iiyxo-a-Vlu.^ 
 
 SERMON, 
 
 DELIVERED 
 
 By Rev. Dr. SNKLL, 
 
 ON THE LAST SABBATH IN JUNE, 1838, 
 WHICH COMPLETED * 
 
 THE FORTIETH YEAR OF HIS MINISTRY 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 A BRIEF HISTOR.Y OF THE TOWN, 
 
 AND ESPECIALLY 
 
 OF THE CHURCH AND PARISH, 
 OF NORTH BROOKFIELD, 
 
 FROM 1793 TO THE PRESENT TIME. 
 
 " Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us." — Psalms, Ixxviii. 3. 
 
 BROOKFIELD: 
 
 E. AND L. MERRIAM, PRINTERS. 
 
 1838. 
 
SERMON, 
 
 DELIVERED 
 
 By Rev. Dr. SNKLL, 
 
 on the last sabbath in june, 1838, 
 
 WHICH COMPLETED 
 
 TPIE FORTIETH YEAR OF HIS MINISTRY; 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TOWN, 
 
 AND ESPECIALLY 
 
 OF THE CHURCH AND PARISH, 
 OF NORTH BROOKFIELD, 
 
 FROM 1798 TO THE PRESENT TIME. 
 
 " Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us." — Psalms, Ixxviii. 3. 
 
 BROOKFIELD: 
 
 E. AND L. MERRIAM, PRINTERS. 
 
 1838. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS 
 AT AMHERST 
 
 UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 Special Collections & Rare Books 
 
 were appointeil 
 your discourse, 
 opy for publica- 
 an Appendix or 
 
 Committee. 
 
 NOTICE. 
 
 Any one who shall read the following Discourse, w.U perceive that it was written and i. 
 now pubUshed for local purposes-for the inka.itants of ^-'^.^'"-'^^ t:!'".,: Di" 
 preserve same facts which may be uiteresting to future generations. -Wher.Core the D.s- 
 rrse is not expected to excite any interest amongst those who arc stranger, to the place, 
 especially, in its minute details. 
 
SERMON. 
 
 PSALM cxxvi. 3. 
 
 THE LORD HATH DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US, WHEREOF WE ARE 
 GLAD. 
 
 The Jews had been carried into captivity by their enemies, be- 
 cause they had rebelled against the Lord. They had been taken 
 by the heathen, and planted amongst them, far away from their be- 
 loved country, and city, and temple, and religious privileges. Se- 
 venty years after their captivity, though according to divine predic- 
 tions, Cyrus, who ascended the throne of Persia, issued a procla- 
 mation for the return of the Jews to their own country and the 
 rebuilding of the Temple for the worship of the true God. This 
 proclamation was so unexpected to most of the Jews that it seemed 
 more like a pleasing dream than a reality. Their mouth was filled 
 with laughter and their tongue with singing, when they contemplated 
 their restoration, so unexpected and extraordinary, and so congenial 
 to their feelings. Even the heathen noticed the good hand of God 
 in the event — while the Jews themselves cried with thankful hearts, 
 " The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." 
 On seeing how God had turned their captivity according to his word 
 of promise, they could not but rejoice and speak of their happy deli- 
 verance with gladness of heart. While Cyrus proclaimed their resto- 
 ration, these pious people would ascribe it to the good hand of God 
 whose agency is concerned even in the fall of a sparrow. In every de- 
 liverance, in every favor, in every change, the pious mind never rests, 
 till it arrives to the all-controlling agency of the great Supreme, which 
 makes every event to speak an intelligible langu-age, calling the suf- 
 ferer to humiliation, and the unworthy recipient of favors to gratitude 
 and obedience. For the worshippers of the true God, who, for their 
 sins, had been torn from their country to dwell among the heathen 
 
4 
 
 far away from all they valued, to be again restored to their own city 
 and temple and freedom, was a great thing, which might well fill their 
 hearts with rejoicing. It was a very delightful and surprising event — 
 one of great interest to them as a people, as the church of God, and 
 as a nation ; while an event that illustrated the mercy and faithfulness 
 of their Great Redeemer. 
 
 Most things are great or small, only in way of comparison. " The 
 Lord hath done great things for us." But what are the interests of 
 an individual, compared with those of a whole town, embracing many 
 hundreds of individuals 'I What the interests of a town compared 
 with those of a state ? What those of an individual state compared 
 with an empire, or the world? Still the world is made up of empires, 
 empires of states, states of districts, and districts of individuals. Take 
 all the individuals away and where will be the empires ? The events 
 however, which fill up the life of an individual, or which go to make 
 up the history of a single town or parish, form an item, and it may be, 
 •an important item, in the history of our world. In the history of 
 Pope's Creeck, in Westmoreland, Virginia, you will find recorded in 
 1732, the birth of the Hero of the American Revolution, the want of 
 whose history would occasion an awful blank in that of this country. 
 The history of Lexington for 1775, embraces an event which had 
 most important bearings upon the history of this nation. The history 
 of Eisleben in Germany, presents you with the birth of a child in 
 3483, a very common event, besure ; but it v,'as the birth of Luther, 
 the father of the Reformation, who by his talents, learning, and 
 piety, united with his fortitude, firmness, and devotion, broke the 
 Papal yoke from off the necks of millions and shook to its founda- 
 tions the throne of the man of sin. The small city of Bethlehem 
 was rendered forever memorable, by the birth of the babe in the 
 iTianger, whither the star guided the wise men of the East, for he was 
 the Savior of the world — the Eternal Word made flesh, the brightness 
 of God's glory. But if none of the events v/hich transpire in a 
 single parish, have any such serious bearing upon the state of a na- 
 tion, or fill such a space in the history of the world, still they are 
 interesting to those in whose days and under whose eye they happen, 
 and may stand connected with greater events in prospect, and even 
 with the future history and everlasting destiny of thousnnds. 
 
 The events which, in this town, have filled up the last forty years, 
 have no very special interest, perhaps, above those which occurred in 
 some other forty years of our history ; yet since they have all passed 
 
under my ministry, there may be Some propriety in calling them to 
 remembrance on this day, which closes the fortieth year of«iy labors 
 among you, as a Religious Teacher. It may be well to consider the 
 way in which the Lord has led us, and all the great things he has 
 done for us, that we may be glad and give glory to his name. 
 
 Forty years next Wednesday will have elapsed, since I was ordain- 
 ed Pastor of the church of Christ in the North Parish of Brookfield. 
 The ordaining council consisted of the Rev. Dr. Fiske, Rev. Messrs, 
 Eli Forbes, Joshua Paine, Ephraim Ward, Joseph Pope, Elisha Fish, 
 Charles Backus, Daniel Tomlinson and John Fiske, together with 
 delegates from their respective churches. Long since, they have all, 
 with the exception of the last two, ceased from their labors and been 
 housed in the grave, awaiting the trump of the Archangel. That 
 day, the 27th of June 1798, was to me, and to this church and people, 
 a solemn day. I did not then, neither do I now^ fully realize hoio 
 solemn and interesting, since the high relations then established have 
 by the good providence of God been so long continued — much longer 
 than we had reason to anticipate. In my own case is to be found 
 the second instance in the Commonwealth, in which a Minister was 
 settled with conditions respecting his dismission. Judging from the 
 continuance of this connection for so many years, and through so 
 many and such various changes, in concerns so exciting, we should 
 not conclude that conditions of settlement properly guarded, are very 
 unfavorable to the permanency of the pastoral relation. If a general 
 and serious dissatisfaction with a minister exist, which cannot be 
 removed, a dissolution of the relation ought to be, and will be, ef- 
 fected, let him be settled as he may. And no minister should con- 
 sent to hold his relation to a people to their evident injury. 
 
 I said that my ministry had continued longer than we had reason 
 to anticipate. Whether our expectations were founded on your past 
 experience, or upon observation. Brookfield Association embraces 
 18 churches, one recently organized and which has settled a Pastor, 
 two others without an acting Pastor, but who are about to re-settle 
 the Christian ministry amongst them ; and other two which continue 
 under the charge of Pastors whom they settled forty years since : and 
 still in these 18 churches there have been settled during my ministry 
 4G ministers. If you take from the 18, the church recently organiz- 
 ed and the two who retain their Pastors, the average number of Pas- 
 tors each of the rest would have received in 40 years, would be three : 
 one in every thirteen years and four months. None of tlie 15 have 
 
settled less than two Pastors, and some five ; or one every eight years. 
 This frequent change of ministers, the confident opinion of profess- 
 edly wise men to the contrary notwithstanding, is one of the most 
 serious evils under which the churches are laboring at the present 
 day. A fickle minded people, who make all goodness, or the cause 
 of all goodness, to consist in novelty and excitenient, may delight in 
 such a constant succession of changes : but these changes, in fact, 
 interrupt and hinder the execution of important plans of benevolence 
 and improvement, stand in the way of attachments strengthened by 
 time and interchange of kind offices, and prevent an accumulating 
 good influence from being exerted to the stability of the church and 
 the fixedness of steady habits. This is not the only evil of such rapid 
 changes ; for it has a ruinous effect upon the minds of most Ministers. 
 While their opportunities for study are diminished, their temptations 
 to neglect it are increased. With a very little intellectual furniture, 
 and a few sermons comprising all their divinity, and about all their 
 ideas, they make their way among the churches. Their pond is soon 
 empty, and when out, they move to a new scene of lazy labor, except 
 what consists in vociferation, or uninteresting repetitions. Men thus 
 become barren and lean, feeling but little interest themselves, and 
 exciting little or none among their hearers. 
 
 My ministry, having been wholly confined to this people from the 
 very commencement of my preaching, extends over a period that usu- 
 ally consumes the active portion of a man's life, and gives him an 
 opportunity to witness many interesting changes, and, if in a public 
 station, changes, in which he has had an important agency, or by 
 which he has been seriously affected, no less than others. 
 
 I propose to recount some of the most interesting events, which, 
 under God's all-wise and controlling providence, have occurred dur- 
 ing the forty years I have been with you. 
 
 I. I shall begin with a brief history of this Parish, which was in- 
 corporated March 20th 1750. When party politics raged in the 
 early part of the present century, the North Parish of Brookfield 
 was incorporated into a town, by the name of North Brookfield. 
 This took place in 1812. The object was political and wholly failed ; 
 still its incorporation as a town has probably conduced to our wel- 
 fare, and certainly to our great convenience and to a reduction of 
 our annual expenses. At the time of my settlement, the scenery was 
 rural beyond almost any other town in the region, the population 
 every where very sparse, and not five, if there was one, well-finished 
 
and neatly painted house in town — and but three or four dwelling 
 houses within about half a mile of our place of worship, and that of 
 all others was a place of the greatest retirement and the most pro- 
 found silence except on the Sabbath. The spot, while far from cen- 
 tral, furnishing no eligible places for building, and there being no 
 mercantile business in town, but upon a very small scale, and but 
 one mechanic within nearly a mile, the house of worship had around 
 it, through all the week, a remarkable stillness ; unless disturbed by 
 the coming and going of the sickly, the palsied, those afflicted with 
 swellings, with broken limbs, disjointed bones, and putrid sores, and 
 the diseased of every sort, who resorted for relief, like the multitude 
 around Bethesda, and with much the same confidence of a cure, to 
 your far-famed surgeon. Dr. Jacob Kittridge, whose decease in 1813 
 was so much lamented.* The age and infirmities and consequent 
 coldness of your former house of worship, without any means of 
 warming it in severe weather, together with the distance of dwelling 
 houses except two or three, rendered the condition of the people on 
 a cold Sabbath every thing but tolerable; and the labors of the min- 
 ister wholly useless, unless to afflict his hearers with a long discourse 
 for not providing a warmer house. When almost every one was 
 anxiously looking for the close of service that he might thaw out 
 from his morning's freeze, and that desire was to be read in the 
 countenance without danger of mistake, you may well imagine, that 
 the feelings of the speaker could not be of the most pleasant sort, 
 especially, when he had spent half the week, day and night, in pre- 
 paring his discourse. I wonder that so many people then attended 
 public worship in severe weather, making their way for miles to God's 
 house, without any means of warming till the intermission. Meet- 
 ings, indeed, were comparatively thin, but far more numerous than 
 we should imagine. And now I as much wonder, that so many ab- 
 sent themselves from the sanctuary, as I then did, that so many at- 
 tended. 
 
 Every individual, who in the moderate season of the year attended 
 public worship, with the exception of some half dozen, must be either 
 a pedestrian or a horseman. For those who did not walk, there was 
 but one mode of conveyance, and that the saddle and pillion. A 
 wagon was a thing unknown, and as for chaises, there were but three 
 or four in town, and scarcely an umbrella for protection from rain. 
 
8 
 
 People of both sexes were obliged to take the storm as it was sent ; 
 and thought it no great task to walk in clusters two and three miles 
 to the sanctuary. 
 
 The inhabitants were all husbandmen — even the few mechanics, 
 who wrought at their trades merely to supply town customers, were 
 farmers upon a smaller or larger scale. There was not more than a 
 single mechanic whose ware was purchased abroad, while we were 
 wholly dependent upon other places for most kinds of mechanical 
 business, no less than for merchandise. But the time has been of 
 late in which the principal business of the people has been mechani- 
 cal, rather than agricultural ; and to this, in connection with mer- 
 chandise, have they looked as the main source of their gains.* Out- 
 ward prosperity in itself is desirable, and so is an increase in sub- 
 stance, where there is a heart to use it with gratitude and moderation,, 
 and employ it to the honor of God in promoting human happiness. 
 How much the people from being husbandmen, have increased in 
 wealth by becoming mechanics, is not a point I have labored to as- 
 certain ; yet one thing is certain, viz. poor families have very much 
 diminished within fifteen years past. Many who were very destitute,, 
 have been furnished with the means of living and of thrift, and being 
 disposed to diligently improve them, they are raised to a competency 
 far above discouragement and want. And scarcely a family in townt 
 is in real poverty, but through the blasting influence of intemperance. 
 How much the change of business has diminished helpless pauperism 
 may not by any be fully understood ; yet something has lessened this 
 bill of expense, greatly alleviated the distresses of some, and increased 
 the comforts of many others, while we are surrounded with marks of 
 general competence and prosperity. The number of the poor sup- 
 ported at public expense, has much diminished, while our population 
 has very considerably increased. 
 
