THE VI GUSTAVUS HENLY, b. 8 Apl. 1825. Rusly New Be Lon.

-AT the „nore chil, of Dr. Barth domew per ), in §]*

i

ELISHA, REV. [426] of Harford, Can.., hal..! 1187 I ELISH.,* Rev. (2457) b. at Hartford, Coun. 4 11. The first eleven years of his life were spent in his nati city, where he attended school. fi. In the "Conh Distric, afterwords at the Hartfor! C. r Sebes, then taught by Ma Holland, who subseqrent became Professor of Taqat pre 2 Trinity College, in that city. In 1824, he removed N. als father's family to Philadelphia, where he rated his stined to a time at a private academy, kept by via Rev. Mr. Ballan y... For a short period he was there employ as a sort of clerk in th depositary of the Baptist General Tract Society, nad after ads in a mercandle honse in Market street. In 1879, his explores having relinquashed his business, he rear to Carunch (whither his father had removed a few months; vion ly, was employed for a time in there of a morch by Brique port, Feeling a desire, however, to become acquainted with the pr ing business, y in the year 1831, he went to Hartford and entered the sof Mr. Philemon Canfeld, then publishe, of the Christi Segreto,y," and proprie or of an extension h; kpri ting esta shment.

h

In 1854 he attained the age of twenty-one, but remain din the employ of Mr. Canfield until the Spring of 15. In Marc of that year, in company with Mr. Isaac N. Bliss, COL menced the publishing and editing the North za Conver afterwards called the "Harttori Courier," a political new paror. In this business he continue 1, enlarging the parith enc.. suscessive year of us existence, until the rutu of 1839. Presi ous to this, howe er, (in March, 1838.) at the re mest of a la re number of the Baptists of Connecticut, he recommenced to publication of the "Christian Secret ry," e Pptist; iner that State, which had been discontinued a few norte a before 1the transfer of its subscription list to another paper in New York This arrang ment was unsatisfactory to the Baptist denominatiou

onnecticut, and Mr. Cushman was induled to revive e

"Secretary," arranging at the same time for his father to remove from Plymouth to Hartford, for the purpose of taking the editorial charge. His father's declining health, however, soon threw the care of the paper upon his own hands, and after the death of his father (in October, 1838,) he continued the publication of both papers, with the assistance of the Rev. Robert Turnbull, then pastor of the South Baptist Church, Hartford, in the editorial department of the Secretary.

In the autumn of 1839, Mr. Cushman became converted to God, and united with the First Baptist Church in Hartford. Finding the editorial charge of the Courier no longer congenial with his feelings, he relinquished his connection with that paper, and devoted himself for a few months to the publishing and editing of the "Secretary" alone. But he soon had his thoughts turned towards the work of the gospel ministry. The views of his brethren in the church coincided with his own feelings in this respect, and in April, 1840, he was licensed by the church to preach the gospel. During most of the following summer he supplied the pulpit of the Baptist church in Willington, Conn., residing, however, in Hartford, and continuing the publication of the "Secretary." But in September of that year, having received and accepted the unanimous invitation of the church in Willington to assume the pastoral office with them, he transferred the paper to other hands, and removed to that town. His ordination as pastor of the Willington church took place 30 Sept., 1840; the Rev. J. S. Eaton, of Hartford, preaching the sermon, and Rev. Robert Turnbull, then of Boston, giving the charge. Here Mr. Cushman remained for nearly five years, receiving constant and abundant tokens of affectionate regard from his people, and enjoying much prosperity in his work. Seventy-one members were added to the church during this period.

In April, 1845, having suffered from declining health, and finding his strength inadequate to the labor required in so widely extended a parish, he resigned his pastorate in Willington, and in August following took up a temporary residence in Hartford. Upon the occasion of his resignation the following action was taken by the church:

"WILLINGTON, April 19, 1845. "Whereas, This church have with emotions of sorrow and deep regret received from your beloved pastor, Rev. Elisha Cushman, his resignation of the pastoral office; and whereas, it ap pears from his communication and from other evidences, that his health is so much impaired as to render it necessary for him to suspend his ministerial labors to a great extent for the present, and that he feels that his bodily health in future will not be sufficient to perform so much labor as is necessary amongst us, therefore,

"Resolved, That we accept the resignation of Mr. Cushman. And now that he is about to leave us, we can truly say that we most earnestly and affectionately commend him to the Christian sympathy and fellowship of the Christian community, and especially to such church and people as he may be hereafter connected with; humbly and devoutly praying that the Great Head of the Church may restore to him his wonted health and strength, and direct his steps to some field of usefulness in the gospel ministry, and that he may yet be made the happy instrument of turning many more from sin to righteousness.

"Resolved, That we feel constrained to bear testimony, that since Mr. Cushman has been with us, (about five years,) his faithful and able ministrations as a gospel minister, his meek and amiable deportment, and his untiring efforts to promote pure and undefiled religion, to make peace, and build up the Redeemer's cause in our midst, have greatly endeared him to us, and we part with him with reluctance, but with entire confidence that he has been governed, in taking the course he has, by a strict sense of duty to his divine Master and to us.

Resolved, That the foregoing be entered upon the records of this church, and that the clerk be directed to present Mr. Cushman with a copy of the same. By order of the church.

.S. D. MERRICK, Chh. Clerk.

After residing in Hartford for a few months, Mr. Cushman's health became much recruited, and he was able to supply churches in that vicinity during most of the following winter. In June, 1846, he went to the village of New Britain, about nine miles from Hartford, rather as an experiment, to test his ability for constant preaching, and continued to minister to the Baptist church in that place until the following spring. In April, 1847, he was called by the Baptist church in Deep River, Conn., to become their pastor, which call he accepted, and has continued his ministry in that place up to the present time. Since his connection with the