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I / 








MEMOIRS
OF
REV. BENJAMIN C. CUTLER, D. D.
L A }TE:E C TOI 
OF
ST. ANN'S CHURCH, BROOKLYN, N. Y.
BY
REV. HORATIO GRAY, A. MI.
"THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE IN EVERLASTING  RE3IEMBRANCE."
NEW YORK:
ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH,
No. 77 0 BROADWAY.
1865.




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S64,
BY ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District
of New York.
EDWARI) O. JENKINS,
STEREOTYPER & PRINTER,
No. 20 North William Street.




TO
THE PARISH OF ST. ANN'S,
BROOKLYN, N. Y.,
THIS  MEMORIAL
OF A
DEPARTED PASTOR, WHOSE BEST YEARS WERE SPENT IN
THEIR SERVICE, IS RESPECTFULLY
rdirt atrd
BY
T HE  AU T TH O X=,
WHO WOULD REVERENTLY LAY UPON HIS GRAVE THIS
TRIBUTE OF ESTEEM AND LOVE.
"H'E BEIIVG DEAD, YET SPEAKETI.'




"Peace to the just man's memory; let it. grow
Greener with years, and blossom through theflhght
Of ages; let the mimic canvas showl
His calm, benevolent features; let the light
Stream on his deeds of love, that shunned the sight
Of all but heaven, and in the book offame,
The glorious record of his virtues write,
And hold it up to men, and bid thcm claim
A palm like his, and catchfrom him the hallowedflame."




PREFACE.
RELIGIOUS memoirs have been so multiplied, in the
present day, that it may seem to some presumption
to lay before the public another work of similar character;
and if there are any who expect varied incident and stirring
scenes, with much of human eulogy, let them lay down this
work at once. But,if any desire to see how a saint struggled,
fought, and won the heavenly prize; how a servant of God,
by assiduous culture, grew in grace, almost to the stature of
a perfect man in Christ Jesus, and became eminent for
personal holiness; how a soldier of the cross loved to bring
in recruits to the army of the Lord, and add to the trophies
of the Great Captain of our salvation; how, "with all his
armor on," he laid down to die, while angel hosts were shouting, "victory!"-let. such peruse this volume, adore and
magnify the grace of God, so wondrously displayed in the life
and labors of his righteous servant.
His death was indeed a great loss to the Church of Christ
on earth, but of such infinite gain to him, that, weeping over
his bier, she can truly say:
" Go to thy grave; no, take thy seat above;
Be thy pure spirit present with the Lord!
Where thou,for faith and hope hast perfect love,
And open vision for the written word."
BROOKrLYN, N. Y., December 1, 1864.            H. G.
(v)








CONTENT S.
PAGE
PREFACE......................................................            V
CHAPTER I.
CHILDHOOD AND YOCUTH.  1798-1818...............................        1-12
CHAPTER II.
COLLEGE LIFE. 1818-1820........................................    13-30' CIIAPTER   III.
COLLEGE LIFE-CONTINUED. 1820-1822...........................    31-46
CHAPTER IV.
LIFE IN QUINCY, MASS. 1822-1829...............................    47-78
CHAPTER V.
JOURNEY TO SAVANNAH -a TEMPORARY RESIDENCE AT SACO, ME. -A
YEAR AT LEESBURG, VA. 1829-1831...........................   79-111
CHAPTER VI.
CITY MISSIONARY IN NEW YORK. 1831-1833.......................  112-137
CHAPTER VII.
RECTOR OF ST. ANN'S CHURCH, BROOKLYN, N. Y. 1833-1836.......  138-162
CHAPTER VIII.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH. 1836-1840....................... 163-183
(vii)




viii                            CONTENTS.
CIHAPTER IX.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED. 1840-1843..........  181-204
CHAPTER X.
VISIT TO ENGLAND.  1 843......................................... 205-231
CHAPTER XI.
MIINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED. 1844-1849..........  232-253
CHAPTER XII.
MIIN'ISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH - CONTINUED. 1849-18,55..........  254-272
CHAPTER XIII.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED.   855-1858..........  273-300
CHAPTER XIV.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED.  1858-1861..........  301-329
CHAPTER XV.
hINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURClH- CONCLUDED.  JANUARY, 1861, TO
AUGUST, 1862................................................  330-348
CHAPTER XVI.
LAST DAYS - CONTINUED ILLNESS - FITNERAT. AUGUST, 1862, TO FEBRUARY, 1863 - BISHOP EASTBURN'S RECOLLECTJONS.................  349-393
CHAPTER XVII.
CONCLUSION - TRAITS OF CHARACTER - VIEWS OF PREACHING - PASTORAL WORK-CONNECTION WVITH PUBLIC SOCIETIES, ETC., ETC...  394-423
APPENDIX...................................................  425-439




CHAPTER I.
CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH.
1798-1818.
T HE memory of few men in the Church of God is embalmed with so much love-so many tears, and yet
with so much thanksgiving, as is that of the subject of this
memoir. Earnest wishes have been expressed by those
who knew him long and well, that his life and character
might be portrayed, and, through the press, made accessible to others. A record of his life may, also, prove profitable to those to whom he was not personally known. His
life here on earth was, indeed, a fertilizing moral stream,
blessing every thing in its course I Let us go back, then,
and trace its current; notice its wanderings; observe its
depths; watch its enriching expanse, as it flows along the
fields of Zion, reflecting the sweet flowers it nourishes, yet
never resting while other fields are to be watered, other
fruits and flowers to be quickened into life and heavenly
beauty. Let us carefully note its greater volume and richer
hues, as it rolls onward toward Eternity, till it is lost from
our sight over the heavenly borders, and disappears from
human vision only to be absorbed in that river of Eternal
Life which flows for ever at the Saviour's feet, around his
Throne above.
BENJAMIN CLARKE CUTLER, son of Benjamin C. and Sarah
Cutler, was born at Jamaica Plains, in Roxbury, near Boston, Massachusetts, February 6, 1798. Of his antecedents
and his family history, of his own childhood and youth, we
(1)




2            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
have the following brief record in a few pages of autobiography, which he wrote out in the year 1834:
" My grandfather was John Cutler, of Boston, who was
born in 1723 and died in 1805, aged eighty-two years. He
was a member of Trinity Church, in that city. My grandmother was Mary Clarke Cutler, the sister of Benjamin
Clarke, Esq., a wealthy bachelor, for whom my father was
iamed. This uncle adopted my father, educated him, and
sent him to Europe; but, as my father afterward married
against his uncle's wishes, he left him only a portion of his
estate.
" My father, Benjamin Clarke Cutler, was born in 1756
and died in 1810. He was High Sheriff of the county of
Norfolk, in Massachusetts, and though a decided politician
in high party times, yet, by the courteousness of his manners, he held his office under Governors of opposite parties.
My mother, Sarah Cutler, was born in Georgetown, South
Carolina, in 1761.  Her maiden name was Mitchell; she
was a niece of General Francis Marion, of Revolutionary
memory, and she named her youngest son for that distinguished man. My great grandfather, on the maternal side,
was Gabriel Marion, of South Carolina. His father, who
was born in France, was among the earliest emigrants who
sought a shelter in Carolina from  the persecuting spirit
which desolated the homes of the Huguenots after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. My parents were married in
the year 1793. They had five children-three daughters
and two sons: 1, Maria Eliza; 2, Julia Rush; 3, Benjamin
Clarke; 4, Louisa Charlotte; 5, Francis Marion. The first
married J. W. Francis, M. D., of New York; the second,
Samuel Ward, Esq., of New York; the fourth, Matthew H.
McAllister, Esq., of Savannah; the fifth, Miss Caroline Martin, of Avon, New York.
" My parents resided in Boston, Massachusetts, but just before my birth they removed to Jamaica Plains, five miles




CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH.                 3
from Boston, where, on the 6th of February, 1798, I was
born. I have often heard my mother say that I came into
the world with great haste-without waiting for any ceremony; and that the nurse predicted that I had much to do
in it. How this prediction will hold good I know not.
Bodily activity and restlessness of mind have, certainly, been
very prominent in me. I was baptized, in infancy, by my
uncle, Rev. Samuel Parker, D. D. (who was afterward Bishop
of Massachusetts), in Trinity Church, Boston. I remained
at home until I was seven years old, when I was sent away
to school, on account of my mother's ill health. My mother
early and diligently taught her children the great truths of
religion, and enforced the observance of the Sabbath. My
first religious thoughts were in very early childhood. I
heard a sermon on the Prodigal Son, and it made a deep
impression on my mind. I got my mother to teach me
the chapter, by heart, before I could read. In 1805-6 I
went to school at Cohasset and at Medway, Massachusetts;
but in 1807 was sent to Milton Academy. Here I studied
Latin and Greek.  I disliked the idea of ever going to college, and wanted very much to be a merchant.
" My father died in 1810, aged fifty-five years, and I was
adopted by my great uncle, Benjamin Clarke, Esq., of
Boston. He died in a year, and my Uncle and Aunt Dunn,
of Boston, then took me, and I resided with them until
the year 1818. My father's death made me serious, and
led me to seek a Heavenly Father. It, however, threw a
gloom over this world, which has never been removed. It
led me to think of the family thus left orphaned with me,
and I felt my responsibilities, and this made me manly. I
pursued my English studies in Boston for two or three
years, when I entered the counting-house of Mr. James
Andrews, 37 Long Wharf, Boston, where I stayed three
years. Here I saw much of business, and in the evenings
much of fashionable society.




4             LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"When I was about sixteen years of age, I was advised by
my godmother, Mrs. Martha Babcock, to receive confirmation, which I did from the hands of Bishop Griswold, of the
Eastern Diocese, in Trinity Church, Boston, in 1814.  For
this rite I was poorly prepared, but ever after it I felt some
checks of conscience. In the year 1816 I became a communicant in Trinitv Church, Boston.  Soon after this I was
led to take a more serious view of religious matters and
gave up all fashionable amusements —mingled much with
pious people, and became a Sunday-school teacher. I felt
constrained to give up the world. This produced a great
struggle.  I was ridiculed, but God's grace was sufficient,
and I was made to rejoice in my portion."
We turn aside from  the autobiography at this point, to
allow our readers the privilege of perusing an extract from
a letter to the youthful Christian from his cousin, who,
aftel the death of Mr. Cutler's father, wrote many letters
to him full of kind counsel and affectionate interest in his
spiritual welfare:
"NEW YORnK, September 17, 1815.
"DEAR CLARIIE-If I have been in the slightest degree the
humble instrument of exciting one aspiration of heavenly love in
the heart of one I so dearly value, it will shed a ray of comfort over
my life, and illumine a prospect which appears quite gloomy. I
had almosl given over the hope of any happiness below, and had
begun to look on the world as but one trying scene of misery. But
thanks to my Almighty Father, his grace has enabled me to bear
the exquisite affliction he has laid upon me, and his goodness still
cheers my path.  In you, and in your affectionate, pious correspondence, he has raised up a source of comfort to me. If my
experience (trifling and imperfect as it is) of the vanity of worldly
things, has been of the remotest service, I shall thank my God, in
humble gratitude, that I have not lived entirely in vain. Your last
letters excited feelings of pure and exquisite delight in my breast.
Go on, my excellent cousin; go on, conquering and to conquer; go
on and bear the victorious banner of the Cross to the very gates of




CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH.                      5
death and hell, and still press forward to the prize of our high
calling in Christ Jesus. Do not let any groundless scruples deter
you from doing what your Saviour has commanded you to do. If
we were to wait until we were perfect, where would be the necessity
of at all approaching this holy ordinance? He bids us taste the
sweets of His heavenly banquet. Do not, then, allow the fear of
falling from your duty deter you from engaging in it. Believe me,
the heart which has once felt the glow of heavenly love, though it
may be affected by human frailty, will never totally forsake the
path of duty. To be eminently virtuous you must be singular! Let
not then the dread of seeming better than your fellows prevent you
from discharging your duty. Our duty must inflexibly be observed,
whatever a carping, censorious world may say. Our blessed Lord
did not escape its revilings, and can we expect to go through life
without partaking of his sufferings, if we wish to partake hereafter
of IIis glory? How wondrous the goodness of that Lord! He bestows the will and the power to please him, and he rewards us for
using the talents he has given us. Consult, dear Clarke, with your
pious friend, and I hope, when next I hear from you, to know that
you have consummated the dedication of yourself to the service of
God. Need I say that I shall be happy to see you? Come as soon as
possible. I have much to say, which I cannot express on paper.
Adieu, dear Clarke! you have my prayers and best wishes; and
believe me, your ever affectionate
THOS. C. MITCHELL."
But the subject of this memoir, though encouraged by
some friends of congenial taste and temper, often met with
reproach and ridicule from others.  We have every reason
to believe that the period of his conversion to Christ was
not as distinctly marked as in the case of many others.
The Spirit of God deals not precisely alike with every
heart. He opens some hearts with a gentle touch. It has
been justly remarked, " When the lofty palm-tree of Zeilan
puts forth its flower, the sheath bursts with a report that
shakes the forest; but, thousands of other flowers of equal
value open in the morning, and the very dew-drops hear no




6             LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
sound; even so, many souls blossom in mercy, and the world
hears neither whirlwind nor tempest."
In the case of our friend, his heart, like the morning
flower, was gently but surely'opened to receive those beams
which were to illumine and vivify his whole being.
The Sun of Righteousness dawned gradually upon his
soul, and kindled his youthful desires into heavenly aspirations after a spiritual life-even "a life hid with Christ."
He was secretly led and taught by the Holy Spirit of God,
and after long deliberation and searching self-examination,
he openly professed Christ before men. From that hour
his purpose was fixed, and nailing the attractions of the
world (which were great and powerful to him) to the Cross
of a Divine Redeemer, he determined to spend and be spent
in his Master's service.
To appreciate fully the stand he took at this time, let us
look at the state of society around him. The Rev. Dr.
Tyng, an early friend and cotemporary of his, thus truly
writes:
"At the period embraced in Dr. Cutler's youth, the higher classes
of society in Boston were peculiarly averse to that which we should
call evangelical religion. The cold spirit of intellectual pride and the
secularizing influence of wealth and luxury had banished the Gospel
almost equally from the ministrations of the pulpit, and from the
habits and acknowledgments of private and social life. The bold
rejections of Socinianism had cast off, among many of the leading
Congregational Churches, all that was peculiar and vital in the
principles of the gospel, and the practical deadening influence which
this scheme of infidelity exercised, had spread far beyond the limits
of the congregations in which its reign was adopted and acknowledged." *
Under such influences did this disciple of Jesus grow up;
nor could he ever blind his eyes to their real tendency. He,
with a few others, often repaired to Christ Church, at the
north end of the city, where the Rev. Mr. Eaton with great
* See " The Son of Consolation," page 26.




CHILDHOOD AIVD YOUTH.                 7
fidelity preached the Gospel of Christ.  Here he was
cheered onward in his religious course, and became a manifest blessing to others. He endeavored to lead other young
friends to the feet of the Saviour, to whom he had devoted
himself. In one case in particular he was repelled; but that
same young man, whom he besought with loving entreaty to
turn to the Lord, afterward devoted himself to the ministry
of the gospel, and was influential in persuading Mr. Cutler,at a later date, to follow his example. We refer to the Rev.
B. C. C. Parker, who was for many years an Episcopal missionary to seamen in the city of New York.'I was persuaded," he says, in his autobiography, "in
1816, by the Rev. Asa Eaton and Rev. B. C. C. Parker, my
cousin, to study for the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, to which my parents and grandparents on both
sides belonged-and commenced my studies in the winter
of 1816-17."
His thoughts and inclinations had long been turned toward another pursuit, in which he was actively engaged, so
that his determination to enter the ministry cost him a
severe struggle. Of it, his younger sister says: "I think the
greatest struggle my brother passed through, was when lie
first thought of entering the ministry.  My mother had
recently become a widow, and he, as her eldest son, was
expected to sustain her and restore all she had lost by his
father's death. Some of his friends said,'As a layman you
can work for God; it is your duty to remain in business, and
assist your mother.' He struggled hard through this terrible conflict; perhaps it assisted in breaking up his constitution, which at this time lost its vigor.  His wish was to
devote himself exclusively to God, and the ministry alone
gave him the opportunity of calling men to Christ. He
loved his mother devotedly, but he knew God was'the
father of the fatherless, and the husband of the widow,'
and he felt called by God to his work. There was much to




LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
contend with; his active habits had unfitted him for study;
but he fought his way manfully through every difficulty.
All things were made plain. God took care of his mother,
opened vistas of brightness, and showered down blessings
on her, till she could almost exclaim,'It is enough.' "
Mr. Cutler had faith enough to believe this would be the
case, and looking upon dying sinners around him, his sole
endeavor was to bring men to a knowledge of that Saviour
who came on earth " to seek and to save that which was
lost." To this end he desired to consecrate his life.
The Episcopal Church in Massachusetts, at this time, was
in a very low state-small in numbers, and still weaker in
spiritual life. The want of zealous men in the ministry was
pressingly felt, and Mr. Cutler's clerical friends earnestly
besought him to commence a course of preparation for this
work. His own convictions of duty, combined with their
entreaties, at length prevailed.  He seemed to hear the
divine call from his Lord and Master, "Follow me!" and
finally left the walks of commercial life, with all their
brilliant prospects, and cheerfully consecrated himself to the
work of preaching the Gospel of Christ.
In speaking of this period, he says: "My religion, while
I was fitting for college, was a perpetual source of joy and
peace; I felt like a new-born babe, desiring only the sincere
milk of the Word."  Thus is it ever with the young disciple of Jesus who holds back no part of the price, but gladly
relinquishes the world for the service of God. The sacrifice
may be great, but the reward is " an hundred-fold."  And
when, as in this case, the disciple is fully committed to his
chosen and loved work of preaching the unsearchable riches
of Christ, he cannot rest till others around him are brought
to love and serve that Saviour to whom he has devoted
himself.
The strivings of the natural heart, however, manifested
themselves in this as well as in every other similar case.




CHILDnOOD AND YOUTH.                      9
"When I felt called to the ministry," he says, it was a trial to
my faith. I was fond of business-I disliked study from my
childhood-I had no encouragement to expect that I would
ever make any thing; but love to immortal souls prevailed!"
A steady and unquenchable flame of love for the souls of
others burned in him, and he longed to tell to others "the
good things the Lord had done for him."
In correspondence with his friends " the one thing needful" was ever uppermost in his mind, and he failed not to
give ad-vice, encouragement, or consolation on the allimportant subject of religion to every one who came within
the sphere of his influence.  Even at this early age he
evinced a remarkable fervor of spirit and great spirituality
of mind.
To a dear friend (absent in Montreal) he thus writes:
" Oh, how weak and feeble are our best efforts to serve
and please God! We are indeed vile and sinful, but we have a
Saviour; what could we do, how could we exist, without that
blessed, that only hope? Deprive a Christian of this hope, you deprive him of his very breath. Can there be any thing more exhilarating to the drooping Christian, almost ready to sink under the
pressure of trials, than a consciousness of having a Mediator at the
Thro.ne, and a Saviour who is both willing and able to save, to the
uttermost, those that come unto him? Oh, let us to his bosom fly;
there alone will be peace and joy in believing; there alone that unalloyed bliss which never ceases, never cloys, but remains one continual, never-ending day of rest..... My dear friend, at all
times, and at all seasons, the fountain is ready at which you may
drink. About ten days ago, after pretty hard study, I was thinking
what enjoyment could most pleasantly fill an hour at the close of
the day. My mind first suggested this friend, and then that, and
while I was deliberating, I seemed to hear a voice saying,'Instead
of vainly seeking for happiness from the streams, why not ask your
tIeavenly Father to afford it, in communion with him?' I knelt
down and asked, and what was the consequence? I received! Oh,
can I ever quit this safe refuge, and this indulgent Parent's feet, to
covet earth's alluring toys?"
1*




10             LIFE OF REVE. i R. CUTLER.
In the summer of 1817 he resided, a portion of the time,
at the homestead, in Jamaica Plains. From thence he writes
to the same friend, and we thus learn how ardently he longed
for more extended means of grace:
"I am sometimes at a loss," lhe writes, "to say which affords me
the greatest happiness, or rather pleasure, the country or Boston; the
beauties of the former, fresh from their Creator's hand, afford a constant theme for gratitude to the feeling heart, and a full conviction
of the being of Omnipotence to the doubting heart accompanies the
investigation of the smallest shrub; his eyes wanders over the whole
face of nature, admiring, at once, the object and its Creator; the
stillness, so propitious to reflection and so foreign to the din of a
populous town, almost induces him to decide at once; but then
inless he can have that constant'line upon line' from lips touched,
like the Prophet Ezekiel's, by' a coal from the altar,' his gratitude
will diminish, his thoughts become grovelling, and his feelings cold
and dead; then, of course, there would be a want of something
which can only be obtained by using those means of grace God has
appointed. Without peace of mind the most splendid palace would
become a dungeon, and the beauties of creation cease to charm. You
remember the lines you quoted to me from Cowper:'Give what thou canst, without thee we are poor,
And with thee, rich-take what thou wilt away;'
so that I think, though the country displays the most elevated objects of the bounty of an Almighty hand, yet, the key that unlocks
the feelings of gratitude is chiefly found' where two or three are
met together.' I do not undcrvalue private prayer, but when (with
a little exertion) I can hear spiritual preaching-above all, join in
spiritual proayiny —should I neglect these and feed on the' husks' of
modern preaching? Without a doubt, I should return again to the'beggarly elements of the world.' Therefore, at present, the country must be given up by me for the city; where I must trust that
the same arm which protected Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
in the furnace will proportion my strength to my day.
" MIy health improves; for six weeks past I have shut up my books
and taken exercise on horseback. I have lost much study, but the
Lord knows best; I am his servant, and he knows best when and
where to lead me. I have given myself to him; will he not keep




CIIILIDHOOD ANVD  YO UTIL                  11
what is committed to him?... B. C. C. P. goes on very well,
and will make a scholar and a minister, I hope!"
He traced the hand of God in the smallest affairs of his
daily life, and loved to recognize the dealings of his Heavenly
Father in every thing that befell him, and while diligently
cultivating Christian graces for himself, he was not unmindful of others, but often, very often, spoke " the word in season
to the weary soul."  Thus, to a friend (S. P. B.) oppressed
with fears, and evidently tried in outward circumstances, as
well as inwardly in spirit, he declares:
"Take comfort in this thought, it is not as Satan
would have it. Satan would not permit you to have a single trial
or conflict! IHe would have all go smoothly, and feed you with food
pleasant to the taste, but bitter in the end. Be thankful that you
have a watchful Parent, who will provide for you and who will not
let Satan have dominion over you. Do you sigh for fuller manifestations of Christ's love for you? Alas, you know not what you
ask! Christ walks with his followers nowhere but in the furnace.
Be content with all God orders here, and look with faith to a'brighter
reality' to come; then, there will be no weariness in his service; no
more fighting or fainting; every affection sanctified, and we shall be
filled with all the fullness of God. Thus it shall be, but it is not so
yet. The contest goes on here, and we often desire to flee and capitulate, but the Captain of our salvation renews our strength and
animates our courage. Dear fellow-sinner, let us gird up the loins
of our mind and fight on, confiding fully and steadfastly in our
Leader; lie will arm us and shield us, and bring us off conquerors at
last. When wounded, he will heal us; when cast down, he will lift us
up. He will do all this for us. Then, let us renewedly dedicate ourselves to his service and follow on to know the Lord. Oh! can you,
when once in sight of Canaan (peace of mind), turn back to the
Egypt of your dqubts and fears? Cheer up, dear fellow-pilgrim!
fight a little longer, and the victory will be yours. Keep out of the
length of Satan's chain and he can only frighten you. Don't let him
entice you to put your foot upon one inch of his field of unlbelief; for,
if you do, you will surely be unmercifully bruised. Whenever you
happen to meet him unexpectedly, it will always be with a lie in his
mouth; but hold fast the beginning of your confidence, and, in due




12 zLIFE OF -REV. DR. CUTLER.
time, you shall reap, if you faint not. May we both so pass the
waves of this troublesome world as to meet, the other side of Jordan,
in the heavenly Canaan. Depend upon it, the Ark won't move one
inch, until we are all safe over.  Yours,      B. C. C."
In this last epistle we see his own soul beaming forth in
every line.  We know  not which to admire most —his
patient tenderness, his striking faithfulness, or the remarkable clearness of conception with which he thus depicts the
experience of every child of God.
No one who ever heard him speak of the things of God,
in after years, can fail to recognize in this letter his own
peculiar style of expression-clear, pointed and forcible.
He was only nineteen years of age when he penned these
lines, but the Spirit of God seems to have early taught him
in the school of Christ, and his blessed influences were imparted in no small degree or scanty measure to this earnest
soldier of the Cross. The captious critic may deem it out
of place for one so young to advise others, even in confidential correspondence, and apply to him the words of the
ancient king of Israel, " Let not him that girdeth on his
harness boast himself as he that putteth it off!" but he knew
"in whom  he trusted," and with the eye of faith fixed on
his Great Master, then, as in after years, he pressed forward
toward the heavenly prize, and like "Valiant-for-Truth"
in the Pilgrim's Progress, he boldly urged onward every
fellow-traveller in the heavenly road, and particularly every
tried and tempted believer. We can almost hear him singing by the wayv:
"From strength to strength go on,
Wrestle and fight and pray:
Tread all the powers of darkness down,
And win the well-fought day."




CHAPTER II.
COLLEGE LIFE.
1818-1820.
IN September, 1818, the youthful Cutler entered Brown
University, in Providence, R. I. The religious advantages connected with this institution were, no doubt, the
chief inducements which led him thither. But he could also
enjoy the ministrations of the faithful rector of St. John's
Church, in that city, and would also be in close proximity
to Bristol, where Bishop Griswold resided, and from whose
home and parish emanated so many happy influences. And
the apostolic example, judicious precepts, and watchful care
of this godly man, were, as he hoped they would be, of great
advantage to him, at this critical period in his religious
history.
In this new position, he took hold of his studies with zeal
and earnestness, ever keeping before him the particular object upon which he had set his heart. His life, as seen by
others, was irreproachable. His manners were attractive,
his deportment excellent, and in all his intercourse with
others he cultivated the things " which are pure, lovely, and
of good report."
His natural refinement and frank sociability won for him
many appreciative friends; and when all these elements of
character had been touched and sanctified by the Holy
Spirit, diffusing over his whole being a glow of heavenly
love and earnest interest in the religious welfare of others,
he became a great means of usefulness to all his associates,
(13)




14            LIFE OF -REV. DR. CUTLER.
and they " took knowledge of him that he had been with
Jesus."
Nor was he unmindful of friends at a distance, as his
correspondence will show; and, permitted as we are to make
full extracts from his letters, we gladly avail ourselves of
the privilege to exhibit to others the interior life of the
man-careful, at the same time, not to infringe upon the
sacredness of private confidence, or needlessly wound the
susceptibilities of survivors, who still cherish his memory
with grateful reverence and hallowed love.
Under date of September 5, 1818, he writes to a dear
friend in this strain:' I returned last evening from the tour to Providence. I am now
a member of Brown University, after ha-ving passed a satisfactory
examination. Our class will consist of about forty, most of them of
my own age, but I can hardly inform you what prospect there is of
a serious class, which I most earnestly desire. The companion of
my journey was our mutually dear R. J. P., and a most delightful
day we had in riding to P., interspersed with conversation of a
spiritual nature.  We remained at P. two days, where we were
joined by our beloved Mr. Eaton and B. C. C. P., with whom we
returned to Boston yesterday. We breakfasted and dined without
interruption, drank tea at my dear mother's, and returned to town
I hope grateful to God for every privilege."
Having returned to the University toward the close of
the month, to commence recitations with his class, he writes
in his journal thus:
"This day commences my actual connection with Brown
University, commensurate with which, shall be my prayers
for its prosperity and the individual salvation of each and
every person connected with it. I am, and shall be, surrounded by many temptations by which I shall fall, if God's
Holy Spirit shall not support and comfort me.  I faintly
trust in him; I can, I am sure, say,'Lord, if thou canst do
any thing, save thy servant; lead him not into temptation,
but deliver him from evil.' I fear much a decline in spir



COLLEGE LIFE.                    15
itual life; I pray against it. I trust I shall be supported.
O God! go on with thy work which, I trust, is begun in my
heart; if not begun, begin, 0 God! and convince me of'sin,
righteousness, and a judgment to come.' Amen."
Mr. Cutler was pleased with his new situation.  His
health was fast improving, his spirits were good; and, as he
declared to his friends, he had no reason to regret, but to
rejoice, that he had followed what appeared to be the path
of duty.
His mother, two of his sisters, and a younger brother,
formed a delightful home circle for him, making the city of
Providence a temporary place of abode during his collegiate
course. Some of the members of the household, though occasionally spending the winter months at the South, with
the relatives of his mother, were always glad to return and
enjoy the companionship of a son and a brother so dear to
them.
His daily studies, and continued exercise (which was so
necessary to his very existence), occupied nearly every
moment of his time; yet he did not neglect the instruction
of his brother, or give up correspondence with his friends.
On Sunday, September 27, he rose an hour before sunrise, and after attending prayers in the chapel, walked out
to Pawtucket, (four miles north of Providence) and officiated
as a lay-reader in the Episcopal Church there, and in other
-ways assisted the rector.
This he often did, and when not, engaged at St. John's
Church in Providence, he rejoiced to go out to this place
and participate in the ministrations of the sanctuary.
Blest as he was with health and temporal enjoyments, he
was anxious to grow in grace and to make constant improvement in his spiritual state, fearful lest the things of
time might render dim and imperfect his view of Eternity.
His journals show his particular attention to this point,
and his desire to be kept fiom ambition; to do his duty to




16           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
God, and profitably to spend his time, seeking that reward
which comes from God alone.
We find the following in his diary, which will show how
he improved every means of grace, and how much of his
time was spent when he was not occupied with his studies:
" Oct. 3, 1818.-1I resolve to devote one hour each day to
reading the Scriptures; and if I can command but one, I
will devote it to that purpose. My God, strengthen me to
keep this resolution, and bless thy Word to my soul! I will
rise at 5 o'clock A. M., and retire from my study at half past
9 P. M. I acknowledge with gratitude the blessings I have
this day received; may my heart be fully sensible of them!
I have found in my own class four Christian brethren, engaged in the same cause with me, and one in the class
above. We met, providentially, yesterday, and in a few
moments embraced each other in the arms of Christian fellowship, and united in prayer. It was a sweet meeting, the
union of souls and spirits. I do believe our blessed Master
smiled upon us! I shall never forget the pleasure and joy
it afforded me. To-day we all met in this room for devotional purposes. O Lord, bless these meetings! may they
be channels of thy grace to our souls, for Christ's sake!
O my Heavenly Father! fit and prepare my mind for the
solemn duties of the Sabbath, for Christ's sake; and if this
night thou call me hence, may Jesus wash me in his blood.
I have no hope but in Jesus! I cast my polluted body at
his feet, believing that he is God over all, blessed for ever,
able and willing to save all who come to him by faith.
Amen.
" I feel more happy in my present situation, than in any I
have ever been in before."
"Oct. 4.-1I passed this evening at a conference meeting
in Mr. Crocker's parish. If I had not so wicked a heart I
might have been much edified and instructed. I have discovered to-night a besetting sin. Lord help me to subdue




COLLEGE LI E.                   1 7
it, and bring it down! humble, 0 Lord, my proud heart, and
support me by thy strength! May I so spend thy Sabbaths
on earth that I may learn how to spend an eternal one with
Thee!
"Rev. Mr. Taft of Pawtucket called, after church; also,
two classmates, Farnum and Crocker. Had a faithful conversation with my dear brother, and united with him in
prayer. The day imperfectly spent, has, however, not been
wholly unprofitable.  But oh, this wicked heart loves any
thing better than God, I fear. Purify it, 0 Lord, and incline
it to love thee!"
" Oct. 14.-Received a letter from dear Edson to-night,
and, after reading it, considered how much greater my progress in h6liness ought to be."
" Oct. 30. —Attended Mr. Crocker's this evening, and had
a comfortable and refreshing season. He is an impressive
preacher. His subject was,'the Rock in the Wilderness,'
which hie beautifully compared to Christ."
"Nov. 1. —Arose at 6 o'clock, attended the college prayermeeting at sunrise; after breakfast went out to Olneyville
and opened a Sunday-school, with Howe and Fuller. After
the instruction was over we had prayers, and I read a sermon to the people who had assembled for the purpose; after
that I returned to town, and went to St. John's Church and
received the Holy Sacrament. In the afternoon heard an
excellent sermon from Rev. Mr. Crocker. Called on Gov.
Jones, and had a religious conversation with him."
"Nov. 5.-Went this day to Bristol and dined with our
most excellent Bishop; returned in the evening much benefited. Received a call to-day from the'Providence Female
Tract Society' to take charge of a missionary school, in a
destitute part of this State, for eight weeks. I hope in this,
as in every thing, I may never be left to myself to decide,
but that God will lead me in the right way."
"Nov. 16.-Spent the evening with Alexander Jones, Esq.,




18           LIFE OF REV _DR. CUTLER.
a spiritually-minded man. Rev. Mr. Crocker and others
were present."
As the year 1818 drew to a close, Mr. Cutler set apart a
special day for fasting and prayer, and dedicated himself
afresh to the service of God. He drew up a paper, which
lie sealed with his own seal and affixed his name in full. He
styled it, " An Instrument of Solemn Surrender of Myself,
Soul and Body, to God!"'" In the presence of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy
Ghost, three persons, but one God; and in presence of the
blessed inhabitants of heaven-those holy angels who surround the Throne and witnessed my redemption —I Benjamin
Clarke Cutler, of Boston, now at Providence, December 13,
1818, in the twenty-first year of my age, in firm health and
sound mind-feeling that I received all I possess from God,
having publicly professed the faith, and knowing I am surrounded by so many temptations, and that I ought to fight
resolutely against them —do hereby solemnly (with death,
judgment and eternity in view) give, covenant, and make
over myself, soul and body, all my faculties, all my influence
in this world, all the worldly goods with which I may be
endowed, into the hands of my Creator, Preserver and constant Benefactor, to be his for ever,and at his disposal. This
solemn covenant is made in consequence of certain promises
which God Almighty has made to me, as a sinner; that his
strength shall be perfected in my weakness; that'his grace
shall be sufficient for me,' and many other like precious
promises!
"Under a conviction of my awful transgressions and backslidings; feeling that I am covered with sin, which makes me
odious to God, and that I should have been undone without
a Saviour; not daring to hope for pardon or acceptance but
through his blood, and knowiDg what a detestable fountain
of horrible pollution is within me, from which streams are




COLLEGE LIFE.                    19
constantly flowing and defiling my very prayers; naked and
iundisguised before a heart-searching God, who knows me
letter than I know myself, I now set my seal and place my
name to this, taking God's blessed Word for his instrument;
never intending to revoke or change this decision, but meaning, it to be a solemn and everlasting bond and obligation.
Witness, ye holy angels! I am God's servant; witness, thou,
Prince of Hell! I am thy enemy, thy implacable enemy, from
this time forth for evermore.
"BENJAMIN CLARKE CUTLER."
We find Mr. Cutler, during his winter vacation, spending
a part of his time in Boston, and enjoying the society and
counsels of his friend, the Rev. Mr. Eaton, the rector of
Christ Church in that city. He was enabled to visit many
friends and relatives here, and also in the vicinity.  He
passed a day or two with the Rev. Mir. Smith, of Marblehead, and " made a profitable visit;" then he went to Salem,
where he enjoyed meeting the Rev. Mir. Carlisle, and thence
to Newton.
Of course his duties to society often brought him in contact with others who took no interest in religion, and like
Gallio they cared for "none of these things;" but to all,he
was the same kind and faithful friend.
His self-scrutiny (while mingling with others) was remarkable, and he often feared that, in prosperity, he should
forget God. He shrank not, therefore, from any cross his
Heavenly Father saw fit to lay upon him. He counted the
cost when he first engag(ed in the Lord's service, and knowing that the path to the kingdom  of heaven was ever a
straight and narrow one, he ceased not to ask himself,
"Are there no foes for me to face,
Alust I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?"




20           LIFE OF RMEV. DR. CUTLER.
He declared, "I have got much to suffer here below; this
proud heart has yet to take much medicine. These imperious passions have yet to feel the yoke and the chain,
and days of darkness, doubtless, will cure my love of earthly
brightness."  The following record in his diary in January,
1819, shows to us his own searchings of heart at this period:'Satan is always trying to overcome me; this casement of
my soul is formed of materials which compose the most luxuriant soil for Satan to plant his evil thoughts in, and for
them to thrive in; all things around me, in the world, conspire to lead me astray, and so corrupt am I,that even my
Christian friends are often the cause of my falling. By nature, I love the world and prosperous circumstances; but in
these, I need the grace of God more than in adversity. I
read in the lives of all his saints, the many trials, crosses.
disappointments, they were permitted to benefit by, and I
cannot suppose that I am so much better than they were, as
to make them unnecessary for me. This must be the ordinarv
road for me to go to heaven by-the road of affliction, of
trials, of wearing crosses. I do hot doubt that God is able
to carry me to heaven without a cross; but would this be
the way that his children have gone before me? would not
my path be almost a new one?  Certainly.  Well, then. I
must expect those medicines which are to heal my sin-sick
soul,to keep me fervent in spirit, constant in prayer; and
near to God! Such as sickness and pain, loss of property,
persecution, loss of dear friends, separation from all earthly
objects of delight, and the sight of human misery around me
— this I must expect as a private Christian! But, as a minister of the crucified Jesus, I must expect even more. I must
be tried and tempted in many ways, that I may succor those
who are tempted also; and purified, to be an example to the
flock over which the Holy Ghost may make me an overseer.
Who is sufficient for these things?  Not I; for I am a boasting Peter, all profession; and if left one moment, all denial.




COLLEGE LIFE.                    z 1
But Jesus knows my frame and remembers I am but dust,
and he will not lay on me more than I can bear.'Fear not,
thou worm Jacob,' etc.  Lord Jesus, give me faith!'tis all
I need.'Oh, for a strong and lasting faith
That mountains can remove."'
On the 25th of February, 1819, Mr. Cutler is again
diligently engaged in his studies at the University. Very
little occurred during the earlier part of this year to interrupt the ordinary routine of college study. That nothing
occurred to ruffle his peace of mind, or to teach him by
experience the frailty of human nature, it would not be consistent with truth to affirm. On the 20th of March, he
writes in his journal: " A slight occurrence took place this
week, arising from my pride, which for an hour took full
possession of me, and I have been spiritually cold ever since.
I had expressed my disapprobation, in a respectful manner,
to my tutor, of his manner of speaking to the class, and I
felt afterward that it was pride, which ought to be humbled, and I suffered for it mentally. I learned two things
from this: one, never to take up any thing which belongs
alone to the class; and another, to bear- whatever is laid
upon me as an individual in silence, and to be subject,'for
conscience' sake.' "
While Mr. Cutler was in Boston, during his vacation, he
was often at the bedside of his beloved aunt, Mrs. Dunn, who
had been a sufferer for many years, and was then drawing
near the gate of death. On the 8tll of June he received
the intelligence of her death, and this to him was a heavy
affliction. For nine years previous he had been " with her
in trouble and distress of the most afflictive nature;" and
he had, with wonder, beheld her patience when the rod of
affliction was laid upon her; and now that she was gone, he
mourned that so bright an example of unshaken faith was




22           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
removed from  his observation, yet he rejoiced that the
weary were "at rest."
He attended the funeral with his friend, Gov. Jones, of
Rhode Island; and when, with the large circle of relatives.
he stood at the family vault, as they laid away her precious
remains, most solemn reflections filled his mind. In that
same receptacle for the dead were the bodies of his father,
his uncles, Mr. Dunn and Mr. Clarke, and of other relatives; and his thoughts were busy, he tells us, with his whole
past life.
He returned on Monday to his studies, and was engaged
also in his usual labors on the Sabbath, through all the
term. In the month of August he was compelled for a
while to relinquish his books, and we find nothing of importance recorded in his journal.
On resuming his place at college in the Fall, he framed a
series of resolutions for the guidance of his future conduct,
which, as far as man can judge, he seems to have faithfully
kept:
"'RESOLUTION I.-I will devote more time to special
prayer, will cultivate nearer intercourse with God, and
read the Scriptures with more attention, and will read one
chapter in the Greek Testament every day.
"RESOLUTION II.-I will avoid the society of the light and
trifling, and will try to have my conversation seasoned with
salt. I will converse with some one unconverted student
every week.
" RESOLUTION III.-I will correspond oftener with my
religious friends.
" RESOLUTION IV.-I will converse more with my fellow
Christians around me.
"RESOLUTION V. —-I will be more humble, both in appearance and reality.
" RESOLUTION VI.-By the grace of God, I will strive to
keep perfectly these resolutions, having broken many before.
Lord Jesus have mercy on me!"




COLLEGE LIFE.                      23
While thus faithful with himself, Mr. Cutler was ever
solicitous for the spiritual welfare of others. In October
he was privileged to hear the Rev. Mr. Meade, of Virginia,
preach on the Christian's assurance of future happiness.
He was filled with admiration and delight, and says: "Mr.
M. told us many believers were careful in observing outward attendance upon all the means of grace, yet were not
happy until the Spirit of God witnessed with their spirits
that they were the children of God.  I thought of my
friend, who appears to be just in the case described. How
I long for the time when her heart will rejoice and her joy
not be taken from her."  At this time he penned a letter to
this friend, who was in spiritual darkness, from which we
make the following extract:
"There is such a thing, my dear friend, as assurance of acceptance. The holy apostle possessed it when he said,'I have fought a
good fight,' etc. Christians in all ages have possessed it; martyrs,
in an eminent degree have possessed it-some of the most humble
followers of the dear Redeemer. Yes! some poor worms of the
dust, whom you and I know, have received the Spirit of adoption!
Oh! my beloved friend, why can you not cry,' Abba! Father?' Why
can you not break down the wall of unbelief which hides you from
your Saviour's face? Hear what God says:'IWilt thou not fiom
this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?'
How can you resist such sweet calls? How can you starve, while
angels' food is before you? Do you say, This is too great a privilege
for me to receive the spirit of adoption; it is too great a gift? But
can any gift be so great as the gift of his only Son, which he has
already given? Oh, no! lay aside, then, all your doubts; claim the
promises-take them in your hand-carry them to your Father in
heaven-show them to him —plead them before him, and he will
not turn his face fiom you! Only believe! Then will you knoxN,
indeed,' how good the Lord is' —then will you be able to cry,'For
Ince to live is Christ! to die is gain;' and when you come to die,
you will say, with a pious woman, who summed up all at the moment of death, in saying,' I am all joy!' 
With such hearty counsel and earnest entreaty did he




24           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
persuade others to rejoice in the Lord. He had no exalted
view of his own attainments, but walked in all humility
before God. The edifice of his faith was built upon the
rock Christ Jesus, and not upon the shifting sands of varying frames and feelings in the religious life. The day after
the letter alluded to was written, the following record is
made in his journal:
"I feel myself an undone sinner, condemned for past
transgressions, unable to keep myself from the commission
of sins in the future. I feel that I must be lost and ruined
for ever through eternity, unless some atonement is made
for my sin, and some source opened, from  which I may
obtain grace to help me in time of temptation. But I read
in my Bible that Christ Jesus came to save sinners; that he
has settled the account for my sins; that he is able and
willing to take my filthy rags away, and clothe me in the
white garments of salvation, and is able and willing to
keep me from defiling them. He says,'Come unto me all
ye that are weary and heavy laden;' and when I see these
words, and read of so many sinners coming to Him to be
saved, and after they have come, having so much joy and
peace-why, how can I help going too? I feel my load of
guilt; I want to lay it down; I am tired of it, and he tells
me to bring it to him. O Lord Jesus, I believe! help thou
mine unbelief!
"With my Divine Redeemer's aid I would struggle through
this life to arrive at the lowest place in heaven.  I am
indeed sinful-a worm, and no man, but Jesus is my rock,
and I shall never sink."
Mr. Cutler writes: " Oct. 5.-This morning heard of the
death of Thomas C. Mitchell, at Charleston, S. C. I have
been intimate with this dear friend and cousin from childhood. He gave me the first religious impressions I ever received, and now he is taken and I am left.  O Lord, I
beseech thee to sanctify this bereavement to my good!




COLLEGE LIFE.                    2 5
Heard also of the marriage of two friends in Boston to-day.
This evening my dear sisters, Mrs. Ward and Louisa, arrived. The emotions of sorrow, joy and surprise which I
have felt to-day, combine to tell me this is a chequered
life."
" Oct. 27.-Walked down with Goodwin to see Rev. Mr.
Crocker. Mr. C. was not so encouraging toward him as
I expected. I think lie errs on the safe extreme. But there
are some lambs whom the shepherds of Israel should take
in their arms and CARRY into the fold-those who have been
gradually enlightened.  G., in my opinion, is a Christian."' Oct. 30.-Vanity has been my besetting sin this week.
I cannot enumerate one single sin conquered! I cannot look
back on one victory. Alas! this is living like a soldier on
half-pay; or more like a soldier in full pay and on duty, who
skulks around the tents, instead of fightingy the enemy."
" Nov. 7. Sundaqy.-I went to the altar to-day with my
friend Goodwin, where he was baptized.  Afterward, partook with him of the symbols of the body and blood of our
Lord.  I hope and pray God will make him a'burning and
shining light.' As to myself, I am vile and sinful; I have
nothing to say for abusing God's grace, but that Jesus died
for me..... Satan has buffeted me sorely to-day. I
have had to look up and say, Lord Jesus, drive Satan from
me!..   I walked home to-day with the Misses G.;
intelligent, refined and pious ladies. I am quite intimate
with the family, and find it a pleasant and profitable acquaintance."
The college friend referred to above, the Rev. Mr. Goodwin, has survived Mr. Cutler, and thus gives his testimony
to the value of his friendship:
" PROVIDENCE, R. I., February 4, 1864.
"REVEREND AND DEAR BROTIER-... I am glad to say
a few words respecting one who was very dear to me, and to whom
I feel myself to be under the highest obligations. Dr. Cutler and
2




26             LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
I became acquainted after entering Brown University, in 1818. He
was then in the full exercise of all his powers-of his exceedingly
amiable and attractive qualities. He had come from Boston, had
been reared in society of the best kind, had gentlemanly manners,
and was in the ardency of his first love for Christ, and for the
spiritual welfare of all who came within the sphere of his influence.
I had myself just come from Phillip'sAcademy, Andover, and I distinctly remember the surprise I felt at seeing the cheerfulness, good
humor and almost gayety of one who professed to be a man of seriousness and piety. For some reason, which I did not then understand, but which I afterward found to be a resemblance to some
friend of his, he soon became quite interested in me, and treated me
with the kindest attention. In the latter part of our first term, I
commenced my first school in a town not far from Providence, and
on reaching the school-house from my father's residence, I found a
letter on the desk from mv fiiend Cutler, recommending me to begin
my school with prayer, and urging the daily performance of the
same (luty. I was then eighteen years old, some two or three years
younger than himself; but in maturity and manliness he was very
far in advance of me.
"' During the next year, after many friendly and serious conversa
tions, he took me to Dr. Crocker, of St. John's Church, with a view
to my baptism; and subsequently, when I was baptized, he himself
was one of my sponsors on that solemn occasion.
" Soon after, when 1 had another school in Rhode Island, and had
been there but a few days, he found a more desirable situation for me
in Scituate, Mass., and even engaged another man to take my place,
that I might go where I should be near a very worthy and pious
clergyman, and called upon every fourth Sunday to read the Church
service. After returning to college the next spring, he resigned the
superintendence of the Sunday-school in St. John's and procured
my election to the same place. But, while I shared largely in his
affectionate and self-sacrificing regard, I must mention that he was
the kind friend and faithful spiritual counsellor of all with whom he
could gain an influence. In mentioning to a class-mate the other
day that you wished for some account of Dr. Cutler's college life, he
replied,' I could give a bright record of that period;' and then told
me that he felt himself indebted to him, for the serious impressions
that not long afterward issued in his decided conversion to God.
His heart was set upon doing good at all times, to all persons and
under all circumstances, and he was wonderfully adapted to such




COLLEGE LIFE.                      2 7
benevolent work; for he had the respect of all, and knew how to
aplproach each one in a kind and conciliating manner, and to leave
him deeply convinced that he had in this friend one who purely and
honestly desired his good.
" While he was popular and of great influence in college, he also
had a large acquaintance and was highly useful outside of this limited circle. He was a favorite wherever he went. His mother and
sisters residing in Providence, he mingled considerably in society,
and tllt, too, of the choicest kind; and he shone as brightly among
the intelligent and refined, as in the humble dwellings of the poor,
the sick, and the afflicted. In the social religious meetings that
were extensively held in Providence at that time, he was where he
delighted to be, and where his presence was most welcome to those
who attended. Here his ardent piety, his universal benevolence, his
ready eloquence and affectionate bearing shone eminently conspicuous. Many who are now no more, have acknowledged their obligation to God for the blessing they have received through his instrumentality, and many still live, who speak of him and of his
usefulness with ardor and delight.
"Yours, etc.,           D. L. B. GOODWIN."
Thus we see how ready -Mr. Cutler was to bring others
to Jesus, even as Andrew brought Simon Peter to his Lord;
or, like a second Barnabas, gladly taking by the hand any
Saul whom others might for a moment distrust, and declaring to them how the Lord had spoken to his soul, and that
he was indeed a true follower of Christ.
Our readers will not weary of the detailed experience
of such a man; but it is proper to state that his journals
were often written for the benefit of an absent friend, to
whom he was tenderly attached, and are often addressed, as
we see, to another party.  This is evident from  the next
extract:
"MY DEAR H. —I am a poor, feeble soldier of Christ'
my Captain fights all my battles, and if I conquer, he must
fight them still; yea, and he will fight them.  You will see
by this journal how low I live; yet I have had peace-much
more than I deserve.  I am  seldom, if ever, distressed.  I




28           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
find comfort, I hope, in Jesus my Master. My frame of mind
does not vary much; I seldom am very high —still less frequently very low; seldom long without some solemn sense
of the Divine Presence; my secret devotion is often performed in the open air before sunrise-retirement is sweeter
to me than it was. I am sick, but Jesus can cure me; I am
bruised, but Jesus can heal me; I am naked, but Jesus can
clothe me; I am blind, but Jesus can lead me; I am ignorant, but Jesus can teach me; I am weak, but Jesus can
strengthen me; I am poor, but Jesus can make me rich; I
am in prison, but Jesus canll open my prison door; I am condemned as a sinner, but Jesus can reprieve and deliver me."
About the 20th of this month (November) Mr. Cutler
visited Bristol, R. I., where he enjoyed the hospitality of
Bishop Griswold, and found three or four candidates for
Ordersstudying with him. Mr. Cutler's impressions of that
good man are thus recorded  " He is a true saint. Both
in his public and private life he is purely apostolic; the
most perfect humility and meekness you can conceive of.
are constantly visible in all his deportment."
The pattern of holiness he was thus privileged to see
stimulated him, and we see by his recorded experience that
he was indeed hungering and thirsting after righteousness!
" Dec. 5. Sunday." —He writes: " Now may thy presence
go with me, O God! Control my thoughts; help me to
guard my eyes and my tongue. Oh! I pray thee, let my
soul bathe this day in the ocean of pure pleasure, which is
thy presence. Thou knowest, O my Father! how I long for
it. Oh, give me a morsel of bread to keep my soul from
starving, for Christ's sake! I am a babe-a very babe in
Christ."
Dec. 7.-Received a good letter from my dear friend,
B. C. C. P. It caused me to be grateful; for it breathed
more piety than any I have ever received before from him."
Dec. 11.-I went down to the wharf, as I saw a. vessel




COLLEGE LIFE.                   29
come in, and just as I arrived there, I saw my dear mother
and sister Eliza in an open boat, which had come to shore
from a packet just in from New York. They were out in a
most severe, cold storm. How grateful I ought to be to
God for thus sparing them to me. They were hurried along
by the storm fifteen miles an hour. Oh the perils of the
deep! but the child of God has nothing to fear; his Heavenly Father holds the sea in the hollow of his hand."
" Dec. 19.-Went to the altar with Miss W-d, who was
baptized. It was very solemn. Miss W —d is an adopted
daughter of a rich and fashionable woman, and I may add,
a sweet and benevolent woman, who is a relation of my
Sister Julia.  For several months I have conversed with
her and with the family on vital religion. God has changed
her heart, I think, and I trust will keep her unto the end.
He has done all, and his is all the glory!"
" Dec. 26. —Have had a day of darkness; but in the evening realized the presence of the Saviour; was favored
with a smile, which was refreshing; for when Jesus hides
his face, all, all is distress within. Nothing gives me comfort, but when he smiles; it is'like marrow to my bones.'
O Lord Jesus, may I embrace thee fully, as my Prophet,
Priest and King!"
On the opening of the new year (1820), Mr. Cutler spent
his vacation with the Rev. Mr. Eaton, at Boston, which he
noted as a visit of peculiar interest and profit.
To others he appeared to have grown in grace, but on
his return to college he laments his own coldness in these
words: "I fear I shall be only'a hewer of wood and a
drawer of water' for the children of God. Pride is so conspicuous in my life! God is so little in my thoughts! His
love constraineth me so feebly!  O God, break this flinty
heart! may I be humbled at the feet of Jesus, and lie there
until he takes me home!"
"Jan. 22. —This week I have possessed a peace of mind




30           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
worth thousands of gold and silver! Yet how unworthy I
am of God's mercy!"
" Feb. 6. —My sins stare me in the face. My base ingratitude, my vile thoughts, my idolatry of self-all, all, rise
up before me. Can God pardon me, and yet be just? I am
covered with sin —tears rush into my eyes; but in a moment
they are absorbed by my wicked heart. If I could bathe
my Saviour's feet, I might conclude that I have some feeling;
if my tears were my meat and drink-but no, this proud,
hard heart refuses to be broken! My God,'Oh! make this heart rejoice or ache —
Decide this doubt for me;
And if it is not broken, break!
And heal it, if it be.'
O blessed Jesus! thou knowest all things, thou knowest
that I love thee. Leave not, then, thy poor, tempest-tossed
child to go starving all his days! Thou hast promised not
to leave him comfortless. Remember thy promise! Oh,
look upon his emptiness and poverty, and fill and clothe
him with thyself! Thou knowest he would not give up his
hope in thee for all the world!"




CHAPTER III.
COLLEGE  LIFE-C ONTINUED.
1820-1822.
IN the year 1820, while Mr. Cutler was in his junior year
in college, there was a remarkable revival of religion
throughout the whole State of Rhode Island. In Providence and in Bristol, the two great centres of influence, the
Holy Spirit was poured out in abundant measure, and as
in the Apostles' times, "many were added unto the
Lord."
The Rev. Dr. Tyng (who was at this period studying
with Bishop Griswold) thus speaks of it: "The churches in
Providence grew and flourished under this Divine blessing.
The Rev. Dr. Crocker, the beloved rector of the Episcopal
church there, entered into the blessings of the occasion
with his whole heart.               In Bristol it commenced suddenly, with no preparation by human agency.
Every meeting for prayer or religious teaching was crowded.
The people for months seemed wholly given to the one work
of prayer, and praise, and hearing of the word. Religious
meetings were held by various congregations on every day
in the week, and often several times in one day. The business of the world seemed almost suspended for this one
purpose and employment of life. Many hundreds were in
the course of this Divine interposition added to the various
churches in Bristol. Some were thus gathered in the most
remarkable instances of conversion. The power of the Holy
(31)




32           LIFE O.F REV. DR. CUTLER.
Ghost was wonderfully displayed, arousing, renewing, refreshing multitudes for Christ."`
This must have been a blessed season, indeed, for both
Mr. Tyng at Bristol and Mr. Cutler at Providence, and
they doubtless were privileged to enjoy a foretaste of that
great delight with  which afterward they saw  sinners
brought into the kingdom of God and saints edified, under
their own respective ministries, in the various fields of labor
to which God called them.
In Mr. Cutler's journal of March, 1820, we find a record
of this season:. "The Lord is visiting us now with his Holy
Spirit in this place. More than one hundred persons have
been converted in this town within two months. Thirteen
persons were baptized to-day, and forty more are ready for
this rite. This embraces persons of all ages. In Warren
and Bristol great religious interest is felt. What will grow
out of it I cannot say. May great numbers be added to
the Church of Christ of such only as shall be saved! Though
so much is doing around me, my love does not burn so
brightly as it ought, and I am altogether a short-comer.
My prayers are poor, and my practice worse; my thoughts
are often wandering on forbidden ground, and there is no
health in me."
" March 6, 1820.-The revival in this town increase;
upwards of one hundred and fifty persons have been converted. God be praised! Our prayer-meeting in college
was very solemn this evening. Bishop Griswold has sent
for me to go down to him at Bristol. There is a great
revival of religion in his church, and he is ill.
We may remark, in passing, that at such seasons of religious excitement the great enemy of souls always sows his
tares among the wheat, and if he cannot destroy, will try to
impede the work of genuine conversion, and he often blasts
the influence of those who are prominent in furthering a
* See " Son of Consolation," p. 37.




COLLEGE LIFE.                    33
work of grace of this kind, by inflating them with a sort of
spiritual pride, which is most pernicious in its effects! Mr.
Cutler seems to have been watchful on this point, with " godly
jealousy."
" JMarch 11." —He says: " I have just returned from B., having passed a very pleasant week at the house of Bishop G.,
and have seen the effects of the Spirit of God in the conversion of many souls. I have attended religious meetings
every evening, and have conversed with inquiring souls, and
with those who are confirmed in the faith, and have publicly
exhorted sinners to come to Christ; but yet I have seen
much of the exceeding sinfulness of my own heart, enough
to destroy any thing like self-complacency. How careful I
should be to keep the precept,'esteem others better than
thyself!' I have compared myself with others, rather than
with Christ. I have hungered more for the meat that perisheth, for the praise of men, rather than that of God. So
much pride and selfishness! 1Oh, if I had not a Saviour, what
could I do? Blessed Jesus, purge me from my sins and prepare me to worship thee in heaven!"
"March 19. —I went to church with my heart full of
praise,for the outpouring of God's Spirit in this place.'Thle Lord has heard our feeble prayer
And sent his Spirit down;
The stubborn hearts around us melt,
His power and,goodness own.'
I have heard the true doctrines of the gospel preached in
a most arousing and searching manner; our beloved pastor
(Mr. Crocker) gave all' their meat in due season, and rightly
divided the word of truth.' May God bless it to my soul,
and the souls of my friends!"
"April 4. —The revival in this town and in Bristol cheers
my heart; a few of my fellow-students are serious and in2*




34            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
quiring the way to be saved.  Oh that the revival would
enter our college!"
"April 14. —A happy day; the revival. has commenced in
college; received letters from my beloved H.; also letters
from dear R. J. P. and S. C. D."
"April 15. —The revival continues in college; a most
glorious work; sinners tremble and saints rejoice."
"April 16.-The Lord reigns! let the earth be glad! Bless
the Lord, O my soul! for he has heard the prayers of his
children, and his Holy Spirit has been poured out upon this
college. Scoffers are weeping and sorrowing for their sins.
O God, do thy own work! convince, convert, and sanctify thy
creatures!"
"April 17.-A  day of happiness; five of my class-mates
have a hope in Christ, and ten in the other classes.  Morning and night I have been trying to do something for immortal souls."
"April 22.-Three more persons have been brought into
the marvellous light and liberty of the sons of God-making
the number twenty. I went out to Pawtucket, last evening,
with some of the new converts to try to awaken a spirit of
inquiry thlere."
"April 23.-I rejoice that I have been permitted to live
in this time and at this place. I seem to have been translated into a new world."
Thus the work went on, till more than thirty students in
college were brought to a saving knowledge of the Lord
Jesus Christ.  The account of this season of deep religious
interest we close with an extract from a letter of Mr. Cutler's to Miss S. P. B., a friend in Boston:
"You have, doubtless, heard what a glorious work the Lord is
carrying on in this town. Hundreds of stubborn sinners are bowing
down to the mild sceptre of the Prince of Peace. More than three
hundred persons have been hopefully converted. Religious meetings are held every night, and the work is general w-ith young,




COLLEGE LIFE.                       35
middle-aged and old; with rich and poor, learned and unlearned,
sceptics and moralists, and with persons of all denominations (So-.
cinian excepted). Our church members have prayer-meetings, many
of our congregation are serious, and about fifteen have been brought
to Christ. Mr. Crocker is very faithful in his preaching, and particularly so in examining candidates for the Communion; he has not
admitted any of the new converts yet, wishing them to wait, I presume, till the excitement is a little abated, that they may be able to
determine, whether thev are really born again, or whether their feelings only are engaged.
"I have long wished and prayed for such a glorious sight, that my
own heart, also, might be more deeply impressed and my love inflamed. I wish you were here, your heart would rejoice; but you
must pray that God would grant the same Divine blessing upon
Boston.                Yours, in Christ,           B. C. C."
The impressions received by Mr. Cutler during this
precious season were never erased from his memory, and his
own earnest labors of Christian love are still recounted by
many on earth, and, doubtless, reviewed with unceasing gratitude by very many, whom he has now met again, among the
great multitude of ransomed sinners, who have entered in,
"through the gates," into the heavenly city above!
Mr. Cutler spent his summer vacation of this year in
travelling, as his health had become impaired, and we close
the record for the year with a portion of a letter which he
addressed to a friend in Massachusetts. It is dated
" NEW YORK, September 25, 1820.' You will be surprised to find that I am in New York. I have
spent this vacation in traveling with my cousin, Miss Waring; she
intends to return to Charleston, S. C., soon.  I find my health
much improved by my journey —coming by the way of Boston,
Albany and the North River to this place. I am now with my
sister, Mrs. Ward, four miles from the city, on the banks of the East
River; she has a fine flock of sweet little lambs, which afford me
much amusement. I expect, however, to leave this place, with my
sister Louisa, for Providence, to-morrow. I am tired of seeing new
things; my eyes sicken with the blaze of worldly splendor, and my
ears are tired of worldly and unmeaning conversation. I long to
return to my retirement, unenvying and tunenvied.




36             LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.'Let me be little and unknown,
Loved and prized by God alone.'
I have, however, derived much comfort from the society of my sister,
Mrs. Ward, from Miss W., and one or two other Christians.  But
the unsettled manner of life to which travelling sulbjects one,is uncongenial to the growth of real piety. Still, I am more alive to religious things than when I last saw you. I have felt more comfort
and delight in Christian conversation, and have felt more disposed
to serious reflection and self-examination.
"God grant this may not be'as the morning cloud and! as the
early dew,' but that I may have his giace to' advance in holiness as I
grow in age."
Early in the year 1821 Mr. Cutler made another visit to
New York, spending a part of his time with Mr. and Mrs.
Bethune. He notes it in his diary that he had not been in
company once during his stay, and he found it a season of
great religious enjoyment. He writes to R. J. P., a friend
in Boston:
" I have enjoyed, since I have been in New York,, every spiritual
colmfort possible. Gospel preaching and ordinances; gospel society;
and, though I have been wholly undeserving, gospel peace.  And
what a privilege have I enjoyed in sitting by the bedside of that
dear saint, Phoebe Ward; she is now preparing for her rest in heaven.
I went up to see her, at Jamaica, and spent the Sabbath there.  She
is just such a Christian as I want to be. She is perfectly resigned,
and told me shle would not change places with any being in the
world. My happiest hours have been spent at her bedside."
On the same day (January 14, 1821,) Mr. Cutler writes to
another friend, S. P. B., in this strain; and though the letter
is full of sober truth,we see the playful humor of the writer
toward the close:
"'Tis true, the world won't own you, and, I am sure, you are too
fond ofpraying for Satan to own you. Where, then, do you belong?
To the kingdom of Christ! Who, then, dares to call you poor, or
wretched, or forsaken? when God is your Father, Christ your Saviour,
and the treasures of heaven your riches! I know of no stronger evidence that a man is born again, than that his constant desire is to
be holier than lie is; if you are conscious of having this, you have




COLLEGE LIFE.                      37
good reason to embrace a hope, which will be to your soul an ancholr
both sure and steadfast. But,now to temporals. Where are you, my
dear, and where do you expect to be? I shall be here till February 17...... 1 am surrounded by dissenters-don't you
tremlble for me? I see Dr. Mason, and hear Dr. Romeyn frequently,
and passed an evening with the former. I am in a delightful, pious,
and praying family."
Mr. Cutler returned to his studies with much improved
health, and prosecuted them with his usual diligence; yet
an interest in the religious welfare of others was ever uppermost in his mind.  His prayers for the eternal salvation of
his relatives and friends were unceasing.  May 8, 1821,
he enters this record upon his journal: " This day will ever
be memorable.  My dear Sister Eliza has professed this day
to have obtained a hope in Christ, and is rejoicing in Christ
Jesus.  She is triumphing in her Saviour.  God be praised
for evermore!"
At few days later (in writing to a member of the family,
with which he was afterward connected by marriage), he
says  " You have heard, I presume, of the conversion of my
dear Sister Eliza. She is now a spiritual, zealous Christian."
Thus, one by one, was God gradually bringing into the
fold of his church on earth the different members of Mr.
Cutler's family.  His prayers entered the ears of the Lord
God of Sabaoth, and a gracious answer seemed to be given:
" Be it unto thee even as thou wilt."  In due time, all, save
one, were professed disciples of the Lord, and forty years of
intercessory prayer for him will yet be answered by a prayerhearing God. Though the petitioner has gone to his rest,
a covenant-keeping God, we doubt not, has heard every
petition, and will graciously reveal himself in his own chosen
time. In the efficacy of prayer, Mr. Cutler put a strong
faith, and he has left the following on record: " The prayers
of Mrs. Isabella Graham, for my mother and her childrento these I owe much; and to the Saviour of sinners and his
Spirit, I owe infinitely more."




38           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
His beloved mother, in writing to him at the close of this
year, from New York, says: "Dear E. is as good as ever;
and her principles,'through grace,' stand as firm as the rock
of Gibraltar."
Our readers must not imagine that the experience of Mr.
Cutler was in any sense different from that of every faithful
child of God.
Days of darkness and days of brightness both worked
tosgether,for his religious welfare and advancement.
"June 2, 1821."-He writes: "How little does my life
resemble the holy, self denying life of the humble Christian;
yet I have a hope in Christ that is better than millions of
worlds. I feel that I am a sinner-a vile and helpless
sinner. I have no confidence in my own strength."
"June 18.-After the restraints which religion imposes
on the Sabbath, the mind seems to fly like a bird from a
cage. Oh! why is this? Because my mind is occupied constantly in worldly pursuits, and because of the natural alienation of the mind from God. When, oh when! shall I be
conformed to the will of Christ?"
" June 28.-What a poor, feeble, rebellious creature I am.
If my heart has ever been sanctified, how incomplete is the
work! How far I am from what I ought to be; from what
I promised to be; from what I desire to be!"
"Aug. 12.-A profitable day. I have heard the gospel
preached with sweetness and power, by Rev. MIr. Henshaw,
of Baltimore."
"Oct. 11.-Returned to college, and began my routine of
duties. May I be faithful in the discharge of them."
" Oct. 12.-Followed to the grave my dear friend, Miss
A. E. Goddard. God grant this event may be sanctified
to me."
" Oct. 29.-How holy I should be; but, alas! my heart is
so wicked; my temptations so great, that I often fall. Lord,
heal my backslidings."




COLLEGE LIFE.                       39
" Nov. l.-If I would be a Christian, I must be so indeed,
and must cease to esteem the praise of man. Lord, help me
to rise above the vanities of time!"
" Dec. 23.-I have performed service to-day at Pawtucket,
and trust my labors in that church will be blessed to its
members."
It was a special trait in Mr. Cutler's character that he
took delight in giving encouragement to others. His sensitive spirit sympathized with those who lay along the path
of life, prostrate with utter despair, and it seemed to be his
province to lift them up and send them on their way rejoicing. Instances of this kind mark almost every year of his
life. Even at this early date, the germ of this spirit began
to be developed.
After a college exhibition some severe criticisms appeared,
and Mr. Cutler replied in this way:
" To the Editor of the Rhode Island American:
" DEAR Sin-I was much pleased with the remarks of'A Lover of
Early Genius,' upon the college exhibition, December 27. His reproof
of the non-resident professors was delicate and appropriate, and his
criticism upon the taste and style of the speakers was liberal and
judicious. The objection against publicly crowning the precocity of
genius must commend itself to every lover of literature. But the
same scruples which influence him in withholding pointed praise,
should have operated upon him in restraining pointed reproof; for,
if it is true that the minds of some young men are so bold, ardent,
and enterprising that early applause would too much elate them, it
is just as true that the minds of some are so extremely sensitive that
early and severe censure will paralyze and ruin them.
"For if the dews of Helicon, falling too early and abundant, injure
the unripe fruit; so the frosts of Academus, when hurried by the cold
wintry winds, wither and blight it.
"Your correspondent, an:l you, sir, and all who honor the exhibition with their presence, should consider, before you enter the college
walls, that you are not about to be slhownn the accumulated wealth
of aged and industrious intellect; the calm, dignified eloquence of
mature oratory, or the dazzling effulgence of meridian talent; but
that a few young men, whom but four years ago, science called from




40             LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
the plow, or the voice of the Saviour drew from the mnarket-place,
are here unwillingly presented to you to exhibit the fruits of their
ephemeral labor.
"Instead of coulrting your praise, and desiring to walk in the
zodiac amoncg the stars, they shrink intuitively from the withering
ken of the critic, and ask Vou only to tell them if continued industry
and persevering application, will ever make them your compeer.s in
honor and usefulness. But I wish not to silence the friendly severity
of criticism, nor to deter you and others from attending the exhibitions. No! your presence and opinion are absolutely necessary to
elicit the reluctant powers of the mind, and, as has been justly observed, to hold up a mirror which shall faithfully discover lo the
youth the awkwardness of untutored genius. Go, then, as the constituted guardians of science and literature; not only with critical
sagacity, but with parental solicitude; encourage the timid and irresolute; check the ambitious and the forward; and hold out to those
who never can distinguish themselves in literature, the hope of
their becoming important and useful, if not honored, niemlbers of society.                                             B. C. C."
During the winter of 1821-22, Mr. Cutler was deprived
of the society of his mother and sisters. The tie which
connected them  with their friends at Savannah was very
strong, and they were always welcomed at the South by a
very numerous circle of loving kindred.
To her sons Mrs. Cutler thus writes, in January, 1822:
"  While you are enveloped in snow, and freezing with cold, we
find it pleasant some days to throw a window open, and see the
oranges hanging on the trees, and the roses in bloom in the open air.
Yet, notwithstanding these enjuyments, I can say, with the poet,' Where'er I rove, whatever realms to see,
My heart untravelledfondly turns to thee.'
Yes, in the midst of all, I look forward with pleasure to the time
lwhen I shall return to my two darling sons."
Mr. Cutler makes special note in his journal of his twentyfourth birthday; and on. that day his mother addressed to
him a letter, which deserves to be put on record, as a testimony to his filial obedience:




COLLEGE LIFE.                      41
"SAVANNAn, February 6, 1822.
"This auspicious morn brings to me the pleasing recollection that
twenty-four anniversaries have elapsed, since the precious privilege
was given me of calling you my son. A gift I hold so dear that no
bounds can reach my gratitude; nor can language express the tenderness your mother feels for you. Let me, then, invoke a blessing
upon you, my son, for all the obedience, affection, and tenderness
you have shown your mother in these revolving years; in which
time my memory can scarce record, even in the period of childhood.
an act of opposition to my will! May the Lord bless you, my son!
for this life of filial obedience to me, in that' bright inheritance' he
has prepared for you in a better world; may all your labors in the
Lord reap a rich harvest until your soul shall be satisfied; may the
Lord comfort you in all the way he shall lead you through this wilderness, and refresh you, when thou art weary, with' the dew of his
grace,' that thy strength fail not. May your health be precious in
his sight; may you be fed by his bounty, and your'basket and
store' be blessed, that it fail not; and last, though not least, in your
estimation, may your daily offerings at the Throne of grace, for all
whom you love, be heard, blessed, and answered to you.
Your ever affectionate mother,
SARAH CUTLER."
On the 8th of May Mr. Cutler passed his senior examination, with great credit to himself and to the satisfaction
of his instructors. A short vacation followed, at the end
of which,he received tidings of the safe arrival of his mother
and sister in New York. Early in June, on their reaching
Providence, he greeted them with joy and gratitude, after
an absence of eight months. The 12th of this month he set
apart as a day of special thanksgiving and praise.
About this time his brother entered upon business life
and left the city.
The 3d of July Mr. Cutler set apart as a day of' special
prayer for the conversion of the members of his family; and
on the 4th, his other sisters, Julia and Louisa, joined the
home circle at Providence.
The 10th of July was the day of final examination in the
University, and on the following day he says: "The parts




42           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
for Commencement were given out, and justice was done me
in awarding me an oration."
To this period Mr. Cutler thus alludes in 1834, when he
drew up a brief autobiography: "I was four years at Brown
University, making the first and the last recitation with my
class. I received at Commencement what I believe was the
third part, which I shared with four or five others who, as
I had, received English orations. A part of the officers
were desirous of giving me the second part (as I learned
from good authority), but it was given to another, who, for
talent, deserved it. It was decided rightly; I was perfectly
satisfied. Nobody disputed my right to the part I obtained-a higher one would have drawn upon me envy and
satire, at least.
" During these four years I studied steadily, never overtasking my mind (as my body was still feeble), and taking
constant exercise.
" I stood as high as the highest in classical literature, in
rhetoric and composition. In Enfield's Philosophy, I was
never deficient; in Moral Philosophy, I took much interest;
and in Paley and Butler, on the Evidences of Christianity,
I studied well. In Algebra and Metaphysics, I was nothing.
This was owing in part to a poor preparation for college,
and a native dislike to abstraction."
A classmate of Mr. Cutler's has told us that, " as a scholar,
lie excelled in most of his studies; particularly in all that
pertained to literature and composition, but for mathematics
he had no taste." His case is not unlike that of the celebrated Dr. Beattie, of whom it was said: "The only science
in which he made no proficiency was mathematics. In this,
he performed the requisite tasks, but was eager to return to
subjects of taste and general literature."
Mr. Cutler's college essays bear marks of more than
ordinary scholarship. One of them, on " Posthumous Respect," is of great interest, and could he have looked forward




COLLEGE LIFE.                   43
with a prophet's eye, through the vista of future years, to
his own departure from earth, he could not have used language more true or more pertinent than that with which,he
concludes the essay to which reference is made. The final
paragraph reads thus: " When near his dissolution, the
Christian does not look back into the world; he does not
anticipate the feelings or the actions of the world at his
death, but he'treads it beneath his feet;' he cares not
whether his death is unknown to his fellow-creatures, or
whether he is canonized by them as a saint. His eye is
fixed on heaven; his ear is already tuned for its melody,
and he longs to associate with its inhabitants; till at last
his happy spirit, borne on the wings of angels, takes its
flight and enters Paradise amid the hallelujahs of the
blessed!"
In later life, Mr. Cutler, in looking back over this portion of his history, left the following on record, and we do
not feel at liberty to withhold it: " In college I might have
ranked much higher as a scholar had I staid away from
extra religious meetings. But I adopted a rule here, that
every thing must give way to religion, and the heart must
first be attended to. I took special care to attend to religion, and sacrificed reputation to it. I went to conference
meetings in my own church, spoke and prayed; visited a
few pious ladies often, and kept up a friendship with them.
Thought I was doing good. Life appeared too short to
study all the time.
"On this subject I have only to say, that I think it very
doubtful whether young men studying for the ministry
(while in college) ought to speak in public religious meetings, even for devotional and practical purposes.
" Perhaps I ought to have taken the course which those
good men, Buchanan and Martyn, recommend in collegesilent, retired, studious piety."
Though Mr. Cutler entered college with a good measure




44            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
of health, he was often subject to a weakness of the lungs
and extreme languor, and he often complained of a nervous
irritability, which was at times almost beyond control. This
difficulty he struggled with, through life. Nature seemed
ever in combat with disease, and the only wonder is that he
accomplished so much.
His conduct in college was exemplary, and both respect
and obedience he invariably gave to those in authority.
During a rebellion in college he stood almost alone in loyalty, but he says he was " enabled to bear the finger of
scorn."
Mr. Cutler graduated in September, 1822. His oration
at Commencement, on " The Old Age of a Scholar," having
elicited high approval.
Immediately after, he repaired to Quincy, Mass., where
he had already began his labors as a missionary, a few
weeks previous. His dearest friends gathered together at
Providence, in order to be present at the Commencement
exercises; and while Mr. Cutler was at Quincy, during the
vacation, he received the following letter from his mother:
"' MIY DEAR AND PRECIOUS SON —To God only is the praise due for
giving me such a son-so good, so dutiful, so affectionate, in all your
deportment toward me.... My heart runs over with gratitude for.
the precious boon that God has given me in my children; in the
midst of poverty they would be exhaustless riches to me! Yet my
Heavenly Father has also given me a competence in addition to these
rich treasures. Surely, I ought to be the most grateful of all his
creatures. I have been asking this morning, at his hands, humilitythat I may give my God the glory, as he is the' bounteous Giver,'
without the alloy of self-gratulation and pride; for, as Newton says,
this' dead fly will insinuate itself in all our offerings, all our duties,
and taint the best of them with its odious savor;' to which I can
testify from too great, too dear experience.
" Your letter came to hand last night, and was truly a refreshment
to my spirits. I am delighted with the account of your situation,
prospects of usefulness, etc., etc. I wish I were with you, quietly
settled at the parsonage, as I am tired of the bustle of life, and long




COLLEGE LIFE.                      45
for peaceful retirement once more, to' ride at anchor' in my old age.
Had it not been for the prospect of Louisa's marriage this fall, and
my wish to be present when you take your degree, I should have
been quietly settled at Quincy by this time....  I have made arrangements with a friend to bring our dear H-  t on from Montreal.... Love to dear Francis, and keep' Benjamin's portion,' for
yourself.                    Your ever affectionate Mother."
Two weeks later Mr. Cutler received his diploma from
the University, and then hastened back (with his friends) to
Quincy. But his interest in the institution with which he
had been so happily connected, continued through life, and
he rejoiced, as opportunity offered, to be present at many
succeeding Commencements.  An unusual number of his
class became clergymen-not less than fifteen; and among
his classmates we find Prof. Caswell and Prof. Farnum,
Hon. Messrs. Burgess, Davis, Kinnicutt, and other men of
note.
It is a remarkable fact that so many Episcopal clergymen
(including two bishops of the Church) have graduated from
"Brown University," and thus attested by their own example to the wisdom of Mr. Cutler's choice, as regards a place
of collegiate instruction.
A faithful portrait of Mr. Cutler, at this period of his life,
has been kindly given us by one of these clergymen, the Rev.
Dr. Muenscher, of the Diocese of Ohio, which will not fail to
attract every reader.
"MT. VERNON, O., January 19, 1864.
"REV. AND DEAR BRO. —... My acquaintance with Dr. Cutler
commenced in early life. I entered Brown University in the fall of
1817, and he entered in 1818. At that time we were the only members of the Episcopal Church connected with the college, and looking forward to the ministry in that Church. I soon found that his
views, in regard to the Church and its doctrines, accorded with my
own, and I formed a strong attachment for him, which I never
ceased to cherish during his life, though Divine Providence afterward assigned us to'different and distant fields of labor. He was a
universal favorite among the undergraduates, and greatly beloved




46             LIFE OF REV..DR. CUTLER.
by all the professors of religion in the college, irrespective of denomination.
" In the extensive revival of religion which took place in the college while we were connected with it, he was among the most active
and efficient in administering counsel, instruction, and encouragement to the young men whose thoughts had been turned to the
subject of their soul's salvation.
"His whole soul was engaged in the work, and Eternity alone will
disclose the extent of his usefulness during that precious season of
refreshing from the presence of the Lord. My own opinion is that
there was not a single professor of religion connected with the college,whose religious influence was as great as his.' This was owing partly to the elevated tone and living character
of the piety which he uniformly maintained, and partly to the
warmth and sincerity of his affection, and his easy and winning address.
" I had the pleasure of meeting him frequently at the table of his
excellent mother, and had numerous opportunities of witnessing his
uniformly affectionate bearing toward her, and toward his estimable
sisters. His social qualities were such as to render him, at all times,
an agreeable companion; and his unaffected humility at once captivated your heart and inspired your confidence. There was no disguise, no ostentation, no pretension in Dr. Cutler. He was perfectly
transparent, and you had only to see him frequently to know him
as well as you knew yourself.
"In the year 1856 I happened to be in New York, providentially,
and spent several months in his family, rendering him such assistance as I could, in the preparation of his volume of sermons for the
press; and during this period I found him ever the same kindhearted friend, agreeable companion, and devoted Christian, that I
had known him to be in early life, constantly engaged in his work,
unwearied in his zeal,-' an Israelite, indeed, in whom there is no
guile.'
"I shall look forward to the publication of your Memoir with
great pleasure, and have no doubt it will be perused with satisfaction and profit by his many personal friends and the Christian pubiic generally.
"Very truly your friend and brother in Christ,
"To the REv. H. GRAY.                JOSEPHr MUENSCHER."




CHAPTER IV.
LIFE IN QUINCY, MASS.
1822-1829.
IN the retired town of Quincy, Mass., near the centre of
the village, in 1822, stood an old church, whose simple
construction and antique style of architecture told the beholder of ancient days. Its venerable appearance seemed
to claim for it a reverent recognition, for it had weathered
the storms of nearly a hundred years, and remained a precious relic of the zeal and piety of its founders. Within
the gate there stood one lone poplar tree, like a hoaryheaded sentinel, guarding the dust of many sleeping saints
who lay in their graves around. A few old, but graceful
elms waved their branches over the hallowed place, while
here and there the monuments erected over the dead,
declared to all who lingered to read their inscriptions, the
names and virtues of those who had in succession ministered
at the altar within those time-honored walls! These had
in their turn been gathered to their fathers, " in the confidence of a certain faith,'?" and in the communion of the
church they so dearly prized.
Miller, Winslow, and the faithful Cleverly (a lay reader),
had all gone to their rest at the close of the last century.
Since the year 1800, three or four other clergymen had
officiated here, but they had been transferred to distant
portions of the Master's vineyard; and now, the congregation, destitute of. the regular ministrations of the sanctuary,
were like " sheep without a shepherd I" Some hearts began
(47)




48           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
to fail lest a much longer period should elapse before
another watchman would lift up his voice in this part of
God's Zion.
Here, and uhder these auspices, Mr. Cutler commenced
his ministerial labors. The venerable " Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts," for more than half a
century, had contributed annually sixty pounds sterling to the
support of the minister of this church; but this benefaction
had ceased at the time of the American Revolution. A
house and glebe for the use of the minister was yet in the
possession of the parish, a goodly portion of the original
expense having been borne by various members of the Apthorp family, to whose timely aid, both in early and later
days, the Church here has been much indebted.  But this
church was never independent of assistance till about the
time Mr. Cutler began to officiate here, when, though the
congregation had dwindled to a small remnant of people,
new zeal was infused into every heart. In May, 1822,
during a vacation in his senior year in college, Mr. Cutler
first visited the parish, and in July of the same year he
went there to reside. The family circle at Jamaica Plains
had long before been broken up, and his mother removed
from Providence to Quincy, and superintended the domestic
affairs at the parsonage.  Here his affectionate sisters,
some of whom had formed other ties, and were then living
at a distance, often came, and this became a central point
where the various members of the family circle could enjoy
intercourse with each other and often receive the greetings
of their only surviving parent.
In the autumn of this year, Mr. Cutler took deacon's
orders (under a special license).  The Gospel Advocate,
a Church periodical printed in Boston, thus records the
fact:
"' On Thursday, September 14 (1822), at Christ Church,
Quincy. the Rt. Rev. Bishop Griswold admitted to the holy




LIE  IV  Q UINCY.                49
order of deacons Mr. B. C. Cutler, of Boston, a graduate
of Brown University.  Morning prayer by the Rev. Dr.
Gardiner,of Boston, and the sermon by the Bishop, from the
2 Corinthians iv. 7:' We hlave this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and
not of us.'
"The Holy Communion was then administered by Bishop
Griswold, assisted by the Rev. Dr. Gardiner. The candidate was presented by the Rev. Jasper Adams, President
of Charleston College. The services on this occasion were
very interesting and impressive. Many of the clergy and a
great number of the laity were present; among others, the
venerable John Adams, late President of the United States.
This ordination is an event of peculiar interest to the
Church at large, and particularly to the society at Quincy.
For many years that parish, having been destitute of a
rector, has been in a low and depressed state, though they
have sometimes been supplied with lay-readers, and have
occasionally had the services of clergymen. We trust that
the gentleman now admitted to orders will long continue
with them, and prove to them a faithful watchman upon the
walls of Zion. May the great Head of the Church vouchsafe his blessing upon them. It may not be amiss to state
that the venerable Ex-President John Adams has given to
this society the privilege of taking from his quarry a sufficient quantity of stone to erect a church, whenever they are
disposed to avail themselves of the gift."
The Bishop of the Diocese, thus rightly estimating the
uncommon worth of Mr. Cutler, placed him in charge of
this unpromising but important post, where he read printed
sermons, perfolmled pastoral duties, and at the same time
pursued his theological studies. He studied Hebrew with
Rev. Dr. Jarvis, of Boston, and the New Testament in the
original Greek, with critical commentaries. He also read
works on Divinity and Church History, and profane history
3




50          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
at large. He gave particular attention to the Evidences
of Christianity and to polemical theology, especially that
which related to the Trinitarian controversy, then very
bitter in that region.
Six weeks after his admission to the diaconate, his happiness and his interests became completely identified with
those of another individual, for whom le had formed a very
early attachment.
On the 30th of October, 1822, the Rev. Mr. Cutler was
united in marriage to Miss Harriet Bancroft, daughter of
Mr. James Bancroft, of Boston, and sister of Charles Bancroft, Esq., of Montreal. The ceremony was performed by
the Rev. Dr. Eaton in Christ Church, Boston-the sanctuary
of so many sacred associations to them both. The ardent
longings of his heart, which had been gathering strength
during several previous years of endeared friendship, were
now gratified, and his wishes consummated,in having a conpanion of substantial qualities of mind and heart.
By her consistent piety, gentleness of spirit and evenness
of temper, she was fitted pre-eminently to be a real helpmeet for him, and verified for him, in all subsequent years,
the truth of the wise man's saying, " A prudent wife is from
the Lord."  It could truly be said, " She opened her mouth
with wisdom, and in her tongue was the law of kindness."
This is not the time or place to descant at length upon her
virtues, as this most estimable lady still survives to mourn
his loss.
Immediately after his marriage Mr. Cutler returned to
Quincy, and on the same evening united in marriage his
Sister Louisa and W. H. McAllister, Esq. (a son of Judge
McAllister, of Savannah).
Thus were the bonds of family affection still further increased and strengthened. The Rev. Mr. Cutler promptly
engaged himself in the daily routine of duty in parish
life, and, with redoubled energy, set himself to the task




IFE IN Q UINCY.                 51 
(under God's blessing) of reviving this ancient parish of
Quincy.
Collecting the scattered embers, he endeavored to kindle
a flame of sacred love in the hearts of many who had grown
cold and indifferent in religious matters, and strove earnestly
to awaken others still " dead in trespasses and sins," to a
new life in Christ Jesus. He constantly sought the blessing
and quickening agency of the Holy Spirit upon all his work,
and realizing that though a Paul might plant and an Apollos water, in the spiritual husbandry of the Church, unless
God gave the increase, it would be in vain.
Thus he diligently toiled and prayed, and with expectant
hope looked for the Divine blessing. Nor was he disappointed in this hope. He lifted up the Lord Jesus before
his people as the only Saviour for perishing sinners, and
many believed and turned unto the Lord. He was permitted to see many fruits of his toil in the ingathering of
souls into the fold of Christ, and God graciously gave him
such seals to his ministry as proved that the Holy Spirit was
indeed working with him, and awakening many, who, as in
the Apostles' time, had not " so much as heard whether there
was any Holy Ghost" to realize the fact, in their own experience, that the Gospel of Christ was " the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth." Families from
neighboring towns gathered around these ministrations, and
believers " walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."
In all the details of pastoral life Mr. Cutler was remarkably faithful.  He counselled those that were ignorant
and out of the way, he cheered the sick and bound up the
wounds of the broken in heart, with tender hand. He
ceasednot to teach and preach Jesus Christ in every house.
Nor were the young ever forgotten; with delicate tact
he sought for the favorable moment to speak a word for his
Master, and by letter, if not in person, he would ever re



52            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
mind them  of the things that belonged to their eternal
peace.
The following note will give us a glimpse of his faithfulness in this respect:
" THE PARSONAGE, 17th VMarch, 1823.
"My DEAR SICK FRIEND —Our excellent Bishop requested me to
send you this packet, and to say that Emily's book was not yet done.
The Bishop intends returning to Bristol on Friday next, and if you
have any thing to send, our chaise is going to Boston to-morrow,
and our man shall carry any thing to the Bishop. I cannot possibly
neglect this opportunity of expressing to you, my dear friend, how
thankful I am that God has spared your life and is restoring you to
health, to the enjoyment of life, and to usefulness.      I
have no doubt the reflections which have visited you since your confinement have chastened your expectations of earthly bliss, and
gently drawn out your mind toward the' Father of mercies' as the
true source of every good and perfect gift. Go to him, Helen, as the
fountain of wisdom, holiness, and strength, and by much prayer,
give back to him a body and soul which he has so skillfully and so
mercifully made, and so wisely and bountifully endowed for his own
glory and the good of his children.
" Remember him who redeemed you with his own blood-redeemed
you, a captive to Satnu and to death; who purchased you at such a
price!  Think of him interceding for you with God, and extending
his arms daily, and saying,' Come unto me and take my yoke upon
you, which is easy, and my burden, which is light!'
Let me remind you of the gentle chastisement lately sent you, speaking in a still small voice,'Daughter, give me thy heart!' give it
not to strangers, to enemies, to base deceivers;'give it to Mte, who
from eternity has loved you and who died that you might live!'
When you have reflected on these things, my dear friend, God grant
that you may be disposed to repeat and to sing those sweetly evangelical words:'Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly.'
And forget not an humble servant of your Saviour, who watches
over the lamnbs of the flock of Christ.
"To Miss H. M."                           B. C. CUTLER."
Such were the missives from his pen, and the overflowings




LIFE IN Q UINCY                       53
of his heart filled with love to Jesus, which were gladly received by friends here and elsewhere.
That he knew well how to counsel those of riper years,
appears in the following extract of a letter, dated January
14, 1824, and addressed to Miss B --—, (a relative):
"H. and I have formed a complete picture of you in the mansion-house of M., with rro cares and no sorrows, but those which
appertain to your own soul, and the souls of others. I suppose
you have a class in Sunday-school, and strive to build up, by
prayer and bright example, the church to which you belong.
and enjoy its ordinances. By enjoying, I do not mean to be in raptures, and in the ecstacies of devotion, but in an humble, emptied,
self-abasing and Christ-exalting frame. You will truly enjoy the
ordinances of God's house, if you are permitted to go, feeling as if
you were the very least Christian there; and even not meet to be
called a Christian, if you creep into God's house, hardly daring to
go, and yet, Esther like, fearing to stay away! Oh! if God has
spoiled all your fine thoughts about yourself, and all your great expectation of being an exalted Christian, and of outshining the cold
Christians around you, so that you can sit at the feet of any disciple of Christ, then you should bless him, even if it were with words
of anguish. The sick need,t physician, and can have one, but the
well will never apply....    In my little church are pious
people, who do not' restrain prayer before God.' I have made several calls to-day, and had prayer in each house. I have great hopes
that the gospel will be experienced in its power among us. My
people are taught to seek for'a change of heart,' and acceptance
with Christ. Pray for me, and you shall not be forgotten by
"Your affectionate brother,           B. C. C."
His fervent breathing after the influences of the blessed
Spirit upon his work, was not unnoticed by a prayer-hearing
God, and in May of the same year, we find him writing to
one of the Ward family (in New York), with which his
Sister Julia was connected by marriage:
"I am earnestly desirous of being a channel through which the
Holy Ghost may pour forth his blessed influences upon my little
flock. Thanks be to God he has not left me without a witness, that
he has used so worthless a vessel for this purpose of mercy.




