may we all be ready. I wish once more to see you on this side of the grave-but life is uncertain!

Yours affectionately,

LEMUEL HAYNES.

Rutland, Jan. 16, 1818.

*

You inform me of the state of Mrs. A.; I am glad to hear that she is in some measure recovered, and I would join with you in giving thanks to God for his goodness. I often send my imagination to Gand see the havoc death has made there. I travel from lane to lane, and I find but few alive. My contemporaries are mainly gone. We may say with great propriety, that the time of our departure is at hand. As to the fruit of our awakening, which you ask me about, I lament to say that the harvest was short, and our hopes not fully answered. We had but only twenty-seven added to our church. There appears to be a great degree of stupidity among us. Saints cold,

Some

and sinners bold in sin. But the Lord reigns. young people have lately died among us, which has excited some seriousness; I hope it will not be in vain. I feel sometimes discouraged and worn out with fatigue. I tell my people I wish they would release me, at least for a time, and employ some other preacher, that I may journey abroad. You know we are too apt to be uneasy.

*

letters.

I thank you over and over again for you.

Cordially yours.

CHAPTER XIII.

ATTENDANCE AT THE MEETING OF THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF CONNECTICUT.

IN 1814 Mr. Haynes attended the session of the General Association of Connecticut, as a delegate from the General Convention of ministers in Vermont. On his way to Fairfield, the place of meeting, he visited. the city of New-Haven, where he lingered a day or two, to enjoy an interview with the Rev. Dr. Dwight, the highly distinguished president of Yale College.

On his arrival, it was announced that the Rev. Mr. Haynes, of Vermont, would preach in the Blue Church; and at an early hour the house was filled. Mr. Haynes was introduced into the pulpit, and being very desirous to see Dr. Dwight, he carefully watched every person who entered in the garb of a clergyman, to see if he might be Dr. Dwight, whom he had then never seen. One came in, and another, and another, and he asked himself Can that man be Dr. Dwight? and he mentally answered-no, no-for several in succession. At length there entered a gentleman whom he pronounced unhesitatingly to be Dr. Dwight, and when he saw him ascend the pulpit stairs he was sure he was right. "How did you feel,” said one to him afterward, "when you found you were to preach before Dr. Dwight ?" "Oh," said he, "I learned long ago not to fear the face of clay."

"That sermon," says Professor Silliman, of Yale

College, "it was my pleasure to hear. It was preached to a full audience, in the old Blue Church, as it was called (formerly Dr. Edwards's), on the northeast corner of the public square. I well remember the text-which was in Isa. v., 4; 'What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes.' The doctrine obviously flowing from this remarkable passage was illustrated and enforced by the preacher with dignity and feeling, and left, I doubt not, a happy influence upon the audience, both as regards the important truths illustrated, and the capacity and piety of the preacher."

An intelligent and highly respectable lady, who was then at a boarding-school in New-Haven, and was present at the evening meeting, has kindly furnished the following communication.

DEAR SIR,

West Springfield, Feb. 26, 1836.

It would afford me great pleasure could I communicate any thing that would be of service to you concerning the estimable man of whom you are preparing a memoir. When I saw him I was but a child of ten years. I then heard him preach at New-Haven. His appearance, the simplicity of his manner, I shall ever remember with interest. I recollect that in the course of his sermon he broke out in something like the following strain of remark:-"A good lady has been on a visit this afternoon,-have you had a good visit, madam ?"—"Oh yes, a charming visit.""And did you converse about the Lord Jesus Christ ?". no, we did not say any thing about Christ."-"What!" he exclaimed with emphasis, "a charming visit, and not a word said about the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of sinners?" From this he went on to speak of the indifference and guilt of Christians, in neglecting to con

"Oh

verse about the Saviour. This has occurred to my mind hundreds of times in later years, and I trust it has been and ever will be a salutary lesson to me.

About the same time he preached before the General Association of Connecticut, in one of the towns west of New-Haven. My father* heard him on both these occasions. I have often heard him speak of the latter as an interesting season. Mr. Haynes at that time related an anecdote which has since been frequently published. "A lady, who was fond of gayety, spent the whole afternoon and evening with a party at cards, and other vain amusements; and, returning home late at night, found her waiting-maid reading a religious book. She cast her eye upon the book, and read the word 'eternity,' at the same time reproaching the girl for reading such gloomy books. After retiring to rest, she was overheard by the maid-servant groaning and weeping. She went to her mistress, and inquiring what was the matter, 'Oh,' said she, 'that word-that awful word, eternity!'" This was related in such a manner as to make a deep impression.

Dr. Dwight, sitting in the pulpit with the speaker, was observed to be deeply affected, even to tears.

*

Yours, &c.

*

E. K. HAZEN.

Rev. DR. COOLEY.

The reader will not fail to be delighted with a full analysis of this very interesting sermon, as far as it can be collected from the brief skeleton left among the manuscripts of the author.

* Rev. Asa King,

SERMON.

ISA. V., 4- "What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes."

Vineyards were very common in the eastern country, and composed a considerable part of field husbandry. They were made in very fruitful places, and required much care and cultivation-often expressive of that care which God takes of people in this world, especially of Israel. A vine is a weak, slender thing, that cannot support itself,-unless it bear fruit it is of no value, as illustrated in Ezek. xv. Unprofitable to God-themselves saints-sinners-devils.

A great naturalist tells us of one single grape-vine, planted by the Emperess Livia, that produced one hundred and eight gallons of wine in a year.

In the words before us, we have God's care of his people. He even appeals to man's own judgment, that they would decide the controversy between him and his people. What could I have done more? &c. What is it possible to do more ?-Sept.

We have the barrenness of men under Divine cultivation. They did not answer the reasonable expectations of the Almighty.

There are two or three important points that are worthy of our serious consideration.

I. In some sense God does all that he can for sin

ners.

II. God may most reasonably look that men should bring forth good fruit under Divine cultivations.

III. Men in general are very far from answering such an expectation.

When it is said in the doctrine that God does all that he can, we are not to suppose that God does all that it is in his natural power to do. A parent may offer all his estate to a rebellious child to reclaim him; or he may