FROM THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D. 
 
 BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF 
 
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 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE, 
 
 l nM M I. MOB \TI \ K "I in I 
 
 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 TJPPEK TEN-MILE, I 'A. 
 
 |i|;i.l\ ERBD MAUi I! 29, 1859. 
 
 i; . O, WIS E8, I). I) 
 
 PROFES90B IS WA8HIHOTOS COLLEO E 
 
 }Jut>lisluti bn lirqufSt. 
 
 pittsbi: i;<; II: 
 
 •i;i\ll.l> »i w. S. HAVEN, COENBB OF MAltKKT AM' SECOND 9TBBBT8. 
 
 M.DCOC.LIX. 
 
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 
 
 "Forasmuch as many HAVE TAKEN in hand TO BET FORTH in ORDER a dk- 
 CI.ARATION OF THOSE THINGS which AUK most BUBBLY BELIEVED AMONG is. 
 EVEN AS THEY DELIVERED TIIF.M INTO IS, WHICH WERE FROM TIIK BEGINNING 
 EYE-WITNESSES, ABB MINISTERS OF TIIK WORD; IT SEEMED GOOD To Ml'. ALSO, 
 HAVING HAD PERFECT IN DKRST A N D I N(i OF ALL TIIINliS FROM TIIK VF.ItV FIRST, 
 [HOBE EXACTLY, "HAVING ACCURATELY INVESTIGATED KVF.KY THING FliOM TIIK 
 VKUV FIRST,"*] TO WIUTK INTO THEE IN OBDEB, [i. C. IN AN OBDEBLY AND 
 METHODICAL MANNF.K,] MOST KNCF.I.I.KNT ThEOPHILUS, THAT TlloC MIGHTEST 
 KNOW TIIK CERTAINTY OF THoSK THINGS WHEREIN Tllol HAST BEEN INSTRCCTKD." 
 
 Luke 1 : 1-4. 
 
 The Son of God, incarnate in our nature, having been ex- 
 alted by the Father to be head over all things to the church, 
 sits upon the throne of universal empire, the blessed and only 
 Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. He holds in 
 his hand all hearts, all kingdoms, all events. His providence, 
 which is administered wholly for Ins church, and with a view 
 to its ultimate triumph over all enemies, is universal, infallible 
 and irresistible. At one time, lie curbs the passions of men, 
 producing a comparative calm in the nations; at another, lie 
 lays the bridle on their neck, permitting them to embroil and 
 agitate the world. Sometimes his purposes an- best subserved 
 by mighty conquerors ; at others, by wise lawgivers. When he 
 needs the former, he inspires them and their armies with 
 invincible courage; when he requires the latter, he breathes 
 into their minds wisdom and sagacity, lie gives and he takes 
 away power, transferring it, by a sovereign deeree, from one 
 man to another, from one house to another, from one people to 
 another. Thus does our God, sovereign in purpose, infinite 
 in greatness, supreme in power, and incomprehensible in wis- 
 dom, govern all the tribes and kingdoms of earth. Let us talk 
 not of chance ; or, if we use the term at all, let it be as a cover 
 
 * Bloomfield. 
 
to our ignorance. That which is chance to our fallible and 
 uncertain counsels, is an established purpose in that eternal 
 counsel which sees and arranges the end from the beginning; 
 which prepares effects in causes the most remote: and which 
 embraces, in one harmonious order, however disjointed that 
 order may appear to us, the entire sequence of events, from the 
 birth to the consummation of all tilings. 
 
 All this expenditure of divine wisdom and power is for the 
 welfare, increase and perfection of the church. The whole 
 administration of providence has no other end than this. The 
 revolution of empires, the rise and fall of states, the change of 
 dynasties, the succession of governments, and all the vast flow 
 of human affairs, symbolized by the mystic wheels of Ezekiel's 
 vision, are directed, in the midst of seeming confusion, by infi- 
 nite wisdom and goodness, with a view to the growth, prosper- 
 ity, and ultimate universal prevalence of the kingdom of Christ, 
 This view of the nature and scope of God's providential gov- 
 ernment, as it is clearly in harmony with the teachings of Holy 
 Scripture, so does it invest the history of our race with a 
 dignity and a sacredness, which no other view of it could 
 impart. 
 
 While this remark is true in reference to all history, it has 
 a special pertinency to the history of the church. The impor- 
 tance which the Holy Ghost attaches to a knowledge of God's 
 providential government of the world, and especially of his 
 providential dealings with his own people, is seen in the fact, 
 that more than half the Bible, in both its great divisions, is 
 historical in its character. We have therein a summary history 
 of the church, from the creation of the world to the introduc- 
 tion and establishment of Christianity ; for the most part, in 
 mere outline, but expanding into a fuller detail of events at 
 certain more important points — as at the introduction of the 
 Abrahamic, Mosaic and Christian dispensations. Luke, the 
 most learned of the evangelists, lias declared his sense of the 
 value of such inquiries in the introduction to his Gospel ; a 
 passage which, on that account, I have selected as an appropri- 
 ate motto for a brief historical review of God's providential 
 and gracious dealings with this church. He informs us that 
 
ho had carefully traced everything in the gospel history from 
 the very first, that he might write an exact and methodical ac- 
 count of the same. Nothing can be more venerahle, nothing 
 more instructive, nothing more interesting, than the record of 
 the battles and the victories, the trials and the triumphs of the 
 Christian church. The idea prevails that church history be- 
 longs to the theologian, and can bave bul little importance or 
 interest for common Christians. I Jut so far is this from hein^ 
 the case, that few departments of study are, to a just and en- 
 lightened taste, more entertaining or more profitable. Cer- 
 tainly no other more abounds with affecting and thrilling 
 incidents. The most fertile ami brilliant imagination has never 
 invested romance itself with an interest more potent, a charm 
 more fascinating, than that which belongs to various portions 
 of the history <>f the church. 
 
 A- this is true of the history of the church of Christ in 
 general, so it is no less true of the history of individual church- 
 es. A> the church universal lias a memory, whereby -he holds 
 in everlasting remembrance the just, the wise and the good — 
 the noble spirits devoted to truth, to virtue ami to God, who 
 have contributed to the progress of religion and the happiness 
 of man — a Long and illustrious Line of benefactors, stretching 
 from righteous A.bel through every succeeding age of her his- 
 tory, whose tame has -plead over every region of the globe; 
 so each particular church has its own cherished memories of 
 wise, holy and faithful men, who have adorned its annals and 
 contributed to it- welfare, and whose fame, though not world- 
 wide, i> deservedly pure and lasting in the place where their 
 lives were passed, and their virtues shone. How many such 
 names, though unknown to the world at Large, are familiar as 
 household words to the people of this congregation ! The 
 names of Dod, (father and son,) Lindley, Cook. Coe, Axtell, 
 Moore, M'Farland, Ilanna, Sanders, Hathaway, Reed, Murray, 
 and others too numerous to recite, here rise unhidden to many 
 a mind in this assembly. These names are justly your pride 
 and your boast. You hold them as among your most precious 
 treasures. Associated with all that is good, and pure, and ele- 
 vated, and prosperous, and happy in your religious history, 
 

 
 how strong the incentives which they hold out to virtue and to 
 godliness ! 
 
 Thus am I conducted to the main purpose of the present 
 discourse. In compliance with a formal request of the session 
 of this church, and with sundry individual requests from private 
 sources, received at different times, I propose, on this last day 
 of my ministry among you, briefly to review and commem- 
 orate the history of God's goodness, in providence and grace, 
 to this people. 
 
 Let me begin with an apology for the very imperfect man- 
 ner in which, I am but too sensible, this service must and will 
 l^e performed. At the outside, it is not more than four or five 
 weeks since I thought of undertaking it. During the greater 
 part of that time, the ordinary duties of my professorship in 
 college have demanded their full share of my attention, and 
 these have been not a little increased by the simultaneous 
 occurrence of the semi-annual examination of all the college 
 classes. Besides this, I have had, in the mean time, the extra 
 services of a communion occasion, without the usual assistance 
 from abroad, and have, in addition, within the same period, 
 prepared a special sermon, embodying some farewell counsels 
 and admonitions to the beloved people of my charge. You 
 will readily perceive from this statement, that my time must 
 have been extremely limited for making and reducing to a 
 digested and methodical form, researches into the history of a 
 congregation, whose origin dates nearly one hundred years ago. 
 The sources from which I have drawn the information embod- 
 ied in this brief review are the following : 
 
 1. The Records of the Church. These are, for the most 
 part, exceedingly brief, even for the times which they cover ; 
 and their value, as a source of history, is materially diminished 
 by the occurrence of sundry, and, in some instances, very wide 
 chasms. For long periods, no records at all seem to have been 
 kept ; and this, we are informed on good authority, was quite 
 characteristic of the churches in Western Pennsylvania during 
 their early history. 
 
 2. Old Redstone, by Jos. Smith, D. D. This is a rich col- 
 lection of facts and incidents in the history of western Pres- 
 byterian ism and its early ministers. 
 
3. Dr. Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit, a noble 
 treasury of American religious biography and ecclesiastical 
 history, and a splendid monument at once to the genius and 
 piety of the illustrious dead, and the industry, taste and learn- 
 ing of its gifted and accomplished author. 
 
 4. The Life of the Rev. Blisha M Curdy, by Dr. Elliott, a 
 beautiful tribute to the departed patriarch, and a mine of val- 
 uable information touching the toils, the trials and the achieve- 
 ments of the early pioneers of our western Zion. 
 
 5. An interesting Memoir of the Rev. Thaddeus Dod, by 
 his son, the late Rev. Cephas Dod, published in the Presby- 
 terian Magazine for August and September of 1854. 
 
 6. Some written Memoranda, furnished at my request by 
 Luther Day, Esq., from which I have derived important infor- 
 mation in regard to the temperance reform and two inter- 
 esting revivals of religion, 
 
 7. The Records of the Presbytery of Washington, which 
 afford no little light on the transactions connected with the 
 Cumberland defection. 
 
 8. A Commemorative Sketch of the Rev. Cephas Dod, by 
 the Rev. YV. 1'. Ilarvison, published in the Presbyterian Banner 
 and Advocate. 
 
 9. A Letter from the Rev. Dr. Elliott to the speaker, relating 
 to the Cumberland troubles. 
 
 10. And last, but by no means least in importance and 
 value, the recollections of many of the older members of the 
 congregation, male and female, elicited by special inquiries in 
 personal conversation. 
 
 This is a tolerably copious list of sources, but the limited time 
 I have had for examining and digesting their contents, taken 
 in connection with the fact that they do not, for the most part, 
 descend to much detail in reference to the history of particu- 
 lar churches, makes it almost certain that I shall have fallen 
 into some errors; and whenever any of my statements hap- 
 pen to cross the knowledge of any of my auditors, I will 
 esteem it an especial kindness, if he or they will afford the 
 needed correction at the earliest opportunity. 
 
 The planting of a church is always an interesting and im- 
 
8 
 
 portant event. What untold influences, for good or for evil, 
 lie wrapped up in that simple transaction ! If it be a church 
 founded on gospel principles, and designed to he a pillar and 
 ground of the truth, what a number and variety of blessings 
 will it bring to the community in which it is found ! If it be 
 a church founded on false principles, and designed to teach 
 fundamental errors, what a train of pestilent and destructive 
 influences will it send forth ! The churches in any community 
 will give tone and character to that community ; they will 
 stamp their impress upon its opinions, its morals, its institu- 
 tions, its customs, in a word, upon the whole current of its 
 thought, feeling, speech and action. 
 
 This church, in common with its group of sister churches 
 in this region, had its origin at a period of no common inter- 
 est, and under circumstances of no ordinary importance. It 
 will be proper to glance at the general features of the times 
 and the scenes, in the midst of which it originated. 
 
 A little more than a hundred years ago, "Western Pennsyl- 
 vania was an unbroken wilderness, the haunt of savages, wild 
 beasts and poisonous reptiles. About the middle of the last 
 century and for a succession of years thereafter, a stream of 
 emigrants from Eastern Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, 
 New Jersey, Scotland, and the north of Ireland, crossing the 
 rugged steeps and frightful gorges of the Alleghenies, and 
 braving the perils and privations of a frontier life, poured in 
 and made settlements throughout all this region, then a track- 
 less and howling waste, but now smiling beneath the hand of 
 cultivation, and abounding in all the comforts, luxuries and 
 elegancies of life. Rarely, if ever, in the whole history of 
 colonization, has a new country been settled by a more intel- 
 ligent, virtuous and resolute class of men. A large propor- 
 tion of them were the children of the church, baptized and 
 nurtured in her bosom. With few exceptions, they belonged 
 to the Presbyterian family. Many were in the communion of 
 the church, and some had held positions of honor and influ- 
 ence in the congregations from which they came. In their 
 new circumstances they were in a condition of extreme peril. 
 Grievous wolves might enter and spoil the flock. Incompe- 
 
9 
 
 tent and faithless teachers might lead them astray. But a 
 covenant-keeping God had better things in store for them. 
 The Genera] Synod of the Presbyterian church, for many years 
 before the first settlement of a minister in the West, like a 
 kind and faithful mother, had bestowed unremitting attention 
 upon the religious interests of her children in this distant por- 
 tion of her territories. Let the names of M'Dowell, Allison, 
 Beatty, Brainerd,* Duffield, Cooper, Anderson, BTiles, Finley, 
 Craighead, King, Forster, Smith. Carmichael, and Towers, all 
 appointed by tic supreme judicatory to missionary service 
 in the West, and some of them more than once, previous to 
 the permanent removal of the first ordained minister to that 
 region, attest her maternal care for her children in the wilder- 
 uess. The Labors of these brethren were spread over a period of 
 nearly twenty years, viz. from 1758 to 17"ii. They preached, 
 administered the sacraments, and probably organized a num- 
 ber of churches, though of this there is no certain record. 
 
 lint (bid had other purposes of grace, other blessings in 
 store, f<>r the infant Zion in the West. At the vcrv time when 
 the synod was sending out her missionaries, <o>d had in train- 
 ing for this field a company of men of extraordinary powers 
 and aptitudes for the work for which they were designed : men 
 of clear heads, brave heart- and strong arms; men baptized 
 into the spirit of the WTritfields, the Blairs, and tic Tennents 
 of the last century; men of ripe experience and mature wis- 
 dom ; men who united zeal to orthodoxy, who possessed the hest 
 qualities of both the old parties in the church, the revival 
 spirit of the one and the strict discipline of the other, and 
 who became burning and shining Lights amid the darkness of 
 
 this western wilderness. A few years after the date of the 
 last missionary appointments by the Synod. (1776), M Millan, 
 Dod, Power. Smith. Clarke. Diinlap and Finley. five of whom 
 Dr. Sprague has judged worthy of a place in his Annals 
 of the American Pulpit, are found permanently stationed in 
 this wide field, and the synod is happily relieved of any 
 further care of them, except her ordinary care over all the 
 churches. 
 