~5            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" One young man has experienced religion in the most delightful
and unquestionable manner, and one young woman, about twenty
years of age. Twelve adults have been baptized, with more or less
evidence of genuine piety. Fifty infants have been baptized, and
twenty-eight persons admitted to the Holy Sacrament. My aim has
been to humble the sinner; then, to exalt the Saviour, and then to
promote holiness.
"Ministers are God's clouds; some are made to rain upon fruitful
fields, and others to rain upon wildernesses, deserts, and the ocean
itself.
" But is one cloud better than another? Certainly not. God has
placed me over fields white for the harvest, and some have been
gathered to the praise of his holy name! He shall have all the
glory, and I will take all the shame of my short-comings, back-slidings, and infirmities. The Lord bless you prays!
" Your unworthy brother,
B. C. CUTLER."
"P. S. —Our church is full, and we are too poor to enlarge it; but
the Lord will provide ways and means."
Even while these words were penned, the hearts of the
people were moved to make the necessary enlargement, and,
before the close of the year, a wing was added to the church
building, in order to provide seats for the increased number
of worshippers. Thus, the Lord's hand was not straitened,
even in temporal things, and the hour of their extremity
proved to be God's opportunity.
About this time, affliction again entered Mr. Cutler's
family circle, in the death of Mrs. Samuel Ward, of New
York. To his youngest sister (Mrs. McAllister), then at
Savannah, he thus writes:
QuINcY, December 14, 1824.
"I wrote you, my beloved sister, soon after I arrived in New
York, and I have written to you many times since, in spirit and intention.
" Keenly as we all have felt this dreadful stroke, you must have
felt it still more so. Having last seen our dear, departed Julia;
having looked upon her, and leaned upon her as a mother, and
above all, being at such a distance from all of us, who, alone, can be




LIFE IN Q UINCY                      5 5
expected to weep with you, you must have been overwhelmed. Oh,
it was, and is, a heavy and solemn affliction!
" Not till I returned home and sat down to reflect,did I really estimate my loss, and really consider the object of this chastisement.. My great desire has been, and still is, that this may be
sanctified to my good. I think it has been. I think I feel more
solemn, in view of my certain change. I think I desire to live more
devoted to Christ, and more dead to the world. Myv castles of
earthly comfort are dissolved, and I see an eternal world, as the
proper object of my attention and concern.
"May this lead us to a closer walk with God; to seek his favor and
our own salvation.
" Afflictions are blessed things when they lead us to God. But
the same sun which melts wax, hardens clay! Let us endeavor, by
the grace of Christ, to improve to our spiritual profit this present
season.
"God is by it knocking at the door of our hearts, and saying,'Be wise and consider your latter end.' My prayers are for you, my
darling, that both you and your husband may yet become children
of God. May he grant it for his mercy's sake!
" I went to the grave of our dear Julia. It was behind St. Thomas'
Church, New York. I went into her room, and saw her picture; but
ah! I saw not what will never be seen again in this world. ZIy
dear L., the city of New York has now no charms for me. What
made it interesting is gone. She died a Christian, and a penitent
Christian too.
" Your most affectionate brother,    B. C. C."
On the 16th of March, 1825, the Rev. Mr. Cutler was
admitted to the holy order of Priests in St. Ann's Church,
Lowell, Mass., by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Griswold.
The Rev. Theodore Edson (minister of that parish, and
in charge of the new church consecrated on that very day),
was admitted, at the same time and place, to the same sacred
function. The candidates were presented by the Rev. Dr.
Jarvis, and a highly appropriate sermon was preached by
the Bishop.  The Rev. Dr. Gardiner assisted in the services.
Of all the group who stood at and within that chancel,
on that day, none remain on earth save the Rev. Dr. Edson,




56           LIFE OF REV. DR. CrUTLER.
who still abides the faithful and zealous rector of the same
church around which clustered his earliest affections.
The shadows of the evening-time of life fall upon his path
as he ministers at the same altar, while all the others have
ascended to the perfect service of the upper sanctuary, with
its perennial and unhindered praise.
The Rev. Mr. Cutler was now admitted to full rank
as a standard-bearer in the church militant, and at a
peculiar time.  Worldliness and spiritual coldness had come
like a blight upon the churches around him, and a subtle,
but proud, rationalistic spirit was eating out of the Church
the core of true piety. At such a crisis he clung in simple
faith to the doctrines of the Cross, and elevated the standard of a Divine Saviour. His piety belonged not to a
superficial or a fastidious generation, and with vigor he
girded on the spiritual armor and
" High the gospel banner bore."
Surrounded by a skeptical atmosphere, he resisted all its
temptations and lived in an element of his own, kept pure
and healthy by the life-giving fountain above.  Thus'enabled to bring forth the pearls of gospel truth, he proclaimed to all, " Buy the truth, and sell it not!"
He delivered the message of his Master with great force
and simplicity, as some of the old parish at Quincy can still
testify. He was often privileged in private life to lead
others out of their spiritual darkness, and bring themn into
the clear sunlight of the Saviour's presence. If any of our
readers are out of the way from the path of righteousness,
longing to walk therein, but stumbling at the free grace of
God in Christ Jesus, let them read the following letter from
Mr. Cutler's pen, addressed to a near relative, dated"QUINcY, August 12, 1825.
" You cannot be satisfied until you think God thinks
well of you. If you only thought that in the sight of God you ap



LIFE IXN Q UIVCY.                      57
peared well, then you could be happy. The law is beating and
bruising you. Fly to Christ! wash by faith in the fountain of his
blood; desire to be clothed from head to foot in borrowed rcaimentthe raiment of your Redeemer, and thus come before God. Look
out of yourself. The great secret of religion is'looking unto Jesus,'
and following Jesus. Let the Christian have no separate character
to establish, but making common cause with Christ and his people,
give all diligence to be found in him. Let him be the hardest
worker in the world, yet, after all, he must inevitably be a bankrCC1'pi)t;
he must fail, break all to pieces, and lie at the mere mercy of that
creditor, to whom he owes ten thousand talents. Now comes the
freeness and fullness of the love of Christ. Just at the extremity,
Jesus passes by! and, beholding the despair of the case, all his
bowels of compassion move, and he exclaims,' Be of good cheer,
thy sins are forgiven thee;''rise and follow me.' Never will the
poor wretch forget the compassion of the Saviour; never will lihe
wish to rob him of the glory and joy of saving a lost sheep. And
there is more joy in the presence of the angels of God over one
sinner that repenteth, than over ninety-and-nine which need no
repentance.
"Such views as these, dear —, are sunshine to the soul! They
are simple, and so much the better.             I often wish you
were here, and wonder whether you would be able to sit under such
foolish preaching as mine; whether you would not steal off on
Sunday morning to Brother S., who lives two miles off, and who is a
true Puritan —whom, nevertheless, I love much. I have sent you the'Lady of the M[anor,' a new book highly recommended, and also a
bundle of Andover tracts, which need no recommendation. The
last you will do me the favor to distribute, and may the Lord bless
them to the salvation of many. Adieu.
" Your affectionate                B. C. CUTLER."
In the year 1826 the church at Quincy had prospered to
such a degree that it was found necessary to make another
enlargement of the building, and accordingly another wing
was added, to correspond with the former addition made
two years previous. Of the state of things in and out of
his church, we find a record in a letter to a friend, dated
July 17, 1826:
"I came here in 1822. Of eighteen hundred inhabitants, it was sup39




58             LIFE OF REV. DIR. CUTLER.
posed not five persons were Trinitarian. It was frequently said there
was not one person in my church who was not a Unitarian. There
were seven communicants, and perhaps twenty families. Religion was
at a low ebb, indeed. It Xwas considered a cold region even by those
who would not themselves be called warm with the love of Christ.
Lectures and evening meetings were bitterly opposed; and every
thing like vital religion, was counted one degree above insanity!
But God has blessed us beyond our most sanguine expectations!'I'he congregation has become larger and larger, until we have had
lo enlarge the building twice. My salary has gradually increased.
AWe have purchased an organ. We have a parish library of the
imost approved religious books, among which are two sets of Scott's
Family Bible, which are always out. We have a Sunday-school of
fifty scholars and ten teachers, and a Bible-class, well attended. All
opposition has ceased against evening lectures, and we have them
regularly in the church. We have a female prayer-meeting, and
two missionary societies.
"I carried into Boston, recently, forty dollars for the American
Education Society, fiom the sewing circle of our church. We have
not been left without a witness that God is gracious, and we hlave
now sixty or seventy communicants! The Lord be praised for all!
"I write this to the praise of evangelical truth, which I have
tried to preach, and of gospel grace, for which I have not ceased to
pray. Prudence and patience, God has enabled me to exercise,
although not congenial to my nature. But God forbid that I
should lead you to think that I am any thing more than' the voice
of one crying in the wilderness!' Tell my dear Brother Charles
not to be too mnuch engrossed in business. Busy men are sometimes
stopped short for ever, and from the counting-house summoned at
once to the presence of God.
" Yours, with Christian affection,      B. C. C."
In November of this year we find Mr. Cutler absent in
New York, for a short time.  He was on his way to Philadelphia, as a delegate to the General Convention of the
Protestant Episcopal Church.  From  the dwelling of the
then well-known Mr. Bethune, "whose praise was in all the
churclhes," he pens a few lines to his beloved companion:
NEw YORK, November 3, 1826.
" SBy the goodness of God, I am seated at a table which
has fed many a prophet and many a poor wayfaring man; where I




LIFE IN Q UIXNCY.                    59
see holiness and hospitality, and many things which impress deeply
upon my mind the truth of these words:'It is better to trust in the
Lord. than to put any confidence in man!'
"Yesterday I saw Dr. Milnor, and Mr. Meade, of Virginia, and
dined with Rev. Manton Eastburn; visited the Repository of the
Bible Society, and took my seat at a meeting of the Directors in the
afternoon.          In the Convention for choice of a Bishop in
Pennsylvania there was a drawn battle between the two parties. Mr.
Mleade, of Virginia, has twenty-seven votes out of fifty-three. This
is good news to me. But parties and battles, etc., etc., I shudder at.
Peace, peace! the blessed Saviour left with us...
"Your,-                        B. C. C."
In the spring of 1827 Mr. Cutler went (at the Bishop's
request) on a missionary tour to Maine, and spent a month
in the town of Saco (fifteen miles west of Portland).  While
it was beneficial to his health, it was not without profit to
his own soul, and proved a great spiritual benefit to those
around him.  He has said himself: "I shall never forget
one season of prayer that I had, while very solitary in this
place! It was not a mere frame; it was as if my mind had
been awakened to see and receive in all their fullness the
promises of the gospel; that God was my guardian, my
shield, and my exceeding great reward! I enjoyed a peace
of mind which is remembered with gratitude; and this is
the inference I draw from it: That the servants of God may
go out upon solitary services of his, trusting to'him for
consolation! yea, for a peace which passeth understanding!'"
In a note to Mrs. Cutler (dated Saco, May 3, 1827), he
speaks of seeing some fruits of his labors there:
"Here," lie writes, " are the right materials to build up a church
with-all orthodox and evangelical persons; the young men want
none but a pious and faithful minister-' none else need apply;' they
are not all Christians, but all know what the truth is.....    ow
cheering is it that our pulpits are so faithfully supplied as you say
mine has been, and that our people love to have it so.... At
sunrise I took a long walk down the banks of the Saco, rejoicing with




60           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Nature in the appearance of the sun. It is clouding up again tonight. But why complain? What matters it if the rain pelt against
our windows-our hearts must not be troubled! God can make
sunshine there! Heaven bless you!
"Prays    —,               B. C. C."
The seed sown in this portion of God's vineyard was not
in vain. Mr. Cutler was probably unconscious of the extent
of the good he accomplished; but in the wondrous providence
of God, the clergyman who succeeded him in this placeafterward the revered Bishop of the Diocese of New Yorkstood over his earthly remains, thirty-five years later, in
the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., and testified in tle most affectionate manner to the value of Mr. Cutler's labors during this
short period, and to his admiration of their influence.
"His name was in every body's mouth, and everywhere
the warmest and most grateful references were made to his
public teaching and to the wonderful, kindly, animating,
engaging influence which he carried about with him in his
private intercourse. In a few weeks he seemed to have
done the work of months, or of years. In a place where our
church had been wholly unknown, he had taken the somewhat ample, but disorganized materials, and cemented them
together; he had breathed the breath of life into them, and
given them a character in their own eyes, and in the eyes of
the community; he had set their feet in the true path; he
had turned their faces in the right direction and given them
high aims and high hopes."*
After his return from the eastward, Mr. Cutler pursued
the even tenor of his way in the rounds of parish duty.
During the summer the happiness of the family circle at the
parsonage was increased by the arrival of his sister and her
family from Savannah, and at one time during the season,
their fond mother greeted her children —all who were then
living-under the roof of her eldest son.
* See "' Son of Consolation," p. 113.




LIFE IN Q UINCYE                      6 t
His social spirit evidently delighted in these gatherings
of cherished relatives, and his only regret was that he did
not turn these visits to the spiritual profit of all. Yet, while
in his humility he took a low estimate of the value of his
own example and intercourse, there is abundant testimony
to his faithfulness in every relation of life.  The sister, to
whom allusion is made above, will not soon forget how kind
and faithful he was, when she was at a distance from her
early home.  It was only a year or two before this visit was
made to Quincy that  he wrote her the following letter:
"MY DEAREST LOUISA-.Savannah, after all, may be
your spiritual birthplace, my dear L., and you may yet have reason
to bless God to all eternity for carrying you there. We are led, indeed, as the blind,'by a way that we know not.' Oh, what treasures may not the Lord be reserving for our dear family-treasures
of grace, treasures which neither moth nor rust can corrupt! If I
could only see you and my dear brother brought into the fold, into
the ark, then I should rejoice indeed! Yes, melt up your life in a crucible, andl see whether one grain of pure gold survives the fire! You
have, doubtless, like us all, been living in vanity; have forgotten him
who made you, him who redeemed you, him who offers to sanctify
you; and God Almighty grant that you may now be coming to
your senses; that you may now be preparing to to go to Jesus. And
what now is your duty, dear L. Y? our duty is to go to Jesus Christ
in secret prayer! Pray,'Lord Jesus, take from me my wicked, abominable heart, and give me " a new one." Here, dear Saviour, I give
myself, a sinner, to thee! I give thee myself, soul and body; my
time, talents, influence —all! I desire to fly from the wrath to come,
and cling to thy Cross. There would I nail my follies, my sins, my
hopes of false glory and l)leasure. Henceforth I would be a holy
vessel, sanctified and meet for my Master's use. Oh, my dear Saviour!
wash me in thy blood; wash away all my sins; clothe me in thy
righteousness; breatlhe upon me, and infuse into me thy meek and
lowly spirit!'.... This, dear L., Is the simple river of Jordan.
(;O, then, and wash in it seven times; yea, seventy times seven, and
thou shalt be clean. I say this with as much confidence as Elisha
said it to Naaman. Thou hast no proud reasonings, as the Syrian
hlad; but let not any worldly thing keep thee away.'A burned
child dreads the fire;' do you dread the world, and escape from it,
as Lot out of Sodom, and flee to Christ. You will have the poor




6z           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
prayers of dear H. and myself. She sends you and your husband
much love; not more than your brother sends. Oh, how shall I
pray, that I may embrace you next summer as a sister indeed!
"Yours, most affectionately,      B. C. C."
But let us look at Mr. Cutler in his relation to his flock.
On Christmas Day, 1827, being the centennial anniversary
of the church at Quincy, he preached an appropriate sermon, giving a valuable historical sketch of the parish, and
exhorted his pebple to stand fast in the faith of the gospel.
On the border of another century of parochial existence, he
entreated them to be faithful to the memories of the past;
not to rely too much upon their " admirable forms," and too
little upon the adorable Head of the Church and the Holy
Spirit. "The purity of the Church," said he, "depends
upon the power of Christ and the continual influences of the
Holy Spirit; forms, without prayers fervent and constant,
and doctrines, without practice careful and consistent, will
bring reproach rather than defence.  The gospel, under
which you have bccn'born again,' brought into a holy and
happy walk before God; which has borne, as upon eagle's
wings, the souls of the faithful through much tribulation
safe into the kingdom of heaven; which has sustained its
believers amidst the'violence of fire,' and strengthened' the
martyrs who have shed their blood in its defence;;which
has been torn, in defiance of earth and hell, from the unhallowed embrace of error and corruption, and set once more
upon the golden candlestick-the Church, this gospel, determine, by God's grace, to keep in this church.  Without it,
the church will crumble to the dust; and with it, flourish in
immortal youth!
" As Episcopalians, our duties are peculiar. We have
received, through many dangers, the oracles of God and the
scriptural liturgy of this church. The lives and the wealth
of many, gone to their long home, have been devoted to the
preservation and perpetuity of this church. It has descended




LIFE IN Q UINC YE                  63
from generation to generation as an inheritance to us, enclosing, as its precious charge, the pure Gospel of Christ, breathing it in all its forms and offices; displaying it in all its
creeds and articles, and defending it in all its counsels and
ministrations.  The forms of our church are not necessary
to acceptable prayer, nor necessary for'saints made perfect
in heaven;' but they seem to be important for saints imperfect on earth, and well calculated to preserve the spirit of
devotion amidst all the fluctuations of feeling and sentiment
in the church and in the world."
[Mr. Cutler here sounded the key-note of that interest in
missions, which, in an ever-ascending scale of harmony and
force, characterized his whole ministerial course.]
"The friends of religion have spared no expense in furnishing this church with the means of grace; let us be
ready to furnish others with the same liberality; let destitute churches in this State and in the Western forests never
plead in vain; and even should the cry come to our ears
from perishing millions over the waters, let us remember
that the cries of this very church were heard for fifty years
continually across the Atlantic, and that three thousand
miles of ocean afforded no excuse for withholding aid;'freely ye have received, freely give."'
This sermon proved to be one of great interest; was immediately printed at the request of the people, and had a
wide-spread circulation.
At the close of this century sermon, the following anthem
was sung. It was composed for the occasion by a parishioner, who (to use Dr. Cutler's own language) " was a powerful auxiliary in raising up the church from the sleep and
dust of ages:"
"Awake, my harp,'tis holy ground!
But let thy notes be deep and low;
For those, who raised these altars round,
Sleep in their robes of death below.




64            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" This day an hundred years have run
Since those whose earth beneath us lies;
To Thee, Eternal Three in One,
Here first bid hallowed anthems rise.
" Their tuneful tongues have turned to dust;
Their crumbling stone itself decays;
But hark! the spirits of the just
Surround thy throne perfecting praise.
"'Tis holy tide —the shepherds, led
By Bethlehem's star, pursued their way,
And found the manger and the shed,
Wherein the sleeping Jesus lar.
" Come, Holy Spirit, and excite
Our hearts of clay to love and fear;
And lead us, by the day-star's light,
To seek our Lord and Saviour here.  L. M. S."
In January, 1828, Mr. Cutler made an address at a missionary meeting at St. Paul's, Boston, which will not be forgotten by those who heard it.
Let it be remembered that at this time the Protestant
Episcopal Church had not awoke to a sense of its high privileges, weighty responsibility, and obvious duty in sending
the gospel to the Heathen.
The Church Missionary Society in England had been
doing a noble work for years; with disinterested zeal and
catholic spirit they endeavored to give an impulse to the
cause of missions on this side of the Atlantic, and in 1817,
authorized their Secretary (the Rev. Josiah Pratt) to write
to Bishop Griswold, and offer the sum  of two hundred
pounds "to encourage the contributions of the friends of the
church,'' in case an American Episcopal Missionary Society
should be formed.
Most interesting correspondence between the Church AIissionary Society and the venerable Bishop White and Bishop
Griswold is still on record. In 1820 the General Convention met, and at this session "The Protestant Episcopal




L IFE IY Q UINCY.                 65
Missionary Society in the United States for Foreign and
Domestic Missiofrs" was formed. Very little, however, since
that date had been accomplished, and Mr. Cutler's ardent
spirit was oppressed by such apparent sloth and negligence.
He longed for the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom
throughllout the world, and for the free and full proclamation
of the blessed gospel everywhere.  It was at the meeting
referred to ablove, that Mr. Cutler gave vent to his feelings.
His friends tell us it was a memorable scene, and every
heart present was stirred up. By his eloquence and force,
lie produced a total change in the tone and temper of the
meeting. Glowing remarks followed, and a large sum was
contributed for missionary purposes.
After some introductory remarks, " Mr. President," said
he, " we are no longer allowed to think that we may sleep
through a long( religious profession and die in peace! Whatever has been done in times past can be no criterion now.
The Lord has, as far as we can see, poured out his spirit
upon the churches; the power of the world has been
thrown off, and the different tribes of the household of faith
are arming for the good fight —nay, more, are fighting!l
" And soon the curse sllall be pronounced.  Curse ye Meroz; curse ye bitterly, the inhabitants thereof; because they
came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty. This
curse may be written upon our walls-may consume our
churches! Why are we the last in Christ's dominion to
the work of the Lord?  We who have got the true church!
the Divine government! the holy priesthood! the peculiar
people!  May it not be because our pulpits do not their
duty? because the ministers of the churclh do not preach to
the people the necessity of this fruit of their faith?  We,
my brethren, are not to sleep in this work! We have, once
a year, a missionary hary harangue, which is but a decent compliance with the spirit of the times; but do we preach, and
pray, and converse about perishing souls in heathen lands?




66           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Do we read to our people the reports which our missionary
sentinels are continually sending out from every side? Do
we spread before our people, in faithful lines, the actual
suffering of hundreds of millions of the human family? I
speak from observation! I speak from experience, from
conviction, from sorrow and shame! We do not! And why
we do not, I am utterly at a loss to say! WVhy we have not
set in motion that holy spirit among our people; why we
have not moved that mass of wealth; why we have not
roused up that heavenly zeal, that consecrates houses and
lands, wife and children to the work of the Lord, I am utterly unable to say! Has the command,'Go, preach the
gospel to every creature,' been blotted out of the Bible?
No! Have we done all that our means will allow! have
we furnished our men and our money for this most holy war!
Oh, no! I tell it, and I blush for the church of my fathers!
Not one dollar; not one man has embarked on the bosom
of our waters for a heathen land! I speak of the church
in this single State, and speak of the church as a body! Individuals in our communion have thought and felt! The
example of our neighbors, their awakening appeals, have
reached the walls of our houses, if not of our churches, and
prayers have been offered and vows made; but, alas! when
an Episcopalian has cut off from his hard earnings a generous portion for a suffering and sinking world, to whom has
he carried it?  To another household! and what is the
language of such a transaction?' Here is my gift.'' We have
no altar for such an offering. We have no men among us
who are willing to go out among the Heathen! We have
no mission in operation.'
"' How is this?' replies the receiver.' You who have the
Divine succession; who have the true church! you who
have the incomparable liturgy; who have the scriptural
articles!'
" Mr. President, for fifty years, the Society for Propagating




LIFE IN Q UINCY.                 67
the Gospel in Foreign Parts, sent missionaries to our shores;
for fifty years they annually levied contributions upon Episcopalians in England, to plant the church in this land. One
of their missions I have been sent, under God, to revive,
and upon this church alone, they bestowed in all thirteen
thousand dollars. They had missions also in Newfoundland,
New York, Delaware, and even in Georgia. What has the
church done in return? British Episcopalians have done
more; they have offered us two hundred pounds to begin a
mission, and have actually sent more than five hundred
pounds over to this country to push the church into our
Western forests; to send the Ark of the Covenant, with
our tribes, which are wandering toward the setting sun.
"And here we are still! And here we shall live and die,
unless we make some vigorous efforts, some fervent prayers,
some noble offerings upon this holy altar.
"It is a new year! Let it be an honorable new year to
our church!  Let it be said, the year 1828 was the birthday of Episcopal benevolence. It requires no prophet's eye
to see the signs of the times.  The church has begun to
awake. Missions are inevitable! We shall have missionaries and stations and pulpits and presses, all in operation
for this glorious work. But how long, 0 Lord! how long
must we wait?
"I well remember that ten years ago the sounds which I
have uttered this night were uttered to others.  I well remember the blast which the trumpet blew into the dull ears
of neighboring Christians. I heard them reproach themselves. I saw their sloth published fiom their own housetops. They confessed and forsook their sins, and rising
slowly, but with unanimity and determination, they have
redeemed the time.  [Referring to the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions.-ED.]  Mr. President,
this same spirit,the Lord seems bestowing upon us. It will
surely prevail! God grant your eyes may see what your




68            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
heart has long desired! that all here may see it, and often
be permitted to assemble and rejoice together!"
But Mr. Cutler did not rest here. In his own parish he
established a missionary prayer-meeting, which was held on
the first Monday evening of every month. During that year
he enjoyed two very interesting visits from Mr. Bronson, a
missionary to Ohio, and Mr. Robertson, a missionary to
Greece. These visits resulted in much good; and a meeting
at the parsonage, just before the departure of Mr. Robertson, was very solemn and affecting.
In a letter to his wife, then at Montreal on a visit, Mr.
Cutler writes, under date of September 22, of this year:
" One of Iishop Chase's right-hand men from Ohio, the Rev. Mr.
Bronson, has been in Boston, and I induced him to spend a Sunday
with me at Quincy, and such a house-warmling as he gave our
church,it would have done your heart good to have witnessed.  lie
preached the gospel with true unction, and I have not heard our
blessed Saviour prcached before in such a manner for years. It was
simple, sincere, soul-felt gospel truth.  His text was, " They shall
cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them
a Saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them."-Isa. xix.
20. The serinon was full of soul, as the man himself was, and yet
it iwas the farthest possible from oratory of any kind.... He
stirred us up, and did it so sweetly, that all were charmed. In the
evening he collected a handsome sum for his mission."
The extension of the Redeemer's kingdom was a subject
very near to Mr. Cutler's heart.
"I rejoice," he says, "when I reflect on the missionaries
of the Cross attacking the kingdom  of Satan on all sides;
see them buffeting the shores of Greenland, sweltering on
the burning arid sands of Africa, piercing through the shades
of American forests, climbing the walls of God's ancient
city, and enjoying their triumphs in Western Europe!"
But Mr. Cutler did not forget that " charity begins at
home." We see he did not, like too many others, let it end
there.




LIFE IN Q I7NC Y.                 69
The seed of the Divine Word he planted in many towns
in the vicinity of Quincy, as opportunity offered.  The
Gospel Advocate has on its records an interesting report
concerning the Church at Bridgewater, Mass., which he
read before the Massachusetts Episcopal Missionary Society. The Episcopalians of Hanover, Dedham, Worcester
and others, could testify to his zeal in their behalf. He was
truly among the number of those of whom the prophet has
said, "Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters!"  His
friends observed his spirit, and at one time he received from
some unknown individuals sixty dollars, to constitute him a
member of the American Bible Society and also a member
of the Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal
Church.
In the town of Quincy Mr. Cutler labored for the good
of others, even outside of his parish.  Once every week he
was found at the alms-house feeding the hungry, and
alleviating in every way the distress of the stricken children
of poverty, and gladly preaching the glad tidings of the
gospel to many a weary and downcast sinner, and strengthening the faith of those who believed.
Those of our readers who have read the tract, TThe Poor
Cripple, written by Mrs. Frances Parker, will get an excellent view of Mr. Cutler's labors of love in this old almshouse.
Mrs. Parker accompanied her friend and relative, the
rector of Quincy, in one of his weekly visits to this place,
and was led by this interview to portray the riches of
Divine grace, so marvellously displayed in one of the inmates.
But let us hear Mr. Cutler's account in.a note to his wife:
" I went last week to see Nat Field. He had gone to bed;
the room dark and desolate. You know how deformed even
his face is; he had been neglected, and his beard was long
and black; yet, when he saw me, the first words were, like




70           LIFE OF REV. D-R. CUTLER.
a gushing fountain.'Oh, Mr. Cutler!' said he,'I am very
happy! I enjoy myself very much!''You are not alone,' I
said.'Oh! no, sir. God is with me! I am ready to die or
to live, according to his will.' After conversing and prayingr with him, I rode home, well satisfied that God fills the
desires of the heart, and he alone.           My dear
I., happy will it be for us if we take a seat by Nat Field,
in the kingdom of heaven."
Mr. Cutler loved to labor among the poor, and there was
not a single plan put in operation for the moral or spiritual
good of men around him, in which he did not unite heart and
soul.  And when he could not do much, he gave the kind
word, and manifested that hearty interest in the welfare of
others, which bound many a heart to him with cords of love
never to be broken.
His motto seemed to be, " Homo sum, et nihil humani
est a me alienum puto," and in his daily rounds of duty, lie
wore it as a signet upon his right hand.
With such a spirit he, both directly and indirectly, accomplished much good.
One of the most telliny incidents in the whole history of
his parochial life in Quincy, related by an early friend and
parishioner (L. M. Sargent, Esq.), we give below:
"Dr. Cutler was a most amiable Christian gentleman.
He certainly possessed the happiest talent for, converting
sinners from  their evil ways, rather by the employment of
that moral suasion which has been accounted so effectual in
the matter of temperance, than by holding the terrors of the
law over the heads of his hearers.
"This good man and valued friend has gone to his
reward, and I may speak of him without reserve.  The
expression of his countenance was remarkable for its benignity; and his enunciation was so clear and distinct, that
every word told upon the ears of his congregation, with
little effort to the speaker.




LIFE IN Q uINCY.                  71
" Riding, one day, in the direction of the stone quarries,
in Quincy, I saw my friend returning, as I conjectured,
from his parochial visits to some of his poor parishioners.
As we drew nearer to each other, I perceived he had something in his hand, which I soon discovered to be a pair of
chickens.'Good morning, my friend,' said I,'what do you
ask for your chickens?''You are not rich enough to purchase them,' he replied. He then proceeded to tell me their
brief hlistony. As he was passing the humble dwelling of a
poor woman, whose husband had been very intemperate, she
called after him, and holding up these chickens, begged him
to accept them.'I told her,' said he,' she could not afford to
give away such a fine pair of chickens.''Mr. Cutler,' said
she, with a sad expression,'you will hurt my feelings if you
do not take them. I have fatted and picked them on purpose for you. It is the only return I am able to offer for
the very great service you have lately done me and my
little children.''I am not aware,' said Mir. Cutler,'of having done you any service of late.''Sir,' said the poor
woman, you have reformed my husband.''There must be
some mistake,' said Mr. Cutler;'I knew your husband was
intemperate; but I have never said a word to himn on the
subject.''I know you never have,' said she;'if you had,
his pride is such that it might have made matters worse.
It is now more than two months since he left off. It has
happened, oddly enough, that often, when you have stepped
in to say a few kind words to us, he has been taking his
dram, or taking down his jug, or putting it back again.
About two months ago, just after you went out, he went to the
door, and, to my astonishment, poured nearly a pint of rum
out of his jug on to the ground, and said:" Debby, rinse
out that jug with hot water. I have done  I can't stand
that manl's looks any longer. If Mr. Cutler would look
*savage, I shouldn't mind it; but he looks so sad, and so
benevolent all the while, when he sees me taking a dram,




72           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
that I know what he means, just as well as if he preached it
in a sermon, and I take it very kindly of him that he didn't
give me a long talk." I know you will take the chickens,
Mr. Cutler,' said the poor woman."
Mr. Sargent says (in a note to us, in 1864): "I can see
him now, as I saw him on that fine June morning; the benevolence of his Christian heart brightening every feature, and
amusingly blended with an expression of exultation over the
prize which lie held in his hand. He was a most amiable
and faithful disciple, and his character is well exhibited in
John xiii. 23."
Mr. Cutler often journeyed for his health; but unless lihe
could return soon to his accustomed labors in the vineyard
of his Master, he became restless and uneasy. Toward the
close of the year 1828, he makes a record in his journal,
thus:
" Of one thing I am convinced by this late journey, that'to have nothing to do' is by no means desirable. Very
much pleasure, my fancy pictured, would be afforded me;
some I certainly have found, but not of the kind I supposed; such as I might find in abundance at home. Henceforth and for ever let pleasure be forgotten!  It is a
phantom of the mind! Let me seek the kingdom of God
and his righteousness."
The year 1829 opened with fair prospects for Mr. Cutler
and his flock. Before it closed, a dark cloud had overspread their horizon. On the 9th of February, Mr. Cutler
makes a full record in his journal:
" For some years past, it has been my custom to spend
my birthday (February 6) in retirement and reflection. It
happened this year on Friday, and I could not spare that
day from my sermon. I now sit down to reflect upon the
past year. May the Spirit of God bring all things to my
remembrance. Health! What reason have I to bless God




LIFE IV  Q UIC CY.               73
that he has given me such good healtlh as I now lhave. Twelve
years ago (in 1817), when preparing for college, I was supposed to be in a decline, and I was so weak I was unable to
read family prayers aloud. But then I felt that if God had
any thing for me to do, lie could make me as strong as
Samson. He has found somnething for me to do, and has
enabled me to go through it with ease. I can preach twice
on the Sabbath without injury, and feed my Sunday-school
beside. God be praised! He is my God, and I will praise
him; he is the God of my fathers, and I will bless him; he
filleth my mouth with good things, making me young and
lusty as an eagle! Now I can trust in his covenant mercy,
that at the last I shall have all my desire and all my hopewhich is a useful life, if possible a peaceful one; to see the
church in which I am placed rising from the dust, and
putting on the Saviour's righteousness, zeal and love; to
know that the comfortable Gospel of Christ is truly preached,
truly received and truly followed in our church; and to see
it alive to the wants of the world, and active in supplying
them.  Good Friday was a memorable day last year.
There was much solemnity and many tears at the supper
of the Lord. Easter was also spent with comfort. The
preaching was well received.
"Religion has been evidently gaining ground in the parish
this year, and we have some good fruits, although we see
clearly that the enemy has been sowing tares. The Bibleclass has been kept up with spirit, and has been of as much
use to the teacher as to the scholars. I feel grateful to God
and to my dear young friends; particularly do I esteem it
a great favor that my dear and valued communicant, Miss
M-n, has taken a seat at my board, together with her-own
pupils. Amid many discouragements, a few such things as
these have been cordials."
In another diary, Mr. Cutler frequently speaks of discouragements, but " Heaven," he says, " doubtless intended them
4




74             LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
for my good, and I have thoughlt that to make a young minister flourish in his parish, there must be two or three powerful opposers-a few supercilious scorners, one or two
Deists, and a few tale-bearers, backbiters, etc.! But blessed
is he who overcomes evil with good!"
He speaks of it as one of his trials, that he was seven
years in an Unitarian atmosphere. " God be praised that I
did not sink under it.  Flattery I had little of; opposition
I bore, not without complaint; it seemed as if I was such a
poor, dwarfish plant, that I could exist in a climate as spiritually cold as Greenland!"
But there was also a bright side to the picture.  One
Sabbath evening he sits down and writes in this strain to
his wife (then absent):'I have now finished the duties of the day. I could not help
feeling happy after church this afternoon. To have the confidence
and affection of my people is to me a greater luxury than an ocean
of wealth!
" But what are the smiles of Christian friends compared with the
smiles of Jesus and of God? One sweet smile which faith could
discern on the Saviour's dear face, would make up for months and
years of toil! Oh! aml I destined to know and love this dear,
precious Saviour? are thlc treasures of hids grace, the depths of his
love, the extent of his comp):lssion, to be revealed to me? I am indeed unworthy of themi, but they would be my glory.
"Pray for me, not that I nmay be great, nor rich, nor learned, nor
strong, but that Christ may reveal himself to me in all his suitableness to the sinner's wants. I know but little of him now; but he
can come to me; he can touch my lips with a live coal from off his
altar."
We may safely ask our readers to produce an instance of
more genuine humility and fervent love toward our adorable
Saviour, than is here combined and laid in one offering, at
his sacred feet.  It reminds us of the spirit of a Fenelon or
Maadarnce Guion, or, to speak more correctly, of the breathings of soul with which the saintly Henry Martyn made
fragrant even the deserts of Asia!




LIFE IV QUINCY                        75
With the interior life of faith, Mr. Cutler combined untiring activity in the Lord's service, and this produced the
beautiful harnmony of his character.
To show how lie was appreciated by others at this period,
we are permitted to lay before our readers the following
letter from an eminent minister of Christ, who was of another
branch of the Church of God.  It is placed out of its chronological order, but it can be no violation of good taste to
produce it here:
" BRAINTIEE, MASS., February 23, 1863.
"MY DEAR AFFLICTED FRIEND-I need not tell you that my heart
was pained when my eye fell on the notice of your now sainted husband's death in the public pipers. You are aware how dear he was
to me, as doubtless to thousands more, for who could know him ever
so slightly and not love him?... One of the choicest plants in
God's earthly garden has been removed to that higher sphere of
growth and fruitfulness, for which the great Gardener had been so
long preparing it by most happy culture.
"I loved your husband not so much for his personal beauty and
elegance, nor his genial and fraternal disposition, nor his all-pervading spirituality of mind (I fear) as for the ceaseless activities of his
soul in the great work God had given him to do. He was absorbed
in the love of Christ, in the love of souls, in the love of the saints,
in the love of the Redeemer's kingdom, and all his energies were
heartily devoted to whatever service promised a revenue of glory to
his Saviour!
"The mind wrill run over the scenes of the past; and I cannot
check its movements when it brings back the days, and months, and
years, hallowed now by sweet remembrances of pleasures found in
the social intercourse and devotional exercises of the period blessed
to Quincy by his prayers and labors. Not only was Quincy blessed,
but Braintree and other towns, by the noble and catholic spirit that
animated his whole course.       He has reached the home of his
most fervent aspirations-the blessed world he has thought of so
much, pointed out to others so clearly, and prepared for so constantly.
"Will it not be delightful to meet him there, where he will no
more say,' I am sick;' where his heart will be no more depressed by
surrounding wickedness, nor by the lukewarmness of his Christian
brethren; where all sin and imperfection shall have passed away?




76            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" My heart most deeply sympathizes with you, with the bereaved
Church of Christ, and with a Mvorld no longer enjoying the prayers
and labors of one of the holiest, loveliest men' God has ever made for
the benefit of the human family.
" Most truly and affectionately yours,  R. S. STORRS."
This letter requires no comment from us-a model as it is
of Christian sympathy and love. The journals of Mr. Cutler are full of allusions to this dear friend, who lived so near
him during all his rectorship at Quincy.
But iMr. Cutler was not destined to remain in this place.
The -current of his life was to be turned in another direction.
Having done the will of God, he was now to suffer it; his
faith was to be tested in other ways, and God was about to
prove to him the truth of the promise, "I will lead them
in paths that they have not known; I will make darkness
light before them, and crooked things straight.  These
things will I do unto them, and not forsake them."
In June, 1829, after a period of unusual labor, Mr. Cutler
was laid low by a severe and alarming illness. For three
weeks he was in a critical condition, and life was almost
despaired of; but by the 1st of July he had so far recovered
as to be removed to the city of New York, at the earnest
entreaty of his family relatives, and friends.
Of course, all public duties were suspended for a long
time, and, on the brink of the grave, as lie seemed to be, he
gave up all hope of resuming ministerial labors in Quincy.
His people would not listen to any thing like resigning his
charge, and lived in hope that he would yet again return
and break to them " the bread of life;" and it was not till
nearly two years after this time, that this hope died away,
and their beloved pastor, from a far distant State sent them
a farewell letter, and formally resigned his rectorship.
This letter will appear in the next chapter; meanwhile, let
us read his own account:
" While in Quincy, I had various invitations to other




LIFE IN Q UINCTY.                 77
churches, but I was opposed to removal, and remained at
my post until declining health and a hectic fever, in June,
1829, drove me from that part of the country. I left Quincy,
July 1, 1829, wrapped in blankets, in a close carriage,
with a physician, my wife and sister; and as I rode away
from the place'I looked at sun, and sky, and plain,
As what I ne'er might see again.'"
But " God's ways are not as our ways," and Mr. Cutler
stood again, in a few years, in the pulpit of a new church,
built upon the same spot; and yet again, as our merciful
Father would have it, thirty years later, in 1860, with uncovered head, and a heart almost overwhelmed with gratitude, he passed beneath the porch and along the aisle, with
an imposing arrayof revered brethren in the Lord, gathered
there to consecrate another new Gothic church (of stone),
which should be a lasting memorial to future generations.
How wonderfully, how graciously God had led him! and as
he then looked upon the countenances of many there, he
could say of his spiritual children, as Jacob said to Joseph,
" I had not thought to see thy face again, and lo! God hath
showed me thy seed" unto the third generation.
Mr. Cutler further says, in 1834: " I should never have
left Quincy, had my health continued. I should say to
young men who are happily settled in their first parishes,
let them be your last.  [This opinion, however, was modified
and changed with increasing age and experience. —ED.]
AMy labors in the parish were much blessed, for which thanks
be to God! I found in it eight or nine communicants, and
left in it ninety! The church building was enlarged twice,
and before I left, a subscription was opened to build a new
church, which was accomplished by my successor, Rev.
W. T. Potter. A most beautiful church was consecrated
November 27, 1832."




78           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
The tie which connected Mr. Cutler officially with. his
first parish, was, indeed, abruptly broken by the hand of
God; but the living links of affection by which he was
bound to the hearts of so many of God's children, were
never sundered while life lasted. His correspondence with
one family, at least, continued for a quarter of a century,
and the names of Marston, Apthorp, and Sargent were ever
hallowed in his memory with no small measure of esteem
and regard.
On the walls of Christ Church, Quincy, there now rests
an elaborate mural monument in memory of the Rev. Dr.
Miller, which has been erected by one of his lineal descendants. Time's effacing fingers may crumble this marble into
dust, or the building itself may disappear, but the name of
Cutler, like that of the first rector, can never fade away
from the remembrance of those who knew and loved him
here, engraved, as it is, on the tablets of their hearts. His
deeds of Christian love will be strung among the jewels of
memory, lasting long in their preciousness, and his name
will be handed down frqm generation to generation.




CHAPTER V.
JOURNEY TO SAVANNAH - TEMPORARY RESIDENCE AT SACO,
ME. -A YEAR AT LEESBURG, VA.
1829-1831.
A  MODERN writer has said, "We never feel Christ to
be a reality until we feel him to be a necessity. Therefore God makes us feel that necessity. He tries us here, and
he tries us there... He afflicts us in ways which we
have not anticipated. He sends upon us the chastisements
which he knows we shall feel most sensitively. He pursues us when we would fain flee from his hand; and, if need
be, he shakes to pieces the whole frame-work of our plans
for life, by which we have been struggling to build together
the service of God and the service of self, till at last, he
makes us feel that Christ is all that is left to us."
In the year 1829, and during much of the two following
years, Mr. Cutler's history could attest the truth of such an
experience. Like Jacob, he was tempted to say, " all these
things are against me," but God was only preparing the way
for his servant's greater happiness and greater usefulness.
After patience had had her perfect work, as we shall see,
his Heavenly Father opened the way before him, and " set
his feet in a large room."
At this particular period, however, every thing seemed
dark to the eye of sense. Weary and worn, and in declining health, with no present or prospective pecuniary support,
hle was enabled, with the eye of faith, to look up to a merciful God for the supply of every want; to cast every burden
(79)




80            LIFE OF REV..DR. CUTLER.
at the feet of a compassionate Saviour, and to trust where
he could not trace such providential dealings.
The prevailing sentiment of his heart was"The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead thou me on;
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step's enough for me."
Mr. Cutler slowly recovered from his severe illness, and
during his convalescence was at the house of his brother-inlaw, Samuel Ward, Esq., in New York.
He considered his sickness "as a fatherly correction,"
and thought the Saviour was thereby saying to him, "I have
somewhat against thee;" "repent and do thy first works."
In Alugust, 1829, he took a trip to Saratoga, thence to:Avon, N. Y., and going as far as Rochester and Niagara
before his return.
His health being still impaired, and change of scene being
the chief remedy prescribed by his medical adviser, we find
him, during September, visiting Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Washington.
By this journey, and the visits connected with it, he was
much refreshed, both in body and mind. Especially did he
enjoy intercourse with, and the preaching of many brethren,
some of whom were old friends, and others of whom, were
shining like stars in our ecclesiastical firmament, casting
light upon the pathway of multitudes of souls.
He availed himself of the privilege of hearing the Rev.
G. T. Bedell, n.n., then rector of St. Andrew's Church,
Philadelphia. His reflections on the occasion are thus noted
in his diary: " The preacher was in his element —the pulpit; he has very popular and useful talents; he makes you
think and feel deeply!"
Again lie turned his feet to the same sanctuary where he
received the Holy Communion (in company with his wife,




JO URNEYING-SA VANVAH, SA CO, LEESBURG.  81
his cousins, S. W. and Mrs. H.), at the hands of this servant
of God of blessed memory. The circumstances are peculiarly affecting, as for four months he had been detained
from the Lord's table by sickness. The effect of the sermon on this day, Ihe says, " was to convince men that the
Cross of Christ was the great power of God to salvation;
that man must look there in order to be moved. The excellence of Mr. B. appears to consist in his holding up a
Saviour, and in his impressive delivery."
Mr. Cutler also enjoyed the ministrations of his early
friend, the Rev. B. B. Smith, D. D., who was at this time the
rector of a flourishing parish in that city. He speaks particularly of him at a later date. While in P....   he
often went to see West's celebrated picture of " Christ
Healing the Sick," which he thought " inimitable;" he further says of it, " it is a great privilege, and very profitable
to the reflecting Christian, to see this picture."  What
would I have said had I seen the Saviour's majestic, yet
meek and sorrow-chastened face on earth?  That, let me
say now in prayer."
On the 26th of September we find Mr. Cutler at Baltimore. After hearing a sermon from the Rev. Mr. Higbee,
(a talented preacher who was officiating at St. Paul's Church,)
on the text, " There is to be a resurrection both of the just
and of the unjust," he complains of his own weakness of
body and imperfection of worship, and says, "I am a babe;
but in the resurrection I hope to have a body, powerful and
incorruptible, in which I shall be able to worship God without distraction of thought, and to serve him without weariness. Oh! may this be a good hope-I need a complete and
an almighty Saviour."
After visiting Washington, Mr. Cutler returned to Baltimore, to the hospitable abode'of the Rev. J. P. K. Henshaw, D. D.
He called to see Mrs. Wyatt, the daughter of his prede4*




82           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
cessor, the Rev. Mr. Winslow, in Christ Church, Quincy.
He also paid a visit to Carrollton, where the venerable
Charles Carroll still lived. Being the sole survivor of the
signers of the Declaration of Independence, Mr. Cutler
eagerly embraced the opportunity of seeing him, and nMr.
Carroll was equally pleased to converse with Mr. Cutler
about Quincy, as the home of the Adamses, and especially of
hid worthy compatriot, the Hon. John Adams, Ex-President of the United States. The conversation naturally
turned upon Jefferson, Franklin, and other noted men of the
past age of the Republic, and this social interview, marked
with the high-toned courtesy of Mr. Carroll, and usual frank
cordiality of Mr. Cutler, was long remembered.
Early in October, Mr. Cutler turned his face homeward
to the city of New York, enjoying another " spring by the
way," as he rested a few days in the city of Brotherly Love,
in precious interviews with his friend, the Rev. B. B. Smith,
D. D., afterward the Bishop of Kentucky.
Saturday evening, October 10, 1829, he writes in his
diary:
" I have spent this day with my friend and brother, Mr.
Smith.  He is always the Christian; he always approves
himself as the minister of Christ. We united in prayer before leaving his house.
" Oct. 14.-Heard my friend, the Rev. Mr. Smith, preach
on Sunday, and to-day attended his lecture, and was much
edified. I had a good day on Friday last with Mr. Smith.
He is a very excellent and delightful Christian, and one at
whose feet I should always like to sit."
On Sunday, October 18, he listened to "a most useful
and impressive sermon" from the Rev. S. II. Tyng, D. D.,
and the next day returned to New York.
In speaking of his own state of mind during the previous
season, he says:" Death before me did not fill me with
dread, neither did it fill me with joy.  I was calm, and




JO U0INEYIVG-SA VANNAH, SA CO, LEESB  RG.  83
looking to Christ; I was (physically)very nervous, the least
thing would upset me; the lively exercise of triumphant
faith I certainly had not; the truth no doubt is, that if I am
a Christian I am a very ordinary one; not that holy, selfdenying, spiritualized believer, lover and follower of a crucified Master I ought to be.  0 God, give me more soul in
thy service! 0 Lord, if right, give me more strength of
body!"
Against this weakness of body Mr. Cutler strove earnestly,
and many were the petitions he offered at the Throne of
grace that it might be removed.  But the only answer,
vouchsafed, seemed to be: " My grace is sufficient for thee,
for my strength is made perfect in weakness!"
The few lines which commence this chapter of his history
are specially pertinent to his individual case.  Let us read
his own words, and then follow along the stream of his life,
with its various windings, for two or three years, and see if
this is not strictly true.
"' Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they
shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord!"
On the 24th of October, 1829, Mr. Cutler is seated in his
chllamber in Nelw York, and makes this record, which reveals his whole condition:
" By the Lord's patient goodness I am brought to this
period of life (thirty-one years and eight months), half the
life of man; and my life has been one of mercy. Although,
by the providence of God, I am at this moment without a
dollar in my pocket, and without the means of making one,
yet his mercy and goodness have placed me in such circumstances that I am cheerful and contented. God has promised that'no good thing will he withhold from them that
fear him!' God has commanded,'Say ye to the righteous,
It shall be well with him;' well in prosperity, well in
adversity, well in life, and in death-at the judgment and
in eternity.' All things are well ordered and sure!'




84           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
He was then at the house of his brother-in-law, Samuel
Ward, Esq. He soon accepted a pressing invitation from
his beloved sister, AIrs. McAllister, to pass the coming
winter at Savannah, Ga.; and late in November, in company with her and her children, Mr. and Mrs. Cutler sailed
from New York in the ship Florian, Capt. Harrison, for
that port.
When off Cape Hatteras they were not exempt from the
usual experience of travellerson the sea, and a terrific gale,
which lasted seventy-two hours, threatened to engulf them
in the roaring waves.  The whole party (including four
children and three servants) expected every moment to be
called into eternity. Again, just as the vessel had made
Savannah Light, another fearful blow was experienced; and,
though the passengers begged Capt. Harrison to hasten
on to the city, with the foresight of a wise and cautious
seaman, he put out to sea again, and another night of
anxiety was passed. Tile event proved their commander
right; for, as they passed up the bay in the morning, wrecks
of vessels which had passed them were pointed out. Thus,
after a trving  passage of eleven days, Mr. Cutler reached
his destined port.
"I felt in this voyage," he says, " the power of prayer,
and I said, while entering the desired haven (Savannah),'I shall walk softly before God all the days of my life.'
Tile Sunday after, I preached in Christ Church, Savannah,
from these words:'Whlat shall I render unto the Lord for
all his benefits toward me?'  How forcibly, during the
storm, did these words possess my mind:'The waves of
the sea are mighty and rage horribly; but yet the Lord,
who dwelleth on higlh, is mightier!' 
Mr. Cutler had now reached a delightful home, where
the kindness and attention of all the McAllister family were
unceasing. He found very agrceable society in his clerical
brethren of that city-the Rev. Mr. Mot,t (who had been a




JOr UJ'REYYINGU-S1 VliVANNA, A4 CO, LEESB UR G.  85
classmate of his in Brown University, ten years previous to
this date) and the Rev. Mr. NeufvTille, of Christ Church.
The Christmas season, which is enjoyed with such peculiar pleasure at the South, brought Mr. Cutler in contact
with a host of relatives and friends.  Merriment and good
cheer abounded; and it was especially grateful to his heart
to meet so many kindred in the flesh. But even this did
not satisfy the yearnings of his soul after a higher fellowslip.  Unless he could hold intercourse with those who
were bound together by ties of Cloristian love, lie was disappointed.  He thus speaks for himself: "I dined with a
near relative, in company with all my relatives in this place;
and though I think tile season one calculated to inspire joyful feelings, and it is proper to cultivate social intercourse,
yet it is next to impossible to meet people of the world on
any ground of rejoicing whichl is not entirely temporal and
trifling.
"' Joy is a fruit that will not grow
On Nature's barren soil;
All we can boast, till Christ we know,
Is vanity and toil.'"
The year with which this record closes had been an
eventful one to Mr. Cutler, and to his family circle. He
had been brought down to the gates of death, but raised up
again.  His brother, Mr. Francis Marion Cutler, had settled himself at Avon, Livingston County, N. Y., where lie
married Miss Caroline Martin, of that place.  And his
eldest sister, Eliza, who, since the decease of Mrs. Ward,
had acted a mother's part to her motherless children, had
accepted an offer of marriage from the celebrated Dr. Jolhn
W. Francis, of New York, a man who had no superior in
the medical profession. The affectionate sister and faithful
daughter had now become the devoted companion of himn
whose name,both philanthropy and medical science love to
cherish and honor.




86           LIFE OF REKI  DR. CUTLER.
From all these friends, as well as from his mother, whose
advancing years made the parting, more thlan  ever, a trial,
Mr. Cutler was separated. But his best beloved friend,
the partner of every joy and every sorrow, was at his side;
and he was under the roof of a sister, whose spirit, so congenial with his own, shed many a ray of light and comfort
along his path.
For all this he was grateful, indeed. He, in turn, was
also able to administer the balm of healing comfort and
consolation in Mr. McAllister's household, when sickness
invaded it.
God was soon to lead them all "in a path they knew
not;" and most truly, as far as regards the subject of this
memoir, did our Heavenly Father " make darkness light
before him," "and crooked things straight," in the path in
which he led him.
In January, 1830, we find Mr. Cutler at the residence of
Thomas S. Clay, Esq. (at Richmond, twenty miles from
Savannah).  Here he enjoyed an interview with a dear
Christian friend, AMiss Anne Clay, whom  even to mention
is to awaken in many, many hearts, both at the North and
at the South, memories which will never die. So generous
a heart, and so exalted a Christian, is rarely seen in any
religious circle, and Mir. Cutler well knew how to appreciate
it. Ilis " kind host, Mr. Clay," urged a prolonged stay, but
Mr. Cutler felt obliged to hasten back to Savannah. During February, he was quite ill again, and he thought himself
fast sinking into the grave. To use his own language:
"The same serious frame of mind continued, with more
irritability of the nerves, and with a desire to preach to the
last —to serve God and man with my latest breath. I, however, recovered, and thanks to God, kind friends have bountifully supplied all our needs. It is humiliating not to be
able to make the fruits of one's labor supply all his temporal wants; but it is delightful to live by faith, and to




JO URNEYIVG —SA4 VATNNAI, SA CO, LEESBURG.  87
trace the hand of God interposing in our behalf, and supp)lying, one by one, all our needs."
The month of March was spent at Charleston, S. C., with
his cousin, Mrs. Charlotte AMitchell, where every kindness
was lavished upon him with an unsparing hand.
Mr. Cutler was enabled to preach occasionally, during the
winter, in the cities of Savannah and Charleston; and whenever at the plantations of any of his friends, lhe always took
occasion to preach to the negroes, who assembled with
delight to hear him. He began to think seriously of a
return to continued public duty; but he could not readily
decide whether he ought to return to his former parish, or
to take the position of a missionary in " the Eastern Diocese,"
whichl, before he left the South, was offered to him. Bishop
Griswold had, in strong terms, alluded to the dearth of ministers in his address to the Convention of that Diocese in
1829, and Mr. Cutler, for the first time, read the address
while at the South, and it made a deep impression upon his
mind. The Rev. Mr. Cutler had been Secretary of the Convention for several years previous, and his canonical relations were still with that diocese.
His determination was soon made, and the auspicious
season hlaving now arrived, he decided to return to the
North.  He had enjoyed exercise in the saddle all the winter, and now he determined (with the advice of Dr. Francis
and many other friends) to travel to New York all the way
on horseback.
Leaving his wife to return by sea with a party of friends,
a month later, he set out upon his journey.
Our readers will not fail to be interested in the following
account of it, which we find on an old and torn sheet of
paper, written out in his own hand:
" Savannah, Ga., April 13, 1830.-I rose quite weak,
having taken but little food for a day or two, and felt
hardly able to sit upon my horse; but having appointed




88           LIFE OF REV. IDR. CUTLER.
the time for my fello~w-traveller(Mr. Ripley) to be ready, I
could not shrink. But I almost wonder at myself for having the courage to leave my dearest friend and every comfort. and set out upon a journey of one thousand miles on
horseback, when many persons might have thought my chamin
ber the fittest place for me, and the most skillful physician
declared to me it was a bold undertaking. But I have
courage —I have undertaken it; it is the only thing I know
of, which promises to restore my health.  The Lord has
appeared kindly to favor it, so far, and to him I commit the
result. I am not very solicitous about the result, although I
felt anxious to use the means. I know that my health is
very seriously undermined, and my complaints are considered consumptive. I am glad I know this, for I would not
be deceived; but I also know that if the Lord has any work
for me to do yet on earth, he will make me strong enough
to do it. Nothing is impossible with Him. I shall constantly pray for a blessing on the means I am now using,
and thank him for every addition to my health. And why?
Is this world so delightful a place to me? I know that if
my life is spared, labor and sorrow, sin and suffering, will be
my lot. I shall labor for Jesus Christ, and I shall sorrow
to see but little fruit of my labors. I fear, from my corrupt
heart, that I shall sin, and I know that I shall afterward;suffer for it, in my heart and conscience at least. On the
other hand, I hope, through the infinite mercy of God in
Jesus Christ, that death, except the bodily pain, would be
no death to me. I have long ago died to the world; I
loathe myself for what of sin still remains in me, and I pray
that through Christ I may gain the victory over Satan. I
hope for me to die would be gain; but I follow an instinct
of nature when I wish to get well.
"This day (April 13) I left Savannah in company with
Mr. Ripley, who was in a gig, I being on horseback. We
rode off from my dear wife and friends at 8 A. Ai., and




JO URNEYING-SA VANNAH, SACO, LEESBURG.  89
after proceeding slowly for twelve miles, we alighted, unharnessed our horses, and sat down in the shade; but Mr.
R.'s horse being an unruly animal, we were soon obliged to
go on.  Four miles farther we found a tavern, kept by'Keibler.' Here I was so much overcome by my ride that
I begged to stop, and we remained till morning."
"April 14.-Started at 6 A. Al. Rode (through woods
beautifully variegated with flowers and animated with birds)
*twelve miles to breakfast at' Grovenstein's:' rode four
miles to' Mrs. Blake's,' and rested during the heat of the day.
32 P. M., set out and rode thirteen miles to'White's.' Kindly
treated here, and I closed the evening with prayer in the
family."
"April 15.-Started at 6 A. M. and rode to'Reeves' to
breakfast; eleven miles farther to Jacksonboro' and rested;
and rode nine miles farther to'Mrs. Brunell's' to sleep. Here
I acted as chaplain, and tried to improve a family affliction."
" April 16.-Just as I wbas departing, Rev. Mr. Neufville
rode up with Dr. Reid. With them we travelled that day.
Here my horse was sick and lame. The Lord was better to
me than my fears.
" On Saturday, 2 o'clock, April 17, we arrived at Augusta,
Ga., one hundred and twenty miles from Savannah. All
well; my health improved."
"Augusta, Ga., Sunday, April 18.-Brother Neufville
preached an excellent sermon before the Convention in
the morning, and I preached in the afternoon on' the moral
death and resurrection of the sinner.'  I am staying with
Rev. Hugh Smith, rector of St. Paul's, here. Mr. S. took
Brother N. and me to see a dying Christian, formerly an
officer in the United States Army. He seemed truly to have'a reasonable, religious, and holy hope.'  It was a valuable
opportunity. I desire to take the sight home and lay it to
heart. He is just about my age, has in some degree my
complaints, but far more faith and love. He said it was




90           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
inot play' that he was then called to.  The agonies of
death! 0 Saviour, let not any pains from thee afflict my
dying hour! If my body is full of pain, may my soul be filll
of pleasure!
" This man was a high-spirited Carolinian, who, to use his
own words,'would as soon have fought a duel as eaten his
breakfast.' But now he is humble as a little child. He
said his happiness was'inexpressible.'  His gratitude to
Mr. S., his spiritual father, is touching, and Mr. Smith's comfort in him it is delightful to witness. May he have very
many such seals of his ministry as crowns of his rejoicing.
May it be my business to get ready for such a state. O
my soul! what would be thy workings? What thy
hopes?"
"Columbia, S. C., April 24-200 milesfrom Savannah.Arrived here to-day with my companions, Mr. Ripley and
the Hon. D. Buel. We were about three days from Augusta
to this place.            My soul! how hast thou been
kept this week?  How far am I from what I ought to be?
I want more the grace of self-denial. I want to take up my
cross daily and follow Christ. Oh! let me meditate upon
his cross and passion.  Could he endure the agony and
bloody sweat for me, and shall I shrink from little acts of
self-denial!"
" Salisbury, N. C., Saturday, Mlay 1.-I have travelled this
week from Columbia, S. C., one hundred and fifty miles,
without accident, thanks to a kind Providence. The country
through which I passed was rough but picturesque. And
what has been the state of my mind? How have I walked
with God? I have been led into levity of manner this week,
and have bitterly regretted it. Oh! that in all things and all
times I might approve myself the minister of Christ! Let
me preserve that simple, sincere, and cheerful manner,
which will do good and no harm!"
Prince Edward  County, Va., May 9,-near Hamp



JO URNEYIG — SA VANNAH, SACO, LEESBURG.  91
den Sidlley College.-We arrived here at sunset last evening, and put up to spend the Sabbath.  One hundred
and eighty miles have I travelled this week. Journeyed for
nearly a month, and have not been delayed by rain one hour.
This is a subject of gratitude."
From this place Mr. Cutler passed on to Alexandria, Va.,
thence to Winchester, Va., then tb Philadelphia. The next
note of his journey is made in that city.
"June 5.-It is nearly a month since I wrote in this
journal.  Sunday, May 16, I preached at Alexandria; had
a very delightful Sabbath amidst true Virginia hospitality.
Here I parted with my companions (Buel and Ripley), and
altered my course.  I now travelled with a Christian friend,
Dr. Keith; with him I did, indeed, take sweet counsel. I attended the Virginia Convention held at Winchester, and
had a delightful season. I admire the character of Virginia
Episcopalians.
"The next Sunday I spent here; heard Brother B. B. Smith
and Mr. Hawkes preach.
" Found a dear sick lamb of my fold here (Miss Emily
Marston, of Quincy), and am ministering unto her. My soul
was strengthened and refreshed at the above named Convention, and I have felt far more life ever since."
" New York, June 12.-1I arrived in this city on the 10th,
and found my beloved wife here, well; and my dear mother,
Sister Eliza, and my brothers-in-law. I have been engrossed
in cares and perplexities, and have not enjoyed so much
tranquillity of mind as I could desire.  When shall I learn
to cast my cares upon Him who careth for me?"
Soon after the above date, Mr. Cutler went to Massachusetts, and even as far as Saco, Me.,travelling on horlseback, as before.  Bishop Griswold, anxious to secure his
services, wrote to him from Salem, June 21:
"REV. AND DEAR SIR-When I had the pleasure of seeing you in
Boston I said a little, and had opportunity of saying but a little, to




92            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
you,on the subject of your officiating in some of our churches; and
now I cannot write much, but your zeal for the Church will, I trust,
supply that in which I am deficient.     I have again heard
from Saco, where the Church is thought to be in a very critical and
dangerous state from the want of a minister.. I vish you
would ascertain what Mr. H. intends to do. If he does not intend to
go to Saco, I wish very much you might visit that place, were it only
for a few weeks, to encourage them with the hope, that in a short
time, through the Lord's blessing, they will be supplied.
In such case, on your way thither, we shall hope for a visit from you
and Mrs. Cutler here.  With my kindest regards for you both, I remain your very affectionate friend,
ALEXANDER V. G:ISWOLD."'
Mr. Cutler entered upon missionary duty at Saco, early
in July, and Mrs. Cutler joined him there. Their mother,
then at Newport with children and grandchildren, including MIrs. McAllister's family from the South, urged her son
and his wife to join them there and enjoy a season of entire
rest. But however feeble in body Mir. Cutler was, the
activity of his mind and his extreme conscientiousness would
not allow him to take such repose.
Until the middle of September Mr. Cutler labored faithfully and constantly at Trinity Church, Saco, rejoicing to
proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ.
A few extracts from his journal will indicate to us in
what manner of spirit he was.
" Saco, Me., July 17, 1830.-I came here and remain, in
fear and trembling, as my health is so poor.  Oh! may the
Master, whom I serve, through his Son, be the strength of
my heart, and my portion for ever."
"July 24.-Received  a letter from  Quincy, and feel
grateful for the affection of the people."
"' Jily 26.-Wrote to Bishop Meade, of Virginia, in answer to a letter from him to come to his diocese, which I
desire to do; also, wrote to a friend (E. M.), very ill."
The letter last referred to has been happily preserved,
and is treasured up with much care by the family of this




JO URLVEYING-SA VASNAI; SA CO, LEESBURG.  93
young friend. We are sorely tempted to transcribe it for
the benefit of our readers, for it is a remarkable exhibition
of pastoral tenderness and love, but the limits of this chapter will hardly allow.  All the members of the Marston
family were dear to Mr. Cutler's heart, but this one, to
whom the letter was addressed, has long since passed away,
and he hath now met her in glory, where pain and suffering
never enter, and where the tears are wiped away "from off
all faces."
To the same disciple of Christ, who was in much dejection
of soul, Mr. Cutler, with his usual discrimination, wrote a
few weeks later:
" You could not, dear afflicted child, have considered
well whattyou said, when you declared yourself not a Christian. You
may not be a great Christian, a matured Christian, or a happy
Christian; you may not be such a Christian as St. Paul or St. John,
but may you not be such a Christian as the Thief on the Cross, or as
one of the three thousand converted on the day of Pentecost. You
may not be as resigned and triumphant as Mrs. Graham, or Mrs.
Huntington; but to be like them, must you not have exactly their
minds, exactly their trials, their knowledge and their grace, and, I
may add, their bodily diseases. In every one of these respects you
are made to differ from them, and also in some respects from every
other Christian that ever lived.         But if it were true
that you were mistaken, that you are no Christian, is that a reason
why you should not be one this very day? You know the Lord
Jesus; at least, you know that he forgave the Thief instantly. You
know that he has said,'Come unto me all ye that are weary and
heavy-laden, and I will refresh you.' You can but perish, if you
now go to the Saviour by prayer. Resolve, then,'I will go in unto
the King, which is not according to law; and if I perish, I perish.'
The Lord be with you, dear E., prays your pastor."
But, returning to Mr. Cutler's journal:
"Aug. 7."-lHe writes: "I have had mournful experience of the weakness of human resolution, but I am enabled
to go to God with some degree of confidence. He may be
viewed as pitying one of his children, who has yielded to




94           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
sudden infirmity of natural temper, and when he cries out in
shame and sorrow to God for mercy, perhaps he may feel
for him, and say, "Son, be not dismayed; go and sin no
more."
"Aug. 14.-I have reason to hope that, through the
mercy of God, I shall have some seals of my ministry, as
crowns of my rejoicing, through Jesus Christ."
"Aug. 28.-I have this week decided on a new field
of labor in Virginia. New trials, new temptations, await
me; but I desire to trust in God. Whether I am at the
South or at the North, in a city or a village, sin is to be
fought, and my principal happiness is in God. It is therefore of little moment where I preach the gospel, but of great
moment that I preach it faithfully."
"Sept. 4.-On Wednesday I went to Portland, and
saw the Hlon. Simon Greenleaf and his family; had formed
the highest opinion of him as a true Christian and Churchman.  Conversed freely and at length, and was not disappointed. What a valuable man to the world is a man of
high and holy principles, large capacity of mind, and great
energy! Oh! could my eyes have seen the human nature
conjoined with divinity, in the man Christ Jesus!
"'A veil of interposing night
His radiant face conceals.'"
Mr. Cutler's labors at Saco were blessed to the good of
the Church and of the community in that place, and many
hearts were bound to him in cords of love, as was the case
at Thessalonica, in St. Paul's time, even though his abode
there was short.
And, in looking at the future, he felt assured God would
be with him. " I am like a passenger in a good vessel," he
writes, "with an able and experienced commander. How
can any thing go wrong where God directs? and have I not
asked him to direct? I perceive abundant reason to be




JO URNE YING- SA VANrAtA, SAC 0O, LEESBURG.  95
abased before God for my sins; yet I see abundant reason
to trust and to rejoice in him."
The mother of Mr. Cutler, as the autumn was near,
wrote to him and his wife to come to Newport, and then
accompany her with his sister's family to Savannah.  She
knew of his contemplated return to Virginia, and that as
winter drew on, it was important for him to be in a
southern climate.  The idea of her son's removal to such a
distance was painful; but she at last acquiesced in his
decision and saw the wisdom of his plan, although a parent's
heart could not refrain from uttering the language of the
patriarch Jacob: "' If I be bereaved of my children, I am
bereaved.' Eliza in New York, Francis at Avon, you
in Virginia, and Louisa in Savannah; and I am to lead a
meteor-like life by wandering from one star to another;
but your plan will probably -promote your own health better
than any other."
Before Mr. Cutler finally left Saco he wrote the following
letter to one of his family, and we can thus see how correctly he appreciated his own condition:
"SACO, ME., August 27, 1830.
"DEAR SISTER-.... I thank you for the caution you
sent me. I endeavor to be careful of myself, and consider the
wound in my health just beginning to heal. A little imprudence
might be fatal to life. But with all this, preach I should; watch
for souls I must; for such have been the habits of my mind and
body for some years past, that if I was totally unoccupied without
responsibility, and without the joy of encouragement in labor, I
might sink down into a morbid state of feeling, and body and mind
might go to wreck.' Make haste slowly,' is my motto. I have had
trials, dear S —, since I saw you, but I can say'I love thy chastenings, O my God!
They fix my hopes on thy abode;
Where, in thy presence fully blest,
Thy stricken saints for ever rest.'
Harriet and I would delight to pay another visit to Montreal, but our
faces are providentially turned to the South. Perhaps next summer




96            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
we may reach yQur city; but let us both look mainly at'a city
which hath foundations.' There may we all meet, prays
"Your friend and brother,         B. C. C."
Mr. Cutler left Saco, September 14, in order to spend a
week in Lowell, Mass. During his visit here he went over
to Andover to attend the annual exercises of the Theological
Seminary there. He made the following notes about this
time in his journal:
"May a blessing attend that seminary where it follows
Christ.  The great controversy in which it is now engaged,
has, no doubt, an effect upon the spirit of its pupils and of
its professors; and, of consequence, dross is mingled, as it
must ever be, with the fine gold.
" One of the epigrammatical sayings of my excellent
Bishop is this:'To be willing to perish, is to be opposed
to God's will; for God is not willing that any should
perish.' May I think as prayerfully and patiently about
Divine truth as he has done!"
Before leaving Lowell Mr. Cutler received a letter from
one of his Quincy parishioners (J. MI., Esq.), begging him
to return to his old parish; or, at any rate, to visit them
once more. His reply shows that he was not only a kind
counsellor to the sick and sorrowing, but also a judicious
adviser in the pecuniary difficulties of a parish:
" LOWELL, September 30, 1830.' MY DEAR SIR —Yours of the 6th came safely to hand, and
conveyed mournful accounts from your family. I almost dread to
hear from you again; and yet,. why should I? Is death an event,
an evil, to which dear Emily alone is subjected. Have we not all
to pass that fiery ordeal of our faith? and would she not have met
it at some distant period, if not now? and is it at all probable that
she would have been more willing? I am inclined to the belief,
that, invariably, as we advance in life, we are afraid of death!
" It was not without an effort that I concluded to deprive myself
of the pleasure and satisfaction of visiting Quincy; and it requires a
greater effort, now that I am so near, to refrain from turning my
horse that way. But prudence has pointed out my course; and of




JOIURNEYING — SA VAXAII, SAXCO, LEESBURG.  97
late I am getting into the habit of following more closely its admonitions, having smarted oftentimes for my disobedience to that
heavenly guide.....  It is an important, as well as delightful thought, that however distant our friends may be to us,
they cannot be distant from God.'Whither can we go from his
presence?' And if we cannot speak to them and comfort them, we
can speak to One, any moment, who can speak to them the next.
I would fain speak to dear E — a word of consolation; but, while
heart and flesh are failing, who can strengthen the mind but God?
"Why should you wish to detain her in a world of sin and suffering, when from her' bodily diseases she must'ever groan, being
burdened,' and to withhold her from those joys of Paradise which,
I am persuaded, she will taste the very day of her departure from
earth?
"It seems hardly proper to pass from a subject so serious to one
of a secular nature; but I must follow, in reply, the course of your
last favor......   I am clearly of the opinion that one of
the most important duties Christ Church has to perform, is to set
about settling all their affairs. And I am also decided in the opinion
that vigorous measures to collect back taxes should be now made,
even at the risk of giving some offence; and upon this principle,
that no man is more likely to be alienated than one who owes you
money and does not mean to pay, unless compelled. Better bring
matters at once to issue and take the consequences.
"Most affectionately theirs and yours,  B. C. CUTLER."
"P. S.-Give my best love to every member of your family; to your
sisters, and to my dear sisters in the faith of our Lord. Heaven
bless you, from the warmest place in my heart.    B. C. C."
We find Mr. Cutler soon pursuing his journey to Providence, R. I., on horseback, as usual, and while musing by
the way, he sighs that "sickness was about to exile him
from a land which all other lands outvies."
He preaches for Dr. Crocker at P., and then, after meeting his wife, turns from his proposed path and accompanies
her to Newport, where many of his own family are gathered
together.
He then pursues his solitary journey, on horseback, to
New York (after returning to Providence).
5




98           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" New York, Oct. 10, 1830." —He writes: " Blessed, hallowed hours that I spent at Saco! Dear friends that I left
there! dear brethren! dear, church! God grant that my
visit to Virginia may be attended by as good effects upon
my own soul! May Leesburg be to me a place of great
spiritual consolation and strength. Let me go there, with a
single and a simple aim to promote the glory of God. With
Christ in my heart; with Christ on my lips, and with Christ
in my life, may an abundant entrance be ministered to me
into that part of Christ's vineyard!"
" Tuesday, Oct. 19.-Occupied in putting my beloved
mother on board of a ship for Savannah. May a kind Lord
protect her!"
" Wednesday, Oct. 20.-I left New York, on horseback,
for Virginia. Travelled alone, feeling desolate."
" Friday, Oct. 22.-I reached Philadelphia; stayed at
Mr. Randall's."
" Frederick Town, MId., Saturday evening, Oct. 30.-At
the house of Rev. Thomas Jackson. Arrived last Thursday,
having travelled one hundred and forty-five miles in three
and a half days. Ridin( alone, I hoped to have meditated
and communed much with God, like David Brainerd. But,
alas! alas! my piety is not a deep and overflowing fountain;
it is more like a brook, swelled at times by sudden showers,
from heaven, but often shallow. God grant it may not be
worse than this."
" Leesburg, Va., Nov. 2, 1830.-I arrived at this place
last evening, and on entering the town set up my'Ebenezer.' Hitherto the Lord hath helped me. As I rode
here yesterday, I called often upon God for a blessing on
this people and on myself. I was received with great kindness by the people..
"' In the Christian warfare, to maintain the conflict is to
gain the victory!' The promise is made to him that endureth unto the end. Let me thank God and take courage.




JOURNEYING —SA VANNAH, SACO, LEESB URG.  99
He hath not yet given me up, a prey to my adversaries or to
my own heart."
The Rev. Mr. Cutler here took charge of two missionary
stations (in addition to St. James' Parish, Leesburg) in Loudon County. These places, Aldie and Middleburg, were
several miles from Leesburg, and from each other, and the
journeyings required in this circuit afforded much opportunity for riding on horseback, which was essential to Mr.
Cutler's health.
He found it " difficult to be happy and contented" while
separated from his wife, but early in December his beloved
companion cheered him with her presence, after an absence
of six weeks.
An excellent view  of his situation here, is afforded by a
letter addressed to Mrs. McAllister, on the last day of the
year:
"LEESBURG, LOUDON CO., VA., December 31, 1830.
"Mi  BELOVED SISTER-Your sweet letter to H. and myself we
received a fortnight since. It was full of interest to us.... Every
thing that relates to you or yours, or to your neighbors and friends,
will find a welcome with us, for we remember Savannah with great
pleasure. The proper return for your letter would be a graphic description of our condition, and expressions conveying assurances of
the affection we bear you. My dear H. joined me three weeks since.
I went down to Alexandria to meet her. The change of scene from
New York to Leesburg is great, and it undoubtedly requires true
Christian philosophy to be contented-I mean for H.; for myself, it
matters less where I am, than how I live toward God. For such a
poor, miserable laborer as I am, it is an honor to be anywhere in the
vineyard. When I was so ill, last year, I often thought if God
would only restore me to health and return me to usefulness, the
place where I should labor would be of small moment. I am engaged here only till May, when I shall be free to choose a place of
labor. But perhaps by that time, the charms of Loudon having
gradually unfolded themselves, I may be captivated and engaged.
It depends upon our Heavenly Father. If he points out this as the
place where he will meet me and bless me, all the world could not
supply the loss of his blessing! So far my health has decidedly
improved, the two months I have been here, although the weather




loo            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
has been uncommonly damp and cold. Out of sixty days, about
thirty have been rainy. Twice,the mercury has been down to ten
degrees above zero.
" We are on what may be called the summit level of our Atlantic
coast, on a central ridge between north and south, and within two
miles of mountains, and we have consequently all varieties of climate —from the blasts of the North to the breezes of the South,
every thing by turns, and nothing long. I ride every day; and it is
well for me that I have a warm heart and a livelyimagination, or else
I should be eaten up with Ennui. Imagine a man, but half well,
wrapping himself up (like John the Baptist), not in camel's hair,
it is true, but in a coarse, camlet cloak, buttoned close at the neck
and girded fast round the waist, concluding with overshoes. Imagine such a man, turning his face toward a leafless forest, a cloudy
sky, a cold northeast wind, and moving over ground saturated with
water, preparing to bring home Inud enough to do justice to a
ditcher, and you will see just the figure of your affectionate, and I
may add, happy brother. For, with increasing health, a dear friend,
affectionate p)arishioners, and the smiles of heaven, I may well laugh
at the wintry elements.
" I have given you the outside picture, which is dreary enough; but
the inside one has little else than comfort. We live a mile out of
the village, in the family of my senior warden, Mr. S., who is a
wealthy Virginia planter, living in the midst of very extensive possessions of rich land, and abounding in the real luxuries of life, with
five hundred or one thousand acres of wood adjoining his garden.
His house resembles a baronial castle on a small scale, with wings,
lodges, etc. The lady is a most amiable, intelligent, and pious woman. The gentleman, a fine-looking old man, more than six feet
tall, with a venerable, hoary head, perfectly upright in stature, and
always well dressed. Religion here finds a most respectful reception. The parlor and the kitchen, I believe, the fear of God pervades.
" In the poor blacks I have felt much interest, and allow no opportunity to pass without trying to say something for their good-at
least for their comfort. Poor things! the least we can do for them is
to try and get them free IN THE NEXT WORLD.
" 0 that God, who can make men eloquent, would give me a heart
and a mouth to speak to these poor souls, and to treat them with
that Christian kindness and consideration that a man should, who
knows that he has a Master in heaven. (Col. iv. 1.).... But
now of your own spiritual state. Ah! my dearest sister, what a
risk are you running while you remain undetermined. Alas! that
I feel so little of what I ought about your everlasting safety, and




JOURNEYING-SA VANNAH  SACO, LEESBURG. lol
that of your dear husband and children. True it is, that daily, at
times, when you are busy, or asleep, or thoughtless about your soul,
I am lifting up a short, poor and low, but sincere prayer;' 0 God!
save their immortal souls, for Jesus' sake.' Pray, dear sister, that
God will convince you of your guilt and danger, and lead you to
His Son, whose blood cleanseth from all sin; and may we who are now
united by mortal ties,be joined in those of divine grace and eternal
glory.            "Your own,                   B. C. C."
A more single-hearted minister of Christ than this our
friend, who was now laboring for Christ, far removed from
those successful activities and extended agencies which stimulate the laborer in other portions of the Lord's vineyard,
could not be found; following as he did the Master's footprints in the daily round of duty, transfiguring his circumscribed and lowly life into a living testimony to the truth
of Christ's gospel. He was glad to have God arrange for
him his present and his future, without any undue solicitude
on his part.
"Only my life can I lay down,
Only my heart, Lord, to thy throne
I bring; and pray,
A child of thine, I may go forth
And spread glad tidings through the earth,
And teach sad hearts to know thy worth;
Lord, here am I!"
The record in his journal, as he stood on the threshold
of another opening year (1831), the close of which found
him in quite a different sphere of labor, is affecting indeed.
"If I am only in the Lord, what have I to fear?
" Suppose I ampoor; God hath said,'Blessed are the poor'
-rich in faith.
"Suppose I am sick and weak; the sick often have the
happiest views of God. One whom Jesus loved was sick.
" Suppose I am deprived of my dearest friend;'Blessed are
they that mourn;' and I should not mourn as those who
have no hope!




102          LIFE OF REV. DR.  CUTLER.
" Suppose I myself should die;'Blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord.'
"' Suppose I have no offspring; I may have'a name better
than that of sons and daughters.'
" Suppose I should ever live in obscurity and die unknown
to fame;'The memory of the just shall be blessed.'
" Suppose I have had adversity through all the first part
of my life;'God blessed the latter end of Job more than his
beginning.'
" Let me not covet this world's goods.'I brought nothing
into this world, and I can carry nothing out.'
" Let others obtain conspicuous stations. Somebody must
live and labor in obscure ones; and if I do,for Christ's sake,
Christ will find time and place to make me conspicuous
in a better world, where honor is not connected with toil
to one's-self and envy from others.
"'Say ye to the righteous, It shall be well with him.'
"What an insurance have I effected by going to the Bible!
Now I am safe; now my affairs are well ordered!"
In February, 1831, Mr. Cutler received a very urgent
letter from the Vestry of Christ Church, Quincy, Mass.,
desiring his return to them, if consistent with his health.
The Rev. W. T. Potter had been officiating there, with much
acceptance; but the tie which bound Mr. Cutler to them
as their rector, was not sundered, and the Committee appointed to write him, expressed the hope " that neither time
nor distance would ever separate them from the love which
had so long existed between them!"
To this letter Mr. Cutler replied: " It is uncertain whether
I can live as far north as Quincy.... I resign, not
because your affection and kindness has abated (ftbr your
communication shows it has not), nor because my love for
you has diminished; but I resign because the hand of God
has been upon me, in a severe and protracted illness, and(
seems evidently to have placed me in a less laborious and




JO URNEYING-SA VANNAH, SA CO, LEESBIUR G.   103
more retired situation.... You are, and ever will be,
dear to my heart; and our Heavenly Father knows that
nothing but a fear of closing quickly my mortal career, restrained me from returning to you the last summer. Your
communication I shall preserve as a memorial of your regard,
which will ever be valued by me; and it will be a cbnsolation should the Lord in his providence suffer me to languish
in ministerial. uselessness."
Having thus sent his resignation of the parish to the vestry, Mr. Cutler on the same day wrote a farewell letter to the
parishioners at Quincy, expressing his fervent love for them,
and his deep and continued interest in their spiritual welfare. It is too long to place on record here.* What effect
such a farewell, from such a pastor, had upon the people of
his late charge, one can readily imagine. After its reception, the Committee of the Vestry wrote again to Rev. Mr.
Cutler:
" A communication from one who holds so great a place
in our affections, who has devoted eight years of the best of his life
for our best good, who, with unshaken zeal and unwearied effort in
the cause of his Master, has always preached to us evangelical truth,
could but awaken in us the most lively interest. It would have imparted to us the greatest satisfaction could you have been able to
return and once more mingle with us in the joys which arise from
social intercourse as Christians, and again be able to participate with
us in the delightful exercises of Christian worship; but it appears
to be the will of Him who orders all things for our good that it
should be otherwise... May the sweet smiles of Heaven rest
upon you; may you be unshaken in preaching the doctrines of the
Cross, and steadfast in the faith, ever imitating the blessed example
of Him who went about doing good.
EBEN'R CHAMBERLAIN,
CHAS. HARDWICK, JR.,
GEORGE HARDWICK,
Committee.
Thus ended Mr. Cutler's pastoral connection with the
parish at Quincy. It had been, and has since been, called
* See Appendix A.




104          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
a hard field of labor; but under his ministrations, with the
Divine blessing, it had been made to bud and blossom and
to bring forth abundant fruit.
Under date of April 15, 1831, we find the following note
in his diary: "I accepted the invitation of this church
(Leesburg) to stay six months more with them. May the
Lord bless my feeble attempts to serve them.' Oh may I
know myself-my real state before God! Fletcher says,'a
good-natured man without grace maketh a fairer show than
grace with an evil temper.'  Oh, I fear no one would
ever think of calling me a holy man! I have just light
enough in religion to perceive that I am yet dark; just
warmth enough to feel that I am cold; and just strength
enough to know that I am weak.... Religion at best
in me bringeth forth her thirty fold! Oh, the sixty! the
hundred fold! hast thou no ambition, O my soul?"
This scrutiny stands in pleasing contrast with a sentiment
of another, which we find in his journal:
" May 10. —Visited a poor black female disciple of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and was struck with one of her expressions:'Sometimes she grew so cold, that she was obliged
to hunt after her religion and try to make it better!'"
The Diocesan Convention of Virginia, which met at Norfolk in May of this year, afforded Mr. Cutler great delight.
Such a spirit of true brotherly love he had rarely seen, and
it proved a refreshment to his soul. He was in the midst
of a circle of clerical brethren " after his own heart;" and
could it be otherwise, when such men as Dr. Bedell, of
Philadelphia, Dr. Henshaw, of Baltimore, and Dr. Brooke,
of Georgetown, were all gathered to greet the patriarchal
Bishop Moore and the devoted Jackson, of Alexandria?
The services connected with this Convention were like "a
feast of fat things" and " marrow to the bones" of the dear
missionary at Leesburg. The Rev. William Jackson, speaking of this season, in a letter to a friend, wrote, " The last




JO URNEYING-SA VANNA1I, SACO, LEESB URG. 105
day of the feast has been a Pentecost, indeed. Brother
Cutler says, since he had eyes to see he never beheld so
glorious a day; and Dr. Bedell says, he never will, if possible, miss another Virginia Convention."
After Mr. Cutler's return to Leesburg, he found death
had invaded his circle of clerical friends. If " death loves
a shining mark," the insatiate archer, in this case, proved
the adage true, when the Rev. Sutherland Douglass was
called away. A very touching allusion to this gifted spirit,
our readers will find in the Memoirs of Rev. William Jackson (by his widow).  As Mrs. J. truly says: "When his
sun went down, ere yet it had reached mid-day, a pure and
beautiful light passed from the Church on earth." Mr. and
Mrs. Cutler laid this affliction much to heart; and Mr.
Cutler wrote to Mrs. Douglass, his words proving like "oil
and wine" poured into the wounds of her bleeding heart:
"LEESBURG, VA., June 25, 1831.
"DEAR Mns. DOUGLASS-Mrs. Cutler and I would much prefer to
sit down beside you and to weep in silence over your loss, than to
interrupt your sorrow by the poor consolation of a letter. But this
is the only way left us of expressing to you our sorrow and our
sympathy.           How difficult it is to love God with all our
hearts, when we have dear earthly friends. It is not wonderful
that he takes them away, but wonderful that he ever permitted
them to occupy so much of our affections. Take those holy women
of your own days, who have been saints, for your pattern —Mrs.
Graham, who, through much tribulation, entered the kingdom of
heaven; Mrs. Huntington, whose holy soul is still breathing its
chastened sentiments into many an expanding mind. But why am
I imposing any effort, or proposing any work, to one whose tears
have just began to flow? You have just lost one who was all that
a human being could be to you. Yes! and we have all lost him.
The church and the world have lost him. Dear, dear brother, thou
hast left us to labor alnd struggle still longer in a world of sin,
whilst thou hast, early in the day, gained the victory and won the
crown! Thou wast a holy man of God, a faithful and fearless minister of Jesus Christ, an affectionate and steady friend.
The Lord have mercy on you, dear Mrs. D.; may he support, and
5*




o06           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLE.R.
soothe, and sanctify your broken heart! and enable you to say,'The Lord gave, and the Lord bath taken away, and blessed be the
name of the Lord!..      That our gracious Saviour, who was
himself a man of sorrows, may ever be with you, is the prayer of
one of your husband's most affectionate friends,
B. C. CUTLER."
As a consoler of the afflicted, Mr. Cutler had few equals;
and his faithfulness, in all the relations of pastoral life, had
won for him a name in all the churches.
After a long and weary ride, one day, he found on his
table a call from the Vestry of Grace Church, Providence,
R-. I., to become their rector.
He replied he would preach for them during the coming
August, and then decide what plan to pursue.  In his diary,
he says: " I look upon a change of situation not as I once
did.  I know too well the lot of man in this life.  I know,
too, that temporal things have just as much happiness for
me in them as God sees fit, and no more; therefore I say,'Live where I will, without Thee I shall sigh,
And with Thee sing, wherever I may die.'
Ever since the Lord raised me from a pining sickness, and
delivered me from the howling ocean (in 1829), I have been,
and I ever desire to be, willing to go or stay where he
directs."
In the latter part of July Mr. Cutler went to Alexandria,
where a deep and solemn interest pervaded the churches,
and the Holy Spirit was poured out abundantly in rfreficshing shlowers upon the people. It was just at the close of the
session of the Theological Seminary near that city.  All the
exercises were mingled together in happy concert, and more
than thirty clergymen had participated in the various meetings. The series of special services closed at St. Paul's
Church, Alexandria (of which the Rev. William Jackson was
rector), when (tlhourgh a confirmation had just been held, and




JOURXEIYING-SA VI4lNAtj   Slt CO, LEESBULGI. 107
forty-five persons had ratified their baptismal vows) forty
persons gathered around the chancel to consecrate themsclves in tlhis rite to the Lord.
What a scene it was! It lived long in the memories of
tlhose who were present on that memorable occasion! The
Rev. Mr. Cutler, after his return home, drew a picture of
tlhe scene in a letter to Mrs. Jackson, hoping an artist's
peincil would, in reality, portray the sketch, the outline of
which,his pen had formed.*
Mr. Cutler was warmly attached to his Virginia friends,
and he found " some things delightful in the Episcopal
Church there."
But "the institution of slavery made his situation unpleasant."  "Tlhis was an evil," lie says, " I could not mitigate,
nor well endure."  Tlhis, together with the illness of his
wife, no doubt influenced him to accept a call elsewhere.
At mlidsummelr, Mrs. Cutler was prostrated by a severe
attack of bilious fever and as soon as it was practicable
was removed to the house of her brotlher, Capt. James
Bancroft, in Philadelplhia. Fronm thence, Mr. and AMrs. Cutler both went to Newport, R. I., at which place they arrived
onil tihe 11th of Aucust.
Here were gathered together his mother, his sisters, and
ten neplhews and nieces; Ar. Ward and Dr. Francis making
occasional visits, as their duties in New  York would
allow.
Tlhe Rev. AlMr. Cutler went up to Providence and preaclhed
at Grace Church, but felt constrained to decline the call to
that important parish.  "I pray God will send them" lie
says, " a man strong in body and strong in spirit, and bles-s
hlim  and tllem."  ThIe loving Cutler would lhave been, indeed, one worthy to lead the way where, in tihe long line of
witnesses to the trutll of the gospel, stood afterward the
holy Jolin A. Clark, tlhe faitliful Bisllop Henshaw, an(l in
Se Appendix r,.




o18          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
these days, the eloquent Bishop Clark! But the finger ot
God's providence seemed to him to point out another path
of duty.
In September Mr. Cutler went to Boston, and to Quincy,
where he was received with open arms. Thus he comments
on his trip: "Not soon, not ever, shall I forget my visit to
Quincy. Dear, affectionate people, hungering for the bread
of life; may the Master bless your present pastor, to be indeed your shepherd."
" Monday.-I went to Salem, and saw Bishop Griswold.
This venerable man is still a monument of simplicity and
fidelity."
We soon find Mr. Cutler in New York, ready to start
again for Virginia. His friends urged him to remain, in
view of a call to some situation in that city. But he simply
asks of God, " What wilt thou have me to do?" His own
language will best express his state of mind:
" New York, Oct. 11, 1831.-O my Father, let not my
pride lead me; my desire is to please and serve thee, in
the gospel of thy Son. I commit all my ways to thee. If
thou sayest go north, I will cheerfully go north; if thou
sayest go south, I go south; if thou sayest stay here, I stay
here in the city or in the suburbs, in village or country. I
am willing to-morrow to go, only go with me, blessed Saviour! I am expected next Sunday at Leesburg. It is said,
If you go before Sunday, you lose all chance of advancement.
But my idea is, that no present duty is to be omitted for
the sake of some future advantage. It appears to be my
duty to go; it is not necessary nor desirable, in a spiritual
point of view, that I should have that particular call! Oh01
what an honor to live and labor in the cause of Christ.
Let me be faithful over a few things-omit no duty. There
will be time and place for honor and distinction; no man
can leave houses, etc., but he shall receive an hundred
fold!"




