New Haven · Membership and death references
South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 24
Uncorrected OCR. Name spellings, dates, symbols and column order may be wrong. Verify against the original scan. Includes an alphabetical past-member list, death dates and explanations of death and dismissal symbols. Also contains sermons and church history. A dismissal to another church is not a death.
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16 PRELIMINARY HISTORY. it rather as au experiment, to see what effect it would pro- duce upon my throat, that it uiiglit shed light upon my future path, and enable you tlie better to judge whether it would be prudent and wise for me to enter upon that invi- ting and important field of labor which you have, at so much expense, opened before me. To my own mind, the testimony furnished by this experiment, has been most painfully conclusive. I did not spend over an hour in jot- ting down the few thoughts I offered on that occasion, and yet, w^hen I entered the church, my whole frame was agi- tated, my nerves unstrung, ray throat inflamed and almost closed up, and when I returned home, I had a high fever, and for three days was confined to the house. There seems to be a connection, a strange sympathy, between my throat and all mental efforts. The least excitement only enhances tlie disease ; and as it is impossible for me to speak in pub- lic, and much less to preach the Gospel, without mental effort, and strongly excited feelings, I can see but little hope for me, — and I write this with a feeling heart and weeping eyes. " I have earnestly prayed, that if it be for the glory of God, this cup of disappointment might pass from me. 'Yet, not my will, but Thine, 0 Lord, be done,' must, and I trust ever will be, the language of my heart. I have often pictured to myself the happiness I should experience in once more returning to the duties of a pastoral life, after the shifting scenes through which I have passed, and of having my family located in such a place as New Haven, and of closing my ministerial labors in what would seem to be as near an earthly paradise as any thing I could imagine this Hide of Heaven; and it may be that my Heavenly Father has seen some lurking sin in these anticipations, that needs to be eradicated, ere I can ' be made meet for the inheritance of the children of light.' Or, it may be, that He sees some other one that could better fill that place, and that He has other work for me to do. At any rate, we cannot, we nmst not, shut our eyes to the clear in- dications of His providence, however tiiey may thwart our ])urposes or cross our inclinations. I need not say, that all that, human skill can do or devise, has been done in my case
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Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0024. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 24. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n26/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.
Historic U.S. publication before 1931; public-domain assessment based on publication date. Internet Archive does not necessarily provide an explicit license. Preserve publication and digitizing credits.
