which evinced that he acted from principle and conscience, and not from caprice or passion-that his judgment was at work in considering and canvassing the arguments by which any proposition was supported. Hence he was free from that pettishness, on the one hand, and that cupidity on the other, by which weak and inconstant minds are distinguished, and which subject the individual who is under their influence to a perpetual round of disappointments.

While he thus treated the aged and his superiors in office with that honor which was their due, he was no less assiduous in conciliating the affections of his equals, as well as condescending to the young, to the feeble, and ignorant, manifesting an affectionate regard for their welfare, and accommodating himself to their circumstances, their age, and capacities. In this respect he became the servant of all.' The urbanity of his disposition-the sincere desire to do good to all men as he had opportunity, which manifested itself on all occasions and the readiness with which he adapted himself to their various conditions-gave him ready and easy access to the families which he visited, won their confidence, and inspired their respect. Hence, while the aged treated him with the respectful attention which was due to his station, and the middle aged as a brother beloved in the Lord,' the children hailed him as their fostering friend, and fondly looked up to him as a kind father. While moving in the circle of his associates in the ministry, no corroding jealousy disturbed the sweet tranquillity of his mind, nor did the invidious passion of envy interrupt for a moment the melodious flow of harmony which subsists among kindred spirits. He seemed, indeed, to participate in the joy of others, reciprocate every act of kind attention with Christian amenity, and manifestly derived inward satisfaction from beholding their prosperity. In this way he rejoiced in the truth,' by whomsoever promulgated. Seemingly unconscious of the high estimation in which he was deservedly held by those who witnessed his conduct, he esteemed others better than himself;' and sinking under a sense of his unworthiness into comparative insignificance in his own view, he delighted to pay 'honor to whom honor' was due, and to glory in the elevation, prosperity, and happiness of all around him. Nor was any of this affected. He was a stranger to affectation. He could not, therefore, act under the disguise of an assumed character. His modesty, his diffidence, his respect and affection for others, all arose from a heart thoroughly imbued with the genuine humility of the Gospel, and not from that • voluntary humility,' which is affected by the proud and disdainful, for the purpose of courting applause, or for disguising a haughty and ambitious spirit. All this artful conduct was utterly excluded from the actions of Gad Smith, by that unaffected simplicity of intention and pure sincerity of heart, by which he was at all times influenced.

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There was, moreover, in his intercourse with his fellows, a certain delicacy of conduct, which totally disarmed resentment, even when he felt himself bound to rebuke them sharply.' The mildness of his manner, the solemnity, yet amenity of his deportment, while administering reproof, convinced the delinquent that his sole object was to do him good, and not to expose him to mortification. This gave him a decided advantage over those whose boisterous manner inspires a suspicion of the purity of their intentions, and whose roughness and severity often defeat the object they apparently have in view.

This refined and truly commendable delicacy of feeling was especially exemplified whenever he was compelled to detect and expose the mistakes of any of his brethren. Instead of manifesting self satisfaction at a discovery of a foible, or a mistake in opinion or expression, as if it were a matter of triumph on account of his superior discernment, he always did it in the most modest terms, and, if practicable, in a secret and unobtrusive way. By this means he spared the feelings of his friends, disappointed the malignancy of their adversaries, secured the affection and esteem of his associates, and strengthened the bonds of fellowship with all concerned. How different and much more praiseworthy is this conduct than that of a person whom we once knew. Hearing one of his brethren preach on a certain occasion, when he had unusual liberty of speech and a most liberal flow of ideas, this person noticed a slip of the tongue, as it is called. Afterward, instead of correcting him privately, and in the spirit of brotherly love, in a large company, with a sarcastic smile upon his countenance, and in the most tantalizing manner, he reproached the preacher for this innocent lapsis lingua as though it had been an unpardonable fault; and all this was done in a spirit and manner which indicated more of a desire to mortify and humble the man who had committed the fault than to induce him to mend his ways. Of such rudeness our beloved brother Smith was never guilty. A far more noble object moved him to speak and act; and while he thus respected the feelings and character of others, he secured their friendship and commanded the esteem of all.

This sincerity of heart and modesty of deportment doubtless arose from the genuine piety of his heart. Of this piety, no one who knew him ever doubted. Though some might have been mean enough to envy him on account of his popularity, none dared to impeach the character of his piety, nor to call in question the purity of his intentions. We had frequent intercourse with him, both in public and private, and can therefore bear witness to the uniformity of his piety, as it was exhibited in his closet, in his intercourse with his friends, and, indeed, on all occasions. There is in the language of a truly pious mind that which speaks whenever the tongue speaks, which VOL. V.-July, 1834.

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breathes with every breath, and which shows itself even in the lineaments of the countenance. And, if we do not mistake, brother Smith furnished these evidences of a pious heart. From hence sprung, as from a pure fountain, those streams of just and benevolent actions which characterized his short life, and which descended as the dew of Hermon in the doctrine which he delivered unto the people, and rendered him so eminently useful as a minister of the sanctuary.

It may be asked by some, Was Gad Smith a great preacher? If by greatness be meant that he was a man of splendid endowments, of extensive literary attainments, and of brilliant talents as a pulpit' orator, we answer no. In comparison with his compeers in the work of the ministry, he must be ranked among the middling class as to learning and general science, as well as to natural powers. He was, however, a man of a sound mind; was well versed in the Holy Scriptures; and had a general knowledge of history and geography; and well understood the principles of his own language, so that he could speak and write it grammatically. He was therefore sound in speech,' in doctrine uncorrupt, in behaviour grave, and in his intercourse with mankind intelligent and edifying. If he did not astonish you with the brilliancy of his genius, he never disgusted an audience with vulgar and quaint comparisons; and though he might not dive so deeply as some others into the depths of theological truth, he never disgraced the pulpit with low wit, with unmeaning cant, nor yet with a tiresome monotony of the same thing over and over again. His manner in the pulpit was solemn and impressive. No pantomimic tricks were played off by Gad Smith for the unworthy purpose of producing a momentary effect; but his action in the pulpit corresponded to the dignity and holiness of his subject; and thus gave effect to the evangelical truths which his lips uttered.

