But father, (he continued, brightening) I not only remember the text, but I can tell you what the minister said." He then enumerated the heads of the discourse, and repeated large portions, nearly in the words of the speaker. The stern features of the father relaxed into a look of complacency as he remarked, "your memory, Elhanan, is very good, and I am pleased to observe that you have exercised it so profitably this morning." "And now father, (continued Elhanan, gathering courage from his altered tone) if you will not be offended, I will tell you the number of people present this morning, and the number of beams, posts, braces, rafters and panes of glass there were in the meeting-house. I counted them all and remembered the text too.' 19 This was uttered in a tone of earnest simplicity that totally disarmed the old gentleman of his anger. The associations too, were such as rendered it difficult to repress a smile; but assuming a look of gravity, he replied, "Well, Elhanan, I am willing to believe you meant no wrong. For this time I will overlook what perhaps under other circumstances, I should esteem an unpardonable offence. But be warned my son, hereafter to give your undivided attention to the religious exercises while in the place of public worship.' In the eighth year of his age the halcyon and sunny days of childhood were first o'ershadowed by sorrow, in the death of his mother. She deceased January 7, 1760, in the thirty-first year of her age. She was a pious, exemplary woman, and an affectionate, faithful mother. Elhanan's attachment to her was of the most tender character, and her decease afflicted him even more deeply at that tender age, than any of the family. He speaks of her in later years in the strongest terms of respect and filial reverence. At what time his mind was first seriously impressed cannot with exactness be determined; but in 1769, at the age of nineteen, he became savingly acquainted with Christ, and made a public profession of religion. He united himself to a separate church in his native town of which Rev. Jonathan Hyde was pastor. * The following is a brief account of his christian experience written by himself. 66 "It pleased God, by an incident too trifling to mention, to bring me to seek earnestly for an unfading treasure; and by a train of circumstances, fixed the concern deeply upon my mind; and I labored night and day, but could obtain no rest till one morning—a time never to be forgotten! As I was walking on a journey, under great distress, and when deliverence seemed farther from me than ever, all at once I was brought to resign my soul into the hands of God, and thus I expressed myself: Lord, here I am a poor helpless sinner: I resign myself into thine hands. Take me, and deal with me just as thou pleasest. I know thou canst do me no injustice.” Immediately these words came into my mind with great power and sweetness : "In an acceptable time have I heard thee; and in a day of salvation have I helped thee." Isa. xlix: 8, and I had then such a view of CHRIST, as to make me cry out, "Glory to God in the highest! This is salvation; I know this is salvation. . . . . I saw the fulness, sufficiency and willingness of Christ to save me and all men, in such a manner as constrained me to ven * Mr. Hyde was ordained Jan. 17, 1751, and performed the duties of pastor for nearly thirty years. ture my soul into his arms; and if I had ten thousand souls, I could have trusted them all in his hands. And O how did I long, that every soul of Adam's race might come to know the love of God in Christ Jesus! And I thought I could not be willing to live any longer on earth, unless it might please God to make me useful to my fellow creatures. "What peaceful hours I then enjoyed! How sweet their memory still! But they have left an aching void This is a little abstract of what God did then graciously teach me by his spirit; but I had been brought up in that particular system, and in the course of a few years came to be so firmly attached to it, as to refuse, in my preaching, to make general invitations to mankind at large; rightly reasoning with myself, that if provision was only made for a small part, I had no warrant to call or invite the whole. to come and partake,—and therefore only pressed the duty on such and such characters, as hungry, thirsty, weary, heavy laden, such as were without money, sensible sinners, &c. all of which I concluded to be of the elect, because I judged the spirit had begun to operate savingly upon their hearts; and that to these only, the scriptures directed invitations to be made; never considering that text: "Hearken unto me, ye stout hearted, that are far from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness; and it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry." Isa. xlvi: 12, 13. During the time that I remained in this close hearted system, laboring with all my might to maintain it, I chanced to come to a house where, as far as I can judge, was a very sensible and pious young woman, whom I never saw She gave a very judicious account of before nor since. the work of grace upon her heart; but when she came to that part where she said she beheld an infinite fulness in Christ for all the world, I interrupted her, and told her, that could not be; for there was no provision made for all, and therefore it was impossible that she could have any such discoveries made to her by the spirit of God. This I insisted upon, according to my system, contrary to my experimental knowledge. She, on the contrary, maintained that she clearly viewed matters in this light; and that she certainly was taught to believe that in Christ there was fulness and freeness for all. This I denied, and she was thereby prevented from finishing what she had begun. I can never forgive myself for the opposition I made to what I knew to be truth by experience; and as I did not inquire the name of the person, I have had no opportunity of making a recantation by letter, as I ought to have done; and having never been in the place since, and it being highly improbable I ever shall, I feel myself extremely hurt, whenever I think of it." In confining the invitations of the gospel to the elect, Mr. Winchester, as he must hereafter be called, acted like a consistent Calvinist. But he plead for this sentiment against his personal experience and the convictions of conscience. So powerful is the influence of system! His better judgment and pious feelings urged him to bear the eternal interests of the whole world upon the arms of prayer before the throne of infinite mercy, and to proclaim the gospel" to every creature." But this militated against his system and that he was taught must be maintained. And it was not until he became assured from scripture that Christ tasted death for every man, that truth triumphed in his mind over error. Then it was that he dared offer prayers, supplications and intercessions for all men, as consonant with the will of God. CHAPTER II. Mr. Winchester marries and enters the Ministry—travels in various parts of the United States-remarkable family bereavements-visits Philadelphia and accepts an invitation to take the pastoral care of the Baptist church and society —his popularity. "I saw the Evangelist of God ascend In the Autumn of 1769, Mr. Winchester was united in marriage to Miss Alice Rogers of Rowley, Mass. He soon after commenced the public work of the ministry. Subsequently experiencing a change in some of his views of religion, he visited Canterbury, Ct. where he received baptism by immersion from Elder Ebenezer Lyon, and was received into his church. This was a Baptist church on the open communion plan. "How long he tarried here is not known; but before the next spring he removed to Rehoboth, Massachusetts, where he spent the year 1771, and in its vicinity. His youth, his extraordinary memory, his eloquence, and apparent zeal, together with his singular dress, excited much interest, and drew multitudes to his meetings. A revival followed. A church of about seventy members was gathered on the plan of that at Canterbury, and he was ordained over it by Elder Lyon. In less than a year, however, Mr. Winchester adopted the plan of close communion; to |