-»¦

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

WORCESTER PULPIT;

WITH NOTICES

HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL

REV. E. SMALLEY, D. D.,
rASTOK OF THE UHION CHUKCH, WORCESTER, MASS.

BOSTON :
PHILLIPS, SAMPSON AND COMPANY.
1851.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by
PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, AND COMPANY,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.
WRIGHT AND HASTY's STEAM PRESS PRINT.

y

Unamptta.

TO THE
MEMBERS OF THE CHURCHES
AND
OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES
I N
WORCESTER, THIS VOLUME, s
INTENDED TO PRESERVE THE MEMORY
OF THEIR RELIGIOUS TEACHERS,
IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED
B Y T H E AUTHOR.

PREFACE.

A eight view of the past, will contribute to wise conduct in the future. A
true knowledge of those who have gone before us, will facilitate an acquaint
ance with ourselves. To separate the present from the past, were it practi
cable, would be ruinous ; we could not do it if we would, we would not if we
could. Yet there is great danger, in the hot excitement of present life, of
practically forgetting the wholesome lessons that are read to us by other
days and other scenes. Long ago, it was said by John Owen, " The world is
at present in a mighty hurry, and being in many places cast off from all
foundations of steadfastness, it makes the minds of men giddy with its revo
lutions, and disorderly in the expectations of them." If this was true two
centuries ago, it is true with an emphasis to-day. There is nothing of cari
cature, scarcely a spice of exaggeration in the remark of one of our elegant
writers, that " men seem resolved upon bringing the time speedily about,
when they may look around them, and reversing the declaration of the wise
man, be able to say, There is nothing old under the Sun ! "
It is wise, then, at times to withdraw from the hurry of the present, and
expatiate amid the dim, but instructive silences of the past. ( What were
prospect to us, without retrospect ? A strange land without a guide.' A
wise forecast is becoming in man ; but to look forward wisely, we must often
and thoughtfully look backward. Whatever, therefore, has a fitness to turn
men's thoughts to the lessons of history, is so far valuable.
Impressed with these views, the writer of this volume has aimed to bring
together, in a readable form, the more important facts respecting the church
and the pulpit of Worcester : for if general history has its useful beariugs
upon the mind and life, the history of the church, addressing itself to the
spiritual nature of man, must have pre-eminent importance From the incep
tion of the undertaking to the present moment, he has found an increasing
interest in it, and he is not without hope that the work will in some degree,
combine both instruction and entertainment for the reader. He has been
much indebted to Lincoln's History of Worcester in his preparations for the
press, and hereby expresses his thanks to the brother of that author, the
Hon. John W. Lincoln, for permission to make free use of its facts and
statements. To all others who have kindly lent him their aid in furnishing
1*

b PREFACE.
illustrations for the Pulpit, he would return due acknowledgment. He
would also express his regret that he could not find room for all the contribu
tions forwarded by his friends. At first, he doubted whether he should be
able to command the materials requisite for a respectable volume ; but the
work in its progress so grew upon his hands, and the matter for its pages
became so abundant, that a severe abridgment was often found indispensable
in order to keep the work within reasonable dimensions. It will be seen that
the Pulpit illustrations not only exhibit great diversity in respect of style and
literary excellence, but also contain opinions that are not in precise accord
ance with each other. Where selections were to be made from the pulpit
ministrations of several denominations of Christians, of course no other result
could be anticipated. The candid reader will doubtless recognize and cheer
fully allow the right of each one who speaks in this Pulpit, to express his
own thoughts in his own way, and hold the Editor responsible for no sentir
meut which he has not either directly, or indirectly endorsed. It was no
part of his intention to prepare a work which should gratify a few at the
expense of being offensive to the many. He desired that each denomination,
with its pulpit, should be presented fairly ; and, although he could wish that
the work were a far less imperfect realization of his intention, yet, such as it
is, he now commits it to the indulgent regards of those for whom it was prin
cipally intended, with the hope that its historical notices, and biographical
sketches will increase their respect for the men who have passed away, and
that the counsels and admonitions of its Pulpit may fall upon willing ears,
and aid in making better the heart and the life.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
EARLY HISTORY OF THE TOWN.
fy 1. First Settlement. When begun, p. 13. Its name, 14. Re
port of Committee as to the aspect and capacity of the place, 15.
Deed from the Indians, 16. Progress of the place, 16. Destroyed
by Philip's War, 18.
2. Second Settlement. Its obstacles, 18. Change of name, 19.
Survey and distribution of territory, 20. No record extant, 20.
Queen Anne's War, and the place again destroyed, 20.
3. Permanent Settlement. When begun, and by whom, 21. Pro
gress in three years, 22. Mode of living, 22. Remarkable lon
gevity, note on p. 22. Date of organization as a town, 23.
Public and religious spirit of the inhabitants, 23 — 25.
CHAPTER II.
FIRST CHURCH AND ITS MINISTRY.
fy 1. Gathering of the Church. First meeting-house, 26. Second
meeting-house, 27. Sentiments respecting church-organization,
28. Date of organization, 30. First Deacons, 30.
2. Rev. Andrew Gardner. When ordained, 31. Complaints against
him, 32. Measures to remove him, with advice of Cotton Mather,
32 — 33. Dismissed, 34. Early history of, settlement in Lunen
burg, difficulties there, and his dismission, 34 — 36. Becomes a
teacher, 37. Sketch of his character, 38 — 42.
3. Rev. Isaac Burr. His ordination, 44. Happy ministry for fifteen
years, 45. Trials, 46 — 48. Dismissed, 48. Early life and sketch
of his character, 49 — 51.
4. Rev. Thaddeus Maccarty. Preceded by numerous candidates, 52.
Officiates with Rev. Jonathan Mayhew, 53. When installed, 54.
Continuance of his ministry, 56. Early life, settlement in Kings
ton, and dismission, 57 — 59. Sickness and death, 60. Monu
mental inscription, 61. Character and qualities as a preacher,
66 — 67. Sermon on Spiritual Freedom, 68 — 84. Extracts from
discourse delivered July 14, 1774, 86 — 98.
5. Rev. Samuel Austin, D. D. Preceded by Rev. Daniel Story, 99.
When settled, 99. Early life, 100—104. Ordained at Fair

8 CONTENTS.
Haven, 104. Reasons for his dismission thence, 105. His labors
in Worcester, 106—111. Slanderous report refuted, 106, (note).
Connection with Benevolent Societies, 107. Opposition to his
political sermons, 109. Removal to Burlington, 111. 1 rials i and
success there, 112. Settled in Newport, 113. Returns to Wor-
cester, and meets with unexpected trials, 114. toes to North
ampton, thence to Glastenbury, Ct , death, 115, 116. Character
as a man, and a minister, 116—123. Sermon on Religion our
Life, 128 — 145. Sermon on experimental witness, 149—172.
6. Rev. Charles A. Goodrich. When settled, 173. His success and
trials, 174. His early life, 175. Literary labors, 176. His
sermon on ' sin universal, and reasons for preaching the doctrine,'
181—198.
7. Rev. Araetius B. Hull. When ordained, 198. Early history,
199. Sickness and death, 200. Character as a man, a Christian,
and a Christian minister, 201. Epitaph, 202. His sermon on the
' Providence of God,' 207—219.
8. Rev. Rodney A. Miller. His early life, ordination, ministry and
dismission, 220, 221.
9. Rev. George P. Smith. When educated, when settled, and
prospects of usefulness, 222, 223.
Review of First Church, 223—225.
CHAPTER III.
SECOND CHURCH AND ITS MINISTRY.
§ 1. Formation of the church. State of things at the time of Mr.
Maccarty's decease, 226. Efforts to settle two clergymen over the
same society, 227. Diversity of religious opinions, 228. Seces
sion, and the formation of a new Society, 228. Regarded as a
bold innovation, 229. The church organized and minister settled,
230. House of worship erected, 231.
2. Rev. Dr. Bancroft. When settled, 232. Early history, 233, 234.
Tribute to Mrs. B., 235. His literary labors, 236. Character as
a man and a minister, 238 — 249. Sermon on the ' Ministry of
Christ in human salvation,' 251 — 262. Sermon on ' Lessons from
Nature,' 263—273.
3. Rev. Alonzo Hill. Colleague of Dr. Bancroft, 274. When set
tled, and principal facts in his ministry, 274 — 276. Extracts from
his sermon, 276 — 283.
CHAPTER IV.
BAPTIST CHURCH AND MINISTRY.
§ 1. The Church organized. Number of Baptists in 1795, 281.
Circumstances that favored their increase, and when regular wor
ship was instituted, 285. Settlement of a pastor, and erection of a
house of worship, 286.

CONTENTS. 9
2. Rev. William Benlley. His early life, 287. When settled 288.
Various and long-continued labors, habits as a preacher, 289.
3. Rev. Jonathan Going, D. D. His installation in Worcester,
290. Early history and first settlement, 291. Tact as a preacher,
292. His labors and success in Worcester, 293 — 295. Dismis
sion, and connection with the Baptist Home Mission Society, 296.
President of Granville College, 297. His useful services, 298.
Mental characteristics and ministerial qualifications, 299 — 303.
Sermon on ' Tempting God,' 305—321.
4. Rev. F. A. Willard. His early life, settlement, and several
positions he occupied, 321 — 323. Extracts from his sermon,
323—325.
5. Rev. J. Aldrich. Native place, early education and settlements,
326—328. Paragraphs from his sermon, 329—333.
6. Rev. S. B. Swaim. Principal facts in his life, 334.
CHAPTER V.
CALVINIST CHURCH AND MINISTRY.
^ 1. Church organized. Occasion for forming the church, 335.
Action of councils, 336. Date of formation, 336. House of wor
ship, and settlement of pastor, 337. Difficulties with First Church
settled, 338. Church prosperous, 340.
2. Rev. L. I. Hoadley. Principal facts in his early history and
mature life, 340 — 343. His sermon on ' God's Hand in all
things,' 345—366.
3. Rev. J. S. C. Abbott. Principal events in his early and profes
sional life, 367, 368. His sermon on ' the Triumphs of the Gos
pel,' 369—383.
4. Rev. David Peabody. Early history and professional life, 384 —
390. Character as a man, a Christian and a Christian minister,
390—396. His sermon on ' Maturity for Heaven,' 397 — 410.
5. Rev. S. Sweetser. When installed, 410. Previous settlement,
&c, 411. CHAPTER VI.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND MINISTRY.
§ 1. The Church formed. Beginning of Methodist worship, and
date of the organization of the society, 412. House of worship
destroyed by fire, another erected, growth of the church, 413.
2. Rev. Joseph A. Merrill. Eventful history, 415. Character, 416
3. Rev. George Pickering. Life and character, 417, 418.
4. .Ren. John T. Burrill, 419.
5. Rev. James Porter, 419.
6. Rev. Messrs. Horton, Scudder 6f Raymond, 420.
7. Rev. Charles K. True, D. D., 421.

10 CONTENTS.
8. Rev. Messrs. Binney, Bridge <t Crowell, 422.
9. Rev. Nelson E. Cobleigh, 423. His sermon on Jesus the
Saviour of his people,' 425—439.
CHAPTER VII.
ROMAN CATHOLIC MINISTRY.
§ 1. Establishment of Catholic Worship, 440.
2. Ministers of the Catholic Church, 440—442.
CHAPTER VIII.
UNION CHURCH AND ITS PASTORS.
§ 1. Organization of the Church. Circumstances preceding, and
date of formation, 443. Dedication of their house of worship, 444,
2. Rev. Jonathan E. Woodbridge. When settled, his dismission,
and recommendation, 445. His sermon on ' Aids to Heavenly
Contemplation,' 447 — 461.
3. Rev. E. Smalley. When installed in Worcester, and previous
settlement, 462.
CHAPTER IX.
SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH AND MINISTRY.
§ 1. Church organized. Date of formation, and circumstances pre
ceding and following, 463. House of worship dedicated, 464.
2. Rev. John Jennings. Principal events in his early and profes
sional life, 465.
3. Rev. Charles K. Colver, 466.
CHAPTER X.
UNIVERSALIS! SOCIETY AND MINISTERS.
§ 1. Formation of Society. When organized, and erection of house
of worship, 467 ..
2. Ministry. Rev. Messrs. S. P. Landers, Albert Case, & 0. H.
Tillotson, 467, 468. Extracts from Mr. Tillotson's discourse on
' the Worship of God,' 469 — 473.
CHAPTER XI.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND MINISTRY.
§ 1. Worship established. First attempt to organize a society, and
labors of Rev. Thomas H. Vail, 474. Second and successful effort,
and dedication of church, 475.

CONTENTS. 11
2. Rev. George T. Chapman, D. D. Early life and professional
services, 476. His sermon on ' Ascent to Heaven difficult, and
descent to hell facile,' 479—496.
3. Rev. George H Clark, 497.
4. Rev. Nathaniel I. Bent, 498.
CHAPTER XII.
SECOND METHODIST CHURCH AND MINISTRY.
§ 1. Organization of the Church. Reason for iorming a Second
Church of this denomination, 499. Date of organization, and dedi
cation of church edifice, 500.
2. Rev. Richard S. Rust, 501.
3. Rev. J. W. Mowry, 501.
4. Rev. George Dunbar, 501.
5. Rev. Francis A. Griswold, 502.
CHAPTER XIII.
CHURCH OF THE UNITY.
^ 1. Its formation. Preliminary measures, house of worship and
services at dedication, 503. Hymn by Judge Thomas, 504. Reso
lutions respecting the Lord's Supper, 504.
2. Rev. Edward E. Hale. His early history, ordination and pro
fessional life, 605. Extracts from his sermon on ' Joy to all
people,' 506—514.
CHAPTER XIV.
SALEM STREET CHURCH AND PASTOR.
$ 1. The Church organized. Demand for a new church of this
order, preliminary measures, date of organization, 515. Dedica
tion of house of worship, and encouraging prospects of the new
enterprise, 516.
2. Rev. George Bushnell. When ordained, early life of, 517.
CHAPTER XV.
MISCELLANEOUS.
§ 1. Scotch Presbyterian Church. When formed, 518. Per
secutions they endured, 519. Attempt to obtain their rights, 520.
Disbanded, 520. Rev. Edward Fitzgerald, and Rev. William
Johnston, 519, 520.
2. Chapel at the Lunatic Hospital. Reasons for establishing relig
ious worship among the insane, 522. Dedication of the Chapel,
522. Success of the experiment, 523. First chaplain, Rev.
Luzerne Rae, 525. Second chaplain, Rev. Julius A. Reed, 526.
Present chaplain, Rev. George Allen, 527.

12

CONTENTS.

Gaol Chapel. When established, 529. First chaplain, Rev.
George Dunbar, 529. Present incumbent, Mr. Irancis Le
Baron, 529.
City Missions, 530.
Society of Friends, 530.
Second Advent Church, 531.

Note A.
Note B.
Note C.
Note D.
Note E.
Note F.

Note G

Note H

Note I.

Note J.

Note K

Note L.

Note M.

APPENDIX.
Order of the ' Great and GeneralCourt,' in Oct
11, 1665 
Indian Deed, July 13, 1674.
Digory Serjent ; peculiar Will. .
Covenant of the First Chureh, 1746. .
Changes in mode of singing, and of seating people
in the meeting-house. ....
Articles of Faith and Covenant of First Church
1790 
Covenant of Second Church, 1785.
Confession and Covenant of First Baptist Church
1812 
Confession and Covenant of Calvinist Church, 1820
Confession and Covenant of Union Church, 1836
Declaration and Covenant of Second Baptist
Church, 1841. •
Confession of Universalist Church, 1843. .
Confession and Covenant of Salem Street Chureh
1848 

535
536
537 538
540511 546
547 553
554
556

560

THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

CHAPTER I.
EARLY HISTORY OF THE TOWN.
§ 1. First Settlement.
The history of our Pilgrim Fathers can never lose its inter
est, either for their descendants or for the civilized world.
Their ' persecutions for righteousness' sake,' voluntary
exile from the land of their birth, and emigration to this
then wilderness world, have, with all the sternness of
reality, more than the interest of romance. Their spirit
was peculiar. It was characterized not only by religious
fervor, and heroic bravery, but also by indomitable enter
prise. Their piety was not of the dreamy or anchoretic
kind, but energetic, robust, diffusive. Their heart in the
heavens, their eye was keen to observe the' indications of
Divine providence ; at the same time, they had wise fore
thought, and large practical sagacity respecting things
' seen and temporal.' Plymouth, Salem, Lynn and Bos
ton received, but could not confine them. They were soon
on the outlook for eligible places, in which to plant the
germs of new towns and villages. In less than half a cen
tury from the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, meas-
2

14 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
ures had been taken for the settlement of what is now the
city of Worcester. Grants of land made by the govern
ment to different individuals in 1657, 1662, and 1664,
were subsequently designated and set off by them near the
small lake called Quinsigamond. The name of this beauti
ful sheet of water was given to the new settlement, and
long after retained by it. In 1665, the ' Great and Gen
eral Court,' of the Colony appointed a Committee* to survey
this locality, to ascertain whether it be a ' meet place for a
plantation.' This Committee having been prevented from
performing that service, another was empowered by the
same authority in 1667, ' to take an exact view, as soon as
conveniently they can, to make true report whether the
place be capable to make a village, and what number of
families, they conceive, may be there accommodated. And
if they find it fit for a plantation, then to offer some meet
expedient how the same may be settled, and improved for
the public good.' This Committee, having attended to the
duty assigned them, made a favorable report,! from which
one or two extracts will not be without interest to the pres
ent occupants of what was Quinsigamond.
" We conceive it expedient, that the honored Court will
be pleased to reserve it for a town, being conveniently
situated, and well watered with ponds and brooks, and lying
near midway between Boston and Springfield, about one
day's journey from either : and for the settling thereof we
do offer unto the Court that which follows : viz.
That there be a meet proportion of land granted and laid

* Appendix, A.
t Colony Records, IV., 624,— as quoted in Lincoln's History of Wor
cester, p. 3.

FIRST SETTLEMENT. 15
out for a town, in the best form the place will bear, about
the contents of eight miles square :
That a prudent and able committee be appointed and
empowered to lay it out ; to admit inhabitants, and order
the affairs of the place, in forming the town, granting lots,
and directing and ordering all matters of a prudential
nature, until the place be settled with a sufficient number
of inhabitants, and persons of discretion, able to order the
affairs thereof, in the judgment of the Court :
That due care be taken by said committee, that a good
minister of God's word be placed there, as soon as may be ;
that such people as maybe there planted, may not live like
lambs in a large place."
The Committee estimated that this " tract of very good
chestnut tree land," would accommodate about thirty
families, exclusive of the grants which had been made to
individuals, and, inclusive of those grants, about sixty
families. Those who now behold a population of more than
seventeen thousand within the limits of considerably less
than these eight miles square,* note what a centre they
have become for a large and populous County, number the
railroads that converge to a point here, and appreciate the
capabilities of the place, with its prospects of increasing
population and wealth, will not regard the estimate as ex
travagant. Notwithstanding the favorable report of the Committee,
untoward circumstances retarded the settlement of the
* In 1740, the northerly part of Worcester was set off into a distinct town,
with the name of Holden ; and in 1778, 2200 acres, with the inhabitants
thereon, were taken from this town to aid in forming the town of Ward, —
now Auburn. See Whitney's History of Worcester County, p. 27.

16 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
place for several years. Not until 1674, was the work
fairly begun. In the Spring of that year, a few individuals
laid outhouse lots, and began to build, and to breakup
the soil. Embarrassed by the claim of a private individual,
the committee of settlement had recourse to the legislative
authority, and a petition to the General Court signed by
thirty-three men who contemplated settlement here, was
followed by an adjustment of the difficulties. The next step
was to propitiate the Indians in the neighborhood. On the
13th of July, 1674, a deed was executed by the Sagamores
of Tataesit and Packachoag, conveying to the Committee
of settlement, and the people admitted, and to be admitted,
as inhabitants, a tract of eight miles square. The ' con
sideration ' was ' twelve pounds in lawful money, or the
full value thereof in other specie to the content of the
grantees, within three months after date, to be paid and
satisfied.'* The deed was attested with great formality, and
the whole transaction is indicative of fairness and good
faith, in both the parties concerned in it.f
In 1675 the few settlers actually on the ground prose
cuted their work with vigor, and the ' village ' had some
six or seven houses. At the commencement of " Philip's
War," the inhabitants ' had built after the manner of a
town,' J and were greatly encouraged in their labors by the
promise of success. But that war, sending dismay through
the Colony, interrupted the prosperity of this infant settle
ment, and caused the inhabitants to abandon their dwellings
and repair to the larger towns.
It was high time. " The war, on the part of the Indians,
was one of ambushes and surprises. They never once met
* Middlesex Registry of Deeds, Lib. 8, Fol. 317.
t Appendix, B. J Hubbard's Nar. 135.

FIRST SETTLEMENT. 17
the English in open field ; but always, even if eight-fold in
numbers, fled timorously before infantry. But they were
secret as beasts of prey. By the rapidity of their descent,
they seemed omnipresent among the scattered villages,
which they ravaged like a passing storm, and for a full
year they kept all New England in a state of terror and
excitement. The exploring party was waylaid and cut off,
and the mangled carcasses and disjointed limbs of the dead
were hung upon the trees to terrify pursuers. The laborer
in the field, the reapers as they went forth to the harvest,
men as they went to mill, the shepherd's boy among the
sheep, were shot down by skulking foes, whose approach
was invisible. The forest, that protected the ambush of the
Indians, secured their retreat. They hung upon the skirts
of the English villages, ' like the lightning on the edge of
the clouds.'
" What need of repeating the same tale of horrors ?
Brookfield was set on fire, and rescued only to be aban
doned. Deerfield was burned. Hadley, surprised during
a time of religious service, was saved only by the daring of
Goffe, the regicide, now bowed with years, a heavenly mes
senger of rescue, who darted from his hiding-place, rallied
the disheartened, and having achieved a safe defence, sunk
away into his retirement, to be no more seen. The plains
of Northfield were wet with the blood of Beers, and twenty
of his valiant associates. Springfield was burned, and
Hadley once more assaulted. The remoter villages were
deserted ; the pleasant residences, that had been won by
hard toil in the desert, the stations of civilization in the
wilderness, were laid waste."*
* Bancroft's History of United States, Vol. II., pp. 103, 104.
2*

18 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
In December, 1675, the few buildings that had been
erected here, deserted by the owners, were destroyed by
the Indians. Increase Mather interprets this event as a
significant indication of God's displeasure against the
Colony. It occurred as the troops were about to march
against the Narragansets. He says, " But before they set
out, the churches were all upon their knees before the
Lord, the God of armies, intreating His favor and gracious
success in that undertaking. This day of Prayer and
Humiliation was observed December 2d ; when, also,
something happened, intimating as if the Lord were still
angry with our prayers ; for, this day, all the houses in
Quonsukamuck [Quinsigamond], were burnt by the In
dians."* § 2. Second Settlement.
Philip's War, as others, left desolation in its track. It
was years before its ravages disappeared. Men who had
personally suffered from the blows inflicted by its savage
hand, could not at once recover from the shock. The res
torative influence of time must be put in requisition. Quin
sigamond had been destroyed ; who should rebuild it ? The
labors of hardy and enterprising men had issued in disap
pointment; who should renew them? The place, remote
from the larger settlements, was exposed to incursions from
any foes that might lurk in its. vicinity ; and although no
immediate danger was to be apprehended, yet the recollec
tions of 1675 were still vivid. The Planters were directed
by the Committee of settlement, to recommence their labors

* Mather's History, 19.

SECOND SETTLEMENT. 19
before 1680 ; but they replied, ' There was no going by
any of them, or hope that they would do so ; for divers of
them being importuned to go, would not.' In March 3,
1678, [N. S. March 14, 1679], a number of individuals,
some of whom had been prominent in the first settlement,
entered into an agreement, ' that, God willing, they intend
and purpose, if God spare life, and peace continue, to
endeavor, either in their persons, or by their relations, or
by their purses, to settle the said plantation sometime the
next summer, come twelve month ; which shall be in the
year of our Lord, 1680.'
This, like many other good resolutions, had existence
only on paper, never having been translated into fact. Not
until 1684, did the work of rebuilding the town begin in
earnest. The proprietors threatened with the forfeiture of
their grant, unless speedy measures should be taken to
form a plantation, forthwith put their hands to the work.
During this year, by the authority of the General Court,
the name of the place was changed from Quinsigamond to
Worcester. The particular reasons for the change cannot
now be assigned. Probably some of the Committee or
planters were from Worcester, in England,* and had a par
tiality for the name. Thus applied, it would suggest inter-
* The word is said to have been derived from the Saxon Wegera-ceaster,
equivalent to war castle, and indicative of the military character of the place
to which the martial people of a remote antiquity applied it. See Henry's
England, II., 538.
The city of Worcester in England, is the capital of a Shire, and situated on
the banks of the Severn. It has a population of about 20,000. It is noted
for its Cathedral, and has a flourishing trade in gloves and porcelain. In
1051, it was the scene of a sanguinary battle between Cromwell and the
Prince, afterwards Charles II. Cromwell was accustomed to call his triumph
here, his crowning mercy.

20 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
esting associations with the past. In 1685, partial surveys
of the territory were made, and lots of land, varying in size
from 80 acres to 200 acres, were assigned to different indi
viduals. From 1686 to 1713, no record of the transactions
of the settlement have been preserved. What were the
labors and improvements of the planters during the last
fourteen years of the century ; to what dangers they were
exposed, and what trials called to endure, how rapidly they
advanced in population, what number of dwellings they
had erected, and what was their style of living, we have
no definite knowledge. It is certain that they had not
reached the dignity of an organized town, and that their
municipal affairs were under the direction of committees,
other than themselves.*
Early in the eighteenth century, there was war again
between the Colonists and the Indians. In 1702, ' Queen
Anne's war' began; and though Worcester was not so
severe a sufferer, from the loss of life in this war as many
other places, it yet shared in the general alarm, and the
second effort for its settlement soon became, at first doubtful,
and then hopeless. As the tomahawk again thirsted for
blood, and the flames leaped again towards their dwellings,
they fled before the imminent danger, and left their posses
sions as a prey to the destroyer.f " The inhabitants fled ;
the place of their residence was delivered up to decay ;
the traces of cultivation were effaced ; and the silence of
ruin was again over the forsaken farms and deserted
homes." (Lincoln, 35.)
# " General Gookin, the early and faithful friend of the plantation, was
called to the rewards of a long life, characterized by fervent piety, en
lightened benevolence, incorruptible integrity, and the practice of every
manly virtue, in March, 1687." Lin. Hist. 33.
t Appendix, C.

THIRD SETTLEMENT, 21

§ 3. Third Settlement.

In 1713, a third and successful attempt was made to
settle this town. Colonel Adam Winthrop, Gershom Rice,
and Jonas Rice, of Marlborough, in behalf of themselves
and others interested, addressed the General Court, in
October of this year, expressing a desire ' to endeavor and
enter upon a new settlement of the place from which they
had been driven by the war,' and praying ' for the counte
nance and encouragement of the Court in their undertaking ;
for such directions and regulations as should be thought fit
to make them defensible in case of a new rupture with the
Indians ; and for a proper Committee to direct in ordering
the prudentials of the plantation, till they come to a full
settlement.'* The prayer of the petitioners was granted. A Committee
of five gentlemen were appointed, who, having adjusted the
claims of former settlers, and made wise arrangements for
the prosperity of the future plantation, presented their
report to the General Court, June 14, 1714. The report
was accepted, and Governor Dudley affixed his signature
to it.
On the 21st of October, 1713, Jonas Rice, who had
shared the vicissitudes of the second settlement, returned
to the place, to commence rebuilding what had been twice
destroyed. About a year and a half, himself and family
were the only inhabitants of Worcester. He was a man of
heroic daring, great firmness of purpose, and incorruptible
integrity. With his coming here, dates the permanent

* Proprietors' Records.

22 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
settlement of the town. In 1715, others joined him, who
proved to be worthy and efficient instruments in laying the
' foundations for future generations.' The first of the new
comers was his brother Gershom.* The enterprise became
more and more prosperous. At the expiration of three
years, the village contained nearly sixty dwelling houses,
and about two hundred inhabitants. The edifices were
unpretending, mostly of logs, one story in height, with
large chimneys of stone ; but the occupants were hardy
and enterprising, and, intent on a noble end, thought little
of what would now be considered as serious privations.
Though few could afford to light their dwellings with
' diamond glass,' and the most of them had nothing better
than ' oiled paper ' for windows ; yet, their eye of faith
boldly piercing the future, they saw motive enough to ani
mate their deepest principles, and evoke their best energies.
Every year added to their numbers and resources.
Relieved of the difficulties which embarrassed those who
had twice before attempted a settlement here, they soon
became so numerous, and acquired so much property, that
it was inconvenient for them to continue longer under the
administration of Committees, whose centre of operation
was not among themselves. A petition for incorporation
* Jonas and Gershom Rice removed from Marlborough. Some eighty
years before they came to Worcester, their ancestor Richard, was one of the
proprietors of Concord, 1635. The family was remarkable for the longevity
of its members. Gershom's father died at the age of 70 ; his mother at 84.
Of their fourteen children, three died in infancy, and all the others lived to
advanced age. Peter died at 97 ; Thomas at 94 ; Mary at 80 ; Nathaniel at
70 ; Ephraim at 71 ; James at 72 ; Sarah at 80 ; Frances at 96 ; Jonas at 84 ;
Grace at 94 ; and Gershom survived till 1769, aged 101 years. His wife died
at 80 ; they had lived together in marriage nearly 65 years. Seven children
survived their parents ; and at the death of their father, some of them were
more than 70 years of age. See Boston Gazette, 1769.

THIRD SETTLEMENT. 23
was presented to the General Court, in 1721. Others
soon followed ; and, on the 14th of June, 1722, nearly one
hundred and thirty years ago, the Legislature passed a
Resolve, conferring upon the inhabitants of Worcester the
powers and privileges of other towns in the province. In
pursuance of this Resolve, a meeting was legally convoked
on the 28th of September following, the proper officers
were chosen, and this became a regularly organized town.
During this early period of the history of Worcester, it
is interesting to learn that the settlers were not unmindful
of the education of their children, and that they cherished
a deep reverenffe for the institutions of religion. In the
Committee's report made in 1668, it is particularly recom
mended ' that due care be taken, that a good Minister of
God's Word be placed there, as soon as may be.' In the
plan proposed by the Committee of settlement, in 1669, it
was specified, " that the most convenient place, nearest the
middle of the town, should be set apart and improved for
placing the meeting-house, for the worship of God ; a con
venient lot of fifty acres for the first minister, should be
laid out as near it as might be ; another lot, in the next
convenient place, not far from thence, for the ministry that
should succeed in all future times ; that twenty acres
should be reserved, near the centre, for a training-field,
and to build a school-house upon ; that a lot, of twenty-five
acres, should be appropriated for the maintenance of a
school and schoolmaster, to remain for that use forever."
Though these regulations were not carried into effect, they
shew something of the spirit of those who were engaged in
the early settlement of the place. When the second settle
ment was projected, in a paper drawn up and signed by the

24 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
friends of the enterprise, the two following reasons were
assigned, with others, for engaging in the work : " for the
better eonvenity of attending God's worship ; " and " for
the better education of their children in society." Soon
after the commencement of the third settlement, the few
inhabitants began to assemble in the most convenient pri
vate dwellings for worship on the Sabbath ; and, until
the gathering of a church, they showed in the most expres
sive way practicable in their circumstances, that the spirit
of true religion informed their minds and animated their
hearts. Not unfrequently were these pioneers of Christ
ianity and civilization exposed to imminent danger, even
while in the act of public worship. As the speaker wielded
' the sword of the Spirit,' the hearer had his musket by his
side, to guard against hostile attacks from the Indians. It
was ordered by the Colony Court in 1675, ' that every
man that comes to meeting on the Lord's day, bring with
him his arms, with at least six charges of powder and
shot.' * Sometimes the worship of the solemn assembly
was interrupted by the cry that the Indian was upon
them. The religious feeling which prompted and main
tained regular public worship in the presence of such danger,
was neither shallow nor ephemeral. The sentiment of rev
erence must have been deep and all-pervading ; the spirit
of obedience cordial, persistent and universal. Judging
from such ¦ specimens, we can easily believe that " New
England was a religious plantation, not a plantation for
trade. The profession of the purity of doctrine, worship,
* " Also, that whosoever shall shoot off a gun, at any game whatsoever,
except at an Indian or a wolf, shall forfeit 5s. on such default, until fur
ther order."

THIRD SETTLEMENT. 25
and discipline, was written on her forehead." We may
not doubt, that ' he who made religion as twelve, and the
world as thirteen, had not the spirit of a true New England
man.' We respond to the utterance of the distinguished
statesman, " New England was the colony of conscience."
The Puritan " cherished hope ; he possessed faith ; as he
walked the earth, his heart was in the skies. Angels
hovered round his path, charged to minister to his soul."'
* Bancroft, I., p. 462.

26 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
CHAPTER II.
FIRST CHURCH AND ITS MINISTRY.
§ 1. Gathering of the Church.
It has already been stated that the first inhabitants of
Worcester assembled regularly for public worship on the
Sabbath, as soon as their circumstances would permit. Mr.
Gershom Rice, being one of the first on the ground, was
the first to open his doors for divine service. A private
dwelling soon having become too strait for the accommoda
tion of the growing population, the enterprise of religious
devotion erected a larger edifice, in which the people might
unitedly pay their homage to the Most High. The struc
ture was neither costly nor elegant ; but being both com
modious and respectable, it met the exigencies of the case.
It was an expression at once of devotional and of public
spirit. It indicated reverence for God and a wise forecast
for the safety and prosperity of those who had, and those
who were to come. This first meeting-house, rudely con
structed from the logs of the forest, was situated a few
rods southeasterly from what is now ' the Common,' just at
the point where Franklin and Green streets unite. It was
built in 1717. There, for two years, our pious predeces
sors were accustomed to assemble on the holy Sabbath, to
commune with God and encourage each other under the
trials of their common pilgrimage. Every thing around
them must deeply have impressed it upon their hearts, that

GATHERING OF THE CHURCH. 27
here they had no ' abiding place,' and excited them to
seek that ' city which hath foundations.' It should not
surprise us to learn that the Omniscient eye recognized
more of the spirit of true worship in that rude structure,
than it now beholds in many a gorgeous temple.
With improved circumstances, the people began to medi
tate improved accommodations for public worship. Their
first house of worship had answered the end for which it
was reared, but it was intended only for a temporary expe
dient, and not for a permanent arrangement. Accordingly,
in 1719, desire which had ripened into purpose, began to
show itself, in efforts for the erection of a more convenient
and spacious edifice, on the site of the present Old South
meeting-house.* The people had now become so numerous and their re
sources had so increased, that they could no longer content
themselves without the regular ministrations of the word by
a settled minister of the Gospel. They had obeyed the
direction of ' the Committee of grantees, that, until regular
instruction should be obtained, the Lord's day should be
sanctified, by assembling together for devotional exercises ;'f
# This meeting-house was built under a contract with Mr. Constable, as
architect, where the present South Church now stands. It was sufficiently
capacious to accommodate the population then gathered here, but had no
tower. Simple benches were the first pews. It had no pulpit until 1723.
Then long seats were provided, and soon after galleries constructed. The
town voted in 1733, ' that the front of the gallery, the pulpit, and pillars, be
colored and varnished, and the outside of the doors and windows ; and the
town thankfully accepts the £8 offered by Col. Chandler, towards the same ;
and being informed that Daniel Gookin, Esq. has been pleased to say, he
would give something to said work, voted, that a committee be desired to
know of him what he will give towards said coloring and varnishing.' Ten
years afterwards, 1743, a spire was erected.
t Lin. Hist., p. 163.

28 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
but they wisely thought that they could not afford to live
longer without a pastor and teacher of their own. Though
it would cost them much, in their poverty, to sustain a
preacher of the word, it would cost them far more not to
do it. But the calling and settlement of a pastor, pre-sup-
poses the gathering and organization of a church. Though
all, or nearly all* of the first settlers of Worcester were
probably professed Christians, it was needful that separate
individuals should form themselves into an ecclesiastical
body by entering into covenant with Christ and with each
other, before they could exercise the powers and enjoy the
privileges of a church. In common with the Puritan Con-
gregationalists of New England, they " conceived them
selves fully warranted by the Scriptures, in maintaining
that a number of Christians, duly organized to that end,
may constitute a true Church of Christ, possessing the
power of self-preservation and government under the direc-
* Not to be a regular member of the church, was to subject one's self to
very serious disabilities. For the law had been in force in this State
more than three-quarters of a century, ' that none should be admitted to the
freedom of the body politic, but such as were church-members.' It appears
from Hutchinson that ' this most extraordinary law was in fact continued in
force until the dissolution of the charter government — 1785 — though it "was
repealed in appearance after the restoration of King Charles the second.' As,
at the time this order was passed, none were admitted to the church who did
not, in the judgment of charity, give credible evidence of a change of heart,
the number soon became large of those who were denied the exercise of the
elective franchise, and excluded from all civil offices. These naturally be
came uneasy, and soon began to insist that all persons who had been baptized
in infancy, should be treated as members of the church — admission to the
Lord's table excepted — and be permitted, on owning the covenant, to have
their children baptized, that they also might afterwards enjoy their civil
rights. After much discussion and no little opposition, the practice was
recommended, first by a general council in 1657, and again in 1662, by a
synod, and was thenceforward known under the name of the Half-way cove-

GATHERING OF THE CHURCH. 29
tion of the great Head of all churches and to His glory ;
such being the primitive and Apostolical model."* Their
response to the following reasoning of their predecessors
and contemporaries, was prompt and cordial : " And now
if it be a duty in Christians to glorify God and the Saviour,
to improve their religious gifts and to promote their religious
well being, in other respects ; if it be a duty to act in
accordance with the natural tendencies of the Christian
life, and, in a word, to obey the undoubted requisitions of
Christ, then it obviously appears to be their duty to unite
together in churches."!
Impressed with these sentiments, the Christian men and
women of Worcester began to contemplate the organization
of a church, soon after the third and permanent settlement
of the town. They who had enjoyed the ordinances of the
Gospel elsewhere, could consent to be deprived of them in
their new abode no longer than necessity made it impera
tive that they should. To be denied the privilege of listen
ing to the instructions of their own public teacher and
communing together at the table of their Lord, was one of
the greatest of their privations, and one of the severest of
their trials. As soon, therefore, as Providence opened the
way for them, they proceeded, with solemn gladness, to
form themselves into a regular church of Christ. What
was the precise date at which their cherished plans ripened
into execution, cannot now be certainly known. Of the
day on which the church was organized, the services that
gave solemnity to the occasion, and the subsequent pro
ceedings of the body antecedent to 1722, unfortunately, no
records are extant to give us information. Mr. Lincoln, in
* Ratio Disciplina;, p. 48. t Ibid, p. 51.
3*

30 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
his History of Worcester,* says, " Soon after the last per
manent settlement, a church was gathered, and Deacons
Daniel Heywood and Nathaniel Moore, elected its officers."
This < soon after ' must include several years ; for, in the
spring of 1715, there was but one family in Worcester, and
that ' permanent settlement ' dates back to the autumn of
1713. Probabilities unite in assigning the organization of
the Pirst Church to the year 1719.| The population of the
place was then probably not far from three hundred souls.
The people were leaving their log meeting-house, and en
tering the more commodious one on the Common. They
were preparing for the settlement of a minister; and a
church with officers chosen from its own numbers, was a
preliminary measure. It may have been a year or two
earlier ; but we have no means of ascertaining the precise
time. The first officers chosen by the church were Daniel
Heywood and Nathaniel Moore. Mr. Moore was the third
individual who aided in the permanent settlement of the
town ; and he lived to an advanced age, highly respected
for the excellences of his character. His associate also
was a prominent man in his day, and discharged the trusts
committed to him with fidelity and success.
Such, in brief, are the facts which history brings to our
knowledge of the origin of the First Church in Worcester.
While we would gladly learn more of those, who opened the
fountain from which such rich blessings have flowed down
to us, we are thankful to know something of them. ' They
rest from- their labors and their works do follow them.
Professedly revering their memory, we may not practically
# P. 164.
f Whitney's Hist, of Worcester County, p. 30.

REV. ANDREW GARDNER. 31
deny the spirit of their example. ' Though dead, they yet
speak.' The church regularly organized, and the people desiring
a stated ministry, the way was prepared for the immediate
settlement of a pastor. In connection with the progress of
the church, then, we come in the regular sequence of
events, to the history of the Pulpit in Worcester. The first
minister ordained over this church, was the

§ 2. Rev. Andrew Gardner.
His public consecration took place in the autumn of 1719.
Neither the day nor the month is known. Who officiated
in the solemnities of that occasion, we have no means of
ascertaining. The connection formed, Mr. Gardner com
menced his labors, it may be presumed, with a reasonable
prospect of success. But whether he consented to be the
minister of the people without a sufficient acquaintance
with them, or they invited him to settle before they knew
his peculiar temperament and habits, it may not now be easy
to determine ; one thing was soon apparent ; and that was,
that the parties were not suited to each other. They had
voted him, at his settlement, a gratuity of £60. What his
salary was to be, is matter of conjecture. The fact that,
in 1722, £40, of the currency of that day, were voted for
the support of public worship, may perhaps be some guide
to it. Whatever the amount was, he soon began to com
plain, that what was voted, was not paid ; and that the
gratuity promised was not a gratuity in fact. Very natu
rally this remissness on their part had an unhappy influence

32 THE WORCESTER TULPIT.
upon the performance of his duties. At any rate, it was
alleged by the people, that he was culpably deficient in the
discharge of his ministerial obligations ; that the spirit
which he manifested was not becoming in a preacher of the
Gospel ; that he was more eager in the chase of the deer,
than in pursuit of his people's good ; and that he loved the
sports of the hunter, more than he panted for the salvation
of souls. Complaints were met with complaints in return,
criminations begat recriminations, until all prospect of use
fulness on his part entirely disappeared. Some who had
welcomed him with gladness to this field of labor, became
so disaffected with the improprieties of his ministerial life,
that they would neither attend on his public ministrations,
nor aid in his pecuniary support. In their growing embar
rassments, the people invoked aid from the Legislature ;
but no relief from this source was afforded them. The
advice of an ecclesiastical council, Sep. 1721, failed to
reconcile minds mutually and so deeply alienated. All
other means of removing the difficulty having failed,* the
* In this connection, the following letter of Cotton Mather, who, with
others, had been applied to for advice, will not be without interest. It is
from the original manuscript in his own. hand-writing. Its date is
" 5th November, 1720.
Revekekd Sir,
A representation made unto us, from a considerable number of
the inhabitants of the town of Worcester, has procured you the trouble of the
letter now before you.
We look on ourselves as incompetent judges of a matter," which we have
seen represented by only one of the parties ; nor would we be forward, even
upon the fullest information, to interpose our judgment in an affair, which
the servants of God in your neighborhood have under their more proper cog
nizance. Yet you will allow us to offer you our opinion, that a plantation in its
infancy ought to be under a very tender management, lest it be thrown into
ruinous confusions, from which it may not be presently extricated ; and that

REV. ANDREW GARDNER. 33
General Court was again entreated to interpose its author
ity for their relief. Accordingly, a resolve was passed by
that body, June 14th, 1722, ' that it be earnestly recom
mended to that council which did meet in Worcester", in
September, 1721, to whom the contending parties submit
ted their differences, relating to the Rev. Andrew Gardner,
that the said council proceed and go to Worcester, on or
before the first Wednesday of September next, to finish
what is farther necessary to be done for the procuring and
establishing of peace in the said town, according to the
submission of the parties.'
' The elders and messengers of the several churches, ap
pointed to meet at Worcester, for deciding the differences
in that church, declining to go thither by reason of the
rupture with the Indians — it being a frontier place ; it was
when the gathering of a church and the ordaining of a minister is in prose
cution, and a strong opposition is made unto it by a considerable number of
the inhabitants (though they should not be a majority, but near an equality)
and such as are sober Christians, and offer weighty reasons of their dissatis
faction, which they are also willing to lay before authentic judges, there
should in such case be no sudden or hasty proceedings. The glorious Lord
seems in his providences, to put a stop unto the present proceedings, and
require that something further be done, (either by a Council of neighbor
churches, or some other such expedient) for the settlement of truth with
peace among a divided people, that so the great ends of the Gospel may not,
in the pursuance of some inferior interests, be disappointed.
We cannot but wish that you may, with the wisdom which comes from
above, so far consider the divided state of Worcester, as to delay what they
tell us is now driving on, until you have had all the advice which you
shall apprehend necessary to prevent a sad and longj train of evil conse
quences. May He, among whose glorious titles is that of Counsellor, guide you by
His counsel on this occasion. In Him, we are, Sir,
Your most affectionate Brethren."
To Mk. Swift.

34 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
recommended that the ministers meet at Dedham, for the
affair aforesaid.'
In pursuance of this direction of the General Court, the
council met at Dedham, to deliberate and decide respecting
ecclesiastical matters in Worcester. The whole case was
presented before them, and carefully considered by them.
Prayerful deliberation conducted them to the' result, that it
is expedient that the relation subsisting between Mr. Gard
ner and his church be dissolved, ' his temporal interest
being secured.' The advice was followed, and the dissolu
tion took place, the 31st of October, 1722. But though
the pastoral connection was severed, the difficulties that
had so long existed were not yet all healed. The Society
was considerably in debt to Mr. Gardner ; and, in order to
recover the amount, he instituted a suit in law. This so
incensed the people, that, in their haste, they voted not to
allow him the gratuity of sixty pounds which was formerly
promised him, and which he had ' left to the generosity of
the town.' Several of the more respectable citizens remon
strated against this vote, and their protest against it is on
record. Mutual arbitration eventually reconciled these
differences. Mr. Gardner was born in Brookline, Mass. He was a
member of Harvard University, during the time that the
social position of parents affected and determined the places
which their sons' names should occupy in the catalogue of
the students. On the list of his class, young Gardner's
name was last. He was graduated in 1712. What honors
he bore away with him from academic halls, what advanta
ges he enjoyed for the study of theology, how he employed
himself during the seven years that intervened between his

REV. ANDREW GARDNER. 35
graduation from Cambridge and his ordination in Worcester,
or what particular qualities or influences recommended him
to this people, we can only conjecture. The means of
knowledge are at present beyond our reach. Subsequently
to his departure from Worcester, we lose sight of him, until
his installation as the first minister in Lunenburg, Mass.,
then Turkey Hills, on the 15th of May, 1728. His stipu
lated salary there, was only $35,55 of our currency. He
had, in addition, the use of certain lands reserved for minis
terial support. " This is apparently a very inadequate
sum ; but it will be recollected that money then, in conse
quence of its scarceness, was much more valuable than now,
transactions between individuals being carried on princi
pally by barter, and that it was intended that the minister
should derive his principal support from the lands appropri
ated by the General Court."*
As if some invisible evil influences attended him, Mr.
Gardner's second settlement was equally unhappy with the
first. The acrimonious controversy which he maintained
with the people of his former charge, could have been no
recommendation of him to any other church ; but it may be
supposed that the five or six years which had elapsed since
his dismission, must have modified the recollections of that
unfortunate ministry, and that the mistakes of the past
taught him wisdom for the future. Friendly relations, how
ever, between him and his new charge were soon inter
rupted. Habits that had acquired the inveteracy of years,
could not easily be laid aside ; nor could old loves all at
once be replaced by new. Passion for hunting followed the
minister to a place where every facility for gratifying it
* Torrey's Hist, of Fitchburg, p. 33.

36 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
was offered, and the habits which it perpetuated and in
creased, gave a tone to his conversation and an aspect to
his life in no wise favorable to his character as a clergyman.
The evil might be endured for a period by a people chari
tably hoping for better things ; but no Christian church,
with a proper self-respect and a just sense of its own respon
sibility, could endure it long. The parish in Lunenburg,
having borne with it as long as forbearance seemed to them
a virtue, gave the incumbent unequivocal demonstration of
their dislike of his mode of exercising the office of a bishop.
Sensible that he had lost their confidence, and having no
disposition to regain it by denying himself of the sport
which he loved, he asked his dismission. His request was
promptly granted ; and thus terminated his second ministry,
Feb. 7th, 1731-2. " The reasons of his dismission appear
to have been these : He was not a man of that grave and
sober demeanor, which the people of his time thought es
sential to the sacredness of his office. He was apt to in
dulge in a levity of manner on the Sabbath which was not
in keeping with the solemnity of the day. He had also
quite a predilection for hunting ; and it is said wild turkeys
and other game, even on the Sabbath, sometimes bore tes
timony to his skill as a marksman."* To some extent, this
may be traditional ; yet it can hardly be questioned, that
the tradition has too much of truth for its basis. Rev.
Zabdiel Adams, of Lunenburg, wrote to Mr. Whitney, that
Mr. Gardner was dismissed " because he was unworthy."
His receipt for settlement and salary during the period of
his ministry in Lunenburg, was f 175,32.
Though dismissed from his pastoral relations to the church
* Torrey's Hist, of Fitchburg, p. 84.

REV. ANDREW GARDNER. 37
and parish, Mr. Gardner did not leave the town for several
years. He was permitted to build, at his own expense, " a
sufficient pew at the right hand of going in at the great
doors of the meeting-house" — a station of distinguished
honor.* The people that could not be satisfied with him as
their spiritual guide, yet had sufficient confidence in him to
engage his services for the instruction of their children.
He was the first schoolmaster employed in the place, and
for years taught the school in his own house. With what
success he labored in this department, or whether he was
more acceptable and efficient at the desk than in the pulpit,
we have no means of deciding, other than the fact of his
continued employment during successive years, and the ab
sence of any record of complaint against him. On leaving
Lunenburg, " he moved up nigh to Connecticut River, in
New Hampshire State, where he died, but a few years
since, [1793] in a very advanced age."f How he em
ployed himself in his new place of residence, in what year
he died, and what precisely was his age, patient and ex
tended inquiry has not yet supplied the means of ascertain
ing. To sketch the character of such a man as Mr. Gardner,
would be a work of great delicacy, even if we had the most
abundant materials for forming a just estimate of him. In
the paucity of such materials, the work is far more difficult.
Related to him as we are, we would by no means do him
the shadow of an injustice ; and yet we cannot but desire to
see the man as he was. The colors that should truly por
tray his character might be darker than we wish, but the
* Torrey's Hist, of Fitchburg, p. 34.
t Whitney's Hist, of Worcester Co., p. 144.
4

38 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
shade of deepest hue would be relieved by a tincture of
light. Historical facts and traditional reports unite in con
vincing us, that while the subject of our sketch was deficient
in some qualities which are thought to be essential to a
clergyman's usefulness, he yet exhibited traits of character
which win regard and mitigate the severity with which he
would otherwise be judged. His warm impulses, uncon
trolled by discretion, independence of spirit and lack of
practical, common sense, united with a constitutional levity
and passionate love of the chase, must seriously have dero
gated from his usefulness as a pastor and teacher. Christ
ian men and women could neither respect nor be profited
by a spiritual guide, in whom the earthly tendencies so ob
viously predominated over the heavenly. How imperfect
soever themselves, they yet demanded that he who " pointed
them to heaven," should " lead the way " thither. He
must be to them " an example," not only in doctrine, but
in life — not in precept alone, but in practice as well. The
difference of sentiment and manners between that age and
this duly considered, it will still be admitted, that incidents
like the following would neither sustain the dignity nor add
to the proper influence of a minister of the Gospel. His
torical accuracy might not recognize their truth without a
question, and perhaps the dignity of history would reject
them, even if true ; but, having reached the present genera
tion in the regular sequence of traditionary relations, they
must have their influence as illustrations of a character in
which many are interested. The oral report is, that, hav
ing been invited to dine with a friend, Mr. Gardner, by a
secret substitution of stone for meat, so contrived it, that
the host had nothing with which to regale his guest, but

REV. ANDREW GARDNER. 39
" the unusual dish of boiled granite." The latter, however,
was amply compensated for the loss of a savory meal, by
the looks of inquisitive astonishment excited by his unique
and before unattempted experiment in the economy of the
kitchen.* Loquacious tradition also brings to our ear a
singular incident as having occurred during Mr. Gardner's
second settlement. " A great lover of dogs, dog language
became as familiar to him as his own vernacular. Preach
ing from a manuscript on a certain occasion, and becoming
embarrassed in his reading, either on account of illegible
penmanship, or from some other cause, he burst forth from
his restraint in a manner at once startling and effectual.
To the amazement and grief of his serious hearers and the
scandal of his profession, he suddenly and in no softened
accents, exclaimed, Steboy ! Steboy ! "f
With all his eccentricities, however, he was a man of
generous sympathies and ready beneficence. With warm
heart and open hand, he ' gave to him that asked, and from
him that would borrow he turned not away.' According
to, and even beyond his means, he relieved the suffering
and contributed to the necessities of the poor. But his very
charities were characteristic of the man, and sometimes re
duced him to a condition, of which it is difficult to say
whether it was more pitiable or ludicrous. One Saturday,
having been asked by a poor parishioner for shoes, he re
lieved the needy, by giving away the only pair of those
useful articles which he had for himself. On the Sabbath
following, he officiated in the morning with no covering for
his feet but stockings, and in the afternoon, with the addi-
* Lincoln's Hist. p. 166. f Letter of Eev. A. Boutelle, Lunenburg.

40 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
tion of borrowed slippers, ludicrously disproportioned to the
size of " his slender members."*
On the whole, we may believe that the principal defects
of Mr. Gardner's character, were errors of the head rather
than obliquities of the heart. That he was often at fault in
judgment, is obvious to an eye not nicely critical ; — that he
was either corrupt in principle or hypocritical in intention,
we must — not simply doubt, but — deny. If his large charity
do not cover all his imperfections, it will at least soften the
judgment that might otherwise be pronounced against him.
The fact, too, that he was employed for years as a teacher
in the place where he had served the people in the minis
try, is evidence that he had redeeming qualities as a man
and a Christian, though not acceptable as a pastor.
Inquiries have been instituted in every direction which
promised success, to ascertain whether Mr. Gardner left
any sermons in manuscript which can now be procured.
These inquiries have yielded no satisfactory result ; and it
may be doubted whether any discoveries of value would re
ward a more extended research. Not a sermon — not a
page, paragraph, or sentence of a sermon that he ever wrote
or preached, is now, so far as is known, extant. How
highly prized soever the briefest extract from a sermon of
his would be by the present generation, there is no proba
bility that either they or their successors will ever peruse
such an extract. In the absence of every thing else that
ever came from his pen, the following request of his for a
dissolution of his pastoral relation to the church in Lunen
burg, possesses an interest which would not otherwise attach
to it.

* Relation of Daniel Goulding, Lincoln's Hist. p. 166.

rev. andrew gardner. 41
" Beloved Brethren, —
I cannot but think from what I have heard, and also
from what I have observed, of the transactions and behavior
of this people, relating to me and my affairs, that there is
not that affection borne toward me that there should be
from a people to their Gospel minister, or that there is
where a people are likely duly to profit under their minis
ter, — the consideration whereof has been very grievous and
discouraging to me, and therefore [I] think it best to sepa
rate ; and if effectual care be taken that my dues be honestly
paid me, the first minister's lot with its appurtenances be
put upon record and accepted, and a sufficient pew at the
right hand of going in at the great doors of the meeting
house, I shall be free to be dismissed from my pastoral re
lation, office, and obligation to you, as soon as it can regu
larly be performed.
From your loving Pastor, who wisheth you the Divine
direction and blessing, and desires your prayers for the
same to him. Andrew Gardner, Pastor.
Lunenburg, Sept. 18, 1730."*
It may be suggested, that the reason why none of the
sermons of Mr. Gardner have been preserved is, that none
of them were worth preserving. If he was remiss in his
clerical duties, and more devoted to the pastime of the
chase than to the spiritual welfare of his people, it is easy
to infer that nothing which emanated from his pen would
have merit enough either to instruct or entertain, provided
it were possible, at this late day, to obtain any thing. Still,
* Torrey's Hist, of Fitchburg, p. 33.
4*

42 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
it is an occasion of regret, that it is now out of our power
to judge of this, after actual examination. A few para
graphs thrown off in his happier modes, a single sermon
preached at a funeral or before administering the Lord's
Supper, or any production that would aid us in forming a
tolerable estimate of his mental stature and quality, would
be caught at with avidity. Those who now gaze upon the
beautiful hill-tops which once greeted his eyes, and walk
through the same valley that he was accustomed to tread —
though possibly both are so changed, that were he to re
visit, he would not recognize them — would give much to
know what was his style of address in the pulpit, and with
what truths and persuasions he was wont to present himself
before the people of his charge. The fact that he was the
first minister of the first church gathered here, increases
our desire to see something from his pen, which would aid
us in judging of the style of his composition and the tone of
his preaching. In the same degree, it also deepens our re
gret that nothing of this description is within our reach.
His written sermons and extempore effusions, his epistolary
correspondence and whatever of diary he wrote, all now
with equal facility hide themselves from our eyes, and for
bid our approach to them. The inexorable Past holds them
in its strong hand, and not one of them will it yield to our
most diligent researches. § 3. Rev. Isaac Burr.
The pulpit, vacated by Mr. Gardner, was not imme
diately filled by a settled pastor. Still, the church and
town made ample provision for the preaching of the Gospel.

REV. ISAAC BURR. 43
Though engaged in a lawsuit with their late minister, they
were not alienated from the ministry, or unmindful of the
importance of divine ordinances. An examination of the
early town records will show that to no subject was more
earnest attention given, than to the support of public wor
ship.* No means of improvement, whether civil, social, or
moral, was more liberally or promptly provided for than
this. Among others who supplied the pulpit from time to
time, the Rev. Shearjashub Bourne preached so much to
the satisfaction of his hearers, that he was invited to become
the permanent minister of the place. A salary of £75, to
be increased to £80 after five years, with a settlement of
£100,f was offered him; but he could not be induced to
accept the invitation, though it was thus generously en
forced. Having completed his term of service here, he was
settled in Scituate, Dec, 1724, and remained pastor of the
church in that place till 1761. He died at the age of 69,
and was interred in Roxbury. His monument bears this
inscription :
" Cautious himself, he others ne'er deceived,
Lived as he taught, and taught as he believed."
Mr. Bourne having declined a settlement here, the Rev.
Thomas White was invited by the church to become their
pastor ; but the town did not concur in the choice of him as
their minister. They raised a committee, " to address Mr.
White for his further assistance in the work of the Gospel." J
Retiring from Worcester, he accepted an invitation from
the first church in Bolton, Ct., and was ordained over them
* The compensation voted for the supply of the pulpit, was £2, 3s. each
Sabbath. f Town Record. } Ibid.

44 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
the 25th of Oct., 1725. His decease occurred in that
place, 1763.
Undiscouraged by repeated failures, the people still per
severed in their laudable attempts for the re-establishment
of the ministry among them. Their next candidate proved
to be the successful one. This was the Rev. Isaac Burr.
The church and town concurred in calling him to be their
pastor and teacher, Feb. 10th, 1725, and offered him £80
as his annual salary, with a settlement of £200, either in
money or an equivalent in land. His ordination, as the
second pastor of the church in Worcester, took place the
13th of the next October. The following churches, by their
representatives, were invited to participate in the solemnities
of the occasion: the church in Hartford and in Framingham,
in Marlborough and in Lancaster, in Leicester and in Sud
bury, in Weston and in Shrewsbury. For the entertainment
of the council of ordination, ten pounds were appropriated.
Full of promise were the circumstances in which
Mr. Burr commenced his ministry in Worcester. His
people appear to have been cordially united in him, and
he entered upon his new work with the ardor of youth and
the confidence of hope. They were prepared to appreciate
his labors, while he was willing to " spend and be spent " in
their service. His devotion to their interests, winning their
regards, provoked their liberality. Two or three extracts
from their records will serve as a specimen of their generous
bearing towards him. When some lack of promptitude in
the payment of taxes was manifested, the following vote was
passed, bearing the date of Sept. 25th, 1725 : " That the
inhabitants contribute, once a month, on the Lord's day,
after divine service, for the support of the minister, until a

REV. ISAAC BURR. 45
rate can be properly made ; each person to paper up his
money and subscribe his name on the paper ; so that an ac
count may be taken of each person's money, to be allowed
on his rate when made." Under the depreciation of cur
rency which took place in the province during this period
of its history, the clergyman could not but suffer in his
pecuniary interests, as well as others. Mr. Burr's people
came to his relief, again and again, by voluntary contribu
tions. Sensible that their spiritual teacher could not study
to advantage without books, and aware that his mental im
provement would re-act beneficently on themselves, they
voted, Oct. 24, 1732,* in reply, to a request of Mr. Burr,
" that the town cheerfully grant him £20, and earnestly
desire he would lay the same out in purchasing an addition
to his library." They had a way of their own " to en
courage him." When they suspected that he was at all
straitened in his pecuniary circumstances, they promptly
voted him a sum in addition to his stipulated compensation.
From £80, with which he began his labors, his salary had
been raised to £140. And because " bills of credit" were
seriously depreciated, and it was desirable for the pastor to
know on what he could depend, it was voted by the inhabi
tants, in 1741, " to make the salary equal to what money
was at the time of his settlement, having regard to the dif
ference between silver and paper ; " an ounce of silver
equaling twenty-nine shillings of paper.f With such evi
dences of union and affection on the part of his people, Mr.
Burr continued his labors here with pleasure to himself and
profit to them.
Nothing occurred seriously to interrupt the harmony that
* Town Records, Vol. I. p. 93. f Lincoln's Hist, of Worcester, p. 167.

46 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
existed between them, until after Whitefield's visit to Wor
cester, in the autumn of 1740. That wonderful man, in
company with Governor Belcher, reached Worcester, Oct.
14, 1740. It was during his second visit to America. He
was on his way from Boston to Northampton, to visit the
great Edwards. The meeting of these two men— each, in
his way, a prince among men — " was like putting fire to
tinder."* On the 15th, Whitefield preached here, " in
the open air, on the common, to some thousands; the word
fell with weight indeed ; it carried all before it."f Preach
ing so impassioned, eloquence such as never before had
entranced the people, stirred the emotive nature to its
centre. Waves of feeling were raised, which could not at
once subside. Numbers were stimulated to crave a more
animated and rousing style of address than they had before
been accustomed to, and, not being gratified, were not slow
to express dissatisfaction. Mr. Burr was too quiet and
conservative to suit them. Holding on the ' even tenor of
his way,' and unwilling to be rudely turned aside from the
course he had been running so pleasantly for the sixth of a
century, he would not surrender to the impulse of a disturb
ing force so violent in its action, what his judgment could
not approve. The evil with which he would not compro
mise, however, had probably taken deeper root than he
suspected ; and it yielded fruits which he was reluctant to
anticipate. Had it received no extraneous aid, it might
have died out ; but influences from abroad added to its
vigor and increased its growth, until its product was realized
in the dismission of the minister. The nature of these
influences may be inferred from such incidents as the fol-
* Gillies. f Whitefield's Journal.

REV. ISAAC BURR. 47
lowing. While Mr. Burr calmly pursued the conservative
measures which his wisdom approved, some of his brethren
among the clergy, greatly excited by the impassioned ap
peals of Whitefield, strove, according to their ability, by
imitating his spirit and manner, to reproduce the impressions
which followed his preaching. Not satisfied with doing their
own work, in their own way, among their own people, they
were ready to carry their new-born zeal into other parishes.
One of these was the Rev. David Hall, of Sutton. Doubt
less he was sincere in his desires to do good, but, from his
diary, it is apparent that his labors in Worcester had no
tendency to calm the agitated waters. " Jan. 22, 1742,
0. S.," he thus writes :
" Preached this week twice in Worcester, in private
houses. Mr. Burr gave his consent before I went: but
seemed not pleased with my coming, as I was informed.
I am grieved at my heart, to observe the violent opposition
made against the work of God in the land, by those that
are called his servants. But this I know, that wherein
they deal proudly, the Lord is above them."
" Feb. 7. I am in great concern about religious mat
ters, Mr. Burr of Worcester, refusing the urgent request
of some people of Worcester, to hear me preach again with
them. God seems to have blessed my poor labors, lately
among them, for the awakening of some of them. But
oh ! the prejudice of Mr. B. who is, I fear, too much of a
stranger to the power of godliness, or otherwise, surely, he
would rejoice in having his people in concern about their
souls, and in the help of such ministers as wish their salva
tion. Oh, that the Lord would forgive him and open his

48 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
eyes, and strengthen me, his poor unworthy worm, to be
valiant in following the rules of my Redeemer."
" Nov. 30, 1744. This week Mr. Burr and his church
part, under the direction of a council. The Lord stir up
ministers to faithfulness by such providences."*
The Rev. Mr. Bliss of Concord, a minister of some dis
tinction and one of those called ' new lights' preached
sometimes in Worcester to such as demanded a more rous
ing manner of address than characterized Mr. Burr's
preaching. Shattuck, in his 'History of Concord,' says
that ' he had been requested by a multitude of souls ' in
Worcester to preach to them.
Amid elements agitated by such disturbing forces, Mr.
Burr found the quiet of his life so broken up and his best
considered plans so thwarted, that his health became seri
ously impaired and his prospect of usefulness greatly dimin
ished. Disheartened by trials which he had no power to
avert, he asked to be dismissed from the people whom he
had served twenty years in the Gospel. A mutual council
advised that his request be granted ; and his dismission
accordingly took place, in March, 1745.
The Rev. Isaac Burr was the son of Thomas Burr of
Hartford, Ct.f He was graduated from Yale College, in
* See MSS. of Am. Antiquarian Soc. Liu. Hist. p. 169.
t Farmer represents him to be the son of the Hon. Peter Burr, chief justice
of Ct., and the father of Rev. Aaron Burr, Pres. of New Jersey College. The
latter cannot be true, if, as Lincoln says, Isaac Burr was born in 1698 ; for
the President was born in 1714. Savage calls the latter, son— not the grand
son — of Judge Burr. But Isaac was not the brother of Aaron, as Lincoln
following Savage, states. He was the son of Thomas of Hartford, as appears
from the Hartford Probate Records, on which is recorded an Inventory of his
estate after his decease in Windsor, Ct.— Letter from E. Gleason, of the Con
necticut Historical Society.

REV. ISAAC BURR. 49
1717. Where he pursued his theological studies, in what
places he exercised his talents as a preacher before coming
to Worcester, or in what manner he employed his time be
tween 1717, and 1725, it is impossible to tell. After his
twenty years' ministry here, he retired to Windsor, Ct.
His death occurred either in the latter part of 1751, or the
early part of 1752.
That so little is known of the second pastor of the church
in Worcester, is occasion of regret. Having left this scene
of his labors more than a century ago, the memory of the
oldest inhabitants now resident here, is utterly at fault
respecting him. Even tradition has left him to slumber in
the past. It has no piquant anecdote to relate of him, no
information to give of his peculiarities of temper or mind or
manners. No historical record is extant, to tell us how he
looked or how he spoke, how he wrote or how he preached.
It is in his favor, indeed, that he ministered to the same
people for the fifth of a century, and that he was able to
acquit himself to their general satisfaction. From this it
is a probable inference, that he was a diligent student, a
respectable preacher and devoted pastor. But the proba
bility falls considerably short of certainty in this case ; for,
it is known that about this period not a few had entered the
ministry with little evidence of devotion to God or experi
mental religion, and that their preaching tended rather to
quiet their people in a supreme attachment to the world,
than to stimulate them to ' seek first the kingdom of God.'
The following portraiture was drawn for many who exer
cised the office of the ministry previously to 1740. " They
were grave men, in speculation evangelical, or moderately
so ; and performed their customary ministerial duties with
5

50 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
regularity ; but their preaching lacked point, and earnest
ness, and application ; their devotional services were with
out warmth and unction ; their labors were not blessed
of the Holy Spirit ; their people slumbered ; the tone of
religious feeling and sentiment was sinking ; and true god
liness seemed fast retiring from the land."* While we
should be unwilling to believe that any approach to this
state of things existed under Mr. Burr's ministry, we can
not infer so much as, in other circumstances, we might,
from the fact that he pursued a peaceful ministry here for
so many years. At a time when the ' half-way covenant '
was the general practice of the churches, when the Lord's
Supper was regarded as a ' converting ' ordinance, and
when unconverted persons were freely admitted to the com
munion, it was by no means certain that the pastor who
preached so as to produce no unhappy excitement, was
therefore a ' man full of faith and the Holy Ghost.'f The
evidence which, in addition to what we have, would conduct
us to a satisfactory decision on this point, lies beyond our
reach. Inquiries numerously and perseveringly put, have
brought nothing of the desired information in reply. If any
of Mr. Burr's manuscripts survive him, they are not only safe-
* Wisner's Hist. Old South Church.
t " The practical result, every one sees, would be, that, if the innovation
already made (i. e. the half-way covenant) were not abandoned, another
would speedily be introduced. And such was the fact. Correct moral de
portment, with a profession of correct doctrinal opinions, and a desire for
regeneration, came to be regarded as the only qualification for admission to
the communion. This innovation, though not as yet publicly advocated by
any, there is conclusive proof, had become quite extensive in practice pre
viously to 1679. The proof is the fact, that one of the measures earnestly
recommended by the ' Reforming Synod ' in 1679, was a return to the ancient
strictness in admitting persons to the Lord's Supper." Wisner's Hist. 0. S.
Church.

REV. THADDEUS MACCARTY. 51
ly hidden from hands that would destroy, but also concealed
from eyes that would gladly examine them. They may not
have contained the profoundest thoughts, or presented all
the beauties and elegancies of diction ; but, in exchange for
a single one of them, many a volume of sparkling essays
and many a tome of profound investigations would cheer
fully be given. On the whole, we may, with considerable
confidence, rest in the belief, that the Rev. Isaac Burr was
a man of fair talents, respectable attainments in knowledge,
and exemplary as a minister of the Gospel and the pastor
of a church. § 4. Rev. Thaddeus Maccarty.
Before the consummation of Mr. Burr's dismission, a
committee had been appointed by the town for the supply
of the pulpit. In Dec. 1744, they were instructed ' to
intercede with the reverend Elders of the late council to
preach, each one day.' In March following, it was enjoined
upon them ' to use their utmost endeavor that the town be
not destitute of preaching on the Lord's day ; to procure
Mr. Townsend if to be had ; if not, to consult with the
Rev. President Holyoke, of Harvard College, Professor
Appleton, and Dr. Wigglesworth, who to engage in a pro
bationary way.' Two months afterwards, it was the ex
pressed desire of the town, that two more gentlemen might
be obtained for the same purpose, the Rev. President and
Professors advising, and the vote was passed, ' that when
they had been heard, the church should proceed to the
choice from them and the three gentlemen who had already

52 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
preached, Mr. Stephens, Mr. Marsh, and Mr. Phillips, and
that the town will hear no more persons before a choice is
made.' Accordingly a ' choice was made,' in August fol
lowing, of Mr. Nathaniel Gardner, a graduate of Harvard
College in 1739, to be the third minister of Worcester. He
was offered a salary of £60 in bills of credit, with a gra
tuity of £100 ; but declined the call.
The people were much distressed at the failure of their
efforts to procure a settled pastor. Feb. 28, 1746, ' a day
of fasting and prayer was observed, to implore the divine
direction in the church's leading in the choice of a person
to be ordained.' About this time, there seems to have
been a growing sense of the importance of stability in min
isterial relations, and of the evils resulting from running
after preachers who, having no special charge of their own,
went from place to place, unhealthfully exciting the minds
of such as were not well established. In Sep. 1746,
it was voted ' that the church will esteem it an offence, if
any member thereof, shall hereafter countenance itinerant
preachers.' At the same time a covenant, drawn up by
Rev. Mr. Campbell of Oxford and Rev. Mr. Stone of.
Southborough, was adopted, and subsequently subscribed
by fifty members of the church.*
Nearly two years had now elapsed since Mr. Burr ceas
ed supplying the pulpit, and yet no one was settled in his
place. Candidate after candidate, to the number of more
than a dozen, had been heard ; still the vacancy remained.
In Oct. 1746, the committee received new instructions.—
They were to request the Rev. Thaddeus Maccarty of Bos-
* Appendix, D.

REV. THADDEUS MACCARTY. 53
ton, and the Rev. Jonathan Mayhew* of Martha's Vineyard,
subsequently settled over the West church in Boston, to
occupy the pulpit, each four Sabbaths. These gentlemen
received the proposal with favor, and were both heard by
the church and town of Worcester. Mr. Maccarty, having
preached for the first time on the annual public thanksgiving,
continued his labors here with great acceptance till the Jan
uary following. The time designated for the choice of a
minister, was the 19th of that month, 1747. The Sabbath
preceding that important day, both of the candidates offi
ciated, Mr. Mayhew in the forenoon and Mr. Maccarty in
the afternoon. The latter seems to have made the most
* Rev. Jonathan Mayhew, D. D , the son of Rev. Experience Mayhew, was
born on Martha's Vineyard, in 1720. He was a descendant in a direct line,
from Thomas Mayhew, who emigrated from England to this country about
1632, resided a few years in Mystic and Watertown, removed to the Vineyard
in 1641, ' and was long the patriarch and chief of the English settlement on
the island.' The order of descent was, first, Thomas jr.; second, John; third,
Experience ; fourth, Jonathan. The family was remarkable for its moral
worth, deep piety, and long continued exertions for the good of the Indians.
Jonathan was a graduate of Harvard College, in 1744. In scholarship, he had
hardly a superior in his class. In less than three years after his graduation,
he was ordained over the West Church in Boston, as successor of the first
minister, Mr. Hooper, who had become an Episcopalian. It was u curious
coincidence, that he and Mr. Maccarty, who had been candidates together in
Worcester, should be settled so near the same time — he in Boston, June 16,
Mr. Maccarty in Worcester, June 10, 1747. ' He was not only a popular and
eloquent preacher and powerful writer, but a man of great learning. ' His ca
reer was short, but brilliant. He died at the age of forty-six. And yet he
had written so much and so well, so appropriR tely and so powerfully, that he
has been considered, by those acquainted with his works and qualified to
judge of their merit, as entitled to a high rank in the first class of American
authors.'* Those who are acquainted with the different styles of thought
and preaching adopted by these once candidates for settlement here, may be
interested in the inquiry, How would the moral and religious condition of this
people differ from what it now is, provided the choice of the church and town
in 1747 had fallen on Mayhew instead of Maccarty 1
* Bradford's life of Mayhew, p. 12.
5*

54 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
favorable impression ; for, on the day of election, 44 to 2
of the church made choice of him as their pastor, and in
town meeting, on the question of concurrence, there were
but three dissentients.* His installation took place, June
10 1747. The order of exercises on the occasion was as
follows : —
Introductory Prayer, by Rev. John Campbell of Oxford.
Charge, by Rev. Mr. Williams of Weston.
Sermon, by Mr. Maccarty.
Right Hand of Fellowship, by Rev. Mr. Cotton of New
ton. Concluding Prayer, by Rev. Mr. Appletonof Cambridge.
Benediction, by the Pastor.
The sermon was founded on the text in 1 Thess. 2 : 13,
" For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, be
cause, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of
us, ye received it not as the word of man, but (as it is in
truth) the word of God, which effectually workeih also in
you that believe."
Of the preacher's views and feelings in performing this ser
vice, an opinion may be formed from the following exordium.
" It was thought to be but a decent and proper part for
* The following record of the vote will show that the town intended to act
intelligently : "Feb. 23d, 1746-7.
The Rev. Mr. Thaddeus Maccarty, having by Col. Chandler, communicated
to the town the result of the Council relating to certain difficulties between
him and the church of Christ in Kingston, together with what he offered them
in order to a reconciliation — as also the votes of said church and of the town
of Kingston respecting his dismission from his pastoral relation to them, as al
so a paper by him signed this day :
Whereupon the question was put whether the town would concur with the
Church of Christ in their vote t it passed in the affirmative by a very great
majority— but three persons dissenting." Town Records, vol, II.

REV. THADDEUS MACCARTY. 55
me to act, upon this solemn occasion, to stand in the desk
at this time, to be the mouth of God to this great assem
bly ; whose candor I must humbly intreat, being sensible
of my great insufficiency for the present performance. I
should with great pleasure have sat at the feet of some of
my reverend fathers, whose assistance in the affair I have
craved, to be instructed by them at this time. But as the
main design of a sermon at the introduction of one into the
ministry, is with a special view to his instruction in the
great and arduous business before him, so, let who will be
the preacher, the same design is to be kept in view.
Accordingly, my main design is to preach to myself, to
labor to affect my own soul, with the greatness and impor
tance of the work I am now undertaking. But as the
work of the ministry is equally weighty and important, as
to every one who is engaged in it, and the same lessons are
necessary for every one to hear and practice who is in the
ministry, so I hope my reverend fathers and brethren here
present will please to give a kind entertainment to, and se
riously lay to heart the things I may offer, which equally
concern them as well as myself. If their pure minds are
stirred up by way of remembrance, it will be thankfully re
ceived by their unworthy monitor."
The vote of the town respecting Mr. Maccarty's salary
was both peculiar and provident. The sum voted was £100
in money of the last emission, ' having special regard to
the small value of bills of credit, but if the future circum
stances of Mr. Maccarty's family should call for it, they
would cheerfully and willingly make him such further addi
tion as may be judged proper from time to time.' Until
1759, his salary did not exceed the value of £80. After

56 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
that period, twenty pounds annually were added, as a gra
tuity. In 1747, the town purchased a parsonage. It was
on the common, south-east from the meeting-house. This
was granted to Mr. Maccarty, in 1765, he releasing the
town from all liabilities for repairs. As the war of the rev
olution approached, the minister of Worcester, with the
great majority of his brethren throughout New England,
espoused the side of freedom in opposition to tyranny. In
his sermons and by his influence in other forms, he gave an
impulse to that cause which was making its way to the
hearts of three millions of freemen. But such a struggle
could not be waged without serious embarrassments in all
the relations of life, and great sufferings among all classes
of the community. The people here, as elsewhere, partic
ipating in the excitement, felt the pressure of the time. In
consideration of the burden upon his supporters, Mr. Mac
carty, though he could ill afford to do it, relinquished a por
tion of his salary. The dependence of a large family on
him for support, and the consciousness that a weight of
years was already upon him, did not deter him from the
self-denial that illustrated at once his patriotism and his
consistency. During several of the last years of his life,
he was incapacitated by feeble health from performing the
duties of his station. In 1783, he preached for a short
time ; July 20, 1784, he went from his labor to his re
ward. The Rev. Thaddeus Maccarty was a native of Boston.
He was born in 1721. The son of a sea captain, he was
destined to pursue the life of a mariner. In several voy
ages he sailed with his father ; and, had it not been for a
feeble constitution which unfitted him to endure the hard-

REV. THADDEUS MACCARTY. 57
ships of ocean life, he would probably never have turned
his thoughts to preparation for the Christian ministry. The
Providence which foresees the end from the beginning —
which ordains important service and designates the persons
to perform it, indicated the course which this minister of
Christ was to pursue, and so arranged his circumstances
that, at an early age, he relinquished the employment of a
sailor, and entered upon the quiet life of a student. His
preparatory studies completed, he entered Harvard Univer
sity, and, in 1739, received the honors of graduation from
that institution. During the next three years he gave his
attention to the study of theology. In the autumn of 1742,
he was ordained over the church in Kingston, Ms.* His
relation to that church was a happy one, until the excite
ment, produced by Whitefield's visit in that region in the
early part of 1745. Some of his people were greatly dis
turbed at the strange effects which followed that prince of
revival preachers wherever he went ; and, hearing that he
was, on invitation of their pastor, to preach a ' preparato
ry ' lecture in Kingston, became so much excited, that they
determined to prevent it by covering the windows and nail
ing the doors of the meeting-house. Mr. Maccarty feeling
that he had a right to judge and act for himself, could not
be indifferent to such a demonstration of rashness and in
justice to him, on the part of his people. He was indeed
friendly to Mr. Whitefield, as appears from a letter of his
* In 1743, Sept. 3d, he was married to Miss Mary Gatcomb, daughter of Fran
cis Gatcomb, an emigrant from Wales. Mr. Gatcomb became a wealthy
merchant in Boston, and died there, July 20, 1744, at the age of 51. Mr.
Maccarty and his wife lived together more than 40 years, until Dec. 1783, when
she was removed by death, less than a year before her husband. They had
fifteen children, eight of whom died in infancy.

58 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
written at Kingston, March 4, 1745, from which the fol
lowing is an extract :." I can't but think Mr. Whitefield
is a man eminent for his piety, and that he has done vast
service to the kingdom of Christ in this land more espec
ially ; and that if ministers and people would let him have
a free course through the land, he would be instrumental of
bringing about a very glorious reformation. And no one
that is in such a thought, can help being grieved, to think
he meets with such opposition among wumsiers and people."
But why should his church presume to dictate what their
pastor should, and what he should not do ? As though he
had no control of his own pulpit and it were not his prerog
ative to decide whom to invite to occupy it, they presumed,
though the report which caused their zeal to outrun their
discretion was false, to debar his entrance into that house
where he had been ordained as thevir spiritual guide and
overseer. Instead of being learners, they assumed to teach,
Instead of ' obeying him that had the rule over them in
the Lord,' they hastily, if not arrogantly, assumed the po
sition of dictators. Thus denied his rights as a minister
and outraged in his feelings as a man, Mr. Maccarty forth
with asked ;o be dismissed from his people. His request
having been submitted to a council, they advised, condi
tionally, that his pastoral relation should be dissolved. On
the 3d of Nov. 1745, precisely three years from the date of
his settlement, he preached his farewell sermon. In the
words of the Apostle Paul, Acts 20 : 31, he found a text
admirably suited to his purpose. " Therefore watch, and
remember that by the space of three years, I ceased not
to warn every one night and day, with tears. And now,
brethren, I commend you to Grod, and to the word of his

reV. thaddeus maccarty. 59
grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an
inheritance among all them that are sanctified.'''' The ser
mon was published. More than half a century afterwards,
a new edition of it was issued from a Boston press. It is
plain and searching. It speaks wholesome truths in a man
ner which cannot easily be misapprehended. Still, it breathes
a spirit of kindness, and evinces an ardent desire, on the
part of the minister who was leaving them, to promote the
spiritual interests of the people who had enjoyed the first
fruits of his labor. A single extract may not here be out
of place. " In all probability I shall no more preach the
Gospel to you ; yet I hope you will have it preached to you
in a much better manner ; in the power and purity of it ;
and have it become the power of God to your salvation. —
It may be I shall never see you all again in this world.
However, I find in myself a disposition to wish every one's
welfare in all regards, temporal and spiritual.
" And as to whatever has occurred of a disagreeable na
ture to me, (and some things have occurred of this sort,)
I think I can say truly, I indulge not a malicious, revenge
ful spirit, towards any ; but contrariwise, and wish all the
blessings of heaven may plentifully descend upon you, and
an increase of all the blessings of God's footstool."
Leaving his people with such kindly feelings and ever
cherishing for them a sincere and manly cordiality, he com
manded in return their respectful and affectionate remem
brance. ' He and they for many years afterwards, express
ed a high regard for each other.'*
Installed in Worcester, 1747, Mr. Maccarty labored
here with diligence and success, thirty-seven years. Liv-
* MSS. of Rev. Z. Willis, successor of Mr. M. in Kingston.

60 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
ina in ' troublous times,' he had his full share of trials ; but
under them all he honored the ministry, and his ministry
honored him. In seasons of peril, he was calm and stead
fast ; and though darkness was above and around him, he
was looking ' with the patience of hope' for light. No pres
sure of evil could blind him to the presence of good ; and
while he preached on days of public fasting and prayer, he
was sure to remind his people that they had much to be
grateful for. The last years of his life brought with them
many sorrows. Sickness disabled him so that he could not ¦
occupy that pulpit, for the supply of which he was responsible;
with limited means of support at the best, the emergency
of disease brought not the willing offerings he could have
wished from those he had so long and so faithfully served ;
and it is no wonder that, at times, mental lassitude and sad
ness of spirit were superadded to the pains of body. —
Still, habitually, hope was in the ascendant ; and, with ev
ery reaction of his energies, he renewed his efforts for the
souls that were precious to him.
By his long and faithful service he greatly endeared
himself to the people of his charge ; and though he may
have thought at times, that their bearing towards him was
not characterized by the delicate thoughtfulness and liberal
devising he could have desired, yet they have left tangible
evidence to their posterity that he had a place in their
warmest affections and profoundest regards. Fathers have
told their sons, and the sons have told us, that he was great
ly respected while he lived, and deeply lamented when he
died. His epitaph is also with us, and the graven words
are an eloquent memorial of him who deserved, and of
them who erected this monument to his memory.

REV. THADDEUS MACCARTY. 61
" Beneath this stone are deposited the remains of the
Eev. Thaddeus Maccarty, for thirty-seven years pastor
of the church in Worcester. Through the course of his
ministry, he uniformly exhibited an example of the
peaceable and amiable virtues of christianity. under
a slow and painful decline, he discovered an ardent love
to his master, by a cheerful attention to his service, and
at the approach of death, he patiently submitted, in the
FULL HOPE OF A GLORIOUS RESURRECTION FROM THE GRAVE. In
TESTIMONY OF HIS FIDELITY, THE PEOPLE OF HIS CHARGE ERECT
THIS monument. Obiit, July 10, 1784, .ZEtatis 63."
In personal appearance, the subject of this sketch ' was
a man tall of stature, slender of habit, with a black, pene
trating eye.' The aspect of the external man was favora
ble to his effectiveness as a public speaker. His address
was characterized by impressiveness. The tones of his
voice were distinct ; but were rather powerful than melodi
ous. ' As a public preacher, he was solemn,' loud, search
ing and rousing.'*
In disposition, he was kind and amiable. He coveted
not strife ; but would rather suffer wrong than do wrong.
Yet, he was not the man to sacrifice right even for the sake
of peace, or to put his conscience in the keeping of policy.
To the kindly feelings and social aptitudes that made him
a valued friend and obliging neighbor,! he added the love of
truth and devotion to God which grace the Christian and
adorn the soul for her home in the skies. Exemplary in all
* MSS. of Rev. Z. Willis.
t It has been intimated that Mr. Maccarty was rough and uncouth in his
manners, and not very genial in temperament. The author has neither seen
nor heard anything, however, which induces him at all to modify the state
ment in the text. 6

62 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
his private and social relations, he felt, as he preached, the
necessity of personal holiness ; and, while he taught others
that there is no hope of a sinner's acceptance with God ex
cept through the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, he
cordially received Him as Wisdom, Righteousness, Sancti-
fication and Redemption for his own soul. Believing that
* the converted is generally the converting ministry,' he
would not attempt to preach to others,without having authen
ticated in his own experience the truths which he proclaimed
to them. He became a minister because he had the spirit
of a Christian. That always involves a desire to be in the
highest degree useful. A more valuable encomium could
hardly have been passed upon him, than that ' he uniformly
exhibited an example of the peaceable and amiable virtues
of Christianity.' If ' the Christian is the highest style of
man,' then was he among the most excellent of the earth.
It should be added to his praise, that he not only cultivated
the active virtues while health and vigor were continued to
him ; but, when disease impaired his strength and para
lyzed his energies, he exhibited the graces of resignation
and patience. Without a murmur he marked the slow de
cline of his powers; calmly he endured the ministry of per
sonal suffering ; and eventually passed away in the assured
hope of a glorious resurrection.
But the design of this work leads us to consider him
more particularly as a preacher of the Gospel. With good
natural powers and favorable opportunities for cultivating
them, with the influence of a religious experience super
added to a genial temper and an amiable disposition, he was
prepared to commence the Christian ministry with promise
of success, and to find a growing interest in it at every

REV. THADDEUS MACCARTY. 63
stage of its progress. The habits of study which he had
acquired in the school and the university, he carried with
him into the life-work for which he had been preparing. —
His conception of the magnitude and responsibility of his
office did not allow him to omit reading, thought and study.
He taught ' that the work of the ministry ought to be en
tered upon with great caution and solemnity ; that this in
stitution of Christ may be abused and defiled, as well as
any others ; that it is grossly so, when the ignorant, the
vicious and immoral rush into the ministry ; that many have
taken upon them the office in a rude and disorderly manner,
and have been so far from being capable of instructing oth
ers in the things of our holy religion, that they had need
that one teach them which be the first principles of the ora
cles of God ; and that persons should see to it, that they
have some competent furniture for this great and arduous
work, and that they are understanding in the principles of
Christianity.' With such sentiments, he commenced his
ministry in Worcester ; and his own habitual example
proved that he uttered them not for rhetorical effect, but
from genuine conviction. Diligent as a student, his ser
mons were full of important thoughts, well arranged.
He could not turn his people off with productions merely
extempore, whether written or unwritten. Cultivating
a deep reverence for the Scriptures and making the
truths of revelation themes of daily contemplation, his ef
forts in the pulpit were eminently biblical* — imbued with
* A single extract from the Diary of Pres. John Adams may not be out of
place here. " May 23d, 1766. Sunday. Heard Mr. Maccarty. He is par
ticularly fond of the following expressions : ' carnal, ungodly persons ; sen
suality and voluptuousness ; walking with God, unregeneracy, rebellion
against God ; believers ; all things come alike to all ; there is one event to

64 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
the spirit and enriched with the language of the Bible. At
taching great importance to the essential truths of the Gos
pel, his discourses, while earnestly practical, had a strong
ground-work of doctrine. His exhortations were the more
impressive, on account of previous reasonings on ' righte
ousness, temperance and a judgment to come.' Truth in
the concrete was the more cordially welcomed or more hear
tily opposed, because truth in the abstract had been so
clearly apprehended by the intellect.
Nor were Mr. Maccarty's sermons well studied, skillfully
arranged, scriptural, and thoroughly doctrinal only ; they
were pervaded with the spirit of a fervent piety. He taught
publicly that ministers ' should see to it that they have tru
ly good and noble aims and motives, even the advancement
of the glory and honor of God and Christ, and the promo
ting of the salvation of their own souls, and the souls of
them that hear them ; that they should look off from them
selves to the Holy Spirit, that He would accompany their
counsels, their preaching, their example, and make them
effectual to the conversion of sinners and the building up
of saints in faith and holiness ; and that they should he
careful to live agreeably to that word which they preach to
others.' He was well aware that if he would speak to the
hearts of others, he must speak from his own heart ; that
the more thoroughly his own spirit was imbued with the
truth as it is in Jesus, the more likely would he be to move
the righteous and to the wicked ; shut out of the presence of God ; solid, sub
stantial, and permanent joys springing up in the soul ; the shines of God's
countenance.' " See Works of President John Adams, by his Grandson,
Vol. II.
" Mr. Maccarty, though a Calvinist, was not a bigot."— Extract from a let
ter of Pres. A. to Dr. Bancroft.

