NICHOLS, JAMES--The son of Abiel and Fidelia (Briggs) Nichols, was born in Berkley, Bristol County, Mass., August 6, 1811. He was educated at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., and studied Theology in the Seminary at Andover, Mass., was licensed by Albany Presbytery, in 1838, and ordained by same Presbytery in 1845, as pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Oneida, N. Y. This was his only charge.

He was Principal of the Synodical Academy at Geneseo, N. Y., from January, 1850, to March, 1858, and was Chaplain of the Western House of Refuge, Rochester, N. Y., from February, 1859, until he entered the Army as Chaplain of the 108th Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry. His exposure to the privations of the camp ended in his contracting a fever, from which he never recovered. He returned to Rochester, N. Y., where he died, January 31, 1864.

He married Miss Sarah J. Hastings, of Heath, Mass., who, with five children, survive him.

NOEL, E. P.-Was born in North Carolina, in 1804. His parents removed to Anderson County, Tenn., and gave their son such an education as that portion of our country afforded. He studied Theology in the Union Theological Seminary, at Marysville, Tenn., and was licensed and ordained by the Presbytery (Holston,) in the bounds of which this institution was located, and entered upon his labor as a minister of the gospel of peace in Jasper County, Tenn., in 1833. In 1835 he moved to Knoxville, Ill., and for two years labored with acceptance to the church in that place. He then removed to Columbia, Mo., and it was here that he was first troubled with a pain in his left foot, and though he received the best medical assistance it baffled all skill and became eventually an ulcer.

From Columbia he moved to Rocheport where he had charge of a school, but sickness unfitted him for active usefulness. In about a year he moved to the south-west, and located in Bolivar, Polk County, Mo. Here was the scene of his greatest trials and sufferings.

He was the first Presbyterian minister who preached south of the Osage. He organized a church near Bolivar and one twenty-five miles distant in Green County, near Springfield, preached to these charges and in other places, hunting up the lost sheep who were wandering about without a shepherd, many of whom had united with other churches, never expecting to see a Presbyterian minister among them, obtaining no other aid. The next year he found two other ministers, viz., Messrs. Dodge and Jones, formerly of the Harmony Indian Mission, who united with him and formed a Presbytery. He continued here for more than two years longer, suffering all the privations incident to a life of poverty in a new settlement. A man with less energy, suffering as he did would have shrunk back from the toil he endured. He now walked on crutches, and his limb had become so painful that for months at a time he could not obtain a single night's rest. Yet nothing kept him from his appointments-not even sickness in his family.

He would start out in a storm to cross a prairie, where the only landmark was a distant point of timber and that frequently hidden from view by the driving snow. Providence always led him aright. He traveled in a little light buggy, and his good old horse swam the creeks with him and it. Indeed it was frightful to see the animal plunge into the driving current with the buggy floating after him. People used to say, "Brother Noel, you have got your horse so trained that he travels over these ravines as though he was walking on eggs." In the summer time when the heat and prairie flies were intolerable he would travel at night. The people grew to

expect that he would fulfil all his appointments, no matter what was the state of the weather or the condition of the roads, and once when he was detained more than an hour beyond his time by the breaking of his buggy, one old lady insisted that he was lying dead by the road side, and a party were about to go in search of him when he drove up. Another old lady used to walk seven miles to hear him preach, so much did she love the word of God.

During these two years he received some little aid from the Home Missionary Society, and a very little from his people, for they were poor. At the end of this time, and at the earnest solicitation of his friends, he gave up his active labors here and moved to Balls Mills, near Fort Scott, and placed himself under charge of Dr. Dodge who thought he could cure his foot in three months, if he would avoid taking exercise during that time and confine himself entirely to his chair. But his desire to do good forced him to labor for Christ. He used to preach occasionally sitting in a chair to the Rev. Mr. Dodge's charge, and his efforts were blessed with an abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is desirable to mention that the people here were very kind, ministering to the temporal wants of himself and family. After remaining in this country about a year, failing to obtain any relief for his foot, he moved with his family to Ray County, and preached to the Plum Grove Church about fifteen miles from the county-seat. Here, too, the church enjoyed quite a revival. After several years stay here he was induced to move to St. Louis to procure medical assistance for his foot. Here he was faithfully attended by Dr. Knox for more than two years, without, however, receiving any permanent cure. During this time he was not idle, but preached to two small churches in the vicinity of St. Louis.

In 1850 he moved to Troy, Lincoln County, and continued here "in the faithful discharge of his ministerial duties, growing in usefulness and in the esteem of community, and in the affections of the people of his charge till the day of his death," which occurred March 22, 1864, and was occasioned by the amputation of his leg which he had broken accidentally. Let us drop the veil over his sufferings during the time that he remained after the amputation. They were intense; he bore them without a murmur.

