USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > North Middleborough > The history of the Church of North Middleborough, Massachusetts : in six discourses > Part 4
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No. Middleborough, Nov. 6, 1787.
This answer was satisfactory to the meeting, and they proceeded to appoint the ordination, " on the first Wednes- day in December next." " Mr. Timothy Reed was appointed to make the entertainment for the council and other gentle- men that shall be invited at the ordination." The first entry on the church book by Mr. Gurney appears to be as follows : .. December 5th, 1787. The Rev. David Gurney was ordained to the pastoral care of the third church of Christ, in Middle- borough. The members of the council were the Rev. Messrs. Shaw, Porter, Angier and Reed of Bridgewater, Turner and Barker of Middleborough. Fobes of Raynham, Niles of Abington, and Reed of Easton." The proceedings of coun- cil are not given in full, neither do we know what parts were assigned to the different members in the ordaining services .. But a day of ordination in that early time, when settlements were supposed to be for life, was a great event in the history of a parish. Not only the people of the place, but the in- habitants of adjoining towns were drawn together by the announcement of such an extraordinary proceeding, occur- ring not more than once certainly in a single generation. Mr. Gurney came here as a single man, and boarded with Mr. Job Alden, who, though not a professor of religion at this time, I learn from an aged member of the church, prayed
38' CHURCH OF NORTH MIDDLEBOROUGH.
in his family. On marrying, Mr. Gurney first occupied the house of his predecessor- Mr. Timothy Reed, the youngest son of Rev. Solomon Reed, who lived with his step-mother, occupying a part of the same. In due time he built a house, with the assistance of friends, a house now occupied, in a renovated form, by Mr. Augustus Pratt, on Pleasant Street. Mr. Gurney's wife was Jane Reed of Abington, the niece of . Rev. Solomon Reed. Her father, William Reed, is repre- sented as "an earnestly religious man, for many years a leader in the neighborhood religious meetings of his time."* Her brother, bearing the name of his father, was the minis- ter of Easton, who had studied with his uncle, the minister of this parish. In coming to this place as a minister's wife. Mrs. Gurney was not thrown among strangers. Mrs. Reed, the minister's widow, was her aunt, and she had not been an infrequent visitor at her house. It gives me pleasure to ac- knowledge my indebtedness for much of my account which follows, of Mr. Gurney's history, previous to his settlement in this place as well as of his life and labors as the Titicut minister, to one, who is now the oldest livingt member of this church, and who was for some years an inmate and in- timate friend of her pastor's family. Rev. Mr. Gurney was the son of Mr. Perkins Gurney of East Bridgewater, a far- mer in that town. His mother, whose maiden name was Jane Derby, died when David was about eight years old. He had brothers Jonathan, Thomas, Seth, and sisters Jane Ruth and Hannah. When his mother died, David went to live with Dea. Edson of East Bridgewater, who had a grist- mill. David, young as he was, rendered himself useful to · the Deacon in his mill. With him he remained not far from eight years, when at the age of sixteen he enlisted as a pri- vate soldier in the army of the American Revolution. His military life lasted another eight years, when at the age of twenty-four he began to fit for college with Dr. Jonathan Crane, a member of this church, living in Bridgewater, who
* History of the Reeds.
t Mrs. Nancy, widow of Calvin Shaw, who united with this Church in 1818, 26th of July.
39
' THE MINISTRY OF REV. MR. GURNEY.
was not only a physician, but a Justice of the peace, and also a licensed preacher. With Dr. Crane he remained two years, when he entered Cambridge College, teaching school in Groton and elsewhere, winters, to help pay expenses, and at length graduating, when not far from thirty. His theo- logical training was with Dr. Shaw of Bridgewater, who was so much interested in his pupil, that he desired him to settle in Bridgewater, but the people of this parish secured those services which continued his lifetime. It is an inter- esting fact, that the settlement of Rev. Mr. Gurney as the pastor of this people was the very same year as the consti- tution of these United States was unanimously agreed on by the delegates of the several states assembled at Phila- delphia, and by them transmitted to the legislatures of these states, to be by them again submitted to conventions of the people for consideration and adoption or rejection. This constitution was thus agreed on and recommended the 17th of September. Mr. Gurney became the pastor of this peo- ple the 5th of December, 1787, and thus continned till the day of his death, the 30th of July, 1815, a period of twenty- seven years, seven months and twenty-five days. The rec- ords of the church appear to have been kept by the pastor. The names of seventy persons are given as admitted to the church, not one of whom is now living. Five dismissions to other churches are recorded. There is a record of one hundred and thirty-two marriages. No notice of deaths or funerals. A deacon was chosen in 1799, 31st of July, "after prayer to God for His presence, guidance and direction," Mr. Isaac Perkins ; in 1807, 29th of April, were chosen Mr .. Elijah Eaton and Mr. Isaac Wilbur. The recorded baptisms during Rev. Mr. Gurney's ministry are eighty-two, of which twenty-nine are of adults, and fifty-three of infants. The number of ecclesiastical councils attended by the pastor is eighteen, and of these sixteen were called to ordain and install ministers, one to dismiss a minister, and one to settle difficulties. The numerous occasions on which the sur- rounding. churches called in the pastor of this church for advice and counsel, become an important testimony to the
40 . CHURCH OF NORTH MIDDLEBOROUGH.
