On

belong to the club. A dinner was always provided, after which there was a sermon in the church. The two old gentlemen had long been neighbours, but did not agree in their views either of doctrine or church discipline; but they were friendly when they met. And as the Doctor had brought a Virginia preacher, a nondescript, they made him doubly welcome. They differed even more in politics than in religion; for Mr. Sandford was a democrat of a school hitherto unknown to me, holding that when the church was fully established, there would be no need of civil government. that day the sermon came in turn to be preached by the Rev. Mr. Alexander, of Mendon, a man of some learning. But he was understood to have gone to Boston, and it was doubtful whether he would be there. It was therefore put upon me to preach, and Mr. Sandford took me up stairs into his study, and left me to make such preparation as I needed. In the mean time Mr. Alexander arrived, having ridden twenty or thirty miles in a very hot day. To his inquiries as to what arrangement had been made for preaching, Mr. Sandford replied, 'We certainly expect Mr. Alexander to preach.' Mr. A. declared it to be out of the question, but Mr. S. continued to repeat, 'We expect a sermon from Mr. Alexander, and no other.' Thus he continued the hoax, until the bell rang for public service, upon which I descended and was formally presented as the Rev. Mr. Alexander from Virginia. I never saw a man more surprised or relieved. We went to the church, and found a respectable number for a week day and a busy season. At that time I used no notes in the pulpit, but being in a country where all sermons

were read, I felt it to be incumbent on me to make my discourses as methodical and accurate as I could. And though I never could commit words so as to depend on my memory, I had long accustomed myself to follow trains of thought, and the regular array of an argument. I took as a text, 'He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.' I undertook to show

I. The foundation of love to Christ, as it relates both to the object and subject of the affection.

II. The properties of love to Christ; which I made to be

1. Sincerity.

2. Supremacy.

3. Constancy.

III. The evidences of love to Christ;

1. A desire of pleasing, and fear of offending.

2. A desire of conformity to his character.

3. A desire of communion, and sorrow on account

of absence.

4. A desire to promote his glory, and sorrow when he

is dishonoured, or when his cause declines.

"As I insisted strongly on the position that love must terminate on the true character of the object beloved, I gave them all great pleasure, as this showed that I did not hold to the selfish scheme of virtue. When I got into the chaise with the old Doctor, he made me quite ashamed with his laudation, and assured me there was nothing in the sermon which he did not approve.

"The next day Dr. Emmons took me to a much greater distance, to a weekly lecture. The audience was small.

My text was Luke xiv. 18, 'But with one consent they all began to make excuse.' The next day, being the Fourth of July, he took me to a neighbouring town, where an oration was to be delivered by a certain Dr. Manning, who had once resided in Virginia. The Doctor was greatly out of his element at this meeting, for the oration was rabidly democratic, and the people assembled were generally of this party.

"The next day was Saturday, and Dr. E. left home for the place of his appointment. During the visit he never attempted to enter into any controversy, but seemed rather to avoid all doctrinal discussion. He had a young man studying with him, who was principally occupied in writing two discourses for the Sabbath, and these, according to the custom, he read to his preceptor. I was present on one of these occasions. The main object of the sermon was to prove man's dependence on God for every thing, including every thought and emotion. After this exercise, the young man, whom I took to be very stupid, propounded to the Doctor this question: If man is dependent for all thoughts and feelings, and if the law of God requires him to be holy, while his thoughts are sinful, then does not God require the creature to be independent? I wondered how he would answer it, when, after a few moments' pause, he turned to me and asked me how I should reply to the question. I begged to be excused from any such attempt, and so the matter went off without an explanation.

"In person, Dr. Emmons was a little inclined to be corpulent. His hair was thin, and his countenance rather florid than pale. His knowledge of the Southern States was

imperfect. He had just published a sermon on the character of Jeroboam, which was considered excessively severe against Jefferson, who had just ascended the presidential chair; yet, as far as I could judge, he cherished no malignity against any one, on religious or political grounds."

We insert here, for the sake of connection, a statement found in another manuscript. "Old Dr. Emmons once said to me, in defending the bands and cocked hats which were then used in New England; 'Clergymen, when they travel or go abroad, should have some badge of their profession. It preserves them from many unpleasant rencounters, and causes them to remember their sacred office. For,' added he, when a clergyman thinks that he is not recognised as such, he is very apt to yield to unsuitable compliances; and often, when he seeks to be incognito, he is known to all the company.' This is a sage remark."*

In the frequent mention which Dr. Alexander was accustomed to make of this visit, he always spoke of him in high terms of respect; while he entertained, as is well known, very different theological opinions. But it was characteristic of him to treat with great liberality, and in some respects with esteem and affection, those whom he at the same time regarded as seriously erroneous. In the next chapter we shall take up his narrative, in regard to Boston, the grand object of his curiosity.

*MS. Life of the Rev. William Graham.

CHAPTER TENTH.

1801.

NEW ENGLAND JOURNEY CONTINUED-BOSTON-DR. ECKLEY-DR. MORSEHARVARD

COLLEGE-IPSWICH-DR.

DANA NEWBURYPORT-EXETER—

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE-DANIEL WEBSTER-SHELBURNE-DR. PACKARD COMMENCEMENT AT PRINCETON-PHILADELPHIA-RETURN TO THE COL

LEGE.

“I

OBSERVED on approaching Boston," says he, “that few persons rode on horseback, and that I attracted no little attention, having my valise, overcoat and saddlebags, and a horse very different in form from those of New England; for he was of English blood, and had been a racer in his time. I began to feel, as I commonly did when entering a city, a certain shyness, which led me to avoid the most frequented houses. When, therefore, I came to the City Hotel, and observed many men in uniform, and some with epaulettes, I thought I would ride on further, and find a quiet house. But after proceeding some distance, I found that I had gone entirely through the town, and was on the way over the bridge to Cambridge. Here, however, I observed a sign, and as I meant only to leave my horse, I determined to stop. And indeed I found a quiet house, for the innkeeper