression of the light in whicii I regarded 
 the communications forwarded to me by Mr. Barker, secretary. I 
 have, therefore, to thank you most cordially for your fraternal kind- 
 ness, as manifested in your two letters, one of May 2-1, the other of 
 June 22, covering certain communications from London. 
 
 After mature deliberation, I see no reason for changing my original 
 purpose. The disclaimer of the board, in regard to the " premature 
 publication " of the report, does not alter the case. Dishonorable as 
 was that act. by whomsoever perpetrated, it constituted no part of 
 the offence which determined my course. My diflSculty was with the 
 assumption of a jurisdiction which I cannot recognize, and with the 
 tone of botii the report and the accompanying letter. Till those doc- 
 uments are withdrawn, and I am addressed, not as a culprit indicted 
 by a Star Chamber process, but as a brother in Christ, my self- 
 respect must forbid all response to their demand. 
 
 Consequently I cannot accede to the wish of your friend in Lon- 
 don, that I might furnish him with the means by which he could 
 vindicate me. I appreciate his kindness ; but how can I, without self- 
 degradation, do indirectly what my manhood will not allow me di« 
 
316 MEMOIR OF DE, STOW. 
 
 roctly to attempt? His intimation that, if I fail to supply some sort 
 of vindication, tliere may be a vote not to "fraternize" with mc, docs 
 not frighten me. Such action may be a greater calamity than I now 
 foresee, but I must wait for it, and abide the issue. 
 
 The interpretation whicli Mr. Barker is represented as putting upon 
 my letter to you, is unjust. I am not in the habit of sneering at ray 
 Christian brethren, however ungenerously they may treat nie, and, by 
 referring to my copy of that letter I find nothing which can be honestly 
 construed as disrespectful to the body which had assumed cognizance 
 of my case. I did not know of whom that board was composed; I do 
 not now know. They may all be far better men than I am, but their 
 action in my case, as expressed by their communications, is objectiona- 
 ble and offensive. Till approached in a different manner, I must be 
 silent, and pray for grace to resemble Him who, for my sake, " made 
 himself of no reputation." 
 
 The foregoing correspondence shows us a side of Dr. Stow's 
 chariicter which is not often revealed. Ordinarily he was 
 the most pliant of men, ready to yield his own wishes, and 
 not insisting upon his own rights. But if there was an ap- 
 pearance of lording it over him, if his purest motives were 
 called in question, he not only keenly felt the insult, but he 
 knew how, in a firm but Cliristian way, to repel it. The men 
 who had ventured to arraign him at their bar may have sup- 
 posed that they had a timid, irresolute spirit to deal with; but 
 tliey found that he was not to be treated in this manner 
 Avithout calling in question their authority, and declining, with 
 dignity, to answer their impertinent questions. As the action 
 of this self-constituted body of inquisitors was repudiated by 
 a majority of the intelligent ministers of the denomination in 
 England, Dr. Stow very soon dismissed from his mind all 
 thought of it. 
 
 We draw sparingly from the correspondence between the 
 years 1860 and 1866. 
 
 To the daughter of Professor Knowles. 
 
 Boston, July 18, 1860. 
 During my absence last week in Vermont, I read, in a newspaper, an 
 announcement of the departure of your dear mother. Pardon me if I 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 317 
 
 express a wish to learn i)articulars. I had not heard of her iUncss. 
 The intelligence stirred memories of the past which I tenderly cherisli. 
 I first saw 3'our mother in 1825, a few months before she was married. 
 From that time onward I esteemed her both for her own sake and for 
 the sake of tlie dear one whom none but herself and children loved 
 more than I did. Witli such as she and your lamented father I shall 
 be glad to spend eternity. 
 
 From E. B. Underhill. 
 
 London, April 20, 18G1. 
 
 We arc Matching with deep interest the progress of affairs 
 in the States. The hist two days have filled us with dread 
 that civil war is about to break out. This is deeply to be 
 regretted. It may be grievous to lose the south, but I am 
 inclined to think that good government and humanity will be 
 served by the separation. It seems to rae that these events 
 must lead to a modification of your constitution, by which the 
 executive shall be rendered more able to administer the laws 
 and enforce their observance. Nothing is so striking to us as 
 the absence of strength in your executive to constrain atten- 
 tion to the laws, to overrule mobs, and prevent anarchy. The 
 central power will have to be made much more powerful, 
 either by a larger standing army, or by greater command of 
 the police and administrative authorities. Of course you may 
 have an executive too powerful, but in a constitutional govern- 
 ment this can be guarded against. 
 
 To Deacon H. Lincoln. 
 
 Boston, July 20, 1861. 
 
 You write somewhat on the " fiilling inflection," as I be 
 lieve you generally do the first week of your sojourn at Sara 
 toga Springs. By this time, I take it, you have washed down 
 the blueness of your spirits, and commenced the ascending 
 scale. As many as thirty times has the " old Congress " ex- 
 orcised from your physical system the unclean spirit that 
 caused depression, and you have returned " as good as new," 
 ready for an eloquent a])peal in behalf of the Massachusetts 
 
318 MEMOIR OF DR. STOAV. 
 
 Baptist Charitable Society, at tlie Boston Association. I am 
 looking for a like result this year. You are only in your 
 eighty-third year. At the commencement dinner, on Wednes- 
 day, Josiah Quincy, Senior, made a speech showing how little 
 his natural force was abated, though he is almost ninety. 
 Deacon Lincoln is good yet for active service. 
 
 To his Avife. 
 
 Boston, Harrison Avenue, September 7, 1861. 
 
 One of my first thoughts, after waking this morning, was 
 of a delightful event in our history — an event of which every 
 7th of September reminds me ; and as I bowed in thanksgiv- 
 ing to God for his many mercies, I poured out my heart in 
 praise for his gift of such a Avife. I have to-day recalled 
 the history — my own and yours — of all these years, and I 
 could see a hundred reasons why I should be grateful. God 
 forgive me if I fail here, as I fail in almost every duty. 
 
 You, my precious one, have been to me invariably true and 
 faithful. I cannot remember the first delinquency in the 
 fulfilment of your marriage vows. You have patiently borne 
 with my infirmities, and spread the mantle of love over my 
 imperfections. You have been my solace in times of nervous 
 suffering, and my helper in the trials and responsibilities of a 
 laborious life. You have tenderly endeavored to correct 
 whatever in me was perverse. You have genially fostered 
 whatever in me was right. For all the attainments I have 
 made in moral culture, I am indebted to your quiet mode of 
 dealing with my susceptible and hasty temperament. When 
 we were united in bonds never to be severed, you little knew 
 your mission. God then provided for me just the one whom 
 he saw I needed to promote both my happiness and useful- 
 ness. Blessed be his name forever and ever for such a heljv 
 meet — the greatest favor next to the forgiveness of my sins 
 which he could bestow. Again and again I boAV before him 
 in adoring gratitude. 
 
 Accei)t this, dear E., as a tribute, not prompted by any 
 flpasmodic affection, but revealing the uniform conviction ot 
 
LETTER OF CONDOLENCE. 319 
 
 wliat is due from one who knows and appreciates your worth. 
 May God fill you with liis love, and keep you sate unto life 
 everlasting. Not many years hence, we shall, through rich 
 grace, be in a better home, " clothed upon with our house, 
 which is from heaven," " ever with the Lord," and ever to- 
 gether. 
 
 To Rev. Dr. Stockbridge. 
 
 Boston, February 8, 18G2. 
 
 I rejoice to hear so encouraging an account of the state of 
 afiairs in dear old Baldwin Place. And I rejoice for the sake 
 of that precious people, and for Christ's sake, that you are 
 there. May God bless you there, giving you many souls. 
 Assure the dear brethren of ray tender interest in their pros- 
 perity, and my earnest prayers that they may be favored 
 largely with the divine influence. The first moment I find my- 
 self able, I shall certainly be with them and you, speaking 
 words of encouragement, and joining my supplications with 
 yours and theirs. You have there sure proof of what I 
 knew years ago — that Baldwin Place Christians know how 
 to pray. 
 
 To Dr. and Mrs. Shurtleff. 
 
 Shakox Springs, N. Y., August 14, 1862. 
 
 My dear Friends : I have just read in the Boston Post 
 a notice of the heavy calamity that has come upon you ; and 
 though ray absence is not for pleasure, yet I almost reproach 
 myself that I am so far away as to render personal attentions 
 im])ossible. My heart is Avith you in this hour of your bit- 
 terest afiiiction, and I adopt the only means at command to 
 assure you of Mrs. S tow's and my own sympathy. Gladly 
 would we be by your side, showing that friendship is more 
 than a name — that Christian sympathy is a reality. We 
 liave felt for you in previous bereavements, when you yielded 
 uj^, at your Father's call, jDrecious little ones — lovely plants 
 of i)i-omise, early transplanted to the Gardens of the Blest, 
 where, under the most faithful culture, they are developing 
 
320 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 from glory to glory. Not less, but more, do we now feel fot 
 you as you mourn for your first-born. You have suffered on 
 his account — not, thank God, because of any departure from 
 morality, but because of his ado2)tion of a religious theory 
 differing from your own. Now you forget all those anxieties 
 and regrets, and remember only what you approA'ed. Na- 
 thaniel was unquestionably sincere ; he followed his own 
 deeply wrought convictions ; lie was honest before God. I 
 have often thought of him as having, very possibly, been 
 saved from scepticism by the power of a faith that carried 
 him farther than you and I can go. It is better to believe 
 too much than too little. His belief included the essential 
 elements of Christianity. The excess of his faith pertained 
 to things outward in religion, and could not neutralize the 
 saving efficiency of those truths wliich relate to the inward 
 life. You may, upon a review of the whole case, see that his 
 becoming a Catholic was beneficently ordered by Him who 
 sees the end from the beginning, and you will say through 
 your tears, " He hath done all things Avell." 
 
 Great, indeed, is the sacrifice you have made for your 
 country's good. You laid that dear son on the altar, know- 
 ing the possibility of what has actually occurred. God has 
 accepted the offering, and he will support and comfort you 
 under the bereavement. To his paternal mercy I commend 
 you. My prayer is for your solace — that solace which is 
 always the result of quiet, unmurmuring submission. 
 
 To Rev. I. Pearson. 
 
 Boston, July 3, 18G3. 
 
 I see by the newspapers that you and yours are in affliction ; 
 and, though you do not lack for friends, yet I am sure you will 
 let me say that my heart turns towards you in tender sym- 
 pathy. 
 
 I remember Abb}'^ Iving as a little child, but for many 
 years have not seen hei\ Still I have ever felt an interest 
 in her for her parents' sake, and have ever received a good 
 account of her as an honor to her parentage. I know not if 
 
INTEREST IX "CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD." 3*J1 
 
 my precious brotlier, Alonzo King, has a cliild left on earth. 
 lie certainly has children in heaven. Happy, hai)i)y reunion! 
 
 How, within our remembrance, those two families, the 
 Kings and the Cheneys, have melted away ! I love to recall 
 the memory of what they were, and still more to think what 
 so many of them now are. Blessed be the " God of grace " 
 for the prospect of meeting such numbers of the friends of 
 my youth in the better land ! 
 
 As I advance in years, I turn with warmer and warmer in- 
 terest to those whom 1 knew and esteemed in early life. As 
 I hear of their sorrows, I feel an m-esistible desire to lay my 
 heart close to theirs, and let them feel its throbbings of Chris- 
 tian sympathy. I am in the last of the seven decades of 
 years allotted to man, and it is becoming more and more a 
 part of my mission to write fraternally to those whom I can- 
 not see and address. 
 
 To Rev. N. M. Williams. 
 
 Boston, November 28, 1863. 
 
 Many thanks for yonr kind letter of the 15th. I have many 
 such from individuals, some entire strangers, but no one has 
 given me such special pleasure as yours. 
 
 " Christian Brotherhood " Avas the product of a heart that 
 has long felt deeply on the subject. The Baptist religious 
 papers were " afraid of its tendencies to laxity of Baptist 
 principles," and treated it, not unkindly, but coolly. Only 
 one edition was sold, and, unless there should be an increased 
 demand, I doubt if the publishers would venture another. I 
 am not annoyed or mortified, personally, by the fate of the 
 book. I did not write it for fame or money, and, having 
 gahied neither, I am not disappointed. I felt impelled to 
 give my testimony, and leave it in the hands of Him whom I 
 wished to honor. Consequently I have not for a moment been 
 disquieted by its limited circulation, or by any criticisms. 
 All, so far as I know, admitted that the work was written in 
 a kind. Christian spirit. I wish I could see a better spirit in 
 21 
 
S'l'l MEMOIR OP DR. STOW. 
 
 our Baptist brethren towards evangelical Christians wlao dif 
 fer from them. 
 
 That you are interested in my views gives me much satis- 
 faction. I am the happier for entertaining them, and for 
 liaving jDublished them, and I am sure the day will come when 
 those views will receive favor now denied them. The spirit 
 of sect is not the spirit of Christ. It is the disfigurement 
 of our Christianity, and must be renounced before we shall 
 make any large inroads upon the territories of error and sin. 
 
 Let us, my brother, be true to all our principles. If others 
 welcome not our fidelities, let us endeavor to be ourselves 
 right by subordinating our denominationalism to our Chris- 
 tianity. " Charity never faileth." 
 
 To J. W. Manning, Esq. 
 
 Boston, June 12, 1864. 
 
 I thank you for the paper containing a notice of the death 
 of our dear friend Dr. B. Never shall I forget the frequent 
 interviews I had Avith him in the spi'ing of 1858. He came 
 to me as a stranger, with his mind evidently disturbed by the 
 Holy Spirit's influences, yet clinging to his Unitarian notions 
 of God, and sin, and salvation. I could not conceive of a 
 pagan mind more dark in regard to evangelical doctrines : 
 but happily he was docile and anxious to know the truth, 
 I liad to begin with a statement of the first principles of 
 Christianity, and lead him on, as a little child, through the 
 simplest rudiments of religious truth. Most delightfully I 
 was rewarded by the readiness with which he embraced 
 that truth at every step of the explanation. I soon became 
 convinced that liis heart had been renewed even before he 
 called upon me, and that all he needed was instruction. 
 Never had I seen a more flexible mind, or one more disposed 
 to accept the gospel. His " natural religion " melted away 
 before the cross like snow in summer, and the moment he 
 saw what the Saviour had done for him, he welcomed the 
 knowledge with an intelligent joy that I have seldom seen 
 equalled. His views of God's holiness, and of the great evil 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 323 
 
 of sin, were remarkably clear, and his surrender to Christ was 
 complete. The cast of his mind, both naturally and by edu- 
 cation, was eminently scientific, and I feared, at first, that he 
 would require demonstration at ever}' point, and insist on 
 knoxoing rather than believing. But in that respect I was 
 disapi)ointed. He showed no repugnance to any truth of the 
 Bible, and was willing to believe whatever God has said, be- 
 cause of his confidence in the divine veracity. I saw him 
 often for several weeks, and was inexpressibly gratified by 
 liis i^rogress in a knowledge of the plan of salvation. His 
 emergence from darkness into light was slow, but he came 
 out with no remnant of Unitarianism clinging to him. He 
 was an evangelical believer every step of the Avay, and expe- 
 rienced richly all that is denoted by the expression, " peace 
 in believing." Hence I have never feared his relapse into 
 any of his former errors. His theology was experimental ; 
 his faith stood " not in the wisdom of men, but in the power 
 of God." He could give a reason for the hope that was in 
 him. He had a new heart, and his religion was a life. 
 
 Not often have I seen him since, but every interview has 
 confirmed my first impression — that his conversion was 
 thorough. That he is now with Christ I do not doubt. 
 
 To Rev. Dr. Dean, Bangkok, Siam. 
 
 Boston, July 14, 18G6. 
 . . . There is war in continental Europe, and we are 
 looking for changes there that Avill be fovorable to human 
 freedom. These old desjjotisms must pass away, and the 
 crushed millions must arise from their depression. Koman- 
 isni is still the curse of Europe, but its poAver is waning. 
 Should Italy become a unity under Victor Emanuel, I would 
 not give much for the poor old pope and his college of cardi- 
 nals. Not more certain is it that paganism must fall, than 
 it is that the Romish Antichrist must perish. Paganism and 
 Romanism are both of the devil, and Christ will destroy them. 
 You and I shall not here witness the consummation, but from 
 
324 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 the heights of tlie heavenly Zion we shall see Christ tiium 
 phant, and exult over the glorious issue. 
 
 Some of the correspondents of Dr, Stow may be disaj)- 
 pointed as they turn to the pages of this volume, and do not 
 find precious letters Avritten by him to them. Writing to a 
 dear i-elative, under date of September 25, 1865, he says, "I 
 write from twenty to twenty-five letters jjcr week, and yet a 
 huge pile of unanswered letters is constantly before me, occa- 
 sioning many a heartache that I cannot ])romptly reciprocate 
 the kind remembrances of my friends." From this accumu- 
 lated mass of correspondence, Ave must choose as best we may, 
 Avishing, above all things, to bring out in sharp relief such pe- 
 culiarities of mind and heart as may convey to our readers 
 the best portraiture we can give of the character of Dr. Stow. 
 
 Early in the year 1867, Dr. Stow was called to mourn the 
 removal by death of several long-tried friends, among whom 
 were the wife of Deacon Heman Lincoln, and the venerable 
 Mrs. Mears, both of them women of great personal Avorth, and 
 both deeply interested in everything connected Avith the pros- 
 perity of Rowe Street Church. These bloAvs fell heavily on the 
 sensitive heart of their beloved pastor. In addition to these 
 fresh burdens laid upon his spirit, there was the one he Avas ever 
 bearing, involved in the question of duty as to the pastorate of 
 the church, OA'er Avhose fortunes he had so long presided. He 
 felt certain that to remain much longei' in the locality Avhich 
 they were then occupying Avould be fiital to their interests, 
 probably to their very existence. While he Avas Avilling, to 
 the utmost of his ability, to cooperate Avith them in the adop- 
 tion and carrying out of any plan which Avould open to them 
 a new path of prosperity, he saw, or thought he saAV, a lack 
 of enterprise and an iiuAvillingness to embark in any new 
 schemes, which, Avith the blessing of God, might result in their 
 enlargement and increased efficiency. This Avant of hearty 
 zeal oppressed his spirits. He laid open his heart to his breth- 
 ren. Several meetings for consultation Avere held, and the 
 result of all their deliberations was, that he felt constrained 
 
ItESIGNS THE PASTORATE OF ROWE STREET CHURCH. 325 
 
 to send in his rcsign;itioii of liis pastoral cliargc. There wei'e 
 some tilings connected with his resignation which deeply 
 pained him, over wliich we draw the veil. As similar e\'j)e- 
 riences fall to the lot of almost all ministers placed in similar 
 ciriaimstances, we have no desire to give prominence to these 
 trials, as if none like them have ever been borne by the ser- 
 vants of Christ. He closed his letter of resignation with the 
 assnrance of his affection for the church, and of the joy he 
 should ever feel in their prosperity, and expressed himself 
 ready to render to it any service that might contribute to its 
 advancement. 
 
