,,biography ,,of ,,rev4 ,,hosea         
,,ballou4                               
,,by ,,his ,,youngest ,,son1            
,,maturin ,m4 ,,ballou4        ,he      
staggered not at the promise of ,god    
through unbelief2 but was      strong in
 faith1 giving glory to ,god3 and being 
fully persuaded      that what he had   
promised he was able also to perform4   
,,boston3     ,,published ,,by ,,abel   
,,tompkins4     #aheb4      ,entered    
according to ,act of ,congress1 in the  
year #aheb1 by                          
,,abel ,,tompkins1     ,in the ,clerk's 
,office of the ,district ,court of the  
,district of                            
,massachusetts4      ,,stereotyped ,,by 
,,hobart  ,,robbins1     ,,new ,,england
 ,,type ,,and ,,stereotype ,,foundery1  
,,boston4                               
,,to ,,the                  ,,second    
,,universalist ,,society                
,,of ,,boston1     ,,this ,,biography   
,,of ,,their ,,late ,,pastor ,,is       
,,respectfully                          

,dedicated1                   ,,by      
,,their ,,humble ,,servant1             
,,the ,,author4   ,illustration3        
,portrait of ,,rev4 ,,hosea ,,ballou1   
,engraved by ,h4 ,w4 ,smith             
,,author',s ,,preface4   ,to say that   
the author experiences a degree of      
diffidence in writing upon the theme and
 subject of these pages1 would but      
inadequately express his true feelings  
on taking up the pen for this object4   
,but he does it with a purpose of strict
 adherence to facts1 nor will any matter
 be suppressed or one iota added to the 
truth4 ,no one who shall read a dozen   
pages herein relating to the early life 
of ,rev4 ,hosea ,ballou1 but will at    
once acquit the author of any false     
pride as it regards chronicling the     
events and circumstances of the         
subject's life4 ,he is most happy to    
state the facts literally1 and he is    
satisfied as to the verdict that every  
unprejudiced mind will render4  ,it may 
be said that a son cannot write a       

faithful history of a parent--that such 
a production must needs be              
partial1--though we have numerous       
instances of the contrary4 ,to such an  
objection the writer would reply1 that  
there is but one side to truth1 and it  
is this1 and this only1 that the reader 
will find in these pages4 ,he offers no 
labored extenuation or defence1--there  
are no circumstances that require it2 no
 appeal or pleading for a verdict of    
acquittal1--for there are no charges to 
refute2 but he gives a simple1          
unvarnished biography of a true         
,christian and a faithful disciple of   
the gospel1 whose whole life1 even from 
earliest youth1 has been a beautiful and
 consistent tribute to truth4 ,for some 
time previous to the decease of the     
subject of this biography the author    
contemplated the present work1 and for  
this purpose has1 at various times1 kept
 minutes relative to dates of his       
father's movements2 and he has also been
 briefly assisted by memoranda and short

 articles from his father's pen1 which  
are embodied herein1 relative to his    
feelings concerning himself and his     
doctrine4 ,the framework1 so to speak1  
of the book1 has therefore been in hand 
for a considerable period2 and the      
placing of it in a proper form for the  
printer has been all the author has     
attempted since the death of his        
respected father4  ,m4 ,m4 ,ballou4     
,boston1 ,sept41 #aheb4     ,,contents4 
,,chapter ,i4 ,,introductory            
#i      ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,birth ,,and   
,,parentage                             
#ad      ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,early ,,life
                                        
#bb      ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,becomes ,a   
,,professor ,,of ,,religion             
#ch      ,,chapter ,v4 ,,commences ,,to 
,,preach                                
#eb      ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,becomes ,a   
,,settled ,,minister                    
#fd      ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,removes ,,to
 ,,portsmouth1 ,n4 ,h4                  
#hi      ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,settles    

,,in ,,boston                           
#ajc      ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,commences   
,,the ,,universalist ,,magazine         
#abj      ,,chapter ,x4 ,,commences     
,,the ,,universalist ,,expositor        
#acf      ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,domestic    
,,and ,,personal ,,characteristics      
#agc      ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,mr4        
,,ballou ,,as ,a ,,controversialist     
#bca      ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,spirit    
,,of ,,his ,,doctrine                   
#beh      ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,sentiments 
,,relative ,,to ,,death                 
#cbb      ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,end ,,of    
,,his ,,earthly ,,mission               
#cff      ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,conclusion 
#cib     ,,biography4     ,,chapter ,i4 
,,introductory4   ,the gratitude of     
mankind has not failed to record with   
honor the names of those who have been  
the inventors of useful improvements in 
the arts1 or the authors of scientific  
discoveries1 of brave warriors and wise 
statesmen2 ancient history reveals to us
 the time when the inventors of letters 

and the plough1 were revered as         
divinities4 ,if there are any who are   
actually worthy of being remembered by  
the world1 they are those who have      
proved themselves1 by the lives they    
have led1 and by their holy teachings1  
to be benefactors of the human family1  
and true followers of ,christ4  ,it is  
conceded by all1 that biography is a    
most important species of history4      
,through its agency1 men who have been  
distinguished for merit1 talent1 or any 
peculiar virtue1 are remembered1 and1   
though they may be personally lost to   
us1 yet the good influence they exerted 
during their lives1 is made to continue 
for our benefit4 ,the biography of any  
eminent individual must be1 in some     
degree1 a chronicle of the times in     
which he lived1 and thus1 though the    
production may be of the most humble    
character1 the pages of history are     
enriched1 and the records of the past   
perfected4 ,we think it was the ,rev4   
,john ,ewart1 ,m4 ,a41 a noted ,english 

divine1 who set it down as one of the   
most interesting reflections relative to
 biographical reading1 that we may see  
and know in heaven1 those whose life and
 excellent works we have read of here4  
,this is1 perhaps1 rather a peculiar    
argument1 but not inappropriate in this 
connection4  ,for our own part1 we have 
ever perused1 with the liveliest        
satisfaction1 any book of a biographical
 character1 and believe that such works 
are almost universally read with avidity
 and profit4 ,with living men and       
present measures1 there is generally    
some prejudice or passion connected4    
,but when death has set his seal upon a 
worthy character1 and he has departed   
from the din and conflict of the world1 
then we can receive the full benefit of 
his example4 ,for it is very true that  
genius rarely shines with full lustre   
until death hath unroofed it of envy4   
,it will1 therefore1 be my object in    
these pages to adhere to those facts    
best fitted to illustrate the personal  

character of ,mr4 ,ballou1 and to       
furnish the means of estimating aright  
the services he rendered to his own and 
subsequent times1 that his memory may   
remain to us in evergreen freshness and 
beauty1 and thus renew to posterity the 
savor of a good life4  ,it is the usual 
practice with biographers to dwell at   
length and in explanation upon the      
discoveries and doctrines of the object 
of their labors1 forgetting1 apparently1
 that these things are almost           
universally known already1 and that the 
main design of a biography should be to 
make public and illustrate the private  
life of those whom the world already    
knows as philosophers1 statesmen1       
divines1 or otherwise4 ,it is said of   
,mallet1 that he wrote the life of ,lord
 ,bacon1 and forgot that he was a       
philosopher4 ,but this is rarely the    
case1 for it is the prevailing custom1  
and has ever been1 to forget the man in 
the remembrance of the philosopher4 ,it 
is the traits of personal character1    

those slight1 yet important incidents   
and anecdotes which mark the            
individual's every-day life1 that1 when 
preserved and recorded1 form the great  
interest and charm of biography4        
,plutarch1 the writer of half a hundred 
lives1 in that of ,alexander says3--,as 
painters labor the likeness in the face1
 so must we be permitted to strike off  
the features of the soul1 in order to   
give a real likeness of these great men4
  ,hence1 biography written in a true   
spirit1 while something quite different 
from history1 is1 nevertheless1 an      
important supplement and aid to it1     
throwing light into its dark corners1   
and explaining its obscurity4 ,for the  
historian1 in the spirit of the painter 
or poet1 must dispense with all the     
minutiae of detail which would interfere
 with the effect of his conception4 ,he 
has a broad canvas1 crowded with many   
figures1 and in the grouping of these1  
the bringing out of strong points1 the  
handling of the light and shade1 many   

minor points must be obliterated1 or    
thrown into the background4 ,he presents
 us with truth1 indeed1 but not with the
 whole truth4 ,the historian shows us   
the warrior in the hour of battle1 on   
the field of review1 or in the pomp of a
 military triumph2 the statesman in the 
light of a senatorial victory1 as he    
appears before the broad gaze of the    
world2 the divine clad in his sacerdotal
 robe1 at the high altar1 or in the     
pulpit1 at the moment of addressing     
listening crowds1 and swaying the hearts
 of men by the fervor of his eloquence4 
,the biographer1 on the other hand1     
dealing with individuals and not with   
masses1 painting portraits and not      
groups1 is permitted a more elaborate   
finish in the treatment of his subject4 
,he shows us the soldier not only in the
 hour of battle1 but in the privacy of  
his tent1 or in the bosom of his family2
 the statesman in his study1 or         
unbending from his public tasks in      
social intercourse2 the divine in the   

daily walks of life1 in the discharge of
 parochial duties1 amid the toils and   
trials common to all humanity4 ,the     
biographer is often at variance with the
 historian in treating the same subject4
 ,he often shows us the littleness of   
the great2 for many a prominent actor in
 the world's great drama wears a mask   
upon the public stage that conceals his 
real features4 ,few men are found       
abroad1 beneath the searching light of  
heaven1 with the same aspect of soul1   
the same undisguised native promptings1 
visible in every act and word1 as       
characterize them at their own          
firesides1 and surrounded by those who  
know them most intimately4 ,it is truly 
going behind the scenes to enter the    
domestic circle1 for there the          
artificial man must be dropped1 the     
cloak that is sometimes worn before the 
eyes of the world is laid aside1 and we 
have the soul unmasked indeed4  ,it will
 be our endeavor1 in the following      
pages1 to illustrate the perfect harmony

 of a ,christian character1 the daily   
beauty of whose private life accorded   
with that of his public career2 through 
whose existence religion ran like a     
silver thread1 linking all its component
 parts together1--who showed the path to
 heaven and led the way4 ,the world is  
anxious1 when it contemplates the memory
 of such an exalted character1 to know  
the steps by which the subject rose to  
the situation which he filled1 as well  
as the incidents by which he terminated 
his noted career4 ,we are gratified to  
observe such characters in the private  
walks of life1 to follow them into their
 families and closets1 and to discover  
thus how those who challenged the       
respect and admiration of the times in  
which they lived1 conducted themselves  
amid those cares and duties common alike
 to the humble and the exalted4 ,these  
remarks will introduce the reader to the
 plan of the present work4     ,,chapter
 ,,ii4  ,,birth ,,and ,,parentage4      
,hosea ,ballou was born1 ,april #cjth1  

#agga1 in the town of ,richmond1 ,new   
,hampshire1 a small village situated in 
the county of ,cheshire1 in the southern
 part of the ,state2 at that time little
 more than an uncleared wilderness4 ,the
 site of his birth-place is now a most  
attractive and lovely valley1 scooped   
out from the rough hills and mountains  
of the ,granite ,state1 and known as    
,ballou's ,dale2 surrounded by the most 
romantic scenery1 the beauties of which 
he used to dwell upon in after years1   
and to sing their praise in verse4 ,the 
neighboring country is of a bold and    
rugged character1 and is to this day but
 thinly settled4 ,it was here that he   
first drew breath in an humble          
cottage-home among the hills4  ,the     
influence of nature in the formation of 
character has been much insisted on by  
metaphysicians1 and not without ample   
reason4 ,the qualities of men are found 
to assimilate very closely to the       
characteristics of the country they     
inhabit4 ,thus the mountaineer is bold1 

rugged1 hardy1 independent1 and fond of 
liberty4 ,in ,europe1 surrounded on     
every hand by despotism1 ,alpine        
,switzerland has preserved its political
 independence for ages4 ,but especially 
is the power of natural scenery         
witnessed in the nurture of deep        
religious feeling4      ,the groves were
 ,god's first temples4  ,the first      
prayer uttered by man was breathed to   
his ,creator in a garden1 among the     
olive trees of ,eden4 ,the disciples of 
our ,saviour listened to their ,lord in 
the deep wilderness1 in the awful       
solitude of rugged mountains4 ,in the   
heart of mighty forests and by the      
shores of ever-rushing rivers1 the      
littleness of man1 contrasting with the 
grandeur of creation1 speaks to his     
awakened soul of the omnipotence and    
goodness of ,god4 ,where men are banded 
together in great cities1 in the midst  
of splendors and triumphs of art1 they  
are apt to feel a pride and             
self-reliance which abandon them in the 

face of nature4 ,apart from the frequent
 spectacle of man's handiwork1 the      
dweller in the country learns how all   
human skill is impotent to imitate the  
smallest feature in the great work of   
creation2 to create the lightest blade  
of grass that bends in the summer       
breeze2 to fabricate even the minutest  
grain of sand that sparkles by the river
 shore4 ,then1 as he lifts his eyes from
 earth to heaven1 and beholds at night  
the starry host above him wheeling      
unerringly upon their appointed courses1
 his mind cannot but acknowledge the    
existence of ,god1 and the immeasurable 
greatness of his attributes4  ,it will  
be seen1 in the course of this          
narrative1 that the influences we have  
alluded to must have produced a powerful
 effect upon a mind constituted like    
that of the subject of this biography4  
,in relation to the genealogy of the    
family1 we have it in detail as far     
back1 on the paternal side1 as his      
great-great-grandfather1 ,matteaurian   

,ballou1--so the name was spelled by    
him1--who came from ,england1 though a  
,frenchman by descent1 about the year   
#afdj4 ,he occupied a portion of a royal
 grant of land1 about that time         
purchased from the ,narraganset tribe of
 ,indians1 by the agent of the crown4   
,this tract was situated in the present 
,state of ,rhode ,island1 where         
descendants of the family still reside4 
,this ,matteaurian ,ballou's oldest son 
was named ,john1 whose second son was   
named ,matteaurian1 who1 also1 had a son
 named ,matteaurian1 who in turn had    
eleven children1--six sons and five     
daughters4 ,the youngest of the family  
was named ,hosea1 the subject of these  
memoirs4  ,his father1 ,rev4 ,maturin   
,ballou1 was remarkable for his         
unostentatious manner1 his forgiving    
spirit and meekness1 and the strict     
consistency of a life devoted1 as he    
truly believed1 to the service and glory
 of his ,divine ,master4 ,he remained a 
highly respected and influential member 

of the ,baptist church until the time of
 his death1 at the age of eighty-two    
years4 ,when his son differed from him  
so materially in faith1 though it sorely
 grieved the parent's heart1 it never   
for one moment influenced him in his    
affection for his child4 ,his conduct   
towards him was uniformly kind and      
solicitous1 as was also the son's regard
 for his father of the most loving and  
respectful character4 ,whenever         
referring to his father1 the subject of 
this biography never failed to do so    
with that respect and honor for his     
memory that was ever cherished by him1  
and which formed a beautiful trait of   
his character4  ,in this connection it  
may not be inappropriate nor            
uninteresting to say a few words        
concerning the brothers and sisters of  
,hosea1 the youngest member of the      
family4 ,benjamin1 the oldest1 was a man
 of strict integrity1 and possessed a   
penetrating and powerful intellect4 ,for
 some years the power of early          

influences and associations moulded his 
life1 and he preached the ,baptist      
religion1 but was subsequently converted
 to ,universalism1 by his younger       
brother1 ,hosea1 and lived and died in  
its faith1 continuing to the good old   
age of eighty-two years4 ,this was the  
grandfather of ,rev4 ,dr4 ,ballou1 of   
,medford1 ,mass42 ,rev4 ,william ,s4    
,ballou1 of ,strafford1 ,vt41 and ,rev4 
,levi ,ballou1 of ,orange1 ,mass4       
,maturin was the second son1 who was    
also a ,baptist minister1 of strict     
morality and honorable career1 but who  
died at the early age of thirty-five    
years4 ,in his manuscript1 ,mr4 ,ballou 
says1 relative to this brother3 ,he grew
 very liberal in his sentiments towards 
the last of his labors1 and was one of  
the most loving and devout ,christians  
that ,i ever knew4 ,david was the third 
son1 and he also preached the ,baptist  
faith1 but1 like the eldest brother1 was
 ere long persuaded of the truth of the 
doctrine of universal salvation1 which  

he preached for many years1 possessing a
 strong and well balanced mind1 and     
powerful argumentative abilities4 ,he   
died at the age of eighty-two4 ,this was
 the father of ,rev4 ,moses ,ballou1 of 
,bridgeport1 ,ct4 ,the fourth son was   
named ,nathan1 a man of remarkable      
mental and physical strength1 who gave  
his attention mainly to agricultural    
pursuits1 and who lived to be nearly    
eighty years of age4 ,this was the      
grandfather of the present ,rev4 ,russel
 ,a4 ,ballou1 of ,west ,bridgewater1    
,mass4 ,stephen was the fifth son and   
combining many of the best qualities of 
his elder brothers1 and possessing a    
most upright and conscientious          
disposition1 was yet remarkable for the 
endowment of a large degree of native   
wit and good humor4 ,he also devoted    
himself to agriculture1 and lived to    
nearly the age of seventy4 ,all of these
 brothers were possessed of a handsome  
competency1 realized by their own       
economy and industry4 ,the daughters    

were variously espoused1 and lived1 all 
but one1 who died at the age of twenty1 
to be venerable and honored in years1   
and with a numerous offspring4  ,on the 
maternal side1 these children were      
descended from ,lydia ,harris1 daughter 
of ,richard ,harris1 who1 like his      
ancestors1 was a ,quaker4 ,his          
forefathers came to this country to     
escape the persecution of the           
seventeenth century in ,england1 when   
the infatuated and tyrannical ,charles  
was oppressing his subjects by          
restricting the freedom of industry1 and
 billeting soldiers upon the people in  
times of peace2 when the private papers 
of citizens were searched on mere       
suspicion1 and when the bigoted ,laud   
ruled with as high a hand and reckless a
 purpose in the church1 as his royal    
master did in the state4 ,citizens      
claiming the right of freely uttering   
what they honestly believed to be true1 
on the subject of religion1 were fined1 
whipped1 and imprisoned4 ,ministers and 

educated citizens were branded on the   
forehead1 their noses slit1 and their   
ears cropped1 for dissenting from       
,popish rites and ceremonies4 ,to escape
 such intolerable persecution1 ,quakers 
crossed the ocean4 ,but1 alas6          
persecution followed them even in the   
wilds of ,america4 ,individuals who had 
left home1 friends1 country and all1 to 
gain the privilege of worshipping the   
,almighty after the dictates of their   
own consciences1 did not hesitate to    
deny others that privilege for which    
they had themselves sacrificed so much1 
simply because they differed from them  
in form of faith4  ,we should not omit  
to mention in this place the remarkable 
degree of affection that ever actuated  
the subject of this biography towards   
each and all of the members of his      
father's extensive family2 and this     
feeling was reciprocal too2 especially  
have we personally observed this on the 
part of the brothers1 whom he frequently
 visited1 through the entire period of  

their lives4 ,much older than himself1  
as far back as our memory of them       
extends they were venerable and         
grey-haired men1 and treated ,hosea more
 like a son than a brother4 ,their      
meetings together1 from time to time1   
were reunions of great satisfaction and 
happiness4 ,fully admitting his superior
 scriptural knowledge and judgment1 they
 delighted to converse upon the theme of
 religion1 and mutually to express the  
strength of their faith and the joy they
 found in believing4 ,it was this       
younger brother who converted them to   
the belief of ,god's impartial and free 
grace1 and they died at last with their 
minds freed from every doubt as it      
regarded the subject4 ,one or two of    
these brothers had believed what was    
called ,universalism quite as early as  
had ,hosea1 but they had believed it as 
it was then taught on the old           
,calvinistic principle1 which made it in
 reality anything but ,universalism4 ,it
 was from this ill-defined platform1    

this faith of inconsistencies1 that     
,hosea brought their minds to embrace   
that creed which is now acknowledged as 
the doctrine of the ,universalist       
denomination4 ,when he spoke to them and
 of them1 it was with that tender and   
affectionate regard with which his heart
 was ever filled to overflowing4  ,i    
have taken some pains to state the      
foregoing facts of genealogy thus       
carefully1 merely for the sake of       
completeness1 and not for the purpose of
 establishing the fact that the family  
is an old one4 ,the idea that to be able
 to trace back one's pedigree any great 
length of time1 imparts any degree of   
merit or distinction in itself1 is a    
palpable absurdity1 inasmuch as the     
further back we refer ourselves in our  
origin1 the more nearly do we           
approximate to the same ancestry with   
the veriest serf in the world4 ,sir     
,thomas ,overbury said of a man who     
boasted of his ancestry1 that he was    
like a potato plant1--the best thing    

belonging to him was under ground6 ,mr4 
,ballou was no pensioner upon the dead4 
,the laurels that surrounded the brow of
 his riper years were self-earned1 and  
worthy of emulation4     ,,chapter      
,,iii4  ,,early ,,life4   ,the life of  
,hosea ,ballou may be said to have      
commenced with one of the saddest of    
bereavements1 for at the tender age of  
two years he had the misfortune to lose 
his maternal parent1 who died1 leaving  
him the youngest of eleven children4    
,thus it was his unhappy lot never to   
know the fond regard and pure affection 
of a mother1 that holiest tie of        
humanity4 ,concerning this matter1 ,mr4 
,ballou says1 in the brief memoir or    
outline of his life with which he has   
furnished us1 ,my mother died when ,i   
was about two years old1 and1 of course1
 ,i do not remember her2 but from all ,i
 can learn of my mother1 ,i am satisfied
 that she was of a most tender and kind 
disposition4 ,but the treasure was gone 
before ,i could realize its value4 ,the 

care and guidance of the family then    
fell upon the father1 whose means for   
providing for his children's necessities
 were of the most simple and limited    
character4 ,this parent1 a pious and    
devout preacher of the ,calvinistic     
,baptist denomination1 endeavored1 to   
the best of his ability1 to bring up his
 large family to fear and serve a ,god  
who was merciful to those whom from all 
eternity he had elected to be heirs of  
eternal life1 but who was full of holy  
wrath towards the greater portion of    
mankind2--a faith which the honest      
parent little thought1 at that time1 his
 youngest son1 through the              
instrumentality of ,providence1 would so
 successfully battle against in the     
spiritual warfare of after years4  ,in  
this connection1 ,mr4 ,ballou says3--,we
 were all taught1 and in our youth all  
believed1 that we were born into the    
world wholly depraved1 and under the    
curse of a law which doomed every son   
and daughter of ,adam to eternal woe4   

,but at the same time ,god had made     
provision for a select number of the    
human family1 whereby they would be     
saved by the operations of the divine   
,spirit1 which would result in what was 
called conversion1 sometime during the  
life of those elected4 ,those who were  
not elected would remain without any    
effectual calling1 die1 and be forever  
miserable4 ,when ,i was a youth it was  
the sentiment of all ,christian people1 
as far as ,i knew1 that not more than   
one in a thousand of the human family   
would be saved from endless             
condemnation4  ,youth were taught to be 
moral1 but that morality was no security
 against divine wrath4 ,the conversion  
of the soul from the state of nature in 
which all men were born into the world1 
was the only security4 ,one of the worst
 things ever taught to youth was1 that  
in this world there is more enjoyment in
 the ways of vice1 iniquity1 sin1 and   
unrighteousness1 than in the ways of    
obedience to the commandments of ,god4  

,but we were taught at the same time    
that the wicked were running an awful   
risk1 for should they die without       
repentance1 their everlasting           
condemnation was sure4 ,all the risk    
there was1 lay in the possibility that  
death might be sudden1 and give no time 
for repentance4 ,but the fact that there
 is in the way of strict morality1 in   
the path of true religion1 in the road  
of righteousness1 all the rational      
enjoyment which our nature is capable   
of1 and that any departure from right is
 an equal departure from true happiness1
 was not taught1 to my knowledge1 at    
that time4 ,nor did ,i ever understand  
this great truth until taught it by the 
,scriptures1 and my study of them1 and  
by my own experience4  ,it was the      
conscientious belief of ,mr4 ,ballou's  
father that he ought not to receive any 
remuneration whatever1 either pecuniary 
or otherwise1 for his professional      
services2 and1 as he devoted himself    
with the utmost zeal and the most       

untiring assiduity to his calling1 and  
was possessed of little or no personal  
estate1 his family were all obliged to  
labor very hard1 merely to obtain a     
simple subsistence4 ,but even in this   
was ,heaven ordinant4 ,thus1 from his   
earliest childhood1 ,mr4 ,ballou was    
accustomed to toil and labor1 and this  
too under the hardships of a scanty     
supply of food and clothing4 ,so        
destitute even of the most ordinary     
articles of raiment1 or the means of    
procuring it1 was his father's family1  
in the times of his boyhood1 that many a
 long week has he passed without an     
under garment of any kind upon his      
person1 and without shoes or stockings  
for his feet1 even during the           
inclemencies of winter1 when his        
employment would frequently call him    
abroad for a large portion of the day6  
,notwithstanding all these privations   
and hardships1 there was no repining2   
the rich glow of health was upon his    
cheek1 and a light and happy heart1 in  

spite of iron fortune1 throbbed in his  
young breast4 ,though such was his early
 experience1 and such the vicissitudes  
of his youth1 yet in subsequent years he
 was destined to enjoy freely of the    
liberal bounties of ,providence1 and1   
through his own frugality and industry1 
to be able to give with open hands in   
charity to others4 ,in these years of   
prosperity and honor1 when revered and  
beloved by a whole denomination1 and    
when ranked among the most powerful     
intellects of the age1 did he forget1 or
 desire to conceal1 the humble character
 of his youth1 its hardships and trials1
 or the companions of his early days8   
,let those answer to whom he has related
 these things in censure of false pride 
and the vanity of the world4 ,would it  
become us1 then1 who have seen and      
realized the full bent of this noble    
spirit in him1 to fail to speak clearly 
of these matters8 ,we opine not1 and    
therefore these records will be found to
 be full and complete4  ,the reader will

 probably agree with us1 that there is  
something exceedingly striking1 as well 
as most affecting1 in the domestic      
circumstances to which ,i have alluded4 
,the character of ,mr4 ,ballou's father1
 reminds us of one of those stern old   
,cameronians of ,scotland1 so well      
described by one of the first writers of
 the age4 ,with but little sympathy for 
his creed1 we must nevertheless respect 
his sincerity2 nor can we wonder at all1
 with his education in the faith which  
he preached1 and hampered by the        
illiberal spirit of the period1 which   
seemed to mildew every generous         
prompting of the human heart1 that he   
clung to it with inflexible tenacity4   
,but we must contemplate with           
unqualified admiration the heroic       
self-denial1 the martyr-like firmness1  
with which this servant of the ,lord    
pursued what he believed to be the path 
of his duty1 amidst circumstances of    
such extraordinary deprivation4 ,truly1 
he abandoned all to serve his ,master4  

,his severest trial must have been to   
witness the privations of his family4 ,a
 man can endure in his own person what  
it costs him agony to witness inflicted 
on those nearer and dearer to him than  
life itself4 ,the struggles of that     
little flock1 bereft of a mother's      
tender care and guidance at the very    
time when they most required it1 must   
have given many an anxiously painful day
 and night to a father's heart4 ,yet1 we
 have seen how they were sustained4     
,this is probably by no means an        
isolated case of trial4 ,it is but a    
type of the condition of many of the    
early settlers in a new country1--in    
short1 a picture of ,american pioneer   
life4 ,it is from such beginnings1 and  
under such circumstances1 that the most 
useful and energetic of our countrymen  
have sprung4 ,it is not to the lap of   
luxury that we are to look for the      
source of manly character and manly     
virtues4 ,the rough nurture of his early
 years most unquestionably fitted ,mr4  

,ballou for the battle of life which he 
was destined to fight4 ,it trained him  
for the long and severe journeyings of  
his apostolic missions1 and it warmed   
his sympathies for the poor1 while it   
gave him that indifference to ease and  
luxury which so largely conduces to true
 mental independence4 ,it taught him    
also to rely under ,providence upon     
himself2 and these early privations1    
while they strengthened and indurated   
him1 rendered the honorably acquired    
competence and comforts of his later    
years in life doubly grateful and       
acceptable4  ,notwithstanding this stern
 experience of his tender years1 and in 
spite of every hardship1 and the severe 
labor he was obliged to perform under   
such unpropitious circumstances1 still  
he grew up strong1 healthy and vigorous1
 both in mind and body1 possessing a    
form and face of manly beauty1 with     
expression and intelligence reflected in
 every feature4 ,in stature he grew to  
be six feet high1 his figure very erect1

 with finely formed limbs1 and a bright1
 clear blue eye4 ,his whole appearance  
indicated good health even to advanced  
old age1 his constitution being         
naturally excellent1 and his frugal and 
temperate habits seconding the kindly   
purpose of nature4 ,heaven had marked   
him for its servant1 and breathed into  
his soul a spirit of energy and         
unflinching perseverance1 that no       
hardship could quench or diminish4      
,christ chose his disciples from among  
the lowly fishermen of ,galilee2 ,god   
herein took an humble but faithful      
follower from a cottage amidst the      
mountains4  ,although descended from a  
devout and eloquent preacher of the     
,scriptures1 the reader will at once    
observe that ,mr4 ,ballou was not       
indebted in the least particular for the
 future lustre of his reputation as a   
powerful and original thinker1 writer   
and teacher of the gospel1 to his birth1
 or early condition in life1 but that1  
on the contrary1 he was literally a     

self-made man1 owing his position       
strictly to individual merit alone4     
,enjoying none of the educational       
advantages resulting from wealth1 or    
even from a simple competency1 yet he   
steadily rose above every impending     
obstacle in his path1 to the truly      
enviable position which he attained in  
the hearts of thousands upon thousands  
who were led through his teachings1 both
 orally and through the productions of  
his prolific pen1 to see their ,god and 
,father as he is in all harmony and     
beauty4 ,thus it is that poverty of     
condition and wealth of intellect go    
often hand in hand4  ,where1 in modern  
history1 asks ,rev4 ,a4 ,e4 ,abbott1 in 
his late eulogy upon ,mr4 ,ballou1 can  
another instance be found of a man      
laboring under such disadvantages1 in   
the face of such opposition1 and yet    
performing such a work8 ,those who have 
heretofore accomplished much in that    
field1 have had all the advantages which
 the most thorough culture of their     

times could give4 ,like the giant of    
,gath1 they have taken the field encased
 in polished armor2 he1 like the        
stripling of ,bethlehem1 came to the    
contest with only the shepherd's sling  
and the smooth stones from the brook4   
,as no general rule can be adduced for  
the formation of human character1 so    
long as the power of early association1 
the influence of education and example1 
each and severally produce in different 
individuals exactly opposite effects1 so
 no general rule can be applied as to   
the result of certain accessory         
circumstances4 ,therefore we deduce no  
result from the mere fact of ,mr4       
,ballou's father having been a professed
 minister upon the character of his son1
 having no belief that genius is        
hereditary1 or that paternal authority  
can influence its natural course4       
,indeed1 the reader is doubtless well   
aware that the opposition of a father to
 the natural bent of his child1 rarely  
fails more strongly to develop the      

original taste and purpose1 generally   
arousing in the end a spirit of         
resistance1 that is pretty sure to      
strengthen by opposition4  ,before the  
age of sixteen1 by the utmost           
perseverance1 ingenuity1 and industry1  
the subject of this biography had       
learned to read and write with facility1
 almost entirely by his own unaided     
exertions1 or with little assistance of 
any kind2 for had there been a school in
 the neighborhood of ,richmond1 which   
was not the case1 he could have found no
 time to attend it1 being ever          
laboriously engaged from morning until  
night4 ,he learned to form the letters  
of the alphabet in the following        
ingenious and original manner1 which he 
related to us when a mere child1 we were
 making the first advances in the use of
 the pen4 ,after not a little thought   
and sober calculation as to how he      
should accomplish his purpose1--for pen1
 ink and paper were luxuries his        
father's means could not command1--for  

paper he substituted thin pieces of     
birch bark1 neatly prepared for the     
purpose by his own hands1 and for pen   
and ink he used coals taken from the    
fire4 ,with these rude materials1 after 
the labors of the day were over1 seated 
on the floor1 by the light of the       
fire1--for candles were too expensive to
 be afforded in the frugal household of 
his father1--he taught himself to write4
 ,a student1 actuated by such resolution
 and determination of purpose1 must soon
 become a proficient1 in defiance of    
every minor obstacle2 and thus he       
speedily improved with these humble     
means4  ,some further idea of the       
limited means of his father's family1   
and the extraordinary disadvantages     
under which his early progress was made1
 may be gathered from the fact1 that the
 only books the house contained1 or in  
fact that the family had access to at   
all1 were a ,bible1 an old dictionary1  
and a well-thumbed pamphlet of the      
scriptural story of the tower of ,babel4

 ,a newspaper in the days of which we   
write1 in the town of ,richmond1 would  
have been considered a most rare        
curiosity4 ,perhaps this very dearth of 
literary material led ,mr4 ,ballou to be
 the more intimate with that volume     
,within whose sacred pages lies     ,the
 mystery of mysteries1  with which alone
 no student can be poor1 without which  
the largest library is incomplete4 ,it  
has been remarked of the sacred volume1 
that1 as the face of nature is bedecked 
with colors and adornments to render it 
agreeable to the senses1 so its pages   
are filled with that luxury of poetry   
and language and incident which commends
 it to every imagination4 ,even the     
half-unbelieving ,byron confessed that  
nothing in literature was finer than the
 poetry of the ,old ,testament4 ,thus   
the word1 like the bow of promise1 is   
gilded with the fairest hues4 ,the      
solemn march of historical narration1   
the sublime hymns of triumph1 praise and
 rejoicing1 the records of battles and  

heroic deeds1 the familiar narrative1   
the interesting parable1 the pithy      
proverb1 the terse and vigorous         
delineation of character1 the sublime   
visions of inspired prophecy1 are all   
there4 ,of almost every style of        
literary composition there is an        
example1 captivating alike to the       
humblest reader and the most cultivated 
critic4 ,it is the beginning and the end
 of learning4 ,in the midst of the      
sublimest flights of human genius1 amid 
the most burning words of modern        
eloquence1 introduce a passage of       
scripture1 and how poor will seem the   
language and the thoughts by which it is
 surrounded6  ,need we count that house 
poor in literary possessions which      
contains a ,bible8  ,if it be true that 
there are certain ennobling qualities1  
to produce which a soil of privation and
 poverty is requisite1 the reader is    
doubtless already prepared to allow that
 ,mr4 ,ballou was not deficient in the  
necessary experience for their          

possession4 ,a lack of those advantages 
which are enjoyed in the schools of     
human learning did not lead him in the  
least to undervalue the humble          
opportunities for acquiring mental      
discipline and useful information that  
every-day life graciously affords to    
all4 ,but the clear1 free river of      
knowledge and unbounded information1    
that now pours out its wealth at the    
feet of the people1 was then            
undiscovered4 ,it has been left to these
 more modern and favored times for      
inventions in the arts to so            
revolutionize the means of disseminating
 knowledge1 as to lay the wealth of     
wisdom at the poor man's door4  ,at the 
age of sixteen he left the paternal roof
 for the first time1 and made a journey 
on foot to ,guildford1 ,vt41 a distance 
of about forty miles from ,richmond4    
,here he visited an elder brother1 and1 
after working with him upon his farm    
through the season1 returned to his     
father's house again in the fall4 ,about

 one year from the time of his visit to 
,guildford1 he visited another brother  
who resided in ,putney1 ,vt41 where he  
also labored for a season upon the farm1
 employing all his leisure moments to   
the improvement of such simple means as 
were within his power to command1 aided 
by the greater experience and better    
mental cultivation of his brother4 ,he  
remained through that season only at    
,putney1 however1 and returned again in 
the fall of the year to ,richmond4  ,at 
the age of eighteen he went to          
,smithfield1 ,r4 ,i41 where many of his 
relations1 on the paternal side1 were   
settled4 ,here also he devoted himself  
to constant labor during the day1 and to
 the eager perusal of any and all books 
to which he could obtain access1 during 
the evenings and a large portion of the 
nights4 ,he remained in ,smithfield but 
about six months1 again returning to the
 place of his nativity4 ,in making these
 changes he was almost solely actuated  
by a desire for instruction and general 

information1 and this being his great   
aim1 we have seen how much he improved  
every available means to consummate it1 
and thus his exploring and impressible  
mind was not a little enriched4 ,the    
time passed at home during the          
intermediate and subsequent periods to  
those referred to1 was employed by him  
upon his father's farm1 in the tilling  
of the soil1 and in constant efforts to 
improve his mind4 ,those who were older 
than himself were earnestly questioned  
for their experience4 ,those who had    
enjoyed any educational advantages were 
eagerly sought after1 and regarded by   
him as favored beings1 and their        
conversation listened to with avidity4  
,the improvement and development of a   
mind in this condition1 a healthy mind  
in a healthy body1 is exceedingly rapid4
 ,it is then      ,wax to receive1 and  
marble to retain4  ,it seizes eagerly on
 all the food placed before it1 and     
rapidly digests every acquisition4 ,the 
condition of a mind with every appliance

 for improvement at hand1 is not unlike 
that of a person with every variety and 
quality of food set before him for the  
gratification of a bodily appetite4     
,repletion1 satiety1 and indigestion1   
follow in one case precisely as in the  
other4 ,many of our modern students are 
crammed and gorged with study4 ,the     
mental appetite is over-indulged2 and an
 attempt to master too much is doubtless
 the besetting literary sin of the      
present day4 ,the cases of mental       
dyspepsia are as common as those of the 
body4 ,sound scholarship consists not so
 much in the quantity of material       
consumed1 as in the quantity properly   
prepared for intellectual nurture4 ,a   
man may possess a fund of encyclopedic  
knowledge1 and yet his mental powers may
 be weakened by the very process of     
grasping so many details4 ,he may be    
good authority to appeal to1 but will   
hardly prove a sound thinker or a good  
logician4 ,not many1 but good1 books1   
was the golden advice of a wise man on  

the formation of a library4 ,self-made  
men1 like ,mr4 ,ballou1 are apt to make 
judicious selections in culling the     
great field of knowledge1 while those   
who pass through a regular1 systematic1 
academic training1 are often forced to  
fill their minds with a mass of matter  
for which they have no use1 and to waste
 much time in questionable acquirements1
 simply because in so doing they comply 
with the requisitions of a prescribed   
formula4  ,it was customary for the     
young men of all classes in those days  
to pursue athletic exercises1 such as   
pitching the bar1 leaping1 wrestling1   
and the like1 these being regarded as   
the surest tests of bodily strength4    
,possessing a powerful and active frame1
 he was ever the victor in those sports2
 and from his marked success among his  
comrades in this respect1 and his fair  
and impartial disposition1 he was       
universally the umpire in all disputes  
growing out of these and like contests  
for superiority that arose between one  

and another4 ,in the matter of his      
physical strength1 particularly when    
young1 he ever cherished1 a laudable    
degree of pride1 and delighted in       
accomplishing a large amount of work    
within the hours devoted to labor4  ,in 
this connection1 ,mr4 ,ballou says3--,i 
have the comfort1 even in my old age1 of
 remembering that ,i was deemed in our  
family circle to be a good child1 and   
marked for giving evidence of being less
 averse to necessary labor than others4 
,though this contributed somewhat to    
make me proud1 and to think well of     
myself1 in other respects it was of some
 advantage to me to be held in esteem by
 my mates1 who ever showed that they had
 a peculiar regard for me4  ,mr4 ,ballou
 undoubtedly owed the vigorous health   
which carried him through the exertions 
of a life protracted beyond the allotted
 span1 to the athletic training of his  
youth1 in his labors and in his sports4 
,one of the besetting sins of the       
present mode of education is the almost 

total neglect of physical training1 and 
the forcing system applied to the mind  
at the expense of the body4 ,we hear    
much about sanitary reform and the      
necessity of exercise2 we write and read
 voluminous treatises on the best mode  
of preserving bodily health1 and almost 
all of us can talk learnedly upon the   
subject1 and yet in practice we set at  
naught all our elaborate theories4 ,how 
rare it is to see a vigorous1           
ruddy-cheeked student4 ,the ancients    
were wiser than ourselves in this       
respect1 for with them mental and       
physical training went hand in hand4 ,a 
popular form of instruction was that    
given orally in the open air2 and thus1 
during the very hours of study1 the     
frame was submitted to the healthy      
influence of pure air4 ,the subject of  
these memoirs often referred to the pale
 cheek1 stooping form1 and defective    
vision which are characteristics of the 
,american student1 and he never failed  
to inculcate on all proper occasions the

 preservation of health as a high moral 
duty4  ,while of tender age1 and in each
 successive year1 he evinced an ardent  
and constantly increasing desire for    
scriptural knowledge2 and the earliest  
dawnings of his young mind among his    
brethren were of a character that gave  
promise of the ,christian grace and     
excellence to which he attained in after
 years4 ,it is interesting and curious  
to trace the unconscious1 and1 so to    
speak1 the providential adaptation of   
the early life to the future calling of 
riper experience4 ,mr4 ,ballou says1 in 
relation to this subject3--,i was       
remarkably inquisitive1 even when a mere
 boy1 about doctrines4 ,i was fond of   
reasoning on doctrinal points1 studied  
and talked much upon the subject of free
 will and necessity4 ,i well remember to
 have surprised my honored father with  
such a question as the following3       
',suppose ,i had the skill and power out
 of an inanimate substance to make an   
animate1 and should make one1 at the    

same time knowing that this creature of 
mine would suffer everlasting           
misery1--would my act of creating this  
creature be an act of goodness8' ,the   
question troubled my father1 and ,i let 
it pass without an answer4  ,these      
frequent questions had the effect of    
causing the father much uneasiness of   
mind1 and he used often to express great
 solicitude and fear for the present and
 future welfare of his son4 ,many were  
his endeavors to convince ,hosea of the 
dangerous character of the sentiments   
that seemed to be springing up          
spontaneously in his heart1 but the     
unprofitable nature of these efforts    
soon became apparent1 from the fact that
 the simple1 natural arguments of the   
son confounded the father4 ,boy as he   
was1 he yet would not take the          
assertions of faith for argument1 but   
insisted upon reason1 and understanding 
at all times the root of the matter4    
,to the honor of this truly pious and   
devout parent1 it should be remembered1 

however1 that these controversies never 
elicited an unchristian spirit1 or the  
least anger towards his child4 ,this was
 a natural and beautiful characteristic 
of his father's disposition4            
,,chapter ,,iv4  ,,becomes ,a           
,,professor ,,of ,,religion4   ,at the  
age of nineteen1 there being what was   
termed a reformation in the town of     
,richmond1 ,mr4 ,ballou was induced1    
believing it to be his duty1 to become a
 professor of religion1 and accordingly 
at that time he joined the ,baptist     
church1 of which his father was pastor1 
in the month of ,january1 #aghi4 ,it is 
very evident that he was partly induced 
to this circumstance by the bearing of  
external circumstances and the immediate
 associations about him1 such as        
observing the conduct of others of his  
own age1 who at that time made a formal 
and public profession of faith1 and also
 by what he knew very well to be his    
father's earnest desire4 ,it seems1     
therefore1 that these matters1 rather   

than any earnest mental conviction of   
faith1 were instrumental in leading him 
to join the church as he did1--inasmuch 
as none of those objections which he had
 often made to his father's belief1 had 
yet been cleared up to his mind4  ,but  
this joining of the church was plainly  
of immediate advantage to him1 as it led
 him to think still more seriously and  
earnestly upon the subject of religion2 
but1 owing to early prejudices1 and his 
limited means of acquiring information1 
or of possessing himself of any books   
upon such subjects as would have been   
useful to him1 his progress towards the 
light of truth was but slow4 ,mr4       
,ballou says1 in relation to this       
conversion3--,i was much troubled in my 
mind because ,i thought ,i did not stand
 in such fear of the divine wrath as ,i 
ought to do1 or as others had done      
before they found acceptance with ,god4 
,i well remember that as ,i was         
returning home from a conference        
meeting1 one evening1 when about a      

quarter of a mile from home1 being      
alone1 ,i stopped under a large tree1   
and1 falling on my knees1 prayed as well
 as ,i could for the favor ,i sought4   
,his connection with his father's       
church1 though it continued but a short 
period comparatively1 seems to have made
 no slight impression upon his mind and 
feelings1 for he says3--,i have always  
felt towards this people 7the ,baptist  
denomination7 as one feels towards his  
family1 and though the religion of      
,christ consists in love to all men1 ,i 
have a peculiar feeling for the         
,baptists4  ,in his researches and      
reading concerning the creed that he had
 now publicly professed1 he found it    
impossible to bring his heart to conform
 to the doctrine of eternal reprobation1
 and this in itself1 as he afterwards   
remarked1 was an evidence of no         
inconsiderable importance1 to his mind1 
that it could not be true2 for why      
should his ,heavenly ,father have       
implanted in his heart an earnest desire

 for the salvation of all mankind1      
unless that desire was susceptible of   
gratification1 as is every appetite1    
mental or physical1 with which we are   
endowed by nature8 ,such thoughts caused
 him much and incessant anxiety of mind1
 because the very fact of his           
entertaining them1 if the doctrine he   
had professed was true1 endangered his  
eternal salvation2 while1 on the other  
hand1 if this creed was not that taught 
by ,god's revealed word1 then he was    
needlessly suffering1 to a degree that  
greatly depressed him4  ,no wonder that 
this double incentive led him to search 
the ,scriptures with the utmost care and
 attention1 and to weigh and decide in  
his own mind the relation that one      
portion bears to another1 and finally1  
with the help of ,heaven1 to make up his
 mind as to the true spirit and doctrine
 of the whole4 ,the reader can easily   
imagine the fervent prayers he uttered1 
the sleepless nights he passed1 and the 
arduous study he performed1 in his      

search for the light of truth4 ,after   
all this anxious solicitude1 this       
solitary mental struggle1 this prayerful
 communication with ,heaven1 he at      
length declared himself a believer in   
the final salvation of the whole human  
family4  ,great was the surprise1       
disappointment1 and chagrin of his      
father and friends generally4 ,being    
looked up to by the young men of his own
 age as a sort of leader in their       
secular plans and games1 the influence  
of his example was greatly feared as    
operating upon the younger portion of   
the church2 and as his joining it had   
been the occasion of much rejoicing at  
the time1 so his declaration of unbelief
 in its faith was the cause of a        
proportionate degree of sorrow4 ,his new
 declaration was at once pronounced to  
be downright heresy1 and he was         
accordingly excommunicated from his     
father's church1 the document with which
 he was honored on the occasion         
carefully stating that nothing was found

 against him1 but that he believed in   
the doctrine that ,god would finally    
save all men4  ,in relation to this     
subject1 ,mr4 ,ballou says3--,above all 
else1 my theological bias of mind       
predominated1 and engrossed most of my  
attention4 ,as ,i had formerly been in  
the habit1 while with the ,baptists1 of 
speaking in their meetings1 and of      
offering up prayer at conference        
meetings1 ,i now sometimes spoke my     
sentiments at meetings in my brother's  
house4 ,the church of which ,i was still
 a member thought it a duty to call me  
to answer for the course ,i had taken1  
and ,i was called upon to meet the      
accusation of believing in the salvation
 of all men4 ,i attended1 but did not   
feel it my duty to deny the charge1 or  
to renounce my belief4 ,i was therefore 
excommunicated from the church1 my      
letter of excommunication carefully     
stating that no fault was found in me1  
my belief in the salvation of all men   
excepted4 ,i shall ever remember the    

tears which ,i shed on this solemn      
occasion4  ,it was about this period    
that ,mr4 ,ballou1 ever in search of    
improvement1 possessed himself of some  
book of a liberal religious character as
 to the sentiments it inculcated1 when  
his father1 chancing to see him reading 
it1 told him decidedly that he would not
 have ,universalist books in his house4 
,promptly acquiescing1 as he always did1
 in his father's directions1 a few days 
subsequent1 the parent1 on returning    
home1 found ,hosea reading a book beside
 the wood-pile1 out of doors4 ,what book
 are you reading there8 he asked4 ,a    
,universalist book1 replied the son1    
respectfully4 ,an expression of         
dissatisfaction escaped the father1 as  
he turned away and entered the house4   
,watching until his son had placed the  
book in the wood-pile1 and left the     
spot1 the parent resolved to possess    
himself of it1 and perhaps even destroy 
it4 ,but1 lo6 when he opened it1 he     
found it was the ,bible4  ,in an article

 written many years subsequent1 relative
 to his conversion to the faith of      
,god's impartial grace1 ,mr4 ,ballou    
says3--,i found1 when conversing upon   
the subject1 that my ,calvinistic tenets
 could be made either to result in      
universal salvation1 or to compel me to 
acknowledge the partiality of the divine
 favor4 ,this gave me no small          
inquietude of mind1 as ,i was unable to 
derive satisfaction from sentiments     
which ,i could not defend4 ,that which  
more than anything else contributed to  
turn my thoughts seriously towards the  
belief of ,universalism1 was the ardent 
desire with which ,i found myself       
exercised that sinners might be brought 
to repentance and salvation4 ,i found it
 utterly impossible to bring my feelings
 to consent to the doctrine of eternal  
reprobation1 and ,i was compelled either
 to allow that such feelings were       
sinful1 or that my ,heavenly ,father1 in
 giving them to me1 had implanted an    
evidence in favor of the salvation of   

all men1 the force of which ,i found no 
means to resist4  ,as to ,mr4 ,ballou's 
having been brought up in the faith of  
,calvinism1 it was not without its      
benefits upon his after life1 for it    
gave to him a most unlimited and perfect
 knowledge of the various items of faith
 professed by that sect1 as well as the 
common tenets of all those who believe  
in the partial salvation only of the    
great human family4 ,owing to an early  
desire to understand the doctrine of    
,christianity aright1 while yet of      
tender age he became familiar with the  
arguments used in support of            
predestination1 election1 reprobation1  
the fall of man1 the penal suffering of 
,christ for the elect1 and many other   
items of creed relating to the moral    
agency of man4 ,concerning this subject1
 ,mr4 ,ballou says3--,as to the doctrine
 of ,calvinism1 in which my honored     
father was a believer1 and which        
doctrine he preached until nearly the   
end of his public labors1 my            

acquaintance with its various tenets1   
while quite a youth1 was by no means    
very limited1 owing to the pious        
endeavors of a parent whose affection   
for his children rendered him extremely 
anxious for their spiritual welfare1 and
 to an early desire of my own to        
understand the doctrine of ,christianity
 correctly4 ,it was necessary that he   
should understand these matters as he   
did1 and as he could only do1 by serving
 an apprenticeship to them1 so to speak1
 in order the better to enable him to   
refute them in after years1 when he     
should be arrayed in a moral conflict   
against them4 ,thus the pious and       
well-meant endeavors of his parent to   
inculcate the principles of his own     
faith in the mind of his child were but 
a part of the well ordained purpose of  
the ,almighty1 in raising up an able    
champion for the gospel of truth4  ,mr4 
,ballou says1 referring to the period   
just previous to his declaration of     
faith and consequent                    

excommunication3--,in the spring after  
,i joined the church in ,richmond1 ,i   
went1 with my brother ,stephen and our  
cousin ,jeremiah ,harris1 to the town of
 ,westfield1 in ,new ,york4 ,this town  
is now called ,harford4 ,here we labored
 together during that season1 attending 
,elder ,brown's meeting4 ,he was of the 
,baptist order4 ,even before ,i left    
home my mind had become somewhat shaken 
in regard to the doctrine of endless    
punishment4 ,i found it utterly out of  
my power to reconcile it with what all  
,christians professed of love to the    
unconverted2 nor could ,i reconcile it  
with many plain declarations of         
,scripture2 but ,i was by no means      
persuaded that salvation was for all    
men4 ,my brother1 knowing that ,i had   
trials of mind on this great subject1   
expressed a desire that ,i should have a
 conversation with ,elder ,brown        
relative to it1 hoping thereby that my  
doubts would be removed4 ,a conference  
was therefore appointed1 at the house of

 one of the elder's deacons4 ,there were
 a number present1 and the elder        
requested me to name some passage of    
,scripture which to my mind favored     
universal salvation2 expressing at the  
same time perfect confidence that he    
should be able to show me that the      
passage did by no means favor such      
doctrine4 ,i opened to the fifth chapter
 of the ,epistle to the ,romans1 and    
read the eighteenth verse1 as           
follows3--',therefore1 as by the offence
 of one judgment came upon all men to   
condemnation2 even so by the            
righteousness of one the free gift came 
upon all men unto justification of      
life4' ,the elder did not appear to be  
at all acquainted with the text1 for1   
instead of directing his remarks to it1 
he seemed to wander far off1 and to talk
 very loud1 and nothing to the subject4 
,when he paused1 ,i again read the text1
 and asked the elder if the same all men
 mentioned in the first part of the     
text1 were not mentioned in the last8   

,this simple question seemed to         
embarrass his mind2 he was evidently out
 of humor1 and manifested a bitter      
spirit1 which being discovered by my    
brother1 caused him to desire that the  
conversation should close1 and it did4  
,this circumstance tended rather to     
strengthen my mind in favor of universal
 and impartial grace1 and to induce a   
more thorough examination of the        
,scriptures and the subject4 ,i had no  
other book than the ,bible1 and all my  
early education lay like a broad sheet  
to cover that book from my vision4 ,but 
one or two passages were found1 and from
 them ,i found my way to others which   
seemed to agree with the first1 and it  
was not long before ,i was astonished at
 my ignorance of the ,scriptures4 ,the  
,bible was no longer the book it had    
been to me4 ,i became entirely convinced
 of the truth of the doctrine of        
,universalism4  ,it was therefore in the
 town of ,westfield1 ,n4 ,y41 that ,mr4 
,ballou came fully to believe in the    

final salvation of all mankind4 ,we do  
not mean to be understood that he came  
at once to the full belief of the       
doctrine that he afterwards taught1 but 
that he made at this time the earliest  
and most important advance towards the  
belief which he subsequently declared1  
and which has since become the creed of 
nine-tenths of the ,universalist        
denomination4 ,at this period he        
believed the doctrine1 as he says he    
preached it not many months afterwards1 
being the fall before he was twenty-one1
 when ,i began to speak in public1 he   
says1 believing and preaching universal 
salvation1 on the ,calvinistic          
principles of atonement and imputed     
righteousness4 ,the few ,universalists  
that then existed1 having obtained      
proof1 to their satisfaction1 that none 
of the human family would suffer endless
 punishment1 thought they had sufficient
 cause for rejoicing1 and seemed to be  
content to rest their discoveries there4
 ,further progress upon this subject was

 left for ,mr4 ,ballou to make and      
promulgate1 as by careful and unaided   
research he should come more fully to   
understand this most important subject4 
,at this time1 he writes in his         
manuscript before us1 fully realizing   
that the basis of all spiritual         
knowledge was the ,bible1 that blessed  
book was ever with me1 and not one      
moment in which ,i was freed from       
necessary labor was occupied save in its
 perusal4 ,i learned to love it1 to     
consult its pages with reverence1 and   
prayerfully1 that ,i might rightly      
interpret its true meaning4 ,i became   
very familiar with the various important
 passages1 which frequently gave me     
great advantage in controversy1 at that 
time1 on points of faith2 for it was the
 practice of those days to blindly give 
credence to such faith as was taught    
from the pulpit1 and1 leaving the       
minister to reason for the whole        
congregation1 they themselves rarely    
consulted the holy text1 in a spirit of 

inquiry1 though they deemed themselves  
most devout and reasonable ,christians4 
,by individual and careful explorations1
 ,i found my ,bible was able to teach me
 all ,i desired to know1 and that1 at   
the outset1 ,i had been miserably       
deceived in my early impressions of     
,god's word1 by not examining and       
weighing the subject matter of divine   
revelation for myself4 ,but such is the 
force of habit that those early         
impressions were at first constantly    
recurring to my mind1 and acting as     
stumbling blocks in the way of my onward
 progress4  ,it is often said that ,rev4
 ,john ,murray was an earlier preacher  
than the subject of this biography2 that
 he is called the father of             
,universalism in ,america2 and that ,mr4
 ,ballou received his opinions direct   
from him4 ,but those persons who say    
thus1 or entertain themselves such an   
idea1 are mistaken2 indeed1 as often as 
this remark is made1 it must always be  
by those who have thought little1 and   

known less1 of the history of           
,universalism4 ,no one venerates the    
memory of ,rev4 ,john ,murray more than 
the author of this memoir1 who1 indeed1 
out of respect for his ,christian       
virtues and excellence1 bears his name2 
but these records must be faithful in   
all respects4 ,so far from ,mr4         
,ballou's having obtained the opinions  
which formed the great and distinctive  
features of his doctrine from ,murray1  
that venerated minister did not believe 
the creed of ,universalists as taught by
 the subject of this biography1 namely3 
that the ,bible affords no evidence of  
punishment after death4 ,even at the    
time of ,murray's death he held most    
tenaciously to his early belief2 and he 
even preached the doctrine on the old   
,calvinistic principles1 between which  
and the doctrine promulgated by ,mr4    
,ballou there is a wide difference4     
,while in the town of ,westfield1 a     
serious accident occurred to ,mr4       
,ballou1 by which he nearly lost his    

life1 being1 by some accident1 most     
fearfully scalded4 ,after much suffering
 from the injury thus received1 he      
perfectly recovered1 and soon after     
returned once more to ,richmond1 being  
not yet twenty-one years of age4 ,he now
 first commenced the study of the       
,english grammar1 and attended for a    
period a school kept in the ,quaker     
meeting-house in his native town4  ,mr4 
,ballou says of this first attendance at
 school3--,it was a private school1 the 
first one ever opened in the town1 and  
was supported by a few young people with
 whom ,i united2 and here ,i obtained   
the first instruction in ,english       
grammar4 ,i now set myself to work in   
earnest to obtain learning4 ,i studied  
night and day1 slept little1 and ate    
little4  ,at the close of this school1  
being actuated by an earnest desire to  
obtain knowledge1 and realizing more    
than ever the immense advantage it      
bestowed1 he determined1 for a period1  
to devote his entire earnings to this   

end2 and1 in pursuance of this purpose1 
he immediately entered the ,chesterfield
 7,n4 ,h47 ,academy1 where1 by industry 
and incessant application1 allowing     
himself but a brief period of time out  
of the twenty-four hours each day for   
sleep1 in a very short space of time he 
acquired a good knowledge of the        
ordinary branches of an ,english        
education of those days4 ,the tuition   
received by ,mr4 ,ballou at this academy
 was the first worthy of mention that he
 had ever enjoyed1 and was of vastly    
more importance to him than all he had  
been taught before1 or had himself      
acquired1 as it regarded the rudiments  
of his native language4 ,fortunately1   
the instructors employed were men of    
sound ability1 and consequently from his
 studies here he realized most important
 and lasting benefit4  ,it was not alone
 the additional theoretical knowledge   
that he acquired here that we refer to  
as being of so much advantage to him2 it
 was also that which he saw and realized

 while at this school4 ,it was the      
spirit of emulation that was imparted to
 his disposition by observing others in 
their progress1 as it regarded mental   
culture1 and the acquirement of useful  
knowledge4 ,his early associations had  
been among that class who had paid but  
little attention to mental cultivation4 
,he had enjoyed but a limited           
opportunity thus far to judge of the    
incomparable power and importance of    
education2 but now he realized it at a  
glance1 and1 determining to let no means
 within his power remain unexercised in 
the great purpose of obtaining knowledge
 and of cultivating intelligence1 he    
gathered his golden harvest from every  
available source1 and stored it in the  
cells of his brain4  ,we have heard him 
refer particularly to this period1 as   
having devoted the hours of the night1  
as well as those of the day1 to enable  
him to keep pace with more experienced  
minds and better cultivated intellects1 
and how apparently gratified the        

preceptor was to see him able and       
thorough in his recitations1 knowing the
 strong disadvantages under which he    
labored4 ,it was his good fortune to    
make the acquaintance of the teachers on
 good terms4 ,they seemed prepossessed  
in his favor1 and were exceedingly kind1
 and even assiduous1 in rendering him   
every needed assistance in his studies4 
,this was of unquestionable advantage to
 him1 and made him1 if possible1 more   
attentive than he would otherwise have  
been as to studies and recitations1 that
 those who had been so kind to him might
 see that their labor was not thrown    
away4 ,i well remember1 says ,mr4       
,ballou1 the kindness and consideration 
exercised towards me by ,professor      
,logan1 the principal of the academy1   
who seemed resolved that my tuition     
should be of real benefit to me4 ,and   
thus1 indeed1 it really proved1 forming 
a foundation on which to rear a         
structure of useful knowledge1 and the  
better to enable him to arrange and     

discipline his mind4  ,on leaving the   
academy1 he obtained a certificate      
testifying to his sound moral character 
and ability1 which document proved of   
considerable benefit to him afterwards  
in obtaining various situations as a    
teacher4 ,schools for the young were    
then kept but a short period at a time  
in ,new ,england1 and thus the teacher  
had often occasion to change the field  
of his operations4 ,though thus engaged 
in the calling of a school-master1 his  
mind1 he has frequently told us1 was at 
all times1 when not immediately engaged 
with his pupils1 occupied with the one  
great subject that had already taken    
such root in his heart1--that of        
religion4 ,his ,bible was ever in his   
hands or about his person for frequent  
reference1 and his earnest and constant 
prayer to ,heaven was that he might be  
able rightly to comprehend and analyze  
its doctrinal teachings4  ,he found his 
daily increasing knowledge of the ,bible
 to be of great advantage to him1 as he 

says himself1 in argument with others1  
and also as it regarded properly        
weighing and arranging in his own mind  
its various parts1 and the bearing each 
sustained to the other4 ,the early      
knowledge thus obtained of the holy text
 never left him1 and was retained with  
most miraculous power and correctness   
through his entire life4     ,,chapter  
,v4  ,,commences ,,to ,,preach4   ,while
 ,mr4 ,ballou was yet but twenty years  
of age1 he made one or two unsuccessful 
attempts to preach a regular discourse4 
,that is1 he delivered sermons once or  
twice at the period referred to1 before 
small assemblies of his personal friends
 and relations4 ,but so far from        
satisfying himself in relation to his   
ability for public speaking1 he was     
quite disheartened by the result that   
attended these his first efforts4 ,yet1 
by the constant solicitations of those  
who were curious to hear him discourse  
upon the topic of his peculiar views1 he
 continued to speak1 despite of the     

advice of his immediate friends and     
relations1 until he not only soon       
satisfied himself as to his abilities1  
but also received the cordial approval  
of a large number of those who would1 at
 the outset1 have discouraged him       
entirely4  ,in relation to this period  
of his life1 ,mr4 ,ballou gives us his  
own words1 and to the point4 ,but the   
reader will please to mark that when he 
speaks at this period of ,universalists1
 he refers to those who thus called     
themselves1 but who would1 in these     
days1 be more properly denominated      
,restorationists4 ,the correctness of   
this statement will at once be seen from
 the fact of his saying that he met     
,john ,murray1 etc41 at the first       
,universalist convention which he ever  
attended1 while those who are acquainted
 with that honored teacher's tenets of  
faith are aware1 as we have already     
stated in these pages1 that he lived and
 died solemnly believing in a state of  
future suffering or punishment2 and more

 latterly during his life he sustained  
many controversies with ,mr4 ,ballou on 
this very subject4  ,in ,september of   
the year preceding my beginning to      
preach1 says ,mr4 ,ballou1 ,i went to   
,oxford with my brother ,david1 to      
attend the first ,universalist          
convention ,i had ever met with4 ,here  
,i saw ,john ,murray for the first time1
 and ,george ,richards1 and some other  
public preachers4 ,the next summer after
 ,i was twenty years old1 ,i labored    
with my brother on his farm1 and late in
 the fall made my first attempt to      
preach4 ,this was on an evening1 and at 
the house of ,deacon ,thayer1 in        
,richmond4 ,mr4 ,thayer had been a      
deacon in the ,baptist church1 but had  
become a ,universalist1 and still       
retained his office with the last-named 
denomination4 ,my brother and ,rev4     
,caleb ,rich were present to hear my    
first attempt to preach2 and1 according 
to what ,i could learn1 they had their  
doubts whether ,i had a talent for such 

labor1 but were not without some hope4  
,the second time ,i attempted to preach 
was in the town of ,brattleboro'1 ,vt41 
where my brother preached in the        
daytime1 and ,i undertook to speak in   
the evening1 being overpersuaded to do  
so2 but this attempt was a failure1 and 
,i was greatly mortified1 and thought1  
for a time1 that ,i would not engage in 
a work for which ,i was not competent4  
,however1 it was not long before ,i     
became encouraged to try again1 after   
which ,i met with no remarkable failure 
to produce discouragement4  ,the        
comparative failure of ,mr4 ,ballou's   
earliest attempts at public speaking1   
although soon afterwards followed by    
complete success1 is not at all         
surprising4 ,it is exceedingly rare to  
find the first efforts of orators       
satisfactory to themselves and to their 
friends4 ,the first attempt of ,richard 
,brinsley ,sheridan1 the most brilliant 
orator of his time1--if1 perhaps1 we    
except ,burke1 who was1 however1 more   

distinguished by the eloquence of his   
diction1--was a complete and decided    
failure4 ,but1 knowing himself1 he      
declared emphatically that it was in    
him1 and must come out4 ,when ,general1 
then ,colonel1 ,washington rose to      
respond to a complimentary address of   
the legislature of his native colony1 he
 found it impossible to express himself2
 and the first efforts of the           
illustrious and lamented ,henry ,clay   
gave no promise of his future eminence4 
,it would be easy to multiply           
illustrations of the fact that it is    
only step by step that fame and honor   
are attained4 ,no one springs at a bound
 to the summit of his reputation and    
usefulness4 ,it is only shallow         
pretenders who sometimes shine with a   
false lustre at the outset of their     
career1 soon to sink into utter         
insignificance4 ,but the true man1 the  
man of sterling genius and worth1       
conscious of a high mission1 and        
confiding in ,providence for the energy 

and inspiration necessary to fulfil it1 
is not daunted with the obstacles that  
present themselves at the outset of his 
career4 ,they are regarded as trials and
 tests as to his adaptedness to the     
purpose for which he is created4 ,from  
every rebuff he acquires new strength2  
he puts forth redoubled energy1 until at
 last he triumphs over every impediment1
 and stands forth in the full energy of 
his being4  ,had not ,mr4 ,ballou been  
prompted by such a spirit as this1 had  
he not been possessed of an             
extraordinary vigor of character1 for   
which he was ever remarkable1 he would  
hardly have persevered in his attempts  
to preach under these discouraging      
circumstances4 ,it will be remembered   
that he did not sit down and compose a  
discourse which he afterwards read to   
his audience2 this is comparatively an  
easy task4 ,he spoke extemporaneously   
then1 as he ever did afterwards4 ,in    
subsequent years he was frequently      
called upon for manuscript copies of his

 discourses for publication4 ,but the   
sermons were not written until after    
they had been delivered2 and it was not 
his practice to put on paper even the   
heads of his discourse to take into the 
desk with him for reference in delivery4
 ,trusting entirely to his powerfully   
retentive memory1 the arrangement of his
 sermons was as methodical and correct  
as though penned in the seclusion of his
 study4 ,we have heard some persons1    
more nice than wise1 speak of his       
extemporaneous delivery as an objection1
 and find fault because he did not write
 his discourses1 and thus deliver them  
from his notes in the pulpit4 ,we have a
 word to say in relation to this        
subject1 since it has been thus referred
 to4  ,to speak extempore and at the    
same time to speak well and to the      
purpose1 to arrange certain points and  
arguments mentally with nice precision1 
so as to deliver them with fluency and  
effect1 must require a strong and       
healthy intellect1 a powerful and       

original mind4 ,but a man with an       
ordinary degree of mental cultivation1  
who cannot write a discourse and read it
 afterward1 must be singularly deficient
 in his intellectual capacity4 ,it is   
impossible for an audience to feel so   
deep an interest in the service as that 
which is felt in listening to the       
spontaneous outbreakings of a warm and  
ardent mind while it is engaged upon the
 holy theme4 ,the speaker must          
invariably grow enthusiastic in so      
glorious a cause as he advocates1 and   
his audience necessarily partake of his 
feelings4 ,but when there is any        
particular degree of spirit or animation
 evinced by one who is reading his      
discourse verbatim et literatim1 it is  
of necessity a preconcerted exhibition1 
and as such must fail of its effect with
 the majority4 ,it may be said that no  
man can lay out so well his matter1 nor 
give so good and sound an argument1     
spontaneously1 as when he commits his   
ideas to paper4 ,this1 as a general     

thing1 must be conceded1 for there are  
comparatively few intellects            
sufficiently powerful to adopt the      
opposite course4  ,the advantages of    
extemporaneous speaking are doubtless   
many4 ,it enables the individual to     
place himself in closer contact with the
 feelings of his audience1 giving him   
the power to take advantage of any      
bright thought that unexpected impulse  
may impart4 ,an experienced commander   
arranges the general plan of an         
engagement before going into battle1 but
 he can do no more1 for circumstances   
must guide him in the conflict4 ,he must
 improve the opportunity to throw       
forward his forces just at the right    
moment1 not too soon nor too late1 as   
such an indiscretion might change the   
fortunes of the day1 and lose the battle
 to him who would else have won it4 ,so 
with the preacher2 he must watch the    
inner man of his hearers1 and1 as he    
gains ground in the heart1 follow up his
 influence by well-sustained argument1  

and strengthen his position by proper   
means made available at the appropriate 
moment1--neither too lightly nor yet    
with too much force1 but be guided      
safely by the strength of the position  
he already holds in the minds of his    
audience4  ,such things cannot be       
correctly anticipated1 and laid down    
beforehand1 by comma and period1 in the 
study4 ,mr4 ,ballou's arguments were    
arranged with the utmost precision1 his 
reasoning followed in the most logical  
array1 and all the while he was talking 
to the people in the most unconcerned   
and familiar manner1 as though each     
respective member of his congregation   
was sitting by his own fireside and the 
preacher had happened in4 ,this is the  
mode of preaching which is effectual1   
and all the flowers of rhetoric may seek
 in vain to attain a like influence over
 the hearts and sympathies of an        
auditory4 ,the latter mode of preaching 
may please1 but the former will         
convince2 the first will make           

worshippers1 the last admirers4 ,thinks 
the reader that the simple fishermen of 
,galilee--yet the chosen of ,god--sought
 by the vain and gaudy ornaments of     
elegant delivery and studied eloquence  
to please the people8 ,no6 ,they        
preached the holy word in all meekness1 
striving to exalt not themselves1 but   
rather the name of him who had sent     
them4  ,mr4 ,ballou says1 relative to   
the period when he commenced to         
preach3--,mr4 ,logan1 the preceptor1    
gave me a certificate when ,i left the  
,chesterfield ,academy1 which was       
sufficient to enable me to get a school 
in ,bellingham1 ,mass4 ,here ,i taught  
school during the other days of the     
week1 and preached on the ,sabbath4     
,when ,i first engaged in preaching1 it 
was not with the most distant           
expectation that ,i should support      
myself by the ministry2 but ,i thought  
,i could keep school some1 and labor    
some with my hands1 and live with but a 
little income4 ,from ,bellingham ,i went

 to the town of ,foster1 ,r4 ,i41 where 
my father formerly lived1 and there my  
father taught a large school and had    
good compensation2 and here also on the 
,sabbath ,i preached in the school-house
 where ,i taught4 ,from this place ,i   
went to ,scituate1 in ,r4 ,i41 where ,i 
preached and taught school4 ,my meetings
 grew very large1 and ,i was called on  
to go to different places1--to          
,smithfield1 ,providence1 ,pawtucket1   
etc4 ,after ,i had spent about two years
 in keeping school and preaching1 ,i    
found that ,i had used up all my        
earnings1 had laid up nothing1 except   
that ,i had more costly clothing than   
when ,i first began4 ,and now1 at the   
age of twenty-four1 ,i was so much      
called on to preach that ,i gave up     
keeping school1 and devoted my time to  
the ministry1 receiving now and then    
some compensation for my services4  ,mr4
 ,ballou's life as a public minister may
 be said to have commenced at the age of
 twenty4 ,from that time1 as it became  

known that he preached the doctrine     
which was deemed by nearly all to be    
such a heresy1 there were numerous      
invitations1 as he shows us above1      
pouring in upon him from all quarters1  
to come and address the people          
concerning the faith he had espoused4   
,his labors were by no means confined to
 ,rhode ,island1 but he preached in the 
neighborhood of ,richmond1 and in       
various parts of ,vermont and           
,massachusetts1 improving every moment  
of leisure time in the most careful     
study of the ,scriptures4 ,he no longer 
preached on the ,sabbath only1 but also 
on nearly every consecutive evening of  
the week4 ,it was easy to gather an     
audience1 anxious and ready to listen to
 the new and most happy doctrine that   
the preacher taught1 and even at this   
early period of his ministerial career  
he began to address those spontaneous   
mass assemblies that in after years     
always gathered from all directions to  
listen to him whenever he appeared4     

