Having obtained consent of Windham that we should be a society distinct for carrying on the worship of God, do now pray your honours to confirm and establish us as a parish. We are the more encouraged in this our request when we reflect upon your honours' care for promoting religion and good order, which is one great end in this our desire, it being extremely difficult for us to attend upon the present place of worship, none of us being within six miles of it, and many of us much more. We also hope, by the blessing of Providence, that we shall be able to support and bear the charge of the public worship, being already between twenty and thirty families, and having accommodation for a great many more, who will doubtless be much encouraged to settle among us." A parish was assigned to them, on condition that "the petitioners annually levy and pay a tax among themselves, equal with what the rest of the town pay towards the support of the ministry, until the said parish now granted have a settled ministry among themselves." Finding difficulty in raising the amount required, they proposed that the lands around them in the possession of the Windham people should contribute in proportion to their enhanced value from the increased population. Difficulties arose which greatly hindered the Church. After struggling for four years to provide accommodation for a minister, the meeting-house was far from completed; but anxious, in 1722, to retain the services of William Billings, to whom they had given a call, the inhabitants of Windham village again petitioned the General Court: "Our circumstances," they said, "are very grievous-a very poor parish-new settlers-have agreed to give Mr. Billings £150 for settlement, and fivepence a pound on rateable estate till it come to £90 for salary; and we shall be glad and ever more have cause to thank the honoured Court, if they would be pleased to consider our poverty and difficult circumstances. We are but thirty-five little families, and we ha'n't a bit of land to settle our minister upon but what we must buy at five, seven, eight, and nine pound per hundred Call of Billings. eacars. We pray the Court to abate our tax for two next years coming, and it will for ever oblige us, JOHN DURKER, WILLIAM DURKER, NATHANIEL HOVEY, May 12, 1722." in behalf of the inhabitants. Creeping on in this way, their difficulties were at length overcome, and Mr. Billings had the satisfaction of recording the proceedings on the day of ordination. "The Council that embodied yo church and carried on yo affair when Mr. Billings was ordained pastor in Windham village were Samuel Whiting, and Messengers :-Eliphalet Adams of New London, Samuel Eastbrook of Canterbury, Joseph Cort of Plainfield, Ebenezer Williams of Pomfret. Mr. Adams gave the charge; Mr. Eastbrook the right hand of fellowship; Mr. Whiting preached; Mr. Cort made the last prayer. Thus all was completed, June 5, 1723." The following Church covenant was then read and subscribed : "Windham Village, June 5, 1723, being ye day of ordination. We do this day, in the strength of Christ, humbly and heartily avouch the Lord, whose name alone is Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit, to be our God and the God of our seed, entirely and everlastingly dedicating both ourselves and ours unto His holy fear and service according to His word, promising and covenanting to walk with God and love one another, as God's chosen people and a particular Church ought to do; complying with ye whole will of God as far as He hath pleased, or shall further please to discover his mind to us by His Spirit, Word, and providence, acknowledging, embracing, and submitting unto the Lord Jesus, God-man, as Head of the Church, Prophet, Priest, and King of our souls, yo only Mediator between God and man, and surety of the covenant, that He may of God be made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, looking for acceptation only in Christ both of our persons and services." There was a corresponding improvement in the entire district; the first church in Windham in 1720-21 enjoyed a great spiritual prosperity. In acknowledgment of this great blessing, a special thanksgiving service was held February 12, 1721, and a sermon preached by Mr. Whitney from 1 Thess. iii. 8. Eliphalet Adams, in a preface to the discourse, says :— "Windham is a town of about thirty years' standing, where the Rev. Mr. Samuel Whiting hath been improved in the work of the ministry from their beginning. Address of "God hath been pleased to make him a very rich blessing among them, and doubtless many will have reason to bless God for ever, in that their lot hath been cast to dwell under his ministry. Not only hath he seen the town flourishing to that degree in this short space of time, as that two other societies are already sprung out therefrom, but he hath had the comfort to observe that many living and serious Christians have been born there,' and that his