 Once more free, bound by no ministerial ties to any church, 
 he had an opportunity to enjoy a few weeks of respite from 
 professional toil. Two or three months elapse, and calls to 
 different posts of labor begin to pour in upon him. First 
 there comes an invitation to become pastor of the church in 
 Upper Alton, 111., coupled with the assurance that he will be 
 invited to the chair of a professor in the theological depart- 
 ment of Shurtleff' College. Then he is approached with offers 
 of a professorship in still another institution, and the presi- 
 dency of a seminary at Washington, D. C, for the education 
 of colored preachers. The most urgent claim was from Uj^per- 
 Alton, and it was pressed w'ith great importunity. The 
 following extracts Avill show the interest which was taken by 
 his friends in the decision to which, after prayerful considera- 
 tion, he might be brought. The first was written by Dr. 
 Bright, and appeared in the Examiner, of New York, Sej^tem- 
 ber^26, 1867. 
 
 " Dr. Stow's pastoral services in Boston, both at Baldwin 
 Place and at Rowe Street, have been of such a degree of 
 excellence, that after-times, when in search of models for the 
 illustration of pastoral work, will turn to these services and 
 tind them. He has merited, and he has had, the unqualified re- 
 spect and reverence of the city in which he has dwelt. And 
 it beconies us to say, as of personal knowledge, that in the 
 imi)ortant missionary counsels of his denomination no man 
 
326 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 has been his superior ; and it is not too much to say that in 
 some respects no man has been his peer. Not greatly given 
 to talk, he had the rarer power of listening till he had mas 
 tered every point of a discussion, and of then stating, in the 
 form of a motion or resolution, the line of policy in which 
 conflicting views might be harmonized. The action of the 
 missionary committee was oftener his. in instances of this 
 kind, than of any other person, and this, never from an over- 
 bearing influence, but from an extraordinary power of insight 
 and adjustment. These missionary services, like his pastoral 
 services, can never be over-estimated. If he goes to Alton, 
 he goes with still the jDower of rendering exalted service ; and 
 he is the man to stand by his Master's work to the last." 
 
 On the contrary, another writer gives his opinion in lan- 
 guage which met with a response in multitudes of loving 
 hearts. 
 
 "Dr. Stow, instead of resigning, ought to have had a good, 
 active colleague. This mark of respect was due to him, and 
 would have been an honor to the church. He ought not to 
 leave Boston for any Avestern field. He has spent thirty-five 
 years in an active, useful ministry, which has been unsurpassed; 
 and here he ought to spend his last days, which ought to be 
 made his best." 
 
 We cannot refrain from enriching our pages with the fol- 
 lowing most beautiful and touching letter sent to Dr. Stow 
 by his brethren in the ministry. Its great influence on the 
 decision which he finally reached cannot be doubted. 
 
 Dear Brother : We, the undersigned, your brethren, most 
 of Avhom are younger than yourself^ and others, your life-long 
 friends, with whom you have been associated in the pastoral 
 ofiice, are tenderly sensitive tq the circumstances in Avhich 
 you now ask our advice. We will not attempt to express the 
 emotions of personal sympathy and afiection with which our 
 hearts are full. In regard to the j^osition ofiered for your 
 
PROTEST AGAINST IIIS LEAVING BOSTON. 3:27 
 
 ncceptance at Upper Alton, 111., we can only say, that we 
 have no doubt it is a field which should be occupied by one 
 of the strongest men in our denomination, and we appreciate 
 the good judgment of the church and the friends of the 
 college in directing their attention to yourself. We hesitate 
 to give counsel to one, of whom it is more natural that we 
 should ask it; but we are strongly of the oi^inion, — and in tliis 
 decision of our judgment our hearts very warmly and in- 
 stinctively coincide, — that you should pass the remainder of 
 your life in this vicinity. You were born in New England. 
 Here you have been engaged in the active duties of the 
 pastorate for nearly forty years, thirty-five of which have been 
 passed in this city. Here is your home. You know the 
 habits and character of the people, and they know you. Your 
 name is identified with the Baptists of Massachusetts and of 
 Boston ; nor is there any name more honored and beloved 
 among us. Your reputation is unsullied, and we look ujion 
 it as the gift of God to our churches and ministry, and should 
 be guarded and used by us, especially now in the evening of 
 your days, as a sacred trust. You have a matured experience. 
 We cannot forget how often you have appeared as if intui- 
 tively to speak the right Avord in the right place, and how 
 frequently you have embodied in a brief paragraph or resolu- 
 tion the united sentiment of a public meeting, and thus 
 hannonized conflicting elements. We know what your in- 
 fluence has been at Newton, and in the Missionary Union, 
 and in all our benevolent institutions. We need that 
 influence now more than ever. We know that we can- 
 not have it many years longer; and on this account we 
 cling to it the more earnestly. Your fellow-citizens of Bos- 
 ton, old and young, many of whom are unknown to you i»er- 
 sonally, but who have seen you for many years on public 
 occasions, who have heard you in the pulpit, and have met 
 you daily in the streets, would sadly miss the familiar voice 
 and form. We know, too, your own temperament, your at- 
 tachment to early scenes, and the friends you have known 
 and loved so long! We are sure that you could not be sepa* 
 
328 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 rated from them without a heart-pang, whicli, though borne 
 in silence, would still rest painfully upon your sensitive spirit, 
 to the close of life. So far, therefore, as we are able to in- 
 terpret the present indications of Providence, our advice is, 
 that you remain where you are, confidently believing that the 
 Lord has work for you to do, and in his own time will make 
 the path of duty plain before you. 
 
 RoLLiN H. Neale, WillIxVM Hague, 
 
 J. N. MuRDOCK, O. T. Walker, 
 
 J. W. Olmstead, D. C. Eddy, 
 
 "William C. Child, A. Webster, 
 
 James Upham, W. V. Garner, 
 
 Granville S. Abbott, Justin D. Fulton, 
 
 P. Stowe, E. a. Lecompte. 
 Boston, October 21, 1867. 
 
 Such a tribute of respect and aflection from his brethren, 
 any minister might well covet. In view of all the reasons 
 which presented themselves to his mind. Dr. Stow decided 
 to remain in his long and dearly cherished home. The tree, 
 now growing venerable with age, had struck down its roots 
 too deep, and spread its tendrils too widely, to be rudely 
 torn up and transplanted to another soil. There was no lack 
 of opportunity to render service in his own line of professional 
 duty. If he was nominally without a pastoral charge, he 
 was constantly performing the work of a pastor. Now we 
 find him at Laconia, N. II., performing the last offices of kind- 
 ness and I'espect for his old friend and parishioner, Colonel 
 Selden Crockett. A few weeks after he alludes to the funeral 
 services performed over the remains of Mrs. Sarah Colby, the 
 mother of another of Iiis warm friends, Gardiner Colby, Esq, 
 ■Of her he says, " I could speak of her without a drawback. 
 She was fifty years a true, exemplary Christian, a woman of 
 great energy, with strong elements of character, developed by 
 hard struggles and much sharp discipline." 
 
 To relieve him of the pecuniary burdens, which, of course, 
 were pressing upon him, the friends of Dr. Stow jjurchased 
 
DARK SHADOWS. 329 
 
 for him an annuity policy of one tlioiisaud dollars. His ser- 
 vices as a preacher were in almost constant demand, and his 
 busy pen was in requisition every Aveek to furnish articles for 
 the columns of the AVatclnuan and Reflector, and otiier reli- 
 gious jteriodicals. His friends saw no flagging of his intellec- 
 tual powers, and he did a vast amount of mental labor with 
 his wonted facility. In all the movements of the church, of 
 which he had for so many years been the pastor, he took an 
 abiding interest ; and Avhen, convinced of their inability longer 
 to sustain themselves in Rowe Street, they decided to remove 
 to their present locality, no heart was more gladdened by the 
 decision than Avas that of Dr. Stow. He performed the ser- 
 vice of laying the corner stone of the new edifice. On the 
 completion of the lecture-room of the new church, he preached, 
 April 25, 18G9, the first sermon in its pulpit. 
 
 Death continued to break the ties which bound him to 
 friends Mhom he had loved for years. One after another — 
 Dr. Cushman, Rev. P. Stowe, Hon. Richard Fletcher, Deacon 
 Heman Lincoln — were called away. Of the last he writes, 
 " Blessed be God for his useful life. Yesterday (July 24) he 
 recognized me with a smile and a pressure of the hand." 
 These various bereavements weighed he^jvily upon his spirits. 
 They made him feel how solitary he was becoming by these 
 removals of long-cherished friends to the other world. It 
 must not be denied also that he felt keenly the loneliness of 
 tlie ])osition Avhich he now occupied. We have seen how he 
 loved the pastoral office, which he had sustained for nearly 
 forty years with scarcely any interruption. Now he felt as 
 if he was out of his appropriate sphere. He was not con- 
 scious of any fiiilure in the vital forces of his nature. Those 
 who saw him in the committee-room of the mission-house in 
 Rcdford Street, those who read the productions of liis pen, 
 or listened to his preaching on the Sabbath, felt that the old 
 vigor and life were still there, and that, fostered by genial in- 
 fluences, such as had surrounded him hi other days, perhaps 
 years of useful service might still be in reserve for him. But 
 his intimate friends saw that, with all his attempts when 
 
330 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 among men to appear cheerful and liappy, lie was sad and 
 downcast. He dwelt with sorrow on his position as a minis- 
 ter without a pastoral charge. The work of a ]iastor liad 
 been his cherished A'ocation for so many years tliat it Avas ex- 
 ceedingly hard to lay aside this vocation. He missed the 
 sympathy of his " own people." He wanted the love of a 
 church who with fondness could call him "jjastor," and 
 whom, in the arms of his faith, he could daily carry to the 
 throne of heavenly grace. Now he felt — we may say that 
 the feeling was a morbid one, but to him it was intensely 
 real — that he Avas cast into the shade. He Avould not mur- 
 mur against the will of God ; but he drank the cup Avhicli was 
 pressed to his lips with a depth of grief which it Avas sad to 
 behold. How many of his A\'arm friends Avould gladly have 
 chased aAvay those sombre clouds Avhich brooded oA'crhini! 
 But it Avas not in the power of any human being to scatter 
 them. In the circumstances in Avhich he Avas ])laced,he would 
 not have been Baron StOAV, had he felt any differently from 
 Avhat he did feel. His friends, companions of his earlier and 
 his riper years, falling around him in CA^ery direction ; turned 
 aside from the endeared occupations of a long ministerial life, 
 feeling — Avdiether justly or mijustly Ave Avill not midertake to 
 say — that his brethren Avere beginning to regard him as old 
 and Avorn out, Avhen he felt conscious that his ability to do 
 good service for his Lord and Mastei* in that department of 
 relioious Avork in Avhich he had Avrouoht for a lifetime, Avas 
 not essentially weakened, — Ave repeat it, he Avould not have 
 been Baron StoAv if he had not given Avay to depression of 
 spirits, and sometimes sunk doAvn almost overAvhelmed under 
 the burdens he Avas bearing. Occasionally there Avould be a 
 Sabbath, Avhen, although he felt vigorous and Avell, it Avould 
 happen that his services Avere not in demand, and he Avho 
 loved the pulpit Avith the ardor of an almost unquenchalile 
 passion Avould be compelled to pass the day in silence. Such 
 Sabbaths, to hitn, Avere days of bitter anguish. It is unques- 
 tionably true that this experience through Avhich he Avas pass- 
 ins was the means of hasteninqr the end Avhich Avas noAV 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 331 
 
 cli'fiwhig so rapidly near. The Master whom he had so long 
 and so faithfully served saw that the load that he was carrying 
 was greater than he could bear, and in mercy to him he took 
 him to a higher and holier sphere of labor and enjoyment, 
 where the weary one would be at rest. 
 
 Pursuing still the plan Avhicli we have followed in the pre- 
 ceding pages, we make one more draft ujion his corres])on- 
 dence. The extracts we give have a peculiar interest, because 
 they are taken from the last letters he ever wrote. Knowing 
 how sincerely he would deprecate the presentation of thouglits 
 and feelings which grew out of his private griefs, we refrain 
 from bringing these to the notice of our readers. We pre- 
 sent those only to which we think he would make no objec- 
 tion. 
 
 To Rev. Ira Pearson. 
 
 Boston, January 16, 1867. 
 
 Your kind favor of the 14th came to hand this morning, 
 and, as a Chinaman would say, " It made me ten parts happy." 
 
 Right glad am I to hear from you, my early pastor, and 
 long my true and faithful fellow-laborer. Hardly can I realize 
 that you are ten years older than myself. You always ap- 
 peared so young, with no signs of decay, bodily or mental ! 
 Good habits, a good conscience, and an eminently good wife 
 have had an eminently conserving influence upon your vital 
 forces, so that at seventy-five, without weakness or weariness, 
 you maintain your position on the walls of Zion. And now, 
 by the grace of God, you are having your youth renewed, 
 and are gathering a harvest from the seed you have sown. 
 How sweet the words you quote ! — "Mine eyes have seen thy 
 salvation." Simeon had the best sight ; you are having the 
 next best. O, how glorious to see sinners eflectually subdued 
 by the Holy Spirit, and brought to Christ for life and peace ! 
 This your joy is now full. May God give you grace and 
 strength to labor in this harvest season, and permit you the 
 privilege, not only of gathering many converts, but of training 
 them for effectual service when you shall have entered into 
 rest. 
 
332 MEMOIK OF DR. STOW. 
 
 For a few years past I have been working hard without 
 nmch apparent fruit. It is a trial of faith, but I do not 
 despair of witnessing some further results of my labors. 
 Your experience encourages me to hope for a blessing on 
 the word I have preached. Pray for me, that, whatever may 
 be my appointed lot, I may be '•'•faithful unto death." My 
 term of service is drawing to a close. I still love the work, 
 and cheerfully toil on ; but I have no wish to go back and 
 begin anew. The eternal future looks brighter than the tem- 
 poral past. To depart and be with Christ is far better than 
 any joys of the present life. Dear brother and sister, we look 
 lor a reunion in the better land. The last time I saw good 
 Mrs. Farnsworth, at Rochester, in 1852, she said to me in 
 parting, " Brother, the children of God never see one another 
 for the last time." 
 
 To Reuben A. Guild, Esq. 
 
 Boston, July 19, 1867. 
 
 I received to-day, by express, a copy of your History of 
 Brown University, and in it your autograph as the donor. 
 Really it was very kind in you thus to remember your old 
 friend and early pastor. Be sure I appreciate the gift as 
 valuable, and the more as coming from you. I have already 
 looJicd it through, and learned Avhat a feast I have in store 
 when I shall be able to do as I did wdth your Life of Presi- 
 dent Manning — read it through. Many thanks, my dear 
 Reuben, for this new act of filial kindness. May you long 
 be spared to bless the kingdom of letters with the products 
 of your facile and accurate pen. The numerous friends of 
 Brown University owe you a large debt of more than gi'ati- 
 tude for your extraordinary services, both as librarian and 
 historian. What can I do to reward you ? It will be my 
 study to secure for you some fitting recognition of such in- 
 valuable services. 
 
 Pardon me if I feel some complacency in the thought that 
 you are, through divine grace, "my son in the gosi^el." "Be 
 thou fiuthfvd unto death." 
 
COREESPOXDENCE. 333 
 
 To Deacon II. B. Hart. 
 
 Boston, December 31, 18G7. 
 
 I have your favor of yesterday, and my lieart thanks you 
 for it. In my advanced years it is a rich solace to be so af 
 fectionately remembered by those Avho long ago called mo 
 pastor. I think often of you and your excellent Avife in con- 
 nection with the dear church in Portsmouth, and tlie thouglit 
 always reassures me that I have not lived in vain. I feel 
 quite sure that you two maybe reckoned as "my joy and 
 crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jesus." 
 
 How vivid are my recollections of that period to which 
 you refer, thirty-eight years ago ! And that severely cold 
 day, January 24, 1830, when I buried you and dear Sarah, and 
 raised you up " to walk in newness of life." How fresh are 
 all its incidents in my memory ! 
 
 You and I have since witnessed many changes ; and now 
 we are in the autumn of life, looking towards the conclusion 
 of the i)eriod assigned us for labor. I grieve that I have not 
 better served my blessed Master ; but I cannot ask him to 
 take me back a single year. I do not regret that I am so far 
 on my homeward way. My prospect for the remainder of this 
 life is dark ; but beyond there is light ; and so, putting my 
 hand in His whom I can trust in the darkest way, I press 
 on in hope. Forty years I l>ave endeavored to serve him, 
 and I have ever found him true and fiithful. Surely he will 
 not now forsake me. 
 
 Should it be right for Mr. Small to leave Bangor, I hope 
 you may be successful in securing him. I have very little 
 acquaintance with him ; but his reputation is excellent, both 
 as a preacher and a pastor. 
 
 To Rev. Dr. A. Woods. 
 
 Boston, February 15, 1869. 
 
 I learn from Providence that you have recently been af- 
 flicted with severe indisposition. Hoping soon to hear that 
 you are relieved from suffering and decidedly convalescent, 
 I write, not to tax you with a reply, but to assure you of my 
 
33-1 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 fiTcternal sympathy, and of my prayers that God will spare 
 you to your many friends, and to the important denomina- 
 tional interests with which you are identified. "When you 
 shall be fully able, I shall be glad to hear directly from you. 
 Of course you feel how great is our loss in the death of our 
 excellent brother, J. H. Duncan. I have just finished a me- 
 morial notice of him for this week's Watchman and Reflector. 
 Your thoughts, like mine, will turn to the difiiculty of sup- 
 plying his place in our Board of Fellows. May God direct 
 us in the choice, in such a way as not to reduce our Baptist 
 strength. 
 
TB.£i BUSY WRITEE. 835 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Connection with the Watchman and Reflector. — His last 
 Article, "Calvinism a Power." — Sickness and Death. — Fu- 
 neral. — Letters from President M. B. Anderson, Dr. W. 
 Dean, Dr. R. Fuller, and Dr. B. Sears. 
 
