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compassionated the distressed, relieved the poor, was the orphan's friend, a kind husband, tender parent, a lover of good men, and an exemplary christian. He died, 6 November, 1757, anno ætatis 59.

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MASS.

492. Note. The rev. SAMUEL HOPKINS of West Springfield, an eminent minister of the gospel, died in the year 1755, about 60 years of age. He was the author of Memoirs of the Housatunnuk Indians. The subject of the following article was his second son.

HADLEY, MASS.

493, Sacred to the memory of the rev. SAMUEL HOPKINS, D. D. who, in christian duty exemplary, in friendship frank and sincere, in prudence and meekness eminent; able in counsel, a pattern of piety and purity, ever upright and honourable in conduct, the epitome of the heart; as a peacemaker blessed, as a minister of Christ, skilful and valiant in the truth; having, with ability and charity, long magnified his holy office, and served God and his generation faithfully; fell asleep, 8 March, A. D. 1811, in

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the 82 year of his age and the 57 of his min istry.

Note. The following paragraphs are selected from a sermon on 2 Chron. 24. 15, 16, delivered at the funeral of doctor Hopkins, by the rev. Joseph Lyman, D. D. of Hatfield, which is before the publick.

"Doctor Samuel Hopkins, whose remains are before us, was descended from reputable parents, distinguished for the rich endowments of their minds and the eminent piety of their lives. His father was the rev. Samuel Hopkins, of West Springfield, who, for thirty-five years, was the worthy and much respected minister of the church and people in that town. His mother was the eldest daughter of the sev. Timothy Edwards of East Windsor in Connec ticut. The deceased was their second son, born the 20 October, old style, A. D. 1729. From his youth he was of a serious mind and of a disposition peculiarly amiable. He has said, that if his heart had ever been inclined to make religion his choice and to close with Christ as his Saviour, he must at tribute it under God to the fervent and christian counsels and instructions of his pious mother, who was, painfully, attentive to his spiritual interests from his early childhood.

"Having a mind bent upon science and literature, he was favoured by his father with a publick education and was graduated, at Yale college, A. D. 1749. For his distinguished attainments in literatore, he was appointed, in 1751, a tutor of the

same college, in which office he laboured for three years. In 1752, he made a publick profession of religion and was admitted to the communion of the church under the pastoral care of his father.

He was ordained over the church and congregation in this town, on the last wednesday of Febru ary, 1755. In the year following he formed a matrimonial connection with mrs. Sarah Williams, whose virtues will be held in respect, and whose memory will be precious to all, who were favoured by an ac quaintance with her. She was the relict of the rev. Chester Williams, the respectable and beloved pastor of this church, who was taken off from his work, in the midst of life and usefulness. She was the daughter of the honourable judge Porter. By her second marriage, her five orphan children came under the guardianship and instruction of one of the best and most faithful fathers. The abiding sense of their obligations to a father, so good and impar. tial, will not permit their lips to be silent in his praises, in the expressions of their gratitude.

66 By his first marriage, doc. Hopkins was blessed with a numerous family of nine children, all of whom, excepting his eldest son, an amiable youth of fair promise, now survive him and are settled in families of their own. His children and numerous decendants have profited, greatly, by his parental attention to their temporal interests, by his example of industry, economy, and charity, by his remarkable talents in family government, but, most of all, by his holy life, his faithful religious coun

sels, and fervent prayers for them at the throne of grace. For years to come, his descendants will have occasion to rise up and bless his memory and show their humble gratitude to God, by following the example of a father, so wise, and so provident of their best interests in the present and future world. "He lived happily and joyfully, with the wife of his youth, for the term of eighteen years, when he was called to the sore and afflicting trial of a separation by her death.

"Nearly three years after, he formed a second reputable and happy connection with miss Margaret Stoddard, a worthy branch of a worthy and honourable family. In this union he continued for twenty years, until October, 1796, when his former grief's and sorrows were renewed, by her sudden removal from him. From that period, until the time of his departure, he lived in the solitary state of widowhood, comforted and supported, as we trust, by the assiduous discharge of his ministerial duties, by the filial attentious of his children, and, above all, by a greater nearness to God.

"When we leave the circle of domestick life and follow the deceased into the intercourses of private and personal friendship, we shall continue to find abundant reason to esteem and respect him. The frank sincerity of his heart and the hilarity of his manners, tempered by prudence while they were seasoned with pleasantry, made him the chosen companion of persons of all ages and of all grades in society. In all companies, he made himself ac

ceptable and by seasonable reflections and useful hints, which dropped easily from his tongue, all were delighted and all might be improved and made better. Seldom have we seen so much innocent pleasantry mingled with so much solid sentiment and profitable instruction.

"In his friendships, I have seldom known his equal for constancy and fidelity. No man ever made it more his duty to reprove in others what he found amiss. Yet his manner of reproof was so timely, so well chosen, so frank and sincere, so kind, meek, and benevolent, that the bonds of friendship and confidence were strengthened by these difficult and painful offices of love. He was remarkable for reproving faithfully without giving unnecessary pain or leaving any impressions of offence.

"As a minister in the house of God, doctor Hopkins was well versed in those branches of science connected with his sacred profession. Deeply read In the science of theology, by a strength of mind more than common, he made a happy progress and was an able and sound divine. Extensively acquainted with the doctrines of christianity, he was well able to vindicate and defend the faith delivered to the saints."

Many other things are said of this worthy character, from which it may safely be inferred, that he was truly one of the excellent of the earth. The author of this Collection regrets that, with regard

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