 The population of the Parish 40 years ago was aboat eleven hun- 
 dred, nor did it essentially vary for nearly- tliirty years. An increase 
 was manifest about ten or twelve years since, and our census in 1837 
 gave us 1540, being an increase of more than 400. This is princi- 
 pally occasioned by the change and increase of business, which has 
 retained an)ongst us our young and enterprising n)en, while it ha& 
 drawn in others from different parts of the country. The moral cha- 
 racter of the increase of our population is generally good, owing in 
 
 * Note B. 
 
410 small measure to the course pursued and the influence exerted by 
 men who liave had the principal control of business concerns. This 
 has been done by giving preference to persons of steady and indus- 
 trious habits and correct principles, and by making sacrifices for the 
 safety of public morals. Influential men who are much in the way 
 of business and come in contact with multitudes by having them in 
 their employment, can do much to restrain the evilly disposed, to pro- 
 mote good habits and to bring in and raise up diligent and virtuous 
 men. In this way, where there are other concurring influences, 
 there may be formed a society, while pleasant, and happy, and re- 
 spectable, of great moral strength and efficiency. In order for such 
 a happy effect, leading and enterprising men must stand on the Lord's 
 side and cherish a public spirit, which is willing to make sacrifices 
 for the common good. And the want of this spirit in the leading 
 men of some places I could name, is one principal reason why such 
 a very corrupt and bad state of society is found in their vei-y heart- 
 rotten at the core. Good men of enterprise and successful busines?? 
 in a place can do very much toward keeping bad men and bad things 
 out from their bosom; and unprincipled men can do as much to 
 bring them in, and throw the influence and the management of con- 
 cerns into their hands, where it never ought to be. It is matter of 
 sincere congratulation that this religious society has so much improv- 
 ed both in point of morals, and social feelings and intercourse, no 
 less than in intelligence and religious principle. 
 
 For many years the subject of erecting a new house of worship was 
 occasionally agitated. The principal reason why the question was not 
 settled and a house built long before it was, is thought to have been an 
 expectation that it would be erected on a different and more central 
 spot. A portion of the Parish had always been dissatisfied with the 
 location, even before the frame was covered, and but few in the north 
 section of the town which was last settled, either owned or could 
 purchase a pew for their families. These facts induced tJiiii portion 
 of the people to press the subject for decision, which took place in 
 1822, and in 1823 this building was erected, and on the first day of 
 January, 1824, was publicly dedicated to God, the Father, Son and 
 Holy Ghost.* Three twentieths of the property in the Parish with- 
 drew in consequence of this movement; though contrary to their ex- 
 pectations, it cost no man a cent, unless he was pleased to purchase 
 
« 10 
 
 a seat. This enterprise was conducted with as much union and good 
 feeling as could be reasonably expected, considering how difticult it 
 is to reconcile interfering interests and jarring opinions, shaped and 
 confirmed by these very interests. No step ever did more to promote 
 the prosperity of this religious society than the erection of this Sanc- 
 tuary. The moment this house was completed and the pews sold, 
 the real estate in the society advanced ten, if not twenty, per cent. 
 The town had now an acknowledged and permanent centre, around 
 which new settlers would cluster. And probably no friend of reli- 
 gious order now laments the erection of this house. Some may think 
 that the rise of another house of worship for a different denomination 
 from the ashes of the old temple is matter of regret. But not at all. 
 The matter of regret is, that those men, and especially, those men of 
 property, who were forward in this enterprise, and professed attach- 
 ment to the spot and the denomination, should suffer the sincerity of 
 their professions to be questioned, and let their zeal die so soon, and 
 their fire all go out in smoke. Our regret is, that they forsake the 
 assembling of themselves together for the worship of God, and with- 
 hold their pecuniary aid, so much needed for the support of the gos- 
 pel. How easily could they sustain a Christian teacher, and how 
 well might they fill that place of worship, without drawing a single 
 individual from other assemblies, while they would profit their own 
 souls, bless their families, and do good to the world, by combining 
 their strength and pursuing judicious measures 1* 
 
 With a new house of worship and a more numerous population we 
 have an increased worshipping assembly. The population of the 
 town has increased a little more than one fourth in the course often 
 or -twelve years, and our worshipping assembly has increased one 
 third in the same period. Our largest assemblies in our former place 
 of worship, numbered 400 ; our largest now, exceed 600. When 
 we were rearing this House of God, some objected to its dimensions 
 as exceeding the demand of our population. But we have found the 
 place too strait for us — we need more room — many cannot hire or 
 purchase seats as they need for their families. If we had given the 
 house a greater extension of ten feet m length and ten in breadth, 
 we should have been better aecommodated, and saved ourselves, or 
 our children, some trouble and expense. 
 
 But notwithstanding our congregation in favorable weather is large. 
 
11 
 
 and has so much increased, still it is not what it might be, nor what 
 St should be, with our population and opportunities. When preach- 
 ing was sustained a few years ago, in the other house of worship and 
 about 100 convened there, this assembly was not perceptibly dimin- 
 ished, and probably not ten who worship with us usually went te 
 make up that assembly. Where then are the people on the Sabbath 
 who constituted that meeting ? do they attend worship out of town f 
 It is to be feared that they are not generally found in any religious 
 meeting. And were these the only people who needlessly absent 
 themselves from religious worship on the Sabbath, it would be mat- 
 ter of rejoicing. There are more than 1500 souls in town. Suppos- 
 ing 50 of them attend ihe Baptist meeting in Brookfield, which is 
 probably too large an estimate ; and, to make the very best of the 
 case, there would remain 900, who on every pleasant Sabbath, mfeet 
 no where. I am not insensible that young children, and the aged 
 and infirm, the feeble and the sick, and those who nurse them, will 
 constitute a large number who cannot congregate for divine worship 
 — this number is probably not less than 400. After all, there remain 
 500 unaccounted for, enough to constitute as large an assembly as 
 we generally find in the country. This fact I state, not for the pur- 
 pose of censure or reproach — nothing of the kind. The considera- 
 tion is a very mournful one. What will become of people who thus 
 neglect the great salvation of the gospel? It is a serious question, 
 in view of an undeniable and distressing fact. 
 
 In order to see what could be done to get those out to attend public 
 worship, who were able, but not inclined, a few years since, I went into 
 different parts of the town to ascertain who and what proportion of the 
 people generally convened on the Sabbath, — what proportion were un- 
 ahh to attend on account of age, sickness, or infirmity, and what pro- 
 portion were able to go and totnt not. The number of the class last 
 mentioned, was ascertained to be several hundreds. And one fact 
 which I once stated, I would here repeat, namely, that within the lim- 
 its of this town there were more than 90 men, heads of families, who, 
 so far as could be ascertained, habitually neglected the public worship 
 of God on the Sabbath, while they were able to attend any other 
 meeting at an equal distance. It is believed the number has not di- 
 minished. This is a most astounding fact, and may raise the ques- 
 tion, " What will they do in the end of these things?" and another 
 question still : Have not Christians, the friends of God and man, of 
 the Church and their country, something more to do to bring these 
 
12 
 
 people under tlic sound of the gospel ? Suy not th;it I am reproach- 
 ing men ; it is not reproach that I deal in ; I am stating a solemn and 
 painful fact — a fact deeply affecting to every feeling mind that credits 
 the word of God, and considers the office and indispensable impor- 
 tance of religious institutions, both in reference to the final condition 
 of the undying soul and the present state of society. While there 
 has been an increase of our religious assembly on the Sabbath, there 
 has also been an increase, especially among heads of families, of 
 those who forsake the House of God, which would not continue, and 
 could not, were they but to take the matter under serious considera- 
 tion and view it in the light in which God has kindly thrown it before 
 their minds. 
 
 At the time of my settlement, the laws of the Commonwealth 
 obliged every man to pay his proportion for the support of a preached 
 gospel. This was required by our statutes upon the principle, that 
 the preached gospel is necessary to the well-being of society, — to aid 
 the magistrate in keeping the peace, — to restrain men from crime, — 
 to promote virtue and give greater security to the persons and pro- 
 perty and rights of every peaceable citizen ; — the laws required every 
 man to contribute his share in support of the public worship of God, 
 upon the same principle that he is required to contribute his share in 
 support of civil government, and that is, it is a common hcncjit. And 
 indeed, every considerate person who has looked at the subject, per- 
 ceives that the community, aside from all spiritual advantages, needs 
 the civilizing, restraining and moral influence of a preached gospel, 
 and the public worship of God. And if it be a common benefit, it 
 would be perfectly equitable to support public worship at the common 
 expense, securing to every individual the full enjoyment of the right 
 of conscience. But what would be equitable to require of others, 
 may not always be expedient. And if a preached gospel be a com- 
 mon benefit in the community, aside from its saving effects on those 
 who hear with faith, th'cn the plea that some, who neglect public 
 worship, have made for such neglect, viz., that as they pay no where, 
 they will not steal their preaching, is of no use ; for whether they 
 attend or not, they are reaping from it, in common with others, those 
 important benefits which our statutes contemplated, when they re- 
 quired every man to contribute his share. For who does not know 
 that the restraining and moral influence of a preached gospel on the 
 depraved passions of men, contributes to his personal security, com- 
 fort and prosperity, to the intellectual improvement of the young, 
 
13 
 
 and the forming of steady and virtuous habits ? What would society 
 soon become without it? So that whatever course an individual 
 takes respecting public religious instruction where he lives ; still, 
 though he does not receive all, yet he cannot fail of enjoying many 
 of its benefits at the expense of others, if not at his own. He can- 
 not avoid catching some of the temporal blessings of a preached 
 gospel ; they will come pouring down upon him, unless he escape from 
 among the people who sustain it. If he will not share in the expense, 
 still he will participate in the profits, whether he call it stealing or 
 receiving in charity. My only wish is, if they are indisposed to sup- 
 port the gospel, that they would be willing to accept the richest bless- 
 ings the gospel can impart — the choicest hopes it can inspire. 
 
 Since all were obliged to do their proportion in support of the gos- 
 pel, and must do it where they resided, unless they were connected 
 with some incorporated religious society abroad of a different deno- 
 mination, almost all the families within the limits of this town be- 
 longed to this religious society. A very few of the Baptist denomi- 
 nation belonged to the incorporated society in Brookfield, and they 
 were obliged to maintain regular preaching for six months in a year. 
 No society could then exist without public religious instruction one 
 half the time, or pay a heavy fine. So important did our laws consi- 
 der the preached gospel to the existence and welfare of civil society 
 — they viewed it as intimately connected with civilization, improve- 
 ment of intellect, preservation of peace and order and general thrift, 
 the prevention of crime, the promotion of virtue, the preservation of 
 our liberties and the universal welfare of society. So that every man 
 in the North Parish of Brookfield paid his mite in support of the 
 gospel in his own form, if he could find such form as suited hira, 
 and if not, in the form existing in the place of his residence : but in 
 some form or other, he must do his part, just as he now does in the 
 concern of education, even though he have no children of his own, 
 and care not for the education of others.* 
 
 This state of things prepared the way for a civil action to be com- 
 menced against the Parish, by a man named Turner, who preached 
 universal salvation in this vicinity, and on whose instructions several 
 men in the Parisli occasionally attended. He sued for what these 
 men paid toward my salary. In order to establish his claim and sus- 
 tain the action, it became necessary for him to prove that he was duly 
 
14 
 
 autlioiized to preach the gospel and be a teacher of morality and re- 
 ligion. For this purpose he produced a paper, showing that on a 
 certain time, certain men commissioned him to preach salvation to 
 the " whole race of Adam." He failed of sustaining his action, 
 though he was thought to have a sweeping commission and a very 
 large parish. How little confidence he had in his commission, may 
 be learned from the fact that more than twenty years after, he was 
 baptized in Charlton and ordained over the Unitarian Society by a 
 Council composed of Unitarian and Universalist ministers ; and as 
 he afterwards published, ' without giving up any of his former opin- 
 ions.' 
 
 I have mentioned these things, not to show what plan of support- 
 ing the gospel is the best ; but to show the difference between former 
 times and the present. In 1811 a new law was passed respecting the 
 -support of public worship, so that any number of men exceeding five 
 -could unite and appoint a clerk, and by going through certain forms, 
 become a religious society and be free from obligation to all others. 
 A few years since, that article in the bill of rights, which recognized 
 the obligation of all the citizens of the State to support public reli- 
 gious worship in some form, was expunged, and any one may now 
 €xcuse himself from doing any thing toward the support of the gos- 
 pel in any place, or in any form. Those who now wish the preach- 
 ed gospel to be sustained for their own benefit, or that of their fami- 
 lies, or their neighbors, or their country, because they think that soon 
 -our liberties and prosperity and hopes of a better life will all be gone 
 without it ; they are the ones, and they only, to support it. Profes- 
 sors of religion indeed, are every where expected to defray their share 
 of the expense, whoever else may be excused ; for the obligation they 
 have recognized, and a virtual engagement to that amount they en- 
 tered into, when they professed faith in Christ, and united in cove- 
 nant with God's people. So that all the ehurch will always unite 
 their strength to support the ordinances of the gospel, and none wish 
 to excuse themselves from their proper share of the burden.* 
 
 What proportion of the property in the town is now held for the 
 support of the gospel, I am unable to say. In 1835 the property that 
 supported the gospel in this society was valued at 8218,266,66, con- 
 stituting perhaps two thirds of all the property in town, as usually 
 valued. What portion of the remaining $109,000 as we may call it, 
 
 * Note F. 
 