 In the previous chaptei' it has been said that the friencis of 
 Dr. Stow failed to notice any breaking up of his intellectual 
 powers. The ready, facile pen performed its office with its 
 wonted vigor and ease, and the mental efforts which he put 
 forth showed that his mind had preserved its customary en- 
 ergy. His relations with the public press, which, from his 
 college days, had always been kept up, were now more inti- 
 mate than ever. Nearly all our leading denominational pa- 
 pers were enriched by the productions of his pen, while he 
 gavA. during the last two years of his life, some of the best 
 results of his intellectual activity to the Watchman and Re- 
 flector, the i^aper in whose j^rosperity he had taken the most 
 lively interest from the very commencement of its existence. 
 During the last year of his life he prepared, on an average, 
 two columns of matter for each weekly issue of this pa2">er ; 
 and his fruitful mind so teemed with thoughts that he never 
 appeared to be at a loss for subjects upon which to write. 
 Dr. Olmstead says that " his full volume of matter was always 
 to be depended upon. Method and fidelity were leading 
 characteristics of the good and able man now entered into 
 rest." Without doubt Dr. Stow had contributed, through his 
 long, active, professional life, to this paper, always so dear to 
 him, as much matter, perhaps more, than any other general 
 correspondent. He had a rare gift for writing biographical 
 
336 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 sketches of his deceased friends, saying just what every one 
 felt was due to the memory of the departed, in simple, chaste 
 language, and lie made tlie columns of the Watchman and 
 Reflector the medium of his communication. His last articles 
 were among his best. 
 
 So far as we have been able to learn, the last production 
 of his i^en was written not far from three weeks before his 
 death. The circumstances under which this article, written 
 for the Christian Era, was jirepared, were so touching that 
 we cannot forbear alluding to them. On the morning of the 
 Sabbath when he was stricken down by the sickness which 
 proved fatal, he felt in a peculiar degree the sadness which 
 usually oppressed his spirits on the Lord's day. It was one 
 of the few Sabbaths when he was debarred the pleasure of 
 preaching the gospel, and the honrs of the day seemed to drag 
 heavily. So great was the gloom which weighed upon him, 
 that he felt a disinclination to attend public worship which he 
 could not overcome, and he decided to spend the day in the 
 privacy of his own study. Although he was cast down in 
 heart, his mind retained its wonted power. As a relief to his 
 laboring intellect, and perhaps to do something to chase away 
 the sorrows of which he was conscious, he sat down at his 
 desk and wrote the following paper, which shortly after ap- 
 peared in the Era. Thrown off, as it was, rapidly, " currente 
 calamo," Ave think it will cora2>are favorably with the best 
 eflbrts of his pen. 
 
 Calvinism a Powek. 
 
 This has been illusti-ated along more than three eventful 
 centuries, in the formation of sturdy, individual character, and 
 in the shaping of the history of great nations. The infusion 
 of its influence into the Reformation of the sixteenth century, 
 just at the time when that influence was needed, saved the 
 work of the German Reformers from being a failure by giv- 
 ing it a new impetus, and the concentrated force of doctrinal 
 elements embodied in positive forms. Luther and his asso- 
 ciates struck heavy blows at the chains of a gigantic spiritual 
 
CAXVINISM A rOWER. 337 
 
 flospotism, and emancipated millions from a domination that 
 nullified God's authority and crushed out the rights of hu- 
 ranuity. But their service, wonderfully effective, consisted 
 essentially in the deliverance of captives of the papacy from 
 a grinding tyranny, doing little else for them than the break- 
 ing of bonds which might, after their death, be reunited and 
 made as restrictive as before. People Avcre made Protestants, 
 but not extensively were they regenerated and made Chris- 
 tians with a fiith standing in the power of God. The Ger- 
 man Reformers were destructionists in the department of an- 
 tiquated errors — iconoclasts in the temple of anti-Christian 
 idolatry. The enginery of spiritual oppression they vigor- 
 ously demolished. But they did little in the way of con- 
 struction ; little adapted to make Protestantism aggressive 
 into the domains of sin ; little to break np the rooted deprav- 
 ities of human nature, and sow the seeds of evangelical vir- 
 tues; little to make men radically better; little to set for- 
 ward the true agencies of a progressive Christian civilization; 
 little that forelaid the future, and promised permanence to the 
 victories they had achieved. Lutheranism had no organized 
 form, and could never have culminated in a successful antag- 
 onism to the reinvigorated papacy, reenforced by its new ma- 
 chinery of persecution as invented in Spain. In its origin, 
 spirit, and aims, it was too negative to be an aggressive sys- 
 tem, or even long to hold its own. It was a grand pioneer in 
 the march of reform; as " the Breaker" it did amazing execu- 
 tion, and God forbid that we should disparage its achieve- 
 ments because not fitted for the continuous work which would 
 be needed in the coming complications of kingcraft, political 
 intrigue, cursing diplomacy, and religious fanaticism. It Avas 
 well for the Great Reformation, well for Christianity, well for 
 man along the revolutions of time, that Providence, at a criti- 
 cal juncture, brought forward a young Frenchman, born at 
 Noyon, July 10, 1500, an eminent Christian scholar, and 
 trained him for a service which Luther, the battle-axe of in- 
 ci])ient assaults, could never have performed. John Calvin 
 was the second man needed — ;i man not of an idea, but of 
 22 
 
338 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 ideas ; just the required organizer to give Protestantism a 
 creed that should take deeply hold in men's intellectual and 
 moral nature, and bring them to act in concert under common 
 impulses for the maintenance of what had been gained, and 
 for the resistance of the natural reaction from the violent 
 strain to which minds had been subjected, and for the sure 
 extension of movements which were to bless the world with 
 their triumphs. But for what was done at Geneva, by a 
 strong liand and a bold heart, with God's blessing, hardly 
 would Lutherauism have left any permanent trace upon the 
 world's history. It was Calvinism that embodied the truth3 
 underlying the Reformation, giving them definitive form, 
 planting them in brains and lieart, whence, deeply rooted 
 and maturely developed, they never could be extirpated. The 
 history of the Swiss Protestants and of the French Hugue- 
 nots su23])lies proof that Calvinism is a power, for it wrought 
 in them results nowhere achieved by any other phase of the 
 great reformatory process. Nothing else provided so effec- 
 tual a barrier to the reactive encroachments of a maddened, 
 ferocious papacy, or sternly resisted the diabolical system by 
 which Ignatius Loyola and his Spanish and Italian patrons 
 proposed to expunge the last remnant of heresy from Western 
 and Central Europe. In Switzerland and the south of France, 
 Calvinism formed characters solid and impregnable as the 
 rocks, in whose fastnesses and caverns the believing found 
 shelter, and whence they were dragged forth to torture and 
 martyrdom. It did not create those lovely characters which 
 are the admiration of such as look for aesthetic beauty, but it 
 did create characters suited to the times, which needed 
 strength and sturdiness, capable of adventurous daring and 
 unflinching endurance. The French Calvinists, distinguished 
 by no elegance of culture, supplied some of the noblest speci- 
 mens of Christian courage and fortitude which martyrology 
 has embalmed for our study and admiration. 
 
 The relief which he sought by this mental effort he found ; 
 and as the day wore away, and the evening hours came on, 
 
LAST SICKNESS. 339 
 
 he seemed more happy and cheerful tlian he had appeared for 
 Bome tiiiic, and Avent out to call on a dear friend, of whose 
 indisposition he had lieard. On his return he had the attack 
 which was tlie first premonition of his last sickness. Being 
 carried to his room, the usual remedies were applied, and tem- 
 porary relief was experienced. A neighboring physician was 
 called in, who pronounced the case one of extreme nervous 
 prostration, and prescribed absolute quiet, telling him that he 
 must lay aside all mental work. For three weeks he con- 
 tinnecl, moi-e or less, in a restless mood, changing from his bed 
 to the easy-chair, conversing a little, hearing a little from the 
 daily and the religious papers, and oftener from that book 
 which, of all others, was the sweetest to him — the Bible. 
 Occasionally he Avould pass from room to room as if to get a 
 little exercise ; but he was expressly ordered by his physician 
 to keep quiet, to see no company, and to endeavor to allay 
 the undue excitement which his nervous system had experi- 
 enced in consequence of the peculiar circumstances to which 
 we have already referred. His own impression, from the first 
 of his sickness, was, that it was his last, and that he would 
 never rally from it. This impression he tried to make upon 
 the minds of the dear ones who clung so tenderly to him, 
 talking about it with great sincerity of belief that life with 
 bun was drawing to a close. His favorite expression was, 
 " O, glorious rest, rest for the weary." 
 
 One day, as he passed into his study, his wife said to him, 
 "Doesn't this place look inviting to you, dear, and Avon't 
 you sit down to rest a little ? " But his mind Avas occupied 
 in the leaAC-taking of that dearly-cherished room ; and as, in 
 passing, he laid one hand on that Avell-worn Bible, the book 
 fi-om which he had drawn the exhaustless treasures of divine 
 Avisdom, his support and solace during the years that had 
 passed, Avaving the other gently, as if he Avere bidding adieu 
 to the familiar objects by Avhich he Avas surrounded, he said, 
 " Take good care of all these books and papers, as I know 
 you Avill ; I have done Avith them forever." Hoav sadly these 
 words fell on the ears of his beloved one*; and as they 
 
340 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 remonstrated with him, he repHed, "Yes, it is so, and you wili 
 soon reahze it." 
 
 There being no apparent change in him for some time, 
 strong hopes were entertained tliat he might yet recover. 
 But on the 25th of December, during the night there came 
 over his countenance the change which those who wcrc- 
 ministering to him couhl not mistake. The hand of death 
 was upon him. The paralyzed tongue coukl no hunger speak, 
 but he fully comprehended the loving words and caresses of 
 wife and daughter. His eye beamed with unwonte*d bril- 
 liancy, though the seal of death was upon him. 
 
 Sitting by his bedside, Mrs. Stow watched the change that 
 was passing over that beloved countenance, and could not 
 help recalling the tender memories of his own ministrations 
 as he had comforted thousands of departing saints in the 
 hour of dissolution. In the absence of all earthly supporters, 
 she felt that she could not allow his dear spirit to pass away 
 without the sound of prayer, filling, fointly it might be, but 
 soothingly, on his ear. With a heart overwhelmed by her great 
 grief, she read a few verses from that precious chapter which, 
 he had so often read in similar circumstances, — the fourteenth 
 chapter of John, — and then bowed in prayer, commending the 
 departing spirit to its covenant-keeping God and Saviour. 
 He drank in the fimiliar tones of the voice which had so 
 often cheered him in the hours of physical weakness and 
 prostration of spirit. His face beamed with angelic bright- 
 ness, and he seemed to have a glimpse of the glory of the 
 "mansion," of which he had just been hearing, that his own 
 Lord had " prepared " for him. 
 
 After this his breathing grew more labored and heavy. 
 His strong constitution, still so vigorous, yielded reluctantly 
 to the pressure of disease, and the dying spirit seemed loath 
 to leave a tenement bearing so few marks of decay. There 
 was no word spoken, not even a look, to show that he was 
 conscious of what was passing. There was nothing to in- 
 dicate that he was enduring physical sufferings ; but slowly, 
 and apparently without pain, the soul was preparing to take 
 
ADDRESS OB^ DK. NEALE. 341 
 
 its heavenly flight. At seven o'clock A. M., on the 27th of 
 December, 1869, the last struggle was over, and the weary 
 spirit was at rest. O, what a resi it was to him! What a 
 happy release ! '^''hat a blessed reunion with "a great multi- 
 tu<le whom no man can number, who had come up out of 
 gi-eat tribulation, having washed their robes and made them 
 white in the blood of the Lamb!" 
 
 The announcement of the death of Dr. Stow made a pro- 
 found impression on the religious community. It was diffi- 
 cult to realize that he, who so recently had been seen in the 
 customary places of his resort, had departed never to return. 
 Everything was done which respect and affection could do 
 to render the solemnities of the funeral befitting the memory 
 of one who held so warm a place in the hearts of his numer- 
 ous friends. Prayer was offered, at his residence on Harrison 
 Avenue, by Rev. Mr. Foljambe, and the remains were borne 
 to the Clarendon Avenue Church. The spacious edifice was 
 filled with sincere mourners, most of whom had been under 
 his pastoral care during the long period of his ministry in 
 Boston. Introductory services having been performed by 
 Rev. A. J. Gordon, the ministering brethren who had been se- 
 lected by the deceased performed the duties assigned to them. 
 Addresses were made by Rev. Drs. Neale, Warren, and Mur- 
 dock, and the funeral prayer was offered by Dr. Stockbridge. 
 
 Address of Rev. R. H. Neale, D. D. 
 
 I never rose before an audience to perform a public official 
 service when I felt so inadequate rightly to meet the occasion. 
 The death of our brother has taken us all by surprise. We 
 noticed, indeed, his absence from the recent dedication, in 
 wliii-h he was expected to take part, and I was told that he 
 was sick at home. I wish I had gone at once to see him; but 
 I supposed he was suffering only from a passing shadow, 
 occasioned, perhaps, by existing circumstances. I fully ex- 
 jiected to meet him here at the recognition services on Sun- 
 <lay evening last. Though disappointed, I did not dream of 
 eorious illness. Late in the evening I was startled by the 
 
342 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 rumor that his physician thought him clangevous, and that 
 his recovery was doubtful ; but knowing his temperament, his 
 tendency to depression, I thought a visit of friendshij) next 
 morning, and a few words of encouragemert such as we both 
 needed, and as had often passed between us, Avould be 
 welcome to him, if not an effectual restorative, I was ac- 
 cordingly on my way to his house for this purpose. The crapo 
 on the door was the first silent but impressive voice which 
 announced that my friend was gone. As the sad news ra})id- 
 ly spread through the city from one to another, the downcast 
 look, the tearful eye, friend grasping friend by the hand in 
 silence, told the deep sorrow all felt. His ministering brethren, 
 assembled in groups, his church members, his many friends, 
 who loved him tenderly, and to whom for years his voice and 
 features have been familiar and sacred as the Sabbath and 
 the sanctuary, were seen weeping. There was a solemnity 
 throughout the city on hearing of his death, and spontaneous 
 expressions of respect and esteem for one who has been so 
 long and so favorably known among us. 
 
 He was called to Boston in 1832, where he has remained 
 till the time of his death, first as pastor of the Baldwin Placo 
 Church, and then of the Rowe Street, now Clarendon Avenue 
 Church. Such is the brief record. But of the unwritten history, 
 of the excellences of his personal character, what shall I say? 
 He disliked extravagant eulogy, and in his last sickness, with 
 characteristic modesty, expressed a wish that no flattering 
 compliments would be paid at his funeral. But I cannot 
 refrain from uttering what I know is the universal sentiment, 
 — not to praise him, but to the glory of divine grace, — that 
 he was one of the best and purest of men, a bright ornament 
 of the Christian ministry, an honor to his denomination, who 
 have always appreciated his worth, and who will not fiiil to 
 cherish his memory among their choicest treasures. He has 
 passed through a long life without a stain upon his moral 
 character, without a blemish upon his reputation. A rich in- 
 heritance has he left to his family, and friends, and the cause 
 of Christ, in that good name which is more precious than 
 
ADDRESS OF DR. NEALE. 343' 
 
 rubies. Dr. Stow was known for his uniform sweetness of 
 spirit, an unusual refineniont of manner, and a high degree of 
 Christian courtesy in his intercourse with society. I never 
 heard of a quarrel to which he was a party. It may be 
 thought, perhaps, that he was too careful and prudent in 
 keeping clear from conflicts and difficulties. I used to exhort 
 him, ludicrously enough, I have no doubt, to those who know 
 my own deficiencies in this respect, to be more belligerent, 
 firm, and self-asserting, especially where, as I thought, im- 
 portant principles were involved ; but he would mildly reply, 
 " A bishop must be no striker, but gentle, showing all meek- 
 ness unto all men." 
 
 Dr. Stow has been distinguished in past years, and will be 
 remembered hereafter, I doubt not, as preeminently powerful 
 in the pulpit. To those who have known him only in the full- 
 ness of his maturity, he has appeared principally as a sound, 
 judicious man; somewhat enfeebled in frame, but with unim- 
 paired mental power ; a reliable and safe counsellor, fitted to 
 any position of trust where character and wisdom Avere re- 
 quired ; embodjdng weighty sentiments in short, pithy para- 
 graphs, furnishing rich and most instructive articles of denomi- 
 national history in the Christian Watchman and Reflector, 
 ■with which he has been connected editorially the past two 
 years ; preparing appropriate resolutions for public meetings ; 
 giving counsel and facilitating business in the missionary 
 rooms, and in the boards of trustees at Newton and Provi- 
 dence ; evincing always a remarkable instinct and insight — 
 "long feelers," as Dr. Wayland used to say of him; seeing 
 at a glance the varying currents of public thought, and with 
 wonderful adroitness making them subservient to his purpose 
 by saying the right thing at the right time. As a preacher to 
 the younger portion of his hearers, he has appeared sincere 
 and earnest indeed, uttering rich, solid gospel truth, but with- 
 out any attempt at eloquence or ornament. He always de- 
 lighted in what he called the Pauline style — soimd speech 
 that could not be condemned, in doctrine, showing uncorrupt- 
 uess, gravity, sincerity, and withal showing himself a i^attern 
 
344 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 of good works, so tliat they who were of the contrary part might 
 be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of him. But I remem 
 ber, — and so do others, — that Avhen he first came to Boston, 
 and for years afterwards, no man stood higher as a pulpit ora- 
 tor. He was a most effective speaker, not only the equal of his 
 brethren, but their acknowledged superior, taller by the head 
 and shoulders than the men of Israel. The spacious house in 
 Baldwin Place w^ns thronged w-ith admiring listeners Sabbath 
 after Sabbath, year in and year out. The students from New- 
 ton and Cambridge esteemed it a privilege, as I well know, to 
 come afoot into the city for the purpose of being present at 
 his Sunday evening lecture. He was then full of vital energy. 
 His eye sparkled with animation. His clear, sonorous, ring- 
 ing voice fell delightfully upon the ear. There was a resist- 
 less power in his eloquence, like the sweep and swell of an 
 ocean wave. He had his audience completely at his com- 
 mand, moving them to alternate smiles and tears, and, like a 
 skilful helmsman, turning them, at will, " whithersoever the 
 governor listeth." And what is better still, the secret of his 
 power was, that he walked with God. He lived near to the 
 cross. He went from his knees into the pulpit, and spoke un- 
 der the influence of an unction from the Holy One. Hence 
 he obtained what his heart most desired — not praises for him- 
 self, but trophies for his Master, penitential tears, rejoicing 
 converts, and souls redeemed. Gratefully do I remember at 
 this hour those refreshing seasons from the presence of the 
 Lord which I have shared with him, Avhen his heart was filled 
 with gladness, and his countenance shone as it had been the 
 face of an angel. 
 