,entirely forgetting himself1 and with  
but one great object in view1 that of   
preaching ,god's impartial grace1 and of
 convincing all who would listen to him 
of the glorious truths of ,universalism1
 he counted not the hours of mental     
labor which now increased upon him1 but 
labored hard and willingly with his     
hands to clothe himself1 receiving but a
 mere trifle for his professional       
labors4 ,pay1 at this period1 he never  
demanded1 and very rarely expected2 he  
was fully contented with the inward     
recompense which he realized4  ,at this 
period of my life1 says ,mr4 ,ballou1 my
 health was very indifferent4 ,i had    
most of the time a severe pain in the   
pit of my stomach1 and my appetite was  
far from being good1 and so debilitated 
was ,i in strength that ,i have even    
been obliged to sit while ,i preached4  
,it became necessary for me to procure a
 vehicle to journey in1 being too weak  
to ride on horseback2 however1 by care  
and good advice1 ,i gradually recruited4

 ,my travelling for that period was     
extensive1 from ,cape ,ann east1 to the 
,connecticut ,river west1 to ,richmond  
north1 and ,new ,london and ,hartford   
south4 ,all my ,sabbaths were employed1 
and many lectures were attended during  
each week4 ,i preached in meeting-houses
 when they could be obtained1 sometimes 
in school-houses1 sometimes in barns1   
and not very seldom in groves and       
orchards1 and often in private houses4  
,to the people1 the doctrine ,i preached
 was new1 and the opposition lacked not 
for bitterness2 and such was my         
condition that ,i was constantly in     
conflict1 and never allowed to put off  
my armor to rest1 day or night4 ,all    
manner of evil reports concerning me    
were invented1 and the worst of slander 
circulated1 all tending to make me      
regardless of what my enemies said4 ,my 
answer to all this slander was1 while   
they speak thus falsely of me1 ,i am in 
no danger2 if ,i am injured ,i shall do 
that myself4  ,theology was a subject of

 most sombre hue at this period in ,new 
,england4 ,calvinism had twined its     
choking fibres so closely about the     
sacred tree1 that its branches drooped1 
and its leaves withered in the sunshine 
of truth4 ,the doctrines taught from the
 pulpit1 while they were listened to as 
a duty1 were yet repulsive to the heart 
of the hearer1 and abhorrent to his very
 soul4 ,the principle of divine love was
 clouded wholly from sight by the dark  
mass of murky error that enshrouded all 
scripture teachings4 ,the duties of man 
to his ,maker and to himself were held  
forth under fearful threats1 as a       
penalty for disobedience1 but the idea  
that in the performance of our duty real
 happiness is alone to be found1 while  
sin most surely brings its own          
punishment1 was never publicly advanced4
 ,sinfulness1 aside from the liabilities
 of eternity1 was not held up to be     
avoided1 but rather acknowledged to be  
pleasant and desirable1 while those who 
trod the paths of righteousness were    

taught to consider themselves as        
self-sacrificing martyrs1 and told to   
look for their reward in eternity4 ,it  
was these obvious inconsistencies that  
at first challenged the attention of the
 subject of this memoir4 ,and when he   
stood up and boldly exposed these       
palpable errors1 when he preached love  
while others preached wrath to the      
people1 it is not singular that those   
who were so diametrically opposed to him
 in faith should be ready to believe and
 propagate any stories that might       
reflect upon his character1 and thus    
detract from his influence as exercised 
upon those who so eagerly listened to   
him1 and in whose hearts1 in the very   
nature of things1 he was sure of an     
answering and approving sentiment4  ,it 
is a matter of regret that ,mr4 ,ballou 
has left no record of his journeyings   
and labors during this important period 
of his clerical career1 as such a       
narrative would have been most deeply   
interesting to his family and friends4  

,the amount of labor he performed must  
have been prodigious1 and fully accounts
 for the enfeebled bodily condition to  
which he alludes4 ,every fibre of his   
intellectual frame must have been       
constantly in a state of extreme        
tension2 for his was not the easy task  
of preaching on the ,sabbath a written  
discourse which he had taken a whole    
week to prepare1 but1 as we have said1  
he was called upon almost daily to      
address large audiences and promiscuous 
assemblies4 ,nor was his the pleasant   
duty of the navigator who follows the   
course of the stream and the tide4 ,he  
was a pioneer2 he preached a new        
doctrine2 and1 as he says1 the          
opposition lacked not for bitterness4   
,it is not surely an exaggeration to    
declare that ,universalism in those days
 was popularly regarded with as much    
hostility as ,infidelity itself is now4 
,hence1 in addition to the severe       
fatigue of travel1 the necessity of     
finding constantly new arguments and new

 illustrations1 to sway the minds of    
constantly changing auditors1 he had to 
battle valiantly1 like a soldier of     
,christ1 against the most vigorous and  
determined opposition4  ,in this        
condition1 how mentally and physically  
trying must have been his incessant     
labors in his ,master's vineyard6       
,neither by night nor by day could he   
for a moment lay aside his armor4       
,standing alone1 there was no respite to
 his exertions4 ,later in life he beheld
 a host of able followers ready to      
relieve him of a portion of his duties4 
,his doctrine was no longer the theme of
 obloquy and outrage4 ,he outlived      
calumny and detraction4 ,but it will be 
seen that even in extreme old age he did
 not spare himself2 he did not suffer   
sloth to creep upon his spirit1 nor rust
 to gather on his armor4 ,he was still  
the favored champion of his cause1 and  
ever ready to minister to the spiritual 
wants of his brethren in the faith4     
,with the close of his itinerant labors1

 we now come to another important and   
interesting epoch in his life4          
,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,becomes ,a ,,settled 
,,minister4   ,the first place in which 
,mr4 ,ballou engaged permanently as a   
settled minister was in the town of     
,dana1 ,mass41 in #agid-e4 ,the society 
here1 not feeling able to pay for an    
engagement which should occupy him the  
whole time1 engaged him for a portion1  
leaving him to supply the societies in  
,oxford and ,charlton1 ,mass41 also1 a  
portion of the time4 ,having now become 
located1 and his residence known1 large 
numbers of people from a distance       
gathered to hear him1 not only on the   
,sabbath1 but frequently for several    
consecutive days of the week besides4   
,many there were who held his doctrine  
to be such damning heresy that they     
counted it a sin even to listen to it2  
while others of his religious opponents1
 holding that there is no error so      
crooked but it hath in it some lines of 
truth1 came and listened1 and the seed  

not unfrequently fell into good soil1   
bringing forth a hundred fold4  ,often  
was ,i greeted at this time1 says ,mr4  
,ballou1 by people who would say1 ',sir1
 ,i heard you preach a sermon1 a few    
weeks since1 from such a text1' naming  
it1 'and ,i have been uneasy and anxious
 in my mind ever since4 ,if your        
doctrine is true1 ,i must understand and
 believe it4 ,but1 alas6 ,i fear it is  
too good to be true2 it is so different 
from what ,i have been brought up to    
believe that ,i cannot divest my mind of
 early prejudices sufficiently to       
receive it1 though ,heaven knows how    
gladly ,i could do so4' ,then the       
individual would quote some passages of 
scripture which seemed to him to be     
insuperable objections to the doctrine  
,i professed1 and ,i would do all in my 
power to explain these passages to his  
mind1 in the way ,i had myself already  
learned to interpret them4 ,usually1    
with the blessing of ,divine            
,providence1 ,i was successful1 at least

 in a large degree1 and on the following
 ,sabbath ,i was pretty sure to find the
 honest seeker after truth among my     
congregation1 and the following ,sabbath
 he would be there again1 attentively   
listening to the word1 until1 finally1  
he came forth and openly espoused the   
blessed doctrine of ,god's impartial    
grace4 ,thus encouraged with the growth 
of the seed that ,i strewed by the      
way-side1 my task was a grateful one to 
my soul1 and ,i was constantly gladdened
 by the visible fruits of my efforts in 
disenthralling men's minds of the dogmas
 and blind creeds that early prejudice  
and the schools had inculcated4  ,let it
 be borne in mind that at this period he
 was preaching ,universalism on the     
principle of the final restoration of   
the whole human family1 not having      
satisfied himself yet that there would  
be no punishment in a future state of   
existence1 or1 indeed1 ever thought upon
 this subject to any great extent4      
,owing to the very trifling amount of   

his remuneration from the society in    
,dana1 while he resided there1 besides  
tilling a small portion of land1 he was 
obliged to keep school during the week1 
and this engagement was often broken    
into for lecture purposes4 ,his keeping 
and teaching school was a benefit to him
 beyond the pecuniary consideration he  
received1 inasmuch as it familiarized   
him with many branches of an ,english   
education which he would perhaps        
otherwise never have acquired1 or at    
least not nearly so thoroughly as he did
 by this means4  ,uninfluenced by the   
sneers of his opposers1 and the poor    
remuneration he received for the        
preaching of his belief1 he never for   
one moment wavered in a steadfast       
purpose1 even at this early period1 to  
preach ,christ and him crucified1 and   
the unsearchable riches of ,god's       
goodness4 ,in this connection we are    
reminded of the remarks of the editor of
 the ,new ,covenant1 ,chicago1 ,ill41   
who1 in his obituary notice of the      

decease of ,mr4 ,ballou1 says3--  ,but  
now we are called to mourn the departure
 of one who1 when our cause had scarcely
 a name to live1--when it was the       
subject of the sneer of the bigot1 as   
well as of the profane curse of the     
irreligious1 and even its warmest       
friends scarcely dared to hope for its  
resurrection to honor and respect1--bent
 the energy of a giant mind to a        
life-long defence and promulgation of   
the truth1--by his unanswerable         
arguments turned the sneer of bigotry   
into a smile of hope1 and the curses of 
the profane into blessings1--of one who 
has done more in this age for the       
liberalizing of religious sentiment than
 all his contemporaries combined4       
,strong in the faith he preached1 and   
steadfastly believing it must at last   
triumph1 from early youth to mature old 
age he has kept on his armor and fought 
the good fight of faith1 and death even 
found him at his post as a faithful     
sentinel1 and in the midnight hour he   

could answer1 ',all is well6'  ,at the  
age of twenty-five1 and while resident  
in the town of ,dana1 he became         
acquainted with the family of ,stephen  
,washburn1 in the town of ,williamsburg1
 ,mass41 and1 after an intimate         
acquaintance of about a year1 he married
 their youngest daughter1 ,ruth         
,washburn1 who was some eight years     
younger than himself4 ,his wife1 like   
her husband1 had been brought up to     
habits of industry and economy2 she     
proved a kind1 constant1 and devoted    
help-mate through his entire life1      
sharing with him every joy and every    
burthen1 and1 by the influence of a     
naturally strong and well balanced mind1
 a cheerful and gentle disposition1     
exercising a most goodly influence upon 
his life and labors4 ,she became the    
careful and prudent mother of a large   
family1 nine of whom lived to rear      
families themselves during the life of  
their parents4 ,through their whole     
lives there was a remarkable oneness of 

feeling1 and a depth of affection       
evinced by each for the other1 that     
years served only to increase1 and old  
age to cement the more closely4 ,but of 
this matter we may yet speak more fully4
  ,mr4 ,ballou resided in the town of   
,dana for about seven years1 devoting   
every spare hour to careful study of the
 ,scriptures1 systematizing his time by 
a careful division of the hours of the  
day1 and permitting himself but a very  
brief portion of time for sleep4  ,when 
we say that he devoted his time so      
assiduously to study1 we do not mean    
that he occupied himself in the perusal 
of books alone4 ,he thought much1       
communed with himself alone1 and even at
 that period accustomed himself to a    
degree of inward or mental communion    
with himself1 that would seem to exclude
 the world about him1 for the time      
being1 from his sense of seeing or      
hearing4 ,this was more observable in   
later years1 when he often sat long in  
his study thus1 sometimes with his eyes 

closed1 sometimes with their pupils     
directed to the floor or the ceiling of 
the room1 his lips moving1 and at last1 
having seemingly weighed well some      
important matter1 he would rouse again  
as if from a trance1 and look about him 
with apparent satisfaction at the result
 he seemed to have accomplished4        
,sometimes these moments were followed  
by the use of the pen for records in his
 note-book of texts and sermon heads1   
sometimes by a reference to the         
,scriptures1 and sometimes by a walk in 
the open air2 then his lips would be    
seen to move1 and he would be quite     
oblivious to all outward circumstances4 
,he studied thus1 carefully and deeply4 
,at times he would walk in the fields or
 the woods while thus occupied2 and the 
family never disturbed him by any       
remarks1 or by calling his attention1   
while he was thus mentally absorbed4 ,in
 another part of this biography1        
reference will be found concerning this 
peculiarity1 as exhibited at a later    

period of his life1 and observed by one 
who was an inmate of his family1 and a  
student of divinity with him4 ,the      
family were accustomed to his mood in   
these matters1 but it usually affected a
 stranger1 or one not familiar with him1
 in quite an impressive and solemn      
manner2 it seemed so much as though he  
was communing with unseen spirits1 and a
 power that was invisible to those about
 him or to himself1 save through the    
powers of his mental vision4  ,it would 
seem that the little bodily rest which  
he allowed himself at this period must  
have induced physical debility2 and yet 
it did not appear to do so4 ,in         
travelling1 a large portion of his short
 journeyings were made in the evening2  
sometimes at midnight even1 and often   
before the break of day1 in order to    
fulfil necessary appointments without   
encroaching upon his arrangements at    
home4 ,when stopping for his horse to   
take rest and food1 himself much        
fatigued1 he would take his watch from  

his pocket1 and1 laying it upon a table 
near some place where he could find a   
recumbent position1 he would carefully  
mark the time1 and say distinctly to    
himself1 ,i will sleep now for just one 
hour1 when ,i must awake and go on4     
,singular as this may seem1 he has told 
us that he never failed to awake at the 
expiration of the hour1 and1 much       
refreshed1 he would mount his horse and 
press on to fill some professional      
engagement1 perhaps twenty or thirty    
miles from the stopping-place4 ,at other
 times1 while his horse was eating1 he  
would deliver a sermon1 and1 having     
completed it1 would1 without stopping   
for any physical refreshment for        
himself1 start off once more on his     
mission4  ,in searching the ,scriptures1
 he says1 to enable myself to preach as 
the divine oracles taught1 ,i became    
satisfied that those who were then      
called ,universalists had founded their 
doctrine on wrong principles1 as well as
 other denominations4 ,the doctrine of  

man's native depravity1 of original sin1
 of the deserts of eternal misery1 of   
the vicarious sufferings of ,christ1 by 
which he endured1 in man's stead1 the   
divine penalty of ,god's law1 whereby   
man could escape the punishment due to  
his sins1 was believed by those who     
called themselves ,universalists1 as    
well as by ,calvinists3 also1 the       
doctrine of the ,trinity1 holding that  
,christ is equal to ,god1 or1 in other  
words1 is ,god1 being the second person 
in the holy ,trinity4 ,all these        
notions1 as it appeared to me1 were     
essential errors1 constituting a mass of
 confusion4 ,i soon renounced all these 
views1 and preached only ,god1 and one  
mediator between ,god and man1 the man  
,christ ,jesus4 ,all my brethren in the 
ministry1 and all our friends1 stood on 
the old platform1 and ,i found that ,i  
had to contend with ,universalists as   
well as with partialists4 ,but ,i went  
to my work in earnest1 laboring1 with   
all my skill and with all my limited    

talents1 to convince my brethren in the 
ministry1 and all who heard me preach1  
that the doctrines of the ,trinity1 of  
depravity1 of eternal penalty1 etc41    
were neither the doctrines of the       
,scriptures nor of reason4 ,the         
opposition to my sentiments fast gave   
way among ,universalists1 though even   
among them ,i met with as bitter        
opposition1 in some instances1 as from  
other denominations4 ,the first time ,i 
preached in ,bro4 ,murray's church1 in  
,boston1 was during his absence in      
,philadelphia1 and ,i then came out     
fully with my ,unitarian views1 which   
produced great disturbance4 ,some were  
violent in their opposition1 while      
others1 and not a few1 fell in with my  
manner of explaining the ,scriptures4 ,i
 was then twenty-eight years of age4    
,mr4 ,ballou says that his declaring his
 views on this occasion was the cause of
 great disturbance4 ,this disturbance   
was so earnest that some few of the     
audience1 more bitter than the rest1    

rose in their seats and declared that   
the sentiments which had been uttered   
were not in accordance with ,mr4        
,murray's views1 etc4 ,whereupon ,mr4   
,ballou simply informed them that he had
 been invited1 without solicitation on  
his own part1 to preach in that desk2   
that he came there to preach no one's   
convictions but his own2 that he never  
had consulted1 and never should consult1
 the taste of his audience as to the    
doctrine he preached to them2 but that  
he should proclaim the truth1 as1 by the
 help of ,heaven1 he had been enabled to
 learn it from the ,bible1 and the truth
 only6  ,on the subsequent day ,mr4     
,ballou was formally waited upon by a   
committee from the ,society1 who thanked
 him for the discourse1 and a majority  
coincided also in his peculiar views4   
,the conclusions as to doctrine at which
 he arrived were based upon severe study
 and profound reflection2 and when we   
consider the age at which he had        
elaborated and enunciated a creed of    

such vast importance1 a creed so        
entirely in advance of his              
contemporaries1 we cannot fail to be    
most forcibly impressed with the        
extraordinary originality and remarkable
 precocity of his intellect4 ,such early
 vigor and maturity would have been     
astonishing in one who had enjoyed all  
the advantages of early training1 all   
the aids afforded by the best           
theological institutions and            
instructors2 but in one who had passed  
through so many hardships1 overcome so  
many difficulties1 and was so           
emphatically self-taught and self-made1 
they can only be regarded as evidences  
of the highest genius1 and the immediate
 favorable interposition of ,divine     
,providence4  ,his unshaken faith and   
inflexibility of conviction are evinced 
by the fact that he stood firm1 not only
 against the opposing sects1 but against
 the disciples of the improved doctrine 
which he first preached4 ,it requires   
not a little energy to confront declared

 foes2 but to contend with friends1 to  
risk the loss of their favor and        
support1 is a trial which few have the  
boldness to sustain4 ,but the subject of
 this biography knew not what           
temporizing meant2 his whole life1 his  
whole intellect1 all his energies1 were 
devoted to the discovery of truth1 and  
the enunciation of the truth he         
discovered4 ,had he stood entirely      
alone1 without one single friend1       
without one single proselyte1 he would  
have spoken as he did1 boldly1          
earnestly1 candidly1 the apostle and    
defender of his faith4 ,the inspiration 
of his mission was from on high2 neither
 applause nor opposition changed his    
views1 or in the least affected his     
serene and constant equanimity4  ,the   
patient and unruffled manner in which he
 always held a controversy has been     
often remarked of him2 himself the mark 
for all manner of personalities and low 
reflections1 he never descended to such 
a mode of warfare1 being fully content  

in the justice and power of his cause1  
and considering that as more than equal 
to low cunning1 or1 indeed1 any trickery
 of those who opposed him so bitterly4  
,flattery would have been equally       
powerless in effect upon him1 for he    
looked not to man for approval1 but to  
his own conscience and his ,god4 ,love  
of applause is a most natural trait in  
our dispositions4 ,the hero of a hundred
 battles feels his heart glow afresh at 
the grateful meed of praise2 the        
politician reads the glowing accounts of
 his own eloquence with secret          
gratification2 and who is there so      
humble that is not susceptible of       
flattery1 who so high in worldly honors 
that they do not acknowledge the potency
 of applause8 ,and yet we shall be      
sustained in the remark by all who knew 
the subject of these memoirs intimately1
 when we say1 that neither ridicule nor 
flattery moved him in the least1 the    
single purpose of his life being his    
,master's business2 and he ever         

acknowledged himself1 that he really    
endeavored to be 7and beyond which he   
aspired not7 the servant of all men4    
,few persons1 with his power over the   
masses1 and holding the position that   
was universally accorded to him1 but    
that would have often brought themselves
 as individuals1 with their personal    
interests and desires1 before the       
public2 self-aggrandizement will almost 
always discover itself more or less in  
prominent public men4 ,but he knew no   
such incentive2 he had one grand object 
in view1 one which he never lost sight  
of1 and which was more than paramount to
 everything else combined2--it was to   
inculcate the religion of ,god's        
impartial goodness and eternal grace4   
,in the thirtieth year of his age1 he   
was induced to accept of the invitation 
of the towns of ,woodstock1 ,hartland1  
,bethel1 and ,barnard1 ,vt41 making the 
latter place his home4 ,while resident  
here he devoted himself to ardent and   
constant study1 and in the year #ahjd   

produced his ,notes on the ,parables1   
one of the most popular and useful      
books1 even to the present day1 in the  
,universalist library4 ,it has passed   
through numerous large editions1 and a  
new one1 at this present writing1 is    
about to be put to press4 ,it is a book 
containing nearly the same amount of    
matter as the present memoir in the     
reader's hand4 ,this book was written   
and published at a time when ,mr4       
,ballou's health was really suffering   
from the effects of his unremitting     
labors1 both mental and physical4  ,my  
health1 he says1 in those years which ,i
 passed in ,vermont1 was generally very 
good4 ,i had some time1 previous to     
removing from ,dana1 been gaining health
 and growing more corpulent1 so that my 
uniform weight for several years was    
about two hundred pounds4 ,but at the   
time when he wrote the ,notes1 for a    
considerable period he had been         
over-tasked1 and so much so as to       
materially affect his health4 ,the roads

 about the country were of a very poor  
character1 and being unable to use a    
vehicle on many of the routes over which
 he passed1 he was frequently obliged to
 accomplish his journeys on horseback1  
which was a severe draft upon his       
strength4 ,in his first preface to the  
edition of ,notes on the ,parables1 the 
author thus refers to the subject of the
 book3--  ,in my travels through the    
country in discharge of duties enjoined 
by the ministry of the ,saviour of      
sinners1 ,i have met with more          
opposition to the gospel preached to    
,abraham from false notions of the      
parables of the ,new ,testament1 than   
from any other source4 ,often1 after    
travelling many miles and preaching     
several sermons in a day1 ,i have found 
it necessary to explain various parables
 to some inquiring hearer1 when my      
strength seemed almost exhausted4 ,at   
such times ,i have thought a volume1    
such as the reader has in hand1 might   
save me much labor1 and ,i have often   

said to myself1 ,if ,god will give me a 
few weeks' leisure1 ,i will1 with his   
assistance1 employ them in writing      
',notes on the ,parables4' ,this favor  
has at length been granted1 though it   
was by depriving me of that degree of   
health that was necessary to the        
performance of the journeys which ,i had
 already appointed1 yet preserving so   
much as to render me composed in my     
study4  ,this is undoubtedly one of the 
most valuable books in the ,universalist
 library2 particularly valuable from the
 fact of its treating1 in the clearest  
and most forcible manner1 upon those    
peculiar doctrinal points which1 more   
than all others1 have been the theme of 
contention among professed ,christians4 
,at the time when ,mr4 ,ballou published
 this work1 his mind was not fully made 
up as to the subject of punishment after
 death2 but the matter had already      
resolved itself to this in his mind2    
that if any suffer in the future state  
it would be because they would be sinful

 there4 ,it was not long subsequent1    
however1 that he came to the full       
knowledge and conviction that the       
doctrine of future punishment was       
nowhere taught in the ,bible1 and this  
creed he thenceforth ever most          
assiduously preached on all occasions4  
,in his preface to the fifth edition the
 author says3--,on account of so many of
 the parables being used by believers in
 endless punishment to support and      
enforce that sentiment1 the author of   
the ,notes was induced to study them    
with special reference to the question  
whether they might not1 with more       
propriety1 be applied in a different    
manner4 ,of this fact he became fully   
satisfied2 even as much so as he is now4
 ,but1 though he entertained no scruples
 on that point1 he was not so happy as  
to be fully satisfied1 in every case1 as
 to the true intent of the parable4 ,in 
this situation he cautiously endeavored 
not to apply any parable to a subject   
which was not found to be embraced in   

the system of truth which the           
,scriptures clearly and evidently       
support4 ,little harm is done by        
applying a parable to a subject to which
 it was not intended by the author to   
apply1 provided the subject to which it 
is misapplied be a truth clearly        
supported by either ,scripture or man's 
experience2 but to misconstrue any      
passage of the divine testimony so as to
 give support to what is not true1 is   
unquestionably no small damage2 and if  
the error be of magnitude1 whereby our  
,heavenly ,father is represented in an  
unlovely character1 or our confidence in
 his goodness diminished1 such          
misconstruction is not only a           
reprehensible violence on the           
,scriptures1 but a dishonor to their    
divine ,author4 ,i am persuaded that a  
just knowledge of the parables is almost
 indispensably necessary to a knowledge 
of the doctrine preached by ,christ1 as 
much of his public communication was in 
this way4 ,it is in the parables of     

,christ that we learn the nature of the 
two dispensations or covenants2 the     
situation of man by reason of sin2 the  
character of the ,saviour as the seeker 
and savior of that which was lost2 the  
power of the gospel as a sovereign      
remedy for the moral maladies of man1   
and its divine efficacy in reconciling  
and assimilating the sinner to ,god4 ,it
 is by the parables that we learn the   
unprofitableness of legal righteousness 
in point of justification to eternal    
life2 the absolute necessity of becoming
 new creatures1 in order to enter the   
kingdom of ,god2 the true character of  
the ,saviour as the ,lord our           
,righteousness1 and his divine power to 
make all things new4  ,the ,notes on the
 ,parables have unquestionably led      
thousands of minds to valuable          
improvement in the knowledge of the     
,scriptures1 and converted many a       
longing soul to the precious and joyful 
belief of universal salvation4 ,at the  
time when these ,notes were written1 the

 light which has now become so general  
and evident to nearly every candid      
seeker after truth1--the true light of  
the gospel of ,christ1--seemed to be but
 just dawning2 the warm and genial sun  
of the true faith but faintly tinged the
 east2 but ere long it rose steadily and
 majestically1 until it radiated its    
noon-day warmth1 in meridian splendor   
and beauty4 ,we should remember that the
 author of the ,notes enjoyed the use of
 no other book than the ,bible in       
forming and promulgating his own        
opinions1 which have since become the   
general belief of the ,universalist     
order4 ,the book is especially lucid and
 original in its style1 and bears in its
 pages constant evidence of deep and    
careful research4  ,in an excellent book
 lately issued by the publisher of this 
biography1 entitled a ,memoir of ,rev4  
,s4 ,r4 ,smith1 written by ,rev4 ,thomas
 ,j4 ,sawyer1 ,d4 ,d41 of ,clinton1 ,n4 
,y41 we find the following incident     
related1 referring to this period of    

,mr4 ,ballou's life4 ,it is from the pen
 of the subject of the memoir1 ,rev4    
,stephen ,r4 ,smith1 concerning whose   
,christian excellence too much cannot be
 said4  ,by what means the intelligence 
that ,hosea ,ballou would preach on the 
following ,sunday1 in a place fifteen   
miles distant1 could have been conveyed 
to a very young man1 who did not then   
know a single ,universalist in the      
world1 is not remembered4 ,he went1     
however1 and heard a discourse in the   
morning1 from ,zech4 #f3ac2 and1 for the
 first time in his life1 felt that he   
had listened to a sermon that neither   
involved an absurdity nor a             
contradiction4 ,the congregation was not
 large1 and occupied a school-house in  
the present city of ,utica1 then a      
meagre and muddy village4 ,a larger     
congregation was anticipated in the     
afternoon1 and arrangements were made   
for the service in the open air1 under  
some trees1 on the bank of the ,mohawk  
river4 ,there1 in due time1 a large     

auditory assembled1 and listened to one 
of ,mr4 ,ballou's best discourses1 from 
,deut4 #cc3 part of the #afth with the  
#agth verse4 ,it was a glorious day1    
early in ,june4 ,the silence of ,sunday 
was around us2 the bright blue heavens  
above us1 partly veiled by the branches 
of a few scattering oaks2 the clear1    
quiet river at our side2 the ruddy and  
healthy preacher1 in all the vigor of   
manhood1 before us1 and pleading the    
cause of ,god and humanity with a group 
of most attentive hearers4 ,such a scene
 is not to be forgotten2 and1           
altogether1 it was one1 in every        
respect1 calculated to make the most    
lasting impression4 ,and such certainly 
were its effects upon the mind of the   
writer4 ,for1 while it left him without 
any pretension to the knowledge or      
belief of ,universalism1 as a system of 
religious truth1 it certainly satisfied 
him that it was consistent with itself1 
and with all that we see and know of the
 ,deity and his moral government4 ,it is

 scarcely to be doubted that similar    
impressions were made on many persons in
 that congregation4  ,while resident in 
,barnard1 he wrote also his ,treatise on
 ,atonement4 ,this book1 though written 
so many years since1 is still as popular
 as when first issued from the press1   
and has passed1 like the ,notes1 through
 several large editions4 ,it is         
contained in a volume of between two and
 three hundred pages1 and is justly     
esteemed as one of the soundest         
productions that has ever emanated from 
the author's pen1 and we may1 perhaps1  
add without apparent arrogance1 one of  
the most thoroughly philosophical and   
argumentative works of the age4 ,in the 
,modern ,history of ,universalism1 the  
author1 in speaking of the change of    
opinion generally from the ideas        
preached by ,john ,murray1 ,winchester1 
and other early ministers1 says that the
 belief in the ,trinity1 atonement1 and 
kindred notions1 was discarded through  
the influence of this book4  ,the labors

 of ,hosea ,ballou1 of this city1 says  
the author1 may be regarded as one of   
the principal means of the change4 ,in  
the ',treatise on ,atonement1' he has   
treated the subject at length1          
maintaining the subordination of the    
,son to the ,father1 the eternal and    
impartial love of ,god to all creatures1
 and holding forth the death of ,christ 
not as the cause1 but as the effect of  
this eternal principle of the divine    
nature4 ,the very wide circulation of   
this work evinces the high estimation in
 which it has been held by the ,american
 ,universalists4  ,we subjoin also the  
following notice of the ,treatise1      
because we think it a most truthful     
critique relative to the book1 which we 
desire to have the readers of this      
biography to understand4 ,in this       
review1 which appeared not long since in
 the ,evangelical ,magazine1 the editor 
says3--  ,the decided manner in which   
the doctrine of vicarious atonement is  
rejected1 the prominence given to the   

belief that ,jesus was a dependent      
being1 dependent like ourselves on a    
common ,father and ,god1 and that he was
 sent to preach the truth and illustrate
 its requirements1 and by his exclusive 
influence to reconcile man to his       
,maker1 were subjects so new1 so        
startling1 that for a time the work     
appears not to have been very well      
received4 ,but the important object was 
attained4 ,the public attention1 and    
especially that of ,universalists1 was  
drawn to the consideration of these     
fundamental and momentous doctrines4    
,the author's views were very generally 
adopted by the order1 and the book      
obtained unbounded popularity4 ,it      
deserves this distinction1 for it       
doubtless wrought the great revolution  
that transformed ,universalism from the 
,unitarian hypothesis1 with all its     
concomitants1 into the simple and       
intelligible system formed in the       
doctrine of the indivisible oneness of  
,god4 ,it is1 perhaps1 impossible to    

estimate the influence which this work  
has had upon the so-called ,unitarian   
controversy in ,new ,england4 ,but this 
much is quite certain1 the ',treatise'  
was one of the earliest publications    
that openly and distinctly rejected the 
doctrine of the ,trinity1 and manfully  
met the prevailing prejudices respecting
 that subject4 ,but aside from these    
matters1 there is not another book in   
the country1 on the same subject1 that  
has been read by half the number of     
persons1 or wrought conviction of the   
truth of the doctrine of the ,divine    
unity in one half so many minds1 as this
 ',treatise on ,atonement4'  ,these     
notices1 as we have just intimated1 are 
introduced here to give the reader1 who 
may not be otherwise acquainted with the
 ,treatise1 a correct and clear idea of 
the work4 ,though among the earliest of 
,mr4 ,ballou's publications1 this book  
is far from being deficient in any      
point1 either as to sound logical       
reasoning1 or in force and earnestness  

of style4 ,simple1 yet profound1 it is  
within the capacity of the humblest to  
comprehend and fully understand1 while  
it cannot fail to challenge the         
admiration of the scholar and           
philosopher4 ,it is written in the      
plain1 straightforward manner which so  
distinguished his after productions1 and
 which never failed to carry conviction 
with it4 ,the ',treatise' has been      
pronounced by one of the strongest minds
 of the age1 says the publisher of the  
sixth edition1 to be one of the soundest
 arguments in the ,english language4    
,were the author's reputation to rest   
solely upon this work1 we should feel   
satisfied at the manner in which his    
memory must be handed down to posterity4
  ,in his preface to the first edition  
of the book1 he says3--,many            
circumstances might be mentioned1 which1
 in their associations1 have induced me 
to write and publish the following      
treatise2 but ,i can say with propriety1
 that the principal object was that in  

which ,i always find the greatest       
happiness1 namely1 to do what ,i find   
most necessary in order to render myself
 useful to mankind4  ,at the time of the
 publication of this ,treatise1 ,mr4    
,ballou had by no means arrived at such 
a degree of understanding and belief    
upon the subject of the ,scriptures as  
was the case in after years1 and1 with  
wise fore-thought1 he thus speaks his   
mind in the preface to the first        
edition3--  ,i have often been solicited
 to write and publish my general views  
on the gospel1 but have commonly        
observed to my friends that it might be 
attended with disagreeable consequences1
 as it is impossible to determine       
whether the ideas we entertain at the   
present time are agreeable to those     
which we shall be under the necessity of
 adopting after we have had more        
experience2 and knowing1 to my          
satisfaction1 that authors are very apt 
to feel such an attachment to sentiments
 which have been openly avowed to the   

world1 that their prejudice frequently  
obstructs their further acquisition in  
the knowledge of the truth1 and even in 
cases of conviction their own           
self-importance will keep them from     
acknowledging their mistake4  ,though he
 was thus cautious 7and what judgment1  
prudence1 and cool reasoning are evinced
 in this paragraph71 the only change    
that experience did bring about1 in the 
author's mind1 was1 that he became even 
more fully convinced1 as the experience 
of years ripened the harvest of his     
wisdom1 of the truths of his former     
belief1 and made still further progress 
7a word that he loved and lived up to71 
in addition to certain points that are  
but lightly touched upon in the work4   
,the following letter1 relating to this 
and other works1 was elicited by the    
presentation to ,mr4 ,ballou of a set1  
in a new and uniform edition with some  
of his subsequent publications2 the     
constant call for these books1 even     
after several large editions had been   

exhausted1 and a long period of years   
had elapsed since their first being     
issued1 requiring this fresh publication
 of them4 ,mr4 ,ballou having parted    
with the copyright at the time of       
publication1 they were of course in the 
hands of the trade4 ,this letter is     
introduced here as illustrative of the  
humble estimate he put upon his own     
important labors and discoveries1 and is
 also in style very like him4 ,it bears 
date #ahdd1 and was written1            
consequently1 when he was seventy-three 
years of age4 ,it was addressed to the  
editor of the ,trumpet1 and appeared in 
the editorial columns of that paper4    
,,br4 ,,whittemore3 ,please permit me to
 acknowledge with gratitude a      favor
 ,i have received from ,br4 ,abel       
,tompkins1 consisting of four           
volumes of my writings3 my ,notes on the
 ,parables of the ,new      ,testament2 
my ,treatise on ,atonement2 my course of
 ,lecture ,sermons1      and my ,select 
,sermons4 ,it gives me much pleasure to 

learn that      these works have been so
 favorably regarded by the denomination 
with which ,i have had the happiness to 
hold an unbroken and      uninterrupted 
connection for more than half a century1
 as to      warrant this new edition4   
,the improved style in which these      
volumes      now appear cannot fail to  
give entire satisfaction to all who have
      a good taste1 and will doubtless  
facilitate their sale4       ,when1 more
 than forty years ago1 ,i wrote my      
',notes' and      ',treatise1' ,i had   
never seen any work in defence of the   
doctrine of      the ,divine unity1 and 
the dependency of the ,son upon the     
,father4      ,when this circumstance is
 duly considered1 the reader will be    
satisfied that the writer must have     
exerted the limited powers of      his  
mind to their utmost capacity4 ,this is 
all the credit he      claims4          
,,hosea ,,ballou4  ,mr4 ,ballou has long
 been allowed the credit1 which is also 
most justly due to him1 of having been  

the first ,unitarian writer in this     
country2 for1 as he says above1 he had  
never seen any book in defence of the   
doctrine of the ,divine unity when he   
wrote in favor of those principles in   
the works referred to4 ,another evidence
 of the fact is1 that ,mr4 ,ballou's    
sentiments at that time were considered 
most strange and novel by all4  ,in this
 ,treatise1 says ,rev4 ,thomas          
,whittemore1 ,mr4 ,ballou took the      
ground that ,god was never unreconciled 
to man2 that man was the party who      
needed reconciliation1 for ,god is love 
from eternity to eternity1 and that     
,god's love to sinners was the cause of 
,christ's being sent by the ,father to  
redeem them4 ,he held that ,christ was  
not ,god himself1 but the ,son of ,god2 
a distinct being from the ,father1--a   
created being2--a doctrine which he had 
believed and preached for ten years1    
having commenced to preach it as early  
as #agie4 ,he must therefore be regarded
 as the earliest defender of            

,unitarianism the country has produced4 
,mr4 ,ballou says1 relative to the      
doctrine of the ,trinity3--,i had       
preached but a short time before my mind
 was entirely freed from all the        
perplexities of the doctrine of the     
,trinity1 and the common notion of      
atonement4 ,but in making these         
advances1 as ,i am disposed to call     
them1 ,i had the assistance of no author
 or writer4 ,as fast as these old       
doctrines were1 by any means1 rendered  
the subject of inquiry in my mind1 they 
became exploded4 ,but it would be       
difficult for me now to recall the      
particular incidents which suggested    
queries in my mind respecting them4     
,the reader will at once be prepared to 
admit that ,mr4 ,ballou must have       
expended much time and labor in the     
research and study of the ,scriptures1  
necessary to enable him to write and    
publish these works1 in a cause1 and    
upon a theme1 wherein he was a pioneer4 
,he steered his barque into new waters1 

and was obliged himself to stand ever   
with the lead in his hand1 to ascertain 
the true soundings1 and keep thus in the
 narrow channel of truth4 ,concerning   
this matter1 he has said1 in an article 
furnished for a work entitled ,modern   
,history of ,universalism3--  ,i never  
read anything on the doctrine of        
universal salvation before ,i believed  
it1 the ,bible excepted2 nor did ,i     
know1 that ,i can now recollect1 that   
there was anything published in its     
vindication in the world4 ,nor had ,i   
ever heard a sermon on the subject1     
except in boyhood ,i once heard ,brother
 ,rich1 but concerning that sermon ,i   
realized nothing4  ,in speaking of his  
advance towards the knowledge of the    
truth1 after his conversion1 he says1 in
 a published article3--  ,it may be     
proper for me to state one circumstance 
which had no small tendency to bring me 
over to the ground on which ,i have for 
so many years felt established4 ,it was 
by reading some deistical writings4 ,by 

this means ,i was led to see that it was
 utterly impossible to maintain         
,christianity as it had been generally  
believed in the church4 ,this led me of 
course to examine the ,scriptures1 that 
,i might determine the question1 whether
 they did really teach that ,jesus      
,christ died to reconcile an            
unchangeable ,god to his own children4  
,you cannot suppose ,i was long in      
finding that1 so far from teaching such 
absurdities1 the ,scriptures teach that 
',god was in ,christ1 reconciling the   
world to himself4' ,the question        
concerning the ,trinity was by the same 
means as speedily settled4  ,it is an   
interesting and curious fact that he    
should have been aided1 as it were1 by  
the darkness of error to find the light 
of truth4 ,the obvious inconsistency in 
his former belief1 made evident by the  
deist1 did not win him to the faith of  
the latter1 but rather led him to       
investigate for himself1 and to find a  
religion more congenial with the native 

promptings of his own heart and the     
evidences of the ,bible4 ,his was an    
exploring mind2 he was not content to   
receive this faith1 or that position1   
because others believed it1 or because  
it had remained so long the unchallenged
 and unquestioned creed of the church4  
,he must look into the matter and       
understand for himself1 and make all    
parts of a doctrine to harmonize with   
each other1 before he could reconcile it
 with his own reason and convictions4   
,this was a trait of character not alone
 observable in him as it related to the 
subject of religion2 he applied the same
 rule to the affairs of every-day life1 
to political economy and business       
arrangements4 ,he was always open to    
conviction1 to reason and evidence1 but 
could never embrace blindly any         
proposition whatever4 ,because the      
political party which the nearest       
assimilated to his views of the proper  
mode of government adopted this or that 
policy1 he did not by any means consider

 it his duty to coincide with them1     
against his sober conviction1 and he    
never did so2 on the contrary1 as often 
criticising the measures of one         
political party as another1 and         
frequently finding much excellence1 and 
principles worthy of commendation in the
 national policy of both4 ,for this     
reason he could not be a politician1 had
 he experienced an inclination that way4
 ,he was too honest4     ,,chapter      
,,vii4  ,,removes ,,to ,,portsmouth1 ,n4
 ,h4   ,after the expiration of a period
 of six years from the time of his first
 settlement in ,barnard1 ,vt41 and      
during which season he enjoyed an       
uninterrupted flow of kindness and good 
fellowship with the societies of his    
charge1 he accepted the invitation of   
the society of ,portsmouth1 ,n4 ,h41 to 
become their pastor1 and to devote his  
whole time to the good of the cause in  
that place4 ,he had formed within the   
circle of his professional labors in    
,vermont a host of kind and warm-hearted

 friends1 and it was a considerable     
period after the proposition had been   
made to him1 before he could make up his
 mind to accept it4 ,he did so1 at last1
 however1 influenced by several reasons4
  ,first1 the large field over which he 
was obliged to travel1 while settled in 
,barnard1 involved not only much        
physical labor and expense1 but also the
 loss of a large amount of time1 that   
might be devoted to more profitable     
pursuit4 ,then the pecuniary emolument  
offered him at ,portsmouth was          
considerably larger than he had yet     
received1 and his now growing family    
rendered such a fact to be a necessary  
consideration4 ,and yet1 let it not be  
supposed that there was any mercenary   
trait in his character2 such was as     
foreign to his nature as was deceit1 or 
guile of any sort1 as the progress of   
this biography will show4 ,he realized1 
also1 that1 while such a change would   
diminish his physical labors1 it would  
doubtless enlarge the sphere of his     

usefulness1 bringing him in contact with
 larger audiences and more miscellaneous
 assemblages than usually gathered to   
listen to his public communications in a
 less thickly settled district4  ,he    
says1 in this connection3--,i have found
 throughout my life1 that whatever place
 ,i have long tarried in1 ,i have become
 greatly attached to1 and to the people 
with whom ,i associated4 ,this was      
peculiarly the case in ,barnard1 and    
among the neighboring societies1 with   
whom ,i was1 for a period of six years1 
most agreeably1 and ,i trust profitably 
associated4 ,i long weighed the proposal
 from my friends in ,portsmouth in my   
mind1 before ,i could consent to break  
up a connection which had afforded me so
 much real satisfaction4 ,but might ,i  
not render myself more useful by        
accepting this call8 ,was it not the    
design of my ,master to enlarge my      
sphere of usefulness in his service8    
,these things ,i weighed carefully in my
 mind1 and prayed for counsel and power 

to enable me to judge of my duty aright2
 until1 finally1 believing it to be my  
duty1 ,i accepted the call of my        
brethren in ,new ,hampshire1 and        
accordingly removed to ,portsmouth4     
,duly weighing these matters1 he deemed 
it his duty1 as he says1 to bid his     
brethren in ,vermont farewell1 and he   
removed to ,portsmouth in the year      
#ahjg1 being in the thirty-sixth year of
 his age4 ,here he was installed1 ,nov4 
#h1 the sermon on the occasion being    
preached by ,rev4 ,edward ,turner1 then 
of ,salem4 ,though the pecuniary        
emolument1 before referred to1 was      
somewhat more than he had formerly      
received1 yet it required an exercise of
 the utmost frugality and prudence to   
enable him to support his family        
comfortably4 ,indeed1 this could not be 
done upon his salary as pastor of the   
,universalist ,society alone1 and       
therefore1 in addition to his other     
numerous and arduous duties1 he again   
taught school for a considerable period1

 while resident in this place1 assisted 
by ,hosea ,ballou1 #b;d1 now ,dr4 ,h4   
,ballou1 of ,medford4 ,if it be true1 as
 ,lord ,bacon has said1 that reading    
makes a full man1 conversation a ready  
man1 and writing an exact man1 then     
teaching certainly embraces the         
advantages to be derived from all three2
 and this ,mr4 ,ballou found to be the  
case1 as he has often said4  ,while     
resident in ,portsmouth1 notwithstanding
 the labors of the week1 the necessary  
preparation for the ,sabbath1 and the   
earnest efforts that were required of   
him upon that sacred day1 still he      
pursued a course of religious           
investigations into the subject of the  
holy text1 that we are at a loss to know
 when he found time to consummate4 ,it  
was at this period that he wrote his    
,candid ,review1 in reply to a work by  
,rev4 ,isaac ,robinson1 ,a4 ,m41 upon   
some important doctrinal points4 ,it is 
contained in one volume of two hundred  
pages1 and adduces some of the strongest

 arguments in favor of impartial and    
universal grace that have ever been     
published1 either by himself or others4 
,this book was exceedingly popular at   
the time of its first appearance1 and   
created not a little excitement among   
religious controversialists in ,new     
,hampshire1 and1 indeed1 throughout the 
,new ,england ,states4  ,he also wrote1 
while resident in ,portsmouth1 a series 
of letters addressed to the ,rev4       
,joseph ,buckminster1 upon important    
doctrinal subjects1 which was published 
in one volume4 ,a ,controversy with     
,rev4 ,mr4 ,walton was written and      
published here1 besides one or two minor
 works1 including a school catechism1   
for a long period of years in general   
use among the denomination4 ,in addition
 to the labor necessary to produce these
 in connection with his regular         
professional duties1 he was also        
associate editor of a religious         
quarterly1 entitled the ,gospel         
,visitant1 in which1 however1 he had no 

further interest than his editorial     
connection4 ,his contributions to this  
work were copious1 and marked by the    
same profound reasoning capacity and    
lucid style that have characterized     
every work he has produced4 ,it was     
while engaged in editing this           
publication that he came to the full    
belief that there was no punishment     
after death1 and ever after1 he preached
 the doctrine of universal salvation in 
this spirit1 and labored strenuously in 
its defence and support4  ,relative to  
this subject ,mr4 ,ballou has           
written3--,i cannot say that ,i was     
fully satisfied that the ,bible taught  
no punishment after death1 until ,i     
obtained this satisfaction by attending 
to the subject with ,bro4 ,edward       
,turner1 respecting the doctrine of the 
,scriptures upon this question4 ,we     
agreed to do the best we could1 he in   
favor of future punishment1 and ,i on   
the contrary4 ,our investigations were  
published in a periodical called the    

',gospel ,visitant4' ,while attending to
 this correspondence1 ,i became entirely
 satisfied that the ,scriptures begin   
and end the history of sin in flesh and 
blood1 and that beyond this mortal      
existence the ,bible teaches us no other
 sentient state but that which is called
 by the blessed name of life and        
immortality4  ,in another article       
relative to the same subject he         
says3--,the doctrine of punishment after
 death has1 by many able writers1 been  
contended for2 some of whom have argued 
such punishment to be endless1 and      
others limited4 ,but it appears to me   
that they have taken wrong ground who   
have endeavored to support the latter1  
as well as those who have labored to    
prove the former4 ,they have both put   
great dependence upon certain figurative
 and parabolical expressions1 or        
passages of ,scripture1 which they      
explain so as to cause them to allude to
 such an event4 ,it appears to me that  
they have not sufficiently attended to  

the nature of sin1 so as to learn its   
punishment to be produced from a law of 
necessity1 and not a law of penalty4    
,had they seen this1 they would also    
have seen that a perpetuity of          
punishment must be connected with an    
equal continuance of sin1 on the same   
principle that an effect is dependent   
upon its cause4  ,this brief paragraph  
will show the reader how ,mr4 ,ballou   
was accustomed to argue upon this       
subject1 of such vital importance to    
all1 and which is a question still in   
the minds of many of our ,universalist  
brethren1 both ministry and laity4  ,at 
the expiration of six years from the    
date of his settlement in ,portsmouth1  
and during which time his association   
with the people of his charge1 and      
others in that place1 had been not only 
of the most pleasant and agreeable      
character1 but also highly profitable as
 it regarded their mutual spiritual     
advancement1 up to the period of the war
 with ,great ,britain1 he made his      

arrangements to leave ,portsmouth1      
having received an invitation from the  
,universalist ,society in ,salem1       
,mass41 to settle in that town1 and to  
devote his professional services to     
their especial good4 ,mr4 ,ballou says  
of his connection with the society in   
,portsmouth3--  ,my connection with the 
people of ,portsmouth was very cordial  
and happy1 until that gloomy war-cloud  
which brought on a conflict with        
,england came over the land4 ,the       
anti-war party was numerous1 and very   
influential2 and1 as ,i could not       
consent that my country was in the      
wrong1 a bitter spirit became manifested
 towards me1 which so operated towards  
the close of the war1 that ,i became    
satisfied it was my duty to stay in that
 place no longer2 and as the society in 
,salem was without a pastor1 ,i received
 an invitation1 which ,i accepted1 to   
remove to that delightful place4  ,this 
was by no means a solitary instance or  
evidence of the warm patriotic fire that

 ever burned brightly in his bosom4 ,he 
was ardently attached to the republican 
principles of our government1 and never 
failed1 on every suitable occasion1 to  
evince the most earnest attachment for  
his country4 ,though a constant and     
untiring student of divinity1 yet he was
 by no means a novice in political      
economy2 the basis of our institutions1 
and their true spirit as set forth by   
the constitution1 the influences and    
natural results of our style of         
government1 and the political soundness 
of the nation1 were themes on which he  
was more than well informed1 but yet he 
always carefully avoided mingling in    
party politics4  ,he removed to ,salem  
in the month of ,june1 #ahae1 where he  
found many cordial and true friends1    
whose memory and companionship he       
cherished to the close of life4 ,while  
resident here he wrote a pamphlet in    
reply to one by ,john ,kelley1 ,a4 ,m41 
entitled ,solemn and ,important ,reasons
 against becoming a ,universalist4 ,this

 review was comprised in a pamphlet of  
eighty pages1 and is a strong and       
powerful argument in favor of the       
principles which the author believed1   
and which he advocated with such        
successful zeal4 ,these minor           
publications of ,mr4 ,ballou's1 when now
 referred to1 convey but a faint idea of
 the interest which they then produced4 
,their extended and immediate influence 
was evident4 ,vast numbers were sold2   
some zealous people1 rejoicing at the   
joy unspeakable to which they had       
themselves attained through the author's
 writings and public communications from
 the pulpit1 purchased them by          
wholesale1 and distributed them gratis1 
far and near4 ,his hearers1 too1 largely
 increased in numbers1 and he was       
rewarded for his labors by witnessing   
the rich harvest that he was reaping in 
his ,master's vineyard1 and the number  
of souls he was leading in the paths of 
truth4  ,while resident in ,salem1 he   
also wrote a series of letters in reply 

to a series addressed to him by ,abner  
,kneeland1 inquiring into the           
authenticity of the ,scriptures4 ,the   
book formed of the letters referred to  
makes a volume of two hundred and fifty 
pages4 ,the first edition was published 
in ,salem1 in #ahaf1 the second in      
,boston1 in #ahbj4 ,the origin of these 
letters1 which created no small degree  
of attention1 at that period especially1
 was as follows3 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,kneeland   
having at various times expressed       
serious doubts and fears relative to the
 genuineness of the holy ,scriptures1   
and the system of ,divine revelation    
therein contained1 solicited ,mr4       
,ballou to enter into a correspondence  
with him upon the subject1 in which ,mr4
 ,kneeland agreed to do his utmost to   
disprove the truth and authenticity of  
the ,bible1 while ,mr4 ,ballou should   
take the opposite ground1 and as        
strenuously defend it4  ,it was thought 
that this mode of discussion would be of
 mutual benefit to them1 and at the time

 of its commencement was designed solely
 for their private use4 ,but they were  
finally published1 at the solicitation  
of friends1 and with the hope that they 
might be productive of more extended    
good4 ,these letters1 which are somewhat
 lengthy1 and indeed necessarily so on  
the part of ,mr4 ,ballou1 who assumed   
the laboring oar1 were always written1  
as he has told us1 at a single sitting4 
,they are highly valuable1 and were more
 particularly so at that period1 as     
forming a powerful chain of evidence in 
favor of ,christianity1 and are         
characterized1 on ,mr4 ,ballou's part1  
by a vigorous accuracy and earnest      
desire after truth1 which prepossesses  
the reader in their favor4  ,mr4 ,ballou
 knew very well the misgivings as to the
 truth of the ,divine revelations by    
which ,mr4 ,kneeland's mind was         
exercised1 and1 notwithstanding other   
pressing duties and regular engagements1
 he consented to a discussion which must
 needs cost him many hours of study and 

labor1 hoping thereby to lead one soul1 
at least1 to a full and clear belief in 
the gospel of ,christ4 ,these letters   
reached the number of ten on either side
 before the correspondence was brought  
to a close1 when ,mr4 ,kneeland was     
compelled by the force of evidence      
frankly to acknowledge his entire       
satisfaction and conversion2 and having 
found such joy in believing1 such relief
 at being released from the iron        
thraldom of doubt and fear1 he was      
exceedingly anxious to publish the      
entire series of letters4  ,it should be
 remembered that at the present day1    
when we have so many excellent books to 
consult1 and can avail ourselves of the 
experience and research of so many able 
minds1--men who have fought the good    
fight of faith1--it is a very easy      
matter to sit down and defend the gospel
 against the arguments of the sceptic1  
the ground being already thoroughly     
canvassed for us pro and con1 and       
weapons keen and bright placed in our   

very hands4 ,but ,mr4 ,ballou enjoyed   
none of these advantages2 his tools were
 wrought from the native ore1 and       
skilled after the fashion of his own    
mind4 ,every line he wrote1 every       
opinion he advanced1 was the result of  
deep and careful study1 without the     
assistance of any other book save the   
,bible itself4  ,as #ahae was the year  
after the war closed1 says ,mr4 ,ballou1
 all kinds of provisions were extremely 
dear1 and my salary was so poorly paid1 
that ,i could not get money enough from 
my friends to meet my expenses2 and     
during the two years and four months ,i 
tarried here1 ,i was compelled to spend 
about three hundred dollars more than ,i
 received1 of money which ,i had by me  
when ,i came to ,salem4  ,while resident
 in ,salem1 he applied himself with     
unremitting industry and diligence to   
his studies1 devoting his time wholly to
 writing upon the subject of his faith1 
and the exercise of his professional    
duties as a minister4 ,his labors here  

were particularly blessed with success1 
and the converts to his church were     
many4 ,the ,salem society under his     
charge vastly increased in influence and
 numbers1 and ,mr4 ,ballou had reason to
 rejoice at the very evident success of 
his labors with this people4 ,when he   
first came to ,salem1 his doctrine1 even
 by professed ,universalists1 was       
thought to be too radical1 too          
universal1 in short too good2 but ere he
 left them1 they had fallen almost      
unconsciously into his mode of belief1  
gradually1 step by step1 though the     
passage had been so easy that they had  
not realized the change until they found
 themselves already convinced4  ,it was 
not his practice to assail the          
unbeliever at once with blunt1 open     
refutation of his principles1 nor to    
stagger him by an array of unanswerable 
arguments1 but realizing that a casual  
analogy often convinceth when the mind  
will not bear argument1 he adopted an   
easy and soothing course of reasoning1  

and thus gradually and easily sought his
 object4 ,thus was many an otherwise    
hopeless spirit turned from the darkness
 of error to the light of truth4        
,endeared to all his acquaintances by   
his unostentatious character1 and by his
 mild1 patient1 and prudent habits1 the 
separation from his society in ,salem   
was mutually a hard task4  ,as soon as  
it was understood that ,mr4 ,ballou had 
been talked of as pastor of the ,second 
,universalist ,society in ,boston1 ,rev4
 ,paul ,dean1 of respectable and        
influential standing in the order1 and  
settled in ,boston1 strove by every     
manner of means to defeat this purpose4 
,he feared the bold1 unflinching1 and   
manly style of preaching1 for which ,mr4
 ,ballou had already become widely      
celebrated4 ,himself a man who avoided  
all sectional controversy in his        
preaching1 he foresaw that the advent of
 ,mr4 ,ballou in ,boston would compel   
him to come out openly and acknowledge  
either that he was a ,universalist or   

that he was not4 ,he was not willing to 
risk his popularity in the matter1 and  
therefore strove1 by letters and orally1
 to dissuade ,mr4 ,ballou from coming to
 ,boston1 and finally he declared to him
 that if he came hither he should       
consider it a breach of fellowship1 and 
should ever after treat him accordingly4
  ,mr4 ,ballou was not one to be        
intimidated by threats2 personal fear   
was a quality that he never realized4   
,he came to ,boston1 and the sequel     
shows a result that is perfectly        
satisfactory to his friends4 ,mr4 ,dean 
was not prepared to make any great      
sacrifice for the sake of truth2 it was 
not at that time popular for him to     
preach downright ,universalism4 ,the    
opinions of most men are governed by    
circumstances1 quite as much as by      
truthful evidence2 but ,mr4 ,ballou1    
with a single eye to truth1 never       
catered for the popular taste1 never    
asked whether the promulgation of this  
or that great principle of truth would  

be acceptable and popular2 he had no    
such policy in his composition1 but     
dealt only in wholesome truths1 and such
 as his own heart had baptized in the   
clear1 welling waters of conviction4    
,the editor of the ,christian ,freeman1 
,rev4 ,sylvanus ,cobb1 not long since   
published an account of his first       
interview with ,mr4 ,ballou1 which we   
subjoin in this connection1 as being    
applicable in placing the subject of the
 controversy1 which is well known to    
have existed1 between ,mr4 ,ballou and  
,mr4 ,dean1 in a proper light4 ,in      
speaking of his first visit to the city 
of ,boston1 from his home in ,maine1 the
 writer says3--  ,at this time the      
scheme was in vogue with a few brethren1
 among whom ,brs4 ,turner and ,dean were
 conspicuous1 for a division of the     
denomination1 and the erection of a new 
order1 which it was calculated would be 
the leading order1 nearly swallowing up 
the other1 to be entitled               
',restorationists4' ,we impute no evil  

motive to any one2 but those on whom we 
called before reaching ,bro4 ,ballou1   
felt it to be their privilege to make   
the projected scheme the chief subject  
of conversation1 and to express much of 
the feeling of dissatisfaction towards  
,bro4 ,ballou4 ,we were made to feel    
quite unhappy2 and as we had heard of   
,bro4 ,ballou as a stern and severe man1
 we expected to be even more harassed   
with a talk of 'troubles and            
difficulties' when in company with him4 
,at length we were introduced to his    
presence1 and took his friendly hand4   
,he sat down by us1 and with much       
interest and affection he inquired into 
our labors and prospects1 and into the  
interests of the cause in ,maine4 ,we   
waited to hear him introduce the subject
 of the 'difficulties' but we waited in 
vain4 ,at length we attempted to draw   
him out1 by asking him of the nature of 
the 'difficulties' among the brethren   
here4 ',i am ignorant1' said he1 'of any
 real difficulties4 ,certain brethren   

are believers in a limited future       
punishment2 but ,i cannot see that that 
is any occasion for difficulty4         
,certainly ,i know of no reason why ,i  
should have any trouble with these      
brethren1 or esteem them any the less   
for their seeing cause to believe as    
they do4 ,but if they require me to     
believe it as essential to the          
,christian faith1 ,i feel that it is    
proper for me to call on them for the   
proof of the doctrine4 ,we cannot see   
with each other's eyes2 we must be      
willing to allow each other to judge for
 himself4 ,i love those brethren1 and   
wish them prosperity and happiness4'    
,and tears started from his eyes when he
 spoke4 ,we felt that he spoke from the 
heart4 ,there was no envy1 no scheming1 
no party spirit about him4 ,he sought a 
knowledge of ,god's word1 and would     
'speak ,god's word faithfully1' and     
accord the same right to others4  ,and  
such we have ever found him4 ,we have   
lived in neighborhood with him          

twenty-four years1 and have found him   
one of the most modest1 unassuming1     
liberal-minded and true-hearted men we  
ever knew4 ,he was always pained to see 
one crowding upon another4 ,he would see
 all working and prospering1 and        
rejoicing in each other's prosperity and
 happiness4 ,may his spirit be with us  
all4  ,we might dilate upon the subject 
of this controversy1 but it is not a    
congenial theme4 ,suffice it to say1    
then1 that the shafts of envy and       
ambition launched forth against ,mr4    
,ballou1 were as innocent and harmless1 
as it regarded him1 as the summer winds4
 ,it is true that they caused him       
anxiety of mind1 and not a little       
annoyance1 in disproving the malignant  
charges brought against him2 but1 in the
 end1 these tests only caused his purity
 of character to shine out with more    
surpassing brilliancy4     ,,chapter    
,,viii4  ,,settles ,,in ,,boston4       
,after a peaceful and happy residence in
 ,salem1 of a little more than two      

years1 ,mr4 ,ballou received a cordial  
invitation from the ,second             
,universalist ,society of ,boston to    
become their pastor4 ,the invitation was
 accepted2 and1 in the forty-fifth year 
of his age1 he removed to this city1 and
 was installed ,december #ae1 #ahag1 in 
the church which was built with the     
avowed purpose of obtaining his         
ministerial services2 and here he       
continued to preach to the people for   
over thirty-five years4 ,his letter of  
acceptance1 addressed to the society1 is
 as follows3--       ,,sir3 ,the call of
 the ,second ,universalist ,society1 in 
,boston1      inviting me to the labors 
of the ,christian ministry with them1   
together with the liberal terms which   
accompany said invitation1      have    
been duly considered2 and1 after        
weighing all the      circumstances     
relative to the subject1 so far as my   
limited mind      could comprehend them1
 ,i have come to the conclusion that it 
is my      duty to accept their call on 

the conditions therein stated4 ,i       
largely participate in the 'peculiar    
pleasure' afforded by the               
consideration of the unanimity of the   
society1 and entertain an      humble   
hope that1 with the continuance of this 
harmony1 we may long      continue to   
enjoy all spiritual blessings in ,christ
 ,jesus4       ,the society's most      
humble servant in ,christ1              
,,hosea ,,ballou4       ,to ,,john      
,,brazer1 ,esq4  ,rev4 ,thomas          
,whittemore1 a devoted1 constant1 and   
consistent friend of ,mr4 ,ballou1 and  
who was also regarded by the subject of 
these memoirs almost like one of his own
 family1 thus speaks of this            
period3--,this society had just finished
 their house1 the present venerable     
structure1 on ,school-street4 ,they     
never for a moment had a thought of     
seeking any other pastor than the ,rev4 
,hosea ,ballou1 if it were possible to  
obtain his services2 and1 accordingly1  
two months before the house was ready   

for dedication1 a letter of inquiry was 
dispatched to him1 to draw out his      
sentiments in regard to a removal to    
,boston4 ,in the mean time the house was
 hurried on to completion4 ,rev4        
,messrs4 ,jones1 of ,gloucester1        
,turner1 of ,charlestown1 ,ballou1 of   
,salem1 and ,dean1 of ,boston1 were     
invited to join in the dedicatory       
services2 ,father ,jones being invited  
to preach the sermon1 and the others to 
arrange the remaining services at their 
discretion4 ,the dedication took place  
on ,wednesday1 ,october #af4 ,mr4       
,ballou was not present1 as he was at   
the time in the country4 ,on the        
following ,tuesday a meeting of the     
proprietors was holden1 and ,mr4 ,ballou
 was invited to take the pastoral charge
 by a unanimous vote4 ,the salary was   
fixed1 at first1 at thirteen hundred    
dollars per annum1 to which donations of
 fuel were occasionally made4 ,he was   
installed on ,december #be1 #ahag4 ,rev4
 ,paul ,dean preached1 on the occasion1 

from ,acts #bj3 #bd4 ,he also gave the  
fellowship of the churches4 ,rev4 ,e4   
,turner1 of ,charlestown1 made the      
installing prayer1 and gave the charge4 
,rev4 ,joshua ,flagg1 who had succeeded 
,mr4 ,ballou at ,salem1 offered the     
concluding prayer4  ,thus was ,mr4      
,ballou duly installed as pastor4 ,the  
congregations that attended on his      
ministry were exceedingly large4 ,he    
soon became widely known for his        
eloquence and boldness1 and the novel   
nature of the subjects discussed by him4
 ,his preaching was of a controversial  
and doctrinal character4 ,he explained1 
in his discourses1 those texts which had
 been supposed to teach the doctrine of 
a judgment in the future state1 and     
endless torment4 ,he was repeatedly     
called on1 by letter1 from inquirers    
after truth1 to preach from particular  
texts of this character2 and1 as he gave
 public notice of the time when he would
 explain such passages1 his audiences   
were immensely large4 ,it was usual1    

from ,sabbath to ,sabbath1 to see the   
meeting-house filled1 in the forenoon1  
so that it was difficult to obtain a    
seat4 ,in the afternoon1 many would be  
obliged to stand1 especially in the     
galleries1 and around the head of the   
stairs2 and in the evening the aisles   
would be crowded1 above and below4  ,for
 the last six or eight years preceding  
the rise of the ,second ,universalist   
,society1 ,universalism had produced    
little or no excitement in ,boston4 ,the
 ,first ,society remained stationary4   
,mr4 ,dean1 its pastor1 preached little 
on those subjects on which he differed  
from other sects4 ,in the vicinity of   
,boston there was no movement in favor  
of ,universalism4 ,there were scarcely  
ten ,universalist pastors in            
,massachusetts4 ,the cause was evidently
 languid4 ,the rise of the ,second      
,universalist ,society in ,boston1 and  
the removal of ,mr4 ,ballou thither1    
produced a new state of things4 ,there  
arose a commotion among the elements2   

but the effect was to purify the        
atmosphere1 and give men a clearer and  
more extended vision4 ,new societies1   
holding ,mr4 ,ballou's sentiments1 soon 
began to arise around ,boston4  ,on     
settling in ,boston1 he at once found a 
host of true and solicitous friends1    
whose interest in his ministry1 respect 
for his character1 and attention to his 
general welfare1 enlisted in their      
behalf his warmest feelings of regard2  
sentiments which were ever cherished by 
him to the last1 and frequently recurred
 to at his own fireside1 and in the     
quiet of his family circle4 ,exercised  
by a realizing sense of this fact1 the  
more keenly when he remembers that his  
father can give oral form to these      
feelings no longer1 the author of this  
humble biography has at its commencement
 dedicated it to the subject's cherished
 friends4  ,we have thus given a memoir 
of ,mr4 ,ballou's life up to the period 
of his settlement in ,boston1 where he  
was destined to operate upon a more     

extended field of action1--where his    
mental and physical powers1 thoroughly  
trained and tested as they had been1    
were to be taxed more heavily still2 and
 where he was destined to build for     
himself a name that will live in the    
grateful memory of future generations1  
and to erect for himself a monument that
 points further heavenward than eastern 
pyramids1--the savor of a truly         
,christian life4  ,immediately on his   
becoming settled in ,boston1 in addition
 to the duties of his pastoral charge1  
and that of writing for two or three    
religious periodicals1 ,mr4 ,ballou was 
obliged to answer the frequent demands  
that poured in upon him1 from every     
quarter1 to lecture and to preach in the
 numerous towns within ten1 twenty1 and 
often fifty miles of the city1 at a time
 when the means of communication were1  
at best1 but very                       
indifferent1--rendering it necessary for
 him to drive his own vehicle1 in order 
to reach the desired point without loss 

of time4 ,so frequent and urgent were   
these demands for his services1 in towns
 and villages of ,new ,england1 that    
week-days1 as well as ,sundays1 were    
occupied in holding forth to the people1
 who came from far and near to hear him4
 ,not unfrequently were several         
consecutive days thus employed2 portions
 of the night even being improved in    
travelling between the several places   
when at a great distance apart1 and     
sleep1 or rest of any sort1 being but   
sparingly indulged in4 ,but so zealous  
was he in the glorious cause that filled
 his whole soul1--so thoughtless of     
self1 and so wedded to his ,master's    
business1--that his own labors seemed to
 him as nothing2 and neither his        
energies nor his spirits were wearied   
for a single moment4 ,the bow of his    
mind and body both seemed ever strung   
and bent1 yet never to lose their       
elasticity4 ,the amount of actual       
physical labor which he thus performed  
can hardly be estimated2 but certain it 

is that he must have been almost        
miraculously sustained1 to have endured 
so much fatigue without most serious    
injury4  ,soon after coming to ,boston1 
says ,mr4 ,ballou1 opposition to my     
,unitarian views1 and to the way in     
which ,i explained many important       
passages of ,scripture1 put on a serious
 aspect4 ,most of this opposition was   
exercised by professed ,universalist    
preachers4 ,there was much hypocrisy and
 low cunning set to work in order to    
check my success2 but1 though this was a
 source of much grief to my heart1 it   
was the means of calling into action all
 my resources1 which ,i found it        
necessary to put in requisition for the 
defence of the truth4 ,all this resulted
 in good4 ,my editorial duties1 my      
necessarily long sermons three times on 
every ,sabbath1 giving evening lectures 
at home and in the neighboring towns1   
tried to the utmost my physical powers  
of endurance4 ,with all these           
engagements1 ,i was writing and         

publishing the two volumes of my        
,lecture ,sermons1 and my ,select       
,sermons1 which proved too much for my  
strength1 and ,i brought on a weakness  
in my left side that has affected me for
 years4  ,the weakness here referred to 
was doubtless caused by sitting for     
hours together at his writing-table in  
his study1 with only such brief         
intervals as were necessarily consumed  
in taking his frugal meals4 ,at such    
times he partook very sparingly of any  
kind of nourishment1 declaring1 when    
solicited on this point1 that his brain 
was clearer1 his mind more vigorous1    
when he ate but little1 than when he    
allowed himself fully to satisfy his    
appetite4 ,during the hours devoted to  
writing he was never disturbed2 his     
children never for one moment forgot    
that he was thus engaged2 and though    
they might pass through his apartment1  
still it was with a careful step and    
noiseless way1 that showed their        
constant consideration for one whom they

 so much venerated4 ,when he was thus   
engaged1 for the last thirty years1     
having become relieved of the immediate 
domestic cares of her family1 his wife  
always sat with him1 sewing1 knitting1  
or reading1 but never interrupting him4 
,thus they grew1 year by year1 when he  
was in the house1 more and more         
inseparable1 and the tender regard of   
each seemed to increase for the other as
 year after year whitened their         
venerable locks4  ,concerning the period
 of his early settlement in ,boston1    
,rev4 ,sylvanus ,cobb says3--,when ,mr4 
,ballou entered upon his labors here1   
benignantly warring upon the hurtful    
errors which enslaved and paralyzed the 
common mind1 and elucidating those      
prominent gospel truths which are the   
bread of life to the soul1 there was an 
extensive movement of mind in the city1 
and in the region round about1 far and  
near4 ,when the ,twenty-six ,lectures1  
published by ,henry ,bowen1 were in the 
process of delivery1 the church was     

usually filled an hour before the set   
time of beginning1 and multitudes would 
be going away who could not find        
entrance4 ,he had done much before this1
 by his ministry in other places1 and   
the publication of his ,notes on the    
,parables1 ,treatise on ,atonement1 and 
controversy with ,robinson1 to advance  
the cause of truth2 but he was now      
providentially placed at a commanding   
stand-point1 a central position1 the    
commercial emporium of ,new ,england1   
whence his influence went out through   
all the land4 ,business men1 from       
different parts1 who had occasion to be 
in ,boston over the ,sabbath1 would go  
in at ,school-street church1 become     
convinced by the able expounder's       
arguments1 go home1 taking with them    
some of his publications1 and commence a
 work in their respective neighborhoods1
 which1 in many cases1 resulted in the  
formation of societies4  ,as a sample of
 the spirit he was forced to encounter1 
and the animosity felt against          

