The life of the Rev. Alfred Cookman, with a brief account of his father, the Rev. George Grimston Cookman;

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ALFRED

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THE LIFE OF

THE

REV. ALFRED COOKMAN;

WITH A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF HIS FATHER,

THE REV. GEORGE GRIMSTON COOKMAN.

BY

HENRY B. RIDGAWAY, D.D.

WITH A PREFACE BY THE

REV. W. MORLEY PUNSHON, LL.D.

" Suffer me to imitate the Passion of my 'God. My Love is crucified ; there is no fire n me
desiring earthly fuel; that which lives and speaks within me says— ' Home to the Father.' "

St. Ignatius yearning /or Martyrdom.

Woxonto t / . -

COPP, CLARK AND CO. *

1874.

PREFACE.

I HAVE been asked to write a few words by way of
preface to an abridged edition of the " Life of Alfred
Cookman," commending it to English readers. I
comply cheerfully ; and there is a fitness in my
compliance, arising out of the fact that during my
residence in Canada, I had opportunities — alas ! only
too few — of personal acquaintance and intercourse
with that holy man, and out of the further fact that
Dr. Ridgaway, the accomplished biographer, who has
wrought his task of love in a way which leaves
nothing to be desired, allows me to call him my
friend.

If I would write down my impressions of Alfred
Cookman's character, I find myself at a loss, for I
can scarcely convey my lofty estimate of him in
sober words. I have been privileged to meet with
many gifted and godly men in various lands, and
in various branches of the Catholic Church. I speak
advisedly when I say that I never met with one who
so well realized my ideal of complete devotedness. He
was a separated man, thoroughly human, free from

vi PREFACE.

asceticism and censoriousness, — the extremes into
which high religious life is wont, if unwatched, to
stray — and yet lifted above common cares and aims
by the grandeur of his entire consecration. When
some Pagan questioners asked a Christian of old
about the religion of Jesus, and were disposed to
ascribe its spread to its loftier thought and purer
truth, the Christian made for answer, "We do not
speak greater things, but we live." This life,
wherever it is embodied, is the highest Power.
And it was felt to be so in the wide sphere in
which Alfred Cookman was permitted to testify for
the Master whom he loved. There are men of
sterling worth who manage to hide their excellences
from their fellows, living amongst men unappreciated,
because they have no witness ; like some bird of rare
plumage, of whose beauty the world knew not until
they caught the lustre which flashed from its parting
wing. He was not one of these. His life was a
perpetual testimony that God can come down to
man, and that man can be lifted up to God. It was
impossible to doubt that "swift-like, he lived in
heaven." There were many who objected to his
doctrine. There were none within the range of
his acquaintance who failed to be impressed, and
few who failed to be influenced, by his life.

Neither apology nor introduction are needed for
the issue of this book. There are some lives of

PREFACE. vii

godly men which belong to the Church universal
in a sense so special that for any to be deprived of
the teaching they bring is like the infliction of a
personal wrong. Of such is the life, in my judgment,
which these pages portray. It is not surpassingly
interesting, considered as a story. It contains little
romantic incident, and no prurient sensationalism.
It is not even the record of brilliant genius, though
the preacher was, like Apollos, eloquent and mighty
in the Scriptures ; but it is the unfolding of the
growth of a character which was perfect and beautiful
as a star. It is a record of triumphs won for Christ
by one who had given Him all. It is an illustration
of the power of goodness. It shows how God
honours on earth, and crowns at last, those who give
themselves to His service with a full trust and a
complete self-surrender.

May the Giver of good gifts multiply " some
evangelists " of this type and pattern. If they
abound — and surely some who read may catch the
mantle — we will not despair of seeing a converted
world.

W. MORLEY PUNSHON.

Kensington, January, 1874.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

THE COOKMAN FAMILY. — GEORGE GRIMSTON COOKMAN . . I

CHAPTER II.

THE REV. GEORGE G. COOKMAN IN AMERICA. — THE BIRTH

OF ALFRED l8

CHAPTER III.

THE GROWING FAME OF REV.°GEORGE G. COOKMAN. — THE

CHILDHOOD OF ALFRED 23

CHAPTER IV.

REV. GEORGE G. COOKMAN IN THE CAPITAL OF THE NATION.

— THE YOUTH OF ALFRED 33

CHAPTER V.

REV. GEORGE G. COOKMAN LOST AT SEA. — ALFRED'S RAPID

PROGRESS 42

CHAPTER VI.

ALFRED, THE CHRISTIAN WORKER.— ESSAYS AT PREACHING . 53

X CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII.

PAGE
THE YOUTHFUL PASTOR. — HIS FIRST CIRCUIT ... 67

CHAPTER VIII.

FROM COUNTRY TO CITY. — TRIP TO ENGLAND ... 76

CHAPTER IX.

THE FOREIGN TOUR. — ENGLISH SCENERY AND FRIENDS . . 88

CHAPTER X.

HOME AGAIN. — MARRIAGE. — MINISTRY AT WEST CHESTER AND

HARRISBURG, PA IO3

CHAPTER XI.

MINISTRY AT CHRIST CHURCH, PITTSBURGH, PA. — INCREASING

FAME AND USEFULNESS 117

CHAPTER XII.

MINISTRY AT GREEN STREET CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA. —

REMARKABLE REVIVAL 1 35

CHAPTER XIII.

THE UNION CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA. — SLAVERY AGITATION. —

CHRISTIAN UNION . 153

CHAPTER XIV.

REMOVAL TO NEW YORK. — MINISTRY AT THE CENTRAL CHURCH.

— PATRIOTISM AND THE CIVIL WAR 169

CHAPTER XV.

TRINITY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. — THE ARMY OF

THE POTOMAC AND THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION . . 191

CONTENTS. xi

CHAPTER XVI.

PAGE

RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA. — PASTORATE OF THE SPRING

GARDEN STREET CHURCH. — AMONG THE CHILDREN . . 207

CHAPTER XVII.

SPRING GARDEN STREET CHURCH.— CIVIL RIGHTS OF THE

COLOURED RACE. — VACATION AT CAMP-MEETINGS . . 219

CHAPTER XVIII.

SPRING GARDEN STREET CHURCH. — DEATH OF GEORGE COOK-
MAN AND OF ALFRED BRUNER COOKMAN . . . 226

CHAPTER XIX.

GRACE CHURCH, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. — THE NATIONAL

AND OTHER CAMP-MEETINGS.— MISSIONARY JUBILEE . 235

CHAPTER XX.

GRACE CHURCH. — SKILL IN THE PASTORATE. — NATIONAL
CAMP-MEETINGS AT HAMILTON, OAKINGTON, AND DES-
PLAINES 251

CHAPTER XXI.

GRACE CHURCH. — THE PENINSULA CONVENTION . . . 260

CHAPTER XXII.

CENTRAL CHURCH, NEWARK, NJ. — OCEAN GROVE CAMP-
GROUND.— NATIONAL CAMP-MEETINGS AT ROUND LAKE
AND URBANA • . . / 273

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE LAST CAMP-MEETINGS. — FAILING HEALTH. — THE LAST

SERMON . . - 28l

xil CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXIV.

PAGE

THE LAST HOURS. — SWEEPING THROUGH THE GATES . . 293

CHAPTER XXV.

ESTIMATES OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF ALFRED

COOKMAN 308

LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

CHAPTER I.

THE COOKMAN FAMILY. — GEORGE GRIMSTON COOKMAN.

The Rev. Alfred Cookman was descended from a
worthy ancestry. His father, the Rev. George Grimston
Cookman, was a man of such powers and fame ; his talents
and reputation became, by so remarkable a providence, the
inheritance of his son \ his influence upon the son was so
direct and continuous, that I find, in the absence of any
adequate account of the father, it is quite impossible to do
justice to either without dwelling more fully on the career
of the father than a biography of the son would seem to
allow. While it might be honour enough for George G
Cookman to be remembered as the father of Alfred, yet
there was that in him — in what he was and did — which
makes it proper that no extended memoir be given of the
son without such a portraiture of the father as shall be in
some degree worthy of his distinguished character and
services.

My apology for dwelling longer on the annals of the
father than is customary in such cases, is the simple desire
to so present the name of Cookman, made illustrious first
in the father, and maintained afterward in the son, as that

y

LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

it shall be transmitted an unbroken name, suggestive of
sanctity, eloquence, and usefulness wherever known and
pronounced.

George Grimston Cookman was born in the town of
Kihgston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire, England, October zi, 1800.
His parents were George and Mary Cookman. Of these
parents George himself wrote in 1825 to Miss Mary Barton,
who was then his betrothed, and afterward became his wife :
" My father is the younger brother of an old English family
who, as sturdy yeomanry, had resided upon their family
estates in the east end of Holderness for five generations
back. My father left home early in life, and at eighteen
years of age became serious, and a member and local
preacher in the Methodist Society. He is constant in all
his purposes, and unwavering in all his attachments — a
judicious rather than a romantic husband, a kind rather
than a fond father. He is independent in his principles
even to the verge of republicanism ; what the world terms
a downright honest man. Yet there are perplexing para-
doxes in his character. Possessing genuine, active courage,
he hides it under a natural diffidence and modesty ; with
deep and strong feeling, he will generally pass for what
Alfred calls a phlegmatic melancholic. Indeed, he has
brought himself under so severe mental discipline and such
habitual caution, that he represses all that gives a glow to
feeling or a brilliance to thought under the fear of com-
mitting himself. But when you can draw him out of his
shell, you find he can conceive and feel and speak with
both brilliance and power. As a Christian, he is eminently
consistent, liberal, and unwavering. I have sometimes
thought that his habitual judgment has induced a want of
faith in temporal matters, but I have met with few men so
even and constant in their religious walk. Now my mother

THE COO KM AN FA MIL Y.

is almost the reverse of all this. She was the daughter of a
retired and wounded officer of the Royal Navy ; was left an
orphan in early life, and was educated in the same house
with her cousin, Mr. John Bell, of Portington. She became
pious in early life, and endured much persecution from her
uncle with unflinching courage. She enjoyed the blessing
of perfect love for many years, and when in health was
eminent for activity and good works. She possesses a
much higher range of talent than my father — has more
genius and less judgment — romantic in all her feelings,
ardent in her attachments and resentments. She has ten
times as much faith as my father. She has a keen, ready
mind, but wants comparison and discrimination. She has
a vehemency of impulse, and a strength and decision of
will, and a power of faith which, if it had been united with
a strong frame in the other sex, would have made her an
eminent missionary. Now my father professes little, but
feels a great deal ; my mother feels deeply, and tells you of
it too." He had a brother, Alfred, younger than himself
by four years, and a sister, Mary Ann. Of them he also
wrote, in order to complete the picture of the family:
" Alfred is the finest youth I have ever met with — high in
all his notions, lofty and liberal in his principles. Pride
and ambition are his ruling passions. Of lion-like spirit,
headstrong self-will, and a most vehement and over-bearing
temper, the world will see in him a second Brougham.
And yet I know no one to whom you might commit your-
self for candid judgment with greater confidence than our
Alfred. Mary Ann, my beloved Mary Ann, is a most
affectionate and amiable girl. I thought two years ago she
would be a tame, passive character ; but she is developing
striking and spirited traits. She has more perseverance and
judgment for her years than either I or Alfred. I think

LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

she will not be behind either in intellect, and before both
in prudence."

What is here said of his brother Alfred is not too strongly
put. From the testimony of friends, and the proofs
given in his letters, essays, and speeches, he must have
been a youth of unusual promise. He early devoted him-
self to God, and became one of the most exemplary
Christians. His tastes and convictions led him to choose
the law for his profession- When this preference was
expressed, the judicious father laid before him all the
difficulties which would lie in his path : the long and
expensive process of college and professional education ;
the still longer period which must elapse before he could
reasonably expect to get into practice ; the want of patron-
age ; the envy of the aristocracy, ever manifested to
aspirants at the bar springing from the middle classes of
society ; and concluded by saying, " Remember, Alfred, if
you insist on this course, the whole of your patrimonial
fortune will be expended on your education ; " to which
Alfred fearlessly and magnanimously replied, " I care not
when I enter the bar if I have not a shilling. I will make
my own fortune, you -may depend upon it." His facility
of speech, readiness in debate, quickness of perception, wit
— his striking person, and deep-toned and melodious voice
— made him from boyhood " one of nature's orators." On
one occasion, in the debating society of which he was a
member, a gentleman of the bar from London chanced to
hear him, and remarked afterward, " I would give my
library, and all I am worth in the world, to have the
amazing power of reply exhibited by that boy." He passed
successfully through the course at Glasgow University,
where he had the most capable of instructors, and listened
on Sundays to such preachers as Chalmers and Wardlaw.

THE COOKMAN FAMILY.

After his graduation at the University, he went up to
London and entered a law-office. While engaged in his
studies there, he became convinced of his duty to preach
the Gospel. He determined to enter the ministry; and
accordingly returned home, and began to apply himself
unremittingly to a course of reading preparatory to admis-
sion into the Wesleyan Conference. His application was
too close, his vigils too protracted ; his health failed, and he
speedily fell into a pulmonary consumption from which he
died.

Mr. Cookman, the father, was one of the best representa-
tives of the English middle class. By success in trade he
rose to that degree of affluence which enabled him to live
in a style of great comfort and quiet dignity ; by his reputa-
tion for sound judgment and probity, he acquired the
respect and confidence of his fellow-citizens, and was
elected mayor of Hull, a position which he retained for
many years ; and by his earnest and consistent devotion
to the doctrines and usages of Wesleyan Methodism, he
enjoyed the loyal affection of both the preachers and
laymen of his denomination throughout his neighbourhood.
His good sense, genial piety, and generous hospitality made
his house a centre of Methodist influence. In politics he
sympathized with the more advanced men and measures of
his times.

It is evident, however, that the mother, from the brief
description already given, was the inspiration of the Cook-
man home. Her ardent temperament, vivid imagination,
active faith, and courage, imparted to the sons the living
spark which kindled in them a genius for speech and for
the heroic in action. She was one of the women of gentle
birth who became a Methodist when it was a reproach to
be one ; and, persecuted for her faith by her own family,

LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

she knew what it was to hold to convictions when it required
the keenest suffering to do so. At the altar of her self-
denying piety was lighted the flame of the future mis-
sionary's zeal — a zeal which burned in him resistlessly till
quenched in death. Thus we see that the parent stock
from which the Cookmans of this and a former generation
were derived was one combining in the father and the
mother that happy union of qualities which usually gives
rise in the offspring to distinguished powers and successes.

George Grimston, as the eldest born of his parents, very
naturally received a large share of their attention. In an
account of himself written in 1826, before entering the
regular ministry, with a view to his own improvement, he
records, " Never was a child more carefully instructed, more
carefully watched over, or more earnestly exhorted by
Christian parents to love and serve God than myself. And
perhaps up to my eighth year the influence of these gracious
instructions so far operated as to preserve me from the guilt
of actual sin." At this time he was sent away to school ;
where, through evil associations, he was led astray and fell
into some sinful habits. He was, however, at this early
period the subject of keen convictions of conscience. He
lived with the fear that every night would be the end of the
world. While the other boys of the school were sleeping
quietly, he would be standing at the chamber window,
" momentarily expecting the Judge to descend and the
trumpet to blow." His views of sin and of personal guilt
were not such as to lead to repentance. He was soon after
removed to another school at a fashionable watering-place,
where he began :i a career of more decided sin and folly."
At fourteen he returned home a different being, changed in
principle and purpose — far astray from the simplicity with
which at eight he had left the parental roof. His father

GEORGE GRIMSTON COOKMAISf.

took him promptly under his care, and through his guidance
he imbibed a taste for books, and became a reader
especially of history. He was put to business, kept dili-
gently at work, but was encouraged to read in all his leisure
hours. He became a member of a public library associa-
tion, and formed, with several other intelligent young men,
a debating club, thus finding in literary pursuits a whole-
some diversion for his active nature, and also a means of
stimulating and training his intellect. In contact with
Grecian and Roman characters and institutions, he ac-
quired the lofty notions of freedom and the rights of man
which marked his subsequent career. Literature, though
attractive, did not reform him ; business was incapable of
it : he gave the reins to passion, and plunged into the
stream of worldliness.

When about eighteen years old he became a teacher in a
Methodist Sunday School. He was impelled by motives
which he could not regard as genuine : " I approved of the
design theoretically ; besides, my parents being Methodists,
I thought I should assist in their Sabbath School; but I
had no more knowledge or regard for the religious duty or
responsibility of a teacher than the babe unborn." He was
convicted of sin through the questioning of his scholars as
to the meaning of God's Word. " I began seriously to
think and reason about the matter in the following way :
Why, I have come forward to instruct these children, and I
am ignorant myself. I, who talk to them about serving
God, am serving the devil, and on the road to hell — yea,
every boy in my class might turn round and say, 'Physician,
heal thyself.'"

I cannot give the story of his conversion more succinctly
than he has done it : " These goadings and lashings of a
condemning conscience made me miserable, and compelled

LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

me to a more close examination of my condition ; and soon
I saw that I was miserable and helpless and blind and
naked ; that I stood obnoxious to God's holy law, was
under the Almighty's curse, and each moment in danger of
everlasting ruin. Still, however, I was rather convicted in
judgment than broken in heart, and it is probable that these
gracious impressions would have been overwhelmed by the
strong bias of my mind to evil ; but the good Lord added
one or two other circumstances to aid and quicken the
spiritual conviction. Just at that time I was disappointed
in a particular friendship, which sickened and soured my
mind to this world's enjoyments ; and immediately upon
this, the dearest friend I had in the world, after an illness of
three days, died. This was the consummation of my
misery ; it seemed the final blow. I was tired of life, yet
afraid to die ; I was indulging in the world, yet sick of its
pleasures ; amid society, I was solitary ; while within my
own heart I carried the alarm-bell of a guilty conscience — in
short, I hated life, I hated myself, I was miserable ; this
misery was not repentance ; it was misanthropy, not contri-
tion. And, indeed, so well convinced was I of this, that
when the pious Methodists kindly invited me to partake of
the blessings of Christian communion, I told them that I
was totally unfit to be a member of their society, as I had
not a desire to flee from the wrath to come. I had no soft
compunctions on account of sin, no realization of guilt
toward God ; but the obdurate misery and wretchedness of
a disappointed votary of pleasure. Thus I continued as
miserable as I could be. Yet I did reform my outward
conduct ; I did forsake my gay and frivolous companions ;
nay, more, I acted diligently as secretary in a large Sabbath
School, and endeavoured, amid a multiplicity of business,
to bury all knowledge and memory of myself. But this

GEORGE G. COOKMAN'S RELIGIOUS AWAKENING. 9

arose not from any clear sense of duty, or any love to God
or men, but simply because I was sick and tired of the
world ; and, as I could not enjoy it, I forsook it. At
length, however, the day-spring arose in my benighted soul '■>
the light of grace showed me more perspicuously my real
condition. I saw that I had lost the image of God — bore
the image of the Evil One ; that I was ignorant in under-
standing, corrupt and deceitful in heart, polluted in body,
and desperately wicked in conduct. I saw that in my
present state it was impossible I could be saved, for ' with-
out holiness no man can see the Lord.' I saw clearly that
I must be eternally lost ; for already I was under sentence
of death, and God was bound by His immutable word to
punish all transgression.

" Under these gracious convictions, having fully resolved
to seek salvation, to renounce the world, and to serve God,
I joined the Methodist Society in February, 1820, and soon
I found the blessings of Christian fellowship. Under the
fatherly instruction and care of my excellent leader, light
beamed brighter into my soul ; I was called to see deeper into
my own depravity, and finally I clearly apprehended that
salvation was only to be obtained by faith in a crucified
Redeemer. Nine months did I seek the blessing of justifi-
cation earnestly and with many tears. Often in secret
places, in garrets, in the open fields, or under hedges, I
have poured forth my requests with strong cries, but still
the day of liberty seemed at a distance, until I had well-
nigh despaired. One Saturday night I had retired to rest
under considerable condemnation for having indulged in
an acrimonious spirit toward a near relative. I recollect,
before I fell asleep, this passage gave me considerable
trouble : ' Let not the sun go down upon thy wrath.' I
awoke (I believe by the providence of God) about two

io LIFE OF ALFRED C00KMAN.

o'clock in the morning, and my misery and horror of mind
were indescribable. All the weight of my sins seemed now
bearing down upon my wretched soul, and ready to force
me down to that bottomless pit which appeared just yawn-
ing ; in this situation I cried mightily to God for deliver-
ance and pardon, but the heavens were as brass to my
prayers, and the storm of Almighty wrath increased apace.
My agony of mind was now wrought up to its highest pitch,
when suddenly I caught a glimpse of Christ on Calvary ;
then I cried with the desperation of a drowning man, ' Lord,
I believe ; help Thou my unbelief ! ' ' Lord, save, or I
perish ! ' ' Though Thou slay me, yet will I believe in
Thee ! ' And suddenly there was a great calm — the storm
was hushed — the burden was gone — and I felt that God, for
Christ's sake, had forgiven me all my sins. Being justified
by faith, I had peace with God through my Lord Jesus
Christ. It is true I had not that rapturous joy which some
testify ; but I had the peace which passeth all understand-
ing. Oh yes ! the Spirit did bear witness with my spirit
that I was a child of God. I lay me down, and sweetly
fell asleep ; and in the morning, when I awoke, I asked, Is
this a dream ? And I felt it was indeed a truth that I was
justified freely through the blood of Christ."

The young believer now found a great difference in his
experience, not only in the comfort which arose from a
sense of acceptance with God, but also in the easy victory
over sin which his spiritual renewal had bestowed. Nor
was he content to rest in the experience of Divine favour :
he at once gave himself to religious works in various plans
of benevolence, such as the Young Men's Visiting Society
and the Juvenile Branch Missionary Society. Yearning for
the salvation of souls, he began very soon to feel the desire
" for a broader field of labour as a preacher of righteous-

GEORGE G. COOKMAN BEGINS TO PREACH. u

ness." His views of a call to the ministry were so positive
as not to allow him to go forward hurriedly. " Indeed, so
jealous was I of my own heart, and so severe in my notions
upon this subject, that I was resolved, if this call was not
unanswerably given from God to my soul, I would for ever
remain silent."

In keeping with this purpose, not to run before he was
called, Mr. Cookman kept steadily on his way, following
closely the indications of Providence and of the Spirit as he
could discern them. In 1821 he visited America on business
for his father; and returning, was as deeply engrossed as
any other young man of business, doing with diligence the
duty which lay next to him. After a lapse of over two
years I find him breathing the same devout and evangelical
spirit, with a persuasion that God, amid severe trials and
with great opportunities, was grounding him in the truth,
and conforming his heart more and more to His own will.
January 22, 1823, he writes: "I have been composing the
skeleton of my first sermon, from 1 Cor. ii. 2. Sunday
fortnight I am to preach at St. Paul's.* When I consider
my unworthiness, 1 am ready to sink into the dust. Lord,
prepare me." A week before preaching he asks, " Have I
a clear call to preach the Gospel ? " and upon examining
himself by five tests, concludes " that a dispensation of
grace is committed to me, and woe be to me if I preach
not the Gospel ! " In addition to the usual tests which
occurred to him, was the impression received while in
America, and while on shipboard, that he must preach the
Gospel, "and that too in America." He had gone to
America for secular ends, but God had already decreed his
return to America on a higher errand. His first pulpit

* Hull.

12 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

efforts were well received. He preached quite regularly,
and showed from the first the elements of power. The
missionary ardour was kindling in his soul. His father
proposed to establish him in business ; but he wished to cut
loose from all such entanglements, and enter himself forth-
with at an American college for a course of preparation for
the ministry. He yielded, however, to the dissuasions of
his father and friends, who thought him already in the best
possible school of preparation and in the path of duty.
Without abandoning his purpose to preach, he waited upon
God, resolving to do his duty, and leave consequences with
God.

After a sermon preached at the Scott Street Chapel, he
was greatly depressed. " I had entered the pulpit with a
comfortable assurance of the Divine favour, when, strange
to tell, all upon a sudden my mind was beclouded ; and,
although I was perfectly master of the subject, I was yet
bound in spirit." "I expected no one could profit; but, to
my amazement, almost all expressed themselves as being
much edified." He could not fail of a valuable lesson from
this experience. Within a short time he made his first
platform address, and achieved, in this maiden effort, that
marked success which, so often repeated in after years, con-
stituted him a prince among platform speakers. "When I
ascended the platform my soul seemed weighed down with
a sense of my unfitness. ' Oh my God ! ' I could not help
crying, ' why am I here ? These poor heathen never trifled
away privileges as I have done.' When my name was
called from the chair, I was in this low state. I thought at
first (owing to a violent hoarseness) that I should have to
sit down ; but just at this instant Divine light broke in upon
my soul, my voice cleared, my heart filled with holy love
and fire, and I was enabled to speak with a force unknown

THOUGHTS OF AMERICA.

13

before. The place was filled with the heavenly influence,
and the loud, silvery, and hearty amens were affecting and
cheering. Nothing afflicted me so much as the compliments
of my friends. It seemed dishonouring God ; because I
am convinced He gave the power and sent the influence.
The Lord shall have all the glory." It is not difficult for
those who subsequently heard Mr. Cookman in this peculiar
realm, at the zenith of his popularity, to imagine the utter
wonder and pleasure which this beginning of surprises must
have occasioned to those who were present.

The purpose of God with His young servant was now fast
showing itself. The apple was well-nigh ripe, when it either
would fall of itself or could be easily plucked. Mr. Joshua
Marsden strongly recommended him to offer himself to the
American (Methodist) bishops, to take a circuit in the first
instance ; afterwards, if Providence opened the way, he
could enter upon the missionary work. But he had engaged
in business with his father for the term of three years, after
which time he proposed to turn his attention more decidedly
to the ministry, with the intention of going to America. His
diary bears evidence at this period of the closest heart
searchings ; of the deepest and most unaffected devotion to
the service of Christ. The prayer is constantly on his lips,
" What wilt Thou have me do ? " There is no duty which
he does not discharge, no self-sacrifice from which he
shrinks : he is ready to_do any work — to go, if needs be, to
the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel.

While his mind was particularly exercised in regard to an
immediate entrance upon the ministry, he was appointed to
drive Mr. Clough (one of the circuit preachers of Hull) to
Partington. Mr. Clough impressed upon him the duty of
present action, if he would not grieve the Holy Spirit ;
another young friend, and to his surprise the Rev. Mr. W.

14 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Entwistle, on whom he shortly after called, expressed the
same view. Considerably agitated by such a concurrence
of opinions, he laid the whole matter before his father, fully
anticipating his decided negative for the present, when, to
his great surprise, his father frankly told him that he had
long been of the opinion that he was called to the ministry ;
and that, although his immediate departure might cause
inconvenience, yet he would not throw one stumbling-block
in the way, but rather further the ordinations of Providence
by every prudent arrangement. As might have been anti-
cipated, his mother fully coincided with this judgment, and
" was perfectly willing to give him up to the Lord." Thus
every obstacle to his full devotion to the ministry, and to his
going to America as the field of its exercise, was removed,
and his decision was accordingly made to emigrate at the
earliest opportunity.

Happy in the decision which freed him from suspense,
and introduced him into the definite course of his life, he
was all aflame with zeal for the work which lay before him.
" My peace flows as a river, and my heart exults to reflect
that in a few months I may be permitted to preach Christ
crucified to the poor blacks of Maryland." He could find no
figures so adequate to express his ardour as that of the racer
restless for the course, or the soldier in the battle eager for
the conflict. This ardour, while it may not have been
wholly void of the adventurous element which springs from
the prospect of strange and hazardous enterprise, was
nourished by the closest contact with the great heart of the
Redeemer, and in the one simple purpose to save perishing
men. He breathed constantly for entire deadness to the
world and the spirit of true holiness, evidently regarding his
mission as one of utter self-renunciation in the pursuit of the
Divine glory. " Although privations and persecutions or

GEORGE G. COO KM AN SAILS FOR AMERICA. 15

shipwreck may await me, I feel strong in the Lord, deter-
mined to obey His will at all hazards." Such a young man
was fit to follow a Coke, an Asbury, and even a Paul, over
the sea in the sublime work of bringing continents to God.
" I must be a man of one work — dead to the world, and
alive to Christ."

The 28th of March, 1825, was finally definitely fixed
upon as the day of departure for America. The last days
and hours were spent in preaching, visits, farewells, and pre-
parations. The little brig Orie?it weighed anchor at the
time appointed, and bore away westward with her devout
and expectant passenger. The long voyage was not idle or
irksome ; the whole of its time was diligently consumed in
close study and multifarious reading ; in meditating and
maturing plans of usefulness. He thoroughly digested such
works as Bishop Watson's Apologies, Mason on Self-
Knowledge, Jenyn's Views of the Internal Evidences of
Christianity, Lord Lyttleton's Arguments for Christianity,
Baxter's Gildas Salvianus and Saint's Rest, and Butler's
Analogy. He preached to the seamen as occasion offered,
distributed tracts, and otherwise laboured among them.
What is most striking, however, was the constancy of his
devotions, and the watchfulness he exercised over his own
spirit. " I have been reflecting upon Baxter's warning of
settling anywhere short of heaven, or reposing our souls to
rest on anything below God. Ah ! how little do I think ot
this. This deceitful heart would fain set up its rest— not,
indeed, in riches, honours, etc., but in creature love, a
Gospel Church, gracious ordinances. This will not do. They
are the means, not the rest itself. This is the ingenious
device of Satan, by which we are seduced into a species of
spiritual idolatry. Strive, O my soul, to consider thyself as a
pilgrim in this wilderness, and rest in nought but God ! "

16 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Just before landing, retarded by calms, he took advantage
of the smooth sea and quiet waiting to re-examine the
motives which led him to America. " This is no womanish
employ ; this ministerial work is no fine theory of fancy. It
requires all the firmness, courage, perseverance, zeal, faith
of the veteran soldier. Therefore I must fix my principles,
and draw them from the fountain of all wisdom. I bless
God my soul can calmly rejoice in the prospect, and yield
all up to the will and direction of God." "Now, then, in
the strength of the Lord, I will go forth to the Lord's work
in this my adopted country." Would that more young men
entering upon the Divine apostleship could have an "Arabia"
of three or more months, or even years, on shipboard or
elsewhere such as he had!

On Sunday, May 16, 1825, the "Orient" sailed up the
Delaware Bay and River. Mr. Cookman was sorry to fall
short of reaching Philadelphia in time for the services of the
sanctuary ; but he had so drilled himself to make the best of
circumstances, that he found compensation in secret com-
munion with God and in thoughts of friends afar. He wrote
to a friend : " This voyage has been profitable, both in an
intellectual and spiritual point of view. I have been
grounding myself in the grand principles of the Gospel.
... I have preached several times to this most wicked
crew, and I have been blessed to the captain's good, who is
resolved to turn over a new leaf. Patience has had its
perfect work. ... I have found it good to lay my will at
the Redeemer's feet. ... I have had painful views of the
depravity of this corrupt heart, and this has stimulated me
particularly to plead for the whole image and purity of
Christ, so that the fire of Divine love might devour all the
grossness of sense and sin. . . . Here then we are on the
Delaware. I regret that I cannot assemble the crew and

GEORGE G. COOKMAN REACHES AMERICA. 17

passengers for public worship, as the pilot keeps all the
former in working the vessel up the river. I felt melan-
choly^ this morning in looking on shore and beholding
nature in all its bloom, the sun careering in the firmament,
and then thinking, ' Ah ! the people of God are now repair-
ing to His holy temple to worship at His feet.' Neverthe-
less, I retired to my little cabin, and the Lord visited the
temple of my heat ';, and spoke graciously and comfortably
to His poor servant. I have renewed my missionary cove-
nant. . I am the Lord's : the same great principles which
called me forth remain with augmented force; I go wherever
He commands."

CHAPTER II

THE REV. GEORGE G. COOKMAN IN AMERICA. — THE BIRTH

OF ALFRED.

Mr. Cookman was cordially received by the Methodists
of Philadelphia, among whom he lived and laboured as a
local preacher, in connection with St. George's Church,
until the following spring. He was incessant in labours,
not only in preaching as opportunity offered, but visiting
the sick, the prisons, and hospitals. He also organized a
class of young persons, which included among its mem-
bers John McClintock, Charles Whitacre, and William and
Leonard Gilder, all of whom subsequently became ministers
of the Gospel. During a protracted sickness of Mr. William
Barnes, the preacher in charge, he supplied the pulpit of
St. George's.

At the session of the Philadelphia Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in 1826, he was appointed to
Kensington and St. John's churches, Philadelphia. Falling
thus softly into the regular ministry did not suit either the
design or the wishes of the young hero, whose soul was.
burning for its mission to the Africans. He had left
England to convert the negroes, and it was not to his mind
to become a pastor amid the ease and refinements of
civilized life. He was patient, however, and sought con-
stantly, in the utmost self-denial, the guidance of God's
Soirit and of His Church.

HIS DESIRE TO GO TO AFRICA DEFEATED. 19

His cherished desire was doomed to disappointment.
God had other work for him to do. As the sequel proved,
instead of going as a missionary to convert the heathen
— possibly to leave his bones after a few months on the
sands of Africa — he was, by his advanced ideas and per-
suasive eloquence, to plant the seeds of missionary labours
which were destined to spring up in ever-widening harvests
to the end of time.

In February, 1827, Mr. Cookman returned to England on
a brief visit. He was married to Miss Mary Barton, Don-
caster, Yorkshire, on the 2nd of April, 1827, and imme-
diately left with his bride for America. Miss Barton was a
young lady of excellent family, of superior personal endow-
ments, and of exemplary piety. In marrying Mr. Cookman
she not only wedded him as her husband, but also as God's
minister, and devoted herself, with the utmost simplicity
and in entire sympathy with him, to the work which absorbed
his soul and was to employ his life. The comforts and
luxuries of an affluent English home were abandoned with
the pure intent of becoming a true helpmeet to the man of
her heart, the accredited ambassador of Christ in bringing
the world a conquest to redeeming love. Mrs. Cookman
still lives at an advanced age, a witness to the power of the
same self-sacrificing zeal with which she originally left her
father's house.

In the spring of 1827 Mr. Cookman was appointed to
the Lancaster Circuit. This charge embraced Lancaster,
Columbia, and Reading, three of the most important towns
in Pennsylvania. It was a large and laborious charge, being
what was called a six weeks' circuit, in the arrangement of
which he preached at each church in the circuit but once in
six weeks. His residence was at Columbia, situated on the
Susquehanna River.

20 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Here Alfred was born, January 4th, 1828. He was phy-
sically a healthful and remarkably well-proportioned child.
With the persuasion that he was given to her of God, his
mother consecrated him from birth to the sacred ministry, to
be a builder of God's Temple. All her thoughts, feelings,
and plans for the child grouped about this central idea, and
the idea in turn stamped its character and complexion on
all she did. She had talents and graces which would have
made her useful and famous in any sphere ; but she saw
with womanly instinct and true maternal feeling that her
greatest usefulness and utmost fame — as far as she could
consider fame — would be found in losing herself in her son,
in spending her time and energies upon him, in fashioning
the man who was to stand a man among men.

She says of him at this very early age : " The tone
of his mind had always a religious tendency, and before he
was four years of age he imitated all the services of the
Church. He would sometimes collect a crowd of coloured
children around him, and in his childish way preach to
them about the necessity of being good."

It is not uncommon for boys, who never become
preachers or much of anything, to do just what Alfred did ;
and yet there is that in the ways of every child which shows
the natural bent, and to some degree forecasts the after life.
Goethe's painful sensitiveness to the presence of ugliness or
deformity while quite a baby was indicative of that fine,
delicate organization which is the constitutional basis of the
poet. His mother had the eye to see it, and with skilful
hand she guided the divine instinct by bringing to its nurture
agreeable objects, and gently inciting it with narratives of
the wondrous and beautiful ; otherwise Germany had not
had her greatest poet, nor the world one of its greatest
educators. To every mother her child has an individuality,

ALFRED'S MOTHER. 21

and she can discern in it the hidden germ which in the
flower is to render its maturity distinct and beautiful. The
difference in mothers is the power properly to direct this
original faculty. Fewer children would perish in the
promise if there were more mothers who knew how to
cherish and train the natural and gracious endowment.
Mrs. Cookman had one desire for her boy, and she sedu-
lously watched every hint in his childhood which pointed in
the direction of its fulfilment. She hailed every such indi-
cation as a precursor of his future, since it had been im-
pressed on her mind from his birth that he was to do the work
that was in her heart to do for the Lord. But she was a
wise mother, looking for results, however good and desir-
able, to follow only upon the use of the proper means. She
did not expect devout wishes and devout prayers to mould the
character of Alfred without corresponding effort to rear him
aright. Great and good men do not grow, like the rank
weeds, untended, but, like the lovely and fragrant flowers,
by culture. Here is a memorandum from the mother on
this point : " Alfred was very correct in all his deportment,
obedient to his parents, very truthful, and conscientious.
He was, of course, watched over with more than ordinary
care. Parental vigilance was ever on the alert to detect
and correct anything that might mar the little tender plant."
Yet there was not excess of training, nor morbid stimulat-
ing. "His father early impressed him with the idea, 'Play
when you play, and work when you work/ "

It was hardly to be expected that the social scenes by
which this child was surrounded at that period could per-
manently affect his disposition ; yet he ever after loved this
country and its people, and to this day there is no name
fuller of sweet odour in the whole region than that of Alfred
Cookman. It is well known, too, that he cherished

22 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

throughout life a great love for the black race. He had
romped, wept, and laughed — nay, even prayed — with the
coloured boys ; and a common feeling, so self-asserting in
children, had taught him in the simple and innocent sports
of childhood the great truth of the oneness of humanity.
In the very lap of the warm, unselfish nursing of which the
negro woman is capable, associated with the strange and
weird stories, and the low, soft melodies, the earnest and
implicit trustfulness with which she mingles all her work,
he received impressions at this susceptible age which ever
endeared the coloured people to him.

CHAPTER III.

THE GROWING FAME OF REV. GEORGE G. COOKMAN. — THE
CHILDHOOD OF ALFRED.

How far Mr. Cookman felt himself successful in his mission
to the coloured people does not appear. He found obsta-
cles in promoting their liberation. He was useful to them,
as he was also to the white population ; but his talents were
soon in demand in the great city, and he was accordingly at
his next appointment assigned to St. George's , Philadelphia.
It showed the confidence of the bishop, and of the people
of St. George's, that he was sent so soon to the charge
where on his first arrival he had joined and laboured as a
local preacher. On the removal of the family to the city,
Alfred, with his brother George, was placed at school under
the care of Miss Ann Thomas, a member of the Society of
Friends, who was quite celebrated ior her skill in teaching.
He remained two years under her care, and made rapid
progress in the elementary branches of education. She took
very special interest both in him and his little brother, and
expressed great sorrow when they left her.

Subsequently to the two years at St. George's, Phila-
delphia, Mr. Cookman spent one year at Newark, NJ.

On one Sabbath evening, Mr. Cookman was preaching to
a dense audience at Light Street, and, as sometimes hap-

24 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

pened with him, and happens to all men, however able, if
they are extemporaneous speakers, he had no freedom in
his sermon, and evidently did not succeed as he wished ;
but, with a fertility of resource which seldom failed him, he
began an exhortation as he proceeded to the consciences of
his hearers, which was so effective for direct and fiery appeal
as to subdue all hearts. A prominent citizen, who had been
attracted by his fame, but was about to leave the building
disappointed at his sermon, was so wrought upon by the
exhortation as to be awakened and converted.

Among the vast multitudes who hung upon the eloquent
lips of Mr. Cookman at this time, was a little boy of seven
years of age, not unknown to him. Alfred was no indif-
ferent hearer to such lifelike expositions and delineations
as the father gave from Sunday to Sunday. The intelligence
of the lad had sufficiently dawned to appreciate a method
of teaching which was so well suited to awaken and chain
the attention of the young. His conscience was growing
with his other faculties, and now began to assert itself. The
seeds of truth cast into the soil of his heart were beginning
to swell, though the full time for them to burst into a defini-
tive new life had not yet come. Referring to his early
experience, he has himself recorded : " I shall never cease
to be grateful for the instruction and example of a faithful
father and an affectionate mother. At this moment I can-
not call up a period in my life, even in my earliest child-
hood, when I had not the fear of God before my eyes.
When about seven years of age, I persuaded my parents to
let me attend a watch-night service. It was held in Old
Exeter Street Church, in the city of Baltimore. My father
preached on the second coming of Christ. Thinking that
perhaps the end of the world was just at hand, I realized
for the first time my unpreparedness for the trying scenes of

MR. COOKMAN' S REMOVAL TO CARLISLE. 25

the Judgment, and trembled in the prospect. I date my
awakenings from that time."

The time had now come when Alfred's academic training
was fairly to begin. Since leaving the charge of the gentle
Friend in Philadelphia, he had been mainly dependent upon
home instruction ; but now, in the providence of God, he
was to be placed in the most favourable circumstances for
a boy's education. Mr. Cookman, for reasons which were
sufficient to the authorities of the Church, was removed in
1836 from Baltimore to the town of Carlisle.

There was reason enough for Mr. Cookman's removal to
Carlisle. The Methodists of the Baltimore and Philadelphia
Conferences had recently purchased from the Presbyterians
Dickinson College, located at that borough, and had made
it their educational centre.

Mr. Cookman was accordingly sent to take the charge of
the Church, composed of both town and college people. He
was still a young man, in all the glow of youthful zeal, in
the full force of rapidly culminating talents, and with all the
earnestness of an absorbing devotion to the single work of a
Christian pastor. His task as a preacher' was a most difficult
and delicate one — to stand before a congregation constituted
as congregations are in a college town. He must satisfy
professors, entertain students, and edify tradespeople.
Could any position require more genuine ability ?

But I must not forget our boy of nine summers, whose
eyes opened upon these scenes in which his worthy father
was so distinguished an actor. He also had come to col-
lege. Under such circumstances, in this focus of knowledge
and piety, an impulse was to be imparted to him which was
to determine his whole after-life. I know of few spots upon
which Alfred could have fallen at this impressible age more
suitable in all its adjuncts for his first formal entrance into

26 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

school. Of the place and its environs much can be said.
Carlisle has but little attractiveness in its immediate topo-
graphy or in its artificial structure — a plain town, its only
importance is as the civil and natural centre of a thrifty agri-
cultural county, without any objects of taste whatever] the
outlying country is very beautiful. The Cumberland Valley,
in which it lies, is broad and undulating, abounding in
springs and streams ; its soil rich and productive, its whole
bosom covered with fertile farms or luxuriant forests ; while
in the distance on either side the North and South Mount-
ains, spurs of the Alleghanies, rise into prominence and
sweep along in unbroken succession, save here and there a
gentle gap, and form, in their continuous wavy outlines, one
of the most agreeable prospects which can be offered to the
eye. I doubt if old Carlisle, in England, after which it is
named, possesses a more charming situation.

It cannot be supposed that this physical beauty was with-
out educational effect upon the ardent temperament of the
boy, inclined as he was by his healthful nature to relish all
sensuous delights. , Indeed, the aesthetical sense born in
him, and afterwards so strongly marked in his intellectual
development, and the devout reverence for God in works of
nature always so prominent through his whole life, must
have received from it an exciting and durable effect. A lad
so reflective as he is represented from the very dawn of
thought, could not have been otherwise than most favour-
ably influenced by habitual contact with scenes so simple
and pleasing.

" Not seldom from the uproar I retired
Into a silent bay, or sportively
Glanced sideway, leaving the tumultuous throng,"

might doubtless be said of him at this as well as later
periods of his youth, and that not so much to elude his

ONE OF ALFRED'S EARLIEST LETTERS. 27

companions in play, as to gain for himself the quiet com-
munion for which his thoughtful soul thirsted.

