thus became connected with the American army. By this enlistment he was required to spend one day in the week in manual exercises, and to hold himself in readiness for actual service. Soon after the battle at Lexington (1775), he joined the army at Roxbury. The next year he was a volunteer in the expedition to Ticonderoga to expel the enemy. These were scenes never to be forgotten. After the lapse of more than forty years, he very beautifully alludes to these campaigns in a sermon on the anniversary of Washington's birthday.

"Perhaps it is not ostentatious in the speaker to observe, that in early life he devoted all for the sake of freedom and independence, and endured frequent campaigns in their defence, and has never viewed the sacrifice too great. And should an attack be made on this sacred ark, the poor remains of life would be devo ted to its defence."

The

In a sermon delivered at Bennington, in Vermont, there is also an allusion to these early events. following is an extract from the manuscript :"When Bennington was first settled it was highly esteemed for piety. Their first minister was the Reverend Mr. Dewey. Fifty-four years ago next October, I was in this town with troops on their march to Ticonderoga. We halted here on the Sabbath for the forenoon. I heard him preach from Rom. v., 1 :—

Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ?' He was zealous, and called on his hearers affectionately to flee to the Saviour. I think you have settled six ministers in this place, with five of whom I had personal acquaintance; and, in a judgment of charity, we must

call them the faithful servants of Christ, who have, no doubt, warned you to flee from the wrath to come. When I was here at the time I have just mentioned, I was in some families where I thought I discovered uncommon piety and zeal for the cause of God. I heard fervent prayers for the minister, that God would be with him on the morrow, which I can never forget. I lodged one night with him who was afterward chief magistrate in this state-I mean Governor Robinson. I was transported with his apparent attachment to the cause of God. When in the army, at the northward, I would go to his camp, and hear him pour out his heart in prayer to God for his country and the church of God. I have heard him in this house call on sinners to repent. What an example of piety was the aged mother, at whose interment I was present, and heard a pertinent discourse from Rev. xiv., 13:-' And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.' Her piety was spoken of through this and adjoining states. What prayers, what fervent intercessions, ascended up from that consecrated altar for this people, is known only in heaven. I remember, at an anniversary celebration of 'Bennington battle,' being myself present, this mother in Israel, fearing that something might be done to the dishonour of God, who gave signal deliverance and victory over the enemy, said, ' that she feared and trembled more on that day than on the day of Bennington battle.""

After the close of his northern campaign he returned to his former home, where his time was employed

in agricultural pursuits. One year he cultivated a large field for the raising of wheat, and a short time before the work was finished he was assailed by a typhus fever, and for a long time confined to his bed. His friends collected and generously completed the labour requisite to prepare his field for a harvest.

But while thus industriously engaged in the ordinary employments of life, and largely enjoying the respect of those by whom he was surrounded, he little anticipated the designs of Providence concerning him. By improving his evenings, and by rising early in the morning, he had made considerable proficiency in the study of theology. At length he selected his text, and composed a sermon, without education or teacher. As in the family of Deacon Rose, the evening preceding the Sabbath was devoted to family instruction and religious worship, a sermon was occasionally read. The sermons of Watts, Whitefield, Doddridge, and Davies were usually selected, and young Haynes was the reader. One evening, being called upon to read as usual, he slipped into the book his own sermon which he had written, and read it to the family. The deacon was greatly delighted and edified by the sermon, as it was doubtless read with unusual vivacity and feeling. His eyes were dim, and he had no suspicion that any thing out of the ordinary course had happened; and, at the close of the reading, he inquired very earnestly, “Lemuel, whose work is that which you have been reading? Is it Davies's sermon, or Watts's, or Whitefield's ?" It was the deacon's impression that the sermon was Whitefield's. Haynes blushed and hesitated, but at last was obliged to confess the truth"It's Lemuel's sermon." The only person among the

living who was present on this interesting Saturday evening has kindly furnished some of the facts here stated.*

This sermon, being the production of a young man who had never enjoyed an hour's instruction beyond the district school, and being delivered under such peculiar circumstances, will be read with curiosity and delight. It is here presented in its original form, with scarcely the slightest alteration from the manuscript.

SERMON.

JOHN iii., 3-"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

This chapter contains a conference between our blessed Lord and Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This great man came to our Saviour by night, and addressed him in this manner: "Rabbi," says he, "we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do the miracles that thou doest except God be with him." Doubtless he had a rational conviction, from the many miracles that Christ did, that he was come from God. Our blessed Lord did not stand to show who he was, but, like a wise and kind teacher, takes occasion to inculcate the importance of the great doctrine of regeneration; and tells him, with a double asseveration, that, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. But, as great as this man was, we find that he was ignorant in a fundamen tal point in religion. It appeared a paradox unto him; for he, supposing our Lord must mean a natural birth, asks him, as in ver. 4, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Christ, in order further to explain his meaning, and to show that it was

* Stephen B. Munn, Esq., New-York.

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not a natural birth that he had reference to, adds, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." By which, perhaps, we may understand, that, as water is often made use of in the Scriptures as a symbolical representation of the regenerating and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit on the hearts of the children of men, so, unless we are born of the water of the Spirit (as divines interpret it), we cannot see the kingdom of God.

Our Lord proceeds to tell him, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Q. d., It would be to no purpose if a man should have another natural birth, seeing it would not alter his nature; for that which is born of the flesh is flesh; let it be born ever so many times of the flesh, it would still remain fleshly; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. "Marvel not that I said

unto thee, Ye must be born again." And now it seemed a greater mystery to Nicodemus than ever; therefore he cries out, as in ver. 9, "How can these things be ?"

Thus you see, as I observed before, that, although Nicodemus was a great man, a ruler of the Jews, he was ignorant about the new birth. And doubtless it is so now. There are many of the great ones of the earth-tell them about experimental religion-tell them that they must feel the Holy Spirit working powerfully on their hearts-that they must be born againthey are ready to cry out, with this master in Israel, How can these things be?

....

In

But, to return to the words first read. speaking something from these words I shall pursue the following method:

I. Show the necessity of regeneration, or of our being born again.

II. Explain the nature of the new birth, or what it is to be born again.

III. Show what we are to understand by seeing the kingdom of God.