In regard to his character words fail me. As evidence of his usefulness whenever he preached for any length of time there was a revival of religion. I know that he was well beloved by his flock in this place. He was possessed of energy known to few. I have seen him suffer days of pain, and in the long still night have heard groans of anguish burst from his lips, but he was always patient. He was a kind husband, a tender father. He set an example of Christian fortitude and Christian zeal to all who knew him.

About three weeks before his death it pleased Providence to take away a darling son aged five years, the child of his old age, and as he watched with tears streaming down his face his death struggles, and saw the imploring eyes turned on him for relief, he cried, "Oh, Charlie, pa can't cross the dark river with you, but something tells me it won't be long before I'll come too." Though his own heart was breaking he prayed continually, "Thy will be done." On the next Sabbath he preached from this text. "It is finished." In his discourse he made the following remark, "It is more than probable that I will never preach to you again," and he never did. The next Sabbath that he spent with God's people was in the church triumphant, in the house not made with hands eternal in the heavens.

He married Miss Jane A. Flesheart, in 1831, who, with several children, survives him.

Rev. EDWARD WRIGHT, of St. Louis, Mo., speaks of him thus:"I first formed Mr. Noel's acquaintance about twenty years since, when we were members of the same Presbytery. Through all these years I knew him as a great but patient sufferer, always moving with his crutch and preaching with his diseased leg upon a table, while he stood upon the other.

"With less piety and devotion to his work, it might have been easy for him to frame an excuse for leaving the ministry. But he loved the service of his Master, and with but a meagre support for a large and dependent family, he ceased not to preach the gospel. His natural and acquired abilities were good, his memory very retentive, and his manner of presenting truth simple and instructive. His hearers felt that he was in earnest and sought to do them good by making his Saviour prominent, while he made no display of himself. His personal afflictions, though grievous, no doubt wrought out for him, by the renewing of the Holy Spirit, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.""

RODGERS, JAMES-A native of Roxburghshire, in the South of Scotland, was born in the year 1785. His parents were in humble circumstances, and his education was limited to that which could be acquired in early life in the common school. When still a boy the necessities of the family required him to engage in daily manual labor. He continued in employment as a laborer, till 1819, when, with his family, he emigrated to this country. He settled in the township of Hammond. St. Lawrence County, N. Y., a section of that State which was then covered by an almost unbroken forest. In the year 1805 he had married Margaret Hill, who shared in his joys and sorrows, his difficulties and sacrifices, for the long period of fifty-five years. Mildness and energy united to a sound judgment, under the control of grace, rendered her a companion whose counsel and kindness were especially useful amid the difficulties, material and moral, which attend pioneer life. Her sudden death by accident, in the year 1860, in some measure clouded the short remaining portion of his life.

A number of families from Scotland settled in Hammond about the same period. Mr. Rodgers felt the strong necessity that existed for the establishment of religious services among them, that the teaching and training of their father-land might not be forgotten, nor the memories of its quiet Sabbaths and solemn communions, swept away by the ungodliness and deep worldliness which characterize early settlements. As yet the feelings of the immigrants went forth towards the church of their fathers, and in a strange land they loved to sing one of the old songs of Zion. Meetings for prayer and religious worship were organized, and held in school-houses, and in their management Mr. Rodgers soon acquired a prominent position. At first, after devotional exercises, he read a discourse from works of some of the divines of the Seventeenth Century; and to this was occasionally added a word of exhortation, and thus gradually an exposition of some portion of Scripture took the place of the printed sermon. A portion, and finally the whole, of Saturday was given to the work of preparation, and that his worldly interest might not suffer, some person was sent by the neighboring families to perform his usual labor. This continued for a period of more than two years. His exertions and the success which attended them became known, and some Christian friends, among whom the Hon. Judge Fine, of Ogdensburghwho ever remained an attached and highly esteemed friend-was prominent, advised him to apply to the Presbytery of Ogdensburgh, to be taken under their care as a licentiate, application was made, and after a satisfactory examination on theology, he was licensed to preach at a meeting held

at Canton, St. Lawrence County, on the 23d March, 1823. He was ordained as an evangelist by the same Presbytery on the 9th June, 1824. For a number of years Mr. Rodgers continued to labor in Hammond, and some of the adjoining townships; mainly, however, in the former, where a substantial church was organized. He also gave a partial supply to a second church in the township of Oswegatchie, which had been organized in 1823, and where he finally settled as stated supply in 1827.

The church prospered under his care, and on the 13th May, 1839, he was installed as its pastor, and remained so till June 27, 1848, when he resigned his charge. Mr. Rodgers subsequently labored for short periods in other fields, but failing health rendered regular labor impossible. When able he was always ready to engage in any work by which souls might be saved or the Redeemer's kingdom extended. He felt deeply interested in the revival meetings of 1858, and though his health was very feeble he was present and took part in those held in the Presbyterian Church, in the village of Ogdensburgh where he was then residing. His constitution had been strong and robust, but for years his health had been giving way under repeated attacks of disease. The hardships and exposures of his early immigrant life had deposited the seeds of more than one painful disease, and his sufferings were at intervals and for considerable periods of the most excruciating character, terrible even to witness, but borne with fortitude, the most enduring patience, and entire resignation to the Divine will. From these he was released by death on the 20th August, 1863, in the seventy-eighth year of his age.

