General Conference in Rhode-Island.-My labours in that a Page 353. MEMOIR. CHAPTER I. My parentage, and other particulars, till my father's removal to N. Y., &c. My ancestors were of Jewish origin. My father, David Marks, 2d. was the eldest son of David Marks, 1st. of Burlington, Hartford county, Ct. who was a grandson of Mordecai Marks, a Jew. My mother, Rosanna Merriman, eldest daughter of Chauncey Merriman, of Southington, in the same county, was married to my father at the commencement of the year 1800. They were both members of the Calvinistic Baptist church. After residing in Burlington for five years following their marriage, they removed to the town of Shendaken, Ulster county, N. Y. In the latter town, Nov. 4th, 1805, commenced the journey of my life, (being the fourth child of my parents, one of which number, a sister, aged ten months, had been consigned to the tomb before I had existence.) At this time my mother remarked, with much confidence, that my life would be short. 'For," said she, "I believe God, by his holy Spirit, hath impressed it on my mind, that the child shall live before him, as did Samuel anciently; and that in early life the Lord will set him for the defence of the gospel, and call him to do a great, but a short work in the earth." When one year had passed, the dropsy in the head, considered by physicians incurable, came near terminating my mortal existence. My mother's faith was then shaken in what she had asserted on the day of my birth; but God blessed the use of means, and from the gate of death restored me to health. One of the first occurrences printed in my recol→ lection, is family prayer. As early as my mind was susceptible of instruction and capable of reflection, the truth, that all must die and appear before God, to account for their actions, was solemnly impressed on my heart. At the age of four years, a sense of death and judgment caused awful feelings to pervade my soul; particularly, one day, when I was alone amusing myself with burning the tow of flax; the dreadful agony of the wicked in hell, represented in the word of God by burning with unquenchable fire, was instantly brought to mind. Looking into the flame, I thought, how exceedingly dreadful even one moment would be in this fierce burning; then turning my eyes toward the heavens, said within myself, how will my soul endure, if yet in sin, at the great judgment day, when God shall appear, and set the world on fire? Finally, I concluded that I would descend into a well when that period should arrive, and going immediately to my mother, told her my resolution. "Ah, my son," said she, "the water will boil, and the earth will burn." Another expedient was suggested. I thought I would hew out a place of retreat in a rock, and there hide myself, closing the entrance. On naming this, she replied, "But the rocks will melt." My sorrows increased; but on reflection I hoped ere that time should come, life might be ended, and my body buried in the earth; so, telling my mother, I hoped by this to escape, she said, "My child, your hope is vain; for the dead will awake and come out of their graves. My last expedient it now appeared would fail; and retiring to a field, my anguish became great, while reflecting that my parents are christians but I am a sinner; tears flowed profusely, and putting my hand on my bosom, I cast my eyes toward heaven, and said, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Now existence was a burden; the burning of the tow recurred to mind, and I earnestly wished that I was something inanimate, even if it were tow, that I might not feel the vengeance that would fall upon the wicked. Once as my mother laid me down to rest, she said, "Soon, my son, you will exchange the bed for the grave, and your clothes for a winding sheet." Often, after this, when I lay down at night, my bed reminded me of the grave, and the sheets of the grave apparel. About this time, Jeremiah, my eldest brother, then eight years of age, was converted to God, and publicly professed faith in the Redeemer. Serious thoughts of death and judgment continued to exercise my infant powers. Very solemn feelings were excited in my mind at the age of four years and seven months, by seeing our house wrapped in flames. When the fire was discovered, my parents were at the house of worship, two miles distant, having left me at home with my two elder brothers, Jeremiah and Friend. One of my brothers immediately ran to the meeting, the other to the neighbor's house for assistance. Being much alarmed, I fled unperceived with all possible haste to the adjacent wood, thinking of nothing but to escape the devouring flame. I reached the place of retreat; but while looking on the trees, the recollection of having seen fire spread rapidly in the forest, filled me with fresh alarm. The leaves were just put forth, and though green, the expectation that they too would burn, and the fire be communicated to them by the adjacent fences, induced me to resume my flight. In the meantime, the assembly with my parents had resorted to the flames, and immediately the anxious inquiry was made, "Where is David? He was not to be found. No one had seen him. An awful thought rushed upon their minds-the flames must have consumed him! My mother, recollecting her former impressions concerning my future life, in anguish of soul, cried out, "O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived;" and immediately swooning, she fell to the ground. A thought that the child might yet be alive, induced some of the as sembly to search for me; while others endeavored to extinguish the flames, expecting to discover my bones. In my wandering, a path appeared, and deeming the opposite side more safe, as it presented an obstacle to the fire, I quickly passed it, and had followed its windings more than a mile, when one of the company discovered the object of their search. "Your father wishes to see you, "said he, and taking me up, carried me, till we came within sight of the smoking ruins of my native home. The people were still employed in throwing water; but on seeing us, they desisted, and my father, with feelings more easily imagined than described, met us, and clasping me in his arms, said, "My son, my son, are you yet alive?" kissed me, and carried me to my mother. She soon recovered from her swoon. Her faith revived-and rejoicing with great joy, they said, "The dead is alive, the lost is found." By this and other misfortunes, my father lost nearly all his property, and soon after returned to Connecticut, where he resided in the towns of Bristol and Plymouth more than four years. During two years of this time, Jeremiah often led brother Friend and myself to the chamber, barn, or field; and there talked to us of the things of the kingdom, taught us to pray and seek after the Lord. While enjoying these opportunities, my heart was tenderly affected, and serious impressions deepened. But a painful scene quickly followed. My father journeyed to the western part of NewYork. Immediately after his departure, Jeremiah was severely wounded in the foot with an axe; and after a confinement of several weeks, an attack of the typhus fever brought wearisome days, lonely nights, and caused his flesh to waste away. Six days before his death, I went to live with my uncle Marks in Burlington and attend school. Jan. 2, 1813, after my return from school, my uncle told me that my brother was dead. The day before, he sat up several hours, wrote some, and said he thought he should recover; but in the evening, the scene changed. Death had marked him for a victim; and while the sun of life was |