40 Strunug Itaff hbrtuu, nAl tt Zrantifnl unb:
A
DISCOURSE
DELIVERED BEFORE THE
MEMBERS OF THE SECOND PARISH IN WORCESTER,
ON THE OCCASION OF THE DEATH OF THE
HON. JOHN WALDO LINCOLN,
WHO DIED OCT. 2, 1852.
BY  ALONZO  HILL,
PASTOR OF THE SECOND CHURCH.
BOSTON:
PRINTED BY JOHN WILSON  & SON,
22, SCHOOL STREET.
1852.




WORCESTER, Oct. 14, 1852.
REV. DR. HILL.
Dear Sir,- I have been accidentally prevented making this communication,
which I had intended several days since. I beg now to express to you my most
cordial, heartfelt acknowledgments for your impressive, interesting, and eloquent
tribute to the character and memory of my late beloved Brother, in your Sermon of
the last Sabbath; and earnestly and respectfully to request, that you would permit
me to cause it to be printed under your own supervision. There are many who will
be gratified by its perusal, besides those who had the satisfaction to hear it. It was
most truthful and just in its biographical notice, and would be grateful to his friends
as a fitting record of the virtues it commemorates. I pray you to believe me deeply
sensible to the obligation I am under for your unfailing sympathy and kindness.
With the most faithful esteem and respect,
I am, dear Sir,
Your Friend, Parishioner, and obedient Servant,
LEVI LINCOLN.




DIS COU R S E
Jeremiah xlviii. 17. -ALL YE THAT ARE ABOUT HIM, BEMOAN HIM; AND ALL YE
THAT KNOW HIS NAME, SAY, HOW IS THE STRONG STAFF BROKEN, AND THE
BEAUTIFUL ROD!
As I read these words, I feel sure that you at once
comprehend their meaning, and readily apply them.
They suggest the union of strength and beauty of character; and his image is in all our hearts to-day, to
honor whose remains a great company came here the
last week, whose look of sorrow still fastens on our
memories, and whose parting footsteps still linger on
our ears.  They who were about him, and they who
knew  his name, say with ourselves, -  How is the
strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!
In olden days, in the East, the staff was the emblem
of royal power, and the rod of royal clemency; and,
when these two were bound together, and, like the
Roman fasces, borne before the magistracy, they indicated a combination of strength and tenderness, - the
leading attributes of all genuine royalty.  Without




4
resorting to the language of poetry, they still indicate
the two elements which enter into the composition of
all who are born to control other men, and leave a permanent mark upon their times. With either alone, the
character is essentially defective. With strength only,
a man may make himself felt; but that which he
accomplishes is by force, compelling a reluctant submission and an unwilling obedience.  He controls
through the pains which he inflicts, or the fears which
he awakens; and rears monuments in the pathway
oftener than grateful memories in the hearts of men.
It is the power by which despots reign; and, whether
residing in castle-walls, in armed battalia, or in an
invincible will, it is solitary in its nature; it gathers
no sympathies around it; it cuts off its possessor
from his kind, and depresses and crushes while it
rules.
So also, on the other hand, gentleness and clemency alone will not form an exalted character. A
man may do all things with charity, with the best
feeling and purpose, but do them very feebly. How
often do we hear it said of another, "He is a very
good man; he is very kind and tender-hearted,"
when it is meant all the while that he is a very weak
man. His heart may beat with sympathy, his bosom
may overflow with affection, and his hands may be




5
opened for every good work; but, lacking inward
power, strength of will, purpose and principle, he
accomplishes little or no good. He belongs to that
harmless but inefficient class, of whom it may be said,
if they have not guided the world's destinies, they
have not added to the world's woes; by their cheerfulness and good nature, they may have added to its
satisfactions.
But alone, neither of these qualities will suffice.
There must be a union of energy and tenderness, -
the staff of strength and the rod of beauty, if we
would accomplish any thing really permanent and
good. They may be variously, and in different proportions, combined: the one or the other may predominate; but they must both enter into the composition
of him who acts a part any way distinguished on the
theatre of life. The clear mind and the strong will,
the warm heart and the tender conscience,  these
are the elements that go to make the genuine man,
whom we love and trust while he lives, and for whom
we mourn when he is dead.
No one will doubt that these qualities of which we
have been speaking were the leading attributes of his
character, who, for more than forty years, has been so
intimately associated with the welfare of our city and
county; whose influence we have felt in so many




