to say, that while we claim for him no exemption from the common infirmity of human nature, he was one of the excellent of the earth.' A man generally beloved, and deservedly esteemed for those generous traits of character-kindness, meekness, humbleness of mind; and above all his large-hearted, Christian devotedness, for which he was more than ordinarily distinguished, and as universally appreciated. Kind and genial in his disposition, unassuming, and almost child-like in his deportment, he gathered around him a host of friends; and secured an affectionate interest and strong Christian sympathy beyond as well as within the bounds of his own ecclesiastical denomination. And more than the development of those social qualities and amenities of life, which made him an agreeable and pleasant companion and favorite, especially with the young; he ever manifested that his heart was in his Master's work, and anxiously studying how he could best secure the interest of the cause he loved. But his work is done; leaving us the duty and privilege of renewed exertion and alacrity in our respective fields of labor, cheered by the reflection of Luther, as expressed in his own terse way, that though 'God buries his workmen, yet the work goes on.

He died at his residence in Aurora, Erie County, N. Y., February 15, 1865, of gradual decay.

MCCREADY, JONATHAN SHARP* The son of Hugh and Nancy McCready, was born near New Galilee, Beaver County, Pa., April 15, 1828. He was the oldest of a family of six children, consisting of an equal number of males and females, of whom only three-one brother and two sisters yet survive. His grandparents on his father's side, Stewart_and Anne McCready, were of Irish descent: those on his mother's side, John and Mary Sharp, were of Scotch descent. On both sides they were in moderate circumstances with regard to the wealth of this world, but highly respectable and religious-all being members of the Associate Presbyterian Church. His father, Mr. Hugh McCready, still lives, and is at present a worthy and esteemed member of the United Presbyterian congregation of Darlington, Beaver County, Pa. His mother, who departed this life, May 20, 1851, is said to have been a woman of more than ordinary intelligence and piety. Being the child of such parents, Mr. McCready enjoyed in early life the advantage of religious instruction, discipline, and example. His parents having dedicated him to God in baptism, early and diligently taught him the fear of the Lord, and in him we have an instructive example of the efficacy of parental and especially of maternal influence, as instrumental, under God, in moulding the character of children for good. In him we have a clear demonstration of the faithfulness of God in fulfilling his pronise to those parents, who "train up a child in the way he should go." Those virtues and graces, for which he was so eminent, were impressed upon his mind at an early period by the instruction and example of his pious mother. In his case, we may truly apply the language of Paul to Timothy: "The unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother, Lois, and in thy mother, Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also."

Mr. Hugh McCready is a farmer, and having intended his son for the same occupation, he brought him up to labor on the farm; but, as young Jonathan grew up towards manhood there was developed in his mind an earnest and increasing desire for knowledge. He eagerly and perseveringly thirsted for an education. This love of knowledge was a prominent trait in his character as long as he lived; and it was, no doubt, conferred by God as a means of preparing him for his future work, and as an eminent qualification in this work. At that time, however, his prospect of gratifying this

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* Prepared by Rev. Wm. Wishart, New Athens, Ohio,

desire was very dark and gloomy. His father had no other help on the farm, and was therefore unwilling to send him to school, and he would not go without his father's consent.

Accordingly, in these circumstances, an occurrence took place which serves to illustrate the wisdom of God in opening up a way for the accomplishment of his purposes, and at the same time shows how those dispensations of his providence, that are seemingly adverse, really conduce to our advantage. But we shall give the reader an account of this occurrence in his own simple and interesting language: "In the spring of my nineteenth year I thought much about going to school; my desire increased. About the last of harvest an accident happened, which I knew was sent of God, to change the course of my life. I had the misfortune, as I thought, to get my shoulder dislocated. It did not mend rapidly. My father reluctantly consented to my going to school that winter, saying that I might come back in the spring, if I chose, and inwardly hoping that I would. Here I would set up my pillar and write upon it-Ebenezer. I feel bound upon every remembrance of it to thank God for the sad day this painful incident occurred and for the results he brought out of it."*

Thus our brother's course for life was changed. His earthly father had intended him for a farmer; but his heavenly Father intended him for a higher and holier calling; and how easily he frustrates man's purpose and works out his own blessed design. Mr. McCready was now sent to an academy at Darlington, Beaver County, Pa., where, with the exception of one short term in which he attended an academy at Poland, Ohio, he continued to prosecute his studies till he was prepared to enter the junior class in college.

