The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-22
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 90, 1866.
In Memoriam-Tbomas Brainerd, ID. ID.

gone 10 receive MS TeCOmpenSe! IQe rev
THOMAS BRANERD, D. r., who for thirty years
past has been the Minister of the Old Pine Street
Presbyterian Church, died last evening at
Scranton, Pa, from an attack OF apoplexy.
About month ago he left the city on visit
to married daughter living at Scranton. Two
young children of the latter were at the time
suffering from a severe illness which terminated
fatally In both cases. Over these two little suf-
ferers the venerable Minister OF God watched
day and night in keen anxiety, and it is thought
that the fatigue of body and trouble of mind
thus induced were the causes of the sudden
attack which resulted in his death.
Still he was enjoying his usual good health.
although much depressed in spirit, up to the
very day of his DEATH On Saturday he wrote to
ROBERT j. MERCER, ESQ.,, one of his most init
mate friends. This is probably the last letter
that he ever penned, and is thus rendered of
peculiar anG melancholy interest. In it he spoke
with great feeling of his personal friendship,
and rendered his heartest thanks for the sympa-
thy shown him and his family in their Affections
by the members of his congregation. He also
stated that he was enjoying excellent health,
although much wearled in body and mind by
his inCessant watching over the death-bed of
his grandchildren In view of this he asked
advice concerning project which he had formed
of not returning to the city until he had per-
teCtiy recovered from the shock. The announce
ment this morning of his death was SO sudden
that many of his friends refused at first to give
it credence. The body will reach the city at six
O'Clock this evening, and all further arrange
ments will be announced in due season.
DR.. BRAINERD comes OF good old Puritan
stock. He was q direct descendant of that
DANIEL BRAINERD who, about the year 16i9,
being then only eight years OF age, was brought
from Exeter, England, to Hartford, ConncCt-
cut, and there founded family which has fur
nished more than one illustrious name to the
history of the Church and country. Speaking
of one of his ancestors, the celebrated Scottish
ChurchmaD, DR.. ALEXANDER CHALMERS wrote
as follows:-"When reading such lives as those
of BRAINERD and DODDRIDGE, have often sto1d
amazed | could almost say envious, of their
power to sustain a real and spiritual intercourse
with Heaven for large portions Of a whole day."
OF such an ancestry the subject of our sketch
need not have been ashamed, and we pay his
memory no eight tribute when we say that his
whole career proved him to be worthy de-
scendant of such an illustrious house.
He was born about the year 1904 in central
New York, and passed most of his childhood in
the vicinity of Rome, in Oneida county of that
State. Having graduated at Hamilton College.
he first turned his attention to the study of the
law, Before engaging in practice, no Tever, he
discovered his true sphere in life, and en-
tered the celebrated Theological Seminary
at Andover, Massachusetts,, as a student
of divinity. After completing his studies there,
he removed TO Philadelphia and placed himself
under the tuition of the Rev. DR.. PATTERSON
for whom he also preached at times in the First
Presbyterian Church of the Northern Liberties.
At this period, in conjunction with some other
young and earnest churchmen, he established
prayer-meeting at the Rising Sun, from which
humble source has since sprung the hourishing
church at Tioga.
His first field OF exclusive labor was IN Gin
,cinnati where he became the assistant of the
Rev. Dr. LYMAN BEECHER, an association which
was the beginning OF a warm friendship between
him and all thelmembers of the BEECHER family,
which has continued to the present time. In
one of the General Assemblies of the Church,
about this period, he became the champion of
DIR. BEECHERs orthodoxy, which had been
fercely assaied, thus establishing another and
an enduring bond between the two families.
Besides attending to his pastoral duties, his
residence in Cincinnati was varied by labors in
many other fields. Besides managing a chlld's
paper youths magazine and Ia weekly called
the Christian Herald, he assisted IN editing the
Presbyterian Quarterly ReUie,c.
About the year 1885 he again came to Phlla-
delphia in response to an earnest call from the
congregation of the Old Pine Street Church, the
pulpit of which he has since filed in the most
satisfactory and successful manner. This
church is one of the most interesting historical
relics OF Philadelphia, its foundation daCng
back to the colonial period, and anterior to that
of nearly every other church in the city. During
the Revolutionary war, it was at one time used
by the British troops as hospital for theil
sick and wounded. Ii was also at thai
period the scene of DR.. DUFTELD's labors
Early in the present century the Rev. DIR. f. 5
Ely became its pastor, remaining in charge
until he was succeeded by DR.. BRAINERD. Thest
two men have thus filled its pulpit for half
century in Notwithstanding which ha
but few Counterparts in the history of the Ame
rican Church.
Of the labors of Dr. BRANERD's long pastoral
-excelled in length in tAis city by that of tn
Rev, ALBEAF BARNES alone-u Is unnecessar
and impossible to speak in his connection
He was an earnest and eloquent preacher
and faithful and beloved pastor, an
that is the highest eology that W
can pronounce on the labors of any mAn. Fl
was of very industrious literary habits, hayin
been a frequent contributor to the litersr
monthlies, and the author OF numerol
published sermons and tracts. Not long sint