high estimate in which they held him as a man of wisdom and good practical sense. This is the opinion which I have formed of him, on inquiry of the aged people who remem- ber him. He commanded the respect and confidence of the . community. He was also much beloved. In some families, his name is registered and remembered in the names which have been given their children. Children, I learn, were fond of him, and he loved children .* It was this love of them which led him to engage in their instruction. Mr. Gurney's school, which was kept in his own house, became well known in all the region, and brought a good reputation not only to him but to the place. Students were sent him from abroad, and a desire for an education was encouraged at home. Through the influence of his school, several of the young men of the place sought a college education, and some entered upon the work of the ministry. Of these lat- ter, I recall the names of Abel and Edward Richmond, Enoch Pratt, Jonathan Keith and Oliver Hayward. Rev. Elijah Dexter of Plympton, the father of Rev. Dr. Dexter, of the Congregationalist, studied with Mr. Gurney. Rev. Richard Briggs of Mansfield, was also his student. Mr. Gurney published an English grammar, which was consid- ered very good for beginners. I have a copy of it in my possession, the title page reading thus :
" The Columbian Accidence, or a Brief Introduction to the English Language : attempted on a new plan, for the use of children. With an appendix, containing a list of irreg- ular Nouns and Verbs, observations on Punctuation, Rules for the use of Capitals, observations on forming Derived Words, and Examples of Parsing.
By David Gurney, A. M. Published according to Act of Congress. Boston : Manning & Loring, Printers. 1801."
Rev. Enoch Sanford of Raynham says, concerning this grammar, "It was quite popular. It seemed well suited for beginners in studying the English language. I studied
*One of our aged men, Dea. Perkins, says he remembers the bow with which Mr. Gurney met the children, taking his hat entirely off.
LEGACY OF MR. NICHOLAS ROCHE. 41
it, and my father, a teacher for thirty years, always used it and liked it. One peculiarity in it was, every word was parsed by itself-no joining of a verb with its auxiliary or a participle." Mr. Sanford also says of Mr. Gurney, he "was a man of great industry and firmness." He attributes his teaching to the necessity of the case, to aid in the matter of support. For the same reason, he supposes, he carried on a farm. His salary was nominally the same as Mr. Reed's, sixty pounds, but the war had depreciated currency and dis- arranged values, so as to render such a salary very preca- rious. But with his farm, and school and pastor's salary, he realized a competency. In 1798, the salary is first reck- oned in dollars, having till then been so many pounds, and is called $216.67 cents. This probably was beside the use of the parish land, such of it as remained unsold. In 1799, it is $206.00. In 1800, the same. In 1801, $210.00. In 1802, $215.00. In 1803, $205.00. And ever after it does not vary much till 1808, when a legacy was left the church by Mr. Nicholas Roche, a benefactor * of the church, of Scotch Irish descent, and styled in his will "a trader." His busi- ness was peddling, chiefly silk goods. He was a single man, very economical in his habits, having his home in that part of Middleborough now called Lakeville. He had no rela- tives in this country, and left his entire property to churches in Middleborough and elsewhere; and to other charities, of which the following inscription on his gravestone makes mention :
This monumental stone is erected in memory of Mr. Nicholas Roche, who died October the 31st, 1808, aged S5 . years. He was born in the kingdom of Ireland, and came from thence to America in the days of his youth, where, by indefatigable industry, he accumulated an handsome fortune, a valuable part of which he bequeathed for the support of the gospel ministry in this and some of the adjacent congre- gational societies. He gave several large bequests to indi- viduals, and the remaining part of his estate he directed his executors to distribute, according to their judgment, amongst
* For these facts 1 am indebted to Rev. C. W. Wood and Mr. L. Wash- burn, of Lakeville.