 * Brother to David Brainerd, missionary to the Indians. 
 9 
 
10 
 
 The ministry of these faithful servants of the Lord was pre- 
 eminently fruitful in conversions. They were men of a thor- 
 oughly evangelical spirit. They had been trained under the 
 ] lower of an earnest and living ministry; had themselves wit- 
 nessed manv glorious revivals of religion ; and had come from 
 a region blessed with frequent and signal outpourings of the 
 Spirit. In their new field of labor, some of them, particularly 
 Smith, Dod and M'Millan, lived in the midst of almost con- 
 stant revivals for a period of from ten to fifteen years. Xor 
 were ever ministers blessed with more efficient helpers. The 
 laity of that age were a noble class; and this remark is quite 
 as applicable to the women as to the men. There was a race 
 of wrestling Jacobs and praying Hannahs that had power with 
 God. Luther's three masters — prayer, meditation and trial — 
 wrought mightily here. They, with other influences, produced 
 a depth of piety, a richness of Christian experience, a maturity 
 of Christian graces, and an intensity of Christian character, 
 rarely, perhaps, equaled in our day. 
 
 The early ministers and sessions of this region were strict 
 disciplinarians. They attached the highest importance to cat- 
 echetical instruction. The Shorter Catechism was a text-book 
 in all the schools. Parents required their households to recite 
 it every Sabbath evening ; none w r ere excused, whether old or 
 young. At each pastoral visit the children looked, as a matter 
 of course, for an examination on the Catechism. A few stand- 
 ard books, as Boston's Four-fold State, Fisher's Catechism, 
 and the like, were found in almost every house ; and they were 
 read and re-read, till their contents were thoroughly mastered, 
 and their doctrine and spirit inwrought into the very texture 
 of the soul. The greatest care was exercised in the admission 
 of persons to the communion of the church. The examination 
 on personal piety was close and searching. And the same was 
 true in regard to candidates for the ministry. 
 
 In everything, our fathers were trained to endure hardness 
 as good soldiers. Their first temples were the shady grove, 
 and their first pulpits a rude tent, made of rough slabs ; while 
 the audience sat either upon logs or the green turf. Kot even 
 log churches were erected till about the year 1700. " Even in 
 
11 
 
 winter the meetings were held in the open air." Xot one in 
 ten had the luxury of a great-coat. The most were obliged to 
 wear blankets or coverlets instead. 
 
 But the greatest of all their trials arose from the hostility 
 
 and treachery of the savages. Their perils, alarms and suffer- 
 ings from this source, covered a period of more than a quarter 
 of a century, with but few and brief intervals of repose and 
 security. Pillage, conflagration and murder, were calamities 
 of almost daily occurrence. Each hour was full of danger. 
 Men worked in the field, or attended upon public worship, 
 with weapons of war ever by their side. In many of the set- 
 tlements, forts were erected, consisting of log cabins, block- 
 houses and stockades. Into these, not seldom were ministers 
 and people compelled to flee for safety: and here they often 
 held protracted meetings, and enjoyed precious seasons of an 
 outpoured Spirit. Revivals, commenced in this way. when they 
 were in duress, frequently continued for weeks and mouths 
 after their release. 
 
 I am afraid that some of my hearers will begin to think that 
 I have forgotten my proper theme, and am about to sketch the 
 general history of Presbyterianism in Western Pennsylvania, 
 rather than the particular history of the Upper Ten-mile con- 
 gregation. Not so, however, by any means. These general 
 views, as they belong, in some measure at least, to all the con- 
 gregations of this section of country, could not be wholly 
 omitted; and I have thought that it would be a true economy 
 of time, as well as more in accordance with a just method, to 
 group them together in one view. The special history will 
 now flow more smoothly, and with fewer interruptions. 
 
 Eighty-six years ago, i. e. in 1773, a company of emigrants, 
 numbering some twenty families or more, left the comforts and 
 refinements of a Christian home in Morris county, Xew Jer- 
 sey, and directed their course toward these western wilds. 
 The very same year, a pale, slender youth, with jet black hair, 
 dark, piercing eyes, and a countenance highly expressive of 
 mental activity and power, might have been seen bending his 
 steps to Xassau Hall, that early nursery of Presbyterianism in 
 the Xew World. Providence designed this vounff man to be 
 
12 
 
 the first religious teacher of the emigrants in their new home ; 
 and his name was Thaddeus Dod. The hardy pioneers having, 
 by slow and toilsome stages, scaled the precipitous heights of 
 the Allegheny mountains, and traversed the mighty region 
 lying between the Atlantic coast and their new abode, selected 
 for their western home the hilly country on the waters of Ten- 
 mile, in what are now portions of Washington and Greene 
 counties ; chiefly, however, the former. The leading spirits 
 of this enterprise seem to have been Demas Lindley and Jacob 
 Cook ; the former of whom had been a ruling elder, and the 
 latter an influential member, in one of the Presbyterian 
 churches of Morris county. Mr. Lindley was a lineal descend- 
 ant of one of the Pilgrim Fathers, who came out in the May- 
 flower, in 1020. Three settlements were formed by the Jersey 
 emigrants. Four families fixed themselves on the present site 
 of Jefferson, in Greene county. The remainder divided, and 
 formed two other settlements, six miles apart. One of these 
 was called Lindley's settlement, and was near the present vil- 
 lage of Prosperity; the other received the name of Cook's 
 settlement, and occupied the site of the present village of 
 Amity. The country was at that time a waste and howling 
 wilderness, over which the Indian, the buffalo and the panther 
 roamed at will. Of all the settlements in Western Pennsyl- 
 vania, Ten-mile was the one most exposed to the hostile incur- 
 sions of the savage inhabitants. One of the strongest forts in 
 all the West was built at Lindley's settlement in 1774. 
 
 In the summer of 1777, Mr. Thaddeus Dod, of Morris county, 
 X. J., a licentiate of the Presbytery of New York, probably by 
 invitation, (for he must have been personally known to several 
 of them,) paid the Ten-mile people a visit. They were extreme- 
 ly anxious that he should settle among them. But the ques- 
 tion of settlement was one of difficulty. How should he be suit- 
 ported? They were few in- number; they were poor; and it 
 was a hard struggle for them to provide for their own house- 
 holds. But they were earnest men, accustomed to sacrifices, 
 and not readily appalled or disheartened by difficulties. Their 
 feeling was, "we can and will support one family more, if they 
 will consent to live as we do." Silver and gold they had none, 
 
13 
 
 but such as they had they offered freely. Mr. Lindley, who 
 had a mill, promised to supply the family with flour; Mr. 
 Cook, with meat; and others, both men and women, made 
 such offerings as their circumstances would permit. Mr. Dod 
 accepted their call. He was a man of kindred spirit. lie was 
 willing to make sacrifices, and to endure hardship and self- 
 denial. He went back, was ordained by his Presbytery, and 
 returned with his family in the tall of the same year. On ar- 
 riving at Patterson's Creek. Hampshire county, Ya., he learned 
 that the whole western country was in confusion and dismay 
 from a terrible irruption of the Indians. Judging it not pru- 
 denl to bring his family with him just then, he crossed the 
 mountain and came to Ten-mile alone. Here he preached and 
 baptized the children. This was the first administration of the 
 ordinance in the settlement, and many of the children were 
 of considerable size. The occasion was solemn and affecting. 
 To one little boy who then and there received the sacrament 
 of baptism, it was made the vehicle of impressions which are 
 believed to have had n saving issue. This child afterward be- 
 came a minister of the Gospel, and was one of Mr. Dod' s suc- 
 cessors in tin 1 pastorale of this church. 
 
 Mr. Dod returned to his family in Virginia, and, the Indian 
 troubles continuing, it is not known that he was again in 
 Ten-mile, till lie brought his family there for permanent resi- 
 dence in the autumn of 1779. A church was organized on the 
 loth of August, 1781, at the house of Jacob Cook, consisting 
 of twenty -five members. Dennis Lindley, Jacob Cook, Joseph 
 Coe and Daniel Axtell were chosen, and the three last named 
 ordained, to the office of ruling elder. Mr. Dod was the second 
 minister who settled west of the Monongahela river, being one 
 year later than Mr. M'Millan. His position was the advanced 
 post, "the forlorn hope" of our western Zion. Long after 
 the members of the other congregations could u - o and come in 
 safety, those of Ten-mile were kept in constant terror by the 
 inroads of the savages. To them " the Canaanite was still in 
 the land." Sometimes even the solemn service of the Sabbath 
 was broken up or disturbed by these wily and ever active foes. 
 Thrilling incidents of this nature are on record, and vou would 
 
14 
 
 no doubt be deeply interested in hearing them, if time would 
 permit our indulgence in such relations. 
 
 It was owing to the danger of interruption from this source, 
 that the first sacramental communion did not take place till the 
 third Sabbath of May, 1783. The ordinance was administered 
 in Daniel Axtell's barn, three miles north of Fort Lindley. 
 Dr. M'Millan assisted. It was an impressive and melting oc- 
 casion. While the people had been shut up in the fort, and 
 afterward, God had graciously poured out his Spirit. For 
 months a glorious revival of religion had been in progress. 
 And now, this first administration of the Holy Supper was 
 made memorable by the admission to communion of forty-five 
 persons, on profession of their faith, besides three others on 
 certificate. Truly, this church may be said to have been born 
 in a revival. jNTo wonder that it should always have been a 
 warm friend of these Pentecostal seasons. Xo wonder that it 
 should, in after years, have so often been visited with the re- 
 viving influences of the Holy Spirit; having, in the course of 
 its history, experienced some eighteen or twenty special re- 
 ligious awakenings. Under the ministry of Mr. Dod, this 
 congregation, like those of Buffalo and Cross Creek under that 
 of Mr. Smith, and of Chartiers and Pigeon Creek under that 
 of Dr. M'Millan, was in an almost constant state of religious 
 revival. But three periods of special interest are mentioned; 
 viz. the one already noticed, another in 1787, and the third, that 
 in the midst of which the venerable man of God was called to 
 his rest; as the fruit of which, more than fifty were gathered 
 into the church after his departure. There might have been 
 and probably were others, of which no record has been made. 
 
 Mr. Dod was confessedly the most learned among his minis- 
 terial compeers in the West. He possessed an extraordinary 
 mathematical genius, which had been cultivated to a high de- 
 gree ; he was an excellent classical scholar ; and, had time 
 permitted and inclination prompted, he might have excelled 
 in the composition of poetry. It deserves to be recorded, to 
 the honor of the Ten-mile people and their pastor, that the 
 first classical school west of the Alleghenies was established 
 within their bounds, in the spring of 1782; and that six of 
 
15 
 
 its earliest pupils entered the Gospel ministry, viz. .lames 
 Hughes, John Briee, Robert Marshall, Jacob Lindley, John 
 Hanna and David Smith; four of whom became distinguished 
 men. It is hardly necessary to add, that Mr. Dod was the 
 
 teacher of this school, as he was, also, subsequently, the first 
 Principal of the Washington Academy. 
 
 Mr. Dod was a great lover of music. He had a delicate ear, 
 and had thoroughly mastered the science. He could not endure 
 hail Binging in church. He therefore delivered sermons and 
 addresses on the subject, which are still extant: and in this 
 way he awakened the interest and enthusiasm of the people. 
 He trained them, also, in the practice of the art. As a conse- 
 quence, that part of religious worship became greatly im- 
 proved. '• Fifty years ago," says the author of Old Redstone, 
 "better singing could be heard at Upper and Lower Ten-mile, 
 than anywhere else in Washington county." This congrega- 
 tion long retained its preeminence in this respect. The sing- 
 ing, though it has declined from its palmy state, is still respect- 
 able. Even since I have been among you, at a meeting of 
 Washington Presbytery, held in this place, several of the min- 
 isters aoticed and commended the music; particularly the 
 Rev. Dr. Cyrus Dickson, then one of our number, but now Of 
 the city of Baltimore. It should be observed, in this connec- 
 tion, that a New Testament Psalmody was always in use in this 
 congregation, Watts taking the place of Rouse from the very 
 first : and, further, that the practice of singing without reading 
 out the line was introduced here many years in advance of 
 any other of the western churches, viz. in 1792. 
 
 I have spoken of Mr. Dod as a scholar, and in other rela- 
 tions; "but Christian, deeply devout and spiritual, was his 
 highest style." He was a warm, zealous, evangelical preacher. 
 His sermons were remarkably discriminating and searching. 
 He was, in the best sense, a revival man : and his people were 
 like-minded with him, for they tk had come from the very midst 
 of the spirit and power of those revivals which followed the 
 labors of Whitfield and the Tennentsin their native state." 
 
 Mr. Dod was a staunch advocate of the most thorough 
 ministerial training. In his native county, in New Jersey, 
 
16 
 
 there was a small independent body of Presbyterians, who 
 were rather lax in the literary and theological education of 
 their ministers. He was personally acquainted with several 
 members of this body, and was once addressed by Mr. Brad- 
 ford respecting one or more of their number coming out to 
 labor in this field. "Mr. Dod, no doubt deprecating the intro- 
 duction of that sort of Presbyterianism into this region, wrote 
 to his friend a statement of the character of the western field, 
 saying that it was new and very rough ground, and required 
 strong oxen to break it up ; and that he doubted whether two- 
 year-olds would suit for the work." — (Old Redstone.) On this 
 representation, they seem to have dropped the idea of sending 
 out missionaries here. 
 
 Mr. Dod died of pulmonary consumption, on the 20th of 
 May, 1793, after a ministry of nearly sixteen years, dating 
 from the acceptance of his call. Dr. M'Millan preached a 
 funeral discourse the next day, from Eev. 14 : 13. There was 
 sorrow throughout all this western Zion ; but chiefly among 
 the people of his own charge. A prince and a great man had 
 fallen in Israel. 
 
 In the autumn of the same year in which Mr. Dod died, 
 the Rev. Thomas Moore was ordained and installed as pastor 
 of this church by the Presbytery of Ohio, then newly formed 
 by a division of the old Redstone Presbytery. Mr. Moore was 
 a New England man, and was received from the Bristol As- 
 sociation of Massachusetts. He was a man of vigorous intel- 
 lect, of high culture, of ardent temperament, of undoubted 
 piety, of active zeal, and altogether of great excellence and 
 worth. His style of composition was polished and flowing, 
 but apt to be somewhat refined and abstract, after the ISTew 
 England model. His voice was clear and sonorous, and his 
 manner of delivery warm and animated. He dwelt much, in 
 his preaching, upon the terrors of the law. He was bold and 
 uncompromising in his denunciations against sin in all its 
 forms ; but especially against the sins of formalism and hypoc- 
 risy in the church. His labors resulted in numerous con- 
 versions, first in this congregation, and afterward at Salem, 
 within the bounds of Blairsville Presbytery. In theology, he 
 
17 
 
 was a Hopkinsian, and his Calvinism was of rather an ultra 
 type. Indeed, there is a tradition still current in this com- 
 munity, that he preached the doctrine of infant damnation. 
 But this is, undoubtedly, either a mistake or a calumny — 
 probably the former; a mere inference, falsely drawn from his 
 strong Calvinistic views. I have the best authority lor saying 
 that Mr. Moore neither preached nor held the doctrine in 
 question, \i/.. his explicit denial of the fact, as reported from 
 liis own lips by Mr. Daniel Davis, who was by no means an 
 admirer of the gentleman. There can be no doubt, however, 
 thai Mr. Moore was a terrible scourge of Anninianism. 
 