15 
 
 does little or nothing for tlie support of the worsliip of God in any 
 place, I have not the means of ascertaiaing. For the welfare of the 
 owners thereof and the good of the community, I could wish, that 
 not a cent of it was exempted by the consent of the proprietors. But 
 I fear that a very large share of it, and that share which above every 
 other is the best able to bear it, rs, by the sincere and most cordial 
 desire of the owners, wholly exempted. Not that loe need their aid ; 
 no, but they need the blessing — their families need it — their neigh- 
 bors and their section of the community need it. ' Bring ye all the 
 tithes into the store house, and prove me now herewith, saith the 
 Lord, and see if I will not pour you out a blessing, that there shall 
 not be room enough to receive it.' Let the gospel go down and un- 
 numbered blessings go with it. O that all the people knew what a 
 privilege they have in the gospel, and how much they are indebted 
 to it for what they enjoy as citizens, as freemen, and as social and 
 intellectual beings. When we become what we should be and what 
 we must be, in the best state to-which men can arrive in this imper- 
 fect and dying world, all will cheerfully sustain the pure gospel of 
 Christ by their influence and their substance, and resort with their 
 families to the house of God and enjoy with united hearts and im- 
 mortal hopes, all the rich institutions of divine grace. That portion 
 of their substance required for the support of divine institutions and 
 the promotion of Christ's kingdom and men's salvation, will be of 
 all others, the most freely given and the last to be withheld. 
 
 IL Having given you the history of this religious Society, I will 
 now give you a brief history of the Church of Christ. At the time 
 of my ordination the church consisted of 80 members, most of them 
 in the decline of life ; I find but two who were not more than 40 
 years of age — and not a single youth — the youngest was thirty-two 
 and in married life. As it might have been expected, no small por- 
 tion of them soon died, and the male members were in a few years 
 reduced to a very small number. I have ascertained that twenty-five 
 acted in giving me an invitation to become their Pastor, two of whom 
 expressed a desire to hear further. In the Parish 79 expressed a de- 
 sire by vole, that I should settle with them, and 15 voted in oppo- 
 sition. 
 
 Considering the small number embraced in the church, and the 
 declining age of many, some people expressed a fear lest the church 
 should dwindle to nothing ; and one gentleman in the vicinity gravely 
 
16 
 
 advised me to introduce what was then cnWeA, " the Jiolf-wai/ covf' 
 nanf," i. e. (for it now needs explanation,) let baptized parents of 
 good morals, thougli destitute of piety, or pretensions to experimental 
 religion, dedicate their children to God in baptism, and still not com- 
 memorate the dying love of Christ, because they think themselves 
 unqualified for this ordinance. It amounts to this, either that they 
 believe they have no piety, or else that something more than credible 
 evidence of piety, is necessary to come to the Lord's table. But this 
 scheme was never adopted by this church, and though practiced in 
 many places in the vicinity, it is now wholly exploded as unscriptural 
 and pernicious. To build up a church by such means and with such 
 materials, is one of the last things a Pastor should consent to do. It 
 is very easy to have a church larger than the state of religion in a 
 place will justify ; but neve?- desirable. The only way in which a 
 church can be consistently enlarged, is by the revival of God's work 
 among a people, or the removal of Christians from other churches. 
 To adopt any human expedient to enlarge a church without the con- 
 version of sinners and the increase of pious men, is an unholy and 
 presumptuous step. We might as well think to enlarge and strengthen 
 a man that becomes feeble and emaciated, by binding to his body 
 masses of dead flesh, which in fact would only increase his size and 
 weight, but render his condition the more wretched, and death the 
 more certain and near. A huge mass of a church without vitality — 
 a gigantic body without a soul, reminds us of one of Solomon's say- 
 ings " A living dog is better than a dead lion." 
 
 I am informed that in the early period of this church, the only 
 qualifications required were a fair moral character and maintaining 
 religious order in the family^ without any other evidence of being 
 born of God. This well corresponds with the records, where, under 
 the ministry of the first Pastor, but exceedingly few united with the 
 church in single life, and when one of a married pair made a profes- 
 sion of religion, both did the same.* But whatever the principle of 
 admission, the church was never large : yet perhaps as large as cir- 
 cumstances would at any ime justify. A few have been excluded in 
 a regular course of discipline ; yet I am persuaded, not so many as 
 the honor of religion and a healthy state of the church and the spirit- 
 ual good of individuals imperiously demanded. 
 
 But iew of the second church in Brookfield remain, who wer« 
 
 * Note G. 
 
17 
 
 members at my ordination. All the male members were gone, when 
 four years since we housed in the grave the remains of the Hon. 
 Thomas Hale, aged 90 ; and but two females survive, known as 
 members of the church at my settlement, one only able to congregate 
 with us on the Sabbath.* 
 
 Verily we may say, ' Except the Lord had left us a seed we should 
 have been as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrah,' with 
 scarcely a righteous man among us. Ever since 1808 the church 
 has been increasing. Besides small additions by letter, and one after 
 another falling into the ranks of God's people from those of the world, 
 the church has been replenished and enlarged at several different 
 times by seasons of special revival. More than 90 years since, when 
 the whole of Brookfield worshipped in one house, on what is com- 
 monly called Foster's Hill, Rev. George Whitefield passed through 
 the country, and, not being allowed to occupy the Meeting House, 
 because by some he was considered irregular, made a large rock in 
 the field his desk, and there preached Christ and his salvation to the 
 many who thronged to hear him. Though attended with more ani- 
 mal excitement than was desirable, his preaching was instrumental of 
 much good in converting men to God, and staying the wicked in 
 their course. There was much chaff mixed with the wheat. The 
 irregularities in some who took part in this work, and the great ex- 
 citement of the animal passions which was in some instances very, 
 evident, served to prejudice the minds of some Christian people 
 against what were called at that day, religious mcaJcenings. They 
 failed to discriminate between what was animal, and what was spirit- 
 ual, scriptural, and rational. From that time to 1817, being about 
 75 years, there w^as no extensive religious movement upon the minds 
 of the people by the Spirit of God. The first revival of religion with 
 which God ever blessed this people commenced in the autumn of 
 1816 ; this was followed by another two years after, which resulted 
 in the addition of more than eighty to God's professed people, some 
 of whom continue among the most active and substantial members of 
 this church. But I was surprised when examining the records, to see 
 what a large portion of those 80, who united in 1817 and 1819, and 
 mostly young people, are .now no more either amongst us, or amongst 
 the living. Time and death have scattered them abroad, or housed 
 them in the tomb ; so that we may almost say again, " Had not the 
 Lord left us a seed, we should have been as Sodom." 
 
18 
 
 In 1827, God in his great mercy favored us with another refresh- 
 ing season of divine influence, which occasioned a new addition to 
 the church of twenty-seven, which served to repair the nine years' 
 desolations by death and removal to other sections of the land. The 
 year 1831 is memorable in the annals of this church, and glorious in 
 the eyes of God's people. It is distinguished above all others in my 
 ministry, for movements and changes, storms and calms, sudden and 
 unexpected, painful and pleasant. It was a year of the right hand of 
 the Most High, in which he rejoiced the hearts of his people and 
 honored both his power and his grace, when so many were led willing 
 captives by Christ. This revival, which took place in the most busy 
 season of the year, made great encroachments upon the kingdom of 
 sin and brought about sixty souls into the fold of the Great Shepherd. 
 God, rich in mercy, did not satisfy the desires of his compassionate 
 heart with this display of his grace ; but in 1837 repeated his kind 
 visitation and honored both the cross of his Son and the power of 
 his Spirit in subduing many hearts to his sceptre. More than seven- 
 ty have expressed a hope that they have become the children of God, 
 and about fifty have professed their faith in Jesus Christ and entered 
 into covenant with God and his people. 
 
 The whole number that have been admitted into the church durinor 
 my ministry is 348. Fifty-eight by letters of recommendation from 
 other churches, and 290 by profession ; while fifty-five have been dis- 
 missed to other churches, 127 deceased, and four excluded. There 
 now remain members of this church, resident and nrfn-resident, 242. 
 There have been 485 baptisms. The ministry of Rev. Messrs. 
 Forbes and Appleton with the intervals in which the church had no 
 Pastor, extended from 1752 to 1798, forty-six years. When the 
 church was embodied, if I rightly understand the records, there were 
 58 members, — 26 males and 32 females; 182 were added during the 
 ministry of Mr. Forbes ; 47 during that of Mr. Appleton, and seven 
 during the time of your destitution. So that 236 were added from 
 the time the church was first embodied to that of my ordination, when 
 the church consisted of 80 members ; all the rest, being 214, had re- 
 moved to other places, or gone to their beds of dust, or been exclud- 
 ed from the church. Through the abounding grace of God toward 
 us, this church now embraces three times the number it did at my or- 
 dination, and many of them in their youth, and more than one half 
 in younger life. 
 
 The revival seasons with which God has blessed us and made our 
 
19 
 
 hearts glad, have been such as to constrain all but sceptics to say 
 with the Magicians of Egypt on witnessing one of the miracles of 
 Moses which they could not imitate, " This is the Jingcr of God." 
 The revival in 1817 commenced when nobody was looking for it, as 
 far as known, and neither Pastor nor church was doing any thing 
 more than they were always doing, and when there was no special 
 attention to religion in the surrounding region, and when in all the 
 region there had not been a general revival of religion for at least 
 60 or 70 years, and when too, thej-e had never been such a thing in 
 the place before. It began in the hopeful conversion of one of the 
 rudest young women in town, to whom, as far as I know, nothing 
 had been said upon her soul's concerns, any more than to every body 
 else. If any one can explain this, without admitting that the gracious 
 power of God can, and docs impress the mind and renew the heart 
 he pleases, he can do more than ever yet has been done ; and if he 
 will ascribe such a revolution in religious views and moral feelings 
 and chosen objects of pursuit, to mere human management or influ- 
 ence, what is there that he may not ascribe to the same cause? This 
 revival was marked with great stillness and a gradual extension, more 
 especially, in the east half of the town. 
 
 The revival in 1819 was more sudden in its rise, more rapid in its 
 progress, and sooner on the decline, and more in the west part of 
 the town. It had a much greater mixture of animal passions, and 
 much more connection with human sympathies and agency both in 
 its rise and progress. This happened when revivals were multiplied 
 around us and sinners flocked to Christ as doves to their windows. 
 Very many were awakened to most solemn concern and brought un- 
 der deep conviction of sin, and some even to a hope in Christ, who 
 turned back as the dog to his vomit. But there were some very pre- 
 cious fruits of that affecting season, which, to this day, prove that 
 when God comes to build up Zion he appears in his glory. No per- 
 son who took knowledge of the changes and events of that day and 
 the permanent fruits of that work, can doubt for a moment whether 
 the agency of God's Spirit, who teaches as no other can teach, was 
 concerned in it. 
 
 The work of divine grace in 18^1, was marked somewhat diffe- 
 rently still. It was the result of no human device or effort. Though 
 Christians prayed for it, and the Pastor preached for it, as usual : 
 yet it came when no one was expecting it more than at another time. 
 The first symptom that God was about to enlarge his heritage and 
 
20 
 
 refresh it, was the call of a thoughtless young man upon the Pastor, 
 with the apology that he was not very well and wished to rest. It 
 was the first time he ever had entered my door, I conjectured that 
 his disease was that of the mind. A few words showed that my con- 
 jecture was correct. This was the first token that God's gracious 
 presence was among us — the little cloud like a man's hand, which 
 gave forth the sound of an abundance of rain. One deeply convicted, 
 subdued sinner, kindles up the hope that soon we may witness the 
 great rain of God's strength. However great and joyful that season 
 was, God made a short work of it, a work however, which will tell 
 upon the eternal destiny of many souls and families in this place. 
 
 The other season of refreshing from the presence of the Lord 
 which we witnessed the last year, seemed more connected in its com- 
 mencement with human agency and the efforts of the church, than 
 any former revival. Still such was its progress as to show " that it 
 is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but of God that 
 showeth mercy." One was taken and another left. Some upon 
 whom much labor was bestowed remain in sin to this hour : while 
 others to whom nothing in particular was addressed, were brought 
 under solemn impressions and pursued by the Spirit of God in all 
 their retreats, till they were laid with a subdued spirit at the feet of 
 Christ. He took the work out of men's hands to show that it was 
 his own work ; while he honored his institutions and answered the 
 prayers of his people. This season of revival, this cloud of spiritual 
 blessings which has just passed, and upon which you still see the 
 bright bow of promise, is the more remarkable, since it is such an 
 isolated case — no other instance in the region. God raineth on one 
 city and raineth not on another, and the city on which there is no 
 rain withereth. This is equally true in all its parts, both in a natural 
 and spiritual sense. There is ever encouragement for good men to 
 pray and to put forth efforts for the progress of the church and the 
 conversion of sinners, and also for ministers of the gospel to preach 
 and labor in their work, both in season and out of season ; still the 
 more this is done with a deep sense that God alone can give the in- 
 crease, and the more disposed men are to give all the glory to his 
 name, the more cheering the prospect of success.* 
 
 For 40 years past, this church has enjoyed a good degree of peace 
 and union. They have generally moved in concert and have been 
 
21 
 
 very harmonious in their measures to promote the great ends of 
 Christian institutions. Nor has there ever been any great discrepan- 
 cy of opinion, except in one unhappy case of discipline, in which, by 
 a peculiar combination of circumstances, the minds of many were 
 blinded, and the feelings of most unduly and unseasonably excited. 
 That case taught every man one important lesson, viz. to judge no- 
 thing before the time, nor without candid and proper inquiry. 
 
 When the Church was embodied, they adopted a Covenant, to 
 which all who united with it gave their assent. This Covenant im- 
 plied a general belief in the holy scriptures, and an engagement to 
 instruct our children in divine truth by the use of orthodox cate- 
 chisms; but recognized no particular doctrine, except the being of a 
 God as the object of worship, the Bible as his word, Jesus Christ as 
 a Savior, the Church as his Mystical Body, and the public worship of 
 God, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, as divine institutions. In 1827 
 it was conceived important both by this church and most others in 
 the vicinity, that every church should have a few articles of faith to 
 which all should give their assent who united with the church, and 
 that all the churches in the region, if disposed, should adopt in sub- 
 stance the same articles of faith and the same covenant. Such arti- 
 cles and covenant were prepared by Brookfield Association and sub- 
 mitted to the churches, who adopted them, and this church as well as 
 others. All who were already members, and objected to the new co-. 
 venant and articles, would stand upon the Covenant into which they 
 entered the church ; but none should in future be admitted, only by- 
 assenting to the articles and the covenant recently adopted. Tliis 
 transaction took place in May, 1837, with only two dissenting votes. 
 
