respondence with several gentlemen of distinction, in Great-Britain, which he maintained, until the commencement of hostilities interrupted the intercourse with that country; and which, with respect to most of them, he resumed and continued, after the restoration of peace. Among these gentlemen, were the Rev. Dr. Gillies, of Glasgow, the Rev. Dr. Gibbons, of London, the Rev. Dr. Price, of Hackney, and the Rev. Dr. Ryland, of Northampton. But among all his friends beyond the Atlantic, he prized the correspondence of none more than that of the Rev. Dr. Erskine, of Edinburgh, whose talents, learning, and fervent piety, rendered him eminent throughout Protestant Christendom. His epistolary intercourse with this venerable clergyman was constant and peculiarly affectionate, and continued till the death of Dr. Erskine, which took place seven or eight years before that of Dr. Rodgers*.

An incident connected with the correspondence with Dr. Erskine, impressed the writer of these pages very forcibly at the time of its occurrence. When Dr. Rodgers received the news of the death of that excellent man, he was himself recovering from a severe illness, and was deeply affected with the intelligence. After some pious remarks, and a reference to the circumstance of Dr. Erskine's age and his own being nearly the same; he added,

"I have now lost the last of my correspondents in Great "Britain. I believe I must open a correspondence with "Dr. Balfour, of Glasgow; as I do not wish to be without

a

friend on that side of the Atlantic, with whom I can "occasionally exchange letters." The writer acknowledges that the first impression made on his mind by this remark, from the lips of a man of 76 or 77 years of age, and then so feeble as not to be likely to live many months, was rather of the ludicrous kind. But a moment's reflection entirely removed this impression, and produced one of respect and admiration. It was the same firm, persevering, practical spirit, which had attended Dr. Rodgers through life, and had prompted him to so much active usefulness, which, on this occasion, led him, instead of giving up to inaction and languor, for the remainder of life, to go on laying new plans for exertion and enjoyment, as long as he had power to make an effort. The famous motto of Dr. Doddridge, Dum vivimus, vivamus, has an admirable application here. There is no doubt, that the premature dotage of many distinguished men, has arisen from their ceasing, in advanced life, to exert their faculties, under the impression that they were too old to engage in any new enterprise. If the spirit of Dr. Rodgers were more prevalent, old men would live with more comfort, and to more purpose.

CHAP. VI.

Septennium luctuosum, gloriosissimum.

1841

The period of his Exile from New-York, during the Revolutionary War.

IN the month of April, 1776, Dr. Rodgers was appointed chaplain to General Heath's brigade, consisting partly of militia, and partly of regular troops, enlisted for a short period. This brigade for several months, during the spring and summer of this year, was stationed near Greenwich, on New-York island. The Doctor, therefore, after placing his family at Greenfield, as before stated, under the hospitable roof of his excellent son-in-law, the Rev. Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Tennent, returned to the neighbourhood of the city, and faithfully attended to the duties of his chaplaincy. Whatever he did, he did with his might. He engaged, with his wonted zeal, in plans for benefiting the soldiery, and devoted himself to their best interests. He frequently, in subsequent years, pointed to a small grove near the spot on which the State Prison now stands, and

said, "That was my Church in the summer and autumn of 1776."

In the month of November of that year, having important private business to transact in the state of Georgia, he resigned his chaplaincy, and leaving his family still at Greenfield, he set out, by land, for Savannah. On this occasion, as well as every other of a similar kind, he made his journey a kind of evangelical mission; preaching, not only regularly on the sabbath; but also on the evenings of week days, when he found the people in those towns in which he arrived desirous of hearing the word, and in circumstances which admitted of their being readily convened for the purpose. He had much reason to believe that his labours in the course of that journey were useful to many individuals.

Having spent some time in Charleston, and the intermediate country, he reached Savannah in the month of January. Here he remained a number of weeks, in the house of his friend, the Rev. Dr. Zubly,* who revered and loved him,

*John Joachim Zubly, D. D. was a native of Switzerland. He came to america, and took charge of the Presbyterian church in Savannah, in the year 1760. He not only

and who had been his guest a short time before in New-York. In Savannah he found himself on ground which had been often trod by his illustrious friend, and spiritual father, Mr. Whitefield; and had an opportunity of contemplating the monuments of his pious zeal. The friends of that eminent servant of Jesus Christ, received and treated him with the most pointed respect; and testified their readiness to embrace with affection one who appeared to have drunk so deep

preached in that church, in the English language; but also in one neighbouring congregation in German, and in another in French. He was a member of the Provin cial Congress of Georgia, in 1775; but as he took the side of opposition to American independence, he incurred the frowns of a majority of his fellow-citizens; and be came, for the remainder of his life, less happy and less useful. Dr. Zubly was a man of strong mind, of great learning, and of eminent piety. His evangelical labours were zealous, unwearied, and extensively useful. The few and small publications which he made do honour to his memory. He died at Savannah, in 1781. Dr. Rodgers and he had a great respect for each other. The only subject on which they ever materially differed, was that of American independence. Dr. Zubly was much grieved in the course of the visit in question, at the decisive and ardent manner in which Dr. Rodgers prayed, in public and private, for the success of the arms, and the establishment of the independence, of America.