 There was another feature in his character and experience 
 so prominent to those acquainted with him in his earlier and 
 later years, that I am unwilling to pass it by without notice. 
 More than any man I ever knew, Dr. Stow had the power of 
 inspiring confidence, and attacliing others to himself There 
 was something in his voice and manner, something in his look, 
 his eye, and still more in his heart, that gave an impression to 
 others that he loved them; and he did, and they loved him in 
 
ADDRESS OF DR. NEALE. 345 
 
 return. Other students, however good and pious, li:ul tlieir 
 enemies ns Avell as friends. The officers, excellent men as 
 tliey Avere known to be, Conant, Chase, Knowles, Dr. Staugh- 
 ton even, were not universally popular. But the Faculty, and 
 all the students, noith and south, from the seniors down to 
 the fourtli class in the preparatory school, loved Baron Stow, 
 and spoke of him in terms of unqualified praise. And thus 
 it has been in his after life. The church at Portsmouth, and 
 the Baptists of New Hampshire generally, perfectly idolized 
 him, and do so to this day. The Baldwin Place people, through 
 his entire pastorate, — I bear them rccoi'd, — were ready 
 to pluck out their own eyes, and give them to him. He came 
 to the Rowe Street Church like the sun in its meridian. Here 
 he found a people always ready to throw around him every 
 kindly influence, and to save him, so far as 2")ossible, from any 
 ehunent of the "shady side." No Avoe was near him, or in 
 prospect, only that all men spoke well of him. Other minis- 
 ters generally have to meet a diversity of opinion among 
 their hearers — a mixture of likes and dislikes. With him, 
 on the contrary, life seemed an unbroken, balmy summer's 
 day — no clouds in his sky, no thorns in his path. What 
 minister Avas ever more highly esteemed in this community, 
 din-ing a period of now nearly forty years, than he? What 
 jiastor was ever more tendei-ly cherished by his ministering 
 brethren, or more warmly welcomed to our churches and pul- 
 pits ? Indeed, the misfortune was, that he has been, through 
 life, I had almost said, a petted favorite. Hence he felt the 
 more keenly those trials which are sure to come sooner or 
 later to us all. It is a hard lesson, that of the old prophet, 
 but strictly true — " It is good for a man that he should bear 
 the yoke in his youth." 
 
 The dissolution of Dr. Stow's pastoral relation was indeed 
 a crushing trial to himself as well as to his people. He loved 
 to preach. He was at home in the piilpit. He was never so 
 happy as in that work from Mhich, in the ])rovidence of God, 
 f.o was now laid aside. It was a second nature to him, nay, his 
 highest and divinest, to go in and out before a loved and lov- 
 
346 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 iiig people, breaking to them the bread of life. I do not won- 
 der that he felt unreconciled to the marked change, which, 
 however imperative the cause, had occurred in his outward 
 relations. With no ministerial charge, he hardly knew wliat 
 to do with himself. His Sabbaths, which had been so lights 
 were now dark and dreary. His jieople, and all the churches 
 in the city, as well as his ministering brethren, sympathized 
 with him in his sadness, and would, I believe, one and all, 
 had it been in their power, have gladly dispelled the gloom 
 which they saw settling down upon his tender and sensitive 
 heart. But that gloom is now removed, that burden lifted 
 by the hand of God. A Sabbath brighter than that of earth 
 has dawned upon him, a temple not made with hands is o})on 
 for his ascending spirit. He understands now as never before 
 those precious words lie loved to repeat to the weary and the 
 sorrow-stricken : "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord 
 from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may res'^j 
 from their labors ; and their works do follow them." 
 
 Of my personal relations with Dr. Stow I scarcely dare 
 trust myself to speak. We have been acquainted from our 
 college days. We have been settled as pastors in tlie imme- 
 diate vicinity of each other. We have met often in the social 
 circle and the religious meeting. No collision of feeling, still 
 less of words, ever occurred between us. We have lived to- 
 gether as brothers, confiding and trustful, freely opening our 
 hearts to one another without reserve, and without fear of. 
 betrayal. He spoke of this in our last interview, and left a 
 dying message that I should take part at his funeral. " For," 
 he said, "he will speak a kind word of me." Dear brotlicr, 
 what else could I say? Those folded hands were never lifte<i 
 but for ray good. Those lips, now closed and silent, never 
 wounded my feelings. I cannot repress my tears, standing as 
 I now do over the coffin of my life-long friend. I am dis- 
 tressed for thee, my brother ; very pleasant hast thou been 
 unto us. 
 
 I sympathize with the people of his late charge in the emo- 
 tions awakened in their bosoms by the solemnities of this oc- 
 
ADDKESS OF DR. MURDOCK. 34T 
 
 casion, and with the youthful pastor who has recently entereil 
 upon his new position, made the more responsible and sacred 
 by the death of his revered predecessor. 
 
 It will not be considered, I am sure, assuming, if I say a 
 word to my brethren in the ministry, standing as I do among 
 you, of my early associates in the sacred office, almost alone. 
 How obvious and how impressive to us are the lessons of this 
 hour! What are admiring assemblies and human applaus^e? 
 There is no source of liope or of present comfort on which we 
 can safely rest, aside from the favor of God, and the sweet 
 consciousness of having endeavored to do our duty. Let us, 
 in this solemn and instructive presence, dedicate ourselves 
 anew to Christ and his cross, and so preach and so live, that, 
 when summoned hence, we may hear the voice of divine ap- 
 proval, which, I doubt not, has already cheered the heart of 
 our departed brother, — 
 
 " Servant of God, well clone ; 
 
 Rest from thy loved employ; 
 The battle fouglit, the victory won, 
 Enter thy Master's joy." 
 
 Address of Rev. J. N. Murdock, D. D. 
 
 I seem to be standing to-day as in a dream, and the vision 
 is mixed. On a bright, autunnial Sabbath morning, I am sit- 
 ting in the old Baldwin Place Church, one of a crowded au- 
 dience, drawn there by the fame of the most po])ular Baptist 
 preacher in the United States. The preacher is in the prime 
 of life. His massive and sinewy frame, his striking and beau- 
 tiful countenance, the large, lustrous dark eye, the open brow, 
 the compressed lips, the eagle front, the raven haii-, altogether 
 are well fitted to arrest attention and excite interest. He 
 speaks, and the deep bass of that marvellous voice lloats over 
 the great throng, and fills every part of the house with its 
 witchery. The sermon is finished with careful elaboration, 
 but the hearer is most impressed with its intensely practical 
 character, and the deejD earnestness of the preacher. 
 
348 MEMOIK OF DE. STOW. 
 
 The scene is clianged. Twenty-six years and more have 
 jaassecl, and I am again in the liouse of God ; but it is not the 
 same. Here, too, is the vast concourse, but much changed 
 from that earUer time. Many, O, liow many, of that congre- 
 gation are in another assembly to-day ! Tlie preacher is also 
 here. But the noble form is prostrate, not erect, as then ; the 
 imperial brow is marble, not flushed with feeling, as then ; 
 there is no breath in the nostrils ; the wondrous light has 
 gone out of the eyes, and the lips that dropped wisdom and 
 distilled sweetness are mute. I look upon him, but the 
 quick glow of recognition lights not his countenance as it 
 has never failed to do since that first hour in which I saw 
 and heard him. No, the vision deceives us — this is not 
 he. He has passed on to that other assembly, of which I 
 have spoken, and there are more there to greet him with a 
 heavenly welcome than are left here to mourn his loss. He 
 is gone ; and we have come here, a vast concourse, to honor 
 his dear remains, to sing our dirges, to commemorate him 
 in a few tributary words, and leave our flowing tears to ex- 
 press what our poor words never can. 
 
 In 1846 Dr. Stow penned these emphatic words : " The 
 spirit of missions is the spirit of concord. The key-note 
 was struck on the plains of Bethlehem, and all who have 
 sympathy with the angelic announcement are sure to think, 
 feel, speak, and act in concert both with the heavenly host 
 and with each other." 
 
 How far the life-long devotion of the wi'iter of these 
 words to the cause of Christian missions, which has been 
 so fitly commemorated by my associate, contributed to form 
 those sentiments of Christian brotherhood which lie aimed 
 to vindicate and illustrate by his pen and in his life, this is 
 neither the time nor the place to inquire. ISTor need we ask 
 ' to-day in what manner or to what extent his large Christian 
 sympathies excited his devotion to the work of universal 
 evangelization. But of one thing we maybe sure : he never 
 would have pursued the great enterprise to which he gav j 
 the best energies of his mind and heart with such constancy 
 
ADDRESS OP DK. MUKDOCK 349 
 
 and devotion, had he breu less cosmopolitan in his Christian 
 spirit. He was zealous, not so much for the growth of Ji 
 sect, as for the spread of the truth as it is in Jesus ; not merely 
 for the success of a peculiar ibrm of church polity, but tor 
 the enlargement of Christian charily. lie aimed at no party 
 triumph, but at the renovation of all men, an<l the diffusion 
 of love and good-will tlu-oughout the world. Rarely, if ever, 
 'yas his voice heard among the dis})utes of this world. 'He 
 shrank from controversy, and held himself aloof from ])olemi- 
 cal strife. So marked lias been his entire coiu-se in this re- 
 spect, that those avIio knew not the de])thof his |)ersonal con- 
 victions, and the loyal spirit that animated him, have some- 
 times regarded him as timid, if not lax, in his (h-votion to his 
 professed principles. 
 
 Yet, in i)oint of fact, his theology was of the strictest ev.in- 
 gelical type. He held strongly to the moderate, perha])S I 
 ought to say the real, Calvinism of Fuller, and the better class 
 of the New England school, as generally embodied in the con- 
 fessions of our churches. He was, moreover, a Baptist, stand- 
 ing by the peculiar views of the denomination as to the scrip- 
 tural subjects and mode of baptism, and maintaining them in 
 all their length and breadth with well-defined clearness and 
 inflexible tenacity. And as to timidity, there was a spirit in 
 this man that Avould have carried him to the stake, and 
 crowned him Tvith the glory of martyrdom, for an iota of 
 scriptura' truth, had he been asked to deny or renounce it — in 
 the true spirit of that gentle saint of the olden time, who, on 
 the way to the stake, declared, " 1 cannot contend for Christ, 
 but I can die for him." Even in the denunciation of sin he 
 could not, as he expressed it, " add his wrath to the wrath of 
 God;" but when hollow pretence was to be exposed, when 
 greed was to be scouted, when imi-haritableness was to be re- 
 buked, when any vice, having its roots in the selfishness and 
 corrujjtion of human nature, require;! condeiiinn ion, the sword 
 of the Spirit came flashing and ringing liom his tongue on 
 the head of oflence and offender. The inl)orn integrity of his 
 soul, as well as his loyalty to Chi;st, made it impossible for 
 
350 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 him to be silent in cases where the Word of God denounced 
 condemnation. It was the exceeding breadth of his charac- 
 ter, and not his Lick of manUness; the generosity of his spirit, 
 and not the selfish ])rudence of his nature ; the fear lest he 
 might, by some unguarded word, offend Christ's little ones, 
 and not an excessive care for his own I'eputation ; his quick 
 and sensitive conscientiousness, and not a time-serving tem- 
 per, that conspired to make him so circumspect and meas- 
 ured in his treatment of those differences which existed be- 
 tween him and his Christian bretln-en of other names. The 
 candid observer of Dr. Stow's public character must have been 
 impressed with the generously catholic spirit Avhich inspired 
 him, and the broad charity w^hich enlisted his sympathies and 
 controlled his utterances. He judged no man, least of all 
 condemned no man, for a course different from that which he 
 liad prescribed for himself. Always loyal to the traditions of 
 his people, he held firmly and consistently to the great semi- 
 nal principle of our corporate and public life, the idea of free- 
 dom of thought, in the absence of which opinion becomes 
 simply automatic, and not personal. His soul was baptized 
 into the plenitude of the sentiment expressed in Melanchthon's 
 celebrated aphorism, " In essentials, unity ; in non-essentials, 
 liberty; in all things, charity." 
 
 And so it has fallen to the lot of our departed friend and 
 brother to pursue the work of the ministry amid the sharp an- 
 tagonisms of the time, for more than forty years, respected 
 and loved by Christians of other persuasions ; respected for 
 the firmness with which he has maintained his denominational 
 tenets, and loved for the gentleness of his bearing and the 
 benignity of his character. 
 
 A great man and a j^rince in Israel has fallen. Dr. Stow 
 was something more, something better, than a brilliant genius 
 or a profound intellect. He was great in his moral staLure, 
 in the probity of his nature, in the purity of his life, and in 
 the circumspectness of his conduct. What he wrote and pub- 
 lished in various volumes, as well as in tiie periodical press, 
 has contributed somewhat, as we may well believe, to the 
 
ADDRESS OF DK. MUKDOCK. 351 
 
 religious inspiration and progress of his time ; but wliat he was 
 has been more pregnant with power than anything liis pen 
 has produced. He was a Hving e])istle, read and known of 
 men. And the grand voUinie of character which his hfe un- 
 fokled, and his death completed, may be studied with advan- 
 tage, nay, will be studied, by generations to come. It is 
 unique, individual, strongly marked; never will it disappear 
 from sight in tlie confusion of the common mass. Nor can 
 the closing chai)ters be marred by any weakness or imperfec- 
 tion now. It was the remark of a friendly critic during tlie 
 almost frantic effort of Sir Walter Scott, in his last days, to 
 retrieve his pecuniary fortunes by producing books for the 
 sake of the copyrights they yielded — " Scott wrote himself up 
 irrandly ; it were a mercy for him to die before he writes him- 
 self down." This benignant, just, honorable character is at 
 least secure against the chance of future failure. The past is 
 secure. The able preacher, the faithful pastor, the public- 
 spirited benefactor, the wise counsellor, the upright man, the 
 constant friend, — these are henceforth as fixed in our memo- 
 ries as they have been dear to our hearts. 
 
 Dr. Stow will be mourned not alone by this community, 
 where he has spent the larger portion of his life, and which 
 he has served in so many ways ; not alone by his own denom- 
 ination, to whose prosperity in all the elements of real growth 
 he has devoted his best energies, but throughout the land, 
 and by all who revere goodness and prize integrity of heart. 
 His name has gone out through the land as a symbol of 
 strength, and his death will cause a pang to all lovers of good 
 men. O, how his presence will be missed, and in how many 
 spheres of Christian efibrt ! That committee-room, where, for 
 thirty-seven years, his visits have been as constant as the suc- 
 cession of the weeks — what a void will be there ! And the 
 council boards of our seats of learning, where he so long pre- 
 sided, and helped so largely to shape the policies which have 
 begun to lead us to highei^- planes of culture, and larger meas- 
 ures of efficiency — who shall sui)ply his place there ? And 
 that desolated home. But we may not invade the privacy 
 
352 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 of this great sorrow. We shall miss him, but he will rejoico 
 in a sense of completeness he never knew till now. We 
 shall mourn him, but he is Avhere all tears are wiped from the 
 eyes. He has laid down his burden ; the things that grieved 
 him p-rieve him no more; the night of his distress has passed, 
 and the brightness of unclouded morning shines ai'ound him. 
 No weariness, no heaviness, no distress, no aching heart, no 
 throbbing brain, but rest and j^eace are his forever. 
 
 " The poace of all the faithful, the calm of all the blest, 
 Inviolate, unvaried, divinest, sweetest, best; 
 
 Yes, peace — for strife is needless ; yes, calm — ■ for storm is past, 
 And goal from finished labor, and anchorage at last." 
 
 On the arrival of the funeral procession at Mount Auburn, 
 a quartet, under the direction of General B. F. Edmands, 
 the chorister of the Baldwin Place Church during the whole 
 of Dr. Stow's ministry with this church, sang the following 
 beautiful requiem : — 
 
 Once more the spot with solemn awe we tread 
 Where sleep the relics of our kindred dead ; 
 Chant we our requiem mournfully, and slow, 
 While our sad tears above their ashes flow. 
 
 Memories, bright memories of each hallowed name, 
 
 Wake in our hearts pure love's undying flame ; 
 
 Yet must we leave them — leave them here to rest; 
 
 Green be the turf above each noble breast. 
 
 This place to us is consecrated ground, 
 Where holy, solemn quiet reigns around; 
 No more can pain, or grief, or anxious care 
 Reach or disturb our mourned brother here. 
 
 Memories, bright memories of his cherished name, 
 
 Leave in our hearts pure love's undying flame; 
 
 Yet must we leave him — leave him here to rest; 
 
 Green be the sod above his noble breast. 
 
 Prayer was then offered by Dr. Neale, and the tender 
 words of the hymn, " Unveil thy bosom, fliithful tomb," hav- 
 ing been sung, the mourners departed from the hallowed 
 Bpot in which the sleeper was laid away to his final rest. 
 
PRESIDENT Anderson's letter. 353 
 
 From the immerous letters addressed to his bereaved family 
 we select four, which were written by warm ])ersonal friends 
 of Dr. Stow, giving us a charming portraiture of his chai'acter, 
 upon which we gaze with peculiar delight. These letters 
 were written by President M. B. Anderson, LL. D., of Roch- 
 ester, N. Y., Rev. William Dean, D. D., of Bangkok, Si.im, 
 Rev. Richard Fuller, D. D., of Baltimore, Md., and Rev. 
 Barnas Sears, D. D., of Staunton, Va. 
 
 From Rev. Dr. Anderson. 
 
 Rochester, February' 8, 1870. 
 
 My dear Mrs. Stow : Mrs. Dean, who has lately returned 
 from Boston, has given me some of the particulars of the last 
 hours of your husband. This brought up before my mind all 
 his early and late kindness to me, and all those excellences 
 of mind and heart which have always kept him before my 
 mind as the noblest ty])e that I have ever met of the " good 
 minister of Jesus Christ." I was indebted to him and to you 
 for recognition and kindness when I was young and unknown, 
 and wdien I was a weak and almost discouraged invalid. As 
 one of the Fellow^s of Brown University, he came to this city 
 to make me the offer of promotion, which, I knew, had been in 
 great part due to his partial kindness. These recollections are 
 personal to myself, and till a larger place in my mind and heart 
 than those elements of character and intellect by which he was 
 made known to the world at large, and by which he mads 
 his impression on his age as a public man. Of these ele- 
 ments, that which first occurs to me is his breadth au'd 
 elegance of culture. He had an almost shrinking delicacy 
 of organization, which, while it made him susceptible to all 
 beautiful and holy impressions, was, at the same time, the 
 source of acute suffering in all the rude jostling of the hard 
 and unfeeling world. But though he suffered from his or- 
 ganization, how gentle, how considerate of others, how kind- 
 ly did it make liis relations with all who were blessed with 
 his affection, or honored by his friendsliip ! 
 