JO URNEYIN'G —SA VANAH, SA GCO, LEESBURG. log
Mr. and Mrs. Cutler returned to Leesburg on the 21st of
October, and lie was again in the midst of parish labors,
though a few weeks more would complete the year of his
engagement with this people. What would be the next turn
of the wheel of providential events, it was impossible to
foresee. But, remembering the remark of Cecil:" Duties
are ours, events are God's," he went forward in the path
of duty, leaving all results with God.
" What Thou shalt to-day provide,
Let me as a child receive;
What to-morrow may betide,
Calmly to Thy wisdom leave."
Scarcely a fortnight elapsed, ere letters came from various
friends in New York, a11 pointing to a probable call from
that city; and on the 8th of November he received a letter
from Bishop Onderdonk, the first sentence of which was, " It
gives me much pleasure to inform you that, at a meeting of
the Executive Committee of the Board of Managers of the
New York Protestant Episcopal City Mission Society, you
were, on my nomination, chosen the missionary of said society," etc., etc.
Such men as Drs. Milnor, Wainwright, and Eastburn,
MIr. Richmond and Mr. Duffie, were members of this Board.
Dr. McIlvaine (then rector of St. Ann's, Brooklyn,) was
desirous of having Mr. Cutler as rector of a proposed new
church (an offshoot of St. Ann's) in Brooklyn, and wrote, under date of November 3, 1831: " Dr. Wainwright told me
to-day that Bishop Onderdonk had nominated you for first
City Missionary, with a salary of one thousand dollars; of
course you will be elected. It is considered a great step
on the part of the Bishop. All are rejoiced at it. I would
urge you to accept the appointment. Thus, you can be
laboring here, and our church going up meanwhile and be
ready for you as soon as you are ready for it." But God




110           LIFE OF IBET. DJi. CUlTLER.
had another plan in view for his servant, not yet unrolled
to mortal vision.
His family friends urged every motive upon Mr. Cutler
to induce him to accept.
His sister, Mrs. Francis, whllose affection was measured
not by words only, but in deeds, besoughlt him earnestly to
come, knowing, in case of anxiety about his health, her Ihusband, one of the most eminent practitioners in the city,
would cheerfully afford his aid and counsel.
Mr. Ward, 4iis brother-in-law, placed every facility in Mr.
Cutler's way, and offered him the hospitalities of his home
for the winter.
But 1how was Mr. Cutler affected by  ll this?  A-fter due
deliberation  lie accepted his appointment, the proamised
year at Leesburg having now expiied.  His diary tells us
the sentiments of his hleart:
"Nov. 12, 1831. —My wife and I greatly prefer living in
that part of the country where we were born, and, as the
wants of the church are as great tllere as here, and we have
been called to a station of great usefulness, we feel at liberty
to go.  It is, however, with great reluctance that I quit the
people of this parish (Lcesburg). The communicants of this
parish are as pious and devoted people as I have ever met
in the Church. The Lord continue to bless them."
The Mission Churclh in New York (situated in Vandewater Street) was consecrated by the name of tile "Holy
Evanlgelists,'  on the 19th of November.  Thereupon the
Bishop wrote Mr. Cutler to come without delay, and oil
every side hle heard an entreating voice, saying: " Comle,
for all tlhings are now ready!" and on the 1st of Decemlber,
1831, Mr. Cutler departed from  Leesburg, where lie  had
eight or ten seals to hlis ministry, leaving the sweet savor
of his life and teaclhing, alike in the mansions of the ricll
and tile hovels of the poor.  Over this very ground, now
desolated by the ruthless hand of war, thile writer of this




JO URNEYINYG - SA VANN'AfI, SA CO, LEESB UR G.   1 1
volume was permitted to travel, in 1861. Under the roof
of a mutual friend, Dr. Clagett, whom Mr. Cutler never
ceased to respect and esteem, the days of Mr. Cutler's
ministry here were happily recounted. Everywhere throughout the parish, childhood had been taught to lisp his name
with reverence, and old age, with gratitude, hallowed the
remembrance of his deeds.




CHAPTER VI.
CITY  MISSIONARY  IN  NEW  YORK.
1831-1833.
" Thou shalt be rich in orphan's love,
The poor shall bless thy name;
Where wilt thou find reward more sweet,
More satisfying fame?"
IF the great mass of mankind are to be regenerated and
saved, more men like  the subject of this memoir
must, and doubtless will, be sent into the dark places of the
earth, to bless their fellow men. Their lives and labors are
like so many healing streams, refreshing multitudes around
them,in their onward course to the city of our God.
Blessed be God that Mr. Cutler did not shrink from any
cross that his Divine Master imposed; but ever obeyed his
gracious voice through life, following closely, so that he
could touch the hem of his garment, and placing his feet
in the footprints of his Lord as he led the way, even as the
travelleramong the snowy Alps follows in the path of his
guide, over rugged mountains and dark ravines, implicitly
trusting to him for safe guidance and a glorious prospect at
the end of the journey. Our sainted friend has reached the
end of this life's pilgrimage, but he still lives r —lives in the
hearts of many a widow and fatherless child on earth, as
well as in the immediate vision of him, to do whose will
here was his meat and his drink.
In December, 1831, Mr. Cutler commenced his labors as
city missionary in New York, taking the charge of the new
Mission Church, in Vandewater Street, in that city.
On the 10th of the month at the house of Samuel Ward,
(112)




CITY MUISSIONAR Y IN NEW YORK.    1 13
Jr., he made this entry in his journal: " To-morrow I expect
to enter on my new field of labor! 0 Lord Jesus Christ,
stand by thy servant! He hopes to preach thee.  Give me
a proper sense of my responsibilities. Enable me to feel
for perishing sinners; and 0, multiply the bread for the
hungry!   May the people  receive with  meekness  the
engrafted word which is able to save their souls!"
Thus did he set out, seeking a fresh anointing of the
Spirit of God; looking for strength to be imparted by his
Divine Master alone.  Without any reserve, he had come
into another diocese, and with that frankness which was so
eminently characteristic of him,he had stated his true position to his Diocesan.  How many difficulties would be
obviated, and how much suspicion and distrust averted, were
the same candor and courtesy, which were so conspicuous in
this case, to attend the removal of every clergyman from
one part of the vineyard to another. The extracts from the
correspondence here, reflect credit on both parties:
" NEW YORK, November 3, 1831.
"REV. AND DEAR SIR-Allow me, my dear sir, to express my
sincere hope that you will meet our wishes, by entering on the
interesting and important duties of a mission to the poor, in a city
presenting so loud a call for such services, and opening so wide a
field for their useful prosecution; and also to assure you that it will
afford me much pleasure to have you as one of the presbyters in
this city and diocese.
"' These feelings are the result of the personal acquaintance which
I have had the pleasure of forming with you, and the full conviction
that, however we may differ as to some consequences flowing from
church principles, and the degree and mode in which it is proper to
sustain and defend them, you are as sincerely attached as any man
to the institutions of the church; a lover of order and harmony
in its councils and policy, and one who had always infinitely rather
honor her appointments, as instruments of spiritual good and ministerial success, than the exhibition of any gifts of your own,or
modes of private device.
" Hoping to hear favorably, I remain your affectionate brother,
"To the REV. MR. CUTLER.         BE.NJ. T. ONDERDONK."




114            LIFE OF IEV. DR. CUTLER.
REPLY.
"LEESBURG, VA., YNoveuber 10, 1831.' RT. REv. AND DEAR SIn-This is a noble enterprise, and if
my services can be of use to the society, in the capacity of a missionary to the poor, I do not feel willing to withhold them, although
I perceive that the undertaking is an arduous one..... You
are aware, I perceive, my dear sir, by your letter, that I have been
trained up in a portion of the Church which may differ, in some respects, from that over which you preside, and you probably conclude
that I have been conscientious in my union with the aboveChurch.
But it will be a very unfit return for'the Christian courtesy witlh
which you have considered the subject, to take advantage of the
opportunity now offered, to bring such differences in opposition to
your government.
" To the flock over  hich I am placed I wish to devote my undivided attention, and 1 desire and pray to live in peace and charity
with all men. To the church, to which we happily belong, I am in
reason, conscience, and feeling, strongly attached; and I believe her
particular institutions eminently calculated to promote the glory of
God and the salvation of men. The manner in which you speak
of my coming into your diocese is most grateful to my feelings,
and I hope, if permitted to labor as one of your presbyters, I shall
be so happy as to justify your expectations.
" I remain your faithful servant,    B. C. CUTLER.' To the RT. REV. B. T. ONDERIDOnIS, D. D."
Though called to the arduous duties of a city mission, Mr.
Cutler paid increased attention to those private duties of
religion which the slothful and self-indulgent Christian is so
apt to neglect.  February 6, 1832, was the thirty-fourth
anniversary of his birthday, and he improved it by special
prayer and self-exanmination, asking the blessing of God
upon his meditations, and tlianlking  Him "for the preservation of life, the patience  exercised, the  deliverances
vouchlsafed, the restoration to more of the joys of his salvation than formerly, for a wide field of usefulness, and a
mueasure of health."
HIow mlany servants of God find their experience precisely
similar with that recorded in M3r. Cutler's journal, oil the




CITY JIISS'IOI~'0 R Y IN  NXEW  YOIAiT.        15j
subject of self-cxamination.' Of all duties, I find this tleo
most difficult.  If Satan attempts to drive me from  any
duty, it is this; altlhough. I have now practiced it for fifteen
years, I call hardly promise myself that the next regular
period for this duty will not be pre-occupied-company
comes in, fatigue and languor prevail, or some pressing and
important duty, more external, is at hand.  Search me, 0
God! and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts."
Mr. Cutler did not forget the personal or the relative
duties of religion in whatever sphere of labor lie was placed.
Hearing, of the illness of his beloved parent, who was sojourning at the South about this time, he wrote in haste to
his sister, under whose care and protection their venerated
mother then was:'I wish I was at hand to pray with my dear mother; but in
times of deep distress human aid seems almost a mockery. God is
our readiest and best help! The pains of disease and the pangs of
dissolution, no mIan, not the holiest,(not the Son of God,) was or is,
exeml)t fiom. But the consolations of Christ have ever l)een sufficient to blunt the edge of pain, and to counteract the terrors of,
death. St. Stephen, although mangled by the brutal ferocity of his
persecuting countrymen, no doubt, was raised above his bodily sufebrings by beholding the glory and joy which in a few moments
w;,s to be his. Succeeding martyrs have sung in dungeons and in
death! It is the great hope which the true Clhristian has, tihat he
shall have dying grace in a dying hour. Thle Lord Jesus Christ,
who knows, and who once said,  Without me, ye can do nothing,'
will not forsake his trembling, but believilg, worms! He knows
whereof we are macle; lie reembers that we are 0but dust. Ile who
bled and died for us will be a present help to all who put their
trust in him!"
Tile affection of a son, blended with tile wise counsels of
a faithful pastor, shled many a beam  of comfort along the
pathway of this aged servant of the Most Highl, as she descended the hill of life, and even after she had passed the
allotted term of three-score years and ten.
We find the following' record in Mr. Cutler's journal:




ii6          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" 16 Bond Street, New York, March 31, 1832.-For several weeks past I have been busily engaged in the work of
the mission. I have rejoiced in perceiving that my labors
have been blest. It is the Lord's work, and his be all the
glory. Though I have too much self-indulgence to record,
yet I have had much peace in believing. Prayer and the
word of God have both been more satisfying to me, and
my desire to do good and to become holy has been distinct.
I have not enjoyed so much in religion for many years as I
have, since I have been engaged in this city mission. There
is a benign and holy spirit at work in this mission; and,
although I am a little constrained in my movements, yet the
consciousness of doing good quite overbalances the inconvenience.  Oh, let me be more holy, more useful, more
devoted!"
The same day Mr. Cutler met with the following lines in
the Episcopal Recorder, which he copied, under this date,
into his journal, with the expressed desire that they might
animate him. Little could he foresee what he was to pass
through, ere another season closed, but the spirit of these
verses was always with him, nerving him at every post of
duty and danger! Very often, in after years, did he repeat
them from memory; and only a short time before his earthly
warfare was actually ended, he requested a dear relative to
read them to him. We therefore think them worthy of a
place here:
CHRISTIAN WARFARE.
"Soldier, o! but not to claim
Mouldering spoils of earth-born treasure;
Not to build a vaunting name,
Not to dwell in tents of pleasure;
Dream not that the way is smooth,
Hope not that the thorns are roses;
Turn no wishful eye of youth
Where the sunny beam reposes;




CITY MISSIONARY IX NEW YORK    I17
Thou hast sterner work to do,
Hosts to cut thy passage through;
Close behind thee gulfs are burning,
Forward! there is no returning.
"Soldier, REST! but not for thee
Spreads the world her downy pillow;
On the rock thy couch must be,
While around thee chafes the billow.
Thine must be a watchful sleep,
Wearier than another's waking;
Such a charge as thou dost keep
Brooks no moment of forsaking.
Sleep, as on the battle-field,
Girded-grasping sword and shield;
Foes thou canst not name or number
Steal upon thy broken slumber.
"Soldier, RISE! the war is done.
Lo! the hosts of hell are flying.'T was thy Lord the battle won,
Jesus vanquished them by dying.
Pass the stream-before thee lies
All the conquered land of glory;
Hark! what songs of rapture riseThese proclaim the victor's story.
Soldier, lay thy weapons down,
Quit the sword and take the crown;
Triumph! all thy foes are banished,
Death is slain, and earth is vanished."
During the time Mr. Cutler had charge of the mission he
made quarterly reports to the Board of Managers. These
reports, some of which were printed, were extremely interesting, and show how unceasingly he labored; but we can
only give one extract, from that of June, 1832, which will
show how diligently he toiled for souls, and how judiciously
hlis charities were bestowed:
"The case of a poor woman, who was buried from  the
Mission Church, April 11, is an interesting one. Her name
was A-     T-   T.  She was the wife of a United




118           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
States soldier stationed in Florida.  I found her in a garret
at No. 106 Madison Street.  She had three small clhildren,
one an infant only twelve days old.
"It was a day in midwinter  she was sitting up and working for a tailor, in extreme poverty, and with evident symptoms of consumption; but, what was worse than this, with
no al)parent sense of religion or tenderness of conscience.
" I purchased for her a blanket and a pair of shoes.
"I soon called again; exhorted, prayed, and gave some
alms.  She evidently began to decline in health; the weather
was very severe, and her deprivations were great.  Finding
her not much interested in religious conversation, after attending to her wants I generally offered prayer.
" When I next called she was sinking fast, and received
miserable attention.  Her bed and clothing were squalid,
and no proper nourishment was found her.  I advised her
to give up her children to the Comnmissioners of the Poor,
to which she consented.  The two younger ones I baptized
in her presence.
"Believing there was one ray of hope, that by private
nursing she might live through the spring, to take leave of
her children and to see her husband, I had her removed to
the house of a pious English wolman, 71 Cliff Street, who
consented to take her to board.  Here she lingered four
weeks; pious ladies visited her; she became more and more
tractable, and at length, after faithful examination, I coneluded she had been converted to God, anid I then gave her
the Sacrament.  She lived two weeks after thlis —always
patient; and on the 10th of April, she gently fell asleep in
Jesus without a struggle.
" As I had drawn largely on my charity fund I at first concluded to let her be buried in the Potter's Field, but consideriung hlcr spiritactl relation to oar great Iedleeimer, I
determined, for his sake, to give her a Christian burial.
"We all followed the corpse to the grave in St. John's




CITY  M31&~S7IO='ARY IN NVEW  YORK0t           119
Burying-ground, trusting that'thle soul of our deceased
sister' was in heaven.
" Here, then, is one of the fruits of a city mission. A poor,
sick and perishling sinner converted, by God's blessing, into
a believing, though suffering and dying, saint; her offspring
baptized and secured during their tender age; her soul led
to feed upon Christ; hler last hours peaceful and happy, and
blessings invoked by many upon the city mission.
"Our regular clergy might have been more faithful, but
none except a city missionary could have given the time
whichl was bestowed upon this woman."
So multiplied were the labors of Mr. Cutler in this position that lie found little time for correspondence, and, in
general, le adhered to his resolution (formed on his removal
from Virginia to New York), to give up his correspondents
at the South.
But known througlhout all the churches as a true " son of
consolation," many of the sufferingc children of God hesitated
not to seek his sympathy.  To one such, at Alexandria, Va.,
he wrote:
"MY DEAR MADAM-Your letter and your troubles have left such
an impression on my mind that I cannot forbear writing you a few
lines. It has pleased God to adopt you into the family of his suffering believers. You have tasted of the culp lie put into the hands of
his Son, and which has never been out of mortal hanlds since. But
the bitterness of the draught has been greatly lessened.  It is now
but a health-giving cup. Would you, my dear madam, wish to alter
one single circumstance in your past trying life? Would you not
choose affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season'
"I am greatly mistaken if you have not weighed in a true balance
the pleasures of sin and the vanity of earthly possessions, and if you
have not set a price upon the favor of man which shows its worthlessness.  Dearly has your aching heart purchased the experience
you now have of the world, and expensive the experiment which has
been made by your hEeavenly Father to wean you from it. He does
not willingly afflict, and yet he has afflicted you. Like as a father
pitieth his own children, even so is the Lord merciful to them that




120           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
fear him. What must a human father have felt in witnessing all
your trials, exertions and sacrifices! What if he could have seen
all your tears, heard all your sighs, and known every wound from
which your heart has bled.
" God saw, and heard, and knew all and suffered all; yea, even
while he could have prevented all, pitied all, but permitted all.
Why was this? It was, I trust, that he might purify you unto himself. He put you into the school of affliction for the very purpose
that you put a dear child into a school of intellectual discipline.
How cruel the indulgence that would gratify the waywardness and
levity of the juvenile mind until it was too late to improve it, until
it found itself amidst the duties of matured life, calling for concentrated and cultivated powers,when there was nothing but imbecility
to respond to that call!
"' Bless God, my dear fellow-sufferer and fellow-scholar, that you
have been thus distinguished by his parental love, and anticipate
the time when the lessons you have learned with so much pain shall
be put in practice to your eternal praise!
" With affectionate regards to our Christian friends in Alexandria,
I remain, dear madam, your faithful friend,
"B. C. CUTLER."
But sorrow and trial were about to draw still nearer to
the faithful missionary, who could thus appreciate and point
out to others (as far as human ken can do) the designs of an
All-wise God.
This epistle was, indeed, a fitting prelude to those exhortations which, by word of mouth, he was about to give in
many a house immediately around him.
Just as the fervid heats of summer came, the angel of
Death, with the wan face of pestilence, appeared and stood
over the devoted city!
This was the first time that fearful scourge, the cholera,
had visited our shores; the panic throughout the city of
New York and the adjacent counties was great and widespread.  The crowded city became deserted, and those who
remained shrank away in seclusion from contact with their
fellow-men. Mr. Cutler, just before this date, had taken
rooms in Walker Street, in order to be nearer hiS immediate




CITY MJISSIOVAR Y IN NEW  YORK           121
field of labor. As missionary to the poor, he was now much
exposed to the worst ravages of the pestilence; but he was
enabled, with his fellow-laborers in the mission, to perform
its regular duties. In season and out of season he labored
"in perils oft," and for several weeks he lived on the borders
of the eternal world, expecting his own summons " morning,
noon, and night." The distress and solemnity of the scenes
he witnessed " no language could describe."  His diary at
this period gives us further details:
a 76 Walker Street, New  York, June 18, 1832.-The
cholera is in Quebec and Montreal. This city is beginning
to be alarmed; Christians are waking up. My soul, how
stands the case with thee? May the Holy Ghost inspire
me with wisdom; and as I examine my heart before God
this morning, may I rightly judge myself that I be not
judged."
" July 21. —I am now in the midst of the pestilence.
The cholera, the universal plague, arrived in this city four
weeks ago. It has caused the death of over nine hundred
persons. This day the report of the Board of Health was
three hundred new cases and one hundred and thirty deaths.
I have been in it and exposed to it every day; visited many
ill with it, and followed some to the grave who had died
with it. I have great need to live prepared for death; and,
if I am not mistaken, I have been enabled, through grace,
to feel that death would be gain to me. Still I view it as
a great and solemn change-one at which nature shudders;
but grace can calm nature, and God can support the dying
Christian so that he may triumph over death, and exclaim,' O death, where is thy sting?  O grave, where is thy victory?  Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Christians appear to rise
up to the exigency of the time; they are frequent in prayer,
and charitable with their means.  Oh that their prayers
and their alms might come up as a memorial before God and
6




122          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
stay the plague! Sinners appear stupid and insensible, as
they generally are. Thousands and tens of thousands have
fled from the city; thousands more may be seen intoxicated
with ardent spirits.  0 Lord, have mercy now upon their
souls, for thy Son's sake!
" I have not been well to-day, and am not able to do what
I would for the poor. My mind to-night is calm, but solemn,
and much inclined to rest above all earthly consolation, and
to commune most with the truths of the new revelation which
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to make. His precious
promise is,'I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall lie live; and
whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die.' This
is my staff.                           B. C. CUTLER."
In after years, Dr. Cutler spoke with deep interest of this
season. So silent aid lonely were the great thoroughfares
of the city, that even a solitary traveller on Broadway was
a novel sight, and as he was on horseback he often saw
faces peering out of an upper window, attracted by the
strange sight. So great was the consternation among residents of neighboring places, that intercourse with the
citizens of New York was restricted to the supply of the
very necessaries of life.
At Newport, R. I., the inhabitants would not allow steamboats to land their passengers, and no communication with
the infected city was allowed, except by the way of Providence, and even this avenue would have been closed up, if
the plague had not soon abated.
Mr. Cutler's mother, then at Newport, wrote to him to
"flee while it was yet day!"  In the strongest language she
implored him to leave the city, where the destroying pestilence was carrying off its victims, by hundreds, to the grave.
"My most precious son, oh come out from thence! I entreat
you; linger not within its walls, as Lot would have done,
but for the friendly angels that drew him perforce from it!




CITY MI'SSIONARY IN N~EW  YORK.            123
Oh that such kind messengers may be sent (though invisible) to persuade you to escape, while you may, to our'little
Zoar,' as I trust the mercy of our God will make it to us,
as a refuge from the storm that is now threshing down its
multitudes around us!"
But a parent's entreaties could not turn him aside from
what he conceived to be the path of duty. He would not
desert his colors, as a soldier and a standard-bearer of the
Lord, but obeying the orders of his Great Captain, " Go,
preach my gospel," he unfalteringly went forward, even
though Death threatened him at every step.
" No matter where, if duty called, he went
Amid contagion, poverty and death;
Bent o'er the sufferer, as his hours were spent,
Nor feared the blast of pestilential breath."
He stood often between the living and the dead, whispering words of comfort, and proclaiming pardon and peace
to many a dying sinner. The constraining love of Christ
kept him at his post; and his Divine Master preserved him,
as " the anointed of the Lord," from the " pestilence which
walked in darkness and the destruction which wasted at
noonday."  And not till this sickness had spent itself,
and the horrible scourge was abated, did he leave the
place to recruit his wasted energies and refresh his exhausted frame.
At the time of this visitation from the hand of God,
Mr. Cutler's heart was cheered by the presence and companionship of his friend, the Rev. William Jackson, at St.
Stephen's Church, in that city-a man of equal fidelity with
Mr. Cutler, who would not be deterred from entering upon
the charge of the important church to which he had been
called.  He gladly welcomed this brother into the circle
where " the fellowship of kindred minds" had endeared such
laborers in the Lord's vineyard as Dr. Miinor, and Dr.




124          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Mcllvaine, [Mr. Cutler, and Mr. Eastburn, very much to
each other.
In the autumn of this year, Mr. Cutler, in making his
customary report, alluded to the severe scourge with which
the Almigllty had visited the city, and gratefully acknowledged the hand of God in preserving him and his fellowlaborers in the mission.
"Not one," says he, "of the active missionary members
of the church has died; and but two of the communicants,
both of whom were strangers in the city, but I trust not in
that' city which hath foutndations, whose builder and maker
is God.'"
Mr. Cutler preached the annual sermon in behalf of the
New York Protestant Episcopal City Mission Society about
this time, which proved to be a discourse of deep interest,
and it was immediately printed.  The text was Miark xvi.
20, "And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the
Lord working with them."  With his usual earnestness
and pointedness of appeal, Mr. Cutler urged the managers
to provide another missionary church, " with its missionary,
its Sunday-schools and daily schools, its library, its prayers,
atid its alns!"
Though Mr. Cutler performed all the duties of the mission with great faithfulness and regularity, he never contented himself with a bare outline of duty, or trammelled
himself by a strict routine of professional service. With an
open heart and a ready hand he cast his bread upon the
waters, not knowing which would prosper, either this or
that.
Wherever a soul could be saved, or a fellow-being raised
up from the mire of a degraded and down-trodden humanity,
there he was f6und ever at hand, to assist in the work of
mercy. He searched out the forsaken and the wretched,
even in the hospitals of the city where he dwelt, proving
the poet's words true:




CITY MISSIOXARY IN IVEW  YORK.            125
"Nor, till invoked,
Can restless goodness wait; your active search
Leaves no cold wintry corner unexploredLike silent-working heaven, surprising oft
Tlhe lonely heart with unexpected good."
The case of a poor woman in Forsyth Street interested
our city missionary to an unusual degree. Her pain was
excruciating, as she was "dying, piecemeal." of cancer.
After many faithful visits on the part of the missionary, she
came to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus as her Saviour,
and Mr. Cutler rejoiced that he had " not labored in vain."
He thus makes mention of her reception of the Holy Communion:
" In no condition can a human being appear so wretched
as in severe sickness, in the most oppressive weather, and
almost neglected. From this condition our poor sufferer
was taken; and when I gave her the Sacrament, there was
a cleanliness of person, a composure of expression, and a
fixedness of devotion which invited your assistance and
attention, instead of making such attention the greatest act
of self-denial.
" I have now in my mind a, perfect picture of her, while i
presented the consecrated elements. She was. raised up in
the bed, by a chair against her baclk. The teachers had
disposed the plain articles of her dress with more than
commlon care. Her face was almost unearthly pale, a clean
white cap covering her smooth, dark hair. Her cold hands
were stretched out and clasped in the attitude of devotion;
and every thing about her discovered kindness and care.
Three of tile teachers, and the mother of a fourth, were
kneeling in front of the bed; and although the only objects
in the room which spoke of the riches of this world, were
the silver vessels which held the consecrated elements, and
which reflected the light of a single candle, yet there was a
spiritual importance and an eternal reality about the hopes




126          LIFE OF RET DR. CUTLER.
and the feelings, at that time experienced, which no earthly
splendor could have dissipated or diminished."
A few days later, and the spirit took its flight to a better
world,
" From the silence that falls upon sin and pain,
To the deathless joys of the angels' strain."
The heart of Mr. Cutler rejoiced indeed, when, in October, so many clerical friends were gathered together in
New York, at the General Convention of the Protestant
Episcopal Church. Gladly he availed himself of the services of his early fiiends, Dr. Edson, of Massachusetts, and
Dr. Smith, of Kentucky; the latter of whom was advanced
to the episcopate (together with Drs. Hopkins, Doane and
McIlvaine) before the month closed. Drs. Hopkins, Whitehouse, Stone and Jackson, and many others, were also glad
to help on the good work of the City Mission.
A most interesting meeting, in behalf of the mission to
Greece, was held at this time in the Church of the Ascension, of which the Rev. Mr. Eastburn, the beloved friend of
Mr. Cutler, was rector. One of the missionaries about to
sail for that mission was present, and the meeting was
addressed by Bishop AMeade and by Rev. Messrs. Smith,
Richmond, Van Pelt, Eastburn and Cutler. The collection
on this occasion amounted to nearly one thousand dollars.
Thus was Mr. Cutler obeying the Scripture injunction:
"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold
not thine hand."  One or two instances in his own field of
labor may with propriety be cited.
Finding a very poor man who was distressed to pay his
rent, Mr. Cutler paid it; and as the man was quite ill, he
continued often to visit him. He was stupid and unconcerned
about his soul, and remarkably callous. He said more than
once, " My heart is cold; I want to feel warm here," putting
his hand upon his breast. Mr. Cutler inquired, "Do you
take opium?" "None," was the reply. "Have you ever




CITY MISSIONAR Y IN NEW YORK.             27
imbibed infidel notions?"  "No."  Mr. Cutler then went
through the Apostles' Creed, step by step, and found out at
last that the man had been a Universalist. He pointed out
to him several passages of Scripture on eternal punishment.
He prayed with him and for him, and requested him to put
up certain petitions after him, aloud.
Mr. Cutler's journal runs thus:" My attempt to convert
this man was not abandoned. I told him the story of the
fall of man, the coming and death of the Son of God, and
the way in which a sinner might be saved, and urged him to
cast himself upon the Saviour."
"Nov. 10, 1832.-Called and found him feeble; inquired
particularly into his wants and those of the family, and put
them in the way of supply. Then I inquired whether there
had been any change in his feelings since I last saw him.'Yes.''What change?' said I.'I can now keep my mind
upon God, and pray to him.''Do you feel that warmth in
your heart you desired?''Yes; since yesterday. I feel so
easy and happy; but I want more strength-strength in my
heart.' I repeated a hymn, offered prayer, and conversed
with him about death. I hope and trust this is a conversion
to God; if so, it is the second one in the mission this week,
and will greatly encourage me."
"Nov. 12.-My poor patient died to-day. I hope he is
happy. Just as I left him, dying, I was called to another
sick-bed. Oh, while I am preparing one and another sinner
to meet his God, O God! prepare me, for Christ's sake!"
Another interesting case was that of a poor woman with
ten children. The father had died of cholera, and most all
the articles of furniture were destroyed, by public authority,
to prevent contagion. Mr. Cutler had the family removed
to clean and comfortable quarters. Four of the children he
placed in the Sunday-school, and two smaller ones in the
daily infant school. He procured a place for one of the
daughters in a family; and a situation in a store for the




128          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
eldest son. The mother herself lie admitted to the Communion at the MIission Church.  Grateful, indeed, was the poor
woman to God and to her earthly benefactors.
Mr. Cutler made his next report at the close of this year,
and the mission was in a state of unexampled prosperity
in every department.  The pulpit labors had been blessed.
Three Bible-classes for adults had been formed under favorable auspices; one of which was under the care of a candidate for holy orders.  The main Sunday-school consisted
of twenty-four teachers and one hundred and eight scholars;
and the daily infant school registered the names of four
hundred little children. A new organ had also been purchased, through the exertions of the missionary and a few
friends.
Mr. Cutler took especial interest in the daily school,
thereby gaining admittance to many families, and enabling
him to supply the temporal and spiritual wants of multitudes
who lived in the vicinity of the mission.
Early in January, 1833, the anniversary was celebrated,
and exercises of an unusually interesting character were
enjoyed by all. Besides the missionary, the distinguished
Hon. W. A. Duer, LL. D., and Peter A. Jay, Esq., made
addresses.
Indeed, in advancing the iriterests of the City Mission,
both clerical and lay assistance was often sought, and a
cheerful response was always given.
The Rev. Drs. Milnor, Eastburn, Jackson and Turner, as
earnest friends of the mission and its missionary, and the
Rev. Drs. Schroeder, Anthon and Wainwright, were chief
among the many who rejoiced, as occasion offered, to lend
their personal sanction and aid to this noble enterprise.
It was while engaged in this mission that Mr. Cutler put
in the form of a tract " A Narrative of the Shipwreck of the
Brig Empress, of New York, March 16, 1824, by Capt. F.
Washington."  It was published, with notes, by the mission



CITY MISSIONAR Y I1N NEW  YORK.             1 z
ary, who then, as in all his future ministry, took so deep an
interest in the welfare of those who " go down to the sea in
ships" and " do business in the great waters."  The spiritual welfare of seamen, of every grade, ever lay near the heart
of this devoted man of God.
None but a mind comprehensive like his, and varied in
its tastes, could have touched the welfare of so many classes
of men; and only a patient, wise and loving spirit would
have so readily entered into the details of every case of
ignorance, error, guilt or sorrow, which on every hand presented itself.  Thus snatching a few hours, at times, from
pressing duties, lie read the memoir of his friend the Rev.
Sutherland Douglass, and before the first month of the new
year had passed, he pens a few lines to Mrs. Douglass ill
this language:'The memoir of your departed husl)and is faitihful and true;
larger extracts fiom his journal would have enriched the sketch;
but as it is, I consider it a beautiful miniature of;a saint, noW made
perfect in heaven. Dear sister! why wast thou so soon and so sorely
wounded? and how sweetly has thy spirit seemed to bend beneath
the blast! Heaven heal tile wound which Heaven has made.' Your interest in the Malan of Sorrows was happily secured before
the tempest rose, so you had a covert all ready to whicli you repaired.' Your sympathizing brother,     B. C. CUTLER."
On Sunday, the 10th of February, 1833, Mr. Cutler
preached, as usual, at the Mission Church in the morning,
and visited his Sunday-school.  The new mission in North
Street claimed his attention in the afternoon. The evening
lie spent with his mother and family.
On Monday, he made several calls among the poor, and
devoted the evening to a mission family, closing the day
with reading and prayer with them.
On Tuesday morning, he retired to his own room, " to
hold communion with his own heart."
He writes in his journal:




130           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" 76 Walker Street, Febrtuary 12, 1833.-I have stolen a
few hours this day to retire from the business of my mission
and perform the duty of self-examination.  Just as I finished
writing the above, I received a Committee from the Vestry
of St. Ann's Church, Brooklyn, conveying a call to me
to the rectorship of that church.  I have spread it before the Lord! May he direct me! lie made me, he called
me, I trust, to the ministry of his Son! He has owned
me in doing some little good! When sick, he has healed
me! when hungry, he has fed me! when forgotten and considered as dead, he has brought me up again! The Lord
has blest my labors, and now he has given me a call to a
station of honor and profit, and whether I accept it or not,
I shall bless him!"
The correspondence on this subject was as follows:
"BROOKLYN, February 11, 1833.
" SiR-I have been instructed to inform you that at a meeting of
the Vestry of St. Ann's Church, in this place, held this evening,
you were duly electedRector of said church, to succeed the Right
Rev. Dr. McIlvaine, upon his resignation, on the 1st of May next,
with the salary of sixteen hundred dollars per annum, the use of
the parsonage-house and grounds, and other privileges connected
with the rectory. And by a resolution of the Board, Mr. Peet and
myself were appointed a Committee to present to you this call, and
to request your acceptance of the same.
" I am, with great respect, your obedient servant,
"F. C. TUCKER,
"' Secretary of t/he Vestry of St. Ann's.' To Rev. Mr. CUTLER, New York."
REPLY.
"' NEW YORK, February 18, 1833.' DEAR SII-I have taken into serious consideration the call
which I received on Tuesday last, from the Vestry of St. Ann's
Church.'After seeking direction from Goa, and asking the advice of
sonie of the best friends of our church in this city, I have concluded
to accept the same.




CITY  IISSIONARI  Y IN NEW  YORK.         131
"May Almighty God, the source of all life, and light, and love,
give us, as pastor and people, an abundant blessing, for his dear Son
our Lord Jesus Christ's sake.
"I remain, with due respect and consideration, yours, etc.,
"B. C. CUTLER."
As in ancient times, the servant was found at his humble
post of service when the Master said " Come up higher."
David was feeding the sheep when he was summoned to
be king over Israel; Elisha was plowing with the oxen
when called to the prophetic office; Nehemiah was bearing
the cup when he was deemed worthy to be advanced to
signal distinction.
And Mr. Cutler was truly at the post of duty when God
called him to another sphere of labor. Who can fail to see
that God had been training his servant, through all the previous chapters of his history, for the noble life-work upon
which he was about to enter? The life-plan for his dear
servant, conceived by God in his paternal love, was now
partially unfolded. The chart of the Divine purposes had
not, indeed, been laid down beforehand to mortal eye; but
it had been the privilege of this disciple to live very near to
his Master, and, with implicit trust, he rejoiced that God
had determined all things for him, and was leading him on,
shaping his life for him, day by day, and year by year.
This assurance gave him inward peace, amid all the vicissitudes through which he had passed. Each event, change,
and experience was but a turn in the wheel of God's providence, which he felt would. when rightly viewed, add to the
lustre of God's glory, even though, at times, to his confused
and finite vision, there appeared only a great cloud, and an
amber brightness round about it, like to that which Ezekiel,
the priest of the Lord, beheld by the river Chebar.' Ah! God is other than we think;
His ways are far above,
Far above reason's height, and reached
Only by childlike love."




132 $        LIFE OF JEV. DIR. CUTLER.
Mr. Cutler thus ever recognized the hand of Divine Providence, and realized at this time that God had indeed
" led him forth by the right way, that he might go to a city
of habitation!" The notes in his journal tell us of what
spirit he was in with regard to this subject:
"April 2, 1833.-With the advice of the best friends of
the church, I have accepted the call to Brooklyn.  It has
been with much prayer. May it be heard and answered.
I have had many severe regrets at leaving this mission. If
I can trace the hand of the Lord in it, it is his intention to
humble me; to make me more charitable to ministers who
move from their stations, and to give me experience of the
practical evils arising from too frequent removals. But in
this world we are called continually to act. The wisest
and holiest of my friends recommended the course I have
taken.
"I have refused promotion before, because it seemed my
duty to stay where I was; but I think it as proper to accept
with gratitude temporal blessings when God gives them, as
to submit with patience when he takes them away.
" In two great events of my life I have followed the advice of pious friends, contrary to my own opinion.
"' In the first case, I am satisfied now they were right. In
this last case, it remains yet to be proved. If God should
not make my union with the people of St. Ann's profitable to
them and to me, if he should not bring me off conqueror over
any difficulties that may arise, I shall never listen to friends
again."
At the close of his labors at the City Mission, Mr. Cutler
made a deeply interesting report to the Board of Managers.
He took a general survey of this field of labor, and prefaced his statement with the question, " Have we gained
ally ground on the territory of human misery and woe?
" We have heard the salutes of friendly ordnance and the
sound of unfriendly reports. The smoke of both, however,




CITY MISSIONARY IN NEW  YORK              133
has blown off from  the field, and we may now survey at
leisure our actual acquisitions.
" The operation of the City Mission had been different from
what was expected. The idea of those who originated the
plan, was that it should be a mission to the habitations of
the poor, which is a simple, practicable, and noble plan; unencumbered with difficulties of any kind, and abounding in
blessings to its objects. But this idea was soon connected
with another, no less simple and noble; not quite so practicable, but far more useful. It was that of a Free Church,
which was the planting of a tree, which, by God's blessing,
might bear fruit, year after year, instead of carrying the
same fruit to the hungry, from trees more distant, and which
yield a, less certain supply.
"The society has certainly established a new church in
this city, and without permanent injury to any other church.
The doors of this church have been opened hundreds of
times, and thousands have joined in the worship of God and
listened to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot
but hope, to the good of their immortal souls. The rite of
baptism has been administered to sixty-one infants and eleven
adults; thirty-six persons have, for the first time, partaken
of the Holy Communion.  The history of a Free Church,
however, is not readily known.
"Such a church attracts hundreds from the fact that it is
free, and who can tell how many are drawn thither who
never think of approaching a church where pews are held
as private property; and these very persons, of all others in
the community, in a most critical state of mind, just wavering between religion and irreligion.
" Some in.tances we may here cite:
"1. One man, alarmed at the ravages of the late pestilence in the silence and desertion of the city, like the Prodigal Son, turned his thoughts toward his Father's house,'where there was bread enough and to spare, while he was




134          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
perishing with hunger.' He had heard of this Free Church;
came here to worship, and exclaimed,'This is what I want!'
This man is now, with a large family, numbered amongst its
constant worshippers and laborers.
" 2. Another man, a mechanic, whose constant occupation
had ensnared him and caused him to absent himself from
the sanctuary, was urged by his family to permit them at
least to join some church.  He consented just as this
church was opened, and they came here.  By God's blessing they were converted, at length; they prevailed on him
to attend, and now that whole family, parents and children,
have been received by baptism and the Lord's Supper into
the ark of Christ's Church, and appear to be'steadfast in
faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity.'
"3. A promising young man came to this city as a clerk, a
year or two since, who had no inducement to attend any
particular church. He resolved to attend, in rotation, all
the churches in the neighborhood of his dwelling, but this
proved to be impracticable and unsatisfactory. He came to
this church about a year since, has attended regularly on
its services, and is now, we trust, a worshipper in spirit and
in truth. We point out these cases as specimens of three
classes of people to whom this church is profitable, and to
whom other churches would be of little service.
" Hundreds of young men who enter the city for business,
come and go; the history of whose coming and of whose attendance on these means of grace is, and will be, unknown.
" This mission has a daily school for the children of the
poor, and several hundred families have thus become acquainted with the Church and its blessings. The pastor of
this church has been truly a missionary to the poor, visiting
constantly the poorest part of the population.
" The work which is now given out weekly from our house
of industry to respectable females among the laboring classes,
almost every piece of which is accompanied with a short




CITY MISSIOONARY IN NEW  YORK.           135
Tract,cannot fail of securing the interest of the poor in this
church, and in time lead, perhaps, to permanent religious
good.  Have we not then effected some good which is not
contemplated by other Episcopal Churches?
" The results of the mission may have varied in detail from
what it was expected would be accomplished, but its influence for good has doubtless been great. It is not surprising
that when this river of God burst from the flinty rock, it should
move in a course which those, through whose instrumentality
it gushed out, had not intended; especially, since it has become a wider stream than they expected, and promises to
course with them through the entire length of the wilderness. To God be all the glory if any good has been effected,
and to him,let us look for all that yet may follow."
The value of Mr. Cutler's services at this mission were
far above any estimate he placed upon them. Here he
labored a year and a half. He was the first missionary, and
he had the satisfaction of seeing this infant institution grow
in favor with God and man. Here he distributed one thousand or twelve hundred dollars among the poor, and saw
about sixty persons added to the Communion.
The quarterly sermon for this season, by Rev. Mr. S.,
was a most faithful discourse, but Mr. Cutler, in his humility
of mind, was almost pained " by the praise, which was without measure, given to him," as the missionary.
"I have also had some very severe things said against
me," he says, in his journal, " since I have been in the mission. So I must go through evil report and good report.
It has always been so from my childhood, and will be so,
without doubt, till my death. Let it wean me from the
praise of men."
Mr. Cutler found much of his time had been consumed in
the temporal matters of the mission. He had little or no
time to write sermons, or to study, which he so much desired.
When, under peculiar circumstances, therefore, he was called




136          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
to St. Ann's, without any effort or desire of his own, he felt
it his duty and his privilege to accept it, especially as his
health was now restored.
When the time came for actual separation from his people, and from multitudes of others among the poor, to whom
he had been both father and friend, the tie was found to
be exceedingly strong. He could say, with Job, " I was a
father to the poor, and the cause which I knew  not I
searched out." "':I delivered the poor that cried, and the
fatherless, and him that had none to help him.'"
Through all the ravages of pestilence, too, he stood by
them, and it could not be without many tears and longings of heart that the tie was broken which had so closely
bound together pastor and people in this interesting field of
labor. Many a one could say of him, He was a real friend
to me, and warned me privately of the dangers which beset
my path, or, he aided me in time of need; I owe what I am
to him. And many a widow, with choking utterance, could,
and did tell her children, "There is your friend and mine.
He visited me in my affliction and found you, my son, an employer, and you, my daughter, a happy home."
A good man once said of such, " I would rather such persons should stand at my grave, than to have erected over it
the most beautiful sculptured monument of Parian or Italian
marble. The heart's broken utterance of reflections of past
kindness, and the tears of grateful memory shed upon the
grave, are more valuable, in my estimation, than tile most
costly cenotaph ever reared!" The offerings of such hearts
were at this time laid at Mr. Cutler's feet, even in life, an
earnest and pledge of that remarkable outpouring of sorrow
which, from countless multitudes of grateful hearts, bedewed
his new-made grave, many years later, and hallowed his
memory with an undying fragrance.
Mr. Cutler often spoke of his life as a city missionary
as "the happiest period" of his history.  The memories




CITY MISSIONARY IN NEW  YORK              137
which it left were abiding, and never lost their interest with
him, while his short but active ministry for Christ here,was
an eminent blessing to the souls committed to his charge.
It was here he ministered to those who have been styled
" God's heroes;" " the heroes of poverty and of the workshop; of silent, patient endurance, having learned, through
much tribulation, that waiting and suffering is their destined
work; the heroes of long-suffering, forbearance and charity,
or,of victory over pain, of the unostentatious self-denials of
the household; the lowly toiling men and women,' climbing
mounts of sacrifice, under heavy crosses, without a human
hand held out in sympathy; the noble army of martyrs who
have found and followed the Master's footprints, in the daily
round of humble duties; priests by a heavenly consecration,
offering the sacrifices of praise, in garret and. cellar; men
and women, far from stimulating delights of successful activities; co-workers with Christ, sowing, in hope, the seed
whose increase they should never reap."  To such he ever
loved to minister, wherever they were in the densely
thronged city, and point them in faith to that Saviour, who,
as they passed up from their dark homes below, through the
gates of the morning, into the city without a temple, would
greet them with his welcome, and place the crown upon
their lowly brows.
In this field, as well as in that where his service was so
long rendered, Mr. Cutler went forth often weeping, " bearing precious seed," and in the great harvest-day of souls, he
" will doubtless come again with  rejoicing, bringing his
sheaves with him," not a few of which he gathered for his
Lord, as he humbly toiled at the City Mission in New
York.




CHAPTER VII.
RECTOR OF ST. ANN'S CHURCH, BROOKLYN, N. Y.
1833-1836.' Come, as a teacher sent from God,
Charged his whole counsel to declare;
Lift o'er our ranks the Prophet's rod,
While we uphold thy hands with prayer.
" Come, as a messenger of peace,
Filled with the Spirit, fired with love;
Live, to behold our large increase,
And die, to meet us all above!"
S T. ANN'S, Brooklyn, is one of the oldest churches in
that city.  Its history runs back to a period long
anterior to the American Revolution. Owing to the destruction of records during the war, the early history is
obscure.  In 1785 a small church edifice on Fulton Street
was purchased for the use of the congregation, and not long
after this date, the society was incorporated by an act of
the Legislature, under the title of " The Episcopal Church
of Brooklyn."  Among the earnest and liberal supporters of
the church were Joshua Sands, Esq., and John Cornell, Esq.
It might be deemed invidious to make distinctions, but none
will deny that these two individuals were the chief benefactors of this ancient parish.
The wife of the former, Mrs. Ann Sands, was foremost in
every good work. She devoted her energies, time, and
large pecuniary resources to this church, and ere long it
was called, out of regard to her unwearied benevolence,
"St. Ann's Church."  It was " a day of small things" with
the church, but this constant friend lived to see its un(138)




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RECTOR OF' ST. ANN'S CHURCII.           139
bounded prosperity, and often called on her venerable
cotemporaries to thank God for the blessings he had
vouchsafed, and could exclaim with unusual emphasis, " Behold, what hath God wrought!"
In 1795 the church was re-organized and incorporated
anew under the title of St. Ann's Church. It has been
known by this name up to the present day. For forty
years it stood alone, the only Episcopal Church in Brooklyn.
From it, sprang nearly all the other churches of her communion, and they may look back with profound reverence,
and point to her as the venerable mother of them all.
In 1805 a new stone edifice was erected on the corner of
Sands and Washington Streets; but this being injured by
the explosion of a powder mill- a few years later, and pronounced unsafe, another building was erected in 1824. The
Rev. Henry U. Onderdonk, D. D., was then rector of the
church.
A long line of faithful witnesses to the truth had ministered to this society: Rev. Messrs. Sayre, Wright, Rattoone,
Hull, Nesbitt, Ireland, Feltus, Henshaw and Smith.
Two years more passed, and again St. Ann's lost her pastor,
Dr. Onderdonk having been elected Assistant Bishop of the
Diocese of Pennsylvania. The same year (1827) his place
was supplied by the election of the Rev. Dr. McIlvaine to
the rectorship.
In 1832 this able and eloquent man became the Bishop
of the Diocese of Ohio. Again was the shepherd of this
flock removed to become the chief shepherd in another portion of the field, and St. Ann's was without a rector. Many
changes had passed over the church. The loss of their last
rector, with his great natural gifts and commanding powers,
was deeply felt.  The people, lamenting the successive
changes in the rectorship in so short a period of time,
longed to have a pastor who would continue to feed this
flock during a long term of years. On the part of some,




140          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
unceasing prayers were offered that God would send them
" a man after his own heart."
God had prepared for them just such a man. A fearless,
faithful preacher; a devoted, loving pastor-one who, by
long experience and discipline, had been fitted for the work
before him; a man of practical wisdom and sagacity, and
unusual knowledge of the human heart in its every phase;
one in whomn moral courage, ardent zeal, and fervent love,
strove for the mastery; and one whose elements of character
were so combined as to unite a large congregation in their
appreciation of all the essentials of religious truth, whatever
minor differences might exist.
No ordinary man could effectively fill such a station; and
it was not easy to find one of suitable qualities of mind and
heart, who, as a lover of evangelical truth and apostolic
order, would satisfy the desires of such a people. The hand
of Divine Providence seemed to point to the Rev. B. C.
Cutler, A. M. (then city missionary in New York). He was
accordingly called to St. Ann's on the 11th of February,
1833; instituted into the rectorslhip on the 21st of April;
and on the 5th of May he opened his ministry, preaching
from Zech. iv. 6: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my
Spirit, saith the Lord."
The ministry thus commenced, in sole reliance on the
blessing of the Holy Spirit, continued the joy of the people
of St. Ann's for thirty years, blessing other fields in its
course, gathering richer hues reflected from  the Cross of
Christ, which was faithfully held up to others, increasing in
its all-pervading influence, till death set the seal, and the
beloved Dr. Cutler was called to a higher ministry than
that of earth.
Three months after Mr. Cutler became the rector of St.
Ann's, he writes: " I have been well received, and have not
been without hope that I have done good. The church,
which some foretold would be, in a measure, deserted, has




RECTOR OF ST. A-kN'S CHURCOH.            141
been and is now full. It is now about being closed for
painting, and I can have leisure for retirement, meditation
and prayer. I desire to mature plans for more vigorous
and systematic pastoral labor. I have no object on earth
but the good of the Church of God and the salvation of my
own particular people. My soul! how is that? I have
entered upon a state of prosperity. Seven-and-twenty years
of education, discipline and affliction I have passed through.'It is of the Lord's mercies that I am not consulned.' The
Lord enable me, in this new situation, so to labor, so to
pray, and so to study, that I may receive the Holy Ghost
from on high. I have every thing to thank him for, and
every thing to make me humble. I desire to serve him
faithfilly in the gospel of his Son; and I am willing to
serve him painfully, laboriously, and prayerfully."
How prophetic was the closing sentence of this record.
We who knew him best, as we look upward and behold his
triumph, and, in imagination, gaze upon the radiant crown
upon his brow, can with truth say, as we cast a glance
backward:
"Not without patient care,
Sore suffering, day-long toil,
And many a wrestling night of prayer,
Didst thou divide the spoil."
Under date of November 11, 1833, another record is made
in his journal:
" Six months at Brooklyn. Have had some fruits of my
labors. Six persons have become hopefully pious. Two
new Sundiy-schools have. been formed; a mission church
opened; a Bible-class established.  Thirty-four persons
were yesterday confirmed.  The last two months, however,
have been months of trial. This is a difficult people. They
have been instructed by two men before me of great talents,
who are now bishops; proud of this, they want every thing,
both in and out of the pulpit.




142          LIFE OF REV. D)R. CUTLER.
"I have been in'the depths' crying out to God.  In the
valley of humiliation, there is hard travelling for human
nature; but, if my health is not injured, I llope to derive
lasting benefit from  my present trials, which are well
adapted to cure me of vanity, and pride, and indolence.
My hope is, that Christ will help me in my arduous duties.
He has said to his ministers,'Lo! I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world;' and one of his ministers
has declared,'I can do all things through Christ, who
strengtheneth me.' Lord Jesus, hear my cry, and come and
help me!
"If this is prosperity, I shall be well content in adversity.
Yet I would not complain of this parish. It is a very noble
parish! I commit myself and it to God, determined to lay
myself out for awhile longer in doing its duties, remembering that, for the least attainment, great grace is needed,
yea, and promised! The Lord be with me! Be this my
direction: prudence, patience, perseverance, and, above all,
prayer! May God help me to serve this people faithfully,
and never give me cause to remove again."
The parish had indeed prospered; but it must not be supposed that even the most faithful man will be exempt from
trials in a world where so much human infirmity always
remains.  The records of Mr. Cutler's journal may require
some explanation.  Some of the people had requested him
to abstain from ex tempore efforts in the delivery of his lectures.  It seemed to be an infiingement of his ministerial
rights, and his sensitive spirit was wounded. We do not
care to publish all the details of what lie regarded as a
"sore trial," but, to use his own language, " it was hard work
to rise above this trial."  He feared it would "interrupt the
affections of his heart for the parish;" and yet, lie asks, " why
should I wish their affections?  Let them bestow them on
God! He fully acquitted the parties involved of any intentional disrespect, and desired that the trial, permitted by
God, might have its perfect work.




RECTOR OF ST. ANN'S CHUR CI1.             143
With the appointment of Mr. Cutler, the various benevolent operations connected with St. Ann's received a new impetus; and with a rector who judiciously sustained and
encouraged every enterprise so nobly begun by his predecessor, new life was infused into every department.
Neither Sunday-school work, nor missionary work, nor
charitable societies were allowed to languish; but with fostering hand he diligently cultivated and cherished the seeds
of every good work springing up around him, toiling and
waiting till they should bud and blossom, as fruitful plants
in the garden of the Lord.
His former parish at Quincy still held a place in his affections; and when Capt. E. S. wrote to him from the scene
of his early labors, he made the following reply:
"BROOKLYN, Novenmber 12, 1833.
" MY DEAR SIR-I have had two silver cups made in New York.
The price of the one which was made to your order is twenty dollars. The other, I now, through you, present to the Wardens and
Vestry of Christ Church, Quincy, as a token of my continued regard.
I would add the hope, that every member of that congregation may,
by the Holy Spirit, be brought in love to the Saviour to drink from
that Cup, and the prayer, that all who drink therefrom may live
for ever. With love to all Christian friends,
"I Yours, etc.            B. C. CUTLER."
At the parsonage in Brooklyn, the household was increased
by the addition of Mr. Cutler's venerable mother,and of a
relative from Montreal.
Early in the year 1834 MIr. Cutler prepared a short autobiography up to that date; important portions of which
have already appeared in this volume.  We give the remnainder of it a place here, to show with what spirit, desires
and aims he commenced his labors in Brooklyn. The ancient
motto, " know thyself," was indeed never forgotten by him,
and few men ever lived who were equally impartial in scrutinizing their own heart and life.
The record is thus made:




144          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"Brooklyn, L. I., Parsonage, Feb. 10, 1834.-I have often
set apart my birthday as a day of meditation and prayer.
This year I determined to do so; but the pressure of other
duties prevented retirement on that day, which was the 6th
of this month, and I have embraced the first opportunity.
May the Lord, the searcher of hearts, be with me! On the 6th
of this month I reached the thirty-sixth year of my life. I
have lived more than half the life of man. In many respects
it has been eventful; a brief record of it may serve to make
me cleave more closely to the Lord." [Here follows what has
been already given, and therefore omitted in this place. —ED.]
The record of his " religious life," up to this date, he thus
closes:
"I think I am more humble than I ever was, and feel
more as if I were less than the least of all saints. What is
the history of-My praying to God?
My reading the Holy Scriptures?
My self-examination?
My conversation?
My preaching?
"1. Prayer to God. The character of my prayers for
many years is but poor. They have been short, and productive of little immediate comfort. I have been regular in
them; never omitting them. I think I have had answers
to them, and have continued to pray as if I had. I have
been for years in the daily habit of ejaculatory prayer, and
I retire three times a day for prayer, but my noon prayer is
very short. I have, for many years, felt concerned to think
that those prayers which have afforded me most enjoyment,
at the time, have been social. I feel that I have not that
intimate union with God in sacred prayer which enriches
the soul. In church, I do not think I have that sense
of God's presence which I once had; neither do I think I
have that tenderness of conscience which I once had. I fear
I want watchfulness joined to prayer. I feel more confi



RECTOR OF ST. ANN'S CHURCH.             145
dence in the result of prayer than I ever did, and more
freely and more confidently commit all my ways to God.
But enjoyment of the light of God's countenance, and the
trembling anxiety not to sin, are wanting in me, I fear. At
family prayers I always sing, read twenty verses in the New
Testament, and make a short prayer.
" 2. Self-examnination.-Tlhis duty I faithfiully performed
when I first became a member of the church. I used to
spend two hours every Saturday night in this duty.
" In college, I could recall at night almost every word I
had uttered during the day. I have practiced this duty all
my religious life; of late I have been more resolute in it. I
have kept a diary for years. My rule has long been, and
now is, to spend two hours a week in this work-Saturday
or Sunday evening.
"3. Reading tha Scriptures.-I have read these daily. I
generally read a chapter in the Old Testament in the morning, and a chapter in the New Testament with my family.
My reading I commence with a short prayer for the Holy
Spirit, and I keep on my table the work of some spirituallyminded author, to peruse after the Bible is read-Baxter
or Newton, or Leigh Richmond, or Martyn, or Edwards, or
Mrs. Rowe. I have not the faculty of applying Scripture
to my own situation, as I suppose many Christians have.
But the general views which it gives of God, of Christ, of
the Church, of the Divine government do me good, I think.
But I fear I read the Bible without gathering the instruction I might from it. Oh that my mind were more calm,
more spiritual! The Bible appears to me as a great ocean,
and I seem only to have seen a part of its surface, and to
have picked up a few pearls upon the shore. This is the
result of sixteen years steady reading, and much study. Oh,
the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge,
of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways
past finding out."
7




146           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" 4. 3Iy Conversation.-When I first became a communicant, my conversation was almost exclusively spiritual-' how
sweet is memory still!' When I went to college, my conversation began to be more literary, as I had a relish for
the beauties of the classics. Still it was in a measure spiritual. In my first parish I had some sweet seasons of spiritual conversation. During my travels (two years) in different parts of the country, my conversation, as far as I can
remember, was in a degree spiritual.  In the New York
City Mission (eighteen months) more spiritual than ever. In
St. Ann's, conversation has been of a cheerful character.
The duties of a large parish have burdened my mind, and an
over-pressure has produced over freedom —-a natural consequence. I have to deplore the fact, that my conversation
at home has not partaken more largely of religion.  It is
utterly a fault.  God forgive me, for Christ's sake! What
would my companions say of my conversation? They might
say, He strives to be agreeable, and aims to please; but
ought he not to strive to make conversation with his family,
and in every circle, profitable?  Strive he ought, for the
natural heart and mind are averse to spiritual things. How
would I converse if left for weeks without any restraint? I
fear, 1st, cheerfully; 2d, theologically; 3d, spiritually.
"5. HIy Preaching.-It has often been intimated to me
that I am not a powerful or an impressive preacher, but an
experimental one, and in some degree interesting. I should
be content, if it could be said, His preaching is always instructive, generally interesting, and often impressive.  My
preaching is too much addressed to the understanding.  It
should be more directed to the conscience and to the heart.
I have not kept near enough to the Cross. I have too many
sermons about religion.  Of old, the watchword was,'to
the law and to the testimony;' now, it should be,' to Christ
and to the Cross.' I determine not to know any thing among
my people,'save Jesus Christ and him crucified.'




RECTOR  OF ST. ANN'S CHURCH.               I147
"I have had fruit after my labors, and my comniunicants have generally been drawn to Christ by love. Thanks
be to God for any fruit!"
As the mariner often consults his compass and observes
carefully every variation of the needle, so did Mr. Cutler,
as a Christian voyager over " life's solemn main," with extreme solicitude watch the direction of his heart and inmost
thoughts. Lest he should make shipwreck of his faith, he
was often sounding the depths where his soul was, and while
realizing that God was working within him to will and to
do, he felt that he himself must work " with fear and trembling."
Another year passed since he came to Brooklyn, and in
his parish he could mark sure and steady progress. He thus
writes to a former parishioner:
TO J. M., ESQ., OF BOSTON.
" April 9, 1834.
MY DEAR SIR —Your esteemed favor by Mr. Stone, I received
from his hands. He spent the Sabbath here, and embarked on
Wednesday for Europe.         Since I wrote you, things appear
very differently from what they formerly did, in this parish. I have
had many formal and substantial proofs of the respect and growing
attachment of this people. Gentlemen of the vestry have called at
my house to assure me that the parish was in a most harmonious
condition. They talk of building a new parsonage the conling year.
For a fine house I care little; for the respect of my parishioners I
care much.... I had seven persons added to the Communion
in February, and seven more are now ready.
" We have about four hundred children in our two Sunday-schools;
one hundred and fifty persons in the Bible-class.  Our monthly
missionary meeting has been well attended.
"Our household is well. To all your dear group give our best love.
Let us look and live above the world. If God has given us salvation, he has given us more than all the world.  Let us study' to
serve and please God, and to prepare for that hour when heart and
flesh shall fail us. Then may God be the strength of our heart, and
our portibn for ever.
" Ever yours,          B. C. CUTLER."




148          LIFE OF REV DR. CUTLER.
The journal of Mr. Cutler will give the most accurate
view of the routine of his life in the family circle and in
the parish:
"April 24, 1834.-I received the intelligence of the
death of my brother-in-law, Charles Bancroft, Esq., of
Montreal. This is a heavy stroke for my family, and I pray
that it may be sanctified. An. afflicted family survive to
mourn his loss. They have our prayers. I desire to be'
faithful to the friends I have remaining-my brothers-inlaw, at least —by example, if I may not be permitted to
speak plainly.. Oh, may I stand with my loins girt about,
and my lamp trimmed and burning, as one that waits for his
Lord, lest coming suddenly, he find me sleeping!"
" May 5.-Ol-Oh; what a privilege it is to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to a perishing world!  I bless
God a thousand times for permitting me to preach!"
"  ay 19.-I attended a missionary meeting on Tuesday,
in company with some of the best ministers of our church.
The prospect is delightful for the success of missions in
our church. I have never witnessed such a spirit before.
O Lord! send the Holy Ghost into my soul, that I may open
my mouth with all boldness, to make known the mystery
of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in the bonds
of infirmityv!"
"June 30.-My soul is more alive than it has been; but I
have to mourn over the conquests of my spiritual enemies,
which have often covered me with shame. Oh, that I might
have grace from on high, to live just as I ought to live-a
holy and spiritual life! I must rise earlier in the morning;
I must visit my people more, and strive to make my conversation profitable. Yesterday I exchanged pulpits with Rev.
Mr. Shelton, of Newtown."
" July 14.-' Faint, yet pursuing,' is my motto now.
When will Christ be made to me the chief among ten
thousand?"




RECTOR  OF ST. ANYN'S CHURCH.                149
"July 21.-Went to Rockaway, to find relief froml the
heat.  Rockaway is too fashionable a place for me.  The
world is too powerful in its influence, and I desire never to
have any relaxation from which God is excluded. How am
I living? I think I am living a life of faith, not expecting
my happiness here, but hereafter, and seeing him who is invisible.  I do not think that I am making provision for the
flesh, or courting the praises of men."
In the summer of 1834 cholera prevailed, to some extent,
in the city of Brooklyn, and many souls among Mr. Cutler's
people were summoned from time into eternity.  Mr. Cutler
was at Newport, passing the summer vacation there, and
from thence he wrote to a dear friend and parishioner.
TO MRS. P., OF BROOKLYN.
" MY DEAR MADAM-Though I am trying to forget my cares, I
cannot forget my friends. Amidst every thing pleasant, and many
things to charm me, I bear on my mind, with affectionate remembrance, my flock. They occupy my mind in my happiest and best
moments. In a few days I. intend to commence my journey homeward, which will be hastened, in proportion, as I perceive by the
papers the increase of that scourge of heaven, the cholera.
Mrs. C. and I were quite sick before reaching this place, and I did
not recover for two days after my arrival. Of the sea, I can say,
as good Bishop Hall of old said,' The sea brooked not me, nor I the
sea, an unquiet element made only for wonder and use, not for
pleasure.'
" In this retreat every thing is delightful. This morning I spent
alone, rambling over the most glorious battlements of ocean scenery I ever saw. It is a place called Paradise, an immense pile
of rocks, affording a view of the whole southern end of this fine
island, and of a noble amphitheatre of sea and sky. Around are
highly cultivated fields and farms, and near by, entirely sequestered,
are groves of forest trees, affording a perfect shade, broken only to
give a view of the neighboring ocean. The morning has been peerless; a cool, bracing air from the northwest, a bright sun and a clear
sky, relieved only by a few silvery clouds. I confess I have not for
years been so elevated by natural scenery.
"Believe me the obliged and affectionate friend of you and yours,
B. C. CUTLER."




150so        LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
He hastened back to his people, and soon had the pleasure of welcoming his predecessor back to St. Ann's.  No
one of his flock was more pleased with this visit than the
pastor himself.  Let us look at his diary, and read his notes
at this time:
" Oct. 6, 1834.-St. Ann's Church has enjoyed the presence and assistance of its former pastor and eminent
friend, the Bishop of Ohio. What a glorious preacher of
the gospel! glorious in the best sense. I earnestly desire
that what he said imay be blest. What a favor to hear him
preach! I have, indeed, been blest. I had a meeting of
the communicants on Saturday night.  In my address, I
animadverted upon the decay of spiritual affections in the
parish.
" O God, I commit this parish to thee! Thou must order
and overrule, or all will be confusion. If thou shalt bless,
we shall be blessed; and if thou shalt smile, all will be sunshine!
" O God, I am nothing! keep me ever under thy eye! I
am resolved ever to live to thee, and to take prayer to God,
through Christ, as my great catholicon-a medicine for
every disease, a defence against every enemy."
"Oct. 13.-The visit of the Bishop of Ohio gave me
great searchings of heart; not that I envied his noble greatness, but that I felt so keenly my own deficiencies! How
can I teach the people after him? How will they listen to
me? I have to fly hourly to Christ, in my poor way, for
aid. How is my soul? It is lean, distracted with cares,
which are of no avail. Let me take up my cross.
" How could my friends have counselled me to accept this
station, after such a man as Bishop McIlvaine?  AIy situation has been trying, indeed.  God knows it all!  Oh,
what a heart I have!  Oh, that I could rise above all
earthly cares and earthly fears! Lord, stretch forth thy
right hand and help me!"




RECTOR  OF ST. ANN'S CHURCH. 1C5
"Nov. 3.- I  desire  that this  short and  vain  life
should be spent in prayer, and in building up a spiritual
temple. My reading of the Scriptures has been very edifying for some time past. I feel more and more disposed to
follow the example of the Apostles-' Daily, in the temple,
and from house to house, they ceased not to teach and preach
Jesus Christ.' "
"Dec. 29.-Yesterday I preached twice, and had, in
some measure, the presence of God. Yet I mourn my leanness.  All my righteousness is as filthy rags.  My preaching
is powerless, compared with what it ought to be. Some of
my people praised my sermon, but I felt its want of holiness.
Glory to God for such a gospel sermon as Bishop Smith
preached yesterday!   Oh that the stream  of sweet and
solenln truth from the river above might flow through our
sanctuaries below!
" The extra labors and extra rejoicing of Christmas season
have exhausted all my spirits; but I feel more than ever
determined to be devoted to God.  Cleanse, Lord, my heart.
Last week I received many tokens of kindness from my parishioners.  Oh that I might repay them by increased holiness, wisdom, and love!"
The following letter will show that wisdom and love, and
humility, too, adorned his life in his pastoral intercourse:
TO MRS. P., ON THE DEATH OF A CHILD.
"December 19, 1834.
" DEAR MADAMI-Your note gave me pain, and yet pleasure. While
it informed me that you had lost much, it plainly discovered that
you hadfound more. Affliction stands little in need of human comforters, when there are such feelings in the hearts of the immediate
sufferers. I said, involuntarily,' They can preach better than I.'' I
will go and sit with them, and be a listener.'... How sweet
to possess such a faith at any time, but, most of all, when nature is
inclined to rebel. For the loss which Mr. P. and you have sustained,
I sincerely grieve, and for the affliction which your daughters have
been called to bear.        This dispensation says,' All flesh is




152           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
grass;' that no age is secure. Oh, happy if all would become as
little children,'for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!' Happy are
those who have made a short voyage across the sea of life, and have
been wafted by zephyrs into a calm and quiet haven! while we are
tossed upon mountain waves, troubled on every side, and have the
certainty of shipwreck to the body, at least.
" Without the consciousness of a single sin; without entertaining,
for one moment, the fear of death; without the slightest idea of a
justly provoked God; and without running the risk of eternal ruin
for a single hour; to pass this' vale of tears,' with all these exceptions, and to be transferred from the arms and the smiles of an
earthly, to the arms and the smiles of a Heavenly Father, is a favor
which could hardly have been expected to attend any of the posterity of our fallen race.  Such reflections, I trust, will mitigate
your grief. If you could see the little cherub now, smiling, safe
with the thousands of Christ's little ones, you could not, you
would not, call him back again to sin, to suffer, and again to die!
"Respectfully and affectionately, your friend and pastor,
" B. C. C."
The year 1835 opened with encouraging prospects in
every department of his work at St. Ann's. He enters upon
its untried duties with this record of his heart's desire:
" Let me not leave one stone unturned, for the salvation of
this people! I hope God will bless me in saving my own
soul, and the souls of those who hear me."
"Jan. 19, 1835. —I feel a strong desire to  be holy
and prepared for heaven; but hell is paved with good intentions! God is blessing the word preached in this place.
Oh may I live to see thy saints in full prosperity!"
"Jan. 26.-Bishop Smith is now with me, a holy man,
and a holy atmosphere he breathes out around him. But my
own peace is destroyed often by bodily infirmities and
temptation.  Oh, weak and worthless disciple that I am!'who shall deliver me from this body of death?'
" My interest in the Scriptures increases.  Oh may the
Bible soon be my garden, my palace, my home, heaven my
journey's end, immortal souls my hire and my riches, and a
clear account at the day of judgment my great concern!




RECTOR OF ST. ANNY'S CHURCH.            153
Woe is me, that I am constrained to dwell in the tents of
MVlesech and among the dwellings of Kedar! I see, and feel,
and deplore defilement in my heart, in the Church, and in
the world.'Who, who would live alway, away from his God;
Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode!'"
Mr. Cutler ever regarded his Sunday-schools with affectionate interest and deep solicitude, knowing that the good
seed of the Divine Word must be sown in early youth if it
is to bear much fruit unto eternal life. On the 9th of February of this year, the public examination of these schools
was held, and the pastor made an interesting address, noting
the wonderful and blessed change which had taken place in
the development of so much interest in, and attention to, this
department of Christian labor. With heart and hand fully
engaged in building up the kingdom of Christ, Mr. Cutler
was never satisfied with what had been done, but was ever
" pressing forward," lamenting he could accomplish no more.
" March 23, 1835." —He writes: "I want a soul, enlarged,
to take in a wide extent of duty for myself, and to point out
a wide circle for others. O Lord! give me, I pray, large
ness of heart! I propose to myself no object but the service
of Christ, and I trust God will own and bless my labor."
" March 30.-Last week was one of labor in my study.
My heart and my parish are becoming more engaged in the
great realities. Oh, we are but half awake!'My drowsy powers, why sleep ye so?
Awake, my sluggish soul!
Nothing has half thy work to do,
Yet nothing's half so dull.' 
"April 6.-My day yesterday was only tolerable.  Oh,
what miserable coldness in the pulpit! When shall I awake
to the great and God-like work of saving souls? I do not
feel as if I ever preached a sermon in my life. Oh, for unc



154          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
tion! Oh, for solemnity! Oh, for courage! By the grace
of God, I am resolved to lay out my whole soul in preaching
the gospel! But, then, without the power of God, all will
be as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal."
"April 24.-' Passion Week' has proved a good season
to my soul. Christ never appeared so precious. My Rev.
Brother Edson came and spent the week with me. We had
a most delightful season."
" April 27.-Last week was full of work, and I had much
to regret in my own spirit. O sinl! sin! how thou dost
defile my soul and rob me of my peace! Oh, for a closer
walk with God!"
In May, 1835, the Rev. Mr. Cutler was appointed, as a
special agent for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary
Society, to attend the Convention of the Diocese of Virginia.
An important change took place this year in the missionary
operations of the Protestant Episcopal Church, when the
Domestic and Foreign Boards held their triennial meeting,
and a new constitution was adopted.  This was simultaneous with the meeting of the General Convention, held
this year at Philadelphia.  Earlier than this, however, the
Missionary Society, desirous of exciting a deeper interest in
the cause throughout the whole church, appointed Mr.
Cutler to represent the society in Virginia, and Dr. Milnor
to do the same in Massachusetts. Mr. Cutler had always
been the steadfast friend of missions, deeming it a primary
duty of the church to carry on the missionary work. He
felt it a privilege, too, to contribute of his time, his energies, and his resources, to such a cause. In this, his people
held up his hands and cheered him with a ready response.
Missionary intelligence was ever given to the people, and
the missionary spirit fostered and increased in old St. Ann's.
The rector became this year a life member of the Missionary Board, and a member of tile Foreign Committee.
Whatever embarrassments surrounded the work, or what



RECTOR  OF ST. ANN'S CHURCH.               155
ever difficulties li he met with, Mr. Cutler never relaxed his
exertions or ceased to encourage others. He constantly
looked at w-lat has been termed "the marching orders" of
the Clhurclh of Christ; and, while upon his banner was
always inscribed " Go forward," he was willing to leave all
results to his Divine Leader.
He was ever ready to present the subject to the churches,
and on this occasion he wrote home from Lynchburg, Va.:
"The Bishop and Convention received me kindly. Resolutions
were passed respecting my visit. I preached on missions, and
Bishop M. made an affectionate notice of me and my cause in his
concluding address. The result was beneficial to the society; six
hundred dollars was raised on the spot. The interest awakened in
the breasts of the clergy who were assembled, will operate upon all
their parishes when they return. The Lord bless his own work!"
He returned home by the way of Staunton, visiting the
three great natural curiosities of Virginia-the Peaks of
Otter, the Natural Bridge, and Weir's Cave.  To a dear
and valued parishioner, whose kindnesses to him were often
(to use his own language) "like a cup of cold water to a
thirsty disciple of Christ," he wrote a long and glowing
account of these scenes. The magnificent views from the
lofty peaks of Otter filled his very soul with grand emotions; and, thrilled with delight, he knelt down, exclaiming,
" Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!"  He sent to this friend a flower plucked from the
very summit (and faded when sent), saying: " You see by it
how hard it is for those who once tasted of the dews so
near to heaven to flourish on the earth again! An apostle
says'it is impossible!'"  Of the main object of his journey,
he thus wrote to the same friend:
" Of my reception by the Bishop and clergy of this ancient and
chivalrous State, who were assembled at L. to spend a week in holy
dvuties,.surrounded, too, by many of their respective flocks, who
have followed the shepherds to this'high place of the field,' I have




156          LIFE OF RiEV. DR. CUTLER.
hardly time to speak. Suffice it to say, I had'a feast upon that
holy mountain,' a feast of fat things. I felt from the services a
sweet stimulus to duty and a'holy luxury.' The object of my
special agency was accomplished, by the blessing of God, and I left
the place after I had set up'a stone of help.'"
Mr. Cutler reached home from this journey on the 5th of
June.
Among the early records of his journal, after his return,
are the following; and they show how, while engaged in
Christ's work, he did indeed " cleave unto him:"
"July 6, 1835.-I must be conformed to the image of
Christ. Without special devotion to Christ, I am a, withered branch. Christ is our life-the life of our souls; the
life of our graces, our duties, our ordinances.  O Christ! if
I am deceived in supposing myself thine, open my eyes to
see, before it be too late!"
"Aug. 2.-Since I have been here, I have had but little
freedom in the pulpit. I have been sorely tried, but it has
been for my good.' But these sheep, what have they done?'
My ministry would have been more vigorous had I felt as
I desired; but who am I? what are my thoughts?  Let me
take up my cross! This is a cross I have always had, and
always shall have, and it will always be painful, but then
comes the crown! When that is once on my head, I shall
not regret or repine at the past. These are my portion
now: silence, prayer, labor, and indifference to the opinion
of men.  0 Lord, enable me to attend to them!"
"Aug. 30.-I have little to record about my life and
walk with God, only that my mind is continually reverting
to him; that I make ejaculatory prayer a constant practice,
and that I strive to do the work of an evangelist. But oh,
how far from that holy, untiring, undaunted soldier and
ambassador of Christ which I ought to be, which I profess
to be, and which I promised to be!




RECTOR OF ST. ANN'S CHURCH.              157
"' Hast thou a lamb in all thy flock
I would disdain to feed?
Hast thou a foe before whose face
I fear thy cause to plead?'
Let this be my appeal to Christ."
In September, 1835, the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church met in Philadelphia. Two missionary bishops for the West were elected. Four votes in
the House of Bishops were given for Mr. Cutler, but the
majority were for Dr. Kemper. The rector of St. Ann's
was thankful to be counted worthy of this high office by
some of his brethren, yet rejoiced in the adverse decision:
for he felt no desire to leave his people at this period, and
he saw the hand of God in it all, pointing him to a less
extensive, but not less comprehensive and laborious field of
labor where he was. His journal reads thus:
" Sept. 21.-I feel a settled desire to live near to God.
I know that on earth I have no abiding city, but seek
one to come. Yet I wish to keep in an active, working
frame of mind, and I purpose to devote all my days to the
service of God and the good of man. The rest I leave
to God, looking only for a permanent pillow on which to
rest in the grave, and a perfectly peaceful residence in the
tomb."
" Sept. 28. —Attended a large meeting at St. George's
Church, New York, as a farewell to the missionaries about
to sail for Greece. Bishop Kemper preached from the text,' Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature.' For this, and every thing respecting the church,
God's holy name be praised!"
On the 6th of October, 1835, the Rev. Mr. Cutler received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Columbia
College, New York. In a note on this fact, he says:
"As I take every thing from  the Lord, I suppose he
has inclined the hearts of that corporation to confer it.




158          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Through evil report and through good report, O Lord!
conduct me safely.'Each blessing to my soul more dear,
Because conferred by thee.'"
Religious and literary societies often loved to couple the
name of Dr. Cutler with their cause, and felt privileged to
have him as a participant in their aims and plans. What
did this humble man of God say of himself?
" Nov. 9, 1835.-If I know myself at all, I love God
and Christ. I have no esteem for myself and the world.
I desire to be conformed to the will of God. The fear of
man bringeth a snare; the love of ease steals fromsoultime and spiritual comfort. Oh, I would take unto me the
whole armor of God, that I may be able to stand!"
"Nov. 30.-I feel a strong desire, and a determination, by God's help, to preach the Word boldly. There are
great temptations to preach it timidly. With me the great
temptation is to avoid breaking up my friendship with many
amiable people, who will yet cleave to the world. But I
pray God to give me boldness. My sources of happiness
are getting more and more circumscribed, and I am looking
more to Christ as the great and refreshing object. Nothing
on earth gives me happiness, and I perceive little enjoyed
by others. It must be Christ, the desire of all nations, who
can refresh a penitent sinner's soul. Come, thou fount of
every blessing!"
Dr. Cutler, wherever he went, always gathered about him
many cordial friends. Among his clerical friends in Brooklyn and New York, none were more dear to him than the Rev.
Dr. Eastburn and the Rev. William Jackson. The latter,
then rector of St. Stephen's, New York, sailed for England
early in 1836, and the temporary absence of this friend he
much lamented. Every thing that love and friendship could
do, howexver, was freely bestowed in the way of furthering all




RECTOR  OF ST. ANNX'S CHURCH.                159
the prospective plans of Mr. Jackson, and Dr. Cutler accompanied him to the ship, " bidding him' God speed!'"
In the midst of active duties, in March of this year, Dr.
Cutler received a fall, but providentially escaped without
serious injury. Thus prevented from going out of doors
for days, he was obliged to send a note (instead of a visit in
person) to one of his parishioners, who was ill:
TO MRS. P.
"March 9, 1836.
"MY DEAR AND RESPECTED FRIEND-However severe your indisposition, I know you will say, It is the Lord, let him do what
seemeth to him good. It is said there is a nobleness in the very expression of a Musulman, which would distinguish him from a large
group of (to him) unbelievers, and why? His whole character is
formed on the single and grand idea that God does every thing.
There can, therefore, be no mistake in the past; there can be no error
committed in the future-all is fixed in adamantine laws. Baptize
and graduate this idea by the revealed word of God, and let it be
the basis of the Christian character. The pious Dr. Payson said,'I
was run away with, in a stage coach, and was I alarmed? No! I
knew that my God and Saviour had the reins.' What shall harm
you, if ye be followers of God, as dear children? This is certainly
a sure and safe sentiment. Nothing shall harm me; nothing shall
overtake me; nothing shall happen to me, but by permission of
God. My valued friend, whose warm heart meets with as warm a
one in your pastor's bosom, ponder on the word of God, and give
yourself to prayer. Then will you be able to rejoice in every thing,
in every earthly condition, and even to triumph where most mortals
are left to tremble.
"Gratefully and affectionately yours,    B. C. CUTLER."
Later in the year, when absent at Newport, Dr. Cutler
wrote to another parishioner, who was suffering a long and
protracted illness:
TO MISS M. C-L.
"MY DEAR AFFLICTED FRIEND-Your case is peculiar, and yet
others have been called to similar trials, and for a similar purpose.
" This is precisely the way by which your soul could most easily
and safely be prepared for an inheritance incorruptible, and that




160           LIFE OF REV. D)R. CUTLER.
fadeth not away.' Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?'
Can he err who has displayed so much wisdom in the world of
creation. Behold how he bringeth light out of darkness, and fruits
and flowers out of the dry roots and barren fields. Oh, my dear, and
as an afflicted, doubly dear friend, all will yet be right. Light shall
be brought of your darkness, and fruits and flowers shall yet spring
up in your pathway; for that path is the pathl of the just, which
shall'shine more and more,' unto the perfect day.  Pray without
ceasing, and forget not
" Your friend and pastor,       B. C. CUTLER.'
This devoted parishioner was raised up from the borders
of the grave, and for years after, welcomed her faithful pastor' beneath her roof, who never failed to point out to her,
amid the comforts of an earthly home, the more enduring
joys of an heavenly one while she-profiting by his instructions, is still abounding in every good word and work.
Dr. Cutler often said, in life, Christians were too anxious
about their condition in this world, and deemed it their duty
to consider little, whether the road was rough or smooth,
provided there was a blessed home at their journey's end.
The idea is well conveyed in a note to a friend, written in
June, 1836:
"I often ride past a house now in quite a ruinous state. I ask,
Why is that man content and happy now in such a wretched and
dangerous dwelling house as that? The answer is, He has a nevw,
and safe, and superb mansion, just ready to receive him. Say to him,' How can you live in that hovel?' He replies:' Oh, it is only for a
few days; my house is nearly ready!' I too have a house; not
building, but builded —not with hands, not to last one or two centuries, but for ever. John xiv. 2:'I go to prepare a place for you;
and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.'
B. C. C."
But we return to Dr. Cutler's journal:
"Sept. 26.-God has been giving my people a spirit of
liberality."
"Oct. 10.-Yesterday I preached at Flatbush, from' Woe




RECTOR  OF ST. ANN'S CHURCH.               16i
unto them that are at ease in Zion.' I prayed that God
would afford me help, and I obtained it. To Jesus I go,
when I want aid, refreshment, or rest. In my parish, for
the last month, I have felt more enlargement and love.  Oh,
that God would comfort me in Christ among this people,
according to the years that he hath afflicted me. For two
years I have been ill at ease, and now I see what keeps me
humble and prevents my setting my heart upon things below. I have had a conversion on the death-bed-I believe
a sincere one.  Oh, what a joy to meet him (T. Perry) in
heaven! God appears to be hearing my prayers.  Twice I
have preached in Flatbush, and think not in vain.  I believe I
shall hear in heaven, of one of my sermons preached there."
"Oct. 17.-Last week, my dear mother, who is staying
with me, was very ill, and brought near to Death's door.
Sunday I preached in the morning from the words,'Though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.' One
man came into the vestry with the cry,' What shall I do to
be saved!' O Lord! may it become general."
Dr. Cutler's letters to various friends, during this year
are extremely interesting, but by the extracts already given,
his devotion to his people is sufficiently demonstrated. His
correspondence with others prove how unalterable was his
Christian friendship, and that he clung to his friends when
poverty, persecution, or any trial whatsoever befell them.
TO THE BISHOP OF KENTUCKY.'MY VENERATED AND BELOVED BISHoP-I received, with much
sorrow, and yet with joy, the letter of our dear friend. I grieve for
all you have suffered, but I cannot but believe it will all result in an
increase of glory and happiness to our gracious Saviour, and to the
sufferer. I would fly to you on the wings of love, and sit beside
you, or at your feet, at your Convention, but I have work to do here.
Three of my parishioners have desired to join me in suffering with
you at this time of pecuniary trial. Please accept the enclosed, and
say nothing.
" With much love, I am yours,   B. C. CUTLER."




i62           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
TO THE SAME.
"BROOKLYN, July 26, 1836.
"MY BELOVED AND VENERATED FRIEND-I fear your feelings have
been much wounded at the course which the Churchman has taken.
But tarry thou the Lord's leisure. I wrote a letter to the editor, and
read it before Drs. Milnor and Eastburn. It was, however, concluded
that this was not the best course to be adopted. Every person I
have seen, has expressed but one sentiment on the subject of your
trials. Of this be assured, that there doth not exist in the State of
Kentucky the power of blasting the character of its Bishop with
the people of the East.' Know all the Jews which knew me from
the beginning.'  That Bishop might say, They all know my manner
of life from my youth up. We do know it, and bless God for it.
In due time, all will be well.
"I attended the funeral of Bishop White.... President Colton
has resigned. Mr.   ~  resigns Troy, and I suppose many others,
if they were to attend much to little discontents.
"St. Ann's is at peace, I believe; on many accounts it was
never more prosperous. So say some who know. There is no excitement, but I believe the Holy Spirit is operating, like leaven.
" With all my heart, I am yours,      B. C. C."
Thus did Dr. Cutler prove that his friendship was one for
hours of darkness, as well as for hours of sunshine.  In his
own parish it was abundantly demonstrated, through a long
course of years. The shadow of God's upraised hand of
chastening often darkened his own pathway, and he could administer a balm to many a distressed heart, which none but
an experienced hand can ever appropriately give.  Through
cross to crown, he daily felt was the direction for life's
onward journey, and relying on the promise of an unchangeable Jehovah, he knew, and could declare to all,
"Till thy spirit is set free,
As thy day, thy strength shall be."




CHAPTER VIII.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED.
1836-1840.
IN the autumn of 1836 the shadow of death was over Dr.
Cutler's household.  His venerable mother, who had
been residing with him for a short time, was ill for several
weeks with inflammation of the lungs. On the 26th of
October the struggle with disease was over, and she entered
into rest, aged seventy-five years.  She was a native of
Georgetcwn, S. C., and was the daughter of Esther, the only
sister of Gen. Francis Marion.  Combining a noble simplicity of character, with high-toned and ardent feelings, she
won the respect and esteem of all who knew her. The
intense love she showed for her children was reciprocated
by them all, and by none more fully than by this son, from
whose home her spirit took its flight to a better one above.
An affecting record is found in Dr. Cutler's journal, under
date of
"Oct. 31, 1836.-On the 26th inst. my beloved mother
departed this life; she gradually sank into the sleep of
death, breathing her last with her head upon my heart.
There will her remembrance last so long as that heart continues to beat.
" Thirty-eight years of unchanged and fervent affection
have I experienced from that mother, and now she is no
more! No more shall I see that eye lighted up with joy to
meet me when I approach; no more see that maternal smile;
no more hear that much loved voice, witness those maternal
(163)




164          LIFE OF REV.. DR. CUTLER.
benedictions, or grasp  that maternal hand!  Farewell!
farewell, my dear beloved mother! Peace be with thee!
Tears of affection now fill my eyes; grief-a tender but
living grief, an endless grief-dwells in my heart. Here
lives, and shall live, thy image. Here will I tell over thy
sweet and precious acts of love.'Time shall tear thy image last from me.'"
"After the funeral," he wrote to a friend, "I opened many
volumes of poems, hymns and funeral dirges; but alas! save
from Cowper, I could find nothing written to the memory
of a mother. So I selected one of Cowper's hymns, beginning,'In vain my fancy strives to paint
The moment after death.'
And one from Bishop Heber:'Beneath our feet and o'er our head
Is equal warning given;
Beneath us lie the countless dead,
Above us is the heaven.'
With these I went over to Bond Street to have a season of
prayer, etc., and to breakfast with all our family.
"The first hymn we sang. I read I Thess. iv and v, and
then a large family circle united in prayer.  These are
precious moments, and with a little attention to'times and
seasons,' they are grateful even to the children. They all
welcomed their uncle most cheerfully, as they have from
their cradles. But, my dear friend, the mind of the young,
and the gay, and the prosperous, has depths in which huye
sorrows may be sunk."
For a long time, Dr. Cutler declared, tears were his meat
and drink, and that half his ambition was destroyed when
his beloved parent descended to the tomb. Who can but
honor him for a love which never knew diminution froin the
hour of its dawn?  He loved his mother with a deep, de



MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                165
voted affection through life; and when she was dead, like
Joseph, he wept bitterly, and embalmed her in his heart.
He was ever a crown of rejoicing to her; and often was she
fed with that meat, the world knows not of, by this beloved
son; and it was enough for her to sit under his preaching,
to be refreshed by his prayers, and to see his walk with
God. If there was any thing of peculiar interest about Dr.
Cutler, lie derived it fromi his mother.  His Sister Lwrites: "From her he inherited his warm imagination, and
that sensitiveness which enabled him'to weep with those
who weep, and to rejoice with those who rejoice.' His
mother descended from an old French Huguenot family, and
possessed the traits that characterized that people; these
my brother inherited so thoroughly, that even the severe,
stern New England education of other days could not root
them out. His French blood kept all in for future service."
His sympathy with others, combined with his desire to
benefit them, was abundantly evinced during the very week
of his trial.
TO MRS. MARY CHIUBBUCK, OF QUINCY, MASS.
" BROOKLYN, October 29, 1836.
" MY DEAR SPIRITUAL CHILD —I have just received your letter of
the 26th, giving me notice of the death of your mother. On the
morning of that day my own dear mother breathed her last.
She summoned all her children and grandchildren about her on the
16th, and then received from my hands the Holy Sacrament of the
body and blood of Christ, and with the greatest composure took
leave of us all. She was full of repentance and faith, and her last
end was peace.          Of your dear mother I always had the
highest opinion, as a faithful Christian. I wish I had more like her
now. Some I have, perhaps, as devoted, but none more so! How
could any be more so?
" My dear child, follow her,'where she followed Christ.' The cares
of a family are great, I know; but the trials of a family ought to lead
you to God... Think of the souls committed to your care,
of which you must give account; and think, just in proportion as
you teach them now, just in that proportion they may be holy
hereafter. You make confession of coldness and loss of' first love.'