,universalists generally1 and their     
teachings1 by the clergy of other       
persuasions1 we relate the following    
anecdote4 ,being in the town of         
,mattapoisett1 ,mass41 during one of his
 short journeys into the neighboring    
country to fulfil professional          
engagements1 ,mr4 ,ballou found that he 
must stop there for the night4 ,it was  
soon known in the village that he was to
 remain for this period1 and he was at  
once waited upon by a committee chosen  
for the purpose1 and informed that the  
town's people were exceedingly anxious  
to hear him preach1 and that permission 
had been obtained for him to hold forth 
in the ,orthodox meeting-house1 if      
agreeable to himself4 ,mr4 ,ballou      
cheerfully consented to their wishes1   
and the people were notified            
accordingly4 ,it is proper to state1    
that several among those who invited    
,mr4 ,ballou to preach here1 were       
themselves large share-holders in the   
meeting-house1 and in two instances     

members of the church4 ,notwithstanding 
all this1 when ,mr4 ,ballou came to the 
meeting-house1 not anticipating the     
least opposition to his purpose1 he was 
met at the door by the ,orthodox        
clergyman then officiating here1 and who
 positively forbade his entrance4 ,in   
vain did ,mr4 ,ballou attempt calmly to 
reason with him2 still the excited      
pastor insisted most vociferously that  
he should not enter1 although fully     
informed of all the circumstances4 ,nor 
would he yield until at length he was   
absolutely dragged away forcibly by his 
own friends4  ,erasmus1 the reformer of 
the fifteenth century1 who stemmed the  
wild torrent of a barbarous age1 was not
 more strongly opposed by the bigoted   
,catholics of his day1 who charged him  
with having laid the egg that ,luther   
hatched1 than was ,hosea ,ballou by the 
partialists of his times4 ,particularly 
was this the case during the early and  
middle period of his public labors4 ,the
 reformation begun by ,luther has been  

well termed an insurrection of the human
 mind against the absolute power of     
spiritual order4 ,its earliest fruit was
 the vigorous but narrow belief of      
,puritanism2 then followed the more     
liberal creeds of the subsequent period2
 but it seemed to be left for ,mr4      
,ballou to strike out and illustrate the
 doctrine of perfect freedom through    
,christ1 of entire impartiality and free
 grace1 which the doctrine of universal 
salvation inculcates4  ,relative to the 
bigotry and unreasonable spirit often   
evinced towards the subject of this     
biography1 and the cause he advocated1  
we are reminded in this connection of   
another anecdote1 which is authentic1   
and which the subject of these memoirs  
related to his family4  ,not long after 
,mr4 ,ballou's settlement in ,boston1 he
 received a pressing invitation to visit
 the island of ,nantucket4 ,the         
inconvenience of communication between  
the island and the main land was        
considerable1 but he consented1 and     

passed some ten days there1 preaching   
every successive day and evening to     
large and interested audiences1 creating
 a very earnest movement in the matter  
of religion4 ,on his return1 arriving at
 ,new ,bedford1 he took the stage coach 
for ,boston1 and in it found but one    
other person4 ,scarcely had the journey 
commenced1 when his fellow-passenger    
opened the conversation by saying1--    
,you are just from the island1 ,i       
suppose8  ,yes1 sir1 was the reply4     
,well1 they say old ,ballou is over     
there1 preaching his heresy4 ,did you   
see him8  ,yes1 ,i saw him1 was the calm
 reply4  ,well1 he's a rough old fellow4
 ,i don't like him4  ,why not8 asked    
,mr4 ,ballou4  ,because he preaches that
 all men will be saved and go to heaven 
in their sins1 and no man in his senses 
can believe that4  ,but1 sir1 did you   
ever hear him preach8  ,no2 ,i hope not1
 said the man4  ,then you may be        
misinformed as to what he does preach1  
said ,mr4 ,ballou1 mildly4 ,now ,i think

 he would say1 if he were here1 that he 
did not believe nor preach as you have  
represented4  ,but what does he believe1
 then8 said the stranger1 somewhat      
earnestly4  ,i think he would say that  
sinners are to be saved from their sins1
 not in their sins4 ,christ came to save
 the world from sin1 not in sin2 and    
furthermore we are told in the          
,scriptures that 'he that is dead is    
free from sin1' and he that is freed    
from sin must surely be holy1 and       
consequently happy4  ,sir1 if ,i may be 
so bold1 said the stranger1 after       
looking for a moment somewhat           
critically1 where do you live when at   
home8  ,i live in ,boston1 sir4  ,whose 
church do you attend8  ,mr4 ,ballou's   
church1 sir4  ,what is your name8  ,my  
name is ,ballou1 he replied1 pleasantly4
  ,the man was of course confounded4 ,he
 stammered forth some excuse2 but though
 he listened to ,mr4 ,ballou's          
kindly-meant remarks with the utmost    
attention1 yet he was evidently very ill

 at ease1 and1 watching his opportunity1
 left the stage at the next             
stopping-place4  ,by careful study1     
aided by his natural quickness of       
conception and vigorous powers of mind1 
he had1 without other assistance than   
that of books1 acquired a practical     
knowledge of the ,greek and ,hebrew     
languages1 which greatly assisted him in
 his profession1 by enabling him to     
translate the most important passages   
from the original ,scriptures1 and thus 
to throw light upon many points that had
 heretofore been in some degree shrouded
 in mystery1 by the one-sided and       
partial translation given in our own    
version of the ,bible4 ,at the present  
day it is well known that our common    
translation of the ,scriptures is       
deficient in several instances1 and this
 too at the most important and most     
critical passages4 ,this being the case1
 ,mr4 ,ballou found the power of        
translating for himself to be of the    
utmost importance as an aid to repel    

false argument1 as well as being a      
matter of much personal satisfaction and
 enjoyment4  ,at different times1 and   
for several years1 says ,mr4 ,ballou1 in
 reference to this subject1 ,i have     
attempted to solve peculiar passages of 
,scripture1 which were so difficult to  
understand as to lead me to question the
 correctness of their reading from the  
original4 ,in order to do this1 ,i have 
studied ,greek1 and have had some aid   
from ,greek scholars and ,greek         
lexicons1 and have consulted various    
commentators2 possessed myself of the   
,septuagint1 or ,greek ,testament1 and  
other ,greek works4 ,with all these     
helps and efforts1 ,i have been enabled 
to satisfy myself relative to any       
particular passage4 ,i have found but   
little benefit from these means in      
regard to the ,old ,testament2 in       
respect to the ,new1 ,i have often been 
assisted1 and found that my little      
knowledge of ,greek has been more       
useful4 ,for similar ends and purposes  

,i obtained a ,hebrew ,bible1 lexicon1  
grammar1 etc42 but1 though ,i have      
bestowed not a little labor on the      
,hebrew1 my other avocations and cares  
have prevented any great degree of      
proficiency1 though ,i have experienced 
much aid and assistance in elucidating  
many points4 ,i might say about as much 
of my ,latin ,bible1 lexicon1 grammar1  
and reader4 ,i have made some           
considerable use of all these books1 and
 have given many of my leisure hours to 
the ,hebrew1 ,greek and ,latin          
languages1 but ,i profess to know so    
little of them that it is hardly worth  
naming2 though ,i must acknowledge ,i   
have found them of considerable use when
 some arrogant disputant should think to
 silence me by an appeal to the         
original4 ,but it is a fact that ,i have
 never met with many college-learned    
ministers who appeared to have retained 
much of their ,greek1 if indeed they    
ever had much4 ,i think it would require
 no little study and observation to     

determine the question1 which amounts to
 the most1 the benefit which the public 
gain by the extra learning of their     
clergy1 or the imposition they suffer by
 estimating that learning above its     
value4  ,this last reference should not 
be misconstrued by the reader1 as       
conveying the idea that the subject of  
this biography was opposed in any way to
 education1 or educational movements4   
,those who knew him best will bear ready
 testimony to the contrary4 ,indeed1 his
 own struggles in obtaining knowledge   
had given him a just estimate of the    
true value of such conveniences as      
should facilitate the dissemination of  
intelligence far and wide4 ,when ,i look
 about me1 he says1 and contrast the    
great improvements in the means for     
gaining knowledge1--when ,i behold the  
youth of to-day and remember the youth  
of my own boyhood1--,i am struck with   
the contrast that facts present relative
 to education4 ,i am also rendered      
thankful to a ,divine ,providence1 which

 has been pleased to advance the        
improvement in mental culture and the   
facilities for learning1 in an equal    
degree with the surprising advancements 
which have been accomplished in the arts
 and sciences4 ,few are so poor or lowly
 now that they may not enjoy the        
advantages of schools and able teachers1
 and ,i may add that few there are who  
do not avail themselves of the rich     
opportunity which is offered them for   
storing their minds with knowledge1 and 
thus preparing themselves for useful    
members of society4 ,half a century     
since1 the case was very different2     
schools were little thought of among the
 poor1 and children in the country could
 seldom be spared from home to attend   
those that were occasionally opened4    
,yet ,i am satisfied that the advantages
 which were offered at that time were   
even more assiduously improved than they
 are at this period4 ,this1 however1 was
 but natural1 under the circumstances4  
,no man put a higher estimate upon      

knowledge than he did1 but it was       
useful1 practical knowledge that he     
valued4 ,he had no respect for mere     
titles and college honors4 ,he had seen 
the eclat of a college diploma go       
further with many simple people than a  
sound argument or the possession of     
sterling wisdom would have done1 and it 
is not surprising that the observation  
of such weakness should have led him to 
speak out1 as we have seen him do in    
this connection4 ,he may have felt the  
remark1 too1 which his opponents        
sometimes sneeringly made of him1 that  
he never enjoyed a classical or         
collegiate education4  ,we have a few   
words to say relative to this           
reflection4 ,now1 we solemnly believe1  
and are prepared to argue1 that a       
collegiate education would have         
materially detracted from his           
usefulness4 ,a scholastic or classic    
course of study seems to unfit men in a 
great degree for active life4 ,the      
practical too often becomes merged in   

the ideal1 and the mind grows           
effeminate4 ,a theoretical knowledge of 
human nature is imbibed1 and we are led 
to contemplate our fellow-men through a 
false medium2 for essayists write of men
 as they should be1 but rarely as they  
are4 ,mr4 ,ballou was acknowledged by   
all who knew him1 to possess a          
remarkable degree of knowledge          
concerning human nature1 but it was     
gathered from men1 not books1 from      
experience1--,time's free school1--not  
from theory4 ,no other kind of knowledge
 would have fitted him for the peculiar 
path he was born to pursue4 ,a pioneer  
should be what he was2 a follower1 the  
roads once cleared1 and the track made  
smooth1 might1 perhaps1 without danger1 
be less practical and more imaginative4 
,education1 to be truly useful1 should  
be unequalled in its ability to instruct
 us in the things about us1 and to      
strengthen us for the duties that lie in
 our path of life4 ,the true being1 end1
 and aim of all study should be1 to     

improve men in the best reason of       
living1 while any learning that aims    
above the practical interests of life is
 comparatively unimportant4 ,even in the
 ministry1      ,church ladders are not 
always mounted best     ,by learned     
clerks and ,latinists professed4  ,that 
learning which makes us acquainted with 
ourselves1 says ,mr4 ,ballou1 with the  
powers and faculties of the human mind1 
with divine truth1 which is plainly     
revealed1 with its power on the mind and
 heart1 with the concatenations of cause
 and effect1 and to understand our      
every-day duty1 which grows out of our  
wants and the wants of those about us1  
is learning of a better quality than    
that which only enables us to call      
things by different names1 without      
giving us a knowledge of their natural  
qualities either for good or evil4  ,the
 main characteristic of ,mr4 ,ballou's  
habit of mind was that of looking at all
 things in a practical point of view4   
,the importance and real value he       

attached to things were deduced from his
 estimate of their use4 ,he regarded    
life as made up of constantly recurring 
duties1 and his appreciation of         
principles1 of religion or philosophy1  
was carefully regulated by this         
standard1 as to the application they    
bore to every-day matters4  ,the great  
end of all acquirements should be the   
ability to discharge more effectually   
our duties as men and citizens4 ,he who 
is not a better neighbor1 brother1      
friend1 and citizen1 says an eminent    
writer1 because of his superior         
knowledge1 may very well doubt whether  
his knowledge is really superior to the 
ignorance of the unlettered many around 
him4 ,or1 to state this great truth more
 in brief1 a man knows no more to any   
purpose than he practises4     ,,chapter
 ,,ix4  ,,commences ,,the ,,universalist
 ,,magazine4   ,on the third of ,july1  
#ahai1 ,mr4 ,ballou commenced the       
publication of the ,universalist        
,magazine1 in connection with a         

practical printer1--,mr4 ,henry ,bowen4 
,as usual in every enterprise wherein he
 embarked1 he entered into the purpose  
and plan of the paper with all his      
heart1 its avowed object being the more 
extended dissemination of the gospel of 
truth1 and the elucidation of ,christ   
and his mission on earth4 ,it will be   
observed that in whatever new position  
we find the subject of these memoirs1 it
 is secondary to1 or rather in          
furtherance of1 his ,master's business2 
he could have entered into no other     
pursuit1 could have been contented and  
happy in no other occupation4 ,it was   
meat and drink to him1 it was the very  
breath he drew1 and the only great      
object and purpose of his life-long     
career4  ,the object of the ,magazine1  
as stated in the editor's salutatory    
article1 was to discuss the principles  
of doctrine1 religion1 and morality1 and
 all articles calculated to promote     
improvement in these essential matters  
would be freely admitted into its       

columns4 ,the ,universalist ,magazine   
invites the sentiments of different     
denominations1 says the editor1 to      
evince themselves to the best advantage1
 clothed in their most simple light1 and
 shining in their purest lustre1 that   
the mind of the reader may be able to   
know where to bestow a justifiable      
preference4 ,those persons laboring in  
their minds under difficulties and      
doubts concerning any passage of        
,scripture1 were urged to communicate   
the same to the ,magazine1 where they   
would be publicly answered1 and thus    
many might reap the advantage of the    
queries and the answer4 ,all articles   
calculated to elevate the mind to the   
contemplation of divine things1 to      
reduce haughtiness1 to humble pride1 to 
exalt the ,divine ,being1 to endear the 
,saviour1 to cultivate piety1 to        
admonish1 to warn1 or to justly rebuke1 
to administer comfort and consolation1  
will be gratefully received1 and as     
speedily as convenient communicated to  

the public4 ,these were the main        
objects1 and this the plan of the paper1
 and to which the editor strictly       
adhered4 ,some of the strongest         
arguments in favor of universal         
salvation1 which ever emanated from the 
pen of ,mr4 ,ballou1 were first printed 
in this paper1 and the influence it     
exerted was too evident not to challenge
 the attention of both friends and foes 
at that period4  ,the ,universalist     
,magazine was destined to attain to the 
most extended popularity1 and proved to 
be of eminent service to the cause which
 was so ably treated upon in its        
columns1 each number for a series of    
years containing an essay upon some     
important passage of the holy text1 with
 the original construction as put upon  
it by ,mr4 ,ballou1 besides the         
elaborate reviewal of numerous          
discourses and articles which appeared  
in other religious magazines1 opposed to
 ,universalism4 ,the paper was issued   
weekly1 and drew very largely upon his  

time and pen4 ,in his editorial         
capacity1 even as early as this period1 
when a systematic effort in the cause of
 temperance had scarcely been thought   
of1 and the subject was seldom if ever  
referred to in public1 we find some     
forcible articles from him upon this    
subject4  ,this spirit was strictly in  
accordance with his private life and    
habits4 ,living at a period when it was 
universally customary to offer a guest  
or caller a glass of wine1 let him come 
at what hour of the day he might1 and   
when the decanters and glasses always   
stood invitingly upon the side-board1   
yet he never used ardent spirit as a    
beverage1 never partook of it at all1   
even in after years1 when perhaps a     
partial stimulant might have been of    
physical benefit to him1 because of a   
fixed principle in his own mind         
concerning its pernicious effects4 ,but1
 as we have before intimated1 this      
temperate habit was by no means confined
 to ardent spirit alone2 the same       

abstemiousness characterized his daily  
meal4 ,he partook only of the simplest  
food1 and of that sparingly4 ,this      
excellent habit grew to be a second     
nature to him1 and in all places and    
under all circumstances was always      
exercised4  ,in connection with essays1 
leading articles1 reviews and sermons1  
which he furnished for the ,magazine1 he
 also contributed many fugitive poems to
 fill the poet's corner4 ,it should be  
remembered that they were generally     
written at a few moments' warning in his
 sanctum1 and in answer to the printer's
 call4 ,all of them are1 however1       
indicative and characteristic of the    
spirit and state of mind which possessed
 his heart4 ,the following piece1 taken 
at random1 is a sample4                 
,,immortality4      ,that orient beam   
which cheers the morn1       ,and drives
 the murky gloom away1     ,through     
trackless ether swiftly borne1       ,to
 welcome in the infant day1     ,reminds
 me of the heavenly light1       ,whose 

rays1 dispersing error's gloom1         
,open to man a glory bright1       ,in a
 fair world beyond the tomb4      ,those
 varying scenes of beauty fair1         
,which welcome in the youthful spring2  
,the blooming fields1 the fragrant air1 
,the leafy groves and birds that sing1  
,remind me of that promised day1        
,when from the dead mankind shall rise1 
,as pure as light1 and wing their way   
,to spring eternal in the skies4  ,for  
some years ,mr4 ,ballou continued as    
sole editor of the ,magazine1 in        
addition to his other writings1 and the 
ever pressing duties of his profession4 
,after gaining a firm footing1 this     
publication passed into the hands of    
,rev4 ,thomas ,whittemore1 an able and  
zealous man1 who is still the editor and
 proprietor4 ,mr4 ,ballou continued to  
write for its columns regularly for more
 than thirty years4 ,mr4 ,whittemore has
 changed or added to its original title1
 so that it is now known as the ,trumpet
 and ,universalist ,magazine1 one of the

 most largely circulated and popular    
publications in the whole denomination4 
,during the year #ahai and the year     
preceding it1 ,mr4 ,ballou had occasion 
to make several replies1 in pamphlet    
form1 to reviews of his sermons which he
 was at that time delivering before the 
,second ,universalist ,society1 and     
which he was induced to write out and   
publish1 by their request4 ,the reviews 
here referred to were written by the    
,rev4 ,timothy ,merrit1 a ,methodist    
minister of this city4 ,in the year     
#ahbj1 ,mr4 ,ballou published a pamphlet
 of some length1 entitled ,strictures on
 a published ,sermon1 by ,dr4 ,channing4
 ,during this year he also compiled a   
collection of hymns1 for the use of the 
denomination generally1 but more        
especially for the convenience of the   
,school-street ,society1 with which he  
was connected4 ,this collection         
contained about fifty original hymns    
from his own pen1 and is the second book
 of the kind he published1 the first    

being issued while he resided in        
,barnard1 ,vt4  ,it was about this      
period that the following incident      
occurred1 and which we give herewith in 
,mr4 ,ballou's own words3--  ,by the    
following anecdote it may be seen into  
what inconsistencies men are liable to  
be drawn by an intense desire to        
maintain favorite sentiments4 ,i had an 
appointment to preach a lecture in the  
town of ,canton1 ,mass41 where          
,universalism was quite new1 and where  
there were but few who believed it4 ,at 
the time appointed ,i was there1 and    
among the many who were present as      
hearers1 was a ,methodist minister1 whom
 before ,i had never seen4 ,after our   
introduction1 he very civilly asked me  
if ,i was willing1 after ,i got through 
my discourse1 that he should have the   
liberty of offering some remarks in     
relation to it4 ,i replied that ,i      
should have no objections to his having 
that liberty1 reserving to myself the   
right to reply to his remarks4 ,to this 

he agreed4 ,as ,i knew my hearers had   
assembled with an expectation of hearing
 the doctrine of ,universalism held     
forth1 ,i took for my text a passage    
which seemed to me a strong one in favor
 of the doctrine3 ,first ,tim4 #b3      
#d1--',who will have all men to be      
saved1 and to come unto the knowledge of
 the truth4' ,in my discourse1 ,i relied
 on the will of ,god as the foundation  
of my belief in the final salvation of  
all men4 ,my sermon was lengthy1 and ,i 
endeavored to strengthen my arguments1  
as well as ,i could1 by many scriptures 
and various illustrations1 but still    
relied on the will of ,god as the       
foundation on which stood the           
superstructure ,i raised4 ,when ,i had  
got through1 ,i signified to the        
congregation that our worthy brother1   
the ,methodist minister1 desired to make
 some remarks on my discourse1 and that 
,i hoped they would candidly listen to  
what he had to say4  ,he then rose and  
remarked on various points of my        

arguments1 allowing their justness and  
propriety4 ',but1' said he1 'as the     
conclusions which have been drawn in    
favor of the salvation of all men rest  
entirely on the will of ,god1 if we can 
prove that ,god's will is not done1 in  
many instances which may be named1 it   
follows necessarily that the doctrine   
contended for may not be true4' ,this he
 then labored to make out4 ,now1 feeling
 confident that he had shaken my        
foundation in the minds of our hearers1 
he proceeded to quote passages upon     
which he relied to prove the endless    
misery of the wicked4 ,when he had got  
through and sat down1 ,i arose and told 
the people that ,i knew no better way to
 answer to what our brother had urged1  
than to allow that he had refuted the   
doctrine of the salvation of all men by 
proving the failure of ,god's will in   
many instances2 and this being granted1 
it also must be granted that ,god's will
 in regard to the endless misery of     
sinners might fail of being accomplished

 also6 ,this reply came so suddenly on  
the minds of the congregation that it   
brought them on their feet1 and the     
aspect which they presented was so      
peculiar as to abash our brother1 and   
induce him to say something more1 which 
the people did not stop to hear4 ,he    
then turned to me1 and said that he did 
not mean what ,i had stated to the      
audience4 ,i told him in reply that what
 ,i had to do with1 was what he had     
said4  ,this is but an example of the   
various incidents1 controversies1 and   
adventures that he was constantly       
encountering on his frequent missions   
into the country2 vicissitudes that     
taught him much of human nature1 and    
rendered him ever prompt and ready in   
reply1 familiarized him with various    
temperaments1 dispositions1 and phases  
of character1 and thus enabling him to  
speak and act more understandingly when 
again assailed in a like manner1 as well
 as to put his experience to other      
available use4  ,in the latter part of  

the year #ahba and the beginning of     
'#bb1 ,mr4 ,ballou passed a considerable
 period in the cities of ,new ,york and 
,philadelphia1 which places he was      
induced to visit by the united          
invitation of the several societies in  
these two cities4 ,while in the latter  
place1 he delivered eleven sermons1     
which the societies procured a          
stenographer to transcribe in           
short-hand1 as delivered                
extemporaneously from the pulpit4 ,these
 sermons were published soon after in   
,philadelphia1 making a book of two     
hundred pages1 a second edition being   
published in ,boston about ten years    
after4 ,mr4 ,ballou's manner of delivery
 was so distinct1 his enunciation so    
clear1 his language so impressive1 that 
a practical short-hand writer could     
easily transcribe every word he uttered 
in a discourse4 ,there was never any    
hurry1 no impetuosity1 no excitement    
that betrayed the speaker into undue    
haste1 but1 though all was tempered with

 warmth and zeal1 still it was such     
admirably controlled earnestness as     
never to confuse the mind that followed 
his spontaneous utterance4 ,we well     
remember when the book herein referred  
to was handed to him for the first time4
 ,i am surprised1 said he1 for this     
seems almost miraculous2 here are my own
 words and thoughts literally as ,i     
uttered them1 in living and indelible   
lines upon these pages1 while my pen has
 never transcribed one letter of the    
matter4 ,i might have improved this by  
reviewing it for the press1 but1 after  
all1 it is as ,god sent it6 ,reading on1
 he would pause now and then to say1 ,i 
should not have remembered that ,i said 
that1 if it was not so literally        
recalled to me4 ,these sermons being    
upon important doctrinal points and     
subjects1 as indeed were nearly all his 
sermons1 are of peculiar value4 ,the    
book is also a very excellent sample of 
,mr4 ,ballou's extempore style of       
preaching1 as these sermons were printed

 from the reporter's notes1 unrevised by
 the author1 who1 indeed1 did not see   
them until they were sent to him in     
,boston in book form4 ,at the time these
 sermons were delivered1 the churches   
were always crowded to their utmost     
capacity4 ,the ,sabbath was not only    
thus occupied1 but also many days and   
evenings of each week1 the simple       
announcement of a meeting being quite   
sufficient to ensure a large and        
attentive audience for the occasion4 ,in
 the mean time1 in private circles1 ,mr4
 ,ballou was forming extensive personal 
acquaintance with the hospitable        
citizens1 among whom he counted some of 
the warmest friends in the cherished    
host1 who continued such with him to the
 closing hours of his earthly career4   
,the largest audience ,i remember to    
have addressed1 he says1 was in         
,washington ,garden ,saloon1            
,philadelphia1 which my friends had     
procured for me1 finding the            
meeting-houses far too small to         

accommodate the crowds that thronged to 
our meetings4 ,this hall1 which will    
accommodate some six thousand people1   
was crowded to excess4 ,on no former    
occasion did ,i ever feel more pressed  
with the weight of duty which lay upon  
me1 nor a more sensible need of divine  
assistance4 ,the attention of the       
audience1 and the multitude of friendly 
hands which were extended to receive my 
adieu1 seemed to speak a language which 
signified the approbation of my divine  
,master1 which1 to me1 is far better    
than life4  ,one of the most marked     
peculiarities of ,mr4 ,ballou's         
character was not only his almost       
inexpressible degree of simplicity1 but 
his perfect self-possession1 and unmoved
 and placid calmness1 under any and all 
circumstances4 ,when he arose to address
 an audience of thousands1 as was the   
case above referred to1 they awed him   
not2 he would have spoken the same in a 
private dwelling of ,new ,hampshire1    
before a few hastily assembled friends1 

or1 with the same prophetic unction1 in 
a barn2--the village school-house or the
 city church were all alike to him4     
,when he arose to address an audience1  
whether of thousands or of scores1 it   
was always with a heart so full of his  
theme1 so lowly and humble before his   
,maker1 that not a thought betrayed     
itself in action of a character to      
indicate that he considered himself in  
the slightest degree1 or that there was 
such a being as self in existence4 ,and 
then1 when he spoke1 it was not with the
 adornments of rhetorical elegance1 nor 
with a striving after effect2 not one   
useless or unnecessary word fell from   
his lips2 it was simplicity and         
impressiveness personified4 ,such       
preaching was natural2 there was not an 
artificial element in it4 ,no wonder    
that it produced such results2 no wonder
 that he should witness the visible     
fruits of his labors ripening about him4
  ,it was no spirit of fanaticism that  
created such a furore in the public to  

hear him1 it was not fear for their own 
good hope of salvation that brought     
people together in such masses2 it was  
not excitement1 that grand agent of     
revival meetings generally4 ,no2 it was 
a far worthier influence than these2 it 
was a desire to hear the good tidings   
that the preacher dispensed1 as he alone
 could do4 ,it was to partake of the    
bread of life that they came1 and they  
were filled4 ,he was emphatically the   
messenger of peace and good will to men2
 and the multitudes who came to hear the
 words of promise from his lips1        
received them as the shepherds did to   
whom the angels bore the glad tidings as
 they watched their flocks by night4    
,after the departure of ,christ1 and the
 death of his immediate disciples1 a    
darkness had crept upon the hearts and  
souls of mankind2 faith in the boundless
 love of the ,creator had been weakened1
 as belief in his vengeance             
strengthened1 and nearly all ,christian 
creeds were gloomy1 disheartening1 and  

repulsive4 ,to dispel these erroneous   
views1--to withdraw the clouds that hid 
the brightness of the bow of            
promise1--to reveal all the priceless   
tenderness and love of the divine       
nature1--to radiate the light of hope   
upon a darkened world1 was a task as    
glorious as ever fell to the lot of man4
 ,what more thrilling discoveries ever  
dawned upon the human intellect than    
those which revealed themselves to1 and 
rewarded the prayerful search of1 him of
 whom we write8 ,we can easily          
understand how the greatness of this    
mission strengthened and sustained him  
in his arduous duties1 in his daily     
gospel labors1 in his long journeyings1 
in his voluminous exertions with the pen
 and in the pulpit4 ,verily the hour and
 the man had arrived4 ,it mattered      
little that he did not spare himself1   
that he gave himself up wholly to his   
vocation2 it was not destined1 not      
designed1 that he should succumb in the 
good fight2 vigor and energy were given 

him to support him through all his      
trials1 up to the very verge of a long  
and eventful life1 when the chief end of
 his existence had been accomplished4   
,not long subsequent to his return from 
this journey to ,new ,york and          
,philadelphia1 he published a series of 
,lecture ,sermons1 in one volume of four
 hundred pages4 ,this book1 like every  
one that ever emanated from his pen1 had
 a very extensive sale1 passing through 
several large editions1 and still finds 
a ready market4 ,these ,lecture ,sermons
 give1 like the ,treatise on ,atonement1
 an evidence of the fact that the author
 was always working in new veins of     
thought4 ,he was not one contented to   
follow in the beaten track of others2   
his motto from the outset was progress2 
and each new work that emanated from his
 pen and comprehensive mind1 gave fresh 
token of research and discovery4 ,not   
long after the issuing of the ,lecture  
,sermons1 he published another book1    
entitled ,select ,sermons upon          

,important ,passages1 making a book of  
three hundred and fifty pages4 ,like the
 previous work1 this book is peculiarly 
characteristic of its author1 and       
treating1 as it does1 upon deeply       
interesting and doctrinal points1 it has
 found a wide circulation4 ,these books 
are distinguished alike for patient     
research1 wise reflections1 deep        
penetration1 and the soundness of their 
moral influence4 ,the last work has     
passed through seven editions4  ,mr4    
,ballou was frequently heard to remark1 
that if we would reason in reference to 
the divine economy as we do concerning  
other matters1 we should soon discard   
many of the false notions which do so   
much towards enshrouding our spirits in 
darkness1 and thus preventing our       
progress towards the goal of gospel     
truth4 ,in illustration of this1 we     
subjoin the following anecdote1 in his  
own words1 as furnished for the         
,universalist ,magazine at the time of  
its occurrence4 ,it happened to him     

while on a journey from ,boston to      
,watertown1 ,new ,york1 in the year     
#ahbd4 ,while absent from his paper1    
,mr4 ,ballou was in the habit of        
supplying his editorial columns through 
the mail1 partly made up of             
correspondence from the points he       
visited1 and relating to such matters   
and themes as were calculated to        
interest a mind of his peculiar         
character4 ,the following anecdote is   
taken from one of these letters4  ,the  
day following1 a widow belonging to     
,pittsfield1 ,mass41 entered the stage  
in that town to go to ,denmark1 ,new    
,york1 to visit her young son1 whom she 
had not seen for six years1 and who is  
now about fifteen4 ,this lady ,i found  
to be quite orthodox in her views1 and  
disposed to question me concerning mine4
 ,at the inn in ,albany where the stage 
stops1 we had some serious conversation 
on the subject of the ignorance and     
unbelief of man4 ,her queries concerning
 this subject were directed in the usual

 way1 and were designed to prove that in
 consequence of unbelief in the         
,saviour1 the sinner is expected to be  
cut off forever without mercy4 ,having  
noticed in this lady an anxious desire  
to find her son1 and perceiving that her
 affections were tender towards her     
fatherless child1 ,i thought proper to  
try to open her eyes by means of        
appealing to her natural affection4     
',madam1 do you think your son will know
 you8' ,i asked4 ,she1 with manifest    
emotion1 replied1 ',it is so long since 
he saw me1 that ,i do not think he      
will6' ',and should you find that he has
 forgotten you1 so as not to recognize  
your person and countenance1 do you     
think he would be in danger on that     
account of losing your favor8' ,tears   
started into her eyes1 and the weight of
 the question was sensibly manifest4    
,she replied in the softest accents in  
the negative4 ',well1 madam1' ,i        
continued1 'should you find that your   
son has forgotten your countenance1 and 

should you inform him of the fact of    
which you find him ignorant1 and yet he 
should not believe you1 should you then 
feel unkindly towards your son8' ,she   
fully appreciated the question1 and     
answered in the negative4 ,i then called
 her attention to the remarkable passage
 in the forty-seventh chapter of        
,isaiah1 in which the divine kindness is
 commended to exceed the compassion of a
 mother to her tender offspring4 ,she   
signified her satisfaction1 and gave me 
to understand that the argument had     
reached its object4  ,this anecdote1    
striking and beautiful in its bearings1 
is also particularly interesting as     
being so perfect an illustration of ,mr4
 ,ballou's style of argument4 ,he always
 brought the subject home to the        
feelings and affections of his hearers1 
illustrating his theme by the simplest  
facts4 ,his examples by way of          
explaining his subject were ever so     
aptly chosen1 as to seem to have        
occurred almost solely for his use2     

these illustrations were ever drawn from
 every-day life1 and from the most      
familiar subjects about us4 ,the family 
circle afforded an infinite variety of  
bearings and illustrations1 exceedingly 
well fitted to delineate his belief2 and
 those who have been accustomed to hear 
him preach1 will remember how frequently
 he referred to the homes of his hearers
 for illustrations4 ,in this respect his
 discourses were a close imitation of   
his ,master's1 who spoke as never man   
spoke4  ,there lies open before us at   
this moment the autobiography of ,rev4  
,abel ,c4 ,thomas1 where he speaks of   
,mr4 ,ballou on the occasion of his     
7,mr4 ,thomas's7 first visit to ,boston1
 and his meeting with the subject of    
this biography4 ,no one will deem me    
invidious in mentioning ,hosea ,ballou4 
,there he stood in the simplicity and   
maturity of a child-man4 ,was it        
marvellous that his heart-speech should 
tingle within me as the voice of a      
father8 ,he stood up the taller in his  

manhood for having bowed to brotherly   
fellowship with a boy4 ,there was no    
distinguishing grace in the act2 it was 
his way alway1 and he was only the      
taller on that account4 ,he was         
preaching then 7,o6 how luminously and  
forcibly he was preaching67 at the age  
of threescore4  ,it was ever thus that  
strangers were impressed on meeting with
 him4 ,they had heard1 of course1 much  
of ,hosea ,ballou1 they had read his    
books1 or his essays through the        
newspaper press2 by name and reputation 
they had long known him4 ,some had      
imagined him proud1 austere1 and        
distant4 ,they approached a man1 for the
 first time1 who had reached to his     
extended span of life1 to his experience
 and world-wide celebrity1 with some    
degree of awe2 but his warm pressure of 
the hand1 the tender and soft expression
 of his eye1 the soothing and melodious 
voice1 7that gentle1 soothing1 yet      
impressive voice1 how strongly our      
senses recall it now67 the kind         

word1--these instantly dispelled any    
feeling of distance that might have     
arisen in the breast of the new comer2  
and he found impressed on every word he 
uttered1 on every lineament of his      
features1 on every sentiment of his     
heart1 a spirit of divine simplicity4   
,arrogating nothing to himself1         
unassuming to the utmost degree1 he     
counted his own services as nothing1 and
 only aspired to be known as his        
,master's follower1 and the servant of  
all men4     ,,chapter ,x4  ,,commences 
,,the ,,universalist ,,expositor4       
,during the year #ahca ,mr4 ,ballou     
commenced1 with his nephew1 ,rev4 ,hosea
 ,ballou #b;d1 the editorship of the    
,universalist ,expositor1 a quarterly   
publication4 ,he continued for two years
 as editor of the work1 and afterwards  
as a regular contributor for a number of
 years4  ,in ,november1 #ahcd1 ,mr4     
,ballou was again induced to make the   
cities of ,new ,york and ,philadelphia a
 professional visit4 ,he had1 previous  

to this date1 and repeatedly afterwards1
 been earnestly solicited to settle in  
,new ,york1 as well as in ,philadelphia4
 ,indeed1 a systematic effort was made  
in the former city to obtain his        
services permanently1 and he was offered
 the pecuniary consideration of several 
hundred dollars more per annum than he  
then or ever after received from the    
,second ,universalist ,society in       
,boston4 ,besides this increase in      
salary1 there were several other        
important inducements offered in order  
to influence him to settle among them4  
,but ,mr4 ,ballou had1 after so many    
years' residence and pastorship in this 
city and over a society he so much      
loved1 become deeply and ardently       
attached to the associations of his     
charge1 and had formed ties of          
friendship and love that were almost too
 strong to sever4 ,he1 however1 returned
 an answer at last to these reiterated  
applications and proposals1 that he     
would lay the subject before his        

society1 and they should decide the     
matter for him4 ,the society in ,new    
,york signified their willingness to    
have the matter thus settled2 and he    
accordingly represented the same to the 
,second ,universalist ,society1 telling 
them exactly his own feelings1 and      
bidding them to decide the matter for   
him4 ,there was but one voice in the    
society2 the feelings he had expressed  
were entirely reciprocated2 the vote    
that he must remain with them1 was      
unanimous2 there was not one dissenting 
voice4 ,he had been tried1 and found    
faithful4 ,cheerfully acquiescing in    
this decision1 the subject was          
dropped1--an understanding being had1   
and indeed a promise given on ,mr4      
,ballou's part1 that he would visit ,new
 ,york professionally as often and for  
as long a period at a time as he could  
make it convenient4  ,the following     
letter was written to his wife from ,new
 ,york1 during his visit to that city in
 this year4 ,it is one in his usual     

style1 and will show the reader the     
tender relationship of his domestic     
associations1 and also the reliance in  
,divine ,providence which ever actuated 
him4 ,he never wrote the briefest letter
 without expressing the same religious  
sentiment4 ,the letter is dated ,new    
,york1 ,october #cj1 #ahcd4       ,,my  
,,dear3 ,it is with gratitude to the    
kind ,protector of our lives1      that 
,i inform you of our comfortable health4
 ,we had a very good      passage from  
,boston to this city1 except that the   
sea was quite      boisterous1 which    
caused our daughters to be quite        
sea-sick during      the night4 ,we     
arrived in this city about nine o'clock1
 ,a4 ,m41 and      were kindly received 
by ,col4 ,harson and family1 where we   
are at      home until to-morrow        
morning1 when we expect to leave for    
,philadelphia4 ,clementina and ,fiducia 
7the two daughters with him7      rode  
about the city yesterday1 and had a view
 of nearly all its      beauties4 ,we   

took tea with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,sawyer    
last evening1 where      we had the     
pleasure of meeting with ,bro4 ,fuller1 
who will supply my      desk and bring  
you this letter4 ,i preached in ,bro4   
,le ,fevre's      church on ,tuesday    
evening1 and have an appointment in     
,bro4 ,sawyer's      church for this    
evening4 ,i hope that your cold has     
subsided1 and      that the family are  
in good health4 ,you will remember that 
,bro4      ,fuller is a stranger in     
,boston1 and that he will need those    
attentions which will make him feel at  
home4 ,give our love to all      the    
inmates of our house1 and1 by the       
blessing of ,heaven1 expect us      at  
the time appointed4                     
,affectionately yours1                  
,,hosea ,,ballou4       ,ruth ,ballou4  
,we need hardly pause here to analyze   
this letter4 ,the reader will at once   
recognize1 in its composition1 the      
affectionate husband and father1 the    
devout ,christian1 and the thoughtful   

friend1 all of which were innate        
qualities in the writer's heart4 ,the   
address of the letter was the style he  
always adopted towards his wife4 ,the   
commencement of the same is a perfect   
type of his constant acknowledgment of  
the ,divine favor4 ,the reference to the
 children who were with him1 evinced the
 same thoughtfulness for their enjoyment
 and comfort that exercised his mind to 
his last days2 his inquiry for his      
wife's health1 hoping that her cold was 
better1 was another evidence of his     
solicitous affection for his companion2 
and1 finally1 his recommending the      
bearer as he did1--,you will remember   
that ,bro4 ,fuller is a stranger in     
,boston1 and that he will need those    
attentions which will make him feel at  
home1--are all most significant of his  
mind and heart4  ,immediately after my  
first visit to ,philadelphia1 says ,mr4 
,ballou1 a second society was formed1   
and a large meeting-house was built in  
,callowhill4 ,from this society ,i      

received a very urgent invitation to    
become their pastor2 but1 as my ,boston 
friends felt desirous to have me stay   
with them1 ,i could not think it my     
duty1 for a few hundred dollars more    
remuneration for my services annually1  
to leave them1 as my salary was at that 
time sufficient for my wants4 ,so late  
as the year #ahdd1 by invitation from   
the ,callowhill society1 ,i visited and 
preached for them for four weeks4 ,while
 ,i was there1 my friends proposed      
sending to ,boston for ,mrs4 ,ballou1   
with a desire that ,i would continue    
with them for an indefinite period4 ,but
 my age admonished me not to undertake  
too much4  ,we may add here the         
following memorandum from notes which he
 gave the author of these pages relative
 to a subject before alluded to1        
concerning the matter of a larger       
pecuniary offer for his professional    
services3  ,at one time1 while ,i       
tarried in ,new ,york1 the ,pine-street 
,society presented me with a pressing   

invitation to settle with them1 offering
 me some hundreds of dollars more than  
,i was then receiving for my            
professional services1 to induce me to  
remove to ,new ,york city4 ,this        
official invitation1 together with a    
very brotherly letter from the society  
in ,new ,york to my own in ,boston1 in  
which they endeavored to assign good    
reasons for my removal1 ,i took with me 
to the ,second ,universalist ,society1  
in ,school-street4 ,i had previously    
given my friends in ,new ,york to       
understand that ,i would not be         
persuaded to leave ,boston1 unless my   
society would give their cordial consent
 to such a measure4 ,after submitting   
this letter to my society1 ,i was given 
to understand1 in an official manner1   
that1 by a unanimous vote1 my society   
had resolved that ,i must remain with   
them4 ,this of course ended the matter1 
as their wish was my guide4  ,we have   
related these circumstances more        
particularly to show the reader that    

,mr4 ,ballou was actuated by no         
mercenary motive in this matter1 and    
indeed to prove that it was a principle 
altogether foreign to his character4 ,we
 see that the offer of a greater        
pecuniary emolument 7we believe the ,new
 ,york society offered him eight hundred
 dollars more than he was then receiving
 per annum1 and also to bear the        
incidental expenses attendant upon his  
removal7 had no influence upon his mind4
 ,if his society no longer desired his  
services1 he was ready to leave them at 
once4 ,if they were still attached to   
him1 and preferred his ministration to  
that of any other individual1 no        
pecuniary inducement should part them4  
,we may use his own words1 and say that 
the evidence of the unabated regard of  
the people of his charge1 of their      
undiminished attachment to him and his  
services1 rendered him far happier than 
any amount of silver and gold could     
possibly have done4 ,indeed1 there was  
not one spark of mercenary feeling      

existing in his heart2 it was contrary  
to his very nature4  ,those who knew    
,mr4 ,ballou best were well aware of his
 punctilious notions as it concerned    
money affairs4 ,he would not himself owe
 any man1 and he liked short            
settlements1 believing in the old adage 
that they make long friends4 ,he was    
scrupulously exact in his dealings1 and 
would be careful not to be overpaid or  
underpaid in a money transaction2 and   
these peculiarities may have1 with some1
 led to a belief that he was penurious  
in his disposition1 though this was by  
no means the case4 ,could we with       
propriety refer to his numerous private 
deeds of charity1 to the open-handed    
dealing that evinced the generous nature
 of his disposition and the liberality  
of his heart1 we could exhibit a list of
 facts that would disabuse the mind of  
any one of such an unfavorable          
impression4 ,we feel tenacious upon this
 point1 realizing as we do the untruth  
of any such deduction2 and for any one  

to make such a remark or inference1     
would be at once to expose his own      
personal ignorance of the man4  ,mr4    
,ballou was not one to give             
injudiciously2 he was not lavish in his 
bestowals2 but what he gave to          
charitable purposes1 more or less1 he   
was careful to know would be productive 
of real benefit4 ,once satisfied of the 
worthiness of the purpose1 he always    
gave in accordance with his means4 ,his 
generosity was unostentatious1 and      
sought such channels as run beneath the 
shades of domestic necessities1 rather  
than those exhibited on hilltops1 or    
that advertise themselves in open       
places4 ,the author of these pages has  
witnessed from childhood a most liberal 
and charitable spirit as exercised by   
the subject of this memoir4  ,when he   
was solicited for assistance1 he always 
listened attentively to every appeal1   
and carefully examined the case and its 
merits1 when1 being satisfied of its    
claims for aid1 he not only gave        

himself1 but took pains to interest     
others for the same end4 ,at times he   
would call on his society1 either       
collectively or individually1 and thus  
do a great good by affording timely     
pecuniary aid1 in many cases4 ,he never 
asked of a person his religion before he
 gave him in charity2 all were          
considered as members of the same great 
family1 and where want resided1 he knew 
the door4 ,the needy found in him a firm
 and judicious friend2 one who was      
careful not to do them a harm1 in the   
spirit of kindness1 by encouraging a    
slothful or idle spirit1 but who sent   
them away wiser and happier than they   
came to his door4  ,among the many moral
 duties1 says ,mr4 ,ballou1 which       
contribute to the mitigation of the     
misfortunes of human life1 and to       
administer to the enjoyments of social  
beings1 that of charitably bestowing a  
part of what a liberal ,providence has  
put into our hands1 on those who have   
been unfortunate in the loss of         

property1 or by sickness1 or other      
unavoidable visitations1 should claim   
our earnest attention4 ,this virtue at  
once combines many moral excellences1   
and seems to call into action some of   
the best qualities of our social nature4
 ,it is that1 too1 which seems to       
resemble the bountiful conduct of the   
,giver of every good and perfect gift2  
and in some degree compares with the    
grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who1 
though he was rich1 for our sake became 
poor1 that we through his poverty might 
be made rich1 and greatly ornaments the 
gospel professions of brotherly love4   
,this1 too1 is a virtue which never     
loses sight of the good of its agent1   
who1 being blessed with the genuine     
spirit of heaven-born charity1 realizes 
that it is more blessed to give than to 
receive4 ,nor is there anything more    
acceptable to the ,divine mind of       
universal goodness1 than to see rational
 beings exerting themselves to assist   
one another4 ',to do good and           

communicate1 forget not1 for with such  
sacrifice ,god is well pleased4'  ,while
 ,mr4 ,ballou was in ,philadelphia      
during the year #ahcd1 he preached nine 
sermons1 which1 like those delivered in 
the same city at the close of #ahba and 
the commencement of '#bb1 were taken    
down by a stenographer in short-hand1   
and published in a volume of two hundred
 pages4 ,in the preface to this volume1 
which1 having been1 like its            
predecessor1 obtained through the       
reporter1 was never seen by the author  
until in print1 ,rev4 ,abel ,c4 ,thomas1
 the publisher1 makes the following     
remarks2 valuable as coming from a      
discriminating and intelligent mind1 and
 one which would scorn flattery as it   
would falsehood4  ,mr4 ,ballou is in the
 sixty-fourth year of his age1 yet his  
eye is not dim1 nor his natural force   
abated4 ,his public communications are  
distinguished by extraordinary          
penetration1 perfect knowledge of human 
nature1 aptness of illustration1 and    

closeness of reasoning4 ,in private     
intercourse he manifests the feelings of
 a heart baptized into the spirit of the
 living ,god4 ,it is impossible to      
listen to his public exhibitions of love
 divine without according to him the    
meed of sincerity and intellectual      
power1 and it is equally impossible to  
mingle with him in the walks of social  
life without loving him from the heart4 
,mr4 ,ballou was in the habit of making 
frequent use of the scriptural story of 
,joseph and his brethren1 the parable of
 the ,prodigal ,son1 the case of ,saul  
of ,tarsus1 and other familiar parables1
 to illustrate the doctrinal points of  
his discourses upon the holy text4      
,these illustrations1 however1 were     
always apt and appropriate1 and any one 
who reads the ,scriptures must very well
 know that these parables present almost
 innumerable bearings4 ,although he     
never did so without communicating some 
new point or bearing in the narrative1  
yet the frequency of these references   

was argued by some as an objection to   
his style of preaching4 ,in reference to
 this subject1 ,rev4 ,abel ,c4 ,thomas1 
in an appendix to the book referred to1 
relates the following anecdote3--       
,after the delivery of a certain        
discourse in one of our cities1 by ,mr4 
,ballou1 one ,universalist minister said
 to another1 in a good-natured way1     
',the old man is always harping on      
,joseph and his brethren1 the ,prodigal 
,son1 and ,saul of ,tarsus4' ',well1'   
said the other1 'it is a good harp1     
nevertheless1 and ,mr4 ,ballou knows how
 to play upon it4 ,he always plays a new
 tune1 and ,i could listen to him all   
night4'  ,his book of nine sermons      
embraces some of the most stirring and  
able arguments that the author ever     
produced1 and it has been read by more  
persons probably than any book of the   
same character in the country4 ,the     
first edition was a large one1 but was  
rapidly followed by others4  ,mr4       
,ballou ever delighted in promoting the 

innocent amusement of his children in   
every reasonable way4 ,he never adopted 
that stern and unapproachable disguise  
that but too often estranges the        
affections of the child from the parent4
 ,he was fond at times of unbending1 as 
it were1 from the extreme tension of    
mental effort1 and entering into the    
childish amusements of his family       
circle2 it was only long enough1        
however1 to endear himself to that      
circle1 for his time was too precious to
 admit of much relaxation1 however      
grateful this might be to his feelings4 
,it was not with the subject of this    
biography as with those who wear two    
faces1 one when at home and another when
 abroad2 there was no deceit in him2 he 
carried forth from his home the same    
face he wore there1 the same aspect of  
mind and body1 evincing precisely the   
same characteristics in public as he did
 in private4 ,he knew no change1 but was
 always eminently natural everywhere4   
,his social character was such as       

ardently to endear him to every member  
of his large family4 ,while he          
maintained the dignity and authority    
appropriate to his general character1   
still he ever evinced an exuberance of  
good nature1 and was amiable1 gentle1   
and even playful at times1 in his       
domestic and public intercourse4        
,during the year #ahcd1 ,mr4 ,ballou    
wrote and published a work entitled1 ,an
 ,examination of the ,doctrine of       
,future ,retribution1 contained in one  
volume of three hundred pages4 ,this is 
affectionately dedicated to the second  
,universalist ,society of ,boston1 as a 
token of regard1 by the author1 who had 
so long presided over this brotherhood  
in the most happy fellowship4  ,in the  
following extract from the preface to   
this book1 the reader will find not only
 the spirit of the work referred to1 but
 will also observe that the author      
states1 in plain and unmistakable terms1
 some important points of his           
faith1--points wherein he differed from 

some respected brethren of the order1   
but which1 however1 form almost the     
universal belief of the mass of         
,universalists4 ,our quotation from this
 preface commences as follows3--  ,it   
has always remained the fixed resolution
 of the writer of the following essay to
 keep a mind open to conviction2 always 
active in investigating religious truth2
 constantly ready to profess and hold   
forth any opinion1 however unpopular1   
and however opposed by divines1 by the  
schools1 or by his dearest friends1 when
 convinced of its truth4 ,this course   
has led him to give up many religious   
tenets which were taught him in his     
youth1 and not a few which were embraced
 by the denomination to which he has    
from his youth belonged4 ,travelling    
this course1 he early renounced the     
doctrine of endless punishment2 the     
doctrine of the ,trinity2 that of native
 depravity2 that of the imputation of   
sin and of righteousness2 that of the   
vicarious sufferings of ,christ2 and1   

nearly eighteen years ago1 the doctrine 
of punishment in the future state4 ,it  
has been his lot to meet with much      
opposition on most of these points1 from
 various denominations1 and not the     
least strenuous from those of the       
denomination with which he has been     
happy to hold connection4 ,for the      
painful travail endured from all this   
opposition1 he has been abundantly      
compensated by seeing the rapid advance 
of the doctrines which he has embraced  
and endeavored to advocate4  ,the object
 of the writer of the following pages is
 to place his views1 respecting the     
doctrine of a future state of           
retribution1 before the public1 and to  
preserve his arguments on that subject1 
that when the time shall come1 as he    
believes it will1 when people in general
 will number the tenet of future        
punishment among those corruptions of   
,christianity which will then be        
abandoned1 it may be known that the     
writer disbelieved it in his day2 and   

also that the arguments with which he   
opposed it may then be known4           
,universalists now take a pleasure in   
looking back and tracing1 from ,origen  
down to our time1 the progress of the   
doctrine which embraces the salvation of
 all men2 and so they will doubtless    
continue to do in future ages4  ,some   
may query whether a proper regard to the
 opinions and feelings of honest1       
faithful1 and affectionate brethren1 who
 believe in the doctrine of future      
retribution1 but yet earnestly contend  
for final restoration1 would not incline
 the writer to be silent on the subject1
 and not to come out with this          
publication4 ,to this inquiry it is     
replied1 that such brethren1 with their 
many commendable qualities1 are warmly  
cherished in the affections of the      
writer's heart1 nor are they the less   
regarded because they do not adopt his  
opinions4 ,and he feels confident that  
such brethren will entertain no         
suspicions of his want of respect for   

them4 ,they will not fail to consider   
that the views of the writer1 on the    
subject of retribution1 are not so wide 
from theirs as theirs are from the views
 of those authors whom they quote as    
authority in support of future          
retribution4 ,they would doubtless      
sooner embrace the opinion of no future 
sin and misery1 than defend the doctrine
 maintained by that good man1 exemplary 
,christian1 and faithful minister1      
,elhanan ,winchester1 which supposed    
that the wicked1 in the world to come1  
would suffer1 for ages and ages1        
inconceivable torment in literal fire   
and brimstone4 ,such torment is now     
denied by our doctors1 who maintain     
endless punishment1 and rejected also by
 those who believe in a state hereafter 
of discipline which shall end in an     
entire reformation4 ,such brethren will 
also cordially respond to the assurance 
that the writer of the following work   
will never withhold a sincere fellowship
 from a faithful brother1 because he    

disagrees with him on the doctrine of   
divine retribution4  ,it is very        
possible that some1 who have a strong   
desire that nothing should be done which
 should tend1 in the least1 to endanger 
the harmony and cordial fellowship of   
,universalists1 may think that prudence 
would1 at least1 plead for a delay1 and 
suggest the propriety of deferring this 
publication to some future time1 when it
 might give less offence4 ,such may be  
assured that their good wishes for the  
harmony and fellowship of our order are 
duly respected2 but they cannot be      
ignorant of the fact that the doctrine  
of a future state of punishment has been
 disbelieved1 by ministering brethren of
 our order1 for many years1 and that    
much has been published with a view to  
disprove that doctrine2 and1 moreover1  
that now that doctrine is generally     
disbelieved by ,universalists of our    
connection2 and yet much harmony        
prevails1 and our fellowship remains1   
and is warmly cherished between brethren

 whose opinions disagree on the subject 
of this doctrine4 ,the writer would     
further remark1 that both age and       
infirmity admonish him that what he     
feels it his duty to do1 he ought not to
 delay2 and he cannot believe that any  
of his brethren can feel1 in the least1 
wounded because their aged brother      
should finish his labors in accordance  
with the dictates of his own            
understanding4 ,it is a happy           
circumstance1 that in the denomination  
of ,universalists1 no one feels bound to
 defend and support the particular      
opinions of another1 any further than he
 is himself convinced of their truth and
 importance4 ,our platform of faith is  
general1 and allows individuals an      
extensive latitude to think freely1     
investigate minutely1 and to adopt what 
particular views best comport with the  
honest convictions of the mind1 and     
fearlessly to avow and defend the same4 
,in perusing this book1 or indeed any of
 ,mr4 ,ballou's numerous works1 the     

reader cannot fail to be struck with the
 complete simplicity and purity of the  
author's style1 at the same time being  
deeply impressed with the magnitude of  
the subject treated upon3 he finds the  
book to be more like a familiar friend  
with whom he is conversing1 than the    
deep logical work it really is4 ,this is
 caused by the peculiar clearness and   
force of the style1 while all is so     
conceived and put down as to be within  
scope of the humblest understanding4    
,all his comparisons and illustrations  
are drawn from the most familiar objects
 about us1 bringing our every-day life  
and experience to bear upon the theme2  
and thus his arguments were doubly      
forcible and plain4 ,it was the common  
remark that little children could       
understand his sermons1 and remember the
 moral inculcated4 ,if ,i can only make 
my subject so plain that children will  
understand me1 he once said in relation 
to this subject1 my purpose will be     
gained1 and ,i shall not be preaching in

 vain4 ,probably there never was a      
public speaker who possessed more fully 
the power of making himself perfectly   
and clearly understood1 in every bearing
 of his subject1 than did ,mr4 ,ballou4 
,this was commonly remarked of him by   
all1 and more especially by those in his
 own profession of the ministry1 who had
 learned by experience what a difficult 
matter it sometimes is to impress an    
audience with the precise idea intended 
by the speaker4  ,about this date1 in   
,mr4 ,ballou's manuscript memoranda he  
says3--,i well remember a conversation  
,i had with a learned doctor of divinity
 of this city1 some years ago4 ,it      
happened that we were both going into   
the country1 and took the same stage4   
,we had not travelled far before the    
doctor very politely addressed me1      
expressing a desire to know my opinion  
on a certain passage of ,scripture1 as  
he did not know how it was explained by 
those of my opinion in religious        
matters4 ,the stage being quite full of 

gentlemen who were strangers to me1 but 
to whom ,i was doubtless well known1 ,i 
was somewhat surprised that the learned 
divine should introduce a scriptural    
subject1 and especially one concerning  
which he supposed we entertained        
different views4 ,however1 ,i was well  
satisfied that he expected to see me    
embarrassed in presence of the          
passengers1 whose curiosity was         
evidently excited4 ,i replied that ,i   
was not unwilling1 on any proper        
occasion1 to give my views on any       
passage of ,scripture when desired to do
 so1 provided ,i was satisfied in my own
 mind concerning its true meaning4      
,there was the most profound attention  
evinced1 and the doctor introduced ,gal4
 #f3 #g and #h4 ',be not deceived2 ,god 
is not mocked3 for whatsoever a man     
soweth1 that shall he reap4 ,for he that
 soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh 
reap corruption2 but he that soweth to  
the spirit shall of the spirit reap life
 everlasting3' the passage being one    

with which many occasions had made me   
quite familiar4 ,i replied immediately1 
as follows3 ',i presume1 sir1 you will  
understand all you wish to know of my   
views of this text1 if you hear me      
repeat it1 and duly observe where ,i lay
 especial emphasis2--,be not deceived3  
,god is not mocked2 for whatsoever a man
 soweth that shall he also reap4 ,for he
 that soweth to his flesh shall of the  
flesh reap corruption2 but he that      
soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit
 reap life everlasting4' ,the moment ,i 
pronounced the words of the text thus1  
there was a smile on the countenances of
 all in the stage1 and a movement which 
signified satisfaction4 ,i merely       
remarked1 in conclusion1 that no man who
 should sow in one field1 would think of
 going to another to reap4 ,the doctor  
made me no reply1 nor did he ask any    
more questions4  ,the above is but a    
sample1 continues ,mr4 ,ballou1 of the  
unnumbered cases in which ,i have seen  
how utterly abortive is a liberal       

education1 with the addition of a       
theological school1 in freeing the human
 mind from religious errors4 ,so far    
from effecting any such desirable end1  
these so highly esteemed advantages     
generally serve to puff up the mind and 
heart with pride1 and close every avenue
 through which light might be received4 
,the engrossing habits of a student1 and
 the employment of a large portion of   
his time in writing1 brought upon ,mr4  
,ballou the weakness in his left side1  
before referred to1 and which was still 
more augmented by his continued use of  
the pen4 ,this trouble became at last a 
seated and irreparable one1 and a source
 of much bodily suffering to him until  
the close of his life1 though serious   
attacks of it were but transient1 and   
usually lasting but a few hours at a    
time4 ,this affection was of rather a   
peculiar character1 so that when        
anything occurred1 of an unpleasant     
nature1 to trouble or distress his      
mind1--bad news of any sort1 the sudden 

death of a relative or friend1 or any   
matter of this character1--it would seem
 to affect the weak side1 and there     
distress him4  ,mr4 ,ballou was often   
solicited1 by letters from a distance1  
for his autograph1 with which he        
complied in a brief line1 most          
generally2 but personal applications for
 this object were very frequent during  
his journeyings from home4 ,being asked 
for his autograph by a young lady in one
 of the neighboring towns1 who handed   
him her album for the purpose1 he sat   
down and wrote the following verses     
impromptu1 and which have been handed to
 us for insertion here4 ,they will serve
 to show his ready power of             
versification2 he never studied to be a 
poet1 nor ever labored upon a piece of  
poetical composition4 ,he found little  
time to plant and rear flowers along his
 pathway of life4 ,at an early period   
the soil he tilled was of too bold and  
rugged a character to cultivate aught   
save the sterling literal seeds of      

truth1 the sweetness of whose blossoms  
is fragrance to the soul4 ,if           
subsequently he sometimes plucked a lily
 or watered a rose-bud1 it has been at  
breathing-spells between the holding of 
the plough and the planting of seed in  
his ,master's vineyard4 ,he lacked not  
for refinement and delicacy of taste1 or
 for the natural promptings of the poet1
 but there was more important business  
for him to perform1 and he realized too 
fully his responsibility to allow       
himself to forget for a moment the great
 aim and business of his mission4 ,the  
poem referred to above is entitled      
,,the ,,myrtle4      ,come1 take the    
wreath ,i've twined for thee1           
',tis wet with morning dew2     ,and    
lessons rare of love and truth          
,these flowers shall bring to you4      
,the half-blown rose1 whose spotless    
leaves       ,speak of thy hopes as     
fair1     ,and spicy balm1 with healing 
breath1       ,are mingling odors there4
      ,the sweet geranium so green      

,a fragrance doth impart1     ,true as  
the gentle breath of love1       ,that  
fills the youthful heart4      ,but most
 of all ,i'd have thee mark       ,the  
modest myrtle bough2     ,it speaks of  
love that e'er will be       ,as pure   
and bright as now4      ,for though the 
rose may fade and die1       ,the balm  
may cease to cure1     ,through summer's
 light and winter's shade       ,the    
,,myrtle will endure4      ,then take   
the wreath ,i've twined for thee1       
',tis wet with morning dew2     ,and    
many a lesson true of love       ,these 
flowers shall bring to you4  ,we find a 
letter among our papers1 written about  
the period of which we now speak4 ,it is
 from his pen1 and bears date ,new      
,york1 ,april #bast1 #ahci1 on the      
occasion of a brief visit to that city1 
and was addressed to the author of these
 pages4       ,,maturin3 ,a kind        
,providence brought me to this city     
early yesterday      morning4 ,i had a  
very pleasant passage hither1 and the   

good company      and kind attention of 
,capt4 ,parker4 ,i am at the ,walton    
,house1 which      was ,washington's    
head quarters during the ,revolutionary 
war4 ,it is      now between nine and   
ten o'clock1 ,sabbath morning4 ,my      
health is      good as when ,i left     
home4 ,my friends expect me to preach   
three      sermons this day and evening4
 ,whether ,i shall return on ,monday to 
,boston1 or remain another week here1 ,i
 have not now the means of              
determining4 ,i pray ,god to preserve   
the health of the family1 and           
return me soon to enjoy that circle from
 which it is painful to be      absent1 
though ,i have every attention and      
necessary accommodation      for my     
comfort4 ,take good care of your health1
 and tell your mother      that ,i shall
 endeavor to be careful of mine4        
,affectionately1          ,,hosea       
,,ballou4       ,m4 ,m4 ,,ballou4       
,this1 and a private letter previously  
given in these pages1 are not made      

public for any particular information   
they communicate1 but simply to show the
 reader the feelings of the writer as   
expressed between himself and those whom
 he loved and in whom he confided4      
,these letters might be greatly         
multiplied1 but this would perhaps serve
 our object no better purpose4 ,if a    
hundred were to be submitted to the     
reader1 they would convey no other      
spirit than is evinced by the two       
already given4 ,mr4 ,ballou's private   
correspondence was never very extensive2
 his letters were nearly all of a       
domestic nature1 or brief notes relating
 to exchanges with other brethren at a  
distance4 ,the reason that his letters  
were so much of this nature1 was1 that  
when he transcribed his thoughts to     
paper it was for the press4 ,most men of
 strong and active minds are in the     
practice of relieving them1 as it were1 
by writing down their thoughts1 from    
time to time1 to valued friends2 it is a
 sort of necessary relief that some     

minds could not get along without4 ,but 
,mr4 ,ballou's writings were so         
universally made public1 and he was so  
constantly supplying the public press   
with matter1 even to the very last week 
of his life1 that his mind and pen were 
quite sufficiently worked in this vein1 
without seeking any other channel4      
,during the fall of #ahdc1 ,mr4 ,ballou1
 then at the age of seventy-two years1  
made a long journey to the ,west1 to    
attend the national convention of       
,universalists1 held at ,akron1 ,ohio4  
,on the route thither1 in company with  
,rev4 ,thomas ,whittemore and some other
 friends1 he visited1 for the first     
time1 ,niagara ,falls4 ,mr4 ,whittemore1
 in writing home a description of their 
visit to his paper1 the ,trumpet1       
said3--,when we came to ,table ,rock1   
,father ,ballou stood in amazement1 and 
when we urged him to go back over the   
river before dark1 ',oh6' said he1 'how 
can ,i go away8' ,he said his thoughts  
were like those of ,peter on one        

occasion3 ',it is good to be here2 let  
us build tabernacles1 and dwell upon the
 spot4' ,a prism was handed to him1     
through which he could see the rapids in
 colors ineffably glorious4 ',oh6 my    
soul6 oh6 glory to ,god6' were his      
exclamations4  ,no man had a more       
thorough appreciation of all that was   
grand and noble in nature1 no one a     
keener eye for her myriads of charms    
that gladden our daily lives and        
illumine the pathway of life4  ,we heard
 him1 for the first time1 says the      
editor of the ,american ,phrenological  
,journal1 at a ,universalist general    
convention1 ,akron1 ,ohio1 in           
,september1 #ahdc1 where he preached to 
a very large gathering1 with the ablest 
men in the denomination preceding and   
following him4 ,many of them delivered  
more elaborate and carefully studied    
discourses1 but there was no other who  
made the brown faces of the old farmers 
so fairly shine with admiration and     
delight as ',father ,ballou4' ,many of  

them had heard him in ,new ,england     
thirty or forty years previous1 and now1
 hearing that he was to attend the      
convention1 had come thirty or forty    
miles to listen to him once again1 and  
for the last time on earth4 ,though then
 past man's allotted period of          
'threescore years and ten1' his         
distinctness of utterance1 clearness of 
statement1 aptness of illustration1 and 
force of argument1 might well have been 
taken as a model by a young preacher2   
and1 though he spoke more than an hour1 
a very general regret was evident that  
he closed so soon4 ,in person ,mr4      
,ballou was tall and slight1 with a     
bearing of unaffected meekness and      
humility4  ,in the summer of the        
succeeding year he made another visit to
 ,new ,york and ,philadelphia1 in       
accordance with the promise made some   
years before1 to come as often and for  
as long a period as was convenient to   
him1 and also in compliance with the    
earnest solicitations of the societies  

in both these cities at that time4 ,as  
we have before remarked1 he had formed  
many personal friends in both these     
cities1 and it was1 as we have heard him
 often declare1 refreshing to his heart 
to meet them and enjoy their liberal and
 kind hospitality4 ,he felt1 too1 an    
earnest solicitude for the spiritual    
welfare of those societies1 before whom 
he had so often spoken with such        
satisfaction to himself and profit to   
them4 ,during this journey southward1 by
 the solicitations of the societies in  
,baltimore1 ,mr4 ,ballou extended his   
visit to that city1 where he stopped for
 a short period1 which time he improved 
by the delivery of sermons day and      
evening4 ,on his return to ,boston1 he  
preached a sermon1 we well remember1    
relative to the condition of the cause  
of ,universalism1 and was made glad at  
heart by the state in which he found it 
in these cities1 and at being able to   
make such goodly report at home4 ,it was
 like the husbandman going abroad in his

 master's vineyard1 and counting the    
harvest of his lord1 which he had       
himself planted4  ,the kind and         
hospitable treatment which ,mr4 ,ballou 
always received1 in the cities          
particularly of ,new ,york and          
,philadelphia1 seems to have made a most
 indelible impression upon his heart4   
,often has he spoken of it in his family
 circle1 until we have felt almost as   
though we had individually shared the   
delightful reunions which he described4 
,true1 it was thus wherever he visited1 
as it regarded making warm and lasting  
friends1 but he has left memorandums    
that signify his remembrance more       
particularly of the societies of these  
cities4 ,he says3--,in ,new ,york and   
,philadelphia1 ,i have ever been made by
 the brethren to feel that ,i was at    
home2 kind hearts and hands have ever   
greeted me in either place1 and some of 
the happiest and most profitable moments
 of my life ,i think have been passed in
 ministering to the beloved societies in

 these places4 ,had my ,heavenly ,father
 seen fit to render my services less    
happy and fortunate in their result in  
,boston1 ,i should have found a happy   
home in either ,new ,york or            
,philadelphia4 ,as it is1 my frequent   
visits to both have afforded me         
undiminished satisfaction1 and much     
social enjoyment4 ,my sincere prayers   
are constantly offered for their        
happiness1 well-being1 and spiritual    
good4 ,the great and moving cause of his
 exerting such an influence by his words
 and manners over the minds of people in
 his religious teachings1 as well as his
 private intercourse1 was the spirit of 
sincerity that imbued every motion1     
while the beauty and purity of his moral
 character seemed to sanctify every word
 and action1 which emanated from him4   
,with not the slightest stain upon his  
character from boyhood1 he was such a   
being as people could afford to         
reverence1 respect1 and love4  ,through 
the whole of his long and active career1