 During the whole period of Mr. hod's ministry, his charge 
 had been known simply as the Congregation of Ten-mile, lie 
 had. however, always had two principal preaching stations, 
 one at Lindley's settlement, known as Upper Ten-mile, and 
 the other at Cook'- settlement, known as Lower Ten-mile. 
 From this time the style was changed, and henceforth the 
 charge was denominated, The United Congregations of Upper 
 and Lower Ten-mile: although for many years there con- 
 tinued to he lmt one ecclesiastical organization, and the same 
 session ruled over both congregation.-. A meeting-house of 
 hewn logs was erected on the site of what is now Lower Ten- 
 mile, in l"So. Not until some years after Mr. Moore's settle- 
 ment, was a similar house built at Upper Ten-mile. The site, 
 
 the same on whieh the present edifice stands, was given by 
 Mr. Demas Lindley. Fortunately, as we shall see, it was 
 given expressly for the OCCUpancy and use of a I Yeshyterian 
 
 church, and for no other purpose whatsoever. 
 
 Mr. Moore's ministry among this people lasted just ten years. 
 It was abundantly fruitful. Though nearly three years' records 
 are wanting, the remaining portion exhibits the names of about 
 one hundred and fiftypersons received on examination. It is, 
 therefore, probable that the whole number of admissions could 
 not have fallen much, if any, below two hundred, an average, 
 say, of twenty per year; a clear proof that the strongest kind 
 of Calvinistic preaching has no tendency to check, but rather 
 to multiply conversions. The years 1799, 1802 and 1803 seem 
 to have been signalized by the most abundant blessing. The 
 
 3 
 
18 
 
 two latter years are comprehended within the period of. that 
 remarkable awakening which prevailed throughout all this 
 region, near the beginning of the present century, known as 
 the falling revival., and characterized by very singular bodily 
 affections. The Ten-mile congregations had their full share 
 of those manifestations, and of the precious blessing which, 
 however they may be viewed, was undoubtedly connected with 
 them. As in Buffalo, Cross Creek, Chartiers and other places, 
 so at Ten-mile, the meetings were often continued through the 
 whole night, or till a very late hour ; and yet neither weari- 
 ness nor drowsiness seemed to attend them. Mr. Moore is 
 said to have led in prayer as many as twelve times in a single 
 night. 
 
 The Rev. Cephas Dod, the honored son of an honored father, 
 was Mr. Moore's successor in the pastorate of the Ten-mile 
 congregations. The same meeting of Presbytery dismissed 
 Mr. Moore, and ordained and installed Mr. Dod. These events 
 took place on the 14th of December, 1803 ; and, though it 
 was mid-winter, all the services connected with them were 
 held in Joseph Riggs' sugar camp, with the open canopy of 
 heaven for a temple, the snow for a carpet, and the wind 
 whistling through the leafless branches of the trees as an 
 accompaniment to the solemn music, as it pealed forth from a 
 choir consisting of hundreds of voices. 
 
 The younger Dod possessed a clear and strong mind, en- 
 riched by manly culture and varied learning ; remarkable 
 gentleness and amiability of temper ; great practical wisdom ; 
 a tranquil and steady piety; high devotion and loyalty as a 
 friend ; in short, a combination of qualities, a character, com- 
 plete, harmonious and symmetrical in an unusual degree. He 
 was a good scholar, a sound divine, a prudent counselor, and 
 an affectionate, tender and faithful preacher. He greatly ex- 
 celled in addresses on sacramental and funeral occasions. If 
 I might venture a critical remark upon his ministry, it would 
 be to the effect, that it was lacking in doctrine, in a full and 
 fearless exhibition of that great system of Bible truth em- 
 bodied in the standards of the Presbyterian church. A natural 
 explanation of this defect, apart from any constitutional pecu- 
 
19 
 
 liarity, may be found in an apprehended excess of such preach- 
 ing in his immediate predecessor, and a resulting proclivity in 
 him to the other extreme. 
 
 I regret my inability to present any history of the church, 
 in its spiritual interests, during the incumbency of Mr. Dod. 
 The records, as far as the Upper Congregation is concerned, 
 are a total blank. There may be such records in the Lower 
 congregation, but I have not been able to obtain them. 
 
 Some dissatisfaction having arisen, (from what cause or causes 
 does not clearly appear,) Mr. Dod was dismissed from 1 lis dou- 
 ble charge, and thenceforward the two congregations became 
 two distinct bodies, with separate sessions, and each independ- 
 ent of the other. Mr. llai'vison. in his Commemorative 
 Notice, states the probable time of this dissolution of the pas- 
 toral relation to be the spring of 1817. This may be correct, 
 though 1 am inclined to think it was a year or two earlier. 
 The records of Ohio Presbytery would determine this point; 
 but I have not bad access to them. Mr. Dod spent the remain- 
 der of his ministerial life in the Lower Congregation, where, 
 according to Mi - . Harvison's statement, "his labors among the 
 people of his charge were greatly I' 1, -<'<\ of God, not only in 
 promoting the regular increase of the church, but several pre- 
 cious seasons of the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit were 
 enjoyed under his long and faithful ministry." 
 
 At the time of Mr. Dod's dismission, the Rev. Thomas lloge 
 was residing in Washington, engaged in mercantile business. 
 He served the Upper Ten-mile people as stated simply for 
 about three years. It was in his time that the first frame 
 meeting house was erected, in the year 1818; toward which 
 he contributed the handsome sum of $100. Mr. Hoge was a 
 worthy man, and a highly respectable preacher, lie possessed 
 good talents, had received an excellent education, and, as a. 
 writer, he is said to have been neat, clear, flowing and logical. 
 He was a prominent and influential member of the Presbytery 
 of ^Washington, and for several years its stated clerk . 
 
 Mr. Hoge contracted only to preach on the Sabbath. His 
 secular business precluded pastoral labor on his part. Indeed, 
 he was neither engaged nor expected to perform tins kind of 
 
20 
 
 work. Yet the old revival spirit was still burning in Upper 
 Ten-mile. It is a lire that was early kindled here ; it got 
 strong head under the fervid ministries of Dod and Moore ; it 
 has been fed by the prayers and labors of many faithful men 
 since their day, both in the ministry and the laity ; and it would 
 be hard to extinguish it. Without either prompting or direct 
 cooperation on the part of Mr. Hoge, a few private Christians 
 determined to hold a special meeting, to pray for a visitation 
 of the Spirit. They met every Thursday evening in a little 
 school house, some three miles distant from the church. Few 
 attended at first ; but these few were not easily discouraged. 
 They remembered the promise, "if the blessing tarry, wait for 
 it." Like Jacob, they took hold on God; like him, too, they 
 held on. After four or five months of struggling importunity, 
 the blessing came. The number in attendance increased. 
 The house was crowded, and many stood about the door and 
 windows. God's Spirit was manifestly present at every meet- 
 ing. 'No sermon was preached ; no exhortation was offered ; 
 no eloquent or stirring appeals were made to the feelings of 
 the crowds that flocked to that old school house ; no means of 
 any kind were used, except prayer and private conversation by 
 lay members of the church. Yet God's people were revived ; 
 sinners were awakened; souls were converted; and some fif- 
 teen persons or upward were added to the church. 
 
 The Rev. Andrew Wylie, D. D., President of Washington 
 College, succeeded Mr. Hoge in the pulpit of this church, and 
 filled it for about the same length of time, say from 1819 to 
 1821. He, like Mr. Hoge, served the congregation in the 
 capacity of stated supply. Dr. Wylie was a man of mark. 
 He was a close and logical reasoner, a vigorous and brilliant 
 writer, an animated and eloquent preacher. Dr. Brownson, in 
 his Historical Address at the semi-centennial celebration of 
 Washington College, speaks of him as " a gentleman of fine 
 talents, scholarship and address, as well as of decided char- 
 acter, and holding high ascendancy over the minds of his 
 friends." 
 
 The Rev. Boyd Mercer, for many years an associate judge 
 of the county court, next supplied this church for two years ; 
 
21 
 
 or rather during the summers of two years, viz. 1821 and 1822. 
 He was a man of high character and much influence. He 
 was a plain but solid preacher. His theology had the ring of 
 the true metal. He was trained and licensed by the old Red- 
 stone Presbytery. He was a strong Calvinist ; preached boldly 
 a Pauline divinity; and offended some of his hearers by pray- 
 ing for an elect world. 
 
 A unanimous call was now made out for the serviees of the 
 Rev. Ludovicus Robbing; but a difficulty arising on the ques- 
 tion of salary, the matter fell through. Mr. Robbins, however, 
 supplied the congregation for a year. Like Mr. Moore, he 
 was a New England man, of fair talents and good education. 
 He organized the first Sabbath s.-liool ever held in Ten-mile; 
 which has been kept up, with happy fruits, ever since. He 
 was a devout Christian, and a zealous and earnest preacher. 
 There was an awakening during his one year's ministry ; the 
 result of which was an accession of some fifteen or twenty 
 individuals to the communion of the church. Notwithstanding 
 the many excellencies of Mr. Robbins, and the success attend- 
 ing his Labors, there was an eccentricity about him, a want of 
 balance, which, in all probability, would have marred, if not 
 prevented, his permanent usefulness. 
 
 After the withdrawal of Mr. Robbins, the congregation re- 
 mained vacant for several years, with only occasional supplies 
 from the Presbytery and other sources. Fortunately, they had 
 among them an excellent reader, a schoolmate of the late elo- 
 quent Samuel L. Southard, of New Jersey, and trained by him 
 in the art of elocution, who preached, effectively, hundreds of 
 sermons composed by the great lights of the church; a vener- 
 able septuagenarian, who is with us here to-day,* in a green 
 old age, to rejoice before the Lord. 
 
 Again, during this interval, in answer to the wrestling 
 prayers, and through the faithful efforts of pious laymen, did 
 the Lord make bare his arm for salvation, and pour out the 
 converting influences of his Spirit. This occurred in the same 
 neighborhood with the other lay revival, (if the expression is 
 
 *The sentence is left as originally written, though the person referred to was 
 absent on account of ill health. 
 
22 
 
 allowable,) of which, indeed, it was, hi all respects, the coun- 
 terpart. As the fruit of it, about twenty, principally young 
 persons, were hopefully converted, and joined themselves to 
 the people of God, in a public profession of religion. 
 
 Here it is proper to notice an important movement, which 
 took place about this time. The temperance reform had now 
 been fairly inaugurated in the United States. Circumstances 
 had given an unparalleled prevalence to the manufacture of 
 ardent spirits in Western Pennsylvania. The distilleries in 
 this and the adjoining counties averaged one to every three or 
 four farms. Ten-mile had its full share. Numbers might be 
 counted from every hill-top. Not less than eight or ten were 
 found within the bounds of this congregation. Most of them 
 were owned and worked by church members ; for the turning: 
 of grain into poison was then everywhere thought to be a 
 Christian occupation, and the use of this poison as a common 
 beverage necessary and proper. At this juncture a temperance 
 lecture was announced within these bounds. The lecturer was 
 a Methodist brother, and the meeting was held in the Meth- 
 odist church. Curiosity and interest drew together a vast 
 concourse of people. The lecturer painted the evils of intem- 
 perance in vivid colors. He represented it as the monster 
 vice of the age. Eloquently and powerfully did he appeal to 
 all to join the temperance cause. Only five or six, however, 
 gave their names as recruits. But the seed had been sown. 
 It germinated. It grew. And, in an incredibly brief time, 
 it bore abundant fruit, Within less than one year from that 
 meeting, there was not a distillery within the bounds of the 
 congregation, nor a gallon of spirits on sale! Nor from that 
 day to this, has there been in the Upper Ten-mile district a 
 tavern, store, shop, or place of any kind, except the doctor's 
 office, where distilled liquors could be bought ! What a con- 
 quest over custom, prejudice, appetite and interest ! I mention 
 these things, not simply because they belong to the religious 
 history of this people, but much more because they seem to me 
 to betoken an unusually sensitive and tender conscience ; a 
 conscience quick to discern, and prompt to obey, every moni- 
 tion of duty. 
 
23 
 
 I .shall be excused for mentioning, in this connection, an in- 
 cident of a more private nature, which confirms and illustrates 
 the same praiseworthy trait. A young man, a member of the 
 Presbyterian church, had invested all his little capital, amount- 
 ing to a few hundred dollars, in a distillery. He had been 
 present at the first temperance lecture, and had ventured to 
 suggest some objections to the views put forth. The next day, 
 on going to his distillery, he took with him his Bible, deter- 
 mined to construct out of it as Btrong an argument as he could, 
 in favor of the use of strong drink. Having finished his paper, 
 he showed it to some persons whose interest lay in the same 
 direction. They were pleased with bis argument, and urged 
 him to publish it. ki AVait a bit," said lie, "till I see what can 
 be said, out of the same book, on the other side." The next 
 day be set himself at this task. In the evening, on comparing 
 the two papers, he was surprised, he said, to find that "he had 
 beaten himself all hollow." He was convinced that the manu- 
 facture of ardent spirits was wrong, ami. without a moment's 
 hesitation, be resolved to abandon it. Hut here a question 
 arose, which involved a long and painful struggle. If it was 
 wrong for him to make whiskey, would it not he just as wrong 
 for him to sell his distillery to another to make it? His con- 
 science told him it would. Hut. on the other hand, all his 
 property was there. That property was all his dependence for 
 supporting a rising family. Could it be required of him to 
 make such a sacrifice? Must he, for conscience sake and 
 Christ's sake, give up the last penny, ami be reduced to begin 
 the world again as a poor man, with a wife and children, dear 
 as his heart's blood, clinging to him for bread and shelter? 
 The struggle was severe, but the victory decisive. Christian 
 principle and Christian faith triumphed. A fair offer had been 
 made to him for his distillery. He took the matter into con- 
 sideration. At length a decision was pressed. An answer 
 was promised in the morning. That night was spent in ear- 
 nest thought and fervent prayer. In the early dawn of the 
 next day, a man, with a sledge-hammer on his shoulder, might 
 have been seen bending- his steps toward that fountain of 
 death, with intent to cut off the flow of its poisonous and fiery 
 
24 
 
 streams in all future time. Those stills, by whose curious me- 
 chanism the staff of life had hitherto been converted into dis- 
 ease and death, were from that moment to be deprived of all 
 power of mischief. In the expressive language of the doer 
 and narrator of the deed, they were then and there, through 
 successive blows of that same sledge-hammer, brought down 
 with a will by a stalwart arm, "all broken to shatteration." 
 The venerable man, now bending beneath the burden of years, 
 in relating this transaction to me, remarked that, while he 
 hoped that he put no trust in his own works for acceptance in 
 the last day, yet upon no one action of his whole life did he 
 now look back, from the borders of the grave, with so much sat- 
 isfaction, as upon this act of fidelity to conscience and to God. 
 
 The Rev. Cornelius Laughran was installed as pastor of the 
 congregation of Upper Ten-mile in December, 1827." Mr. L. 
 was a native of the North of Ireland, was a man of consider- 
 able ability and learning, and was especially well versed in 
 Scripture. His thoughts were often vigorous and original, 
 and his utterances piquant and racy ; yet his style of preaching- 
 was not only rough and unpolished, but coarse and harsh, de- 
 scending sometimes to gross personalities. His sermons were 
 apt to be wearisome from their length, being drawn out often 
 to two, and at times even to three hours. He spent, I might 
 say wasted, much time on the chimera of a perpetual motion, 
 on one occasion going oft* with his machine to Pittsburgh, and 
 for three Sabbaths leaving his people without preaching. In 
 temper, he was hasty, rash and violent ; in action, pragmatic 
 and impracticable. He left the Presbyterian for the Cumber- 
 land body, but soon, in turn, became dissatisfied with them ; 
 and for many years before his death he was without any eccle- 
 siastical connection. With him, the troubles of this people 
 commenced. Party spirit, strife and division were introduced 
 into this hitherto peaceful fold ; and in eighteen months after 
 his installation, the pastoral relation was dissolved by Pres- 
 bytery at the request of the congregation, or at least, of a 
 large body of its most pious and influential members. 
 
