Page:Records of the Life of the Rev. John Murray.djvu/209

Rh and he was received by the immortal chief, with that urbanity which he so well knew to practise. The subject of the first sermon, preached on sabbath morning at the Camp, Jamaica Plains, was Psalm xliv. 1, 2, 3, and upon the evening of the same day, the last verse of the same Psalm. The Preacher was engaged occasionally at Jamaica Plains, and on Prospect Hill. Every morning at 7 o'clock, he met the several Regiments upon the parade; gradually the habits of swearing and the rough manners of the soldiery, yielded to the Christianized eloquence of their Chaplain, and his success in the army was indeed most wonderful. His benevolence, and benignity while there, is storied by many a tongue, we indulge ourselves by selecting an instance, which did not reach our ears, until since his decease. A detachment of the army were ordered to march, a river was to be forded, a poor soldier in years, and struggling with sickness, was tottering under his burden: the preacher instantly accoutred himself with the knapsack, arms, and cartouch box, and, thus arrayed, proceeded on, while the sufferer disencumbered, passed lightly over. The writer of this sketch, could furnish a series of similar anecdotes; often, when his finances have been at the lowest ebb, and the prodigious expense of living has produced distressing embarrassments, she has seen him extend to the necessitous, an extricating hand, and he not only indulged, and cherished, but invariably stimulated every charitable purpose of her soul.

General Washington, honoured the preacher with marked, and uniform attention; the Chaplains of the army united in petitioning the Chief, for the removal of the promulgator of glad tidings; the answer was handed them, in the general orders of the ensuing day, which appointed Mr. John Murray, Chaplain of the three Rhode Island Regiments, with a command from his Excellency,, that he should be respected accordingly. Mr. Murray's commission was made out, and delivered to him, when inclosing it in a respectfully polite letter of thanks, he returned it to the noble minded Chief, earnestly requesting permission to continue in the army, as a volunteer. General Washington, after perusing, folded the paper, and observed: "Mr. Murray is a young man now, he will live to be old, and repentance will be the companion of his age." The preacher lived to see this prediction fulfilled. Had he embraced the rich opportunity then presented he might have continued in the family of General Greene, whose friendship was unbroken, and where his abode was hailed as a distinguishing favour, his daily ratio would have augmented for his emolument, his salary would have accumulated, he would have retired upon