His

Of his awakenings, his deep compunction of soul on account of sin, and of his groanings to be delivered, I had a personal knowledge, as he unfolded his mind to me without reserve. convictions for sin were deep and genuine, and his life after his deliverance, manifested an undeviating attachment to the cause of religion.

From the date of the following document, which was found among his papers after his death, it appears that this solemn covenant transaction was entered into soon after his conversion. The making such a solemn surrender of himself to God, certainly evinces a mind most deeply impressed with religious truth, and the necessity of being entirely devoted to God, "soul, body and spirit." Here follows the covenant as found in his own hand writing, whether borrowed from some author and adopted as his own, or whether of his own composing, the writer of this memoir cannot determine.

"O most dreadful God! by the passion of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer, I beseech Thee accept of thy poor prodigal now prostrating himself at thy door of mercy. I have fallen from Thee by mine iniquities, and am by nature a son of death, and a thousand-fold more a child of hell by my wicked practice; but of thine infinite grace Thou hast promised mercy to me in Christ, if I will but turn to Thee with all my heart: therefore upon the call of thy gospel I am now come in, and throwing down my weapons, submit myself to thy mercy.

"And because Thou requirest as the condition of my peace with Thee, that I should put away mine idols, and be at defiance with all thine enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against Thee, I here from the bottom of mine heart renounce them all, firmly covenanting with Thee, not to allow myself in any known sin, but conscientiously to use all the means that I know Thou hast prescribed for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions; and whereas I formerly inordinately and idolatrously set my affections upon the world, I do here resign my heart to Thee, my God, that madest it, humbly protesting before Thy Glorious Majesty, that it is the firm resolution of my heart, and that I do unfeignedly desire grace from Thee, that when Thou shalt call me hereunto, I may practice this my resolution, to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world, rather than turn from Thee to the ways of sin; and that I will watch against all its temptations, whether of prosperity or adversity, lest they should withdraw my heart from Thee, beseeching Thee also to keep me against the temptations of Satan, to whose wicked suggestions I resolve, by thy grace, never to yield; and because my own righteousness is but filthy rags, I renounce all confidence therein, and acknowledge that I am of myself a hopeless, helpless, undone creature without righteousness or strength.

"And forasmuch as Thou hast, of Thy unbounded mercy, offered most graciously to me wretched sinner, to be again my God through Christ, if I would accept of Thee, I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I do here solemnly avouch Thee for the Lord my God, and with all possible veneration bowing the neck of my soul under the

feet of Thy most sacred Majesty, I do here take the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, for my portion, and do give up myself, body and soul for thy servant: promising and vowing to serve Thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life; this by the assistance of divine grace is my sincere determination, a determination that I will never retract so long as I am assisted by the grace I need.

"And since Thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ, the only means of coming unto Thee, I do here upon the bended knees of my soul, accept of him as the only new and living way, by which sinners may have access to Thee; and do here solemnly join myself in a marriage covenant with him.

"O blessed Jesus! I come to thee hungry, wretched, miserable, blind and naked; a most loathsome and polluted wretch, a guilty condemned malefactor: unworthy to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord, much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glory; but such is thy unparalleled love, I do here with all my powers accept Thee, and take Thee for my Head and Husband, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, for all times and conditions. To love, honour and obey Thee before all others, and this to the death. I embrace Thee in all thine offices: I renounce mine own worthiness, and do here avow Thee for the Lord my Righteousness. I renounce mine own wisdom, and do here take Thee for my only Guide. I renounce mine own will, and take Thy will for my law. And since Thou hast told me I must suffer if I will reign, I do here covenant with Thee to take my lot as it falls with Thee, and by Thy grace assisting, to run all hazards with Thee, verily purposing, that neither life nor death shall part between Thee and me.

"And because Thou hast been pleased to give me Thy holy laws as the rule of my life, and the way in which I should walk to Thy kingdom, I do here willingly put my neck under Thy yoke, and set my shoulder to Thy burden, and subscribing to all Thy laws as holy, just and good, I solemnly take them as the rule of my words, thoughts and actions; promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel, I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to Thy direction, and will not allow myself in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty.

"Now Almighty God, Searcher of hearts, Thou knowest that I make this covenant with Thee this day without any known guile or reservation, beseeching Thee, that if Thou espiest any flaw or falsehood therein, Thou wouldst discover it to me, and help me to do it aright. And now, glory be to Thee, O God, the Father, whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father; that ever Thou shouldst find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners. Glory be to Thee O God the Son, who hast loved me, and washed me from my sins in thine own blood, and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer. Glory be to Thee O God the Holy Ghost, who by the finger of thine Almighty power hast turned about my heart from sin to God.

"O dreadful Jehovah, the Lord God Omnipotent, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Thou art now become my covenant friend, and I through thine infinite grace am become Thy covenant servant. Amen.

"And the covenant which I make on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. "July 16, 1819. LANCASTER B. DUSINBERY."

Of his marriage to HARRIET, we have already spoken. And that their union was crowned with the blessing of God no one can doubt. HARRIET was the choice of his heart, and the delight of his eyes. To make her happy, seemed to be the utmost of his earthly wishes; and his enjoyment in this respect was doubly heightened, by the kind returns he received from the beloved partner of his joys and sorrows. Providence cemented their union still stronger, if that were possible, by making them the parents of two lovely babes, both of whom are now helpless orphans, not of sufficient age to know how to estimate their loss in the death of so valued a father and mother. But if they live to mature age the sadly joyful tale will be told them, of the love of LANCASTER and HARRIET, and that these, who were so lovely in their lives, were their parents. They will then erect a monument to their memory, on which they may in vain attempt to inscribe their worth.