But enough of my fancy, and a little of fact from Alfred's
own hand. Fortunately one of his earliest letters has been
preserved, and lies before me in his own handwriting. The
composition must be regarded as creditable for a boy of ten
years ; not surprising, however, when the exercises he was.
then having in school and the constant care his mother
gave him are taken into account. The penmanship already
shows indications of the beautiful chirography for which
his later manuscripts are noted. It is to his grandfather
Cookman : —

" Carlisle, January 27, 1838.

" My dear Grandfather, — I have long been thinking that it was
my duty to write a letter to one for whom I desire to cherish the
warmest affection, and to whom we are already under very great
obligations. * * *

" First of all I must congratulate you on your very honourable
election to the high office of mayor to the important and flourishing
town of Kingston-upon-Hull. Although we boys are Americans and
Republicans in our feelings, yet we are not insensible to the honour
attached to offices conferred by the votes of the people. * * *

"I am very happy to say that dear mother's health continues very
good. Fortunately for her, the winter up to this time has been unusually
mild ; indeed, the last week has rather resembled the month of April
than January, so that she has been able to go out three or four times a
week in the middle of the day and see her friends. Indeed, ever since
she was in Baltimore her health has been gradually improving, and
long may she live to be what she has truly been, the best of mothers.

" About Christmas we had a slight fall of snow, which rendered the
roads for a few days in good condition for sleighing, which is the
favourite winter pastime in these parts. Almost every farmer has a
good sleigh, and when you have a couple of stout horses and a plentiful
supply of thick buffalo skins to keep out the frost, it is the finest riding
in the world. Sometimes the citizens will put a great Pennsylvania
wagon on runners, and yoke four or five good horses, and then thirty or
forty ladies and gentlemen can enjoy themselves right well. Even we
boys have our little sleigh, and it would amuse you to see myself and

28 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

George going at full speed, with Frank on the sleigh, holding little
John on his knee.

"It becomes my duty to give some account of our progress at
the Grammar School. This is a large, elegant square building, three
stories high, opposite the front gate of the college. The basement
floor is occupied by the steward's apartments, the second by two
spacious, lofty rooms, above fifty feet square, and divided by two
folding-doors into the English and Classical departments. Mr. Roszell
'has the superintendence, and is a very strict man indeed. Mr. Hey is
an Englishman, and is said to be one of the best grammarians in the
country. Mr. Cary and Mr. Bunting, under whose care I am at
present, are the assistants. Since I entered the school I have gone
four or five times through the English grammar, and twice through the
Latin, having committed all the rules to memory. George has gone
twice through his English grammar, and is now beginning Latin. I
have been twice through Tytler's Universal History ; I am nearly
through my Latin reader and geography, and have drawn a few maps.
In arithmetic I am as far as the last section of discount. Besides all
this, I have constant exercises in parsing, composition, and elocution.
I have written four or five original essays, and declaimed before the
school three times, and frequently, besides three or four other tasks,
have to write out an entire Latin verb in an evening. So you may
believe we are not idle. Indeed, they work us very hard. Mr. Roszell
says it will keep us out of mischief, and father says it is the very thing ;
but, indeed, I really do not know how I should have got along if it
had not been for the help of my dear mother, who usually gives her
evenings to the purpose.

" In conclusion, allow me to say that we hope the deep interest and
liberality you have manifested for our education will be met by a cor-
responding application and improvement on our part, so that you will
not have cause to be ashamed of us.

"Father, mother, George, Francis, William Wilberforce, and John
Emory all unite in great affection to yourself, uncles, aunts, and cousins
Robinson and Holmes, for whose welfare, present and eternal, we are
taught daily to pray to Almighty God.

" Your affectionate grandson,

"Alfred Cookman."

Alfred's "first effort at epistolary writing" certainly
needs no apology. It gives indications of the future
man. He was studious and obedient ; but it must not be

ALFRED'S EARLY CHARACTERLSTICS. 29

supposed he was a saint from the cradle. The moral
heroism of his character was not without its physical
and mental basis ; and possibly, but for the timely training
of judicious parents, the metal of his disposition would
have betrayed him into many of the rudenesses of other
boys. Twice in his life he was whipped — when four years
old, for throwing a book at his mother, and, when seven or
eight, for fighting with his brother George. Was there ever
a boy who didn't enjoy once in a while the exercise of a little
power over his younger and weaker brother ? How else can
he show his muscle ? And who so fair a subject for Alfred's
muscle as little George ? It was a good thing in the mother
that she flogged the darling even at four and seven, other-
wise " her Solomon " would probably never have been, and
her temple to God never have been reared. But how like a
sweet melody breathes the testimony of the dear mother to
the fidelity of her boy, even thus young in years : " His
boyhood was spent pretty much like that of other boys, in
the sports and occupations of that period of his young life.
Obedience to parental authority was a prominent character-
istic from his earliest years. Promptness in the performance
of duty was another beautiful trait. Industry, patience,
and perseverance were very early brought into requisition,
and served a good purpose in laying a foundation for the
successive periods of after life." In this letter, too, is seen
already the dawn of his thorough Americanism, and of his
faculty for description. The sleighs and sleigh-rides of a
Pennsylvania winter — the sled, with himself and George in
the harness, " going at full speed, with Frank on the sleigh
holding little John on his knee " — are not these to the life ?
This first letter also shows us Alfred among his brothers.
Alas ! too soon the buoyant lad, whose heart knew no
thrill except of gladness as he guided the sports of his glee-

30 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

ful brothers, was to stand among them an elder brother and
a thoughtful counsellor. But let the veil rest, for we are
yet some way from the awful darkness, and have many
important and pleasant steps to take before we reach it.

In this winter of 1838 Alfred made another first effort, of
greater moment than his first essay at " epistolary writing."
The deep religious seriousness which he had felt in Balti-
more had not at any time wholly subsided, and now, under
the power of the Holy Spirit, was vividly renewed. " There
(at Carlisle) I became," he has recorded, " the subject of
powerful conviction. Often I have risen from my meal and
sought some lonely place where I might weep on account of
sin. Frequently I have lain awake on my bed, fearing to
sleep, lest I might wake up amid the darkness and horrors of
an eternal Hell. Sin became a burden too intolerable to be
borne." This is strong language for a youth often years, and
for one who had been uniformly affectionate and obedient ;
and yet such an experience even for a youth in those days
was hardly exceptional ; but though it might have been, in
his case it is not surprising in view of the sharp and definite
features his religious character always assumed. Here, in
the beginning of the spiritual life, is the same positiveness
which afterward characterized his maturity. " Sin is real,
Hell is real ;hma sinner ; I am in danger of its punish-
ment." Such was the revelation of the Holy Ghost made
in his conscience, and he felt and acted accordingly. It
may not be necessary that every youth should feel thus
deeply in order to become regenerate, but for Alfred Cook-
man it was the very best preparation he could have had for
that clear and definite religious experience which subse-
quently distinguished him. Fortunately he has left a narra-
tion of his conversion, which I give entire : —

" During the month of February, 1838, while a pro-

ALFRED'S CONVERSION. 31

tracted meeting was in progress in Carlisle, I concluded
' Now is the accepted time,' ' now is the day of salvation.'
One night, when a social meeting was held at the house
of a friend, I struggled with my feelings, and, although it
was a fearful cross, I urged my way to a bench which was
specially appropriated for penitents. My heart convulsed
with penitential sorrow, tears streaming down my cheeks, I
said, 'Jesus, Jesus, I give myself away; 'tis all that I can
do.' For some hours I sought, without, however, realizing
the desire of my heart. The next evening I renewed the
effort. The evening after that the service was held in the
church ; the altar was crowded with seeking souls, princi-
pally students of Dickinson College ; there seemed to be no
place for me, an agonized child. I remember I found my
way into one corner of the church. Kneeling all alone, I
said, ' Precious Saviour, Thou are saving others ; oh, wilt
Thou not save me? ' As I wept and prayed and struggled,
a kind hand was laid on my head. I opened my eyes and
found it was a Mr. James Hamilton, a prominent member
and an elder in the Presbyterian Church in Carlisle. Pie
had observed my interest, and obeying the promptings of a
kind, sympathizing Christian heart, he came to encourage
and help me. I remember how sweetly he unfolded the
nature of faith and the plan of salvation. I said, ' I will be-
lieve— I do believe ; I nowT believe that Jesus is my Saviour ;
that He saves me — yes, even now ' ; and immediately

" ' The opening heavens did round me shine
With beams of sacred bliss ;
And Jesus showed His mercy mine,
And whispered I am His.'

" I love to think of it now ; it fills my heart unutterably
full of gratitude, love, and joy. ' Happy day ; oh, happy
day, when Jesus washed my sins away ! ' "

32 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

It will thus be seen that the great change wrought in his
heart, as presented in his own language in mature life, was
as decided in the evidences of its thoroughness as were his
convictions for sin.

The altar was thronged with older persons, mostly
students, whose presence and importance very naturally
engrossed attention : he was only a little boy ; his feelings
might be regarded as the result of a sympathetic excite-
ment, and not worthy of especial notice ; but he under-
stood himself, and oppressed with sin and bent upon relief,
" he found himself in one corner of the church, all alone."
Ah ! my little brother, God's Spirit was doing a genuine
work in your young heart. Your great Creator had also put
iron in your "make-up" when He formed you. There
were hours coming when again " all alone with your Saviour"
you must stand ; hours so bitter in their loneliness that
only Jesus and self-reliance can keep you firm to duty and
give you victory. Although Alfred was off in the corner,
God sent him a kind friend who opened the kingdom of
God to him. There are always some great souls who can
understand the hearts of little children, and have faith
enough to anticipate the harvests which will come of tiny
seeds. But Alfred had good companionship among the
youths brought to God in this revival. The great Head of
the Church was electing others who, like himself, were to
be marked and useful men.

CHAPTER IV.

REV. GEORGE G. COOKMAN IN THE CAPITAL OF THE NATION.
THE YOUTH OF ALFRED.

The time had come — spring of 1838 — when Mr. Cookman
must again remove, and go he knew not whither. Phila-
delphia, Charleston, and Washington wished his services.
To the latter city, the national capital, he was sent, and the
cozy college town was exchanged for the political centre of
the nation ; and now upon a broader scene the eloquent
and devout preacher was to make his appearance. Two
more years, and four or six more, at Carlisle, would have
been valuable to Alfred. It was hard for him to leave the
"stately grammar school," with its " strict discipline," and
to give up the prospect of a speedy entrance into the walls
of the college; but when the itinerant wheel rolls, the schools
of boys must stand out of the way, and so Alfred must go
with father and mother and brothers ; he is too young to
be left behind, and he must do the best he can in the
pursuit of "literature" in Washington. Mr. Cookman
was stationed at Wesley Chapel, then a new charge,
comprising in its membership many of the most cultivated
and progressive Methodists of the city.

The proximity of his church to the Capitol rendered it
convenient of access to the members of Congress and to

34 LIFE OF AIFRED COO KM AN.

strangers visiting Washington during the sessions. His
ministry began at once to excite attention ; soon the chapel
was thronged with hearers from all sections of the country,
irrespective of denominational connections, and his reputa-
tion was promptly established as a first-class pulpit orator.
It may be safely affirmed that no minister ever entered
Washington who maintained from first to last a greater as-
cendency over the popular heart. Men and women of every
grade of society, of every station in the government, were
equally charmed by his forcible and beautiful eloquence.
Senators, heads of Departments and their clerks, rich and
poor, the litterateur and the illiterate man, the slaveholder
and the slave, all alike were captured by his magical tongue,
and he swayed their hearts as with the wand of a magician
— with " a warrior's eye beneath a philosopher's brow " his
spell was irresistible.

It was Mr. Cookman's habit to make a companion of
Alfred. Frequently he took him to the Senate Chamber,
where he received the attentions of Senators in the genial
greetings which occurred. He was just then as handsome,
well-formed, and engaging a boy of eleven years as could
be found. He could appreciate, if not the intrinsic worth,
the manifest popularity of his father, as evinced in the posi-
tion to which he was chosen, in the crowds that thronged
to his ministry, and in the compliments bestowed on his
preaching ; and it is not to be supposed he was indifferent
to it all. His young heart swelled, no doubt, with emotions
of pride for his father, and for himself as the son of such a
father, and the consequent partner in his fame. The outside
world of men and things into which Alfred was thus intro-
duced, differed vastly from the simple surroundings of
Carlisle : great men, great buildings, great measures, great
pageants — these now crowded the thoughts that so re-

ALFRED IS UNITED TO THE CHURCH. 35

cently were taken up and satisfied with books, play, and
prayers.

I spoke of the disadvantage his education must suffer by
his removal from the grammar school at Carlisle just as he
was getting into thorough drill ; equally it should not sur-
prise us if his religious life, when removed from familiar and
genial friendships into new and strange associations, were
to meet with a chill which would abate its warmth, if not
stop its growth. The first few days and nights of a plant's
transfer from the nursery to the open air are always days
and nights of peril to its opening buds. How many young
Christians, who commence with vigorous promise, fall away
and perish because of a too sudden change of place or
of pastors ! Alfred did not lose his religious faith ; but, by
his own acknowledgment, his experience declined in vitality
— he was not the same joyous little Christian for some
months that he had been soon after being " all alone with
Jesus " in the corner of the church.

In the autumn (1838) he united with the Church. His
father had thought it best to keep him on "probation"
until he gave satisfactory proofs of a stable piety. Soon
after his removal to Washington he commenced to exer
cise himself on the platform as a speaker, and at that early
age received much commendation and evinced great pro-
mise, so that " predictions were freely made of what the
future of this young speaker might be, to which the father
readily assented. " It was no little credit to the youthful
" Cicero " that his father readily assented] for, whether for
banter or not, Mr. Cookman used to rouse the mother's
jealousy for her little " Temple builder " by intimating,
" Your Solomon is rather a dull boy ! " I doubt if he was
even then so noted for quickness of perception as for tena-
city in sticking to a lesson until he had mastered it, and then

LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

holding it fast. What is of most interest at this particular
point is — he appears before us at twelve years of age a
decidedly religious lad in experience and action, and a
speaker, thus affording us a clear view of the dawn of that
personal career which was eventually to open into full-orbed
day.

In the spring of 1840 Mr. Cookman was appointed to the
charge of the Church in Alexandria. He still retained his
Chaplaincy, and regularly fulfilled its duties until the ex-
piration of the Congress of the fourth of March, 1841. His
pastorate in Alexandria was attended with all the marks of
public favour and of ministerial usefulness which had accom-
panied him in other communities. There occurred nothing
to the father to which any special significance can be at-
tached ; but with Alfred it was quite different. He had seen
but little of slavery since he lived a child on the eastern
shore of Maryland. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey the
coloured race was free ; in Baltimore the free blacks were
more numerous than the slaves, and this was true also of
Washington. He had seen few, if any, of the more painful
aspects of the institution ; and, young as he was, it had
seemed to him only a form of domestic servitude, relieved
by the kind relationships often subsisting between masters
and slaves. In Alexandria a free black was rather an ex-
ception. If, however, he had seen slavery even here only
as he had been accustomed to it, there is no likelihood that
any impression would have been made upon his mind of
decided aversion to it.

Near his father's residence was one of those painful fea-
tures of the domestic slave-trade — a slave-pen or jail — which
the boy used often to pass, and where he saw poor men,
women, and children confined behind iron grates, sometimes
manacled, for no other crime than that they were owned as

PROPOSED VISIT TO ENGLAND. 37

property, and could be sold hither and thither by their owners
at pleasure. Alexandria was a depot, to which the slaves
purchased in Maryland and the district of Columbia were
brought, and where they were lodged before being sent to
supply the cotton-growing states. Sometimes at the very
doors of the jail would happen those scenes which were well
fitted to rend a stouter heart than that of our sensitive young
friend. The husband would be rudely separated from the
wife, and parents from their helpless children ; and these
poor creatures, with all the instincts of human nature,
strengthened by tender associations, would vent their sorrow
in bitter cries, which gathered around them a sympathizing
crowd. How could Alfred look on without emotion, and
without forming a deep hatred to laws which sanctioned
such occurrences ? Such sights were enough to wound the
heart of a boy born in the midst of slavery : how could they
do otherwise than curdle the blood of a youth born of
English parents, on free soil, and with such a soul as Alfred
Cookman possessed? The iron then went deep into his
heart, and for ever after he was the enemy of slavery, and
steadfastly did what he could consistently to abate and
destroy it. This is the only scrap of Alfred's education or
history in Alexandria of which I have any information.

The disaster which removed Mr. Cookman from the scene
of his usefulness and from the world was fast approaching.
In the spring of 1841 he determined to visit England, and
all his plans were accordingly -made to sail from New York
early in March. He had been appointed by the American
Bible Society a fraternal delegate to represent it at the anni-
versary of the British and Foreign Bible Society to be held
at Exeter Hall, London, and was to be made bearer of the
first despatches to the British Government from the incoming
Administration of General Harrison. His main object, how-

3S LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

ever, in going over, was to see again his venerable father,
and " to drop a tear on the grave of his mother." It was
fitting, in view of his position and popularity, that his fare-
well sermon should be preached in the Capitol. He was
regarded as a pastor not only by the Alexandria Church,
but by the Senate of the United States and large numbers
of the floating and unchurched population. A well-nigh
romantic interest centred in him. The spell of his eloquence
and the aroma of his character had completely fascinated
the people.

Never were there circumstances attending the delivery of
a sermon more fully-adapted to awaken in the preacher all
his capacity of thought and emotion, or to render it more
thrilling and abiding in the minds of the hearers. Washing-
ton was literally thronged with strangers from all parts of the
country. General Harrison had been elected President by
an overwhelming majority, and his inauguration was about
to take place in the presence of crowds the like of which for
numbers and refinement the metropolis of the nation had
never before seen. Mr. Cookman's fame was now com-
mensurate with the American public : though no politician,
he was known to be in quiet sympathy with the dominant
party'; his piety was universally conceded ; his oratorical
supremacy none disputed ; expectation was on tip-toe. It
may be safely affirmed that never had sacred orator more
conditions in his favour. Added to all this was his speedy
departure for a foreign land, to encounter the perils of a
voyage from which he might never return — which considera-
tion helped further to deepen in the popular heart the sense
of his value, and to intensify in his own heart the conviction
of his religious and ministerial responsibility. But he rose
with the occasion. The external excitement infected him ;
the grandeur of his spirit never before attained to such pro-

LAST SERMON IN THE CAPITOL. 39

portions, nor shone with such effective light. The account
given by eye-witnesses can best convey some true notion of
the man, the hour, and the place : —

" The session of Congress was about to close upon the administration
of Mr. Van Buren. The inauguration of General Harrison was soon
to take place. Mr. Cookman had all his arrangements made to visit
England on the steamer 'President.' The first despatch from the new
Administration was to be confided to his charge. The next Sabbath he
was to' take leave of the members of Congress in his farewell sermon.
' The day came. An hour before the usual time the crowd was seen
filling the pavement of the avenue, and passing up the hill to Repre-
sentative Hall, which was soon filled to overflowing, and hundreds,
unable to get seats, went away disappointed. I obtained a seat
early in front of the Clerk's desk. John Quincy Adams sat in the
Speaker's chair, facing Mr. Cookman. The whole space on the
rostrum and steps was filled with Senators and Representatives. The
moment had come. Mr. Cookman, evidently much affected, kneeled in
a thrilling prayer, and rose with his eyes blinded with tears. His voice
faltered with suppressed emotion as he gave out the hymn, —

" ' When marshalled on the mighty plain,
The glittering hosts bestud the sky,
One star alone of all the train

Can fix the sinner's wandering eye.

" ' Hark ! hark ! to God the chorus breaks,
From every host, from every gem ;
But one alone the Saviour speaks,
It is the star of Bethlehem.

" ' Once on the raging seas I rode,

The storm was loud, the night was dark —
The ocean yawned, and rudely blowed

The wind that tossed my foundering bark. '

" The hymn was sung by Mr. Cookman alone. I can yet, in
imagination, hear his voice, as it filled the large hall, and the last sounds,
with their echoes, died away in the dome.

' ' ' And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no
place for them.

' ' ' And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the

40 LIFE OF AIFRED C00KMAN.

books were opened : and another book was opened, which is the book
of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written
in the books, according to their works. '

" Mr. Cookman was more affected when he gave us the text than I
had ever seen him before. He several times passed his handkerchief
over his eyes before he began. The first sentences are fresh in my
recollection : ' When Massillon, one of the greatest divines that France
ever knew, was called to preach the funeral service of the departed
king, in the Cathedral at Paris, before the reigning king, the royal
family, the chambers, and the grandees of France, he took with him to
the sacred desk a little golden urn, containing a lock of hair of the late
king. The immense congregation was seated, and the silence of death
reigned. Massillon arose, .held the little urn in his fingers, his hand
resting upon the sacred cushion. All eyes were intently fixed upon
him. Moments, minutes passed — Massillon stood motionless, pale as a
statue : the feeling became intense ; many believed he was struck dumb
before the august assembly ; many sighed and groaned aloud ; many
eyes were suffused with tears, when the hand of Massillon was seen
slowly raising the little golden urn , his eyes fixed upon the king. As
his hand returned again to the cushion, the loud and solemn voice of
Massillon was heard in every part of the Cathedral, ' God alone is great ! '
So I say to you to-day, my beloved hearers, there is no human great-
ness— ' God alone is great ! '

" The subject was on the Day of Judgment. I had heard it preached
before many times, but never as I heard it then. The immense congre»
gation was held almost breathless with the most beautiful and powerful
sermon I ever heard. He spoke of the final separation on the great
Day of Judgment, and fancied the anger of the Lord locking the door
that led to the bottomless pit, stepping upon the ramparts, letting fall
the key into the abyss below, and dropping the last tear over fallen and
condemned man. He closed — 'I go to the land of my birth, to press
once more to my heart my aged father, and drop a tear on the grave
of my sainted mother : farewell ! — farewell ! ' and he sank down over-
powered to his seat, while the whole congregation responded with
sympathizing tears."

A correspondent of the National Intelligencer, describing
the same scene, after quoting Mr. Cookman's closing words,
says: — "There was something prophetic, solemn, and
deeply affecting in the tones and manner of the preacher.
. . . All who had known him, or who had listened with

HIS IMPRESSIVE ELOQUENCE. 41

wrapt attention to the eloquence which gushed from his lips,
touched as with a living coal from the altar, were moved to
tears, and seemed to feel as if they were taking in reality a
last farewell of one who had given a new ardour to their
piety, and thrown an additional interest into the sanctuary.
The whole scene was in no ordinary degree grand, imposing,
and affecting. The magnificent hall, a fit temple for the
worship of the living God ; the crowd that had assembled
to hear the last sermon of the minister whose eloquence
they so much admired ; the attitude of the preacher, and
the solemn and prophetic farewell, all conspired to excite
feelings of the deepest solemnity and of the most intense
interest."

CHAPTER V.

Alfred's rapid progress.

Mr. Cookman spent a few weeks about Washington, com-
pleting his arrangements and taking leave of friends, and
immediately after the first despatch of the new Administra-
tion was prepared by Mr. Webster and -committed to him,
he left for New York. His last words to the gentleman
so freely quoted from were — " May heaven bless you, Mr.
Smith ; if ever I return you shall see me in the West." He
spent Sunday, 7th of March, in Philadelphia, worshipping
with and taking the communion at the hands of his friend,
the Rev. Dr. Suddards, rector of Grace Protestant Episcopal
Church. On Monday he went to New York, and on Tues-
day evening preached his last sermon in the Vestry Street
Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he was to become
the pastor after his return from England. He had intended
to go to Boston and there take one of the Cunard steamers,
but at the solicitation of friends changed his mind, and
embarked on the steam-ship " President," at New York, on
the nth, for Liverpool. He left amid the tears and con-
gratulations of friends. Neither the vessel nor any of her
company were ever after heard of.

Mr. Cookman wished and intended to take Alfred with
him to England. He thought it would be gratifying to the
grandfather to see him; and the son had attained an age
at which he could be a companion to his father, and also

ALFRED RESOLVES TO STAY WITH HIS MOTHER. 43

derive much improvement from travel. I can imagine how-
strong the paternal instinct was in him, and how he must
have yearned to have his first-born accompany him in so
long an absence from home, and under circumstances so
suited to renderthem both entirely happy. There is nothing
upon which a child can depend for safety more than this
same paternal instinct. Ulysses was consistent in his feigned
madness — ploughing the seashore with a horse and bull yoked
together, and sowing salt instead of grain — until his little
son Telemachus was placed in the way, when his deception
was betrayed by his showing sufficient foresight to turn away
the plough from killing the child. Mr. Cookman could not
but feel what a privation it would be to his wife to have
Alfred leave her for so long a time, and what an additional
affliction it would be should neither the husband nor the
son be permitted to return. The lad, also, was of sufficient
maturity in years and character to be of great assistance to
the mother in her care of the younger children. And so,
finally, Mr. Cookman yielded his preference, and it was left
to the boy himself to elect — to go with his father or to stay
with his mother.

It is difficult to see how anything could have been more
attractive to a youth of his age, tastes, and habits, than this
trip homeward to England with his devoted father. He
had heard the old country, grandfather, uncles, aunts, and
cousins talked of, till his boyish fancy revelled in the thought
of seeing them and their beautiful homes. But Alfred Cook-
man loved his mother as few boys ever did, he loved his
brothers and sister as few elder brothers have ever done, his
loyalty to duty had already become a passion, and his deci-
sion was given accordingly : "I will stay with mother, and
help her take care of the children." These words give the
key-note of his character. They not only preserved his life,

44 LIFE OF AIFRED COOKMAA.

but became the warp across which the web and woof of that
life were woven into a fabric so strong and beautiful. He
would do his duty first, and standing by his duty brought
him into responsibilities which, under the Divine blessing,
made him what he was — a prince among God's spiritual
Israel. The father then had to go alone. He went off
cheerfully. Among the last words he spoke as the family sat
before the open fire, were these : " Now, boys, if your father
sinks in the ocean, his soul will go direct to God, and you
must meet him in heaven."

How like an angel of light Alfred now came to the side
of his mother ! He restrained his own grief, and always
appeared before her calm and cheerful. With the utmost
delicacy he watched over her, anticipating all her wants with
a foresight beyond his years, and exhibiting for her most
hidden feelings a feminine tenderness of which she scarcely
supposed him possessed. Mrs. Cookman, from revelling in
the brilliance of her husband's fame and usefulness, found
herself all at once in such utter darkness that her mind from
the shock sank into the deepest gloom. So overwhelmed
was she, that for two years she did not recover her cheerful-
ness. The name of her husband could not be pronounced
in her presence without unnerving her, and so the mention
of the father was studiously avoided by the children. All
the while Alfred was preserving such a composed demeanour
in the presence of his mother, he would lie awake nights
thinking of his father. It was some distance from the quiet
home in which the family were entertained to the nearest
post-office, and as he often went for the mail, his heart would
sink within him when no letter came from father, or from
any one giving tidings of the ill-fated steamer. " How I did
dread," he said in after years, " to return home, and meet my
dear mother without a letter, and see her disappointment ! "

THE CRUCIAL POINT IN ALFRED'S HISTORY. 45

Thus at thirteen years of age, when the thought of play-
is uppermost with most boys, was our young friend abruptly
forced by the providence of God into a trying and important
relation to the family. He must be a husband as well as
son to his mother ; he must be father as well as eldest
brother to the children. It is easy to conjecture, but im-
possible to know, what would have been the course of
Alfred's life, what the influence upon his character, what
different impress he might have received, had his father
lived. His training thus far, under the joint and harmonious
direction of father and mother, was entirely judicious ; he
was as promising as the parents could wish ; and, in all pro-
bability, had the father been spared to guide his studies as
he grew to manhood, he might, in some respects, have been
a more thoroughly cultured and intellectually a stronger
man. What God's purpose was for the lad it is not for us
even now to say ; yet, permitted as we are to know the facts
of his subsequent career, and to understand the distinctive
nature of his mission as it afterward unfolded, I must cer-
tainly regard the great bereavement he sustained in the loss
of his father as the crucial point of his history, in which the
elements of character hitherto prominent were fixed, and
also the lines of action which afterward distinguished him
took their rise. Alfred Cookman was endowed from a child
with a religious tendency. His anointing was that of a
spiritual seer — to see with the spirit into the innermost heart
of spiritual Christianity, and from such seeing to lead men's
minds into depths of a vital and blessed experience of the
things of God, to which mere reason and even ordinary
piety has no access. As the poet, by an endowment which
transcends cold logic, pierces the core of things and opens
their realities to the untutored mind — makes the blind to
see, the deaf to hear, and the dull to feel beauties otherwise

46 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

hidden — so he, by a Divine gift above the processes of the
understanding, was to know the truths of the great Teacher,
perceive their highest religious relations, and then to stand
as interpreter of God's work in the soul, so that multitudes,
blinded by the dust and engrossed with the cares of the
world, might come to perceptions and attainments to which
but for such an interpreter they must for ever have remained
ignorant.

I look upon this great trial, therefore, as beginning at
once the special work of which he was to be a pre-eminent
example and instrument. He was to be an unworldly,
sacred man, and God commenced with the stroke which
cut him away from the strongest earthly support he had.
Accustomed hitherto to lean on his father — now mother,
brothers, sister, all lean on him; and he, poor boy, has
none to lean on but God ! Once again he was " all alone
with Jesus." He had been taught that God is the only sure
foundation of His children, and now he must prove it for
himself by experience or perish. He did prove it; and at
that early age began to show a ripeness of wisdom, a steadi-
ness of purpose, an unselfishness, a goodness, faith, courage,
which were far beyond his years. His mother testifies beau-
tifully to his conduct at this period : —

" He was only thirteen years old when his dear father left
us on a visit to his native land, the sequel of which proved
so disastrous to a large, helpless family ; but which, not-
withstanding, brought out in all their force and power what
had been until now the germs of Alfred's character. He
realized his position as the oldest of six children, and faith-
fully tried to fill up the chasm made by a wise, though in-
scrutable Providence. Eternity alone will unfold all he was
to his family as a son and as a brother in the years of his
minority."

MRS. COO KM A A URGED TO COME TO ENGLAND. 47

There is an old story told of a runaway Indian slave in
Peru, who, in his escape, fleeing up the mountains from his
pursuers, grasped a young sapling, and, clinging to it, tore it
from the ground — when lo ! he saw adhering to its roots the
silver globules which revealed the precious metals of Potosi.
That sapling was never planted again. It might have become
a great tree, its branches a roost for the birds of the air,
and its leaves a shade for man and beast ; but in its destruc-
tion the untold wealth of Peru had been discovered. The
rude hand of disappointment tore from Alfred Cookman's
heart the support of a father's love, and the tender leaves
and flowers of hope which clustered around it ; but in doing
so discovered to him a wealth of love far richer than silver
and gold. His hold on the earthly father was broken, but
his hold on the heavenly Father was made firm and indisso-
luble. In the wealth he gained, and the world through him,
who shall mourn if the flowers, which might have been so
fair, lie withered at the feet of his youth ?

Soon after her husband's departure for England, Mrs.
Cookman had gone, by invitation, with her children to the
eastern shore of Maryland, where they were all to remain
the guests of Mr. Samuel Harrison, until the husband's
return in June, when they were to remove to New York.
Her stay was prolonged till the month of August. Since up
to this time no information was received as to the fate of
Mr. Cookman, and the prospect of his return was well-nigh
abandoned, she began to cast about for the best thing to be
done for the immediate future. From the grandfather and
kindred in England the most urgent requests were received
that she should at once take her children to England. In-
deed, they wrote as though there could be no other course
open to her. They were well able to provide for them, and
her pecuniary means were exceedingly limited. Nothing

48 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

would have been more natural than for Mrs. Cookman to
accept this offer — alone as she was among comparative
strangers, with no relatives near, and knowing, as she did,
that the resources at Hull were so ample ; but she decided
not to go. She had left home for life ; her children had
been born in America, and Americans they should be
reared. " She would take two small rooms, and keep them
all together around her, rather than all or any part of
them should return to England." Such was the language
this heroic lady held to her friends across the water, and
nothing could move her from her purpose. Mr. John
Plaskitt, an Englishman residing in Baltimore City, and
long known as the head of the firm of Plaskitt and Arm-
strong, booksellers and stationers, a prominent Methodist,
and an intimate friend of the husband, with other gentle-
men, rented a small house on Mulberry Street, near the
Eutaw Street Methodist Church ; and to it the family re-
moved in the autumn.

Mrs. Cookman and Alfred united with the Eutaw Street
Church. The children who were old enough were entered
at the Eutaw Street Sunday School, and also at day schools.
Alfred, at different times for the next few years, was under
the instruction of Messrs. Robert H. Pattison, Perley R.
Lovejoy, and John H. Dashiell — all recently students of
Dickinson College— and of a Mr. Burleigh. At Mr. Bur-
leigh's school on one occasion he took several prizes — for
elocution, an essay on simplicity, exercises' in Latin, etc.
He began thus early to attract attention as a speaker and
writer. Mr. Robert Armstrong, then superintendent of the
Eutaw Street Sunday School, noticed his aptitude for public
speaking, and was accustomed to put him up to address the
boys' department of the school. His first original declama-
tion was on the American Indian, in which the richness of

LETTER FROM HULL TO ALFRED. 49

his fancy and the force and gracefulness of his elocution
were already apparent.

The following letter from the grandfather shows the truly
parental solicitude with which he regarded the widow and
the children of his late son ; and the reply from Alfred
affords us an example of his dutifulness, and some account
of his doings and progress.

From Mr. George Cookman, of Hull, to Alfred, his
grandson : —

"Hull, April 5, 1842.

" My dear Alfred, — I received three days ago the letter of your
dear mother, sent off in February, and had a fearful presentiment of her
recent affliction, as her letter of the 27th of December never came to
hand. I am, however, very thankful that she is so much recovered ;
and I trust, as the spring advances, she will regain her wonted health.
I am quite as well as I can expect to be at my advanced age, and feel
a most lively interest in the comfort and happiness of your dear family.
I look to you, my dear Alfred, as an important coadjutor with your
dear mother in forming the habits and character of your family ; and
it gives me inexpressible pleasure to learn, from your dear mother's
letter, that there is every reason to hope that my expectations in this
respect will be fully realized. Rest assured that you will be looked up
to by the younger branches of the family, and in setting them a good
example — in cheerfully obliging your dear mother, in promptly and
affectionately obeying her commands, and in sympathising with her
under the pressure of family trials and bereavements — you will greatly
lighten her burdens, alleviate her sufferings, and minister, in no incon-
siderable degree, to her peace, comfort, and happiness.

"I hope you pay unremitting attention to your education. Your
dear father, when about your age, was very attentive and diligent in
the cultivation of his mind ; he read much, and kept a commonplace-
book, into which he copied from the authors which he read such
passages as he thought the most striking, either as to sentiment or
language ; and by adopting this plan he very much improved his style
in composition and his taste. He also began at the same time to write
short essays on different subjects, as trials of his intellectual strength ;
and resolutely struggled with and overcame those difficulties which, if
not mastered, are often fatal to mental improvement. It was by his

4

So LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

unremitting perseverance in these pursuits that he formed his graceful
and chaste style of composition, and which in after-life enabled him to
write with such facility and dispatch.

"Allow me, my dear grandson, to urge you to follow the example ot
your dear departed father in the cultivation of your mind at this period
of your life, for your future acquirements will very much depend upon an
early development of your mental faculties. It was by adopting this
course that your dear Uncle Alfred became so distinguished, both at
home among his friends, as well as when he was a student at the
University. I trust their mantle will fall upon you, my dear boy, and
that you will emulate their talents and virtues — and like them secure
the respect and admiration of your friends, and largely contribute to the
happiness of mankind. • I am glad to find that the portrait of your dear
father is, upon the whole, as good as could be expected under all the
circumstances in which we were placed ; we did our best to get it as
faithful and correct a likeness as we possibly could ; and many of his
friends here, judging of him by what he was when he left England,
think it a striking likeness. We should, however, have been better
pleased if the portrait had been more perfect. The Rev. Mr. Suddards
dined with me on the 31st of March, and has been most obligingly kind
in giving us every important information in his power, both with regard
to your dear father, and all the members of your dear family. I feel
under great obligations to him for the sympathy and affectionate regard
which he has so uniformly and generously manifested, both to the
memory of my late dear son and also to his family. I owe him a debt of
gratitude which I can never pay— but our good Lord, I trust, will
reward him a hundred-fold for his work of faith and labour of love in
behalf of our family.

" You will please to give my kind love to your dear mother, to George,
and all the younger branches of your family ; give dear little Mary a
kiss for her grandfather. "

From Alfred to his grandfather : —

"Baltimore, August 27, 1842.

" My dear Grandfather,— Your letter has remained unanswered
longer than I had intended when it was first received. The reason why
I did not answer it sooner was because I was very much engaged with
my school duties ; and during my vacation, when I might have written,
I was in Washington. I hope you will excuse me.

" Mother has been improving in her health since last March. She
has not been as well as usual for two weeks past. She is quite a miracle

FOURTH OF JULY ORATION. 51

to herself and to all of her friends, to be able to do what she does, con-
sidering how feeble she was. The warm weather always agrees better
with her than the cold.

" I thank you for the kind advice which you give me in your letter.
Rest assured, my dear grandfather, that it shall always be my first aim
to comply with the wishes of dear mother, and in every way in my
power to make her happy, for I deeply appreciate the obligations I am
under to her : in sickness and health, she is always the same tender,
kind, and affectionate mother. I am very much pleased with the plan
you gave me of my dear father's method of improvement. I shall try to
pursue it, but with how much success I know not. I have been in the
habit of writing short essays on different subjects, and have found it
very improving. I have been spending my vacation in Washington,
and had an opportunity of attending the debates of Congress. I also
attended a camp-meeting about sixteen miles from Washington. There
were about one hundred and thirty tents on the ground, and about one
hundred persons professed to be converted. We had a delightful time.
I enjoyed myself very much.

' ' The treaty with Lord Ashburton has been amicably settled, and
the people generally seem pleased. I got a sight of him one day in
his carriage.

" I am connected here with the Sabbath School. I have a class of
eight small boys, whom I take a great delight in teaching. I am also
connected with the McKendrean Juvenile Missionary Society, who have
appointed me secretary. I am also secretary of the Ashbury Juvenile
Temperance Society of Baltimore. So you see I have plenty to do.

" The temperance cause is making rapid strides in this city and else-
where. The Hon. T. F. Marshall, who is a reformed drunkard, has
become one of its most powerful advocates. He is a man of fine talents,
and excels as a public speaker. My brothers are all well. I wish, my
dear grandfather, we could all see you and you could see us, and give us
your valuable advice in person. We often look at your likeness hanging
on the wall, and try to bring you before us. I hope you will continue
your correspondence with me occasionally, and suggest plans that I may
profit by. I resume my school duties to-morrow, for which I am very
glad. I shall try to make the best of my time now, for I suppose I
shall soon have to turn my attention to business. Mother says the next
year will probably be my last for regular study. * * * "

I have before me a copy of the Fourth of July oration.
It is creditable alike to the head and the heart of its youth.-

52 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

ful author. It is well conceived and well expressed, show-
ing the elevation of thought and principle, the patriotic
and religious fire which thus early animated him. In the
same composition-book, in his neat handwriting, are trans-
lations from the Greek and Latin, and original essays, which
give evidence of a vigorous intellect already well advanced
in culture.

CHAPTER VI.

ALFRED, THE CHRISTIAN WORKER. — ESSAYS AT PREACHING,

Harmoniously with his intellectual progress, Alfred's moral
and spiritual character was also growing. Mrs. Cookman,
to satisfy her own yearnings for usefulness, to gratify the in-
cessant demands for her counsel and society, and to obtain
relief for her mind by activity, was much from home. She
literally went about doing good — visiting the sick, needy,
and penitent, attending social and religious meetings ; and
thus her heart was diverted, in a measure, from her great
sorrow, and she was able to maintain a degree of health and
cheerfulness. All this while Alfred was a keeper at home.
He would urge her out, and volunteer to remain and take
care of the children. Of an evening he could be seen, with
his little brothers surrounding a large table, superintending
their studies, helping them forward in their next day's tasks.
Oftentimes the mother would return home weary, and she
would say, " Come, children, we must have prayers before
we go to bed ; " and the quick response would be, " Mother,
we have had prayers ; Alfred has held prayers with us." At
this age he showed habits of system and neatness which
always followed him. His little room was a pink of tidi-
ness j his bed, his books, his table, his clothes, all were
kept in the nicest order, and he punctually observed the
hours of coming and going assigned him by his mother.

54 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Could a better testimony be given to a son than the follow-
ing from the pen of his mother ?

" There are very few who could fully estimate the love
and sympathy of such a mere youth as Alfred was when I
was left without the strong arm I had been accustomed to
lean upon. He turned at once into the path of a wise and
steady counsellor, to myself as well as to his brothers.
He tried to share every burden and supply every loss which
an apparent adverse Providence had laid upon us. In the
deep anguish of a stricken heart, he would say, ' Dear
mother, let the event be as it may, it is all right, and will
turn out for the best; our heavenly Father disposes of all
events, and He cannot err in any of His dealings with His
children.' Alfred did almost exclusively direct and control
the studies of his brothers, unite with them in their various
pursuits, and guard them from influences that might have
been prejudicial but for his timely warnings ; and yet there
was no austerity in his admonitions ; a spirit of considera-
tion and kindness ever marked his efforts. He was remark-
ably constant in the path of obedience both toward God and
in his Church relations. His class-meeting was never neg-
lected. His attendance at the Sabbath School, first as a
scholar and then as a teacher, was constant ; and so marked
was his conduct as to induce the superintendent to request
him to address his youthful companions on the importance
of yielding their hearts to the blessed Saviour, and this before
he was fifteen years of age."

Although he was naturally thoughtful, and the care pre-
maturely devolved upon him tended to sadden his spirits, it
must not be inferred that he was at all gloomy or despondent.
On the contrary, he was one of the liveliest of boys, full of
fun and cheerful gaiety ; he was always ready for a gambol
With his brothers and his neighbours. He was a great

GRA NDFA THEFTS LE TTER. 5 j

favourite with his young companions. Known to be a ready-
writer, nothing was more common than for all the girls
around to wish him to write their valentines.

The first public religious exercise which Alfred conducted
was " to lead a class-meeting," when about sixteen years ot
age. A Mr. Childs had requested him to lead his class.
The class met in a private house. The mother, in her
great desire to hear him conduct it without embarrassing
him by her presence, concealed herself behind a side stair-
way, and so listened to all the exercises.

Early in the year 1844, Alfred and George received a
letter from their grandfather. It is so good that I cannot
refrain from inserting it entire.

"Hull, Stepney Lodge, January 27, 1844.

" My dear Alfred and George, — I received with more than
ordinary pleasure your letters of the 27th of July, and in reading them I
could scarcely persuade myself but that time, by some mysterious revo-
lution, had thrown back my life for at least five-and-twenty years, and
that I was again reading the pleasing letters of. dear Alfred and George,
my beloved sons. But, alas ! the spell was soon broken by the painful
recollections of the past. I am, however, delighted with your letters.
The handwriting is very good ; the composition, for your ages, is of a
superior order ; and, if you continue to prosecute your studies and exer-
cises with unremitting perseverance, I have no doubt but you will, in
your day, be the fac-similes of those whose endearing names you bear.
* * * Let me entreat you, my dear grandchildren, to minister in every
way in your power to the tranquillity, comfort, and happiness of a
mother whose maternal care and solicitude for the welfare of her family
have been as unremitting as her love has been pure and ardent. I was
delighted to hear of your attainments as scholars, and of the very hand-
some manner in which your exercises were received by the audience at
your public exhibition. You have, by these successful efforts, secured a
prominent position in the estimation of the public ; and if you should
conclude from this circumstance that you may now relax your efforts in
the prosecution of your studies, this elevation will be but the precursor
of your fall. It is not enough to be considered the first among boys :
you must look forward and aspire to be the first among your citizens.