REV. THADDEUS MACCARTY. 65
and bless others. Hence his sermons came from the head,
indeed, but they went through the heart to his people.
Eight of Mr. Maccarty's discourses have been printed.*
They were preached on important occasions, and must
have produced considerable impression at the time of
their delivery. A perusal of them at this day has ele
ments of interest both for the student of ecclesiastical
history and the general reader. They are carefully
thought out, and pervaded with an excellent spirit. —
Characterized by sound sense, and conveying important in
struction in an impressive manner, they are creditable alike
to the head and the heart of the writer. But few of his
sermons in manuscript survive him. It was his wish that
they should be destroyed at his decease. Among them was
one of an historical character, the destruction of which is
deeply regretted. The following notice of its contents was
entered by himself on the records of the church :
* They are comprehended in the following list. 1. Farewell sermon,
preached at Kingston, Nov. 3, 1745, Boston, 1804. 2. The success of the
preached gospel matter to faithful ministers of continual thankfulness to
God; sermon at the author's installation to the pastoral office at Worcester,
June 10, 1747. 3. The advice of Joab to the host of Israel going forth to war,
considered and urged ; in two discourses delivered in Worcester, April 5,
1759, being the day of the annual fast, and the day preceding the general
muster of the militia throughout the province for the enlisting soldiers for
the intended expedition against Canada. 4. The power and grace of Christ
displayed to a dying malefactor : sermon, Oct. 20, 1768, the day of the exe
cution of Arthur, a negro, at Worcester. 5. The most heinous sinners capa
ble of the saving blessings of the Gospel : sermon, Oct. 25, 1770, on the exe
cution of William Linsey for burglary, at Worcester. 6. Praise to God, a
duty of continual obligation: sermon, Nov. 23, 1775, public thanksgiving. 7.
The guilt of innocent blood put away: sermon, July 2, 1778, on the execu
tion of Buchanan, Brooks, Ross, and Mrs. Spooner, for murder at Worcester.
8. Reformation of manners necessary to conciliate the divine favor: sermon
preached at Worcester, on occasion of a special fast. July 14, 1774.
6*

66 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
' Thursday, Dec. 8, 1763. This day, being the public
thanksgiving throughout the province, and the day also of
this congregation's assembling in their new meeting-house,*
which began to be erected on June 21st preceding, exactly
16 years from the time of my installment to the pastoral of- ¦
fice, I preached a sermon froml Chr. xxix. 16, 17, in which
some brief account was given of the original settlement of
this town, the gathering of this church, its pastors, admis
sions, baptisms, &c, and some proper notice taken of the
solemnity of thanksgiving.'
From the few manuscripts to which access can be now
had, there is but little room for choice in the selections to be
made for this work. It is believed that the following ser
mon, besides serving as a specimen of the mode of think-
* " In 1763, the Old South Meeting-house, was built, 70 feet long, 55 feet wide
with 28 feet posts, at the expense of .£1542. There were 61 square pews on
the lower floor. That esteemed the best, on the west side of the pulpit, and
directly under it, valued at £9, was assigned to Hon. John Chandler, as an
acknowledgment of his donation of £40 towards erecting the church. The
highest price paid for pews was £9, the lowest £i, 10s. In front of the pul
pit, were two long pews, one for the deacons, the other for aged persons ; and
along the head of the central, aisle, were seven slips, for the free seats of
men and women, placed on opposite sides. There were three porches, at the
south, east, and west entrances, and a tower on the north, surmounted by a
spire, 130 feet high."
The bell placed in this steeple, in 1802, weighing 1975 pounds, bore this in
scription : " The living to the church I call,
And to the grave I summon all." Lincoln's History, p. 346.
The meeting-house has been considerably enlarged since its erection, is
now 90 feet long and 55 feet wide, having a Lecture Room at the south end.
The square pews have been exchanged for those of amore modern construc
tion, the pulpit is no longer at the side, but at the north end of the house,
while opposite to it stands one of Appleton's finest organs, the cost of which
was about $3500.

REV. THADDEUS MACCARTY. 67
ing and style of writing of Mr. Maccarty, contains thoughts
of general and permanent interest. The writing of it was
begun, Nov. 17, and completed Nov. 20, 1779. It was
divided into two parts, and preached, ' Lord's day, Nov.
21, 1779 — Sacrament.' It is numbered 455 on the manu
script ; but this is not to be taken as the number of all the
sermons he had written up to that period ; for, a sermon of
his written nearly nineteen years before, is numbered 844.
Another, dated Sept. 10, 1765, bears the number 70.
It is probable, therefore, that he had more than one series
of sermons ; and that the one before us was the 455th of
the second thousand. Taking into view the fact that these
discourses appear all to have been written out with great
care, that, if they do not rise to the first rank of sermons,
they would by general consent be placed not below the line of
mediocrity,* they give us an idea of his diligence as a stu
dent and of his devotion to his one great calling. Without
further remarks by way of introduction, the discourse on
' Spiritual Freedom ' is herewith submitted to the reader's
inspection. He may call it one sermon divided into two
parts, or two sermons on one and the same subject.
* " After preaching a convention sermon, a contemporary clergyman re
marked, that he had never heard him preach either a very low, or a very
brilliant discourse. — Lincoln's Hist. p. 176.

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM:
TWO
SERMONS DELIVERED IN WORCESTER,
LORD'S DAY, NOV. 21, 1779 ;
BY THE
EEV. THADDEUS MACCARTY, M. A.

FIRST SERMON.
John 8 : 36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye
shall be free indeed.
Our Lord is here addressing certain Jews, who it is said
(v. 31) " believed on him." They had, in opposition to
the generality of their nation and countrymen, admitted
the proofs and evidences that had been exhibited to them
that Jesus was the true Messiah ; and they embraced and
trusted in him accordingly. He puts them upon giving
the evidence of their faith by their adhering to his word,
attending diligently ta-his doctrine, as the great Prophet,
and conducting agreeable to his precepts, as their King
and Lord. He then takes occasion to mention a very
great privilege which belonged to them, as it does to all
the real disciples of Christ. " Ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free."

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM : A SERMON. 69
Some carnal Jews that stood by, took offence at this
saying, claiming relation to Abraham, and that their state
had always been a state of freedom. This was far from
being true. For the seed of Abraham had been in bondage
to the Egyptians. They had oft been so to the neighbor
nations in the time of the Judges. They had been seventy
years captives in Babylon, and (as it is observed) were at
this time tributaries to the Romans, and though not in a
personal, yet in a national bondage to them, and groaning
to be made free. " Thus (as one observes) they would
expose Christ to the ill-will both of the Jews, who were
very jealous for the honor of their liberty, and of the Ro
mans, who would not be thought to enslave the nations they
conquered." But the freedom that Christ is speaking of (and they
might have so understood him, had they not been under
the power of the most obstinate prejudice) the freedom, I
say, that he was speaking of, was a spiritual freedom,
effected by the force and energy of truth brought home to
the heart — a freedom from sin, as intimated in the next
verse — " Whoso committeth sin is the servant of sin," says
Christ in reply. In this respect, at least, they were in a
state of bondage. Then he shews them the way of deliv
erance from this state of bondage, into the glorious liberty
of the children of God. " If the Son therefore shall make
you free, ye shall be free indeed ; " ye shall be really and
truly free.
Christ (as I observed at first) addresses certain Jews
that truly believed on him, and so were in a state of free
dom. And accordingly, we shall discourse upon this privi
lege which belongs to all true believers in Christianity :

70 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
They are by Mm brought into a state of true freedom — true
liberty. Not, I would observe, into a state of libertinism. They
are still under the law ; not the ceremonial, but the moral
law — which law is fully adopted into His own institution,
most powerfully urged, and cannot be dispensed with. It
was not in His design in His remedial undertaking to abro
gate it, but to establish it. Otherwise He would be the
minister of sin, and His death would be in vain. Those
whom Christ is speaking to He exhorts to continue in His
word, as the proof of their discipleship and of being in a
state of spiritual freedom. " Had Christ (says one) freed
us from obedience, such a liberty had been to our loss.
The law sends us to Christ to be justified, and Christ sends
us to the law to be regulated."
I would further say, that this spiritual freedom by Christ
is consistent with a state of warfare. The Christian life is
so spoken of, and that on account of the enemies wherewith
Christians are surrounded. Satan is their grand enemy,
as he was Christ's ; and he shoots his fiery darts at them,
and they feel the pain and smart occasioned thereby.
Nor are believers, who are brought into a state of spirit
ual freedom, totally freed from the motions of indwelling
sin. The apostle Paul found the working of this, as we
may see in the 7th to the Romans ; and he groans to be de
livered from it, as the hindrance of his spiritual growth, and
the disturber of his peace and consolation by Christ. And
this is the common case with Christians.
I would further say, that this spiritual freedom is con
sistent with being in a state of much outward trouble and
afflictions. They (Christians) are called to these, in com-

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM : A SERMON. 71
mon with others. Job was a remarkable instance of suffer
ing, in the Old Testament, the apostle Paul in the New ;
and other instances might be mentioned. Herein they
were but conformed to their great head and master, Christ,
who was afflicted and oppressed, a man of sorrows and ac
quainted with grief. All the children of God (says one)
are made free ; yet what son is there, whom the father
chasteneth not ? (Heb. 12 : 8.) Exemption from affliction
is so far from being the mark of a freeman, that the apostle
there makes it the mark of a slave — yea, to be ' bastards
and not sons.' To be freed from affliction would be no
benefit to believers, who receive so many benefits by afflic
tion. Lastly, I would say, that believers, notwithstanding their
freedom by Christ, yet are not exempt from the stroke of
death, any more than others. Their bodies are alike con
stituted as others, frail and feeble, having in them the seeds
of corruption and mortality, tending to a dissolution, and
sooner or later drop into the dust. Christ indeed has taken
away the sting of death from them, so that it is a blessing
to them rather than a curse. But they must meet with it.
The grave is their house, and therein they must lie, till the
trump of God shall awake them at the last day, when this
mortal shall put on immortality. Then shall be brought to
pass the saying that is written, ' Death is swallowed up in
victory.' Having observed these things, I go on to say, that the
spiritual freedom which believers enjoy by Jesus Christ is,
in the first place, a freedom from many sad evils and
miseries. Thus it is a freedom from the rigor of the law,
and also from the curse of it. The law originally required

72 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
perfect obedience. It denounced a curse upon disobe
dience, and this must have been inflicted but for the inter
position of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, as the apostle
speaks, was made a curse for us. Since the apostacy, no
mere man has been able to keep the law perfectly. But
under the gracious constitution by Jesus Christ, sincerity is
accepted. Every transgression does not bring under con
demnation. " There is (says the apostle) no condemna
tion to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk" — whose
habitual walk, however attended with imperfections, "is
after the Spirit and not after the flesh." " 0 blessed
freedom, (says one) when duty becomes delight, and fail
ings hinder not acceptance."
Again : true believers in Christ are in a state of spiritual
freedom, in respect of the guilt of sin, or their being free
therefrom. In their unrenewed state, they were in a state
of guilt. The guilt of all their sins lay upon them ; and
considering the nature and number of them, it amounted to
a vast load. This they were daily adding to, as all carnal
persons are, for in many things they all daily offend. But
believers are brought into a state of pardon by Christ —
obtain redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sin. They are justified from all things. They were
deeply in arrears to the justice of God. But by the sure
tyship of Christ, the debt is cancelled, and they stand ac
quitted before him. What a blessed freedom is this !
It may be added, that believers are in a state of spiritual
freedom, as they are free from the dominion and power of
sin. Heretofore sin reigned in their mortal bodies, so that
they obeyed it in the lusts thereof. But now that that the
apostle speaks, which is characteristic of the real members

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM : A SERMON. 73
and disciples of Christ, is true as to them : " They that are
Christ's, have crucified the flesh with its affections and
lusts." They are now, as he speaks to the Christians at
Rome, " made free from sin " — free from its power and
dominion. And, of course, they are free from the power
and tyranny of Satan, who is said to rule in the hearts of
the children of disobedience. ' They are (as the apostle
speaks) translated out of the power of darkness into the
kingdom of Christ.' (Colos. 1 : 13.) Satan had the pos
session of them, as a man of his own goods, but Christ dis
possessed the strong man armed, alters the property, and
recovers them out of his hand. The blood of Christ with
which they are redeemed, is a strong barrier against his
usurped power and dominion.. When the prisoner hath a
legal discharge, he that held him in durance hath no fur
ther power over him. " Forasmuch (says the apostle)
then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He
also himself took part of the same, that through death, He
might deliver him that had the power of death, that is the
devil." He is not wholly destroyed, for he has a kingdom
in the world, and many are his willing slaves and captives.
But he is so far destroyed, that he cannot prevail against
Christ, and his power is lost over his members whom He has
rescued out of his hands.
Thus believers are in a state of spiritual freedom. And
they find a freedom in the service of God. This was once
irksome and burdensome to them — holy duties and services
they engaged in with reluctancy. They could not be easy
and quiet in the neglect of them ; but [they had] no free
dom and readiness in the performance of them. [They
were] a disagreeable task ; and in an attendance upon
7

74 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
them, they were, as it is said of Doeg, detained before the
Lord. But being now spiritualized in the temper of their
minds, they are quite different as to their bent and ten
dency. Now they find a freedom to duty, and particularly
to engage in holy exercises — a freedom and readiness to
wait upon God's throne of grace, to converse with Him by
prayer, to pour out their hearts before Him in confessions,
in supplications, intercessions and praises, — a freedom and
readiness they find to engage in all sacred exercises, secret,
private and public. That which was once burdensome to
them, is now delightful to them, what they are in their ele
ment in.
And not only have they this freedom in all pious and
holy exercises which respect God, but in an observance of
all his laws and commandments in general. None of them
are grievous to them, as they once were. They are truly
satisfied in respect of the reasonableness and excellency of
them, heartily approve of them, and have a readiness to
keep them. " Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."
" All that the Lord our God commandeth, that will we do
and be obedient," and carefully avoid every thing of a con
trary nature and tendency. This is their unfeigned lan
guage. This is the spirit of religious freedom and liberty.
Such was the spirit that actuated the pious David. Hence
he speaks, " I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts."
(Ps. 119 : 45.) " I desire to know and do my duty, and
consult thy word accordingly. I not only consent to thy
precepts, but take complacency in them as good for me."
|' I will walk at liberty; " denoting his freedom and easiness
in his duty— at liberty from that which is evil, not hampered
with my own corruptions, free to that which is good, doing

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM : A SERMON. 75
it not by constraint, but willingly. That state of spiritual
freedom which believers are brought into by Christ, is as
wheels to their obedience. " I will run the way of thy
commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart."
Agreeable whereto is that of the apostle to the Romans:
" Being made free from sin and become servants to God,
ye have your fruit unto holiness." Being delivered from
the bondage of corruption, and [brought] to bow to the
divine authority and government, they were now powerfully
prompted to serve God in holiness and righteousness. This
is true freedom, and of the most excellent kind.
I will just add, that this freedom by Christ, is a most
comfortable freedom. The apostle comforts Christians of
the lowest rank, even those that are servants of men, with
this consideration : " He that is called in the Lord, being a
servant, is the Lord's freeman." (1 Cor. 7 : 22.) " Let
not (as one comments upon it), let not the meanness of
your outward condition, which is a state of subjection and
dependence, a state of poverty and contempt, at all trouble
you ; you are the Lord's freeman, of precious account in
His eyes."
In a word, this is a perpetual freedom. Satan shall nev
er be able to recover the servants of Christ, and bring them
again under his yoke. They are in safe and powerful
hands, in His hands who is greater than all. He may vex
and trouble them, but he shan't subject them any more. —
Sin shall no more have dominion over them. They shall
be preserved to God's heavenly kingdom, where they will
be fully invested in all the- honors, privileges and liberties
of the children of God.
The end of the first Sermon.

76 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
SECOND SERMON.
John 8 : 36.
We have discoursed something concerning that spiritual
freedom by Christ Jesus, which belongs to all true believers
in him. I shall at this time offer some reflections upon what
has been said upon this subject.
In the first place, it may well be thought that Christians
who are sensible that they are in such a state of freedom
and liberty, should find an exceeding joy in their souls.
Those that have been in a state of captivity and bondage
to men, can't but be glad and joyful, upon being emanci
pated, and restored to their liberty. For they now feel
and enjoy themselves as men, of the noble, superior class
of beings they belong to. We may well suppose that the
Israelites, upon their going forth from Egypt, where they
had been long held under the most cruel bondage and sla
very, felt an exceeding joy. And thus it was long after,
with the redeemed captives from Babylon. Thus the
Psalmist represents it : " When the Lord turned again the
captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream : Then was
our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing."
Civil liberty is a great blessing. Distress follows upon the
loss of it ; but the restoration of it inspires with joy. But
spiritual liberty is in its nature more glorious and excellent
than civil. To enjoy both together is most happy and joy
ous. As to the inferior creatures, they are fond of liberty.
" The very birds of the air (as- one observes) had rather
be at liberty in the woods, though lean and hungry, than in
a golden cage, with the richest fare."

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM : A SERMON. 77
But what cause now have believers to rejoice, in that the
Son has made them free, and they are free indeed ? When
they were roused up and brought to a sense and sight of
their deplorable condition, being in bondage to corruption
under the tyranny of Satan, how did they pant and long to
be delivered from this miserable state ? And when the
power of sin and Satan was broken, and they brought into
the liberty of the sons of God, is it to be wondered at that
their hearts should overflow with joy and gladness ? Veri
ly, never any slaves delivered from their chains and dun
geons and their most abject and painful tasks, may be sup
posed to experience a greater, no, nor an equal joy with
that of those who are redeemed from their miserable bond
age to sin and Satan. This has been painful and distress
ing in itself, and the more so as it led to irrecoverable mis
ery, to become prisoners to divine justice with the devil and
his angels. Whatever occasions Christians may have for
sorrow and distress on worldly accounts, yet they have at
the same time occasion for an exceeding joy for that state of
freedom and liberty, they are brought into by Christ Jesus.
" Rejoice, then, in the Lord, 0 ye righteous ; let the chil
dren of Zion rejoice in their King," that they are brought
into subjection to Him, which is the noblest and most
exalted liberty and freedom. His yoke is easy, sweet and
pleasant. Secondly. What cause have believers to bless God for
Christ Jesus, through whom it is that they are brought into
a state of spiritual liberty and freedom ? Satan in his first
attack upon mankind meant to enslave them, and to bring
them into an irrecoverable subjection to his usurped empire.
And this has been his aim all along, in all his subtle devices,
7*

78 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
solicitations and temptations. It would gratify his malig
nant spirit to have the whole human race in a miserable sub
jection to him, that he might have them all with him at last
in his place of torment, to blaspheme the God of heaven
because of their plagues. It is said that at present he
rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience. He
has slaves and vassals innumerable, and multitudes are led
captive by him at his will. His malicious aims and designs
must have been fully accomplished in the subjection of the
whole human race, and in their consequent everlasting per
dition, had it not been that God, who is rich in mercy, sent
His Son into the world, to redeem man from the power of sin
and Satan, and restore them to a state of freedom. The
apostle makes a grateful mention of this in " giving thanks
unto the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of
the inheritance of the saints in light ; who hath delivered
us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into
the Kingdom of His dear Son ; in whom we have redemp
tion through his blood." (Colos. 1 : 12—14.) This blood
was the purchase of their redemption and procures the ap
plication of it. This application is made to all true believ
ers in Christ Jesus ; whereupon they are delivered from
their state of bondage and slavery, and become free indeed,
rescued out of the hands of their spiritual enemies — Satan
the chief, and brought to possess the glorious liberties of
the children of God.
What a rich, unspeakable blessing was Christ to the
world, which Satan had seduced into a revolt and apostacy
from God. What an effectual method was this to counter
work him in his designs. Those who have by Him been de
livered from their bondage and slavery, have everlasting

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM : A SERMON. 79
reason to bless God for His mercy herein, especially, as they
may entertain a hope of at length becoming citizens of the
Jerusalem that is above, that is free — a freedom from all
enemies, and a freedom to serve, praise and glorify God in
the purest and very best manner. They will serve him day
and night in His temple, and He that sitteth on the throne
shall dwell among them.
Thirdly. Christians should take heed and beware of ev
ery thing that tends towards apostacy. Apostacy from
Christ, His doctrine, ways and worship, is very unrea
sonable and very inexcusable. It is to be like the Israelites,
whom God had redeemed from their bondage with a high
hand and with an outstretched arm, who were for appoint
ing themselves a captain to conduct them back to Egypt, to
have their necks again put under the iron yoke. This was
a strange disposition indeed. And so we should esteem it,
if a prisoner who had long been confined in a dungeon and
loaded with chains, after he had been brought forth and
discharged, and enjoyed the common liberties of a citizen,
should discover a disposition to return to the forlorn condi
tion he had been in, and forego all the sweets and delights
of a state of liberty and freedom. Those that apostatize from
Christ, go back to their inglorious and worse than Egyp
tian bondage.
" 0 Christian ! (says a pious writer) if ever God gave
thee a sight and a sense of the misery and danger of thy
natural state, if ever thou hast felt the pangs and throes
of a laboring and a distressed conscience, and after all this,
tasted the unspeakable sweetness of the peace that is in
Christ, thou wilt rather choose to die ten thousand deaths,
than to forsake Christ and go back again into that sad con
dition."

80 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Apostacy is a sin highly dishonorary and displeasing to
God. " If any man draw back, my soul shall have no
pleasure in him." It is exceedingly difficult to regain that
state of liberty and freedom they have been in, and sooner
or later they must feel great anguish of heart. Christians,
therefore, should watch and pray, and have their eye con
tinually to their great Lord and glorious head of influences,
that so they may be kept from falling, and be kept by the
mighty power of God, through faith unto salvation.
Fourthly. We may hence see, wherefore it is that Sa
tan, the enemy of God and of all righteousness, bends his
force to oppose the Gospel of Christ. It is by this Gospel,
instrumentally, that those who have been under his power
and dominion, have been made free. " Ye shall know the
truth, (referring to his Gospel in general, says Christ) and
the truth shall make you free." Nothing is more vexatious
to that foul, infernal fiend, than to lose any of his vassals and
captives. For it breaks in upon his hellish schemes. For
his main aim is that God be dishonored, that the undertak
ing of Christ be frustrated, and that-the souls of men, who
have been in such esteem with God that He has parted with
his own Son from his bosom, that by His death and sacri
fice they might be redeemed and saved, should after all
sink into the eternal gulf of avo and misery, in which he
shall be confined to all eternity. Therefore it is that he
opposes the plan of redemption by Christ. He has insti
gated tyrants and persecutors to suppress the Gospel of the
blessed God, to imprison, silence and banish His faithful
ambassadors. For he would fain, if possible, prevent any
from being translated out of his miserable kingdom into the
kingdom of [God's] dear Son — being delivered from their

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM : A SERMON. 81
vassalage to him, and [introduced] into the glorious liberty
of the children of God. It is a pity that any, who hear
the joyful sound of the Gospel, proclaiming liberty to the
captives, should ever directly or indirectly symbolize with
that foul spirit in their opposition to the Gospel, or those
that publish its glad tidings. And yet so it sometimes is.
" Satan," says one, " is a great and jealous prince ; he
will never endure to have liberty proclaimed by the minis
ters of Christ within his dominions" : and, indeed, what is
it less, when the gospel is preached in power, but as it were
by beat of drum and sound of trumpet to proclaim liberty,
spiritual liberty, sweet and everlasting liberty, to every soul
that is made sensible of the bondage of corruption and cruel
servitude of Satan, and will now come over to Christ Jesus ?
And, oh, what numbers and multitudes of prisoners have
broken loose from Satan, at one proclamation of Christ !
(Acts 2 : 41.) But Satan owes them a spite for this, and
will be sure to pay them, if ever they come within his
reach ; and he can generally find tools and instruments
enough to do the business.
Fifthly. Christians should be careful to maintain their
spiritual liberty in the fullest manner. In matters of con
science and religion they should not give place by subjec
tion to any, however imperious and lordly, no, not for an
hour, that the truth of the Gospel may remain with them.
They are bought with a price, and are the Lord's forever.
" Be ye not, therefore, (as the Apostle exhorts) the ser
vants of men." Christ is head and Lord of His people. It
is His sole prerogative to prescribe rules and orders for
them ; and this He has sufficiently done in His holy Gospel.
Those are daring and assuming indeed who pretend to have

82 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
dominion over their faith, and to mark out for them a plan
different from that which their Master has done. " One
man," says an author, " is no rule to another, but the word
of Christ a rule to all : follow not the holiest of men one
step further than they follow Christ." Christians, agreea
ble to their rank and dignity, should stand fast in the liber
ty wherewith Christ has made them free.
Lastly. How much should it be the care and endeavor
of all who have remained alienated from God and Christ,
that they be brought into a state of freedom and liberty.
Men in general are loth to give up their civil rights and
liberties, and to be brought into a state of subjection and
bondage. What was it that gave rise to the grand contest
between Great Britain and America but this ? As to the
latter, this was the object, at least at the first setting out.
To assert and maintain their liberties, what an expense has
there been of blood and treasure ? It would be well, if
there was an equal zeal, and as strenuous endeavors re
specting spiritual freedom and liberty by Christ Jesus. But
multitudes to whom this liberty is proclaimed, are quite in
different about it, yea in no concern to obtain it. Were
enemies to overpower and subjugate them, and they were
to hold their lives and properties at their sovereign will and
pleasure, in what a miserable, unhappy condition would
they think themselves ; and how would they groan to be
delivered from it ; and how earnest and vehement would be
their exertions in the case ? Strange that men should have
such a quick sense of their infelicity in this regard, and
that they should be so totally careless and unconcerned as
to their spiritual liberty — the glorious liberty of the sons
of God.

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM: A SERMON. 83
It is certainly the case with all that remain alienated
from God and Christ, let them be who they will or what
they will in outward and civil respects, that they are in a
state of slavery and bondage, and of the worst kind. They
are slaves to their lusts. These tyrannize over them, and
they are overcome by them. They are, (as the Apostle
speaks) " servants of corruption ; for of whom a man is
overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." Thus it
is with them, though they may fancy themselves in a state
of liberty, or imagine they shall be so. For the Apostle
says that they are in this bondage while they promise them
selves liberty. Such as are in a state of vassalage to
Satan, the usurping God of this world, are at his beck,
comply with his temptations, are drudging in his interests,
and in promoting his miserable kingdom, in opposition to
the kingdom of the Son of God. And what must be the
final issue, but their having their portion with their accurs
ed master, not only shut out from the blissful presence of
God and the Lord Jesus Christ, but thrust down into the
hideous regions of darkness, death, and everlasting despair?
What a miserable portion will this be — what dreadful wages
for their work and labor : but nothing but what they have
truly merited.
Think of this matter agreeable to the importance of it,
all ye that have been and still remain in this miserable ser
vitude ; and may you have an earnest love excited in you,
and your endeavors be proportionably vigorous, that you
may be delivered from it, — translated out of the kingdom
of Satan into the kingdom of the Son of God. His great
errand into the world was, that men might be free indeed.
In His Gospel he proclaims liberty to the captives. The

84 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Gospel is a blessed jubilee, proclaiming release to servants,
that they go out free, enjoy liberty of the noblest and most
excellent kind, such as shall prepare the way for an admis
sion to the Jerusalem that is above, and put into the pos
session of all the high honors, privileges, and felicities
thereof. Wherefore, let all such come to the blessed Jesus,
bow to Him as their King and Saviour, take upon them His
yoke which is easy and His burden which is light. Let
them enlist under His banner, and employ themselves in His
service. And this will be to be free indeed.

The reader will be interested in the following extracts
from a discourse preached by Mr. Maccarty, July 14th,
1774. It may be premised that " in 1765, after the pas
sage of the ' stamp act,' the person appointed distributor
of stamps, was compelled by threats of violence, to decline
the acceptance of the office, and the house of the lieuten
ant-governor was destroyed by a mob. A large military
and naval force was stationed at Boston, for the purpose of
overawing the people. On the evening of March 5, 1770,
a sergeant's guard fired upon a crowd of people, who were
surrounding them and pelting them with snowballs, and
killed five men. Dec. 16th, 1773, on the arrival of three
ships loaded with tea, after various unsuccessful attempts
had been made by public meetings of the citizens, to prevent
its being landed and sold, in violation of the non-importa
tion resolves of the people, a number of men disguised as
Indians, went on board the ships, and threw all the tea
overboard. In the following spring, the port of Boston was

REV. MR. MACCARTY. 85
closed by an act of Parliament (Boston port-bill,) and the
landing and shipping of goods within the harbor was order
ed to be discontinued. The session of the General Court
was removed to Salem, and additional bodies of troops and
a military governor were ordered to Boston."* In July of
that year, a special fast was observed in many of the towns
of Massachusetts, ' on account of the public difficulties of
the present day.' The following account of the appoint
ment of the day is given by Mr. Maccarty, in a note to his
discourse : " The observation of this day was not, as usual,
by a proclamation from the civil authority. It appears that
the late House of Representatives applied to his Excellen
cy, Governor Gage, that a public fast might be appointed.
But as his Excellency was not pleased to comply with said
motion, it was voted in the House, that the Representa
tives upon their return home, apply to their respective
parish ministers that such a day might be observed. Hav
ing been applied to accordingly, and finding, upon laying
it before the congregation in this place — which I thought
but a just respect to them, notwithstanding said applica
tion — that it was very generally desired, the day was
observed. And I have the pleasure to declare that there
was not the least disorder upon said day. Many respecta
ble persons who did not see so clearly into the propriety of
it, yet being unwilling to give offence to their neighbors
and brethren, laid aside all their secular concerns, and,
with but few exceptions, attended the public exercises.
And I would further declare, that so far as I had opportu
nity to observe among my people, the principle that seemed
to govern them was, not an opposition to government, but a
*Am Encyc. Article, Boston.

86 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
sense they professed to have of the frowns of Heaven upon
us, and the propriety of imploring God's gracious and pow
erful interposition."
The theme on which the preacher discoursed, in these
circumstances of painful interest, was, '¦Reformation of
manners, of absolute necessity in order to conciliate the di
vine favor in times of public evil and distress.' His text
was chosen from the first Epistle of Peter 5:6. " Hum
ble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time." After a brief and
pertinent introduction, he remarked —
" The words of our text lead us to the consideration of
an important duty under calamitous events. Humble your
selves, cfc.
They lead us also to a consideration of the happy
effect, and consequence of complying with this duty. That
He may exalt, cfc."
Having illustrated both these points with his usual good
sense and ability, he proceeded to meet the demands of
that momentous occasion by a plain and pointed application
of the subject.
" But I will no further enlarge here, but shall offer some
things with plainness, and I trust with seriousness, relative
to the occasion of the day, and agreeable to the subject I
have been discoursing upon. It is, I suppose, universally
acknowledged to be a day of great public distress and dif
ficulty, so that we know not well what to do, nor how to
extricate ourselves.
Let what will have been the instrumental or secondary
causes, yet I trust you have all of you this sense of things,
that the great Governor of the world, in his overruling

REV. MR. MACCARTY. 87
providence, has brought about such a state of things among
us. Or why do we appear before God in his house this
day, to spread our case before him, and to supplicate the
kind interpositions of his providence towards us ? Is not the
language of this day's solemnity this, that we look upon it,
that the mighty hand of God is lifted up against us, that
he has a controversy with us, that we lay under his
frowns and displeasure ? If we have not such a sense of
matters as this, it would be trifling with the Divine Majes
ty, and indeed be a mockery of him, to come before him
this day in this manner. And as it is written, God will
not be mocked, I should be loth to entertain an opinion of
any one who has desired that such a day might be observ
ed, that it was from a party spirit, but would charitably
hope, that it was to do honor to the great Governor of the
world, religiously to acknowledge him as superintending
human affairs, and accordingly to supplicate the gracious and
powerful interpositions of his providence to relieve us from
all our difficulties and distresses. And in this view of the
case, and if we are humbled under the mighty hand of God,
and the solemnities of this day are followed with a univer
sal repentance and reformation, we may hope that in due
time God will exalt us, that he will relieve us of all our
burdens and difficulties, and restore us to a state of prosper
ity and happiness. Nor unless this is the case with us,
may we upon any good and solid grounds expect this. For
as sin is a reproach to a people, so it has a tendency, both
naturally and morally, to destruction and ruin.
As to religion, that which is pure and undefiled before
God and the Father, perhaps there has been as great a

88 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
proportion of this in New England as in any part of the
Christian world.
The fathers of this land were actuated from this noble
principle in forsaking their native country, and their many
near and dear connections and fair inheritances, and enter
prising the settlement of this howling wilderness. Religion
appeared in its true glory and lustre, in the early times of
this country. There was a great regard to the holy Script
ures, a great regard to the holy Sabbath and public wor
ship ; and men would go great distances willingly and
cheerfully, rather than be deprived of such precious ad
vantages and privileges. There was a great regard to
family worship, instruction and government, there was
much of kindness, brotherly love and charity in those puri
tanic times. And profane cursing and swearing was a
rare thing indeed, and many enormities and vicious
practices, which have greatly obtained in modern times,
were scarcely known among them. I don't mean to rep
resent that generation as absolutely perfect, for this is in
compatible to the present state. Nevertheless, they were
very generally a very excellent set of men. And their
names and their memories, as they have been, so. will be in
future generations fragrant as the precious ointment. And
the holy and righteous God owned and honored them ac
cordingly. That righteousness, which was so conspicuous
among them, greatly exalted them. God was with them
and for them, and who then could be against them ? Veri
ly none, and so it appeared; for by a variety of remarkable
interpositions of his providence, God drove out the heathen
before them, prepared room for them, and they prospered
and increased under the smiles of heaven, and laid a broad

REV. MR. MACCARTY. 89
foundation for those that came after them to build upon.
And a grand and noble superstructure has been raised up
on it, as we see at this day : and particularly since the con
clusion of the last war, in which the country of Canada
that was so long a scourge to us — since, I say, that country
has been subjected to the British empire, what a surprising
spread and increase has there been to the English territo
ries! The primitive, religious constitution of this country was
very excellent, and under the smiles and blessing of the
God of grace, has been abundantly effectual to subserve the
ends of vital piety and godliness, and the purposes of re
deeming grace. We have had excellent means of liberal
education, through the pious care of our ancestors ; our
churches have greatly multiplied ; and we have as great a
proportion of able, learned, pious, and faithful ministers of
the Gospel, as any part of the christian world can boast of.
And such I doubt not they are at present, however lightly
esteemed by some, and however some may be disposed to
distress them and reduce them to penurious circumstances,
to the great hindrance of the Gospel, as well as damage to
the commonwealth. For however regardless many may be
of the Gospel and the spiritual and everlasting blessings of
it, yet it seems to be the general opinion that the Christian
ministry is an excellent institution, considered only in a
civil and political light. And I would just say further,
here, that if it was wholly suppressed and banished the
land, we should be in a situation not far superior to that of
the aboriginal natives.
We have had an excellent civil constitution, good and
wholesome laws, the due execution of which has produced
8*

90 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
the most salutary, and beneficial effects. At present, this
people are thrown into great distress and perplexity through
the operation of certain acts of the British legislature, im.
posing duties and taxes upon them, which, if the right it
claims should be granted, yet must be looked upon by all,
as contrary to the principles of sound policy, considering
the intercourse between the parent state and the colonies,
and the vast commercial interest maintained between them
to their mutual benefit and advantage.
Very sad is the present situation of our capital town,
blocked up by a powerful squadron, to the cramping of its
navigation and commerce, and the impoverishment and
distress of multitudes. And this distress that has befallen
it, must have its influence upon the whole community. If
the head suffers, the members must in many respects suffer
with it. May God afford deliverance in due time, and give
us occasion to rejoice in the kind interpositions of his prov
idence in removing this and every other difficulty and griev
ance. For we ought to bear this in mind, that our main
dependence in the case is upon his overruling providence.
We are not to trust in an arm of flesh, but in the Lord
Jehovah, in whom is everlasting strength. Unto him are
we to pray, and unto him must we return, that he may
return in favor to ns. " Turn us again, 0 God of hosts,
cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved." It is at
present, as has been said, a time of great perplexity and
distress. But are we to look altogether to the dark side of
things ? Is there no bright side to turn to ? Yes, verily,
there is. Thus it is a remarkable time of health throughout
the land. We hear of no contagious, mortal sickness pre
vailing any where. We have not this season been visited

REV. MR. MACCARTY. 91
with scorching droughts, with devouring insects. We have
had the refreshing rains and shines of heaven ; and the fruits
of the earth necessary for the support of man and beasts,
were perhaps never in a more flourishing state, nor had a
better prospect of a plentiful increase.
We yet enjoy our quiet Sabbaths, and Christian institu
tions, the day and the means of grace. And so I might
mention many other favors and blessings of heaven ; so
that notwithstanding all our difficulties and grievances, yet
our state is not absolutely forlorn and desperate. We have
a bright side to look to, and ought to look to it ; we have
great reason for thankfulness to the great Governor of the
world, at the same time that we have much cause for humil
iation before him, considering the moral grounds and reasons
of this controversy with us.
We are desirous of being extricated out of all our difficul
ties, and enjoying public good and happiness of every kind.
Now the subject I have been discoursing upon, directs us
to the most effectual method to betake ourselves to, in order
to this. The way to be exalted, is to humble ourselves
under the mighty hand of God. All schemes and plans
that may be laid, all endeavors that may be used, are not
of that importance, nor will they be likely to be so effica
cious, as securing the friendship, the guardianship and pro
tection of the God of heaven, who has all events and all
hearts in his hands, and who can in the most surprising,
unexpected manner, scatter dark clouds, change the face of
things, bring good out of evil, and open a fair, bright, and
refreshing scene, turn our mourning into dancing, put off
our sackcloth and gird us with gladness. 0 ! what a great
thing it is to have the omnipotent God engage on the side

92 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
of a people ! Every thing then must go well with them in
spite of all obstructions and oppositions. For there is no
wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord.
Prov. 21 : 30. There is none that can avail any thing,
any more than for a worm to pretend to cope with a
lion. But in order that we may enjoy the friendship of God,
and be under his smiles and blessings, we must on our part
be in friendship with him. And then only are we so, when
we are brought to that repentance and reformation that we
have spoken of this day. This, verily, is of very great im
portance in regard to God's glory, and as we would consult
our own good and prosperity even at present. 0 that there
were such a heart in us all, and in this whole people, that
we may humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt us in due time. If vice and wickedness,
especially in all their grosser forms, were suppressed, and
piety and virtue, righteousness, temperance, charity, &c,
were generally to prevail in the midst of us, what a token for
good would this be ! We might then securely depend upon
God's kind care and protection, and his blessing would
be upon us in all regards. But now, instead of the preva
lence of these duties and virtues, is it not too evident, that
we are a people ladened with iniquity, notwithstanding all
the goodness of God that he has manifested to us, and not
withstanding all his frowns and displeasure, which by our
iniquities we have procured ?
Can it be said that the troubles, perplexities and difficul
ties of the present day have produced a general repentance
and reformation of manners ? May it not be truly said,
that the lusts and corruptions of many have greatly and un-

REV. MR. MACCARTY. 93
happily operated, which instead of diminishing, have very
much increased our troubles ; that jealousies and resent
ments have been entertained among old friends, neighbors
and relatives ? What hard and opprobrious names have
been given to one another ; what a disposition to raise
and propagate false reports without regarding the mischiev
ous consequences of them. Yea, what wrath and malice,
bitterness, clamor and evil speaking, have there been. How
much horrible profaneness and impiety has there been, to
the dishonor of God, to the eating out of the very vitals of
religion, the religion of the blessed Jesus, which breathes a
quite different spirit, and tending also to the destruction of
the very form of it.
Such evils as these, alas ! how greatly prevalent have
they been in these days, in which the mighty hand of God
has been lifted up against us. Nor is his anger turned
away, but his hand is stretched out still. It is far from
being agreeable to me, in itself considered, to enumerate
the evils of the times, but I should not be faithful if I did
not. And all who are themselves conscientious, must ap
prove of faithfulness in others.
I would now offer a few things by way of counsel, hoping
they will be received and practically regarded.
In the first place, let every one search and try his own
heart and ways, humble himself before God, implore for
giveness through Christ, and grace for the future, to live in
a holy, obedient manner. If it should be thus with every
one, then reformation would be general. And in this case
we might hope to be highly exalted.
Again ; let it be the care of every one to get possessed
of a spirit of charity and brotherly kindness. This is of

94 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
very great importance to the comfort and well-being of
societies, both the greater and the less. For where there is
contention, there is confusion and every evil work. In
almost all matters, civil, secular and religious, a diversity
of sentiments takes place amongst mankind. It is in vain
to expect, that in all things they will be of the same mind
and of the same judgment. And therefore a great deal of
forbearance, candor, condescension, meekness, and charity,
is necessary. Persons may and ought to be good neigh
bors and friends, and to treat one another as brethren,
however they may be of different opinions from one another
in many matters.
Brotherly kindness or charity, as it is a great Christian
duty, so it is the beauty, strength and glory of societies.
It tends greatly to alleviate burdens and to sweeten life.
I shall only just add here, the fine and beautiful description
of charity in the 1st epistle to the Corinthians, 13th chap.,
4 — 8. " Charity suffereth long, and is kind ; charity envieth
not ; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but
rejoiceth in the truth : beareth all things, believeth all
things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
Another thing I would mention, relative to the observa
tion of this day. Some may not see their way clear to
observe it, it not being enjoined in the usual way. Now as
no one is under any compulsion in the case, so I would
earnestly advise that there may be no hard and severe
reflections cast upon any, and that there be no uncivil, in
decent conduct towards any upon the occasion. Let there
be nothing inconsistent with the character of men and

REV. MR. MACCARTY. 95
Christians. This will doubtless be productive of the most
salutary and comfortable effects.
Again ; with respect to those that have been desirous of
the observation of this day, (and this seems to be very
general,) I would say that you ought to regard it as unto
the Lord. Do not you hereby profess to do honor to the
Governor of the world, to express your unworthiness before
him, your dependence upon him, to acknowledge and be
wail your sins which have* occasioned him to lift up his
mighty hand, and to bring us into difficulties and distresses,
to implore his forgiveness and the return of his favor ?
Those that are sincere and hearty in all this, may upon good
grounds hope and expect that God will accept them there
in. You mean the solemnity of this day, brethren, or the
attendance upon it, as an act of religion. Now won't you,
all of you, carry the religion of this day into your families ?
Won't you consider it as your duty, besides joining in the
public prayers of the sanctuary, to offer up your prayers
and supplications to the divine majesty in your houses, for
those favors and blessings from him that are peculiarly
needed in the present day, and which we have publicly
spread before God ? Or does this day's observance com
plete the whole affair ?
May it not justly be expected by God himself that a
genuine repentance and reformation will follow this day's
solemnity ? Shall it be said that any after this go on in
profaneness, intemperance, unchastity, in fraud and oppres
sion, in bitterness, wrath, malice, anger, dishonesty, un
righteousness, Sabbath breaking, and neglecting the public
worship of God ? Shall it be said after this, that there are
any more prayerless families, that live like heathens, not

96 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
calling upon the name of the Lord ? I must speak freely
and faithfully here, that I fear that there are a great many
prayerless families among you, and I must earnestly expos
tulate with you upon this head. Why will you thus live
without God in the world ? Are you afraid or ashamed to
acknowledge your Maker and daily Benefactor ? Can you
live without him, live independent of him ? You surely .
will not acknowledge this, unless you are professed athe
ists. But I am well persuaded that none of you are of this
abandoned class of mortals. You acknowledge, all of you,
I presume, that there is a God, and that you are absolutely
dependent upon him for public, personal and family bless
ings. And will you not then erect an altar for him in your
houses, whereon to offer religious sacrifices daily, morning
and evening ? How can you expect the blessing of God
upon your persons or families, if you neglect having any
concern with him in the way I have now mentioned ? I
must earnestly exhort such as have hitherto neglected
family worship, that they immediately set it up, and not
make a bye business of it, but constantly attend it. Con
sider what you owe to your children. They are committed
to your care not only to provide for their outward welfare
and comfort, but to train them up in the nurture and admo
nition of the Lord. And is it likely that they will have
any sense of God or religion, if they see their parents live
in the neglect of such a plain incumbent duty, as that of
family worship is ? And will not religion, the most import
ant thing in the world, be lost among the rising generation
if you go on in such a neglect ? I hope what I have now
said upon this matter will be seriously laid to heart by
those of you to whom it is especially applicable. And may

REV. MR. MACCARTY. 97
it please God to render it effectual to bring about a refor
mation in this matter. And I would just add in a word,
that it will ill become those to live in the neglect of family
worship, who have discovered a zeal that this day of fast
ing and prayer be observed on account of our public diffi
culties. I shall now close all with briefly saying, that while you
are in such anxiety respecting your civil liberties, it infi
nitely concerns you, that you be in earnest, that you may
have a share in the glorious liberties and privileges of the
children of God. Civil liberty it is acknowledged is a
most valuable enjoyment, and what all are earnestly de
sirous of the enjoyment of. And as every one is desirous
of it for himself, so every one ought to be willing that his
neighbor should enjoy it. But is it acting a consistent part
to vilify and reproach others, because they take that liberty
which God and nature have given them to think and speak
differently from them ? No one can soberly pretend this.
No doubt all aim at the same thing, whatever difference
there may be in opinion and conduct. Let us remember,
brethren, that the present scene will quickly be closed upon
us, and we shall have no more any concern with the
affairs and transactions of the present state. And if we
get to heaven, as God in his infinite mercy through Christ
grant we all may, we shall there be all of one heart and
soul. There harmony, love and peace, will universally take
place. There we shall enjoy liberty of the right sort, be
eternally free from the bondage of Satan, and our own cor
ruptions, and all the penal effects of them, and love God,
and love one another entirely and sincerely, and with the
9

98 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
utmost freedom and cheerfulness serve and glorify God and
the Lamb throughout eternal ages."
Before closing the account of Mr. Maccarty and his min
istry, it may not be impertinent to allude to several incidents
of historical interest respecting the changes that took place
in the mode of seating people in the meeting-house, the
public reading of the Scriptures, and the manner of con
ducting public praise. As a particular description of these
changes, in the body of this work, might not be regarded
as strictly in keeping with its main design, the reader who
would become acquainted with them, is referred to the Ap
pendix.*

§ 5. Rev. Samuel Austin, D. D.
After Mr. Maccarty's decease, more than six years
elapsed before the installation of his successor. They were
eventful years to the First Church. In their progress, radi
cal differences of opinion on points of doctrine were dis
closed, unkind feelings were generated, divisions took place
that time could not heal, and causes were put in operation
which have wrought important changes in the developments
of social and of Christian life. Many gentlemen officiated in
the pulpit during this period, but either the people failed to
unite in selecting any one of them to be their pastor and
teacher, or the object of their choice saw reasons for declin
ing their invitation. Serious differences of religious opinion
presented an insuperable obstacle to agreement on the same
* Note E.

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 99

man for a religious teacher. Secession was the natural, if
not necessary result. Numbers formed themselves into a
new society, established separate worship, and attended
upon the ministrations of Rev. Aaron Bancroft. Of these
transactions, due notice will be taken in a subsequent part
of this work.
In 1786, the Rev. Daniel Story was invited to settle
here, on a salary of ,£120, with a gratuity of £300. He
accepted the invitation, the day of his ordination was desig
nated, and a committee appointed to make suitable prepa
rations. Before the day arrived, another meeting voted
that the time be postponed. At an adjourned meeting,
probably by Mr. Story's desire, the invitation was recalled.
He could not persuade himself to labor permanently, where
embittered divisions would be likely at once to impair his
peace and prevent his usefulness. Retiring from the place
where he had labored for about two years, he preached in
Concord, N. H. Respectable acquisitions and an agreeable
manner could not do away the force of the impression that
he was tinctured with Arminianism, and he was not settled
there. Having removed to Ohio, he became the first min
ister of Marietta. Born in Boston, Mass., he was gradu
ated from Dartmouth College, N. H., in 1780, settled in
the State of Ohio, and died in Marietta, in 1813.
Several candidates were heard during the two years that
followed Mr. Story's retirement, but no one united the suf
frages of the people on himself, until the name of the Rev.
Samuel Austin, of New Haven, was presented to them.
He was invited to settle here, March 22, and installed,
Sept. 29, 1790. The following clergymen assisted in the
public services of his installation :

100 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
The Rev. Samuel Spring, of Newburyport, invoked the
divine blessing ; Rev. Samuel Hopkins, of Hadley, preached
the Sermon ; Rev. Ebenezer Chaplin, of Sutton, made the
Installing Prayer; Rev. Joseph Sumner, of Shrewsbury,
delivered the Charge ; Rev. Nathaniel Williams, of Brim-
field, proffered the Right Hand of Fellowship ; and Rev.
Nathanael Emmons, of Franklin, led the concluding devo
tions of the assembly.
The salary voted to Mr. Austin, was £130. In conse
quence of disapprobation expressed by a single individual
to the settlement of this candidate, and for the purpose of
ascertaining whether any considerable opposition existed, a
meeting was called to test the feelings of the people a second
time. The result of the meeting was, that seventy-three
were in favor of, and only two against him. Soon after his
installation, there was a' revision of the creed and covenant
of the church.*
The life of Dr. Austin was full of stirring incident.
There are but few men of any profession or calling, whose
lives present more diversity of scene and action, than did
his. Born in New Haven, Ct., Nov. 7, 1760, he remained
with his parents till the war of the revolution broke out.
Shortly after this, young Austin became a substitute for
his father, who had been drafted as a soldier, and did ser
vice for him in the city of New York.. The surrender of
that city to the British occasioned his discharge, and he re
turned to his parents. For two or three years, he divided
his time between school-teaching and military service.
About the age of twenty years, he decided on entering a
professional life. The study of law first attracted his atten-

* Appendix F.

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 101
tion, and he commenced the preparatory course for that
profession with Judge Chauncy,* of New Haven. He was
soon aware that, in order to attain to eminence in the pro
fession, he must revise his earlier studies and secure a more
thorough intellectual discipline. Devoting himself to the
classics with his characteristic ardor, he made such pro
gress that, in 1781, he entered Yale College and became a
member of the Sophomore class. While preparing for col
lege, his mind seems to have been deeply impressed with
his religious responsibilities, and he became the subject of
that moral transformation which turned his thoughts and
desires in a new direction, and gave him a new object to
study and to live for. In the first year of his college life,
he was admitted to the church by President Stiles, and
thenceforward, while reason held her throne, he gave indis
putable proof that ' for him to live was Christ.' From a
diary he kept, some of the first leaves of which are lost, the
following extract will indicate the spirit with which he com
menced his religious life. The imperfect manuscript thus
begins : " Jesus Christ to be my Saviour, and the Holy
Spirit of all grace to be my sanctifier: and promise, by the
grace of God helping me, without which I can do nothing,
to walk according to all the precepts of God exhibited in
* Charles Chauncy, L.L. D , was a descendant of Charles Chauncy, the
second President of Harvard College. He was born in Durham, Ct , June
11th, 1747. A graduate from no college, he was admitted to the bar in 1768.
Yale gave him the degree of A. M., and Middlebury, that of L.L. D. In
1789, he was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ct. He died at
New Haven, in 1823, at the age of 75. His thirst for knowledge was un
quenchable, and he was admirably qualified for the high station to which he
was elevated. A firm believer in the Scriptures, he was an intelligent and
devoted Christian. His old age was honorable and peaceful, his death tri
umphant. — Allen's Biog. Dic'y.
9*

102 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
His word, to practice all known duty, and avoid all known
sin — to adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour, and to live
as becomes a member of the church militant of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ."
During his collegiate course, Mr. Austin united in his
own person two things that are far too often separated in
the life of a student — earnest devotion to scholarship, and
assiduous culture of the Christian graces. Religious prin
ciple seems to have pervaded his whofe conduct. Not less,
but more a student because he was a Christian, he was not
less a Christian because he must needs be a scholar. What
he was in the latter character, will appear from the follow
ing letter of a class-mate,* who knew him well, and could
judge impartially. " He was an assiduous and thorough
scholar. Attentive to all the prescribed duties of college,
sober and discreet, he sustained an unblemished character.
An excellent linguist, he was a Deanj scholar. Regarded
always as a very good speaker, he received as the reward
of merit, the first appointment in the exercises of com
mencement, when he was graduated. His maturity of
years, with unremitted attention to his studies, gave him a
rank, to say the least, among the first scholars of his class."
His determination that study should not interfere with
devotion, or that the ambition of a scholar should not sup
press the ' panting of the heart after God,' is obvious from
one or two of the Resolutions which he adopted as rules for
his daily conduct : " Resolved to watch strictly over my
own heart, that it be not, on the one hand, too much capti-
* Hon. Judge Daggett, New Haven, who attended on Mr. Austin's preach
ing when he was settled in Fair-Haven.
t Scholarship instituted by Dean Berkley, subsequently Bishop of Cloyne.

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 103
vated by the world and its pleasures, and, on the other,
that it be daily conversant in heaven, and fixed on God."
" Resolved that every day, before morning prayer, I will
look forward into the probable business of the day, and see
wherein I shall be exposed to temptation, and to determine
accordingly ; and to survey the day with this idea, that I
will live as piously that day as though it were my last.
And now, though I shall by no means be likely to live so,
without divine assistance, yet I pray Grod to enable me, by
the assistance of His holy and blessed Spirit."
A perusal of his diary, will shew that these and their
associated Resolutions had a restraining, purifying and ele
vating influence on his mind and character all the way
through college, and indeed through life. " He began
from his conversion to walk with God on earth ; he sought
to consecrate every faculty of his soul to the divine glory,
while he was forming and fitting himself for usefulness ;
and, by the grace of God, he was a burning and shining
light in every station which he was afterwards called to
occupy in the church."*
Having completed his collegiate course with the first
honors of his class,f he devoted himself to the study of
theology. Law might still have had attractions for him,
but Divinity was far more congenial to his feelings, besides
being imperative with his conscience. Dr. Jonathan Ed
wards of New Haven was his instructor. While reading
for his profession, he was also engaged in teaching. In
* Am. Qu. Register, IX. 207.
t His class numbered forty-two. Among others, the Hon. Judge Daggett,
the Rev. Dr. Holmes, the Rev. Dr. Morse, and the Hon. John Cotton Smith,
L.L. D. belonged to it. Of the whole number, thirteen became ministers of
the Gospel.— Historical Sermon of the Rev. Mr. Dulkm, p. 78.

104 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
1784, he commenced preaching the Gospel, and continued
to preach almost every Sabbath during his residence in
Norwich, where he taught the Academy until the autumn
of 1785. While there, he received two invitations to settle
in the Gospel ministry — one to be pastor of the church in
Hampton, Ct., the other to be colleague with the late Dr.
Livingston,* in the Middle Dutch Church, in New York.
Both these invitations he declined ; the latter, ' because the
church practiced and were disposed to adhere to the half
way covenant ; under which he could not consent to become
their pastor.'
On the 9th of Nov. 1786, he was ordained over the
church of Fair-Haven, in New Haven.f Dr. Edwards
* The Rev. John H. Livingston, D. D., a native of Ponghkeepsie, N. Y.,
was born in 1746, and graduated at Yale College, in the class of 3762. In
-1766, he went to the University of Utrecht, in Holland, to pursue the study of
Theology. Having remained there four years, and received the degree Of
doctor in theology, he returned to his native country, and became pastor of
the Middle Dutch church, in the city of New York. In 1784, he became
professor of theology in the Dutch church. He performed the duties of both
offices until 1810, when he was appointed President of Queen's College,
New Brunswick, where he remained till his decease, in 1825. He was a man
of great intellectual vigor and eminent scholarship. A well-read theologian,
he taught with great success the many whose theological studies he guided.
Ardent in temperament and having a ready command of language, he entered
the pulpit without notes, and preached with such accuracy and force that
his audience hung with delight upon his lips. He was eminently useful
while he lived, and his memory is precious. — Allen's Biographical Dictionary.
t This church too, had adopted the half-way covenant ; but "when Mr.
Austin was settled, he made a sort of compromise with those in the society
who were in favor of the half-way covenant, which at that time was often
made in similar circumstances. He consented that those who had already
owned that covenant, might continue to have their children baptized ; not by
himself, but by some minister who had no conscientious scruples against the
practice, with whom he would exchange, to afford an opportunity for the
performance of the rite." — Mr. Dutton's Sermon, p. 79.

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 105
preached the sermon on that occasion, President Stiles
gave the charge, and Dr. Wales the right hand of fellow
ship. He was united in marriage to Miss Jerusha, daugh
ter of Rev. Samuel Hopkins, D. D., of Hadley, Mass., in
1788, Sept. 14th. The union contributed essentially to
his happiness and usefulness. They had no children.
After three years' service with the church of Fair-Haven,
Mr. Austin asked that his pastoral relation might be discon
tinued. The society had been weakened by secession, and
some of those who remained were dissatisfied with the pas
tor's strenuous opposition to the half-way covenant. He
left them, however, with feelings of kindness. While there,
devoting himself to their interests with affection and fidelity,
he was highly appreciated for his talents and learning, and
greatly respected for his integrity and upright deport
ment. Those who felt the pressure of his unbending prin
ciples, saw that he was ruled by the authority of conscience.
Before leaving Fair-Haven, he received an invitation from
the First Church in Worcester, to become their pastor.
Dismissed from preexisting relations, he accepted the call,
and in a few months, entered upon this field of labor.
Mr. Austin commenced his duties in Worcester with
large promise of success. His eminent natural endowments,
intellectual acquisitions, varied experience, maturity of age
and judgment, and the unanimity with which he was invited '
to occupy this position, all gave assurance of distinguished
usefulness. Finding pleasure in the study, he assiduously
devoted himself to investigations of theological truth. No
themes so attractive to him as the doctrines of Christianity,
he labored to give them in his own mind the power of con-

106 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
secutive arrangement and the beauty of harmony.* So la
borious was he in his study that his ' profiting appeared
unto all.' Panting after success and often discouraged
because its visible forms did not meet his eye, he yet con
centrated all the energies of an ardent nature upon the
work of his life. Eminently happy in his devotional exer
cises, energetic and subduing in his sermons, he wielded
great power in the pulpit — even now he is spoken of by
those who distinctly recollect him, as remarkable for the
# The report was at one time prevalent that Dr. Austin preached the dam
nation of infants, and that he expressed this sentiment in the most repulsive
and shocking form. In ' Thomas' Reminiscences,' that report is embodied,
while the impression is left that there is quite too much truth in it.# Justice
to the memory of a good man demands that the report should be positively
contradicted. The Rev. Dr. Nelson, of Leicester, who studied theology with
Dr. Austin, has assured the writer, that he took occasion once to intimate to
his revered instructor that such a report was in circulation, and that some
professed to believe it. Dr. Austin unhesitatingly denied that he had ever
preached such a doctrine, or that he had ever entertained such a belief. He
added, in his own earnest manner, that he held the sentiment in as utter
abhorrence as those who intimated that he had inculcated it.
" Although he was accused of holding to, and uttering the doctrine of infant
damnation, yet during the several years I sat under his ministry, and in all
my intercourse with him while under his instruction as a student in theology,
I never heard him utter any such doctrine. Nor had I the slightest reason to
believe that he held any such. But as an individual of some standing in
society, about the time of my settlement in Leicester, said to me that he
himself heard Dr. Austin utter this abhorred doctrine in the most explicit and
offensive terms, I determined to avail myself of his (Dr. A's) own express
contradiction of this statement, notwithstanding I was at the time fully per
suaded of its falseness. I accordingly asked him if he had ever used such
language as I told him was charged upon him, or had, in any language or in
any way, taught the doctrine of infant damnation ? ' No,' he emphatically
replied, ' my whole soul revolts from such an idea.' " — Letter of Dr. Nelson.
* " Mr. Austin was of the Hopkintonian school, and preached original sin,
and there being infants in hell not a span long. I heard him once, and did not
grudge him his faith."— Sketches of his own Life and Times, by E. S. Thomas.
Vol. II, p. 14.

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 107
pathos of his manner, and the force of his appeals. Such
preaching could not be long without visible demonstrations
of good effect. His church were quickened in thought,
and excited to more holy endeavor. A deeper tone of
spirituality characterized their religious life, and a keener
relish of sound and discriminating views of divine truth,
was generated among them. The process, at first, was
gradual ; but afterwards became more decided and rapid.
Nearly a hundred individuals dated a marked change in
their religious history from impressions made by his preach
ing ; and many, who, after he left, became hopefully pious,
ascribed much of the influence which brought them to
Christ to the blessing of God upon his faithful labors.
There are some even at the present day, who trace the
best part of their lives to the words of wisdom which he
uttered, and the prayers of faith which he offered to God
in the name of the Mediator.
Nor were his labors restricted within the bounds of his
own parish. He was useful by his counsels when called to
advise in cases of difficulty ; by yielding to repeated re
quests to preach on occasions of public interest ; and by
directing the theological studies of a number of young men,
preparing for the ministry. His benevolent spirit impelled
him to be active in all enterprises of the day which had for
their object the glory of the church of Christ or the well-
being of man. Liberal in heart, he devised liberal things.
His influence was felt in the originating of the General
Association of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Mission
ary Society came into being by the aid of his presence and
the advocacy of his voice. One of its trustees and its first
secretary, he promoted its interest with no reluctant endea-

108 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
vor as long as Worcester was his home. This Society,
whose constitution bears the date of May, 1799, important
as it was in itself, was the means of large additional good,
by leading the way to those national benevolent institutions
which have been the harbingers of mercy to other lands, as
they are the glory of our own.
Another form in which his wise benevolence found exer
cise, was the arrangement and publication of the works of
President Edwards. This was ' a labor of love ' performed
with great discretion, and with much satisfaction to the
christian community. Herein he " gratified his personal
attachment to that execllent man, sought the advancement
of the great doctrines of the cross, particularly among the
younger clergy, and the excitement of their zeal by a per
suasive example."* In furtherence of the benevolent end
with which he began the work, he disposed of many copies
of it to theological students, at a very reduced price : —
a fact which induced one of their professors to say of him,
' He was a man of generous, noble heart, and loved to give
money for benevolent objects, and to make efforts in other
ways to do good.'f
Thus ardent in zeal, diligent in study, indefatigable in
effort, and with a passion for doing good, it is not wonder
ful that Dr. Austin^: wielded great influence among his
own people, or that his reputation was widely extended.
At home he had many friends, and they were ardently
attached to him. But it would be incorrect to suppose
that he had not also bitter enemies. As he was a man of
strong feelings and decided convictions, as, moreover, he
* Preface to the ' Worcester Edition.' t Am. Qu. Register, IX. 211.
t He received the degree of Doctor in Divinity from Williams College, in 1807.

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 109
was in the habit of uttering his sentiments in language that
could not easily be misinterpreted, it would be unreasona
ble to suppose that he could have exercised the office of the
ministry here without some jarring of opinions and some
friction of sensibilities. It is also to be recollected, that in
the course of his ministry, political parties were greatly at
variance, sectional prejudices strong, and strifes were
waged with animosities more than ordinarily fierce and vir
ulent. In such circumstances, the utterances of the pulpit
would be carefully noted, and any thing that should seem
to favor one side at the expense of the other, would evoke
approval here and excite opposition there. But Dr. Austin
was not the man to be awed into silence by a frown, or
made communicative by a smile. Thinking for himself on
all subjects of interest, and entertaining no doubt that re
ligious principle should govern the pen, the tongue and the
hand, in the political, as well as in other departments of
life, he did not hesitate to express his convictions and sug
gest counsels even on those subjects of public interest, on
which he was well aware parties differed. On public fasts
he frankly told his people what he believed, and how he
would act in regard to civil affairs.* This, of course, pro
voked opposition. At one time, so great was the excite
ment produced by political discourses, that a public meeting
was called, to decide whether the parish would tolerate
such preaching, and whether they thought it expedient that
* Some of these fast sermons were published. The one preached July 23,
1812, and which occasioned no slight agitation, has on its title page the follow
ing quaint notice : "Published from the press, by the desire of some who heard
it, and liked it ; by the desire of some who heard it, and did not like it : and
by the desire of others who did not hear it, but imagine that they should not
have liked it if they had."
10

110 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
existing relations between them and their minister should
continue. Dr. Austin was sustained by a large majority
of the meeting ; and whether his friends approved all that
he had said or not, they were determined that his freedom
of speech, whether in or out of the pulpit, should not be
abridged. Several of the disaffected withdrew, and event
ually aided in forming the Baptist Society.
For twenty-five years, Dr. Austin ' fulfilled ' his ministry
in Worcester with great ability and to the general satisfac
tion of his people. In 1815, having been invited to the
presidency of the University of Vermont, he asked a dis
mission from his pastoral charge. His dismission, however,
did not take place until the 23d of December, 1818. At
first, he had leave of absence three months, that he might
by inquiry decide intelligently whether he would accept
the presidency that had been tendered to him, and that the
parish might have opportunity to hear candidates,' with a
view to the settlement of a colleague or successor. After
he had decided to remain at Burlington, he was induced
still to retain his pastoral connection in Worcester, on ac
count of the civil process commenced in his name by the
parish against the town, for the recovery of lands. This
case decided, the strong wishes of members of the church
and parish influenced him to delay a formal separation for
some time longer.
The trial was indeed great of a separation between a de
voted pastor and an endeared people. It was with no
small difficulty, that they who had sat under his ministry
for years, could be made to believe that duty called him
away from relations so happily existing, to an untried ser
vice among strangers. The college, whose operations had

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. Ill
been suspended for two or three years during the war with
Great Britain, was in a sadly dilapidated condition. Its
buildings had been converted into barracks, its students
dispersed, and its income was hardly equal to the support
of a single professor. But a strenuous effort was now mak
ing to resuscitate its energies and commence a process
which should realize the intentions of its founders. It be
came a conviction in the mind of Dr. Austin, that the cause
of science and religion demanded his acceptance of the
presidency. His conviction of duty settled, every thing
else must yield to that. Go he must, and go he did.
Whatever doubt subsequently disturbed his mind as to the
expediency of so great a change, he then felt that necessi
ty was laid upon him to undertake that service. Trying
to himself and distressing to his people, it was with great
regret that a council of his brethren in the ministry yielded
assent to his dismission. Their particular views may be
inferred from the following extract from their result :
" This council cannot but unanimously express their high
esteem of Dr. Austin, and the sense they entertain of his
worth. When invited to leave this region, and take the
charge of the college at Burlington, they deeply lamented
that he felt it his duty to resign his charge of the First
Church and Society in Worcester, and accept the appoint
ment ; especially, since, in the apprehension of this coun
cil, he was a pillar in the church, a faithful watchman and
an able defender of the faith on this part of the walls of
Zion, where his talents, learning, counsel, and pious zeal
were so much needed."
Installed in his new office, July, 1815, he carried with
him to its embarrassing duties his characteristic ardor of

112 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
devotion, benevolence of purpose and untiring activity. A
few weeks after having commenced his new labors, he
writes : " Here I am, a solitary stranger, without my fam
ily ; attempting to raise and render respectable and useful
this institution. — I infinitely need, and most earnestly pray
for the guiding hand and consoling presence of God." For
six years he gave his best thoughts and his concentrated
energies to the enterprise in hand. Unimpeachable testi
mony proves to us that he labored diligently and wisely.
One* associated with him in the office of instruction writes :
" As a president, he was faithful to the trust reposed in
him. Sincerely devoted to the interests of the college, and
untiring in his efforts to promote them, he enjoyed the
confidence and respect of the public. He presided with
dignity, mingled with affability and Christian philanthropy.
His solicitude for the spiritual welfare of the students was
most ardent and exemplary. If his knowledge in the phys
ical sciences, in philosophy and general literature, was, in
any degree deficient in precision and accuracy, it was yet
various and comprehensive. In the metaphysical sciences,
and particularly in mental and moral philosophy, he was an
able and interesting instructor. As a governor of the in
stitution, he was mild and affectionate, yet dignified and
faithful. All his pupils loved and respected him. To his
subordinate officers, he was peculiarly affectionate and
kind." But the embarrassments of the college were too great to
be removed at once. The difficulties of the position were
more serious than he anticipated. The immediate results
looked for were not realized. ' Hope deferred made the
* Rev. Dr. Murdock.

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 113
heart sick.' He longed also more than ever, to give his
undivided energies to preaching the Gospel. As one ex
pressed it, "he panted for its labors and enjoyments."
Though he had done all that could reasonably be asked of
him in the circumstances, yet he despaired of accomplish
ing the results on which his heart had been set, and ac
cordingly resigned his office as president, in 1821.
Retiring from Burlington, he became pastor of a feeble
church in Newport, R. I., once the charge of that distin
guished divine, the Rev. Dr. Hopkins. One reason he
assigns for selecting this people was, that they had not the
means of giving him an adequate support. Intimating to
them that he was at their service if they desired his minis
trations, he was gratefully welcomed by them, as he gladly
hastened thither to be the ' servant of that church for Jesus'
sake.' That year he was elected a corporate member of the A.
B. C. F. M. From the first, he had taken a deep interest
in this association.
For the period of four years, he rendered faithful service
to tha_t feeble church ; nor were his ' labors in the Lord '
futile. The perceptible decline of his health and the
Aveight of advancing years, admonished him that it would
be wise to retire from the responsible situation he occupied
and seek a place where he might spend the evening of his
days in comparative repose. Resigning his charge in New
port, he returned, in 1825, to Worcester, where he expect
ed to find a pleasant home the residue of his days, in the
family of his nephew and adopted son, John W. Hubbard,
Esq. — He preached some time in Millbury, and was in
vited to take charge of a church then recently formed
10*

114 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
there. This his increasing illness prevented. The sudden
death of his adopted son, and the breaking up of that
family where the slow hours of sickness and mental depres
sion might be cheered by the kind offices of filial affection,
involved him in the deepest affliction. Devolving upon
him the entangled affairs of a business to which his health
and energies were by no means equal, these sad visitations,
as they greatly overtasked his remains of strength, induced
extreme depression of spirits. Constitutionally inclined to
gaze intently on the dark side of life's picture, and having
already met with numerous disheartening incidents, these
additional and unanticipated trials were too much for his
faith. The light of hope was well nigh extinguished, and
a cloud of melancholy began to settle down upon his
spirit. Physical disease, in the form of a confirmed dys
pepsia, completely prostrating his mental energies, at length
produced mental aberration. This was at first apparent in
connection with the pecuniary embarrassments which had
given him so much trouble ; but soon it was transferred to
a subject of far deeper interest — his own Christian experi
ence and personal interest in Christ. He was emphatical
ly a monomaniac respecting his whole religious history.
Never more conscientious than then, never giving more
conclusive evidence of a heart in love with holiness and in
sympathy with Christ's, he yet was certain in his own mind
that there was nothing but sin in his best actions, and noth
ing but despair and darkness in his prospects for eternity.
A discerning friend writes, " Even in that state of partial
derangement and melancholy in which he closed his days,
when the darkness of despair settled down upon him, and
he had no hope of himself, his piety often shone out from

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 115
behind the cloud with great lustre and beauty." " In that
grief which he sometimes indulged, under the mistaken im
pression that he had always been a hypocrite, and that,
when he had preached to others, he must himself be a
castaway, it was easy to discover the sorrows of repentance,
and the meltings of a broken heart."* But most of all, the
past life proved that the heart was devoted to God, and
that present despair could easily be traced to physical dis
ease developing an hereditary predisposition. f
For some four years, until death released him from his
sufferings, Dr. Austin remained very much in the same
state of health and mind. There was a mournful harmony
between the paroxysms of his melancholy and the aggrava
tions of his corporeal infirmity. In March, 1827, he went
to Northampton, to receive the kind attention of the family
of his brother-in-law, Mr. John Hopkins. While there,
after listening to a sermon, he said with indescribable inter
est to the preacher, " You told us, in your preaching, that
we must part with sin, or must part with God. When I
heard this, I felt — Oh ! I can't part with God — I can't
part with God ! " His house was emphatically built upon
a rock. The rains descended, the floods beat against
it ; but it fell not. His soul was fixed on God — uncon
sciously, indeed, but none the less really for that.
In 1828, he went to Glastenbury, Ct., to reside with his
nephew, Rev. Samuel H. Riddel. There he received
every attention that affectionate kindness could dictate,
and, at times, exhibited a degree of hope and cheerfulness.
In conversation with others, he would apparently forget
*Am. Qu. Register, ix, 215.
t The son substantially repeated the sad experience of the mother, in her
last days.

116 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
himself. But his work was done ; his sufferings were soon
to close. The light of eternity was about to dawn upon
his darkness, and his ' light affliction which was but for a
moment ' was shortly to be succeeded by ' a far more ex
ceeding and eternal weight of glory.' On the 4th of De
cember, 1830, in the 71st year of his age, his tried spirit
went to God.
The above sketch of Dr. Austin's life plainly indicates
the prominent features of his character, as a man, a Christ
ian, and a Christian minister. Obviously, he was no
ordinary man. In person, mind, manners, moral culture
and spiritual development, he was strongly marked. His
proper individuality was never in danger of being mistaken
for another's. A minute and extended analysis of so in
structive a character would not suit the limits of this work ;
but both historical and moral justice require some notices
like the following :
Above the usual height in person, he was erect and well-
proportioned in form, manly and dignified in carriage. One
could not look upon his features and mark his personal bear
ing, without feeling that more than an ordinary man was
before him. His countenance was quick to receive impres
sions from the intellect and heart, and flash them outwards.
His manners were dignified, yet simple ; commanding, yet
gentle and condescending. An appearance of austerity
made a distant view of him stern and forbidding ; but the
nearer you drew to him, the more frank and affable you
found him. Impertinence and undue familiarity shrunk
abashed from his eye ; but the smile he had for his friends,
was as the sun-beam breaking through clouds.
The social element was largely developed in him. In

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 117
the domestic circle, although cares pressed heavily upon
him from without, he was tender, considerate and assiduous.
In the society of congenial friends, it was his delight to put
off the harness of severe professional labor, and interchange '
thought and feeling in the freedom of unrestrained, fraternal
intercourse. He could be cheerful, and yet not light ;
communicative, without uttering scandal or folly ; familiar,
and yet not undignified ; and to the self-forgetfulness of
unrestricted friendship, add the circumspection of a wise
man and a Christian.
In respect of intellectual endowment, he was greatly
favored. To use a homely phrase, " Nature had done
much for him." But he was not satisfied with original
gifts ; he diligently improved them. Quick in perception,
rapid and brilliant in his creations, with a sharp eye for
analogies and a prompt response to the laws of association,
he was admirably fitted for a public speaker. Nor was he
deficient in analytical power and logical deduction. If a
vivacious fancy sometimes became wild and rampant, reason
was sure to reach after her, and either to bring her back
or restrain her course. A comprehensive and rapid survey
of a subject was congenial to his nature ; and occasionally
he might fail in minute investigation and nice criticism.
Still, he reasoned with clearness and force on some of the
higher themes of metaphysics and theology, and shewed
himself able to grasp the noblest subjects of human thought.
Rapid generalizations and the power of seizing, at once on
the most striking comparisons, gave to his speech unusual
fluency, boldness and vigor. Not sufficiently attentive to
his modes of utterance, he was at times redundant and dif-

118 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
fuse, and even negligent in his expressions.* But, in spite
of such a drawback, a ready command of language enabled
him to set forth a subject at times with transcendent power.
His thoughts electric, electrified his hearers. In a word,
liberally endowed by his Creator with the elements of intel
lectual power, he so cultivated his faculties, that he " is
justly entitled to take a respectable rank among the learned
men of our country," and so harmonized them in their de
velopment, that he was able to exercise an extraordinary
influence over the minds of his fellow men.
But that which gave the highest excellence to Dr. Aus
tin's character, and which makes his memory most fragrant
now, was his piety. This was intelligent, earnest, affec
tionate and discriminating. Deeply affected with a view of
his own sinfulness and lost condition, he had learned to
trust with the most cordial reliance in the atonement of
Christ for pardon and justification. With exalted concep
tions of the greatness and holiness of God, he habitually
humbled himself under His " mighty hand." " Resolved
that, in every approach to the throne of the Most High, I
will entertain and crowd into my mind as august concep
tions as possible of the divine greatness, power, omnipres
ence, spirituality, omniscience, and infinite hatred of all sin
and hypocrisy ; and also, to annihilate myself, as it were, in
His presence ; that I may attend on prayer with becoming
solemnity and devotion." The spirit of this resolution
appears ever to have been with him ; it breathed in his pri
vate devotions ; it made his prayers remarkable in the public
* The opinion that he, in common with others at that day, considered
style as of little or no importance, ( See Am. Qu. Reg. Vol. IX. Article Dr. A. )
is too sweeping and indiscriminate to be just.

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 119
assembly. " Even among the excellent, he excelled in
godly fear. Greatly and most conscientiously afraid to
offend God, and most desirous to please Him, he seemed
strongly < to love whatever God loves,' and as strongly to
detest ' whatever He hates.' In the devotions of the family,
as well as of the sanctuary and at the table of Christ, he
very commonly appeared as though just within the vail,
freely and with reverence addressing his Maker and Re
deemer. Indeed, in this service, ' his heart seemed to ex
pand and enlarge, and elevate all his views of divine things.'
Highly ardent in the exercise and enjoyment of gracious
affections, he was distinguished by that habitual heavenly-
mindedness and spirituality, which indicated much devout
meditation and a close walk with God. His were lofty
spiritual aims, high attainments in the divine life, and
ardent aspirations for the perfect likeness of Christ. He
walked with God, and was not: for God took him."*
The reader will now have been prepared for the state
ment, that Dr. Austin, not satisfied with low attainments
either in knowledge or holiness, aimed at uniformity and
consistency in his spiritual life. While he acknowledged
that in many things he offended, and always assumed the
attitude of profound humility as he confessed his sins before
God, he yet panted after entire conformity to the divine
will, and habitually aimed at completeness and harmony in
the development of his spiritual nature. The unfortunate
predisposition which untoward circumstances brought forth
into a monomania of religious despondency, and which, thus
developed, clouded the evening of his life, and obscured the
sun as it set, should by no means lessen our appreciation of
* Dr. Tenney's discourse at the funeral of Dr. A.

120 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
the reality of a deep Christian experience and of uncommon
excellence of character.
To a commanding personal appearance, courteous ad
dress, vigorous intellect, respectable erudition, knowledge
of human nature, and sincere piety, you are now to add a
temperament which gave energy to every motion, vivacity
to every mental power, and ardor to every moral affection.
What his hand found to do, he did with the concentrated
force of a living soul. Opposition could not deter, nor ridi
cule turn him aside, when duty urged him onward. Loyalty
to truth, devotion to duty, obedience to the right, let inter
est, or prejudice, or expediency oppose or flatter as they
might — these were principles settled in the depths of his
moral being, and, in the ardor of a sanguine temperament,
giving character to a life which cannot be seen without
interest, or studied without profit.
With the traits of character now distinguished, happily
combined in the same person, we should be prepared to
say, if we had never heard it, that Dr. Austin must have
been remarkable as a preacher. Take him all in all, but
few have excelled him ; at any rate, we are safe in the con
clusion, that, where one has risen above, tens and scores
have fallen below him. We may not, indeed, claim for
him the almost superhuman power of a Whitefield to en
trance the multitudes, or the polished force of Robert Hall,
or the resistless genius of Chalmers, or the massive
strength of intellect that raised Edwards to a place among
the half dozen elect of the race, or the versatility of
Dwight, or the keen discrimination of Emmons ; but no
doubt intrudes upon us in saying that he was a ' workman
that needed not to be ashamed.' The good providence of

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 121
God and his own endeavors prepared him to make the pul
pit a place of power. Solemn and commanding in manner,
with a soul awed before the majesty of God, he was a fit
interpreter of the thunders of the law. Humble as a child
before the mercy-seat, with all his hope of pardon on the
cross of Christ, he could utter the accents of Calvary with
subduing pathos. The tones of his voice resonant and
flexible — now thrilling as the call of a clarion, and now
liquid as the tones of a flute — his enunciation free, distinct
and emphatic, he could pour forth the emotions of his sur
charged heart with discriminating power — at one time
with solemn grandeur to awe the thoughtless, and anon
with the sweetness of hope and the melodies of love to
cheer the desponding and comfort the broken-hearted.
Always animated in the delivery of his thoughts, and throw
ing his soul into his subject with an utter forgetfulness of
self, he not seldom carried his hearers captive to his own
impassioned nature, and made their hearts give back throb
for throb with his own. At times he uttered passages and
produced impressions that a Hall or a Chalmers might have
been proud of. No where was he more at home than in
the pulpit ; and there, though his preaching was so elevated
in character and so effective in results, that he will ever be
honored as an example to illustrate the power of pulpit or
atory, yet it was in public prayer that he was most extra
ordinary of all. One who could judge intelligently,
declared that in this respect he nearly resembled President
Davies.* There are those now living who remember how
he taught them to " draw nigh to God." He appeared to
* Qu. Reg. ix. 219.
11

122 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
wrestle with the angel of the covenant, until he prevailed.
" His ardent soul seemed to take wing, and soar above the
vanities of time, and mingle with the riches of eternity."*
That the portrait now drawn of this remarkable man is
not overdrawn, that by this representation he is not mis
represented, may be shown in two ways : first, from the
testimony of living witnesses, whose recollections of his
presence and performances are still distinct and vivid ; and
secondly, from his writings. As you hear the former de
scribe his manner in the pulpit, as you note the kindling of
their eye and the animation imparted to their language
while they tell you how he thrilled an audience with words
of fire and hushed them to a solemn silence while pleading
with God, you vainly wish that you could have seen and
heard him for yourself. The sermons herewith submitted,
will easily produce the impression, that he who could thus
write, must have been no ordinary preacher. Add his
voice, his emphasis, his speaking eye and his impassioned
manner to these discourses, and you cannot doubt that his
hearers must have felt the power and yielded to the spell
of a master.
Save a few unimportant verbal alterations, the editor
has ventured to make no change in either of the sermons.
They are as they came from the pen of the writer. Some
of his more effective passages were doubtless the sugges
tions of the moment made to his mind in the cumulative
interest of delivery, and never were committed to paper.f
* Qu. Reg. ix. 219.
t " His preaching was unequal, but always sound in docrine, often able,
and in almost every sermon there were outbursts of surpassing eloquence."
Rev. Dr. Nelson.

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D. 123
Those flashings of genius, those bright spots of thought,
those salient points of his oratory, those electric sparks
direct from the overhanging cloud, cannot now be recalled
or reproduced. When the presence of an audience began
to animate him and the interest which he had kindled in
others re-acted upon himself, it sometimes happened that
what he had prepared in the study did not serve his pur
pose in the pulpit. At such times, after making one or
two drafts upon the manuscript that were not answered, he
would suddenly thrust it back upon the seat behind him,
and then, borne himself upon the tide of a fresh inspira
tion, carry with him the willing multitudes who had sur
rendered themselves to his guidance.* Great as were his
studied efforts, his unstudied bursts of eloquence were
far more effective at the time, and are .remembered now as
seldom equaled in the ministrations of the pulpit. Thank
ful for what we have, it is natural to regret, though we
may not complain, that we have not more.
* Testimony of an eye-and-ear-witness.

THE

INCOMPARABLE EXCELLENCY OF RELIGION

AS THE

LIFE OF MAN:

SERMON,

BY THE

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D.D.

11*

NOTE.
This discourse was published in 1808. Having passed under its author's
own revision, it is presumed to have met with his approval, both in respect
of sentiment and style. Those who may not be able to assent to all its doc
trines, or to recognize in it the highest style of sermon, will yet find in it
thoughts of infinite moment, forcibly expressed.

