Brought forward $3600 $443 50

ty of Hampshire

Spencer Phelps, Esq.

NEW WORKS.

A Sermon delivered before the Convention of Congregational Minis. ters in Boston, at their Anniversary Meeting, May 28, 1812. By Jedidiah Morse, D. D. Minister of the Congregational Church and Society in Charlestown. Boston; Samuel T. Armstrong.

A Solemn Protest against the late declaration of war, in a Discourse, delivered on the next Lord's Day, after the tidings of it were received. By David Osgood, D. D. Pastor of the church in Medford. Cambridge; Hilliard & Metcalf.

A Sermon preached before the Hon. General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, at the Anniversary Election, in the city of Hartford, May 14, 1812. By Moses C. Welch, D. D. Pastor of the church in North Mansfield, Hartford; Hudson & Goodwin.

A Sermon delivered before the Massachusetts Missionary Society on their thirteenth anniversary, May 26, 1812. By Leonard Woods, D. D. Abbot Professor of Christian Theology in the Theological Seminary in Andover. Boston; S. T. Armstrong. An Oration, delivered in Charlestown, (Mass.) on the fourth of July, 1812, in commemoration of American Independence. By Jeremiah Evarts. Charlestown; Samuel Etheridge, jun.

Two Sermons on the doctrines of

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grace, the free ageney of man, and the use of means. By Israel Brainerd, Pastor of the Congregational Church in Verona, Oneida County, (N.Y.) Utica; Ira Merrill. 1812.

A Sermon, occasioned by the death of the late Rev. Dr. John N. Abeel, one of the pastors of the Reformed Dutch Church, in New York; con. taining an account of the life and character of that servant of Christ, preached the 26th Jan. 1812, the Sab. bath after his interment, in the Reformed Dutch Church, Bloomingdale. By Alexander Gunn, A. M. Pastor of said church. New York, Whiting &

Watson.

A Discourse delivered at Rutland, (Vt.) East parish, before the Female Charitable society, Jan. 15th, 1812. By Heman Ball, A. M. Minister of the Gospel in that town. Rutland; Wm. Fay.

The doctrine of decrees essential to the Divine character, a Sermon preached at New Haven, (Vt) Lord's Day, Feb. 23, 1812. By Josiah Hopkins, Pastor of the Congregational Church of Christ in that town. Middlebury, (Vt.) T. C. Strong.

A Sermon delivered at Haverhill, (Mass.) Feb. 5, 1812, on the occasion of two young ladies being about to embark, as the wives of the Rev. Messrs, Judson and Newell, Missionaries to India. By Jonathan Allen, pastor of the first church in Bradford. Haverhill; W. B. Allen.

OBITUARY.

DIED, in England, on the Sd of Feb. last, Sir CHARLES COTTON, Admiral of the Channel fleet.

In London, in April last, the Earl of ASHBURNHAM, aged 88.

In England. the Rev. JOHN CODLING, aged 32 He was preaching from Psalms cxviii, 17-19. I shall not die but live, &c. when he suddenly stopped, exclaimed I can't, I can't, sunk down in the pulpit, and expired.

At Lyme, (Con.) the Rev. DAVID HUNTINGTON, formerly pastor of a church in Middletown, aged 70.

At Canajoharry (N.Y.) the Rev. JOHANN D. GROSS, D. D. He was several years pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in New York, and Professor of Moral Philosophy and Logic in Columbia College.

At Boston, on the 9th ult. the Rev. JOSEPH STEVENS BUCKMINSTER, pastor of the church in Brattle Square, aged 28.

On the 10th ult. while taking a journey to the springs for the benefit of his health, the Rev. JOSEPH BUCK. MINSTER, D. D. father of the pre. ceding, pastor of a Congregational church in Portsmouth (N. H.) Neither father, nor son, knew of the other's sickness.

At Boston, on the 7th ult. Dea. FRANCIS WRIGHT, one of the Select Men of the town, aged 56.

At New Haven, on the 20th ult. Mr. MILLS DAY Senior, Tutor in Yale College.

Lately, at Wilmington, (N. C.) WILLIAM CAMPBELL, Esq. aged 78, the first white man born in that town.