 Much dishonor having been done to the cause of religion by the 
 influence of ardent spirit, ever since it has been used as a drink, the 
 church thought it their duty to adopt some measure to prevent the 
 evil and let the tvhole comtnunity know their views of the subject, 
 and accordingly passed the following resolutions, which they procur- 
 ed to be printed and sent into every family in town : 
 
 Resolutions. 
 
 " Resolved 1st. That intemperance, notwithstanding all the efforts 
 to check it, is still productive of great and multiplied evils in the 
 community — that it has been the occasion of many unhappy cases of 
 discipline in the church, and of more dishonor to religion than any 
 
22 
 
 other sin that can be named, and tliat all intemperance is the growth 
 and effect of a moderate and habitual use of intoxicating liquors. 
 
 " Resolved 2dly. That every Christian church ought to practice up- 
 on the principle of entire abstinence from ardent spirits as a drink, 
 and from foreign wines and strong beer, as a substitute ; and that no 
 person should be admitted into the church of Christ, and that no one 
 shall hereafter be received into this church, but upon the principle of 
 entire abstinence from the use, the manufacture, and sale of ardent 
 spirit as a drink. 
 
 " Resolved 3dly. That in consideration of the important and solemn 
 bearings of the Temperance Reformation upon the peace and happi- 
 ness of society, upon the success of the gospel and the salvation of 
 the world, it becomes the indispensable duty of all professed Chris- 
 tians to refrain from impeding, and to aid in advancing, this great 
 work, by their example, their personal efforts, and their whole influ- 
 ence. 
 
 " Resolved 4thly. That it is with grief we see any of our brethren, 
 ■who, neither for their own safety, nor for the benefit of their families, 
 nor for the sake of a suffering community, nor yet for the honor and 
 prosperity of religion, can be persuaded to abstain from the use of 
 ardent spirit as a drink ; and that we cannot look on those members 
 who continue the habitual use of it, but as spots in our feasts of 
 charity." 
 
 In 1817 the church by special vote admitted persons who give sa- 
 tisfactory evidence of piety, but who are not yet convinced that In- 
 fant Baptism is a duty divinely enjoined upon Christians, and of 
 course do not present their children to God in this ordinance. They 
 ■adopted this course; not because they had the least doubt that infant 
 baptism is a divine ordinance, any more than they doubted whether 
 circumcision was a divine institution ; for the church to which Abram 
 belonged is the same church to which Paul belonged, after his con- 
 version, and was founded upon the same covenant of grace : and all 
 the objections which lie against infant baptism, lie equally against in- 
 fant circumcision. — Nor did the church adopt this course, because 
 they any less believed that infant baptism is an institution very useful 
 in the kingdom of Christ and an important duty which parents owe 
 their children, thus to dedicate them to the Lord — a duty that our 
 Savior implicitly recognized when he encouraged believing parents 
 to bring their children to him, by the command and declaration, 
 * Forbid them not ; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' Neither 
 
23 
 
 did the church vote to admit such persons as neglected to present 
 their children to God in baptism, because they did not think that they 
 were doing wrong in this neglect ; but they adopted this course, be- 
 cause they were convinced that there were many pious people who do 
 not believe in infant baptism, as a divinely required duty, and who, 
 though not to the best advantage because of this one neglected duty, 
 labor to train their children for God ; and also, because this course 
 better corresponds with Christian love and liberality. Without adopt- 
 ing it under existing circumstances, we should practice too much 
 upon the principle of close communion, of which some complain, and 
 perhaps, not without reason. This is a principle too close, too nar- 
 row, too exclusive, for a state where all good men cannot see alike. 
 And when our churches have ceased to require it as an indispensable 
 condition of admission, that parents shall present their children in 
 baptism ; and when our Baptist brethren shall allow us to judge for 
 ourselves, whether we have received Christian baptism, as undoubt- 
 edly they ought ; then the wall of partition will be demolished, and 
 we shall be one church — one people. And to this state of harmony 
 and Christian fellowship among pious people, a little more expansion 
 of mind by increased light, — a little more enlargement of heart by 
 Christian love, — a little more yielding to the infirmities of the weak,, 
 will bring all converted and unbigoted men. Many ^oor/ people need 
 widening — they are too narrow both in their views and feelings. The 
 light and spirit of the Millenian day will give them an expansion of 
 heart to which many are now strangers, who are disposed to cut or 
 stretch every man to the length of his own bedstead.* 
 
 The Sabbath School in this place has been under the fostering 
 care of the church. About 20 years since, I proposed to instruct 
 such youth as were pleased to attend, immediately after the second 
 service on the Sabbath, into some portion of Scripture by way of 
 question and answer. In this sort of Bible Class we had fifteen or 
 twenty young people of both sexes. The time being very inconve- 
 nient, and the service immediately following the common labors of 
 the Sabbath, I was obliged soon to relinquish it. In 1819 some few 
 females in the church undertook to gather a Sabbath School to be 
 instructed in the intermission, which was done in a private house and 
 in a room of common size. The gentlemen, who are now the two 
 senior deacons of the church, being applied to, undertook the ma- 
 nagement of it. A few youth and children composed it. When 
 
 * Note J. 
 
24 
 
 lads became 17 or 18 years of age, they thought themselves too old 
 to be members of the school, and began to fall off. In 1821 the 
 church by vote requested three other brethren to assist these two in 
 the management of the school. From that time to the present, the 
 church has appointed the Superintendents, and committees to advise 
 and assist them when necessary. A few years since, for the first time, 
 the school was continued through the winter, and the whole respon- 
 sibility was thrown upon one individual as the Superintendent, with 
 the privilege of assistants selected by the church. It was thought 
 advisable, two years since, to observe monthly a season of prayer for 
 God's blessing upon this important concern, which appears to have 
 contributed to its prosperity. Thus the Sabbath School concern has 
 gone forward until, of both sexes and all ages, more than four hun- 
 dreds, embracing all the best informed and most respectable families 
 in town, are connected with it, either as teachers or scholars; and 
 from one Sabbath to another, are making the sacred Scriptures their 
 study. Setting aside all the spiritual benefits of the School, which 
 indeed are the most important, it is worthy the countenance and pa- 
 tronage of every well-wisher to society. Its influence is most saluta- 
 ry upon the morals, the intellect, and the general habits of the people ; 
 while it furnishes for youth, especially, a proper employment for the 
 leisure hours of the Sabbath, which might otherwise be filled up with 
 much that is worse than useless. To bring the whole population, as 
 far as circumstances allow, into connection with this institution, and 
 under its influence, is an object of no trifling importance, and which 
 will engage the serious attention of every friend of his country. Ne- 
 ver, no never, let the prosperity of this institution decline, so long 
 as zealous effort and humble prayer will prevent. And while the 
 leading men in the church and town will lend their constant and per* 
 sonal services, there will be but little danger. May the time never 
 come, when such services shall be withheld by your best men. And 
 be not satisfied with the state of the school, whenever it shall fail to 
 embrace your most promising sons who are to be the bone and sinew 
 and life of society, and are to give character to the age in which they 
 live and act ; — nor whenever it shall fail to produce its very best ef- 
 fects upon the mass of mind on which it operates. 
 
 Forty years have wrought great changes in ministerial labor and 
 religious services, whether for the better or the worse, I leave others 
 to judge. All religious services expected of a minister when I settled, 
 were two exercises on the Sabbath, a preparatory lecture once in two 
 
25 
 
 hionths, together with an occasional sermon in accommodation to the 
 aged, infirm and afflicted. Prayer meetings, religious conferences, 
 meetings for serious and personal Conversation^ stated lectures for 
 general instruction, meetings for humane and charitable objects more 
 or less extended, a third exercise on the Sabbath, and even seasons 
 of general or special revival of religion, were all unknown in the 
 place at the time of my ordination. If I were absent one or more 
 Sabbaths, there was no religious meeting in the place. No man 
 would consent to take charge of a meeting. When I appointed a 
 conference or prayer meeting, but one of the church only, Deacon 
 Benjamin Adams, could ever be induced to lead in prayer, until 1817.* 
 Since that time several have been ready to assist in devotional exer- 
 cises, and the number has been increasing, till more than 30 will now 
 take a part in religious meetings. This circumstance has served, on 
 special occasions particularly, to lighten the labors of the Pastor, and 
 to minister to the edification of the assembly. Whoever comes after 
 me, as Pastor of this church, will find many to hold up his hands, en- 
 courage his heart, and lighten his labors, whenever they become too 
 heavy for him to sustain alone. May the Lord give you a Pastor 
 after his own heart, who shall feed you and your children with know- 
 ledge and understanding, and who for his work's sake shall receive 
 and be worthy of your love and respect. 
 
 III. Further to see the great things which God has done for us, let 
 us take a view of the rise and progress of Temperance. 
 
 About 1810, many associations of men, called Moral Societies, 
 were formed in different parts of New England, for the purpose of 
 suppressing several prevailing and alarming evils in the community, 
 more especially intemperance. No man tTionglit of broaching the 
 principle of entire abstinence from ardent spirit ; but only to prevent 
 intemperance hy drinking less. Some few in this region conceived 
 thai the progress of this vice was alarming, and that without some 
 efforts we should all become drunkards. I was fortunate enough to 
 be one of the number. None can wonder that I had a predisposition 
 to take the fever, since in the early part of my ministry rum was al- 
 ways very plentifully used on funeral occasions, and some who called 
 themselves mourners were disguised, and others very loose-jointed, 
 and at such places the rum-drinkers in the neighborhood would ga- 
 ther, and be the most forward of all to lend their aid and mingle their 
 
 ♦ Note K. 
 
 4 
 
26 
 
 tears of joy with those of sorrow shed in the afflicted dwelling. For 
 the first 12 years of my ministry, I never attended but one funeral, 
 but what ardent spirit was furnished as an essential part of customary 
 civility, or a necessary stimulant, for such an occasion : and in this 
 case it was a subject of unfavorable remark and ascribed to parsimo- 
 ny. About this time, the first mission to the heathen was projected, 
 and money was needed to carry the project into execution. For such 
 an enterprise the churches had done nothing. On the last Sabbath 
 in 1811, I preached upon the duty of Christianizing the heathen, and 
 at the close, informed the assembly that on the next Sabbath I would 
 present them with a plan by which they could furnish their part of 
 the expense of such a work, without taking a cent from their pockets, 
 and at the same time increase their gains and their comforts and pros- 
 perity. Having made inquiry into the probable expenses of the town 
 for intoxicating liquors, though afterwards considered extravagant aiid 
 erroneous ; yet finalhj confirmed as moderate, I stated the annual ex- 
 penses of the town for this one thing, to be 85,000, aside from the 
 wear and tear, the sin and sorrow, it occasioned. It was proposed so 
 far to curtail the use of ardent spirit as to save a proper sum to be- 
 stow upon the cause of foreign missions. The sum raised was §40. 
 This was small indeed, compared with the annual expenditure for 
 spirit, or the real savings of the plan adopted by the most respectable 
 portion of the community. The plan dispensed with the use of dis- 
 tilled spirit at funerals, at social visits, and on some other occasions ; 
 and what was said and done upon the subject, very much diminished 
 the use of it in town, though it might occasion no reform in the great 
 Haass of the people. Some were more ready to use less, because that 
 upon inquiry their expenses for intoxicating drinks were great beyond 
 all their former conceptions, while many were displeased with the ex- 
 posure of the sin and miseries and extent of intemperance. 
 
 In 1827 several individuals agreed to use no ardent spirit, even in 
 the most I'aborious seasons of the year, while engaged in their agri- 
 cultural pursuits. They all testified from experience, that they had^ 
 better health and accomplished their business with more comfort and 
 better success.* This led to the formation of a Temperance Society 
 in 1828, upon the principle of entire abstinence from the use of dis- 
 tilled liquors, and fourteen names subscribed to the constitution the 
 first evening. The cause slowly advanced and new members were 
 added, and various means used to give it extension and influence, so 
 
 * Note L. 
 
27 
 
 thai we have had times in which no one in town has been licensed to 
 sell ardent spirit. Five hundred and fifty have pledged themselves 
 to a disuse of distilled spirits and foreign wines and strong beer, and 
 to use all their influence judiciously exerted to prevent the use of 
 them by others ; and 300 or more, are pledged to abstain from the ma- 
 nufacture, traffic and use of all that can intoxicate. The health of the 
 people is improved where the reformation has extended, their happi- 
 ness and outward prosperity promoted, their respectability increased, 
 much mortification prevented, and distress and woe and shame and 
 weeping too : and notwithstanding all the mischief that is still done 
 by intoxicating drinks in those who tcill not be reclaimed, this town 
 owes more to the temperance reform on the score of enjoyment, re- 
 spectability and thrift, than most are aware ; and I presume the esti- 
 mate was moderate, when I lately said, that the Temperance Refor- 
 mation annually saves to this town $4,000. And $4,000 more may 
 be added to that, as the price of those domestic comforts and many 
 blessings which intemperance destroyed. Let efforts continue to be 
 made, vigorous and united, till all the strong holds of this demon be 
 brought down, and every captive be delivered from his power, and 
 know the pleasure of virtuous freedom. Though there may long Re- 
 main a few abject slaves to this tyrant ; men who love bondage and 
 shame better than liberty and honor ; still the cause will prosper and 
 eventually triumph, and your children will live to see it. Yes, I re- 
 joice to say it with confident belief in its correctness, t/our children 
 will live to see it. 
 
 IV. To lead your thoughts to another subject in which we may see 
 what God has done for us, I would mention the efforts he has enabled 
 us to make for some of the destitute portions of our race and the fee- 
 ble sections of the church at home. At this day it appears a very 
 plain duty, when our fellow-men or fellow-christians are destitute of 
 the means of salvation, to make an effort to supply them. It is as 
 reasonable and as kind, as to give bread to a starving man at your 
 door. God opens the way and gives us ability. 
 
