STEPHEN GREENLEAF BULFINCH. 1809-1870. THE REV. DR. BULFINCH was born, June 18, 1809, at Boston, Mass. His father, Charles Bulfinch (1763-1844), the son of Dr. Thomas Bulfinch, was a graduate (1781) of Harvard College, Mass., and became eminent as an architect. He designed the State House and City Hall of Boston, and drew the plans for the Capitol of the United States, Washington, D. C. The son, because of the father's removal (1818) to the Federal City, became, at the age of nine years, a resident of Washington, where he prosecuted his studies, graduating, in 1827, at Columbian College. He studied theology (1827-1830) at the Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass. He entered on public life as the pastor (1830-1837) of the Unitarian Church of Augusta, Ga., and was ordained January 9, 1831. He then became a teacher at Pittsburgh, Pa. (1837-8), and subsequently (1838) at Washington, D. C., still continuing the exercise of his ministry. He was the pastor for several years (1845-1852) of the Unitarian Church of Nashua, N. H. Thence he removed (1852) to Dorchester; and (1865) to East Cambridge, now Boston, where he continued to reside until his decease, October 12, 1870. He received (1864) the honorary degree of D.D., from his Alma Mater. His literary and poetic taste was frequently developed through the press. Besides several sermons and magazine articles, he published (1832) his "Contemplations of the Saviour: a Series of Extracts from the Gospel History, with Reflections and Hymns Original and Selected." Of the hymns twenty-eight were original. A volume of his "Poems" was published (1834) at Charleston, S. C. "The Holy Land and its Inhabitants" followed, in 1834; "Lays of the Gospel," in 1845; "Communion Thoughts," in 1850; "Palestine and the Hebrew People," in 1853; "The Harp and the Cross," in 1857; "Honor, or the Slaveholder's Daughter," in 1864; "Manual of the Evidences of Christianity," in 1866; and "Studies in the Evidences of Christianity," in 1869. He contributed six hymns to the "Hymn and Tune Book for the Church and the Home." His hymns are experimental in character, as in the following, called "The New Life," or "Conversation with Nicodemus": "How glorious is the hour When first our souls awake, Through thy mysterious Spirit's power, "With richer beauty glows The world, before so fair; "Amid repentant tears, We feel sweet peace within; "Born of thy Spirit, Lord! Thy Spirit may we share! Deep in our hearts inscribe thy word, GEORGE BURDER. 1752-1832. THE REV. GEORGE BURDER was the son of Henry Burder, a worthy deacon of the Independent Church of FetterLane, London, residing in Fair Street, Horseley - Down, Southwark. His mother (Miss Wildman) was converted under the preaching of the Rev. George Whitefield, and was an excellent Christian woman. George was born June 5, 1752. In September following, the "New Style" was adopted, and his birthday was reckoned as May 25th. In his tenth year, his mother was taken from him by death. He was favored with good educational advantages. To the rudiments of an ordinary English education, was added a knowledge of the Latin language. He acquired the art of drawing, under the instruction of Mr. Isaac Taylor, an artist of some eminence. He took lessons, also, in architecture, anatomy, and kindred studies, at the Royal Academy, Somerset House, London. A thoughtful child, he became serious in early youth. He was an attendant at Whitefield's Tabernacle, and there, September 17, 1775, he made a profession of religion. Soon after, he joined the Evangelical Society, and sought to enter the ministry. Greek, Hebrew, and theology were added to his previous attainments. On a visit to his father's farm at Sheriff Hales, he spent a day with the Rev. John W. Fletcher, at Madely, who urged him to enter at once on the work of preaching the Gospel. He complied; and, the next week, June 17, 1776, he preached to the farm people at Moreton. Returning to London, he resumed his regular pursuits, preaching seldom; but in the autumn and winter, he preached frequently at Lancaster and Ulverstone. In March, 1778, he gave up the practice of his art, and devoted himself to the gospel-ministry. He was ordained, October 29, 1778, the pastor of the Independent Church of Lancaster. In this position he continued five years, extending, occasionally, his labors over a wide circuit in the North of England. He married, in 1781, Miss Sarah Harrison, of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Two years afterward, November, 1783, he became the pastor of the West Orchard Chapel, Coventry. Highly honored and useful as well as popular, he continued here for twenty years. In labors abundant, he took a prominent part in the public enterprises of the denomination. He united with others (1795) in the organization of the "London Missionary Society," of which, in 1803, he became the active and efficient Secretary. He took charge, also, of the Fetter Lane Church-the home of his childhood, and edited The Evangelical Magazine. He took part also in founding (1799) the "Religious Tract Society," and (1804) the "British and Foreign Bible Society." He left the editorial chair in 1823, and the Secretaryship in 1827, but retained his pastorate until his decease, May 29, 1832, in the eightieth year of his age. In addition to his numerous editorials, he published, while at Lancaster and Coventry, a series of "Village Tracts," and began, in 1797, to publish his "Village Sermons," which attained great popularity, and were exceedingly useful. He published, also, "Sea Sermons" (1821), and "Cottage Sermons" (1826). Of these three series of "Sermons," about a million of copies had been circulated in his life-time. To these are to be added, a "Closet Companion ".(first in the form of a Tract, 1784); "Notes on Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress" (1786); "Evangelical Truth Defended" (1788); "An Abridgment of Owen on the Spirit" (1793); "Collins' Weaver's Pocket Book, or Weaving Spiritualized" (1794); "An Abridgment of Owen on Justification by Faith" (1797); "The Welsh Indians" (1797); "The Life of Rev. John Machin” (1799); "Notes on Bunyan's Holy War" (1803); "Howel's History of the Holy Bible enlarged and improved" (1805); "Mather's Essays to do Good, revised and improved" (1807); "Missionary Anecdotes" (1811); and "Burnham's Pious Memorials, enlarged and improved" (1820). The year after his settlement at Coventry, he prepared and published (1784), for the use of his own congregation, "A Collection of Hymns, from various Authors. Intended as a Supplement to Dr. Watts' Hymns and Imitation of the Psalms," containing 211 hymns. Three of the hymns are credited to his own pen, as follows: "Come, ye that know and fear the Lord," etc., four of the nine stanzas of which are usually omitted, as quite inferior; "Great the joy when Christians meet," etc., which first stanza is generally omitted, and in most Collections the hymn begins, "Sweet the time, exceeding sweet," etc. The first three stanzas of his third hymn follow: MR. BURDSALL was a useful and very laborious Local Preacher, in the Wesleyan Connection, Yorkshire, Eng. "Memoirs of the Life of Richard Burdsall, showing the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus to a Sinner, and containing his Testimony to the Truths he has received: Written by himself," appeared in 1797. Appended to the "Life" was the hymn, beginning with, "Now Christ he is risen, the serpent's head bruised." This stanza has very properly been omitted, and the hymn very soon became popular. It underwent some very necessary modifications, and, in 1799, appeared in a Leeds Prayer-Meeting Hymn-Book, nearly in its present form, beginning with the second stanza, "The voice of free grace," etc. It seems to have been introduced to the American churches |