 ,mr4 ,ballou never once turned aside   
from the one great object and purpose of
 his heart1 that of promulgating ,god's 
fatherly and impartial love to all      
mankind1 as evinced in the holy         
,scriptures and the dispensations of    
,providence4  ,in a poem1 ending with   
the two following verses1 he has himself
 expressed his devoted zeal better than 
we can do4      ,not all thy foes on    
earth can say     ,can turn my heart    
from thee away2           ,and yet my   
heart is free2     ,these wounds and    
scars1 that men despise1     ,are jewels
 precious in thine eyes1           ,and 
this is all to me4      ,had ,i ten     
thousand years to live1     ,had ,i ten 
thousand lives to give1           ,all  
these should be thine own2     ,and that
 foul scorn thy foes bestow     ,still  
prove a laurel to my brow1              
,and their contempt a throne4  ,in this 
service he never wrote or uttered a     
single sentence that was not peculiar to
 himself for its plainness of purpose1  

yet depth of thought1 and for strong    
logical reasoning to this grand end4 ,he
 possessed for his purpose a large share
 of ready1 manly eloquence1 not nervous 
and startling1 but cool and convincing2 
and this1 coupled with a natural        
quickness in discovering the strength or
 weakness of an argument1 ever insured  
him victory in religious controversy4   
,no sarcasm1 no reflection1 no          
imputation could throw him off his guard
 for one moment4 ,he was ever unruffled1
 yet forcible1 evincing the spirit of   
the doctrine which he advocated at all  
times4 ,it was perfectly impossible to  
so excite him in controversy as to lead 
him to say the least ungentlemanly1 or  
even abrupt thing4 ,he stood for years  
as a target for the poisoned arrows of  
malice1 bigotry and envy1 and bore all  
with a serene dignity of spirit1 which a
 firm reliance in ,heaven could alone   
have given4  ,in his public teachings he
 never indulged in abstractions1 never  
ran away from his theme1 upon abstruse  

and visionary ideas4 ,he was in this    
respect1 as in all others1 eminently    
natural1 eminently practical1 eminently 
original4 ,we do not find nature        
teaching us by adducing vague notions of
 facts1 but rather by a display of the  
facts themselves4 ,abstractions and     
transcendentalisms are but thick fogs to
 cloud the mental vision1 while plain   
matter-of-fact is the clear1 bright view
 of truth1 with the soft1 rich          
perspective of wisdom4 ,it is           
exceedingly questionable1 when we hear a
 minister dilating upon the arts and    
sciences1 or leading his hearers off in 
a vein of visionary philosophy1 whether 
that man has a religion worth preaching1
 or that is congenial to his own heart4 
,he was a man of great originality and  
remarkable power1 says ,rev4 ,mr4       
,miner4 ,he walked not in a beaten      
track4 ,his method of interpretation was
 all his own2 it was evolved by the new 
faith which inspired him1 and maintained
 throughout a self-consistency unknown  

to biblical writers fifty years ago4    
,though his labor consisted in dealing  
with the most familiar statements1 yet  
he never failed to shed upon his theme a
 new and diviner light1 and to invest it
 with rare and universal interest4 ,it  
is no condemnation of his method of     
interpretation to say that it seemed1 to
 the perverted understanding of that    
time1 to be forced and unnatural4 ,the  
value of this circumstance may be justly
 estimated by the fact1 that the current
 methods of the world have been         
constantly assimilating to his method1  
ever since it has been in conflict with 
them4  ,it was in his style of          
exposition and clearness of             
illustration1 rather than in his form of
 statement1 that his originality        
consisted4 ,it was manifested not so    
much by rhetorical aids1 as by his vivid
 embodiment of the principle he would   
inculcate4 ,in the early part of his    
ministry1 he had too much hard work to  
do1 too many open and covert foes to    

contend with1 too many hurtful errors to
 overthrow1 to permit him to loiter in  
the fields of literature for the        
gathering of verbal and rhetorical      
bouquets4 ,he needed not these aids4    
,his thought was rare1 and burned with  
the truths of ,god4 ,howsoever          
expressed1 it was sure to be remembered4
 ,the hearer might have no recollection 
of the dress4 ,whether clothed or       
unclothed1 whether 'in the body or out  
of the body1' he might not be able to   
say4 ,one thing1 however1 he could say2 
a new thought1 glowing like the sun in  
the heavens1 with a light all its own1  
had found a place in his heart4 ,he who 
possesses such a power need seek no     
other4 ,the trappings of literature can 
never do the work of truth4 ,they may   
dazzle the imagination2 but truth alone 
can warm the heart4 ,they may lead to   
the admiration of man1 but never to the 
adoration of ,god4  ,this is so much in 
the spirit of what we have before       
remarked1 that the quotation is most    

applicable4  ,several short poems are   
introduced into these pages from ,mr4   
,ballou's pen4 ,they are generally taken
 at random from his published fugitive  
pieces1 unless designed to illustrate   
some particular trait of character or   
frame of mind1 some cherished principle 
of the writer's heart4 ,though we claim 
no fame for ,mr4 ,ballou as a poet1 yet 
his productions in this line of         
composition are numerous4 ,a volume of  
his poems has lately been collected and 
published1 but these pieces were thrown 
off in the hurry of an editor's duty1   
and evince no care on the writer's part4
 ,he has left us scraps of verse1       
however1 which show that the power was  
native in him1 and the poet's genius a  
part of his natural endowment4 ,the     
verses that will close the last of this 
volume1 though written in old age1      
compare favorably with those of any     
production of the kind we have ever met 
with4 ,as late as the year #ahdd1 he was
 an occasional contributor of poems to  

the press1 of a character calculated for
 the times4 ,these verses were given to 
the public under the signature of       
,spectator1 and were designed to effect 
some prominent end1 to reform some      
acknowledged impropriety1 or to commend 
that which was good and useful4 ,these1 
however1 were never attributed to him1  
nor was it known out of his family      
circle that he had written them4 ,some  
of them were humorous1 some pathetic1   
some patriotic4 ,his poems were always  
easy and liquid in versification1 full  
of point and meaning1 expressing much in
 a few words1 while the ideas are       
clothed in the sweetest garb of poesy4  
,witness the following1 which is the    
only one at hand at this time3          
,,hymn ,,for ,,fourth ,,of ,,july4      
,arise and hail the jubilee1     ,the   
day that set our nation free2     ,in   
song his honor chant who gave           
,counsel and victory to the brave4      
,ye daughters fair1 fresh garlands      
weave1     ,with chaplets strew the     

warrior's grave2     ,lo6 from the      
mould'ring sod shall rise     ,fame's   
sweetest incense to the skies4          
,fifty bright summer suns have smiled1  
,and fifty harvest moons beguiled       
,childhood and youth1 since vernal      
showers     ,first moistened freedom's  
lovely flowers4      ,let joy throughout
 our land inspire     ,each manly heart 
with holy fire2     ,and freedom's song1
 by ,miriam sung1     ,be heard from    
every female tongue4  ,we well remember 
to have been present on one occasion1   
when a conversation took place between  
,mr4 ,ballou and a visitor who had come 
from a distance on purpose to see and   
talk with him on the matter of religion4
 ,he was vacillating in his faith1 but  
was by no means persuaded of the truth  
of ,universalism4 ,he was a man of      
wealth1 had retired from business1 but  
having had his mind brought to a serious
 turn by a very critical illness1 which 
had nearly proved fatal to him1 he had  
resolved to make the ,scriptures his    

study until he should be able to say    
that he had joy and peace in believing4 
,this he told ,mr4 ,ballou1 who         
commended his resolution1 promised to   
afford him any and all light within his 
own power to impart1 and sitting down   
together1 they conversed for some time4 
,i cannot see1 said the visitor at last1
 why it is that a religion which        
promises its believers and followers    
eternal life for obedience1 and the woe 
of eternal misery for disobedience1 does
 not make more truly religious people   
than your doctrine1 which holds forth   
only temporary evil for disobedience1   
and temporary reward for obedience4 ,the
 matter seems very plain to me4  ,i will
 tell you the reason of this1 said ,mr4 
,ballou1 and in so doing ,i will give   
you an evidence also of the truth of the
 doctrine ,i profess4 ,the reason is    
found in the very nature of man1 his    
disposition1 and natural promptings4    
,give to him a task to perform1 threaten
 him with the most fearful sufferings   

and torment if he fail to accomplish the
 duty you have prescribed for him1 and  
his calculation will naturally be to do 
just as little of the hated work as it  
is possible for him to do and avoid the 
punishment4 ,now1 on the other hand1 you
 give him an occupation which he is     
satisfied will be productive of his own 
happiness and good1 that in the very    
nature of things will produce him an    
ample and abundant reward1 and the      
selfishness natural to man will lead him
 to be faithful4  ,it would most        
certainly seem to be so1 answered the   
visitor1 thoughtfully4  ,certainly this 
is plain philosophy1 was the answer4    
,but ,i do not exactly understand your  
application1 said the stranger4  ,that  
is just what ,i am coming to4 ,present  
to man a religion of which the services 
are calculated to promote his rational  
enjoyment1 which takes nothing from him 
without returning more than its value1  
and in the spirit of which increase of  
duty is an increase of happiness1 and   

there is but little danger but that they
 will eagerly accept it4 ,this world is 
full of labor1 toil1 and traffic1 and   
the whole is carried on by the power of 
this principle4  ,i must acknowledge    
that religion has seemed to be too much 
sustained by threats and promises1 said 
the stranger4  ,to be sure it has1 said 
,mr4 ,ballou4 ,the idea that we perform 
any service in order to escape          
punishment1 renders that service tedious
 and irksome to us2 while1 on the       
contrary1 duty is supreme delight when  
love is the inducement and the labor4#a 
,footnote #a3 ,the recollection of this 
conversation was recalled to the        
writer's mind by lately reading one of  
,mr4 ,ballou's published sermons1 where 
a very similar argument may be found4   
,the individual above referred to was an
 ,englishman1 who came often to ,mr4    
,ballou's house afterwards1 and held    
similar conversations4 ,this was no     
unusual case4 ,perfect strangers came   
and sat for hours sometimes1 evidently  

seekers after truth1 and anxious ones   
too4 ,to such ,mr4 ,ballou was ever     
condescending1 patient1 and took delight
 in answering all their queries upon    
certain doctrinal points1 explaining    
each passage referred to1 showing its   
bearing upon others1 and challenging the
 visitor's respect by his urbanity and  
never-varying politeness in all things4 
,mr4 ,ballou was ever ready and prompt  
at an answer1 and his replies were      
frequently tempered with a quick and    
pungent wit4 ,he was on a certain       
occasion1 on his way to deliver a       
lecture in the town of ,reading1 ,vt41  
surrounded by a number of people1 when  
an ,orthodox deacon1 confronting him    
suddenly1 asked1 with a taunting air and
 self-sufficient bearing1--  ,will you  
answer me one question1 ,mr4 ,ballou8   
,certainly1 if ,i can do so at such     
short notice1 said ,mr4 ,ballou1 smiling
 at the man's impetuosity4  ,well1 sir1 
said the deacon1 what will become of a  
man who goes out of the world cursing   

and swearing1 and calling on ,god to    
damn his soul to hell8  ,do you believe1
 my dear sir1 said ,mr4 ,ballou1 that a 
righteous ,god would answer the vile    
prayer of such a wicked wretch8  ,why   
no1 said the deacon1 of course not4     
,you have answered your own question    
then1 said ,mr4 ,ballou1 quietly1 while 
the deacon turned away much             
disconcerted4  ,it is so true that      
,folly's shallow lip can ask the deepest
 question1 that it is well to remember  
sometimes1 that a fool should be        
answered according to his folly4  ,the  
frequency of his times of preaching1 in 
the former part of his ministry1 says   
the editor of the ,repository1 can be   
but ill imagined now1 nor the intense   
interest with which his message was     
listened to by the multitude4 ,at times 
he would preach between two             
appointments1 while his horse was       
feeding1--his pulpit the base of a noble
 oak1 and the congregation reverently   
standing in its broad shadow4 ,taking   

advantage of his haste in leaving1 some 
question would be asked him by some     
restive1 dogmatic deacon1 and the       
undreamed of answer1 that came as the   
lightning's flash1 would add new fuel to
 the fire of interest he had kindled in 
the midst of the people4  ,in this      
connection we are reminded of an        
anecdote1 for which we are indebted to  
,rev4 ,sylvanus ,cobb1 of the ,christian
 ,freeman4 ,we introduce it here to show
 ,mr4 ,ballou's power of argument       
without the least tincture of           
ostentation4 ,it was often his way in   
debate to ask some apparently simple but
 natural question1 which his opponent   
answering1 as he obviously must do1     
would almost certainly refute his own   
fragile creed or position1 and himself  
and others would be led to see where the
 truth really was4 ,mr4 ,cobb says3--   
,the world at large have known much of  
the powers and genius of ,mr4 ,ballou's 
mind from his published works1 but he   
had most lovely traits of character     

which a personal acquaintance only could
 discover4 ,while an intellectual giant 
in strength1 he was unaffectedly modest 
and unassuming1 and never engaged in    
mere disputations4 ,he would never enter
 into a combat for mere personal        
mastery1 nor pursue a noisy contest with
 one who showed himself to be insincere 
and trickish2 while his own meekness and
 simplicity of spirit1 combined with his
 clearness of perception1 would         
generally cut down the swaggering1      
cavilling spirit1 if he came in contact 
with it4  ,an interesting incident1     
illustrative of this amiable trait of   
character1 once occurred in a brief     
exchange of words between him and ,abner
 ,kneeland4 ,mr4 ,kneeland had become an
 atheist1 and one day came into an      
apartment where there was a little      
company of our ministering brethren1    
among whom was ,mr4 ,ballou4 ,mr4       
,kneeland was forward to communicate    
this supposed new light to those with   
whom he was formerly associated in the  

ministry of ,christ4 ,he could dispense 
with the use of a creator of the world  
and of man1 regarding the physical      
universe and the human species as       
eternal in their being without          
beginning4 ,yet he got in the idea1 in  
the course of the conversation1 that man
 is composed of the elements of nature4 
,mr4 ,ballou had been sitting in        
silence1 with his elbows resting upon   
his knees 7an attitude he often assumed 
when listening attentively to an        
argument74 ,at this point he raised his 
head1 and assumed an erect position of  
body1 and said3--  ',bro4 ,kneeland1 you
 seem to have thought a great deal on   
these subjects1 and perhaps you can give
 me some useful information4 ,now we see
 around us1 in the city and country1 a  
great many wooden houses4 ,of what are  
these houses made8'  ',they are made of 
timbers1 boards1 shingles1 and the      
like1' answered ,mr4 ,kneeland4  ',and  
out of what1' said ,mr4 ,ballou1 'are   
these boards and shingles made8'  ',out 

of trees1' replied ,mr4 ,k4  ',then1'   
said ,mr4 ,ballou1 'all wooden houses   
were made out of trees4 ,if so1 must    
there not have been trees before there  
was a wooden house8'  ',yes1' said the  
other1 'of course4'  ',well1 ,i thought 
so1' said ,mr4 ,ballou2 'and now1'      
continued he1 'here are many brick      
houses1--of what are they made8'  ',they
 are made1' answered ,mr4 ,kneeland1    
'out of bricks1 which are composed of   
clay and sand4'  ',well1 then1' said    
,mr4 ,ballou1 'if all brick houses are  
made of bricks1 which are composed of   
clay and sand1 must there not have been 
bricks before there was a brick house1  
and clay and sand before there was a    
brick8'  ,mr4 ,kneeland now1 perceiving 
what application ,mr4 ,ballou was about 
to make of his concessions1 to explain  
his philosophy of having men composed of
 the elements of nature and yet having  
no elements of nature before there were 
men1 began to equivocate6 ,he would not 
admit the inference from the fact that  

all brick houses were made of bricks1   
etc41 and he even retraced his steps1   
and took back what he had admitted in   
respect to wooden houses4  ',what6' said
 ,mr4 ,ballou1 'if all wooden houses    
were made of trees1 must there not have 
been trees before there were wooden     
houses8'  ',no1' replied ,mr4 ,kneeland1
 'that need not follow6'  ',well1 then1'
 said ,mr4 ,ballou1 'how stupid ,i am6' 
,and as he uttered these words1 he      
dropped his head again1 and let himself 
back into a posture of quiet rest4 ,mr4 
,kneeland at the same time choked and   
blushed1 and attempted to recover       
himself for renewed conversation1 but he
 evidently could not1 and so took his   
departure4  ,this is but one of many    
incidents which might be cited to       
illustrate ,mr4 ,ballou's simplicity in 
the pursuit and love of truth1 his      
readiness with argument for its support 
and advancement1 in connection with a   
modest1 unassuming habit1 and a hatred  
of bluster and noisy strife4  ,a volume 

might be filled with anecdotes equally  
characteristic of ,mr4 ,ballou's manner 
and style of argument1 had we the       
necessary time to collect them4 ,but we 
trust that the few that are compiled and
 given to our readers herewith1 may     
sufficiently familiarize them with the  
subject's character1 both as a          
,christian and as a theologian4 ,since  
commencing this work1 a vast number of  
anecdotes have suggested themselves to  
the writer's mind1 and others1 new to   
him1 have been submitted by friends2 but
 only such as have been considered      
valuable as illustrating his character1 
and which are known to be authentic1    
have been selected for publication in   
these pages4     ,,chapter ,,xi4        
,,domestic ,,and ,,personal             
,,characteristics4   ,all who knew ,mr4 
,ballou intimately1 can bear witness    
that his home was a happy one4 ,this1 of
 course1 was owing to the manner in     
which he had framed and modeled that    
home after his own heart and the        

dictates of the religion he professed4  
,he was the master mind there2 his word 
was law1 his simplest wish strictly     
complied with4 ,he was looked up to with
 a degree of respect and veneration by  
his children1 that was an abiding       
evidence of his true character4 ,in the 
government of his family1 he led1 but   
never drove1 his children1 endeavoring1 
to the utmost of his ability1 to bring  
them up in the nurture and admonition of
 the ,lord1 and1 taking his divine      
,master for his example1 he governed    
them by love and kindness alone4  ,he   
was strongly characterized for his      
fondness of domestic enjoyment1 and     
throughout his whole life1 to the very  
end1 evinced the most constant and      
tenderest solicitude for each and all of
 his children4 ,even after they had     
married and settled in life1 with       
families about them1 this solicitude    
continued as ardent as ever2 nor was    
there one of those children who would   
undertake any matter of importance      

without first consulting his wishes in  
the premises1 and seeking his advice    
upon the subject2 so highly were both   
respected and esteemed4 ,this is        
mentioned in this connection1 not as an 
encomium upon the family1 but simply to 
show the reader the universal love and  
respect that its head always commanded4 
,we find this subject referred to by    
,rev4 ,henry ,bacon1 in his published   
remarks concerning the decease of the   
subject of this biography4 ,he refers to
 the respect in which his advice was    
held upon secular matters1 not only in  
his own family1 but by others of his    
acquaintance4  ,he was great1 says ,mr4 
,bacon1 in the clearness with which he  
saw the essential truths of the gospel1 
and in the power with which he          
communicated them to others1 by that    
spirit of calm earnestness1 and that    
wondrous faculty to make himself        
intelligible1 which peculiarly          
distinguished him4 ,he was great as a   
logician2 great in wisdom that          

penetrates to the reality of character1 
and opens the real motives that sway the
 man2 and his counsel in matters far    
removed from his peculiar walk in life  
was weighed as the utterance of an      
oracle that must not be slighted4       
,simple in his habits1 he lost nothing  
of life in indulgences that rob         
existence of its serenity2 fixed in a   
few great principles1 he made everything
 contribute thereto for the enlargement 
of his views of men and things2 and1    
reverencing the ,scriptures with a depth
 of reliance that was beautiful to      
behold1 he brought forth the harmonies  
of the divine ,word in a manner that    
suggested more than he ever expressed1  
though he expressed enough to satisfy   
millions of souls4  ,may we add here1   
how grateful such words of appreciation 
are to the hearts of his family4  ,the  
following was furnished us by ,rev4     
,thomas ,whittemore1 and would seem to  
come most properly under this chapter of
 ,domestic and ,personal                

,characteristics4 ,mr4 ,whittemore was  
solicited for something relative to the 
subject1 being so old and valued a      
friend of the deceased1 and he thus     
speaks3--  ,the life of ,hosea ,ballou  
is1 in almost every respect1 pleasing to
 contemplate4 ,it was a very active     
life4 ,he travelled much1 he preached   
often1 he studied continually1 and he   
wrote not a little4 ,in the earlier part
 of his life he joined teaching of the  
young in the common sciences to his     
other avocations4 ,no small portion of  
his leisure time he spent in reading2   
but he thought more than he read4 ,he   
was always digging for gold2 not1       
however1 in books1 but in the mine of   
his own intellect4 ,his mind was very   
active4  ,the most pleasing part of his 
life was his serene old age4 ,the writer
 of this remembers him well when he was 
forty years of age4 ,ten years          
afterwards1 the writer entered his      
family to pursue a course of studies for
 the ministry4 ,mr4 ,b4's mind at fifty 

seemed never at rest4 ,if not reading1  
he was busily engaged in mental effort4 
,often1 when he was walking in the      
streets1 have we seen his lips move1 as 
if he were talking4 ,at his home1 he    
would sit frequently with his eyes      
closed1 his lips moving1 as if holding  
conversation with some invisible person2
 and when he apparently came to some    
crisis in his meditations1 he showed    
some outward sign of his feelings1      
sometimes by a smile1 at others by      
suppressed laughter1 at others by a     
sigh4  ,a mind thus active is in danger 
of disturbing1 if too much indulged1 the
 proper action of the digestive powers1 
which1 in their turn1 react upon the    
mind1 and produce lowness of spirits and
 gloom4 ,mr4 ,ballou at fifty was       
troubled in this way4 ,his heart had an 
affection sympathetic with the stomach1 
and its action was irregular and        
intermittent4 ,at this point of his     
life1 he had lived but three or four    
years in ,boston2 and he had had        

occasion to perform a large amount both 
of mental and physical labor4 ,he had   
preached three times almost every       
,sabbath2 had edited1 for two years1 the
 ',universalist ,magazine2' had visited 
many parts of the country to preach the 
gospel1 sometimes under very animating  
circumstances2 and these complicated    
labors were too much for him4 ,his most 
sagacious friends then had fears either 
that he would not live to old age1 or1  
if he did1 that his later years would be
 unquiet4  ,we remember1 with very great
 satisfaction1 the exceeding gentleness 
and amiability of his wife1 in the days 
of which we speak4 ,while this excellent
 lady still survives1 it is not proper  
for us to express all that may be justly
 said of her4 ,she presided over her    
household with a fidelity1 a blandness1 
a kindness1 steady as the current of a  
river1 and unruffled as a lake in the   
calmest day4 ,this season of            
intermixture of health and sickness1 joy
 and sadness1 light and shade1 continued

 for some half dozen years1 when it was 
very gratifying to ,mr4 ,b4's friends to
 see that each change denoted that his  
life might be protracted perhaps to old 
age1 and that1 peradventure1 his old age
 should be as serene as his earlier days
 had been laborious and useful4 ,such   
proved to be the fact4 ,he died in his  
eighty-second year1 and his life grew   
more and more serene unto its close2    
like the sun1 obscured somewhat by      
passing clouds at noon1 but shining     
clearly during the rest of the day1     
making its course through the western   
sky1 and passing away from the earth1 as
 it were1 into the boundless heavens    
beyond4  ,this quiet old age ,i         
attribute to several circumstances4 ,mr4
 ,ballou was a man of sound sense4 ,it  
was his aim to make the best of         
everything4 ,he was a ,christian        
philosopher4 ,he sought to rule his own 
spirit4 ,he believed that humility and  
meekness were the brightest jewels in   
the ,christian's crown4 ,he had a firm  

trust in his ,maker's goodness4 ,he     
believed that ,god was the ,sovereign of
 the universe1 a ,father of infinite    
goodness1 as well as of infinite power1 
who executed his will in the armies of  
heaven1 and among the inhabitants of the
 earth2 and who1 by everything which he 
did1 and by everything which he         
permitted to be done1 was seeking       
infallibly the good of his creatures4   
,what an influence would such a faith   
exert on ,mr4 ,ballou's life6  ,added to
 this1 he had a wife whose constant     
effort and highest joy was to make her  
husband happy4 ,few such women have     
lived4 ,it is my duty to declare1 that1 
during thirty years' acquaintance with  
her1 ,i never have heard the first      
unkind word from her lips1 respecting   
any human being4 ,towards her husband1  
there was a devotion that never tired4  
,it was her constant desire and aim to  
make him useful and happy4 ,she appeared
 well in any society1 but home was her  
genial sphere4 ,much of the quiet of    

,father ,ballou's old age must be       
attributed to her4 ,his children1 also1 
have been sources of great comfort to   
him4 ,they diligently aimed to make him 
happy4 ,he loved them all with          
surpassing tenderness1 and they loved   
him in consequence4 ,had anything       
unfavorable happened to either of his   
children1 it would have been like a dart
 driven through his soul4 ,we know that1
 even in that case1 his religion and his
 philosophy would have come to his aid2 
he would have believed that ,god had a  
wise purpose in it2 but1 even with that 
alleviation1 it must greatly have       
disturbed his life4 ,no such affliction1
 however1 awaited him4 ,two of his sons 
became preachers of the same gospel     
which he had defended1 and by their     
prudent lives gained the respect of all 
who knew them4 ,they have not1 like many
 clergymen1 moved frequently from place 
to place1 but1 for about a quarter of a 
century1 have remained stationary       
pastors4 ,in respect to the goods of    

this world1 they have been prudent1 and 
have prospered4 99 99 99 99 ,the        
daughters have all been married to      
faithful1 kind1 and prudent husbands1 of
 whom two are preachers of the gospel1  
and all1 men of respectability1         
intelligence1 and thrift4  ,such have   
been the circumstances of ,father       
,ballou's family4 ,but we have yet to   
mention another source of the happiness 
of his last days4 ,he saw himself       
standing at the head of a large and     
prosperous body of ,christians1 who     
loved and venerated him for his labors1 
the purity of his character1 and the    
good he had done4 ,he saw their regard  
for him manifested at such times1 and in
 such ways1 that he had reason to       
believe it was not done for effect1 but 
was the outgushing of the real feeling  
of their hearts4 ,at the meetings of    
conventions1 associations1 and other    
public bodies1 all were happy to greet  
the old soldier of the cross4 ,his      
strength was spared to him to such a    

degree1 that he was able to travel and  
preach up to the close of his life4 ,his
 last sermon was delivered within eight 
days of his death4 ,he used frequently  
to say that it seemed to him no man had 
more to be thankful for than he4        
,prudence in diet2 prudence in labor2 a 
kind heart2 an affectionate companion2  
loving children2 ease in his worldly    
circumstances2 the homage of the class  
of ,christians to which he belonged2 the
 respect of mankind at large2 ability to
 pursue his favorite calling to the end 
of life2 a strong trust in ,god1 whose  
commands he sought diligently to        
obey2--these were the causes of the     
serenity of his old age4 ',mark the     
perfect man1 and behold the upright3 for
 the end of that man is peace4' ,psalm  
#cg3cg4  ,especially was he fond of     
children and infants4 ,this was a       
markedly prominent feature in his       
feelings2 and children1 too1 never      
failed to make friends with him at once4
 ,in our own humble experience1 we have 

made this a criterion of judgment in    
character4 ,he who warmly and quickly   
interests a child1--whose temperament is
 such that infancy can easily assimilate
 with it1--whose sympathies are of a    
nature quickly to unite when brought in 
contact with childhood1--that man has at
 heart much of the real purity and      
innocence which are the main            
characteristics of those whom the       
,saviour blessed4 ,we never saw a child 
shun or turn away from him2 but we have 
seen scores of those who were strangers1
 put out their little hands and go      
willingly to him4 ,in his own family    
circle his love of children found ample 
scope and a genial field for exercise4  
,more than forty of his own             
grandchildren might have been gathered  
together at one time during his life4   
,but1 as we have intimated1 it was not  
with these alone that the spirit we     
refer to was evinced2 it was the same   
with one as with another4 ,all children 
he dearly loved1 and particularly       

noticed4 ,there seemed to be a magic    
power in his voice1 and in the gentle   
beaming of his clear1 expressive eyes1  
that carried assurance to their timid   
bosoms2 and they would nestle happy and 
undismayed in his arms1 or listen to his
 words1 so cunningly adapted to the     
powers of their tender intellect4  ,the 
secret of ,mr4 ,ballou's remarkable     
success in his family government1 was1  
doubtless1 his following those rules    
which he has so well expressed and laid 
down for others4 ,it is a valuable      
excerpt that he has left1 and we doubt  
not that the reader will thank us for   
introducing it here1 and in his own     
words3--,when giving to your children   
commands1 be careful that you speak with
 a becoming dignity1 as if not only the 
right1 but the wisdom also to command1  
was with you4 ,be careful not to        
discover a jealousy that your           
injunctions may not be attended to2 for 
if the child sees that you have your    
doubts1 they will lead the child to     

doubt too4 ,be cautious never to give   
your commands in a loud voice1 nor in   
haste4 ,if you must speak loudly in     
order to be obeyed1 when it is not      
convenient to raise your voice you must 
expect to be disobeyed2 and if it be    
convenient for you to speak loudly1 you 
must remember it is inconvenient for    
others to hear it4  ,but1 with regard to
 manner1 be careful to speak in a soft1 
tender1 kind and loving way4 ,even when 
you have occasion to rebuke1 be careful 
to do it with manifest kindness4 ,the   
effects will be incalculably better4    
,when you are obliged to deny the       
request that your child may make1 do not
 allow yourself to do this with         
severity4 ,it is enough for our dear    
little ones to be denied of what they   
may think they want1 without being      
nearly knocked down with a sharp voice  
ringing in their tender ears4  ,if you  
practise severity1 speak harshly1       
frequently punish in anger1 you will    
find your children will imbibe your     

spirit and manners4 ,first you will find
 that they will treat each other as you 
treat them2 and after they arrive to a  
little age1 they will treat you with    
unkind and unbecoming replies4 ,but if  
you are wise1 and treat your little ones
 with tenderness1 you will fix the image
 of love in their minds1 and they will  
love you and each other1 and in their   
conversation will imitate the           
conversation which they have heard from 
the tenderest friend which children have
 on earth4  ,in this connection we are  
reminded of a letter1 lately published1 
from ,mrs4 ,c4 ,a4 ,soule1 relative to  
her impressions touching the death of   
the subject of this memoir4 ,it will be 
remembered that her husband was a warm  
and cherished friend of ,mr4 ,ballou's1 
and that he was associated with him as  
colleague over the ,second ,universalist
 ,society1 in ,school-street1 ,boston1  
as late as #ahde4  ,as vividly as though
 it were but yesterday1 does memory     
bring to me that sunny ,april day1 in   

#ahdd1 when ,i first entered the        
sanctuary where he had ministered so    
many years4 ,there was a dedication     
service1 and ,i thought then1 and ,i    
think now1 that ,i never gazed upon a   
more impressive sight than was presented
 at that moment1 when the aged pastor   
took in his arms the little helpless    
babe1 and in touching words consecrated 
it to ,him who said ',suffer little     
children to come unto me4' ,that picture
 of infancy and age1--how ,i longed for 
a pencil to sketch it6 ,thank ,heaven1  
memory1 with faithful touch1 inscribed  
it on my heart1 and it will ever hang   
there1 one of its most beautiful        
pictures4 ,and now ,i see him at my own 
threshold4 ,i meet him1 and present him 
my own little one1 my firstborn4 ,how   
tenderly he caresses it6 ,long he looks 
into her laughing eyes1 and then        
exclaims1 in a tone ,i can never forget1
 ',how ,i wish ,i could read her        
thoughts6' ,then1 sitting down1 he tells
 me that he never yet looked on a babe  

without longing to know the workings1   
the thoughts1 of the infant mind2 and   
afterwards gave me some excellent advice
 about so training that little one that 
when age should enable her to reveal her
 thoughts1 they might all be pure and   
beautiful4 ,how life-like is the        
portrait ,i have of him in my mind's    
eye6 ,it seems so palpable that ,i      
almost feel the light as it streams from
 that thrilling eye1 and hear the       
eloquent words that tremble on that     
'heaven-touched tongue4'  ,in           
illustration of the feelings which      
influenced him as it regarded           
intercourse with his children1 and      
consideration for their enjoyment1 and  
sympathy with them even in many seeming 
trifles1 we relate the following        
anecdote1 which1 though perhaps trifling
 in itself1 is by no means without value
 in point of application4  ,when ,mr4   
,ballou engaged1 in #ahcd1 to go to ,new
 ,york and ,philadelphia1 it became     
known to one of his parishioners1 who   

desired to send his child1 a young lady1
 to the latter city1 on a visit to some 
relations or friends4 ,his request to   
take charge of the young person was     
cheerfully acceded to by ,mr4 ,ballou4  
,it so happened that the person who was 
to accompany him was a classmate at     
school and a very intimate companion of 
one of his own daughters1 the eldest    
then at home4 ,when this daughter       
learned that her classmate was to       
accompany her father on his journey1 she
 could not but express a wish that she  
were going also4 ,there were no railroad
 conveniences then1 nor were scarcely   
any of the present accommodations for   
travelling perfected4 ,it was not only  
considerable of an undertaking to       
commence a journey of three hundred     
miles1 but it necessarily involved not a
 trifling expense4  ,it came to the ears
 of ,mr4 ,ballou that his child really  
desired to accompany him2 and1 when he  
understood the circumstances1 he        
immediately gave his consent1--telling  

her1 playfully1 not to say anything to  
her young friend of this1 but that he   
would manage an agreeable surprise for  
her4 ,the stage came to the house very  
early on the morning appointed for      
starting1--long before daylight4 ,mr4   
,ballou and his daughter got in1 and    
took their places on the back seat1 the 
latter well wrapped up about the face4  
,they then drove to the house of her    
schoolmate1 who was to accompany them4  
,she also took her place in the vehicle1
 exchanging a salutation with ,mr4      
,ballou1 and they drove off in the      
darkness4 ,it was not long before the   
young lady took occasion to remark1     
casually1 to ,mr4 ,ballou1 how agreeable
 it would have been could ,elmina 7the  
daughter7 have accompanied them4        
,very1--very indeed1 said ,mr4 ,ballou2 
and they still drove quietly on4 ,at    
last1 the city being now left far       
behind1 and daylight having appeared1   
,mr4 ,ballou asked the young lady if she
 knew the person by her side4 ,on       

hearing this inquiry1 she turned to see 
her neighbor's face1 and lo6 it was her 
classmate and dearest friend with whom  
she had been thus seated so long without
 recognizing her6 ,the daughter has     
since often declared that she knew not  
which enjoyed the ruse most on this     
occasion1--father or child4  ,during the
 year #ahde1 ,mr4 ,ballou1 being then   
seventy-four years of age1 wrote and    
published two or three essays in the    
,universalist ,quarterly1 upon certain  
passages of scripture which had seemed  
to be a stumbling-block to many of his  
own denomination4 ,one of these texts   
was that commencing1 ,in my ,father's   
house are many mansions1 etc4 ,this1 by 
some of the order of ,universalists1 was
 supposed to signify that in the future 
state there would be different degrees  
of blessedness1 in proportion to the    
worthiness of the spirit1 or to its     
moral character and mental cultivation4 
,this idea was thoroughly exploded1 as  
it regarded many minds1 by the article  

referred to1 which was thus the means of
 converting many doubtful minds1 as they
 acknowledged1 some of them orally1 and 
some by letters addressed to him from at
 home and abroad4 ,the clear1 logical   
style of reasoning evinced in this      
essay1 and in one published by him not  
long subsequent in the ,quarterly1      
relative to the question as to what     
influence our present being may have on 
our future existence1 showed            
conclusively that the full strength and 
vigor that originally rendered his      
writings so forcible were with him      
still1 that his mental vision was as    
keen as ever1 and that none of his      
powers of intellect had waned in their  
fire4  ,these articles were penned as   
correctly and distinctly1 as it regarded
 the chirography1 as was his early      
custom1 and generally written1 if not at
 one sitting1 within the space of a few 
hours2 for1 when he had anything to do1 
he could not feel contented until it was
 done4 ,the article completed1 he would 

carefully fold it1 and wend his way     
personally to the publishing-house in   
,cornhill1 and deposit it there1 never  
failing at the appointed time to read   
the proof1 concerning which he was very 
sensitive1 and very correct4 ,it was but
 a few days prior to his decease that he
 read thus the proof-sheets of his last 
article1 furnished for the ,universalist
 ,quarterly4  ,in the manuscript which  
,mr4 ,ballou furnished the author of    
this biography1 there appears written   
about this period1 the fall of #ahde1   
the following interesting paragraph     
relative to the immense change that he  
had lived to see transpire in the       
religious world about him4  ,since ,i   
came to this city1 ,i have enjoyed the  
happiness of seeing the cause of        
religion prosper1 and the different     
denominations growing more liberal and  
more charitable towards each other4 ,i  
have seen1 too1 my own peculiar views   
received very generally1 and regarded   
very favorably by the denomination to   

which ,i have belonged from the         
commencement of my public labors4 ,since
 ,i came here ,i have been rejoiced to  
see the wonderful increase of           
,universalist societies in ,boston and  
the neighboring towns1 as well as in the
 other ,states of our ,union4 ,there are
 firmly established ones now in         
,roxbury1 ,cambridgeport1 ,east         
,cambridge1 ,medford1 ,malden1 etc41    
besides five or six in ,boston1 to the  
commencement and building up of which ,i
 have had the pleasure of adding my mite
 by way of labor4  ,it was very natural 
that he should then contrast the state  
and condition of the cause with its     
feebleness when he first came to        
,boston4 ,a few scattered believers were
 all it numbered then2 persecution and  
obloquy greeted its defenders at every  
step4 ,to be called a ,universalist was 
equivalent to being called anything vile
 and wicked1 and the name was held as   
one of reproach by nearly all4 ,but how 
vastly different was the prospect that  

presented itself to his view in the     
closing days of his life1 and how       
grateful this must have been to him who 
had borne the burthen and the heat of   
the day6 ,he saw the denomination vastly
 extended4 ,he saw ,universalists       
respected not only for numbers1 but for 
the goodly influence they exerted far   
and wide4  ,he saw that there were now  
nineteen annual state conventions1      
eighty-two associations1 eight          
missionary societies1 ten hundred and   
seventy societies1 professing the       
doctrine2 seven hundred and ninety-nine 
meeting-houses devoted to this worship1 
and some seven hundred preachers in his 
,master's vineyard1 who taught the      
doctrine of ,god's impartial grace4     
,these1 and other facts equally         
illustrating the wonderful change he had
 witnessed1 caused him1 when toasted and
 called upon at the late festival of    
brethren in ,boston1 to speak to them1  
to say1 that as he gazed on the crowd   
before him1 and thought of the multitude

 they represented1 he was reminded of   
the beginning of ,universalism in ,new  
,england1 and to quote the words of the 
prophet3 ,there was a handful of corn in
 the top of the mountain1 but its fruit 
shall shake like ,lebanon6  ,how apt and
 true the quotation4  ,we have seen that
 the vigor and keenness of ,mr4         
,ballou's mind had in no way abated1    
that every mental faculty still shone   
brightly as at the prime of his manhood4
 ,let us show the reader statistically  
what that mind had performed in its     
time4 ,during his professional life he  
delivered over ten thousand sermons4    
,this calculation1 which at first       
appears to be so very large1 is         
nevertheless strictly correct1 and will 
not seem to be overrated1 when we call  
to mind the fact that for more than     
thirty years of his ministration he not 
only preached three times every         
,sabbath1 but frequently for several    
consecutive days of the week beside4    
,until within five or ten years past1   

three sermons on the ,sabbath has been  
his usual performance1 in the line of   
his professional duty4 ,and after his   
sermons in country towns1 the answering 
of questions1 and the conversation he   
was obliged to hold in private with     
honest seekers after truth1 were quite  
as laborious1 in fact1 as were his      
public services in the pulpit4 ,we have 
known him to occupy nearly half the     
night1 not unfrequently1 in this manner1
 patiently and zealously4  ,including   
his essays and treatises upon doctrinal 
subjects1 his fugitive sermons furnished
 for the different magazines and papers 
of which he was editor for a long period
 of time1 and afterwards a constant     
contributor to the very end of his life1
 beside a large number which appeared in
 pamphlet form1 and of which no         
particular mention is made in these     
pages1 and the works herein referred to1
 ,mr4 ,ballou has written and published 
enough to make one hundred volumes1     
containing the same amount of matter as 

the one now in the hands of the reader4 
,the mere mechanical labor of writing   
such a mass of composition is in itself 
a ,herculean task2 but when we consider 
that each page is characterized by      
careful reasoning upon points that      
required much thought and study1 and    
that the whole is largely original2 that
 the author was unaided by any other    
books1 save the ,bible1 in the formation
 of his arguments and opinions2 and that
 he was a self-made man withal1 we shall
 come to the conclusion1 that1 to say   
the least of it1 the subject of these   
memoirs was particularly blessed and    
aided by ,divine ,providence4  ,one     
secret of his having accomplished so    
much1 is the fact that he was never     
idle1 never contented to sit down with  
folded arms in his chair and do nothing2
 a book or a pen was ever in his hands1 
except when he was taking the ordinary  
and necessary daily exercise4 ,his life 
had been too stirring and active for him
 ever to relapse into dormancy1 while   

his faculties were left to him4 ,how    
well we can see him at this moment1 in  
the mind's eye1 as he used to appear at 
the centre-table1 with his book close by
 the lamp1 of an evening1 and his wife  
opposite to him1 listening to the work  
which he was reading aloud to her2 such 
is almost the last evening scene we can 
recall in connection with him2 his      
clear1 distinct pronunciation1 proper   
emphasis1 and fine voice1 even in old   
age1 seeming to portray with singular   
accuracy the author's ideas1 and to add 
a charm to the subject treated upon4    
,mr4 ,ballou had always deprecated the  
idea of capital punishment1 believing   
the law based on a wrong principle that 
would take the life of a human creature1
 while none but ,god could give it4     
,during the winter of #ahde1 there was  
more than the usual interest evinced by 
the public on this subject1 and numerous
 public meetings were held relative to  
the subject1 and to endeavor to bring   
about a reform in the criminal code1 so 

as to exclude the death penalty         
altogether4 ,at several of these        
assemblies ,mr4 ,ballou made eloquent   
addresses upon the subject1 and wrote a 
number of articles1 which were          
published1 advocating the cause1 in     
which he felt a very great interest4 ,we
 subjoin the following poem1 written by 
him at this time4 ,it is peculiarly     
illustrative of his plain1              
straightforward style of composition4   
,,the ,,criminal ,,code4      ,if in the
 heart the virus dwell     ,of murder1  
can we that expel     ,by dire revenge1 
or shall we find     ,we miss the law   
that governs mind8      ,to quench a    
flame should we engage1     ,and fuel   
add1 behold the rage6     ,now fiercer  
still the flame ascends1     ,and fear  
with consternation blends4      ,man    
kills his neighbor4 ,why8 ,because      
,his passions rise against the laws1    
,which ,god hath written on his soul1   
,unmanned the man1 and made a fool4     
,to cure the evil1 now the law1         

,with tiger rage and open jaw1          
,cries out for blood1 for blood it      
cries1     ,seizes the culprit1 and he  
dies4      ,two men are dead in room of 
one2     ,and now the work is but begun3
     ,the virus spreads1 and everywhere 
,the deadly taint infects the air4      
,and murder now becomes more rife2      
,lighter esteemed is human life     ,and
 he who could not just before1     ,now 
coolly looks on human gore4             
,revenge is wrong2 cannot subdue        
,the vile affections1 but renew         
,their actions to a flame more dire1    
,to rage like a consuming fire4         
,when will our legislators learn1       
,that blessed1 heavenly truth discern1--
     ,when will it well be understood1  
,that evil is o'ercome with good8  ,mr4 
,ballou always had a purpose in view    
when he wrote1 whether prose or poetry1 
and to this end1 more than to the       
musical cadence of the verse1 he exerted
 his ability at composition1 and always 
successfully4  ,the subject of this     

biography was far from being loquacious1
 and seldom talked without some         
important and definite purpose in view4 
,yet1 though he might be said to be     
somewhat reserved in speech1 he was by  
no means secluded or abstracted in his  
habits1 but1 on the contrary1 generally 
evinced the liveliest interest in the   
conversation of those about him4 ,he was
 not one to break in upon the           
conversation of others1 and if his      
opinion was given at all1 it was almost 
always because it was solicited4 ,there 
is such a thing as eloquent silence2 and
 when we see a mind1 much enriched by   
study and experience1 offered as it were
 uninvited1 at all times and on all     
occasions1 we see very plainly that     
there is something wanting4 ,sidney     
,smith said of ,macaulay1 that he only  
wanted a few brilliant flashes of       
silence to make him perfect6  ,there are
 few old people1 or such as have reached
 the advanced age of threescore and ten1
 who have not stored up in their        

memories a fund of stories and personal 
anecdotes1 many1 perhaps1 of their own  
individual experience4 ,these they are  
in the habit of relating frequently as  
they go on their way of life1 and often 
do so over and over again to the same   
individuals1 through mere forgetfulness4
 ,this is perhaps one of the earliest   
evidences of mental decay4 ,although1 in
 the course of his long and chequered   
life1 ,mr4 ,ballou had experienced many 
interesting incidents1 and learned many 
curious anecdotes1 yet it was a very    
rare thing for him to relate one1 unless
 when1 in conversation or argument1 some
 one peculiarly applicable to the       
subject in hand1 suggested itself to his
 mind as illustrative of some feeling or
 passion of our natural dispositions4   
,when he did speak1 those about him     
always listened4 ,it was on such        
occasions1 that1 like the sage of       
,rasselas1 he spoke1 and attention      
watched his lips2 he reasoned1 and      
conviction closed his periods4 ,this was

 particularly the case in his large     
family circle1 where his opinion1 as we 
have before observed1 was sought and    
repeated1 on all subjects and on all    
occasions4 ,while there never was a     
parent more truly respected1 there never
 was one more dearly beloved4 ,this     
could not be brought about by an iron   
rule1 and a stern1 inflexible character4
 ,no4 ,it was accomplished on his part  
by the exercise1 in his domestic        
relations1 of that holy fatherly love   
which formed the basis of his creed1 and
 which he worshipped in his ,god4  ,for 
a number of years ,mr4 ,ballou was in   
the habit of carrying a snuff-box in his
 pocket1 and of using the article as    
freely as is generally the case with    
those who carry it about them4 ,we all  
know1 doubtless1 how very easy a matter 
it is to contract a habit1 and more     
particularly is this the case in        
advanced years4 ,but if it is difficult 
for young people to abandon any bad     
habit1 when the practice has once been  

fairly contracted1--if it is hard for   
them to conquer a pleasant but baleful  
appetite1 with the many channels of     
amusement1 occupation1 and substitutes  
that youth and physical vigor           
present1--how much more difficult must  
it be for those who are aged and infirm1
 and who are thrown so much upon their  
own resources for amusement1 and the    
means of agreeably passing their leisure
 moments4 ,after having made habitual   
use of snuff for several years1 ,mr4    
,ballou found that it cloyed the nasal  
organs or passage1 and thus slightly    
affected his voice as to distinctness in
 public speaking4 ,perceiving this1 he  
laid by the article at once1 without a  
murmur1 and did not use it at all for   
three years1 and never again habitually4
 ,this instance of resolution simply    
serves to show the natural firmness of  
his character1 and the complete         
self-control which he exercised over    
himself4  ,there is still another       
illustration of this spirit1 which we   

will give here4  ,about a year          
subsequent to the period of his         
discontinuing the use of snuff1 a       
physician suggested to him the propriety
 of smoking tobacco after each meal1 and
 being at that time slightly dyspeptic1 
it was thought that it might aid and    
stimulate the digestive organs4 ,the    
suggestion was therefore adopted1 and   
,mr4 ,ballou consequently soon acquired 
the habit of smoking regularly after    
each meal1 three times a day1 which     
practice he continued for a period of   
some two years4 ,this habit is          
universally acknowledged to be one of   
the most seductive in its character1 and
 one which will draw stronger upon the  
inclination and appetite than any other1
 except perhaps the use of ardent       
spirits4 ,one day we observed that the  
old gentleman did not light his pipe as 
usual1 after dinner1 and we asked him if
 he had forgotten it4 ,no1 said he4 ,i  
have been thinking that ,i am becoming a
 slave to this habit1 inasmuch as ,i    

find that ,i have to do it regularly    
every day at certain periods4 ,it is no 
longer a medicine1 but a pleasant habit1
 and ,i shall leave it off until ,i find
 that ,i require it again for my        
health's sake4 ,his pipe was thenceforth
 laid aside1 as his snuff-box had been1 
without a murmur1 or any external advice
 to influence him2 thus showing the     
strict self-denial he exercised4  ,the  
careful reader will follow out the      
application of this spirit1 for it was  
adopted by ,mr4 ,ballou in every bearing
 in which it was possible to affect     
himself1 in accordance with the dictates
 of his better judgment1 not only as it 
related to simple appetite and agreeable
 habit1 but it was one of his fixed and 
fundamental principles of character1    
often evinced4 ,probably no person who  
possessed the means1 ever desired more  
to travel over his own and foreign      
countries1 than did the subject of this 
biography4 ,well read in ancient and    
modern history1 and familiar with       

geography1 frequent reference was made  
by him to this desire to visit more     
particularly ,palestine and the ,east   
generally4 ,but when urged to gratify   
what his children knew to be so strong a
 wish1 and with every facility offered  
him1 and one or more of his children to 
accompany him1 his spirit of self-denial
 caused him to say3--,how much there is 
to do yet1 that ,i may accomplish in my 
,master's vineyard4 ,to gratify this    
desire would indeed be delightful to me1
 but what benefit could it ever be to my
 fellow-men8  ,he was assiduously kind  
and thoughtful in relation to animals4  
,for many years1 and until latterly1 he 
kept a horse and vehicle for his own    
use1 and he was always particular to see
 personally that the animal was properly
 fed and protected4 ,he was accustomed  
daily to prepare from his own plate1    
after dinner1 food for a large dog that 
belonged to a member of the family1 as  
late as his seventy-eighth year4 ,this  
kindly solicitude and thoughtfulness for

 the dumb animals about him was an      
evidence of the natural goodness of his 
heart4 ,animals soon learn to love those
 that are kind to them1 and even the    
family cat purred more cheerfully when  
resting by his feet1 while he often gave
 it a kind caress4  ,mr4 ,ballou was    
very regular as to his personal habits1 
particularly during the last twenty     
years of his life4 ,we refer to the     
taking of his meals1 his sleep1         
exercise1 and the like4 ,in late years  
he was accustomed to retire early at    
night1 and to rise very early in the    
morning4 ,in former years1 as we have   
shown1 he borrowed much of the night for
 his hours of study4 ,this was          
particularly the case when he was       
engaged in his earlier writings1 and    
when acting as sole editor of the       
various papers with which he was at     
different times connected4 ,he was      
indeed remarkably frugal in his diet1   
and to this may be attributed1 in a     
large degree1 the constant good health  

he enjoyed4 ,he ever preferred the most 
homely and simple food1 partaking of    
little meat1 and more freely of milk and
 bread4 ,before the noon-day meal on the
 ,sabbath1 with his family assembled    
about the board1 he always asked the    
divine blessing1 in a most impressive   
manner1 but on no other day was he      
accustomed to do so aloud4  ,his hand   
upon the door1 or his footfall upon the 
sill1 was a sweet sound to us all2 for  
it was with him as ,dr4 ,doddridge said 
of his venerable friend ,dr4 ,clark1 of 
,st4 ,albans1--,he brought joy into     
every house which he entered1 but most  
of all into his own house1 when he      
returned to it4  ,we have once already  
referred in these pages to ,mr4         
,ballou's wife4 ,our feelings would     
naturally prompt a much more elaborate  
allusion to her many virtues1 both as a 
mother and as a wife4 ,but as we design 
this biography to be strictly a memoir  
of ,mr4 ,ballou1 we only refer in these 
pages to such other matters as are      

deemed necessary to mention1 in         
furtherance of the main object of the   
work4 ,mr4 ,ballou was fortunate in     
allying himself to a companion who was  
in every way worthy of him1 one whom he 
loved with the most tender and undying  
affection through his whole life1 and   
who was to him all that a wife should   
be4 ,her characteristics were remarkable
 industry1 simplicity of heart1         
devotedness to him1 and untiring        
domestic assiduity4 ,with a naturally   
strong intellect and good judgment1 she 
also coupled the agreeable attraction of
 personal beauty2 but the outward       
comeliness of her person was far        
eclipsed in his eyes by more enduring   
loveliness4  ,we have already given1 in 
these pages1 some remarks from the pen  
of the editor of the ,trumpet1 who1 in a
 notice of ,mr4 ,ballou's life1 given on
 the occasion of a full-length portrait 
being completed of him1 for the         
,school-street ,society1 at the age of  
seventy-six1 says of his                

companion3--,sept4 #ae1 #agif1 he was   
married to his present wife1 a woman of 
unsurpassable goodness1 concerning whose
 praise it would be almost impossible to
 speak too highly4 ,mr4 ,whittemore was1
 some years since1 an inmate of the     
family for a considerable period of     
time1 and his words must therefore have 
weight1 as coming from one who spoke    
advisedly4  ,many of us know from       
personal experience how great is the    
influence upon our lives and actions of 
her to whom we have been bound by the   
holy tie of matrimony4 ,characters are  
often made or marred by this            
association4 ,the calm dignity of       
demeanor1 the evenness of temper1 the   
perfect contentment and general life of 
the subject of this biography1 all      
manifested the true character of his    
home relations1 influences1 and         
associations4 ,had those relations been 
different from what they were1 a sterner
 hue would have tinged his character1   
and a different spirit doubtless have   

imbued his whole career in life2 at     
least the inference is but natural4     
,the following lines were written by    
,mr4 ,ballou1 then at the age of        
seventy-four years1 in an album which he
 had presented to his wife1 and are     
introduced here to show the affectionate
 regard that existed between them at    
this advanced period of life4 ,no       
comment is necessary1 save that the     
lines were written by a husband to his  
wife after fifty years' companionship4  
,,to ,,my ,,wife4      ,thou dearest of 
the dear to me1       ,of the beloved   
the best1     ,could'st thou but read   
this heart and see       ,the treasures 
of my breast1     ,assurance surely     
would be thine       ,that undiminished 
love1     ,by age grown better1 like to 
wine1       ,can never faithless prove4 
,not when the virgin rose of youth      
,blushed on thy snowy breast2     ,not  
when we pledged ourselves in truth1     
,and were by ,hymen blessed1     ,could 
strong affection boast as now       ,of 

such resistless sway1     ,when age sits
 wrinkled on my brow1       ,and mortal 
powers decay4  ,the patient reader who  
has followed us thus far in this        
desultory memoir1 must feel more than a 
passing interest in her who was the     
bosom companion of ,mr4 ,ballou2 and in 
this connection we therefore introduce  
the following extract from a            
communication to the ,christian         
,freeman1 dated ,sept4 #e1 #ahea1 which 
refers to a visit to the house of ,mr4  
,ballou1 who had been indisposed for a  
few days4 ,after a brief introduction1  
the writer says3--  ,i wish to say a    
word through you respecting our         
venerable and beloved father in ,israel1
 ,h4 ,ballou4 ,as your report last week 
spoke of the indisposition of this good 
brother1 and knowing there would be a   
great desire1 both at home and abroad1  
to know how he might be at this time1 ,i
 did myself the pleasure1 last          
,thursday1 ,august #bj1 to call upon him
 at his own peaceful home4 ,here ,i met 

this aged saint1 with his faithful      
companion1 who have lived together over 
half a century1 enjoying that           
undisturbed domestic peace and felicity1
 which it is to be feared that but few1 
comparatively speaking1 attain to4      
,indeed1 ,father ,ballou's family may   
well be called a 'model' family1 for    
love and attachment1 fidelity and trust2
 while the happiness of all is that of  
each1 and the happiness of each is that 
of all4 ,they have had eleven children1 
and eight are living to bless their     
declining years4  ,mrs4 ,ballou has not 
been so extensively known to the world  
as some2 but as a wife and mother1 none 
can excel her1 and her amiable and happy
 disposition has enabled her to retain  
her former pleasant and affable manner1 
so that she is the same interesting and 
agreeable company that she was when ,i  
first knew her1 thirty years ago4 ,and  
hers is the privilege to have her       
children rise up and call her blessed4  
,and now1 with regard to the present    

health of ,father ,ballou4 ,i was       
pleased to find him much more           
comfortable than ,i had expected4 ,he   
has been suffering very much from a     
severe cold which he took about two     
weeks since1 and which has been attended
 with a bad cough4 ,he was quite unwell 
last ,sabbath1 and fears were           
entertained that he would be obliged to 
relinquish some of his appointments1    
which his friends are depending upon    
with such deep interest4 ,but the simple
 remedies which have been applied1      
finding such a perfect and unimpaired   
constitution to work upon1 have wrought 
a very favorable and happy result2 so   
that1 on ,thursday1 he seemed very      
comfortable1 though his cough was not   
wholly removed4 ,he seemed to have no   
apprehension but that he should yet1 for
 some time to come1 be able 'to be about
 his ,father's business4' ,and many will
 be the fervent prayers that will ascend
 from the altar of pure and devoted     
hearts1 that this faithful watchman on  

the walls of our spiritual ,zion may be 
yet spared to us1 to teach us the       
blessed truths of that glorious doctrine
 which1 for sixty years1 he has most    
faithfully and perseveringly preached1  
never shunning to declare the whole     
counsel of ,god4      ',and when he     
dies1 how many hearts will mourn4'      
,this communication is from the pen of  
the sympathizing lady of ,rev4 ,sylvanus
 ,cobb4 ,it is sufficient to show the   
opinion held by other people of ,mrs4   
,ballou1 and will also evince the       
general anxiety and interest realized at
 any symptoms of illness experienced by 
one whom so many loved and revered4     
,the only game that ,mr4 ,ballou ever   
engaged in at all was the very simple   
one of chequers4 ,this he would         
sometimes1 though very seldom1 sit down 
to on a long winter's evening1 with one 
of his children1 or perhaps some aged   
companion who was fond of the game4 ,it 
is the most common thing for two        
persons1 who are good players and thus  

engaged1 to evince not a little feeling 
at the result of the game1 either of    
pleasure at success1 or of chagrin at   
being defeated4 ,but as it regards this 
matter1 we never saw him evince the     
least feeling either way1 beyond one of 
his pleasant smiles1 as often caused by 
defeat as by victory4 ,he was what would
 be called an excellent player1 but he  
evinced only a passing interest in the  
game4  ,at the age of seventy-eight ,mr4
 ,ballou was still as fluent and        
distinct a speaker as at the age of     
forty4 ,his sermons were still          
characterized by the same powerful      
reasoning on every point1 as well as    
bearing evidence of constant study1     
showing also most conspicuously one     
peculiarity of his1 that of the         
practical as well as philosophical      
character of his investigations4 ,one   
might think that1 having preached for a 
term of nearly sixty years at the date  
of which we write1 there would from     
necessity be a disagreeable sameness and

 repetition of ideas in his sermons2 but
 this was far from being the case4 ,we  
have heard old members of his society1  
who have listened to his public         
communications for more than thirty     
consecutive years1 say that they have   
never heard him deliver a discourse     
without learning from his lips some     
fresh and beautiful evidence of the     
gospel truths1--some new and touching   
illustration of the ennobling sentiments
 he professed4      ,age could not      
wither him1 nor custom stale       ,his 
infinite variety4  ,he has himself often
 remarked that each successive year of  
study made him happier than before1 in  
the fresh truths and manifestations of  
divine goodness developed in that       
never-failing source of knowledge1--that
 flowing river of wisdom1--the ,bible4  
,in his style of speaking1 ,mr4 ,ballou 
was very peculiar4 ,there was none of   
the study and pomp of declamation in his
 delivery1--no attempt at effect2 but he
 ever spoke to the people1 before whom  

he raised his voice as that which he    
professed to be1 an humble servant of   
all men4 ,and yet he was eloquent1 at   
times brilliantly so1 and his oratory   
has been cited by competent judges as a 
rare example to follow4 ,there are      
comparatively few men in these days1    
when the style of ranting1 and tearing  
plain1 straightforward sentiment to     
tatters1 is so prevalent1 who can so    
absorb an audience as he always did4    
,when he commenced to speak1 he would   
lay the subject before his hearers in a 
quiet but distinct tone1 so as to place 
it within the capacity of a child1      
calmly and with judgment4 ,then as he   
proceeded he grew by degrees animated1  
and anon enthusiastic1 yet ever to the  
purpose1 while the expressive           
countenances of his hearers evinced how 
fully they entered into the spirit of   
the speaker4 ,and when they retired from
 the place of meeting1 the people were  
accustomed to feel that they had        
listened to profitable matter1 and to   

follow out the theme which he had so    
distinctly and legibly marked for them4 
,in this connection1 and as being       
illustrative of that which we have just 
remarked1 we quote here from the sermon 
of ,rev4 ,otis ,a4 ,skinner1 of ,boston 
7having been kindly permitted to do so71
 delivered before his society1 relative 
to the decease of the subject of this   
biography4 ,these remarks are as        
follows3--  ,his sermons were all       
characterized by strength4 ,they were   
not pretty1 not declamatory2 but noble1 
grand1 strong4 ,the hearer always felt  
as though his arguments were            
unanswerable1 his conclusions above     
dispute4 ,who can gainsay that8 ,that is
 unanswerable6 ,such has been the       
feeling of thousands at the close of his
 sermons4 ,i question whether there was 
ever a preacher who made so many        
converts by his pulpit labors1 as       
,father ,ballou4 ,thousands on thousands
 have been convinced by him2 and his    
converts were always those most         

remarkable for ability to reason1 and   
for hearts of benevolence4 ,he was      
ingenious as well as strong4 ,the moment
 he began to open his subject1 you began
 to be interested4 ,you saw so much     
ingenuity in his mode of reasoning1 in  
exposing error1 in illustrating truth1  
that whatever you might think of his    
subject1 you could not refrain from     
listening with marked attention4 ,it was
 no uncommon thing for him to excite a  
smile1 to move his whole congregation2  
but usually that was done by some       
ingenious argument that would electrify 
every mind present4 ,in his preaching he
 was never light1 never irreverent1 but 
always grave1 serious1 devout2 but he   
was ingenious1 and his ingenuity often  
created a smile4  ,his discourses in the
 city generally averaged about          
thirty-five minutes2 but in the country1
 where people came many miles to hear   
him speak1 frequently crowding the place
 of worship to overflowing1 and even    
standing at the windows on the outside1 

so thronged was the house within1 he    
would sometimes speak from one to two   
hours4 ,inspired by the undeviating     
attention of the mass of honest seekers 
after truth who were before him1 and    
incited by their eloquent countenances1 
in which he could read the influence of 
his words1 it was difficult for him to  
know when to stop4 ,at such times he was
 ever zealous1 yet prudent1 devout      
without ostentation1 vigorous and       
unyielding in his opposition to error1  
but still always kind and conciliatory4 
,he always complained that on such      
occasions he could not find one-half the
 time he wanted1 while speaking upon the
 holy theme1 and that minutes never flew
 more quickly than under such           
circumstances4 ,the power of his        
eloquence upon the people at such times 
can be but poorly described2 it must    
have been witnessed to be realized and  
understood4 ,honest countenances beamed 
with delight1 calm and peaceful joy sat 
on the wrinkled brow and face of age1   

the eyes of the young sought each other 
in sympathy1 full of a realizing sense  
of the riches of ,god's goodness4 ,even 
children were thoughtful1 and forgot the
 restraint that the services had put    
upon them4 ,as has been said in an      
extract herein1 his converts were many4 
,we do not mean that by one discourse he
 accomplished this reformation in their 
minds2 but he removed the clouds from   
their mental vision1 showed them the    
loveliness of the gospel as it is in    
,christ1 and by hints shrewdly strown   
and arguments most potent to convince1  
with references beyond the point of his 
discourse1 he led them to study and     
judge for themselves1 when he had left  
them4  ,rev4 ,a4 ,r4 ,abbott1 in a      
discourse before his society1 has       
expressed in brief1 and very truthfully1
 some of the characteristics of his     
style of preaching4 ,he says3--,his     
discourses were always simple1 powerful1
 clear1 perfectly intelligible to all1  
yet made so1 apparently1 without the    

least effort4 ,you find there no attempt
 to carry his points by any artifice of 
oratory4 ,everything is plain and       
direct4 ,even the most intricate and    
perplexing subjects1 under his          
treatment1 gradually became clear4 ,his 
thoughts were like clear waters2--their 
perfect transparency disguised their    
depth4 ,when speaking upon any intricate
 topic1 perhaps no one ever listened to 
him attentively1 under favorable        
circumstances1 without being astonished 
at the apparent ease with which he      
removed the difficulties from his       
subject1 and at the felicity with which 
all his illustrations were chosen4      
,often1 when his hearers have been      
wrought up to an intense and painful    
interest by some apparently insuperable 
obstacle or unanswerable objection to a 
point he was laboring to establish1 they
 have been both surprised and delighted1
 by the application of some well-known  
truth or familiar text of ,scripture1 to
 see the light break in upon the dark   

point like sunlight through a parting   
cloud4 ,and when they saw how clear the 
subject then appeared1 they were vexed  
with themselves to think that so obvious
 an explanation had never occurred to   
them4 ,his treatment of a subject was   
like the prophet's healing the ,syrian  
leper2--the method was so simple that   
its efficacy was doubted1 till its      
success was manifest4  ,rev4 ,a4 ,a4    
,miner has kindly furnished us with the 
following authentic anecdote1 which is  
very appropriate in this connection1    
illustrating as it does the magic-like  
power of ,mr4 ,ballou's eloquence1 and  
the delight with which he was listened  
to by the masses1 when his mission      
carried him into the country4  ,he had  
an appointment to preach1 says ,mr4     
,miner1 some years ago1 in the town of  
,berlin1 ,vt4 ,there was residing in    
that town a highly-respectable gentleman
 by the name of ,james ,perly1 with whom
 ,i was personally acquainted4 ,mr4     
,perly was exceedingly anxious to hear  

