CHAPTER VI. Sketches of the Professors Archibald Alexander, D.D., and Sam- uel Miller, D.D.—Their Influence on Mr. Murray's future Char- acter. - His grateful Recollections of their Instruction and Exam 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 Ordained, and Installed over the Churches of Wilkesbarre and Kings- ton.-His Description of Wyoming Valley, in which he resides.- Incidents of Pastoral Life.-The Hay-mow.-Mr. Murray's Mar- riage. Sketch of Rev. Mr. Rhees, the Father of Mrs. Murray.— The Valley of Wyoming.-The Freshets.-The Drift-wood.-A Zeal and Self-denial.-The People.-Their want of Punctuality.- Free-thinkers and Infidels. - Characteristic Letter from one of them.-A Protracted Meeting.-A Lawyer enraged.-Beasts at The Field before him. His private Devotion.-His Wit and Piety. -Systematic Study of the Bible.-Preparation for the Pulpit.— Pastoral Labors.-Knows every one.- ord. His first Sermon as Pastor. The Half-witted Hearer. The Faithful Pastor.-Testimony by the Rev. David Magie, D.D., Pastor of the Second Church.-The Number and Nature of Dr. Murray's Labors.-Visits to the Sick and Afflicted.-Public Use- In the Presbytery.-The Synod.-The General Assembly.-Sketch of Dr. Murray in Ecclesiastical Life, by Rev. S. S. Sheddan, of Rahway, N. J., a co-Presbyter, in a Letter to the Author..... 255 Dr. Murray as an Author.-Early Efforts.-At Wilkesbarre.-Origin of the Kirwan Letters.-Sketch of Bishop Hughes.-Systematic Preparation for the Discussion.-Effect of it.-Popularity of the Letters. Calls for more.-Other Series.-Oral Discussion..... 263 Dr. Murray as a Preacher. - Habit of Sermonizing.-System in Study.-Style of Speaking.-Contrast between his Sermons and Published Letters.-Calls to various Fields of Usefulness....... 314 First Visit to Europe.-In London. -Meeting of Bible Society.— Distinguished Men.-Tract Society.-Rev. Dr. Hamilton. -Dr. Cunningham.-France, Italy, and Switzerland.-Returns to Ire- land and Scotland.-Visits his Birthplace.-Reflections.-Second A new Baptism.-Words of Cheer.-Extracts from his Journal.— Exposure to Cold.- Paroxysms of Pain.-Faints and revives.— Outline of Character.-Usefulness.-Activity.-Lectures.-A Citi- zen.-A Pastor.-Social Qualities.-Anecdotes.-Liberal Feelings. MEMOIRS OF THE REV. DR. MURRAY. CHAPTER I. Birth, Parentage, and Early Associations.-Hardships of his Childhood and Youth.-Comes to this Country.-Enters the Harpers' Printing Establishment.-Religious Awakening.-What he saw of Popery when a Boy.-How he was disgusted with the System. Coming to America. The future. THE ship Martha, from Dublin, about forty-five years ago, brought a crowd of Irish emigrants to our shores. Among them was a lad seventeen years old, who had come alone to seek his fortune in the western world. In the month of July, 1818, he set his foot in the streets of New York, with little money in his pocket, and no place to call his home. It would have been presumption to predict that this friendless, wandering Roman Catholic boy would become a distinguished Protestant divine, a champion of the faith, and win a name to go back on the wings of fame to the green isle he had left. Such a lad was Nicholas Murray; such was his introduction to this country, and such was his future ca reer. His parents. Clerk in a store. He was born in Ballynaskea, in the County of Westmeath, Ireland, December 25, 1802. He was the son of Nicholas and Judith Mangum Murray, both of them being Irish Roman Catholics, though their Christian names are indicative of a different parentage. His father was a farmer of some property, and exerted considerable influence in the civil affairs of the neighborhood in which he lived. He died when his son Nicholas was only three years old. The son remained at home under the care of his mother till he was about nine years old, when he went to live with an aunt, the sister of his mother, some ten or twelve miles distant, where he went to school till he reached the age of twelve. Now he was old enough to begin to earn something, and he was apprenticed as a merchant's clerk in a store in Grannard, near Edgeworthtown, where he remained three years. These were eventful years in his mental and moral history, as we shall see when he comes to speak of the first influences that the practices of the Roman Catholic Church made upon his mind. He was sadly and badly used by his employer, but he bore it as well as he could for three long dreadful years, and then fled from the oppression to his mother's house. But his mother disapproved of this step, and entreated him to return to the service from which he had escaped. He steadily refused, and chose to embark on the wide world, and seek his fortune beyond the seas, in the land of the West. He told his brother that he would relinquish all right to any property that might hereafter be his from the estate of his |