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be a public contribution in the | through the kindness of some

several churches and congrega-tions belonging to the Society.

of his disciples, that you were educated under the dispenIn offering this recommenda- sation of the gospel. As saved tion to the pious and benevolent, by grace, to what exertions and earnestly pressing the duty should you be excited by seeing of charity to the souls of sinners the necessities of others, and ready to perish in want of the these your brethren, exposed to means of grace, we have a con- | perish, for want of the means of fident assurance that our ad- salvation which you enjoy, and dress meets their wishes. may be instrumental of procuring for them? Blessed is your opportunity to show your love to God and to your dear fellow men, your gratitude to Christ for redeeming you by his death, and your respect for his ordinances and word, which offer and

You know, beloved in the Lord, that the care of the soul is the one thing needful. You have had evidence in your own experience of the danger of its being lost, and have learnt both to pity your fellow men that are impenitent in sin, and to admire the sovereign love and grace of God. Is it possible to be a Christian, and not have so much of the love of Christ as to wish for opportunities to do him service? Behold him laying down his life to redeem sinners! See the blood flow from his pierced side to make atonement for iniquity! His love to men induced him to resign his breath. His ordinances express the same love. And you feel and are ready to express the same, if you are his disciples. To what exertions will it not excite you in his cause! How little will you consider the gift of earthly substance, in comparison with what he gave? And how little to evidence the love which you have in your hearts, to your dear Lord, and to the souls for which he died?

There was a time when your ancestors were indebted to the charity of others that were friends of Jesus for those offers

teach salvation. Christ died to unite all nations in one family. He is the head of which all believers are the body. In love to the one family of human beings, be liberal, be kind to them; they are your brethren. Deeds of charity proceeding from a good heart are the seed of eternal life. And the present is your time to sow. Joyful as well as solemn is the truth, "He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.Every man," therefore, 66 ac cording as he purposeth in his heart so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth the cheerful giver."

It is requested that this Report be read in the several congregations in the county.

SAMUEL HOPKINS,

Vice-President.

of the gospel, which God bless- A Memoir of Deacon GooDrear.

ed and rendered effectual to

convert them to Christianity.

And it is of the grace of Christ, DEACON STEPHEN GOOD

YEAR was born in New

Haven of reputable parents. His descent was from the Honorable Stephen Goodyear, the first deputy governor of the colony of New-Haven. As he enjoyed no peculiar advantages, in his youth for mental improvement, he was not distinguished from his coevals. But at about twenty-two years of age it pleased God of his sovereign mercy, effectually to call him into his kingdom. At this time his attention was uncommonly arrested, and his mind penetrated with a pungent sense of his exceeding sinfulness; of his self-ruined, utterly lost and helpless 'condition. He saw and felt himself to be a great sinner, under the curse of the law and justly exposed to the all-consuming displeasure of a holy God. For a considerable time he continued deeply impressed with a sense of guilt, and with alarming apprehensions of eternal damnation. But at length, as he hoped, in view of the glory of God, and the mediatorial glories of Jesus Christ, he was brought to renounce all self-righteousness and self-dependence, to resign himself into the hands of a | sovereign God, and to seek pardon and life wholly on the footing of mercy, as it reigns thro' the righteousness and boundless fulness which there is in Christ. Him he apprehended as divinely lovely, as willing and able to save unto the uttermost them who come unto God by him. In him he hoped he believed, in him he rejoiced as his strength, as his righteousness, as his ALL in ALL. From this time he experienced a

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great change in his temper, in his feelings, in his views, in his aims and resolutions: they were all new. They had respect to God his glory and kingdom. His sorrows and joys were new. He mourned for sin, and rejoiced in the Lord.