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42'
CHURCH OF NORTH MIDDLEBOROUGH.
the sober, honest and industrious poor. The deceased sus- tained through life, an irreproachable moral character. The virtues which he practiced, and the judicious distribution which he made of his valuable property, more than any posthumous eulogium, speak his praise.
Mr. Roche left four thousand dollars to the church in Lakeville; two thousand to the first church in Taunton, known as the Westville church, and two thousand to this church. I have understood from an aged member of the. church, that in the payment of this legacy there was a con- siderable premium above the nominal amount, which Mr. Gurney much desired should be added to the fund but it was appropriated to meet current expenses. The records do not show that after the payment of this legacy, any larger sum was voted Mr. Gurney direct from the people; it was even smaller. But it must be considered, there were additional expenses in other directions. . This was the year, 1808, in which a new meetinghouse was built-the second in the history of the parish. It had a belfry and bell. There was considerable discussion about the location of it, but it was finally " Voted, that the undertakers set the new meeting- house where they shall think proper." It was "set " about where the old one was, and was finished and accepted by the parish the 2d of January, 1809. The large pine trees on the meetinghouse lot were cut down and sold for wood. Liberty was granted in 1814 " to erect sheds on the common near the meetinghouse, under the direction of the parish committee." Affairs in the parish, during Mr. Gurney's ministry, moved on with considerable harmony. All people did not see things alike. Good people had different views then, as now. But Mr. Gurney was a wise, prudent, peace- ful man. He not only studied the things which made for peace in his own parish, but he lived on good terms with his neighbors. He was always very friendly with Rev. Mr. Backus, pastor of the Baptist church. They worked hap- · pily together in 1802, when there was a good work of grace. He was friendly with Mr. Backus' successor, who came here before Mr. Backus died, and was a different sort of a man. I have heard a somewhat amusing story of a prayer meeting
43
MR. GURNEY AND THE WAR OF 1812.
which these three ministers held in the field by the side of the stream,* which runs near Mr. Backus' house. It was called by Mr. Backus' colleague, and he, somewhat fiery and excited, did not seem to Mr. Gurney, who was a sincere, plain man, to be in a very suitable condition to pray. Mr. Backus offered prayer, in which Mr. Gurney heartily joined, but for some cause, Mr. Gurney did not deem it best to fol -. low. The young man, it was said by some one who was near enough to be a witness of the scene, after much loud talk, very threateningly took hold of Mr. Gurney's collar, as if to make him pray. The result was what you might expect from a man of Mr. Gurney's character. He was still more firmly convinced that the young man was in no suita- ble frame of mind for acceptable prayer, and absolutely re- fused to pray under such circumstances. Mr. Gurney was kind and yielding on suitable occasions, but very firm and decided as well. He was an honest, truthful, plain-spoken man, as I understand-not sparing transgressors. Even on funeral occasions, he has been known to hold up the char- acter of the wicked lying dead, as something to be shunned. He was opposed to the war of 1812. And when many min- isters were preaching war sermons, he took for his text, Jeremiah IV : 19-" My bowels, my bowels ! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war." Mr. Gurney had been familiar with the horrors of war. He had served eight years in the war of the Revolution, and he had no wish to see the scenes of the battlefield repeated for any such slight cause as led to the last war with England. He is repre- sented by those who remember him, as of a benevolent, sympathetic nature, ready to alleviate distress ; and yet he had not what might be called an emotional nature. He was not given to tears, nor to loud merriment. He did not run · to extremes in either direction, but was rather of an even.
* Another locates it in Mr. Backus' house, but it does not materially affect the story."
44
CHURCH OF NORTH MIDDLEBOROUGH.
uniform, placid, pleasant temperament .- never very much elated, or, on the contrary, much cast down. He was re- garded as a scholarly, studious, learned man. At one time he was a candidate for some vacant professorship at Cam- bridge, showing that he was well esteemed by his alma mater. His sermonizing was good, and sometimes a theme would so expand before him as to extend to many sermons. For example, he preached ten sermons from the text: Ex. II : 9,-" Take this child away and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy wages." It is not known that he ever printed more than one sermon; and this was preached at the ordination of Rev. Edward Richmond, colleague pastor with Rev. Jedediah Adams, in the second church, Stoughton, Mass., Dec. 5, 1792. With it, are printed the charge to the pastor by Dr. Fobes of Raynham, and the fellowship of the churches by Rev. Philip Curtis of Sharon. Printed by Thos. & John Fleet, Boston. The text of the sermon is in Matt. II. : 9th and 10th verses.