At the Patterson falls of the PasBaic river, Mrs. SARAH CUMMING, the amiable and beloved wife of the Rev. Hooper Cumming, of Newark, (N.J.) Mr. C. and his wife visited these falls for the purpose of viewing the wonderful works of God. As they were about leaving the spot, where they had been standing and conversing, Mr. C. turned his face a moment, and, on hearing a noise,

looked back, when, to his unutteräble grief, his wife was not to be seen! She had fallen from the precipice, and her lifeless body was plunged in the gulf below. Her remains were interred at Newark in the presence of thousands of weeping spectators. Mrs. C. is universally spoken of by her acquaintance, as having been one of the most excellent and pious persons of her sex. She had been married but a few weeks, and was thus suddenly removed from very desirable world. ly prospects. Her deeply afflicted relatives have the strong consolation of believing, that their loss is her unspeakable gain.

At Boston, on the 16th inst. Col. JOHN MAY, aged 63.

ORDINATIONS.

ÖRDAINED at Dover, N. H. Thursday the 6th of May, the Rev. JOSEPH W. CLARY Over the Congregational Church and Society in that town. Sermon by Rev. Leonard Woods, D.D. At Little-falls, (N. Y.) the Rev. JAMES JOYCE.

At Sumner, (Me.) the Rev. SAMUEL SEWALL. Sermon from 2 Cor. v. 20.

At Rowley, (Mass.) the Rev. JAMES W. TUCKER. Sermon by the Rev. Professor Stuart.

TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS.

We could not make room for the account of Dr. Erewster. It will ap pear in our next.

A biographical sketch of the late Dr. BUCKMINSTER arrived afier all our pages were in type. This, also, will appear next month.

Our readers will observe that this number of the Panoplist contains eight pages more than usual. The next will contain eight pages less.

No. 3.

For the Panoplist.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE REV. JOSEPH BUCKMINSTER, D. D.

In the death of every good man society sustains a loss. But when the minister of Jesus Christ, eminent in gifts and graces, in devotion and zeal, in activity and usefulness, is called from his labors to his rest, the privation is peculiar. The wound inflicted on the Church and on the community, is deep and painful; the friend of man, and of society, mourns; and the Christian, for the moment, trembles for the ark of his God. Such a minister was the late Dr. BUCKMINSTER, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Few, while living, have enjoyed so bright and unsullied a reputation. Few have been so tenderly and universally lamented in death, Few have left an example, the contemplation of which is so full of delight and of instruction.

He was born October 14, 1751, in Rutland, Massachusetts; in which place, his father sustained the pastoral office, and continued in the assiduous discharge of its duties, to an advanced age. Being, in a remarkable degree, the delight and hope of his parents, he was early destined by them to VOL. V. New Series.

VOL. V.

the Christian ministry. He received his literary education at Yale College, where he was graduated in 1770. He wasafterwards a tutor in that seminary for sev eral years. Having completed a course of theological studies, he commenced a preacher of the Gospel. In the autumn of 1778, he was invited, after the usual probationary term, to take the pastoral charge of the first Church in Portsmouth. He was ordained January 1779, and continued in the office until his death. Dr. Buckminster was among the distinguished preachers of this country. Indeed, comparatively few of any country have possessed, in an equal degree, that combination of qualities, which renders a preacher eminently acceptable and useful.

To a mind of much native vigor and comprehension, he had added the improvements of general science, and the ornaments of liter

ature. With various and exten

sive reading, he combined an

accurate observation of mankind

and an intimate acquaintance with the human heart. His distinguishing intellectual feature was a brilliant imagination. This imparted a richness to his style, and a variety, animation, and interest to his public discourses.

14

It gave light and attraction to his more abstruse discussions, while it adorned and dignified his most familiar remarks. Few men have possessed, in the pulpit, a more complete command over their own faculties and resources.

Few have been so successful in bringing all their mental energies, and acquisitions, to the ilJustration and enforcement of religious truth.

His voice was at once strong and musical. By the variety of its intonations, it expressed, with uncommon force and effect, the various emotions of the mind. His articulation was distinct and graceful. His very countenance was eloquent. His attitude, his air, his gestures, were unaffected, manly, and impressive.