6
relations, and whose perishing body paused here the
other day, as it was on its way to his own sepulchre
in our beautiful cemetery to enjoy that repose which
he so well earned, and which shall never be disturbed
by the hand of man.  In him were prostrated the
strong staff and the beautiful rod, - the energy and
affectionateness which go to make the man of mark.
That they were his leading characteristics, we can see
and comprehend; but in what proportions they were
combined, what manner of man he was, what good
traits distinguished him, what lasting services he rendered, what there was in him worthy of remembrance
and imitation, - many of us, who did not know him
intimately, may wish to learn. There is an infinite
diversity in the character of good men; and human
excellence ever comes to us in new combinations, in
novel and ever-varied forms. No one is perfect,no one embraces in himself all that is highest and
best; but no man can, for so many years, have been
so trusted and honored, and, now he is dead, have
been so mourned, without possessing traits of excellence, noble and beautiful features of character, which,
for the sake of justice to our own minds and hearts,
for the sake of the incitement and moral quickening
which they afford, and for the sake of the example
which they present, we ought to gather up, and hold




7
up to our view. It is the mark of little minds to
dwell on human frailty; it is Christian to contemplate with a frank and generous appreciation whatever is true and honest, and worthy of good report.
In order, then, that you may perceive in what proportions the noble and beautiful traits of his character
were combined, what circumstances contributed to
make him the man he was, and what services he has
rendered in his day, - let us contemplate some of the
leading events of his outward life. We shall learn
why he held such a conspicuous place in public estimation, and we obtain a more just appreciation of the
strength and tenderness that were in him. I believe
him to be worthy of a public notice from this place.
I believe him to have been a trustworthy and thoroughly good man.  If I did not, no eminence of
station, no length or amount of public service, could
induce me to speak of him at this season of our
solemnities, when man and his deeds should be forgotten in the grander contemplation of God and
Christ and eternity.
JOHN WALDO LINCOLN, third son of the late Hon.
Levi Lincoln, and brother of the Hon. Levi Lincoln,
late Governor of Massachusetts, and of the late Hon.
Enoch Lincoln, Governor of Maine, was born in this
town, June 21, 1787; and was baptized by my vene



rable predecessor, 8th of July following. He received
no other education than that which he obtained under
the parental roof, and at the public schools in this
place. In consequence of an early and marked impediment in his speech, which was deemed a bar to
his success in either of the professions, he was compelled to forego the advantages of a collegiate course,
to renounce the idea of that professional life to which
his family seemed born and were destined, and devote
himself to business. And here in the very beginning,
in connection with his infirmity, we find an illustration of those qualities which were his most striking
characteristics. He submitted to the necessity without a murmur, with the loss of none of the sweetness
and affectionateness of his nature. Not only so, but,
through energy and perseverance, he so entirely overcame the defect, so obtained the mastery of his organs,
in private and in public, that no one would have
suspected his early infirmity, if tradition had not preserved the memory of it.
At the age of fourteen, he became an apprentice in
the store of his relative, the late Hon. Daniel Waldo,
whose strict habits of business, whose unwavering integrity and hearty personal interest in the inmates of
his shop, had a marked influence upon their character. This worthy man, unable to escape the feelings




9
of personal responsibleness for those entrusted to his
guardianship, could not satisfy his high notions of
duty merely by the fulfilment of the required service
during the hours of business, but, according to the
good customs of those days, made them the inmates
of his own family, and the sharers of his domestic
pleasures; and, as there are living witnesses to testify,
followed them in their inexperience and early conflicts, with an interest that never abated, and a prompt
kindness that was never exhausted. In such a school
Mr. Lincoln was faithfully taught. He incurred obligations of respect and affection, which subsequent
years were too short to repay. He acquired habits of
order which never forsook him, and a readiness in
and devotion to business which followed him to the
day of his death.
After terminating his apprenticeship, he opened a
store on his own account in this place. But at that
period there were public interests which engrossed the
public mind, and absorbed all private concerns. We
were in the midst of the war of 1812; and in all our
homes were anxiety and distress, of which the present generation cannot adequately conceive; for war
waged on our borders with the most powerful nation on the globe is a very different thing from war
carried on with a feeble people, on their own soil, at
2




