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"June 5,-Rose this morning to behold the wedding-day of my cousin -could get no opportunity to retire for private devotion, till about half-past eleven. Then retired to my chamber, and prayed with some fervency, and much pleasure. I love to be in solitude.-Felt the want of humility and diffidence; have had many flattering words and things upon the road; particularly seeing my Ode to Washington in print, anonymous and said to be written by a lady.* I feel that I have vanity, and am weak enough to be flattered. O, I pray God to give me humility, and to preserve me from those foolish feelings, and those influences. And, on the other hand, I pray that I may never be ashamed of any thing of mine, but moral evil and guilt.

"June 7,―Joined, this morning, in family prayer, with uncommon fervency and devotion. Enjoyed much of this forenoon in retirement. Had a sweet and most affecting season with the blessed God,--had a pressing sense of sins, and my vileness in his sight-felt the perfect justice of God in condemning me to hell forever. And then, oh how lovely did Jesus appear! Oh how ungrateful and unholy my own heart! Oh that I could do something for Jesus! I could not proceed in my prayer, but was drowned in tears. This was a sweet season to my soul.

“June 11,--God appears to me a most glorious Being, and seems to be all, and in all. Offered up some very fervent ejaculations this morningas I rode along, was in tears most of the way—was in a sweet and heavenly frame, all the forenoon. I was, this day, in the midst of merriment. Oh, how do I fear, lest, while I am becoming all things to all men, I should be contaminated with sin! I pray to be washed in that blood, which, I think, appeared to me of more value, this day, than thousands of worlds." This evening he returned home.

June 15,-He thus expresses his self-abhorrence and grief, on an occasion of sore temptation. It was the Sabbath. "Attended public exercises, with much spirituality; but, in the prayer, had in my mind, some of the vilest and most abandoned suggestions conceivable. I thought I deserved to be sent immediately to hell, and banished the kingdom of glory. It caused tears of lamentation from my eyes. Oh how did I tremble lest I should offend the blessed God, and make him angry. My wickedness seemed almost too great to find pardon; and so it seems now. Still, I believe the world thinks me amiable and good. I cannot believe that ever creature had such vile suggestions as I have; and perhaps I am the worst in the universe. Oh lost, ruined and undone, while out of Christ. If Satan ever buffets, I must think I am buffeted. Had a sweet religious season, this noon-time-prayed with great fervency two or three timesfull of tears-sometimes tears of joy, in view of the divine perfections, and the glories of redemption; and sometimes tears of sorrow. Oh how do I fear, lest I should be shut out of the holy society of heaven! While it thundered, at noon, I could not help crying, for joy that God did reign, and would reign, in spite of me, and all his enemies.-Me, I say. But how is it possible I should feel so, and yet be an enemy to him? True; but alas, I have much enmity remaining. Attended meeting, with great pleasure, and, I hope, improvement. Dr. Wales preached on the decrees of God. I thank God that I am now cordially reconciled to those doctrines, which once gave me disgust and hatred."

*This Ode was written to be sung at the celebration of peace. It is preserved, among several specimens of the author's poetry; which are characterized by elevation of thought, tenderness of sentiment, and very perfect harmony of numbers. It does not appear that he made any further attempts, in this species of composition, after he left college.

On receiving a letter in which his piety was commended.

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July 24,-Received a letter, this morning, from a friend, with many expressions of respect for my piety and godliness. Oh, how deceived in me! I have had nothing so truly humbling this long time-felt quite dejected. Alas! the hidden corruptions of my wicked heart. Oh, I am a true pharisee! I wash the outside of the cup; but the inside is full of bitterness. Oh that I had a pure and holy spirit! Is it possible that God will make any thing good out of such an adulterated soul?"

Nearness to God in the midst of pressing engagements.

"July 30,-Engaged this forenoon in scholastic employments-heard a lecture-and though oppressed with secular concerns, it was a sweet season to my soul. Every word on religion seems to charm me. Oh, the greatness and glory of the blessed God! Oh, that he was my friend! Happy is that man whose God is the Lord."

The last communion season with his class in college is thus noticed. "Attended on the holy communion table this day. Seven persons were previously added to our little, but happy church. This was a comforting and heavenly season to my soul. It was an affecting one. For, since my class will soon be dismissed from college, it probably is the last time we shall all of us commune together, at that holy supper, in this world. my dear brothers, with whom I have supped before our Lord so many times; may we meet each other at the table of our Saviour in the upper world. May God bless you all; and whatever his sovereignty does with me, I pray that you may be permitted to eat bread together, in your Father's kingdom."

Oh,

These miscellaneous extracts, though doing but poor justice to the author's early experience, as a connected whole, will yet be recognized, both in their lights and shades, by those who remember the preaching and prayers, the personal and domestic intercourse, of this devoted servant of Christ, in maturer life, as giving a lively and true portrait of his manly piety. He began, from his conversion, to walk with God on earth; he sought to consecrate every faculty of his soul to the divine glory, while he was forming and fitting himself for usefulness; and, by the grace of God, he was a burning and shining light, in every station, which he was afterwards called to occupy in the church.

After he received his degree at college, he immediately applied himself to a course of theological study, under the instruction of Rev. Dr. Jonathan Edwards; who, at that period, was pastor of a church in New Haven. At the same time, he was occupied in teaching "an English and Grammar school." In this manner he was employed, till the summer of 1784; when, after two urgent applications from the Trustees of the "new Academy at Norwich," (Conn.) he reluctantly consented to postpone his entrance upon the work of the ministry, and take the charge of that institution. He did not, however, remit his theological studies; and we find him actively engaged in all such efforts to promote the salvation of souls, as were suitable to one in his situation. In the evening, he sometimes went five or six miles to a religious meeting.