He appeared not to be his own but the Lord's. Far from being ashamed of Christ and his gospel, even in his youth, he came out from the world, and made a public profession of supreme love to his Saviour, and of attachment to his interests and friends. As he professed religion, he made it the great concern and business of his life. As the knowledge of God was sweet to his soul, he searched the scriptures abundantly, and read other books of piety and devotion as well as on points of doctrine, and being a constant and attentive hearer of the word, he made happy proficiency in divine knowledge. He was discreet, temperate, sober, diligent, faithful, zealous, inoffensive, and sound in the faith. He was righteous, charitable, meek and steadfast abounding in the work of the Lord; so that he became distinguished among his breth-. ren, as a pillar in the house of God. Their eyes and hearts were fixed upon him; and they appointed him to the office of a deacon, in which he served, to great acceptance, for more than thirty years. During this long period he was an example to his brethren, with singular dignity, propriety and patience sustaining the burdens, and performing the duties of his office. the church and congregation for a great part of the time were destitute of a pastor, he was in a sense both pastor and deacon. Dd

As

He was able and fervent in pray- | such discretion, and so happily redeemed time, that it never seemed to injure him in his temporal affairs. † He was diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

er, and in an edifying and judicious manner led the public worship, when the people had no preacher. He visited and prayed with the sick and dying. At funerals he prayed and conversed with propriety, to edification, and general acceptance. He was one who comforted the mourner, made the hearts of the widow, the fatherless, his mourning brethren and friends glad with words of instruction, peace and consolation. He instructed and counselled those under serious impressions, and, with his worthy fellow deacon, examined those who were admitted to the communion. By his prudent, peaceful and happy management, the church, in the midst of many changes, and great dangers was kept together, and enjoyed a good degree of order, peace and purity. He loved the ministers of Christ, assisted and supported them with all his power and influence; was public spirited, and always liberal to the house of God.

He was called, as all God's people are, to endure chastisement, and tried as gold seven times in the furnace of affliction. In the year 1776 he was called to bury the wife of his youth, truly the desire of his eyes; his eldest son, at the age of twentytwo years; and two daughters, one aged twenty, and the other thirteen years, in the term of about two months. The children were amiable and dutiful, bound to his heart by every endearment. The aspects of Providence at the same time, with respect to the country, whose interests lay near his heart, were most gloomy and alarming. But amidst these reiterated and sore bereavments, and threatening aspects, he was submissive, calm and serene, and was borne up by such christian fortitude as was almost astonishing to those who knew not the power of religion and the sweetness of divine consolations. He appeared in patience and peace to possess his soul. Like the pious Habakkuk he rejoiced in the Lord, and joyed in the rock of his salvation. The trial of his faith appeared more precious than that of gold which perisheth.

He was so popular among his brethren, and they reposed such entire confidence in him, that he was chosen almost universally, to represent the church in every ecclesiastical council in the district while he was in of fice. In councils he was particularly useful, as he was judicious, candid and pacific. Thus a very considerable portion of his time was freely employed in serving the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, of his fellow christians and mankind. * Yet he managed his affairs withing

*He was captain of the militia in the time of the revolutionary war, and spent much time and property in the defence of his country.

Like the sun he kept his course, and was steadfast, immoveable.

Under injuries he was meek, patient and forgiving, overcomevil with good. In his gen

A generous pity fills his mind:
Yet what his charity impairs
He saves by prudence in affairs,
And thus he's just to all mankind.

eral deportment he was vigilant and inoffensive, careful to lay no stumbling blocks in the way of others. Like the excellent Demetrius, he had good report of all men and of the truth itself. In private life he was no less amiable than in public. He was particularly attentive to the religion and government of his family, reading the scriptures and praying daily with them, at the usual seasons, and laboriously instructing them in the doctrines and duties of religion. He spared no pains to train up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. In all his relations he was discreet; kind, affectionate and faithful.

ry commencement he apprehended it would be his last. And he expressed an entire acquiescence in the divine will. As he had lived for usefulness, and as he considered that now very much at an end, he seemed to choose death rather than life, if it should comport with the divine purpose. He appeared to delight in the prospect of being absent from the body and present with the Lord. His views of the gospel plan of salvation, and of things unseen and eternal, which he had on his death bed, were reported to be more clear and transporting than any which he had before experienced. His hopes therefore brightened up to a more happy and full assur

ance.

