suns have shed their beams: that mother looks down upon you, she beholds your conduct, and (if an anxious thought ever crosses the bosoms of the blessed,) she regards you with an anxious eye, she smiles upon you when you travel the right path and behave well. My brother, have you forgotten her? No, may we never forget her, may her precepts be engraven on our hearts in indelible characters, may the remembrance of her example cheer us on our way, may it animate us in embracing the cause of virtueit animate us"-" in the hour of death; and may we at last join our parents in the realms of joy, never more to be separated. Do not disappoint me-I humbly expect and hope by the grace of God, to meet you there—our mother expects us there-there may we all meet." may "Such advice as I have attempted to give you, I trust would have been my mother's, had she been alive. She taught us to respect religion-she taught us to say our prayers-she taught us to respect the Sabbath, to read our Bibles, to say our Catechism. Our honoured father also taught us."—"Duty to parents is one of the highest we can exercise; many nations have punished with death the persons who were disrespectful to their parents. Our father, not only from the relation in which he stands to us, but also from the pains he has taken with and for us; the nurturing hand with which he has trained us up, deserves our affectionate regard, our dutiful respect: pay to him, my brother, the respect you owe; obey him, be careful not to give him uneasiness, but contribute as much as in you lies to his happiness and satisfaction." "Virtue carries with it a reward, which, though only an earnest of a greater one still to come, is nevertheless highly valuable. When a person behaves well, he obtains not only the approbation of his Maker and his own conscience, but also of the world. Envy may detract, and malice may injure, but the good will behold virtue with delight: if in a young man they will encourage and assist him, they will employ him and enable him to enjoy worldly favour and prosperity." "By behaving well, you will always possess that assistance and support which the world cannot bestow; your Maker will support you."—"Should you be spared, the testimony of a good conscience will accompany you to its latest evening; and when your head is silvered o'er with age, the retrospect of a well-spent life will afford you joy and delight-in the hour of death, and in the bliss of eternity, your good deeds will then rise up in remembrance, and add new blessings and supports." "Do not regard this as unworthy of particular attention; I have wriiten it with a view to your good, hoping that you will peruse it often, and attentively follow the advice it contains; by so doing you will promote your welfare, both here and hereafter. Your ever affectionate brother, "THOMAS G. ALLEN." It should be remembered that when this was written, my brother was between 18 and 19, and I was between 13 and 14 years. The foregoing epistle I carefully preserved, and from its being so much used, I presume I perused it often. For some years it was my only visible guide; and I now have reason to believe, that, by the blessing of God, it was made the instrument of great good to my soul. No other apology, I trust, is necessary for making so long an extract. We have thus brought down my brother's history through a most interesting period; a period in which the foundation of mental vigor and holiness of heart, was carefully and firmly laid. And as at this period every movement of the mind and soul is important, I hope no objection will be made to the numerous references to his manuscripts. CHAPTER 11. HIS REMOVAL FROM HUDSON-HIS RESIDENCE IN BERLIN, AND HIS CORRESPONDENCE. FROM the date of my brother's last letter to me, April 8th, 1808, until September 5th, 1809, I again find myself left with a very imperfect guide as to his movements. At the last mentioned period he commenced a correspondence with me, which was continued till his death. At that time he was residing in the county of Berlin, twelve miles from Albany, and had charge of the store which was connected with the Rensselaer Glass Factory. He removed to that place within the period above specified. Previous to his removal to Berlin, he spent some time in Lansingburg, and pursued his studies under the direction of the late Rev. Samuel Blatchford, D. D. The object of his removal to Berlin, and taking charge of the store, was, that he might cover his expenses, at the same time he was occupied in his favourite pursuit, to qualify himself for the ministry of the gospel. His mind, no doubt, was early exercised on this subject and in 1809, an afflictive providence was displayed in connexion with our family, which, I believe, constrained him to devote himself more entirely to the cause of the blessed Redeemer. On the 24th of August, Dr. John M. Mann, who married our mother's only sister, was drowned in crossing the Hudson River. He was passing from Hudson to Athens, to attend a patient, and by the turning of the ferry boat, he was knocked over by the boom. He continued above water some time, but before the boat was turned round to his assistance, (the ferryman being under the influence of spirits,) his body was so exhausted, that he sunk to rise no more in this life. This event, so sudden, and so afflictive to society, to the church, and especially to his wife and five helpless children, who were thus, in a moment, deprived of their only earthly protector and support, produced a powerful sympathy throughout the city of Hudson. And I believe it was so sanctified to the soul of my brother, as to direct the current of his affections more immediately towards God and holiness, and induce him to take a more decided stand in reference to the ministry. Dr. Mann had recently united himself to the church, and was considered as born anew in Christ Jesus. When his body was found, an unfinished prayer was discovered in his pocket, which was designed to be used in connexion with others, perhaps with his family. Thus we have reason to rejoice in the hope, that his death, though unexpected, yet to him was infinite gain. This providence is repeatedly referred to by my brother. He points to it as the means of good to his soul. In his letter to me, dated September 10th, 1809, he writes, "Indeed, our greatest blessings often appear in a questionable shape. Even the death of our uncle Mann, though very painful and afflicting to us all, may be made the means of great benefit. It may cause aunt to be more resigned to the will of heaven, more in a state of preparation for death. It may cause our cousins to pay more attention to religion, to become truly pious. I have some reason to believe, my dear brother, that it has been made the means of benefit to me; and I hope, I sincerely hope and pray, that it may have a good effect upon you, that it may make you more attentive to religion than you have been, that it may make you read your Bible frequently and regularly, may cause you to attend more D more strictly to the Sabbath; to attend meetings more regularly, and be more attentive while you are there." On another occasion he writes, “If it should ever be the will of Providence, my dear brother, that I should be witness to your death, may it afford me as much consolation as your uncle's has; viz. to see you die the death of a Christian, and beloved and lamented by all who knew you.' He again and again directs my attention to our dear Mother and Uncle, as united in the enjoyments of the bliss of heaven he urges me to prepare, and expresses his own ardent desires of meeting, and uniting with them in eternal praise. In connexion with this subject, aunt Mann writes to me as follows:-" At the time of my greatest affliction, your brother's anxiety and tenderness for me, made an impression upon my heart, which has never been effaced. I think this was about the time he was brought into the Redeemer's kingdom; and his views of the happiness of heaven, and the glories prepared for all who died in faith, exceeded every thing I at that time had witnessed. I recollect one letter he wrote to me, which evinced that he had received as much of the Holy Spirit as is possible for us poor mortals to bear. He said he was walking on the banks of the Hudson River, meditating on the happiness of those who had already arrived at heaven: he was so much carried above the world, he imagined he could hear the voices of the redeemed around the throne of God. This was soon after the death of your beloved uncle, and no doubt but the remembrance of him and your beloved mother, led his thoughts to these reflections." My brother continued in Berlin about a year. While there, he devoted much of his time to his favourite studies. He placed himself, in some degree, under the direction of the clergyman at Sand Lake. He would walk to that place from his store to be examined. He boarded in the family |