 This delicacy of taste and kindness of nature obscured, to 
 23 
 
354 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 some extent, the grasp and range of his intellect. Had hf 
 been coarser and harder in his moral constitution, he would 
 have made deeper impression upon the multitude. But all 
 this would have been i^urchased at the expense of that rounded 
 fullness and beauty of Christian character which gave him 
 such power over those whom he took to his heart. My own 
 impression has always been, that in the qualities of mind and 
 character which make up the model pastor, he stood alone in 
 excellence. I am not able to do justice to an analysis of his 
 intellect. My knowledge of him has been almost confined to 
 the points of his life and being of Avhich, above all others, you 
 have had the richest experience. I beg leave to tender you 
 and your dear daugliter my most respectful sympathy, and to 
 assure you both of my remembrance and j^rayers. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 M. B. Anderson. 
 
 From Rev. Dr. Dean. 
 
 Bangkok, Siam, March 9, 1870. 
 My dear Mrs. Stow : I need not express my love and 
 veneration for the departed one. You already know that I 
 felt for him as for a brother ; yea, more than a brother. He 
 was my ideal of a Christian gentleman. He came as near a 
 perfect man as any one I ever knew. As a man, a friend, a 
 minister, he was a model. What he was as a husband and 
 a father, you and Matilda can better tell ; but I know enough 
 to think that in those relations it would be difficult to find 
 his equal. Your loss is great, but his gain is greater. He is 
 now free from jDain, and tears, and anxious care, and every sor- 
 row. Nothing to disturb or distress him now. He is com- 
 pletely and forever happy with that Saviour who alone is able 
 to bind up your bleeding hearts. I commend you to that 
 heavenly Friend, Avho holds in his bosom the loved one gone 
 before you, and who is waiting to fold you also to his loving 
 embrace. 
 
 Most affectionately yours, 
 
 W. Dean. 
 
DK. fuller's letter. 355 
 
 From Rev. Dr. Fuller. 
 
 Baltimore, July 7, 1870. 
 
 Miss Stow : I am bappy to hear by your kind note 
 that the Memoir is almost ready for the press. I felt your 
 father's death as a personal bereavement, and as a great pub- 
 lic loss. 
 
 I need say nothing of liis intellectual endowments ; of his 
 literary and scholarly accomplishments ; of his remarkable 
 power as a preacher; of his surpassing and invaluable talent 
 for that sort of business which tlie affairs of Christ's kingdom 
 impose upon a city pastor; of the faithfulness and tenderness 
 with which he fed and tended the flock of Jesus ; of his pro- 
 found and yet most simple and evangelical system of gospel 
 truth ; or of his deep, all-pervading, all-controlling personal 
 piety. I never knew a human being who seemed to me to 
 have throned the Redeemer more entirely and practically over 
 his mind, conscience, heart, and life ; and I need not speak of 
 these attributes, because they were and are everywhere ac- 
 knowledged and admired. 
 
 But there were two traits in Dr. Stow's character which 
 every day grow in my esteem, because I every day see how 
 rare they are. The first was his perfect candor. No matter 
 how dear any one might be to him, he was always scrupulous- 
 ly sincere. I do not believe he ever feared the face of man, 
 or ever uttered a single word of flattery. The other excel- 
 lence was his rigid, unswerving adherence to truth, always and 
 in all things. This latter quality may, by many, be regarded 
 as, after all, no exalted distinction ; but those who think thus 
 know little of the v/orld, the church, or themselves. Each 
 year of my life teaches me that to strict veracity we may ap- 
 ply what Jesus says of fliith, and ask. When the Son of Man 
 Cometh, will he find truth upon the earth ? One of the pur- 
 est and most honorable men I ever knew remarl^ed that his 
 " besetting sin was lying." It was a confession which none 
 but a most conscientious person would ever make ; and every 
 conscientious person comprehends him, understands what cir- 
 cumspection and grace it requires in conversation, in business, 
 
356 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 in speaking of men and things, never to allow any ambiguity 
 of thought, word, or action; never to permit passion or preju- 
 dice to sway us one hair's breadth from perfect singleness of 
 purpose; always to hold fast our integrity, and to move, and 
 live, and have our being under the searching inspection of t\u- 
 eye of God. In this element of nobleness my beloved brother 
 exemplified the character of Jesus. He combined the under- 
 standing of the man with the guileless simplicity of a child. 
 At this time especially his death is a lamentable calamity. 
 Although the war has long closed, yet civil war always leaves 
 behind it, rooted in the very structure of society, interwoven 
 with all the ramifications of thought, feeling, interest in a state, 
 the most baleful evils. The animosities and exasperations 
 which stir continue to afflict our beloved country can never 
 be healed by politicians. The gospel is the only remedy. 
 And, as few ministers possessed so much of the spirit of Jesus 
 as my brother, so no one was more anxious, by prayer and 
 kindly mediation, to remove " all bitterness, and wrath, and 
 anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, with all malice," and to 
 restore the good old times, when, north, south, east, west, 
 Christians should be "kind one to another, tender-hearted, 
 forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath for- 
 given them." 
 
 Personally we have long been warm and devoted friends 
 and brothers. If, during the war, there was some chill of love 
 between us, nothing could ever abate my affectionate rever- 
 ence for his virtue ; and he never met me more warmly, and 
 opened his soul more fraternally to me, than he did the first 
 time we met after hostilities had ceased. During my last 
 confidential interview with him at Jamaica Plain, I was 
 moved beyond measure as he unbosomed himself to me, as I 
 perceived "the sorrow which was weighing upon his spirits, 
 and yet witnessed the faith, firmness, purity, gentleness, 
 mildness, which hallowed his parting days, raising his affeO' 
 tions above the earth, and fixing them upon heaven. 
 Very sincerely, my dear Miss Stow, 
 
 K. Fuller. 
 
DR. SEARS'S LETTER. 357 
 
 From Rev. Dr. Sears. 
 
 Staunton, Va., September 1, 1870. 
 
 31r DEAR Mrs. Stow : It gives me pleasure, though not 
 unmingled with sadness, to comply with your request, and 
 furnish some personal recollections of your late excellent hus- 
 hand. lie was one of my oldest, warmest, truest, and best 
 liiends. Few deaths outside of my family circle would be 
 more sensibly felt by me. I formed his acquaintance in 
 1825, at the house of the late Hon. Ileman Lincoln, whose 
 guests we were, and whose cordial friendship we both enjoyed 
 ever after. I recollect distinctly our first interview, and even 
 the first topic of our conversation. It related to the qualifi- 
 cations of James D. Knowles, then editor of the Columbian 
 Star, j)ublished in Washington, for the professorship of ora- 
 tory and belles-lettres at Brown University. We were then 
 fresh graduates from our respective colleges, and naturally 
 felt our great responsibilities. Still it Avas hardly proper for 
 ns to make any movement as long as the Hon. Tristam 
 Burgess held that position. The vacancy finally occurred, 
 and the corporation, without consulting us, appointed William 
 <T. Goddard. 
 
 During the first ten years of our acquaintance, our inter- 
 course was limited, as we resided in different states; but from 
 the time of his removal to Boston, and mine to Newton, our 
 intimacy was close, and continued uninterrupted to the last. 
 By means of these changes. Dr. Stow became the successor 
 of Mr. Knowles as pastor, and I his associate as professor. 
 Wiien it was decided to establish the Christian Review as a 
 Bajitist quarterly. Professor Knowles was appointed its first 
 editor, and Dr. Stow and myself afterwards became contrib- 
 utors. When the Review languished for want of patronage, 
 it. was at the instance of Dr. Stow that I went south, as far 
 as Riclnnond and Norfolk, to take measures for increasing its 
 circulation beyond the boundaries of New England. The 
 ol»ject was accomplished, and the Review from that time con- 
 tinued ])rosperous till the sudden death of its editor, in 1838. 
 The next number was issued by Dr. Stow and myself, in 
 
858 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 which the fonner paid a suitable tribute to the memory of his 
 early and intimate friend. He then proposed that I should 
 assume the editorship, relying on him as one of the regular 
 contributors. He was at the same time chairman of the com- 
 mittee of publication. As it became necessary, in the course 
 of time, to be relieved of some of my duties, I thought it best 
 to withdraw from my position as editor. To my letter of 
 resignation Dr. Stow wrote the following reply : — 
 
 Boston, September 28, 1840. 
 
 My dear Brother : I have this morning laid before the 
 committee of the Christian Keview your resignation of the 
 office of editor. They agree with you that the duties of your 
 important professorship are quite enough for any one man, 
 and that it is exceedingly desirable that you should be able 
 to give yourself exclusively to those duties. They also agree 
 with you that one man ought to give his whole energies to 
 the conducting of the Christian Review. But, alas ! we are 
 exceedingly deficient in men suited to responsible position.s 
 and every man who is worth much in our denomination is 
 obliged to perform for the present the labor of two, and even 
 three, fondly hoping that the Lord of the harvest will yet 
 multiply laborers, and bring relief to those who are sinking 
 under accumulated burdens. 
 
 The committee, in consulting with the publishers, w^ere in- 
 formed that probably you might be induced to continue your 
 labors as editor, at least another year, provided some arrange- 
 ment could be made to reduce the amount of labor and re- 
 sponsibility. If you could associate one or two with you in 
 the service, in whom you may have confidence, and thus di- 
 vide the severities of the office, while you should yourself 
 retain the ultimate and authoritative supervision, the arrange- 
 ment would be satisfactory to the committee, and, we pre- 
 sume, to the public. Are you willing to negotiate, upon these 
 terms, for a continuance in the office ? 
 
 Let me entreat you to reconsider the decision to which you 
 have come, and not to settle the matter definitively without 
 
DU. STOW'S INTEKEST IX MISSIONS AND EDUCATION. 339 
 
 further conversation Avitli tlie committee. You will probublj 
 
 be in the city next Monday, Mlien, if convenient to yourself, 
 
 I should like an inter\iew upon this very important subject. 
 
 Your companion in the kingdom, and patience, &c., 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 The Baptist Triennial Convention for Foreign Missions 
 was, at the time of its dissolution, in debt to the amount of 
 forty thousand dollars, and Dr. Stow and mj'self were ap- 
 pointed a committee to make up this deficiency. I soon saw 
 the advantage of having such an associate. Nothing contrib- 
 uted more to our success than his i)ersonal popularity. 
 
 Some years afterwards, several causes were in operation to 
 embarrass and discourage the friends of ministerial education. 
 In some quarters, Avhere it was least to be expected, education 
 societies and theological institutions were spoken of in dis- 
 paraging terms. From a Acry different source also, charac- 
 terized by a lack of intelligence and public spirit, came grave 
 expressions of doubt as to the ex}jediency of training learned 
 men for the ministry. The people were easily persuaded to 
 withhold their contributions. At this crisis Dr. Stow came 
 forward with great earnestness and zeal, and rallied around 
 him the friends of this important but declining interest. The 
 churches hardly know how much they are indebted to his 
 efforts for the high qualifications of the ministers whose set- 
 vices they now enjoy. I recci\"cd from him the tAvo follow- 
 ing letters on this subject : — 
 
 Boston, .Tune 3, 1844. 
 My dear Brother : I take it for granted that you are 
 not ignorant of the condition of the Northern Baptist Educa- 
 tion Society, or of the evils by which its operations are em- 
 barrassed — external evils that obstruct its progress, inter- 
 nal evils that cripple its activity. As my brethren, who, fe 
 judice, know how to impose Pelion upon Ossa, have laid u])on 
 me the responsibility of presiding over this society, I am dis- 
 posed to make an effort to remedy some of these evils, and 
 
360 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 to infuse into the institution some new elements of life and 
 energy. In forming my plans, I feel the need of coiinsel, and 
 I know of no one to whom I can apply with greater confidence 
 tlian to yourself 
 
 Reserving some points for a private interview, I now pro- 
 l>ose only one for your consideration ; and that is, the ex- 
 pediency of inviting a conference of judicious brethren from 
 all the New England States for the purpose of comparing 
 views with respect to the subject of ministerial education, 
 and, by a concentration of wisdom, endeavoring to agree 
 upon some principles in accordance with which we may 
 direct our combined and harmonious efforts. The general 
 question should be, W/iat can he done to increase the 2?otoer 
 of our tninistry? I need not prove to you that our ministry 
 needs strengthening, or that causes are in operation which 
 threaten to carry still farther the deteriorating j^rocess. Un- 
 less something is soon and efficiently done to arrest that 
 process, our denominational interests, in all their departments, 
 will suffer. We must have more power in our p>uJpit, 
 
 In this conviction you and I are not alone. But standing 
 a]:)art and complaining of the evil, or acting without concert, 
 will 2>i"ovide no effectual remedy. We need a mutual under- 
 standing of the causes and the nature of the evil, and of the 
 means by Avhich it may be cured. How can we better reach 
 tliis desirable point than by the mode which I have suggested ? 
 
 I do not proj^ose to call a " mass meeting," but to invite 
 privately a meeting of some fifteen or twenty pastors, and 
 several of the officers of our theological institutions, colleges, 
 and academies, and perhaps a few laymen, that they may 
 leisurely, fully, and prayerfully consider the whole subject, and 
 come to agreement as to the course proper to be pursued. 
 
 Can you suggest anything better, as a first stejy, than such 
 an interview '? Allow me respectfully to solicit a frank ex- 
 jiression of your opinion. 
 
 Affectionally your brother and fellow-laborer, 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Sears. 
 
KORTHERN BAPTIST EDUCATION SOCIETY. SGI 
 
 Boston, June 10, 1844. 
 
 My dear Brother : Your favor of the 4th was received. 
 As I may not have an o])portunity to sec yon at ])rcscnt, I 
 beg leave to say that my ohject in writing you as I did was 
 not to obtain your oj)inion as to tlie condition and jtolicy of 
 the Northern Baptist Education Society, but simply to ascer- 
 tain your views touching the expediency of inviting such a 
 conference as I proposed. Nor do I propose tliat such a con- 
 ference, if called, shall be troubled with details respecting th(' 
 affairs of the Education Society. I have supposed it desirable 
 that judicious brethren should be brought together to confer 
 upon the great question of ministerial education, and see if there 
 could not be produced a unity of sentiment and a strength 
 of feeling that might lead to the adoption of an harmonious 
 and vigorous system of action. It seems to me that we are 
 not united as it respects our true policy. Certainly there 
 is very little cooperation. The consequence is, that we work 
 inefficiently, because we work without concert. What one 
 does another undoes, — without design, of course, and yet 
 as effectually as if counteraction was the real purpose. 
 
 I dislike exceedingly to proceed in this matter, for it seems 
 like assuming that I am one of the right kind of ministers, 
 and the proper person to go forward in an enterprise of re- 
 form. But what shall be done? If there is another person 
 in the land who will imdeitake the service, and the brethren 
 should be disposed to cooperate M^th him, I will gladly be 
 his humble servant. The subject lies heavily on ray heart, 
 and I cannot rest until something is done that promises good 
 to our Zion. 
 
 Pardon me for troubling you a second time. I expect to 
 leave the city in a few days, to be absent some weeks. Please 
 tliink of the suggestions which I have made, and, when con- 
 venient, we will have an interview. 
 In haste, 
 
 Yours, very fraternally, 
 
 Baron Stow. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Sears. 
 
3G2 MEMOIR OF DR. STOW. 
 
 At the meeting of the Missionary Union, held in Philadel- 
 phia in 1858, an alarming state of things in regard to our 
 foreign missions was developed. These appeared to be a 
 general dissatistaction both with the home policy and tliC 
 foreign operations of the society. In this unexjiected crisis, 
 when the elements of opposition to the existing system be- 
 came too powerful to be controlled, a few brethren A^entured 
 to ])ropose a new mode of action. This modified system was 
 indeed imperfect, having been devised at the moment, with- 
 out time for elaborating it ; but it had this one merit — it 
 saved the society from dissolution. The present state of our 
 foreign missions grew out of that movement. Dr. Stow, avIio 
 had been obliged to leave the city before any decisive action 
 was taken, was, in his absence, appointed to take an imjjor- 
 tant part in carrying out the new policy. His letters writ- 
 ten to me at that time will be read with interest. 
 
 Boston, June 5, I808. 
 
 My dear Brother : Your kind favor of the 3d instant has 
 just come to hand, and though I am poorly prepared for to- 
 morrow's work, yet I cannot forbear to respond to your fra- 
 ternal communication. 
 
 I was obliged to leave Philadelphia on Thursday mornings 
 at the hour of the meeting of the Union. Dear old Mrs. 
 Baldwin was even then twenty-four hours dead, and I had to 
 hasten home to attend her funeral. As I left, I felt sad. 
 Everything foreshadowed a breaking up, I supposed tliat 
 there would be a revolution. Little did I apprehend such a 
 revolution as you and Dr. Parker and Hon. Mr. Duncan inau- 
 gurated. On Sabbath morning Deacon C. called, and in- 
 formed me of what had been done. I knew not how t(j 
 interpret the action. No one had Avhispered to me that my 
 services might be desirable in any department. I did not 
 even dream that the first man would think of me as foreign 
 secretary. I had given up the Union. 
 
 I have not been able to convince myself that any member 
 
CALL TO THE SECRETARY'S CHAIR. 3G3 
 
 of the Board could suppose it probable that I would leave 
 the pastoral office for any position, sacred or secular, in the 
 gift of any organization. In a ministry of thirty-one years, I 
 have often been invited away from my cliosen department of 
 labor, and I liave as often resisted every inducement to vacate 
 the 23ulpit and pastorate. Twice — in 1835 and in 1841 — I 
 was elected corresponding secretary of the Triennial Conven- 
 tion, and in both instances declined the appointment for the 
 sake of a work to which I regarded myself as called by my 
 Master. For the last few years'! have supposed that I might 
 be let alone, to finish out the remnant of my life as preacher 
 and pastor. 
 