10
the distance of half the continent.  The channels of
intercourse were interrupted, the avenues of industry
were stopped, ships were rotting in our harbors, and
hundreds of families were cut off from  the usual
means of subsistence. Ruin stared our people in the
face, and gloom  and despondency hung over their
minds.  English ships of war hovered around our
coasts, were seen from our headlands, and threatened
to bombard our cities. An actual invasion of Boston
was seriously apprehended, and a requisition was
made on the military companies of the interior to
hasten to its defence. Col. Lincoln was at that time
the Commander of the Light Infantry of this town.
With energy and almost unequalled despatch, he,
with his command, was already on his march; but
not, as they believed, to any holiday review. It was
a mustering for a more serious work. And, that we
may learn how seriously it was regarded, we need
only be told that it was a sabbath morning, and
solemn divine service was held in presence of the
company on the day of their departure; and again,
on their return six weeks after, in the same public
manner, there was an offering of public thanks, as if
they had escaped some dread and imminent peril. On
this occasion, our fellow-townsman particularly distinguished himself for his zeal, activity, and devotion,




11
and won for himself the confidence and personal regards of the Executive of the Commonwealth.
In 1824, Col. Lincoln was chosen Representative to
the General Court, and, in 1825, one of the Selectmen
of the town; and, from that time to the day of his
death, almost without interruption, he was engaged
in the service of the town, county, or commonwealth, or all. Representative for four years, he became a Senator, and served as many more. In both
branches of the Legislature, we are told that "he
was ever regarded as one of the best of all the members, for practical ability, sound judgment, and unfaltering fidelity to the public interests." In the county,
he was for many years the Chairman of the Board of
Commissioners; and we are indebted to no one more
than to him for the spacious and well-adapted highways that diverge from our city, and afford facilities of
intercourse between village and village. He was the
projector of the canal which connected our city with
the ocean; and which, though now yielding to better
means of communication, contributed essentially to
our early prosperity.  He was for seven years the
High Sheriff of the county; and, during all this
period, there was a confidence, a sense of protection
in his well-known promptness and energy, that was
never for a moment shaken.  Whatever might




12
threaten from  the boldness of evil-doers and the
turbulence of human passion, all looked to his welltried courage, and felt assured that his presence, and
a word from his lips, would quell the tumult of excitement, and restore peace. The reckless offender
quailed before his calm eye; and, though he had
hitherto defied the law, he retired from its minister
now, alarmed and rebuked. As the President of an
Insurance Company, as the Director of a Bank and
Railroad Company, and as a Municipal Officer, he was
trusted, because he was ever found competent and
faithful. It was not safe to call in question the wisdom of his measures, for it was not easy to propose
better; and it would have been base to charge him
with sacrificing the least public interest to a private
end, or with turning a hair's-breadth from the line of
duty for a party purpose; for I am confident, that, in
all his public relations, he was above suspicion, as he
was above reproach; and that, by common acknowledgment, a more able, faithful, and devoted public
servant has not been among us.
But I pass over these, though men of affairs find
in his habits of business much to commend, and
speak of the amount of his public services with fond
affection. I dwell upon two or three examples of his
wise forecast and disinterested devotion to the public




13
welfare, the results, if not the labors, of which you
can appreciate.
Col. Lincoln was, at the time of his death, the President of the Agricultural Society of this county.
This fact will indicate the direction of his tastes, and
the appreciation in which he was held. From early
manhood, he took pleasure in the labors of husbandry,
and loved to steal away from the confinement of the
office, the counting-house, and the court-room, to commune with nature in her milder aspects, and find
relief and gratification in watching the varied productions of field and orchard, from early springtime to
latest harvest. He loved to look on the meadows
which had been reclaimed, and the hill-sides which
waved with the standing grain.  He loved to be
the owner of fine cattle, both great and small, and
to contemplate improved breeds, of large and fairest
proportions. Nor was he a mere observer only: he
was an experimenter also. He sought to make his
farm  a model farm.  He furnished himself with a
choice collection of agricultural books; he craved
knowledge near and from afar; he introduced the
improvements of others; he made improvements of
his own; and there was no one who hailed with more
satisfaction, or contributed more substantial aid to, the
progress of all that relates to good husbandry. In




14
the promotion of its interests, he spared no labor, and
grudged no expense; and so competent was he
deemed, that one of the last services to which he
was appointed was that of Commissioner on the
Board of Agriculture recently established in this
Commonwealth. And so it was that the Agricultural
Society, over which he was called to preside, was an
object of his pride and affection. He dwelt with fond
satisfaction on the good which it had accomplished,
on the encouragement which it had afforded the husbandman in his labors, and the more abundant harvests with which it had rewarded them.  And he
looked forward with sanguine expectation to the still
more extended usefulness of the Association.  Its
interests were very dear to him; and, amid the pains
of a wasting sickness, his ever-active brain was teeming with plans for the advancement of its prosperity.
A little incident will illustrate the habits of his mind,
as well as his devotion to this object. A short time
before his death, a parcel of land had been purchased
for the use of the Society.  It was a consummation
which he had devoutly desired, and which afforded
him very sincere gratification. But scarcely had the
grateful news reached his ears, when at once, without
a moment's delay, without leaving the desk at which
he sat, he drew a plan of the building which he con