 Yet we must not omit to record, to the honor of Divine 
 grace, that during the earlier months of Mr. Laughran's brief 
 
25 
 
 ministry, God again. poured out his Spirit on Ten-mile; and 
 in the first half of the year 1828 forty-two were added to the 
 church on examination. 
 
 ■For a year or more the congregation remained without sta- 
 ted preaching. Even during this year, notwithstanding the 
 unhappy state of division to which the people had been re- 
 duced, a gentle shower of gracious influences descended, and 
 eighteen were hopefully converted, and received to the com- 
 munion iif the faithful. 
 
 We approach now the darkest and most disastrous period in 
 the history of this church ; a crisis which left it bruised, torn, 
 bleeding at every pore, and gasping for Life. It will be readily 
 perceived, that I refer to the irruption of the Cumberland Pres- 
 byterians, and the unhappy dismemberment which ensued there- 
 upon : a transaction, or series of transactions, over winch, if it 
 were possible, I would gladly draw the veil of oblivion, and 
 forever cover them from human view. I tread here on smoth- 
 ered fires, and walk amid half cooled plow-shares. Main' of 
 the actors in those scenes are still living; Borne of them are 
 here to listen to me to-day. I would not willingly give pain, 
 I do not mean to say anything that ought to give pain to any 
 hearer. Yet. since I must speak of these things, I will speak 
 of them with the fearlessness and fidelity of truth, yet, at the 
 same time, I hope, with the kindness and candor which be- 
 long to Christian charity. 
 
 In the fall of 1830, the Rev. Jacob Lindley, a member of the 
 Presbytery of Washington, became the stated supply of this 
 congregation. He was one of that group of little children in 
 Foil Lindley, who received baptism at the hand of Thaddeus 
 Dod, on the first administration of that ordinance, after the 
 coming of the Jersey emigrants. He was converted, instru- 
 mentally, through the reception of that sacrament. Mr. Lind- 
 ley was. doubtless, a good man. No question is raised of his 
 piety. His feelings lav much upon the surface, and he was 
 easily moved to tears. He is reported to have had a happy 
 ability in addressing children. He was a man of extensive 
 reading, and possessed, 1 have been told, large stores of 
 knowledge. He must have acquired better than he elaborated; 
 
 4 
 
26 
 
 lie must have taken in more than he digested. His preaching 
 powers were respectable ; nothing more. He had little grasp 
 of mind, little breadth of intellectual vision, little clearness of 
 perception, little nicety of discrimination, little logical acumen, 
 little depth or force of reasoning, little power of analysis and 
 combination, little vigor of mental action of any kind. His 
 tone of thought and style of writing were loose, rambling, 
 confused, pointless and feeble. What meaning he had, he 
 was accustomed to bury and conceal beneath a mass of words.. 
 His Infant Philosophy, a hook of three hundred and forty-four 
 pages, contains some good thoughts and just views; and if 
 they were condensed into a lecture, instead of being spun out 
 to a volume, they might he readable. 
 
 After Mr. Laughran's dismission, he had been tried and 
 convicted by the Presbytery of Washington on sundry charges, 
 preferred by members of this congregation, and in April, 1830, 
 had been, on the order of Presbytery, publicly admonished by 
 the Moderator. Chagrined and exasperated by this rebuke, 
 Laughran and his friends wrote to the Cumberland Presbyte- 
 rians in Tennessee, inviting a visit from them. This invitation 
 was accepted; and the next year, 1831, five of their ministers, 
 among the ablest in their body, came on ; disavowing, how- 
 ever, according to credible information, any intention of seek- 
 ing to organize new churches of their own, their object being 
 merely to preach the gospel, and aid brethren who were willing 
 to open their doors to them, in waking up dead churches, and 
 in winning souls to Christ. Before their arrival, Mr. Lindtey 
 preached a sermon in this pulpit, in which he avowed this as 
 their object, exhorted the people to give them a generous wel- 
 come, and sought to allay any misgivings that might be felt, 
 by telling them not to fear that the Romans would come and 
 take away their place and nation. Mr. Lindley, of course, 
 opened wide his church to them ; Mr. Laughran had none to 
 open. In the course of the summer and autumn, they held 
 camp meetings at different places, preached with zeal and fer- 
 vor, produced great excitement, set everything in a blaze, and 
 numbered their converts by hundreds. The remark was 
 often made, however, by persons of a more sober and prudent 
 
27 
 
 turn, that the back door would have to be kept as wide open 
 as tin' front. Yet it must be owned that, while many of these 
 converts fell away, many have stood the test of time; and among 
 them are some of the most precious Christians I have ever 
 known. One of them is now an active, useful and honored 
 member of the session of this church ; and of another in our 
 communion, it may be said, as of old it was of Phebe, that, in 
 a spiritual sense, " she hath been a succorer of many," and as it 
 
 was also of •• the hcloved Persis," that " she hath labored much 
 
 in the Lord.'.' 
 
 During the progress of these events, it began to he intima- 
 ted that some of the converts desired to he connected with the 
 Cumberland body. In order to do this they must have a ses- 
 sion. Accordingly, ruling elder- were chosen, though there 
 was no church for them to rule. In utter derogation and vio- 
 lation of the constitution of the Presbyterian church, it was 
 agreed that this new session and that of Mr. Lindley should 
 hold a joint meeting for the examination of applicants for ad- 
 mission to the church, and that it should be left to the candi- 
 dates to -elect which church they would enter. The record of 
 this meeting is now before me in the minutes of the session. 
 under date of September 11th. L83i. Sixty-two persons were 
 received, only thirteen of whom elected the Presbyterian 
 church. Mr. Lindley took an active part in favoring the con- 
 nection of the applicants with the Cumberland Presbyterians. 
 A Cumberland Presbyterian church was immediately organ- 
 ized, and soon after, two others; all within the bounds of this 
 congregation : all drawing their original members from this 
 church; and together, forming a perfect cordon around it. 
 Mr. Lindley still continued his connection with the Presbyte- 
 rian church, and his ministerial labors among this people. 
 But he exerted himself to break down and destroy the church 
 which he was under vows to build up ami establish to the 
 utmost of his power, lie invited the Cumberland brethren 
 to the free use of the pulpit and church edifice; he decried 
 and ridiculed the standards of the Presbyterian church; lie 
 even went from door to door, (as persons now within the sound 
 of my voice can attest,) in some instances making repeated and 
 
 / 
 
28 
 
 protracted visits, for the purpose of alienating the people from 
 the church of their fathers, and persuading them to join the 
 newly organized societies. An attempt was made to wrest the 
 church property from its rightful ownership ; hut, as a clause in 
 the deed of gift happily restricted the donation to a Presbyteri- 
 an church, this was soon abandoned as hopeless, under the ad- 
 vice of legal counsel. But I need not swell this melancholy and 
 heart-sickening detail. Mr. Lindley continuing to encourage 
 and promote the Cumberland movement, to the injury of the in- 
 tegrity and peace of the churches, and of this church in particu- 
 lar, the Presbytery tiled charges of schism against him. When 
 about to proceed to trial, he gave notice of his withdrawal 
 from our body; and, although the demands of strict disci] dine 
 would have required the case to be issued, it was judged best, 
 under all the circumstances, to strike his name from the roll, 
 and let him go ; which was accordingly done. In this, I think, 
 the Presbytery acted wisely ; and I will make this general re- 
 mark, in passing, concerning the Presbytery of Washington, 
 viz. that its course on the questions which arose touching this 
 Cumberland schism, many of them difficult and perplexing, 
 was marked by a dignity, moderation, wisdom and justice, 
 above all praise. 
 
 Such was the origin of Cumberland Presbyterian churches 
 in Western Pennsylvania. 
 
 ~No church in all this country suffered like the Upper Ten- 
 mile church. It had been, in former times, one of the glories 
 of this western Zion — united, loyal, prosperous and happy — a 
 stronghold of our King. Its membership ranged from two 
 hundred to three hundred. It had a session, consisting of ten 
 ruling elders, at the time of the great defection — some of them, 
 at least, staunch and true as ever stood in the breach of a 
 stormed garrison, or led a forlorn hope against a victorious 
 battalion. But the whirlwind of 1831 swept, with a desolating 
 fury, over this fair and lovely hill of Zion, prostrating towers 
 and battlements, and, in one brief hour, laying in ruins the 
 whole stately structure, reared by the toils and the prayers of 
 generations of godly and devoted men. Even at this distance 
 of time a tear starts unbidden to the eye, at mention of the 
 
29 
 
 fact, that when, in 1832, Presbytery sent a committee to in- 
 quire into the condition of things here, only seven individuals, 
 in a concourse of hundreds gathered upon the occasion, were 
 found willing to rise in their places and declare themselves old 
 fashioned Presbyterians. Five members of the session bent to 
 the storm, and five stood firm to their post. These latterwere 
 Jacob Eathaway, dames Reed, Reuben Sanders, (now gone to 
 their reward.) Zenas Condil (aged, and removed to the Far 
 West,) and Lewis Dille, who is with as to-day, in the vigor of 
 manhood, and prepared still to battle valiantly for the Lord of 
 hosts. Long niav lie live to be a Btandard-bearer in the camp 
 of Israel* 
 
 The church was now reduced to a mere handful, and be- 
 came a bye-word ami a reproach in the place where it had 
 been a glory and a joy. It remained without a pastor for 
 many years, ami had but a struggling existence. Presbytery 
 Benl some supplies, ami a few were obtained from other quar- 
 ters : hut tin- stated ministry of the word was a blessing quite 
 beyond its pecuniary ability to procure. The ruling elder, 
 Jacob Hathaway, true to Presbyterianism as the needle to the 
 pole, mounted his horse and rode round the country, gathering 
 a dollar here and a half dollar there, to constitute a little fund 
 wherewith to procure occasional supplies. In the Bpring, Ml'. 
 Lewis Dille took with him >ixty dollar-, obtained in this way, 
 to reimburse such members of Presbytery as had preached for 
 the Ten-mile people in the course of the preceding yruv. With 
 a noble generosity, they declined all compensation for these ser- 
 vices, telling the delegate to take his money back, and keep it 
 for future use in Bupplyingthe littleflock withgospel ordinances. 
 
 The venerable I>r. Elliott, at that time pastor of the Presby- 
 terian church at Washington, preached here twice in 1832; 
 once by appointment of Presbytery, with a view to heal divi- 
 sions, and once at the invitation of the Bession, as an ad of 
 Christian and ministerial kindness. On the first of these 
 occasions, his text was, "Do all things without murmurings 
 and disputings." Phil. 2 : 14. On the second, he preached 
 from "2 Tim. 1 : '.» — " Who hath saved us. and called us with 
 an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to 
 
30 
 
 his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus 
 before the world began." The Calvinistic system, according 
 to its usual fate, had been greatly misrepresented by the Cum- 
 berland brethren; not perhaps by design, but from want of a 
 thorough comprehension of its doctrines and bearings. The 
 purpose of Dr. Elliott's visit, at this time, was to correct these 
 perversions, and to explain and vindicate the truth. And 
 nobly did he fulfill his mission. Presbyterian ism found in him 
 a champion worthy of itself. His discourse was an admirable 
 one. An outline of it now lies before me. Did time permit, 
 I would gladly present to you its plan in full. Suffice it to say, 
 that his grand design was to open up the benefits conferred 
 upon believers — salvation and effectual calling ; and the source 
 of those benefits, in the gracious purpose of God, formed in 
 eternity, without any external moving cause, without any re- 
 gard to our own works, either foreseen or possessed. These 
 timely services, on the part of this able and excellent man, had 
 a happy effect in staunching the bleeding wounds of this flock 
 of Christ, and in bringing back some to the fold, who had 
 gone off under the influence of delusion and mistake. 
 
 The kindness of Drs. Stockton, Elliott and M'Chiskey, during 
 their long state of feebleness and reproach, is still held in special 
 and grateful remembrance by the people of Upper Ten-mile. 
 
 In the year 1838, the Rev. James M. Smith was ordained 
 and installed pastor of this long vacant congregation. Mr. 
 Smith is still living, which forbids any extended remarks on 
 his ministerial character and labors. He had the tokens of a 
 sincere Christian, and, for a young man, fresh from the scenes 
 of professional training, he was a highly respectable preacher. 
 A difficulty arose early in his ministry- Indeed, a feelino- of 
 opposition had sprung up and begun to display itself, even 
 before his installation. This naturally cramped his usefulness, 
 and his ministry appears to have been attended with but mod- 
 erate results. Though it lasted six years, I find upon the 
 records the names of but nineteen persons added on examina- 
 tion ; and several of these were wanderers returning to the 
 fold, who had gone off in the great defection of 1831 ; two of 
 them had been elders in the Cumberland church. 
 
31 
 
 Mr. Smith was dismissed in 184*. For two years the church 
 remained vacant. The word was administered by supplies, as 
 they could be obtained, for a less or greater length of time. 
 Among the young brethren who officiated during this period, 
 was the Rev. Alfred Paull, a name whicb is but a synonym for 
 modesty, gentleness, kindness, dignity, purity and worth. An- 
 other was a Mi-. Miller, concerning whom the present speaker 
 lias no knowledge. Third in this list of temporary supplies 
 occurs the name of the Rev. John R. Dundas. Mr. Dundas, 
 L believe, continued longest of the three. He was young, 
 ardent, zealous and eloquent, lie put his whole strength into 
 whatever he undertook. Under his labors the church took a 
 fresher and more vigorous start than ever it had. since the 
 dismemberment. Crowds attended upon his ministry, and 
 the old meetinghouse began to present on the Sabbath the 
 animated appearance of former days. Whatever immediate 
 results might or might not have shown themselves, seed was 
 sown in that brief service of six months, which, in after years, 
 matured into fruits of holiness and Balvation. 
 
 In the spring of 1846, the Rev. Nicholas Murray, a professor 
 in Washington College, received and accepted a call to he- 
 come the stated supply of this congregation. In him were 
 revived the power and splendor of the early pulpit of Ten- 
 mile church. Mr. Murray was a man of strong intellect, en- 
 larged culture, unusual power of concentration and high men- 
 tal activity. lie was a ripe classical scholar, and a thorough 
 master of English, which he wrote with uncommon purity, 
 elegance and force. His style was polished, ornate and flow- 
 ing; his rhetoric brilliant and impassioned; his logic lumi- 
 nous and convincing. He was so careful of his reputation, so 
 ambitious of shining, that he never preached without the most 
 elaborate preparation, writing out his sermons with the great- 
 est care, and committing them so perfectly that he seldom 
 carried a single note into the pulpit. Had his voice and elo- 
 cution been equal to his other gifts, he would unquestionably 
 have been one of the most accomplished and effective of pulpit 
 orators. 
 
 Such was Mr. Murray in the earlier years of his ministry. 
 
