The Life of the Rev. Elisha Macurdy

/ THE LIFE OP MAGURDY. 7 OF THE REV. ELISHA MACURDY APPENDIX CONTAINING BRIEF NOTICES OF VARIOUS DECEASED MINISTERS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. BY DAVID ELLIOTT, Professor of Theology in the Western Theological Seminary, Allegheny, Penn'a. ALLEGHENY: KENNEDY & BROTHER, FEDERAL STREET. PHILADELPHIA: WILLIAM S. MARTIEN, No. 37, SOUTH SEVENTH STREET. 1848. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by the REV. DAVID ELLIOTT, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. PREFACE There is great difficulty in writing the history of the early Ministers of this part of the church, owing to the fact that they have gener- ally left few written memorials of their lives and labours. This difficulty, the Author of the following Memoir had to encounter, as no man- uscripts were left by Mr. Macurdy, except a few fragments, which were of little use. To sup- ply this defect, he was obliged to have recourse to such other means of information, as were within his reach. Providentially, he had been thrown into close intercourse with Mr. Macurdy for several years preceding his death. During that period, he took occasion to elicit from him detailed accounts of his own history, and of transactions with which he had been personally VI PREFACE. connected. In this way, he obtained much of that which is now presented to the pubhc. He had access, also, to the Records of the Board of Trust of the Western Missionary Society, and to some pubhshed notices of the great Revival of 1802, as contained in the Western Missionary Magazine. He, moreover, embraced every op- portunity which occurred to converse with ministers and others who were supposed to have any knowledge of the facts which he wished to pro- cure. By a careful comparison of the information derived from these various sources, he flat- ters himself that he has been enabled to attain entire historical accuracy in his statements. He is aware that the details, in some parts of the work, may be thought to be too minute. But, without such minuteness, his object would not have been fully attained. The Author was desirous to exhibit, in the details of his private and public labours, the true character of one of the early ministers of the Presbyterian church in Western Pennsylvania, who had been educated on the ground, and who, in the earlier periods of her history, had assisted in moulding PREFACE. Vll her character. This could only be done, by pursuing the course which he has adopted. In the Appendix, containing short notices of those deceased Ministers, whose names have been incidentally introduced into the body of the narrative,—and which are referred to by numerical figures,—the reader will find some statistical information respecting them, which may be useful in aiding farther investigation, by fixing dates and furnishing starting points for inquiry. In relation to these notices, it may be proper to say, that they are the results of careful examination, and the facts have been collated with considerable labour. In most cases, refer- ence has been had to official records as furnished by the stated Clerks of Presbyteries ; and where these were not accessible, to such other statements, verbal or written, as were deemed most worthy of credit. And, when in any case cer- tainty could not be attained, the want of it has been indicated by some qualifying expression. To the stated Clerks of the various Presbyteries, through whose kindness he has been furnished with much information, and to the many other VIU PREFACE. individuals who aided him by the communica- tion of facts, the Author tenders his most grate- ful acknowledgments. December, 1847. — CONTENTS CHAPTER I. His birth—Early life—Efforts to sustain the family—First serious impressions—Conversion—Public profession of religion—Ac- tive zeal—His mind directed towards the ministry—Enters upon his studies—Residence at Canonsburgh—First acquaintance with Philip Jackson, "the praying Elder-- —His marriage—His license to preach the gospel, _ - . - 13 CHAPTER H, His first sermon—Missionary tour to Erie—Second tour—Invita- tions to settle—Declines their acceptance—Urgency of the churches—His perplexity—Accepts the call to Cross Roads and Three Springs—State of things in the church at the time of his settlement—Plans of instruction and pastoral labour Temperance efforts—Whiskey at a funeral—Stage coach Mr. and Mrs. Colt—Cases of spiritual conflict, - - - 29 CHAPTER HI. Early revivals in Western Pennsylvania—State of things in 1801 and 1802—Female prayer meeting—A text and sermon Commencement of the revival in Three Springs—Communion Sabbath—First appearance of the bodily exercise—Progress of the work—Sacrament at Cross Roads—Great meeting at Upper Buffalo—« War Sermon"—Children affected—Meet- ing in a school hDuse, ----.-.