The great domestic affliction of Mr. Gurney's life was the loss of their first and only child, whose body rests by the side of its parents in our village cemetery,- " a daughter, born ye 12th, died ye 14th of March, 1805, Æt 36 hours." With difficulty, I deciphered the inscription below :
"O, cruel death ! Thy unrelenting power, In early bloom, Hath crop't this flower."
Fond of children, Mr. and Mrs. Gurney virtually adopt- ed, although perhaps not in form, a nephew, Daniel Gurniey. He came to them when about five years old. He married Hannah, daughter of Timothy Keith. Their children were David, Jonathan, Henry, Jane and Hannah. The daughters died early. Jonathan and Henry are also dead. The widow of Henry lives within the limits of this parish in Bridge- water; having two sons. David lives in Brockton, having a wife and two daughters. 'Rev. David Gurney died the 30th * of July, 1815, in the fifty-seventh year of his age, and the twenty-eighth year of his ministry. Dr. Reed of Bridge- water was expected to preach the sermon on the occasion
45
DEATH OF MR. AND MRS. GURNEY.
of his funeral, but was unable to be present, and his place was supplied by Rev. Dr. Flint of East Bridgewater, who took for his text, Ecclesiastes VI : 4. "For he cometh in with vanity and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness." Dr. Reed supplied the pulpit the next sabbath, and selected for his text, "Proverbs x : 7. The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot." Said one who heard both sermons, con- cerning their texts, particularly the last clause in each, "his name shall be covered with darkness " and "the name of the wicked shall rot," that she was reminded of the reply the Bench of Bishops in the English Church made to the reading of a sermon preached by a rector on the occasion of the decease of Princess Charlotte, I think it was, from the text, "Go, see now this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter," and who was arraigned before them for trial, "the sermon," said they, "is well enough but the text is what we object to." So these sermons, as she remembers them, were good, and expressed in fitting terms, the character of Mr. Gurney, but the texts, in part, seemed rather inappropriate. The inscription on the stone, which marks the spot where rests the body of Mr. Gurney, probably expresses the truth concerning him :
"He was much lamented by his relations, his church and his people. As a divine he was sound in the faith, judicious and edifying as a preacher, kind, peaceable and exemplary as a man, affectionate and tender as a husband, charitable to all, of every persuasion, who discovered a pious disposition. He was willing to live yet not afraid to die, leaving a character long to be remembered and his many virtues long to be followed."
Twenty-seven years longer, nearly, did his widow, Mrs. Jane Gurney, live, spending some of her time in her native town of Abington, but making this her home. At length in her eighty-fifth year, Jan. 2, 1842, she died and was buried by the side of her husband. Some friend in- scribed beneath her name and age :
" Though sad winds wail in the cypress bough, She is resting untroubled and calmly now; With a seal of sleep on her folded eye, While her spirit is glad in the courts on high."
. 46
CHRUCH OF NORTH MIDDLEBOROUGH.
I have been kindly furnished, through Mr. Zebulon Pratt, with a file of newspapers, the " Weekly Messenger," published in Boston, during the years 1814-15, belonging to Rev. Mr. Walker of Bridgewater. In the issue for Friday, Sept. 1, 1815, I find the following :
"Died, in Middleborough, on the Lord's day, July 30th, the Rev. David Gurney, Pastor of the 3d Church and Con- gregational Society in that town, in the 56th year* of his age, and 28th of his ministry. The following obituary no- tice of the deceased, has been handed us for publication :
This great and good man, whose death is so deeply and justly lamented, was very remarkable for his extraordinary meekness and humility. He wrote but little for the press. He was not ambitious of fame as an author, nor desirous of being known abroad by means of frequent and remote ex- cursions. His acquaintance lived and his services were per- formed principally within the limits of his own parish and in neighboring towns. Here he uniformly appeared a " burning and shining light." As an instructor, he was prudent and faithful; as a christian, unblamable, and exem- plary in his behaviour. He taught as he believed and prac- ticed as he taught. In his sentiments, which he adopted with impartial and cautious deliberation, he was consistent and firmly established, but not blindly rigid and bigoted. His mind was large and liberal, candid and charitable, and constantly open to rational convictions. Blessed with a temper that was naturally and habitually mild and dispas- sionate, an inquisitive and considerate disposition, a clear and distinguishing perception, cultivated and improved by study and accurate scholarship, he was happily qualified to examine; and investigate the most abstruse subjects - to understand correctly and explain and inculcate the impor- tant doctrines and duties of religion and morality, In scriptural knowledge and criticism he excelled, and often exhibited lessons of very useful instruction. As a husband and in the other relations of domestic life which he sus- tained, he was always affectionate and kind, and always be- haved with propriety. In his social intercourse and con- versation generally, he was familiar, entertaining and in- structive,-sometimes facetious, but never violated the strictest rules of decorum -"temperate in all things.". His last illness, which was long and distressing, he endured with uncommon patience and resignation to the will of heaven. In the near prospect of dissolution, his expecta-
*57th year of his age, according to the inscription on his gravestone.
