CHAPTER III.

MINISTRY AT BROOKLYN, 1827-1830.

DURING these important events in his ministry at West Point, Mr. McIlvaine received on the 27th of July, 1827, from the Vestry of St. Paul's Church, Rochester, New York, an unanimous invitation 'to take charge of their church as rector, leaving him to consult his own convenience as to the time when he will commence the discharge of his duties.' He writes to his sister about this: 'The people are more anxious than you can conceive, that I should come. They offer any salary I may ask, and will build me a fine church, and do all in the power of men to make me satisfied. I can scarcely resist their importunity.'

Another offer was made to him August 30th, to become President of William and Mary College and Pastor of Bruton parish, both in Williamsburg, Virginia, vacated by the death of Dr. W. H. Wilmer, with handsome stipend.

But having received an invitation from the Vestry of St. Ann's, Brooklyn, to undertake the rectorship of that important church, he accepted it in the following terms: 'As the circumstances are by no means ordinary, and there is a general and gratifying desire that I should be their rector, I have determined, in dependence on the Divine blessing, to accept the call. I accept it under the solemn belief that I do the will of God; having come to this belief after much prayer, and anxiety for the direction of Him from whom all good counsels do proceed; and after the concurrent advice of many who are aware as well of the circumstances of the case, as of the principles on which a clergyman should act in regard to them. Should it please the Chief Shepherd that I

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enter upon the duties of the rectorship, which I have thus accepted, I entreat your prayers to accompany my own, that whatsoever things are pure and lovely and of good report may flourish and multiply under my ministry, to the glory of God and the good of all our souls.'

Mr. McIlvaine now removed to Brooklyn, where he spent more than four years in delightful and abundant. labours; and of the impression there made, there are yet many living witnesses. The faithful and prayerful spirit in which he entered upon his important duties will be seen by the following extract from his notebook:

Brooklyn, November 13th, 1827.—I came to this place on Friday, November 9th, 1827, and preached first on Sunday the 11th. I desire and pray to be enabled to give myself wholly to the work of the ministry -to seek with a single eye the glory of God. My circumstances require much wisdom, prudence, independence, prayer, and firmness. I feel that I am too anxious to please, especially to gain the goodwill of those who opposed my coming, and who are not likely to be pleased with evangelical preaching. I am in danger of making their pleasure a matter of too much consequence. I must resist this tendency; I must just preach the Gospel, and labour with all my might to win souls to Christ, and trust in God for all besides. If I am faithful, all will be well. I need not fear, when God is with me. May he enable me to seek His glory with my whole heart, and successfully to promote it through Jesus Christ my Lord!'

Again we have a record of his deep sense of the solemnity of his position at St. Ann's, with his earnest prayer to be faithful in his ministry, and to be delivered. from the fear of man:

'February 5th, 1828.—O Lord, at whose awful bar I must stand for an account of that precious message

which Thou hast committed to my trust, and those immortal souls to whom that message is delivered, and those means of usefulness which Thou hast given me to be improved for Thy glory, ever forbid that I should alter one word of my ministry, or the smallest circumstance connected with it, out of the fear of man! Enable me boldly and faithfully to declare the truth, whoever may hear, whoever may be offended, whatever may be the consequences! Grant me such love to the

cause of my Master, such an engrossing zeal to win souls to Christ, and such an abiding impression that ‘Thou God seest me,' and wilt one day bring me into judgment, that my thoughts may be too elevated, too much taken up with higher and nobler things, ever to stoop to such an inquiry, as whether man will be pleased or offended at what I am going to preach! I pray for more love, purer zeal, livelier faith! Oh to feel deeply, always, waking and sleeping, in sickness and health, in the pulpit and in the study, 'I am not my own,' 'Bought with a price, Father, glorify Thy Name."

Very deeply did Mr. McIlvaine ever feel the solemnity of his duties as a parent. At great length he recorded on several occasions, on the birth of his children, his thoughts on what he regarded his awful responsibility;' and how much their inheritance in heaven would depend in a very great degree upon the example they shall see in me, the instruction they shall receive from me, the prayers that I shall offer, and the spiritual solicitude that I shall feel in their behalf. Yes, my dear children, your Father will have much to do in determining the happiness or the woe of your eternal state.' And then he writes as follows, which may be taken as a specimen of what he recorded in a very similar manner afterwards on the birth and baptism of his other children:

'September 15th, 1828.-Last Friday, my fourth child, the third now on earth, a little girl whom we intend to

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call Emily, after her dear mother, was born into the world. . . .

'I desire and pray, O Thou God and Father of us all, that I may most deeply feel what a precious trust Thou hast committed to me-what a solemn charge I have to keep what an awful responsibility I have to sustain. Give me faith to look to Thee for help, guidance, and a blessing in all my efforts to bring up my dear children in Thy fear and love! I would feel my utter inability to guide and protect them in such a world as this. They have inherited the same depraved nature which I and all mankind have inherited as the curse of original sin and the consequence of the fall of the original covenantrepresentative of our race. They must be born again, or they cannot see the kingdom of God. O Lord, I feel and own my entire inability to do for them so great a work. I feel deeply anxious that Thou shouldst in mercy accomplish it in their hearts. I desire earnestly that these my children may be instrumental in good to the souls of men, and in the promotion of Thy glory on earth. I would solemnly and again and again commit and commend them to Thee, to Thy grace, to the compassion and tenderness of Jesus, beseeching Him to take them up in His arms and put His hands upon them and bless them with a blessing which will never wear out! Do with them, O Lord, as Thou wilt. We have no property in them. They are thine, we have consecrated them to Thee. But as long as Thou shalt continue them on earth, lead them in paths of usefulness and righteousness, and finally receive them to glory! for Jesus' sake.'

The above is only a small portion of what he wrote on this occasion: and he adds to it a special Act of Dedication of his child to God.

The incessant demands on the time and thoughts of a faithful and diligent pastor of an important town parish

began to be seriously felt by Mr. McIlvaine, when at length engaged in the full course of his duties at St. Ann's. But in nothing did he feel these demands so acutely as in the frequent interruptions they caused to his seasons of needful study, and especially those of private prayer. Upon this trial he makes the following remarks: 'December, 1828.-I have always found my secret prayer exceedingly interrupted, clouded and injured by two causes: first, not rising early enough to finish my private devotions before those of the family, when interruptions usually commence. Secondly, delaying my evening worship till my body is weary and my mind grows heavy. Often and often have I endeavoured to remedy these evils. Sometimes I have succeeded for a considerable time. But my resolution has been very weak. I have not sufficiently looked up to God for grace to help. In His help I will now endeavour anew. I will strive to get all my secret exercises done before being called to the family in the morning; and I will, as much as circumstances permit, enter upon my evening devotions before I have reason to anticipate that sleepiness of mind and body, of which I have had so much reason to complain. O Lord, help me—grant me a greater disposition to redeem the time. Enable me to practise habitual self-denial that I may get more time for the secret culture of my own soul.'

ON PARTICULARITY IN PRIVATE PRAYER.

'August 26th, 1829.-I must correct a deficiency in my morning prayers. I do not anticipate with sufficient particularity the trials, temptations, emergencies, and various duties and unfavourable influences upon my heart, and all those contingent things which may and do so frequently occur, but which cannot be counted on or descried beforehand. I must endeavour to realize more my dependence upon the present help of God in such