On the 12th of October, 1784, he was licensed to preach the gospel, at Lebanon, by the association of New London county. He preached his

*These were fruits of a revival during his senior year, which is frequently referred to in the diary,

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THE FIELD IS THE WORLD. MATT. XIII: 38.

Then saith he unto his disciples. The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few: pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. Matt. IX: 37, 38.

THE

QUARTERLY REGISTER.

VOL. IX.

FEBRUARY, 1837.

No. 3.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D.

PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT.

[By the Rev. Samuel H. Riddel, of Glastenbury, Conn.]

SAMUEL AUSTIN, D. D., was born at New Haven, Conn. on the 7th of October, 1760. His father's name was Samuel; and his mother's, before marriage, Lydia Wolcot. His parents were persons of reputed piety, and of highly respectable standing in life. Their children were two sons and a daughter; of whom the subject of this memoir was the eldest. In the education of their children, they gave early and strict attention to their religious culture; and, in respect to each of them, realized the faithfulness of the divine promise, to such as train up their children in the fear of God. Samuel remained with his parents until the commencement of the revolutionary war, soon after which, at the early age of sixteen, he took the place of his father, who had been drafted as a soldier, and did military service in New York. When the British took possession of that city, he received a discharge and returned home; and was employed for two or three years, occasionally in the public service, and at other times in teaching school. At length, when about twenty years of age, he decided upon the pursuit of a learned profession, and commenced the study of law, with Judge Chauncey, in his native town. Soon, however, perceiving the necessity of a more thorough education, in order to the attainment of that standard of success and usefulness, towards which his aspiring mind was directed, he suspended his professional course, and devoted himself, with his characteristic ardor, to classical studies. Such was his application and the rapidity of his progress, that, in the summer of 1781, he was admitted to an advanced standing in the sophomore class at Yale College.

While thus endeavoring to lay a foundation for eminence and influence in life, the Saviour, who had chosen him to be a distinguished instrument of his glory, laid the foundation, in his religious experience, for his subsequent course of Christian zeal and usefulness. From an incidental remark in his religious diary, under date of July 27, 1782, we infer that it was during the period of his studies, preparatory to his entering College, that he became the subject of that spiritual change, which gave, so decidedly, a new character to his affections towards God, and a new direction to his aims and efforts for the good of his fellow-men. In July, of the same year that he entered college, he was admitted by president Stiles, a member of the church in that institution. Some of the first leaves of the diary, above referred to, have fallen out and cannot be found; otherwise it

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is probable that an interesting account might have been preserved of his exercises under conviction, of his reconciliation to God through the Redeemer, and of his public consecration of himself to the service of Christ. The first lines of this broken manuscript are the following:- "Jesus Christ to be my Saviour, and the Holy Spirit of all grace to be my sanctifier; and promise, by the grace of God helping me, without which I can do nothing, to walk according to all the precepts of God exhibited in his word-to practise all known duty, and avoid all known sin-to adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour, and to live as becomes a member of the church militant of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

From observations of his own, which are recollected by some of his acquaintances, it is understood that his convictions of sin were very deep and distressing, though not long protracted. The following allusion to that part of his religious experience, is all which we find in his diary. "June 16, 1783,-Spent some of the forenoon, and of the afternoon, with Mr. Taylor, who is under the most lively and excruciating convictions that I ever saw, or could hardly conceive of-seems, many times, to be in the agonies of despair. I must confess, I never experienced any such degree of affection upon conviction. When I saw my lost state, I was kept from despair by a hope in the blessed Jesus."

Mr. Austin passed through his academic course with distinguished reputation as a scholar, and received the highest honors of the college, when he was graduated, in September, 1783. The following is the testimony of one of his distinguished classmates.* "He was an assiduous and thorough scholar. Attentive to all the prescribed duties of college, sober and discreet, he sustained an unblemished character. An excellent linguist, he was a Dean scholar. Regarded always as a very good speaker, he received as the reward of merit, the first appointment in the exercises of the commencement, when he was graduated. His maturity of years, with unremitted attention to his studies, gave him a rank, to say the least, among the first scholars of his class."+

It will be interesting to the readers of this work; and we may hope profitable especially to that important class of them who are, or may be, occupied with a course of study, with a view to the sacred ministry, to follow this godly man, in his religious history, through that critical period which we are now contemplating; and observe in what manner the seeds of grace were cherished and cultivated in connection with the seeds of science, with such success that neither were stinted nor distorted, in their early growth and subsequent development. It is here that we are to look for the origin of that most prominent feature in the character of Dr. Austin -his intelligent and ardent piety-his disinterested and glowing zeal for God; which gave, through life, a holy impulse and effect to every application of his talents and acquirements; which secured to him, as a minister and as a friend, the sincerest love and veneration of all pious persons, who enjoyed the privilege of his acquaintance; and which commanded the respect even of those who disliked the doctrines he preached with so much point and power, and the plainness with which he rebuked their sins. His diary, to which references have already been made, was probably commenced about the time of his entering college and uniting with the church. It is exclusively of a religious character; and carries internal

*Hon. David Daggett, of New Haven.

His class consisted of forty-two members. Among them were David Daggett, LL. D., Abiel Holmes, D. D. LL. D., Jedidiah Morse, D. D., and John Cotton Smith, LL. D. Of this class thirteen, a larger proportion than usual, at that time, became ministers of the gospel; of whom four are still living.

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