 Now a demand comes in a new sliape, and under new, 
 wholly new circumstances, Tlie trial is to me a severe one. 
 I am constantly pressed, orally and by letters, to xmdertake 
 this work. I see what is to be done, and how it can be done, 
 and my heart is in it ; but I cannot see that my Master re- 
 quires me to venture into the breach, and take hold of the 
 service. Yesterday I had made up my mind that I could not 
 accept the appointment, when Dr. Warren called, and in- 
 formed me of what had occurred in Burmah. This intelli- 
 gence, so unexpected, so mysterious, threw me back upon the 
 main question. I am well nigh unmanned by the ])rovidentiai 
 bearings of this dispensation. What can it mean? Had this 
 news reached the Union while in session, what Avould have 
 been the action ? I see now no obstacle in Burmah to the 
 easy and complete carrying out of the lull purposes of the 
 Union and its Board. The executive committee will now be 
 unembarrassed, and will act as a unit. I stand still and adore I 
 No sooner had the grand barrier to conciliation and peace 
 been swept aAvay here at home than the news comes that 
 God has taken away the principal barrier to conciliation and 
 peace abroad ! " Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, 
 O God of Israel, the Saviour." 
 
 I shall be glad to hear further from you. There is immedi- 
 ate work for a foreign secretary, and I must soon settle the 
 question. It is in my heart to aid the executive committee in 
 
3G4 MEMOIR OF DE. STOW. 
 
 the adjustment of the machinery to the new policy ; but I am 
 not convinced that I ought to resign ray pastorate, throwing 
 aside all my professional capital, and enter, at my age, a new 
 department of service. Help me by your counsels and 
 prayers. 
 
 Your brother and fellow-laborer, 
 
 Baeon" Stow. 
 
 Boston, June 11, 1858 
 My dear Beothee : Since I wrote you on the 5th, I have 
 been impelled by a sense of duty to decline the appointment 
 of foreign secretary, on the ground that I could not leave my 
 present field of labor. The executive committee have since 
 requested me to withdraw my declination, and consent to 
 render such service as may be compatible with my duties as 
 preacher and pastor. This presents the question in a new 
 form; but I hesitate, for how can I take the additional bur- 
 den ? Besides, I am pained by some new elements that liave 
 appeared. ... I am oppressed with anxiety, and really 
 need counsel. Can you find time to write me your thoughts ? 
 . . . We have truly fallen on strange times. "God be 
 merciful to us sinners." 
 
 Vei-y fraternally, &c., 
 
 Baeon Stow. 
 
 With all his seriousness and earnestness, Dr. Stow had also 
 a vein of playful humor, which sometimes appeared in his 
 correspondence. In a letter of June 29, 18G7, he said, in 
 closing, " Dr. Sears, you are rather hard upon your friend of 
 forty-two years' standing. Always too modest ! The pa*t 
 forgiven. But future delinquencies in that line not to be par- 
 doned — even by Andrew Johnson ! Well, that o})ens for 
 me a dismal prospect. I am too old to change in that mat- 
 ter ; and if the only depreciative record of my life be ' too 
 modest,' I shall be one of the few guilty. I nevertheless take 
 your hint for the present emergency." 
 
 Writing to me once about the difficulty of securing varied 
 
CIIARACTEBISTTC FEATURES OF DR. STOW. 365 
 
 and natural elocution in college performances, which in his 
 view was very desirable, he said, somewhat spicily, "I under- 
 stand very well tliat when a student lias labored much upon 
 his oration, and had it cut down, and cut up, shortened, and 
 spliced, and made almost anything but what ho intended, his 
 heart is taken out of it, and refuses to return, so that ho can 
 hardly be expected to do more than exhibit a dried prepara- 
 tion. But still it seems to me he might be made to diversify 
 liis tones, and vary his inflections, even though he should do 
 it as a formality." 
 
 These are but a few specimens of the many letters received 
 from my old friend during a life-long correspondence ; but 
 as they are chiefly of a jiersonal nature, and are so i:)ervaded 
 by a spirit of partial friendship, that they cannot Avith proprie- 
 ty be given to the public. 
 
 It is not my purpose to narrate the life or portray the char- 
 acter of Dr. Stow. This duty others will perform. Some 
 impressions, however, made upon ray mind by long and 
 familiar intercourse with him may properly find a place here. 
 
 Taken all in all, as a man, as a Christian, and as a minister 
 of the gospel, he stood in the foremost rank in the city of his 
 adoption. The respect and affection cherished for him by 
 Christians of all denominations showed how well he sustained 
 his position in his more general relations to society. In all 
 those great enterprises in which evangelical Christians were 
 united, he was a prominent actor. An unusual degree cf 
 confidence was reposed in him. In this respect his name may 
 be justly placed side by side with the names of Baldwin and 
 Sharp. 
 
 He was highly valued for his substantial worth, and greatly 
 loved for his unifonii courtesy and kindness. As was nat- 
 ural, he was often called upon to speak on public occasions, 
 and was generally exceedingly happy and successful in his 
 efforts. Strong and vigorous in thought; forcible and pointed, 
 as well as fluent, in expression ; emphatic, and almost de- 
 clamatory, as well as graceful, in his delivery, — he was one of 
 the most powerful, and, at the same time, the most winning, 
 
366 MEMOIR or DK. STOW, 
 
 of our public speakers on such occasions. As a preacher In 
 his own church, he gave his people, during the year, as many 
 sound, substantial gospel sermons, perhaps, as any clergyman 
 in Boston. This was the testimony of Mr. Thomas Edmands, 
 not long before his death ; and he was a constant attendant at 
 his church for many years, and confessedly a good judge. I 
 often preached for him one part of the day, and heard him 
 the other; and rarely did I listen to a disccurse which was 
 not above mediocrity. 
 
 His kind and affectionate ti-eatment of the members of his 
 church and congregation was always observable. He knew 
 them when he met them on the street, and never j^assed 
 them witliout making them the happier for it. Not only 
 have I myself witnessed this kindly and genial intercourse 
 of his with his people, but some of my family, who belonged 
 to his church, received impressions from his cordial and ten- 
 der solicitude that will never be forgotten. 
 
 I was associated with him much during the trying scenes 
 of the " abolition " excitement, when hard things were some- 
 times said, even by good men. I never knew him to utter 
 an unkind Avord, or to wound the feelings of any of his 
 brethren. If he ever suffered from the harshness of others, 
 it was manifested only by a flush upon his countenance, and 
 by covering his face with his hand — a characteristic attitude 
 in moments of trial. This had, in part, a physical cause, as 
 he was constitutionally subject to a rush of blood to the 
 head. He always avoided strife and bitterness. When he 
 could not speak courteously and kindly, he would not speak 
 at all. Though affable to every one, he avoided intimacy 
 with contentious persons. He was naturally extremely sen- 
 sitive, and could never enjoy, in any high degree, the socket}' 
 of minds cast in a different mould. He loved to be with 
 warm and sympathizing friends, and at such times his flash- 
 ing eye and beaming countenance cast a sunshine on all 
 around him. His conversation, though cheerful, and often 
 playful, was never trifling. Few men have so rarely had 
 occasion to regret an inconsiderate word. Foolish expres- 
 
CONCLUSION. 367 
 
 sioiis no one ever heard from his hps. In all these respects 
 he was a niotlel of propriety. Faults and weaknesses he 
 undoubtedly luid, for he was human ; but they were so allied 
 to virtue, that one caimot liave n heart to name them. The 
 particular place which he held in the hearts of his friends 
 canno*. be given to another. There Avill always be a little 
 Banctuary reserved for him. Others I shall admire and love, 
 but for me there can never be another Baron Stow. 
 
 Affectionately yours, 
 
 B. Seaes. 
 
 Our task is done. If we have succeeded in leaving upon 
 the minds of our readers definite impressions of the ministe- 
 rial character of Dr. Stow, if just conceptions have been 
 formed of him in the relation which he prized above all other 
 relations, — that of an affectionate, laborious pastor of a 
 church of Christ, — we have accom})lished the object contem- 
 plated in the preparation of this Memoir. Incidentally we 
 ha-'c referred to what he did with his pen. It would have 
 be?n easy to have written page after page, setting forth his 
 ability as a writer, and giving analyses of the works which 
 he prepared for the press. His published sermons and ad- 
 dresses would make a good-sized volume. His connection 
 with the Psalmist, as one of the compilers of the collection 
 of hymns so generally used in our churches, is well known. 
 His papers on subjects connected with missions are Aery 
 numerous. In various departments of religious literature, 
 he exhibited the skill and good taste of the "ready writer." 
 His Doctrinal Question Book — his Daily Manna — liis 
 Whole Family in Heaven — are examples of the facility 
 with w^'ich he wrote on matters of living interest to th'- 
 church of Christ. So, too, we might have dwelt largely on 
 the rare executive ability he displayed in positions of trust, 
 as a member of the corporation of Brown University, in both 
 of its boards, as a trustee of Harvard College, and Newton 
 Theological Institution. We misrht have taken our readers 
 
368 MEMOIR OF DK. STOW. 
 
 to the rooms of the executive committee of the Missionary 
 Union, and shown them the deference which was paid to his 
 opinions by liis associates in office ; how he moulded and 
 shaped the poUcy and the action of the committee, and made 
 his influence to be felt, on a large scale, in both hemispheres 
 We might have dwelt on his catholic spirit, his love for all 
 the true disciples of Jesus wherever they vvere found, the 
 esteem in which he was held by good men of all denomina- 
 tions in the city which, for nearly forty years, was his home. 
 But, as our most exalted conception of Baron Stow is that 
 which Ave form of him as preacher and pastor, it has been our 
 wish to convey this conception to the minds of our readers. 
 The pulpit was his throne ; the church of Christ, when it 
 came up to his ideal of what it should be, his paradise on 
 earth. On that throne he swayed the sceptre of a monarch 
 who might justly claim to be a legate from the skies. In 
 that paradise he serenely Avalked, drawing all souls to him by 
 the magnetism Avhich ever goes forth from a pure heart and a 
 holy life. Our best thought of him is, that he belonged to 
 that company of choice sjiirits who, after the toils and con- 
 flicts of life are over, " shall shine as the brightness of tlie 
 firmament," and, having turned many to righteousness, shall 
 be " as the stars forever and ever." 
 
 THE END. 
 
APPENDI/X. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 1. Daniel Sharp. 
 
 2. ROLLIN HEBER NEALE. 
 
 3. William Hague. 
 
 4. John Calvin Stockbridge. 
 
 5. John Nelson Murdock. 
 
 6. Adoniram Judson Gordon. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 DANIEL SHARP. 
 
 Daniel Sharp was born in Huddersfiekl, county of York, 
 England, Dec. 25, 1783. He was the son of Christian parents, for 
 wliom he always cherished the most profound reverence and affec- 
 tion. Soon after his conversion he united witli a Congregational 
 church, but a change of sentiments with regard to the mode and 
 subjects of baptism led him to connect himself with a Baptist 
 church. Developing in early life a decided taste for mercantile 
 pursuits, he received a commission from a large business firm in 
 Yt)rksliire, to go to the United States, in their interests. Reach- 
 ing New York in 1S0.5 (ho was then Init twenty-two years of age), 
 he at once took his stand as a Christian young man, and identified 
 himself with the church of which Rev. John Williams, the father 
 of the honored and distinguished scholar and minister. Rev. Dr. 
 William R. Williams, was the pastor. We ax-e told that, "in the 
 social meetings of the church he developed such gifts at public 
 speaking, and showed such love for the work to which he devoted 
 his life, that it was the conviction of his brethren that he ought 
 to prepare for the Christian ministry." Obeying what seemed to 
 him to be a call from God, he turned away from the fascinations 
 of mercantile life, and, renouncing the hopes he may have reason- 
 ably cherished of success in his business vocation, placed him- 
 self under the tuition of the Rev. Dr. William Staughton, of Phil- 
 adelphia, Having i)ursued his ministerial studies for not far 
 from four years, he was ordained May 17, 1809, pastor of the Bap- 
 tist church in Newark, N. J., being, at the time, under twenty-six 
 years of age. He occupied this position not quite three years, 
 and then was called to the pastorate of the Charles Street Church 
 in Boston, his installation taking place April 29, 1812. 
 
 The Providence of God which transferred him to this sphere of 
 wider usefulness was very manifest. Just such a man, with the 
 fine executive abilities which had been brought out and trained 
 in his early business career, was needed to meet the peculiar 
 emergencies of his denomination. New life was everywhere 
 developing itself. The spirit of missions was stirring the 
 
372 APPENDIX. 
 
 churches. New societies for carrying on Christian work were 
 springing up on all sides. Into all these movements the Charles 
 street minister threw himself with his characteristic energy. He 
 was one of the editors of the American Baptist Magazine for a 
 number of years. With great zeal he took up the work which 
 was demanded of the churches in consequence of the conversion 
 to Baptist views of Rev. Messrs. Judson and Rice. The General 
 Convention of the Baptist denomination in the United States was 
 formed in May, 1S14, and from the first he occupied a prominent 
 position in the administration of its affairs, being for many years 
 president of its acting Board. He was the warm friend and pro- 
 moter of ministerial education, taking an active part in the form- 
 ation of "The Northern Baptist Education Society," and in the 
 founding of " The Newton Theological Seminary." Of the Board 
 of trustees of the latter he was the president for eighteen years. 
 
 Elsewhere the compiler of the memoir of Dr. Stow has re- 
 marked: "Dr. Sharp was eminently conservative in his tastes 
 and habits. His long experience and wide observation made him 
 suspicious of the permanent results of those spasmodic religious 
 movements which stir whole communities from their profoundest 
 depths. He was a believer in the worth of steady every-day 
 work, and he thought more of harmoniously-developed, well- 
 rounded Christians, than of those whose zeal so often outruns a 
 wise discretion." To use his own words as uttered in his fortieth 
 anniversary sermon: "I have never aimed at temporary, but at 
 permanent effects. I have not sought to call forth so much 
 emotion as to cultivate princii^les, and have never been so anxious 
 to arouse your passions as to enlighten your minds. I have never 
 forgotten that I was a minister of Christ and your minister. My 
 office has always seemed to me as honorable and as useful as any 
 other, if not moi-e so. I have, therefore, determined, at all sea- 
 sons, that I would never do anything knowingly, in my social, 
 civil or political relations, which would degrade that office, or 
 lessen my just ministerial influence. Acting on this principle, 
 without prevarication, or pusillanimity, or selfish considerations, 
 I have often yielded my right as a citizen, rather than diminish 
 my usefulness as a pastor. I have seldom, perhaps never, ob- 
 truded party topics anywhere, in order that I might the more 
 eifectually win men to that great Christian party comprising all 
 the lovers of truth and goodness to which all other parties should 
 aspire to belong." 
 
 These are noble, golden utterances, and give us a good idea of 
 the man from whose lips they fell. Dr. Sharp sincerely wished, 
 
BIOGUAPHICAL SKETCHES. 373 
 
 first of all, to deserve the respect of the community in which ho 
 lived, by the transparency of his character and the spotless up- 
 rij^htness of his life, and then to have this respect. What he 
 wished, he gained in a remarkable degree. In the city of his 
 adoption he was known and resijected as few clergymen of any 
 denomination were in his day. Brown University honored him 
 by making liim a Fellow of her Corporation, which office he held 
 from the time of his election, in 1828, to his death, in 1853. In 
 1811 the University conferred on him the honorary degree of Mas- 
 ter of Arts, and in 1828 that of Doctor of Divinity. He was one 
 of the not more than eight or ten Baptist ministers in this coun- 
 try who have received this latter degree from Harvard University 
 which conferred it ni:)on him in 1843, at a time when he was a 
 member of the Board of Overseers. 
 
 Dr. Sharp's long pastorate of the Charles Street Church, extend- 
 ing from April, 1812, to June, IS-'i'-], a period of more than forty- 
 one years, made him so well known in Boston that his straight, 
 commanding form and dignified bearing were held in remem- 
 brance by citizens of all classes and denominations long after he 
 had passed away. He left behind him a stainless Christian repu- 
 tation and an honored memory as a minister of that gospel which 
 he had preached for more than forty years. Dr. Sharp died in 
 Baltimore, Md., June 23, 1853, aged seventy years and six months. 
 
 ROLLIN HEBER NEALE. 
 
 Roixix Hebeb Xeale was born in Soiithington, Conn., Feb. 
 13, 1808. He was fitted for college in his native village, and grad- 
 uated at Columbia College (now Columbian University), Washing- 
 ton, D. C, in the class of 1829. Very early in life he gave evidence 
 that the preaching of the gospel was the vocation to which, in the 
 Providence of God, he was called. In 1828, while yet a student, 
 of not more than twenty years of age, he was ordained pastor of 
 the Second Baptist Church in Washington. Having completed 
 his college course, he entered the Newton Theological Seminar}', 
 and was pastor of the South Boston Baptist Church while pursu- 
 ing his theological studies. He graduated in 1833, and in the 
 spring of 1834 accepted a call to the pastorate of the First Baptist 
 Cliurch in New Haven, Conn., where he remained till Sejitember, 
 1837. From New Haven he was called to the pastorate of the 
 First Baptist Church in Boston, as the successor of Rev. William 
 Hague, D. D., and was installed Sept. 27, 1837. This old historic 
 
374 APPENDIX. 
 
 church had had a memorable history. Formed in the year 1665, 
 it encountered for a number of years from the outset of its exist- 
 ence the bitter persecution wliich the Puritans inflicted upon all 
 who did not fellowship "the standing order." By legal enact- 
 ment the church was forbidden to use, for religious purposes, the 
 humble edifice it had erected for the worship of God. The mar- 
 shal of the district was commanded not to allow its doors to be 
 opened, and the following notice was posted where all jiassers-by 
 could see and read it : 
 
 "All persons are to take notice, that by order of the Court, the 
 doors of this house are shut up, and that they are inhibited to 
 hold any meeting therein or to open the doors thereof, without 
 license from authority, till the Court take further order, as they 
 will answer the contrary at their peril, 
 
 Edward Rawson, Secretary.' 
 
 With the passage of time a better spirit prevailed, and " the 
 sect everywhere spoken against," was permitted to worshij) 
 God without molestation. For many years, however, they were 
 obliged to submit to taxation to support the Established Church, 
 the law for raising taxes for this purpose being in force till the 
 year 1833. 
 
 Among the more eminent predecessors of Dr. Neale was the cel- 
 ebrated Dr. Stillman, one of the most eloquent pulpit orators of 
 his time in any denomination. Dr. Neale says of him: "Dr. 
 Stillman was probably the most popular orator of his day. The 
 most distinguished men in the Commonwealth were often present 
 at his public services. The elder President Adams was a de- 
 lighted listener to his sermons. Governor Hancock became in the 
 latter part of his life a regular member of his congregation. Per- 
 sons who cared nothing for his theology were attracted by his 
 fame as a public speaker." 
 
