LIFE.

CHAPTER I.

HIS INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD.

Birth-Constitution early impaired-Reflections on his baptism-Early education, physical, and literary— Anecdotes-Happy effect of early discipline-Influence of agricultural training on future character.

Shortly before his decease, my brother dictated the following notices of his early life, in connexion with the sketch of his ancestors, contained in the appendix.

I was born at Holles, N. H. Oct. 13, 1777, four days before the surrender of Burgoyne,-perhaps on the very day, on which his proud, haughty, stubborn heart was made to bow and say, "I must submit to these rebels." It was the brightest day during our struggle with our cruel mother country. Then did the God of armies most propitiously smile upon our arms, and turn the tremendous scale of destiny in our favor. But as I took no part in the glorious scenes, I can claim no praise for having been born at a crisis so peculiarly auspicious to us and to the world.

When my father first saw me, his heart devoted me to the ministry and gave me my present name, principally from regard to my great grandfather of Malden. Of this, I was early informed; and was afterwards generally impressed and pleased with the thought, that this was to be my profession. This impression probably had some influ

ence to form my character-to render my morals a little more strict, my deportment a little more grave, and my meditations a little more serious, than otherwise they would have been; and perhaps actually proved the occasion of what has since come to pass in relation to this subject. If parents would thus early devote their sons to the ministry, and pray for them and educate them with any good degree of consistency, no doubt we should have a supply of faithful ministers.

When I was about six months old, I was smitten by severe disease, which lasted more than a year, and was often considered dangerous. It seemed greatly to impair my constitution, and perhaps laid the foundation of succeeding infirmities. In my earlier days, however, the evil effects of this disease, seem to have been in a great measure warded off by physical education-by being properly supplied with food, with sleep, with air, with exercise, with exposure, with shelter and with pleasant pursuits. O, that my education in other respects had not been incomparably less excellent.

Baptism of my infancy. This I consider as one of the greatest privileges I ever enjoyed. I do hope and trust, it has actually proved a blessing. Not that I consider it as regeneration, or as certainly connected with regeneration, or as conferring church-membership. Such opinions, I regard as incorrect and highly injurious-as having done infinite mischief. But to be thus publicly and solemnly devoted to the glorious Three, for time and for eternity, by tender, believing parents-to enjoy the special prayers of minister and church-this surely is a privilege that should not be lightly esteemed. To me, the wisdom of God appears most striking in this precious and most endearing ordinance, by which the parents are most solemnly bound to train up their children for God. Though many parents do most horribly violate these baptismal vows, and bring much reproach upon the institution, yet there is no doubt, that christians in general, who thus give up their children according to what they under

Part of this complicated disease, was rickets. He was also afflicted with taenia, by which his life was in great jeopardy and which caused such extreme hunger that he was suffered to see no food except the portion which was deemed safe for him to eat. Relief from this part of the evil, was obtained by the use of angelica seed.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION.

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stand and feel to be the divine requirements, do much more for the salvation of their children, than if they had made no such public engagement. And I do believe, that this rite has been among the means that God has blessed for the conversion and salvation of myriads. O if pedobaptist christians would perform but half their baptismal Vows in relation to their children, how blessed would be the effect! how soon would the reproach of infant baptism,

be taken away.

My early Education. This was extremely imperfect. My physical education was incomparably the best. This related to the preservation and improvement of bodily health, strength, etc. This was nearly, though in many respects perhaps not exactly what it should be. I had plenty of food of the most suitable kind, simple, nutricious, but not luxurious nor much stimulating. The first and last meal consisted generally of bread and milk, and the second of a little meat with one or two kinds of vegetables, and bread compounded of rye and indian. Such fare I received with a keen relish and entire satisfaction. Such was the fare of almost all around me. Sometimes, though not often, I was moderately feasted by a portion of pies, plain cakes, or white bread. I scarcely ever tasted tea or coffee. Probably I enjoyed my food quite as highly as those children, who now fare sumptuously every day, and found it much more conducive to health and vigor. I delighted to work, and still more to play. I did much of both. My labors were rendered much more pleasant by having a little axe or hatchet, a little hoe and a little rake accommodated to my boyish hands and boyish strength. My sports were numerous, and sufficiently abundant. These perhaps might have been almost entirely superceded, without any injury to body or mind, by more numerous and perfect implements of labor, by better instructions in the toils of the field, and by performing numerous philosophical experiments such as children may easily perform with a cheap apparatus, and a little instruction. Indeed all their instruments of labor and of sport and multitudes of other articles, may occasionally serve for philosophical apparatus. It is important, however, that they should have older children with them, who have already some acquaintance with the subject, to take the lead in the first operations, and to explain such

