him, I have told God that I would be willing to give up my life if you could only be brought to the Saviour.' This remark seemed like an arrow from God's quiver, and from that moment the Spirit strove, and the resolve was made. He is now an earnest Christian disciple."

The Second Church in Keene has shared with other churches there the precious gifts of God's grace. The pastor of that church names, as one of the greatest blessings of the year, the union of God's people of different churches. "I have never," he says, "seen any manifestation of the power of God more wonderful than the union effected. All evangelical Christians were so drawn together that all was harmony, and our meetings seemed more like heaven on earth than any meetings I have ever attended. The cause of Christ never in the history of this town stood as it does now. The presence of God's Holy Spirit brought all evangelical Christians together on one side, face to face with the unevangelical;-not in hostile array, but they seemed to be separated by necessity, and stood with imploring looks, asking all to come within the blessed and common fold." There was a large number of hopeful conversions, perhaps more than one hundred in the different churches.

A most interesting revival has been enjoyed at Lyme. Tokens of spiritual good were apparent in the Autumn. the last Sabbath of December, at the evening meeting, one man-a merchant-announced himself for the first time on the Lord's side. It was, says the pastor, "unexpected to every body, and was felt to illustrate and fulfill the promise, 'Before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear."" From the opening of the year, meetings were held almost every day or evening for nearly three months. Christians expected God's blessing, and received it. One feature of the revival was the handing in of written requests for prayer in behalf of particular persons. In many instances answers were given so marked as to arrest the attention of all. It was the custom to return public thanksgiving for every such answer. The whole work was quiet, but deep. The means used were brief expository preaching, eliminating some one truth, and inferring the duty of immediate submission to God; prayer; and personal effort.

Fifty-two have been received to the church, and others will unite. The Baptist church has also received thirty or more. Among those received are both the physicians in town, and three of the five merchants; the other two having been previously connected with the church. Thirty-three are heads of families, and eight or ten are under twenty years of age. All ages are represented,-from ten to over seventy.

The town of Franklin has been greatly blest. The special work of grace commenced with the new year, and continually deepened. In the Sabbath Schools of the Congregational and Christian Baptist Churches, there had been for more than a year a constantly increasing interest in the study of the Bible; and as might have been expected, many of the children soon gave themselves to the Lord. In the High School, also, nearly all the pupils appeared to consecrate themselves to Christ. The pastor mentions two or three incidents of much interest: "One aged man had been led to resolve that when the new year should come, he would attend to the salvation of his soul. In the last night of the old year he rose from his bed, and found by the clock that it lacked ten minutes of twelve. The time had about come. Accordingly he dressed himself and fell to praying and reading his Bible; he implored help, and offered himself to God. Soon he found the life of God, and his peace flowed like a river. Another intelligent man had had his conscience pierced by an arrow from the Park Street Pulpit, Boston, and he could not extract it. It took away his peace. He arose and asked the prayers of Christians in his behalf. Soon he obtained relief and healing in the Crucified One. A stout, religiously indifferent farmer, three miles away, blest with a praying wife, was unable to sleep at night,—he knew not why, and when asked what troubled him, said, 'I feel that I must get up and pray?' 'Well, I would do it,' was the reply. But I can't pray; I never prayed in my life. Still, by night and day, the inward voice said, 'You must go and pray?' 'But I can't pray,' was the constant response, until after bearing it for three weeks, he cast the unsupportable burden of his poor, sinful soul on the Lord, and now prayer is his delight. He is a new man in Christ Jesus." In connection with the various churches of the town, more than two hundred appear to have become dis

ciples of Jesus. The pastor adds, "Early in march, we were aided for nearly three weeks by the self-denying labors of H. F. Durant, Esq., who, by his clear, discriminating, and powerful presentation of truth in public, and by unwearied private effort, greatly contributed to deepen and extend the work."