15
ceived should be erected on it, and was impatient to
see the work already begun.  In this cause, as in
every other, he possessed not a little of that prompt
energy so admired in the African traveller, who, when
asked at what early day he would commence his voyage of discovery, replied, " To-morrow." Col. Lincoln
loved the profession whose interests he had espoused:
it fell in with his settled tastes. He saw a good to
be accomplished, and he could not brook delay. And
was he not right   Is not improvement in our fields
and flocks a positive good and a positive gain on the
score of human happiness?  It may seem a small
thing, scarcely worth the pains, to make one spire of
grass grow where none grew before, or to make the
acre yield two where it only yielded one measure
before; but times and changing seasons justify the
expenditure, and proclaim the greatness of the benefaction. She who first carried a handful of wheat
into Europe may have seemed to do no great thing in
her day; but she is now acknowledged as the. benefactress to her race by the wavings of a thousand
wheat-fields, and by the echoes of a thousand harvest
homes. Mary Stuart was not noticed when she bore
a willow wand from her beloved France to Scotland;
but that one act is now commemorated in a hundred
quiet nooks, and finds fitting memorial in the grateful




16
shade which falls upon Scotland's dead in a hundred
village grave-yards. And is not he worthy of being
remembered, who, not only in one but in multiplied
ways, for half a century, has endeavored to lighten
the labors of the husbandman,- has sought out and
brought for his use the fairest of the field and flock,
compelled our sterile soil to be fruitful, and scattered
abundance and grace and beauty all around?  Col.
Lincoln has done something for a cause that was dear
to him. Let me add, he meditated much more. Had
he been spared in health and vigor, I have reason to
know that he would have been foremost in securing
schools of agriculture, which, if they ever be established, will elevate the mechanical occupation of the
farmer into a science, and give it a first place among
the liberal sciences.
Another object that deeply interested the mind and
heart of Col. Lincoln was the moral condition of the
inmates of our prisons.  The philanthropy of our
times had not utterly neglected and forsaken this
portion of our race.  The prisons of New England
had ceased, to a large extent, to be schools of depravity, - the dark, damp, dreary places, where hope
never came that comes to all.  Benevolent individuals had, from time to time, found their way into
them; means of moral and religious culture had




17
been occasionally afforded the inmates; but to him
are we pre-eminently indebted for the first instance of
a county prison in which the chaplain was one of the
constituted officers, and in which moral and religious
instruction was statedly given at the public expense.
Such an office had existed, and such instruction had
been given, in the State Penitentiary, where convicts,
perhaps hardened in crime, are confined for a long period of years. Col. Lincoln was the first to see what
a chaplaincy might accomplish under other and more
favorable circumstances. He was the first to perceive
that the young offender, whose cheek yet mantled
with shame at the thought of a first offence, who yet
remembered his early home and the lessons of his
childhood, and in whom the desire of being good had
not all died out, - he was the first to perceive, that
such a one, kindly visited in the solitude of his cell,
and tenderly entreated in the sabbath lesson, might be
greatly benefited, perhaps reclaimed, by the labors of
a permanent ministry in the place. Wisely and well
he judged; for, under the wholesome influences now
brought within its walls, our prison has become, what
Latimer once said of the English prisons, when they
were crowded with English confessors and martyrs,
" a right good school of Christian piety."  It has
become, I am sure, a school of reform. I know that
3




18
many who entered those cells, convicted or suspected
felons, touched by the proofs of sympathy and the
words of kindness and the prayer of faith, have been
melted and won. Countenances brutalized by indulgence have been awed into reverence, and lips familiar with oaths have learned to breathe the language
of devotion; and men who have come outcasts from
social sympathies have gone forth redeemed and regenerated.  I can testify to the large, liberal, and
untiring interest which the late Sheriff manifested on
this subject; how he obtained the necessary acts of
legislation; how he procured the appointment of a
chaplain, selected from his own library moral and
religious books, and afforded his hearty co-operation
to a band of devoted teachers, who voluntarily gave
their sabbath morning's hour to the services of the prisoners. How noble, whole-hearted, and disinterested
was his whole bearing there, remote alike from all
chilling reserve and all vexatious interference! He
might have gone there at stated seasons simply as the
minister of the law, and, by means of bar and bolt,
have accomplished all that the law required; but he
went rather as the minister of mercy. He never relaxed a single rule of the prison; he was stern in the
execution of every duty; yet so gentle was he, and
considerate towards all, that he never lost the respect