-55 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. The bodily exercise described—Examples—Its invariable antece- dent—Mr. Johnston's account—Beyond the power of its sub- jects to control—Character of the preaching—Treatment of the anxious—A vision—Care in the admission of persons to the church—Men and measures employed—Continuance of the revival —Its character—Theories respecting the bodily exercise— Dr. Hoge—Dr. Baxler— Difficulties— Solution — Sickness of Mr. Macurdy—Death of Philip of Jackson—No- tices and anecdotes respecting hinij - _ _ _ _ 79 CHAPTER V. Mr. Macurdy's missionary spirit—Origin of the Western Mission- ary Society and Board of Trust—Missions to the Wyandot and other Indian tribes on the Sandusky—Rev. G. M. Scott's visit to them—Barnett—His history—Meets the Presbytery of Ohio—Leaves his son John with Mr. Macurdy—Openly espouses the cause of religion—John Barnett taken away by his mother—Mr. Badger Missionary at Sandusky—Difficulties —Mr. Macurdy's first visit to Sandusky—-Remains at the sta- tion and teaches—His management of the Indians—Defeats their attempt to take the property of the Society—Returns home—His second visit—Mission suspended on account of the war^—Barijett's baptism and that of his children, - - - 104 CHAPTER VI. Visit to Cornplanter—Third visit to Sandusky—Difficulties in exploring the country—Offer of the Indians—Its acceptance re- commended—Mr. Macurdy appointed to go out again—De- clines—Messrs. Swift and Law's exploring tour— School at Greenfield suspended—Mission established at Maumee—Mr. Macurdy's first visit to Maumee—Procures a site and com- mences the erection of buildings—Mission family organized «—Mr. Tait—Mr. Robbins—Mr. Macurdy's second vijsit to Maumee—His illness, and return home—Transfer of the Mission to the United Foreign Missionary Society—His third visit to Maumee—His fourth and last visit—Estimate of his CONTENTS. XI Missionary labours^-His exertions on behalf of Indian Mis- sions—Results of these missionary efforts, ----.=. 133 CHAPTER VIL Miscellaneous facts—Col. Rutgers—Dr. Jennings' first appearance in the Gen. Assembly—Mr. Macurdy and an Elder—Rebuke of a noisy professor—His treatment of a quack doctor—Death of Mrs. Macurdy—Tribute to her character—His second marriage—Revival in his church— Its effects—Rouse and Watts —Sermon at Washington before Gen. Jackson—Resignation of his charge-- subsequent labours —Convention of 1842—His farewell address—Last time at church—Private efforts to do good, 167 CHAPTER Vm. His confinement to his house—Various conversations with the author from January 25, 1843, to July 22, 1845~His last words —His death—Funeral, _-__-__----- 195 CHAPTER IX. Traits of Character—Decision—Energy—Discernment—Liberality —Missionary Spirit—Piety, ----------- 232 APPENDIX. Brief notices of the following deceased ministers, viz: James Hughes, John M'Pherrin, James Finley, John Boyd, James Boyd, William Morehead, George Hill, James Dunlap, D.D., Jacob Jennings, Joseph W. Henderson, John Black, William Speer, John M'Millan, D. D., James Power, D. D., William Swan, John Watson, Joseph Stockton, Thomas Marquis, Jo- eeph Smith, David Smith, Ezekiel Glasgow, John Anderson, D. D. Thomas E. Hughes, John Clark, William Woods, Thaddeus Dodd, John Brice, George M. Scott, Joseph Patterson, Sam'l Porter, Joseph Badger, Michael Law, Samuel Tait, Obadiah Jennings, D. D,, Clement Vallandingham, ------ 246 THE LIFE REV. ELISHA MACURDY. CHAPTER I. His Birth—Early Life—Efforts to Sustain the Family—First Serious Impressions—Public Profession of Religion—Active Zeal—His Mind directed towards the Ministry—Enters upon his Studies—Residence at Canonsburgh—First acquaintance with Philip Jackson, "the Pray- ing Elder"—His Marriage—His License to Preach the Gospel. The Rev. Elisha Macurdy, the subject of the following memoir, was the son of John Macurdy, of Chester county, Pennsylvania, whose fatlier emigrated from Ireland. His mother's name was Mary Fox, whose grand-father came from England and settled in Philadelphia, where her father afterwards resided. Of the time and place of their marriage, we have no information. Elisha was the third of twelve children, five of whom are still living. He was born October 15th, 1763, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, at which place the family then resided. He was baptized in the old log meeting house, on Pomfret street, in that borough, by the Rev. George Duffield, D. D. the grand-father of the 1 — 14 THE LIFE OF MACURDY. present Dr. George Duffield, of Detroit. Of his early life, during his boyhood, little is known. He enjoyed such ad- vantages of education as were common in the place, at that time. One of his instructors was the late Judge Creigh grand-father of the Rev. Thomas Creigh, of Mercersburg who is recollected by many yet living, as a prominent Elder in the Presbyterian church of Carlisle. Another, was a gen- tleman, who was son-in-law of the Rev.

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