SERMON

Deut. 32: 47.
For it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life.
These are among the last words spoken by Moses the
great lawgiver of Israel. They are a part of his valedicto
ry address to them, which throughout is solemn and im
pressive. He had, in the foregoing passages of this
address, given a short account of the marvelous interposi
tions of God in their behalf ; mentioned several judgments
which had overtaken them for their rebellions ; recapitulat
ed the most material laws which had been ordained for
them to observe ; pressed upon them obedience to those
laws, and assured them of reaping a rich harvest of bless
ings in case they should walk dutifully with God, and of
suffering the most dreadful effects of his displeasure if they
should refuse to do so. In the verse before the text he
brings his exhortation to a serious close. " And he said
unto them, set your hearts unto all the words which I tes
tify among you this day, which ye shall command your
children to observe, to do all the words of this law."
A very powerful motive he subjoins in the text. " For
it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life." Let
us apply this, my hearers, to ourselves. Beyond all doubt

128 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
it will apply to us with as strict propriety, and to as great
an extent as it did to the people of Israel. What Moses
had enjoined was a strict and punctual observance of all
the divine requirements. This is religion. Religion con
sists in obedience to God. The first great law, which is
the rule of obedience to all intelligent creatures, is this :
" Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. And thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind."
This law is comprehensive of all our duty as it respects our
Creator. Love is the essence and the sum of it. He who
loves God with all his heart will certainly worship him
in the several ways, social and secret, in which he has di
rected us to approach him. He will reverence him deep
ly, be afraid of offending him, have the most sacred respect
to his authority, teachably receive all his instructions, be
cheerfully resigned to the disposals of his providence, un
conditionally commit himself into his hands, and endeavor
to employ all his faculties, and fill up all his time in serving
him. But this general law of love, as it extends to creatures in
our circumstances, involves some particular duties. It
binds us to repentance, faith and gratitude for that im
mensely rich salvation which the Gospel sets before us.
These duties, binding on us as sinners, are most evidently
comprehended in the general law, which requires us to ac
knowledge Jehovah as our God and to love him with all
our hearts. If we possess this love to God, we shall cer
tainly feel self-loathing for all our past undutiful treatment
of him. We shall return from our apostacy, and take his
part against ourselves. We shall cordially approve of the

RELIGION OUR LIFE. 129
law which condemns us, and adore the justice which is il
lustrated in the execution of that law. We shall embrace
with joy an offended Saviour. For in proportion as this
love -reigns within us, Jesus and his work must be precious
in our eyes. We shall bear without murmuring every
affliction of life, as infinitely less than we deserve, and as
necessary to fill up that which is behind in the sufferings of
Christ. Our gratitude for so inestimable a favor as the
salvation of which he is the author and finisher, will min
gle itself with all our worship, and form the most elevated
part of it.
In speaking of obedience to the requirements of God, as
the sum of religion, we must not forget the second table of
the law. This summarily requires that we love our neigh
bor as ourselves ; i. e. that we regard his existence, im
provement, and everlasting happiness, with the same
friendly concern which we should feel for our own. This
law is also obligatory upon all intelligent creatures. As it
respects the condition of man, in a state of moral estrange
ment from God, it involves peculiar duties. It binds us to
withdraw from all participation in the sins of wicked men,
as a necessary expedient to bring them to repentance. It
binds us to do all that we can, and to intercede in incessant
humble prayer for their salvation. It binds us to rejoice in
the conversion of those whom God is graciously pleased to
bring out of darkness into his marvelous light ; to take them
to our bosoms as Christian brethren, and to seek their edi
fication in holiness as preparatory to the bliss of heaven.
It binds us to forbearance and forgiveness, and to all those
condescending offices which benevolence dictates towards
those whom we cannot recover to God and duty. This is

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a general view of religion. To this the text has respect ;
not to the mere profession or form of it, not to any mere
party interest, the frippery of ceremonies, or unhallowed
zeal, formed in ignorance and bigotry, which may assume
the name of religion. It has ever been the propensity of
mankind to pass by the essence of religion, and to substi
tute in its stead observances which are the fruit of their
own invention. It is pure and undefiled religion, extend
ing its empire over the heart and over the faculties and ac
tions of the man, free from all spurious intermixtures,
which we are to have in view. Many people imagine that
even this is a vain thing. They consider it as not worth
any serious concern. But the Jewish lawgiver, speaking
from experience, from the dictates of an enlightened un
derstanding, and which is much more, from the inspiration
of the Holy Ghost, has told us that it is not a vain thing.
He has gone much farther, and asserted that it is even our
life. I will now endeavor to illustrate and confirm to you
the justness of this assertion. Life is the greatest temporal
good enjoyed by man. The termination of it is ordinarily
considered as the greatest evil. All worldly possessions
take their departure with the extinction of life. The mali
cious destruction of it is estimated as the greatest crime,
and the taking it away in the execution of law is deemed
the highest kind of punishment. The term life, as used in
the text, has certainly not a confined respect to things
merely temporal. It reaches to all the concerns of man,
and must be considered as comprehending whatever is, or
ought to be valuable to him here and hereafter. To illus
trate the justness of the assertion in its proper and exten
sive sense, I would observe —

RELIGION OUR LIFE. 131
1. That without religion our natural life, with all its
attendant enjoyments, is forfeited ; and so forfeited that
we have no right to calculate upon its continuance, and
that it cannot indeed be continued, but as the result of
mere long-suffering in God. All creatures, who hold their
existence in a state of favor and happiness, have it contin
ued to them either on the ground of their personal obedi
ence, or by a dispensation of grace. There are but these
two ways. No other is possible. The infinitely good God
cannot but approve the characters, and delight in the per
sons of all obedient creatures. He will certainly secure
their happiness in union with himself so long as they re
main obedient. The language of God's government with
respect to the obedient, is " he that doeth them, shall live
in them." No evil can befall a creature so long as he re
mains friendly to his Creator. Sin is a revolt from him.
It places the creature in a state of rebellion, and under the
curse of the law. For the unalterable language of the law,
is " The soul that sinneth it shall die." Life is forfeited by
sin. And when life is forfeited, all its attendant privileges
and enjoyments are forfeited.
The other principle on which creatures may hold a
happy existence in union with God, is grace. These are
properly two distinct covenants. He who has broken the
covenant of mere law, or works, may become interested in
a new covenant, called the covenant of grace. Such a cov
enant God has revealed and proposed to man. It is in the
hand of Christ as its mediator or executor, and is sealed by
his blood. It constitutes the substance of that revelation
with which God has been pleased to enrich us. But the
sinner cannot be interested in the new covenant while ut-

132 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
terly destitute of religion. The covenant takes effect by
the consent of the sinner only. This consent must com
prehend repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ. He who does not repent, remains a rebel.
He continues in arms against his lawful sovereign. He
spurns every persuasion which invites him to be reconciled,
and tramples upon the provisions of grace. He has, then,
no title to his natural life, or to any of its enjoyments, by his
personal obedience or by grace. His life is continued on
the same principle that the life of a murderer is continued
in the proceedings of a civil government, after he has been
tried, convicted, and the sentence of death has been pro
nounced against him. It is continued in mere forbear
ance. Were all irreligious people struck dead in a moment,
they would only be treated according to their real moral
condition. This is exactly the reverse of the state of re
ligious people. They, as much as the irreligious, have
broken the law ; and, personally considered, deserve to have
life and all its enjoyments taken from them. But they
have repented, and embraced the new covenant. They
are subjects of grace, and are interested in the promises of
grace. These promises secure to them a protraction of
life, so long as it shall be for their real benefit, and in con
nection with it, the continuance of every desirable enjoy
ment. 2. Without religion, a person cannot be a subject of
any blessing. His organs, and health and activity of body,
and his faculties of mind, may be continued unimpaired,
but they cannot be continued as blessings. With plenty
his cup may overflow, but it cannot be as a blessing.
These things are favors in providence which call for grati-

RELIGION OUR LIFE. 133
tude, as they illustrate the excellency of Jehovah's charac
ter, are the opposite of what the sinner deserves, and are
so many talents which may be put to dutiful use. But
they do not indicate an interest in the blessing, any more
than if the recipient were all the while suffering the miser
ies of the damned. A malefactor under sentence of death,
may have his execution respited, but the reprieve will not
indicate that the government means to treat him at all as
an object of its smiles. He may be fed, comfortably lodg
ed, and have every want supplied ; but none of these
things will express any satisfaction in his character. They
are consistent with a perfect detestation of it, and a reso
lution not to mitigate upon the whole, in the least, the se
verity of his punishment.
Those receive gifts from God as real blessings, and those
only, who are personally the blessed. All blessings descend
upon men by the new covenant. The curse only comes by
the old. They only are the blessed who embrace the cov
enant in which the blessings are deposited. Abraham em
braced this covenant. God, of course, was Abraham's cov
enant God. Hence God said to him, " In blessing, I will
bless thee." God was the covenant God of Abraham's
seed. They in succession are actual recipients of the cov-
evant. Hence they are said to be " the seed which the Lord
hath blessed." Converts from the Gentile world, are Abra
ham's seed by adoption. They are brought into the same
covenant, and become, equally with Abraham himself, ob
jects of the blessing. For says Paul, in his epistle to the
Galatians, "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise. So then they which
be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham." It is on
12

134 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
this principle that the detail of blessings was given by
Moses to the people of Israel, as recorded in the 28th ch.
Deut. " And it shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken
diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe
and to do all his commandments which I command thee
this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above
all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come
on thee and overtake thee. Blessed shalt thou be in the
city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall
be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and
the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the
flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy
store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and
blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall
command his blessings upon thee in thy store-houses, and
in all thou settest thine hand unto, and he shall bless thee
in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." In sim
ilar language the Psalmist declares, " Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scorn
ful ; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his
law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like
a tree planted by the rivers of waters, that bringeth forth his
fruit in his season ; his leaf also shall not wither, and what
soever he doeth shall prosper." The prophet inculcates the
same sentiment. " Blessed is the man who trusteth in the
Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." This evidence may be
sufficient to conclude that the blessing is appropriate to
those who are subjects of religion. But I cannot suppress
the emphatic benedictions pronounced by our Saviour, in
the beginning of his sermon on the mount. " Blessed are

RELIGION OUR LIFE. 135
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comfort
ed. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."
The Christian here is designated in the governing affec
tions of his heart, and the leading traits of his character.
On him, therefore, the blessing rests, and on him only. The
unbelieving sinner does not receive it, says the Psalmist.
" The ungodly are not so, but are as the chaff which the
wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand
in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the
righteous." The favors which the wicked receive do not
come in a covenant channel. They testify to no union be
tween God and them. They are not pledges of fatherly
love, as those are which are conferred upon the pious.
They present no evidence that God designs their good.
They may be merely a savor of death unto death. They
may contribute only to hasten and augment their final de
struction. For " when the wicked spring as the grass,
and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that
they shall be destroyed forever." Which leads me to ob
serve —
3. That he who is destitute of religion is subjected to
the positive curse of God's law. This curse rests upon him
at all times, and however employed, and it attaches to all
he does, possesses and enjoys. The curse is the reverse
of the blessing. It is the portion of the sinner's cup. It

136 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
expresses the abhorrence God entertains of his character.
Being under the law, he is necessarily under the curse.
" Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things writ
ten in the book of the law to do them." In the chapter in
Deut., where the blessing has been quoted, we find the
curse following the rebellious, and never leaving them till
they are finally destroyed. " But it shall come to pass, if
thou shalt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God,
to observe to do all his commandments, and his statutes
which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall
come upon thee and overtake thee : cursed shalt thou be in
the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field : cursed shall
be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of
thy body and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy
kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be
when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou
goest out. The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexa
tion and rebuke, in all that thou puttest thine hand unto for
to do, until thou perish quickly." " Cursed " says the
prophet, " is the man who trusteth in man, and maketh
flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord."
The New Testament speaks in language equally strong to
this purpose ; nay, much more alarming. He who believeth
not is declared to be condemned already. The wrath of
God is said to abide on him. Expressions of terror are
multiplied, as if it were difficult to find words sufficiently
significant to convey a just idea of the weight of that curse
which rests upon the irreligious. " Indignation and wrath,
tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth
evil, upon the Jew first, and also upon the Gentile." Thus
the curse goes side by side with the blessing. As sure as

RELIGION OUR LIFE. 137
the latter rests upon the religious, the former rests upon
those of an opposite character. It fastens upon them im
movably. It is a burden which, when eternity pours its
light upon their minds, they will not be able to bear. It
will sink them to the depths of wretchedness. To have the
Wrath of the immutable Jehovah abide upon a defenceless
creature, for a million of years, would be dreadful. Who
could support the thought of only having his finger held in
the flame of a candle for so long a period ? What a doom,
deeply to be deprecated, to be condemned with Dives, even
for this period, to sigh out the mournful complaint, " I am
tormented in this flame." But the everlasting continuance
of this distress is the thing which adds a thousand-fold to
the horrors of it. From this curse religion delivers us.
" There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but af
ter the spirit." Invaluable possession ! Indeed it is our
life. 4. Religion is our life, as it is the only thing which can
make us morally and spiritually what we ought to be.
There is a death, my brethren, which is spiritual, as well
as a death which is natural and eternal ; I mean the soul's
bereavement of the moral image of God, its destitution of
that love which his law requires, and its voluntary bondage
to sin and Satan. " To be carnally minded," the apostle
tells us, " is death." " You hath he quickened," again he
observes, " who were dead in trespasses and sins." He who
lives in pleasure is said to be dead while he liveth. The moral
recovery of the soul to God is denominated, on the other
hand, life. " To be spiritually minded is life and peace."
A restoration to such a life is what is intended by the term,
12*

138 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
" quickened." This language of Scripture proves to us that
without religion the soul of man is wholly dead in sin. It
has no shade of likeness to the moral excellency of the De
ity remaining. It is not only without moral beauty, but is
degraded down to a positive resemblance of the arch-adver
sary of God. View a creature entirely divested of all
conformity to the two great commandments which require
love to God and our neighbor, at enmity with an infinite
being whose nature is love, refusing to be reconciled to
him, trampling on his authority, turning a deaf ear to his
counsels, going forward with an unconquerable obstinacy in
sinning against him, spurning his grace, combined with
other enemies against his throne and glory, resisting the ef
forts of the pious, and strengthening the hands of those who
hate them, and you certainly have in your minds a creature
dead to all moral right. Deep stupidity and moral blind
ness are the ordinary concomitants of this spiritual death.
The heart being totally vitiated, so vitiated as to love dark
ness rather than light, there is a proneness in man to error
and deception. There is an indisposition even to attend
with any teachableness to the things which belong to his
everlasting peace. " 0," said the Saviour when he wept
over Jerusalem, " that thou hadst known, even thou, at
least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace,
but now they are hid from thine eyes." And the prophet
Jeremiah asks, " To whom shall I speak, and give warning,
that they may hear ? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised,
that they cannot hearken. The word of the Lord is unto
them a reproach, they have no delight in it." If possible,
the picture which Paul draws, of the blindness of sinners,
is still more frightful. " This I say therefore and testify,

RELIGION OUR LIFE. 139
that ye walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of
their minds, having the understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that
is in them, because of the blindness of their heart ; who,
being past feeling, have given themselves over to work all
uncleanness with greediness." Religion is the resurrection
of the creature from this death in sin. It is the putting off
of this body of ignorance and deformity, and putting on the
new man, which after God is created in righteousness and
true holiness. From the nature of religion, as it has been
generally described in the forepart of this discourse, it must
appear to be the proper restoration of the sinner, to all
moral rectitude. This constitutes real moral excellence.
It harmonizes the creature with the Creator, and disposes
him to be active in his service. It rescues him from self-
imposition, blindness and error. He presents his body a
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. Under the
influence of it, as the great spring of real improvement, he
employs his intellectual powers in diligent and successful
search after truth. His eye being single, his whole body
is full of light. His exertions are directed to the best
things. Many have been the endeavors of mankind to form ex
cellence and usefulness of character without religion. Great
has been the labor to make man a virtuous and amiable be
ing, on some other principle. External purifications have
been resorted to. Acts of corporeal worship have been
multiplied. Men have gone on pilgrimages, and sunk into
cloisters. A heartless morality, shaped according to the
superficial opinions of the world, has been cherished, as
though it attached real moral worth to man. The princi-

140 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
pie of honor has been embraced. And the rebel against
Jehovah has approached to single combat in defence of his
character, as though he had some worth of character which
he might lose. These are miserable expedients to shift off
religion, and confirm that darkness of mind in which un
converted men love to be bewildered. It is labor wholly
in vain. Religion is the only thing which can constitute
true worth of character, and give man a rank among moral
ly living creatures.
5. Religion is our life, as it brings with it inestimably
precious personal comforts through the changes of this mor
tal state, secures a peaceful departure out of the world,
and gives at last an abundant entrance into the mansions
of the blessed. Religion disengages from those exertions
which perpetually harrass worldly men. It calms down
the anxieties of the mind, dissipates its fears, and recon
ciles it to adversity. It leads the possessor of it to a sweet
reliance upon an all-sufficient Saviour. It gladdens the soul
with the aspiring hope which fastens upon the skies ; which
is its anchor sure and steadfast, entering into that within the
vail. It is its glory so to belittle the world as to detect its
cheats, and despise its unholy acquisitions of honor, profit
and pleasure. It is its glory to put the malice of earth
and hell at defiance, and to vanquish the king of terrors.
It is crowned with a part in the first resurrection,
and brings its most happy, its highly honored subject
up to the blissful seats of paradise. And 0, the un
utterable triumphs, the unsatiating, ever expanding raptures
it will then enkindle ! Go, follow the irreligious man down
to his dark and dreary prison below, witness his agonies,
hear his moans, think of his being continued this spectacle

RELIGION OUR LIFE. 141
of shame and misery through interminable ages ; and then
follow the religious man up to the pearly gates of heaven.
See them thrown wide open for his honorable admittance.
Behold congratulating angels and saints welcoming him to
a participation in their joys. Witness the transports of his
soul when his eye is fastened upon his adored Saviour. Mark
with what ecstasy he mingles his song of victory with the
acclamations of all the ransomed, and let this felicity be
drawn out in your imaginations to an endless eternity, and
you will have some idea, but 0, how inadequate, of the ex
tent to which it is true, that religion is our life. Upon the
whole, it is impossible to name one real personal good, one
attainment or enjoyment of real value, which is not relig
ion itself, or founded in it. Without it, the richer a man is
in worldly possessions, the poorer he certainly is upon the
whole. The more honorable he is in worldly distinctions,
the more dishonor attaches to him upon the whole. The
more unholy pleasure he enjoys, the more bitterness is he
certainly laying up for himself in the latter end. The
more he is flattered here, the more will his torments be in
creased by the revilings of his companions in hell at last.
If possible it would be better to be a child of penury in the
very lowest grade of human existence, and infinitely better
to be a beast, driven by goads, and bearing a yoke, than be
a man, even a man of eminence and figure, without relig
ion. But I am constrained to observe once more,
6. That religion is our life in social respects. What
an unamiable and unpleasant, not to say wretched society,
is an irreligious family. The term wretched, in the strict
sense of it, applies to millions of families, from the mere
want of religion. A perpetual infraction of each other's

142 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
rights, jealousies, criminations and jars, make up the mate
rials of their history. If there are any enjoyments result
ing from family affinities without religion, they rise no high
er in their nature, than those of all animals who live in
clusters ; and they are counterbalanced by severe sorrows
under adversities and bereavements, of which they are the
spring. Religion gives to domestic society, all its real val
ue, its innocence, its mutual confidence, its cheerfulness,
its unity of interest, its harmony of sentiment, and its as
piring hopes. The endearments indulged neither satiate
nor embitter on reflection. Enlivening conversation on the
best subjects, presents a miniature of heaven. Trust in
God dispels anxiety and gloom. Anticipations of a hap
py meeting in heaven, remove the dreariness of that disso
lution of their family state which they know is hastening
on. Praise ascends from the family altar, and the voice
of an approving God supports and gladdens in the parting
scene. It is religion only, which is the basis of Christian com
munion, and the life of that most desirable society, called
the church. Here how friendly, how inviting it is ! How
tender are its sympathies, how abundant are its labors for
the general edification, how free are its charities, how
brotherly its spirit, how harmonious its songs, and how ele
vated its joys ! Here none are strangers, none are parti-
zans. All are brethren. The rich and the poor, the high
and the low, the free and the bond are on a level. All are
members of the same body. And though they have never
seen each other, and live under different political govern
ments, in a state of open war, they feel the uniting attrac
tive influence of one common affection. If it were left to

RELIGION OUR LIFE. 143
them, there would be no war, no rapine, no oppression one
of another. They can be in the most perfect amity with
each other, while the world is rent with national hatreds.
This is a fact at the present moment. When the nations of
Europe are sending out their armies and fleets, and ex
hausting their resources for each other's destruction, while
lands are covered, and oceans are stained with human gore,
the remnant of the followers of Jesus dispersed over the
respective countries, are pouring their affectionate condol
ence into each other's bosoms, drawing tighter the cords of
their mutual charities, contributing to each other's relief,
meeting before the same throne of grace, and combining
their efforts to heal the moral disorders of mankind, and
spread the Gospel over the world. Ye amiable people !
Ye are entitled to be called the elect of God. Ye are as
a city set on a hill, which jcannot be hid. Ye seem feeble
and forgotten ; and many of you are persecuted. But
ye are brethren, and yours finally is the victory, and the
glory. When, my hearers, religion has accomplished its
end, into what a transcendently glorious society will it form
the Christian Church.
It would be doing religion an infinite injury to suppose,
that it is the principle on which political society is founded.
A political society is a collection of men nationally separa
ted from the rest of the world. Its form of government is
not generally chosen, but the fruit of accident, or imposed:
It has respect merely to the interests of the world, and will
perish with the world. To say that such a society cannot
exist in a state of prosperity, without religion, if by pros
perous state be meant national aggrandizement and opu
lence, is to assert against all evidence. Yet it may be

144 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
averred, that religion has the most propitious influence on
political society. It makes the good magistrate, and the
industrious, quiet subject. It gives to contracts their best
security, and to labor its sure reward. As it spreads
among the mass of a people, crimes will cease, mutual
confidence will be restored, order will prevail, and each one
will sit under his vine and fig-tree, having none to make
him afraid.
As a farther evidence of the excellence of religion, I must
be permitted to remark, that nearly all those establish
ments which have charity for their object — seminaries of
learning, hospitals of every description, societies for the
relief of persons in distress, for the recovery of those
who have become the victims of seduction, and for the eman
cipation of slaves, have sprung from religion as their crea
tive principle. »
Thus religion, heaven-descended, the image of the Cre
ator, and the sure guide to that happiness which is to be
enjoyed in His love, scatters her bounties, spreads her lights
and extends her healing influence in every direction. It is
just the opposite of being a vain thing. It is the only ob
ject entitled to our care. To be religious, is to be wise
and right, useful and happy. To be without religion, is to
be desperately wicked. It is to be a cumberer of the
ground and an heir of hell.
Shall we not then, my hearers, be grieved to the heart
for all our past irreligiousness ? Shall we not lament our
opposition to religion, and neglect of it? Shall we not
yield to its demands, come home to God, and be his for
ever ? Can we still go so directly in the face of evidence,
law, authority and experience, as to refuse to be religious ?

RELIGION OUR LIFE. 145
Are we determined never to be what we ought to be ? Are
we resolved to bring shame, dishonor and perdition upon
ourselves as fast as possible ? Can we continue deliberate
ly to prefer a portion with the wicked ? If exhortations
could do any thing, they should be multiplied till evening ;
till I sunk down lifeless in the pulpit. And it would be a
most desirable death. But if you yield dutifully, it must
be to evidence. Evidence is full before you. And with
you I leave it, and with Him, who shall judge the quick and
the dead. Amen.

13

THE

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF SAVING GRACE,

POWERFUL TESTIMONY TO THE TRUTH

OF

DIVINE REVELATION

A SERMON,

BY THE

REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D,

NOTE.
The following sermon has never before been published. It was written in
1803, when the author was in the unimpaired vigor of his manhood. He
doubtless regarded it as one of his most valuable sermons. The reason for
this statement is, that, besides preaching it to his own people, he delivered it
in Berlin and Hadley, in Paxton, Sutton and Newport. It may not be
needful, yet let it not be deemed impertinent, to apprize the reader, that he
will easily find in the discourse bold thoughts, sharply defined, tersely and
forcibly expressed.

SERMON.

I John 5 : 10.

He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in
himself.
Ever since the establishment of Christianity, it has been a
matter of warm and extensive debate, whether it be a sys
tem derived from God. Jews and Mahometans, Pagans
and Deists have united in rejecting the affirmative of this
question. They have regarded the Gospel as a false and
fabulous imposition on the credulity of mankind. Some of
them have been men of great learning, and have published
treatises, written with ingenuity and great confidence of
success, against the authority of the Bible. These cham
pions of infidelity have increased very fast, and become
exceedingly bold and impudent, in our day.* A large
# It will be recollected that Dr. Dwight's two Discourses on the naturo
and danger of Infidel Philosophy were published just before this period. '• At
the time of his accession to the presidency [of Yale], infidelity was prevalent
and fashionable in the College. To extirpate a spirit so pernicious and fatal,
he availed himself of an early and decisive opportunity. Forensic disputa
tion was an important exercise of the senior class. For this purpose they
were formed into a convenient number of divisions ; two of which disputed
before him every week, in the presence of the other members of the class,
and of the resident graduates. It was the practice for each division to agree
upon several questions, and then refer them to the President to select whicli
13*

150 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
portion of the inhabitants of Christian countries there are
besides, who are practical unbelievers. They have never
examined the subject of the truth of Christianity with that
closeness of attention which has fixed them decidedly in the
number of Deists ; yet they remain in doubt. Christianity
may, or may not be true. In their minds, this is a question
of great uncertainty.
To counteract the poison of infidelity, and fix a convic
tion of the truth of Christianity in the minds of the unsettled
and wavering, a multitude of ingenious treatises have been
written and published, and the abundant evidence which
there is on the face of the Bible itself, in the testimony of
he thought proper. At that time infidelity was extensively prevalent in the
state, and in the country ; and an impression existed generally among the
students, that Christianity was supported by authority, and not by argu
ment 5 and that their instructors were afraid to investigate the question
respecting the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, in the field of open and
fair discussion. One of the questions presented by the first division was
this : — ' Are the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament the Word of God?'
To their surprise the President selected this for discussion ; told them to write
on which side they pleased, as he should not impute to them any sentiments
which they advanced as their own; and requested those who should write on
the negative side of the question to collect and bring forward all the facts
and arguments which they could produce ; enjoining it upon them, however,
to treat the subject with becoming respect and reverence. Most, if not all
the members of the division came forward as the champions of infidelity.
When they had finished the discussion, he first examined the ground they
had taken ; triumphantly refuted their arguments ; proved to them that their
statement of facts was mistaken or irrelevent ; and, to their astonishment,
convinced them that their acquaintance with the subject was wholly superfi
cial. After this, he entered into a direct defence of the divine origin of
Christianity, in a strain of powerful argument, and animated eloquence,
which nothing could resist. The effect upon the students was electrical.
From that moment, infidelity was not only without a strong-hold, but with
out a lurking place. To espouse her cause now was as unpopular as before
it had been to profess a belief in Christianity. Unable to endure the exposure
of argument, she fled from the retreats of learning, ashamed and disgraced."
Life of President Dwight, prefixed to his system of Theology.

PERSONAL WITNESS. 151
ancient writers, and in past and present events, has been
collected and presented to view with the strongest force of
argument. These labors of learned men in defence of
Christianity, have been extensively useful ; have contributed
as means in the hand of God, to confirm the minds of mil
lions in belief of the truth of the Christian religion.
But there is another species of evidence, not comprehen
sible by the blinded understandings of natural men, which
is entirely beyond all the attacks of wit and learning, and
which, to him who possesses it, is as conclusive as mathe
matical demonstration. Other arguments are very strong ;
but this is so powerful as utterly to banish doubt, if any had
previously existed. It is the evidence of experience ; and
is suggested in the passage which I have read to you for
my text. " He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the
witness in himself." There is in persons who have experi
enced the efficacy of the Gospel in the renovation and
sanctification of their own souls, a testimony to the truth of
Christianity, arising out of their personal experience, which
is so strong and convincing that it may with propriety be
called the witness. It is so strong as to make every other
species of evidence to them almost superfluous. It must be
agreeable to the feelings of real Christians, and may be
materially beneficial to all others who are disposed to attend
to the subject, for me to state, as clearly as I can, the
nature of this evidence, and to show wherein it consists.
This is the object I have in view in the use of the passage
before us.
I. But first, to prevent obscurity, it seems necessary to
ascertain who is intended by a believer on the Son of God.
There is a false, as well as a true faith. Some imagine

152 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
that they believe in Christ, when their lives demonstrate
that they never knew what it is truly to believe in Him.
Some are believers in Christ by the mere force of tradition.
They would have believed in Mahomet, or Confucius, or
any heathen deity just as strongly, if they had been born in
a Mahometan or heathenish country. They imbibed no
tions in favor of Christianity in the progress of their infant
and youthful years. These were matured into opinions by
domestic and school education. They have been in the
habit of attending public worship. They have heard no
other religion inculcated as the true religion. On the con
trary, they have heard every other form of religion repro
bated as false. As the effect of such instructions and habits,
they have in general a prevailing belief, that Jesus is the
Son of Gocl, and that the Gospel is true. They still live,
however, under the government of sinful propensities, and
have no adequate views of the nature of the Gospel scheme
or true moral connection with the blessed Redeemer, more
than if they had been brought up among the most savage
nations. Persons who believe thus, as the effect of educa
tional influence only, are not such as believe to the saving
of the soul. Indeed it is true of them generally, that they
oppose the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel, and with
most ungrateful contempt reject that Saviour in whom they
profess to believe..
Others have simply an intellectual belief in Christ. They
have a faith which is something more than merely educa
tional influence, which, however, is only speculative, and
altogether short of the faith of God's elect. Being natu
rally of an inquisitive and studious turn of mind, they have
gone farther than mere education led them. They have

PERSONAL WITNESS. 153
thought, read and heard, till their understandings are pretty
firmly established in the belief that the Gospel is what it
professes to be, — the word of God, and that its fundamental
doctrines are realities. But their faith is no other than that
which they profess with respect to many persons, places,
testimonies and facts which are not spoken of in the Gospel.
It is the same faith with which they believe there was such
a person as Mahomet, and is such a place as Rome. It is
a faith which respects the understanding only, and leaves
the heart as dead to all moral objects as is the heart of a
Deist, or a heathen. Such persons are not believers, in the
sense of the Gospel. They are unbelievers ; and that with
greater guilt than others who are less instructed. They
daringly rebel against the dictates of their own understand
ings and consciences.
Others are believers [so to speak] feelingly, who yet are
not believers on the Son of God, in the sense of the text.
Their feelings are much exercised about Christ, and they
really think that they believe on Him with the heart, but
are altogether deceived. Their hearts are exercised in
what they call a believing reliance upon Christ, through
merely natural principles, or the workings of selfish affec
tion, under mistaken views of the nature of the Gospel, and
on the ground of some fundamental error which they have
imbibed. Their passions have been wrought upon perhaps
under some pathetic delineation of the sufferings of Jesus
Christ, or while reading the account which the Scriptures
give of His death. They have been affected just on the
same principles that they would have been under the hear
ing of some affecting parts of a tragedy, or if similar suffer
ings of any other person had been presented with equal

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force to their imaginations. Such affections they imagine,
are clear evidence that they do possess real faith in the
Redeemer. They wish to be happy in eternity, as well as
in time. They are convinced that happiness cannot be ob
tained but somehow in connection with Christ. Being per
haps under some awakening influences of the Holy Spirit,
they feel interested in the subject. They are greatly
exercised about their souls ; and, because they are so, con
clude that they believe in Christ scripturally and savingly.
But however high our exercises of soul may rise, however
much our thoughts may be employed, and our affections
engaged about Jesus Christ, if, in all these, our chief
concern is to escape eternal misery, or to enjoy some benefit
merely personal, it is plain that we are as carnal in our
religion, as we were before in our sensual pursuits. Hence,
it is generally true, that such persons, if they arrive at a
pretty strong hope, and especially if they have great confi
dence, and what they call assurance of their safe and happy
state, sink down into carelessness, and live lives of general
barrenness and stupidity.
He who truly and savingly believes on the Son of God,
does so, as the effect of a real change of heart. For faith
is one of the fruits of the Spirit. He has, at least generally
speaking, correct views of himself, of the law of God, of the
Gospel doctrines and plan of salvation, of the nature of
that salvation, of the character of Christ and the mediato
rial offices He sustains ; and not only believes the Gospel in
all its" parts to be true, but his heart is reconciled, so that
with strong affection to Christ, in view of what He is in
Himself, and in view of the spiritual and holy nature of His
salvation, he embraces Him, rests upon Him, lives upon

PERSONAL WITNESS. 155
Him, cleaves to Him, and follows Him in the spiritu
ality of an habitual devotion, and the self-denial of a holy
conversation. Real love to Christ for what He is in Him
self, is the governing affection of his soul, and this love
stronger than death, leads him to count all things else but
as loss and dross in comparison with the excellency of the
knowledge of His name. Such believers were the apostles ;
and such believers are all they who will be saved. It is of
such persons only, — true, experimental believers, that the
assertion of the text holds. We will consider
II. The reality and nature of that evidence which true
believers, on the basis of their own experience, have of the
truth of the Christian religion. If a man from a state of
stupidity and unbelief becomes a miracle to himself as a
changed man, as great a miracle as any that are recorded
in the Scriptures ; if by some kind of light which had
never before shone into his mind, and in the exercise of feel
ings to which he had heretofore been an utter stranger, he
should find facts in his own experience exactly coincident
with the scripture doctrines and representations ; if he
should find the work of salvation actually carried on in his
own soul, exactly in agreement with the theory of the
Bible, and so that he knew it to be wholly supernatural —
he having not contributed to it a single iota, it is plain that
he would have evidence of the truth of the Christian scheme
which he would be wholly incapable of resisting. All this
is precisely true of every one that is born of God.
1. The true believer is the subject of a supernatural*
ilhmiination, which proves to him fully that the scripture
* Not strictly miraculous, or contradicting the laws of nature, but above
nature, altogether superior to any thing which the natural man perceives. Ed.

156 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
doctrine of the apostasy of man, his total blindness to
spiritual things, his opposition to the character, law, gov
ernment and service of God, his stupidity, devotion to
sense, and unwillingness to be reconciled and saved, are
true, because they agree to what he has found to be fact in
himself. It is a doctrine of the Scriptures, that man is
totally apostatized from God, and sunk into spiritual
idolatry. " My people have committed two evils ; they
have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and have
hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, which can hold
no water." It is a scripture doctrine that men in this
state of apostasy are altogether blind to spiritual things.
" Ye were darkness." " The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned." It is a doctrine of the Scriptures,
that men in this state of apostasy are beyond all expression
spiritually stupid. " The ox knoweth his owner, and the
ass his master's crib, but Israel doth not know, my people
doth not consider." It is a doctrine of the Bible, that man
in this state is not only destitute of all true holiness, but
positively inimical to God and His law. " The carnal
mind is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to His
law, neither indeed can be." It is a scriptural doctrine,
that men in their natural state hate the light, contemn the
Gospel, and though invited, utterly refuse to come to
Christ for life. " This is the condemnation, that light has
come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil." It is also a
scriptural doctrine, that some men in distinction from
others, are the subjects of a preternatural illumination of

PERSONAL WITNESS. 157
mind ; the effect of which is a discovery and full acknowl
edgment of the facts as thus distinctly set forth. God
declares by the prophets that he would search Jerusalem
with candles, and that He would cause the wicked to know
their abominations. Christ tells His disciples that after
He was gone, He would send the Comforter into the world,
and that He should be a powerful agent upon the minds of
men, to convince them of sin. Under His accompanying
agency, the weapons of truth with which the apostles
attacked the kingdom of the devil, are said to have been
mighty to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God. And the word is declared
to be ' quick and powerful, a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart.' The effect of this illumination of the
mind which takes place in some sinners under the agency
of the Holy Spirit, is declared to be a decided conviction,
that they personally are as benighted, stupid, depraved, and
indisposed to come to Christ, — as completely lost, as the
Scriptures represent them to be. " Then shall ye remem
ber your own evil ways, and your doings that were not
good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for
your iniquities, and for your abominations." Accordingly,
it is found that such have been precisely the effects of
supernatural illumination in respect of every true believer,
from the first example of conversion to the last. Such was
the effect on Job. " I have heard of thee by the hearing
of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee ; wherefore I abhor
myself and repent in dust and ashes." A similar result
was seen in the case of David. It was something more
than the sound of the words, " thou art the man," pointed as
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158 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
they were, which stung David's heart, and made him sink
down, monarch as he was, under the confession, " I have
sinned," and which was followed with such plaintive strains
as we find in the fifty-first Psalm. Such was the effect on
the multitude under the first Gospel sermon that was
preached after the ascension of Jesus. " And when they
heard this, they were pricked in their hearts and said to
Peter and to the rest of the apostles, ' Men and brethren,
what shall we do ? ' " Such was the case with the jailer.
What overwhelming conviction of guilt that must have been
which extorted from him that earnest inquiry, addressed to
his despised and apparently wretched prisoners, " Sirs,
what must I do to be saved ? ' And, to name no more,
such in a very clear and striking manner was the case with
that eminent monument of grace — the apostle Paul. " I
was alive without the law once ; but when the command
ment came, sin revived and I died."
Are not similar events taking place in thousands of
instances at the present day ? Will any man deny, that
there are in the Christian Church now a multitude of
believers as sincere and as real as was the apostle Paul ?
If there be, they have undoubtedly become believers in the
same manner and on the same grounds. These were all
once as stupid, unbelieving, inimical to God, hardened, and
averse to admitting the doctrines of the Gospel and coming
to Christ for salvation, as those who now remain in their
stupidity. Now they feel differently ; they act differently ;
they speak an entirely new language. Now they see them
selves to be, and acknowledge that they are of just such a
spirit and character as the Scriptures represent them to be
— as guilty, as lost, in as perishing need of Christ. This

PERSONAL WITNESS. 159
right acknowledgment is the result of a preternatural illu
mination, of which they have been the subjects. This must
be the case, because we know that all men are naturally
averse to entertaining such a view of themselves. It is
wholly opposed to their self-love. They do not wish to find
these things to be true of them, but delight in every thing
which is flattering to themselves. The murderer does not
wish to see himself to be guilty — to see the atrociousness
of his conduct, and his proper desert of punishment. He
does not seek conviction ; he strives against it. He strives
to entertain the best view of himself that he can. If he is
convicted, it must be through the light which is forced
upon his mind from some extraneous source. Why is it
that the man who was yesterday stupid and unfeeling, as
though he had never done any thing wrong, is trembling
like Belshazzar to-day ? This alteration must be the effect
of some preternatural illumination of which his mind has
become the subject. This illumination when it powerfully
spreads itself over the mind of a sinner, operates like the
light of a burning lamp brought into a dark and filthy
room. Till the lamp is introduced, the impurity of the
room is not seen. The person, who sits in it, knows not
but that it is clean ; but as soon as the light is introduced,
the filthiness instantly appears. Just so, when light is cast
into the mind of a sinner, by the Holy Ghost, impressing a
sense of God, showing him what is holy, right and obliga
tory, he instantly sees the moral impurity of his own soul.
Now he appears to be just the opposite of what he sup
posed, full of deformity, hateful, guilty ,Jost. His heart he
finds just as strongly opposed to God, as the Scriptures
represent it to be. His whole course of life he now sees to

160 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
be just as unholy and unclean, as the Scriptures represent
that of every sinner to be. His principles of action,
thoughts, propensities, unbelief, stupidity, and stubborn
ness, the mischievous influence of all his ways upon the
souls of others, his dependence on sovereign mercy and infi
nite need of a Saviour, now appear to be precisely in
accordance with the teachings of the Bible. That holy
book is a glass in which he can see his true character and
state. Its language is now no longer false, unmeaning, or
vain, but eternal truth respecting himself at least ; and, as
he sees all men naturally to be in his condition, respecting
them also. Now the Bible is invested with authority. It
contains, as is clearly perceived, the indictment of a being
who searches every heart, knows all things, and cannot be
deceived. It is indeed so. The sinner is forced to say,
" What evidence that this book is the word of God. Who
but God could so perfectly know my heart, or reveal it ?
What other being could give such a perfect picture of it ?
How perfectly do my present views and feelings correspond
with what the Scriptures speak of as the effect of a special
illumination. How irresistibly does this add to the proof
of their divinity. Whence is it that I have been brought
to this stand, and to view myself in so new a light — a light
which has been and which still is so unwelcome ? I have
not sought for it. It has come upon me, without any will
of my own. I can no more get rid of it than I can of my
being. How exposed I am to hell, just as the Bible repre
sents. How absolutely certain it is that there must be a hell
for just such rebels as I am, and how evident is this part of
the Gospel scheme, which has hitherto been the chief
ground of my disbelief of its truth." We will now proceed
to consider

PERSONAL WITNESS. 161
2. The experience of the believer in the event of his
conversion. Illumination of mind in the true believer
reaches farther than mere conviction, though we have hith
erto considered it only in that light. It is not true that
every one who is brought under deep conviction of sin, is
savingly converted. Conviction is one thing ; real conver
sion another. A person may be a subject of the former,
and yet be lost. The latter, securing salvation, is radical
ly different from the former and altogether superior to it.
This is precisely accordant with the experience of the true
believer. When really converted to God, he is, as it were,
taken by surprise. He finds it to be something of which
he before had no distinct idea. He is in possession of
something which he had never truly sought. He is led in
a path which he never had entered before, nor had ever
seen. He finds himself under an influence which he had
never felt before, or at least, to be the subject of views and
feelings which are as new as if he had been translated into
another world. That God to whom he had felt such aver
sion before, for the very same reason which was the ground
of this aversion, appears now to be invested with an infinite
glory and beauty. His glory appears to be shed over all
His works of creation, providence and redemption. His
government is glorious, 'and glory gilds the pages of the sa
cred volume. Now the desirableness of being holy is seen
and felt. Now it is easy to repent, submit, believe, and re
joice in God. The burden which was upon the mind be
fore, is now gone ; darkness is all dissipated ; doubts are
scattered ; difficulties are removed ; doctrines are recon
ciled. The people of God appear in a new and amiable
light, and so does religion in all its duties, motives, and in-
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162 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
terests. He finds himself now strangely dead to worldly
objects, to which before he was strongly attached. Even
bodily appetites which it might have seemed to him before
he could not overcome, are now mortified seemingly with
out any effort. This general representation of the views
and feelings which are experienced by real believers, in the
event of their conversion, is agreeable to the Scriptures, and
also to those numerous narratives which are before the pub
lic in which individuals have stated their experience in this
respect. In some, the work of conversion is more striking
and obvious, than in others. But the same general things
are experienced by all, though not with equal clearness.
Now if it be allowed that any man does pass through so
great a change in his views, tastes and the feelings of his
heart with respect to all moral objects, it is very evident
that it must be attended in his own mind with very indubi
table proof that the Bible is assuredly the word of God.
For in his conversion he recognizes almost every leading
doctrine of the Gospel confirmed by fact. Now, having
spiritual senses to discern spiritual things, having by a kind
of resurrection quitted his hold of carnal, and embraced
spiritual objects, the spirituality of God's holy kingdom is, as
it were, unvailed to him, events and institutions recorded in
the Scriptures, which were before incredible to him, are now
explained in their spirituality and connection with the won
derful work of redemption. In his conversion, he has a dis
covery of the total moral deadness of man by nature which
he never had before, and the correctness with which the
Scriptures speak on this subject confirms to him their di
vine authority. The scripture doctrine of the new birth,
and all the particular detached records which are found in

PERSONAL WITNESS. 163
the Scriptures of events of this nature, are set forth in the
light of his own experience as unquestionable realities. In
his conversion, he recognized such a God, and such a uni
versal agency of God as the Scriptures describe. He is
conscious of evident effects of His power. The language
of the Bible is, " Thy people shall be willing in the day of
thy power." In the change he has experienced he recog
nizes this power. As a converted creature, he finds him
self as evidently the effect of power, as he is animally or
intellectually. Being absolutely a new creature and brought
to views and feelings of which he had not even an idea be
fore, he is, in this light, as much a proof to himself of the
reality of the operation of divine power in the conversion
Of sinners and saving them from death, as he can discern
in its operation in the works of creation. In his conver
sion he finds himself to be a miracle as great, for aught that
he can see, as any recorded in the Scriptures. The whole
scripture account therefore of miracles is rendered entire
ly credible, and their force in demonstrating the divine au
thority of scripture testimony is clearly perceived. . In his
conversion, he recognizes also a wonderful accomplishment
of scriptural prediction. The passage which I have just
quoted to introduce the idea of the action of divine power
in the conversion of sinners, is a prediction. " Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power." Many others
there are corresponding with it. Such a one is that in the
prophet Ezekiel. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon
you and you shall be clean ; from all your filthiness and
from all your idols will I cleanse you. And a new heart
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you,
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,

164 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
and I will give you a heart of flesh." Of these predic
tions, which could have come from no other being but that
glorious God who has all future events in His hand, and un
der His eye, he finds an unexpected and admirable fulfill
ment in his own experience. How then must the authority
of the Scriptures be ratified to him on this ground.
Farther ; in the experience of conversion, the believer
recognized the scripture doctrine of divine sovereignty. If
any sinners are saved, they must certainly be saved by
God ; He only is competent to this mighty work. The lan
guage of absolute sovereignty is proper to God. It is such
a language as He must hold forth in a revelation of Him
self to sinners. Accordingly we find this language incor
porated into the whole body of the Scriptures. In the Old
Testament and in the New, He declares, " I am God, and
besides me there is none else ; and besides me there is no
Saviour." " I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
and compassion on whom I will have compassion. It is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God
that showeth mercy." This glorious sovereignty of God in
saving whom he will, our Lord celebrates in language of
devout thanksgiving. " At that time Jesus rejoiced in
spirit, and said, I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes ; even so,
Father, for so it hath seemed good in thy sight." This
doctrine, the regenerate person finds fully confirmed in his
own experience. In a manner altogether out of his previ
ous view, and entirely contrary to his deserts, as a wicked
creature, he finds himself brought to the bosom of mercy,
to see with new eyes, to taste with a new relish, to mourn

PERSONAL WITNESS. 165
with new sorrow, to rejoice with new joy, to be translated
into anew spiritual and most glorious liberty, to be taught
a new song, and to speak a new language. He is as a man
raised from the dead ; while many of his neighbors remain
blind, stupid, unbelieving, sensual, deaf to persuasion, and
blind to evidence. Whence this difference ? It is not in
himself. For the effect was neither in his intention, nor
design ; no, not even in his idea. It is not the effect of
any means, used by other persons. For the same means
had been employed years before, without any good effect.
It is clearly an invisible, supernatural influence, which leaves
nothing to say but, " Even so, Father, for so it hath seemed
good in thy sight." In his own experience he finds it a
fact, that " one is taken and another left."
The doctrine of eternal, personal election, also, which
runs through the Scriptures, from the beginning to the end,
and from which his mind in all probability previously re
volted with strong aversion, is by his experience made real,
certain, indisputable ; and a most glorious, a most precious
doctrine too. " For, whence is this marvelous change in
my views and feelings ? Whence is it, that, from an un
believing, hardened, stout-hearted wretch, I am become
such a hoping, believing, happy creature — justified, brought
nigh, adopted, placed in the bosom of infinite love, united
by faith to Jesus, and made a joint heir with Him of eternal
glory ? It is not my work. It is no neighbor's work. It
is the effect of no preaching. It is the work of God. Here
is salvation indeed, in the essence and glory of it. The
everlasting day has dawned upon my soul. The sun of
righteousness has risen upon me with healing in his wings.
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God have brought it to pass without designing to do it, any
more than he could create the material earth without de
signing to do it ? It is impossible. A rational being can
not act without design ; and especially so infinitely intelli
gent and glorious a being as God. And could it be a de
sign of the moment, formed in him, and on the ground of
any previous good inclination or endeavors, strivings or
prayers foreseen in me ? No. For no such things existed in
me. I was wholly against this salvation of which I am
now happily made the subject. Besides, my reason teach
es me, that as God is self-existent and necessarily existent,
He must be always the same. His designs, therefore,
must be eternal." Thus the believer's experience of renew
ing and sanctifying grace leads him directly and inevitably
into the doctrine of personal, eternal election, laid down in
the holy Scriptures. It assures him that it must be so, and
cannot be otherwise ; and that it is in execution of such a
purpose of election unto life, that the whole church is re
deemed from among men. In this view, it now appears to
him as glorious and precious a doctrine, as it appeared hate
ful before. The whole work of redemption now opens upon
his mind in all its reality and glory, as the execution of this
purpose. Heaven is brought near to him by anticipation.
The promises and threatenings of the Scriptures are made
substantial realities, and this naturally and necessarily by
the teachings of his own experience. Now the language
of all the prophets and apostles, and the language of hea
ven itself becomes his own.
3. This evidence rises with greater and greater clearness
out of the subsequent series of exercises and labors of the
believer's life. It is not true that any one who has become

PERSONAL WITNESS. 167
a real partaker of regenerating grace ever wholly falls
away, or reverts to his previous state of impenitence and
unbelief. " Verily, verily, I say unto you," says Christ,
" he that heareth my word and believeth on Him that sent
me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condem
nation, but hath passed from death to life." " And the
water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water,
springing up into everlasting life." The renewed man,
then, is to be considered as in a state of progress, as walk
ing steadfastly in a different road, as having his face heav
enward. The experience which he has in the event of his
conversion, peculiarly noticeable then to himself and others
for the newness and unexpectedness of it, becomes exten
ded through the passages of successive days and years, till
his trials are finished, his preparation for glory completed,
and he receives the end of his hope, the salvation of his soul.
Though the evidence he derives from his illumination and
conversion is very strong, it is greatly augmented in the
whole of his subsequent course. More and more he has
the witness in himself. The Scriptures, with a uniform lan
guage, as though they were written by one person instead
of many, very distinctly inform us what are the habitual,
governing feelings, the moral complexion, and the prospects
of every sanctified person till he dies ; that every such
person chooses God as his portion, cleaves to Him as the
rock of his hopes, has the spirit of adoption, by which he
cries Abba, Father, finds it good to draw near to Him,
seeks His glory as his chief end, and longs to be wholly
conformed to Him. The Scriptures represent such persons,
when the eye of their mind is turned towards Christ, as
filled with a very tender love to His person, and as rejoicing

168 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
in Him with joy unspeakable and full of glory. To them
all, He is said to be precious — chief among ten thousand
and altogether lovely. His church, as His mystical body
and a holy society, composed of all who are sanctified in
Christ Jesus, is represented as exceedingly dear to them, in
its nature and in all its interests, its members as partaking
of the spirit of Christ, however poor, ignorant or despised
in this world. " Peace be within thy walls and prosperity
within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes,
I will now say, Peace be within thee." " If I forget thee,
0 Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I
do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of
my mouth ; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."
Just such the real believer, as he passes on the journey of
life, finds his feelings to be with respect to all these spirit
ual objects. He finds an admirable harmony between the
exercises of his own mind and the delineations of the Bible,
as though a great part of that book were written with the
express purpose of describing him.
This harmony appears equally clear in other views. The
Scriptures represent the believer as not yet perfectly holy ;
having the remains of a corrupt heart ; sanctified but in
part. " The spirit lusteth against the flesh, and the flesh
against the spirit ; and these are contrary the one to the
other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
This forms an internal spiritual warfare, calling for constant
self-examination, watchfulness, and careful self-government.
Paul has delineated the nature of this internal warfare,
in what he has said respecting himself in various parts.
of his writings. Even the affectionate John, who seemed
to live as much on the confines of heaven as any one of

PERSONAL WITNESS. 169
the apostles, has expressly declared ; " If we say we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
Now if we allow that there are such persons as real believ
ers, we must suppose they all have the daily experience of
this internal warfare. For we have never yet seen an abso
lutely perfect Christian. If they have some degree of
holy conformity to God, but are not absolutely perfect
characters, they have remains of corruption in them. Ask
any man whom you deem to be a real Christian, and he will
tell you that this is exactly his case. He is obliged to
maintain a prayerful warfare against his remaining corrup
tions, or be overcome by them to his own destruction. How
powerfully, in this respect, does his own experience bear
witness to the truth of the Bible.
To save a little time, however, for an improvement, I will
suggest but one other part of his experience ; and that is
his spiritual warfare with the world. The Scriptures abun
dantly teach that there is and will be, at least till the millenni
um, a perpetual warfare between those who are born after the
flesh and those who are born after the Spirit, that faithful
Christians must expect the world's hatred, and that if they
will ' live godly in Christ Jesus, they must suffer persecu
tion.' This warfare between saints and sinners has been
exemplified in an uninterrupted series of events from the
death of Abel to the death of Christ, and from the death
of Christ to this day. Every man truly converted to God,
by becoming enrolled among the multitude of sufferers for
Jesus' sake, steps at once into this experience. As soon as
he dare take a stand as a Christian, he is assailed with the
fiery darts of the wicked one. He is an object of some
sort of persecution from the world. Some experience more
15

170 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
of this than others. Those who are most eminently val
iant for truth and holiness upon the earth, may expect to
meet the most of it. But being in exact accordance with
the warnings of Christ, and the general tenor of the Bible,
it adds force to the evidence that the system of religion
which the Bible contains, is from God. Thus, to sum up
the whole, in that illumination of which he is the subject
antecedently to his conversion, in the event and nature of
his conversion itself, and in his subsequent exercises and
pursuits, comforts and sorrows, internal and external war
fare, the believer has with very powerful conviction " the
witness in himself." IMPROVEMENT.
1. This subject accounts for the very positive manner
in which experienced Christians sometimes speak of the
certain truth of the Gospel. Their apparent firm and
unshaken reliance upon it, the apparent unshaken stability
of their faith, which often appears to unexperienced men a
blind enthusiasm, and the firm and immovable resolution
with which they often abide the most fiery trials, are hereby
clearly explained. Their experience in their illumination,
conversion and subsequent habitual views and feelings, is
in the place of a thousand arguments to prove to them the
certain truth of Christianity. It is like that evidence
which, on common subjects, is derived through the senses.
Does any man doubt whether that tree exists, which he
sees with his eyes ? And can the Christian any more
doubt the truth of things as much the objects of his spiritual
sight ? The Gospel is never received with a proper faith,
it never makes any lasting and useful impression, but when

PERSONAL WITNESS. 171
it is accompanied to the soul by " the Holy Ghost sent down
from heaven." Thus accompanied, it comes with power,
and is received with much assurance. And how can it be
expected but that all Christians who have received the
Gospel in this manner, will hold it fast with a firm reliance
on its truth ? Blessed be God, this evidence and firmness
of faith can come into the possession of the weak things of
this world, as well as of the mighty.
2. We are in this subject presented with an idea of the
peculiar happiness of the real Christian. The riches of a
blessed experience have placed him, in sentiment and feel
ing, hope and expectation, on the broad basis of truth,
which is itself most comforting and supporting to his soul
through the force of evidence the most full and decisive,
and with respect to which he cannot be deceived. While
the proud and wicked, the vaunting, the pretendedly learned
and philosophic Deists, are shifting from one thing to another,
ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the
truth, believing and then disbelieving what they have be
lieved, are driven about with every wind of doctrine, and
sometimes desponding,, the humble Christian, taught super-
naturally by all-subduing grace, has a hope which is " like
an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which
entereth into that within the vail."
3. We may see in the light of this subject the impro
priety of depending on the correctness of the opinions and
belief of men with respect to the truth of the Christian
system, or the truth of its fundamental doctrines, merely
because they have the reputation of abilities, rank and
learning. Many such there are indeed who disbelieve the
Gospel, and others who pretend to receive it as a whole,

172 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
yet deny it in its particulars. But what then ? Their abilities
and learning only serve to lead them into error, so long as
they are unacquainted with the renovating power of grace
and are led on by an unenlightened and unsanctified heart.
They are destitute of the best sort of evidence — that which
arises from experience. The man who is yet blinded by
the god of this world, and who loves darkness rather than
light, should have but very little value attached to any
opinion he may form on the subjects of religion. Beware
how you are led away by the corrupt maxims of men who
know not the truth.
4. On what a precarious and equivocal foundation do
careless sinners rest their hopes that they shall not be
finally and eternally lost. It is on this — that the Bible is
not true in its system or in its leading doctrines. This is
the broken reed on which their habitual peace of mind
depends. One glimpse of light shed over their minds by
the illuminating influence of the Holy Spirit, would take
away all their hopes. Then they would have the witness,
in some degree at least, in themselves. Presumptuous
creatures, you hope that the Bible is not true. Your
unbelief is the reason why you are so easy. But remember
that there are thousands and thousands who have the wit
ness in themselves.

REV. CHARLES A. GOODRICH. 173

§ 6. Rev. Charles A. Goodrich.
Dr. Austin's removal to Burlington, without a dissolution
of his pastoral connection, involved the necessity of pro
curing a colleague. To fill this office until the dismission
of his predecessor, and thenceforward to be sole pastor, the
Rev. Charles A. Goodrich was invited, July 15, 1816.
On the 9th of Oct. following, he was ordained. The Rev.
Benjamin Wood of Upton, made the introductory prayer
on that occasion ; Rev. Samuel Goodrich of Berlin, Ct.,
father of the candidate, preached the sermon ; Rev. Ed
mund Mills of Sutton, offered the prayer of consecration ;
Rev. Mr. Smith of Durham, Ct., gave the charge; Rev.
John Nelson of Leicester presented the right hand of fel
lowship ; Rev. Joseph Goffe of Millbury addressed the
people ; and Rev. Mr. Whittlesey of Washington, Ct.,
closed the exercises with prayer.
Although serious difficulties occurred while Mr. Goodrich
was connected with this church, yet his ministry, on the
whole, was greatly blessed. From the day of his ordina
tion special interest began to be manifested on the subject
of personal piety, many hopeful conversions occurred, and,
in the course of a single year, about eighty individuals were
added to the church on profession of their faith. These
transformations of moral character appear to have been
wrought without boisterous excitement and with the ordinary
use of the means of grace. The pastor was cordially sus
tained by the prayers and cooperation of his brethren ; and,
although the work of grace seems not to have met with
favor in every direction, yet from it many dated the com-
15*

174 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
mencement of a new life, and their future conduct proved
that it was ' the life of God in the soul of man.' An eye
witness testifies that " there was little or no excitement in
any of our meetings ; but often a stillness which was like
[that of] the chamber of death. In short, it was a solemn
and efficient work of the Holy Spirit."
Encouraged by such tokens of divine favor, Mr. Good
rich continued his labors with diligence ; and, though there
were not wanting occasions to test his patience and depress
his spirit, he yet carried with him the sympathies of the
body of his church and society, and was greatly encour
aged by their confidence and affection. On the 23d of Dec.
1818, he became sole pastor of the church by the dismission
of Dr. Austin. The particular events which preceded,
attended and followed this dismission, cannot here be de
tailed. The materials for writing this portion of the eccle
siastical history of Worcester are accessible and abundant ;
but it does not comport with the design of this work to em
body that history. Mr. Goodrich had his trials : they
were many and great. That he and his friends were
always wise and never committed any mistakes, he would
be the last to claim ; that those who opposed him were
always in the exercise of a Christian spirit or conscientiously
observed the rule of reciprocal affection in all respects, is
in nowise probable. In the progress of such difficulties
many agencies are put in operation, many secret forces
come into play, which no one can fully appreciate who can
not see the end from the beginning, and the full develop
ment of which must be left to that day which " shall try
every man's work of what sort it is." Mr. Goodrich con
ceived it to be a duty to retire from a place where, however

REV. CHARLES A. GOODRICH. 175
earnestly he desired to do good, there was so much to im
pair the efficiency of his labors. He therefore asked a
dismission from his church and society ; and his pastoral
relation was dissolved, Nov. 14th, 1820.
The Rev. Charles A. Goodrich was born in Ridgefield,
Ct., Aug. 19, 1790. His father was the Rev. Samuel
Goodrich of that place, and his grandfather, the Rev.
Elizur Goodrich, D. D., of Durham, Ct., — "distinguished
for his literary and scientific acquirements, as well as for
his piety and patriotism ; an excellent minister, he concili
ated the esteem of his acquaintance, and was faithful in all
the relations of life."* The grandson entered Yale Col
lege in 1807. Early in his collegiate course, his attention
was particularly turned to* the realities of salvation. In
the midst of a revivalf in which the deep religious sympa
thies of Dr. Dwight were drawn forth in a remarkable
manner, he, after protracted mental struggles, found rest
to his spirit at the foot of the cross, and hopefully conse
crated himself to the service of the Crucified One. Inter
rupted in his studies by ill health, he was not graduated till
1812. Prevented by the same cause from entering a
theological seminary, he studied theology with the Rev.
Dr. Yates of East Hartford, Ct., afterwards Professor of
Moral Philosophy in Union College, and with the Rev. Dr.
Nott, President of that institution. In 1815, he was
licensed to preach the Gospel, and labored a few months at
Saratoga Springs, preaching in Congress Hall. Settled in
Worcester in 1816, he remained here more than four years,
* Allen's Biographical Dictionary.
t Mr. Goodrich has given a very interesting account of this work of grace
in his book entitled "Incidents in the Life of President Dwight."

176 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
and then retired with enfeebled health, which incapacitated
him for preaching, and indicated to him very clearly, after
some time, that a re-settlement in the ministry was not to
be sought. Reluctantly compelled to relinquish the hope of
resuming pastoral duties, he was obliged to turn his thoughts
to some other mode of serving his Lord. Up to the present
time, however, he has been able to preach occasionally, and
finds great pleasure in an exercise so congenial to his best
feelings. For many years, he has been engaged principally
in literary pursuits. His efforts in this department, have
been attended with a success greatly cheering to him and
his friends. Not able to perform the duties of a settled
pastor, his pen has done good service to the cause of edu
cation, morals and religion. Some of his works have met
with a demand which multiplied them to more than 100,000
copies, each.* He now resides in Hartford, Ct., passing
his declining years among friends, and knowing that the
time of his departure is at hand, his confidence in that ' faith
which was once delivered to the saints,' was never stronger
than it is at present.
The following sermon has been kindly furnished by Mr.
Goodrich for this work. It will serve as a specimen of the
manner in which he was accustomed to speak to his people,
* The following is a list of the principal works which Mr. Goodrich has
prepared for the press.
United States History— duod. School His. of U. S.— 18mo. Child's His.
do. — ISmo. Lives of the Signers of the Dec. Ind. — royal duod. Universal
Traveller — duod. Ecclesiastical His — oct. Do. School. — 18mo. Abridg
ment of Fox's Book of Martyrs — oct. View of All Religions — duod. Great
Events of American His. ; a recent work — oct. 900 pp. Sabbath Day Mis
cellany — duod. Tourist — duod. Bible His. Prayer — duod. School Geog.—
ISmo. Last Hours of Christ — 18mo. Incidents in the Life of Pres. Dwight—
18mo. Several other smaller works.

REV. CHARLES A. GOODRICH. 177
when a settled pastor. It can hardly fail to possess a deep
interest for those who once listened to the tones of his
voice ; and their successors in the church to which he min
istered will appreciate the affectionate spirit which breathes
in its dedication.

SIN IJNIYERSAL:
REASONS FOR PREACHING THE DOCTRINE,
SET FORTH IN A
DISCOURSE,
ORIGINALLY DELIVERED TO THE FIRST
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AND SOCIETY,
IN
WORCESTER, MASS.,
BY THE
REV. CHARLES A. GOODRICH.

NOTE.
The author of the following discourse having been invited to contribute a
sermon to a work soon to be published, entitled " The Worcester Pulpit,"
embraces the occasion respectfully to dedicate it to the surviving few of the
church and congregation to whom, many years since, it was his pleasure
and privilege to minister in holy things, and to their descendants and
successors ; — with the devout wish that the thraldom of which it treats, and
in which by nature all of them are involved, may be followed in respect to
each and every one by a translation into the " glorious liberty of the Sons
of God."
Hartford, Ct., Jan. 1, 1851.

SERMON.

Rom. 3 : 12. They are all gone out of the way.
As the portrait painter is expected to draw a faithful like
ness of the natural man, so the minister of Jesus Christ is
expected to present a correct likeness of the moral man.
But whatever liberties the former may sometimes take —
whatever blemishes he may conceal, or artificial beauties
or adventitious colors he may superinduce, the latter has
no such privilege. He may in no wise flatter ; he may
neither add to, nor deduct from the exact truth. Espe
cially, does his Master bid him leave fancy sketches, and
paint according to Scripture, and true to nature.
The representations which ministers are required to
make, they well understand, are far from being pleasing to
the carnal heart. They know full well what sinners love,
for being themselves sinners, why should they be ignorant
of the partialities of a sinful nature ?
But in one respect sinners do us injustice. They affect
to believe that we delight in drawing ugly portraits ; in
giving all possible prominence to moral deformities — so
blending our colors, as to present human nature in shades,
as dark and disgusting as may be.
But there is no truth in the charge. Where is the
painter who does not prefer to draw a beautiful face to one
16

182 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
without form and comeliness ? And, surely, where is the
minister who does not take more pleasure in setting forth
the moral beauties of Paul and John, of Payson, Hannah
More and Harriet Newell, than the odious moral deform
ities of the Judases, the Neros, the Voltaires, and Tom
Paines, whose dark visages have disgusted mankind ? It
is a libel upon us to say, that we prefer the dark shades
of human nature to those which are bright and animating.
We can appreciate the beauties of a serene and cloudless
sky, and love the day, as well as others, which is bright
and balmy.
But, then, we are not ignorant that there are days that
are dark and stormy. The natural world is not all beau
tiful ; not every fountain is pure ; not every plant is whole
some ; not every tree yields good fruit. Just so in the
moral world. There are men whose hearts are vile, whose
lives are bad, and who, considered as the subjects of a
divine government, are without any conformity to it. Nay,
aside from some radical change from some quarter, wrought
in the soul, want of conformity to the law of God is charac
teristic of all men born into the world ; or, adopting the
laconic, yet emphatic language of the apostle, " They are
all gone out of the way."
The word " way " is a term of very comprehensive sig
nification ; in the literal sense denoting a place of passing,
as a road, a street, or lane ; while in its figurative applica
tion, it is used to express various shades of thought. As
employed by the apostle, it has reference to that conduct
or course of life prescribed by the divine law, but from
which the race has departed. That the apostle means a
total departure — an entire deviation of the race, both indi-

SIN UNIVERSAL. 183
vidually and collectively, is evident ; for he imme diately
adds — " they are together become unprofitable" ; i. e. at
the same time, or equally. The word " unprofitable " in
the Hebrew is applied to any thing which is offensive, and
therefore spoiled. Such is the representation of Paul,
when discoursing of human nature. And to the truth of
this representation, every believer in the divine authority of
the Scriptures will yield assent, how humbling and unpala
table soever such a doctrine may be felt to be.
And this brings me to a specific statement of my design :
To assign some reasons why the ministers of Jesus Christ
preach the doctrine of the universal prevalence of sin.
I. The truth touching human nature requires such
preaching. This general remark resolves itself into twb particulars :
The first is, that the Scriptures justify such a view of hu
man nature ; and, indeed, admit of no other.
It forms no part of my plan to-day, to dwell upon partic
ular passages. It is the general scope of Scripture to
which I would draw your attention.
What, then, is the moral character of the human heart
as presented in the Scriptures ? Beginning with the histo
ry of Adam and Eve at that period, when
They hand in hand, with wand'ring steps, and slow,
Through Eden took their solitary way ; ..
down to the closing chapter of the sacred canon, how
is man represented ?
The scriptural history embraces a period of 4000 years.
It speaks of mankind in general, and of individual nations,
and individual persons. It enters into their history, their

184 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
manners, their customs, laws and religion. And, we
ask, is there a single exception named to the general de
clarations — " They are all gone out of the way : there is
none righteous, no not one."
If such exceptions had ever existed, or did then exist,
why did not Paul name them ? Why not, if consistent
with truth and fact, let in one ray of light on that dark
portraiture of the race given in this third chapter of his let
ter to the Romans ? Why, if Paul was in error, did not
some brother apostle correct him ? But, in truth, all the
apostles have drawn similar pictures of man ; and the rea
son is obvious. They had the same subject ; they sat at
the same easel ; they were taught by the same Master.
What, then, is the inference ? Why, if the Scriptures
do not name one nation, nor one individual holy by nature,
no such nation, and no such individual has lived since the
fall. Nay, the scripture representation is stronger than
mere inference. It directly and positively asserts that no
such nation and no such individual had existed. In this
third chapter to the Romans, the apostle declares that he
had '¦'¦proved" that both Jews and Gentiles were alike un
der sin. But Jews and Gentiles then embraced the entire
population of the globe — all nations in all lands. And as
if this was not an asseveration sufficiently strong, the apostle
adds in his own emphatic style — " the whole world is
guilty before God."
The precise question, then, is this. To what conclusion,
touching the heart of man, would one arrive, who should
sit down to the candid and honest perusal of the whole
Scripture ? The captious unbeliever, or the prejudiced and
predetermined sectarian might doubtless torture particular

SIN UNIVERSAL. 185
passages, and by so doing deduce from them, considered
separately from their legitimate connection, the vestiges of
a holy nature, still existing in the human bosom ; but taken
in their designed and continued scope, what would be the
result ? In other words, do not the Scriptures mean to
convey the doctrine that the natural state of man, as a mor
al and accountable being, is one of alienation from, and en
mity to the holy character of God, and therefore destitute
of holiness ? If on the contrary man approves of that
character, because it is holy, and desires conformity to the
divine will — indeed, if in any degree he wears the moral
image of his Maker, in which he was certainly created, why
such language ? — why such representations in the Bible ?
On what hypothesis other than the utter and universal prev
alence of sin, can this third chapter of the letter to the
Romans be satisfactorily interpreted ?
On a point of such fundamental importance, might we
not most reasonably look for clear and definite statements
in a revelation from God ? If the moral character of the
human heart is known, God knows it ; and if the truth re
specting it can be conveyed by language, surely we might
look for it in a volume penned by the finger of inspiration,
and with the special intention of placing this solemn, and
of all subjects most interesting and important to man,
clearly and honestly before the world and the universe.
Has God then failed ? Has he spoken intentionally in
terms indefinite and obscure ? Did he design that with
this revelation in their hands men might still grope in dark
ness and be honest : that they might appear at the judg
ment-seat with the well-grounded plea and excuse, that the
character of the human heart remained unsettled in His
16*

186 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
word : and that they themselves were anxious to ascertain
the truth, and in the holy oracles made honest and dili
gent search after it, but clouds and darkness rested up
on it ?
Is this probable ? Is the truth touching the moral na
ture of man involved in such strange obscurity ? Does the
Bible, with all its divine pretensions, throw no light on a
subject, which lies at the very foundation of the Gospel
scheme of salvation, and is the hinge on which turn the
punitive dispensations of God, who claims to be righteous
in all his ways ?
If, then, the character of the human heart remains un
settled in the Bible,- we venture to say, that it was not in
tentional. God meant to tell what it is. If in this he has
failed, it has come to pass from the impossibility of doing
it. But who, for one moment, would credit such a state
ment ? Of the glories of that upper world where Paul now
is, and of which he caught glimpses in some favored hour in
the days of his flesh, he might well fail to give any adequate
account. Those glories were too spiritual and too sublime
to be described in any earthly dialect, or to be compre
hended by man in his state of pupilage on earth. But
touching the heart of man, a fair, comprehensive account
was quite easy for such a one as Paul, especially under the
teachings of the divine Spirit. Such an account Paul at
tempted in this chapter, and he writes as if master of his
subject. No hesitation marks his manner ; no equivoca
tion characterizes his language. And what does he de
clare ? Most solemnly, most emphatically, " They, are all
gone out of the way ; there is none righteous, no, not one."
2. My second remark is, that the history of the world

SIN UNIVERSAL. 187
confirms the scripture account of the character of the hu
man heart.
But here we are met with three' truths or facts, which
deserve a preliminary consideration. And I solicit your
special attention to this part of my discourse, as necessary
to a fair estimate of the moral character of man.
The first of these facts is, that there are certain charac
teristics of human nature, or of man as a compound being,
which are innocent.
I may specify hunger and thirst, the fear of suffering,
and the desire of happiness. These belong to man, what
ever be his moral character. They are inseparable from
him. Were he holy as was our Lord Jesus Christ, they
would still be characteristic of him ; or vile as was Judas,
they would still pertain to him. In themselves, therefore,
they are neither holy nor sinful.
2. Some of these natural characteristics are even amia
ble and lovely.
I may instance the natural affection of the parent for his
child ; the sweet disposition often observed in children and
youth ; the compassion and generosity which some individ
uals possess in a high degree. These traits are found in
persons of a directly opposite moral character — in the
good and the bad — in the holy and the unholy — in the
Christian and the sinner. It is not to be denied that these
traits, or sympathetic affections, may become the means or
occasions of holiness or sin, but in themselves they possess
no moral qualities whatever. Hunger and thirst as
natural appetites are innocent ; yet, under the influence of
a wrong heart, they may conduce to make that heart 'de
cidedly worse. Hunger may prompt to gluttony ; thirst to

188 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
intemperance. The desire of happiness, quite innocent in
itself, may lead to licentiousness. So the natural affection
of the parent, originally right and proper, so right and
proper, that without it a parent would be a monster, and
deserving of the reprobation of God and man, may induce
that parent, I mean under the selfish promptings of a wick
ed heart, to treat his own children far better than other
children, confided to his care, but who on every principle of
right are entitled to an equal share of kind attention.
In our estimate, then, of human nature, let us call things
by their right names. Let us not put bitter for sweet,
nor sweet for bitter. Yet, this is the error of thousands.
They blend things "which should ever be kept distinct.
They exalt certain natural attributes, or amiable human
characteristics, without which society could scarcely exist
— and some of which are to be found even in savage
bosoms, to a dignity and importance — to an alliance with
holiness — to which they never were and never will be enti
tled. They are not holy, although they may conduce to
higher degrees of holiness ; they are not sinful, although
when pressed into the service of a sinful heart, they tend
to increase its turpitude. Under the prevalence of a sin
ful disposition, they may become the instruments of sin ;
under the prevalence of a holy disposition, they may be
made the instruments of righteousness.
3. Notwithstanding, however, the moral nature of man
is thus utterly sinful, i. e. without conformity to the will of
God, and without any likeness to his moral image, there
have, in point of fact, existed in all periods of the world,
some, and in some periods, many truly good, or holy men.
Even in the earlier ages, we read of Abel, Noah, Abra-

SIN UNIVERSAL. 189
ham, Moses ; and in later periods of thousands of others.
Now, on what principle, consistent with the views of human
nature here taken, shall we account for this moral phenom
enon ? Were these persons exceptions to the general
rule ? Not if Paul was right. They were the " degenerate
plants of a strange vine," as truly as others.
The mystery is easily explained, and for the purpose of
explanation, I invite you to accompany me. Here is a
fruitrorchard, and in it an apple-tree. It is loaded with
fruit. I pluck some of it, and present it to you. You taste,
and pronounce it bad. I give you some from another
branch. Still bad. From a third, a fourth, and so on —
all bad — and the tree and its fruit you pronounce worth
less ; and you seem to be right. But at length I descry
some fruit on a particular branch which wears a different
aspect. I pluck some of it, and you eat. " Quite anoth
er thing," you observe ; " this is good, very good ; " and
immediately you add, " this cannot be the natural produc
tion of this stock — it must be a graft." Yes — it is the
fruit of a graft. And here is the secret of all the holiness
which has, at any time, existed in the^bosom of man, since
the memorable hour, when of another tree our
Mother plucked that fruit " whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our wo."
That holiness is a graft. It is the product of a scion
sent down from the tree of life, in the midst of the paradise
above, inserted or grafted by the Spirit of God.
I am not pretending to speak, as you will readily per
ceive, with metaphysical exactness, and trust that no inju
rious inferences will be drawn from the language I employ.

190 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
What I mean to say is, that all those, who in any period of
the world, since the era above-named, have borne the fruits
of holiness, have had in every instance superinduced upon
them, or wrought in them a holy disposition. In the lan
guage of the Bible, they have been " born again." A new
nature has been imparted to them. But, aside from that
change, (whence soever derived, or whatever called) they
were in all respects, essentially as were others, " dead in
trespasses and sins." This is the scripture representation.
In our estimate, then, of the natural moral character of
man, we are to leave out of view all such as have at any
time become holy. They do not properly come into the
account. Indeed, a just estimate requires us to confine our
selves to those nations upon whom the Bible has exerted no
influence. I know not that there is such a people on the
globe, who are destitute of all traditionary knowledge of di
vine things derived from the children of Israel, or their
revelation, or from some remoter patriarch, who " walked
with God." If there be such a people, I would select
them, and diligently compare them with the declarations
concerning human nature contained in the oracles of God.
Would you learn what the earth is without the sun ? Go to
some latitude, if there be such, where solar rays, neither
direct nor reflex, ever influence. And would you learn
what the human heart is ? Look at men, where the sun of
righteousness never sheds even moral twilight, and where
prophet and apostle of God never proclaimed a divine truth,
and never named, and never proffered the pardon of sin,
through the blood of Immanuel.
Not that human nature is not seen in its developments
in this and other lands of the Bible and the sanctuary ;

SIN UNIVERSAL. 191
and often in its most debased and most awful forms. We
have murders, and butcheries, and blasphemies ; we have
refinements in sin and impiety, which, perhaps, are seldom
parallelled among heathen nations, to whom I have alluded ;
but these are instances where men have broken through
all restraint imposed upon them by social ties, and civil
and religious truth and influence. Whereas, in respect to
the vast majority, their views, manners, morals, are more
or less modified by the light and influence of Christianity.
What then, independently of revealed truth, is human na
ture ? What does Pagan history say ?
Could I inscribe that history on some scroll here to-day,
could I map it out on these walls, and spread it before
you in some panoramic view, could you gaze upon it, as
seen by the all-seeing eye of God, I dare say you would
faint at the tides of human guilt and human crime passing
before you. But I can write no such scroll, and I can
present no such panorama. Nor is it necessary.
You have some acquaintance with history. Tell me,
then, have you ever read of that heathen nation, which had
a knowledge of the true God, or was willing to receive it ?
Have you ever read of that heathen nation, which had
any knowledge of the .pure worship of God, or who paid to
their idol deities a worship, which if paid to Him, would
• have been acceptable ?
Have you ever read of that heathen nation among whom
there were any such terms as holiness, faith, repentance, ¦
in the evangelical sense, or any terms which expressed
their ideas ?
Have you ever read of that heathen nation where the
moral law in form or in substance was known, enjoined, or
observed ?

192 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Have you ever known such a nation which was not filled
with idols ; with a low and debasing system of worship,
and with rites and ceremonies, cruel, liqentious and
obscene ?
And, finally, have you ever known one in which there is
a well authenticated account of a single virtuous and holy
man 1
To each and to all of these interrogatories, you will be
compelled to give a strong and prompt negation, unless you
have fallen upon historic records, to which others have
found no access. What, then, is the fair inference from
such a catalogue of facts ? What does the history of the
world proclaim concerning the moral character of human
nature ? There is but one concurrent voice sounding out
from every country on the globe, and reiterated by every
age for 4000 years. " They have all gone out of the way ;
there is none righteous, no not one."
And as ambassadors of God, so we preach. So we are
commanded : " Diminish not a word." Shall we, then,
fail to deliver the messages of God, as He has handed
them to us ? Shall we to please ourselves, or to please
others, represent that as pure which God has pronounced
vile — that as still reflecting the divine image, which
according to his word wears only the image of death ?
That were a violation of our trust, and a hazard of our .
own and our people's interests which we may not venture.
II. I add another reason why we thus preach, viz.
That it is only upon the assumption of the truth of this doc
trine of man's utter sinfulness, that we can attach great
value to the Gospel.
The Gospel is described as " good news." That is its

SIN UNIVERSAL. 193
very import. And it is represented in the Divine Word as
the master-movement of the Infinite Mind. In it there is a
display of mercy, such as the world from no other source ever
saw, " which heaven stoops down to see." But, if human
nature is not so debased, and man so utterly ruined by sin,
as we represent, why do the sacred writers speak in terms
so exalted of the grace of God ? Why, if man needs but
some slight change to fit him for companionship with angels,
and communion with his Maker — why such a show on
God's part of condescension and mercy ? Tell me, if you
are able, why Jesus went to the cross ? — a problem of all
problems most mysterious, if man is not sunken to the full
extent of the scripture representation. Let it be remem
bered that in no single sentence of the inspired volume is
there the shadow of an effort to magnify beyond the truth,
— no, not God's attributes, nor his wisdom, nor his works,
nor even his grace. But there is always " a hiding of
his power ; " there is a something unrevealed, some
thing which even inspired language fails to express, and
which excited imagination fails to conceive.
Doubtless it is so in respect to man's apostasy, and the
moral darkness which consequently overshadows his soul.
What gage has yet been taken of human guilt ? What line
has sounded its depths ? What arithmetic calculated its
consequences ? Paul once attempted a measurement of
divine grace, as that grace shone forth from the cross of
Jesus Christ ; but he paused : his eye could penetrate no
such depths, could reach no such heights. All he felt
able to do was to take a posture of admiration, and ex
claim, " Oh, the heights and the depths of the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord ! "
17

194 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Paul's wonder and admiration are easily accounted for,
if man's guilt and God's grace are such as we represent.
But on any other hypothesis, they were most irrational and
absurd. Would the infinite God, think you, lay claim to
honor and praise from His creature man for interpositions
for him, for which there was no necessity ? Would Jesus
have invited " wretchedness and woe," or stooped to the
ignominy and agonies of the cross, had man's salvation been
possible at less expense ? Would angel choirs have come
on pinions so swift, and sung songs so rapturous, had they
not realized the necessity of the provisions of mercy ?
And what are the bearings of truths like these ? Obvi
ously that we need no further evidence in regard to man's
utter apostasy than comes from the Gospel system of recov
ering grace. From the cross of Jesus radiate beams of
light on this subject, and if man does not see, as thou
sands of men do not see, and in their natural state will not
see and appreciate them, still it amounts to a moral demon
stration of the truth of the doctrine, that man is as the Script
ures declare him to be, " blind," and that that blindness
is the consequence of sin and perverseness.
And so we preach. And so long as we stand here, as
God's ambassador, we shall maintain his prerogatives ; we
shall exalt his grace ; we shall magnify the love of Jesus.
Yes, and we shall do it, hearers, at your expense, disrob
ing you of all imaginary goodness, — -as in truth you possess
no real goodness by nature, — and making proclamation,
Sabbath after Sabbath, — by night and by day, — of the
truth of this humbling doctrine, " All have gone out of the
way." III. These representations are made because, being true,

SIN UNIVERSAL. 195
they alone are likely to exercise an important practical
bearing upon sinners themselves.
What are the lessons taught by observation and experi
ence, touching different estimates of man's moral character,
and man's spiritual wants ? Under what sort of preaching
are men the most often converted ? What system of doc
trines best subdues them to a just estimate of themselves,
and induces them to flee for mercy to the " hope set before
them in the gospel ? "
Look into those sanctuaries, where poor human nature, if
not in fact eulogized and exalted, is represented as needing
only some slight emendation, some few touches, some
dust or rust removed, that the picture may shine out in all
its original beauty and loveliness. But is it so ? And in
these sanctuaries are men often converted ? Is it under
such preaching, however elegant the diction or fascinating
the manner, that sinners are compelled to cry out with the
jailer at Phillippi, " Sirs, what must I do to be saved ? "
Did Paul thus write to the Romans ? Or was such the
tenor of his preaching at Ephesus, at Corinth and other
cities, where he was instrumental in turning hundreds and
thousands from the error of their ways ? Trace the histo
ry of all faithful and successful preaching from the day on
which Jesus commissioned His apostles to go forth and dis
ciple all nations to this very hour, and that system will be
found to have been most efficacious, which has embraced at
least the two cardinal doctrines — man's sinfulness and depend
ence, and God's grace and sovereignty. Not until Lot is
ready to perish will he flee from Sodom ; and not even
then, unless he be moved to escape, as it were by force.
And in respect to the sinner, let him hear doctrines

196 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
which give no trouble to his conscience and flatter him with
encomiums upon his generosity, his compassion, his benev
olent wishes and his acceptableness to his Maker, and not
more surely do chains rivet the convict in his cell, than
he continues the slave and the contented slave of sin.
Would the minister of Jesus rescue such a one ? By
what process can such rescue be effected, but by the plain
and solemn assurance, that his spiritual condition is far
different from what he supposes ? He is " out of the way ;"
he is " dead in trespasses and sins ; " he is " under the
wrath and curse of God;" he is "without hope in the
world." Tell him all this ; speak it in tones of tender
ness and grief ; make him feel that you are his friend ;
that you would save his soul ; and at length, it may be
long — after many a teaching — and after many an agonizing
supplication, but at length, you may expect to hear him
ask, " Sir, what must I do ? "
And it is because of anticipated results like these that we
make such representations of fallen human nature, and of
the peril of man under that condition. On the basis of a dif
ferent representation, such as some venture to advocate
and dare to make, we should as soon expect to see the
issues of the day of Pentecost, under the promulgation of
the mystic jargon of the oracles of Delphos or Dodona.
I ask you, my friends, in conclusion, to judge of this
subject, as its importance demands. Give it a candid and
honest examination ; for, if our estimate of the doctrine be
just, some remedy corresponding to the nature and extent
of the malady must be sought. If true, the race of man
is ruined, and there exists within it — neither in the indi
vidual nor the mass, any self-restoring power. If true, we

SIN UNIVERSAL. 197
need the timely interposition of some almighty friend ; the
application of some sovereign remedy.
That remedy the Gospel professes to furnish. And to that
Gospel how delightful to turn, for a moment, after contem
plating a picture whose coloring is so truly dark and
gloomy ! To the cross of Jesus, my people, I would con
duct you, and in that mirror of love and compassion, I ask
you to contemplate not only your guilt, but your all-suffi
cient remedy. On that cross hangs the Lord of Glory !
There He suffers, there bleeds, and there dies. And why ?
I will tell you. You sinned, and for your sins He bore the
curse. You had wandered, and He wanted to bring you
" to his fold again." You had plunged yourself into a
" gulf of black despair," and He undertook to raise you to
life and joy.
What a theme of contemplation ! What a marvel in the
history of man. What other work of God bears a compar
ison with this ? What in the heavens above have the an
gelic hosts probably seen so wonderful, so glorious, as they
here see on earth ? But I must insist no longer. And
yet, hearers, I would fain not leave this subject, nor this
sanctuary of hope and mercy, until, in view of the cross of
Jesus, and the holy and exalted objects, which, on that
cross, He accomplished, you all join me in the reverent
declaration : " Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small ;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my life, my soul, my all."
Yet, if there be those whose obduracy of heart shuts out
the consideration of subjects in which immortal interests
17*^

198 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
are involved, what more for such can I do ? I would fain
inquire, " Know you where you are in the long path-way of
your being? In what direction, spiritually, are you travel
ing ? What is your distance already from ' holiness, and
purity, and God ? ' "
My impenitent friends, you have sometime marked the
comet in yonder heavens, as it went forth into the abysses
of the universe. That comet is still on its adventurous
flight ; it will continue its wanderings for years and ages to
come. Generations, meanwhile, will be born and die ;
kingdoms will rise and flourish and decay. The mountains
of earth will sink, and the pyramids crumble to dust ; yet
once more that erring world will return, its light will
again break upon the eye of gazing millions ; but mark it,
and remember it — a soul once lost continues its wandering,
and returns no more.

§ 7. Rev. Ar.sti.us B. Hull.
The vacancy created by the retirement of Mr. Good
rich, was filled with unanimity and satisfaction in about six
months. His successor, the Rev. Arsetius B. Hull, was
ordained on the 22d of May, 1821. The Rev. Dr. Puffer
of Berlin, led in the introductory services ; Rev. Nathaniel
W. Taylor of New Haven, preached the sermon ; Rev.
Daniel Tomlinson of Oakham, offered the prayer of conse
cration ; the charge was given by the Rev. Joseph Avery
of Holden ; the Rev. John Nelson of Leicester, expressed
the fellowship of the churches ; the Rev. Thomas Snell of

REV. ARjETIUS b. hull. 199
North Brookfield, addressed the church ; and the Rev. Mi-
cah Stone of Brookfield, closed with prayer.
Mr. Hull was a native of Woodbridge, Ct. The family
from which he descended, came from the neighborhood of
Liverpo u, England, to New Haven, soon after the settle
ment of that place. Born, Oct. 12th, 1778, he entered
Yale College at the age of fifteen, and was graduated,
with distinguished reputation for scholarship and character,
in 1807. Requiring the means for prosecuting a profes
sional education, he took charge of the academy in Weth-
ersfield, Ct. Physical debility obliged him soon to relinquish
this employment. Affected with pulmonary complaints, he
journeyed South, seeking a more genial clime than he could
find in New England. There he found the relief which he
could not anticipate here. In 1810, he was appointed tutor
in his Alma Mater, and entered upon the duties of that of
fice with the confidence of improved health. He continued
in this service for six years. Daring this period he turn
ed his attention to the study of theology, and in 1816
was licensed to preach the Gospel. In this new work,
notwithstanding frequent interruptions occasioned by in
firm health, he employed his talents with assiduity and
cheerfulness. Called to take the oversight of this church,
he recognized the guiding hand of Providence ; and, al
though penetrated with a deep sense of responsibility, he
entered upon his duties with alacrity, and, while strength
permitted, magnified his office. It was a labor of love with
him. Constantly reminded of the weakness of man and the
uncertainty of life, he ' watched for souls,' as one who must
' give account.' Emphatically, as a dying man, he spoke
to his fellow-mortals. Yet he showed that religion has

200 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
power to cheer and bless, even in prospect of a speedy dis
solution. Though often a sufferer from physical exhaustion,
he exhibited great elasticity of spirits, with a hearty conse
cration to his profession, and won for himself a place in the
warm affections of his people. In 1825, it was obvious that
no medical skill could arrest his disease, and that how willing
soever in spirit, the flesh was too weak to allow the continu
ance of those labors in which he delighted. During a year's
sickness, he was sustained and cheered by those truths
which he had announced in the name of Jesus. They were
never more precious to him, than when the light of earth
was fading away. Though heart and flesh were failing him,
they were the strength and joy of his heart. With a counten
ance beaming with emotion, he would often exclaim, as he
approached the closing scene, " I know in whom I have be
lieved; he will not leave me." His testimony to the friends
who knew not how to have him depart, was, " I am happy
in the prospect of death." His work was done, and well
done. He had nothing to do in the dying hour but to die.
On the 17th of May, 1826, he was removed from his labors
and sufferings, to enter upon his reward. Sincerely
mourned by the people whom he had so faithfully served,
his death was regarded as a public loss. " The memory of
the just is blessed." " The righteous shall be had in ever
lasting remembrance."
As a man, Mr. Hull was eminently social in his feelings,
and genial in his intercourse with his fellow-men. His
sympathies were quickly responsive to the touch of joy or
sorrow. In his family, he was the affectionate husband,
the kind and faithful father. In society, he endeared him
self to all by the simplicity of his manners and the charms

REV. ARiETIUS B. HULL. 201
of his conversation. With ardent attachments, refined
sensibilities and peculiar delicacy of taste, he made his
way to the hearts of the cultivated ; with a heart ' to feel
another's wo,' and soothe another's sorrow, he was a wel
come friend to the poor.
As a Christian, he was sincere, earnest and symmetri
cal. In very early life, he began to walk in wisdom's way,
and show an ardent attachment to the Saviour. " Of his
benevolence, prayerfulness, fidelity in duty, and uncom
monly Christian deportment, I need not speak ; for his life
has been a living epistle, known and read of all men.
Judging from the fruit which he brought forth, religion was
the basis of his character, and the all-pervading spirit of
his life. He was, we have reason to believe, in the true
and legitimate sense of the term, a good man — a disciple of
the Lord Jesus Christ."*
As a Christian minister, he was able, discriminating and
faithful. " He possessed a mind of a very high order, and
that mind was enriched with uncommon attainments of gen
eral as well as professional knowledge. His conceptions
were clear, just and discriminating. At the same time, a
highly cultivated taste, a refinement of thought and feel
ing, as pleasing as it was genuine, pervaded all his writ
ings."! His public efforts, if not among the most profound and thrill
ing of the human intellect, were uniformly good. Too refined
and conscientious to turn his people off with extemporane
ous crudities, he studied his sermons, and wrote them out
with care. Having a nice appreciation of proportion and
peculiar delicacy of criticism, whatever came from his pen
* Dr. Nelson's sermon at Mr. Hull's funeral, t Ibid.

