Rev. Mr. Beach, of Winsted, Conn. Mrs. Woodbridge has gone to a meeting of the sewing society. Emeline is expecting company after tea, this evening, and will furnish them with cakes, ice-cream, etc. How the fashions have changed since the period of my youth! Intoxicating drinks are now banished from all decent society among ourselves. When I first settled in this town, no respectable entertainment could be made without the generous distribution of old spirits, of brandy, or of both.”

"June 10, Lord's Day. It is now a few minutes after five o'clock, and God has given me a sweet and refreshing night's rest. I ask him to bless me this day, and to prepare me by his grace for an eternal Sabbath in his kingdom. O for clearer views of my heavenly Father, and my incarnate, almighty, infinitely glorious Redeemer!

“P. M. I have preached all day from Genesis vii. 6; subject: "The General Deluge.' I. Its cause. II. The measures preparatory to it. III. The time, the attending circumstances, and the consequences of that catastrophe; and IV. The instruction to be derived from it by us.

"The sermon was originally written, and was first preached twentynine years ago.

"I found some satisfaction in prayer, and some earnestness, I trust, in preaching. But how little sense have I of those eternal realities, which, my age admonishes me, I shall soon understand by experience! "The meeting for this evening is appointed to take place at half past six o'clock.

"I think I do admire the gospel as divinely glorious, and the source of light, goodness, and happiness to mankind. What wisdom, what excellence, what power, are inclosed within the covers of that little volume, the Bible! No wonder that it is dreaded and hated by radicals, and licentious infidels, and popes, and all the enemies of true liberty on the earth.

"15 minutes before 10 o'clock. I attended the evening meeting; read the 102d Psalm, and talked about half an hour on the 13th and 14th verses. Prayers were offered by Col. P., Mr. A., and myself."

"June 11. Monday, P. M. — In the morning, after my usual devotions and first meal, I read the books of Nahum and Habakkuk. I then labored a short time in my garden, and made some calls. This afternoon I finished writing my thirty-third lecture on the epistle of James. "Prof. Smith, his wife, and two children, called. I conversed with him on various subjects connected with mental philosophy, as Pantheism, the evidences of the divine existence, &c., and restored to him the essays written by members of the senior class for prizes. The committee of award are expecting to meet at my house on Friday of next week.

"In the evening I called at Mr. Curtis's, where we talked of afflic tions, doctrines, &c."

"June 12, A. M.-I intend, Providence permitting, to begin this day my thirty-fourth lecture on James.

"P. M. I wrote in the morning between three and four hours on my lecture, being essentially the same with a sermon I wrote on the same text, in 1821. If anything is wanting to make it more appropriate than it was before, I hope I shall be enabled by God's gracious assistance to supply the deficiency.

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"I think, upon reflection, that I may not have been sufficiently economical in my habits, though I have aimed to avoid extravagance and waste. Had I been more attentive to my worldly affairs, I might, without any loss in point of intellectual advancement, and without any diminution of pastoral activity, have done better for my family, and at the same time contributed more largely to the necessities of others, and the cause of Christ in the world. A man may be as selfish in neglecting his temporal concerns, as in hoarding for the gratification of his mean and sordid avarice. I do not regret that I have, as I trust, always despised a miserly spirit; but that I have not been willing to take the pains I ought, to husband in the best manner the gifts of Providence, to me, the accountable creature of God."

"June 13, P. M. - I have written to-day about five hours, and have finished my thirty-fourth lecture on James. I am now expecting to walk to E--'s.

"6 o'clock. I walked with my youngest daughter to the house of her sister. I have had some very pleasing views this evening of the glory and blessedness reserved for the righteous, in connection with reading in the original, 1 Cor., 15th chapter. May I hope for such inexpressible felicity? What honor will redound to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the unmerited rewards to be bestowed upon his friends! What a wonder it is that the hearts of Christians do not continually.leap within them for joy in anticipation of the astonishing manifestations of divine wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness, hereafter to be made to the holy universe! None will be miserable except those who have no heart to rejoice in the greatest excellency, and the perfecting of a system of benevolence worthy of Him whose very name is love.

"June 14, P. M. - I have finished reading the last annual report of the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, a closely-printed pamphlet of eighty-four pages. It is more mild in its character than some of the publications of that society have been, and contains a considerable amount of valuable matter worthy of preservation for future reference. It does not seem to have abjured its heresy concerning the Colonization Society, which it calls (p. 57) 'the monster humbug of the age. Most of its strictures on that society indicate, in my view, deepseated prejudice and intemperate zeal.

"The reported speech of H. B. does little credit to him, or to those who applauded his vituperative harangue.

"I called this afternoon, in company with Mrs. Woodbridge, at the house of Rev. Mr. Ayres, to pay our respects to his bride, to whom he was married on Tuesday last, by Rev. Dr. Todd, of Pittsfield.

