April 10. I find I must loose my reputation with the great and wise of the earth, if I preach up the power and life of christianity. The divine presence was with me in visiting several families: I love them all, and find that my affection takes deeper root. It gives me great pleasure to see some dear youth pressing into the kingdom of heaven. I wish to live for their sakes, to break unto them the bread of life, much more than for my own. The thought of becoming cold and stupid in religion, and being taken up with the world, is more dreadful than death. I have many doubts and fears frequently darting through my mind, lest my views of divine glories be only like those of Balaam. I want my heart should burn within me, and that religion should drink up the very life and vigour of my soul.

May. 1. Resolved to treat the people of my charge in the most kind and tender manner, and to do them all the good I possibly can, though they should treat me in the most ungrateful and unfeeling man, ner, and deny me support. Resolved to overcome my enemies with kindness if possible, and to do all the good in my power to those who injure me as far as they can. Resolved to wait on the Lord without distraction, and attend to the business of my ministry to fulfil it, should it cost me all my patrimony in addition to my salary.

May 11. Had some animation in the service of the afternoon, and desire to be nailed to my duty, so that I may not get away from God. After meeting, I felt wretchedly for some time, then was more calmafter a little while was refreshed, and in family prayer had sweet freedom and animation. In the evening I had some ardent desires after perfection, and thought I would willingly suffer any thing, if I could always feel such promptitude to do my duty as I sometimes experience. I longed for ministerial perfection; and resolved to make preaching my main business; to study my sermons thoroughly; to have them fixed in my mind as much as may be; and then to endeavour to deliver them as becometh the gospel.

May 19. Felt estranged from God. How great has been his kindness towards me! Shall I now stop in the race? Shall I not press forward? On the grace of God am I dependent both to will, and to do. I must fortify myself against flattery. What have I that I have not received? and what have I that I have not abused? Where might I have been, without any injustice done me? even in hell.

May 21. O temptation! O broken resolutions; broken vows! How do I offend God! O that I might have repentance given me, and that the blood of Christ might wash out my stains. Truly, I deserve to be damned; and yet, if I am a child of God he will not punish me for one of my sins: he will only correct me in measure and in mercy. How ought this consideration to cause my heart to bleed!

Oct. 23. 1783. Was married to Sarah Apame Mills. Before marriage, I had a solemn affecting sense of the connexion I was about forming, and felt ardent desires that it might be for the glory of God, and that we might have his presence in joining hands for life. I have been at many marriages, but I never saw such a solemn one. I thought of the new duties, new temptations, cares and troubles, and of the parting scene.

On the following morning, I preached a solemn sermon to my friend, and in prayer together we consecrated ourselves to God, to take up the cross and serve him in the work of the gospel ministry. Oct. 31. We arrived at Lebanon, and were received, without parade, in a very friendly manner, with the overflowings of generosity. Nov. 1. Spent considerable time in prayer, was much affected, and endeavoured to consecrate myself, my friend, my house, my all to God, and implored his blessing upon us. O may we have a single eye, aiming at the glory of God. If she will not with me, go I am and have been resolved to go alone: but I trust she will not be left behind. I hope she will aid iny flight.

April 25. I am in great danger of falling in error, in sentiment and practice. I must deal fairly with mankind; I must take sinners as they are; not thinking to make them perfect at one blow. I must take the wisest method to prepare them for heaven.

May 7. I have this afternoon and evening had a trying scene. Three persons persist in being admitted to join the church, who will not as yet engage to come forward to the Lord's supper. Their views do not appear to be sanctified.. O may God teach me my duty, and carry me through it. I have been enabled to speak to them plainly, boldly and feelingly: and now each to his own Master, must stand or fall.

June 4. 1820. Alas! alas! I feel so unqualified for my work, that I am ready to think I must relinquish it, and give way to some younger and better man. I wish to be directed in the way of duty. I know the Lord can strengthen me, can animate my drowsy powers, and make me shine bright in the decline of life. But I seem in a great measure left of God to struggle with my own weakness. In the evening however, I was enabled to discourse on the inspiration of the scriptures, and I hope it was not a lost opportunity.