202 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
was excellent in its several parts, and harmonized in com
bination. He is now often spoken of with kindling emo
tion, and will long be remembered as the Christian gentle
man, the affectionate pastor and excellent minister. A
monument recently erected to his memory by the church
that he served in the Gospel, thus commemorates him :
THIS MONUMENT IS
erected to commemorate the faithful services
and the virtuous example
of the
REV. AR^ETIUS BEVIL HULL,
Minister of the First Congregational Society in Worcester.
He was born at Woodbridge, Conn.,
October 12, 1788.
Graduated at Yale College in 1807,
where he was six years a Tutor,
And was ordained in Worcester, May 22, 1821.
He Died May 17, 1826, aged 38.
He endeared himself to the people of his charge by his
affectionate and assiduous devotion to his ministerial and
pastoral duties, ivhile the suavity of his manners, the purity
of his life, and the sincerity and earnestness of his efforts
in advancing the cause of education, and in the promotion
of the general interests of the community, commanded its
respect and gratitude.
He was a scholar of refined taste, and the style of his
discourses was unusually chaste and perspicuous, earnest
and direct; harmonizing with the tenor of his life, and
being rendered yet more impressive during the greater part

REV. AR^TIUS B. HULL. 203
of his ministry, by his conscious and evident nearness to the
grave. Accustomed to the best forms of polished life, he
ivas dignified without display, and courteous without dissim
ulation, constantly manifesting in his private intercourse
and in his public labors, that for himself and others, he
sought first the Kingdom of Heaven.
The following sermon is inserted in this work, as a
fair specimen of Mr. Hull's usual style of preaching.
It exhibits him as simple, clear and affectionate in his
mode of address, and as always saying something worth
the hearing. His trains of thought were enriched with
scriptural quotations, and often illustrated by historical
allusions. His words flowed from a genial, believing heart,
were uttered with the dignity of a calm self-possession, and
urged upon the attention of his hearers with the earnest
ness of a spirit intent on doing good. Slight verbal altera
tions excepted, the discourse appears as it came from
his own hand.

THE

PEOYIDENCE OE GOD:

SERMON,

DELIVERED TO THE

FIRST CHURCH IN WORCESTER,

BY THE

REV. AR^TIUS B. HULL.

18

SEKMOtf.

Matthew 10: 29.
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? and one of
them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
These words are a part of the discourse of Jesus, ad
dressed to His twelve apostles, at the time He commissioned
them to go and preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is
at hand, to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,
and cast out devils. In this discourse He gave them par
ticular instructions how they should proceed, in order faith
fully to execute their commission. He then warned them
of the dangers which awaited them, and of the sufferings to
which they would be exposed. He next suggested those
considerations which were suited to inspire them with cour
age firmly to meet these dangers, and with fortitude pa
tiently to bear these sufferings. The principal topics upon
which He here insisted, were, that they would have to en
dure no more and no greater trials than their Master en
dured ; that God's providence extended to every being and
every event ; and that, if they proved faithful, they should
at last be acknowledged and made happy in heaven.
It was while on the second of these topics that He utter-

208 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
ed the words of the text. Connected with the context, they
assert the truth, that as God's attention is directed to the
most unimportant creatures and events, the disciples of
Christ, whose safety and ultimate and everlasting happiness
must be regarded as matters of great consequence, ought
not in the least to fear that their heavenly Father would
forget or neglect them. " Are not two sparrows sold for a
farthing ? and one of them shall not fall upon the ground
without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are
all numbered. Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more
value than many sparrows." The application of this truth
for the encouragement of the twelve disciples, was of this
sort : " Though I send you forth as sheep in the midst of
wolves, though they will deliver you up to the councils and
scourge you in their synagogues, though ye shall be
brought before governors and kings for my sake, though
the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the
father the child, and the children shall rise up against
their parents, and cause them to be put to death, and
though ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake,
fear not : none of these things can occur, except as they
are under the direction and control of your heavenly Father,
who can bring good out of evil, and who will cause all things
to work together for good to them that love God, who are the
called according to His purpose."
Such a view of the providential government of God was
well suited to inspire them with confidence while faithfully
employed in their Master's service. Most of them after
wards showed that they were ready not to be bound only,
but to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Such should be the effect on the mind of every Christian.

PROVIDENCE OP GOD. 209
Trusting in the power, knowledge and goodness of God,
they should be able to say with Paul, " None of these
things move me ; neither count I my life dear unto myself,
so that I might finish my course with joy."
That we may derive this and whatever other instruction
may be directly deduced from such a view of God's providen
tial government, we will first consider more particularly the
truth declared in the text, and then mention some obvious
inferences from it.
1. God, as the Ruler of the universe, attends to things
which men account of but little importance. According to
the plain declaration of the text, a creature, which at the
valuation of men is worth but half a farthing, attracts the
notice of the infinite God. Very possibly He estimates the
value of many things by a different rule from any which
men adopt. In His estimation, perhaps, the exquisite work
manship exhibited in the mechanism of the sparrow and of
every living and sentient being, gives it a value which it
has not in the estimation of him by whom that mechanism
is overlooked or forgotten. The beauty of its form, the
delicacy of its plumage, the curious formation of its limbs
and organs separately considered, their wonderful adjust
ment, and their adaptation to their several functions, and
above all, its capacity for suffering and for enjoyment, and
its power of affecting the happiness of other creatures, are
good reasons why even the sparrow, one of the smallest of
birds, should not be regarded as worthless. What God has
created with so much skill, it is reasonable to suppose He
will preserve with care.
And yet it is not the sparrow's superiority over other
creatures, which entitles it to such attention. It was
18*

210 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
purposely selected by the Saviour, as a creature of relative
insignificance, to impress the truth that no creature, how
ever mean or worthless, has its destinies neglected by Him
who made it. By parity of reasoning, not one of the
feathered inhabitants of the sky, not an insect that flutters
in the air, not a reptile that creeps on the earth, is beneath
His notice. Even the insentient appendages of percipient
beings, composed indeed of organized and animated matter,
but incapable of suffering or of enjoyment, though they
somewhat affect the happiness of the percipient and moral
beings to which they belong, share also in the notice and
remembrance of their great Creator. The Saviour says to
His disciples in this connection, " The very hairs of your
head are all numbered." This fact, we must suppose, is
suggested only by way of example. The God and Father
of Christians has such a regard to their welfare, as not to
suffer a hair of their head to be hurt, but for the purpose
of advancing His great and good designs. If He numbers
their every hair, He must be attentive to the smallest
circumstance that can the most remotely affect their use
fulness or their comfort. Such knowledge and attention
imply and involve the notice of the situation and movements
of the smallest portions of matter, organized or unorganized,
animate or inanimate. Not a mote that floats in the
atmosphere, not a particle of dust that is fixed in the
earth, or that lies at the bottom of the sea, is too small for
His observation, or too remote for His control.
2. This attention to the minute concerns of the world, is
not paid by the Supreme Ruler at the expense of neglect
ing its more important interests. The drift of the argument
is, that if these little things, comparatively worthless as

PROVIDENCE OP GOD. 211
they are, are never neglected, how much more will greater
events and more valuable creatures receive their due share
of attention ? Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value
than many sparrows. If every movement of the little
priceless sparrow, that flits, and chirps, and dies, is direct
ed by the Father of all, how much more precious in His
eyes will be the life and death of His saints ! Yes, He
who has put each sand in its place on the sea-shore, who
directs the course of each drop of water as it rolls in the
ocean, who taught each scale of the finny tribes where to
grow, who has appointed the bound of their habitation for
each worm and fly, as well as for each bird and beast that
He has made, and who marks out the path of the humblest
of all His saints, and notices each step that he takes, not
only thus individualizes His creatures, their actions and
their destinations, but also notices, directs and controls
their collected movements. Man may be so attentive to a
mote, as not to perceive the beam that presses on his
vision. But the infinite Mind, which has made and
arranged, and which continually watches each particle of
matter in all the elements, is equally attentive to all their
vast combinations and important results. The tempestuous
winds, the rolling clouds, the rumbling thunder, the lurid
lightning, the tumultuous waters, the bursting volcano and
the quaking earth, wild and destructive as is their agency,
are all noticed and controlled by Him. He measures the
waters in the hollow of His hand, and metes out heaven
with the span, and comprehends the dust of the earth in a
measure, and weighs the mountains in scales and the hills
in a balance. He moves the great globe itself on its axis,
and along its lengthened orbit, and all the larger and more

212 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
distant planets of the system. The sun with its attendant
worlds — nay, the innumerable myriads of suns seen by
telescopic vision, with all their satellites, He wheels around
the common centre of His creation, where, enthroned in
light ineffable, He sits, and sees and rejoices in the con
stant but unwearying labors of His almighty hand.
3. All this attention to all the minute and to all the vast
concerns of this wide universe, is continued and simulta
neous. God is not obliged to suspend His care of any one
part of His boundless dominions, while he bestows it upon
another. His notice of the sparrow, when it falls fluttering
to the earth, does not interrupt His attention to His perse
cuted and suffering saint. His all-piercing eye at the same
and at every moment is fixed on every individual of all His
numberless creatures, multiform and scattered as they are,
from the seraph that burns before His throne to the earth
worm that hides from the light of day, and from the tenant
of this lower world to the remotest star that twinkles at the
noon of night. Nor does this multiplicity of objects confuse
His vision or distract His attention. Each creature and
each event is as clearly viewed and as deliberately scanned,
as if it alone were the object upon which His ken is fixed.
He knows the dangers and trials of each assaulted and
suffering saint as distinctly as if there were no other perils
or woes in the universe to be regarded and relieved. The
falling sparrow receives the same attention that it- would
receive, were there no creature but that sparrow in
the world. In a conflict of elements, mixing heaven with
earth, and rolling the ruin onward, each particle of dust is
driven as directly to its destination, as if air and ocean had
been wrought into the tempest but for that single purpose.

PROVIDENCE OF -GOD. 213
Man can steadily and strongly direct his attention to but
one object at a time : the infinite Mind embraces all at
once, all things present, all things past, all things
future, all things possible. " Great is our Lord, and of
great power : His understanding is infinite."
4. Nor is His a passive and uninterested vision of the
world's concerns. His power and benevolence and faith
fulness, are pledged and continually exerted in bringing
about the events which occur ; in strengthening, encourag
ing, supporting, consoling and rewarding His afflicted
servants ; in providing for the millions of His creatures who
are evil and unthankful, as is the fact with most of
mankind, and for those which have no moral character, as
He hears the young ravens when they cry ; in causing the
innumerable contingencies, as the world would call them,
so to concur, and interlock, and wind up and again
unfold, as to bring good out of evil ; in thwarting and dis
appointing the counsels of the crafty ; in causing the wrath
of man to praise Him ; and in restraining the remainder
from its noxious ebullitions. How many thousand instances
have been recorded, in which the providence of God has
unexpectedly and remarkably brought to light the inno
cence of those who had been falsely accused, and the
wickedness of those who thought themselves secure from
detection ! Thus " unto the upright there ariseth light in
the darkness " ; and thus " though hand join in hand, the
wicked shall not be unpunished." " Known unto God are
all his works from the beginning of the world." " The
eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole
earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose
heart is perfect toward him." He declareth " the end

214 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that
are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure." " The Lord reserveth wrath for
his enemies."
Thus attentive is God to the meanest of His creatures,
and to the most unimportant of their movements : and this
without at all interfering with the attention due to nobler
beings and their more important destinies: and all this
without cessation, without interruption, and without distrac
tion, though the objects of His attention are so multiform
and numberless : and thus He moves, guides, controls and
harmonizes all the individuals with their separate and
united interests, which compose His vast creation.
Several inferences from the subject as it has been pre
sented for your consideration, shall conclude the discourse.
1. The first and most obvious inference is, How great
must be the Mind that is adequate to all these numberless,
complex, and simultaneous operations. The greatest
activity and comprehension of thought exhibited by man on
earth, fall infinitely below it. The prime minister of a
great empire may have a very accurate and extensive
knowledge of some of its most important concerns ; and his
influence may be extended through his subalterns to the
extremities of the territory over which he presides. But
how limited and defective is his knowledge, and how small
and uncertain is his influence, compared with those of the
infinite Disposer of all things. The statesman's attention
is directed to the police, to the finances, to the defence,
and to the foreign relations of his country. But what does
he know of the private and individual feelings, fears, hopes,
sufferings and enjoyments of the millions whose persons he

PROVIDENCE OF GOD. 215
has not seen, and whose names he has not heard ? What
does he know of the animals, vegetables and minerals of
the land, except as they collectively constitute the wealth
of the inhabitants, or of the state ? And of how little that
he does know, does he acquire his knowledge by his own
inspection ? How dependent is he on others for his infor
mation, and, therefore, how liable to be deceived. By
what long-continued and painful efforts must he obtain the
scanty and imperfect knowledge which he does possess.
And with a host of officers under him, whose interest it is
to second his views, how does he fail of extending his influ
ence as he could wish, to every family and every bosom
throughout his dominions. The providence of God is
attended with none of these imperfections ; and is as much
superior to the administration of government by the wisest
man on earth, as that man's knowledge and power are
superior to those of the meanest reptile that crawls.
2. How absurd is the objection not unfrequently alleged
against the doctrine of a particular providence, that it is
beneath the dignity of so exalted a being as Jehovah, to
attend to the petty concerns of individuals. This is what
proves Him to be so exalted a being. Is it beneath His
dignity to govern what it was not beneath His dignity to
create ? The fact that the mighty movements of the
universe which He directs and controls, do not interfere
with a minute and constant attention to the humblest wants
of the humblest of all His creatures, shows that to His intel
ligence and goodness no limits can be set. And the want
of this power in earthly statesmen, though they may boast
of it as an excellence, demonstrates their weakness. It
may become the dignity of a king, in whose hand the

216 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
power of pardoning criminals is placed, to neglect all ex
amination into the crimes and characters of his condemned
culprits, and to order their indiscriminate execution. It
may become the dignity of a minister of finance, to fill the
treasury of the government, heedless of the toils and groans
and tears of the wretched inhabitants by whose labor and
privations all that treasure is accumulated. It may become
the dignity of a conqileror to overlook the weariness, the
wounds and the welterings of the thousands who fight under
his standard, while he presses on to victory. They have not
power in all cases to prevent these evils if they would.
But it more highly becomes the dignity of the universal
Sovereign, while he accomplishes His grand and benevolent
designs, to see that the innumerable myriads of beings
who instrumentally help them onward, should be dealt with
according to the principles of justice and of mercy.
3. How worthy does God's providential government of
the world prove Him to be of the admiration, love, obedi
ence and confidence of His creatures. What shall we ever
admire, if it be not power and intelligence so vast and
incomprehensible ? What shall we love, if it be not the
benevolent character thus displayed to all who have intel
lectual vision to behold it, and the fruits of which are
bestowed upon every percipient being ? To whom shall
we render obedience, but to Him, who imposes no duties
but what are justly and benevolently appointed, and who
by His creative power has constituted us His natural,
and the rectitude of whose government should make us His
voluntary subjects ? In whom may we confide, if not in
Him who possesses, and who has promised to exert all the
power, intelligence and benevolence which are necessary

PROVIDENCE OF GOD. 217
for our protection and relief. All these attributes are
pledged in our behalf, if we will not repel and spurn the
proffered aid. And can such powerless, ignorant and
fallen creatures as ourselves reject the offer, and refuse to
comply with the terms upon which it is made ? If con
scious of our weakness, folly and moral demerit, it would
seem that we could not. But here lies our danger. Our
darkened understandings and our depraved affections will
not let us see and feel our need of God's providential care ;
and through our blindness and perverseness we undervalue
what we ought most highly to prize. If we do not perform
a duty so reasonable as to admire, love, obey and trust the
providential Ruler of the world, we may justly expect that
His government, just and holy as it always is, will, in
regard to us, be exerted only to punish our rebellion.
4. Encouraged by the view which has been presented of
God's providential government, let Christians go on their
way rejoicing. This, after all, is the grand instruction
which the subject offers ; and it is that which the Saviour
inculcated on His disciples, when he uttered the words
upon which this discourse is founded. " Fear ye not,
therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows," was
the practical inference which He drew from the fact, that
even so inconsiderable an object as a sparrow shared in the
attention and regard of their heavenly Father. And this
inference is equally applicable to every Christian. Fear
ye not, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Let it
be but once well and truly settled that you are Christians,
and all the heart-cheering encouragement here offered is
yours. But beware of a mistake here on the threshold
which may prove fatal. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed
19

218 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Jesus, and then departed and hanged himself and went
unto his own place, was one of the number thus addressed.
Jesus was pleased not to make the exception. He address
ed all as being what they professed to be, His true and
faithful disciples ; and only on the supposition that they
were such, were they authorized to appropriate to them
selves this conditional encouragement. The fact that God
thought of and cared for sparrows, instead of the soothing
words, " fear not," ought to have been interpreted by him
as uttering the language of dread premonition which pre
ceded, " Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and
body in hell." And its language to all should be, He that
watches every sparrow as it falls, He whose scrutinizing
eye numbers every hair of your head, watches also every
step which you take, scrutinizes every affection of your
heart, and registers every crime you commit ; and when
the measure of your iniquity is full, He will exert that
infinite power and intelligence, yes, and that infinite benev
olence, too, which stand engaged to make His holy creatures
happy, to crush you beneath the weight of His just displeas
ure, and duly punish the insurrection which you have
raised against the peace of His kingdom. But if you are
Christians, if you are united to Jesus by the vital blood of
faith, if you are truly penitent for your offences, if by a
patient continuance in well-doing, you seek for glory and
honor and immortality, fear not ; firmly tread the path of
active duty, calmly and peacefully lie on the bed of
anguish : God, your God and Father, has promised, and
He is able and faithful to protect and support you. If your
way is dark, He will cause the light of His countenance to
shine upon you. Is it rough and thorny ? He will remove

PROVIDENCE OF GOD. 219
every obstacle. And when at last He shall put into your
hand the cup, which it is not possible to pass from you
except you drink it, He will enable you to say, " Not my
will, but thine be done " ; He will send His angels to
strengthen you, till nature sinks in the conflict ; and then
you may hear Him whisper, " Fear not ; for I have re
deemed thee, I have called thee by thy name ; thou art
mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be
with thee ; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow
thee : when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not
be burnt ; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee : for I
am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy
Saviour." And when you ascend from the Jordan of
death, to the heavenly Canaan — the promised rest, the
paradise of God, and there enter upon the joys provided
for you from the foundation of the world, your perplexity
will cease in regard to the way you have been led, and you
will see how all things, even the most untoward events,
conspired to bring you to your glorious seat ; and you will
not want for motives to join in the celestial song, " Blessing,
and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever."

220 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

§ 8. Rev. Rodney A. Miller.
Mr. Joseph Whiting was invited to be the immediate
successor of Mr. Hull, the 16th of November, 1826.
The vote, however was not sufficiently unanimous
to induce him to accede to the invitation. In 1827, the
church and parish united in calling the Rev. Rodney A.
Miller to become their pastor and teacher. He accepted
their call, and was ordained over them June 7th, of that
year. The public services of the ordination were perform.
ed by the following ministers of the Gospel : Rev. Edward
Beecher of Boston, invoked the divine blessing ; Rev. War
ren Fay of Charlestown, preached the sermon ; Rev. Micah
Stone of Brookfield, offered the ordaining prayer; the
charge was given by Rev. Thomas Snell of North Brook
field ; Rev. George Allen of Shrewsbury presented the
right hand of fellowship ; Rev. John Fiske of New-Brain-
tree addressed the people ; and Rev. Dr. Codman of Dor
chester closed the services with prayer.
Mr. Miller is a native of Troy, New York. He was
graduated at Union College, in 1821. The study of the
ology he pursued in the Theological Seminary in Princeton,
N. J. He was pastor of the First Church in Worcester,
nearly seventeen years. Unusual religious attention was
apparent in the church and society soon after he com
menced his labors with them, the result of which was a
considerable addition to the church. In 1830 a Temper
ance Association was formed in this society, and Mr. Mil
ler was elected its president. This was the first associa
tion of the kind formed in Worcester. Its members pledged

REV. RODNEY A. MILLER. 221
themselves to total abstinence from ardent spirits. The
movement encountered a decided opposition, and required
no faltering resolution to carry it through.
During these seventeen years, five seasons of special
religious interest were enjoyed, in three of which quite a
large number of individuals professed to have met with a
decided change in their religious views and feelings. On
one occasion, seventy-three individuals united with the
church by a public profession of their faith ; on another,
seventy. The whole number who, in the course of this
ministry, expressed a hope that they had experienced the
renovating influence of the divine Spirit, exceeded four
hundred. Some difficulties having arisen between Mr. Miller and
members of the church and society, a mutual council was
invited to deliberate and give advice respecting them. The
council convened in pursuance of letters missive, and, after
protracted deliberation concerning the subject-matter of,
misunderstanding, advised that the pastoral relation be dis
solved. Mr. Miller was accordingly dismissed, April 12,
1844. The following testimonial was given him by the
council :
" The council would hereby recommend the Rev. Rod
ney A. Miller to the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ as
a sound theologian, and an able and faithful minister of the
Gospel. From personal and intimate acquaintance with
him, they are satisfied that his literary attainments, the
purity of his life and his consecration to the work of the
ministry, justly entitle him to the respect and confidence of
the Christian community." Joshua Bates, Moderator.
Wm. P. Paine, Scribe.
19*

222 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

§ 9. Rev. George P. Smith.
In less than one year after the dismission of Mr. Miller,
the First Church and Parish were happily united in the
installation of his successor. The Rev. George P. Smith,
a native of Salem, was graduated at Amherst College in
the class of 1835. He pursued the studies preparatory to
his professional life in the Seminary at Andover, and com
pleted his course in that institution in 1840. June 17,
1841, he was ordained over the church in South Woburn.
Between three and four years, he successfully performed
the duties of the pastoral office in that place. Invited to
occupy a wider field of labor, he left South Woburn early
in the year 1845, and in March 19th of that year, was
installed the eighth pastor of the First Church in Worces
ter. The public services of the Installation were thus per
formed :
Introductory prayer, by the Rev. Mr. Bennet of Woburn ;
Sermon, by the Rev. Thomas Snell, D. D. of North
Brookfield ; Consecrating prayer, by the Rev. Horatio
Bardwell of Oxford ; Charge to the Pastor, by the Rev.
John Nelson, D. D. of Leicester ; Right Hand of Fellow
ship, by the Rev. E. Smalley of Worcester ; Concluding
prayer by the Rev. Mr. Bullard of Fitchburg.
This connection has been a happy one from the first.
During Mr. Smith's ministry, the church and society have
increased in numbers and strength. He has been to them
a very acceptable pastor and teacher, and his labors among
them ' have not been in vain in the Lord.' The present
state of things characterized by harmony and enterprise, is

REVIEW OF FIRST CHURCH. 223
full of promise for the future. But few fields of labor are
more inviting to a Christian minister than this ; but few cler
gymen occupy a position combining so many facilities for use
fulness and enjoyment, as the present incumbent in office here.
The reader now has before him a brief history of the
origin and progress of the First Church in Worcester,
together with an account of its successive pastors. At
several points in this history, the temptation has been
strong to linger for hours where we could remain but moments,
and take a much wider survey than the limits of our work
would permit. Incessant care has been needful in order to
give, with the requisite brevity, any thing like a clear and
comprehensive statement of the facts belonging to the sub
ject. The struggles of the early settlers ; their sacrifices
and reverses, their heroic efforts for themselves and large
forecast for those who should succeed them ; the early and
persevering attention to, and provision for the education of
children and the institutions of religion ; the different stages
of progress in social life and religious customs ; the stead
fast attachment manifested for the Christian ministry, under
disappointment of hopes and unanticipated discouragements ;
the character of the several pastors, their efforts among the
people, the unity of their sentiments and aims, with the
diversity of their temperaments and modes of action ; these,
and their associated topics cannot but have a deep interest,
not only for the present members of the First Parish, but
for all who have gone thence to other connections, and
indeed for our whole community. Though so little is known
of the first two pastors of the church, and we can gather
nothing of their immediate mental products from the most

224 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
diligent research, yet it is gratifying that they are not alto
gether unknown. While we would know much more, we
are glad to know something respecting them.
Mr. Maccarty, Dr. Austin and Mr. Hull are no longer
with us, but they are spoken of with interest ; they also
speak to us, and their memory is yet fragrant. Were our
mental vision sufficiently clear and perspicacious to discern
the hidden processes of mental formations, had we skill to
untwist the cords of intellectual influence and detect the
nature of each fibre, we might even now identify the hand
and the heart of each of these pastors in the moral quali
ties and spiritual growth of the church. " The king never
dies." Government goes on, though he who had adminis
tered it, sleeps with the dead. " The minister of the Gos
pel never dies." He may go to his account, but his influ
ence is felt long after the grass becomes green upon his
grave. The causes which he has put in operation will
reach a distant age. The parents who have received the
impress of his mind and heart, will reproduce it on the
minds of their children and children's children. His
power may be unrecognized ; but many will feel, who
neither appreciate nor perceive it. " The glory of children
are their fathers," and every church is honored in having
had an able and faithful ministry. The First Church in
Worcester has been greatly favored from its earliest begin
nings, and the prospect of its continued prosperity and use
fulness was perhaps never more promising than at the pres
ent time. The prayers that have ascended to heaven from
this body of worshipers for five or six successive genera
tions, that the church might be blessed and be a blessing
from age to age, seem to have ' prevailed,' and even now

REVIEW OF FIRST CHURCH. 225
to be ' prevailing with God.' The truths which have here
been preached, from 1719 to 1851, are still precious to the
saints, and are found to be " profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness."
Perhaps the following extract from a record of great anti
quity and surpassing interest, will form no unapt conclusion
to this portion of the present volume. " And Isaac digged
again the wells of water which they had digged in the days
of Abraham his father ; for the Philistines had stopped
them after the death of Abraham ; and he called their
names after the names by which his father called them.
And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there
a vj ell of springing [living] waters."

226 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
CHAPTER III.
Second Church and its Ministry.
§ 1. Formation of the Church.
Previously to 1785, there was but one religious society
in Worcester.* The population of the town at that period
was'nearly 2,000. f One meeting-house accommodated all
who were disposed to attend public worship on the Sabbath,
and the same clergyman had ministered to them for thirty-
seven years. Doubtless there were differences of religious
opinion ; these had been exhibited to some extent ; \ still
no measures had been taken toward the formation of a new
religious society.
During the illness of Mr. Maccarty which prevented
him from supplying his pulpit for some years before his
decease, different clergymen were employed to preach in
his stead. In July of the year preceding his death, the
purpose was entertained by the town of giving him the aid
of a colleague. It was voted to hear candidates with the
view of completing such an arrangement. The gentleman
first employed in pursuance of this resolve, to officiate as
* Perhaps a slight exception should be made to the statement in the text.
Soon after 1719 the Scotch emigrants who had come hither, formed a Pres
byterian church and maintained separate worship. A brief account of this
church will be found in the last chapter of this volume.
t In 1776, it was 1925.
t " The town was a scene of disputes all the time I lived there."— Pres.
Adams' Letter.

THE SECOND CHURCH. 227
candidate, was Mr. Aaron Bancroft. He completed his
first engagement to the town in Sept. 1783. The pastor
had then so far recovered his health, that he was able, for
a few months, to resume the performance of his accustomed
duties. But his labors on earth were evidently drawing to
a close, and his death left the pulpit vacant in July of
1784. In October of that year, and in January of the
following, Mr. Bancroft was again invited by the town to
officiate for several Sabbaths. His services were highly
acceptable to individuals, but not to a majority of the peo
ple. His friends, desirous of procuring his settlement, and
apprehending that it would be impracticable to obtain una
nimity in his favor, proposed to the town that he should be
ordained as a minister of the Gospel in Worcester, that those
who were dissatisfied with his religious views, should intro
duce a colleague entirely acceptable to themselves, and that
the salaries of both clergymen should be paid from the com
mon treasury. This proposition was submitted to the town
at their meeting in March, 1785, but the majority voted
against it.* The motion was then made, " Inasmuch as the
town by their last vote have refused to settle Mr. Ban
croft as a minister, that the town will consent that those
persons who are satisfied with Mr. Bancroft, and desirous
of settling him, may form into a religious society for that
purpose ; and the question being put, it passed in the neg
ative." It was now sufficiently apparent that discordant views of
Christian doctrine prevailed among the inhabitants, and that
no efforts to unite them in the settlement of the same min
ister would be successful. The opposition to Mr. Bancroft
* See Dr. Bancroft's Discourse preached April 8th, 1827, p. 13.

228 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
arose solely from diversity of religious sentiments, and not
from any objection to his character as a man or his ability
as a preacher.* The minority, therefore, soon reached
the conclusion and began to act upon it, that it would be
better to form a new association and maintain separate
worship in peace and to edification, than remain with the
old parish and contend for superiority. They accordingly
withdrew from the religious society to which the law had
bound them, and in a memorial to the Legislature thus
gave their reasons for the act. ' Town meeting after town
meeting was productive of heat, contention, and unchrist
ian struggles for a major vote : the division reached in its
influence to private affairs, and to the civil and prudential
concerns of the town. Under these circumstances, seeing
no prospect of union, desirous of a minister whose senti
ments they approved, wishing the same indulgence to those
who differed from them, weary of unprofitable contention,
and finding every thing was to be carried by a major vote,
without any attention to the wishes and feelings of the
minor part, your petitioners, judging it for the peace and
happiness of the town, by a separation to put an end to
disputes that might embroil for years, withdrew.'!
The new association was formed in March, 1785. It
was composed of sixty-seven men,$ who covenanted togeth-
* Judge Lincoln, chairman of the parish Committee, when asked by the
chairman of the Legislative Committee appointed to report on the petition
for an act of incorporation, why the town of Worcester should be divided,
replied, ' The majority of our inhabitants are rigid Calvinists, the petitioners
are rank Arminians.' — Dr. Bancroft's semi-centennial Discourse, p. 41.
t Lin. Hist. p. 195.
t " Most of these were heads of families, and among them was a large pro
portion of the professional and distinguished men of the town, and a fair
proportion of farmers and mechanics." — Dr. Bancroft's semi-centennial Dis-
rse,p. 19.

SECOND CHURCH. 229
er to support public worship in an organized society, and
agreed to procure an act of incorporation as soon as practi
cable, to invite Mr. Bancroft to become their minister, and
to pay him their respective proportions of <£150 annually,
according to the town rates, as his salary.
The movement was regarded as a bold innovation on the
usages of the times.* Before that period, ' the inland par
ishes of the State had been defined by geographical boun
daries.' Except in the metropolis, all the inhabitants
within the limits of a given precinct, were connected by
existing laws with the established religious society. They
were expected to worship with it, and aid in its support.
If any were remiss in the duty of public worship, they
might not on that account anticipate freedom from taxa
tion. Such an arrangement was supposed to contribute to
the public welfare ; and neither private convenience nor pri
vate opinions were permitted to4 interfere with it. Of
course the new association in Worcester met with a deter
mined resistance. Influences many and powerful were
arrayed against so radical an innovation in parochial affairs.
Still the friends of the enterprise persevered in their
attempt, and, although compelled to pay their assessment
for the support of the first society, yet maintained separate
worship. What they demanded, was, for a season denied
them ; but perseverance at length was crowned with suc
cess, and the law enacted that any person might go from
one religious society to another, by leaving his name for
that purpose with the town clerk.
* " This was, I believe, the first example of a poll parish in any inland town
of the Commonwealth, and public prejudice agaiust it was violent."— Dr. B's.
Sermon, 1627, p. 13.
20

230 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Religious meetings, commenced in the Court House in
"1785, continued to be held there until the first of January,
1792. Soon after the formation of the society, a church
was organized,* and a minister invited to settle with them.
The manner of forming the church is thus detailed by Dr.
Bancroft. " A church was to be gathered in the new
society, and in doing it difficulties were to be encountered.
The method adopted follows. A church covenant was
composed, and circulated among the families of the society.
Due time having been given for its examination, a public
lecture was appointed, and two clergymen were invited to
attend this lecture, assist in forming the church, and join in
imploring the blessing of heaven upon it. They both de
clined the service. The pastor elect delivered a sermon,
in which he delineated the constitution of a Christian
church, and explained the nature and design of the Lord's
Supper : the covenant ^as then read, and as many as were
disposed in presence of the assembly signed it. In this
manner was our church formed."!
The ordination of the minister took place, February 1st,
1786 ; and, though much had been accomplished towards
the purpose contemplated by the new society, serious diffi
culties still remained.:}: At length, Nov. 13th, 1787, they
* See Appendix G.
t " The members of the old church, who joined the new Society, had ap
plied to that body for a dismission, and their request had been denied ; their
case was, therefore, presented to the consideration of the ordaining council.
The council advised the newly organized church not formally to admit the
members from the old church into their body, but by a special vote to grant
them all the privileges of members in regular standing. This was done."—
Dr. B's. Discourse, Ap. 8, 1827."
% " The present members of the society can have no adequate conception
of the embarrassment and difficulty, which attended the first years of its

SECOND CHURCH. 231
were incorporated by the Legislature as a distinct society,
and relieved of the burden of contributing to the support
of that with which they were formerly connected. After
this Act of the Legislature, the First Parish had a legal
existence separate from the municipal incorporation, and
the support of worship was provided for, not by a general
meeting of the inhabitants, but in parochial meetings.
In 1789, it was voted to erect a house for public wor
ship, provided it should involve ho expense to the corpora
tion. The enterprise met with favor. The location deci
ded upon was a little south of the Antiquarian Hall ; and the
work was commenced. January 1st, 1792, the house* was
dedicated. The sermon on the occasion, was preached by
the Rev. Zabdiel Adams of Lunenburg. With this brief
history of the formation of the Second Society, we pass to
a succinct sketch of its first minister, the
existence. They know not the price that was paid for the privileges trans
mitted to them; they will not too highly venerate the character of those who
bore the heat and burden of the day." — Dr. Bancroft's semi-centennial Dis
course, p. 19.
* ' The first meeting-house of the Second Congregational Society, near An
tiquarian Hall, on Summer street, was built by Ignatius Goulding and Elias
Blake, on land given to the parish, June 16, 1791, by Charles and Samuel
Chandler. It was a plain and neat edifice of wood. A bell was purchased,
and a town clock presented by Isaiah. Thomas, Esq ;both afterwards removed
to the brick house on Main st.' — Lin. Bist. p. 347. The old house is still
standing. Occupied for several years as u. house of public entertainment,
in 1847 it was purchased by the town for a purpose more in accordance with
its original design, and has since been used as a school-house.

232 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

§ 2. Rev. Aaron Bancroft, D. D.
He was invited to become their minister, June 7th, 1785,
and ordained over them, Feb. 1st, 1786. The order of
exercises on that occasion was as follows :
Introductory prayer, by the Rev. Simeon Howard, D.D.
of Boston ; Sermon, by the Rev. Thomas Barnard of
Salem ; Charge, by the Rev. Timothy Harrington of Lan
caster ; Right Hand of Fellowship, by the Rev. Zabdiel
Adams of Lunenburg ; Closing Prayer, by the Rev. John
Lathrop, D. D. of Boston; Benediction, by the Rev. Tim
othy Hilliard, of Cambridge.
Dr. Bancroft, a native of Reading, Mass., was born
Nov. 10th, 1755. His father, Samuel Bancroft, was an
extensive landholder, and a useful and highly respected
citizen. He was an exemplary Christian and an officer in
the church. A member of the council that dismissed the
Rev. Jonathan Edwards from Northampton, he, with his
pastor the Rev. William Hobby, protested against the
decision of the majority. The sermon preached at his
funeral, represents him as a man of " distinguished abili
ties, of great benevolence and compassion." He regarded
agricultural pursuits as furnishing the most desirable
employment for his children, in seasons of political agita
tion, but on the whole did not resist the inclination of his
son for a public education. Young Bancroft, intent on his
purpose, made diligent use of such helps as his native town
afforded, to prepare himself for college. At the age of
nineteen, he entered Harvard. The year following, the

REV. AARON BANCROFT, D. D. 233
students were dispersed by the presence of war ; and
though called together in the autumn of that year, they were
not allowed to reassemble at Cambridge, until March, 1776.
His whole collegiate course was much embarrassed by the
din of arms that arose round the halls of the University.
The officers of instruction were intensely engaged in the
stirring events that agitated the whole country, and, of
course, could not devote that attention to the improvement
of the students, which, in other circumstances, would have
been practicable. Making the best of the advantages
afforded him, Mr. Bancroft honorably completed the term
of College life, and was graduated in 1778. Having
taught school in Cambridge for a few months, he began the
study of theology with the Rev. Mr. Haven, the clergyman
of his father's parish.* He first commenced preaching in
the autumn af 1779. In the spring of 1780, he visited
the province of Nova Scotia. He was absent from his
native State about three years. On his return he was im
mediately invited to preach in Worcester. Here, though
not acceptable to the majority of the people, he produced
favorable impressions on some of the leading minds of the
place, and made warm friends. When Mr. Maccarty
temporarily resumed his duties, Mr. Bancroft, having com
pleted his engagement here, preached in several other
places. In 1784, he declined an invitation to settle over a
church in the part of Stoughton now called Canton. Influ
ential members in the society of Sandwich would gladly
have called him to labor in that place, but he could not
* Mr. Haven ' was a man of fine intellect, liberal in his sentiments, and a
sound, if not a learned theologian. In every sense he was a worthy and good
man.' — Testimony of Dr. Bancroft.
20*

234 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
yield to their wishes. Returning to Worcester in January,
1785, he placed himself at the disposal of those who invi
ted him ; and, though his preaching did not win the assent
of the many, it greatly increased the attachment of his
admirers. A secession from the First Society having
formed a voluntary association for the support of public wor
ship, Mr. Bancroft, having supplied them till Feb. 1786, was
then ordained their minister. Devoting himself to their
service with his characteristic energy and decision, he
labored with them as their only minister till 1827, and then
as senior pastor till 1839.
In the early part of his ministry here, he found many
obstacles to contend with. His peculiar doctrinal belief,
openly avowed, was a bar to ministerial exchanges and
fellowship in the neighborhood. With rare exceptions, he
preached nearly the whole time for his own people, during
several years. Rev. Mr. Adams of Lunenburg, and Rev.
Mr. Harrington of Lancaster, were the only clergymen in
the vicinity who were free to exchange pulpits with him.
He stood almost alone in a large county ; but he was firm
and steadfast. Straitened pecuniary circumstances also
involved trials of his faith and patience.* When the soci-
* Mr. Bancroft was united in marriage to Miss Lucretia, daughter of
Judge John Chandler, Oct. 1786. "Rarely has a woman from a, family of
plenty, so readily conformed to a change of worldly condition, so cheerfully
sustained the straitened circumstances of a family, or so perseveringly and
effectually labored for its support, as she has done." — Testimony of her
husband. " And if you ask by what principle she was governed ? I answer, it was a
religious principle ; for none but a religious principle would enable her to be
and do what she was and did. In her retirement she walked with God ; and
when the storm and the seas roared around her, in her ark she floated in
security, and found tranquillity and peace." — Rev. Mr. Hill's Discourse.
She died April 27, 1839, nearly 74 years of age, having lived in the married

REV. AARON BANCROFT, D. D. 235
ety voted, in 1789, to build a house of worship, he volun
tarily relinquished one third of his salary, not because the
whole of it was any more than sufficient to afford him a
comfortable support, but because he chose to bear a propor
tional part of all burdens.* Some years,. in order to supply
the deficiencies of an inadequate salary, he gave instruction
to young men and to daughters of his parishioners, and
received boarders into his family. A man of less moral
courage would have shrunk from the difficulties which he
encountered, and sought a field of labor demanding more
exercise of the milder, and less of the sterner elements of
our nature. None more readily than those whom he served
so faithfully, acknowledge that to his firmness of purpose
and self-sacrificing devotion, the Second Society owes its
harmony and prosperity. He labored, not only for the
present, but the future. He had the perspicacity to discern
state more than fifty-two years. Of her thirteen children, but six outlived
the mother.
On the east side of her husband's monument is the following testimonial
to her worth : Here rest
the mortal remains of
LUCRETIA BANCROFT,
daughter of Judge John and Mary Church Chandler,
born June 9, A. D. 1765;
married to Rev. Dr. Bancroft, October 21, A. D. 1786,
died April 27, A. D. 1839.
With zealous and untiring sympathy,
she shared and relieved the pious labors of her husband,
and was not long separated from him by an earlier summons to her reward.
Her ardent friendship, her active benevolence,
her many virtues, and her efforts and sacrifices for the welfare
of lite Second Parish in Worcester,
should ever be held in grateful remembrance,
* Second Parish Records.

236* THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
distant results from present embarrassments and sufferings,
and strength of resolution to persevere in a course which,
through multiplied trials, was sure to lead to a brighter day.
In providing for his- necessities and carrying into effect the
plan which he had marked out for himself, he was no
stranger to literary labors.
In 1807, his 'Life of Washington' was given to the
public. Having made himself familiar with his theme and
its illustrative history, he embodied his thoughts in a style
so perspicuous and popular, and drew out his narrative
with such fidelity to facts, that it was received with great
favor. It had a rapid sale from its first appearance ; and,
in 1826, it was stereotyped in two volumes, 12mo, and
published in Boston, as one of the series of the Bedlington
Cabinet Library. Gratified as was the author with the
success of his work in his own country, he must have been
particularly pleased to receive a copy of it from a London
publisher, who had republished it in the commercial me
tropolis of the world. The Life is yet in considerable
demand, and many highly prize it as a memento of its
author. Dr. Bancroft preached a series of sermons on Christian
doctrines in 1821. They awakened great interest among
his people, and were forthwith solicited for the press. The
author yielded to the solicitation ; and in 1822, a volume
of ' Sermons on the Doctrines of the Gospel, 8vo. pp. 429,'
was given to the Christian public. To his own denomina
tion, these discourses gave great satisfaction ; and many,
who entirely dissented from the doctrines inculcated, yet
gave the writer credit for the boldness with which he
assumed his positions, and the independence with which he

REV. AARON BANCROFT, D. D. 237
maintained them. President John Adams, to whom the
volume of discourses had been transmitted by the author,
thus writes to him, under date of Jan. 24th, 1823. " I
thank you for your kind letter of Dec. 30th, and above all,
for the gift of a precious volume. It is a chain of diamonds
set in links of gold. I have never read, nor heard read, a
volume of sermons better calculated and adapted to the age
and country in which it was written. I have conversed
freely with most of the sects in America, and have not
been inattentive to the writings and reasonings of all
denominations of Christians and philosophers ; but after all,
I declare to you, that your twenty-nine sermons have ex
pressed the result of all my reading, experience, and reflec
tions, in a manner more satisfactory to me, than I could
have done in the best days of my strength." Thirty-six
different publications issued from the press, during his life,
from the pen of Dr. Bancroft.* The last was a ' Sermon
on the termination of fifty years of his ministry, Jan. 31st,
1836.' It contains an interesting review of his own his
tory, and that of the Second Society. In 1810, Harvard
University conferred on him the degree of Doctor in
Divinity. For thirty years, he was a member of the Board
of Trustees of Leicester Academy — many years its Presi
dent. He was President of the Worcester County Bible
Society ; of the American Unitarian Association, from its
organization in 1825 to 1836 ; and of the Society for Pro
moting Christian Knowledge, Piety, and Charity. He was
Vice-President of the Worcester and Middlesex Missionary
Society, afterwards merged in the Evangelical Missionary
Society ; and of the American Antiquarian Society from
* For a list of these publications, see Lin. Hist. Worcester, p. 203.

238 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
1816 to 1832. He was also Fellow of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences. Full of days and of honors,
he departed this life, August 19th, 1839, nearly eighty-
four years of age.
This brief narrative of the principal events in the life of
Dr. Bancroft, sufficiently indicates that he occupied a com
manding position in society, and that he was well qualified
for his place. His character was strongly marked and
admirably balanced.
Endowed by his Creator with superior powers of mind,
he diligently gave himself to their cultivation. Considering
the disadvantages of his early training, it is remarkable
that he reached such excellence of general scholarship.
" His information on most subjects was exact. His knowl
edge of history, especially that of our own country, was
extensive. He was at one period familiar with the classics,
retained an acquaintance with them to an advanced period
of life and readily quoted his favorite authors. Still he
placed the standard of excellence so high, that he ever
spoke of his early education as very imperfect and subject
ing him, through life, to great inconvenience."*
In the exereise of the social affections, Dr. Bancroft was
warm and genial. Of his own family, he was not only the
guide and master, but also the light and joy. For his.
friends, he had always an open door, a warm grasp of the
hand, and a warmer heart behind it. The sterner duties
©f his life, so far from drying up the sympathies of his
nature, induced him to place a higher value on the inter
change of the social feelings and the sweet ministry of
friendship. Gifted with unusual conversational powers, at
* Rev. Mr. Hill's Sermon, at the interment of Dr. Bancroft.

239
the same time knowing how to listen as well as speak, he
was at once the entertaining and instructive companion,
the agreeable and welcome visitant in cultivated society.
Highly as his people valued him as a guide and teacher,
they were particularly attached to him as a friend. Their
hearts warmed to him in this relation, and when he was
removed from them, a prominent sense of their mourning
was, " that a tried friend, who made our welfare his own,
will no longer sympathize with us in the vicissitudes of
human life."* His brethren in the ministry too were simi
larly affected. In their Letter of condolence to the be
reaved family, they say, " We mourn with you that the
light which has shone so long with undiminished lustre at
the domestic altar and fireside, is extinguished. We mourn
that Ave shall no more be welcomed with that benignant
smile and friendly grasp with which we have been greeted,
whenever and wherever we have met."f
Benevolence was a prominent trait in the character of
Dr. Bancroft. ' He looked not only on his own, but also
on the things of others.' He had an open hand for the
needy, and often denied himself to afford them relief.
When he deemed it necessary, he could relinquish a con
siderable part of his salary to help his people bear their
burdens. Nor was his generous bearing restricted by the
limits of his own society. His liberal heart devised liberal
things for the cause of education:} and good morals, both
here and elsewhere. If his pecuniary contributions were
* Mr. Hill's Discourse, p. 37.
t Mr. Hill's Discourse, p. 36.
J " His long continued and persevering exertions in the cause of education,
contributed greatly to the introduction of the improved school system in the
town." — Lin. Hist. p. 205.

240 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
at times necessarily limited, he gave freely what was quite
as essential — his wise counsels and his time. He valued
benevolence in emotion and intention ; he valued it still
more when it took the form of generous action.
Candor was also a noticeable feature in the character of
Dr. Bancroft. His bearing towards friends and enemies
was frank and manly. If he disagreed with you, he did
not disguise it ; if on your side, he left you in no doubt of
it. " No man was ever more frank and open than he.
There was a truthfulness and consistency about him which
immediately impressed the mind. His tongue was the
index of his heart. There were no subterfuges — no double
dealings with him. He was ever regarded a fair and manly
opponent, who scorned to resort to petty artifice, and seize
on unworthy measures."*
He was truly a brave man. A coward, whether moral
or physical, would never have conceived the bold measures
which he adopted, or have carried them into effect had
they been suggested by others. Thinking for himself on
all subjects of interest or hope, he was neither ashamed nor
afraid to avow his sentiments on all proper pccasions. If
the many around him disagreed with, opposed, contended
with, or maligned him, it caused him not to swerve one
hair's breadth from what he believed to be the line of truth
and duty. In the early part of his ministry, he encoun
tered serious obstacles, and had much to try his faith and
his temper. A timid man would have shrunk appalled
from the difficulties which he met with undaunted brow,
or been overborne in a struggle which he waged with unfal
tering resolution. '

* Mr. Hill's Discourse, p. 10.

REV. AARON BANCROFT, D. D. 241
Nor was it moral courage alone which distinguished him.
He was not wanting in that physical daring which charac
terizes the soldier. The battle of Lexington occurred
during one of his vacations. The din of arms roused his
energies for the conflict, as the trump of battle stirs the
mettle of the war-steed. Shouldering his musket, he
marched forthwith as a volunteer to Cambridge. At a
later day, when, in the insurrection of Shays, Worcester
was in the possession of rebel forces, and many families
were affording a cumpulsory hospitality to the officers, Dr.
Bancroft, strongly opposed to the whole movement, forti
fied the house where he resided, against any such intru
sion. Free as air in his hospitality on all proper occasions,
he was not to be forced to show hospitable intentions on
improper occasions. Having barred the doors of his house,
he took his position without as guard of his own castle.
Presently a company of officers was seen riding towards
his dwelling. Standing on no nice ceremony, they de
manded for themselves shelter — ' aid and comfort.' It was
peremptorily refused. The bold man told them to their
face that they were rebels, and added, ' If you enter this
house, you must go over my dead body.' Such daring
heroism saved his home from the profanation he would not
permit.* But the bravery of Dr. Bancroft was not rash.
* An instance of his presence of mind and calm intrepidity is thus related.
At a distance of three miles from home, on a dark evening, he found that the
horse he was driving, owing to some carelessness in the adjustment of the
hit, was entirely beyond his control. Mrs. Bancroft was with him, and the
horse, with his head towards the stable, having started with a sudden spring,
was constantly accelerating his speed. He knew not what might cause the
animal to swerve from the strait path the next instant, or how suddenly his
companion and himself might be thrown from the vehicle seriously injured,
or even meet with a violent death. When his wife caught hold of him in her
21

242 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
He was no less discreet than courageous. His zeal was
tempered with knowledge. If his impulses were strong, he
had wisdom and force of character enough to put them
under the control of judgment. In the management of
difficult cases he showed resolution and perseverance not
only, but a rare prudence as well.* Watched ever so
closely, it was not easy to catch him tripping.f If an
opponent^ in the heat of controversy, gave him an advan
tage, he, cool and Avary, was quick to perceive, and prompt
to avail himself of it. Though constitutionally ardent in
temperament, he had disciplined himself to an admirable
self-control ; and though a man of quick and strong passion,
a resolute will suppressed all indiscreet outbursts. Inter
nal agitation might be noticed by the electric eye-flash ; but
when he spoke, his words were Avell chosen and becomingly
sudden fear, he calmly told her that the safety of both might depend on his
being left free and unembarrassed. When she would have sprung from him
to the ground, he gently but firmly restrained her. With too much good
sense and presence of mind to jump himself or suffer her to jump from the
carriage, he exerted himself to the utmost to keep the horse in the middle of
the road, and meanwhile calmly conversed with his wife to quiet and re-as
sure her. The unchecked animal whirled them upon a full run to the stable.
Providence suffered no harm to befall them.
* His presence was often sought in councils called to advise in cases of
difficulty. In these ecclesiastical bodies, this trait of his character was con
spicuous. Though mingling freely in debate, he always managed to keep
his temper, let provocations arise as they would. Perhaps he never appeared
to greater advantage than when, in advisory councils, his clear statements
and dispassionate, manly appeals, conducted his associate advisers to judi
cious and harmonizing decisions.
t " Well, Mr. Bancroft, what do you think the people of the old society say
of you jiow f " asked one of his parishioners. " Something good, I hope,"
was the reply. " Why, they say it is time to let you alone ; for if they find
fault with you, you do not regard it, and if they praise you, you do not mind
it, but keep steadily on in your own way." — Lin. Ilis.p. 20:1.

243
uttered. Few men have lived so long and encountered
such trials as he did, and yet been betrayed into> so few
imprudent words or indiscreet actions. In his severest
controversies, an opponent could rarely if ever provoke him
to utter an angry or ill-advised word. His self-possession,
courteous and wise bearing, secured respect for his charac
ter, even when they failed to win assent for his opinions.1
Another trait in the character of Dr. Bancroft, was
fortitude. He could not only brave danger, but ' endure
hardness, as a good soldier.' The trying occurrences of
his early ministry, at times, produced great depression
of spirits, so that he was tempted to yield to circumstances
and give up the contest, f But firmly believing that he
was engaged in the cause of truth — the cause of God, he
patiently endured all the suffering which persistence in that
cause involved. His greatest trials, however, were not
without. His heart was often lacerated by domestic priva
tions and bereavements. To a spirit so benevolent as his,
how severe must have been the trial of such an abridgment
of hospitalities and charitable offices as his straitened cir
cumstances demanded. " He has told us of the humilia
tions and straights to which he was driven ; — of his struggles
to maintain a decent hospitality. But he has not told of
his domestic bereavements, of the early separation of his
children, of his hopes in their expected, aid, of their death
under circumstances, strange, heart-rending, and full of wo.
Nor has he told us of the entire resignation, the fortitude,
* " From a supposed sense of duty I have been constrained to engage in
public controversy oftener than was pleasant ; but my opponents have always
regarded my reputation ; and to my knowledge my moral character has not
been impeached." — Dr. Bancroft's Sermon, delivered Jan. Z\st, 1836.
f Ibid. p. 21.

244 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
the cheerfulness, the calm trust in God, with which all this
was borne ; that while the paternal heart was wrung
with anxiety, disappointment and grief, he maintained his
wonted serenity, asking no remission of his labors, locking
his sufferings within his own breast, checking no one's joy
by the expression of his sorrows."*
Dr. Bancroft was highly esteemed for his conscientious
ness and integrity. How far soever he carried prudence,
he never would hold it up as a screen for a wrong act, or
an excuse for the utterance of an untruth. Too candid
to conceal what he ought to avow, he had too much integ
rity to deny what justice required him to confess. The
maxim that the end sanctifies the means — that we may law
fully do evil for the purposes of good, was as repugnant to
his feelings, as it was discordant with the decisions of his
conscience. Having clearly ascertained the path of duty,
he would walk therein, whether it conducted him through
floAvers or thorns. It was this adherence to the right, this
incorruptible integrity which gave him influence while he
lived, and hallows his remembrance now that he is no more
with us.
Of his more distinctively religious experience, it may not
be easy to give a clear analysis. He evidently had a deep
reverence for the Supreme Being. Though he could not
bring his mind to embrace, in all respects, the religion of
his fathers, and though some of the Calvinistic doctrines
were among the sentiments which he could not relish —
hardly endure, he yet laid great stress upon the importance
of a holy life, and preached ' repentance towards God, and
* Mr. Hill's Discourse, p. 18.

REV. AARON BANCROFT, „D. D. 245
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.'* He did not claim the
merit of sinless obedience. himself, nor did he predicate it
of others. Not unfrequently did he acknowledge his im
perfections, and express his trust in the mercy of God.
He gave utterance to his joy in the last sermon that he
ever published, " that many, many around us, who bear
the Christian name, are actuated by the highest and purest
motives, love to God, a love to the Saviour, and a love to
duty." One, whose Christian experience gave him the
greatest pleasure, and who on his death bed acknowledged
that he was principally indebted to Dr. Bancroft, under
God, for all there was hopeful and peaceful in his state of
mind, thus expressed himself: " During my sufferings I
never felt despondency ; my dependence on the mercy of
God in Jesus Christ has sustained me ; and a confirmed
hope of happiness beyond the grave has enabled me
patiently to bear my severe distress." His own testimony,
as the moment of his departure drew nigh, was, " We can
not bid adieu to the scenes and objects Ave have loved on
earth without pain ; and the thought that we are to appear
before the judgment-seat of God and account for the deeds
done in the body, renders the contemplation of that event
awful in the extreme. But I trust in the mercy of God,
who has promised never to forsake those who put their trust
in Him. I have studied the Bible to obtain a knowledge
* " The Westminster Assembly's Shorter Catechism was early taught me.
While young, I was, by my father, appointed reader to the family on Satur
day evenings, and Willard's Body of Divinity, a, large folio, was selected as
my book. The Catechism I never understood or loved ; my mind revolted
against Willard, I could not assent to the popular creed, and I well rememr
ber the throes of my youthful mind when dwelling upon religious subjects."
Mr. Dill's Discourse, p. 29.
21*

246 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
of His character, and what he reveals through Jesus our
Saviour, of the destiny of man. I think I may without
vanity say, I have endeavored to make the precepts of the
Gospel the rule of my life and conversation; and my aim
has been to perform the duties assigned me by my heav
enly Father to the best of my ability. I have not the
presumption to claim the merit of sinless obedience ; but
this I do say, my intentions have ever been to conform as
far as in my power, to the bright example set before us by
our blessed Saviour. Death is the portal through which all
must pass to reach their home in the heavens ; and the
Gospel alone sheds light on its passage. Happy are they
who shall sleep in Jesus."* With the expression of such senti
ments upon his lips, and a calm joy in his heart he passed
away and Avent to his account. Whether we agree or dis
agree with him in doctrinal belief, we can cheerfully accord
to him the possession of many virtues, and a character of
rare excellence. Though his views of the atonement and
of the peculiar mode in Avhich God shews mercy to sinners,
were not in accordance with those distinctively called ' evan- ,
gelical,' and though many will wish that, as he believed in
the pre-existence of Jesus, he had also clothed Him with
the attributes of an Almighty Saviour, yet it is interesting
to know that he placed great dependence on the mercy of
God in Christ, and thought so much of the happiness of
those who " sleep in Jesus." It is pleasant to believe that
he himself thus sleeps, and that he has already commenced
that sublime ascription of praise in which all the redeemed
Avill eventually join ; — " Blessing, and honor, and glory, and
* Mr. Hill's Sermon, p. 22.

REV. AARON BANCROFT, D. D. 247
power, be unto Him who sitteth upon the throne, and unto
the Lamb, forever and ever."
The monument which affection and veneration have
reared to the memory of Dr. Bancroft, bears the following
inscription : On the front or North side.
Here rest
the mortal remains of
REV. AARON BANCROFT, D. D.,
Born in Reading,
November 10, A. D. 1755.
Ordained Pastor of the
Second Parish in Worcester,
February 1, A. D. 1785.
His spirit ascended to God who gave it,
August 19, A. D. 1839.

On the West side.
In honor and gratitude
to a devoted Pastor,
Who gathered a little flock
of Christian worshipers
in days of opposition, straits and trials,
vindicating for them
the glorious freedom to worship the one God,
according to the teachings and example
of the blessed Saviour,
giving them union, strength and increase,
by his labors and his life,
in a ministry of fifty-three years,
the Second Parish in Worcester
erect this monument.

248 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
On the rear.
A spirit free to concede as to claim
its dearest treasure, Christian liberty ;
fearlessness in thought and duty ;
ready and various powers
of learning and observation ;
a clear and forcible expression ;
an ardent temper
subdued to the calmness of Christian philosophy ;
uniform prudence in council and action ;
a warm heart and courteous manners ;
and devoted fidelity in all relations
of public and private life
gave to our revered Pastor
a moral power,
which extended to a large circle
beyond those, whose happiness it was
to know him best and love him most.
What remains to us in the contemplation of Dr. Ban
croft's character, is that special relation in which he illus
trates the ' Worcester Pulpit.' His style of sermonizing
was distinguished for clearness, while it did not lack terse
ness and force. The arrangement of his thoughts was nice
ly adjusted, his statements well considered and precise, his
arguments logical, his illustrations well chosen and often
beautiful. Of course there were exceptions to these state
ments ; but they are sufficiently accurate for a general des
cription. His personal appearance in the pulpit was seri
ous, unassuming, becoming. His manner was rarely im
passioned, yet far from cold or formal. It was unaffected

REV. AARON BANCROFT, D. D. 249
in its simplicity, and earnest in its decorum. Those who
listened to the tones of his voice, could not doubt that be
neath the calm exterior there was a living spirit, moving,
throbbing, and sometimes burning. His manner in public
prayer was peculiar. He did not close his eyes.* In sen
timent he was explicitly Unitarian, and yet he would have
been among the last to accept some of the pantheistic con
clusions which have been baptized as Unitarian, or to endure
that nominally Unitarian preaching which denies the dis
tinctive inspiration of the New Testament, and converts
the teachings of the Evangelists into a myth. He pro
fessed a ' firm belief of the holy Scriptures, contained in
the Old and New Testaments, and received them as his
sole and sufficient rule of faith and practice.'! Such was
his reverence for the Bible, that it pained him to hear any
one speak lightly of it. When he read the Scriptures, he
felt that they were written by ' holy men of God, who spake
as they were moved by the Holy Spirit ; ' and when he
quoted from them, he believed that they were the ' lively
oracles' of Jehovah.
* This peculiarity was noticed by some of the keenly-observing patients,
when he officiated at the Lunatic Asylum. Two of them conversing upon
the subject, expressed gratification with his services ; and then one observed
that the Dr. always prayed with his eyes open. The other replied, ' I like
that ; it looks more sociable.'
t Dr. Bancroft's Discourse, preached April 8th, 1827.

JESUS CHRIST THE MINISTER OP GOD

IN THE

SALTATION OF MEN

SERMON

DELIVERED TO THE

SECOND CHURCH IN WORCESTER,

BY THE

REV. AARON BANCROFT, D. D.

NOTE.
This sermon was written and preached when its author was seventy-seven
years of age. It will be recognized by those who once listened to his voice
as containing those thoughts on which he was wont to dwell with much in
terest, and exhibiting those qualities of style which marked his performances
in the maturity of his strength. Two or three verbal alterations excepted,
it is submitted to the reader's inspection precisely as it came from the pen of
its writer.

SERMON.

Philippians 2 : 8—11.
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled him
self and became obedient unto death, even the death of ike
cross. Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him, and giv
en him a name which is above every name ; that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth; and that ev
ery tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
In this chapter the apostle recommends humility, love
and benevolence to Christians from the example of the
author of our religion. In the verses read in connection
with the two preceding, St. Paul brings into view the humil
ity and obedience of Christ even unto the death of the
cross, his subsequent exaltation in heaven, and the domin
ion given him over that moral world for whose benefit he
made a sacrifice of himself.
In the consideration of the text, I shall endeavor to
direct your minds, my Christian hearers, to that view of the
scheme of salvation by Jesus Christ, the one Mediator,
which may induce you gratefully to receive him as the Mes
siah, and excite your diligence in acquiring the qualifica-

254 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
tions of the Christian character, as a necessary preparation
for the happiness of heaven.
Your serious attention is requested while I consider the
following propositions :
I. In the salvation of men, Jesus Christ acts as the
minister of God.
II. God has commissioned his son Jehus Christ to dis
pense a pardon to repentiny sinners, and to raise the vir
tuous and good of the human race of all ages and nations
to a life of immortal happiness.
ILL. Our obligation of obedience to Jesus Christ is
absolute. IV. The example of Jesus Christ in respect both to
obedience and reward, furnishes great encouragement and
support to us.
I. In the salvation of men, Jesus Christ acts as the
minister of God.
It is the good pleasure of God to accomplish the pur
poses of his wisdom and mercy, by the instrumentality of
subordinate agents. In the natural kingdom general principles
are established, and the world is governed by the uniform
operation of fixed laws. Hereby we become acquainted
with the general administrations of God in the government
of the material world, and learn the manner in which we
may apply natural principles to our benefit. By the pages
of the book of nature as they are opened to our vieAV, our
knowledge of God is enlarged and they become a medium
of our communion Avith Him.
In the moral government of God, He executes his pur
poses, and bcstoAvs Ilis blessings through the mediation of

MINISTRY OF CHRIST. 255
subordinate agents. Christ Jesus is the minister of grace
and mercy to the children of men. But goodness and
mercy in God are not the effect but the cause of the media
tion and ministry of Jesus Christ. " God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." The language of the New Testament on this sub
ject is clear and full. The inspired writers uniformly de
clare, that in the whole business of our salvation, Christ
acted under a commission from God. Jesus Christ himself
informs us, that he was sent into our world by his Father,
that the doctrines which he taught, were not his, but the
doctrines of Him who sent him, and that the works which
he wrought were performedby derived power. "Of myself,"
said he, " I can do nothing." He as explicitly tells us, that
when the purposes of his mission on earth shall have been
accomplished, he shall return to his Father, and in heaven
complete the divine scheme of grace and mercy, and then
resign his commission of power and dominion into the hands
of his Father, that God may be all and in all. We should
therefore consider Christ the subordinate, and God as the
original author of our salvation.
Why God adopted the Christian plan of grace and mercy
in preference to any other, I presume not to say. Why
Jesus the son of God according to the divine counsel should
for sinners die on the cross, I attempt not to assign the
reasons. What bearing, if any, the administrations of
heaven with men may have on other intelligent creatures of
the common Parent of the universe, I know not. We, being
the dependants and offending subjects of the Almighty Sov
ereign, it becomes us with gratitude to receive the gifts of

256 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
love and mercy in the manner in which God is pleased to
bestow them, and not enter on reasonings with our Maker,
because they were granted in one particular way. We
may however rest on the pursuasion, that the ways of God
are wise and good ; that they are the wisest and the best.
When on earth, Christ taught the world every essential
religious truth, instructed men in every moral duty, and in
his life gave an exemplification of the virtues that he incul
cated. We are now brought to the second branch of our
subject. II. God has commissioned his son Jesus Christ to dis
pense a pardon to the repenting sinner, and to raise the
virtuous and good of all nations and ages to a life of immor
tal happiness.
The act of making atonement, or putting away sin is in
the Scriptures sometimes ascribed to God himself, and some
times attributed to persons acting under authority from
Him. Where the sacred writers inform us that God put-
teth away sin, they mean that God by his own power re
moves the penalty of a broken law, and cancels the guilt of
an offender. When a subordinate agent is said to have
made atonement for, or to have put away sin, a different
sense is conveyed. No subordinate agent possesses unde-
rived power to pardon the sins of men. In all such
instances the meaning is, that the agency of the subordi
nate is the means appointed by God for the pardon of the
contrite, or the way by which God is pleased to dispense
His mercy. The obedience of Christ unto death is the
established method by which the love and mercy of God to
sinners are communicated. As the reward of his obedi
ence Jesus has entered into heaven as the High Priest of

MINISTRY OF CHRIST. 257
our profession, and as Mediator he is commissioned to
remove the impediments that lay in the way of our salva
tion, to annul the penalty of a broken law, to cancel the
offences of his disciples, and to bestow on them the crown
of immortality. It pleased the Father of all mercies to
grant the highest blessings to a sinful world through the
mediation of Jesus Christ. The mediation and ministry of
Christ are by the will of God made the foundation of the
system, in the execution of which the contrite sinner will
receive a pardon of his offences, and the good man obtain
justification and life. But to prevent wrong apprehensions,
we should bear in mind, that there is no natural connection
between the death of one person, and the pardon of the
sins of another. It is the appointment of God, that men
should obtain salvation by the ministry of Jesus on the
condition of faith and repentance. We may not therefore
depend on the merits of Christ for divine acceptance while
we neglect to comply with the appointed terms of salvation.
The promise is made only to those, who ' purge their con
sciences from dead works to serve the living and true God ;'
only to those, Avho under their Christian advantages ' over
come the corruptions that are in the world through lusts,'
and are made ' partakers of a divine nature.' I pass to
our third position.
III. Our obligation of obedience to Jesus Christ is ab
solute. The apostle informs us, that in consequence of Christ's
obedience unto death, God has highly exalted him, and
given him a name that is above every name, that every
knee should bow, and every tongue confess him to be Lord
to the glory of God. Christ has established his kingdom
90*

258 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
On earth by the appointment of God, and we owe him alle
giance. As far as the knowledge of Christianity extends,
men are bound to receive Jesus as the authorized Saviour.
Where the conditions of acceptance are published, the obli
gations of men to comply Avith them cannot be canceled.
It is not at our election, Avhether we shall become subjects
of the moral government of God ; from circumstances un
der which Ave are placed, we are subjects, and obedience to
the laAvs of our religion is absolutely required as the condi
tion of divine favor and future happiness. It is not left at
our option to receive, or reject Jesus as Mediator and
Lord. He is exalted to be a Prince and Saviour, and we
are placed under his dominion. The laws of Christianity
receive not their force from our voluntary adoption of them.
Our voluntary submission to Christ, our sincere observance
of his directions is essential if we would secure the reward,
promised to the Christian in a future world ; but our con-
gent is not necessary to render the precepts of the Gospel
binding. He who does not take upon himself the name of
a Christian, is not less bound by its rules, than he who does.
We cannot, were Ave disposed, separate ourselves from the
government of Christ. The laws of the Gospel certainly
have a binding force on us. The disobedient Christian
who has not confessed Christ before men, will finally be
condemned, as well as the disobedient professor. Let us
then, IV. Set before us the example of obedience and re
ward,' illustrated in the character of Jesus, that our minds
may be supported under the conflicts of Christian virtue,
and be animated to run with diligence and alacrity the
Christian race.

MINISTRY OF CHRIST. 259
The worth of religious truth, the importance of moral
duty cannot be more impressively displayed, than by the
humiliation and obedience, by the suffering and death of
Christ. If the beloved Son of God came into our world
to suffer and die, that he might remove the evils attendant
on sin, how deformed, how pernicious is this enemy of man !
If this Divine personage appeared among men to give an
exemplification of the whole assemblage of moral virtues,
of what estimation are these in the sight of heaven ? How
great is their importance to every subject of the moral gov
ernment of God.
The life of Jesus Christ composes an essential part of the
history of the Gospel, and it is placed before all men, to
whom the Gospel is published. His example, therefore,
will furnish the noblest model, and give the best instruction
to all, who shall hear the glad tidings of peace and recon
ciliation. The goodness and mercy of God are dispensed to us by
Jesus Christ in a manner best calculated to establish and
increase our piety and virtue ; and thereby to qualify us for
the rewards of heaven.
Jesus, as an example of the rewards promised to obedi
ence, may confirm our confidence in his promises, and enli
ven our hopes of future happiness. His life is fitted to
animate us to constancy in our Christian profession, inspire
us with zeal in the performance of all religious duties, and
raise us to fervor in every devotional office.
Jesus Christ is constituted mediator between God and
man, and appointed to be the minister of the highest bless
ings to all nations of the earth. Great was the reward con
ferred on him for the faithful execution of this honorable

260 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
and benevolent commission. He was obedient unto death,
and in consequence, God exalted him to be a prince and
a Saviour. This fact stated on the authority of the New
Testament, removes, I conceive, the strongest objection that
was ever brought against the scheme of mediation, viz : the
just suffers for the unjust. If Christ Jesus in the issue of
the divine administration be a sufferer on account of his
benevolent agency, the objection would have weight ; but
if in view of the joy set before him, he endured the cross
and despised the shame ; if in the moment of the greatest
indignity and torture which Jews and Romans inflicted
upon him, he could in the language of confidence and tri
umph say, My judgment is with the Lord, and my reward
is with my God ; if in consequence of his suffering even
unto the death of the cross, God has highly exalted him,
and given him a name that is above every name, and that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in
heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth,
and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the
glory of God the Father, then all the sufferings of Jesus
Christ may be reconciled with the perfections of God, and
rendered consistent with his government over moral, ac
countable beings.
In this view, the example of Jesus as has already been
observed, may be doubly useful to us. It may strengthen
our fortitude, and animate our diligence in the performance
of the sacred duties of our probation. — If our Divine Mas
ter was made perfect through suffering, we his disciples
may be. His reception of a glorious reward gives us the
assurance of hope, that our labor will not be in vain.
If Ave become the sincere folloAvers of the Saviour, and

MINISTRY OF CHRIST. 261
by a patient continuance in the ways of well-doing seek
for glory, honor and immortality, we shall, as our reward,
be crowned with eternal life.
In conclusion ;
We, my Christian brethren, possessing all the privileges
of the most favored disciples of our ascended Redeemer,
our Judge will require of us high improvements in religious
knowledge, and great advances in Christian life. Where
much is given, there much will be required. Let us then
adopt Christianity in its purity and simplicity. Let us
imbue our minds with its spirit, and resign our lives to its
influence. May not our gratitude to God for the benefits
of the Christian institution consist only in verbal acknowl
edgments of obligation, but in grateful feelings to the giver
of every good and perfect gift, and in honor to him, who
gave himself a ransom for us, may we walk worthily of the
benefits we have received, and the rewards we have in pros
pect. Let us duly estimate the honor of our relation to
Jesus, the mediator of infinite blessings to mankind. Be
it our endeavor to make the Gospel subservient to its high
purposes. May its instructions and motives persuade us
to cease from doing evil, and inspire us with zeal in doing
well. May we make Divinity not only a speculative study,
but also a practical principle.
Let us do the will of God published to us by his Son,
Jesus Christ. Let us transplant into our hearts the true
principles of the Gospel, and in our lives embody the vir
tues it recommends, and which were in their purity and
power manifested in the temper and life of their Divine
Author. May the fortitude and constancy, the piety and
meekness, the benevolence and charity, Avhich shone in the

262 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
example of Jesus, adorn our characters. Iu all respects
may we imitate the pattern he set before us.
In this manner may we express a sense of our obligations
for the mediation and ministry of Jesus Christ, and discover
our gratitude for his benevolent services. And in this way
may we prepare ourselves for the future rewards promised
to his obedient disciples.

LESSONS FROM NATURE

DISCOURSE, DELIVERED TO THE
SECOND CHURCH IN WORCESTER.
May 2 5th, 1828,
BY THE
REV. AARON BANCROFT, D. D.

SERMON.

Acts 14: 17. Nevertheless, He left not himself with
out witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from
heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food
and gladness.
The apostle in this passage directs our reflections to the
proof of the being and providence of God, which arises from
the material system, and from the revolution of the seasons.
This proof is presented to all men, and all reflecting minds
may perceive, and in some degree comprehend it. Though
it has not secured the world from weak and debasing idola
try, it has been sufficient to establish a general belief that
the interests of man are under the inspection and control of
a superintending Divinity. Cicero, the distinguished phi
losopher of Rome, remarks, " Here on this earth, on Avhich
we dwell, the sky does not cease to be genial, nor the trees
in their proper season to shoot forth branches, nor the vines
to bud and bring their fruit to perfection, nor the boughs to
hang down with ripe berries, nor the corn to yield its ex
pected increase ; but all things flourish, the springs are
continually running, and the fields are clothed with grass.
Then if we consider Avhat a multitude there is of cattle,
partly for food, partly for carrying, and partly for clothing
9.9,

266 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
our bodies ; and the nature of man, who seems to be formed
for contemplating the heaven and the Gods, and to adore
and worship them ; and that the whole earth and sea lie
open for his use : when we see and consider these, and in
numerable other things, can we doubt whether there is a
superior being, who is either the creator of these things, if
indeed they were created, or, if they always were, Avho is
the disposer and manager of so great a work and charge ?"
Another ancient sage (Plotinus) observes : " If we hearken
to the voice of the world, we shall hear it say nothing but
' God hath made me.' As a friend in sending us frequent
presents, expresses his remembrance of us and affection for
us, though he neither speaks nor writes ; so the gifts of the
divine bounty Avhich are scattered abroad on every side,
are so many Avitnesses sent to attest the divine care and
goodness ; and they speak it in very sensible language to
the heart, though not to the ear."
We Christians enjoy higher means to form worthy appre
hensions of the character and government of Deity, than
the wisest heathen philosopher possessed. It must then be
our duty devoutly to note the regular operation of the
established laAvs of the natural, as well as the moral king
dom, with which we are connected. To speak of the course
of nature separate from the will and agency of God, is to
use vrords that have no meaning. An examination of the
works of nature will bring us acquainted with their Author,
teach us our dependence, and inspire us with gratitude for
the various and rich entertainments of divine Providence.
God formed the earth and meted out the heavens. He
appointed the sun his place, and set the sea its bounds.
He presides over the system which He planned and made;

LESSONS FROM NATURE. 267
and by His will its grand principles have their uniform
operations. The present season bears witness that God is mindful of
us. The winter is passed. The earth has thrown aside
her sombre garb, and assumed a more pleasing livery. The
face of nature rejoices at the return of spring, and the prin
ciple of life and vegetation is everywhere restored. The
trees put forth their foliage. The flowers appear in the
fields, and every thing around us teems with animation.
The feathered tribes, which had taken shelter from the
storms of winter, or had followed the sun to a southern
clime, again appear, and are busily employed to accomplish
the purposes of their existence. With pleasure we look on
their variegated plumage, and we listen with delight to
their diversified music. They seem grateful for the return
ing blessings of the season, and appear highly to enjoy
them. While joy and gratitude pervade every class of beings
beloAV us, shall man, the noblest Avork of God on earth, be
ungrateful when enjoying the richest blessings of Provi
dence ? Man knows the hand which bestows the favor.
Shall the rational offspring of the common parent of the
universe, who was formed in the divine image, made capa
ble of an imitation of the benevolence of his heavenly Fa.
ther, and whose prospects and hopes are raised to an end
less life in the more immediate presence of God, — shall he
be not mindful of the Being who supports his existence, and
is the author and giver of every thing which he enjoys 1
Possessing the highest blessings, shall he disgrace himself
by insensibility and ingratitude ? Shall he debase himself
by cruelty to animated beings, which the Creator of all has

268 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
placed under his protection and care ? No. Impressed
with a sense of the supremacy and goodness of the one
living and true God, let us adopt the language of animate
and inanimate nature, and praise the Lord of heaven and
earth ; and may we prove the sincerity of our expressions
of gratitude for mercies received, by being merciful in our
measure as God is merciful. Let a man in the pursuit of
business, knowledge, or entertainment, when the spring
season is fairly opened, commence a journey from a southern
region, and direct his course to the northern division of our
common country, and through successive days, and for
hundreds of miles, he may feast on the richest beauties the
earth ever displays. He will see fields of grain and grass
verdant, and in the deepest tints of green ; the heights
either loaded with stately forests in all the freshness of re
newed foliage, or laying in rich pastures, on which flocks
and herds are luxuriantly feeding, or in frolics expressing
their joy for the renovating influences of a vernal sun. He
will everywhere hear the hum of busy life, and he may
attend to the fowls of heaven, singing their carol, or indus
triously engaged in preparations for a new progeny. He
will travel amidst flowers and blossoms, and find the air im
pregnated with their fragrance. Can this man, blessed
Avith health, protected from the casualties incident to his
situation, and feeling a gratification from the scenes through
which he is passing, can he reflect on the Avonderful adapta
tion of all material things, to the purposes of animated
beings, and his mind not rise to devout admiration of the
power, wisdom and goodness hereby manifested ? Can he
contemplate the means by which all creatures are supported,
and not adore the Being, Avho at first formed by His word

LESSONS FROM NATURE. 269
the fabric of our earth, and by whose will revolving seasons
are fraught Avith blessings for all creatures ? Can he medi
tate on the exact manner in Avhich the organs of man are
suited to the objects around him, on his own capacity to
apply natural principles to the essential purposes of his ex
istence, and on the various enjoyments which are placed
within his acquisition, and not feel his heart swell with
gratitude to God, in whom he lives, moves, and has his
being, and who is the giver of every good and perfect
gift? We are all, Christian brethren, witnesses of these
divine displays, and we all partake of the bounty which
flows for the support and comfort of the family of mankind ;
let us all then join in ascriptions of thanks and praise to our
Father in heaven who preserves our lives, succeeds the
labors of our hands and fills our heart with food and glad
ness. The earth has again been prepared for the labor of man.
Let not the husbandman deem the cultivation of the farm to
be an ignoble employment. It is the business originally
assigned to man. The business that composed his pleasure
as well as labor, when every passion Avas pure, and every
wish innocent. It is the business which has engaged the
attention and employed the time of men, whose memory will
be venerated while the history of human greatness and virtue
is extant. The culture of the soil has a direct tendency to
promote serenity of mind, purity of manners and sobriety
of life and conversation ; and of all the laborious conditions
in society, the husbandman finds the most to soothe his toils
and to entertain and improve his mind. A sober and inde
pendent yeomanry compose the strength and sinew of every
country. The manufacturers and mechanics are of absolute
23*

270 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
necessity in populous society ; nicer artizans furnish the
luxuries and refinements of life, but its necessaries must be
drawn from the bosom of our parent earth. The merchant
transports the conveniences and elegances of one country to
another, he distributes the various blessings of Providence ;
and by opening a free intercourse among nations, he does
much to remove local prejudices, to make man mild and
sociable to man. But in a country like ours, whose ex
tended plains and lofty forests invite the cultivating hand
of man, whose laborers bear but a small proportion to the
extent of land to be cultivated, the agricultural interest
must be considered of the highest importance.
The husbandman goeth forth to his daily business, and it
conduces to his health and strength. He partakes of a
frugal meal, and it nourishes him. His sleep is sound, and
it renews his vigor, and with the sun he begins the labors
of the day. The husbandman enjoys the best opportunity
to inquire into the operations of nature, and to acquaint
himself with the works of God. He may Avatch the mys
teries of vegetation, and Avitness the growth of the seed to
its maturity in the "ear. The result will not be simply the
gratification of an inquiring mind, but hereby he will be
come acquainted with the manner in Avhich the general laws
of nature operate, and he will knoAV how to direct them to
promote his best interests.
For success in his business, the husbandman depends not
on the smiles of the powerful, the bounty of the rich, or the
assistance of the multitude ; he depends only on the bless
ing of God, who has promised that seed-time and harvest
shall never fail ; and when the tiller of the ground beholds
the variegated colors of the rainboAv, he may feel renewed

LESSONS FROM NATURE. 271
confidence in the divine promise. Industrious in his em
ployment, success in it is the care of Heaven. Though he
rest from labor through fatigue, yet nature is still untired ;
and while he sleeps, the process of vegetation is continued,
till his crops gain their ripeness. The summer's breeze,
the gentle shower, the distilled dew, are all fraught by the
agency of the Parent of goodness with a blessing for the
industrious husbandman. Can he, then, who tills the ground
be impious and undevout ? Shall he who participates in
the richest blessings of the seasons refuse to acknowledge
the superintendence of Him, who is the author of life, and
who endowed material things with their various properties ?
Can man carry his researches into the power of matter,
trace the operations of natural laws, and receive the reward
of his industry in the bounties of the earth, and still be un
mindful of the First Cause of all things, unmindful of his
God, who preserves the system of the universe in its regu
lar course, graciously remembers him, who by the sweat of
his face eats bread, and continues the connection between
his labors and the abundance of his harvests ? The hus
bandman perceives his daily dependence on divine Provi
dence, and if he seriously reflects, is made sensible of the
blessings which the God of nature bestows.
Happy the husbandman Avho under due impression of the
superintendence of heaven, enters on the appropriate busi
ness of the spring season, and diligently prosecutes the
culture of the soil. Vernal influences will cause his seed
to swell and germinate, the warmth of summer will bring it
to maturity, and autumn will pour her bounty into his lap.
The ripened grain will call for the reaper's sickle, the fruit
trees will unload their heavy branches into his store, and

272 THE WORCESTER PULPIT*
the granary will contain a sufficiency for all the demands
of the months of Avinter. From the fruits of his labor, he
AYill have enough to supply the wants of his dependants, and
to satisfy the claims of justice. Grateful to the God of the
harvest, he can distribute his bread to the hungry.
Not so the man, who in the season of vigor and animation
gives himself up to idleness and sloth, and during the
months of summer, in sluggishness folds his arms. For
him, autumn has no bounty. Winter finds him unprepared
for its privations, and with meanness of spirit he must droop
his head, and beg of his industrious neighbors the crumbs
of their tables, even a morsel of bread for his distressed
family. Such are the wages of idleness. This is the end
to which sloth leads.
Nor is it more certain as it respects the year, that he
who will not sow in seed time shall not reap a harvest, than
it is in reference to human life. Youth is the season in
which those acquisitions must be made, that will render old
age honorable, useful, and quiet. Youth is the season in
Avhich the seeds of those moral habits must be sown, that
will not only yield pleasant products on earth, but also
ripen into the incorruptible fruit of heaven. A youth
of idleness, folly and vice, yields an age of remorse,
poverty and shame. A life of uselessness and profligacy
here, will end in sorrow and misery hereafter. May all
Avho now possess the animation of youth and health, be per
suaded to pursue the path of sobriety and virtue. God has
promised the industrious tiller of the ground that seed time
and harvest shall not fail. He has also promised a blessing
to those who remember him in the days of their youth.
Let not, my young friends, your favorable season of life

REV. ALONZO HILL. 273
pass without beginning the important business of your crea
tion. Thus early enter into the path of piety and virtue ;
it will lead you to the goal of peace, joy, and happiness.
Improve well the morning of life, and your setting sun will
be serene ; and the grave will be an introduction to a state
of being where your intellectual and moral powers will con
tinually grow in vigor, where the lustre of virtue will be
come more and more bright, and where you will enjoy ever
increasing happiness.

§ 3. Rev. Alonzo Hill.
More than forty years, Dr. Bancroft was the sole pas
tor of the Second Church. Though not possessed of great
physical vigor, he was assiduous and persevering in his
vocation, and rarely failed to perform his accustomed
duties.* When he had passed the age of " three-score and
ten " years, it was proposed to lessen his cares by the set
tlement of an associate pastor. The most of those with
whom he began the enterprise of sustaining a new religious
society in Worcester, had passed away ; he could not ex-
* " My own constitution was never robust, yet through the smiles of
Heaven, I have been enabled to perform my public duty with as little inter
ruption as is common to man. The average number of Sabbaths on which
I was by indisposition prevented from appearing in the pulpit, would not ex
ceed one in nine years.
" During the whole period of my ministry, I have not taken a single Sun
day to visit distant relatives, or make journeys for health or amusement.
For several successive years, I was obliged to make journeys on my own
business ; but I procured preachers at my own expense to the satisfaction of
the parish." — Semi- Centennial Discourse, pp. 30, 81.

274 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
pect to remain many years longer. The society having
increased in numbers and wealth,* were able to bear with
out inconvenience the augmentation of expense involved in
the proposed change, and accordingly, on the 1st of Janu
ary, 1827, the Rev. Alonzo Hill was invited to become col
league with Dr. Bancroft. Accepting the invitation, Mr.
Hill Avas ordained the 28th of the following March.
Introductory Prayer, by the Rev. Alexander Young of
Boston ; Prayer, by Rev. Thaddeus M. Harris, D. D. of
Dorchester ; Sermon, by Rev. John Brazer of Salem ; Or
daining Prayer, by Rev. Dr. Kirkland, Pres. of Harvard
University ; Charge, by Rev. Aaron Bancroft, D. D. ;
Right Hand of FelloAvship, by Rev. George Ripley of
Boston ; Address to the People, by Rev. Dr. Thayer of
Lancaster ; Concluding Prayer, by Rev. Isaac Allen of
Bolton. Mr. Hill is a native of Harvard, in Worcester County.
He was graduated at Harvard College in 1822. For a
year or two he was assistant teacher in Leicester Academy.
In 1824, he entered the Theological Institution at Cam
bridge. Having completed the studies preparatory to his
professional life, he became the junior pastor of the Second
Church in Worcester. At the commencement of his minis
try here, he was not only greeted with the affectionate re-
* " The society has become respectable in numbers, and of sufficient
wealth conveniently to bear a great augmentation of expense. The firmness
and constancy of its members have been proved by a sure test; few at any
period have separated from the society ; and the descendants of its founders,
who now reside in this town, generally belong to the parish. The society
has never been disturbed by divisions ; the harmony and peace which have
here reigned, now exist ; and its present members, I trust, hold their opinions
as the result of diligent inquiry, and are fixed in their course by religious
principle."— .Dr. B's Sermon., 1827,^. 17.

REV. AL0NZ0 HILL. 275
•
gards of his people, but also cordially welcomed by his
predecessor and colleague. " I bid my young brother a
cordial welcome to a part in the ministry of reconciliation.
May a divine benediction rest on you in the office which
you now fill. May you possess the spirit of your Master,
and like Him may you find delight in doing the will of His
and your Father, who is in Heaven." The senior, who
thus addressed his junior associate, labored and advised
with him for twelve years, and then was gathered to his
fathers. The relation between the two Avas one of mutual
pleasure ;* and their union acted favorably on the interests
of the people for whom they both labored. Soon after Mr.
Hill's settlement, it was deemed expedient to erect a more
spacious and convenient house of Avorship.f It was dedi
cated Aug. 20, 1829 ; sermon by the senior pastor.
Mr. Hill has labored here almost a quarter of a century.
Since the decease of Dr. Bancroft, he has been sole pastor
of the church, and discharged his duties to the general ac-
* " His communications with me have ever been affectionate and respect
ful; and our intercourse is harmonious and pleasant." — Semi- Centennial
Discourse, p. 26.
t " The new brick Meeting-House on Main street was erected at an ex
pense, including the site, of $17,000. The foundation was laid August 11,
1828, when an address was delivered by the Eev. Mr. Hill, and religious
services performed by the Rev. Dr. Bancroft. The building was 75 feet from
east to west, and 68 feet from north to south ; the walls 31 feet high, and the
tower, surmounted by a cupola, 125 feet in height. The floor was divided
into 104 pews."— Lin. Hist., p. 347.
This house was consumed by fire in 1849. Another has been erected on
the same site, far exceeding the one which it replaces, not only in its dimen
sions, but in its plan of architecture and elegant finish. It is one of the finest
structures in the State and an ornament to the city. Its cost was about
$25,000. The Eev. Mr. Hill preached the sermon at its dedication, March
26, 1851, from HagcAi 2 : 9. The glory of this latter house shall he greater
than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts.