Similar testimony to the value of Mr. Durant's labors is borne by the pastor of the church in Bristol, where a wonderful revival has been experienced. The account given by the pastor, though all of great interest, must be much abridged. On the first day of January, as part of the result of a religious interest enjoyed in Bristol the previous year, fourteen young ladies united with the Congregational Church. At that time. the Methodist and Free-Will Baptist Churches participated with the Congregational in celebrating the communion. During the services, the husband of one of the young ladies came forward, unasked, and stating that he had been one of the most hard-hearted sinners in the town, kneeled down and asked

prayer in his behalf. The scene was very affecting, and melted almost the entire audience to tears. The great effort of Mr. Durant and others was to convince Christians of the sin of slothfulness in the Saviour's work. "Almost every Christian in town began to preach the gospel, visiting from house to house, and calling upon men in their places of business and of labor, exhorting to repentance,-kneeling down and praying with them wherever they could be found." Something like three hundred in this and neighboring towns, give evidence of conversion. Men who have heard the gospel unmoved for forty or fifty years, skeptics, some drunkards, some harlots, many profane swearers, and a large company of the more abandoned and violent in iniquity have sought the way of life. Says the pastor, "I have found that the sins from which it is hardest for men to break away, are covetousness and profane swearing." The most important lesson of the whole is the necessity and opportunity for individual work by Christian men and women. There is no other thing so painful as the sluggishness of our churches, and the indifference and wicked inactivity of the professed followers of Jesus, while men are dying daily in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity."

And now, dear Christian brethren, this imperfect sketch of

the work of Christ in our churches, during the past year, is enough to teach us how much ground we have for hope and courage. Never had the Congregational churches of NewHampshire larger resources,-never more real ground for encouragement than to-day. The very difficulties under which we peculiarly labor, may, by a manly and self-denying faith, be made means of good;-as the difficulties of our soil have developed a hardy and noble race. But in order to this, our churches must take much more fully to heart the lesson which comes from every revival enjoyed during the past year, of the importance of personal Christian activity. May we who are pastors, carry with us from this meeting the determination to strive with new zeal to exorcise from among our people the listless, passive style of religious character, and teach them that the blessing of the Saviour rests only upon the active, useful Christian.

A new lesson also comes to us from many of these revival experiences, of the necessity of peace and love among different denominations of Christians. We need a fuller, richer realization in our hearts, of the fact that our Saviour loves all contrite, believing souls. Thus, while we labor earnestly ourselves, we can fully rejoice in the Lord's work as done by others,―asking only to see the spirit of the one Redeemer.

And finally, the deepest lesson from this history of the year, is that the Church of Christ is strong in the power of God. All must have observed how many pastors, in describing the special work of grace in their respective churches, speak of it as quiet and almost unobserved in its beginning and continuance. Such is often the method of God's working. The very fact that a work is such, is an indication to the thoughtful soul that it is from God. This renewing and sanctifying power of God is, we may say with reverence, at the service of his people. The feeblest, most remote of our churches may enjoy it, and by it be made truly strong. May the coming year witness more humble, whole-hearted seeking after this power,-more sweet communion with God in the hearts of his people, than ever before.

HENRY S. HUNTINGTON, Statistical Secretary.

OBITUARY RECORD.

Rev. NATHAN LORD, D. D., LL. D., died at Hanover, Sept. 9, 1870. He was born in Berwick, Maine, Nov. 28, 1793, the fourth child of Gen. John Lord. His mother was Mehitable Perkins. He graduated at Bowdoin College at the arly age of sixteen. He then spent three years as assistant teacher in Exeter Academy, when he entered Andover Seminary, graduating in 1815.

May 22, 1816, he was settled over the Congregational Church and Society of Amherst, N. H., as a colleague with the Rev. Jeremiah Barnard.

Soon after his settlement he married Elizabeth King Leland, the daughter of Hon. Joseph Leland, an officer of the Revolutionary army. Mrs. Lord was a woman of great judgment, dignity, and courtesy-a help-meet indeed to her distinguished husband. She departed a few months before him-her death manifestly saddening the remainder of his life.

President Lord remained at Amherst twelve years, an able, efficient and popular pastor, when, in 1828, he was called to the Presidency of Dartmouth College, having been a trustee for seven years. He was the sixth incumbent of the office.

Upon his accession, the college was in a feeble condition every way. Under his administration it grew to the first rank among similar institutions. He wisely managed the finances, which were largely increased. During his term of office, Professorships of Intellectual Philosophy, of the Greek Language and Literature, of Astronomy and Meteorology, of Modern Languages and Natural History, were established. Also the Chandler Scientific Department was formed, and the Observatory built.