In many respects the Rev. James Rodgers was a remarkable man, and without those advantages derived from a liberal education, and a special course of training for the ministry, he proved himself an efficient and successful workman. Intellectually he was distinguished by the possession of a sound practical judgment, and he took a correct and comprehensive view of the class of subjects that naturally fell within his mental range. He owed much to his early religious training, and in childhood he had been so thoroughly drilled in the doctrines of the Shorter Catechism that in later years, planted on this foundation, he would have stood unmoved amid hosts of heresies. He dated his conversion from his fourteenth year. With his Bible he was thoroughly acquainted; it was emphatically"the man of his counsel," and in his pulpit ministrations the system of doctrine contained in our Confession and Catechisms was fully and plainly set forth. His sound expositions of Scripture doctrine were thus instrumental in building up the churches in which he labored in a "form of sound words," which secured their prosperity and peace, amid the intense excitement of the religious struggle, which resulted, in 1838, in the division of our church. His deep religious experience-largely acquired in the school of affliction-rendered him a wise, judicious, and sympathizing counselor, and he was eminently skillful in his treatment of the various classes of inquirers to whom he was called to minister, and in availing himself of such opportunities as were presented to speak a word of warning or of exhortation. His pulpit services were characterized by rich scriptural knowledge, great earnestness, and deep spirituality. He was also a diligent pastor, breaking the bread of life from house to house," keeping a watchful eye over the young, and instructing them carefully in the doctrines embodied in our Catechism.

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Mr. Rodgers possessed an energy of character, a force of will and a power of endurance which qualified him for encountering the difficulties of the missionary field, in a newly settled region. His conversation was marked by cheerfulness and vivacity, and was enriched by appropriate illustrations drawn from a most retentive memory. For years, with the

exception of short intervening intervals his bodily sufferings were intense, and they increased in severity as the end drew near. Yet his faith was strong and his hope bright. There was agony of body, but deep serenity of soul. With him all seemed to be peace. From one of his children his sufferings elicited the sympathizing expression "poor father," to which he at once replied, "Not poor father. When Christ is rich, how can I be poor?" To some inquiries as to his state of mind, he answered, "I have no fear to die, and no desire to live; for me death has so terrors, and life no charms." His work was done, and rest was near. He desired the seventeenth chapter of John's gospel to be read to him, and on awaking after a brief slumber his mind recurring to it, he said, "Oh that weight of glory' He died on the 20th August, 1863. The fruits of his labors abide. The strong churches of Hammond and Second Oswegatchie have been built up in the two fields, in which he chiefly labored, the only two self-sustaining churches in addition to First Oswegatchie, in this section of New York, that have remained in connection with our Assembly.

Mr. Rodgers left five children-two sons and three daughters. His sons are elders in our church, one in Hammond, the other in Second Oswegatchie, and two of his grandsons are now prosecuting their collegiate studies with a view to the ministry. The memory of the just is blessed."

RUSSELL, MOSES-Was born in Greene County, near Xenia, Ohio, on the 29th of February, 1812. His parents, Adam and Mary (Ross) Russell, were plain, godly people of strict moral and religious habits. They strove to bring up their children in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord." The Christian character of those children proves that their efforts were not in vain.

The subject of this sketch was the youngest of the family. He was early operated upon by the influences of the Holy Spirit. With his early convictions and conversion came the earnest desire to preach "Christ and him crucified." Few were the facilities that favored and many the obstacles that opposed his entering the ministry. Yet in the mind of one alive to duty and quickened by grace, as he was, difficulties and opposition will but engender determination to obey the Divine call. The "woe is me, if I preach not the gospel," yields a moral force that will surmount every barrier. God opened up a way for him to follow the desire of his heart, and after having completed his preparatory studies under the tuition of the Rev. Dr. Hugh McMillan, he entered Miami University, in 1833. After having spent four years in this Institution-years marked by the conscientious discharge of duty as a Christian, and unflagging diligence and perseverance as a student, he graduated in 1837, a more than ordinary scholar, with the esteem of his fellow-students and the entire confidence of his instructors.

He then gave himself to immediate preparation for the ministry. He pursued a part of his theological studies under the care of Rev. John S. Galloway, (who preceded him to glory only a year or two,) of Springfield, Ohio. He completed his theological course at Hanover and Allegheny Seminaries.

In the spring of 1840 he was licensed by Presbytery of Miami at Dick's Creek, Ohio. In September of the same year he received a call to the Clifton Presbyterian Church, (then called the Yellow Spring Church,) which he accepted, and was ordained and installed as its pastor on the 17th of November, and as such he remained until the day of his death.

He was married four times

His first marriage was in February, 1841, soon after his settlement at Clifton, to Miss Alethia Clarke, of Dick's