166           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Read and pray over the second chapter of Revelation. I rejoice that
you have not left the church. The repose of the heart is indeed the
great thing; and the possession of a place in what I think to be the
Church which Christ instituted, is not a small privilege. But if I
did not think the Episcopal Church was of Divine origin, I would
prefer it above all others, on many accounts; and particularly in
these times of error, contention, innovation and questionable zeal.
My opinions about the church are, however, just what they were
when I left Quincy, and just what t published in my'Century
Sermon.' Affectionately yours,            B. C. CUTLER."
With a chastened heart Dr. Cutler. toiled on diligently
for the good of his people, sowing the seed of the Divine
Word, though not reaping all the fruit he desired, assured
that the time would come, when he that soweth and lihe that
reapeth shall rejoice together.  He had many searchings of
heart about the decay of religion in some persons of prof'essed piety.  " If it is my fault," he says, "let me fly to
God, through Christ, that it may be remedied, and that I
may wash my garments from  the blood of souls."  Whenever tempted to despond, and to feel anxious about fulfilling
all the duties of his weighty and responsible station, he
would chide his soul with Scripture passages, saying: "Who
art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the head-stone, with
shoutings, crying, Grace, grace, unto it."   His feeble body
was often a very clog to his soul and spirit, but he used to
say,it served the good purpose of a chain, to chain up tendencies to evil, and to confine his steps in the straight and
narrow way.  "It has saved me," he declared, " from many
of the impertinencies of life;* and when T think of my
proneness to levity, I feel grateful that I have been much
tied to sick beds and houses of affliction  and also, that I
have so many infirmities of body."
Whenever Dr. Cutler or any of his family were ill, the
noble sympathies of the parishioners were constantly elicited.
When his beloved wife was nigh unto death, in February,




[INISTJRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCI.              167
1837. nothing could be more touching than the kindness exhibited.  To one devoted friend, who was untiring in her
attentions, yet at the same time quite unobtrusive, he wrote:
"' It is almost in vain. my dearest madam, to keep pace with the
kindness of your heart. Permit me to say, that the condescension
you have shown to a Lazarus-a poor disciple of Christ, and his
family-will never be forgotten.
"I shall learn by it more fully to condescend to men of low estate.
Another beautiful lesson your prayers, your tears, and your steps
will teach me; that, as my dear wife is now  insensible, or
ignorant of much that has been done and suffered for her, so am I
of very much that, ages ago, was done and suffered for me. How
miany prayers, how many tears, how many steps were taken, by the
Lord of life for the salvation of my soul, when it was impossible for
me to know them! But Eternity will unfold all, and then we shall
know what obligations others are under to us, what obligations we
arc under to others, and all of us to Himn, who, though he was rich,
yet, for our sakes, became poor, that we, through his poverty, might
be rich.
"' Yours affectionately, in the faith,  B. C. CUTLER."
His diary at this time is not without interest:
"F eb. 6, 1837.-This day, thirty-nine years ago, my parents
rejoiced at the news that a man-child was born into the
world.  Oh, when I die, may thousands rejoice that I ever
lived!"
": March 29. —My soul has been more alive than usual for
a month past. Oh that I might arise and shine! Oh that
I might become a burning and a shining lighlt, that all who sit
under my shadow might rejoice!  Make me, Lord, what
thou wouldst have me to be!"
Throughout the spring of 1837, the condition of the
commercial world was one of unparalleled distress.  The
state of financial affairs in New York threw a gloom over
every thing, and caused " men's hearts to fail for fear of
those things coming on the earth," and even the most sanguine were cast down. Dr. Cutler sought to impress on
the minds of his people that "trouble springs not from the




168          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
dust;" and by advice and counsel, endeavored to turn many
to God, who, before this chastening,;were afar off. With
some it was not without avail.
In July, Bishop McIlvaine, of Ohio, was again welcomed
at St. Ann's, where he preached two or three times. Dr.
Cutler heard him with unfeigned pleasure, and rejoiced in
the preaching of his gifted predecessor. He himself had
no reason to covet another's gifts, for the parish had been as
successfully administered as before, and the diverse gifts of
these two eminent pastors God had evidently blessed to the
edifying of the church. In his diary of
"July 3, 1837"-He says: "I pray God, Bishop McTlvaine's
labors may be crowned with success. This, I know: if envy
of exalted attainments dwells in our breasts, we cannot enter
the kingdom of heaven. If we cannot be happy to have
any body superior to us so acknowledged, then we must
never expect to behold God and the Lamb; for, if we were
the most perfect of saints, we should be compelled to behold
angels, and, if the highest angel, we must behold archangels, cherubim and seraphim! Blessed Jesus! own and
occupy me in thy work. Place me where thou wilt in the
great building —on the foundation or on the superstructure. I
feel unworthy of such a station; am ready to go into a
much humbler one.
"'Let me but hear my Saviour say,
Grace shall be equal to my day;
Then I rejoice in deep distress,
Leaning on all-sufficient grace.'"
How refreshing to see a spirit like that of Dr. Cutler,
in a world where jealousy, strife, envy and contention
prevail. Human nature, when sanctified, is not free from
these infirmities, and it is truly a rare thing to see even a
Christian rise superior to feelings which pervade nearly every




MINISTTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.               169
soul, and which can only be overcome by leaning on tile
bosom of Jesus, and partaking, in some degree, of his meek
and lowly spirit.
Never were pastor and people more devoted to each
other than in the case before uis, and whenever Dr. Cutler
was absent from his parish, his numerous letters to his people evinced his ardent attachment to them. Many a word of
instruction, too, was thereby brought home to the hearts of
his parishioners.  From  Newport he wrote to one of them
(with a few lines from Mrs. Cutler):
" August 14, 1837.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-We had a glorious sunset last night. It
was gorgeous indeed. I sat watching it from the window of my
chamber. It was a fine conclusion of a day in which the gospel in
all its richness had been preached to the people of this place. Grand
emblem of Christian hope! As I looked at the sun, I thought with
what different emotions different persons were viewing it. The infant smiled to see its bright light break through the clouds and
illumine its nursery; the youth was invited by its re-appearance
over the earth to gambol and play. From these what variation and
what a gradation, up to the philosopher who knew the composition
of its rays, and the arrangement of its power as the centre of the
solar system. But how far short of the Christian, he! The Christian looked upon it as only a sun made, with thousands more, by the
word of God, and held it but as a mirror in which to behold Jesus,
who was the light of the world. He saw him die and sink into the
tomb for us, and then arise with new and never to be diminished
splendor. Was it not natural, after long reviewing this glorious object, to think of you and yours as probably enjoying, from the front
of your hospitable mansion, the samle scene?  Be assured, that
whether in Brooklyn, or in Newport, no new objects can crowd the
friends I have left, from my mind-my heart. With love to all,
"For ever your friend,              B. C. C."
REPLY.
" August 16, 1837.
" MY VERY DEAR FRIENDs-The sight of your handwriting was
cheering to my heart. I have called twice at the rectory, and made
Miss B. a visit, and was there again after the funeral of old Mrs. Middagh.  In the church, part of the service, that is, the sentences and




LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians, was read, and not another wordno music-and the coffin taken out. It seemed abrupt. Old Mr.
Moore said, lie expected the bells would have tolled for the first Episcopalian that had attended church. I sent the carriage to follow
the procession, after Mr. Luqueer's and one other. There were fourteen scarfs. Old Mrs. Sands found Mrs. Middagh repeating to herself,'Jesus, Saviour of my soul;' she prayed with her, and her end
was very peaceful....  For your sake, I am willing to bear
the privation of your society, and I assure you it is no small privation to me to know you to be so far off that I cannot run down and
pour into your friendly hearts my anxieties and my joys, which,
wrong as I have often felt it to be, I could not practice enough selfdenial to avoid; it is so comforting to unburden the heart, and feel
the deposit is safe, that I fear it has made me selfish....  The
weather often reminds me of the cholera season, and, crowded with
benefts and blessings, oftener a feeling of awe and sadness, than of
jOfulness and pleasure, glides through my mind.  Tlhe uncertainty
and insufficiency of earthly things to convey happiness to the immortal spirit, is strongly set before me daily, and I wish unutterable
things.... Sunday evening I, too, was watching that glorious
sunset, and you were not forgotten! Enjoy, while you can, the tranquil comforts around you, my dear friends, but don't stay too long;
old people love to see the accustomed face in the accustomed place,
and absence is not required to find out how affectionately we love
the precepts and advice of a dear pastor.
"Your sincere friend,               A. M. P."
Dr. Cutler's friendships were always lasting; his esteem
for those whom he loved did not alter with every variation
of the weather, or with any removals on their part to a distance.
His friend, the Rev. Mr. Jackson, had this year removed
from  New  York to Louisville, Ky., and, in the fall, Dr.
Cutler thus wrote to him, in allusion to the difficulties which
had surrounded the Bishop of that diocese:
TO THE REV. WILLIAM JACKSON.
"BROOKLYN, October 31, 1837.
"MY VERY DEAR BROTHER-I received your long looked-for
favor'to-day, and, before I go to rest, I hasten to say how much delight it afforded me.




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                 171
"Blessed be God that our dear friend is delivered! Now I pray
that he may be merciful. To forgive is divine. I marvel at the demand made for your letters. The demand for Mr. Winthrop's secret,
stamped the whole affair with the indelible stain of violent anger
and utterly unreasonable opposition. But enough! now may the
God of peace give you peace always, and by all means!
" Dear Dr. Milnor is moving about, as practically as ever. Drs.
Eastburn and Forbes attend the Committee, and all is harmony-not
one note of discord has yet been struck. St. Ann's has been improving in every sense, I believe.... Some conversions among
our people —which has inspired me a little. Sunday-schools and
societies go on as usual. I miss you very much; alas, alas! how
few there are with whom I can communicate freely. Shut up as I
am, I grow more and more dependent upon books and God. May
these words be reversed. Silence, circumspection, diligence, study,
and zeal in communicating religious truth, are the grand qualifications of a minister. May we all grow in grace, and in meetness for
the service of our gracious Lord, and if we meet not here, may we
meet and rejoice for ever, hereafter.
"Yours, for ever,         B. C. CUTLER."
The last record in Dr. Cutler's journal for this year,
shows how earnest he was that his own soul should grow in
grace. It was a cloudy and stormy week, but there was
sunshine within, and his heart seems to have been calmed
with that " perfect peace " which is promised to those whose
hearts are stayed on God.
" Dec. 11, 1837.-Christ's yoke is on me, and it is easy,
and his burden is light. When my people are gloomy and
unhappy, I know now the cause. I do not preach Christ as
I ought.  Oh! reveal, reveal thy Son to-me, Lord,God! I
have been reading some of Mrs. Graham's letters written
to my mother.  They are sweet to my taste.  They are filled
with gospel truth.  Christ is her Alpha and Omega.  She
applies him as a medicine to her sin-sick soul. This is the
use to be made of Christ. He is not to be kept at a distance, but brought into contact. Oh, may I thus be united to
Christ!' If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men
unto me.' Come unto me; not toward me, but come unto me."




172           LIFE OF R EV. DR. CUTLER.
Dr. Cutler, though a disciple of love, had a remarkable
courage in standing up for the right, and when he conceived
others to be unjustly assailed he proved himself "a friend
indeed."
Thus he addressed Bishop Smith:
"BROOKLYN, N. Y., December 15, 1837.
"MY BELOVED BROTHER-The man that has one hundred stabs
aimed at his body, by a circle of experienced swordsmen, and comes
off with only a flesh-wound, must have on the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left! Just write down Benjamin
C. Cutler as your thorough, entire, affectionate, and (while God is)
your own dear friend-High Churchman as you are. I have only time
to say, all things appear peaceful and prosperous in the parish. Last
Sunday we had a collection for the Foreign Mission Treasury of
five hundred and twenty dollars, and this in a snow storm. Give my
best love to my sweet friends, the Jacksons. IIad not your trials
appeared, we should not have known what had become of the
world. It would have been swallowed up in the church. Perhaps
we shall live to see the blessed fruits of such sore travail!
" Give us your blessing and your prayers.
" Affectionately yours,     B. C. CUTLER."
The friendship between these two persons was formed
early in life, and the survivor, the venerated Bishop of the
Diocese of Kentucky, has kindly furnished, for this volume,
the following:
EARLY MEMORIES OF THE REV. DR. CUTLER.
" LOUISVILLE, KY., March 10, 1864.
"In the summer of 1817, soon after being admitted to the holy
order of deacon, by that venerable and very remarkable man,
Bishop Griswold, I entered, with fear and trembling, upon my first
parochial charge, the ancient church of St. Michael's, Marblehead,
AMass.
"The clinging feeling of dependence for advice and encouragement,
whicllh had bound my heart so closely to my Bishop, and to my late
rector, in Providence, R. I., the Rev. N. B. Crocker, soon drew me
to the side of the only zealous and earnest clergyman, at that time
within my reach, the Rev. Asa Eaton, rector of Christ Church,
Boston. Upon occasion of exchanges with him, and not unfre



AIINISTR Y AT ST. ANIV'S CHURCH.               17 3
quently at his house, as I passed through Boston, I met a band of
young men, whose hearts the Lord had touched, calling them into
his ministry, whose equal, in many respects, is rarely met with; Mr.
Theodore Edson, now the venerable rector of St. Ann's, Lowell,'whose praise is in all the churches;' (Mr. B. C. C. Parker son of
the late Bishop Parker), who won to himself such high regard as
Seaman's Cllaplain, in New York City; and dearer to me than either,
his cousin, Mr. B. C. Cutler, whose genial nature yielded a warm response to the yearnings of my heart for sympathy and brotherhood.
The religious awakenings in Bristol and Providence, of which I had
been witness; the claims of Sunday-schools and evening meetings,
just beginning to call forth the energies of our zealous young men;
the marked solemnity and deep impression which at that time followed the earnest ministrations of Mr. Eaton, in old Christ Church;
the advantages and disadvantages of classical and ministerial training, here or there, when, as yet, we had no school of the Prophets
of our own; and when a dead formalism in our own church, in most
places, was only less to be dreaded than the growing laxity in high
places among our Puritan pastors and teachers, afforded inexhaustible subjects of discussion of the liveliest interest and of the greatest
import. None but those who knew Mr. Cutler's surroundings at
the time; the influences brought to bear upon him; the tenderness
of his nature; and the ties he was called upon to sunder, can form
any adequate conception of the struggle he underwent, before deciding upon going to Providence for his education, instead of to
Cambridge. But, in the instructions he received at St. John's, in
his nearness to his beloved Bishop and in the warm sympathies of
a noble band of coadjutors, ladies as well as gentlemen, in Providence, in every good word and work, he found abundant compensation and secured greater fitness for his ministerial work.
" His collegiate course ran through the years of my ministry in
Virginia, and I have no further knowledge of it than the testimony
borne by my old friends, that'he adorned the doctrine of God, our
Saviour, in all things'-in his classes, in social intercourse, in the
Sunday-school, and in every method of usefulness open to him.
And, in after life, he was always ready to bear witness to the salutary influences of that period over his character, and his practical
views of ministerial duty.
"Such was the demand for clergymen at that period, that, high as
was the standard of the Bishop and of Dr. Crocker, as to ministerial attainments, young men of promise were hurried into orders,
often against their wishes, with the advice to make up for any de



174            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
ficiencies of previous culture, by diligence in study during the early
years of their ministry.
"And I well remember with what marked approbation I heard of
a condition, under which my sagacious, but modest, young friend,
Mr. Cutler, yielded to this importunity; that, during his diaconate,
he should be excused from taking a license for preaching the gospel
in the Church of God, and should be indulged with the privilege
of reading printed sermons, as he had been accustomed to do as a
lay-reader. And the manner in which he availed himself of this
privilege produced, at the time, a very deep impression.
"At different times, and from diverse sources, I have derived the
imprcssion that the ministry of our dear brother in Quincy, Mass.,
under these circumstances, was as remarkable as any thing in the
wonderful history of the revival of our church, in Massachusetts
and Rhode Island from the profound depression into which it had
fallen, under the combined influences of the Revolution and the
decay of piety and departure from sound doctrine, which the orthodox denominations around her had so generally fallen into.  It may
gravely be questioned whether, during any portion of his ministry,
his blameless character, his holy life, his retiring modesty, his loving
heart, ever left a more wide-spread and abiding impression, in so
intelligent a community, in favor of religion and of the Church.
" Very many more competent witnesses will be better able than I,
to testify to what high eminence he afterward attained, as a sermonizer, and a successful administrator of a great parish. I will
therefore close what I have to say by alluding to the influence
which, in my opinion, all his previous training exerted, in fitting
him for the work of the first city missionary in New York. The opportunity has been afforded me, through a long series of years, of
watching the efforts toward church extension of the Episcopal and
Presbyterian Churches, in that great city; and, to my mind, it is
clear that the direction given to our efforts in this behalf, by the
Rev. Mr. Cutler and the Rev. Mr. Jones, afford singular proof of the
wisdom and goodness of God, in selecting suitable instruments,
whenever he has a great work to perform.
"All, even the most distinguished of the Apostles,'held this
treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be
of God, and not of us.' None of the children of God felt this
more deeply than our dear departed brother, or took greater delight
in acknowledging the rich gifts bestowed upon others. And, in the
same spirit, I would desire to bring this tribute, and place it upton my
brother's grave; while the higher tribute of praise and thanksgiving
is rendered to Him from whom all blessings flow.   B. B. S."




IlUNISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.           I75
We have endeavored to enrich this memorial of Dr. Cutler
with copious extracts from his journal, and believing they
will be neither uninteresting nor unprofitable, continue to
transcribe suitable portions.
"Jan. 8, 1838.-My desire is to pour out my whole
soul in the work of the ministry. A life of prayer, and a
close walk with Christ, is my aim; and to smile, while laying
my head on a dying pillow, is my ambition! Blessed Jesus,
who hast power over all flesh, give me eternal life!"
"Jan. 29.-This week was marked by the marriage
of my nephew, Samuel Ward, Jr., to Miss Emily Astor,
grand-daughter of John Jacob Astor. The occasion was a
pleasant one. I offered two prayers with the family of my
brother-in-law on the occasiodn. God forbid that I should
indulge any worldly complacency, in even a remote alliance,
to the wealth of this world. My prayer is that I may be
useful to my new friends in a religious point of view."
"Feb. 19.-I am too fond of being merely agreeable.
Lord, give me a tender and solemn interest
in every body. May my speech be with grace, seasoned with
salt."
"I March 12. —Iast week was one of labor, but, alas! of
sorrow. I see that, left to myself, I am nothing. I see,
indeed, a law in my members warring against the law of
my mind. My only hope is in flying to Jesus, my strength
and my salvation. In me there is nothing good, and every
thing evil."
"Easter flonday, April 16.-I have been carried through
much labor and toil. Here I am a monument of Christ's
mercy! Great has been my weariness of body and emptiness
of mind; but, as of old,'he that gathered little had no
lack.' I work for a good Master, and as I supply my servants with fuel and meat that it may be dressed for me, so
will my Lord supply the materials on which 1 may labor for
him... I have been tempted of Satan, I fear, to




176           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
be impatient under little domestic inconveniences.  The
Lord forgive and protect me!"
"'lfay 21.-I begin to think that, in proportion as a
minister is useful to others, he is less satisfied with himself.
I desire self-complacency; but I have none, and ought to
have none.  I must look out of myself and look on Christ;
in him is my righteousness and strength. I am a weak, sinful creature, as much in need of a keeper as an infant or a
madman. Oh, leave me not, blessed Jesus!"
How single an eye Dr. Cutler had, is shown by a letter
to an old friend, about this time:
TO MISS L. MARSTON, OF TAUNTON.
"' BROOKLYN, June 21, 1838.
"I cannot let H. go without a line. You are still in a world of
trial! so am I! and so are all Christians! yea, and so are all the
ungodly! The latter have, more than all, our cares, with none of
our consolation. My dear friend, let us strive to draw nearer and
nearer to Christ.          The reason why Christians are dark
and gloomy often, is that, in the Scriptures they do not see Christ
clearly enough, and in conversation they do not hear of him
enough. When my pious people begin to complain of their dullness
and deadness, and particularly of their darkness, I suspect immediately that I have been hiding my light (Christ) under a bushel;
so I begin at once and preach from'The government is on his
shoulder,' or'A man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind,' or' There remaineth a rest for the people of God!' Christ first, Christ
last, Christ in the midst, Christ all in all! Blessed Lord, appear
in our poor hearts!
" I remain, as ever, your friend,  B. C. CUTLER."
"July 23."-He writes in his journal: " I have had a large
addition to the communion-the largest, I think, I ever had
in St. Ann's. Eight most interesting cases of conversion,
I recorded.  Oh may this be the beginning of a large
harvest!"
" Sept. 3.-On Sunday evening, Rev Mr. P, of Baltimore, preached a most faithful sermon. I thank God for




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.              177
such an instance of his grace. Oh that there were in all
our lips, and in all our hearts, such a message! I think, for
a very young man addressing an old church of intelligent
Christians, a little less confidence would have appeared
well; but it was so good and so interesting, and so unmingled with self, that it did me great good.'You intend,'
said he,' at some future day to be more pious; but that day
may be ushered in by a sun that shall shine upon the grassy
turf which covers thy narrow bed.' Oh, let me remember
what Dr. Scott said: " A life of indulgence makes a dreadful deathbed!'
" My soul at the Communion was in a better frame than
usual; but there is so much mere work of the hands to do,
that I have but little time to ponder upon the same. Blessed
Jesus! I pray thee to feed me while I am feeding others!"
Dr. Cutler thus approached God with childlike confidence,
and recognized the eye and hand of his Heavenly Father in
every circumstance of life. That Divine Saviour who has
said, "according to your faith be it unto you," seemed to be
always near him.  His servant often shut out the noisy
world and listened for his Master's voice, saying, " Speak,
Lord! for thy servant heareth," and thus had ways of communing with him, unknown to world-entangled Christians.
One may perceive this in his correspondence.
While at Newport, during a few days of summer, he thus
wrote his wife:
" September 28, 1838.
" I once thought I should like to
spend the winter in Newport, but perhaps I should find it dull.
I believe the mind is better when under some pressure from responsibility, and I know we are best where Providence has placed us.
God metes out the' bounds of our habitation.' If he knows where
a sparrow falleth, he knoweth where a sparrow builds her nest; and
if he knows where a sparrow builds her nest, he knows where I have
builded mine; and if he giveth to the sparrow instinct to select the
best place, he will not withhold Divine guidance from me. Oh
that I could rejoice in the Lord; rejoice in being under his yoke;
8*




178            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
rejoice in being counted worthy to labor for Christ! Oh that I
could rejoice in lying in his hands, and leaving every event to him!
I am perfectly satisfied to do it, but I want to rejoice! But'Pilgrim' was not half as happy a man as his young companion. I live
daily by faith; God is the immediate source of all my pleasure;
that is, I feel that he permits it, and that I hang upon him as an infant hangs upon his mother.'Keep me, 0 keep me, King of kings!
Under thine own Almighty wings.'
My prayers are lifted up,morning, noon and night for you, and I
feel indescribable tenderness for you. But our dear Redeemer is
expressly said to act the part of a shepherd, and as such,' gently to
lead those that are with young.'-Isa. xl. 12. You must select the
precious promises which are applicable to you, and plead them,
word for word, before God.
"Your             -                 B. C. CUTLER."
TO THE SAME.
~" NEWPORT, September 30.
". Oh, how miserable the best portion
of the worldling appears to me without Christ and his consolations!
I had rather be the Shepherd of Salisbury Plain.
" With respect to anxiety of mind, I have to say that that is my
inheritance; it was the particular characteristic of my mother. It
was the product of early affliction in life, and the incessant infirmities of my body. But what mental or bodily infirmity is there
which Christ cannot heal, or, if not heal, soothe and render less
burdensome? To him I desire to carry all my infirmities.
"-    -B. C. CUTLER."
Whether he was perfectly willing to leave every event in
the hands of God, even when sore disappointment was his
lot, was fully tested before another year dawned.
The last week in October, 1838, was to him most distressing. He thus speaks of it: " My beloved wife has been
very ill, and for two days, insensible; but, blessed be God!
she has recovered so far as to know us all, and to inspire us
with hopes of her own safety; but we have little hope of the
child's life. My heart has been deeply afflicted. I feel
like covering my head in my mantle and retiring from ob



MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.             179
servation. Nature must have its way. I mourn, but do not
murmur. The Lord liveth, and blessed be my Rock! I
have already had a great affliction, and should I have another, I shall know that I have deserved the rod. But oh,
spare, my Saviour! spare my sweet companion, my dearest
friend!"
Two years previous a daughter was born unto him, but
it was not living; and now again, a son was born, November 6, 1838, but it was not living-a grievous loss to so loving a heart; but it was patiently borne, and he knew it
must be right, because God so ordered. Though a second
time living offspring were denied, both parents were drawn
nearer to him who hath " borne our sorrows and carried our
griefs," and who is now above, ever pleading with ineffable
tenderness and compassion for his children, at his Father's
throne.
Thus, Dr. Cutler writes:
" Nov. 19.-I never felt my need of a Saviour more than
I do now, nor did I oftener apply to his peace-sprinkling
blood! While preaching about chastisements yesterday, I
was, for a moment, entirely overcome. In speaking of a
parent who was deprived of every child in one day, the
agony of mind, on this occasion, was vented in these words:'I see the Lord is determined to have the whole of my
heart, and I am determined that he shall have it!'"
Dr. Cutler felt it was no chance event, but seemed to hear
the Divine voice speaking, " I, the Lord, do all these things."
From the depths of his heart he could say:
"We may live to feel't was best
That God denied our prayer,
And tried, and prov'd, till we confessed
That waves and storms which broke our rest
And toss'd us to our Saviour's breast,
Our richest blessings were."
Let us peruse a few extracts from Dr. Cutler's journal:




180          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" Dec. 17, 1838. —Heard Dr. Tyng preach on'a famine of
the word of the Lord;" a most solemn and reproving discourse, discovering great ability and power on the part of
the speaker. It was a great soul, speaking to men's souls.'The wise, new prudence from the wise acquire,
And one great soul can fan another's fire.'
I bless God for the sermon."
" Jan. 28, 1839. —I was very languid in my sermon last
night. The time must come when all my animation will desert me, and my services no longer be sought; I have labored
for fourteen years, with a poor broken body. I have labored
to turn men from sin to holiness, and from Satan to God. This
is all clear gain, and cannot be taken away from me; but,
was ever minister of Christ so unworthy?"
"April 5.-I was unable to keep the precious season of
Lent as I could wish; any change of diet, even so small as
omitting the common additions to my bread and drink. I
had to avoid. I have tried it again, and again, but it will
not answer for me; my body is like a delicate watch, if
wound up regularly, and kept clean, and handled carefully,
it will keep regular time, but a very small thing will stop
the wheels. This is my infirmity; it keeps me humble."
"May 7.... My soul is poor and low.  Oh, when
will ministers learn to live up to the height of our holy
vocation? when dig for truth, and fight to save souls, pulling them out of the fire? Gracious Saviour, save and deliver me!"
"June 24.-The church here is perfectly filled; every
pew up stairs and down taken; the communion large as
ever and increasing; the people respectful and affectionate,
some exceedingly liberal and attached. Sermons, whether
written or ex tempore, well received. What more can I ask,
as a minister of Christ, in this world?"
" Aug. 19.-I am now to take a vacation, but am learning




MINISTRY AT ST. ANNV'S CHURCH.            181
that my vacations can afford me no pleasure, except God's
presence goes with me every step. To my soul, God in
Christ is necessary. Go with me, Lord! I beseech thee; to
impart tranquillity in travelling, moderation in relaxation,
and devotion in solitude."
It may occur to some, on reading' these extracts, that
there was too much mental introversion in Dr. Cutler; that
he too often turned his thoughts inwardly, dissecting, as it
were, by a kind of morbid anatomy, his own religious experience, and thereby his spirits were too often depressed,but
those who knew him, knew how little he was open to such a
charge.  The kindlings of joy in his soul were never
quenched by any such analysis, and his outgoings of soul toward a personal Redeemer were never thus checked. To
the worldling, his language may seem extravagant; but to
the believer who walks with God, it is only the natural expression of a soul which is constantly looking into the mrirror of the Divine Word, and lamenting its own deficiencies
when compared with such a standard.  He by no means,
like those anatomists of piety of whom Isaac Taylor speaks,
" destroyed all the freshness of faith, hope, and charity," by
imnmuring himself in the atmosphere of his own bosom. An
unbeliever might say to him, as was truly the case, in October, 1839, " You live in Baron Swedenborg's world."  " Indeed," was Dr. Cutler's reply, "one of the Apostles was
counted a madman, and some said of them all, when they
spoke of the things of God under the influence of the Holy.
Spirit,'these men are full of new wine!'"
But to resume the journal:
" Sept. 30.-I preached two sermons yesterday from the
same text, on Gal. ii. 20:'The life which I now live in
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God," etc. If ever
we suppose that God induces such a poor minister as I am,
to choose a text, and to write on it for particular persons,
I must think he did last week.  A. Christian, just on the




18z          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
way, through Brooklyn, to enter upon a scene of great temptation, remained here over Sunday; every word appeared
written for her-fmay it prove a blessing I"
" Oct. 7.-... I feel an unaccountable aversion to
that moral preaching, which, in order to its establishment,
hides Christ, depreciates spirituality and love to the Redeemer, while it conveys a wrong notion of religion to. the
irreligious. Begin with Christ; insist upwo an inward experience of the love of Jesus, and then spread out and enforce the morality of the gospel, saying, even as St. Peter
does,'If thou shalt do these things, thou shalt never fall!"'
" Oct. 28.-I am exceedingly pained at the conduct of a
servant —an evil, surmising, ignorant, and presumptuous person. Oh, how  am I driven to the Saviour, to keep my
character, as well as my life; when I think of the disposition
of those by whom a man must be surrounded. All things
drive me to Christ!"
"Dec. 3. —... Have been for some days at the bedside of a valued brother-in-law, and have now seen his remains laid beside those of my sister, in the family tomb.
Vale! longe vale!  Such a death is a loss indeed. He was
a man of fortune, and that fortune had been devoted to the
comfort of his family; to the relief of his friends; to the wants
of the poor, and to the support of religion.  What is the lesson I am to learn?  First, the vanity of wealth; next, the
insecurity of earthly patronage; then, the necessity of personal preparation for an existence in a world of spirits."
The relative to whose death reference is here made, was
the late Samuel Ward, Esq., of New York, one of the most
eminent and successful of American bankers, who, in life, was
beloved, and in death, deeply lamented.
Dr. Cutler returned again to parish duty, warned by the
departure of earthly friends that he must cleave more
closely to an heavenly one, and determined to hold up, as
ever, the Cross of Christ, as the only refuge for perishing




MINISTRY AT ST. AA N'S CIHURUCtH.              183
men around him.  The ties of kindred and friendship were
never lost sight of by him, but they were made subordinate
to that love to God which the Creator claims from every
creature.
To a clerical friend he wrote, with much feeling, in the
early part of this year:
TO THE REV. WM. JACKSON, OF LOUISVILLE, KY.
" MIY DEAR FRIEND-Your welcome letter lies before me, and I
was delighted to see your hand. Oh how I miss you, I cannot
tell! I dare not tell! But all is right. The idea of true clerical
sympathy is rare! You knock at many doors, but'not at home'
is, in effect, the reply.... You ask about my wife; she is now
well...         I am enabled to say, It is well... My
church was never better filled, and the work of grace seems going
on. I think I see more of the excellency of Christ, and more of the
misery of man than ever, a pretty good cause for the above effect!
Now I must tell you that I read and hear every thing
about our dear Bishop S. with great eagerness. Give our best love
to him and his valued companion. What deep waters he has navigated! Men who are lauded in the newspapers are sometimes, in
private, deemed worthy of impeachment, while those upon whom the
press heaps indignity are jewels, in the eyes of God and of those
who know them best.'Thy praise is censure, and thy censure,
praise!' Give my best love to Mrs. Jackson.
" Your friend and brother,       B. C. C."




CHAPTER IX.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED.
1840-1843.
TN  1840 Dr. Cutler received a long and exceedingly interesting letter from Capt. Wm. L. Hudson, of the United
States Navy, who was connected with the United States
Exploring Expedition, and was then at one of the islands in
the Pacific Ocean. This gentleman was one of those men
who bless the world by the powerful influence of a godly
example; a man of sterling integrity, and one with whom
Dr. Cutler cultivated a close and cordial friendship. This
experienced officer, as Commodore, was afterward put in
command of the Niagara, the finest ship in the Navy, in
order to accomplish the most difficult enterprise ever attempted by man, viz., the laying of the Atlantic cable, to
connect by telegraph the two great Protestant nations of
the earth. The depth and reality of his religious life was
amply demonstrated in this undertaking, as well as in all his
long voyages; and on the quarter-deck of a man-of-war he
proved himself a good soldier of Jesus Christ. He was
baptized in St. Ann's Church in 1794, and made a public
profession of his faith in Christ Jesus at her altar in April,
1831. He thus writes:
TO THE REV. DR. CUTLER.
"U. S. SHIP PEACOCK, ISLAND OF OTAITEITE,
September 18, 1839.
"REV. AND DEAR SIR-I set out on this cruise as a salt-water missionary, with the Bethel flag gallantly flying from the mast-head,
and flushed with the pleasing but visionary hope that all would do
(184)




MINVJISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                 185
it reverence. I counted not the cost of the experiment, nor reflected
how utterly impotent is poor human strength to keep its broad folds
expanded to the breeze. Many on board seemed pleased with its
calm and quiet appearance, white it hung in lazy folds against the
side of the mast; but it was no sooner opened to the winds of heaven
than they beheld emblazoned on its deep blue tints,'Be ye holy,'
while their contracted vision overlooked all its other characters,
though thir and full as the sunbeam,' Come unto me, all ye that are
weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest,'' My grace is sufficient for thee,' etc.... Soon satisfied of my own insufficiency,
I called to mind the Master's declaration,' Without me, ye can do
nothing!'.... Having no chaplain on board, I endeavor to
proclaim the gospel of salvation to this ship's company, though duly
sensible I am all unworthy of so high a trust; and why, my reverend
friend, should I hesitate to carry out the honest convictions of duty,
or follow where the Saviour leads? Will I regret the effort to win a
soul, in the hour of death or at the day of' judgment?  The rolling
ocean echoes back your answer,' No!'..
" I can now readily imagine your situation, placed as you are in
the garden of the Lord, where there are many beautiful trees and
flowers, which you are zealously endeavoring to prune and cultivate,
but find, after all your toil from year to year, there are some who
yield neither fruit nor fragrance! Nor is this all, others condemn
your zeal, and find fault with the gospel truths you are bound, as an
ambassador of Christ, to unfold and explain. You cannot strip the
human heart of its various disguises without being charged with
adding unnecessary pangs to an already goaded conscience; you are
accused of bringing men, out of time, to a scene which throws a
cloud over the world's most enchanting prospects, and the'amen'
of your sermon becomes the most pleasing part of it. But there is
another class yet-who can kneel at the Lord's table and yet refuse
to meet'where two or three are gathered together in his name,' because in a less conspicuous place! Can it indeed be true that the
fashion of this world has so far obtained the mastery over Christian
feeling in St. Ann's, as to have endeavored to shut out our God from
the little chapel in which you occasionally worship? Can such
Christians lift up their hearts to God and say,'Saviour, where'er thy steps I see,
Dauntless, untired, I follow thee?'
" What, oh what! would be the hope of us poor souls who are
thrown destitute on the waste of waters, if the Christian's God could




186            LIFE  OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
be circumscribed within the narrow compass of steepled churches;
hear no prayer save that which broke on his ear from within their
massive or costly walls? If such were the fact, could we believe for
a moment that our God is an omnipotent God.? the same unchangeable being who addressed the multitude on the Mount, and from
the deck of a ship? whose birthplace wvas a manger, and who emphatically declares,'I dwell with the humble and contrite heart?'
In comparison with your labors, dear friend, my work is
all plain sailing. It requires no laborious process to reach a sailor's
heart; there is no necessity of stripping off layer after layer, as you
would to get at a  mummy; for it is as transparent as glass.
" Why is it so little has been done for sailors? One would think
they had nothing at stake! no interest in Eternity! -no soul to save!
The island of Otaheite is a truly delightful spot-blessed
with a pure and balmy atmosphere, covered with continual verdure!
Nature looks smiling everywhere, and all is teeming with life, from
the summit of her cloud-capped mountains to where the sea laves
its shores. AMan only is unfruitful and vile.... The missionaries here have done a noble work.... If the few missionary
laborers in this part of the Lord's vineyard have effected so much
under the faint and glimmering light of the gospel, which has but
just dawned upon these people, what may we not anticipate when
it shall please the great Head of the Church to withdraw the veil
through which his word and power is now but dimly seen, and exhibit them, amid a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in all the
effulgence of noontide glory? He has promised it, and will surely
bring it to pass.... I fear my long letter has exhausted your
patience; but I know your interest in missions and the extension
of Christ's kingdom everywhere. What I have seen since I left home,
even in this archipelago of coral islands, is but half told; my meeting at different islands with native missionaries has again and again
reminded me of the Saviour's beautiful parable, where he likens the
kingdom of heaven to the leaven which a woman hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. The process is going on
here; the leaven is reaching from one chain of islands to another.
They are, as it were, lifting themselves out of the ocean to look upon
the bright rising of the Sun of righteousness! and I pray God he
may be seen and worshipped by all!..  I will now close my
tedious epistle, asking a place in your prayers for all who compose
our squadron.
"That the Lord may bless and prosper you, with an ingathering
of souls, is the wish and prayer of your absent and, I hope, Christian
friend.                                    W.TNi. L. HUDSON."




MINISTR Y AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.             187
Over such men (those who love the fervent preaching of
the simple Gospel of Christ) Dr. Cutler had unbounded influence. He aimed to honor God in all his ministrations; and
God honored him with the warm affection of many of his
chosen ones, both in public and private life. Read his record
in the opening year of 1840:
"Jan. 13.-Rev. Mr. S-    preached for me Sunday; but
the sermon was sadly deficient in application and in evangelical effect. One quarter of the talent and the time required to compose it, might have produced a much more
useful discourse.  Why will men omit the weightier matters
of the gospel, as much superior to the others, as are the
weightier matters of the law. Let me take my stand under
the Cross, when I write my sermon."
Dr. Cutler's views of preaching may also be seen from
the following extract from a letter to his wife, written from
Saratoga:
"I pray God to give me an unction from on high. May Thy
word be as a hammer in my hand! May all attempts at pleasing,
or purchasing smiles or praises, cease! May I seek only to save
souls! I have, according to my measure, spoken faithfully and evangelically to my people. Mr. C-  preached last Sunday here, but
his sermon lacked spirituality, though not deficient in scholarship.
We are all far too literary. What do people want to know about
astronomy and philosophy, in the pulpit? I could not but feel the
force of one of Mr. Witherspoon's remarks. After hearing a cold
preacher, he said,' Why, I could have said every thing that man said,
in the House of Commons!' We want something out of the heart of
the pious minister, and about the heart of the Saviour."
"Mnarch 2.-There is every appearance of a revival of
religion in this place. God grant it may not be a delusive
promise! I see that it is not learning, nor talents, nor diligence alone, but God's blessing, which maketh rich in
spiritual things."
"St. Ann's Rectory, 1 Sands Street, May 4, 1840.-The
parish has built a new rectory. It was commenced in Oc



188           LIFE OF REIV. DR. CUTLER.
tober last, and completed in April. I have consecrated this
house by simple prayer, through our great Saviour.  We
prayed to be made a devout, alms-giving, and holy family."
In the month of June Dr. Cutler went down on Long
Island, on a horse-back excursion, with his friend and parishioner, Mr. W. B. C.   This kind of exercise he was
always fond of, and his devotion to this species of recreation
was indeed life-long —it had resulted, in early life, in his
physical salvation.
Extracts from  his letters to Mrs. Cutler, during his absence, reveal a good deal of his natural humor of spirit.
This always showed itself when he was not oppressed with
too much care:
"' BABYLON, June 10, 1840.. This is a pleasant town, forty miles from you.
I have arrived somewhat fatigued, but we are both well.
Mr. Cooper is exceedingly kind, and has omitted nothing which
could contribute to my comfort..   While we were at Jamaica two gentlemen on two cream-colored horses, with saddle-bags,
rode past us. We found them where we slept; met with them as we
mounted after breakfast, and dined at the same table. They are
gentlemen, and, like ourselves, travellers for health. Our topics at
table were temperance societies, abolition, the tyranny of public
sentiment, the effects of religion upon character. We go on to
Islip to sleep; breakfast and dine in Patchogue; and now, my
dearest, I have left all cares behind, and trust by our blessed Lord's
favor, to be much benefited, and come home with the' mens sana
in corpore sano.'   Ever your own,                B. C. C."
" MORISHES, 15 MILES EAST OF PATCHOGUE, June 11.......... 1'I wrote you from Babylon yesterday.
The two gentlemen we met,turned out to be Rev. Mr. D., of the Canal
Street Presbyterian Church, and a young lawyer. I took them both
for members of the bar, and when we sat down to dinner I asked
permission to say grace, to which no reply was made, and again I
returned thanks. Just as we were parting, he said,'I believe I must
introduce myself to you as a brother clergyman.' I said,' Where do
you pass Sunday?''At East Hampton.'' Well then,' said I,'I




MIINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHU1R CH.               189
hope to hear you preach, for I am now, I believe, out of the element
of Episcopacy.'I am very glad of that,' said he,'I wonder how
you could have remained in it so long."  To which I merely said,'that it was difficult to say which was the greatest wonder, that he
should be in it so long to so little purpose, or the other wonder.
The morning was glorious. We were up at 31 A. M.
Mr. C. and I slept in the same room, and saw the first blush on
morning's cheek. It was lovely and sweet. It did not blush because man, made in the image of God, rose from his death-resembling sleep without a morning sacrifice, for we opened our window
on the water, breathed the morning air, and lifted up our poor souls
to that blessed God and Shepherd and Saviour who had watched
over us~through the night. At 41 A. M. we took our horses."
The above notes give us an idea of his pleasantry, but
perhaps the extract we give below, to a friend, is equally
characteristic of him when in other moods.  To a wealthy
and kind parishioner, Mrs. Cutler had written:
" I am glad you are to have a change; it will afford refreshment
to your wearied frame; but a fine writer observes,' the harp of the
human spirit never yields such sweet music as when its frame-work
is most shattered and its strings most torn;' so may it prove with
you, my dear Mrs. P."
Dr. Cutler added the postscript:
" After such a dear little poetical note as this of my wife's, my
heavy pen, I fear, will appear to plod. I have but one theme on my
mind to-day-the misery of man. It was the saying of an ancient,
that one man is no man! so I find it; try me without my interest in
the Saviour, and I am nothing.  I feel positively a nothing. God
makes me feel as nothing; every thing contributes to the same feeling. But when I think Christ is my paymaster, my righteousness,
my provider, lly guide, my all; when I turn from off myself and
look on him, I see enough to make me rejoice. I am glad our friend
MIiss H     S  —, accompanies you; she has long studied the happiness of others, and must therefore be a valuable acquisition."...
Dr. Cutler was often in such miserable health as to depress his animal spirits for days and weeks.  But for every




190           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
infirmity he found a balm in the solace of religion, and the
support of the Divine promises.
"Aug. 10."'-He says: " In the diary of Lady Maxwell
I find these words, in which I concur:'In the time of
sickness, I always appear to myself to lose ground, and I
seem to sink from God; one reason for this may be, my
complaints are chiefly of a nervous kind.'"
Later in the same year he also says: "My health has
improved, but my spirits are easily depressed. Without a
hope in Christ I should indeed be miserable; in spite of it, I
easily sink. Satan has tried hard to destroy my peace, but
I am too much accustomed to a certain kind of trouble to be
surprised; and so I just touched the hem of the Saviour's
garment, and was able to realize that he died for me."
Dr. Cutler enjoyed another trip at midsummer with his
friend spoken of before (W. B. C.), and he thus concludes a
letter written from Saratoga, in August:
" I find that having somebody else in the room with me takes off
from my solitude; I have so long been accustomed to be in society
even in my retirement.  Mr. C. is affable and easy as a travelling companion. HIe is now sitting beside me, reading a beautiful
little Oxford Bible. I prefer Oxford for printing, rather than for
interpreting the Bible, although I am not informed that all, or most
of the Oxford divines are leading the church into temptation. Once
more, adieu!"
From Saratoga, he wrote again:
"I am stuffed to surfeiting with politics. We are all Whigs! at
least, one hundred and fifty, out of one hundred and sixty! How
little do men think of eternity! The next President, not the next
world, is the great object. Instead of considering men's vices as the
cause of their sufferings, and God, through Christ, as the means of
their deliverance, they say,'Only give us General Harrison, and we
shall have good times!'' 0 my soul, come not thou into their secret!
unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united!' Let me be
numbered as Moses was, with the people of God, even in their affliction!"




MINISTRY AT ST. AN-N'S CHURCH.           19 
How zealous and disinterested in doing good Dr. Cutler
was,is evinced by his letters, when necessary recreation took
him away from the personal supervision of his parish. No
trouble was spared if he could'pluck a brand from the burning' and rescue an immortal soul. "'Tis a thousand pities,"
he writes home from Saratoga, " that somebody could not
stop that man you speak of, from taking liquor. Suppose
you go and see his wife at the time when he comes home to
dinner, and talk with her, and say a word to him about
the temptations of this country. Take all my temperance
tales and lend them to him; you will find two volumes in
the glass bookcase down stairs. A few words might save
his soul, and oh what a delivery! how every thing sinks in
comparison with that!"
Many a poor, degraded man has this holy man lifted up,
with words of kindness, from the lowest depths of wretchedness. Were it not a breach of private confidence, we could
specify many cases which might be enumerated, but we are
not allowed to withdraw the veil which protects the sacredness of private and domestic life.
The delightful letters Dr. Cutler received from his home
circle while he was away, were refreshing to his spirit, yet
never was a man more anxious, yea, jealous over his own
heart, lest the strongest earthly affections should detract
from supreme love to God. Thus he wrote his beloved companion, August 20:
"I rejoiced in your spiritual expressions; to us, my dear, this life
is of small importance; when I think of parting from you, it is indeed painful, but will not God give us dying grace at a dying hour?
Oh, let us live as we shall wish we had done, when we come to die."
We find this in his journal of Monday, November 2, 1840:
"Friday was the anniversary of my wedding day; eighteen
years of peace and happiness in my wedded life, I owe to
the good providence of God. Oh for faith to trust him with




192            LIFE OF RE-V. DR. CUTLER.
all. Oh! for sorrow for sin! for entire reliance upon Christ;
for the image of Christ on my heart, and the spirit of Christ
in my life!"
On Thanksgiving Day of this year (1840), Dr. Cutler
preached an admirable sermon suitable to the occasion,
which was printed at the request of the parish. His Thanksgiving Sermon for 1835, and his sermon on our National
Independence, 4th of July, 1836, had been also printed previously.
A few extracts from his correspondence, on the opening
of the year 1841, will prove interesting to our readers.
The first is addressed to the mother of a large family, as a
New Year's note of congratulation:
"MY DEAR MRS. --  -I thank you most heartily for your
kindness and sympathy, and, from long experience, imagine that I
have them, even when I have no visible evidence of their existence.
I wish you all a Happy New Year-many, many! You
have so many beautiful barques which have spread their sails on the
sea of life, that you will require a multitude of tender mercies from
above.' Ask and you shall receive.' J — looked sweetly, when I
met her; it was worth stopping my horse and shaking hands with
her. Oh that the heavenly simplicity of early youth might be (I had
almost said petrified) fixed permanently in the soul! i  If thine eye
be single, thy whole body shall be full of light!' Tell F — that
we thank her for her good wishes, conveyed in more than words,
and in return for her thoughtfulness, would assure her of the richness
of the rector's table on New Year's Day. The representative which
she sent of her benevolence became the centre of all its sweets.
Tell her I have just returned from the wedding of one of the teachers
of School No. 2. It was that of Ophelia Rose and Abraham Flowers.
"'Mid winter snows we've Cupid's bowers,
And hail the Rose the Queen of Flowers!'
And a dear little rosebud she was, clad in white raiment. Now if
the printers play upon the names of this couple, they must borrow
of me.
"Most truly and affectionately yours,  B. C. CUTLER."




MINISTRY AT ST AXN'S CHUR CIH.               193
TO THE SAME, ON THE FORTY-THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF HIS
BIRTHDAY.
"ST. ANN'S RECTORY, BROOKLYN, February 6.
"MY DEAR MADAM-.... Every new token of regard
brings with it the sweet incense of thousands which have preceded
it, and the cup, just full before, is, by the last drop, made to overflow.
Your note recalled all similar favors past, and eight years of kindness came up in remembrance.  This day ought to be spent in
humiliation and prayer.... My sins and my unworthiness
so entirely occupy the ground that is past, that I can but partially
enter into any festivity. Still, the native hue and coloring of my
thoughts being bright, to all appearance I am rejoicing. Indeed, I
have very much to make me rejoice; that for eighteen years my life
has been spared to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, when,
four years before I commenced, I hardly expected to live to preach
at all. Is this not enough for praise to God?
" I remain your affectionate pastor,    B. C. C."
Dr. Cutler was always incessantly occupied with his
parish work at St. Ann's. His journal reads thus:
" March 15, 1841.-Last week was one of continued
labor and great variety of occupation.  Sunday night, a
funeral sermon; Monday, a lecture in the chapel; Tuesday,
a large wedding; Wednesday, a missionary prayer-meeting.
Visited many families in affliction at the close of the week.
Yesterday morning, in my own pulpit; in the afternoon, at
Williamsburgh; in the evening, at Calvary Church.  God
still blesses me! I seem to have been for eight years, however, like an officer on the lower deck of a man-of-war in a
battle, wadding and firing his gun as fast as he can, and
not stopping to see what execution is done!"
" June 21.-Last week I went to Philadelphia, with some
clerical friends, to attend a meeting of the Board of Missions. On the whole, we had an agreeable time. But I
have seen clergy enough for some weeks.  When brought
together in large bodies there is too much unsanctified
sociability, and very frequently much warm blood. After
all, if a minister only lives near to the Great Captain of
9




194           LIFE OF REV. DR.1 CUTLER.
his salvation, and sees his brethren occasionally, it is
enough!"
"'July 12.-Yesterday, and indeed all the week, unwell;
but friends supplied my pulpit. It is a trial to me to be so
delicate; to have so much ill health. But I am what I am.
He doeth all things well!"
Dr. Cutler, by resignation and patience under long continued weakness and suffering, proved the adage true,'hat
" great trials make great saints!" and often declared that
he was thereby brought into greater fellowship with his
suffering Lord.  Dr. Octavius Winslow, who has written so
touchingly on the subject of Christ's sympathy with man,
thus says:" It is in cleaving, by faith, the deep waters, and
in climbing the. difficult ascent, we reach the firmest footing,
and the highest, brightest, holiest elevation in our Christianity-the complete absorption of our will in God's will.
The most deeply afflicted, are the most deeply sanctified.
Before a loving, sympathizing Saviour, I am
subdued and melted.  I love him, too, because that he,
though God, is near to me; near in the valley of tears and
suffering; not chiding, but sharing; not crushing, but sustaining; not repelling, but sanctifying my infirmities, feebleness and sorrow! I love him who, while he sorrows with
me, encircles me with his omnipotent arms, upholds me with
his Divine grace, and perf'ects his strength in my weakness."
How fully did our friend, Dr. Cutler, attest this truth and
express such an experience.  He was content, too, to wait
till the revelations of Heaven should dissipate the shadows
of earth and unfold the inner brightness of life's mysteries.
The ancient poet could turn to him, as to an obedient disciple
of Jesus Christ, and say, with peculiar emphasis:
" If thou a Christian art, bound to thy lot
Shall be some cross! It is the load all bear
Who follow Christ toward heaven. When at length,
After long bafflings, thou hast found out thine,




MINISTRY AT ST. ANYN'S CHURCIL               195
Seek not to lose it more. Turn, and in love
Embrace it; for, whatever shape it bear,
It is in truth thy friend. The ease it spoils,
Or the good gifts it seems to hold thee from,
Are nothing to those blessings yet unknown,
Which, in the mysterious orderings of thy fate,
Are knit with it, and it alone for thee!"
Dr. Cutler's continued ill health obliged him to be much
in the saddle, and on this account he often, on the approach
of summer, took a journey on horseback along the south
shore and to the extreme end of Long Island. He was
invariably accompanied by some relative or friend, and
very often by some parishioner, who was glad enough to
enjoy in this way the privilege of social intercourse with
him. His counsels and prayers, and his ready sympathy
and co-operation in every plan for doing good, were inever
lost upon these appreciative friends, many of whom are still
living witnesses to the pleasures of these seasons of mutual
refreshment, and who testify of them, " Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, so doth the sweetness of a man's
fiiend by hearty counsel."
It was in July of this year that Dr. Cutler took one of
the trips to which we have referred, with his beloved friend
and parishioner, Whitehead J. Cornell, Esq.
In August we find Dr. Cutler at Saratoga.  His letters
home from this place are full of interest and incident:
"SARATOGA, August 9, 1841.
"MY DEAR --.         We have in this house a quiet,
genteel, literary kind of company-some little sprinkling of "fashion," who come here for retirement. I wrote you AMr. and Mrs. W.,
fiom Boston, were here, and are much with Mrs. McA. Then, one of
the Murdocks, and Miss K. of Georgia. Then, Dr. W., Dr. S. and
wife, Gen. C. and lady, from Providence; and Mrs. Judge 0., from
New York; and Mr. and Mrs. L., from Brooklyn. So that, at present,
the great aim is to find time for reading and retirement. It is really
distressing to me to see men so destitute of mental resources. They
are wandering about from room to room, as'through dry places,




196           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
seeking rest and finding none.' Oh that we all heard with more
delight those words,'Come unto me, all ye that are weary and
heavy laden, and I will refresh you!'... I hope you had a
good day yesterday: How happy am I that I chose a follower of
the Lamb as a companion for life. Blessed be God that I am thus
yoked! The determination of Joshua is more and more my own,'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!'.
I am well, and, bless God for all his mercies! a more entirely luxurious resting-place one could hardly have. I hope, however, my
Bible and my Saviour will be my great luxuries.
"' 1Make me to love my Bible more,
And take a fresh delight
By day to read its wonders o'er,
And meditate by night.'"
" SARATOGA, August 13.
" I gave one man a quietus to-day. He is a young
Churchman from Vermont (once a Methodist), a great unfinished
kind of body. He said to me,'So you have got Stone down in
Brooklyn!'' Yes,' said I.'Well, I hope you'll make him straight,
for he has never been straight.' Surprised and indignant, I said,'Are you not sensible of the impropriety of speaking in that way
of a man your superior in age, in the ministry, and, as far as I know,
in every thing else? It would be but modesty in you to suppose
him right and yourself wrong.' He floundered and bristled up,
and began to talk very big, but said I,' You have got an old soldier
in hand, so you might as weli keep cool.' Now, however contemptuously these young men speak of those who differ from them,
when they attack me they must be ready for a reply such as they
deserve. I gave this youth no reason to take this liberty with me;
on the contrary, I was kind and courteous to him. He will remember me many a day."
Dr. Cutler was full of ready wit, and excellent at repartee; yet every feeling of this kind was kept within the
bounds of Christian moderation.  This is illustrated by
another incident of this journey:
" SARATOGA, August 18.
"I returned to-day from  an excursion to Lake George.  We
started in a stage, and I was the middle one of three on the middle
seat-seven persons inside.  The gentleman on my right was a




MINISTRY AT S'. ANN'S CHURCHI.               197'buck' from Philadelphia. He soon said,'Sir, I am sorry to say of
any man his room is better than his company; but, really, it is so
hot and dusty, that I know of no man's society which could repay
for the room he would take up.''Well, sir,'. said 1,'the only
material question is, whose name was down first on the stage-book.
Now, sir, my name was the first or second down, and therefore I
consider you as riding with me, not I with you!' This little incident
provoked a pleasant and spirited conversation, in which we all took
part, and soon we were all on the best of terms.
"At 2 P. M. we entered the boat and went up the lake. Who
should be on board but Mademoiselle Elsler, the dancer, and her
train. We were all crowded into a very small place, and compelled,
the church and the theatre, to look each other in the face. She has
an unfaded face, and dressed plainly, avoiding all display.
"On board the same boat I was introduced to Mr. and Mrs.
B —n, of New York, and their niece, fiom Brooklyn. With these
I had a pleasant chat. They are fine specimens of New York Presbyterians-excellent people, pitying the player, enjoying the Chris
tian society, admiring the scenery, and reading the early Indian traditions about the spot."
About this time the Oxford Tract controversy caused
much excitement in the Episcopal Church in this country,
as well as in the Church of England.
No one could mistake Dr. Cutler's position in this matter.
Frank and decided, without any bitterness or uncharitableness, he, on all suitable occasions, openly expressed his opinion.  In clear and emphatic terms he warned his flock
against the pernicious influences of those Semi-Romish practices, which some intriguing formalists and other weak and
fanciful men had introduced into the Protestant Episcopal
Church on this side of the water.  The dangers which
threatened our communion he pointed out in a masterly
manner, in a sermon delivered at St. Ann's on the text,
" One is your Master, even Christ."-Matt. xxiii. 10.  This
discourse is at the close of a volume of Dr. Cutler's sermons
published in 1857.
His views on this topic are also made manifest in his
correspondence.




198           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
TO MRS. CUTLER.
"SARATOGA, August 7, 1841..  How much time and attention are
bestowed on the body and on the comforts of this life! I am struckwhen surrounded with comforts and honors, which, however small,
are more than I deserve-with the fact, that they are only the livery
and apparel of Christ's servant. The servant of a nobleman in England is dressed far better than men greatly his superior in worth
and property; yea, he is fed better and housed better; and why?
not because that servant is a better or wiser man, but because he is'my lord's man!'
" Dear —, religion is the one thing needful; indeed, it is. My
Bible was much read during my late journey, and I mean it shall be
during this. I am now going to the house of God. I expect to meet
with some of the'new notions' imported from Oxford, via New York.
I saw, this morning, as I passed the door, a gilded cross very conspicuous. Poor human nature! how compassed with infirmities,
both priest and people! Our church has points of unpopularity
enough, I think, without the addition of things which, although
trifles in themselves, and which give me no trouble, yet offend
many; nay, most observers. But I go, resolving by Christ's grace,
to worship God and to listen to my duty, whether Mr. W —- prays
sideways or straightforward, or whether he bows once or a dozen
times in the service.
"Sunday Evening. —..   All the trumpery and foolery of
Oxfordism Mr. W —- has introduced, to the loathing of some of
the strangers. It is, indeed, contemptible, and will infallibly be
followed here, as at Troy, by deserved retribution. Mr. W — does
not only bow, but makes a plain bending of the knees, like a woman
who salutes you! Dr. C —- was disgusted both with the preaching and practice; it was, indeed, deplorable!....  What
reason have any to be thankful who have a clear gospel preacher!"
TO THE SAME.
" SARATOGA, August 29.
"I have just returned from church, alas! most
empty. We had a defence of those who adopt the Oxford practices,
from the text,' He that was after the flesh persecuted him that was
after the spirit.' The term'Ishmaelite' was conferred on all who
were out of the church! Alas! if I saw the fruits of the Spirit in
the lives and conversation of those who thus preached, it might




MINISTRY AT ST. AYNN'S CHURCH.                  199
make me think; but when there is hardly a decent morality in
some, and a manifest denial of the gospel in others, and a leaning
to that corrupt religion which shuts out the light, I can only say,
God has seen fit to punish the church with such men. My soul is,
indeed, sad! May God help me! No human being has so deep a
view of his own deficiencies, inefficiency and want of spirituality
as I have; but I must believe that the gospel which you and I teach
is the true one. With regard to the intercourse which is to be kept
up with such men, I calmly think the coldest and most formal is
best. Last week I met one of them, and in return for kindness of
manner, which I supposed would induce a return, I met with that
which only disgusted and repelled me.'Really and truly,' as
Sargent says,'if I had to acquire evidence of Episcopacy, or even
of the gospel from such alone, I should never have been a Churchman or hardly a Christian.' But God forgive them! If I can only
be lifted in spirit above all such things, and live near to God, I shall
be contented. Men were sitting in church to-day perfectly uninterested, as well they might be. The laity care little fo1 such things.
Oh, where are the solemn, repeated, faithful calls to sinners to repent and believe the gospel?  Lord, make me able and willing
to make such calls!....  I left Mr. W    - and Mr. Jquarreling about rubrics.  After tea, we went into a drawingroom in the house, where a circle was formed, and we conversed for
an hour on religious subjects. We had singing:' To our Redeemer's glorious name;'
a discourse upon Luke xv, and prayer.".
TO MRS. P    T, OF BROOKLYN, ON THE OXFORD TRACTS.
" ST. ANN'S RECTORY, December 8, 1841.
" MY DEAR FRIEND-I rejoice that your mind is set against'the
novelties that disturb our peace.' I hope that you will'call no man
master;' that, in the matter of your salvation, you will act out the
clear convictions of your own conscience, and adhere to the ground
you have taken, which, I am convinced, is the safe ground of our
church, and'the holy ground,' on which apostles, prophets and
patriarchs have ever stood.'Be thou faithful unto death, and
Christ will give thee a crown of life.' To you it must be obvious,
that when the mind is but partly dedicated to God, it will be constantly seizing upon something as a substitute for true, vital, soulhumbling godliness. The Sabbath is too triste, the Bible too severe,
Christians too scrupulous. Let there be some relaxation-the more




200           LIFE OF REV. D-R. CUTLER.
decent the better; the more like religion the better. But, my dear
friend, if we, or an angel from, heaven, preach any other gospel, let
him be accursed!.... May God direct us, for Christ's sake!
"Yours, most affectionately,      B. C. CUTLER."
Dr. Cutler's last records in his journal for the year are in
unison with all his previous correspondence:
"Monday, Nov. 22.-.... My soul feels its need
of Christ to save it from destruction. I feel that there is
but a plank between me and death; but that plank is the
Lord, my righteousness.  I lie at his feet; I am nothing!
He is all my salvation, and all my desire. How much must
he bear from me; the lowest place in heaven is far too good
for me! My soul lies humbled in the dust! I feel the need
of Christ, but I lhave not that sweet consoling sense of his
presence which I desire.  0 Lord, I am thine; save me!'
"Dec. 20.-I am full of gratitude to God for his mercies,
and for the wide door opened to me to preach the gospel,
and the place in which I live, although deeply grieved at
the Popish inventions around us.  Lord, cleanse my foul
heart, and lead me not into temptation!"
We give a few extracts from his journal for 1842:
"Jan. 3, 1842.-I am  a monument of God's mercy! I
have all things, and abound in temporal blessings; all I
want is more grace to live near to God, and to work more
faithfully for Christ and immortal souls. What have I to
do but to bless God and serve Christ?"
"Jan. 10.-Alas! I am living at a poor, dying rate.
Again and again have I sought the fountain for sin, that I
might bathe in it, and only in that way could I find peace.
O my Saviour! have mercy on me; draw me, and I shall
come after thee."
"Jan. 22.-1I have set apart this day for self-examination,
prayer, and thanksgiving for the mercies of life.  In 1815
I publicly gave myself to God, in Trinity Church, Boston,
in the supper of the Lord. I then took up my cross to




JIIVISTR  Y AT ST. ArNl-'S CH rR CH.     201
follow Christ, exercised faith in the word of God, believed
that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him;
set to my seal that God is true, and that if a man seek
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all things
will be added unto him.
" Since that time more than a quarter of a century has
passed away, and I am now in possession of all things which
make this life desirable, and yet the thought of leaving it
and of going to heaven is far from painful.'I have all
things and abound,' in the apostolic sense. I have no fortune, no wealth, but I have a hope of salvation through the
merits of Christ. I am in pretty good health; am out of
debt, and have a salary which puts me above all want, and
permits me to be generous to the poor. My church is full
and in peace, and my labors are acceptable to the people in
general. And now I subscribe my hand that God has been
true to his promises.'Them that honor me, I will honor.'
"B. C. CUTLER."
"April 18.-My dear friend Edson has been with me a
week. God has had compassion on me and sent him to
cheer me up. We have taken sweet counsel together. May
God bless us! He is out of health, and I think I can see
in his trial, mercy and sanctification.  Oh! why can we
not trust that all things will work together for good?"
He had another " most refreshing visit" from his friend,
Rev. Dr. Edson, of Massachusetts, in June. He visited the
same friend in August, and they returned together to
Brooklyn, and set off on a horseback journey along the
shores of the Hudson, intending to cross the Green Mountains, and travel thence down the Connecticut River.
From  Poughkeepsie (seventy-five miles from. New York
city) he wrote to Mrs. Cutler a glowing account of his
journey. He had often said at home, "I never feel like a
well man, never feel hearty and sound, unless journeying on
horseback. There is always something the matter with my




202           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
lungs or stomach, and I have a great sense of lassitude and
fatigue." But now he wrote to his wife:
" I am without pain, or ache, or weariness, having the sensations
of a perfectly well man. We have had the usual varieties of a long
ride-rain and sunshine, good and bad taverns, agreeable and disagreeable company. Our conversation has been most pleasant. How
could it be otherwise? Every pious feeling in my heart finds a
response at all times in that of my friend, and every advantage that
education, religion, experience, and great sagacity can afford, without
restraint, I find in Mr. E. Religion, the church, theology, philosoply, politics, agriculture, education-all, have been employed to
enliven our ride, and to add a charm to every beauty of nature we
have seen. But after all, the health that I feel is the great pearl of
the journey. In riding, I lose every trace of morbid feeling."
Dr. Cutler, however, was still reminded that he was " in
the flesh," and a few days later he was taken ill at Bennington, Vt., from  which place he returned home alone.
The first entry in his journal, after reaching home, was:
"Aug. 29.-I took this journey to avoid being sick by
travelling in public conveyances, but it is the will of my
Saviour that I should not have that robust health which I so
much desire.'I was with yvou in  eakness, and in fear, and in
muchll trembling,' said St. Paul, and so say I to the Christians
of St. Ann's.  Let but my Master be with me, and all will
be well! 0 Lord Jesus, forgive my sins; intercede with me,
and bless me!"
We close this chapter with one or two extracts from the
journal and letters which show his affectionate spirit and
attachment to friends and parishioners:
"Sept. 12, 1842.-Last Monday my brother's only son
came down from Avon to join my family. He was named
for me, Benjamin Clarke Cutler. I received him to educate
and bring up.  I commend him to God, through Christ! I
have placed him at school with a pious man, Mr. Davenport.
May God bless the relation between this boy and my house



JIlVhISl Y AT ST. ANIVV'S CHIURCEI.           203
hold! may he make him  a child of God, a minister of
Christ, and an heir of glory!"
"Oct. 3.-Dear Bell (Miss I. G. Boyd) was with us all
day yesterday. She is a sweet child to me."
TO MRS. P —T, OF BROOKLYN, AFTER RECEIVING FROM  HER A
DONATION FOR THE POOR.
" September 15, 1842.
"Your kindness, my dear madam, is like'oil.' Circumstances
often compel a mode of communication which is constrained and
savors of the world, but I feel, when I receive the fruits of your
pen, and when writing to you myself, as if there was nothing to interrupt a stream of religious thought.         Your enclosure
comes very opportunely for a poor sick widow who is in want-such
an one as I always assist with real pleasure, because I think they
are the best objects of charity-a widow (with small children) professing godliness, and who has seen better days. Of course, there is
a little shiftlessness. If it were nor for this, or some other little infirmities and faults, we should have few, if any objects of CHARITY
in this world.
"Every thing about   -       is as interesting to me as it can
be to a pastor. I think of her, and love lher, as I suppose God intended that a spiritual guide should love his children.' From the
first day until now,' my acquaintance with her has been a source of
pleasure.... I am now ready for Sunday. How much better
it is to take time by the forelock. May I, long before the time, be
prepared for my change from life in this world, to life in the world
to come. I have a hope that when my' appointed time' comes, I
shall experience a loss of the love of life and the fear of death, and
shall desire to depart and be with Christ.
" I have not yet congratulated you upon the happiness of your
son... May he be the founder of a family as much distinguished
by Divine grace, as its ancestors have been for patriotism and virtue!
With Mrs. Cutler's best love, and my own, to you and yours, I remain, most affectionately,
"Your friend and pastor,              B. C. CUTLER."
TO MISS L. M., A FORMER PARISHIONER.
" BROOKLYN, November 20, 1842.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-YOU have been nmuch in my thoughts today. I have been going over and over the early scenes of my ministry in Quincy. The blessing of your conversion to Christ, and




Zo4           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
your subsequent aid to menc in the parish, have been spread out from the
store of memory. I have rejoiced, yea, and will rejoice, at your subjection to the gospel. My dear friend and sister in Christ, may more
grace continually be given you! He is' rich unto all that call upon
him.' What rich blessings we may have by calling on the name of the
Lord'-'Ask and receive, that your joy may be full!'... Pray
for me! At 6 o'clock, Sunday morning, let us meet at the Throne
of Grace. I meet others at that hour-some whom, no doubt, you
will meet in heaven! A blessing seems granted to my labors here.
Still, I sow little, and I reap little. Your valued letter was received.
"Your affectionate brother, in the best of bonds, B. C. C."
How few such pastors there are in these degenerate days?
How few like Dr. Cutler hide themselves behind the cross,
and strive earnestly for the spiritual welfare of every one
with whom they come in contact. How few, with tender
love follow up in private intercourse the instructions and
counsels which are weekly given in the sanctuary.  And how
profound, too, was the humility of our friend, combined with a
strong assurance of faith! The extracts already given fiom
his journals, show us how beautifully and perfectly these two
traits were united in him. Though treading oft the vale
of humiliation, he never lost sight of his completeness in
Christ; and, on the other hand, the closer he clung to Jesus,
and the stronger his sense of forgiveness, the more softly
did his spirit walk before God, the more lowly did he ever
appear.  The heavy-laden vessel sinks deeper into the water;
so the soul, the more it is filled with Divine grace, sinks the
lower in its prostration before the Giver of all grace!
The Christian's progress will ever thus be chequered, till
he reaches the land of unmingled praise! This invariably
marks the life of the true believer-the humility of the man
" after God's own heart" sinking himself to the lowest
dust, under the sense of the evil of his heart, and again his
holy and joyful aspirations, after the salvation of his God.
His highest notes of praise, united with the deepest expressions of abasement, forming that harmony of acceptable
service, which ascends " like pillars of smoke" before God.




CHAPTER X.
VISIT TO ENGLAND.
1843.
" What scenes of beauty, glory, wealth and power
Their halo o'er the living landscape throw!
Lo! haven and bay; church, abbey, feudal tower;
Cities on high, and sunny vales belowThese are the scenes that line the British coast,
Fair freedom's bulwark, and the patriot's boast."
HE  spring of 1843 found Dr. Cutler still at his post of
duty, abounding in pulpit and parochial labors.  Ten
years of faithful duty had been performed at St. Ann's, and
it was no matter of surprise to his friends, that, under the
pressure of increased parish labor, his health was again seriously undermined.
Within the limits of the city, six or seven new churches
had been organized, all of which were offshoots of St. Ann's,
since the rector of this parish came to Brooklyn in 1833.
Of course, the ever-increasing population of a growing city
like this, made the call for new churches an imperative necessity, and as fast as this became apparent, those members
of St. Ann's who were living at a great distance took suitable steps for the formation of new parishes. Thus, a nucleus
of interest was made, about which, in several sections, gathered  a thriving  congregation.  The rector of St. Ann's
always rendered his hearty aid in all these enterprises, and
often unduly exceeded his strength in rendering his assistance and co-operation.
In his own parish, the weekly or monthly meetings for
(205)




206          LIFE  OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
missionary societies, and other benevolent purposes, were
sustained with their usual vigor and interest. A profitable
and delightful missionary gathering was held at St. Ann's
in January; and in February, at a still larger meeting, at
St. James' Church, Philadelphia, Dr. Cutler, as a member
of the Foreign Committee, addressed the audience. Oppressed with many difficulties, and a depleted treasury, the
question of retrenchment had been raised. To this, Dr. Cutler would not consent, and in a spirited address portrayed
the real difficulty in the case, and assured his hearers that the
self-denial of the church had been by no means reached.
He would stand by the colors he had chosen; and would say
in this conflict with trial, what Lord Nelson once said, when,
in the battle off Copenhagen, the signal was thrown out by
the commander to withdraw from the enemy, "I do not see
the signal; keep mine for closer battle, flying; nail mine to
the mast!"
This was Dr. Cutler's spirit in every thing he undertook
even feeble health did not cause him to shrink from grappling with difficulty or opposition, and not till probable death
stared him in the face, would he cease temporarily from constant labors.
His journal reads thus:
"April 4, 1843.-For two weeks I have been very unwell,
and have suffered much for months. The winter also has
been uncommonly severe. I expected to have to flee this
week and leave my charge for a time. Perhaps I shall have
to do so yet; but if I am kept by the mighty power of God,
all will be well.
"If Christ strengthen me, I can do all things.
"If Christ weaken me, I can bear all things.
If Christ be with me, death is life.
"Come, Lord Jesus, into my heart!
"I had an offer this week from Capt. F-   to go to
England, free of expense. I almost wish I had gone."




VISIT TO ENGLAND.                207
"Brooklyn, April 10.-Preached all day on Sunday with
apparent blessings. On coming out of the pulpit I was called
into the robing room by a young man, who said,'Sir, what
must I do to be saved?' Oh that this might be a drop which
precedes a shower! Lord, visit thy Church, for Jesus' sake!
I have tried every expedient to remove the pain
in my side. I at length prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ,
and am better.'Ye believe in God, believe also in me!' I
have been hardly able to bear up, but through grace I have
got through. May I not hope to come off more than conqueror, through Christ, over sin, death and hell?"
"April 25.-Last week I labored as usual, though suffering from exhaustion. A sea-voyage has been proposed by
my physician and friends. My vestry passed a resolution,
last evening, which allows me to go to Europe, have all my
expenses paid, and my pulpit supplied in my absence.
"But I have greater news than this to record.  The
Spirit of God appears to be moving on the minds of the
people in this parish; and oh that it may come down as a
mighty rushing wind, and I may see many souls added to
Christ as seals to my ministry!"
" Ilay 1.-Yesterday I was so feeble that I verily thought
it would be my last day of labor before going away."
All doubts about his course of duty were now removed,
and it was obviously necessary for him to take a sea voyage
for the restoration of his health.
The Lord evidently was pleased to open his way before
him, and as he had always acknowledged him in all his
ways, so now that same Divine Guide directed his path.
Every arrangement was duly made for an immediate departure for England.
We find a most affecting record in his journal, made early
on the day of his sailing:
"Brooklyn, Ml]ay 15, 1843.-My beloved wife and I are
about to embark; now may He who made the sea go with




20z            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
us! May the great Angel of the Covenant go before us, and
the God of Israel be our rereward!
"I go amid a multitude of prayers of both young and old,
rich and poor. The cry of the poor is certainly not against
me.  I have ever remembered them, and I know I have their
blessing. Into thy hands, Lord Jesus, I resign my spirit!"
Dr. and Mrs. Cutler sailed for Liverpool on the 15th of
May, in the packet-ship " Stephen Whitney," accompanied
down the harbor by numerous friends and parishioners. Before he Was fairly out at sea, he wrote a farewell letter to
his flock, although a few days previous he had delivered
a solemn and affecting farewell discourse:
"SANDY HOOK, May 15, 1843.
"' MY BELOVED FRIENDs-The feelings which I experience in leaving you and the shores of my native land are mingled. I feel humbled to the dust when I consider the high and awful responsibilities
which have been entrusted to me, and compare them with the manner in which they have been discharged. If God had not taken
compassion and poured out an undeserved blessing, I should have
sunk under my own reflections. It is the language of my soul;'If
thou should'st be extreme to mark iniquity, O Lord! who shall
stand?'
"I feel grateful for the many marks of friendship and affection
which, in the course of my ministry of ten years, I have enjoyed.
They are too numerous to be mentioned, and will continue to endear
the bestowers of them to my heart until death.
" May God reward all who have given even a cup of cold water to
the wriler, in the name of a disciple! I feel also great confidence
that many who have not as yet joined themselves to the Lord's people, will remember, when I am gone, the words which have been
spoken, and, if I reach heaven, will meet me there, through the
abounding grace of our Redeemer!
" With respect to my voyage, I feel it's absolute necessity, and I
have a calm and imperturbable conviction that it is the Lord's will.
I have not undertaken it without much consideration and prayer.
May I not hope that during my absence you will, one and all, support St. Ann's Church, by every means in your power, and be united
in every good word and work?
"At the foot of the cross of our Redeemer I now address you,




VISIT TO ENGLAND.                   209
firmly believing in his omnipresence and atoning death; and there I
pray you may by faith ever live, and there, with joy and triumph, die!
"Let me close with the following words, as our united motto —the
inscription on our banners,' To live is Christ; to die is gain!" Jehovah-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be with you all!
"5Most affectionately yours,   B. C. CUTLER."
During this voyage he kept a journal in detail, written in
the form of letters, for members of his household who were
left behind.  This valued collection of his experience on
the sea,is still treasured up in his family, and has now become, more thlan ever, a precious memento of " the days that
are past." The trip could not but be pleasant, as far as
companionship was concerned, as they had over twenty
cabin passengers, all intelligent and agreeable people. England, Scotland and France, each haad their representatives in
this social group, and, with a good sprinkling of Americans,
a varied and delightful circle was formed. Urbanity, harmony and kindness prevailed.  The United States Charge
to Brussels, the Rev. Mr. Nott, of Schenectady, the Rev. Mr.
Sewell, of Quebec, and Mr. Anstis, of St. George's Church,
New York, were among the passengers. Divine service was
held in the cabin, and also in the steerage (where were a
large number of passengers) on each Lord's Day. Every
opportunity for doing good was eagerly embraced by Dr.
Cutler, and he freely distributed the Testaments, books and
tracts, large parcels of which he had brought on board with
him.'His second letter he closed with this language, " I
hope and pray to be able to save some souls yet, before I
reach port!" and in the Irish Channel, when near his destined place, he writes: "We do not doubt that this voyage
will be marked with the salvation of some souls."
Meetings for prayer and praise were often held in Dr.
Cutler's state-room. which, as he said, strengthened and consoled his soul, and made him feel at home, even when, as the
latitude and longitude taught, he was far away.




210            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
In his letter marked "No. 11," we see how he turned
every event and every fact, however trivial, to his own spiritual good, or to the edification of others.
"FRIDAY, 11 A. M., June 2, 1843.
Long. 101 West; Lat. 50.. One thing has struck me forcibly, and continually
awakened my surprise. It is that so few ships are seen. For three
days we have not seen one inch of white canvas on the deep, and
now, though at the entrance to the Irish Channel, we are apparently
entering alone that mighty arm of the sea. God grant us gentle and
favorable breezes in ascending, as it were, that hazardous passage.
But why fear now? Fears may be tormenting.'Awake our souls, away our fears,
Let every trembling thought be gone;
Awake, and run the heavenly race,
And put a cheerful courage on 1'
" What a type of the vastness of the Creator's attributes is this
ocean! How many thousand ships might have performed this voyage in company with us? Yet we have been alone, or nearly so. So
it is with the Christian. He embarks on the attribute of God's
mercy alone. Thousands might embark with him. It is wide enough
and deep enough for all mankind, and yet the Omniscient eye sees
but here and there a voyager on that mighty sea, of which St. Paul,
in contemplation, exclaims,'Oh! the depth, and length, and
breadth,' etc.
"Yes, and God's mercy like the ocean, never wears out! How
many keels have cut their way from one continent to the other, since
Columbus first landed on the western side of this great ocean, and.
sang' Te Deum laudamus,' to the God who heareth prayer and accepteth praise!
"Our morning and evening sacrifices to God seem to be more and
more acceptable to the worshipers. May they becmle more and
more so to the Saviour to whom they.are addressed!... My
sick man assured me to-day, that my few words occasionally spoken
had not been in vain. Some think he will not live to reach port.
He seems touched to think God has raised up so many kind friends.
Will not God always raise up friends for his people? He doeth all
things well!.... Present to the Sunday-schools the most affectionate remembrances of their pastor. Love to each, and all, of our
dear friends in Brooklyn.
"Most affectionately yours,     B. C. CUTLER."




VISIT TO ENGLAN'D.                211
The ship was becalmed off Holyhead, but after a trial of
patience for two or three days, she entered the port of
Liverpool on the 6th day of June, after a passage of twentyone days.
Dr. Cutler had been furnished by Dr. Milnor and others
with letters to many distinguished personages in England,
and to many choice spirits in the English Church and other
religious societies. He rather desired, however, to keep
out of the busy world, and in the retirement of Christian
society to find the rest and soothing influences his impaired
health so much required. The Bishop of the Diocese of
New York, in addition to public credentials, gave him private letters, warmly commending him to the love and cordial
hospitality of English Christians. He did not avail himself
of all the proffers of kindness so earnestly pressed upon him,
but whenever lie chose to present his " epistles of commendation," as the Rev. Mr. Carus said of him, "he amply verified all the declarations of his friends."
Dr. Cutler and lady proceeded to London, where they
were cordially greeted by some of their parishioners who
had gone to Europe previous to their own departure. They
took the usual routine of travelers, visiting the chief places
of interest in that great city-the Tower, the British
Museum, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, etc., etc.
The latter seemed to fill them with the most sublime emotions, and scarcely any place in England impressed them
with so much wonder and awe.
St. Mary's Woolnoth, where they attended Divine service,
was also a place of thrilling interest, from its associations
with that eminent man of God, the Rev. John Newton!
Here, for many long years, the author of " The Cardiphonia"
broke the bread of life to a devoted flock, and beneath the
chancel lie his mortal remains.
On the 11th of June, they had the pleasure of hearing an
eloquent discourse at St. John's, Bedford Row, from the




212          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Hon. and Rev. Baptist W. Noel. This church is the one
where the Rev. Mr. Cecil and other godly men, whose names
are dear to every lover of evangelical truth, had preached
the Gospel of Christ.  Among them all stands foremost the
name of the Rev. Daniel Wilson, D.D., the late Bishop of
Calcutta.
On the 13th of June, Dr. Cutler breakfasted with the
Rev. Josiah Pratt, whose faithful ministry at St. Stephen's,
Coleman Street, and especially his unwearied labors in the
Church Missionary Society, had made him known and
esteemed on both sides of the Atlantic.  On the following
Sunday, Dr. and Mrs. Cutler passed a delightful day with
Mr. Pratt and his family.  It was one long to be remembered, such as Christians love to put away in memory's store,
and bring it forth, again and again, in after years, to be
dwelt upon with ever-recurring interest.  True, unaffected
Christian intercourse was enjoyed with the various members
of the household. Dr. Cutler preached for Mr. Pratt, and
visited his Sunday-school. The latter gave his guests many
interesting reminiscences of " John Newton," with whom he
had been associated as curate in early days. In a note to
Dr. Cutler, a month later, Miss Pratt thus alludes to this
visit:
"I feel thankful for this opportunity of expressing the great pleasure we have all derived from the intercourse, short as it has been,which
we have lately had with yourself and Mrs. Cutler, and trust that the
savor of affectionate zeal and piety thus communicated to us may
long be cherished and found fruitful in the great work in which we
all delight to be employed."
Dr. Cutler also enjoyed a missionary meeting, held at
Islington, in the month of June, where he made an address.
He was also gratified with visits to other kindred spirits in
and around London, among whom was the Rev. Mr. Noel,
who entertained him at his delightful residence at Walthamstow, seven miles from London.




VISIT TO ENGLAND.                 2 1 3
After remaining three weeks, visiting many celebrated
places in the environs of the city, Dr. Cutler went to Oxford,
taking Windsor Castle and Eton College in his route. In
a little embowered cottage, in old Windsor, they dined with
the Bagsters, a most worthy family of dissenters, whose
piety, hospitality and loyalty to their Queen, did not fail to
interest and attract them.
English friends had gladly proffered letters of introduction to eminent men at Oxford, where the party were kindly
received. The Rev. Dr. Richards, of Exeter College, and
others, showed them every attention, and they availed themselves of the opportunity afforded to attend the " Commemoration" at the University. Among the degrees conferred
at that time was that of LL. D. on Mr. Edward Everett,
then United States Minister to England, who was present on
the occasion. After a few days profitably spent at this place,
so full of historic associations, they returned to London,
where invitations to visit Brighton and other places awaited
them, but which they were obliged reluctantly to decline.
The party set off again, in a day or two, for Cambridge,
where an American friend, then resident there, met them,
and rendered their stay very agreeable.
On the 4th. of July, they dined with him, meeting American and English acquaintances, and partook of the feast
under the folds of the English and the American flags.
Tile colleges, rich in architecture, particularly " King's
College," interested them much. The ancient relies of bygone days were all eagerly viewed, while the extensive
grounds and shaded walks, which ever render Cambridge
so attractive, also absorbed much attention.
They were often musing in many a sequestered nook,
where the cultivated mind, which loves retirement from the
noisy haunts of men, would be naturally led to look up to
God, and realize that




214          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" The calm retreat, the quiet shade,
With prayer and praise agree;
And seem, by thy sweet bounty made,
For those who follow thee."
In this place, above all others, the Christian's heart would
be kindled with new emotions, as he remembered that here,
beneath these trees, the evening breeze often wafted to
heaven those communings of soul which the devout Martyn
poured forth,long before he sailed for India's shores. Here
were the name and deeds of that devoted missionary recalled.  But there were also living men at Cambridge upon
whom the mantle of his spirit had fallen, and who, in singleness of heart, were laboring for the same Lord and Master,
who is rich unto all his servants that call upon him in
every age.
The hand of Christian fellowship was warmly extended
by such to Dr. Cutler, and by none more cordially than by
the Rev. William Carus, of Trinity College. As the biographer of the late Rev. Charles Simeon, he has since been
widely known and honored in many religious circles in both
countries. "I feel honored in being with so holy a man,
and he was exceedingly kind (wrote Mrs. Cutler). He invited us to breakfast and tea at his rooms. I have heard
him preach three times. This evening he was upon his
favorite theme-Christ our Saviour. It was the same, but
varied, impressive, faithful, heavenly I He came and took
a most affectionate leave of us with prayer, and we parted,
I presume, for ever!"
What could be more gratifying to a Christian man of Dr.
Cutler's fine sensibilites than the following note, received a
few hours after reaching Cambridge:
"TRINITY COLLEGE, July 1, 1843.
" M  DEAR SIR-Allow me to give you a hearty welcome to Cambridge, even before I have had the pleasure of seeing you. Had I
not been going this moment to the Regius Professor of Divinity, I




VISIT TO ENGLAND.                    215
should have come to your room and begged you to make my study
your resting place this evening. Can you, however, give me the
favor of your company to breakfast in the morning at quarter past
nine? and we can then go to church together, as dear Dr. Tyng did
with me last year, and good Bishop Meade the year before, and beloved Bishop McIlvaine some years before that.
"Believe me, yours most truly, in Christian regard,
W. CARUS."
Dr. Cutler's allusion to his visit at Cambridge, in a letter
to a friend in London, indicates his hearty appreciation of
the kindness he had received.
In acknowledgment of the receipt of a letter addressed by
the St. Stephen's Coleman Street Sunday-school girls to St.
Ann's Sunday-school in Brooklyn:
TO MISS PRATT.
"DURHAM, July 11.
"Thank you, kindly, my dear Christian friend, for your attention
to my request. I was quite delighted to find on my arrival, a few
moments ago, the promised letter. I shall pray over it, and prize it,
and shall expect some immortal soul may be made better by it.
There is a great importance in making first impressions, and I am
not without hope that from what shall strike the young and lively
mind, in this new mode of exhortation, something may ultimately
result, for which both you and I may give glory to God.
" To-day brings me a kind letter from Mr. Waddington, and one
from the boys' school to my own... I addressed, last Sunday,
the Sunday-school of the Rev. Dr. Marsh, with whom Mrs. Cutler
and I passed a sweet Sunday.
"At Cambridge we had a most delightful visit, chiefly in the
company of Mr. Carus, with whom we took'sweet counsel,' sweet
indeed! Every circumstance conspired to draw out his heart; and
whose heart could resist when Mr. Carus poured out the cordialities
of his? There were at times but one stream made by our thoughts,
communings and prayers. One almost sighs to think of such solitary'fellowshi)ps' as those of Cambridge.
"With Mrs. Cutler's best respects to your venerable father, your
excellent mother and family, I remain yours, most affectionately,
"B'. C. CUTLER.
"P. S.-We expect to embark August 1st, for New York; will
you give us your prayers?"