,mr4 ,ballou preach2 but1 unfortunately1
 he was so lame with the rheumatism that
 he could not get into his carriage4    
,the distance to the meeting by the     
travelled way was some two miles2 but a 
cross-way1 through a piece of wood1 was 
much shorter4 ,with crutches in hand1 he
 started at an early hour1 determined1  
if possible1 to reach the place of      
meeting by the cross-way4 ,he had not   
proceeded far1 however1--having just    
entered the wood1--when1 to his great   
annoyance1 he found himself arrested in 
his progress by a large tree1 lying     
directly across his path4 ,to go round  
it was impracticable1 from the          
obstruction of the underbrush2 to step  
over it was impossible1 on account of   
his lameness4 ,what could he do8 ,after 
studying the problem for a time1 he     
threw over his crutches1 and1 balancing 
himself on the body of the tree1 managed
 to roll himself to the other side1 and 
to regain his feet4 ,at length he       
reached the place of meeting1 and       

listened with even more than his        
anticipated delight4 ,the speaker was   
all that he had been led to expect1 in  
person1 voice1 and power of reasoning4  
,he was more than pleased1--he was      
charmed by his doctrine4 ,the word of   
divine grace found a most welcome       
reception in his heart1 and the very    
glories of the upper world seemed to    
possess his soul4  ,the meeting over1 he
 wended his way homeward again2 'but    
whether in the body1 or out of the body1
 he could not tell4' ,as he entered his 
house1 every hand was upraised in       
astonishment2 and with one voice his    
family exclaimed1 ',why1 ,mr4 ,perly6   
where are your crutches8' ,sure enough1 
where were they8 ,the eloquence which   
had enraptured his soul had heated the  
body1 and made the lame to leap for joy4
 ,he had quite forgotten his crutches1  
and returned home without them6  ,i give
 this narration1 says ,mr4 ,miner1 on   
the authority of a sister of ,mr4       
,perly1 herself not a ,universalist4 ,to

 many persons such a story may seem     
incredible2 but those who are acquainted
 with the effects of an intense         
pleasurable excitement1 will find little
 difficulty in believing it fully true4 
,few persons1 sympathizing with him1    
could have heard ,mr4 ,ballou1 on the   
occasions of his visits to the country1 
without being able1 from their own      
experience1 to understand something of  
this wonderful influence4 ,the writer of
 this first listened to him at the ,new 
,hampshire ,state ,convention of        
,universalists1 held at ,walpole1 in    
#ahch2 and rarely1 if ever1 have ,i seen
 a man so deeply interest an audience as
 he did on that occasion4 ,tears of joy 
rolled down the cheeks of grey-haired   
fathers1 as the hopes of the gospel     
burned anew in their hearts4 ,such      
scenes are remembered with gratitude by 
thousands of believers throughout ,new  
,england4  ,a certain brother in the    
ministry said to the writer of these    
pages1--,you are preparing a biography  

of your father8 ,we replied in the      
affirmative4 ,well1 said he1 you have   
sat down at home and listened to his    
preaching before his own society1 and   
have doubtless a true appreciation of   
his ability2 but you should have seen   
him before a body of ministering        
brethren1 at a state or national        
convention4 ,you should have seen him   
there1 to write truly of him4 ,when it  
was announced at such assemblies that   
,father ,ballou would preach1 we all    
knew what to expect1 and all reaped a   
harvest of rich thoughts1 pure doctrine1
 original arguments1 and available      
material for our own future use in a    
more limited sphere4 ,he was not only   
eloquent1 he was electrifying2 and while
 we reverenced him1 we also loved him   
like a father4 ,and this we feel        
positive is not merely the opinion of   
one man1 but of the order generally4    
,would that ,i could renew the sights ,i
 have seen1 says the ,rev4 ,henry       
,bacon1 where thousands1 in a crowded   

and heated assembly in ,new ,hampshire1 
were held in wondering and admiring     
attention1 as the venerated preacher set
 forth the 'exceeding great and precious
 promises' as exhibitive of creating and
 preserving ,love4 ,the riches of grace 
were poured upon the souls of the people
 as a refreshing shower on the earth2   
and hundreds of old men1 who had been   
awakened from the nightmare of          
traditional theology1 or the sleep of   
indifference to ,god and his service1   
listened1 while the tears coursed down  
their furrowed cheeks1 as he renewed in 
their souls the raptures of the past4 ,o
 never can ,i forget one sermon thus    
delivered1 when he spake to us of those 
who knew ,god's name and would put their
 trust under the shadow of his wings1   
which wings were stretched over time and
 eternity6 ,eloquent1 was he8 ,yes1 if  
rapt attention1 if profound emotion1 if 
lasting enthusiasm and tearful gratitude
 be any test of the effects of          
eloquence4 ,with no exertion1 that      

wondrously clear and silvery voice would
 float over the congregation1 and the   
auditor who was the farthest removed    
from the speaker1 caught the simple     
words1 conveying the grandest thoughts  
most felicitously illustrated4 ,there   
was no pretension in his oratory2 he    
spake right on1 warming with his        
subject1 setting up the noblest claims  
for adoring obedience to ,god1 in all   
his requirements1 exhorting the people  
to religious duty by the mercies of     
,god4  ,the effect of his words1 in     
public delivery especially1 was greatly 
heightened by the truly benevolent      
expression of his countenance1 and by   
his remarkably venerable appearance4 ,it
 has been beautifully said of ,president
 ,kirkland1 that his face was a         
benediction2 and we have often heard    
similar comparisons made by those who   
have known and been familiar with ,mr4  
,ballou4 ,he wore his hair1 white with  
age1 parted smoothly in the centre of   
the forehead1 and resting behind the    

ears1 but not long in the neck4 ,in a   
number of lithographs1 engravings and   
miniatures1 in the possession of his    
family and others1 the hair is          
represented as short1 and parted thus2  
but latterly he wore it long1 as        
described above4  ,there was expressed  
in his countenance a serenity of        
disposition that was peculiar to him1 a 
philanthropy of purpose which           
characterized all his dealings1 and a   
wisdom and calm dignity that led even   
the stranger to feel a degree of respect
 for him at once4 ,the blamelessness of 
his life and the gentleness of his      
disposition alone form a theme over     
which memory and friendship have poured 
their consecration4 ,as to the matter of
 his personal manner and bearing1 while 
he avoided the strict rules of forced   
etiquette1 yet he was scrupulously      
attentive in society to the dictates of 
true politeness4 ,his form was as       
straight and erect at the age of        
seventy-five as at twenty4  ,as he      

advanced in years1 his style of delivery
 grew perhaps more subdued1 but none the
 less distinct and impressive4 ,he spoke
 perhaps with less of the fire of zeal1 
yet with none the less spirit and real  
effect4 ,he could not treat of the      
divine love and sufferings of ,christ1  
or of the deep and unbounded grace of   
,god1 without evincing the warmest      
feelings1 and moving the audience to    
tears by his eloquence upon these       
touching subjects4 ,he would not        
unfrequently be completely overcome     
himself1 in dwelling upon this theme in 
public4  ,his was a noble example of a  
well-balanced mind1 without any of that 
startling1 comet-like splendor1 which   
has usually been considered as the very 
light in which genius lives and moves4  
,his faculties were all brought into    
admirable harmony1 and thus operated    
with powerful and never-failing effect4 
,there were no contending elements in   
his nature2 no struggles of ambition2 no
 strife of penuriousness2 no battling of

 passion4 ,like the beautiful harmony of
 the elements of nature1 his bosom was  
redolent of concord4 ,and what a        
worshipper he was1 too1 of the forms of 
nature1 and her mysteriously glorious   
works about him6 ,there was no object in
 nature so minute or so apparently      
unimportant but had attractions for his 
scrutinizing eye4 ,he was exceedingly   
fond of flowers1--those illumined       
scriptures of the prairie1--of the rural
 scenery1 the lowing herds and various  
tenants of the grove4 ,often have we    
heard him praise and dilate upon these1 
when1 a mere boy1 we have travelled with
 him upon his various missions into the 
country4 ,he was one to      ,find      
tongues in trees1 books in the running  
brooks1     ,sermons in stones1 and good
 in everything4  ,stay for a moment1 he 
said to us1 on a certain occasion1 as we
 were riding through the country1 and   
had just surmounted a high elevation1   
commanding a beautiful view of the      
outspread plain below4 ,it was the      

closing of a clear autumnal ,new        
,england day4 ,what a mild and holy     
religion is breathed by nature in such a
 scene as this6 ,how soft the influence 
that steals over the senses6 ,though    
fresh from ,god's own hand1 and         
quickened by his presence1 it teaches us
 no terror1 no gloom2 it rouses no      
fierce passions within the heart2 it is 
calm1 meek1 forgiving2 and equally for  
all breathing things4 ,how hallowed and 
,god-like are the blissful teachings of 
nature6  ,he gazed so long1 in silence1 
upon the silvery ,connecticut1 where it 
threads its course not far from ,holyoke
 ,mountain1 following out the theme of  
his thoughts1 that we marked well what  
he had just said1 and remembered it4 ,we
 had just risen a hill that overlooked  
the verdant plains of ,hadley1 and the  
scene is as fresh to us now as though   
but an hour had intervened4 ,such       
appreciations and realizations were most
 natural to him2 and a vein of          
illustration1 drawn from these lovely   

exhibitions of nature1 will be found    
running through the broad meadows of his
 doctrinal arguments1 like a purling    
stream1 refreshing and vivifying the    
verdure of divine truth4 ,a reference to
 nature in her rural dress and          
belongings1 as illustrative of the great
 plan and purpose of ,god's goodness and
 impartiality1 was a favorite custom    
with him4 ,he would draw thence so many 
incentives for thankfulness1 such       
unmistakable tokens of ,omnipotent      
impartiality and universal love1 such   
powerful reasons for disbelieving the   
unhappy creed that imputed to a ,being1 
whose works are redolent of loveliness1 
attributes so repugnant to the heart of 
his children1 that few could listen     
unmoved1--few refrain from outwardly    
evincing the realizing sense he produced
 in their pliant understandings4 ,with a
 full appreciation of these divine      
evidences of ,god's goodness1 we say it 
was most natural for him to pause thus2 
and1 with eyes drinking in of the spirit

 of the scene before us1 exclaim1 as he 
did1 that it taught no terror1 no gloom2
 but that its influence was meek1       
forgiving1 and equally for all breathing
 things4  ,by strict frugality and      
industry1 ,mr4 ,ballou acquired for     
himself a competency1 besides dividing a
 handsome sum of money between his      
children2 and in this latter respect he 
was somewhat original in his mode of    
carrying out a disposition of his       
property4 ,he chose to give to his      
children while he lived1 preferring to  
witness the pecuniary assistance he     
might render to his family1 and to      
participate in its enjoyments in his own
 life-time4 ,his means were acquired    
solely through patient labor and        
frugality4 ,he never enjoyed a farthing 
in the way of legacy1 nor by any        
fortunate turn of business or           
speculation4 ,these matters he never    
engaged in at all1 and often said that  
he was perfectly satisfied with a return
 of six per cent4 for his money2 and    

that if others felt the same1 much of   
misery and misfortune would be spared   
them and the world at large4 ,some idea 
may be formed of the careful manner in  
which he considered his responsibilities
 by the following facts1 namely3 he     
never placed his name to a note1 or due 
bill1 in the whole period of his life2  
never borrowed money2 never kept an     
account at any place of business1 but   
always paid for that which he bought at 
the time of purchasing1 however large or
 trifling the amount2 and1 after his    
long experience of life1 he endeavored  
to impress upon his children that an    
adherence to these rules1 as far as was 
practicable1 would be productive to them
 of much good1 and prevent a vast deal  
of trouble1 and needless anxiety of     
mind1 in relation to secular matters4   
,by the different societies over which  
,mr4 ,ballou officiated as pastor1 he   
lost1 in all1 a considerable amount of  
money1 through want of good faith in the
 payment of his salary4 ,this refers to 

his associations before he came to      
,boston4 ,in one instance1 the sum of   
money thus sacrificed by him exceeded   
one thousand dollars2 yet he was never  
known to institute a suit against any   
individual or society1 but left them to 
settle their unfaithfulness with their  
own consciences4      ,some write their 
wrongs in marble2 he1 more just1        
,stooped down serene1 and wrote them in 
the dust4  ,his greatly improved        
prospects1 and increased pecuniary      
means1 never in the least influenced his
 manner of living1 his habits or        
demeanor4 ,these ever continued to be   
characterized by the same simplicity and
 prudence that marked his course from   
earliest manhood4 ,at his house there   
was ever the same open and free         
hospitality exercised2 and every one1   
who knows anything about the life of a  
settled clergyman1 is aware that he     
must1 of necessity1 have constantly     
about him a large number of visitors and
 partakers of his hospitality4 ,besides 

which1 as we have before signified1 his 
hands were ever open for the needy1     
whose wants he delighted to supply2     
enjoying in return that happiness that  
true charity alone can impart4  ,it     
always appeared to me inconsistent1 says
 ,mr4 ,ballou1 with the profession of a 
minister of the gospel1 to live         
expensively2 that is1 far beyond what is
 required for the necessities and       
comforts of life4 ,as the minister is   
supported by the people of his charge1  
the propriety of his living beyond the  
income of his parishioners in general1  
seems questionable4 ,moreover1 it has   
best suited my natural taste to avoid   
extravagances and superfluities4        
,tupper1 the erudite and truthful author
 of ,proverbial ,philosophy1 has very   
beautifully said1--,the choicest        
pleasures of life lie within the ring of
 moderation4 ,believing thus1 ,mr4      
,ballou wrote contentment on every      
dispensation of ,providence that fell to
 his share4  ,the work we have in hand  

might be filled alone with the most     
sincere eulogiums from ministering      
brethren1 who have referred in public to
 the life and character of the subject  
of this biography2 but1 in the few which
 we have selected and introduced here1  
we have been guided by the purpose of   
presenting only such as have seemed to  
us--knowing the facts from long         
experience--to be the most truthful in  
the delineation of the character and    
disposition of ,mr4 ,ballou4 ,moreover1 
the reader will1 perhaps1 be too often  
led to remember that it is a son who    
writes this biography of a father2 and  
when he can bring to bear the mind and  
evidence of older and abler writers than
 himself1 as treating upon the subject  
before us1 the work may be thus         
strengthened and enriched4 ,in this     
spirit1 and under this chapter of       
,domestic ,characteristics1 the         
following extract from the discourse    
delivered upon this subject by ,rev4    
,henry ,bacon is given3--  ,i am not now

 to speak of a stranger1 known only by  
reputation1 but of one with whom ,i have
 been familiar from my earliest         
childhood4 ,the more ,i attained power  
to judge his qualities1 the more have ,i
 learned to esteem the man1 his         
character and ministry4 ,he came to     
,boston1 as pastor of the ,second       
,universalist ,society1 when ,i was     
scarcely four years old1 and though my  
parents were members of the ,first      
,society1 yet their house was one of his
 homes4 ,the impression made in boyhood 
by the stately form of ,mr4             
,ballou1--his meekness1 his speech of   
singular clearness1 adaptedness and     
wisdom1 his singular temperance at the  
table1 and his kindness to              
childhood1--was never removed2 and ,i   
use no strained and forced language when
 ,i say ,hosea ,ballou was a great man4 
,i say this1 not looking from a         
sectarian point of view1 but as guided  
by the principles that ought to govern  
us in our judgment of men1              

comprehensively regarding their         
qualities1 and what they have been to   
their age4  ,he is a great man who is   
impelled to bear the new truth abroad1  
that1 like its ,great ,source1 he may be
 'found of those who asked not after    
him2' to make the hill-side and the     
grove1 the river shore1 the barn1 the   
humble farmer's room1 or the shadow of a
 great tree1 his church1 and there      
proclaim the gospel in its wholeness1   
with a readiness that shows the heart is
 full of the matter1 and with a         
willingness to answer any queries1 and  
respond to any voice that speaks a word 
against the completeness of the         
redemption proposed in ,christ4 ,by his 
keen insight into human nature1 his rare
 powers of logic1 his unique use of     
words1 his intelligibility to the       
humblest capacity in treating of the    
greatest subjects1 and his profound     
wisdom in choosing means to reach       
directly the ends desired1 ,hosea       
,ballou was a great man4 ,in an instant 

he stripped away all the show and tinsel
 of learned ignorance1 or drove the dart
 between the joints of the harness of   
barbarian bigotry1 and laid low the     
pretender4 ,by his unshaken and majestic
 faith and trust2 by the steadiness with
 which he kept the honor of ,god1 in the
 supremacy and efficiency of the        
,scriptures1 ever before him2 and by the
 willingness and capacity to receive any
 new application of the great principles
 of the gospel1 he was a great man4 ,all
 this was crowned and glorified by his  
personal character1 by the purity of his
 walk and conversation1 his rare        
temperance amid the most solicitous     
temptations1 and the harmony he breathed
 into all his children and the rule he  
swayed over them2 he was a great man1   
abiding the last1 best test of          
greatness1 'being such an one as ,paul  
the aged4'  ,as will be surmised by     
previous remarks in this work1 ,mr4     
,ballou1 in the matter of politics1 had 
of course his preferences of principles 

and of men1 and he always voted for     
them1 besides keeping himself well read 
in the most important political matters 
of the day1 pro and con1 and weighing   
well in his own mind their bearing upon 
the true principles of political        
economy2 but here his interest ceased4  
,he took no active part1 even in        
conversation1 upon the subject1 though  
at times he would show by his remarks   
that the great principles of either     
party were familiar to him4 ,still he   
always avoided1 as a topic of           
conversation1 a subject which is so     
often the theme of bitter contention    
between those who in all other respects 
are excellent friends4 ,he never changed
 his political sentiments1 which1       
however1 for very good reasons1 were    
scarcely known1 or1 at least1 not       
intimately so1 out of the family circle4
  ,his irreproachable life was in itself
 one of the strongest arguments in favor
 of his religion2 his mild and          
dispassionate manner on all occasions1  

his unblemished integrity and           
unimpeachable character1 through his    
whole life1 rendered him universally    
beloved1 as well as showing a living    
example of the divine principles he     
endeavored to inculcate in his public   
teachings4 ,there is an energy of moral 
suasion in a good man's life1 passing   
the highest efforts of the orator's     
genius4 ,the visible but silent beauty  
of holiness speaks more eloquently of   
,god and duty than do the tongues of men
 and angels4 ,a minister's religious    
faith should be delivered to his people1
 not as a matter of theoretical         
knowledge1--something learned in the    
study1--but as something experienced4   
,nothing1 says ,bishop ,stillingfleet1  
enlarges the gulf of atheism more than  
the wide passage which lies between the 
faith and lives of men pretending to    
teach ,christianity4 ,religion is not a 
didactic thing1 that words can impart or
 even silence withhold3 it is spiritual 
and contagious glory1 a spontaneous     

union with the holy spirit evinced in   
our daily lives and example4 ,those who 
have true religion make it the garment  
worn next the heart1 but1 alas6 too many
 make a cloak of it4 ,the most learned  
divine or philosopher that the earth has
 ever known1 though he spoke with an    
eloquence and wisdom near akin to       
inspiration1 must yet be powerless as to
 spiritual and godly influence1 if1 at  
the same time that he points to wisdom's
 way1      ,himself the primrose path of
 dalliance treads4  ,hooker has very    
beautifully remarked1 that the life of a
 pious clergyman is visible rhetoric2   
and some one else1 with equal truth1    
that to preach sound doctrine1 and lead 
a bad life1 is building up with one hand
 and pulling down with the other4       
,preaching1 to be available1 must be    
consistent4  ,mr4 ,ballou may be said to
 have lived the doctrine he professed1  
in the strictest sense of the phrase1   
and to have followed the glorious       
example set him by his ,divine ,master4 

,his ambition was to be an imitator of  
the meek and lowly ,jesus4      ,his    
preaching much1 but more his practice   
wrought1     ,a living sermon of the    
truths he taught4  ,touching this       
subject he was wont to say to his       
hearers3--,brethren1 ,i want a doctrine 
that ,i can prove by reducing it to     
practice2 for we are enjoined to 'prove 
all things1 and hold fast that which is 
good4' ,people may go to the house of   
devotion1 they may hear learned         
ministers hold forth the doctrine of    
future rewards and punishments1 they may
 admire the beautiful oratory and       
flowery rhetoric in which such          
sentiments are dressed1 but they must   
leave them all behind them when they go 
home to their beloved families4 ,they   
can never practise the domestic virtues 
and duties on these principles of       
doctrine4 ,the doctrine of ,jesus is a  
practical one1 and we can never do our  
duty in the family circle unless we live
 and conduct according to it4  ,this is 

an example of ,mr4 ,ballou's style of   
argument and of illustration4 ,he       
brought everything home1 where all could
 understand the analogy2 he never went  
abroad to seek for illustrations1 never 
indulged in deep philosophical          
dissertations1 thus hoodwinking his     
hearers and marring his subject4 ,the   
reader will at once be struck by the    
force and truth of the remark1 that1    
however sincerely a person may believe  
the doctrine of future rewards and      
punishments1 still1 on leaving the house
 where these principles are taught1 he  
must leave them behind him4 ,no one1 not
 even the most zealous supporter of such
 a creed1 ever attempted to practise it 
in his family circle4 ,washington       
,allston has pithily said1 ,a man cannot
 lie all over2 so it is a fact that he  
cannot be utterly wrong from top to toe2
 though his mind may be deceived1 and   
his sentiments indicate partial         
delusion1 yet his heart1 ten to one1    
will be right4 ,some token of his nicely

 constructed nature will turn itself    
into king's evidence against his false  
theories4 ,and thus we find men1 sincere
 ,christians at heart1 who believe and  
promulgate the doctrine of partial      
grace1 all the while evincing in their  
home influences and general lives1 the  
truth of the gospel of ,christ4  ,when  
,mr4 ,ballou was last in ,new ,york1    
some one of the brethren in that city   
induced him to visit the office of the  
,american ,phrenological ,journal1 where
 his head was examined after the rules  
of the science1 and the following       
characteristics were written out by the 
examiner1 as is customary in such cases4
 ,since the decease of the subject of   
these memoirs1 they have been made      
public through the journal referred to4 
,to many this extract will possess more 
than ordinary interest1 and we have     
therefore given it place here1 under the
 head of personal characteristics4      
,,phrenological ,,character4       ,his 
organization is very favorable to long  

life1 good general      health1 and     
uniformity of mind4 ,the vital          
temperament was      originally         
decidedly strong4 ,he has an amply      
developed chest1 lungs      and         
digestive apparatus1 which have imparted
 health and prolonged      life2 and the
 muscular system is also fully          
represented4 ,his mind      is active1  
but not so much so as to prematurely    
exhaust his      organization2 nor is he
 particularly excitable4 ,he has general
      harmony and evenness1 rather than 
eccentricity or want of balance4        
,the tone of his organization is such as
 to give him energy and aim      to     
carry through his purposes1 without     
friction or waste of      strength4 ,the
 size of brain is average1 and the vital
 functions are      sufficient to supply
 the exhaustion of mental action2 hence 
he has      been able to live within his
 power of sustaining mental labor for   
so long a time4       ,he is remarkable1
 phrenologically1 for evenness of       

development2      none of the organs are
 extreme1 and he is not inclined to     
those      excesses which cause         
eccentricity4       ,one of his leading 
traits arises from ,adhesiveness1 which 
gives      attachment to1 and interest  
in1 friends4       ,he still clings to  
his youthful friends1 and enjoys their  
society4      ,this quality of mind     
enters largely into the whole tone of   
his      feelings4       ,he is also    
kind to children1 and interested in     
them1 and quite      successful in      
entertaining them1 and adapting himself 
to them4       ,he is interested in     
woman1 and capable of enjoying the      
marriage      relations highly1         
especially the social1 domestic         
relations4 ,he is      a strong lover of
 home1 but lacks continuity of mind2 his
 thoughts      and feelings are easily  
diverted1 although he may finish a      
subject      that he commences2 yet he  
enjoys variety in the general exercise  
of his mind4       ,his ,combativeness  

is of the higher order1 connecting with 
the      reasoning and moral1 rather    
than with the animal nature2 and it     
gives him the disposition to overcome   
the obstacles in his way1 and      to   
argument rather than the quarrelling    
propensity4       ,he has fair energy1  
without any surplus1 and a full degree  
of      appetite1 without being         
excessive4 ,he values property for its  
uses1      and is not selfish in money  
matters4 ,he is remarkable for his      
candor1 frankness1 open-heartedness1    
truthfulness1 and      disinclination to
 deceive2 he speaks the real sentiments 
of his      mind1 as far as he speaks at
 all4 ,he is not suspicious1 but        
confiding1 and prefers to rely on the   
honesty of mankind rather      than to  
guard himself against the dishonesty of 
others4 ,he is not      vain or showy2  
has merely ambition enough to stimulate 
him to do      what is his duty1 without
 any reference to publicity2 but he is  
decidedly independent and self-relying4 

,he does not lean on the judgment of    
others1 nor does he feel that      his  
character depends on their opinions2 he 
merely states his own      opinion1 and 
allows others to judge for themselves4  
,firmness is another strong feature of  
his mind3 he is uniformly      firm1    
each day successively2 not stubborn one 
day1 and      over-yielding the next1   
but consistently steady and persevering4
       ,he is very anxious to do as he  
agrees1 and is just as honest at        
one time as another2 is consistent in   
his professions and      pretensions1   
and has always studied to harmonize and 
balance his      character1 rather than 
to encourage any extremes4       ,he    
neither hopes nor fears to excess2      
enjoys what good there is to      be    
enjoyed1 and makes the best of an       
unfortunate occurrence4 ,his      mind  
is open to conviction1 is ready to look 
at new things1 and to      be           
instructed2 but is slow to believe1 and 
requires positive      evidence before  

he gives his assent4 ,he has a marked   
feeling of      worship1 deference1 and 
respect1 and regard for superiority and 
sacred subjects4 ,few persons have      
naturally more of the disposition       
to worship than he4       ,his          
sympathies are also strong4 ,his        
feelings are tender towards      objects
 of distress1 either mental or physical4
 ,imagination and      sense of beauty  
and perfection are decidedly strong4 ,he
 is disposed      to beautify his ideas1
 and make as much of them as possible1  
especially by way of elevating the idea1
 and giving it a refined      direction4
       ,he is not inclined to mimic and 
imitate others2 his ways are            
peculiarly his own4       ,he is        
mirthful1 and enjoys fun as naturally as
 his food1 and it      has been         
difficult for him to suppress the       
disposition to joke4 ,his               
intellectual faculties are well         
balanced2 the perceptive faculties      
are all large4 ,he is quick of          

observation1 readily forms              
conclusions from what he sees1 and is   
very much interested in all      classes
 of experiments4       ,he is disposed  
to make himself as much acquainted with 
this world      as possible before      
leaving it1 and is particularly inclined
 to      study character and motives1   
and the conditions of mind4 ,he has a   
good perception of forms1 outlines1     
shapes and proportions1 and has      a  
good memory of places1 localities1 and  
the whereabouts of things4       ,he is 
quite particular as to order and        
arrangement1 and must have              
everything done correctly3 is precise in
 his style of doing his      work1 or in
 arranging his ideas4 ,his memory by    
association is good2      he is a very  
punctual man in his engagements1 and    
careful not to      consume the time of 
another4 ,he is never in the way of     
others1 and      does not go where he is
 not wanted2 and1 from diffidence and   
fear      that he may intrude himself1  

he does not go where he is really       
desired4 ,he is copious in the use of   
language1 yet is not wordy2      his    
language is direct and to the point4 ,he
 has a clear mind1      adapted to      
analytical logic1 and drives as straight
 to a conclusion      as the bee does to
 a flower2 yet he reasons more by       
association and      analogy than from  
cause to effect4       ,he readily sees 
the adaptation of one thing to another2 
he seldom      makes enemies1 or fails  
to perceive the character and motives of
      others2 is more successful than   
most persons in making friends1         
because he knows how to adapt himself to
 others1 and make himself               
agreeable4 ,he says and does things in a
 human-nature way4       ,the six       
leading traits of his character are1--  
#ast4 ,his affection and friendship4    
#b;d4 ,independence and self-reliance4  
#c;d4 ,honesty1 justice and             
circumspection4       #dth4 ,his        
devotion and respectful disposition4    

#eth4 ,sympathy and interest in the     
welfare of others1 and general          
philanthropy of spirit2 and1            
,lastly1 ,his practical common sense1   
and system1 and availability      of    
intellect4  ,mr4 ,ballou was once asked1
 in a most triumphant manner1 by a      
religious opponent1 in the presence of a
 large number of individuals1 ,if your  
doctrine be true1 sir1 how is it that it
 has never been preached before8 ,here  
in the nineteenth century it would seem 
to be a new discovery4 ,he replied1 in  
his usual calm and effective manner1    
,friend1 it has been taught by two      
eloquent witnesses at least1 so long as 
the sun has shone and the rain fallen on
 mankind4 ,these faithful agents of     
,almighty love have ever taught the     
doctrine of impartial grace to all men2 
they dispense their blessings on rich   
and poor1 high and low1 and thus bear   
witness of the character of ,him who    
sends them4  ,we well remember being    
present on a certain occasion when an   

intimate friend of ,mr4 ,ballou's asked 
him1--,do you not think that the life of
 a clergyman is far from being a        
desirable one1 when you consider all the
 sorrow and grief that the discharge of 
the duty attendant upon the profession  
necessarily makes one acquainted with8  
,he replied1 evincing the peculiar light
 that was ever emitted from his eyes    
when he spoke earnestly1 ,were ,i to    
live my life over again1 knowing what ,i
 now so well know1 by more than half a  
century of experience1 ,i would choose  
again the same profession ,i have       
followed so long4 ,the humble and       
faithful servant of ,christ enjoys an   
inward happiness that none but his      
,master may know4 ,there is no          
employment more fitting for the human   
heart1 more ennobling to the nature of  
man1 than the study of ,god's word1 and 
none from which so great and reliable   
happiness may be derived4 ,these        
evidences of his experience were        
treasured by many who were accustomed to

 seek his society for the benefit and   
pleasure of his conversation4 ,the      
brethren throughout the order1 and      
indeed every one who knew him1 seemed   
actuated towards him by a spirit which  
the universal title he bore served to   
indicate2 they always called him ,father
 ,ballou4 ,i do not think there was one 
minister in the numerous order of       
,universalists who did not acknowledge  
his preeminence in original talent1     
wonderful reasoning faculties1 and      
unblemished moral excellence4  ,as      
illustrating this fact1 we will let one 
of these brethren's remarks upon this   
subject speak for us here1 by again     
quoting from the eulogy of ,rev4 ,otis  
,a4 ,skinner1 delivered before his      
society in this city4  ,but he was not  
merely our leader to the promised land2 
he entered it with us1 and for more than
 half a century he continued with us1   
standing first in our esteem and        
affection1 honored and beloved1 with no 
effort to obtain authority1 and no      

ambition to be a leader4 ,the place     
which he occupied was voluntarily       
assigned to him2 it was given in        
consequence of his true heart1 his      
profound judgment1 his undeviating      
attachment to principle1 his entire     
freedom from art and management4 ,envy  
hurled at him its arrows1 but they fell 
harmless at his feet2 ambition sought to
 rise above him1 but it sought in vain4 
,there he stood like a father at the    
head of his family1 content to exercise 
the sway which he obtained by his       
superior judgment1 his commanding       
talents1 and his devoted services4 ,he  
never dictated2 he was never impatient  
when opposed2 he was never unkind to    
those who differed from him2 he         
comprehended fully the true idea of     
religious liberty1 and in no instance   
exhibited a desire to act the ,pope4 ,we
 doubt whether1 in all the history of   
the church1 an instance can be found in 
which a minister has had so high a rank 
in his sect1 and yet manifested a less  

desire to bear rule4  ,nothing is more  
natural than for old men to oppose      
departures from their measures4 ,all    
sects have had those who bitterly       
denounced every step taken beyond what  
they themselves had gone2 but our       
honored father1 when he saw movements   
for progress1 when he saw new men       
proposing new plans of operation1 placed
 himself on a level with the humblest1  
freely discussed the plan1 and yielded  
with cheerfulness when convinced4 ,not  
only did he yield1 but held his mind    
open to conviction1 and on1 several     
points he came in and worked faithfully 
for what at first he hesitated to       
sanction4 ,he was not like some advanced
 in years1 ever looking to the past1 and
 talking as though all wisdom was       
concentrated in it2 he believed that new
 discoveries were yet to be made2 that  
progress was a law of the true church1  
and that measures must be suited to the 
times4 ,hence the most radical1 those   
most desirous for reform1 never felt    

that he stood in the way3 for there was 
not a reform which engaged the heart of 
the philanthropist that did not have his
 sanction4 ,he was a modern man1 and    
lived in the present time1 as much1     
almost1 as the youngest in our ministry4
 ,let us go forward1 was his motto4     
,such was the universal meed of honor   
that was accorded to him by his brethren
 in the ministry4     ,,chapter ,,xii4  
,,mr4 ,,ballou ,,as ,a                  
,,controversialist4   ,as passage after 
passage of scripture1 which had         
heretofore been misapplied1 was         
satisfactorily explained by his clear   
and far-seeing mind1 thousands1 who had 
before believed in a partial faith1 were
 brought to a knowledge of ,christ and  
the gospel4 ,mysteries were made plain1 
and dark ways were lighted1 and the veil
 was thus removed from the eyes of the  
prejudiced1 or those upon whom the force
 of education and early association had 
exercised supreme sway in matters of    
religion4 ,i have often been led to     

wonder1 says ,mr4 ,ballou1 forcible as  
is my own realizing sense of the        
evidence of impartial grace1 that       
brethren1 brought up and educated in a  
religion so diametrically opposite1     
should yield so readily1 as they often  
do1 to the arguments which we present to
 them1 and not unfrequently being won to
 our belief and service with the least  
exertion on our own part4 ,the reason of
 this is1 that there are some           
independent minds1 that boldly think for
 themselves2 that acknowledge no blind  
obedience to the dogmas of the church1  
when those tenets of faith desecrate the
 rules of reason and justice4 ,the very 
fact that it seems to be a part of the  
faith of partialists to give blind      
credence to the declarations of the     
church1 and to consider it an actual sin
 to question the assertions of the      
minister relative to the signification  
of the ,bible1 has done much to keep the
 minds of men in darkness4 ,my own      
youthful condition was an humble example

 of this fact4 ,it was only by thinking 
for myself1--by receiving nothing       
without evidence1--that ,i at last came 
to that knowledge of ,christ and the    
gospel which has since been to my life  
such a sustaining and precious legacy4  
,but he was called upon to encounter    
much opposition in the advancements     
which he made1 and in latter years1     
perhaps1 quite as often from professed  
,universalists as from those who openly 
opposed the doctrine he taught4 ,there  
are many1 even at this day1 who seem to 
avoid the subject of future punishment1 
and who will not speak out openly       
whether they believe or disbelieve it4  
,such talk vaguely of policy1 and the   
propriety of preaching moral sermons    
instead of doctrinal ones1 which        
argument is1 in itself1 a most          
inexcusable aspersion upon the gospel4  
,what kind of a faith must that be which
 will not bear to be preached8 ,this    
singular idea seems to have extended1 in
 some degree1 to the preachers          

themselves1 who have1 in many instances1
 acquiesced in the caprice of their     
hearers upon the subject1 or1 at least1 
that portion of them who reason in this 
way upon doctrinal matters4  ,the true  
reason that doctrinal sermons are       
decried by some of the ministers is1    
that they afford no opportunity for them
 to introduce1 perhaps1 some style or   
course of reading that inclination may  
have led them to adopt4 ,true scriptural
 teaching calls for sound argument1 and 
substantial treatises upon the word1 and
 is a strong test of mental capacity2   
whereas such sermons as are too often   
delivered to the people run upon        
miscellaneous themes1 that were more    
properly left for newspaper or magazine 
articles1 and are of a school of        
composition that a shallow brain may    
become a proficient in4 ,we are most    
forcibly reminded in this connection of 
the words of a certain ,english bishop1 
who was travelling in this country a few
 years since1 and who made the remark1  

that ministers here take a text from the
 ,bible and preach about railroads1     
astronomy1 statuary and painting2 but   
that in his country they not only select
 their texts from the ,bible1 but they  
make its doctrines and principles the   
subject of their discourses4 ,that wise 
old divine1 ,jeremy ,taylor1 found it   
necessary in his day to chide these     
fashionable preachers4 ,they entertain  
their hearers1 said he1 with gaudy      
tulips and useless daffodils1 and not   
with the bread of life and medicinal    
plants1 growing on the margin of the    
fountains of salvation4  ,the true      
doctrine of the ,scriptures is the very 
fountain-head of all morality1 and those
 who talk so much about preaching moral 
sermons and avoiding doctrinal ones1    
should pause and consider well their own
 inconsistency4 ,mr4 ,ballou's sermons  
were strictly doctrinal ones1 ay1       
emphatically so2 but they were none the 
less moral also4 ,the principles are    
synonymous1 as must be evident to any   

thoughtful mind4 ,that was excellent    
advice given to a pious son by ,rowland 
,hill1 to preach nothing down but the   
devil1 and nothing up but ,jesus        
,christ4  ,the pulpit in these modern   
times has been sadly perverted by some  
in all denominations2 its legitimate and
 holy purpose has been lost sight of by 
many2 and any predominating hobby of its
 occupant is rode rough-shod over the   
heads of the congregation1 to the almost
 entire detriment of his usefulness as a
 religious teacher4 ,they dress up the  
tenets of faith in modern livery to     
please the popular taste1 and1 perhaps1 
their own vanity1 forgetting that       
religion helmeted is religion no more4  
,the minister seems1 too1 often         
thoughtless of the fact1 that while he  
preaches1 ,almighty ,god is one of his  
hearers2 the various isms of the times  
are made to take the place of holy writ1
 and sermons are overcharged with       
abstruse questions and transcendental   
ideas2 or perhaps so labored with       

rhetorical flourishes and ornaments1    
that the hearer1 who seeks to be led by 
the straight and narrow way1 finds      
himself losing sight of the grand       
purpose and end of wisdom1 while he     
tarries by the way-side to admire the   
gaudy-colored flowers that line the     
road4  ,eloquence1 to be profitable1    
must come from the heart1 says ,mr4     
,ballou2 none other will prove          
effectual4 ,i have heard men speak in   
public1 yea1 in the sacred pulpit1 with 
an apparent effect that was evinced in  
every hearer2 but when ,i turned away   
from the temple whither we had come up  
to worship the living ,god1 and was led 
to review the word as spoken to that    
people1 ,i could only recall the        
minister's excellent oratory1 his       
faultless gesticulation1 his admirable  
performance4 ,alas6 what great truth had
 he illustrated1 whom had he glorified  
save himself1 whom enlightened as to the
 unbounded grace and goodness of ,god8  
,and then ,i have prayed that ,heaven   

would turn the noble endowments with    
which it had blessed that brother to a  
more worthy use1 and fill his heart with
 that meekness and self-sacrificing     
spirit that is as a sweet and acceptable
 incense before the throne of ,jehovah4 
,ministers who follow this style of     
rhetorical and flowery preaching are not
 unfrequently pronounced very eloquent1 
and indeed are able to fix the          
attention1 and much to interest an      
audience4 ,but it is unprofitable       
eloquence2 like the cypress1 which is   
great and tall1 yet bears no fruit4     
,pope has truthfully said1--,flowers of 
rhetoric in serious discourses are like 
the blue and red flowers in corn1       
pleasing to the eye1 but prejudicial to 
the harvest6 ,keeping at the greatest   
distance from such errors1 ,mr4 ,ballou 
looked upon man as an intellectual and  
responsible being2 believing that truth 
is the food for that intellect to thrive
 upon1 and keeping the whole range of   
man's natural duties before him1 his    

discourses were weighty1 not in         
decorations for the fancy1 but in sound 
reasoning upon the holy text1 and in    
impressive and useful practical         
sentiment4 ,this was his principle of   
theology1 and1 moved by such feelings1  
he never wasted time      ,in sorting   
flowers to suit a fickle taste4  ,or1 as
 the editor of the ,christian ,freeman  
says1 relative to this trait of his     
character3--,it was not so much his     
concern to be a man-pleaser1 as to be a 
teacher and benefactor of men4 ,hence he
 would grapple with the errors of men1  
and take them out of the way2 he would  
explain and elucidate the ,scriptures2  
he would appeal to the reason and the   
moral sense of the people2 and all in   
the most kind and magnanimous spirit4   
,thus he excited the active opposition  
of the conservative and creed-bound1    
elicited the earnest inquiry of         
multitudes of the people1 and 'filled   
the world with his doctrine4'  ,he lived
 faithful to his own convictions of     

truth1 says ,rev4 ,w4 ,a4 ,drew1 of the 
,gospel ,banner1 never sacrificed a     
principle to the love of popularity1    
stood by his integrity as resolutely as 
ever martyr stood at the stake1 brought 
no reproach upon his cause1 but lived in
 the adornment of his profession1 and   
died consistently with his life4  ,we   
have felt disposed to dwell somewhat    
upon this point1 and to speak the more  
feelingly upon it1 for the reason that  
this was one of the most frequent       
objections brought against ,mr4         
,ballou's style of preaching1 by those  
who found fault at all2 and here we are 
fortunate in being able to give his own 
words and views upon the subject4 ,it is
 true1 the extract which we give does   
not contemplate the subject in precisely
 the same phase as that in which we have
 considered it1 yet it has its bearing4 
,the objection was brought1 of course1  
mainly by those who1 although they      
believed1 or partially believed1 the    
doctrine of universal salvation1 were   

yet too timid to acknowledge it4 ,the   
argument is brought home at once to our 
understanding and earnest conviction by 
the simplicity and force of the         
illustration4  ,we have often been asked
 why we preach the doctrine we profess1 
as this doctrine maintains that our     
,creator has made the eternal state     
secure to all men1 and that the         
happiness of that state rests on the    
divine favor1 and not on any influence  
which we may exercise in this life4 ,no 
doubt it seems unaccountable to our     
opposers that we should argue so much1  
preach so much1 and write and publish so
 much1 when1 after all1 we do not       
pretend that our eternal state of       
happiness depends on these exertions4   
,they do not see why1 allowing our      
doctrine true1 it would not be good     
policy to say nothing about it4 ,then we
 might enjoy the esteem of the pious of 
all denominations1 and be regarded by   
the religious community1 avoid all the  
censure that is now put upon us1 and    

still enjoy our opinion in silence4 ,now
 that our conduct in this respect is not
 so unaccountable as our opposers seem  
to think1 a few remarks will serve to   
show4  ,suppose my acquaintance with my 
earthly father to be such as to give me 
the most favorable opinion of his whole 
character1 so that ,i view him as one of
 the best husbands1 one of the most     
provident and kind fathers1 and a man of
 uprightness in all his conduct1 against
 whom nothing in truth can be spoken4   
,suppose1 under these circumstances1    
being full of love and reverence for my 
father1 ,i hear him evilly spoken of1   
and that too by those who profess to be 
acquainted with him1--yea1 by those to  
whom people in general look for         
information1 and in whose testimony the 
most of people are disposed to place    
confidence4 ,they go so far in this evil
 speaking as to represent the parent1   
whom ,i love1 as guilty of acts of      
injustice and cruelty which deny him the
 smallest share of humanity4  ,what am  

,i to do in this case8 ,i have proof in 
my hands to stop the mouths of these    
evil reporters1 and ,i can do it        
effectually4 ,to be sure1 ,i must exert 
myself in the use of the means which are
 at my disposal1 and ,i shall no doubt  
incur the displeasure of my father's    
traducers4 ,all this is1 of course1 to  
be expected4 ,but here ,i am told that  
almost all the people composing the     
community at large1 are really of the   
opinion of those who thus speak evil of 
my father2 and that1 even if ,i knew    
these reports to be false1 ,i had better
 say nothing about the matter1 as it    
will only bring me into discredit4      
,suppose ,i should be weak enough to    
hesitate1 and even shrink from the      
defence of my venerable father's        
character1 should ,i not feel justly    
ashamed of myself8 ,what could be more  
base in me than silence and inaction8   
,look again1 and see how such a case    
would be aggravated by circumstances4   
,my father told me that these traducers 

would speak evil of him1 and on this    
very account put into my possession     
every kind of evidence which is         
necessary to refute all these evil      
reports1 and charged me1 by the dear    
relation in which we stood to each      
other1 and the love which we have       
reciprocated1 to be faithful in the     
defence of his character4 ,shall ,i be  
silent8 ,shall ,i be afraid that those  
who despise my father will also despise 
me8 ,shall ,i purchase their smiles at  
the expense of a character which is     
dearer to me than my life8 ,what would  
it avail to urge in this case1 that     
almost every one in the community would 
be against me8 ,is not this circumstance
 my justification8 ,surely2 for1 if     
people did not believe the false reports
 before mentioned1 there would be no use
 of disproving them4  ,but the subject  
admits of argument still more forcible4 
,suppose those who speak evil of my     
father are my brethren1 and his own     
beloved children2 and suppose1          

furthermore1 that all who are deceived  
by this evil speaking are so likewise4  
,we now have the whole difficulty in our
 family4 ,my brethren are deceived      
concerning my father's character and    
conduct2 he has never done those base   
things which they think he has4 ,but    
they really believe these errors1 and   
are tormented day and night with fear   
that they and their children will fall  
under the dreadful scourge of our       
father's wrath6 ,now1 as ,i know that   
all their notions are false1 and that it
 is a fact that the whole family are    
abundantly provided for1 day by day1 by 
the kindness and love of our father1 can
 ,i1 under these circumstances1 be      
justified in not making even an effort  
to convince them of their errors8 ,here 
we see the honor of our father1 the     
cause of truth and justice1 all unite in
 calling upon me to open the evidence   
which our father has put within my hands
 for this purpose1--to give the         
knowledge of the truth to those who need

 it4 ,with all these matters forcibly   
impressed upon my heart1 which ,i have  
given to you in this simple form1 how   
can ,i justify myself in doing otherwise
 than ,i do1 humbly endeavoring at all  
times to dispel the cloud of error that 
partialists have contrived to throw     
about the received idea of our ,father  
in heaven1--how can ,i reconcile it to  
my own heart to avoid doctrine1 and     
preach aught else to the people while   
they starve for truth8  ,mr4 ,ballou was
 declared to be aggressive1 in his      
spiritual warfare1 as well as defensive2
 and so he was4 ,every great reformer   
must be so2 every one that has left a   
worthy title to that name has done      
likewise4 ,with a great truth to        
promulgate1 with new light to diffuse1  
with a subtle enemy to encounter1 it    
would not have been enough for him to   
take a position and hold it2 the war    
must be carried into the enemy's        
country1 and the white cross of truth   
must be made to surmount the loftiest   

points in the castles of error1 and to  
float over the banners of infidelity and
 partialism4 ,and this was his mode of  
warfare against bigotry4 ,he spared     
neither himself nor the common enemy2   
his standard was reared everywhere1 even
 in the very citadel of his religious   
opponents2 and1 strong in the gospel    
truths he advocated and trusted in1     
their arrows of wrath1 steeped in the   
poison of superstition1 found no        
unguarded point in his armor of gospel  
mail1 but fell harmless to the earth1 or
 more frequently rebounded to the harm  
of those who had sent them4 ,his warfare
 against error was indeed aggressive2 he
 seized upon every weak point1 and never
 failed to thrust home4 ,i call ,god to 
witness1 he says1 ,i feel no enmity     
towards any name1 denomination or sect1 
under heaven2 but ,i have a certain     
object in view which comes in contact   
with their errors4  ,again he says3--   
,in all the statements which ,i have    
made of the doctrinal ideas of others1  

,i have been careful to state no more   
than what ,i have read in authors1 or   
heard contended for in preaching and    
conversation2 and if ,i have1 in any    
instance1 done those ideas any          
injustice1 it was not intended4  ,the   
reason1 he continues1 why ,i have not   
quoted any author1 or spoken of any     
denomination1 is1 ,i have not felt it to
 be my duty nor inclination to write    
against any name or denomination in the 
world2 but my object has been1 what ,i  
pray it ever may be1 to contend against 
error1 wherever ,i find it1 and to      
receive truth and support it1 let it    
come from what quarter it may4 ,for the 
sake of ease1 however1 in writing1 ,i   
have reasoned with my opponent1 opposer 
or objector1 meaning no one in          
particular1 but any one who uses the    
arguments and states the objections     
which ,i have endeavored to answer4  ,it
 is very probable that some may think me
 too ironical1 and in many instances too
 severe on what ,i call error4 ,but ,i  

find it very difficult to expose error1 
so as to be understood by all1 without  
carrying1 in many instances1 my         
arguments in such a form as may not be  
agreeable to those who believe in what  
,i wish to correct4 ,i confess ,i should
 have been glad to have written1 on all 
my inquiries1 so as not to have         
displeased any1 but to have pleased all1
 could ,i have done it and accomplished 
my main design2 but this1 ,i was        
persuaded1 would be difficult4 ,i have1 
therefore1 paid particular attention to 
nothing but my main object1 depending on
 the goodness of my reader to pardon    
what may be disagreeable1 in manner or  
form1 as inadvertencies4 ,but all he did
 and said was in the spirit of the true 
,christian4 ,he fought against          
error1--not against those who walked in 
the ways of error2 it was a creed he    
decried1 not his fellow-men2--and the   
battles he won were far more glorious   
than the blood-stained fields that      
follow in the train of mortal warfare4  

,let us add that the triumphs of truth  
are the more glorious for being         
bloodless1 deriving their brightest     
lustre from the number of the saved1    
instead of the slain4 ,personally he    
could have no enemy1--he would not have 
recognized any human being as such2 but 
against error he waged a most open and  
resolute warfare1 throughout the entire 
course of his life4  ,in ,may1 #ahda1   
the society over which ,mr4 ,ballou had 
so long held sole ministration voted to 
engage a colleague to assist him in the 
duties of pastor1 and the ,rev4 ,t4 ,c4 
,adam was engaged by them in this       
capacity4 ,it was understood between    
,mr4 ,ballou and his assistant that each
 should preach on certain ,sabbaths2 so 
that when ,mr4 ,ballou did not preach in
 his own desk1 he might be able to      
answer some of the constant and         
increasing demands upon his services    
from the neighboring towns4 ,although at
 this time seventy-three years of age1  
he preached every ,sabbath1 frequently  

delivering three discourses during the  
day and evening4 ,mr4 ,adam was not long
 attached to the society2 but other     
ministering brethren1 at the desire of  
the society1 assisted from time to time 
in the pulpit4 ,from ,may1 #ahdb1 to    
,may1 #ahdd1 ,rev4 ,h4 ,b4 ,soule1 a    
pure-minded and eloquent brother in the 
ministry1 was the junior pastor1        
exercising a most godly influence by his
 teachings1 and making in this period a 
host of sincere friends4 ,in ,january1  
#ahdf1 ,rev4 ,e4 ,h4 ,chapin was        
installed as junior pastor1 which       
situation he filled to universal        
satisfaction and continued usefulness   
for some two years2 when1 having        
resigned his connection with the        
society1 ,rev4 ,a4 ,a4 ,miner was       
unanimously invited to become the       
colleague of ,mr4 ,ballou1 and was duly 
installed ,may #ca1 #ahdh2 retaining his
 situation until the decease of the     
pastor1 ,mr4 ,ballou1 whose desk he now 
fills4  ,the connection of these several

 brethren with ,mr4 ,ballou personally  
was of the most agreeable character1    
friendly1 and profitable to their mutual
 spiritual interests4 ,but1 without     
appearing to reflect in the least upon  
the other associates in this connection1
 concerning this latter brother's union 
with the subject of this biography1 we  
should be unfaithful did we not refer to
 it in the terms it merits1 and should  
fail to do that which ,mr4 ,ballou      
himself would have desired4 ,for more   
than four years the most uninterrupted  
and delightful intercourse continued    
between them4 ,no son could have been   
more considerate1 kind1 and assiduous1  
no father more affectionate and         
grateful1 than in this case4 ,mr4       
,ballou has often declared1 in our      
hearing and in his family circle1 the   
earnest friendship he realized1--nay1   
the affection which entirely filled his 
heart towards one in whom he found no   
guile1 and who seemed sent by a kind    
,providence to smooth the declining     

steps of his professional career4 ,it is
 hardly necessary to add here1 that this
 feeling was shared in by every member  
of ,mr4 ,ballou's extensive family4     
,rev4 ,henry ,bacon says1 relative to   
the period when associate pastors were  
connected with him3--,mr4 ,ballou was   
out of his element in inactivity1 and   
therefore he travelled extensively in   
many of the states1 especially the ,new 
,england1 'preaching the glad tidings of
 the kingdom of ,god4' ,many feared that
 he was thus perilling his fame1 going  
forth after the threescore years and ten
 were passed2 but he wisely used the    
labors of his years of full strength1   
and seemed to renew his youth as he     
entered into the expositions of the     
,divine ,word4 ,i never heard more      
enthusiastic encomiums on his preaching 
than within the few last years2 and     
there was power in the very aspect of   
the old man's form1 as he stood in the  
sacred desk1 in an old age that was     
indeed 'frosty but kindly1'--with a     

winning and impressive venerableness1   
full of the raptures of early years1 and
 casting a beautiful shadow in the way  
of those who needed such a guidance to  
the realms of immortality and glory4    
,not unfrequently1 when some of his old 
friends were called home to their ,god  
in advance of him1--men who had perhaps 
been converted in their youth by his    
teachings1 and felt thus strongly       
endeared to him by the ties of          
friendship and spiritual interest1--they
 would in their last moments express an 
earnest desire to have him perform the  
last ceremony over their mortal remains4
 ,when this was the case1               
notwithstanding his advanced age1 and   
even at times in the depth of winter1 he
 always complied with their desires4    
,when he had finally made up his mind to
 the performance of anything1 and was   
satisfied that it was his duty to do it1
 nothing in the shape of ordinary       
impediments could possibly prevent him  
from carrying out his purpose4 ,a case  

of this kind occurred1 for instance1 in 
the winter of #ahde1 during one of the  
most severe storms that had been        
experienced in this region for years4   
,mr4 ,ballou1 with the snow of          
seventy-six winters upon his head1      
persevered in accomplishing and         
performing one of these ,christian deeds
 of kindness on the occasion of the     
death of ,col4 ,pierce1 of ,gloucester1 
,mass41 a man widely known for his      
goodness of heart1 and as a warm        
believer and advocate of universal      
salvation4  ,he seemed to have no dread 
or fear of the elements at all1 or of   
personal exposure to them2 and let the  
storm rage as severely as it might1 he  
always kept his appointment1 and to the 
very last was never in the habit of     
riding to the place of worship1 but     
walked1 in all weather1 in sunshine or  
in rain4 ,he retained his physical      
faculties in the same remarkable degree 
of preservation as was the case with his
 mental endowments4 ,his hearing1 up to 

the last week of his life1 never        
perceptibly declined2 and in his funeral
 discourse ,mr4 ,miner says3--,though   
the weight of more than fourscore years 
was upon him1 his vigor was scarcely    
abated1 and his unassisted sight enabled
 him to read a ,bible of fine print with
 ease4 ,his step was firm1 and his      
strength permitted him to walk from one 
extreme of the city to another1 even to 
the last time he left his house4 ,the   
simple deduction from these facts is1   
that he was never guilty of excess1 or  
of the abuse of those faculties which a 
kind ,providence had bestowed upon him  
in such perfection4  ,it was his        
practice to pray most earnestly with the
 sick1 to whose bedside he was          
constantly being called4 ,we would that 
every reader of these pages might once  
have seen him on such a mission of holy 
consolation4 ,his step was so quiet and 
noiseless in the sick room1 his         
expression of countenance so peaceful   
and hope-inspiring1 his words so gentle 

and so redolent of heavenly assurance1  
that a spell of silence and peace seemed
 to surround all things4 ,in prayer with
 him1 that key which opes the gates of  
heaven1 did the sick and dying seek for 
confidence and consolation in their     
trying moments4      ----,in his duty   
prompt at every call1     ,he watched   
and wept1 he prayed and felt1 for all4  
,we have been present when1 beside the  
bed where parting life was laid1 with   
his voice pitched to a low1 soft        
cadence1 and the sick one's hand held   
gently within his own1 he has breathed  
such heaven-inspired language of peace1 
held forth the cherished promises of    
,christ1 and shown the divine character 
of our ,heavenly ,father in its true    
light so clearly1 yet so mildly and     
persuasively1 that a smile of           
contentment would light up the pallid   
features of the sufferer1 giving token  
of the same light of hope shining within
 his soul1 and leaving an impression on 
the hearts of those who knelt with him  

in that presence never to be effaced4   
,o6 it is a glorious mission thus to be 
the herald of peace and good will to the
 struggling soul at its last            
moments1--thus to pass it over1 as it   
were1 in confidence to ,god who gave it6
  ,often have we heard it said1 ,i had  
rather hear ,father ,ballou pray than   
any other person2 it seems almost       
impossible not to follow him in every   
thought and expression4 ,the truth is1  
his whole heart was in the prayer2 he   
felt what he said2 he humbled himself in
 sincerity before the throne of         
,jehovah2 while the easy and spontaneous
 flow of devotional language that fell  
from his lips was calculated to charm   
the ear of the listener1 and lead him to
 nearer communion with the omnipotent   
,being whom he heard so sincerely       
addressed4 ,his prayers were void of    
that unpleasant hesitancy of speech     
which unfortunately too often           
characterizes the delivery of ministers 
in this exercise4 ,his effort proved one

 smooth and liquid flow of devotional   
thoughts1 from a soul fully baptized in 
the love of ,god4 ,on such occasions1   
the altar of his heart seemed lighted1  
and it burned pure and bright before the
 throne of his ,father in heaven4 ,the  
immense power of prayer can hardly be   
overrated1 or its real influence upon   
our minds properly conceived of1 when   
uttered in such a manner as we have     
described4 ,it then becomes the peace of
 our struggling spirit1 the rest of our 
care1 the calm of our tempest4  ,it was 
thus with all his religious exercises4  
,he never failed to impress the hearer  
with his own sincerity1 and to imbue his
 spirit with a devotional feeling that  
brought with it refreshing influence and
 vivifying hope4  ,his devotedness to   
his profession1 his untiring zeal in the
 cause which he advocated1 his frequent 
self-sacrificing exertions in its       
behalf1 were the constant theme of his  
brethren in the ministry4 ,his          
never-varying and earnest pursuit of his

 grand object1--that of convincing the  
world of ,god's impartial love to all   
mankind1--his perfect reliance on an    
overruling ,providence1 his perfect     
faith in the omnipotence of truth and   
virtue1 were all so ardently realized   
and manifested in his heart and dealings
 with his fellow-men1 as to be the      
remark of all who knew him4 ,his own    
experience had taught him to place the  
fullest reliance upon the ,divine       
goodness1 for it had strangely supported
 him through adversity1 and had carried 
him through many dark trials1           
triumphantly supporting him amidst      
discouragements which must otherwise    
have inevitably overwhelmed a less      
confiding spirit4  ,it was a most       
extraordinary circumstance for him to   
miss a single ,sabbath from church2 and 
we do not think this occurred a score of
 times up to his seventy-ninth year4    
,the weather1 however violent1 either in
 town or country1 as we have before     
remarked1 never prevented him from      

attending to his professional           
appointments4 ,even in physical illness 
he never faltered1 and has more than    
once fainted in the desk from bodily    
weakness1 caused by attending to his    
services at church when physically      
unable to do so4 ,we are forcibly       
reminded here of a portion of a letter  
from ,rev4 ,h4 ,b4 ,soule1 then         
colleague with ,mr4 ,ballou1 to ,rev4   
,stephen ,r4 ,smith4 ,both of these     
brethren1 whose light burned so bright  
and lovely at that time1 were called    
home by their ,maker before this elder  
servant in their ,master's vineyard4    
,you will want to hear a word of our    
,father in ,israel4 ,he continues in    
good health for a man seventy-three     
years old2 he preaches yet as strong as 
most men at forty4 ,nothing but death   
will ever bring rest to his labors4     
,most men1 at his age1 would sit down1  
and in dreamy idleness or mere social   
converse wait their call4 ,not so with  
him2 his ,god-given mission will not be 

finished till his lips are sealed       
forever4 ,he will preach as long as he  
can stand2 and as long as he does preach
 his preaching will be reverenced4      
,preach as long as he can stand6 yes1   
and longer6 ,when that aged frame1      
pangless and cold1 sleeps in the grave2 
when that voice1 eloquent so long with  
'good tidings of great joy1' shall be   
hushed on earth1 then will ,father      
,ballou preach as he never did before4  
,his life1 with its sainted virtues1 its
 noble toil1 its ,christian zeal1 will  
be a sermon1--how thrilling1 how divine1
 they will know who read it4 ,may it be 
long ere it is written6 ,god bless him  
in his old days1 and sanctify his       
example to the young servant who stands 
beside him6  ,the young brother who thus
 wrote spoke most truly4 ,he studied    
well the character of him with whom he  
was associated2 he realized the present 
effect of his words1 and the future     
influence they must inevitably exercise4
 ,his life1 says the junior pastor1 when

 that voice shall be hushed upon earth1 
will preach as he never did before4     
,that time has now come2 we now realize 
this period referred to4 ,though dead1  
he yet speaketh4 ,full of honors and of 
years1 he has lain him down to sleep his
 last sleep2 but he will still preach to
 us as eloquently as ever1 perhaps with 
increased influence1 through the memory 
of his pure and godly life1 and the     
power of the works he has left behind4  
,by the world he will be remembered as  
the apostle of ,universalism1 says ,t4  
,a4 ,goddard1 the superintendent of his 
,sabbath-school1 in his address to the  
school1 the advocate of the paternal    
character of ,god2 and he will speak to 
men as of old1 when he charged them to  
cast away their creeds and              
superstitions1 and to search the        
,scriptures for themselves4 ,to his     
people he will speak whenever they enter
 this temple1 reminding them of the many
 years he dwelt with them in peace1 and 
of the glorious truths that have dropped

 from his lips4 ,to us he will speak1   
with his benignant eye1 as often as we  
enter this room1 telling us1 in the     
language of the apostle1 ',beloved1 let 
us love one another2 for love is of     
,god4' ,this theme--the love of         
,god--was1 indeed1 one which he         
delighted to dwell upon2 and with what  
unction would he treat it in all its    
length and breadth6 ,yea1 though his    
personal work be ended1 yet the         
influence of his life-long labors will  
be perpetuated for centuries4  ,mr4     
,ballou was particularly remarkable for 
his punctuality1 and always took        
precaution that no matter1 of whatever  
description1 should be delayed by him4  
,this was a point upon which he was     
always exceedingly tenacious4 ,often    
have we heard him say that punctuality  
is not merely a duty that we owe to     
others1 but absolutely a duty to        
ourselves1 and one of the most important
 principles that can be adopted and     
observed in every and all relations of  

life2 and upon this belief he ever      
acted4 ,if he had an engagement to      
proceed to any of the neighboring towns 
to preach1 or was about to commence a   
journey of any considerable length1     
which was very often the case1 he always
 allowed a reasonable period of time to 
spare at the place of starting1 and took
 good precaution that he should never   
find it necessary to hurry in any       
emergency4 ,in short1 he made it a      
strict and abiding principle to be      
punctual in every case1 important or    
comparatively otherwise4 ,this was one  
reason why he was enabled to accomplish 
so much1--the proper division of time1  
and adherence to the appointed period   
for each specific purpose1 giving him   
great command of his resources4 ,thus it
 has been said of him that he seemed    
completely independent of time and      
place1 and so it would almost appear4   
,burning with a constant desire to be   
about his ,master's business1 he could  
not remain idle for a moment when he    

realized that he might be profitably    
employed to the end of promulgating and 
enforcing the religion he taught4 ,as we
 have before said1 personal convenience 
or comfort were not taken into          
consideration at all2 he was ever ready1
 ever willing1 to respond promptly at   
each call2 but so numerous were these1  
that he was obliged to adopt the        
principle of supplying the society first
 who came to him first1 and those       
persons who read our denominational     
papers will have noticed that his       
appointments were frequently announced1 
up to the very last1 for weeks in       
advance4 ,the good that he undoubtedly  
accomplished in these itinerant missions
 must have been incalculable4 ,realizing
 that he could occupy but an hour or so 
in a place1 he usually took up some     
prominent point of theology1 and1 by his
 masterly handling of the subject1      
cleared its questionable character      
entirely from the hearer's mind2 and    
thus having gained one step before them 

which would impart a degree of          
confidence in his faith and general mode
 of explanation1 he would then go over a
 most extensive field of faith1 pointing
 out features here and there1 and the   
props that should be raised to sustain  
this portion and that1 and leaving the  
minds of the people1 at last1 strongly  
impressed with a system of theology that
 they might themselves understandingly  
pursue and reason upon1 taking for a    
groundwork or platform that which he had
 clearly elucidated to their minds as   
the true fundamental basis of the gospel
 of ,christ4  ,in reference to his      
frequent travels about the country1 we  
would that it were possible to obtain   
more of the numerous incidents1 so      
illustrative and characteristic1 that   
used so constantly to occur to him4 ,one
 anecdote strikes us at this moment1    
which is not without its bearing1 as it 
relates to his power for repartee1 or   
rather1 we should say1 his ability to   
turn the most familiar subjects into    

argumentative use and advantage4  ,when 
it is remembered that ,mr4 ,ballou's    
belief was that salvation is the process
 of making people happy1 the point of   
the following anecdote will be          
appreciated4 ,it happened1 on one of his
 short excursions in the neighboring    
country1 that he stopped at a public    
house1 where he had occasion to pass    
through a room which a woman was about  
to engage in cleaning4 ,she had heard   
that he was at the house1 and1 being of 
a different faith1 she determined to ask
 him1 if an opportunity offered1 just   
one single question1 which1 in her      
simplicity1 she conceived to be         
perfectly unanswerable by those who     
believed in the doctrine ,mr4 ,ballou   
advocated4 ,as he came in1 she          
began3--,your name is ,ballou1 ,i       
believe1 sir8--,yes1 madam1 said he1 my 
name is ,ballou4--,i'm told that you    
preach1 said the woman1 that all mankind
 are going to be saved4--,yes1 replied  
he1 ,i do4--,well1 ,mr4 ,ballou1        

continued she1 do you believe they will 
be saved without first becoming         
perfectly holy8 ,do you believe they    
will be saved just as they are8 ,he     
looked at her mop4 ,what are you going  
to do with that mop8 he asked4--,why1   
sir1 replied she1 ,i'm going to mop up  
the floor4--,are you going to mop up the
 floor1 he asked1 before it becomes     
perfectly clean8 ,are you going to mop  
it up just as it is8  ,could a more     
happily conceived answer have been given
 to the woman1 if hours had been        
consumed in its preparation8 ,we opine  
not2 and herein the reader will observe 
the instantaneous and lightning-like    
operation of ,mr4 ,ballou's mind4  ,his 
conversational powers were most         
remarkable1--remarkable because ever    
tempered with such a fund of logical    
clear-sightedness1 such profound acumen1
 and such convincing argument upon the  
topic under discussion2 then we have to 
add to this the effect of his speech1 so
 distinct and impressive4 ,hazlitt's    

remark of ,coleridge1 that he was an    
excellent talker1--very1--if you let him
 start from no premises and come to no  
conclusion1 would in no way apply to the
 subject of these memoirs2 for1 at the  
outset of ,mr4 ,ballou's conversation1  
you would at once divine the end he     
aimed at1 and would only be surprised at
 the velocity with which you found him  
leading you to the desired result1      
always established in his own mind1     
though he addressed you with the calm   
and collected expression that was a     
second nature to him4 ,no mountain of   
error seemed too lofty for him to       
surmount1 with giant strides and        
unbroken strength2 and you would find   
his white flag of truth waving from its 
summit1 and yourself breathing freer and
 deeper at the consummation of the rough
 ascent1 before you had fairly found    
time to realize the power of reason     
necessary to surmount the rugged        
obstacles of the path4 ,and once        
elevated above the murky haze of error1 

his descent with you again to the       
lowlands and plains of every-day life   
was as easy and graceful as his ascent  
had been majestic and lofty4  ,often1 in
 private conversation with those who had
 come to his own fireside to meet him1  
he was most efficacious4 ,in the        
grandeur of his conception1 the glory of
 his theme1 and the unequalled sincerity
 with which he advocated it1 his soul   
would seem to expand1 his eyes to kindle
 in the expression to a surprising      
brilliancy1 his lips and countenance    
seemed like those of one inspired1 while
 you would have been almost awed at the 
man1 had not his theme so much more     
power over your heart4 ,but1 having     
uttered such language as few could      
frame1 having challenged your admiration
 and wonder by the adaptedness of every 
word1 and the conviction that he forced 
upon you1 he relapsed again into the    
quiet1 peaceable1 domestic soul that he 
was1 and you would seem to look around  
instinctively to behold the spirit which

 had so entranced your faculties but a  
moment before1 it seeming impossible    
that it was he who sat so quietly beside
 you4  ,mr4 ,ballou's reading was       
confined almost entirely to sacred      
history1 and1 comparatively speaking1 he
 consulted little else1 though he was   
well versed on all general subjects1 and
 he carefully perused at least one daily
 newspaper regularly4 ,we remember to   
have asked him1 at a late period of his 
life1 why he did not vary his reading   
somewhat from the great theme of        
divinity1 arguing that it might afford  
some relief to his mind1 and be of both 
mental and physical benefit to him1 by  
somewhat relaxing the constant exercise 
of his brain4 ,he answered us in the    
words of ,milton1--,the end of learning 
is to know ,god1 and out of that        
knowledge to love him1 and to venerate  
him2 adding1 that this was the great    
actuating purpose of his labors and     
study2 in short1 the being1 end and aim1
 of his existence4 ,that which seems to 

you to be labor1 said he1 is to me as   
refreshing recreation4 ,no course of    
reading could afford me the pleasure and
 delight that ,i find in that which has 
engaged me1 heart and soul1 for more    
than half a century4  ,his whole library
 did not exceed three hundred volumes1  
but these were of a character that      
particularly indicated the nature of his
 mind and pursuits1 being well worn by  
constant use1 and relating to such      
subjects as might be supposed to occupy 
and interest him4 ,his thorough         
acquaintance with the ,scriptures was   
almost unprecedented1 and he was never  
at fault as to any passage or quotation 
from its wealth of knowledge4 ,it was   
the book he had studied more than all   
others put together2 nor was there any  
passage1 in the whole of the sacred     
record1 which had been made the theme of
 controversy or misunderstanding1 that  
he had not also made the subject of     
careful study and exposition4  ,every   
unoccupied moment was given to mental   

exercise upon the subject nearest to his
 heart4 ,we have seen him thus occupied 
often in the street1 when all the       
turmoil and bustle of life passed him by
 unheeded4 ,on this peculiarity1 ,mr4   
,bacon says1 in the eulogy before       
referred to3--,he wasted no power in    
frivolity1 but as he walked the streets 
he seemed to be unaffected by the crowd 
about him1 meditating some new utterance
 of the truth4 ,i remember being amused1
 and yet impressed1 by beholding him1 in
 my youth1 walking along with his head  
bent1 and his lips moving as in speech1 
heeding not the passers-by or the shows 
in the street1 appearing as quiet amid  
the noise and bustle as in the solitude 
of his own study4 ,yet should any one   
greet him by name1 he would instantly   
pause1 fix his sharp1 keen eye upon the 
face before him1 and1 as he recognized  
the friend1 one of the sweetest smiles  
that ever illumined a human face would  
spread over his countenance1 deepening  
till that countenance was youthful      

indeed2 then1 with ready utterance of   
kind feeling and warm interest in the   
happiness of others1 he made his        
affectionate regards known4             
,,chapter ,,xiii4  ,,spirit ,,of ,,his  
,,doctrine4   ,mr4 ,ballou ever strove  
to make the word and the principles     
which he taught appear attractive1 by   
representing them in their appropriate  
dress1 the livery of joy and peace1 and 
from the principles of fatherly love and
 kindness he gathered the strongest     
motives for humility1 gratitude and     
obedience4 ,he would tell you that ,god 
has written upon the fragrant flowers of
 the field1 on the breezes that rock    
them1 and the refreshing sun that       
nurtures them1 indelible tokens of his  
fatherly affection1 and would refer you 
to the blooming clover1 and the falling 
rain1 as blessings not to be            
misconstrued1 in ,god's own             
hand-writing1 a way-side sacrament1 free
 to all4 ,he would never tire of        
depicting the ,almighty through the     

spirit of the most beautiful emblems in 
nature1 and ever deducing from them the 
most amiable and glorious traits of     
,deity4  ,the employment he made of the 
familiar images of nature will remind   
the reader of what we have already said 
touching the influences of his          
birth-place4 ,the blue skies1 the green 
pastures1 the gushing rivulets1 the     
everlasting hills that rear their giant 
summits to the glorious effulgence of   
the noon-tide sun1 or the cold kiss of  
the midnight moon1 spoke to his heart a 
language that his intellect faithfully  
interpreted4 ,the constant contemplation
 of beautiful natural scenery almost    
invariably inspires devotional feeling4 
,in the wonderful solitudes of nature   
the sneer of the infidel is hushed upon 
his lips1 and the worldly man forgets   
the passions1 the jealousies1 the       
intrigues1 the heart-burnings and       
frivolities1 of his daily artificial    
life4 ,but the heart of the true1       
thoughtful1 right-minded man does       

something more than mirror the images   
presented to his eye4 ,it is not like   
----a sleeping lake1       ,that takes  
the hue of cloud and sky1     ,and only 
feels its surface break       ,as birds 
of passage wander by1     ,that dip     
their wing and upward soar1     ,leaving
 it quiet as before4  ,before the mind's
 eye of such a man1 the beauties of     
nature do not glide away like the       
figures of a painted panorama1 serving  
only to amuse1 charming the eye for a   
moment with grace of form and beauty of 
manner1 and then passing away like an   
idle dream1 the baseless fabric of a    
vision4 ,in the true man1 the child of  
,god1 the inner1 the spiritual sense is 
awakened in sympathy with the material  
organs of vision4 ,for him each         
lineament of nature is a revelation1    
each feature a symbol4 ,the flowers are 
to him1 as some one has beautifully     
remarked1 the alphabet of angels4  ,we  
have labored somewhat in these pages1   
even at the risk of repetition1 to      

inculcate the idea that ,mr4 ,ballou was
 one of these students of nature2 and   
this was the case in a most eminent     
degree3 the teachings that he received  
at her feet in youth he garnered up in  
his heart1 to be repeated1 to be        
illustrated1 and illumined with new     
light from the brightness of his        
intellect1 to be poured forth again to  
thousands who required so eloquent an   
interpreter4 ,he had learned a lesson he
 could never forget1 from the beautiful 
creations of ,god1 of his fatherly      
affection4 ,the fierce midnight storm1  
with its thunder-peals and              
lightning-flashes1 had no terror for    
him2 he knew better than to interpret it
 as a manifestation of the wrath and    
vengeful fury of the ,deity2 for he knew
 that it was to be followed by a purer  
and healthier atmosphere1 by the glowing
 bow of promise1 and by brighter smiles 
from the unshadowed sun4  ,in none of   
the varied phenomena of nature did he   
behold the ,god of wrath1 the ,god of   

vengeance1 the pitiless ,deity of the   
dark theology1 whose horrors he was     
destined to dissipate and overcome4 ,far
 from this4 ,he deduced from every phase
 of nature the great truth of the       
all-prevailing and inexhaustible love of
 the ,almighty for the children of his  
creation4 ,thus1 by the simple symbols  
and tokens he had discovered1 strewn    
like flowers along the pathway of life1 
he sought to awaken the torpid sense of 
those who1 having eyes1 saw not1 and    
having ears1 heard not1 the wonders of  
the glad tidings the angel-messengers of
 the ,deity were commissioned to        
communicate to man4  ,mr4 ,ballou's     
examples and illustrations of ,god's    
unbounded grace and goodness1 as drawn  
from visible nature1 were very frequent4
 ,god's word first1 and then ,god's     
works1 were his strength and shield4    
,let the following show his mode of     
reasoning in this particular4 ,he       
says3--,if our ,creator has so          
bountifully provided for our existence  

here1 which is but momentary1 and for   
our temporal wants1 which will all soon 
be forgotten1 what has he not done for  
the security of our immortal state1 and 
for our enjoyment in the everlasting    
world8 ,pause1 and behold what boundless
 scenes of riches and glory are opening 
to our view in ,jesus1 by whom life and 
immortality are brought to light6 ,we   
have seen the brightness of the morning 
sun1 have known the renovating majesty  
of his noon-tide rays1 have seen a fair 
creation blest with his universal light 
and heat6 ,but this is only a symbol of 
the ,sun of ,righteousness2 his         
brightness is above that of the morning 
sun1 his heat is more renovating than   
the rays of the noon4 ,in him our       
,heavenly ,father hath given unto us    
eternal life4 ,as the life of the       
natural is in the sun1 so the life of   
the moral creation is in ,jesus1 the    
light of the world1 the life of man4 ,if
 the earth be full of the goodness of   
the ,lord1 have we not in this a fair   

specimen of the rest of his vast        
creation8 ,have we any reason to believe
 that the earth is more favored with the
 divine goodness than any other part or 
parts of creation8 ,no1 surely we have  
not4 ,all those worlds which sparkle in 
the wide expanse of heaven are full of  
the goodness of the ,lord2 and if time  
be all full of divine goodness1 so is   
eternity2 and if ,god be universally    
good temporally speaking1 so is he in   
relation to spiritual things4 ,what     
infinite reason have we to exercise our 
hearts in gratitude to ,god1 and our    
affections in love to him1 who giveth us
 all things richly to enjoy6 ,with what 
propriety may we say1 ',let everything  
that hath breath praise the ,lord6'     
,observe how vastly different was the   
effect produced by the tenets of faith  
preached by many around him6 ,how far   
from lovable was the portraiture drawn  
of ,god and ,heaven by those who held   
forth the creed of the old school6  ,how
 many preachers of this school have won 

their ephemeral reputations solely by   
awakening the terrors of their auditors1
 and have been esteemed great in        
proportion to their ability to produce  
fainting1 convulsions1 tears and groans1
 among women and children6 ,the         
perverted vision of such men rests on no
 image of nature1 except such as they   
can distort to symbolize some imaginary 
dreadful attribute in the ,god of their 
theology4 ,he is clothed by them in     
storms and clouds1 as the heathen ,jove 
was depicted grasping in his hand a     
sheaf of thunderbolts4 ,from their      
portraiture every gleam of light is     
excluded1--it is a murky and repulsive  
mass of shadows4 ,the gentle and        
fragrant flowers1 the sweet perfumes and
 rainbow colors with which the face of  
nature is so prodigally decked1 claim no
 word or thought of theirs2 they cannot 
employ these images in their            
illustrations1 they cannot reconcile    
them with their gloomy theories1--their 
very existence is unaccountable to their

 perverse vision4  ,that gloomy1        
heart-dejecting something1 says ,mr4    
,ballou1 which has been maintained in   
our world at an incalculable expense of 
treasure1 of comfort1 peace and joy1--at
 the expense1 also1 of the tender       
charities of the heart1 and the         
benevolent sentiments of the            
soul1--though called religion1 is all   
counterfeit4 ,it has drawn a sable      
curtain over the mildly radiant         
countenance of our ,father in heaven1   
and in room of leading the mind to      
contemplate the ,divine ,being with     
pleasure and delight1 it has attached a 
horror to the sacred name1 which gives a
 stupefying chill to the heart1 repels  
the mind1 and forces it to seek relief  
in the contemplation of visible and     
sensible objects2 and after becoming the
 author of this horror and disgust in   
the soul1 it artfully takes the         
advantage of the deception1 to inculcate
 a belief that the reason of these      
feelings is the natural depravity of the

 human heart6 ,such are the views which 
youth are led to entertain of religion1 
that they contemplate it as something   
calculated to deprive them of their     
present comforts1 and only useful as it 
relates to a state of existence         
hereafter1 where1 as a recompense for   
sacrifices which they make of happiness 
in this world1 they are to receive      
extensive and lasting blessings4 ,with  
such reflections1 it is natural to delay
 the concerns of religion as long as    
possible1 with an intention to submit to
 its unpleasant requirements in season  
to win the prize4 ,this is evidently the
 reason why youth are so little inclined
 to employ their thoughts on divine     
things1 and to prefer amusements and    
trifling vanities to the acquisition of 
,christian knowledge4  ,but true        
religion presents the ,father of our    
spirits as the most lovely character of 
which the mind can possibly conceive4   
,it directs to the contemplation of that
 almighty power which controls a        

universe1 and to view all its elements  
in harmony with the unchangeable love of
 ,god to his creatures4 ,in youth1 while
 the heart is tender1 and sensibility   
quick and lively1 what an exquisite     
delight the mind is capable of enjoying1
 by penetrating through visible objects 
and the beauty of temporal things1 to   
the contemplation of that wisdom1 power 
and goodness1 which are manifest through
 the medium of these outward forms6 ,if 
the fragrance of the rose can so        
gratefully delight the sense1 how much  
greater is the pleasure to the rational 
mind which flows from the consideration 
of that wisdom and goodness which gave  
this power to the rose1 and this        
capacity to sense6 ,from this single    
item let the mind glance through all    
creation1 and freely indulge the        
reflection that the universe is as full 
of the divine goodness as the rose or   
the lily of the valley4 ,freed from     
superstition1 what heart would not be   
charmed with the character which the    