19
and affection of any. He would dash into the midst
of an excited mob, where blood was flowing, seize the
offender in the rpidst of his reckless companions, and
quell the tumult by a single word; and yet, when
compelled to execute the sad sentence of the law,
he would weep over the awful necessity, and employ
another hand to do what he had not the heart to do
by his own. In the way of duty, I have no doubt he
would march to the cannon's mouth; yet he would
walk the wards, and perform the ungrateful task of
the jailor, with a woman's tenderness. IHe would awe
the most hardened by a look, and still the most abandoned by a wave of his hand; yet, when the clergyman chanced to be absent, he would read the sermon
with the meekness and solemnity of one born at the
altar and for the pulpit. He won the regards of his
associates, and reciprocated most sincerely the feelings
which he awakened.  He was often heard to express
the deep satisfaction which the gift of a Bible, a token
of personal regard, from the teachers of the Sundayschool in the prison, afforded him.  Coming from
members of a communion differing from his own, it
was peculiarly grateful to him. He won the affections also of the prisoners. Through him they became prisoners of hope. Among those who mourn
because this staff of strength is broken, and this rod




20
of beauty, none will mourn more sincerely than
they.
Let me offer one more illustration, perhaps it is the
most striking of all, of the peculiarities of Col. Lincoln. I refer to the noble act, for which he will be
remembered longest, and for which, when his other
good deeds are forgotten, he will receive the tribute of
the widow's gratitude and the orphan's tears. Bear
in mind who and what he was, and then behold the
strength of his purpose and the goodness of his heart.
He had never experienced the bitterness of orphanage; he had been nursed in plenty. He had never
had a wife, - had never looked upon the face, or wept
over the loss, of a child. Stern duties called him away
into scenes where childhood never enters; yet who
among us was touched with so warm a sympathy for
the houseless and homeless of our city? Who gave
so largely, and furnished with such hearty good-will
the "Home" which opens wide its doors, and affords
the shelter of its roof to the neglected and forsaken?
When our benevolent ladies, successors of those who
adorned the early annals of our faith, true Sisters of
Charity, had gone out into the streets and gathered
together the orphaned, had fed the hungry, clothed
the naked, and nursed the sick; and now, exhausted




21
of their resources, appealed to our compassion,when the poor children
"Looked up with their pale and sunken faces,
And their looks were sad to see;
Your old earth, they say, is very dreary;
Our young feet, they say, are very weak!" -
who heard this cry, and responded most nobly to this
appeal? It was our kind-hearted friend, whose heart
has now ceased to beat, and whose hand has done its
last work of kindness. He heard the cry, and responded most nobly to the appeal, - not by words of
pity, - not by expressions of sympathy, - not by
communicating his thought or his feeling to any one
on earth.  That was not his way.  He never told
you how much he loved you, nor how much he was
interested in any given object; but he dropped the
token of his affection in your path, left the gift before
the altar, and went his way.  So, when he looked
upon the pale and sunken faces of these children;
when he learned how much had been done for them,
and what were now their great needs,   he did not
express aloud his pity, and proclaim his purpose, but
went to work to provide a spacious home, personally
directed all the arrangements, personally procured
what in his judgment was most suitable and needful,
and then as quietly and unostentatiously recorded his
deed of gift, and placed it in the hands of the guar



22
dians of the institution; thus, in the surest and most
substantial way, laying the foundations of an asylum
which will be a glory in our city, and providing a
home for the homeless in all time.
From these incidents in the life of our deceased fellow-worshipper, I think it will be easy to obtain some
conception of what he was. He was a strong man,
-one of the strongest, if not the strongest, we have
had among us. Not perhaps in eloquent speech or
power of expression, for he was not gifted in that
way; though when he spoke he was listened to with
attention, for he had something to say. Not perhaps
in pre-eminent sagacity, though he was clear-headed
and far-sighted: he could look quite through a subject, and knew how to adapt means to ends. The
mental quality which distinguished him  above all
others was an amazing executive talent, an unsurpassed ability to accomplish what he undertook.
Nothing seemed too arduous for him to attempt, or
too difficult for him to achieve: if it were practicable
for any one, he would accomplish it. But with his
energy there was no restlessness, no nervous excitability. His step was measured, and his language deliberate.  His was a calmness, a tranquillity, but
withal a decisiveness, as if the time for argument
were over, and the time for action had come. Some