56 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAA.

But this cannot be attained but by unremitting industry. Decision of
character is therefore indispensable in all important undertakings, and I
have no doubt of your ultimate success if you are determined to excel.
You are, I hope, proceeding with your learning in a systematic and
methodical order, and making yourselves thoroughly masters of one
branch of science before you enter upon another. This is indispensable,
as this is the basis of all after-improvements in learning.

" I am glad to find that you have become members or a literary
society, and have no doubt but it will be of great service to you.
Your dear father and uncle had the same privilege, and they often sur-
prised me by the papers they produced and the speeches they delivered
on the questions discussed at their weekly meetings. Mixing with mem-
bers of superior acquirements, they obtained a great increase of know-
ledge, and also obtained an easy and graceful mode of public speaking.
There is, however, some danger growing out of these institutions, against
which I would most urgently caution you. The questions for discussion
have seldom any connection with each other, and this necessarily induces
a desultory and careless course of reading and of thought. Now the
danger to be apprehended is this : that you will seek applause in the
forum rather than in the academy, and fall into a dislike of the study
of those dryer branches of learning which require greater mental appli-
cation and labour, and the mastery of which is essential to your
becoming proficients in sound learning. Above all things of this life,
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and leave the rest
to the good pleasure of your Heavenly Father." * * *

From Alfred to his grandfather Cookman : —

"Baltimore, March 22, 1845.

"My dear Grandfather,— This day's mail has brought to hand
a letter from Aunt Mary Ann, which has been the first to break the.
long-continued silence which has reigned for some months. In the
perusal of her letter we were not a little gratified to learn that you still
enjoy your accustomed health, and are able to attend to all the con-
cerns of domestic life. Believing that it would afford you pleasure to
hear from us, I have sat down and will write a few lines on what we
would call the leading topics of the day.

"Well, in what condition are we as a country? What have we
done, and what are we doing? I think we may with propriety be
compared to the ocean : we have had the storm, and now the calm is

ALFRED'S LETTER TO HLS GRANDFATHER. 57

beginning to succeed. For the last few months we have as a nation
been torn with party strife ; for from the tiny school-boy as well as the
gray-headed old man have been heard sentiments, together with enthu-
siastic shouts, in honour of some favourite partisan. Meetings have
been held frequently, at which vast concourses of people have assembled,
and where the talent of the country have been present to display their
forensic powers. However, although I am favourable to party spirit
where it can be kept within bounds, believing that it tends to keep
alive a spirit of inquiry in the minds of the people in regard to those
subjects connected with their country's welfare, yet when it reaches the
height which it has here, and is productive of the same direful results,
I, for one, would say, ' Subdue, and silence it. ' It has been prostituted
to the worst purposes. Men who have stood in our council chambers,
ever ready to second any effort that would conduce to the prosperity of
the nation, and who, in very many instances, have been the originators
of noble and useful measures, have had their characters defamed and
their spotless reputations sullied and disgraced. But the evils of party
spirit have not ended here. There has been the greatest amount of
betting : thousands have been swallowed up in this greedy vortex, and,
among a certain class of our citizens, that man who would bet the
greatest amount has been considered a noble-hearted, generous fellow.
At the large meetings of which I have spoken, liquor has been used,
occasioning drunkenness and riot. All these evils combined have
presented to the virtuous and patriotic mind a sad and mournful
picture.

" But the contest is over ; the combatants have withdrawn from the
field of party strife, and the champion of the victorious party has been
awarded the title of the President of the United States. All the various
portions of society are beginning to turn their attention again to their
daily avocations, and are bending all the energies of their minds
towards amassing money or something else.

"The main question which now agitates our country is the subject ot
slavery. Not content with harassing us in our civil institutions, it has
entered the borders of our Zion, and will, in all probability, effect a
division. At our late session of Congress it was decreed to annex Texas
to our Union. This lying to the south of our Republic, and being
itself a slave country, will be connected with Southern interests, who
(the South) may insist on measures which may prove detrimental to the
North, who, in turn, retaliating, may bring on that most-to-be-dreaded of
all evils — civil war. Oh, grandfather, I regard the measure of Congress,
in this point of view, as highly reprehensible. I believe that it will
cast a dark stain on the fair escutcheon of our liberties, and that

58 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

eventually it may prove the breaker on which the proud ship of State
may be wrecked.

" In the Church a difficulty has arisen — whether it is in harmony with
the spirit of Methodism for a bishop, who is called to all parts of the
Union, to be the possessor of human property ; and at the late session
of the General Conference much time was spent on this question, which
was finally decided in the negative. This decision has so enraged the
Southern portion of the Church that they have declared that they
will not submit to this (as they would term it) arbitrary measure,
and they have called a General Conference, to be held in May next, to
take steps toward division. What it will end in is for the future to
develop. I trust that the Great Head of the Church will rule all things
well ; that He will adjust these difficulties, and bring all things to a
happy termination. I had intended when I commenced my letter to be
rather egotistic ; but ideas on the subjects which I have alluded to have
multiplied, and I have just recorded them. My next shall be more
about myself and family. As we boys are accustomed to say, ' tempus
et spatium ' fail me, and I must close. "

The reader of these pages will readily forgive our young
friend for his want of " egotism " in this letter, since more
of him, as an observer of his times, is seen that any merely
personal narrative could have given. It is evident that he
was thoroughly alive to the stirring events of those days, in
which party strife, both in State and Church, had reached
the pitch that already foreboded the calamities into which
the whole country was soon precipitated.

Thus at the age of seventeen he evinced a familiarity
with public movements, a close sympathy with the welfare
of the nation, and of the Church to which he belonged,
which never forsook him. From this time onward he could
be no indifferent citizen of the State or member of the
Church. It was not in the nature of a soul so thoroughly
human, and so richly imbued with the Master's spirit, to be
a passive cipher in the midst of such active forces as those
into which he was born and in which he grew up. It has
been conjectured, in a most graphic delineation of his father,

EVANGELISTIC WORK. 59

that the stirring, warlike spirit of Europe in the beginning of
the nineteenth century, at the period of the father's birth,
had much to do with his martial spirit as an orator. A
heart more responsive to the weal of the nation and to the
weal of the Church never throbbed than beat in the breast
of Alfred Cookman ; nor has there arisen among us a
public man, whether in the pulpit or out of it, whose cha-
racter was more affected by the reflected influence of these
two objects. To those who knew so well the genuineness
of his patriotism, and the unselfish zeal of his Methodism
in later years, it is no unpleasant matter to get a peep at the
early dawn of these two great passions which is afforded us
by this letter. How like the temper of the perfected man,
the sentiment, " I trust that the Great Head of the Church
will rule all things well ; that He will adjust these difficulties,
and bring all things to a happy termination " !

About this time — the year 1845 — Alfred entered distinc-
tively upon his evangelistic career • not, however, as a
preacher, but as an earnest worker in Sabbath-school
and missionary effort. A band of young men, most of
whom were connected with the Charles Street Church,
formed a mission to the seamen and poor children who fre-
quented the upper docks of the harbour in Baltimore. Their
hearts were touched with pity as they saw the large number
of sailors, most of whom were confined to vessels doing busi-
ness wholly in the waters of Chesapeake Bay, and were entirely
destitute of the means of religious improvement. They first
rented a small room at the head of Frederick Street Dock.
This proving too limited, they removed to a more commo-
dious and eligibly located one in Pratt Street, at the head of
the Upper Basin. It was not the first time that Methodism
began a good work in a " Sail Loft." The old Sail Loft,
christened " The City Bethel," was the scene of the zealous

6o LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

labours of these devout young men on Sundays and
week-day evenings. Alfred was the youngest among
them, but not least in graces and gifts. He was so power-
fully affected by the " Bethel Fraternity," then and always,
for the shape and for the friendships it gave him, and
those who constituted this band of generous youths have
since come to such repute, and the immediate object
for which they laboured has come to such stability, that I'
offer from the pen of the Rev. T. H. Switzer, the first
pastor of the City Bethel, a circumstantial account of the
matter : —

"The Baltimore Bethel was the second organization
of the kind in the city; its object was to reach sailors,
watermen, and neglected children, who loitered about the
wharfs on the Sabbath-day. It was caHed City Bethel to
distinguish it from the Sailors' Union Bethel, of Fell's
Point, Baltimore.

"Brother Alfred Cookman, although the youngest, was one
of the most active and efficient members of the society ; at
our regularly monthly meetings to devise ways and means
of advancing the interests of the association, he was always
present, and took part in our deliberations and discussions.
In the Sabbath-school, the experience meetings, and in the
preaching of the Word, he manifested a lively interest.
Soon after my appointment to the charge, an incident
occurred which brought him particularly under my notice.
Thomas Dryden, son of Joshua Dryden, after a protracted
illness, fell asleep in Jesus. His death was deeply lamented
by the society. His example was bright while he lived, and
his death was signally triumphant. The friends of the
deceased and members of the organization requested Brother
Cookman to prepare a funeral discourse, which he did, and
delivered in the lecture-room of the Charles Street Church.

ALFREDS FIRST SERMOh. 61

This was Alfred's first sermon, then in his seventeenth year.
The discourse made a strong impression on the audience,
and those present who are now living remember it to the
present day. His call to the ministry was undoubted by
those who heard him on that occasion.

" The sermon was delivered with much feeling, his
enunciation was distinct, his language chaste and impressive,
his illustrations forcible and appropriate ; his pathetic allu-
sions to the deceased touched the tender chords of the
hearts of many present. Those who were familiar with his
father's method, and the character of his preaching, could
not fail to discover in the younger Cookman traits that
reminded them of that eminent minister of Christ, George
G. Cookman.

" Alfred Cookman was as that time modest and unob-
trusive in manner, ardent in his feelings. His judgment
was in advance of his years, his imagination was vivid, and
illustration was successfully employed in his themes. In
person he was slender, and his genial countenance wore the
cheerful glow of sunshine."

The communication of Mr. Switzer has anticipated a
little the fact which was to give direction to Alfred's future
calling. From the incident of the funeral sermon, it is
evident that an impression was already prevailing among his
associates that he was " called to preach." His selection by
those who knew him most intimately for so important a ser-
vice for their departed associate, shows that they not only
believed him called of God to preach, but also the high
estimation in which they held both his talents and his piety.
It was a great mark of respect to be put upon a youth
of seventeen years. His text on the occasion was, " To die
is gain." The general style and effect of the treatment have
been described. The mind of the Church now distinctly

62 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

pointed to him as a suitable person to preach the Gospel of
Christ. The call to preach, among the Methodists, is
regarded as a twofold and simultaneous movement of the
Holy Ghost upon the heart of the individual and upon the
heart of the Church with which he is connected. However
reserved the person thus moved may be in withholding
his impressions, the Church will be led, independently
of any communication from him, to feel that he ought to
take upon himself the office and work of the ministry.
Many a young man who, in his modesty, has tried like
Saul to hide himself among the stuff, ignorant that any
one suspected his struggles of soul, has been drawn out of
his hiding-place and thrust forth into the work. Such, too,
has not unfrequently stood head and shoulders above his
brethren.

The initial steps were taken in designating Alfred Cook-
man for the ministry, November ist, 1845, when he was
licensed as an exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal Church
by the official meeting of the Charles Street Station, Baltimore
Conference, Edwin Dorsey preacher in charge. In less
than a year from this time, on July 7 th, 1846, he received
from the Quarterly Conference of the same charge a license
to preach, signed by the Rev. John A. Collins, as presiding
elder. The preparation for the examination which he had
to undergo before the Quarterly Conference was made
wholly by himself. It was conducted very thoroughly by
Mr. Collins, who, at its close, pronounced Alfred more
proficient in the subjects comprised in the examination than
any young man who had ever come before him for license.
He was at this time an assistant teacher in a private
academy ; his work was arduous and confining, his social
and religious engagements numerous, so that he must
have studied diligently to attain such a clear understanding

If IS FEELINGS ON ENTERING THE MINISTR Y. 63

of the Scriptural proofs of the fundamental doctrines of
Christianity.

George G. Cookman had thus early a successor in the
ministry. Five years only had gone since the great
light was quenched in the sea, and now in the person
and office of the eldest born the work of illumination
was to be continued. The deep emotions of the mother
may be better imagined than expressed, as she saw
her little Solomon recognised as God's chosen one, and
designated by the Church to the great building to which
she had so sincerely consecrated him in childhood. To
such a mother this hour for her first-born was cause for
richer joy and juster pride than if she had seen him selected
for an earthly throne, or as the heir of the wealthiest man
in the land. Of Alfred's own feelings at this important
period of his career but a limited statement is at command.
In after years he made this reference to it : " At the age of
eighteen I took up the silver trumpet which had fallen from
the hand of my faithful father, and began to preach, in a
very humble way, the everlasting Gospel." This allusion,
and that found in the following letter to his grandfather, are
enough to show the humility and earnestness with which he
received the great commission. The letter also lets us into
his anxious questionings as to his immediate future course.
Its references to the late Rev. George C. M. Roberts, M.D.,
D.D., cannot fail of grateful interest to the host of friends,
in Baltimore and elsewhere, who cherish with such affection
and reverence the memory of that able and devout man.
At once physician and local preacher, he ministered to the
bodies and souls of thousands, and for the space of a quarter
of a century wielded an influence in the community second
to no other citizen.

To his grandfather Cookman he writes, —

64 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

"Baltimore, July 7, 1846.

"A favourable opportunity for transmitting you a few lines has pre-
sented itself, inasmuch as Dr. Roberts, one of the most respected and
esteemed members of our community, is about to depart for England
with the design of attending the World's Convention. This gentleman
is a member of the medical profession in our city ; in connection with
this he is an official member in the Methodist Church, and has always
evinced great zeal and energy in the promotion of every good and
benevolent enterprise. I am sure that Baltimore possesses no son more
highly esteemed and more generally loved than this brother, and it is
on account of his noble and excellent qualities that he was unhesi-
tatingly selected to represent the interests of what is termed ' the city
station ' in this coming convention. He is a man of the deepest and
most devoted piety, and an earnest anxiety for the prosperity of Zion
has prompted him to establish a Saturday-evening prayer-meeting,
where Christians are accustomed to meet and pray, more especially for
the sanctifying influences of God's Spirit. At these meetings I have
frequently been found, and have there eminently realized the presence
of the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am sure you will be pleased
with him. Possessed of a sweet, Christian-like spirit, affable and win-
ning manners, and no small share of intellect, he secures for himself the
affection and good-will of all with whom he is called to associate.

' ' As you are aware, I have been engaged in teaching for the last
twelve months. I have not realized those sanguine expectations that
I indulged when I entered upon this arduous employment ; for I con-
fidently hoped to do more in the improvement of my mind, while
engaged in teaching, than I could possibly if my entire time were
devoted to literary pursuits. I thought that, while instructing youths,
I should effect a review of old studies, and that between schools I could
devote myself to mental labour or literary acquisition ; but, alas ! alas !
my hopes have proved vain, and I have not reached that point in the
hill of science whither my aspirations would have led me. The school
in which I am engaged as assistant has been small, and made up prin-
cipally of boys who were in the very first rudiments of science ; and
day after day my duties have been to hear the little urchin repeat his
task either in spelling, geography, arithmetic, or some other minor
branch, all of which it would be almost impossible to forget ; and thus
I, of course, have not realized my first expectation. Although these
my scholars had progressed but little, though their attainments were
but limited, I felt it to be my duty to devote myself with as much
assiduity and energy to their improvement as if I had heard them every

METHOD, ACTIVITY, ATTAINMENTS. 65

clay recite an ode of Horace or a section of Homer. The consequence
has been that, when after having performed my duties I have returned
home and retired to my own study, I have experienced a general pro-
stration of my entire system. My nerves have been unstrung, my energies
paralyzed, and I have had no spirit to proceed with study. I must
not, I cannot consistently say, that I have made no additions to my
stock during the year. Many theological works I have carefully
perused, and think that I am pretty well grounded in the fundamentals
of divinity. During the year I felt it to be my duty to assume a more
responsible station — namely, that of a minister of the everlasting Gospel.
Frequently I have stood up in the sacred desk to expound the oracles
of God ; and, in declaring the unsearchable riches of Christ, in dwelling
upon the amazing love and infinite condescension of the Saviour in
redemption, my own soul has been wanned, and I have realized that in
dispensing the Gospel I receive much of heaven's comfort.

"I have been seriously considering which would be the best course
for me to pursue in the future. My engagements with Mr. L. will
terminate in a few days, and I do not feel disposed to shackle myself
for the coming year as I certainly have during the past. I have sought
the counsel of some of my father's tried friends, as, for instance, Messrs.
Hodgson, Durbin, Thompson, and others, and they advise me to enter
the itinerant field, assuring me that I shall not only have more time,
but more disposition to study. I have calmly and dispassionately
weighed this advice, and think it is good ; that perhaps it would be to
my advantage, in an intellectual point of view, as well as the considera-
tion that, in the hands of God, 1 might be made useful. "

Alfred's mother, in referring to his habits at this date of
his life, says, " He very early threw in his efforts (with
others) to work among a class of degraded human beings,
who were drunkards, and were almost taken out of the
gutters. His young voice was often heard in denunciation
and earnest entreaties for them to turn from sin and become
new men in Christ Jesus. With what zeal and earnestness
did he follow these poor outcasts ! Alfred was very exact
in the distribution of his time. He had to depend, in a
great measure, on his own efforts. He felt himself a father-
less youth, and had very ardent yearnings to acquire know-
ledge, and to prepare himself to fill a useful and honourable

5

66 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

position in life. Thus he became a very diligent student
in the various departments constituting a thorough scholar.
In Latin, Greek, German, and French, he was very profi-
cient, and his knowledge in the arts and sciences was
considerable. Even at the age of twelve his father acknow-
ledged he was farther advanced in those branches than
he was himself at the age of eighteen. Humility and
timidity were two of his peculiar characteristics, which kept
him from anything like display or assumption."

Subsequently to his license to preach, and before leaving
Baltimore, he preached frequently. His friend, Mr. Samuel
Kramer, a local preacher, would take him to his country
appointments contiguous to the city, and would have him
supply for him. All the opportunities he could desire, and
more perhaps than was prudent for so young a beginner,
were opened to him. His engagements were constantly up
to the full measure of his strength and his time. In the
best pulpits of the city his services were accepted, and in
the best society of the city his company was eagerly sought.
The name he bore was hallowed to the people. They were
prepared, for his father's and mother's sake, to listen to his
words and to love his character. But he was everything in
himself that was attractive — one of the most engaging youths
who ever stood in a sacred desk or moved among a circle of
friends. There was a freshness and healthfulness of physique,
an openness of physiognomy, a spiritual beauty, a ripeness
of culture, a manifest piety, a gracefulness of movement, and
a native eloquence which won all hearts ; and from this
early day until his death there was no minister of the
Methodist Episcopal Church who could draw together a
larger crowd of ardent, admiring hearers in the city of Bal-
timore than Alfred Cookman. A halo invested him from
the beginning to the end of his career.

CHAPTER VII.

THE YOUTHFUL PASTOR. — HIS FIRST CIRCUIT.

But the time had now come when plans for the more
regular and permanent exercise of his ministry began seri-
ously to agitate him. We have already seen from his last
letter that thoughts of a collegiate course had been enter-
tained and discussed. It appears that the counsels of his
father's closest friends were adverse to this, and favourable
to an immediate entrance upon the itinerant ministry.

Certainly the results of his ministry are not such as to
leave room for many regrets on the ground of greater possible
usefulness. What he was we know ; what he might have
been with the influences of the broader culture which comes
of the studies and associations of the college we cannot fully
conjecture. A more liberal education, prosecuted at greater
length, would probably have rendered him different, in some
respects, from what he was as a man and as a preacher, but
it is extremely doubtful if it could have rendered him more
intense in his personal and ministerial influence. In the cry
for scholars, we are too apt to forget that it is not so much
ideas as their application ; not so much new truths as the
practice of old truths ; not so much thinkers as actors — men
of deeds — that the great world needs. A man to move and
mould the people must be a man of positive convictions, be
the circle of his knowledge never so small, rather than a
critical investigator.

68 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Alfred Cookman was capable of becoming a scholar of a
high order, but he chose to narrow the sphere of his studies
to the subjects which nourished his own soul satisfactorily,
which he felt would make him most useful as a pastor ; and
it was the thoroughness with which his intellect grasped
these, and the heartiness with which he believed them, that
gave him in his domain so marked an ascendency over the
minds of the people. So that I am frank to acknowledge
that if a collegiate education (taking education in its multi-
plex sense) would have made his ministry different from what
it was, I can scarcely see how it could have made it more
useful. I fear the contrary might have been the result.
Upon the whole, it is quite safe to assume, where the sin-
cerest efforts are made by those who have the shaping of
Christ's chosen instruments, that their course is about such
as God orders, and in the outcome is the best for them and
for His Church.

The point being settled that the young evangelist should
at once make full proof of his ministry by entering the
regular pastorate, the next question for decision was, " What
conference shall he join ? " Some of his friends urged him
strongly to seek admission into the Baltimore Conference,
while others as strongly urged the advantages of the Phila-
delphia. It would have been natural for him to remain
where he was, but the reasons for going to Philadelphia
were controlling. His former and much beloved teacher,
the Rev. Robert Pattison, had joined that conference;
several of his young associates, such as Charles J. Thompson
and Adam Wallace, preferred it ; his father had first united
with it, and he wished, as far as possible, to follow in his
footsteps.

But, as usual, the mother's judgment turned the scales.
There were better schools and better opportunities of busi-

REMOVAL TO PHILADELPHIA. 69

ness in Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania was a free state.
Her repugnance to slavery made her adverse to rearing her
children in contact with it. There was another considera-
tion which weighed with her possibly more than all others :
she felt the time had come when she must give herself more
fully to the care of her children. While, therefore, her heart
was deeply attached to Baltimore and to its loving, noble
Christians, she determined that, for her family's sake, she
must cut herself loose from their companionship, and seek,
in another city and amid new scenes, to enter upon a course
of more exclusive devotion to home nurture.

Early in the autumn of 1846 the household goods were
stowed in a canal-boat and shipped to Philadelphia. The
family soon followed. Alfred had already been requested
by the Rev. James McFarland, presiding elder of one of the
Philadelphia districts, to supply the place of Rev. D. D.
Lore, who had been appointed missionary to Buenos Ayres,
on Attleboro Circuit, Bucks County, under the charge of the
Rev. James Hand. He accepted the invitation, and so soon
as the family were settled, and he had procured the neces-
sary outfit, he started for the "appointment." His horse
he named " Gery," in honour of his friend Gershom Broad-
bent of Baltimore. Gery became a great pet with him and
with all the brothers and the little sister. Alfred and Gery
were much talked about at home, and their joint arrival on
a visit was henceforth hailed as the brightest day which
could dawn on Philadelphia.

It was a proud hour when the young preacher, leaving hh
mother's door, with her blessing on his head and her warm
kiss upon his lips, springing into his saddle, hied away over
the hills to his first pastoral charge. What a pang it must
have cost him to part with that loving parent, to leave
brothers and sister, who had clung to him as a father, and to

70 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

go off among total strangers ! But though young, and sen-
sitive even to feminine delicacy, he had the hopes of youth
to cheer him. His heart was full of zeal for the Master1 s
glory, and the romantic interest which belongs to an earnest
nature in the first commencement of a chosen and chivalrous
career. On the mother's part, his devotement to the work
was one of pure self-sacrifice ; and as she saw him ride away,
in the first act which was for ever to take him from her roof,
the light went out of her eyes and the joy from her heart.
But she made the surrender cheerfully, thanking God that
He had ' ' counted him worthy — putting him into the minis-
try." She could not, however, let him go without salutary
advice — advice which he never forgot, and which became a
tvatch-cry in his ministry. Here is his reference to the occa-
sion : " Quitting about this time one of the happiest of homes
to enter the itinerant work, my excellent mother remarked
just upon the threshold of my departure, ' My son, if you
would be supremely happy or extremely useful in your work,
you must be an entirely sanctified servant of Jesus.' It was
a cursory suggestion, perhaps forgotten almost as soon as
expressed ; nevertheless, applied by the Spirit, it made the
profoundest impression upon my mind and heart. Oh the
value of single sentences which any one may utter in the
ordinary intercourse of life ! Sermons and exhortations are
frequently forgotten, while the wish or counsel simply and
precisely expressed will abide, to lead us into clearer lighL
Let this fact, which will find an illustration in many experi-
ences, serve to stimulate and encourage even the feeblest to
5peak for Jesus. My mother's passing but pointed remark
followed me like a good angel as I moved to and fro in my
first sphere of itinerant life."

Attleboro Circuit lay among 'the hills of Bucks County,
and embraced in its territory a fine rural district. It obliged

ATTLEBORO CIRCUIT. 71

a good deal of travelling and much hard work from the
youthful minister. The social status of Methodism was not
so high as he had been accustomed to in the cities, and,
although he met with great kindness from the people, he
missed many comforts which he had hitherto deemed quite
necessary to his well-being. But he shrank from no duty,
however hard, and no work which lay in his way. Among
the youths whom he had found on removing to Philadelphia
was Andrew Longacre, now the Rev. Andrew Longacre, of
the New York Conference. They soon felt themselves to be
kindred spirits, and very speedily there sprang up between
them a friendship which grew closer with maturing years,
and has constituted one of the most profitable and lovely of
human attachments. Andrew was younger by three years,
but Alfred gave him his whole heart. The following letter
is a proof of this affection, and also a fair exhibit of the
circuit life. It discloses to us the dutiful service he was
ready to render as a " junior preacher," the fidelity with
which amid bodily ailments he stood to his post, and also
the zest with which, though now a grave minister, he could
enter into the pleasantries of his young friend : —

New Town, February 22, 1847.

"My dear Friend Andrew, — I had intended to reply to your
interesting and affectionate letter some days since, but circumstances
have been of a character to prevent me. Not only have I had the
duties of a protracted meeting devolving upon me, but within the last
few days I have necessarily been obliged to travel a good deal, in
compliance with the wishes of my colleague. On Friday last, in con-
junction with his expressed desire, I procured a covered wagon and
a pair of horses, and, assisted by a teamster, proceeded to bring a table
that had been constructed in New Hope to this village, the place of its
destination. The distance is about twelve miles, and the road being
exceedingly bad, owing to the continued wet weather, we were about
three hours in accomplishing the journey. During the day I got my

72 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

feet very wet, and on my return was so thoroughly chilled that I appre-
hended a severe cold. My surmises proved but too true, for after
passing a rather disagreeable night — my slumbers being disturbed — I
rose in the morning threatened with my old complaint. I had promised
the day previous that I would return to New Town, and, if necessary,
would endeavour to preach on Saturday evening in Attleboro. Not
willing to sacrifice my word, I very imprudently again left New Hope
in an open sulky, and with great difficulty reached New Town, when I
was obliged to alight and lie down. I found, from the state of my
feelings, that it would be impracticable and impossible for me to pro-
ceed-any farther. Debility and pain seemed to have seized my entire
system, and I was sick — very sick. My colleague came in, and very
kindly consented to put away and take charge of my horse, and thought,
from my symptoms, that I should at once see a doctor. He soon
arrived, dosed me with laudanum and castor-oil, said he would call
again, and hoped that I would soon be better. In the unbounded
mercy and undeserved goodness of my Heavenly Father, I have been
almost entirely restored ; and though I feel a little debilitated and
suffer a little pain, yet still I hope very soon again to plunge into the
battle and fight valiantly for my God.

"But what am I doing? Here I have filled up a page and a halt
with an account of the state of my physical system : something that
must be as uninteresting as unprofitable to you. Since I left my Phila-
delphia friends (friends that I regard with feelings of peculiar tender-
ness), I have almost constantly been engaged in active service for my
Master. Almost every evening has found me upon the battle-plain,
surrounded by a devoted few, and arrayed against the armies of the
aliens. My ear has been saluted, not by the clash of arms, the roar of
cannon, the shrieks of the wounded and dying, but, thank God, by
something infinitely sweeter, nobler, and more delightful. Night after
night I have heard the sweet hymn of praise gushing warm from the
Christian's grateful heart ; the fervent and importunate prayer from him
hungering and thirsting after righteousness ; the hearty exclamation,
' God be merciful to me, a sinner ! ' from him who regarded sin as a
burden too intolerable to be bome ; the transporting accent trembling
upon the lips of the newly-regenerated creature, 'Glory! glory! I do
love Jesus, for He has taken my feet from the mire and the clay, and
He has planted them on the rock of ages.' I praise the Lord for what
I have enjoyed in my own soul ; the flame of heaven's love has been
burning brightly upon the altar of my heart, and these circumstances to
which I have made allusion, viz., the conversion of my fellow-mortals,
have been like fuel thrown upon the fire to add to the power and bril-

GREAT MODESTY. 73

liancy 01 the flame. I often look at myself, Andrew, and when I call
to mind my manifold shortcomings and repeated backslidings, when I
remember my constant wanderings, both to the right hand and to the
left, I am lost in wonder and astonishment that my Saviour should be
so kind and good as to lavish upon me such unnumbered and undeserved
blessings, that He should choose me as one of His creature-instruments
to extend the honour of the Redeemer's name. I need and earnestly
desire to love Him more and serve Him better, to have every power of
my nature consecrated upon the altar of His cause, — in a word, to be
sanctified throughout, soul, body, and spirit ; for I verily believe that,
if we would be eminently useful as well as supremely happy, we must
love God with all our soul, mind, and strength. I certainly should feel
very happy if I thought I had so secured your confidence as to prompt
you feelingly and conscientiously to array my poor unworthy self with
so many noble and excellent qualities. Perhaps that sentence was
penned, like many of my own, from impulse, for I am sure that were
you to bestow upon me the least scrutiny, my deformities, physical,
mental, and moral, would induce you to start back astonished. One
thing, though, is perfectly certain. I love my friends, and I covet their
esteem and regard. "

All who remember the expression of genuine modesty
which Alfred Cookman's face always wore,, will appreciate
the self-deprecating reference with which he meets his
friend's tribute to his personal qualities. I can almost see
the girlish blush which mantles his youthful brow at the
mention of these excellences. But the feature of this first
letter in his ministerial life which is most significant is the
ardent breathings which it manifests for entire consecration
to God. The leaven of his mother's advice was already
working. Circumstances were close at hand which were
distinctly to impress his whole subsequent career. In the
providence of God he was thus early brought into contact
with influences which gave definitive shape to his views and
experiences on the great doctrine which was henceforth to
occupy so much of his thoughts, and to the maintenance
and propagation of which his talents and time were to be

74 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

so signally and so successfully devoted. He shall speak for
himself : —

" Frequently I felt to yield myself to God, and pray for
the grace of entire sanctification ; but then this experience
would lift itself in my view as a mountain of glory, and I
would say, It is not for me, — I could not possibly scale that
shining summit ; and if I could, my besetments and trials
are such, I could not successfully maintain so lofty a posi-
tion. While thus exercised in mind, Bishop Hamline, ac-
companied by his devoted wife, came to New Town, one
of the principal appointments on the circuit, that he might
dedicate a church which we had been erecting for the wor-
ship of God. Remaining about a week, he not only preached
again and again, and always with the unction of the Holy
One, but took occasion to converse with me pointedly re-
specting my religious experience. His gentle and yet digni-
fied bearing, devotional spirit, beautiful Christian example,
unctuous manner, divinely illuminated face, apostolic labour
and fatherly counsels, made the profoundest impression on
my mind and heart. I heard him as one sent from God,
and certainly he was ; his influence, so hallowed and blessed,
has not only remained with me ever since, but even seems
to increase as I pass along in my sublunary pilgrimage. Oh
how I bless and praise God for the life and labours of the
beloved Bishop Hamline !

"One week-day afternoon, after a most delightful dis.
course, he urged us to seize the opportunity, and do what
we had often desired and resolved and promised to do — viz.,
' as believers yield ourselves to God as those who were alive
from the dead, and from that hour trust in Jesus as our
Saviour from all sin.' Kneeling by myself, I brought an
entire consecration to the altar. But some one will say,
' Had you not done that at the time of your conversion ? '

ENTIRE CONSECRATIOA. 75

I answer, Yes ! but with this difference : then I brought
powers dead in trespasses and sins, now I would consecrate
powers permeated with the new life of regeneration, I would
offer myself a living sacrifice ; then I gave myself away, but
now, with the increased illumination of the Spirit, I felt that
my surrender was more intelligent and specific and careful,
— it was my hands, my feet, my senses, my attributes of
mind and heart, my hours, my energies, my reputation, my
worldly substance, my everything, without reservation or
limitation. Then I was anxious for pardon, but now my
desire and faith compassed something more — I wanted the
conscious presence of the Sanctifier in my heart. Carefully
consecrating everything, I covenanted with my own heart
and with my heavenly Father that this entire but unworthy
offering should remain upon the altar, and henceforth I would
please God by believing that the altar (Spirit) sanctifieth the
gift. Do you ask what was the immediate effect ? I answer
peace — a broad, deep, full, satisfying, and sacred peace.
This proceeded not only from the testimony of a good con-
science before God, but likewise from the presence and
operation of the Spirit in my heart. Still I could not say
that I was entirely sanctified, except as I had sanctified
myself to God."

CHAPTER VIII.

FROM COUNTRY TO CITY. — TRIP TO ENGLAND.

The annual session of the Philadelphia Conference was
held in the spring of 1847, at Wilmington, Delaware. Bishop
Hamline presided. Alfred Cookman, having finished up his
work, repaired to the seat of the Conference. He was an
applicant for admission into the Conference, in company
with a large number of young men, most of whom were his
personal friends. The Conference was very full, it being
found difficult to station all the preachers, and so, at the
advice of the presiding bishop, it was voted to receive none
"on trial." This was a sore disappointment to our young
friend, as it was to others applying. He had preached at
least a half-year under the presiding elder, and now to be
obliged to do so an additional year was somewhat grievous.
The policy of such a procedure on the part of a Conference
is always of doubtful expediency, and sometimes may be
very unjust and injurious to the parties and to the work. '
The young minister, however, had consecrated himself to
the Master's cause, according to the order of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, the Church of his father ; and so, bowing
gracefully to the decision of the Conference, he accepted
again a position under the presiding elder, and entered
cheerfully upon it. He was appointed by the Rev. Daniel
Lambdin to the Delaware City Circuit, in the State of
Delaware, with the Rev. Robert McNarmee for his preacher
in charge.

DIMINISHED SPIRITUAL POWER. 77

Before I follow him to his new circuit, an important fact
in his inward life must be stated. It will be remembered
that his early religious experience received a check upon the
occasion of his removal from Carlisle to Washington. His
later experience received a similar but a more prolonged
check during this session of the Conference. The explana-
tion is best given in his own words. They are a continua-
tion of the published narrative before quoted from : " Oh
that I could conclude just here these allusions to personal
experience with" the simple addition that my life to the
present has answered to the description of endless progress
regulated by endless peace ! Fidelity to truth, however,
with a solicitude that others may profit by my errors, con-
strains me to add another paragraph of my personal testi-
mony. Have you ever known a sky full of sunshine — the
power of a beautiful day subsequently obscured by lowering
clouds ? Have you ever known a jewel of incalculable
value to its owner lost through culpable carlessness ? Alas
that so bright a morning in my spiritual history should not
have shone more and more unto the perfect day — that I
should, under any circumstances, have carelessly parted
with this pearl of personal experience ! Eight weeks trans-
pired— weeks of light, strength, love, and blessing ; Con-
ference came on ; I found myself in the midst of beloved
brethren ; forgetting how easily the infinitely Holy Spirit
might be grieved, I allowed myself to drift into the spirit of
the hour ; and, after an indulgence in foolish joking and
story-telling, realized that I had suffered serious loss. To
my next field of labour I proceeded with consciously
diminished spiritual power."

The new circuit was found to be very congenial. From
a lady who knew him well, and between whom and himself
there was a pleasant friendship — Mrs. L. A. Battershall, of

78 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

New York — I have received the following reference to his
character and work at this time : —

" Numbered with the most pleasant memories of the by-
gone are my recollections of the Rev. Alfred Cookman.
After his appointment to Delaware City Circuit, he was a
frequent guest at the hospitable home of a relative, whom I
was then visiting. Domiciled beneath the same roof, ample
opportunity was thus afforded me of observing his habitual
deportment in the daily amenities of life. He was richly
endowed by nature with a genial spirit, and an ease and
grace of manner which eminently fitted him to shine as
the centre of the social circle, and yet I never knew him
betrayed into a levity unbecoming a minister of the Gospel
of Christ.

" Delaware City Circuit at that time embraced a con-
siderable portion of the wealthy agricultural district of New-
castle County, Delaware, and was populated by a people
of more than ordinary intelligence. To all classes of this
population young Cookman came as the messenger of life.
His young heart burned with love for souls. He went from
his closet to the pulpit, and, thus panoplied with power, it
is no marvel that the multitudes which from Sabbath to
Sabbath hung upon the earnest pleadings of his eloquent
lips for their salvation, regarded him as a royal ambassador
from the Court of the Most High."

The year, according to this testimony, passed profitably
and pleasantly, as he glided about from village to village
and home to home among a devout and hospitable people.
In those days it was not customary for the young preacher
to have any fixed boarding-place on the circuit. No appro-
priation was made to pay his board, but he was expected to
" stay around " among the families, remaining longest where
it was most congenial, or where, from the means and kind-

FIRST APPOINTMENT. 79

ness of the families, he could be rendered most comfortable,
and found the greatest facilities for reading and study.
Sometimes the young preacher would be so fortunate as to
have one or more such homes at each of the churches.
Occasionally he would arrange to spend most of his time at
one central home, where his books and wardrobe — if he
were rich beyond the contents of his saddle-bags — could
remain, and where he was always made heartily welcome.
Nothing could exceed the cordiality with which the families
at these homes greeted and entertained their young minister.
The best room was at his disposal, the richest products of
farm and garden, the choicest poultry from the swarming
broods, were put before him. At the protracted and quarterly
meetings these homes became the gathering-points of the
ministers and official members of the circuit, occasions of
happy reunions, and of deep spiritual as well as social
enjoyment.

At the session of the Conference in the spring of 1848,
Alfred Cookman was again an applicant for admission, and
was received. His first appointment in the minutes occurs
this year, to Germantown Circuit, which included German-
town and Chestnut Hill. The Rev. James A. Massey was
his presiding elder. The circuit comprised a very beautiful
suburban region of Philadelphia. Germantown and Chest-
nut Hill have grown into important stations. His labours
were marked by fidelity to duty, and all his exercises were
indications of the future successes which were destined to
crown his ministry.

Large cities have a wondrous attractive power for all the
forces which can augment their greatness. It is not sur-
prising to find Philadelphia Methodism speedily demanding
Alfred Cookman for its service. In the spring of 1849 ne
was appointed as junior preacher, under the Rev. David

8o LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Dailey, to Kensington and Port Richmond, with the Rev.
John P. Durbin, D.D., as the presiding elder. He was
now following closely in the footsteps of his father, this
having been the first appointment of that godly man ; and
the brick church of Kensington, that was so often vocal to
the eloquence of the father in his youth, was again vocal
with the fervent and persuasive ' tones of the son. The
veneration of the young minister for his father was an
absorbing passion ; consequently there could be no motive,
next to his reverence for the Divine Master and the sense of
responsibility to Him, so powerful as the consideration that
he was standing directly where his father had stood, and was
ministering to the very people who had listened to his
burning and instructive words. But little record remains
to us of the exercises of his mind or of the character and
effect of his preaching.

One of the best proofs of his success is that he was re-
turned a second year to the same station, with the privilege
of supplying his work for a part of the year and making a
visit to Europe. It was about this time that I first saw
Alfred Cookman. Although he and I lived as boys in
Baltimore through some of the years, yet he was so far my
senior, and the charges to which we severally belonged were
so wide apart, that it happened we had never met. I had
heard so much of him, that when I learned he was to preach
at the Charles Street Church, I hastened thither, and found
myself a curious hearer amid the crowd which thronged the
building. Many of those present had been his father's
friends ; they had known him from boyhood, they comprised
very many of the most highly cultured Methodists of the
city — all facts not little adapted to embarrass the young
preacher. His theme was the "Resurrection of Christ."
His action is distinctly before me now, as he described

LETTER TO HIS GRANDFATHER. 81

Peter and John in their eager race to reach the tomb
of Jesus, after they had heard the announcement of
Mary that "He had risen from the dead." The preacher
was then just past twenty-two years of age, of very
handsome, pleasing personal appearance — slight, erect,
with a most engaging countenance, rendered doubly
attractive by the massy black hair which fell upon his
neck and shoulders.

A letter to his grandfather Cookman immediately pre-
ceding the Conference of 1850 gives some insight to his
feelings. It breathes the tenderest pathos, and shows how
well prepared he was already to fill the highly important
office of comforter to the afflicted : —

" Philadelphia, March 16, 1850.

"I find by a reference to the newspaper that a steamer will leave
New York for Liverpool next Wednesday, and although the near
approach of Conference gives me an abundance to do, yet I have
managed to economize an hour, which I most joyfully devote to the
delightful exercise of English correspondence. Though old ocean's
waters serve to separate us, yet frequently thought and affection, hand
in hand, defying space and distance, wing their way to your sea-girt
isle, and by the eye of fancy I can see you moving from place to place
or attending to your daily duties. How much I wish at such times
that flesh and blood could travel with the rapidity of thought. Often
wouid you find me lingering near, eager to pay you those attentions
which not only old age but your recent heavy afflictions so imperatively
require. Believe me, dear grandfather, when I assure you that I think
of and deeply sympathize with you, and when I kneel down before Him
who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities, I endeavour as
best I can to bear you up upon the wings of faith and prayer. The
trials which in the mysterious providence of an all-wise God have come
upon you are indeed distressing — aye, almost overwhelming. To bid
farewell to those as dear to you as life itself, to gaze upon their counte-
nances for the last time, not knowing that you will ever again meet
with them in the flesh, to be left alone with no relative to offer his
tender sympathies or kind attentions — all this certainly must have been
agonizing in the extreme. At such a period, when the vanity of every-

6

82 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

thing subhmary must be seen and felt, how comforting and encouraging
to remember that in the blessed Saviour we have 'a Friend that sticketh
closer than a brother ' — One that will never leave nor forsake us, who
will stand by us in six trials, and not forsake us in the seventh ! I
have no doubt but that you have personally experienced the precious-
ness of these Scriptural assurances. Under the shadow of His wing
you have found a covert from the stormy blast ; and not only so, but
perhaps with holy triumph are able to affirm that ' tribulation worketh
patience ; and patience, experience ; and experience, hope : and hope
maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in my
heart by the Holy Ghost given unto me.' These light afflictions, which
are but for a moment, are intended to work out for you a far more
exceeding and eternal weight' of glory. I would gladly, if possible,
pour the balm of Christian consolation into your bruised and bleeding
heart. But I rejoice to remember that there is One who regards you
with more than a mother's love ; who behind a frowning providence is
hiding a smiling face ; who encouragingly whispers, all things shall
work together for good to those who put their trust in God. May His
richest blessing rest abundantly upon you, and although you are de-
scending the hill of life, yet with the everlasting arms beneath and
around you, may you realize that your path shineth brighter and brighter
unto the perfect day.

"In a little more than a week the Philadelphia Conference will
assemble in our city. If all should be well, I expect during the session
to be admitted to the order of deacon in the Methodist Episcopal
Church. I have been endeavouring to preach Christ and Him crucified
for upward of three years, and realize an increasing love for my work.
Now that I am to be received into full connection, I would dedicate
myself more unreservedly to God, and in the strength of grace resolve
to spend and be spent more fully in the service of my Heavenly Master.
Oh that with the laying on of hands there may be a special anointing
of the Holy Spirit, that I may indeed become a flaming herald of the
King of kings and Lord of lords I

"My studies occupy much of my time and attention. Watson's
Institutes (with which you are quite familiar) is perhaps the most diffi-
cult work we have to digest preparatory to examination. There is such
a number of points and multiplicity of theories to treasure up that I find
it requires a little extra attention. As a production I regard it as
a masterpiece, an enduring monument to the cherished memory of its
distinguished author. Our examiners have, by the direction of the
bishops, put into our hands a volume entitled the Principles of Morality,
by Jonathan Dymond, who, if I mistake not, is an English Quaker.