June 27. My feet suddenly slipped on the door stones, I fell and deslocated my collar bone. I view this as a righteous chastisement from the hand of the Lord. O that it may answer the desired end, and that the fruit thereof may be to take away sin.

July 16. My arm continues very lame; my head is much disordered; and my hesrt is in the worst state of all. I have hard conflicts in my own breast. 1 pray God to grant me the influences of his Holy Spirit, that I may get the victory over every sin. In what an awful situation should I be, were I given up to my own heart's lust! Let it never be the case. I pray that I may become more spiritual, holy, and heavenly: that I may be weaned from the world, and

refined for a better state.

Oct. 22 Preached on the signs of the times, and was troubled with my infirmity, in my head. In addition to my head ache, I experience at times the effect of my indisposition in Mr. Fisher's pulpit, which I am more and more inclined to think was a paralytic shock. It impairs my speech and my recollection. It did to-day. My active usefulness appears to be drawing to a close. May the Lord in mercy prepare me for all events; but oh! may I not be left to fall as a dead weight on society."

The foregoing extracts sufficiently disclose the heart and life of him who wrote them. During his whole ministry of forty years, he was diligent and laborious; seeking the salvation of souls; and pressing after more intimate communion with God.

His small salary and large family, consisting of twelve children, who arrived at manhood, rendered it requisite for him to cultivate a farm. This was a lasting source of regret to him, because he wished to devote his whole time to the appropriate work of the ministry.

He was blessed with several very considerable revivals of religion among the people of his charge; and with one a short time before his death; during which, from feebleness of body, he could only say, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace."

The greatest trials, which he ever experienced from any outward source, arose from the division which took place in his large congregation, about the location of their meeting house; and from the return of an ex-minister to reside in his parish. In the spring of 1804, the people living south of his place of worship were desirous of painting it; but the people living north, with few exceptions, had resolved that the building should be taken down, and a new one erected in a more central situation. The venerable wooden church was demolished in a riotous manner, and soon after the Legislature of the State divided the parish into two. My father had his choice of continuing to be the pastor of the one or of the other Society; and so prudent had he been during the hot contention of the parties, that each was disposed to claim him as Pastor. He thought it his duty to remain with those who were attached to the old foundation, and they erected on the same a handsome brick edifice.

The ex-minister, who proved a thorn in his side, had been for many years the pastor of a church in a neighbouring State, but for reasons best known to himself chose to relinquish the preaching of the gospel, while his vigour of body and mind were yet unimpared. Returning to Lebanon his native place, with a certificate of good standing he applied to Mr. Ely for admission to church privileges, as a private member, and was cordially received. Some members of the church, who were dissatisfied with the man received, thought their pastor had prematurely enrolled him as a communicant. He became ere long the subject of discipline, and in the process was alienated from the person who had cordially received, and so far as he thought it lawful, countenanced him. The unhappy consequence was, that the ex-minister, after creating as much disturbance as possible, and openly insulting the pastor in the sanctuary, was excommunicated, and then brought his own bread and wine to church and pretended to celebrate the Lord's supper by himself, in his own pew. During all his troubles, Mr. Ely manifested great meekness of spirit. Once indeed when Mr. loudly reviled him, after he had entered the portico of the meeting-house, my father said, let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him," and this was the only retort he was known to make, during some years of contradiction and insult. Under date of Feb. 24, 1822, he remarked in his diary, I labour under infirmities, and have many mercies. I have to lament

my own stupidity, and the deadness of the people of my charge. The indecent conduct of Mr.- is greatly to be lamented. That he should be deposed by the consociation, then excommunicated by the church, and that it should work no repentance, no reformation in him, gives reason to fear that his case is a very awful one. That he should assault me as I am entering the sanctuary, call me a lying rascal, a plaguy old fool, and denounce me as a liar to have my portion where all liars go, is provoking: but I think I feel no unsuitable resentment, and sincerely pity and pray for him. May the exalted Saviour in his infinite mercy grant him repentance, and restore him." Although Mr. Ely, was rarely well of a nervous head-ache, and able to obtain regular rest in sleep, for a whole week at a time, yet I do not remember that he ever had more than one dangerous sickness, before the last. He was once visited with the typhus fever; and when his life seemed fluttering to be gone, he told me that death had no terrors for him; that he had long contemplated it familiarly; and that for more than twenty years, God had not been out of his thoughts one hour at a time, during his wakeful moments. All who knew him could testify, that he walked with God habitually.