23
who knew him little, called this obstinacy, self-will;
and perhaps at times it was, for the oak is gnarled,
not the poplar. But others, who knew him better,
said it was only a firm reliance on his own clear judgment, and an invincible purpose, which no threats nor
entreaties could divert, to follow his convictions of
duty. There was within him a deep internal principle of right, and he could no more disregard this than
he could deny his own being. During his last sickness, in a half-conscious state, - one of those moods
of the spirit induced by his great bodily weakness, 
he expressed what I would now indicate as most significant of himself: "Be sure," he said, "you are
right, and then go ahead."
This principle of right was also the groundwork of
his moral character. He could not do a mean or dishonest act. I never heard his integrity doubted, or
the purity of his motives called in question. He was
tried by the reverses of fortune. He met with losses;
his prospects were overcast, and his affairs involved
by the failure of others. He was tried by the harder
trial of prosperity.  He enjoyed the confidence of
friends and the public, and obtained the gratification
of his most ambitious desires. But, alike in storm
and sunshine, in prosperity and adversity, he was
the same man.  No extravagance was remembered




24
against him in the days of his success; no mean evasions were charged against him in the season of his
reverses.  Simple and inexpensive in his habits,
trusted and honored alike under each changing circumstance, he himself remained unchanged, - never
unduly elated, never unduly depressed. He sought
to be faithful where the Providence of God placed
him. With each day came the duty and the trial;
and in no condition of trial did he find an apology
for a neglect of the duty. When he was very sick,
the relative who constantly attended him proposed
to remain with him, instead of going abroad, on the
usual day devoted to some work of charity.  But
no! feeble as he was, scarcely able to lift his hand,
he reminded her of the day and of the work, earnestly
adding, "Never neglect a duty."  He never neglected
his.
But this principle of right, which formed the
groundwork of his character, was not an abstraction.
It had a foundation in something deeper than itself,
- in a profound sentiment of reverence, which seemed
to give a coloring to his whole nature, and to pervade
his whole being.  He revered this, the city of his
birth. Every object in the landscape, every relic of
its former days, every token of its prosperity, its good
name and good estate, were dear to him. These hills




25
were dear because he had looked on them so long;
these woods and fields and streams, because they
were associated with the aspirations of his youth;
and these noble structures for the public use, because
they were a part of the labors of his life. He revered the large company of his kindred and friends,
the friends of his childhood, and his father's friends;
and, once loving, he was unyielding in his attachments, faithful in his friendships, even unto death.
Obstinate in his prejudices, never strong in the profession, he was never stinted in the tokens of his
attachment. He did not proclaim how dear the city
was to him; but everywhere, in the field and in the
market, in the grateful shade of the trees by day, and
in the brilliancy of the lamps by night, he gave proofs
of his regard. He never told his friends how much
he loved them; but they were left to infer, by little
acts of kindness constantly repeated, by a compliance
with their wishes promptly afforded, how much they
were on his heart.  He had a deep reverence for
things sacred,  for the sabbath, for the sanctuary,
for the Scriptures, for Christ, and for God. The sentiment was unaffected and profound. Perhaps its very
depth prevented an expression through the ordinances,
which he might well have given. This I am sure of,
he would not be suspected of professing what he did
4




26
not feel: he did feel more than he professed. When
he was in health, he was always here on the sabbath,
forenoon and afternoon. His bearing was always reverential. What was said of Priestley might be said
of him, that, when he took the name of God upon his
lips, whose presence he recognized by day, and whose
guardianship by night, it was with an emotion of
awe. He paused ere he uttered the word. It was
not in his nature to talk of himself, of his hopes or
his fears. During his long sickness, he made no con"
fessions, but evinced his filial trust by the unequalled
patience with which he bore his excruciating and protracted pains. Dying, he proclaimed his fitness for
the world to which he has gone, by the scrupulous
fidelity with which, to the very last, he discharged the
duties of the world in which he lived.
And so he is gone. The strong staff is broken, and
the beautiful rod. He who has been so long associated with the affairs of this city, county, and commonwealth, - he whose fertile mind projected, and
whose prompt energy carried to their completion, so
many measures of public utility, - he whose good
name was a public property, and whose presence in the
midst of us gave a sense of protection, - the good citizen, the faithful friend, the devout fellow-worshipper,
-is gone. Gone the man of enterprise, of a strong