216           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Dr. Cutler always spoke with delight of his meeting with
this valued man of God, Mr. Carus, who, in 1851, was called
away from Cambridge, and became a canon of Winchester
Cathedral. IHow fully his kindly feelings were reciprocated,
is apparent in a note to the writer of this memoir, dated
"WINCHESTER, ENGLAND, Mfay 30, 1864.
"MY DEAR SIR —I have been deeply moved by your kind letter
about our beloved, and now sainted, friend and brother, Dr. Cutler.
Never shall I forget that visit of his to Cambridge, and the blessed
intercourse I was permitted to enjoy with that eminent man of God.
"It was one of the richest privileges of my life. Would that I
could furnish you, as you desire, with some memorials of our Christian fellowship, during those happy hours at Trinity College. But
I fear it is now out of my power to furnish them....  My large
mass of papers have remained unassorted for years which I have not
had leisure to arrange.
"Yours most sincerely,            W. CARUS."
It is rare that such congenial spirits meet on earth; and
if such are the foretastes of heavenly love, what, indeed, will
the reality be, when the friendships formed here below shall
be consummated, purified and made perpetual in the presence
of Christ above?
Dr. Cutler left Cambridge (hallowed for ever in his memory) on the 7th of July, for Durham.  He passed through a
rich country, replete with loveliness and beauty; regretting
he could neither stop at Northampton, the residence of Dr.
Doddridge, nor turn aside to reach Olney, made famous by
the Christian poet.  At Leamington he was introduced into
the bosom of a delightful family, that of the Rev. Dr.
Marsh, one of the most devoted clergymen of the Established
Church. After treading on the soil consecrated by traditionary associations of Queen Elizabeth, at Kenilworth, and
visiting other famous places in the neighborhood, he went
on to York, and thence to Durham.
At the latter place Dr. and Mrs. Cutler were cordially received at the residence of G. T. Fox, Esq., with whose son




VISIT TO ENGLAND.                    217
they had a previous and long acquaintance in New York.
One can readily imagine how delightfully a week was spent
at Durham, especially with such hospitable friends. Dr.
Cutler here met many clergymen and distinguished authors,
through the constant kindness of Mr. Fox.  At a dinner
party given by the venerable T. Gisborne, prebendary of
Durham, he was gratified to meet the Rev. Dr. Waddington
(well known by his Church history), the Rev. George Townshend and other clergymen of note, including the Bishops of
Durham and Chester. The latter produced the same impression on Dr. Cutler's mind which he never failed to produce on his own countrymen.  A  general favorite of all
classes, and one who received all the honors bestowed upon
him (even when afterward he became the Primate of all
England) with unaffected grace.  His lordship held an ordination at Durham Cathedral at this time. when over forty
candidates were admitted to holy orders.
In a letter to his nephew, Mr, Charles Bancroft, then at
Brooklyn, Dr. Cutler thus writes on the occasion:
"It was a solemn and interesting scene.    The Bishop and
his examining clergy are holy and learned men, and such as any
church might well desire to honor. What a blessing such a number
of heralds may confer on a sinful and lost world. I thought of Henry
Martyn, of Bishop Heber, and of Daniel Wilson, and offered my poor
petitions that a rich spiritual anointing might follow this great act
of public and authoritative separation for the ministry.
"At 10 o'clock the congregation assembled for Divine service.
Two Bishops were present-the Dean of Durham, a tall, dignified
man, in his white surplice and scarlet hood. The sermon was preached
by the Rev. Prebendary Thomas Gisborne, from the words,' God has
not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love; and of a
sound mind.' The preacher was over eighty years of age; but he
delivered a most excellent discourse, showing the true character and
spirit of a minister of Christ. He took the opportunity to bear his
testimony against the Oxford heresy.... At 6 P. M. the Bishop
of Chester preached in his robes; his text was,' Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,' etc. His sermon was evangelical and spiritual;
not about the authority of the priesthood, but about the responsibil10




218            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
ity of the treasure of the gospel. His preaching is like Bishop
Eastburn's.
"I have been struck with the ease with which the rubrics sit
upon the clergy. They seem to form an easy, flowing robe, which
is never laid aside, but which gracefully becomes them. I have
never heard bishop or priest repeat the collect:' Grant, we beseech thee,' etc., just as it is in the Prayer Book. The Bishops of
Glasgow and of Chester altered it; and every other man Sunday
after Sunday has altered it by a word or phrase. Almost every
church sings different psalms and hymns, and some sing no psalms.
They sing between the second lesson and the creed, or after the
first two collects; the latter custom prevails in Westminster Abbey.
Indeed, they do not appear to speak of such trifles. For my part,
I like to see a minister correct. I am so myself in the service. But
I think, with many here, that to have our religion con'sist in a close
attention to trifles, is belittling to the soul; to make a great fuss
about little things is a sorry way of serving God.
"Last week your aunt and I had you much in mind, and often
united in prayer for you, that the Holy Spirit would seal your ordination and make you his own. Take care of flattery, especially from
other ministers. God setteth up and God putteth down. Depend
upon it, your best friends are the best friends of Christ; the most
devoted and spiritual Christians i I know this; I am sure of it.
Therefore, take heed:'The vulgar, fickle are and frail,
The great, dissemble and betray;
And, laid in Truth's impartial scale,
The lightest thing will both outweigh.'
"I do not expect to come home until October 1st... May
God bless and keep you, prays
" Your affectionate uncle,      B. C. CUTLER."
Allusion is made in the preceding letter to the ordination
of Mr. Bancroft. This gentleman was a nephew of Mrs.
Cutler, and much loved by Dr. Cutler.  He was born in
Montreal, and was sent in early youth, by his parents, to Dr.
Muhlenberg's celebrated institution at Flushing.  He afterwards graduated at Columbia College, New York, and
while at college, and during his theological course, enjoyed
the friendship and counsel of his loved relative. On the




VISIT TO EXNGLAND.                 219
25th of July, 1843, he received holy orders at the hands of
the late Lord Bishop of Montreal, administering the Diocese
of Quebec, and was appointed in charge of the chapel of St.
Paul (at Quebec), to commence his duties in the following
October.
The interim was spent at Brooklyn, and the parish of St.
Ann's gladly secured his services during that period.
Before his ordination he had been at the rectory in
Brooklyn, and at the time of Dr. Cutler's departure, was
especially useful in the various departments of parish labor.
It was wisely and kindly ordered that at this juncture he
was at hand to facilitate every plan in connection with his
uncle's temporary absence, and we know nothing was more
grateful to Dr. Cutler, standing as he did, almost in. the
light of an adopted son to both Dr. and Mrs. Cutler.
Dr. Cutler, while in Europe, constantly received tidings
of the condition of his church and Sunday-schools from this
relative, as well as from others in the parish.
The summer of this year was made famous in the annals
of the Episcopal Church in the United States, by the "Carey
ordination," when Drs. Smith and Anthon protested, in the
midst of the public services on the occasion, against the admission to orders of a late graduate of the General Theological Seminary, who had been accused of holding some
of the doctrines of the Church of Rome. The excitement
which was awakened throughout the church was unprecedented, and the baneful influence of Tractarianism was becoming more and more apparent.
This explains the following extract from a letter Dr. Cutler received, from his Sunday-school Superintendent while
he was in England:
" The papers will no doubt give you the particulars of
the doings in St. Stephen's. The stand that Drs. Anthon and Smith
have taken is approved by all sound Churchmen, inasmuch as the
time had come when a stand must be taken in regard to the errors




220           LIFE OF REV. IDR. CUTLER.
that are spreading among us.       Things are rapidly coming
to a focus with us in regard to the Puseyite heresy... Our
missionary meeting in Boston was well attended. It was determined to discontinue the mission to Crete, and reduce the expenses
of that to Athens. The Constantinople mission with Mr. Southgate,
was continued at the earnest solicitation of Bishops Doane, Whittingham, and Ives, though the Foreign Committee pressed very
strongly the removal of Mr. Southgate.    May you enjoy the
kind favor and protection of your Heavenly Father during your absence, and be returned to your people in the fullness of the blessing
of the gospel of peace!
"In bonds of Christian love, yours,     F. T. PEET.':
Dr. Cutler, though absent, took a deep interest in all the
details of the above mentioned ordination, and all the minutira of the affair were forwarded to him while in Devonshire. He attached great significance to this and other like
matters, regarding them as occasional developments and
outlets of those deep undercurrents of error, which he feared
were undermining the stability of the Church.
But we must follow the routine of our friend's journey.
After leaving Durham, he returned to London and spent
another fortnight. Dr. and Mrs. Cutler were soon off again,
however, for Devonshire, visiting Bathll, Bristol and Clifton;
thence they proceeded to "Frelnington Vicarage," near
Barnstable, where they arrived on the 7th of August.  Here
in a sequestered rural spot,.with refined, intellectual and pious
friends, they were entertained for weeks with that generous
hospitality which is so characteristic of' retired English
homes. The passing traveller who is simply absorbed in
sight-seeing in England, or taken up with the whirl and excitement of the great towns and cities, sees nothing of the
rural charms which adorn many a place hid from  the busy
thoroughfares; nor can he know that genuine, frank and cordial hospitality, which attracts so many cultivated minds to
the interior of those delightful Christian homes, where heart
meets heart, and every noble sentiment of the soul meets




VISIT TO ENGLAND.                     221
with a suitable response.  In such a home, under the roof of
the Rev. William C. Hill, Dr. and Mrs. Cutler found an
agreeable resting-place.
A slight link of connection with a relative of theirs in
America had first brought them  to each other's notice, and
now, after some correspondence, long anticipations were to
be realized. and the promised visit made.
We lhave an interesting account of their sojourn, in a
letter from Dr. Cutler to his nephew, Mr. Bancroft:
" FREMINGTON VICARAGE, DEVONSHIRE, Sep)tember 1, 1843.
"MY DEAR CITARLEs — For the last three weeks we have been
staying at this quiet place. It is on an arm of the sea called Barnstalble Bay, and the tide comes up nearly to the house. Nothing can
exceed the kindness and hospitality of the Rev. Mr. Hill and his
lady —the counterpart of our two friends at Athens of the same
name (and, by the way, we received a letter this week from Mr.
Bracebridge, of Warwickshire, inviting us to pass a few days at'Atherstone Hall.'  This was through the kindness of our friends
at Athens). My health is slowly improving.... I have preached
two Sundays, and assisted Mr. Hill every Thursday evening. I have
also addressed the Sunday-school, and the children have sent many
messages to our own schools.... We have now been about
three months in England, but we remain unchanged in our love of
home, and say now as when we left you,'Thy people shall be my
people.' As it respects the reigning heresy of incipient Romanism,
my mind is firmly fixed. I look upon it as fearful in its consequences,
and deep and deadly in its injurious effects on the truth.
" Mr. Parker's letters are received by his kind friends here with
very great pleasure. They fondly dwell on the thought that one
day they shall see Mr. and lIrs. Parker.
"I am anxious to hear about your ordination. Stir up the gift
that is in you, and study; approve yourself unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed. We have just had the weekly lecture. It was fully attended, and at the close it was a very affecting
scene-the villagers praying God to bless us and give us a safe
journey. I was cheered by the singing-so much sweetness and sincerity.'Come ye that love the Lord,' was sung to the tune of Shirland. Surely, such scenes are the home of the soul.
"' Speaking to yourselves,' says St. Paul,'in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs.'.  I have planted a.fine honey-suckle near




222            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
the garden wall, that it might remain as a memento after our departure...    You will like to hear about the preaching in England.
What I have heard, in every case, is more plain, more scriptural,
more evangelical, and more doctrinal, than what would be termed
good preaching among us. It is far from being as elaborate as the
better part, of ours, but it has more of a scriptural cast. The
preachers aim at building men up in the most holy faith. Human depravity, conversion, the influence of the 1loly Spirit, etc.;
these are the ingredients of which the preaching is compounded.
There is too, a bold and open, and very solemn rebuke of the new
Romish sentiments of the Oxford Tract men, not a looking that way,
not a hint, not a fear expressed in general terms of the tendencies of
the tinmes, but a charge of false doctrine, and a soul-destroying corruption of God's truth. I was glad to learn that Lord Wellington
said, when a female relative of an Archbishop said,' Why will not
your Grace interfere and protect that good man, Dr. Pusey?''Poh,
poll! he has been let alone too long!' There will be a dreadful upheaving of' the laity here, I am well convinced.... But I must
close, and send my love to all my dear friends in the church and
Sunday-schools. Who shall I name? Where shall I begin?  They
know. Our love and salutation to your Aunt S., to dear H. and Ben.
Also to Mrs. Francis and the Doctor.' Yours, most affectionately,    B. C. CUTLER."
At Fremington, Dr. and Mrs. Cutler enjoyed every comfort and pleasure that the most considerate thoughtfulness
could devise, and the inmates of the vicarage became endeared to them for life.  When they came' to leave, it was
with real regret, yet mingled with gratitude to the Giver
of all mercies for this " spring by the way."  The correspondence between these friends, in after years,  was a source
of unfeigned pleasure, and ended only with life. Time and
distance could not separate them  in spirit, and now these
two ministers of Jesus pour forth their united praises in
the eternal home where partings are never known.
The letter of Dr. Cutler to Mr. and Mrs. Hill, after leaving their residence (written partly at Exeter, and partly at
London), we fail not to transcribe.




VISIT TO ENGLAND.                       2 2 3
"EXETER, September 2, 1843.
"MY VERY KIND FRIENDS-The fragrance of your friendship is
still fresh on my mind, and in my meditations this morning it came
over me like a soothing and pleasing dream. May God reward you
for all!.This morning has opened very finely, and we
have the prospect of a charming ride; but we want another Sun to
make us happy, the light of his countenance, who is the Alpha and
Omega of the Church, in heaven and on earth. May he be with us
all! Adieu!"
" LONDON, 13 CECIL STREET.
"This blessed day has found us, my dear friends, in the great
city of sin, and salvation, too! Here we may take our choice of a
hundred Christian temples, in which to worship God. For worship,
after all, is the great object for which the true Christian waits upon
God in his courts. Mrs. C. wants to go to Westminster Abbey. I
had rather go to Bedford Row, to St. John's Chapel.
I had no opportunity to do good in the cars yesterday, save by a
battle with a kind of Puseyite; but, alas! this is a wretched mode
of doing good. I am every day more and more averse to religious
controversy, and yet I fear that on reaching home I shall be compelled to take up the sword. But shepherds make poor swordsmen.
I have been for a quarter of a century floating on the kindlier sentiments of men, yea, and of babes, and I shall make a bad hand at
fighting giants. But if I fight at all, it must be with prayer and the
sling of truth....   I have been reading some of Keble's
Christian Year. The poem on'The Gunpowder Plot' should be
republished.
2 P. M.
"The choir at Westminster Abbey was full, and we went to St.
Margaret's.  The sermon was a good one for me, but a poor one for
those wh6 do not hear the gospel. St. Margaret's is a nice church;
the window  over the altar is superb stained glass, the subject of
which is the Crucifixion.
"'Yet faith's pure hymn, beneath a shelter rude,
Breathes out as sweetly to the tangled wood,
As where the rays through painted oriels pour
O'er marble shaft, or tesselated floor;
Heaven asks no pomp around the heart that feels,
And all is holy, where devotion kneels.'
"With love to Mrs. H., I am yours, most affectionately,
B. C. CUTLER."




224           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
After returning to London, Dr. Cutler went to Brighton,
and then, crossing the Channel, went to Paris, where he
preached for Bishop Luscomb, the English chaplain there.
In a fortnight they were in London again.  From  thence
Dr. Cutler wrote a few lines to his nephew:
TO THE REV. CHARLES BANCROFT.
" 13 CECIL STREET, LONDON, Septerber 26, 1843.' MY  DEAR CIIARLES —I sincerely congratulate you on your
ordination and upon the favorable auspices under which your
ministry is commenced. Who ordained you, however, is a matter
of small importance, compared with the question of your fidelity.'Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life!'"
" LIVERPOOL, October 3.
"Mr. T —  says, in a letter, that you are much approved, and
that he hears you are inclining to High Church doctrine, which he
admires not the less. This he said, I suppose, to tease me. However, high or low, you must now take the consequences; but, after
all you have seen, if you side that way, I know you will do it
against your conscience.  You must preach what you believe.
Never utter a'saying,' or urge upon men a duty, which you do not
perform or thoroughly comprehend. You had better he thought a
babe in Christ, than preach one whit more than God has taught
you by his Spirit.
" I am sorry to say my side is not free from pain. In this body I'groan, being burdened.' The Lord grant that I may be clothed
upon from heaven. Pray for me.              Don't be worried
about my attack on your High Church. I don't think so highly of
the depth of such young gentlemen's notions as to quarrel about
them.  Puseyism is, in my view, the'dandyism' of the church.
Indeed, it is something very much worse. Love, in abundance, to
your dear mother.
"Your affectionate uncle,      B. C. CUTLER."
Dr. and Mrs. Cutler visited "Atherstone," and thus acceded to the urgent request of Mr. and Mrs. Bracebridge
(the warm friends of the Greek Mission), but regretted that,
owing to delay of letters, they could not visit Tutbury,
Burton-on-Trent, the home of the Jacksons, whither they
had been so kindly invited.




VISIT TO ENVGLAND.               225
They left the shores of England in the ship " Sheffield,"
Capt. Popham, October 5, 1843. The voyage home was
boisterous and protracted. In the Irish Channel they were
overtaken by a violent gale, and afterward encountered a
succession of westerly gales; but the unfavorable state of
the weather was counter-balanced by the society of their
fellow-passengers. They were favored with all that intelligence, urbanity, piety, and harmony of feeling could afford.
The captain was devoted to the entertainment and comfort
of all his passengers. Public worship was held twice on
Sunday, and prayers daily in the ladies' cabin.
On the 10th of November they approached the shores of
their native land, and on the morning of the 11th they were
furnished with a pilot, who held out the cheering hope that
in a few hours they would be amid the greetings of friends
at home.
But God's ways are not as man's ways. At noon of the
same day the ship struck at Romer Shoal, at the entrance
of the harbor of New York. Who can describe the scene
of consternation? Hearts but a moment ago buoyant with
hope were now filled with gloom and dismay. Despair was
on every face, and night soon added its horrors to the scene.
The rain fell in torrents, and the wind blew strong and
high.
The captain told Dr. Cutler that their Christianity was
now to be put in practice, for they were in a howling storm
on a desolate shoal, and their vessel was fast going to
pieces. Twelve hours of heart-rending, smothered agony
were spent upon the wreck. When it was nearly midnight,
Dr. Cutler delivered a short and appropriate discourse to
his hearers assembled in the cabin, from  the text, "As
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, (were they
not in a waste, howling wilderness of sea then?) even so
must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Doubt10*




226          LIFE OF REV..DR. CUTLER.
less, nmany were enabled to look to the Saviour at that hour
and hear his voice, amid the howling blast, whispering to
their souls, " Peace, be still!" The hope of life departed
from nearly every breast; but at the very last moment a
steamer came to their assistance (having perceived the blue
lights and rockets which were sent up from the sinking ship,
as signals of distress). A hymn of praise arose from these
voices, just now mute with despair, which bore upward to
God the gratitude of every heart. They were soon transferred to the steamer, and six hours later they were at
home.
Our readers will find a most interesting, detailed account
of this shipwreck in a little book called "Twelve Hours on
the Wreck," containing a narrative of the disaster, prepared
by Rev. Dr. Cutler.
It was like a resurrection from the grave, when, with the
first rays of the morning sun (on Sunday, November 12),
Dr. Cutler beheld not far off the tower of old St. Ann's
Church. Friends gathered at the rectory, but Dr. Cutler,
after having been, like the apostle, " a night and a day in the
deep," retired immediately to rest. In the afternoon the
shepherd was amid his flock again. At 2 o'clock the Sunday-schools met their restored pastor in the chapel. What
joyful emotions filled his heart and theirs can be better
imagined than described. "A Hymn of Gratitude," written
for the occasion of his return by a teacher in the Sundayschool, was sung by the choir on his entrance.
Several hymns had been written by persons connected
with the schools, or by their friends, to welcome the rector's
return, which were all sent in to him, as tokens of continued
respect and affection.
How expressive of the feeling of every heart was a piece
called " The Greeting," an extract from which we here give:
"There's gladness in the fold once more!
And gushing hearts rejoice;




VISIT TO ENGLAND.                 227
Thanks to our God! our waiting o'er,
We hear the shepherd's voice.
"Foremost to join the joyous strain
The cherished lambs would come,
And praise the Power that brings again
Our own dear pastor home."
Dr. Cutler brought with him various letters from England-one from Mr. Edwin Hough (who was connected with
the Evangelical Alliance), addressed to St. Ann's Sundayschool. Also, from the Superintendents of Rev. Mr. Pratt's
schools, in London, which was subsequently read to the Sunday-schools of the parish. Letters had been transmitted
during the previous summer, from the same school, to that
of St. Ann's. *
After Divine service, in the evening of that Lord's Day
which found him at home again, Dr. Cutler received the congratulations of the parish; with great eagerness, the people
pressed forward to the chancel rails to greet him who had
been set over them in the Lord. The signal deliverance
from the jaws of death which Dr. Cutler experienced, was
not allowed to pass away unimproved.  On the last Sunday
of November he preached an appropriate discourse from
Psalm xl. 1, 2, 3. " I waited patiently for the Lord, and he
inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up
also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my
foot upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath
put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God;
many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord."
On each returning anniversary of the day of the shipwreck, he gathered his friends about him (some of whom
were his companions on that fearful night), and spread a
feast to commemorate the goodness of the Lord, mingling
with the amenities of social life, interesting and profitable
religious exercises.
* See Appendix C.




228           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
On Thanksgiving Day he preached a sermon from the
text, " Prove all things; hold fast that which is good; " describing his experience in England, and comparing the educational and religious advantages of the two countries.
From friends scattered over all portions of the land came
cheering letters to him, during the remaining weeks of the
closing year, hailing his safe return with profound gratitude.
From old England, too, came tributes of love and sympathy
and thanksgiving from many hearts. The friends at " Fremington vicarage," wrote:
"DEAR AND BELOVED FRIENDS.-What an astonishing instance of
Divine goodness and power was displayed in your preservation! May
it prove the spiritual life of many; not only of those who were with
you in the ship, but of those who hear what great things the Lord
has done for you.'Bless the Lord, Oh my soul! and all that is within
me, bless his holy name!'.       1 can but faintly conceive
your situation; the trial of your faith and constancy, surpassing any
thing I have ever experienced.... What a scene God, in his
love and mercy, hath carried you through, since you left us! Praise
to his holy name! he hath done wondrous things for you, whereof
iwe rejoice...   It must, indeed, have been a trying time to yourselves, and to many; yea, I hope, a blessed time! Every one's refuge
must have been tried; many, doubtless, prayed as they never prayed
before. We cordially join with you in wishing to take our place,
also, at the feet of our Redeemer.
"What a lesson does this shipwreck teach us also! How loudly
does it call to us to have our loins girded, and our lamps burning,
when our Lord shall come, and when lie shall say,' I come quickly,'
to answer with a desire to be in his presence,'Amen, even so come
Lord Jesus!' Amen, prays, dear friends,
"Your ever affectionate,         W. C. HILL."
A few years later, and the writer of the above lines, found
with his lamp trimmed and burning, was called home to the
heavenly feast.
The Rev. Mr. Pratt,of London, also sent a gratifying
communication.




VISIT TO ENGLAND.                      229
TO THE REV. DR. CUTLER.
"LONDON, 15 FINSBURY CIRCUS, December 15, 1843.
"MY DEAR SIR —The intelligence of your shipwreck has awakened
our sympathy and our thankfulness. Finding you ultimately saved
from death, we rejoice that you are spared yet to labor for Christ,
and the good of precious souls...   At that fearful season of
darkness and tempest, it must have, been consolatory to you, my
dear friend, to feel that amidst the weaknesses of the Christian, you
hart labored to render the passage across the Atlantic (which you
were just bringing to a close), a blessing to those who sailed with
you. Had you been all irrecoverably lost, as to this world, we may
hope that your labors would have been instrumental in preparing
some for eternal glory; and we now hope and pray that the longsuffering of God, in sparing sinners for repentance, and believers for
lengthened and increased fruitfulness, may have its full influence,
through the grace of the Holy Spirit, on the hearts of all.
Take courage, then, my dear friends, that you may stand for truth
and love with still more boldness and zeal, in this disordered world
and distracted church. If the pressure of that resistless hand, which
restrains'the unruly wills and affections of sinful men,' be in judgment and in wisdom lightened still more and more, elements of evil
and anarchy and death, which are struggling to throw the world into confusion, will spring into dreadful action. Our one consolation
is, that all the evil which is and may be permitted to oppress the
church, and to ravage the world, will be restrained within the limits
of its commission, and will be made to serve the spiritual and everlasting interests of every child of God, and the glory of Christ, in the
ultimate establishment and enlargement of His kingdom.
MIy family unite with me in very kind remembrances to yourself and
Mrs. Cutler. Believe me, my dear sir,
"Ever faithfully yours,     JOSIAH PRATT."
The Rev. Mr. Carus also penned a most affectionate letter, and sent it, by a private opportunity, at a later date.
A sojourn in a foreign land had by no means allowed
the friends of Dr. Cutler in America to lose their hold on
the affections of his loving heart, as this concluding epistle
will show:




230            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
TO THE REV WM. JACKSON, LOUISVILLE, KY.
"BROOKLYN, December 22, 1843.
"MY VERY DEAR FRIEND —I thank you for the expression of interest and sympathy which your late letter conveyed. Such Christian
congratulation is one of many good fruits which our dear and Divine
Redeemer has caused to grow out of my late affliction. There are
some indications of fruit in my heart which is yet humbled and
softened within me. Oh, I wanted a more solemn and spiritual
frame of soul! And what was more fitted to procure it than going
down into the grave, with all my thoughts about me, and coming
up again? I have been baptized with death, if not' for the dead.'
Jonah hardly felt more separated from the living than I did. And
Jonah never felt more happy than I did on Sunday morning about
daybreak to land on the shores of Brooklyn, and to walk up the
hill while the rays of the bright sun were gilding the tower of my
churclh.           The letter of your dear sister, from Tutbury, I
received just as I was embarking for home, at Liverpool.
I cherish your image and that of your dear wife..... I say,
I cherish your united image near my heart. Who did you leave
(when you removed to Kentucky) that would come over from the
city of New York and sit together with us in heavenly places? Who,
I inquire? Who is like minded? Dr. Shelton and wife are the
only substitute,          and they are truly good and'nice,' as your countrymen say. Every thing is' nice' with the English. But don't think
that I felt like criticising; far from it. I was delighted with my
visit. But it will last me all my life. When I landed, and met my
brother-in-law, Capt. Bancroft, I made over to him all my right
and title to all the oceans, seas, channels, gulfs and straits in this
round world. I wipe my hands clear of all, save the Ohio River,
and a few others, on which I shall place my foot with considerable
diffidence.
"Neptune said to Ulysses (at least so Pope says in his translation
of the Odyssey), when escaped from shipwreck:'Whate'er thy fate, the ills my wrath could raise
Shall last remembered in thy best of days.'
"Now, dear Mr. Jackson, I make over to you and your dear wife,
and to your heirs for ever, all my right and title to all England,
Scotland, Ireland, yea, and France. America is good enough for
me.' I love Caesar well,' but I love-no, I don't love Rome-but
home more! England-rosy, green, merry Old England-with her'fairs' and her harvest homes; lovely old England, the queen of the




VISIT TO EiNGLAND.                           23 1
seas, I love to think of,         but her princely young daughter,
with her blooming cheeks and buxom  form, and numerous and
noble offspring, is my delight:'In nature's most delightful scene,
IMy happy portion lies.' —Ps. xvi. 6.
"Bishop Berkeley says:
Westward the course of empire takes its wayThe four first acts already past,
A fifth, shall close the drama with the day;
Time's noblest offspring is her last!'.Vale,   vale!
"Yours,               B. C. CUTLER."




CHAPTER XI.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED.
1844-1849.
"The Christian warrior —see him stand
In the whole armor of his God;
The Spirit's sword is in his hand,
His feet are with the Gospel shod.
In panoply of Truth complete,
Salvation's helmet on his head;
With Righteousness, a breast-plate meet,
And Faith's broad shield before him spread."
D    R. CUTLER  did not experience that renovation of
health he so much desired, by his voyage to Europe.
Indeed, the trying scenes through which he passed at the time
of his shipwreck, seem to have neutralized the good effects of
previous rest and change of climate.  There must have been,
however, some slight improvement in his physical condition,
or he could hardly have lived twenty years longer to accomplishll so much good on earth. But in spiritual things he
had evidently been blessed.  There was apparent, to all observers. a new measure of the Spirit bestowed and a ripening of Christian graces, which, as years increased, gave a
mellowness and charm to tile whole man, and like " the full
corn in the ear," was the result of much care on the part of
the Divine Husbandman, and a due proportion of sunshine
and rain upon this "plant of his keeping."  All his desire
was, that the blessed Redeemer should fill his heart " with
his image and his spirit."
(232)




MlI'ISTRY AT ST. AN.N'S CHURRCH.         233
Thus he writes in his journal:
"Feb. 5, 1844.-This has been a year of trial, frequent
indisposition, and some seasons of despondency. But my
soul has become more alive to God, and my interest in
Christ is greater. I am driven to him oftener, and feel
more deeply my need of him. To those who believe, Christ
is precious. He is all in all to me. My voyage was one of
spiritual dependence upon Christ. I was reading of him,
praying to him, and working for him.  I rejoice that I
went abroad, and am still more rejoiced that I am at home.
He doeth all things well;'he maketh both the dumb to
speak and the blind to see'-dumb ministers to speak of
Christ, and blind ministers to behold his beauty!"
Dr. Cutler engaged in his parochial duties, after his return,
with his usual activity, and before the month of February
(1844) closed, sixty persons were confirmed and added to
the communion.
His health became more enfeebled as spring approached,
and the vestry, as well as the rector, were soon convinced
that an assistant in the parish was indispensable in order to
preserve his valuable life and secure his earnest labors for
this church.
The minds of both parties were turned to the Rev. C.
Bancroft, who would ere long conclude his year of promised
labor at St. Paul's Chapel, Quebec; and it was with no
small degree of pleasure that Dr. Cutler wrote to this relative and offered him the post. It was soon accepted, though
he could not commence its duties until summer.
Not many months elapsed since Dr. Cutler penned the
interesting letter which concludes the previous chapter to his
valued friend and brother in the ministry, Rev. William
Jackson, ere the latter was suddenly called from his earthly
toils to his heavenly rest. His own loss was great, but he
wrote immediately to the bereaved widow.




234            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
TO MRS. WILLIAM JACKSON.
"BROOKLYN, fMarch 1, 1844.
"My BELOVED AND AFFLICTED  FRIEND-A few hours ago I
heard from Louisville the distressing intelligence of the death of
your dear husband. I need not say how deeply grieved I am at
this stroke, nor how much I sympathize with you in your inexpressible sorrow. Our gracious Saviour alone can support you, and I
doubt not he has prepared your mind, in a measure, tor the trial.
Still it is and will be great.  But you must look forward to a reunion in a better world, where death shall be destroyed.
" Think how long you were permitted to enjoy his society, and
what a length of time he was spared to labor in the church, and in
various ways to promotc the cause of Christ. He labored almost to
the last, and then safely entered the desired haven, as we trust and
believe.
"'No more fatigue, no more distress,
Nor sin, nor hell, shall reach that place!
No groans to mingle with the songs
Resounding from immortal tongues.'
" Accept, my dear afflicted sister, the warmest sympathy of both
my dear wife and myself. Be assured of our prayers in your behalf, and trust, I beseech you, that, however dark the cloud, you
will yet be able to say'it was good for me that I was afflicted.'...'With our most affectionate sympathy,    B. C. CUTLER."
Deep was the void and wide was the breach which was
made at Louisville at the decease of this honored servant of
God. Though the workman was removed, the work of
God must still go on, and the parish of St. Paul's, Louisville, hoping to mitigate their sorrow by filling the place of
the departed with a dear friend of his, soon proffered a
unanimous call to Dr. Cutler. The Bishop of that diocese,
and others of the clergy, urged upon him the acceptance of
this call, but the parish in Brooklyn could not think of separation from their much-loved pastor, and he felt, for various
reasons, constrained to decline.
We find in his journal:
"i eay 6, 1844.-I am  nervous and feeble.  Never more




MINISTRY AT ST. AXN'S CHURCH.             235
so. This is my infirmity. It is of the Lord. Its end is
known only to him.  Oh, may his grace be sufficient for me!
Blessed Saviour, mav I kiss the rod and bow my head! Oh,
forgive me and wash me, for thine own sake! Draw me
near to thee! Lord, undertake for me! Condescend to
order my footsteps by thy word and spirit!"
"May 20.-I arose with this text of Scripture on my
mind,'Be still, and know that I am God!' I arose and
read the 46th Psalm. It is celled Luther's Psalm. I read
it in a shipwreck, November 11, 1843. It is a psalmn for
trouble, deep trouble. I am better than I was, but weak.
I am at God's disposal.  One thing only I am anxious
about-that my union with the Lord Jesus Christ, as a
branch to the vine, may be ensured. I must give diligence
to make my calling and election sure. There appears to be
a great trial before me-uselessness, poverty, perhaps death!
But none of these things move me. How I lived, not how
I died, will be the great question-not that my life will save
me. Oh, no! I have never done a single action, for which I
have not reason to ask forgiveness of God. But, in judging
whether I am a true believer in Christ, I must be governed
byfruits.'By their fruits, ye shall know them.'"
" May 27.-My assistant has arrived, and has preached,
very much to my satisfaction. With such help, my spirits
may rise and my health improve.  Yesterday was communion day, and six new  members were added to the
church, and six more from other churches. May the ministers of St. Ann's be visited with a blessing from on high,
and may sinners turn from the paths of death, and live! Oh,
let it be my whole aim to live for the service of Christ-no
more for the world!"
It was well for Dr. Cutler that his dearly cherished
relative, a very son in the spirit, should becomes his coadjutor at this critical period.
As the fine weather appeared, he used every means of




23 6          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
building up his health and strength, especially by exercise
on horseback. In June he rode up and down the length of
Long Island, in company with Mr. M —, of his parish,
traveling in the saddle nearly three hundred miles.  In
July and August we find him at Saratoga, using the mineral
waters from  the springs which have made this place so
noted.  The last note in his journal before going was:
"Blessed Jesus! add thy blessing to the springs;
" Thou seest me waiting at the pool;
I would, thou knowest I would, be whole;
Oh, let the troubled waters move
And minister thy healing love!'"
While absent from home he preached occasionally, distributed tracts, and attended meetings of the Bible Society, or
gatherings of a kindred character.  He always realized his
responsibility as a minister of God, and acted accordingly.
At Saratoga he wrote out new sermons, and' took sweet
counsel with Christian friends from various quarters of the
land." Here he met his attached friend, Bishop Eastburn,
and wrote to his assistant in this strain:
" My communion with Bishop E --- was really a blessing. Only
think of being two weeks together, sitting up till 11 o'clock in
the most deeply interesting conversation on the whole range of
topics, literary, social, sacred and ecclesiastical.     He
has been called out by his Massachusetts duties, and is in full blast
against the Romish party. By the by, bow modest it is for a presbyter to say,' There is no cause for this opposition to Romish error!'
when nearly every Bishop in England has awoke, and charged his
clergy against it. The goose, when she put her head into the wall,
saw no danger! I trust that the pastoral letter of the House of
Bishops will speak decidedly against this leaning to Rome. The
Anti-Puseyites want to know whether they have been alarmed without cause, and the Puseyites, whether they are right. All eyes in
the church, and out of it, are looking to the Bishops. Bishop
Chase has said much already. Oh that he might not lack firmness
now! Ilis best friends expect from him something explicit...
" Yours in the strongest bonds,  B. C. CUTLER."




MINISTRY AT S:1. ANN'S CHZURCH.              237
We give an extract from a, letter of an earlier date, addressed to the same, in which allusion is made to the same
topic:
" Coming up here, I fell into conversation with a gentleman from
Baltimore and another from New York. I find that the exclusive
and ultra views of the church, maintained by the Romish party in
our church, are doing great mischief, and creating great disgust
and even animosity against us! How can it be otherwise? What
is there in our numbers, piety or zeal, which justifies the ground
they take, viz., that no other ministry is valid? Indifferent spectators might say that almost all ministries might be valued BUT
ours, from the fruits. Our good Lord, deliver the church from this
deplorable leaven!".
To a parishioner he wrote:
"Bishop E — soon joined us.             His taste
is truly formed on the Anglo-Saxon model, or, more truly, on the
English.           But I have found tastes in the good Bishop
far worthier of admiration than this, however good it may be. He
is truly and thoroughly awake to the errors of the times, and preaches
in a most faithful and edifying way."
Happily, Dr. Cutler and his assistant, and the bulk of his
parish also, held similar views on the topics of discussion
which then agitated the church.
"Sept. 9."-He says: "My dear son (referring to his
assistant) preached faithfully on Christ our righteousness;
the Lord bless him! he is all that I could desire."
Toward the close of this month he had the pleasure of
uniting in marriage his assistant (the Rev. C. 13.) and Miss
Ellen Smith, of Philadelphia. While Mr. B. was absent on
his wedding trip to Montreal, Dr. Cutler wrote to his relative:
"BROOKLYN, September 29, 1844.
"I hope you will come home refreshed, and with your' cara
sposa' resolved to serve God.  Oh that a new unction might be
given to you and to me! How tame and cold my sermons appear!
Oh for words that breathe, and thoughts that burn! Oh for a pen of
fire! that I might BURN IN the awful truth, that men are in danger
of everlasting woe.




238           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"But a pen of fire may not convince them so much as a pen of
Christian love! We have preached the simple gospel to   ~  and
said little about the terrors of the law, and yet she appears deeply
convinced of sin. God will own his truth. It is mighty and will
prevail. Study it and preach it, my dear C —, and may God give
you many happy seals of your ministry, as crowns of your rejoicing.
With much love,
"Your affectionate uncle, and co-laborer,
" B. C. CUTLER."
The records of his journal show how constant was his love
and zeal in the cause of Christ, and the extension of his
kingdom:
"Dec. 9, 1844. —I took my family, yesterday, over to St.
George's Church, New York, to attend a farewell meeting
for the missionaries to China. It was a glorious meeting.
My prayers have been answered; the church has arisen and
shines in the star-like lustre of a clear sky.  0 Son of
Righteousness, arise! The night is far spent; the day is at
hand.  For twenty years have I prayed to see such a sight
as I saw last night. Glory to God in the highest, peace on
earth, and good-will toward men!"
"Dec. 17.-Bishop Johns preached last evening.  It was
wonderful, sweet and strong.  The Lord reward him! Oh
that his mantle may fall upon us ministers! My soul was
satisfied, as with marrow and fatness."
"Dec. 20.-Rich privileges during the last Sabbath.  My
mind, however, is absorbed in church with my duties and
occupation, but my heart, on which God keeps his eye, is too
often cold and dead.'Heart thou art ice, or why this long delay
To melt in streams of liquid grief away?'
I want to love God with all my heart, and soul, and mind.
Oh that with the old year, I might throw off all old sins
and follies and put on the Lord Jesus Christ! Thy grace is
sufficient for me, 0 Lord!"




MIJAIS TRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.          239
The trial and subsequent suspension from office of the
Bishop of the Diocese of New york, at the beginning of the
year 1845, gave Dr. Cutler much sorrow. Conscientiously
adhering to his sense of duty, he expressed his opinions with
much candor and firmness, and for the good of the diocese,
acquiesced willingly in the decision arrived at by his peers.
In later years, however, when age and suffering had brought
his diocesan near the end of life, and unfeigned repentance
had been unquestionably exhibited, Dr. Cutler was one of
the very first to ask for a remission of his sentence, and to
desire those in authority, after the injunction of Scripture,
to " restore such an one in the spirit of meekness," if it could
be with propriety accomplished, and without interfering
with the rights of the Provisional Bishop.
His comment at this time was:
"Jan. 13, 1845.-Oh what a temptation is high health and
spirits in any thing like a high place in the church! It is
through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom
of heaven. Oh for a tender conscience, a broken heart, an
humbled mind, and a constant preparation for death!"
Let us read a few more extracts from his journal:
"March 17.-My spirits droop, and my left side is still
painful.  I am beginning seriously now to think of giving up my charge. Lord, undertake for me! I need wisdom,
grace and patience.'Behind this frowning providence,
Thou may'st hide a smiling face.'
We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with
a feeling of our infirmities."
"March 31.-Much wearied and discouraged on account
of my health, yet not quite in despair;'as dying, and behold we live!' I feel like an afflicted man. Yet I am kept
up like a person in deep water, whom some one keeps from




2+o          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
drowning, by placing his hand under his chin.'Hold thou
me up and I shall be safe!'"
"April 7.-' Every branch in me that bringeth forth fruit,
he purgeth it, (or pruneth it) that it may bring forth more
fruit.' I have been well pruned, and I needed it.
" Rev. John Fletcher said:' I keep in my sentry-box till
Providence removes me. My situation is quite suited to my
little strength (then aged fifty-four). I may do as much or
as little as I please, according to my weakness; and I have
an advantage which I can have nowhere else in such a degree. My little field of action is just at my door; so that
if I happen to overdo myself, I have but a step from my
pulpit to my bed, and from my bed to the grave. If I had
a body full of vigor, and a purse full of money, I should like
well enough to do as Mr. --  does, but as Providence does
not call me to it, I readily submit.' *
" I have suffered for twenty-five years from weakness of
body. A state of valetudinarianism is unfriendly to piety
on account of the self-indulgence which is fostered, and the
selfishness which the attentions of others increases; but to
be in the state in which I have been is safer than to be in
robust health. A man like me, and in this parish, has no
time and no temptation to trifle; no opportunity for foolish
talking or jesting, but many an one, for giving of thanks and
for prayer.
" I am now forty-seven years old, and twenty-eight out of
these have been years of languor and infirmity. God has
kept me near the borders of the grave, that I might be delivered from a miserable, light and trifling spirit."
Amid all the personal and relative trials of this year, how
refreshing and encouraging to Dr. Cutler's spirit must have
been the epistle which came over the waters from the halls
of Cambridge, and reached him in the month of April. We
subjoin it almost entire:
* See Fletcher's Life by Cox, p. 154.




MINISTRY AT ST. ANNT'S CHURCH.               241
TO THE REV. DR. CUTLER.
"TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, March 27, 1845.
"MY VERY DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER —Often have I been purposing to send you a few lines, but my incessant engagements,
enormous correspondence, and often infirm health, have actually
obliged me to postpone my good desires. But I wished to tell you
how affectionately I hold you in remembrance, and shall not forget,
to the end of my days, that brief but blessed visit with which you
favored us in Cambridge. How is your own health? I feared much
for you; you were, indeed, very feeble, whilst sojourning here; and
then, what a trial, just as you were reaching your own dear home
once more! Surely, you can now say with the apostle,' in perils in
the sea.' What a mighty deliverance! Truly, the landing of Paul at
Melita was not more the work of our gracious Lord, than your
preservation from the deep water-floods. No sooner did I hear of
this, than I offered up my poor praises in your behalf, as I had before, my prayers.             Now, happy and grateful indeed
should I be to have a few lines from you, whenever it may be in your
power to find a few moments for an affectionate, though distant and
unseen, friend and brother.
" I often think of all the heavy troubles with which your branch
of Christ's Church has had of late to contend, as well as our branch
here. But we know who shall prevail, though for past neglect and
unfaithfulness, and coldness and pride, we may be called to suffer
shame and loss, for a season. These storms will break off all branches
which are withered and unsound; and though the stem may be
rudely shaken, it will only cause the roots to take stronger hold.
Oh, may He who is the truth, and life, and love, keep and bless us!
Excuse this most hasty and unworthy note. I am obliged to write
in a great hurry, and am weary. But, sir, believe me, with true
Christian regard to yourself and lady,
" Your most affectionate brother in Christ Jesus,  W. CARUS."
Another friend, the Rev. Josiah Pratt, had been called to
"the rest that remaineth for the people of God" during the
previous year, and the number of Dr. Cutler's correspondents in England were decreasing, so that the above letter
was especially cheering to his soul.
But a heavy loss now fell upon the Church in the United
States.  The sudden death of the venerable Dr. Milnor, the
rector of St. George's Church, New York, on the 11th of
11




242            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
April, 1845, produced deep sensation throughout the length
and breadth of the American Church, and startled, like an
electric shock, the whole community in the cities of New
York and Brooklyn. He had long been a personal friend
of Dr. Cutler, and the latter delivered a highly appropriate
sermon upon his decease, from the text, "For though ye
have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not
many fathers."-1 Cor. iv. 15.
An extract from  this sermon appears in the Meroir of
Dr. Milnor, by the Rev. Dr. Stone, and every word of this
discourse might, with equal force and truthfulness, have been
delivered eighteen years later to the multitude of people
who were weeping over the loss of a spiritual father at
St. Ann's, Brooklyn.
The following letter shows us how deeply Dr. Cutler felt
the departure of Dr. Milnor:
TO BISHOP EASTBURN.
"BROOKLYN, April 23, 1845.
"MY DEAR BISOP-....  I am glad to get a line from
you,-your feelings are mine entirely. I was called upon on Saturday to draft the resolutions about Dr. Milnor, for the Foreign Committee; and last night, before I read them, prefaced them by an
ex tempore address of the same order with your letter. How w6nderful the dispensation! Where shall we find the man to take his
place?.... May I be founfd more faithful, more self-denying, more willing to sow beside all waters.
" I was not aware how rich a contribution might be found in his
character! He was a pillar-a Corinthian column in our temple!
nay, of the Composite order! But whoever dies, the Lord liveth;
Jesus is alive for evermore, and has the keys of death and of hell.
He opened the grave; let us submit. He said to our Moses,' Go up
into the mount and die.' He said, on that eventful night:'Soldier! lay thy weapons down,
Quit the sword and take the crown;
Triumph! all thy foes are banished,
Death is slain and earth is vanished!'
"Your afflicted but affectionate brother,   B. C. CUTLER."




MINISTR Y A T ST. A NlI'S CHUIRCH.       243
His assistant, the Rev. Charles Bancroft, was now called
away to St. Thomas' Church, Montreal, carrying there the
savor of the same earnest and devoted spirit which he had
manifested at St. Ann's. His ministerial career, Dr. Cutler
followed with deep and paternal interest, as he was transferred thence in 1847, to the rectory of St. John's, and in 1858
back to Montreal, where he became the incumbent of Trinity
Church. He had already, in 1854, been appointed one of the
canons of the cathedral. His degree of D.D. was received
successively from Columbia College, New York, and the
University of Bishop's College, Lennoxville, Canada. The
office of assistant, now vacant, was soon filled by the Rev.
A. W. Duy, a graduate of the Theological Seminary of
Virginia (as were all the successive assistants of the parish,
with one or two exceptions).
We give here an extract or two from Dr. Cutler's journal:
"June 23, 1845.-Last week the Board of Missions met,
and the annual sermon was preached by the Rev. G. Burgess,
D.D. It was excellent. The addresses at Ascension Church
were also good. The cause seems flourishing, and I now
believe the tree of Foreign Missions is rooted in the church.
Great minds are now engaged in its nourishment. A river
of water now flows hard by its roots, and my own beloved
church is, I think, engaged for life in the work-blessed be
God! Domestic missions are as important as foreign, but
they will always receive attention where there is a spark of
piety."
"Oct. 26. Sunday.-I baptized two infants-twin children
of R. B. and E. G. D.; they were five months old, and
both on one arm-to-day. Lord, before thee I am a little
child! Hold me on thy everlasting arm, and baptize me with
thy Holy Spirit!"
"Nov. 18, 1845.-This day was observed as a day of
thanksgiving for the deliverance of my wife and myself from
shipwreck in November, 1843. The 11th day of the month




244          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
was the one to be observed, but parish duties prevented.
To-day was spent in solemn, humble and grateful recollection. In the evening, about twenty communicants of the
church were invited to spend an hour with the rector, at the
rectory, in social prayer and praise."
In April, 1846, Dr. Cutler met with another loss in the
death of his assistant, Mr. Duy, who departed this life under
the parental roof in Philadelphia, aged twenty-three years.
Thus was removed, in the morning of life, one of the brightest lights which God has ever given to our church. Suitable
resolutions were passed by the vestry of St. Ann's, and Dr.
Cutler delivered two discourses in connection with this solemn event, and published an interesting obituary notice of
his fellow-laborer in the Church papers.
In June, he took his annual excursion down the island on
horseback with the same companion who accompanied him
the preceding year, the Rev. Mr. D~.
Before the end of the summer, he happily secured the
services of the Rev. G. D. Miles, as assistant minister of
St. Ann's. " Thanks to a gracious God!" he says, " I have
an assistant who promises well, a good man and true; now
that we have our work before us, all we want is more grace,
more holiness, which I take to be equivalent to being more
wrapped up in Christ!"
The Tractarian controversy was still disturbing the Church
at large, and Dr. Cutler could not be silent on the subject,
as we see from some of his correspondence of this year:
TO MISS P, OF LONDON, AFTER THE RETURN OF THE BISHOP OF
CALCUTTA TO ENGLAND.
"BROOKLYN, N. Y., May 2, 1846.
"Your favor of the 21st of March reached me a few
days since. I made an examination of my letters and papers and
found your father's letter. I send it as copied by my dear wife. We
are glad to hear that you intend to prepare a memorial of your sainted
parent, and hope that we shall be among those who will be favored




IJVINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.    245
with its perusal. We have enjoyed the visit of the Bishop of Calcutta, by faith;'we have seen it afar off;' we rejoice that from the
lips of one high in office all'reserve' is removed. May his precious
life be preserved! But, alas! if I did not look above and beyond
the life of any man, or all men who are good and true, my soul would
sink! The enemy is coming in like a flood, and I look to God to
lift up a standard against him. Oh, the infatuation of our clergy!
What but a delusion from the unseen world could have so blinded
them? With our Romanizing brethren here, no'developments'
seem to have weight. Like men intoxicated, the more they drink,
the less they perceive their true condition. But our laity judge in
a good degree for themselves, and those gentlemen find it hard to
get employment. And why was I kept from this delusion?'Oh, to grace how great a debtor!'
"Present our most Christian regards to your mother and sister,
and brothers, one of whom we know not in the flesh, but hope to
know, when all separation of Christians shall for ever cease. I am
preaching and laboring as usual. I have now been thirteen years in
this parish,.        and have been twenty-four years in the ministry! Alas! how many sins and imperfections have I to lament!' Lord, weigh not our merits, but pardon our offenses!' These would
be my dying words.
"I remain yours,              B. C. CUTLER."
TO THE REV. MR., LE ROY, N. Y.
"DEAR SIR —God be praised that some minister of Christ in our
church is found to'lift up his voice like a trumpet!'... Oh,
the unfaithfulness that abounds! The fear, the time-serving, the
abominable connivance with deadly error! I tremble for the ark I
I tremble for myself! If we of the clergy will hold our peace; if
bishops refuse to' contend earnestly' for the faith once deliverednot to Rome, but to the saints-the very stones will cry out! women
and boys will rise up to shame us to courage and conflict! The
Lord be with you! Yours,                    B. C. CUTLER."
Dr. Cutler could never be accused of judging others or
condemning them with undue severity, while he failed to
look inwardly upon his own heart and life. Indeed, his




246           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
watchfulness and circumspection was quite unusual, and few
have ever been equally faithful.
"Monday, Nov. 30, 1846.-I tried to keep the Sabbath
holy; but alas! how sinful is my heart at best! I say,' will
this heart ne'er be clean?' Here is the smell of sin still.
All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little heart!
I am surprised myself at the motion of sins which I have no
desire to gratify..The tree is cut down, the root remains!
Oh that it might be rooted out!
"I cannot rest till pure within,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee."
Faithfulness in his ministerial life was also his chief aim.
Read the following, addressed to a parishioner:
"ST. ANN's RECTORY, February 19, 1847.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-The upholsterer yesterday sent home my
sofa. It is repaired in the neatest manner possible, and will probably endure, unless burned up, until my weary body shall find a
permanent resting-place in the grave. I thank you for thinking for
a moment of my comfort. I will try more than ever to think of
yours, and that of the precious immortal souls entrusted to my
charge. But how different the true method of doing this,from what
the world may suppose. It is by preaching God's word so faithfully
that it will wound, and then pointing out Christ who will heal. It
is by urging to labors and sacrifices, and a wearisome attention to
duties, and then pointing to Christ for rest. And oh! if through
my poor instrumentality, you alone shall find Christ as balsam to
a wound, and shall retire to him as to'the shadow of a great rock,
in a weary land' —if I shall succeed in grafting your soul alone
into Christ, I could not regret my choice of a preacher's life —so full
of duties, of abasement and humiliation, compared with that of a
merchant, or a scholar, or any other man. The Lord grant me this
success at least, and reward all my benefactors.  With Christian
love to your household, I remain
" Your friend and pastor,          B. C. CUTLER."
In May, 1847, he took another excursion, on horseback,
down the island with Capt. Bancroft, his brother-in-law.




MIANISTRY A T ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                247
It was just on the eve of this journey that he wrote to a
friend, then in England, a letter expressing clearly and
pointedly his views on the Tractarian controversy:
TO MRS. WILLIAM JACKSON.
"BROOKLYN, May 25, 1847.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-... My saddle-bags are lying on the
floor, and my good wife is stitching up my riding-dress; so, you see, I
take one precept of Scripture literally,'Ride o0, because of the
word of truth, of meekness and righteousness.' It is that word
which alone is worth living for.
" Blessed be God, for at least twenty-five years that I have endeavored to preach and teach it, and that after an evangelical manner. But who can tell how oft he offendeth? I often wonder why
I am preserved. But'when the fruit is ripe, the sickle will be put
in'-immediately too!... I thank you for the pamphlets, etc.
We had a collection for the Irish of three hundred dollars, which
goes out by the frigate' Macedonian,''now in the stream.' Poor, politically-ruined, Papal-ruined Ireland!  Dead! twice dead, I fear,
to be plucked up by the roots.
"Now you want to know how I am about Oxfordism. I say as
Bishop McIlvaine says in an introduction to Mr. Simeon's life, just
published here,'I take pleasure in the opportunity of reiterating
my protest against what I abhor more and inore as a covert denial
of the gospel and the very soul of the Romish anti-Christ-the Oxford views.' Amen. From all such heresy, good Lord deliver us!
it is spreading slowly but surely, and we have the prospect of a'good fight of faith.' Let him that hath no sword sell his garment
and buy one. Jesus, un(ler thee we conquer. Dear -, at the
feet of Jesus, with all our sins, let us rest, repenting and believing.
"Yours for ever,                      B. C. C."
Dr. Cutler's natural independence of spirit always exhibited itself whenever lie felt called upon to protest against
errors injurious to the Church. In the practical workings
of her plans for the extension of the cause of missions, also,
he fearlessly set forth his views, and labored strenuously for
what he deemed the best interests of the church.
At a meeting at St. Bartholomew's Church, in New York,
in October, 1847, there was a large assembly of Bishops




248          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
and presbyters, and many laymen. A division of opinion
occurred on the subject of the mission to Constantinople.
Dr. Cutler was among the number of those whose opinions
were overruled, and whose counsels were rejected. Bishop
charged those whose views coincided with those of
Dr. Cutler, with deadly hostility to the mission. His remarks were interpreted to mean that he now felt released
from all obligation to treat their opinions with any consideration, and he was opposed to their voting again on the
subject. In commenting on this, Dr. Cutler says in his
journal, " This was so violent an assault, and he was so conspicuous in his attack upon the foreign committee, of which
I am a member, that my spirit was roused, and I, in an
equally violent manner, called upon him to explain himself,
and said I would not sit still under so outrageous a clarge.
I also called Bishop     to order, for persisting in calling
us enemies, when all we asked was, that the Constantinopolitan mission might be supported by its friends.... I am
humbled and abashed that I gave way to my feelings; and
though I consider it was an overflow of indignation and not of
anger, yet I do not justify or defend it. I have been praised
and blamed for my rebuke of a Bishop.  I like neither the
one nor the other. I desire not the distinction of a rebuker of Bishops, and deeply regret that the thing took
place. I pray God to keep my heart in future."
February 6, 1848, marked the fiftieth anniversary of his
birlthday. These seasons, as they recurred, were always set
apart for special humiliation and devout gratitude to God.
On this occasion a parishioner sent him some impromptu
lines, and the reply was as follows:
TO MRS. F
"ST. ANN'S RECTORY, February 6, 1848.
" MY DEAR FRIEND-I have read over and over again your very
kind, but too flattering lines. I am, indeed, celebrating my semicentennial birthday, but I cannot fully realize it.  My body is




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                  249
indeed benumbed and besprinkled with the frost of time. But my
heart is nearly as young as ever, and forces my head to its daily
tasks. As it respects my profession I have but one thing to say; by
the grace of God, I am what I am.           Oh, if the Saviour
will but manifest himself to me, as he does not to the world, then
I shall confer not with flesh and blood, either my own or another's.. With best respects to your husband, I remain most affectionately yours,                            B. C. CUTLER."
In the same month he penned a touching letter of consolation to a much esteemed friend:
TO BISHOP EASTBURN.
"BROOKLYN, February 17, 1848.'MY DEAR BISHOP-We were all very much surprised, as well
as grieved, to hear of the death of your sister-I am almost sure
your twin sister. Alas! what a lesson is taught us! What is life?
What is death? What are we? How many lessons we repeat to
others, but with what weight do they not come when we have been
made to feel them?' Death has been more busy here than ever
before. All ages have fallen before it..... But, my dear
Bishop, to die, to the Christian must be gain. We must gain many
relations for one we shall have left! We must gain the clearest and
loveliest views of Christ, for at best but cloudy apprehensions; and
must receive a reward for our past labors, which as yet has not been
visibly dispensed. I trust that your sister was prepared, and then I
must suppose she was taken away from the evil to come.'Can the laborer rest from his labors too soon?
He worked all the morning and rested at noon;
WlVe gather the flower when full in its bloom,
When brightest in color and best in perfume.'
We think of your mother's affliction, and pray God to support her.
"Our friend, Mr. Miles, leaves me on April I st. A successor I
want. I may be compelled to draw another nail out of your house.
Don't be impatient. I may in time pay you all.
"Most affectionately yours,       B. C. CUTLER."
The Rev. Mr. Miles now went to Wilkesbarre, Pa.; and,
after some delay, Dr. Cutler was enabled to procure another
excellent man, the Rev. F. S. Wiley, to fill the vacant post.
Dr. Cutler wrote on this topic to Mr. W.:
11*




250o           LIFE OF REE. DR. CUTLER.
" I shall confer with your Bishop. He is an old and very kind
friend of mine, and one who knows by experience what it is to be
wounded in his Master's service.  He has just taken from me a
valuable man in priest's orders. How can he complain if I can
obtain a deacon from him?"
Still later, he wrote a pointed letter to his friend on the
subject of sermonizing, which might be of great avail to
every youthful minister who may happen to peruse it, as it
stands here:
TO REV. F. S. W.
" BROOKLYN, J;uly 27, 1848.
" MY DEAR SIR-I hear that you are to be ordained on the 30th
in Philadelphia. May you receive the Holy Ghost to fit and prepare you for the great work in which you are to be engaged. God,
by his ministers, will lay his hand upon you. May you be thenceforward a holy and happy servant to the best of masters.
" We are very desirous of having you in Brooklyn.... On
the subject of sermons, I would suggest a thought or two. In the
first place, I would advise you to write them in a large hand and
on lines far apart. Don't mind the expense of paper, for freedom in
delivering your sermons is of more worth. We want your eyes on
the congregation; we want you to see how much your words affect
our hearts. As iron sharpeneth iron, so do the countenances of a
congregation their minister!  Again, begrudge no time before
preaching in becoming very familiar with your sermon. A very
plain sermon, if perfectly familiar to the speaker and delivered with
simplicity and a moderate fluency, will always command attention
and do good; while an elegantly composed sermon, a deeply conceived one, or an eloquent and argumentative one, if mumbled out
or blundered over, is an abomination to the people, if not to the
Lord.
" Select for your first sermon some general subject of evangelical
religion. Brother Miles took,'First the blade, then the ear,' etc.;
and because he was plain, evangelical, experimental, and somewhat
in the parable style, he was much liked. Scriptural, experimental,
and spiritual truths, which cluster around some object-such as a
vine or a head of wheat, or leaven, or a lost sheep, or a lost son, or
fire, or water, or building, or sowing, or reaping —will always command respectful attention from all classes of hearers, except conceited romance readers and empty-headed'Review' admirers! I
had rather preach before Daniel Webster, and Henry Clay, and




MINISTRY AT ST. A XVN'S CH UR C.             251
Edward Everett, than the Noahs, Daniels, and Jobs of the weekly
Lyceums-gentlemen who, as Dr. Johnson said of certain members
of parliament, are' silent in the house and loud in the coffee-house.'
"But, be assured, you have nothing to fear from the critics of St.
Ann's. They have been long accustomed to downright simplicity
and straight-forward dealing; but they are apparently hungry for
any mode of preaching the truth as it is in Jesus. Learning, argument, exposition, exhortation, will not be lost upon them. Every
good gift and every perfect gift they think to come from above.
They admire to hear the youthful champion of the Cross; they
loved Mr. Bancroft, and Mr. Duy, and Mr. Miles, and my belief is,
and prayer will be, that they will also love the brother soon to be
with them. To him I beg to convey assurances of high esteem, and
am his in the holiest of bonds.
"B. C. CUTLER.
" N. B.-An introductory discourse should always be rather short,
say twenty-five minutes!"
It was in this year that a clerical prayer-meeting was
formed, composed of some of the Episcopal clergy of Brooklyn and vicinity; they met every fortnight at the house of
each in rotation. The rectors of St. Ann's, of Christ Church,
Holy Trinity, St. Peter's, etc., etc., and others were present,
and Dr. Cutler and his assistants always found these meetings a delight.
Another excursion was taken in July, with his nephew, F.
M. McAllister, down the island, on horseback.
Shortly before this, he wrote a letter to the widow of a
valued clerical friend then in England. It had been a longtried friendship, and we transcribe the letter to show what a
spirit of tenderness he had toward the children of sorrow:
" DEAR SISTER-My heart was tenderly alive to your last letter.
I understand and sympathize with every word. May Jesus make
up himself what you have lost, and fill the aching void. I say may
he, but he will not, and according to the laws of nature he cannot.
He made those very fountains from whence gush often the silent
tear. He caused them to flow. He created those affections which
he commanded us to exercise toward a wife or husband, and though
we are commanded to do this in moderation, yet twenty years mod



z252,IFE OF R EE. DR. CUTLER.
erate loving of a holy, generous and devoted friend, formns habitg
not easily overcome! No! weep we must, suffer we must, smart
we must; religion itself cannot prevent it (Read Henry Martyn's
Diary); only let us learn to submit; learn to hope; learn to anticipate; above all, learn to love Jesus Christ.... Jesus is worth
ten thousand husbands, ten thousand fathers or mothers, or brothers
or sisters, and just as much of himself as we have eyes to see, and
just as much as we have ears to hear, will he in general manifest..
I grieve for you; I lament with you; I tremble when I think what
you have suffered, what an eclipse of the sun! 0 Jesus, prepare me,
prepare all for the cup bitter, bitter indeed, but medicinal and richly
deserved, and by and by to be rejoiced in!.      I rose at 4
to-day; took a shower-bath; poured out a cup of tea over my study
lamp; rode two hours in the saddle, and returned at 7 to breakfast.
"Your sincerely affectionate brother in the Lord,
B. C. CUTLER."
His correspondence was by no means confined to merely
local matters, or to letters of consolation.  He often wrote
to gentlemen of his acquaintance, in regard to their spiritual welfare, and since his decease, most decided and affectionate testimony to the value of his influence and letters
has been given. One case may be cited: a friend of his,
who was a lawyer in the city of Baltimore, wrote to him in
1846, " What you have said to me has not been washed off
the rock; you have done me much good; I am ignorant
and feeble in these matters, and I want you to continue your
interest in me."
Again, in 1848, this friend wrote:
TO THE REV. DR. CUTLER.
"  MY DEAR SIR-Do not think that I have lost my interest in the
subject that first led to our correspondence. This, my letter, is the
result of the review of the past, in connection with the Communion
this day received, at the hands of our mutual and kind friend, Dr.
Johns. A past, with which you are permanently and pleasantly
associated..    I recognize the grace of God in the earnest
desire that I have, to draw nearer and nearer to him in prayer, which




.MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                 253
must be the greatest joy and the greatest blessing of which our nature, in this life, can be susceptible. And I believe that, in his own
good time, he will grant the prayer I daily offer to him for a livelier
faith, a truer and profounder repentance, and a more confident assurance. If your experience can aid me, write to me as a friend,
freely and fully.            I dread the tendency of the times
amongst us. These trifling innovations are trifles in themselves,
but tend to the rebuilding of that wall between man and his Maker,
which the Reformation threw down. I deprecate, most truly, the
parties of high and low church. The difference between them is a
stumbling-block to many. It is a scandal, atnd worse. But one is
obliged to side with one or the other. Write to me about this matter, also; for, although I have been in Oxford since I saw you, and in
sight of Dr. Pusey's door, I came away uninfected.' My letter has, as you will perceive, no other object than to extract
from you a reply; to renew an intercourse which was of service to
me. I wish, if you ever come to Baltimore, that you would take up
your abode in my house.
" Ever, most truly yours,     J. H. B. L      "
Another extract from a letter received this year (1848)
from  a clerical friend, then at Chester, in England, though
afterward transferred to Durham, will conclude this chapter:
"MY DEAR FRIEND —YOur letter reached me safely, and did my
heart good. It restored me to old times and old friends, to hear
from you; very often do I long for some sweet communion with you,
as one of the dearest pilgrims I have ever travelled any part of the
road with, toward the Celestial City!.... Mr. Sands will
hlave told you the severe affliction I have experienced in the loss of
my father.           It is a great thing to have the late Bishop
of Chester made Archbishop; he shines in his high station, and it
has not spoiled him in the least; see how nobly he came forward at
the Church Missionary Society, and the Bible Society, to throw his
new influence in the right scale.            What a church we
might have, if men so pure, so faithful, so devoted as he who is now
at its head, were common!"
" Yours,            G. T. F."
"To the Rev. Dr. CUTLER."




CHAPTER XII.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED.
1849-1855.
IN  the years 1849 and 1850, there was little of sufficient
importance to note either in Dr. Cutler's personal history, or in the unvarying routine of his parish. His heart
was, indeed, gratified by the large numbers of additions to
the Communion.  In 1849, no less than sixty persons
were confirmed.  His Sunday-schools were  constantly
increasing in numbers and influence. How could it be
otherwise, with a careful and judicious pastor, devoted
superintendents, and an indefatigable band of teachers?
They all diligently toiled in waiting hope for the Divine
blessing, and many plants carefully nurtured in the nursery
of the Sunday-school were annually transferred to the fold
where, as communicants, they could sit down together with
more experienced pilgrims, at the table of the Lord.
In October, the vacancy in the assistantship, made by the
removal of the Rev. Mr. Wiley to Honesdale, Pa., was supplied by the Rev. F. C. Clements, of Philadelphia. We
make one or two extracts from Dr. Cutler's diary here:
"Jan. 7, 1849.-I again set up my stone of help. Oh,
why can I not please God? why live so low! why yield to
my depraved heart! Lord, I am vile; save and sanctify me!
Long experience has taught me that self-denial is bitter for
a moment and sweet for an hour! self-indulgence is sweet
for the moment and bitter for hours and days! When Esau
sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, what a type was
(254)




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHUR CH.   5
he of ten thousand other members of God's visible Church!
O Lord, keep me, and finally save me, through Christ!"
"March 26.-Rev. Dr. Smith, of St. Peter's Church, New
York, died yesterday. He fought a good fight! He was
once rector of St. Ann's, and his death has made me feel my
mortality. But God is the same:'For ever and for ever Lord,
Unchanged thou dost remain;
Thy word, established in the heavens,
Does all their orbs sustain.'
God's word has sustained upon nothing all those glittering
orbs, calling them all by names, and kept them in their
places in all regularity for six thousand years. Oh, what
should shake our faith in his promises of support!"
Dr. Cutler made the discovery, early in life, that the
shortest way to be happy, is to make others happy; and he
was constantly endeavoring, not only to do others good, but
also to make them happy. When he could do no more, a
volume was loaned, or a few kind words spoken, or a letter
penned to some distant friend. Read the following letter
he addressed, about this time, to some former parishioners
then residing at Bristol, R. I.:
TO THE MISSES Ma.' MY DEAR FRIENDS-My beloved wife and I desire to greet you,
as old and tried friends. We long to see you, and to inquire about
your present and eternal interests! We should be greatly refreshed
with a true Christian epistle from dear L-, unfolding her and
your experience of the goodness and severity, I had said, but would
prefer faithfulness, of the Lord, for, whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth. I would like much to know how the seed of God's
word, which I, perhaps, sowed, has been growing up-not outwardly
but inwardly. What is the faith, the hope, the charity, the sense
of sin, the humility, the dependence on the Saviour, the experience
of unbelief, hardness of heart, emptiness and misery?
" I would like to compare notes with one who, more than twenty
years ago, parted company from me on the journey! For myself,




2 5      L     LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
dear friends, I can only say this:' by the grace of God, I am what
I am.' What there is of religion in me is, by the grace of God. I
feel as much as ever, or more, the need and virtue of prayer. I
adhere to God's word, and all false ways I utterly abhor. I loathe
Romanism in the Church. Still you know what I am-not an ultra
Low Churchman; I aim at being a charitable Churchman.
If you were to see and hear me, I am afraid you would say,' He is
just the same as he was in Quincy.'
" Yours,                 B. C. CUTLER."
Perhaps a still more characteristic letter is the one written to an absent Sunday-school Superintendent of St. Ann's,
then at Hartford. This gentleman was also a very warmhearted personal friend, with whom he often took sweet
counsel:
TO G. D. M., ESQ.
" June 15, 1849.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-.... I am sorry to have you out of
sight, but out of mind, you are not. I am happy in your enjoyment
amid cool shades. I hope our blessed Saviour is your shepherd,
and that he is leading you in green pastures and beside still waters —
by that beautiful river of your native State. What a sweet, noble,
rich valley that river fertilizes for more than a hundred miles! Just
now, the ride along its banks must be a rich treat. This, my eye
hath seen. But there is a sweeter and more beautiful river, with
richer banks, more splendid'mansions,' and more fertile and blooming and fragrant fields! It is more than one hundred miles long;
and, as we ascend to its fountain, we shall find it larger and larger,
diminishing, more and more, as it rolls from its source.
" Sweet and pleasant has been our intercourse, my friend-a long
summer day, without a cloud-esto perpetua amicitia!
"Yours,                   B. C. CUTLER."
The following original lines we find in his journal of the
following year:
"Jan. 28, 1850. —In writing my sermon on Saturday,
these impromptu lines flowed from my pen:
What are earthly pomps to me,
If my soul my Saviour see?
Chief of all my joys thou art,
Christ is cordial to my heart.




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                257
More than music to my ears —
Jesus Christ can calm my fears;
More than friends or riches, HeChrist is heaven —is heaven to me!
Let these two last lines be the motto on my banner."
"March 18, 1850.-My soul seems low and insensible, although, thanks be to God, I am sensible of my insensibility!
My heart is cold, and I need a solemn, tender, devout, and
watchful spirit. I have wandered like a lost sheep. I hope
I have begun to return. O Lord, see me afar off-a great
way off; have compassion on me, and draw me near thee,
for Christ's sake!"
Dr. Cutler's English friends at " Fremington Vicarage,"
were gratified to hear' tidings from him this summer. We
give an extract from his letter to them:
"BROOKLYN, May 24, 1850.
"MY DEAR CHRISTIAN FRTENDs-This month of May makes me
feel very English. There has been a beautiful verdure all around
us, but a great deal of the cold chilly air of an English spring.
How are you both?-agitated, no doubt, with the fury and folly of
the church, in some quarters. But, after all, not only is Satan chained,
but so is every other one that would assault or hurt the body of
Christ! All will yet be well! It would give me unfeigned satisfaction to preach the gospel on the subject of regeneration before
some people. But this is a vain wish. How do all you Gorhamites
expect to preach under the ban of your Bishop? I suppose he does
not invade your private cures; if he does, I hope you will open your
mouths wide, and God will fill them. To me, his course seems like
madness or monomania. The church teaches us not to believe her,
and St. Paul teaches us not to believe an angel from heaven, if he
or she should preach or teach any thing contrary to God's written
word.... When you next write, tell me all about your church
and schools.... Our green miniature park or close is very
sweet now. Under the trees, all our Sunday-school gathered the
other day, four hundred or five hundred children. It was a lovely
sight. May you and we see all the saints, little and large, under
the trees of life!
"Affectionately yours,         B; C. CUTLER."




2; 3          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
In August, Dr. Cutler took his tenth annual excursion
down the island, with his nephew, B. C. Cutler, Jr.
In October, his assistant (Rev. F. C. C.) left him, having
been called into a neighboring diocese.  Of his farewell
sermon, Dr. Cutler says, "It was most excellent. May the
Lord bless that young man!" His place was supplied in
January following by the Rev. G. L. Platt.  At Christmas
season, a suitable offering was made to the parish by one of
her noble-hearted members, and Dr. Cutler sent this reply:
" ST. ANN'S RECTORY, December 28, 1850........".'IIn the name of the congregation of St.
Ann's Church, I return you our sincere thanks for the two silver
sacramental cups which you presented to us on Christmas Eve. I
beg to remind you that however costly this gift, it will be considered as an offering to the great Head of the Church, and he has
assured us that such benefactions shall not go unrewarded. The
best reward I can wish you, is that those cups may be to all of your
household.' cups of salvation,' and that, whenever you approach the
sacred feast, you may taste the' sweet mercies' of Christ's love, and
be strengthened and refreshed.
"Affectionately yours,      B. C. CUTLER, Rector."
The year 1851 was marked in the history of the parish by
the decease of Mrs. Ann Sands (widow of the late Joshua
Sands).  She died July 17, aged ninety years.  She had
been for more than sixty years a burning and a shining
light in the church, and her pastor mourned for her with
sincere sorrow. His love and veneration for her was great,
and he felt that her prayers were beyond price, and often
thanked God (to use his own language), "for having seen
such excellence." To her superior character, as a " mother
in Israel," his predecessors in St. Ann's, Bishop McIlvaine,
of Ohio, and Bishop Henshaw, of Rhode Island, bore ample
and honorable testimony. Like Anna of old, she served
God with fastings and prayer, night and day. She had
been the succorer of many, and the support of many eminent prophets of the Lord, who had in their turn, ministered




MINVISTR Y A T ST. ANN'S CH UI7 CH.    259
to her in holy things. And now her present pastor was to
consign her to the dust. This he did with much emotion,
and also made a suitable address.
He afterward delivered two highly appropriate discourses with reference to the event, which were ere long
published. In his note of reply to a member of the family,
soliciting a copy of the sermons for the press, Dr. Cutler
took occasion to thank him as one of those mainly instrumental in introducing him to that most saintly lady, he says,
"whose acquaintance and encouragement in my parish labors for eighteen years, I esteem one of the greatest blessings of my ministerial life."
In a letter to a friend, in July, 1851, Dr. Cutler thus gives
his views on a topic in connection with the baptismal office,
which has been much discussed in the Episcopal Church, and
which has been productive of some uneasiness to extremely
scrupulous consciences. The view here given it would be
well for all such to consider-it is substantially the same as
that of the late Rev. Mr. Simeon, of the Church of England.
The extract read thus:
" Our beloved church is now in the furnace! Her true sons feel
deeply the apostasies and desertion from her ranks. Still, their faith
fails not. They believe that which is despised of men may be
chosen of God and precious. As for leaving the church, I should
ask, to whom shall I go? I am for reforming, not quitting, the
church! What is there against her constitution? what against her
articles of faith? what against a fdrm of public worship? what
against nineteen-twentieths of our form? what in that remaining
twentieth, which cannot be reformed?
"For my part, the objectionable collect after baptism, if used as
the language o charity, as it is of faith, may be objected to, but
who can give to its affirmative proposition a denial? who can say
that the infant is not regenerate? If it should die shortly after baptism, who would not believe it would go to heaven, and if it go to
heaven, it must have been born again. For peace sake, I wish the
collect away. But in the sense in which it was, in my opinion, composed, I, for one, find no trouble in using it."




z260          LIFE 0F SREEI DR. CUTLER.
1852 and 1853 witnessed an unusual ingathering of souls
into the fold of St. Ann's, nearly eighty persons having been
confirmed, and, under the persevering labors of the rector,
brought into full communion with the church. Dr. Cutler,
as far as man is instrumental in bringing forth such precious
fruit, plowed deep, planted with care, and watered abundantly, waiting in hope for the Divine blessing.'And lie
did not wait in vain. Great caution should be used in analyzing such subjects, yet we may say of the fruit of his labors,
It was not as the apples of Sodom-fair to the eye, but deceitful; it still buds, and blossoms, and ripens for the harvest-home.
The pastor's warm heart was often made to thrill with
more intense delight by receiving written testimony from
members of his flock, to the good he had, under God, accomplished. This is evident from a reply to a note of this
kind datedTO MRS. WILLIAM H —-Y.
"BROOKLYN, January 22, 1852.
"I cannot better express the great pleasure your letter gave me
this morning, than to say that the receiver fully appreciated the
kind motives which actuated the writer. I thank you more than I
could possibly have thanked you for the richest and most gorgeous
gift presented this season. The happiness of doing good is great;
that of knowing you have done good, is greater; and the gratitude
of those whose souls you have benefited is most blessed of all. God
grant you may not have cause to change the tenor of your communications while I am permitted to call myself
"Your pastor,       B. C. CUTLER."
His private pastoral intercourse with his people was
always faithful, yet tender and affectionate:
TO MRS. C   R, A VALUED PARISHIONER.
" ST. ANN'S RECTORY, February 28, 1852.. I admire your bouquet very much, and thank you
kindly for it. Of flowers I never get tired. They always cheer and
benefit me. They speak so lovingly and sweetly of the Giver of all




MINISTRY AT ST. A NY'S CHURCiH.            261
good, that I set them before me all day long. I carry them up stairs
when I study, and take them down stairs when called to my table.
As you take care of your flowers, so may the Lord take
care of his flowers that are growing up within your dwelling, and
may he cause them to flourish and blossom, and may you present
more than one such bouquet from them, to delight and bless the
heart and house of the receiver.
" Most affectionately yours,        B. C. C."
From his flock, the grave received another trophy this
year, in the person of Capt. Charles C. Berry, commander
of the steamship " United States," who died June 21. He
was a personal friend of Dr. Cutler, and over his cold remains, the latter delivered a touching address to a very
large audience.
Dr. Cutler's journal at this time exhibits his usual clearness, simplicity, and withal a quaintness of expression, which
reminds us of the old divines. A few extracts:
"'July, 1852. —Heard Rev. Dr. —'s sermon; too showy
and pedantic; where is the gospel ministry?  Christ is made
at the feast what he has made his ministers in the world —a
salt-cellar, occupying one corner only of the table; something we can't do without, but nothing for us and others to
glory ill."
"'Aug. 28.-..   I was in a good frame of mind
and was edified. I made a discovery yesterday and never
before, that means of grace were, after all, but MEANS, and
not grace.  When they did the most, they did not do enough!
Direct application to Christ is the thing, frequent, fervent,
and affectionate; even then, that will not make us whole!
We shall still be poor sinners.  To be saved from first to
last, that is, at last as at first, by the atonement, the merits,
and through the intercession of Christ. In that way, I can
conceive that I may and can be saved, and in no other.
There is no other name for me but Christ, no other Saviour
will answer for me. I want all of Christ to supply my
deficiencies.               BENJAMIN CLARKE CUTLER."




262          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
In connection with this view, we extract from his journal
a record he made at another time:
" Romaine says,'Christ does not give us a stock of grace,
and expect us to improve it by being faithful to grace given.
No, no! that is not his way.' He does not so feed our
bodies.  He gives us for them daily bread. They must
hunger and be empty every day, and more than once every
day, and then depend on the bread that perisheth to sustain
them. And so with our souls: they must live every hour,
every moment, upon Christ. And this is our happiness, to
hunger and thirst after Christ; for we shall then be filled,
have all in Christ: a beggar in myself, but rich in my
connection with Christ!"
After the death of the Rev. F. C. Clernents (who fell
asleep in Jesus at Trenton, N. J., December 18, 1852), Dr.
Cutler preached a funeral sermon on the occasion. He had
once labored with much acceptance at St. Ann's,'and he
could not be allowed to pass from earth without a tribute
to his worth, from both the pastor and people. It was truly
a remarkable providence that took away, in the morning of
life, two such men as Mr. Duy and Mr. Clements. Thus, Dr.
Cutler interpreted these events, and upon his own heart he
endeavored to fix the lesson God designed to teach.
Thus closes his journalizing for the year:
" What lesson is to be learned? The importance of constant preparation for death; the mysteriousness of the ways
of God, and God's sovereignty!'Shall I not do what I
will with mine own?' "
In March, 1853, his assistant (Mr. Platt) left him; not,
however, without conveying, by letter, a sense of his thankfulness for all the kindness and consideration of both the
rector and the vestry, and making happy allusion to all
their reciprocal intercourse.
At midsummer, a new assistant was elected to fill the
vacancy, the Rev. J. F. D. Cornell.




]3I7NISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHUR CH'.            263
Another of Commodore Hudson's excellent letters reached
Dr. Cutler early in 1853. It was written from Valparaiso,
while Capt. Hudson was on board the " Vincennes." It is
a matter of regret that no more of their interesting correspondence can now be obtained; but, grateful for the preservation of the smallest portion, we subjoin an extract from
the letter to which allusion is made; [another extract from
the same letter was made in Dr. Cutler's address at the
funeral of Corn. Hudson in 1862]:
TO THE REV. DR. CUTLER.
"June 26, 1852............" I need not say how deep an interest I
feel in St. Ann's Church, and all that pertains to you and your
pastoral charge. If I mistake not, I have been longer under the
teachings of her various parochial ministers than any other male
member of your congregation. The present church was my spiritual
birthplace; and oh, how many things that I have heard from you
and others, which made no impression at the time, have since come
vividly to my remembrance, and so operated on the mind, as to
show they had made a lodgment in the heart (though I knew it not),
and through the effectual working of Him who doeth all things, in
his own mysterious way, after years of forgetfulness, are made to
germinate and give life, as it were, to the dead!
"Though far away from the sound of her (St. Ann's) church-going
bell, the voice of her ministering servant, and the sanctuary privileges she offers to all within her reach, I have not forgotten daily to
carry you all to the foot of the mercy-seat, and plead with our
Father in heaven, that each of you may be washed, purified, and
made meet for an inheritance among the saints in light; and that he
would abundantly bless your labors with an ingathering of souls
that shall fill your church to overflowing; and while your own soul
is rejoicing in the work, you may feel like Paul of old, it is God
alone who gives the increase!.......... Passing
years admonish me that I am hastening to the allotted span of
human life; that winding up of all I shall have done on earth; that
solemn hour, when the spirit shall be summoned from its tenement
of clay, before the God who gave it, to answer for the use and abuse
of all its powers and privileges!'" Oh what a glorious feeling it must be, in that hour of the soul's
trial, to find our sins blotted out and cancelled in our Redeemer's




z64           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
precious blood, our names written in the Book of Life, and our
souls transformed and made meet for all the bliss of heaven. Well
may we all desire to die the death of the righteous, and have our
last end like his. The thought of this subject quite unmans me,
and I must bring this scrawl to a close, assuring you I am heartily
tired of seeing tile world, under so many different phases; feel there
is no place like home. long for the return of domestic joys, the
solace of wife and children; and to hear once more (I beg pardon,
while I so call it) the not over clear or melodious sound of St. Ann's
old church bell! That you and yours, with a large and pious flock,
may long live to gather under its sound (or that of a better one), is
the earnest wish and prayer of your absent, and, I trust, Christian
friend,                                 WM. L. HUDSON."
At an annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the
American Tract Society, held May 11, 1853, Dr. Cutler was
unanimously elected a member of the Publishing Committee,
in the place of the Rev. Dr. Stone, who had removed to the
vicinity of Boston. When, ten years later, he was called
away from all earthly toils, this society put a highly appreciative minute on their records, showing how justly they
valued his unwearied labors in their behalf.
On the 8th of May, we find Dr. Cutler at Philadelphia,
where he listened with great pleasure to the ministrations
of the Rev. Dr. Stevens. He made a note of this, and was
especially pleased with the preacher, who discoursed with so
much sweetness and with so much unction " on the Saviour."
August 18th, Dr. Cutler preached a funeral sermon on the
death of an interesting and exemplary youthful member of
his flock, which has been incorporated into a little volume,
by the Rev. G. D. Miles, entitled, " Memorial of J. G. Fuller." In October, Dr. Cutler (with his wife) took a journey
to Boston, visiting many old friends and scenes in that
vicinity. From thence he wrote to his sister-in-law:
" TREMONT HOUSE, October 20, 1853.
"My old military company of cadets dined in this
house last night, and kept up a pretty noisy jollification. I gave
them a wide berth.




MIINISTR Y AT ST. ANIV'S CHURCH.              265
"I took a stroll to-day down on the wharf, where I spent my early
youth; saw riches and stores of wealth all around, and questioned
myself whether I regretted leaving the world for the sake of Jesus
Christ. Not one regret tenants my bosom! My only desire is to
grow in grace, to live nearer to the Saviour, and to do more good.
"Most faithfully yours,         B. C. CUTLER.
"P. S. —Tell E    I rejoice with her on the arrival of our dear
Samuel from England."
Who could have a regret when his life had been such a
blessing to others? Not long after this, the wife of Dr.
Cutler received a letter from a friend, in reply to one she
had sent, inclosing a contribution (for the light-house in Ireland) from St. Ann's Sunday-school, which indicates the
extent and value of the many influences which emanated
from Dr. Cutler's dwelling at Brooklyn; and oh! how many
can emphasize with truth every word of this communication:
" RECTORY OF THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY,
" PHILADELPHIA, December 8, 1853.
"MY DEAR MRS. CUTLER-I received the contribution with more
than ordinary pleasure, arising from my former connection with the
parish....  The reference to the past brought back many
happy hours of social intercourse, fraught with much profit to myself: In the start of a new profession, much, far more than we are
willing to allow, depends on the influences which surround us. In
this respect, my first efforts in the ministry were most happily conditioned. The blessed results of such influences acting on me in the
spring-time of my profession, will be known only in the light of
Eternity. More obligations are resting on me, toward you and Dr.
Cutler and Miss B, than I can well express. A grateful remembrance will ever mark this period, when I was privileged to reside
under your roof and call myself a member of your family.
"Most sincerely yours,           F. S. WILEY."
The testimony of this esteemed clergyman is of intrinsic
worth, and much of tender interest gathers about it now,
since both Dr. Cutler and his former associate have met in
the ranks of the Church triumphant!
During the whole period of the year 1854, Dr. Cutler
12




266           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
was much tried by ill health, as the extracts from his journal
show:
"Jan. 23.-I have been unwell, chiefly from mental perplexity. But all things work together for good to them that
love God.  Jacob said,'all these things are against me,'
but they were all working for. his good. Yet what an
amount of suffering did not Jacob endure! When Joseph
was lost, he said,'I will go down into the grave unto my son
mourning."'
"March 6.-How much I have suffered from nervous irritability and depression, God only knows. I am in trouble
and heaviness, and I have been calling on God. It is good
to wait the Lord's leisure!"
"M[arc7h 16.-I am weak, depressed, and afflicted. I ought
to change the scene, but Jesus knows best. Riding on horseback is my best resource, and faith, my chief support of mind.
My eyes are lifted up to the hills, from whence cometh my
salvation.  Cast down, but not destroyed.  I have cast my
burden on the Lord."
A journey to Washington had a beneficial effect, though
not to the extent desired. While absent, he addressed a
letter to a friend then at Milwaukee, which is not without
interest:
TO MRS. JACKSON.
"WASHINGTON, April 1, 1854...........     "We are on a tour of relaxation and
mental refreshing, and during the journey have both thought and
talked of you; of your residence at Chestertown, Md., of which you
used to speak so often, and the time you spent in Virginia. It is a
long time since we heard from you; but the printed sermon you
sent to me,proved that you were still a tenant of this vale of tears!
Dear fiiend, we also are, and greet you most affectionately; and with
true, tried and sincere Christian regard, we think over all you have
endured, and pray that all may be sanctified to your good.
My precious wife has been spared to me, and is an unspeakable
earthly support.        If I did not dread the sea so much, I
should go to Europe this summer.         You will ask, how




MINISTRY AT ST. AIVNV'S CHIURCWI.             267
is the cause progressing? I reply, parties in religion, as in politics,
are disintegrated. Our Bishop will not indorse the Seabury School
nor the School of the Recorder! The consequence is that nobody
knows where to find men! I like Bishop Wainwright, and rejoice
at his election, and am entirely content with his proceedings. He
does not require me, nor expect me, to adopt his specialties, and, in
generals, I can do very well.' True religion does not seem to be
gaining ground. The Church may say:'The world and worldly things, beloved,
My anxious thoughts employ.'
"Great prosperity, and great leaning to externals, and a great taste
for' visibilities,' all conspire to make the people restive under that
plain, bold and emphatic preaching, which says,'Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!' May that Lamb
of God bless and keep you, convince you of his presence, and satisfy
you with his consolation here, and with his personal presence hereafter!
"Your brother, in heart and mind,    B. C. CUTLER."
In May, Dr. Cutler was again compelled, by the state of
his health, to take another journey, which was extended as
far as Cincinnati. He wrote to a firiend, this summer: "I
have every thing but health or strength.  But there must
always be a BUT! I feel the rod, and know who hath appointed it. May it have its perfect work!"
In June, his sister left New York for a temporary residence in Europe.
"June 14.-My beloved sister, Mrs. McAllister, with her
husband, daughter and son (Marion) sailed in the steamship
" Pacific." May the goodness and mercy of God be over
them!"
This relative has favored us with an extract fiom her
own journal, of this same year (1854): "Heard my brother
at Dr. Bedell's church, in New York, a building to me, full
of past memories.  His text was,'We have an advocate
with the Father.'  He spoke of Christ in heaven, as interceding for us, showing his wounds, his agonies to the Father,




268           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
in testimony that our debt was paid....              Going
down stairs, this morning, I heard a voice, and, as I approached the parlor door, found my brother was reading of
Christ's interview with Nathaniel —reading aloud to himself. What a picture of a holy man! It was very sweet
to hear his earnest voice. I remained a moment at the
parlor door, and felt that I was in a holy atmosphere.
When he had finished, I opened the door, and was greeted
by that smile of welcome that always went to the heart."
"I can see him now," she writes; " those visits are never to
be forgotten. Truly, I can say, I thank God for every
remernml)ance of thee, my beloved brother."
Dr. Cutler's failing health was, indeed, a heavy cross;
one which the robust and hearty can never fully understand.
His own view of it, as well as his strong fraternal affection,
is presented in a note to his elder sister, Mrs. Dr. Francis,
dated
"August 6, 1854.
"DEAREST SISTER-.... Life is so full of business, that
little is left really for pleasure, that is, the calm pleasure of fraternal
friendship, and pure, simple, plain, inexpensive social intercourse.
It is bustle, excitement, expectation or disappointment. Amid all,
however, I see and appreciate the noble and generous impulses of
unbounded philanthropy, and can pray for a thousand blessings in
return. I thank you for a thousand kind feelings to me and mine,
and to ten thousand other persons. Although at a distance, and
perhaps apparently frigid, I feel keenly every thing connected with
my family. Their joy is my joy, and their sorrow is mine also. God
has apportioned to me a peculiar trial in my bodily constitution. It
is to me what the Jews were to St. Paul, a'continual heaviness.'
"I have nearly all the time, just enough of bodily trouble to remind me that I am in, and must be out of, the body. But whether
in the body, or out of the body, I have given myself to my God,
through Jesus Christ. I therefore commit all, body, soul and spirit
to him, and go on from day to day, living by faith. Heaven bless
you! prays your affectionate brother,       B. C. CUTLER."
His trial, great as it was, only furthered his advance in
the spiritual life, and tended, as all could see, to his entire




MIIUNISTRY AT ST. A~N'S CIIURCIH.             269
sanctification; yet we find him  saying, "I am a poor, coldhearted sinner, but Christ died for sinners, and I trust in
him for every thing. He is all in all to me. To do good is
present with me, but how to perform it I know not. Lord,
help me!  I aspire to the saintship of the gospel-not of
poetry or Popery; but I aspire to be holy-a vessel fit and
meet for the Master's use."
We do not err, we trust, when we use the experience of
God's holiest servants (with care and caution), for the edification of his Church. And if any would hesitate on this
topic, let them  look to the records of Scripture.  There is
presented the awe-inspiring intercourse of Moses, when he
talked with God; there is the heart of Hannah laid open
before us; there, in Gethsemane, too, poor dying sinners can
gaze with wonder on the exceeding sorrow of their Redeemer, when, in agony of prayer, he prayed the Father, " Let
this cup pass from me!"
But we pass from the diary of Dr. Cutler to his correspondence. Surely, every afflicted one may find comfort in
reading a, letter like this:
TO MRS. M-Z, HIS NIECE, AFTER THE DEATH OF A CHILD.
"August 16, 1854.
"DEAR A --— It does not seem to me best, to speak to the
distressed in the moment of their bitterest woe.
Leves loquuntur,
Ingentes stupent.'
The loss of an only son can be poorly consoled by words. God
alone can heal the wound which his hands have made.
" I write this to assure you of my sympathy, and to offer a few
thoughts by way of improvement. Yesterday, at the funeral, though
in the carriage with you, my lips were sealed. God had spoken,
and the Church had just been speaking in the service for the departed.'Let all the earth keep silence.' When our Lord Jesus
was suffering he spake little. Your affliction is great, and the more
I think of it, the greater it appears. But think of Job, who lost all
his children in one day, and not one of them died in comparative




02, 0       LIFE, OF REI  DR. CUTLER.
innocence like votrs! Think of the innumerable sufferers like your-elf, who have lost their only sons. " I will restore your son to life,
at you will point out to me three persons of your own age who never
grieved," said an Eastern sage to an inconsolable king:'The path of sorrow, and that path alone,
Leads to the world where sorrow is unknown.'
God has taken away that boy, that you and   ~  may
set your affections on things above. He says:' My son, and my
daughter, give mie thine heart.' It is well with the child. He is
provided for, in Paradise; but you are yet in the world, among
thorns and briers. Labor and sorrow are before you both; but
rest and joy are to be ensured through Christ our Lord. This, it
would seem, God is beginning to prepare you for, in his usual way,
by putting you in his common school of affliction.' Whom the
Lord loveth he chasteneth or afflicteth. He seems to say,'Be still,
and know that I am God!'.... Not a sparrow falleth to the
ground without your father, said our Lord; your little darling,
could not, then! If God took him, it was for his good and for your
good, and what you know not now, you shall know hereafter. That
you may yet say as David did,'It was good for me that I was
afflicted,' and that you and your husband may receive a large return for this treasure you have paid back to the Lord, is the prayer
of your absent, silent, but not unmindful nor unsympath izing
"; UNCLE."
In the autumn of this year (1854), the writer first met
the Rev. Dr. Cutler, being introduced to him by a mutual
friend.  Then commenced a friendship, the comfort, pleasure, and profit of which, no language can adequately
express. Unreserved confidence, true affection, and intense
sympathy, produced a bond, not unlike that which bound
in such harmony David and Jonathan of old. In this case,
however, the younger is left without the solace of his friend's
counsels and love, to say from the depths of a sorrowful
heart, " Very pleasant hast thou been unto me, my brother!"
The allusions to this friendship found in his journal, it is
not necessary to record. We pass on to " the anniversary
of the shipwreck," upon which he comments:
"Monday, Nov. 13, 1854.-This day I have set apart for




NINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.             271
remembering God's mercies on the deep. Sunday, the 12th,
I could not properly celebrate any private and personal
event. It is the Lord's Day. To-day I call my mercies to
mind, and have called my friends and neighbors together
to rejoice with me."
In a note of invitation to Mrs. Pierrepont, November 11,
he says: " This has been a counterpart to Saturday, November 11, 1843. How good is God I How grateful ought we
to be! There is a vast difference between the'blackness
of darkness' on' Romer' and the light and comfort of this
our dwelling place!"
The death of the Rev. Dr. Spencer, a distinguished minister of the Presbyterian Church, in Brooklyn, about this
time, filled Dr. Cutler's heart with sincere grief. They had
long been intimate friends, and were of the same age; and
being sufferers from  severe physical pain for years, they
could enter into each other's feelings with unusual interest.
He had lived and died a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and
his friend and cotemporary, bearing the gospel standard in
another communion, was now, with similar fidelity, carrying
it onward, till the great Head of the Church should also
call him home, and the solemn dirge should announce another soldier fallen from the ranks, and gone-to rest!
In the ministrations at St. Ann's at this period, Dr.
Cutler was assisted by a clerical friend then staying with
him. Before the year closed, the vestry elected the Rev.
William  HIuckel to fill the assistantship, which for some
months had been vacant.
The rector's heart was made glad by many substantial
offerings from parishioners and friends at Christmas.  From
the neighboring metropolis he had evidence that he was not
forgotten, as this note bears witness:
TO MRS. DR. FRANCIS.
"ST. ANN~'S RECTORY, Christmats Eve, 1854.
"Many thanks, my dear sister, for your kind remelllbrance of mle




22            SIFTE OF REV. DJR. CUTLER.
and mine. What a large and loving heart you have; it is a perfect
fountain of kindness!....   Alas! I have no presents to give;
nor do I repine at the want of worldly wealth. Allow me to transcribe for you and my kind brother, the Doctor, a beautiful passage
from Sir Humphrey Davy's' Consolation of Travel:'
"' I envy no quality of the mind or intellect in others; but if I
could choose what would be most delightful and, I believe, most
useful to me, I should prefer a firm religious belief to every other
blessing; for it makes life a discipline of goodness, creates new hopes
when all earthly hopes vanish, and throws over the decay, the destruction of existence, the most gorgeous of all lights; awakens life,
even in death, and from corruption and decay calls up beauty and
divinity; makes an instrument of torture and of shame,the ladder
of ascent to Paradise; and far above all combination of earthly hopes,
calls up the most delightful visions of palms and amaranths, the
garden of the blessed, and the security of everlasting joys!
where the sensualist and the skeptic view only gloom, decay, annihilation and despair.'
"Most affectionately, your brother,  B. C. CUTLER."
In Dr. Cutler's life there was a practical illustration of
the truth contained in the above quotation; amid all toil,
all pain, " he endured as seeing Him who is invisible," laboring on for his Divine Master, strengthened often, when ready
to sink by the way, by a cordial from the hand of an unseen
but abiding Friend, and stayed by those Divine promises
which never fail. He was now about to enter upon the untried path of duty for another year. While his earthly tabernacle began to give evidence that it would not many years
longer restrain his panting spirit from soaring to the bosom
of his Lord, he looked upward for strength from  on high,
and for new measures of grace; the angel on the right hand
of the Throne seemed to assure him of a sufficiency of grace
and strength unto the end:
"Onward, courageously;'t is but for awhile
Lasteth the warfare and struggle of life;
Then the warrior shall lay down his weapons and cease
From the fears and the fightings, the conflict and strife."