47
OBITUARY NOTICE OF MR. GURNEY.
tion of future happiness was that of an humble believer in the Gospel of Christ. Conscious of his own imperfections, and at the same time of his sincerity, he renounced every plea of personal merit, hoping and trusting in the Goodness and Mercy of God, through the mediation of His Son for . pardon, acceptance and eternal salvation."
DISCOURSE IV.
PREACHED JULY 18th, 1875.
The Lord, our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. Let Him not leave us, nor forsake us .- 1ST KINGS VIII : 57.
Well may Solomon have felt the need and the blessing of the divine presence and protection, in behalf of himself and people as he was assuming the responsibilities of the government, which David, his father, had transmitted, and as he was dedicating the temple which had been built ac- cording to the direction of this father. Very earnest and appropriate are the words of the prayer of dedication and of appeal to the people. In giving the history of this . church, we are coming down to a period familiar to some of you, within the remembrance of many; and you know it to be a period marked with manifest tokens of the divine presence and favor. How fitting, that at our entrance on our work of investigation and study, we should from the heart, cry as did King Solomon, when he acted priest as well as king before " all the congregation of Israel," "The Lord, our God be with us as He was with our fathers. Let Him not leave us nor forsake us." After the decease of Rev. Mr. Gurney, a committee of supply for the pulpit was appointed, consisting of Calvin Pratt, Daniel Crane and
49
THE ORDINATION OF REV. MR. COLBY.
Solomon Keith. How many different ministers were heard, we know not, but of these Mr. Raymond was one, and Mr. Philip Colby was another. Mr. Colby was invited to be- come pastor, by the church, October 16th, and by a concur- ring vote of the parish November 5th, 1816, his salary to be five hundred dollars a year. They were not quite certain the people would want him to remain his-lifetime, and that he would be satisfied with his new home, so they introduced a saving clause, which was a novelty in the history of the parish, "reserving the right and privilege of annulling said contract whenever two-thirds of the precinct shall be dis- satisfied with his labors, by giving him one year's previous notice of the same, reserving to him the right of leaving them whenever it shall be his pleasure so to do, by giving them the same notice." It is something to be grateful for to-day, that it was never the " pleasure " of Rev. Mr. Colby, nor the wish of "two-thirds of the precinct " that the con- tract should be annulled -and that we enter on the history of the third pastor of this church who closed his days among the people of his pastoral love and labor. The ordi- nation was appointed for Wednesday, the first day of Janu- ary, 1817. - In Hill's Meteorological Record for this region that day, I find it was "pleasant and warm. The wind S. W. -no frost in the ground." On that day, this church re- ceived Mr. Colby into membership from the church of Christ, in Hallowell, Me., under the pastoral care of Rev. Mr. Gillett. The same day an ecclesiastical council, regu- larly called, ordained and installed Rev. Mr. Colby as pas- tor and teacher of this people, with the following services : Introductory prayer by Rev. Mr. Pratt of Barnstable; ser- mon by Rev. Dr. Worcester of Salem; consecrating prayer by Rev. Dr. Sanger of Bridgewater; charge to the candi- date by Rev. Dr. Reed of Bridgewater; fellowship of the churches by Rev. Mr. Paine of Middleborough ; charge to the ·church and society by Rev. Mr. Bates of Dedham; conclud- ing prayer by Rev. Mr. Pomroy of Randolph. There is a singular item in the bill of accounts for expenses of *ordina-
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