At what period of life our brother became a subject of regenerating grace it would be vain for us to attempt to determine. This can be known with infallible certainty only to the Searcher of hearts. He, however, experienced a change in the twenty-first year of his age, which, whether it pertained to the beginning or progress of the life of grace, was evidently regarded by himself in the former sense. It is true, indeed, that from his youth up to this period he had been moral and upright in his outward deportment, and his heart, too, seems to have been tender and susceptible of serious impressions, but when he received religious impressions, or formed religious purposes, they seem not to have been of such a deeprooted and permanent character as to afford decisive evidence of a thorough change of heart. The reader, however, will best understand his frame of heart with respect to religion, during this period, from his own language: "My parents taught me to pray, but as I grew up I somewhat forgot to pray. One night I awoke in deep concern; I recollect I forgot to say my prayers for a long time; I was then about eight or ten years old, and as nearly as I can now recollect, I resolved to say my prayers every night after lying down, but I would often forget it. From this period to something like manhood I can only say that it was a series of deep concern alternated with careless neglect, repentances and backslidings, and that sometimes I was sure of heaven, and at others I was sure of hell. But in looking back upon it, I cannot help but bless God that I was not left to settle down in spiritual death, but that he still sent me the strivings of his Spirit.' Such is the account which our brother gives of his religious experience, from youth to manhood. And his, we apprehend, is by no means a singular case. How many of the youth of the church, who are moral and upright in their outward deportment, would be compelled to give no better,

*This and some following extracts are taken from a private Memoir, found among the writings of our brother, which seems to have been written by him in January, 1860.

but perhaps a far worse account of themselves, if they would lay open the state of their hearts. But in his case a happy change took place at the period to which we have already referred. Light shined into his understanding; love was shed abroad in his heart; he was constrained to make an unreserved surrender of himself to the Saviour, to embrace him with all his heart, and to cleave to him with such firmness as never again to let go his hold upon him. His own language, with reference to this change, is as follows: "In the year 1849 I was still concerned about my state before God. As I sat one Sabbath under the preaching of Mr. Sawyer, I was so deeply affected with a sense of Christ's love that I was constrained to give myself to him with all my heart. I cannot recollect the text, but if I am a child of God and have experienced a change of heart, I think it took place probably there and then, and that Rev. B. F. Sawyer is my spiritual father. Since then I have never entirely let go my hold on Christ: though my spiritual day has been a cloudy one, yet I trust He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, which is all my salvation and all my desire." Having thus believed with the heart Mr. McCready was, of course, prepared to confess Christ with his mouth; accordingly, soon after this he made a public profession of his faith in Christ by uniting with the church.

In the spring of 1850 he came to Franklin College and entered the junior class. Here, with the exception of one session, the summer of 1851, which he spent at home, he continued to pursue his studies till he was graduated in the fall of 1852. He was a diligent and accurate student, and graduated honorably in a class consisting of thirteen young men, a majority of whom are at present ministers of the gospel, usefully and honorably employed in their respective fields of labor. He studied Theology in the Associate Seminary at Canonsburgh, finished his course in the summer of 1855, and was licensed by the Associate Presbytery of Ohio, in October, the same year. During the following winter he preached as a probationer in Chartiers and Muskingum Presbyteries. On the 20th of May, 1856, he was married to Miss Margaret McFarland, daughter of Judge McFarland of New Athens, Ohio, and sister of Rev. James and William McFarland, who are highly esteemed ministers of the United Presbyterian Church. Mr. McCready obtained a wife, who, like woman when she at first came from the hand of her Creator, was truly a help-meet for him, drinking in deeply of the same spirit with himself. She cordially sympathized and co-operated with him in all his self-denying labors. But on the same week after his marriage, at a meeting of the Associate Synod in Pittsburgh, he accepted a call from the Associate Congregation of Cadiz, and after making a short visit to his father's, he returned and commenced his labors in the congregation. He was ordained and installed over his charge by the Presbytery of Muskingum, August 7, 1856.