27
will and a large heart! He has disappeared from our
public assemblies, the places of business, and the retirements of his home.  He has been borne from
these portals to our garden of sepulchres; and there
was mourning, and a great multitude attended his
burial. His body now lies in the bosom of the earth
which he loved to till, while the awed and trusting
spirit has gone up with its account to the God that
gave it.
Softly, then, may the turf lie upon that heart; for
it had wide and generous sympathies. Gently now
fall the leaves of autumn upon that new-made grave;
for he who sleeps there dealt not harshly, but kindly
with all. Hallowed the dust which reposes there;
for he who tenanted it was reverential and devout.
To-day our thoughts and affections cluster around it,
sad and sorrowing.  To-morrow, ay, when seasons
have come and gone, silent forms will gather there,
and breasts will heave and eyes be suffused with tears,
as that manly frame and honest countenance revive in
their recollection. The friend will linger there to
dwell upon him whose friendship never failed, and the
stranger to bless him who did so much to relieve the
hard labors of the field, to reclaim the waywardness
of his youth, and to provide a home for his orphanage
in childhood. Ever fragrant the memory which is




28
embalmed in good deeds,- ever fresh the savor of
his name, which is inscribed by a loving service on
living hearts.
Meanwhile, let us thank God that he has been
among us, and was enabled to accomplish so much in
his day and generation. His errors, whatever they
were, let them be buried. But let his virtues and his
good services be recorded here for the comfort and
solace of his surviving kindred; for the grateful contemplation of the old, who were his cotemporaries;
and for the encouragement and incitement of the
young, who hasten to occupy the places and receive
the trusts which he has left. The mention of the
righteous shall not fail; they shall be in everlasting
remembrance.




APPEND IX.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORCESTER LIGHT INFANTRY COM.
PANY IN RELATION TO THE DEATH OF COL. LINCOLN.
AT the monthly meeting of the Worcester Light Infantry,
held on the 6th instant, the following resolutions were
adopted: -
" Resolved, That the Worcester Light Infantry receive the melancholy announcement of the decease of Col. John W. Lincoln,
a past commander, with feelings of the deepest regret.
" Resolved, That in him were combined all the qualities of gentleman, citizen, and soldier. Always affable and courteous as a
gentleman, honest, kind, and public-spirited as a citizen, and firm
and patriotic as a soldier, his acquaintances deplore the loss of a
most agreeable companion, the community an efficient and devoted
member, and we a firm  friend, benevolent patron, and most
respected past commander.
" Resolved, That, under all circumstances, he has been the firm
and consistent friend of the military system, laboring for its advancement and perfection with a characteristic devotion. That in
him a bright star has fallen from the military constellation, and a
firm pillar been taken from the militia edifice; but the consolation
remains, that his' good deeds live after him,' which neither time
nor circumstances can sully, but shall shine with increasing lustre
as time advances.
" Resolved, That we sympathize deeply with tie many friends
of the deceased, and will wear the customary military badges of
mourning.
"PER ORDER oF W. L. I."




30
RESOLUTIONS OF THE STOCKHOLDERS OF THE
WORCESTER BANK.
At the annual meeting of Stockholders of the Worcester
Bank on Friday last, the decease of Hon. John W. Lincoln, a member of the Board of Directors, to which he
was first elected on the 5th of October, 1829, having been
announced, -
"Voted, That the Stockholders of the Worcester Bank hold in
grateful remembrance the long and faithful services of the late
Hon. John W. Lincoln, as one of the Directors of said Bank, and
would record their high sense of his character as a man, justly
honored by his fellow-citizens for his distinguished ability and
moral worth; and would hereby tender their sympathies to the
family of the deceased.
" Voted, That a copy of the foregoing, duly authenticated, be
communicated to the family of the deceased, and be offered for
publication to the several newspapers printed in this city.
"From the Records of the Stockholders,
" WILLIAM Coss, Clerk.
"Worcester, Oct. 11, 1852."
AGRICULTURAL NOTICES.
The following resolutions were adopted at the annual
festival of the Worcester West Agricultural Society, a few
days before his death:" Resolved, That the members of this Society have received,
with the most unfeigned sorrow, intelligence that the protracted
illness from which the Hon. John W. Lincoln has been suffering,
is hourly expected to terminate in the death of that eminent citizen and distinguished friend of agriculture.
" Resolved, That to him, as much or more than any other man,
have the great interests of agriculture in our county and commonwealth been indebted; and that we, the members of the Worcester
County West Agricultural Society, extend to him, while yet he
lingers with us, our warmest thanks for his valuable contributions
to and devoted labors in this most important branch of human
industry."




