In his first religious exercises, he was led to dig deep into his own heart, where he found such opposition and rebellion, that when he obtained pardon, he attributed it to sovereign grace alone; which sentiment, so interwoven in his own soul, he ever proclaimed aloud to a dying world. Nothing appeared to be more disgustful to his mind, than to hear works and grace mixed together, as the foundation of a sinner's hope. To hold forth the Lamb of God as a piece of a Saviour; or to consider the selfexertions of a natural man, to be the way unto Christ, the true and only way, were extremely displeasing to that soul of his, which delighted so much in proclaiming eternal love, redeeming blood, and matchless grace.

Sound judgment, correct principles, humble demeanor, with solemn sociability, marked all his public improvements, and mingled with all his conversation in smaller circles, or with individuals.

In him, young preachers found a father and a friend; distressed churches, a healer of breaches; and tempted souls a sympathizing guide. From his first coming into this place, until he was seventy years old, he was a father to the Baptist churches in Berkshire and its environs, and in some sense an apostle to them all.

His many painful labors for the salvation of sinners, the peace of the churches, and purity of the ministers, will never be fully appreciated, until the time when he shall stand before his Judge, and hear the words of his mouth, "Well done good and faithful servant."

The character which I have drawn of the life and labors of the man, who now lies sleeping in death before our eyes, many of you know to be true. From the sternness of his eyes and the blush of his face, a stranger would have been led to conclude that he was sovereign and self-willed in his natural habit of mind; but on acquaintance, the physiognomist would have been agreeably disappointed. He has so much self-government, that he has been heard to say, that, except when he had the small-pox, he never found it hard to keep from speaking at any time, if his reason told him it was best to forbear; and no man possessed finer feelings, or treated the characters of others with more delicacy than he did. He had an exalted idea of the inalienable rights of conscience; justly appreciated the civil rights of man, and was assiduous to keep his brethren from the chains of ecclesiastical power.

His preaching was both sentimental and devotional; and his life so far corresponded with the precepts which he taught, that none of his hearers could justly reply, "Physician, heal thyself."

A number of revivals have taken place in the town and congregation where he has resided and preached, and a number of ministers have been raised up in the church of which he was pastor.

For about ten years his physical and mental powers have been on the decline, and how many times have we heard him rejoice, that others in

creased though he decreased; but his superannuation was not so great as lo prevent the whole of his usefulness, and his hoary head was a crown of glory unto him.

A number of times he has been heard to pray, that he might not outlive his usefulness, which has been remarkably answered in his case, for the Sunday before he died, he preached to the people--he preached his last.

The disease which closed his mortal life, denied his friends the solemn pleasure of catching the balm of life from his lips, in his last moments. He had finished his work before, and nothing remained for him to do but to die. Socrates, the patient philosopher, said to have never been angry in his life, when dying, was vexed. The cause was this: his pupils asked him what he would have them do with his body after he was dead. To whom he sternly replied, "have I been so long with you, and taught you no better? After I am dead, what you see will not be Socrates. Socrates will then be among the gods." The improvement which I now make on the words of this philosopher is this: what we see here lying before our eyes, is not Werden, this is but the shell: his soul is now among the angels and saints in light, before the throne of glory. I will not say that his soul is under the altar with others, crying, "how long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth," because he did not offer his life on the altar of martyrdom; but I have an unshaken belief that his soul has left all its tribulation, being washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb, and is now basking in the sun-beams of immortal noon.

Let the inhabitants of Cheshire reflect a moment on the dealings of God towards them. Within about three years, three ministers, belonging to Cheshire, have departed this life. The pious Mason took the lead—the pleasing Covell followed after—and now the arduous Werden, who has been in the ministry a longer term than any Baptist preacher left behind, in New England, has finished his course, in the eightieth year of his age, while Leland remains alone to raise this monument over their tombs.

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The ten following hymns were published as early as 1809:—

EVENING HYMN.

The day is past and gone,

The evening shades appear;

O may we all remember well

The night of death draws near.

We lay our garments by,

Upon our beds to rest;

So death will soon disrobe us all
Of what we've here possessed.

Lord, keep us all this night,
Secure from all our fears;
May angels guard us while we sleep,
Till morning light appears.

And if we early rise,

And view th' unwearied sun,
May we set out to win the prize
And after glory run.

And when our days are past,

And we from time remove,
O may we in thy bosom rest,—
The bosom of thy love.

INVITATION TO PILGRIMS.

Wand'ring pilgrims, mourning Christians,

Weak and tempted lambs of Christ,

Who endure great tribulation,

And with sin are much distressed;

Christ hath sent me to invite you,
To a rich and costly feast;
Let not shame nor pride prevent you,→→
Come, the rich provision taste.

If you have a heart lamenting,
And bemoan your wretched case,
Come to Jesus Christ repenting;
He will give you gospel grace;
If you want a heart to fear him,

Love and serve him all your days;
Come to Jesus Christ and ask him;
He will guide you in his ways.

If your heart is unbelieving,
Doubting Jesus' pard'ning love,
Lie hard by Bethesda waiting
Till the troubled waters move.
If no man appear to help you,

All their efforts prove but talk,
Jesus, Jesus, he can heal you,

Rise, take up your bed and walk.

If, like Peter, you are sinking
In the sea of unbelief,

Wait with patience, constant praying,
Christ will send you sweet relief;
He will give you grace and glory,
All your wants shall be supplied;
Canaan, Canaan, lies before you,
Rise and cross the swelling tide.

Death shall not destroy your comfort,
Christ will guard you thro' the gloom;
Down he'll send a heavenly envoy,
To convey your spirit home;

There, you'll spend your days in pleasure,
Free from every want and care;
Come, oh come, my blessed Saviour,
Fain my spirit would be there.

THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST.

Now the Saviour stands a pleading,

At the sinner's bolted heart;

Now in heaven he's interceding,

Undertaking sinner's part;

Now he pleads his sweat and blood-shed,

Shows his wounded hands and feet;
Father, save them, though they're blood-red,
Raise them to a heavenly seat.

Sinners, hear your God and Saviour,
Hear his gracious voice to-day;
Turn from all your vain behaviour,
O repent, return, and pray;
Open now your hearts before him,
Bid the Saviour welcome in,
O receive and glad adore him,
Take a full discharge from sin.

Now he's waiting to be gracious,
Now he stands and looks at thee;
See, what kindness, love and pity,
Shine around to you and me ;

Sinners, can you hate that Saviour? Can you thrust him from your arms? Once he died for your behaviour,

Now he calls you by his charms.

O be wise, before you languish
On a bed of dying strife;
Endless joy or endless anguish,
Turn upon th' events of life;
Come, for all things now are ready,
Yet there's room for many more;
O ye blind, ye lame and needy,
Come to grace's boundless store.

Blessed be God for all,

For all things here below,

For pain, and grief, and joy and thrall, To my advantage grow.

Blessed be God for shame,

For slander and disgrace;

Welcome reproach for Jesus' name,

And his redeeming grace.

Blessed be God for loss,

For loss of earthly things;

For every scourge and every cross,
Me nearer Jesus brings.

Blessed be God for want

Of raiment, health and food; I live by faith, I scorn to faint, For all things work for good.

Blessed be God for pain,

Which tears my flesh like thorns, It crucifies the carnal man,

To God my soul returns.

Blessed be God for doubts,
Which he has overcome;
My soul in full assurance shoots,
Of being seen at home.

Blessed be God for fears

Of sin, and death, and hell;

When Christ, who is my life, appears, I shall in glory dwell.

Blessed be God for friends;

Blessed be God for foes;

Blessed be God whose gracious ends,

No finite creature knows.