276 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
ceptance of his people. His services in behalf of the public
schools and of the general interests of the city have been
highly appreciated, and won for him in return respectful
consideration. In the maturity of his strength, and sus
tained by the confidence of an attached and appreciating
people, years of pleasant and useful labor are still before
him. Though ministering to a large and intelligent congre
gation, he has yet found time to prepare several works for
the press. One of the latest of these is a " Discourse de
livered in the ancient meeting-house of the First Congrega
tional Society in Hingham, Sept. 8, 1850." Some extracts
from this discourse are hereto appended as illustrations of
its author's mode of thought and style of utterance.

EXTRACTS

FROM THE

REV. MR. HILL'S DISCOURSE.

" When I received an invitation from your committee to
preach here, I was told that I should preach in the oldest
church in the United States, — the only surviving relic of
the earlier Puritan times, where for many generations the
ancestors of honored and beloved parishioners of my own
had worshiped. This seemed to me inducement enough
to make even a longer pilgrimage, and to be here. It
seemed to me something to be permitted to worship with
you in an edifice which had survived the casualties and

ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE PAST. 277
changes of a hundred and sixty-eight years ; — an edifice
which dates back to the days of Charles II., and in which
strength Avas obtained to resist his infringement of New
England's charter ; — an edifice whose beams Avere laid in
New England's darkest days by men Avho were fresh from
the desolating wars of Philip, aided by women AYhose sons
had been butchered at their own doors by Indian toma
hawks. It is something to stand in the pulpit under Avhich
men Avho had shared in the perils of the winter's passage
of the " MayfloAver " may have sat and worshiped ; Avhere
Eliot may have stood in his old age, and bent himself in
prayer; and Avhere Gay, for nearly, seventy years, with
strength unabated, and eye undimmed, ministered. Asso
ciations of this kind must be familiar to you, and must
endear this venerable church as no modern edifice, however
beautiful and adorned with art, can be endeared. To you,
this antique structure must be all written over with the
memories of the past ; this pulpit, these walls and pews,
must bear to your hearts the history of the men and Avomen
who are gone, — the venerated and loved, Avhose names are
recorded in your village annals and on the tombstones of
your grave-yards. But associations like these belong to
yourselves, and with them the stranger cannot intermeddle.
There are, hoAvever, those connected with this venerable
relic which belong to us all. They are such as are dear to
the heart of New England and Christian men. Let us
pause while we gather them up, and contemplate them
together. " Before I begin, there is one thought to which I wish
to give utterance. We cannot fail to observe a peculiarity
in the genius of Christianity which distinguishes it from all
24

278 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
other religions ; and that is its entire independence of time
and place and circumstances. Paganism had no being but
in the sacred enclosures and consecrated groves where its
rites were performed. Judaism could exist only in Judea,
and under the shadow of the gorgeous temple. When
that temple was demolished, Avhen the altar of sacrifice was
overturned, and the long array of Priests and Levites,
Avith their emblematic robes and imposing ceremonies had
ceased, then Judaism Avas dead. It could no more flourish
Avithout this central object to which all eyes could be
turned, — it could no more exist in foreign lands, away from
the hills and streams of Zion, than the earth could exist in
greenness and beauty Avithout a central sun. But Christ
ianity, a spiritual religion, drawing its life from Christ,
Avho is its invisible Head, addressing the intellect and
affections, and acting through the medium of great religious
thoughts, regarding each individual as a temple and each
heart as an altar of incense, is not constrained to time and
place. It teaches that neither on Mount Gerizim nor in
Jerusalem is the only place Avhere men ought to Avorship.
Familiar in all ages, a denizen of all countries, it is at home
alike in the frozen and the burning zone, in the mountain
and plain, and islands of the sea. It may flourish and be
a living and life-giving influence in the crowded city and in
the solitude of the country ; and Avorship, as spiritual, as
enkindling, and as acceptable, may be rendered in the
plain meeting-house as in the proud cathedral, in the hall
Avhich no formal prayers have consecrated, in the upper
chamber appropriated to other uses, in the grove arched by
the branches of the spreading trees, as in the church
dedicated by the hands of venerable ministers and devoted

REVERENCE FOR THE PAST. 279
through successive generations to Avorship alone. It is not
the place Avhich sanctifies the service, but the service Avhich
sanctifies the place.
" And yet, my brethren, it cannot be denied that there
are feelings and associations, Avhich come in aid of the
religious sentiment, found only in temples set apart for
religious worship, — those time-hallowed edifices through
whose windows a dim religious light comes in, along whose
roof the notes of ancient psalmody have long echoed, and
whose pavements have been worn by the footsteps and
whose AV'alls have been made holy by the prayers of suc
cessive generations. It is an influence which all devout
minds confess, and which should not be readily relinquish
ed. We cannot resist that influence if we would ; we
ought not if we could. These heavens could not enkindle
the reverence they do, if they Avere not old. Men have
loved to worship by the ocean, and have built their orato
ries in ancient woods ; for they helped to aAvaken a religious
emotion. Travelers tell us of the veneration inspired by
the ancient churches of Europe, reared so many centuries
ago, and covered with the ivy and moss of ages. They
seem to lift up the worshiper into a higher region of observa
tion, to rebuke his frivolity and worldliness, and awaken
thoughts of God and eternity. They do not well, therefore,
who hasten to erase every association with the past ; who
build for their churches, frail, gairish structures, that
scarcely outlive their builders. They disregard and set at
naught a great instrument of devotion. To this cause is to
be attributed not a little of the irreverence of the New
England element, as contrasted Avith the character of
almost any other people on the face of the globe. You

280 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
have done well reverently to preserve, repair and prop
your old venerated meeting-house. Let it stand a thousand
years ; for it must speak as no modern edifice can speak to
the hearts of a people. It has its story of by-gone days,
and communes Avith you of the invisible and distant.
Images arise before you which cannot be seen in our recent
structures ; and impressions you must receive here, which,
if you cherish them as you ought, will sanctify and bless.
Your fathers worshiped in this mountain, and it should be
holy unto the Lord in the heart of their children."
" There is another thought to be added. The long con
tinuance of your society, and the unchanging character of
your place of worship, by their contrast strikingly illustrate
our own frailty and mutability. The edifice stands, the
tower on the sea-beaten coast, while the generations of men,
like the Avaves, come and go. Travelers say that nothing
teaches their own mortality like those solemn structures,
built ages ago, that stand in lonely grandeur in the midst
of comparatively modern-built cities. Eloquent in their
silence, they seem to address them in almost human lan
guage. From their antique towers there comes a voice ;
and it seems to say, ' You are of yesterday, while we be
long to the ages. When as yet you were not, when as yet
nothing in the wide world knew you, we were here as we
now are ; and we shall be here when you, the generations
of men, fathers, mothers and their children, shall have
passed away.' Our frailty, my Christian friends, — how
can we resist the conviction of it, forced as it is by the
objects and scenes around us ? The tree that we plant by
our dwelling shall be green when we are gone. The house
that shelters, the garments that cover, shall survive us.

LESSONS FROM THE PAST. 281
The very leaf on which our name is written, which the
winds may waft away, and the passing shower destroy, shall
be read when the hand that wrote it shall moulder, and the
places that knew us shall know us no more. And hoAV can
you enter a place like this from week to Aveek, and ever
forget the lesson of your mortality ? A thousand voices
seem to be here to remind you, that this is not your home.
The six generations that have Avorshiped here seem to
speak from this ancient desk and these time-stained walls.
Images of those who once entered these doors, and sat one
after another in the same pews, — aged and venerable men
and women, young men and maidens and children and
blooming youth, — throng these courts. They came here as
you have come to-day : they went out as you will go, and
returned no more. ' They have lain down
AVith patriarchs of the infant-world ; with kings,
The powerful of the earth ; the wise, the good ;
Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past, —
All in one mighty sepulchre ! '
May we not add ? — 1 The sons of men,
The youth in life's green spring, and he who goes
In the full strength of years, matron and maid,
And the sweet babe and the gray-headed man,
Shall one by one be gathered to their side,
By those who in their turn shall follow them.'
" It is true — we see it all around us, we see it as we stand
in this time-hallowed temple — Ave folloAV, we go to swell the
vast congregation of the dead. We shall be gathered to
the side of those Avho are already gone. We vanish like
the dreams of the night ; we disappear like the dews of
24*

282 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
the morning. Our life, it is a vapor. It gathers, it glit
ters in the sunlight, and then passes away. And i3 that
all ? Is there nothing which Ave can call our own ? Is
there nothing over Avhich the years and the ages roll in.
vain ? Is there nothing Avhich the irresistible stream of
time does not bear away ? Yes, there is something : the
true life is such a thing. Every good deed, every good
word, every good thought, abideth amid the multitudinous
change. It enters into and becomes a part of the indes
tructible and permanent. It is caught up by the passing
generation ; it is transmitted from mouth to mouth, from
heart to heart, and so abideth forever. Yes, character is
such a thing. The wisdom that comes to the seeking
mind ; the affection that glows in the devoted heart ; the
peace, passing understanding, that is found in the faithful
bosom, — they are everlasting. Yes, faith and goodness are
such a thing ; for Avhosoever liveth and believeth shall
never die, and whosoever doeth the will of God shall abide
for ever.
'• What, then, remains for us but to remember what we are,
and for Avhat we are destined,' — so frail in our mortal lives,
so imperishable in the life of the affections ? We are here
to-day, and tomorrow Ave die. And would we die utterly ?
Would we leave the Avorld, and leave no monument and
memorial of our existence, and carry with us no conscious
ness that Ave have made the world better and happier than
Ave found it ? We meet like two freighted trains on the
track, glance at each other an instant, and then rush on.
We come to the solemn gathering ; we hear familiar names,
we gaze on familiar faces : Ave come again, and one and
another are not here. How tenderly should creatures so

LESSONS FROM THE PAST. 283
related feel toAvard each other ; how slow to be angered,
and to v.ex each other, and neglect the common good ; how
swift to hear and go forth and toil for the common benefit !
Ah ! think how soon, Ave know not, all will be over. The
day of grace will have gone, and the opportunity to serve
God and man Avill have ended. The ears into whicli Ave
might breathe one word more of kindness will have closed,
the heart in which we might awaken one more thrill of
gratification will have ceased its beating, and the counten
ance on which we might spread one more expression of
pleasure will be composed and still in the grave. We look
upon those whom Ave may bless,- — they are gone while Ave
gaze ; Ave listen to catch the familiar accents, and hear only
the melancholy wind that sighs over them. They go, for it
is God's Avill ; but, thanks be to Him Avho giveth us the vic
tory, we can contemplate these moral changes undismayed.
Through faith and affection, unmoved, we can see the gen
erations of men go : standing upon a rock, we can calmly
look down upon the heaving and changeful billows ; and
may trustfully look up, though the heavens being on fire
shall melt, though the earth be shaken as with an earth
quake, and the pillars of the universe fall. In patience,
then, let us wait the change, and welcome its coming ; for
that which is purest and best here will go with us into other
domains of God, and be the pledge of our acceptance and
the crown of our rejoicing."

284 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

CHAPTER IV.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH AND ITS MINISTRY.
§ 1. The Church formed.
Not until 1812 Avas regular Avorship instituted in Worcester
by Baptists. In 1795, James Wilson, Esq.,* from New
castle upon Tyne, England, joined the only threef individ
uals Avho were known, previously to that period, to entertain
the sentiments peculiar to that denomination. He removed
from England to this country, " that he might more fully
enjoy the blessing of .civil and religious freedom. "| For
the period of seventeen years, he had meetings occasionally
for religious worship in his dwelling-house. Those of his
own denomination Avhom he found here, having been re
moved by death, he Avas for a time the solitary advocate
and supporter of the distinctive views of Baptists. But,
though alone, he Avas not discouraged. True to his convic
tions of truth and duty, he persevered in his efforts to
realize the object of his hope, and, in 1812, had the grati
fication of witnessing the establishment of regular Avorship,
the formation of a Baptist church, and the settlement of its
* Mr. Wilson, Postmaster of Worcester from 1801 to 1833, was the first
deacon of the Baptist church here. Though for a time excluded from the
fellowship of the church under its first pastor, he was subsequently restored,
and removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1833.
f Dr. John Green, Mr. Amos Putnam, and Mrs. Dolly Flagg.
t Records of the Baptist Church, p. 1.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. 285
first pastor. The increase of population added to the num
ber of those who sympathized with Mr. Wilson ; some dis
courses of Dr. Austin, on national and state fasts, occasioned
the Avifhdrawal of individuals from the first parish, and these
naturally enough united Avith those who contemplated sepa
rate worship ; and in July, 1812, the hall in the school-
house of the Centre District, Avas opened for the accommo
dation of this new voluntary association. On the 9th of
December following, " the Baptist Church in Worcester "
was constituted. The " church articles "* Avere the same
with those adopted by the First Baptist Church in Portland.
The council convened to assist in the organization of this
church, was composed of representatives from the churches
in Leicester, Charlton, Grafton, Sutton and the First
Church in Providence. Elder Stephen Gano of Provi
dence preached on the occasion and presented the right
hand of felloAvship. At the same time and by the same
council, the first pastor of the church was installed : sermon
by the Rev. Joseph Cornell. The church was composed of
twenty-eight members, fourteen males and fourteen females.
It was intended to have the public services of the organiza
tion of the church and installation of the pastor in the
meeting-house of the South Church. Application had been
made to the selectmen of the town and the assessors of the
first parish for this purpose, and their assent had been
obtained. Drs. Austin and Bancroft had been invited to
dine with the council ; the latter accepted the invitation,
but the former declined. The evening before the day desig
nated for the meeting of the council, he addressed a letter
to Mr. Wilson, declaring that he " would gratefully ac-
* Appendix H.

286 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
knowledge the invitation as a testimony of Christian affec
tion and confidence, if facts did not forbid him to do so;"
that " to treat those who appear to be the real people of
God with tenderness and fraternal respect, he esteems to
be among the first of his duties ;" but that for several
important reasons, which he specifies, he cannot accept the
invitation tendered to him by the Baptists, and " once for
all expresses his intention to act in regard to them merely
on the defensive, and, as he is determined not officiously to
interrupt, so he wishes not to be interrupted in the prosecu
tion of a work, which has been consigned to him, as he
hopes, by the Redeemer of Zion."* On the receipt of this
communication, a change of place became necessary, leave
to occupy the meeting-house of the Second Society was
asked and granted, and there the public services were per
formed. In 1813, the church erected a house of worship on a
slight eminence, east of the common. The building was
dedicated to the worship of Almighty God, Dec. 23, of that
year. Elder William Bentley, the pastor, preached on the
occasion. His text was, Haggai 2 : 9. The glory of this
latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the
Lord of hosts ; and in this place will I give peace, saith
the Lord of hosts." This house was destroyed by fire,
May 21, 1836-. Another was erected on the same site
Avithin the year.f
The church and society increased from year to year,
until it was thought expedient to ' colonize.' The Pleasant
Street Baptist Church was then formed, an account of
* Records of Bap. Chh. p. 30.
t It is 79 feet in length, and 50 feet wide, with a spire 138 feet high. It
has recently been renovated, and furnished with a good organ.

REV. WILLIAM BENTLEY. 287
which will be found in another chapter. The parent soci
ety is still flourishing ; and the contrast between its ' day
of small things ' and its present day of strength and pros
perity, cannot but awaken gratitude in its members and
encourage them to persistent effort.

§ 2. Eld. William Bentley
Was the first pastor of the Baptist church. A native of
Newport, R. I., he was born, March 3, 1775. His early
advantages for education were on the most limited scale.*
At the age of fourteen years, he was apprenticed to a baker
in Boston. The serious impressions which resulted in that
change of views and feelings Avhich turned his thoughts to
the ministry, were occasioned by a discourse preached under
the great elm tree on Boston Common, by the Rev. Jesse
Coe, of the Methodist denomination. He was licensed to
preach the Gospel by the Second Baptist Church in Bos
ton, Nov. 3, 1806, and the next year received ordination
as an evangelist, from the Warren Association in Salem.
He preached the year following to the Baptist church in
Maiden. In 1808, he commenced labors in Tiverton, R.
I., and continued to minister to the feeble church in that
place, about four years. Having preached a few times in
Worcester, he Avas thought to be well qualified to aid the
infant society here in their arduous undertaking. At their
* " I have labored hard all my days for the want of an education ; for I
only had three quarters' schooling, and that in the evening, while I was an
apprentice." — Letter from Mr. Bentley to die Author.

288 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
unanimous request, he came, Oct. 30, 1812, ' to take the
pastoral charge of the church, Avhen constituted.' His
installation took place on the day of the organization of the
church. His salary Avas to be $300, ' in quarterly
payments,' with the privilege of four Sabbaths each year
for ' visiting his friends.' Mr. Bentley labored with great
zeal, and during his ministry here frequent accessions were
made to the Baptist church. In the early part of 1815,
difficulties arose between him and some of the prominent
members of the church, and, on the 30th of June in that
year, he asked a dismission from his pastoral charge.
Leaving Worcester, after a few months, he went to Weth-
ersfield, Ct., and became pastor of the Baptist church in
that place. He sustained that connection six years. The
church increased, under his ministry from thirty-one to one
hundred and five members. During the subsequent sixteen
years he was employed by the Domestic Missionary Society
of Connecticut, laboring also six weeks in each year for the
Massachusetts Domestic Missionary Society. While thus
employed, he Avas instrumental in organizing four churches
and erecting four houses of worship. During the next
six years, he supplied the Second Baptist church in Middle-
town, Ct. Since 1846, he has occasionally supplied
destitute churches. The only time that he received a
competent support for his services Avas during a ministry of
nearly a year in Hartford.*
In fulfilling the duties belonging to his various positions
in the ministerial field, Mr. Bentley must have been in a
state of almost incessant locomotion. lie says, " In
performing my ministerial labors, I have ridden as many
* Letter of Mr. Bentley.

REV. WILLIAM BENTLEY. 289
miles as would go round the world three times, in my own
carriage." His health has been such, that for fifteen years
he did not fail of preaching a single Sabbath. He has
baptized, on profession of their faith, between seven and
eight hundred individuals. Still he ascribes all his success
to the gracious providence of God, disclaiming all merit of
his own.*
Mr. Bentley still lives at the advanced age of seventy-
six years. He resides in Wethersfield, Ct. His style of
preaching cannot be illustrated in this volume, for he never
committed his sermons to paper. He sometimes wrote the
heads of a discourse, but always trusted to the occasion for
language and most of his illustrations. With scarcely any
opportunity for intellectual cultivation in early life, it is not
surprising that he should at times have been embarrassed
in his preaching, and occasionally have used language and
adopted interpretations of Scripture which a better educa
tion would have corrected. f The wonder is, however, that
* " The Lord has seen fit to use this feeble instrument for his own glory
and the salvation of souls; and if ever I am saved, it will be [by] grace,
great grace — the boundless love of God in Christ Jesus." — Letter to the
Author. f It is said, for example, that having occasion, when in Worcester, to speak
of the mission of Christ's forerunner, he declared with considerable empha
sis, that King James' translators had made an important mistake, as to the
designation of this important personage : ' Se should not he called John the
Baptist, but John the Dipper.'
On another occasion, he was preaching from Christ's parable of the rich
man, whose grounds brought forth plentifully, and whose store-houses were
not sufficiently capacious to receive his fruits. His questionings brought
him to the resolution of demolishing his barns and replacing them with
larger ones. The Elder quaintly remarked, that the rich man was manifestly
a fool ; for a wise man, instead of tearing down the old barns, would have
built on an addition — an interpretation which places the folly of the trans
action in quite a different connection from its place in the parable.
25

290 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
a man who had only the evenings of three school terms in
which to complete his preparatory studios, should be able
to preach at all so as to be tolerated by persons of respect
able attainments in a Christian community ; and it becomes
still greater, when you reflect that he sustained himself for
three years in Worcester, one year in Hartford, six years
in Middletown, and also found his services so acceptable,
that he was repeatedly sent for from considerable distances
to exercise his talents as a preacher. It is by no means
certain but that many of far greater attainments than his,
would find it essentially conducive to their happiness, could
they see, near the close of life, half as many evidences of
usefulness as now greet him in retrospect and make glad
the remnant of his days.

§ 3. Rev. Jonathan Going, D. D.
The church remained without a pastor only a few
months. On the 3d of November, 1815, Mr. Going
accepted their invitation to become Mr. Bentley's succes
sor. His salary was to be $400 per annum, with a supply
of fuel. It was afterwards raised, but never exceeded
$600, and reached that sum only one year. Subsequently
to 1826, it was $500. Having already been ordained as
a minister of the Gospel, Mr. Going entered upon the
duties of the ministry here without any public services of
installation. He brought with him to this field of labor
a vigorous mind, a benevolent and devoted heart, and, for
sixteen years, made such ' proof of his ministry,' that he is

REV. JONATHAN GOING, D. D. 291

now remembered by all who knew him with interest and
esteem. The Rev. Jonathan Going Avas a native of Reading,-
Windsor County, Vt. He was born on the 7th of March,
1786. Having completed his preparatory studies by the
aid of an uncle, the Rev. Ezra Kendall, of Kingston, Ms.,
he entered Brown University in 1805. During the first
year of his collegiate life, he was hopefully converted to
God ; and, from that time forth, the great object of his
life appeared to be ' doing good.' It was soon impressed
upon his mind, that he ought to devote himself to the work
of the Christian ministry. Encouraged by his friends and
by favoring providential indications, he presented himself
for examination, and was licensed to preach the Gospel, by
the Baptist church in Providence, before he was graduated
from the University. In 1809 he completed his collegiate
course, and entered upon the study of theology with the
Rev. Asa Messer, D. D., then president of the College.*
He was ordained in 1811, and settled in Cavendish, Vt.,
near his native place. Among forty-five ordained ministers
in that state, he was the only one who had received a pub
lic education when ordained. f His settlement was an era
among them. His learning, vivacity and devotion made
him acceptable as a preacher, and gave him great influ
ence. Though of only four or five years duration, his min
istry in his native state, was followed with rich and lasting
* AVhile studying theology he evinced strong tendencies to scepticism.
" After he went to Vermont, where, as Dr. Messer once told me, the people
were as naturally inclined to Calvinism as in Rhode Island they were to Ar-
minianism, he was soon cured of that error and became a firm believer in the
doctrines of the Reformation." — Mr. Fisher's Discourse.
f Discourse on the Life and Character of Dr. Going, by Rev. Abial Fisher.

292 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
results. He had two or three seasons of special religious
influence in his own church, and Avas instrumental in awak
ening deep interest in others. A single incident will show
his tact and power, as a preacher, at this early stage of his
ministerial life. On a dark evening he entered an Acad
emy in Brandon, Avhere one of his brethren was preaching.
The text was Ps. 110: 3. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. The speaker introduced the doctrine
of election, but did not treat it either in a very striking or
satisfactory manner. Dark Avithout, it was gloomy within ;
the people Avere weary, and one of the ministers present
suggested that it was expedient to close the services with
prayer. At this moment, Mr. Going, who had been unob
served before, arose and asked the brother who had last
spoken if he had any thing to say. The reply was in the
negative, and the suggestion that it was time to close,
repeated. Mr. Going asked leave to make a few remarks.
By this time every eye Avas upon him. He took up the
subject, which had been the topic of remark, analyzed it,
defined its nature, showed its necessity, proved its truth,
illustrated its beauty and blessedness when seen in its true
relations, and then expatiated upon the wickedness of re
jecting or opposing it. Having arrested, he held every
one's attention, made his way through the understanding to
the conscience and thence to the heart, and so converted
indifference and weariness into the liveliest attention, if not
perfect satisfaction.*
Mr. Going commenced his labors in Worcester, Decem
ber 10th, 1815. • His church, at that period, was compar
atively small and feeble. It had been in existence only
* Mr. Fisher's Discourse.

REV. JONATHAN GOING, D. D. 293
three years, and had not enjoyed the best advantages either
for intellectual cultivation* or the acquisition of moral
strength. He saw Avhat he had to do, and girded himself
for the work with faith in the promised help of God. ' In
season and out of season,' Avhat his hand found to do, he
did Avith his might. Opposition did not alarm, or difficulties
discourage him. A friend of knowledge, he labored assid
uously in promoting the cause of education.")" Ilis common
school Register is a memorial of his devotion to the cause.
Ardent and benevolent in his feelings, he Avas ready to ev
ery good Avord and work. Deeply as he was interested in
his own church, he did not forget the prosperity of others.
The cause of Sabbath Schools, J of Home and Foreign Mis
sions, as well as that of common school and classical educa
tion, found in him an earnest advocate and steadfast friend.
*It is interesting to note the change which has taken place in respect of
the importance of an educated ministry, since the settlement of Elder Bentley.
Then a zealous member of the church was often heard to say, ' he liked such
a preacher because he was not a learned (la nit) man.' This was a decided
recommendation in his view. AYhen Dr. Staughton, President of the College
in Washington, officiated here in a manner to delight the intellectual and re
fined, the same person, on being inquired of how he liked him, answered, '0,
pretty well for a learned (lamt) man.' Now, no church would be more eas
ily satisfied with an uneducated preacher than the one under review, or ex
press a higher sense of the importance of talent and learning in the ministry.
t " He, with others, did much to improve the schools of his own town, es
pecially in the village. Nor did he rest till ho had done what he could to
improve the schools throughout the county. It was happy for him and the
rising generation, that he found in this community men like-minded with
himself." — Fislier's Discourse.
J: " The first Sabbath School in Worcester county was organized in his
church, with which not merely the young, but many in riper years became
connected. Its exercises were for a season conducted by himself. These he
subsequently stated he found of very essential personal benefit." — Discourse
by Rev. Edmund Tuniey, occasionedby the deatli of Dr. Going, p. 12.

294 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
No one more earnestly than he insisted upon the importance
of an educated ministry. " More education in the minis
try was eternally his theme." To the establishment of the
Theological Seminary in NeAvton he contributed in no small
degree ; and the efficiency of that institution bears no dis
tant or unimportant relation to his well-timed and persever
ing agency. Among his brethren in the ministry in Wor
cester county, and in all the Baptist churches in this com
munity, his influence was no less genial and salutary, than
it was poAverful. In less than five years after his settlement
here, ' the Baptists that were before scattered fragments,
were now, through his presiding agency, closely compacted
together, and prepared for strong and vigorous action.
There might not have been one in a hundred who could draw
such an influence about him.'* As he begun, so he con
tinued during the sixteen years of his ministry here.f
In 1831, he was released from his pastoral duties a few
months, that he might journey to the West, for the double
object of recovering his health and accomplishing a mis
sionary work. Returning from his western tour he asked
a dismission from his pastoral charge, that he might ' de
vote himself to the interests of Home Missions, especially
in the Valley of the Mississippi.' The communication
Avhich contains this request has no little interest, even now,
* Mr. Fisher's Discourse.
f " What you know," says Mr. Swaim, "of his interest and engagedness in
Ohio in every worthy and benevolent enterprise, was always true of him
here, except with the additional credit that he was generally in advance of
other men. What he was to the denomination in early agitating the claims
of the Home Mission effort, he was to this community as a temperance man,
as the warm advocate of common schools, and to the Baptists in this region,
as the friend of Sabbath Schools, Missions, and especially ministerial educa
tion." — Turney's Discourse, p. 13.

REV. JONATHAN GOING, D. D. 295
for a stranger ; to his own church it must have been pecu
liarly affecting. After detailing the reasons which might
be supposed to operate against his leaving a people endeared
to him by so long a friendship and so steady a confidence,
he proceeds thus : " Do you then ask me, Avhy leave us ?
My answer is, not that I love the Baptist church and soci
ety less, but that I love the body of Baptists, and the mul
titudes who are destitute in the United States, more. Dur
ing my whole ministry, I have felt constrained by a sense
of duty, to devote much attention to Avorks of religious char
ity, and especially, for several years past, more time than
is consistent Avith the highest advantages of a particular
church. Besides, I have felt a deep solicitude, for some
years, in the moral condition of the West. Plainly, a
mighty effort must be made [there] ; and by the body of
evangelical Christians in the Atlantic States ; and made
soon, or ignorance and Popery, heresy and infidelity, will
entrench themselves too strongly to be repulsed. And, in
that case, it is morally certain, that our republic will be
overturned, and our institutions, civil and religious, will be
demolished. To the existence and success of the projected
Baptist Home Missionary Society, it is indispensable that
the whole time and energies of some man should be devo
ted; and our friends, whose opinions ought to determine
questions of this sort, have said this work belonged to me."*
Mr. Going's request Avas granted, ' after an expression
of regret from many of the members by words and tears,
that circumstances had led to this result.' The connection
of pastor and church had been harmonious from the
beginning, and the society had become large and prosper-
* Records of the Baptist Church, p. 63.

296 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
ous. In leaving them he carried with him their confidence,
affection and gratitude. Resolutions testifying the highest
respect for his character, warm esteem for his person and
earnest thanks for his services, were unanimously passed
by the society, and cordially adopted by the council that
ordained his successor.*
Retiring from Worcester, he took up his residence in the
city of Brooklyn, N. Y. There, as Corresponding Secre
tary of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, formed
in 1832, he was indefatigable in his labors ; and perhaps
no man did more than he in calling attention to the claims
of the new association, and securing the cooperation of the
churches. Among other instrumentalities employed for
this purpose, Avas the establishment of a new periodical,
called the American Baptist and Home Mission Record.
Of this weekly sheet he Avas both proprietor and editor.
His duties as Corresponding Secretary of a growing society
did not prevent him from conducting this paper with
efficiency for a number of years. His efforts to promote
the cause of home missions were not in vain. Perhaps no
five years of his life were more useful than those which he
devoted to the service of the Home Mission Society. f
When, in 1831, Dr. Going made his western tour,
besides aiding in the formation of the Ohio Baptist Educa
tion Society, he cooperated in laying the foundation of
* Records of the Baptist Church, p. 68.
f In speaking of what had been accomplished in behalf of the Baptist
denomination in Ohio, since the commencement of the Home Mission effort,
Prof. Stevens testified, in 1842, ' The Am. Bap. Home Mission Society has
exerted a very large share of this influence. When it commenced its labors
among us, many of the elements of religious prosperity were wanting, and
those that did exist operated but feebly. , Since that period many have been
created— all have been greatly strengthened.' — Turney's Discourse, p. 15.

REV. JONATHAN GOING, D. D. 297
Granville College, the by-laws of which he made himself.
In 1836, he was invited by the trustees to take the presi
dency of the institution and its theological professorship.
Inclined to accept this invitation, he resigned his secretary
ship in the society of Home Missions. ' In accepting his
resignation, the executive committee expressed their confi
dence and personal esteem, their sense of the obligation the
society was under for his faithful labors in organizing and
advancing its interests, and their earnest desires for his
continued usefulness and prosperity.'*
Leaving Brooklyn, he removed to Granville, and imme
diately entered upon the duties of those new offices to
which he had been appointed. In his inaugural address,
delivered August 8, 1838, he promised his ' best endeavors
in conjunction with his learned and respected colleagues in
the board of instruction, to make the institution what its
public-spirited projectors designed.' If unremitting dili
gence and uniform faithfulness, with much self-denial, were
a fulfillment of that promise, then it was amply verified.
In both the literary and the theological departments of in
struction, his services were cheerfully rendered and much
valued. He gave direction to the studies of a goodly
number of young men, who are now efficient laborers in the
Christian ministry-
While thus devoting himself to his duties in the college,
he Avas not indifferent to the interests of learning, morals
and 'religion throughout the state which he had adopted as
his own. Every enterprise that had for its object the im
provement of the people in knowledge and virtue, found in
him an earnest friend. In January, 1844, he attended the
* Turney's Discourse, p. 16.

298 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Sabbath Convention held in Columbus, at which he elo
quently advocated the divine institution of the Sabbath,
and the importance of its right observance to our national
prosperity. The State associations for home and foreign
missions, for education and Bibles, were often cheered by
his presence and aided by his voice. ' By the churches in
Ohio his worth will not soon be forgotten.'
Thus ' diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the
Lord,' he remained at his post until the early part of the
summer of 1844. Declining health then sent him on a
short visit to his eastern friends. The Commencement in
July found him in his place, with health apparently im
proved. Soon, however, disease renewed its attack, and
his death ensued, Nov. 9, 1844.
It cost him a severe struggle to cease from those efforts
which the cause of Christian philanthropy so much needed ;
but to the evident will of God he was enabled to bow with
calm submission. As he approached the solemn crisis
before him, sickness in a measure impaired his intellect
and clouded his vision ; but when his powers rallied so that
he was sensible of his condition, he expressed entire confi
dence in the Saviour AA'hom he had so long served, and in
the sweet serenity of a Christian anticipated his departure.
In summing up his useful services, Mr. Turney says :
" As a devoted and consistent philanthropist and Christian,
as a faithful and successful pastor, as a zealous joromoter of
temperance, Sabbath schools and education, both general
and ministerial, as an active and useful trustee in several
institutions of learning, as one of the founders of Newton
Theological Institution, as a servant of the Triennial Con
vention, and for many years an honored member of its

REV. JONATHAN GOING, D. D. 299
board of officers, as the President and Theological Profes
sor of Granville College, and especially as the originator of
the American Baptist Home Mission Society, his name
deserves to be held in fond and lasting remembrance."
The following suggestions respecting some particular
points that stood out prominently in the subject of this
sketch, may neither be impertinent nor useless.
Dr. Going, richly endowed by nature, did much for him
self by study. He had great quickness of perception, and all
his mental acquisitions were rapid. His temperament was
warm and genial ; his habit of mind hopeful and buoyant.
In social life he greatly endeared himself to all who enjoyed
the pleasure of his acquaintance. He had vast stores of
anecdote and a rich vein of humor. Conversation rarely
flagged in interest where he was present. The overflowings
of his social being were too constant and abundant,
his nature altogether too magnetic, to admit an awkward
formality or a chilling silence in the company Avhich he
frequented. He had a large amount of practical talent. Bent on
doing good, he was quick to perceive and prompt to avail
himself of the means to this end. While he did not over
look the importance of distant results, he was gratified and
stimulated by immediate effects. In his church and parish,
in schools, in ministerial associations, in benevolent societies
and in the pulpit, he acted on the persuasion that he had
something to do then and there, nor could he content him
self unless conscious that he was doing it.* In accom-
* From an address of his delivered to a General Convention of Baptists at
Cincinnati, in 1833, the following is extracted : " The thing wanting is, that
all Christians should feel the responsibility of their high vocation, that they

300 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
plishing his plans, he exhibited both energy and persever
ance. No slight obstruction could check his progress, no
trifle turn him aside from a worthy purpose. He would
'cast his bread upon the waters,' though he was not to 'find
it till after many days.'
He was also courageous. What he thought to be right,
he would do, no matter who favored or Avho frowned. He
was neither ashamed nor afraid to pursue his own reason
ings to their legitimate conclusions, nor to utter and
advocate those conclusions Avhen reached. On an occasion
of deep interest to him, a very rich man sent the sum of
twenty dollars as a contribution in behalf of an object which
Mr. Going had advocated as of the highest moment to the
ministry and the churches. The pastor of the wealthy
contributor proposed that a vote of thanks should be passed
for such timely and liberal aid. ' I object,' said Mr.
Going. ' He have a vote of thanks for twenty dollars ? I
will be the last man to help pass it.'* He was then young,
and it required not a little moral courage to take such a
stand. But he would not outrage his sense of propriety by
voting thanks Avhere he believed no thanks were deserved.
He was not destitute of generous and catholic sentiments.
While his own convictions were firm and not to be set aside
or disguised from fear or favor, he accorded to others the
same liberty of thought and speech which he claimed for
should all fully imbibe the spirit of Christ, who so loved the world that lie
came to die for men, and who while he lived went about doing good j that
they should all imitate the first Christians, whom the love of Christ con
strained to spend and be spent in efforts instrumentally to save sinners ; that
they should all keep distinctly in view the great object of living, to do the
greatest possible amount of good in the least possible time.'
* Fisher's Discourse.

REV. JONATHAN GOING, D. D. 301
himself. He would neither be bound in his own conscience,
nor would he bind others. Not backward in persuading
others to believe and act with him, when he could not
succeed, he cheerfully acknoAvledged their right and privi
lege to cherish their own faith and concert their own
measures. If his difference of opinion with others was too
great to be reconciled, he could agree to differ with them.
" Forbearing and forgiving, some of his friends thought he
did not stand enough for his right when connected with
other denominations ; but in reply, he said, in a manner I
shall not soon forget, ' I never shall be sorry that I showed
them too much kindness.' "*
He was characterized by self-denial. To do good was
almost a passion with him ; and, in obedience to that
passion, he cheerfully sacrificed what hardly one in a
thousand would have been willing to give up.f Few men
performed more labor in doing good without reward, than
he. He traveled hundreds of miles, and I may say
thousands, solely to do good. He contributed also liberally
to every object which to him seemed likely to produce
good — up to his means and beyond them. J
His piety was ardent and unquestioned. The great
reason why he labored so indefatigably for the good of men
was, that he desired, above all things, to promote the glory
of God. Though full of vivacity and abounding in humor
* Fisher's Discourse.
f " Whatever the good of the cause has seemed to require, he has always
been willing with his labor, his property and every thing else, to do to the ex
tent of his abilities." — Turney's Discourse, p. 19.
J " Some said it made no difference how much you gave him, he would
spend all ; but it was not so, he was never tried with more than a moderate
salary." — Fisher's Discourse.
26

302 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
when in society, he walked with God. He cultivated inti
mate ' fellowship with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus
Christ.' ' Praying to his Father in secret, he was rewarded
openly.' He Avas interesting and often poAverful in the
pulpit, because of previous intercession in the closet. He
was not afraid to die when supposed to be on the verge of
the grave, because the life of a Christian had made his
faith strong and his hope bright. Under trials of peculiar
severity, his piety sustained him. Sorely afflicted in his
domestic life,* he exhibited in an eminent degree the cheer
fulness and patience of hope. He did not see how one who
has true confidence in God as a righteous moral governor
and in Jesus Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour, can be
habitually seeking for darkness and turning away his eyes
from the light. ' Rejoice in the Lord always,' was more to
him than an exhortation which was pertinent eighteen cen
turies ago ; it had for its basis a reality which must be
incorporated into his own experience.
As a preacher, Dr. Going had his strong points, and
often produced deep impressions. A bold aspect, rich,
mellow voice and freedom of action ; a rapid analysis,
ready analogies and a good command of language, gave
him more than ordinary power over the minds of an assem
bly. He could say striking things, in a striking manner.
The main points of his discourse jutted out, so as to arrest
attention ; and hence they rarely failed to make a place for
themselves in the memory. His preparations for the pulpit
* Dr. Going was married to Miss Lucy Thorndike, of Dunstable, Mass.,
Aug. 1811. A woman of excellent spirit, she would have been the light of
his eye and the joy of his heart ;,but much of the time after her marriage,
she was deranged. Her decease in the Lunatic Asylum of Ohio recently
occurred.

REV. JONATHAN GOING, D. D. 303
were not made with the profoundest study ; still, they con
tained no little apt instruction for the class of minds that he
was called upon to address. " He often had reasoning and
argument in his preaching, but he preached more by apt
illustrations and moving appeals to his hearers. It was a
mixture of doctrinal, practical and experimental. Gener
ally having selected his subject, [he concentrated his
powers] and did much in a little time. He had a power
to enter into a subject, and survey all its parts and bring
them into order so as to present them to others with ease,
with a rapidity truly wonderful."*
From the structure of his mind and his habits of study,
his sermons must have been very unequal. Now, he would
hold an audience completely under control, alternately
moving them to tears and smiles ; at another time, he
seemed to be shorn of his strength, and his sermon was
vacated of almost every element of power. According to
his mental mode, the same sermon would be at one time
instinct with life and electrify his hearers, at another, com
paratively dry and tame.f
* Fisher's Discourse.
t He once preached by appointment on his way to an Association. It was
Monday, and several clergymen were among his hearers. He seemed to
labor hard, and made but little progress. It was with great difficulty that he
could put ' right words in right places.' Regretting his want of success after
the effort, he said to a young clergyman who heard him the evening before,
' Last night that sermon went well.' The friend assented, and declared that
it was an extraordinary production. Dr. G. added, ' To-day I had to get help
up every hill.'

TEMPTING GOD,

0 R

SEPARATING ENDS FROM MEANS:

A SERMON,

DELIVERED TO THE

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN WORCESTER,

BY THE

REV. JONATHAN GOING, D. D.

26*

NOTE.
This is not presented to the reader as one of Dr. Going's most finished
productions, but as a specimen of hi3 ordinary preaching. It has been
kindly furnished for this work by Mr. Williams of Springfield, Ohio, who
married Dr. Going's second daughter. The society who formerly listened to
his voice and enjoyed his instructions, will clearly perceive the " image and
superscription " of the pastor whom they so highly esteemed, on every page
of the discourse.

SERMON

Matthew 4 : 5 — 7.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and
setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto
him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down : for it
is ivritten, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee ;
and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time
thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him,
It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
The devil, from the beginning of the world, has been an
enemy to mankind. He brought death on our first parents
by seducing them from their obedience to God. And he
endeavored to defeat the design of our redemption, by
tempting the Redeemer to destroy himself. In both cases
he used the same artifice, — a perversion of the word of
God. In the former case, he perverted the divine threat
ening ; in the latter, the divine promise. He told our first
parents, that though they should eat of the forbidden fruit,
they would not surely die : he told our Redeemer, that
though he should cast himself down from a pinnacle of the
temple, he would surely live. The tree of knowledge God
had guarded by a threatening of death. Satan alleged

308 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
that this threatening did not really intend Avhat it seemed
to import. God had promised the Redeemer, that during
the time of his ministry he should be under the protection
of angels, who would keep him in all his ways. Satan
interpreted this promise, as containing more than was really
intended ; and in proof of his interpretation, he urged, that
if Jesus should cast himself down from the pinnacle of the
temple no hurt would ensue.
The promise which he adduced, is in the 91st Psalm.
" There shall no evil befall thee ; for he shall give his
angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways ;
they shall bear thee in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot
against a stone." That this promise had a respect, (as to
good men in general,) to the Son of God in particular, is
evident from the words that follow : " Thou shalt tread
upon the lion and the adder, the young lion and the dragon
shalt thou trample under feet." The devil, in his tempta
tion of Eve, presented himself under the form of a serpent.
Hence, both in the Old and New Testament, he is called
by the names of a serpent, an adder, and a dragon. The
conquest of the seed of the woman over Satan, the tempter,
is expressed by his bruising the serpent's head. In this
passage, quoted from the 91st Psalm, there is an evident
allusion to the sentence on the serpent. Hence it is natu
ral to conclude, that the whole promise had a particular
respect to him who was to tread Satan under his feet ; and
insured to him the special protection of divine providence,
until his work should be accomplished. The devil justly
applies this passage to Christ ; but he wickedly leaves out
a part of it, and perverts the meaning of the whole. He
insinuates that as Jesus was under a promise of divine

TEMPTING GOD. 309
protection, he had no occasion to take care of himself; and
whatever he might do, the promise would secure him. " If
thou be the Son of God ; if thou be the promised seed of
the Avoman, who was to be born without the intervention of
man, and therefore eminently to be called the Son of God ;
if thou be that person, as, by a voice from heaven, thou
wast just now declared to be, then, to make it manifest to
the multitude assembled below, cast thyself down from this
pinnacle ; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge
concerning thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee
up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." The devil
here leaves out a material clause. The promise was, that
the Messiah should be kept in all his ways. The devil,
omitting these last words, insinuates that Jesus, if he were
the Son of God, would be kept, though he went out of his
way, and cast himself down from the pinnacle. Thus, the
emissaries of Satan often mutilate the Scripture, when they
pretend to quote it. To prove that religion consists not at
all in piety to God, but wholly in the social virtues, justice
and mercy, the authority of the prophet has been adduced ;
" What doth the Lord thy God require of theo, but to do
justly, and to love mercy ?" The words immediately fol
lowing, " and to walk humbly with thy God," are omitted,
because they enjoin piety. This is quoting Scripture as
the devil quoted the passage in the Psalms.
And as Satan mutilates, so he perverts the passage. He
argues from it, on this false principle, that where God has
promised an event there is no occasion for human means — •
that the event will take place let men do what they can, or
omit what they will. Christ answers, " It is written, thou
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." His words import

310 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
that to plead God's promises as a reason for the neglect of
plain duty, is not to trust, but to abuse his promise — not to
secure, but to forfeit his care.
The devil, in his attempt on the Saviour, failed of suc
cess ; but among the wicked and unbelieving part of man
kind, he finds this artifice to have great effect. In Christ
there was nothing, but in wicked men there was much to
favor his temptations.
Our Lord always acted, and he taught his disciples to
act, on this principle ; " That the providence of God over
men is exercised in concurrence with human means, and
that, when the proper means are neglected, the care of
providence is forfeited." Jesus had a promise of God's
protection ; but he did not commit himself to men, for he
knew what was in men. And until the time of his death
came, he took the same precaution to shun dangers,
and to preserve his life, as if no such promise had ever
been made. He assured his disciples that during their
ministry, the hand of providence would be employed
in their defence ; but yet he instructed them to consult
their own safety by all prudent and honest means. " If
they persecute you in this city, flee to another. I send
you forth as sheep among wolves ; be ye therefore wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves." He promised them that
if they should take up serpents, or drink any deadly thing,
they should not be hurt. This promise was a great secu
rity, while they adhered to their duty ; but no longer. If
their enemies should attempt to destroy them by serpents
or by poison, God's providence would preserve them. But
if they, themselves, in pride, vanity and ostentation, should

TEMPTING GOD. 311
handle serpents, or drink deadly poison, the promise would
be no defence.
There is, in the divine government, a connection between
means and ends, — between conditions and promises. If
we attempt to break this connection, we rebel against that
order which is a supreme law of heaven, and yield our
selves to the dominion of the devil. He would persuade
men to disregard this connection, and to rely on promises
without performing conditions.
After Noah went out of the ark, God promised him that
while the earth remained, seed time and harvest should not
cease. What if every man, relying on this promise of a
harvest, should neglect seed time ? Would there be a har
vest? Or, if there were none, would God violate his
promise ? By no means. The promise evidently intends
this, and no more than this : that, generally, the course of
the seasons shall be regular and favorable ; and where seed
time is improved a harvest will follow. But still, " if the
sluggard will not plough because of the cold, he shall beg
in harvest and have nothing. God fulfills his promise in
giving the times of sowing and gathering, and in causing
his sun to shine, and his rain to fall upon our fields. His
blessing does not fail. But if we neglect the necessary
means of obtaining a harvest, we cast away the blessing,
and can claim no benefit from the promise.
There isAerhaps, no promise in the Bible expressed
more absolutely, than that of a harvest ; and yet every man
knows how to understand it. I presume no man, on the
fact of this promise, ever refused to sow his seed, or, when
he had soAvn it, left it to be devoured by beasts ; for every
man knows that, though harvests in general do not cease,

312 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
yet he shall have none, unless he takes the necessary steps
to obtain one. The sluggard, who will not sow, never
thinks of charging the barrenness of his field to the unfaith
fulness of God. For in matters which relate to the
necessary business of life, men usually reason and judge
rightly. It is in things which respect religion, that they
most frequently abuse and pervert the promises of God, and
admit the doctrine of the devil — that when God has de
clared his intention of an end, we need not do any thing to
obtain the end, or avoid any thing through fear of defeat
ing it.
We will consider some cases in which men reason with
themselves, and with one another, just as Satan reasoned
with our Saviour."
I. Some say, " The Scripture declares that God will
have all men to be saved, and none to perish, and that he
gave his Son to be a ransom for all." " Now," say they,
" if it be God's will that all should be saved, and the Son of
God have ransomed all, then all will be saved ; for who
can resist God's will, or defeat his purposes ? His power
is equal to his benevolence ; both are infinite, and the end
is certain. It is, then, of no importance what men believe,
or what they do. The vicious and impenitent are as safe
as the penitent and virtuous ; and infidels are as safe as
believers." But all this reasoning is founded in a perversion of Script
ure and of nature.
1. It is founded in a perversion of Scripture. This,
indeed, says, God would not that any should perish ; but it
adds, He would that all men should come to repentance.
It says, He would have all men to be saved. And it sub-

TEMPTING GOD. 313
joins, He would have them come to the knowledge of the
truth. The passages, therefore, teach us, that unless sin
ners and unbelievers do repent and embrace the truth,
they cannot be saved, but must perish. The Gospel,
indeed, asserts that Christ gave himself a ransom for all.
But how for all ? Not that all might be saved in their sins ;
but, " that the mercy, of God might be unto all them that
believe." The grace of God that brings salvation, has
appeared unto all men, teaching them to deny ungodly and
worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly,
and thus to look for the hope of salvation through Christ,
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people.
2. The reasoning under consideration is as contrary to
nature as it is to Scripture. For habitual wickedness is
itself inconsistent with rational happiness. If the impeni
tent sinner is to be happy in his impenitence, the whole
system of nature must be inverted. The Gospel scheme
was introduced not to prescribe to men arbitrary terms of
happiness, but to propose to them such terms as are essen
tial to their happiness. They are not in danger from the
Gospel, but from their disobedience to the Gospel. It is
not this that has made sin the cause of misery. It is the
nature of sin to produce misery. Grace has interposed for
our deliverance. If we will not accept this deliverance, we
must take the consequences of our perverseness.
II. The same abuse is often made of the doctrine of
Election. That there is a divine election of persons to eternal life,
the Scripture tells us ; and serious people, though they may
differ in their manner of stating it, yet generally admit it
27

314 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
in substance. To explain this doctrine is not our present
intention, but to correct the abuse of it.
There are some licentious people, who, either foolishly
mistaking, or wickedly perverting the doctrine, plead it in
excuse for the indulgence of palpable iniquity. They say,
" If there be a certain number chosen to salvation, and all
the rest be reprobated to destruction, why need we concern
ourselves about the matter 1 We cannot alter the decree
of God. If we be elected to salvation, our impenitence
will not deprive us of it ; and if we be reprobated to mis
ery, our repentance will not save us from it. We may
resign ourselves to our fate, for the purpose of God will
stand." But where do you find in Scripture such a kind of elec
tion as this ? We are told that God hath chosen us- to
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of
the truth ; but not that any are appointed to salvation
Avithout faith and holiness. We are directed to make our
calling and election sure, by adding to our faith all the vir
tues of the Christian character ; and we are told, that if
avc do this we shall never fail ; but we are nowhere taught
that election-is made sure to men, whether they have in
them these virtues or not.
Whatever may be our different conceptions of God's de
crees, so much is plain, that the Scriptures teach no decrees
but such as ascertain the end by a course of means, and
insure benefits on certain qualifications and conditions. Our
business is with the means and conditions. By the observ
ance of these we are to secure the blessings — not to expect
the blessings in the neglect of these. To argue from elec
tion, that there is no need of our attending to our OAvn.sal-

TEMPTING GOD. 315
vation, is to adopt the reasoning of Satan, who would have
Christ plunge himself headlong from a pinnacle of the tem
ple, relying on God's promise, that angels should bear him
up in their hands, and that his foot should not be dashed
against a stone.
The Gospel makes the offer, describes the nature, and
states the terms of salvation. The terms are repentance
of sin, and faith in the Redeemer. On our compliance
with these terms, salvation is secured to us by promise.
While we reject them we are under condemnation. Thus
far our duty is plain, and the way of salvation is obvious.
It is also certain that there is no hidden purpose, which will
set aside the express word of God. He is in one mind ;
none can turn him. " Secret things belong to God ; things
that are revealed belong to us and our children, that we
may do the words of his law."
Though many, from the decrees of God, argue them
selves into licentiousness in their moral conduct, yet none
will allow the same argument to influence their worldly
conduct. No man will throw himself down a precipice,
depending for security on a decree which has fixed the
bounds of life. No man will say that if the term of his
life be not run out, a fall cannot hurt him. No man in a
dangerous sickness, will neglect the means of recovery,
presuming that the decree of God will save him without the
use of means. No man permits seed time to pass unim
proved, on the presumption that the decree of God will
bring him a harvest, without his seeding or cultivating his
ground. Here most men argue rationally and act pru
dently. They believe that there is a regular providence on
which they are dependent for every thing, and that in order to

316 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
receive the blessing of providence they must occupy the
powers and apply the means which they possess. Here the
government of providence is an argument for industry.
Whence is it that so many argue differently in matters of
religion ? The reason is obvious. The duties of religion
are disagreeable to them, and they wish to be excused from
them. The interests of the world are pleasing to them, and
they pursue them with ardor ; and hence the same doc
trine which is an argument for negligence in the former
case, is an argument for diligence in this.
III. In much the same manner some abuse the doctrine
of God's grace in the conversion of sinners. The Scriptures
often tell us that we are saved by grace ; that our renova
tion is a work of God ; that faith is his gift. Hence seri
ous and humble souls take encouragement to work out
their salvation : for if the grace of God works in them,
there is hope that they may work with success. But the
negligent and careless argue differently. They reason with
themselves as the devil reasoned with our Saviour. They
say, " If conversion be the work of God, then it is not our
work, and we need not concern ourselves about it. If he is
pleased to work a saving change in us, we shall be saved ;
if not we must suffer the consequences, and we cannot pre
vent it." Now this argument you may just as well use in
your secular business. You at once see the absurdity of it
in this case : it is equally absurd in the other. It is not
pretended that you can renew your own souls, and prepare
them for heaven independently of God. But repentance
and faith must be your own acts and exercises. And you
are to consider that God, of his free, sovereign grace, has
put into your hands the means of faith and repentance, and

TEMPTING GOD. 317
affords the influence of his good Spirit to accompany them.
While, therefore, you are in the use of these means, you
are in the way in which God ordinarily grants his blessing.
Attend to the means and trust God's grace, as you attend
to your secular business and trust his providence for suc
cess. But is it not dishonoring the grace of God to think that
we must do any thing for our salvation ? Let me ask, Is it
not dishonoring the providence of God, to think that you,
must do any thing for your daily bread ? It is not dishon
oring God to seek his blessing in the way which he has pre
scribed. If you presume on his grace in any other way,
you do not magnify but mock it ; you do not trust but tempt
the Lord.
IV. The doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints,
has often been perverted, in the same manner as other doc
trines of grace.
The Gospel teaches us that true believers are kept by the
power of Gocl through faith unto salvation ; that those who
are born of God do not commit sin, nor yield themselves to
obey it ; for in the language of the Scriptures, he that com-
mitteth sin is the servant of sin. They who are born of
God do not thus commit sin ; their seed remaineth in
them, and they do not sin, because they are born of God.
Some will say, " This certain perseverance of saints we
fully believe, and we trust we have been born of God. Our
salvation, therefore, is sure ; for God's promise will never
fail. We may live as we list : Ave may return to our sins,
and be safe ; for they will never separate us from the love
of God Avhich is in Christ Jesus."
But do you call this perseverance ? It is apostasy ; and
27*

318 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
such a kind of apostasy, too, as clearly proves that you
were never born of God ; for it is the character of him who
is born of God, that he does not commit sin, nor become a
servant of sin. What ? Because God has promised to
preserve true believers unto salvation, will you conclude
that you shall obtain salvation, even though you pervert this
grace to encourage yourselves in iniquity ? Such per
version of grace is an evidence that you are not true be
lievers. You are never to depend on any past experiences as ev
idential of a new heart, unless these experiences are per
manent in their operations and effects. The promise of
eternal life is made to those who seek it by a patient con
tinuance in well-doing. If you refuse to seek it in this
manner, you have no title to the promise. " If any man
draw back, God has no pleasure in him."
The believer's security is not in a promise that he shall
obtain salvation, even though he should return to a course
of sin ; for there is no such promise ; but it lies in a prom
ise of all necessary grace, to prevent a total and final
relapse. This grace he obtains by waiting on God in his
appointed way. This is the language of godly souls : " Shall
we sin because we are under a promise of grace ? God for
bid. How shall we, Avho are dead to sin, live any longer
therein ? "
V. When any measures are proposed for the spread and
promotion of the Gospel, they who, from unbelief or ava
rice, are unfriendly to such measures, often say, " God has
promised that he will give his Son the heathen for an inher
itance, and the utmost part of the earth for his possession ;
and will he not make good his promise ? What occasion is

TEMPTING GOD. 319
there for us to be at any expense or trouble in the matter ?"
This is arguing exactly as Satan argued : " Cast thyself
down from the temple, for God has promised that he will
give his angels charge of thee." It is, indeed, plainly fore
told and expressly promised that the Gospel shall spread
and prevail in the world ; and we believe the event will be
realized. But then it is also foretold how this event will
be brought about. It shall be by the zeal and labor of
Christians to send the Gospel abroad in the world. And
whenever we see Christians remarkably engaged to extend
the knowledge and influence of the Gospel, then we may
hope the good work is begun. God will effect this work as
he does other great works for the benefit of mankind ; not
by an immediate and miraculous power, but by employing,
supporting and succeeding human laborers, as his subordi
nate agents.
The spread of the Gospel after Christ's resurrection was
agreeable to previous predictions and promises ; but it was
effected by the labor and preaching of ministers, and by the
zeal and liberality of Christians to support them. And
God wrought with his ministers to confirm and succeed their
preaching. The future spread of the Gospel, which is so
often foretold in Scripture, will, like the past be effected by
God's blessing on human means.
God has promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail
against his church. " Why then," some ask, " need Christ
ians and ministers be so much concerned about the church ?
Why so much talk and preaching in favor of the church,
and against infidelity ? If the promise can be depended
on, infidelity will never subvert the church." They never
will ; because there will ahvays be a competent number of

320 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
witnesses to oppose and confront them, and in defence of
the truth. And, thank God that there is such a number at
the present day. But if the time were ever to come when
there would be none to plead for the truth, but all would
silently yield to the influence, and comply with the will of
its enemies, the church Avould cease of course. We trust
that there never will be such a time. This may be the case
in particular places. And wherever it is the case, the
church in that place will cease, as it has done already in
many places where it once existed. But it will at no time be
the case universally. There will always be a church some
where. If it should be depressed, it will still exist, and
will again rise from its depression. And the time is com
ing when all nations will see and admire it. In the mean
time, we should be solicitous to maintain it among our
selves. We should enter into it, labor to preserve its pu
rity, and according to our ability, contribute to the enlarge
ment of its borders, and the advancement of its interests.
And at a day when a great and effectual door is opened ;
when on the one hand, there are many enemies, and on the
other many of the friends of Zion seem to be engaged in
her cause, we should cheerfully afford our aid and concur
rence in so important a work.
The subject teaches us that neither in this case nor in
any other, ought we to make the promises of God an ex
cuse for the neglect of our duty. The good which God
promises he always brings about by the use of means, and in
concurrence with human agency. And if, when God has
promised a benefit, we neglect the means of obtaining it,
Ave pervert his promises and forfeit the benefit. His prom
ises are designed to excite obedience, not to encourage neg-

REV. F. A. WILLARD. 321
lect. We are to trust in him and do good, and in well
doing, to commit ourselves to him as a faithful Creator.
When we wait .upon him in the way of duty, then we trust
and honor him. But Avhen, presuming on his promise, we
neglect our duty, we mock and tempt him. And it is
written, " Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

§ 4. Rev. Frederic Augustus Willard.
When Dr. Going Avas absent on his Avestern tour in the
summer and autumn of 1831, Mr. Willard was employed
to supply his place in the pulpit of the First Baptist church.
He and Mr. Abbott, then pastor of the Calvinist church,
cooperated in sustaining a union prayer meeting on Sab
bath evenings, ' Avhich marked the commencement of a gen
eral religious awakening that resulted in adding nearly
three hundred members to the three evangelical churches
then existing in the town.' On the resignation of the pas
toral office by Dr. Going, Mr. Willard was with great una
nimity invited to succeed him. He Avas offered a salary
of $500. His ordination took place, Jan. 18, 1832. On
that occasion, Rev. John Green of Leicester and Rev. Otis
Converse of Grafton, performed the introductory services ;
Rev. Henry J. Ripley, Professor in the Newton Theologi
cal Seminary, preached the sermon ; Rev. Jonathan Going
addressed the church and people ; Rev. William Hague of
Boston, gave the right hand of fellowship : and Rev. John
Walker of Sutton closed the services with prayer.
Mr. Willard officiated as pastor of this church about

322 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
three and a half years. During his ministry the subject of
temperance was brought prominently before the minds of
his people. In 1834, " it was declared to be the strong and
deliberate conviction of the church, that the time had ar
rived, when no professed disciple of Christ could manufac
ture, buy, sell, or use ardent spirits, as a beverage, without
being guilty of immorality, and violating his profession as
a Christian ; and it was resolved, that entire abstinence
from the manufacture, use and sale of this article, should be
an invariable condition of membership and good standing."
The church was considerably enlarged while Mr. Willard-
was their pastor, and though called to part with him after
a comparatively short ministry, were soon ready to settle
a successor with prospect of increased strength and effi
ciency. Rev. F. A. Willard is a native of Lancaster in this
County. When quite young, he was graduated at Am
herst College in 1826, soon after that institution received
its charter. During his collegiate course he made such
proficiency in natural science, that he was invited in the
winter of 1827 to give the course of Chemical Lectures at
the opening of the Vermont Medical University at Wood
stock. For several years afterwards, he continued to fill
the chair of Chemistry and Botany in that institution. His
theological studies were pursued at the Newton Seminary,
at which he was graduated in 1830. The year following
he declined an invitation to become Professor of Chemistry
in Waterville College. From Jan. 18, 1832, to July 30,
1835, he was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Wor
cester. Leaving this place he became Junior Pastor of

REV. F. A. WILLARD. 323
the First Baptist Church in Newton.* In May, 1839, he
left New England forthe South andbecame pastor of the Sec
ond Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. His services there
Avere acceptable to the church, and the connection was one of
mutual pleasure. In 1842, the long illness of his wife ren
dered it necessary for him to leave. After her death, Mr.
Willard returned to Kentucky and accepted a professor
ship in the Louisville College, in which he continued till
the inadequate cooperation of the city council induced a
simultaneous resignation ]of all the college officers. In
1848, he became Superintendent of the Louisville Tract
Society and City Mission. In November of the following
year having returned to his native State,f he became pastor
of the South Baptist Church in Danvers. His pastoral re
lation to that church still continues.
Mr. Willard's style of address in the pulpit may be in
ferred with some degree of accuracy, from the paragraphs
which follow. They are taken from a sermon on the " cer
tainty of moral retribution:" Galatians 6: 7. Re not de
ceived ; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap.
" It is worthy of our consideration that the disposition to
be deceived, the wish that moral retribution were not true,
has respect only to criminal inclinations and acts, and not
to those which are holy. The world are very ready to lis
ten to the word of God when it reads, ' Say ye to the
* He had a few months before married Mary Winchester, daughter of Seth
Davis, Esq., of Newton. Mrs. Willard departed this life after protracted ill
ness, in November, 1842.
t " The defeat of the friends of emancipation in the election of the Ken
tucky Convention for Constitutional Reform, and the consequent confirmation
of slavery in Kentucky contributed to the purpose of returning to ray native
State."— Letter of Mr. W. to the author.

324 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
righteous, it shall be well with him, for he shall eat the
fruit of his doings ; ' but when it is added, ' Wo unto the
Avicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands
shall be given him,' then they are disposed to explain
away the meaning- of terms till nothing alarming is left.
Or while ready to receive one declaration in its broad and
far-reaching application, the other, so intentionally similar
in form, is to be taken only with such limitations and re
stricted application, as practically to remove or allay the
fear of transgression.
" How many of you Avhom I address to-day, do I meet in
this temper of mind so natural to fallen and sinful man.
The young, in all the ardor of expectation, picturing pleas
ure in the unrestrained indulgence of youthful appetite ;
mature men and women, too intensely earnest in getting
earthly treasures, to hear the saying of the Son of God,
' I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you ;'
the aged, so confirmed in life-long habits of neglecting God,
that it is irksome and offensive to them, even to be asked to
think of their obligations to him ; — some of you with un
blushing avowal, and others with vague and silent hope,
trusting that you shall not reap what you have so long been
sowing. Is there not, therefore, fitness in introducing this
subject to you, as it is introduced in our text ? Re not
deceived. " You all understand the principle on which we can never
safely trust the judgment of a criminal in his own case.
You know individually that you have broken the law of
God. In his sight, therefore, by your own admission, you
are criminals. Is it not then contrary to all experience
that you should appear to yourselves as guilty as you seem

MORAL RETRIBUTION. 325
to any impartial and sinless being ? Yet you have sought
to quiet your fears about the personal consequences of sin,
by doubting whether human transgressions deserve that
dreadful end which is revealed in the Scriptures. Again
I ask, are you and I fit judges of what our OAvn sins deserve ?
Aside from the incompetency occasioned by self-love, our
knowledge of the nature and extent of our relations to God
and to created beings is so very limited that we are utterly
incapable of estimating the real nature and tendencies of
sin ; as Ave are also profoundly ignorant of its terrible and
probably unlimited mischiefs to the universe. While you
are endeavoring to justify or palliate your transgressions,
they must appear immeasurably different to Him who
never found one day of perfect obedience in your life, and
whose government you will be under forever.
" Besides, such of you as have succeeded in doubting those
endless consequences of sin Avhich the Bible reveals, have
practically taken that doubt as a means of banishing alarm
about any consequences whatsoever. And now consider that
many of your sins are deliberate and intentional violations
of the knoAvn Avill of that Infinite Being Avho made you.
Weigh the sentiments and operations of mind by which you
have quieted your fears and got rid of all distress on ac
count of these sins, and then decide yourself, I pray you,
wjiether it be possible that a man in such a state is in -his
right mind. I beseech you to decide whether one who has
achieved such a victory over his own reason and conscience,
is not mournfully deceived already. Is there any probable
truth in conclusions, or rather in doubts Ayhich have pro
duced such shocking insensibility to your own guilt ? Will
you then cherish a security Avhich you have been building
28

326 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
on so suspicious a foundation as your dislike of a life of
piety, and you sitting in judgment upon your own case ?
When all your appetites and wishes, as an acknowledged
sinner, are on one side of the question, that is Wisdom's
voice, which rises clear above the din of human passion,
and comes to you in tones earnest and solemn, Re not de
ceived. Listen then. And seek to be guided for an end
less life, with all the caution, and patience and earnestness,
which become an immortal being who has confessedly wan
dered from the path of right.
" There is practical guidance for our actions in knowing
their consequences. And this inspired utterance, ' What
soever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,' is a procla
mation of consequences. It indeed compares acts and their
results in figurative terms and with a pungent brevity,
which does not always enable us to determine the precise
form of harm or advantage which a particular act may
bring upon us. But it will teach even a child,' that good
acts must have a good end and bad ones a bad end."

§ 5. Rev. Jonathan Aldrich
Was the fourth pastor of the First Baptist Church. He
Avas invited to become their minister, October 17, 1835,
and installed over them, the 27th of the same month. The
Rev. Baron Stow of Boston preached the sermon ; Rev.
Abisha Sampson of Southborough gave the charge ; Rev.
Charles 0. Kimball of Methuen offered the prayer ; Rev.
Frederic A. Willard presented the right hand of fellow-

REV. JONATHAN ALDRICH. 327
ship ; Rev. Charles Train of Framingham addressed the
people r and Rev. John Walker of Sutton closed the ser
vices with prayer.
Mr. Aldrich is a native of St. Johnsbury, Caledonia
County, Vt. He pursued his studies preparatory to entering
college, in the academy atPeacham, Vt-, and with the Rev.
Abial Fisher of Bellingham. He was graduated at Brown
University, in 1826. He entered the Theological Semina
ry at Newton and remained there one year. Laboring
with the Baptist Church in Dedham during the vacation
that followed his first year at Newton, his services seemed
to be greatly blessed, and he was induced to remain there
as their pastor. His ordination took place in Dec. 1827.
During his two and a half years' ministry in Dedham, forty-
five were added to the church — a number considerably ex
ceeding that of which the whole church consisted Avhen he
Avas ordained. Leaving Dedham,* April, 1830, he became
pastor of the Baptist Church in Beverly in the following
May. Unusual attention to spiritual interests soon mani
fested itself and continued with scarcely any abatement or
intermission for three years. In this time, one hundred and
forty-nine were baptized into the felloAVship of the church.
Leaving Beverly, Mr. Aldrich was transferred to East
Cambridge in 1833. His ministry in Worcester, commenc
ing in 1835, continued till May, 1838. Under his admin
istration, the church was enlarged by an addition of two
hundred and eighteen members — one hundred and thirty-
two of them on profession of their faith. The house of
* Mr. Aldrich was married during his residence in Dedham, to Miss Cath
arine P., daughter of Mr. Asa Lewis of Boston, now of AVorcester. The date
of this union was April 2d, 1828.

328 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
worship, erected on the site of that which had been burnt,
was dedicated in 1836, and Mr. Aldrich preached on the
occasion from the Avords, Holiness becometh thy house, 0
Lord, forever. Ps. 73 : 5.
Since his removal from Worcester,* Mr. Aldrich has been
settled over a Baptist Church in Philadelphia, and another
in Baltimore ; he has labored about one year as Secretary
and Agent of the N. E. Sabbath School Union ; and he is
nOAV pastor of the Baptist Church in Framingham. Large
accessions have been made to the churches of which he has
had the pastoral oversight, making the sum total more than
eight hundred. In a single year, while in Philadelphia,
he admitted to the Central Baptist Church, one hundred
and fourteen.
A sermon from the pen of Mr. Aldrich has been submit
ted to the disposal of the author, the whole of which would
be inserted were not his supply of materials more ample
than the necessary limits of this volume. He is obliged
therefore to restrict himself to the following selections.
The subject of the discourse is " the priceless value of the
soul." Mark 8 : 36. What shall it profit a man, if he
shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul ? Its
method of treatment is thus stated : "1. The infinity of the
soul's duration ; 2. Its exalted and ever-expanding powers;
3. Its immense susceptibilities : 4. The price paid for its
redemption." A persual of Avhat its Avriter says in expanding the sec-
* AVhen Mr. A. left Worcester, the church passed the following commen
datory resolution : — "That we hold his character as a vigilant, peace-making,
able pastor, in the highest estimation, and acknowledge our obligations ever
to be grateful to the giver of every good and perfect gift, that we have been
permitted to enjoy his faithful ministry."

VALUE OE THE SOUL. 329
ond and fourth divisions, will give a view of the bearing
and scope of the whole sermon.
"2. The preciousness of the soul may be argued from
its exalted and ever-expanding powers. Certain it is that
' there is nothing more noble or improvable than the human
soul.' Its faculties are capable of immense expansion, even
during the brief period of mortal existence, and under all
the disadvantages of that existence. Its powers in an in
fant are discovered to be feeble ; but they grow with its
growth and strengthen with its strength. Every acquisi
tion of new knowledge expands its capacities, and pre
pares it for still further investigations. Nor can any acqui
sitions, hoAvever extensive, satisfy its lofty aspirings ; it is
continually soaring after acquaintance with objects which it
has not yet attained. And the wider and deeper its re
searches, the more are its powers strengthened, and the
better is it qualified to make still more exalted attainments.
Such is the soul of man in this incipient state of its being.
" But, is it reasonable to conclude that this power of ex
pansion, this power of rising higher and yet higher in intel
lectual greatness, will be limited to the present life ? If
the soul is endowed with intelligence, as one of the promi
nent ingredients of its being ; and if, in this dark and mis
erable world, united to its cumbrous clay, it is susceptible
of continual progress in knowledge and improvement, will
not this susceptibility be inconceivably augmented when the
soul shall be freed from its prison of clay, and enter the
eternal Avorld ? There, where its noblest powers will be
continually tasked to prepare it to grasp the elevated and
elevating themes and objects that will occupy its contem
plation, will not those powers receive an expansion of which
28*

330 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
we can at present form but a very inadequate idea ? Let
it be prepared by the grace of God for the mansions of the
blest, where every thing is adapted to awaken the highest
interest, and call forth its mightiest energies ; and who can
conceive the elevation to which the soul will arrive, as the
ages of its happy being shall roll endlessly onward ? In
such circumstances, man, in his intelligence, will be contin
ually approximating towards the image of the all-wise God,
until it shall surpass all that the saints in glory and the an
gels of light have ever yet attained ! 0, how exalted intel
lectually will the soul of man become in that eternal world
of joy ; ever expanding under circumstances the most
felicitous, during the ages of its immortal existence !
" But this is not all. Man possesses moral as well as in
tellectual poAvers.; and these too are susceptible of immense
improvement. High moral excellence is attainable during
his present state of existence. Let the truth and spirit of
God renovate his powers, let the soul be created anew ' in
righteousness and true holiness,' and the moral excellence
of man's primeval state is restored to it, the image of God
is again enstamped upon that soul. And, dark as may be
this world, and numerous as may be evil influences on every
hand, the child of God may continually grow in grace, till
he arrives to ' the stature of a perfect man in Christ
Jesus ' ; till he shall ' be filled with all the fullness of
God.' And if divine grace can so adorn the soul, can
impart increasing excellence to it, in this world, where sin
abounds, and innumerable temptations exist ; what may we
not expect, Avhen it shall enter the Paradise of God, be
hold the Redeemer as he is, witness the unvailed glories of
God, and experience thp transforming efficacy of that bless-

VALUE OF THE SOUL. 331
ed vision ? Ah ! when the ransomed soul shall see him as
he is, he shall be like him. He leaves all his imperfec
tions, as well as sorrows, at the grave, and enters the eter
nal world a holy and happy being. But there his moral
excellence is not to remain stationary. As intellectually,
so morally, he will be continually rising higher and higher
in beauty and glory for ever and ever. If this be true,
then is it not reasonable to suppose that there will come a
period in eternity, when a single ransomed soul shall pos
sess an amount of excellence and glory surpassing that of
the highest seraph that now adores before the eternal
throne ? How inconceivably exalted then are the powers
of the human soul ; and how precious must be a soul pos
sessed of such endowments. What is the world, yea, what
is the material universe, in comparison with such a soul ? "
" 4. We may look at the preciousness of the soul in the
light of the price paid for its redemption. And here we
frankly acknowledge the utter inadequacy of our powers
to comprehend such a subject. Could we ascend to heaven
and behold the majesty and glory of the Mediator, with
powers adequate to comprehend such a being ; then, by
the dignity of the victim sacrificed, might we judge of the
value of the sacrifice.
" This infinite being, ' God over all, blessed forever,'
paid the price of the soul's ransom by inconceivable ago
nies in the garden and on the cross. If a less sacrifice
could have accomplished the object, God would never have
taken his only and beloved Son, and made his soul an offer
ing for sin. Among men, the preciousness of any thing is
measured by the price paid for it. So we infer the great
price of that pearl which the merchant went and sold all

332 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
he had, and bought. On this principle, we learn the value
of the soul. The greatest work which God has ever per
formed, and the mightiest sacrifice he has ever made, have
been for the souls of men. This is a subject of the deepest
mystery, and of overwhelming interest. But this much' we
can understand, that he has done nothing like this for the
angels that kept their first estate ; and he has done nothing
like it for the angels that did sin, and need redemption as
much as ourselves. This interposition and sacrifice stamp
the preciousness of the soul beyond all calculation, and
beyond all other considerations. If, then, for their redemp
tion, God has sacrificed the most exalted and excellent
being in the universe, is there any thing on earth too great
to be given up for their welfare ? Shall any be so charmed
with the trifles of earth, that they will be willing for them
to sacrifice the interests of their souls ? Could we gain the
whole world, and enjoy it during a period as lasting as the
earth's existence, what would it all be, contrasted with the
loss of the soul ? ' The titles of sovereign, monarch, em
peror, would naturally charm little souls like ours. Sump
tuous palaces, superb equipages, a crowd of devoted
courtiers, bowing before us, and all that exterior grandeur
which environs the princes of the earth, would naturally
fascinate such feeble eyes, and infatuate such puerile imagi
nations as ours.' But what are they ? Could they mitigate
the pangs of the second death ? Nay, would they not
rather heighten by contrast those pangs ? As one observes,
' Death puts an end to the most specious titles, to the most
dazzling grandeur, and to the most delicious life : and the
thought of this period of human glory reminds me of the
memorable action of a prince, who, although he Avas a

REV. SAMUEL B. SWAIM. 333
heathen, was wiser than many professing Christians ; I
mean the great Saladin.' After he had subdued kingdoms,
and 'performed exploits more than human, in those Avars,
which superstition had stirred up for the recovery of the
Holy Land ; he finished his life in the performance of an
action that ought to be transmitted to the most distant pos
terity. A moment before he uttered his last sigh, he called
the herald, who had carried his banner before him in all his
battles, and commanded him to fasten to the top of a lance,
the shroud in which the dying prince was soon to be buried.
Go, said he, carry this lance, unfurl this banner; and, while
you lift up this standard, proclaim, This, this is all that re
mains to Saladin the Great, the conqueror, the king of the
empire, of all his glory.'
" Every Christian minister is called to perform the office
of this herald ; to hold up before men, sensual and intellec
tual pleasures, worldly riches and human honors, and re
duce them all to the price of the shroud in which they will
shortly be buried. How sad the thought that any, for such
trifles, should sacrifice their eternal welfare! Let that
soul, then, which is infinitely precious, be duly regarded by
all ; and let none rest, till they have satisfactory, scriptural
evidence that it is prepared for the immortality of the
heavens."
v 6. Rev. Samuel B. Swaim.
The church, left Avithout a pastor by the .dismission of
Mr. Aldrich, engaged Mr. SAvaim to supply the pulpit, in
November, 1838. In April of the year fblloAving, he
assumed the pastoral relation with the First Baptist

334 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Church, and still continues to minister to them in holy
things. Mr. Swaim is a natiye of New Jersey. He was gradu
ated at Brown University in 1830, and at Newton The
ological Seminary in 1833. His ordination as a minister
of the Gospel took place the same year in Haverhill ; and
he supplied the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in that
place for several months. In 1835, he was invited to fill
the theological professorship in Granville College. He
occupied this position about two years ; when the embar
rassed condition of the institution rendered it expedient to
unite the duties of theological instruction with those of the
Presidency. The Rev. Dr. Going having been called to
preside over the college, Mr. Swaim returned to New
England. His services were soon in requisition by the
First Baptist Church in Worcester, and having entered
upon his duties as pastor in 1839, he has performed an ac
ceptable ministry among them for more than eleven years.
In these years, considerable accessions have been made to
the church, the society has been large and flourishing, and
the harmony of feeling between the minister and his people
indicates continued and increasing prosperity.
This closes the account of the First Baptist Church in
Worcester. The author would gladly have given extended
illustrations of the Pulpit of this church, had he not been
limited by want of space. He has no doubt that an entire
sermon from each of the pastors would be both readable and
instructive ; but the pages which they must have occupied
were not at his command, and ' that Avhich is wanting, can
not be numbered.'

CALVINIST CHURCH. 335

CHAPTER V.
CALVINIST CHURCH AND ITS PASTORS.
§ 1. Formation of the Church.
This church was organized, August 17, 1820. Difficul
ties had arisen in the First Church which occasioned the
dismission of five of its members without recommendation
to any other church. Others who desired to be dismissed
and recommended, were denied their request. A number
of individuals requested dismission and recommendation,
with a view to the formation of a new church. Their de
sire was not granted. The aggrieved sought the advice of
a council. The council met Feb. 19, 1819, and recom
mended those Avho had been dismissed from the First
Church without recommendation, to the fellowship of the
churches. Several, not receiving letters to other churches,
' attached themselves to a religious society of another
denomination, and usually worshiped with them, although
they still communed with the First Church at the sacra
mental table.' June 2d, 1820, the church, acting on the
principle affirmed by a council called to advise in the pre
ceding May, that uniting and worshiping with another
denomination, and withholding pecuniary support, was
virtual separation, declared that these individuals had, by
their OAvn acts, cut themselves off from the privileges of
their church-membership.

336 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
On the 2d of August, 1820, Dea. Richards and Mrs.
Richards, who had been admitted to the church in Ward,
(uoav Auburn,) Avith eight individuals Avho had been sepa
rated from the First Church, under the operation of the
principle above stated, sent a letter missive to the churches
in Franklin, Northbridge, Sutton, Millbury, Upton, Wren-
tham, and Ward, and those of Park Street and Old South
in Boston, inviting them to deliberate on their case and
give advice as to future action. The council convened on
the 16th of the same month. The Rev. Nathaniel
Emmons, D. D., was chosen moderator, and the Rev.
Enoch Pond, scribe. After a protracted hearing of the
whole case submitted to them, the council were unani
mously of the opinion that it was expedient to organize the
individuals who had sought their advice, into a separate
church. An extract from their result folloAvs : " Under
these circumstances, the council being satisfied Avith the
confession of faith and covenant* which the applicants
have proposed to adopt, voted unanimously, that they do
approve their being constituted a regular church of Christ,
under the name of the Calvinist Church in Worcester."
" After the council liad published the foregoing result,
and the applicants had signified their acceptance [of it],
the council proceeded to organize and establish them into
a separate church, under the name of ' The Calvinist
Church in Worcester,' August 17, 1820. "f
" Subsequently, proposals Avere made by the First
Church, on conditions Avhich did not meet the vieAVS of the
new organization, to submit to a mutual council the Avhole
* Appendix I.
f Records of the Calvinist Church, p. 12.

CALVINIST CHURCH. 337
subject of existing difficulties. Conferences were held by
committees of the two bodies, terminating, after protracted
negotiation, in the conclusion, that it was possible only to
agree to remain separate."*
The Calvinist Church and those associating with them
for religious purposes, held a meeting on the 8th of Febru
ary, 1822, to organize a society, according to the laws of
the Commonwealth. The Hon. Daniel Waldo and seven
others, bound themselves to meet the expenses of supporting
public Avorship for five years.
The church and society thus organized, regular worship
was commenced the first Sabbath in April, 1822, in the
Court House. This continued to be their place of worship
about one year and a half. Different individuals supplied
their temporary pulpit, until Oct., 1822, when the gentle
man who afterwards became their pastor, was engaged to
preach for a few Sabbaths. In the following March, he
was invited to settle with them, and was ordained their
pastor and teacher, October 15, 1823.
Remonstrance was offered by the First Church against
the ordaining council's proceeding to comply with the re
quest of ' those persons styling themselves the Calvinist
Church ; ' and the remonstrance was supported by reasons
strongly set forth ; but the council determining that the
body which had organized the Calvinist Church had reason
for their action, and that their action was evidence of its
regular existence, disclaimed authority to reverse the decis
ion or annul the acts of that body, and declined receiving
the remonstrance.
A house of worship, erected by the Hon. Daniel Waldo,
* See Lincoln's Hist., p. 214.
29

338 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
for the use of the new society,* was dedicated to the ser
vice of Almighty God the same day, on which the ordina
tion of the first pastor took place. The introductory ser
vices on that occasion were performed by the Rev. Benja
min B. Wisner of Boston ; the sermon was preached by
the Rev. Dr. Austin, then of Newport, R. I. ; and the
prayer of consecration offered by the Rev. Samuel Green
of Boston.f
¦ The difficulties existing for years between the First
Church and the Calvinist Church had excited painful inter
est not only in those more immediately concerned, but in a
large circle of clergymen and churches. In June of 1827,
at the meeting of the General Association of Massachu
setts, this interest manifested itself in the form of an earn
est desire of removing its cause. Several of the distin
guished ministers who composed the body for that year,
united in drawing up a letter of advice, in the hope of soften
ing the asperities of opposing interests and producing a rec
onciliation between the parties at variance. $ This letter was
* This house, built in 1823, was altered in 1830, by contracting its galleries,
reconstructing its pews and pulpit, and substituting a steeple for its' cupola.'
In 1832, the parties concerned agreed upon an enlargement of the house by
adding both to its length and width. It is now 93 feet in length and 57 feet
wide. The height of its spire is 130 feet. There are 94 pews on the floor.
f " The house, and the land upon which it was built, were conveyed, July
9, 1825, by Mr. Waldo, for the use and benefit of the church and society. A do
nation of $5000 was added to this great benefaction. The interest and income
were secured to be appropriated towards the payment of the salary of such
pastor as should have been elected, ordained, and settled, conformably to the
rules and usages of Congregational Calvinistic churches and societies hvthis
Commonwealth." — See Lin. Hist. p. 216.
% The letter is in the words following :
" To the Calvinist Church in Worcester.
After much anxious and prayerful deliberation, and influenced, we trust,
by love to God and love to man, we the subscribers have felt it our duty to
offer the following advice :

CALVINIST CHURCH. 339
written, June 27, and on the day folloAving, in compliance
with its earnest and affectionate recommendation, the mem
bers of both churches united in partaking of the Lord's
Supper, ' as a public testimonial of their intention to rees
tablish and maintain Christian fellowship.' From that
period, the relations between the two churches have become
more and more friendly, and, for years, nothing has occur-
in view of the difficulties which exist between the First Church and the
Calvinist Church in Worcester, and of their unhappy consequences upon
the churches of Christ and the cause of religion generally, it is our opinion
that these difficulties ought, without delay, to be settled ; and, although those
who were organized as the Calvinist Church have erred in some of their pro
ceedings and are not in all respects in accordance with ecclesiastical usage,
particularly in reference to the proposal made to them of a mutual council ; —
and, although the First Church have erred in some of their proceedings, and
were not in all respects in accordance with ecclesiastical usage, particularly
in reference to the discipline of the persons organized as the Calvinist Church ;
— yet that they may, notwithstanding, considering their present situation,
consistently with duty, acknowledge each other as churches of our Lord Jesus
Christ ; and we do affectionately and earnestly recommend them to do it,
and in the following manner, viz.
That this proposal be submitted to each of said churches, and, if accepted
by them, that the Moderator of the General Association, be requested, previ
ously to the communion tomorrow afternoon, to read this document and in
vite the members of these churches to unite in participating of the Lord's
Supper on that occasion — the doing of which shall be regarded as a public
testimony of their intention hereafter to maintain Christian fellowship."
(Signed) Theophilos Packard,
Lyman Beechee,
Heman Humphket,
Justin Edwards,
Warren Fat,
B. B. Wisner,
John Nelson,
Enoch Pond,
Horatio Bardwell,
Joseph Goffe,
John Fiske.
Worcester, June 27, 1827.

340 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
red seriously to interrupt their harmony. At this present
writing, it would not be easy to designate a collection of
churches in any place better united in sentiment or more
harmonious in action than the congregational evangelical
churches in Worcester.
The Calvinist Church and Society have increased in num
bers and influence from year to year ever since their organ
ization, and now present an inviting and promising field of
labor to him who so acceptably ministers to them in holy
things. Their pastors and teachers have served them with
commendable fidelity, seasons of special religious interest
have occurred which have added many to the church, and
they have occasion to exclaim with gratitude, ' Hitherto
hath the Lord helped us.'
We turn to a more particular consideration of the Pulpit
connected Avith this society. Its first occupant was the

§ 2. Rev. Loammi Ives Hoadley.
He was ordained over the Calvinist Church, October 15,
1823. The public services of his ordination were thus con
ducted. Introductory prayer, by Rev. Joel Hawes of
Hartford, Ct. ; sermon, by Rev. Lyman Beecher, D. D. of
Litchfield, Ct. ; ordaining prayer, by Rev. Edmund Mills
of Sutton ; charge, by Rev. Elisha Fisk of Wrentham ;
right hand of fellowship, by Rev. Baxter Dickinson of
Long Meadow ; address to the people, by Rev. William B.
Sprague of West Springfield ; closing prayer, by Rev. Ben
jamin Wood of Upton.

REV. L. I. HOADLEY. 341
Mr. Hoadley was born, Oct. 25, 1790, at Northford,
Ct., then a parish of Branford, He received his classical
education at Yale College, where he was graduated with
honor, in the class of 1817. His theological course was at
Andover, with the class of 1820. He was there a fourth
year, as resident licentiate on the Abbott Foundation.
He came to Worcester to supply the Calvinist Church, Oct.
1822. While officiating here, he was invited to the church
in Baltimore, which was afterwards under the pastoral care
of the Rev. Dr. Nevins. A preengagement here pre
vented his acceptance of the invitation. He was also invited
to go to Taunton ; but receiving an earnest call to settle
with the church to which he was ministering, he gave an
affirmative reply, and entered upon this sphere of duty
with the hope and the prospect of a useful ministry. The
year following his ordination, he married Miss Lydia, daugh
ter of Mr. Eli Smith of Northford, Ct., and sister of Rev.
Eli Smith, D. D. of Beirut, Syria. He continued his la
bors with this church and people, often embarrassed by the
difficulties incident to the unhappy relations subsisting be
tween this church and the First, but with increasing suc
cess, till the first Sabbath in June, 1828. Then by an in
cautious use of his lungs when suffering from a severe cold,
he induced such injury about the chest, as to incapacitate him
immediately and for many months from preaching, and from
which he has never entirely recovered. In 1829, he
thought it his duty to ask the discontinuance of his pasto
ral relation, and Avas accordingly dismissed by vote of the
church,* May 19th of that year, with the understanding
* When this vote was passed, the following testimonial was ordered to be
put on record : 29*

342 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
that their action should be confirmed by the council that
might be called to ordain his successor. Their doings in
this respect were sanctioned by such council, Dec. 9th,
1829.* In the winter term of 1829-30, Mr. Hoadley
officiated for Dr. Porter of Andover, during the absence
of the latter at the- South on account of his health. He
was invited to become the pastor of the church in Bradford
a few months afterwards, and installed there, October 15,
1830. The state of his health forbidding a long continu
ance there, he was dismissed at the expiration of a year
and a half, and removed, in the autumn of 1832 to Charles-
town. There he devoted himself to various literary pur
suits. During the last year of its continuance he edited
" The Spirit of the Pilgrims." Subsequently he was em
ployed in several editorial labors, particularly in connec
tion with the Mass. Sab. School Society. He also assisted
the Rev. Dr. Jenks in preparing for the press " the Com
prehensive Commentary," abridging and condensing Henry
and Scott, and collecting notes from other authors. In the
spring of 1844, Mr. Hoadley removed to Northford, Ct.,
his native place, where he has since resided. For the last
six or seven years, he has divided his time between teach
ing, agricultural labors, and preaching as opportunity and
health permitted. He has recently been invited to take
" This church take this opportunity to express their sympathy with their
beloved pastor in his trying circumstances ; and they hereby express their
entire confidence in him as a faithful minister of the Gospel, and their grati
tude to him for his faithfuluess while laboring in the ministry in this place."
Records of Calvinist Church, p. 48.
* The Council voted, " That the pastoral relation of the Rev. Mr. Hoadley
to the Calvinist Church and Society in Worcester be now dissolved, and that
he be recommended to the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ, as a regular
and faithful minister of the Gospel."

