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The text was 2 Cor. 5. xi. Knowing the terror of the
Lord, we persuade men. — The wishes of a large
majority of the congregation were now accomplished. — God, in mercy, had heard their prayers,
and granted them English preaching; — and, what
rendered the boon peculiarly gratifying, there was
good evidence that the preacher, who had been sent
to them, was truly a man after God's own heart. It
was, therefore, a season of thanksgiving and praise
in their habitations, long gratefully remembered.
It has been said, and the anecdote is repeated,
simply to show the warm and kindly feelings with
which the ministrations of this eminent servant of
Christ were regarded, that some pious aged persons gathered around him at the close of a
prayermeeting one evening, when he had been fervently
addressing the Throne of Grace, and said to him,
"Ah, Dominie! we offered up many an earnest
prayer, in Dutch, for your coming among us; and
truly the Lord has heard us, in English, and has
sent you to us." [Mag. of the Reformed Dutch Church.]
The venerable subject of this Memoir, in one
of his private papers, thus speaks of Mr. Laidlie:
"He was a very acceptable preacher; bold and
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authoritative, commanding respect, fear, and love.
The wicked trembled when he announced the
terrors of the Lord, while the lambs of the flock
were nourished and comforted, when he displayed
the grace, care, and faithfulness of their divine
and good Shepherd. He was much delighted with,
and attached to, the Church Catechism; he had
studied it with great diligence, and prepared excellent lectures upon every section of that precious
standard of evangelical truths. By this study he
became a learned and sound divine, and recommended himself greatly to the Church. In his
labours, preaching, catechising and visiting the
congregation, he was indefatigable. He was the
first who was called expressly to preach English in
the Dutch Church in America. A revival of religion then commenced; the Church prospered,
and the blessing of the Lord was abundantly experienced under his ministry."
The writer has often heard an aged saint, who
recurred with evident satisfaction to the hours she
had spent under the preaching, or catechetical
instructions of this man of God, tell of the revival
alluded to in the above extract; and, from the
representation given of it, it must have been a
powerful and glorious work of the Spirit. From
traditionary and other accounts, it appears, that
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