ELECTED TO DEACON'S ORDERS. 83

The work, though embodying some excellent truths, contains much
that is unquestionably heterodox. The author argues strongly in advo-
cacy of the doctrines peculiar to the Society of Friends — such as quiet
worship, absence of all excitement, unpaid ministry, etc., etc. I
acknowledge that I have been considerably astonished during its perusal
that it should have received the sanction of our Episcopacy, and can
only account for it on the ground of inadvertence. I had intended to
give you some account in this letter of the slavery excitement, which
has been shaking the temple of our liberties to its very foundations, but
.will be obliged, from the want of time and space, to defer it until a
more convenient season. After the adjournment of Conference I shall
be more disengaged, and will embrace an early opportunity to pen
with more care another, and, I trust, more interesting letter than this.
Mother, brother, and little sister were all well when I saw them a day
or two since, and join me, I am sure, in the tenderest love to yourself
and all other English friends.

Fortunately the student of Watson's Institutes in this
instance had had a training at school which qualified him
to grapple with its "number of points and multiplicity of
theories." The examinations of the second year all satis-
factorily passed, the probationer was admitted to the Con-
ference and elected to deacon's orders. Together with all
the members of his class (except one, whose place was
supplied by the addition of Henry Hum), he was ordained
deacon by Bishop Waugh. There subsisted between Alfred
Cookman and the members of his class a close and loving
devotion through his whole career.

To young Methodist ministers, the companionship of the
four years' course in the Conference has much the same
influence on after-life as that of the college or theological
seminary has upon those who are students in such institu-
tions. This " course," with its associations and its drill,
however imperfect, is a feature of Methodism not under-
stood by many who have wondered at the slowness of the
Methodists to adopt theological schools, and their readiness

84 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

admit to the pastorate young men of comparatively little
learning. Young preachers can be continued indefinitely
on trial, till voted to deacon's orders, or they can be discon-
tinued before this, if in the judgment of the Conference
they do not give proofs of original capacity and of pro-
ficiency in study. So that it is a fair inference that by the
time a licentiate is voted to orders he has become a well-
informed minister.

As I have already intimated, Mr. Cookman was returned
this year to Kensington and Port Richmond. There awaited
him now one of the most delightful episodes of his life. It
was determined that he should visit his aged grandfather
in England. The veteran himself strongly urged the visit,
and it was thought the yisit would be not only a gratifica-
tion to him in his advanced years, but also that at this pe-
riod of the young minister's life it would be of incalculable
advantage to his future career. There is an education,
a breadth and definiteness of view, a knowledge of the
world, which can be obtained in travel which is possible in
no other way. The preparations for the voyage were
rapidly hurried forward, and in the month of July Mr. Cook-
man sailed in the steamer " Europa " from New York for
Liverpool. It was with no little trepidation that the good
mother risked her dearest treasure once more on the un-
certain deep, and that the son launched upon the waste of
waters which had engulfed his beloved father ; but it was
deemed the order of God, and so both took courage, as only
thus filial duty could be discharged. It was hard to leave
friends behind, but grandfather, the best friend next to
mother since the father's loss, and old England, the "sear
girt isle," were beyond.

To his mother he writes : —

VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 85

"Steamer Europa, Friday morn, July 19, 1850.

"Thinking that you will feel interested in hearing of my progress,
I avail myself of the present opportunity to pen a few lines, expecting
to mail my letter this afternoon in Halifax. Concerning my movements
up to twelve o'clock on Wednesday, George can give you all possible
information. At that hour I bade him farewell, and with my fellow*
passengers started on my voyage across the blue Atlantic. As we passed
down New York Bay, I was much interested in viewing different objects
upon the shore. Here was a magnificent edifice, with its solid and
majestic columns, its symmetrical and beautiful proportions ; there an
angry-looking fort, with its gaping iron mouths, ready to roar at the
presunvptuous invader of the land of the free and the home of the brave.
As we passed Sandy Hook, we parted with our pilot (the last link that
seemed to bind us to the shore), and put out fairly to sea. By this
time I had formed an acquaintance with one or two of the passengers,
and had already enjoyed much pleasant conversation. The wind being
pretty fresh, occasioned some roughness of the water, and this, together
with the combined influence of our sails and engine, caused the boat to
roll considerably.

"Now, then, for the tug cff war. As the ship would rise, I would
not suffer the least inconvenience, but when, immediately after, she
would make a lurch, there seemed to be a strange nervousness of feeling
in the region of digestion. After a while a disagreeable dimness began
to steal over my vision. I fought like a lion. At four o'clock the
dinner-bell rang, and thinking that perhaps a little food would serve as
a barricade on the field of battle, behind which I might ensconce myself
from the attack of the foe, I ventured to eat a little. A very few
mouthfuls served to suffice, for, finding myself driven from my position,
I resolved on retreat. Down I went to my state-room, the enemy
following me. First he got me on my back, then he seemed to turn
everything round within me, then he commanded me to restore what
I had so insultingly swallowed at dinner-time, and, will you believe
me ? I felt obliged to yield. Up it-came, with a good deal more, and
I left the treasure at his feet. After so fierce a contest and so signal
a defeat, I thought I might lie down. As seven o'clock (supper-time),
however, rolled round, I inscribed on my banner, ' Often beaten, but
still unconquered,' and staggered up again to the charge. A little toast
and tea was all I ventured to take, and yet the enemy, as if maddened
by my obstinate resistance, laid upon me a heavier hand than ever, and
down I went a second time. What a trouncing I got ! I gave him

86 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

back all — aye, more than all. I shed tears, I groaned, I rolled, and
at last, with some difficulty, got to bed — not to sleep, however. During
the night, with the motion of the boat, I pitched from side to side, and
as morning dawned rose and went forth to walk the deck. During
yesterday, although feeling somewhat squeamish, I concluded myself
decidedly better, and ventured to partake very moderately of food.
Last night I slept gloriously, and this morning began to feel like myself
again. I can now just perceive the aforementioned foe in the distance,
almost out of sight, but now and then turning round to know whether
it would not be well to return. From suffering experience, I think
I know something respecting sea-sickness, and feel it in my heart to
say that hereafter I will cheerfully relinquish my share to any other for
a very trifling consideration.

" Our boat is a splendid one. Her officers are gentlemanly and
skilful, her crew is orderly and obedient, the servants are attentive and
obliging, and our accommodations are all that could be desired. At
half-past eight we breakfast, at half-past twelve enjoy lunch, at four sit
down to dinner, and at seven drink our tea. The dinner service is
certainly splendid, and the food unexceptionable. We have every
variety and any quantity. My state-room is not quite as far forward
as I should like, and yet its situation back is not without advantage,
since there is an absence from noise and a retirement which is very
desirable and delightful on shipboard ; besides, I have it all to myself
and you know from experience that this is a desideratum. Our pas-
sengers, though mostly foreigners, are very kind and gentlemanly.
Perhaps there is a little too much liquor drank, and last night I observed
some card-playing. With two or three I have formed rather an intimate
acquaintance, and find them to be gentlemanly, communicative, and
affectionate.

' ' Our noble steamer has been urging on her course steadily since our
departure from New York. Yesterday, notwithstanding rather unfavour-
able weather, she accomplished about two hundred and fifty miles.
After we leave Halifax, and become a little lighter by the consumption
of coal, I apprehend her speed will be very considerably increased.
Though sailing on the vast ocean, with nought but sky above and sea
around, I rejoice to say I realize the presence of my Heavenly Father.
Indeed, I think I feel, as I never felt before, my dependence upon Him
for life and everything else. I desire to remain momentarily beneath
the shadow of His almighty wing, for there I am sure nothing wrong
can befall me. Thus far I have accomplished but little in the way of
reading and writing ; indeed, my sea-sickness would not allow of it.
I hope, at least, to keep up a short diary, or, as the sailors say, log.

VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 87

The weather in this latitude is foggy and cold. Last night I wrapped
myself in a blanket, and during the day find my overcoat no encum-
brance. I spend much of my time thinking of you ; you are as dear
to me as my own life. May God bless and mercifully preserve you all !
Pray for me. My sheet is full, and I must close my letter, written with
some difficulty, owing to the motion of the boat and the noise of the
machinery. Give my best love to brothers, little sister, and all
friends."

CHAPTER IX.

THE FOREIGN TOUR. — ENGLISH SCENERY AND FRIENDS.

On Sunday, July 29th, he arrived at Liverpool. His own
descriptions are so full and vivid as to supersede any efforts
of mine to describe the delight with which he set foot on
English soil. He had been educated all his life to believe
everything was grand and beautiful in England, the home of
his ancestors ; he had been taught so to revere his kindred,
had been told so many noble things of them, that it was
natural he should expect much, and hence should be corre-
spondingly gratified if his ardent expectations were more
than fulfilled. Though accustomed to the thought of the
genuine worth of his kindred at Hull, the social and mate-
rial elegance in which they lived, yet reared, as he had been,
in the modest surroundings of a Methodist preacher's son,
he was hardly prepared for all the refinement which was to
greet him. Nothing could be more pleasing than the letters
so artlessly detailing his observations and impressions.
To the mother and family at home : —

" Stepney Lodge, Hull, Yorkshire,
Monday evening, July 29, 1850.

"I am in a perfect ecstasy! my joy is unbounded and uncontroll-
able ! my only fear is that I will wake up and find it all a dream.
I am in Hull ; nay, more, — I am at my dear grandfather's residence.
Would you believe it? I can scarce realize it myself. And now I

SUNDA Y IN LIVERPOOL. 89

shall endeavour to conquer emotion a little, and, as calmly as I can, go
back and detail my progress since my departure from Halifax, for in
that town I mailed a letter for you written upon the ocean after we left
New York. I will not advert to the routine of our proceedings on
shipboard ; if you should feel interested in anything of that nature,
have recourse to my excellent friend and host, viz., Brother J. Baily,
and you can readily obtain the desired information in a letter which I
shall mail in the same steamer which will convey this. Suffice it to say
that, after a prosperous and most delightful voyage of not quite eleven
days, no storm having occurred and the wind having continued favour-
able nearly all the way, we reached Liverpool on Sunday a little after
two o'clock. I immediately proceeded to the George Hotel, a magnifi-
cent establishment ; when, having adjusted matters a little, I sallied
forth, sighing most for religious privileges, for Christian communion.
As I passed up the street, I providentially met with a gentleman whom
I took to be a Wesleyan from his plain and neat costume. Addressing
him, I inquired if he could direct me in my search for a Wesleyan
chapel. Immediately informing me that he was connected with that
excellent body, he kindly proposed to conduct me to the place of my
pursuit. Arm-in-arm we passed up the street, enjoying pleasant con-
versation, and came to Mount Pleasant Chapel, one of the oldest
churches in Liverpool. The Sabbath School was about to close, and,
by request, I united with them in prayer, and felt, indeed, access to
our Father through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

" Yielding to a most urgent and importunate invitation to accompany
this brother home to tea, at six I went with him to Stanhope Chapel,
when a brother Roebuck preached a most capital sermon. More of this
anon. The service charmed me, but about this we will have one of our
old-fashioned tete-a-tetes upon my return. After the benediction I went
to Dr. Raffles's church, and after this to a Mr. Fallows's, a most evan-
gelical and excellent member of the Establishment, Having accom-
plished as much and endured more than I anticipated in the way of
church-going, I returned to my hotel, and about ten retired — not, how-
ever, to sleep. The circumstances of the evening as well as the pros-
pects of the moiTOW drove slumber from my eyes. However, not to
linger by the way, morning dawned, and an early hour found me at the
custom-house, where the delay and tardiness of the government officers
greatly provoked me. Stating my situation, and manifesting much
anxiety, I secured my trunks, and drove with all possible speed for the
railway-station, and got there just fourteen minutes past nine o'clock,
one minute too soon for the Hull train. Off we flew at the rate of
thirty miles an hour, through first a manufacturing and afterward an,

90 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

agricultural district, through tunnels — one of them four miles long —
under and over noble bridges, until at about three o'clock we entered the
station-house at Hull.

" I ascertained by inquiry as well as by reference to the directory that
Mr. Holmes's residence was quite near. Taking my carpet-bag in my
hand, I went round and found a double mansion, elegantly furnished,
with handsome park and garden, and immediately rang the bell. A
servant appeared. I inquired for Mrs. Holmes, ascertained she was in,
was asked for my name, I replied a ' stranger ' ; the maid disappearing,
my own aunt made her appearance. I observed, ' An unexpected visit
from a stranger ; look at me, and tell me if you know me.' She looked,
and immediately replied, •' Cookman ! ' I was then introduced into the
drawing-room, and cousin after cousin came in — among the rest two of
aunt Smith's daughters : all fine, noble-looking girls. Shall I say I
spent a pleasant hour with them ? It was more — infinitely more ; no
adjective is strong enough to express the joy I realized. We sat around
the tea-table, and conversed about the past and the present ; and oh, it
was glorious ! There are many little facts and circumstances I could
detail, but I must forbear. After an early tea I ordered a cab, and,
after kissing one of my fair cousins who leaves in the morning for
boarding-school in London, I proceeded to Stepney Lodge, where
dear grandfather, I am most happy to say, still resides.

" As I approached the mansion my feelings were indescribable — a
thousand reminiscences rushed irresistibly upon my mind and heart. I
rang the bell, and immediately the housekeeper made her appearance,
and told me that grandfather had gone to town to meet the property
committee. I then resolved I would fill up the interim with the scrawl
which I very much fear you will be unable to read. I am now waiting
for him. Stepney Lodge is a lovely spot ; I glance out of the window,
and there is a small park, bounded by a beautiful hedge ; to the left is
an artificial pond, surrounded on my right by a series of walks through
noble trees and luxuriant shrubbery ; and behind, a garden abounding
with all kinds of fruit. I went out a little while ago and tasted goose-
berries the size of a walnut, ripe raspberries, the largest strawberries I
ever saw without exception, red and black currants, and saw pears,
apples, and any quantity of ripe grapes in his summer-house. It is a
paradise — glorious, enchanting. The house is old-fashioned and exceed-
ingly comfortable, containing everything that heart could wish. Over
the mantelpiece of the room in which I am writing hangs a likeness of
dear father — excellent, decidedly the best I have seen. Before me is

the portrait of uncle Alfred, from which the picture we have is taken.

* » • *
v

HULL— THE GRANDFATHER. 91

" The Conference commences on Wednesday in London. Just think
of it ; how fortunate ! Thus I can attend its sessions, and at the same
time visit the lions of this world-renowned city. Thus far Providence
has smiled upon me, and everything has turned out just as my wishes
would dictate. Shall I be ungrateful ? Rather let me, by a renewal of
my spiritual covenant, prove that I am not insensible to the thousand
blessings which my Heavenly Father so indulgently lavishes upon un-
worthy me. Oh, I feel I cannot be thankful enough ! My cup run-
neth over with mingled happiness and gratitude. John Holmes, the
oldest son, is a fine fellow — tall, with rather an intelligent face, and
certainly very affectionate ; but, indeed, I cannot talk about my cousins
now ; my feelings will not permit.

" Grandfather has not yet arrived. After an interview with him I
will close this sheet and immediately mail it for Liverpool, in order that
it may be in time for the ' Pacific's ' mail, which steamer sails on Wed-
nesday. Let me just now say I am delighted with England. My expec-
tations were exalted, and they certainly have been more than realized.
Grandfather is coming ; I see ' his tall, erect, and commanding figure.
He has an umbrella under his arm, and walks both firmly and fast. He
enters, but does not know me. Gradually I reveal the fact that his
grandson stands before him. He manifests the greatest delight. During
the evening, until about half-past ten, we sat together conversing about
persons and things ; when, taking my candle in my hand, I retired to
my room, and received from him a most affectionate good-night. He
still dresses in the old English costume — short clothes, white cravat —
and is altogether the finest-looking old gentleman that I have seen in
England, or that I have ever met with. He is splendid ; oh, how
happy I am in his society ! This morning he goes to perform his duties
upon the bench. He has a charming residence. * * * I have entered
into particulars, because I know that they will interest you. Much more
I have to say, but I must close. I have seen Mr. Henwood, a noble
old gentleman, so kind and affectionate. He sends his affectionate
regards, as do all the others. "

The following letter from a niece of Mrs. Cookman will be
read with interest : —

" Hull, August 2, 1850.

" Your son tells me that you are expecting a letter by the mail which
leaves this afternoon, and will be very much disappointed if you do not
hear from or of him, so he has deputed me to be his secretary. I wish

92 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

his choice had fallen on a more able person, for I am not much accus-
tomed to or fond of letter- writing ; but I doubt not any news of your
son will be to you most acceptable, so I will do my best to tell you his
present whereabouts and future course. He and my uncle Holmes went
this morning to Sheffield, where they will spend a few hours ; thence
going to Doncaster, will stay all night there. Poor mamma will, I
know, be very much dissatisfied that only one night is allotted to her,
but my cousin has promised to preach in Thornton Street Chapel twice
next Sunday, so he is obliged to return to Hull on Saturday afternoon ;
he leaves here again on Tuesday for London, visiting Birmingham,
Bristol, and Oxford on his way. He will, of course, stay a night in
Bristol to see my aunt Hannah and her family. From London he is
going to Paris, Brussels, and Antwerp, returning about next Saturday
fortnight to Hull, where he will preach on the following day in Waltham
Street and George Street Chapels. I do not think he has yet made up
his mind whether or not to visit Scotland. I wish you could see our
family party gathered around the table, endeavouring to fix his tour,
with maps and railway guides before us ; you would be quite amused to
hear first one proposing one plan, then a second another ; one says he
ought to see this town, another, that is the best route ; while my cousin
Alfred sits quietly looking on, and listens to all in turn.

"Now I have told you what I know about my cousin's proceedings,
I must tell you how delighted we all are to have him among us ; our
only regret is that our eyes behold one and not all our cousins, with
their dear mother, but we are at present satisfied with what we have,
and hope at a future day to see some, if not all, of your family in
England. As we cannot know them personally, we have endeavoured
to do so by report. Alfred yesterday morning brought their portraits
from Mr. Cookman's, so we all tried to judge their characters by their
faces, and made Alfred tell us their several characteristics, till I could
almost fancy I know my hitherto stranger cousins. As for John Holmes,
he has taken such a fancy to little Mary, that he proposes sending me
his own sister Annie and exchanging me for his cousin ; but that I sup-
pose you will hardly agree to. I asked Alfred yesterday if he had any
message to send to you, and his answer was, ' Tell my mother that my
cup of happiness is overflowing ' ; indeed, he receives so many atten-
tions, and is so much thought of by his father's friends, that it will be a
wonder if he is not quite spoiled before he returns to Philadelphia.
Mr. Cookman and he dined with us last Wednesday ; the old gentleman
seems quite pleased with and proud of his grandson. He went with us
in the evening to hear him preach in Thornton Street Chapel, and
appeared quite delighted with his sermon. And now, my dear aunt, I

KINDRED— DONCASTER. 93

imust draw my letter to a close ; in order it make it valuable, my aunt
has half promised to cross it, so on her return from the town, if she has
time before the post leaves, I shall request her to do so.

" My aunt Holmes has just come in from the town, but says it is im-
possible for her to find time to write even a few lines this afternoon, but
I am to tell you that she is quite charmed with her nephew."

It seems, then, that grandfather, aunts, and cousins were
all ''charmed" with the American cousin. Such a picture
of him and his surroundings from the pen of a maiden
cousin must have been very grateful to the mother's feelings.
His visit was not only busy with sight-seeing and social joys,
but also with engagements to preach. In the very chapels
where his father, when but a year or two older than he, first
thrilled the hearts of his neighbours, the son now preached
to the delight of grandfather and all. To the noble parent
it must have been as though his own son were alive from the
dead.

To his mother : —

"Stepney Lodge, Hull, August 5, 1850.

" I should have written to you the latter part of last week but for the
multiplicity and urgency of my engagements. The Hull people have
made quite a lion of me, and hence I am expected to exhibit myself on
all convenient occasions, and occasionally interest them by my American
roaring. My cousin Ella Smith, however, very kindly consented to do
what only the circumstances of the case prevented me from doing, and
that was to transmit a letter by last Saturday's steamer. I have now
seen pretty much all my relatives in this part of England, and I speak
sincerely when I say that they not only answer but far exceed my most
sanguine expectations. On Friday last I visited Doncaster, my mother's
native town, taking Sheffield on my route. Arriving at the station, I
found aunt Smith, uncle John, and his lady, in waiting for me. After a
most cordial greeting we proceeded to Arthur Smith's, at Sunny Bar,
where I partook of some refreshments, and then sallied forth with uncle
John to see the place. We visited the old church where you worshipped
in childhood, saw the house in which you were born, the residence ot

94 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

grandma from which you went when you were married, aunt Eleanor's
former home, called upon her brother, Dr. Murray, and had some con-
versation with him, continued our walk as far as the celebrated Don-
caster race-course, looked at the deaf and dumb institution in the imme-
diate vicinity, and about six o'clock returned to Sunny Bar. Forgetting
the copse of trees, or rather the name of the place which aunt men-
tioned, I plucked a few sprigs of grass from a plot in front of the old
home, and also secured a few leaves from some shrubbery immediately
before the house in which you were living at the time of your marriage.

" In the evening we had a family party at aunt Smith's. All the
sons except Theophilus were present, and until two o'clock the following
morning we remained together enjoying fa'miliar conversation. They
are a noble set, treated me like a prince, and would only part with me
on Saturday morning with the promise that I would endeavour to visit
them again. I was particularly pleased with uncle John : he is affable,
gentlemanly, very intelligent, consistently pious, and exceedingly affec-
tionate. * * * I shall have much to tell you about Doncaster upon my
return — a town I have been better pleased with than any I have seen in
England yet ; indeed, the road in the direction of the race-course, with
its noble trees and splendid residences, is almost unsurpassed by any-
thing I have ever seen.

" On Saturday I returned to Hull, and yesterday preached in Great
Thornton Street to overflowing houses. In the evening I think there
were at least 3,000 people in the chapel, and multitudes went away who
could not even obtain a foothold. They had me the day before pla-
carded upon the public corners' and in the shop-windows, ' Rev. Alfred
Cookman, of Philadelphia, Sir,' etc., will preach at such a time. * * *
In the morning they wept all over the house. Some shouted. I was
blessed, and indeed we had a gracious waiting together. I am sure I
never preached better than at night ; much feeling was evinced, and I
trust that the great day will reveal the result of my yesterday's labours.
As I pass through the streets, they point at me and say, ' There he
goes ; that is Mr. Cookman's American grandson.' Aunt Holmes, who
you know is exceedingly prudent,- said to me that I ought to come to
England, for at the present juncture they needed some like me. You
can have no idea of the respect which is paid and the affection which is
manifested toward me. Grandfather heard me twice yesterday, and
appeared highly delighted. The old gentleman is in good spirits. His
friends think that my visit at this time is a godsend, for it has had a
most reviving influence upon him, who previously seemed quite de-
pressed. He is a noble man. Every hour serves to increase my love
and respect. This morning I visited the tomb of my grandma Cookman

LONDON— WESLEYAN CONFERENCE. 95

and uncle Alfred, under the Waltham Street Chapel. By-the-way, they
(the authorities) wish me to re-open the chapel for them next Sabbath
week. Do not know but I shall comply."

He was next to enjoy what, to every Anglo-American and
to every American Methodist, is one of the richest treats
which can possibly be afforded — the sight of London, and
the sight of the British Wesleyan Conference. To a young
man whose reading has been chiefly in the English classics,
in the history and poetry of Britain, until the names of her
authors and of the places of their resort have become house-
hold words, it is a source of inexpressible pleasure to look
upon their very haunts — the streets where they walked, the
inns they frequented, the favourite nooks where they loved
to linger. And to one imbued with the spirit and traditions
of John Wesley, nothing could be more inspiring than to
touch the institutions, to see and hear the men to whom he
had transmitted his wisdom and power. All this was the
more enjoyable to Alfred Cookman because the teachings
of his father and the presence of his father's friends imparted
a realness to everything about him. These conditions, added
to his own enthusiastic nature, transferred him into the very
heart of all he saw and heard.

To his mother : —

"London, August 16, 1850.
" I leave this populous city in a few minutes for Hull, and yet I can-
not consent to quit its precincts without penning you a short note, espe-
cially as this will be the last opportunity of writing by to-morrow's
steamer. I have now been spending one entire week in London, the
heart of the world. I have seen and heard much which it will be in
vain for me to attempt to detail at this time and under present circum-
stances. Grandfather met me here last Monday evening, and we have
been spending our time together very pleasantly. I have been honoured
with a seat on the platform of the British Conference, have been treated
with the utmost respect and affection by the different preachers, have
heard many of them in debate, and last Sabbath enjoyed the gratifica-

196 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

tion of listening to Dr. Bunting in the morning and Dr. Dixon in the
evening. Yesterday I saw the royal procession for the purpose of pro-
roguing Parliament— Her Majesty Queen Victoria, His Highness Prince
Albert, dukes, duchesses, etc., etc. All the public institutions, such as
the British Museum, Bank of England, Tower of London, etc., I have
visited. Oh, it will take me a week to tell you about my sojourn in this
city of cities ! On my way here I spent about a day and a half with
aunt Townsend in Bristol. . . . She studied my happiness, and
did all in her power to render my visit pleasant.

"Next Sabbath I preach at Kingston Chapel, Hull, in the morning,
address the Sabbath School in the afternoon, and preach for grandfather
at his church, viz., the Tabernacle, in the evening. You will say, ' Too
bad — too bad ! gone for rest, and yet performing usual labour.' Well,
I will be careful, and spare myself as much as possible. You have no
idea what a sensation I have produced in my father's native town.

" I shall not get to France. Grandfather seems anxious that I should
be with him, and, as I have only a short time longer in England, I
suppose I must forego the trip and gratify him. Perhaps at some future
day I shall enjoy the opportunity. I should like to write more, but
have not the time. We must now start for the cars. God bless you ! I
think of you all, morning, noon, and night. Oh, how much I have to
tell you all ! If you were with me, my pleasure would be complete."

To his mother : —

" Stepney Lodge, August 19, 1850.
"On Friday morning last, in company with my grandfather, I left
great London, and set out for Hull. Early in the evening we reached
our place of destination, and as we passed through the streets found that
handbills had been printed and posted up, announcing that I would
preach on the Sabbath. This is something so new to me, so different
from our plan across the water, that I acknowledge it does not strike me
favourably. At Stepney we found Cartwright, the housekeeper, quite
well, and all things pretty much the same as when we left. On Satur-
day I of course began to think about my Sabbath duties and exercises.
After determining on my subjects, I went down to uncle Holmes's, and
spent an hour or two most delightfully with John, Annie, and aunt
Smith, who is keeping house for them during the absence of her sister.
I took with me your very beautiful and affectionate letter, and ventured
to read the greater part of it to them, as I did also to grandfather. The
reference to little John's success was most touching, and served to draw
tears from many eyes. Let me most sincerely congratulate him on his

PREACHING AT HULL. 97

triumphant admission into the high-school, and at the same time express
the hope that his future course will be marked by as much devotion to
study, as much honourable and rapid advancement, as has his past career
in connection with Zane Street. The allusion in your letter was the
more interesting from the fact that we sometimes tease Annie Holmes
about John Emory. She is a pretty, amiable, affectionate girl of thir-
teen, quite large for her age, and I am sure that a sight of her would be
attended with danger to any of my susceptible brothers. From the
daguerreotype she seems to have taken quite a fancy to John ; hence the
tormenting she suffers.

"Well, to continue my narrative, Saturday passed away, Sunday
came. Arm-in-arm my grandfather and I proceeded to Kingston Chapel,
a most commodious, elegant, and comfortable place, capable of accom-
modating between three and four thousand people. We found it
crowded, and I proceeded in my old style (for any other suits me as
well as Saul's armour did David) to represent the Christian warrior, his
enemies, duties, and triumphs. God owned and blessed the word, and
notes of joy were heard in our camp. In the afternoon I addressed the
Sabbath School in the same church, and certainly I witnessed one of the
most beautiful and gratifying spectacles that I could possibly have looked
upon. The immense gallery, fifteen or sixteen pews deep, was filled all
around with well-behaved children ; the lower floor was crowded even
in the aisles with their parents, as well as the friends of the institution.
Oh, it was a glorious, a memorable occasion ! I did myself full justice,
and the people seemed more than gratified. In the evening I preached
in the Tabernacle. ... I have in my short life seen dense crowds,
but I am sure that I never saw anything to equal the congregation last
night. It was one unwieldy mass of human beings, almost piled one on
top of another ; and hundreds, I am told, went away who could not
obtain even a foothold.

" I chose as my subject the Great Supper, and preached, I hope, in
demonstration of the Spirit and with power. I felt that my arm was
strong, and that by the help of God a blow must be struck. At the
close of the service a number came forward to the altar as penitents, and
I left with the soldiers of Christ in possession of the field. Will you
believe me if I tell you that I could scarce walk home ? I had let out
every link of my chain, and I had hardly strength left to stand. How-
ever, here I am this morning, a little Mondayish, it is true, but by
nightfall I expect to be as bright and vigorous as ever. Grandfather
seems quite delighted with my efforts, but tells me I will kill myself, and
that I must not be so lavish of my strength and voice.

" As I intimated hi my letter written in London, I fear I will not get

7

98 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

to Paris this time. Grandfather seems anxious to have me with him
during the remainder of my stay in England, and I suppose that, in
view of his advanced age, he must be gratified in this. Perhaps in a
very few years another opportunity will offer, and then I can travel
somewhat upon the Continent. I have been making some inquiries
about the Southampton steamers, and I think that there is no one to
start about the time I want to go home. I have seen England, talked
with my grandfather and other relatives, and now I begin to feel as if it
were my duty to get back to my field of labour again. I know exactly
how they are situated, and am sure that the interests of both appoint-
ments would be subserved by my return. Early in September, then, I
expect to turn my face homeward. So look out for me about the 20th
or 25th. At every step in Hull I meet with the former friends and
acquaintances of my beloved parents. Some of them weep when they
see me, others manifest great pleasure, and refer with enthusiasm to their
former acquaintance with my father and mother. One attended the
same school with them, another went a-fishing, and a third was a
bosom friend. Dr. McClintock and myself stayed at the same place in
London, went to see the lions together, and enjoyed much pleasant
intercourse.

" I preach to-night (Tuesday) at Kingston ; next Sabbath at Waltham
and Thornton Streets."

To his mother : —

"Stepney Lodge, Hull, August 23, 1850.

' ' Thus far, I believe, every steamer which has left England for
America since my arrival here has borne a letter to those at home. To-
morrow is the regular day for the departure of one of the Cunard line,
and although I have written once this week, yet I cannot consent to let
this opportunity pass without dispatching you at least a few lines. My
health since I have been in England has continued quite good, and my
enjoyment has exceeded my most sanguine expectations. The comforts
■by which I have been surrounded, the exceedingly affectionate attentions
of different friends, as well as the continual feast of vision with which I
have been providentially favoured, all have conspired to render the last
six weeks the happiest period of my life. The country presents the
appearance of an extensive garden, separated for convenience sake into
small fields by beautiful green hedges. Indeed, I know of no feature in
the natural scenery of England which will sooner strike the traveller's
eye than the neat and well-trimmed hedges which are everywhere to be

ENGLISH SCENERY.— FURTHER SUCCESS. 99

seen. The foliage of the trees, too, as well as the verdure of the fields
is much richer and more elegant than anything we see in America.
This is owing to the humidity of the atmosphere, as well as to the
absence of that intense heat which so often with us exerts a blighting
influence on all natural objects. Some of the landscapes here are sur-
passingly beautiful ; perhaps there is not that wildness in the scenery
that we have with us, but there is a cultivation and variety, together
with a picturesque appearance and classic interest, which never fails to
please the eye and captivate the heart.

' ' In the distance, for instance, upon the summit of a noble hill, you
discover, surrounded by towering trees, some old castle which has stood
for centuries, and which, crumbling under the influence of time, occu-
pied only by the owl and the bat, remains as a monument of former
times. Not far off you perceive a comfortable-looking farmhouse ; a
noble lawn in front, and a highly cultivated garden in the rear. Around
you see the different fields. In one, perhaps, the cattle are quietly
grazing; in another labourers are diligently engaged in securing the
golden harvest ; while in a third the little lambs skip in every direction,
as if almost intoxicated with joy. Away in the horizon is a flourishing
town (England abounds in towns), which always has its church built in
the Gothic style, and whose glittering spire, like a golden finger, points
toward heaven, as if it would direct the minds of the people thither-
ward. While gazing upon the scene, diversified with fields and forests,,
noblemen's mansions and labourers' cottages, gray and gloomy castles,
as well as chaste and cheerful village churches, you are suddenly startled
by the whiz of a locomotive, which, with its train, like a rushing comet,
in the twinkling of an eye disappears in a damp and gloomy tunnel ;
then emerging passes over the massy stone bridge of a quiet stream,
and, after darting about among the hills for a moment, is lost to view.
I did not know when I attempted this description that I should have
covered so large a portion of my sheet, and yet I am sure that, if I had
done the picture justice, it would require more space and time than I at
the present could conveniently or possibly employ. Anything further
of the same nature I will have to postpone until my return to your
delightful society.

" On Tuesday evening, according to appointment, I preached in
Kingston Chapel to at least three thousand people. God was pleased
to own and bless His Word, delivered in an humble dependence upon
the energizing influences of the Holy Spirit ; for at the close of the
services, during a prayer-meeting which was held, about forty individuals
presented themselves at the altar, desiring an intercut in the prayers of
God's people. Wednesday night I blew my trumpet in old George

roo Life of Alfred cookman.

Yard, where Wesley, Benson, and my beloved father have been heard,
with pleasure and profit. Again our altar was more than crowded with
those inquiring their way to Zion. Last night I preached in the Taber-
nacle to a congregation literally wedged together. The crowd, I think,
was even greater than on last Sunday evening. I never saw a more
attentive, solemn, and feeling auditory. We had seekers all around our
altar as well as in the vestry. Not unto me, O Lord, but unto Thy
name be aH the glory. Who knows but that a kind Providence, who
thus far has most delightfully opened my way before me, has determined
to honour my visit by giving me souls for my hire and seals to my
ministry ? If there should be only one who, in the great day of final
retribution, shall ascribe to my instrumentality his or her salvation, I
shall be more than compensated for the time spent or money expended
in my visit to the United Kingdom.

" On Sabbath I am to be at Waltham Street in the morning and at
Thornton Street at night. Oh that the God of my father would be
present to wound and to heal ! I fear I shall not see aunt Holmes before
my return. She continues at Swanage, and uncle doubts whether they
will get back before my departure. I have had,many very, very plea-
sant interviews with aunt Smith. Yesterday she took me to see Mr.
and Mrs. Morley, who now reside in Hull. They referred to you in the
most affectionate manner."

From Mrs. Smith, of Hull, to Mrs. Mary Cookman :—

" Hull, August 28, 1850.
" My dearest Mary,— Many of my correspondents complain, and
not without just cause, that I have degenerated in regular correspond-
ence. . . . And now, my beloved Mary, I congratulate you on
being blessed with such a son. If he is a specimen of the other members
of your family, those relatives who live to welcome them as they may come
to visit England have a rich treat in store. I say I expected to see a nice,
intelligent young man, but I had not raised my expectations to the
reality. Not one of your family rejoices more that he has come over
than myself. I have such a delightful picture in my mind of the union
betwixt the families on this side and beyond the Atlantic as I cannot
describe ; there was a break in the chain, but now we seem firmly linked
together. I feel we are all one, and bound together by indissoluble ties.
Oh ! we are sorry to let him leave us, and we are not alone. How
many in Hull will have to praise God for his visit ! They have said,
' Can't you use influence for him to remain in Hull another month ? '

FRANKNESS.— ORDER OF PREACHING. 101

with much more. I could only silence them by assuring them it was
impossible ; we had received that morning a schedule of his berth, which
was taken in the steamer 'Asia.' He leaves behind him a name, but,
what is of far more worth, many, many seals to his ministry. Any one
but himself would be in clanger from popularity ; when anything is said
in his praise to his grandfather, he replies, ' Oh, he owes much to his
mother ; I always had a very high opinion of her judgment, attention,
and piety.' It gladdens my heart to hear him.

" I walked with Alfred one morning to introduce him to old Mr.
Morley, who desired he would pray with him ere he left the manse. I
stayed a little time after his departure to his grandfather. Mr. Morley
was obliged to leave the room, and go into another to give vent to a
flood of tears ere he could converse with me, and on his return every
other subject was banished except you and yours, and the pleasure he
had in your society when he lived in Fishergate. My dear sister Holmes
mourns her absence from home at this time. I reap the benefit, for I
might have been in another part of the country in ignorance of my loss.
I do, indeed, praise God for my present privileges ; and I feel no doubt
but that Mrs. H. is in her providential path, for, to use her own words,
' However dear Alfred is, Thomas is dearer, and has the first claim on
my consideration.'

" As I have sat under Alfred's ministry, I have recalled the instru-
ment in God's hand of leading me to Himself, and then was filled
with praise that an insignificant being like myself should be the fint
link in the glorious chain ; and when I saw the altar rails crowded with
penitents, my heart leaped with joy, my heart burned within me, and I
thought what glorious results might arise from one of the least being
savingly converted to God."

This letter very appropriately closes the correspondence
touching the visit to England. His letters, written with so
much frankness, the outpourings of- a faithful son's heart to
his devoted mother, give ample incidental proof of the wide-
spread, popular, and useful influence of his pulpit exercises.
The testimonies of his cousin and aunt abundantly confirm
this incidental revelation. The aunt acknowledges any one
but himself would have been in danger from such popularity.
Such unbounded enthusiasm over so young a man was well
calculated to turn his head ; but it does not seem to have

102 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

affected him, beyond exciting a devout recognition of God's
goodness, and pleasure at the gratification he thought it
would afford his loving mother. Then as always there was,
to all appearances at least, a sweet absence of egotism, a
simple unconsciousness of the incense of praise which was
ever rising in his presence. His absorbing purpose was to
win souls to Christ. For his success in " slaying sinners,"
in receiving the gratitude and applause of the people, he
ascribed all the glory to God.

Three features crop out in these letters. The character
of his preaching, already substantially formed, and which he
calls "his own" — pictorial or dramatic representation — is
seen in the account of some of his sermons ; the tireless zeal
for work, unable to rest without work, and uniting with his
recreations ceaseless preaching ; and also we hear of him
for the first time before an audience of children — a direction
in his ministry in which he was afterward to acquire such
remarkable facility and success.

CHAPTER X.

HOME AGAIN. — MARRIAGE. — MINISTRY AT WEST CHESTER
AND HARRISBURG.

The early autumn found him at his post in Kensington,
preaching to large congregations, and attending to all pas-
toral work with fresh delight and diligence. Of course the
little family group in Race Street was frequently visited.
He had come back filled with beautiful thoughts and recol-
lections, which it was his joy to communicate to those who
were as dear to him as his own life. Much, however, as he
enjoyed the pastimes of home, he did not neglect the duties
of his charge — his hours were full of useful occupation.
Thus busily employed, the autumn and winter glided away>
and the session of the Conference approached.

A few extracts from his correspondence while stationed
at Kensington are sufficient to show the zealous spirit with
which he was animated : —

"January 14, 185c).

" On Sabbath I preached both morning and evening to excellent con-
gregations. God was eminently with hie tin both occasions. At night
I was uncommonly assisted : an unusual seriousness pervaded the as-
sembly, some came forward to the altar, and I trust that eternity will
alone reveal the extensive good done. Last evening I preached with
much liberty ; more knelt at our altar than on the previous night, num-
bers in the congregation wept freely, and we are encouraged to look for
better times. I do most earnestly desire to be a successful minister of
the New Testament. While I experience an unceasing love for my

104 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

honourable and responsible work, at the same time I would perceive a
corresponding influence attending my labours. Oh that God would
constitute me a chosen instrument of good to those among whom I may
toil from time to time ! "

"January 6, 185 1.

" Last Sabbath, the first Sunday of the new year, I preached in
Kensington morning and evening on the subject of the Judgment. I
have rarely addressed more attentive and solemn congregations. God
was eminently with me on both occasions. At the conclusion of the
evening service we entered heartily into a prayer-meeting. In exhorta-
tion I felt as if I was only the speaking-trumpet of Jehovah. Almost
immediately twelve approached our altar — all very interesting cases ; a
number professed to experience peace, and before 10 p.m. we had the
shout of the King in our camp. To God be all the glory ! "

"February, 185 1.

" In Philadelphia a good feeling seems to prevail at almost every
appointment. Trinity, the church where our family worship, has been
catching some of the descending drops. Little sister professes to have
experienced peace, and has joined the Church ; she seems to be as firm
as an ocean rock. There are only two now of our family who remain
without the pale of the Church — viz., George and Will, and we are
praying and confidently hoping that very soon they will become the sub-
jects of saving grace. On Sunday I preached three times — twice to im-
mense congregations in Kensington, and in the afternoon at Fifth Street
to a very full house. This evening we renew the battle, and expect that
our efforts will be more signally blessed in the salvation of priceless
souls. My heart is in the work. I glory in being permitted to head
the sacramental host in the assaults upon the strongholds of the wicked
one."

On the 6th of March, 1851, Mr. Cookman was united
in marriage to Miss Annie E., daughter of Mr. Abraham
Bruner, of Columbia, by the Rev. William Urie, of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.

As evidence of the happiness which crowned this union,
and also of the pleasant and delicate way in which he ever
manifested his affection for his wife, I anticipate by some

WORK AT HOME.— MARRIAGE. 105

years the following effusion, written at the close of his
pastoral term at Union Church, Philadelphia, 186 1 : —

"This day completes the first decade of my married life. On the
6th of March, 1S51, I linked my fortunes with those of my dearly-
beloved wife, and now, on the tenth anniversary of our blessed union, I
would record my gratitude to Almighty God, whose kind providence
gave and hath preserved to me one so well deserving the name of ' help-
meet. '

" Our life, made up of fidelity and love, has been like a deepening and
widening stream, upon which we have floated together in delightful har-
mony. Our home, with its five little buds of beauty and promise, has
been an Eden spot, where our Infinite Father, who dwelt with the first
pair in Paradise, has vouchsafed us His constant presence. Oh how
much of pure love and true joy have been compressed within these ten
years — the happiest ten years of my life ! Accept, my precious Annie,
this humble but sincere testimony to your thoughtful care, constant
kindness, unsullied goodness, untiring fidelity, and uninterrupted, aye,
increasing devotion.

" We have lived and loved together thus long — and now on this
anniversary clay let us, in token of our gratitude to God and our affection
for one another, build a pillar of witness. It shall be composed of these
ten stones, one for each year of our married life : Love — Truth —
Purity — Kindness — Fidelity — Sincerity — Constancy — Thank-
fulness— Holiness — Christ the Foundation Stone.

"This is the altar upon which we will renew our vows 'to love,
comfort, honour, and keep one another so long as we both shall live."

Within a few weeks after the marriage Mr. Cookman was
appointed to the charge of West Chester station. West
Chester is the county town of Chester County, about thirty
miles from Philadelphia, and beautifully situated in a rich
farming district, which was settled originally almost wholly
by Quakers. The town has long been noted for the thrift,
intelligence, and sobriety of its inhabitants. The Methodist
Church there was not strong either in wealth or numbers,
but the members, feeling themselves highly favoured by Mr.
Cookman's appointment, resolved to do the best they could
to render him and his bride comfortable and happy.

