His prayer.

Effect.

that we ever sustained to one another the relation of pupil and teacher, and for our subsequent pleasant intercourse as ministers of the Gospel. He thanked God for the many years through which He permitted him to live, and for any good which He enabled him to do. 'And now, Lord,' said he, 'seeing that Thine aged, imperfect servant is about being gathered to his fathers, let his mantle fall upon Thy young servant, and far more of the Spirit of Christ than he has ever enjoyed. Let the years of Thy servant be as the years of his dying teacher; let his ministry be more devoted, more holy, more useful; and when he comes to die, may he have fewer regrets to make in reference to his closing ministrations. We are to meet no more on earth; but when Thy servant shall follow his aged father to the grave, may we meet in heaven, there to sit, and shine, and sing with those who have turned many to righteousness, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Amen.'

"I arose from my knees, melted as is wax before the fire. My full heart sealed my lips. Through my flowing tears I took my last look of my beloved teacher, the counselor of my early ministry, the friend of my ripening years, and one of the most lovely and loved ministers with which God has ever blessed the Church. Every thing impressed me: the library, his position, the barber; his visage, once full and fresh, now sallow and sunken; his great feebleness, his faithfulness, his address, and, above all, that prayer, never, never to be forgotten! He extended his emaciated hand from under the white cloth that draped from his breast to his

In Death.

Recollections.

knees, and taking mine, gave me his parting, his last benediction. That address-that prayer-that blessing, have made enduring impressions. It was the most solemn and instructive last interview of my life.

"When I next saw him he was sleeping in his coffin in the front parlor of his house, where he often, with distinguished urbanity and hospitality, entertained, instructed, and delighted his friends. That parlor was crowded by distinguished strangers, and by many of his former pupils, who mourned for him as for a father for a father. he was to them all. And as they passed around to take a parting sight of his countenance, from which even death could not remove its accustomed placid, benevolent smile, their every bosom heaved with intense emotion, their eyes were suffused with tears; and could every tongue utter the emotions of their hearts, it would be in the language of Elisha when he gazed on Elijah ascending before him unto heaven, 'My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.'

"His death was as calm and triumphant as his life was pure, disinterested, and lovely; and as pious men carried him to his burial, and as we covered up his remains under the clods of the valley, the prayer arose at least from one heart, 'May I live the life of this righteous man, and let my last end be like his.'

"There are many scenes in the life of Dr. Miller that memory frequently recalls-scenes in the class-room, in the General Assembly, in the Synod of New Jersey, in the pulpit, in the social party-scenes which occurred during the conflict of parties, and in the frank and

Like himself.

Great scene.

unrestrained intercourse of social life. In them all Dr. Miller was pre-eminently like himself. But the scene by which I most love to recall him, and which memory most frequently recalls, is that parting scene in his study. Oh, may that parting prayer be answered!"

F

Licensed to preach.

First sermon.

CHAPTER VII.

Licensed to Preach the Gospel.-Labors as a Domestic Missionary. -Conflicting Calls.-Offers of Secretaryships.-Passages from his Diary.-Recollections of his Youth.-His first Sermon.-Sketch of Ashbel Green, D.D.-Goes to Wilkesbarre.-His Call.--Remarkable Reply.

"I CONTINUED my studies in Princeton until April of the present year (1829), when I was licensed to preach the Gospel by the Presbytery of Philadelphia. The period of my licensure was to me one of great interest. The ministry was brought home to my door which for years I had been viewing at a distance. I was licensed in Frankfort, Pa., in the church of Mr. Biggs. I think I felt an unwonted spirit of prayer on the occasion. My first sermon was on the Sabbath after licensure, in the church of Dr. Ely. Many of my special friends came out to hear me. I felt much agitated, but the Lord was truly with me. Dr. Green came into the pulpit to me, and made a prayer at the conclusion that warmed my heart. I returned to Princeton, where I remained until the middle of May, when Mrs. Janvier, with whom I boarded, died, and I returned to Philadelphia; and, having a Presbyterial appointment at Norristown for six weeks, I proceeded to fulfill it. After preaching three of my Sabbaths, I sent the Rev. Wells May to take my place, and on the 8th of June accepted an appointment of a mission from

Wilkesbarre.

Montrose.

the Board of Missions of the General Assembly to the borough of Wilkesbarre, Pa., for two months. Having preached the amount of time specified, a call was put into my hands from the churches of Wilkesbarre and Kingston to become their pastor. [Kingston was just across the Susquehanna River, and connected by a bridge with Wilkesbarre.] As it was the first I had formally received, I knew not what to do. The Church of Wilkesbarre was congregational, and otherwise in peculiar circumstances. But I concluded to leave the result to Providence. I went to Philadelphia for the purpose of giving myself time to consider the matter. Between me and the committee several letters passed, which resulted in my acceptance of the call. On Thursday, the 24th September (1829), I returned to Wilkesbarre by the way of Easton, and commenced my labors as the pastor of the two churches."

This year was one of great anxiety. While he was looking forward with interest and hope to the pastoral work, he was perplexed by other and conflicting calls. Among his letters we find one assuring him that the people of Montrose, Pa., would give him an invitation to settle with them, if he would encourage them that he would favorably entertain the proposal. But this suggestion did not embarrass him. The American. Tract Society, in whose service he had been so efficient, sought to secure him as a permanent agent; and had he yielded to the repeated and pressing invitations from this quarter, the whole course of his future life would have been changed. At the same time, the