And now commenced our brother's short but active and eventful career, as a pastor and minister. As a pastor, he was kind, attentive, and social, but at the same time firm and consistent, and the consequence was that he soon gained a firm hold both of the affections and confidence of his people. As a preacher, in our judgment, he had few superiors. He was endowed by nature with a clear and penetrating intellect, which was highly cultivated by study and richly stored with theological knowledge. His sermons were generally written, and were the result of diligent and careful preparation. His language was well selected and comprehensive; his style logical and energetic; and his discourses as a whole well arranged. His delivery was not of that boisterous and declamatory kind which will excite the admiration of the crowd at first, but soon become wearisome or perhaps even disgusting. He was calm and deliberate, speaking generally in a familiar,

conversational manner, but sometimes warming into deep or intense feeling, which however in most cases was modestly restrained from breaking forth into noisy demonstration. His voice was flexible and quite pleasant to the ear; his utterance very distinct and sufficiently rapid; and his appearance graceful and becoming.

His great aim in preaching the gospel evidently was to exhibit his subject and not himself to his hearers, and the art of doing this he possessed in an eminent degree. His manner was so natural, his language so transparent, and his subject usually exhibited in such a clear and interesting light that the attention of his hearers was at once withdrawn from every thing else and wholly occupied with his subject. Such preaching, of course, would not, like that noisy declamation which so often hides its subject behind itself, draw to his own person the admiration of the multitude, nor acquire for him the reputation of a great orator; but it most effectually accomplished the design of all true oratory; it enlightened the mind and carried conviction to the heart.

As a preacher, he was characterized by his faithfulness. Never could he be induced either by the powers or flatteries of men to keep back any truth which he believed to be a part of the counsel of God; whether they would hear or forbear, he, at such times as he thought most appropriate, boldly proclaimed those truths which he knew were very unpalatable to some of his hearers. He had however a happy manner of presenting such truths. There was no appearance of that carnal passion or dogmatic pride which too often accompanies the vindication of opposed or controverted truth; but, on the contrary, there was a calmness, a modesty, a humility, eminently calculated to conciliate the favor of his hearers. But perhaps his most prominent excellence, and that which was most conducive to the success of his ministry, was his evident conscientiousness and sincerity. He seemed always to speak and act under a deep sense of his accountability to God-to do whatever he did heartily as to the Lord, and not to men. This was so manifest in his public ministrations, that it usually disarmed of all personal opposition those whose errors he opposed, or whose sins he reproved. They could not but see that he was honest and sincere, that he not only with all his heart believed the truths which he uttered, but also that he proclaimed them from a deep sense of duty and with an earnest desire to do good. And therefore though they might still maintain their own opinions, or continue in their own practices, they could not but respect him for his honesty and integrity. His sincerity was also manifest in all his social intercourse. Never have we known any one who seemed more fully to exemplify the language of the Apostle with reference to ministerial plainness or simplicity: But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

Mr. McCready was very diligent in performing the duties of his calling. He did not confine his labors to his own flock, but looked beyond for occasions of doing good. He had not been long in Cadiz till he found that there was a number of negro families in that place who had no one to care for their souls. These he gathered together-parents as well as children-and organized into a Sabbath-school. And every Sabbath evening, after performing the usual duties in his congregation, he attended to his Sabbathschool, both superintending and teaching a Bible-class. As many as fifty persons attended this school, and in this way received religious instruction as long as he remained in Cadiz.

In the fall of 1857, when our brother had been laboring only a little more than a year in his congregation, he received a challenge to debate on the