 In 1807 this church agreed to raise ten dollars for domestic mis- 
 sions. This was the first effort ever made in religious charity by the 
 people in this place. And it was a great effort ; we could scarcely 
 raise the sum. Ten dollars does not speak of our poverty, so much 
 as of the narrowness of our conceptions. The next contribution of 
 .'?40 was for Foreign Missions, of which I have already spoken, to be 
 
28 
 
 saved by the more moderate use of ardent spirit. The third, amount- 
 Hig to $i'i, was made by the ladies in 1815 ; and continued with 
 some diminution, for manr/ years and appropriated to the various ob- 
 jects of religious charity ; till the present Associations for the purpose 
 of sending the gospel to the heathen were formed in 1824 ; when the 
 amount of the united contributions of the ladies and gentlemen, was 
 $71, besides a box of clothing. These contributions have gone on, 
 generally increasing, till the last year, they amounted, besides the 
 Concert money, to more than $390. When we began our contribu- 
 tions at the Monthly Concert for Prayer, they amounted to ten or 
 twelve dollars a year : now they rarely fall short of that at each meet- 
 ing. The people have contributed to a great variety of objects more 
 or less connected with the interests of the church — to Colleges, The- 
 ological Seminaries, Meeting Houses for feeble churches, the Tract, 
 Education, Domestic and Foreign Missionary Societies, Seaman's 
 Friend Society, and some other important objects. The whole amount 
 of their contributions within my knowledge, for these various objects, 
 since the first of ten dollars in 1807, and most of which has been giv- 
 en within ten years past, is $7,450. The contributions in 1830 
 amount to more than 81,000, and in 1837 to more than $1,100.* 
 In this connection I wish to state some other facts, and come to some 
 fair conclusions, for all the people to look at with a wise application, 
 and to correct what some have known to be misapprehensions. 
 
 When I first settled in the place every family belonged to this reli- 
 gious society with the exception of a very small number, perhaps ten, 
 which had united with the Baptists from principle. They were Baptist 
 people. All the other property in town was taxed for the support of 
 the gospel here. The estimated value of this property which was tax- 
 ed for the support of the gospel was about $127,000. At present, not 
 less than one third of the families in town have no connection with 
 this Parish, and less than two thirds of the property goes to support 
 the gospel, and this portion of it was valued in 1835 at $218,266, 
 nearly double the amount of the whole valuation in 1798. So that 
 as people have fallen off from this Society, your ability to support the 
 gospel has increased ; and you are now almost as able to support two 
 ministers, as you were one 40 years ago. Your strength as a reli- 
 gious society then, compared to what it is 7iow, was as three to five. 
 Almost the whole that has ever been contributed in religious charity 
 
 * Note M. 
 
29 
 
 of which I have spoken, has been done hy this religious Society, and 
 not by the town, or persons of other denominations. 
 
 You may then conclude, contrary to the predictions of some wise 
 men, that erecting this house of worship has not impoverished you — 
 nor has the constant support of the gospel impoverished you, nor giv- 
 ing your thousands for the supply of the destitute and the conversion 
 of the heathen, nor yet abandoning the use and traffic of intoxicating 
 drink and banishing it from your midst, nor yet again has your at- 
 tendance at the sanctuary on the Sabbath and the worship of God in 
 season and out of season, made you poor. And where usually must 
 you look to find poverty-stricken families, except in places where Sab- 
 bath-breaking and rum-drinking and neglect of God's house, and 
 withholding the tithes, and refusing the gospel to the heathen have 
 been, and still are, the order of the day 1 Other things aside, the 
 Christian Sabbath, public worship, the cheerful support of the gos- 
 pel, liberal contributions for its extension and the relief of the suf- 
 fering and the practice of Christian sobriety, all the world over, con- 
 tribute to the prosperity and general thrift of society. Every observ- 
 ing and reflecting man must know this. Be persuaded then ever to 
 encourage these things by all your influence and by your uniform ex- 
 ample. When these things decline, your prosperity will decline with 
 them, and the Lord will blow upon your increase, and curse youf 
 basket and your store. 
 
 V. One more subject I would present before you, and that is our 
 bill of mortality. No land inhabited by man is uninvaded by disease 
 and death — no retreat for our race beyond the reach of those disturb-; 
 ers of our peace, can be found, and no scheme devised by which man 
 may live always, or be restored to his original longevity. In respect 
 to the subject before us, it may truly be said, that we live in a favored 
 portion of the world. These hills and valleys of New England fur- 
 nish a healthful region. But though we have ever been exempted 
 from the overflowing scourge, which, in such a population as ours, 
 sweeps away scores of children or adults in a few weeks, and hardly 
 leaves in health sufficient to nurse the sick and bury the dead, yet 
 we have not been strangers to the invasions of death, nor to seasons 
 of great comparative sickness and mortality. While God has made 
 a diiTerence, we have all tasted of the bitter cup of sorrow, and most 
 have seen the time when they might have appropriately adopted the 
 words of the Psalmist, " Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, 
 
30 
 
 and mine acquaintance into darkness." No one acquainted with the 
 worshipping assembly in this place forty years since, that upon look- 
 ing around upon the assembly here to-day, could be unimpressed 
 with the change. Let him have been absent the whole intervening 
 period, and now come into this congregation, and not a single indi- 
 vidual would he recognize, nor but few faces would there be that he 
 had ever seen before. There are probably not more than ten men 
 here to-day that had any thing to do in my settlement — they were 
 young men. The population has almost entirely changed, and much 
 of this change is to be ascribed to the wastes of death. " Our fa- 
 thers, where are they ?" But instead of the fathers, there are the 
 children, or the children's children, or the children of strangers who 
 have come to inherit among us. The sum of the ages of all who 
 have died for 40 years past, is 24,100 years. The whole bill of mor- 
 tality for the same period, of whom 77 were children, most of them 
 under five years, is 642 ; in the first 20 years, 257 ; in the second 
 20 years, 3S5, of whom 144 were children. The proportion of 
 children to adults the first 20 years, was one third ; in the second, 
 five thirteenths. The last 10 years gives us a bill of mortality of 
 239, children 98, or five twelfths. This you will observe shows an 
 increase of mortality among small children. Almost twice the num- 
 ber died the last 20 years as the first. 
 
 The greatest mortality and the most distressing sickness we have 
 ever experienced were by the prevalence of fevers, and happened in 
 the years 1822 and 1837. Our greatest number of deaths in any one 
 year has been 31. The average number of deaths for 40 years is 16 
 — of the first 20 years, 13; of the second 20 years, 18, about I in 
 S4. No one during this period has arrived to the age of 100; still 
 19 have exceeded 90 years, or one to every 33 
 
 70 
 
 (( 
 
 " 
 
 80 
 
 years, 
 
 " 
 
 8:— 
 
 
 139 
 
 " 
 
 " 
 
 70 
 
 years. 
 
 " 
 
 4i :— 
 
 
 221 
 
 " 
 
 " 
 
 50 
 
 years. 
 
 " 
 
 3:— 
 
 
 354 
 
 ' 
 
 " 
 
 20 
 
 years. 
 
 more than 
 
 one half 
 
 of the 
 
 hole by 33. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21 
 
 have d 
 
 ied between 10 and 20. 
 
 
 
 
 51 
 
 
 
 
 20 and 30, 
 
 
 
 
 50 
 
 
 
 
 30 and 40, 
 
 
 
 
 34 
 
 
 
 
 40 and 50, 
 
 
 
 
 32 
 
 
 
 
 50 and 60, 
 
 
 
 
 50 
 
 
 
 
 60 and 70, 
 
 
 
31 
 
 59 have died between 70 and 80, 
 61 '' " 80 and 90, 
 
 19 " " 90 and 100. 
 
 333 died under ten years of age, and most of tliem under five. 
 The largest number that died in any other ten years of human life, 
 was between 80 and 90. 
 
 The average age for the term of 40 years, is S7h years ; — of the 
 first 20 years, the average age was 43f , — of the second 20 years, 
 only 33f years; or ten years less — the life of man in this place was 
 10 years less the 20 years past, than the 20 years immediately pre- 
 ceding. This is a serious fact that may well prompt to an inquiry 
 after the cause, if such cause lies within human reach. 
 
 In every place there are certain diseases which are most prevalent 
 and fatal. The most common in our country, if not the world over^ 
 are fevers, consumptions, and bowel complaints. About one-sixth of 
 the whole on our bill of mortality, have died of fever, 7G of consump- 
 tion, 50 of bowel complaints, and more than 40 of intemperance, or 
 one to every 16 of all the deaths that have happened, — or one to eve- 
 ry 10 of all the adults who die ; or for the last 20 years, one to every 
 six. It is painful to think that so many have committed suicide, and 
 that so many are yet willing to be accessary to the crime. One fact 
 is very noticeable, and needs some explanation, viz. 10 or 11 only, 
 died by intemperance the first 20 years of my ministry ; while in the 
 second 20 years, there have been nearly 30. A temperance reform 
 in some measure, commenced 25 years since, and for 10 years has 
 now gone on with power, and wrought wonders for many individuals 
 and families, and for this Christian Society, so that if we had not the 
 suburbs of our territory to come in and lift their hands, you would 
 not probably see ten hands raised against the temperance cause — it is 
 mostly the aliens from our religious commonwealth ; men who wish 
 to have no part nor lot with us in such concerns as we have come 
 here to transact to-day, and such privileges as we here enjoy.* 
 
 If the temperance cause has made such progress for 10 or 20 years 
 past, how shall we account for the increase of deaths by mtempe- 
 ranee ? I answer ; you know that many people are headstrong, espe- 
 cially when they have some darling appetite to gratify, and are oppos- 
 ed in that gratification. If you attempt to restrain them, the more 
 recklessly will they press on, and burst through every barrier you 
 throw in their way. This appears the fact before us. Some men are 
 
 * Note N. 
 
32 
 
 /nore drunken, the more you attempt to make them sober — they prac- 
 tically tell you that they unll not be restrained by any one, and that 
 they despise all your labor of love. ' Who is Lord over us?' These 
 men were hard drinkers when your reform began, and others besides 
 the dead, are practicing upon the same principle ; they tell the world 
 that they will not be held back from indulgence, and to convince 
 them of it, they must drink deeper and die the sooner. And since 
 the Legislature have come to aid the work of reform, they must put 
 on still more steam, and hasten on the faster. This legal effort will 
 not make drunkards, but it will kill them ; and there will probably 
 be a greater mortality among them for a few years to come than there 
 ever has been before. Amidst all the miseries and shame of their 
 bondage they will prove to you their freedom. Ardent spirit and in- 
 temperate living aside, who knows how many of the dead might have 
 been with us to-day ; still in a land of hope 1 
 
 In view of this bill of mortality no age or condition can feel them- 
 selves secure from the attack of disease or the arrests of death ; not 
 the youngest, nor the healthiest, nor the sprightliest, nor the strong- 
 est, nor the loveliest of all, for such verily have been among the vic- 
 tims of disease and death, scattered all along the extended track of 
 40 years.* 
 
 VL There remains but one other topic of discourse, and that is the 
 history of myself When I settled with you, I was young and had 
 but just arrived to the stature of a man, with but little experience, 
 and not half the wisdom and knowledge desirable. Had I possessed 
 more, I probably might have done more good, and perhaps, steered 
 clear of some troubles in which I was early involved. It was former- 
 ly said by those of much experience and observation, that a minister 
 of Christ who is permanently settled must have trials either in the 
 early or latter part of his ministry. What trials remain for me I can- 
 not say, neither am I anxious to know ; but some I had in former 
 times. Three years after my ordination an attempt was made to 
 effect my dismission, and the ground of dissatisfaction was professedly 
 the largeness of my salary — 400 annually. f 
 
 In 1807 there were a number, who, professing to believe the doc- 
 trine of Universal Salvation, introduced a preacher of that sentiment, 
 and attended frequently upon his instructions at the Baptist Meeting 
 House, and finally sued the Treasurer to recover what they paid to- 
 * Note O. . i Note P. 
 
ward my salary. But failing in this action, one of them became em- 
 barrassed in his circumstances, another died, another became a slave 
 to the bottle and killed himself, and another moved away, and here 
 ended the universal society and all their efforts, so far as we had any 
 concern with them. 
 
 The next trouble arose from the exposure made of intemperance, 
 its extent, and abominations and effects upon the community, and its 
 alarming demands upon men's purses, which ought, if any where, to 
 be paid over to the cause of benevolence. This produced a great 
 commotion — it was a moving time. The lion had never before been 
 stirred up from his lair. Some thought that the minister had slan- 
 dered the town, and many felt dissatisfied. It would not be advisa- 
 ble to state in detail all the tokens of respect, and all the kinds of at- 
 tention I received in those days of new light. 
 
 In 1822 the agitating subject of building a new house of worship 
 was made by some a matter of complaint against the minister ; as 
 though he were some how criminally concerned in the affair. And 
 this was professedly the ground on which individuals declined attend- 
 ing public worship. 
 
 The next event which raised a storm that almost drove my ship 
 from her moorings, was a sermon delivered on the annual Thanks- 
 giving, showing the reason we had of gratitude to God, for the suc- 
 cess of the temperance reformation, and how those who traffic in ar- 
 dent spirit are accessory to the evils and the deaths occasioned 
 by that traffic. The misapprehension of one sentence, is supposed to 
 have been the thing which set the world on fire. Most of the hard 
 drinkers readily seized the opportunity, to effect, if possible, my dis- 
 mission ; whilst some who had no part with us in ecclesiastical con- 
 cerns, and of v;hom we should have expected better things, appeared 
 to fan the fire and by their combined action, threaten my speedy re- 
 moval. For one week, I expected nothing else. God, in his provi- 
 dence and in his own way, extinguished the flame, allayed the storm„ 
 cleared the skies, and it has been fair weather ever since — our surt 
 shining brighter and brighter. But most of our disturbances have 
 arisen from the influence of persons given to mischief And when a 
 society is rid of such men they will generally have peace and enjoy~ 
 ment. " One sinner destroyeth much good." We have had some 
 striking illustrations of this sentiment. 
 