"Past 9 o'clock. Some German minstrels - a man with a violin, a woman with a tambourine, and three female singers - went through a portion of the street this evening, and performed a few tunes before my window."

"June 15, P. M.-I worked in my garden before breakfast about forty minutes. Afterwards spent some time in spreading the grass, which was cut yesterday; and this afternoon have turned it and raked it into rows. The day has not been favorable to haymaking, though the sun has now broken forth with considerable brightness.

"I have read my lectures which I intend to preach next Sabbath, and selected appropriate psalms and hymns. At the close of the afternoon service the newly-elected deacons are to be consecrated by prayer to their office.

"I read this morning the last number of the American Protestant,' and have just been reading the Puritan and Recorder' for this week, containing an article written by myself, with the signature of Ignatius. "In the course of the afternoon I fell in company with H. K. E., from whom I learned that he had of late been much troubled with doubts and various inward conflicts. I gave him such advice as I supposed his circumstances required. The duty of the Christian in darkness is very plain. He must submit to God, and go, as for the first time, to the atoning and almighty Saviour."

"June 16, Saturday. — A Mr. Knight, a young man educated at East Windsor, has engaged to preach for me to-morrow. He is at the house of Mr. Edson, where I have conversed with him some time on the atonement, Taylorism, &c."

"June 17, Lord's Day. A very clear morning. A few minutes after 5 o'clock. A little after 9 o'clock. The sky is very clear. A day most favorable for attendance on public worship. May the Lord this day display the glory of his grace in the assemblies of his saints, edify his people, and cause the hearts of rebels to melt in penitence and love.

"P. M., 18 minutes past 12 o'clock. Mr. Knight preached an evangelical and impressive sermon from Prov. xvi. 4: The Lord hath made all things for himself.' Doctrine: God is his own end in creation. This was argued, — 1st. From his immutability. 2d. From his infinite holiness. His own glory is of the highest importance.

"REMARKS. 1. If God's glory is his ultimate end, then we may expect that his works will display his glory. They actually do. 2. If God seeks his own glory supremely, then nothing can exist any longer or farther, than as it promotes this end. 3. The great guilt of sin appears. It opposes God's great end. 4. We see why it is that God has not excluded sin from the universe. Not because he was unable to

exclude it; but because by means of it he could glorify his attributes. His punitive justice and his mercy are alike displayed in consequence of sin. 5. We see why God punishes sin. Not purely for the good of the offender, or the welfare of creation, but because his own glory requires such punishment. 6. This subject shows us the nature of true religion. It has supreme respect to God, and not to self, or any inferior end..

"Such were some of the thoughts of a useful and orthodox discourse, which I rejoiced to hear from a young preacher. Calvinism appears to me to be an essentially different system from Arminianism, or Taylorism.

"In the afternoon Mr. Knight preached from Psalm xxxvi. 9: 'In thy light shall we see light: 1st. It is only by the light of the Bible that the world sees divine light. 2d. It is only by the light imparted by the divine Spirit that the Christian, as such, sees light, both in the present and in the future life.

"REMARKS. 1. We see the great value of the Bible. 2. We see the sad condition of the unregenerate. 3. The subject is full of comfort and guidance to desponding Christians.

"After the sermon, Deacons Hitchcock and Dickinson were set apart to their office by prayer.

"10 o'clock. I attended the third meeting and conducted the services, by offering two prayers and by remarks illustrative of the general subject of the afternoon's sermon. The evening is clear and beautiful.”

These extracts are presented to the reader as specimens of a journal, containing many gems of thought and Christian experience of great value, which his pious descendants will' preserve and peruse with pleasure.

CHAPTER XV.

THE CLOSE OF HIS MINISTRY, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT
WORK.

BREVITY is written on everything bearing the stamp of time. The noblest and most important of all service is not exempted from this general law. The most eminent minister does his day's work and retires. He scarcely learns how to handle skilfully "the word of life" ere he is displaced to make room for another. It has been estimated that twenty-five years is the average of ministerial labor in New England. When we take into view the immensity of the work to be done, and the momentous issues depending, we sometimes wonder, if we do not murmur, at this mysterious arrangement. Millions and millions of souls have never heard the glad message; almost measureless regions of the earth remain unilluminated by IIim who is the "Light of the world;" and yet he whom God qualifies by marked abilities and by years of rare discipline to hold high the torch of heaven, bears it only a space so brief that we can scarcely say, "he works," before we say, "he rests." Why should not the life of this efficient agent be prolonged for scores, nay, for centuries of years, even for the long revolutions which antediluvians were permitted to live? God can surely keep the "harp of a thousand strings" "in tune so long" now, as well as in earlier times. What glorious victories over sin might have been achieved! Had the heroes of the Reformation, - Luther, Calvin, Zuinglius, Knox, and their fellow-champions of long-buried truths; had the zealous and efficient workers of the great Puritan movement; had Whitefield, the Wesleys, and their com