32 
 
 But this is only half the story, and the least interesting and 
 important part of it. His ministerial life divides itself into 
 two periods, separated from eaeh other by a sharp line of de- 
 marcation. In the spring of 1851 it pleased God, in his sov- 
 ereign goodness, once more to pour out his spirit on Upper 
 Ten-mile. This was a fresh baptism to both pastor and people. 
 To the former it was like life from the dead. A great change 
 now took place in the character of his piety and his preaching. 
 Both Dr. Weed and Mr. Comings, in their letters to Dr. Sprague, 
 notice this tact, and speak of it with emphasis. His temper 
 became softer, his feelings kindlier, his humility deeper, his 
 love more glowing, his faith stronger, and his whole soul im- 
 bued with a new and higher spiritual life. There was a like 
 change in the tone of his pulpit performances. Henceforth 
 he determined, with Paul, to know nothing but Jesus Christ and 
 him crucified. His lips were touched as with a living coal from 
 the altar. He no longer needed the laborious preparation of 
 former years. "Always ready," was now his maxim. He 
 could speak daily from the fullness of his heart, and "electrify 
 the crowds that flocked to hear him." "When he opened his 
 lips to address the throne of grace, he seemed to stand at the 
 very gate of heaven ; and when lie preached, it appeared that 
 his mind was so absorbed with the person, offices and media- 
 torial glories of the Redeemer, that his soul was literally on 
 fire." 
 
 The revival to which I have referred as having occurred in 
 the early part of 1851, was a deep, powerful, glorious work 
 of God. An accession of thirty-five to the church was the 
 fruit of it. From this time to the close of Mr. Murray's min- 
 istry and life, there seems to have been a greatly improved 
 state of religion in the church; and there was a second season 
 of special interest early in 1853, less extensive than the former, 
 but still most precious and refreshing. Some ten or twelve 
 individuals made a public profession of religion, either then 
 or in the course of the ensuing summer. 
 
 Mr. Murray departed this life on the 23d of March, 1853, 
 having been brought to the grave by a disease contracted in 
 attendance upon a protracted meeting at Mill Creek, Pa., 
 
33 
 
 where he overtasked his powers ; besides which, in returning 
 Lome, lie exposed himself on horseback, to a "cold, violent 
 March storm." 
 
 1 laving, since truth required it, and with hearty good will, 
 said much in praise of Mr. Murray, fidelity constrains me to 
 suggest a criticism, to which I conceive lie laid himself open, 
 as a ministerial workman, lie was a man of cautious spirit, 
 which happily induced uncommon prudence in the exercise of 
 his office. But I cannot hut think that his circumspection 
 was sometimes in excess. He held, fully and strongly, the 
 system of doctrines known under the name of Calvinism. 
 Elsewhere he was accustomed to preach these doctrines with 
 boldness. But, owing probably to the peculiar circumstances 
 of this congregation, he appears to have felt an undue timidity 
 in regard to preaching them here. This I cannot hut regard 
 as a grave error. It is ;i thorough doctrinal training which has 
 given to the Presbyterian church its strength, courage, sta- 
 bility and power. This is the only thing that can hold any 
 church firm to its moorings amid the storms and the rage of 
 opposition. " W the foundations be destroyed, what shall 
 the righteous do'.'" Bui let me guard against misapprehen- 
 sion. I am not in favor of controversial preaching. That is 
 hard. (\v\\ cold and unfruitful. But there is a different and 
 better kind of doctrinal preaching. It consists in the full and 
 warm exhibition of the great doctrines which enter into the 
 scheme of redeeming mercy, as living principles of action. 
 Doctrine. is in order to holy living. Doctrine has a mighty 
 power in it. Indeed, all the power of the gospel just lies in 
 the doctrine- of the go-pel. Right doctrinal preaching, there- 
 fore, is the most practical and the most effective kind of 
 preaching. 
 
 After a vacancy of just one year, during which the Rev. 
 Cyrus Braddock, then a licentiate, supplied the pulpit with 
 ability and acceptance, the present incumbent, having hecome 
 Mr. Murray's successor in the college, succeeded him also in 
 the pastorate of this congregation, his ecclesiastical relation 
 to it being that of stated supply. The five years, during which 
 we have been united in the holy relation of pastor and people, 
 
 5 
 
34 
 
 have flown swiftly and happily, in unbroken love and harmony. 
 The briefest review of the history of this period is all that the 
 already too protracted length of this discourse will permit. 
 
 1. This neat and commodious house of worship has been 
 reared and solemnly dedicated to the worship of Almighty 
 God, on the site where its two predecessors stood. The year 
 1854 saw this good work accomplished. During the summer 
 of that year, we worshiped, most comfortably and pleasantly, 
 in the adjoining grove. It is remarkable that there was not a 
 single rainy Sabbath during all that season, and that the weath- 
 er continued suitable for out-door services until November. 
 The house itself was wholly paid for by the congregation, and 
 is out of debt ; but the furniture is the gift of friends east of 
 the mountains. The handsome communion service w T as pre- 
 sented by a kind Methodist brother of Morris county, New 
 Jersey, whence the original settlers had emigrated. The 
 beautiful pulpit Bible and Hymn Book, as well as the commu- 
 nion table, are the generous gift of the ladies of my former 
 charge, in East Hampton, Long Island. 
 
 2. Increased attention has been paid to catechetical instruc- 
 tion. This important branch of religious training had fallen 
 into general neglect. All the children in the Sabbath school, 
 who are old enough, now study the Shorter Catechism, and most 
 parents require it to be learned at home. Sixty-one persons 
 have recited the whole of it perfectly, and have received a 
 handsome gilt-edged Bible in reward of their diligence, through 
 the benevolent exertions of Mr. Lemuel Brewster, of New 
 York. 
 
 3. The session, impressed with the idea that the church, in 
 her organic capacity, owes a most solemn duty to her baptized 
 children, has established a special monthly service for their 
 benefit, viz. a church prayer meeting and catechetical exercise. 
 While this is established primarily for the children of the 
 church, all others are invited and welcomed. 
 
 4. The ordinance of infant baptism, which had been for 
 many years grievously neglected, has been revived, and is 
 now in general use. This change has been effected by the 
 blessing of God on public instruction from the pulpit and pri- 
 
35 
 
 vate conversation with all parents who had unbaptized chil- 
 dren, and who were laboring under difficulties and scruples 
 upon the subject. In many instances, whole households have 
 been baptized, and in three of these cases the families contained 
 five children each, of a suitable age for the ordinance. 
 
 5. The session, which formerly met only at communion sea- 
 sons, or on special calls, now meets statedly once a month for 
 conference and prayer. These are most delightful and profit- 
 able re-unions. They make the members better acquainted 
 with the state of the church and with each other, and so tend 
 to increase their interest in the church's welfare, and to draw 
 closer the bonds of Christian sympathy and fellowship among 
 themselves. 
 
 6. The monthly concert, which had been dropped for many 
 years, has been reestablished, and is well attended. 
 
 7. A plan of systematic benevolence lias been organized and 
 happily carried into effect. All who are so disposed, men, wo- 
 men and children, (and these last arc by no means least for- 
 ward,) sign a pledge to contribute at the rate of so much per 
 week, payable quarterly, to the Assembly's Boards and other 
 charities approved by this church; the distribution of the be- 
 nevolent funds being left to the joint boards of ruling elders 
 and deacons. This scheme has been adopted with great una- 
 nimity, and has more than doubled the gifts of the church the 
 first year. The plan was tried as an experiment for one year ; 
 but at their last meeting, the session passed a unanimous vote 
 of approval on trial, and established it as the permanent sys- 
 tem of the church ; the deacons concurring in this opinion 
 and action. But, 
 
 8. How to work this system ? It would not go of itself; and 
 the session already had its hands full. We had no deacons ; 
 but we, i. e. the congregation, went to work and made them, 
 and set them over this business. There are four deacons, and 
 the congregation is divided into four districts. Each deacon 
 has a book, in which the pledge is plainly written, and he gets 
 all the names he can in his district, not refusing half a cent, or 
 even a quarter cent, per week. Every quarter he sees to the col- 
 lection of these subscriptions. Generally they are brought to 
 
36 
 
 church ; but when otherwise, he calls for them at the subscri- 
 ber's residence. Thus the work is done, and well done. The 
 deacons attend the meetings of session, give counsel, and offer 
 prayer, but do not vote. 
 
 9. There have been three elections of officers ; one of ruling 
 elders, at which four were chosen ; a second, of deacons, at 
 which four were chosen, but one of these died before ordina- 
 tion ; and a third, of one deacon, to supply the place of the de- 
 ceased deacon elect. All these elections were conducted with 
 entire harmony, and left no wounds behind; a fact which 
 ought to be recorded to the honor of God's grace. 
 
 10. Pastoral visitation has been regularly performed each 
 year ; the elders cheerfully, faithfully and effectively cooper- 
 ating in that work. They have richly earned the name of 
 "helps," by sustaining and cheering the pastor in his labors. 
 
 11. Prayer meetings have, for the most part, been sustained 
 on Sabbath evenings, in four different places in the congrega- 
 tion. The attendance, almost as a matter of course, has varied. 
 Sometimes they have languished; sometimes they have been 
 thronged. In general, they have been kept up at a healthy 
 point ; and have been found to be fruitful means of grace. 
 
 12. The congregation has been greatly prospered in its spir- 
 itual interests. We have enjoyed four seasons of special re- 
 ligious awakening and revival. In connection with these occa- 
 sions, we have held four protracted meetings, each covering a 
 period of about three weeks. These meetings have never been 
 of the forcing order. They have not been intended nor used 
 to get up feeling ; but have been rather the natural outgrowth 
 of feeling. Seventy-two have united with the Presbyterian 
 church as the fruit of these refreshings, besides some twenty, or 
 upward, hopefully converted in connection with our meetings, 
 who have joined other churches, chiefly the Cumberland Pres- 
 byterian. Of the seventy-two who united at Ten-mile, thirty 
 were heads of families, fifteen male and fifteen female ; and of 
 the unmarried, eighteen were males and twenty-four females. 
 Ten have been received on certificate. The number on the roll 
 of the church, who were resident within the bounds of the con- 
 gregation when the present incumbent assumed the pastorate, 
 
37 
 
 was eighty-five ; the number at the present time is one hun- 
 dred and thirty. 
 
 I must not tail to mention here, for it belongs to the relig- 
 ions history and the religious life of this church, a circum- 
 stance which occurred in the progress of these revivals. A 
 violent opposition was gotten up by certain persons against 
 the doctrinal standards of the Presbyterian church. The ex- 
 citement was intense, and for a time threatened disaster to 
 
 Zion. But it was overruled to g 1. No one event, within 
 
 my ministry here, has so tended to settle and strengthen the 
 roots of a sound Presbyterianism as this, or has caused so fair 
 and vigorous a growth of that sturdy old tree; which, indeed, 
 being planted in Grod's everlasting truth, shall stand against 
 all storms, and bloom even amid the wintry hlasts. So the 
 wrath of man is made to praise the Lord, being used by him 
 as an instrument in furthering his own cause. 
 
 Thus have we walked about our Zion, .counted her towers, 
 marked her bulwarks, and considered her palaces. Thus have 
 we traced, hastily and imperfectly, her growth from her infancy 
 in the wilderness to a hearty and vigorous maturity; the sad 
 calamity which left her, at one time, dismembered, mangled, 
 and despoiled of her beauty and her strength ; and her slow hut 
 sure progress, since, toward a full recovery of her former health 
 and vigor. 
 
 ( )ur review of the history of this church, cursory and imper- 
 fect as it has been, is fruitful in instruction. It conveys lessons 
 of high and solemn significance. Upon the-... I would love to 
 dwell, expanding them to their full proportions, and reenfor- 
 cing them with added arguments and illustrations. But time 
 forbids. The briefest exhibition of these important and valua- 
 ble monitions is all that can he attempted. 
 
 1. The history of this church impressively reminds us of the 
 goodness and faithfulness of a covenant God. God is love. 
 As of old, in the case of Moses, so likewise in the case of this 
 people, he has "made all his goodness to pass before them." 
 He has also remembered his covenant, and been faithful to the 
 promise of his grace, "I will never leave thee nor forsake 
 thee." They have been " in perils by the heathen, in perils in 
 
38 
 
 the wilderness, in perils among false brethren," and have been 
 called to pass through flood and flame. But in all their fiery 
 trials, " in weariness and painfullness, in hunger and thirst, in 
 cold and nakedness," amid "fightings without and fears 
 within," they have ever proved 
 
 "His sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love." 
 
 2. The history of this church teaches a lesson of gratitude 
 to God for what our fathers achieved, and for the rich inher- 
 itance they left to their children. They laid out no race- 
 grounds, established no dancing-schools, devised no ways to loll 
 in the lap of luxury, and paid little attention to any mere orna- 
 mental, much less frivolous, accomplishments. But they met 
 and foiled the savage foe. They felled the forest. They sub- 
 dued the virgin soil. They established schools. They reared 
 the Lord's house. They sought to promote mental, moral and 
 religious advancement. In a word, they founded all those 
 Christian institutions which dignity, adorn and bless the pres- 
 ent state, and 
 
 "Which point the progress of the soul to God." 
 
 This is what the fathers did. This is the noble legacy which 
 they bequeathed to their posterity. 
 
 3. The annals of this church illustrate the value of courage, 
 resolution, enterprise. What but the most indomitable energy 
 and perseverance could have scaled the mighty range of the 
 Alleghenies, penetrated to the very heart of a savage wilder- 
 ness, braved the terrors and the toils of a frontier life, and, by 
 dint of many a weary step and many a sturdy Mow, caused the 
 yellow grain to wave in the valleys, and the snowy flocks to 
 whiten the hills, where, before, primeval forests had stood for 
 successive centuries? We cannot but admire the enterprise of 
 the first settlers of Ten-mile. We cannot but feel a kind of 
 veneration for the men who conceived and executed the idea 
 of turning this wilderness into fruitful fields. 
 
 " O great achievements ! more illustrious far 
 Those triumphs, than the bloody wreaths of war." 
 
 4. The history of the Upper Ten-mile church encourages 
 
39 
 
 the people of God to hope and to be faithful, even in times of 
 darkness, perplexity and trouble. Think of this congregation 
 reduced, by a storm of unparalleled severity, from a member- 
 ship of nearly three hundred to only sewn, yet taking refuge 
 in the Divine faithfulness, strengthening themselves in Abra- 
 ham's God, breasting the fury of the tempest, and so, in due 
 time, through faith and prayer and earnest work, beholding 
 the storm pass by, the sun riding serene in the heavens, and 
 the landscape again smiling in beauty and rruitfulness. Look 
 on this picture, ye timid, faltering, desponding people of Cod, 
 and learn a lesson of hope in the most unhopeful circumstances, 
 and a lesson of fidelity where almosl all are "faithless found." 
 
 5. The history of this church assures us that where there is 
 a will to have a stated ministry, that WILL will cither rind a 
 way, or make a way, to sustain it. Recall the scene at Lind- 
 lev's Fort. It will bear study. It is worthy the best skill of 
 the most gifted painter. Behold that motley group of men 
 and women! A solemn stillness reigns. Deep anxiety sits on 
 every feature. A grave question engages their thoughts. 
 Can they secure the services of that young and earnest 
 preacher, Thaddeus Dod? Can they give him a living? They 
 are few. They are poor. They must struggle hard to live 
 themselves. They have no money, Whattodo? Ah! that is 
 a happy thought. Lindley has a mill, and will contribute the 
 flour to Bupply the minister's family. Cook will find the meat. 
 A. B and C will give the wool, the flax, the potatoes. The work 
 isdone. Thepastor is secured. And that little company return 
 to their cabins with a lighl heart, though they have laid a fresh 
 burden on their own shoulders, and return to toil for their 
 minister as well as for themselves. Brethren, the lesson is in- 
 structive. It is pertinent. Take it to your hearts. Listen to 
 its monitory voice. Yield to its power. And although you 
 scarcely feel able to pay for the whole time and labor of a min- 
 ister, think how much less was the ability of the early settlers, 
 and yet how courageously and uncomplainingly they bent their 
 necks to the burden ! 
 
