Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/213

 PISCATAQUA ASSOCIATION. 187

Fifty years ago the meetings of the Piscataqua Association were held with the different pastors, and occupied two days. At that time Rev. Israel W. Putnam, D. D., had been ten years the pastor of the North church in Ports- mouth, the largest in the State, and which had been blessed by repeated and powerful revivals of religion. After a pastorate of twenty years. Dr. Putnam was dismissed in 1S35 ; and performed a long ministry in Middleborough, Massachusetts.

Rev. Josiah Webster, of Hampton, was at that time one of our oldest men in the ministry, and was settled over the church in Hampton, the oldest in the State. His preaching at times produced a strong impression, and he enjoyed several seasons of refreshing, in one of which fifty persons were gathered into his church. His ministry of thirty years was closed by his death, after he had preached the ordination sermon of his son, to be Seaman's Chap- lain at Constadt in Russia.

In North Hampton, Rev. Jonathan French, d. d., was settled in iSoi, and retired from responsible service in 1 85 1. It was said that he was settled in a storm, but he outrode it, and was one of the happiest examples of a parish minister which has been known among us. To whatever duty he was called, he was always in his place, and did everything well. A man of modest preten- sions, but in later life in all public meetings he was a standing moderator. When the degree of d. d. was conferred upon him, he understood it, he said, as designed to make him equal to his brethren (a fact which in this way is not always a compliment).

Rev. Jacob Cummings, was the fourth pastor of the church in Stratham ; a sound scholar and theologian ; and always ready to give interest to the meeting of ihe .-Association. His church, he found in a low condition, but by patient continuance in well-doing, it was raised in eleven years to a good degree of prosperity. Mr. Cummings was dismissed at his own request, in 1834 ; and afterwards had a long and useful ministry in Hillsborough. Among the promi- nent men in the Association fifty years ago. was Rev. Wm. T. Rowland of Exeter. He was then closing a ministry of nearly forty years, during which time one hundred and twenty-eight persons were received to his church. His successor was Rev. John Smith, a faithful and devoted pastor, who in nine years received one hundred and seventy persons to his church. As was reported at the time, Mr. Smith was allowed to pass away to afford an oppor- tunity of securing an abler man, — an abler man it may have been was found, but trouble there with.

Rev. Chester Cotton closed his pastorate of a dozen years in Brentwood, in 1825. To him the people had become much attached. Under his labors they had enjoyed a precious season of revival, which was long remembered in the place. About seventy during his ministry were gathered into the church.

The people of this place for three or four years, enjoyed the labors of Rev. Jonathan Ward, a venerable man in advanced life. He taught the people by his own example how to live, and by his preaching what to believe, he strengthened the church, and gathered a good number into it. He spent his last years with his daughter in that place, and preached much in the neighboring towns. His early ministry had been in Maine, and in after years in Plymouth, N. H. He sought not the things of this world, but was eminently a man of prayer and faith ; he went to God for the supply of his wants. A young minister who had been benefited by his preaching, once called upon him near the close of his life, and inquired as to his hopes for the future. His reply was : "I have not thought much about that of late, my thoughts have been upon the coming of the kingdom of God. As to myself, I am a great sinner, but I have a great

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