 Dr. II. L. Wayland, in the admirable memoir of his honored 
 father, thus alludes to him: 
 
 " To him and to his church was granted the singular honor of 
 holding up the doctrines of the gospel, when the great body of 
 churches of 'the standing order' had either openly departed 
 from the faith, or, while ' having the form of godliness, had 
 denied the power' of it. When any one became anxious about his 
 soul, it was very commonly said to him, ' O, you had better go 
 down to Dr. Stillman's meeting, you will find what you want 
 there.' An eminent layman of one of the Congregational churches 
 used to relate, that when a young man, having become aroused by 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 375 
 
 the Spirit of God, and seeking advice suited to his condition, he 
 was referred to Dr. Stillman's Church; and at the time of meeting 
 he would steal, by retired streets, down to the North End, watch- 
 ing to see that he was not observed, and there would receive into 
 his thirsty soul the words of everlasting life." 
 
 Another distinguished pastor of the First Church was the Rev- 
 erend, afterward President, Francis Wayland, D. D., of Brown 
 University, who was ordained August 21, 1821, and remained in 
 office not far from six years. It was in the pulpit of this church 
 that ho preached his famous sermon. Sabbath evening, Sept. 26, 
 1823, on "The Moral Dignity of the Missionary Enterprise." It 
 is worthy of record, what was the preacher's view of what he 
 had done on that memorable occasion, his remark to a friend, the 
 next morning, when he was in a sadly depressed " blue Monday" 
 condition, " It was a complete failure. It fell perfectly dead." 
 
 Other pastors worthy of note among the departed were Elisha 
 Callender, a Harvard graduate of the class of 1810, who for nearly 
 twenty years held his office, great spiritual prosperity attending 
 his ministry, and Joseph Clay, a graduate of Princeton, with the 
 highest honors of his class, in 1T84. He studied law, and became 
 one of the most eminent and popular practitioners in Georgia, his 
 native State. President Washington appointed him, in 1796, 
 United States Judge for the district of Georgia. This position he 
 held for nearly five years, discharging its duties "with such wis- 
 dom and uprightness as secured for him the respect of all good 
 citizens." Judge Clay became a hopeful Christian in 1803, left 
 the Episcopal church to unite with a church which he believed 
 was modeled more nearly after the New Testament pattern, and 
 after a year or two of ministerial service in his native State, came 
 to Boston, where, for a time, he was associate pastor with Dr. 
 Stillman, and in August, 1807, became his successor. We are told 
 that "his health permitted him only for a short period to dis- 
 charge the duties of his office; but during that time throngs of 
 the intelligent and refined waited on his ministrations, and Chris- 
 tians of all conditions heai-d him gladly. His residence in Boston 
 was a great blessing to the Baptists and to the whole city." 
 
 Other distinguished pastors of the venerable First Baptist 
 Church of Boston now living have been the Rev. Dr. C. B. Crane, 
 at present (1894) the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Con- 
 cord, N. II., and the Rev. Dr. P, S. Moxom, who has recently re- 
 signed his office (1894). 
 
 Into this goodly fellowship of honored and beloved ministers, 
 Dr, Neale, as has already been mentioned, entered in September, 
 
370 APPENDIX. 
 
 1837, and was the pastor of the church until Juue, 1S77, his term 
 of service covering a period of nearly forty years. Brown Univer- 
 sity in 1850 conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and 
 in 1857 he received the same degree from Harvard, of which insti- 
 tution he was for many years a " Visitoi'," and, for a time, an 
 " Overseer." 
 
 The published writings of Dr. Neale included several sermons, 
 a Harvard College " Dudleian Lecture," a little volume entitled 
 " The Burning Bush," and no small amount of matter which 
 appeared in the public pi-ess. Under this latter head may be 
 mentioned many of the addresses he made on funeral occasions of 
 beloved members of his church anrl of others. The address deliv- 
 ered at the funeral of Dr. Stow, which will be found in the 
 memoir, pp. 341, 347, will furnish a happy illustration of his 
 "gift" in the direction referred to. 
 
 Dr. Neale was everywhere recognized as a minister of a gener- 
 ous, catholic spirit, which won for him a warm place in the hearts 
 of his brethren in the ministry, while it secured for him the 
 respect and affection of the clergy of all denominations who were 
 in any way brought in contact with him. His appearance was 
 striking and could not fail to arrest the attention of the passer-by, 
 as, with head erect, and firm step, and stately bearing, he walked 
 the streets of Boston. He was wont to quote Dr. Baldwin as say- 
 ing that if a minister would keep out of " hot water," and remain 
 as pastor for any considerable time in the same place, he must be 
 conscientiously kind, insensible to petty annoyances, and under 
 all circumstances " imperturhahly good-natured." That was a 
 remarkable pen-portrait of himself. He was the very incarnation 
 of "imperturbable good-nature," and was ever ready to render 
 any good office in his power to one who sought his aid. 
 
 Dr. Neale had the kind of pulpit talents which made him, year 
 after year, so acceptable a preacher to the great majority of his 
 hearers. He was ready of speech, knew how to use illustrations 
 without making them too common-place, was full of sentiment, 
 and could, apparently without effort, sweep the chords of human 
 sympathy in all ways, from the most tender and subdued to the 
 most humorous. On public occasions he was sure to be called 
 out, and everybody delighted to listen to him, as he spoke from a 
 full, warm heart, and touched so many sensibilities of our com- 
 mon human nature. Large accessions were made to his church, 
 and it continually grew in influence and power in the community. 
 He died in Boston, after a somewhat lingering illness, Sept. 18, 
 1S79. 
 
REV. WILLIAM HAGUE, D. D. 
 
BIOGRAPIIICAr, SICKTCIIEP. 377 
 
 Tlio -writer t)f this sketch lovingly pays this modest tribute to 
 the memory of a dear friend, whose loss he deeply mourned, and 
 -whom he hopes to meet in " The Better Land." 
 
 III. 
 WILLIAM HAGUE. 
 
 William Hague, of Huguenot descent, -was born in Pelham, 
 Westchester Co., X. T., Jan. 4, ISO?. He graduated at Hamilton 
 College (a ftmAvai'Trs Madiso ji, att4-B«w Colgate Univeroity ), in 
 the class of 1826. His tlicological course -was taken in the Newton 
 Seminary, where he graduated in the class of 1S29. Soon after 
 graduation he was ordained pastor of the Second Baptist Church 
 in Utica, X, Y. , the event taking place Oct. 20, 1829, he being a 
 few months under the age of twenty-two years. His connection 
 with the church in Utica was a brief one, as, indeed, were most of 
 his pastorates, and was terminated by his call to become the pas- 
 tor of the Fii'st Baptist Church in Boston, where, as the successor 
 of Rev. C. P. Grosvenor, he was installed Feb. 3, 1831, the sermon 
 being preached by Rev. Dr. Francis Wayland. This position he 
 held more than six years, at the end of which period he was 
 invited to become pastor of the venerable First Baj^tist Church in 
 Providence, R. I., as the successor of Rev. Robert E. Pattison, 
 D. D., who had resigned to take the presidency of ^^'atcrville Col- 
 lege (now Colby University), Me. His installation took place 
 July 12, 1837, Rev. Dr. Barnas Sears preaching the sermon. 
 His ministry in Providence was an honored and fruitful one, 
 more than one hundred persons having been received into its 
 membership, by letter and by baptism, during the little more 
 than three years of his pastorate. For nine months of the year 
 1838-39 he traveled in the old world, having for his companion 
 his parishioner, the Hon. Samuel G. Arnold, so well known as the 
 distinguished historian of his native State, Rhode Island. Dr. 
 Hague resigned his office Aug. 20, 1840, a call having been ex- 
 tended to him to become the pastor of the Federal Street (subse- 
 quently Rowe Street, and now Clarendon Street) Church, Boston. 
 As this church, in its three homes, has always held a prominent 
 and honorable rank among the Baptist churches of Boston, it 
 may not be out of place to glance at a few salient facts in its 
 historj-. 
 
 A somewhat unusual circumstance marks the early history of 
 the church, viz.: that a commodious house of worship was 
 erected on Federal street, near Milk street, and was ready for 
 
378 APPKNDIX. 
 
 occupancy before tlie new church was formed, July 16, 1827. 
 Two days later the church edifice was dedicated, la his address 
 to the newly organized church, Rev. J. D. Kuowles, afterwards 
 Professor Knowlcs, of the Newton Theological Institution, said: 
 
 "How different your situation from that of the little band, 
 who, one hundred and sixty-two years ago, united together to 
 form the "First Baptist Church" in this city. They were eirjht 
 only in number, and instead of being welcomed and encouraged by 
 the cheering voices of brethren and friends, they were assailed by 
 persecution. Arrested as ci-iminals, imi^risoned, fined; and by a 
 public act of the Legislature, a portion of them were ordered, 
 though without effect, to leave the State. Instead of founding a 
 spacious and elegant house ready for their reception, they, like 
 the primitive saints, " of whom the world was not worthy," were 
 forced to assemble privately, for fourteen years, in any place 
 where they could find safety from their persecutors; and when, 
 at length, by great trials and sacrifices, they succeeded in erect- 
 ing a house for public worship, the doors of this Sanctuary of 
 God were nailed up by order of the General Court of Massachu- 
 setts." 
 
 The first pastor of the Federal Street Church was the Rev. 
 Howard Malcom, who was installed Jan. 9, 1S28. Mr. (after- 
 wards Dr.) Malcom, was born in Philadelphia, Jan. 10, 1709, 
 studied in the Princeton Seminary, was ordained in April, lS:iO, 
 and became pastor of the Baptist Church in Hudson, N. Y. 
 Here he remained not far from six years, at the end of which 
 period he was appointed general agent of the American Sunday 
 School Union, and held this office until he was called to the pas- 
 torate of the Federal Street Church, where he had a ministry of 
 rare success for more than seven years. "His labors," we are 
 told, "were blessed in a remarkable degree in drawing a large 
 and intelligent congregation, composed in great measure of those 
 who had not been accustomed to attend on Baptist preaching. 
 Pews were in great demand, and almost every available seat in 
 the house was occupied. Large and constant additions were 
 made to the church from rLonth to mon.h throughout his entire 
 pastorate." He was forced to resign on account of an affection of 
 the vocal organs, which made public speaking impossible. 
 
 The successor of Dr. Malcom was Rev. (afterwards Dr.) George 
 B. Ide, then of Albany, who was installed Dec. 30. 18."]5. Dr. Ide 
 was one of the most eloquent preacliors of his time, and the 
 church prospered under his ministry, which continued a little 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKKTCIIES. 379 
 
 more than two years, and was terminated by his accepting a call 
 to become the pastor of the "First Church in Philadelphia." 
 
 Rev. Ilandcl G. Nott, so well known as the father of R(3V. Abner 
 Kingman Nott, the youthful pastor of the First Baptist Church 
 in New York, whose death by drowning, July 8, 1851), was such a 
 shock to the Christian community, was the third pastor of the 
 Federal Street Church. His installation took i^lace May 23, 1839. 
 He continued in oifice but a single year, and was succeeded by the 
 subject of this sketch, who entered upon his labors in September, 
 1840. 
 
 A part of Dr. Hague's ministry in the Federal Street Church 
 embraced that memorable period known as " The Jacob Knapp 
 excitement." As the result of that remarkable movement not far 
 from two thousand persons joined the churches of the Boston 
 Baptist Association during the year 1842. The writer has the im- 
 pression that while Dr. Hague did not stand aloof from the move- 
 ment, ho was not altogether cordial in it, fearing, as he did, the 
 great reaction which he foresaw would, and, as a matter of fact 
 did, follow the excitement. 
 
 The march of commerce through all that part of the city of Bos- 
 ton in which the Federal Street Church was located, made a 
 removal absolutely necessai'y, and a new home was found at the 
 corner of Eowe (now Chauncey) and Bedford streets. The corner 
 stone of the new church edifice was laid April 27, 1846, and it was 
 dedicated April 7, 1847. Dr. Hague's health had been seriously 
 undermined by his labors, so that he felt compelled to resign, and 
 closed his connection with this church the last Sabbath in July, 
 1848, his pastorate havir.g continued nearly eight years. 
 
 Subsequently, and for brief periods. Dr. Hague's pastoi'ates 
 were in Jamaica Plain, Mass.; Newark, N. J.; New York City; 
 Orange, N. J. ; Boston and Wollaston Heights, Mass. He died 
 suddenly, in Boston, August 1, 1887. 
 
 The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on Dr. Hague in 
 1849 by Brow-n University, and by Hai'vard College in 1803. He 
 was elected a trustee of Brown University in 1837, and continued 
 in office till his death, a period of not far from fifty years. 
 
 Among the productions of Dr. Hague's pen were " The Baptist 
 Church Transplanted from the Old World to the New," "Guide 
 to Conversations on the Gospel of John," "Review of Drs. Fuller 
 and Wayland on Slavery," "Christianity and Statesmanship," 
 "Home Life," etc. He contributed many articles on a variety of 
 subjects for reviews and the periodical press. For a time he was 
 editorially connected with the Watchman, and wrote much for 
 
380 APPENDIX. 
 
 that paper over tlie signature of " Herbert." He will be long and 
 justly remembered as one of the most able and cultivated minis- 
 ters of a denomination which has had iu its ranks scholars and 
 divines the worthy peers of those of any body of Christians in the 
 country. 
 
 IV. 
 JOHN CALVIX STOCKBKIDGE. 
 
 John Calvin Stockbridge, son of Dea. Calviu and Rachel 
 Wales (Rogers) Stockbridge, was born June 14, 1818, in what was 
 North Yarmouth, now Yarmouth, Maine. His American ances- 
 tors were among the original "Pilgrims " of the Mayflower, on his 
 father's side, "Elder" William Brewster, and on his mother's, 
 "Mr." Richard Warren, who was a descendant of the English 
 *' Earls of Warren." He was fitted for college in the academy in 
 his native village, and entered Bowdoin College in 1£33, remaining 
 here two years. Subsequently he went to Brown University, and 
 graduated iu the class of 1838. For three years he was engaged 
 in teaching, for most of the time as principal of a ladies seminary 
 in Warren, R. I. He graduated at the Newton Theological Insti- 
 tution in the class of 1844; was called to the pastorate of the First 
 Baptist Church iu Waterville, Me., and was ordained Jan. 8, 1845. 
 Prof. J. R. Loomis, subsequently President of Lewisburg Uni- 
 versity, then a i^rofessor in Waterville College, being ordained at 
 the same time. He was pastor in Waterville three years and then 
 accepted a call to become the pastor of the First Baptist Church 
 in what was the village, now the city, of Woburn, Mass. At the 
 end of five years he was invited to take the pastoral charge of the 
 First Baptist Church in Providence, R. I., during the temporary 
 absence of its minister, the Rev, Dr. James N. Granger. Dr. 
 Granger had been appointed as an associate with Rev. Dr. Solomon 
 Peck, Foreign Secretary of the Missionary Union, to visit and con- 
 fer with the missionaries in the East on matters of importance 
 connected with their operations in the foreign field. They 
 expected to be absent two years. At the end of the first year of 
 his engagement the subject of this sketch was called to the pas- 
 torate of the Charles Street Baptist Church, made vacant by the 
 death of the Rev. Dr. Daniel Sharj). His ministry with the 
 church commenced in the fall of 1853, and continued for about 
 eight years (1853-61). For a time, after his resignation, he sup- 
 phed the Baldwin Place Church in Boston, and, for several 
 months, was the chaplain of the city institutions of Boston at 
 
REV. JOHN CALVIN STOCKBRIDGE, D. D. 
 
BIOGUArillOAL SKKTCIIES. 381 
 
 Deer Island. In 18G3 he became pastor of the Gary Avenue Church 
 in Chelsea. The state of his health obliging him to give up his min- 
 isterial work, he resigned his pastorate, and, early in 1SG5, left his 
 home for an extended trip abroad, and was absent several months. 
 Returning home, he accepted a call to become the pastor of the 
 Free Street Church, Portland, Me., which position he held until 
 the fall of 18G7, when he removed to Providence, R. L, where he 
 has lived to the present date (1894), engaged in ministerial, educa- 
 tional, and literary work. 
 
 Dr. Stockbridge received from Harvard College in 1859 the 
 degree of Doctor of Divinity. In 1856 he was elected a trustee in 
 the Corporation of Brown University, and, in 1887, a Fellow. In 
 1889 he resigned his office as a member of the Corporation, 
 having been elected Registrar of the University, which position 
 he held for two years (18S9-91). 
 
 Dr. Stockbridge has written for the reviews and a large amount 
 of matter for the periodical press; has published a few sermons, 
 compiled the " Memoirs of Dr. Stow," of which this is a new and 
 enlarged edition, "Memorials of the Manran Family," and an "An- 
 notated Catalogue of the Harris Collection of American Poetry." 
 
 • 
 V. 
 
 JOHN NELSON" MURDOCK. 
 
 JoHX Nelson Murdock was born in Oswego, N. T., Dec. 8, 
 1820. His mother, who was a devout member of the Methodist 
 Church, named her son John Nelson, that being the name of an 
 earnest co-laborer with John Wesley in his great evangelistic 
 work. In her wishes as well as in her fervent prayers, he was 
 set apart to the ministerial calling from his earliest days. It was 
 planned that he should receive a college education at Union Col- 
 lege, and his academic training was carried on and completed 
 with this end in view. The death of his father, however, com- 
 pelled him to abandon his purpose, and he decided to study law, 
 and at the early age of twenty-one he was admitted to the bar. 
 Hopefully converted at the age of seventeen, he became a member 
 of the Methodist Church in his native city. He had not long been 
 practicing his profession before a greatly quickened spiritual life 
 led him to give up his chosen vocation, and he decided to enter 
 the ministry in the denomination in which he had had his early 
 training. A change of belief with regard to the mode and sub- 
 jects of baptism led to his leaving the Methodist church, and he 
 was baptized after the primitive mode, in the year 1843, and in 
 
382 APPENDIX. 
 
 May of that year was ordained as pastor of the Baptist Church in 
 Waterville, N. Y., being at the time a few months over his major- 
 ity. While here he took advantage of the vicinity of Hamilton 
 Theological Seminary to perfect his knowledge of Hebrew and 
 New Testament Greek. He remained in this position until Jan- 
 uary, 1846, Avhen he was installed as pastor of the church in 
 Albion, N. Y. His pastorate here was a little more than two 
 years, and was terminated by his acceptance of a call to become 
 the pastor of the South Baptist Church in Hartford, Ct., upon the 
 duties of which he entered in April, 1848. Here his labors were 
 attended with remarkable success. A new house of worship was 
 erected to meet the demands of the congregation, and in one year 
 (1853) more than two hundred were added to the church. This 
 position he held for nearly ten years, retiring from it to accept an 
 invitation to become the pastor of the Bowdoin Square Church, 
 Boston, where he commenced his labors Jan. 1, 1858, and held 
 his office nearly six years (1858-63). A few months of interim fol- 
 lowed, when he was elected Secretary of the Missionary Union, 
 the choice being made in July, 1863. He continued to perform 
 the duties of his office for the long period of twenty-nine years, 
 and upon his retirement at the age of seventy years he was made 
 Honorary Secretary. 
 
