CHAUNCEY. 455 he said, with tears in his eyes, " Alas ! my soul bath been defiled with false worship ; and how wonderful is the free grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that I amstill employed to labour in his vineyard.". When the episcopal power was destroyed in England, and his friends at Ware invited him to 'return, he came as far as Boston with a view of returning to'England. There he was interrupted by the overseers of Harvard college, who, being very unwilling that the country should lose so valuable a person, pressed him to accept theoffice of presi- dent of the college, in the room of Mr. Henry Dunster, removed forhis antipsedobaptist sentiments. Mr. Chauncey yielded to their earnest and repeated importunities, and spent the rest of his days in the education of the youth of the country. He continued his labours to the very last, even when his years and infirmities required a recess. When he was desired to spare himself, he replied, " It behoveth a general to die on the field ; and I should be glad to die in the pulpit." However, finding himself at last almost worn out, he delivered a farewell oration in the college, in which he took his solemn leave of his friends, and died February 19, 1671, aged seventy-two years, hav- ing been president seventeen years. In his last sickness be was speechless ; but as the hour of his departure approached, Mr. Urian Oakes, who had been praying with him, desired him to give some sign of his assurance of future glory ; when the speechlessold man lifted up both his hands as high as he could towards heaven, and then expired. He was a man of most exemplary piety, an admirable preacher, an ex- cellent scholar, and an indefatigable student, even in old age. He rose at four o'clock in the morning, winter and summer; and after spending about an hour in his closet, he visited the college, prayed with the students, expounded a chapter out of the original Hebrew, and, in the evening, prayed and expounded a chapter out of the Greek. His natural temper was rather hasty and passionate, but, by watchfulness and prayer, he wasenabled to bring it into the obedience of Christ. He had six sons, Isaac, Ichabod, Barnabas, Nathaniel, Elnathan, and Israel, all ministers.+ Hisson Isaac was ejected by theAct of Uniformity, in 16624 Mr. Chauncey was author of " Sermons on Justification;"` and Antisynodalia Americana." Mather's Hist. p. 136. + Ibid. p. 136-140. t Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. iii. p. 380.
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