 6. The value of infant baptism, as a means of grace, is seen 
 in the light of this historical review. The very first adminis- 
 
40 
 
 tration of the ordinance in this congregation was attended with 
 saving influences. By the blessing of God, it produced im- 
 pressions on one little boy which issued in his conversion, and 
 ultimately in his entrance into the gospel ministry. Were if 
 not for the Want of faith in God's sure covenant, and the want 
 of fidelity in parental instruction and training, this result 
 would oftener follow. Indeed, it would become the general 
 rule, to which exceptions would rarely, if ever, occur. 
 
 7. The history of this church shows the worth of the Cate- 
 chism as a summary of Bible truth, and the importance of 
 early and thorough instruction therein. So long as the Short- 
 er Catechism was faithfully taught to all the children, the 
 piety of the church was deep, vigorous and steadfast. When 
 the practice of the fathers was relaxed, and the study of this 
 unequaled compend fell into neglect, the church became an 
 easy prey to errorists. Had the fidelity of the sons in this 
 work been equal to that of the sires, who doubts that the 
 divisive measures of the Cumberland brethren would have had 
 a far different issue V In this view, let me congratulate you 
 on the happy revival of catechetical instruction. The precious 
 doctrines, drawn from the Bible and embodied in the Cate- 
 chism, are the glory and the life of the church. In the living- 
 power of these doctrines must our children be reared, if any 
 hope is to be entertained that the piety of the next generation 
 will be enlightened, symmetrical, vigorous and abiding. 
 
 8. The great importance of sound doctrinal knowledge, 
 and, to this end, of the possession and mastery, along with the 
 Bible and Catechism, of at least a few standard tractates on 
 practical divinity, plainly appears from the history of this 
 church. We have seen that, poor as our fathers were, most of 
 them had in their cabins a little book-shelf, on which might be 
 found such standard works as Fisher's Catechism and Boston's 
 Four-fold State, the latter of which was once happily charac- 
 terized by a young convert, found to be intelligent on points 
 of Christian doctrine, though otherwise below the average 
 grade of intellect, as " a book that begins at the beginning 
 and carries you all the way through." Who can tell how 
 much of strength, fervor and stability was thus imparted to 
 
41 
 
 their Christian character? Who can fully estimate the influ- 
 ence upon piety of familiarity with the whole system of Bihle 
 truth, in its due order and connection? Be not, therefore, of 
 the number of those who neglect doctrinal books, or complain 
 of doctrinal preaching. Faith, hope, spirituality, zeal and 
 holiness, all live upon doctrine. An experience without doc- 
 trine is like a house without foundation, a body without bonesj 
 or a tree without roots. But in order to the possession of doc- 
 trinal knowledge, the perusal of books treating on these Bub- 
 
 jecta i- uecessary. From such 1 ks issue streams of divine 
 
 light, which, by the blessing of Grod, become the vehicle of 
 converting, sanctifying and saving grace. 
 
 9. We see, in the Light of this historical sketch, the value 
 and the blessedness of union in a church. So Long as the 
 members of this congregation stood together, they stood firmly. 
 But when they became divided and contentious, as during the 
 ministry of Mi-. Laughran, their strength was turned into 
 weakness. With their own hands they broke down their in- 
 closure, and laid themselves open to the incursion of their 
 foes; and from that moment their conquest became only a 
 question of time. From this part of your history there comes 
 an admonitory voice, to which, both now and in all future 
 
 time, you will do well to give earne-t heed. 
 
 10. The history of our Zion shows clearly the value and 
 importance of the lay talent of the church, and how service- 
 able it may he made in the promotion of religion. What fur- 
 ther proof of this can be needed, than those three precious 
 revivals which this church has enjoyed, without the presence 
 or cooperation of any ministerial Laborer? Eappily, the glo- 
 rious awakening of the past and present years(1858 and 1859) 
 throughout this Land, has developed, in a remarkable and un- 
 precedented degree, the religious life and activity of the lay 
 element in our churches. It lias shown the strength and 
 power of the laity for good, in a manner and to an extent 
 scarcely dreamed of before. Brethren of the eldership, the 
 deaconship, and the private membership in this church, seek, 
 by prayer and meditation, to be deeply impressed with a sense 
 of your personal responsibility in this matter. Let the conver- 
 
 6 
 
42 
 
 8ion of sinners become with 3-011 an object of intense desire 
 and effort. Make it the fixed purpose of your soul, by God's 
 blessing on your endeavors, to save souls. Learn to cherish 
 the confident hope of success in this work. The -thing is 
 attainable. It can be done. If you work, God will work with 
 you. You need not go to heaven alone. You may bring 
 sheaves with you. 
 
 11. The history of this church teaches you to love, prize 
 and promote genuine revivals of religion. On the fifteenth 
 day of next August, it will be seventy-eight years since this 
 church was organized. During this period it has enjoyed not 
 less than eighteen to twenty special outpourings of the Spirit, 
 or about an average of one to every four years of its existence. 
 It had its birth, as we have seen, in a revival. It has been 
 baptized into the spirit of revivals. It has drawn much of its 
 spiritual life and strength, instrumentally, from revivals. May 
 it ever continue to cherish genuine revivals; which, to name 
 no other benefits flowing from them, are so needful to bring 
 crowds of gifted and pious young men into the gospel minis- 
 try, to increase the liberality of the church in the support of 
 all those benevolent institutions which have been well called 
 "the seeds of the millennium," and to speed the chariot-wheels 
 of salvation, as they roll on to the conquest of a world and 
 the subjugation of its revolted provinces to the triumphant 
 and glorious reign of the Redeemer of mankind. 
 
 12. The history of this church (and I would that my own 
 relation to this pulpit were different in giving utterance to this 
 thought,) teaches you never to be satisfied with an incompetent 
 or unfaithful ministry. This lesson lies upon the surface of 
 our subject ; and I need not, therefore, enlarge upon it, Only 
 let me say to you that, while you ought to be considerate and 
 forbearing toward your ministers, as knowing them to be in 
 the flesh, and therefore encompassed with infirmities, yet let 
 not affinity, friendship, sympathy or any other unworthy mo- 
 tive, "make you shrink from withdrawing your support and 
 confidence from such as do not preach Christ Jesus, and him 
 crucified, with zeal and fervor, and labor, in season and out 
 of season, to win souls to Christ," 
 
43 
 
 13. As the last practical issue of our review, I was about to 
 lav upon you a solemn injunction, and to utter an earnest 
 exhortation, that you imitate the faith, self-denial, zeal and 
 energy of your forefathers in every good work; hut I perceive, 
 from the animated and resolute expression which beams on 
 every countenance, that this lesson has already entered your 
 mind and penetrated to your heart. I therefore withdraw the 
 hand, and leave the lesson, by its own inborn power, to work 
 itself out in your life. 
 
 Brethren of Upper Ten-mile Church : The original settlers 
 within the bounds of this congregation, the first generation of 
 civilized men who fixed their Beats in this wilderness, arc gone 
 without an exception. The second generation are either -one, 
 or are bending over the tomb. Though dead, they ye1 -peak. 
 They -all to us, in affectionate and admonitory tones, from 
 these graves which lie so thick around us. In a most impor- 
 tant sense, the dead are present with us to-day. In a mosl 
 important sense, they -till abide with the living. In a mosl 
 important sense, they are at once dwellers above and dwellers 
 below. They linger about their former earthly abode in hal- 
 lowed associations, in purifying and quickening influences, in 
 fragrant and precious memories. Their spirit- hover over us, 
 and their affections breathe around us. The eye of the heart 
 still Bees their countenance beaming with affection. The ear 
 
 of the heart >till hears their Bolemn words of counsel and 
 
 their earnesl exhortations to duty. It is thus that the departed 
 
 and glorified dead, from those supernal heights on which they 
 sit enthroned, beckon US, the living, onward and upward, to 
 the blot regions of eternal purity and peace; the shining 
 abode of immortal glory; the happy seat of a bliss as unsul- 
 lied as it is imperishable; a home in the heavens, as pure, 
 peaceful, blessed and glorious, as infinite goodness and al- 
 mighty power can prepare. Amen. 
 
A CONVERSATION 
 
 BECOMING 
 
 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: 
 
 & gattvitll £ttmon, 
 
 PREACHED IX THE 
 
 CHURCH OF UPPER TEN-MILE, 
 
 MARCH 21, 1859. 
 
 BY 
 
 E . C . WINES, D.I). 
 
 PROFESSOR IN WASHINGTON COLLEGE. 
 
 IJtibtishrTJ ln> Brqursl. 
 
FAREWELL SERMON. 
 
 "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of christ: 
 that whether i come and see you, or else be absent, i may hear of your 
 affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving togeth- 
 er for the faith of the gospel." phil. 1:27. 
 
 The connection between a minister and his people is in itself 
 solemn and momentous, and it is for solemn and momentous 
 purposes. As such a connection ought not to be lightly formed, 
 so neither should it be lightly dissolved. The dissolution of 
 the relation which has subsisted between us for a number of 
 years, has not, I trust, been brought about for unworthy or 
 unimportant reasons. As these reasons are already known to 
 you, I need not stay to enter into a detail of them upon the 
 present occasion. Suffice it to say, that they have produced 
 in my own mind an intimate conviction of the propriety of 
 this step ; that they have commended themselves to my breth- 
 ren in the ministry ; and that they have, as I feel persuaded, 
 won the respect and approval of my own people. It is a mat- 
 ter of heartfelt satisfaction and devout thanksgiving to God, 
 that the sundering of this tie has not been occasioned by any 
 difficulty, trouble or alienation between the shepherd and the 
 flock. ]STothing has occurred, in the course of my ministry 
 among you, to disturb our union, to mar our fellowship, or to 
 check the flow of mutual sympathy and love ; and the bond of 
 Christian affection, which unites the hearts of pastor and peo- 
 ple, is brighter and stronger to-day than it has ever been before. 
 And yet, under the pressure of a conviction of duty on my part, 
 we meet this afternoon, as pastor and people, for the last time. 
 We shall, indeed, meet again in this relation before the great 
 
48 
 
 tribunal, in the day of final and righteous retribution ; I to 
 give an account of my ministry among you, and you to answer 
 for the improvement you have made of it. But now we part, 
 to meet no more on earth in the interesting and tender relation 
 which has united us for the last five years. How often have we 
 met in this relation ! How often have we taken sweet counsel 
 together in the sanctuary, in the place of social prayer and in 
 the freer communings in the family circle ! How many of your 
 children have I baptized in the name of the triune God ! How 
 often have we sat together around the sacramental table, and 
 enjoyed refreshing foretastes of the perfect and everlasting 
 communion of the saints in heaven ! How often have I stood 
 in this pulpit, filled by so many godly men before me, and 
 here instructed and warned you, held forth the word of life to 
 you, and led you into the green pastures and beside the quiet 
 waters of gospel ordinances ! This I have done as your pastor, 
 as one to whom your precious souls had been given in charge 
 by the Head of the church. 
 
 But all this will probably never be again. The work which 
 the Master had for me to do among you, seems now to be fin- 
 ished. Hence, this parting scene. Hence, this solemn and 
 tender adieu. Hence, this painful sundering of a bond so dear, 
 so strong, so cherished, so highly prized, so much delighted in. 
 This is the last time I can expect to address you, or you to listen 
 to me, as your pastor. I beseech you, therefore, to suffer pa- 
 tiently and to receive kindly the word of parting counsel and 
 exhortation. I would say to you, on this solemn occasion, as 
 the apostle did to his beloved Philippians in the text: "Only 
 let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ : 
 that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear 
 of your affairs, that ye stand fast in the faith, in one spirit, with 
 one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel." 
 
 The word conversation, as now commonly used, denotes the 
 interchange of thought by speech. Such, however, was not 
 its ordinary signification at the time when our translation of 
 the Bible was made. Such is not its meaning in our text. It 
 signifies behavior, conduct, the general tone and current of 
 the life. The apostle's injunction, therefore, might be para- 
 
49 
 
 phrased thus: "Conduct yourselves in a manner suitable to 
 the gospel of Christ. Let your faith and holiness be, in all 
 respects, answerable to your profession of the religion of Jesus; 
 so that, whether coming and visiting you, I may see, or being 
 absent and hearing of you, I may learn that you stand fast in 
 one spirit and mind, striving earnestly for the furtherance of 
 the gospel, to which the living worthily of it will not a little 
 contribute." 
 
 Three things the apostle specifies, which he desired to see 
 in the Philippians, or to hear concerning them, as being agree- 
 able to the gospel of Christ, viz. steadfastness, union and zeal 
 in maintaining the doctrines and advancing the influence of 
 religion. However, in describing a conversation answerable 
 to the gospel, we need not confine ourselves to these particular 
 qualities, since a complete Christian character embraces many 
 others. The text, therefore, affords legitimate ground for 
 whatever godly counsels in reference to Christian conduct a 
 minister may sec' lit to addresa to his people. And it seems 
 peculiarly appropriate to such an occasion as the present, an 
 occasion lull of tender memories of the past and tender anxi- 
 eties for the future. 
 
 To exhibit in outline (for the time is too brief to admit of 
 much detail,) a conversation becoming the gospel of Christ, to 
 point out some of the particulars wherein your behavior, both 
 as a church and as individuals, should he answerable to the 
 religion which you profess, is the design of this valedictory 
 discourse. 
 
 1. A conversation becoming the gospel of Christ requires 
 that you he fruitful Christians. "Herein is my Father glori- 
 fied, that ye hear much fruit." The glory of a husbandman 
 does not arise from his fields and vineyards bearing fruit, but 
 from their bearing much fruit. Their yielding little fruit 
 rather dishonors, than honors him. So it is in spiritual hus- 
 bandly. A little religion often dishonors God more than no 
 religion. A spirit that halts between God and the world, 
 now seeming to be on one side and now on the other, causes 
 his name to be evil spoken of more than the excesses of irre- 
 ligion. This explains our Lord's address to the church of 
 
 7 
 
50 
 
 Laoclicea : " I would thou wert cold or hot." When our Saviour 
 declared that his Father's glory would he promoted by abun- 
 dant fruitfulness, he added, "So shall ye be my disciples," in- 
 timating that we are not worthy of the name of Christ's 
 disciples, unless we bear much fruit. He was, indeed, a fruit- 
 ful bough, a plant of renown, loaded with the richest clusters. 
 His whole life abounded with fruits of righteousness. You 
 should either imitate his example, or forego the Christian name. 
 