 It has justly been said: "Amid the many difficulties and per- 
 plexities incident to the carrying on of extensive enterprises in 
 fox-eign missionary work, the brethren of Dr. Murdock have 
 learned by experience to rely with great confidence on his clear, 
 calm, dispassionate and matured convictions of the right course 
 to pursue. It has been his lot to advocate measures which were 
 luipopuiar, but in the end it has been found that they were right. 
 His legal training has proved of great service, and many personal 
 qualities have contributed to his eminent success in the great 
 work of his life; but more than all else, his broad and correct 
 judgment has gained and kept for Dr. Murdock the confidence 
 and esteem of the denomination in the responsible position which 
 he has so worthily filled." 
 
 Dr. Murdock received from Rochester University the honorary 
 degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1854, The honorary degree of 
 Doctor of Laws was conferred on him in 1888 by Madison Uni- 
 versity. 
 
 The pen of Di\ Murdock has been a busy and prolific one. 
 "While pastor in Hartford he was joint editor with Rev. Dr. 
 R. Turnbull for not far from three years (1853-56) of the Christian 
 Beview, to which he contributed several articles. His published 
 
f 
 
 1l 
 
 REV. JOHN NELSON MURDOCK, D. D., LL. D. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 383 
 
 sermons, preached on occasions of special interest, have been 
 quite numerous. His reports as Secretary of the Missionary 
 Union, and the vast amount of official correspondence which he 
 has carried on during his long connection with the society, 
 would, if collected, constitute the material for more than one 
 bulky volume. lie has made more than one visit to the Old "World 
 to participate in councils called to take into consideration the 
 best methods for advancing the cause to which he has devoted 
 the energies of the best years of his life. 
 
 Dr. Murdock deservedly holds a high place in the denomina- 
 tion he has so faithfully and so wisely served for more than half 
 a century, and his name and his influence will long be kept in 
 grateful remembrance by his brethren who have honored and 
 loved him. 
 
 VI. 
 
 ADONIRAM JUDSOJ^ GOKDON. 
 
 Adoxiram Judson Gordon, sou of Dea. John Gordon, a sub- 
 stantial farmer in New Hampton, N. H., was born in 18.36. He 
 pursued his studies preparatory to college in his native town and 
 in New London, N". H., and graduated at Brown University in the 
 class of 1800. Among his classmates were Rev. Drs. Granville 
 Shari^ Abbott, Samuel White Duncan and "Wayland Hoyt, Hon. 
 Henry Joshua Spooner, M. C, Hon. Thomas Williams Bickncll, 
 LL. D., and Henry Kirke Porter, LL. D. Mr. Gordon took the 
 full course of theological study at the N'ewton Institution, gradu- 
 ating in the class of 18G3, and was ordained June 29, 1803, as pas- 
 tor of Jamaica Plains Church, near Boston, where he remained 
 six years (1S63-G9), when he was called to the Clarendon Street 
 Church (formerly Rowe Street), being the immediate successor of 
 Dr. Baron Stow, which position he continues to hold at this 
 writing (1894). 
 
 Dr. Gordon received from Brown University the degree of Doc- 
 tor of Divinity in 1878. He was elected a Trustee of the Corpora- 
 tion of the University in 1874, and a Fellow in 1888. 
 
 As a pastor and preacher Dr. Gordon holds a high rank among 
 the ministers of Boston. He edits the Watchioord, a monthly re- 
 ligious periodical. The productions of his pen are numerous and 
 popular. Among them are " In Christ," " The Ministry of Heal- 
 ing," " The Two-Fold Life," and "Ecce Venit." With the Rev. 
 Dr. S. L. Caldwell he compiled the "Service of Song," at one 
 time in extensive use among the Baptist churches of this country. 
 
384 APPENDIX. 
 
 He has been for many years a member of the Executive Commit- 
 tee of tlie Missionary Union, and one of tlie editors of tho Mission- 
 ary Beview. As an evangelistic worker with Mr. Moody, and as a 
 zealous advocate of the Temperance cause, lie has won a wide rej)- 
 utation. He has, moreover, taken a deep interest in the Boston 
 Missionary Training School, and is actively identified with many 
 organizations designed to uplift and bless his fellow-men. 
 
 "Dr. Gordon's personal appearance," as has been truly re- 
 marked, "is singularly attractive. He has a well-proportioned 
 and somewhat portly form, rather above the ordinary height; a 
 large, square head, set firmly on his shoulders, an abundance of 
 light hail-, now tinged with gray, displaying an ample forehead, a 
 smooth face, with clear, pleasant eye, and expressive mouth, an 
 alert step and graceful bearing. His face is marvellously bright, 
 beautiful and benign, revealing the man and preaching a most 
 winning sermon before he opens his lips. His voice is clear, rich 
 and powerful, and with this, his pleasant manner and straightfor- 
 ward presentation of the greatest truths, combine to make a last- 
 ing impression on his hearers. This imiiression is doubtless 
 deepened by the fact that Dr. Gordon delights in the use of the 
 Word of God, his prayers often being almost entirely composed of 
 passages of Scripture. He stands by common consent in the 
 front of the leaders of his denomination, both as a preacher and 
 as a man of varied attainments." 
 
REV. ADONIRAM JUDSON GORDON, D. D. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 A. Paok 
 
 Adams, President John Quincy, 44, 218 
 
 Alabama Eesolutions, 203, 230 
 
 Anderson, M. B., 216, 358 
 
 AraCoeli, 160 
 
 Ash Wednesday at Kome, 159 
 
 Avignon, 144 
 
 B. 
 
 Babcock, R,., D. D., 28, C2, 71, 94 
 
 Baird, Rev. R., 139, 142 
 
 Baldwin, T., D. D., 19, 48, 87, 90 
 
 Baldwin Place Church, . 80, 8G, 87, 180, 219, 223 
 
 Baldwin Place Church, Letters to, . . . 105, 135, 13G, 140, 150, 220 
 
 Bartlett, Hon. I., 85 
 
 Beal, Deacon S., 131, 238 
 
 Belfast, Ireland, • • • • 271 
 
 Bennett, "Eider," 212 
 
 Bexley, Lord, 183 
 
 Blagden, G. W., D. D., 56 
 
 Boardman, Rev. G. D., 46, 76 
 
 Bois de Boulogne, 280 
 
 Bowdoin Square Church, 133, 134 
 
 Bowles's Across the Continent, 310 
 
 Bright, E., D. D., 211, 325 
 
 Brock, W., D. D., 271 
 
 Brown, J. N., D. D 94 
 
 Brown, Rev. O. B., 32, 33 
 
 Buckingham, Joseph, 139 
 
 ( 3S5 ) 
 
386 INDEX. 
 
 Bunyan, John, 274 
 
 Burmali, Missionaries set apart tor, 97 
 
 Burns, Anthony, 2i;l 
 
 Burroughs, C, D. D., 85 
 
 Butler, Bisho]), 245 
 
 c. 
 
 Calhoun, Hon. J. C, 44 
 
 Calvinism a Power, 336 
 
 Calvin, John, 173, 270, 337 
 
 Carey, Rev. E., 43 
 
 Carey, W., D. D., 43 
 
 Carnival, 158 
 
 Cass, General Lewis, 138, 139 
 
 Caswell, A., D. D., LL. D., 28, 31, 46 
 
 Catacombs, 165 
 
 Cenis, Mont, Crossing, 168 
 
 Chase, I., D. D., 28, 43, 47, 51, 70 
 
 Chalmers, T., D. D., 15, 243 
 
 Chamberlain, Deacon E., 88 
 
 Chamberlain, E., 193 
 
 Chamberlain, E. D., 264 
 
 Chaplin, J., D. D., 70, 72 
 
 Christian Brotherhood, 2G4, 321 
 
 Christian Review, 357 
 
 Civita Vecchia, 148 
 
 Cincinnati, Ninth Street Church, 199 
 
 Clay, Hon. Henry, 36, 43 
 
 Colosseum, 161 
 
 Columbian College, 24, 27 
 
 Corso at Rome, 189 
 
 Conant, T., D. D., 28 
 
 Convention, Triennial, 27 
 
 Court, United States, . 36, 37, 39 
 
 Cowper, William, 38, 273, 277 
 
 Crockett, Col. Selden, 328 
 
 Colby, Mrs. Sarah, 328 
 
 Cushman, R. W., D. D., 28, 47, 329 
 
 E>. 
 
 Dean, W., D. D. 213, 354 
 
 Denmark, New York, 185 
 
 Dickens, Charles, 139 
 
INDEX. 387 
 
 Doddridge, Philip, 275 
 
 Duff, Rev. Dr., 251 
 
 Dunbar, Rev. Dr. G5 
 
 E. 
 
 Earle, Rev. A. li 311 
 
 Edmands, B. F 352 
 
 Ehot, Hon. T. D., 28 
 
 Elton, Romeo, D. D., 41 
 
 Ely, Rev. Richard M., 46 
 
 Evangelism, Vicv.^s en, 311 
 
 Everett, Edward, 52, 54, 167 
 
 F- 
 
 Fenner, J. P., 45 
 
 Ferney, 269 
 
 Fletcher, Hon. R., 207, 211, 329 
 
 Frankfort on the Maine, 267 
 
 Freeman, Rev. E. W.. 100 
 
 Frey, Rev. J., 47 
 
 Fuller, Andrew, 35, 270, 275, 349 
 
 Fuller, Riciiard, D. D., 218, 355 
 
 G. 
 
 Gair, S. S., 175, 268 
 
 Garamell, Prof. W., 27 
 
 Garrison, W. L., 101 
 
 Geneva, 172 
 
 Genoa, 147 
 
 Gordon, Rev. A. J., 341 
 
 Gould, Dr. A. A., 311 
 
 Granville College. 197 
 
 Greenleaf, Hon. S., 250 
 
 Griscora's Year in Europe, 38 
 
 Gurney, Hon. N., 184 
 
 H. 
 
 Hague, W., D. D., 93, 115 
 
 Hamilton, James, D. D., 271 
 
 Hart, Deacon H. B., 67 
 
 Heidelberg, 267, 282 
 
 Hinton, Rev. J. H., 183 
 
 Howard, Rev. L., 17, 18 
 
 Howe, Rev. W 132 
 
388 INDEX. 
 
 I. 
 
 IngersoU. Hon. C. J., 37 
 
 Irving, E., 271 
 
 Irving, W., 14 
 
 J. 
 
 Jackson, Andrew, 36, 103 
 
 Jacobs, Rev. B., 105 
 
 Jefferson, Thomas, 55 
 
 Jenks, W., D. D,, 312 
 
 Jones, Prof. J., 28 
 
 Judson, A., D. D., 199, 204, 208 
 
 K. 
 
 Kendrick, Rev. A., 47 
 
 Kilpin, Rev. S., 113 
 
 King, Rev. A., 18, 101 
 
 Kirk, E. N., D. D., . . 177 
 
 Knapp, Rev. Jacob, .178, 192 
 
 Knowles, Prof. J. D., 28, 78, 79, 81, 82, 87, 120, 126 
 
 L. 
 
 Lafayette, General, 43 
 
 Laura, Tomb of, 174 
 
 Leghorn, 147 
 
 Lent, Influence of, 165 
 
 Letter from 
 
 Anderson, M. B., 353 
 
 Beal and Pratt, 238 
 
 Dean, W., 354 
 
 Puller, R., 355 
 
 Peck, S., 192 
 
 Sears, B., 357 
 
 Stevens, J., 201 
 
 Welch, B. T., 194 
 
 Underbill, E. B., 317 
 
 Letter to 
 
 Beal, W. L., 189 
 
 Chamberlain, E., 193 
 
 Cone, S. H., 183, 185, 206, 207, 209, 261 
 
 Dean, W., , 323 
 
 Emery, Mrs. C. R 195 
 
 Flanders, C. W., 296 
 
INDEX. 389 
 
 Letter to 
 
 Guild, K. A., 3.32 
 
 Hart, H. B., 68, 833 
 
 Hutchinson, E. J., 194 
 
 Jones, Miss S. K., 185, 188 
 
 King, A., 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 28 
 
 Lincoln, H 289, 317 
 
 Manning, J. W., 322 
 
 Manning, S 214, 215 
 
 Nettleton, Miss P. D 234, 257 
 
 Partridge, Mrs. J. H.. 235, 258, 259, 260, 292, 294 
 
 Partridge, S 234 
 
 Pearson, I., 320, 331 
 
 Sears, B., 358, 359, 361, 362, 364 
 
 Shurtlcff, N. B., 319 
 
 Stockbridge, J. C, 319 
 
 Stov, Mrs. D. N., 186, 187, 190, 192 
 
 Stow, Mrs. E, L., 278,279,281,283,28^286 
 
 Stow, Miss M. D., 279, 280, 281, 283, 288 
 
 Williams, N. M., 297, 321 
 
 Woods, A., 233 
 
 Lexington, Burning of the, 131 
 
 Lincoln, Abraham, 305, 309 
 
 Lincoln, Deacon E., 89 
 
 Lincoln, Deacon H., 239, 329 
 
 Lucerne, 283 
 
 Luminary, Latter-Day, 29 
 
 Lyons, 143 
 
 M. 
 
 Maginnis, Kev. J., D. D., 79 
 
 Malan, Rev. C, 172 
 
 Mamertine Prison, 160 
 
 Manning, Guild's Life of, 332 
 
 Marseilles, 146 
 
 Mason, Hon. J., 85 
 
 Mayence, 281 
 
 McHvaine, Rev. C., D. D., LL. D 35, 38 
 
 Mcars, Mrs. C. 324 
 
 Missions, Efficiency of Primitive, 121 
 
 More, Hannah, , 174 
 
 Mailer's Life of Frost, ' 305 
 
 Munich 283 
 
 Murdock, Rev. J. N., D. D., 347 
 
390 INDEX. 
 
 N. 
 
 Naples, 148, 150, 154, 156 
 
 Nassau, Grand Duchy of, 2GG 
 
 Neale, Rev. R. H., D. D., 177, 341 
 
 New Park Street Chapel, 174 
 
 Noel, Hon. and Rev. Baptist W 157 
 
 Northern Baptist Education Society, 359 
 
 P. 
 
 Paris, 138 
 
 Pattison, Rev. R. E., D. D., 28, 71 
 
 Payson, Rev. E., D. D., 34, G9 
 
 Peabody, Rev, A. P., D. D., 262 
 
 Pearson, Rev. I., 40, 41 
 
 Petrarch, 145 
 
 Pierrepont Street Churcli, , . . 238 
 
 Pisa, 147 
 
 Pompeii, 154 
 
 Portsmouth, N. H., accepts call to, 62 
 
 " " resigns, . 80 
 
 Pratt, J. C, 238 
 
 Putnam, Rev. I. W., . . . , ... 64 
 
 R. 
 
 Reminiscences by Caswell, A., 67 
 
 Child, W. C, 273 
 
 " Hutchinson, E., 25 
 
 " Lamson, W., 84 
 
 Sears, B., 357 
 
 Revival of 1838, 120 
 
 Revolution, Greek, 36 
 
 Rhine, 266 
 
 Rice, Rev. L., 56 
 
 Richmond, Rev. Legh, 66 
 
 Robertson, Rev. F. W., 310 
 
 Rome, 157 
 
 Roussel, Monsieur, 143 
 
 Rowe Street Church, 238, 260, SO.'^ 
 
 " " " Letter to, 298 
 
 Ruggles, Prof. W.; 28 
 
 Ryland, Rev. R., D. D., 46 
 
iNDEX. 3'J 1 
 
 S. 
 
 Sabbath Scliool Teacher, Advice to, . 252 
 
 Salem, Second Baptist Church, Call to, 70 
 
 Scala Santa, 101 
 
 Sears, Rev. B., D. D., 204, 357 
 
 Secretary, Foreign Mission, elected, 99, 177 
 
 Sermon, A useful, • 117 
 
 Sewell, Thomas, M. D 28 
 
 Sharp, Us?. Dani'il, D. D., 47, 82, 199, 250 
 
 Sherman, General, 308 
 
 Skinner, Miss E. L.. . 55 
 
 Slavery, 202 
 
 Spurgeon, Rev. C. 11., 270, 288 
 
 Star, Columbian, 30, 53 
 
 Staughlon, Rev. W., D. D., -'8, 35, 36 
 
 Steuben, Baron 14 
 
 Stow, Peter, 13 
 
 Sumter, Fort, 305 
 
 u. 
 
 Union, Christian, 123, 233, 362 
 
 Union, Missionary, 213, 215, 253 
 
 Unitarian Views, 322 
 
 Upper Alton, 111., 325 
 
 V. 
 
 Vatican, 161 
 
 Vaucluse, 145 
 
 Vesuvius, 155 
 
 Vicksburg, Fall of, 308 
 
 Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, 311 
 
 Virginia Hospitality, 32 
 
 Voltaire, 269 
 
 w. 
 
 Watchman and Reflector, 335, 343 
 
 War, Civil, 304 
 
 Waterville College, 21, 176, 181 
 
 Wayland, Rev. F., D. D., LL. D., 60, 138 
 
 Webster, Hon. D., 37 
 
 Weiibadcn, 266 
 
;VJ2 INDEX. 
 
 Whitefield, Kev. George, 76 
 
 Windsor Castle, 173 
 
 Wolf, Rev. Joseph, 44 
 
 Woodbury, Hon. Levi, 85 
 
 Woods, Rev. A., D. D., 28 
 
 Worship in England, 174 
 
 z. 
 
 Zurich, 267, 254 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 » 
 
 Daniel Sharp, 371 
 
 Rollin Heber Neale, 373 
 
 William Hague 377 
 
 John Calvin Stockbridge, 380 
 
 John Nelson Murdock, 381 
 
 Adouiram Judsou Gordou, 383 
 

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