106 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Mr. Cookman, accustomed hitherto to look up to a head
for direction and support, was now thrown wholly on his
own resources. He knew where was the source of power —
the Throne of Grace — and resorting to it, he obtained help
of God. His preaching from the opening Sunday attracted
general attention. His fame had preceded him, and very
soon his church was crowded, not only by the Methodists
and their immediate sympathizers, but also by the elite of the
neighbourhood. The "Friends" were charmed by the
spirituality of his sermons and the godly simplicity of his
manners. He became the central figure of the religious
community, and all eyes and hearts were turned toward him ;
his influence grew day by day, and his ascendency over the
minds of the people became in a short time such as no other
minister had attained in years.

With a laudable ambition for success, and an earnest zeal
for the Divine glory, he was a man full of work, spending
the forenoons of the day in the study and the afternoons in
pastoral visitation, and mingling socially with all classes of
the people and with all denominations of Christians. The
sociability and catholicity which so distinguished his father,
and which subsequently became so pre-eminent in him, began
already to be seen as traits of character. Effective and
popular as he was in the pulpit, he did not depend wholly
upon the efforts of the Sabbath to accomplish the work of
God, but was incessant in his attentions to the members o£
the congregation in the private walks of life. There was no
element of power which he did not seek thus early to sub-
ordinate to the efficiency of his ministry. But while absorb-
ingly devoted to his own charge and to the work which lay
directly before him, it was not possible for one of such gifts,
whose family name was talismanic in all the churches, and
whose personal reputation was already wide-spread, to escape

WAY OF SPENDING HIS VACATION. 107

constant appeals from far and near for special services in the
way of sermons and addresses.

The following letters to his young friend, Andrew Long-
acre, give a faint idea of the intensity and extensiveness of
his labours. As will be seen, his summer vacation in 185 1
was spent in attendance upon various camp-meetings. He
went rapidly from one to another of these gatherings, and
preached to the delight and edification of the masses who
frequented them. A strange way to take vacation ! And
yet the habit adopted thus early in his career continued
uniformly through life ; his month for relaxation, instead of
being spent in the recreations of innocent pastimes, in abso-
lute desistance from his customary home work and excite-
ments, was usually absorbed in the most active and taxing
exercises. The change of scene, the bodily movement, the
forming of new acquaintances, the free, joyous mingling
with his ministerial brethren, the ever-fresh inspirations which
such associations evoked, but, above all, the opportunity 01
working for the Master on a wide-spread scale—these were
considerations which controlled and sustained his choice.

To Mr. Andrew Longacre, of Philadelphia : —

"West Chester, September 5, 1S51.

* * * "Believe me that my silence has not been occasioned by any
diminution of any kindly or affectionate feeling, but purely by the force
of circumstances. As you are aware, I have been away from my charge
for the last few weeks, and during most of my absence have been so cir-
cumstanced as to render letter-writing a matter of absolute impossibility.
In the providence of God, I have been permitted to return to my field
of labour, and very gladly avail myself of a little leisure to communicate
with one for whom I have entertained the sincerest regard. Your pros-
perity has always greatly interested me. Believing that God had endued
you with very considerable talent, satisfied that you possessed in no
small degree the grace of the Holy Spirit, I thought that in a more pub-
lic sphere you might better promote the glory of God and subserve the
interests of His Church ; hence my strong desire and earnest entreaty

108 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

that you should prayerfully consider the important work of the Christian
ministry. The subsequent developments of Divine providence have, I
think, most clearly proved that the impression which induced me to
single you out for this sphere was directed from heaven. Perhaps you
may be disposed to think that I am writing too plainly when I make
allusion to your gifts and graces. Believe me, I am perfectly sincere,
and express myself in this undisguised way from a firm conviction that
many young men suffer more from depression than elation of spirits.
From a fear of adding fuel to the flame of vanity, encouragement is often
withheld, while the individual is writhing under the influence of de-
spondency and despair. I believe in my soul this is wrong, and, as a
general thing, I make it a rule to repeat to the person referred to any-
thing commendatory which I may have heard. This is a privilege
which becomes a feast for my own soul, while at the same time it is
intended to stimulate and encourage the one addressed.

"Most sincerely do I rejoice in your success, and as earnestly do I
pray that God may bless you with that measure of health and strength
which shall fully fit you for the earnest and successful prosecution of
your ministerial labours. During the summer I attended five camp-
meetings, preaching frequently and labouring arduously. I greatly
regretted my inability to reach Red Lion, which ground I have not
visited for two years. My valise was packed and arrangements made to
start, but at the last moment I concluded that I would yield to the soli-
citations of Peninsula friends, who positively insisted upon my tarrying
longer in that region. God seemed to own and bless my feeble endea-
vours, so that I would fain believe my course was overruled for good.
I trust that the meeting at Red Lion, like many which have preceded it
in that forest, proved both pleasant and profitable. I enjoyed for a day
or two its counterpart on the Shrewsbury Circuit, where there were
upward of three hundred tents and any number of Baltimoreans. At
present I am enjoying my happy and comfortable home — a very little
paradise. When will you come and participate in its pleasures ? I can
promise you a cordial welcome and hospitable treatment. Next week I"
desire, if possible, to spend a day or two with mother, whom I have not
seen for many weeks. Perhaps you may be in the city then, and I may
enjoy a personal interview, which, after all, is infinitely preferable to
pen-and-ink communication. "

Among his excursions from home was one on a literary
errand — probably the first of its kind — to Dickinson Semi-
nary, located at Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The following

LITERARY ADDRESS. 109

letter to his wife discloses a little of the anxiety of the young
orator, but more of the joy of the young father : —

" Williamsport, Monday noon.

"I have a leisure moment which shall be devoted to a family corre-
spondence. After bidding you farewell I returned to my lonely home,
and proceeded to change and finish my address. This accomplished, I
arranged my matters, and, joining Professor Wentworth, returned to the

depot. We dined with your friend H , and started about one

o'clock. A long, tedious ride in the canal-boat brought us to Williams-
port about half-past twelve on Saturday. General Packer met me at
the boat, and is entertaining Brother Myers and myself most elegantly.
Our home is the head-quarters in the town. Yesterday we had three
services, Professor Wentworth preaching in the morning and your
humble servant in the evening. All went off satisfactorily. The officers
of the institution and the people of the town are more than kind, offer-
ing me every attention. I deliver my address this evening. Cannot
tell how it will take. The examinations are progressing, and will not
be concluded before Wednesday. I find that I shall not be able to get
home before Friday. How is my precious Brunei- ? Dear little duck !
I have him and his mother in my mind almost constantly. Kiss him
over and over and over again for his absent pa."

With all these engagements, the duties of his pastorate
were not neglected. The protracted meeting at which he
hints was soon begun, and resulted in a general and thorough
revivalr of religion, the fruits of which remain to this day.

At the ensuing session of the Conference — spring of 1852
— he was elected to elders' orders, and ordained by Bishop
Janes, and re-appointed to West Chester. His work this
year was but a continuation of that of the preceding. The
revival did not spend itself, but progressed through all the
months, marked more by the universal quickening and
growth of believers than by the multiplication of converts.
But I will allow the Rev. W. C. Best, of West Chester, to
testify of the permanent good accomplished during these
years : —

'no LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

" Mr. Cookman and his wife were received with open arms
and warm hearts, for his reputation as a man of humble
piety and a minister of uncommon ability had preceded him.
He at once took a position in the community, and fully
retained it until his removal, such as none of his predeces-
sors had enjoyed. He found a church embarrassed with a
debt of three thousand dollars of ten years' standing, very
much in need of repairs, and with a small number of mem-
bers, and they by no means wealthy. During his term of
service he not only put the church in thorough repair, but
paid off the entire debt. He found here but one hundred
and fifty-two members. At the end of his first year he re-
turned one hundred and seventy members and seventy-five
probationers. At the end of his second year he reported
two hundred and twenty-five full members and twenty-six
probationers. The church was always full when Brother
Cookman was to preach. He had larger regular congrega-
tions than any of our ministers have preached to here, either
before or since, with perhaps a single exception, and that
was during the war.

" He was as popular in other churches as in his own.
Everybody loved him, and spoke of him as the lovely, elo-
quent Cookman. His popularity in the town may be judged
of from the number of marriages he was called upon to
perform. Though the town was small, and the society weak,
he married almost as many in the two years as were married ~
in the past five years, though the town and society have
largely increased in numbers. Of those converted under his
ministry there was much of stable material. One minister
(Rev. Thomas Poulson), two of the members of the present
board of trustees, and several others of the present efficient
workers in our Church, were part of the fruit of his labour.
This fruit, remaining after the lapse of twenty years, cer-

APPOINTED TO HARRISBURG. in

tainly speaks favourably of the character of the revivals
had under his ministry. It is but fair to state that Brother
Cookman gave an impulse and position to Methodism in
West Chester such as it never had, and we still enjoy the
benefits thereof. Though twenty years have rolled away
since he laboured here, his name is still like ' precious oint-
ment poured forth/ and his memory is deeply revered by all
who knew him. He is still called the most popular preacher
of any denomination that ever statedly ministered in West
Chester. It is difficult to decide which was the stronger
attraction for the people — his unassuming piety, and sweet,
loving spirit, or his thrilling eloquence that so enchained the
multitudes."

The session of the Philadelphia Conference in 1853 was
held at Harrisburg, the capital of the State of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Cookman's term had expired at West Chester, and in
the course of the administration he must be sent to a new
charge. He was undoubtedly the most popular young
minister in the Conference. Several prominent churches
within his Conference, and some from beyond it, applied
for his services ; among them none pressed its claims with
more persistence than the Locust Street Church, Harris-
burg, the seat of the Conference. The members of this
charge were on the spot ; they had generously opened their
homes For the entertainment of the preachers. Their suit
prevailed; and when the appointments were announced,
and Alfred Cookman was read out for Locust Street, the
crowded audience burst into a tumult of applause.

There could have been no situation better suited to pro-
mote Mr. Cookman's self-development and to extend his
influence than this appointment. The borough of Harris-
burg, containing about 8,000 inhabitants, was beautifully
located on the east side of the Susquehanna River, and, as

H2 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

the capital of the state, was a point where controlling busi-
ness and political interests concentrated. In the winter
time the Legislature drew together not only the members of
the State Government, but also leading men having ends to
accomplish with the Government. The Locust Street Church
was conveniently located ; and very soon his zeal and elo-
quence attracted general attention. He was elected chap-
lain of the House of Delegates, was selected to offer the
prayer at the inauguration of Governor Bigler, and at this
early age obtained relatively as great an ascendency over
the prominent politicians and the community at Harrisburg
as his father had previously done over all classes at Wash-
ington. The following notice of his preaching, from one of
the Harrisburg papers, shows the estimation in which he
was held : —

"Rev. Mr. Cookman preached another eloquent sermon on Sunday
evening. . . . The whole discourse was replete with sublime thoughts
and beautiful illustrations, and made a salutary and, we trust, a lasting
impression upon the minds of the large and attentive auditory. One
secret of Mr. Cookman's popularity and success as a preacher is that his
sermons are all good, and that whatever emergency calls him forth, he
has a peculiar faculty of happily adapting his discourse to the occasion.
We have observed this in several instances, when Mr. Cookman has
delivered impromptu addresses in response to unexpected calls made
upon him. We like his sermons on account of their freshness and origi-
nality, and the thoroughness and earnestness with which they are deli-
vered. For a young man he is a speaker of superior ability. He has
been thoroughly educated, and has all the finish which literary acquire-
ments can bestow upon naturally fine powers of declamation. Mr.
Cookman bids fair to win for himself a reputation for pulpit eloquence
equal to that enjoyed by his eloquent and lamented father."

Toward the close of his first year Mr. Cookman was
strongly urged to go to Pittsburgh to take charge of a new
Church enterprise in that city, but a sense of duty to the
charge he already occupied prevailed over the urgent invita-

MINISTERIAL ACTIVITY. 113

tion, and he remained and completed the full term of two
years. His ministry was highly successful in adding mem-
bers to the Church. The multitudes who frequented the
sanctuary and listened to his beautiful imagery and forcible
appeals, did not go away merely enchanted with the witchery
of words and action ; they remained to weep for their sins,
and " to lay hold of the hope set before them in the Gospel."
If the preacher culled flowers with which to please the fancy,
he did not the less forge and shoot sharp arrows which
pierced the consciences of his hearers. At the end of two
years the Church had gained ninety members and seventy
probationers, and increased equally in its financial and social
standing.

Through these years the devoted pastor was also an active
itinerant, going hither and thither throughout the state and
in adjoining states, on all possible errands of evangelistic
and literary labour. Traces of him appear among his Balti-
more friends.

Mr. Cookman had entered the field as a lecturer, and,
judging from the comments of the press, obtained no mean
success : —

" The first of a series of lectures in the Methodist Episcopal Church,
Fourth Street, of this city (Philadelphia), was delivered on Thursday-
evening of last week by the Rev. Mr. Cookman, of Harrisburg. The
subject was The Bible. He is a very eloquent man. He delivered it
without ' notes ' ; and on this account it was very impressive. There
was a peculiarity in it which we think worthy of remark, although it
may have been noticed by few of the audience. It was this : he availed
himself of ' apt alliterations' artful aid,' said that the Bible was the basis,
the bond, the bulwark, and the boast of free institutions. It was the basis,
because we derive from the Bible the best principles of government, and
that from it alone we learn the lesson of self-government. Other books
take up the subject from the circumference, and proceed thence to the
centre ; this begins at the centre, and works out to the circumference. In
other words, those begin with society at large, and this with the individual.

8

H4 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

" He showed that the Bible was the bond of our institutions, because
it taught the universal brotherhood of Man, and knew no North, no
South, no East, no West. He showed it to be the bulwark of our
Republic by comparisons with other governments in other days, which
have passed away, because they had not the principles of the Bible to
protect them from vice "and its destructive tendencies. And he con-
cluded by showing that the Bible was the boast of our free institutions,
because it was designed for universal acceptance, and was universally cir-
culated among us by Protestant Christianity ; and on this branch of his
subject he was very eloquent. He compared the different denominations,
when met together to promote the distribution of the Bible in our happy
land, and from thence throughout the world, to a rainbow — all the
colours in the bow being distinctly visible, and yet happily harmonizing
in one beautiful whole ! And then concluded by calling upon us as
A merican citizens to protect the Bible as the sheet-anchor of our liberties,
and to act out the pretty sentiment, " We won't give up the Bible.' "

A year later he lectured again in Philadelphia, and
received from another paper the following appreciative
notice: —

"On Monday evening we had the pleasure of hearing the fifth lecture
of the course before the Young Men's Christian Association by the Rev.
Alfred Cookman, of Pittsburgh. The Presbyterian Church, capacious
as it is, was well filled with a cultivated and intelligent audience. The
lecturer's theme was Concentrated Energy, and his remarks were mainly
addressed to the young, urging upon them, in language at once argu-
mentative, forcible, and eloquent, the necessity of a fixed purpose, pur-
sued with untiring effort, or, in a word, of concentrated energy, as a
prerequisite to success and distinction in any pursuit, and in all the pur-
suits of life. Mr. Cookman's style is clear and perspicuous, while it is
at the same time brilliant and ornate. His voice, which is perfectly
under his control, is remarkably distinct, musical, and sonorous, and
his manner of delivery is highly oratorical and effective. His lecture
gave unbounded satisfaction, and placed him high in the opinion of
our people as a finished scholar and a popular speaker. Mr. Cookman,
although quite a young man, has already won for himself an enviable
reputation, and, if his life and health are spared, he will undoubtedly
before many years stand in the very front rank of the ministry of the
Methodist Episcopal Church."

While stationed at Harrisburg, he was invited to deliver

EFFECT OF HIS PRE A CIIIXG. 1 1 5

the annual 'sermon before " The Society of Evangelical
Inquiry of Dickinson College." The sermon was well re-
ceived, and established for its author a high reputation with
the students. In the evening of the same day on which this
sermon was delivered, he preached at the Methodist Church
in the town. It was the first time he had been in the old
church since he was a boy in his father's household. Vivid
and tender were the memories which rushed upon his heart,
and he could not do otherwise than refer to his father and
the occasion of his own conversion. We are so fortunate
as to have a description of the effects of his preaching from
an eye-witness, the Rev. J. Duey Moore, of the Baltimore
Conference, who was then a youth resident in Carlisle.
Writing to the Rev. John E. Cookman, he says : —

" I remember, when I was a boy, your brother was invited
to preach in Carlisle. In the morning he preached in the
College Chapel, and at night in the old church, Main Street,
the same church which your father had the charge of in
other days. His theme was 'The Vision of Dry Bones.'
The church was crowded. In concluding his sermon, he
referred to his sainted father in a most touching manner ; the
effect was beyond all human description. I remember hear-
ing an old minister of our church, who had sat under your
father's ministry, say, ' The form of George Cookman came
before me while his son was preaching, to such an extent
that I was carried back to the days when the crowds gathered
to hear what I regarded the best pulpit orator I ever listened
to.'

" After concluding his sermon, he gave an account of his
conversion, which took place in that church when he was
quite young. Speaking of it he said, ' Kneeling there
(pointing to a bench at the right of the pulpit), a poor, dis-
tressed penitent, a brother in Christ, a member of the Pres-

n6 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

byterian Church, by the name of Mr. Hamilton, came to me
amid my sorrow, and, placing his hand upon my head, told
me to "look fully to Christ, and He would save me "; and
as I tried to do as he told me, the darkness gave way, and,
kneeling there with this dear brother by the Cross, great
light and peace rested upon me. I was forgiven.' As your
brother had not heard from Mr. Hamilton for years, he
thought he had passed to his reward ; but he (Mr. Hamilton)
was in the church, and just as soon as the congregation was
dismissed he walked to the altar and introduced himself to
your brother. I will never forget their meeting. As the
people were retiring from their pews, their eyes caught the
venerable form of Mr. James Hamilton advancing toward
the pulpit, and, as all eyes followed him until he came before
your brother, they waited to see the result. Oh, how the
people did weep as they looked upon two who had not met
since they met amid the light of the Cross — one as a peni-
tent, then crying ' Save me ! ' the other saying, ' Christ can
save !' As I write I think I can see myself as I was then,
holding my dear sainted father's hand (he was an intimate
friend of your father and brother), and, looking up into his
face, saw the tears flowing down his cheeks while he looked
upon this meeting."

CHAPTER XI.

MINISTRY AT CHRIST CHURCH, PITTSBURGH. — INCREASING
FAME AND USEFULNESS.

The Methodists of Pittsburgh having completed their new
and beautiful church, renewed their invitation to Mr. Cook-
man to consent to be transferred to take the charge of it.
Nothwithstanding Mr. Cookman's love for his Conference,
in view of the advice of the bishops and the noble enter-
prise at Pittsburg, he accepted the invitation, and was trans-
ferred by Bishop Morris in the spring of 1855. It was not
without regret that the people of Harrisburg parted with
him. As evidence of the universal respect and affection -
with which he was regarded, I quote from one of the news-
papers of the day : —

" Rev. Mr. Cookman preached his farewell sermon on Sabbath
evening. So great was the anxiety to hear it that the church was
crowded to its utmost capacity at an early hour, and a large number of
persons were unable to obtain seats at all. Mr. Cookman preached a
discourse eminently appropriate to the occasion, and was more than
ordinarily eloquent and impressive. He spoke with much apparent sin-
cerity and feeling, and a large portion of the congregation were affected
to tears. Mr. Cookman has laboured in this community for two years
with great success, and was respected and beloved not only by his own
congregation, but by the people of our town generally. He was popu-
lar with all classes and all denominations, and his departure is univer-
sally regretted. He left Harrisburg yesterday afternoon for Pittsburgh,
the scene of his future ministerial labours, carrying with him the heart-
warm blessings of hundreds of true friends. May the largest prosperity
attend him."

n8 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

How Mr. Cookman was impressed with Pittsburgh before
his transfer, may be gathered from the following letter to his
wife : —

"Pittsburgh, Tuesday afternoon, June 14, 1854.

..." About three o'clock the train came thundering along. Finding
seats we hurried off, and until day-dawn dozed away the tedious
moments. Then the scenery, wild and majestic, opened upon us, which
of course we enjoyed richly and to the end of our journey. Some of the
views in crossing the mountain transcend anything I have ever beheld.
Without accident we reached Pittsburgh in good time, not near as much
fatigued as I frequently am after riding to Philadelphia. You will feel
anxious to know what I think of Pittsburgh. Well, I must say I rather
like it. True, there is a good deal of smoke, and the houses generally
look cloudy, but it is not near as bad as I anticipated. The buildings
are good, some of the residences quite elegant, and everything seems to
exhibit the spirit of energy and enterprise. The place strongly reminds
me of many English cities which I have visited. It is not unlike New
York, more like it certainly than Philadelphia. I fancy that like my-
self you would be agreeably disappointed in Pittsburgh. I have already
traversed the city pretty thoroughly ; among other places I have visited
the new Christ M. E. Church, and do not think me enthusiastic or extrava-
gant when I say that it is far, far ahead of anything in the form of a
Methodist Church I have ever seen. They are about finishing the base-
ment, which is very handsomely frescoed and fitted up in elegant style.
The audience-room will be most magnificent. I wandered through, as
I desired, entirely incognito. If I can I will procure a lithographic
representation of the edifice, that you may have some idea. Well, now,
I hear you say, 'Just as I expected and prophesied. He had no busi-
ness to go to Pittsburgh ; a convert already.' No, dear, I would prefer
to remain in the Philadelphia Conference than to assume the responsjr
bility which would devolve upon the pastor of such a charge. Very
much would be expected, and I do not want to be obliged to meet such
expectations. Worse things, though, you may rest assured, might hap-
pen to us than being sent to -Pittsburgh. So far as I am concerned,
with my beloved Annie and charming boys, I could be perfectly
happy in a cabin on the tallest peak of the Alleghanies. It is
your presence and enthusiastic love which covers my path with
sunshine and makes me a happy home anywhere. You need not
fear, I think, a transfer to Pittsburgh. I am staying at the City Hotel,
kept by Messrs. Glass and Chase, gentlemen who have treated me

ADMINISTRATIVE SKILL. 119

already with very marked attention and favour. I wonder how you all
are this evening. I think of you almost cbnstantly, and am the hap-
piest when I can bask in the refreshing radiance of your sunny faces.
Well, I believe I have written all that I have to communicate just now.
It is, I fear, an illegible scrawl, penned in the midst of noise and con-
fusion. Puzzle it out, however, and when you have done kiss yourself
over and over again for one who loves you better than all the world
beside. Then take up Bruner, and give him a dozen for his papa ; then
petty Kenncy, and let her have an equal number."

Mr. Cookman was twenty-seven years of age when ap-
pointed to Christ Church. The new edifice, of the Gothic
order of architecture, situated in Penn Street, was then the
costliest church building in American Methodism, and was
about the first decided advance in the movement in archi-
tectural beauty in Methodist houses of worship. The
number of members that brought this laudable undertaking
to completion was small. They were, however, men of
means, courage, and prayer. They felt that the right man
in the pulpit would secure success. No higher mark of
confidence could have been placed on Mr. Cookman than
that he should be selected for so important a position.

The sequel proved the wisdom of the choice. Under his
control, the enterprise moved off prosperously from the
beginning, and the most sanguine expectations of its origina-
tors were fulfilled. Though young in years, he was a man
of experience ; courageous, and at the same time cautious,
he showed both the ardour which prepared him to enter
fully into the advanced views of his official men, and also
the judgment to direct their earnestness with the steadiness
and tact which insured the best results. His power to
attract the people by his preaching was to be tested as never
before. Heretofore his churches had been "free," and this
was " pewed " ; but his ability was at once recognized, and his
church was speedily filled. His faculty as an organizer was

120 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

to be promptly and fully proved, and that, too, under cir-
cumstances peculiar and trying — but here, as in the pulpit,
he showed himself eminently capable. It is doubtful if
there be any surer test of the ability of a minister for ad-
ministration as well as preaching and pastoral work than the
successful guidance of a great and powerful Church, espe-
cially in the forming periods of its existence. To balance
all conflicting claims, to keep all the forces in accord, to
incorporate new elements with the old without violence, to
evoke and start enterprises into safe and effective channels,
to impress all the workers and all the methods with a
thoroughly spiritual stamp — all this requires talents of a high
order, and talents well poised. The native sense and the
admirable discernment of Mr. Cookman were never more
displayed, before or since, than in the management of the
affairs of Christ Church.

But while busy with his new charge in the first months of
his pastorate, he does not forget the fond mother from whom
he was so far separated. Could there be a more affectionate
expression, alike creditable to him and to her, than this
letter ? I give it with its italicizing retained : —

"Pittsburgh, May 25, 1855.

' ' Will's letter reached us this week, bringing the unwelcome intelli-
gence that you have been seriously ill. At such a time we feel it to be
a duty and a privilege to take up our pen and express our sympathy and
undying love. Your children may sometimes exhibit a censurable care-
lessness and indifference, but believe me there underlies their conduct as
enthusiastic affection for their mother as ever found a place in a human
heart. The effect of your instructions, and the influence of your kind,
gentle nature, have been to win every noble feeling of which they are
capable, and if they were to-day severally interrogated who is the best
and purest among human kind, they would unhesitatingly answer, ' Our
mother ! ' I have no greater happinessjhan to sit down and, in connec-
tion with the eventful past, dwell upon those virtzies which you so beau-
tifully developed in the midst of your family, and think of that ceaseless

THE PITTSBURGH CONFERENCE. 121

and self-denying love which always shed sunshine on our home. It was and
is a happy home ! the remembrance of which shall be dear to our hearts
through the entire period of our earthly pilgrimage. Thank ymi, dear
mother, a thousand times over, for your gushing sympathy, your faithful
instructions, your consistent and beautiful example, your jealous care
and unremitting efforts for the happiness and welfare of your children.
You have been not only a good mother, but the best of mothers. Our
appreciation of your character and services increases with our age ; and
when you are safely housed in glory, we will often come together and
wonder that one so pure and lovely was so long lent to us and the world.
My burning tears attest the sincerity of the feelings I express — feelings
which are largely shared by every member of your beloved family.
Even Will, whom you occasionally deem a little headstrong and un-
manageable, tells me in his letter that requirements which once seemed
irksome to his independent nature are now regarded in an entirely dif-
ferent light. It is his highest delight to serve and gratify her whom he
feels to be "his best and truest friend. The loss of his mother, he states,
would blot out every earthly joy, and make him almost wish for the
oblivion of the death-slumber. Shall I ask you to excuse this sponta-
neous burst of filial feeling ? This, I am sure, will not be necessary,
for while it has relieved my overflowing heart, it may, perhaps, kindle
a pleasurable feeling in the bosom of one whom I would be proud to
make happy. I hope by this time your sickness has been arrested, and
you are able to attend to your domestic duties. When you feel that you
can conveniently and comfortably take up your pen, we shall be most-
happy to receive one of your thrice-welcome letters. In the meanwhile
charge one of the fraternity to act as your amanuensis, and let us at
least know the state of your health and the course of domestic affairs.
The children exhibit every day some new charm, some fresh attraction.
Next week the Western Virginia Conference meets in Wheeling. If
nothing should prevent, I think I shall join a company of preachers and
go down for a day or two. The Pittsburgh Conference meets in Johns-
town on the 13th of June."

Mr. Cookman had been transferred, and had entered
upon his work in advance of the session of the Pittsburgh
Conference. The transfer to a new Conference involved a
trial to him, as it would to any man of like refined nature,
and it was with no little misgiving that he looked forward
to the session. A transfer for the express purpose of being

122 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

appointed to the grandest and wealthiest Church of the
Conference, would be likely to render him an object of a
somewhat careful and cool attention. His fame had pre-
ceded him — would he measure up to it ? His praise was in
all the churches — was he proud and reserved ? These and
such questions would occur to brethren and to him. Metho-
dist preachers are but men, and, like other men, they do
not relish being dispossessed by strangers of the fields which
their own hard toil has made to bud and bloom.

But it was impossible for a body of good men to have
hard feelings toward Alfred Cookman. He had only to
show himself among his brethren, and all prejudice was dis-
armed. From youth there was that in him which transfused
the hearts of all with love and confidence. The Pittsburgh
preachers were won by his first looks and words. He im-
pressed them as a faithful preacher, with a single aim, with
all the instincts and habits of his brethren, and that he had
come to Pittsburgh not for the sake of position, but for the
good of souls. His honours seemed to sit so lightly upon
him, his whole demeanour in public and private was so
savoury of genuine modesty and deep piety, that, with a
quickness and generosity so distinctive of their class, the
ministers immediately extended to him the entente cordiale,
which henceforth made him happy among them.

The demands on Mr. Cookman for outside work in-
creased, as from this prominent point the circle of his repu-
tation constantly widened. From all directions the calls for
special services flooded his table — requests for dedicating
churches, for addresses, lectures, and all kinds of efforts in
aid of old and new causes.

An address delivered during this period in Philadelphia,
at Music Fund Hall, on behalf of the Bedford Street Mis-
sion of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was probably one

AN EFFECTIVE SPEECH. 123

of the most effective of his life. It was elaborately pre-
pared, and was delivered in his happiest style. The impres-
sion was deep, immediate, and abiding. His vehement
oratory swept the vast audience whithersoever he listed. He
and the cause he pleaded were from that evening, if they
they had not been previously, thoroughly intrenched in the
hearts of the hearers. Back again among his early friends
a visitor, he came freighted with the best thoughts he could
command ; his soul in closest sympathy with missions among
the destitute, and his nature fired by old associations and
glowing with the love of Jesus, he rose with the hour, the
place, the audience, and it was thought by many that they
had rarely, if ever, listened to a more powerful popular
address.

The letter which follows, written to his youngest brother,
John, now the Rev. John E. Cookman, a member of the
New York Conference, will be read with interest. His
views on Biblical schools may be regarded by some as
behind the times. Yet the ground of his objections were
felt to be weighty by many minds as recently as fifteen years
ago. Even now there are a few in other denominations
besides the Methodist who have grave questionings as to
the positive benefit of the training of theological schools.
It is feared by them that it tends to make men machines,
to quench native fire, to create generations of preachers
who will carry from the seminary too much the tone and
manner of a " faculty " ; that, while it may produce theolo-
gians, it will educate the students too far away from the
people to fit them as preachers for the masses, and so raise
up ministers for this and coming ages who will not be, in
all respects, as effective and successful as those hitherto
known in Methodism.

Although it is now conceded that theological schools

124 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

have become a necessity of the Church, yet I regard it as
no discredit to our friend that he cherished and expressed
the feelings contained in this letter. It is for those who
have the charge of these schools to see to it that his fears
and the fears of thousands as sincerely devoted to the
Church are not realized. Said Robert Hall of the learned
Kippis, " He might be a very clever man by nature, for
aught I know, but he laid so many books upon his head
that his brains could not move." Vital force, springing
from the heart as the motor — the one indispensable condi-
tion of effective preaching — was what our friend believed
more and more with each succeeding year of his ministry.
Goethe says : —

' ' What you don't feel, you'll never catch by hunting ;
It must gush out spontaneously from the soul ;
And with a fresh delight enchanting
The hearts of all that hear, control. "

To his brother, Mr. John E. Cookman, he wrote : —

"Pittsburgh, July 22, 1856.

' ' To say that your letter afforded me great pleasure, expresses but
feebly the real feelings of my heart. While I know that you had always
associated with your future the work of the ministry, still I began to
fear that business and the world were becoming so attractive and
absorbing that you would be diverted from a nobler and more useful
sphere. What was my joy, then, to hear from yourself that your pre-
sent employments failed to satisfy the desires and ambition of your
nature, and, in obedience to conscientious convictions, you felt like
preparing yourself to do the work of an evangelist.

" From personal experience I know the importance — aye, the necessity
of Divine help and strength in a situation similar to that in which you
are placed. Therefore, while I will most cheerfully render you such
advice and assistance as may be in my power, at the same time I would
impress, you with the propriety and advantage of fleeing to the strong
for strength. Hide yourself in God. Trust for providential direction,
and you shall not stray or stumble. The God of the fatherless, in so
important a step as that which you contemplate, will certainly and

COUNSELS TO HIS YOUNGEST BROTHER. 125

satisfactorily exhibit a superintending agency, and in future you will
review the whole with gratitude and joy. My first and most fervent
counsel, therefore, would be that you yield yourself up fully unto God.
Let no idle, no secret sin, no unwillingness to toil or sacrifice or suffer,
debar you from the full realization of your privileges in the Gospel of God's
dear Son. However imperfect your mental and physical developments
may seem to yourself, there is no reason why, as a Christian, you should
not rival a Fletcher, a McCheyne, a Summerfield, in their almost sera-
phic purity and zeal and devotion. Attend, then, to the all-important
subject of personal piety in the first instance, and I have no fear for trie
rest. God will overrule all for your benefit and His glory.

" With respect to the importance or advantage of a college course,
I am not entirely clear or satisfied. Had you not spent four years in
the Philadelphia High-School, I should not be in so much doubt. I
remember, however, that you have acquired, to a considerable extent,
habits of study ; you have obtained pretty general information on the dif-
ferent branches of science, which will serve as a foundation on which to
build in the future ; you have received regularly and legitimately the de-
gree of A. B. , which of course will be followed in due time with an A. M.
In these respects you are very far in advance of a large majority of
those who are admitted to our Methodist itinerancy. Then, when I
think of the associations and influences which are found in most colleges,
I tremble lest my cherished brother, for whose success I am so deeply
concerned, should be moved off the sure foundation. A Biblical insti-
tute, as a substitute for a college, has been presented to my mind, but
here again I have my difficulties. I should fear that its influence would
be to subdue that enthusiasm which I believe will prove in the future
your charm and your power.

" The truth is, I am only about half-persuaded in my mind respecting
the advantages of such schools. I compare the genuine Methodist
preacher, whose soul is one blaze of holy zeal — whose mind, self-disci-
plined, is filled with practical and profitable truth — whose aim is so
single that his whole life is a striking commentary upon the sentiment,
' This one thing I do ' — who goes through the world like fire through
the prairie ; I say I compare such a one with a critical, metaphysical,
Germanized student of divinity, who, perhaps, looks as blue and feels
as cold as if he had been shivering in an ice-house, and who preaches
as stiffly as if his lips and heart and arms had all been literally frozen.
There is no kind of doubt but I can find self-made men in the Methodist
Episcopal Church who are not only equal but superior to others of our
own and sister denominations who can boast the advantages of literary
and theological training. With respect, however, to this matter, I

126 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

would not determine for you. If you feel that college studies would
increase your mental discipline as no other exercise could, I would not
utter a word of discouragement, but rather a hearty ' Godspeed!' I am
rather inclined to the conclusion that Brush College, after all, will
prove the best school for the development of your physical and intel-
lectual powers. If you could spend the autumn and winter in reading,
composing, and exercising as opportunity might offer, and in the spring
take an easy circuit, as for instance Village Green, or Springfield, I
believe that you would accomplish as much for yourself and the Church
as you would by conjugating Latin verbs and studying heathen mytho-
logy. If you feel inclined to this latter course, my home and humble
services are at your disposal. I appreciate the peculiarity and per-
plexities of your situation, and, while I scarcely feel prepared to advise,
would earnestly counsel that you seek wisdom from God, who giveth
liberally and upbraideth not."

Mr. Cookman was able to go up to the session of the
Pittsburgh Conference in 1856 with a good showing for the
year. The number of members had increased from ninety
to one hundred and thirty-two, and twenty-six probationers.
At the seat of the Conference he was called upon to speak,
in connection with the Rev. Dr. Durbin and others, on the
occasion of the anniversary of the Conference Missionary
Society. A correspondent of the Pittsburgh Christian
Advocate wrote of the speeches : —

"The Rev. Alfred Cookman, of Penn Street Church, Pittsburgh, and
Dr. John P. Durbin electrified the audience with two of the most
powerful speeches to which it has been our privilege to listen. Cook-
man is a gifted son of eloquence, and nature has given him a most'
exuberant fancy. His speeches abound in the most gorgeous imagery,
and in this respect he is said to resemble his distinguished father. Of
Durbin, as a great thinker and a great orator, it is scarcely necessary to
speak. He presented some most striking thoughts on the subject of
missions. Cookman's speech might be said to abound with the lightnino--
flashes of genius, while Durbin followed in one continued thunder-roll
of ponderous thought."

The same correspondent noticed Mr. Cookman's sermon
on the Sabbath, in the Presbyterian Church, in these terms:—

SPEECHES AT THE CONFERENCE. 127

"We would as soon think of daguerreotyping the storm, or with our
feeble voice of imitating the roar of the thunder, as to undertake to
convey to our readers the impression made by Cookman's sermon.
Certain we are that of all who heard it, no one will forget it. "

Writing, also, of a Bible speech he made at the same
session, he said it was " a speech such as no man but one
of his peculiar gifts could make."

These descriptions, while due allowance may be made
for the enthusiasm excited by the youth of Mr. Cookman,
give proof of the high appreciation in which his gifts were
held by one who was probably a member of the Conference.
They also show the tireless energy of the young minister in
thus standing forward on three important occasions to plead
in causes of the first magnitude. Neither then nor afterward
did the thought of saving himself or his capital ever seem
to enter his mind. What he could do for the Master was
done to the best of his ability, and there the matter rested.

The following letter to his brother, Mr. William Wilber-
force Cookman, on receiving the news of his conversion
reveals the depth of his religious affection : —

"Pittsburgh, February 19, 1857.

' ' Tuesday's mail brought the most delightful letter I have received for a
very long time. - It was a letter from dear mother, filled with the details
of your conversion. Like our precious parent, I have been specially
concerned for your religious welfare. Two or three times this winter
I have been on the point of addressing you a few lines. As my pro-
tracted meeting has progressed, I have not only thought of you, but in
prayer have wrestled for your salvation. How rejoiced, then, was I to
leam that you had resolutely espoused the cause of the Saviour, and
were triumphing in a consciousness of sins forgiven. Indeed, when I
read mother's letter, the fountains of my nature broke open, and I
poured forth copious tears of thankfulness and joy. This morning your
fraternal epistle came to hand, and, as I glanced over its lines in return-
ing from the post-office, I found that my cup was again running over.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless and praise

i28 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

His holy name ! I am delighted that yourexperience is of so definite
and satisfactory a character. This is desirable, not only because it adds
to the sum of our peace at the present, but because it constitutes our
conversion a great landmark in our life, to which, in future years, we
can revert with special pleasure and profit. You may expect in the
future to suffer through manifold and powerful temptations ; still, if in the
midst of the trial you will only maintain your integrity and Christian
profession, the temptation or temptations shall really answer a good
purpose in establishing your faith and strengthening your godly virtues.
It is in the storm or tempest that the sailor learns what he never could
have learned if all around had continued calm and prosperous ; then,
of all times, he is becoming the practised and thorough seaman. When
tempted or tried, remember the Rock that is higher than thou. G.o
to God ; with the simplicity of a son or a child, tell Him all your
doubts and fears and desires ; plead the promises of His Word ; and, as
in thousands of instances, so in your case, He will surely make a way
for your escape. I need not represent the advantage and importance of
a daily reading of the Holy Scriptures. This is an exercise which you
appreciate and will observe. Neither will I dwell upon the necessity
of frequent prayer. Morning, noon, and night you will be found be-
fore God, pouring your wants and requests into His ever-attentive ear.
Have you joined the Church ? Remember that this is not only a great
privilege, but a Scriptural duty. You will find within the pale of the
Christian Church sympathy and assistance as they cannot be found else-
where. Uniting yourself with a class, lay it down as a principle or rule
of your life always to attend when it is possible to go. A man who
regularly attends his class-meeting cannot very well backslide. Asso-
ciate with your experience and profession increasing religious activity.
This sustains the same relation to our spiritual life that stated physical
exercise does to our natural life. Enter every* avenue of usefulness. Do
all the good in your power. Resolve that the world shall be better for
your having lived in it. My precious brother, my heart goes out after you
in sincerest and strongest affection. You were always dear to me be-
cause of the noble elements which constitute your nature, but you are
doubly dear since your regeneration. I feel now that

' ' ' Our hopes and aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares ! '

" We may warrantably indulge the delightful hope that our fraternal
love, overleaping the river of death, will be perpetuated coeval with the
existence of the soul.

" I still feel the deepest and liveliest interest in your secular affairs.

CLOSE OF SECOND YEAR IN PITTSBURGH. 129

With the blessing of God, which you can now confidently implore and
expect, all will be well. Can we not persuade George to give God his
heart ? If he would yield, then we should be an undivided family in
the Church of Jesus Christ. Let us agree to pray for him."

At the close of Mr. Cookman's second year in Pittsburgh,
spring of 1857, his return to the Philadelphia Conference
was requested and granted. Before dismissing this import-
ant term of his ministry, I insert an estimate of his services
at Christ Church from the pen of Dr. Wright, a member of
its official board : —

" For a young man of comparatively little experience as
a preacher in charge, to be called to the pastorate of an
undertaking from which so much was expected on the one
hand, and so much disaster to the cause of Methodism pro-
phesied on the other, gave rise to much discussion as to the
propriety of the appointment, many urging that a preacher
of more experience would be better.

"Under these somewhat embarrassing circumstances,
which were known to our young brother, he came doubting,
hvX firmly trusting. When I first met him, one cold, dreary,
Pittsburgh March morning, he looked anything but joyful.
I introduced him to my family as our expected young
preacher of whom they had heard me speak so often, and
was disposed to be cheerful over his coming ; but the young
preacher was not so disposed, and looked sad, and with a
grave expression said : ' I am here to obey orders, but my
opinion is that the officiary of your Church have made a
mistake in asking my transfer to this important charge. I
hope it has been ordered through your prayers, for I feel
greatly the need of aid from on high to enter upon the dis-
charge of the duties.' He then spoke of the magnitude of
the enterprise, and his belief that the success of such efforts
for the future would be determined in a great measure by

• 9

130 LIFE OF ALFRED C00KMAN.

the first years of their history. Thus believing, he said he
felt the weight of the responsibility all the more, that its
organization should be a success in every way, especially in
the salvation of sinners and the upbuilding of the Church
for good.

" He entered upon his duties as the first pastor of Christ
Methodist Episcopal Church the following Sabbath, and
preached to a crowded house from the 6th chapter and 14th
verse of Galatians, — ' God forbid,' etc. The cross of Christ
and the atoning blood of the Lamb, ever beautiful and
powerful to save, was the burden of his theme on that day.
The timid young man of the day before was now as bold in
the annunciation of the truths that centre around the cross
as Paul, whom he so much loved, and upon whose character
he loved to dwell. If there had been any doubts about
the propriety of calling the young brother to the new charge,
they were all dispelled by the impression produced upon the
minds and hearts of his first congregation. A good, happy
brother was asked, on coming out of church, what he
thought of the sermon : ' Ah ! ' he replied, ' there is no
German silver about that — it has the true ring of the genuine
metal.'

" In the organization of Christ Church membership from
the various Methodist congregations in Pittsburgh, Brother
Alfred Cookman performed a delicate task, in which he
acted with the good sense and judgment of more mature
years and experience. Under the inspiration of his conse-
cration to the work of the salvation of sinners, Alfred Cook-
man developed while at Christ Church some of the noblest
traits of his manhood, and showed what was possible when
the man is devoted to his Master's work. The fervour of his
longings for the conversion of sinners was always marked
by a deep and loving pathos, expressed with singular

THE ELEMENTS OF HIS SUCCESS. 131

beauty and propriety of language, that rarely failed in
making a deep and lasting impression. The congregations
that waited upon his ministry while in Pittsburgh were
large — often so crowded that persons had to leave for
want of room.