principles as can be easily understood. In this way, no doubt, the child may early and insensibly become a little practical and theoretic philosopher, with great advantage to his conduct, to his skill in useful operations, to his mental improvement and future science. As far as possible, practice and theory should always go together. Theory can hardly be understood without practice, nor practice improved without theory. Their separation has been the bane of both.

The literary education of my childhood, was much inferior-almost nothing. My parents taught me very little, and my teachers scarcely more. I did indeed attend school several months in a year, but it was attendance rather than attention. I did scarcely any thing. Almost my whole business was, to sit idly upon my seat through nearly the whole of the six long, long, tedious hours of the school. Fifteen or twenty minutes might have been taken up in reading and spelling alone, four times a day. In all this there was scarcely any benefit. It conduced rather to dulness than to energy. It may indeed have had some effect to promote subordination and patience. But what a grievous loss! How much useful knowledge and important habit might have been gained, had I been properly stimulated and properly taught. Some have supposed these years the most precious part of pupilage. There are subjects enough that children can easily and delightfully understand and profitably pursue.

At eight or ten years of age, I was placed in a class, and taught to study my lessons. This rendered my literary pursuits somewhat more pleasant and profitable. But little progress was made, compared with what might have been. Besides reading, writing and spelling, at the district school, I paid some attention to English Grammar and Arithmetic. The latter interested me much, and I made some progress; but my attention to Grammar was perhaps worse than lost. The greatest advantage I then derived at school, was in reading the New Testament, with some parts of which I was very much interested. This was much the best religious instruction I then had.

My attention was much more roused to literature by committing to memory and declaiming facetious compositions for the amusement of my friends. These I could

EARLY PROPENSITIES.

17

understand and feel, and they greatly helped to improve my reading.

Reading Pilgrim's Progress had a still greater effect. I believed every word to be literally true. A good old man was kind enough to tell me, that every part of it had a striking and wonderful spiritual meaning. I thought him an old fool, and still chose to retain my opinion.

Still more interesting and stimulating, was the reading of Milton's Paradise Lost. Having heard a part of the story of it with the most thrilling emotions, I longed most ardently to read it.

This is the last sentence of his narrative, as dictated by my brother to his youngest daughter, as she sat by his dying bed. Alas-it has closed when just begun! Would that he might have been spared to trace, in his own peculiar style, at least a few more lineaments in the picture of his opening mind, glowing as it was with the seraphic spirit of poetry, and 'ardently longing to read of that Paradise which we had lost by sin.' But God saw fit that here his labor should thus abruptly end, and his spirit be called to enter the Paradise regained by a Savior's blood. Bowing to the divine will, we must say, Even so, amen! Thanks to that God that spared his frail life so long; and thus gave him a delight to work while the day should last. Were his beloved pupils and intimate friends now present, they would unitedly bend the knee with me to implore that grace I so deeply need in attempting to continue this narrative. May it be simply for God's glory and the best good of those who may read it.

Being younger than himself by ten years, I can personally recollect no facts respecting his childhood. Before closing this chapter, however, I will adduce one or two which I have learned from his acquaintances.

At the earliest period, he was distinguished for the frank declaration of truth. If, for instance, any disturbance occurred in school, his teacher would always rely on his honesty to confess or to declare the facts in the case, when called upon.

The same frankness early appeared in the expression of his opinions; and that perhaps in cases where nothing but