REV. L. I. HOADLEY. 343
the pastoral oversight of the congregational church in Orono,
Me. The following discourse by Mr. Hoadley was prepared
in the course of his regular ministrations in Worcester. It
was occasioned by the death of an aged member of his
church, whose decease occurred during an epidemic influ
enza. This may account for the selection of the topic.
The reader may not accept all the conclusions reached in
the sermon ; possibly he will regard some of them as lying
within the circle of those ' secret things which belong to
God ' ; yet he will be interested in the evident aim to make
— as Dr. Backus was once said to make — " God very
great " ; and also to bring man very near to God.

DIYINE AGENCY,

OR,

GOD'S HAND IN ALL THINGS

SERMON,

DELIVERED IN THE

CALVINIST CHURCH,. IN WORCESTER,

BY THE

REV. L. IVES HOADLEY.

SERMON.

Isaiah 45 : 7.

I form the light and create darkness: I make peace and
create evil : I the Lord do all these things.
Some ancient philosophers supposed the empire of the
world to be divided between two independent beings of
opposite characters ; the one the author of all good, the
other the author of all evil. Thus they accounted for that
mixture of pleasure and pain so constantly experienced in
life ; attributing the pleasure to the agency of the good
being, and th'e pain to the agency of the evil being. Where
Christianity is received, no such views of course are enter
tained; and in a Christian community every sentiment
ought to be worthy of the light enjoyed. It deserves to be
considered, however, whether there are not, sometimes,
even in Christian communities, sentiments and vieAvs unwor
thy of the Christian name. How often, without recognizing
the providence of God, prosperity and adversity are spoken
of as the results of mere human agency, or of blind
casualty. The association of thought which led to the use of the
terms in the text, is not important to be ascertained. The

348 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
sentiment of the passage is clear, be the origin of the
terms what it may. And what the text presents is : The
Providence of God, — or, God's hand in all things. Dis
owning fate and chance, it teaches that whatever takes
place, takes place according to the good pleasure of God ;
in other words, that nothing is fortuitous, but every thing
connected with the purpose of God. The prophet speaks
in the name of God, and what he means to assert is the
universal agency of God in all things. The passage has
reference to both the natural Avorld and the moral ; and it
declares alike of good and of evil in each, that it is of God,
— that it comes through his good pleasure in appointing it,
or in not preventing it.
That the subject may appear in its true light, let the
following things be considered :
1. God is the originator, or creator of all things. Evi
dence of this is incontestible and overwhelming. No
argument is more full, or clear and certain, than that
which proves the existence of an intelligent First Cause.
The most simple inductions from consciousness, observation
and reflection, bring us irresistibly and at once to the con
clusion that there is a God. Atheism is weak, foolish, and
ignorant, as well as inexcusable and wicked. Nor is
infidelity any better. The polytheism too of both ancient
and modern times is rebuked out of countenance by one
sober look only of enlightened reason. " For the invisible
things of Him from the creation of the world, are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even
his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they are without
excuse." Rom. 1 : 20.
The origin of all things, then, is with God. " In the

DIVINE AGENCY. 349
beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Gen.
1 : 1. This declaration is general and comprehensive. It
includes all things. Though not yet disengaged, all agents
are there in mass — fight, air, land, and water ; the sun,
^moon, and stars ; and all animals, — the leviathan of the
deep, the war-horse of the valley, and the behemoth of
the desert ; bodies, fluid and solid, gross and subtle, visible
and invisible, tangible and intangible. To every element
and thing, and creature, God gave existence, in order,
with all the laws of its operation, providing for all changes
in the unorganized, and for all reproductions, as well as
changes, in the organized, whether vegetable or animal.
Moral beings also, angels before, and man after ; God
made them all, and gave to all their several powers and
capacities, and all their susceptibilities for bliss or woe.
Every thing that exists owes its existence to God. He
alone is uncreated and eternal. He was, when all else was
not. " All things were made by Him ; and without Him
was not any thing made that was made." John 1 : 3.
2. God having made all things, sustains them, preserves
their relations, and gives them their efficiency. Created
things can have no inherent power or efficiency independent
of God. This is intuitively manifest. For to suppose they
have, would be to suppose God has given to them a part of
his own incommunicable perfection, which is absurd. Besides,
suppose God when he had made all things, had withdrawn
from them his sustaining, or preserving, or efficient agency,
what must have ensued but the instant return of all things
to non-existence, or the utter confusion and ruin, or abso
lute stagnation and deadness of all things ?
Now that God did not withdraAV himself is evident from
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350 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
the fact, that things do exist, and have their appropriate
relations, and action. All the activities of nature are in
constant operation before us. We witness it in every thing
around us, and in ourselves. Through the atmosphere
admitted into our lungs we breathe. So food received into
the stomach is acted upon, and turned to the support of the
body. In relation to the mind, also, the presentation of
thought produces action, and results in knowledge, choice,
approbation or disapprobation. There is too, this inde
pendent fact, to account for some changes : While God
has constituted nature with all her activities, He reserves
still to himself to act efficiently when and where He will,
over and above nature, as in miracles, and to introduce a
new creative act, as in regeneration.
3. God is superior to all things, or has all things under
control. This, too, is an intuitive truth. We see it without
reasoning. And no proposition can be plainer. Why any
difficulty then, as to control ? Yet here many find difficulty.
God may create, and sustain, preserve in being, and impart
power to act, but that He should direct and control the
action, especially as to some agents, from 'this they revolt,
as if horror struck.
But Avhy revolt ? And why so distrustful of control ?
Why not as cheerfully acknowledge the evidence of control,
as that of support, or of efficiency ? Nay, why not welcome
with great satisfaction, the evidence of control ? For, are
there not agents, various and numerous, from which, sup
posing them to be sustained, and the power of action
imparted to them but that they are not under control, any
thing most appalling might be expected ? The whole crea
tion is full of such agents. The sun, the Avind, fire and

DIVINE AGENCY. 351
water ; the power that heaves in the earthquake, and
belches in the volcano ; electricity, gravitation and mag
netism, — all these, silent and gentle though some of them
are, and unobserved, almost, except by the philosopher, or
the practical man whose business makes him acquainted
with them, how mighty and all-pervading their influence !
And Avho can give assurance for that influence against
instant disorder and confusion ; nay, the destruction, not of
our globe only, not of the whole solar system merely, but
of the entire physical creation ? These are powerful agents
in physics.
Nor are there wanting powerful agents in the animal
creation. God said : — " The fear of you, and the dread of
you, shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every
fowl of the air ; upon all that moveth upon the earth, and
upon all the fishes of the sea ; into your hand are they
delivered." Gen. 9 : 2. But suppose He had not said
this ; and that no restraint had been laid on animals ; who
can tell if man would ever have gained ascendency over
them ? And in circumstances of exposure, what havoc
might any time ensue from the attacks of the wild and
ferocious ?
Nor are these agencies all. Man himself is a powerful
agent. Possessing a higher attribute, — the rational, he can
employ both the physical and the animal. He can con
struct a battle-ship, and make a warrior of an elephant.
And having such powers, and being at the same time cor
rupt and sinful, what a perfect Aceldama might he turn the
world into, but for the restraints by which he is held in
check under the providence of God. Judging from what
has been, and what is yet in the world as the result of

352 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
human wickedness, what might not be feared, were not
" the remainder of wrath restrained."
And further : beings still higher than man, have powers
more enlarged and efficient. And who can tell if the
power of superior beings over man may not be as great, if
permitted, as man's is over nature and the inferior animals ?
especially as we are informed of a single angel, who being
commissioned of God, cut off 185,000 human beings in one
night ! 2 Kings, 19 : 15. And through the entire spirit
world, taking this as a specimen, what might not be ex
pected from their agency, if there were no regulator, no
controlling power ?
How, then, is it ? When God first began his work, and
created angels, when afterwards He spake the planetary
system into being, balanced the orbits of the heavenly
bodies, and ordered their respective revolutions ; when in
relation to our world He established principles, and indi
vidualized agents ; when He made the animals so quick
and powerful ; and when, finally, He formed man, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life : — when now
He had finished all his work, and had pronounced it " very
good," did He withdraw and leave it all ? Numerous,
powerful and various as are the agents -He has created ;
has He left them to operate at random ? Or, governing
and controlling a part, is a part so peculiar in the nature of
its structure, that, now that He has made it, He cannot
overrule it, and turn it to good account ? Is it so, that
having made it, if now He sustain it only, its movements
are beyond His control ? And is it so that He cannot put
forth the finger of His power, and in perfect harmony with
the freedom of its own operations, direct it at His pleasure 1

DIVINE AGENCY. 353
Absurd ; absurd. No ; says the instinctive response of all
harmonious voices : No ; his hand is ever there upon the
helm of universal nature. Inanimate and animate, irra
tional and rational, and rational of the lower or higher
order, God rules over all alike. " Every beast of the forest
is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." Ps. 50 :
10. " He doeth according to his will in the army of
heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth ; and none
can stay His*hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou ? "
Dan. 4 : 35. " He covereth the heaven with clouds."
" He causeth his wind to blow." Ps. 142. He rides
upon the storm, and directs in the tempest. Nay, amidst
fife and freedom, and forethought, and calculation, in intel
ligent moral beings ; amidst passion even and purposes the
most determined and resolute ; amidst all agencies, His is
the controlling hand. " Even the wrath of man shall
praise thee ; the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain."
Ps. 76 : 10. All — every thing is under God's control.
Is it objected that this makes us machines ? The objec
tion is rash, inconsiderate and unsound. It does not fol
low, because God rules and governs us, that we are ma
chines, or deprived of our wills. The exception taken is
unphilosophical. Nature has her operations, and they are
her own. Drought and mildew and famine, the cold of
arctic regions and the heat of equatorial, the sirocco of the
Arabian desert, and the hurricane of the Caribbean sea,
are all the legitimate products, as Ave say, of natural caus
es. And there is a correspondence between cause and
effect in every thing. Even in relation to the destruction
of our own globe, of which we read in Scripture that it
shall take place, Ave are Avarranted, in view of modern sci-
30*

354 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
ence, to believe, that the earth contains within itself all the
elements necessary for the mighty effect, whenever God shall
c ommission them to the work. So in relation to the movements
of the heavenly bodies, and whatever depends upon them, as
day and night and the seasons of the year, were it not for
the constitution which God has established and continues to
uphold, all would fail at once. And where principles so
broad, agents so subtle and powerful, are concerned,
were there not some controlling agency, which of course
none can exercise but God, instant and overwhelming rum
might occur any moment. The thought may well fill us
with awe and reverence ; and yet, while thus exposed but
for God's control of every thing, the thought that through
that control we are safe and may feel secure, should no less
awaken our gratitude, and our adoring praise.
Nor let any doubt that the Scriptures inculcate these
views of God's universal agency and control. They every
where represent Him as the God of the natural world as
well as of the moral. " He appointeth the moon for sea
sons : the sun knoweth his going down." Ps. 104 : 19.
Most powerfully as well as beautifully is this illustrated in
that passage in the book of Job, in which the Lord answers
Job out of the whirlwind. In that God claims every thing
for Himself.
But the difficulty, after all, lies not here. Few have
any difficulty in admitting the providence of God in nat
ural things. It is in morals they meet the difficulty. God
may take care for sparrows so that not one shall fall Avith
out His notice ; but men yet impenitent care not that He
should be ' just for themselves' quite so particular in His
attentions. They desire not the knowledge of His ways.

DIVINE AGENCY. 355
And here lies the difficulty ; men are afraid to trust them
selves with God ; and so they dread his control.
And not to deny that some good men have had trouble
on this subject, it may yet be confidently presumed that
their trouble has grown not out of their piety, but out of
their speculation and want of more piety. And though we
allow that some good men may have honestly desired to
disembarrass the truth as far as possible, yet the difficulty
in most cases may, undoubtedly, be set down as having its
origin in the region of distrust, or at best in the neighbor
hood of that curiosity and aspiring desire which seeks to
be wise above what is written, or at least above others.
Let us see how the case stands. That God should have
control over inanimate nature, and the animal creation,
with the heavenly bodies, is not objected to ; but that He
should have control over the minds and hearts of moral
agents — to this it is said in the first place, " If it be so, we
do not understand it ; " and in the second, and therefore
perhaps, " We do not believe it." " Indeed, it would
seem to be impossible," it is added, " that God should
control free moral agents ; for then, how should they be
free ?" So some say.
But not so our text. Not that there is any infringement
on moral agency or freedom ; for here, too, in morals, as in
physics, nature's operations are all her own. From the
sports of childhood up through the sober scenes of life, and
onward to the greatest and most important transactions,
every thing goes forward according to the chosen way of
those concerned ; and there is, in the constituted powers of
every animated existence, a just and proper foundation for
the development of whatever phenomena it exhibits. We

356 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
say of each and every creature that its actions are its own.
This is true of man as well as of other creatures. We
form our characters for ourselves, and every one sustains
his own responsibility. " If thou be wise, thou shalt be
wise for thyself ; but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear
it." Prov. 9: 12.
But from this who shall infer that God has no control
over us, ' to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto
dishonor ' ? And how does it appear so certain that God
can have control over the planetary, the physical and the
animal world, but not over the moral ? Truly, it must be
strange, admitting that God has control over every thing
else, to infer that He has none, and can have none, over
moral agents. It surely were to be expected that He would
have control over the more important, and where his honor
is most concerned. And superior or inferior, physical or
moral, who can think that agents of His own formation,
creatures who have received from Him every power and
faculty they possess, and the circumstances of whose exist
ence have all been determined by Him — who can think
that, now that they are created, and placed in circumstan
ces as they are, they should, any of them, be out of the
range and beyond the reach, or above the power, of His
Infinite hand ? Is it not absurd, impious, daring ?
No ; while we allow to nature her appropriate agency in
each and every department, the agency of God must not
be overlooked. Science, reason and religion recognize it.
Scripture includes it everywhere. Cause and effect are
made so by God's agency. His hand is in every thing.
And how manifest this truth throughout the word of God.
Witness the destruction of the old world, that of Sodom

DIVINE AGENCY. 357
and Gomorrah, the plagues on Egypt, the deliverance of
Israel and their preservation in the wilderness, the standing
still of the sun in the valley of Aijalon, and the going back
of the shadow on the dial of Ahaz, the preservation of men
in the fiery furnace, the turning of water into wine by
the Saviour and Peter walking on the sea to meet Jesus.
All these instances in physics.
And equally clear is the proof in relation to the animal
creation. Thus the animals all came submissively to Adam,
that he might name them ; and they are all subject now to
man, as was provided for at first. Special cases are record
ed, illustrating their subjection to divine control : the ass
speaking to Balaam, and the asses of Saul's father straying
away that Saul, while in search for them might be brought
to Samuel the prophet to be anointed king. So the lions
in their den, harmless with Daniel, are ravenous and de
vouring with his enemies.
Nor has God less control over moral agents. Through
out the Scriptures where angels, the highest order of moral
agents are spoken of, they are uniformly spoken of as
subject to the will of God. They come and go at His
command. So the .angels sent to destroy Sodom are repre
sented as saying, " The Lord hath sent us to destroy it."
So when one was inquired after to entice wicked Ahab to
go up to Ramoth-Gilead that he might fall there, the hosts
of the spirit world are represented as attending with all
subjection on the right hand and on the left, the Lord sit
ting on his throne. God will have the king enticed, if he
will be, but the thing is nevertheless voluntary with the
king, and with him Avho goes forth to entice him. Yet
there is a proffered subjection. So also in Job, Satan,

358 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
though glad to do what mischief he may, is represented as
acting under limitation and only by permission. In the
New Testament likewise, though Satan is spoken of as the
god of this world, yet he is everywhere spoken of as under
control. Thus, though he had the impudence to tempt
Christ, Christ said to him : " Get thee behind me, Satan."
So the Saviour showed that devils were subject to his con
trol, inasmuch as He cast them out, as He pleased ; and
when they might have been boisterous, He would not suffer
them to speak. The apostle Paul speaks of Satan as the
god of this world, and directs that we pray to be guarded
against his devices, which implies of course that he is under
subjection to God, who can deliver and protect us. The
apostle John also speaks of him as to be overcome, cast out
and confined; all which expressions imply his subjection.
From all these references it is manifest the Sacred writers
hold the same view of the subject which I have presented ;
in other words that the view I have given is the scriptural
view, and therefore the true view. It is Avicked angels and
Satan the leader, mostly, that is had in view ; and certainly,
if the Avicked angels are under control, the point is settled,
because as to holy angels, they are obedient, of course.
And how now as to men ? Each has his race to run,
virtuous or vicious ; and eaeh as free as air follows his own
chosen way, splendid or obscure, as may be his talents and
opportunities. But is it all without divine control ? First,
country, condition and parentage — by whom are these deter
mined ? And from birth onward to the grave, is not every
one a creature of providence ? Free though he is, he is
not independent of God ; but God directs him as He will.
Even his wickedness, though his free act and deed, is fore-

DIVINE AGENCY. 359
ordained. Thus we have the whole — the creature's free
dom, God's control, and yet the creature's guilt for doing
Avickedly, in a single passage from Peter on the day of
Pentecost: Acts 2:' 23. "Him, being delivered by the
determinate counsel and foreknoAvledge of God, ye have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."
And again, we are assured, Acts 4 : 27, 28, that while
" Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles, and the peo
ple of Israel, were gathered together against Jesus," (of
their own free will, of course, for it was to gratify their
malice,) they were thus gathered, " for to do whatsoever
the hand and counsel of God determined before to be
done." And so it is universally. Divine and human agency are
blended in every separate transaction and event. Men
may find fault, and complain, and cavil, if they will, and
say it is not so, and that if it is, we are not accountable ;
but they cannot alter it ; and God will hold them account
able, after all, and govern them too. To deny it, more
over, or think to get round the point of it, by speculation
and the mist of fine-spun argument in doubtful regions of
metaphysics, is all in vain. The truth will meet us still
both in science and in religion ; and we can never escape
from the manifest fact, that, as God made all things, so He
controls all things, and directs their issues according to His
good pleasure.
We come, therefore, to the conclusion, look where we
will, through all created agents, of Avhatever name or char'
acter, that there is in all the living presence and controlling
agency of God, so that though their action is their own,
and its results referable accordingly, nothing ever takes

360 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
place, or can take place, without His purpose, or in contra
vention of it ; His good pleasure being always concerned
in appointing it, or in not preventing it.
In support of this conclusion it may be subjoined, that if
such be not the case, then God is so far fairly turned out
of His own world, and has no supremacy whatever ; while
we as His creatures have no security whatever as to what
may take place, and no foundation for hope or consolation,
since every thing must be left to casualty, and no depend
ence can be placed on any thing.
But to pursue the subject no further, in general, let us
now consider it in some of its more practical relations.
1. We see in what light we are to regard the events of
life. As noticed at first, they are often spoken of as though
God had little or no concern in them. An instance is that
of epidemic diseases, or those which alight on whole com
munities at once, and are supposed to have their origin in
some peculiar state of the atmosphere, arising from heat,
moisture or dryness, and the like. Coming into the same
category are those events commonly called casualties, or
accidents. In relation to every thing of this sort, ifis not
always enough considered, even by Christians, hoAV certainly
the hand of God is concerned in it.
And this is what the subject teaches is incorrect and
unchristian, to regard providences, events — any thing as
fortuitous, or accidental. It is not so. For, as has ap
peared in the discussion, every thing is ever under the
control and direction of the Most High. The most import
ant events in life may depend on the most trivial, and result
from them. This we often see illustrated. How well it
becomes us, therefore, both as to our duty and our peace of

DIVINE AGENCY. 361
mind, to remember, in relation to every thing, that God is
concerned in it. This should be our comfort, and the
medium of pious communion with God.
2. The subject affords consolation in affliction and
sickness. How different the reflections of the truly pious,
in seasons of affliction and distress, from those of the irre
ligious. The pious, though in trouble, remember that
" trouble springeth not out of the ground," Jab 5:6; but
comes in the holy providence of God. They view his hand
in it, and are comforted. And how much better this than
the experience of the irreligious, who instead of regarding
their troubles in the light here recommended, consider them
rather as calamities, which come upon them, they know not
why or how, only that it was to be so, as though a blind
fatality alone were concerned.
As we would pass life serenely, then, and be comforted,
let us be established in faith, not carried about by every
wind of doctrine. Let us cherish the views we have been
considering, and remain settled in them, as the soundest
philosophy, and the true theology. For,
3. We have in this discourse the only satisfactory view
of the divine character and government. Indeed, if the
doctrine of the discourse be not admitted, I see not but the
divine character and government must fail of vindication,
and be given up as indefensible ; for, as I have said already,
in that case, that is, if the doctrine of the discourse do not
hold, God is fairly shut out of his own world ; and things,
the agents, powers and creatures, He has constituted and
made, are above Him, and He is under the humiliating,
painful necessity of doing as well as He can. It is in His
heart to do differently — to do better, and all heaven is full
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362 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
of grief that He does not do better, that there should be so
much evil, and He not be able to prevent it ! — I say the
subject affords the only satisfactory view of the divine char
acter and government ; and this is satisfactory, inasmuch
as it presents God on the throne : shows Him, not as re
duced to the necessity of doing as well only as He can, but
as " doing according to his will in the army of heaven, and
among the mhabitants of the earth ; and none can stay his
hand, or say unto Him, what doest thou ?"
4. The subject reflects light on the origin and existence
of moral evil. With the Bible in hand, if I be asked why
moral evil exists, or was suffered to come into existence,
my answer is,
1 . Not because God is indifferent whether his creatures
sin or not. For, as it could not have entered without his
notice, so neither could He have been an unconcerned
spectator of its introduction, inasmuch as He must have
foreseen what it Avould result in — all the consequences.
2. Nor was it because God loves evil, or for its own
sake chooses it, or has any complacency in it ; for then He
would be unholy, malevolent, hateful ; whereas He is, we
know, holy, benevolent, even love itself, and infinitely
glorious. 3. Nor was it because God acts upon moral agents in a
way to force, or compel, or tempt them to do evil, when,
left to themselves, they would not do it ; for this would be
to infringe, or rather drive their liberty, which we know
He never does. Besides, it would make their sin no longer
theirs, but His, inasmuch as they commit it only through
constraint from Him.
4. Nor was it because God could not have prevented

DIVINE AGENCY. 363
it ; for then we must consider Him limited — limited, too,
in a different sense from that in which we say, and say
properly and truly, because scripturally, He cannot lie.
Lie He cannot, for it would be to deny Himself. Nor is it
like saying that He cannot cause the same thing to be and
not to be, at the same time, and in the same place and cir
cumstances ; for here is a manifest absurdity, and there
can be no absurdity in the works and ways of God.
On this whole subject we should ever speak with the
deepest humility and the most profound reverence : but we
are warranted by the prophet to say of God that He
cannot do some things, and we may say so in truth ; but the
prevention of evil is not, so far as we can see, one of these
things. And for aught that appears, that very motive
which occasioned the first sin in Satan the first sinner, and
the very attitude of mind in which he was, to render that
motive prevalent Avith him at the time, might have been
prevented, and prevented, too, without doing violence to
his freedom of will, had God chosen to prevent them, and
not rather through the permission of evil, to elicit good,
and that in a display, which but for the introduction of evil,
could not, so far as we can see, have been made of His
holiness and grace.
And that evil did not come because God was constrained
to admit it contrary to his will, appears, further, from the
fact that He does thus overrule it so as to make it a means
of good ; and from this also that he restrains all excess
above what He sees can be employed to this end, or will
subserve this purpose. Indeed, if after employing so much
of evil as He sees He can employ in promoting his glory
contrary to its natural tendency, and the design of the

364 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Avicked in committing it, (Isa. 10 : 7.) He restrains the
remainder, which, but for His restraint, would be committed,
it would seem, certainly, that He might have restrained the
Avhole, except that through the permission of so much as is
allowed, He chooses to display Himself more fully than
otherwise He Avould be displayed, and to make innumerable
moral agents more happy in beholding that display than
otherwise they could be.
5. The origin and existence of moral evil, therefore, is
to be accounted for, on the ground of God's purpose and
good pleasure in not preventing it. God only is immutably
holy and perfect. Creatures are not immutable. Except,
therefore, as He should choose to keep them holy as first
He created them, they might change from holiness to sin.
Hence foreseeing this, and perceiving how He could make
sin subserve the purpose of displaying his own infinitely
glorious perfections, and making innumerable moral agents
happy in His service and in the contemplation of His holy
character, works and Avays, He was pleased not to prevent
evil, but to suffer its introduction.
Not to conceive of God, therefore, as disappointed in
His works, or as having adopted a system he would gladly
have declined, Ave are to regard the system He is operating
upon as the one of His choice, and the best ; and to believe
and trust the declarations of His Word, which, without
attempting to explain where Ave perhaps have no faculties
or light at present to apprehend, we must simply refer to
the infinite and unsearchable wisdom of God : as did the
Saviour, Matt. 11 : 26. " Even so, Father, for so it
seemed good in thy sight."
And if Ave attempt to have any other views of so deep

DIVINE AGENCY. 365
and mysterious a subject, and are ready to say : " Why
doth He yet find fault, for Avho hath resisted his will ?" let
us remember the admonitory rebuke of the apostle to the
impious caviler : " Nay but, 0 man, who art thou that
repliest against God ?" — Rom. 9 : 19, 20. It' seems evi
dent to account for the existence of moral evil by referring
it to the purpose and good pleasure of God in not prevent
ing it. It needed not that He should instigate and incite
to evil. He needed only not to restrain and prevent. And
further than this we seem not to be able to decide upon the
subject. Nor is there occasion. This is the view God
himself gives in His word. Had He seen best to give us
further light in our present state, He doubtless would have
given it. Let it be enough that we can trust Him, and
know that whatever His creatures may do, He is ever
essentially holy and good. Awful — dreadful as sin is, it is
matter of joy and devout gratitude to God, that He over
rules it, and will overrule it, evermore, to the promotion of
His glory.
We have, therefore, in this discourse, as I said, the only
satisfactory view of the divine character and government.
It is the dictate of our consciousness, as moral creatures,
and that supported by Revelation, that we exalt God upon
the throne, and take ourselves the place of submissive con
fidence and trust. And this is just what the view we have
taken inculcates, Avhile every other comes short of this alto
gether, especially that Avhich subjects God to the control of
creatures, or, Avhich is the same, represents Him as not
being able to do with them as He would, if He could.
It is a high and holy as well as mysterious view of God
that ayc are called to take, my hearers : nor can we trifle
31*

366 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
with so solemn a theme, and reject it, but at our peril.
How, and why, things are as they are, we do not know, and
cannot tell, except as has been set forth and suggested.
But that God is everywhere, reason and Scripture abun
dantly teach: and that He is good and holy we cannot
doubt. Yet that He has included sin and misery in his
plan of operation is certain from what we see around us
and experience in ourselves.
Though we cannot comprehend perfectly the divine plan,
then, let us believe, notwithstanding, and not attempt to be
wise above what, in the present life, it was designed we
should be. Knowing that we are sinful, and therefore ex
posed to God's displeasure, but through Jesus Christ may
be pardoned and sanctified and saved, let us go to Him in
instant, pressing conviction of our guilt and need, that by
the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy
Ghost, we may become united to Him, " as the branch is
united to the vine." Then we shall have peace with God ;
and though we shall never in this life fathom the depths of
the divine wisdom, we shall yet have no difficulty in believ
ing that He is wise and good, and in submitting to Him as
the High and Holy One " who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will."
And now, that we may believe in His providence and
agency in every thing, and have such views of His absolute
and eternal supremacy, that we shall delight ourselves with
the thought that He is on the throne, and that we are in
His hand, may He graciously grant us His Spirit, and
sanctify us by His truth. Amen.

REV. JOHN S. C. ABBOTT. 367

§ 3. Rev. John S. C. Abbott
Was Mr. Hoadley's successor. A native of Brunswick,
Maine, he was graduated at Bowdoin College, in the class
of 1825. After teaching in Amherst, Mass., one year, he
pursued the regular course of theological study at Andover.
His ordination in Worcester took place, Jan. 28, 1830.
The following were the services with Avhich he was inducted
into the sacred office :
Introductory prayer, by Rev. John Nelson of Leicester :
Sermon, by Rev. Joel Hawes of Hartford, Ct. : , Prayer of
consecration, by Rev. Samuel Green of Boston : Right
hand of felloAYship, by Rev. Nehemiah Adams of Cam
bridge : Concluding prayer, by Rev. John Boardman of
West Boylston.
During the period of five years Mr. Abbott so performed
the work of the ministry here, as to secure in an unusual
degree the esteem and affection of his people. In addition
to his ordinary pastoral duties, he prepared for the press
" The Mother at Home," and " The Child at Home."
These works made him Avidely known as a practical and
useful writer. The Mother at Home has been translated
and published in nearly all the languages of modern Europe.
It is printed in Greek at Athens, and also published in
Dutch at the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.
Much to the regret of his people, Mr. Abbott was induced
by the state of his health to ask that his pastoral relation
might be dissolved,* and, in 1835, his dismission took effect.
* When Mr. Abbott's request for a dismission came before the church, the
following resolutions were passed by a unanimous vote ;

368 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
After traveling a year, he was so far restored to health as
to accept an invitation to become pastor of the Eliot Church
in Roxbury. He was installed over that church in Nov.
1836, and labored with them about five years. Thence he
removed to Nantucket, and for two years was the laborious
pastor of the Congregational church on that Island. In
1843, he went to New York to be associated with his
brothers in " Abbotts' Institution for the education of
Young Ladies." He still remains in New York, dividing
his attention between superintending the education of young
ladies, and writing for the press. His institution for female
education enjoys a very high reputation, and the pen of a
ready writer which he wields with so much effect, is in almost
constant demand.* Still in the prime of life and the vigor
of manhood, much may be anticipated from the labors
which he is yet to perform. The following sermon of Mr.
Abbott, will be read with interest by a large circle of
friends. " Resolved 1st ; That this church do most sincerely sympathize with their
beloved pastor in his affliction by that dispensation of divine providence,
which, in his view, renders it necessary for him to make a communication in
which he requests a dissolution of his connection with this church as pastor.
" Resolved 2d ; That the members of this church entertain an undimin
ished confidence in the piety and talents of their pastor, and do most sin
cerely regret the necessity they are under of acting upon a subject so deeply
interesting to them and to the religious society with which they are asso
ciated." * The following is a list of his more prominent publications :
Mother at Home ; Child at Home ; Path of Peace ; School Boy ; School
Girl ; Visit to the Mountains ; Kings and Queens ; Maria Antoinette ; Mad
ame Roland ; The Empress Josephine ; Henry IV. of France, is soon to
follow.

THE

FUTURE TRIUMPHS OF THE GOSPEL

SERMON,

BY THE

REV. JOHN S. C. ABBOTT.

NOTE.
It is proper to state that this discourse was written some eight or ten
years since. This fact remembered, will add force to some of the allu
sions in the Sermon, and also explain the absence of allusion to some of
the recent discoveries and inventions of the age.

SEEM ON.

Isaiah 2 : 2.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the
mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the
top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the
hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.
This poetic imagery delineates the final and universal
prevalence of religion. Christianity is a temple majestic
and conspicuous, and all the nations crowd its courts in
united adoration. There are many interesting indications
that this prophecy is soon to be fulfilled. This moral trans
formation is now in rapid and visible progress. I invite
your attention to some of the most conspicuous of the
evidences that this world is soon to be christianized.
I. The political aspect of the globe indicates this ap
proaching change. — The councils of cabinets, the tramp of
armies, the sweep and conflict of hostile navies, are all
subservient to the designs of Deity. A few centuries ago,
the name of Christ had never been heard by the uncounted
millions who roamed over the prairies and through the
forests of this vast continent. Then God raised up Colum
bus with his inquiring mind and adventurous spirit ; and
overruled the political ambition of the united courts of

372 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Castile and Arragon to supply him with ships for his voyage
of discovery ; and permitted the proud spirit of the Eng
lish Church to drive our pilgrim fathers into exile, and
sent the submissive tempest to blow them to the rock of
Plymouth, where he had previously prepared for them a
home by the ministry of the plague which had swept away
the savage inhabitants. And now nearly every vestige of
heathenism is obliterated from the land, and it is almost
certain that, in a few years, this whole new Avorld, from the
Arctic Circle to the cliffs of Patagonia, will be inhabited
by a professedly Christian people.
Turn your eyes to Africa. The navy of France sweeps
across the Mediterranean, batters down the wall of Algiers,
and takes possession of the country. Whatever may have
been the political motive for this measure, the result which
God educes is, that the institutions of Christendom supplant
the delusions of the false prophet.
England and America establish their colonies along the
Avestern coast of Africa, from Mount Atlas, till her South
ern cape is doubled. Though political ambition or mer
cenary interest may be the inspiring motive, the result is
that the naked savage disappears as the European and
American take his place ; the altars of heathenism vanish
as the church spire rises, where the rude temple of idolatry
once stood ; barbarian chieftains, who have drenched the
land" in blood, are succeeded by intelligent governors, and
constitutions are engrossed, and laAvs enacted, and courts
of justice established, and colleges founded, and schools
supported ; — and Avhere the miserable hut of the Hottentot
or the Caffree deformed the landscape, the embowered

TRIUMPHS OF THE GOSPEL. 373
cottage of European or American taste, cheers the eye
with its cultivated fields and ornamental garden.
England, to extend her commerce and strengthen her
political power, sends her steam ships to ascend the Nile,
and stage coaches cross the desert from Cairo to Suez,
and the tribes, listlessly lounging upon the shores of the
Red Sea behold with amazement the majestic steamer rush
ing through their silent waters. Thus are the political
movements of nations crowding into the Continent of Afri
ca on every side, and with resistless power, the influences
and the institutions of Christendom.
In Asia the same wonderful movement is apparent on a
scale of still more astonishing grandeur. Not long ago the
Turkish empire was the terror of Christendom. But now,
with her janissaries slain, her fleet destroyed, her treasury
exhausted, and her empire dismembered by the successful
revolt of Egypt and of Greece, Turkey has sunk below
contempt. The crescent which now glitters upon the min
arets of Constantinople, like the waning moon it symbol
izes, is a fitting emblem of Mohammed's departing power.
The Euphrates, the Tigris, the Indus, and the Ganges,
are but the great arteries, through which, by armies and
by embassies, by diplomacy and by commerce, the enlight
ened nations are diffusing the science, the arts, and the
civil institutions of Christendom through the Asiatic Con
tinent. And the nameless nations Avho people her vast
interior must receive, with these influences, that only
religion which can exist with cultivated intellect and high
civilization. Even China, with her three hundred millions
of imprisoned subjects, has had her doors of exclusion
battered down ; and the time cannot be far distant when
32

374 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
that mysterious empire shall be open to the commerce and
the travel of the Christian world. Thus are all the great
political movements of the nations of the earth tending to
usher in the universal reign of Christianity.
II. The progress of civilization and the arts indicate
this approaching change. — A few years ago it required the
painful labor of years to copy the Bible, and the wealth of
a prince to purchase one. Think of a Bible, such as our
forefathers had, written by the slow process of the pen,
upon-the skins of goats, sewed together, making a roll two
feet wide, and ninety feet long. Now, the art of printing
scatters the word of God like autumn leaves, and it is found
in the humblest dwelling.
Not many centuries have passed since none could read
but the learned few. Noble lords, proud barons, powerful
kings, and even bishops of the churches could neither read
nor write. Now, common schools have brought instruction
to every man's door. Knowledge is becoming, like the
sunlight, everywhere diffused.
War has ever been one of the greatest obstacles in the
way of human improvement. Now, apparently resistless
causes are operating to end these scenes of blind demoniac
rage. 1. There is, first, the rapid extension of piety, carrying
with it the principles of peace, convincing of the iniquity of
war, and influencing man to regard his fellow man as
a brother. 2. And then there is the extension of information, of
enlightened views, of national policy, so that every cabinet
in Christendom is satisfied that there is no calamity so
disastrous to national Avealth and power, as war.

TRIUMPHS OP THE GOSPEL. 375
3. Another influence of vast magnitude, is to be found
in the rapid descent of power from a few rulers to the
people. The time has gone by Avhen the caprices of a king,
or the ambition of a favorite courtier, can involve nations in
fire and blood. The people who are to furnish the money,
and sleep in the tented field, and to be mowed down like
grass before the destructive engines of modern warfare,
are to decide for themselves the question whether they will
live in peace in their dwellings, or whether they will
abandon their homes to bleed and to die on the field of
carnage. 4. And there is another cause singular indeed in its
character, but most influential in its operation. It is the
invention of irresistible engines of destruction. The more
terrible the instruments of war become, the more reluc
tant are the nations to expose property and life. Torpedoes,
congreve rockets, Paixhan guns, and sub-marine batteries,
are indeed horrible instruments of ruin. And they who
use must face these Aveapons. So powerful is the combined
operation of all these causes, that it is doubtful whether
another war will ever again be waged betAAreen any of the
leading nations of Christendom.
Involuntary servitude, by Avhich the many have been
doomed to ignorance, degradation and toil, to administer to
the pride and luxury of the few, is fast passing away.
Slavery has existed in every land a formidable obstacle in
the way of human improvement. Man has ever been the
tyrant over his brother. But the doom of slavery is sealed.
Its knell is tolled. The degraded castes of India are break
ing their chains. England, France, and even Spain, are
saying to the oppressed, " go free." Nicholas of Russia,

376 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
on his throne of limitless despotism, from motives of nation
al policy, is endeavoring to elevate his enslaved serfs to the
dignity of freemen. And the American slaveholder, (even
if his heart remain impervious to justice,) can not long
resist the influences Avhich are pouring in upon him from
every quarter. Slavery has received its death-bloAv. The
religion, the literature, the popular sentiment of Christen
dom has said, " it must die."
The wonderful facilities of intercommunication, now
making almost miraculous progress, have opened a new era
upon the globe. Railroads and steamboats seem to bring
the poles of the earth together, and to make neighbors of
the most distant nations, breaking down the crumbling
walls of prejudice, and effacing the decaying landmarks of
hostile division. A good thought, conceived in the silent
study chamber of the student, is no sooner uttered than it
is echoed by a million voices in the streets of every city,
and by the fireside of every farm-house. A useful inven
tion, made in the most secluded spot, is instantly convey
ed to earth's remotest bounds. All these causes are
tending most poAverfully to hasten on the promised mil-
lenium. III. The present state of the sciences indicates the
speedy and universal prevalence of Christianity. — It is
one of the marked sayings of Lord Bacon, that a " little
learning tendeth to atheism, but more bringeth us back to
religion." Nearly all the sciences in their infancy, in the
period of superficial knowledge, have been arrayed as hos
tile to Christianity. Noav, with hardly an exception, they
defend and establish revealed religion.
The early astronomer, with but slight glimpses of the

TRIUMPHS OP THE GOSPEL. 377
wonderful developments of this magnificent science, sup
posed that with telescope and diagram he could prove
Christianity false. But now in the comparative maturity of
this science, when the astronomer sweeps the heavens with
instruments of once unimagined power, and passing beyond
our planetary system, piercing through the myriads of
stars which compose the cluster of our own firmament,
discovers, in the infinite abysses of space, other universes,
other clusters of congregated suns and worlds — systems of
every variety of form and structure, adapted to conditions
of being and modes of life of which we can now form no
conception, he obtains but the most interesting corrobora
tion of God's word, that in heavenly places there are
thrones and dominions, and principalities and powers —
that there are many mansions in my Father's house — that
God has erected fitting abodes for angel and archangel,
cherubim and seraphim. And now revealed religion has
not a more admired, honored and efficient coadjutor than
modern astronomy. And though conceited ignorance may
cling with depraved affection to infidelity, Newton and
Herschell find God's works confirmatory of his word.
Geology is rapidly rising to the rank of one of the
noblest of sciences, developing the most stupendous facts.
Superficial knowledge has boasted that these facts contra
dict God's word — that the history of creation, given by
Moses, is repudiated by the cosmogony of geology. These
mists of ignorance are now dispelled, and the sceptic's song
of triumph is hushed. On the mountains and rocks, and
the mighty mausoleums of the brutes that perish, eclipsing
in their grandeur, the gorgeous temple, the monumental
bronze, the regal pyramid, God has engraven in eternal
32*

378 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
characters, the history of this world during those apparently
endless cycles when the earth was without form and void,
and darkness was upon the face of the deep ; and he has
registered there the hour when he said, let us make man ;
and he has written there the story of those openings of the
windows of heaven, and that breaking up of the fountains
of the great deep, when the loftiest mountains were sub
merged in floods of rushing waters. And now, Geology
may be called almost a Christian science, and she is con
verted from an ignorant foe, into an enlightened ally and
friend. Physiology has, in the darker ages of superficial investi
gation and misinterpreted phenomena, been judged hostile
to the claims of revealed religion. And the believer has
inquired with solicitude, and the infidel with triumph, how
is it possible that one pair, Adam and Eve, could give birth
to offspring so widely different as the black man and the
white man ? How can Ave reconcile the declaration of God
that he made of one blood all the nations, when there are
apparently now distinct species of men of such diversity of
physical conformation as the jet black Hottentot and the
fair skinned Caucasian. But these were the doubts and
solicitudes of the day of ignorance. As physiological
science has unfolded new developments, and established
new facts, it has dispelled forever all those shadowy fears ;
it has established beyond all question the common origin of
the whole human family. Enquire of Lawrence, of Hum
boldt, of Blumenbach, of any of the most enlightened
physiognomists of the present day, and they will assure you
that physiology confirms revelation, that, disarmed of all

TRIUMPHS OP THE GOSPEL. 379
hostility, she follows, Avith winning homage, in the train of
Christianity's triumphs.
Chronology has, in former years, been claimed as irre
concilably conflicting with the statements of the Bible.
And men, with the spirit of Voltaire, credulous in unbelief,
have found histories, which they have claimed as authentic,
narrating the vicissitudes of mighty nations ten thousand
years before the birth of Adam. And in one of the pyra
mids of Egypt, an astronomical chart was discovered, the
famous Zodiac of Dendara, describing the position of the
heavenly bodies thousands of years before the chronology of
the Bible admits that man was created. For a time, Europe
resounded Avith the shouts of infidel exultation. But soon
the truth of Bacon's adage was verified, " a little learning
tendeth to atheism, but more bringeth us back to religion.'*
Farther investigation proved that these ancient histories
were fables, and the loud vaunted Zodiac but a painted
toy. And noAV, the chronology of the Bible, and the chro
nology established by the history and the monuments of an
tiquity, coincide. Thus, one after another, have all the
sciences been vanquished, and compelled to pay tribute to
the Christian faith. These are Avonderful victories. There
is now not a single science, which makes any pretence even
of being antagonistic to the Bible. The ripest and the most
cultivated intellects of the Avorld, disciplined in the school
of the sciences, are now elucidating and demonstrating the
divine authority of God's word.
IV. The past achievements of Christianity prove its
eventual and perfect triumph. — Imperial Rome, earth's
master and tyrant, fell prostrate before her. Nor Goth
nor Vandal could stay her progress. Even Nero could not

380 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
build fires hot enough to burn up her energies. Even the
wild beasts of the Coliseum could not daunt the Christian's
heart. The philosopher has toiled in vain to undermine
the deep foundations of the church, and the shafts of the
satirists have fallen harmless from her adamantine shield.
The hostility of earth has marshaled every possible power,
in every possible combination, against Christianity, and all
in vain.
When the idols of Ephesus, of Athens, of the Pantheon,
crumble from their pedestals at the approach of Christ, can
the miserable feather gods of the Pacific, and the mud
idols of India resist his approach ? When the Roman em
pire, in the plenitude of its power, exhausted its energies
in bloody persecution in vain, can we fear that earth
may furnish other powers of persecution yet more ter
rible ?
When we have seen philosophers, and poets, and histo
rians, and dramatists, and princes, combine with the highest
resources of wit and wealth; — and Christianity steadily
advancing, notwithstanding all their endeavors, is it to be
feared that other literary opponents will be able to accom
plish that, which Hume and Voltaire and Gibbon, and
Frederic, the conspiring encyclopedists of Europe, in vain
essayed ?
He who looks upon the past triumphs of Christianity,
even though it be only with the eye of a philosophic observer
of cause and effect, must admit that the religion of Christ
possesses an inherent energy, which must inevitably make
it triumphant over the world.
V. The triumphant advances Christianity is now mak
ing, indicate its universal extension. — When we add to all

TRIUMPHS OP THE GOSPEL. 381
the above considerations, the rapid progress of Christianity
at the present day — a progress hitherto unparalleled —
when Ave see revivals of religion multiplied through all the
nations of Christendom, our cities shaken by pentecostal
power, and the most secluded villages reechoing the song
of Christian deliverance ; when we see our young men and
maidens by tens of thousands, with triumphant and rejoicing
hearts, thronging the avenues to heaven, and our aged men,
venerable with conflict and toil, exulting in the brightening
glories of these latter days ; when we see the youth of
nearly all Christendom in our colleges and higher seminaries
of learning, instructed by men of piety, and genius and
eloquence, in the most elevated Avalks of literature and sci
ence, consecrating their acquisitions to the cause of Christ,
and societies of benevolence collecting the resources and
concentrating the- exertions of millions of ready hands and
hearts to reclaim the world to God ; when we see mission
aries of the Gospel of salvation, with apostolic zeal, pene
trating the darkest corners and the most savage tribes of
earth — translating the Bible into every language, circulat
ing tracts in every dwelling, and preaching the Gospel in
the very temples of heathenism, thus planting the ban
ner of the cross upon the strongest bulwarks of Satan's
crumbling empire ; — when Ave see hundreds of thousands of
the children of idolaters, gathered into Christian schools
and trained up in Christian faith and morals, — the Pagan
systems of all Asia visibly tottering — the idols of all the
islands of the sea rapidly following the vanquished gods of
Tahiti, Rarotonga and Hawaii, hoAV can we doubt that the
prediction of the text is soon to be fulfilled — that " the
mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the

382 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills,
and all nations shall flow unto it."
Disciples of Jesus ! — Are you suitably avrake to the
privileges and responsibilities of the age in which you live ?
These considerations should encourage you and inspire you
with unAvearied zeal. The whole world is soon to be re
claimed to God ; and he has assigned to you an allotted
part in this great achievement. He expects your fervent
prayers, your self-denying toil, your energetic, never-tiring
perseverance. Are you aroused and at your work, fulfilling
your vows, concentrating the intensity of your emotions,
the stability of your principles and the energies of a holy
life to the salvation of the perishing ? Never were Christ
ians so highly favored as now, never so encouraged as now.
Followers of Christ ! How many of the friends you
love may now be won to Jesus by fidelity, — how many
ruined by worldliness and neglect ! Soon you will stand at
God's bar. Your friends and the present world will meet
you- there. Will they bless you, or condemn you ? Will
they bear witness to your consistent piety, or to your incon
sistent life ? Will they testify to your faithful and heartfelt
exertions to lead them to the Saviour, or will they attest,
that, with a Avorldly, a frivolous and a careless spirit, you
left them to perish unwarned ? Fix your eye on death and
the judgment, and live in view of those awful realities.
But there are many who yet reject the Saviour. You
are living in practical infidelity ; saying, by your conduct,
to the Avorld around you, that the commands of the Saviour
you will not obey, that the warnings of the Gospel you
will not heed. Is there no appeal that can reach your

TRIUMPHS OF THE GOSPEL. 383
heart ? Is there no motive in heaven's joy to allure you, —
none in hell's horrors to repel you from sin ? Has death,
with its pallid cheek and palsied tongue, no voice that you
can hear ? Has the dark grave, where you soon must
sleep, no influence to move you ? Is there nothing worthy
of a thought in the awful thunders of the resurrection
trumpet, at Avhose peal your mouldering body shall start
again into eternal life ? And can your ear be dead, and
your heart be insensible, to the decisions of that judgment
day, which will place you forever an angel in heaven, or a
fiend in hell ? 0 ! my hearers, these are awful, awful
realities. The world is awakening to them; breaking
Satan's chains ; thronging to Christ. The young, the old,
the heathen even, are crowding to the mountain of the
Lord's house. And will you, can you, my friends, slight
mercy's offers, squander probation's hours, brave judg
ment's terrors, and go down into a grave of stubborn rebel
lion and hopeless despair ? Will you again this day say to
your pleading Saviour, " Depart from us for we desire not
the knowledge of thy ways ?" Will you still encounter
the hazard of an unprepared death, of being cut down at a
stroke by the divine displeasure ?
You have but a few days more to decide whether you
will join the triumphant cause of your Redeemer, or share
in the terrible defeat of Satan and his legions. 0 ! friends,
hastening to death and judgment, harden not your hearts
against these truths ; disappoint not the hopes of angels ;
destroy not yourselves. Now seek and obtain an interest
in that free salvation, which shall cheer your heart while
you live and when you die, and which shall introduce you
to that celestial world Avhere there is no sorrow and no
night.

584 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

§ 4. Rev. David Peabody.
In less than six months after Mr. Abbott had closed his
labors with the Calvinist Church, the Rev. David Peabody
was installed as his successor. The public services with
which he was introduced to this sphere of labor were :
Introductory prayer, by Rev. David Perry of Hollis,
N. H. ; Sermon, by Rev. Thomas H. Skinner, D. D. of
Andover ; Prayer of installation, by Rev. John Nelson of
Leicester ; Charge, by Rev. Osgood Herrick of Millbury ;
Fellowship of the churches, by Rev. Wm. P. Paine of
Holden ; Address to the people, by Rev. John Wilde
of Grafton ; Closing prayer, by Rev. Elijah Paine of West
Boylston. With serious interruptions from ill health, Mr. Peabody's
pastoral relation to this church continued until the autumn
of 1838. Few pastors were ever more highly esteemed by
their people ; in few instances was the relation between a
minister and his church ever more agreeable and har
monious than this. In the course of this ministry, a con
siderable number of members of the church asked dismis
sion, with a view to be formed, with others, into the Union
Church. The request was granted, not without regret in-
deed,-but with entire cordiality. " As their object appears
to be the building up of the kingdom of Christ, and extend
ing the means of grace in this place, they do cordially con
sent to grant their request, and do hereby accompany their
consent with an expression of their Christian sympathies."*
When Mr. Peabody's requestf for dismission was laid
* Records of Cal. Chh. p. 122. f On account of ill' health.

REV. DAVID PEABODY. 385
before the church for their action, the folloAving resolutions
Avere unanimously adopted :
" Resolved, That this church entertains a high sense of
the value of the ministerial labors of the Rev. Mr. Peabody,
and of his faithful discharge of all the duties resulting from
his connection with us, and that we do most sincerely regret
the occurrence of an event which seems likely, for a season
at least, to deprive the church of Christ of his services as a
pastor. " Resolved, That we do most cordially sympathize with
the Rev. Mr. Peabody and his companion in this visitation
of divine providence, and most earnestly pray that his
health may be restored, and that he may be useful and
happy in the situation in which he has been called to labor."
Resolutions equally cordial and sympathetic Avere passed
by the society ; and the ecclesiastical council that sanctioned
his dismission, warmly responded to these testimonials of
esteem and affection.
The author has great pleasure in appending the following
synopsis of the principal events in Mr. Peabody's life. It
is from the pen of one who knew him most intimately,
because sustaining to him the dearest and most intimate of
earthly relations.
" Rev. David Peabody, the youngest son of John and
Lydia Peabody, was born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Mass.,
April 16, 1805. Constitutionally feeble, he was never able
efficiently to labor at the occupation of farming, although
he was employed more or less upon his father's farm till
the age of fifteen.
" In accordance with the opinions once held, that if a
man was too feeble for manual labor, he would be sufficiently
33

386 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
strong for a life of study, his father yielded to his importu
nate desire for a collegiate education, and in the spring of
1821 he commenced the study of Latin, at Dummer
Academy, in Byfield. Though from a child the subject of
religious impressions, and naturally serious, I find no record
of deep conviction of sin, till the summer of 1821 ; and
although he appears to have regarded himself at times a
subject of renewing grace, he did not cherish that abiding
confidence in his regenerate state which led to a public pro
fession of his faith, till three years later. In 1824, he
united with the Congregational Church in Topsfield. In
the autumn of 1824, he entered Dartmouth College, at
Hanover, N. H.
" During his collegiate course he taught winter schools
as a means of defraying college expenses, pursuing his
college studies at the same time, to maintain his standing
in his class. This overtasking of himself increased his
natural feebleness, and with neglect of regular and vigorous
exercise, prepared the way for all his subsequent ill health
and protracted sufferings. He was graduated Aug. 20,
1828, and from an order of exercises at that Commence
ment, I find his name designated for the Valedictory Ora
tion. . After a feAV weeks spent in recruiting his health at
his father's, he went to Portsmouth, N. H., and for a short
time was assistant editor of the N. H. Observer.
" Before the close of 1828, Mr. Peabody entered the
Theological School at Andover, Mass. In the spring of
1829, he was invited to take charge of a select school for
young ladies in Portsmouth, N. H. He accepted, and
taught there till the autumn of 1830, when his declining
health induced him to seek a southern residence. He

REV. DAVID PEABODY. 387
went to Prince Edward's Co., Va., secured a situation as
teacher in the family of a physician, Dr. Morton, and
entered the Theological Seminary near, of which Rev. Dr.
Rice was the founder and principal instructor. He re
mained in the family of Dr. Morton till he had completed
the course of study required, Avhen he Avas licensed by the
Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Va. ; and, after
receiving license, preached in Scotsville during six months.
Preferring to labor in New England, he declined an invita
tion from the church in Scotsville to settle there, and
returned, improved in health, to Mass. in 1832. In Nov.,
of this year, he was ordained as pastor of the First Church
in Lynn, Mass. Though subject to frequent illness, he Avas
able to perform his pastoral and ministerial duties during
the greater portion of his residence in Lynn, with little
interruption. In Sept., 1834, he married Maria, daughter
of Lincoln and Lucy Brigham, then residents of Cambridge,
but formerly of Southborough, Worcester Co., Mass. Jan.,
1835, he was attacked with a severe hemorrhage, which
greatly reduced his strength and kept him in a state of
debility during much of the winter. The influence of east
Avinds proving increasingly injurious to him, he reluctantly
decided to ask a dismission from his church and people, and
Avhen sufficiently restored to preach, to seek a field of labor
remote from the sea-coast.
" In the spring of 1835, he was dismissed and spent the
months of May and June in traveling for the benefit of his
health, at the same time acting as an agent of the Mass.
Sabbath School Society. Having received a call from the
Calvinist Church in Worcester, and being in a good meas
ure restored to health, he accepted the call, and July 15th,

388 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
1835, was installed as pastor of that church. The change of
climate proved highly beneficial, and for a season he cher
ished strong hopes of confirmed health ; but in the winter
of 1835-6, a severe hemorrhage again prostrated him for
a season, and destroyed his hope of continued usefulness as
a minister. During the spring of 1836 his health impro
ved and he resumed his labors and continued them through
the summer. In September his health again declined. A
slight hemorrhage, followed by an irritating cough and in
creasing debility, induced him with the advice of physi
cians, to rest for a season, and test the effects of a sea
voyage and a winter in the South. With the consent of
his people he decided to follow their advice ; and in Nov.
1836, sailed from Boston in the Elizabeth Bruce, Capt. P.
L. Rogers, for New Orleans. During his passage out his
health was comfortable, and he Avas able on two Sabbaths
to preach one sermon each day. On arriving at New Or
leans he decided on going to St. Francisville — a village on
the Mississippi 170 miles above New Orleans. Here he
remained during the winter, preaching as his health allowed
to the white and colored population. Change of climate
and freedom from parochial labors contributed to the im
provement of his health ; and, in May, 1837, he returned
to Worcester and resumed his labors. Through this year
his health Avas variable, but he was generally able to dis
charge his parochial duties, and continued to preach till the
spring of 1838, Avhen he found himself suffering from pain
in the chest and lungs, and general debility. His Sabbath
labors became increasingly exhausting, and his state of
health such, that he felt compelled to take a season of rest.
In company with a friend he journeyed through a part of

REV. DAVID PEABODY. 389
Vermont and New Hampshire. On reaching Hanover the
day after Commencement he learned to his surprise, that he
had been appointed Professor of Rhetoric in Dartmouth
College. Conscious of his inability to labor longer with
comfort to himself and benefit to others, as a preacher, and
in hope that his health might be adequate to the lighter la
bors of a Professorship, he regarded it his duty to accept
the appointment. He was accordingly dismissed from his
relation to the Calvinist Church, aud with a deep sense of
the many kindnesses he had received and the great indul
gence shown him during his often interrupted and imper
fectly performed labors among that people, he entered upon
the duties of his Professorship Oct. 1838.
"The change of labor proved highly beneficial ; and dur
ing the Avinter of 1838-9 he enjoyed a degree of health
he had not knoAvn for many previous years ; and in March,
so confident did he feel of final restoration, that he remark
ed ' he thought God Avould indulge the cherished wish of
his heart and permit him again to labor as a minister.'
But an attack of pleurisy in April, followed by lung fever,
so prostrated him as to destroy these hopes ; and though
he so far recovered as to attend to college duties, till the
September following, it was in much Aveakness. His dis
ease was daily and 'consciously bringing him rapidly to the
close of life. During the last weeks he lived, he had relin
quished all hopes of restoration ; and in the midst of his
clays (for he died at the age of 34 years and six months)
Oct. 17, 1839, he submissively and tranquilly yielded up
the cherished hopes and plans of future years, and entered,
as we confidently believe, upon the ' the rest which re-
maineth for the people of God.'
33*

390 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
" Mr. Peabody during the years of our married life was
habitually an early riser. It was his custom to retire
punctually at ten o'clock, and if in comfortable health, he
rose between 4 and 5 A. M., devoting three early hours
strictly to devotional purposes. He Avas very systematic in
the arrangement of his studies, and adhered closely to his
plans. It was his daily practice to devote some time to the
reading of the Scriptures in Hebrew and Greek. He com
menced his preparations for the pulpit early in the week,
and labored with great diligence through the forenoon, giv
ing his afternoons to pastoral visits, and resuming his studies
again at evening. Most of his sermons were prepared two
in a week, and he re-wrote but few. He regretted the ne
cessity of this practice, but exposure to bad weather, change
of diet, and the like, during exchanges, were often so inju
rious to his health, as to deprive him of the advantages by
relief from labor, Avhich others of his profession thus re
alized. He Avas therefore from necessity, led to adopt a
course, Avhich he regarded as very unfavorable to his im
provement in sermonizing. From conversations with him
I know that he aimed, as his first object, ' to commend him
self to every man's conscience in the sight of God,' and
feeling that his time for labor was emphatically short, he
did not so much attempt extended plans of usefulness, as
direct results."
The character of Mr. Peabody was a rare combination of
strength and loveliness. It was no ordinary mind which
moved that form so graceful in its outline, looked through
that countenance so manly in its beauty, and uttered itself
in that voice so mellow in its tones and rich in its modula
tions. It was no formal or coldly calculating spirit that

REV. DAVID PEABODY. 391
imparted such cordiality to the grasp of his hand, gave
such sincerity to his inquiries for your welfare, and prompt
ed a friendship at once warm and enduring. His was a
true charity, beginning at home and going out on every line
of human sympathy to the widest circumference of human
interest. With intellectual powers of a high order, he had
a susceptible and genial temperament which fitted him to an
imate and adorn social life. His mind expanded by study
and enriched with the treasures of knowledge, he brought
his cultivated faculties and varied attainments and laid them
as a willing sacrifice on the altar of truth and holiness. In
teresting as he was in other relations, it Avas as a devoted,
single-hearted Christian that he appeared most lovely and
winning. It is due to his memory, and it will be instruct
ive to the reader to dwell for a moment on the distinctively
Christian character of the Rev. David Peabody.
The folloAving extract from his private journal will give
some idea of his early religious impressions. ' " The faith
ful instructions of my parents were never wholly lost upon
me. I cannot remember the time, Avhen I did not occa
sionally, if not regularly, pray, and if I grew weary in the
employment, the little adage in my primer, ' Praying will
make you leave off sinning, and sinning will make you
leave off praying,' would inspire me with fresh hope, and I
re'solved to persevere. Often would I lie in the morning
after my brothers had risen, that I might have an opportu
nity of offering up my simple devotions, and rarely did I
close my eyes at night without repeating the Lord's prayer,
or some brief petition of my own. My parents used to tell
me, that if I would be good, I should be a minister ; and

392 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
very early the chief burden of my petition was, that God
would prepare me to be a preacher."
While at Dummer Academy, more than usual religious
interest prevailed. His own experience at that time is thus
recorded : " My own religious feelings were deepened, and
my mind was permanently impressed by a sermon on the
return of the prodigal son. I saw, that like the prodigal,
I too was a wanderer from my heavenly Father ; and after
a week or two spent in a state of great solicitude and
alarm, the ample provisions of the Gospel opened more
clearly and fully to my view. Christ appeared all-suffi
cient for my pardon, and I humbly committed myself to
Him, resolved by His grace to consecrate my mortal and
immortal all to the service of my God and Redeemer. A
calm and holy light seemed let in upon my soul, and filled
me with a SAveet and joyous tranquillity."
In his whole subsequent life he appears to have been ac
tuated by a creep and fixed religious principle. Admonished
by the presence of feeble health of the precariousness of life,
his habitual aim Avas to ' walk with God' on earth and dwell
Avith God in heaven. His motto seemed to be, "For to meto
live is Christ." His physical sufferings, instead of eliciting
complaint or exciting impatience, wrought ' patience, experi
ence and hope,' and increased sympathy and fellowship be
tween him and his Saviour. Side by side with the record
of days and nights of illness, is the evidence of holy sub
mission to the divine Avill and of earnest prayer that what
ever of life should be given him, might all be spent for the
honor of the Giver. When friends dissuaded him from at
tempting too much for his feeble powers, his reply Avas, " I
have but little time to serve my master on earth ; what I

REV. DAVID PEABODY, 393
have to do must be done quickly." When great physical
exhaustion seemed to bring death unusually near to him, he
wrote, " I have to-day meditated much on death and eter
nity. The idea of death, though awful, is not distressing.
I could wish to live, and employ, for a few years, the poor
talents God has given me, in endeavoring to promote the
religion of his Son, and to save the souls of men. The
office of a Christian minister, so long looked forward to, is
so dear, that now, standing on the threshold, I am reluc
tant to be torn from it. But thy will, 0 God, be done."
During all the years of his active ministry, the early hours
of the day must be given to God in the exercises of secret
devotion. On entering upon the duties of his Professor
ship, he did not lay aside his habits of devotion or give any
less prominence to the motive of honoring his Redeemer.
Those who knew him best remember what concern he man
ifested for the spiritual welfare of the students, and how
earnest were his prayers for their conversion. When con
vinced that his work on earth was very nearly completed,
he writes, " So my hopes are disappointed ; God grant that
my heavenly hope may never be."
One who was well qualified to judge, thus sums up the
excellences of his character. " What his private papers
show him to have felt in the presence of God, was made ev
ident also in his social and official intercourse. Intelligent,
grave, dignified ; conscientious in all his relations, from the
student upwards to the teacher, the pastor, the professor ;
nothing empty as a scholar, nothing unsettled or inconsist
ent as a divine, nothing vague or groundless as an instruc
tor ; sincere, generous, honorable, devout ; keenly sensi
tive in respect to the proprieties and charities of life ; warm

394 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
in his affections, strong in his attachments, stern in his in
tegrity ; above the arts of policy, the jealousies of compe
tition, the subserviency of party spirit, and simply instant
upon serving God, in his own house, and in all his official
ministrations, he was one of the few who are qualified to be
models for the young, ornaments to general society, and pil
lars in the church of God."*
It is truly gratifying to have so fine an illustration of the
Worcester Pulpit, as is furnished by the subject of this bio
graphical sketch. In his official capacity as a Christian
minister, Mr. Peabody ' studied to shew himself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.' His disciplined mind
made diligent preparation for the pulpit ; his devotional
feelings imbued the products of his intellect with the life
and power of religious emotion. His first aim was to ' com
mend himself to every man's conscience in the sight of
God.' The treasures of learning, the force of logic, the"
adornments of style and the graces of 'a finished elocution,
were of little worth unless subsidary to this end. Many
of his sermons were elaborated on a sick bed, and some of
them were committed to paper by the aid of an amanuen
sis. Unable to procure much relief by means of an ex
change of pulpits, he was accustomed to prepare two ser
mons in a week, and rarely re-wrote a discourse. Obvi
ously, therefore, his sermons cannot fully show all that
he might have done, had he possessed physical vigor suffi
cient to realize his own conception of what a sermon should
be. Still, his discourses contain much valuable thought,
skillfully arranged, and forcibly expressed. They Avill
* President Lord's Sermon at the funeral of Mr. Peabody, p. 13.

REV. DAVID PEABODY. 395
be read now with interest and profit ; Avhen delivered by
himself, they were precious and admirable to the disciple of
Jesus and instructive to all Avho heard them. His manner
in the pulpit was characterized by solemnity and impress-
iveness. A sincere and earnest spirit breathed through the
whole of it, and imparted to it unusual power. You could
not have listened to him habitually without the conviction
that he came from his closet to the pulpit, and went from
the pulpit to his closet. He ' preached not himself, but
Christ Jesus the Lord, and himself the servant of the church
- for Jesus' sake.' Interesting to the more intelligent of his
congregation, he had the rare faculty of presenting truth
so that the unlettered could easily apprehend and feel the
force of what he said. He would not, in accommodation to
the unlearned, descend so low as to disgust the cultivated ;
nor, to please the refined, would he rise where a plain com
mon sense could not follow him. The evidence of this is,
that the humblest Christians now speak with deep feeling
of his touching and profitable discourses, while those who
can appreciate an elegant style and graceful manner accord
to him high praise for his poAver in the pulpit.
No single sermon of Mr. Peabody, could do any thing
like justice to a mind and heart like his ; but the one which
follows Avill give the reader an idea of his style of thought
and utterance on a theme of surpassing interest. It was
preached in Worcester, in Park st. church, and in Mari
etta, Ohio. What adds a peculiar charm to this discourse,
is the fact that the traits of character so beautifully des
cribed in it, Avere so delightfully realized in its writer's
personal experience and so remarkably exhibited in his own
life.

396 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
It remains to be stated, that Mr. Peabody wrote several
excellent books for the young which were published by the
Sabbath School Society, and that he contributed a number
of able and scholarly articles for the religious periodicals of
the day. The one published in the second volume of the
American Quarterly Observer, on the ' Present State of
Ethical Science,' would not suffer in comparison with the
contributions of our best essayists. Nor is this remarka
ble ; it was his way to elaborate sound thoughts after clas
sic models.

MATURITY FOR HEAYEN

A SERMON,

DELIVERED TO THE

CALVINIST CHURCH IN WORCESTER,

September 18, 1836,

BY THE

REV. DAVID PEABODY

34

SERMON.

2 Timothy 4 : 6—8.
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my
departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the faith : Henceforth there
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, ivhich the Lord,
the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day : and not to
me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
This world affords no sublimer scene than the triumph of
the dying believer. Placed at the point Avhere meet the
extremes of time and eternity — probation and retribution,
trial and reward — passing through the crisis which is to
decide his destiny beyond the possibility of change, he be
holds with steady gaze the wonders of opening heavens, and
while conscious that his hold on earth is fast giving Avay, he
yields himself up without fear into the hands of his Maker.
The dark valley Avhere death maintains his remorseless do
minion, loses its horrors as he descends, and becomes more
luminous to his view than the brightest noon-day of life.
Faith is fast changing to vision, and the shadows of sin are
vanishing away like vapors before the rising sun.
Heroes on the field of battle, amid the tumult of a rout

400 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
or the acclamations of victory, have died with undaunted
courage. Philosophers, pillowing their heads on the delu
sions of science falsely so called, have met death with cheer
fulness and mirth. But the hero's courage is only a bru
tish hardihood or an insensibility produced by exciting
scenes Avhich disqualify the mind for serious reflection, and
the philosopher's is only a forced submissiveness, a compul
sory welcoming of an evil which cannot be avoided. Not
so the joyful resignation of the dying saint. His is an
intelligent, willing, cordial submission. He calmly surveys
the ground on which he stands, and sees it sinking beneath
him. His eye is full" upon the visions of the great future,
and he finds himself borne forward into the midst of them
Avith a resistless hand. Yet he neither recoils nor trembles.
The everlasting arms are underneath him, and the awful
change through which he is passing is but a birth into
glory. Few have anticipated death with greater eagerness
of desire, and finally met it with greater joy, than that
laborious servant of God, the apostle to the Gentiles. Im
prisoned at Rome, shut out from all his accustomed opportu
nities of usefulness, and expecting nothing in the world but
continued oppression and distress, he turned for relief to
the glory that was to be revealed — to the inheritance
reserved for him in heaven. " I am now ready to be
offered," says he, " and the time of my departure is at
hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith : Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the right
eous Judge, shall give me at that day ; and not to me
only, but unto all them that love his appearing." Happy

MATURITY FOR nEAVEN. 401
apostle ! However dreary was 'thy imprisonment, it was
irradiated with the reflected splendor of eternal day. Heavy
and galling might be the chain that ground upon thy weary
limbs, yet thy spirit, free as if furnished with an angel's
wings, ranged transported through immortality !
The toil-worn and wasted man, who in labors, perils and
sufferings for Christ's sake, perhaps exceeded all other men,
and who had long since desired with strong aspirations to
depart and be with his Master, was Avell matured for
heaven. He sought a release from a world of trials not
only because its trials were too burdensome to be borne,
but because he was prepared for a world of reward.
Weary of his protracted and unremitted labors, he sought
rest ; tired of wandering in a Avorld of strangers, he sought
his home above. Yet more than this — his heart, finding
nothing below commensurate with its desires, yearned for a
nearer and fuller enjoyment of the appropriate objects of
its love. To depart and be with Christ, to dAvell with
Him whom he adored, to behold his glory refulgent from
the throne, and surrender his whole being to the rapturous
joy which his presence must inspire — this it Avas that
awakened his soul to its eager and intense aspirations.
Meetness and maturity for heaven is a subject of deep
interest to every serious mind,' and especially to the mind
of every Christian. Willing or unwilling, we must soon
close our eyes on all we love below, and bid farewell to the
world Avhich was only meant to witness the commencement
of an immortal existence. Prepared or unprepared, we
must soon be ushered into another state of being, change
less, endless, infinite in joy or wo. An unseen hand is
hurrying us along with a resistless power ; and whether we
34*

402 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
yield with meek submission, or struggle with reluctance,
onward still we are borne towards the end of our worldly
course. We are on the rapid current that sweeps all mor
tal things away ; and every fleeting hour marks our
swift progress to eternity. We shall soon reach the awful
period, when the spirit must be rent away from its perisha
ble companion, and wing its flight to other Avorlds. While
Ave are waiting, and meditating, and trembling, in anticipa
tion of the event, we are hastening on to meet it with
fearful rapidity. And when we have reached it, no power
can reverse the decree, nor avert the stroke. Death at
the appointed hour will strike, and the strong must bow,
and the youthful fade, and all flesh perish like a vapor.
Who, then, as he looks forward to the hour, will say that
it matters not, whether, when he stands on the brink of
eternity, he shall slumber in philosophic apathy, or tremble
in shuddering hopelessness ; or, like the apostle, triumph over
death, and exclaim, " I am ready to be offered " ; " There
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness" ; " 0 Death,
Avhere is thy sting : 0 grave, where is thy victory " ! What
thoughtless worldling but will say, Give me the apostle's faith
and confidence, and glorious hope ; let my possessions be scat
tered to the winds, but deny me not, 0 deny me not, a
treasure in the skies! What giddy youth but will say,
" Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last
end be like his ! "
What are the characteristic marks of maturity for
heaven ? What are some of the more obvious elements of
character which indicate a meetness for the final rest of
saints ? — I look around over this assembly, and fain would I
select one among you all, who may serve as a model, while

MATURITY FOR HEAVEN. 403
I proceed with the delineation. Is there not some one
among you who have these many years been sitting at the
feet of Christ, and seeking to transcribe upon your own the
excellences of his character, — some one, whom I may place
before the eyes of all, and say — Behold a saint ripe for
heaven ? Would to God there were those who might thus be
pointed out as living examples, witnesses for God, epistles
known and read of all men !
One Avho is ripe for heaven, has learned the poverty and
emptiness of the world. He has been effectually taught,
and the conviction lies deep in his heart, that all things
which belong to the world are unsubstantial and unsatisfy
ing. The objects which he once pursued with eagerness,
he is now ready to tread in the dust. They have lost their
charms. His soul turns from them Avith feelings almost of
disgust, as the man turns from the toys of childhood. The
enjoyments which once delighted him, are now tasteless
and vain. In imagination he may wander over the world,
but like the dove from the ark he finds no resting-place.
His spiritual being finds nothing in all created things,
which can meet its Avants. Were this created universe all,
his spirit would famish and die. He does not droop, he is
not unhappy, his soul feeds on hidden manna, his eye
rests on unseen glories ; and none of all the sons of worldly
pleasure can boast of joys like his.
Hence he disengages himself more and more from the
cares and perplexities of business, or submits to their
incumbrance only that he may gain the means of glorifying
God. He may toil as industriously as any votary of mam
mon, but it is, directly or indirectly, to lay up treasure in
heaven. He knows that in thousands of gold and silver

404 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
there is nothing that can minister to his enjoyment, but as
the means of purchasing good.
While others seek delight in friendship, in amusements,
in the bustle of trade, or in the giddy whirl of pleasure, he
is ready to inscribe vanity of vanities on them all. He
stands amazed that men, immortal men, men formed to be
blessed in the enjoyment of God, can so lose themselves,
all swallowed up in these poor, miserable illusions.
Again. He has learned to submit, in almost unruffled
composure, to the ever-recurring ills and trials of life.
Afflictions come upon him heavily ; and yet he receives
them as the plant receives the showers of heaven, that
weigh down its head, yet nourish it at the root. He is
meek and patient in endurance ; for his heavenly Father
measures out every cup of sorrow : and shall he not drink
it without repining? If he had set his affections on
things below, then might he be disturbed when these
were rent away. If his eye Avere formed only to re
ceive the light which this world affords, then might he be
in darkness when the clouds of trouble gather over him.
But other objects attract his heart, other luminaries.irradi-
ate his soul, — objects which no misfortunes can remove,
luminaries which no cloud can obscure.
He is smitten of God. An old age of poverty is
coming on ; and he has no resource. No resource ?
He scorns the thought. His God possesses all things;
and all things are his in reversion. " All things are
his ; whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world,
or life, or death, or things present, or things to come
— all are his, and he is Christ's, and Christ's is God's."
He is left alone in the world. The companions of his

MATURITY FOR HEAVEN. 405
youth, the objects of his fondest love, are noAV in the
dust. He walks over their silent graves, and in solitary
musing holds communion Avith the dead. There they
lie, each in his narrow house, and he is left a lonely
wanderer on the earth. He remembers the hours when
they blest him with their society, and the endearments of
their love. They rise before him again in the bloom and
loveliness of life. He hears their well known voices, and
loses himself for a moment in the sweet reminiscences of
the past. But he awakes from the dream ; and he is still
alone. His heart is pierced with a momentary pang.
Why, he exclaims, why am I not laid beside them, " where
the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at
rest" ! It is a transient emotion. God still lives. The
spirits of the dead still live. His tears are dry. His heart
is at rest. He rejoices to linger on a little longer, till the
time of his appointed change shall come.
And what if he is doomed to suffer under disease and
pain ? See him on the bed of languishment. Does he
murmur even in his agonies ? Does he lift up his com
plaining voice against God, even Avhen all his waves and
billows roll over him? He almost Avelcomes the keenest pangs
of distress ; and though every nerve may be racked with
torture till the cold drops fall from his distorted face, still
he possesses his soul in patience, and meekly submits him
self unto God.
Again. The saint mature for heaven, is peculiarly sen
sitive to sin. Once it was the greater and more obvious
forms of transgression that filled him with anguish and cov
ered him with shame. Now, having long since put off all
these, it is the secret sins of the heart that most disturb

406 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
his peace. He cannot bear the least taint of guilt upon his
conscience. As the faintest breath obscures the polished
mirror, and mars the reflected image, so the lightest
touch of sin upon his soul distorts the divine image that is
reflected there, and destroys all the sweet harmony of his
joy. Pride, anger, envy, ingratitude, impure imaginations,
unholy desires — these, and not overt acts of sin, now form
the chief occasion of his remorse. Against these he main
tains the severest Avarfare, and strives to gain a complete
and final victory.
Again. The great mysteries of the Gospel are now pecu
liarly precious. He delights in meditations on the sublime
themes which inspired the seraphic spirits of David, and
Isaiah, and Paul. Once he found his element in the more ac
tive duties of religion. He Avas then ill at ease, unless his
energies were expanded in busy exertions. These he still
loves to perform. His is not an indolent faith. The
Christian faith never was, and never can be a sluggish,
inoperative principle. But the mature believer, while to
the extent of his strength he still labors actively for God,
finds his chief enjoyment in holy contemplation. His mind
dwells on high, and expatiates in the boundless fields of
truth, illumined with the light of revelation. He glories
in those doctrines which exalt God, and abase the sinner in
the dust. A sovereign God, accomplishing all his pleas
ure, and governing the universe according to his will,
brings all things to subserve the purposes of his love, giving
up his own Son to die, sending forth his Spirit to move on
the hard hearts of men, constraining whom he will to sub
mit to his authority, and keeping them by his own power
through faith unto salvation — these are the great mysteries

MATURITY FOR HEAVEN. 407
on which he delights to dwell. Again, he delights to hold
communication with his God and Saviour. The perfections
of God, as illustrated in the Redemption by atoning blood,
beam on him, like clusters of suns in the broad firmament
of truth. True holy light pervades, and cheers, and glad
dens his soul. Hence he can appreciate the language of
the Psalm ; " Thy statutes have been my songs in the
house of my pilgrimage." " How sweet are thy words
unto my taste ; yea sweeter than honey to my mouth."
" Thy testimonies are wonderful." "The entrance of thy
words giveth light." " I rejoice at thy word, as one that
findeth great spoil."
Through the medium of the divine word, his mind dwells
much on glorious visions of eternity. He passes on beyond
the dark valley of death, and ranges in imagination
through the regions of immortal day. The prospects of
immortality stretch through brightest perspective before him,
and his eye turns instinctively from the dull scenes of earth
to feast itself on objects more congenial and transporting
in the world to come. They become daily more real to his
apprehension. He has no longer to labor with difficult ex
ertion to bring them into distinctness to his sight. They
no longer, as they once did, elude his view, and mock his
perception. Clear and glorious, the most magnificent
workmanship of God — they appear as present and palpable
realities. He sees already the streets of gold, the pinna
cles of light, the crowns of glory prepared for the redeem
ed. Towards these scenes his Avhole being tends, with
almost impatient longings ; and it is his heart's most fervent
desire, when God shall bid him go, to join the general

408 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
assembly of the church of the first born, and unito in tho
song of Moses and the Lamb.
It is obvious, that the state of maturity which I have
attempted to delineate, is in fact a state of meetness for
heaven. It contains in itself many of the constituent ele
ments of the heavenly state. The spirit and the frame of
mind described are the same which will exist in heaven and
constitute the basis of heavenly joy. The vision of God, a
proper estimate of worldly things, delight in holiness, which
in one relation is identical with sensitiveness to sin, love of
the doctrines of eternal truth, which present the divine
perfections to the mind, and an enjoyment by anticipation
of what is more fully to be revealed in eternity — these
differ nothing from the very elements of character which
will be more conspicuous among the just made perfect. In
proportion as they predominate, the law of nature, which is
in the members, loses its power, and the soul is sanctified
and made meet for the inheritance of saints in light. And
it needs only a little change in the circumstances of our
existence, it needs only the casting off of its casements of
clay, so that the soul unimpeded may hold commerce with
the spiritual world, in order to introduce it at once into
heaven. I do not doubt indeed that there is a locality
intended in the scriptural representations of heaven, a
place fitted up and furnished for the residence of the
righteous, mansions prepared for all who love the Lord.
Yet a spirit having the image of God and the love of God,
would behold his glory wherever in the universe it might
be lodged ; and wherever the glory of God is beheld and
enjoyed, there in a general, though not in the highest sense,
is heaven.

MATURITY FOR HEAVEN. 409
You perceive then, I remark again, brethren, what it is
to become prepared for heaven. It is to cultivate that
spirit, to establish yourselves in that frame of mind, Avhich
have been presented in this imperfect delineation. It is
not the effect simply of some mysterious operation of divine
power upon the soul, Avhich gives it a new form, or facul
ties, or tendencies. The power of the Holy Spirit is requi
site, it is true ; for it is the office of the Holy Spirit to
sanctify through the truth. But every child of God, Avhile
God works within him, must work out his own salvation.
The work, my brethren, is yours. Is it begun ? May I
not ask, and doubtingly ask of some of you, Is it begun ?
Are these attributes of character in any measure apparent
in your lives ? Be not deceived. God will not be
mocked. Is that work begun ? Is it progressive ? Be
holding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, do you discover
in yourselves a change into the same image from glory to
glory ? Let these inquiries lead you to a careful examina
tion. A crown of righteousness is before you. So run
that ye may obtain. Cast off every Aveight of the sin that
most easily besets you ; and " run with patience the race
set before you, looking unto Jesus."
Lastly. It is an unaAroidable inference from this subject,
that multitudes, and many of you, my hearers, have no
preparation for heaven, and unless you set about obtaining
it, must fail of it forever. Soon it will be said, " He that
is filthy, let him be filthy still." Your consciences have
already given the verdict against you. They testify that
you have none of those traits of character which are indis
pensable prerequisites to admission to a world of purity and
35

410 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
joy. You knoAV that you do not possess the characteristics
of one mature and meet for heaven.
And are you willing to be shut out from heaven ? Are
you willing, after a life of probation through the mercy of
God, to lose eternal joys through your ungrateful neglect ?
Look forward into eternity, contemplate the awful scenes
before you ; weigh the infinite alternative at issue, and
decide for yourselves as the dictates of wisdom and the
voice of God demand.
The church left vacant by the transfer of Mr. Peabody
to Hanover, with great unanimity, invited the

§ 5. Rev. Seth Sweetser
To become their pastor and teacher. He yielded to their
request, and was installed over them on the 19th of Dec,
1838. The public exercises of the occasion were performed
as follows. The Rev. E. Smalley of the Union Church in
Worcester, led in the introductory services ; Rev. J. S. C.
Abbott of Roxbury, preached the sermon ; Rev. John
Nelson of Leicester, offered the installing prayer; Rev.
Josiah Clark of Rutland, gave the charge ; Rev. William
M. Rogers of Boston, presented the right hand of fellow
ship; Rev. George Allen of Shrewsbury, addressed the
people ; and Rev. Rodney A. Miller of the First Church
in Worcester, made the concluding prayer.
Mr. Sweetser is a native of Newburyport, and a graduate
of Harvard University, in the class of 1827. Having
taught school for a season in the State of New York, he

REV. MR. SAVEETSER. 411
was appointed tutor in his Alma Mater, and officiated in
that capacity from 1829 to 1831. He pursued the study
of theology in the Seminary at Andover. In 1834 he
went to Gardiner, Me. He labored with the feeble church
in that place two years as a missionary. November 23,
1836, he was ordained as pastor of that church, and sus
tained that relation to them till November 8, 1838. In
the December following, he entered upon his labors in
Worcester. His ministry here of more than twelve years
has been both laborious and pleasant, vigilant and success
ful. So long and acceptable a service has accumulated an
influence which prophesies good for a long time to come.

412 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
CHAPTER VI.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND ITS MINISTERS.
^ 1. The Church Formed.
There was no Methodist church or society in Worcester
until 1834. A few individuals of this denomination met
for worship the year preceding and formed a " Class." On
the 8th day of February, 1834, pursuant to a warrant
issued by Emory Washburn, Esq., thirteen individuals met
in the Town Hall, and -were organized "as a Methodist
Episcopal Religious Society in the town of Worcester."
At the next session of the " New England Conference,"
they applied for a preacher to be stationed among them.
Their application was successful. Worcester Avas entered
on the " Conference Minutes " of that year as a " Mission,"
and a minister designated to serve them in the Gospel.
During the first three years of their existence, the Town
Hall served them as a house of worship.
The church at its organization, consisted of seven mem
bers. Their first year was one of great prosperity. At its
close, one hundred and nine members were reported in
place of seven at its beginning. When they removed from
the Town Hall to their neAV house of worship, they num
bered one hundred and fifty-three members. In the early
part of 1837, that house1 was completed and dedicated to
* It was huilt on the corner of Exchange and Union Streets, at an expense
of $4150. The sermon at its dedication was preached hy the Rev. Joseph
Holdich, D. D. The house was destroyed by firo, Fob. 19, 1841.

FIRST METHODIST CHURCH. 413
the worship of Almighty God. Before the year closed,
the church enjoyed a season of special religious interest,
and one hundred and seventy-four persons were added to
the church. In 1844, their house of worship was destroyed
by fire, and they were obliged to return to the place where
they first commenced public services as a religious society.
The year following, the formation of a new church was
contemplated, and in the Spring of 1845, a portion of the
old church was set off and organized into the " Laurel
Street Methodist Episcopal Church." About this time,
the society erected on Park Street a neat and convenient
temple* for the worship of God, which they now occupy,
and which is respectably filled on the Sabbath. In the
autumn and winter of 1849-50, the church was again re
vived with the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, and
about seventy individuals expressed the belief that they had
commenced a new life. Forty of these have united with
the church. The whole number of members is now not far
from two hundred.
The church and society appear to have been prospered
from the first ; and, notwithstanding temporary embarrass
ments, are still prosecuting the ends of their organization.
Generally united among themselves, they have been favored
in those who, from time to time, have been appointed by
the " Conference " to minister to their spiritual wants. The
genius of the Methodist economy seems to require that no
church shall long enjoy the labors of the same pastor.
Doubtless this rotation in the pastoral office has its advan-
* This house was commenced in Oct., 1844, and dedicated Aug. 16, 1845.
Bishop Janes preached the sermon. It is 72 feet long and 50 feet wide. It
has 72 pews on the main floor, and a Lecture Room below, which will accom
modate about 400 worshipers. It cost rather more than $10,000.
35*

414 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
tages, though many believe that its disadvantages prepon
derate. Be that as it may, the church here have reason for
congratulation that the ministers who have been set apart
for their especial service, were men of respectable talents,
amiable and gentlemanly deportment, and of much moral
worth. With this view of the church and society, we turn to
the Pulpit. There was a time, and that time dates not
very far back, when human learning was not deemed a
very essential requisite in the pulpit of a Methodist Church.
That time has passed away. Great efforts have been made
within a few of the past years, to correct the false estimate
of education in the ministry which was once prevalent, and
create not only a toleration of, but an earnest demand for
ministers whose minds are cultivated by study and enriched
with the treasures of knowledge. Those efforts have been
followed with gratifying success. The writer believes that,
at no time since the formation of the Methodist Church
here, has ignorance been a recommendation to a pastor, or
a minister less esteemed because he was known to make
thorough preparation for the pulpit by previous study. The
result is what might beforehand have been anticipated.
The church has more intelligent piety, and greater spiritual
strength. The first minister who began to labor here in
this connection, was the

§ 2. Rev. Joseph A. Merrill.
He commenced his labors in 1833, as a traveling
agent of the ' Conference.' Under his ministry a " Class "

FIRST METHODIST MINISTRY. 415
was formed, and the way prepared for the formation of a
church in the following year.
Mr. Merrill was born in Newbury, Mass., November
22d, 1785. He commenced preaching in 1805, in Lower
Canada. In 1807 he united with the New England Con
ference, and received his first appointment in Salisbury,
Mass. His labors were blessed in Scituate, Harwich,
Wellfleet and Falmouth. In 1813-14, he was stationed
in Boston with the Rev. George Pickering. Leaving
Boston, he was for four years presiding elder of the Ver
mont District. In 1819, he rode, chiefly on horseback,
five thousand miles, preached three hundred sermons, and
received for his services and traveling expenses, $229 !
After spending two years at New Market, he Avas appointed
presiding elder on the New London District. There his
labors were greatly blessed, and he was also brought to
test the value of his religion by a sickness Avhich taught
him to feel that there was but ' a step between him and the
grave.' In 1826, he was again in Boston, rejoicing that
his services were attended with visible tokens of the divine
approbation. Similar tokens awaited him on his removal
thence to Lynn Wood End. A single instance deserves
record. ' After hearing him preach, a middle aged man,
long an inebriate and an almost hopeless case, deeply
affected by the truth, though then intoxicated, pressed his
way to the altar, confessed his vice with a sorrowful heart,
and, promising to reform, became thenceforth a sober,
praying, useful citizen.' The following three years, Mr.
Merrill was presiding elder of the Providence District.
After his services in Worcester, in 1833, he was presiding
elder of the Springfield District, then he preached in Web-

416 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
ster, then in Williamsburg, then in Lowell, then in Newton
Upper Falls, then in Salem, and then in East Boston. In
1846, he was at East Cambridge, in 1848 at Newburyport,
and in the spring of 1849, at the Springfield Conference,
he " superannuated." During his last sickness his mind
was calm and clear. ' Death,' he said in triumph, ' is a
conquered enemy ; he has no power over, or sting to me.'
His death, peaceful as an infant's slumber, took place July
22, 1849.
One who knew him well has recorded the following
tribute to his memory. " He is gone, and his death will
not fail to arrest the attention of thousands within the New
England Methodist Church. He has long been prominent
among his brethren, and has borne a conspicuous part in
many of the noble enterpises of the church of God. He
was no mean man ; but a man of thought, possessing a
mind and body of large activity, and which it appears,
remained with him even down to the sickness that, after
long struggling, overcame him at last. Marked by some
peculiarities, he was, however, a good man. Deeply in his
heart he loved Christ and his cause, and was one of the
men who, with a firm step, would have gone to the stake
for the sake of Christ. His views were enlightened, noble,
generous. He was one of the pioneers in the cause of
education in the church and ministry with which he was
associated, and his ardent and active spirit readily sympa
thized with every rational enterprise looking toward the
elevation and influence of the church of Christ. We shall
see him no more at present. That clear and manly voice,
heard so many years along the hills and vales of New Eng
land, has died away ; and Avhen the annual assembly shall

FIRST METHODIST MINISTRY. 417
gather again, and the fathers thereof shall be counted up,
one of them will be absent."