We have, indeed, heard more finished pulpit orators, and witnessed greater effects under the sermons of others; but we have seldom, if ever, heard any with greater pleasure and profit; and that chiefly because he spoke solid truth in a chaste and plain style, from the fulness of a heart overflowing with love to God and man. Nor did he weary

you with a disgusting repetition of the same thought, two, three, or more times over in the same sermon, and thereby spin out his discourses to an undue length; but having digested his sentiments thoroughly in his own heart, he compressed them into a narrow compass, expressed them at once, without circumlocution or repetition, in language plain and energetic. By this judicious method he avoided the sickening loquacity of the superficial pedagogue, whose only aim appears to be to astound and stupify you with high sounding words of vanity. Much less did he descend from that dignified elevation, occupied by the ambassador of God, to entertain shallow-headed mor

tals with silly trifles, with humorous anecdotes, or with those boisterous exclamations, which are calculated and manifestly designed only to procure shouts of applause.

But that which rendered him particularly useful among the people where he labored was the diligence with which he visited the people of his charge from house to house, instructing and catechising the children. In this work, so eminently adapted to 'spread the savor of His name' among the families composing a pastoral charge, brother Smith ⚫ exercised himself unto godliness' with assiduity and success, and thereby made a powerful impression upon their minds in favor of his ministerial fidelity, and of his sincere desire to do them good. He could neither be idle, nor triflingly employed.' Nor did he shut himself up as a recluse, poring over his books, as the only employment of his mind-though he certainly studied to show himself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed'—but his pastoral visits were frequent and regular; and they were strictly ministerial, made for the purpose of religious instruction and spiritual edification, and not for the mere interchange of thought on the common concerns of life, much less for the purpose of whiling away the time' in thoughtless gossiping.

We need hardly say how much this apostolic practice enlarged the sphere of his usefulness, by opening up avenues to those who otherwise might have been unapproachable, and by binding the hearts of all, young and old, rich and poor, to him by the strong ties of gratitude and affection. We have often heard it remarked by a minister of Jesus Christ, who was in the habit of visiting much among the people of his charge, that this practice was the means of furnishing him with the best skeletons of his sermons, as well as subject matter of prayer and intercession, as it gave him to understand better than he otherwise could have done the condition and wants of the people. In this work brother Smith excelled. And it contributed much to build up the people in their most holy faith.'

We remarked at the commencement of this sketch, that it seemed somewhat difficult to fix on any one prominent trait of his character by which he was eminently distinguished from other men in general; not indeed because his character was not well defined, but chiefly because it consisted principally of a cluster of excellencies common to all good and discreet men who have been brought under the influence of Christianity; and also because his earthly race was so short, and his experience and attainments were so immature, that there was hardly time for his characteristic peculiarity fully to develope itself. He had but just entered upon his work, and therefore his intellectual powers were only beginning to unfold themselves. The graces of the Spirit, by which his mind was enriched and adorned, had not yet

ripened into perfect fruit; nor had his native powers attained to that expansion, which the habits of close study and varied observation, so happily and successfully begun, would doubtless have produced, had he lived in faithful obedience to the high behests of his sovereign Lord, to the common age of man. The opening flower was nip'd by an untimely frost' ere its beauties were fully unfolded; and hence the delicious fruit, with which this tree of righteousness' might have been loaded, was denied to the Church. But had it been otherwise, had he lived to cultivate and improve the powers and opportunities with which he was favored by a gracious Providence, no doubt we should have seen him soaring aloft in the sublime science of divinity, and enriching the Church with the promulgation of those truths, the bright outlines of which were distinctly formed in his understanding, and which were already guiding him on in the path of usefulness, holiness, and happiness. The accuracy with which he grasped a subject-his close and steady observation of men and manners-the delightful progress he was making in knowledge-all presaged an eminence to which he was rising among the sons of Levi,' that would have thrown around him a weight of character which must have been highly beneficial to his fellow men.

cess.

These few recollections of a man destined to such a short career of usefulness in this world have been elicited from a sense of duty which we owed to departed worth; and they are recorded under the influence of a hope that they will be of some use to those who may yet enter upon a similar scene of labor, under like prospects of sucAnd if any should be tempted to think that our eulogy of Gad Smith is more than truth will warrant, they are requested to remember, that it has been extorted from an admiration that was inspired from actual observation, from an intimacy of acquaintance formed on the best of principles; and that, if under such circumstances we have been betrayed into an undue partiality in his favor, it is no slender proof that the picture has been drawn, however roughly, from real life, and not from any fanciful representation.

We do not, indeed, mean to say, that he had no infirmities. He was a man-a human being. His errors and faults, therefore, whatever they might have been, were such as belong to the species. We venture to say, however, that they were only such errors and faults as could not be conquered by mighty grace, operating in a heart sincerely devoted to the best interests of man-to interests inseparably connected with the immutable principles of truth and holiness. That he was ever guilty after his conversion to God of any wilful aberration from moral conduct, we do not believe; nor that he was ever actuated by any desire inferior to the most sincere and hearty wish to ascertain and to do the will of God in all things: and this we conceive to be