Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-10-18
From tho Sailors Magazine.

From tho Sailors Magazine.
THE CHRISTIAN SAILORS DEATH.
The following letter has been very oblig-
ingly furnished for publication by the Rev.
Henry Chase, of the Mariners, Church, in
New. York, so whom it was addressed by
the Rev. Mr.. Dodd, f East.Haven, Con.
1t is valuable document, exhibiting, as II
does, an example of the power ofrehgious
principle. ,,e :
East. Heausa, July 5, 1887.
Rev. and Dear Sir,
You have some remembrance of Capt.
James Farren, master ofthc schooner Del.
aware, Of the port of New-Haven. There
is sketch of somo Of his.voyages, and OF
some peculiar acts of Divine Providence re.
pecting him in the Sailors Magazine for
Dec. 1886, page los, under the title of
{" The Temperate and Sabbath- -keeping Ship.
master" I
On. his dea,h.bed Capt. Fa-ren requested
me to inform you Of his sickness and death ;
that, if you thought proper, you might COM
municate the intelligence to serious sailors
whom he frequently met at your chapel. I
give you this short sketch Of his life, and
then some extracts from sermon which |
delivered the. next Lords day after his
DEATH. -. -
Capt. Farren was born in this town on
the east side Of New. Haven harbour. He
was the oldest often chilJren-two Of (which
died young-and of the remaining eight
all, except one, were professors ofrellglon
before the death oftheir mother, who dedl-
Gated them, with herself, to the Lord in
baptism, when she entered covenant with
the church !; and in the midst ofgreat diff.
culties, and counteracting circumstances,
she epdeavored to bring them up m the
nurture and admonition of the Lord.
In the former part of his life Capt. Parren
was careless profane sinner, and was sink.
ing, with others, as he often told me, in
the pit ofintcmperance +; at which he finally
became alarmed, changed his course, and
ardenlIy engaged in the temperance refor.
nation. Soon after that cnange, being
winter.bound in New York, with some 9th.
ers. fram our ports they attended the minis.
tra,ion of the gospel at your chapel, and
three from this town returned apparently
new creatures, and were received to the
communion Of our church. This was in
the year 1881, about the tin G Of the begin.
ming ofthe revival IN our congregational,
n which the wife of Capt. Barren and oh
er relatives we're partakers.
The first interview l had with him, after
this event, saw evidence ofthe fact that he
was new creature and evidence Of This
soon appeared to the satisfaction ofothers.
Un the 2sth. of Aug. 1881, h,mssf and
wife, and other persons, in number Al, were
received to the communion of the church.
And, ] think, that none of that number
have given more satisfactory evidence
of the sincerity of their profession. This
evidence also becams brighter and stronger
during his long sickness, to the Judgment
OF all persons who heard his conversation.
His sinfulness was great trial to him.
He often said TO me-"Oh (! / shall fail of
heaven at last. l can't go there !! Why?
On! |, am so vile, so wicked, and unclean
and God is SO molly, and heaven so pure,
that such vile creature as am will not
be admitted there. Well, there is but one
other place to go to, and what will you do
if you 60 there In agony he pronpty re.
Piled, with groans and crying, Oh ! can't
90 to he'll, my God is not there. ! love my
God, and want to bewhere heis. Oh /! |
can't endure the thought Of being separated
from my God-the ever blessed Cod
whomlny soul loves. | love his word
his holy day-his o,dnances-his people
oh IL want 10 be in their company for
ever" And ,he main thing he wanted me
70 urge in prayer for him was, that be might
be holy, aud teIike God. al want to be,
50 d be-" and TO- do whatever he requires of
me-"
Sometimes, said he, am distressed for
my children butI give them all up, and
commit them, with their mother, into the
hands of Christ. This was the general
frame ofhis mind during his long sickness.
1t was also with him matter Of great sat-
that he had done something,
thought at considerable hazard, id The cause
Sc temperance and in which the Lord had
supported aad succesded hins )
inow sdd some extracts from the ser
mon mentioned above, respecting his con-.
version and the tfaits Of character that ap.
peared to advantage after bis conversion.
This departed friend had spent the
morning offie, and the first period fma.
lure age,in alienation from God. and was in
dan1er Of being carried into he'll by those
TWO fashionable and heaven.durtng sins
profane swearing and excessive spirit drink:
ing, which habit and danger were both in
creased BY association with company ofhke
principles and manners, that wereemploy-
4 l., D. a.. I'd