,saviour gives of our ,heavenly ,father8
 ',behold the fowls of the air2 for they
 sow not1 neither do they reap1 nor     
gather into barns1 yet your ,heavenly   
,father feedeth them4 ,are ye not much  
better than they8 ,consider the lilies  
of the field1 how they grow2 they toil  
not1 neither do they spin2 and yet ,i   
say unto you that even ,solomon1 in all 
his glory1 was not arrayed like one of  
these4'  ,these mute1 but beautiful and 
eloquent testimonials of their ,maker's 
love and gentleness1 would rebuke the   
dogmatism of the schools2 and hence they
 naturally avoid to mention the         
graceful1 refined and touching features 
of nature4 ,they prefer rather to revel 
in their own dark and unwarrantable     
conceptions of a future state1 to gloat 
over the prospective agony of their     
brethren1 to conjure up horrid pictures 
of future suffering and woe1 and madly  
to pronounce all as being necessary to  
the full glory of ,god1 and the         
exemplification of his almighty power4  

,what wonder1 then1 that thousands1     
turning with loathing and shuddering    
from the image of a deity clothed with  
all the repugnant attributes of the most
 debased humanity1 plunge into hopeless 
unbelief1 refusing all credence in such 
a being1 and in any future state        
whatever8 ,was it not a ,herculean task 
to combat the immemorial and            
prescriptive dogmas of powerful and     
learned preachers1 armed with all the   
rhetorical imagery of the schools for   
working terror and despair in the hearts
 of their listeners8  ,again ,mr4       
,ballou says3--  ,the preacher of the   
old school exhorts his hearers1 above   
all things1 to the practice of the most 
rigid self-denial2 and assures them that
 ,god will be highly pleased with their 
abstaining from those pleasures which he
 has placed within their reach4 ,the    
most innocent amusements1 the most      
harmless recreations1 he declaims       
against with the utmost vehemence1 as   
damning sins4 ,he considers religion    

essentially to consist in a perpetual   
effort to suppress and eradicate that   
propensity to acquire temporal happiness
 which the ,god of nature has made to be
 the spring of our actions4 ,but on no  
subject does he delight to dwell so much
 as on the future punishment of the     
wicked and impenitent4 ,he dresses up   
the ,father of the universe in the awful
 robes of eternal wrath and unbounded   
indignation1 filled with incessant anger
 at the crimes of the wicked1 exerting  
infinite wisdom in devising the modes   
and augmenting the severity of their    
punishment4  ,the eternal din of future 
punishment soon loses all effect in     
frightening the people1 and has no      
influence but to impress a melancholy   
gloom on their minds4 ,mankind are to be
 animated to strive to enter the gates  
of heaven by the love of ,god and of    
goodness4 ,he who attempts it through   
fear of damnation exhibits no evidence  
of holiness of heart4 ,as well may we   
call a man honest who1 having an        

inclination to steal1 refrains for fear 
of the whip1 as we may a man religious1 
who1 having vicious inclinations1       
restrains them1 and conforms to the     
exteriors of religion1 for the purpose  
of escaping the flames of hell4 ,it is  
matter of much regret that the amiable  
religion of ,christianity should be so  
disfigured and misrepresented as to     
deprive many people of the happiness of 
enjoying it4 ,jesus ,christ has in the  
clearest manner inculcated those duties 
which are productive of the highest     
moral felicity1 and consistent with all 
the innocent enjoyments to which we are 
impelled by the dictates of nature4     
,religion1 when fairly considered in its
 genuine simplicity and uncorrupted     
state1 is the source of endless rapture 
and delight4 ,but1 when corrupted with  
denials1 mortifications1 and a          
punctilious observance of external      
rites1 it assumes a form disgusting to  
men of taste1 and a relish for social   
happiness1 and is productive of the most

 destructive consequences4 ,it drives   
one part of mankind into the practice of
 superstition1 hypocrisy and bigotry2   
and1 by exciting a distaste and aversion
 in the minds of the other part1 it     
excludes them from the rational pleasure
 arising from the practice of genuine   
religion4 ,the road to heaven is        
pleasant and delightful1 if mankind will
 go the right way2 and certainly ,god   
will bid the saint as sincere a welcome 
to the realms of immortal felicity who  
has in the journey of life tasted the   
temporal delights of innocence1 as he   
will him who has abstained from them4   
,why1 then1 should we leave the path    
that is strewed with flowers and roses1 
for the purpose of going in another     
through a wilderness beset with thorns  
and briars1 when both parts will        
terminate in the same happy country8    
,people listen to the dogmas of the     
schools1 and are filled with awful      
forebodings2 terror is the predominating
 principle in their bosoms1 and sorrow  

takes possession of their hearts1       
speaking out from their faithful        
countenances in sadness4 ,how far is the
 true influence of the gospel from      
inducing such results as this6 ,mr4     
,ballou believed1 with ,fenelon1 that   
true piety hath in it nothing weak1     
nothing sad1 nothing constrained4 ,it   
enlarges the heart2 it is simple1 free1 
and attractive4 ,if this were not the   
true nature of the gospel1 how could    
there be peace and joy in believing8    
,he held that the true way to cleanse   
the hardened and rebellious heart is to 
inundate it with a deluge of love1 the  
only weapon of ,omnipotence4 ,reason    
with the sinner1 he will meet you with  
subtle argument2 threaten him1 and he   
will meet you blow for blow2 against    
future interest he will adroitly balance
 present pleasure4 ,the human heart     
rises against severity or oppression1   
while it is soothed by gentleness1 as   
the waves of the ocean rise in          
proportion to the violence of the winds1

 and sink with the breeze1 until it     
becomes a gentle zephyr1 into mildness  
and serenity4 ,love1 the warm sunshine  
of our existence1 subdues the sinner at 
once2 there is not one in a thousand    
whose heart is so hardened that its     
genial warmth will not melt it4 ,true it
 is that force can subdue numbers1      
cunning conquers force1 intellect can   
master cunning1 but love conquers all4  
,there is a vast difference between a   
wounded heart and a contrite spirit4    
,you may break ice by force into a      
thousand pieces1--it is ice still2 but  
expose it to the warm sun1 and behold6  
how quickly it will melt6  ,we have     
enlarged somewhat upon this doctrine of 
divine love1 and trust that our readers 
will bear with us in our desultory      
career1 since this principle is the     
fundamental basis of ,universalism1--the
 starting-point and the goal1 the ,alpha
 and the ,omega1 of ,mr4 ,ballou's      
spiritual experience and teaching4 ,by  
it he reconciled the impulses of his    

heart and the promptings of his         
intellect4 ,the principle of ,god's     
perfect1 unchanging and eternal love of 
man1 was the great discovery of his     
earliest manhood1 the object of his     
self-imposed mission1 the inspiration   
and solace of his labors1 the spirit and
 joy of his existence4 ,his adamantine  
belief in this great idea1 daily        
strengthening by the study of ,god's    
works and word1 was his shield and      
spear4 ,it touched his lips with living 
fire1 as he stood in the pulpit1 or     
beneath the blue canopy of heaven1 where
 he often preached2 in the solitude of  
his study1 in the busy haunts of men1 it
 fed the flickering lamp of life when it
 waned with severe exertion1 and it     
shone like the brightest star of heaven 
on his dying bed4 ,it was no solitary   
joy2 the treasure he had found he       
journeyed through the land to share with
 others4 ,from his lips the glad tidings
 rang through every nook and corner2 and
 he lived1 as we have seen1 long enough 

to hear the accents caught up by the    
willing and faithful watchmen of the    
gospel1 and the cry of ,all's well6 echo
 from port to port1 from battlement to  
battlement1 on the castles of ,zion1    
through the vast circumference of his   
native land4 ,he saw his denominational 
congregation swollen from a little band 
of eager listeners to an auditory       
numbering hundreds of thousands4 ,he saw
 the shadows of unbelief flying from the
 face of truth1 as the mist of morning  
disappears before the rising sun4 ,and  
he felt joyful1 but not proud or elated1
 in the consciousness that his sacred   
mission had been crowned with such      
complete success1 and that multitudes   
recognized the truth which he first     
enunciated1 that the law of ,god was the
 law of love4  ,but let us give place   
here to his own words1 beautifully      
expressed1 and illustrating his belief1 
and the spirit of his doctrine1 as      
appears in a poem he wrote upon this    
theme1 some years since4 ,it is entitled

                   ,,god ,,is ,,love4   
,when lovely ,spring1 with flowery      
wreaths1       ,comes on young ,zephyr's
 wing1     ,and every bird soft music   
breathes1       ',tis love that makes   
them sing4      ,love blossoms on the   
forest trees1       ,and paints each    
garden flower1     ,gives honey to the  
laboring bees       ,in every sylvan    
bower4      ,love breathes in every wind
 that blows1       ,and fragrance fills 
the air2     ,meanders in each stream   
that flows1       ,inviting pleasures   
there4      ,love brings the golden     
harvest in1       ,and fills her stores 
with food2     ,it moves ten thousand   
tongues to sing       ,of universal     
good4  ,if we believe that ,god so loved
 us that he sent his ,son to die for us1
 we ought to love one another1 he says4 
,shall ,i not love those objects whom my
 ,god loves8 ,shall ,i not love all     
those for whose sins he sent his ,son to
 be a propitiation8 ,most assuredly4    
,this is a consequence naturally to be  

expected from our belief4 ,i do not say 
that all who profess the doctrine do    
love one another as they ought2 but ,i  
have the confidence to say that no one  
who possesses the real sentiment1 the   
real principle1 in his heart1 can do    
otherwise than love all mankind4 ,and   
here you will easily perceive that all  
the commandments of the gospel are to be
 obeyed4 ,for when we love one another  
and love ,god1 what duty is there that  
will be neglected8 ,if this will not    
lead us to our duty1 what will8 ,will   
terror make us do our duty8 ,no2 for1   
referring once more to the similitude1  
what drove your children away8 ,it was  
believing the story they were told of   
your character4 ,what brought them back8
 ,knowing you were good4 ,and know you  
not that it is the goodness of ,god that
 leadeth to repentance8 ,why1 then1     
should not his goodness be preached to  
sinners8 ,why should we be told such    
awful stories with regard to eternity8  
,why should we be told that there is an 

everlasting state of burning1 in order  
to induce us to love our ,father in     
heaven8 ,o6 incongruous doctrine6 ,let  
it be banished from the world1 and let  
the angel of the covenant proclaim the  
love of ,god to mankind2 and may the    
world be converted4 ,man will then love 
his fellow-man2 we shall all see that we
 are the children of ,god1 that we are  
all the objects of ,god's love1 and all 
the objects of our ,saviour's grace4    
,believe this truth1 treasure it up in  
your hearts1 let your affections move   
with assent1 love ,god and love one     
another1 and the ,god of love and peace 
shall be with you4  ,all his writings   
and all of his conversation1 both public
 and private1 were thoroughly imbued    
with this belief and principle of       
universal love2 it ran like a golden    
stratum through all his life and        
conduct1 imbuing every sentiment and    
every thought4 ,his doctrine was such   
that a realizing sense of its character 
must invariably thus affect the firm and

 relying believer4 ,he never held forth 
dark threats1 nor adopted1 like many    
preachers about him1 the doleful tones  
of grief when he talked about religion4 
,if good people1 says ,archbishop       
,usher1 would make their goodness       
agreeable1 and smile instead of frowning
 in their virtue1 how many would they   
win to the good cause6 ,mr4 ,ballou was 
affected1 in his cheerful and happy     
belief of universal salvation1 like     
,haydn1 who1 in answer to a query of the
 poet ,carpani1 how it happened that his
 church music was ever of an animating  
and cheerful character1 answered1--,i   
cannot make it otherwise4 ,i write      
according to the thoughts which ,i      
feel2--when ,i think upon ,god1 my heart
 is so full of joy that the notes dance 
and leap as it were from my pen4  ,how  
many there are among us who1 the moment 
the subject of religion is mentioned1   
put on long faces1 and talk as if they  
were mourning their own lot and that of 
all creation1 in hopes to merit heaven  

by making earth a hell6 ,such people1 by
 their example and bearing1 would lead  
us to believe that churches are         
institutions reared for the purpose of  
encouraging long faces and dyspepsia1   
instead of pure altars from whence may  
ascend the glad incense of grateful     
hearts4 ,how strongly it is impressed   
upon us that ,god loves the cheerful    
giver6 and did not ,christ reproach the 
,pharisees for disfiguring their faces  
with a sad countenance8 ,to use the     
forcible language of another1 they make 
of themselves ,hypocrites1 who1 to      
persuade men that angels lodge in their 
hearts1 hang out a devil for a sign in  
their countenances4 ,it is quite        
deplorable1 says ,lady ,morgan1 to see  
how many rational creatures1 or at least
 who are thought so1 mistake suffering  
for sanctity1 and think a sad face and a
 gloomy habit of mind propitious        
offerings to that ,deity whose works are
 all light and lustre1 and harmony and  
loveliness4  ,such was the philosophy of

 the subject of these memoirs1 such his 
religion1 such the doctrine which he    
taught4 ,he found no cause for sorrow in
 his belief1 but a never-failing        
fountain of joy ever welled up in his   
breast1 pure and sparkling4  ,mr4       
,ballou's religious belief1 the faith   
which he promulgated with such zeal and 
wonderful effect1 can be summed up in a 
few words4 ,he held that ,god judges the
 human family in the earth2 that every  
man must receive according to the sin he
 hath done1 and that there is no respect
 of persons4 ,that the righteous shall  
be recompensed in the earth1 much more  
the wicked and the sinner4 ,that the    
future state of existence will be one of
 unalloyed happiness for the whole human
 family4 ,that ,god is a being who      
governs the world with a parent's       
regard1 and not with the wrath of a     
tyrant2 that the world could be led to  
love him1 but never driven to do it     
through fear4 ,that love1 not wrath1    
should be preached to the people4 ,that 

all punishment is designed by the       
,divine ,spirit for the reformation of  
the sinner1 and consequently must take  
place where the sin is committed4 ,that 
the reward of good deeds is to encourage
 well doing1 and must come when and     
where the worthy acts are done4 ,he     
believed in no more dreadful hell than  
is produced by the consequences of sin  
about us1 with the still1 bitter        
gnawings of conscience2 and in no       
sweeter or more desirable reward than an
 approving conscience1 and the natural  
consequences of doing good4 ,he taught  
that man must be saved from his sins1   
not from the punishment of them1--that  
is impossible1--and that to be happy we 
must do justly1 love mercy1 and walk    
humbly with ,god4  ,he believed that1 in
 order to prove that misery will exist  
in the future or eternal state1 it must 
first be made to appear that sin will   
exist in that state4 ,but this he did   
not believe could be proved from any    
scriptural testimony2 on the contrary1  

he was fully convinced that the ,bible  
taught that ,he that is dead is freed   
from sin4 ,to quote his own words on    
this point3 ,we have shown1 in order for
 justice to require the endless misery  
of any moral being1 it must1 of         
necessity1 require the endless          
continuance of sin1 than which nothing  
can be more absurd4 ,again he says3 ,we 
have sufficiently argued that man cannot
 be miserable in consequence of moral   
condemnation1 any longer than he is1 in 
a moral sense1 a sinner4 ,and we have   
often heard him make the remark1 in     
regard to limited future punishment1    
that if any one would produce but only  
one passage of scripture which proves1  
beyond a reasonable doubt1 that sin or  
the sinner will exist1 as such1 in the  
eternal1 immortal state1 then ,i give up
 my doctrine of no future punishment2   
but until this is done1 ,i shall hold to
 the doctrine that the ,scriptures do   
not teach the principle even of a       
limited future punishment4 ,mr4 ,ballou 

would not allow analogy to take the     
place of scriptural proof on so         
important a subject as the destiny of   
man in the immortal state4 ,he had      
nothing to do with mere assertions1     
which had not a thus saith the ,lord for
 their support1 on any doctrinal point4 
,this feature of his mind cannot be too 
strongly insisted upon4 ,he was not     
content with relying on the spirit of   
the ,scriptures1 which would have fully 
sustained his doctrine1 but he          
conciliated the spirit and the letter1  
and rested every proposition he advanced
 on this immutable and impregnable      
basis4 ,if ever a man strictly obeyed   
the injunction to search the            
,scriptures1 it was ,mr4 ,ballou4 ,they 
were the armor from which he drew the   
shield that sheltered him in conflict1  
and all the shafts that garnished his   
quiver4 ,he had the very words of       
,christ and his apostles for every item 
of his creed1 and such creed alone would
 he accept as might be adapted to this  

standard4 ,he was not one of those      
self-complacent and easy theorists1 who 
readily support their favorite doctrine 
by a few ambiguous texts1 or an         
arbitrary construction of a mooted      
passage4 ,he was far too conscientious  
for this2 the language of learned       
commentators1 however elegant the       
phraseology and plausible the reason1   
never satisfied him4 ,his standard was  
fixed in the ,bible4  ,there was little 
of the enthusiast1--to use the term in  
its common acceptation1--nothing of the 
bigot and fanatic1 in his nature4 ,he   
first convinced himself of the truth of 
his ideas2 he reflected and pondered    
them deeply by himself1 in some of those
 abstracted moods peculiar to him1      
examining them in every light1 trying   
them by every test1 dispassionately and 
calmly2 and then gave them to the world1
 armed at all points1 and ready for     
defence against attack4 ,and how prompt 
and ready he was to defend what he had  
satisfied himself was the truth1 we need

 not reiterate here4 ,the language in   
which he enforced his arguments was     
simple and clear1 because his ideas were
 so4 ,they needed not the tinsel garb of
 rhetoric1 the flowers of a refined     
oratory1 to make them presentable to the
 world2 they needed no foreign or       
artificial aid2--no1 they stood forth   
clear1 simple1 strong1 arrayed in the   
garb and radiant with the light of truth
 and of nature4 ,they stood the test of 
public scrutiny1 because they had been  
refined in the alembic of his own severe
 and critical mind4 ,this simplicity1   
which is fast becoming an old-fashioned 
virtue1 commended the preacher to the   
earnest seekers after truth4 ,it is a   
pretty fair inference to arrive at1 when
 you hear a religion preached which     
requires disguise and ornament1 that the
 truth is not in it4 ,where truth is    
there need be no such garbing2 it is    
only error that requires to be gilded1  
like the covering to bitter pills1 used 
to render them sweet4 ,the gospel of    

,christ appeals to the judgment1 not to 
the taste4  ,in relation to the argument
 of analogy1 as used to prove the       
doctrine of punishment in a future      
state1 we subjoin the following1 in his 
own words3--,another ground on which the
 advocates of a future state of rewards 
and punishments place much dependence   
for the support of the doctrine1 they   
denominate analogy4 ,we think it too    
hazardous to attempt anything like an   
accurate statement of the particular    
arguments1 which are made to depend on  
this principle1 in favor of this        
doctrine2 for we might be liable to some
 mistakes1 which would represent the    
views of its advocates differently from 
their mode of representing them4 ,our   
liability to misrepresent in such an    
attempt seems unavoidable1 on account of
 the fact that there has been nothing   
like a system of reasoning yet exhibited
 on the general subject4 ,we feel safe1 
however1 in saying1 that1 as far as we  
have been informed1 those who rely on   

what they call analogy to support the   
doctrine of future retribution1 hold    
that1 in all respects which are         
necessary to carry sin and its miseries 
into the future state1 that state will  
be analogous to this mode of being4 ,so 
that1 reasoning from analogy1 as moral  
agents sin1 and thereby render          
themselves miserable in this world1 the 
same moral agents may continue to do the
 same in the world to come4 ,in         
connection with this argument it is     
urged1 that1 as it is evident to our    
senses that sin often escapes a just    
retribution in this world1 it must be   
recompensed in another state1 or divine 
justice must forever be deprived of its 
claims4  ,on reasonings of such a       
character1 we shall use the freedom to  
say1 that they appear to have no higher 
authority than mere human speculations  
injudiciously managed4 ,that they are   
nothing more than simple speculations1  
is evident from the fact that they are  
not founded on any divine authority4 ,we

 presume that their own advocates never 
ventured to support them by scripture   
authority4 ,and that they are managed   
injudiciously1 is very apparent from the
 circumstances1 that while they profess 
to be justified by the principle of     
analogy1 they are a direct denial of the
 very analogy on which they depend4     
,theologians who endeavor to exert an   
influence over the minds of people by   
means of these speculations1 are        
constantly urging that in this world we 
see sin procuring for its agents the    
riches and honors of the world1 while it
 escapes judicial detection1 and goes   
unpunished4 ,now1 if they were          
consistent with their analogy and with  
themselves1 they would see at once that 
in the next state of existence sin will 
procure for its agents the riches and   
honors of that world1 and there1 as well
 as here1 escape judicial detection1 and
 go unpunished4 ,they would likewise see
 that as divine justice can quiet its   
own claims in this world1 without       

administering a full and adequate       
retribution of human conduct1 it may do 
the same in the future state4 ,in this  
way we might proceed and make the future
 state precisely like the present2 for  
we have no more authority for carrying  
sin and its miseries into a future      
world1 than we have for carrying all    
other things into that state which we   
find in this4 ,reasoning from all that  
we know1 we must believe that1 so long  
as men sin1 they will do so from the    
beguiling power of temptation4 ,if1     
then1 we believe that sin will exist in 
the future state1 we must suppose that  
temptation will there act on the mind   
with a deceiving influence4 ,in this    
world the wicked are allured with the   
hopes of temporal gain1 and these       
attractions are strengthened by the     
belief that crime will not be detected1 
and that punishment will be avoided4    
,were it not for these hopes and        
allurements1 no wrong-doing would be    
practised in this world2 and to suppose 

that we shall transgress the law of ,god
 in the future world1 without any       
temptation1 is a speculation altogether 
arbitrary and capricious1 as well as    
contrary to analogy4  ,of late1 the     
writer of this1 says ,mr4 ,ballou1 in   
one of his last published sermons1 has  
seen an inclination1 in some of the     
professed preachers of ,universalism1 to
 adopt some of the peculiar opinions of 
our ,unitarian fraternity4 ,among other 
things1 is the opinion that men carry   
into the next world the imperfections of
 this2 so that their moral condition    
hereafter will depend on the characters 
they form while here in the flesh2 but  
that they may and will improve and      
progress in virtue and holiness in the  
spirit world4 ,this opinion being rather
 newly adopted1 and as it seems to      
ingratiate them into favor with         
,unitarians1 it is quite natural for    
such preachers to devote not a small    
share of public labor to lead the minds 
of their hearers to the adoption of such

 views of the future state4 ,whenever   
the writer of this discourse comes in   
contact with these labors and opinions1 
he feels it to be his duty1 in a        
friendly1 brotherly1 and candid manner1 
to endeavor to bring them to the test of
 some acknowledged standard4 ,it is     
worthy of consideration1 that the ,new  
,testament gives us but little on the   
subject of man's future state4 ,there   
can be no doubt but ,jesus was known to 
believe and preach a doctrine embracing 
the fact of the resurrection1 and an    
immortal state for the human family4    
,all this is clearly manifested by the  
question asked him by the ,sadducees    
respecting the resurrection4 ,in the    
answer which ,jesus returned1 we have   
all which gives us any account          
respecting the state of man hereafter   
which was spoken by him4 ,in this       
answer1 we are told the following       
facts3--#ast4 ,that1 in the future      
world1 they will neither marry nor be   
given in marriage4 #b;d4 ,that1 in that 

state1 men will be the children of ,god1
 being the children of the resurrection4
 #c;d4 ,that they will be equal unto the
 angels1 and that they can die no more4 
#dth4 ,that the doctrine of the         
resurrection was shown by ,moses1 and   
that ,god is not the ,god of the dead1  
but of the living1 for we all live unto 
him4 ,st4 ,paul says more on the subject
 of the resurrection1 and of the future 
state1 than did ,jesus4 ,he says1 ',as  
in ,adam all die1 even so in ,christ    
shall all be made alive4' ,he also      
distinguishes man's state and condition 
in the future or resurrection state1    
from his condition here1 as             
follows3--',it is sown in corruption1 it
 is raised in incorruption3 it is sown  
in dishonor1 it is raised in glory3 it  
is sown in weakness1 it is raised in    
power3 it is sown a natural body1 it is 
raised a spiritual body4' ,thus we are  
taught that our future state will differ
 from the present as incorruption       
differs from corruption2 as glory       

differs from dishonor2 as power differs 
from weakness2 as a spiritual body      
differs from a natural body4 ,now1 if we
 allow ourselves to carry our           
speculations respecting our future state
 not only beyond all the ,scriptures say
 on the subject1 but so as to adopt     
distinctions in that state1 which       
evidently conflict with the divine      
,word1 do we not say1 by so doing1 that 
divine ,revelation is not only          
incomplete1 but also inaccurate8  ,he   
believed that all those promises which  
give the assurance of the final holiness
 and happiness of the entire race of man
 depend solely on the will and power and
 goodness of ,god1 and not on any       
conditions for the creature to perform4 
,while dwelling upon this theme1 which  
he delighted to do1 he says3--,let us   
pass to the prophecies of ,isaiah2 see  
,chap4 #be3 #f1 #g1 #h4  ',and in this  
mountain shall the ,lord of ,hosts make 
unto all people a feast of fat things4  
99 99 99 ,and he will destroy in this   

mountain the face of the covering cast  
over all people1 and the vail that is   
spread over all nations4 ,he will       
swallow up death in victory2 and the    
,lord ,god will wipe away tears from off
 all faces2 and the rebuke of his people
 shall he take away from off all the    
earth3 for the ,lord hath spoken it4'   
,no one will doubt that the provisions  
here spoken of are those which are      
provided in the gospel of               
salvation1--made for all people4 ,the   
vail of darkness which is over all      
people is to be taken away4 ,death is to
 be swallowed up in victory1 and tears  
wiped from off all faces4 ,the rebuke of
 ,god's people shall be taken from off  
all the earth4 ,and the proof is in the 
above passage1 'for the ,lord hath      
spoken it4'  ,mr4 ,ballou says3--,i look
 with strong expectation for that period
 when all sin1 and every degree of      
unreconciliation1 will be destroyed1 by 
the divine power of that love which is  
stronger than death1 which many waters  

cannot quench1 nor the floods drown2 in 
which alone ,i put my trust1 and in     
which my hope is anchored for all       
mankind2 earnestly praying that the     
desire of the righteous may not be cut  
off4 ,the fulness of times will come1   
and the times of the restitution of all 
things will be accomplished4 ,then shall
 truth be victorious1 and all error flee
 to eternal night4 ,then will universal 
songs of honor be sung to the praise of 
,him who liveth for ever and ever4  ,in 
relation to the subject of his faith1   
,rev4 ,a4 ,a4 ,miner1 in his funeral    
sermon delivered on the occasion1       
says3--  ,let me say1 then1 that he was 
a man of unswerving faith4 ,he believed 
in the ,bible as the treasury of divine 
revelation4 ,his ministry was based upon
 it4 ,few men have confined themselves  
so exclusively to its themes4 ,none have
 treated those themes with greater      
clearness and power4 ,he studied the    
sacred page with a spirit equally       
removed from the ,germanic philosophy1  

on the one hand1 and from ,calvinistic  
bigotry on the other4 ,in the fulness of
 its promises1 the riches of its grace1 
and the blessedness of its hopes1 his   
soul continually delighted4 ,it was to  
him the ',book of books2' and1 at the   
advanced age of more than fourscore     
years1 its truths1 still fresh in his   
memory1 continually employed his        
understanding1 and its glories          
enraptured his heart4  ,he believed also
 in ,god2--in ,god as the supreme good4 
,he believed in him as sovereign1--not  
simply as a candidate for sovereignty1  
but as already sovereign2 nor alone as  
sovereign to create1 to uphold1 to rule1
 to condemn1 and to chasten or destroy4 
,so far had the world's faith gone4 ,he 
regarded him as sovereign1 not to do    
evil1 but to do good1 and to do good    
only4 ,he believed ,god limited by his  
very nature to the doing of good1--that 
he is no more able to do evil than he is
 to be untrue4 ,and1 since it is        
admitted1 on all hands1 that there are  

moral influences by which some will be  
saved in perfect harmony with the       
exercise of their own voluntary powers1 
he believed that a ,god who is really   
sovereign in his moral domain can       
accomplish in all souls whatever is     
possible to be accomplished in any4     
,thus1 from the character of ,god he saw
 freely flowing the blessed promises of 
his word4  ,his faith1 too1 in ,christ  
stood related to the affectionate       
,father as the sovereign cause4 ,christ 
was ,god's messenger to man4 ,he came   
not to procure the ,father's love for   
the world1 but as a testimony of that   
love4 ,he came not to open to man the   
door of mercy1 but to strengthen man to 
walk in the already open door4 ,his     
mission was not simply to explore the   
wide-spread moral waste1 but to possess 
and cultivate it2 not to make salvation 
possible1 but actual2 for ,god 'hath    
appointed him heir of all               
things1'--'hath given all things into   
his hands1 that he should give eternal  

life to as many as ,god had given him4' 
,thus it was his mission to accomplish a
 work1 rather than to offer to          
accomplish it2 and1 by his              
ever-memorable prayer on the cross1 he  
perfected the power by which the world  
will be saved2 as he said1 ',and ,i1 if 
,i be lifted up from the earth1 will    
draw all men unto me4'  ,no one who has 
thus far followed this unpretending but 
truthful biography1 can fail to admit   
the full justice of the foregoing       
analysis and eulogy of ,mr4 ,ballou's   
moral and mental nature4 ,the faith of  
which ,mr4 ,miner speaks was the        
strongest characteristic of the man4 ,it
 illumined his whole life4 ,his         
intellect was not clouded by doubts4 ,in
 the geniality and genuineness of his   
faith he proceeded to the study of the  
book of books2 every leaf he turned in  
the sacred volume confirmed the         
steadfast belief of his soul4 ,he read  
it not as a verbal critic1 not as a     
worldly philosopher1 ambitious to found 

some system on the hints he might       
discover1 but as a ,christian seeking1  
where he knew he should discover it1 the
 eternal light of truth4 ,it was1       
indeed1 to him a source of unsullied1   
uncloying1 constant delight4 ,daily and 
hourly he discovered new beauties and   
new truths in its pages4 ,its story     
rolled before him like a wave of        
unbroken harmony1 until his mental      
vision became almost microscopic in its 
powers of detection4 ,thus filled with  
the word1 thus made conversant with its 
glowing truths and beauties1 he         
constantly renewed and multiplied the   
means of awakening and confirming faith 
in others4  ,as we have labored to show1
 his reverence and love for his ,maker  
were boundless2 they absorbed his whole 
being--not1 however1 to the exclusion of
 earthly objects of affection1 for he   
well knew that a true love of our       
,father in heaven is totally            
incompatible with the neglect of his    
creatures4 ,therefore1 he was as unlike 

as possible to those ascetics of the    
middle ages1 or the recluses of our own 
day1 who fancy that a strict seclusion  
from the world1 and a complete          
abandonment to religious exercises1 is  
the most acceptable offering that can be
 made at the foot of the altar4 ,this   
was an idea that found no sympathy in   
his bosom2 he knew that there was       
nothing inharmonious between religious  
and social duties1 and that to love our 
fellow-creatures is a proof of love     
towards ,god4 ,his devotion was filial1 
but of that transcendent nature which   
far surpasses all the affections of this
 world4 ,his boundless love of ,god     
rested on his vivid conception of his   
nature1 as all-powerful1 all-merciful1  
and all-good1 the enthroned sovereign of
 the universe1 the ,father and          
,benefactor of each and all of the human
 race4  ,in a recent letter to the ,star
 in the ,west1 ,rev4 ,george ,h4        
,emerson says3--  ,the theological      
mission of ,hosea ,ballou was this3--to 

assert the benevolent and perfect       
sovereignty of ,almighty ,god4 ,i once  
said to him1 ',suppose the idea of      
,god's sovereignty were taken out of    
you1 how much would there be left of    
you8' ,his answer was significant1 and  
comprised three words1--',o my soul6'   
,of course1 these three words1 of       
themselves simply1 convey no answer2 but
 the tone with which they were uttered  
said1 very distinctly1 that1 the idea of
 ,god's sovereignty taken away1 there   
would be no ,hosea ,ballou4 ,but this   
great man did not simply believe that   
,god is a sovereign1 but1 further1 that 
,god is a benevolent sovereign2 he not  
only believed that ,god ruled in the    
armies of heaven and among the          
inhabitants of the earth1 but that he   
ruled them with the especial object of  
bestowing happiness2 he not only        
believed that ,god worked all things    
after the counsels of his own will1 but 
that it was ,god's will that all should 
be saved and come to a knowledge of the 

truth4 ,every one who has heard or read 
him will recollect how frequently he    
would illustrate his views of the divine
 government by the beautiful story of   
,joseph and his ten brethren3--',but as 
for you1 ye thought evil against me2 but
 ,god meant it unto good1 to bring to   
pass as it is this day1 to save much    
people alive4' ,this verse contained    
volumes of meaning with ,father ,ballou4
  ,such was the sum and substance of his
 doctrine1 his life-long mission1 the   
creed he held forth to the people for   
more than sixty years4  ,some of his    
religious opponents have frequently     
charged him with card-playing1 an       
amusement which we conceive to be of no 
evil import in itself1 but the charge   
was designed as a matter of reproach    
against him4 ,now1 we happen to know1   
and can say for a certainty1 that ,mr4  
,ballou did not know one card from      
another1 nor could he have named a dozen
 cards rightly1 had his very life       
depended upon his doing so4  ,this may  

be thought1 perhaps1 a trifling matter  
to notice2 but the truth is1 his        
religious opponents1 finding no evil in 
him that they might expose1 invented    
this charge to prejudice the public     
mind1 and one minister in ,new ,england 
more than once publicly declared it from
 his pulpit2 though1 when called upon by
 one who heard him1 and who knew the    
subject of this biography1 he was       
puzzled to produce the name of his      
informant4 ,it is within our own        
recollection that these stories were    
rife1 and that they were very generally 
talked of4 ,it was also sneeringly said 
that he preached to the lowest classes  
of society1 and that respectable or     
intelligent persons never attended his  
meetings2 that some of the most wicked  
and sinful of the community were found  
listening to him1 and that they were    
always welcome6  ,these declarations    
were often made as evidences1 weighing  
not alone against him1 but also against 
the truth and godly character of his    

doctrine2 they were preferred by        
clergymen from their pulpits1 and often 
in opposition religious papers2 but1 of 
course1 this was more frequently the    
case during his early settlement in     
,boston than in subsequent years4 ,the  
first part of the latter charge brought 
against him needs no refutation2 an     
intelligent public can judge of its     
truth2 but we cannot refrain from       
calling the attention of the reader to  
the spirit that prompted the last       
clause4 ,how very like it is to that    
evinced by the ,pharisees of old1 who   
said reproachfully of their ,divine     
,master1 ,this man receiveth sinners and
 eateth with them4 ,and now mark the    
reply of ,jesus to these                
grumblers3--,the whole1 says he1 need   
not the physician1 but they that are    
sick4 ,the most wicked and sinful of the
 community1 said ,mr4 ,ballou's         
revilers1 are found listening to him1   
and they are always welcome6  ,the truth
 is1 that ,mr4 ,ballou made no          

distinction or selection among auditors2
 he as readily preached to the poor and 
humble1 as to those clad in purple and  
fine linen1 who fared sumptuously every 
day4 ,he never withheld his services2 it
 might be1 perhaps1 that he preached    
with more fervor to those who stood in  
the clearest need of consolation and    
good tidings1 than to those who enjoyed 
every opportunity of mental and         
intellectual culture4 ,but it is        
certain1 that a preacher with the       
universality of ,mr4 ,ballou's vocation 
neither can nor ought to draw           
distinctions2 he is summoned to speak   
whenever and wherever his services are  
needed1 and the preacher of the gospel  
who should refuse because the call came 
from the sinful would be as much to     
blame as he would be to disregard the   
call of the righteous4 ,the true soldier
 of ,christ and the gospel recognizes no
 distinction of rank2 his consolations  
are as warmly given to the nameless     
sufferer1 as when beside the couch of   

the millionaire4  ,still less is the    
minister of the true religion to refuse 
to afford words of encouragement and    
advice to the unfortunate being who is  
struggling in the toils of sin4 ,to such
 an one his mission is absolutely       
imperative2 he must wrestle with the    
perturbed and darkened spirit1 he must  
aid the awakening conscience1 struggling
 to throw off the burthen of evil       
passions1 he must point to the undying  
love of ,god to man1 and bid the tears  
of the sinner be dried up in the        
effulgent smile of ,omnipotence4 ,if1   
therefore1 sinners crowded to hear the  
discourses of ,mr4 ,ballou1 it was a    
tribute of which a preacher of the      
gospel might well be proud4 ,to comfort 
and help the weak-hearted1 and to raise 
up those who fall1 is essentially the   
province of the conscientious preacher2 
and no one1 however hardened his heart1 
could have listened to the sincere and  
earnest words of the subject of these   
pages1 without deriving some hope1 some 

consolation1 and some strength1 from the
 glorious doctrine he preached so       
eloquently2 and that there were very    
many who were thus ransomed from the    
thraldom of sin and consequent misery1  
there can be no reasonable doubt4  ,was 
it true that sinners flocked to hear    
him1 as has been said so often by his   
opponents in the way of reproach against
 his doctrine1 as being conducive to the
 pleasure of such persons8 ,let us pause
 for one moment1 and review what he used
 to say that was particularly pleasing  
to this class of hearers4 ,the          
following1 for instance1 will suffice   
us1--it is from his own pen3--,the vile 
affections of sin will burn to the      
destruction of the sweetest harmonies of
 nature2 the whitest robes of innocence 
are stained with its indelible crimson2 
the soul is drowned in the black waters 
of iniquity1 and the whole mind1 with   
every faculty1 is plunged into the hell 
of moral death4 ,yet1 listen to the     
worst of torments1 in consequence of    

sin4 ',a wounded conscience who can     
bear8' ,a fire that burns all the day   
long1 a sword that continually pierceth 
the soul1 a sting that cannot exhaust   
its poison1 a fever that never turns    
till the patient dies4 ',a dart struck  
through his liver4' ,what ails the      
sinner8--why his hand on his breast8    
,there gnaws the worm that never        
dies1--there burns the fire that is     
never quenched4 ,a consciousness of     
guilt destroys all the expected comforts
 and pleasures of sin4 ,how strange it  
is that1 after a thousand               
disappointments in succession1 men are  
not discouraged6 ,o sin6 how you paint  
your face6 how you flatter us1 poor     
mortals1 on to death6 ,you never appear 
to the sinner in your true character2   
you make us fair promises1 but you never
 fulfilled one2 your tongue is smoother 
than oil1 but the poison of asps is     
under your lips2 you have impregnated   
all our passions with the venom of your 
poison2 you have spread gloomy darkness 

over the whole region of the soul2 you  
have endeavored1 with your stupefactive 
poison1 to blunt the sword in the hands 
of the cherubim1 which1 for your sake1  
keeps us from the tree of life4 ,a      
mistaken idea has been entertained of   
sin1 even by professors4 ,i have often  
heard sincere ministers preach1 in their
 reproofs to their hearers1 that it was 
the greatest folly in the world for     
people to forego salvation1 in a future 
state1 for the comforts and pleasures of
 sin in this4 ,such exhortations really 
defeat their intentions4 ,the wish of   
the honest preacher is1 that the wicked 
should repent of their sins1 and do     
better2 but1 at the same time1 he       
indicates that sin1 at present1 is more 
productive of happiness than            
righteousness2 but that the bad will    
come in another world1--that1 although  
doing well is a hard way1 yet its       
advantages will be great in another     
state4 ,just as much as any person      
thinks sin to be more happifying than   

righteousness1 he is sinful2 his heart  
esteems it2 though in some possible     
cases1 for fear of the loss of salvation
 in the world to come1 he may abstain   
from some outward enormities1 yet his   
heart is full of the desire of doing    
them4 ,it is as much the nature of sin  
to torment the mind1 as it is the nature
 of fire to burn our flesh4 ,sin        
deprives us of every rational enjoyment1
 so far as it captivates the mind4 ,it  
was never able to furnish one drop of   
cordial for the soul2 her tender mercies
 are cruelty1 and her breasts of        
consolation are gall and wormwood4  ,mr4
 ,ballou's style of preaching was of a  
kind calculated to create regret in the 
hearer's heart at his own shortcoming1  
and to plant a contrite spirit there1   
rather than fear for the punishment of  
his sins4 ,the object of his sermon was 
not to terrify the sinner1 but rather to
 lead him into the ways of peace and    
pleasantness4 ,his sermons were of the  
character referred to by ,louis ,,xiv41 

when he told that eminent preacher1     
,massillon1 ,father1 ,i have heard many 
great pulpit orators1 and ,i have been  
much pleased with them1 but every time  
,i hear you ,i am exceedingly displeased
 with myself2 alluding to the sorrow for
 sin which ,massillon's sermons created 
in him4 ,this is the true and effectual 
style of preaching1 such as will convert
 sinners from the error of their ways1  
by inducing a correct feeling in their  
own bosoms1 not by frightening them out 
of their senses4 ,representing before   
men's eyes such oceans of wrath that    
they feel as though they were sinking to
 perdition1 will undoubtedly lead them  
sometimes to profess religion1 as a     
drowning man would catch at a straw2 but
 their profession is made by instinct1  
not conviction1--by an undefined        
consciousness of necessity1 not by any  
incentive of love4  ,it might be said of
 ,mr4 ,ballou's sermons as ,thomas      
,fuller said of ,perkins in his eulogy3 
,his sermons were not so plain but that 

the piously learned did admire them1 nor
 so learned but that the plain did      
understand them4 ,unshelling theological
 controversies of their school terms1 he
 made of them plain and wholesome meat  
for the people4 ,children can understand
 him1 was the constant remark of the    
ministering brethren1 in relation to    
,mr4 ,ballou's sermons2 and he has said 
often1 ,if ,i can make children         
understand me1 then ,i am satisfied2 for
 surely it must then be that older minds
 will comprehend my words4 ,in this     
connection we are forcibly reminded of  
the true incident of the minister and   
the child4 ,forcible1 simple as it is6  
,mother1 said a little girl1 seven years
 old1 ,i could not understand our       
minister to-day1 he said so many hard   
words4 ,i wish he would preach so that  
little girls could understand him2 won't
 he1 mother8  ,yes1 ,i think so1 if we  
ask him4  ,it was not long after that   
the little girl's father saw her going  
over to the minister's1 and calling her 

back to him1 he asked3--  ,where are you
 going1 ,emma8  ,i am going over to ,mr4
 ----'s1 father1 was her innocent reply1
 to ask him to preach small6  ,a hint   
this that many might improve by4  ,to   
the place of his birth ,mr4 ,ballou was 
fondly attached1 and often visited it   
during the latter years of his life1 in 
company with his children4 ,he seemed   
thrice happy among those well-remembered
 hills and dales1 where the dreams of   
youth came back again4 ,aside from the  
fact of its being the home of his       
childhood1 which in itself will strew   
with roses the bleakest spot in         
,christendom1 the valley of his nativity
 had many picturesque and glowing       
natural beauties1 of a character to     
impress the lover of nature with        
admiration4 ,here he had set his snares 
at the skirts of yonder wood1 and here  
made his morning ablutions in the clear 
running brook4 ,adown the crevices of   
this huge old rock1 when a little boy1  
surfeited with the abundance of wild    

strawberries1 he had pressed out their  
juice1 and adown the green crevices in  
the mossy stone the red liquid had made 
its way4 ,these old stumps1 now decayed1
 and like himself passing away1 once    
bore the orchard fruit that he had      
watched with anxious eye to its         
ripening4 ,and this mass of rocks1 this 
ruined cellar1 is the only remnant left 
of the cot where he was born4 ,not a    
stone nor a tree was forgotten1--not one
 but brought back its peculiar legend to
 his quickened heart4 ,and here was the 
old burial-ground1 on the hill-side1    
where the dust of his father and kindred
 reposed4 ,with what awe had he ever    
looked upon that place when a boy6 ,how 
many times strolled thoughtfully among  
the rank grass and moss-grown slabs1    
whose gray old forms1 now bending hither
 and thither with age1 gave faint and   
feeble token of names long1 long since  
passed away1--      ,with uncouth rhymes
 and shapeless sculpture decked4  ,while
 on a visit to this spot1 accompanied by

 his second son1 ,rev4 ,massena ,b4     
,ballou1 in #ahdc1 he lingered long and 
thoughtfully among the tomb-stones1 and 
at last said3--,i believe ,i could sleep
 sweeter here1 among the hills of       
,cheshire1 by the side of my early home 
and kindred1 than in the grounds of     
,mount ,auburn4 ,and this was in truth  
characteristic of him and of his        
feelings1 as the reader will have       
gathered ere this4 ,a retiring spirit   
governed him at all times1 unmoved by   
one single prompting of ambition or a   
desire for fame1 and only zealous in the
 service of his ,lord and ,master4 ,his 
works he desired to leave behind him as 
perfect as might be1 because he hoped   
that1 even after he had himself ceased  
to live1 they might be productive of    
good to his fellow-men2 but it was the  
only memento he wished to leave behind4 
,i can hardly conceive of language1 he  
says1 to express the flood of tender    
emotions that overflow my heart1 when ,i
 look upon that valley and those        

well-remembered hills4 ,i seem as if    
touched by some potent wand1 and to be  
changed from age to youth again4 ,it    
becomes impossible to realize the crowd 
of incidents and experiences that have  
thronged my pathway for more than half a
 century4 ,i am once more in that       
frugal1 happy home1 where contentment   
ever smiled upon us1 and the kind words 
of my brothers and the affection of my  
sisters1 more than compensated for what 
by some would have been considered not  
an enviable lot4 ,though that cottage is
 now levelled by ,time's ruthless hands1
 yet how prominent it stands before my  
mind's eye6 ,that aged and beloved      
parent now rests on yonder hill-side4   
,those brothers and sisters1--how       
various the fortune of each6 ,all1 all  
have now passed that portal to which my 
own footsteps are steadily wending4 ,he 
was often inspired to pour out his      
feelings in song1 after visiting        
,richmond and the haunts of his youth1  
for his heart was full of the memories  

of those days that had endeared the spot
 to him4 ,the following lines upon this 
subject were composed for his children  
to sing with instrumental accompaniment1
 and are written in the metre of one of 
his favorite songs1 the air of          
,dumbarton's ,bonny ,belle4             
,,ballou',s ,,dell4      ,there are no  
hills in ,hampshire ,new1       ,no     
valleys half so fair1     ,as those     
which spread before the view       ,in  
merry ,richmond1 where     ,i first my  
mortal race began1       ,and passed my 
youthful days1--     ,where first ,i saw
 the golden sun1       ,and felt his    
warming rays4      ,there is no spot in 
,richmond where       ,fond memory loves
 to dwell1     ,as on the glebe         
outspreading there       ,in ,ballou's  
blithesome dell4     ,there are no birds
 that sing so sweet       ,as those upon
 the spray1     ,where1 from the brow of
 ',grassy ,hill1'       ,comes forth the
 morning ray4      ,unnumbered flowers1 
the pride of spring1       ,are born to 

flourish there1     ,and round them     
mellow odors fling       ,through all   
the ambient air4      ,there purling    
springs have charms for me       ,that  
vulgar brooks ne'er give1     ,and winds
 breathe sweeter down the lea           
,than where magnolias live6  ,this is   
but one of a large number of pieces     
composed by ,mr4 ,ballou while inspired 
by the same theme4 ,it will serve to    
show the reader the hallowed and        
inspiring feelings that lived in the    
writer's heart1 as his memory went back 
in freshness to the days and            
associations of his boyhood1 as in      
retrospection he shook away the snow of 
time from the evergreen of memory4  ,the
 attachment to one's birth-place1 to the
 home of early youth1 be it ever so     
humble1 is a beautiful trait of         
character1 and is significant of a      
refined and noble spirit4 ,it is in     
masses one of the first and most        
prolific fruits of civilization1        
distinguishing a stable community from a

 nomadic tribe2 and1 as another         
peculiarity of the trait1 it is most    
touchingly exhibited in the least       
fortunate members of the human family4  
,the ,icelanders1 dwelling in a         
hyperborean region1 where for a large   
portion of the year they are deprived of
 the light of the sun1 and depend upon  
the stars and the ,aurora ,borealis to  
guide their footsteps in the long1 long 
winter midnight1 are accustomed to say1 
with a spirit of unmistakable fondness  
and affection1 ,iceland is the fairest  
country of the globe6 ,the poor         
,highlander regards the smoky hut where 
he was born with enthusiastic love4 ,as 
life draws gradually towards its close1 
this feeling deepens in the human       
breast4 ,standing on the extreme verge  
of existence1 and just about to leave   
the world forever1 man1 as he turns to  
survey the pathway he has travelled1    
overlooks its midway stations1 and fixes
 his eyes upon the starting4 ,the       
beginning and the end of the journey are

 then brought close together2 from the  
earthly to the eternal home there is but
 one step2 from the tenderest           
recollections of his earthly parent he  
passes into the presence of his ,father 
in heaven4 ,love of home6 what a theme  
for the essayist6  ,it would almost seem
 as if the deprivations and hardships of
 his youthful days must have thrown an  
unhappy spell about his early home1 and 
as though the memories that came up to  
him from the long vista of years would  
be laden with recollections of want and 
severe trial1 of personal endurance1 of 
scanty food and more scanty clothing2 in
 short1 of all the stern realities of   
his childhood's home4 ,but this was very
 far from being the case with him4 ,he  
has often said to us1 in relation to    
this subject1 that he deemed his life at
 that time anything but unhappy1--that  
what now appeared to be so great        
hardships1 by comparison1 were then but 
trifling discomforts1 and matters of    
course4 ,he was never inclined to set up

 for a martyr1 or to gather any credit  
for having endured patiently1 and risen 
in time above the fortunes of his youth4
 ,he could only recall this period of   
his life with feelings of pleasure4     
,such feelings as these force upon us   
the conviction that there is ever about 
the place of one's birth a spell that   
hardship seems only the more closely to 
bind about the heart1--that deprivation 
and want but the more strongly cement4  
,the cheerful allusion to the           
affectionate regard of his brothers and 
sisters1 and the remark that contentment
 ever smiled upon his early home1 show  
the true spirit of the man1 and the     
natural trait which ever influenced him 
to make the best of everything4  ,how ,i
 used to cherish a kind word from my    
father1 when ,i was a boy6 says ,mr4    
,ballou4 ,he was in some respects an    
austere man2 and when ,i was born1 being
 the youngest of our large family1 he   
had got to be advanced in years1 and    
looked with a more serious and practical

 eye on the events of life and all      
things about us4 ,he was ,puritanic1    
strictly religious1 as he interpreted   
the meaning of that word1 and his mind  
was ever engrossed upon serious matters4
 ,but when he put his hand sometimes    
upon my head1 and told me ,i had done   
well1 that the labor ,i had performed   
might have been more poorly done by     
older hands1 or that ,i was a good and  
faithful boy1 my heart was electrified  
beyond measure2 and ,i remember his     
words and smile1 even now1 with delight4
  ,how the simplicity and purity of the 
man shine forth in this little          
paragraph6  ,it may be interesting to   
your readers to know how ,father ,ballou
 was regarded in the town of his        
nativity1 says the ,rev4 ,joshua        
,britton1 ,jr41 of ,richmond1 ,n4 ,h41  
in a communication addressed to the     
,christian ,freeman4 ,he was accustomed 
to visit this place once in every few   
years1 and always received a cordial and
 hearty greeting4 ,it was my privilege  

and happiness to spend a few days with  
him on the occasion of his visit here in
 ,october last4 ,i removed to this town 
in ,october1 #ahej1 and soon learned    
that there was a general desire among   
our friends to see and hear their       
fellow-townsman again4 ,the approach of 
cold weather prevented our taking any   
immediate steps to accomplish this      
object4 ,in ,june1 #ahea1 ,i saw him at 
the meeting of the ,state ,convention in
 ,chicopee4 ,he had many affectionate   
inquiries to make respecting his friends
 in ,richmond1 but then he could not    
name any time when he would visit us4   
,in ,july ,i wrote him1 and he replied  
,august #e1 and said3--',i want very    
much to visit ,richmond1 and will on one
 of the days you have named4' ,he       
suggested that we could complete the    
arrangement at the convention meeting in
 ,boston4 ,we did so1 and fixed upon    
,sunday1 ,october #abth1 as the day when
 he would be with us4 ,he was careful to
 have no appointment for the following  

,sunday1 in order that he might remain  
in this vicinity4 ,he was met at        
,fitzwilliam depot1 by one of our       
friends1 on ,friday1 ,october #ajth1 and
 conveyed to his residence4 ,sunday was 
a favorable day for meeting1 and there  
was a large audience from this and the  
adjacent towns in this state and in     
,massachusetts4 ,it was a happy day for 
us all2 but ,i must not dwell here4     
,though ,i enjoyed the meeting very     
much1 yet my enjoyment was still greater
 on the following week1 in the society  
of our aged friend and father1 at my own
 home and the homes of our mutual       
friends in this town4  ,it may be proper
 to state that ,father ,ballou had no   
very near relatives here4 ,none1 ,i     
believe1 by the name of ,ballou4 ,he was
 a cousin of ,father ,luke ,harris1 and 
with him and his family he spent a      
portion of the time quite pleasantly4   
,he seemed happy in being once more in  
his 'native ,richmond4'  ,three days the
 writer accompanied ,father ,ballou     

while he made calls upon various        
families in different parts of the town4
 ,we were uniformly kindly received2 and
 those not acquainted with ,father      
,ballou can hardly conceive the ease and
 success with which he familiarly       
approached all1--the young1 the         
middle-aged1 and the aged4 ,we had brief
 interviews1 but they were agreeable and
 profitable4 ,prayer was offered with   
and consolation afforded to the sick4   
,in one or two instances we met with    
those whose minds were in doubt on      
doctrinal points3 these1 of course1     
listened to a few words of explanation4 
,then there was the going back to former
 days1 and a rehearsal of time's        
numerous changes4 ,we visited the old   
burying-ground1 and stood by the graves 
of the parents of my aged companion4 ,we
 visited the old homestead1 the place   
where he was born1 and spent his        
boyhood4 ,this was changed1 and         
unchanged4 ,the buildings1 fences1 and  
some of the fields1 presented a new     

aspect1 but the valleys and hills       
remained as before4 ,at the homestead we
 entered the orchard1 where the owner   
was engaged picking apples4 ,we walked  
about and found apples1 of which my     
companion ate1 though he declined taking
 any1 a short time previous1 on an      
adjoining farm4 ,we also1 by invitation1
 dined here1 and had a pleasant chat    
with the family4 ,this farm is a mile   
and a half east of our meeting-house4   
,grassy ,hill is on its eastern border1 
and overlooks the valley in which it is 
situated4 ,some will recollect the      
poetry of our friend1 ',my native       
,richmond4' ,he repeated this1 at my    
suggestion1 at a dwelling in full view  
of this eminence2 and as the words      
',grassy ,hill' were spoken1 he         
gracefully waved his right hand in that 
direction1 his countenance expressing   
satisfaction and delight4  ,several     
times1 during his stay1 the inquiry was 
agitated1--',will you come to ,richmond 
again8' ,his reply was1 '',tis          

uncertain1--,i may2 should life be      
spared1 and my health remain as good as 
it is at present1 ,i think ,i may4'     
,but1 as we had some reason to expect1  
this proved to be his last visit4 ,he   
was conveyed to ,winchester on ,friday1 
where he preached on the following      
,sabbath4 ,he returned on ,tuesday1     
,oct4 #bast4 ,i made a few calls with   
him on the afternoon of that day1 and in
 the evening he spent an hour at our    
singing-school1 tarrying with us at     
night4 ,on the following morning we bade
 him 'good-by1' and he proceeded        
homewards to visit a daughter1 rejoined 
his wife1 and in due time reached their 
home in ,boston4  ,in ,mr4 ,ballou's    
letter to the ,trumpet1 describing this 
visit1 he says3--       ,when ,i arrived
 at the depot in ,fitzwilliam1 ,i was   
met by a worthy      and respected      
friend1 from ,richmond1 who came on     
purpose to convey      me to his        
hospitable dwelling in the neighborhood 
of the place of      my birth4 ,our road

 passed through the farm on which ,i was
 born1      and on which my childhood   
and youth were spent4 ,all around lay   
the      hills and the mountains1 the   
valleys and streams1 which ,i always    
carry with me on the map of fond memory4
 ,but where were the father1      the   
mother1 the brothers and sisters1 who   
watched over my infancy      and guided 
my youth8 ,the hope of the gospel       
answers1 in ,,heaven6      ,before the  
,sabbath1 ,i was conveyed by our worthy 
,brother ,britton1      the beloved     
pastor of the ,universalist society1 to 
the dwellings of      a number of my    
kindred and friends1 who received me    
with a welcome      corresponding with  
the esteem in which they were held by   
me4 ,but      some bitter drops were    
mingled with the sweet cordials of      
friendship and love4 ,some deaths had   
recently removed the beloved      and   
respected1 causing those sanctifying    
sorrows to which love and               
friendship are heirs4 ,when the ,sabbath

 came1 ,i was conducted by      ,bro4   
,britton to the house of devotion1 and  
into the pulpit where he      is wont to
 break the bread of life to the flock of
 his charge4 ,i      was agreeably      
surprised at beholding the crowded      
congregation1      which filled the     
house to its utmost capacity with       
people1 who came      not only from all 
parts of ,richmond1 but from all the    
adjoining      towns4 99 99 99 99 ,when 
,i beheld this large assembly1 all of   
which      seemed to be moved with one  
spirit1 every countenance presenting    
the same expression of desire and       
expectation1 ,i felt oppressed      with
 a sense of my weakness1 and lifted my  
desires to ,him who is      able to     
strengthen the weak1 and from what seems
 a scanty portion      to feed the      
multitude4       ,i could not avoid a   
comparison between what ,i then saw with
 the      condition of the cause of     
divine truth sixty years ago1 when ,i   
first attempted to speak in its defence 

in a private dwelling in      this      
,richmond4 ,then1 but a few could be    
collected to hear the      impartial and
 efficient grace of the ,redeemer       
proclaimed and      defended4       ,the
 ,universalist meeting-house in         
,richmond is quite respectable      for 
size1 conveniently constructed1 and neat
 in appearance4 ,the      society who   
worship here is not very numerous1 yet  
,i believe more      so than that of any
 other denomination in town4 ,as far as 
my      acquaintance enabled me to      
judge1 ,i had reason to believe that    
better disposed disciples of the ,divine
 ,master are seldom found4      ,bro4   
,britton preaches here one-half of his  
time4 ,he is a sober1      candid1      
well-educated and faithful pastor1 and  
highly esteemed by      his society     
here1 and also in ,winchester1 where he 
labors      successfully the other half 
of his time4 ,his family consists of an 
amiable companion1 who knows the        
importance of her station1 and is       

faithful in the discharge of its duties1
 and an adopted daughter1      who is   
justly held in high esteem both by those
 whom she regards as      her parents1  
and by all her acquaintances4       ,the
 ,sabbath following my appointment in   
,richmond1 which      appointment was on
 the second ,sabbath in ,october1 ,i    
preached in      ,winchester4 ,the day  
was extremely rainy and cold1 and few   
comparatively attended meeting4 ,the    
society here has a very good      and   
convenient house1 and its condition at  
present is said to be      promising4   
,the friends of truth here are firm and 
steadfast1 full      of hope and        
confidence1 promising perseverance unto 
the end4       ,after my labors on this 
rainy ,sabbath1 ,i found myself much    
exhausted1 and was sensibly unwell4 ,my 
friends were kind and      attentive to 
me1 and the worn-out servant was well   
provided for4 ,on      ,wednesday a     
respectable merchant of ,richmond       
brought me in his      carriage to the  

depot in ,fitzwilliam4 ,by aid of       
,divine ,providence ,i      arrived the 
same day at ,lancaster1 where ,i found  
my wife and our      family connections 
in good health1 and my own somewhat     
improved4      ,thanks be to ,god for   
all his mercies6       ,,hosea ,,ballou4
  ,with other numerous calls upon his   
time and attention1 and in addition to  
his never-ceasing professional and      
parochial labors1 ,mr4 ,ballou has had  
at various times over twenty ministerial
 students1 who1 for the time being1     
generally became residents of his       
family1 and who studied the profession  
with him4 ,to these young men he devoted
 his powers with the same untiring zeal 
that characterized his other            
professional labors4 ,his mode of       
instruction with these students was     
peculiar2 he went with them always1 to  
use one of his favorite phrases1 to the 
root of the matter1 and was never       
content until he had imbued their minds 
with at least a portion of the realizing

 sense he himself experienced relative  
to all the main points of the faith he  
advocated4 ,his words of advice to them 
were few1 but they were just what each  
one needed1 and no more4 ,he was never  
fulsome with them1 but complimented when
 it was deserved1 checked when it was   
necessary1 and suggested when           
improvements might be made1 but ever    
inculcating those ,christian qualities  
which shone forth as a burning light in 
his own loveliness of character4 ,nearly
 all of those students are now teachers 
of the gospel of ,christ1 men honored   
for their ,christian spirit1 and as true
 disciples of the gospel4 ,most of these
 are settled in the ,new ,england       
,states2 and1 as we write1 we easily    
recall the names of numbers who are much
 respected and beloved by the           
denomination to which they belong4  ,in 
the instruction and guidance of so large
 a number of candidates for the sacred  
calling of the ministry1 he assumed a   
very weighty addition to his constant   

labors4 ,we have seen that his          
parochial1 ministerial1 scholastic and  
editorial duties1 were exceedingly      
onerous1 and many would have shrunk from
 the idea of adding to such an          
accumulation of labors4 ,but it was a   
principle of ,mr4 ,ballou's life never  
to neglect a single opportunity of      
serving the great and sacred cause in   
which he had embarked2 he felt the full 
force of his mission1 and to it he was  
constantly ready to devote every energy 
of his physical and mental nature1 every
 moment of his time1 looking to the     
source of all power for the strength and
 inspiration necessary to sustain him in
 his task4 ,among those who felt a      
vocation to preach the word of ,god1    
there was an earnest desire to pursue   
its study under the guidance of one who 
was the father and oracle of the creed  
they had espoused4 ,they felt that1     
transmitted through other mediums1 many 
of the rays of light that beamed from   
his original mind must necessarily be   

lost2 they sought to derive directly    
from him the clear instructions1 the    
vigorous reasoning1 the straightforward 
mode of investigation1 which            
distinguished him4 ,they wished to be   
near him1 to follow his example in      
everything pertaining to a ,christian's 
duty4 ,as to himself1 he was never so   
happy as when imparting instruction to  
those who really desired and sought it4 
,his inquiring and intelligent spirit   
constantly sympathized with minds of    
kindred stamp1 nor did he ever lose his 
warm sympathies for youth4 ,with the    
motto progress inscribed upon his       
banner1 he was at heart and in soul as  
much with the young as the hoary-headed4
 ,the child-like simplicity of his      
nature brought ardent youth very near to
 his vigorous and green old age1        
harmonizing the two extremes in a       
wonderful manner4  ,in biographical     
writing there is often an obvious and   
studied obscurity in regard to some     
certain portion of the subject's life4  

,the reason for such a course1 on the   
part of the author1 is very plain2 for  
there are few public men1 who are deemed
 worthy the notice of a biographical    
record1 who do not look back with       
regret1 and often with deep             
mortification1 to some heedless act of  
early life2--some deed wherein the laws 
of right and wrong have been            
disregarded1 and honorable and upright  
principles trampled under foot2 some    
thoughtless moment1 when the tempter has
 found them with their armor off1 and   
has led them into contact with evil that
 has pierced their defenceless bodies1  
and left there scars deep and rankling1 
as monuments of the frailty of their    
nature4 ,in reference to this subject as
 it relates to ,mr4 ,ballou1 there is   
not one hour of his life which will not 
bear the scrutiny of strict justice4    
,from his very boyhood he was remarkable
 for firmness of principle1 and         
unwavering integrity of purpose4 ,had he
 a personal enemy in the world1 that    

person could not point to a single act  
of his life that it would not give us   
pleasure to chronicle here6  ,we know   
that this is saying much1 and that the  
reader will be apt to look back and     
re-read the last passage2 but1 while we 
write this strong language1 we wish to  
be understood as doing so in all        
calmness and judgment2 each word1 as    
written1 is duly set down and abided by4
 ,now1 we humbly ask1 how many are      
there1 among those to whom the world    
accords the meed of greatness1 that can 
have this language applied to them and  
their characters in truth8 ,i do not    
mean to signify that there are no such  
men2 but to say--and the experience and 
personal knowledge of all will bear     
testimony to the fact--that such cases  
are very rarely found in this every-day 
world4  ,when we go back and consider   
,mr4 ,ballou's early life1 the very     
limited means he enjoyed of mental      
cultivation1 and all the vicissitudes   
through which he has passed1 and        

contrast this view of his life with the 
station which he ultimately filled1 and 
consider the works of his pen and mind1 
we are led to remember that it has ever 
been the fate of genius to climb the    
rugged steeps of fame and honor under   
the greatest disadvantages2 that the    
brightest gems the exploring mind has   
brought from the caves of knowledge have
 been wrought1 before they were given to
 the world1 with the poorest means1 and 
the least available tools4 ,it is the   
circumstance of those very disadvantages
 that has elicited more mental diamonds 
than all the schools and richly-endowed 
institutions in the world4  ,though the 
difficulties and impediments that thus  
environ the path of genius seem like a  
heavy stone about the neck1 yet they are
 very often like the stones used by the 
hardy pearl-divers1 which enable them to
 reach their prize1 and to rise         
enriched4 ,adversity is to genius what  
the steel is to the flint1--the fire    
concealed in the one is brought out only

 by contact with the other4 ,hard is the
 task1 says ,coleridge1 to climb into   
the niches of ,fame's proud temple2     
rough and cold is the road2 but rougher 
and stronger than the rocks that strew  
it are the men who toil over it4 ,up    
they climb from the cottages and lowly  
homes of the world2 over ,alps and ,alps
 do they stride1 heaving the millstone  
of persecution from their towering      
heads1 and bursting into the sunshine of
 glory1 despite of all that             
circumstances could do to keep them     
down4  ,the experience of all mankind   
shows that nothing great can be         
accomplished without labor4 ,the        
original difference between men who have
 achieved greatness1 and those who have 
died in obscurity1 is1 perhaps1 after   
all1 very inconsiderable2 but the same  
ideas which in the latter died in their 
birth for want of culture1 in the       
former1 fostered1 sustained and         
developed1 by assiduous labor1          
flourished1 and produced both flower and

 fruit4 ,uncultivated genius is a       
melancholy spectacle2 it is like the    
light of a shooting star1 brilliant1    
flashing1 but evanescent1 dazzling the  
eye for a moment1 and then sinking into 
outer darkness2 while cultivated genius1
 blazing with a steady1 constant and    
pure flame1 dispenses a surer and       
vivifying warmth far around it1--its    
light is not that of the meteor1 but the
 planet4 ,all history and all experience
 go to show that the bane of genius is  
not adversity1 but prosperity4 ,it was  
not ,alpine toils1 but ,capuan delights1
 that decimated the ranks of ,hannibal's
 army1 and wasted them away2 it is not  
the cold north wind1 but the genial     
sunshine1 that destroys the mighty      
avalanche4 ,the soul of genius1 like the
 iron of the mine1 must undergo the     
ordeal of fire1 ere it can become steel4
 ,we might quote many examples of       
history to prove that this is a         
universal law of our nature4 ,it is true
 that some have achieved greatness when 

their worldly circumstances were easy   
and affluent2 but in such cases the gift
 of genius has been accompanied by a    
mental organization which imposed       
internal struggles1 and hence the rule  
may be said to be without exceptions4   
,books1 thoughts1 deeds1 imperishable   
memorials of their author1 so           
laboriously accomplished1 do not die    
with the body4 ,no2 a thought once      
expressed never dies2--it must exert its
 influence1 and be the pioneer to many  
more4 ,like the gentle ripple upon a    
calm1 placid lake1 it starts upon the   
world a speck1 but ceases not to expand 
its force until it reaches over all     
extent4 ,man does not die with the body2
 as the soul shall live forever1 so does
 the influence he has exerted upon      
society live after him1 and by that     
influence is he judged4 ,is not this    
thought in itself a strong incentive to 
virtue and well-doing8 ,what man or     
woman is there1 however humble be their 
sphere of action1 but desires most      

earnestly to leave behind a good and    
honored name8  ,an ancient maxim avers  
that spoken words fly away1 but written 
ones are permanent4 ,but modern science 
teaches us that no sound uttered by the 
lips of man is lost1--that the vibration
 of the air bears it onward and onward1 
through all time4 ,how very few there   
are in this world whose words1 written  
and spoken1 are so considered that they 
are willing to have them consigned to   
immortality6 ,how few whose utterance of
 a year old will bear the test of their 
own judgment6 ,there are moments of     
existence1 generally the closing ones1  
when all our words and deeds crowd back 
upon the memory with overwhelming force4
 ,there are records of men in seasons of
 extreme casualties1 who have testified 
to the painful accuracy of memory under 
such imminent circumstances2 and there  
are few1 indeed1 who so shape their     
lives as to be enabled to bear with     
equanimity a retrospective glance on the
 panorama of their existence4 ,so to    

have lived that1 in ceasing to live1    
they have no reason to blush for their  
existence1 as it regards the daily duty 
of the ,christian4--,alas6 in seasons of
 trial and temptation this duty is      
often1 very often1 forgotten2 the       
way-side of life is strewn thick with   
temptations and allurements to win us   
from the straight and narrow path4      
,fruits of golden promise tempt the hand
 to pluck them1 and it is only after    
tasting that we discover them to be only
 dust and ashes1 like those which grow  
on the fated shores of the ,dead ,sea4  
,happy1 then1 and worthy of all         
reverence1 is he whose unwavering course
 through life has ever been onward and  
upward4 ,the summit gained1 whence both 
the promised land and that of his       
earthly pilgrimage are in view1 he can  
turn back and say1 as his vision        
embraces the line which his feet have   
trod so toilsomely1 yet ever so         
cheerfully3--,i have held that path     
without variation2 no temptation has    

seduced my footsteps to the right or to 
the left1 nor have my lips uttered aught
 upon that journey which a wish1 in this
 trying moment1 would recall6  ,there   
have been1 at various times1 and in     
different works1 short biographical     
sketches of ,mr4 ,ballou's life given1  
from various pens2--these1 of course1   
contemplate only his public career1 and 
are quite brief4 ,in the third volume of
 the ,universalist ,miscellany1         
published in #ahdf1 there appear the    
following remarks from the pen of the   
editor1 which we subjoin4 ,after giving 
a short account of his public career1   
the writer of the sketch referred to    
goes on to say3--  ,we have not time1   
even if we had the ability1 to give a   
just description of him as a man1 a     
,christian1 and a preacher4 ,we will    
not1 however1 permit the occasion to    
pass without offering a word on each of 
these points4  ,we presume no one was   
ever more highly beloved and truly      
respected by his acquaintances than ,mr4