It was a paralytic affection which finally removed him from the world. This first made its appearance on the 11th of October 1818. He had gone to assist the Rev. Jesse Fisher, whose wife was then at the point of death; and who thus writes: "Mr. Ely went to the meeting house apparently well; though afterwards he told me his head ached. He arose to ask a blessing on the services, and spake but a few words before he began to hesitate, dwelt upon a word, repeated it several times, and then was unable to articulate. He stepped down and signified by a motion of the hand, that he wished me to proceed with the exercises. I read a chapter, and by that time he was able to speak, and observed to me, that he thought it doubtful whether he should be able to afford me any assistance. He said, after prayer, he would attempt to read a hymn, and if he found he could speak he would preach. When he got up to read, his speech appeared to be perfectly restored, and he performed all the rest of the exercises of the day. Before he named his text he very pertinently and feelingly addressed the congregation, and told them what he thought of the attack he had just experienced, and that it was a warning that his usewas drawing to a close."

He continued to perform his usual parochial labours, however, until August 12, 1821. He then preached from Acts xxvi, 28, 29. "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." &c. After this, his persuading voice nearly departed; for he was, in the evening, rendered speechless, and continued so until the Saturday following. His brethren in the ministry kindly assisted him in supplying his pulpit, until the 21st of October following, when he was able to resume his public ministry, and generally preached at least once in the week, until March 9th, 1823, on which day he delivered his last discourse from the pulpit, from John xiv. 6. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: `no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

After this period his powers of body and mind seemed gradually to decay, until, on Nov. 18th, 1824, he sweetly fell asleep in Jesus. The same characteristics which had marked him during his most healthful moments, were apparent through the years of his waning. Nothing delighted him so much as the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom, and of nothing did he freelyand familiarly converse but of the doctrines of the Bible or of experimental religion. It was his greatest fault as a pastor that he could not be sociable on any other subject. This rendered his company forbidding to all but pious people; and he frequently lamented this propensity to silence. A brother clergyman who knew him well remarked; "that he had always found Mr. Ely affable and unusually communicative, because he had always proposed to him some important religious questions: but your father," continued he, with most persons, is like a traveller whe has large bank bills in his pocket, and no small change."

He compensated for his taciturnity in part by writing letters with great facility: and by their instrumentality, there is reason to believe, that he won several souls to Jesus. In some instances he had the pleasure of learning twenty or more years after the delivery of some of his discourses, that they had been blessed to the conversion of some of his hearers. I remember to have heard him relate this anecdote. He was once induced to ride thirty miles on a very stormy Saturday that he might accommodate the Rev. Mr. Williams in the exchange of pulpits. He had but few hearers on the Lord's day, and afterwards frequently thought he had been foolish to take such a journey to preach to few people, when he might have addressed a large assembly had he staid at home. Nearly twenty years after, he fell in company with a gentleman whose piety was strongly indicated by his discourse. After they had travelled together with great satisfaction for some distance, the gentleman asked him if he remembered to have preached in E-H- at such a time. He replied, "yes, and I often have thought how foolish I was to leave my own congregation, and ride thirty miles in a storm to preach to a dozen people." The gentleman rejoined, But your sermons that day, were the means of my being awakened and hopefully converted; and ever since I have lived a new life." Never after this could my father think any journey too long, any audience too small, for the preaching of the gospel.

So earnestly did he desire that his people might continue to enjoy the benefits of public ordinances, that soon after he became materially disabled he relinquished all of his salary but one hundred dollars, on condition that the congregation would appropriate it in procuring supplies for the pulpit, or some co-pastor of the church.

During his whole ministry, Mr. Ely was ever striving to become a better preacher and a more faithful pastor; and yet few have been more faithful, exemplary and devoted. He was never satisfied with reading his discourses, nor with preaching extemporaneously without study. His voice, which was naturally weak, became, by attention and exercise, clear and full; and his articulation was so distinct that if the partially deaf could hear any one, they could hear him.