" One of the elements of his great success in Pittsburgh
was his love and devotion to the Sabbath-school interests of
the Church. He organized a large school, and never did he
seem more in his element than when working among the
children j and never was there a body of children who
seemed to be happier and gave more attention than when
he was talking to them — either in examining them in their
catechism, illustrating their Scriptural lesson, or in telling
some story that pointed a moral which was always fixed in
their minds by some appropriate illustration.

" Many of the children of the school came early under
the influence of religion, gave their names to the Church,
and Brother Alfred lived long enough to see several of the
boys thus brought to Christ preachers, two of whom are
now in the Baltimore Conference.

" In his devotion to the Sabbath-school interests of
Christ Church he was ably assisted by his excellent wife,
who had charge of the infant class-room. In all of his
responsible duties and relations to Christ Church he was
ever faithful to the great trust imposed upon him, and his
Master abundantly blessed and honoured him with great
success in bringing a large and influential membership to-
gether, and establishing an objective point for Methodism
in Pittsburgh.

" He impressed the large and wealthy congregation with
the importance and duty of contributing generously of their
means. The after-history of this Church shows that they
have not forgotten his injunction, but have gone on increas-

132 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

ing their gifts, till now Christ Church stands among the
first in the Methodist Episcopal Church as a contributor to
all the interests of the Church."

The Rev. W. M. Paxton, D.D., now of New York, who
was the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Pitts-
burgh when Mr. Cookman was at Christ Church, has fur-
nished a very pleasing testimony to the excellence of his
character and the usefulness of his ministry. After referring
to some of the difficulties which Mr. Cookman had to meet,
he says : —

" He, however, proved himself fully equal to the emer-
gency. I now look back with admiration upon the masterly
manner in which he met all these difficulties, and turned
hostility into friendship. His humble, unpretending manner
disarmed prejudice ; his sincere, honest heart inspired con-
fidence ; his loving, gentle spirit won the affection of the
people ; and his able and eloquent preaching gave him a
high place in the estimation of the public. His success
became apparent upon the first day the church was opened,
and before the close of the first year he had dissipated all
opposition, gathered around him a large and influential con-
gregation, and established himself in the regard of the whole
community. At the end of one year, when his first term
of service expired, such was the desire, not only of his own
congregation but of the whole community, to retain his
services, that the bishops were constrained to renew his
appointment.

" His whole work in Pittsburgh was admirable in every
way. He organized his congregation well, preached well,
and was instrumental in the conversion of many souls.
But, beyond all this, he had a large catholic spirit, which
brought him into useful fellowship with his brethren of other
denominations, and enlisted him in every good work. He was

CHARACTERIZATION OF HIS WORK. 133

in every sense a Methodist, but he was not a narrow denomi-
nationalist ; and, above all, he had nothing in his heart to
keep him from rejoicing in the success of another's work.

" His residence in Pittsburgh being within two doors of
my own, an intimacy sprang up between us, which soon
ripened into a warm and lasting friendship. The more I
knew of him the more I loved him. He had an honest
heart that inspired trust, and made me feel that all his
expressions, either of opinion or friendship, could be relied
upon. His religion was deep, earnest, and controlling. He
believed in heart-religion because he had an experience of
it, and out of the abundance of his heart his mouth spoke.
With him religion was a pervading principle, controlling all
thought and action. ' He walked with God.' He realized
more than most Christians the personal presence of the
Saviour, and had many blessed seasons of high and holy
communion as on the Mount. It was upon this rich trea-
sury of heart-experience that he drew largely for his sermons.
His spontaneous conversation was upon religion ; it was in
his heart, and he delighted to talk of it. I have many pre-
cious recollections of such conversations. He was in all
his views and convictions a Methodist, and yet in his ex-
perience he was so much of a Calvinist that we had many
'good times together.' "

The subjoined characterization of Mr. Cookman and his
work appeared at the time of his leaving Pittsburgh, in one
of the daily papers of the city : —

" Rev. Alfred Cookman has been with us but two years, yet in that
short time he has indelibly impressed us with his sincerity as a Christian,,
his worth as a gentleman, and his ability as a pulpit orator. To his
value as a Christian, his life and zeal in the cause he assumes testifies.
Of his worth as a gentleman, the many and warm attachments formed
during his short residence with us are the assurances. Of his ability as

134 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

an orator, the large and discriminating audiences which have attended
him are the very best evidences.

"Viewing the tenets of his Church in a spirit of liberality, austerity
has not characterized his teaching ; inspired with the social value of
courtesy, his etiquette has not been based upon an exclusive code. Care-
fully regarding the end in view, he has not perverted the gifts of oratory
to the gratification of vanity ; but subordinating everything to the
objects of his ministry, he has worthily maintained the dignity of the
Christian teacher. Ignoring fanaticism in religion, he has not failed to
discharge his duties as a citizen. Marking the nice distinction between
Christian morality and political ethics, he has saved his congregation,
the scandal too many have suffered where the sanctuary has been dese-
crated by the introduction of party issues. Yet, with an ardent pa-
triotism that finds a fitting response within the hearts of all who love
their country, and which rises too far above mere party to be subjected
to its criticism, he has pointed out the breakers which threaten our
noble Ship of State, and conjured us by his eloquence to cling to the
Bible as the only compass by which she may be safely directed.

" For all this we regret his loss. Succumbing to its necessity, we
can only, with the poet, bid him

' ' ' Go, speed the stars of thought
On to their shining goals ;
The sower scatters broad his seed,
The wheat thou strewest be souls ! ' "

He and his family took their final leave of Pittsburgh at
the midnight hour. So intense was the feeling at parting
with them, that large numbers of their friends formed a pro-
cession and accompanied them to the depot, where they
took the train for Philadelphia.

CHAPTER XII.

MINISTRY AT GREEN STREET CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA.—
REMARKABLE REVIVAL.

Mr. Cookman's return to Philadelphia was heartily received
by his brethren of the Conference and the laymen of the
city. The Green Street charge was especially favoured in
securing his services as their pastor. His fame as a preacher
and his efficiency as a worker had greatly augmented since
he had left Kensington Station, and his advent to the city
was adapted to awaken much delight and expectation. The
Green Street Church was a new, tasteful, and commodious
building, with free seats, situated among a dense population,
and offered every advantage for the popular talents of the
zealous pastor. He was now perfectly in his element. With
loving kindred and genial friends about him, a comfortable,
though not pretentious home, a large and enthusiastic society
of helpers, a crowded and sympathizing congregation, he
entered upon a career of popularity and usefulness which
may be regarded as an epoch in his ministry.

It is doubtful if Philadelphia Methodism has known in its
whole history a pastoral term of two years more signally
fraught with proofs of the Divine favour and the stable
results of evangelical ministrations than these of our friend
at Green Street. The scenes under his preaching — the per-
petual blaze of revival, the marked cases of conversion and

136 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

sanctification — were more like the occurrences of primitive
Methodism, and showed conclusively that the ancient glory
had not departed from the sons of the fathers. At the close
of his second year he reported seven hundred members and
one hundred and fourteen probationers — a net gain of two
hundred and thirty-five persons — with large advances in all
the collections for benevolent objects, especially in that for
the missionary cause.

As an explanation in part of the eminent success of Mr.
Cookman at Green Street, it may be said that it took place
during the great religious revival of 1857 and 1858. An
awakening seldom paralleled pervaded all classes of society
and churches of every communion, extending from the cities
to the country districts, until there was not a hamlet, how-
ever remote, which did not feel its power. Waves of Divine
blessing, in rapid succession, rolled over the land ; religion
was at the flood — it was the theme on every lip ; men turned
aside from the busy mart at the hour of noon, and thronged
the places of prayer ; the workshop, the drinking- saloon,
the theatre, the highway, became consecrated places, where
the voice of singing and of supplication from earnest peni-
tents and exultant converts was heard ; the sanctuaries were
crowded with men and women, asking what they must do to
be saved ; not alone the women and children, but men —
strong, wicked men, who hitherto had neither regarded man
nor feared God — mourned for their sins, and rejoiced in the
freedom of forgiveness ; ministers whose popularity had de-
clined were invested with new favour, and the different
denominations, that had been until recently either antagon-
istic or indifferent, were suddenly fused into a thorough union
and co-operation.

Mr. Cookman knew enough to put himself abreast this
Divine flood, and to move with it. Neither the general

SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS. 137

spirit of revival nor his tact can wholly explain his
success.

It is proper to call attention to an important fact of per-
sonal experience, which rendered his ministry at Green
Street, in his own opinion, the most pregnant period of his
history. It will be remembered that within a few months
after obtaining the evidence of "perfect love," through in-
advertency he lost it. Through these years his position on
this great subject had not been at all satisfactory to himself.
It had been hesitating. Doubts, questionings had disturbed
his mind ; and though he was mainly in sympathy with the
doctrine of " full salvation," still there was neither a definite
view nor a settled experience. His ministry was acceptable
and useful ; he was truly devoted to God and His cause, but
yet he was ill at ease, and his soul, under a deep sense of
unrealized power, was often sorrowful. The war of con-
tending feelings marred his peace and frittered his strength ;
something he needed to lift him out of this conflict, and to
develop all the resources of his spiritual nature into the
utmost unity and force. The Spirit of God was gently but
surely leading him backward and forward at the same time
— backward to the simple, child-like faith in which he stood
at Newtown, and forward to the same faith, re-enforced by
an experience which could more fully guard it, through a
knowledge of the errors that caused its forfeiture, and the
memory of the bitterness which that forfeiture had entailed.

Whatever had been lost during these ten years of compa-
rative failure, all was not lost. I do not mean that simply a
saved, justified condition had been maintained ; this no one
can question ; but I mean that there had been progress in
the deeper knowledge of God's Word, in the more thorough
insight into his own heart, in the increased confidence in the
agencies of the Gospel, acquired by a longer and broader

138 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

observation — all of which constituted preparations for that
subsequent experience which in its marks and results became
so signal and abiding. To one who has gained some great
height by untrodden and devious paths, there may seem a
much straighter course when he looks back over the broad
sweep through which he has passed ; but he cannot say that
any step, much less which step, has been useless in the
successive steps that have brought him to the eminence on
which he stands.

There is a certain positiveness in a knowledge which is
worked out for one's self, to which the soul comes through
its own provings amid doubts, fears, temptations, that im-
parts a conviction of truthfulness, a tenacity of purpose,
which is an indispensable element in him who in any sense
is to be a leader in God's advanced hosts. The stand which
Alfred Cookman was about to take at Green Street for the
doctrine of " perfect love " would be quite a different stand
from that which he took on Attleboro Circuit in the first
inexperienced months of his ministry ; not different in the
nature of the work accomplished, nor in the evidences accom-
panying it, but in the increased capacity which he would
have to understand, to hold, and to propagate it. Thence-
forth neither the jokes of his brethren nor the arguments of
those who, either for cavil or conscience, saw fit to differ
with him, would be able to move him.

It was not a necessity that he should have lost the witness
of entire sanctification, much less that he should have
continued so long a time without its restoration, but it is a
significant fact in the history of many of those who have
received this witness, that they seldom remain from the
beginning uninterruptedly in its possession and enjoyment.
From want of a full perception of the conditions of the
higher order of life, from a defect of judgment which can be

ENTIRE CONSECRATION. 139

corrected only by experience, the soul which has rejoiced in
the evidence of love made perfect not unfrequently comes
under a darkness which is more or less protracted. One of
the most merciful provisions of Christianity is that all be-
lievers, of whatever stage of attainment or degree of faith,
may so long as they live learn by the things which they suffer,
and be corrected by their very mistakes. It is of God's
infinite wisdom and goodness so to sanctify to the good man
even his errors, that by them he shall rise into a corrected
and purer life.

As joints to stalks, condensing their substance and giving
firmness for the support of further growth ; as knots in the
threads, binding them into unity and strength as hither and
thither they cross each other in weaving the fisher's net, so
the covenants of good men gather up their otherwise scat-
tered resources, and compact them into the higher forms of
spiritual efficiency.

I give in his own words the account of his restoration to
this great Scriptural blessing : —

" Oh, how many precious years I wasted in quibbling and
debating respecting the great differences, not seeing that I
was antagonizing a doctrine which must be spiritually dis-
cerned, and the tendency of which is to bring people nearer
God. Meanwhile I had foolishly fallen into the habit of
using tobacco, an indulgence which, while it afforded, palat-
ably, gratification, at the same time seemed to satisfy both
my nervous and social nature. Years elapsed. When I
would confront the obligation of entire consecration, the
sacrifice of my foolish habit would be presented as a test of
obedience ; I would consent. Light, strength, and blessing
were the result. Afterward temptation would be presented-
I would listen to suggestions like this : ' This is one of the
good things of God ; your religion does not require a course

140 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

of asceticism ; this indulgence 'is not specifically forbidden
in the New Testament ; some good people whom you know
are addicted to this practice,' thus seeking to quiet an uneasy
conscience. I would draw back into the old habit again.
After a while I began to see that the indulgence at best was
doubtful for me, and that I was giving my carnality rather
than my Christian experience the benefit of the doubt. It
could not harm me to give -it up, while to persist in the
practice was costing me too much in my religious enjoyment.

" I found that after all my objections to sanctification as
a distinct work of grace, there was nevertheless a conscious
lack in my own religious experience — it was not strong,
round, full, abiding. I frequently asked myself, ' What is
that I need and desire in comparison with what I have and
profess ?' I looked at the three steps insisted upon by the
friends of holiness, — namely, ' First, entire consecration ;
second, acceptance of Jesus moment by moment as a perfect
Saviour ; third, a meek and definite profession of the grace
received ' : and I said, ' These are Scriptural and reasonable
duties.'

" The remembrance of my experience in Newtown sup-
plied an overwhelming confirmation of all this, and at the
same time a powerful stimulant in the direction of duty.
What then ? ' I will cast aside all preconceived theories,
doubtful indulgences, and culpable unbelief, and retrace my
steps.' Alas, that I should have wandered from the light
at all, and afterward wasted so many years in vacillating
between self and God ! Can I ever forgive myself? Oh,
what bitter, bitter memories ! The acknowledgment I make
is constrained by candour and a concern for others. It is
the greatest humiliation of my life. If I had the ear of
those who have entered into the clearer light of Christian
purity, I would beseech and charge them with a brother's

WALKING IN THE LIGHT. 141

interest and earnestness that they be warned by my folly.
Oh, let such consent to die, if it were possible, ten deaths
before they wilfully depart from the path of holiness ; for, if
they retrace their steps, there will still be the remembrance
of original purity tarnished, and that will prove a drop of
bitterness in the cup of their sweetest comfort.

"Eternal praise to my long-suffering Lord, nearly ten
years have elapsed since, as the pastor of Green Street
Church in the city of Philadelphia, I again carefully and
fully dedicated my all to God, the consecration of course
including the doubtful indulgence. I said, ' I will try to
abstain for Christ's sake ; I trust I would do anything for
His sake, and certainly I can consent to this self-denial that
Jesus may be glorified.' I again accepted Christ as my
Saviour from all sin, realized the witness of the same Spirit,
and since then have been walking in the light as God is in
the light, realizing that experimental doctrine of the fellow-
ship and communion with saints, and humbly and gratefully
testify that the blood of Jesus cleanseth me from all sin.
' As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in
Him ' ; that is, as I understand, ' Maintain the same attitude
before God you assumed when you accepted Christ as your
all-sufficient Saviour.' I received Him in a spirit of entire
consecration, implicit faith, and humble confession. The
constant repetition of these three steps, I find, enables me
to walk in Him. I cannot afford for a single moment ever
to remove my offering, to fail in looking unto Jesus, or to
part with the spirit of confession.

" Thus I have honestly unfolded some personal experience
in connection with the higher life ; the recital humbles me
in the dust, as it calls up the memory of years of vacillating
and unsatisfactory religious life, but it also fills me with the
profoundest gratitude for that abounding grace which not

142 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

only bore with me, but brought me to see again my privilege
in the Gospel, and now for ten years has been preserving me
in the experience and blessing, and in the profession of this
great grace. Precious reader, I now offer you the testimony ;
but mark, before it meets your eye it has been carefully
placed upon the Altar that sanctifieth the gift, and an earnest
prayer offered that it may be blessed to your spiritual profit.
As you lay down this humble article, will you not, for your
own sake and for the Church's sake, resolve to be entirely
and eternally the Lord's ? God help and bless you ! "

The candour, directness, and fervour which pervade this
statement must commend it to every one. The " Tobacco
Test " was for himself alone ; the use of tobacco was in his
way, in the full consecration which he sought to make to
God ; he did not pretend to raise it as a question for any one
else. With him whatsoever is not of faith is sin ; what he
could not do conscientiously, he could not do at all ; but he
would have others to think and act for themselves in doubt-
ful matters, believing that every man should be fully per-
suaded in his own mind. Mr. Cookman, in the presentation
of the Christian life, was the farthest removed from a narrow
and censorious spirit ; he never raised artificial conditions ;
was not given to the specifying of isolated acts either of
self-denial or performance, but rather inculcated a broad,
deep, thorough devotion, under whose enlightened impulse
he was sure the new-born, or the wholly sanctified soul,
would adjust itself to the Divine requirements. It was of
little consequence to him whether a brother accepted liter-
ally his methods or opinions on minor points of personal
habit, so he had the root of holiness, and showed in his life
its essential fruits. Here was a point which aided not a
little to give him influence over all classes of minds.

Nothing can possibly exceed the emphasis with which our

A GOOD SOLDIER OF CHRIST. 143

friend was henceforth committed to the doctrine of " perfect
love." " Heart purity " — a favourite expression with him —
was from this time to the close of his life the distinctive
theme of his ministry; not, however, to the exclusion of
other topics, but as comprehending all phases of Christian
truth, penetrating and vivifying them with its light. It ab-
sorbed his best thoughts ; it was the burden of his ablest
sermons ; it was that which was best in him as a man ; his
whole being was permeated with its unction ; at home or
abroad, in the pulpit or the social circle, in the study or by
the seashore, at the altar of prayer or by the sick-bed, the
instinct of his soul, the atmosphere of his life, was " Holi-
ness to the Lord.''

In connection with his preaching talents, his skill as an
administrator of Church affairs, his aptitude with the Sunday
School, and his engaging manners, this re-baptism with the
Spirit of power at Green Street was most opportune. It
fully equipped him as a good soldier of Christ for the arduous
and eventful campaign which lay before him. What a pity
it is that the details of a pastorate so replete with incident
and instruction are almost wholly lost for the want of any
proper record ! The words spoken, the deeds done, are
bearing fruit in souls, and their only transcript is the holy
and happy lives they helped to form.

The revival spoken of began during the first winter
(1857-8) of Mr. Cookman's ministry at Green Street.

I have at hand a report of one of his sermons preached
during this great revival. Its insertion is in point, as tend-
ing to illustrate the style of his extemporaneous discourses,
and the character of those thrilling home-thrust appeals
by which he roused the consciences of his hearers : —

" ' Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of 'thee.'
" These words, contained in St. Luke's Gospel, twelfth chapter, and

144 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

twentieth verse, constitute the subject of a sermon preached last Sab-
bath evening in the Methodist Church, Green Street, below Eleventh,
by the pastor, Rev. Alfred Cookman.

"Mr. Cookman is among the youngest members of the ministry of
Philadelphia, and so too among the most promising of their number.
His genius seems to be eagle-winged, soaring aloof from either notes or
manuscript, and pouring itself out in an easy-flowing stream of elo-
quence, as sublime in its flights as it is forcible in argument.

" The popular appreciation of this promising young preacher is well
expressed in the immense audiences which usually throng the church in
which he is stationed. On the present occasion the house was literally
crowded. In attempting a synopsis of his able discourse, however, we
shall endeavour rather to preserve the chain of his argument than to
give a faithful transcript on paper of his style of oratory. . .

" The speaker here announced that the special point of inquiry to
which he desired to call the attention of his hearers was,

" 'IN WHAT DID THIS MAN'S FOLLY CONSIST?'

"'The most degrading epithet to be found in the vocabulary of
language had been applied to the subject referred to in the parable.

" ' Such an expression (" thou fool "), coming from the source it did,
must have had sufficient reason to sustain it. But here arose the diffi-
culty. The great principle intended to be taught by this parable the
reasoning of the world was not prepared to receive. Here, indeed, was
the issue. The judgment of God was arrayed against the judgment of
unconverted man.

' ' ' To proceed, however, with the investigation into the folly of this
rich owner of certain lands, we should be told, first — in vindication of
his course — that he had been a rich man ; and it was an indisputable
fact that riches covered a multitude of sins ! He knew, from the fact that
rich men were almost universally lauded for their wisdom, that the pro-
cess of fastening the charge of folly upon so distinguished a one of
their number was no idle undertaking. Again, it would be pleaded in
his behalf that he had been industrious and persevering, and had, as a
consequence, reaped an abundant harvest as his reward ; but the ques-
tion here arose, " Do enterprise and wisdom, in all cases, constitute
synonymous terms ? " He thought not. Moreover, he would probably
be accounted a wise man because he had taken thought, within himself,
as to "what he should do."

"'Yes, he had taken thought, and the conclusion of his thoughts
had been that he would build new barns, and on announcing this reso-
lution he did not doubt but that he had been regarded as the very wisest
man in all that region. But, again, the world would give him credit for

A SERMON— THE RICH FOOL. 145

acting wisely, in that he had resolved to enjoy himself with the good
things he had accumulated all the rest of his days — for having taken a
resolution, probably, of associating with him in his enjoyments a few
select boon companions, who should revel with him in the delight he
was then picturing to his soul. '

" Here the speaker saw pictured before his imagination the phantom of
this prince reclining upon his silken couch at the dead hour of night, revolv-
ing in his mind the glorious future that awaited him. This delineation was
at once artistic, eloquent, and thrilling. ' It was at the dead hour of night :
the labourers of his fields were soundly slumbering in other apartments
of his splendid dwelling ; but sleep on her airy pinions came not to woo
his wakeful soul to regions of repose. No, no — his mind was too much
engaged in counting over the vastness of his wealth ; picturing before
his excited vision the full-grown proportions of his newly-conceived
barns ; devising the magnificent entertainments with which he meant to
regale his admiring friends. So his soul was wandering into the treach-
erous regions of the undiscovered future, counting up the years of plea-
sure yet to come, when lo ! suddenly as the lightning's flash — a voice
aroused him — a voice from a quarter deast expected and most dreaded
thundered in his ear the terrible doom — " This night ! — thy soul shall
be required of thee ! "

" 'Never had Belshazzar been more terrified when the miraculous
hand had written his doom upon the wall of his banqueting-chamber than
had the rich man been at this midnight announcement. Never had Saul
of Tarsus been more awe-struck when at the gates of Damascus he had
been stricken sightless from his horse by a light from heaven, than had
this man been on hearing his unlooked-for doom at this silent hour of
the night. And well it might be so. His transition from the regions of
his vision into the vestibule of eternity, in a single instant, and the cer-
tainty that before the rosy dawn of morn he should appear in the pre-
sence of a sin-judging Jehovah, were enough to have wrung from his lips
the burning confession — "'Tis true, I am a fool indeed ! "

" ' But he would ask again, " Wherein did his folly most particularly
appear?"

" ' His answer to this would be, first, "Because he had forgotten the
claims of God ! " He had undertaken to arrange for himself a train of
future happiness— had begun the work of hewing out for himself
" broken cisterns that could hold no water " — had lost sight of the living
pleasures of the future — was indeed basking in pleasures to some extent
of which God does not wish to deprive His children ; but the matter
which pre-eminently stamped him as a fool was that he had forgotten the
Author of all his mercies.

IO

146 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

' When he had retired at night, good angels had long watched
around his couch, but they heard no voice of thankfulness offered to
their Father in Heaven. Others had mourned in penitence over their
transgressions, but he had no tears to shed over his sins ; others had
pleaded for favours from the Divine hand, but he had no prayer to offer;
others had prayed for light to see the truth, but he had no such desire,
for "he loved darkness rather than light, because his deeds were evil" ;
and from all this it was that the appellation of "fool" had been justly
applied to him.

' But his folly was apparent, in the second place, because he had for-
gotten the claims of his soul.

" ' He had said, " Soul, take thine ease," and herein had been com-
mitted his capital mistake. What an insult to the soul was this !— to
undertake to satisfy the future longings of the soul by offering it a species
of gratification that would be equally tempting to a brute !

" '"A fool! " exclaims the objector, with perfect astonishment, "and
did he not assiduously employ his thinking faculties ? did he not ask
within himself what he should do ? " Yes, he admitted that he had
asked this question ; and had it been in his (the speaker's) province to
reply, he should have answered him, " Feed the hungry and clothe tne
naked"; but his inquiry had not been what he should do to be saved,'
but what he should do for his body. All his inquiries had .been
concerning matters confined to this world, entirely forgetting the capa-
cities and duration of the soul.' Here the speaker inserted an emphatic
pause, and then continued, that he ' hoped all his hearers would duly
consider the value of an immortal soul — and withal consider well the
uncertain character of its earthly pilgrimage. Poised, as it were, upon
a little point of time, with heaven above, hell beneath, and eternity
beyond, requiring but the slightest vibration of Jehovah's breath to
blow it away for ever !

' To neglect this, no matter what might be our earthly achieve-
ments, we should gain nothing. " For what shall it profit a man (he
prayed to God that this inquiry might sink deep into our hearts) if he
gain the whole world and lose his own soul ? "

' But again : He had not only forgotten the claims of the soul, but
also the claims of death. "Soul, thou hast laid up for many years,"
had been his declaration. And what a declaration this for a being
whose breath was in his nostrils ! It was well to bear in mind that of
all known uncertainties, life was the most uncertain. Wealth, by means
of strong walls and iron chests, might be safely secured ; reputation, by
preserving a strict correctness in all our walks and actions, might be
retained ; but see ! how is it with human life ? Mark yonder railroad-

SERMON CONTINUED. 147

train flying along the iron way with lightning speed — there is a sudden
crash ! It was the work of an instant ; and now we may pass around
among the dead, the dying, and the wounded of that mass of living,
happy beings but a moment before ! Yes, even to-day the realization
of a scene like this had been echoed through our streets, and his hearers
had doubtless heard of it.

' ' ' Die we must, be our circumstances whatever they may. We
could not tell what would become of us, yet heaven or hell must be
our destiny.

' ' ' Death had come to the rich man in the text, and at the dead hour
of night laid his skeleton hand upon him, and thundered into his ears,
"This night thy soul shall be required!" Then probably the first
prayer had been wrung from those ungrateful lips, as he implored the
fell messenger to spare him but till morning, that he might take leave of
his family, or that he might execute his will, or, above all', that he might
have if it were but an hour to make his peace with God. But no ! the
decree of the avenger had gone forth, and was inexorable in its de-
mands. Now was the time — now he must die !

' ' ' Oh ! how great had been the folly of this man — and yet there
were many of us quite as foolish as he : like fools we were living, and,
like the arch-infidel Voltaire, when we came to die it would be to
" take a leap in the dark."

" 'But lastly : He had not only forgotten the claims of God, of his
soul, and of death", but he had forgotten the claims of judgment. The
evidences of Scripture were most explicit that "what a man soweth,
that shall he also reap." Another rule was, that in proportion as we
had received it would be required of us in the end. And in view of this,
he would ask of the soul that had never been washed in the laver of
regeneration — that had never responded to the noble impulses of a god-
like charity, but whose whole existence had been devoted to the circum-
scribed limits of self-aggrandizement — of what value was it all ? for in
the hour of death all would have to be given up. And then that awful
future ! where, instead of drinking of the pure, delightful waters that flow
from beneath the Father's throne, the lost soul must drink the bitter cup
of the Father's wrath, even to its dregs ; and, instead of basking amid
the melodies of heavenly anthems, must for ever dwell amid the de-
sponding echoes of the groans of the tormented.'

' ' The above sermon was an extemporaneous effort entirely, and elicited
the most marked attention throughout its delivery."

The services of Mr. Cookman at the dedication of

148 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

Waugh Chapel, produced at Washington the impression
which the advent of a " Cookman " was adapted to make
in the national capital. A correspondent of one of our
Advocates wrote of the occasion : —

" I will allude to but one more point, and that is the
dedication of the Waugh Chapel last Sabbath. The ser-
vices were extremely interesting. The sermons, in the
morning and afternoon, were preached by the Revs. Alfred
Cookman and John Emory Cookman, both sons of the late
lamented George Cookman, who was lost on the ill-fated
" President." Both of these young men partake in a
remarkable degree of the spirit and eloquence which cha-
racterized their father, especially as seen in his little volume
of published speeches and sermons. The sermon in the
morning was a beautiful exposition of the reasons why the
apostle ' gloried in the Cross,' in which the youthful
speaker held an overflowing audience, among whom were
many members of Congress and judges of the Supreme
Court, in almost breathless attention for more than an hour.
In the afternoon there was another great crowd to hear John
Emory Cookman, who is, I learn, only nineteen years of
age, and who has been a member of the Church but one
year. Both of these young men are destined ere long, if
their lives are spared, to rank among the most popular
pulpit orators in our country."

Among the conversions with which God honoured the
ministry of Mr. Cookman during this period was that of
his brother George, who, though next oldest to himself, had
never before professed saving faith in Christ. On the first
Sabbath evening of January, 1859, Mr. Cookman preached
a most solemn and earnest sermon on the word " Now " to
an immense congregation, and at its close invited penitents
to the altar. He was feeling that night an especial solici-

MISS ANNIE E. DICKINSON. 149

tude for the conversion of his brother. The brother was
seated in the rear of the choir (front) gallery, and, though
the obstacles were apparently great, he deliberately arose,
descended to the lower floor, and came forward to the altar
and was converted. Nothing could exceed the joy of the
pastor at this result, in which the brother who had been the
companion of his boyhood was given to him in the fellow-
ship of Jesus. The two became inseparable workers for the
Master — George rivalling in the ranks of the laity the zeal
and usefulness of Alfred in the ranks of the ministry. If
Alfred's ministry at Green Street had done nothing more
than to give to Methodism and to Christianity at large in
Philadelphia, George Cookman, as an example of piety and
earnest work, it would have been enough. His career was
destined to be short, but full of good fruits, and such as
only few young laymen in America have lived.

As evincing the manifold character of Mr. Cookman's
ministry at this time, his adaptation to all classes, the
attractiveness of his singularly pure and persuasive influence,
there was a young Friend taken into the Church by him
who has since filled no small place in the public estimation.
This thoughtful, ardent young woman found in Mr. Cook-
man's spirit and instructions what her nature needed. She
came out from the Society of Friends, and united with the
Methodist Episcopal Church. She showed a genuine piety,
an inquiring temper, and promise of marked usefulness.
What her precise relations to the Christian Church may be
at present, I do not know ; but there is not a loyal heart in
all America that has not beaten responsively to the truthful,
brave, and eloquent words which she afterward uttered in
the nation's darkest trials. Her scathing rebukes of treason
and her searching exposures of wrong, her animated, cheer-
ful eulogies of liberty, heroism, and the flag, have roused to

150 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

hatred of violence and to love of right even where the
arguments of men had failed. I refer to Miss Annie E.
Dickinson. The tribute which she has kindly written to
the memory of him who was for so brief a time her pastor
abundantly attests the depth of her attachment for him,
and proves that her heart must be in sympathy with the
great truths which it was his single joy to advance. Her
words are : —

" It is not an easy task you mark me. . . . Years have gone by
since I sat down by your brother, looked into a face that warmed like
the sun, and listened to a voice that called me away from all things poor
and mean and earthly, as a strain of celestial music might call.

"Long years full of strife and care and toil — yet face and voice seem
and sound as clear as though they shone and spoke but yesterday.

"A love of humanity wide as humanity, a charity inexhaustible, an
earnestness that stirred the most careless, a hungering and thirsting after
righteousness — not for its rewards — a tireless effort in season and out of
season, with tender, yet powerful touch to mould and fashion others into
the likeness of the Master ; a longing so boundless to be like his Master,
as to wear through flesh and blood full early, and carry the sanctified
soul to know Him 'face to face.'

" This was Alfred Cookman.

" Sad hearts out of count has he left behind ; eyes will grow dim and
voices choked for years to come, when they think of or speak his name.
For he was one of those rare souls so exalted as to breathe the atmo-
sphere of heaven, yet so gently human as to draw love and tenderness
from whoso approached him.

" So his life seems to me, and, so seeming, I would that my pen were
gifted with some of his subtle power to show it forth to others.

"As it is, I speak from my heart."

Only one letter of Mr. Cookman of this particular period
has come into my possession. It was written on his birth-
day to his wife at her parental home in Columbia, and
breathes the child-like, playful spirit, the earnest, constant
zeal which so uniformly and beautifully blended in his
daily life. I can imagine the air of conscious dignity
with which the presents of the little brothers were ac-

LETTER TO HIS WIFE. 151

cepted, as though they had conferred upon their papa a
real benefaction : —

"Philadelphia, Tuesday afternoon, January 4, 1859.

" Certainly you will expect me to act the correspondent on my bittk-
day. Thirty-one years ago I struck Columbia in my descent to this
sorrow-smitten planet. From that starting-point I have prosecuted an
eventful and, in most respects, a delightful pilgrimage. To-day I erect
my Ebenezer again, and gratefully acknowledge ' hitherto hath the Lord
helped me.' Our meeting is progressing with considerable interest and
success. Last night, despite the snow-storm, the body of the church
was quite well filled. Brother E. J. Way preached an excellent sermon.
Ten presented themselves for prayers, and four were happily converted.
George is proceeding most prosperously in his Christian course ; he says
he is perfectly satisfied. Saidie tells us that last night he went to bed
joyously singing, ' I will believe, I now believe, that Jesus died for me.'
Nothing, she estimates, could exceed his tenderness and kindness to her.
He was always faithful and affectionate, but now, she states, there is an
expression and exhibition of this feeling she has never seen before. It
will inaugurate a new epoch in their domestic history. Saidie is resolved
that George shall not go to heaven without her. Her mind, I think, is
made up to walk with him in the narrow way. She talks about nothing
else, and weeps almost constantly. Oh that her night may soon end in
joyous day ! The children are both well. Just now they came into my
study and placed on my table their porte-monnaies, saying, ' Pa, this is
your birthday present from us.' Dear little fellows ! they did it of their
own accord, and in perfect good faith. I put their present in my pocket,
and thanked them very sincerely. They will not be separated. George
asks a great many questions about his sister Annie ; wants to know if
she will live after the doctor cuts her with his lancet. When I speak of
ma's return, their little eyes dance with delight."

I close the Green Street pastorate with a brief testimony
from J. F. Bird, M.D., a member of the charge : —

' ' He got behind the ' Cross ' on the occasion of his first sermon, and
there remained until his term, which continued for two years, was ended.
The young people crowded to hear him, and very many became earnest
members of the Church through his instrumentality, and are now doing
good service in ' every good word and work. ' Among them was his
brother George. At one of the most interesting services ever held in

152 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

this or any other church, this dearly beloved brother presented himself
at the altar, and very soon was happily converted. In writing to an
absent friend, giving an account of this conversion, he said, ' I shout
with my pen and with my soul over the auspicious event.' He had
laboured for it and prayed for it incessantly by night and by day, and
therefore could not but ' shout ' when his desire was realized.

"Mr. Cookman always regarded this appointment as one of the hap-
piest, as it was one of the most successful, of his ministerial career. He
laboured for the good of the people. He lost sight of self. This was the
secret of his success. An intelligent member of the Church was asked
by a member of the Conference what was ' the secret of Cookman's suc-
cess.' The answer was, ' His evident desire to do the people good.' "

CHAPTER XIII.

THE UNION CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA. — SLAVERY AGITATION.
— CHRISTIAN UNION.

The next turn of the itinerant wheel did not take Mr.
Cookman far. He was appointed to the Union Church in
Fourth Street, in March, 1859. The Union charge is the
next oldest to St. George's in the city, and is surrounded by
business houses, which have from year to year pressed out
the resident population to remoter sections. It is still a
strong station • but at the time Mr. Cookman was sent to
it, before other charges had been created, either wholly or
partially from its membership, it was a powerful organiza-
tion, including some of the most influential families of
Methodism. Many of these families came from a distance,
preferring to continue in connection with a Church with
which they had been so long in close fellowship to joining
those which were nearer their residences. The Union
was consequently not so favourably located for a large con-
gregation ; but its proximity to the hotels and its free seats
were advantageous conditions, and Mr. Cookman's popu-
larity began immediately to produce an increased attendance
upon the public services.

As indicative of the high estimate in which Mr. Cook-
man's ministry was held, I make a brief extract from a
letter of Mr. Thomas L. Mason, a well-known member of

154 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Union Church. Writing to the Rev. John E. Cookman,
he says : —

" When Alfred was in Pittsburgh he promised me that, if the appoint-
ing power would agree to it, he would be pleased to be pastor of Union.
When Conference met, Green Street (being heavily in debt) insisted upon
having him, and to accommodate our Green Street friends we gave in,
with the understanding that at the expiration of two years he would be
sent to Union — and so he was. Our parsonage was in Eighth Street,
above Race, but, to accommodate his little children, we removed it to
224, North Fifth Street, and partially refurnishedit. He was received
at Union with open arms and open hearts. Our congregations were
good, our finances much improved. He was particularly successful with
the young."

Mr. Cookman had the happiness of having many choice
friends in the congregation. There were those under his
ministry who had long held him in the highest personal
esteem. His whole nature found scope for its gratification.
Around genial hearth-stones his sanctified affections enjoyed
agreeable companionship, while in the Church his hands
were strengthened by judicious counsels and tender sympa-
thies. The Rev. Andrew Longacre, laid aside by feeble
health from the active work of the ministry, was a member
of the congregation, and ministered, by his calm and gentle
friendship, to his comfort and usefulness. His brother
George, in the first flush of spiritual grace, with uncommon
endowments of speech and song, was at his elbow. His
own mother, also, was one of his flock. She who had so
often fed him with the Word of life, must now be fed by
him. But now, as before and since, she gave, if possible,
more than she received. To lean on the support of a
wisdom which, in his opinion, had become almost oracular,
a faith which knew no abatement, a zeal which no waters
could quench, was to him no slight privilege, a rich blessing
in so arduous a position. There, too, was the sanctuary in

SERMON A T PENNS GRO VE. 155

the private house of Mr. J. B. Longacre, in Spring Garden
Street, which the pastor could regard as very much his own,
and to which, as to a quiet haven, he habitually resorted.
The eldest daughter of Mr. Longacre, Mrs. John Keen,
upon the decease of her devout mother, still maintained the
meetings for " holiness " which her mother had founded.
These meetings had been from their commencement a
gathering-point for the friends of the higher Christian life
in Philadelphia. Here Mr. Cookman's heart was often
refreshed ; and issuing thence with deeper, calmer thoughts
of God, he entered upon the recurring duties of his large
and laborious pastorate with perceptibly increased vigour
and success.

More than ever before, the earnest pastor, thus beloved
at home, was in demand abroad. Whether announced in
his own city or in any other place, on special occasions, he
was sure to be greeted by a throng of people. His preach-
ing at times was with overwhelming effect. The Rev. Mr.
Longacre gives an account of the popular influence of a
sermon preached about this time at Penn's Grove camp-
meeting in New Jersey : —

" I recall a sermon he preached at a camp-meeting in New Jersey, on
the text ' Thy will be done. ' The collection preceded the sermon, and
it left the congregation a good deal unsettled. But at the first sound of
his voice all was hushed into attention. As he preached and passed on
into the appeal of his discourse, the whole vast throng was bowed in
tears. People wept aloud, the preachers crowding the stand, and the
passers-by on the edge of the circle. Near me was seated a travelling
preacher of the Hicksite Friends. He had been restless at first, but
gradually seemed subdued by the power of the preacher, until at the
conclusion he stood up and cried with a loud voice, as if yielding to the
constraining influence of the Spirit, ' We have heard the Gospel preached
in the demonstration of the Spirit and with power.' We went to the
tables right after the service, but for many minutes those at our table
could not eat. We sat looking at each other, and weeping tears that
could not be controlled."

156 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

During the autumn of 1859, Mr. Cookman was invited
to Baltimore to preach at Monument Street Church. This
was one of the churches comprised in the Baltimore City
Station when his father was one of the pastors. His coming
was a signal for an outpouring of his devoted friends and
the public generally. He wrote to his wife : —

" I seize a moment to drop you a line. These Baltimore friends are
so incessant in their attentions and so abundant in their kindness that I
have scarce opportunity to think of anything but what is passing around
me.

"Yesterday I preached to overflowing congregations. Although the
North Baltimore friends had concluded not to advertise the service,
fearing an unmanageable crowd, yet both morning and evening hundreds
went away who could not be accommodated with standing-room.

" I preached ' Power ' in the morning, and the ' New Birth ' at night ;
in the afternoon made three addresses ; spent a sleepless night. To-day
am hardly able to stagger about. This morning at ten we had a most
precious meeting for an hour and a half. My soul is kept in perfect
peace. Oh the strong consolation there is in Christ ! How delightful
to labour when we realize the presence of the Master !

" Invitations for dinner and tea are more numerous than I can possibly
accept. The friends vie with each other in their kind attentions. Look
out for me on Wednesday. Love to all friends. Many kisses for the
children. Tell them to be very good."

Again he wrote to his wife : —

" I am sure you will not object to receiving a few lines from a lonely
husband. An exceedingly pleasant ride on the cars brought us to Phila-
delphia about five p.m. >On my way to the parsonage I, of course,
dropped in at the Race Street homestead. Mother and Mary were
making their arrangements to sup with Mrs. W. W. Cookman. All
were very well, and full of inquiries respecting yourself and the children.

"Arriving at the 'Fifth Street house,' I was welcomed by Lizzie

P , who had everything very clean and comfortable. Taking up my

letters and papers, I felt such a sense of loneliness as cannot be described.
I remembered this would not do, and as I bowed my knee in prayer
sweetly realized that I was in the best of company. My compassionate
Saviour came quickly to my relief, and the room was transformed into
the audience-chamber of Deity. Oh how unutterably sweet — how in-

ANTI-SLA VER V A GIT A TION. 157

describably valuable, is the religion of the Lord Jesus ! My appreciation
and enjoyment of its sacred influences are increasing day by day.

" My letters were from Rev. H. Sheer, enclosing an invitation and a
free pass to the Shrewsbury camp-meeting ; and another from the Rev.
Mr. Thomas, urging me to serve him on the occasion of a church dedi-
cation. The former I will avail myself of; the latter I must decline."

The Shrewsbury camp-meeting was a favourite resort of
Mr. Cookman. He loved to meet the Baltimore Metho-
dists whenever he could, and nowhere were his labours
more acceptable and useful than among them at the camp-
meetings. He will be heard of again at Shrewsbury.

Mr. Cookman's pastoral term at Union, happy as it was
in most of its aspects, was not wholly without trials. It
covered a period which was one of great anxiety and per-
plexity both in the State and the Church. The " irrepres-
sible conflict " between slavery and freedom was fast ap-
proaching a crisis. The elements of dissatisfaction and
discord which had been rising and gathering, had assumed
such intensity as to forebode the most violent and destructive
storm. The whole nation trembled with uncontrollable
agitajion; every ecclesiastical organization, and more
especially the Methodist Episcopal Church, was shaking to
its centre with a controversy, the sharpness of which had
precipitated the most equable men into bitter hostility.
Hatred was fast taking the place of love, distrust of con-
fidence ; lifetime friends were becoming alienated ; section
was arraying itself against section; Northern opinion was
divided; men stood side by side on 'Change, or sat side
by side in the pew, or ate together, members of the same
family, who differed almost wholly in their judgment of the
causes and the cure of national and ecclesiastical troubles.

It was one of those times of decision in which Almighty
God brings nations and individuals to the bar of judgment,

158 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

and to which destiny holds them with an inexorable grasp.
The wisest men stood bewildered in counsel ; Conservatives
were wringing their hands in despair or clinching their fists
in fury ; and even Radicals, while not doubting the correct-
ness of their principles, were alarmed at the consequences
which their success threatened to entail. " Conscience,"
exclaimed Mr. Hunter, of Virginia, in the United States
Senate, " has done this. Sir, there is no hope of recon-
ciliation or of the Union ; the conscience of the North is
against us." It was so; the enlightened conscience of the
free states had reached a point when it could no longer
tolerate the extension of slavery.

