REV. DATUS ENSIGN. BY REV. C. R. MORRIS. This aged and beloved brother was born in Westfield, Mass., October 16, 1783; and died in Halfmoon, Saratoga county, N. Y., July 1st, 1853 in the 79th year of his age. From his early youth, he was the subject of religious impressions, and in his 17th year he was converted to God, and united with the M. E. church. He received license to preach in 1803, and was employed by Rev. D. Ostrander, presiding elder of New London district to travel on Ashburnham circuit. In 1804 he was admitted on trial in the New York Conference and appointed to Dutchess circuit. The next year he traveled Petersburgh circuit. In 1806 he was ordained deacon by Bishop Asbury, and appointed to New Lebanon; in 1807 to Black River, and in 1808 he received elder's orders and was appointed to Albany circuit. During this year he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Winnegar, a person well fitted, by her piety and devotion to the cause of Christ, to share with him the trials and sacrifices of the itinerancy. Subsequently, he filled the following appointments, viz: Schenectady, Montgomery, Saratoga, Cambridge, Chatham, Pittsfield, Rhinebeck, Goshen, and Burlington. While on Goshen circuit, he experienced the blessing of perfect love. He felt it his duty as a faithful minister of Christ to preach on the subject of Christian holiness, and in so doing his own heart was moved to seek after it. After having earnestly sought this great salvation for some time, he was enabled, in the night season, while in bed, to lay hold on Christ by faith, as a full Savior, and he then obtained the witness that the "blood of Christ cleansed him from all sin." He was so overwhelmed with a sense of the riches of grace, that he shouted aloud, and spent the remainder of the night in rejoicing and praising the Lord. In 1822, his health having failed, he took a superannuated relation, in which relation he continued for five years. In 1827, he resumed the effective work and traveled successively Berne and Saratoga circuit. In 1829, he was returned supernumerary, and located himself on a farm in Halfmoon, Saratoga county, N. Y., where he continued to reside until his death. Brother Ensign, as a preacher, possessed effective gifts. He was earnest and pathetic. He was much beloved by the people whom he served, and his labors were usually crowned with success; revivals of the work of God were the common result of his ministry. The circuits he traveled were generally large, and the work very laborious; great sacrifices were required, and difficulties often beset his path, but our departed brother was unflinching in his integrity, and with a heart undaunted, he pursued the path of duty. Although he was naturally somewhat timid and hesitating, yet grace enabled him to be bold and heroic in the Redeemer's cause. An interesting incident, somewhat setting forth the man, and the men of his time, may here be related. On one occasion when on his way to conference, he fell in company with several of his brethren in the ministry, pursuing the same journey. It was proposed that one of them should preach a sermon to the rest, as a profitable method of spending a portion of their time while traveling. This duty was assigned to brother Ensign. During the time, they passed a man working by the road-side, who, overhearing some passages of the sermon, was awakened, and afterward converted to God. Some years afterward, this gentleman learning who the preacher was, wrote to brother Ensign, stating the facts, and informing him that he was then an exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Thus, in this instance, seed cast by the way-side brought forth fruit. Brother Ensign was, in his external appearance, a very noble looking man. He was gentlemanly and kind in his behavior, and had a heart evidently formed for friendship. He was affectionate, courteous, and companionable, very fond of the society of his brethren in the ministry, and his modest and unassuming manners always rendered him agreeable. Perhaps in no respect does the character of our de parted brother, appear to so great advantage as in the relation he held to his family. He was the father of twelve children, one of whom died in childhood, and another, an interesting and pious daughter was cut down in the spring-time of life. As the head of his household, in his government and order, his example in many respects is worthy of imitation. He had stated hours for family worship, and he strictly required all the family to be present. For many years, he had weekly family prayer meetings, on Friday and sabbath evenings, when it was expected that all present who professed religion. would take part in the exercises. Under the parental roof were his children educated in the practice of vocal prayer and religious activity. His Christian counsels and good example, his kind and affectionate carriage towards his family, were well rewarded in the early conversion of all his surviving children. The intelligence, amiableness, piety, and filial love of the children, together with the affectionate, and condescending bearing of the parents, rendered his family one of more than ordinary interest to all who became acquainted. with them. The health of brother Ensign had been evidently de clining for a few years before his death; but the proximate cause of his death was a severe attack of dysentery, which soon wasted his little remaining strength. He suffered much, and in one week from the time of his attack he gently breathed his last. In the early part of his sickness, he was afflicted with delirium, and in the latter portion of the time, he was unable to articulate, which allowed but a brief opportunity to his family and friends to learn the state of his mind in view of death; but he said enough to assure them that death was a conquered enemy. To his widowed daughter, who was almost constantly by his bedside, he said, upon her inquiring the state of his mind," he could adopt the language of Bishop McKendree, and say, 'all is well!'" on another occasion, when his companion asked him if Jesus was precious, he answered, "O yes, he is precious, he is my all in all;" and on other occasions he expressed himself in language of similar import. 66 His funeral was attended by a large assembly at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Mechanicville, on Sunday morning, July 3d, where an appropriate sermon was preached by Rev. Tobias Spicer, on John xi, 11, followed by some remarks by Rev. Phineas Cook, and Rev. E. Chichester, who had been fellow laborers with him in his early ministry. His remains were then deposited in the village cemetry, there to remain until the resurrection mon. |