 ,ballou4 ,pleasant in his disposition1 
and honest in his dealings1 he has      
uniformly enjoyed their confidence and  
esteem4 ,though he always sustains a    
becoming dignity of character1 and is   
never light or trifling1 he has a       
pleasantry and shrewdness which render  
his company peculiarly agreeable4  ,as a
 ,christian1 ,mr4 ,ballou is firm in    
faith1 and catholic in spirit4 ,while he
 believes with undoubting confidence    
what he preaches1 and has no respect for
 what he considers error in doctrine1 he
 never manifests a want of kindness     
towards those of an opposite faith4 ,we 
are aware that many entertain a         
different feeling2 but they misjudge    
him4 ,it is true that for the insincere 
and hypocritical he has no feeling2 and1
 if he had1 he would not be faithful to 
his ministry4  ,as a preacher1 ,mr4     
,ballou1 for clearness of conception and
 power of argument1 has few1 if any1    
superiors4 ,we have often heard him     
preach with an unction and power that we

 have never heard surpassed4 ,but we do 
not design1 in this article1 to speak at
 length of his qualities as a preacher4 
,no man ever enjoyed the respect of our 
denomination more than does ,mr4        
,ballou4 ,he is cordially loved and     
esteemed by all who believe in the      
salvation of the world4  ,these remarks 
are valued the more highly as coming    
from one who was intimate with the      
subject of this biography for a long    
period1 and also as a fair and          
unprejudiced tribute to his character   
and life by a brother-laborer in the    
vineyard of ,christ4 ,the number of the 
,miscellany which contains the remarks  
we have quoted is embellished by a      
mezzotint likeness of ,mr4 ,ballou1 from
 a painting by ,e4 ,h4 ,conant1 and     
engraved in the finest style of art by  
,sartain4 ,this picture1 however1 is    
inferior1 as to likeness1 to many others
 which are preserved of him4  ,we       
conceive the following1 from the pen of 
the venerable and beloved ,father       

,streeter1 the oldest minister in the   
,universalist denomination now among us1
 to be of great interest2 the work in   
hand would be quite incomplete without  
it4 ,it is the impression of a faithful 
brother concerning the deceased1 from   
the commencement to the close of his    
professional career4       ,i first saw 
,father ,ballou a short time before the 
commencement of      his public         
ministry4 ,it was in the town of        
,vernon1 then called      ,hinsdale1 in 
the ,state of ,vermont4 ,at that time   
there was but one      open and decided 
,universalist in the place4 ,this       
solitary champion      of the common    
salvation had long been impressed with a
 desire to      have the gospel of the  
grace of ,god1 in the fulness of its    
universality1 preached to those of his  
neighbors who might feel      disposed  
to give it a hearing4 ,an arrangement   
was at length made      with the ,rev4  
,david ,ballou1 an elder brother1 to    
deliver a lecture      in the place4    

,the day was designated1 and due notice 
of the meeting given4 ,at      the      
appointed time the preacher came1 and   
,hosea came with him4 ,he      was then 
a tall1 slim young man1 with an aspect1 
however1 which      indicated profound  
thought1 and a deep solemnity of        
feeling4 ,in his      general appearance
 there was a marked peculiarity1 a      
certain      something which arrested   
and fixed the attention1 and which      
impressed the beholder with the         
conviction that no ordinary             
individual was before him1--that the    
germs of eminence1 the genuine          
elements of intellectual greatness1 were
 embodied within him4       ,such1 at   
any rate1 was the impression among the  
more inquisitive      and discriminating
 who attended that meeting4 ,at the     
close of the      sermon1 ,hosea gave an
 exhortation1 and offered the concluding
      prayer2 and this effort was spoken
 of1 especially by the less             
conservative and bigoted1 as one of rare

 spirituality and power4 ,it      became
 the topic of general remark1 and of    
high encomium4       ,the next day1 if  
,i mistake not1 he made his first       
attempt as a      preacher of the       
everlasting gospel1 as a public advocate
 of the      sublime doctrine of the    
salvation of all men 'by the blood of   
the      cross4' ,it was1 as ,i have    
often heard him say1 a partial failure4 
,the exordium went off very well2 but1  
as he proceeded with the                
discussion1 he often hesitated1 now and 
then came to a pause1 and      was      
finally obliged to sit down before he   
had reached the original      design of 
the discourse4       ,he was deeply     
mortified4 ,he was discouraged4 ,he     
resolved to      abandon all thoughts of
 the ministry4 ,he felt himself utterly 
incompetent to the efficient discharge  
of its high and momentous      duties4  
,his friends1 however1 interfered in the
 premises4 ,they      succeeded in      
changing his purpose4 ,they persuaded   

him to persevere      in the work of a  
,christian minister1 and it was not long
 before he      made his second attempt 
at sermonizing4 ,the effort succeeded4  
,it      was a complete triumph4 ,the   
manner in which he acquitted himself    
was a matter of deep astonishment to his
 friends1 and to all who      heard him4
 ,in that meeting his lofty and         
invaluable career finds      its        
legitimate date4 ,it was followed by no 
faltering1 no      irresolution1 no     
shrinking from toil1 however laborious1 
or however      wearing to the physical 
frame or to the mental powers4       ,he
 soon became immensely popular4 ,his    
fame went forth as on the      wings of 
every wind4 ,from all quarters1 far and 
near1 the      ,macedonian cry1 ',come  
over and help us1' poured in upon him4  
,these      calls1 so far as it was     
possibly practicable1 were promptly and 
cheerfully honored4 ,his labors1 of     
course1 became exceedingly              
abundant1--almost1 indeed1 without      

intermission4 ,by day and by      night 
he was found at his post1 and zealously 
doing his great work4       ,he         
frequently held meetings in the town    
where he was born and      brought up1  
and in nearly all the towns in that     
region4 ,his      circuits often        
embraced some hundreds of miles1 and in 
making them      he preached almost     
every day1 and not unfrequently several 
times in      a day2 and wherever it was
 generally known that he was to hold    
forth1 immense crowds rarely failed to  
be present1 that they might      listen 
to his testimony4 ,though a mere        
youngster1 ,i myself once      walked1  
or rather ran1 eight miles and back1 to 
hear him4 ,the news      of the meeting 
did not reach me till somewhat late on  
,sabbath      morning1 and no mode of   
conveyance to the place could be        
obtained4      ,i was1 of course1       
reduced to the necessity of either      
losing that      rare spiritual treat1  
or of making my way to it on what ,mr4  

,murray      used to call 'apostolical  
horses2' in other words1 on foot4 ,and  
so      great was my anxiety not to lose
 a word that might fall from his        
lips1 that ,i forgot to take with me a  
crumb of anything for a      lunch1 and 
so ,i lost my dinner2 or1 rather1 ,i had
 to make it on the      sermon and the  
prayers which ,i had heard1 and it was  
truly one of      the most luscious     
meals which it has ever been my good    
fortune to      eat4 ,it was devoured   
with a high relish4       ,the subject  
of these remarks was the youngest of    
five brothers1      three of whom were  
preachers2 and ,i once had the privilege
 of      attending a meeting at which   
four of them1 with the venerable        
father1 were present4 ,hosea was the    
preacher4 ,he seemed to have      made  
special preparation to meet the         
peculiarities of the occasion4          
,contrary to his usual custom1 the      
sermon was written4 ,at the proper      
time he commenced its delivery4 ,the old

 father--himself a ,baptist             
clergyman of considerable note--and the 
elder brothers1 were seated      around 
him4       ,he was not familiar with the
 use of a manuscript1 and1 of course1   
to read from one he found to be a new   
and somewhat awkward      business4 ,for
 a little time1 however1 he persevered  
in the effort4      ,the experiment was 
far from being satisfactory either to   
himself or      to the congregation4 ,in
 spite of him1 the eye would quit its   
hold      upon the contents of the      
paper1 and wander about among the dense 
masses who filled the seats below4      
,these excursions caused him to         
lose his place4 ,he often found it again
 with no little difficulty1      and    
sometimes not without a most vexatious  
delay4       ,at length his patience    
gave out4 ,its power of endurance was   
completely exhausted1 and1 taking up the
 manuscript and rolling it      between 
his hands1 he deliberately put it in his
 pocket4      ',brethren1' said he1 ',i 

shall weary your patience with these    
notes4' ,this was the end of all        
hesitancy4 ,he proceeded in the         
discussion of his subject with his      
accustomed fluency1 and      everything 
flowed onward with the smoothness of    
oil4 ,it was a      season of deep and  
thrilling interest4       ,the venerable
 father1 though not a ,universalist1 and
 with no      disposition to become one1
 listened to the arguments and          
illustrations of this youngest of his   
sons with the profoundest               
attention4 ,i carefully watched the     
muscles of his face1 and plainly        
saw that mighty emotions were stirring  
within him4 ,every now and      then a  
large tear would start out from the eye1
 and course down      the furrows in his
 time-worn and manly cheek4 ,it is not  
strange      that such should have been 
the case1 for the discourse was one of  
peculiar tenderness1 and of uncommon    
pathos and power4 ,probably it      was 
rarely1 if ever surpassed1 even by the  

speaker himself1 in the      palmiest   
days of his ministry4       ,indeed1    
,father ,ballou's pulpit powers were of 
an exceedingly high      order4 ,taken  
as a whole1 my impression is that ,i    
have never known      his equal4 ,never 
have ,i seen a man who could hold his   
hearers so      perfectly under his own 
control4 ,they were entirely at his     
command4      ,he clothed them in       
smiles1 or melted them to tears1 and    
these      things he seemed to do at    
pleasure4 ,this power embodies the chief
      component in true eloquence4 ,we  
often refer1 and with profound          
admiration1 to the pulpit talents of    
,griffin and ,beecher1 of               
,channing1 and ,dewey1 and ,chapin4 ,and
 to these men the meed of rare          
eloquence unquestionably belongs2 but   
still1 taken all in all1 they      fall 
far below the standard of ,father       
,ballou4 ,theirs is an      eloquence of
 another and a humbler type4 ,they deal 
chiefly with the      intellect1--with  

the demands of a literary and refined   
taste2 he      dealt more especially    
with the latent chords of the           
heart1--moved      and controlled the   
deeper sympathies and more refined      
affections of      the human soul4      
,relying but little upon books1 he went 
principally      upon the profundity and
 strength of his own resources4 ,the    
structure of his mind approached very   
near to an actual intuition4      ,he   
grasped the whole of a subject at a     
glance4 ,his powers of      analysis    
were prodigious1 and singularly         
accurate4 ,he stopped not      to       
inquire what others had thought or done4
 ,he examined every      subject for    
himself4 ,like the diver for pearls1 he 
plunged to the      depths of divine    
truth2 and1 when he had found a precious
 gem1 he      rose with it to the       
surface1 held it up before the eyes of  
the      people1 and said to them1 ,this
 belongs to you1 and there are more     
of the same sort where ,i found         

it1--enough for you all1 and for the    
millions of the race to which you       
belong4       ,but it was not in the    
office of a ,christian minister1 merely1
 that      ,father ,ballou excelled4 ,he
 was admirable in every sphere of life4 
,as a husband and a father1 the head of 
a numerous family1 he was      truly a  
model man4 ,he knew how to rule his own 
household4 ,his word      was law1 and  
obedience to it was prompt and cheerful 
by all around      him4 ,there were no  
family jars in that well-ordered and    
happy home4      ,the idea1 perhaps1 is 
an extravagant one1 but ,i have often   
thought      that his house was the     
nearest fac-simile of the great mansion 
of      the ,infinite ,father on ,high  
of which ,i could form a conception4    
,and then as a brother and a friend he  
had no superior4 ,with the              
exception1 perhaps1 of some members of  
his own family1 there is no      one    
living who enjoyed so long and so       
intimate an acquaintance with      him  

as myself2 and it is one of the happiest
 reflections of my      life1 that1 in  
all our intercourse1 not a single unkind
 word or      emotion ever passed       
between us4       ,indeed1 ,i never knew
 his kindly regards mastered but once1  
and      that was after the endurance of
 many gross and most cruel              
provocations4 ,but on one occasion his  
philosophy and his religion      failed 
him1 and then his brow was mantled with 
the very majesty of      wrath1 the     
frowning aspect of a deep and withering 
indignation4 ,the      roll of a moment 
or two1 however1 and it was all over4   
,the old      saint was himself again1  
and never1 from that time to the day of 
his death1 did ,i ever hear him utter an
 unfriendly word in relation      to the
 individual by whom he had been so      
grossly and wickedly      abused4 ,but  
,i must not enlarge4 ,i have no wish to 
deal in flattery2      but1 injustice to
 my own feelings1 and to the memory of  
our      departed father1 ,i must say   

that he was one of the very best men    
with whom it has been my happiness to   
associate4 ,indeed1 ,i doubt            
whether he had a solitary failing1--so  
far1 ,i mean1 as the      convictions   
and purposes of his own mind were       
concerned4       ,s4 ,s4     ,,chapter  
,,xiv4  ,,sentiments ,,relative ,,to    
,,death4   ,mr4 ,ballou was ever        
governed by a calm resignation to the   
decrees of ,providence1 and as it       
regarded the subject of his own         
death1--that thought which is said to   
make cowards of us all1 that theme upon 
which we are too much inclined to dwell 
with feelings of dread and fear4        
,notwithstanding we are taught by       
,christian philosophers that life should
 be a preparation for death1 there are  
very few of us who regard this          
inevitable event in its proper light4   
,dr4 ,young uttered a most profound     
truth when he said3--      ,each man    
thinks all men mortal but himself4  ,a  
man recognizes the certainty of this    

event's taking place with regard to his 
neighbor1 his friend1 and the members of
 his own family4 ,he feels that the hour
 of separation from his aged and beloved
 parents must come2 that the brother or 
sister1 whose infant joys and sorrows   
are his own1 whose sympathy has cheered 
his manhood1 must one day be taken from 
him2 that the wife of big bosom must    
close her eyes in death2 that the stern 
messenger may at any time smite the     
darlings of their little flock1 gathered
 around his knee in play or prayer2 and 
while they are yet in life he prepares  
for them the last resting-place in some 
sheltered spot1 some woodland cemetery1 
where the brightest smile of nature may 
gild the place of their repose4 ,but he 
cannot realize that he himself1 in the  
pride of his manhood1 the blood coursing
 cheerily through his veins1 a sense of 
vitality giving an elasticity to every  
movement1 will be called upon to lay    
down this glorious panoply of life1 to  
feel the bounding blood curdle and      

become as ice within his veins1 and the 
bright vision of the world fade into    
nothingness before his glazing eyes4 ,he
 himself1 by some miracle1 must be      
snatched from the universal doom4 ,thus 
death finds almost every man unprepared4
 ,the very criminal1 upon whose ears    
fall the deep tones of the funeral      
knell1 hopes for a reprieve even at the 
foot of the scaffold4 ,the soldier      
cannot think of death as he mounts the  
imminent deadly breach2--his comrades   
may fall1 but he must escape4 ,thus1 in 
our strange1 delusive sophistry1 even if
 we think of death1 we seek to alienate 
the idea from ourselves4  ,as it        
regarded the death of any member of his 
extensive family circle1 what a tower of
 strength and consolation he ever was to
 the mourning hearts of his children6   
,how calm and serene he would appear    
when called1 in the providence of ,god1 
to sympathize with them at the loss of  
their little ones1 near and dear to     
their parental hearts6 ,however deep the

 distress of soul which exercised the   
breast of any member of his family by   
the solemn visitation of death1 his     
venerable presence would always restore 
peace to the almost broken heart1 and   
make the sunshine radiate once more in  
the mourner's bosom4 ,he had several    
trials1 and keen ones1 too1 through     
which he passed1 of this character4 ,his
 third daughter1 ,mrs4 ,whittemore1 wife
 of ,rev4 ,benjamin ,whittemore1 was    
called upon to lay one and another of   
her tender offspring in the grave1      
until1 at last1 when the third was      
placed there1 she exclaimed1 in the     
agony of her heart1 that she could not  
leave the tomb where half her loved ones
 lay in death4 ,but for his presence    
even reason might have deserted her     
throne2 but his calm and sainted        
expression1 his holy balm of religion1  
his simple words of hope1 were as oil   
upon troubled waters4 ,so again was he  
similarly exercised1 through visitations
 of death1 in the family of his eldest  

son1 ,rev4 ,hosea ,f4 ,ballou1 and ,rev4
 ,massena ,b4 ,ballou2 in the family    
circle of his third daughter1           
,cassendana1 wife of ,joseph ,wing2 and 
again in the home of his fourth         
daughter1 ,elmina1 wife of ,rev4 ,j4 ,c4
 ,waldo2 and also in the circle of the  
sixth daughter1 ,fiducia1 wife of       
,abijah ,w4 ,farrar4  ,but more         
particularly was this power of          
consolation evinced as exercised in his 
own family1 when the eldest daughter1   
,fanny1 widow of ,leonard ,holmes1 was  
taken from life4 ,it was the first death
 that we had known in our immediate     
circle of brothers and sisters1 and the 
stroke had all the power and force of a 
first great sorrow4 ,then his spirit    
shone forth in all the ,christian beauty
 and loveliness of its influence4 ,then 
the majesty and holy power of his       
religion was evinced in letters of      
light4 ,and while referring to this     
family1--for there were six orphan      
children left behind1--we might         

appropriately refer to the munificent   
bounty of his hand towards them2 of a   
home purchased and given to them2 and of
 much fatherly kindness and generosity  
towards those orphan children4 ,this    
spirit of resignation he infused largely
 into his children1 who in turn offered 
to his own spirit that strength of hope 
and divine reliance which in periods of 
trial he had imparted to them4 ,this    
might be said to be particularly the    
case with ,clementina1 his fifth        
daughter1 wife of ,isaac ,h4 ,wright1   
who1 without the domestic care of a     
family1 was enabled to be much and often
 at home1--especially if any physical   
illness affected either father or       
mother1--and who1 with others of the    
children1 was with him night and day1   
constantly1 during his last illness1 and
 the closing hours of his life4  ,we    
have before referred to the grateful    
influence his presence exerted in the   
sick room1 and when called upon to lift 
up his voice with the dying2 but so     

prominent a trait of character1 as      
evinced in his home relations1 should   
not be omitted here4 ,it may be         
interesting to remark1 in these domestic
 notes1 that ,mr4 ,ballou resided1 for  
over thirty years1 with his second      
daughter1 ,cassendana1 and her family1  
in ,boston4 ,a more cheerful and happy  
home it would be difficult for fancy to 
paint4 ,there was no contention         
there1--no jealousies1 no jarring of    
interests2 everything seemed to take its
 hue from him2 and calm domestic joy and
 serene contentment reigned over all4   
,he seemed to exhale the atmosphere of  
peace1 and no contending elements could 
withstand the soothing character of his 
presence4  ,mr4 ,ballou's idea of death1
 as being but the portal to blissful    
immortality1 may be gathered by the     
following1 from his own pen3  ,the idea 
of immortality makes everything in life 
valuable4 ,here we may lay up all our   
treasures1 where neither moth nor rust  
can corrupt1 nor thieves break through  

and steal4 ,here ,god's bright favor    
will never grow dim1 nor will our love  
and gratitude ever decay4 ,do you see   
,hope's celestial form1 leaning on her  
anchor1 and1 while the raging waves of a
 restless sea dash against her1 she     
remains unmoved8 ,do you observe her    
aspect firm1 and her eyes turned towards
 heaven8 ,and would you wish to cast her
 down1 and wreck her on the quicksands  
of dismal doubt8 ,go1 brother1 to the   
chamber of sickness1 where life's waning
 embers can no longer warm the dying    
heart2 there hear from cold and         
quivering lips this hope expressed3 ',i 
long to be with ,christ1--,i long to be 
at rest6' ,would you blast this         
amaranthine flower8 ,would you plant in 
its stead the nightshade of despair8    
,listen no longer to the wild           
suggestions of fancy and wandering      
imaginations1 under the specious        
pretence of searching after truth4 ,for 
,jesus is the way1 the truth and the    
life4      ',give me the light of this  

bright sun to see2     ,all other lights
 like meteors are to me4'  ,i think one 
thing is certain1 says ,mr4 ,ballou1 in 
one of his last published articles1 and 
that is1 that the opinion that we       
immediately enter on that state into    
which the resurrection introduces       
mankind is far more desirable1 to all   
people1 than the opinion that ages of   
unconscious sleep succeed our brief     
existence here in the flesh4 99 99 99   
,in conclusion1 ,i will say that ,i am  
sensible that there are passages of     
scripture which seem to favor the       
opinion of a general1 simultaneous      
resurrection1 which appear difficult to 
reconcile with such as ,i have above    
noticed2 but that they outweigh them ,i 
have no sufficient reason to allow4 ,the
 supposition that all who have died have
 until now remained in an unconscious   
state1 seems more like annihilation than
 well accords with our glorious hope4   
,mr4 ,ballou's mind was ever made up to 
meet death at any moment2 and1 with     

implicit reliance on the goodness and   
fatherly care of ,him in whose hand we  
all are1 and who does not permit even a 
sparrow to fall to the ground without   
his knowledge1 he left all to the wise  
decree of ,heaven1 and loaded not his   
soul with fear of the result4 ,he       
conversed but little upon the subject2  
but when he did so1 it was with a       
cheerful spirit and contented mind4     
,his profession was such as to make him 
familiar with death in all its forms4   
,it was no strange subject to him2 but1 
on the contrary1 one which had engaged  
much of his thought and earnest         
consideration4 ,with so full and        
implicit a reliance in the complete     
sovereignty of the ,almighty as his     
religious belief imparted1 he could have
 no fear or doubt as to the perfectness 
of the decrees of ,providence4 ,he      
literally argued everything for good1   
and that nothing transpired without a   
purpose of the ,director of all things2 
and in that purpose he recognized but   

one principle1 which was the good of the
 children of men4 ,these premises once  
established in his mind1 what fear could
 he possibly entertain of death8 ,it is 
a part of the ,divine economy1--that was
 enough for him4 ,applied to any        
dispensation of ,providence1 or to      
tenets of faith1 this same reliance will
 be found evinced in all his            
ministrations and life4 ,he says3--,we  
have ever this pleasing                 
reflection1--this sublime1 this         
instructive lesson1--that the wisdom    
which constitutes the vast frame of the 
universe1 and which organized all       
nature1--the power that raised this     
glorious superstructure upon its        
basis1--has ever been directed1 and ever
 will be directed1 towards the good and 
benefit of mankind4 ,that there can be  
no such thing as partiality1 or anything
 like cruelty1 in all the system of     
,god1 as the moral governor of the      
world1 is as plain a proposition as can 
possibly be stated4 ,there is not in the

 bosom of our ,father in ,heaven any    
principle but goodness to his children4 
,there is not in the bosom of our       
,heavenly ,father1 nor can there be1    
anything like cruelty or partiality2 but
 his eternal wisdom is ever working for 
the benefit of his creatures4  ,he held 
the grave to be a calm1 safe anchorage  
for the shattered hulls of men1--the    
portal through which the spirit passes  
to ,god who gave it4 ,concerning this   
subject there are a few lines from his  
pen so applicable in this connection1   
that we cannot refrain from transcribing
 them here4 ,in common with those pieces
 which we have already given the reader1
 there is no effort at grandeur in the  
piece2 the beauty and propriety of the  
poem is undisguised by metaphor1 being  
put down in the tender and persuasive   
language of a ,christian heart1 pleading
 for the good of man1 and the honor of  
its ,maker4 ,mr4 ,ballou's poetical     
productions are such an index of his    
soul1 his real character1 that we are   

induced again to refer to the fact4     
,they are ever like himself1 simple1 yet
 forcible1 and never without a purpose1 
and most incontrovertible argument1     
expressed or implied4 ,the following    
poem was written in his seventy-third   
year1 and is entitled                   
,,fear ,,not ,,death4      ,why call we 
death to man a foe8       ,why should we
 fear to die8     ,does heavenly wisdom 
teach us so8       ,let us the question 
try4      ,is he of independent might8  
,does he himself sustain8     ,these    
questions if we answer right1           
,will make our subject plain4      ,see 
ye his scythe1 his dart1 his spear8     
,who placed them in his hand8     ,know 
this1 and give the winds your fear2     
,dauntless before him stand4      ,death
 is a messenger of ,god1       ,and ,god
 is love1 we know2     ,nothing can come
 from him but good1--       ,no enmity  
can flow4      ,death only comes when he
 is sent1       ,commissioned from on   
high2     ,and all his weapons1 too1 are

 lent1--       ,why fear we1 then1 to   
die8      ,death comes1 a friend to     
mortal man1       ,to set his spirit    
free2     ,nor he1 nor any creature1 can
       ,reverse the blest decree4       
,had death on us an evil eye1           
,would he our pains remove1     ,and set
 our spirits free to fly       ,to      
peaceful realms above8      ,teach not  
your children1 parents dear1       ,to  
dread what ,god may send2     ,nor fill 
their tender hearts with fear       ,of 
,him who is their friend4  ,there is a  
lesson here that it would be well for us
 to remember1 a principle that should be
 planted and nurtured in our breasts4   
,death has been too long looked upon as 
the great enemy of our race1 while it is
 in truth but the calling home of the   
spirit by the ,great ,shepherd4 ',tis   
but the wedding of the soul with        
,paradise1 the starting post for heaven4
 ,these were the sentiments entertained 
by ,mr4 ,ballou1 and which governed his 
mind even to the last4  ,he says1       

relative to this deeply interesting and 
important subject to us all3--,we are as
 pilgrims and strangers on earth1 as    
were all our fathers4 ,the places which 
now know us will shortly know us no     
more4 ,how reasonable1 then1 is it1 that
 we should often bring this great truth 
under serious consideration6 ,if duly   
considered1 it will exert a favorable   
influence in relation to the estimates  
we may make of all temporal things1 and 
give a favorable direction to our       
purposes and determinations4 ,our       
fleshly bodies1 like the grass of the   
earth1 are composed of the elements of  
nature2 these elements support both the 
grass and our fleshly bodies2 and as the
 grass finally withers and returns back 
from whence it came1 is decomposed and  
joined with the elements of which it was
 composed1 so do our bodies return to   
the earth from whence they came4 ,dust  
we are1 and unto dust we must return4   
,the certainty of our mortality is as   
apparent to us all as it can possibly be

 made4 ,however seldom we may think on  
the subject1 however we may endeavor to 
put it out of our minds and thoughts1   
however we may endeavor to drown the    
subject by devoting our attention to    
worldly objects and worldly pursuits1 we
 know that in a short time we must be   
called to leave all this bustle of life1
 close our eyes on all earthly things1  
and return to the bosom of our common   
mother1 the earth1 from whence we came4 
,as the question whether man should     
exist or not was not submitted to him1  
no more is it left to him to say whether
 he will continue in this state forever1
 or depart out of it4 ',all flesh is as 
grass1 and all the glory of man as the  
flower of grass2 the grass withereth1   
and the flower thereof falleth away4'   
,so hath the ,creator appointed and     
ordained2 and it is not in the power of 
man to prevent this withering of the    
grass1 and this falling of the flower of
 grass4 ,however endearing are the ties 
of consanguinity1 however tender and    

affectionate are kindred hearts towards 
each other1 with whatever longings and  
fond desires fathers and mothers may    
look on their sons and daughters1 and   
with whatever devotion they may nourish 
these flowers and watch over them1 they 
are altogether like the grass and the   
flower of grass4 ,they are perishable4  
,it is not in the power of children1    
however affectionately they may love    
their fathers and mothers1 and however  
they may desire the continuance of such 
kind friends1 to prevent that waste of  
constitution and strength which time and
 disease are sure to bring4 ,the        
whitened locks1 the wrinkled face1 the  
tottering frame1 the palsied limbs and  
faltering voice1 are sure indications   
that the time of departure is at hand4  
,how wonderfully beautiful is the       
full-grown grass1 with its blushing and 
fragrant flowers6 ,we cast our eyes over
 the luxuriant meadow2 with pleasure we 
behold its beautiful flowers1 seeming to
 vie with each other in glory2 and      

though we may fancy a preference for    
this or for that1 no person ever beheld 
a blossom that was not beautiful to the 
eye4 ,so we behold the society of man in
 health and in the prime of strength2   
and how pleasing is the sight6 ,look at 
these sweet babes6 we may fancy a       
preference for the beauty of this or    
that1 but no one can help admiring every
 such endearing object4 ,look around and
 behold the sparkling eye and blushing  
cheek of youth and beauty2 but remember 
these are flowers gathered for the tomb6
 ,whether we see them or not1 ,time has 
wings2 whether we realize it or not1 his
 flight is rapid4 ,what is time when it 
is past8 ,nothing6      ,he taught us   
how to live1 and ,o6 too high     ,the  
price for knowledge6 taught us how to   
die6  ,touching the matter of death-bed 
scenes as they refer to religious       
belief1 and the influence that such     
scenes and circumstances exerted over   
his own mind1 he says3  ,it has often   
been said1 by the enemies of the        

doctrine for which ,i have contended1   
that it would do to live by1 but not to 
die by2 meaning that it would not give  
the mind satisfaction when sensible it  
was about to leave a mortal for an      
immortal state4 ,as to the truth of the 
assertion ,i cannot positively say2 that
 moment has not yet been experienced by 
me3 and as those who make the remark    
have never believed the doctrine1 ,i    
cannot see how they should know any     
better than ,i do4 ,thus much ,i can    
say3 ,i believe ,i have seen1 and often 
heard1 of persons rejoicing in the      
doctrine in the last hours of their     
lives2 but ,i do not build my faith on  
such grounds4  ,the sorrows or the joys 
of persons1 in their last moments1 prove
 nothing to me of the truth of their    
general belief4 ,a ,jew1 who despises   
the name of ,christ from the force of   
his education1 may be filled with       
comfortable hopes1 in his last moments1 
from the force of the same education4 ,i
 have no doubt but a person may believe1

 or pretend to believe1 in the doctrine 
of universal salvation1 when he knows of
 no solid reason for his belief1 but has
 rather rested the matter on the        
judgment of those in whom he has placed 
more confidence than he has1 in reality1
 on the ,saviour of the world2 and ,i   
think it very possible that such        
,universalists may have strange and     
unexpected fears1 when the near approach
 of death1 or any other circumstance1   
should cause them to think more         
seriously on so weighty a subject4      
,what my feelings might be concerning   
the doctrine which ,i believe1 was ,i   
called to contemplate on a death-bed1 ,i
 am as unable to say1 as ,i am what ,i  
may think of it a year hence1 should ,i 
live and be in health4 ,but ,i am       
satisfied1 beyond a doubt1 that if ,i   
live a year longer1 and then find cause 
to give up my present belief1 ,i shall  
not feel a consciousness of having      
professed what ,i did not sincerely     
believe2 and was ,i called to leave the 

world and my writings in it1 and at the 
last hour of my life should find ,i had 
erred1 yet ,i am satisfied that ,i      
should possess the approbation of a good
 conscience in all ,i have written4     
,that ,mr4 ,ballou felt fully prepared  
to die1 there can be not the least      
doubt1 though he did not say so in the  
exact words that would express this     
state of mind4 ,he frequently1 during   
the last two or three months of his     
life1 made use of expressions1 as       
relating to current events1 in a way    
that led those about him to see that he 
was striving1 particularly1 to have     
every matter of business1 or family     
arrangement1 so completed as not in any 
way to be contingent upon himself4 ,then
 his frequent observations relative to  
the idea that he was nearly worn out2   
and in his sermons1 too1 his often      
repeating at this time how near he was  
to the brink of the grave1 and that     
those who heard him might realize the   
honesty of his reasoning and the        

sincerity of his doctrine1 since1 with  
so short a span of existence left to    
him1 he could not in any instance bring 
himself to support what he did not most 
solemnly and religiously believe to be  
the gospel of ,christ1 and in full      
accordance with the word of ,god2 the   
caution already referred to as given to 
his wife1 and various other simple but  
expressive tokens that he evinced during
 the few weeks previous to his          
decease1--all go fully to show that his 
mind was made up to die1 and that he    
foresaw1 as it were1 the approach of his
 demise1 with almost prophetic vision4  
,the philosophy1 or sophistry1          
therefore1 as to looking upon death as  
the inevitable visitant to others1 but  
as something which must miraculously    
pass him by1 did not exist in his mind4 
,he looked upon death as the messenger  
of ,god1 commissioned from on high2 and 
he held himself calmly ready to answer  
the blessed decree of ,heaven4  ,though 
almost constantly engaged at his study  

of the holy text1 or in other reading   
and writing1 still1 so domestic was ,mr4
 ,ballou in his disposition and         
feelings1 that he always took a lively  
interest in all the arrangements of the 
family1 and in each one's well-being1   
seeking to cause as little unnecessary  
labor as possible on his own account4   
,no motives other than those of the     
kindest character could possibly have   
induced this thoughtfulness1 on his     
part2 for all those about him1 even the 
servants1 always deemed it a pleasure to
 serve him in his slightest expressed   
desire1 while his children ever sought  
to anticipate his wishes4 ,in his       
directions to those called upon to      
attend him1 there was none of the       
austerity or sternness of a master      
evinced in his manner of speech4 ,the   
order direct we never heard from his    
lips1 but1 in giving directions1 it was 
ever in the form of permission1--,you   
may do this1 or you may hand me that2   
and the appropriateness of this mode of 

speech was most apparent1 since it was a
 privilege to us all to fulfil his      
desires4  ,with profane history1 ancient
 and modern1 he was well acquainted2 and
 at the age of seventy-four1 five and   
six1 he devoted some considerable time  
to the reviewal of both1 and            
particularly to the history of our own  
country4 ,with ,rollin1 ,plutarch1      
,smollet1 ,hume1 ,prescott1 ,bancroft1  
etc41 he was perfectly familiar4 ,at    
this period he was engaged1 as we have  
said1 in re-perusing the works of his   
library1 treating mainly upon profane   
history4 ,as may be supposed1 to one of 
his disposition1 home was very dear1 and
 he was always happiest with his family4
      ,to them his heart1 his love1 his 
griefs1 were given2     ,but all his    
serious thoughts had rest in heaven4    
,during the whole of his public         
ministrations and professional career1  
he never labored with more evident      
effect and general influence than at    
this time4 ,the ripened harvest of his  

experience was poured forth in the most 
simple and touching truthfulness1 and   
his discourses were redolent of holy    
manna to the souls of his hearers2 the  
sober arguments of conviction obtained  
even more fully than in former years1   
when the vigor of ripened manhood added 
its physical powers to the balance4     
,persons who had sat under his preaching
 for many years would listen with the   
most absorbed attention1 as well as with
 surprise1 to hear the easy flow of     
eloquence that seemed to come from an   
inspired heart1 bearing witness to his  
quick1 sure discernment1 and boundless  
fertility of invention1--the truth and  
exemplifications of divine goodness were
 ever so fresh and abundant in the feast
 he spread1 the arguments so logical and
 convincing4 ,he was endowed in many    
respects with the great requisites for a
 lawyer1 possessing a mind exceedingly  
active1 capable of constantly commanding
 its own resources1 and a faculty of    
tenaciously pursuing his argument with  

exceeding force and power4  ,it really  
seemed1 latterly1 that1 realizing how   
brief must be his labors1 and how near  
he was to the end of his earthly        
mission1 he labored with increased zeal1
 and consequent success4 ,his eyes1 when
 in the desk1 seemed to kindle with     
superhuman fire1 his thoughts to flow   
with inspired eloquence2 and those who  
heard him must have entered most        
thoroughly into his own spirit1 for we  
have heard1 from all directions where he
 preached1 very earnest remarks of the  
striking effect produced by his         
discourses4 ,and this effect was by no  
means confined to the laity2 many of his
 ministering brethren have told us that 
they had never heard him discourse with 
more power1 nor ever with such decided  
effect1 as was the case within the last 
two years of his life4 ,it was          
impossible for him to answer all of the 
demands upon him1 but neither ordinary  
inconveniences nor distance ever caused 
him to decline to respond to those who1 

at this late period of his life1 sought 
his counsel4 ,in vain did we beseech him
 to consider his bodily comfort1 and not
 risk his health and try his strength so
 much1 at his advanced age1 by these    
constant travels4 ,i am vain enough1 he 
said1 to believe that ,i still do some  
good1 and ,i am never so happy as when  
exercised by such a realizing sense2    
but1 whether at home or abroad1 ,i am   
still in my ,maker's hands1 and he will 
do with me as to him seemeth good4  ,mr4
 ,ballou's manuscript was always        
remarkably plain and correct1 being1 in 
many respects1 very characteristic of   
himself4 ,it was regular1 exceedingly   
neat1 and well executed1 yet            
unostentatious1 and in no degree        
ornamental4 ,for our own part1 we would 
give more for a scrap of the            
hand-writing of one whom we had never   
met1 or even of him whom we had casually
 seen1 to enable us to judge of the     
general characteristics of the          
individual's disposition1 than for the  

testimony of many an intimate friend4   
,it is1 of necessity1 in a very great   
degree1 a sample of the man2 and when we
 look upon it1 and think that it was the
 work of his hand1 the emanation of his 
brain1 mechanically and mentally his1 it
 possesses peculiar interest4  ,mr4     
,ballou was sometimes addressed1 by     
letter1 from a distance1 from those who 
were strangers to him1 and sometimes by 
brethren in the ministry1 who would     
request him to reply to certain queries 
which they proposed1 that they might    
reap the advantage of his wisdom4 ,these
 letters were various in their          
character2 some related to religious    
questions1 some to his own history1 and 
some as to its bearing upon his belief  
in the tenets of faith4 ,one who        
professed to have read his numerous     
works1 and who was also an ardent       
believer in the doctrine of universal   
salvation1 converted through his        
writings1 sent the following queries to 
him in a letter some time in #ahdg1     

during his seventy-sixth year4 ,having  
the letter and reply1 we subjoin the    
spirit of the former1 and give the      
latter to the reader entire4            
,queries4--,with what feelings do you   
look back upon your past life1 its      
influence and results1 its commencement 
and its end8 ,as it regards your        
published works and writings1 has       
experience strengthened the opinions and
 points laid down in them1 or have you  
after years of study and reflection     
found cause for change8 ,what is the    
present end and aim of your life1 and   
how does it differ from the morning of  
your existence8  ,reply to ,query       
#ast4--,when ,i survey the course of my 
past life1 as ,i often do1 ,i am filled 
with wonder2 and a clear conviction     
that1 as a whole1 it has been appointed 
and directed by ,infinite ,wisdom1 all  
but reduces me to nothing4 ,true1 ,i can
 simply realize that ,i exist2 and can  
compare myself to a drop of water in the
 midst of the ocean1 dependent1 as ,i   

always have been1 on that ,being who    
holds the unmeasured deep in the hollow 
of his hand4 ,i am fully satisfied that 
none of the eventful incidents of my    
life would have been what they were1 had
 not an overruling ,providence          
disappointed my own plans and purposes  
in many instances4 ,pursuant to these   
considerations1 in viewing the apparent 
'influences and results' of my labors1  
,i should be quite at variance with the 
conviction of my own understanding1     
should ,i indulge a feeling to credit   
them to myself4 ,with such views of the 
past and present1 ,i feel satisfied1 and
 even thankful4  ,my childhood and youth
 were1 like most of others1 full of     
vanity4 ,my public life commenced with  
no extensive prospects4 ,i do not know  
that the thought ever entered my mind   
that my public labors would ever procure
 me a livelihood4444 ,my main desire now
 is that it may please ,him whose ,i am 
and whom ,i serve1 so to direct that    
what remains of my fleeting days may in 

no way dishonor1 but promote1 the cause 
of his truth1 to which ,i have so long  
been devoted4  ,reply to ,query         
#bnd4--,all the important doctrinal     
points contained in the several works   
which ,i have published are still my    
honest convictions2 and as they were    
widely different from the views         
generally entertained by theologians1 ,i
 examined them with all possible care1  
and have never seen cause to rescind    
them4 ,and ,i can add1 that ,i have     
never1 in my public labors1 allowed     
myself to present to my hearers any     
sentiment1 or to expound any portion of 
scripture1 but in accordance with the   
sober convictions of my understanding4  
,reply to ,query #c;d4--,the main object
 by which ,i was actuated at the        
commencement of my public labors was to 
understand the true doctrine of the     
,scriptures1 and by all possible means  
to convey conviction of its truth to the
 understanding of all who had ears to   
hear2 and my present aim is to finish1  

in the best manner ,i can1 these labors1
 by persuading people1 not only to      
understand the true nature of the       
gospel1 but to cherish its blessed      
hopes1 and to faithfully practise its   
precepts4  ,during a visit of the author
 of this biography to the ,southern and 
,western ,states of the ,union1 in the  
summer of #ahdf1 he had an opportunity  
to witness the most evident token of the
 popularity of ,mr4 ,ballou in these    
sections1 and the high esteem in which  
his writings are held4 ,this was        
particularly the case in the ,state of  
,ohio1 the most distant point from his  
home that ,mr4 ,ballou ever visited4    
,here1 in passing through the state1 we 
had frequent occasion to register our   
name and place of residence1 which often
 led to our being asked whether we were 
a connection of ,hosea ,ballou's2 and   
when the existing relationship was made 
known1 there were no bounds to the      
hospitality that was urged upon us4 ,in 
,cincinnati1 it so happened that an     

original lithographic print of ,mr4     
,ballou was being struck off just as we 
left the city1 and we were kindly       
furnished with the first dozen          
impressions taken from the stone4 ,this 
lithograph is from a crayon drawing     
taken from life1 at ,akron1 ,ohio1      
during the visit of ,mr4 ,ballou to that
 town in #ahdd1 by an artist sent up    
from ,cincinnati for the purpose4 ,the  
likeness is a good one in many respects1
 but much inferior to several taken in  
,boston1 both as it regards likeness and
 as a work of art4  ,during the summer  
of #ahdg1 ,mr4 ,ballou visited his      
eldest son1 ,rev4 ,hosea ,f4 ,ballou1 at
 his residence and farm in ,whitingham1 
,vt41 where for several days he applied 
himself to labor on the land2 reaping1  
mowing1 and the various departments of  
farming1 during the week1 and to public 
services in that and the neighboring    
towns on the ,sabbath4 ,these few weeks 
of healthy toil invigorated him to a    
most surprising degree1 and1 though more

 than seventy-five years of age1 ,i was 
assured by those who were on the spot   
that he did the work of a day-laborer   
with ease1 and that his hand wielded the
 scythe with the steadiness and effect  
of early years4 ,he told us afterwards  
himself how sweet his food tasted1 how  
refreshing his bed felt1 and how clear  
and invigorated his brain was1 by this  
homely labor1 and the sweat of the brow4
 ,he would sometimes sigh at the        
constraint of his town life1 and        
eulogize the green fields and verdant   
hill-sides4 ,he says3 ,all of us have   
our prescribed duties1 and the economy  
of nature requires certain tastes and   
temperaments that will apply themselves 
to the various concerns of life4 ,we    
find the mechanic1 the farmer1 the      
minister1 the artisan1 the lawyer1 all  
endowed with some prominent qualities1  
which particularly fit them for the     
proper discharge of their peculiar      
calling2 and this is necessary1 that all
 things may be done well and            

harmoniously4 ,but1 of all the business 
occupations of life1 it has always      
seemed to me that the farmer's          
employment must be the most agreeable4  
,the country is real1 the city is       
artificial2 one is nature1 the other is 
art4 ,in the earlier portions of my     
life1 ,i gathered some experience in    
tilling the soil2 in boyhood and early  
youth1 it was almost my sole occupation4
 ,even as late as my residence in       
,salem1 ,i was accustomed to plant and  
cultivate a portion of ground4 ,the     
great charm of the farmer's element is  
that it brings him in such close contact
 with nature2 his labor1 so healthful   
and invigorating1 being performed to the
 soft hymns and sacred melodies that    
creation ever chants in open fields and 
woodlands4  ,during this season ,mr4    
,ballou travelled considerably in the   
,new ,england ,states and ,new ,york1 in
 accordance with letters of invitation  
sent to him from every direction4       
,during the month of ,august he preached

 at numerous places in the vicinity of  
,montpelier1 ,vt41 and the route thither
 from ,boston4 ,this journey was        
peculiarly gratifying to his feelings2  
everywhere he was received with that    
warmth of heart and real sincerity that 
invigorate the soul4 ,meeting-houses    
were abandoned as too small1 and        
temporary pulpits were erected in the   
open air1 from whence he addressed the  
thousands who came from far and near to 
listen to his words4 ,his name was so   
well known1 and his character so        
beloved1 throughout the order1 that the 
simple announcement of his presence drew
 multitudes together1 who listened with 
the utmost avidity to his words1 which  
carried with them the clear running wine
 of conviction4  ,here let us pause for 
a moment1 and ask the reader to consider
 what a powerful and godly influence the
 life of such a man must have exerted   
upon community1 and those persons with  
whom he was brought into frequent       
contact4 ,there was such perfect        

harmony1 such a beautiful consistency1  
between his pure ,christian life and the
 religion he taught1 that the most      
thoughtless could not but observe and   
note it4 ,we heard an old man say1 but a
 few days ago1--,before ,i knew your    
father ,i heard that he was one of the  
vilest of men2 that he was intemperate1 
profane1 vulgar1 and1 in short1         
everything that was bad4 ,but when ,i   
saw him1 meek1 unostentatious1 gentle1  
reverential1 and preaching such glorious
 truths1 ,i said to myself1 so was his  
,divine ,master reviled and persecuted6 
,this was the false report that was     
raised against him thirty and forty     
years since4 ,the subject of this       
biography did not answer these          
calumnies2 he lived them down1 and      
manifested as strong an argument in     
favor of his doctrine by his every-day  
life1 as by his oral communications from
 the pulpit4 ,his writings1 too1        
evincing the same spirit as his personal
 career1 manifesting so much sincerity1 

and logical force of argument1 garbed in
 such simple language1 and yet conveying
 such sublime truths1 and these so      
largely enforced by a personal knowledge
 of their author1--at least throughout a
 large portion of the eastern           
states1--must have exerted1 and will    
continue to exert1 an influence of      
almost incalculable extent4  ,it is in  
perfect unison with the analogy of      
nature that the sunset of life should be
 more cheerful and joyous than the      
meridian4 ,the sweetest notes of the    
nightingale are heard at evening1 the   
woods put on their most cheerful aspect 
in the autumn of the year1 and the sun  
is the brightest when about to sink     
beneath the horizon4 ,it was at this    
period of life that ,mr4 ,ballou seemed 
to have arrived at the goal of his      
ambition1 actuated only by      ,those  
calm desires that ask but little room4  
,the principles which he had so long and
 so strenuously advocated prevailing    
beyond all precedence1 his family       

happily settled in life about him1 and  
himself respected and beloved by an     
entire denomination as a faithful       
disciple of ,christ and a true          
,christian4 ,in a conversation with him 
upon the comforts and troubles of old   
age1 we asked him1 one day1 about this  
period1 what was his greatest trouble4  
,he facetiously referred us to the reply
 of ,fontenelle1 who was asked1 in      
extreme old age1 what inconvenience he  
experienced1 when he replied1 ,none1 but
 that of existence1 signifying by this  
answer how really happy and contented he
 was4  ,for the last twenty years of    
,mr4 ,ballou's life1 it was not an      
uncommon occurrence for strangers from a
 distance to call on him and introduce  
themselves1 as desirous of looking upon 
him and making his acquaintance4 ,i have
 read your works1 and it has seemed as  
though ,i knew you well already1 for    
they are like familiar conversations4   
,this would be the purport of their     
language4 ,your books1 they would say1  

have made me a ,universalist2 and ,i    
could not feel satisfied until ,i had   
seen personally one to whom ,i am so    
much indebted1 and whom ,i so highly    
respect4 ,this was the case in more than
 one instance1 at different periods1    
when ,englishmen declared that it was   
the great purpose that had influenced   
them in visiting the ,union4 ,in such   
cases they met with a cordial and       
hospitable welcome at his house and     
table1 and hours of pleasant discussion 
would ensue upon the doctrines of the   
,scriptures1 and congenial themes4 ,many
 were the visitors from various parts of
 the country with the same avowed       
purpose1 and similarly influenced4  ,in 
the latter part of #ahdh1 owing to some 
unfortunate exposure to the weather1 he 
was most violently attacked with ague in
 the face1 so severe as to cause the    
whole face to swell so much as to close 
one of the eyes entirely4 ,the attack   
lasted in its effects for several days1 
and was exceedingly painful4 ,though    

moved with the keenest regret at the    
pain we knew he must suffer1 still we   
could not but admire the strength of    
mind and calm philosophy with which he  
endured it4 ,not a murmur escaped his   
lips1 and intervals occurring between   
the most severe moments of his suffering
 were devoted to writing or study1 while
 the constant kind offices of those     
about him1 and more particularly those  
of his dearly-beloved partner and       
children1 were ever received with       
grateful words1 and tokens of a full    
appreciation of the warm love that      
prompted them4  ,in the summer of #ahdg1
 the ,school-street ,society requested  
of ,mr4 ,ballou1 through its standing   
committee1 that he would sit for a      
full-length portrait1 to be the property
 of the society1 and to be hung in      
,murray ,hall1 adjoining the church4    
,mr4 ,ballou agreed to their            
proposition1 and granted the requisite  
sittings1 and a magnificent portrait was
 produced4 ,the picture is as large as  

life4 ,the preacher is represented      
standing in the pulpit of the           
,school-street church1 the fingers of   
the right hand inserted in the ,bible1  
the left slightly extended4 ,the        
likeness and expression are perfectly   
life-like1 and true to the original4    
,from this excellent painting several   
copies have been taken for his family   
and friends4  ,this painting was the    
source of a great degree of satisfaction
 to the society and ,mr4 ,ballou's      
friends generally1 for1 in common with  
many others left of him1 it is excellent
 as a likeness1 and therefore is a      
pregnant page in his history2 for1 of   
the three principal channels of judging 
and arriving at the knowledge of        
character1 namely1 looks1 words and     
actions1 the former is the most         
faithful4 ,professions pass for nothing1
 actions may be counterfeited1 but a    
man's looks he cannot hide4 ,a modern   
writer1 in language perhaps too         
forcible1 says3--,a man's whole life may

 be a lie to himself and others1 and yet
 a picture painted of him by a great    
artist would probably stamp his true    
character on the canvas1 and betray the 
secret to posterity4 ,subscribing in a  
large degree to this principle1 we      
consider that the paintings1 busts1     
medallions1 and likenesses generally1 of
 ,mr4 ,ballou1 may be highly valued as  
speaking his true character in the      
expression1 and telling a faithful story
 of the original4  ,as it regards the   
likeness which the publisher has placed 
in the commencement of this biography1  
to those who have not seen the subject  
of the picture within the last few      
years1 it may look perhaps a little too 
aged2 but in this respect it is the most
 truthful of any likeness of him extant4
 ,he has been often represented1 as the 
reader is aware1 at almost every period 
of his life since his thirtieth year2   
and with more or less correctness1 in   
each instance1 as it regarded his       
expression and formation of features at 

that time2 but it strikes us that those 
who have been familiar with ,mr4        
,ballou's face to the last of his career
 will esteem this engraving1 aside from 
its superior artistic excellence1 as    
transcribing for us the last looks of   
his dearly-loved face4  ,in a notice of 
the large painting now hanging in       
,murray ,hall1 which appeared in the    
,trumpet of ,sept4 #dth1 #ahdg1 the     
editor says3--  ,he 7,mr4 ,ballou7 is   
now in excellent health1 firm1 erect1   
and preaches vigorously2 his mind is    
unimpaired2 he is strong in the faith to
 which the labors of his life have been 
given1 and we do not see why he will not
 be able to preach for ten years to     
come1 should his life be spared4 ,he can
 preach three sermons with but little   
fatigue1 while some of the middle-aged  
can hardly find strength to preach twice
 of a ,sunday4  ,in the fall of #ahdg1  
,mr4 ,ballou1 then in his               
seventy-seventh year1 attended the      
,universalist convention in ,new ,york  

city1 where he delivered a sermon before
 the brethren assembled there1 which    
created no small degree of notice1 and  
was pronounced by those who heard it to 
be one of extraordinary power and force4
 ,some of the brethren at once called   
upon him for a copy for publication2 but
 when he told them that he had no copy  
himself1 and that it was entirely       
extemporaneous1 their surprise was      
great4 ,that one of his advanced age    
could deliver a discourse of so         
remarkable a character1 with every point
 arranged in the most exact order1      
abounding in powerful and well-sustained
 argument and varied phases1 unless     
assisted by notes1 seemed almost        
impossible4  ,so much sensation did this
 discourse create1 that ,mr4 ,ballou    
acceded to the earnest solicitations    
that besieged him1 and wrote it out for 
the press1 and it was published in      
pamphlet form4 ,he remarked to us1      
concerning the matter1 that it was much 
harder for him to write it than it would

 have been to have written two sermons  
from a given text1 since he had to      
recall what he had spoken extempore     
weeks before4 ,but this was done so     
exactly as to create surprise in those  
who had listened to it from the pulpit1 
for its correctness and likeness to the 
oral delivery4  ,we subjoin a short     
sketch from this sermon1 because it is  
so characteristic of the spirit that    
actuated ,mr4 ,ballou at all times2 a   
spirit of the utmost simplicity1--one of
 the striking peculiarities of real     
genius1--both in his public teachings   
and private life1 and also as a specimen
 of his purity and force of style at    
this period of life4 ,the contrast drawn
 between the gospel of ,christ and the  
polished creed of the schools is        
striking and obvious4  ,with all the    
pomp1 with all the glory1 with all the  
wealth1 and all the learning of the     
schools1 among both ,jews and ,gentiles1
 let us1 for a moment1 compare the      
simplicity that was in ,christ4 ,born in

 a family which was supported by        
mechanical labor1 brought up in         
laborious habits1 destitute of wealth   
and the honors of the schools1 he       
commenced his public labors4 ,to assist 
him in the ministry of his doctrine1 a  
few fishermen1 and others of useful     
occupation1 were chosen4 ,the doctrine  
which ,jesus taught was as simple and   
easy to understand as the common affairs
 of life4 ,his sermon on the mount1     
containing the sublimest beatitudes1 and
 all the duties of life1 requires but   
ordinary talents to understand4 ,his    
manner of teaching by the use of        
parables communicated truth in the most 
simple manner4 ,when he justified his   
favor to publicans and sinners1 of which
 he was accused by the ,pharisees and   
,scribes1 how simple was his method6    
',what man of you1 having an hundred    
sheep1 if he lose one of them1 doth not 
leave the ninety and nine in the        
wilderness1 and go after that which is  
lost1 until he find it8 and when he hath

 found it he layeth it on his shoulder1 
rejoicing4 ,and when he cometh home1 he 
calleth together his friends and        
neighbors1 saying unto them1 ,rejoice   
with me2 for ,i have found my sheep     
which was lost4' ,and how sublimely     
simple1 if ,i may so say1 was his       
application of his parable6 ',i say unto
 you1 that likewise joy shall be in     
heaven over one sinner that repenteth1  
more than over ninety and nine just     
persons1 which need no repentance4' ,on 
foot1 see him travel from city to city6 
,fatigued and weary of his journey1 see 
him resting himself by ,jacob's well at 
,sichar2 and mark the simplicity of his 
conversation with the woman of ,samaria6
 ,to set his disciples an example of    
humility1 behold him who gave sight to  
the blind1 hearing to the deaf1 healing 
to the sick1 soundness to the maimed1   
and life to the dead1 gird himself with 
a towel1 and wash their feet6  ,how     
poorly has the simplicity which is in   
,christ been maintained by the          

,christian church6 ,read its history1 in
 which we learn its conformity to such  
worldly institutions and customs as are 
pleasing to human ambition1 and all the 
vain pride and corruption which         
characterized pagan idolatry4 ,that     
subtilty with which the serpent beguiled
 ,eve is constantly at work1 persuading 
us to seek to render religion popular in
 the eyes of the world4 ,that spiritual 
wickedness may be maintained in high    
places1 high places must be established 
and supported4 ,so deeply is the love of
 popular esteem rooted in the heart1    
that it is to be feared many are        
inclined to concede to opinions and     
customs inconsistent with their better  
judgment1 for the sake of that shining  
phantom4  ,we remember an incident which
 occurred to ,mr4 ,ballou in ,january of
 #ahdh1 which he related to us at the   
time4 ,he had occasion to enter an      
omnibus to proceed from one extreme of  
the city to another1 when1 having       
scarcely become seated1 an elderly      

woman1 who was occupying a seat         
immediately opposite1 said to him1--,mr4
 ,ballou1 do you not constantly preach  
to your congregation1 ',o ye generation 
of vipers6 how can ye escape the        
damnation of hell8' ,mr4 ,ballou turned 
his keen1 piercing eye upon her1 and    
seeing that some bigoted and fanatical  
individual had recognized him1 and      
desired to commence an argument1        
replied1--,no1 madam2 that class do not 
attend my church6 ,the woman had not    
anticipated so decided an answer1 and1  
shading her eyes with her hands1        
contemplated the floor of the coach the 
remainder of the passage4  ,so little   
self-pride had ,mr4 ,ballou1 and so     
little comparatively did he think or    
care about having any biographical      
sketch appear of him after his death1   
that it was with the utmost difficulty  
that we persuaded him to attempt a      
manuscript of even a few pages1 that a  
more authentic record might be preserved
 for the aid of the subject when it     

should be taken in hand4 ,but all that  
we were able to procure from him the    
reader will find duly credited in these 
pages4 ,mr4 ,ballou had an ambition1    
however1 that his written works should  
be preserved after him2 for in them he  
had labored for the good of mankind1 and
 he hoped those labors might not prove  
unavailable4 ,his wish was highly       
gratified1 in this respect1 during his  
life1 by the very wide circulation they 
attained1 and the numerous editions of  
them which were published1 showing that 
they were largely read and valued by the
 ,christian world4  ,having partially   
yielded to our reiterated solicitations 
for some few pages of manuscript1 if    
only relating to the simplest affairs1  
he sat down1 and commenced a sheet of   
paper in the same humorous vein in which
 he was always sure to treat the idea of
 writing of himself4 ,this commencement 
was as follows3  ,i have never learned  
that there were1 before my birth1 any   
prophecies delivered by any one1 or that

 any one had dreamed anything concerning
 myself4 ,if there happened1 at the time
 of my birth1 an earthquake1 or the     
appearance of a comet1 or any other     
phenomenon of nature which indicated    
anything relative to me1 or signified   
what manner of person ,i should become1 
in what employment my life should be    
spent1 whether ,i should become useful  
to society or a nuisance1 the fact has  
never come to my knowledge4  ,the life  
of ,mr4 ,ballou is so intimately woven  
with the annals of ,universalism that   
the account of the one must be an almost
 complete life of the other4 ,he nursed 
the first dawn of belief in impartial   
and free grace to all mankind1 and lived
 to see the blessed doctrine grow and   
spread over the land1 like the day1 from
 its breaking to the meridian4 ,he was  
the pioneer1 the leader1 the propagator1
 of ,universalism4  ,during ,april1     
#ahdh1 he visited and preached in       
,philadelphia1 ,new ,york1 c41 and on   
his return expressed himself as he      

always did of the brethren in those     
cities1 and that he had been made most  
happy in his communion with them4       
,about this period1 an infatuated       
preacher of future punishment1 somewhere
 in the northern part of ,new ,york     
,state1 while in a high state of        
excitement1 declared to his audience    
that ,universalists and ,infidels always
 renounced their belief before they     
died1 and absolutely instanced old      
,hosea ,ballou1 as he termed him1 who   
had lately died1 penitent and fully     
repentant for his evil life1 entirely   
refuting all his former belief1 and     
praying to be saved from the wrath to   
come4 ,equally ridiculous allusions were
 made to his wife1 who was said to have 
showed more consistency1 and to have    
died stubbornly adhering to her old     
principles4 ,this ridiculous assertion  
was reported in a paper published in the
 vicinity1 and a copy marked and sent to
 ,mr4 ,ballou4  ,we asked him if he had 
not better address a brief letter to the

 editor1 just to confound the propagator
 of the falsehood4 ,no1 said he2 ,i have
 learned1 by experience1 that libels1 if
 neglected1 are forgotten2 if resented1 
they too frequently pass for merited    
satire4  ,in the month of ,june1 #ahdi1 
,mr4 ,ballou visited ,troy1 ,n4 ,y41 for
 a few weeks1 and preached there and in 
the neighborhood1 with his accustomed   
vigor and mental power4 ,his clear1     
musical tones of voice were as perfectly
 modulated as ever1 and his mental and  
physical vigor was the occasion of      
remark by all who listened to him4  ,one
 of ,mr4 ,ballou's latest impromptu     
efforts at versification was elicited by
 a request for his autograph1 by a young
 lady1 who presented her album for this 
purpose1 and in which he wrote the      
following lines3                ,,the   
,,maid ,i ,,prize4      ,the maid ,i    
prize may not be one       ,whose beauty
 dazzles vulgar eyes2     ,those glowing
 folds 't were wise to shun1            
,where death in hidden poison lies4     

,the maid ,i prize may not rely         
,on costly robes my heart to win2       
,the rose's blush1 the lily's dye1      
,can ne'er commend a breast of sin4     
,the maid ,i prize has tears for grief1 
,and soft compassion for the poor2      
',tis her delight to grant relief2      
,where want resides she knows the door4 
,the maid ,i prize hath chosen that part
       ,the golden ,indies cannot buy2  
,and garnered in a pious heart       ,a 
treasure far above the sky4  ,as late as
 ,december1 #ahea1 and ,january1 #aheb1 
,mr4 ,ballou passed five weeks in the   
city of ,new ,york1 preaching to the    
societies there frequently three times  
of a ,sabbath1 and at conference        
meetings during other days of the week4 
,he was often called upon for lengthy   
remarks1 which he most cheerfully and   
heartily gave4 ,he was never so happy1  
never so well1 as when engaged about his
 ,master's business2 and though1 at this
 age1--eighty-one1--his form was a      
little bent1 and his step less firm than

 of yore1 yet in the pulpit he stood as 
erect as at fifty4 ,his whole soul      
seemed to dilate1 and his firmness of   
voice and body to be like iron2 so much 
so1 indeed1 that it was usual to hear   
remarks to this effect1 from all        
quarters1 wherever he appeared4  ,during
 this his last visit to ,new ,york1 he  
wrote to us as follows3       ,,maturin3
 ,a kind ,providence brought me safely  
hither in due course1      and ,i have  
already made several appointments and   
promises relative      to my services   
while ,i tarry here4 ,as in years gone  
by1 ,i find the      same cordial       
hospitality here1 and brotherly love    
extended towards      me still4 ,i need 
hardly say how grateful this is to my   
feelings4 ,we      grow1 perhaps1 more  
sensitive1 as we advance in age1 as to  
these      little kindnesses and        
attentions1 that unitedly go to make up 
the      quiet peace and happiness of   
private life4       ,our ,heavenly      
,father has smiled upon the sacred cause

 in this      place1 and the churches   
flourish here exceedingly4 ,even now ,i 
am      about to proceed to ,new        
,jersey1 to dedicate a new temple1      
raised to      the service of the living
 ,god4 ,to me1 the increase of the      
denomination with which ,i have so long 
been identified is a source      of     
peculiar satisfaction4 ,my bodily health
 is fully as good as when      ,i left  
,boston2 and1 by the blessing of ,divine
 ,goodness1 ,i trust      again to be at
 home in a brief period1 to enjoy the   
society of      those near and dear to  
me4 ,please tell your mother to duly    
regard      her health1 and remember me 
kindly to all the family4               
,affectionately1      ,,hosea ,,ballou4 
,after the singing of another anthem1   
says the correspondent of the ,trumpet1 
in a letter from ,newark relative to the
 dedication referred to1 came the       
sermon1 by our venerable and beloved    
,father ,ballou1 from the fitting words 
recorded in #a ,chron4 #af3 #bi4 ,the   

audience was not large1 but respectable 
in number2 and from the first moments   
when the gray-haired speaker stood up   
before the people till he sat down      
again1 the most marked and almost       
breathless attention was given4 ,the    
speaker believed that 'the name of the  
,lord' expressed all the attributes of  
,his adorable character4 ,he proceeded  
to notice some of those attributes1 with
 wonderful power and simplicity1        
enforcing the truth that goodness must  
be coextensive with wisdom in the       
,divine character4 ,he illustrated the  
workings of the law of love1 as opposed 
to the law of fear1 by the examples of  
the grateful offerings of our people to 
the beloved ,washington and ,lafayette4 
,the people honored them1 not because a 
terrible penalty was threatened should  
they refuse to yield the tribute1 but   
because they loved them4 ,worship1 true 
worship1 cannot be bought2 it must be   
free4 ,it can be offered only to a ,god 
infinite in goodness and mercy4 ,father 

,ballou affectionately exhorted the     
people to give unto the ,lord1 in the   
neat temple they had reared1 the glory  
so justly due for all his revelations of
 good will to the children of men4 ,as  
children1 filled with gratitude1 should 
they come into his courts4 ,a severe1   
yet kind-spirited rebuke1 was           
administered to those who go to church  
simply to display fine apparel1 or      
because it is fashionable4 ,in doing our
 duty1 we are happy1 we offer unto the  
,lord2 while they who serve fashion and 
popularity have just their reward1 and  
no more4  ,i have never listened to this
 aged servant of ,god with greater      
delight and profit than on that         
occasion4 ,it hardly seemed possible    
that so clear1 and forcible1 and        
eloquent a production1 could come from  
the mouth of one who has borne the brunt
 of eighty-one years4  ,at the age of   
four score1 ,mr4 ,ballou preached before
 the ,new ,york ,convention of          
,universalists1 at ,boston1 in          

,september1 #ahea4 ,concerning this     
occasion1 ,rev4 ,a4 ,c4 ,thomas1 in the 
autobiography before quoted from1 says3 
,he 7,mr4 ,ballou7 is an exception to   
the 'labor and sorrow' affirmed of those
 who1 by reason of strength1 attain that
 period of life4 ,he was1 indeed1 feeble
 in body2 but 'his eye was not dim1 nor 
his natural force abated4' ,he saw as   
clearly as ever into the 'root of the   
matter1' and largely exemplified his    
peculiar force of argumentation4 ,was   
there ever a clearer or more forcible   
illustration than the one he presented  
regarding a mother and her              
child8--',your child has fallen into the
 mire1 and its body and its garments are
 defiled4 ,you cleanse it1 and array it 
in clean robes4 ,the query is1 ,do you  
love your child because you have washed 
it1 or did you wash it because you loved
 it8'  ,mr4 ,ballou's contributions to  
the press largely increased during the  
latter years of his life1 and the       
articles he wrote1 at various times1    

during this period1 will bear the most  
critical examination1 as it regards the 
soundness of their doctrinal points1 the
 excellence and purity of their style1  
and the ,christian spirit they          
invariably show forth in every line4    
,these contributions to the press have  
appeared mainly in the ,trumpet and     
,universalist ,magazine1 the            
,universalist ,quarterly1 and the       
,christian ,freeman4  ,in #ahea1 at the 
solicitation of ,rev4 ,mr4 ,usher1 book 
publisher1 ,mr4 ,ballou edited a        
collection of his sermons1 and wrote    
some original articles1 which were      
published under the title of ,a ,voice  
to ,universalists4 ,this book also      
contained a collection of ,mr4 ,ballou's
 fugitive verses1 published many years  
since1 and written for the poet's corner
 of his paper4 ,we can1 perhaps1 give no
 better review or reference to this     
book1 than by copying ,rev4 ,thomas     
,whittemore's published review of it1   
which we subjoin4  ,the ',general       