CHAPTER XIII.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED.
1855-1858.
AS years rolled on, Dr. Cutler withdrew as much as possible into the retirement of his own parish. He kept
himself aloof from all strife, and, with great care and patient
toil, fed his own flock. Above all things, did he cultivate a
holy walk with God. The fire of youth was abating, and
the holy calm which results from close communion with an
unseen yet precious Saviour, seemed to descend from above
and settle upon his spirit.
He initiated a new plan for private life. Rising very
early, before 5 o'clock, at times, and retiring to his study, he
kindled his own fire, and after some simple refreshment, spent
an hour in devotion and reading the Scriptures. He then
took his daily exercise in the saddle, while the greater part
of his fellow-men were slumbering. These rides were
almost always seasons of communion with his God, ejaculatory prayer, and devout praise to the Creator of all the
earth. How familiar was his appearance in the early dawn
of morning upon the outskirts of the city, wandering, with
his docile steed, over the fields or through the lanes or
along the shore of the Bay, the people of Brooklyn can
bear witness. On his return, he often breakfasted with a
parishioner, who lived at a distance from the great central
thoroughfares, where he was always cordially welcomed.' I shall never forget," writes this friend and
parishioner, " our morning rides, when we were travelling
12*                       (273)




274          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
together. It was an hour of the day in which he seemed
most happy and genial. During the past fifteen years he
has always breakfasted with us, upon his return from his
own (solitary) morning ride, at intervals of two or three
weeks, when his coming was hailed with delight by every
member of the family. His manner was always so genial
and affectionate, that so far from inspiring fear or awe, my
children all loved him, and religion was always presented
to them in the most attractive form by him, and there is
now not one of them, from oldest to youngest, who does not
love and honor his memory. His loss to me, personally,
will never be made up.".
The first hour of each day was devoted to God, and he
allowed nothing but severe illness to interfere with the
path of duty he marked out for himself. How truly was it
demonstrated in the daily history of our friend, that from a
secret source the believer in Jesus draws his life-the morning portion of the Word; the morning prayer; the morning
meditation; these are "'; the stolen waters" that keep him
green all day! Thus was he sustained; thus was hlis soul
nourished by heavenly manna; thus did he abide in the
fear of the Lord; and thus was his heart fixed on the fountain of all real enjoyment, on God himself! He feared no
evil tidings; as the beloved of the Lord he dwelt "between
his shoulders," and was kept in perfect peace. He had
been trained in the school of sanctified sorrow, and leaning
upon the bosom of his Lord, he received inward strength.
Comforted thus himself by Jesus, he was eminently qualified
to lead others to the same Divine source of consolation.
His wounds were often healed by the Saviour's sympathy,
and who so well fitted to lead bleeding hearts to him?
And he constantly used this gift. With the opening year
of 1855, there fell a blow upon the household of his sister,
Mrs. Francis, which shrouded, not only the family circle,
but many others in deep sorrow.




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                275
On the 20th of January, John W. Francis, Jr., the eldest
son of Dr. Francis, died at his father's residence, in New
York, aged twenty-two years. He fell a martyr to his
heroic labors and unwearied vigilance, in attendance upon
a case of typhus fever. Full of promise, it was fondly
hoped he would remain to wear the mantle of his distinguished father; but just on the threshold of his opening
manhood, the fell destroyer marked him as his victim, and
after two weeks' illness, life departed, and his remains were
laid away in the silent tomb, amid most impressive obsequies.
Literary friends and numbers of the medical fraternity
were plunged into inexpressible grief. The hearts of strong
men were smitten in a moment; and the prevailing sentiment was, "I was dumb; I opened not my mouth, because
Thou didst it!"
The heart of Dr. Cutler was deeply touched. In addition to a letter written to his brother-in-law, immediately
upon the sad event, (which has been published in the
" Memorial of J. W. Francis, Jr.") lie addressed a few
lines to the bereaved mother:
"BROOKLYN, January 28, 1855.
"MY DEAR SISTER-We are thinking of you day and night, and
the more I think, the greater the loss appears to be. What is the
blessing of having children (I say to myself), if they are to be
taken away just as they can be useful and companionable to their
parents? But who are we, to reply against God? Shall the thing
formed say to Him that formed it,' Why hast thou made me thus?'
Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? How can he
possibly err in his doing?
" The experienced mariner cuts away one of his masts, valuable
as it is, if by this means he can save the ship. The difficulty is
that we do not realize, as we should, that this is not a life of
pleasure, but of probation; that this life is a school time for eternity; that man is in a fallen and condemned condition, and his
great business is to recover, through the Saviour and by the influences of the Spirit, the favor of God, and to ensure his calling and
election in Christ.
" Our business on earth is simply, first to obtain pardon of sin,




276           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
and next, to grow in grace, and become meet for the inheritance of
the saints in light.
" Give my most sincere sympathy to the Doctor. I cannot express
how much I feel for him. John was such a treasure; you know I
delighted in him. Dear John!'if I forget thee, my right hand
will forget her cunning.'
" Most affectionately and sorrowfully, your brother,
B. C. CUTLER."
Some of his correspondence with his parishioners during
this year will show how he availed himself of every incident
to promote the spiritual welfare of his flock:
TO MRS. WM. B. C, ON RECEIVING A BOUQUET-A STORMY DAY.
"February 14, 1855.
"Many thanks, dear Mrs. C., for your pleasant foretaste of
spring.          All around is cold, and wet, and winterish; vwe
are shut up in the house, and cannot get out; and to-night again we
can have no meeting. But let us have patience. These very clouds
which are now sowing in tears, shall reap in joy. Laughing skies
and blooming fields, and fragrant flowers and fruitful trees, and long,
long days of sunshine, and open doors and windows, and visits of
friends, all will return, and we shall forget these icy streets and shivering frames.
"Now, your bouquet is only a chapter in my Bible. I read in it
the kingdom of heaven is at hand; that paradise is to take the
place of our present earthly prison, and one glorious, unending summer is to succeed the present weeping and mourning season of sin.
May you and yours, and I and mine, see it, and see it together, for
Christ's sake! Amen.
"' Affectionately yours,        B. C. CUTLER."
Both are now together, where earth's revolving seasons
are not known, but where eternal sunshine gladdens their
immortal souls!
How touching was this to the same friend:
"ST. ANN'S RECTORY, March, 1855.. In return for your brilliant bouquet, please accept
a little violet, or'heart's ease,' from me, and be assured that I never
should have found it growing up in my bosom had I not lived in




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                  277
the neighborhood of the Cross of Christ, my Lord. He alone has
said,'let not your heart be troubled.'
". Affectionately yours,          B. C. C."
TO MRS. I. S. H —, A VERY DEAR PARISHIONER.
"August 15, 1855.
"DEAR S —   -I cannot see that you are called to hear any man
preach whose doctrines you consider erroneous....    As for
your neighbor's unbelief, I suppose she would not believe in any other
world, unless she could make it what she pleased. Such people are
simply infidels, or more truly skeptics, or nothingarians.'How can
ye believe who receive honor one of another?' They are full of this
world, and its literature, and its good things; but it would be a
thousand times better to be a Lazarus, than such a Dives!
I send you the Protestant Churchman and intend sending the Recorder
wvith a sketch of Henry Martyn. Give my love to E -. Now for
the angels, bit and little! the little one, you say, is changing color!
I hope he will be an angel of light, not of darkness. I shall expect
to hear him say his catechism when I see him.
"Your ancient friend,           B. C. C."
TO G. D. M -, ESQ., ON THE DEATH OF A PARENT.
"October 4, 1855.
" Many thanks for the admirable engraving of your father.
I should esteem such a portrait of a parent as beyond all price. I
can fully appreciate your grief at the loss of your father; and I re-;oice that you can with so much reason anticipate a reunion with
him ill the habitations of the blessed.
" To the sailor, the land and the sea form but one great highway,
and to him it is the same thing, as far as fear is concerned, whether
he is on the one or the other. So to the Christian, the church militant and the church triumphant are all one; and all the difference
is, the head of the column has entered and conquered, while file
after file is following on.
"Accept my thanks for your donation for the poor, and believe
me,         Your friend and brother,         B. C. CUTLER."
His interest in the missionary cause was undying.  In
November a large gathering of the friends of missions was




278          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
held in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Brooklyn, and some
of the missionaries were present. Dr. Cutler thus comments
upon it in his journal:
"Nov. 5, 1855.-.... Dr. Tyng spoke most eloquently. Blessed be God for the prosperity of the missionary cause in our church; and blessed be God for the address
I heard last night from Rev. Dr. T. Such lifting up of
Christ I have rarely heard. Speak the word, Lord! and
great shall be the company of such preachers."
"Nov. 25. Sunday Evening.-We had one of those full
and fine mornings at St. Ann's, which have been our joy and
rejoicing. It has been a solemn and laborious day. The
same fate awaits an earnest ministry now, that ever did.
Some admire, some love, some hate, and others mock or make
light of it; but use us, O Lord, to convert souls!."
Dr. Cutler always deemed it best for ministers to be at
work in their calling, yet he never forgot the saying of our
Lord::I will have mercy and not sacrifice."  Seasons of
rest (the limit of which each individual conscience must decide) are certainly necessary to the faithful laborer in God's
vineyard, as is intimated to us by our Master himself, when
he expressly said to his weary disciples: " Come ye, apart,
and rest yourselves awhile."
A remark of the late Bishop Corrie, of Madras, in connection with this point, seemed exactly to coincide with the
views of our friend, who says in his journal, he was " much
struck with it." " You and I have both erred in excess of
labor; we might have served our generation more effectually
by simple dependence on the promised blessing-on quiet,
unconsuming labor!"
A note to his nephew is in point here:
TO THE REV. C. BANCROFT.
"December 25, 1855.."I was glad to receive your letter of the 17th, and
grieved to think of dear Brother Smith. What a pity you ministers




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                279
would not l)e entreated to take up your Cross, and sit still and have
mercy on yourselves! A merciful man is merciful to his beast or
animal. If you young men were to treat your horses as you often
do your own bodies, all around would cry out, Shame! But the
goodness of God can overrule in various ways, even such cruel zeal,
for good, and I expect he will in dear Joseph's case... I am
about to publish a volume of sermons. They will be out at Easter
(God willing). I am moved thereto by the passage from Scripture,
on the title page,' Moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able,
after my decease, to have these things in remembrance.'
"My people, particularly Mr. M-, Mr. G —, Mr. H -, and
the M    s are as generous as ever.
"Your affectionate uncle,       B. C. CUTLER."
In speaking of publishing his sermons, Dr. Cutler wrote
another friend: "In case of my death, I should still be
preaching to my people.'Though dead, he yet speaketh!'
and my remembrance would not be clean gone!"
Whether it can pass away from the minds of the present
generation, let the people of St. Ann's witness!
In very few instances is the tie so strong, or the intercourse so generally delightful and reciprocal, as existed
between the pastor and people of St. Ann's, Brooklyn. Dr.
Cutler never entered any dwelling, within the limits of
his parish, without receiving a cordial welcome. He was
the same faithful pastor to all, high or low, rich or poor,
giving to each a due measure of attention.  He loved to
minister to the poor, " rich in faith," yet he never, with
pharisaic or self-righteous pride, held himself aloof from
the mansions of the prosperous and wealthy; knowing that
it required more grace to follow the meek and lowly Savidur
in an exalted position, than in a more obscure one.  His
influence for good he hoped would penetrate all the habitations of his flock; and happy indeed was he, when he could
lead any soul into the green pastures of Christ's fold, or
cause them to find refreshment by its still waters.
Let us read some of his correspondence with his parishioncrs.




280            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
TO MRS. T. M-.
" ST. ANN's RECTORY, January 4, 1856.
"MY DEAR MRS. M3/    -Though I have seen you since Christmas, yet I cannot refrain from acknowledging my grateful sense of
your kindness and generosity.
"The friendship which Providence has permitted us to cultivate
with your large family circle, is now among the most pleasant circumstances of our life. The hope, too, of being of service to you
all, in the best of causes, is also cheering; and the good which we
see performed by so many in your domestic circle, draw our hearts
peculiarly toward you, and dispose us to rejoice and to weep in
whatever concerns you. In the hope that, however we may pass the
waves of this troublesome world, we may meet in a better and happier, I remain
"Your obliged pastor and friend,      B. C. CUTLER."
TO G. D. M-, ESQ.
"PHILADELPHIA, January 22, 1856.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-..    You see I am four times as far
from home as Irvington is.
"On Monday I received a telegram  announcing the death of the
late Capt. iBancroft's widow. His only child (now an orphan)
sent for us to be with her; and, as it is the part of pure and undefiled religion'to visit' such, my wife and I came on.... I
should be happy to make another of those visits to you, in which,
at our leisure, we can go over the whole ground of our temporal
and eternal interests. How little of religious conversation, strictly
speaking, is common, and yet iron does not sharpen iron more
surely, than one Christian does another! In old times they that
feared the Lord spake, and spake'often,' one to another. They
spake no doubt much as David spake in his Psalms; and I love to
think on Sunday, when in church, and responding in our Psalter,
that, that is religious conversation between Christians. But when
shall we think and speak of Him who loved us and gave himself
for us, as if he were in our hearts, and our hope of glory? What a
privilege to have an Almighty Saviour who is so touched with our'infirmities' that we can address him concerning them at all times,'Lord, thou knowest all things!' If we are Christians, Christ will
soon be the absorbing theme of our songs, and we shall then wonder
how we could have lived at our present poor dying rate!
"Affectionately yours,         B. C. CUTLER."




MINISTRY.A T ST. A  N'S CH URCiH.           281
Dr. Cutler fully appreciated, as we see, the devoted kindness of these and other parishioners. We find in his journal:
"Feb. 7, 1856.-I have received two letters from Mr. G.
D. M, and Mrs. P, which were comforts to me in
my labors; also, a present from my dear friends Mr. and
Mrs. H
" My chapel was crowded last night.
" Rev. Dr. Muenscher is staying with me, and I find his
company very agreeable.
" My soul is rising up to God through Christ, and solemn
thoughts are passing through my mind. Blessed be God
for health of body,and ability to speak in his behalf!"
St. Ann's Church was much blessed at this season, by the
addition of forty-four persons to her fold, and her pastor,
we see by his diary, was rejoicing over this ingathering of
souls.
While laboring for the spiritual good of his people, their
pastor's heart was often made glad by their ministering unto
him of their temporal things., In 1856 some of his more
special friends, of ample wealth, presented him with a horse
and carriage, and the vestry increased his salary by the
addition of two hundred dollars per annum. Other substantial favors were also received at the rectory.
Early this year Dr. Cutler received tidings of the death
of his friend in Devonshire, England-the Rev. W. C. Hill.
To his widow he thus wrote:
" March 23.
" MY DEAR AFFLICTED FRIEND —... What can we think
but that Jesus is touched with a feeling of your infirmities; not
merely merciful to pardon your sin, and to intercede for you at the
Throne of his Father, but he is' touched' with your sorrows, with
your bereavement, with your desolation, and he is saying by his
Holy Spirit, to you in particular, what he is saying to the churches:' Let not your heart be troubled.' Weep not, I will never leave
thee nor forsake thee.'.... Now, the just shall live by faith.
Others live by sight; the first do not. A poot man and a small
tradesman, have all their fortune before their faces, but a million



28 2           LIFE OF -REV. DR. CUTLER.
aire may have loaned all his to his sove eign, and have only some
pieces of palper as his security! But who can doubt which of the
two is the richer! If the' unsearchable riches' of Christ are worth
any thing, I trust you may have the richest of righteousness, the
richest of mercy, the richest of consolation, the richest of support,
the richest of defence, and the richest of glory! Your dear departed husband preached to you these unsearchable riches, though
he esteemed himself less than the least of all saints! You must
say to that Saviour:'Whilst thou art Sov'reign I'm secure,
I shall be rich till thou art poor!'
"' 1 have read with great interest' The Farmer and his Family'
(which you sent me), and think that one thousand copies of it will
ble circulated in this land.
" Most affectionately yours,    B. C. CUTLER."
The arms of his love and of his affectionate interest,
extended far and wide to friends at a distance, yet he drew
them  more closely, perhaps, about his own flock.  The two
following letters are samples of anxious solicitude about the
youthful members of his congregation:
TO F. C. T —, ON LEAVING HOME.
"ST. ANN's RECTORY, Maky 2, 1856.
" AI DEAR F — --  feel an irresistible desire to write you on this
occasion. Your mother was, and ev-er will be, cherished near my
heart; her image is before my mind, and I expect to meet her in
another world, long before you do. Her first question to me will
be,' Did you feed my lambs?' Now, F —, you are just making
an important change, and one that has been the ruin of millions;
Iyou are entering the world as your own mnaster. If you do wrong,
there will be no one who has a right to say,' Why do youi do so?'
Let me beseech you, then, to walk in the ways of God's commandments. Forty years ago I was just in your condition; I chose to
serve God, and here I am alive and well; while, perhaps, every boy
of the score or two who were my early companions, and who chose
to walk in the way of wickedness, is dead. Disease contracted by
dissipation ended their lives, and they lived and died in debt and
despair!
"God made you, my dear boy! God has a right to your service.




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                283
God can reward you, both here and hereafter; and God can kill
your body, and after that, can cast you into hell!
"You have openly given yourself to God in his church, before
many witnesses. I beseech you, then, first-to keep holy the Sabbath day. Never swear; never pass a day without prayer and reading the Bible. Ielnember now thy Creator, in the days of thy youth,
and when you are old, and when you need him most, God will remember you. It is said in Genesis, God remembered Noah-remembered him in the ark, and saved him alive, while all other families
were lost. So, if you do as Noah did in his youth, if you remember
God, he will remember you for good. I need not say that the sin
of licentiousness is one to which young men are peculiarly exposed.
It ruins the body and ruins the soul! Flee youthful lusts. If any
one would tempt you, read devil and damnation in that person's
face. I look upon you as pure and virtuous, and I have no words to
convey my abhorrence of the individual who should lead you into
vice-a vice, too, which he knows he would give all he has, if he
were able to conquer, but he cannot! He is gone; he is sold, a slave
to Satan, and his fate is probably sealed.
"Be honest. Speak the truth and follow the pure precepts of
Jesuls Christ, who died for you. Then may you expect the favor of
God, both here and hereafter. Our prayers shall attend you, and I
remain your friend and your father's and your mother's fiiend and
pastor,                                    B. C. CUTLER."
TO T. H, AFTER A WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM DEATH.' ST. ANN'S RECTORY, June 9, 1856.
"MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND-Your recent and most happy preservation from instant death, by drowning, has caused me many serious
thoughts? What would have been your appearance before God?
Where would you now have been l In happiness or in misery?
What tongue can describe, nay, what mind An conceive, the nature
and extent of the suffering or the enjoyment which, in a moment,
you would have entered upon, had not your strength held out?
Consider this as a loud call to you,to give God your heart. He is
certainly saying,'My son, give me thy heart!' Think how kindly
and wonderfully God has provided for you!  When father and
mother forsook you, the Lord took you up! and now, when your
only means of safety was overturned-when heart and flesh were
failing,' God was the strength of your heart.' May he be your portion for ever! It is not necessary that you speak much about your
deliverance; but it is necessary that you think much about it!




284          LIFE OF REV: -DR. CUTLER.
When alone, ask yourself, What am I? Where am I? Whither am
I going?
" Never join in any ungodly merriment, in making light of God's
word or name, but from this time cry unto him,'Thou art the
guide of my youth.'
"Faithfully and affectionately, your pastor and friend,
"B. C. CUTLER.'
We recur again to his journal. In all its records we see
how he was filled with an absorbing desire to do God's will
in all things, and to be what he would have him to be.
His standard of Christian character was high, and the distance between that and his life, caused him often to touch
the note of grief.
"June 2.-I love to be where God's blessed name and
law, and Son and salvation, are the staple of the talk! I
hate vain talk, but thy Word is my delight. My thoughts
wander, to my sorrow, and I am distressed and disappointed.
Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love
thee!"
As he advanced in life, however, though he was occasionally cast down in spirit, on the whole, his strain was
changed into one of joyous thanksgiving. The Saviour who
had redeemed him, would keep him to the end; and, constantly fixing his thoughts on him, he was changed into the
same image, as by the Spirit of the Lord.
"July 13.-I'was interested in an excellent sermon from
young R. B. P —— t. It was a deeply interesting scene to
have him preach for'me, and to preach so faithfully. His
parents were present-his father being the senior warden of
St. Ann's."
"July 20.-Mrs. P    r, a member of the church, died
yesterday, aged eighty-five!  She has often longed for
death, and wept for. it. Now, I trust, she is with the
Lord!"
" Aug. 1.-I spent part of the week with Mr. T. Messenger and his family, and the second week at Saratoga."




2I~NISTJRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.         g:2
It will be noticed that Dr. Cutler had discontinued for a
few years his annual excursions on horseback down the
length of Long Island. His strength was now hardly equal
to this, and, as a substitute, he usually went to Saratoga
Springs for summer recreation, and then, before the season
-closed, he always visited " Clarence," the summer residence
of the parishioner referred to above, at Great Neck, L. I.
The whole-souled hospitality, and the free, unrestrained
intercourse with the extended circle there, often refreshed
and invigorated his weary spirit. All welcomed him with
cordial delight, and he became the centre of all interest and
pleasure-alike to each of the group who thronged about
him, father and friend, counsellor and guide-a sharer in
the happiness of all, yet the revered and chosen pastor who
" Allured to brighter worlds
And led the way!"
How he did this we all know, as few ever can, and still
fewer ever do-faithfully, patiently, judiciously. Either in
person or by letter, he sought to reach every heart in his
family circle, in the church, in the community at largewherever he could speak a word for his Master. Indeed,
if any one ever knew what the Latins call the " mollia temporafandi!" those favorable opportunities to speak, when
hearts can be easily, and softly, and wisely touched, surely
it was he, for he knew more than most, how to reach various
classes of mankind, and was observant of the shifting phases
of their varied and varying experience.
Some may think that the tender sentiments were too
often touched, but quite enough of sternness was in the
composition of his nature to offset any extreme tendency in
that direction. How full of pathos was the note to his
brother-in-law, Dr. F, who was bowed down with
sorrow:




286            LIFE OF -REV. DR. CUTLER.
" Jane 15, 1856.
"Many thanks, my dear Doctor, for the memorial of our dear
John. We all think the engraving inimitable, and the likeness perfect.  It fairly took possession of my mind for a day and night after
I received it-the image was all the time there. I paid a visit to
John's grave this morning, early, and saw that all things were as
they should be. The flowers which abound in other parts of Greenwood I wished were there. The willow is growing up and thrives.
But what are all these? What is any thing on earth to compare with
life? Speaking of flowers, I committed these beautiful lines to memory lately, from a poem of Mrs. Hemans:'Bring flowers, pale flowers o'er the bier to shed
A crown for the brow of the early dead;
For this, the white rose through her green leaves burst;
For this, in the woods were the violets nurst;
They slept in their graces, through the wintry hours,
Tlhey bHrstjobrth in glory-bring.ftowers, briny.flowers!'
" Ever yours,            B. C. CUTLER."
A true lover of flowers, as the creation of a Divine
hand.
TO MRS. C. 1t   Y.' Many thanks for some of the last roses of summer and other
sweet flowers. I do love flowers, and love to think that God made
them, and made us capable of admiring them. The love of the
beautiful is no small capability, there are so many beauties to admire
here, and, above all, so many to admire in the paradise above. There
are roses without thorns, whose bloom never withers. With every desire for your happiness and that of all your friends, I am, very truly
and affectionately,
"Your pastor,          B. C. CUTLER."
How replete with Christian sentiment is the following:
TO MRS. JACKSON, ON HER DEPARTURE TO ENGLAND.
"' SARATOGA, July 3, 1856.
" Amid the guests here, I found a Christian man, and
conversed on the'great things,' this morning; but still how to find one
who can tell me what Jesus has done for his soul, is the hard task!
I love to hear such an one talk. Oh, there is a hidden life, and that
is the best life! There is a whole world within a man,which savors
of heaven, and when two such meet and interchange thought and




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                  287
feeling, there is a great confirmation of faith and hope. May you
find such an one on your voyage, and take sweet counsel together!
Present my respects to your dear friends beyond the flood, and be
assured that he who made a way over Jordan and through the Red
Sea will make a path for you through his mighty waters.
"Yours,                B. C. C."
The following note to an aged parishioner contains a
beautiful allusion to our missionaries to Africa:
" What may be said to every mortal, may be said with especial
emphasis to our African missionaries.'What is your life?  It is
even a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth
away!' They give good evidence that they are followers of those who'through faith quenched the violence of fire, and out of weakness
were made strong.'' My strength,' saith Jesus,'is made perfect in
weak-ness!' Capt. Vicars, who fell before Sebastopol, it may have
been thought, ought to have been spared, and to have exchanged
the sword of the flesh for the sword of the Spirit; but his early
death, and the memoir which has chronicled it, will do more good
to the world than his preaching could do; and so the death of that
lovely flower, Mrs. Virginia Hoffman, that'blossomed as the rose'
in the wilderness of Ethiopia, will diffuse its fragrance now through
the world. Surely we can say:
"Tis e'en as if an angel shook his wings;
Immortal fragrance fills the circuit wide
That tells us whence her treasures were supplied.'
"Yours and theirs in love and syillmpthy,   B. C. CUTLER."
TO THE SAME.
"August 26, 1856.
" M  DEAR MRS. P      — Many thanks for your letter,and for the
specimen of growth and decay at so high an elevation as three
thousand feet above the sea!..     Your visit and description
of the Catskill Mountains have created in me the first desire I ever
felt,to see that extensive prospect myself. Mountains, I confess, have
never had attractions for me as a summer retreat. They are difficult
of ascent, cold in the morning and at night, and hot at noonday.
I have therefore preferred the sea shore or a champaign country.
Indeed, my life and bodily tendencies have led to repose rather than
to exposure and fatigue; and as I have long looked upon life as a




288           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.' valley,' and heaven as a mountain, I have postponed my ascent until
a new body shall be given me! It is, you know, a mark of old age
to be afraid of' that which is high;' but I am glad so much
elasticity remains in you....  Our sympathy to the afflicted
ones. Yet a little while and all separations will cease. Assuring
you of the true Chiristian regard and affection of a pastor,
" I remain, dear madam, yours in Christ,   B. C. CUTLER."
In October of this year, the General Convention met in
the city of New York. Dr. Cutler rejoiced to gather about
his table as many of the clergy as would favor him with
their presence at Brooklyn; and no one delighted more in
such opportunities of Christian intercourse.  Interviews
with friends from  east and west, and from various sections
of the country, were heartily enjoyed, and they were generally closed with prayer. How many who will read these
lines will Jook back upon those delightful reminiscences of
the past and say, " When shall we see another like him?"
"' How oft he has refreshed me!" and the silent tear will
flow from many an eye; yet may our faith wipe every tear
away, and look forward in anticipation to a more blessed
and lasting intercourse with him, in the land whither he has
gone! Does he not watch us now with eager eye?  Does
he not beckon to us to follow him as lie followed Christ?
And does he not assure us that, through infinite grace, we
shall meet again?
Through the long lapse of years, he still clung to his
earthly friends. At this very time he speaks with pleasure
(in his journal) of" meeting L  M, an old and highly
esteemed friend and parishioner, at Quincy, Mass."
Nor were the strong ties which bound him to new friends
and parishioners ever weakened, because he occasionally
wove another strand about the chain of early friendships.
Clasping often the links which bound together the cords of
friendship, along the whole course of his earthly life, he
united them all to a heart friee from envy, jealousy, or any




MINISTRY AT ST. ANVN'S CHURCH.               289
like imperfection, and only prayed that the Saviour would
bind' them in one " bundle of life" together, and present them
all at his Heavenly Father's feet as the fruits of his soul's
travail!
Read the following, addressed to one of the parishioners
of St. Ann's, then sojourning at the White Mountains —(the
note is full of vivacity and playful humor):
TO D. H, ESQ.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-Your favor is at hand, and I was interested
in all you said, especially about the Sunday services. I can truly
say, that many and many a Sunday morning I have come from our
services at St. Ann's, and said,'blessed are your cars,' etc. I am
no great zealot for any changes in the Liturgy, a little more liberty
merely in the use of the Prayer-Book, or its parts, is all I ask.....
We shall be glad to see you back. MIrs. Cutler and I have been at
Saratoga, in a crowd and in a jam. We went for a change, and we
had it with a witness. By day and by night it roared about us like
Niagara! But then it was a change! and it cost money, and you know
both of these are delightful to us New Yorkers!
"' Your mother left last Saturday for the grand tour. Whether we
are to have one volume or four, as the result, I don't know, but
abundance of observation, reflection, inspection and conversation
we must expect from such travellers. My poor prayers attend them.
I learn that Mrs. T    is better, and is resigned to the will
of God. Why should we not all be? How can God err? And if
we are his children,'heirs of God,' and if we have already had so
beautiful a world as this to enjoy, why should not our imagination'and faith, going hand-in-hand, spread out for us a'blooming paradise' as our next remove-where the sweetest, richest, purest, most
heartfelt happiness awaits us, and departed saints, and ngel, and
Christ who is God over all, and all they can do to make us perfectly
and for ever happy. Dear, dear friends, let us awl aim to meet there!
"Yours, most affectionately,     B. C. CUTLER."
The following is the last note in his journal of 1856:
"This day a quarter of a century ago, I opened my ministry in New York by preaching, at the Mission Church in
Vandewater Street, from  these words:'Unto me, who am
less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I
13




290           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches
of Christ.' I preached to-day from Philippians iv. 13:'I
can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!'
On Saturday, I walked around my old field of labor, where,
twenty-five years ago, I began to labor for Christ in this part
of his vineyard. It is much changed, but Christ is the same i"
"Jan. 1, 1857.-My motto for this year is,'Christ is all
and in all."'
As another year opened before him, Dr. Cutler received a
testimonial of regard and esteem from a few gentlemen of
the parish, to whom he sent the following reply:
" ST. ANN'S RECTORY, BROOKLYN, January 20, 1857.
"MY DEAR FRIENDs-You can easily imagine the gratification
which your letter of the 12th inst. afforded me. Had it been unaccompanied by a most generous offering, it would of itself have been
a testimonial which of all others I should value, more especially if
I could hope that it was merited. But the enclosure of two hundred
dollars, accompanied with a box of one hundred volumes of my
sermons for my own distribution, together with the remaining five
hundred copies in Philadelphia, and the expense of publishing the
work, form, unitedly, an expression of kindness and regard which I
could not and did not expect. But, aside from all this, the Christian
sentiments advanced in the letter, the pious wishes which it breathes,
and the evidence which it affords of your own salvation in Christ,
would fill me with joy. That I have, in any material measure contributed, through God's assistance, to the sending forth into Christ's
vineyard of so many laborers, who have the means and the will to
do good on a large scale, is a reflection too flattering to be indulged;
and yet I am encouraged by your letter to hope for this.
"But, all other considerations aside, the possibility that the book
you have so generously published, may, in the end, be the means of
saving even one soul from everlasting death, is enough to fill to overflowing the heart of its author. With profound thankfulness,
" I am your obliged brother and pastor,    B. C. CUTLER.
"To Messrs. Thomas Messenger, Harry Messenger, Joseph W. Greene,
John Halsey and George D. Morgan."
We insert here a few passages from his journal:
"Jan. 11, 1857..-When a man goes to church with a deep




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHUR CH.             291
sense of his own unworthiness, his thoughts will not wander
as they do when he goes light-hearted."
"Jan. 25.-The sermon I heard to-day on'Be not conformed to this world,' was a qualification of the command
not called for by the state of things. The apostle did not
qualify, why should we?  Young ministers had better be
thought too strict than too lax!  Most thinking people
really want ministers who will co-operate with their consciences. They know when they do wrong, and like the man
best who agrees with their conscience. Young men often
make such mistakes; I think I may have myself, when first
setting out."
"Feb. 1.-Mr. J. A. Gl      staying with me; I like him
much. Oh that we had many like him!"
"March 8.-I fear I have been cross and irritable, but I
have been very tired. What is man? How unlike his
Saviour!  Shame and humiliation follow such folly.  Oh,
when shall I be free from sin?"
Mutual greetings and kind notes were exchanged at New
Year's between pastor and people. Various members of his
flock also sent substantial tokens to the rectory.  There was
a circle of devoted and appreciative friends who never
failed, as oft as this season recurred, to give of their ternporal substance, to him who was " set over them in the Lord,"
and, so faithfully broke the bread of life to them. His
replies to some of their kind remembrances are as follows:
TO W. B. C   -, ESQ., A WEALTHY PARISHIONER.
"BROOKLYN, January 13, 1857.
"MY DEAR MR. C —  -As usual, I received your generous gift
of this season, and as usual, I return my thanks. I look upon you
now as a blessing about to be taken away from me; but it is not
true that' the blessing brightens as it takes its flight!' Your friendship is like the bird of paradise, whose beautiful plumage appears
to best advantage when the bird is in repose! I love you and your
wife, and all your children, and from every one, for many long, long
years, I have received nothing but kindness. I value and prize you




292           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
as an officer of the church, and am rejoiced that our church has
such to support and sustain her among the laity.  Now let me only
beg you to hold fast to the fear of God, and your profession of the
faith of Christ.  Remember that it was the'world' that crucified
Christ, and not the profane and vulgar, but men'of high life!' The common people' heard him gladly! It was the great and selfconstituted wise, who hated him. Remember that Jesus Christ
coveted not palaces, but was content with a cottage! and oh! above
all, remember that' God manifest in the flesh,' said,'How hardly
shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of heaven!"
"Most affectionately yours,           B. C. CUTLER."
TO T. M —, ESQ.
"January 13, 1857.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-I thank you for your present. This is a
handsome sum  for a minister to receive.                My
family in doors is not large, but out of doors, it is pretty extensive,
and I am not quite sure that all you raise on your farm at Great
Neck, would be enough to put food into their mouths! I never
think of rising from my dinner-table, without laying down, twice
the cost of my own dinner, for the poor, who will come at 3 o'clock!
Nor would twice this sum supply my needs for the objects of charity
who daily apply to me. So much for ways and means. I am rejoiced to see your increasing interest in gopd things-things which
perish not in the using.
"' It would take one sting from death for me to know that when I
am gone, there will be men left who will defend the gospel in the
church; and the church, for the gospel's sake; and both, because of
that glorious Saviour, whom they ought to hold forth and hold up.
There is indeed, nothing in religion to compare with the name or
power of Christ; him first, him last, him in the midst, him all
in all.
" Affectionately, your obliged pastor,  B. C. CUTLER."
Every year Dr. Cutler received from one member of his
flock a watch-chain, woven together by her own hand.
Other gifts, noble and large came also, from the same household where generous hearts loved to share with others, of
the bounty with which God had blessed them. The pastor's
affection is fully exhibited, in a note, dated —




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                293
TO MR. AND MRS, IT. M —.
" January 13, 1857.
"The pressure of duties has prevented my acknowledging your
accustomed generosity until now. The silken chain, emblematic of
the bond of Christian affection, was just in time to take the place of
the old one that had become weakened by use.  Emblems do
b)ut imperfectly answer their object.  Time only brightens and
strengthens the chain that binds Christian hearts together, and
twenty years of Christian fellowship and affection have not iveakened
the bond that binds me to you. The'Expedition to Japan' is a
valuable work.           Commodore Perry's expedition may be
the opening wedge to the whole empire, and what is begun in the'flesh' may end in the'Spirit.' God will overturn and overturn
until right shall be might, and the upper world shall be filled with
his glory. My dear R, I shall bear you and your little family
especially in mind.
"Affectionately, your obliged pastor,    B. C. CUTLER."
His own birthday was noticed by another kind parishioner
with a congratulatory note and memento, and Dr. Cutler, in
turn, ever kept hers in remembrance.  His note to this individual, in 1857, was excellent:
"Allow me to add my best wishes to the many offered you on this
day. May this be the happiest of all your years. You have plowed
up and sowed carefully ten large fields. It is now time to see the
fruits. May you have all the joys of the'harvest home!' May you
gather all your golden sheaves into the garner of the Lord, and at
the great day be able to say with triumph,' Here am I and the
children which thou hast given me!' and may the 10th of March,
1858, find you still flourishing and bearing fruit to the praise and
glory of God's grace.
"Your affectionate friend and pastor,  B. C. CUTLER."
In June of this year, a new assistant minister was procured for St. Ann's, Brooklyn, the Rev. W. W. Sever (the
previous assistant having removed some months before, to
St. Ann's Church, Morrisania, in the neighborhood of New
York). As a faithful watchman on the walls of Zion, he
upheld the hands of his elder fellow-laborer, and esteemed
it a privilege to be thus associated with Dr. Cutler.




294           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
In August, we find Dr. Cutler at " Clarence," visiting his
lbeloved friends and parishioners at their summer retreat.
From thence he wrote to a valued parishioner, then absent
with his family in Europe, a letter which, perhaps, exhibits
the real spirit of the man as well as any letter in the whole
collection of his correspondence.
We give an extract:
TO MR. AND MRS. D. H, LONDON.
"August 2, 1857.
"I presume you see any number of'Amerikins.''The periodical flight of American clergymen' to England took place before you left, I think. What the Bishop of London
thinks now, I know not; but he said to me in June, 1843,'This is
about the time for the periodical flight of American clergymen!'
Geese, no doubt, were in his mind i! But really, when we get worn
out, what do we more than they? We fly to the Continent; so do
they. We can't go South, and there is nothing to be seen North,
and so we go East. I suppose we are great bores! Whether I shall
ever trouble London again is doubtful. By the by, Mr. Messenger
handed me a letter on Saturday which he received from' Lambeth
Palace' from the Archbishop, which begins as follows: —' Lambeth,
June 1: Dear Sir-I write to thank you for the volume of valuable
sermons by Dr. Cutler, which you have kindly sent me,' etc., etc.
You must not suppose that I approved of sending such a present to
the Archbishop, for I had nothing to do with it. Little has transpired since you left. We have been out of town two weeks.
"The Sunday cars vex my soul. Such is the noise on a Sunday
evening, I almost dread to go back, and think of securing a room in
some house in a quiet part of the city to flee unto, as the heart to
the water-brooks! But enough. This (Mr. M.'s place) is a fine location, as the Americans say. Long Island Sound and a bay compose
half the circle round the house. Woods and cultivated fields, flocks
and herds dot over the whole scene. Our friends are all heart and
hospitality-and what with six horses and six cows, and five times
six geese, and ducks and fowl of every kind, and abundance of fresh
food from garden and larder, we cannot sigh for Egypt! The little
children like their pastor, catch his favorite hymns, and sit up to
hear him lecture. This is pleasant, as I am fast reaching the last
decimal division of human life. When you next see me, I shall
have but about ten years to live before I arrive at the station-house.




MFIINISTRY AT ST ANN'S CHURCH.               295
I bless the Lord that I have labored forty years in promoting the kingdom of Christ; in so poor a way, however, as to
shame me and doubtless provoke him. But I know that I have all
this time desired the prosperity of his kingdom, and been continually doing something for it. I am striving to get a fixed'joy' to be
ever before me.-Heb. xii, 2.
"I don't want to think of the grave, the coffin, or the shroud, but
of Christ, and God, and glory! I try to fancy'the moment after
death'-the beautiful gate of heaven, the golden streets, the smiling
saints, the approving Saviour, the white-robed crowd, the golden
harps, the enrapturing melody, and the transporting sound,' Well
done, good and faithful servant!' I am waiting for the word of
command:'Soldier, shout! the war is done!
Lo, the hosts of hell are flying!'T was thy Lord the victory won,
Jesus conquered them by dying!'
"Take care of yourselves. Live on shore, so that if you should be
brought into trouble at see you may not be ashamed to meet Him at
his appearance; so that you may say, Lord, when I was well and at
ease, I remembered thee-oh, remember me! I kept thy Sabbathls,
I lived above the world, I contended for thy honor, and now I rely
on thy faithfulness and truth.  God is not unrighteous to forget,
man is. The.Saviour fold you all there to his bosom, prays
" Your old friend and pastor,      B. C. CUTLER."
It is easy to see by Dr. Cutler's correspondence, and indeed in all his daily course of life, his piety beaming forth
with the naturalness of transparent childhood. His religion
was not a superficial layer upon the mere surface, but an
integral portion of his being. Christ Jesus was known to
him not by abstract definition, or vague theory, or even by
sublime conceptions alone, when the soul would mount on
the wings of faith and survey the scenes of heavenly glory,
which at times thrill the believer's soul with ecstatic pleasure, but he was known as a man knoweth his friend; known
by the hourly wants he supplied, by every apprehension
which he relieved, and every temptation he enabled him to
suirmount.  The love and sympathy of a Divine Saviour




296          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
were his constant refuge, and each of the many minute cares
and perplexities of life became only a fine affiliating bond
which drew him closer to that Almighty Friend. As years
rolled on, he found in every situation, in every trouble, from
the lightest sorrow to that which wrings the soul with agony,
that Jesus was equally present, and his gracious aid was
equally adequate; and thus his faith grew strong, seeming
to change gradually almost to sight, and Christ's care and
love were to him more real than any other source of reliance, and multiplied trials became only new avenues of
acquaintance between him and his God.
His journal (after a time of trial) attests the truth of these
remarks:
"Sept. 20, 1857."-He writes:
"'Guide me, O thou great Jehovah!
Pilgrim through this barren land,
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
Hold me with thy powerful hand.'
"I feel exactly like a little child in religion, all my prayers
and labors, and faith, and feelings are those of a poor little
child! Christ is great! I am less than nothing. I owe ten
thousand talents and have nothing to pay."
In a note to his sister-in-law, several months later, he expressed similar sentiments: " God can make every thing
sweet, while a thousand sweets may be wholly embittered
without him. I go to God, just as a young child runs to its
mother, a great many times a day, though I don't stay a,
great while at a time. I believe in him, and trust in him,
and refer all things to him, through Christ."
In his journal, under date of November 8, 1857, he thus
expressed his gratitude to God:
" When I consider that forty years ago I was broken down
in health, and could not read a page aloud; that I was thought
to be in consumption, and was told that I could not live to




MIXIS TRY AT ST. ANN'S CHU RCH.             297
graduate from college, how little did I anticipate my present
age, nearly sixty years old, and I now preach twice a week.
Glory be to God for his goodness, through Christ Jesus!
Let me thank God and take courage!"
This year in Dr. Cutler's history was one of great trouble
in the financial world; seldom  has there been known "a
monetary crisis" of such unparalleled severity. Prominent
firms and merchants of unusual sagacity and foresight, both
in Europe and America, found themselves in great pecuniary
distress. The business community in the large cities and
great commercial centres felt the shock most keenly, while
gloom, like a heavy pall, was spread over all future prospects.
To a dear friend, engaged in large business transactions,
Dr. Cutler wrote in this strain: " We are shaking here for
the earthquake we expect you will have over the river.
But it must needs be that it burst.  Things will not come
right, I suppose, until the bubble is broken; the great imposture must be lanced! Alas! I feel for those who must
know the'sorrow of the world!'"
A few weeks later, he wrote to the same friend:
TO G. D. 1M, ESQ.
" November 7, 1857.
"MY VERY DEAR FRIEND-.... I have not visited you,
nor troubled you recently even with a letter, during these'monetary struggles,' inasmuch as I was well assured that you knew the
way tc,'the great refuge,' without my direction, and also because I
knew that your time would now be much taken up.          I
have no fears for you and yours. These are times, however, which
must'try men's souls.' I have my mode of interpreting the providence of God in them, and I suppose others have theirs. That God's
hand is in them I am sure; and that his voice is crying to every
man in the city, cannot be doubted. If ever that great city was' given over to idolatry,' it was within your memory and mine; and
it is'for covetousness' sake,' which is idolatry, that the wrath of
God cometh on the children of disobedience. I pray that its present trials may be sanctified to its good, and that you and all God's
13*




298           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
children may have peace, though the war of lusts should rage still
longer.
"With love to your family, I am your obliged and affectionate
"Friend and pastor,          B. C. CUTLER."
To an absent friend at Tutbury, in England, who was
preparing a valuable biography for the press, Dr. Cutler
thus wrote:
"December 27, 1857.
"MY VERY DEAR FRIEND-.... The panic has put a stop
to all printing of new works by the E. K. S., and you will therefore
have abundance of time to prepare your work. In order to write
the letter you have requested, and my own heart would dictate, I
only want time for calm retrospection. God willing, it shall come....... As to civil matters here, we are in an evil case; a
vigilance committee is almost needed in New York. I often wonder
when I visit a lunatic asylum and see forty maniacs together, and I
expect havoc and death; but he who keeps them, knows that they
never have their paroxysms at the same time. So our metropolis
mad-house, having English and Irish, German and Dutch, Swedish
and French, and American inmates, these are played off, one against
the other, and we keep alive.
"In church matters we are still; except that our friend, Bishop, has been exposed in his unguarded loyalty to his patriarch!!!
Who could have been so little his friend as to publish that letter in the
Christian Observer? Some people do not know how to trifle, nor
who to trifle with.
"India, dreadful India, is in all our thoughts; we have mourned,
and lamented, and prayed. Missions here are at a low ebb. Our
annual collection at St. Ann's, however, came off just before the dark
day, and was as large as usual.
"I have a truly evangelical curate, Rev. W. W. Sever, a graduate
of Harvard University, and of the Theological Seminary of Alexandria, a young man of faith and prayer. My parish church is just
as full as ever. My Sunday-schools number six hundred names on
the books, and my field in this poor part of Brooklyn is large.
" The MI s are still great comforts to me. Christmas has just
gone, and presents come in as usual.        I admire Dr. Livingston's work, though I should not admire it less, if it had more of
salvation in it. Salvation! what can compare with that? Oh the
joyful sound!.
"Affectionately, your brother and friend,   B. C. CUTLER."




MINISTRJY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.              299
These were dark days for many who were engaged in
mercantile pursuits. Some of Dr. Cutler's parishioners, however (faithfully taught as they had been for years), did not
give less of their earthly substance than before to benevolent and charitable objects, nor did they withhold the hand
of bounty from the Lord's suffering poor. For this, Dr. Cutler was grateful, yet was he faithful, too, as the last letter he
wrote in the year 1857 well attests:
TO T. M-, ESQ.
"December 29, 1857.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-For your liberal response to many calls of
suffering humanity, through me, I return my own thanks, and, I must
believe, those also of many others. Whatever may become of your
fortune in time to come, upon a pretty large share of it you may be
able to reflect with satisfaction. My hope and prayer is that it will
never be diminished; but that the more you give, the more you
may receive; and that with your means, you will give also yourself,
body and soul, to Him who gives power to get wealth and who
does more than this-who gives the power to enjoy what he bestows.
"It is folly to expect all things to go smoothly at all times. There
must be night as well as day, winter as well as summer. There
certainly is death, as well as life. Let us all then lay hold upon
God while he is near to us, and we are drawn to him by his goodness, and let us honor him while we have honor from men. Piety
of soul is the great secret of happiness. With love,
"I am yours, faithfully,         B. C. CUTLER."
In what light Dr. Cutler considered earthly riches, all
could see from his personal example, his household arrangements, and his public teachings; these were in perfect harmony with each other. His opinion on this topic could be
expressed in few words. Wealth, to be received with thanksgiving, if love to God was supreme; hoarded up, it became
like an alabaster box, of no avail, except as a mere ornament, and imparting little or no happiness; but if broken
and scattered and poured out as precious ointment upon the
body of Jesus Christ, in the person of his suffering children,
it was exhaling rich fragrance around, and returning, in the




300          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
grateful benedictions of others, the richest aroma to the
Dispenser himself.
Some may prefer, however, to read his own written testimony on the ability of mere wealth to afford happiness. It
is clearly expressed, in one of his letters written to his beloved wife, in the following language: " The happiness of
earth at best is momentary, and generally as incomplete as
it is momentary. The rich, for the most part, know less
about it than those who have neither riches nor poverty. I
was thinking to-day, that the rich were always striving to
increase the means by which they expect to be made happy,
while the wise were constantly cultivating dispositions which
could produce happiness from the smallest means! It is
needless to say which course would insure the most independent and permanent happiness. Take from the merely
rich their riches, and you cut off all happiness from them.
Take from the wise their riches, and you dry up only one
source, and perhaps the smallest source, of happiness. But
take from the Christian every thing which can make the
rich and the wise happy, and you have not touched his'mountnoin.' Thanks be to God, the happiness of the Christian is independent of all creatures and things!"




CHAPTER XIV.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONTINUED.
1858-1861.
T HE year 1858 was marked by a " revival" of special religious interest throughout the United States; the previous year had been one of temporal losses, and now, as God
ordered, in his manifold wisdom, it was followed by a season
of spiritual gain. Men found their earthly idols crumbling
into dust, and their worldly props suddenly breaking away,
and many hearts were thus forced to look up to God for
refuge, as their only sure and safe abiding-place.
In many places, the outpouring of God's spirit was truly
remarkable, and the Church of Christ rejoiced in large accessions to her fold.  The churches in New  York and
Brooklyn were sharers, in no small degree, in this baptism
of the Divine Spirit.
Meetings for prayer and praise were multiplied, and, as is
always the case at such times, a remarkable spirit of union
and harmony prevailed among the ministers of Christ, of
every name.  Dr. Cutler entered heart and soul into the
good work.  In his journal and letters, at this time, frequent allusions are made to it, as we shall perceive.
We give a few extracts from the former:
"Jan. 3, 1858.-I am nearly sixty years old. This is a high
point of land to reach; it is a place to look down from, and
above all, to look up from. Ten short years more and my
lease expires (the life of man is three score years and ten).
They are to be employed in drawing near to God and in
k301)




302           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
doing good. Draw me, O Lord, with the cords of love, and
with the bands of a man!"
"Feb. 6.-This is my birthday.  I am  sixty years of
age.  I rose at 5 A. M., and thanked God for the past, and
prayed that I might live nearer to him  than I have heretofore. I have read my journal for last year; it is an account of moderate and steady labor, and of God's mercies.
Ten years will make up my life, but, ten months, or even
ten days, may not remain. I am humble, and peaceful, and
hopeful, builded up on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ my chief corner-stone!"
"March 26.-Continued religious services have been held
at St Ann's."
To a friend and parishioner, then in London, Dr. Cutler
wrote at this time:
"Alarch 22, 1858.
"We are now in the midst of a great revival of religion. It
would be better worth crossing the water to see it, than to see either
the Crystal Palace or the picture gallery at Manchester. I have just
attended an interesting meeting at the Church of the Ascension
(Dr. Bedell's).".
To another friend in England, he also wrote:
"We are having a delightful refreshing from the presence of the
Lord, all around us; we have a prayer-meeting at St. Ann's, immediately after church in the afternoon; our wardens and young male
members pray and make short exhortations; the congregation generally go into the chapel. I saw Dr. H —- at a meeting at Dr.
Bedell's, where Dr. Dyer, Mr. D  -, and I, spoke.'Poverty makes
strange bed-fellows,' and revivals make strange fellowships.
Now about the American Tract Society. Thinking has become a
passion in New England; every body thinks hard, and as every body
differs from every body, so opinion is the bloodless field of strife.
If a great man forms a strong opinion, woe betide the luckless
wight who opposes! Now, it is the opinion of —, that to insult
the Southern people is the duty of the American Tract Society at
any rate. However, feeling predominates at the South, and practical common sense at New York (near the centre), and hence, when




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHLURCH.            303
the vote to approve came up, about one thousand against two hundred was the result.
" Your brother, in faith and love,  B. C. C."
In April of this year, Dr. Cutler presented to the Bishop
for confirmation sixty persons-a noble accession of both
young and old from the extensive parish of St. Ann's to the
ranks and service of Christ. Dr. Cutler gave all the praise
to God, while he humbly acknowledged his own deficiencies,
even in the midst of so much labor and such blessed fruit.
"April, 1858.-I have lived and labored in Brooklyn
twenty-five years. What a long period, and how much of
deficiency appears? What labor I have bestowed, has been
chiefly bestowed on this parish, and God has apparently
blessed it, and glory be to his great name! Thus the Lord
has led me on; less than ten years to live, and very much
land'remains'to be possessed!' But I must trust in him
who has fed me all my life-long, and who knows that, forty
years ago, I left Egypt and entered the wilderness, bound
for the heavenly land. Ever since, I have felt as a stranger
and a pilgrim on the earth, and that here I have no abiding
city! I can say with another,'I am so unworthy I suppose
I ought to fear, but I do not; my trust is in God.' We have
a glorious revival of religion, on all sides, and in all parts
of the land; such a season America has rarely seen! Oh
that grace might be poured into my heart and into my lips,
and that God would bless me for ever!"
In May, 1858, Dr. Cutler preached his quarter-century
discourse at St. Ann's. It was divided into three parts, and
delivered on successive Sundays, and was soon printed, in
accordance with the earnest desire of the congregation and
of many other fi-icnds. For twenty-five years he had fed
this flock, and now, fully aware that his connection with his
beloved people must be severed by death before many years
should pass away, he analyzed before his people the principles upon which his ministry had been conducted, and




304          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
exhorted them to hold fast to the truth as it is in Jesus.
Seven hundred and seventy-five new members had been
added to this church during that period, which was indeed
an encouraging token of the Divine blessing. The rector
had performed one thousand three hundred and eighty-two
baptisms, five hundred and nine marriages, and eight hundred and twenty-three burials, and preached one thousand
eight hundred sermons. Such was his resume of parochial
labor. He had acted steadily upon the resolution of the
apostle, " not to know any thing among you (his people) save
Jesus Christ, and him crucified," during all this period.
The secularization of so many of God's ministers in these
latter days, he earnestly protested against; the time for a
minister's own special work was too short, the immortal
soul too precious, and Christ's command too urgent, he
thought, to admit of " saluting any man by the way." Thus
he declared his views: "The association of ministers to so
great an extent with mere men of letters, which unfits them
for converse with their flocks, subtracts a very large portion
of time that really belongs to those flocks, wears out their
own strength, and shortens their ministry and their lives.
The additional celebrity and literary cultivation which they
gain, are no equivalent for the loss the people suffer..
I cannot wonder that men of talents and learning, and of
fascinating powers of oratory, do not relish the conversation
of the humbler portion of their flocks..... I wonder
not at the preference of these cultivated men, for the information, the enlightened criticism, the brilliant repartee, the
pungent satire of the literary coterie. But I blame them
for becoming pastors or shepherds of Christ's flock, whose
duty it is, as they know beforehand, tofeed the sheep and the
lambs. If a man is ordained to this office, a large share of
his time ought to be taken up in supplying the spiritual
wants of the flock.  I therefore offer no apology for not
being placarded along our streets, by the side of all the




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHUJRCH.               30o
secular announcements of the day; and I confess that
though I love letters well, I love the gospel more; and I
would rather preach one gospel sermon than make an exhibition of the greatest learning on earth."
He closed this valuable discourse in brief and pointed
language: "Twenty-five years more, and the greater part
of my adult hearers will have been transferred from the
busy haunts of men, to the shades of our rural cemetery.
Think of this, dearly beloved, and delay not to make all
preparation for the great change.  Think of this, and firmly
resolve, that in a truly Christian sense, the'world shall be
benefited by your brief residence in it! Think of this, and
seek for nobler and more enduring monuments than are obtained from the hand of art-even those of immortal souls,
saved and beautified by Divine grace.  Oh that I might fire
your breasts with a holy ambition to rise above the low pursuits of earth, and to run the race for a heavenly and eternal
renown!"
One of Dr. Cutler's most characteristic letters, full of the
strongest and deepest religious sentiment, yet with a playful
expression, gleaming like a silver thread here and there
throughout, was addressed this summer to a parishioner
absent in Europe. She had been baptized, presented for
confirmation, and married by Dr. Cutler:
TO MRS. D. H —.
"BROOKLYN, June 10, 1858.
"MY DEAR FRIEND —Rivers overflow their banks, and then we
have a rich alluvial. Three papers from you, of various dates, lie
before me, containing sundry questions, etc. What a delightful
frame you must be in..  The Bishop of  -  I see is a
favorite with you. I hear of him often as an eloquent man. But I
must confess, that unless a minister of Christ preaches a full-orbed
gospel, and one as free as full, I cannot be satisfied with oratory. I
feel sick of sin, there is no health in me, and Christ alone is the only
and the all-sufficient medicine for my sickness. I want to be directed
at once to Christ. I want my sins, my infirmities, my backslidings,




306            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
my coldness, my foolishness, taken for granted: and I wish to be addressed as a poor, weak-hearted sinner, needing a Saviour always,
every moment, as much as the lungs want air! Give me Christ or I
die! I am perishing with hunger, give me Christ! I am parched
up with thirst, give me Christ! I am in doubt about many things,
give me Christ!-then shall I have'wisdom;' he will correct all my
mistakes.            I told you, years ago, not to trouble yourself
about afflictions, they come fast enough; if God sees it best for you
to be without them, rejoice and praise him!
"I fear the slave trade will be renewed at the South. I am antislavery to the back-bone; but I do not sympathize with the extreme
abolitionists! In one of the light works of Harry Lorrequer there
is the sentence,'' They are poor-spirited creatures," said one, " they
won't vote I" "' Not they," said another; "they are as decent boys as
any we have; they are willing to wreck the towrn for fifty shillings'
w-orth of spirits!"'
"John Bull's boats have been playing the mischief with our commerce. John had better haul in his horns; he has neither the time
nor the money to fight, this side of the Atlantic. Besides, young
Bull is getting quite too large for old Bull to manage. But I suppose it will end in a kind of Pickwickian explanation. What a happiness that we have this safety valve!
"I am thinking often of the pleasure you will have in the company of Gen. and Mrs. T    n. They are delightful anywhere, but
quite too much for you in London; you are so afraid of prosperity!
i June, the'belle' of the whole twelve moons, is now smiling
sweetly upon us; her thirty days seem like thirty minutes! She
comes with flowers and fruits, and is received with open doors and
windows and is hailed by hospitalities, by warm suns, and clear
heavens, and long days. I love June. I breathe the external air
day and night. I get up at 4 A. M., read and pray, breakfast, and
get on my horse at 5J A. M, and away I ride, over the hills and far
away. Then I come back to bless my household at 7 A. M. But
there is a better land than even this, and a better month than June,
and a better sun than ours, and better fruits, and all without sin or
suffering, or fear of any.' Set your house in order, for thou shalt
(lie and not live,' said God to good King Hezekiah. Who does not
require this change? Whose house is in order?  Who is quite
ready to receive the Master? We have a house, perhaps we have it
furnished, but it is out of order to die; it is only in order to live.
Set it in order then. Put things to rights, wash and sweep the
house, still the unnecessary noise, and quiet the carking cares!
Take down the map of the new place and sturdy that. Talk about




MINISTRY AT ST. AYNV'S CHURCCH.                307
Christ's coming and your going. Think what you will say when he
comes and knocks at the door. Oh, that we were all wise; that we
understood this, and would consider how frail we are! Love to my
dear friend (your husband), a kiss to Charlie, and keep for yourself
the affection of a father, for a kind of child.
"Two sheets, from your busy friend,             B. C. C."
In this month, a very kind parishioner had sent her pastor
an offering from her garden in Myrtle Avenue, and the following was his reply:
TO MRS. K  -,
" ST. ANN's RECTORY, June 23, 1858.
"IDEAR FRIEND-I return you many thanks fir your rich and
sweet bouquet. As I look at it, it represents to my mind your own
dear family group, all growing in the garden of the Lord, and, to my
eyes, all blossoming under the beams of the Sun of righteousness.
There is moral beauty, and variety, and harmony in the household
of faith. I cannot but hope that such a'bunch' of flowers is as
grateful to God as these perishing ones are to the receiver. Commending the'Rose of Sharon' to you all,
"I am, in love and truth, your pastor,  B. C. CuTLER."
While at Saratoga, in July, he wrote an interesting letter
to a parishioner in Europe, from which we make an extract:' The fashionables come here to saline the inner man
not until after the 20th, and they leave by the 10th of August for
the sea shore to salt the outer man. But with all this care they are
not a long-lived race; they lose by night what they gain by day,
and whatever invigoration their system receives, their supplies are
so abundant and expensive to digestion that the account is balanced
at the close of the visit. Still, it is hard to realize that it is not a
great blessing to be rich; there is the carriage to drive in, there is
the bowing of the host and hostess, there is the best room in the
house, and the best coat in the town; all this is nice, a sweet morsel
to roll under the tongue! But has the humble Christian no bright
side to his character? He has the peace of God; rest of soul on
Christ; a hope of heaven; a sense of the favor of God; an' inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away-'Riches above what earth can grant
And lasting as the mind.'




308           LIFE  OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"A poor Christian fears God, and in general, a rich man does not;
and I think the great distinction is, between them that fear God and
them that fear him not. The'revival' had passed through Saratoga
before we arrived, and all we can perceive of its effects is quietness
It was a blessed visitation, and one which will leave its savor behind it."
How constantly Dr. Cutler suffered, hardly any one outside
of the family circle could realize. The records of his journal show how keenly he felt " the thorn in the flesh:"
"Aug., 1858.-I am more delicate in body, and more susceptible to cold than ever. I am growing old and inactive.
I feel the decay of fervor in public prayer. I am easily
fatigued, and wearied, and out of patience. God knows
that for more than forty years I have been wearied and
humbled with a weak and sickly body. I am, still. I pray
that he may sanctify my infirmities and crosses. I have
discontinued set self-examinations, for after proceeding in
the same way for forty years, I found myself no better, but
rather worse, and like the woman in Scripture, I tried to
touch the hem of Christ's garment. On the whole, however,
I prefer to go back to my old practice of plain and simple
self-examination; not to find any good in my wicked heart,
but to find out what it really is, to humble myself on account
of it, and to apply more earnestly to the blood of Christ,
which taketh away the sin of the world.
" I can perceive in myself the infirmities of age. The old
are impatient, irritable, suspicious, timid and torpid. These
infirmities I must watch against. Jesus Christ is my only
refuge from my sins and myself. In him may my righteousness be found.  I feel the dull, cold effect of age on my
heart! What a prayer, what a hymn is that:'Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove!'
In August, a venerable member of St. Ann's died, aged
ninety-two years. As a shock of corn fully ripe, she was




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHUR CH.             309
gathered into the heavenly garner; and the many branches
of a large, wealthy and influential family, of which she was
the respected and beloved head, were called to mourn with
sincere sorrow. Her pastor and the church felt the loss
hardly less deeply. For sixty-six years she had been a communicant of the ancient parish, and was identified with much
of its past history. At the open grave of Mrs. Sarah
Cornell, the faithful pastor addressed the children and the
children's children, and a multitude of descendants, in an
earnest appeal, beseeching them, in expressive terms, to lift
up their hearts to God, through the great Mediator, and
say, as they bid adieu to the precious remains, " Farewell,
oh, my mother! thy people shall be my people, and thy God,
my God!"
His annual " shipwreck thanksgiving," as he termed it,
was celebrated on the 12th of November.  Some of his
vestrymen  and other friends were present, among whom
were Mrs. Maxwell (a fellow-passenger), Mr. and Mrs.
Harper, and Capt. William L. Hudson, United States Navy.
It was fifteen years since the event, and Dr. Cutler took for
his subject of remark on this occasion, the reprieve of King
Hezekiah, when his lease of life was extended for the same
period of time.
Among the changes in Dr. Cutler's family circle, none
gave him more pleasure than the advancement of his beloved
nephew, from  St. John's to the incumbency of Trinity
Church, Montreal. Thus he writes:
TO THE REV. CANON BANCROFT.
" BROOKLYN, November 2, 1858.
"MY DEAR CHARLES-.... I hear with much satisfaction
of your success. I suppose you do not expect to please the world.
I hope you do not try to do it. You may be counted a' babbler;'
so was St. Paul! Let the world hate you, so much the more will
Christ love you. But don't let it despise you! Let it feel the
weight of your arm, and let it be awed by your holy and blameless
conversation..... I have written my sermon for next Sunday.




3 10          LIFE OF RE V. DR. CUTLER.
It is an open and downright defence of dealing with men as sinners,
and opening to them the way-the philosophy, the nature of salvation; not merely proclaiming salvation itself, or the possibility of
salvation, but the way, the new way, the living way, the straight
way, the narrow way, viz., justification by faith alone.
"Your affectionate uncle,      B. C. CUTLER."
Christian experience, in some of its most holy and lovely
phases, was pre-eminent in Dr. Cutler's religious life and
correspondence.   His life was an Emmaus-like journey,
walking with Jesus all the way, and his heart often burned
within him as he talked with him by the way. In his letters to other Christians, also, we see the holy flame of love
to Christ kindling in his heart and moving his pen, diffusing
a glow and warmth of expression over all his correspondence which could not fail to stimulate the reader to admire,
to appreciate, and, if possible, to imitate a seraphic piety
like his.
The inmates of the vicarage at " Frernington," in Devonshire, hailed with delight the letters which occasionally
found their way from St. Ann's Rectory, over the bosom of
the Atlantic, to the inner shrine of their retired home. How
cheering must such a letter as this have been, at this time,
to the sorrowing widow of Dr. Cutler's friend, the Rev.
W. C. Hill:
" BROOKLYN, N. Y., December 17, 1858.
"DEAR CHRISTIAN SISTER AND FRIEND-.... I notice in
your last letter you speak of Queen Elizabeth and the Reformation.
I enter fully into the rejoicings of the 17th of November. My canfidence in the gospel increases continually, and my expectation is
that we shall be compelled to contend earnestly for it. Human
depravity and Protestantism are enduring antagonists! True Christians everywhere, and at all times, must protest, and go on protesting to the end. Why, I protest against the decisions, at least the
desires, of my own heart, daily. I am protesting against the errors,
new and old, of my own church, and my soul is vexed with every
day's report of this sinful world. My soul is a stranger and a pilgrim. I feel it fully at this moment. My comfort is, that the Lord




HINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                  311
reigns. My text for my Christmas sermon is,' The government shall
be on his shoulder.'
"In Oriental countries an immense key was laid over the shoulder
of him that had the power of life and death; and my rejoicing is
that, while various locks confine men and inclose them in political
apartments from each other, Christ has a key that opens them all;
and to change the figure, but not the word, his hands cover all the
keys of earth's great instrument of human governments, and play a'gloria in excelsis' in spite of all their opposition. Dear sister, it is
written unto us, a child is born-a child in our old age-a son to support and defend us is given. And what a child! and what a son!'Jesus shall reign, where'er the sun
J)oes his successive journeys run.'
Jesus holds the key of the grave. He openeth, and no man shutteth;
he shutteth, and no man openeth. I am continually preaching Him!
I wish I could say, breathing more and more of his Spirit, and following more and more his example.
" Surrounded, as I am, with Christians, I find few who talk freely
of Jesus. We have lectures and public prayer-meetings, in which
clergymen and laymen lecture, and exhort and preach of Christ; but
sitting down to have some pleasant discourse on the preciousness
of the Saviour's love is mournfully rare in my circle. I went last
evening to a tea-party, where nearly all were Christians. I had some
religious exercises, but all the rest was chit-chat about horses running away, children having whooping-cough, the health of neighbors,
the evil of smoking cigars, etc.! Alas! if our hearts were full of
the love of Christ, would not our tongues speak? Could we keep a
bottle of musk or of otto of roses in our pockets and not betray the
secret? I am very lively, and tell a good many anecdotes, and love
cheerful society; but I love above all fragrance and all sociability,
heartfelt converse about Christ.          0 Lord Jesus, comfort
my sister and friend by night and by day, in life; and when bodily
life is giving way to eternal life, be thou the strength of her heart
and her portion for ever!
"Most affectionately, your brother in Christ,
B. C. CUTLER."
At Christmas, one of the youthful members of his flock
sent to Dr. Cutler a token of regard made by her own hand;
the reply was just such a one as an appreciative pastor
would make to an appreciative parishioner.




312           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
TO MISS K —.
"December 27, 1858.
"When I look upon your beautiful work, and think how many
stitches you have taken, I feel as if I ought not to expect such
attention. But I look upon the offering as made to the servant of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and as such, I am both happy and thankful
to receive it. In the path of professional duty, where all'the
world' is really in opposition to your work, there is, and must be,
many a thorn. But in' God's world,' there is generally something
to counterbalance the pain. It is a thorn with roses, and it is suffering with a refreshing odor to help you bear it. Nothing is more
refreshing than the friendship of his flock to a shepherd. May we
all meet, dear L —, on Mount Zion, and sing the song of Moses
and the Lamb. Affectionately, your pastor,  B. C. CUTILEIR."
Much in the same strain were the touching expressions
of' regard to another loved parishioner, who failed not to
send her customary annual remembrance of a watch-guard
of silken cord:
" DEAR R — -You still fulfill your promise in keeping the chain
that ties me to time strong and new! Still, there is somewhat mournful in its sable color. But what can a minister's life be but dark
and anxious? His whole happiness comes from looking to the tie
that binds him to eternity; that is golden and bright, and his
Saviour has promised that that shall never break! Oh, the happiness of an assured hope! It is an anchor of the soul, both sure and
steadfast! With best wishes and prayers, I am your obliged and
affectionate pastor,                        B. C. CUTLER."
To a valued friend at Irvington (a former Sunday-school
Superintendent at St. Ann's), whose whole family were members of the church. Dr. Cutler wrote, ere the year closed:
"MY DEAR FRIEND-.... What a favor has God granted
you in your family! a whole household in the ark, and this in the
midst of riches! Wonder of wonders!.... We thank you
for your valuable present. On Christmas Day, several new communicants united with us. Oh that my labors may be blest! I have
no children in my own house, but oh, that I may have many in
God's house; to rise up and call me blessed! I note what you say




MINISTRY AT ST. ANiV'S CHURCH.            313
of your children and St. Ann's. They certainly got no harm there,
but I must attribute all instrumentality to their parents.
" Such a sight as our Sunday-school now makes would rouse the
heart and the hands of any but a dead pastor! Do come and spend
Wednesday with us, and see our celebration. It is a temple which
you had a great hand in building. Adieu! with love to all. From
your obliged friend,                     B. C. CUTLER."
In January, 1859, his cousin, the Rev. Benjamin C. Cutler
Parker, A. M., Chaplain of the Protestant Episcopal Church
Missionary Society for Seamen in New York, was removed
by the hand of death.
Dr. Cutler delivered a suitable funeral discourse, which
was repeated in St. George's Chapel, and in the Church
of the Ascension, New York, and afterward printed at the
request of the Seamen's Society.
The first breach was now made in the circle of the three
fast friends, who from boyhood had known and loved each
other. The strongest was taken hence, while the youngest
(Dr. Cutler) and the oldest (Dr. Edson, of Lowell) remained. Dr. Cutler's record in his diary reads thus:
"Jan. 30, 1859. —How  I want to be alone!  What
thoughts crowd upon me; my reverend friend and brother
is no more! I have great searchings of heart. Here is my
old companion gone, and it gives me a feeling of solemnity
and awe!"
Again:
"Feb. 13.-My friend and parishioner, Mrs. W. B. C,
died on the 10th. I have felt her loss very much; another
valued parishioner, Mrs. P —, is very ill."
These losses of friends only quickened Dr. Cutler in the
path of duty. He diligently improved the hours of the
day of life, knowing that "the night cometh, when no man
can work. Truly, he was "steadfast, always abounding in
the work of the Lord."
He once met with a young lad from England who was
14




314           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
seeking some situation in business life. He took him into
his household and gave him a home at this particular juncture, which, as it afterward proved, was of incalculable
advantage to him, in a spiritual point of view; the youth
had returned to England, and was now about to enter the
ministry in the church of his ancestors. This kindness to a
stranger, in a strange land, was like "bread cast upon the
waters," and after many days it yielded a rich return.  The
father of the vouth, rejoicing in the influences which, through
Dr. Cutler's instrumentality had been brought to bear upon
his beloved child, thus wrote to Dr. Cutler:
" DEAL, ENGLAND, February 28, 1859.. "Allow me, my dear sir, to thank you from my heart
for all your kindness to him, for which he is truly grateful. He often
very often, speaks of it, and any thing Dr. Cutler did must be right;
he is very strong on the subject of America-perhaps after awhile
lie will think better of us Britishers. You have been, indeed, a kind
friend to him, and I trust that the gracious Lord, who ever regards
his waiting people, will bless you, and make you a blessing. We
seem to want here such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit as has
been vouchsafed to you.
" Yours thankfully, in the best of bonds,  H. H. D -."
In March, Dr. Cutler and his wife went to Irvington to
spend a few days at the country-seat of a much esteemed
friend. This was one of the places Dr. Cutler loved to
visit, where hospitality, congeniality and ardent piety, combined to make it a most delightful resting-place to the Christian pilgrim journeying Zionward. Here he was truly refreshed in body and soul, and none had a stronger hold
upon his heart (though there were a few, equally beloved)
than the friends here, who so often loved to welcome him to
their mansion on the banks of the Hudson. Of these friends
he writes in his journal:
"Jliarch 21, 1859.-I know of no man in greater prosperity, in this world: every member of his family a communicant, too! Perfect health and great success; a more un



MINISTRY AT ST ANN'S CHURCH.                 315
limited influence at forty years of age I have rarely seen.
Mr.  -  seems aware of it, and is generous indeed.  0
God, I pray thee to keep him and his! Make them to excel
in virtue, as thou hlast made them to exceed in prosperity!"
Before the summer came, Dr. Cutler was pleased to welcome home again his sister and her husband and daughter,
who arrived from San Francisco, where many of the family
had taken up their residence, and on the 14th of June, he
united his beloved niece in holy matrimony to her cousin
Samuel W. Francis, M. D.
The tie which bound Dr. Cutler to all his familv connections was unusually strong, and he used this as a lever to
advance (if possible) their spiritual interests.  To  his
attached brother-in-law, Dr. J. W. Francis, he thus wrote:
"July 7, 1859.
" MY DEAR DOCTOR-I read with more than common interest your
excellent remarks at the Typographical Society's rooms. It seems
as if age had ripened and rendered more prolific your mental
resources. I suppose you are now considered'the sage of Bond
Street,' and that your present abode will be sought after and visited
by curious travellers when your sons, with gray hairs and wellearned reputations, will possess, protect and point out the precious
relics! But a pin for all this, compared with that reputation which
you will yet enjoy, I trust, of honoring God, and of being honored
by him, as an open believer, supporter and defender of the faith of
his only-begotten Son. This would be a fame as enduring as the
sun, and indeed would shine with greater brilliancy than the sun
ever did, millions of years after the sun and the moon shall be no
more.           Yours, affectionately,    B. C. CUTLER."
His heart beat warmly also toward his parishioners, in
every varying circumstance of their lives. One of them
was at this time threatened with blindness, and to her husband he wrote:
~' MY DEAR FRIEND-We were all made glad by the receipt of your
note just before dinner. I rejoice with you and Mrs. F    at the termination of the experiment.... The particulars you entered into
(which always form the cream of a letter), were as interesting to us




316           LIFE OF REIV DR. CUTLER.
as to you, and we shall keep this object of your and our solicitude
before our minds, and hope soon to hear the joyful news of a recovered( vision. It will be almost like Noah coming out of the ark.......Believe me interested in your welfare and happiness.
This is a cold world and a selfish one, and its exterior may chill you,
but there is an interior as well as an exterior, and that may be of a
different temperament! It is said the farther you dig down in the
earth, the greater the heat becomes!
"Most affectionately, your pastor,  B. C. CUTLER."
Besides family relatives and endeared parishioners, many
other friends shared his affection, and often gathered about
his table.  One cherished friend spent many weeks at the
rectory during this season, and with the warm benedictions
of this man of God, he bade adieu to his native shores and
went to a foreign land to recruit his health.  As the vessel
passed down the harbor, a steamer passed her, coming into
port, having on board another friend, who in a few hours
received the heartfelt greetings of the rector's household,
after her long absence.  Thus was Dr. Cutler ever welcoming to his heart every congenial spirit, and beneath his
roof they often enjoyed together foretastes of what we must
believe is "the communion of saints above!"
As years increased, Dr. Cutler, while still loving earthly
friends, seemed to give his supreme and strongest affection
to God.  His sister was now  (in August) preparing to
return to San Francisco, after the marriage of her only
daughter.  Though absent from  New  York, Dr. Cutler
could not allow her to depart without a farewell line which
he penned from
" SARATOGA, August 2, 1859.
" My BELOVED SISTER-..       I am truly thankful to have
seen you, and to have enjoyed the great event which unites by a
new and sacred cord,what God had even before joined together, two
loving families....  What can I say'more,' except what I
have said an hundred times? —God is the source of all happiness.'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh
down from the Father of lights;' that God, who formed the almost




rINISTlRY AT ST. AYN'S CHURCH.               317
invisible insect, and provided for all its wants, who originated the
most delicate of all the perfume the garden yields, and made it to
please both rational and irrational.creatures, whether they could
return gratitude or not; that God, who knows every thing; that
God, through Jesus Christ his Son, is to a Christian, all in all!
Oh that we loved him with all our hearts! What then could exceed
our happiness?
" Life with me is drawing to a close, and God appears greater than
ever, and is drawing nearer. God is every thing! MIy motto is, I
and all I have done are nothing, but God in Christ is all in all!
Forty years I have deliberately and steadily, though feebly and unworthily labored to restore a rebellious race to him as their rightful
sovereign. I feel that my reward is sure! I am every year requir.
ing less and less in quantity of what this world can afford.
God bless you! prays
"Your affectionate brother,    B. C. CUTLER."
Let us turn to his journal:
"Oct. 9, 1859.-I lost much of consolation to-day by my
own want of firmness.  Obedience is sweet and sin is bitter.
My mind was in a serious frame, and I felt the need of a
Saviour; the one I preached. Indeed, I am a lost soul
without Jesus."
"Nov. 6.-Distressed at the absence of the officers of the
church from their places. But any thing to drive me to
think of God, my Almighty friend, whose presence is better
than any or all men. It is better to trust in the Lord, than
to put any confidence in man! I came out of the world to
serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and him I try to serve, and to
him I look for comfort."
"Nov'. 10.-Mrs. Pierrepont died, aged seventy-five.  A
great loss!"
We see how in every phase and circumstance of life, even
in the most trivial events, he made constant reference to
God. He encouraged others to do the same, assuring them
that earth's chief happiness could be found only in him.
Truly comforting to one of his parishioners in a time of
trial was the following note:




3 18          LIFE OF REV. -DR. CUTLER.
TO MRS. K1-L.
"Many thanks, my dear sister in Christ, for your flowers and for
your note. The flowers were beautiful to the eye and are the greatest
ornament to our house; but the note was more fragrant,in Christian
faith and submission.' All things will work together for good to
them that love God.' If you have not your portion in this world, so
much more will you have in the next; and should you be afflicted
ever so much, you would still be at a great distance behind him who
was' made pelfect through suffering!' Be ever'looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of your faith. He is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all you can ask or think,' both for you and yours;
both for time and eternity. To him be glory for ever and ever!
"Affectionately yours,      B. C. CUTLER."
Ever the consoler of the afflicted, Dr. Cutler wrote to a
cousin in Boston, who had just met with a severe loss in
the death of her husband:
TO MRS. T. W. PHILLIPS.
"BROOKLYN, November 13, 1859.
"MY DEARl CouslN-... Your affliction is certainly very
great and very hard to bear. But is there any thing too hard for
the Lord?'Through Christ, who strengtheneth me, I can do all
things,' says St. Paul; and why cannot you say so? Your venerated
mother, when a widow, no doubt said so. I was with her at the
time, and know how wonderfully she was supported under her accum.ulated trials. She was, indeed, a wonder unto Inany. Many a
prayer did she offer for you, and now, I hope, they will be answered.
You have good health, she had ill health. You have two fine sons
who may be the props of your age. You have travelled and seen
the world, and now you can live quietly among your once loved and
loving circle in friendship, and in the cultivation of that' holiness
without which no man can see the Lord.'
"I hear you have quite an eloquent preacher at St. Paul's, and I
hope you will find great comfort in hearing him. Mrs. Frances
Parker would be a most valuable visitor for you, if she can go out.
She has tasted of the cup that you have tasted, and knows how to
speak a word to them that are weary. May our gracious Saviour
be near to comfort you, and may you yet have grace to say,'He
doeth all things well.'
"Affectionately yours,      B. C. CUTLER."




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                  319
No pastor ever received more constant and kind attentions from his people than Dr. Cutler. The offerings this
year were more abundant than usual, and while lie was
grateful to all these devoted friends, he never failed to recognize the hand of his Heavenly Father in the least event that
made his heart glad. A beautiful and appropriate remembrance from a devotedly attached parishioner in Pierrepont
Street,elicited the following reply:
TO MISS C    L.
"' December 1, 1859.
" MY DEAR FRIEND-...   I cannot refrain from repeating my grateful acknowledgments in a more formal manner. God
has placed the ministry of his Son on the best footing. The clergy
are to be dependent upon the laity for support, and the laity on the
clergy fuor tilc ordinances of religion. The first arrangement is intended to humble pride, and the last to increase reverence for things
sacred. Whenever either of these conditions are changed, it is for
the worse. It is good for'us of the altar' to depend upon the
people, to be stripped of this world's goods, and to be'considered
highly' only for Christ our Master's sake. In ourselves, alas! we
are sinners, and often deserve to take the very lowest place in God's
house, perhaps not to be there at all! It is good also for the laity
to express their gratitude to the Master by acts of kindness to his
servants. It is all right! God leads all his servants'by the right.
way.' Whenever we look at that beautiful covering for our social
board, we shall think of the friend who spread it over it, and took
such delight in making us happy.
"Affectionately, your pastor,     B. C. CUTLER."
What an interesting review of his past life is given in a
letter written, toward the close of this year, to a friend in
England, whom lie had visited in 1843:
TO MRS. W. C. HILL.
"December 13, 1859.
"MY DEAR SISTER IN CHRIST-Your letter and the almanac
came safely to hand, and I sent your inclosed letter to Mrs. Parker.
My family, consisting only of Mrs. Cutler and her elder
sister, are well. I have labored now for sixteen years since I saw
you, and am better able to labor to-day than when I saw you. I am




320           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
thankful to God, though overwhelmed with my unworthiness.
I am now just about entering on my sixty-third year. Pray that I
may be prepared for glory. Forty-two years ago I cut the cord (or
God did) that tied me to a vain and ungodly world, gave up secular
business and secular wealth, and gave myself to Jesus Christ to save
souls. I believed that he could repay me for any sacrifices I made;
I believed that he would repay me. I believe that he keeps account
of every thing, whoever else'forgets.' God is not unrighteous to
forget our work; not that I deserve any thing but wrath! But he
promised; I accepted, and treasured up his promises. Exceeding
great and precious they are. I will send you by this mail a description of our inheritance in a tract.".
The tract, to which reference is made above, was a special
favorite with Dr. Cutler. It was entitled " The Christian's
Inheritance," and was very often distributed by him among
his friends. How often have we heard him read it aloud to
others, and then descant in glowing terms upon the blessedness of the saints in heaven! Those glorious realities are
now his; and while we are amid shadows here, and are
enabled to say of him, with the Shunamite of old, " It is well,"
we long to follow his faith up to the land of vision and of
bliss!
With the new year came a new assistant to St. Ann's, the
Rev. A. M. Wylie; a man vigorous in mind and body, who
delighted, as did all Dr. Cutler's assistants, to hold up the
hands of the rector.  In a letter to the Rev. W. W. Sever,
his former excellent assistant, Dr. Cutler thus alludes to his
associates: " Assistant No. 11 is liked.  He throws all his
power into the composition of his sermons and their delivery.
He seems to have visited all the gardens of classical learning, and to have culled a good many bright thoughts, as
No. 10 seemed to have visited all the picture-galleries of
the world and treated us with illustrations by the hundred.
So we go; what one has, another has not-all for the edifying of the body of Christ."
The people of St. Ann's have always treated their assist



MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.            321
ant ministers with true kindness and regard, while both
parties invariably loved to do honor to their chief pastor
who was set over them in the Lord.
On the anniversary of the rector's birthday in 1860, a
dear parishioner, who had been often in " the furnace of
trial," sent to him some original verses which gave him much
pleasure. Expressive as they are, we transcribe them, together with his reply, below:
Another year! another year!
The day we celebrate has come;
Time waves his passing pinions here,
And points to nearer views of home.
How often, by the Spirit's power,
Hath thy o'erflowing heart in prayer
Asked grace for us in trial's hour,
So that not one be missing there.
We thank thee! Thou hast led the flock
Through soft green valleys up to heaven;
And oft, beneath the sheltering Rock,
Drink to the weary ones hath given!
And some are lost in sorrow's night,
Crushed down and stayed with heavy hand,
While thy firm foot has reached the height
That overlooks the promised land.
Does thy quick eye discern the souls
That won our heart's devotion there?
Have they escaped the tide that rolls
For ever on, in black despair?
14*




322           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Silent! all, all is mystery!
To do, and bear our Father's will,
Thou to the Cross hast bid us flee,
And every warring pulse is still.
Pastor! for love, that Time endears,
We'll weave fresh chaplets for thy brow;
Till Time is lost in countless years
And Love Divine, thy crown bestow.
REPLY-TO MRS. F"' ST. ANN'S RECTORY, February 14, 1860.
" Many thanks, my dear friend, for your birthday poem. It Il'ings
a crowd of thoughts to my mind. First, in order, is my own unworthiness of any such notice, and next, your persevering regard, and
your almost unparalleled afflictions-the loss of children, the loss of
health, and the loss of sight.
" I preached a sermon, February 5, on the text,' The Captain of
our salvation made perfect through suffering.' I have not heard that
it did my people any good, but I am sure it did the preacher! I am
thinking of myself as a soldier whose business it is to fight, and to
continue to fight to the end. Not to'dream that the way is smooth;'
not to hope'that the thorns will be roses.' But, putting on the
whole armor of God, to stand! nay, to fight the good fight of faith!
If God made his son perfect through suffering, let us not repine.'The path of sorrow and that path alone
Leads to the world where sorrow is unknown.'
"With love to Mr. F ——; your affectionate pastor,
" B. C. CUTLER."
So much parish work and outside labor, in connection
with various religious and benevolent societies, absorbed
nearly all his waking hours, and we find every record in his
journal, during the latter years of his life, very brief:
"May 13.-My assistant has gone to Bridgeport, and I
have heard the Rev. L. W. Bancroft preach on the texts,' We who believe do enter into rest,' and'Behold I stand at




FMINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHUR CH.          323
the door and knock;' good sermons and true-short and impressive."
"June 3.-A glorious Sunday, and I have much for which
to thank God. I am able to write, preach and visit. I
have a regular appetite, sleep well, and can take horseback
exercise. I have a large charge, and a strong and able
curate to assist me; a boundless field of usefulness-boundless as the globe, lasting as eternity. Parish, pulpit, press,
religious and secular, tract and missionary fields wide open.
Glory to God! To-day I have given up my pulpit to two
young friends, Rev. R. B. P   and Rev. S. B. Dalrymple.
It may be a day of rest-a breathing spell. May the Lord
be with me!"
The youthful clergyman (Rev. S. B. Dalrymple) referred to
above, was one of the most promising ministers ever known
in our church; after a short but blessed career, in which
time he won many souls to Christ, he was called home to
the presence of Jesus, whom he had here so faithfully and
lovingly served, surviving Dr. Cutler only a few months.
It was affecting, indeed, toward the close of their lives to
see, how eagerly they both, the youthful champion of the
Cross, and the more advanced soldier of Christ, looked forward with joyful anticipations to their heavenly rest, giving
blessed evidence of the strength of their faith. Diversities
of gifts they had, indeed, but the same spirit.
Under date of June 17, 1860, we find this record in Dr.
Cutler's journal:
"'My rest is in heaven, my rest is not here,
Then why should I tremble when trials are near?
Be hushed my sad spirit, the worst that can come
But shortens the journey and hastens thee home.
"'With a scrip on my back, and a staff in my hand,
I march on in haste, through an enemy's land,




3 24         LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
The road may be rough, though it cannot be long,
So I'll smooth it with hope, and cheer it with song.'
"'So I'll smooth it.' "
September 13, 1860, was a day of happy memories to Dr.
Cutler, for it witnessed the consecration of the new stone
edifice, erected by the parish of Christ Church, Quincy, Mass.,
and another link was added to the chain of associations
which connected him with this ancient and now thriving
parish.
The revolutions of time conducted his footsteps in the
evening of his pilgrimage to the same place where, in the
morning of life, he first trod the hallowed courts of the Lord
as the priest of the Most High, and here, on this very spot,
he preached the consecration sermon. As his friend, Mr.
Brackett, declared, his efforts here had "always been gratefully prized," and to see his face again, and hear his wellknown voice, was gratifying indeed. It was true, there were
many changes among the people, and " the good pastor" had
himself changed in appearance; the rosy hue of youth had
faded from his face; the stout frame had become attenuated
through sickness and age; but the same benign expression,
the same glow of holy love, illumined his countenance and
nerved his spirit, and when he spoke of Jesus and his righteousness, all could see that an unchanged heart beat warmly
within that earthly tabernacle.
It was soon to be freed from its imprisonment here below,
and the tabernacle of flesh dissolved, but, to the very end,
Christ and his cause and his people were dear to his heart.
Let us watch his onward course, as life was drawing to
its close. The current of all his affections was strongly set
toward God and was deepening and expanding, catching
from above the loveliest tints, till mortals could behold it no
longer, and the imperfections of earth gave way to the clearness and fullness of heaven.