 I have endeavored, though with much imperfection and weakness, 
 to preach to you the gospel of the grace of God — both its doctrines 
 
34 
 
 and duties — its warnings and encouragements — its promises and 
 threatenings. How much soever I have failed in the attempt, I have 
 endeavored to promote real revivals of true religion. A revival 
 preacher, I have thought to be one, who with sincerity, and discrimi- 
 nation, and plainness, and perseverance, and meekness of wisdom, 
 preaches the whole gospel for man's salvation, in humble dependence 
 upon the Spirit of God for success. I have meant to present to you, 
 without giving needless offence by mode of expression, all the doC' 
 trines of Christianity and inculcate all its duties, to expose all vices, 
 and sins, and crimes, not amongst other nations and communities, so 
 much as amongst ourselves, and inculcate all Christian virtues. 
 
 It has been my study to visit the sick and the afflicted in their sor- 
 rows, the widow and the fatherless in their afflictions, and live peace- 
 ably with all men, — to rejoice with those who rejoice, and render to all 
 their dues, always giving special honor and respect to those who 
 honor Christ. I have endeavored to preach the gospel in season and 
 out of season. Through the goodness of God to me, and to you also, 
 so far as my labors are useful, I have rarely failed of being at the 
 House of God on the Sabbath. Except in 1813 when I was disabled 
 from preaching for three Sabbaths, I have been laid aside but 1| days. 
 I have preached only about 2,000 written discourses, far less than 
 some of my age ; several of which, through your favor or that of 
 others, are in print.* I wish my sermons had been better. In some 
 parts of my ministry I have not preached so well-studied and finish- 
 ed sermons as I might have done under other circumstances. For 
 notwithstanding all your kindness,t I have had to expend too ma- 
 ny thoughts and too much time upon the question, how I should 
 live and support my family, and still continue my labors in this part of 
 the vineyard 
 
 From the beginning of my ministry, I have not seen occasion, or 
 found any reasons, to change my theological opinions, or essentially 
 change my views of the gospel, or the instructions I have given you. 
 I have indeed somewhat changed my form of expression in speaking 
 of certain doctrines, lest I should leave the shadow of a plea for the 
 sinner to remain impenitent, and also adopted a greater directness of 
 address in preaching to faithless men. I have presented to your 
 minds the humbling doctrine of man's state of apostacy from God, 
 and of his guilty helplessness — the ample provisions of divine grace 
 
 ♦ Note Q. t Note R. 
 
35 
 
 through a crucified and arisen Savior — the perfections and decrees of 
 God, according to which he does all his works of creation, provi- 
 dence and redemption — the moral agency and accountability of man 
 — the duty of immediate repentance and the sinner's aversion to it — 
 regeneration by the Spirit of God through the instrumentality of di- 
 vine truth — ^justification by faith in Christ — the resurrection of the 
 dead, and future judgment and eternal retribution. These things I 
 have taught publicly and from house to house, testifying repent- 
 ance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. But I feel 
 that I have done these things in a very poor and imperfect manner, 
 that calls for the forbearance of man and the forgiving mercy of God. 
 God has surprised me and shown you great mercy, in crowning the 
 dispensation of the gospel with success, so far beyond what the im- 
 perfect manner in which it has been done would have led us to ex- 
 pect. This treasure is committed to earthen vessels, that the excel- 
 lence of the power might be of God, and not of men. Though 7ni/ 
 labors and life will soon close, yet may you live to witness and expe- 
 rience still greater things than these, and instead of the fathers, may 
 there be the children, and all the children, from generation to gene- 
 ration, to come and worship before God in this temple, and in other 
 temples that shall stand up in its stead in brighter and better days 
 than these. And now, brethren, I comtnend you to God and the word 
 of his grace, tvhich is able to build you tip and to give you an inl^§riv 
 tance among all them ichich are sanctified. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 Dr. Jacob Kittridge was the only physician in town at the time 
 of my settlement in 1798. A few years before his death another 
 physician settled in the place, and the following is a list of all who 
 have since attempted to establish themselves in town as practicing 
 physicians, viz. Drs. Ira Bryant, Crossfield, Daniel Pierce, Oli- 
 ver Kittridge, Wright, Cheney Potter, Moses Porter, Thomas 
 
 Jones and Joshua Porter, who is now the only physician in the place. 
 Dr. Potter is the only one of the nine that died amongst us, or con- 
 tinued to practice any considerable number of years. Whether more 
 or less skilful, each one had his admirers, who reposed in him next to 
 unbounded confidence, while others thought him unworthy to be 
 trusted with the care of a patient, except in the plainest case. It is 
 not however to be questioned, but what there were amongst them 
 worthy men of talents and well read in their profession. In respect 
 to physicians, people have their partialities and prejudices unreason- 
 ably strong, and not unfrequently think the most ignorant who are 
 loud in their own praises, to be men of consummate skill ; and those 
 who are twenty miles distant, or who bear the name of some cele- 
 brated physician in former days, to be of course far better than their 
 own. The truth is, men are disposed, like the King of Judah, to 
 expect too much from physicians, and depend too little upon God. 
 
 B. 
 
 About 25 years since, the manufacture of sale shoes was commenc- 
 ed upon a small scale by Mr. Oliver Ward who moved from Grafton. 
 
38 
 
 This business enlarge;!, and in the course of ten or liftcen years 
 hundreds engaged in it, until it became the principal occupation of 
 the people. Two years since, shoes were manufactured at the rate 
 of nearly half a million in a year, principally for Messrs. O. Ward, 
 T. & E. Batcheller, and F. Walker, upon whom and some others, 
 might well come the blessing of some for their present competency, 
 who were ready to suffer from poverty, if not to perish. 
 
 Some 20 years ago, a person that often travelled through the town 
 and had been acquainted with it since 1784, observed ' that he knew 
 of no place that remained so uniformly the same as North Brookfield. 
 Nothing doing, no new buildings going up, the same old dwelling- 
 houses and barns, the farms and fences just so, all the people plodding 
 on after the old sort, without much life, or any disposition for im- 
 provement — all satisfied with present attainments and living at ease.' 
 Since my settlement in the place, there have been erected in town 
 more than 100 dwelling houses, and a number of others have un- 
 dergone repairs about equal to building anew. Most of these houses 
 are large, commodious and well finished, 70 of them erected where 
 no house before stood, and much the largest half within 10 years 
 past. It is worthy of notice, that in the course of these 40 years, 
 but three dwellirig houses have been destroyed by fire — all of them 
 small, old, and of little value, all together not worth $800, and all 
 burnt in broad day light. The old plan of insurance, in distinction 
 from mutual insurance, would have carried out of town in the same 
 time not less than $50,000. This estimate is made on the princi- 
 ple that every dwelling house in town is insured at its full value and 
 at the rate of one half per cent. The object of these remarks is to 
 show the saving of mutual insurance companies above others, and 
 how much less expensive it would be for the town to make up all 
 losses occasioned by fire, than to have their dwellings insured on the 
 plan of former days. Since the establishment of Mutual Insurance 
 companies, no one who neglects to have his dwelling insured, can 
 expect, should it be consumed by fire, to receive much assistance 
 from the community ; the expense is so trifling and the principle of 
 insurance so just and reasonable. 
 
 c. 
 
 Among others who were actively engaged in erecting a new house 
 
39 
 
 of worship, were Col. C. Henshaw, now of Boston, Dea. W. Walker, 
 Col. W. Adams, Col. P. Nye, Messrs. P. Haskell, F. Carruth, &c. ; 
 while some few were active in opposing the enterprise, more espe- 
 cially because the locating committee, (which consisted of Col. 
 Jones of Barre, Col. Sargent of Leicester, and Esq. Crocker of Pax* 
 ton,) pitched upon this spot as the most central and convenient place 
 where the edifice should stand. The site and building, exclusive of 
 the bell which was procured by subscription, cost about six thousand 
 dollars. The slips were prized by the builder so as to cover the 
 whole expense, and in the course of a few hours were about all sold 
 at auction — none for less than the appraisal, and the rest for so much 
 more that the amount of choice money was about 6700. It is pre- 
 sumed that no one at this day is disposed to question the wisdom of 
 erecting this house of v.'orship uhen^ and where, it was done. 
 
 The old meeting-house was allowed to stand for several years after 
 erecting the new one ; and was used for a town-house and for occr> 
 sional religious meetings h-eld by other denominations ; no man say- 
 ing aught against it. But it became so shattered as to be to many 
 an eye-sore ; and as no vote could be obtained to repair it, it was 
 agreed by the parish to make arrahgemerits to have it sold at auction ; 
 when it was bid off by Mr. Charles Southworth, and demolished. It 
 appeared that some had a desire to have it stand, and repair it for a 
 place of worship ; and individuals thinking that others meant to de- 
 feat this plan, were excited to make an effort to build a new house of 
 worship, which resulted in the erection of the small edifice now 
 standing nearly on the spot where the first meeting-hotlse stood. A 
 dedicatory sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Fiske now Presi- 
 dent of Wesleyau College in Middletown, presenting, amongst other 
 things, the excellences of the plan adopted by his own denomination, 
 particularly, in very frequent changes of ministers, so that no one 
 should continue in a place more than two years, and in many instan- 
 ces but one or two months. The Rev. Dr. thought that when a man 
 was permanently settled, he would become of cowse, careless and 
 indolent and unintere-sting in his services and cease to be useful. 
 This dedication was attended with a series of meetings. The Rev, 
 Mr. Davis was their first minister, a very well meaning man, who 
 continued his labors tyvo years. The following year, Rev, Mr. Mayo 
 
40 
 
 was their preacher. Who succeeded him is not known to the writer. 
 But one and another occasionally preached, until the house was shut 
 up about one year since, and has been closed to this time. The com- 
 mittee, or trustees, who contracted for building the house, not 
 abounding in property, and being forsaken by several wealthy men 
 who had encouraged them to build, were unable to fulfil their en- 
 gagements — the house was attached and advertised for sale at auction. 
 What is the present state of the concern, I do not know. Individu- 
 als of the Congregational Society afforded them some little help in 
 dressing the pulpit, and in furnishing preaching, as their means were 
 small. A few years since, a member of the Methodist Society was 
 requested to ascertain the number who usually attended their meet- 
 ing in good weather in the summer ; it was found to be about one 
 hundred. It is hoped that these may again be collected and many 
 others also, who for their own good have been too much estranged 
 from the sanctuary, and coming under the sound of the gospel, may 
 be converted from their sins and feel its sanctifying power. 
 
 Were we to judge of the effect of a very frequent change of minis- 
 ters from this particular case, according to the doctrine advanced in 
 the dedicatory sermon, we should not be very partial to the plan. It 
 is believed that our Baptist friends have suffered no small evils from 
 these frequent changes, and that the influence of this system on some 
 Other denominations, is not very salutary. 
 
 H. 
 
 It is conceived that a man without children, has in fact a more 
 plausible excuse for refusing to pay his proportion for the support of 
 common schools, than for refusing to support the gospel. Because 
 the moral and religious instructions attendant on the public worship 
 of God are a far greater benefit to him, than the common education 
 of the young. He is receiving more and greater benefits from the 
 dispensation of the gospel where he lives, though he never hear it,, 
 than from common school education. And of course he would have 
 a better — a stronger plea for exemption from taxation in support of 
 schools, than in support of the gospel. And doubtless these great 
 estates possessed by childless men which do nothing to support 
 the gospel, would generally pay nothing for schooling the young, did 
 not the law compel them. But how important to the community — to 
 the preservation of our civil privileges^ is the intelligence of tite peo- 
 
' 41 
 
 isle? — but liow can a people be intelligent without education? And 
 how will the education of the young be sustained without the preach- 
 ed gospel ? — The state of education in Rhode Island, where the gos- 
 pel has been sparingly preached, will read a long a«d loud lectufe 
 upon this subject. And what will there be to throw around men 
 necessary restraints, and exert upon them a civilizing influence, and 
 set before them proper considerations, drawn from God's moral gov- 
 ernment, to hold them back from crime, aside from the instructions 
 of the gospel ? It is very desirable that this subject be looked at in 
 its true light, and felt to the full extent of its importance. 
 
 It is now very generally considered a covenanted duty of members 
 of the church in a place, to do their proportion toward the support 
 of Christian institutions. ' They engage to attend on the ordinances 
 of the gospel, to strive for the edification of the church, to conse- 
 crate their powers and faculties to the service and glory of God, aiyd 
 practice righteousness, truth and charity.' But how can this be, if 
 members of the church refuse to help defray the necessary expenses 
 of the ordinances of the gospel, and throw the whole burden upon 
 others. If oiie can excuse himself, then another, and indeed the 
 whole brotherhood ; and then what becomes of the preached gospel 
 and its ordinances ? And what becomes of the church ? It is a 
 piece of dishonesty and a breach of coven.^pt engagements for a 
 member oi the church to excuse himself from taking a proper share 
 in the necessary expenses of sustaining the worship and ordinances 
 of God's house, if a brother be poor, he has then but little to pay. 
 Such a neglect of duty is now considered by the churches a discipli- 
 nable offence. The enemies of the gospel, and all who feel indiffer- 
 ent to its provisions, may be expected to refuse their pecuniary sup- 
 port in many cases ; but this can never be consistently expected of 
 Christians — oi professors, under covenant bonds to sustain gospel 
 ordinances. 
 