§ 3. Rev. George Pickering.
After the organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church
in Worcester, Mr. Pickering Avas appointed by the Confer
ence as their first pastor. He remained here only one
year ; but his ministry was the means of enlarging and
strengthening the church in an unusual degree. Many
speak of him now with peculiar interest and some of his
pithy sayings are still repeated.
Mr. Pickering was born in Talbot County, Md., in the
year 1769. He became hopefully pious when eighteen
years of age, and commenced preaching. He came to
New England in 1792, and was appointed to Hartford
circuit. He then preached in Tolland, Lynn, Boston and
Needham. For several years he was presiding elder on
Boston District. It is not necessary to follow him from
place to place through the course of his long life. He Avas
indefatigable in his labors, and was spared to continue them
until near the close of 1846. The following sketch of .his
character is extracted from the ' Minutes of the New Eng
land Annual Conference,' held in Lynn, April 28, 1847.
" George Pickering was a man of marked character and
would have distinguished himself in any age. His person
was tall, slight and erect ; with a serene, though earnest
expression of countenance — walking with a steady and
elastic step. In his personal habits he was remarkably
precise and methodical, and his manners were dignified and

418 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
courteous. He was kind-hearted, affable, and highly cheer
ful. His distinguishing traits of mind were penetration,
clearness, decision ; a tenacious memory, an inventive
genius ; a prompt, yet cautious judgment ; prudence, a
peculiar quaintness,* or humor, and an elevated taste. He
Avas spiritually-minded in an eminent degree ; his faith was
unwavering. He was deeply impressed and pervaded with
the truths of revelation, which Avere his constant study. A
spirit of prayer, in a strong, bright flame, burnt upon the
altar of his heart, and his sense of heavenly things often
flowed with rapture, causing him at times, while preaching
vehemently, to shout ' Glory to God.' He was a popular
preacher, a sound divine, a cheerful and self-sacrificing
itinerant, an able and patient ruler, and what is of the
greatest importance, he was successful in winning souls to
Christ. He was a living pillar in the church of God, and
saw it, by his labors and those of his coadjutors, rising to
importance, and making to itself an eminent position in the
history of the age. He closed his eyes in death, at his
family residence in Waltham, Mass., December 8th, 1846,
at the age'of seventy-seven; having held his office in the
traveling connection for upwards of half a century ; and
being at the time of his death, the oldest effective traveling
preacher on the globe. His prospect was glorious. ' My
affairs,' said he, ' for time and eternity, are all settled.'
* Some specimens of this trait in Mr. Pickering's character, are still
repeated in Worcester. " I shall preach on •  evening on spiritual aritlt-
metic." " Some young converts are like calves just let loose from the stall ; they
jump and run, prance and kick at a great rate ; and it soon becomes neces
sary to crib them again."
His illustration from " one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor "
will not soon be forgotten.

FIRST METHODIST MINISTRY. 419
And the last Avord Avhich his Aveeping family caught from
his failing lips, was Glory ! Glory ! "

§ 4. Rev. John T. Burrill.
Mr. Pickering having completed his term of service in
Worcester, Mr. Burrill, by appointment of Conference, suc
ceeded him. He ministered to this church with great
acceptance, two years ; and the people would gladly have
retained him still longer. They petitioned that he might
remain with them another year ; but their petition was
denied. So earnest were they to carry this point, that it
was with difficulty they could be persuaded to abide by the
rules of ' Methodist Itineracy.' He was ' an interesting
and popular preacher, an excellent pastor, and very much
beloved by the people.' Nor was his popularity confined
to his own society. Christians of other denominations
highly esteemed him for his talents, and Avere delighted
Avith his preaching.

§ 5. Rev. James Porter.
Mr. Porter came to Worcester in 1837, and remained
here one year. His labors seem to have been greatly
blessed. One hundred and seventy-four individuals Avere
added to the church in that single year. Mr. Porter was
afterwards presiding elder in this District. He is now
stationed over the Methodist Episcopal church in East Bos
ton. Having finished his labors in Worcester, he was suc
ceeded by the

420 the worcester pulpit.
§ 6. Rev. Jotham Horton.
The new incumbent was devoted to the interests of the
church, and difigently performed the duties belonging to his
station. His labors here terminated at the expiration of
one year. He was esteemed as a sound and forcible
preacher, and much respected for the sobriety of his de
portment and general excellence of character. Soon after
leaving Worcester, he dissolved his connection with the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and united with the ' True
Wesleyans.' He is now laboring in the vicinity of Boston.
§ 7. Rev. Moses L. Scudder
Was Mr. Horton's successor. Mr. Scudder was a man
of very active mind and pursued his labors here with great
ardor. ' The people^ now remember him with pleasure as
an amiable, active Christian man, a good pastor, and an
interesting preacher.' He continued here two years,
Could he have remained longer, his people would have been
gratified. He has preached in several other places, and
always very much to the acceptance of his people. He is
now a member of the ' New York East Conference,' and
stationed in Middletown, Ct. He was followed in Worces
ter by the
§ 8. Rev. Minor Raymond.
Mr. Raymond began his labors here in 1841, and closed
them in 1843. He greatly endeared himself to his peo-

FIRST METHODIST MINISTRY. 421
pie, and made friends also beyond the limits of his own
society. Having enjoyed superior advantages for intellec
tual cultivation, his sermons were carefully thought out
and conveyed much valuable instruction. The church often
speak of him now with emotion, and his remembrance is
fondly cherished. As he was thought to have superior
qualifications for teaching, he was transferred from the
' Itineracy' to the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, Mass.
As principal of that institution he has already acquired a
high reputation, and is still devoting himself with energy
and good will to its interests.
§ 9. Rev. Charles K. True, D. D.,
Succeeded Mr. Raymond in the pastoral supervision of
this church. Mr. True is a graduate of Harvard Univer
sity ; and, in 1849, was honored by his Alma Mater Avith
the degree of Doctor in Divinity. His services in Worces
ter were highly appreciated by the more intelligent of his
hearers, and he was held in estimation by all who formed
his acquaintance. With less of the exciting than some
others in his preaching, he had perhaps more of the
instructive. While he was not deficient in those qualities
which are requisite to rouse the thoughtless, he Avas better
adapted to the service of instructing those already thought
ful and ' building up Christians in their -most holy faith.'
During his ministry here, the society was deprived of its
house of worship, by fire. His term of service closed with
the year. He is now Prof, of Polite Literature in the
Wesleyan University at Middletown, Ct. He was followed
in the pastoral care of this church by the
36

422 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

§ 10. Rev. Amos Binney.
The ministry of Mr. Binney was of two years' continu
ance, and very acceptable to his people. These were years
of peculiar interest to the church. A part of their num
ber was set off to form a new body, under the name of the
Laurel Street Methodist Episcopal Church. A new house
of worship was erected, more spacious and convenient than
their former one, and also more eligibly situated. Mr. Bin
ney having done good service to his temporary charge, left
for other fields of labor, and is now presiding elder of
Charlestown District. He was followed here by the
§ 11. Rev. Jonathan D. Bridge.
Mr. Bridge brought with him a reputation for more
than ordinary effectiveness as a preacher, and for excellent
qualities as a man and a Christian. He was much esteemed
by his people and by others, and during the two years of
his ministry was a useful pastor. He has left behind him
pleasant recollections for the urbanity of his deportment
and the general excellence of his ministrations. At the
present time, he is pastor of the Methodist church worship
ing in Church street, Boston. His immediate successor in
Worcester, was the
§ 12. Rev. Loranus Crowell.
This incumbent, in the single year of his service here,
made himself so acceptable and useful, that his unexpected

FIRST METHODIST MINISTRY. 423
removal at the expiration of that period, was a great afflic
tion to his church and society. Though comparatively
silent and unobtrusiAre, he was yet making deep impressions
on many minds and winning his way to many hearts. Mr.
Crowell was graduated at the Wesleyan University in Mid
dletown, in 1841. On leaving Worcester, he was trans
ferred to Boston, and is now pastor of the Bromfield street
church in that city.
§ 13. Rev. Nelson E. Cobleigh
Was Mr. Crowell's immediate successor, and he still
continues here as pastor of the Park street Church. He
Avas graduated at the University in Middletown with the
class of 1843, joined the New England Conference in
1844, and since that time has been a traveling preacher.
Since his entrance upon this field of labor, his church has
enjoyed a season of special religious interest, and more
than forty individuals have been added to its numbers.
Mr. Cobleigh has nearly completed his term of service here,
and will be followed by another in April, before this ac
count will pass under the eye of the reader.
It has not been deemed advisable to give an extended
biographical account of each of these pastors, for the rea
son that no one of them remained here more than two-
years. Nor is it expedient that the number of sermons
here published should equal the number of clergymen who
have ministered to this church. Still, some illustration of
the Methodist Pulpit in Worcester is desirable, and the au
thor has applied to the present incumbent in office to
furnish it. The following is his response to that applica
tion.

JESUS,

THE SAVIOUR OF HIS PEOPLE

SERMON,

BY. THE

REV. NELSON E. COBLEIGH

36*

SERMON.

Matthew 1 : 21.
Thou shalt call his name Jesus ; for he shall save his
people from their sins.
The name Jesus, the true meaning of which is Saviour,
happily expresses that interesting relation which, as God
manifested in the flesh, He sustains to guilty sinners, a
fallen world, and especially to his peculiar people. " Thou
shalt call his name Jesus ; " and this is the reason of it —
" He shall save his people from their sins."
In the Scriptures He is called " the Saviour of the
world." " We have seen and do testify that the Father
sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." 1 John
4 : 14. Again, He is mentioned by the apostle Paul as the
" Saviour of all men." " Who is the Saviour of all men,
especially of them that believe." 1 Tim. 4 : 10. In this
last passage it is intimated that He is the Saviour of his
people, or of them that believe, in a different sense from
that in which He is the Saviour of all men. Let us in
quire I. In what sense Jesus is a universal Saviour — the Sav
iour of all men. That in some sense He is such a Saviour, we
fully believe ; or He would not have been so called by

428 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
inspired men. The grand object of his incarnation was
that He might be the Saviour of the world. For He him
self declares that " God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world ; but that the world through Him might
be saved." John 3 : 17.
For this, He took upon him the form of a servant ; for
this He was made under the law and became subject to the
law ; for this " He who was rich, for our sakes became
poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich ; "
for this He toiled, gave instruction, wrought miracles, drank
the cup of sorrow, endured insult, suffered pain, agonized
in the garden, shed his precious blood, and died upon the
cross. In doing this He made an atonement for sin, and
suffered as the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the
Avorld. In vieAV of what Jesus did and suffered among men, God
can noAV be just — just to his law, just to his government,
just to his creatures, just to Himself, and yet be the justi-
fier of all them that believe in Jesus. He suffered and
died for all men ; made a universal atonement, the bless
ings of which should extend to every member of our fallen
race ; so that " He is the propitiation for our sins, and not
for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world." He by
the grace of God " hath tasted death for every man." Ac
cording to some of the figures of prophecy, He hath opened
the prison doors to all them that are bound, and sent in to
the unhappy captives a generous invitation for all to come
forth from their cells, enjoy the precious light, breathe the
pure air, and exult in the glorious freedom of the Gospel.
He has prepared a sumptuous feast for all people, and
spread before the starving multitudes a table in the' wilder-

JESUS THE SAVIOUR. 429
ness ; freely inviting the hungry and the perishing to come,
and eat, and live. In Judah and Jerusalem He has opened
a fountain for sin and uncleanness — a great moral Beth-
esda, into whose moving waters not only the first, but every
one that steppeth, is made perfectly whole ; and to this all-
cleansing fountain He cordially invites the morally leprous
and impure to draw nigh, wash, and be clean.
These glorious and costly provisions He has made free
for all, and to the enjoyment of these precious blessings he
entreats all to come, even- the most unworthy, and the
greatest sinners. He has opened the way and made it pos
sible for all to enter it, walk therein, and be saved ; made
it possible for all who fell in Adam to rise in Christ, for all
who have wandered however remotely from God, by personal
sin and transgression, to be brought savingly nigh unto Him
through the atoning blood of Christ. Having opened the
way, and graciously invited all, He has authorized his min
isters everywhere to proclaim that He is able and Avilling to
save, even to the uttermost all that will come unto God by
Him. Therefore without hesitation we preach Christ as a
universal Saviour, who suffered, and bled, and died, and
intercedes for all men. In like manner, with the same
spirit, we also proclaim through Christ a free, full, impar
tial and universal salvation provided for all men.
But this by no means proves that all men will be saved.
There may be cities of refuge ; but people are not safe till
they enter within their walls. There was once an ark ; but
thousands of the unbelieving who would not enter it, per
ished in the flood. It is one thing to have a Saviour
offered, and quite another thing, depending wholly upon
the will of the individual, to accept of Him as such. It is

430 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
one thing to have salvation provided, and a very different
thing, depending again wholly upon the voluntary choice of
the person, to seek that salvation, and embrace it on the
proffered conditions. It is not enough that the prison doors
are set open, that a general amnesty has been proclaimed,
and that an invitation has been given for all, on complying
with a certain specified condition, to be free ; he only has
freedom who complies with the terms, rises at the call,
shakes the manacles from his limbs, and actually goes forth
from the dungeon and the cell. The mere fact that a feast
has been prepared, that a table has been spread with lux
uries enough and free for all, will not save a soul from the
inevitable pains and horrors of starvation, unless he in sea
son draw nigh and partake of its provisions. The univer
sal law is, " Thou shalt eat or die." The fact that cooling
springs are in the desert, will not save the fainting trav
eler ; he must approach them and drink, or perish. So
the fact that Jesus died for all men, is able and willing to save
to the uttermost, and graciously offers to deliver from their
sins, without money and without price, all that will come
unto God by Him, will not save a sinner from the love and
practice of sin in this world, nor from its awful consequences
in the world to come. He only is saved, he alone can be
saved, who believes in Christ with a heart unto righteous
ness, who, seeing no other Avay of escape from the curse of
a violated law, under the drawings of the Father, volun
tarily comes to Christ, and finds pardon, regeneration and
adoption. Jesus is the Saviour of the world, in this sense : He was
given by the Father for the world ; He tasted death for ev
ery man ; God laid upon Him the iniquity of us all ; He is

JESUS THE SAVIOUR. 431
abundantly able to save ; and, without respect to persons,
He freely invites all men to come and find in Him salva
tion from their sins. While He is such a Saviour, He is
the only Saviour of the world. " There is no other name
given under heaven, among men, Avhereby we must be
saved." His blood alone can atone for sin and wash away
our guilt. He is the Saviour provided for the world and
graciously offered to all men. He is therefore the world's
offered Saviour.
We now proceed to inquire
II. In what sense Jesus is the Saviour of his people.
His people are all those of Jewish or Gentile race, who be
lieve on, and who obey Him. Such only will be saved.
For the same authority that calls Him the Saviour of all
men, in the most positive and unqualified manner declares
that believers only shall be saved. " He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not
shall be damned." " He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not
see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." " He
became the author of eternal salvation to all them that
obey Him."
To his people Jesus is not only a provided and an offered
Saviour ; He is a Saviour accepted and embraced. He is
freely offered on his part, and cheerfully received on their
part. " He came unto his OAvn and his OAvn received him
not ; but as many as received Him, to them gave He poAver
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name." His people are not all those who have heard his
inviting voice, calling unto them and saying, " Come unto
me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give

432 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
you rest ; " but those only who, having heard the gracious
invitation, unlike the unbelieving, have come out from their
hiding places in the desert, in the prison, and in the wilder
ness, and coming even unto Him, have consecrated them
selves to his service. They have chosen Him to be their
personal Saviour, and He has elected them to be his pecu
liar people, zealous of good works ; making their free choice
of him, the ground of their election to everlasting life. To
the world He is a Saviour, because He stands ready to
save whenever they come to Him ; to his people He is a
Saviour, because inasmuch as they have already come, He
does now save them.
Here it may be well to inquire a little into the nature of
that salvation which the disciples of Christ may enjoy in
this life. In many of its circumstances it differs much
from the salvation Avhich they will enjoy with Him in a fu
ture state ; but in some of its essential features, it is pre
cisely the same. It is not the privilege of Christ's people
to be saved from being tempted and tried in this Avorld ;
but it is their privilege to be kept from yielding to tempta
tion and from sinking under trials. They may not hope to
be saved from physical sufferings and providential afflictions
in their probationary state ; but they may expect to be
greatly strengthened while suffering the one, and divinely
comforted while enduring the other.
Salvation in the scripture sense, means deliverance, or
freedom from sin. This is the sense in which the people of
God may be saved in this life. They are not to be saved
from all the effects of sin. By past transgressions they
may have greatly abused and enfeebled their intellectual and
moral powers, the consequences of which may follow them

JESUS THE SAVIOUR. 433
all through life, and for aught we know into eternity. This
is the sense in which they may be saved. They may now
be delivered from the guilt and condemnation of all their
past sins, and may be ever henceforth kept by the power
of God from falling again into the commission of sin. To
some, this may at first appear to be strong doctrine,
stronger than the teachings of Scripture will Avarrant. But
let us calmly, candidly and thoroughly examine it, before
we pronounce the sentence of anathema against it. Let
the plain statements of Scripture be our guide and author
ity in the investigation. The language of Jesus to his fol
lowers is, " Abide in me." Would he command or exhort
us to abide in Him, if it were not possible ; nay more, if
it were not our duty and privilege to do so ? I trust that
men will be slow to charge upon God's merciful and immac
ulate Son, so full of love and tender compassion, such folly
and injustice, as would be involved in an effort to sustain
the affirmative of this question. " Whosoever abideth in
him sinneth not." 1 John 3:6. If then it be possible
to " abide in Christ," if it be practicable to obey Him, if
his commandments are not grievous, if indeed his yoke is
easy and his burden light, then is it possible for believers
to live without sin. It is just as possible, just as easy, just
as much the Christian's duty and privilege, to be saved
from, and live without committing sin, as it is to obey Christ
and abide in Him. But we have more proof on this point.
" There is therefore noAv no condemnation to them that are
in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
spirit." " If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is
none of his." Rom. 8 : 1 and 9. If they only who have
the spirit of Christ are his people, and they Avho walk after
37'

434 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
the Spirit have now no condemnation, being in Christ
Jesus ; then surely are they saved already from their sins.
For they, being freed from condemnation, must be freed
from the guilt of sin ; for this it is that bringeth condem
nation. The absence of the effect must be attributed to
the removal of the cause. Here are other passages, how
ever, that settle the question by as plain, positive and
direct statements as any reasonable mind can desire.
" Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." 1 John
3:8. " We know that whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin ; but he that he is begotten of God keepeih
himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not." 1 John
5 : 18. Such is the nature of the salvation which is set
forth in the Scriptures — deliverance from the guilt of all
past sin, and power to keep from falling again into the com
mission of sin.
Of this salvation Jesus is the author. The Scriptures
assert that " He is able to save even to the uttermost all that
come unto him." We take this to mean not only that He
is able to save all that come — the worst and greatest of
sinners, but also able to save them wholly, from the guilt
and power of every sin. Men sin because of some power,
operating upon their hearts and passions, which draws them
away from virtue into the practices of sin. Jesus is able
to break off from his people the power of sin ; so that sin
shall not have dominion over them. With his sharp two-
edged sword He can cut that more than magic spell asun
der, and thereby give deliverance to them "that have been
long bound and led captive by the devil at his will. By
the power of the Holy Ghost He can kill and make alive,
make his people " dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto

JESUS THE SAVIOUR. 435
God." He can render them so dead unto sin, that all the
power of enticement which the world and Satan can bring
to bear upon them, will be as ineffectual to seduce them
from virtue and the ways of love, as the same would be to
raise a dead body from the grave to life. Through the
agency of the Spirit He can so reveal to the hearts of be
lieving men the hidden glories of the spirit world, and so
unfold to the eyes of the inner man the transcendent beauty
of holiness, as to make them outgrow in a single hour, all
relish for the sinful pleasures of life, as a person outgrows
the love for toys with which he played and prattled in child
hood. Wherever sin, by its polluting touch, has left the leprous
spot upon the soul, effacing therefrom the divine image, there
Jesus has blood which He knows well how to apply, to the
cleansing away of all moral defilement, so that the image
of God shall be again stamped upon that soul. " His
blood cleanseth from all unrighteousness." He can shed
abroad and keep ever active in the heart, such a degree of
love, as will cast out all fear, fulfill the whole law, and so
imbue the springs of thought, desire and purpose, that
every impulse to action, and every motive shall be holy.
Thus filled with love to God and love to man, ever desiring,
always intending, and in each act seeking the glory of
God, his people are saved from their sins, lead holy lives
and walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the
Lord blameless. Such a salvation, and such a life, Jesus
is able to vouchsafe unto his people.
This power is in Jesus, not in the people, only as it flows
to them by divine communication. It is power, not natural,
but supernatural ; ability, not innate, but gracious. The

436 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
sinner cannot save himself. Of his own, he has no power
to resist temptation ; none to abstain from sin. The un
happy victim of sin, he is completely in the power of the
devil, controlled and led captive by him at his will.
A vine was so planted, that as it shot up from the soil, it
gradually ascended the adjacent tree, and spread itself out
among the branches of the oak. At length, by sudden
violence, it was torn from the supporting tree. Cast upon
the ground, it creeps along in the dust, and winds its
lengthening tendrils around every weed, shrub and httle
object which it may chance to meet. In its" fallen state it
has no power to disengage itself from the many objects
which it has embraced, and to which instinctively it clings ;
much less has it power to rear again its prostrate head
among the towering branches of the oak. But the skillful
gardener can unwind its thousand coils, remove every object
from its grasp, raise the drooping vine and train it again to
climb the stately tree. Like that fallen vine without a
gardener, is the sinner without Christ. Made to love his
Maker, his affections by the treacherous power of sin have
been torn away from God, and cast down prostrate and
bleeding to the perishing things of earth. Here, creeping
as upon the ground, they fasten upon many an object for
bidden to our embrace and unworthy of our love. Instead
of the things that are above and eternal, they grasp gold
and silver, houses and lands, honor and fame, pleasures and
friends, together with many other things which perish with
their using. From these too fondly loved objects, the sin
ner cannot tear his heart away and transfer his affections
back to God, any more than the prostrate vine by its own
power, can disengage itself, and rise to blossom and bear

JESUS THE SAVIOUR. 437
fruit among the waving branches of the oak. But Jesus
can do it. With a skillful and tender hand, He can unwind
the coiling tendrils of the heart from objects unworthy of
their embrace, gather up the bleeding affections, heal and
purify them, and set them strongly on things above. While
the sinner is all weakness, Jesus is all strength ; and we
are willing that the natural impotency of man should be
set in striking contrast with the all-sufficient power of
Christ, so that despairing to save themselves, sinners may
lose no time in coming to Christ who is strong and mighty
to save.
If Jesus is able thus to save his people, it inevitably fol
lows that it is the privilege of all believers to be saved from
all their sins. If, as must be admitted, Christ is stronger
than his great adversary, the devil ; and if the holiness of
his character makes him hate sin with a perfect hatred ;
He is not only able, but must greatly desire, to save his
people from their sins. If professing Christians are not
thus saved, it must be for one or more of the following rea
sons : Either Christ is . not able to save them ; or being
able is not willing ; or being both able and Avilling, his peo
ple do not, as it is their privilege, put themselves into a
position to be fully saved — do not wholly consecrate their
hearts and lives to his service. This last, we believe, is
the true cause of the unhappy failure. Some do not
believe it to be their privilege, or even possible, to be saved
from committing sin in this life ; and consequently Christ
cannot perform in them the mighty work of full salvation,
because of their unbelief. Others, though believing it to be
their privilege, are nevertheless kept from seeking it with
all their heart, and for that reason kept from obtaining it,
37*

438 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
through the fear of man, the lovo of tho world, or the pride
and vanity of life.
But who, I ask, that has felt any dcgroo of tho lovo of
God in tho heart, doos not wish to avail hiniHolf of thoso
groat Gospel provisions '{ Who doos not desire to obtain
the blessings which havo boon purchased for him, by an
infinite sacrifice, and at so groat an oxponso ? Who would
oxposo himsolf longer to danger by continuing to walk in
darkness, whon he might more easily walk in safety, and
enjoy the light of lifo ? Who would prefer to carry his
chains and Avoar the galling fetters of sin, whon a friend
stood near, Avho was ready at his entreaty to striko them
off from his blooding limbs ?
Though to some minds, sin may bring a momentary
pleasure, a transient, unnatural joy, it soon turns to pain
and always ends in death. A sweet morsel under tho
tongue, it tends to bitterness, brings darkness upon tho
mind, and fills the soul with painful forebodings of retribu
tions yet to come. When a better way has been opened,
whon the highway of holiness has been cast up for tho ran
somed of tho Lord to walk in, who would prefer to make
life's short journey in tho rough, dark, thorny way of sin,
rather than to walk in tho pleasant pathway of tho just,
" which shineth more and more unto tho perfect day?"
" He that sinncth is of tho devil " ; and are wo proud of
our paternity, preferring to be children of the wicked one,
rather than sons and daughters oT the Lord '( Sin exposes
us to the greatest danger. Satan, whom he that sinncth
serves, may be just ready to seize you more firmly, witli
intent to hurl you from probation, down to the infernal
prison of despair. At least by every sin he is drawing his

JESUS THE SAVIOUR. 439
victim, slowly it may be, but skillfully and surely, towards
the awful brink of a deep and yawning hell. Do you not
wish deliverance from such imminent peril ? Would
you not be freed from abiding condemnation ? When you
may be free, will you consent to live on, wearing the heavy
yoke of bondage ? 0, who does not groan for deliverance ?
Whose heart does not now sigh for the purity of holy love ;
for the peace that passeth all understanding ; for the joy
that is unspeakable and full of glory ; for the bright assur
ance of hope that is " as an anchor to the soul, both
sure and steadfast, reaching to that within the vail"?
Thanks be to God that such is the privilege of his people.
Would the reader enjoy even in this life, this great, this
full salvation ? There is a condition to be fulfilled. " Be
lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
There are also preliminary steps to be taken. Believing
this to be your privilege, " Ask, and ye shall receive ; seek,
and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

440 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
CHAP TER VII.
ROMAN CATHOLIC MINISTRY.
§ 1. Establishment of Catholic Worship.
Between the years of 1824 and 1828 inclusive, the Black-
stone Canal uniting Worcester and Providence, was begun
and completed. This work furnished employment for many
Catholic emigrants. Some of these were gathered in Wor
cester and its vicinity. For their benefit religious exercises
were occasionally held during the progress of the work.
In 1834, the Rev. James Fitton began to visit the town
once in a month. In the spring of that year, four families
and about twenty unmarried persons, constituted the sum
total of the Catholic population of Worcester. It is com
puted that the number now exceeds four thousand. The
small house of worship which was erected on Temple street,
in 1834, has been succeeded by ' St. John's Church,' —
the largest structure of the kind in the city. It is 136 feet
in length, and 65 feet in breadth, of Roman Doric style of
architecture. The present pastor estimates the number of
worshipers here, at six thousand, principally Irish and
Canadians. § 2. Ministers of the Catholic Church.
The Rev. James Fitton was the first Catholic clergyman
who ministered to this church in Worcester. He is a native
of Boston, and pursued his early studies in that city until

ROMAN CATHOLTC MINISTRY. 441
1812. Then he visited Canada to acquire the languages
and attend to other branches of education, under private
tuition. The Right Rev. Bishop Fenwick was his theo
logical instructor. In December, 1827, he was ordained,
and appointed to official duty in the church of the Holy
Cross. In 1828, he was pastor and teacher to the Indians
of Maine. He was, in 1830, designated as pastor of
Trinity Church in Hartford, Ct., and employed in that
city, and on missionary circuits through the neighboring
country for the distance of a hundred miles, till a church
and resident minister were obtained in New Haven, and an
assistant in Hartford. Soon after, his regular visits to
Worcester began, and in May, 1836, he removed to this
town. Mr. Fitton established two schools here, one for
children in the ' basement ' of the church, and the other
for boys, in the higher branches of education, called Mount
Saint James Seminary, on Pakachoag hill. This has been
greatly enlarged, and is now known under the name of the
' College of the Holy Cross.'
The Rev. A. Williamson succeeded Mr. Fitton. He
was from Baltimore, and a student of the Propaganda of
Rome. Having accomplished his service here, he gave
place to the
Rev. Matthew W. Gibson, who is the present incumbent
in office. He took charge of " the Worcester Missions,"
in 1845. He is by birth an Englishman, and received his
education partly in England, and partly in Rome, in the
College of the Propaganda. In 1846,
Rev. J. A. Mc Avoy was appointed his assistant. A
native of Ireland, he was educated in Trinity College,
Dublin, and had the reputation of great learning. Ill

442 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
health prevented him from performing the labors expected
of him here, and induced his resignation in 1847. He was
succeeded by the
Rev. John Royce. This gentleman by birth an Irish
man, was educated in Maynooth College, Ireland. Previ
ously to entering upon this field of labor, he ministered to
the Catholics in Eastport, Maine. He is at present the
assistant of Rev. Mr. Gibson.
It was intended4o give some illustration of the Catholic
pulpit in this work, but the author has not been able to
obtain any.

THE UNION CHURCH. 443

CHAPTER VIII.
UNION CHURCH AND ITS PASTORS.
§ 1. The Church Organized.
In the autumn of 1834, the friends of evangelical religion
began to entertain the idea of forming a third church of
their order. In December of that year, it was resolved by
individuals to take measures for the erection of a new
house of worship, to accommodate the contemplated church
when it should be organized. Meetings were held in De
cember, 1835, preliminary to the formation of the church.
At one of these it was voted " that the church to be
organized be called the Union Church." In January,
1836, the articles of faith and covenant* were unanimously
adopted by those who intended to join in the new enter
prise. Agreeably to letters missive from persons duly
authorized to issue them, an ecclesiastical council was con
vened February 3, 1836, to aid in the organization of the
church. The council expressed satisfaction with the pre
liminary proceedings of those at whose instance they were
convoked, and voted that the church be formed with the
usual public solemnities. The account of these follows :
Introductory prayer, by the Rev. John Boardman of
East Douglass: Sermon, by the Rev. Josiah Clark of
Rutland ; Constituting the Church, by Rev. Samuel Gay
* Appendix J.

444 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
of Hubbardston ; Consecrating prayer, by Rev. J. S. C.
Abbott of Roxbury ; Right Hand of fellowship, by Rev.
John Nelson of Leicester.
The original number that constituted the Union Church,
was sixty-three. Twenty-seven of these were from the
First Church, and nineteen from the Calvinist Church.
The enterprise was begun and had been conducted with
such a spirit, that the council, in expressing their fellowship,
took occasion to utter the following sentiments : " And
Brethren, we rejoice because your organization as a distinct
church has resulted, not from any dissent from those with
whom you were formerly associated, not from any alienation
of feelings, not from any sectional or party interest, but
from the deliberate conviction you have so fully expressed,
that the cause of religion in this place will be promoted by
the measure."
The Union Society, convoked by a warrant of Emory
Washburn, Esq., held their first meeting, March 5, 1836.
Their house* was dedicated to the worship of Almighty
God, the 6th of July, 1836. Rev. John Nelson preached
the sermon on the occasion ; Rev. George Allen of
Shrewsbury offered the dedicatory prayer.
Regularly organized, the church and society turned
their attention to the establishment of the Gospel ministry
among them. November 24, 1836, an ecclesiastical coun
cil was convened for the purpose of installing over this new
Church their first pastor, the
* This house is of brick, 90 feet in length, and 54 in width. In 1845-6 its
internal arrangement was altered, so that it now accommodates a larger
audience than it could at first. It has ninety-eight pews on the floor, and
twenty-four in the gallery, besides seats for the choir. The organ is one of
Stevens' best.

REV. JONATHAN E. WOODBRIDGE. 445

§ 2. Rev. Jonathan E. Woodbridge.
The public services with which he was introduced to the
ministerial office here, were ; sermon, by Rev. Parsons
Cooke ; installing prayer, by Rev. Samuel Gay ; charge,
by Rev. John Nelson ; right hand of fellowship, by Rev.
J. D. Farnsworth ; address to the people, by Rev. Josiah
Clark. Mr. Woodbridge had been previously settled over the
church in Ware Village. When he had labored about one
year in Worcester, a difference of opinion arose between
him and a majority of his society, as to the expediency of
opening the church edifice to anti-slavery lecturers. Be
lieving that the action of the society was such as to dimin
ish his influence, and impair his usefulness, on the 21st of
January, 1838, he asked his dismission. A council having
been convened to deliberate and act upon the matter,
voted, that it is expedient to comply with the request of
the pastor, that his relation to the Union Church be discon
tinued. He was accordingly dismissed, February 14,
1838, with the following testimonial :
," The council feel great pleasure in recommending Rev.
Jonathan E. Woodbridge to the churches as a minister of
highly respectable talents and learning, of sound doctrinal
views, of amiable character and devoted piety, — a minister
qualified by nature, by education and the grace of God, to
be greatly useful in any field of labor to which divine provi
dence may call him."
38

446 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
Since his retirement from Worcester, Mr. Woodbridge
has been principally engaged in editorial labors in connec
tion Avith the New England Puritan, noAV the Puritan
Recorder. At the author's request, he has contributed a
sermon for this work, which will increase its variety, and
subserve its completeness. The subject of the discourse is
one of surpassing interest, and its illustrations must be of
practical value to all who suitably consider them.

AIDS TO HEAVENLY CONTEMPLATION:

SERMON,

PREACHED IN WORCESTER,

December, 1836,

BY THE

REV. JONATHAN E. WOODBRIDGE.

SERMON.

2 Peter 3: 13.
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for
new heavens and a new earth, ivherein dwelleth righteous
ness. How glorious the revelations made in the blessed volume
of divine truth. This passage of Scripture certifies us,
that new heavens and a new earth are to be produced,
which shall be the abode of righteousness. It is according
to his promise, whose promises are yea and amen. These
new heavens and this new earth are to be so transcendently
glorious, as to throw the mantle of utter oblivion over those
that now exist : — " For behold," says God speaking by the
mouth of the prophet, " I create new heavens and a new
earth ; and the former shall be no more remembered nor
come into mind."
We have not selected this text for the purpose of des
cribing or attempting to describe these new heavens and
this new earth. They are above description. Eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the
heart of man to conceive adequately what they are. Paul,
though transported to the third heaven, gives us no partic
ular description of what he saw, or heard. He tells us,
indeed, that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard
38*

450 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to
utter. We are not, however, left altogether without light in this
matter. There are, here and there, on the pages of inspi
ration a few brief allusions to the brightness and glory of
the upper world. The most extended sketch is that found
in the 21st and 22d chapters of Revelation. This is in a
high degree rich and animated. The particular features of
that holy empire probably could neither be conveyed to our
minds, nor adequately understood by us, while in this state
of imperfection and sin. We have the firmest conviction,
that heaven is to be a place of surpassing loveliness ; that
it is to be the attractive capital of the boundless empire of
Jehovah ; that it is to be adorned with all the riches of the
universe ; and to be a glorious manifestation of infinite
wisdom, goodness and power. The idea of it is associated
in all intelligent minds with every thing pure, perfect,
exalted and glorious. Into it there shall, in no wise, enter
any thing that defileth ; it is pervaded by the special pres
ence of that Being, whose nature is perfection ; there are
written the general assembly and church of the first bom ;
and therein dwelleth righteousness. It presents every thing
to command admiration, to stimulate desire, and to produce
effort. We should expect that, if man were wise, he would
fix his gaze upon it with the eye of the eagle and soar
toAvards it upon pinions that would never tire ; that he
should look for the new heavens and the new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness, more than they that watch
for the morning ; and that heavenly contemplation should
be his morning aspiration, his meridian refuge and his con
solation at even tide.

HEAVENLY CONTEMPLATION. 451
The importance of this subject can hardly be realized.
Heavenly contemplation is the most rational employment
that can engage the attention of men in this world. The
man who knows how to practice it, has at his command the
secret of happiness. It can transport the soul from the
murky atmosphere of this world into the pure azure of
heaven. It can give to the soul, though encumbered with
the fetters of mortality, an antepast of the pleasures that
are at the right hand of God. It puts man upon the
proper exercise of his powers, and it feeds those powers
with food adapted to their immortal nature.
As this subject is so important in its bearings, it should
frequently occupy our attention. We now propose to con
sider some of the helps to heavenly contemplation.
Owe first direction is, Seek the aid of the Holy Spirit.
His influence is always necessary in the investigation of
divine truth, and in the contemplation of heavenly themes.
There is naturally no tendency in man to contemplate
divine subjects. He has no relish for them. Left to him
self, he would put them far away as he does the evil day.
He is carnally-minded. "The flesh always lusteth against
the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are
contrary, one to the other." " The natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned." God with his matchless perfections,
heaven with its radiant glories, the soul with its unuttera
bly solemn destinies — these have scarcely a place in all his
thoughts. He thinks little, believes less and desires
naught of that fullness of joy, which flows from the presence
of the High and Holy One. Hence the need of the

452 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Spirit's influences, to produce a taste for divine things, and
to move the vail of unbelief from the mind, and thus let in
upon it the light of eternity. None of us probably can
conceive how essential is the agency of the Spirit. We
cannot of ourselves think a right thought or perform a right
action. All our moral ability is of God. This fact, how
ever, does not excuse us from responsibility. Our inability
is the result of a chosen and cherished perversion of the
heart, and therefore criminal. This state of the heart will
continue, and of course this inability, till divine agency re
move it. But the divine agency, in moral changes, is
usually exerted on the mind of man by the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit, therefore, is man's helper and man's hope.
Without Him, heaven has no loveliness ; the soul has no
affinity for it, and the contemplation of it is wearisome and
profitless. If then, my hearers, you would succeed in
heavenly meditation, seek, first, the aid of the blessed
Spirit. Our second direction on this subject is, Study to attain
correct and scriptural views of heaven. Think of it as a
place of perfect holiness, where no vestige of sin is to be
found ; Avhere the sordid gratifications of sense are unknown.
It is no oriental paradise, addressing itself to the appetites
of a depraved nature. The paradise of Mohammed and
the heaven of Christ have no points of resemblance.
Men are very prone, in thinking of heaven, to make it
such a place, in their imaginations, as they would desire.
The roving Indian, for instance, Avould wish that it might
be composed of beautiful hunting grounds. Its chief at
traction to the votary of Mammon would be that it abounded
in gold and precious stones ; aud the bold transgressor

HEAVENLY CONTEMPLATION. 453
would demand that it should no Avhere furnish the evidence
of a God. But unsubstantial as a dream are all such expect
ations. The true heaven is one and unchangeable ; it is full
of God ; it is a resplendent display of Deity ; it is one vast re
flector of Jehovah in his multiplied and adorable perfections.
The heaven of the Christian, as we have said, is a holy
heaven ; to dwell there requires a holy nature. The God
of heaven is a holy God ; to worship Him there, we must
be holy as He is holy. The inhabitants of heaven are
saints and holy angels ; to mingle in their society and to
jom in their song, we must be able to cry, " holy, holy, holy
is the Lord of hosts." Holiness is the motto of heaven ;
it is the indispensable requisite for admission there ; as
without holiness no man shall see the Lord, whose special
presence it is that constitutes heaven.
In order, then, to profitable meditation about heaven, we
must be penetrated with the truth, that it is a holy world ;
that if we ourselves would rise and shine there, as the
brightness of the firmament, Ave must be holy ; that any
and every idea of heaven that excludes holiness, or gives it
a subordinate place, is radically false ; that any and every
expectation of happiness that does not rest upon this rock,
is the baseless fabric of a vision. Every man, therefore,
who esteems happiness preferable to misery, who would
rise to heaven and not sink to hell, who would bask forever
under the sunny smile of God, and not lie down under his
burning frown, should labor and live and pray to be holy.
He should make holiness the absorbing theme, the central
point of all his heavenly meditations. Are we, my hearers,
doing this ? Have we a groAving conformity to the univer-

454 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
sal character of heaven ? It is high time that this question
were satisfactorily settled by us all.
The third rule for heavenly contemplation, which we
mention, is to meditate often upon the employments of that
bright world. The scenes and the employments of heaven
are widely different from those that engross the attention of
men here. Were we to think of nothing but what is
going on in this world, we should be poorly prepared for
that eternal world to which we are hastening with such
certain and rapid velocity. It is the dictate of wisdom
frequently to transfer our thoughts from the turmoil and
feverish excitement of this vain life, to the serene but
transporting employments of heaven. There, we shall
worship God with the most fervid devotion. No sin will
mingle with our sacred exercises. Here, our Sabbath and
sanctuary services are defiled with worldly thoughts, carnal
desires and selfish affections. TJiere, we shall have no
world but heaven to think about ; there, there will be no
flesh whose appetites will clamor for gratification ; there
will be no selfish affections in any creature, for God will be
all, and in all. Here, our Sabbath and sanctuary services,
though they occupy but a mere fraction of our time, often
become stale, dull and wearisome. There, our services
will be always fresh and always interesting. They will be
perpetual, and yet will never weary ; for we shall enjoy
one perpetual Sabbath, and find it always a season of holy
rest. All the employments of heaven will be perfectly
congruous to our nature and tastes. We shall not do one
thing and desire another. Our hallelujahs will not begin
and end upon the tongue. They will have their origin in
the heart, and will be living strains in the song of the

HEAVENLY CONTEMPLATION. 455
redeemed, that pleases and honors God. Our obedience
will not depend upon motives of interest or duty. It will
emanate from an overflowing fountain of love. It will leap
towards God as the mountain torrent bounds to the ocean.
How sweet will it be to obey Him, who is the portion of our
souls, and whose favor is our life. Such an employment
will crown our existence with happiness.
The study of the divine character also will engage us
with an interest, that never palls, and with an improvement,
under which our souls shall expand and brighten, and glow
in the image of God. The divine character is an exhaust-
less subject. The more that is known of it, the more
august Avill it appear, and the more will seem yet remaining
to be known ; and the more it is studied by a devout mind,
the more will it be loved. The sublime mysteries of
redemption, into which the angels desire to look ; the
instructive unfoldings of God's universal providence, and
the never to be comprehended perfections of his character,
will open upon the eye of the soul a field of vision whose
horizon shall become wider and wider, until finally, it is
lost in the boundless dimensions of Deity. Such employ
ments as these are suited to immortal minds. Meditate
upon them, oh our souls, here, that hereafter they may not
be closed up against us for ever.
A fourth help to heavenly contemplation is frequent
communion with God in prayer, and in the study of his
holy Word. This world is neither the native clime nor the
native soil of a holy soul. The garden of Eden was once
its indigenous abode. But now it is, everywhere on this
earth, an exotic. It needs artificial cultivation, in order
that it may come to maturity. Take a tropical plant, and

456 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
transfer it to a cold and foreign soil, and if, perchance, it
live, it will exhibit nothing but a sickly and barren exist
ence. That it may flourish, it must be nurtured with extra
care, be defended from the frosts, and be subjected to hot
house cultivation. So it is with a holy soul in the uncon
genial climate of this world. Left to itself it will languish
and fade, and though it may not absolutely die, it will
never bring any fruit to perfection. It needs the dews of
heavenly grace ; it needs the fostering cultivation of daily
prayer ; it needs the genial warmth and light of divine
truth. Under these influences, perseveringly applied, the
soul may be made even here to rejoice and blossom as the
rose. Daily prayer, and the study of God's word are the
life of a renewed soul so long as it inhabits this tabernacle
of flesh. They form, as it were, the Jacob's ladder between
heaven and earth, on which the angels of God ascend and
descend in their ministrations to the soul. Neglect prayer
and the reading of God's word, and the soul's spiritual
communication with heaven is cut off ; the streams of its
life are dried up. It becomes like the heath in the desert,
and seeth not Avhen good cometh. The soul, that day by
day will faithfully supply its exhausted energies at the
throne of the heavenly grace, and feed its wasting fires at
the altar of divine truth, is laying up in store for itself a
good foundation against the time to come, that it may lay
hold on eternal life. There is nothing that can lift a man
to heaven like prayer ; there is nothing within his power
that can prepare him for heavenly contemplation like
prayer ; and there is nothing so rich in materials for this
kind of contemplation, as the inspired Avord of God. Prayer

HEAVENLY CONTEMPLATION. 457
and the word, then, are eminently important as auxiliary to
heavenly contemplation.
Fifthly ; Another aid to profitable meditation on things
heavenly and divine, is a deep and abiding persuasion of
the vanity of this world. Earth and heaven' are the only
theatres of thought in which men's minds love to expatiate.
Of these two, the earth monopolizes the minds of all those
who have their treasure here. And when we look around
upon the various classes of men, and witness the eagerness
with which almost all pursue the phantoms of earth, we are
tempted to conclude that there are almost none Avho think
about God and heaven. Yet, there have ever been even in
the worst days a precious few who have not bowed the knee
to the golden image which the god of this Avorld has set up.
Earth and heaven, we need not say, are widely different.
If the thoughts and affections are placed upon the one, they
will necessarily be much withdraAvn from the other. There
can be no difficulty in deciding upon which they ought to
fasten. The precept is explicit, Lay up your treasure in
heaven, that so your hearts may be there also. The
attractions of the Avorld, as they address themselves to the
depraved appetites of our nature never fail, if unresisted,
to seduce the heart and to captivate the will. The Avorld
is the strong man armed, that enters in and takes posses
sion of the citadel of the natural heart, and he never yields
nor forsakes it until a stronger than he overcome him and
cast him out.
The love of the world is an absorbing and exclusive pas
sion. It needs to be resisted with a purpose that never
wavers, and with an energy that never falters. Yield to it
to-day, and tomorrow it bears every thing away. Never,

458 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
perhaps, went there by a time since the great flood, when it
appeared more insatiable in its demands, and more gigantic
in its power than at the present moment. It has come in
upon our land like a flood. It is bearing our population
hither and thither upon its swelling tide, and swallowing up
multitudes in its agitated waters. It is, my hearers, an
evil, and a bitter thing to be enslaved by the world. This
love of the world, which is so absorbing at the present day,
is an omen of fearful import to the present, and to coming
generations. Multitudes are pushing westward and south
ward, to make their fortunes in new countries. Those who
stay at home are seeking to add field to field, and house to
house, till there be no place left. In our cities the effort is
to heap up gold and silver as the dust of the streets, and
thousands are compassing sea and land everywhere to get
gain. This is the melancholy character of the present genera
tion. It is a Avorldly generation. The master passion of
1836 is the passion for adventurous speculation — the mak
ing haste to be rich — the grasping after things which are
seen and temporal, and the neglect of those which are
unseen and eternal. After a few more years, how will the
solemn truth strike like a death-knell upon the ears of
those who have wasted their brief but precious probation in
the eager chase of this vain world, " What shall it profit a
man, if- he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul ?" In the light of eternity the Avorld will appear to have
been nothing, and less than nothing and vanity. Surely,
says the Psalmist, every man walketh in a vain show ;
surely he is disquieted in vain ; he heapeth up riches, and
knoweth not who shall gather them.

HEAVENLY CONTEMPLATION. 459
This vanity of all earthly things ought to be written upon
men's minds as with the pen of iron, and the point of a
diamond. It ought to be graven upon the table of their
heart. It ought to be one of the first lessons of childhood ;
it ought to meet us on the threshold of life ; we ought to
gather it from the fading summer flower, and from the sere
and falling leaf of autumn. We ought to read it in the daily
mortality of thousands, in the unsatisfying nature of all
earthly good, in the utter wreck of the brightest human
hopes, and in that common grave, where are entombed the
enterprises of nearly six thousand years. Let the impres
sion, that the fashion of this Avorld is passing away, be deep
and abiding in our minds, and we shall think less of Avhat is
here, and more of what is before us in the eternal world.
Christians will walk more with God ; their conversation
will be more in heaven ; they will think of that blessed
world when they lie down, and when they rise up ; they
will meditate upon God in the night watches ; and they
will frequently inquire of their souls, Whom have we in
heaven but God ? and there is none upon the earth that
we desire besides Him. His law again will be their medi
tation all the day. The more Christians are weaned from
this world, the more devoutly and the more SAveetly will
they meditate upon God and heaven. When they come
gladly to confess themselves to be but strangers and pil
grims here, they can bid earth roll nor feel its idle whirl.
And the more, my brethren, we can weaken the hold of
sinners' on this world, the better for them ; and the more
likely will they be to set their compass towards the Star of
Bethlehem, and to cast their anchor on the Eternal Rock.
Sixthly ; The only other means of promoting heavenly

460 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
contemplation which we propose now to consider, is a solemn
sense of the shortness of time, the length of eternity and
the preciousness of the soul. And who can fail to be
solemn in view of these infinite truths ? Who would not
begin at once to think about heaven, when he knows that
soon time Avith him will be no longer ? Who would not
desire to think much about heaven, when he knows that his
eternity may be passed there, and if not, that it must be
passed in hell ? Who would not think with joy about
heaven, when he knows that his soul can be happy only
there ; and that its redemption is precious and ceaseth
forever ?
My hearers, our time is short ; it is ever on the wing.
We can never say, " It is here ; " but only say, " It is
gone." Our life is a vapor, which appeareth for a little
while, and then vanisheth away. We are like grass which
groweth up in the morning, and in the evening is cut down
and withereth. Were a warning voice from the other
world, to come to any one of us, saying, Set thine house
in order, for this year thou shalt die, should we not wake
up to this subject ? Then, methinks, we should feel it
important to familiarize ourselves with the scenes, which
were shortly to occupy the most intense interest of our
souls. Then, it would seem, that those of us who are
looking to heaven as our home, would at least desire to
know something about it ; and not be satisfied to go there,
having nothing of the stature of men in Christ Jesus. Then
it would seem we should not be willing to live any longer
upon children's food, but we should demand strong meat
that we might mount up towards heaven as on eagles'
wings, that we might run our heavenly race and not

HEAVENLY CONTEMPLATION. 461
be weary, and that we might be prepared at last for an
abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord. Were we certain that less than one year would be
allowed us to ripen for heaven, hoAV diligent should we be
in cultivating every Christian grace ? How frequently
would our thoughts surmount these lower skies, and con
verse hold with the Eternal God ; how plainly would the
whole current of our thoughts declare that we seek a coun
try, even a^heavenly.
But it is quite probable that less than one year will be
allowed to some of us ; and who they are, is known only to
Him in whose hands our breath is, and whose are all our
ways. Each one of us may with propriety inquire, Lord,
is it I ? And each of us ought to live as though he were
the one. Each one, therefore, ought by heavenly contem
plation to gird up the loins of his mind, and to have his
lamp well filled and brightly burning with the oil of divine
truth ; for just before us all lies the dark valley of the
shadow of death.
My hearers, _the attitude of heavenly waiting is most
proper for us all. " Blessed are those servants whom their
Lord when he cometh shall find watching ; And if he shall
come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and
find them so, blessed are those servants."
39*

462 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

§ 3. Rev. E. Smalley.
The present pastor of the Union Church was invited to this
place, June 11, 1838. He was installed in office on the
19th of the following September. On that occasion, the
Rev. John Nelson offered the introductory prayer; the
Rev. Warren Fay, D. D. preached the sermon ; the Rev.
Horatio Bardwell made the prayer of installation ; the
Rev. Jacob Ide, D. D. gave the charge to the pastor;
the Rev. George Allen presented the right hand of fellow
ship ; the Rev. Francis Horton addressed the people ; and
the Rev. Rodney A. Miller made the concluding prayer.
The connection then formed continues to the present time.
Before his settlement here, Mr. S. was for nine years
associate pastor with the Rev. Nathaniel Emmons, D. D.,
of Franklin. Respecting both these connections, he could
in truth say many pleasant things ; but he rather inclines to
the opinion that here, as in many other instances, " silence
is wisdom."

SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH. 463
CHAPTER IX.
SECOND BAPTIST CHURCHWITH ITS PASTORS.
§ 1. Formation of the Church.
Measures had been taken for the organization of a second
Baptist Society, as early as 1836. A plan had been ma
tured, and partially carried into execution ; but the burning
of the house of the first society caused the abandonment
of the enterprise at that time. On the 9th of November,
1841, the First Baptist Church held a meeting to discuss
the propriety of forming a second church of their order.
It was then voted, after a free expression of opinions, that
" it is expedient to attempt to sustain a second Baptist
interest in this town." At another meeting soon after held,
five individuals became responsible for the support of a
second Baptist meeting for a year. On the 23d of Novem
ber, twenty-five persons formed themselves into a confer
ence, in order to take all the preliminary steps necessary to
the formation of a new church. They adopted a carefully
considered Declaration of Faith and Covenant, harmonizing
with those of all Calvinist Baptist churches.* Separate
worship was held for the first time, on the 12th of Decem
ber following. The Second Baptist Church Avas organized
December 28, 1841. ' The Rev. John Jennings of Grafton,
preached the sermon on that occasion ; Rev. Abisha Sam
son offered the consecrating prayer ; and Rev. Samuel B.
* Appendix K.

464 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.'
Swaim expressed the fellowship of the churches. The
church was constituted with ninety-eight members, eighty-
nine of whom were recommended from the First Baptist
Church. All the circumstances connected with the begin
ning of this enterprise were favorable. The new church
carried with them the confidence, sympathy and prayers
of the old ; they were harmonious among themselves ; and
they were sufficiently numerous, and had pecuniary strength
enough to sustain the institutions of the Gospel without feel
ing it to be a heavy burden. About one hundred members
were added to their number in a single year after their
organization. The church worshiped in the Town Hall until January,
1844. On the 4th of that month, the new house of worship
which they had erected, Avas dedicated to the special ser
vice of Almighty God. The pastor preached on that occa
sion from the text, " Worship God ;" and the Rev. Mr.
Bronson of Fall River, offered the dedicatory prayer. The
house is pleasantly situated, neat and commodious. In con
sequence of its location, the church voted just before enter
ing it for worship, that thereafter they would be known as
the " Pleasant Street Baptist Church." The first pastor
of this church was the

§ 2. Rev. John Jennings.
He was invited to this position, December 13, 1841,
while yet the church had only the form of a " Conference."
Early in 1842, he entered upon his labors here, greatly
encouraged by the unanimity with which he had been
called, and the prospect of usefulness which was widening

REV. JOHN JENNINGS. 405
before him. Under his ministry the church and congrega
tion increased, and for nearly eight years he was the ac
ceptable and respected pastor of the church. Circumstan
ces then appeared to him to indicate the expediency of
discontinuing his pastoral relation, and, on the 1st of Janu
ary, 1850, he retired from the position which he had filled
honorably to himself and usefully to others. He still resides
in Worcester, and is now acting as an agent of the Ameri
can Tract Society.
Mr. Jennings is a native of Danbury, Ct. He was
graduated at the Newton Seminary in 1834. In Septem
ber of that year, he was ordained pastor of the First Bap
tist Church in Beverly. January 10, 1836, he became
pastor of the Baptist church in Grafton. He sustained that
connection nearly six years. When he left that church,
he brought with him to his new pastoral relation the follow
ing testimonial : " We trust also that many souls have been
converted here through your instrumentality, and that your
labors in Grafton have, under God, caused many rejoicings
in heaven. And we also by this certify to those with
whom in the providence of God you may be placed, our
fellowship for, and attachment to you as a minister of the
Gospel, and our hearty commendation of you as such to the
churches generally."

§ 3. Rev. Charles K. Colver.
This gentleman was invited to become the successor of
Mr. Jennings, March 15, 1850. On the 14th of the fol
lowing month, he signified his acceptance of the invitation,

466 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
and entered upon his labors as tho second pastor of the
Pleasant St. Baptist Churoh. He still retains this relation.
Mr. Colver pursued his collegiate studies at Brown Univer
sity, and his theological studies at Newton. Before coming
to Worcester, he was for some time pastor of the Baptist
church in Watertawn.

UNIVERSALIS! CHURCH. 467
CHAPTER X.
UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY AND ITS MINISTERS.
There was no society in Worcester of this denomination,
until 1841. Individuals were known to cherish the senti
ments peculiar to Universalists, but they did not associate
for separate worship until June 3d, of the year just named.
For more than tAvo years, they held religious services in
Brinley Hall. In November, 1843, their new house of
worship was opened, and since that period their numbers
have increased, until at the present time their congregation
is so numerous that they are immediately to enlarge their
accommodations for Avorshipers. A church* was organized
in connection with the society, November 21, 1843. It
now contains about sixty members.
The Rev. S. P. Landers was the first minister of this
society. He commenced his labors with them at the time
of their organization, and continued his ministry here until
March, 1844. He has since resided in West Cambridge.
On the 7th of January, 1845, the vacant pulpit was filled
by the
Rev. Albert Case. He labored here more than four
years. On retiring from Worcester, he engaged in other
business, and is not now preaching. His successor was the
Rev. 0. H. Tillotson. Invited to this place in June,
1849, he was installed as pastor of the Universalist church
on the 27th of that month, and still sustains that relation.

* Appendix L.

468 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
Under his administration, the numbers of the society have
increased, and regard themselves as highly favored in
having him for their pastor and teacher.
Mr. Tillotson is a native of Orford, N. H. The son of
a devotedly pious mother, he was dedicated to God in his
infancy, and early taught the principles of the Christian
religion. In his youth, after giving some attention to agri
cultural pursuits, he entered a printing office in Montpelier,
Vt., and became an apprentice to the art of type-setting
and book-making. On attaining his majority, he devoted
some time to school-teaching, meamvhile pursuing his
studies for the ministry. In his youth, he was greatly
troubled with doubts respecting the divinity of the Script
ures. Laborious investigation brought him to the firm
conviction that the Bible is the word of God, and man's rule
of faith and practice. At the age of twenty-two he began
to preach what he believed to be the true Gospel, and this
he continues to do until the present time.
The following paragraphs from a sermon by Mr. Tillot
son, will not only be interesting to those of his own denomi
nation, but also give some idea of the style of thought and
mode of address adopted in the Universalist pulpit of
Worcester. The sermon has for its text the 1 00th Psalm.
" Make a joyful noise unto the Lord," &c. The subject is
" the worship of God." After speaking of the reasonable
ness of worshiping Jehovah, he suggests the importance of
having both stated times and regular places for worship,
and bespeaks reverence for the Sabbath, " one of the best
institutions with which God has blessed us," and for the
sacred temple. " Let it be dedicated to the Avorship of the
Most High, and then never, never desecrated to any un-

THE WORSHIP OF GOD. 469
holy purpose." He divides public worship into four prin
cipal parts — Reading the Scriptures, Singing, Prayer, and
Preaching. Respecting the first of these, he thus gives
utterance to his sentiments:
" This is not only a very appropriate, but also a very im
portant part of divine service. Yet we fear that too many
look upon it as a mere form — a useless ceremony, and
think that worship has not commenced until they have gone
through with this. But what can we do that will be more
pleasing in the sight of God, than publicly and seriously
read his Word, with a determination to understand and
obey its teachings ? The Bible comes to us from our heav
enly Father. He speaks to us from its pages ; and it is our
duty to attend to its instruction. This book should be our
guide in relation to both faith and practice. It is full of
wisdom and important truth. It is written in a style of
transcendent beauty and sublimity. It is adapted to the
various capacities and conditions of men in the world. If
we wish for expressions of piety and devction, we find them
in the Psalms of David, who exclaims, ' My soul longeth,
yea, even fainteth for the courts of my God.' If Ave need
maxims of prudence and lessons of experience, we find
them in the Proverbs of Solomon, avIio informs us that
' wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
are paths of peace.' If we wish for passages of unparal
leled sublimity, we have them in the book of Job, in the
Psalms, and in the writings of the Prophets, where we read
of God, ' But the thunder of his poAver, who can under
stand ? He toucheth the hills, and they smoke. He taketh
up the isles as a very little thing.' If we would with joy
draw water from the Avells of salvation, we have only to
40

470 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
open the New Testament, and the fountain of life is full
and fresh before us. Saith the great Teacher, ' Whoso
ever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never
thirst ; but the water thatl shall give him, shall be in him
a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.' ' Him
that cometh to me shall never hunger, and whosoever believ
eth on me shall never thirst.'
" As the Scriptures are thus interesting, as they are the
fountain of life, the gift of God to man, it is evident that
we cannot serve our Maker more acceptably than by giving
them a proper portion of our serious attention."
Mr. Tillotson's idea of the sphere and influence of the
Pulpit is thus set forth. After saying that preaching is an
essential part of religious services, he subjoins :
" The object of preaching is not so much to amuse, as to
benefit the hearer. Hence, one great end of this branch of
public services is, to impart instruction upon the subject of
religion. And, as the Bible is our guide in faith and prac
tice, the preacher ^should be familiar with its teachings, and
be able to explain it to the edification of his hearers, and
in such a manner as to cause them to advance in the ways
of well-doing. But, the sphere of the pulpit should not be
too narrow. It should be so widened as to embrace all
subjects of a moral and religious nature, which may prop
erly be discussed in public and on the Sabbath.
" The pulpit is not only designed to enlighten the mind,
but also to warm the heart. Hence it should be doctrinal,
in order to convince the hearer ; and practical to move him
to act for himself and others. W« should first teach the
doctrine of the fatherhood of God ; and then say, ' As God
is our Father, it is our duty to love and obey Him.' We

THE WORSHIP OF. GOD. 471
should establish the truth of the doctrine of the brotherhood
of man, and then say, ' As all men are brethren, Ave must
endeavor to do each other good, and not evil.' And it
should be the aim of the preacher, not to spend overmuch
time in dressing up his ideas, and measuring his periods,
but to present them in natural language, which shall be
chaste, energetic and convincing."
The following thoughts are suggested respecting the pub
lic praise of God.
" This is a very important part of public worship. So
thought the Psalmist, when he said, ' Make a joyful noise
unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with glad
ness : come before his presence with singing. * * * *
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts
with praise : be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good ; his mercy is everlasting ; and his
truth endureth to all generations.'
" We have the same reasons for praising God which the
Psalmist had. We believe that He is good, that ' He is
good unto all, and that his tender mercies are over all his
works.' We believe that his mercy is everlasting, that
' many waters cannot quench, nor floods drown it.' And
we are confident that his truth endureth to all generations.
" That singing is an important part of public worship,
you will at once admit. How much pure devotion there is
in a good hymn, well sung. It appears to elevate the soul
above the groveling things of time and sense, to that land
where angels dwell.
" The importance of singing is also apparent from the fact
that it is about impossible to hold a congregation together,
for any great length of time, where this part of-the services

472 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
is neglected. The early Christians often joined in songs
of gladness, and so should Ave. Believing, as we do, that
God is our Father and that He loves and blesses all, even
those who hate and curse Him — that from Him ' cometh
down every good gift, and every perfect gift,' there is the
greatest reason why we should rejoice. Well may we
' enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with
praise. For the Lord is good ; his mercy is everlasting ;
and his truth endureth to all generations.' "
Omitting, for want of room, the remarks on public prayer,
we come to what Mr. Tillotson says of the utility of such
worship as he has described.
" Such are some of the principal parts of public worship.
And the true worship of God is not only delightful, but
beneficial also to his children. We experience much real
enjoyment while engaged in divine services. It is salutary
and sweet for us to commune with our Maker in prayer.
It is pleasant, it is captivating, to hymn praises to the Being
who rules in love throughout the universe. And it is
profitable for us to meditate upon the word of God, and
treasure up the instruction which it affords.
" This world, so rich with blessings for the human family,
nevertheless, often becomes to us a vale of tears. We are
prostrated upon beds of sickness. Friends are called to
part with friends, and death is the common lot of all.
Consequently, it is necessary for us to engage in divine
services, so as to strengthen our faith, make bright our
hopes, and thus prepare ourselves for whatever may await
us while on the uneven journey of life.
" Also, the true worship of God tends to make us better.
Our love for Him will be increased, as we meditate upon his

THE WORSHIP OF GOD. 473
goodness to us. And, as we associate together, and call
upon our common Father to bless the human family, our
love for each other will strengthen, and our love for even
the entire race to which we belong. Thus will worship in
crease our charity, and fit us for the faithful discharge of
the duties of life.
" But should the effect be different from this, should not
our devotions make us better and happier, we may well
suppose that they are in some way defective. They cer
tainly will not be acceptable to our Maker. We can do
nothing to increase his happiness. Our worship, therefore,
is pleasing to Him, only so far as it is profitable to us.
" Let us, then, endeavor to worship God in an acceptable
manner. Let us serve the Lord with gladness, and come
before his presence with singing. Let us enter into his
gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.
Let us be thankful unto him and bless his name. For the
Lord is good ; his mercy is everlasting ; and his truth en
dureth to all generations."

40"

474 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

CHAPTER XI.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND MINISTRY.
§ 1. Episcopal Worship Established.
Those who had the direction of domestic missions connect
ed with this church in Mass., entertained thoughts of es
tablishing an Episcopal Society in Worcester some time pre
viously to 1835. Nothing was done, however, towards effect
ing this, until near the close of that year. " The first regular
services, according to the liturgy of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, were performed by Rev. Thomas H. Vail, on the
13th of December."* At that time, only two families in
the place were known to be particularly interested in Epis
copal worship. Twelve were connected with the enterprise
in September, 1836 ; and the number of communicants was
about sixteen. A subscription of $6000 was raised in
Worcester to erect a house of worship, but the execution
of the work was delayed in consequence of not receiving
anticipated aid from abroad. After a few months, public
worship was suspended, and the hopes which had been en
tertained of establishing permanent worship in Worcester,
were for the time disappointed.
Mr. Vail was born in Richmond, Va., and resided in that
city till 1822. Thence he removed to Norwich, Ct. In
1835, he came to Worcester. His labors here were highly

* Lin. Hist. p. 221.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 475
acceptable to the people who enjoyed his ministrations, and
he is now spoken of with interest by those who then form
ed his acquaintance. He was graduated at Washington
College, Hartford, in 1831, and ordained Deacon by Bishop
Brownell, in New Canaan, Ct. in July, 1835.
In 1843, another effort was made for the establishment
of a branch of the Episcopal Church in Worcester. Wor
ship was commenced, and a Rev. gentleman employed to
preach and administer the ordinances. Measures were
adopted to build a church edifice ; in 1847, it was com
pleted and dedicated to the worship of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Ghost. The Right Rev. Bishop Eastburn
performed the dedicatory service. From that time worship
has been regularly held in the church, and the number of
worshipers has gradually increased. The society is known
by the name, ' All Saints Church.' The clergyman who
aided them in this renewed attempt to establish an Episco
pal Society here, and who did much to secure for them a
church edifice, was the

§ 2. Rev. George T. Chapman, D. D.
He commenced his labors in this connection in 1844, and
continued them during two years. At the expiration of
that period, he closed his services here, and was subsequent
ly chosen rector of St. Stephen's Church in Pittsfield.
George Thomas Chapman, son of Thomas and Charlotte
[Carnzu] Chapman, was born at Pilton, upon the river
Yeo, opposite Barnstaple, Devonshire, England, Sept. 21st,
1786. He came to this country in 1795, with his parents,

476 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
who finally settled at Greenfield, Mass. He went to Dart
mouth College in 1800, and was graduated in the class of
1804. The law was his first profession, which he practiced
at Bucksport, Maine, where he was married to Alice Buck.
He was ordained a deacon in the Protestant Episcopal
Church, August 2nd, 1816, at Providence, R. I., by the
Right Rev. Bishop Griswold, and also, by the same bishop,
a presbyter, January 6th, 1818, at Bristol, R. I. His first
ministrations were in Vermont, where he was instrumental
in establishing the churches in Bellows Falls, Rutland and
Windsor. In 1820, he went to Lexington, Kentucky, where
for ten years he was the rector of Christ Church, resign
ing the charge in 1830. After this he came to New Eng
land, and was engaged in establishing the churches at
Pittsfield, Mass., and Burlington, Vt., and in the revival of
those at Lanesborough, Mass., and Portland, Maine. In
1837, he was invited to Newark, N. J., where under him
the congregation of Grace. Church was collected. It was
now that he became unable to preach from the presence of
the cataract in both eyes, after a ministry of three years.
In due time, however, a remarkably successful operation
was performed by Dr. John K. Rogers of New York.
This enabled him to resume active duties, and in 1844, he
came to Worcester, and remained two years, during which
time was erected, through his exertions, the edifice of All
Saints Church. In 1848, St. Stephen's Church, in Pitts-
field, which had been aforetime under his care, became
vacant, when he was elected rector, and where he still
officiates, in the enjoyment of excellent health. In 1824,
Dr. C. received the degree of D. D. from Transylvania
University, Lexington. In 1828, he published twenty ser-

REV. GEORGE T. CHArMAN, D. D. 477
mons " on the ministry, Avorship, and doctrines of the Prot.
Epis. Church," which have gone through three editions, the
last being stereotyped. At the same time thirteen miscella
neous discourses were published. In 1836, he also published
twenty-seven sermons, addressed to " Presbyterians of all
sects," and which were supplementary to those in the first
volume. Dr. Chapman is understood to be decidedly op
posed to all those doctrines and practices which have been
designated as Romanizing in their tendency.
The author has pleasure in submitting the following dis
course from Dr. Chapman, as a specimen of the Episcopal
pulpit in Worcester. It will have special interest for his
friends, and may be profitable to others/
* It should have been stated that, in the renewed attempt to establish
Episcopal worship in Worcester, the Rev. F. C. Putnam and the Rev. Henry
Blackaller preceded Dr. Chapman. The former is now laboring in New
Jersey, and the latter is settled in Vermont.

ASCENT TO HEAVEN DIFFICULT

DESCENT TO HELL FACILE

SERMON

DELIVERED IN

ALL SAINTS CHURCH, WORCESTER;

BY THE

REV. GEORGE T. CHAPMAN, D. D.

SERMON

Luke 13: 24.

Strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many, I say
unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
It is not among the least of the many faults, which serve to
blight the promise of the human spring, that, instead of
being principally intent upon our own concerns, Ave are
wonderfully inclined to divine the prospects and intermeddle
with the affairs of others. Unasked and undesired, advice
floods in upon most individuals from innumerable fountains
of wisdom. Do they embark in any enterprise ? All the
chances of success, or of defeat, are calculated with minute
precision. Be the event what it may, it is predicted and
re-predicted Avith a degree of solicitude, scarcely exceeded
by that experienced on the part of adventurers themselves.
With certain individuals, " Mind your own business " is of
all others the stalest and the flattest adage. It shuts out
inquiry. It presents an insuperable barrier to idle and im
pertinent curiosity. It is, to the busy-body, what nauseants
are to the stomach, bolts and bars to a felon. If he cannot
find out how others live, he hardly lives himself. If he is
not made the depositary of a thousand secrets which con-
41

482 THE WORCESTER PDLPIT.
cern him not, he is consumed Avith spleen, and famished in
the midst of plenty. What else could have tempted the
man in the Gospel, to inquire of our Saviour, " Lord, are
there feAV that be saved ? " Suppose the answer had been
in the affirmative. " FeAV " is a term so extremely indefinite,
Avhen Ave reflect upon the immense numbers who are destin
ed to appear before God at the judgment day, that nothing
could be more vague and uncertain than every calculation
of personal indemnity derived from such a source. Sup
pose it had been in the negative. " Many " is liable to the
same objection. It determines nothing individually.
AVhcther applicable to the saved or to the lost, it Avould
have utterly failed to disclose the future destiny of the in
quirer. And therefore our Saviour employed it. He
endeavored to stimulate him and his associates to active
exertion, by the appropriate admonition, " Strive to enter
in at the strait gate." He repressed a curious and inquis
itive spirit, with the broad, unlimited declaration, " For
many, I say unto you, Avill seek to enter in, and shall not
be able."
Answers, brethren, that are addressed alike to the'hopes
and fears of men. To their hopes — for are we directed to
strive ? Who can have the effrontery to assert, that this
striving may not in one case as well as another prove suc
cessful ? It certainly holds out the language of encourage
ment to me, to you, to every man, and holds it out in such
a manner, and from a Being so pure, so entirely incapable
of deception, that, for one, I cannot believe in its being
made null and void through some mysterious, irreversible
counsel. To their fears — for are we assured that many
who seek will be disappointed ? Who can rest satisfied with

ASCENT TO HEAVEN DIFFICULT. 483
a few feeble and irresolute efforts to " walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith they are called ? " Who can deem
himself safe in slackening his pace on the road to heaven,
Avhen it is predicted of many, that their hopes Avill be blast
ed and their fears fulfilled ? I entreat you, brethren, to
reflect seriously upon these things. Neither flatter your
selves with false expectations, nor yield to the counsels of
timidity or despair. Neither think it easy to ascend into
heaven, nor impossible to descend into hell. It is my de
sign, on the present occasion, to establish the converse of
either proposition. I shall exhibit the difficulties presented
in the one case, the facilities offered in the other ; and
close Avith a few remarks, intended to impress upon your
minds the infinite value and importance of early and perse
vering attention to the religion of Christ.
And first. It is not easy, it is difficult to ascend into
heaven. I do not mean in an ultimate point of view. I
am rather persuaded that the soul of Lazarus was conveyed
with the utmost ease, in the arms of angels, and finally
lodged in the bosom of Abraham. But the obstacles, to
Avhich I allude are all confined to the surface of the earth.
They are included within the circle of the human heart.
The language of the Scripture is, " strive " : the prac
tical answer of man, I will not. There is something in
the Gospel of Christ, which, to the natural understanding,
is contemptible in doctrine and loathsome in practice.
What is it ? Strange and paradoxical as the objection may
seem, the economy of our redemption is too simple. It is
not sufficiently intricate and perplexed. It requires not
some gigantic effort, proceeding from the puissant arm and
undaunted heart of man. The riches of grace are too free

484 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
and gratuitous. Eternal life is too much the undeserved
gift of God, and is obtained without money and without
price. It is not to be bargained for. It is furnished at the
sole expense of asking : and hence, among other reasons,
its rejection. The prayer of faith is an expedient far too
artless and unostentatious. It accords not with the vanity,
the pride, the ambition of our fallen nature. But had it
comported with the divine will to require some one great and
glorious exploit, I care not how repugnant to the feelings,
how irksome to flesh and blood, there would arrive, in the
life of almost every sinner, a period when he would willing
ly forego every scruple, and gladly comply with, the
requisition. I will confine myself to a single example ; and it shall be
selected for the very reason, that it involves the greatest of
all present extremities. For what is dearer than life ?
With Avhat tenacity do we cling to it. With what reluc
tance do we yield it up. Imagine, then, that Almighty
God had demanded its voluntary relinquishment ; that to
enjoy his smiles and participate in the bliss of his heaven, it
were previously requisite to commit the act of self-destruc
tion. How few would hesitate to avail themselves of this
sovereign remedy for all the ills of life. Revolting as it
now appears, dreadful as our impressions are of rushing
unbidden into the presence of our Maker ; only let it be
announced, as the sole medium of obtaining the rewards of
eternity, so announced, as to remove every doubt in rela
tion to its authenticity ; and I will venture to assert, that
the world Avould soon lose the larger proportion of its num
bers. It Avould constitute that " great thing," to which
the Syrian leper would have proudly resorted, when he in-

ASCENT TO HEAVEN DIFFICULT. 485
dignantly rejected the idea of " clipping seven times in Jor
dan," of merely washing himself in order to become clean.
And why ? There would be heroism in the thought. There
would be a noble, what men would term a high-minded
imitation of the pretended worthies of Greek and Roman
story. And this would nerve the arm and steel the heart.
It would sound well in human annals to be able to merit
heaven ; to be able, by the perpetration of one bold and
daring act, to storm the strait gate and Avin the crown of
glory. But to pray ; to bend the stubborn knee, and the
yet more stubborn spirit ; to believe in Jesus ; to look unto
him as the meritorious cause of human redemption, renounc
ing self and exalting the Lord our righteousness ; — all
this is ill adapted to feed the pride and bloat the vanity of
man. He sighs for renown. He would scale the fortress,
into which he Avould disdain to creep. He has no objec
tion to live forever ; but immortality must be gained, as the
Macedonian bore away the peerless diadem of the East.
Nor. is the Gospel less adverse to the sensual desires of
his nature. It opposes its veto to sins of every description ;
to those that pollute the body, as well as those that enslave
the soul. And here is a difficulty, a vexatious grievance,
against which mortals ever have, and I am afraid ever will
protest, as a violent encroachment upon their natural appe
tites and passions. They might possibly strive to believe,
if belief were all-sufficient. But to strive to mortify all
their members, to withstand every temptation, to " lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset them ;"
to do this is indeed cutting against the grain ; it is rowing
against the stream ; it is equivalent to lopping off the arm
or plucking out the eye. They pronounce it a yoke too in-
41*

486 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
tolerable to be worn. They perceive not its necessity.
" The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God ; for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he
know them, for they are spiritually discerned." Talk to
him of the vileness and the loathsomeness of sin ; and he
answers, that it is pleasant to the eyes, agreeable to the
palate and grateful to the touch. Tell him, in reply, that
carrion itself becomes a dainty morsel in the beak of a buz
zard ; and he is not abashed ; he is not confounded by an
analogy to the fidelity of which every Christian is ready to
subscribe. But, beaten in the argument, he still argues
on. The senses are to him a better guide, than either rea
son or experience, the voice of conscience or the word of
God. They all affirm of sensuality, that the end thereof
is gall to the stomach and rottenness to the bones. But he
scorns to apprehend what he does not feel. It will be time
enough to give up pleasure when it gives up him ; to sur
render of necessity and not of choice.
Yes, brethren, the gate of heaven is too strait to admit
the passage of a sensualist. He cannot crowd through with
one darling vice attached to his character ; and therefore
he prefers to loiter without ; therefore an obstacle is pre
sented to his entrance, which, not all the promises nor all
the threatenings of the Gospel, can prevail upon him to
overcome. In vain does eternity smile upon the ¦one hand,
and frown upon the other. He is neither lured by visions
of bliss, nor terrified by prospects of misery. He strives ;
but it is upon the broad road that leads to destruction.
Here are no difficulties. Here are facilities enough and to
spare. But when he has arrived at the end of his race, he
will find, that although the descent to hell has been ever so

ASCENT TO HEAVEN DIFFICULT. 487
smooth, there is neither doAvny bed nor silken fetters within
its fearful abodes.
In commencing a few observations upon the second branch
of the discourse, it is necessary to premise, that there is a
class of sinners, less corrupt and hardened, who flatter
themselves Avith the conviction, that they are striving to
fulfill the requisitions of the text. Are they then to be con
sidered as having approximated to the portal it describes ?
More important still ! Are they universally destined to
enter in ? Our blessed Saviour resolves the inquiry in
these words of solemn and alarming import, " Many, I say
unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." In
endeavoring to account for this, I shall submit no verbal
analysis of the difference existing betAveen striving and
seeking. I am indeed satisfied that the words are used as
synonymes. They mean the same thing, and clearly show,
that it is very possible to come to a fearful end, although
the skies are clear, and the sun shines, and the fondest an
ticipations beguile the soul. I have already adverted to
these, as among the causes, to the facilities which cluster
upon the broad road, and that assume every Protean form
and chameleon hue, lest the hapless victim should be divert
ed from their pursuit, and by any means turn his back upon
them. One among the number is of this nature. The sinner is
frequently to be found traveling in that fatal path, entirely
unconscious of his real condition. It is thus, when his sal
vation is supposed to depend upon the mere principles of
worldly wisdom. In conformity to its dictates, the servant
is entitled to his wages, the physician to his fee, the states
man to the emoluments of his office. And a similar process

488 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
of reasoning is applied to the concerns of eternity. Its re
wards are anticipated on the ground of personal desert.
The good works of this life are thought to purchase an inde
feasible right to the inheritance of the saints in light. But
what a wretched perversion of the holy Scripture must this
be, when its language is so clear and perspicuous, that he
who runs may read ; " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved." " Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to every one that believeth." " After
that the kindness and love of God, our Saviour, toward
man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we
have done, but according to his mercy he saved us."
" When ye shall have done all those things which are
commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we
have done that which it was our duty to do."
There is indeed not one single passage in the Bible, that
will fairly admit of a different construction. And how
loose must be the theology of that man, how passionless his
love, how cold and inanimate the pretended warmth of his
gratitude, Avho purposely excludes a Saviour from being the
sole meritorious cause of his redemption ; who receives him
for a prophet, but rejects him as a priest, offering his own
body upon the tree, a sacrifice for all. Moses would be
entitled to equal praise ; for he also was a prophet and a law
giver. And has it come to this, that Moses is as much our
Saviour as Christ ? Is it nothing to have vailed his divini
ty in a servant's form ? Is it nothing for him to have been
" a man of sorrows" and " acquainted with grief" ? Is it
nothing to have died as never man died, treading the wine
press of the wrath of God, and then enduring the collected
Aveight and burden of all human guilt ? Surely, brethren,

ASCENT TO HEAVEN DIFFICULT. 489
there must have been some necessity for the infliction of this
unparalleled suffering, or it would never have transpired.
"Surely," as Isaiah prophetically announced, "he hath
borne our griefs and carried our sorrows " ; " he was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our in
iquities ; the chastisement of our peace was upon him ; and
Avith his stripes we are healed."
Tell me not then of the sinner having ceased from his
doAvnward career, who overlooks these essential features of
the mystery of godliness. He is only following the multi
tude. He may have certain virtues, such virtues as may
challenge the applause of the world. But the grace requir
ed in the Gospel, he has it not. Of this best furniture of
the soul he is destitute. For grace proceedeth of faith, that
faith Avhich elevates Christ to be king in Zion, the Saviour
of his people, the hope and the consolation of Israel. I
may love the tyrant who spares my life. But in the esti
mation of others, he will be a tyrant still. The world may
be much indebted to sinners, who cultivate gentle manners
and evince philanthropic feelings ; and there are many
such. But in the estimation of that God, who exacts un
feigned faith in his Son, who demands that every moral and
religious duty should be performed in the name, which is
above every other name, they •will be sinners still. To
profit him, to make him our debtor, transcends all the labor
of our hands and head. If we would be saved, we must
consequently take salvation as a free gift, ordained and
bestowed for the Avorthy sake and merits of our august
Redeemer. Others again are actually journeying on the broad road,
owing to another kindred facility which it affords. Contra-

490 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
ry to the experience of those who adhere to the narrow
way, it admits of their reconciling the well known incon
gruity of serving two masters. One while, they are all for
Christ. From their expressions, you would think that his
was the only liberty in which they delighted. To their
eyes, he is the Rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley ;
to their taste, sweeter than honey and the honey-comb ; to
their souls, the heavenly manna and the bread of life. At
another, trace them throughout their intercourse with their
fellow men, and their practice will soon appear to be at
open variance with their professions. They can defraud a
little, and prevaricate a little, and slander more. They
can rival the worst lover of the world in selfish feelings,
morose passions and sordid habits. They can do much for
the souls, but nothing for the bodies of the poor. They
can wear their livery untarnished on the Sabbath ; but in
the course of the week, it is soiled, and polluted, and spot
ted with sin. They can pray in the presence of assembled
multitudes ; but they pray not where God hath promised to
behold in secret, and afterwards to reward openly. They
can give good advice ; but in point of example, they are
not fblloAvers of Paul as he also was a follower of Christ.
And Avhat is the consequence ? In vain do they think to
seek and to serve him whom they profess to love. He is
not caught by words. He is not propitiated by the melo
dy of sounding brass or tinkling cymbal. He insists upon
a residence within. His admonition is, " My son give me
thy heart," not the moiety only, but thy whole heart.
My throne must occupy its centre. My sceptre must ex
tend over all its ramifications. Else will I reject your
outAvard sighs and tears, your most solemn appeals for

ASCENT TO HEAVEN DIFFICULT. 491
mercy. Ye must enter my kingdom altogether cleansed, or
the sentence of eternal exclusion shall separate us forever.
Another facility, connected with the broad road to ruin,
and favoring the continuance of the sinner with the croAvd-
ed throng of its votaries, is this ; its counsels are the coun
sels of procrastination. Such is the language it ever holds
out to travelers. And, predisposed as they naturally are
to its reception, they are easily persuaded to connive at its
falsehood. If they seek a fortune, they commence early.
If they strive to gain intellectual pre-eminence, it is not at
the close of a long life of ignorance. But if they are called
upon to seek and strive for experimental religion, although
it should be the first object to engross their thoughts, it is
with many, probably with far the larger proportion of nominal
Christians, the very last. Not being absolutely essential to
their present existence, it is easily deferred to the period
of sickness and disease, of age and infirmity. But ye need
not be surprised, if the full-blown sinner, upon a dying
bed, should be incapable of making his calling and election
sure. Is this a time for vigorous efforts of the understand
ing, for cordial exercises of the heart? Who would not
flinch at the cannon's mouth ? Who would not be startled,
unexpectedly driven to the brink of a precipice ? Do ye
think that the old man, Avith a mind attenuated as his
frame, and habits rigid as his muscles, will find the evening
of his life as well adapted as the morning to conciliate the
divine mercy ? Who would not trim the quivering lamp,
on the eve of being involved in darkness ? Who would
not pour a little oil into its socket, if that little could con
vert eternal night into eternal day ? Alas, brethren, under
such circumstances, the descent into hell is more than easy,

492 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
it is almost certain. If, indeed, our God was like unto
man, if he was not beyond all comparison, rich in mercy
and plenteous in forgiveness, the eleventh hour, whether
produced by sickness or by age, would always prove a most
fatal hour. In all such cases, he would literally laugh at
the calamity of the sinner, and mock when his fear cometh.
And even as it is, " gracious and merciful " as he is,
" slow to anger and of great kindness," and a God that
" repenteth him of the evil " ; even now, it is seriously to
be apprehended of the multitudes brought to this extremi
ty, that " many be called, but few chosen." They strive,
but it is the strife of a drowning man. They repent, but
it is the repentance of fear. They believe, but it is the
belief of those who believe and tremble. I know that there
may be exceptions. I know that early impressions and se
rious thoughts, existing for a length of time, may be brought
to maturity and fully ripened, just as the spirit takes its
everlasting flight. But to rest secure and unagitated upon
this presumption, indicates excessive weakness and creduli
ty. The most that persons in this condition can do, is to
hope. While Christians, of a longer life of faith and obe
dience, are certain. They have no final apprehensions, no
ultimate misgivings of the soul. As a general rule, to seek
effectually, is therefore to seek betimes : to strive to enter
in at the last, is to strive against time and tide, against ex
perience, and against conviction.
I might enlarge. Having confined myself to the more
reputable classes of offenders, I might seize upon numerous
topics, all tending to illustrate the fact of there being so
many facilities on " the way to hell, going down to the
chambers of death," so many presented by the attractions,

ASCENT TO HEAVEN DIFFICULT. 493
amusements and grosser vices of this world ; and all of
them materially aided, in their seductive properties, by the
evil imaginations and sensual desires of the heart, that the
innumerable throng of sinners is sadly proportioned to the
width of the " wide gate," and the breadth of " the broad
way." But brevity compels me to desist. Many there
be, Avho never think of seeking or striving in another
direction. Or if they do, they miserably fail, because
they seek not, they strive not, in humble conformity to the
Avill of God.
In drawing to a conclusion, the remarks to be submitted,
are obvious. Ye must, brethren, embrace religion now,
even to-day. Tomorrow is to be regarded as the dream of
idiots, and its promises the scorn of the wise. Ye do not
defer to that period the reception of your temporal food.
Why, then, that which is spiritual ? Is the body of more
value than the soul, the scabbard than the sword, the vault
than the gold it contains ? Ye must embrace it Avith all
your heart. To love in part is to hate in part. To be for
Christ in one thing, and for Belial in another, shows that
he reigns not Lord paramount in your affections ; that he is
not, in your eyes, what he is represented to be in the
Scriptures, " over all, God, blessed forever." Ye must
consequently bear true allegiance to the cross in all things,
in your thoughts, in your words and in your actions. Ye
must embrace all its doctrines, and ye must practice all its
duties. Striving to believe, ye must employ your reason
to understand, not to add to nor subtract from the Script
ures ; to invent new forms of doctrine, nor to explode those
which have grown old, from having stood the test of ages.
" For what if some " will not " believe " ? Shall their un-
42

494 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
belief make the faith of God without effect ? Do ye imagine
that it can alter the dimensions of the strait gate and the
narroAV way ? Will they be enlarged to gratify the fastid
iousness of an infidel ? Is God so much in want of his
future services, the services of him who hesitates not to deny
the Lord that bought him, as to strike doAvn the postern of
heaven, and admit Avithin its blessed mansions the spirit of
distrust, and heresy, and unbelief? Not thus have I stud
ied the character of God. Not thus has he revealed him
self in holy oracles. " He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Again, brethren, striving to obey, ye must make the
performance of one duty instrumental to the performance of
another and another. Not one of them is to be despised,
not one of them to be rejected. The same prerogative and
authority pervade all. The same Being who wrote the
first, hath written all the commandments. If ye break one,
there is a sense in Avhich ye break the Avhole. " For whoso
ever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point,
he is guilty of all." Strait as is the gate, not less strait is
the law. And would ye enter there ? Ye must strive to
" be perfect and entire, wanting nothing " ; to be " without
spot and blameless " ; to be resolute and persevering unto
the day of Christ, " lest, a promise being left us of enter
ing into his rest, any of you should seem to come short
of it."
For motives, I present you, on the one hand, with the
best and the fairest recorded in the book of life. I present
you with heaven. And if ye have any just conceptions of
what heaven is, I need name no more, to call out all the
energies of the spirit, soul and body, with the view of

ASCENT TO HEAVEN DIFFICULT. 495
making it your own. While here bcloAV the Christian is
" afflicted" ; but there he is " comforted." Here he has
enemies to contend with ; there " the wicked cease from
troubling, and there theAveary are at rest." Here he " sees
through a glass darkly," he only " knows in part" ; there
he shall see " face to face," he " shall know even as he also
is knoAvn." Here, at his best estate, he merely tastes the
stream, there he shall bathe and fill the enraptured soul in
the fountain of eternal joy.
I present you, on the other hand, with everlasting avo
escaped, with everlasting death deprived of his victim.
Enter in at the strait gate, persevere upon the narrow way.
And ye shall never realize those dreadful miracles, the cor
rosion of the worm that destroys without destroying ; the
vengeance of the fire that consumes without consuming.
I know not how others may calculate to endure such tor
tures. I know not how they can possibly content them
selves in the service of a master, Avho will then become the
chief instrument in inflicting agonies unutterable upon many
that are now seduced by his arts, and charmed with his
blandishments. But this I know, in relation to my office
and ministry, that I will not cease to warn impenitent sin
ners " to flee from the wrath to come " : I will not cease
to implore the Lord, that, " strengthened with might by his
Spirit in the inner man," I may have grace and power to
put them upon their guard ; and, if it seemeth good to
him, effectually preserve them from the assaults of the most
subtle as he is the most fatal enemy of human happiness.
God is " not willing that any should perish " ; Christ is not
willing ; and his faithful ambassadors are not willing. We
must not, brethren, we cannot consent to be saying " peace,

496 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
peace, when there is no peace." It would be more than
either your pleasure or your displeasure is worth. It would
expose us to the severe rebuke, " They have healed the
hurt of the daughter of my people slightly." Especially
when there is a cure, a sovereign and never-failing cure.
It proceeds from the great Physician of souls. Would to
God ! that I could prevail upon you to adopt it. Would to
God ! that ye would this day commence in good earnest
that striving for holiness and against sin, which will not
only heal the wounds of your peace, but command an en
trance into life eternal.
So full, so free, so unrestricted, are the means of grace,
that, provided ye employ them precisely in the manner of
God's appointment, there is no reason to despair of a suc
cessful result ? What if the enemy be vigilant and artful ?
By the divine blessing, ye shall prove more than a match
for his untiring eye and cunning strategy. What if the
gate be confessedly strait and the way narrow ? There is
enough in prayer to vanquish every obstacle. There is
" help laid upon one that is mighty." " The Aveapo'ns of
our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds ; casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowl
edge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to
the obedience of Christ." And this may our heavenly
Father, of his infinite mercy, grant. May we so strive and
seek, that we may gain an entrance into the blissful regions
Avhere he dAvells. And to him, the Father, to the Son and
Holy Ghost, three persons and one God, shall be ascribed
all honor, and glory, and dominion, and power, world with
out end. Amen.

