Year: 1876




We are sure 1t will be interesting to our readers
at this particular juncture whether professors or
non professors OF religion, to learn something
more than is generally known Of this accomplished
gentleman, whose eventful and remarkable career
has recently undergone a further and crowning
development, of which we will speak presently.
A native Of the State of Connecticut and grad
uate OF Yale College and of the Ltchfeld Law
School, he entered the practice OF his profession
in early manhood in partnership with Hon. Tru-
man Smith, stainless patriot and able states
man, who still, at the age Of seventy-hve years,
under God, retains a wonderful degree of health,
physical and mental, and held in high venera-
tion throughout the country, whose councils he SO
greatly and SO long adorned. As could not well
have been otherwise, large success attended this
association from the outset, but the Junior part
ner (the subject Of this sketeh) having been at an
earlier day


CONVERTED, AS HE BELIEVED,


and having united with the Congregational
Church, of which his father was an eminent
preacher, he was from the beginning importuned
by many Influential members of that denomina-
nor John Cotton Smith, to abandon the law and
pirate calling.
however, he yielded; and, after supplying tempo
rarly and acceptably various pulplts in his State
and receiving numerous calls to the pastorate Of
churches, he concluded to accept that of the
Broadway tabernacle, New York city, where he
settled in the year ls41. The membership at that
from Sabbath to Sabbath was small, though with
an auditorium capable of seating some four thou
sand persons. Under his ministry the vast edifice
was soon filled with listeners, and large additions
of membership made; so that, when in 1s45 he was
compelled to surrender his charge by reason of a
bronchial difficulty, much to the regret and
against the remonstrances and entreaties of the
church and congregation, there were nearly or
quite seven hundred communicants therein. Re-
covering from his bronchial affection, he was
again favored, as in the first instance with press
ing invitations from various quarters to resume
preaching and yielding as before he took charge
pastor Of the largest church in the city Of Troy
n. Y, where he continued with entire acceptance
until the year 1sIs, when he requested that he be
Identified from the ministry.


HERE, AS AT THE BROADWAY TABERNACLE,
the church was wholly reluctant to let him 90,
but he strenuousy insisted until his request was
complied with. Secuariling himself as best he
could, he soon resumed the practice of law,
he became an eminent advocate at the bar, espe-
cially in the trial of criminal cases. At the
breaking out Of the late rebellion he entered the
military service, and from 1862 to 1855 was sta
toned al Fort McHenry as commandant-a most
popular and mertorious officer. The war being
now ended, he returned to the practice Of law
and settled for brief period in the State of West
Virginia, after which he proceeded with his
family to Bay City, Michigan, his present home
small Importance brought him to this city and
he was as deeply engrossed in their pursuit as the
veriest worldling could be- Than then, at no
period of his life, had his ambition ever been
more alluring, or ever held a more complete
mastery over him.


He and Representative in Congress one day
engaged to go to a theatre in the evening Re-
turning to his lodgings be tooE DIP a newspaper
and read an account Of the union religious meet
ings that were then being conducted by the
evangelist. Mr.. Hammond, with the jealous sup
port Of the piOus ministers Of Washington. His
purpose was changed at once, (he hardly knew
why) and he wrote an excuse TO his friend for not
m IN theatre tO tha
meeting instead. He felt an indefuable interest,
which continued TO increase from meeting to
meeting, as he followed them up, until he came
to realize that he was arrested and held under
the most pungent convictions of sin against God
He felt that, considering the almost


UNEZAMPLED RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES
with which he had been favored, he was of sinners
more without God in all his thoughtsI He felt
that he had crucited the Son of God afresh, and
was in unutterable agony several days and nights.
But mercy in answer to prayer came at last and
peace like river flowed into his soul When
he was met by this blessed experience, and rose
at one of the meetings to tell 1t, he so over
come by emotion as to have been almost ipaudible
in his attempted utterances.


At the next meeting he had recovered full self
command, though on that occasion, as well as on
the many other occasions which he has since en-
braced, ne spoke with intense fervor and pathos.
It would a. be dificult, We , should say to fnd his
orator OF biblical learning and soulful zeal IL
the cause of Christ, and pursuasve eloQuence and





in a wonderful degree All who have been listen
ers to his remarkable discourses Of late bear tes
timony to this effect.


The strangest part of this narrative consists in
the fact (Which he now ingenously discloses) that
he quilted the Gospel ministry long years ago,
because the conviction forced itself upon him
that


he WAS NOT A CHRISTIAN,
and ought no longer to desecrste the sacred desk:
that his religious training and emotional and
sympathetic nature served to mislead sll his
friends and Pensioners as to his true spiritual
condition, while he experienced growing con.
sciousness Of lack Of vital piety. He had no in
tention TO deceive, but had been himself deceived,
and when fully convinced Of this, his conscience
demanded that he should not dissemble touching
matters Of such INFINITE moment and solemnity.
As soon As he experienced an assurance that he
had passed from death unto life" he felt 1t to
be bis next duty to unite himself with the people
Of God in church relations and for the first time
in his life entered into thoroughly exhaustive
examination Of the ordinance of baptism, which
resulted, some three Ssbbaths ago in his INNER
sion at the North Baptist church by Rev. DR.. E.
II. Gray, its pastor. A few days subsequently,
by unanimous vote Of the church, a license TO
preach was conferred on this new found brother
in Christ, SO manifest did II appear to all the
members that he is destined, in the providence of