heart of the affectionate pastor, and he wept for joy. During the blessed season which followed, his labors were abundant. He prayed, preached, and taught from house to house, as one who expected to give an account. In describing the precious fruits of this revival, in which about eigh ty persons were added to the church, Mr. Hooker said, "Our Sabbaths, and other seasons of worship, are full of delight. When the friends of the Redeemer attend the memorial of his death, they find that his banner over them is love. It is peculiarly animating to see such numbers added to the visible family of Christ, and, among them, so many promising and dear young people, hopefully redeemed from sin and death by his blood, and approaching his table, to commemorate the wonders of his love, and seal their engagements to be his."

In the year 1803, he was induced, by repeated solicitations

of

young men, as well as of ma my respectable ministers, to engage in the instruction of theological students. As there were then no public seminaries for this purpose, the labor must of course be performed by private teachers; and very few possessed the requisite qualifications for it, in so great a measure as Mr. Hooker. But he was often heard to say, 'that the work of qualitying others to preach the everlasting Gospel, was one which he performed in weakness and fear and much trembling: and that this arduous and responsible. business, superadded to the vast, various, and sacred duties of the pastoral office, was more than

any minister ought to take upon himself.' About twenty young gentlemen pursued their theological studies, wholly or partly, under his direction, some of whom have since become distinguished Christian ministers.

In the year 1807, divine influences again descended upon Mr. Hooker's people, as rain upon the mown grass, and as showers that water the earth. The fol lowing extract of a letter from him to the writer of these pages, will exhibit his feelings at an early stage of that revival.

"Goshen, May 12, 1807.

"Dear Sir,

"Our good people, who have. been praying the seven last years for another harvest, have begun, within a few weeks, to thank God and take courage. The har vest is commenced with very hopeful appearances of becom ing extensive and glorious; and several, we believe, have already gathered fruit unto eternal life. The sower aud the reapers rejoice together. But the work is absolutely God's, and he only knows how far it is to prosper. The attention has increased very much within the last ten days. The two last Sabbaths were among the most solemn, which I have ever seen in this place. We hope, and rejoice, and pray, and fear, and tremble. The impulse has spread like an electric shock. It is difficult in this stage of the work to know how many are under real conviction, or to what degree. Pray for us; that we may all know the time; that Now it is high time to awake out of sleep Alas for those who must Say eventually, the harvest is pasi;

the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

Sincerely your friend and
brother,

ASAHEL HOOKER."

From this time till the winter following, he was wrought up to the highest pitch of solicitude and effort. He was all life, and soul, and action. He had many almost sleepless nights through anxiety, lest some, who were a wakened, should return to stupidity, or rely on false hopes; and others, who were not awakened, should sleep on, and perish in neglect of the great salvation.

But, imperceptibly to himself, his constitution was impaired by these various and unremitted la bors. For several months, his friends perceived in his counte nance, and especially in the great excitability of his nervous system, indications of latent infirmity. In March, 1 1808, he preached at the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Pitkin in Milford; and, the same evening, rode to New-Haven, and preached a sermon at the Brick Church. He lodged at the Rev. Dr. Dwight's. Without complaining of any peculiar indisposi tion, he retired to bed, but was soon attacked with an ague, suc ceeded by a high fever. He did not acquaint the family with his illness till next morning, when the best medical aid was resort. The disease proved to be a distressing pleurisy; but by the blessing of Providence upon the skill of his physicians, and the strictest attentions of an excellent family, the strength of his fever soon abated. In about six weeks he was so well as to return home, and for a season

ed to.

continued convalescent, without any threatening symptom, except a soreness at his breast. But of all men, in such a case, an infirm minister, who loves his people and his work, is least likely to adopt the proper course for a speedy and entire recovery. His own strongest inclinations, excited often by the well meant, but injudicious, solicitations of friends, lead him to break through the dictates of his better judgment, and sacrifice the prospect of permanent usefulness, to present impulse, or too limited views of present duty.

Mr. Hooker, beginning to preach too soon, failed again. He then took a journey to Balltown Springs, which seemed to give temporary relief: but in October he failed entirely. The elevated situation of Goshen, exposes it peculiarly to the cold blasts of winter. Hoping that a mildet region might be more favorable to his pulmonary weakness, he spent the winter of 1809, in New Haven, New York, and New Jersey. The state of his health and feelings, during this painful absence from his beloved family and people, will be in some measure exhibited by a few extracts from his letters.

The first is addressed to the Hon. Judge Reeve.