REV. GEORGE H. CLARK. 497

§ 3. Rev. George H. Clark
Was the successor of Dr. Chapman. He came to Wor
cester in 1847, and performed an acceptable ministry here
during the two following years. The society increased
under his administration, and it was with sincere regret that
they were obliged to yield to his request for a dismission.
His health failing him, however, he deemed it necessary to
be released from pastoral duties at least for a season.
Mr. Clark is a native of NeAvburyport. He was gradu
ated at Yale College with the class of 1843. His theolog
ical studies Avere pursued at the Virginia Seminary.
Worcester was the place of his first settlement. Advised
to seek a more genial clime on account of his delicate
health, he went, in 1849, to Darien, Ga., where he has
since been able to minister to a society that highly appre
ciate his labors. He was succeeded in the pastorate of All
Saints Church by the

§ 4. Rev. Nathaniel T. Bent.
He was unanimously elected rector of ' All Saints ' in
December, 1849, and entered immediately upon his duties.
His relation to the church still continues, and he is much
esteemed by his people.
Mr. Bent is a native of Milton, and a graduate of Har
vard University, in the class of 1831. He received his
theological education at the Episcopal Seminary in NeAV
York, and under the private tuition of Bishop Griswold.
42*

498 THE WORCESTER TULPIT.
He was ordained by this bishop as deacon, in 1833, and
priest in 1835. His first settlement was in New Bedford,
where he remained five years the rector of Grace Church.
He was subsequently called in succession to the rectorship
of St. John's Church, CharlestoAvn ; St. Thomas' Church,
Taunton ; and St. John's Church in Bangor, Maine. The
parish to which he now ministers has about forty-five fami
lies connected Avith it and nearly sixty communicants.

SECOND METHODIST CHURCH. 499

CHAPTER XII.
SECOND METHODIST CHURCH AND MINISTRY.
§ 1. Organization of the Church.
Early in the year 1845, those members of the Methodist
Church who resided in the north part of the town of Wor
cester, thought it desirable that another church of their
order should be formed. The location of the new edifice
for worship on Park street was at such a distance from this
portion of the Methodist population, as to render it
extremely inconvenient for them to attend public worship.
It was supposed that the time would speedily arrive when
it Avould be necessary to ' colonize,' and though some might
deem it premature at that precise moment, yet Provi
dence seemed to indicate, that on the whole it was an aus
picious opportunity. Many believed that not only was the
population of the town sufficiently large, but also that there
was enough of sympathy among the people to sustain two
church organizations of the same doctrines and usages, and
that Methodism would only assume its proper position in
the place by the immediate formation of a second church.
They also hoped and believed, that more could be done for
the glory of God and the salvation of men, by commencing
this enterprise then, than by waiting for a more favorable
season. These were the principal reasons assigned by the active

500 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
participants in this movement, for the important steps they
were about to take. They also declared their hearty fel
lowship with those from whom they Avere about to separate,
and all their meetings for deliberation and action were
conducted with harmony and good will.
The friends of the new organization being united and
decided, presented a petition to the proper authorities of
the Methodist ecclesiastical administration, asking that a
member of the New England annual conference might be
appointed to minister to them in holy things. The petition
Avas received with favor, and a clergyman designated for
their special service. The church was duly organized on
the 20th of July, 1845. It numbered about sixty mem
bers. Until February, 1849, they held their meetings in
such lecture-rooms and halls as could most conveniently be
procured. On the 27th of that month, their new house of
worship which had been erected on Laurel street, was, by
public religious exercises, consecrated to the especial honor
of Almighty God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The
The Rev. Stephen Olin, D. D., preached on that occasion.
The house is a neat structure of wood, and well accommo
dates a growing congregation. Its location on Laurel
street has given designation to the society that worship
there. They are now knoAvn as the "Laurel Street Methodist
Episcopal Church." The first pastor appointed to minister
to their spiritual Avants, was the

SECOND METHODIST MINISTRY. 501

§ 2. Rev. Richard S. Rust.
He entered upon his labors here, July 1, 1845. Dili
gent in the performance of his duties, and .devoted to his
new charge, he was acceptable as a preacher and soon won
the confidence and affection of his people. But his ministry
here was short. Elected to be principal of the " New
Hampshire Conference Seminary," at Northfield, N. II.,
he accepted the appointment and was released from his
prior engagement in February, 1846. His brief ministry
with this church is remembered by many with much inter
est. He was succeeded by the

§ 3. Rev. J. W. Mowry.
This gentleman came to Worcester with more than an
ordinary reputation for ability and success in the Gospel
ministry, and his services here were such as not to disap
point the expectations which his coming had excited. His
labors among his OAvn people gave him a high place in their
estimation, while his courteous bearing toAvards those of a
different denomination awakened respect for him as a man
and a Christian gentleman. His successor was the

§ 4. Rev. George Dtjnbas.
Mr. Dunbar began his ministry here in April, 1847.
He was indefatigable in his exertions to secure the erection

502 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
of a house of worship for his church, and his efforts were at
length crowned with success. After the house was dedi-
cated, his congregation increased, and the present circum
stances of the society are highly encouraging. At the
expiration of two years, he was transferred to another field
of labor. His place was supplied in April, 1849, by the

§ 5. Rev. Francis A. Grisavold.
The labors of this incumbent have been highly appreciat
ed by those whom he has served in the ministry of recon
ciliation, and his people will much regret his departure,
which, according to the regulations of Methodist itineracy,
must soon occur. The number of members now constituting
this church, is about one hundred. The author sincerely
regrets that his space will not allow the insertion of a ser
mon or parts of a sermon, as a specimen of the Second
Methodist Pulpit.

CHURCH OF THE UNITY. 503

CHAPTER XIII.
CHURCH OF THE UNITY.
§ 1. Its Formation.
In 1845, measures were adopted for forming a second
Unitarian Society in Worcester. The friends of the enter
prise opened a subscription for the erection of a house of
worship, and in the latter part of that year and the begin
ning of the next, the edifice was reared and completed.
Its location is eligible, its style of architecture tasteful, and
its whole arrangement commodious and agreeable. In
acoustic properties, or the facility with Ayhich it transmits,
and the resonance Avhich it imparts to the sounds of the
human voice, it is superior to any structure of the kind
within the writer's acquaintance. The house was conse
crated to the worship of God, April 28, 1846. Introduc
tory prayer by the Rev. Mr. Clark of Uxbridge ; prayer of
dedication by the Rev. Alonzo Hill ; sermon by the Rev.
Orville Dewey, D. D. of New York ; closing prayer by the
Rev. Mr. Wilson of Grafton. The following original hymn
written by the Hon. Judge Thomas of this city, was sung
on that occasion : —
The stones his pillow, Jacob slept ;
A vision o'er his spirit crept,
A ladder angels trod ;
Its foot upon the solid ground,
It rose, until its upper round
Pressed on the throne of God.

504 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
The dwellers of the world above,
The ministers of light and love,
Upon the sleeper wait ;
The spot, by foot of seraph pressed,
Became thenceforth forever blessed,
Of Heaven itself the gate.
That ladder rest upon this place ;
Here may thy presence and thy grace
0 Lord, be freely given ;
This spot our erring feet have trod,
Become the very house of God,
The open gate of Heaven.
The cross of Jesus, that shall be
The ladder, Lord, on which to thee
In faith and hope we rise ;
By that our altar do we rear,
Bringing, in humble trust and fear,
Our hearts for sacrifice.
On the first Sabbath in June, the church celebrated the
Lord's Supper for the first time. A committee had previ
ously been appointed to make arrangements for this service.
After considerable deliberation, they reported the following
resolves, Avhich Avere unanimously adopted by the church :
" Resolved, That this church has united for all means
and purposes of Christian sympathy and fellowship. There
fore, " Resolved, That an invitation be given to all persons
present, to partake with us of the Lord's Supper."
Agreeably to these resolutions the ordinance of the
Supper is always administered in the church of the Unity
on the first Sabbath of every month, — all persons Avho wish
to unite in the solemnity being invited to do so. The

REV. EDWARD E. HALE. 505

§ 2. Rev. Edward E. Hale
Was ordained pastor of this church on the 29th of April,
1846. Rev. S. K. Lothrop of Boston, preached the ser
mon ; "Rev. Calvin Lincoln of Fitchburg, made the prayer
of ordination ; Rev. Alonzo Hill addressed the people ;
Rev. Ephraim Peabody of Boston, gave the charge ; and
Rev. John Weiss of Watertown, presented the right hand
of fellowship.
Mr. Hale is a native of Boston, second son of Nathan
Hale of that city. He prepared for college at the Boston
Latin School, entered Harvard College in 1835, and was
graduated in course, 1839. For two years he was usher
in the schoool Avhere he was fitted for college. The Rev.
Dr. Palfrey and Rev. S. K. Lothrop of Boston were his
instructors in theology. In 1842, he Avas licensed to
preach the Gospel by the Boston Association. Subsequent
ly, he deA'oted a year to study. In 1844, he preached
several months in the city of Washington. In the spring
of 1845, he first preached in Worcester. He still officiates
as pastor of the church of the Unity. Some passages from
a sermon preached by him, Dec. 25, 1850, will shoAV how
he is wont to clothe his thoughts, and in what manner he
is accustomed to address his people.
43

JOY TO ALL PEOPLE

EXTRACTS

FROM

A DISCOURSE

DELIVERED IN THE

CHURCH OF THE UNITY,

BY THE

REV. EDWARD E. HALE.

SERMON.

Luke 2: 10.

I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be
to all people.
The world of Christendom is, itself, the best monument
reared in honor of this day. The tree of human civiliza
tion, in all its beauty, Avith its every light of sciences or
arts, with its countless gifts of wonder hanging upon every
bough, something for every one who comes, is a " Christ
mas tree." Its germ is in Bethlehem; its growth, its
beauty, its light, its wonder, its munificence, are Christ-
given. The Christ-child plants it and sustains it. And the
half-unconscious world, half-sceptical, also, as it enjoys
its gifts of wonder, as it dances around its blaze of beauty,
or as it lies beneath its shade to rest, whenever it extols the
triumphs or the prospects of our age, or our society, is real
ly extolling Jesus, the founder of modern society — is really
joining in a Christmas hymn.
It is easy to see why the Church, why preachers and
writers of sacred things should always be proud to trace
back her progress — the growth of her institutions of wor-

510 THE avorcester PULPIT.
ship or of action to their humble beginning ; — to follow up
her broad river to the streamlet where it first flowed out
from Zion's hill. " Let me," says a French preacher,*
" travel back upon the course of events. I pass in review
the series of the ages. I call upon the past to explain to
me the position of the present. On my way, prominent
points allure me. I admire the courage of the Reformers !
Behind them I traverse, terror-struck, those ages of barba
rism, where superstition and fanaticism assume the name,
the power and the rights of religion. But, after I pass this
long night, the horizon is gradually enlightened ; I see the
last altars of Paganism falling, I see the sceptre of the
Empire prostrate before the cross of the Gospel ! Through
those terrible persecutions which could not shake Christian
constancy, my course leads me to ancient Judea. I ask
for its magnificent temple ; and they direct me to a heap of
smoking ruins. The second temple has mingled its ruins
with the first. I find Christians where I looked for Jews.
I seek for the ministers who taught this conquering faith ;
they are tax-gatherers, fishermen and tent-makers. I seek
the master who taught them ; they lead me to Calvary and
point to a cross. I Avish at least to visit the place of his
birth, to imagine myself present in the first hour of his
life ; I am led to Bethlehem ; I find an infant ina manger,
and a few shepherds clustered around him ! "
Such tracing back to the source of the Bible, the church,
public worship and religious influences,is, I say, a natural and
attractive study to religious men. Why should it not suggest
however the following up of more histories than one ? Let
it suggest the tracing back of other fertilizing streams, that
* Athanase Coquerel, I, 69—71.

JOY TO ALL PEOPLE. 511
Ave may see where is their fountain. It is when the whole
world of Christendom makes that search, that every voice —
its voices of art, of science, of literature, of business, as
well as its voices of scientific morals and more formal the
ology, unite in proclaiming, each that it finds its fountain in
that silver stream which flows from Zion. It is thus that,
really, those forms of civilization, all unite with its outward
religious establishments, in proclaiming and celebrating the
birth of the Saviour into the world.
For, just as there are certain centres of place which
seem, sometimes, to unite all the threads of human action
and movement ; as, at a large metropolis, it seems as if all
the fibres of life of many miles around were brought togeth
er, like the fibres of unspun cotton, that from it they may
be drawn out again, changed all by its influence ; so is
this point of time — this moment, when the infant Saviour
looked into his mother's face, the point of time Avhere all the
threads of old history converge ; the point from which all
the threads of modern history, of modern society — tight-
spun all, are drawn out again. It is not simply the cord of
religious development which is newly spun there. There
is not one interest of society but, as we see it, it was born
there. Modern homes, modern trade, modern science,
modern art, our education, our politics, our relaxation or
our toil ; all are rays of the Star of Bethlehem centring
there as entirely as do our worship or our faith !
Direct an hour of to-day, to tracing back to that central
point the history of the occupation which interests yourself
most of all. Let your lesson be the finding out the Christ-
given elements of your daily life ; the Christmas presents
they arc, with which each day surrounds you.

512 THE AVORCESTER PULPIT.
And while we are together, let us prepare for such spe
cial examination, by running back over two or three of the
lines of life which I have named in which all have a com
mon interest, to trace them to their centre point, their
point of radiation, at Bethlehem, eighteen centuries ago.
Modern Art, I say, is one of those beams. The art
and poetry of the ancient world, are refracted from that cen
tral lens, and come to us from it with an intensity wholly
new. To compare Christian schools of painting with the
most exquisite un-christian triumphs, is to prove it without a
word, so far as the arts of design go.
And I might escape other argument as to the peculiar
fountain of modern poetry, by merely naming Milton, and
Paradise Lost and Regained. The author of mere tact, of
mere elegance of expression, may drink at classical foun
tains only. But that man writes, only that his works may
die and the world forget them. The author who writes
from genius, from the fire of his own life, I care not how
boldly he may try to turn away from the Christian fountain
of life, in spite of himself, drinks it in. So the poetry of
Mahomet, is, in his own despite, all blazing with Christ
ianity. So the occasional lights of modern Jewish litera
ture, while they praise David, take their real essence of
vitality from great David's greater Son. And so of Christ
endom's own sons when they tried hardest to disown their
mother. So poor Shelley, taunted and baited by mock
Christians till he disclaimed their name, sets himself to
write the complement, the sequel of a master-piece of hea
then poetry. To the old " Prometheus Bound," he adds
" Prometheus Unbound." It is to be a master-piece of
scorn, hurled at priest-craft and these priest-made gods !

JOY TO ALL PEOPLE. 513
And when it is done, behold its whole moral is in the spirit
of the Master whom he was trying to disown ! It is the Pro
metheus of Heathendom translated into the Prometheus of
Christ : — and the work is done by one who was disowning
the Saviour's name. So Parry and his companions pressed
resolutely for one long day towards the North, to find at
its close that they were farther South than Avhen they
started. They had done their part ; but the huge sheet of
ice-berg on which they traveled had moved other-ways, by
the sea's relentless tides, faster than they upon its surface ;
and they were farther from their aim than when the day be
gan !
So of country, government, Law. It had rested, after all,
upon force ; it was to rest, as with us it does rest, on the
union of obedient children, who recognize it as an instrument
of a loving Father. That Father gave to them that gift,
on the morning when his angels bent from the celestial
thrones, and promised, with such reason, " Peace on earth,
good will to men."
So also of Science. It had Avaked but to die, — waked
again but to die again. But in the union of Christian lands,
nation teaches nation, century teaches century. And, if
one seat of learning vanishes, it is only that a score of oth
ers, the world over, may spring up to catch up the sparks
of its scattered fires, and extend their light farther and
farther. It is so again, of Home. Home had not a name in the
old languages, because, in the old civilization, there was
not the thing. There was more than poetry in the saluta
tion to Mary, " Hail ! first among women ! " So lovely

514 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
was she the first woman, after her sex had been so long
playthings or slaves.
And, in this way I might go on, following along the his
tory of the different forms of life to show, that if this be the
great holiday of the church, it is because it is the great
holiday of the active world. The active men may forget it,
but none the less, in the very activity of their day's labor,
they are rendering homage to the birth of Him without
whose birth their labor would have been impossible ; with
out whose birth no Columbus would have sailed for the In
dies ; no Pilgrims, no Endicott have settled New England ;
no sense of Right Eternal have moved in the hearts of men
to build up our Independence ; no mutual peace between
tribe and tribe, created our mutual commerce, called out
our fiery cars, or our queens of the ocean ; no beneficent
science, speaking from age to age have lighted our furna
ces, devised our engines, or trained our men each to his
own place in the industrial army of our God !
I might go on ; each one of you in the variety of his own
life, may go on to trace this Christly dependence of ours.
But it is, I remember, more for congratulation than for in
struction that we are here together. We do not need to
day to study plans of salvation ; we do not need to-day to
descend into fields of polemics. But we may well conse
crate the peace of to-day by the offices merely of rejoicing ;
good cheer swelling to laughter ; merriment waxing even
into its wildest vagaries ; and tones of triumph repeated in
every form.
Let the only special effort of the day be to see that each
year the victory of our Lord is more abounding than ever
before.

SALEM STREET CHURCH. 515
CHAPTER XIV.
SALEM STREET CHURCH AND ITS PASTOR.
§ 1. The Organization of the Church.
The growth of Worcester, from 1840 to 1848, was quite
remarkable for an inland town in a State so long settled as
Massachusetts had been. The rapid increase of population
created a necessity for more religious societies and more
houses of worship. Friends of evangelical piety began to
speak of the importance of a fourth church of their order,
sometime before any decided measures were adopted to ef
fect the object. In 1847, the necessary steps were taken
for the erection of a church edifice, which the contemplated
church and society might occupy for worship. Those who
thought of uniting in the new enterprise held preliminary
meetings in the early part of 1848, adopted articles of
faith and a covenant,* and, on the 14th of June, in that
year, were organized into a church. On that occasion, the
sermon was preached by the Rev. E. Smalley of the Union
Church ; the consecrating prayer was offered by the Rev.
Dr. Nelson of Leicester ; the address to the church was
made by the Rev. S. Sweetser of the Central Church ;
and the right hand of fellowship was given by the Rev.
George P. Smith of the South Church.
The number thus constituted a church was one hundred
* Appendix M.

516 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
and thirty-three. About eighty of these were members of,
or regular worshipers with the Union Church, nearly thirty
from the Calvinist Church, and the remainder mostly from
the South Church. The movement, springing from a desire
to meet the growing Avants of an increasing population, was
entered upon with great harmony of feeling, and its friends
Avere numerous, strong and courageous.
The church met for Avorship in the City Hall until Dec.
12, 1848, Avhen the new house which had been erected on
Salem street,* Avas dedicated to the worship of God. The
Rev. S. Sweetser preached the sermon on that occasion ;
the Rev. E. Smalley made the prayer of dedication; and the
Rev. George P. Smith offered the concluding prayer. On
the day following, the first pastor was ordained over the
church ; and from that period accessions have been made
to their number, until a large congregation, from Sabbath
to Sabbath, attend upon the ministrations of the pulpit.
Their house of worship is one of the largest in the city,
conveniently arranged and attractive. Their first and only
pastor is the § 2. Rev. George Bushnell.
His ordination took place Dec. 13, 1848. Introductory
prayer, by the Rev. E. Smalley of the Union Church; ser
mon, by the Rev. Horace Bushnell, D. D. of Hartford,
brother of the candidate ; ordaining prayer, by the Rev.
William P. Paine of Holden ; charge to the pastor, by the
Rev. John Nelson, D. D. of Leicester ; right hand of fel-
* The church took its designation from the name of the street on which its
house of worship was erected.

SALEM STREET CHURCH. 517
lowship, by Rev. Leverett Griggs of Millbury ; address to
the people, by Rev. J. W. Cross of West Boylston ; con
cluding prayer, by Rev. Mr. Corning of Clinton.
Mr. Bushnell, a native of Washington, Conn., was grad
uated at Yale College, in 1842. He pursued his theologi
cal studies at the seminaries in Auburn and New Haven.
Having preached in several places with much acceptance,
he was invited to come to Worcester early in the autumn
of 1848. By vote of the Salem Street Church, which was
concurred in by the Society, he was called to become their
pastor and teacher. Yielding assent to their concurrent
invitation, he was ordained to this solemn and responsible
office, and still ministers to them in holy things.

44

518 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

CHAPTER XV.
MISCELLANEOUS.
§ 1. Scotch Presbyterian Church.
In the reign of James I., of England, a colony of Scots re
moved from Argyleshire, and formed a plantation in the
northerly part of Ireland, near Londonderry. In their new
locality they suffered much for conscience' sake. Their
oppressions at length became so severe, that many of them
were induced to emigrate to a land where every man might
worship God according to his own convictions of duty,
without molestation from his neighbor. In 1718, about
one hundred families arrived in Boston, and twenty others
at Casco ; and these Avere soon followed by others, who
Avere dispersed through the country.
A company of these emigrants, at an early date, took up
their residence in Worcester. From their number a church
Avas gathered, at about the same date of the formation of
the First Church. At first they assembled for worship in
the old garrison house, in the northerly part of the town.
Desiring a more commodious place, they made arrangements
to erect a temple which should be sacred to the worship of
Almighty God. But their troubles were not yet over.
Oppressed on the other side of the water, they fled hither-
ward; arrived here, they found the same spirit of religious
persecution, only in a different form. They were disposed

SCOTCH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 519
to be peaceable ; but they wished to Avorship God in their
own way. They attempted -to " build him a house." Its
site had been selected ; the timbers had been cut and
raised ; the building was in the progress of construction. But
it was never completed. No Avinds beat upon it to over
throw it, no floods carried it away, no fire devoured, no
earthquake SAvallowed it. ' The inhabitants gathered
tumultuously by night, and demolished the structure. Per
sons of consideration and respectability aided in the riotous
work of violence, and the defenceless foreigners Avere com
pelled to submit to the Avrong.'
The Rev. Edward Fitzgerald, from Londonderry, minis
tered to this church for several months. The number of
communicants is supposed to have been nearly equal to
those of the Congregational Church ; but they were poor,
and the minister, unable to procure a proper maintenance,
left the place, anterior to the settlement of Mr. Burr. A
union was at one time proposed between the two infant
churches, and the Presbyterian clergyman had once been
invited to officiate in the pulpit vacated by the recent dis
mission of Mr. Gardner. The request, however, was never
repeated, and soon after he left. When Mr. Burr was
ordained over the First Church, there was a tacit agree
ment, that if the Presbyterians would aid in his support, it
should be their privilege, occasionally, to listen to teachers
of their own denomination. For a season the two societies
worshiped in the same house. But being disappointed in
their expectations of seeing one of their own clergymen oc
casionally in the pulpit, the Presbyterians withdreAv from a
connection, in which the privileges all seemed to be on one

520 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
side, and that not their own. The Rev. William Johnston
was then installed as their pastor and teacher.
Obliged to contribute to the support of Mr. Burr, while
heavily drawn upon to sustain their own minister, they ap
pealed, in 1736, to the justice of their fellow townsmen for
relief from a tax inconsistent with their religious privileges.
The appeal did not avail to secure the end asked for, but it
called forth an answer from the body petitioned, which con
tains some curious and instructive items.*
Failing to obtain what they regarded as precious rights,
many of the Presbyterian planters left the place. Some
joined those of the same denomination who founded the
town of Pelham, in the county of Hampshire. These en
joyed the ministrations of the Rev. Mr. Abercrombie.
Others went to Londonderry, N. H., where they could
unite in worship congenial to their feelings. Others still
emigrated to the State of New York, and found a home
with the colony on the banks of the Unadilla.
The Rev. Mr. Johnston became the pastor of the Presby
terians in Londonderry, in 1747. In 1753 he was dis
missed from that place, because the people were not able to
afford him a competent support. After his dismission, he
accompanied a small colony to Unadilla, on the east side of
the Susquehanna river. The unfortunate emigrants were
destined to meet with trials wherever they went. In their
new home the horrors of Indian warfare menaced them.
Unable to protect their property from the depredations of
the savage, or to insure their personal safety, they aban
doned the place and sought refuge in less exposed and more
populous towns.

* See this answer in full in Lincoln's History, p. 193.

CHAPEL OP THE STATE LUNATIC HOSPITAL. 521
" It is probable that Mr. Johnston was accompanied by
some of his former parishioners, and that the town of Wor
cester, at the south-east corner of Otsego county, derives
its name from their recollections of the place of their first
American settlement."*
It is sad to reflect on the treatment which these men re
ceived from their felloAv citizens. They had those qualities
which should have made them welcome wherever they went.
Their habits were peaceful, industrious and frugal. By
an example of diligence, and by introducing useful arts,
they contributed to the prosperity of the province. Says
Belknap, " They brought with them the necessary materials
for the manufacture of linen ; and their spinning-wheels,
turned by the foot, were a novelty in the country. They
also introduced the culture of potatoes, which were first
planted in the garden of Nathaniel Walker, of Andover."
But they were met with an opposition, and treated with
a contumely, as impolitic as it was unreasonable. Too feeble
to resist their oppressors, they met their trials with what of
patience and fortitude they could command, and finally dis
armed opposition by their virtues, and secured respect for
their integrity and moral Avorth.
§ 2. Chapel of the State Lunatic Hospital.
In the third annual report of the Trustees and Superin
tendent of this Hospital, the subject of providing religious
worship for the. unfortunate inmates of the institution was
particularly commended to the attention of the Governor of
Massachusetts and the Honorable Council. In the fourth
* See Lin. Hist., p. 194.
44*

522 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
report, the importance of the subject was more earnestly
insisted on. The Superintendent thus gave his views :
" With the insane, I would as far as possible, inculcate all
the habits of rational life. I wish them to attend religious
worship on the Sabbath, for the same reason that other men
do, for instruction in religion and virtue. In matters of
religion and morality, I would deal with the insane, as with
the rational mind, approve of no deception, encourage no
delusions, foster no self-complacent impressions of character,
dignity and power. I would improve every opportunity,
when the mind is calm and the feelings kind, to impress
them that they are men, to excite in their minds rational
contemplations, encourage correct habits, awaken self-re
spect, and prompt to active duty. In aid of this, I wish
them to attend religious worship, to listen to instruction
from the volume of truth, and receive encouragement to
calm and quiet temper from its promises of reward to up
right and virtuous conduct."
In 1837, a chapel was erected for religious worship, and
on the 8th of November in that year, it was solemnly dedi
cated to that purpose. " On the day of the dedication,
about one hundred and twenty-five inmates were present.
It was the first assemblage that had ever taken place to so
great an extent, and was a most interesting meeting. At
each subsequent religious meeting, about the same number
have attended, not always composed of the same individu
als. In the whole, about one hundred and forty have at
tended these meetings, and nothing has occurred to disturb
the quiet, or to distinguish this from any other assembly.
The inmates have been much gratified with this indulgence
and proof of confidence. The favorable influence of these

CHAPEL OF THE STATE LUNATIC HOSPITAL. 523
meetings upon the feelings and habits of our family, has
been all and more than was anticipated.
" With the fullest conviction that the principles of Christ
ianity, rightly conceived and properly dispensed, can
never injure the minds nor disturb the feelings of the in
sane, I am confident that, if a judicious course be pursued,
all that has been anticipated of good will be fully realized
in the religious worship of our chapel."*
Different clergymen officiated in this chapel until Octo
ber, 1838. A year's experience convinced the Superin
tendent and the Trustees that their most sanguine expecta
tions respecting the beneficial effects of this measure were
not extravagant. During the twelve months following the
dedication of the Chapel, there were three hundred and
seventy-six patients in the Hospital, and of this number,
three hundred and fourteen had attended religious worship.
The services had been remarkably quiet and orderly, and,
almost without exception, the patients had justified the con
fidence reposed in them. " The power of self-control,
which many excited patients have exercised in the chapel,
during the hour of worship, a control which no motive
could induce them to exercise elsewhere, is itself a most
forcible argument in favor of religious worship for the
insane."f Successive Annual Reports confirm the impressions thus
expressed respecting the importance of divine worship for
this unhappy class of our fellow citizens. Every year
added force to the argument that religious exercises could

'o"

* Report of Dr. Woodward for 1837.
t Report of Dr. AVoodward for 183S, p. 76.

524 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
be appreciated by, and were eminently favorable to the
mental condition of the insane.
Near the close of 1843, regular evening Avorship was
instituted, at Avhich all the patients who desired it and who
could be trusted, were permitted to be present. This has
also proved to be a very happy arrangement, giving variety
to the routine of daily exercises, calming the spirits that may
have been excited, and preparing for the repose of peace
ful slumber. The last Report submitted by Dr. Woodward
contains the following emphatic testimony :
" The subject of religious worship for the insane, is no
longer a problem with us. We consider it no less impor
tant, and hardly less influential with the insane than with
the rational mind. The insane man who reverences religion
and consults his Bible, has more self-respect, more control
over his feelings, more love of order and truth, and is a
better patient than he Avho is ignorant of the law of love
given in those sacred pages, or who has been educated to
disregard the institutions and duties of religion."*
The successor of Dr. Woodward is equally explicit in
testifying to the desirableness of religious worship for the
insane. " The religious exercises continue to be one of the
most interesting and important means used in the manage
ment of this Hospital. The insane appreciate their re
ligious advantages here. They can discriminate between
Avhat is wrong and what is right, unless it is upon the sub
ject of their delusions. They as heartily repent of their
transgressions, when made sensible of them, as any rational
person. Many have a deep religious feeling, and a strict
* Thirteenth Annual Report, p. 90.

CHAPEL OF THE STATE LUNATIC HOSPITAL. 525
sense of justice. The judicious application of the precepts
of the Gospel consoles the melancholic in his despair, gives
hope to the timid, and restrains the rash in his headlong
career. There are but few that would not be benefited by
listening to such preaching as the ' Sermon on the
Mount.' "*

Rev. Luzerne Rae
Was the first regular chaplain employed to officiate in
this Hospital. His term of service commenced in October,
1838, and was completed in September, 1839. He was
well qualified for the place, and his labors were highly ap
preciated. Dr. Woodward thus gave utterance to his sen
timents respecting him. " He was a sensible, discreet
man, a forcible preacher, and much admired and respected
by all our household. On all occasions he commanded
the attention of his audience, and during the period of his
services the congregation was, without exception, quiet and
respectful." On leaving Worcester, Mr. Rae returned to Hartford,
Ct. ; and he is still a resident in that city. He has offici
ated very acceptably as one of the professors in the Deaf
and Dumb Asylum there established, and also performed no
slight amount of editorial labor. He was succeeded as
chaplain in the Hospital here, by the
* Sixteenth Annual Report, p. 54.

526 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

Rev. Julius A. Reed.

Mr. Reed is a native of East Windsor, and a graduate
of Yale College, in the class of 1831. He was for several
years a home missionary in the State of Illinois. Having
returned to the East on account of the illness of his wife,
he was induced to engage for a season in this peculiar form
of ministerial labor. He remained here until the 1st of
October, 1840. His services were no less acceptable than
had been those of his predecessor. He addressed himself
to his remarkable audience with both affection and discre
tion, and Avas highly esteemed by those to whom he minis
tered. " His services were Avell appreciated, and he left
us with the good Avishes of all our family. He is a good,
practical preacher, sincere and honest in his efforts to do
good, and succeeded well in winning the affections and se
curing the confidence of his hearers. His services were
always judicious and solemn, well attended to, and influen
tial on the conduct of his audience. No disturbance ever
took place in the chapel during his ministrations, and
universal regret Avas felt in our household at his depart
ure."* After closing his engagement in Worcester, Mr. Reed
turned his thoughts again to the great valley of the West.
The cause which induced him to leave that field of labor
being partially removed, he cheerfully went thither again
to aid his self-denying brethren in planting Christian insti-
* Superintendent's Report, 1S40, p. 85.

CHAPEL OF THE STATE LUNATIC HOSPITAL. 527
tutions among the rapidly increasing population in that
interesting section of our country. He has for years been
doing a good Avork in the State of Iowa, where he is still
laboring. The successor of Mr. Reed was the

Rev. George Allen.
Mr. Allen is a native of Worcester. He was graduated
at Yale College, Avith the class of 1813. In 1823, he was
settled as pastor of the church in Shrewsbury. In 1839,
he was dismissed from his pastoral relation to that church
by advice of a mutual council, with cordial attestations to
his ability and scholarship, his fidelity and success. On
the retirement of Mr. Reed from the office of chaplain in
the Hospital, Mr. Allen was immediately invited to succeed
him in this responsible position. Yielding assent to the in
vitation, he entered upon his duties in October, 1840. For
more than ten years he has been the acceptable minister of
this peculiar and ever-varying congregation. Every even
ing, at half-past eight o'clock, he has worship in the chapel
for all the patients Avho are in a condition to be present,
and all the attendants and officers who can conveniently at
tend. The number varies from one hundred to two hun
dred, or more. Yfhen they are all assembled, the chaplain
reads a portion of Scripture, gives out a hymn which is
appropriately sung by the choir, and then offers prayer.
All then retire to their respective apartments. This
service is sometimes attended by visitors from the city and
strangers of distinction. It is expected that the chaplain
will attend two services every Sabbath. At the ringing of

528 THE AVORCESTER pulpit.
the bell at half-past ten o'clock in the morning, a congrega
tion of about three hundred assemble in the commodious
and tasteful chapel, neatly attired and with respectful de
meanor. The order of exercises is very nearly the same
with that practiced in our congregational churches ; and
the main difference between the two is, that here all the
services are somewhat more brief than in other congrega
tions. The time allotted for the whole exercise does not
vary much from fifty minutes. As soon as the benediction
is pronounced, the hearers retire with the utmost decorum.
There is not a more orderly congregation in the community.
Perhaps this is the most uniformly wakeful assembly that
any clergyman in New England has the privilege of ad
dressing. Following the public service in the afternoon,
there is usually a Bible-class for such attendants and pa
tients as are disposed to be present.
With what success the present chaplain has been able to
perform these duties since the autumn of 1840, will be ap
parent from the following statements.
" For more than three years the Rev. George Allen
has officiated as chaplain to the hospital. His performan
ces are judicious and very acceptable to our congregation ;
they are always interesting, and often eloquent and forci
ble expositions of religious truth. His views of all subjects
are given with great freedom, and yet with such propriety
and delicacy as to offend none and satisfy all."*
Similar statements are incorporated in each annual report
of the institution down to the present time.
* Eleventh Annual Report, p. 86.

GAOL CHAPEL. 529

§ 3. Gaol Chapel.
In connection with the County House and gaol located in
Worcester, a convenient room, through the praiseworthy
exertions of the Hon. John W. Lincoln, has been fitted up
and set apart for religious worship. This was done several
years ago. The place was opened with appropriate relig
ious services, and is known by the name of Gaol Chapel.
The prisoners every Sabbath afternoon are gathered in this
room and addressed by the chaplain on those themes which
are adapted to lead them to repentance and reformation.
There is also a Sabbath School for their especial benefit,
sustained during the year by self-denying members of
churches in the city. The effect of this arrangement has
been happy. The teachers are amply repaid for their labor
by the evidence they have that ' their labors are not in vain
in the Lord.'
Rev. George Dunbar, pastor of the Second Methodist
Church, was the first chaplain in this connection. He
found here an attentive audience, and often had evidence
that the truths of the Gospel are admirably fitted to reach
the heart even of those who have become hardened by long
continued habits of transgression. He was followed by
Mr. Francis LeRaron, who still retains this connection.
Mr. LeBaron is also minister at large in Worcester, sus
tained principally by the Second Church and the Church
of the Unity. His predecessor in this department was the
Rev. Warren Burton.
45

530 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.

§ 4. Evangelical City Mission.
This mission has been established about one year. The
experiment thus far has been gratifying. Some years since,
benevolent individuals were impressed with the conviction
that there Avas great need of such a mission, and the Rev.
Mr. Fox, a man of lovely spirit and excellent qualifications
in other respects for such a service, was employed for six
months. He labored in season and out of season, and,
while his health permitted, like his Master, went about do
ing good. But he was not permitted to continue by reason
of death. His memory is still precious to many a heart.
About one year since, Dea. Moses Brigham, who had
been licensed to preach by the Worcester Central Associa
tion and who was thought to have peculiar qualifications for
such a work, Avas employed to labor as a city missionary.
His first semi-annual report showed that he had been inde
fatigable in his duties ; and evidence is not wanting that his
exertions have been much blessed. He is still engaged in
this capacity and has a promising field of labor before him.

§ 5. Friends' Meeting.
The number of families in Worcester Avho belong to the
denomination of Quakers, is not large ; but they have
erected a tasteful and commodious house of worship and
have meetings regularly on the Sabbath and during the
week. They have no settled pastor, but from time to time

SECOND ADVENT CHURCH. 531
enjoy the ministrations of some of the regularly authorized
preachers of the denomination. Their meetings are char
acterized by quiet and decorum. Some of their speakers
have the reputation of being very eloquent. At some of
their gatherings, the audible utterance of thought gives
place to silent meditation. They have no articles of faith
in distinction from the sentiments embodied in their stand
ard works. These will be found in Clarkson's Portraiture
of Quakerism. § 6. Second Advent Church.
As early as 1840, individuals in Worcester were inter
ested in what was called ' second advent preaching.' As
the time drew near when they anticipated the second com
ing of Christ for a personal and visible reign on earth, their
numbers and zeal increased. Many were disappointed that
the time passed by, while yet the great event predicted did
not occur. Recasting and recalculating their prophetic pe
riods and figures, they ascertained that some mistakes had
been made, and finally settled down in the conclusion that
the important period would, at the longest, soon arrive. In
the autumn of 1850, they organized a church ; and since
that period they have had for their spiritual teacher, Elder
I. Shipman, who was formerly settled in New Hamp
shire. About forty members belong to the church. On
their admission they assented to the following article of
faith. This is intended to be distinctive of their peculiar
views. It was adopted, Oct. 28, 1850.
" We the undersigned, ' Avho are looking for that blessed

532 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ ;' Titus 2 : 13 ; Hebrews 9 : 28 : that
Ave may walk in harmony, and more effectually advance the
cause of our Saviour on earth, and spread the light of di
vine truth, live in peace with all Christians, and all men
as far as in us lies, and labor for the conversion and salva
tion of sinners, and lead a life of holiness and devotion to
God ; — agree to receive the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments as the rule of our faith and practice, believing
that reference to their sacred teachings will be sufficient to
guide us in all the duties of life, as the members of the body
of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The author has now completed, as he could, the plan
proposed at the beginning of this volume. Various and
interesting reflections are suggested by the numerous top
ics that have passed in review before the reader's mind ;
but they cannot now be particularly noticed. The brief
history given of each church will have special interest for
those now connected with it, and, it is hoped, a general
interest for others. Each biographical sketch recorded in
the foregoing pages, will awaken pleasant or touching mem
ories in the circle of friendship where its subject moved or
in which he now moves ; and every sermon herein publish
ed will find a class of readers who entertain a special regard
for its author. If the work shall serve the purpose of so bring
ing the Past before the Present, that the latter shall be the
better for it and the Future the happier, the writer will con-

CONCLUDING REMARKS. 533
gratulate himself that his labor is not futile. To a single fact
he would direct the reader's particular attention : of the
more than fifty ministers who have been settled in Worces
ter, not one has disgraced his profession by a life of immor
ality. Those who are dead, so far as we know, have died
in peace and are remembered with interest, and those
who yet live, maintain a fair and honorable standing in
the community. In this respect may the future reproduce
the past.
One word as to the value of such facts as are recorded
in this volume. " Many of these little things which we
speak of, are little only in size and name. They are full
of rich meaning. They are graphic and characteristic in
a high degree. They suggest far more than they say.
They illustrate classes of men and ages of time. They are
small but brilliant lights on the walls of the past, pouring
floods of splendor from their little niches on the vast abysses
around them." (Am. Qu. Review, 1836.) " We shall
stand in a true relation to the present and the future, by
standing in a right relation to the past. For he who has
been back into the past, comes down again into the present
midst, and is prepared to travel on into the future, loaden
with the experiences of ages gone, and made wise by the
observation of principles in their beginnings, their workings,
and their remote results. He is able to bring into contact
early causes and their distant effects, and tracing the for
mer through their intricate windings down to the latter, to
learn how it was that purposes so often produced their con
traries—hope despair, and despair hope. He has learned
this truth for the consolation and strengthening of his soul,
45*

534 THE WORCESTER PULPIT.
that, sooner or later, evil recoils upon itself, and that if indi
rectness and wrong be not visited upon the father, it will be
upon the children ; and through this wide view, he is ena
bled to see how
 from good still good proceeds ;

Direct or by occasion." (Am. Qu. Observer, I, 41.)

APPENDIX.

Note A , p. 14.

Order of the Great and General Court. Oct. 11, 1665.
(Lincoln.)
This Court, understanding by the Petiton of Thomas Noyes, John
Haynes, Josiah Haynes of Sudbury, and Nathaniel Treadaway, of
Watertown, hereunto affixed, that there is a meet place for a Planta
tion, about ten miles from Marlborow, westward, at or near Quaus-
etamug Pond, which, that it may be improved for that end, and
not spoiled by grantinge of farms, in answer to the forsaid petition,
This Court doth order, that there should be a quantitie of eight miles
square layd out and reserved thereabout, in the Court's dispose, for
a plantation, for the encouragement of such persons as shall appear,
anytime within three years from the date hereof, beeing now approv
ed of by this Court ; and that Capt. Edward Johnson, Lieutenant
Joshua ffisher, and Lieut. Thomas Noyes shall, and hereby are ap
pointed and empowered to lay out the same and to be payd by such
persons as shall appear within the terme above expressed — The Dep
uties have passed this with reference to the consent of our honored
Magistrates hereto— William Torrey, Clerk.
The Magistrates consent to a survey of the place petitioned for, and
that Captaine Gookin doe joine with those mentioned of our brethren
the deputies, and make return of their survey to the next General
Court of Elections, who may take order therein as they shall see
meete, their brethren the deputys hereto consenting. Edav'd Rawson, Secl'y.
Consented to by the deputies, William Torrey, Cleric

536 APPENDIX.
Note B, p. 16.
First Indian Deed, July 13 ; 1674.
Bee it known to all men by this present writing, that wee, John,
alias Horrawannonit, or Quiquonassett, Sagamore of Pakachoge, and
Solomon, alias, Woonaskochee, Sagamore of Tataessit, together
with the consent of our kindred and people, and for and in considera
tion of twelve pounds of lawful money of New England, or the full
value thereof, in other specie, to our content, within three months
after the date hereof, well and truly to be paid, and satisfied, and pt.
whereof, viz. two coats and four yards of trading cloth, valewed at
twenty-six shill. wee do acknowledge to have received in hand, as
earnest, of Daniel Gookin senr. of Cambr. Esqr. and of Daniel Hinch-
man, of Boston, Brewer, in behalf of themselves and Capt. Thomas
Prentice, and St. Richard Beers, and the rest of the Genii. Courts'
Committee, appointed for the management of a new plantation grant
ed by the said Court, conteyning eight miles square, or the contents
thereof, being to the westward of Mailborough, near Quansiquamond
Ponds, and on each side of the Roadway leading towards Connecti-
cott ; Now know yee, yt wee, ye sd. Jno. and Solomon, Sagamores
aforesaid, and upon the lerms aforesaid, have bargained, sold, aliened,
enfeeoffed, and confirmed, unto ye sd Daniel Gookin, Thomas Pren
tice, Daniel Hinchman, Richard Beers, and ye rest of ye people ad
mitted, or to be admitted, by ye sd committee to be inhabitants of ye
new plantation, and to their heirs, executors, admrs, and assigns for
ever, in fee simple, all and every pt of our civill or naturall right, in
all and singular the broken up land and vvoodh-nds, woods, trees, riv
ers, brooks, ponds, swamps, meddows, mineralls, or any other thing,
or things whatsoever, lying and being within that tract of land, con
teyning eight miles square or the contents thereof, to be laid out by
ye sd persons or their order in lime convenient. To have and to hold
the premises, and every pt thereof, unto them the sd Daniel Gookin,
Thomas Prentice, Daniel Hinchman, and Richard Beers, and all ye
rest of ye sd Inhabitants admitted or to be admitted planters there,
and unto ym and yr heirs forever, freely and absolutely, without any

APPENDIX. 537
lett, molestation, or disturbance, of us, or any of our kindred or peo
ple, or any claiming by, from, or under us, for evermore, as our heyrs
or assigns ; and wee do promise, upon the finishing ye payment to
make full and ample deeds and writings for the same, according to
law. In witness of the truth hereof, wee ye sd John and Solomon,
alias Horrawanonitt and Woonnaskachee, have hereunto set our
hands and seals, this thirteenth day of July 1674.
Signed sealed and ) Solomon, alias Woonnaskochee, seal and mark.
delivered in the V
presence of us ) John, alias Hoorrawanonit, mark and seal.
Onnamog, his mark, Sagamore of Occonomesett.
Namphow, his mark, Sagamore of Wamesett.
Joseph Thatcher, of Chabanakonchoie, his mark.
Nosannowitt, his mark. Noah Wiswall, present.
Full payment rec'd August 20, 1676. D. Gookin.
This deed acknowledged by the Sagamores, before Daniel Gookin,
Sen. Assist. July 13.
Entered, 9. 2. 83, by Thomas Danforth, R.*

Note C,p. 20.
Among those who attempted the settlement of Worcester after the
first unsuccessful enterprise, was Digory Serjent, who had built his
house on Sagatabscot Hill, south eastward of the present town. He
was a native of Sudbury, and had been a carpenter by occupation be
fore his removal. A will made by him in 1679 is preserved on the
Middlesex Records. As the list of goods and effects, strangely min
gled together, presents example of the humble personal possessions
of former times, and the style affords specimen of quaint peculiarity
it will not be uninteresting.
'March, the 17th day, 1696. The last Will and Testament of
Digory Serjent.
I Digory Serjent, being in my health and strength, and in my per
fect memory, blessed be the Lord for it, these few lines may satisfy
whom it may concern, that I, Digory Serjent, do freely give unto my

* Lincoln, p. 365.

538 APPENDIX.
Daughter Martha Serjent, my house and land with all the rights and
privileges thereunto belonging : this house and four score acre lot of
land lieth within the township of Worcester : I likewise dugive unto
her all my goods ; one flock bed and boulster, with one rug, and two
blankets and two coverlets ; six frocs ; one broad ax and one falling
ax and one handsaw ; one frying pan ; one shave ; one drawing knife,
one trunk and a sermon book that is at Miss Mary Masons, widow,
at Boston ; with one pewter pint pot ; one washing tub; one cow
and calf, one mare, three iron wedges, two beetle rings : And if in
case the Lord should see good to take away the said Digory Serjent,
do leave these things above written unto George Pannenter of Sud
bury to be disposed of as he shall see good, to bring up the said Dig
ory Serjent's child : and if in case that this child should die likewise,
then I do freely give my house and land with all the goods above
mentioned unto George Parmenter forever, and to his heirs, to look
after these things and to dispose of them as he shall see cause. In wit
ness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the day and year
above named. There is one gun too. Digory Serjent.
Witnessed by John Keyes, John Wetherby.'*

Note D, p. 50.
The following covenant, prepared by the Rev. Mr. Campbell of
Oxford, and the Rev. Mr. Stone of Southborough, was adopted,
Sept. 22, 1746, and afterwards subscribed by fifty members of the
church. " We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, being inhabitants of
the town of Worcester, in New England, knowing that we are very
prone to provoke and offend God, Most High, both in heart and life,
through the prevalence of sin that dwelleth in us, and the manifold
temptations from without us, for which we have great reason to be
unfeignedly humble before him, from day to day, do, in the name of
our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, with dependence upon the gra-

* See Lincoln, p. 35.

APPENDIX. 539
cious assistance of his Holy Spirit, solemnly enter into covenant
with God, and with one another, according to his holy direction, as
follows :
" First : That having chosen and taken the Lord Jehovah, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, to be our God, we will fear him, cleave to him
in love, and serve him in truth, with all our hearts, giving up our
selves to him, to be his people, in all things to be at his direction and
sovereign disposal, that we may have and 'hold communion with him,
as members of Christ's mystical body, according to his revealed will,
to our lives' end.
" Secondly : We bind ourselves to bring up our children and ser
vants, in the knowledge and fear of God, by his instructions, accord
ing to our best abilities, and, in special, by orthodox catechisms,
viz., the Assembly's at Westminster larger and shorter catechisms,
that the true religion may be maintained in our families while we
live ; yea, and among such as shall survive us, when we are dead
and gone.
" Thirdly : We furthermore promise, to keep close to the truth of
Christ, endeavoring with lively affections of it in our hearts, to
defend it against all opposers thereof, as God shall call us at any
time thereunto ; which, that we may do, we resolve to use the
Holy Scriptures as our directory, whereby we may discern the
mind and will of Christ, and not the new found inventions of men.
" Fourthly : We also engage ourselves, to have a careful inspec
tion over our hearts, so as to endeavor, by virtue of the death of
Christ, the mortification of our sinful passions, worldly frames,
and disorderly affections, whereby we may be withdrawn from the
living God.
" Fifthly : We furthermore oblige ourselves, in the faithful im
provement of all our abilities and opportunities to worship God, ac
cording to the particular institutions of Christ for his church, under
Gospel administrations ; to give a reverend attention to the word of
God; to pray unto him ; to sing his praises; and to hold commun
ion with one another, in the use of both the sacraments of the New
Testament, viz. Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
" Sixthly : We likewise promise that we will peaceably submit
ourselves, unto the holy discipline appointed by Christ in his church,

540 APPENDIX.
for offenders, obeying, according to the will of God, them that rule
over us in the Lord.
" Seventhly : We also bind ourselves, to walk in love, one towards
another, endeavoring our mutual edification, visiting, exhorting, com
forting, as occasion serveth, any brother or sister which offends ;
not divulging private offences irregularly, but heedfully following the
several precepts laid down by Christ for church discipline, in xviii
of Matthew, 15, 16, 17 ; willingly forgiving all that manifest, unto
the judgment of charity, that they truly repent of all their miscar
riages. " Now, the God of peace, whicli brought again from the dead our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us all perfect in
every good word and work, to do his will, working in us that which
is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
" Worcester, Sept. 22, 1746. This church this day, renewed
covenant with God and with one another, and unanimously signified
their assent to the above written instrument, declaring at the same
time their readiness to subscribe the same, at the next meeting of the
church. Present, at their desire, John Prentice, Pastor of Lancaster,
John Campbell, Pastor of Oxford."

Note E,p. 98.
" A singular controversy in relation to the form of conducting the
musical portion of public worship in our churches, growing out of at
tachment to ancient customs and resistance of innovations, arose at an
early period. In its progress, it converted the harmony of Christians
in the house of prayer, into discord; and though trifling in its origin,
became of so much importance, as to require the frequent directory
interference of town meetings, and only arrived at its conclusion
when the great revolutionary struggle swallowed up all minor ob
jects. " Anciently, those who joined in singing the devotional poetry of

APPENDIX. 541
religious exercises, were dispersed through the congregation, having
no place assigned them as a distinct body, and no privileges separate
from their fellow worshipers. After the clergyman had read the
whole psalm, he repealed the first line which was sung by those who
were able to aid in the pious melody : the eldest deacon then pro
nounced the next line, which was sung in a similar manner, and the
exercises of singing and reading went on alternately. When the ad
vantages of education were less generally diffused than at present, the
custom was established, to avoid the embarrassment resulting from the
ignorance of those who were more skillful in giving sound to notes than
deciphering letters. The barbarous effect produced by each indi
vidual repeating the words to such tune as was agreeable to his own
taste, became apparent. The first attempt at the reformation of this
' usual way' as it was termed, was made March, 1726, when a meet
ing of the inhabitants was called for the purpose of considering ' in
which way the congregation shall sing in future, in public, whether
in the ruleable way, or in the usual way,' and the former was adopt
ed, though not without strong opposition at the time and great dis
content after. Ineffectual application having been made to the se
lectmen, to convene the people, for the purpose of again discussing
the subject, a warrant was procured from John Minzirs, Esq., of
Leicester, calling a meeting ' to see if the town will reconsider their
vote concerning singing, it being of an ecclesiastical nature, which
ought not to stand on our town records : ' but the article was dis
missed. " The next step was, the attempt to procure the aid of some suit
able person to lead and direct in the performances. It was voted,
May, 1769, ' that the elder's seat be used for some persons to lead
the congregation in singing.' The adherents of old usage possessed
sufficient influence to negative a proposition for raising a committee
to invite a qualified individual to perform this office. In March, 1770,
' it was voted, that Messrs. James McFarland, Jonathan Stone, and
Ebenezer Flagg, sit in the elder's seat to lead. And on a motion made
and seconded, voted unanimously, that Mr. William Swan sit in the
same seat, to assist the aforesaid gentlemen in singing.' It remained,
to gather the musicians to one choir, where their talents in psalmody
could be better exerted than in their dispersion, and in 1773, ' the
46

542 APPENDIX.
two hind body seats, on the men's side, on the lower floor of the
meeting house,' were assigned to those who sat together and con
ducted the singing on the Lord's day.
" The final blow was struck on the old system, by the resolution
of the town Aug. 5, 1779. ' Voted, That the singers sit in the front
seats in the front gallery, and those gentlemen who have heretofore
sat in the front seats in said gallery, have a right to sit in the front
seat and second seat below, and that said seats have said seats appro
priated to said use. Voted, That said singers be requested to take
said seats, and carry on singing in public worship. Voted, That the
mode of singing in the congregation here, be without reading the
psalms, line by line, to be sung.'
" The Sabbath succeeding the adoption of these votes, after the
hymn had been read by the minister, the aged and venerable Deacon
Chamberlain, unwilling to desert the custom of his fathers, rose, and
read the first line according to his usual practice. The singers, pre
pared to carry the alteration into effect, proceeded, without pausing
at its conclusion ; the white haired officer of the church, with the
full power of his voice, read on, until the louder notes of the collect
ed body overpowered the attempt to resist the progress of improve
ment, and the deacon, deeply mortified at the triumph of musical ref
ormation, seized his hat and retired from the meeting-house in tears.
His conduct was censured by the church, and he was, for a time, de
prived of its communion, for absenting himself from the public servi
ces of the Sabbath.
" The mode of reading prevailed in Boston, and throughout New
England, until a few years prior to the last mentioned date, and in
some places beyond it. A relic of the old custom probably still
survives, in the repetition of the first line of the hymn by clergymen
of the present day.
" The improved version, by President Dunster, of the translation
attempted by Rev. Mr. Weld, Rev. Mr. Eliot of Roxbury, and Rev.
Richard Mather of Dorchester, according to the agreement of the
ministers in 1639, was used in the church here until 1761, when it
was voted, ' that it would be agreeable to change the version of the
Psalms, and to sing the version composed by Tate and Brady, with
an appendix of scriptural hymns of Dr. Watts,' and this was begun

APPENDIX. 543
to be used Nov. 29, of that year. The hymns of Dr. Watts were
substituted for the book before used, Jan. 20, 1790.
" The public reading of a lesson from the Scriptures, as a stated
portion of the service, was not introduced into New England until
near the middle of the last century. The following extract from the
church records shows the period when it was first commenced here.
' 1749, Sept. 3. Voted, that thanks be given, by the pastor, public
ly, to the Hon. John Chandler, Esq., for his present of a handsome
folio Bible for the public reading of the Scriptures, which laudable
custom was very unanimously come into, by the church, at one of
their meetings some time before.'
" The assignment of places in church was formerly matter of grave
consideration, and frequently claimed the attention of the town. In
1724, a large committee was instructed to seat the meeting-house,
' taking as the general rule the two last invoices of ratable estate,
saving liberty to have due regard lo principal builders as they shall
see cause.' After long lapse of time, they were directed in 1733,
' to proceed and finish the meeting-house, and that the rule they prin
cipally guide themselves by, be a person's usefulness, or the station
he holds in age and pay, not having regard to plurality of polls, but
to real and personal estate.' In 1748, it was directed, ' that the
men's seats in the body of the house be enlarged to the women's
seats, that a man and woman be placed in each of the pews to
be constructed, and a seat for the children be made in the body before
the seats.' An article was inserted, in the warrant of April, 1750,
' to give directions that people may sit in the seats assigned to them,
to prevent discord, and that they do not put themselves too forward,'
and at the meeting it was voted, ' that the selectmen give tickets to
such people as have not taken their seats properly, according to the
last, seating, directing them to sit where they ought, so as to prevent
disorder, and that they fill up properly any seats lately built.' In
the house erected in 1763, the right of selection of pews was given
' in the order of amounts paid for building.' "*

* Lin. Hist. Worcester, pp. 177—180.

54 1 APPENDIX.

Note F, p. 100.
Articles of Faith and Covenant adopted by the First Church in
1790, and still used in the admission of members. ' These articles
were not inserted in the records of the church before May 23, 1815.
A revision of them at that time, varied the phraseology slightly, the
sentiment not at all.' — (Lincoln.)
CONFESSION OF FAITH.
1. I believe there is one only living and true God ; a being, in
dependent and eternal in his existence and Glory ; unchangeable in
his purposes ; possessed of infinite power, wisdom, justice, goodness
and truth ; and who is the Creator, Preserver, Benefactor, and Sov
ereign righteous Governor of the universe.
2. I believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
were given by inspiration of God, are clothed with divine authority,
and are a perfect rule of faith and manners.
3. I believe the Scriptures teach, that God exists in a manner
incomprehensible to us, under a threefold distinction, or trinity of
persons, as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost ; and that to these
three persons, as the one God, all divine perfections are to be equally
ascribed. 4. I believe that every individual of the human race is, by federal
connection with the first man, and in consequence of his apostasy,
natively dead in trespasses and sins, at enmity with God, and must
be regenerated in heart, and sanctified by the agency of the Holy
Ghost, in order to final salvation.
5. I believe that God hath, from the foundation of the world,
ordained some, by an election, purely of grace, unto everlasting life ;
who, and who only, will be finally gathered into the kingdom of the
Redeemer. 6. The only Redeemer of sinners, I believe, is the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is strictly and properly a divine person ; who, by the
assumption of the human nature in union with the divine, became ca
pable of making a meritorious and effectual sacrifice for sin, by giving
himself up to the death of the cross ; that by this sacrifice he became

APPENDIX. 545
the propitiation for Ihe sins of men ; that, as risen from the dead, as
cended and glorified, he is the Head of the Church, and the final
judge of the world ; and that all who are saved will be entirely
indebted to the sovereign grace of God, through the atonement.
7. I believe that those who are once regenerated and united to
Christ by a true faith, will never finally fall away, but will be pre
served, by divine power, and in fulfillment of God's eternal purpose
of grace, unto final salvation.
8. Those who die in a state of impenitency and unbelief are, I
believe, irrecoverably lost.
9. I believe in the resurrection of the dead, and a general judg
ment, in the issue of which, the righteous will be received to the
perfect and endless enjoyment of God in heaven ; and the wicked
will be sentenced to be everlastingly punished in that fire which was
prepared for the devil and his angels — which sentence, I believe, will
be fully executed.
10. I believe in the sacraments of the Gospel dispensation, — Bap
tism and the Lord's Supper, — as the two ordinances instituted by
Christ for the edification of his body, the Church ; that visible
believers, only, who appear to receive the truth in the love of it, and
to maintain a conversation becoming the Gospel, have a right of
admission to the Lord's Supper ; and that they, with their house
holds, are the only proper subjects to whom Baptism is to be admin
istered.
covenant.
You do now, in the presence of God, angels and men, avouch the
Lord Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to be your God, the
object of your Supreme love, and your portion. You receive, trust
in, and desire to obey, the Lord Jesus Christ as your only Redeemer.
You choose the Holy Spirit as your Sanctifier. You give up your
self and all that you have to God, to be his; desiring, above all
things, to be an instrument of his glory in that way which he shall
see best; and promising, through the help of divine grace, without
which you can do nothing, that you will deny ungodliness and world
ly lusts, and that you will live soberly, righteous and godly, even
46*

546 APPENDIX.
unto death. You cordially join yourself as a brother [or sister] to
this Church, as a true church of our Lord Jesus Christ, and engage
to be subject to its discipline, so far as it is conformable to the rules
Christ has given in the Gospel ; and that you will walk with the
members thereof, in all member-like love, watchfulness and purity.
Then doth this Church receive you into its bosom, promising you
our prayers and Christian love. And we severally engage, with the
help of divine grace, that we will walk with you in all brotherly
watchfulness and kindness, hoping that you and we shall become
more and more conformed to the example of our divine master, till
we, at last, come to the perfection of holiness, in the kingdom of his
glory. — Amen.

Note G,p. 230.
the covenant of the second congregational
church in worcester.
" In the first place, we humbly renew the dedication of ourselves
and offspring to the great God who is over all, blessed forever.
And we do hereby profess our firm belief of the holy Scriptures,
contained in the Old and New Testaments : And taking them as our
sole and sufficient rule of faith and practice, we do covenant to and
with each other, that we will walk together as a Christian society,
in the faith and order of the Gospel. And we do hereby engage,
as far as in our power, for all under our care, that we will live as
true disciples of Jesus Christ, in all good carriage and behavior, both
towards God and towards men. Professing ourselves to be in char
ity with all men who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and
truth. All this we engage faithfully to perform, by divine assist
ance, for which we are encouraged to hope, relying on the mediation
of Jesus Christ for the pardon of our manifold sins, and praying the
God of all grace, through him, to strengthen and enable us to keep
this, our covenant, inviolate, and to establish and settle us, that, at
the second coming of Jesus, we may appear before his presence with
exceeding joy."

APPENDIX. 547
The mode in which members are admitted into the church, is this :
A candidate is propounded to the church at their communion ; on
the next following communion day he is admitted ; and at a conven
ient time he subscribes to the covenant at the house of the pastor. —
This communication is addressed to the deliberate reflections of the
members of the society, in the hope that their minds will be seriously
directed to a branch of duty to which too many are inattentive ; and
that the liberal regulations of our church will furnish an additional
motive to the observance of a rite which commemorates the death of
Christ.

Note H, p. 285.
The articles of Faith and Covenant at first adopted by the First
Baptist Church have been somewhat modified ; the form of confession
now used is as follows :
PART FIRST.
SUMMARY OF FAITH.
Article I. — Of God. .
1. We believe in God ; supreme in his dominion ; and infinite in
his being and perfections ; the Creator, Possessor, Upholder and
Disposer of all things.
2. The mode of the Divine existence is trinity in unity, (three in
one) Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; one in nature ; co-equal, co-
essential, and co-eternal ; equally worthy of divine honors and relig
ious worship. Article II. — Of the Holy Scriptures.
We believe that God has given us a revelation of his will in the
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament ; which, being given by
inspiration of God, are divine authority, and our only rule of faith
and practice. Article III.— Of Man's Primitive State.
1. God created man at first holy, or upright, in the divine image ;
and he, being a rational, immortal, or living soul, was capable of
serving and enjoying God.

548 APPENDIX.
2. The condition of life, or of the perpetuity of happiness in par
adise, was perfect personal, and unceasing obedience.
3. This covenant being made with man, he was left to the free
dom of his own will ; that is, not by any necessity of nature con
strained either to good or evil.
Article IV. — Of Man's Fallen State.
1. The fall of man consisted in his voluntarily transgressing the
divine will, by yielding to the temptations of Satan, and eating the
forbidden fruit.
2. By sin mankind lost the divine image, became debased and
defiled in all the affections of the soul ; and consequently morally
incapable of serving or enjoying God truly, until they are renewed
by grace.
3. As this depravity does not consist in a privation, or lack of the
natural powers and faculties necessary to serve God, but in an entire
and wicked love of sin and aversion to God and holiness ; men are
still under obligation of perfect obedience to all the precepts of the
law and the gospel.
4. Adam being the natural head of mankind, in consequence of
our relation to him we all became polluted or defiled with sin.
Article V. — Of Election.
1. God in mere mercy was pleased, beforetime, to devise a way
for man's recovery by the gospel.
2. God's eternal purpose of election includes the subjects of
salvation, with all the necessary means and qualifications for obtain
ing it. Article VI. — Of Christ's Atonement.
1. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in order to open a way for our
salvation, came down from heaven and took upon him human nature ;
in which nature he obeyed the law, suffered death, rose from the
dead, ascended to glory, and lives to make intercession.
2. Although there is an infinite fullness in the atonement or mer
its of Christ, sufficient for all mankind, yet none are justified or
entitled to any of the spiritual benefits of it, until they are united to
Christ by faith.

APPENDIX. 549
3. Christ has procured all spiritual blessings for his people, which
are freely bestowed on them for his sake as a mere act of grace, and
not at all on account of any worthiness of their own.
Article VII. — Of Regeneration.
1. Although there is a most full and free declaration of mercy in
the gospel to mankind, through faith and repentance, yet through
the native opposition of the heart, none ever do savingly acquiesce
and receive Christ until the heart be renewed.
2. Regeneration is preceded by conviction of sin and followed by
holy affections and divine comfort ; but the change itself is wrought
instantaneously by the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit upon
the heart, by which its enmity is slain, and the creature disposed to
receive Christ, and depend on him as the only Saviour.
Article VIII. — Of Adoption.
All believers are adopted, that is, received into the number, and
entitled to the privileges of the sons of God.
Article IX. — Of Justification.
True believers are justified or treated as righteous persons through
the atonement of Christ, received by faith without the deeds of the
law. Article X. — Of Sanctification.
Sanctification is a gradual progress in holiness, effected by the
influence of the Holy Spirit in applying the truth to the hearts of
believers, producing obedience.
Article XL— 0/ Perseverance.
All true saints are kept by the power of God from final apostasy,
and will persevere in faith and finally obtain salvation.
Article XII.— Of the Lord's Day.
The first day of the week, called the Lord's day, is the Christian
Sabbath, and is to be wholly employed in the worship of God, and
other religious exercises, except so much as works of necessity and
mercy require.

550 APPENDIX.
Article XIII. — Of the Resurrection.
The bodies of the righteous and the wicked will be raised from the
dead at the last day.
Article XIV. — Of the Judgment.
1. There will be immediately subsequent to the general resur
rection a general and final judgment. The design of the judgment
is to make a full and complete disclosure of the principles and pro
cedure of God's government; and to exhibit the characters of men
and fix their state forever.
2. The righteous will be admitted to endless happiness, and the
wicked doomed to endless wo.

PART SECOND.
The Visible Church, its Order, Discipline
and Ordinances.
Article I. — Of the Church.
1. A particular church of Christ is a number of visible saints,
covenanting together, to maintain the doctrine, worship, ordinances
and discipline of the gospel.
2. All such regular and orderly churches, or branches, through
out the world, form the visible catholic church, spiritual Zion, or
kingdom of Christ.
3. Christ alone is head of the Church, excluding all human
authority in its discipline and worship.
4. The church of Christ has power to choose and call to ordina
tion its own officers, and discipline its members ; though in difficult
cases, it is proper to call the assistance and concurrence of sister
churches, and one or more ministers of Christ.
Article II. — Of Baptism.
1. Baptism is the immersion of a credible believer in water
in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, by a duly ordained
minister.

APPENDIX. 551
2. By this ordinance believers are admitted into the visible church,
and entitled to all its privileges.
Article 111.— Of the Lord's Supper.
1. The ordinance of the Lord's Supper is to be administered to
none out of the visible church ; unbaptized persons, disorderly mem
bers, or those censurable for heresy are not to be admitted.
2. In this ordinance, by receiving bread and wine, consecrated by
a regular minister of the gospel, we show our union and communion
with Christ, and one with another.
Article IV. — Of Church Officers.
1. There are two officers in the Church, viz. Bishops or Elders,
and Deacons, who are to serve the church in the functions attached
to their offices.
2. Ministers and deacons must be qualified according to scripture,
approved by the church, and ordained by prayer and laying on hands
of the presbytery.
3. The minister's work is to preach the gospel, to gather and
organize churches, administer ordinances, and rule and govern in the
church of God as an under shepherd.
4. It is the duty of Churches to afford to their ministers a reas
onable compensation for their labor, that they may devote themselves
to their work.
5. The deacon's work is to oversee the temporal concerns of the
church, and in various other ways to assist the pastor in conducting
the affairs of the church.
Article V. — Of Divine Worship.
1. The worship of God should be attended devoutly and consci
entiously by all, secretly in the closet, privately in the family, and
publicly in the house of God.
2. In public worship the minister should lead or govern and exer
cise his gift as a public teacher.
3. Every gift should be used for the mutual comfort and edifica
tion of the body.

552 APPENDIX.
Article VI. — Of Discipline.
1. Members walking disorderly, or holding doctrine contrary to
the gospel, should be dealt with by way of discipline, according to
the laws and order of Christ's house.
2. Personal injuries and private offences should be taken up by
the individual who receives or knows them, and buried forever on
private confession.
3. Public transgressors sfoeuld be labored with by suitable breth
ren, according to gospel rule, and restored only on confession made
sufficiently public to relieve the wound the cause of Christ may have
sustained. 4. Though personal injuries are to be forgiven on suitable retrac
tion, yet one indulging habits of scandalous immorality should not be
restored without amendment.
5. Those who openly deny the gospel, or maintain heresy, should
be admonished by letter or otherwise, and rejected if due admonition
prove ineffectual.
6. A member under labor by the church should be suspended
from communion until his case be decided.
7. A member refusing to submit to the judgment of the church
becomes criminal, and should be dealt with accordingly.
THE COVENANT.
We do now in the presence of the great, all-seeing and most glo
rious God, and before angels and men, give up ourselves to the
Lord Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; and avouch him this
day to be our God, our Father, our Saviour, and our Leader, and
receive him as our portion forever.
We acknowledge our everlasting and indispensable obligation to
glorify God, by living a holy, righteous, and godly life in this pres
ent world, in all our several places and relations ; and we engage, by
the assistance of ihe Divine Spirit, to improve our time, talents, and
substance to his glory and the good of our fellow men : promising by
divine help, to walk in our houses as becomes those professing god
liness, and to maintain the worship of God in our families, and to
train up those under our care in the ways of religion and virtue.

APPENDIX. 553
We also give up ourselves to one another in covenant, promising
to conduct towards each other as brethren in Christ : watching over
one another in the love of God ; and to watch not only against the
most gross evils, but also against all foolish talking and jesting,
which are not convenient ; vain disputing about words and things,
which gender strife ; disregarding promises ; tattling and back
biting ; spending time idly at taverns or elsewhere ; and vain and
unnecessary conversation on the Lord's day ; and whatsoever else is
contrary to sound doctrine, according, to the glorious gospel of Christ ;
promising to hold communion together in the worship of God, and in
the ordinances and discipline of his church, according as we are, or
shall be, guided by the Spirit of God in his word ; expecting that he
will yet further and more gloriously open his word and the mysteries
of his kingdom ; applying to the blood of the everlasting covenant
for the pardon of our many errors ; and praying the Lord would pre
pare and strengthen us for every good work, to do his will, working
in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ
— to whom be glory for ever and ever — Amen.

Note I, p. 336.
CONFESSION OF FAITH OFTHE C A L VI N 1ST CH U RC H .
1. We believe that there is one God, the creator and rightful dis
poser of all things, — existing as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and
that to these three persons, as the one God, all divine perfections are
to be equally ascribed.
2. We believe that the Bible was given by inspiration of God, as
the only unerring rule of faith and practice.
3. We believe that mankind are fallen from their original recti
tude, and are, while in a state of nature, wholly destitute of that
holiness which is required by the divine law.
4. We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal word, became man,
and by his obedience, sufferings and death, made an atonement for
the sins of the world.
5. We believe that they, and they only will be saved, in conse
quence of the merits of Christ, who repent of sin and believe in him.
47

554 APPENDIX.
6. We believe that although the invitations of the gospel are such,
that all who will, may come and take of the watertof life freely, yet
the wickedness of the human heart is such, that none will come,
unless drawn by the special influences of the Holy Spirit.
7. We believe that the sacraments of the New Testament are,
Baptism, and the Lord's Supper ; Baptism to be administered only
to believers and their households ; and the Supper only to believers
in regular church standing.
8. We believe that God has appointed a day in which he will
judge the world ; when there will be a resurrection of the dead, and
when the righteous will enter on eternal happiness, and the wicked
will be sentenced to eternal misery.
THE COVENANT.
You do now in the presence of God and men choose the Lord Jeho
vah to be your God and Father, — the Lord Jesus Christ to be your
only Saviour, — the Holy Spirit to be your sanctifier. You dedicate
yourself to God, unreservedly surrendering all that you have and are
to his sovereign disposal, — engaging by his assistance to live hence
forth to him, and not to yourself, and to aim, whatever you do, to do
all to his glory. You cordially join yourself to this Church and en
gage to be subject to its discipline, so far as it is conformable to the
gospel ; and to walk with the members thereof in love, watchfulness
and purity.
I, then, in the presence of God and these witnesses, and in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, pronounce you a member of this
branch of his visible Church, and we engage to treat you as such ; to
watch over you in love ; praying that we all may become more and
more conformed to the example of our Divine Master, till we come
to the perfection of holiness in the kingdom of his glory.

Note J, p. 443.
CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE UNION CHURCH.
1. We believe in one God who possesses in an infinite degree all
natural and moral perfections ; who is ihe Creator, Upholder and

APPENDIX. 555
Governor of the universe, who is revealed to us as Father, Son and
Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
were written under the inspiration of God, are clothed with Divine
Authority, and are a perfect rule of faith and practice.
3. We believe that mankind are fallen from a state of rectitude and
are, while in a state of nature, wholly destitute of that holiness which
is required by the Divine Law.
4. We believe that all who are saved, will be saved, by the sove
reign mercy of God, through the atonement which was effected by
the obedience, sufferings and death of Christ.
5. We believe in the necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
6. We believe that there are properly belonging to the Christian
Religion two, and only two, Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's
Supper. 7. We believe that God has appointed a day in the which He will
judge the world in righteousness, when the dead shall arise from
their graves and, together with the living, shall stand before the judg
ment seat of Christ, and be adjudged, the righteous to everlasting
life, and the wicked to shame and everlasting contempt.
COVENANT.
Under the influence, we trust, of the truths contained in the pre
ceding articles ; with a view to our own edification and growth in
grace ; with a view to honor Christ, to advance his Kingdom and to
glorify God,
We do now solemnly devote ourselves to the great Jehovah in the
covenant of grace ; we do cordially embrace the Lord Jesus Christ
as our Redeemer, and final Judge ; and the Holy Ghost as our sanc-
tifier, comforter and guide.
We do religiously and solemnly promise that, by Divine assist
ance, we will renounce all fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, and walk as children of the light, and adorn the doctrine of
God our Saviour in all things all the days of our lives, that others,
seeing our good works, may glorify our Father who is in Heaven.
We do solemnly engage to maintain mutual watchfulness over
each other, in the spirit of brotherly love and christian charity ; and

556 APPENDIX.
that, in maintaining Christ's discipline, we will adopt, execute and
submit to that mode, which is pointed out in the eighteenth chapter
of Matthew.
Thus we solemnly covenant, humbly imploring the Great Head of
the Church, that he would impart to us wisdom and grace, faithfully
to perform the vows which are upon us.
ASSENT OF THE CHURCH TO THE ADMISSION OF
MEMBERS.
Then doth this church receive you into its bosom, promising you
our prayers and christian love ; and we severally engage, with the
help of divine grace, that we will walk with you, in all brotherly
watchfulness and kindness, hoping that you and we shall become
more and more conformed to the example of our divine Master, till
we, at last, come to the perfection of holiness, in the kingdom of his
glory. Amen.

Note K, p. 463.
THE DECLARATION OF FAITH OF THE SECOND
BAPTIST CHURCH.
ARTICLES OF FAITH.
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely
inspired, and is-a perfect rule of faith and practice ; and that among
others, it teaches the following all-important truths :
Article I.
The existence of one only living and true God, infinite in every
natural and moral perfection, and that he has made himself known to
his people under the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost, the same in essence and equal in every divine per
fection. Article II.
That man was created in a holy and happy state, but by disobedi
ence to the law of his Creator, he not only exposed himself to personal

APPENDIX. 557
misery, but involved his whole posterity in the temporal and eternal
consequences of sin ; and as an effect of his apostasy, the whole hu
man race possess a depraved and degenerate nature, by which they
are wholly disinclined to every thing morally good, and prone to
choose and delight in that which is evil.
Article III.
That the only way of salvation from this state of guilt and con
demnation, is through the righteousness and atonement of Jesus
Christ ; who as the good shepherd, laid down his life for his sheep ;
and that those only who receive the gift of repentance and faith in
Him will be finally saved by his atonement.
Article IV.
That all who ever have been, or ever will be brought to repent
ance and faith in the Saviour, were chosen in Christ to salvation
before the foundation of the world ; and that in consequence of the
eternal love of God to them through the atonement, the Holy Ghost
is sent to effect the work of regeneration in their hearts, without
whose regenerating influence, none would ever repent or believe.
Article V .
That nothing can finally separate true believers from the love of
God, but that they will be kept by His mighty power through faith
unto eternal salvation. AkTICLE VI.
That all real believers are justified only by the righteousness of
Christ imputed to them, without the consideration of any works of
righteousness done by them, and that the full and free pardon of
their sins and transgressions, is only through the merits of Christ
according to the riches of his grace.
Article VII.
That although a full assurance of our interest in Christ, is not
always the immediate consequence of saving faith ; yet, as it is an
inestimable blessing enjoyed by many in this life, we esteem it to be
the indispensable duty of believers to give all diligence to make their
callino- and election sure : that thereby their hearts may be enlarged
47*

558 APPENDIX.
with gratitude to God, and inspired with holy alacrity in all the duties
of evangelical obedience. Article VIII.
That the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel ;
that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial and
obedient faith ; and that nothing prevents the salvation of any sinner
on earth, except his own voluntary refusal to submit to the Lord
Jesus Christ ; which refusal will subject him to an aggravated con
demnation.
Article IX.
That the first day of the week is the Lord's day, or Christian Sab
bath, and is to be kept sacred to religious purposes by abstaining
from all secular labor and recreations ; by the devout observance of
all the means of grace, both private and public ; as a preparation for
that " rest which remaineth for the people of God."
Article X.
That Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances instituted by
Christ, to be continued until his second coming. That none have a
scriptural right to baptism until they profess their faith in Christ;
that the ordinance of Baptism can be properly administered only by
immersion ; and is by scripture example a prerequisite to communion
at the Lord's table.
Article XI.
That a visible church of Christ is a, congregation of baptized be
lievers associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the
gospel ; observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by his laws,
and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by his
word ; that its only proper officers are pastors and deacons, whose
qualifications, claims and duties are defined in the epistles to Timothy
and Titus.
Article XII.
That the end of the world is approaching ; that at the last day
Christ will descend from heaven and raise the dead from the grave to
final retribution ; that a solemn separation will then take place ; that

APPENDIX. 559
the wicked will be adjudged to endless punishment, and the right
eous to endless joy ; and that this judgment will fix forever the final
state of men in heaven or hell on principles of righteousness.
covenant.
Now all and each of these doctrines and ordinances we look upon
ourselves under the highest obligations to embrace, defend and main
tain ; believing it to be our duty to stand fast in one spirit, with one
mind ; striving together for the faith of the gospel.
And whereas, we are very sensible that our conversation both in
the world and in the church ought to be as becometh the gospel of
Christ, we deem it our incumbent duty to walk in wisdom towards
them that are without, to exercise a conscience void of offence
toward God and man, by living soberly, righteously and godly in this
present world.
And as to our regards to each other in our church communion, we
esteem it our duty to walk with each other in all humility and broth
erly love, to watch over each other's conversation, to stir up one
. another to love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of our
selves together as we have opportunity, to worship God according to
his revealed will ; and when the case requires, to warn, rebuke and
admonish one another according to the rules of the gospel.
Moreover, we think, it our duty to sympathise with each other in
all conditions, both inward and outward, which God in his providence
may bring us into ; as also to bear with one another's weaknesses,
failings and infirmities, and particularly to pray for one another, and
that the gospel and the ordinances thereof might be blessed to the
edification and comfort of each other's souls, and for the conversion
and gathering in of others to Christ. All which duties we desire to
be found in the performance of, through the gracious assistance of
the Holy Spirit; whilst we both admire and adore the grace which
has given us a name and a place in God's house better than that of
sons and daughters.

Note L, p. 467.
Before receiving the right hand of fellowship, the candidate for
admission into the Universalist Church, is required to answer in the

560 APPENDIX.
affirmative the following questions, implying a confession of faith
and Covenant, which are solemnly put to him or her by the Pastor :
CONFESSION.
.In becoming a member of this Church, do you sincerely profess
faith in the Holy Scriptures as the Word of Gcd, and do you receive
the Bible as your sufficient rule of Faith and Practice 1
COVENANT.
Do you promise that you will strive to walk with this Church in
the spirit of charity and brotherly love, doing your duty faithfully,
and endeavoring so to live, that you may in all things adorn the
doctrine of God our Saviour ?

Note M.
CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE SALEM STREET
CHURCH.
1. We believe that there is one God, the creator and rightful dis
poser of all things, — existing as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and
that to these three persons, as the one God, all divine perfections are
to be equally ascribed.
2. We believe that the Bible was given by inspiration of God, as
the only unerring rule of faith and practice.
3. We believe that mankind are fallen from their original rectitude,
and are, while in a state of nature, wholly destitute of that holiness
which is required by the divine law.
4. We believe that Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word, became man,
and by his obedience, sufferings and death, made an atonement for
the sins of the world.
5. We believe that they and they only will be saved, in conse
quence of the merits of Christ, who repent of sin and believe in him.
6. We believe that although the invitations of the gospel are such,
that all, who will, may come and take of the water of life freely, yet
the wickedness of the human heart is such, that none will come, un
less drawn by the special influences of the Holy Spirit.

APPENDIX. 561
7. We believe that the Sacraments of the New Testaments are,
Baptism and the Lord's Supper ; Baptism to be administered only to
believers and their households ; and the Supper only to believers in
regular church standing.
8. We believe that God has appointed a day in which he will
judge the world ; when there will be a resurrection of the dead, and
when the righteous will enter on eternal happiness, and the wicked
will be sentenced to eternal misery.
THE COVENANT.
You do now in the presence of God and men, choose the Lord
Jehovah to be your God and Father, the Lord Jesus Christ to be
your only Saviour, — the Holy Spirit to be your Sanctifier. You
dedicate yourself to God, unreservedly surrendering all that you have
and are to his sovereign disposal, engaging by his assistance to live
henceforth to him, and not to yourself, and to aim, whatever you do,
to do all to his glory. You cordially join yourself to this Church,
and engage to be subject to its discipline, so far as it is conformable
to the gospel, and to walk with the members thereof in love, watch
fulness and purity.
I, then, in the presence of God and these witnesses, and in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, pronounce you a member of this
branch of his visible Church, and we engage to treat you as such ; to
watch over you in love ; praying that we all may become more and
more conformed to the example of our Divine Master, till we come
to the perfection of holiness, in the kingdom of his glory.

ERRATA.

Page 44, 1. 29, for 1725, read 1727.
" 61, 1. 11, for July 10, read July 20.
" 239, 1. 7, for sense, read source.
" 247, 1. 14, for 1785, read 1786.

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