Those who were his attendants in his sickness report, "That he seemed to live in full view of the glory and blessedness of the invisible world, and to grasp for them with every breath." That this was his language, "I long to be gone, O how I long to have this mortal body dissolved, and to be with Christ which is far better? I long to be with Christ to see him as he is, and to behold his glory." Though his desires to be with Christ were thus ardent, yet they were mixed with patience and submission.In his last agonies he closed his eyes, and folded his hands upon his placid breast, and expired without a groan. Mark the fect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.

But notwithstanding the excellencies which others saw in him, and his usefulness in the house of God, he was deeply sensible of a body of sin and death cleaving unto him. He bewailed the remains of sin and imperfection which he discovered in himself; and in view of his sinfulness, barrenness and unprofitableness seemed to loathe himself and to be clothed with humility. He spake of himself as a great sinner, and represented that his only hope was in the greatness of the divine mercy, through the perfect atonement and boundless fulness of Christ. Thus he lived as one who had come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man. If we follow him to the bed of death, he will appear with the same christian and lovely features; his mind was composed, calm, peaceful and serene as the summer's evening. He was strong in the faith, still trusting in the Lord. The sickness 1. That the christian religion which terminated his life was is a divine, a glorious reality. long and distressful. At its ve- It is not a dormant, but power.

per

In review of these memoirs it is natural to reflect

hope, peace and comfort of others, and to reduce them to the same hopeless and miserable condition with himself. His throat is an open sepulchre, he sets his mouth against the heavens, blaspheming the Son of God, and pouring out hatred and reproach against his people, and his tongue walketh through the earth. While he lives he de

ful principle of piety, righteous- | portunities to destroy the noblest ness and universal goodness. As our Saviour hath said, it is a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Like streams of living water, it is refreshing and beneficial to its subjects, and highly useful and advantageous to others. How was this exemplified in the death of Dea- | con Goodyear? How do the excellencies and happy effects of christianity demonstrate its divine ori-stroys much good, and when he ginal ? What but a religion from God, could thus attract the heart to him, and cause men thus to imitate him as dear children? What but this could enable them thus calmly to endure affliction, to go about doing good, and thus gloriously to triumph over death? What can the age of reason? What hath, or can infidelity produce in comparison with these? How wide is the difference between the Chris

tian and the infidel? The one warmed with divine love, and animated with a lively hope, purifies himself even as God is pure. He is pious, and does all manner of good to men. Having fed on Christ, and tasted that the Lord is gracious, he invites others to come and feast with him on the heavenly manna. His tongue is a tree of life, giv-| ing glory to God, and administering instruction, grace and consolation to all who hear him. Having been the servant of God, and the benefactor of men he dies full of peace, hope and immortality.

The other lives in unbelief, fraught with rancor against the Saviour, his truth and people, lives without God, without hope, without all divine peace and comfort. Instead of doing good, he employs his talents and op

dies, it is either in horror and despair, in dreadful expectations of the judgment to come, or in doubt whether he shall die like a beast, or transmigrate into one; or whether he shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of of his power. The latter is the destiny to which the faithful sayings of God have appointed him.

2. That the advantages of early piety are exceedingly great. It was deacon Goodyear's acquaintance with God and love to the truth, in his youth, which laid the foundation for his distinguishing piety and usefulness in life; for his comfortable assurance and triumph in death. Those who have been most distinguished for piety, and have done the greatest public services in the church and the world, as Samuel, David, Daniel and the three children, Timothy and Apollos, feared God from their youth. Early piety secures salvation to the subjects of it, should they die in youth. If they live to old age it lays a foundation for long and happy improvement in the divine life, for great experience and comfort in walking with God, for great usefulness in the church and in the world, for comfort in

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