,epistle to ,universalists' is itself   
worth the price of the book4 ,tell us   
not that this might have been published 
in tract1 or any cheap form4 ,it would  
never have served its mission thus to be
 read and thrown away4 ,it should have  
been where it is1 in a large1 splendid  
book1 to grace our centre-tables1 and to
 be taken thence and read as often as   
once a month4  ,the same remarks may be 
made in relation to the ',advice to     
,young ,men who design to enter the     
,ministry4'  ,the ',short ,essay on     
,universalism1' ',the ,doctrine of      
,universal ,salvation shown to be       
included in the ,divine ,commands1' and 
',the ,utility of ,evil1' are likewise  
valuable mementos of their author2 and  
so are the two ,convention ,sermons4    
,and then1 in respect to the metrical   
compositions1 we could not spare them   
from this book4 ,true1 the author1 as he
 modestly says in a note to the reader1 
makes no pretensions to being a poet2   
yet his poetry is to us exceedingly     

precious4 ,it is in this we discover    
more clearly the moral likeness of the  
man4 ,in the frontispiece we have a     
satisfactory likeness of the outer man2 
and how should we consent to tear from  
the book this no less accurate likeness 
of the soul8 ,in these hymns we see the 
author in his characteristic meekness of
 spirit1 self-abasement1 pure and ardent
 devotion1 and all-sustaining faith in  
the wise and perfect government of ,god4
 ,here1 too1 in these hymns and poems1  
are specimens of the author's clearness 
and precision of intellectual           
discernment1 and his argumentative      
acumen4 ,the work shall go down to      
posterity as a memento of ,father       
,ballou4  ,the article in this book     
entitled the ,utility of ,evil is one of
 great power and force4 ,mr4 ,ballou's  
theory is1 that what we call evil does  
not exist without the wise permission   
and appointment of the infinitely good  
and gracious ,god4 ,in the article on   
this subject he says3  ,reader1 do not  

be offended at the title of this short  
article1 and call it impious4 ,will you 
say you never before heard that evil is 
useful8 ,will you say the suggestion is 
wicked1 and could be made by no other   
than one who is wicked8 ,well1 suppose  
all which you imagine be true1 may it   
not be well to be calm1 and deliberately
 consider that1 though you have never   
before heard of this thing1 it may1     
notwithstanding1 be a divine truth8 ,if 
you will be candid1 and bring your mind 
into a suitable condition to be reasoned
 with1 we will call you to the          
consideration of questions which1 if    
properly answered1 will lead us into the
 true light of our subject4 #ast4 ,is   
evil self-existent8 ,if no one will     
allow this1 there is no need of argument
 to disprove it4 ,it follows1 of course1
 that evil had a cause which produced   
it2 this is self-evident4 #b;d4 ,is it  
not equally self-evident that the cause 
which produced evil is good8 ,if we say 
that the cause which produced evil was  

evil1 we thereby say that evil existed  
before it existed6 ,when these several  
points are understood1 we are prepared  
to state the following axioms3  #ast4   
,that which had no beginning had no     
cause to produce it4 #b;d4 ,if we should
 say that good had an origin or a cause1
 ,we should be compelled to say that    
that cause was evil6 #c;d4 ,if we allow 
that evil had an origin or cause1 we    
must allow that the origin of evil is   
good4 pp4 #aae1 #aaf4  ,from the        
commencement of #aheb until within a    
week of his death1 we find him          
constantly active1 with the weight of   
fourscore years and more2 yet he never  
for a moment faltered in his mission4   
,during the last year of his life he    
preached in seven different states1 and 
in about forty different places4 ,his   
pen was still as busy as ever4 ,one     
,sunday found him in ,maine1 the next in
 ,new ,hampshire1 the third in ,vermont2
 now he is in ,new ,york1 ,new ,jersey1 
or ,rhode ,island1 preaching the word   

with unabated zeal and surprising effect
 in all directions4 ,the copy of the    
,trumpet that announces his death       
contains two articles from his pen1     
commending to the order two lately      
published biographies1 showing forth as 
illustrations of what a true and noble  
aim will empower the soul to do amid the
 humblest circumstances1 one of the     
strongest illustrations of which is his 
own life4 ,his last paragraph reads     
thus3 ,we need not look forward to the  
good time1 for it is now come1 when     
ministers are esteemed for their        
knowledge of divine truth1 and their    
ardent love for the same1 together with 
their faithfulness in dispensing it to  
the people1 and their living and walking
 in the precepts of ,jesus4 ,at the time
 of his death he had two appointments   
already arranged1 one in ,massachusetts 
and one in ,new ,hampshire1 besides     
several under consideration4  ,verily1  
he was at his post to the last1 says    
,rev4 ,t4 ,b4 ,thayer1 in his eulogy    

upon ,mr4 ,ballou2 and when the         
messenger came1 he was ready4 ,he fell  
in the full armor of ,god1 with the     
helmet of salvation on his head1 his    
spotless heart covered with the         
breastplate of righteousness1 his feet  
shod with the preparation of the gospel 
of peace4 ,in one hand he held the      
shield of faith1 and in the other the   
sword of the spirit1 which is the word  
of ,god1--the sword which he had for    
sixty years wielded with such success in
 his multiplied battles with error and  
sin1 and by which at last he was1       
through ,jesus ,christ1 made conqueror1 
and more than conqueror1 over death and 
the grave4 ,verily1 the old man died1 as
 he had lived1 faithful1 courageous1    
serene1 victorious1 to the last4  ,it   
was in these ripened days of his        
experience that his counsel was eagerly 
sought by all1 laity and clergy1 in     
private and in public4 ,his activity and
 anxiety to be about his ,master's      
business carried him constantly into the

 midst of all important denominational  
assemblies2 and here he was ever        
received1 both his presence and his     
counsel1 with profound respect4 ,if     
there was contention1 misunderstanding1 
or difficulty of any sort1 all eyes were
 turned upon him who sat so quietly and 
thoughtfully in their midst2 he was     
their peace-maker1 his calm voice       
stilled the tempest1 his finger pointed 
the way towards the right4 ,as ,mr4     
,thayer says in the eulogy just quoted  
from3  ,it will be a long time before we
 shall get accustomed1 in our           
associations and conventions1 to the    
absence of that venerable form1 those   
gray hairs1 and that voice of wisdom1   
and gentleness1 and love1 which came    
like oil on the troubled waters of      
debate1 and drew out the entangled      
threads of thought1 and by quaint       
queries1 by questions which answered    
themselves1 questions plainer than most 
men's answers1 penetrated to the heart  
of every subject1 and showed us1 as by a

 flash of light1 the exact point where  
the truth lay4 ,we shall often desire in
 our councils his presence1 his clear   
thought1 his persuasive language1 his   
gentleness of manner1 and his conclusive
 logic4  ,mr4 ,ballou had a most        
remarkable faculty of seeing through any
 abstruse question or subject that came 
up for discussion before any body with  
which he was sitting in fellowship1 and 
could at once seem to set all right in  
their midst1 by a few shrewdly-uttered  
words4 ,another brother has said of him 
in this respect3  ,it was wonderful how 
he would put the needle in amid the     
tangled skein of reasonings1 in a       
debate1 and untie the knot just where   
the whole might be wound off without any
 difficulty2 and how he would hold to   
the essential point in an important     
discussion1 and dissipate every         
obscuration that threatened to darken   
and eclipse it1 was astonishing1 and    
showed where his power as a master      
reasoner lay4 ,such was the man4  ,we   

must now turn from these desultory      
remarks and references1 to describe the 
end of his earthly mission4             
,,chapter ,,xv4  ,,end ,,of ,,his       
,,earthly ,,mission4   ,how shall we    
speak of the close of that life which we
 have so feebly succeeded in            
portraying1--how depict the sunset of   
his soul upon earth1--how describe the  
unfeigned and unbounded sympathy and    
mourning of a whole denomination1--how  
refer to the appropriate ceremonies--the
 funeral obsequies--that were so        
beautifully and tenderly performed by   
the society over whom he had so long    
held such heart-sway1 and whom he loved 
better than all else on earth1 save his 
family8 ,how shall our feeble pen       
portray these striking and long to be   
remembered scenes8 ,throughout this     
entire subject we have written          
tremblingly1 and with a full realizing  
sense of the magnitude of the theme1 and
 the humble ability of our pen4 ,but    
here we feel our hand indeed too feeble1

 our sensibilities too acute1 and shall 
call to our aid stronger minds and abler
 pens4  ,in no more appropriate place   
than here can we refer to his parting   
with the loved companion of his bosom4  
,his wife had been confined to her      
chamber for some weeks1 by severe       
indisposition1 just previous to his own 
last illness1 nor was she able to leave 
it until some time after the last       
obsequies in honor to his memory4 ,on   
the morning that ,mr4 ,ballou was taken 
ill1 he came to her from his own        
dressing-room1 kissed her tenderly1 and 
bade her adieu1 with all the gentle and 
affectionate solicitude with which a    
young husband might have left his bride2
 and1 passing down stairs to the parlor1
 was preparing to depart for the scene  
of the convention at ,plymouth1 when he 
was suddenly taken in a fainting fit4 ,a
 couch was immediately removed to the   
room where he was taken so suddenly ill1
 and he was not removed from it until he
 fell quietly asleep in death4 ,little  

did the fond wife and companion of his  
bosom think1 when he bade her thus      
farewell1 that it was for the last      
time2--that it was the last time she    
should ever behold1 on this earth1 that 
countenance that had never been turned  
upon her save in love and               
tenderness1--that noble brow that had   
been her pride and glory in its sublime 
truthfulness and purity of              
expression1--those eloquent lips that   
had been such a well-spring of heavenly 
truths6 ,but such it was4 ,herself too  
ill to be removed from her chamber1 she 
never saw him afterwards2 and she still 
cherishes his memory as associated with 
that fond and endearing look that       
accompanied his last kiss and farewell6 
,in relation to the manner in which he  
had prepared the mind of his wife for   
the event which he seemed so clearly to 
foresee1 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,miner1 in his      
farewell sermon1 said3--  ,he had often 
exhorted his companion to hold herself  
in readiness for his departure1         

forewarning her that every separation   
from her might be the last4 ,but a few  
days previous to his death1 he had      
renewedly impressed this upon her mind4 
,what a sublime spectacle was this6 ,at 
more than fourscore years of age1       
braving the rigors of mid-winter and the
 extreme heat of summer1 and regardless 
of the dangers that attend the rapid    
conveyances of our time1 this veteran   
preacher 'takes his life in his hand1'  
and goes forth continually to promulgate
 the everlasting gospel6  ,we must not  
omit to give the reader a brief article 
which ,mr4 ,ballou left among his       
papers1 relating to the close of his    
earthly career4 ,it was folded in with  
his accounts1 will1 and other important 
papers1 and was written in his usual    
legible hand4 ,it was in the spirit of a
 preface to the will which followed1 and
 in which every matter had been plainly 
arranged1 with that regard for          
impartiality1 strict justice and        
completeness1 that was in accordance    

with his nature1 and all that he did or 
said in relation to any subject in which
 he engaged4       ,in view of that     
solemn event1 which must unavoidably    
take place1      which will end my      
mortal days and close my labors on      
earth1 ,i make      this serious and    
important declaration3 ,i humbly and    
earnestly pray      that the ,father of 
the spirits of all flesh may1 in that   
mercy      which he has revealed in our 
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 forgive all that  
in      my whole life he sees amiss in  
me4 ,this prayer is offered in that     
faith for which ,i adore him who hath   
given it to me4       ,i heartily regret
 that ,i have not been a better husband1
 a better      father1 and especially a 
better and more useful minister of the  
gospel of divine grace4 ,for my faults  
in these particulars ,i ask      the    
forgiveness of the kind and faithful    
wife of my bosom1 of my                 
dearly-beloved and dutiful children1 and
 of the discerner of my      heart and  

thoughts1 to whom ,i offer devout and   
unfeigned gratitude1      that1 by his  
favor1 ,i have been enabled to do as    
well as ,i have in      the relation of 
a husband1 and father1 and minister of  
the gospel      of ,christ4 ,i sincerely
 return thanks to all my brethren in the
      common faith1 for all their       
kindness to me4 ,i sincerely thank the  
great fraternity of ,christians1 united 
with me in the precious      faith in   
which we believe1 and especially the    
church and society      with whom1 for  
more than thirty years1 ,i have lived in
 love1 and      with whom ,i have       
labored in word and doctrine1 for all   
their      numerous favors4       ,hosea
 ,ballou4         99       99       99  
99       99       ,a great man has      
fallen1 says the editor of the ,trumpet4
 ,there      have been but few such men 
as ,father ,ballou4 ,we can truly say   
that      those who knew him best loved 
him most4 ,those who had heard him      
preach the oftenest1 and who had read   

the most thoroughly what he      had    
written1 felt more than others the power
 of his mind1 and were      more deeply 
convinced than others that he was       
intellectually1 as      well as         
religiously and morally1 a great man4   
,his life was      protracted beyond    
fourscore years2 he enjoyed a very large
 share of      health and strength      
through that whole time4 ,he was never  
idle2 he      worked1 up to the last    
week of his life1 in the harvest-field1 
and      actually died with the sickle  
in his hand4 ,he was taken sick at his  
own house2 and1 after six days of       
comparatively light suffering1 he       
gently fell asleep in death1 quietly as 
an infant falls into      slumber1 and  
at the moment when he seemed to be      
putting his body in      the posture for
 the coffin4       ,it is in vain for us
 to attempt to give1 in this brief      
sketch1 an      account of the travels  
of ,father ,ballou2 the small but       
interesting      and instructive        

incidents of his life1--his sermons1 his
      controversies1 the different books
 he wrote1 the judgment of              
impartial men concerning him1--all these
 things must be left to be              
described at a time and under           
circumstances when full justice can     
be done to the illustrious man4 ,his    
character1 too1 must be drawn4      ,for
 ourself1 we say1 most unreservedly1 we 
never knew a better man4      ,we say   
this1 after having lived in his family  
under his immediate      tuition1 and   
since that time spent more than thirty  
years side by      side with him1 'in   
journeyings often1' in mutual           
consultations1 and      in very frequent
 interviews4 ,if we ever saw a person   
equally      amiable1 kind1 upright1    
gentle and true1 it is the aged widow   
who      survives him4 ,if he was more  
than a father to us1 she was more       
than a mother4 ,she can never be honored
 too much for her goodness4      ,to her
 must be attributed much of the ease and

 quietness he enjoyed      in life1 and 
without which he could not have         
accomplished the full      measure of   
the good for which he is now beloved and
 reverenced4 ,so      much for the moral
 qualities of this venerable man and    
woman4 ,there      remain yet to be     
described 7but it cannot be done here7  
the      child-like simplicity of the   
man2 his benevolence2 his blindness to  
the faults of others2 his open eye to   
their virtues2 his strong      sense of 
rectitude2 his remarkable and           
long-continued habits of      justice2  
his wonderful mind1 so clear1 so strong1
 to the last2 his      eagle-eyed       
sagacity2 his strong faith in ,god and  
his word1--a faith      like a mountain 
for its towering height and firmness2   
his devotion      to the truth2 his love
 of the work of the ministry2 his truly 
religious character2 his susceptibility 
to deep devotional feeling2      his    
love of conventions and associations for
 the seasons of public      worship they

 gave him so many opportunities to      
enjoy2 his love of      conference      
meetings2 his power over the people2 his
 closing sermons      at conventions2   
his prayers at the separation1 when all1
 old and      young1 male and female1   
clergy and laity1 would be melted into  
tears2--ah6 who shall attempt to        
describe all these things8       ,for   
myself 7for ,i will throw off the       
editorial style71 ,i      acknowledge   
that ,i feel most deeply the loss of    
this steadfast      friend4 ,i mourn1   
not for him1 but for myself4 ,to me he  
had been a      father4 ,he found me in 
my early manhood1 and drew me out from  
seclusion4 ,he taught my lips to pray4  
,he turned my attention to the          
ministry2 and he sought and obtained the
 means to support me1 when      ,i had  
not a cent with which to help myself4   
,he was in the desk with      me when ,i
 stood up tremblingly 7in the town-house
 in ,roxbury7 to      preach my first   
sermon4 ,he introduced me to the society

 in ,milford1      ,mass41 where ,i had 
my first pastoral charge1 and where ,i  
formed the      tenderest relations of  
human life2 and he was the cause of my  
being      invited1 in the year #ahbb1  
to settle at ,cambridgeport1 where ,i   
ever      since have lived4 ,for six    
years thereafter1 ,i was associated with
      him in conducting the             
',universalist ,magazine2' and from that
 time      to his death he has been a   
constant contributor to the columns of  
the ',trumpet1' refusing for the last   
ten years all pecuniary                 
compensation1 although repeatedly       
pressed upon him4 ,he has been the      
earnest1 steadfast friend of my wife and
 children2 my earthly guide      and    
counsellor1 who has reproved me1 but not
 too often2 my teacher      to the end  
of his life2 a man of whom ,i have      
learned more      concerning ,god and   
the divine word1 and the relation       
between ,god      and man1 than ,i have 
learned from any other human source4    

,how can      the event of such a man's 
death transpire1 without exciting in me 
extraordinary sensations8 ,and yet ,i am
 not inconsolable4 ,when ,i      reflect
 upon what he was1 upon the length of   
his life1 upon the      great measure of
 good he accomplished1 upon the fact    
that he was      permitted 7although so 
much away7 to die at home1 surrounded by
      his most exemplary and loving     
children1 after a very brief            
sickness1 and to die so gently1 almost  
in the act of binding      sheaves in   
the harvest-field1--,i cease to mourn4  
,i thank ,god for      what he was2 and 
if ,i could call him back to earth1 ,i  
should not      dare to do so4 ,i thank 
,god that ,i saw him within an hour of  
his      death1 and that he knew me1 and
 extended his hand1 and that ,i was     
permitted to take it and kiss it4 ,and  
now1 although there never      will be1 
for there never can be1 another man to  
me like ,father      ,ballou1 ,i will be
 reconciled4 ,and ,i will close this    

brief sketch      with the words of     
,job1--',the ,lord gave1 and the ,lord  
hath taken      away2 blessed be the    
name of the ,lord4'  ,passing over the  
feelings of sorrow1 yet of calm         
resignation1 that exercised the aged    
widow and mother1 and the large circle  
of devoted and loving children1 who have
 so fully realized the solemn character 
of this bereavement1 we wish to give    
here the series of resolutions presented
 to the mourning family by the second   
,universalist society1 over which ,mr4  
,ballou had presided for a period of so 
many years4 ,they were communicated to  
the family in the same delicate and     
feeling manner in which all else        
relating to the melancholy event had    
been performed by those engaged in it4  
,they are as follows3       ,whereas it 
has pleased ,almighty ,god to call to   
himself our      venerable father in    
,israel1 ,rev4 ,hosea ,ballou1 the      
senior pastor of      this society1 who 
departed this life on the #gth day of   

,june1 #aheb1      aged #ha years2 and  
whereas1 in recurring to the events of  
his long      and memorable life1 we    
bring to mind the time when he first    
appeared as the fearless advocate of    
what he then and ever      afterwards   
felt to be ,god's truth as revealed in  
the ,holy      ,scriptures2 the moral   
courage with which he sustained that    
truth      amid all the assaults of     
learning1 bigotry and tradition1        
continuing faithful to the last in the  
path that was revealed to      him as   
the path of duty2 therefore1            
,resolved1 ,that the present prosperous 
aspect of the ,universalist             
denomination1 and the gradual infusion  
of its principles into those      of    
other ,christian denominations1 are     
monuments of honor to its      pioneers1
 of whom ,hosea ,ballou was one of the  
chief4       ,resolved1 ,that the       
denomination of ,universalists have     
therefore      lost1 in this            
dispensation of ,divine ,providence1 a  

champion whose      latter days they    
have delighted to honor2 a practical    
example of      the working of the faith
 once delivered to the saints2 and one  
who      has most ably worn the         
breastplate of righteousness and borne  
the      shield of faith1 and who has   
gone down to the grave 'full of years   
and full of honors4'       ,resolved1   
,that as sole pastor of this society    
during a period of      about           
twenty-seven years1 and as senior pastor
 for about eight      years1 his career 
has been uniformly marked by a wisdom   
and      kindness1 in all his           
intercourse with its members1 both      
individually and collectively1 which    
prevented even the approach of      any 
discord between them2 and by a large and
 broad charity1 which      made all     
mankind his brothers1 and children of   
the same paternal      ,god4            
,resolved1 ,that in the death of this   
venerable ,christian1 whom we      have 
so long looked up to as a pastor1 yea1  

even as a father1 this      society     
especially has met with a heavy loss2   
and while we feel      deeply the weight
 of this afflicting bereavement1 yet we 
would      gratefully acknowledge the   
kindness of an all-wise ,providence in  
having spared his life and continued his
 usefulness in so signal      and       
uninterrupted a manner1 during the      
protracted period of his      connection
 with us4       ,resolved1 ,that in the 
simplicity of his daily life1 which was 
most truly a life without guile1 we see 
a proof of his devotion to              
principle worthy of all honor2 and in   
his inflexible integrity he      has    
left an eloquent lesson1 which all1     
young and old1 may read      with       
profit4       ,resolved1 ,that we       
sympathize most sincerely with the      
afflicted      widow1 children and other
 relatives1 of our deceased pastor1 in  
their bereavement2 that we feel the     
poverty of language to      administer  
consolation1 and can only point them to 

the sublime      truths of gospel grace 
which their departed relative spent his 
life      in teaching2 that we fervently
 commend them to ,him who 'tempers the  
wind to the shorn lamb2' and1 while we  
can hardly expect to assuage      their 
grief with the wound yet so fresh1 we   
would bid them sorrow      not as those 
without hope1 but remember how many a   
weary soul has      found rest from the 
teachings of him they now mourn1 and    
direct      them to the glorious faith  
that he is 'not lost1 but gone before4' 
,voted1 ,that the foregoing resolutions 
be signed by the ,moderator      and    
,clerk1 and published in the ',trumpet' 
and ',freeman1' and that a      copy of 
the same be forwarded to the family of  
our deceased pastor4      ,g4 ,w4 ,gage1
 ,moderator4     ,newton ,talbot1       
,clerk4  ,it still remains for us to    
describe the funeral ceremonies2 and    
here again we copy from others4 ,the    
description is as it appeared in the    
,trumpet4  ,the funeral of this         

venerable man1 and faithful old         
,christian teacher1 took place on       
,wednesday1 ,june #ith4 ,prayer was     
first offered at the house1 in the      
hearing of the widow1 who had not left  
her chamber1 and scarcely her bed1 for  
some thirty days4 ,this part of the     
services was strictly private4 ,the     
corpse was then taken to the church1    
with the members of the family in       
carriages4  ,the church had been very   
appropriately put in mourning for the   
occasion4 ,the large portrait in the    
vestry was shrouded in crape1 showing   
nothing but the figure of the aged      
preacher1 as he stood in the pulpit4 ,in
 the great chapel1 the pulpit1 and the  
recess back of it1 were dressed in      
drapery of black crape4 ,the entire     
front of the gallery1 all around the    
house1 was festooned with black4 ,the   
organ1 also1 was appropriately dressed  
in mourning1 in good keeping with the   
other arrangements4  ,the house was     
thrown open for the public at two       

o'clock1 at which time large crowds were
 waiting at the doors2 and for a full   
half-hour before the services were      
commenced1 every seat and foothold upon 
the floor1 aisles1 window-sills and     
recesses1 excepting reserved pews1 were 
occupied4 ,at three o'clock the corpse  
arrived4 ,the clergy1 numbering         
somewhere between sixty and a hundred1  
proceeded from the vestry to the pews   
assigned them4 ,the members of the      
,second ,universalist ,society also had 
their appropriate places4 ,the corpse   
was borne to the position in front of   
the pulpit1 the bearers proceeding in   
the following order3       ,rev4 ,dan'l 
,sharp1 ,d4 ,d41     ,,the ,,body4      
,rev4 ,edward ,turner1     ,rev4 ,s4    
,barrett1 ,d4 ,d41                      
,rev4 ,s4 ,streeter1     ,rev4 ,s4      
,cobb1                                  
,rev4 ,t4 ,whittemore1     ,rev4 ,l4 ,r4
 ,paige1                                
,rev4 ,josiah ,gilman4  ,during the     
entrance1 the organ gave forth a        

mournful prelude4 ,the sight was a most 
affecting one1--so vast a multitude with
 such an expression of sorrow upon their
 countenances4  #a4 ,the services were  
introduced by a funeral chant1 after    
which  #b4 ,scriptures were read by     
,rev4 ,o4 ,a4 ,skinner4  #c4 ,the       
following hymn was sung1 many of the    
congregation joining their voices to    
that of the choir4                      
,,hymn4      ,on ,zion's holy walls     
,is quenched a beacon-light2     ,in    
vain the watchman calls1       ',sentry6
 what of the night8'     ,no answering  
voice is here2       ,say1--does the    
soldier sleep8     ,o1 yes1--upon the   
bier1       ,his watch no more to keep4 
,still is that heaven-touched tongue1   
,pulseless the throbbing breast2        
,that voice with music strung           
,forever put to rest     ,to rest8 ,a   
living thought1       ,undimmed1        
unquenched1 he soars1     ,an essence1  
spirit wrought1       ,of yon immortal  
shores4      ,peace to thee1 man of     

,god6       ,thine earthly toils are    
o'er2     ,the thorny path is trod1     
,the ,shepherd trod before4     ,full   
well he kept his word1--       ',i'm    
with thee to the end2     ,fear not6 ,i 
am the ,lord1       ,thy never-failing  
friend6'      ,we weave no dirge for    
thee1--       ,it should not call a tear
     ,to know that thou art free2       
,thy home1--it was not here6     ,joy to
 thee1 man of ,god6       ,thy          
heaven-course is begun2     ,unshrinking
 thou hast trod       ,death's          
vale1--thy race is run6  #d4 ,prayer1 by
 ,rev4 ,thomas ,whittemore4  #e4 ,hymn1 
',vital ,spark of ,heavenly ,flame6'    
#f4 ,sermon1 by ,rev4 ,a4 ,a4 ,miner1   
junior pastor1 from #b ,cor4 #e3        
#a1--';,for we know that if our earthly 
house of this tabernacle were dissolved1
 we have a building of ,god1 a house not
 made with hands1 eternal in the        
heavens4'  #g4 ,hymn1 ',unveil thy      
,bosom1 ,faithful ,tomb4'  #h4          
,concluding ,prayer1 by ,rev4 ,sebastian

 ,streeter4  #i4 ,benediction4  ,during 
the singing of the last hymn1 persons   
began to press around the coffin1 to get
 a last view of the departed4 ,notice   
was therefore given1 at the close of the
 service1 that the coffin would be      
placed in the entry1 and all would have 
an opportunity to see1 as they passed   
out2 but1 on account of the great       
number1 each must content himself with a
 brief farewell view4 ,the funeral      
procession was formed in the following  
order3 #ast4 ,bearers1 in carriages4    
#b;d4 ,the body4 #c;d4 ,the committee of
 the society4 #dth4 ,the clergy of the  
,universalist denomination1 amounting to
 nearly a hundred4 #eth4 ,the members of
 the ,second ,universalist ,society4    
#fth4 ,the friends from the neighboring 
towns4 #gth4 ,the mourners1 in          
carriages4  ,this procession extended   
from the head of ,school-street to the  
corner of ,boylston-street1 being nearly
 half a mile4  ,an immense body of      
people had arrived at the ground        

previously to the funeral procession4   
,the corpse was borne to the temporary  
resting-place1 in the burying-ground at 
the foot of the ,common1 where it was   
deposited4 ,the lid of the coffin was   
raised1 and those who desired passed by 
once more1 and then the solemn scene was
 closed4  ,the last ,sabbath that ,mr4  
,ballou preached was on the #cjth of    
,may1 #aheb1--;eight days before his    
death1--at ,woonsocket1 ,r4 ,i4 ,the    
texts were the following3               
,,forenoon4--,ecclesiastes #ab3 #ac1    
#ad4 ',let us hear the conclusion of the
 whole matter3 ,fear ,god1 and keep his 
commandments3 for this is the whole duty
 of man4 ,for ,god shall bring every    
work into judgment1 with every secret   
thing1 whether it be good1 or whether it
 be evil4'  ,,afternoon4--,titus #b3    
#aa1 #ab4 ',for the grace of ,god that  
bringeth salvation hath appeared to all 
men1 teaching us that1 denying          
ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should
 live soberly1 righteously and godly1 in

 this present world4'  ,the fact of ,mr4
 ,ballou's having preached his last     
sermon in ,rev4 ,john ,boyden's desk1 a 
brother who had once been an inmate of  
his family as a student of divinity1 has
 elicited the following letter1 which   
seems particularly appropriate here3    
,,dear ,,sir3--       ,i rejoice most   
sincerely to learn1 as ,i do this day1  
that you are      so soon to give us a  
memoir of ,father ,ballou4 ,and1 if it  
be not      asking too much1 ,i should  
be glad of a little space1 that ,i may  
record my tribute of filial affection4  
,he was to me a father1      indeed2 and
 to him ,i owe more than to any other   
man1--and1 perhaps1      all            
others1--for the little good ,i may have
 accomplished as a      minister of     
,christ4 ,he was my teacher when he knew
 it not4       ,when ,i was about       
fourteen years old1 ,i heard him preach1
 in the      town of ,brookfield2 and ,i
 am sure the impression that sermon made
      will remain to the end of my life4

 ,it was designed to unfold the         
riches of ,christ ,jesus4 ,as the theme 
opened1 the audience became             
intensely interested2 and1 as the       
preacher gathered and arranged      the 
sacred testimony1 to unfold the gracious
 purposes of our      ,heavenly ,father 
as manifested through the ,redeemer1 we 
seemed like      hungry children1       
watching the maternal hands that feed   
them4 ,and      when he laid the        
precious burden before us1 he would     
exclaim1 in      all his wonted         
earnestness1 ',do you see the           
unsearchable riches      of ,christ8'   
,again he would go forth1 gathering     
other fruits of the      divine love1   
and again repeat1 as a part of his text1
 ',do you see      the unsearchable     
riches of ,christ8' ,this was the       
conclusion of each      division of the 
discourse2 and it served not only to    
rivet it in      our minds1 but1 by the 
involuntary mental response which it    
induced1 made us almost co-workers with 

the speaker1 and thus gave      us      
growing interest in the theme4          
,from that hour1 and from the influence 
of that single discourse1 ,i      had a 
strong desire to aid in unfolding the   
'unsearchable riches of      ,christ' to
 my fellow-men4 ,my young heart felt1   
for the first time1      that there was 
a fulness in the provision which our    
,father had made      for us that the   
world had not known2 and it seemed to me
 ,i must1      some time1 preach that   
blessed gospel4 ,not more than three or 
four      years after that time1 ,i     
heard him preach one of his masterly    
sermons1 in ,charlton1 which fired my   
soul anew with a desire to      enter   
the ministry4 ,his text was1 ',for we   
preach not ourselves1 but      ,christ  
,jesus the ,lord1' c4 ,after reading the
 text1 he carefully      folded his     
glasses1 put them in his pocket1 as was 
his custom1 and1      while the audience
 were waiting with breathless attention1
 that      they might secure the first  

word that should fall from his lips1 he 
began thus3--',the text supposes that   
there is such a thing as a      man's   
preaching himself4' ,the audience       
breathed1--a token that      they       
already possessed the key to the sermon4
 ,but it was a      remarkable          
characteristic of his sermons1 that1    
though you might      early anticipate  
the conclusion to which he was coming1  
yet you      could not foresee the      
process by which he was to lead you1    
since      that was peculiarly original4
 ,that sermon strengthened my           
conception of the glory of the gospel as
 we understand it1 and      especially  
when he contrasted with it the fading   
and sickly glory      of all forms of   
partialism4 ,he made us understand how  
easy and      agreeable a duty it was to
 preach ,christ2 because in him there   
was      neither inconsistency1         
partiality nor cruelty4 ,a sermon from  
this      text1 ,i know1 has been       
printed2 but that sermon ,i have never  

seen      on paper1 nor can my poor pen 
describe the heavenly glow of           
feeling expressed by the countenances of
 that assembly4 ,perchance      the     
record is in heaven4       ,on the      
fourteenth day of ,may1 #ahbi1 ,i       
entered his family as a      student2   
and let me here say it was home4 ,there 
were my adopted      father and mother1 
brothers and sisters2 and never were the
      beautiful relations indicated by  
these endearing words in a single       
instance marred4 ,god bless them1 for   
the words of sympathy and               
encouragement that fell upon the ear of 
the timid young man6 ,the               
recollections of my experience in that  
family tell me that no man      knows   
the good he is doing1 if his heart be   
right4 ,there is a world      of power  
in a single word1 when it falls on a    
needy and congenial      soil4          
,during the last week of that month1 and
 when ,i had1 as yet1      written but  
one sermon1 ,father ,ballou engaged with

 ,father ,leonard1      of ,gloucester1 
that ,i should supply his desk the      
following ,sunday4      ,i remonstrated4
 ,i had never spoken in public1 except  
to declaim as      a school-boy2 and it 
seemed to me ,i could not stand up alone
 and      preach all day1 and especially
 so soon after formally commencing my   
studies4 ,but to all this his reply1 in 
substance1 was1 that the      gospel was
 very easy to be understood2 that the   
matter of it was      all furnished to  
my hands2 that ,i was only a steward of 
,god's      grace1 and had only to give 
to the people what was given to me in   
the divine word4 ,well1 ,i told him ,i  
would go1 if he said so2 but he         
would have to bear the responsibility1  
if ,i failed4       ,in the morning1    
before leaving for ,gloucester1 ,i read 
my last      sermon to him2 and then it 
was that he gave me a word of           
commendation1 that was like a generous  
shower upon the parched      ground4    
,and this was followed by the           

well-remembered injunction3             
',brother ,boyden1 ,i have only one word
 to say in reference to your            
labors1 and that is1 be in earnest4     
,don't speak one word without           
making the people understand and feel   
that you believe it with all      your  
heart4' ,this was the only charge he    
ever gave me1 till1 at my               
ordination1 in ,berlin1 ,ct41 in #ahcj1 
he enjoined it upon me to      carry the
 spirit of our holy religion into all my
 labors1 and      especially when ,i    
should go to the chamber of sickness1   
and to the      house of mourning4 ,the 
tremulous words1 as they fell from the  
lips      of the father upon his son1   
stirred the whole audience with         
emotion4 ,they were treasured in many   
hearts1 and often repeated1      both by
 the old and young1 who waited on my    
ministry4       ,for myself1 ,i must say
 they made a lasting impression on my   
mind2      and often1 since that time1  
as ,i have visited the sick and dying1  

has that venerable form preceded me1    
renewing the tender      injunction1    
',come in the spirit of the blessed     
,redeemer4' ,i trust      those words   
were not thrown away4 ,and when1 as will
 happen with      most men1 my wearied  
frame has imparted languor to my speech1
 ,i      have sometimes been aroused by 
the sudden recollection of that         
stirring appeal--',be in earnest4' ,i   
know it has often quickened and         
warmed my zeal2 and when ,i remember    
that it was the motto of his      life  
to the last1 ,i pray that it may be to  
me as a live coal from      the altar4  
,punctuality is another of the sterling 
virtues that cluster      around that   
name1 and his example has been of       
special service to      me4 ,it         
characterized all his labors4 ,i have   
known him much for      twenty-three    
years1 and ,i never knew him to be late 
in fulfilling      any engagement1 and  
he always took time1 so as not to be in 
a      hurry4 ,on the occasion of the   

installation of ,bro4 ,a4 ,bugbee1 of   
,charlton1 some years ago1 he delivered 
the scriptures and gave the      charge4
 ,in the course of his address1 he dwelt
 upon the above-named      virtue with  
no little feeling4 ',bro4 ,bugbee1' said
 he1 'when you      come to church1 come
 in season4 ,don't let the people come  
here      and wait1 and wonder within   
themselves1 saying1 ,where is ,bro4     
,bugbee8 ,is ,bro4 ,bugbee sick8 ,and   
,o1 don't forget to take time1          
before you commence your services1 to   
put up a silent prayer to      ,god1    
that he may aid and assist you in the   
discharge of your sacred      duties4'  
,i know that that occasion was one of   
peculiar joy to many hearts1      and it
 was as the blessing of ,god on my soul4
 ,the religious spirit      within us   
was quickened2 and many a time since1 in
 my humble      efforts to preach the   
gospel1 that 'silent prayer' has brought
      celestial fire from heaven1 and   
imparted new life to my spiritual       

being4 ,doubtless there are many in the 
ministry whose experience      accords  
with my own in these things1 and whose  
usefulness may be in      a good measure
 attributed to the personal influence of
 that great      and good man1 who1     
great as he was1 could not have         
comprehended      the vast results of   
which his unostentatious life was the   
agent4      ,and may we not all be      
encouraged to hope1 that1 if we live    
good      lives1 the harvest will extend
 beyond the ken of the sower8       ,but
 the most interesting fact1 to me1 in   
the life of my spiritual      father1   
is1 that he closed his public services  
in my own pulpit1 in      the presence  
of a delighted congregation1 and1 as ,i 
believe1 of an      approving ,god4 ,his
 last sermons are well remembered1 even 
by      children4 ,he has never preached
 here with greater zeal1 power1      and
 comprehensiveness4 ,we accept his      
services as the blessing of a      dying
 hour1 and our veneration for the man is

 mingled with      gratitude to the     
everlasting ,father1 for so great a gift
 to our      world4      ,fraternally   
yours1     ,j4 ,,boyden1 ,,jr4          
,woonsocket1 ,july #f1 #aheb4  ,the     
following is taken from the report of   
,l4 ,w4 ,ballou1 superintendent of the  
,sabbath-school attached to the         
,woonsocket ,universalist ,society1     
which school the subject of this        
biography visited and spoke before on   
the day referred to4 ,it is especially  
interesting as being connected with his 
last public efforts4  ,on the thirtieth 
of ,may it was our privilege to be      
visited by1 and to receive the last     
public instructions of1 our venerable   
,father ,ballou2 for in one week from   
the time he left us 'the golden bowl was
 broken1' and that voice to which we had
 so recently listened1 and which had    
breathed life and joy into so many      
souls1 was hushed forever4 ,but in his  
works1 in his example1 in the glorious  
doctrines which for more than sixty     

years he labored to establish1 he still 
lives and speaks1 and will live and     
speak for ages to come4 ,long1 ,i trust1
 shall we remember that venerable form1 
that cheerful and benevolent            
countenance1 and the words of           
encouragement and hope with which1 for  
the last time1 he addressed us1         
rejoicing that we were no longer taught 
as in times past1 and as some are even  
now1 that by nature we are children of  
wrath1 and under the curse of ,god2 but 
that ,god is our father1 our benefactor1
 our best friend1--that he cares for and
 is blessing us always4 ,thus did our   
aged father close his public            
ministrations1 in proclaiming the same  
great doctrine which he had spent his   
life to establish1--the unbounded1      
universal1 and unchangeable love of ,god
 to man4  ,let us be as faithful to the 
truth1 and in the performance of our    
duty1 in the sphere in which we move1 as
 he was in his1 and the same rich       
blessings will attend us4  ,the subject 

of this biography entered most heartily 
and sincerely into the spirit of        
,sabbath-schools2 and since their       
general introduction in our societies1  
throughout the order1 he has taken      
peculiar satisfaction in improving every
 suitable occasion for addressing and   
encouraging both teachers and scholars  
in the object which engaged them1       
wherever he was called to preach4 ,in   
his own society he had seen the great   
good to be derived from such an         
institution1 as it regards the rearing  
of the tender mind in the garden of the 
,lord2 and he often mingled             
professionally with children and        
teachers4 ,the able and feeling remarks 
of the superintendent1 ,mr4 ,goddard1 as
 given above1 will show the appreciation
 in which the members of the school had 
been taught to hold their pastor1 and   
the spirit that actuated the hearts of  
the teachers towards him1 under whose   
,christian teachings they had1 most of  
them1 been brought up from childhood4   

,the following verses1 an invaluable    
legacy to ,mr4 ,ballou's family1 and to 
all those who really loved him1 were    
written by him in anticipation of the   
closing hour of his life4 ,the date we  
cannot give1 as the original paper bears
 none2 but1 from accessory              
circumstances1 and remarks which he made
 to his wife1 that he felt he was nearly
 worn out1 and that she must be prepared
 to hear of his decease at any          
hour1--perhaps1 even1 away from         
home1--they may be supposed to express  
his feelings more particularly within a 
very few days of the close of his life4 
,they require no dedication from us4    
,they are priceless1 and beautiful in   
the extreme4  ,the verses are thus      
introduced3--       ,a minister1        
experiencing certain infirmities of body
 which      strongly suggested to him   
that he might be suddenly called away1  
wrote the following                     
,,farewell ,,address4                   
,i4      ,no more thy beams mine eyes   

delight1     ,thou golden sun6 the      
shades of night         ,are o'er my    
vision cast4     ,adieu to thy bright1  
cheering rays1     ,thy morning light1  
thy noon-tide blaze1         ,thy       
settings in the west4                   
,,ii4      ,and thou1 sweet moon1 whose 
silver beam     ,did on my evening      
rambles gleam1         ,i need thy light
 no more2     ,and you who twinkle in   
the skies     ,no more shall set1 no    
more shall rise1         ,to me1 as     
heretofore4                    ,,iii4   
,ye waves of ocean1 fare you well2      
,adieu to mountain1 hill and dell1      
,rich fields and gardens too2     ,your 
flowery robes and fragrance sweet       
,no more my peaceful walks shall greet2 
,i bid ye all adieu4                    
,,iv4      ,ye murmuring streams1 whose 
winding way     ,through flowery meads  
and woodlands lay1         ,and every   
limpid rill1     ,and all ye feathered  
tribes of air1     ,with voices sweet   
and plumage fair1         ,accept my    

last farewell4                     ,v4  
,adieu1 sweet ,spring1 the time of      
flowers6     ,thy zephyrs soft1 thy     
falling showers1         ,no more have  
charms for me2     ,maternal ,summer1   
too1 adieu6--     ,these eyes no more   
thy beauty view1         ,nor thy rich  
treasures see4                    ,,vi4 
,autumn and ,winter's social glee       
,afford their charms no more to me1--   
,they but a moment last2     ,for life's
 short season now is o'er1     ,i taste 
its joys1 its griefs1 no more1--        
,the transient scene is past4           
,,vii4      ,ten thousand friends1 and  
more1 farewell6     ,with gratitude     
affections swell         ,within this   
breast of mine2     ,and you1 my foes1  
although but few1     ,do share in this1
 my last adieu1--         ,may mercy on 
ye shine6                   ,,viii4     
,thou sacred desk1 where oft ,i've stood
     ,to plead the cause of truth for   
,god1         ,to you ,i say farewell2  
,that ,i've been faithful to my ,lord   

,i call for witness on his word1--      
,his word he will fulfil4               
,,ix4      ,and you1 my congregation    
dear1     ,kindly regard the farewell   
tear1         ,so freely shed for you2  
,for all your favors to your friend1    
,may ,heaven blessings to you send1     
,and every grace renew4                 
,x4      ,one struggle more shall end   
the strife2--     ,my children dear1 my 
loving wife1         ,ye dearest joys of
 earth1     ,accept this last1 this fond
 adieu2     ,while ,i have lived ,i've  
lived for you1         ,but now resign  
my breath4                    ,,xi4     
,that ,power which does for birds       
provide1     ,and clothes the grass in  
all its pride1         ,much more shall 
nourish you2     ,on that kind arm in   
peace recline1     ,submissive to the   
will divine1--         ,believe his     
promise true4                    ,,xii4 
,and now my work on earth is done1      
,to thee1 my ,lord1 my ,god1 ,i come1   
,still trusting in thy grace2     ,as   

earth recedes may ,i arise1     ,to be  
with ,jesus in the skies1         ,and  
see his lovely face6     ,,chapter      
,,xvi4  ,,conclusion4   ,a modern writer
 says1 after a visit to the splendid    
tomb of ,david ,hume1 at ,edinburgh1    
,when ,i looked upon the spot1 ,i could 
not forget that his best powers had been
 deliberately exerted to load the minds 
of men with doubts of their ,god4       
,to poison at the fountain's source     
,the stream of life throughout its      
course4  ,let us contrast the feelings  
thus naturally arising in the mind1 as  
it contemplates the life of the ,english
 historian1 with those that will spring 
up spontaneously in the heart of him who
 looks upon the last resting-place of   
the subject of this biography4 ,his     
whole life was a practical plea for the 
glorious character of his ,heavenly     
,father1 and every power of his nature1 
both mental and physical1 was entirely  
devoted to and expended in bearing      
witness of ,god's love and impartial    

grace4 ,who covets the world-wide fame  
of the infidel historian8 ,who would not
 leave behind him the glorious memory of
 the true ,christian8 ,greatness may    
build the tomb1 but goodness must write 
the epitaph4      ,only the actions of  
the just     ,smell sweet1 and blossom  
in the dust4  ,we have thus brought the 
narrative of ,mr4 ,ballou's life down   
from its commencement to its close4 ,in 
the execution of the task1 it is feared 
that many imperfections and deficiencies
 will be detected2 but we have the      
consolation of reflecting that1 at      
least1 we have not been guilty of       
exaggeration1 and throughout have sought
 only to present the truth in the       
clearest light1 and with the same       
simplicity that the subject of these    
pages would have commended4 ,we have    
most ardently endeavored to make        
manifest the pure character1 consistent 
conduct1 the high intellectual ability1 
the unaffected piety1 and laborious and 
unremitted services of the deceased to  

the great cause he espoused in early    
life4 ,had he placed a higher estimate  
upon his own labors1 he would have left 
behind him a complete record of his     
toils1 that would have interested the   
most careless and worldly reader4 ,but1 
while he never spared himself1 he       
appears to have seen no unusual merit in
 his unexampled labors2 he was simply   
discharging his duty to his ,maker and  
his fellow-men4 ,the thought of         
challenging admiration for his          
sacrifices of comfort1 for his exposures
 and trials1 seems never to have        
occurred to him2 and hence the minutes  
of his personal adventures are brief and
 imperfect4 ,he has only given us enough
 to enable us to guess at the extent of 
his toil4 ,for the result of his labors 
and travels1 we have only to look       
around1--to behold the multiplied       
churches springing up where he first    
preached in school-houses1              
dwelling-houses1 or even beneath the    
fruit-trees1 to numerous congregations  

that have found faith and hope through  
his ministrations1 who fondly regard him
 as the father of their order1 and who  
rise up to bless his name4 ,though his  
lips are now sealed forever1 yet his    
doctrine1 a precious legacy1 is left for
 us still1 in his own language2 and1    
with the example and influence of his   
pure life1 we may find the surest guide 
to the understanding of the gospel as it
 is in ,christ4  ,it is true that the   
bow is broken2 but the arrow is sped on 
its message1 and will pierce the heart  
of error4 ,the subject of these pages   
was not a man for his own time alone2 he
 has lived for all time4 ,we find in the
 pages of history actors upon the stage 
of life peculiarly fitted for the       
immediate period in which they lived2   
men active1 bold1 successful1 and ever  
ready for any emergency2 men governed by
 principles and incentives peculiarly   
adapted to the day and hour1 without    
whom it would have been difficult to    
realize the seeming destiny of man1 and 

the results and history of the times4   
,yet those persons1 if they were to     
exist now1 would be out of their        
element2 there would not occur the same 
exigencies to call forth their          
particular endowments of courage and    
endurance4 ,they illustrated tangible   
matter1 and performed deeds of personal 
prowess2 but ,mr4 ,ballou enunciated1   
defined1 elucidated and illumined1 a    
great principle1 a fundamental truth1   
something that will live through all    
eternity1--not the ephemeral act of an  
hour1 which1 however timely and         
important at the moment1 is forgotten   
with the casualty that gives it birth4  
,no6 ,mr4 ,ballou was not for his own   
time alone1--he was for all time4  ,his 
advent in the religious world was the   
commencement of a new era in the church2
 and from that day and that hour the    
little glimmering of the light of truth 
which was seen as afar off grew daily   
larger1 and brighter1 and clearer1 as1  
in the onward journey of his years and  

his understanding1 he came to behold the
 gospel as it is in ,christ1 and to     
preach it to the world4 ,nature about   
him had taught this impartial grace and 
goodness of ,god for ages and ages1 but 
the tongues of men had been fabricating 
and declaring another creed4 ,it was no 
new truth that he illustrated and       
believed2 but he gave it oral form1 and 
depicted it before men's eyes4  ,our    
task draws now to its close2 we have    
recorded the closing incidents of that  
life on whose eventful record we have   
reverentially dwelt1 and we must soon   
resign the pen with which we have feebly
 depicted the story of departed worth4  
,it remains for us to give a rapid      
retrospective glance at the career we   
have traced1 with a brief recapitulatory
 view of the subject4 ,the author has   
made no attempt at fine writing1 and has
 sought only to present a plain1        
unvarnished tale1 in keeping with the   
unostentatious simplicity of the subject
 of his pages4 ,in these busy and       

stirring days1 most readers crave an    
exciting book of thrilling incident4 ,in
 preparing the life of a distinguished  
warrior1 or a bold adventurer1 startling
 incidents and scenes crowd upon the    
writer1 till the task of condensation   
becomes both imperative and difficult4  
,the turbulent stream1 rushing from its 
mountain home1 tumbling amidst rocks and
 dashing over precipices1 affords a     
picture at every point of its progress2 
while the course of a river1 that rises 
in some placid lake1 and pursues its    
pathway noiselessly and tranquilly1 till
 lost in the world of waters that       
swallows up its individuality1 however  
pleasing an object of contemplation1 is 
little fitted to figure in an elaborate 
personal record1 or to minister to the  
restless eye of the lover of the bold   
and startling in nature4  ,the life of  
the subject of these pages may be       
compared to that of a quiet streamlet1  
making itself felt by the verdure and   
freshness it diffuses around it1 but not

 startling the ear by the tumult of     
motion4 ,hence1 those who merely take up
 a book for amusement or excitement1    
will find themselves disappointed with  
this biography4 ,it was not1 however1   
for such tastes that the book was       
designed4 ,it is rather a medium of     
communication between filial affection1 
and that scarcely colder feeling of     
friendship and respect1 shared by a     
large and increasing denomination of    
,christians1 whose common love for the  
subject of these pages will secure      
indulgence towards the author4  ,they   
will rather follow the delightful traits
 of ,christian character he evinced1    
will admire the truth and genuineness of
 his nature1 the sweet simplicity of his
 soul1 and the magnitude and glory of   
his doctrine1 than pause to criticize   
the simple garb that has clothed these  
special and important matters4 ,it will 
be the kernel1 not the shell1 that our  
readers will discuss2 and if we have1 in
 our humble way1 succeeded in so        

portraying the life of our parent as to 
place it any more clearly and faithfully
 before men's eyes1 then we have done a 
good work1 and our labor has not been in
 vain4 ,if1 by the exhibition of his    
happy faith1 and the application of his 
own arguments1 we shall have succeeded  
in confirming even one soul in the      
sacred and cheering faith he advocated1 
we shall have sufficient reward in our  
own heart for the toil of this work4 ,he
 would have labored continually and     
unceasingly to lead a soul in the       
straight and narrow way2 no fatigue1 no 
disappointment1 was ever any hindrance  
in his path1 when duty held the lamp4   
,his eyes were turned onward and upward2
 they overlooked the rugged way1 strewn 
with rocks and quicksands1 over which he
 strode towards the great goal of his   
life1 the promulgation of ,god's        
fatherly love to man4  ,more fortunate  
than many whose works have enriched the 
world1 we have seen that ,mr4 ,ballou   
lived long enough to enjoy an honorable 

fame4 ,long before he died the voice of 
calumny was hushed4 ,he had accomplished
 what ,burke had advised for the        
refutation of slander1--he had lived it 
down4 ,the shafts of malice fell        
harmless from the shield of his         
unspotted conscience4 ,he had achieved a
 greater triumph yet than the surviving 
of the assaults aimed against his       
reputation as a man2 he lived to behold 
the truth he had so advocated1 in which 
and for which he lived1 adopted by      
hundreds of thousands as the staff of   
their lives and the rock of their       
salvation4 ,it would be difficult to    
find1 in any age1 the record of a       
greater victory of intellectual power4  
,as we have fully shown1 ,mr4 ,ballou   
started in life with no aids for the    
development of his mental energies4 ,his
 circumstances were such as would have  
completely crushed a majority of gifted 
minds4 ,isolation1 privation1 the want  
of mental stimulus1 surrounded him4 ,the
 example and aid of elder scholarship   

was wanting4 ,the steps to the temple of
 knowledge were hewn by his own hands   
out of the rugged and unyielding rock4  
,he had no strong hand to grasp his own1
 and bear him up1 and stay his tottering
 footsteps4 ,yet1 with an iron grasp1 he
 seized upon the rudiments of knowledge1
 and made them his own4 ,and1 while     
satisfying the cravings of his nature1  
he neglected no duty of life4 ,those who
 had claims upon his industry suffered  
no injury or loss from this source1 for 
the hours devoted to his early studies  
were heroically subtracted from hours of
 repose4 ,when others rested from bodily
 toil1 he was wakeful and toiling       
mentally4  ,the energy displayed in his 
pursuit of knowledge1 under such        
extraordinary difficulties1 prepares us 
for the yet greater energy exhibited in 
his subsequent course4 ,accustomed to   
accomplish his purpose by severe labor1 
we find him continually proposing to    
himself questions of difficulties to be 
solved only by severe intellectual      

exertion4 ,he cultivates his moral      
intellectual nature so rigidly1 that he 
is not lightly satisfied on any subject4
 ,but we are most impressed with the    
beauty of his spiritual nature4 ,most   
energetic minds are1 we think1 prone to 
scepticism4 ,they doubt1 resolve their  
doubts1 and then cling firmly and       
forever to the truths they have         
established4  ,it is said1 ,a resolved  
doubt is the strongest proof4 ,paul     
began by opposing religion1 and ended as
 one of its champions4 ,but with ,mr4   
,ballou there was no necessity of going 
through with this usual process4 ,his   
existence and his belief were identical4
 ,he recognized his ,maker in his words 
and in his works2 faith was his earliest
 companion1 and she was with him to the 
last4 ,her light illumined his earliest 
and his last step2 as it beamed upon him
 with its morning radiance1 and cheered 
his noon-tide with its glow1 so it was  
the broad1 unshadowed sunset of his     
life4  ,we have seen how early his      

inquiring and steadfast mind began to   
pierce the shadows and darkness with    
which dogmatism had obscured the true   
nature of ,god1 and the spirit of his   
law4 ,the clouds were not dispelled all 
at once4 ,by degrees they rolled away1  
as his vision strengthened1 until1 at   
length1 his eyes beheld the full glory  
of ,god in its effulgent splendor4 ,the 
moment when the last veil was withdrawn1
 and he beheld the glorious form of     
,truth embodied in the creed which he   
ever afterwards professed1 was the crown
 and summit of his existence4 ,then he  
found and grasped a treasure which the  
world could not take away4 ,years might 
pass before the many would embrace his  
doctrine2 but he knew that it must      
eventually make its way to men's hearts 
and understanding1 and that it would be 
universally recognized and triumph in   
the end4  ,from the moment of his       
discovery1 his mission was decided1 his 
calling confirmed1 his path through life
 traced out as clear as daylight4 ,he   

felt called upon and inspired to preach 
the gospel of love to all mankind2 and  
he went forth upon his mission1 resolved
 to fulfil it to the utmost of his      
strength and talent4 ,surely no man ever
 more faithfully performed his allotted 
task4 ,in the discharge of his duty1 we 
behold him fearing no toil1 sparing no  
exertion1 shrinking from no obstacle4 ,a
 man loving peace and quiet1 yet he     
hesitated not to assume the weapons of  
controversy when his doctrines were     
assailed4 ,with him1 indeed1 the truth  
was everything1--himself nothing4       
,hence1 we are left no record of his    
many journeyings1 his lonely wayfarings1
 his midnight labors4 ,he accounted     
these things as nothing1 as dust in the 
balance1 weighed against the service he 
espoused1 and the gospel interests which
 he strove to advocate4  ,the following 
letter addressed to us from ,manchester1
 ,n4 ,h41 a few years since1 now lies   
open before us1 and will serve to show  
the reader the indomitable perseverance 

that the subject of these memoirs       
brought to bear upon his professional   
duties2--how little he spared himself in
 the prosecution of his great mission2  
how totally he disregarded bodily ease  
or comfort1 when brought in opposition  
to the prosecution of his sacred mission
 on earth4 ,it is also another of those 
brief1 meaning and affectionate epistles
 such as he ever wrote1 exhibiting the  
same reliance upon ,divine ,providence  
that ever exercised his bosom3--        
,,maturin3 ,last ,sabbath was to me a   
day of severe trial4 ,early in      the 
morning ,i was attacked with a sudden   
illness1 which so weakened      me by   
meeting-time that1 although ,i made two 
determined efforts to      go on with my
 discourse1 the last was as unsuccessful
 as the first1      and ,i was finally  
compelled to yield to my bodily         
weakness1 giving      the people to     
expect my services in the afternoon4    
,dr4 ,colburn      kindly conveyed me to
 his house1 and he and his good lady so 

nursed      me that1 by meeting-time in 
the afternoon1 ,i walked to church and  
went through with my usual services1    
sparing myself the labor of      reading
 the hymns4 ,through the goodness of an 
all-ruling      ,providence1 that has   
ever sustained and supported me in every
      trial1 ,i am now recovering1 and  
am quite as well as before this         
attack1 save that ,i am very weak4      
,the reason ,i have written you         
particularly is1 that your mother       
and the family generally may not be     
alarmed by the report which      will   
very naturally reach you before ,i can  
return home4 ,please send      me a few 
current newspapers4 ,affectionately1    
,,hosea ,,ballou4  ,he neglected no     
means for the advancement of truth2     
discourses from the pulpit1 colloquial  
discussions1 written essays1 poetical   
effusions1 all were brought to sustain  
the one great idea he advocated4 ,though
 his oral instructions were poured forth
 on every occasion1 he well knew the    

mighty power of the press over the minds
 of community1 and he wielded this agent
 with vigor and effect4 ,as his example 
in the pulpit was followed by a host of 
disciples1 so did his essays in the     
press give birth to a race of vigorous  
literary champions of the gospel4 ,but1 
above all1 was the daily beauty of his  
life the strongest evidence of the      
sincerity of his convictions1 and the   
truth of his doctrine4 ,the example that
 teaches better than precept was        
manifested in his social existence4 ,his
 cheerful deportment1 his resignation   
under trials1 were proofs of a peace    
which the world cannot give4  ,his      
principles forbade him to teach or to   
show that this beautiful world was      
created as a gloomy prison-house to the 
sons of men4 ,late and copious extracts 
from his own pen1 in these pages1 will  
abundantly show this4 ,he delighted to  
point out the radiance of the raiment   
with which our ,heavenly ,father has    
gladdened our temporary abiding-place4  

,he loved to trace the smile of the     
,great ,spirit1 in the gushing          
water-courses1 the verdant meadows1 the 
bright skies1 the murmuring woodlands1  
the flower-enamelled fields1 and the    
blue arch that bends over all1 enclosing
 it within a crystal sphere4 ,he was no 
enemy to social enjoyment2 no frown of  
his ever checked the joyous laugh       
bursting from young lips1 or dimmed the 
brightness of the domestic fireside4 ,in
 the relations of husband1 father1      
friend1 he was loved and revered1--how  
dearly and deeply1 let the sorrow that  
has fallen on our hearts at parting     
speak6  ,he has gone from our midst6    
,his stately form will no more gladden  
our eyes1 the music of his voice will no
 more warm our hearts1 the pressure of  
his hand will no more answer            
responsively to ours4 ,but he has       
departed1 full of years and fame1 to    
that bright world above1 whose glory was
 the theme of his existence4 ,emulating 
the virtues which his well-ordered and  

beautiful life exhibited1 cherishing the
 gospel truths in all their purity1     
simplicity and attractiveness1 as he    
taught them1 may we improve our own     
lives by the recollection of his1 and   
open our hearts to the still yet        
eloquent sermon he now preaches to us   
from the silent tomb6 ,and let that     
sacred belief1 which he taught us to    
rely upon and to hold as most dear to   
our hearts1 fill us with a hope and     
assurance of a final and happy reunion  
with him in heaven6 ,in his own family  
he fully succeeded in implanting a      
spirit of belief in and entire reliance 
upon ,god's love to his children2 and1  
could the reader behold the influence   
that this belief now exercises over the 
heart of his aged widow1 what a tower of
 strength and calm resignation she      
realizes from the faith he impressed    
upon her1 he would find fresh reason for
 ,christian fortitude1 and new hope and 
faith in the gospel4  ,and now1 ere the 
reader closes these pages1 permit the   

author to ask for the book a kind       
consideration1 and to solicit the       
lenient judgment of the public for these
 records of a parent's life1 written and
 compiled amid the arduous duties       
attendant upon his editorial calling4   
,the work has little else to recommend  
it1 save the homely truthfulness of its 
record1 and the sincerity that has      
dictated its composition4  ,to the many 
friends of ,mr4 ,ballou1 and more       
particularly to the denomination1       
clergymen and laity1 with whom he has so
 long held fellowship1 the author trusts
 this book may prove an acceptable      
memento of one whom they delighted to   
honor4     ,,new ,,works1  ,,just       
,,published4   ,,memoir ,,of ,,rev4 ,s4 
,r4 ,,smith4  ,by ,rev4 ,t4 ,j4         
,,sawyer1 ,d4,d4 ,with a splendid       
,portrait4 ,pages #dcb4 ,price1 in plain
 binding1 #a2 in full gilt binding1     
#a4ej4  ,dr4 ,sawyer has had an         
acquaintance with the subject of this   
,memoir for twenty years2 besides1 he   

has in his hands all the papers which   
,mr4 ,smith left behind him1 copies of  
letters1 c4 ,the work is made up1 to a  
considerable extent1 from those various 
materials1 and may therefore be regarded
 as in a manner an autobiography4 ,the  
last words written for the press by     
,father ,ballou relate to this book and 
the ,life ,sketches of ,george ,h4      
,clark1 hereafter referred to4 ,mr4     
,ballou says3  ,having carefully read   
this ,memoir1 and by it having been made
 acquainted with many particulars in the
 life of a highly-esteemed brother in   
our ministry1 with whom ,i have1 for    
many years1 enjoyed a most cordial and  
affectionate fellowship1 it is a        
pleasurable duty to recommend the work  
to the favorable consideration of the   
whole fraternity of believers in the    
gospel of a world's salvation4  ,the    
learned writer of the ,memoir has taken 
much pains to bring together much of the
 writings of his favorite subject1      
whereby he has rendered the work in a   

great degree autobiographical1 and made 
his readers acquainted with the strength
 of mind1 temper1 spirit and taste1 of  
our departed brother4 ,this work carries
 us back to the parentage1 birth1       
childhood and youth1 of one who has     
distinguished himself1 by the evident   
aid of divine wisdom1 as an able1       
faithful1 and successful minister of the
 gospel of our ,divine ,master4 ,and if 
our young men1 who are desirous of      
making the ministry of divine truth     
their profession1 would carefully read  
this work1 poverty in its more meagre   
shapes would present no formidable      
objection4 ,br4 ,smith1 having          
successfully grappled with poverty1 and 
won a praise and a name which throw     
crowns and diadems into the shade1 seems
 now to be looking down on these youth1 
and pointing them to the path which he  
has trod1 to bid them put their trust in
 ,him by whose aid he has won an        
unfading crown4  ,br4 ,sawyer surely    
deserves the gratitude of our           

denomination for the justice he has done
 to the character of our departed       
brother1 and for the encouragement which
 this ,memoir is calculated to give to  
our brethren who are laboring in our    
,master's vineyard4 ,and our thanks and 
patronage should be generously rendered 
to the publisher of this work1 not only 
for the handsome style in which it      
appears1 but for his laudable devotion  
to the cause of truth1 and his          
successful labors for its prosperity4   
,great interest has been excited in the 
denomination by the promise of this     
book4 99 99 ,the life of such a man1    
from the pen of one so highly           
distinguished and so gifted as ,rev4    
,dr4 ,sawyer1 cannot but awaken a       
wide-spread and anxious desire for its  
appearance4 ,it has now been given to   
the public1 and well does it sustain the
 reputation of all parties concerned in 
its publication4 99 99 ,a work of this  
class has never appeared in the         
denomination which1 for fineness of     

paper1 beauty of print1 and neatness of 
binding1 has excelled this4 ,we predict 
that it will have a very large          
sale4--,christian ,ambassador4  ,it will
 be read with great interest by         
all4--,trumpet4  ,mr4 ,sawyer has done  
well in allowing his hero to tell so    
much of the story of his times through  
his own letters and                     
reminiscences4--,christian ,inquirer4   
,his example is full of encouragement to
 others1 and cannot fail to stimulate   
thousands1 who are drooping1 to push on 
in the career of                        
self-improvement4--,yankee ,blade4      
,this is one of the most thoroughly     
executed ,biographies that we have met  
with among recent publications of the   
kind4 99 99 99 ,the ,memoir is worthy of
 the author and of the venerated        
subject2 and1 if we mistake not1 it must
 exert a powerful influence for good    
upon the ,universalist ,connection1 as  
well as upon others1 through the more   
noble example it holds up of a true     

minister of ,jesus ,christ4 ,by it1 he1 
'being dead1 yet                        
speaketh4'--,universalist ,quarterly4   
,this is a specimen of true ,biography4 
,we have attentively and gratefully read
 it1 and our estimate of the man1 the   
greatness of his aims1 and the          
thoroughness of his devotion thereto1   
has been increased4 ,there is nothing of
 the spirit of man-worship here2 and if 
there be any lack1 it is on the side of 
enthusiasm of personal friendship1      
holding back the writer from a full     
expression of heartfelt admiration of   
his subject4--,ladies' ,repository4     
99       99       99       99       99  
,,graces ,,and ,,powers ,,of ,,the      
,,christian ,,life4  ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,d4  
,,mayo4 #abmo41 about #cjj pages4 ,price
 #ge cents4   ,this is a series of      
twenty sermons1 by ,mr4 ,mayo1 on the   
above subject1 which cannot but prove a 
valuable acquisition to our             
,denominational ,literature4  ,this is a
 beautifully printed book1 and its      

interior life and its ideal corresponds 
with its actual4 99 99 ,the style of the
 author is modern and graceful1 and the 
moral influence of the work cannot be   
otherwise than safe and good4--,banner4 
,mr4 ,mayo's composition reveals a pure 
spark of genius1 gleaming1 if it does   
not blaze1 running like a bright thread 
and clue through the labyrinth of       
thought1 and bringing to light many a   
blessed region of truth and             
peace4--,christian ,register4  ,we have 
been greatly charmed in reading it1 both
 by the earnestness and depth of its    
thought1 and the sweetness and purity of
 its style4--,blade4  ,its influence1   
wherever it circulates1 will be most    
elevating and sanctifying4--,christian  
,ambassador4  ,we take pleasure in      
saying that this volume of sermons has  
our hearty fellowship1 and the          
prevalence of the spirit in its pages   
would enlarge vastly the communion of   
liberal ,christians4--,christian        
,inquirer4         99       99       99 

99       99  ,,life-,,sketches ,,of     
,,rev4 ,,george ,h4 ,,clark4  ,by his   
,brother4 ,with a fine likeness4 #afmo4 
#afj pages4 ,price #ej c4  ,sketches of 
the eventful life of this early-fallen  
brother were written by the request of  
many friends4 ,the volume embraces a    
rapid succession of scenes and          
incidents1 drawn from numerous papers   
left by the deceased1 and portrayed by  
one dearly familiar with him from early 
life4 ,father ,ballou's note of this    
work is as follows3  ,this brief memoir 
of our young and esteemed brother in the
 ministry of ,god's universal efficient 
grace commends itself as an affectionate
 tribute to the memory of the departed1 
from the pen of a loving brother4 ,it   
must also be grateful to the whole      
family circle1 who survive the departed 
son and brother1 to have in their       
possession so valuable a treasure4      
,this work will be read with interest   
and profit by youth in general1 and     
especially by such as think of devoting 

their lives to the ministerial          
profession4 ,when such shall learn the  
fact1 that moderate circumstances and   
limited means do not necessarily prevent
 a young man from becoming a minister   
and a pastor1 highly esteemed and       
beloved by a good and respectable church
 and society1 they need not shrink from 
a hope of success4  ,we need not look   
forward to the good time1 for it is now 
come1 when ministers are esteemed for   
their knowledge of divine truth1 and    
their ardent love for the same1 together
 with their faithfulness in dispensing  
it to their people1 and their living and
 walking in the precepts of ,jesus4     
,the subject of these memoirs died      
young4 ,he had been in the ministry but 
a few years4 ,he had lived1 however1 and
 labored1 a sufficient length of time1  
to prove himself to be an able and      
eloquent preacher of the gospel1 and to 
become endeared to all who formed his   
acquaintance4 ,it abounds with incidents
 in the life of the                     

deceased4--,christian ,ambassador4  ,the
 book abounds in incidents1 and is very 
interesting4--,banner4  ,the book is one
 of thrilling interest4--,freeman4  ,the
 book is a record1 traced with a loving1
 sympathetic1 and brotherly hand1 of the
 trials1 hopes1 joys1 sorrows1 life     
experiences and death1 of a professional
 as well as a natural                   
brother4--,springfield ,republican4     
,this is an affectionate tribute to the 
memory of a worthy man1--one of the many
 instances where high aims are          
unfortunately united with slender means1
 rendering life not so much 'a battle   
and a march1' as a perpetual struggle4  
,we respected the brother whose life is 
here sketched1 and have thoroughly read 
the volume with interest4--,ladies'     
,repository4         99       99        
99       99       99  ,,glimpses ,,and  
,,gatherings1  ,during a ,voyage and    
,visit to ,london and the ,great        
,exhibition1 in the ,summer of #ahea4   
,by ,rev4 ,w4 ,a4 ,,drew1 ,commissioner 

of the ,state of ,maine4 ,with a        
,portrait4 ,about #djj pages4 ,price #a4
  ,the undersigned issues1 in connection
 with the publishers of the ,gospel     
,banner1 the above work4 ,it is one of  
the most attractive and instructive     
volumes of travel ever published4  ,this
 volume consists of letters written by  
the author to the ,gospel ,banner1 of   
which he is the well-known editor1      
during his recent visits to ,canada and 
,england4 ,during their original        
publication they were read with keen    
interest by the numerous patrons of that
 paper1 as well as by the ,maine public 
generally2 and it was a happy idea to   
gather them into a volume for more      
distant readers1 as well as for future  
perusal and reference4 ,the author has a
 sharp eye for observation1 as well as  
great felicity in description2 writes in
 an easy1 off-hand1 yet vigorous style2 
and1 on the whole1 has placed before us 
the clearest and most graphic picture of
 ,london and the sights in the ,crystal 

,palace that we have yet met with4 ,not 
the least interesting portions of the   
volume are the descriptions of          
,montreal1 ,quebec1 and their environs1 
to the accuracy and felicity of which we
 can testify4--,yankee ,blade4  ,an     
interesting series of                   
sketches4--,univer4 ,quar4  ,it is      
highly attractive in narration of       
incidents1 scenery and sights4 ,what    
makes it more valuable to us is a very  
natural likeness of the author1 executed
 with much skill and beauty4--,christian
 ,ambassador4         99       99       
99       99       99   ,,the ,,works    
,,of ,,rev4 ,,hosea ,,ballou4  ,the     
death of this ,patriarch of the         
,universalist ,ministry gives additional
 value to his ,works1 and especially to 
those written in the years of his       
strength and vigor4  ,the subscriber is 
the publisher of those works1 and will  
furnish sets of the same1 or single     
volumes1 issued in the best style of    
typography and binding4  ,i4 ,notes on  

the ,parables of the ,new ,testament4   
,one vol4 #abmo41 #big pages4 ,price #ej
 cents4 ,first published in #ahjd4      
,,ii4 ,a ,treatise on the ,atonement4   
,one vol4 #abmo41 #cbh pages4 ,price #ej
 cents4 ,first published in #ahje4      
,,iii4 ,series of ,twenty-six ,lecture  
,sermons4 ,delivered in the             
,school-street church1 ,boston4 ,one    
vol4 #abmo41 #cge pages4 ,price #fb-a_/b
 cents4 ,first published in #ahah4      
,,iv4 ,twenty-five ,select ,sermons4    
,delivered on various occasions1 from   
important passages of ,scripture4 ,one  
vol4 #abmo41 #cfj pages4 ,price #fc     
cents4 ,first published in #ahbh4       
,these are the works in which the       
convictions of ,father ,ballou are best 
expressed1 and circulation should be    
given to them by all who are desirous of
 diffusing the wisdom of that sainted   
man4 ,the ,notes on the ,parables are   
remarkable examples of ,scripture       
interpreting ,scripture2 the ,treatise  
on ,atonement is a piece of mental      

reasoning intelligible to the humblest  
capacity2 and the ,lectures and ,select 
,sermons are rare expoundings of the    
divine word1 and the great principles of
 ,scripture truth4   ,the subscriber is 
also preparing to issue a fine edition  
of the above works1 to be bound in a    
uniform style with the ,biography2 and  
the whole will then be sold at #d per   
set4  ,a4 ,,tompkins4  ,,boston1        
,august1 #aheb4  ,,agents ,,wanted ,,to 
,,circulate ,,the ,,foregoing ,,works4