31
At a meeting of the Trustees of the Worcester Agricultural Society, held in Worcester, on Thursday, the 7th day
of October, A. D. 1852, it was"Resolved, That the Trustees of the Worcester County Agricultural Society lament with unfeigned sorrow the death of Hon.
John Waldo Lincoln, their honored and beloved President.
"Resolved, That to his efforts and industry much is due for the
success with which the affairs of the Society have been heretofore
conducted.
" Voted, That said Resolutions be recorded by the Secretary
on the books of this Board.
A copy,                   " W. S. LINCOLN, Rec. Sec."
From  a thorough article on the life and services of Col.
Lincoln, in the "New England Farmer," the following are
extracted: 
" In no department of labor had Col. Lincoln been more useful
than in his devotion to the interests of agriculture; and, in later
life, his desire for the promotion of agricultural improvement
amounted to no less than a ruling passion.... He distinguished
himself by the science and practical skill with which he employed
irrigation.... In improvements in breeds of agricultural animals, he was among the foremost of his cotemporaries. Various
experiments were in progress upon his farm at the time of his
decease, which, had he lived to carry them out, would have elicited important facts contributing to the settlement of some
mooted questions in agriculture.  Among the improvements he
intended to enter upon this present season was the employment
of a competent chemist, to make a full analysis of the different
soils composing his farm, so that afterwards modes of culture
might be adopted which are fitted to the capabilities and wants
of each field.... Two years ago, he succeeded his worthy brother,
Ex-Gov. Lincoln, in the office of President of the Worcester
County Agricultural Society. He immediately showed his talent
at originating important measures, by putting on foot some experiments, in the name of the Society, calculated to throw light on
undetermined matters in agriculture; and he had mostly matured




32
other plans of operation for the Society, which, in their practical
workings and results, would unquestionably have proved useful,
and commanded very general attention among agriculturalists
throughout the country."
It may be added to this, that an essay of Col. Lincoln
on the feeding of cattle had a wide circulation among
agriculturalists in this country, and was deemed of such
distinguished merit that it was republished in England.
WORCESTER COUNTY PRISON.
"Under the superintendence of the late High Sheriff Lincoln,
it is well known that the prison and its management had been
placed on a basis approaching as near to perfection as such an
institution can well be. Every thing about the establishment is
indicative of the excellence of his administration.
"In the prison chapel last sabbath morning, as on every sabbath morning, were assembled the inmates of the institution, —
all of them tidily and cleanly dressed, and all intent upon the
exercises of the occasion. The school ordinarily numbers about
seventy, classed under the instruction of some fifteen teachers." -
Daily Transcript, Aug. 21, 1851.
The following is the letter accompanying the presentation of the Bible referred to in the text:
" Worcester, Aug. 11, 1851.
" Hon. John W. Lincoln, late Sheriff of the County of Worcester.
" Dear Sir, - The undersigned, teachers in the Sabbath-school
in the county prison, ask the privilege to leave with you, on your
retirement from your official connection with the institution, and
particularly with the Sabbath-school, over which you have so
long and so faithfully exercised a supervision, some slight testimonial of the high consideration in which we hold your well-directed
efforts in that department of your public trust, as well as your
personal friendship; and we can bring to our minds nothing
which we deem more appropriate than the Bible.




33
"Accept then, dear sir, at our hands, this' precious treasure.'
It is the' best gift,' in our estimation, which we can offer you;
and, with it, permit us to offer you the assurance that our prayers
for you will be, that the good which you have done, and may yet
be instrumental in accomplishing, may be had in'everlasting
remembrance.'
"Truly and respectfully yours,
" NATHAN MUZZY,      WILLIAM P. SMITH,
HENRY GRIFFIN,      ENOCH HALL,
LEVI CLAPP,         EDWARD BEMIS,
JOHN P. BAKER,      SIMEON CLAPP,
ICHABOD WASHBURN,   LEE SPRAGUE,
JOHN CHENEY,        A, G. WOOD,
MOSES BRIGHAM,      JONATHAN GARY."
ORPHANS' HOME.
By a deeddated Nov. 24, 1851, Col. Lincoln made a gift
to the Worcester Children's Friends' Society, for their perpetual use, of his estate on Pine-street, valued at about five
thousand dollars.