"New York, March 30, 1809. "I have no doubt that God is building up his kingdom in this city. You would be astonished to see the multitudes who assemble, in some of the church. es, almost every night in the week. The ministers, whom I have heard on these occasions, appear to me to preach the real Gospel, and to do it with a so

lemnity and earnestness becoming those who watch for souls. April 8. During the greater part of this week, I have been ill with the influenza. On Wednesday had a physician, was bled, took some medicine, and was in a good measure relieved from severe head-ache, cough, and irritation at my breast. The weather for the last four days has been dismal. This morning, it is very pleasant. I shall probably regain in a few such days, all that I have lost, in a few days past. I hope to return within this month: but what Providence intends to do with me, I must submissively confide to him, till it shall please him to make it known."

To Mrs. Hooker he also writes,
March 30, 1809.

"My very dear Phebe,

I have formed some new aequaintance with ministers, and ther excellent, pious people, whose pleasant and useful society serves to beguile many hours, which might otherwise pass heavily. But when I think of my dear wife and children, it seems to me, at times, that I must return to them immediately. Nothing but a conviction of its being a point of duty could induce ine to be absent another week.

"March 31. As a kind Providence would have it, your letter, No. 5, was this moment handed in, as I sat at dinner. I am pained to think of the anxiety which you have suffered on my account. Do not, my love, be so anxious again, if my letters should fail. But I will endeavor to have them go, if possible, more punctually. I am at present with good Mr. and Mrs D. who direct me to VOL. XI.

*6

call for any thing I desire, which is in their house, or in the market. How much reason have I, this moment, and always, to bless the Lord, who is so kind to one so evil and unthankful!"

The subsequent paragraphs exhibit his tender solicitude for his people, and his pious sub. mission to allotments of Providenee, so peculiarly and deeply afflictive, that no one can form an adequate conception of them, who has not been an infirm minister.

"I am sorry, deeply sorry, for the good people in Goshen, and pray God to take care of thein, and provide them a better minister than I have been. If I attempt to stay with them, I am convinced that I must die in the attempt. The chance, so to express it, of my living and doing a little good, is altogether in favor of my dismission. I know that in leaving our present home, we must go forth, like Abraham, we know not whither. But if here lies the path of duty, we will not pause to consider wheth er we shall walk in it. We will trust in the Lord and do good, and we then have his merciful promise, that we shall dwell in the land, and verily we shall be fed.

Spreads everlasting arms abroad,
"Behold the great, eternal God
And calls our souls to shelter there."

Meantime, let us remember what is written, Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him; for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.

I am sensible, my dear Phebe, that neither we, nor the people of my charge, were duly hum

bled by the sore sickness which I endured the last spring;, nor 'duly thankful for my recovery. Hence there was good reason why our trials should not be removed. Whether any of us shall profit at all, by the divine chastisements, God only knows: I pray that we may; and while this is my prayer, I do cherish the hope, that if God should restore my health, I may live more to his glory. I feel a strong desire to resume my labors as a minister of Christ; and, after all which I know of myself, am sometimes ready to hope, that if my desire should be granted, I should preach better than in years past. May the people of my charge humble themselves

before God and wisely consider his doings. I know not but he is about to remove me out of the way, that he may give them a better minister. I think f should rejoice, could I now be assured, that he would give them a better one. Though I have felt and still feel satisfied as to the duty and necessity of giving up my present charge, I am afraid that my confidence in God will not be so implicit and so entire as it should be, in regard to what awaits me and my dear family. O that we may trust in the Lord, at all times, and pour out our hearts before him. If we are faithful to him, we cer tainly have nothing to fear'

(To be concluded in our next. §

For the Panoplist.

A SHORT SERMON. NO. VI.

Psalm xix, 10. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold.

THE law the testimony the statutes-the commandments, the fear and judgments of the Lord, in the context, denote the Scriptures, which were extant, when David wrote this psalm.. We may now without impropriety consider these terms as embracing the whole Bibie, and say of all the Holy Scriptures-More are they to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold.

The reasons are concisely these. They convert the soul— make wise the simple-rejoice the heart-enlighten the eyes--endure

forever-and are true and rightcous altogether. The servants of God are warned by them; and in keeping them there is great reward.

That we may derive these important benefits, from the Scriptures, and that they may be to us better than treasures of gold, we must make a proper use of them. Let us then,

1. Inquire how we should regard the Scriptures.

They are given by inspiration of God, to teach us what to be. lieve and do, that we may be saved. They are designed to make us acquainted with the only true God, with ourselves, with our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and with all things which relate to our duty, and to our real welfare, temporal and eternal.

Receiving the Scriptures as