 The present incumbent is the third Pastor of this Church. About 
 the time it was embodied. Rev. Eli Forbes was ordained Pastor, June 
 3d, 1752, 86 years since — dismissed March 1st, 1775. No account is 
 
42 
 
 given in the Church Records with respect to the cause of this erenf^ 
 or the circumstances that led to it. But I am informed, that it 
 originated in difference of views respecting tlie controversy between 
 Encrland and her American Colonies. The people called him a 
 tory, and some of the whigs stoned his chaise one evening as he 
 was passing the street, which induced him to ask a dismission, in 
 which request he persisted till it was granted, and the relation dis- 
 solved by a mutual council. As soon as 1776 he was installed ii> 
 Gloucester, where he continued his ministry till 1804. His Pastoral 
 relation to the church in this place continued 22 years and nine 
 months. He was a pleasant, companionable man, and in his day, a 
 popular preacher. His sermons appeared better from the pulpit than: 
 from the press. He was born in Westboro', and bore the name of 
 Forbush, and thus wrote his name in the Church Records till, in the 
 French war, he officiated as Chaplain to a regiment under the com- 
 mand of Gen. Forbes from England. In conversation with him, he 
 somehow concluded, whether with, or without the help of conjecture^ 
 I do not know, that Forbush was a corruption of Forbes, and ever 
 after wrote his name accordingly, and many of his kindred did the 
 same ; while others retain the former spelling and pronunciation. 
 
 Rev. Joseph Appleton, who is supposed to have been born in Ips- 
 wich, was a graduate from Brown University, and ordained the second 
 Pastor of this church in Oct. 1776 — died July 25, 1795 — aged 44 
 years. He continued Pastor 18 years and 9 months. The ministry 
 of both these gentlemen united, continued forty one years and a 
 half. The church was vacant about three years, after Mr. Appleton's 
 decease, employing^ several candidates in succession, but without suc- 
 cess in any of their attempts to settle. Amongst others, they employ- 
 ed Rev. John Fiske of New Braintree; Rev. Nathaniel H. Fletcher^ 
 late of Kennebunk ; Rev. Dr. Moore, late President of Amherst Col- 
 lege ; and Rev. Mr. Briggs, now of Rochester. 
 
 One thing that contributes so much to a frequent change of minis- 
 ters, is the short time the Churches hear their candidates ; perhaps 
 from one to four Sabbaths. The gentlemen above named preached* 
 for months — I preached Jive months — almost half as long as some mi- 
 nisters now stay with their people. And it is believed, that in order to 
 give the ministry greater permanence, churches and people must re- 
 turn to the good practice of trying their candidates longer, till they 
 know their doctrine, their ability, their spirit and views, and how they 
 would probably perform parochial duty ; and every church and society 
 
43 
 
 iihould endeavor to ascertain whether they shall be pleased with their 
 candidate for their settled Pastor and Teacher. Unless time and op- 
 portunity are given for some acquaintance, it is probable that they 
 will soon separate. 
 
 This church has always conformed to the good usage of our puritan- 
 ical ancestors, in leading the way in extending an invitation to the can- 
 didate to become their Pastor, followed by the parish in a concurrent 
 vote to receive him as their religious Teacher, and making provision 
 for his support. This order should ever be observed, where people 
 mean that Christ shall have a church in distinction from the world. 
 
 The Hon. Thomas Hale was the son of Capt. Thomas Hale, one 
 of the first settlers in North Brookfield, and one that was a mem- 
 ber of the church when first embodied. He moved from Boxford in 
 the north-east part of the state. Esq. Hale was much employed in 
 public business — a member of the Legislature for 15 or 20 years — 
 for several years a member of the Senate. He had a great share of 
 public confidence as a man of integrity and sound judgment, was 
 very useful in the community, a consistent man and Christian. He 
 cast his influence on the right side in civil concerns, and in such as 
 related to education, morals and rt^ligion. Were all public men of 
 his spirit and character, our public affairs would be in a more pros- 
 perous train, than sometimes they have been found. He died in a 
 good old age, holding fast the doctrines as summarily set forth in the 
 Assembly's Shorter Catechism. The two females who only remain 
 of all the church members when I settled, are Mrs. Rhoda Potter 
 and Mrs. Lydia Gary, a sister of Esq. Hale, both in a state of wid- 
 owhood ; the last, when I settled^ was th-e youngest member of the 
 church. 
 
 In the first two revivals we were blessed with, in 1817 and 1819, 
 several ministers in the region came occasionally and preached at 
 week-day meetings with much acceptance and spiritual benefit to the 
 people. 
 
 In the midst of the revival in 1831, we had a series of meetings 
 for two or three days in succession — several of the ministers from 
 
44 
 
 the neighboring churches afforded their kind and acceptable assist- 
 ance. Though it was a solemn and joyful time, in which God made 
 bare his arm for the conversion of sinners ; still I do not think that 
 the protracted meeting was, on the whole, for the greater prosperity 
 of the church, than the mode adopted years before, when the Pastor 
 performed most of the labor, with the occasional assistance of his 
 brethren. At least, is is very questionable whether the protracted 
 meeting was instrumental of accomplishing any greater amount of 
 good, than the frequent and stated meetings of former days. And I 
 very much doubt, whether in such a region as this, abundantly sup- 
 plied with religious instruction and with places of worship, it is wise 
 to resort to such a measure for the revival of religion, or for the ad- 
 vancement and extension of a revival, already commenced. Wisdom 
 is profitable to direct what is best to be done, under circumstances 
 that may, at the time, exist. 
 
 la the revival of 1887, the Pastor had 7io help from abroad, except 
 in a few meetings for prayer. No one but the Pastor preached dur- 
 ing the time of God's gracious visitation, except in one solitary in- 
 stance. Most of our meetings during the week were prayer meet-, 
 ings, except one for religious conversation with anxious minds, and 
 another for instructing young converts. The brethren of the church 
 took a very active part in these prayer meetings, conversing with in- 
 dividuals, and addressing the hundreds of people assembled for reli- 
 gious instruction, and scores of tl em under anxious concern. The 
 work of grace was carried on with great stillness and with much ef- 
 fect upon many hearts. There was no more preaching than at other 
 times, though many more meetings for prayer and inquiry ; some of 
 which were conducted t/:JioIIi/ by members of the church, much to 
 the edification of the people. 
 
 We never encouraged females to speak or pray in promiscuous as- 
 semblies, and their own sense of propriety and their understanding 
 of apostolic injunctions was such, that no dissuasives were necessary 
 to prevent it, and it is questionable whether any efforts to induce 
 them to attempt it, would have overcome their respect for the laws of 
 Christian decorum. 
 
 The church have neither sent for an evangelist, nor employed one 
 in those seasons of attention with which we have been blessed. 
 Though they may be better preachers, than the stated Pastors of the 
 churches, and more gifted men, yet there are some very serious ob- 
 jections to employing such men as have gone forth aa Revival Preach- 
 
45 
 
 ers, among the churches in our country for a few years past. They 
 are generally strangers — the churches do not know them — nor have 
 they tried them — nor can they say whether they are worthy their 
 confidence. In some respects they are irresponsible men. Who has 
 sent them forth ? If disturbers of the Pastors and churches ; if in- 
 discreet and injurious to the interests of religion ; to whom are they 
 accountable, or to whom is complaint to be made? Expecting 
 soon to leave the place of their labors, as they are generally on the 
 wing, they are induced to say and do things they would not otherwise 
 say and do, and indulge themselves in extravagance of speech and 
 conduct, that no man in his sober senses can justify, and by which 
 no respectable man would be willing to have his character tried and 
 deterniined. 
 
 Good men may have very wrong feelings, and in a measure come un- 
 der the influence of a bad spirit. Giving these men on the score of 
 piety and talent, all they can claim, they are in danger of thinking 
 themselves the great power of God and that wisdom will die with 
 them — of assuming authority over the pastors and the right of dicta- 
 tion in all ihe affairs of the churches — of pursuing a course which 
 will give their own agency peculiar prominence and throw that of 
 God into the back ground, and thus exalt the creature and depreciate 
 the grace of Heaven. They cannot so well know the state of the 
 church and the .spiritual wants of the people as the minister of the 
 place, who has for years been conversant with them. For a stranger 
 to pronounce the church all asleep aixl dead, because they are nojt 
 on the high pressure system, or are indisposed to follow in his wake, 
 is what he has no right to say, and is illy calculated to promote the 
 cause of Christ. If we must have these revival preachers to travel 
 the country, let them be discreet men — men of modest pretentions, of 
 Christian humility, instructing others in the meekness of tvisdom, 
 preaching the gospel in its purity and simplicity, seeking not their 
 own things, but the things of Jesus Christ — let thexn be men of God, 
 consulting the peace and order and future prosperity of the churches, 
 and leaving it for the after conduct of their hearers to determine who 
 have been converted from their sins. While some individuals may 
 have done much good in the church, still, take them as a whole, it is 
 my candid opinion, that for eight or ten years past, such has been 
 their character, their spirit, their measures and extravagances, that 
 they have been a curse to the church, rather than a blessing. The 
 state of religion in many parts of our land affords sad evidence of 
 
46 
 
 their unchristian and blasting influence. If the churches in the wes- 
 tern sections of the state outgrow in one generation, the injury they 
 received from their measures, it will be more than many good men 
 anticipate. 
 
 J. 
 
 It is hoped that the time will soon come when there will be less 
 bigotry and prejudice upon the subject of baptism, and when it will 
 not be magnified above its real importance; and when too, husbands 
 and wives who entertain different views of the subject, shall cease to 
 vex each other and to throw obstacles in the way of what either seri- 
 ously thinks to be his duty. If the husband really believes it a duty 
 to devote his children to God in baptism, let not the wife, who is of 
 a different opinion, oppose him ; for she must know that it can do 
 no harm to the children to make the very v/orst of the case ; and 
 her husband must live in sin, (if he believe it a duty,) while he neglects 
 it. And not only so; but if it be a divine institution, as many have 
 no doubt, and therefore, both the duty of the parent and the privi- 
 lege of the children ; she assumes an awful responsibility in prevent- 
 ing her husband from giving his children to God in this ordinance. 
 I say, it is a fearful thing to take upon one's self such a responsibi- 
 lity. For no person, who candidly looks upon the subject, can say, 
 that infant baptism is not a divine institution : all he can say is, / hc- 
 lieve it is not. What is here said of the wife, is equally true of the 
 husband. If while he has no belief in infant baptism as required of 
 believing parents, his wife thinks it her duty to dedicate her children 
 to God, let him not forbid her this gratification, — nor hold her back 
 from the performance of what she truly believes her duty and her 
 children's privilege. He has no right to interfere in this matter of 
 conscience — this transaction between herself and God for the good 
 of her offspring. This would be an unkindness which no man should 
 be guilty of toward his wife, and no woman toward her husband. If 
 they differ in opinion upon this practical subject, let the one, whe- 
 ther husband or wife, who thinks it a duty God requires of his peo- 
 ple to dedicate their children to him in baptism, do his duty without 
 being opposed and vexed and hindered by the other. It is not only 
 vexatious, but wicked in professed Christians to keep back from duty 
 their nearest friends. Perhaps you will say it is Jiot his duty. But 
 he thinks it is ; and who must determine ? Certainly every person 
 
47 
 
 for himself. You are not to be judged by another's conscience. 
 Let your wife — your husband — your children, after proper measures 
 to enlighten them, act for themselves in the things of religion, and 
 do what they sincerely believe to be their duty — let them fully enjoy 
 the rights of conscience. Because you are the master of the family 
 gives you no right to control thch' consciences. You think it not 
 your duty to dedicate your children to God in baptism ; be it so ; 
 your husband thinks it is his duty. Then let him do it without your 
 interference or objection, lest you bring sin upon him ; and unless 
 you think it morally wrong, go with him, and assist him as a kind 
 and affectionate wife ought to do. And the same I would say to 
 husbands in like circumstances. This is the course, it is conceived, 
 which the spirit of the gospel with enlightened views would prompt 
 Christians to pursue. 
 
 We have never been much annoyed by other denominations in at- 
 tempts to make proselytes. The kw attempts which have been 
 made, have succeeded so poorly as to prove a discouragement to> 
 such unprofitable business. A large portion of our Baptist people 
 amongst us, have entertained too liberal views to devote themselves 
 to this work. If people toish to be Baptists, let them be so, for it 
 is their right. But were I to undertake to convert Baptists, or real 
 Christians of any other denomination, and induce them to unite to- 
 my church — were I to enter their Society in a revival season, and at- 
 tempt to draw away people to join my Society, I should think myself 
 engaged in pretty small bushiess ; and no less mean than smalL 
 
 Dea. Benjamin Adams was son of a Benjamin Adams who moved 
 from Ipswich, it is believed, and was one of the early settlers in this- 
 town. He was chosen Deacon in 1779. At the time of my settle- 
 ment no member of the church or parish had so much influence,, 
 probably, in ecclesiastical concerns, and especially in settling a min- 
 ister, as Dea. Adams. He was a good judge of preaching, a very at- 
 tentive hearer, always at meeting when in health, a man of intelli- 
 gence and uncommon attainments for one who enjoyed no greater 
 advantages. He was a valuable member of the church and society, 
 was ready to promote every good enterprize, was capable of impart- 
 ing instruction to others, and very able in prayer. To his youngest 
 son. Rev. Thomas Adams, he gave a public education, who is now a 
 
48 
 
 Settled minister in Waterville in Maine ; only one of his cliildren re- 
 mains in town, William Adams, Esq. 
 
 The following is a list of the officers of the church during the 40 
 years of ray ministry : viz. Samuel Haskell, a good and exemplary 
 man, who died in office 1820, aged 87. Benjamin Adams, who re- 
 signed in 1806, and died in 1829, aged 81, having officiated 27 years. 
 Walter Walker, appointed 180G, and died in office 11S35, aged 62. 
 Humphrey Gilbert appointed 1810, resigned 1813, and died 1816, 
 aged 48. John Rice appointed 1814, resigned 1820, and a few years 
 since removed to Shrewsbury. Tyler Batcheller and Joseph Appletoii 
 Moore were chosen to the office of Deacon J 820, and Barnet Poland 
 and Lyman Bush were appointed 1834. These four brethren are 
 now the officiating Deacons in the church. 
 
 Deacon Walker who continued in office nearly 30 years, was a 
 very useful man in the church, as well as Society. His influence 
 was uniformly in support of order, peace and religion. He aided in 
 works of benevolence at home and abroad, and wished that to be 
 done which would promote the cause of Christ, while he afforded his 
 personal services in the prayer-meeting, the religious conference, and 
 the Sabbath School. He was the father of Amasa Walker Esq. of 
 Boston. 
 