labour hath not been in vain in the Lord.' "But of late there has been a greater stirring than ordinary among the dry bones.' Many have been awakened to consider and enquire with a great deal of earnestness, what they should do to be saved? Persons of all ages, and some of whom there was but little expectation, have come together weeping to seek the Lord their God,' so that within the compass of about half a year, there have been fourscore persons joined to these communities, and more are still dropping in; so 'mightily doth the Word of God grow and prevail among them,' and let us charitably hope that the Lord hath been adding to His Church such as should be saved. "It is surprising to see what a happy alteration there is made when God is pleased to bless the dispensation of the gospel, and the institution of His house, and confirm His Word in the mouths of His servants. "Now the work grows easy and delightful in the hands of the Lord's servants; their former sighs occasioned by their unsuccessful endeavours are changed into praise, they ALMOST forget their other sorrows and burdens that are upon them, for the joy that people are born unto the Lord. Now they that have happily ' escaped out of the snare of the fowler' admire the wonders of free grace which remembered and visited them in their low estate, they are brought forth into the 'light of life,' and having their doubts and fears gradually dissipated, they go on 'rejoicing for the consolation.' Their fellow Christians who were 'in Christ before them,' receive them with open arms, and many thanksgivings are offered up unto the Lord. Now things put on the same face of gladness and delight as once they did at Samaria, when Christ was preached with success, Acts viii. 8, ' And there was great joy in that city.' "Oh that the same good 'spirit from on high' were poured out upon the rest of the country, for what pity is it that this single 'fleece' only should be wet with the dew of heaven,' while the rest of the 'ground' round about remains (comparatively) 'dry.' And may we not say with the Psalmist, 'It is time for Thee, Lord, to work,' when iniquity gets head, and serious religion is so sadly decaying throughout the land, insomuch that there is scarce a sufficient number rising up to make good the ground of them that are dropping off the stage continually; especially when we consider how much short they come of their good spirit, and we are almost at a loss to find Christians among Christians. It is true God is calling loudly to us by variety of Providences, the means of grace are yet in our hands, and the ordinances are among us, but where is the God of the ordinances? and where are all the wonders which our fathers told us of, when the 'arm of the Lord' was powerfully 'revealed,' and people more generally 'believed the report."" Whiting died suddenly of pleurisy when absent from home at Enfield, September 27, 1725, in the fiftysixth year of his age. Though his illness Death of was short and distressing, he did not for- Whiting. get his friends and people, but offered two special prayers upon his death-bed: one was for his family, and one for the continuance and prosperity of his church. Settlement of Jonathan Edwards at In September, 1726, Jonathan Edwards relinquished his work as tutor at New Haven, to enter on the more congenial service of the Christian pastorate. Northampton, the place of his Northampton. settlement, pleasant in its natural situation was then a country town, and included within its limits more than the ordinary share of refinement and culture. Edwards gave himself with peculiar ardour and diligence to study, preaching, and the regular visitation of his flock. He found in Sarah Pierrepont, to whom he was married on July 28, 1727, a true helpmeet. She was the daughter of JAMES PIERREPONT, the minister of New Haven, and for piety, intelligence, gracefulness of manner, action, benevolence, and loving sympathy was greatly Stoddard. esteemed. The Venerable Solomon Stoddard survived the settlement of his colleague two years, and died February 11, 1729. Dr. Colman, in his Boston Lecture, said of him : Solomon "As he has been for some years the most aged minister in the province, so in the course of a laborious, burning ministry, he has for many years shone before us in the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, a prophet and a father not only to the neighbouring Churches and pastors of his own county, but also to those of the whole land. He was as a Peter here among the disciples and ministers of our Lord Jesus, very much our primate and a prince among us, in an evangelical and the truly apostolical sense; that is to say, among the first for light and integrity, for knowledge and general judgment, for faith and love which is in Christ Jesus, and for zeal and boldness in the cause of truth and holiness. But I must add. none less affecting a pre-eminence above his brethren; none more pleased with retire |