Circumstances such as these, undoubtedly contributed theiraid to Dr. Buckminster's uncommon popularity as a preacher. But in him, they were secondary qualities. They were mere appendages of his principal excellence. He was a truly evangelical preacher; an open, intrepid assertor of the cross; an able and inflexible advocate of the faith once delivered to the saints. He preached the truth as it is in Jesus, in its simplicity, its energy, its majesty, and its various, interesting connexions. This constituted the prominent excellence, the peculiar charm, of his discourses. This rendered his ministrations so delightful to the pious, and gained him so deep an interest in their hearts. This procured him a favorable testimony in the consciences of all who believed the Scriptures to be the word of God. That such was, in fact, the general strain of his preaching, is known to all

He

who were in the habit of hearing him: They know that the doctrines on which he delighted principally to expatiate, were the same with those which are generally styled the Doctrines of the Reformation, and which were cherished and maintained by the fathers of New England. habitually inculcated the proper divinity of Christ, the divinity and personality of the Holy Spirit; the awful apostasy and utter depravity of man; the atonement of the Redeemer as the only ground of pardon, and of hope to the sinner; the necessity of regeneration, faith, and repentance; and of a holy temper and life, as their unfailing fruits and accompaniments; and the certain, infallible perseverance of all real saints, in obedienee and holiness, to eternal salvation. These doctrines he considered as constituting the essence and glory of the Gospel; as absolutely necessary to constitute it a system of real grace; as bringing the highest glory to God; as humbling human pride to the dust, and yet furnishing the sovereign and only balm for human guilt and misery. On these great articles of faith, therefore, he was open, decided and emphatical; uniformly and unvaryingly so; except that in the latter years of his life, he appeared more than ever impressed with their importance, more anxious to declare them in the most unequivocal terms, and more grieved to perceive them treated with opposition or neglect.

In a letter to a friend in the ministry, written a few months previous to his death, he expresses himself in this manner: think the Assembly's Shorter Cat

"I

echism the most wonderful compendium of revealed truth and duty, that we have in our language. I have often thought the compilers were wonderfully assisted in executing their duty; and I am ready to assent to it, not only for substance, but I know of no article that can be inaterially altered for the better. Though there are some, in regard to which I never expect to explain or comprehend the form or manner of their being true, yet they are manifestly contained in, and deducible from, the Holy

Bible.

"The system above mentioned was adopted, and universally taught, in the better days of our country, and of the state of Christianity in it. It is in heart approved by those who give evidence of their personal regeneration and reconciliation to God; though they may, from the power of prejudice or tradition, object to certain terms, and modes of expression. And it appears to me, that a system of doctrines, that would essentially contradict or mutilate that system, would hardly contain truth enough to sanctify the soul."

The doctrines which were the great theme of Dr. Buckminster's preaching, he taught, not only from a firm conviction of their truth, but from heart-felt experience of their sanctifying and saving effects. His life exhibited various and convincing evidence that he was a REAL CHRISTIAN; a meek, humble, conscientious, upright follower of Jesus; devoted, in no common degree, to his Master's cause, and to the salvation of mankind. At what precise period, bis experimental acquaintance with re

ligion began, is not absolutely certain. His youthful deportment, is is believed, was outwardly exemplary, and his character, during his connexion with college, unimpeached. Nor does it appear that when he commenced a preacher, he had any doubts respecting his personal religion: But reviewing the subject a considerable time afterwards he was filled with perplexity and distress concerning his spiritual state. He condemned the motives with which he had entered on the ministry, as utterly defective and wrong. He even intermitted preaching, and expressed a horror that he had ever attempted it. His views of the evil of sin, of his personal vileness, of the deceit and desperate wickedness of his heart, were almost overwhelming. But after a long period of distress, despondence, and temptation, some light and hope arose; and he adventured, though with much trembling, to resume the employment of preaching. After this, though subject, at times, to doubt, and to a mental dejection which was partly constitutional, he generally enjoyed the comfort of Christian hope. "In the retrospect of this scene, he expressed much gratitude, that though, (to use his own words) he began to preach without any just and proper sense of the sacredness of the work, yet he did not, as he trusted, take the charge of a church, without deep and solemn impressions of his duty and insufficiency, and a humble sense of his dependence on divine aid

Such is the view of things presented in a paper found among his manuscripts. This paper, which was written on an anniver