 Some of the individuals who entered into this plan, were Dea. W. 
 Walker, Dea. J. A, Moore and Mr. Horace Bailey. This was an en- 
 tirely new thing in the place, except with one or two young men, who 
 were never accustomed to use spirit. It had been contended that 
 men could not endure the heat and labor of harvesting without the 
 help of ardent spirit. But the result of the experiment wrought 
 conviction in the minds of all who made it, not only that spirit is 
 useless to the laborer in health, but also that it is injurious — increas- 
 ing lassitude and weariness and pains; and enabled thetn to bear tes- 
 timony to this fact, which greatly contributed to the success of early 
 temperance efforts in the place. 
 
 As in other places, so in this, many difficulties were, and still are, 
 to be encountered, and some of a very serious and trying nature. It 
 is extremely painful to think that there should be individuals in the 
 community who are voluntary caterers to the drunkard's appetite. 
 While painful to contemplate, it is also exceedingly vexatious to those 
 
49 
 
 who would reform their friends and bring them back to sober life. I 
 have known a benevolent man to move 70 or 80 miles, and spend two 
 or three years principally with the design, if possible, by kind and 
 judicious management, to reclaim an intemperate brother, and restore 
 him a blessing to his distressed family and his former circle of friends. 
 But he found all his kind efforts in vain. And why ? Because in- 
 dividuals there were, who would counteract all the efforts he was 
 prompted to make by his fraternal affection. They would entice him 
 away and feed his appetite, and then rejoice to think that they had 
 drawn back to the path of shame and ruin, one whom a kind bro- 
 ther would save. What more unkind could they do? what more 
 infernal than to glory in their success ? I can name no character 
 more base, or more perfectly hateful, than this. The drunkard 
 himself, who will finally be chargeable with self-immolation, is an 
 honorable man, compared with one who designedly counteracts the 
 kindest efforts to save him — efforts sprmging from filial and fraternal 
 affection — yes, and from a father's, a mother's, and even a wife's 
 sincerest love. How can we describe the vileness of those, whoever 
 they be, that labor to defeat the efforts and blast the hopes of kind- 
 ness in the consummation of the drunkard's ruin? 
 
 With all the discouragements met with in this enterprise, there 
 have happened many pleasant things. I must be permitted to men- 
 tion one in particular of a very cheering character. One of the 
 persons who made the experiment just mentioned and who had en- 
 gaged to procure signers to the Constitution of the Temperance So- 
 ciety, applied to an aged gentleman of influence for his signature, 
 but he declined. The young man began to set before him some 
 weighty considerations that should induce all the friends of man to 
 enlist in this cause ; the old gentleman was a little disturbed, saying, 
 ' I have always been accustomed to use ardent spirit, and am now ad- 
 vanced in life and need this comfort in my old age. I wish well to 
 your cause, but cannot join you.' The young man desisted. In the 
 course of a year or two, a son of the aged man, who was almost ru- 
 ined by strong drink, having signed the pledge and wholly abstained, 
 began to recover his health and strength, and to attend to business, 
 and be a comfort to his family. The father observed it, and could 
 almost say, This imj son was dead and is alive again ; he was lost, and 
 is found. The next time he met with the young man who attempted 
 to obtain his pledge to the Temperance Reform, he said, " Have you 
 7 
 
50 
 
 the Constitution of the Temperance Society with you ?" No. " / 
 wish to see it, and put my name to it before I die." 
 
 Of this amount the ladies gave $30 to make their Pastor a life- 
 member of the Amer. B. Society, — $20 to make him a member of 
 the Dom. Miss. Society — $50 an honorary member of the A. B. C. 
 F. M. — $72 to educate a heathen child in Ceylon, to bear the name 
 of Thomas Snell — $10 given by Miss Percis Howe to make her 
 Pastor a life-member of the Sabbath S. S. — $40 were given to make 
 him a life-member of the A. E S. — $25 to make him a life-member 
 of the Seaman's Friend Society. 
 
 »r. 
 
 How it is in other places, I am not able to say ; but in this it is 
 very noticeable how few intemperate men attend public worship; 
 and indeed, how few men are constant attendants who have not 
 adopted the principle of entire abstinence from ardent spirit. Out 
 of the several hundreds who habitually attend our place of worship 
 on the Sabbath, I know of but three or four who, I have any reason 
 to think, are in the practice of using ardent spirit as a drink. There 
 are a number of this description, who may occasionally attend. 
 True, I do not know how many frequently use it in secret. But 
 such as do it freely will very soon be betrayed. 
 
 Almost every constant attendant at the sanctuary has wiped his 
 hands from the sin of the traffic and use of ardent spirit. And the 
 men who come and vote and act against the cause of Temperance in 
 our town meetings are not those who come here, or go elsewhere, to 
 worship God — they do not throw themselves in the way of religious 
 instruction, or under the civilizing and moral influence of the gos- 
 pel. I could point to many persons, who, while they were sober 
 men, attended constantly the worship of God ; who, since they have 
 become intemperate, have scarcely been seen in the sanctuary. When- 
 ever men are observed to fall into the sin of intemperance, you may 
 expect with much certainty that they will soon absent themselves 
 from the place of worship. How surely then is the intemperate man 
 in the highway to everlasting ruin ! While he lives in sin and 
 
51 
 
 drowns his sense, he voluntarily throws himself out from under the 
 influence of that gospel which God has appointed to bring sinners to 
 heaven. 
 
 It is not the regular attendants, or even the supporters of public 
 worship, with very few exceptions, who come and lift their hands 
 against the cause of temperance ; but strangers to the sanctuary — 
 aliens from our religious commonwealth. 
 
 Besides the number of deaths by particular diseases already men- 
 tioned, it may not be amiss to state that there have died 
 
 Of Old Age, 
 
 . 53. 
 
 Meazles, 
 
 . 10. 
 
 By Fits, 
 
 . 32. 
 
 Canker-Rash, . 
 
 10. 
 
 " Paralysis, 
 
 . 29. 
 
 Pleurisy, . 
 
 . 9. 
 
 " Dropsy, 
 
 . 25. 
 
 Worms, 
 
 . 9. 
 
 Affection of the Liver, 
 
 . 13. 
 
 Croup, 
 
 . 8. 
 
 Child-birth, 
 
 . 12. 
 
 Dropsy in the Brain, 
 
 . 7. 
 
 Casualties, 
 
 . 10. 
 
 Whooping Cough, 
 
 . 5. 
 
 Some were probably more dissatisfied with the doctrine preached 
 than with the salary. A second attempt was made in the year fol- 
 lowing to effect my dismission, and in the same way. Expecting 
 another attempt of the same kind the next year, I proposed that at 
 some proper time and in some proper way, the members of the parish 
 should candidly and freely express their wishes with respect to my 
 continuing their religious teacher, in order that I might know the 
 path of my duty ; and that I did not wish to remain, if the people 
 did not wish to have me. A meeting was accordingly called, and 
 being a pleasant day, was fully attended, about 130 voters being pre- 
 sent. Thirty expressed their dissatisfaction, and the rest a desire 
 that I should continue my services. This meeting put all things to 
 rest for a number of years. 
 
 During the first 20 years of my ministry, I exchanged pulpits very 
 frequently. My place was supplied by other Ministers one third part 
 
52 
 
 of the time, and some years much more. Though some exchanges 
 are pleasant for Ministers and agreeable to people, if not profitable, 
 yet it is my opinion that many exchanges are not good either for a 
 Minister, or his people. It is calculated to alienate their affections, 
 or at least, to induce a people to imagine that their Minister cares 
 but little about them, and this will of course'prevent that attachment 
 to him, which they might otherwise have. The more Minister and 
 people are together in social intercourse, in the solemnities of reli- 
 gious meeting, and in the trying and affecting scenes which are con- 
 stantly presenting themselves in a parish, the stronger their mutual 
 attachments — the more will the people feel that their Minister is their 
 own — one of their number ; and the more will he feel that the people 
 are his charge, and the more will he sympathize with them in all 
 their joys and sorrows. I should not advise a young Minister to be 
 very much absent from his people either by exchange, or otherwise, 
 lest he beget in them the idea, that he feels indifTerent to their wel- 
 fare. It is pleasant to them, and is calcuhited to do them good, to 
 believe that their Minister loves them and labors to promote their 
 happiness. 
 
 In times of special attention, I have always attended three exercis- 
 es on the Sabbath ; and since a village has sprung up around the 
 place of worship, so that 300 souls or more are within about half a 
 mile, embracing many young people, I have uniformly in good wea- 
 ther, attended a third service : not however, because I think the same 
 individuals can generally profit more by three services than two; but 
 because some who cannot attend the usual exercises will have an op- 
 portunity to attend the third, and because many people in a village, 
 without a third religious service where they can attend, will have 
 strong temptations to spend the evening hours of the Lord's Day very 
 unprofitably. I would have a third religious exercise of some sort, 
 for the purpose of preventing an open profanation of the Sabbath, if 
 there were no other object to be secured. In every considerable vil- 
 lage where an assembly can easily be convened, it appears to me a 
 matter of no small importance, that in favorable weather, the young 
 people especially, have opportunity to attend an evening meeting. If 
 it be of no use in other respects, it may prevent much evil. Impress- 
 ed with this consideration, I have generally had a Sabbath Evening 
 Lecture for 7 or 10 years past; and to unite variety with instruction, 
 have criven a course of lectures upon the most important portions of 
 Sacred History from the creation to the reign of David, making in 
 
63 
 
 all about 200 — the assembly in pleasant weather varies from 150 to 
 250. 
 
 For several years past, I have had a class of young gentlemen in 
 the Sabbath School, placing myself among other teachers under the 
 supervision of the Superintendent. Once I was unable, or thought 
 myself unable, to perform the services of a third meeting on the Sab- 
 bath; but upon experiment, I find it can be done. I had but little 
 to do with the Sabbath School for a number of years, thinking that 
 I could not endure the service. But finding a class of men who 
 would be pleased to have me instruct them in such portions of 
 scripture as I thought best, I took the charge of them to the number 
 twenty or thirty, and I must say, that it is one of the most pleasant 
 services I perform on the Sabbath. And several important advan- 
 tages attend it, that I did not fully estimate till I made the experi- 
 ment. One is, I learn the turn of mind, and the talents of the young 
 men, and their mode of thinking — learn something of their know- 
 ledge of the Scriptures — learn their views of the doctrines of Chris- 
 tianity and of its institutions and precepts — learn their objections 
 and their errors, and their feelings on religious subjects, by which I 
 am enabled to shape some of my public discourses, whi]e it furnishes 
 me an opportunity to correct any erroneous views of divine truth, 
 and to present my own views of the great doctrines of Christianity. 
 One other thing it does, viz. it prepares the way for me to invite any, 
 and every body, to join the Sabbath School, since I belong to it my- 
 self? and if they can find no better place, to come into my class, and 
 I will instruct them according to the best of my ability. 
 
 It may be some gratification to individuals of the new generation 
 who have never seen the sermons in print to which I alluded, to know 
 on what occasions they were delivered. For their satisfaction I 
 would mention some of the occasions and subjects. The sudden 
 death of Capt. S. Skerry — The death of Mr. Daniel Tomlinson, jun., 
 eldest son of Rev. D. Tomlinson — Dismission of Dr. Moore from 
 Leicester — Two Discourses on our War with England — Before the 
 Gen. Ass. of Mass. — Before the Society for the Reformation of Mo- 
 rals — Ordination of Rev. Mr. Gaylord — Before the Legislature — The 
 Submission of the Sinner to God — Formation of Missionary Society 
 — Dedication of new Meeting-house — On Temperance, &c. 
 
54 
 
 I wish to speak, with sentiments of gratitude, of the kindness of 
 the people, which I have experienced in prosperity and adversity. 
 From individuals both of ladies and gentlemen, I have received ma- 
 ny hundreds of dollars within 15 or 20 years past. Some of this has 
 probably been bestowed as a token of respect ; but most of it under 
 the impression that my salary was inadequate for my support. Aside 
 from this friendly aid my circumstances must have been very much 
 straitened. Take the whole forty years of my ministry, my salary 
 has not paid my current expenses ; the contributions of individuals 
 have in some measure supplied the deficiency. The money I had 
 when I commenced keeping house, had it been put upon interest, 
 would at this time have amounted to more than I now possess. 
 
 I said that individuals have bestowed upon me their bounty and 
 enabled me to live ; — I would add, that very much has been done in 
 and for North Brookfield by individual effort ; far more than many 
 are aware. Many hundreds of dollars have been expended for the 
 common benefit of the Parish, if not of the town, that was contribut- 
 ed by individuals, which might have been raised by a common tax 
 without injustice. I have more particular reference to the support 
 and improvement of sacred music. That Christian Psalmody has 
 risen among us within 40 years past, every body knows who remem- 
 bers any thing about those days. As to what it was then, I would 
 only say, that it was, as in many other places, poor enough. That 
 we have now respectable singing, evcri/ body allows. So7ne think that 
 we have excellent Psalmody. Many strangers say, that they have 
 heard no such church music and seen no such choir of singers in the 
 ■country, or even in the city, with one exception — amounting to more 
 than 100. Now making all allowance, on what score you please, for 
 these opinions, it must be admitted that our style of music has great- 
 ly improved. But at whose expense? I have found an article for rais- 
 ing money to encourage sacred music in ten different Parish War- 
 rants — in five cases the article was passed over ; in one $C0 were 
 raised; in another $40; in three others $30 each=l90 in the whole, 
 during forty years — not half enough to keep the breath of life in 
 singing. Sacred music has been sustained and improved and come 
 to what it is among us, icholly by individual contribution and effort ; 
 and principally by the singers themselves. They furnish books of 
 
55 
 
 music — books of hymns — instruments of music — time for learning 
 music and making proficiency — and in addition to all the rest, money 
 to furnish accommodations and hire a Teachel^ Is this equal ? Is 
 it right 1 Let every man answer. •