This conscience, however, was not yet prepared to
demand its abolition in the slave states. Very few of the
most pronounced anti-slavery men felt themselves to be a
party to the wrong where it was protected by municipal
law, and was beyond any possible constitutional process
except by the concurrence of those who framed these
municipal laws. Yet there were men in the Church whose
conscience compelled them to exert themselves to abate
slavery in the Church by requiring all slave-holding members
to emancipate their slaves. They wished thus to leaven
the State through the Church ; to assist in creating, by a
clear testimony and by such ecclesiastical pressure as they
could command, a public sentiment in favour of " abolition."
There were differences of opinion as to the power of the
General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church to
expel members for slave-holding, and also as to the expedi-
ency of exercising this power if it existed. The differences
of opinion were not confined to any locality of the Church,
though those who held an opinion adverse to such a
power were massed mostly along the " Border Conferences,"
embracing the Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, West

ADHESION TO DUTY. 159

Virginia, and Missouri Conferences, with contiguous Con-
ferences lying north.

The whole question has since been consigned by the
" logic of events " to a dead past, and is of interest chiefly
as one of the teachings of history. No issues which have
since transpired can throw the shadow of a suspicion on the
honesty of the men who, in so great a debate, stood and
acted apart. Time has healed — no, victory, in the happiest
fruits of righteousness and peace, has healed — the breaches
of the angry strife. But it was an ordeal for many souls
which cannot soon be forgotten — a fiery trial ; and though
it only consumed the straw, that the gold might shine
with the richer splendour, it was not the less painful in its
endurance.

Mr. Cookman was among those who believed that a law
should be enacted excluding slave-holders from the Church.
When measures were introduced to effect this change,
through what was deemed the proper constitutional process,
he gave them his prompt and uniform support by voting for
them. He stood almost alone in his Conference. There
was a small knot of six of seven men out of about three
hundred, and these were most of them men of advanced
years. He was young, bright, popular, — the idol of his
brethren and of the people ; his early education had been
in the South; his principal friends were either slave-holders
or their sympathizers ; his opinions seemed to impugn the
piety of people who nourished him in infancy and youth ;
his vote seemed to fasten sin on those who were regarded
as above reproach ; the measure he supported must ex-
clude many from the Church whom he hoped to meet
in heaven, and even apparently blot with a stain the
memory of many who had died in the faith. But Alfred
Cookman felt that he must do his duty. He would not

i6o LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

follow his principles to all their logical results ; he could
only see principles, and to them he must stand.

He did not question the piety and virtue of thousands
hitherto and then involved in slave-holding; but of two
evils he must accept the least. The opportunity had come
for him to act, and it was for him to say whether he should
spare the feelings of friends, or do what he could to liberate
five millions of slaves; whether he should pander to a
spirit of oppression, even though softened by religion, or
strike a blow for universal freedom. He rose to the crisis
of the hour. Cutting away from all social and personal
entanglements, the man stood forth in an act of moral
heroism seldom surpassed in the history of Methodism.
When the resolutions initiating the change were pending
before his Conference, he got down on his knees in the
pew, and, bathed in tears, poured out his soul to God for
light and strength, and arose and voted " Aye!" Here
was the iron in his nature.

Let those who think Alfred Cookman was not a man of
the truest and highest courage mark this. His forbearance
for the weaknesses of men, his indisposition to insist upon
points in which men differed with him, his great charity,
which folded in its arms earnest souls and dropped out of
sight their accidental disagreements, have been construed
into a want of courage. Mr. Cookman never wasted his
force on men of straw, but when real giants were to be
crushed, he had the power to do it.

In keeping with the vote thus given was the sermon he
preached in his own church about the same period, called
by one his " grand, grand anti-slavery sermon," from Isaiah
viii. 12, 13. As might be expected, some of his nearest
friends and principal supporters were wounded, and did not
hesitate to express their displeasure. His only answer to all

ANTI-SLAVERY SERMON. 161

such was, " I can afford to forgive them." Under an
oppressive sense of the responsibility which a declaration of
his views would involve, he had made the sermon on his
knees. He delivered it with the greatest fearlessness, and
at the same time with an evident sincerity and tenderness,
which convinced all who heard him that nothing short of
the most thorough loyalty to the great Master animated his
soul. At the close of the service his face shone with a
spiritual light that showed how closely he had communed
with the Holy Spirit, and how triumphantly the Spirit had
vindicated him in the discharge of a most painful duty.

We have before seen the fatherly interest Mr. Cookman
manifested when his youngest brother was first meditating
the ministry ; now that his brother was fairly engaged in the
direct and indirect duties which it brought, he could not do
otherwise than afford him all possible counsel and sympathy.
His brother John had only recently become a pastor at
New Brunswick, New Jersey, and was to visit Philadelphia,
to address the Young Men's Christian Association. He
wrote to his brother : — ■

" Philadelphia, November 16, i860.

" Perhaps you are ready to chide my delay in replying to your letter.
The reason of my procrastination was that the information you desired
had to be sought, and could not be had until after a meeting of the
managers of the Young Men's Christian Association. That meeting was
held on Wednesday evening, when it was resolved to postpone the anni-
versary until the evening of the 3rd of December, when it will come off
at Concert Hall. Had it been held before, some one of the churches
must have been the place selected. A very general and earnest wish was
expressed that you might be one of the speakers. Dr. Tyng has de-
clined. Mr. Crowell and Dr. Newton are spoken of as your colleagues.
Respecting a theme, I scarcely know what to say. The relation of
Christian young men to the times, or the responsibility and duties in
the present crisis of our national and world's history, would, I think,
be suitable.

II

1 62 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

' ' The value of a powerful illustration can scarcely be estimated. I
say this as an offset to the claim you set up, ' Pay what thou owest. ' I
could do this in a fortnight of sermons, and, retaining 'the figure,' be
decidedly the gainer. You know, however, that I love to act generously.
No one is more interested for your success than myself. It is my
triumph to see you triumph. ' Cookman ' is the name which, with the
blessing of God, I desire to float aloft, commanding the respect, confi-
dence, and affection of the world. Family pride (I trust it is sanctified)
has a wonderful development in my experience. My beloved brother,
never do anything or say anything that would lower that name one iota
in public estimation. If we desire our name to remain unimpeached
and be increasingly honoured, then, struggling up above the infected at-
mosphere of this lower world, let us stand in the clear, broad, beautiful
sunlight of God's immediate presence. Men will recognise us as Christ's ;
honour our principles, respect our character, and yield to our influence.
John, take my advice, and be satisfied with nothing less than a heart
constantly filled with God. It is a grand idea and a grander experience
to be co-workers with God ; infinite wisdom and illimitable power en-
listed in our behalf. It helps us to think, to study, to pray, to preach,
and to labour ; it becomes the guarantee of inevitable and glorious suc-
cess. I mean all I write, and hope that you will immediately put this
matter to an experimental test.

" But to the illustration. I have been turning it over in my thoughts,
and cannot call up anything that I think could be rendered more effec-
tive than Tennyson's ' Charge of the Light Brigade ' at Balaklava. I
enclose a copy, which you will please preserve, and return when you
have done with it. Its application to this light brigade of young soldiers
for Jesus, charging upon the flanked batteries of hell, would, I think,
be very thrilling. Forward the light brigade ; ring the changes just here.

' ' How are dear mother and Mary ? We have many inquiries re-
specting their welfare. Will you not all come to spend the Christmas
holidays in Philadelphia ? I think you might excuse Mary at once, and
allow her Philadelphia friends a chance. The festival at Sansom Street
Hall passed off splendidly. Among the rest, Mr. Reese Alsop was pre-
sent. He scanned our crowd as if he would find a cherished one. l)r.
Kennaday is preaching this week at Trinity. No special interest is re-
ported. The services are held in the lecture-room. The Tuesday after-
noon meeting is largely attended, and I think increasingly interesting.

The children's class is getting on nicely under the auspices of M

W . She is vindicating the wisdom of our selection. Take good

care of yourself, or rather commit yourself, body, soul, and all, to
Christ, and let Him take care of you."

SPEECHES IN NEW YORK. 163

It could hardly be otherwise than that Mr. Cookman's
reputation should attract attention in New York. We
accordingly find him invited thither on different occasions
to speak at public meetings, and to represent the Philadel-
phia churches. In the autumn of i860 he spoke at the
anniversary of " Five Points' Mission," under the care of
the ladies of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The anni-
versary was held at the Academy of Music. The audience
was very large and enthusiastic. " His address," said a
gentleman, recently, " I can never forget. The three
principal figures — the child and the Bible, the woman and
her diamond ring, the sinking ship — are as vivid as if I
had heard them only yesterday." A visit to New York, in
company with Mr. George H. Stuart and other prominent
Philadelphia gentlemen, to wait on a delegation of Irish
Christians, was noticed by him in the following pleasant
way to his wife : —

" Metropolitan Hotel, New York, Friday morning.

' ' How very gladly do I seize a moment this morning to add to your
pleasure, for I am sure you will be delighted to hear from your itinerant
husband. In company with Revs. Westbrook, Taylor, Wylie, and
other gentlemen, I enjoyed exceedingly tfie journey from Philadelphia
to New York. Mr. Taylor and I, seated side by side, engaged in a
decidedly religious conversation, which proved a very feast to my soul.
Indeed, ever since my departure, my blessed Father has kept my mind
in perfect peace. I very sweetly realize that He is around and within
and all about me. Oh the unutterable joy of uninterrupted communion
with God ! Mr. Stuart was at the hotel to give us one of his warm-
hearted welcomes. After some ablutions, etc., we proceeded to the
Cooper Institute. Owing to the storm, there was no crowd, but a very
respectable attendance — certainly one thousand people. The exercises
throughout were unusually spirited and interesting.

" The honoured representatives of Ireland acquitted themselves very
creditably. Your unworthy husband was called out. I said what was
in my heart at the moment, and was kindly received. I feel it such a
privilege to plead, under such circumstances, the promise, ' Lo, I am

164 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

with you a/way,' and find the presence of my Master on the platform
as in the pulpit. About midnight we went to Mr. Stuart's room, and
enjoyed together a season of prayer ; after which, at peace with God and
men, I placed my head on the pillow, and was soon lost in the oblivion
of sweet sleep. This morning I am very well, and feel my heart over-
flowing with love to God. At noon I must be present at the Fulton
Street prayer-meeting. My friends around are very polite and affec-
tionate. How much I love, and how grateful I feel for Christian com-
panions ! How are my darling wife and precious children this morning ?
I need not tell you how dear you all are to me. Many kisses for the
boys and little sister. Tell them that pa hopes they will be very
obedient to ma, and very kind to each other."

This letter suggests a marked feature in the character and
ministry of Mr. Cookman during these four years, which
has not yet been as distinctly noticed as its importance and
the full representation of his career require. . I refer to his
position as a representative man before the evangelical
churches of Philadelphia. While there never was a more
pronounced Methodist than he, I doubt if there ever was
one freer from bigotry. He dwelt in a high serene atmos-
phere of love, whence he could look down and see all the
bounds and fences of sectarianism dissolve in the unbroken
sweep of Christian unity. He loved all Christ's followers,
and was ready at all times to act with them in those un-
denominational movements which contemplate the glory ot
His kingdom in the salvation of men. The churches were
not slow to perceive his mind and to feel the kindle of his
spirit; and hence both for his piety and his talents he
became by common consent the leading man of his Metho-
dist brethren as a mover in those stirring days of revival to
which allusion has already been made. He was closely
identified with such men as the Rev. Messrs. Newton,
Brainard, Taylor, Dudley Tyng, Reuben Jeffrey, and Mr.
George H. Stuart, in promoting the general work of religion.
A young man, he was in full sympathy with the Young Men's

ESTIMATE OF CHARACTER AND WORK. 165

Christian Association, as an institution providentially raised
up to afford not only a beautiful expression of Christian
union, but also a common ground for the most effective
labours of all believers for the temporal and spiritual welfare
of young men. He and other pastors were glad to labour
under the leadership of the layman whose name is a
synonym for pure philanthropy throughout our country.
The work accomplished in those early days of the Associa-
tion of Philadelphia can hardly be too highly estimated,
and has only been paralleled by that of the Christian Com-
mission during the late civil war.

Mr. Stuart has not ceased to value the services and to
cherish the memory of his friend Mr. Cookman. He has
kindly furnished to the Rev. John E. Cookman a brier
estimate of his character and work as they impressed him
at this time : —

" I have been privileged to know many faithful and gifted servants o
Christ, and to know them a second time in the perusal of their biogra-
phies— Dr. Murray, of Elizabeth ; Drs. Edgar and Cooke, of Ireland ;
and Dr. Hamilton, of London, among them — but I can say that a more
fervent and devoted minister of the Cross than Alfred Cookman I never
knew. In him the old fire that burned in the hearts of Whitefield and
Summerfield glowed with all the fervour of the first and Pentecostal days
of Methodism ; and no one could come within the sphere of his influ-
ence without feeling that he was one for whom to live was Christ, and
to die was gain.

"Mr. Cookman's coming to this city was not long previous to the
beginning of the great revival of 1857 and 1858. Through its precious
scenes of awakening, of conversion, he laboured with all the fervour of
his nature and of grace. When I recall him in connection with that
time of revival, his name seems voluntarily to associate itself with that
of the eloquent and devoted young servant of Christ, the sorely lamented
Dudley Tyng. Mr. Cookman preached several times with great unction
and power in the Union Tabernacle, which was moved about the city
during that time. A single sermon of his on the prophet's vision of the
valley of dry bones was blessed to the conversion of several persons, one
of whom heard him as she stood without the tent.

1 66 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

" Never shall I forget a 'noonday prayer-meeting' held during the
revival, at which your brother presided. With deep feeling he asked
for special prayer for the only son of his father who remained still with-
out an interest in the great salvation. You may judge with what fervour
that request was responded to. A few days later word came that the
prayer had been heard and answered, and that George Cookman was re-
joicing in the hope of the glory of God. He too has gone to the upper
sanctuary ; but permit me to recall the fact that when, by age, I was
called to lay down the office of President of our Young Men's Christian
Association, its duties devolved upon this beloved brother, who was
chosen as my successor. Very precious still to me is the memory of
George Cookman, the second President of the Young Men's Christian
Association.

" Alfred Cookman was one of those who represented in the mind of
the Christian public the brotherly unity of the whole Church of Christ.
His light-hearted catholicity, and his unqualified love for all who held
by the Head, were what gave him his place among us. On any public
occasion when the churches of Christ were called on to unite in utter-
ance or in action, he was always expected, and never in vain.

" How faithful he was to all the interests committed to him inside his
own denomination, you can testify of. I can say that he was one of
those who made us feel that all these divisions were but regiments and
brigades of the one great army, the hosts of the living God.

" My own personal relation to him was one of pleasure and of profit
always. He was a brother in sympathy, a friend in help.

" When a sentence,* at which our Christian world has not ceased to
wonder, cut me off from my place in the Reformed Presbyterian General
Synod, he was among the first to give utterance to his Christian
confidence and sympathy, in a letter which I highly prize as a memento
of our Christian friendship."

Here also are words of the same import to Mr. John E.
Cookman, from the distinguished and venerated Rev.
Richard Newton, D.D., rector of the Church of the Epi-
phany, Philadelphia : —

"No argument in support of the reality and truth of the religion of

* Mr. Stuart was suspended by the General Synod of the Reformed
Presbyterian Church for singing such hymns as " Rock of Ages," and
communing with Christians like Alfred Cookman.

TESTIMONY OF DR. R. NEWTON. 167

1

the Gospel is worth half so much as that which is furnished by the ex-
ample of one so blameless, so consistent, so holy as was your loved and
lamented brother.

" I had not the pleasure of an intimate personal acquaintance with him.
But during the years of his ministry in Philadelphia we often met to-
gether in various union services. On different platforms, where those
who love the cause of Jesus take sweet fellowship together, we often
stood side by side in striving to promote the honour of our Master's
name and the welfare of His blood-bought Church. And now that he
is gone, the recollection of those seasons is very dear and precious to
me. His large-hearted love for the friends of Jesus ; the singleness of
his aims ; the earnestness of his zeal ; the fervency of his spirit ; the
untiring devotion, the unction and power that appeared in all he did
and said, were the points about him that always most strikingly im-
pressed those who came in contact with him. These were the broad
seals upon his character that stamped him as one of God's own anointed
ministers, and won for him a warm place in the hearts of all to whom
the living image of Jesus is dearer than everything else. I feel that it
was a privilege to have known him here on earth, and I look forward
with kindling hope to the higher privilege of meeting him in that bright
world to which he has gone, and where the union of Christ's people,
whom he so loved to cultivate here, will be perfected for ever.

" May God graciously send down on all the ministers of Jesus still on
earth a double portion of that sweet spirit of purity, humility, zeal, and
charity, which shone so brightly and so beautifully in all the life and
character of your lamented brother ! "

Mr. Cookman completed his term at Union Church in
the spring of 1861. His pastorate here, though not marked
by a general and continuous revival, was nevertheless
eminently useful. Mr. Mason says : —

" His Saturday-afternoon meetings were a grand success. All the
Sunday-school children loved him very much. We had constant acces-
sions to the Church in small numbers. We held two protracted meet-
ings in the body of the church. There was no great excitement, but
many were converted and added to the Church, and some remain to
this day. During one of these meetings a lady boarding at the Union
Hotel said to some friends, ' Let's go over to the Methodist meeting and
have some fun.' They occupied the fourth pew on the south middle
aisle. Before the fun commenced, Alfred asked all that felt they were

168 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

sinners to stand up, and, to the great amazement of her friends, Mrs. C.
stood up. She was converted, was a useful member of Union Church
many years, and removing to Camden, New Jersey, took a card and
joined the Church there, where she lets her light shine still.

" Alfred's life, his character, and influence in the city was all for
good. He was one of the purest ministers we ever had — the true minis-
ter in the market, the home, and in the house of God. One of his most
effective sermons was preached on the steps of my house — to my son,
Thomas T. Mason, jun., who was just leaving for the army of the Cum-
berland. Taking him by the hand, he said, ' Tom, take God with you,
and all will be well.' After the terrible battle of Stone River, in Ten-
nessee, my son was cut down with typhoid fever, and just before he died
he turned to his comrade, Thomas C. Moore, and said, ' Tom, I am
taking God with me.' "

CHAPTER XIV.

REMOVAL TO NEW YORK. MINISTRY AT THE CENTRAL

CHURCH.— PATRIOTISM AND THE CIVIL WAR.

Such was the influence which Mr. Cookman had gained at
Philadelphia, both in and out of the Methodist Church, that
it would have seemed wise to retain him in that city. There
came now a demand for his removal to New York. His
fame as a preacher had become so wide-spread as to cause
his services to be in request in many places, both for special
occasions and for the pastorate. He had been four years
in Philadelphia, and he must make a change — " Why not go
to New York ? " The application of the Central Church in
New York was successful, and Mr. Cookman was accord-
ingly transferred to the New York Conference in May,
1 86 1, and stationed at that Church. The same society,
which had originally worshipped in Vestry Street, had
secured the services of the father, and he was to have
entered upon his duties with them immediately upon his
return from Europe ; they were now equally fortunate to be
able to command the son in their new and more command-
ing position in Seventh Avenue.

Some letters, written to his wife while he was in process
of transfer and settlement are indicative of the mingled sense
of responsibility and pleasure with which he contemplated
the change : —

170 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

"Newark, N. J.; May 14, 1861.

" You must not think for a moment that you are forgotten. Never
were you dearer to my heart than now ; indeed, I am sick to see my
wife and children. The days drag their weary length along until I sit
down in my domestic circle again. Last Thursday afternoon, in com-
pany with my friend Ridgaway, I started for Poughkeepsie, the seat of
the New York Conference. The sail up the Hudson (seventy-five miles)
was magnificent. The half had not been told me. It must be seen and
enjoyed to be understood. Oh how much I longed for your presence,
to make my joy complete ! It will be a delightful trip for us some day
during the approaching summer. Poughkeepsie is a beautiful city. My

home was with a family by the name of Van K , members of the

Dutch Reformed Church. They live in elegant style, and did every-
thing possible to promote our comfort. On Friday morning I was
introduced to the New York Conference, a body of nearly three hundred
members, fine-looking and intelligent. They were very cordial — came
forward and assured me of a most hearty welcome. John is on the
spot, solicitous respecting his reception into the Conference, of which
there is some little doubt. The doubt grows out of the fact that the
Conference is already crowded with men, and, as at Philadelphia, they
talk of postponing the reception of young men until next spring. Ridg-
away preached on Friday night. . . .

"Saturday afternoon I returned to New York; preached at
Eighteenth Street on Sabbath morning, and in Union Square at three
o'clock p.m. Had large audiences and great freedom. In the evening
I crossed the East River and worshipped in Henry Ward Beecher's
Church. It was a great treat ! — a wonderful congregation, splendid
singing, superior prayers, and a timely, pointed, practical, and popular
sermon on camp-life. There is but one such man in this world. In-
stead of returning to Poughkeepsie yesterday I rambled about with
Ridgaway, visiting the Book-room and office of the Methodist, and
gazing at the ' Great Eastern,' which arrived on Saturday last. In the
afternoon I accompanied him to Newark, and am spending a few hours

at the palatial residence of my friend W . It is only a stern sense

of duty which detains me in this region, for, as I intimated before, I am
restless to see my dearly beloved family. To-day I will write to James

W to ship my goods. Probably they will reach New York by

Saturday. I will have them stored at the parsonage ; will preach on
Sabbath, and, if at all possible, start for Columbia either Monday or
Tuesday. I have met quite a number of the Seventh Avenue friends.
They are extremely cordial, expressing the greatest pleasure in the

SAIL UP THE HUDSON. 171

prospect of my appointment. They strike me as a sincere, warm-
hearted congregation, with whom I can labour pleasantly and profitably."

These letters recall very vividly to my mind the inter-
view to which Mr. Cookman refers. I had been invited to
make one of the addresses at the anniversary of the Ameri-
can Bible Society, and I remember that no one greeted me
more cordially at the close of the exercises than our friend.
We planned — as I wished to visit the New York Conference
then in session at Poughkeepsie — to go up the Hudson by
steamboat the same afternoon. Neither of us had seen the
famous river, and so we anticipated much. It was our
good luck to have a charming afternoon, and, also to meet
on board the Rev. A. K. Sanford, a member of the Con-
ference, whose familiarity with the route greatly heightened
our pleasure. It was one of those delightful occasions when
all the senses were open. The first buds of green were tint-
ing the landscape, lending great freshness to scenes which
otherwise would have been remarkable only for fidelity and
boldness of outline. Mr. Cookman, with that keen percep-
tion of the beautiful for which he was so remarkable, seemed
quite ravished with the ever-shifting views, which in their
rapid succession kept alive a perpetual feeling of surprise
and admiration. At the Conference he was, as a transferred
man, the object of interest, and a desire was generally ex-
pressed to hear him preach ; but, with instinctive modesty,
he waived the request, and sent the committee for his un-
suspecting companion.

Just so soon as Mr. Cookman got settled in his new home,
which had been put in order for his family, he began to
unfold those methods of usefulness in the observance of
which he had been everywhere successful. He now found
himself placed in a comparatively untried field. He was
but one of hundreds of pastors of first-rate ability brought

172 LIFE 01 ALFRED COOKMAN.

to the great centre from all parts of the country. The con-
gregations of the Central Church were devout, refined, and
intelligent, but not large and overflowing, such as he had been
accustomed to. They thus lacked an important element
of effective oratory in a popular preacher, and also the con-
ditions so necessary to the extensive revivals which had so
often attended his ministrations.

Mr. Cookman speedily adapted himself to the altered
circumstances, went quietly to work, and in the absence of
all parade, addressed himself to the proper vocation of a
faithful pastor. His diligence, zest, and wisdom soon began
to be manifest in the growth of the congregation, in the
deepening piety of the members, and in the general and har-
monious advancement of all the institutions of the charge.
The Sunday School instantly felt his magical touch, and the
young men came around him as if drawn by an irresistible
spell ; the whole people were warmed into an intenser glow
by his benignant spirit.

The following letter to his wife, touching the prospective
removal into the new home, will be appreciated by all
Methodist ministers and their families. One must go
and another come ; the parsonage must be refitted for
the incoming family. It is a hard time for sick children
and invalid wives ; but the wheels roll on, and around
must go wives and children with the wheels. The
Methodist Church is a militant Church, and not only
the ministers, but their families, must be regarded as part
of the army, and must feel it no hardship to be always
ready at the appointed signal to break camp and march.
The reference in this letter to the preacher's class sug-
gests one of Mr. Cookman's strongest points. No man
ever possessed greater facility in the difficult and useful
exercise of class-leading. The class of six soon grew to be

LETTER TO HIS WIFE. 173

a room full, and became a rallying ground in the work of
the station : —

"New York, Friday morning, May, 1861.

" I am in the midst of a vast population, and surrounded by many
kind friends ; nevertheless, I suffer a sense of isolation. My precious
family are absent, and none can serve as their substitutes. Were it not
for the presence of my blessed Saviour, which has been a delightful and
continued realization, I could scarcely have bonie the deprivation I have
been suffering. My Heavenly Father has been specially gracious to me
within the last week or two ; accompanying me in my walks, visiting
me in my night seasons, strengthening and blessing me in the society ot
friends, keeping my mind in perfect peace. Yesterday afternoon I en-
tered on the duties of my pastorate by leading the preacher's class. It
was very small, only six being present ; among the rest my hostess,
Mrs. Skidmore. I cast myself on Christ, and enjoyed the service very
much. After the class, I visited, in company with Mrs. S., the parson-
age. Rev. Mr. Hare kindly conducted me through the house. It is a
very comfortable establishment. I think you will like it quite as well
as any of your former homes. A detailed description I will reserve
until we meet. The former pastor, Brother Hare, will not get out till
next Monday. Then the trustees will commence vigorously the work of
repair and improvement. They will paper some of the rooms, and paint
the house throughout. This cannot be finished next week. Hence I
propose to get my pulpit supplied for the following Sabbath (the 26th of
May), and bring on my family the latter part of the next week. I am
so thoroughly home-sick that I cannot readily consent to remain here
another week. My goods will probably arrive to-morrow ; but, as
Brother Hare will not take up his bed and walk before next Monday, I
may have to remain until Tuesday, that I may superintend the transfer
of my boxes to our new home. In that case I shall not see you before
Tuesday evening or Wednesday next.

"John left this morning for Lennox, his appointment. He is in good
spirits, and thinks he will be pleased. We shall hear more on his return
next week. This evening is the occasion of our regular weekly prayer-
meeting. I am looking forward to it with considerable interest. On
Sabbath I expect to preach morning and evening. This is a prospective
trial, but I shall look to and depend upon Him who has said, ' I will
never leave thee — no ! I will never forsake thee.' Pray for me. If I
should complete my arrangements, we shall spend the following Sabbath
together quietly in Columbia. This will be for me a great treat after
the excitement of the last fortnight."

174 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

The first year of the pastorate at Central passed usefully
and pleasantly, affording every indication that the new
minister had taken a strong hold upon the affections of his
people. It was the year of the outbreak of the Rebellion ;
and, perhaps, one of the most trying periods for all the
ordinary methods of ministerial work which the American
Church has known. It was a time when the pruning-hook
was beaten into the spear, and the ploughshare into the
sword. The war spirit had possessed the populations ; the
great masses had risen as one man for the vindication and
safety of the Union ; and from one end of the land to
the other the strange noise of drum and fife called the
young men to arms, and the highways and streets were
thronged with troops marching southward for battle. New
York was in a ferment of excitement — her streets were
drill-grounds, her public squares barracks, her Sabbaths
fallen under the stern exigency of preparation for instant
conflict.

Amid such scenes it was no wonder if the congregations
of the churches were decimated, and the spirit of religious
revival repressed. After the" first blaze of patriotic fire had
spent itself, and the people had become used to matter-of-
fact war — found themselves humbled with disappointment,
and settled down to the hard tug of persistent efforts —
there came a reaction in the religious feeling, and an in-
creased attendance of the multitudes upon public worship.
Through this season of discouragement Mr. Cookman, like
other faithful ministers, stood his ground, worked how,
where, and when he could. We have seen that even before
his settlement in New York he preached to the soldiers at
Union Square. It was a stirring sermon, full of patriotism,
but, if possible, fuller of Christ. That service was but the
first of many that followed — sermons and speeches which

NOONDA Y PR A YER-MEETING OF PHILADELPHIA. 175

helped to keep alive in the country both faith in God and
faith in the Republic.

In New York, as in Philadelphia, we hear of him at the
Union prayer-meetings. He who had borne such an active
part in the one city could not remain idle in the other. At
the anniversary of the Fulton Street prayer-meeting he was
heard to utter these clear and ringing words : —

" It may not be uninteresting or inappropriate for me to
state that while I lived in the city of Philadelphia I had the
honour to be the pastor of the Church which stands upon
the site of the ' Old Academy,' as it was designated, the
favourite preaching-place of the illustrious Whitefield.

" In the lecture-room of that Church was organized the
first noonday prayer-meeting for the city of Philadelphia.
It was commenced by a young man who had resided in the
city of New York, and who had frequently availed himself
of the privileges of this Fulton Street noonday service.
After his removal to Philadelphia, he felt that a similar
meeting would be profitable in his own experience and for
the community at large, and was resolved to assume the
responsibility of its establishment. It is but proper to say
that, in the first instance, the effort was feeble and unpro-
mising ; and many times have I passed by the door of that
lecture-room, and, glancing in when I ought to have gone in,
observed three or four prostrate before God, importuning
an outpouring of Divine influence upon themselves and
upon others. Those prayers, however, were effectual ; they
reached the ear and they influenced the heart of an
almighty Saviour ; and before long the number attending
the service in that lecture-room was very considerably in-
creased. It was then resolved to remove to Jayne's Hall,
of which doubtless you have all heard very frequently ; and
after the removal to Jayne's Hall, the interest so rapidly

176 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

extended that before the lapse of a week four thousand
persons might have been seen associated together for the
purpose of public prayer.

" If these humble efforts were followed by such special
results in that case, what may we not hope for after the
patient and the persistent prayers that have been going up
from this Fulton Street meeting, and from similar services,
during a succession of years ? I have the impression that
when these terrible providences which are associated with
our present war shall have mellowed the great national heart?
the results of these prayers will appear in a mighty and un"
precedented Pentecostal baptism, when there shall not be
four thousand or forty thousand only, but millions prostrate
beneath the mighty power of God. And oh ! in the pros-
pect of such an outpouring, may we not to-day linger in the
midst of our great country, desolated not only by civil but
spiritual rebellion, covered all over with moral death, and
may we not imitate the example of the prophet, as with the
voice of one man, and pray, ' Come, come from the four
winds, O breath ! and breath upon these souls that they
may live ' ?

" As an encouragement to prayer for individuals, will you
excuse me if I introduce a passage from personal experience ?
I was the eldest of six children, five sons and one daughter.
The mysterious hand of God's providence buried my pre-
cious father while I was still young in yon broad, deep
ocean. My widowed mother — for whom I will even in this
public way praise the Father of the fatherless — was greatly
concerned, of course, for the salvation of all her children.
Her prayers, which were importunate and constant, were
heard in heaven, and soon they began to be answered, as
one after the other of her sons was brought into the king-
dom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Four years ago we were,

EFFICACY OF\PRAYER. i77

as I trust, a united family in Christ, with one exception, and
that exception was a beloved brother, a noble, affectionate
young man, twenty-seven years of age. He had been my
associate during life ; we had played together as boys ; we
had slept in the same bed ; we had attended the academy
together ; we had bowed at the same maternal knee, and
had joined in repeating the petition, ' Our Father which
art in heaven.'

" I cannot tell this audience how I agonized for the sal-
vation of that brother, and how anxious I was that we might
be a united family in the Saviour in time, and then an un-
divided household in paradise. Morning, noon, and night
I brought this interest to a throne of heavenly grace ; and
one day I rose in the Philadelphia noon prayer-meeting and
asked them to pray for that brother. Oh how they prayed !
I shall never forget their interest and earnestness, and if I
am so happy as to reach the glory -land, I think I shall find
out some of those Christians, and will thank them for their
united and importunate prayers upon the occasion of that
noonday service. Only a short time elapsed when that
brother, who was unaware that united prayer had been
offered in his behalf, was found prostrate penitently before
God, and became a subject of regenerating grace. He
joined the Church, and has subsequently come to be one of
the most earnest, consistent young Christians I ever knew.

" Before I sit down, allow me to speak of a circumstance
which transpired in the neighbourhood of Boston. A few
years since, two gentlemen entered a car in that city en
route for the interior, and, seated side by side, they very
naturally fell into conversation, when it transpired that they
were both travelling to the same place ; and soon, to their
mutual surprise, they discovered that they bore the same
name. Then they ascertained that they were both going to

12

178 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

see an elder brother, one whom they had not met for many,
many years ; and then the almost overpowering truth burst
upon them that they were literal, natural brothers, who in
the providence of God had met in this most extraordinary
way. They had been separated from early childhood, and
now, after the lapse of thirty long years, they had been most
surprisingly brought together. As I have been sitting here
and listening to allusions about heaven, I have said in my
heart, ' That is my place of destination, and I hope, through
grace, to stand triumphantly upon Canaan's shining shore.'
And then, as you have used the term Christian, I have said
inwardly, ' That is pre-eminently my name.' I am a Meth-
odist Christian. I do not attach a very great deal of im-
portance to the Methodist, but I would place very strong
emphasis upon the designation Christian. Just as my name
is Alfred Cookman. I care not for the Alfred : I would just
as soon it was George or Joseph or John ; but I cling tena-
ciously to my family name. As you have made very touch-
ing and beautiful reference to Jesus, I can say He is my
Elder Brother, and I hope after a while to be associated with
Him in heaven. It is a delightful truth that we are asso-
ciated to-day, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, hastening
onward as rapidly as time can bear us, —

" ' To the house of our Father above,
The palace of angels and God.' "

The delight which Mr. Cookman found in his family is
manifest in all his letters. Those who knew him most
intimately will recall that he never seemed so perfectly
happy as when in the bosom of his home. The letters
which he wrote to his children when absent on their summer
vacations were full of sweetness. They did not lack good
advice; but were rather characterized by parental tender-

LETTERS TO HIS CHILDREN. 179

ness and familiarity. He could be a child among his
children. Up to this time there had been no alloy in his
domestic bliss — the children, his wife, and himself had been
favoured with uninterrupted health ; but now it pleased God
to allow sickness to enter the circle. His eldest son and
first-born, Bruner, was affected with a painful disease, which
finally, after some years of suspense, terminated his life. A
few letters of this date happily illustrate the feelings which
animated his soul under the chequered dispensations of
Providence. Happy in the sunshine, he was not despondent
in the shade. The first touches of sorrow were borne with
resignation, and served but to mellow his rapidly growing
experience.

The following are some of the letters to his children: —

"New York, June 21, 1862.

" This is Saturday night, when pa, you know, usually studies his ser-
mons. Bruner is asleep, Will is asleep, little Beck Evans is asleep, ma
is getting ready for bed, and I am writing a letter to my dear George
and precious Frank and sweet little sister Puss. Well, how have you
been getting along this week ? I hope you have been very good, making

as little noise as possible ; obeying all that aunt B or grandma has

said, remembering your prayers every night and morning, asking your
blessing, and behaving well at the table, and acting like little New York
gentlemen. On Tuesday I watched you waving your hats and handker-
chiefs and flags until I could see you no longer ; then I sat down until I
reached Lancaster. There I waited an hour, and took another train of
cars, and got to Philadelphia in time for tea, stayed at uncle George's
all night, and the next day started for New York.

" When I got home little Prince danced for joy, he was so glad to see
me. Then I started for Nyack, where I found ma and Brune and Will
and little baby-sister. They were almost as much delighted as Prince,
and asked me a hundred questions about George and Frank and sister.
I told ma you were magnificent boys ; that Frank did not cry ; that
sister was growing to be a large and lovely girl. We talk about you
every day, and want the weeks to go by right fast until we shall all sit
down together in Columbia. Thursday afternoon we returned from Mr.
T.'s. Yesterday ma and Brune. had a long, pleasant ride in Mr. R.'s

180 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

carriage. Brune drove nearly all the way. To-day ma and Brune and

Will and Betty and the baby went with Mr. P to the Central Park,

and heard the music. It was splendid !

"Now I most close my letter. On Monday we have our Sabbath-
school excursion. Next week, perhaps, I will write and tell you all
about it. Be very good boys. We send kisses. George must kiss-
Frank and Sis for ma ; Frank must kiss George and Sis for ma ; Sis
must kiss George and Frank for Brune. Do not forget. Good-night."

" My dear, darling Little Puss, — This is your letter, written by
your precious papa. Every day he thinks about you, and wants the
time to come when he may take you in his arms again. If you were
here to-night he would not be satisfied with one less than a dozen kisses.
Your dear brother Bruner has been very sick. He often talks about his
little pet sister in Columbia. You ought to see his dog. The dog's
name is Prince — a happy little fellow that barks at Willie, and plays
with Frank, and jumps up on George, and follows Brune wherever he
goes. I know he would love you dearly ; he could not help it. Every-
body loves my little darling Puss, but nobody better than her devoted
pa. Be a very good girl ; learn to jump rope ; help grandma to water

the flowers ; mind everything aunt B says to you ; kiss Mozie and

little Alfred for me : don't eat all the currants and gooseberries before I
come, but keep ever so many for your dear pa. Would you not like me
to send you a pretty picture-book ? Keep a look-out, and some of these
days Kate will find one in the post-office for Miss Annie Cookman.
Won't that be nice ? Now give me a good-bye kiss. "

" New York, June 24, 1S62.

-

" My dear George and Frank and Little Sister, — We re-
ceived George's letter this afternoon, and were glad to know that you
are all well and enjoying yourselves. Be very good children, and hi a
few weeks you will see your dear ma and Bruner and Willie and the
baby. Did I not promise to tell you about the Sunday-school excur-
sion ? Well, yesterday morning we rose early, got ready, and went
down to the wharf, where we found a large number of the boys and
girls, with their parents and teachers. At about eight o'clock we started,
and sailed down the bay. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was
shining brightly, the air was cool, the boat was large and comfortable.
Bruney, Willie, baby, Betty, Julia, and mamma, with the little carriage,
were all on board. Brune ate cakes and drank mineral water. About
eleven o'clock we got to Biddle's Grove, on Staten Island. This was a

LETTER TO MR. PRICE ON HIS CHILD'S DEATH. 181

beautiful place, with swings and tables and a great many nice things.
We had an excellent dinner, some charming walks, a game of ball, and
then we started for home, where we arrived in the evening about seven
o'clock. It was one of the happiest days I ever spent. Now I have
bad news to tell you. Little Prince is dead. He died to-day. Instead
of getting better, as we hoped, he got worse, until he could not walk or
stand, and then the poor little fellow died. Bruner sat down and took
a good cry. Some persons think he was so pretty that he ought to be
stuffed, like those animals you saw at BaTnum's Museum. But this is
not worth while. He will either be buried or thrown into the river.
Your little brother Willie told me this afternoon he was going to take
' me da — da in the 'team- boat.' When he takes me, I reckon we will
go to Columbia. Now remember to be very good ; say no bad words ;
go with no bad boys ; be kind to grandma and grandpa ; obey all aunt

B says, and do not get sick or hurt yourselves.

- " Now I must give you a good-night kiss — one for George, one for
Frank, and one for dear little sister Puss. Ma says I must send ever so
many for her, and Bruney for him, and Willie for him. "

The following letter to Mr. Thomas W. Price, of Phila-
delphia, on the loss of an infant child, named for Mrs.
Cookman, evinces the facility and heartiness with which
Mr. Cookman could enter into the feelings of his friends.
No wonder such a nature should have touched depths and
drawn to it affections which lie quite unmoved by ordinary
men : —

" Columbia, August 5, 1862.

" Glancing through the columns of yesterday's Inquirer, my eye fell
on a notice of the death of your dear little Annie Cookman. It shocked
us not a little, for when we last saw her she was the very picture of
health. How often is it the case that our cherished ones, whose promise
for long life is the most flattering, are the first to be smitten by death's
relentless hand !

" You will believe me when I assure you that this bereavement has
awakened in our hearts the liveliest sympathy and sorrow.

" We recognised in this little namesake a living and breathing bond,
to bind even more closely that special affection which subsists between
our families. We remember the interest and love with which you re-
garded this last-born, we are reminded of the unusual sweetness and

182 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

loveliness of the babe herself, and then feel that you have sustained a
sad loss. Another breach is occasioned in your affections.

"In circumstances like these, how consolatory are the truths of our
holy religion ! The unseen hand of God's providence has taken from
your family nest this little immortal, and, lifting her up, constituted her
an angel in the paradise above. Thus the attractiveness of heaven is
increased. As we pass on in life, meeting such afflictions, earth becomes
more and more a strange land, while heaven wears more and more of a
home-like aspect. Associated with the little brother who some years
since was wrested from your parental embrace, the two now, as I doubt
not, stand on ' the shining shore ' to welcome the family into everlasting
habitations.

" When you sing in the future that line of the long-metre doxology,
viz., iPraise Him above, ye heavenly host,' it will possess a deeper
meaning, awaken more tender feelings, and enkindle more heavenly
aspirations.

" So far as I am aware, this is the first Annie Cookman that has en-
tered those realms of light ; and if spirits can know one another, then
I am sure her name in that world will immediately introduce her to the
fellowship of some dearly beloved ones who have gone before.

" God bless you abundantly, my cherished brother and sister ! My
heart has always been full of love for you both, and now in your afflic-
tion I want to say something or do something that may lighten the
burden which this bereavement has laid upon your tender and deeply
affectionate hearts. May I not pray that our covenant-keeping God
will sanctify this dispensation to your good, vouchsafe you special con-
solation and grace, and make you eventually an undivided family in the
skies ? I should have been at the funeral but for the illness of our babe.
For about ten days she has been hovering between life and death. Her
condition is still very critical. I shall not be astonished if these precious
children {little Annie and Rebecca), of about the same age, should both
be in a better world about the same time."

Before following Mr. Cookman to his next charge, I must
present an example of the patriotic speeches which he
delivered, and also of the firm and advanced opinions which
he expressed on national affairs, in the great crisis of the
country. In the summer of 1862, while on a visit with
his family at Columbia, an immense war meeting was held
at Lancaster, and he was one of the speakers. I quote

WAR SPEECH AT LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA. 138

from a report of it which appeared in one of the daily-
papers : —

" Fellow-Citizens, — This is to me a somewhat unexpected call,
but I should feel myself recreant to every great principle of patriotism
and of truth if I refused or even hesitated in this my native county — for
it may not be known to many of you that I first opened my eyes upon
God's world within the limits of old Lancaster ; it gave me a being, and
it gave me one of the best of wives, so that I feel under immense obliga-
tions to it. (Cheers. ) I say that I should feel myself recreant to every prin-
ciple of truth and right if I hesitated to seize this opportunity to say, in
the language of old John Adams, ' Sink or swim, live or die, survive or
perish, I give my heart and my hand ' to these Union measures. It is
my living sentiment, and with the blessing of God it will be my dying
sentiment — liberty and the Union now, liberty and the Union for
ever. (Great applause.)

