This chapter is dedicated to the most essential things of my life, from
my boyhood up to my twenty-first birth-day, March 4, 1833.
Sabbath morning, May, I feel thankful that I was not left without
parents in my childhood like many little children; I also feel grateful
that I had a pious mother, a kind and an affectionate father, to advise
and instruct me in the ways of truth and righteousness; I am happy
to-day because I listened to the sweet counsel of my mother and obeyed
the laws of the united head of the God-like pair who have crossed over
the river of death.
While I am writing, my mind is carried back to my boyhood and my school
days, and child-like plays of innocence, when all seemed like a little
paradise below; it gladdens my heart to review those pleasant days of
my childhood and call to memory many of my associates, and the little
plays and prattles we had together in our innocent days.
But a long time has intervened between those happy and youthful days,
and many joys, many sorrows and afflictions, trials, sufferings and
disappointments, and even death, has been the lot of many of the
little paradise family. Yet there are some who have arrived to man and
womanhood, became pious fathers and mothers, and even grandparents, and
are now occupying high and important places in the church of Christ and
community; these have come up through much tribulation, as says the
inspired writer.
In early life my mother taught me to say, "Our Father which art in
heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in
earth as it is in heaven." And when I came to riper years she taught
me to read the Holy Scriptures, and they were they that were the
power of God to my salvation, for in early life they were treasured
up in my heart; my mother often encouraged me to read the Bible, and
particularly on the Sabbath; when I was quite a small boy, she told me
if I would read the Bible through by course she would give me a new
one. I consequently commenced with all the eagerness of a saint and
continued until I had accomplished the great work, though but a child
when I commenced, early impressions made upon the tender mind while it
is not clogged with the cares of the world are not easily erased from
the mind.
Although I was once an innocent child and sat in my mother's lap, and
clung to her breast, being encircled in her arms for protection and
safety, and had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression
and had been dandled in the lap of paradise, yet I was born under the
law and in sin did my mother conceive me. I feel to bless the Lord my
God and Redeemer to-day that my parents taught me in early life to
read the Scriptures, and in them I found this passage, "As in Adam all
die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." If we are made alive to
Christ, then we become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ
to an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for us. Who will not sell all for such an
inheritance. Oh, young man, young lady! I ask you in the name of my
Master, sell all that you have and buy the truth, the pearl of great
price, and sell it not.
In early life the spirit of the Lord strove with me, when but a child
the tears of penitence would steal down my cheek in my wakeful moments,
and I can say as did Paul, "I was _alive_ once without the law, but
when the _commandments_ came, sin revived, and _I died_."
Let us ask the apostle Paul what he means by _life_, by the
_commandments_, by _death_. Paul, do you mean by this death, you was
unconscious? Oh! now, friends; previous to this death I was persecuting
the church under a mistaken notion, and had a conscience void of
offense toward God and man.
Then you mean, Paul, by this death, you was unhappy, and your
unhappiness was brought about by the coming of the commandments, and by
their being set home upon your heart with reviving energy by the Holy
Spirit?
Again, Paul, what do you mean by being alive once without the law? I
mean I was without the word of Christ that speaketh better things than
that of Abel. I was living under the Jewish dispensation, brought up
at the feet of Gamaliel, and acting under a mistaken faith. I verily
thought I was doing God service when I was persecuting the Church.
(Paul was mistaken.)
As my father was a mechanic in early life my mind ran in that
direction, and as I was a boy of rather feeble constitution, my parents
allowed me many hours to myself. I was a sort of errand-boy and kitchen
helper to my mother, as she had seven sons and but one daughter. I
acquired a knowledge of my father's trade by working in the shop from
time to time, but this did not seem to satisfy my mechanical genius,
my mind rather ran to machinery. I made my father's grain cradles and
horse rakes before the revolving rake was in use in this country. At
one time I made a little trundle-head apple paring machine, and I have
often heard remarked, one thing leads to another, and necessity is the
mother of invention. As I was the errand-boy I often had to go to the
neighbors to borrow fire, as there were no matches in those days. This
led me to make a machine of this kind, to produce fire. I cut out a
wher from a piece of steel, placed it upon an arbour, gave it a double
geer to give it speed, held a flint against it. I then had that which I
borrowed and never returned. (Fire.)
Parents often mistake in pointing out the line of business for their
children in regard to placing them to trades or professions. It is my
opinion, had my father chosen for me the machinists' art, I should not
have been a Jack of all trades, and workman at none, as the saying
is, although I have often regretted that my parents did not give me
greater opportunity to improve in the arts and sciences, I have no
cause to mourn that they did not train me up in the way a young man
should go; for in early life they pointed me to the Lamb of God who
taketh away the sins of the world; and this they did by precepts and by
their example.
Dear friends, if I have failed somewhat in literature, and in the arts
and sciences, for want of opportunity, I shall not have it to say
on the day of judgment, on the great day of accounts, that I had no
opportunity to make my calling and election sure, no! no! no!
He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that
believeth not, shall be damned.
This is the first doctrine our Emmanuel God taught the eleven after his
resurrection.
