LIFE OF HALLOCK.

CHAPTER I.

Birth. Ancestry.-Occupation in early life.-Person.

"I was born," says Mr. Hallock in a narrative of his early life, "on Monday, the thirteenth of March, 1758. My native place was Brookhaven, on LongIsland, in the state of New-York. My father's name is William Hallock. He was born on Long-Island in 1730. My mother's name was Alice Homan. My grandfather, Noah Hallock, lived and died at a place, called The-Old-Man's, nearly opposite NewHaven. I have reason to believe, that my paternal grandfather and great grandfather, with my grandmothers, were professors of religion, calvinistic in sentiment, and godly in their lives.

"I have often heard my dear father date his hope at about eight years old, though he was more than forty, when he made a public profession of religion. He always prayed in his family, and I have repeatedly found him at prayer, in some retired place. He always appeared to regard the holy Sabbath, to delight in the public worship of the Lord, to respect the Bible and preachers of the Gospel, to love Christians, to value awakenings, and cordially to believe in the doctrines of grace. He ever appeared to think very lowly of himself, and to feel, that, if a

Christian, he was the least of all. He was hospitable, and felt in the distresses of the afflicted. He was gifted in prayer, apt to speak in conferences, and to converse on religion. I know of none, with whom I could talk more freely on religious subjects than my dear father. My mother, I believe, made a profession of religion, when I was about eight years old, and I trust from her life and conversation, she really is what she professes to be.

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My father had nine children, who lived to grow up, two sons and seven daughters, all of whom except the youngest daughter settled in the family state. I was the oldest of the children. When I was about eight years old, my father removed with his family to Chesterfield, now called Goshen, in Massachusetts. Here I lived with him till I was twenty-one, and went through privations and hardships in assisting him to bring under cultivation, an entirely new farm."

Beside these early toils on the rocky and unsubdued heights of the Green Mountains, Mr. Hallock was twice called, in the war of the revolution, while yet in his minority, to exchange the tranquillity of agriculture for the tumult of arms. By this severe discipline in his youth, God was preparing him for that "hardness," which he afterwards endured so joyfully as a good soldier of Christ. He sometimes mentioned an incident which occurred in one of these tours of military service, and which, for its excellent moral, may here be introduced.

In 1777, he was one of a body of troops, selected for a secret expedition across Lake George. The detachment left the shore about one o'clock, P. M.,

just at the commencement of a heavy storm from the northeast-the officers in a vessel, the soldiers in boats. The latter were crowded closely together," and, in his own expressive language, "seemed as thoughtless of danger as a flock of sheep." The tempest increased, throughout the afternoon, and the lake at length became very rough. About sunset, the commanding officer on board the vessel, made a signal for the boats to come near. He took off his hat-the storm beating on his bare headand after alluding to the terrific night in prospect, recommended to his soldiers the utmost care, and assured them of his intention to keep a light, if possible, on the quarterdeck, as their guide amidst the approaching darkness. The boats, however, were soon scattered. That which bore Mr. Hallock, was at length carried sidewise down between two tremendous waves. All now expected instant death, and raised one loud shriek of horror. At this critical moment, a man near the centre of the boat-an old sailor, but till now unknown as such-cleared his way to the helm, seized it, and. by dexterous management, saved the boat from ruin. He immediately ordered another sailor to the bow. For two hours, there was a dead silence in the trembling crowd, save when the man at helm, every time the boat descended, said in a heavy, low voice," Steady, boys;" and when the man at the bow, answered, as she rose on the next wave,-" All is well.” Alluding to this scene, near the close of his life, Mr. Hallock remarked, that he had often found not a little benefit, in times of great commotion and peril, from

a recollection of the expressions,-" steady, boys ;"" "all is well."

In his person, Mr. Hallock was above the middle stature, and of good proportion. His face was rather long and spare-his features prominent-his skin dark-his eyes of a bluish gray, and deep-set under thick black eyebrows. A chastened smile commonly softened the fixed and deep solemnity of his countenance-a most unearthly look of devout contemplation, kindness, humility and grave cheerfulness, saved him from any thing like repulsive austerity. He walked with his head a little inclined forward, and his eyes directed to the earth. All his motions, whether of the body and limbs, the head, the eyes, or the organs of speech, were slow, and with unconscious dignity. His utterance was naturally mild and somewhat monotonous, often energetic, always distinct, and inimitably grave and sincere. His presence was suited, in no common degree, to impress with a sort of religious awe, as well the young and gay, as the more sober class in society. He was a rare specimen of clerical politeness. It might be said of him, as of Fenelon :-" A noble singularity pervaded his whole person; and a certain undefinable and sublime simplicity gave to his appearance the air of a prophet." This sketch, however inadequate as a substitute for personal acquaintance, may yet be of some use, in this place, to aid entire strangers in forming their idea of a man, whose very peculiar look and manner went farther than in almost any other case to give emphasis to words and interest to actions.

CHAPTER II.

Seriousness in childhood.-Narrow escapes from death.-Deep sense of sin and ruin.-Conversion.-Efforts for the spiritual good of his fellow-youth.-Usefulness in religious meetings.-Enjoyment of a re

vival.

In this chapter, Mr. Hallock proceeds to state some of his earliest religious feelings.

"I have a fresh remembrance of serious impressions, when I was about six or seven years of age. Similar feelings, I believe, young children often experience. If I mistake not, this anxiety was in a season of some awakening in the neighborhood. A certain dream quite affected me, in which I thought the angels were present, and that I was a preacher, and stood in a pulpit. In my ninth and tenth years, death would sometimes appear real and near, and, for a short time, my mind would be filled with inexpressible alarm;-I think, I had some sense of my sinfulness. But these impressions would soon wear off, and leave me almost totally careless of my soul. From ten to eighteen, I took much delight in reading the Bible, especially the historical parts of it; and could repeat almost whole chapters. These I sometimes repeated to my father; and this early reading of the Scriptures, has, I trust, been profitable to me, in many respects, to this day. As I lived in a very new country, far from meeting, and with little advantage from schools; as I neither saw nor heard of awakenings; as little or nothing was said about religion; as the parents seemed to be wholly