344 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. and their whole characters. They were sometimes ready to exclaim, " Who bath told him 'all this ?" His conver- sation among his people was serious and instructive. He took great pains in the religious instruction of the youth, especially those who had been recommended to him by their dying parents. He was, a tree of knowledge richly laden with fruit, from which even children could pluck and eat. He was remarkable for healing breaches, and making peace among contending parties ; and so great was his ability and influence, that, when any contentions arose among his people, he sent for the parties, examined the grounds of their complaints, and commonly quenched the sparks of discord before they burst into an open flame. His labours proving eminently useful, it was thought im- proper, after some years,- that a minister of his splendid talents should confine his efforts to one small congregation. He was, therefore, induced to commence public lectures, particularly for the benefit of the adjacent towns, upon which the people attended with great satisfaction. On account of the increase of his labours, an excellent young manwas obtained as his assistant. This, however, proved the means of exciting an unhappy jealousy among the people, that Mr. Rogers was not sufficiently zealous for his settlement ; and, at length, produced that alienation of affection which was never entirely healed.. The latter part of this worthy man's life was a dieary winter of trials and sufferings. It was during this period that he buried his wife and all his children. A second wife, together with her little one, was soon snatched from his arms. The very night of his third marriage, his house, was burnt down, with all his furniture, and his excellent library which he took with, him from England. After having rebuilt his house, he had a fall from his horse, which so bruised his right arm that it became entirely useless, and he afterwards wrote with hiS left: Under these painful trials, he was cheerfully 'resio.ned to the will of God, and enabled to rejoice amidst all his tribulations. Writing to a minister at Charlestown, a short time before his death, he very much lamented that the younger part of his people were so little affected with the things of God, and that many of them strengthened each other in the ways of sin. In this letter he says, " I tremble to think what will become of this glorious work which we have begun, when the ancients Matter's New England, b. iii. p. 103.
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