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THE subject of this memoir was born at Concord, Mass. July 6, 1764; and, when young, removed with his parents to Ashburnham, in the same State, where, at the age of eighteen, he indulged a hope in the Saviour, and gave evidence of having become a subject of renewing grace. Having carefully searched the Scriptures, which were his only guide, he was constrained to abandon the sentiments in which he had been educated, and was subsequently baptized, and united with a small Baptist church in that town.

Here, in 1788, he was married to Miss Sarah Conant, by whom he had nine children, seven of whom, with their mother, survive, and mourn their irreparable loss. In 1795, he removed to Brandon, Vt. and united with the Baptist church in that town. In a few years, this church unanimously elected him to the office of a Deacon. After long deliberation, and much prayer for wisdom and grace to perform the duties it involved, he accepted the appointment with diffidence, and was ordained in July, 1806. From that period, he devoted himself to the duties of his office, and continued to discharge them with fidelity and success till the end of his life. His piety was of an even tenor, and his views of doctrine as well as of practical religion, were drawn from the Bible: hence if in the one he was firm and unyielding, in the other he was unremitting. In the church he was always at his post, and united the affection of a brother with the care and tenderness of a father. His heart was wedded to the cause of Christ, and warmly engaged in the benevolent exertions for the promotion of piety. His health was remarkably good, and almost uninterrupted; and his life, employed "in humble usefulness," was marked by no very extraordinary incidents.

After a day of toil and fatigue, he was taken ill on the evening of March 6, 1826. In the first stages of his disease, his case was not considered desperate, but his transporting views of divine things convinced him, that his departure was at hand. After a few days he said to his wife, "We have had much sickness JAN. 1829.

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and several deaths in this room, and now I am here, and expect never to leave it until I am carried to my grave. I have no desire to recover, yet I feel willing God should do with me as he sees best. As for you, my dear wife, God will take care of you and of all our children. I have often given them to God, and I now do it again. We shall be separated but a short time. You will soon, soon follow me where parting scenes will never come."

He then complained of restlessness, but remarked with a coun. tenance indicating the serenity of his soul, "Last night I was perfectly easy, and might have slept, had it not been for the transporting exercises of my mind. The discoveries I had of the blessed Saviour, of his atoning sacrifice, and the great plan of salvation, are beyond description. No mortal tongue can describe its excellency, its fulness, or its glory. The Scriptures never appeared so clear, and so beautiful before. Promises suited to my case were applied in such profusion and with such a preciousness to my soul, as filled me with raptures; and I should have burst forth in singing the numerous hymns, expressive of my feelings, which were constantly coming into my mind, had it not been for disturbing the family. It is about forty years since I have known the way of life and salvation through Jesus Christ, and I have witnessed a great many revivals, and have enjoyed much happiness in them; but never in the same measure as at the present. My tongue is too feeble to describe the comforts and blessings I experience."

The substance of these exercises he related to several individuals. After this conversation, he appeared very much exhausted, and was desired, if possible to take a little rest. He complied, and seemed to sleep quietly for some time. When he awoke, he expressed a strong desire to see some near relatives, saying, "I want to tell them what I now feel, and to see them arise, and let their light shine; it is high time they were awake." A desire for the salvation of his neighbors made him anxious to see them once more and converse with them. When they were come, he took them affectionately by the hand, and, recommending the religion of Jesus, assured them that nothing but the blood of Christ could give them peace in a dying hour; he told them of the wonders of redeeming love, the happy experience of it in his own heart, and, in view of the eternal world and the judgment-seat, gave them his dying charge. While he had sufficient strength, he conversed in this manner with every one who came in, and generally concluded by saying, "I have done."

A few days passed thus; and, while the mortal tenement was daily sinking under the pressure of disease, he seemed to look beyond this vale of tears, and with inexpressible delight would often sing,

"How long, dear Saviour, O how long,
Shall this bright hour delay?
Fly swifter round, ye wheels of time,
And bring the welcome day."

It was his request that the family devotions should be conducted in his room; and on the morning of the Sabbath, a week before

his death, the hymn beginning, "My God, the spring of all my joys," was read, in which he joined and sung distinctly.