 2. A conversation becoming the gospel of Christ demands 
 that vou let your light shine before men. " Ye are the light 
 of the world." This implies that the world, despite all its at- 
 tainments in science and literature and its loud boast of phil- 
 osophical illumination, is in darkness still. It implies that all 
 the true light in it proceeds from Jesus Christ. True, our 
 Lord says that his disciples are the light of the world. But 
 all their light is borrowed from him. He, as the sun, shines 
 with an original, unborrowed and supreme lustre ; they, as 
 the moon and planets, deriving their light from him, retlect 
 it on the world. As professed disciples of Christ, all eves are 
 drawn toward you, all regards are fixed upon you. Your 
 principles, your profession and your walk, are closely scanned. 
 Your faults, even more than your virtues, are observed and 
 marked. [Nor, upon the whole, is it desirable that it should 
 be otherwise. Light ought not to be hid, but diffused abroad 
 for the good of those around. On this account, you should be 
 concerned to let your light shine before men ; not by an osten- 
 tatious display of supposed excellencies, but by a practical ex- 
 hibition of the nature and power of the gospel. It is not by 
 words only, but much more by works, that gospel light is con- 
 veyed to the consciences of men. Shine, then, beloved Chris- 
 tians, in the light of a holy life. Shine constantly — in every 
 place, in every state, in every relation ; letting your light go 
 out neither in the day of prosperity nor in the night of adver- 
 sity. Shine increasingly ; gaining more and more victory 
 over darkness, till you attain to the unmixed and perfect light 
 of heaven. Remember that if you would shine in glory 
 above, you must shine in holiness below. 
 
 3. Your conversation will not be as it becometh the gospel 
 of Christ, unless you aim after eminent degrees of holiness. 
 
51 
 
 '•As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all 
 manner of conversation." Holiness is God's image in his 
 children. The more they have of it, the more like they are 
 to their Father. Be not content with Low degrees, with scanty 
 measures. Aspire toward perfection. He who aims high, 
 will shoot the higher, though he may not reach the mark. 
 Therefore, aim high at self-renunciation, self-denial, self-vic- 
 tory, self-consecration. Set the state of perfection in your 
 eye. Strive after that. Rest QOl satisfied with any lower 
 degree. Be ever advancing toward it. Come as near to it 
 as you can. Eminent holiness is a treasure of riches, a crown 
 of honor, the perfection of man's nature, the earnest of glory, 
 the vestibule of heaven. 
 
 4. Eeavenly-mindedness is a branch of the conversation that 
 becometh the gospel of Christ. " Let your conversation he in 
 heaven." The Scriptures greatly recommend this grace. They 
 exhorl Christians to regard themselves as strangers upon the 
 earth, mere sojourners in a foreign clime; to he dead to the 
 world; and to consider their true life as hid with Christ in 
 Gfcod. Learn, therefore, my 6eloved brethren, to look upon 
 the body as a tabernacle, a mere temporary habitation, soon to 
 he taken down, ami laid in the dust. Look for a house not 
 made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Strive to master the 
 lesson that blessed Paul had Learned, to groan under the burden 
 of the flesh, earnestly desiring to he clothed upon with your 
 house which i> from heaven, and willing rather to he absent from 
 the body and present with the Lord. Look ami Long and sigh 
 
 for the hour when you shall come and appear before him : the 
 hour when you shall receive the purchase of your Saviour, the 
 fruit of your prayers, the harvest of your toils, the end of 
 your faith, the salvation of your souls. Alas! what do you 
 here? This is not your home. This is not your rest. Your 
 treasure is in heaven. Let your heart be in heaven also. 
 Learn to mount up on the wings of meditation and prayer. 
 Let the eye of faith he ever upward. Dwell above in your 
 believing meditations of your future rest. Daily bathe your 
 soul in the sweet thought of your blessed, glorious, eternal 
 home in heaven. Be familiar with the saints who have gone 
 before you; who have put off the robe of mortal flesh; who 
 
52 
 
 are clothed in glory; who are swallowed up of immortality 
 and life ; who have run their race, received their crown, and 
 are made equal with the angels. 
 
 5. A gospel conversation requires that yon carefully watch 
 over your spirit, and scrutinize your heart. Our Saviour says, 
 "What I say unto you, I say unto all, watch." Paul adds an 
 injunction of no less hreadth, "Examine yourselves." These 
 counsels of divine wisdom are well suited to our state and 
 necessity. Self- watchfulness and self-scrutiny are duties of 
 prime importance. We live in a world of snares and enemies. 
 We are heset by dangers on every side. Who can fathom the 
 temptations of a practiced veteran in the arts of ruin, like 
 Satan? Who can comprehend the insidious blandishments of 
 a false hut flattering world? Who can understand even his 
 own errors, his deceived and deceiving lusts ? Who is able 
 to meet and overcome these manifold and innumerable perils? 
 What, in such a case, is best suited to our character and con- 
 dition ? I answer, vigilance, a mind in arms, the discipline of 
 a wakeful and untiring self-observation. Nor is a conscien- 
 tious and discriminating self-scrutiny less necessary. Every 
 man is naturally a self-flatterer. Were this not so, the flatter- 
 ies of others would have less effect upon us. Hence arises the 
 necessity of earnest self-inspection. My brethren, be not slight 
 and careless and irregular in this duty. Let never a day pass 
 without calling yourselves to account. Nor let this examina- 
 tion be of the external conduct merely; let it be much more 
 of the internal state. What is inward is far more important, 
 far more deserving of your attention, far more decisive of 
 character, than what is outward. It is in the inner man that 
 the essence of what is right and wrong dwells. Therefore, no 
 self-examination can be effective, which does not descend into 
 the depths of the soul, and stay long enough to inspect what 
 is there. Moreover, when you examine yourselves, endeavor 
 to have your soul possessed with a solemn sense of the judg- 
 ment of God. Say to yourself, " What does the all-seeing eye 
 detect in me?" In that awful presence, pretensions, semblan- 
 ces, flatteries, disguises, unrealities of every name, vanish like 
 the mists of the morning before the rising sun. 
 
 0. That your conversation may be as it becometh the gospel 
 
53 
 
 of Christ, give yourselves much unto prayer. How full are 
 the Scriptures on this point! "Pray without ceasing." "Ask, 
 and it shall be given unto you." "The effectual, fervent 
 prayer of the righteous man. availeth much." This is as true 
 now as it was in the days of Elijah, Daniel or James. Pray- 
 ing breath is never spent in vain. God is the fountain of all 
 good. Yet he will he sought unto for his blessing. Pray 
 much unto him. Pray in secret. Tray in the family. Pray 
 in the social meeting. Pray amid the hours of business. 
 Humbly, fervently, importunately, and in full assurance of 
 faith, call upon God. Especially, forsake net the assembling 
 of yourselves together for this purpose. Keep up your prayer 
 meetings, nor let them languish through your lack of zeal. 
 There is much encouragement to pray. God has done --rent 
 things in answer to prayer. When Israel groaned beneath the 
 bondage of Egypt, they cried unto the Lord, and he came 
 down to deliver them. When Judah groaned beneath Babel's 
 yoke. Daniel set his face in prayer, three times a day, toward 
 Jerusalem; and God's conduct toward Pharaoh and his host 
 was acted over again toward Belshazzar and his armies. God 
 has made great promises to prayer. Take hold of these prom- 
 ises in your approaches to him. Tt is just this taking hold of 
 the promises, which constitutes the prayer of faith. "Every 
 one that asketh," says the Saviour, "receiveth." This sounds 
 like a challenge to the whole world to find an instance of a 
 suppliant perishing at the throne of grace, or of a petition 
 ottered in the faith of .lesus falling to the -round. Such an 
 instance cannot lie produced out of all the ages. 
 
 7. A conversation answerable to the gospel of Christ re- 
 quires that you should, in all thingB, >eek to glorify God. 
 "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do. do all to the 
 glory of God." Your chief end is to glorify God. God is 
 glorified, when we have just thoughts concerning him. lie i.s 
 glorified, when we are filled with admiration, esteem and love 
 in our contemplations of him. lie is glorified, when we speak 
 reverently of him. lie is glorified by our obeying his laws, 
 and walking closely and affectionately with him. But most 
 oi' all is he glorified by our believing on his Son, and so be- 
 coming reconciled to him through his death. Keep contin- 
 
54 
 
 ually in memory that it is the main business of your life to 
 glorify God. Learn that lesson well. Every morning, re- 
 member that serving God is the whole business of the day, 
 and therefore begin the day with the express design of hon- 
 oring him in your eating, drinking, visiting, conversing and 
 all the duties of your calling. Thus you will be continually 
 laying up for heaven. Your secular duties will be sanctified 
 and made religious duties by a holy end. Thus will you be 
 furthering your spiritual account, even when engaged about 
 your worldly business. In your buying, selling, plowing, sow- 
 ing, reaping, teaching, prescribing for the sick, and perform- 
 ing all the other duties of your calling, you will be serving 
 God and preparing for heaven as really as when engaged in 
 strictly religious duties. Learn, therefore, to do for spiritual 
 ends what others do for natural or prudential ends. Then 
 God will put it to your account as so much done for him. 
 And rest assured that, on the one hand, whatever is done for 
 God will meet a glorious reward; and, on the other, what- 
 ever is not done for him is but so much labor thrown away. 
 That man is most a Christian, who most seeks and finds his 
 happiness in glorifying God. 
 
 8. A conversation becoming the gospel of Christ demands 
 that you put on the Lord Jesus Christ. "Put ye on the Lord 
 .Jesus Christ." Christ is the proper vestment of a Christian; 
 his brightest ornament ; his chief beauty; Put on Christ by 
 faith; be clothed with him as your righteousness. Put on the 
 mind of Christ; let his thoughts and judgments concerning 
 sin, holiness, the gospel, the world, time and eternity, be 
 yours. Put on Christ as your sanctification ; strive after a 
 similitude to him in graces, and in all the acts of holy living. 
 The very essence of religion is to be like him whom we wor- 
 ship. Study Christ much. Eye him constantly. Make the 
 impression of his image in your soul deeper and clearer by 
 each day's meditation. Oh, it is sweet to be growing more 
 Christ-like every day. What are riches and honors and 
 pleasures, what are even crowns and sceptres and kingdoms, 
 compared with this? Put on Christ, then, more and more. 
 Live more to Christ. Live more on Christ. Live more in 
 Christ. Learn to look upon yourselves as representatives of 
 
Christ. Learn to live as representatives of him. Whatever 
 you are engaged in, say to yourself, " How would Christ bear 
 himself in this business? Even so let me endeavor to dis- 
 charge it." Thus it will not be so much you that live, as 
 Christ living in you. Tims will his life be reproduced in 
 yours. 
 
 9. A gospel conversation requires that you keep the judg- 
 ment of the great day ever in your view. "God Lath ap- 
 pointed a day. in the which he will judge the world." < >ne of 
 the early Christian father- used to say, •• I seem always to he 
 hearing the words, ' Awake, ye dead, and come to judgment.' "' 
 Do you, also, my hearers, anticipate, in thought, the last day, 
 and place yourselves often before the great tribunal. Ami 
 remember that professions, though often and earnestly made, 
 will avail you nothing there. -Not >'\i-vy one that Baith unto 
 me, Lord. Lord." True godliness is the only thing that will 
 he approved in that day. Not what we say, hut what we do 
 and what we are, will be on trial then. NTothing will stand 
 the tesl of that day. hut what is inward and heart-felt. Mere. 
 
 holiness is iA' hut little account: wealth, fame and shining; 
 talents win the day. There, the meanest Christian will be 
 approved, while the most eloquent preacher, who has lived in 
 Bin, will he cast out. 
 
 k». a conversation agreeable to the gospel of Christ de- 
 mands of you, a- a church, to avoid Btrife, and to live in love 
 and peace. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." "If you 
 would see good days, seek peace and ensue it." A divided 
 people is ever an uuprosperous people. A contention- spirit, 
 a hasty spirit, a spirit of slander ami detraction, an officious, 
 intermeddling spirit, is the very opposite of the spirit of the 
 gospel. Such a spirit tends, in a peculiar manner, to drive 
 away God's spirit from a people, to render all the means of 
 grace ineffectual, and to destroy the outward comfort and wel- 
 fare of a congregation. Strive, therefore, to have one heart 
 and mind as Christians. Let your sympathies, your desires, 
 your prayers, your counsels and your efforts mingle together. 
 Such a harmony of hearts is a pleasant melody in the ear of 
 God, and a mosl effectual means of obtaining his blessing. 
 When the early Christians "were together with one accord 
 
56 
 
 and one mind," "the Lord added to the church." Union was 
 a fountain of growth. Satan's maxim is, "Divide and con- 
 quer." Let yours he, "In union we .are invincible." Sin 
 divided man from God, and men from one another. Christ's 
 work on earth was to re-unite them, as he sa}-s in his inter- 
 cessory prayer, "that they all ma}' he one." Heaven is a 
 place of perfect love, and the nearest approach to it on earth 
 is through the cultivation of heavenly affection. Love is a 
 most powerful and transforming agent. It is the cement 
 which binds the whole spiritual edifice together, and makes 
 it firm and durable. 
 
 11. A conversation suitable to the gospel of Christ requires 
 that you guard against the encroachments of error, and seek 
 to maintain purity in the doctrine, discipline and polity of the 
 church. To this the text expressly exhorts you : " Stand fast, 
 .... striving together for the faith of the gospel." You 
 are not only Christians, but Presbyterian Christians. You 
 believe that the doctrine, polity and worship of the Presby- 
 terian church are more scriptural, more truly primitive and 
 apostolic, more in accordance with the simplicity that is in 
 Christ, than those of any other religious system. While, 
 therefore, you do not condemn others, but leave them to the 
 full enjoyment of their Christian liberty, yet, believing that 
 Presbyterianism is more agreeable to the word of Cod than 
 any other system, 3-011 are in duty bound to maintain it and 
 teach it to your children. Undoubtedly, Christians should 
 cherish largeness of heart. Undoubtedly, they should pray 
 for all, and rejoice in the prosperity of all, who love our Lord 
 Jesus Christ in sincerity. Yet you owe a special duty to 
 your own church. You owe such special duty, first, to the 
 Presbyterian church in general, and then, in a more restricted 
 sense, to the particular church of which you are a member. 
 You are bound, as a general thing, to be always in your place 
 in this sanctuary; and that, whether you have a minister or 
 not. In some respects, it is more your duty, certainly it is 
 more important, when you are without a stated ministry. 
 JSTor is it any abridgment of your proper liberty to be obliged 
 to attend here. It is at once a sin and a curse to have itching 
 ears. That soul will never prosper which is continually wan 
 
 & 
 
57 
 
 dering hither and thither. Beware, also, of a relaxed discip- 
 line. As an army without order cannol stand its ground, so 
 neither can a church. The church at Ephesus was commend- 
 ed because "she could not bear them that were evil." Stand 
 fast here. What you want, what every church wants, is not 
 men simply, but effective men : men of hearty and earnest 
 piety; men whose hearts, and hands, and prayers are with 
 yon. As dead branches hurt the fruitfulness of a tree, so do 
 dead members impair the strength of a church. 
 
