ear from sentence to sentence, in which religion was recommended by beauty, and instruction increased by delight. He riveted attention to his theme; the friends of truth were confirmed in their views, and those who rejected his arguments, acknowledged his power. His style was vivid; abounding in expressions which sunk on the memory, and illustrations, which reached the heart. Every object of usefulness, or sublimity, which he presented, was more than recognized, it was seen and felt. Nothing was cold-nothing languid. He was an orator in the highest sense of the word. The impression which he made on the hearers in public, was repeated on the reader in his closet. He came nearer to Massilon than to Whitefield. could not have melted the colliers of Bristol; nor arrested the attention of the commonalty of Scotland; but in a refined auditory, few could speak to more acceptance, or leave a deeper impression on the heart.

He

But he is gone-that eloquent tongue shall speak to us no more-or rather he speaks to us in another language. He tells us in the dialect of the dead, that gifts are nothing without graces-that in the world, to which he has departed, they ask not what talents a mortal has possessed, but how he has used them.

This venerable and departed man was a faithful minister-the best evidence, in his profession, of his being a true Christian; and let me add, that he formed an extensive conception of what faithful preaching is. He left no part of duty untouched, no sin uncensured. He endeavoured to occupy the whole ground, displayed in the bible; and to make his in

structions as extensive as the wants of man. Though belonging in his youth, and perhaps in his age, to a theological school, which has been charged with dwelling too exclusively on a few favourite points, he was not a narrow preacher. He could reason and feel; comfort the Christian or alarm the sinner; inculcate faith, or insist on good works. His mind was replenished with the fulness of the gospel. In this respect I hardly know his equal. If the narrowness of controversial divinity makes this mode of preaching almost an experiment in religion, we may say the experiment was peculiarly happy. Dr. Parish was the instrument of turning many to righteousness.

In his person, he was below the middle stature. His eye was keen and piercing; and left on the observer, at the first interview, an impression of sarcasm and severity. It is true, no man could give a quicker reply, or had a repartee more at command, than Dr. Parish. He could be severe, when severity was necessary; yet in friendly intercourse he always softened into an intelligent and agreeable companion. In his conversation, there was opposition enough to call forth conflicting opinions; and urbanity enough to make the conflict not unpleasant.

When he mounted the pulpit to speak, he so far resembled Ulysses, as to awaken no high expectation in the mind of the stranger. His commencing utterance appeared rather monotonous; and, in the first verse of the hymn, or the first sentence of the discourse, there was a tone which savoured of senility. But as he proceeded, warmed by his subject, every vestige of this fault vanished-he became

animated, emphatic, glowing. He was fired himself, and never failed to fire his audience. Yet there was nothing of that overstepping the modesty of nature by which some popular speakers acquire their eminence. There was nothing disproportionate in his speaking; of the truth of which, this is a proof; that young preachers, who studied under him, never gave the distorted features of his eloquence in disgusting imitation.

As he was a decided man, he was obliged, like all other decided men, in some parts of his life, to wade through the waters of opposition. His activity in politics acquired for him many enemies. Whether he was right in taking such a prominent stand on a subject not immediately connected with religion, we shall not say. He shewed, at least, his decision. It is proper, however, to reveal the whole truth; in the latter part of his life, he wholly renounced all concern with political affairs. To a friend, who once spoke to him on the subject, he replied, "Politics is like the variolous contagion, no man catches it a second time."

With respect to the religious suspicion and obloquy, to which he was, for a time subjected, we may speak with more confidence. It arose from his independence of character; from his refusing to bow down to the popular idols of the day. He was a friend to religious liberty; he would have the human mind assailed by no arms but those of persuasion and truth. This makes his loss almost inestimable. In this age, when some good men seem to have forgotten the purpose for which our fathers crossed the ocean, and

erected, with infinite hazard, these western churches, on principles as free as the spirit of benevolence itself,-his influence and example seem peculiarly necessary. He found the happy medium of mixing decision of sentiment, with candour to those who differed from him. In his mind, as in that of the great Watts, orthodoxy and charity were beautifully combined. The truths embraced by our fathers, he believed to be infinitely important to the happiness of man; yet he was cautious of judging of intentions. In declaring opinions, he spoke with confidence; but persons he left to the tribunal of God.*

He considered both the great parties which now divide our country as, in many respects, wrong; yet he always boldly said that the genius of christianity resided with the orthodox. Unitarianism, in his mind, was a system, not without its plausible pretensions to a speculative mind. If man had no sins,

*To illustrate our manners, if ever this book should fall into the hands of a foreigner, let me mention in a note, a circumstance which is certainly unworthy of a place in the text. In Massachusetts, for a few years past, all ecclesiastical measures have been prepared in a certain conclave, nobody knows who they are, or where they are,-invisible beings,-congregational cardinals, to whose decrees every orthodox clergyman and church is expected to pay unlimited deference and submission. But as they are wholly destitute of power, they have found out a singular way of executing their laws. The clergyman, who hesitates, or dares to think, or act for himself, suddenly finds himself surrounded by the whisper, that he is becoming an Unitarian. It is not easy to conceive the horrour and dismay, that this suggestion occasions. It is caught from mouth to mouth, and whispered from ear to ear, and every ghastly relater increases the terrours of the tale. The poor, affrighted victim. must either return to the bosom of the church,-the popular measure of the day,-or be denounced a heretic, worthy of all the flames that detraction can kindle: for, in this country, we burn heretics in no other. I will only add, that this state of society is rather amusing; to say nothing of the magnanimity of the great men, who condescend to use such weapons, it is singular enough to see to what useful purpose the Unitarians may be put; they not only serve as whetstones, on which staunch polemics may sharpen their weapons, but they make excellent bugbears to keep naughty boys in order. O the follies of the wise!

no sorrows, neither sickness, nor death, he might sit down and admire the schemes of modern innovators, as the traveller admires the morning rays refracted around the ice and snow of some mountain's top; but these beams, though bright, awaken no vegetation; he considered this system as wholly inadequate to the wants and agonies of a mind really awake to eternal things. Faith wishes to repose on something more substantial. He always said, however, that the mode of opposing this system was not the best. Whilst it is a novelty, and whilst therefore its advocates can avail themselves of the ambiguous ground that lies between innovation and improvement, he said it might prevail. But it would soon become the old religion; and have to drop its accidental pretensions, and encounter all the obstacles with which the old religion has now to contend, without any of its advantages. It could then no longer be said, "See what improvement we are making; see what old prejudices we are overthrowing." Falsa satiabunt. The cloud is temporary, the sunshine eternal. Refrain from these men, and let them alone. Acts v. 38. Dr. Parish was married to Miss Mary Hale, in 1796, by whom he has children; three of whom survive him. In the year 1819, he was called to bury a very amiable daughter, a heavy affliction. This event was never spoken of afterward but with the deepest sympathy.

He was frequently called to preach on public occasions. Before the legislature in 1810, the Election sermon; before the convention 1821. This last sermon will be found in this collection.