MINISTRY AT ST. AXN'S CHUlRCH.               325
To a Christian friend across the Atlantic, in whom he
took much interest, Dr. Cutler wrote, about this time:
"September 18, 1860..... "I am still a poolr, sinful, weak mortal, but I keep
drawing near to my Saviour; trying to be lost in him; trying to
look on him as a great rock, and to crawl into the cleft of that rock
and to hide myself in him.  Sweet is the rest in Christ, so he
giveth his beloved sleep! I cast my burden on the Lord, day by
day; heart burden, sin burden, body burden-life, death, and ministerial burdens —on the Lord Jesus; not merely lay them down and
take them back again, but cast them away! ()h for more of the
knowledge and love of Christ!
"We have just published in our American Tract Society, the life
of R. Knill, which is sweet and precious. I see something of Devonshire in it, and many references I understand. SMy dear wife
sends love, and my afflicted cousin, a doulble portion.
"P. S. —Monday next is the anniversary of the Fulton Street
Prayer-Meeting. I have been requested to preside on the occasion.
Why, I know not, except that I approve of these meetings and enjoy
them. I am sorry they did not select a more fit man; but a more
woilling one, who is as unworthy as I am, they could not find. I
shall open with that hymn of Montgomery's on prayer,' The path
of prayer thyself hast trod.' Adieu!
"Most affectionately, yours in Christ,  B. C. CUTLER."
The Fulton Street noon-day prayer-meeting was a source
of delight to Dr. Cutler.  Here, with Christians of every
name, he loved to meet; his catholic spirit did not weaken
his loyalty to his own branch of Christ's Church, but only
expanded his heart, so that he could act on the expression of
the apostle, " Grace be with all them  that love our Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity."  Wherever he saw the image of
his Divine Master he cherished it, under all circumstances
and in every condition, and no frigid rules of mere ecclesiastical routine could fetter his spirit, or bind down his
soul.  He had preferences without prejudices, and "the
communion of saints " was to him a living, tangible reality!




326           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
The touch-stone of all his friendships was a personal interest in a Divine Saviour!
With what true simplicity and earnestness did lie counsel
others to cleave to Christ? A beautiful instance of this is
found in his letter to a young parishioner, who had gone to
the Seminary at Alexandria to prepare for " holy orders:"
"October 13, 1860.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-.... I take up my pen to exhort
you to continue in the faith. Take care of your personal interest
in Christ. Live by rule, and make your rules in the fear and love
of God. I repeat it, your great business at the Seminary is the catholicon of piety! If you should be pious and live near to God, you
w ill study, as a matter of course. Every thing around you will cry,
Study, study, study! Let my voice come from home to you at all
times; be pious, be devout, be zealous, be gentle! I am glad you
enjoy the Professor's meetings, I have often thought I should like to
attend one.
"There is a great deal of good done in an indirect way, and a
great deal done in an easy and familiar way. Said a late writer, to
his sister (an authoress):' You would be more really instructive, if
it were not for your determination to instruct!"
"Live much, dear Thomas, between the two lids of the Bible;
you will not lose your reward!
" Your friend and pastor,       B. C. CUTLER."
On the anniversary of his wedding-day, Dr. Cutler made
this entry in his journal:
"Oct. 30, 1860.-This day, thirty-eight years ago, I was
married to Miss H. B, in Christ Church, Boston, by the
Rev. Asa Eaton, and in the evening, I married my dear sister, Louisa Charlotte Cutler, to M. H. McAllister, Esq., of
Savannah.  The ceremony was performed at Quincy, Mass.,
at my mother's residence, near Madame Miller's. What
mercies have I received and enjoyed! All four of us are
living and have been greatly blessed. May we express our
gratitude by our lives!"
We find another record of a later date, this year, which




MIIISTRY AT S':. ANN'S CHURCIH           327
we do not omit, as we wish to present the character of our
beloved friend in its true light. If he had no infirmities
where should we see the victory of grace? Says Mr. Carus,
the biographer of Mr. Simeon, of England, " It is of great
importance that the infirmities of eminent servants of God
should ever be faithfully recorded, in order that we may
learn what trials and conflicts they had to endure, and how
they gained power and strength to have victory against
the Devil, the world, and the flesh! Thus shall we be
the more led to magnify God for his grace bestowed
upon them, and at the same time, derive comfort and
hope for ourselves, when endeavoring to subdue our own
besetting sins."
If religious biography came nearer to the Bible standard,
as does the life of Simeon, in a good degree, it would generally be more interesting and much more instructive. The
church militant is truly bound together by common feelings,
common sympathies, common imperfections and sins, and
looks for a perfect pattern only to its great Leader! Its
most devoted members, like Dr. Cutler, have often to mourn
over inward departures, and are constantly striving to subdue sin, the moral virus of which, will never be utterly destroyed, except with the dissolution of the body.
Thus, our friend found his experience like that of many
other of God's holiest servants:
"Nov. 19, 1860.-I have given way to impatience and
irritation, which I have read of as not uncommon in old
age. I am accused of this, and am distressed and humbled.
It is true, and I have nothing to say but'God be merciful
to me, a sinner!' Blessed Saviour, I would wash in thy
fountain! I pray for thy spirit, and I would keep my eye
on thy example. Be thou my ruler and guide!"
Again he writes: " I have much to humble me in my own
experience of infirmity and weakness."
Records like these indicate great faithfulness with him



328           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
self, and yet he sought for more grace, knowing that God
giveth grace to the humble.
While, with careful introspection, Dr. Cutler thus searched
his own heart, testimony from  others often poured in upon
him, showing the blessed influences that fell upon all around
him.  Thus, after the marriage of his assistant and friend,
he was surprised by a note (enclosing the fee) which read
as follows:
"ST. ANN'S RECTORY, December 4, 1860.
"REVEREND AND DEAR FATHER IN CHRIST-With many sincere
thanks and kind remembrances of the social and religious benefits you
have conferred upon one who has stood in great need of your example,
and who feels deeply grateful to God that in his all-wise providence
he has placed me under your influence. Most of all, I thank you
for your prayers.
"Your affectionate brother, in Christ,  A. M. WYLIE."
Christmas of this year came and went, with the usual
offerings to the cherished rector of St. Ann's, and as the
year closed, Dr. Cutler penned two appropriate epistles,
written in his own peculiarly happy style:
TO MRS. H. M-.
" December 31, 1860.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-Your Christmas present of valuable books,
together with your invariable'guard,' came to hand, and caused
much rejoicing at the rectory.       I suppose the custom of
making presents at Christmas arose from the best and highest example. God gave us his Son! (See John iii. 16.) Now, if God gave
you and me his Son, he gave him, not lent him, not showed him,
nor only let us handle him for a moment, but gave him outright!
What a gift, you may say! I have got Christ; he is all mine, my
own. I have an atonement for my sin, an advocate with the Father,
a perfect righteousness, a sovereign protector, a certain purifier.
Indeed, when God gave me Christ, he gave me all things! I am
rich, unspeakably rich   I count all things but loss for Christ!
Draw largely on this gift for grace —for yourself, and for all your
household, and for me; and believe me,
"Your affectionate and obliged pastor,    B. C. CUTLER."




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                329
TO T. M, ESQ.
"' I return you many thanks for your generous present, and for the
pleasure I enjoyed at the annual banquet at your hospitable mansion.
Of such reunions there are not enough; of heartless and fashionable
gatherings there are too many. I am convinced that the whole community would be happier and better if there were more true sociability. I hope you were present to see the display of youth and
beauty of all kinds at St. Ann's yesterday afternoon. To me it was
the happiest possible sight, and I went to rest, with my mind, at
least, upon a bed of roses. Our Superintendent and teachers deserve
well of their country! There were over seven hundred children in the
three schools, and over three hundred dollars was collected for mis.
sions. In these little, bright faces, you see the filture supporters of
St. Ann's Ghurch, and, I trust, the future sons and daughters of God
Almighty! With kind regards to Mrs. M.- and your family,
"I am, my dear sir, your obliged pastor,    B. C. CUTLER."
Dr. Cutler's allusion to his Sunday-school, reminds us of a
record in his journal:
" My spirits low to-day, but the sight of the Sunday-school
is enough to cheer all hearts. Blessed are the eyes that see
such a school!" and, we may add, with perfect propriety,
Blessed is the church that has such a pastor: "0 si sic
omnes /"




CHAPTER XV.
MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH-CONCLUDED.
January, 1861, to August, 1862.
DR. CUTLER lived just long enough to see his country
in the deep waters of trouble. The year 1861 was,
indeed, a gloomy one for the United States. All the bitter
feelings which sectional pride, jealousy and hatred could
stir up, were fully developed in open antagonism between
the North and the South. Several States of the Federal
Union (led away from their allegiance to the Government
by ambitious and unscrupulous politicians) attempted to
separate themselves from the other States, thus virtually
declaring war against the old flag which they had sworn to
protect.  The violence of political parties could not be
restrained, and the popular fury and blind frenzy of extremists on either side (of anti-slavery and pro-slavery), soon
brought the matter to an open issue, and civil war was the
result.
In this crisis, Dr. Cutler, while he was conservative in his
principles and moderate in the expression of opinion, showed
himself a true patriot, and stood by the Government and the
Constitution with unflinching loyalty. While gloomy forebodings often filled his heart, he looked up to heaven, saying, " Go.d can help us, and that right early." He wrote a
friend: "The American Union is sick unto death; all her
physicians may well despair; but the Lord liveth, and
blessed be our Rock. I can only lift my eyes upward; if I
look around upon the waves, my spirit sinks."
(330)




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CIUR CIT.              331
Death, too, at this time entered his circle of clerical
friends, and one after another were removed from the land
of the living.  When the Rev. Dr. Antlion, of St. Mark's,
New York, was called away, Dr. Cutler made this entry in
his diary: " My valued friend and fellow laborer died January 5th. Alas, alas! the righteous perisheth and no man
layeth it to heart, and merciful men are taken away from'the evil to come;' they enter into rest."
Sorrow in private circles, and the great trial which had
befallen the country, elicited the following touching and
appropriate note to one of his earliest friends in Massachusetts:
TO THE REV. THEODORE EDSON, D. D.
" DEAR BROTHER-AS friend after friend leaves us for another
world, our minds turn to the few that remain. Death has been busy
among us, and we expected him in our circle. Dr. Francis has been
unspeakably low; if he is raised up, it must be by prayer, and
not human skill, or by a combination of both.
"But even this has been swallowed up in the sickness of the
country, the death of the Union!
"' In thinking of John Adams and his co-patriots, these words
have been continually on my lips: "O terque, quaterque beati, qui
ante ora parentum, sub altis mcenibus Trojae contigit oppetere!" But
we are all in God's hands. My text on Christmas Day was,' King
of kings and Lord of lords;' Christ holds the reins after all.
"Let us sing, to the praise and glory of God, the ninety-eighth
selection of Psalms,'To Zion's hill I lift my eyes,' etc.
"' My health and strength hold out, and I labor steadily and regularly; but I am kept a good deal' under glass.'
" Yours, as ever,           B. C. CUTLER."
Amid the strife of such a period, Dr. Cutler's peace-loving
spirit was much disturbed. With the poet, he could say,
"My ear is pained,
My soul is sick with every day's report;"
and lie gladly sought a place of rest and retirement for a
few days, at the house of a former parishioner residing at




332           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Irvington. To the privileges and pleasures of such a Christian home, he made a brief but pertinent allusion in a few
lines addressed to another parishioner:
TO T. M-, ESQ.
" MY DEAR FRIEND-I have just returned from a most pleasant
visit to our beloved Mr. and Mrs. M..... I feel deeply
grateful to the memory of your brother for his bequest to our Sunday-school, and will do my best to see its provisions carried out.
I hear you and Mrs. M-  are to pass next Sunday at
Mr. M —n's.... all I Can say is, if you both enjoy as pleasant a visit as we did, you will be abundantly repaid for the journey.
"' Blest is the pious house, where zeal and friendship meet,
Their songs of praise, their mingled vows, make their communion sweet!'
"' With Christian love, I remain, your friend and pastor,
B. C. CUTLER."
On the 8th of February, 1861, Dr. Cutler was called to
mourn over another breach made in the family circle, by
the death of his brother-in-law, John W. Francis, M. D., of
New York. Science mourned the loss of one of her most
distinguished sons when Dr. Francis was numbered with
the dead; for as Dr. Cutler said, in his appropriate address
at the funeral (held at St. Thomas' Church, New York),
" There was in the departed a remarkable combination of
genius and learning, of industry and enthusiasm."
We find an allusion to the sad event in Dr. Cutler's
journal:
"Feb. 10, 1861. —Here endeth the life on earth of a man
of ability, activity, genius, learning, and philanthropy. He
was a genial and generous spirit, whose name and memory
will go down to posterity as one of the literary lights of
this Western world. To the full development of his powers,
the extension of his usefulness, and the preservation of his
property, his wife contributed most essentially, by giving
her whole time and thoughts to him and his interests —a




MINISTRY AT ST ANN'S CItURCH.            333
woman of uncommon ability, a rare specimen of disinterested benevolence, and one much beloved by all. She was
in the world, but not of the world. I owe her much more
than I can ever repay. She has been a mother to her
brothers and sisters, and to their children.  My prayers
for her and her husband and children, have been offered,
morning and evening, for more than thirty years!"
Dr. Cutler, thus adm6nished by the passing away of relatives and friends, and spared himself to scatter around him
the golden fruit of his rich and matured experience, devoted
himself to his parish duties more earnestly than ever, looking anxiously for the Divine blessing upon his pulpit and
parochial labors. Fifty-three persons were admitted to the
full privileges of the Church at St. Ann's in the month of
March! and great was the delight of their spiritual father,
to see blessed evidences of a work of grace all around him.
His assistant left him after Easter, to labor in a distant
parish, to the rectorship of which he had been elected, and
the vacant place was now supplied by the Rev. Mr. Syle
and others, till a new assistant minister was obtained.
Extracts from Dr. Cutler's journal at this time are not
without interest, as they relate to matters of importance:
"April 21.-The war which we have dreaded has come,
and it threatens to be like all civil wars, of the worst kind.
I prayed to-day in church, for the country, and for our
soldiers."
"Mllay 1.-Yesterday, Bishop Onderdonk expired in the
seventieth year of his age. A man hardly used by the
church.  He was suspended from office (and kept so till
death) about sixteen years!  In 1859 he petitioned the
General Convention to remove his suspension, but was refused! How much of gospel mercy, and how much of
worldly policy there was in it, I shall not decide. Rev. Dr.
Vinton, Dr. Hawkes, Dr. Tyng, and B. C. Cutler, advocated
the removal of the suspension in the Diocesan Convention.




334     ~    T~LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" This is one view of the matter; in the light of heaven
there may be another. Let me not be high-minded, but
fear."
"May 19.-The country is more calm, the South have
thought better of their plan to take the Capitol. The
flag of the Union never stood higher, and never had warmer
friends.  May God avert a long civil war, but if it must
come, may he bless those of us who have adhered to a lawful government, long and well established, and who hate
wrong and robbery to and of the Afiican race!"
In June, 1861, Dr. Cutler and his friend who has compiled these memoirs, took a trip to Saratoga, for recreation
and rest. Here a week was passed in the most delightful
manner; the morning prayers, the morning rides, the intimate and confidential intercourse of each day, are still
hallowed in the remembrance of the latter, who had been
greeted by him on his return from Europe, a few months previous, with almost a father's love, and could he have known
that only one more precious interview was to be enjoyed on
earth, still more carefully would he have treasured up his
paternal counsels, and listened to his sparkling and edifying conversation.
After a few weeks of continued labor in the summer, Dr.
Cutler suffered much from debility and nervousness, the
cause of which he could not trace.
Again he went to the Springs to recuperate his system.
From thence, he wrote to Mrs. Francis, who, with Judge
and Mrs. McAllister, was then at Newport:
"August 3, 1861.
"MY DEAREST SISTER-We came here on the 29th ult., and hope
to stay a weeK. On one account I much regretted not going to
Newport1-that is, your presence there. I am growing avaricious of
the hours with my dear sisters; I would not lose a moment, life
will soon be over. But my system is in such a state, that sea-air
would be too strong. At this moment I am suffering from cold, but
I hope to recruit. I am thinking much of Mr. McAllister, and




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURICH.                3 5
praying daily for him; may God restore his health and sanctify his
troubles to his good I I have now been three months without a
regular assistant, and have not engaged one yet. My health is
about as usual, and I have accomplished as much work as usual;
still I feel that I am growing old, and in various ways am trying to
set my house in order. But while my own strength is growing
weaker, my trust in my Saviour is growing stronger. I think I see
him everywhere, and in all things.   Love to dearest L,
and believe me,
"Your own affectionate brother,   B. C. C."
A few days later, he writes in his journal at home: "My
soul is dull, and deservedly so.  Oh, Lord, help me, and
deliver me fromn all mine enemies, spiritual and temporal!
It is good, to feel good for nothing-to be low, with my
mouth shut, and to think of nothing but Christ, and him
crucified; it is good to be as I am."
Patiently did he wait, till the good hand of the Lord gave
him deliverance from all bodily evils, which so often oppressed his spirit; but he was to consign the mortal remains
of many chosen friends to their last resting-place, before
he should himself go hence.
On the 15th of August, Mr. Joseph Sands, the Junior
Warden of St. Ann's Church, was called from  the service
of his Lord here, into his immediate presence and joy
above.
An exemplary, unostentatious Christian, and a consistent
and devoted member of St. Ann's, was thus called away;
a communicant for thirty years; a vestryman for twentyfive years, and for the last eight, a warden. For a long
term of years he had lived a " life of faith, upon the Son of
God," and was an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no
guile! Dr. Cutler keenly felt the loss of such a man, and
yet, there was a peace and serenity about his latter end,
that tinged the deepest sorrow with chastened joy. How
truly did Dr. Cutler say, at the funeral service:




336          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"The sweet remembrance of the just
Shall flourish when he sleeps in dust;
His hands, while they his alms bestowed,
His glorious future harvest sowed;
Whence, he shall reap wealth, fame, renown,
A temporal and eternal crown!"
"This church has met with a loss which cannot easily be
supplied. In this age, when the dividing line between the
world and religion is becoming less and less defined; when,
too, you can with difficulty discover truth from error, it is a
great loss to the Church when a man dies who can clearly
discriminate between the precious and the vile, between
the pure Gospel of Christ, and one of its many miserable
adulterations.            Oh! with what interest have I,
for years upon years, seen him enter and take his seat in
the sanctuary! What devotion was evident in his manner!
What attention did he pay to God's word! Whoever was
in this place, proclaiming the truth as it is in Jesus, he
was sure to be fed, as with marrow and with fatness!
Would you know the secret of his success in the Divine
life? His Sabbaths were well kept, his Bible well read, his
prayers unceasing, and his charity undying! These, like
the rivers which watered the Garden of Eden, four branches
from one great river of God's grace-these were the means
that ripened him for glory!"
We committed the earthly remains of Mr. Sands to the
grave, in the sure hope of a glorious resurrection at that
great day, when " those who sleep in Jesus" will God bring
with him.
Not long after this, Dr. Cutler received from a clergyman
in England, who had known Mr. Sands in New York in
former years, in most intimate business and social relations,
a letter, in which allusion is made to this private sorrow,
and to the public grief through which our country was
passing.




MINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH.                3 37
" DURIAM, September 30, 1861.
" MY DEAR FRIEND-I was very much obliged to you for sending
me your address after Mr. Sands' death. I feel that I have lost an
old friend, one highly valued, though I have seen so little of him
for many years. I often wish to con 9 and take a look at my surviving friends in America, and you amongst them. If I put it off, a
few years longer, the gaps will indeed be many..... How I
mourn over the sad state of things on your side.... You
have made England more conservative than ever, and if you go on
fighting for three years longer, we shall want no more slave-grown
cotton. How I wish your Northern politicians had erected the antislavery flag at the outset! Mrs. H. B. Stowe does not do us justice,
when she complains of our want of sympathy. So long as it is
merely a domestic quarrel, you can't expect to develop much sympathy; but make it a question of Freedom versus Slavery, and you
have the hearts of all philanthropists the world over. My own
sympathy, however, is not lacking, and all my feelings are with the
North. I trust that our gracious God, who makes the wrath of
man to praise him, and educes good out of evil, may yet cause this
mischievous war, to redound to his glory, and the good of man.
But we cannot see how. It is a dark dispensation; and I sympathize
especially with your church, dependent as it is on the voluntary
support of the people, and which must be fearfully crippled by the
present subversion of spiritual interests.
" You will often have to call to mind that central and fundamental truth-the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, and be driven
to take refuge under his wing, and lean on his arm for support
and comfort, in this day of adversity.
"Your affectionate friend,        G. T. Fox."
About this time, in so hopeless a state were the affairs of
the country, that the Chief Executive of the nation appointed
a day for special fasting and prayer. The services at St.
Ann's, Brooklyn, on this occasion, were of a remarkably interesting character.
In a friendly letter to his cousin, Mrs. B. C. C. Parker
(then residing at Newton, Mass.), Dr. Cutler makes allusion
to these services, and also gives his views about preaching
and other ways of doing good, which must commend themselves to the approval of all.
15




338           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" ST. ANN'S RECTORY, September 27, 1861.
"DEAR FRIEND-We had services yesterday morning, and I
preached from Psalm xxxi.S. 7th and 8th verses. At 33 P. M. we had
divine service, and afterward a prayer-meeting, in which my senior
warden prayed, and my oldest superintendent prayed, and also my
assistant. I addressed the meeting from Ephesians iii. 8. I can but
hope that the prayers offered up by so many Christians as were collected together in the United States will be heard. We are all much
as usual.          I met Rev. Mr. H  -, of the Seamen's Chapel,
last evening. He is an extraordinarily good preacher-most evangelical and intellectual; but I am afraid he will be drawn away from
the mission by foolish people, who tell him his talents are buried
there! A city set on a hill cannot be hid. If he stays, he will do
great good.
"I wish you could get out to hear Mr. Sever; he is as thoroughly
an evangelical preacher as I know. I am glad he visits you. I wish
I were near enough, for it is in the sick man's room, in the house of
mourning, and in free conversation with a Christian friend, that
more true religious preaching can be found now-a-days, than in the
pulpits! Here, our thoughts are like fine ladies in full dress —artificial, oratorical, rhetorical, logical, scientific. We talk about' subjective and objective religion,' etc., etc. God forgive us! It is not,
however, enough to use great plainness of speech-men may be rough
and cold too; no, it is tenderly, and solemnly, and sweetly, and in a
saintly manner, to dispense gospel truths! It is only THEN. men
will wonder'at the gracious words' which proceed out of our
lips! My neighbor has just returned from Boston. I said'Dit you
hear any preaching that did your soul good?''Oh, yes,' she replied;'I met a dear, good, pious woman, and I was refreshed by hearing
her conversation!' Try to preach in your chamber, dear Frances,
and to pray with and for others, and'for me, that utterance may be
given me.' The Lord be with you! Amen!
" Your brother,               B. C. CUTLER."
On the 18th of August, 1861, the Rev. L. H. Mills, of
New York, a recent graduate of the Theological Seminary
of Virginia, preached at St. Ann's, and on the 22d of
the same month, Dr. Cutler addressed to him the following
note:
" REVEREND AND DEAR SIR —The vestry of St. Ann's Church have,
by a unanimous vote, this day, authorized me to call you as assistant




MINTISTR Y AT ST. A NV'S CHUR CH.         339
minister of this parish for one year... I am most happy
in being the bearer of such a call, and earnestly hope you will accept
it. I will do all in my power to make you happy and useful.
"Affectionately, your brother in Christ,    B. C. CUTLER."
The call was accepted, and the new assistant entered
upon his duties September 1. Thus, Dr. Cutler's mind was
entirely relieved of all anxiety on this point, by the timely
aid of a valuable and efficient helper.
All parochial affairs being settled to his satisfaction, Dr.
Cutler now enjoyed a short period of rest, and, by change of
air and scene for awhile, endeavored to recruit his energies
of mind and body for another season of continued labor.
First he went to Clarence, then to Irvington, and last, but
not least, we find him with his two sisters, Mrs. McAllister and
Mrs. Francis, at the hospitable abode of the latter. This
visit was " very grateful" to his heart, as it was seldom he
could meet these beloved kindred togetlher, and the removal
of some of those near and dear to him to a distant land,
necessarily caused their interviews to be less frequent.
But, let us recur to the journal:
"Sept. 22, 1861. —Rev. Mr. G    was with us last week,
and sociability prevailed.            He is a man after
my own heart; I would like to live near him."
"Oct. 20.-I was unwell on Thursday and Friday, but
better on Sunday. Mercy-drops came down through the
day to my soul, and I felt cheerful amid the services."
"Nov. 19.-Shipwreck anniversary. A week ago was the
right day, but I was compelled to defer it. Eighteen years
of mercy have dawned on me and faded away, and here I
am, and here is my beloved wife, both, monuments of God's
mercy! I remember my peril, my prayers, God's answers,
and my deliverance; and I set apart this day, and I call my
friends and my neighbors together to rejoice with me. O
Saviour of the body and of the soul, be with me, be with
us all!"




340           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"Dec. 25.-A mere mistake about music to-day occurred,
to ruffle my mind at the Communion, and, after having
labored hard to prepare a useful sermon and struggled with
a hoarse cold, all enjoyment was gone.  Yet I was thrown
directly on my Great High Priest."
But the record of this year should not be closed without
a notice of the substantial kindness, the delicate tokens, and
the affectionate offerings,which friends and parishioners were
gratified to present to their devoted pastor and friend.  His
high appreciation of the slightest token of regard, and
grateful recognition of every favor, is beautifully exhibited
in his letters of acknowledgment:
TO G. D. M-, ESQ.
"October 4, 1861.
"VERY DEAR FRIEND-Your basket of grapes, with the letter
and enclosure of a check for a hundred dollars on the Bank of Commerce, and eight dollars for the poor, came safely to hand yesterday.
I return you many thanks, and pray God to reward you. Let me
ask. Is not God now repaying you for your goodness to the poor in
times past? While other merchants are becomning impoverished, you
are becoming rich. But whatsoever you give now, and in time to
come, will he not also repay you? Forty years ago I began to prove
God in this way, and I can now read the eighth of Deuteronomy with
great pleasure.           I am glad you are coming nearer, and
hope oftener to see you.
"Most affectionately, your obliged friend,   B. C. CUTLER."
How precious must a note like the following have been to
a new parishioner, who had estimated aright his rare worth,
and vied with others to do honor to this chosen servant of
the Most High:
"October 21, 1861.
"MY DEAR MRS. C —-  -It would be necessary for you to live
thirty or forty years longer, to know how grateful such a kind note
and pleasant offering is to the heart of an old pastor. There are
histories and experiences which are indissolubly joined to long life;
and let the young days be ever so light and bright, yet even Solomon
warns us to prepare for the days of darkness. Oh, how I thank God
that he broke up all my worldly expectations very early in life, and




MINIS TRY AT ST. A NN'S CH UR C1I.            341
thus compelled me, for happiness and peace, to seek him out, and
through Christ to find him, and to build a nest for my heart-a soft
and safe one too, in the secret place of the tabernacle of the Most
High! Did not you do the same? You have always looked to me,
as if you did. Did not that rugged nurse,' sorrow,' wring from your
young heart some early and bitter tears? Come then what may,
we are safe.
" Flowers have long been my delight. I regret, sometimes, that I
have not turned aside from my particular profession to look with
the curiosity of a botanist, and with the eye of a philosopher, upon
the floral world. It is said of Wordsworth, that, in looking at the
humblest of these unfallen servants of God, the daisy, he had emotions too deep for tears; and of AMungo Park, that when lost in the
deserts of Africa, the sight of one little flower set his soul on fire
and renewed his strength:' Does God take care of that flower, and
will lie not of me?'
"But though no botanist and no philosopher, I can look at
flowers as a child of God, and see in them God's beautiful pictorial
Bible. I see wisdom, power, and goodness, instruction, encouragement, and consolation. These I have also in the written Word, but I
have here the thoughts of God in full dress. Solomon himself was
not arrayed in such glory. They come; like angels who have toned
down their too dazzling splendor, and taken the richest colors and
dresses that mortal eyes can bear to behold, and visit us."
Who ever received from a cherished pastor a more encouraging note than the one we here subjoin?  The parishioner
to whom it was addressed, counted it her highest joy, next to
serving God and bringing up her household to fear him, to
"hold up the hands" of God's devoted, but often weary servant, and most fully and cordially she did this:
TO MRS. H. M
"December 26, 1861.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-I return you many thanks for your Christmas present; and however many and various and valuable have
been your remembrances, the sweetest of all, is the existence and influence of piety in your life and conversation.'Now we live, if ye
stand fast in the Lord!' I know that we ministers ought to hail
the coming of one sinner to our churches more than the coming of
ninety and nine Christians!
" But certainly we want some Christians to hold up our hands and




342          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
to help us do our work to sinners. May grace ever be given you to
bring up your household in the fear of God, and may you and yours
be, to the end, burning and shining lights in the world.
" The world at this moment seems to be heaving with great events.
Our Ship of State is in a heavy gale, and is hard pressed; we have
not only a tempest from one quarter, but now there is threatening
another from the opposite quarter. The waves of the sea are mighty
and rage horribly, but God who dwelleth on high is mightier.'Jesus, Master, save us, or we perish.'' And he arose and rebuked
the wind and the sea, and there was a great caim.' So may it be
now!
"With best wishes for you and yours, I am
"Your obliged pastor,         B. C. CUTLER."
Thus did he counsel and encourage the different members
of his flock in their manifold phases of Christian experience,
using every passing event, not indeed " to point a moral or
adorn a tale," but with the higher motive to lead their affections heavenward. His convictions of the truth were so
strong, and his sense of the preciousness of the Saviour was
so great, that every thing else seemed trifling compared with
the interests of the soul, and his pen traced no lines without
a word that spoke of a world to come.
The following record, on the sixty-fourth anniversary of
his birthday, is too important to omit, as it is a faithful
review of his past life. While his remarkable self-humiliation
makes it an almost painful scrutiny, one cannot fail to see
how he was still hungering and thirsting after righteousness,
finding his chief joy in serving and proclaiming to others, the
Saviour of sinners.
"Feb. 6, 1862.-For sixty-four years the Lord has led me
on; for forty-seven, I have professed to fear and serve the
Lord.  I was baptized, confirmed, and communed in Trinity
Church, Boston, the church of my ancestors.  Bishop Parker
(then Dr. Parker) baptized me, Bishop Griswold confirmed
me, Dr. Gardiner admitted me to communion. Bishop Griswold ordained me deacon at Quincy, Mass., and priest at
St. Ann's, Lowell, in company with my dear brother, Rev.




MINISTRY AT ST. ANY'S CHURCH.             343
Theodore Edson. For nearly forty years I have had a
parish. What an amount of mercy I have had! I very
gradually became serious in youth; very gradually yielded
to high motives, and renounced the fashionable world; very
gradually had my eyes opened to see evangelical truth, and
have been approaching very gradually the central point of
religion in my preaching-the Cross of our Divine Lord and
Saviour.
" I was not worthy to be called to be a minister. I am now
less than the least of all saints, and should God's grace be
given me, I shall end my life with a sincere confession, that
of sinners I am chief. I feel compassed with infirmities,
chargeable with faults of temper and spirit, and I am sensible that I am but dust and ashes, and sinfill in soul. All my
hope is in Christ. Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners., This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance. I accept it.
" Six years more will bring me to the allotted span of human life. How shall they be spent? In drawing nearer
and nearer to that great Saviour who came to save sinners.
My soul, draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to younigh, very nigh in prayer, particularly in prayer!  I will
commit all, and all, and ALL my interests to Christ, and cast
all my care upon God!"
When we read such extracts from his journal, and see such
clinging to God, such earnest desires to know more of his
grace, and to be filled with all the Divine fullness, we cannot
refrain from the poet's exclamation:
"Haste thee on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith and winged by prayer,
Heaven's eternal days before thee,
God's own hand shall guide thee there;
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith, to sight, and prayer, to praise."




344-           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
His span of life was extended only a twelvemonth more.
How  delightful was the last letter he received from  his
aged friend in Devonshire, England, pressing on (like himself) in her heavenward journey, full of faith and hope.
TO DR. AND MPIS. CUTLER.
"3 UNION TERRACE, BARNSTABLE,
DEVONSHIRE, January 27, 1862.
"MY BELOVED FRIENDS-Your kind letter of November 29 should
have been answered long ere this, but partly from my impaired sight
and partly from my enfeebled health, I have thus long delayed; but
you, with other dear friends, have been much upon my heart;
especially at a throne of grace has it been my privilege to remember
you. I need not say how delighted I should be to see you both once
more! A week or two ago I sent you a sermon by Archdeacon Law,
upon the death of Prince Albert. My dear friends at Weston, who
heard it preached, sent me a copy. There was not a dry eye in the
church on the occasion of its delivery. It is said that the Prince on
his death-bed repeated that sweet hymn, " Rock of ages cleft for me;"
that he desired the most faithful preaching, and that both he and
the Queen ordered their domestic servants to be allowed alternately
to attend the "revival meetings," when in Scotland.... How
interesting and solemnizing must be your love feasts to commemorate
so great a deliverance (from shipwreck), and such an answer to prayer!
The Lord has reserved you, dear friends, for much which will be
your crown of rejoicing hereafter! His Providence directs every
step you take. He is at the helm in the stormy tempest! He can
say,'Peace, be still,' or enable you to outride it, or take you out of
it. All, all is well! I am too prone to look to circumstances and
second causes; but when I get a glimpse of Christ's power and love,
I desire to leave all in his hand, and I have great peace and comfort
in casting my care upon him. Oh, if I had done so, what trouble
and anxiety would have been spared me in times past. I am now,
at my advanced age, only beginning to do so. I see in' the Link
and the Rivet,' and in the'Rarrgged Homes,' marvellous instances
of Divine grace, under most excruciating pain; one case is mentioned of a person who was for sixteen years unable to be turned in
bed, without money, with a small amount of food, with little fire
and no light, and only the ability to move one thumb, yet the voice
of praise and thanksgiving sounds forth from that afflicted one. It
gladdens one's heart while it covers one with shame! Through




MINISTR Y AT ST ANN'S CHURCH.                 345
deep affliction we shall see glorious ones arise, who by prayer and
enduring patience have turned many to righteousness; whom the
world knows not, but who are very dear to Him who deals with
them in love.
"I beg my warmest love to my dear cousin; and with much affection must conclude,
" Yours, most truly,                F. E. HILL."
As years grew apace and labors multiplied, we notice that
the letters of Dr. Cutler were much more brief than formerly, though not less frequent, to his valued friends.
We insert extracts from one or two notes at this time,
the expressions and style of which are so eminently characteristic of the man:
TO MRS. JACKSON.
"MLarch 21, 1862.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-.... I am not as well as usual;
indeed, I must take a respite, and travel, as soon as spring opens.
Forty years have been spent in the ministry. I am trying to draw
nearer to God; to press on until I find and feel him all around
me, and my prayer is that my last days may be my best, and my last
hours my happiest.
" I am writing, and preaching, and laboring for societies, just as
much as ever: but I do not visit so much, as I am wearied so soon.
" My assistant, Rev. L. H. Mills, is very acceptable. He is a close
student, and labors on his pulpit preparations.           St.
Ann's was never so flourishing. May our Divine Master comfort
you and all his children, last and least, me."
TO A PARISHIONER.
"April 22, 1862.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-.... I was out when your letter
arrived, and have been in attendance on the dying hours of a young
and beautiful mother since midnight....    With all my cares,
and still another death in the parish, I have been so wearied, that
if I should attempt to write what I want to say to you, I should
fail; anon,you shall hear from me.....   You can hardly feel
too deeply the importance of maternal influence; it is the seal to
the soft wax. As God's minister, I may baptize her, and add her
name to the records of the church, and draw down a blessing upon
15*




346           JTLIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
her; but this is once only. You may baptize her soul daily with
piety, truth, and love, and arm her against sin, the world. and the
Devil. Most affectionately, your pastor,    B. C. CUTLER."
In his journal he writes:
"Easter Eve, 1862.-I was never better satisfied with
St. Ann's Parish than now.  It is really in a flourishing
state, in every respect. Eight or ten persons propose to
join our church to-morrow.  Thanks be to God!"
His sister, now about removing from  New York to Newport, received from her beloved brother a parting note:
TO MRS. FRANCIS.
" I wanted to come over and give you a parting blessing, but was
necessarily detained by parish duty. Your departure is almost as
if all New York had departed. Who is there now for me to visit,
when I can run over? It is forty years now since the'Cutlers'
came to that great city, and all but Susan are out of it now.'Sic
transit gloria mundi!' I am now getting to that period when all
places are alike to me; that is, all are unsatisfactory but home!
Henry Bancroft, from Montreal, is staying with us, which
delights us. He is unwell and needs rest. I am glad I can entertain him. Give my love to S — and H —, and believe me,
" Your affectionate brother,      B. C. CUTLER."
A few months of suffering and weariness intervened, and
the nephew referred to in the preceding letter, finished his
course, and went to join the glorified spirit of his dear relative before the Throne.
There seems to have been a prophetic significance in the
few lines addressed to a youthful parishioner at this time:
" ST. ANN's RECTORY, June 21, 1862.
"DEAR FRIEND-Many thanks for your beautiful present, and
for a bouquet from your dear mother. It is a sweet thought for a
Christian, that, although his dusty pathway through life may not
be strewed with flowers, he yet may die in a bed of roses, and awake
in a world of glory. May this last, at any rate, be our happy lot!
"Your affectionate pastor,         B. C. CUTLER.
"Mrs. L. - N- —."




.IMINISTRY AT ST. ANN'S CHU  CIH.        347
The old parish of St. Ann's had now for many years
been blessed with unexampled temporal and spiritual prosperity.
The labors of the rector and his various assistants, had
evidently received the Divine favor and blessing. Multitudes had been gathered into the fold of the church, and
believers walking in the fear of the Lord and of the Holy
Ghost were multiplied.
The present faithful assistant -minister was about completing the year of his promised engagement, when he was
re-elected for another year (to September, 1863), and thus
the vestry secured his services, which (as it afterward proved),
were as indispensable as they were useful.
On the 1st of July, Dr. Cutler was summoned to Newport
to attend the funeral of his niece (by marriage), the wife of
Capt. Julian McAllister. Neither youth, health, beauty
nor affluence, could save her from the grave, and a pall like
that of midnight suddenly overspread a sunny household.
Dr. Cutler took as the basis of his remarks on this occasion,
that appropriate passage of Scripture,'; Verily, every man
at his best state is altogether vanity," and delivered a most
touching address.
He returned home with Ma's. Cutler on the 8th of the
same month. On the 9th he was taken ill at midnight with
severe diarrhea, but so far recovered as to be able to preach
at St. Ann's on Sunday, July 13, 1862; he also assisted in
the celebration of the Holy Communion and baptized a child.
None could realize that this was his last sermon within
the walls of St. Ann's, where he had so long and so faithfully preached the Gospel of Christ.
The effort proved to be too much for him in his weak
state, and produced a relapse. For a few days he was quite
ill, and had two physicians in attendance. By the 25th,
however, he was able to drive out and see his friends, but
his recovery was very slow.




348          LIFE OF REV. IDR. CUTLER.
"Thus I have had," he writes in his journal, " a season of
solemn meditation, and I pray God,it may do me good!"
The glorious truths which had fallen with so much fervor,
from the lips of this honored servant of Christ, in the pulpit,
were now to be repeated in broken fragments, as it were, from
a couch of weariness, or reiterated in those many epistles, in
which he loved to tell his people how gracious were the
Lord's dealings with his soul. Thus he gave renewed and
most impressive testimony to the value of the Gospel, and
to the power and love of a never-failing Saviour, who was
with him each hour as he went down, step by step, to the
banks of Jordan, and refreshed and strengthened his fainting spirit,for its passage over the dark river.




CHAPTER XVI.
LAST DAYS.
CONTINUED ILLNESS-DEATH —FUNERAL, ETC.
August, 1862, to February, 1863.
" How beautiful it is for man to die
Upon the walls of Zion! to be called
Like a watch-worn and weary sentinel,
To put his armor off, and rest-in heaven."
DR. CUTLER'S public labors were nearly over. A few
months more, he was to linger on the threshold of
another world, while the growing spirituality which gleamed
through his conversation and correspondence, seemed but to
be a reflection of the deepening glory into which he was so
soon to enter. The weary wheels of life were moving slower
and slower, and as the child sighs for home, or the weary
soldier longs for victory and rest, so he yearned to depart
and be with Christ.
On the 7th of August, being yet quite feeble, he set off,
with Mrs. Cutler and a nurse,(accompanied also by a kind
friend and parishioner, Mr. H. P. M n,) for Saratoga
Springs.
IIis appetite had failed, and he was wasted to a mere
shadow, but his spirit was kept in perfect peace. He wrote
to his sisters, who were both at Newport, "God is good every
day, and every hour, and every moment, and through my
glorious and gracious Saviour, my mind is as calm as a summer sea."
Slowly led back, as from the confines of another world,
he was not only to be the recipient of new joys in intercourse
with various children of God-a blessed foretaste of com(349)




3 50          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
munion with the church triumphant, which he should ere
long enjoy —but, he also imparted heartfelt happiness to
others by his letters, and scattered around him the fruits of
his rich and matured experience, before he passed away to
his eternal home.
The gleanings we give cannot fail to be treasured up by
many hearts; and tears will flow from eyes unused to weep,
as they read these precious records-precious indeed to his
parishioners, now that for awhile, he was not permitted to
see them " face to face:"
TO MRS. H. M-  R.
"SARATOGA, August, 1862.
"MY DEAR SISTER IN CHRIST-God has been scourging me for
my good, and has also dealt very graciously with me. I have never
been conscious of making such struggles, (not voluntarily though) as
within a month. Why I was not taken I know not. It has pleased
God to spare me some time longer, I trust, to review my long life,
repent, and submit. I am living on the promises, the exceeding
great and precious promises of God.
" As far as a choice of a profession is concerned, I rejoice that I
have been for nearly fifty years, (certainly more than forty) actually
working for God, in the service of his dear Son.
"I love his work, and his word, and his house, and his people of
every name. By this I know that I have passed from death unto
life, because I love the brethren. I know that Christ's kingdom,
and power, and glory, and universal dominion is my delight, my
great delight, and all my hope. I feel I love him so little, that I am
unworthy to be called a child, and yet I know I love him above all
this world, over and over again.
" Pray that Christ may manifest himself unto me more and moremore nearly, more tenderly, more lovingly, more compassionatelypitying my infirmities, and taking me for what I would be, not for
what I am. Give my love to your family, and thank your husband
for his kind offer. Most tenderly do I daily think of the kindness
of your brother Thomas and his wife.
"God bless you all! Amen I       B. C. CUTLER."
With a heart full of Christ, he penned the following to
his former parishioner and cherished friend, then in Europe:




LAST DAYS, ETC.                    351
TO G. D. M-, ESQ.
" SARATOGA, August 26, 1862.
"Many thanks, my dear friend, for your letter from Switzerland.
You see I am at Saratoga. I was brought very low by
an attack of my old complaint.' I was brought low and He helped
me.' God has visited me with a rod, but this has been with scourges.
It is good for me, and blessed be his name.
"I hope you will stay another year by all means. Our country is
still in the midst of war, and I think will be for some time, but the
result is not doubtful. The confederates have had nothing but a
succession of victories they say; still they have lost almost every place
of importance, and are on their last legs. They will be punished
for their rebellion against God (in the best Government in the world).
" St. Ann's has a new warden, Mr. Cooper, in the place of Mr.
Sands, and Mr. H. Messenger, a new vestryman. Our parsonage is
just painted. Mr. Mills is very acceptable. I do not expect to preach
for two months yet.        Indeed, what God has in store for
me, he only knows. Forty years this summer, in the pulpit, has he
borne with me. My short-comings have been great. Some good, T
hope, I have done. ONE DEAR FRIEND I have made, whose family
are very dear to me. God bless you all, and return you in safety!
"Prays your old friend and pastor,   B. C. CUTLER."
This friend returned ere a year had passed, but only to
stand at his grave, over which the winds of spring and summer had already swept.
Dr. Cutler's natural playfulness of spirit still manifested
itself. as other letters show:
TO MRS. H-" N, AT THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.
" SARATOGA, September 1, 1862.
"What has become of the lively, and agreeable, and affectionate
friend I had in the mountains? and what has become of her admirable husband, on whose mind the beauties of Nature leave indelible
impressions? Do let us hear.
" Many thanks for the last letter,and the good news that one sinner had been brought to repentance by my sermons! I have now
been here three weeks, and have improved beyond my expectation.
Hosts of friends and parishioners have been here all this
time, paying us every attention.
" Truly, God has been good to us; mercy and truth have followed




352?-        LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
us. I have had opportunities of doing good by'tracts' and conversation, and many more of getting good from most wise and excellent
Christian people. Several hundred persons have been in these two
houses, opposite each other, since we have been here. Mrs. Cutler
joins me in love, and I am still, to all intents and purposes,
"Your old, and steady, and fatherly friend,  B. C. CUTLER."
We find in one of his letters the following allusion to one
of his friends, during this sojourn at Saratoga: " Our friend,
Rev. H. G —, is here.  We were delighted when he and
his sisters came."
How fully the interviews, on this occasion, between these
friends are daguerreotyped upon the heart of the survivor,
can hardly be told. Even then, struck with his altered appearance, we looked forward with anxiety and sorrow; for
every lineament of his face seemed to be stamped with death.
These forebodings, expressed at the time to others, were in
a few months sadly realized.
During this absence from his parish, the beloved pastor
continued to receive many affectionate letters from his people. The parish itself was virtually under the care of the
assistant Minister, who with indefatigable industry labored
for its prosperity, and with such aid as he could obtain from
others, the pulpit was well supplied.
The earnest desires of the flock to see their faithful shepherd were well expressed in the following original verses,
sent to him by a parishioner, who never failed to appreciate
the privilege of having such a pastor:
"A cloud is resting o'er the camp by dayNo nightly fire illumes our onward way;
Lingers our leader up the Holy Mount
To gather vigor spent on our account,
And then to us, the shining face to bear!
We miss our pastor-miss him everywhere!




LAST DAYS, ETC.                 3 5 3
"There came an answer on a passing leaf,
Where many look for solace in their grief:'He whom thou lov'st is sick,' was the reply,
With the sweet promise,'He shall never die!'
Hope and solicitude inspire our prayer;
For oh! we miss him-miss him everywhere!
"In labors oft for us,his heart was pained
To note the fearful power that sin had gained,
But hoped that grace within the barren soil,
Compassed by weeds, might yet reward his toil.
Though vain all strivings to requite his care,
The house of sorrow ever found him there.
"But now, we miss his voice in our distress,
His guiding hand uplifted but to bless,
Where hearts bereaved, bemoan their lost in vain,
And at the couch of sickness and of pain.
So happier homes, that feasts of joy prepare,
Await the pastor, and his blessing there.
"The memory of his life-devoted years,
Of joys too few-too much of toil and. tears,
Forbids the ungrateful thought that any breast
Would rob him of one hour of needful rest;
Rather we'd guard that rest with jealous care,
And every member all his sufferings share.
"If but to bid us love each other more,
Come, and may God to thee all joys restore.
The Cross in sweet companionship we'll bear,
That we with thee, a heavenly crown may wear,
Though well supplied and fed with faithful care,
We miss our pastor-miss him EVERYWHERE!
"ST. ANN's PARISH, August, 1862."




3 54-        LIFE OF REV. DR. C1UTLER.
On the 16th of September, Dr. Cutler had so far recovered,
that he was enabled to leave Saratoga and journey to Boston, passing a night at Albany, N. Y., on his way thither.
He still suffered, however, from his cough, though able to be
in the open air each pleasant day. It afforded him much
gratification at this time to be present at the marriage (in
Roxbury, Mass.) of one of his parishioners, who was also a
vestryman and a valued friend. It was a happy occasion,
and as he wrote one of his friends: "All Nature opened her
store of sunshine, fruits, and flowers; a fine day, and every
body happy; it was a success; and really, for the moment,
you would hardly think this a fallen world!"
A kind Providence afforded Dr. Cutler the pleasure of
meeting other kind friends (Mr. and Mrs. K       ) at the
"Tremont House," in Boston. The cold east winds which
prevail on the coast increased his cough, and it became more
distressing and of a spasmodic nature. The whole party of
friends now went to Springfield, Mass., in the interior, and
after a few days there, Dr. and Mrs. Cutler reached the parsonage at Brooklyn on the 29th of September. He was able
to be out of doors now, as the weather permitted, and could
give attention occasionally to parochial duty.
A letter, very refreshing to his spirit, now arrived from
Europe, in which was conveyed the greatest comfort that a
faithful minister can possibly desire. It was from a friend
(to whom allusion has often been made) whose heart so full
of cordial friendship and Christian love, often beat in unison
with his own:
"PARIS, September 16, 1862.
"MY DEAR PASTOR-I was glad to learn, by your kind letter of
August 26, that your health was improved.... You are very
dear to us, and we count Mrs. Cutler and yourself as our true and
precious friends. As I tried to read your thoughts in reading your
words, my mind went back over the past, twenty years ago, when I
remember your faithful words and prayers for us, and now, twenty
years afterward, six of those who, through your ministry, blessed by




LAST DAYS, ETC.                     3 5 5
the Holy Spirit, trust they have a home prepared for them above,
are in Paris praying for your health and peace! Oh, how much I
might say about the peace and joy of casting all our care upon Jesus!
I have found no rest but this. Am I a sinner? I have told it to
Jesus. Am I weak? I have told it to Jesus, and then have I been
strong. Do my infirmities come back to me? I have told Jesus.
Do sorrows press upon me? I have told it to Jesus, and to no one
else; and I feel that he has answered me:' M  child thou art mine.
I have spread out thy path, not one unneeded sorrow shall come to
thee. You must walk in the narrow way. I must lead thee by a
way often dark to thee, but be satisfied to trust all to me.'
" When I was at Brussels I saw in the Royal Gallery a painting that
left a deep impression on my mind-Jesus, bearing his cross up the
hill of Calvary, had fainted, and was upon his hands and knees; his
mother was wiping his forehead, and Cyrene (or Simon) was in the
act of relieving him of his load. It showed me of his sufferings and
troubles before the crucifixion, and made me think more of his earthly
life. Oh, how hard when the world is flowing on like a full river,
to walk humbly with God! How difficult to see the pride and
worldliness of our own hearts! It is onlyv when sorrow comes that
we get under the shadow of His wings.
"I want you to give up all care about preaclling, for a year or
more, and prepare to come out to England next spring.
Let St. Ann's do what we long ago did for Dr. Creighton. He is
provided with an assistant at each of his churches, and their salary
is regularly paid, with the understanding that the Doctor is never
to preach unless he desires, and to go and come when he pleases,
and he to choose his assistants.
" St. Ann's has a large fund, and should do this gladly, and you
should accept it'cheerfully, for it is your privilege, and God has
blessed your ministry, and the church is in temporal prosperity. It
is your right to be ministered unto, for the rest of your days with the
fruits of these temporalities.
" My dear pastor, rejoice that for forty years you have been permitted to speak for Jesus; look not within for deficiencies, but upward to him who covers us with the garment of his righteousness.
"Most sincerely yours,          G. D. M  —."
Once more at home, Dr. Cutler conducted the general
affairs of the parish.  Many clerical friends, who were at
this time in New York, in attendance upon the General
Convention, rendered him such aid as was in their power.




3 56          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
On the first Sunday of October, his nephew, the Rev. F. AM.
McAllister, from San Francisco, preached for him; and on
the second Sunday he was glad to welcome his old friend,
Bishop Eastburn, to the pulpit of St. Ann's. His own impaired health allowed him only to assist in the ministrations
of the sanctuary. Thus, he often appeared in the desk and
chancel, though not quite equal to pulpit duty. His record
in the journal is: " I progress slowly; yet, sick or well, weak
or strong, I am in Christ's hands."
He now heard of the death of Mrs. Mitchell, of Philadelphia, and lost not a moment in writing to one of the family
circle with whom  he had intimate acquaintance.  He had
travelled with the family from some point to another during
the summer, and had made " a lasting impression" on their
minds.
The mother of the deceased afterward wrote to Mrs.
Cutler, that the letters of Dr. Cutler (though not addressed
directly to her) "had soothed and touched their bleeding
hearts," and were very precious to herself. They distinctly
pointed out the only refuge in sorrow, and were full of
heavenly consolation, as we are privileged to see:
TO MRS. CADWALLADER, ON THE DEATH OF A NIECE.
"BROOKLYN, October 3, 1862.
"DEAR MRS. C    — I have only just heard of the new affliction
which has come into your circle. I feel so deeply and sincerely the
loss to her friends, and to the world, of that lovely and charming
spirit that has fled from us, that I cannot help sending a few lines
expressive of my grief. I had never felt so great a regard for one
whom I had seen so little of, as I did for Mrs. Mitchell. She seemed
a gem, a dew-drop, a pure, unsophisticated being, who acted her
part without an effort, and that part a most important one.
"Her new relation only exalted her, and my last recollections of
her, in her husband's office, when I called, is that of a perfect and
entire character, just placed in her allotted sphere. But she has
gone! May God sanctify her loss to the larger, and especially to
the smaller circle,of which she was the central light.




LAST DAYS, ETC.                      3 5 7
"I write not to elicit one line of response, but really as a positive
relief to my own mind.
"Very respectfully and very sorrowfully, I remain, dear Mrs.
Cadwallader,               Yours,            B. C. CUTLER."
Rarely has a more beautiful or appropriate letter ever
come from the pen of any minister of Christ than this one,
addressed
TO THE SAME.
"BROOKLYN, October 9, 1862.
" DEAR MRS. CADWALLADER-I feel the sacredness of the correspondence you have so kindly submitted to me, and return it by mail
the same hour I received it.
"I am very near my last stage in the journey of life. I am near
three-score years and ten, that is, I am within five or six years of it,
and my life for fifty years has been one of Christian reflection and
observation. The result of the whole is, that it is impossible to find
happiness for the immortal mind in this world. You must give up,
wholly give up the idea. Your heart must by some means be broken;
your whole plan of life deranged, and, taking your place in the procession which is following the Mlan of Sorrows, you must have regard
only to' the joy that is set before you.'-Heb. xii. 1, 2.
"If you have riches, you must have the antidote-you must have
inward trials.
" I must acknowledge, however, that I think Dr. and Mrs. Elwyn's
affliction has been very severe. But wHo is the physician that prescribed that terrible remedy? It is the Great God who made that
darling child, and who' redeemed her with the death and sacrifice
of his only Son. He gave his Son up to death, that her sins might
all be pardoned and she admitted to Paradise, to be eternally
happy.
"In such profound grief as that in which you are all plunged at
this moment, words are poor comforters. Silence is perhaps the most
expressive kind of sympathy in present friends, but the absent must
at least salute their afflicted and bereaved friends,-the dear afflicted
parent and husband!' Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.'
" It is to such bitter bereavements as this, that saints in glory look
back from heaven to earth and say,




3 58        ILIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"'Oh! had'st thou left me unchastised
Thy precepts I had still despised;
And still the snare in secret laid,
Had my unwary feet betrayed.'
"Very respectfully, and with sincere sympathy,
"I remain your friend in Christ,   B. C. CUTLER."
Though he was slowly improving at this time, his health
was precarious, and he almost feared to leave home, even for
a night! Thus he wrote a dear parishioner at " Clarence:". "In joy and in sorrow, I have been so accustomed to see you and Mr. M —, that I have been planning
a one-day visit, ever since I came home; but I fear we must
give it up for the present....  Coming in to-day
from a ride, I saw your rich present of grapes, and joyfully
ate part of a cluster. Many thanks for your kind remeinbrance."
He was able to attend three funerals in his parish,within
three weeks after his arrival home. In one case, especially,
he felt deeply the loss of a long-tried friend. Thus he
alluded to it:
" Oct. 19, 1862.-My health is improving, though I have
a lingering cough. I expect to be free from pulpit labor
this winter. May God give me grace to take rest wisely,
and help me to improve every opportunity of doing good.
The death of Commodore Hudson is a solemn warning to me
and to all. Though sixty-eight years old, he was to all appearance hale and hearty.'There is but a step between
me and death!"'
Prophetic, indeed! though he was to linger awhile near
the portals of another world!
His much-lamented friend was buried, with military honors, from St. Ann's on the 18th of October. A great concourse of citizens filled the church, and a large military cortege stood without, and accompanied the remains to the
grave at Greenwood. The presence and remarks of the Rt.




LAST DA YS, ETC.                3 5 9
Rev. Dr. McIlvaine, of Ohio, greatly increased the interest
of the occasion. After his eloquent address, Dr. Cutler followed, in his own fervent style. In strong and forcible language, he reviewed the life of this distinguished officer,
dwelling on his remarkable piety, and concluded with a glowing appeal (which found its way to many hearts) as follows:
"Gentlemen of the profession of which our departed friend
was an ornament, a standard-bearer has fallen. Is there not
one here who will now throw himself into the fight and raise
that standard again? Through the grace of Christ, he too
will come off conqueror, and say, Thanks be to God which
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
In the midst of his sadness during this week, Dr. Cutler
was called, on the 16th, to celebrate the marriage of one of
his parishioners (Miss R. P. G    ), with the Rev. Mr.
Henshaw, of Providence, R. I. It was, with one exception,
the last time he officiated on such an occasion. Thus was
he performing the rites of the church,for and among his
chosen friends in his latter days.
Joy and sadness were closely interwoven, at this period,
in his own experience, and in that of friends around. The
greetings connected with the nuptials just celebrated were
scarcely over, when death entered the same family circle, and
sorrow shrouded also the home of one dear to himself. Mr.
and Mrs. J. A. G - were called to part with a darling
son on the 27th of October, and in their beloved uncle they
found not only a devoted pastor, but a sympathizing friend
and relative. The mother had, before her marriage, resided
for a long time under the roof of Dr. Cutler, and he ever
regarded her as a choice spirit, and now that she was in
affliction, a double measure of kindness and tenderness he
gladly bestowed. It is affecting to remember, that the last
time he pronounced those solemn words, "earth to earth,
ashes to ashes, dust to dust," it was over the precious remains of the child of this relative, " Walter Cutler Greene."




360           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
The time was not far distant when their voices would blend
together in singing hallelujahs to the Lamb in Heaven.
He was not called home himself, however, until he had
counselled, succoured, and sympathized with many more of
the perplexed, tried, or sorrowful children of God. Thus he
writes:
TO MRS. FRAkNCIS.
"DEAR SISTER-I have often thought of some expressions in one
of your last letters respecting your inward anguish, hidden under
outward submission! If you ask what the remedy is, I answer, It is not
from us mortals. No mortal can ever know the sufferings which I
doubt not you have endured. How then can any mortal alleviate them?
God, in Christ, is the only comforter of such sorrows. We, your
nearest and dearest friends, have implored his presence with you
and support for you. But still, even Divine consolations do not
always extract'the thorn' from the wounded soul! No! not when
a Paul himself prays, and prays for himself,'No affliction is for the
present joyous, but grievous.' Jesus says,' My grace is sufficient for
thee.''I know your sorrows are hard to bear, but I will give you
grace to bear them.' I visited poor Mrs. Commodore Hudson yesterday. Her husband went to bed well and joyful, after reading a chapter
in God's holy word and making a long prayer, and in two hours was
called home!.. Capt. H. died of a spasmodic cough like
my own, only much more violent, yet he was out, and looked, and
felt well. But'he was not, for God took him!'
" I have not preached a regular sermon yet. But my cough has
almost gone, and my appetite and strength are returning. I may
spend the winter in the Southern cities, if God will. My vestry have
been most kind and generous, and say I must take a year's rest, and
go to Europe, if I desire.
"' Believe me, most affectionately, and with continual intercessions
for you,           Your brother,            B. C. CUTLER.
"P. S.-I received dear Louisa's letter."
He thus endeavored to administer comfort to an afflicted
parishioner -:
TO WM. HI-, ESQ.
" ST. ANN'S RECTORY, October 20, 1862.,
"DEAR Sin-The wet weather of last week, and afterward the
sudden death of Commodore Hudson on the 15th inst., prevented my




LAST DAYS, ETC.                    361
calling on you since the funeral of Mrs. Tucker. This morning I set
out on my horse, but was compelled to turn back, in consequence of
the cold wind which aggravated my cough. I have thought daily of
you all, and we have all prayed that your great disappointments and
severe bereavements may be sanctified to all concerned. God saw
your benevolent intentions, and I trust will reward them, although
not in the way you expected. Happy is it for those dear little motherless children, that you and Mrs. Halsey stand so nearly related to
them. It is possible they will hardly feel the loss of a mother. May
God spare your lives, and reward all your kindness, both here and
hereafter.' Oh, my dear sir, if we only make Jesus Christ our Master, he will
be our Friend, the Saviour of our souls, and will admit us at death
to that glorious rest which is prepared for the people of God! I beg
to be particularly remembered to Mr. Tucker, and to send him my
sincere sympathy. With love to all my dear friends in your house
and circle, I remain very faithfully,
"Your fiiend alnd pastor,       B. C. CUTLER."
On the 30th of October, the vestry of St. Ann's Church
passed a resolution by which the rector was granted leave
of absence for six months, in order that his health might be
restored. His salary was to be continued, as usual, and the
pulpit supplied at the expense of the vestry.
Great solicitude was felt among the people, and every
thing within their power was freely offered for the benefit
of their beloved pastor.
They besought him to take entire rest, and gladly offered
any pecuniary facility which would attain the desired end.
The anniversary of his shipwreck now recurring, he made
the following record:
"Nov. 12, 1862.-This morning, nineteen  years ago, I
was delivered from the perils of shipwreck; Mrs. Cutler,
Mrs. Maxwell and I reached this house, taken from a sinking ship (the Sheffield). I have kept this season ever since,
but at this time, am not well enough to call my friends and
my neighbors together to rejoice with me. I have, therefore, given to the poor what my feast would have cost me,
16




362           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
and look back upon the day with thankfulness, and forward
with hope. Thanks be to God who hath delivered me!"
On the 18th, after having dispatched a line on business
affairs to Thomas Messenger, Esq., he addressed a note to
Mrs. M     - (who was in the country), in which we see how
his warm and loving heart flowed out toward his affectionate flock:
" DEAR MRS. M-. -We are still lingering here.            I
am occasionally troubled with my cough, but it is a small matter
now. Still, I take great care of myself, lest it should be provoked
to come back. Mrs. Cutler and I think of spending a few days
with our relatives, the McAllisters, at the New York Hotel.
I shall be glad to get a glimpse of you both on Thanksgiving Day,
if I am in these parts. You and yours are ever in my mind and
will be. I think sickness softens the hard heart of man, and those
friends who are kind, stamp their whole image and superscription
on the suffering soul.
"My mind is at peace, and I am effectually at rest in body and
spirit, as my kind vestry wish me to be. A few cold words pocrly
convey the warm current of my heart.
"Your affectionate pastor,       B. C. CUTLER."
His beloved sister, Mrs. McAllister, and other relatives,
urged him to give up all superintendence of parish affairs,
and go over to New York, where they could enjoy that intercourse with each other, which circumstances had hitherto
denied them all. He accordingly yielded to their solicitations, and passed a week with them. His sister, Mrs. Francis, was still in Newport with her children, and from his
temporary resting-place he thus wrote her:
" NEW YORK HOTEI,, November 26, 1862.
"DEAR SISTER: H —- and I came over yesterday to spend a
week with Louisa and the Judge. I am very glad I came, although
it seems almost folly to spend thirty-five dollars a week for board
when you are not thirty-five minutes' ride distant from home.
" But change of air is recommended to me, and this I get, with
every other comfort, by just crossing the East River; and why




LAST DAYS, ETC.                    363
should I not spend my sovereign a day in America, as well as in
England or France? Besides, I have been so busy and so much
occupied these last thirty years, that, with the exception of you and
your precious circle, and also of the Bishop and a few of the clergy,
I have seen nothing of New York or of New York people, or New
York places or' lions'-sacred or secular.
"My cough still hangs on, but is evidently a natural concomitant
of pectoral weakness and torpor of the system.
" I expect to spend a month or two in Philadelphia and Baltimore, unless forced to Havana by my cough. I am beginning to
enjoy my rest and freedom from professional cares: One reason
why I came over here was, that while in Brooklyn I am mixed up
with' the ups and downs' of the parish.
"During the six weeks I have been at home, I have baptized sixteen children, married six couples, and buried six of my people!
Another wedding, too, if I will stay till after Christmas!
"I have been reading over Baxter's' Saints' Rest' with real delight, and my thoughts are radiant with heaven and its glories.
Read it! Love, love, LOVE, to all, from         UNCLE B."
How fast was he hastening to, and ripening for, those
very glories and blessed realities on which, in imagination,
lie was now feasting!
He had no anxiety about the future, as we see by a few
lines addressed to a friend in Europe:
TO G. D. M —, ESQ.
"November 28, 1862.
"MY DEAR FRIEND-.... I left my rectory on the 25th
inst., and began my pilgrimage by encamping first at the New York
Hotel. Judge McAllister and family are here, also his son (Ward)
and his family. We have a suit of sunny, airy apartments, by ourselves-five or more adjoining rooms, and here we can collect,
morning and evening, our family circle to sing the praises of the
Lord.
"' y cough is better but not gone. How I shall bear the cold of
this North Atlantic seaboard, I know not. I may have to take the
wings of the morning and fly over the ocean, but I would rather
not. The most favorable opinion is, that as my strength increases
my cough will fade away; perhaps so-but come what will, so long
as my Saviour comes with it, all will be happiness to me.




364           LIFE  OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" I have not preached for four months.          St. Ann's is
as flourishing as ever. Mr. Mills is increasingly liked, and our congregations are good.
" Yours, most affectionately,      B. C. CUTLER."
He returned home somewhat improved in health, having
much enjoyed also these last interviews with his beloved
sister. She and her husband soon sailed for their home
on the Pacific coast, not dreaming they should see his face
no more.
To a dear parishioner who had made inquiries (by letter)
after his health, he penned the following reply.  She had
had varied and peculiar trials, and " through much tribulation" and physical suffering, like her pastor, was walking
the pilgrim's path which leads to the Celestial City. Very
often had her pastor's sympathy and heartfelt kindness
cheered her fainting spirit, and now he gave her a parting word of encouragement, while experiencing himself (as
it seemed to be) foreshadowings of the coming glory.
TO MRS. B-.
" ST. ANN's RECTORY, November, 1862.
"DEAR SISTER IN CHRIST-Yours of the 19th was received. You
ask about my health. It is not confirmed yet, and it is not yet decided what is to be done. I propose still to spend some months in
more Southern cities. Yet I may still be driven to sea by my cough.
"' While place I seek or place I shun,
The soul finds happiness in none;
But with a God to guide our way,'Tis equal joy to go or stay.'
"I am in the hands of our adorable Master. I hope I am on his
heart; if so, all will be well. My sister is in New York; her husband is in a deplorable state of health, and they hardly know where
to go; so you see we all have our trials. But I am so near seventy
years, that how I spend, or where I spend, the last five years is a
very iittle matter. I am daily striving to draw near, more near to
Jesus Christ by faith, and also to acquaint myself with all that can




LAST  DAYS, ETC.                    365
be known about the glories, and joys, and delights of the new world
into which I am expecting to be borne.
" God took me and brought me into this preparatory world, and
I am expecting him to keep me by his power, through faith, to the
day of my transition, and then to take me out of my present dark
and helpless state, and usher me into a world of light, and joy, and
peace!
"'Where the saints of all ages in harmony meet,
Their Saviour and brethren transported to greet.'
" My long known and beloved sister in Christ, and also sister in
suffering, I call upon you to rejoice that Christ has counted you
worthy to suffer in the sight of the saints, and called you to the
field of patience and submission! Let us both glorify him there;
let us try to'rejoice in tribulation,' and however we may suffer, let
us lift up our heads, for our redemption draweth nigh!
" I have not preached for four months, yet I could preach, if it
were necessary; but my vestry have provided a young substitute,
and still give me my support. When God opens my mouth I shall
preach, and I hope he will fill it. Our dear, blessed Lord, be at
your right hand!
"Your affectionate friend and pastor,  B. C. CUTLER."
Dr. Cutler now consulted an eminent physician in New
York,about the feasibility of a proposed plan to take a trip
to Cuba. After examnining his lungs he advised him not to
go, and thought that entire rest in some inland city would
be all that was necessary. It was therefore decided that
he should go to Philadelphia.  Before his departure he
penned two letters, extracts from which we think well worth
recording here:
TO MRS. FRANCIS.
" ST. ANN's RECTORY, IDecember 7, ] 862.
"DEAR SISTER-..  God is very gracious to me, and this
period of rest will result favorably, I doubt not, to body and soul.
I needed a release from close professional confinement and responsibilities, and I can get much good from reading. Thompson's Elysium, I can almost attain, viz.,'an elegant sufficiency, content, retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books, ease and alternate labor, a useful
life, progressive virtue, and approving heaven.'




366            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"The speculations and sportings of such men as Thompson may
aim at truth, but a Christian alone can reach it. Cowper can incorporate Christian experience in golden verse. Oh what a blessing to
be taught of God! to be converted by the Holy Ghost! It was
worth all Cowper's affliction. The darkness and gloom of Cowper
was only superficial; his soul was settled deep in the Rock, Christ
Jesus, and those winds that blew over him, and those waves that
covered him, dispersed and disappeared, and he' walked with God,'
as he wished.
"My church seems in a very healthy state, and I can easily be
spared. Oh that I might have the Saviour to lean upon, as I go
down to the valley of rest and repose!
" With Him, I hope for all joy; and
"With Him I fear no evil,
"How far soever I go.
"Love to H —, and her husband and her children.
"Yours, most affectionately,        UNCLE B."
TO MISS M. C"December 9, 1862.
"MY DEAn FRIEN'D-..           You speak of preaching the
gospel. I long to be once more at that glorious work, and yet I am
entirely submissive to Providence, and very thankful to my people
for allowing me to rest.         I expect it will turn out that I
shall do better to remain in my own country,than to make a pilgrimage to foreign lands. In the hope of meeting you soon again,
and in a better and more glorious hope of living eternally with saints
now living and those departed, in glory,
"I remain most affectionately your pastor and friend,
" B. C. CUTLER.
"Best love to Miss Catharine."
The same day he baptized a granddaughter of his senior
warden (Julia Maria Taft), and the next morning set out
with Mrs. Cutler for Philadelphia. Soon after his arrival
in that city, he wrote to his nephew in Montreal what proved
to be his last letter to him, and full of precious counsel
it is 




LAST DA YS, ETC.                   367
TO THE REV. C. BANCROFT, D. D., MONTREAL.
"PHILADELPHIA, December 12, 1862.
"DEAR CHARLES-Your choice of topics will determine your usefulness. Always take a rich gospel text, handle it so as to convert
sinners, and throw your whole soul into it. Then, whatever of human
learning or eloquence there may be in you, must and will come forth,
and while trying to glorify Jesus Christ you will become glorious in
the eyes of saints and angels, and of God himself.'Let the dead
bury their dead.'...' But go thou and preach'-what?
The kingdom of God, of grace and of Christ's glory'! Let it all be
royal-kingly in its conception, kingly in its accomplishment, and
royal in its magnificence. I love those royal words,' I will and you
shall.'
"I trust my trial may be sanctified to me. I have not preached
since July 13, except at funerals, etc. I am very delicate, and have
had an obstinate cough, but that is almost gone.
"Best love to all, from         UNCLE CUTLER."
He enjoyed very much every means of grace now available to him, especially the noonday prayer-meetings, held
very near his hotel. Often did he step in and refresh his
spirit here, when too feeble to do any thing more. He eagerly
embraced every opportunity to attend missionary or prayermeetings in various churches of the city. In a note to Mrs.
Francis, under date of December 16, he thus alludes to these
privileges:
"I have attended a prayer-meeting to-day in one of the
most beautiful Episcopal churches in this city, viz.,' Holy
Trinity,' Rev. Mr. Brooks, rector. Eleven ministers were
present, and we had first a short service, and then other
prayers and addresses. I never expected to see such zeal
in the Episcopal Church when I entered its ministry forty
years ago!
" With such pious and evangelical ministrations, the Puritans in the days of James I, would never have left the
church; and John Wesley and Whitfield would not have
rent it! Surely I can say,'Lord, mine eyes have seen thy
salvation!'"




368           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
A few days later, he wrote another consoling letter to a
relative in Boston, who was in deep affliction:
TO MRS. PHILLIPS.
"PHILADELPHIA, December 20.
"DEAR CouSIN —We heard to-day with deep sorrow of your unspeakable loss. It came unexpectedly upon us, for we supposed
your excellent son was restored to health. But God has seen fit to
take him to himself, and what a chasm has been left in your heart!
H-  and I have been musing over this great and strange work,
and what can we say but this, that' whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,' and'scourgeth every son whom he receiveth?'
" Your good mother's prayers were daily offered for your salvation
and sanctification, and God is certainly taking the most effectual
way of weaning any heart from the world. I mean, by withdrawing
her son from a widowed mother. I heard of a widow like you, with
two sons, both were drowned in one day, and what did the mother
say?' I see the Lord is determined to have the whole of my heart,
and I am determined that he shall have it!' Our prayers shall be
offered daily for you, that you may be supported under this severe
bereavement, and that we may all at last meet in a world where all
tears shall be wiped away.
"Affectionately, your cousin,    B. C. CUTLER."
On Sunday, the weather being intensely cold, he did not
dare to venture out in the morning. The following record
is in his journal of this date:
"Philadelphia, Dec. 21, 1862.-I am  travelling for my
health, and experiencing, if not enjoying, perfect rest.  I am
slowly improving, if at all. But I have time given me, to
look back upon my past ministry of forty years.  Imperfection and unfaithfulness seem to stare me in the face. One in
a thousand of my sins, I could not excuse. Lord Jesus, help
me to make the scrutinv!"
In the afternoon of this Sunday,he attended divine service at St. Andrew's Church. On Christmas Day he assisted
the Rev. Dr. Goddard at St. Paul's Church. It was a sad
and lonely day to him, and his thoughts were often wandering back to Brooklyn. and his dear parish.




LAST DAYS, ETC.                    369
His assistant and other friends were at the rectory of
St. Ann's, anxiously awaiting almost daily tidings from him.
To his devoted sister-in-law,he wrote on Christmas night:
TO MISS B"DEAR SISTER —This has been a very dull day to me; my
thoughts have been in Brooklyn all day. In the morning, heard Dr.
G —-- l)reach, and the remainder of the day I have been in my
room. I have so long associated the day with festivity and social
joys that solitude was strange. I have preached every Christmas,
beginning with 1822 to 1862, except on two occasions, 1829 and
1862, and I was perhaps able to preach on these days, but was away
from home; first in Savannah, and next in Philadelphia.
So far, it augurs well about my wintering in America, instead of in
Europe or Cuba. Give my love to Mr. Mills, and tell him our prayers are constant for him; also, give my love to all my people you
meet, and tell them I find it difficult to content myself away from
them, and from the work in which I have been so long engaged.
I continue to enjoy the daily prayer-meeting; and cold,
dry, ordinary pulpit'reading of sermons, without fervor of spirit,
falls unprofitably on my ears. Fine writing, or attempts at Lyceumism, prevail here as in New York! The Lord have mercy upon us,
and'incline our hearts to keep' to his gospel, both in matter and
manner. Jupiter, Julius Caesar, ancient Egypt and Rome, bespangle
our pulpit productions, to the delight of the weak and foolish, while
God's people go hungry away.          Adieu! H —  sends
much love, and I too.
" Your affectionate brother,      B. C. CUTLER."
Much in the same spirit he addressed a letter to one who
had often enjoyed seasons of delightful intercourse at the
rectory. She was now at a great distance, but still looked
forward to many future seasons of happy greeting with these
cherished and long-tried friends. But, alas.! Infinite Wisdom had ordered otherwise.
TO MRS. WM. JACKSON, MILWAUKEE, WIS.
" PHILADELPHIA, December 27, 1862.
"MY DEAR SISTER IN CHRIST-YOU  have heard that it has pleased
God to reduce my strength to almost nothing. But I am slowly
16*




370           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
recovering part of what I have lost. Why God has not cut me off
I know not, except it is, to give me time to repent and do my first
works.
"Very close application to business of any kind, for a long period
of time, is unfavorable to growth in grace; attending to every body's
vineyard, our own is neglected; and yet it would not be fair to say
that I did not lay down rules for the cultivation of personal piety
and keep to them after some fashion. The relish for all Christian
acts has never been lost. Still I am glad of time to set my house
in order, to celebrate the praises of my Redeemer, and to recommend Him to poor sinners and to poorer preachers! Oh, how I long
for the plain, simple, and spiritual preaching of Cooper's sermons or
of Ryle's harangues!
" Literature, brilliancy, smartness, and oratorical efforts in the pulpit, fill churches and the pockets of the preachers; but, alas i for
poor, stupid sinners!
" Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to preach and
to love thy sweet, sure, sanctifying gospel. Oh for a thousand tongues
to sing my great Redeemer's praise! The Lord bless you!
1" Your brother in Christ,       B. C. CUTLER."
His letters at this time, like the unfoldings of a panoramlic picture, followed each other in rapid succession, and
show the gradual workings of his mind, week after week,
in a far clearer light than any mere statements which his
biographer might make; and no apology will therefore be
necessary for laying before our readers so much of Dr. Cutler's correspondence.
We recur once or twice more to his journal:
" Sunday Eve, Dec. 28, 1862. —I went this morning to
St. Paul's and assisted Dr. Goddard. His sermon was on
the text,'The fashion of this world passeth away.' He
told an excellent anecdote about a man on the point of committing suicide, converted to a philanthropist.
Returning from  church, I engaged in conversation with a
stranger about the sermon.
" At 3] P. M., I went to the'Church of the Epiphany.'
The Sunday-school celebration was held this afternoon.
The rector (Rev. Dr. Newton) preached on Canticles v. 1



LAST DAYS, ETC.                     371
our blessed Lord coming into his garden. The church was
full to overflowing....  Dr. Newton preached
Jesus as I wish to hear him preached-plainly, spiritually,
holily, boldly. Jesus must be the Alpha and the Omega
of preaching, to satisfy my longing, sinful, languid, lagging
heart!
"'How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
To a believer's ear!'"
Cheering letters from friends and parishioners came in,
during the days intervening between Christmas and New
Year's, some of which contained substantial tokens of kindness. An interesting reply to one of these is below:
TO W. B. C-, ESQ., BROOKLYN, N. Y.
"' CONTINENTAL HOTEL, PHILADELPHIAN December 29, 1861.
" Many thanks, my dear friend, for your Christmas present and
kind wishes. They were very cheering, for a duller Christmas I
have not spent for scores of years. I have now been here nearly
three weeks; the first week I lost ground, the second week I began
to improve, and have continued gradually to gain a little. I have
every kind of attention from friends, and this house is so central
and so much esteemed, that I see the most interesting society now
in motion.' I find the Episcopal Churches are flourishing.    Philadelphia, with two genuine bishops, and a large staff of evangelical
clergymen, together with a Divinity School, under such instructors
as Bishop Potter and Bishop Stevens, Drs. May and Stone, and with
a heavy Episcopal purse ready to back them and to build churches,
promises well for our Zion!
" I wish the nation was in as fair a way of improvement! I happened last week to hear the opinion of two extreme men,'Parson
Brownlow' and my friend the Hon. Mr. Randall, about the probable result of the whole contest; and though at sword's points in
politics, they (separately) agreed!..     The' Parson' was
not very polite in handling your friends, the Democrats.
"The late Secretary of War, Mr. Cameron, Gov. Curtin, Mrs.
President Lincoln, Gen. S —, and others of similar stamp, have
been in the panorama before my eyes, and with most, I have been




372           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
in conversation. I have both eyes and ears open, though I decline
politics, and make speeches only at the noonday prayer-meeting,
and at Sunday-school celebrations-by far the purer atmosphere!
" Give our love to Mrs. C — and your family, also to my good
old friend, Mr. R. S. Tucker, who, I hear, did not forget me at
Christmas....        I wish to live brimful of compassion and
charity for all men, and burning with zeal only for my Master, who
is King of kings!.... Adieu!
"Your obliged and affectionate friend and pastor,
" B. C. CUTLER."
The last note of the year was written to his niece (at
Bordentown, N. J.), who had forwarded him several interesting books to beguile his weary hours:
TO MRS. M"PHILADELPHIA, December 31, 1862.
"MY DEAR ANNIE-.... I have done with Mr. M's
books.' The Gorilla' (in Du Chaillu's Africa) haunted me day and
night. It is a frightful object, but I do not see why there may not
be a progression upward, from small to great, in the monkey tribe,
as in the cat tribe! I am not disturbed, as many are, by the external
resemblance of the monkey to man, for I look at man's mind as the
standard, not his external temple of dust!.... We think
a little of going home to a wedding on the 8th of January, but it
will depend upon both my health and the elements. I am still
very sensitive to cold; am hoarse to-day, and have taken a little
cold, with all my care.
"I was glad to hear from your Aunts Eliza and Louisa.
"There is no comfort for me in looking at the external form of our
political body. It is a'gorilla,' too! My comfort is that the Lord,
who made us all, reigns, and he alone can make men'to be of one
mind in a house.'    Your loving uncle,     B. C. CUTLER."
A few more letters to beloved parishioners, and one parting line to a valued clerical friend of his early days, and
his pen was laid aside for ever.
Could he have foreseen how soon he would be done with
Time, what more appropriate language could he have uttered,




LAST DAYS, ETC.                   373
than those quaint words so oft repeated by old Andrew
Fuller, in his last days:
"Go fearless, then, my soul with God,
Into another room;
Thou, who hast walked with him here,
Go, see thy God at home!"
In tracing the course of his history, we now arrive at the
commencement of a new year; but, in fact, we are called
upon to contemplate in his own closing life, a rich autumnal
sunset; " the sere and yellow leaf " is falling thick and fast,
but there is a lingering freshness and bright glow upon the
spiritual landscape that deepens every hallowed feeling,
and with mingled admiration and awe, we approach to watch
the scene, where mortals may not too far intrude. As we
gaze at it from a distance, through the rifted clouds which
in heavy folds skirt the horizon, gleams of light beam forth,
and gradually those clouds themselves roll up, showing us
somewhat of their silver linings, and revealing a radiance
reflected from heaven itself, only to give way to the dawn
of that eternal morning, where the ransomed spirit is to be
"for ever with the Lord!"
The effusions of his pen at such a time, must not be passed
by without notice.
See how his affectionate spirit beams forth in this congratulatory note to a parishioner.
TO MRS. H. M —-.
"PHILADELPHIA, January 1, 1863.
"MY DEAR CHRISTIAN FRIEND-I received by mail to-day a
watch-guard, and sit down to thank you for it, and to wish you,
your dear husband and large family, a Happy New Year! I trust
you all had a Merry Christmas, which I did not have. But since
Christmas, many letters and tokens of kindness have come in to make
me cheerful. But, as a general rule, I am at heart always cheerful.
I expect nothing here below, but food and raiment, and that I can
trust that God will afford me. My happiness is in godliness, in




374           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
God's house, in God's worship, and in seeing God's ways' made
known unto men, and his saving health among all nations.'
"The noonday prayer-meeting is held daily, opposite the side of
this house, and as I do not go out evenings, I find that a means of
grace. Give our love to all, and believe me, most affectionately,
" Your friend and pastor,      B. C. CUTLER."
See his child-like confidence in all his Heavenly Father's
dealings, in an extract from a note:
TO MRS. H, NEW YORK.
" PHILADELPHIA, Janutary 3.
"DEAR S    — It is a fine winter day, but I am confined in the
house by influenza.        Though I feel poorly, I sit down to
chat with you, to relieve the vacuum; for really I have too little
spirit to write or read. But I can rejoice in the Lord, and rejoice
that he reigns; and reigns for'sparrows,' as well as for sages or
saints. He has said,'All things shall work together for good;' that
is enough I Pray that I may have grace to glorify Him, anywhere
and in every way..          Love to Mr. H-   and Charlie.
" From your friend and pastor,     B. C. CUTLEn."
We now turn to some of his last precious thoughts, as
gathered from  his journal.  With care, we  transcribe
every word, mingled with a feeling of sacred awe, for he
was nearing the eternal world; and as we look at the written page and recognize his own hand, we almost hear a
voice speaking in language not unlike that once addressed
to Moses: " Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for this is
holy ground."
"Philadelphia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 1863.-I took a hoarse
cold last week, and have been very miserable ever since.
Had Dr. Morris yesterday and to-day. How I took the cold,
I cannot tell; it has been very discouraging. But for all
my ills and troubles, I have one sovereign remedy —looking up to God, as an infinite and gracious God looking
down on me, and appointing all my trials, little as well as
great.  God is a God to me! He is all in all-ALL! my




LAST DAYS, ETC.                    375
all is inll him, and I come to him through Christ Jesus, his
dear Son.'All my fresh springs shall be in Thee.'-Ps.
lvii. 7 (Psalter).
With indescribable solemnity and a trembling hand, we
have thus lifted the veil for a moment, that reveals to other
eyes the most sacred feelings of his soul, with the exception
of a few lines, the last he recorded on earth. All his " springs"
of joy had indeed been recognized as coming from the lifegiving Fountain above, for more than half a century since
his earliest youth, and most truly he might say:
"My spirit, still hovering, half blest,'Mid shadows so fleeting and dim,
Ah! know'st thou thy Rock, and thy haven of rest,
And thy pure spring of joy? Then to Him!
Then to Him, fluttering spirit, to Him!"
Dr. Cutler's severe cough proved unusually obstinate, and
finding himself growing weaker, he determined to retrace
his steps homeward. He and Mrs. Cutler returned therefore, to the rectory at Brooklyn on the 8th of January.
Finding a letter from his early friend (one of the trio of
intimate associates in former years), the Rev. Dr. Edson,
awaiting him, he sent the following reply, the last note he
penned to any clerical friend:
TO THE REV. T. EDSON, D. D., LOWELL, MASS.
"ST. ANN'S RECTORY, BROOKLYN, N. Y., January 9, 1863.
DEAR BROTHER-1 returned last night after an absence of a month
or so in Philadelphia. I found your letter and read it with sympathy. I have been, now am,.... a wounded soldier of Christ!
I have not fought a battle for my Master in the pulpit for half a
year! In fact, I am in the furnace; but he is with me, cooling the
flames and easing the pains —leading me, indeed, in green pastures
and beside still waters. Whether at sixty-five (nearly) I can expect
my wounds to be healed, is another thing. Often do I think of B.
C. C. P -; often gather courage and strength in making up for his
loss, and always do I wonder why I am left!