Ardently desirous to console his afflicted family and relatives, he dictated farewell addresses which he desired should be read to them when he was gone; and another to the church, directing it to be read at his funeral. To his brother and sister, who visited him, he said, "I am going to leave you; my Saviour calls, and I am going home. Live near to God, and you will enjoy his presence.' afterwards spoke of his happy frame of mind, and then sung,

"The voice of my beloved sounds
Over the rocks and rising grounds;
O'er hills of guilt, and seas of grief,
He leaps, he flies to my relief."

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After a minister had visited him and prayed, he remarked, "My brethren and ministers have wrong views of my case; they do not enter into the feelings of my heart. They pray that God would lift on me the light of his countenance, and grant me the consolations of his Holy Spirit. These I do have in profusion; 'my cup runneth over;' I want them to render thanksgiving and praise to his great and holy name, for his unspeakable love and grace to such a poor sinner as I am, and to pray only for the continuance of these blessings." He appeared very much exhausted, and fell into a slumber. On awaking, he looked earnestly round on those in the room, and said, "I am here yet; I thought I had passed the river, and was on the other side with my blessed Jesus," and immediately sung,

"The opening heavens around me shine,

With beams of sacred bliss,

While Jesus shows his heart is mine,

And whispers I am his.

"See the kind angels at the gates,

Inviting us to come,

There Jesus, the forerunner, waits,

To welcome travellers home."

At another time he exclaimed, "O how sweet is the love of my blessed Saviour," and sung,

"Let worms devour my wasting flesh,

And crumble all my bones to dust;

My God will raise my frame anew,
At the revival of the just.

"Break, sacred morning, through the skies,
Bring that delightful, dreadful day;

Cut short the hours, dear Lord, and come!

Thy lingering wheels, how long they stay."

One of his sons arrived during his illness, to whom he expressed much satisfaction and confidence in God; and in answer to an inquiry concerning his situation, he replied, "I am just on the shores of time; I'linger, shivering, on the brink;' but I cannot say, I fear to launch away.' I have no fear. Death has no terrors for me. My great Captain is with me, and I know he will carry me

through. I have had such manifestations as I never thought of before; such glorious views of the great plan of redemption, of the preciousness of the Saviour, and of the rich, free, and abounding grace of God as I never presumed even to ask; and I have more comfort and happiness, in the midst of my pain and sickness, than I ever thought it possible for a christian to enjoy while in the body."

After this period he conversed with great difficulty, and consequently, much less than he had before done, yet some, every day, until the last. The following seemed favorite lines.

"How long, dear Saviour, O how long," &c.

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The progress of his disease was rapid, but to him it seemed slow. At the hour of family worship he once said; "I am not afraid to cross that narrow sea. The sting of death is destroyed; O how sweet is the assurance, 'precious in the sight of the Lord is the Ideath of his saints.' One evening, he sung with others the first two verses of the evening hymn, and when they were about to proceed and sing, "Lord, keep us safe this night," &c. he said, stop, stop; and immediately sung his favorite lines. Perceiving that conversation exhausted him, his wife requested him to refrain from it, and be satisfied with only giving his hand to those who visited him. He replied, "O my dear, would you have me make the very stones cry out? I have but little strength left, and I want to spend it all to the glory of God, and do something yet for my Master. I should be glad to do more good in dying, than I ever have by living." Yet, sensible that his strength was hourly wasting away, he evidently studied to employ it to the best advantage; therefore he never conversed with the same persons but once, however frequently he might see them; but whenever new visitors came, he aroused all his powers to make one last effort for their souls.

The divinity of Christ was a theme of peculiar delight; and on it he reposed his whole hope. At one time he requested to hear the 17th chapter of John; and when the 20th verse was read, "neither pray I for these alone but for all who shall believe on me through their word," he remarked, with an energy and a countenance indicating an emotion of soul too great for utterance, "in that petition, I am included. Jesus thought on me, poor and unworthy as I am. In this I have the richest legacy. My prayers are but poor things; but my Saviour's will be prevalent; for him the Father heareth always."" His anticipation of the resurrection of the body, of meeting all the saints who had gone before, and of being like Christ, when he should see him as he is, filled his heart with joy.

A few days before his death, he expressed great satisfaction in seeing a friend, with some regret that he had not visited him sooner, when he was more able to converse. "But, brother A——,” he said, "this is the happiest day you ever saw me have; the highest enjoyment I ever experienced before, bears no comparison

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