families from distress, and to send the gospel to all nations. But on these attributes of his character I cannot enlarge. I have a particular object in view, and to that I shall chiefly confine my remarks.

Moses Brown was born in Newbury, Oct. 2, 1742. By unceasing diligence, and the exercise of judgment and forethought, with the blessing of divine providence, he rose from small beginnings to the possession of a large estate. But he was not, like most other successful merchants, so immersed in his worldly business and cares, as to be neglectful of the wants and sufferings of the poor. He remembered what it was to be poor; and, through all the years of his prosperity, he cherished a generous sympathy for those who were placed in that condition from which divine providence had raised him up. Many a time did he, from the mere kindness of his heart, exercise a forbearance towards his debtors, which occasioned him the loss of what was justly his due. And many a time, especially in the latter part of his life, did he relinquish valuable claims upon individuals, because they could not pay him, without reducing themselves to straits.

It would be impossible to record the various forms and instances of his charity to families and individuals. The benevolent actions, of which I now speak, are known in part to those among whom he lived. But they are fully known to God only. And I trust, that when they are brought to view at a future day, our departed friend will recollect, with holy thanksgiving, that divine grace which excited him to perform them; and will know the happy import of what the God of mercy hath said: Blessed is he that considereth the poor.

But these charities to the poor did not satisfy the heart of this friend of man. He did not follow the steps of those rich men, who engage a little in more private charities, and there stop. His having devoted so much of his substance to the ordinary objects of benevolence, had an influence to enlarge his heart, and to prepare him to contribute to higher and nobler objects.

My lot, as a minister of the gospel, was cast a few miles from

his residence. In compliance with a particular request, I had the pleasure of meeting with him, together with another friend, now living, and another, now I trust in heaven, to consult respecting the establishment of a Theological Seminary. It was twenty years ago. The subject of a Theological Institution was then new to us, and new to the public. The conversation of that evening will be one of the last things to fade away from my memory. But it was not conversation merely. The honored friends of whom I speak, were not men of words, but of business. And, feeling their obligations to God, who had given them their estates, they then entered on the plan of founding a Seminary for the education of pious youth for the ministry. And that generous man, who is now silent in death, freely offered his ten thousand dollars for this momentous object. Though he was a man of but ordinary education, and had been incessantly engaged, from early life, first in mechanical, and then in mercantile labors; and although he had never thought himself worthy to be numbered with the followers of Christ; he had a mind large enough to understand the importance and necessity of such an establishment, and a heart to give liberally of his honest treasures to promote it. That time appears like yesterday. Every word, and look, and tone of voice is fresh in my recollection. The readiness, the simplicity, the generous kindness, with which our departed friend offered his aid, cannot be described; though by those who knew him, it may easily be conceived. He merely said: It is a great object; I will give ten thousand dollars to begin with; and more afterwards. He redeemed his pledge; for he was always a nursing father to the Seminary; and after various smaller donations, and one of a thousand dollars, he gave, a few years since, twenty-five thousand dollars to found a new Professorship. Besides all this, he promoted, by generous contributions, the various religious charities of the day. And it was a remarkable trait of his character, distinguishing him from most others, that even after he came to be an old man, he could readily enter into any new plans of benevolence, how different soever they might be from those to which he had been accus

tomed. Such was the American Education Society, which he regarded from the beginning, as a worthy object of his patronage, and to which, at the commencement of his last sickness, he contributed a thousand dollars. Such too was the American Temperance Society, the formation of which he welcomed with all his heart, as it coincided perfectly with his own settled principles and habits, and the sober results of long observation. To this Society he made a donation of five hundred dollars. He previously contributed five hundred dollars for the benefit of Greeneville College, Tenn., and fifteen hundred to the town of Newburyport, when it was visited with a destructive fire. By his last Will, he bequeathed six thousand dollars to be kept as an increasing fund, till it should be adequate to the perpetual support of a public Grammar school in Newburyport; one thousand dollars to the Howard Benevolent Society; and one thousand acres of land in Brownville, Me., to the Theological Seminary in Bangor. He also gave a large amount of legacies to various individuals, who were not lawful heirs to his estate.

You perceive that our honored friend did not copy the example of some rich men, who retain their property with an iron grasp as long as life remains, and then, by Will, give away something, because they can hold it no longer themselves. He made a liberal use of his estate while he lived, while in health, while engaged in business, and while capable of enjoying the satisfaction of seeing the good resulting from his charities.

But the crowning excellence of his character was religious principle. His life gave evidence of his humility and devotion. He loved the doctrines of revelation, the strictness of evangelical truth. Never was there a man, who seemed to think less of himself; who was further from making any claims upon the divine favor, or indulging any hopes of heaven on the ground of his good works, though few men ever had more of these than he. But they were of no account with him in the affair of justification before God. In this respect, he regarded them as of no value, and looked for salvation to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. His character had long been such, that

Christians would have rejoiced to welcome him to the Lord's Table. But from this he was deterred by his extreme self-distrust, and by an impression, which was probably not altogether correct, of the nature and design of the ordinance. But the heavy afflictions, with which it pleased God to visit him a few years since, in the death of his amiable partner, and his only child, were evidently the means of producing greater decision and maturity of Christian character, and preparing him for greater enjoyments. In consequence of this, he was induced to unite himself with the church of Christ by a public profession. I am free to express my wish, that he had done it long before, and my conviction, that he committed a serious mistake in neglecting it.

And now, brethren and friends, when we review the subject, and fix our eyes on the character of the beloved man, who has lately been removed from us to another world; we cannot but be impressed with the littleness and insignificance of wealth, devoted to selfish, worldly purposes. Oh! it is all nothing-worth, all-contemptible, as the judgment day will show. We honor the poor man, who cheerfully gives a few cents to promote the cause of his Saviour. But the man who possesses wealth, and who lives and dies, without giving any considerable portion of it to benevolent and pious objects, has no honor from God, and deserves none from man. He sinks his name and his riches into contempt. And though he may leave a large estate to his heirs, he leaves no blessing of God with it. But blessed are they whose hearts are warmed with divine love, who are "rich in good works, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."

A SERMON

ON THE DEATH OF JEREMIAH EVARTS, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY OF THE A. B. C. F. M., DELIVERED IN ANDOVER, JULY 81, 1881.

WE have assembled, brethren and friends, to show our respect to the memory of a faithful servant of Christ, and our sorrow at his death. That friend to the heathen, that benefactor of mankind, who has been taken from us, enjoyed the esteem and affection not only of his relatives, of the Prudential Committee, and of the American Board, but of all those in our country who love the cause of Christ. He was very dear also to the missionaries whom we have sent forth, and the tidings of his death will fill their hearts with sorrow. In Palestine, in India, in the wilderness of America, and in the Isles of the Pacific, there will be great mourning for our beloved Secretary.

Far be it from me to bestow unmeasured applause upon any man, especially upon the man whose death we deplore. The highest honor I would give him is to say, that he was a Christian, and that, in imitation of his Lord and Master, he went about doing good. Our departed friend was of a humble heart and contrite spirit. He disclaimed all personal worthiness, and was among the last to seek or to desire applause. And now that he