376           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" I had a fever in July which reduced me to a shadow, and left
me with a cough, and with that I am battling now.
"Ten days ago I took a fresh cold, and my cough, which had fled.
came back. My parish gave me the balance of the year to take rest;
but I do not think I shall take it. I think of putting the
small part of the candle that remains into a'save-all,' and let my
light shine until it burns out!
" As I grow old I am getting brimful of charity for men, and of
compassion for their errors. The main thing now attracts or repels
me-friendship or enmity to Christ!
" If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, no matter what else he
has, he is none of his; and if any man have the Spirit of Christ, he
is one of his; and if he is one of Christ's little ones or great ones,
high ones or low ones, broad ones or narrow ones, he is my brother,
or she is my sister and my mother, and I love him or her, and would
come or go, and make my abode with him or her. Adieu! A Happy
New Year may you all have, for Christ's sake!
"Affectionately, yours,        B. C. CUTLER."
Is this not a spirit akin to heaven? and was he not catching the influence of that atmosphere of love which, beams
down from the Divine Source, and is reflected from the face
of every angel and saint above-of that perfect love which
inspires every note which swells from the harps and voices
of the innumerable host of the redeemed?
On the 10th of January his cough had considerably increased, and at midnight became so severe he was obliged
to leave his bed, and sit up till morning, Mrs. Cutler and
sister being with him all the time.
"Brooklyn, Jan. 11, 1863. Sunday." —He writes: "Today, I am better, but weak. But I am what and where? He
who made me and owns me has placed me here!"
These are the last words of his journal. He had, indeed,
come home, but it was-to die! to pass from  under the
shadow  of his church, where he had so long testified of
Jesus, into his blissful presence above I Neither the untiring devotion of the nearest and dearest friends, nor the unceasing kindness of an affectionate flock, could detain him




LAST DA YS, ETC.                  377
here below. His strength temporarily revived in a few
days, and thus were elicited, in a note to a parishioner, some
grateful thoughts:
TO MISS M-   C-,
" January 14, 1863.
"I am not well enough, my dear friend, to reply to your note, so
overflowing with kindness and generosity. But I lose no time in
saying, that in the depth of my trial, the hope and belief that my
life and labors have not been in vain, does afford some consolation.
"The'communion of saints' affords more. I love all who love
our Lord Jesus. Christ in sincerity, and to feel that I am loved of
them, is indeed a rich treat. If those who are living have this affection for so unworthy a brother, those made perfect in heaven may
have more, and to be loved by so large a circle is most truly delightful; and yet, my heart and mind rest on the love of GOD! The
former love, I know; the latter passeth knowkledge. He who loves
me thus lays on the rod day by day, and heals the wounds as fast
as they are made.' All my fresh springs are in thee,' oh, my God!
"Affectionately and gratefully, your pastor,   B. C. CUTLER."
He was now drawing near the end of his earthly cares
and trials. He was able to drive out occasionally, when
the cold was not too severe, but soon found even this produced great weariness.  His cough prostrated him to an
alarming degree, and he could scarcely leave his room.
Days of weariness and nights of exhausting pain were now
allotted to him. His nervous system seemed strung to its
utmost tension, and the irritation of mind and body which
his cough produced would not allow him long to rest, nor
could he give his attention to any subject for any length of
time. But his heart was fixed on God, and he knew " no
other will but his." His intervals of comparative ease were
employed in reading short passages of Scripture and religious tracts, or in perusing some favorite hymns. At times
he would repeat or listen to them.  Either excessive pain
or extreme weakness, however, he was enduring all the
time.




378           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"Suffering is the work now sent:
Nothing can I do but lie
Suffering as the hours go by;
All my powers to this are bent.
Suffering is my gain: I bow
To my Heavenly Father's will,
And receive it hush'd and still;
Suffering is my worship now!"
He rallied a little on the 20th of January, and on the following day he wrote the following note to a friend (then
absent in Europe), in acknowledgment of a letter of affectionate sympathy. They are the last sacred words his pen
ever traced. How touching is the thought! Those fingers
were so soon to be employed in tuning his golden harp
to sing, with the multitude of the heavenly host, " the song
of Moses and the Lamb!"
TO G. D. M —-, ESQ.
"ST. ANN's RECTORY, BROOKLYN, N. Y., January 21, 1863.
"VERY DEAR FRIEND-I thank you very much for your letter,
dated Naples, December 30, which I this day received. You will
be sorry to hear that I am in a very sick and perilous condition.
Hours of this day I could not have signed my name to this note,
such has been my distress! I should be in bed, but I cannot stay in
bed. I have a most dreadful cough. I had a spasmodic cough that
sent me southward to Philadelphia. But I took cold there and had
to come home, and am very much worse since my return.
"' Some one else will probably finish this note, and tell you how
much I thank you for your Christmas present,.and how
much I love and value you and yours.
"Our dear Jesus guard and save us all! Amen, and Amen!
"Unalterably yours,             B. C. CUTLER.
"P. S.-January 22, 1863.-... I rose at 5 A. M., to cough.
Pray for me! Love to all. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Heavenly Father, and even the hairs of your head, etc., etc.
"Yours, affectionately,         B. C. CUTLER.
" O Lord, in thee do I put my trust!"
All hope of prolonging a life so holy and precious was




LAST DAYS, ETC.                 379
now fast fading away from the minds of his nearest kindred.
The fondest affection could not bear to see him suffering,
and yet longed to detain him, hoping for a favorable change.
The struggle was intense, but it ere long gave way to the
agonizing conviction that lie would soon be parted from all
earthly ties.
His paroxysmns of suffering now became intense. So
severe was his cough that he was apprehensive of suffocation, and was compelled to be silent for hours together, thus
affording little opportunity for conversation even with his
nearest friends.
On the 24th of January, he took a short drive in his carriagre, but the effort he made to repress his spasmodic cough
soon weakened him, and he came home exhausted to such
a degree that he could scarcely enter the house, and some
time elapsed before he was able to reach his room. His
physician coming in at this moment, expressed surprise at
his extreme prostration, and advised the immediate use of
further tonics and stimulants.
After that day he was unable to leave his bed again. It
was only occasionally, in the intervals between his cough,
that he could see any of his friends. His friend, Rev. S.
H. Tyng, D. D., was privileged to see him on Friday, the
30th of January; it was an interesting interview to both of
them, and after minute conversation and prayer, and many
expressions of tender encouragement on the part of Dr.
Cutler, they bade a final farewell to each other. Dr. Tyng
thus refers to this visit, and to the expressions of his early
friend, who was now on the verge of the eternal world:
" He was sitting, propped up in his bed, cheerfiul and contented, calmly, humbly waiting for his Lord; in his outward
appearance painfully altered since I had seen him  last.
Our conversation was familiar and free. He spoke without
difficulty, though with evident fatigue. Much that he said
was personal and deeply interesting to myself. Among




-3So         LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
other more general expressions, were these affecting words:'My dear brother, I am ready to take the hand of the poorest beggar that ever went into the: kingdom of God, and
enter there with him.'
"' They ask me if I have new views of heaven or heavenly things. Heaven is Christ, and Christ is heaven. I
shall be with Christ; that is what I think of.' "'
His thoughts now seemed day by day to be concentrated
on eternal things, and especially on the happiness of being
in the very presence of the Saviour above. He had long
seen him (to use the apostle's expression) " through a glass
darkly," now, his chief desire was to see him " face to face."
He had an inward assurance he should soon be there, and
behold that Jesus, whom having not seen, he had here so
ardently loved and so faithfully served.
"Beyond the smiling and the weeping,
I shall be soon.
Beyond the waking and the sleeping,
Beyond the sowing and the reaping,
I shall be soon.
Love, rest and home,
Sweet hope!
Lord, tarry not, but come!"
Though at times in much physical suffering, he often said,
when inquiries were made about his condition, " the undercurrents are all peace;" and it was evident to his family,
that while the poor body was daily sinking in the struggle
with disease, his soul was stayed on God.
He could bear no excitement, and it was impossible for
him to see the many dear clerical friends in Brooklyn and
New York, who often called, and who would have rejoiced
to have a moment's interview had his situation allowed;
and he preferred to be alone, as it seemed, in close commun* See " Son of Consolation," p. 85.




LAST DAYS, ETC.                 381
ion with his God. The beloved partner of all his joys
and sorrows for forty years, could not be with him as much
as she desired. There was an inability on his part to speak,
combined, perhaps, with a fear that the prospect of sundering so strong a tie to earth might momentarily disturb his
composure.
On the 1st of February, Mrs. Cutler informed him that
she had sent a telegram to their nephew, the Rev. Dr. Bancroft, of Montreal, urging him to come at once to Brooklyn;
to which his only reply was, " I expected it"-pleased, evidently, with the idea of once more seeing this relative.
On Tuesday morning, February 3d, Dr. Bancroft entered
the room, and was greeted with the same! affectionate welcome which he had so often received before from his beloved
uncle. " We were here all night together," said he (refering to his wife and her sister). " How happy to live together and die together, trusting in God."
At his request, his nephew read a portion of the sixteenth
chapter of St. John, from the Testament which lay before
him opened at that place, and then offered prayer. As if
to fix his mind permanently on some precious portion of
heavenly manna, to sustain him in his passage over Jordan,
Dr. Cutler also desired his nephew to read the twenty-third
Psalm.
Each day of that week Dr. Bancroft read to him portions of Scripture, and at the bedside of the suffering saint,
offered up earnest and fervent prayer. God was arranging
every thing kindly for his dying servant. He was at home,
with his loved ones near him, under the shadow of the dear
parish church, and as he entered the dark valley he enjoyed
what he desired to have-the presence of an abiding Saviour,
who placed beneath him " THE EVERLASTING ARMS," and
buoyed up his soul, making him strong in spirit, when the
body was in weakness and pain.
How often had Dr. Cutler repeated the saying of the




382          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Rev. John Newton, "Tell me not how a man died, tell me
how he LIVED!" The same sentiment was strong within
him now, and in reference to dying testimony he said, "I
have said my say;" intimating, by quaint and forcible language, that he had nothing to add,and nothing to change;
and, like the late Mr. Simeon, of England, he shrank from
any unnecessary declarations or any parade of religious
feelings at such a time, abhorring from his very soul what
has been styled " a death-bed scene."
He deemed a sinner's place to be in humble adoration at
the Saviour's feet. If it pleased God that his lamp should
shine out brightly at the last, it were well, for he would be
glorified in his strength. If it pleased him that the light
should sink and go out in its socket, that were well, too; for
he would be glorified in his weakness.
It was of small moment to him what might be the manner
of his departure, when he knew that " PRECIOUS in the sight
of the Lord is the death of his saints;" and in death, as in
life, he trusted all to God.
On Saturday, the 7th of February, he desired an interview with his assistant (Rev. L. H. Mills), who was residing
at the rectory, seeing him but seldom, as he himself was so
closely occupied with the accumulated burdens of parish
duty. As he approached the bed, he perceived that he
asked for prayer, and he immediately knelt down and
prayed. Dr. Cutler, then taking his hand in one of his and
stretching out his other arm toward heaven with an open
hand, looking upward with strong and earnest gaze, said,
"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard; neither have entered
into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him! I know whom I have believed. I
know that my Redeemer liveth! I love the Saviour! I
love his people! I love all that belongs to him!" He
could say no more, and after a silent pressure of the hand,
his friend withdrew. He was now




LAST DAYS, ETC.                  383
"Nearing the bound of life,
Where we lay our burdens down;
Nearer leaving his cross,
Nearer wearing his crown!"
On Sunday, the 8th of February, he requested his nephew
(Dr. Bancroft) to read that appropriate prayer in the service of the church for " the Visitation of the Sick," where
the souls of the departing are commended into the hands
of God, and after he had concluded, said to him, " the peace,
the peace," referring to the final blessing, which was then
pronounced.
During all the preceding week, prayers were offered in
various churches for one who was so universally revered
and beloved. In St. Ann's, there was a meeting for praver
held each day at 4 P. M. On the afternoon of Monday,
February 9th, many of his friends were gathered together,
as usual, in prayer for him; Dr. Shelton, of Newtown, L. 1.,
who was present, had made a touching reference to their
long friendship. Dr. Bancroft was also present at the meeting, and as they were kneeling side by side, the latter was
sent for, as Dr. Cutler seemed to be near his end, and had
desired to see him. On entering his room, he beckoned to
him to pray; and after the prayer was finished, rising in
bed with great energy, he raised his hands and his eyes
toward heaven, and exclaimed," Come, Lord Jesus, come
quickly! I do want to go to Jesus!"
Strong was his desire to depart. His course was almost
finished, his warfare nearly ended, and the soul longed for
entire emancipation from  its earthly bondage.  Friends
were bowed in speechless sorrow in the adjoining rooms;
eyes were heavy with weeping, and hearts were well-nigh
breaking; he himself, with quiet assurance, eagerly awaiting the moment of dismissal from the worn body. Utterance nearly failed, but he seemed to say, by every look and
motion,




384          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
"Let me go, I may not tarry,
Wrestling thus with doubts and fears;
Angels wait my soul to carry,
Where my risen Lord appears!"
Could we have withdrawn the veil, we might: have seen
the angels and seraphs waiting on the other side of the
river of Death. As they drew near, at the bidding of -the
King upon the throne, imagination could almost hear their
notes of welcome, in reply to his earnest entreaties to go
hence:
"' OValiant-for-the-Truth,
Hail! from thy battle-field;
A Christian warrior from thy youth,
Who never knew to yield;
The conquering armor here lay down,
For the white robe, the palm, the crown!"
At 10 o'clock the same evening, with great composure,
he gently said. (after prayer): "Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit!"
The night rolled by and the early dawn of Tuesday (February 10th) found him still here. Soon, however, about 7
A. M., he summoned Dr. Bancroft and Mr. Mills to his room.
Speedily they came, and in a moment, with earnest beckonings, he drew them to his bedside, and said, " Lift me up,
lift me right up!" and as they raised him up and supported
him, he quietly bowed his head, gently breathing. They
thought him asleep, but his head bent forward more and
more, and in the arms of his first and of his last assistant
he ceased to breathe, and they knew it was the sleep that
"knows no waking!"
His soul was with Jesus; but the tabernacle of the body
was before us, and there still lingered a smile upon the
countenance, which told us how fully his wishes were realized; for he had said many years before," My ambition is
to smile, while laying my head on a dying pillow."




LAST DA YS, ETC.                  385
It may be that the angels in heaven ceased their song,
and rested on their harps awhile, as another soul entered
the courts above, and heard with wonder his story of Jesus'
love through life's pilgrimage. Many, many glorified ones
came forth to greet him, saying, "You brought me first to
Jesus;" and overcome with the blissful sense, he east himself and his crown still lower at the feet of that Saviour,
exclaiming, " THOU ART WORTHY!"
Then, while we wept on earth, the heavenly choir retuned
their harps and sang REDEEMING LOVE!
"Brother, thou art gone before us,
Where thy saintly soul has flown;
Tears are wiped away for ever,
And all sorrow is unknown;
By the burden of the body
Never more to be opprest,
Where the wicked cease from troubling,
And the weary are at rest!"
On the announcement of Dr. Cutler's demise, wide-spread
expressions of public grief testified to the worth of this
eminent man of God.
The religious press proclaimed the depth of sorrow which
pervaded the minds of all classes in the community, and the
secular press was equally emphatic in its utterance. Various societies- gave expression to their sense of his loss by
published resolutions.
Christian ministers of every name mourned for a brother
indeed, and the clergy of his own church of every shade of
opinion, united in heart-felt tributes to his memory.
Obituaries, interesting in detail, swelled the volume of
testimony to his rare excellence and great worth.
Official communications and private letters expatiated
upon his transcendently sweet and attractive Christian:character, and his useful labors.
17




386          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
So great and universal was the mourning in the parish of St. Ann's, that it seemed as if "there was not a
house where there was not one dead I" The vestry paid
a grateful tribute of sympathy, embodied in their resolutions.
The tide flowed in upon the bereaved household from all
parts of the land, and even from other countries, exhibiting
in a most touching manner, how much real affection and
tender sympathy still entwined itself around our fallen
humanity.
The views of many were well expressed in a note from a
former assistant minister of St. Ann's to one of the vestry
of the same church:
"A leader has fallen in the ranks of the Christian host
who has fought a good fight, whose cheerful presence, truthful words, and earnest appeals have for so many years enlisted and animated the soldiers of the cross.
His praise is in all the churches, and his memory will be
widely and deeply cherished. Long years has he worn the
Christian armor and battled with faithfulness and zeal. He
has gone to receive his crown. Let us not murmur at the
providence of God, whose ways, though past finding out, are
yet goodness and truth.
" In sympathy with his stricken family and a sorrowing
people, I remain,
" Very truly, yours,    G. L. PLATT."
His bereaved widow felt her loss to be truly irreparable.
Nature almost sank under the blow, but grace sustained
her, and she still lives to testify-and feels it her privilege
so to do-that Jesus is all-sufficient for life's heaviest calamity, for the heart's deepest woe.
The numerous and various letters of condolence received
in the time of unutterable anguish, were a source of exquisite soothing. We instance the following, recognizing imme



LAST DAYS, ETC.                 387
diately the strong and forcible language of the honored
Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania:
"MY DEAR MRS. CUTLER —Amid the shock of your sore
bereavement, and the crowd of condolences which press
upon you, you will not miss mine. But I cannot refrain
from saying how fondly for thirty-seven years I have loved
your husband; how much I have enjoyed his radiant temperament and conversation, and how profoundly I have always
been impressed with his thorough honesty and fervent piety.
Little did I think when I last saw him in Philadelphia, a
few weeks ago, that he was so near the spirit-world. It
was better Tor him to depart and to be with Christ; but
how vast the breach, how saddening the thought, that we
all, but especially you, must henceforth wend your weary
journey without the cheering influence of his presence and
his prayers.
" The friends of our youth fall around us on every side,
and we seem left alone, straying in generations that have
now to take our place and do our work.
"Enough, if as pilgrims, we are preparing to lay aside
our staff and sciip,and enter on our rest.
"May the good God be very gracious unto you! May he
lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give you
PEACE!        Ever affectionately yours,
"ALONZO POTTER.
" PHILADELPHIA, February 23, 1863."
The funeral of Dr. Cutler was attended at St. Ann's
Church, Brooklyn, on Friday, February 13th, and was an
affecting ceremony. A large meeting of the clergy was
held in the chapel at 12 o'clock, at which the Rev. Dr.
Muhlenberg presided. Appropriate resolutions were offered
by the Rev. Dr. Canfield (rector of Christ Church, Brooklyn), which were adopted, after remarks from the Rev. Drs.




388          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Johnson and Vinton, and the Rev. Messrs. Shelton'-and
Moore, of the Episcopal Church, and also from Rev. Drs.
Cox and Spear, of the Presbyterian communion.
At the appointed hour,(1 o'clock) the clergy formed in
procession, with the Bishop of the diocese at their head, and
repaired to the parsonage adjoining the church and received
the remains, which were borne from the house by the following clergymen, acting as pall-bearers:
REV. DR. SHELTON,         REV. DR. TYNG,
REV. DR. MUHLENBERG,      REV. DR. CANFIELD,
REV. DR. DYER,            REV. DR. F. VINTON,
REV. DR. JONES,           REV. DR. TAYLOR.
At the entrance of the church the remains were met by
the officiating clergy, the Rev. Messrs. Littlejohn, Morgan,
Flagg, Johnson and Paddock.
So intense was the desire on the part of the public to pay
the last tribute of respect to his memory, that the galleries
were filled long before the appointed hour; and as soon as
the coffin was carried into the church,the spacious building
was filled to overflowing.
The church was appropriately draped in mourning.
The body having been placed in front of the chancel, the
anthem, " I know that my Redeemer liveth," was sung, after
which the Psalter, commencing, " Lord let me know mine
end," was solemnly chanted by the choir. Dr. Littlejohn
read the lesson from 1 Cor. xv., which was followed by the
singing of the 191st hymn:
"Vital spark of heavenly flame,
Quit, oh, quit this mortal frame!"
The revered Bishop of the Diocese of New York, the Rt.
Rev. H. Potter, D. D., laboring under deep emotion, then




LAST DA YS ETC.                 389
delivered a memorial address, which was a fitting and beautiful tribute to the character of the deceased.
After the remaining services were concluded, an opportunity was offered to the weeping multitude of parishioners
and friends who thronged the edifice, to look upon his face
for the last time. The body was then taken to Greenwood
Cemetery, followed by a long train of carriages. At the
grave, the Rev. Dr. Canfield conducted a short service, committing " dust to dust " in " a sure hope of a joyfill resurrection."
As we turned away from the spot, the sun had just sunk
beneath the hills, but there lingered a clear and golden
light encircling the horizon, cheering our hearts with the
hope of a brighter day. For our brother, we had the
assurance that he had entered in where there was no night,
and where he realized the fullness of the promise, " THY
SUN SHALL NO MORE GO DOWN, NEITHER SHALL THY MOON
WITHDRAW ITSELF; FOR THE LORD SHALL BE THINE EVERLASTING LIGHT, AND THY GOD THY GLORY!"




How life-like is the following sketch by the Rt. Rev. the
Bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts:
" BOSTON, January 9, 1868.
" MY DEAR MR. GRAY:
"You have asked me for some reminiscences of my old
and dear friend, Dr. Cutler, and I gladly put on paper my
recollections of him; although I am quite sure that I can
furnish nothing that will not have been communicated to
you by others, who were brought into frequent intercourse
with him during his long and faithful ministry.
" I first met Dr. Cutler, more than forty years ago, at the
house of his brother-in-law, the late Mr. Samuel Ward, in
New York; and I remember being attracted by the singular purity and simplicity of his countenance, and the sweetness
and refinement of his manner. I afterwards saw him again
in Boston, during a visit which I made to that city in the
summer of 1825. But my intimate intercourse with him
only began several years after, when, at the suggestion of
Mr. Ward, he was appointed minister of a free church in
Vandewater Street, New York, under the auspices of what
was then known as the Protestant Episcopal City Mission.
After a brief but active course of labor in this field, he
became the rector of St. Ann's, Brooklyn; and fromn that
time until my removal from New York I was often brought
into contact with him. And I am sure that no man could
have lived in intercourse with him, without feeling his faith
strengthened in the reality of religion.  In calling up
those days to memory, as well as in recollecting my occasional interviews since my removal to Massachusetts, I
have been strongly impressed with the remembrance of
(390)




LAST DAYS, ETC.                 391
one thought which suggested itself to me whenever I
saw him:'Here is a person evidently born again from
above, led by the Spirit, and taught of God.' In fact, who
that knew Dr. Cutler did not feel the perfect certainty,
that religion with him was not something put on, but was
the new nature of the man-the atmosphere in which lie
lived-the spring of all his thoughts, and all his words, and
all his deeds?
" During my residence in New York, Dr. Cutler was
often called upon, and never declined. to deliver addresses
at our missionary meetings in two or three of the churches
of that city. And what he said on these occasions was
always impressive, because it was always real; and evidently came from the heart of a man who desired to extend
the healing remedy of the gospel, because he himself had
tasted the value of the Great Physician.
" Dr. Cutler being, like myself, in the habit of daily exercise on horseback, we used for a long time to ride together
on the morning of every Saturday. And I also remember
a journey of two days we made in this way along the
banks of the Hudson, for the purpose of participating in
some services in Peekskill Church. I recollect that during this latter excursion, as well as during other rides, the
fervor of his cheerful, grateful, and abounding spirit of
praise would often break forth from him suddenly, in a way
that, to a stranger, might seem like eccentricity, but which
in him was the mere utterance of a remarkably heavenly
mind. He would sometimes stop, and begin to pray, while
sitting in the saddle; or he would sing a hymn as we travelled along the road side by side. And yet so naturally
and easily was all this done, and so obviously did it flow
from a deep fountain of love, that the thought of display or
cant, in connection with these acts of his, never could have
suggested itself for one moment to the mind.
"My dear old friend always exhibited, in his daily course,




-392         LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
a beautiful combination of the gentleman, and the faithful
ambassador of Heaven. He had the ease and self-possession to be expected from a man who had been accustomed to
the intercourse of polished life; and yet he never allowed
himself, from a false notion of the claims of courtesy, to
sink the minister of salvation in the mere gentleman. Delicate in constitution, and liable to severe assaults of illness,
he was kept thereby in a near view of the eternal world;
and this gave him a constant sense of the importance of
leading others to consider the infinite worth of the soul.
He was, therefore, anxious to lose no opportunity of letting
fall a word in season, which, with the Divine blessing, might
bear fruit unto eternal life. This habit of his I have often
witnessed, not without being humbled by it, and, I trust,
with benefit to me in other respects as I marked his shining
example. In truth, my departed friend was one of the last
men to whom one would have turned, as an illustration of
Mr. Cecil's striking remark on that kind of intercourse of
a clergyman with his hearers, which seems to say to them,
On the Sunday I am ready to do my business, and in the
week you may do yours.'
" Dr. Cutler, born in our beloved and Scriptural Church,
was a devoted and glowing lover of its polity and ritual.
But he chiefly loved it because its services are so full of
Christ; and because its Liturgy and Offices so effectually
hand down the saving truth of the gospel from generation
to generation. And this attachment, founded on his loyalty
and gratitude to the bleeding Lamb of God, led him to love
all, of every name, who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity; and also to lend his aid to those great institutions,
which, embracing all the followers of Emmanuel. and yet
without compromising our allegiance to our own Church, have
for their object the diffusion of Christ's saving health among
all nations. And in this respect he was in harmony with
the spirit of our Church, and was one of its true represen



LAST DAYS, ETC.                393
tatives. And thus that admiration, on the part of all Christian people, which formed no portion of his motives of
action, he yet secured during his honored life; and now that
he is gone, he is embalmed. in their grateful and abiding
recollection.
" I have nothing to add, but my prayer that the volume
which you are preparing to my revered friend's memory
may be accompanied by the Holy Spirit's blessing.
"Believe me to be faithfully yours,
"MANTON EASTBURN."
17*




CHAPTER XVII.
CONCLUSION.
TRAITS OF CHARACTER, ETC., ETC. —HIS VIEWS ON PREACHING-PASTORAL WORK —CONNECTION WITH PUBLIC SOCIETIES, ETC., ETC.
T HIS volume should not be closed without further allusion to several points which have only been touched
upon in the progress of the work. It Would be difficult to
give an adequate analysis of Dr. Cutler's character, and
superfluous, perhaps, since in many important particulars
this has already been done, by the rector of St. George's
Church, New York, in the impressive sermon delivered by
him, in St. Ann's Church, Brooklyn (at the request of the
vestry), on the second Sunday after Dr. Cutler's decease.
The discourse was afterward embodied in a little work,
entitled " The Son of Consolation."
It was an elaborate tribute to the memory of his -early
friend; and in assisting our readers to form a just estimate
of the man, and to glean for themselves those practical
lessons which may be learned from his history, we shall
merely suggest certain points which appear to be worthy of
especial study.
We look back through Dr. Cutler's life, and trace the
Infinite Wisdom and Love which marked out for him a path
of early and continued suffering. This drew him nearer to
Jesus in prayer, and from his sanctified trials flowed innumerable blessings to himself and to others.
1. He was in a remarkable sense a man of _prayer.
Morning, noon, and night, he presented his petitions at
(3j4)




CHARACTER, PREA CHING, WORK, ETC.    395
the throne of grace. No journey was undertaken, no plan
devised, without seeking God's glory, and asking his direction. He was constant and regular in prayer, and allowed
nothing to interfere with the discharge of this duty. Thus
was the oil of Divine grace daily and steadily poured into
his soul, and the light of his piety was kept brightly and
unceasingly burning.
In daily family prayer, if clerical visitors happened to be
present, he would request them in turn to offer distinct and
separate prayers, and with such admirable tact was all this
done, that no strange or abrupt transition from conversation
to devotion was ever apparent. Few friends ever visited
him, in his study, without his offering up prayer with them.
As an illustration of this point, we give an incident which
the present esteemed Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of
Pennsylvania has related to us. Just before his consecration to the Episcopate, the Rev. Dr. Stevens (then rector of
St. Andrew's, Philadelphia), being in New York, on business connected with the Foreign Committee, had occasion
to call on Dr. Cutler. Being wearied, the latter offered
him some simple refreshment, in his study, after which he
said:' You are about to become a bishop, I am only an
humble presbyter, and I may not perhaps talk so freely hereafter as now, but we are both poor sinners before God-let
us kneel down in prayer together." After Dr. Stevens had
finished, his friend and host offered up a fervent prayer that
God would bless his servant in the exalted station to which
he had been called, supporting him under all its burdens
and responsibilities, and making him a blessing to many.
This conversation and prayer left an indelible impression
upon the mind of the Bishop elect. And through many a
day of toil and hour of darkness the remembrance of this
interview, will doubtless, like an oft-recurring sunbeam,
cheer and refresh his spirit.
Absent friends were also requested (as we have seen) to




396          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
pray for Dr. Cutler and his people; and at an appointed
hour, in different portions of the country, many friends were
pleading for him at the Mercy-seat, while he was actually
interceding in turn for them. However and whenever separated, the spirit of his heart was"Prayer shall a vast triangle form,
On whose wide base we still shall meet,
And whose high top surmounts each storm,
And joins us at our Saviour's feet."
In his private life, without any exaggerated language, he
literally WALKED WITH GOD; the closeness of his walk was
very unusual, even among the ministers of God; he went
and told Jesus every thing, and thus, like a child, lived upon
his guardian care. " Without ME ye can do nothing" was
engraved on his heart, and communion with the invisible
God was his very life. None but those who saw him, in all
the phases of every-day life, can form a true idea of the
symmetry of his Christian character and course.  Continual prayer and intercession was the lattice or trellis,upon
which all the graces of his Christian character were diligently trained and cherished, as they pointed upward, and
thus the bloom and fragrance of spiritual life were everywhere apparent, investing his daily life with a sanctity and
charm indescribably impressive and heavenly.
His study was a hallowed spot, where the prayer of faith
received an abundant answer; there were sought, and there
obtained, blessings for the souls of others. His ministry
never would have exhibited the results that have come from
it (and shall yet come, though he be dead), had it not been
for the spirit of earnest devotion which pervaded and
moulded his whole life.
2. He had an abounding spirit ofpraise.
If any man ever obeyed the apostolic injunction, it was
he: " In every thing by prayer and supplication, WITH
THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known unto God."




CHARACTER, PREACHIYG, WORK, ETC.    397
Everywhere, in private and in public, this spirit manifested
itself. If in prayer, the language of petition was often
changed into that of adoring gratitude, and in this respect
he followed the teachings of Scripture, and the example of
eminent believers. " The true child of God (we quote the
language of a recent work, entitled Professor Hart's
"Golden Censer"), even when crying for deliverance, in
some hour of sharp distress, finds it difficult to make his
prayer all supplication, so natural is it to the grateful, loving heart of the believer, to rise from the language of entreaty to that of thanksgiving.  Even in the Fifty-first
Psalm, from the very depths of his penitent cries for pardon, David cannot forbear -to'sing aloud' of God's goodness. How frequently does St. Paul, in the very midst of
close, compacted argument, burst out into some strain of
rapt, sublime doxology!  When faith sees with unclouded
vision her risen Lord, it is impossible to withhold the warm
ascription of praise; and it is just where godly sorrow
does its most perfect work, that of faith takes freshest and
strongest hold of the promises. Hence, nothingr is more
natural than this transition from prayer to praise, from the
low wail of penitence to the exultant loud-harping hallelujah."
Many will now remember how often our friend would
commence " family prayers" with singing, almost exultantly,
that unequalled hymn of Addison:
"When all thy mercies, 0 my God!
My rising soul surveys," etc., etc.
At feasts, among his friends, he often proposed to sing
hymns; and the brilliant assemblage gathered together at
a banquet, on the occasion of a marriage of a relative at
Newport, will not soon forget his asking the privilege of
singing "grace" before sitting down. He then sounded the




398          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
note of joyful gratitude, and united many a heart in the
sentiment,
"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow."
He was remarkably fond of good hymns. Sacred poetry
of every kind proved often a solace to his heart. When
sickness had slackened the cords of life; when mind and
heart had become benumbed by his daily toil and care, the
psalm or hymn, at a late hour, would restore his spirit; give
renewed clearness to his mental vision, and lead his soul
back to its place of rest in the presence of "things unseen
and eternal."
And does not religious poetry, we ask, often lift the mind
of the Christian above the dusty walks of ordinary life into
a clearer atmosphere?  Does not Cowper's "Task" contribute to this end? Have not the hymns of Addison and
Doddridge, and the soul-stirring verses of Wesley, kindled
the soul of many a wanderer, and shed light on his path
to "the Celestial City?"  May it not in truth be said
that the "divine songs" of Dr. Watts have proved an
abundant and universal blessing, and will not cease to be
sung, till time shall be no more? "The Missionary Hymn"
of Bishop Heber, too, is a resistless appeal, and it has everywhere thrilled the human heart. The converted Hindoo
chants it, among the spicy groves of India; the African
repeats it, by the rivers and plains of his country; while the
Christian, in a land of light and liberty, catches up the
strain, and pours forth the emotions of his heart in these
glowing lines, as if the Seraphim had touched his tongue
with a live coal from off the altar of God.
Of more modern hymns, Dr. Cutler took special delight
in that well-known gem, by the Rev. H. F. Lyte, of the
Church of England:
"Abide with me; fast falls the eventide.
The darkness thickens; Lord with me abide!




CHARACTER, PREACIING, WORK, ETC.    399
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!"
3. He was a spiritual and experimental Christian.
True religion is the life of Jesus dwelling in the soul of
the believer. But Christian experience varies, some of the
children of God are more heavily afflicted, more frequently
chastened, than others; have had more to do with providential dispensations; have had closer insight into their own
hearts, and been permitted to learn more thoroughly their
own native weakness and the fullness of grace that is in
Christ, and, by such processes, have become more deeply
spiritual than others. In this class we find the subject of
this memoir. We may trace Christian experience, in some
of its strongest colorings, in the recorded exercises of his
soul, and in the deep interest he took in the religious welfare and advancement of others. His deep searchings of
heart always marked his honesty of purpose; the lowly
views he took of himself were accompanied with the fullest
-views of Christ, and from the lowest depths of self-humiliation he rose, cleaving with earnest and glowing faith more
closely than ever to a Divine Saviour.
4. He was most emphatically a man of benevolence, in the
original signification of the term.
He loved his race, and good will to his fellow-men was a
special trait in his character. No selfish or narrow views
bounded his sympathies, and the love he had for others
flowed out spontaneously and unceasingly upon all around
him. Apt, indeed, was that beautiful expression of opinion
from the lips of a clergyman of another Communion, " The
breath of his benevolence saluted the world!"
And wherever he went, or in whatever work he might be
engaged, even in the most trivial affairs, he would seek to
do good to his fellow-man. There was an impressibility
about him, a magnetic charm, which all could feel who
came under his influence. Instances might be given where




400          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
men, through his kind instrumentality, have been taken
literally from the streets, drunken and debauched, and
made, with the blessing of God, respectable and useful
members of society. The infidel has been reclaimed and
brought to a saving knowledge of Christ through his persistent kindness. And to many a wayfaring man, and to
many a sorrowful stranger, hath he given a temporary
home, beneath his own roof. Thus he went about " doing
good," following his Master, consecrating every power that
he had to the glory of God and the highest good of man,
never dwelling upon his own merits, or deeming himself in
God's eyes any thing but an "unprofitable servant," and
pressing forward toward the mark for the prize of his high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.
"Thy labors of unwearied love
By thee forgot, are crowned above!"
5. He had great moral courage.
Others have spoken of his gentleness and amiability, but
these characteristics did not constitute his whole character.
From this level there rose up here and there strong and
salient points; which, illumined by the Sun of Righteousness,
cast a ray of light along his path, which encouraged many a
Christian pilgrim who walked by his side. He was resolute
in doing what he conceived to be right, no matter who
opposed him. When asked to sanction any plan, which
appeared favorable to the casual observer, but in which he
detected leadings to evil, he firmly refused.  Often did
friends endeavor to persuade him to this or that course of
action, but he was as inflexible as the earth on which he
stood, and, like Scott's hero, he seemed to say:
"Sooner shall this firm rock
Spring from its base than I!"
He declined lending the aid of his name or influence, at




CHARACTER, PREACHING, WORK, ETC.    401
one time, to the erection of an " Academy of Music" in the
city where he dwelt, fearing that under this specious name
it would only become, in time, a theatre. Some thought him
"righteous overmuch," but he braved all censure, whether
direct or indirect, heeding the voice of man as little as he
would the idle wind. In his various travels he never ceased
to speak out boldly for his Master. In the early part of his
ministry he was once travelling in Virginia, in a public
vehicle accommodating several persons, and, of course, filled
with individuals of various descriptions. For a long time
the company were mueh annoyed by the great profanity of
one of the passengers. Dr. Cutler rose and changed his
seat, coming opposite to the person in question, and addressed him: "Sir, this is a public conveyance, and I have
as much right to pray as you have to swear, and now,
if you choose to profane God's name any more, I shall
commence to pray, and as long as you swear, I shall pray,
and we will see who will come off best." It is hardly needful to add that the company were troubled no further.
Dr. Cutler's home was a blessing to others, and especially
to the ministers of Christ.
His house was always open to his brethren, and the
prophet's chamber prepared at all times for a guest. Ministers of Christ from all parts of the country there often
met, and found a genial welcome from the rector of St.
Ann's, and from his kind help-meet.
Who that was privileged to gather with others around
his board did not feel the pervading influence of his piety,
as well as the deep interest his host took in his welfare?
Who ever left his house, after even a short interview,
without feeling refreshed and strengthened in spirit?
What a blessed privilege his various assistant ministers
enjoyed in dwelling with him, in seeing his example, and
hearing his exhortations and prayers, can hardly be realized
by others.




402          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
The poor and the suffering were often found there, and
the tried believer roved to go, if it was only for a few hours,
to enjoy the friendly visit, and to treasure up the words
of encouragement and counsel he never failed to receive.
The rectory of St. Ann's was, indeed, like an oasis in
the wilderness of a cold and ungodly world, to ministers
and laymen, to relatives and parishioners, to all friends, old
or young, rich ot poor.
DR. CUTLER, AS A PREACHER AND PASTOR.
Dr. Cutler was eminently a Christian theologian, well
read in the books of the various schools, but deeply taught
by the Spirit —a truly evangelical divine, a thorough Episcopalian, and an ardent lover of the Liturgy of the Church,
in which God had placed him from his birth, and trained
him for its ministry. His intimate friends well remember
with what enthusiasm, he would point to certain portions of
the Prayer-Book, such as the " Te Deum" and the "Litany," and declare them to be the most suitable vehicles of
expression for prayer and praise that could anywhere be
found, and able to satisfy the wants of the most seriousminded Christians in every age.
He was properly ranked as a moderate or Low Churchman, yet was never a partizan. The hand of fellowship was
freely extended to churchmen of every shade of opinion, and
he looked far more deeply into the practice, than- into the
theory of his brethren.
The language of uncharitableness or bitterness was never
heard at his table; nor did he ever indulge in those sweeping denunciations, which so often mar the conversation of
many of radical opinions, and which never fail to inflict
injury on the body of Christ.
He regarded Tractarianism as but incipient Romanism,
and could not sympathize with those extreme views of the
Sacraments, which he regarded as inconsistent with the




CHARACTER, PREACHING, WORK, ETC.    403
word of God, and the true interpretation of the standards
of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He often spoke of the
wise and moderate statement of doctrine in the Thirty-nine
Articles, and especially in the Seventeenth Article.
When asked whether he desired to be called a Calvinist
or an Arminian, he would say, " Neither;" and in a rigid
sense, he could not be exclusively identified with either party.
The sermon of Faber, of the Church of England, on the
points in dispute, seemed exactly to coincide with his views.
Both systems could be reconciled with certain statements
of Scripture, and he felt it to be the duty of the Christian
minister, while always magnifying the grace of God, to proclaim the truth as he found it in all its fullness, in the word
of God.
One " Thus saith the Lord " was worth more to him than
a thousand philosophical reasons. Like a little child, he
received the mysteries of the kingdom, and God taught him,
and unfolded their meaning, in a manner unknown to fierce
disputants for human systems. However men looked at
the truth, through the prism of earth's refracted colors;
whether one dwelt more constantly on such a passage as this,
" Without me ye can do nothing;" or another, on, " Ye will not
come unto me that ye might have life," he felt that they would
yet read and understand in the pure light of heaven, the
fullness of that more comprehensive passage:" God so loved
the world that lie gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
As a preacher, Dr. Cutler was solemn and earnest. He
loved to proclaim the gospel, as a message from God to
perishing souls, and therefore seldom introduced any thing
extraneous to the subject matter in hand. He knew no fear
in declaring the truth, but with all boldness, and yet with
ardent love, held up Jesus Christ as the only Saviour for
guilty man.




404         LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
In handling the doctrines of Scripture, he was more
explicit than many, and excelled most men in originality of
thought, and in striking utterance. He was always clear,
simple, and discriminating. in statement, and direct in appeal; and his discourses were generally of a searching and
arousing nature; no one felt like playing the critic-they
were too personal and solemn for this. In an age so fill
of ambitious sermonizing, when so much is put forth whichl
savors of every thing but Christ, and when so many hide
the Cross out of sight by the mists of philosophy, " falsely
so-called," he was content to set forth " the Lord Jesus, and
him crucified;" an uncompromising proclaimer of the pure
gospel, always at his watch-tower on the walls of Zion;
always forgetting himself, standing behind his message, intent on the one great object of preaching Christ; never
thinking of " enticing words of man's wisdom;" never losing his direct aim in discursive or irrelevant currents of
thought; while there was shed over all,an unction as from
the Holy One, which told his hearers that the breath of the
Holy Spirit had indeed passed over his own soul. Thus,
and thus only, was he instrumental in the coniversion of so
many sinners to Christ, and in building up his people in the
grace of God.
The tribute paid to the memory of his ministry by his
Diocesan, the Rt. Rev. H. Potter, D. D., at the Convention
of the Diocese of New York, in the autumn of 1863, was
well deserved.: " Amiable, gentle, and devoted, it was the
winning grace and unction of Dr. Cutler's character that
gave power and efficacy to his ministry. He was a remarkable instance of what is sometimes observed among men,
and especially among Christian ministers, where it is seen
that a certain sweetness of character, a certain spirit pervading and fashioning the whole man, within and without,
is more than talent, more than learning, more than mere
enterprise and activity, as a means of moving men for good.




CHARACTER, PREACHING, WORK, ETC.    405
Such a character is in itself talent of a superior kind. It
is the product of fine, well-tempered, natural qualities,
touched and kindled into heavenly beauty by the Spirit of
grace.  Let us be thankful, that such a character has been
given to shed its light, and to leave its image along our
path, and let us be studious to learn the lesson which it so
impressively teaches."
Dr. Cutler knew and felt that he had the treasure of the
gospel in an earthen vessel. and he was willing himself to
be nothing, if the Saviour would only honor the word which
he preached, as his ambassador; and God honored him, and
gave him many souls, as seals of his ministry.
In connection with this topic, we make no apology for
laying before our readers two letters of Dr. Cutler on
preaching. The sentiments contained therein (quaintly expressed though they are), should not be lost upon the
youthful ministers of Christ, and might well be written in
letters of gold.
TO THE REV. F. M. MCALLISTRIR, SAN FRANCISCO.
"' ST. ANN'S RECTORY, BROOKLYN, November 11, 1861.
" MY DEAR MARION-.... Should I live to see next June,
it will complete forty years of my labors in the pulpit. Let me see
what I can say that may be of use to you. First: There is nothing
that can compensate for the loss of personal piety.
" Secondly: Hundreds of sermons are lost by not preaching
CHRIST.
" There is great danger of flying off from the four or five great
doctrines of the gospel, into a miscellaneous mode of preaching.
Justification by faith, regeneration by the Holy Ghost, the atonement of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity, and of the resurrection,
are the topics.
" I would build a tower around a young converted preacher of
these great stones, and make him study and preach them. His fidelity and his ingenuity should find out a way of engrafting all practical truths on evangelical discourses. But what are they? What
a Pagan could not, and what a Jew would not preach, is just what a
Christian evangelist should harp upon! and the less fashionable
such preaching becomes, the more he should stick to it. Such




406           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
preaching will ever be like THE SYBIL'S LEAVEs-the less there remains of it in a community, the higher the price or value!
" Thirdly: No man can build up a church who does not know the
meaning of the Latin word'fovet.' The bird that does not brood,
or sit on its nest, does not hatch its young. The fisherman that does
not carry home his fish is a poor one.
" If our Saviour made you any thing, he made you'a fisher of
men.' He set you to catch, not to tickle men; to lift them entirely
out of the element in which you find them, and to put them in your
basket; not to let them slip back into the water.  Verbum sap...
"Your affectionate uncle,        B. C. CUTLER."
TO THE SAME.
" You have only one thing to mind, i. e., to give your
mind up to, the preaching of the gospel, in public and in private, by
precept and by example: No matter what others do, this is your
work.' PREACH THE WORD' constantly, in season and out of season. Say, in effect, as one of old did:'Strike, but hear!' Gospel
preaching is what is wanted in California, in New York, everywhere! You mind this, and the Holy Ghost will mind you, and
make you a man of God, and a man of mark, whether you desire it
or not. Don't trouble your head about any thing else; St. Paul
said:'None of these things move me.' Other things will take care
of themselves. But the gospel trumpet must be sounded continually.
Let others hope to compete and conquer by brick and mortar, by
architecture and ornament, by taste and talent! I assure you that
if you are a fervent and faithful preacher of Christ's Gospel, in season and out of season, no man who does not preach the gospel shall
overcome, or overthrow, or overshadow you.
"I don't care what men say: I know all they do say, and can
fancy what they have not said; but if you distinguish yourself by
a zealous preaching of the gospel, on every occasion opening before
you, you may have the whole, the entire work of picking up the
birds, in preference to those who love to cook and eat, rather than
kill the game.
" The conversion of sinful men-let this be your motto. Jesus
Christ expects every MINISTER to do this. He will raise up men to
do the other work of the Church. Any other course will secularize
and spoil your fine spirit-by fine, I mean delicate sense of spiritual
duty. God bless you, my son, and give you grace to take an old
man's counsel! Psalm 1.
" Your affectionate uncle,    B. C. CUTLER."




CHARACTER, PREA CHING, WORK, ETC.    407
On the same topic he once addressed the following letter
to a very dear friend, then at Winchester, Va.:
TO THE REV. J. F. S-.
"MY DEAR JOSEPH.... I was glad to hear of your
marriage, and of your pleasant settlement in Winchester. Now,
dear friend, only preach Christ, and all will be well; think of HIM,
talk of HIM; don't say the providence of God, and the wisdom
of the Creator, and the goodness of the Deity. The Jews talked
so, at least the Greeks did. Talk you about Christ, by whom all
things were made, who is made of God, unto us wisdom. Just put
the word Christ where you have been accustomed to put the word
God, and describe the beauties of the spiritual creation in your
sermons. Speak of the flowers of joy in Christ, the buds of hope,
the golden beams of Jesus, the sun of righteousness. Preach about
the omnipotence of the grace of Christ, of his care and concern,
and the omniscience of his mind.
" Just sit down and say, as you review a sermon,' What is there
here which a Jew would not preach, and a Pagan could not?' Don't
be following out the relations of cause and effect, dissecting the
fitness of virtue, but run over the relations of the saint to the
Saviour, and of the sinner to his Judge-Christ Jesus.
" Now, mark my words; those sermons. which you now write
which happen to be all about Christ-if they are composed with
care, not to say with prayer-will be the sermons that you will, by
and by, preach over and over to strange audiences;
"While your beautiful, -your eloquent, your well-written, your
scholastic discourses-those which get you credit with the BLINDwill be forgotten in the pile.
"Know nothing, dear J -, but Christ, and him crucified. Pray
much to him in the desk-right to HIM-what is the great direction?'Come unto me!' Go to him, then, dear brother, go to him!
Say, in the beginning of your next sermon, I am preaching as a
Christian, to Christians, of the Christian's God and Saviour! Believers were not called Christians for no purpose, but that they
should be Christians. Take the text,' Salvation will God appoint
for walls and bulwarks,' and show that a Christian is enclosed and
defended by Christ.
" Christ was once at a marriage-I hope he was at yours, but if
not, pray that lie may ever be with the married pair. Let him provide the wine; be sure if he is the provider, it will be old wine-as




408          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
old as the days of Abraham; yea, even of Adam and the great
promise. Vale, Josephus secundus ubicunque, hie primus!
"Yours,        B. C. C."
With such views, one can readily see that Dr. Cutler's
preaching was of that kind which, under God, brings sinners to the Saviour, and builds up believers strong in Christ
Jesus. His last sermon (preached July 13, 1862) was from
the text, " They shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a Saviour, and a great one,
and he shall deliver them." Isaiah xix. 20.
As a pastor, Dr. Cutler was unsurpassed, and there are
few men whose labors have been more highly owned and
blessed of God.
He was wise and judicious and free from self-seeking to a
remarkable extent, striving to say a word for the Master
whom he served,wherever he went.
He was always a welcome visitant to the homes of the
rich and of the poor, and the savor of his devoted spirit
rested on every company in which he mingled. His ministry in St. Ann's was a blessed one, and the means, under
God, of saving hundreds of souls. His record is on high.
Touching were the testimonies given after his decease.
A parishioner in Europe wrote: " I cannot speak of him as
I would. The- event was unexpected, and the news fell
upon us here with crushing weight. We are all mourners,
for he was our spiritual father, and dearly loved pastor, and
affectionate friend.         He led us to Jesus one by
one; he did more than all others to keep our feet in the
narrow way. I owe to him more love and gratitude than
to all other men; for he lifted up my heart, as I humbly
trust, to the Saviour, to be more wholly his, to work for
him, to consecrate my days to his service,"
How appropriate and complete is the sketch of his ministry in the department of pastoral labor, given by the Rev.
Dr. Tyng:




CHARACTER, PREACHING, WORK, ETC.    409
"As we survey this ministry in its long course of usefulness, now completed, we cannot withhold our testimony of
its unusual excellence and beauty. With what simple faith
in the truth and power of Jesus, with what delight in the
conversion of souls to Christ, with what readiness to welcome all to this great Saviour of the lost, with what peculiar adaptation to cheer and comfort those who believe, has
he moved and dwelt among the people to whom he was
there sent. In his pastoral relations he was perfectly happy.
The people always found him a loving, trusting pastor, and
they esteemed him very highly in love for his works' sake.
They who sought his counsel, in the eagerness of an awakened heart to find a Saviour, will never forget his generous
smile, his tender voice, his simple teaching, his earnest
practical prayers. To bring them to Christ was manifestly
his single object, and to present Jesus clearly to them his
earnest effort. They can look back with the most grateful
acknowledgment in their testimony,'We may have ten
thousand instructors, but we cannot have many fathers.'
"As a father, he had no greater joy than to see his
children walking in the truth. The sick, the sorrowing,
can never forget his pleasant, gracious visits-the peculiar
adaptation which the Holy Spirit had given him to cheer
and comfort those who believe. The social elements of his
character were remarkably developed and sanctified, and
with a special tenderness toward the suffering.
"Like John, his head reposed in the bosom of his Lord,
and, like John, he became changed into the same image, the
messenger and the pattern of the Saviour's love to all who
mourned."*
A beautiful tribute was also paid to Dr. Cutler's memory,
(in which happy allusion is made to his pastoral intercourse)
at the regular Wednesday evening lecture at St. Ann's, on
the evening following his decease, by his endeared friend
* See " The Son of Consolation," p. 60.
18




410          LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
and neighbor, the Rev. E. H. Canfield, D. D., the present
rector of Christ Church, Brooklyn:
"Since we last met in these hallowed courts," said the
preacher on this occasion, " there has been transferred from
the scene of his earthly labors to his heavenly rest, one who,
in a remarkable degree, was a follower and imitator of
Christ. He was a burning and a shining light, who for
nearly thirty years, in this city, has lived an almost unearthly life, going about doing good, comforting the weak,
supporting the feeble-minded, relieving the distressed, and,
both in his life and doctrine, witnessing, to small and great,
for God and his truth. Such a praying Christian, such a
living epistle of Christ, such spirituality of mind, such absolute and unreserved consecration to God, a man whose
religion was so much his life, pervading all his feelings, and
all his intercourse with his fellows, we very seldom find in
this fallen world...      More than any other man
whom I have ever known, his walk was like that of Enoch,
his anointing like that. of Aaron.             I do not
remember that I ever met him in the street, in his own
house, at my own residence, or in the committee-room, when
he did not say something which plainly indicated that his
conversation was in heaven.                 He excelled
as a pastor. Very few men have ever filled the sacred
office who were more affectionate, tender, and sympathizing
in this relation.  His excellencies in this respect were
rather natural gifts than attainments, and very few churches
have been blessed with a pastor so faithful and devoted."
One of the public Journals said truly of him: " His was a
thoroughly religious life; the ideal of a good pastor; holy,
harmless, separate from sinners, as nearly like his Master as
poor, fallen human nature often reaches; blending active
usefulness with such unfeigned humility, gentleness, and
Christian courtesy, that his example was a constant sermon,
his presence a perpetual benediction."




CHARACTER, PREACHING, WORK, ETC.    411
In the Sunday-schools, Dr. Cutler was in his element, and
great was the care he took in training up the young for the
service of God. Every Sunday he was found watching over
the interests of the lambs of the fold with unwearied vigilance, ever impressed with a sense of the great responsibility
committed to his charge; and thus did he seek to obey the
Divine injunction, and to look for the promised blessing,
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is
old he will not depart from it."
Interesting incidents are scattered along his whole history in connection with his Sunday-schools, which we have
not space to insert here. At each anniversary, when he
could meet the assembled children of his flock, he addressed
them with unusual fervor and delight. Not long before his
death, in one of his letters from Philadelphia, he wrote
home: "I think much and often of my own Sunday-school,
and pray God that it may flourish, and be the savor of life
unto life to multitudes of souls."
The influence of the Sunday-schools upon the spiritual
growth of St. Ann's Church was marked and widely extended; with such coadjutors in the good work as Messrs.
Peet, Congdon, Smith, and Bancroft, in earlier days, and the
persevering, fruitful labors of Messrs. Morgan and Matthews, in later days, the growth and prosperity of the Sunday-schools of St. Ann's Church has been but seldom
equalled; and now we are glad to state, that prosperity continues under the direction of the present faithful rector,
aided as he is with a band of teachers and superintendents,
all laboring with one heart and one mind. St. Ann's
Church, with its noble Sunday-schools and widely-extended
parochial agencies, is Dr. Cutler's monument now-" si
mnonumenturn  sutam  requiris, circumspice;" in the city
where he dwelt, he has left traces of his life and labors
which will not soon be effaced.
His volume of sermons (published in 1857) received high




4 1 2        LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
commendations from every quarter. A few smaller works
of his have been printed from time to time. Fugitive pieces
also often appeared from his pen, some of which have been
printed in the form of pamphlets or tracts; but he had neither the health nor the time to devote himself to any great
special work, other than to his sermons.
According to his own testimony, he had by nature a lively
mind, prone to observation and reflection, and mere abstractions never had much power over him; as his feelings were
enlisted, so his mind moved, feebly or strongly. Imagination and memory were more strongly developed with him
than reason, while a controlling good-sense and a clear,
practical judgment preserved the equipoise of his character.
He discriminated well in the selection of his reading, and
digested well the works he perused.  The old standard
divines he never ceased to read, while he also kept his mind
informed on the general literature of the day. The English
Reviews-the "Edinburgh," the "North British," and the
"London Christian Observer "-were his favorites. How
penetrating and how frank he was, in writing these lines in
his earlier days to his wife: "I have read five volumes of
Gibbon (I would not advise you to read his third or fourth
volumes); he has done me more harm than Newton and
Scott can do me good, for a month of reading, although I
see him all the time with his satanic sneer, and his skeptical
smile. He dares not openly deny, and yet he darkly insinuates; he is too polished to stab you, and prefers the more
genteel method of poison-poison in a golden cup, sweetened with nectar."
Over and above all other books, Dr. Cutler loved the
Bible. On the fly-leaf of his pocket Bible (which he carried
with him in all his journeys) was written this sentiment:
" What the huntsman said of his rifle, that say I of my
Bible' Wherever I go, my Bible goes; I never leave it
behind; it is like a part of myself. There is no one who




CHARACTER, PREA CHING, WORK, ETC.   413
will take such care of it as I; and there's nothing will take
such care of me as my Bible!'"
Dr. Cutler was also a deep student of the word of God;
he was thus enabled to bring forth out of the treasure-house'things new and old," as a "scribe well instructed unto the
kingdom of heaven." But while doing this, he did not fail
to gather information on collateral topics, either of a literary
or historical nature, from any source, and thus acquired a
vast fund of information.
Possessing naturally an acute and versatile mind, he was
enabled to turn all the knowledge lie acquired to practical
account for the good of others, and this, combined with his
catholic spirit, made him so extensively useful in every
department of labor to which he devoted himself.
He had an eminently catholic spirit. He found a brother
and co-worker in every man who would labor with him to
build up the Redeemer's kingdom. Here his character shined
with peculiar beauty. He loved all who loved the Lord
Jesus Christ. Much as he prized the Church of his birth,
he never confined his sympathies within its borders.
He was a whole-hearted supporter of every institution of
Christian benevolence, and cordially joined with his brethren of all denominations in the blessed work of giving the
Word of Life to the destitute. No one could have heard
the loving tribute in which Christians of other names united
with those in our communion to do him honor, without feeling that Christian fellowship with all the children of God
is indeed much to be desired.'He was a member of the American Church Missionary
Society, the Evangelical Knowledge Society, the American
Bible Society, the American Tract Society, the American
Sunday-school Union, the American Educational Society,
the American Seamen's Friend Society, the Colonization
Society, the Board of Missions of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign




414            LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
Missions, the Brooklyn Bible and City Tract Societies, etc.,
etc.
At his decease, a minute was put on the records of these
Societies, expressive of their great sense of his loss.
The action of various public institutions in the Episcopal
Church, at this time, expressed in their resolutions, and
already printed in " The Son of Consolation," fully show in
what high esteem he was held, and render further comment
almost needless.
That of the Evangelical Knowledge Society was most
complete and appreciative.
It is to this minute that a highly distinguished presbyter
of our church (a former rector of Christ Church, Brooklyn) refers, in a note to us, dated
"PHILADELPIIIA, January 1, 1864.
"REv. AND DEAR SIR-.... I regret to say that I have no
letters from Dr. Cutler to furnish for the contemplated memoir of
that good man. And if I were to write you what I think of him,
I should but be saying over again what has been so well said already
in various quarters. The last Annual Report of the Evangelical
Knowledge Society contains a notice of Dr. Cutler, which, so far
as a mere estimate or sketch of character is concerned, is very much
what I should say..... I spent eleven years by his side in
Brooklyn, and those years were enough to fill me with love and admiration, such as every one felt for Dr. Cutler who knew him even
less familiarly than I did.....  Dear Dr. Cutler! how few
such Christians have we to lose.! The Lord fill the Church with an
ever-increasing number of such!
" Very truly yours,            JOHN S. STONE."
The minute and resolution of the " Brooklyn City Mission and Tract Society" (of which he was the President)
was also highly expressive, and equally so,was that of the
"American Tract Society."   No one in the  Episcopal
Church (save good Dr. Milnor, of sainted memory) has done
more for this last-named institution.
The following letter from the Corresponding Secretary




CHARA CTEIR, PREA CEHING, WORK, ETC             415
of the Society bespeaks the preciousness of his memory in
these relations:
" NEW YORK, June 13, 1864.. My intimacy with the Rev. Benjamin C. Cutler,
D. D., was chiefly during the last ten years of his life, while he was
a beloved member of the Publishing Committee of the American
Tract Society.           The fact of that Committee representing as many evangelical Christian denominations as there are members, and all the members being active pastors of prominent
churches, and all their meetings being in delightful fraternal harmony, in the one work of making known' Christ crucified' to
a perishing world, seemed to give that Committee an unequalled
charm, that stirred the warm and glowing heart of Dr. Cutler
to its lowest'depths.  He often spoke of the happiness of meeting his dear brethren of the ministry, in the circle where their
hearts and aims were so emphatically one, in the great object for
which he lived.
" I have always thought that I perceived in Dr. Cutler, as in Dr.
Milnor (his predecessor on that Committee), a heart-penetrating glow
of love to distinctive evangelical truth, which characterizes those
who in earlier life came near the shipwreck of the soul, by cherishing some form of religion or morality, in which they falsely trusted,
till God opened their eyes to see the fullness of Christ as the sinner's
only ground of hope.'" Plucked by the grace and spirit of God from  the confines of
destructive error, salvation by Christ became unspeakably dear to
their hearts. Never did I see either of them so engrossed with
pressing engagements,that the vital interests of the soul and of the
kingdom of Christ were not first in the objects of their affections,
and I believe Eternity will reveal this more clearly than it was ever
seen in this present life. In every publication brought under review,
in every plan of usefulness, in every topic of discussion, their hearts
were true to this great theme as the needle to the pole!-a touchstone revealing the real, though perhaps not readily perceived, character and influence of what claimed their judgment and action.
" The whole-souled, unreserved frankness of Dr. Cutler, the cheerful, buoyant overflowing of his generous good-will, in intercourse
with those beloved, was peculiar, and bound to him the hearts of
multitudes.
" There was withal, an originality and a penetrating sagacity in his
suggestions, which were often seen to be worthy of practical regard,
and few at the close of such an interview could fail to feel the benefit.




416           LI'FE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
" Frequently, in the intimacy of Christian friendship, topics of
Christian experience, fidelity in duty to the souls of men, prayerfulness, and all that pertains to godly living and growth in grace,
came up as the natural outgushing of his heart. Daily and almost
hourly he was thus sowing'precious seed,' kindling new desires to
be faithful in all the relations of life, and awakening thankfulness
to God, who had dealt with him so bountifully in spiritual gifts.
" There was beautiful emphasis in his reply (when near death) to
an inquiry,whether he would leave any special message:'I have
said my say; I have no wish to change it.' He had said it every day
of his life, from the time of his conversion; he had said it on the
right occasions, and in the right way; it was clear and emphatic,
and he could not expect to better it as nature was dissolving!-as
if he had said:' Remember the words that I spake unto you, whiie
I was yet present with you.' Dear, precious servant of Christ!
Heaven has new attractions since thy departure! May we, like thee,
be faithful unto death, and receive the gracious crown of eternal
life!                         WMi. A. HALLOCK, Secretary."
How many there are who, in full accord with the above,
can add their testimony, and, with thankfulness, remember
his broad and catholic spirit, which, with unbroken and
uninterrupted charity, was displayed in prayers, in labors,
and fraternal recognition of the whole body of Christian
believers.
In an interesting sermon, preached at St. Ann's soon after
Dr. Cutler's decease, the Rev. L. H. Mills, the late assistant
minister and now the devoted rector of St. Ann's, thus made
allusion to him. We give the concluding paragraphs:
"Our whole Protestant Episcopal communion is bereaved.
One who himself, whose very name, was a rallying-point
around which the most earnest and devoted of her faithful
ministry could gather, is no more!  One foremost in the
ranks of her most valiant warriors, one of the most devout
in evangelical zeal, and one most sacredly loyal to her holy
standards and her venerable offices, is gone!  But, dear
brethren, say'Thy will, 0 God, be done!'
"Still wider and further has this affliction been felt.




CHARA CTER, PREA CHING, WORK, ETC.    41 7
The Church catholic has felt and testified her weighty
grief. The Church universal, the blessed company of all
faithful people, she has seen her standard-bearer fall!
With what solemn grief, let the past and present testify;
when the sorrow of Christians is so widely shared throughout a revering population, and a city mourns in union with
a church bereaved. Great, great has been the loss to all
who love our Lord, and who long for the advancement of
his great kingdom. Yet, in view of all this, say'Thy will,
O God, be done!'' Resignation is the solemn lesson for our stricken souls
at this season. Be willing, therefore, that God's will may
be done on earth as it is in heaven! As it is in heaven!
There are no murmurs there. There are no doubts, no
clouds, nor mists in that pure life; no shadows there cloud
the face of our reconciled Father; all the innumerable,ever —
varied forms of the bright multitudes that throng the golden
streets of the New Jerusalem, bow in most adoring acquiescence to his holy will....        There are no
revolts of the unsubdued will in heaven.  There is no
answering back of the insubordinated will there.'Thy
will be done!' This is the unceasing burden of an unending song, which rises in sweetest harmony from the variously
graded ranks of those who throng the ethereal courts above.
"Let'Thy will be done,' therefore, arise from all our
hearts to-day.  The deepest and holiest delight is ever
enkindled, from -the most humble resignation and submission.
"But oh! this wonderful event! this sad affliction! to us
so dark and so inscrutable!
"As the eye of Heavenly Wisdom looks down upon it, how
blissfully is it transformed! We mourn for ourselves; but
can we mourn for him that is gone? We did, in the infirmity of our inconsistent nature, even mourn and pray and
intercede for him, as though in dying he were bereaved and
18*




418           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
deprived of his highest life. But oh! in the blest reality!
as the dead in Christ behold it, as the angels behold, as the
all-searching eye of God beholds it, what different conclusions are reached concerning his happiness, and the degree
and character of his change.
"' How great the contrast,
In the way that earth and heaven the closing scene of death
Regard. On earth, a spectacle of tears!
Bedewed each cheek and swollen every eye;
In speechless agony each knee is bent
Round the saint's couch, importunate for life,
While still,life's pulses beat. In heaven, a prayer
Is uttered also for the dying one,
By mightier than mortal intercessor;
Emmanuel pleads; but his is not the prayer
For an extension of the transient breath.
He pleads for life immortal as his own;
While from below ascend the burdened sighs
Of weeping relatives,'t is thus he prays:
" Father, I will! thy dying sufferer I,
I have redeemed, be with me where I am,
To share the glory thou hast given me."
The prayer is heard! Omnipotence responds:
" Son, thou art ever with me, all I have
Is thine." To execute the embassy,
Eager, a glorious retinue attend.
"' Go, angels, speed ye to the dying pillow
And waft the spirit into Abraham's bosom!"'*
"Such were the true scenes over which we now mourn.
Oh, let us, dear fellow-Christians! with humble, chastened
happiness, say, in the holy words of Christ's own prayer,'Our Father, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven!"'
On the Sunday following Dr. Cutler's death, the Rev.
Dr. Bancroft, of Montreal, preached at St. Ann's, Brooklyn,
on " The unchangeableness of a Divine Saviour."  A better
subject could not have been chosen, and the people, in full
sympathy with the preacher, manifested much emotion while
* " Wells of Baca."




CHARACTER, PREA CHING, WORK, ETC.              419
highly appropriate allusions were made to the deceased.
The Rev. Messrs. Mills, Sever and Gray also assisted in the
services on the occasion.
It was an affecting circumstance, that on the very day of
the funeral, a dear friend and parishioner was writing to
him from Florence, Italy, in this strain:......"I cannot believe that we are not to meet again
here. I feel that the spring will bring relief to you, and I shall wait
with deep anxiety of heart to learn of your condition; but, my dear
beloved pastor, if it is God's will that you should enter into rest
before we arrive home, it will be to you a deliverance from much
bodily suffering, from a weary mind and an anxious heart. It will
be to you the beginning of that rest' that remaineth for the people
of God,' that joy that is to have no end, the meeting of those who
have been saved, through Christ, by your faithfulness. We (if we
are the children of Jesus) are the fruits of your kind and earnest
labors, and we love you as our spiritual father and pleasant friend.
You are very dear to our hearts, and I hope we may have the privilege of showing you love and affection for many years.
"Remember now, for your comfort, how long you have spoken
for Jesus, the years of patient labor and devotion to his cause, and
how many have accepted him through your teaching. May the
Saviour make all your bed in your sickness!.
"Ever affectionately yours,    G. D. M."
The above is only one among the many testimonies, to the
unseen but blessed influences of his labors for Christ, which
were brought to light after his decease.
Another came over the Atlantic from a gentleman in the
south of England, who had been in Brooklyn, under Dr.
Cutler's roof, but was now just on the eve of taking orders
in the Church of England:
" Of our dear departed friend I can bear my testimony that when
I was a stranger he took me in; I was an hungered, and he gave me
meat; I was thirsty, and he gave me drink; and will not the King
say that, inasmuch as he did it unto me, who am the very least of
his brethren, he did it unto him. Nor will his works end here, for
will not every soul, who, through my ministry, is brought to the




420           LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, only add an additional
lustre to that glorious crown, which he, who was God's chief instrument in my own conversion, now wears?
"'Marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true
are thy ways, thou King of saints!'
" He was called away as a shock of corn ripe for the harvest, from
out of his country's trials and griefs, to that better city which hath
foundations, whose maker and builder is God.
"Ever, dear Mrs. C-, your faithful friend,
" J     D."
His words do indeed " follow him" yet, and he still lives
among us, not in our hearts only, but in the undying influence of his holy life.  Such is the power and " the beauty
of holiness;" the light which shines through a good man's
life outshines the sun in its meridian splendor.
In early youth he gave himself to the Lord and to the
work of the ministry, and he made full proof of his ministry.
After twenty years' experience, in conversation with a
friend, he used this language:
"I have enjoyed an uninterrupted peace of soul; in giving
myself to God, I made a full surrender, keeping back nothing, and though it was a poor gift, it was all I had. I
cannot speak of raptures and transports; I have no experience to tell, nor can I boldly boast assurance; but I
know that my thoughts and affections have all been in one
way, and that I do love the Lord and his people, the Saviour
and his service."  His friend remarked, " You are a happy
man."  He replied, " I am a happy man.  I bless and praise
the Lord for what he has permitted me to do. I have been
twenty years in the ministry, and if he should call me
to-day, or the next time I should enter the pulpit, this is
done; and, although it has been poorly and imperfectly
done, it has been done to the best of my ability, and in his
service, and I will praise and thank him for the high
privilege!"
Twenty years more of labor for his Master, and his work
was done.




CHARA CTER, PREA CHING, WORK, ETC.              421
The lessons which his life impressively teaches are, that
though the path of the child of God may be shrouded in
darkness, yet He who sees the end from the beginning will
cause a light to shine, and in that light, we may walk safely.
Again, that we are to go forward in duty, leaving all
results to God.  We are to toil on a little while, and then
go home; we are to gather encouragement from the faith
and patience of those who have gone before; to take up and
carry forward the work of the Lord, which dropped from
their dying hands, until we, too, are summoned to rest from
our labors and (through the sacrifice of Jesus) receive our
reward.
The earthly remains of this dear servant of God now rest
near Ocean Hill, in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, N. Y.,
over which the people of St. Ann's have erected a chaste
and elegant monument of pure white Italian marble, bearing
the following inscriptions:
On the frontaaz~rt  to tte XtmorT
OF THE
REV. BENJAMIN CLARKE CUTLER, D. D.,
FOR THIRTY YEARS RECTOR OF ST. ANN S CHURCH, BROOKLYN, N. Y.,
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE
FEBRUARY 10TH, 1863, AGED 65 YEARS.
On the right sideWbiz PUonuinet
WAS ERECTED BY HIS PARISHIONERS,
IN
GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF HIS UNTIRING DEVOTION TO THEIR WELFARE;
OF HIS PREACHING, DISTINGUISHED BY THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS
IN CHRIST, AND OF THE EXAMPLE HE HAS LEFT TTIEMN
IN HIS CONSISTENT AND HOLY LIFE.




422              LIFE OF REV. DR. CUTLER.
On the left sideActs xx. 25-27.
AIND NOW, BEHOLD, I KNOW THAT YE ALL, AMON(G WlHOM
I HAVE GONE PREACHING THE KINGDOM OF GOD, SHALL SEE
MY FACE NO MORE; WHEREFORE I TAKE YOU TO RECORD
THIS DAY, THAT I AM PURE FROM THE BLOOD OF ALL MEN;
FOR I HAVE NOT SHUNNED TO DECLARE UNTO YOU ALL THE
COUNSEL OF GOD."
In  St. Ann's Church, Brooklyn, N. Y., upon the chancel
wall, there is placed a mural tablet (of rich, yet simple
design), composed of the purest white marble, bearing this
inscription:
REV. BENJAMIN CLARKE CUTLER, D. D.
Botrn in aoxturv,:Itasz., jod. 6tl, 1798.
3itrb in 3Brooklnn, ft. L., ffb. 1Oth, 1863.
RECTOR OF ST. ANN'S CHURCIH THIRTY YEARS.
This Tablet has been erected by the Parishioners, in token of their
love and of his devoted and successful labors.
" Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in
faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."-2 Timothy, 1st ch. 13th v.
At St. Ann's Church, he was instrumental, under God, in
building up a spiritual temple of living stones, upon which
the Divine Architect has now placed the topmost stone,
amid the shoutings of the angelic host, " Grace, grace unto
it!"
May the mantle of his piety fall upon every successive
pastor, and the power of the Holy Ghost be abundantly
manifested  in  the future, as in the past, then shall not the
glory depart, nor the doom of the Laodicean Church ever
be written upon her walls.
The seals of Dr. Cutler's ministry from out of this church
shall yet be gathered before the Lord. with those from




CHAJRACTER, PREA CHING, WORR, ETC.    423
other parts of the vineyard where he has labored, while he
will be enabled (through the grace of God) triumphantly
to exclaim, "Here, Lord, am I, and the children which thou
hast given me!"
Through a long and honored course on earth, he exhibited
what might be accomplished, (even amid physical weakness
and pain) by entire consecration to the Lord's service. He
endured hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, endued
with strength from on high, and richly refreshed by the
consolations of the Holy Spirit; and his sun has gone down,
at last, in perfect serenity and peace, the sure harbinger of
a bright rising in that eternal kingdom where they that be
wise "SHALL SHINE AS THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE FIRMAMENT;
AND THEY THAT HAVE TURNED MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, AS
THE STARS FOR EVER AND EVER."
LAUS DEOI








APPENDIX.
A.
Page 103.
f anvfwefl X4eftrr
TO THE PARISH OF CHRIST CHURCH, QUINCY, MASS., BY THE
REV. B. C. CUTLER, ON HIS RESIGNATION OF SAID PARISH.
To THE CONGREGATION OF CHRIST CHURCH, QUINCY:
MY DEAR FRIENDS-YOU have been informed that I have
resigned the rectorship of this church, on account of my
present infirm state of health. But if I judge rightly, you
will hardly be willing that the connection which has subsisted
between us should be broken, without bidding youfarewell.
I should be happy, if I could do this, by word of mouth; but
it is denied me, and I must therefore put the few words I
have to say upon paper.
I hoped to have stood up before you, once, at least, the last
summer, and to have preached to you "the gospel of the
blessed God," but my feelings were too strong, and my
nerves too weak, for such an effort; and if I had attempted
it, I should probably have said little for your edification.
I can with difficulty realize that I am to address you, as a
pastor, for the last time. Alas! how fleeting the scenes of
this life. Our intercourse seems like some solemn dream.
(425)




426                  APPENDIX.
So it seems to us, but not so does it appear to God. He,
doubtless, looks upon it as a reality; to him, its scenes are
all separate and distinct. Every year of that intercourse,
with all its instruction, and exhortation, stands charged
against you, and against me, as either faithfully or unfaithfiully delivered and received.
Of my imperfections in preaching, in visiting, and in every
thing relating to you, I am aware; and I have not waited
until this time, to make my confessions to God. But, perhaps,
I ought to say, that, sensible as I am of my unworthiness
in labors, I am not sensible of any intentions toward
you but those of faithfulness and truth. I have endeavored
to preach, as I thought you could bear it, the truth of God,
as revealed in the Scriptures; and few, if any of you, I presume, could charge me in a future state with never having
warned you of your danger. Who of you, my friends, can
meet your pastor in the world of spirits and say: Wretched
minister! you saw me living in sin, and going down to destruction, and never made known to me that Holy God,
whom I was provoking? Wretched minister of Christ! you
saw me denying the Son of God, and you never held him up
in bleeding compassion, as able and willing to save my soul!
Wretched man! you were placed over me, to set an example of deadness to the world, and you joined with me, in all
its pleasures and pursuits! It may be, and I tremble while
I think of it; it may be, if I had been more faithful in warning you, and more exemplary in living, some of you, who have
long been halting between two opinions, would have decided
in favor of God and your own salvation. God in mercy
forgive me, for Christ's sake. But, my dear friends, consider
whether my warnings, imperfect as they were, may not make
you, without excuse; consider whether my poor ministry
among you, may not be appealed to, in future, as increasing
your condemnation.
What reply must I make, should such questions as these be




APPENDIX.                    427
put to me?-Did you plainly warn that man to flee from the
wrath to come? Did you repeatedly set before him the folly
and danger of delay? Did you humbly and kindly advise him
to come out of the world? Did you, in moments when his
heart was softened by sickness, or affliction, drop words of
invitation from me?  0 Lord God! he has had all this,
thou knowest. I addressed him from the pulpit; and in his
hours of sickness, I urged him by his mercies, to go to Christ
-but I could not prevail. I have little doubt that both the
pastor and the people, in looking by the light of Eternity
upon this relation about expiring, will see cause of sorrow.
I have sorrowed already. I have confessed my unworthiness,
and unfaithfulness; I have asked forgiveness of God for the
sake of Jesus Christ. I have blessed God again and agaiL,
that he did not cut me off, when I was so sick among you,
but gave me time to examine my past life and ask forgiveness. Let me advise you to consider, seriously, whether you
have been faithful on your part in hearing; to consider
what account God may require of you, for the past. instruction and persuasion which you have had; and also, for the
sermons, the examples and the exertions of your present
minister. May he be more successful than I have been. I
shall rejoice in all his exertions; and though he may reap what
another sowed, I pray that the time is at hand, when " he that
soweth and  he that reapeth" shall "rejoice together."
Strengthen his hands, I pray you, my brethren, by affording
him every assistance in your power, in the great work in which
he is engaged-of promoting piety, good morals, and peace
among men. Encourage his heart, by attending regularly on
public worship and the preaching of the Word; and in your
families, discover to him, as you have to me, a readiness to
hear a word of exhortation, and to unite in praver to God
for blessings on your household. Now, I pray God that
you and I, who have so often stood in the temple of God on
earth, may stand together at God's right hand in his courts




428                  APPENDIX.
above. I commend you to God the Father, the Son. and
the Holy Ghost, now and evermore. Amen.
To THE COMMUNICANTS OF CHRIST CHURCH:
DEARLY BELOVED IN THE LORD-Our separation will, I
hope, be short; we are, I trust, and ever shall be, joined in
spirit.
" Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love"
I look upon you as relatives, as members of the same
family, who after a few more trials, neither distance of place
nor death will separate. I have gathered most of you into
the Church of the First-born, of which, although unworthy, I
hope, I am myself a member. At the new birth of many of
you, I have experienced the emotions of a father's heart,
when he hears that unto him a child is born. Can I ever
forget you? Can I ever give the place you hold in my
heart to others? No; I have shed too many tears; I have
experienced too many spiritual joys; I have taken too much
sweet counsel with you, my beloved, immortal relatives, ever
to forget you; above all, I am too much indebted to you for
long-continued, ardent, effectual prayers, to which I attribute many of my blessings, ever to forget you. May I ask
you to continue your prayers for me, and in return be assured
of mine.  I have made this allusion to my feelings, from
a fear that you might suppose them to be easily changed. I
believe they are sacred and lasting; yes, everlasting. I trust
they are an earnest of our future inheritance, and whether I
or you depart this life first, I anticipate with you a joyful
meeting, a meeting of joy unspeakable and full of glory;
and it may help to reconcile us to the sharpness of death, to
think, when we shut our eyes upon the few friends weeping
around us, that we shall open them the next moment upon a
multitude of friends rejoicing with us, who, witnessing our




APPENDIX.                    429
last struggles, had been preparing cordials for our lips, the
moment we had finished our cup of bitterness.
First. My beloved friends, be earnest in religion; make
the salvation of your immortal souls, the great business of
life. Read the Bible, pray to God, attend upon public worship, hear the preacher, and examine your hearts, as if every
thing depended on these exercises. A wise man will leave
no stone unturned to promote a great object. Think no
means of grace too small, or too poor, or of too little importance for you to attend to it. I am convinced if we want to
be safe and happy in religion, we must make it the all-absorbing object.
Second. Let us be humble in religion. If you and I are
Christians, we are young Christians, weak Christians, and
inexperienced Christians. Oh! how much have we yet to
learn of Christ, of the work of his promised Spirit on the
heart, of the great plan of redemption? How much have
we to learn of "the deceits of the world, the flesh and the
Devil!" I am afraid that my ministry, as it respects Christ
and his cross, was but a poor one. I seem as yet to have
learnt only the alphabet of that great mystery!" Let us
then gird up the loins of our mind, and begin with new vigor
the Christian life, as persons who, having learned the
alphabet, have the whole language before them. Let us begin,
as at the bottom of our class of Christians, and with a holy
emulation strive to excel in virtue, that is, in the knowledge
and love of Christ. The Lord cause us more and more to
know and to love his Son!
Third. Let us be charitable in religion; if we are humble, we shall of course be charitable. I do not mean charitable in such a sense, that we care not what a man believes;
but, that we make allowances for men, both as to what they
b;elieve and what they do. Let us not set up ourselves as
being something, when we ought to be in our own estimation as nothing.  In lowliness of mind, let each esteem




430                 APPENDIX.
others better than themselves. Philippians ii. 3.  If we
have experienced religion, let us not be hasty in deciding
that others have not; but rather consider whether they,
with our advantages, might not have experienced religion
much better than we have.
To be charitable, in another sense, I need not write unto
you; for you have ever been ready to bestow your alms for
the relief of the bodies and souls of your fellow-men. I
trust you are convinced of the truth of that saying, " He that
hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord;" and look!
what he layeth out, it shall be paid him again; and no man
ever served God for naught.
Fourth. Be devoted to reading and meditating on the Bible;
there you will see charity described; there you will sit at
the feet of patterns of piety, in contemplating whose excellencies you will be made humble; there you will find Christ
your all in all; and as you look steadily unto Jesus, you will
be transformed from your present defaced image of God, to
an humble, but glorious image of him. Go to the Bible to
learn your doctrines; hear your preacher, but hold fast your
Bible. Common advantages in education; common sense,
with earnest prayer to God, will ensure a right knowledge
of the Holy Scriptures, and upon that knowledge, will greatly
depend your salvation. Daily reading the works of some
spiritual author, or approved commentator on the Bible,
will also be of great service to you.
Fifth. Lastly, be steadfast and immovable.  You are
members of a pure and gospel church. Be not carried away
by diverse and strange doctrines! You know now what
you believe, and what, if they live, your children will probably believe, after you. For more than one hundred years
this church has stood, the repository of" the truth as it is in
Jesus;" and you have reason to believe, if you continue
steadfast, if you support this church by your attendance, your
example and your prayers, one hundred years more will roll




APPENDIX.                    431
by, and Christ will still be held up to your descendants, as
th'eir divine and almighty Saviour.  Let nothing draw
you away from the communion of i Church, whose moderation in doctrine, whose fervor in devotion, and whose order
in ecclesiastical discipline, has been the admiration of the.
wise and good of many ages.
I have now only to commend to you,the minister whom you
have called to take charge of the church. Beloved, be to
him, as you have been to me, kind, attentive, and teachable.,
Remember him and his family in your daily prayers to God;
remember him, in your intercourse, as the ambassador of
God; every honor you pay him, you pay to his Master in
heaven. Remember him, in providing for your households,
as he is bound in Scripture to provide for his.
And now, farewell, dearly beloved in the Lord! Let the
right hand of God be our place of meeting! When the
trials and wanderings of life are over, may I not fail of
reaching that place myself, and may I find no one of you absent. Let vice, and sin, and folly die in the grave of our
conversion; and let us all rise to newness of life, by the
power of the Holy Ghost, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Thanks be to God, for his unspeakable gift!
Your friend and servant,
BENJAMIN CLARKE CUTLER.
LEESBURG, VA., February 3, 1831.




B.
Page 107.
ghttrh of a (gonfirmat%0t
AT ST. PAUL'S, ALEXANDRIA, VA., IN THE YEAR 1831, IN A
LETTER TO MRS. WILLIAM JACKSON, BY THE REV. B. C.
CUTLER, AND DESIGNED FOR THE ARTIST'S PENCIL.
I WOULD have the picture taken, just at the time when
the Bishop had finished laying his hands on Bro. Mann's
old African Christian-an old man. The first collection of
young and beautiful flowers had risen from their knees and
removed back a little, without breaking the circle; then five
or six young African women, with clean white turbans, being
invited, came from a side aisle and kneeled down a little to
the right of the front of the chancel, as I stood within the
rails-an old black woman placed herself at the extreme
right. Then came through the crowd, on the left, an aged
black man, athletic in his form, and kneeled down; his coat
was much worn, there were large holes upon his shoulders,
but his shirt was clean; his head was bald, and his expression was one of indifference to every visible object around
him. I touched your husband and said, "Look there! Is
that a proper subject for confirmation?" Mr. Mann at that
moment drew near, and the Bishop then laid his hands upon
the head of this aged African. I said to myself, It is Lazarus, come to lay his head upon Abraham's bosom. There was
the father of the faithful, the venerable Bishop (Moore), who
is himself an inspiring object to every beholder, receiving this
poor disciple to the peaceful bosom of the visible body of
Christ, and if not carrying him, there were almost angelic
(432)




APPENDIX.                      433
forms clustered around his beggar-like body.  Just at that
moment, a friend was bringing forward a young lady, who
had been kept back by the crowd,or her own fears.
The chancel was well furnished, if not filled, with ministers, and one or two were in the reading-desk.
The house was crowded, principally with female worshippers, thickly interspersed with children who had come to see
their weekly school-fellows consecrated to God.
In front of the chancel, were a boy and girl in black, the
son and daughter of the deceased and lamented Dr. Wilmer.
The spirit of the father seemed to have brought his son, like
Hannibal of old, at this youthful age, up to the altar of God
to vow eternal enmity to sin. Oh may he fill his father's
place in the army of Christ!
A mother, too, I saw, who was standing behind her daughter,
thus early giving her up to God, and assuring the church
that its youthful member would find in her parent religious
encouragement and support. I looked up and saw the
mystic dove almost dropping from above the pulpit on the
hallowed scene. The brilliant light of the house, and the
interest of the worshippers added a material lustre, but the
belief that these were blood-bought souls, and heaven-born
spirits, far eclipsed the other light. Here, " Barbarian, Scythian, bond and free," (Col. iii. 11.) were one in Christ.
The scene, so impressive, so holy and beautiful, made me
exclaim: " There is a propriety in such a service itself, even
if it had not been of apostolic authority!"*
* See "1 Memoirs of Rev. Wm. Jackson," by Mrs. Jackson, p. 150.
19




C.
Page 227.
FROM THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL GIRLS OF THE CHURCH OF ST.
STEPHEN'S, COLEMAN STREET,'LONDON, TO THE SUNDAYSCHOOLS OF ST. ANN'S, BROOKLYN, N. Y.
July 8, 1843.
DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST JESUS-During
the visit of your beloved pastor to this land, we have been
highly favored with his presence at our church.and school,
and were much pleased with the account he gave us of the
progress of Christian religion in your Sunday-schools.
We received by him  many pleasing and instructive
lessons from you, for which we return our sincere thanks,
and trust that we shall -ever remember and live according
to them; for how great will be our condemnation, if we
neglect those blessed things we are taught. We think we
are greatly blest in having such a pastor as the Rev. Josiah
Pratt, for promoting our eternal welfare, and also encouraging us to go on with zeal in the missionary cause. Think,
my dear fellow scholars, what a privilege it is for us to be
born in a Christian land where the gospel is freely preached
to all, with Sabbath-schools to attend, and so many dear
teachers to instruct us in the way of salvation, and warn us
to flee from the wrath to come. To our Superintendents,
who are the Misses Pratt, we owe many thanks, and trust
we shall ever be grateful for their kindness and instruction,
and with the blessing of God, profit by them, and bring
forth fruit, like good seed in a fruitful soil, knowing that
(434)




APPENDIX.                    435
we are not our own, but bought with a price. Oh, may we
give our hearts to God in our youth!
"Youth is the time, would we be blest
With God's peculiar smile;
The time the most approved and best,
To learn his sovereign will."
God has said, "I love them that love me, and they that
seek me early shall find me." We have every opportunity
of doing so; let us embrace it, and walk in love, as Christ
also has loved us, and given himself for us, an offering and
a sacrifice to God.
Pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit of God to strengthen
you;' for "by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that
not in yourselves —it is the gift of God."
Be obedient to your teachers, for in so doing you will
please God. Pray for all nations round about you, and may
your prayers with the prayers of England, be answered
to the good of many souls.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all,
until your life's end. Amen.
Signed in behalf of the whole school, containing ninety girls,
MARTHA MILLER,          EMMA NICHOLS,
ELIZABETH MILLER,       MARY ANN KNAPP,
SARAH MILLER,           ESTHER HUDSON,
SARAH HAM.




D.
ORIGINAL LINES BY THE REV. B. C. CUTLER, D. D.
6azing Otr thc Orrau.
I ASKED the Sea, when musing o'er
Its silent depths and boundless shore,
If on its waves, I could not find
Some lasting comfort for my mind;
Or, if with all its hidden store
Of jewels, pearls, and golden ore,
I could not purchase from above,
That peace for which I vainly rove.
The Ocean heard my useless cry,
And lifted up its voice on high,
"Not on my waves can peace be found,
Nor through my caverns traversed round;
"I rise and fall at His command,
Who holds me in his powerful hand;
And never,wilt thou comfort feel,
Until His word is,' Peace, be still!'"
B. C. C.
(436)




E.
MANY have inquired what was the precise nature of the
disease which terminated Dr. Cutler's life, and we therefore subjoin the following, under the signature of his
medical adviser:
" Thepost mortem examination of the late Rev. B. C. Cutler,
D. D., developed an immense abscess in the right lung; the
lung was found adhering to the pleura by ossification,
extending downward to the diaphragm. This caused the
terrible spasmodic cough, which so distressed him the last
few weeks of his life.
F. W. OSTRANDER, M. D.
BROOKLYN, N. Y., September 3,1864.
(43')




F.
"'1  gow that PM gttattmvr  Ptth."'
A REMINISCENCE OF THE REV. DR. B. C. CUTLER,
BY AUGUSTA BROWNE GARRETT.
IT is marvelous what a sanctifying haze is thrown
around an object, by its association with the sainted dead.
Our inner world is thronged with sweet memories, inseparably linked with those gone hence. The above named
sacred song, I shall never hear without a vivid remembrance
of the benign countenance of that pastor beloved, the late
Dr. Cutler, Rector of St. Ann's Church, Brooklyn.
In my mind, there are many hallowed associations connected with this song of songs. The tenderest of them, is
with that of a young artist brother, who passionately loved its
soul-elevating strains, and one of whose last requests was, to
hear it, as he lay awaiting the coming of the " Redeemer"
himself, to lead him through the dark valley; but the latest
association is with that faithful and revered minister of God,
the Rev. B. C. Cutler, D. D., with whom it was a favorite.
Some time previous to his demise, I had occasion to call
at his house, and after a short conversation on literary topics,
he arose from his chair, remarking that he would like to
hear some music, and, opening the pianoforte, placed upon
the desk, the Oratorio of the Messiah, and requested me to
play and sing this most seraphic of compositions, "I know
that my Redeemer liveth." When it was finished, he commented at some length, on its rare sweetness and expression
of holy assurance, and told me that a few days previous, he
(438)




APPENDIX.                    439
had stood in the old church burial-ground on Fulton Street,
where were, in the course of removal, the remains of hundreds, many of them his former parishioners, and that while
he witnessed the mouldering fragments of humanity thrown
up, he thought how utterly miserable we should be, if bereft
of the surety of a resurrection to life eternal, and he could
but dwell on those cheering words of hope, " I KNOW THAT
IMY REDEEMER LIVETH! X
"New York Observer," June 23, 1864.