gle, left its tabernacle of clay, and entered the world of rest and love. "A glorious voice hath ceased! The funeral chant - Than ever wail'd o'er bright things perishing:- JEREMIAH EVARTS.* THE subject of the following sketch was born in February, 1781, in Sunderland, Vermont. His early youth was marked by industry and a love of books; at the age of three years, one of his characteristic employments was the teaching of a little playmate of his own age, the alphabet. During his youth, his advantages were limited for the acquiring of an education, his time being almost entirely employed with his father, (a pioneer farmer on the shores of Lake Champlain) in clearing up new lands for their farm; but he made the most diligent use of all his otherwise unemployed moments, and of the few books forming the family library. At the age of 17, as his delicate frame and extraordinary desire for knowledge seemed to demand a less arduous position, and a more favorable opportunity for study, he left home for East Guilford, Connecticut, the former residence of his parents, and placed himself under the tuition of Rev. John Elliot, D. D. In less than a year after this time, such was his application, that, with a superior preparation, he was admitted into the freshman class of Yale College. Compiled from his biography. Until his senior year in college, Mr. Evarts was experimen tally unacquainted with religion, although his early training had confirmed him in habits of the strictest morality and integrity. The progressive steps by which this most impor tant acquisition was obtained, are thus recorded by his biographer: Through the whole period of his youth, he had been attentive to the claims of Divine truth, and of unblemished morals. In the house of God he was a careful and studious hearer. From the time of his arrival at Guilford, the subjects of all the sermons that he heard, were noticed in his Diary, sometimes with brief outlines, and at others with a remark or two of his own. After he entered college and became a hearer of Dr. Dwight, these notes became gradually more copious, those of a single sermon sometimes occupying many pages. His respect for the Bible and the Sabbath were unusual; and at the daily religious exercises in the college chapel, his air and manner were devotional. The Scriptures read, and the remarks made by the President at these services, were frequently noticed in his Diary. He has been heard to say, that it was a matter of inquiry with him then, whether he did not possess a truly religious character. But he had not yet learned the plague of his own heart, and afterwards felt the need of a state of soul far different from any thing that he had yet experienced. Among his papers is a prayer, dated February 26th, 1798; a few months before he entered college. The next year he became a regular attendant at the meetings for prayer, held weekly by the few pious students then in college, and read with great interest such missionary intelligence as came within his reach. Occasional passages from his journal show that religion was a subject of frequent and serious thought: 1800, August 24th.- Sunday. The President preached in the morning, from Titus ii. 6. At the close of the sermon, he recommended to us, to shut ourselves up after divine service in the afternoon, and look into our prospect for the world to come. In this examination, he advised us to leave passion and appetite behind, and to go according to the dictates of reason and conscience. This advice (God willing) I intend to follow. In the afternoon the text was 1 Peter i. 15, 16. I endeavored to comply with the President's request. It is wonderful how remiss men are in respect to their future state. I have been remarkably so. At the same time I have a very feeble constitution, and my health is very bad; so that it is probable I shall soon go down to the grave, the house appointed for all the living. I pray God, in his infinite mercy, to prepare me for the change. December 28th, P. M. A sermon from the last verse of Ecclesiastes. It was very affecting. O God, may I live mindful of the judgment! of our class, was proWould that I were pounded for admission to the church. fit. These serious hours were, however, comparatively, only exceptions to the general tenor of his life, which was still 66 according to the course of this world." 1801, August 19th. News arrived of the death of Strong, my classmate. He was a member of the visible, and we hope of the real church of Christ. He and I were appointed disputants together seven months ago, and now he is gone! "One shall be taken, and another left." This certainly ought to be a warning to me, and God grant that it may. 1802, January 9th. From my own experience, I am induced to believe that evil spirits are continually present on this earth, and that they tempt and lead astray the minds of men. Else, whence does it so frequently happen to me, and to many others, that, when we are thinking seriously on any subject, the bent of our minds is suddenly turned aside, and something seems to force itself forward on purpose to distract attention. The thoughts introduced are also of a light and profane character, besides the circumstance of their being such as never before occurred. How ought we to pray for assistance in the hour of formidable temptation! How ought we to thank the Lord for his kind pro tection of us against the wiles of the arch-deceiver, an for the assurance in his word, "resist the devil, and he will flee from you.", March 7th. My friend Field was admitted into the holy communion of the Christian church. I pray God that I may be no longer careless about my eternal salvation. The admission to the church of a member of his class, as mentioned in the last extract, and a conversation with the same individual the week before, were the means of greatly deepening Mr. Evarts' religious impressions. The evening of the 13th of March, was spent by him in conversation with Dr. Dwight and his tutor, Mr. Davis, on the question, What shall I do to be saved? He very soon after found peace in believing, and consecrated himself to the service of Christ in a written covenant, as recommended in Doddridge's "Rise and Progress," which he was reading at the time. This was before any uncommon seriousness began to prevail in college. He very soon became a member of the College church, and engaged, humbly, but zealously, and with characteristic frankness and decision, in labors to bring his fellow-students to know and obey the truth. A remarkable revival was at this time in progress in col lege, in which, during the remainder of his course, Mr. Ev arts continued to labor, and with great success. Upon his graduation, in 1803, being in some measure undecided as to his future profession, and his pecuniary necessities requiring immediate attention, he accepted the principalship of a grammar school at Peacham, Vermont. His success as a teacher was of the most satisfactory character; he obtained at once the respect and esteem of the community, and the warm affection of his pupils. His Christian character remained unblemished; in the midst of general coldness and stupidity among the members of the church, he maintained the ardor and devotedness of his *Rev. D. D. Field, D. D., now of Haddam, Conn. piety, co-operating zealously with his pastor, and laboring anxiously for the spiritual well-being of his daily charge. "He prepared himself for such duties with great care, and labored with prayerful earnestness to bring to repentance those who were committed into his hands. In school, and especially at the devotional exercises, with which it was daily opened and closed, he was watchful over his spirit and manner, lest he should offend God by cold formality, and lest something should be observed in his demeanor, or fall from his lips, that would leave an injurious impression on the young minds around him.” The question of a profession was at this time a matter of serious and prayerful consideration. His reasons for ultimately choosing the law, the objections that were made by friends, and the difficulties attending such a choice, are thus candidly, and at large, stated by himself in a letter to a friend, written at this period: PEACHAM, December 5th, 1803. Your friendly letter of November 10th was received on the 26th of the same month. I am obliged to you sincerely for the animadversions which it contains on the subject of a profession, though my mind is no more settled than it has been for a year or more. Indeed, this subject has given me no small degree of distress; and I see not the least prospect of ever knowing my duty in the case. Perhaps it is right that for my sinfulness I should be left in perpetual obscurity and darkness. Those who are opposed to my studying law, stand on ground altogether untenable, in my opinion. The arguments which they use, would operate to exclude every man from that profession. If it is not right for a good man to study law, it certainly cannot be right for any man; as all men ought, undoubtedly, to be good, and as a wicked man is, by no means, justifiable in doing any thing which a good man might not do. The law then must be given up as a cage |