Excerpt from A Discourse Delivered in the First Presbyterian Church in Newburyport, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1844: It Being the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Author's Ordination IT is with no ordinary emotions, that I appear in this desk to-day. Fifty years since, standing on this spot, I received in sacred charge, and with a trembling heart, a beloved peo ple. Little did I then think that my unworthy life would be prolonged to its present date or that aught but death could terminate that endearing connection. Twenty - four years since, the event, so unanticipated and so painful, took place. I gave you my parting, and, as I supposed, my final benedic tion. Little did I imagine that the scene would ever be renewed, or that anything analogous would ever arise. But your affectionate invitation, coming to my heart with all the force of a command, brings me again before you this day. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.