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derived from it to enrich these pages. The whole
family, upon the above threatening occurrence, fled
to Sharon, Conn. and remained there some weeks.
The climate of Albany, in winter, proving too
severe for the feeble constitution of Mrs. Livingston,
he removed in the summer of 1779 to Livingston's
Manor, in the hope that this change of situation
would be beneficial to her health. — How far his
ministerial labours were pleasing and useful
to the people of Kingston when he sojourned
among them, the writer has not been informed;
but of their very great acceptance in Albany, —
that he was highly esteemed by the congregation
in that city for his superior endowments, as an
ambassador of the Cross, for his warm and elevated
piety, his engaging manners and holy conversation,
unquestionable proof can be given; for in the ensuing spring he received a call, in due form, to return
to them. This call, which is dated the 4th of April,
1780, was brought down and presented to him the
next day by the Rev. Dr. Westerlo [married to the sister of John Henry's wife], and Mr. John
Beekman, who had been charged by the Consistory
with its delivery. He took it into serious consideration, but finally declined it, and continued at the
Manor, preaching to destitute Churches in the
vicinity, the unsearchable riches of Christ.
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The Doctor, it is evident from the facts already
stated, did not lead a life of inaction or indolence,
while compelled to intermit the exercise of his
sacred function in New-York; nor did he rove
about as a political missionary, consuming his time
in an unprofitable discussion of questions relative to
the public affairs, interesting as the subject then
was to persons of every description. Though a
decided Whig; though he rejoiced at every occurrence auspicious to the cause of freedom, and both
in public and in private, remembered his beloved
country at the Throne of Grace, praying that the
right hand and arm of the Almighty, and the light
of his countenance would save her, yet he loved
the cause of Christ more; and he, therefore, assiduously employed himself in the glorious service to
which he had been called. His prudence, his just
sense of the dignity of his office, as a minister of
religion, and of the solemn nature of the duties
appertaining thereto, were such as could hardly
fail to preserve him from any unseemly descension
in ordinary discourse upon political matters; but
conversation of the kind was not sufficiently suited
to his taste, to put him in much danger in that respect: Redeeming grace was habitually the theme
of his meditations; and he never was so happy as
when hearing or telling of the victorious operations
of Him whose kingdom is not of this world, and
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