very seriously because he thought that he did not rise sufficiently early in the morning. "I think," said he, "that you will be much more useful if you get up earlier." In this way, too, he troubled his pastor almost beyond endurance.

Again: Mr. Keedle was considered by his brethren as being very hard upon converts, when they related their religious experience before the church. He always insisted upon their explaining the doctrine of election; that is, expressing those views of it which he entertained; and if they could not do so, he could not vote in their favor. He would ask them such questions as the following. "Which is first, faith or repentance? What is justification? Are you willing to be damned? Do you believe in particular redemption? Do you merit salvation if you believe in Christ? What is the difference between conversion and regeneration ?* How does the Spirit convince of sin? How do you show that it is right in God to elect some to eternal life, and leave others to perish?"

* Mr. Keedle believed that conversion was the act of the creature, and regeneration the act of God.

And still again: Mr. Keedle, till he became a Millerite, was exceedingly anxious that the church should be very efficient in reference to missions, education, and the Sabbath school. He attended every missionary concert, and would read the last intelligence from the different mission stations, and talked, and exhorted, and prayed, and did all he could to awaken an interest among his brethren in this cause, equal to his own. He exerted himself also, in every way he could, for the Education Society. He was very severe on the church because they did so little for this cause. Although he was somewhat tardy about giving, as a general thing, no agent ever found him reluctant to give liberally to the Mission or Education Societies, till he became a Millerite. As for the Sabbath school, he did more for it than any other ten members of the church united. He would let nothing prevent him from meeting his class, and he was a very excellent and interesting teacher; at least, such was the testimony of all his scholars. He was punctual at the Sabbath school concert; and many are the times that he has searched the town, from one end to the other, to hunt up new scholars.

Finally, inconsistent as it may seem, Mr. Keedle was ready for every new, exciting thing that came along. When anti-masonry came along, he went into it at once, and was earnest to have every mason excluded from the church. He, however, could not carry this point. When the temperance movement was made, he entered into it heart and soul; and soon, through his unwearied exertions, the church became a temperance church.

When anti-slavery came along, he drove into it immediately, and soon became one of the strongest and fiercest abolitionists in the town. For some time he could not prevail on the church to act in reference to this subject, but finally he succeeded, and they passed a vote "that they would not allow a slaveholding minister to enter their pulpit, nor would they commune with slaveholders or their apologists."

The next thing that attracted his attention was, perfection or sanctification, such as is advocated at Oberlin. He heard a man preach on this doctrine, and he fell in with it at once; and it was not a week before he was sanctified. Then he was very anxious that all his brethren

"should secure the same blessing that he had obtained;" and in every meeting he zealously exhorted them to seek for sanctification.

He

And last of all, Millerism came along, and soon numbered him amongst its converts. heard three lectures, and then embraced this delusion. He speedily became the most decided and active Millerite in the church, and even went so far as to lecture some in the neighboring towns upon the subject.

His zeal for missions, education, and the Sabbath school now died away; and the only things that would untie his purse-strings were, Millerite lectures and Millerite books. It is true he continued to pay his pew tax, but he would subscribe nothing towards his pastor's salary, because "he didn't preach the second advent doctrine of 1843." The last thing we knew of him was, that he had refused to commune with the church, because they had voted "that the Millerites should no longer preach in their meeting-house." Whether his next move will carry him among the Mormons or not, time will show. Here endeth the narrative of the indescribable Obadiah Keedle.

"A man so various that he seemed to be

Not one, but many men's epitome."

CHAPTER XX.

CERTAIN MEMBERS OF CERTAIN CHURCHES..

Colonel Henry Blumford, a member of an Orthodox Congregationalist church in Massachusetts, was a large and somewhat portly man. He was called the finest looking man in his town, and appeared to great advantage on horseback, in his regimentals; and it would not be slandering the Colonel, to say that he evidently felt considerable pride in managing a high-spirited charger. Some of his brethren thought there was too much of a martial air about him, and that he cared a little too much about military matters for a Christian. It must be acknowledged that he did appear to enjoy the din of the muster field full as much as he ought, but still he was a very good member of the church, a much better member than many others.

He was regular at meeting, never made any trouble for his minister, and was always ready