There is no ifs nor ands about this doctrine. There is a thus saith
the Lord for it; and this I believed in my youthful days; although,
when moved by the holy spirit, I often said: I am young, time enough
yet; and when I think how many there are called away by death under
the age of eighteen years, I feel thankful that God spared me till my
nineteenth, September, 1831.
Since I began to write my little history, I have been advised to give
it up, by old and young. One young man advised me so to do, that did
not know that the Lord's prayer was in the new testament; and like many
others could not say it correctly. Now I do not neglect my duty, as
I am traveling through this, to another world, stopping to listen to
every dog, and beat off every one that barks at me.
Enough has been said in the fore part of this little history to prepare
every truthful mind to listen with some interest to the religious
experience of the author.
August 29, 1831. Previous to this date the good Lord and Saviour having
often called me by the gentle influences of his gracious spirit,
now, upon this 29th day of August, 1831, gave me faith sufficient to
encourage me to ask him to be my friend and pardon and forgive my sins.
Faith is the gift of God, and without it no man can please the Lord.
Faith is brought about to sinful men oftentimes by the moving of the
holy spirit which guides into all truth. Whether the faith here given
me would be considered by the Christian world a living faith, the faith
that works by love and purifies the heart, it was the turning point to
better days.
Many days previous to the day herein alluded to my mind had been
wrought up to the subject of religion and the necessity of an interest
in Christ; my mind was saddened, my joys had fled and my soul was
stirred within me, and I exclaimed, "Oh, wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this death?" then I cried unto the
Lord and he heard me.
"When thou prayest," is the instruction of our Saviour, "enter into
thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door [the heart, the mind, the
soul, against all but Jesus] pray to thy Father which seeth in secret,
and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." There
is power in prayer.
Not only is there power in prayer with a wrestling Jacob and a
prevailing Israel, but our divine Redeemer manifested his willingness
to save the chief of sinners, by answering the prayer of the penitent
thief on the cross, by saying "this day thou shalt be with me in
paradise." I did not feel that I had been a thief or a robber, but
I felt I was a sinner lost forever without the pardoning grace of
God. "Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find," is the
encouragement given to every inquiring sinner by the divine Redeemer. I
felt at this time the necessity of prayer, and that of earnest, humble,
contrite prayer. I had been taught to say "our Father," but now, for
the first time, on the 29th of August, 1831, I retired in secret to
pray under the direction of that spirit that guides into all truth.
Having thus entered the closet I asked the Lord to have mercy on me a
sinner. This was in the evening of the 29th; I arose from my knees, but
oh, the darkness that gathered over my mind; I went to my bed but sleep
had departed from me; I often knelt in earnest prayer, day after day
I continued knocking at mercy's door, and praying for mercy to Him who
is the sinner's friend. One evening I went to the kitchen, when under
this tried state, and stood by the south window, in sadness. My mother
approached me, raised my hat, and kindly says, "Moses, what is the
matter, have you the cholic?" (knowing I was subject to it) "No, mam,"
said I, turning and looking out of the window and across the valley. I
saw a light (but it was from a neighboring window) and oh how brightly
it shone, for it was a dark night and had been for many days to my
soul, all my troubles subsided and I retired to rest, unconscious for
the night, that it was the Lord's work. In the morning I arose, entered
my closet, but my prayers were turned to thankful praise to Him who had
heard my prayers and I trust took my feet from the horrible pit and
miry clay; He put a new song into my mouth, even praise to His name.
And I could then say "whereas I was once blind now I see, the things
I once loved, I now hate, and the things I once hated I now love;
behold, all things have become new."
The first opportunity presented itself in a religious meeting. I arose
and said in so many words, draw near all ye that love the Lord and I
will tell you what the Lord has done for my soul.
From this glad hour I continued to entreat and exhort men to be
reconciled to God and become the followers of the Saviour, and I
rejoiced in God, the rock of my salvation; soon after my happy
concession I related the dealings of God with my soul, and was received
as a subject of christian baptism, and the 18th day of September, 1831,
I was baptised by Rev. I. Keach in the old Hoosick river, a few rods
above the bridge and falls; two young ladies, by name M. and E. Pierce,
were immersed at the same time.
I believe the wicked may forsake their ways through faith in Christ and
return unto the Lord who will have mercy upon them, and to our God and
he will abundantly pardon.
I believe it is impossible for an impenitent person to be happy while
persisting in sin.
I believe the finally impenitent will be turned into hell with all the
nations that forget God.
The day I was baptized I marched from the water's brink to the old
church, erected 1800, received the right hand of church fellowship and
it has never been withdrawn from me.
From this day I went on my way rejoicing, often exhorting, entreating
and trying to persuade my young associates to be reconciled to the
Saviour.
Still living with my parents, working on the farm during the summer
season and with my father in the shop in the fall, all went on
pleasantly; thus I lived at home till I arrived at the age of one and
twenty years of age, then I bade my parents, brothers and sister, good
morning, and left my little paradise home, and went out into the wide
and unfeeling world to gain my bread by the sweat of my brow, and to
withstand all the temptations of the devil, and the scoffs and sneers
of a wicked and gainsaying world.