 1:!. Family order and household religion arc an important 
 part of a conversation becoming tin' gospel of Christ. "As 
 forme and my house, we will serve the Lord.'" A Christian 
 family is a nursery of the church. There tin- seed of saving 
 truth is ordinarily sown. There the firsl principles of saving 
 religion are commonly instilled. The counsels, the prayers 
 and the example of ;i godly parent make ;i deep impression 
 upon the mind. A right family training is a chief means of 
 grace. Parental influence must be great, for it is God's ordi- 
 nance that it shall be. The opinions, the spirit, the conversa- 
 tion, the counsels, the manners, the wry looks and torn 
 the parent influence the child. They are reproduced in him. 
 Whatever sort of person the parent i-. such commonly the 
 child will I.e. Yon may not. therefore, stand reasoning and 
 calculating. God has ordained that you shall have influence 
 over your child. Such is the fact ; Buch is the divine decree; 
 ami you cannot change it. Therefore, use diligence in thin 
 matter. Ami he not too easily discouraged by seeming fail- 
 ares. A drop of water has no apparent influence on the rock. 
 But it has influence, nevertheless; for, by its continual falling, 
 it will in the end wear its way through. Your hearts will be 
 ready to faint in this work, and t«» say. "itcan never be done." 
 Indeed, it cannot he done by your own wisdom or strength. 
 The work is God's. But for that very reason yon need not be 
 discouraged. You may trust in divine power, when yon can 
 hope in nothing else. Cast your bread npon the waters. After 
 you have been in your grave a quarter of a century, your son 
 may remember what you have said to him, and turn to God; 
 and you may. as the fruit of your parental fidelity, welcome to 
 
your heavenly home the child whom you had thought irrecov- 
 erably lost. 
 
 13. It is an essential branch of a gospel conversation to be 
 systematic and liberal in your benevolent gifts. "Remember 
 the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said unto you, It is more 
 blessed to give than to receive." And still more, remember 
 the example of the Lord Jesus, " who though he was rich, yet 
 for our sakes became poor, that we, through his poverty, 
 might be rich." Giving is as much a part of religion as pray- 
 ing; and the one can as little be dispensed with as the other. 
 The same high authority that said, "pray without ceasing," 
 said also, "let every one lay by him in store." But I will not 
 now stay to repeat what I have so often said before on this 
 subject. Only let me earnestly recommend that you persevere 
 in the excellent plan of systematic benevolence, which you 
 have inaugurated with such encouraging success. Beware of 
 considering what you give to God as so much subtracted from 
 your own stores. " There is that scattereth and yet increaseth." 
 Remember what occurred between a king of Judah and a 
 prophet of the Lord. "And Amaziah said to the man of God, 
 But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given 
 to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The 
 Lord is able to give thee much more than this." 2 Chron. 25: 9. 
 Beware of saying or thinking, what shall I do for the one 
 dollar, or the five dollars I am asked to give to the cause of 
 missions ? The Lord can make it up to you. What though you 
 do not know how God can or will return into your bosom all 
 that you give to his cause, and even add thereunto double ? 
 Presume not to limit, even in thought, the Holy One of Israel. 
 God's resources both of wisdom and of power are infinite. 
 No man was ever yet made poorer by lending unto the Lord. 
 
 14. Zeal for the Lord and his cause is au essential element 
 of a conversation answerable to the gospel of Christ. "It is 
 good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." Zeal is 
 an ardent affection of the mind. It comes from a word which 
 signifies to burn. Zeal is that ardor of mind which prompts 
 lis to pursue an undertaking with earnestness and persever- 
 ance. To justify this ardor, the object of pursuit must be 
 good in itself, and its magnitude proportioned to the effort 
 
59 
 
 required to gain it. Both these conditions concur here. If 
 religion is worth anything, it is worth everything. Let your 
 zeal, then, be ardent, intelligent, steady, active. Let the zeal 
 of prophets, apostles, martyrs and confessors, provoke yours, 
 so that it shall name with a constantly increasing brightness 
 and intensity. 
 
 15. A conversation becoming the gospel requires that yon 
 endeavor after constant growth. "Desire the sincere milk of 
 the word, that ye may grow thereby." The object proposed 
 here is not enjoyment, or even knowledge; hut growth, in- 
 crease of grace, progress in sanctification. To teach us the 
 necessity of ur< >\\tli in believers, they are compared to things 
 that grow; t<» trees planted by the water courses: to cedars in 
 Lebi l; to the morning light; to infants at the breast. En- 
 deavor after this spiritual growth continually. Strive to in- 
 crease in holiness. Labor to have the graces of the Spiril 
 
 growing Stronger in the soul, and the fruits of the Spirit more 
 
 and more abounding in the life. You find pleasure in seeing 
 your children grow; you love well to see your estates grow; 
 you rejoice greatly when your honors grow. But how poor and 
 base are such delights, compared with the happiness of grow- 
 ingintoa likeness to your Saviour; of finding pride ami world- 
 liness abating, and faith, love and spirituality increasing. This 
 growth is not like that of our natural life, which is often nip- 
 ped in the hud, like the early flowers of spring. It is ;i growth 
 which, though it meets with many checks and interruptions, 
 nevertheless holds on in whomsoever it is begun, till it reaches 
 its full maturity; and after that, there i- u<> decay, no old age, 
 no death; hut immortal life, perpetual youth, eternal spring, a 
 joy as lasting as it is divine. 
 
 16. Another element in a conversation becoming the gospel 
 of Christ, and the last that I shall notice, is steadfastness. 
 v - Stand fast in one spirit." All the other elements of ( Jhristian 
 character are of little account without this: for a "double- 
 minded man" — a man of doubtful, unsettled, wavering mind, 
 "is unstable in all his ways." It is a main thing in religion 
 to have the heart fixed : firm in its resolution, constant in its 
 desires. David could say, "My heart is fixed. ( > God, my heart 
 is fixed." Raptures in religion signify little ; hut a holy fixed- 
 
60 
 
 ness of soul is of inestimable worth. Steadfastness is emi- 
 nently suitable to the gospel. It is a dishonor to religion, 
 when its professed friends are unfixed in their minds and wa- 
 vering in their affections. Unstable as water, such Christians 
 will never excel. They who would strive for the faith of the 
 gospel, and further its victorious power in themselves and others, 
 must stand firm to it. 
 
 And now, having given these general counsels, I would ad- 
 dress a few special exhortations to several distinct classes of 
 persons. 
 
 1. I won Id say a word to the Ruling Elders. Beloved breth- 
 ren, one of the pleasantest memories I shall bear away with 
 me will be that of my official, as well as personal intercourse 
 with you. That intercourse has been always frank, cordial, 
 confiding, affectionate, delightful ; " our souls by love together 
 knit, cemented, mixed in one." I have ever found in 
 you wise counselors and ready helpers. I cannot recall 
 a single difference of opinion, that has ever arisen among 
 us, or any thing to mar the perfect harmony of our official ac- 
 tion, or to produce the least jar in our personal relations. It 
 has happened, in the course of my ministry among this people, 
 that I have felt it my duty to propose many things to your 
 consideration, some of them involving changes in established 
 usage of no small magnitude ; but it has been my happiness, 
 in every one of them, to receive from you a prompt approval 
 and a cordial and efficient cooperation. Xowthat this pleasant 
 communion of counsels and of sympathies is come to an end, 
 and I am taking leave of } t ou, let me say to you, in the words 
 of Paul's farewell sermon to the elders of Ephesus, "Take 
 heed to yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy 
 Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, 
 which he hath purchased with his own blood." Remember 
 that dignity evermore involves duty. Hince the Holy Ghost 
 lias made you overseers of the flock of Christ, see that you be 
 faithful to the high trust thus imposed upon you. 
 
 2. Brethren of the Deaconship, bear with me in the utterance 
 of two or three parting sentences to you. You are but young 
 in this office, three of you having been ordained in October 
 last, and one this very afternoon. Your office is a scriptural 
 
61 
 
 one, since it was indubitably established by apostolic authority, 
 and as indubitably intended to be a permanent institution of 
 the church of Christ. So our General Assembly views the 
 matter, having repeatedly enjoined upon the churches the ap- 
 pointment of deacons. This church never complied with the 
 injunction, till last summer. The special occasion, at that 
 time, was the adoptioo by the congregation of a plan of syste- 
 matic benevolence, the efficient working of which, it was 
 judged, demanded the agency of deacons. To this delicate 
 and responsible trust you have been chosen by the voice of the 
 church. The field of Christian effort, to which von have thus 
 been called, is one winch may well call into requisition the 
 best talent of the church. You will need, for tin 1 due discharge 
 of your official duties, a rare combination of moderation, pru- 
 dence, knowledge of men and hu>ines>. disinterestedness, 
 zeal, wisdom and piety. These \'>u must seek by prayer, holy 
 living, the study of God's word, and a familiar acquaintance 
 with the religious condition <>f the world and the benevolent 
 operations of the church. Yon are appointed to superintend, 
 collect, and. in conjunction with the ruling elders, to manage 
 the charities of the faithful in this congregation, it belongs 
 to your office to circulate information, to correct misapprehen- 
 sion, to answer objections, to stimulate the sluggish, to encou- 
 rage the faint hearted, to go before the people yourselves in 
 Christian Liberality, and, in short, to take a chief agency in 
 erecting an elevated standard of Christian benevolence in this 
 community. It' you use the office of a deacon well, you will, 
 l>v God's blessiner, nor only advance the cause of Christ among 1 
 this people and throughout the world, bu1 you will, at the same 
 time, purchase to yourselves a good degree and great bold- 
 ness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Brethren, la-loved 
 in thi' Lord, he faithful unto death. 
 
 3. I would address ;i brief word of parting counsel and ex- 
 hortation to the Members of the Church. As I look round 
 upon this great assemblage, my eye affects my heart. I can- 
 not lmt humbly recognize the riches of Cod's goodness in 
 making my ministry among you so fruitful. Nearly one-half 
 of the present membership of this church have been hopefully 
 converted to God since my pastorate commenced. To such T 
 
62 
 
 may say with the apostle, " Though you have ten thousand 
 instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers ; for in 
 Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel." This 
 consideration is at once a source of joy and of sadness at the 
 parting hour: of joy at having been used as the unworthy in- 
 strument of a change which, I hope, will issue in your eter- 
 nal salvation ; of sadness in leaving so many dear spiritual 
 children, not knowing what may befall them when I am gone. 
 To you, my beloved children in the gospel, and to all others, 
 professors of godliness in this congregation, I would say, You 
 have made a holy profession, sec that you adorn it with holy 
 living. There is no greater scandal to religion than the 
 unchristian life of professing Christians. Let your conver- 
 sation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. Study Christ 
 diligently, to the end that you may follow him closely. Study 
 his graces of humility, meekness, gentleness, love, sympathy, 
 obedience, temperance, submission, zeal and devotion, as the 
 painter studies the features that he wishes to draw to the life. 
 Look at him, think of him, admire him, pant after him, till 
 every attribute of his nature shall become so entirely your own 
 that you shall be transformed into the same likeness. You are 
 Christians in name, be Christians indeed. You are the salt of 
 the earth; beware of losing your savor. You are the light of 
 the world ; obscure not your shining by the vapors of corrup- 
 tion. 
 
 4. I desire to improve the opportunity in saying a few words 
 to those who are still in an unconverted state. While I was 
 with you, I endeavored faithfully to instruct you, solemnly to 
 warn you, and affectionately to persuade you to come to Christ. 
 But these instructions, warnings and persuasions have been 
 thus far in vain. Would that a different issue had attended 
 them ! "Would that I could leave you safe and blessed in a 
 vital union to Christ ! " But it is otherwise ; I leave you far off, 
 aliens and strangers, wretched subjects and captives of sin and 
 Satan, without God, and without Christ in the world." Yet, 
 ere we part, let me leave one more exhortation with you. God 
 has pledged all his glorious perfections, that whosoever believ- 
 eth on his Son shall have eternal life. But he has equally 
 pledged his perfections, that he that believeth not shall not 
 
63 
 
 Bee life. In the world of despair, lost opportunity cannot be 
 redeemed, abused Sabbaths will not return, a rejected Saviour 
 will not be offered, an aggrieved Spirit will not sock to win you 
 to repentance. "I have lost a daw" was the sad lament of a 
 Roman emperor over lost opportunity. " 1 Lave lost a life," 
 will be the sadder moan of the sinner, to whom the day of 
 grace is over, and the day of retribution begun. The Roman 
 prince might repair the loss of to-day by the diligence of to- 
 morrow. But what resource will you have, to whom no to- 
 morrow shall ever come? A lost life, a lost soul, a lost heaven 
 arc e:one irrecoverably — gone forever. I>ch<>ld ! now is the 
 accepted time; behold! now is the day of salvation. 
 
 5. I would address a few parting words to the children and 
 youth of the congregation. A number of you have already. 1 
 
 hope, set your face- Xionward. Happy should I he. could I 
 have seen many others of you walking in the same path, and 
 safe within the inclosure <>f the Saviour's fold. Mv young 
 friends, let me say to you at parting, as I have said before, in 
 the words of the royal preacher, •• Remember thy Creator in 
 the days of thy youth." Early piety will save you from many 
 snares, many temptation-, many sins. It is the best safeguard 
 against evil : it is the surest source of happiness. Piety is 
 beautiful at any age; hut most beautiful in the young. It is 
 a peculiarly pleasing Bight to see young people walking in 
 the ways of religion, having their hearts purified and their lives 
 sweetened with a principle of divine love. <) that I mighl 
 leave you all in this happy state. But I am afraid that a great 
 part of you still remain without an interest in Christ, under 
 the frown of a holy Gk)d, and in danger of eternal misery. 
 Alas! that 1 must leave you in such a condition. " Dear chil- 
 dren, I leave you in an evil world, that is full of snares and 
 temptations. God only knows what will become of you. I 
 pray G-od to pity you, and take care of you, and provide for 
 you the best means for the good of your souls. Do not neglect 
 to pray for yourselves. Take heed that you he not of the num- 
 ber of those who cast off fear and restrain prayer before God. 
 Constantly i tray to God in secret; and often remember that 
 great day. when you must appear before the judgment-seat of 
 Christ and meet your minister, who has so often counseled 
 
64 
 
 and warned you." May that be a joyful day ! a day when, as 
 you sing in your beautiful Sabbath school hymn, we shall 
 " meet to part no more." 
 
 And now, my beloved people, having given you these gene- 
 ral and particular counsels and exhortations, it only remains 
 to take leave of you, in bidding you a tender and affectionate 
 farewell. I now surrender the trust which I received, when 
 you called me to be your minister. I give back to the Great 
 Shepherd your precious souls, which he committed to me, 
 when he called me to be your under-shepherd. The moment 
 of separation has come. We part, it may be, to meet no more, 
 as pastor and people, till we meet before him who is "the Judge 
 of quick and dead." I leave with you my fervent wishes for 
 your prosperity, temporal and spiritual. I desire ever to re- 
 member and pray for this dear people. "If I forget thee, 
 Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning." May the 
 blessings that are on the head of the just be upon your head. 
 May the good-will of Him who dwelt in the bush be yours. 
 And, before I close, let me ask to be remembered in your 
 prayers. Bear me sometimes on your hearts, when you kneel 
 before the mercy-seat. " And now, brethren, I commend you 
 to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you 
 lip, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are 
 sanctified." We part now; but Ave shall meet again. We 
 shall meet, when sun and stars have ceased to shine. We shall 
 meet, when months, and years, and ages shall be no more. 
 Together we shall stand before the throne of judgment, I to 
 render an account of my ministry among you, and you of 
 the entertainment you have given to it. Together we shall 
 listen to the infallible and the unalterable sentence. Yes, 
 beloved brethren, we shall meet again. May we meet, happy, 
 triumphant, glorified ! — meet to be for ever with one another, 
 and for ever with the Lord ! "2sTow the God of hope fill you 
 with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in 
 hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Farewell, once 
 and a thousand times, farewell. And may the blessing of the 
 triune God — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — rest 
 upon you and remain with you for ever ! Amen ! 
 
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