LANCASTER, like HARRIET, was ever devising liberal things. Having received a good education in his youth, and maturing his judgment in riper years by a close application to business; and also having his heart fired with love to God and man, he could not eat his morsel alone; he was both qualified and willing to do good to his fellow men. Fired with a laudable zeal for the Redeemer's glory, when the Young Men's Missionary Society was formed in the year 1820, he became an active member of the Board of Managers, and was appointed to the responsible office of Treasurer. In this capacity, he did not linger at his post, but was punctual, active, and successful. He went from place to place, soliciting donations and subscriptions, and evinced the purity of his zeal by the disinterestedness of his conduct.

When the Church called for aid in pecuniary matters, LANCASTER became Secretary to a Board that was formed to solicit help to relieve its debt. In this capacity, as one of the Trustees has observed to me since his death, he was exceedingly active and successful, exciting wherever he had any influence, a spirit of benevolence in behalf of the Church. He neither lingered nor loitered in his way.

At the formation of the Asbury Library, an institution well calculated to diffuse useful information among the people, particularly the youth, our beloved brother was one of its active agents, devoting himself to its interests, and was unanimously chosen Secretary to the Board of Managers. Whatever station he filled, he was punctual and prompt in the performance of its duties, and always assiduous in promoting the interests of the community.

We are not able to speak so particularly in regard to the pri vate exercises of his mind, as it respects religious things, as we have of HARRIET, as he has no notices of these in writing; but if we may be allowed to judge of a tree by its fruits, we shall be VOL. VII.

23

warranted in concluding that his piety was genuine, and his attachment to the cause of Christ strong and uniform.

Neither did his benevolence assume any tincture of ostentation. Diffident and modest in his general deportment, his zealous activity excited no envious suspicions, nor gave offence to any one, but provoked the loving jealousy of others to love and good works. The amiableness of his disposition, the friendliness of his demeanour, and his Christian courtesy and kindness, attracted the affection of them all, and bound them to his heart.

Such was LANCASTER in his life. Surely no husband and wife, no companion or friend, no philanthropists could be more lovely in their lives. I may seem to exaggerate, but it is not my intention. The warmth of friendship, which still glows in my breast, arising from an intimate acquaintance, may incline me to transcend the bounds of reality-for I confess their lovely image still lives in my imagination, and will long live to instruct me how to live; and much more to teach me,

"How vain are all things here below,

How false, and yet how fair;"

as well as how to die. For even this lovely pair, so happy, so promising, so affectionate, so useful, surrounded with so much of earthly good, and withal enjoying so much of the benedictions of heaven, were cut down like the flower, and their place in the Church, in the societies of which they were such beloved and useful members, is no more found.

This leads me to notice,

In respect to the
The "insatiate
HARRIET fell

2. That in their death they were not divided. time of their death, they were scarcely divided. archer" shot twice, and twice its victim slew. first; but in her fall, the deadly arrow flew from her heart, and fastened in the vitals of her beloved LANCASTER-He reeled but a few times before the poisoned quiver laid him low in death, seventeen days after the death of his lovely HARRIET.

As HARRIET first fell, I shall first proceed to narrate her fall. She was seized with a fever, which, at first, seemed to assume no very alarming aspect. Her sufferings, indeed, were great, but were borne with patience. In about two weeks after her confinement, her affectionate husband called on me in tears, and with a faultering voice solicited me to come to his house, for that his HARRIET was about to die. I hasted to the house of mourning, and found the sufferer struggling with a most violent fever, and to all human appearance, in the last stage of the disease. I found her mind comfortable, though not in the enjoyment of that unclouded evidence of God's love which her soul desired. I endeavoured to administer to her the consolations of religion, by directing her mind to Jesus the Friend of sinners, and much more the Friend of saints-for such I doubted not she

was. After praying with her, and baptizing her youngest child, then about two months old, I left her. On my next visit a few days afterwards, I found her struggling in the agonies of death, but her spirit was "triumphant in Jesus' love." Her mourning and weeping husband, who was so soon to follow, and who hung over his dear HARRIET with the fondest affection, embracing her cold hand and lips, told me that last evening, she broke out in a rapture, and repeated the following lines:

"All o'er those wide extended plains,

Shines one eternal day;

There God the Son for ever reigns,
And scatters night away.

No chilling winds nor pois'nous breath,
Can reach that healthful shore;
Sickness and sorrow, pain and death,
Are felt and fear'd no more.

When shall I reach that happy place,
And be for ever blest?

When shall I see my Father's face,

And in his bosom rest!

Fill'd with delight, my raptur'd soul,

Would here no longer stay!

Though Jordan's waves around me roll,
Fearless I'd launch away."

While I stood by her bed, she bid her little brothers and sisters an affectionate farewell, exhorting them to love and serve God, to be loving one to another, and obedient to their Father and mother. "Ŏ!" said she, "I am going to Jesus! Death has no terror! My soul shall soon launch into the boundless ocean of redeeming love," and many more expressions of a similar import. On taking her by the hand, which was already cold in death, she exerted all her remaining strength, pressed it to her dying lips, and with the utmost affection bid me farewell, saying, brother B. I shall see you in glory!" I shall never forget this tender scene. Her eyes rolled in their sockets, sparkling with celestial joy, and beaming with the kindest affection to all around, while her breast heaved in agony, and her hands assumed the purple of death. I left her at about five o'clock, and about seven her spirit departed, and "left the dull body behind."

According to HARRIET's dying request, LANCASTER, with his two motherless babes, removed to the house of her parents. His heart was bound up in that of HARRIET'S. Though he manifested an humble acquiescence to the adorable will of God, yet he could not but feel acutely on an occasion like this. Sorrow preyed upon his spirits. He resumed, however, his business for a few