" It is useless for any of us to disguise the fact — the stern and startling
fact — that this Union, which is so unutterably dear to our hearts, is at
the present time in imminent peril. Thousands — yea, hundreds of
thousands — of our fellow-citizens, organized and armed, are intent upon
the overthrow of this, I dare to say, the very best government that
yonder sun ever looked down upon ; a government which ought to be
just as dear to them as to ourselves ; a government with which our own
hopes and the hopes of our children and children's children are inti-
mately bound up to the very latest generation ; a government closely
connected, as we think, with the cause of liberty throughout the world,
- — for if our experiment of self-government should prove a failure, we are
satisfied that it must put back the hand of freedom on the dial-plate of
time at least fifty or one hundred years ; a government which, so far as
we may judge, is one of Jehovah's right hands of power for the over-
throw of despotism, error, ignorance, and everything which could hinder
the coming of His kingdom. Thousands and hundreds of thousands of
our fellow-citizens, with worse than Vandal-like violence, are rushing
forward to destroy the superstructure of that government. Now the
practical inquiry occurs, What is to be done ? The answer, it appears
to me, is an easy one.

' ' My fellow-citizens, what would you do if to-night at twelve o'clock
you were to find an assassin in your bed-chamber, fully resolved upon
your life ? I make no question but that you would spring from your
slumbers and grapple with him, and not even hesitate to put him to
death in order to save your own life. Parent, what would you do if a

1 84 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

rebellion were to arise in your domestic circle ? Would you not stretch
" forward the hand of authority and quickly quell it ? Citizens of Lan-
caster, what would you do if an infamous mob should rise up in these
streets to destroy valuable property and imperil precious life ? I make
no doubt that you would take down the muskets and rifles still remaining
among you, and with the point of the bayonet or with the use of ammu-
nition drive back and put down such a mob. And you would do right.
Self-protection would demand such a course. And in this case it is a
stern duty. As Luther remarked on one occasion, ' May God help us ! —
we cannot do otherwise.' That flag yonder must float ; our government
must be maintained. (Cheers.) Our Union must be preserved and
perpetuated in all its purity and integrity. (Cheers.) Millions maybe
spent, hundreds of thousands of lives may be sacrificed, a whole gene-
ration may be blotted out, and still we insist that it is of the very first
consequence that our nationality be vindicated. ('Good,' and cheers.)
Now I apprehend that it is with this great principle in view we are
assembled and associated this afternoon.

"A remark of Colonel Forney's brought to my mind a circumstance
which transpired many years ago. It is said that in a military engage-
ment which occurred somewhere near the boundary-line which separates
England and Scotland, a young chieftain fell just at the moment when,
at the head of his troop, he was furiously and successfully charging the
foe. His comrades in arms, seeing him fall, were immediately seized
with consternation, and began to retire in confusion. Witnessing this,
his soul immediately filled with sorrow, and, although he was feeble, he
managed with some effort to raise himself upon his elbow, and while
the life-blood was fast gushing from the gaping wound, while eternity
was opening before him, he seized his sword, and, waving it over his
head, shouted at the top of his voice, ' My boys, I am not dead ! I am
not dead, but I am looking to see that every man does his duty.'
(Cheers.) So I am here this afternoon to say that our Union is not
dead. She has been wounded, foully and fearfully wounded ; and, ob-
serve, too, in the house of her friends. Still she is not dead. Hear it,
you daughters and sons of Lancaster ! — she is not dead — never dead ; but,
sword in hand, she is looking to see that every citizen does his duty.
(Great applause. ) She is looking to ascertain whether, in this time of
exigency, we will rally to the rescue ; whether in this, the darkest hour
of the Republic, we will come up united to the help of freedom and the
help of God. For, remember, this is the cause of truth ; this is the
cause of justice ; this is the cause of freedom ; this is the cause of the
Union ; this is the cause of God. (Cheers.) I insist that God is always
on the side of truth and justice and freedom. Will you not, then — will

APPEAL TO MOTHERS, WIVES, DAUGHTERS, ETC. 185

you not — will not all these young men and citizens, esteem it at once an
obligation and a privilege and a joy to consecrate their energies, their
substance, their time, their lives, and their all upon the altar of our
country's cause ? (Cheers.)

" Allusion has been made to the patriot daughters of Lancaster. God
bless them ! I see them in these windows, and assembled in the vicinity
of this stand. God bless them ! Mothers, wives, daughters, sisters
collected here, we have some faint idea of the sacrifices you are called
upon to make, and of the sufferings which you, in the providence of
God, must still undergo. Still I trust that at least an overwhelming
majority of you have the spirit of that mother in the city of Philadelphia,
who said the other day, ' What are sons worth without a country ? '
(Cheers. ) I trust you have the spirit of a friend and former parishioner
of mine in the borough of Harrisburg, who has sent six stalwart sons to
the scene of strife. Just before they left home and their mother's pre-
sence, they assembled in a photographic gallery and had their pictures
taken, the eldest son standing in the midst of his other brothers, and
grasping the flag of the stars and stripes ; and that picture left with the
mother is an evidence of undying affection. I think, too, in this con-
nexion, of a mother in the State of New York, whose son the other day
proceeded to the seat of war. He was connected with the Sheppard
Rifles, Colonel Fareira commanding. It so occurred that the young
man's position was at the end of the platoon, near the curbstone, and the
mother, anxious to be with him as long as he remained in New York,
took her place at his side. As the regiment moved along Fourteenth
Street and down Broadway, that heroic old American mother walked
with her boy, keeping step with him. To relieve him while she could,
she took his musket from his hand, and stuck it over her old shoulder,
and so she marched with him, side by side, carrying his musket ; and
the boy was so much moved by her devotion that the tears literally ran
down his cheeks. ' Don't cry — don't cry, my boy ! ' she said ; ' be brave,
and then, with God's blessing, all must and will be well.' (Cheers.)
So, mothers and wives and sisters and daughters of Lancaster, say to
your cherished ones, ' Go, go ! ' It is like tearing the heart out of our
living and breathing bodies ; it is like enshrouding our present and future
with a gloom that must all the time be felt ; nevertheless, go and fight
these battles of truth and justice and liberty, and God's blessing must be
upon you and yours. (Applause.)

" As the last speaker remarked, it is a gloomy hour in our country's
history ; but I apprehend, my fellow-citizens, that if we look over the
events of the last fifteen months we will still find reason for thankful-
ness. Is it nothing that that effeminacy which was beginning to curse

1 86 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

our citizens has met so powerful and sufficient an antidote ? Is it nothing
that that spirit of insubordination which has been so painfully rife in our
happy land, and which is, perhaps, one of the very causes of our present
troubles, is receiving so effectual a check? Is it nothing that our
patriotism, which seemed almost cold, is to-day burning with a brilliant
flame, — that that sentiment, which had almost died out, has become a
principal passion in the nation's heart ? I take it upon myself to say
that there have been more acts of moral heroism in this land within the
last fifteen months than in all our history previously. (Cheers.) And
is all this nothing ? Is it nothing that success from time to time has
crowned our arms ? Is it nothing that Nashville is ours ? Is it nothing
that Memphis is ours, and New Orleans is ours, and Norfolk is ours,
and Winchester is ours, and the Shenandoah Valley is ours, and that
Richmond is, we trust and think, soon to be ours? (Cheers.) Is it

nothing that that flag which we all love so much and, by the way, I

am just here reminded of a sentiment of a rebel prisoner, who said to a
friend of mine, that when they came within sight of the old flag they

were very likely to feel weak in the knees (Laughter and applause)

I say, is it nothing that that grand old flag on the last Fourth of July
floated in everyone of the thirty-four states? (Cheers.) Is all that
nothing? (Great applause.)

" Some of you, perhaps, have heard of a very remarkable iron egg,
said to be still preserved in the city of Dresden. There is a legend con-
nected with this egg, which runs somewhat to this effect : On a certain
occasion a prince sent the iron egg to his betrothed. When she re-
ceived the gift she looked at it, and, becoming entirely disgusted with so
rude a present, she flung it in disgust upon the ground. As it struck
the earth, a secret spring was touched, and lo ! a silver yolk rolled forth
from the egg. As she gathered up the yolk, she touched another secret
spring, and lo ! a golden chicken was evolved. She took the chicken
in both hands, and in doing so she touched a secret spring, and lo ! a
ruby crown appeared. She touched a secret spring in the ruby crown,-
and lo ! her eyes were blessed with the sight of a magnificent marriage
diamond ring. So let me remind you that this nation from the hand of
God's providence seemed to have received an iron egg — an egg all
crusted with tears and clotted with blood ; but lo ! with the dismantling
of Sumter a secret spring was touched, and a silver yolk appeared,
which, like a shield of patriotism, spread over all the Northern States
of this great and glorious Union. A secret spring in this silver yolk of
patriotism was touched, and instead of one golden chicken we have a
brood — McClellan (cheers), Halleck, Banks, Burnside, Hunter, Foote,
Farragut, Grant, and Buell, and many others whom I might, and per-

LOYALTY OF THE NEW YORK CONFERENCE. 187

haps ought to name. (Cheers.) Now these golden chickens are each
one bringing a ruby crown of victory. McClellan, Yorktown ; Halleck,
Corinth ; Banks, Winchester ; Burnside, Roanoke and Newbern ;
Grant, Forts Henry and Donelson ; Buell, Shiloh ; Foote, Island No
10 ; and Farragut — not a very pretty name, but certainly a very pretty
deed — has given us New Orleans. Each one has contributed his ruby
to make up a great crown of victory, and when the secret spring in that
crown shall be touched, the ring of the Union will appear still un-
broken, and rendered more beautiful and valuable than ever before by
the addition of the sparkling diamond of universal liberty. (Tremen-
dous applause.)

" ' The cloud is vanishing from the day ;
Lo ! the right is about to conquer —
Clear the way ! '

"Men of thought, men of action, clear the way — clear the way !
Our army at Harrison's Landing, our country dismembered and bleed-
ing, the cause of freedom throughout the world, and God sitting upon
the circle of yonder firmament, are making powerful and resistless calls
upon us to do our duty, and our whole duty, to our country." (Cheers.)

The session of the New York Conference held in the
Washington Square Church, New York, was one of marked
interest and solemnity, especially on account of the Report
which was adopted on the state of the country. One of the
members of the Conference, Captain Pelatiah Ward, who
had volunteered early in the war, had been killed in battle
during the past summer. He was a generous, valiant man,
and much loved by his brethren. The President of the
United States had issued the proclamation of emancipation,
the justice and policy of which were yet much debated ; and
the unanimity which at the outbreak of the rebellion univer-
sally prevailed had become much disturbed by factious
opposition. Mr. Cookman felt it was no time for Methodist
preachers to mince words, to stickle over questions of con-
stitutional nicety, but that the trumpet from them, as leaders
of public opinion, must give a certain sound. He drew up
the report. Its reading excited the deepest emotion ■ thril-

1 SS LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

ling speeches were made by leading members of the Con-
ference, and with but slight opposition it was adopted amid
great applause. I give the resolutions : —

" Resolved— i. That as members and ministers of the Methodist
Episcopal Church within the bounds of the New York Annual Con-
ference, we cheerfully renew our vows of uncompromising and uncon-
ditional loyalty to the United States of America — a nationality we are
proud to acknowledge, and resolved, with the blessing of Heaven, to
maintain.

" 2. That it is our duty, enforced alike by the Word of God and" our
Book of Discipline, to submit to and to co-operate with the regularly
constituted civil authorities, and to enjoin the same upon our people.

"3. That while we do not deny, but rather recognise and defend, the
right of our people to discuss the measures and policy of the Govern-
ment, at the same time we would counsel that, in the present critical
condition of public affairs, this right is to be exercised with great for-
bearance, caution, and prudence.

"4. That the conduct of those who, influenced by political affinities
or Southern sympathies, and under the pretext of discriminating between
the Administration and the Government, throw themselves in the path
of almost every warlike measure, is in our view covert treason, which
has the malignity without the manliness of those who have arrayed them-
selves in open hostility to our liberties, and is deserving of our sternest
denunciation and our most determined opposition.

" 5. That slavery is an evil, incompatible in its spirit and practice
with the principles of Christianity, with republican institutions, with the
peace and prosperity of our country, and with the traditions, doctrines,
and discipline of our Church ; and that our long and anxious inquiry,
' What shall be done for its extirpation ? ' has been singularly answered
by Divine Providence, which has given to Abraham Lincoln, President
of the United States, the power and the disposition to issue a proclama-
tion guaranteeing the boon of freedom to millions of Southern bondmen.

" 6. That we heartily concur in this proclamation as indicating the
righteousness of our cause, securing the sympathies of the liberty-loving
the world over, and, above all, insuring the approbation of the Universal
Father, who is invariably on the side of justice and freedom.

" 7. That we find abundant reason for gratitude and encouragement
in the recent revival of the nation's patriotism ; in the maintenance of
our public credit ; in the change of public opinion abroad, especially in
England ; and in the gradual, but we trust sure, progress of our arms.

MR. LINCOLN AND THE METHODIST CHURCH. 189

" 8. That we cordially accept the President's recommendation to
observe the thirtieth day of the present month as a season of solemn
fasting and prayer ; and that, assembling in our various places of wor-
ship, we will humble ourselves, and earnestly supplicate the great Ruler
of nations to forgive our national offences ; to guide, sustain, and bless
our public rulers ; to look upon our army and navy mercifully, giving
success to our arms, so that this infamous rebellion may be speedily
crushed, and peace, at once righteous and permanent, may return to and
smile upon our American heritage.

"9. That our interest in and sympathy for those who represent us in
the field continues unabated, and that to all those who are suffering in
consequence of the havoc or desolations of this terrible war, we offer
our sincerest sympathies and Christian condolence.

" 10. That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to the President
of the United States, and that they be published in the Christian Advo-
cate and Journal."

It was such action as this on the part of the Methodist
ministers, sustained by the laymen for whom and to whom
they spoke, both at the ballot-box and on the battle-field,
that led Mr. Lincoln to say that no Church had done so
much to support the Government in its efforts to maintain
the Union as the Methodist ministers and people. It was
not a little due to Mr. Cookman that the declaration of the
New York Conference, representing a large popular senti-
ment in the commercial heart of the nation, assumed a
shape so positive and incisive. It was but the emanation
of his own convictions.

The pastorate of Mr. Cookman closed at the Central
Church with the universal regret of its members. The
young people had become ardently attached to him. He
had taken especial pains to draw together and render efficient
the young men of the congregation, and for this purpose
had organised among them a society called the " Christian
Brotherhood," which held regular meetings for business,
religious, social, and literary exercises, and also took general
supervision of the young men who attended the Church

190 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

services. This society was pleased to express their appre-
ciation of their retiring pastor by passing resolutions which
are valuable as a tribute to him and as a hint to other
ministers : —

" Whereas Rev. Alfred Cookman, our late pastor, has, in the economy
of our Church, been transferred to another field of labour —

" Resolved, That we remember with great pleasure our relations during
the term of his pastorate, and that we deem his unusual interest in our
Association, and continued efforts to promote its prosperity, as worthy
of particular mention and record.

" Resolved, That to his regular attendance upon our meetings, his
courteous yet earnest participation in our discussions, his evident anxiety
that our organization should prove of the highest benefit to the Church,
and his constant endeavour for this result, is due much of its prosperity
and usefulness.

" Resolved, That upon retrospect of the term of Brother Cookman's
service, we are led to believe that the pastors of our churches would add
greatly to the effectiveness of their labours by more fully interesting
themselves in the established meetings and organizations of their
charges ; as an active sympathy in concerns already enlisting the sym-
pathies of their people must afford opportunity not otherwise enjoyed of
learning their dispositions and peculiarities, of securing a place in their
affections, and of gaining confidence, respect, and influence — as also, by
counsel and co-operation, of promoting wiser action and developing
wider results.

' ' Resolved, That the name of Rev. Alfred Cookman be placed upon
the list of honorary members of this Brotherhood."

CHAPTER XV.

TRINITY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, NEW YORK. — THE
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC AND THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION.

Mr. Cookman was next appointed, in the spring of 1863,
to the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church in West Thirty-
fourth Street. Here his ministry proved highly acceptable
and useful. The congregations were never larger than
while he was pastor, and there were many valuable acces-
sions to the Church. There are some persons still con-
nected with Trinity, and some belonging to other churches
in the city, who were the fruits of his fidelity at this time,
and who are among the most useful and active Christians
in New York. The savour- of his piety diffused itself
rapidly through all the departments of the station. He
established a service on Friday afternoons, under his per-
sonal control, for the advancement of Christian purity, and
succeeded in gathering to it many of the earnest lovers of
holiness within his own charge, and some beyond it. These
meetings were very helpful to the piety of the Church, and
were instrumental in bringing not a few into the clearer
light of perfect love. In their use his personal religious
experience was also greatly enriched, and his ministry cor-
respondingly nourished.

The most marked event of this pastoral term was Mr.
Cookman's visit to the Army of the Potomac on special

192 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

service under the direction of the Christian Commission.
He showed himself ready not only to talk sacrifice, but to
go to the front, that he might cheer, in the capacity of
minister and brother, the hearts of the valiant and exposed
soldiers. The best epitome of his thoughts and doings while
thus engaged is furnished in his letters written to friends
at home. The Sanitary and Christian Commissions, organ-
ized for the relief of the soldiers of the United States, in
addition to what was done for them directly by the Govern-
ment, were sustained wholly by the voluntary offerings of
the people, and constituted in their work one of the
brightest features of the war. Never before was stern
suffering so alleviated by the tenderer aspects of Christian
and humane sentiment. The benevolence of the country
rose in a majesty and beauty which signally contrasted with
the dark clouds of fratricidal conflict. The Christian Com-
mission aimed not only to extend to the fainting warrior
the delicacies which the body and mind so much needed,
but also, and chiefly, the Word of Life — in the shape
of Bibles, good books, tracts, preaching, and pastoral
visitation. It drafted for its occasional services ministers
and laymen of the first talents ; and the good it accom-
plished, while abundantly attested in the records of its
history, cannot be fully known until all earthly accounts
are written up.

The following letters to his wife and children will be
found interesting : —

" Washington, Saturday night, 10 o'clock.

" You will not object to a short note, I am sure. I am finishing my
first Sabbath in the service of the Christian Commission. This morning
I proceeded, according to arrangement, to the camp or barracks of the
First New Hampshire. To our surprise and disappointment, we found
that they had suddenly left the night before. Part of another regiment,
however, had come in, and the proposition was for us to preach to them

ARMY EXPERIENCES. 193

in the afternoon. Thereupon I hastened to Wesley Chapel, and heard
a masterly sermon on the subject of the Transfiguration from my friend
B. Peyton Brown ; met any number of old friends ; yielded to the

pressing invitation of Mrs. T , and accompanied her home to dinner.

"After dinner Brother Scott called, and we proceeded again to the
camp of the First Maine. The men were drawn up in a hollow square.
It was a magnificent spectacle. They appeared in full dress uniform
and under arms, accompanied by a brass band. Surrounded by a large
company of Washingtonians, I held forth the Word of Life. It was an
open-air service, and consequently very exhausting. Nevertheless I got
through comfortably. The men were solemn and attentive, and I trust
good was done. After the service I distributed some papers and hymn-
books, and seized the opportunity to converse religiously with a number
of the soldiers. With Brother Charles Lane, my first class-leader, I
then went home to tea. Oh how very, very cordial he was ! I praise
my Heavenly Father for his friendship and love. At seven I went to
the Armoury Square Hospital, and preached to a chapel full of soldiers.
Never have I addressed a more attentive or apparently interested com-
pany of men. They hung on every syllable. At the close about twenty
rose for prayers. The power of the Highest rested upon the assem-
blage. We sang ' Going home,' ' Marching along,' ' Rest for the
weary ' : oh how the noble boys poured out the tide of song ! I thought
while I was preaching to them, many a faithful mother and sister are
pouring out their souls in earnest prayers for their absent sons and
brothers. God gave me their hearts, and the chaplain is clamorous for
me to remain and labour among them during the present week. I leave
the determination of this to that faithful God whose I am and whom I
serve.

"This ends my first day of labour. Glory to God to-night for His
mercy shown the very feeblest of all His messengers ! Oh how my soul
trusts and rejoices in the God and Rock of my salvation ! To-morrow I
move, as a good soldier of Jesus, just where my Captain directs. My
foot has been very sore, obliging me to limp in walking ; still I have
not been hindered in any department of work. Remember me to all
friends. Ask my people to pray for their absent pastor, that God will
own and bless his humble labours in behalf of our brave soldiers. Kiss
my children for papa. Tell dear mother and sister Mary, and John and

sister M , to remember me specially before God, and believe me

yours devotedly."

" Brandy Station, at the Front, February 29, 1864.

" Here I am at the front, within a few miles of General Lee's army,

J3

194 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

and yet as calm as a summer's eve. We left Washington this morning
about ten o'clock, and, after a most interesting ride of seventy miles,
reached our place of destination at half-past two this afternoon. The
country through which we passed wears an air of desolation which was
dismal to contemplate : no fences, no houses, no cultivation whatever, —
only the debris of destroyed property and continuous camps of soldiers.

By my side in the car sat a Captain C , of Camden, New Jersey,

who has been connected with the army since the commencement of the
war. He was very kind and communicative, pointing out the scenes of
several battles, and calling attention to various points of interest.

" My companions in the service of the Commission, Brothers Hat-
field and Watkins, were very fraternal and pleasant. Arriving at
Brandy Station, we found our head-quarters quite near, — an ordinary
camp-meeting tent, with a front and rear apartment. Here we have
our bunks for sleeping ; rather rough, but better almost than I had ex-
pected. Our commissary prepared our dinner. When we sat down we
could not restrain immoderate laughter. It was primitive truly. Tin
cups for chocolate, tin plates, the brownest sugar, and no butter. How-
ever, we got along gloriously. My precious little George would have
enjoyed it, for there was plenty of good molasses to eat with our bread.
The meal dispatched, we sallied forth and spent an hour very pleasantly
in the contraband camp, which is quite near. As the Commission can-
not give us work until to-morrow, we arranged for a meeting to-night
among the coloured people. There is an Uncle Ben and an Uncle Dick,
who are represented as most interesting characters. We have just dis-
patched our supper — tin cups and plates, of course, but some butter and
beef-steak — a right good meal. I have made up my mind to my cir-
cumstances, and hope to enjoy and profit by them.

' ' My friend Scott was very kind in completing my outfit. I think I
have everything needful for one in my circumstances. My only trial
now is my absence from my family. I think of you very frequently,
and ask my Heavenly Father to watch over and preserve you all. My
mind is still kept in perfect peace. God opens my way, and strengthens
and comforts me as I walk in that way. Blessed be His name ! The
brethren are hurrying me to accompany them to the negro meeting.
Tell the Friday afternoon meeting to pray for me specially. "

"Camp Sixth N. Y. Heavy Artillery, March 2, 1864.

" Will you not confess that I am a faithful army correspondent ? I

believe that I have written every day since we parted. Yesterday we

were confined at Brandy Station by the storm. It was one of the most

dismal days I ever witnessed. Shut up in our tent, letter-writing was

RELIGIOUS WORK IN THE ARMY. 195

an agreeable pastime. This morning I rose after a good night's rest to
look forth upon a cloudless sky ; but the mud — oh, the mud ! I now
better understand the difficulty of army movements. The passage of
army waggons (of which there is no end) and heavy artillery is almost
entirely interrupted by the condition of the soil.

"This morning I visited head-quarters, and had a most agreeable
interview with General Meade. He received us very politely, invited
us into his tent, bade us be seated, and chatted very familiarly and
kindly. His photographs are very good ; perhaps they give the im-
pression of a larger and more rugged man than the original. His recent
illness has left him thin, but he professes to be enjoying excellent health
at the present. A careworn expression lingers round his face ; but is
this wonderful when we consider the burden of care which rests upon
his patriotic heart ? He impressed me with his gentlemanly bearing
and kind spirit, rather than with his superior soldierly appearance. We
called at the same time on General Patrick, who is one of the notabili-
ties here, occupying the position of Provost Marshal of this division of
the army. He is an intelligent, affable, and interesting man." I have
reached my field of labour. The N. Y. Sixth Heavy Artillery numbers
about 1,300 men. Besides these there are New York, Connecticut, and
Massachusetts batteries, and the ammunition trains, all around us, num-
bering together 3,000 or 4,000 men. Here, then, I am to toil for their
advantage. It is not exactly the place I would have chosen for myself,
nevertheless it may be the right place. When it was mentioned to me,
I did not dare to murmur or remonstrate, for I have put myself in God's
hands, and, without any agency of my own, want to see what He pro-
poses to do with me during my sojourn at the front.

" The soldiers are in winter-quarters — log huts covered with canvas.
The officers' quarters are exceedingly tasty and comfortable : little
homes that would not disfigure Central Park. Many of them have their
wives here, and seem disposed to enjoy life while it lasts. To visit the
men in their tents, converse with them, etc., etc., will occupy most of
my time. A little while ago I walked over to look at the battery of the
N. Y. Fifth Heavy Artillery. A young lieutenant whom I providen-
tially met was singularly polite and kind — escorting me to various points
of interest, showing me all the appurtenances of their heavy Parrot
guns, etc. I was careful to introduce the subject of religion, and was
delighted to find him respectful and tender. How is my dear wife this
afternoon ? I have not as yet heard a word from home. I suppose that
my correspondence will almost necessarily be a good deal interrupted.
Our quarters here are considerably rougher than they were at Brandy
Station ; but, never mind, they are better than I deserve."

196 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

" Head-quarters of Reserve Artillery, March 3, 1864.

"lam sitting in our chapel tent, which is used by the soldiers during
the day as a kind of reading-room. They find here books, papers, with
all the necessary articles for penning letters, etc. It is very thoughtful
and kind in the Christian Commission to furnish them with these con-
veniences.

" Last night I commenced operations in this vicinity, preaching to a
company of soldiers who crowded our chapel tent. They were very
attentive, and thirteen rose for prayers. I have appointed an inquiry
and experience meeting for this afternoon, and expect to preach again
to-night. I say ' expect, ' for everything in an army is very uncertain.
Owing to the soft condition of the soil, the corps of heavy artillery, espe-
cially, will hardly be able to move for a number of weeks, and yet as I
write the roar of cannon fills my ears. It may be only target-practice,
or it may be the commencement of an engagement ; most probably the
former. Do not at any time be alarmed about me. I am led by Infinite
Wisdom, defended by Infinite Power, comforted by Infinite Love. I do
not allow myself to live in the future — for three weeks would seem long
— but a day at a time I try to do my work, looking unto Jesus.

" Our accommodations are not even what we had at Brandy Station.
Our tent is about ten feet square. In that little space we do our cooking
and sleeping. The former is supervised by a superannuated soldier, who
does the best he can. The sleeping was decidedly cold last night. I
had to withdraw my nose from the air, which was full of frost, and roll
myself up in a coil or bundle, to make all the animal heat available.
Even then I spent some sleepless hours through chilliness. I do not
repeat these things by way of complaint — nay, I am too good a soldier
for that. This is only a reference to the seasoning process I am under-
going. I feel very well to-day, and hope, with the blessing of God, to
endure hardness, and then return to you in the fulness of the blessing
of the Gospel of peace. Give my love to my dear people. Tell them
to pray for me very specially."

" Reserve Artillery, March 4, 1864.

" A few moments before dinner will afford me an opportunity to pen
you a short letter. This, I am sure, will not be unwelcome. It is now
one week since I left you. I am not sorry the week is gone, for, Provi-
' dence favouring, I am that much nearer my loved home. To-day it is
blustering, raw, disagreeable ; most probably the herald of another
storm. Last evening we had even a larger crowd of soldiers than the
night previous. They were deeply serious. Six or seven rose for

WAITING UPON GOD. 197

prayers. I trust that good influences are at work. We followed the
sermon with a prayer-meeting. Four prayers were offered ; two of
them by lieutenants of the regiment — noble fellows. Tattoo sounds at
eight o'clock, at which time the roll is called, and the soldiers are re-
quired to go to their tents. This, of course, limits our services. If we
had another hour, say till nine, I have no doubt it would be for the
advantage of all concerned.

"Another disadvantage is the godlessness of the officers; that is,
most of them, for there are a few honourable exceptions. Last night
they had a regular ball in the camp, which was attended by their wives
and sisters. The festivities were protracted until a late hour, for one of
my last remembrances was the strains of music. I slept very comfort-
ably last night, piled on the coats and shawls, made myself warm, and
got through the night in a refreshing way. This afternoon I propose to
ride on horseback over to Brandy Station and find my correspondence,
for up to this hour I have not heard a word from home.

" Tell sister M that I am waiting upon God ; sitting with a

teachable spirit at the feet of Him who has said, ' Learn of me. ' I
want to be instructed in the deep things of God, and furnished unto
every good word and every good work. I surrender myself into the
care of my infinitely wise and powerful Father, trusting that He will
lead me into usefulness and truth, plenty and peace. I am sure He
will ; but it is sometimes a trial to walk blindly, not knowing the how
or the wherefore. Bless His holy name, there is nothing, so far as I am
aware, between Him and myself, and I trust momentarily and sweetly
in the merit of Jesus Christ my Lord. Kiss my children for their absent
papa. I shall be delighted to clasp them in my arms again. Love to
all. They are calling me for dinner."

[•'Head-quarters Reserve Artillery, March 5, 1864.

" After writing to you yesterday, I borrowed the horse of one of the
captains, and had a delightful ride over to Brandy Station. I thought
of my boys, and wished that they might be here for a little while to
enjoy the privilege of galloping over the Virginia fields. At Brandy
Station I found a letter in waiting — the one you sent by the hand of

sister M to Philadelphia, and while I tarried the cars arrived,

bringing another written on Tuesday evening. Thank you kindly for
these affectionate epistles. They come like angel visitants. I need not
say that they were read and re-read. I was sorry to hear of the con-
tinued illness of the children ; perhaps by this time they are all better.
Leaving them in the care of our faithful Heavenly Father, I feel assured

i98 LIFE OF ALFRED CO OK MAN.

that He will order all things well. Remember that if their illness is
serious or dangerous, you must at once telegraph for me. Parting with
sister and little ' Streak of Sunshine ' must have been another trial for
you. That boy Will would be the life and light of any home.

" Last night I preached again to a company of soldiers that entirely
crowded the tent. I trust that seed was sown in their hearts which will
speedily appear in the form of fruit. After the service was over, and all
were gone, I sat in my tent reading ; while thus engaged the curtain was
drawn aside, and a soldier entering, glided to my side. ' Chaplain,' said
he, ' I cannot rest — cannot sleep — I must have relief. Won't you pray
forme?' 'Oh yes, soldier,' said I, 'most gladly;' and after preaching
unto him Jesus, we kneeled down together, and I poured out my soul in
prayer for his speedy salvation. These facts are my inspiration and
encouragement during this time of exile from home.

" Last night I rested rather comfortably ; my shawl makes a good
pillow, and my overcoat, thrown over my blanket, contributes to the
warmth of my bed. To-day it is raining again ; most probably this will
prove a repetition of last Tuesday's stonn. Softening this Virginia soil,
these rains will oblige the army to remain where it is. In my experience
I am panting for more of God, more of His truth, more of His holiness,
more of His power ; ' hungering and thirsting ' expresses my feelings at
this time. Oh ! I want to return home in the fulness of the blessing of
the Gospel of peace."

"Artillery Reserve, March 7, 1864.

" My last letter was written on Saturday. In the evening of that day
we had an experience-meeting ; I would have given almost anything to
have had you present. The testimonies of Christian soldiers melted my
heart to tenderness, and my head was literally a fountain of tears. One
and another spoke affectionately of pious and praying mothers. A noble
Ohio soldier said, ' When I left my home, a dear, kind sister gave me that
little Testament, ' drawing the book from his side-pocket and holding it
up. ' I had not been a member of the army long, before I realized I
must have a friend. Who should be my friend ? I opened my little
Testament and read of Jesus. Oh what a Friend He has been to me !
This book has been a great comfort to me in my absence from home. It
is full of sweet promises. One is, " In my Father's house are many
mansions," etc. If I fall on the battle-field, I believe I shall go to
occupy my mansion in the everlasting kingdom of God.'

" But I cajmot begin to tell you all. It was one of the hours of my
life. Twelve or fifteen rose for prayers, and all testified ' It is good to

ARMY DISCOMFORTS. 199

be here.' Yesterday I preached in the afternoon, and again in the
evening. The interest is constantly on the increase. Last night the
tent was packed, and numbers went away unable to get in. Men rose
in every direction asking our prayers. Some came to me after the meet-
ing, and with unrestrained tears said, 'Chaplain, pray for me.' The
Christian men of the regiment and batteries are in the best of spirits,
while the outsiders are evidently interested and impressed. Some are
insisting that I shall accept the chaplaincy of the regiment, and march
with them during the approaching summer ; but this is not practicable.
I am sitting at the Master's feet, anxious to know His will concerning
me. ' Lord ! teach me and lead me,' is my constant prayer. I enjoy the
Divine presence more in preaching than at any other time. I am waiting
for revelations of God beyond anything I have ever experienced.

"The discomforts of my present situation will make me appreciate
and enjoy the advantages of my home when I return. For the last two
days we have been smoked out. The wind has driven the smoke down
the pipe of our little stove, making it almost impossible to breathe.
When I would rest upon the bed, I have been obliged to cover my face
with my handkerchief, and breathe through the linen. This morning
the wind has shifted again, and we get along better. My foot is still
pretty sore, preventing me from walking far ; but I do not suffer much,
and get along very well. To-day we are to have a grand review of
this division of the army. The weather is pleasant, and I suppose it
will be a grand affair. I wish my boys could witness it. "

" Sixth New York Heavy Artillery, March 9, 1864.
"Yesterday, I believe, is the first week-day that I have failed to
write to you since our separation. The reason was a jaunt to Culpepper
Court-house, distant about ten or twelve miles. I started in the morning
about ten o'clock, called at Brandy Station (but found no letters), pushed
on to Culpepper, which I reached a little after twelve. This has been
quite an important Virginia town. Some of the houses are respectable,
but, like all Southern villages, and especially those that have been
ravaged by war, it has an untasteful and dilapidated look. The soldiers
have been very rude. Only one of a number of churches is fit for occu-
pancy. I met with some friends, and enjoyed my visit. About half-past
two I started back, making a little detour from the road, and calling at
the house of Hon. John Minor Botts. He is faithful among the faith-
less. A member of Congress when father was chaplain, he remembered
father, and this fact secured me a warm welcome. Leaving his comfort-
able mansion (the only one I have seen in the Old Dominion), I reached
my present quarters about half-past four.

200 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

" The horseback ride of twenty-two miles left me wretchedly stiff and
sore. Nevertheless I preached in the evening. The Spirit of the Lord
seemed to rest upon the soldiers. Upwards of twelve rose for prayers,
and the meeting which followed was spirited and profitable. The night
before we had an experience-meeting. It was glorious. One old soldier
said, ' I was converted in 1843 5 ran we^ until I joined the army. Then
I began to lose ground. Like Feter, I denied my Lord, and, soldiers, I
do not know but in some instances, like Peter, I blasphemed. I said
bad words. I came to this meeting. In this tent God found me, as He
found Adam in the garden. He said, ' ' Soldier, where art thou ? "
Like Adam, I thought to hide myself. I tried to get away. No use.
Now I stand up, make this humble confession, and ask you to pray for
me.' A number profess to have experienced religion within the last few
days, and still the work goes on. The Christian Commission is the
Vhurch in the army. And though it may be attended with sacrifice, all
patriotic parties ought to be willing to take their turn in serving the
Church."

"Sixth New York Heavy Artillery,
Friday morning, March II, 1864.

" I have been writing this morning a letter to a wife who resides at
Garrison Station, on the line of the Hudson River Railroad. Last night
her husband was converted. The case is a thrillingly interesting one.
Two weeks since he tore himself from a dear, pious, and faithful wife
and three beloved children. His companion remonstrated with tears in
her eyes. Still he enlisted.

" After great hardship he reached this camp on Wednesday morning.
In the evening he came to the tent. The preached Word affected his
heart, and he rose for prayer. All day yesterday he was a subject of
powerful awakening. Last evening, during our experience-meeting, he
rose up (a noble-looking man), and, with tears raining down his cheeks,
said, ' Oh fellow-soldiers, how much I want to be saved ! All day I
have been wrestling with conviction. Now I yield — I yield ; I can hold
out no more. I am resolved to seek and serve God. Oh, won't you
please to pray for me ? ' I dropped on my knees, and poured out my
soul in importunate pleading. All the soldiers were wonderfully in-
terested and engaged. Prayer finished, the soldier rose again, and said,
• Fellow-soldiers, I must tell you ; I believe God has heard and answered
prayer. The love of Jesus is shed abroad in my heart. I am happy in
God. I came to be a soldier of the nation — now I am in addition a
soldier of Jesus. When we were coming here, very many of our com-

SOLDIERS AWAKENED. 201

pany were sorry that they had enlisted ; but oh ! if you will enlist in the
service of Jesus you will never be sorry.' Thereupon another soldier
sprang upon his feet and said, ' I will enlist to-night. Two of my
children are in Heaven. I want to meet them there, and I intend to
march with that dear man. Hear, fellow-soldiers, I enlist to-night.' I
can give you no idea of the meeting. It was wonderful — glorious ;
surpassed anything I ever witnessed. My own soul was richly bap-
tized. I lay down on my bed with a heart melting in gratitude before
God.

" Yesterday was one of the stormiest I ever saw. It rained violently
and blew fearfully. I thought again and again our tent must be pros-
trated. God, however, watched over us, and at the close of the day we
were living to praise Him. This morning it is foggy and misty. The
wind still lingers in the north-east. I am sustained by the conviction
that I am in the line of duty, and God strengthens and blesses me.
When the time comes to return home, I shall feel great joy in turning
my face and directing my steps to the dearest spot on earth to me.
How are you this morning, my darling Annie ? and how are my beloved
children? If I had the ' wishing-cap ' or the 'seven-league boots,' I
should know all about you in a little while. Our omnipresent and
omnipotent Father watches between us while we are absent one from
another. Blessed be His name ! Give the children three kisses apiece
for papa. Remember me affectionately to all relatives and friends.

Tell sister M to pray on. God hears and is answering her prayers.

Ask all friends to remember me at a throne of grace."

" Sixth N. Y. Heavy Artillery, Saturday, March 12, 1864.

" We have had a long, dismal rain-storm. Yesterday we had in the
morning a regular north-east drizzle ; in the afternoon and evening most
violent thunder-showers. This weather has shut us up in our tents, and
left the country around in a most terrible condition. The streams are
swollen to twice or thrice their original size, while the soil is stirred in
its depths. I think there is a good deal of solicitude at Washington
respecting an advance of the army ; but while the roads are in their
present condition the troops must almost necessarily continue stationary.
This will harmonize with the views of the soldiers, who, from previous
experience, seem to dread exposure, especially lying out, at this uncer-
tain season of the year. If they remain in winter quarters ten days
longer, it will include my term of service, and leave me free to return
home without the necessity of accompanying them in their proposed
marches. I think, however, any movement of the army now would be

202 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

a sufficient reason why I, with only a few days of furlough * remaining,
should retire from the front.

" This morning the sun shines brightly, and the air is as balmy as the
breath of May. I am quite well, barring a little rheumatism in my
shoulders, which makes it difficult to get my coat off and on. My foot
has been giving me a good deal of trouble.

" Our meetings yesterday were delightful. In the afternoon it was a
prayer and experience meeting ; at night I preached on the subject of
forgiveness of sins. The attendance was large and the interest unabated.
Large numbers rose for prayers. One new convert got up last night
and exhorted his fellow-soldiers powerfully. After this he prayed with
great tenderness and unction. I realize in my own experience great
nearness to the Saviour. Oh, what should I do without the love and
fellowship of Jesus ! Just now an old soldier brings into our little tent
a box he has received from home. Opening it for pa — apples, chickens,
preserves, eggs, cakes, etc. Noble fellow ! he is insisting that we shall
help ourselves. He would be glad if we would take half that he has.
Perfectly delighted, he says, ' Ain't it nice ? ' ' How thoughtful and
kind are my family at home ! ' Oh what a glorious thing it is to be
kind and generous and noble ! So I have filled up my daily epistle.
To-morrow is the Sabbath of the Lord. Oh that it may prove the best '
day of my life ! "

"Artillery Reserve, March 19, 1864.

" This is your letter from your papa. A little rough stool is my table,
but it does almost as well as my study desks. How very often I think
about you, my dear boys ! When I see the soldiers drawn up in then-
evening parade, and hear the drums beat, then I think about you, and
wish you were here to look upon these stirring scenes. When I get
astride of a nice horse I think about you, and wish you were here to
have a ride. When I lie upon my blanket at night I think about you,'
and pray our kind Heavenly Father to take good care of you during my
absence.

" Yesterday afternoon we had a great ' scare' Word came that the
rebels were advancing upon us. Sure enough, they were crossing the
Rapidan River, the dividing line between the two armies. Orders came
from head-quarters to be ready to march at a moment's notice. Accord-
ingly the soldiers packed their knapsacks, filled their haversacks with
three days' rations, and for a while all was excitement. Pa thought he

* From his Church.

LOVING WORDS TO CHILDREN. 203

was in for it, but in God was his trust. About seven o'clock the order
to march was recalled. This morning the regiment is all ready. While
I write fighting is going on. We can distinctly hear the cannons roar
in the distance. Pa had almost made up his mind to leave this morning
for Washington, but he thought, ' No, Monday is my time, and I will
wait and trust in my Heavenly Father, who has always taken such good
care of me.' How blessed it is, my boys, to love God, and feel that
He loves us ! Then we are safe anywhere. I want you all to be good, .
and then all will be well."

It was always a great trial to Mr. Cookman to be
separated from his family. He had scarcely got settled
upon his return from the army, when the physical condition
of his children required that some of them, at least, should
be taken to the homestead on the banks of the Susquehanna,
and the others with the mother soon followed. We are
indebted, however, to these separations for those familiar
and tender letters to his wife and children which reveal so
charmingly the family side of his character.

"New York, June 24, 1864.
" You must not think that pa has forgotten you because he has neg-
lected to write you a letter. Every day he thinks about his little George
and Frank, and wonders how they are getting along. I hope that you
are very obedient and kind to aunt Beckie and grandma, and all the rest.
I trust that you never quarrel with one another. Remember, little
brothers should be always full of love. You must not forget your
prayers morning and evening. Never say bad words or associate with
bad boys. If you hear a boy swear, turn your back upon him, and say,
he cannot be my playmate or companion any longer. Always go to
Sunday School, and remember to behave well in church. People around
are looking at you, and expect good conduct from the sons of a minister.
I am pleased to know that you go to school every day, and go so cheer-
fully. Give attention to your lessons, and learn as much and as fast as
you can. Be very attentive and kind to uncle Cyrus. Do not climb
up on him as you used to do, for that might give him pain in his wound.
Run his errands. Do everything you can to make him happy, for you
know he is your noble, brave soldier uncle. WThen you are large boys
or big men you will refer with pride to your patriot uncle, who was
wounded in the service of his country.

204 LIFE OF ALFRED C00KMAN.

"Yesterday we — that is, ma, Brune, Sis, Will, and myself — accom-
panied the Seventh Avenue Sabbath School on their excursion to Staten
Island. The day was warm, but we had a real nice time. Swings,
football, Copenhagen, and other sports interested the little folks. No
accident occurred, and we returned to the city about seven o'clock in the
evening. I suppose you would like to know about your little brothers
and sisters. Well, Brune is still very pale and thin, but I think a little
better than he was. He is very anxious for the time to come when we
shall go to Columbia, for he wants very much to see his little brothers
again. Sister has been sick, but is better again. She has had her large
doll fixed up, and is quite proud of it. She is a dear little girl. Will
is still a little ' streak of sunshine ' — is as fond of papa's study as ever.
Both he and Sis have new portemonnaies. Will has about twelve cents,
and Sis six. He is perfectly delighted with his treasure. Now, Frank,
don't your mouth water for a kiss ? On the second Sabbath of July
(ioth) I expect to be in Harrisburg. Perhaps some time the week
before I will bring ma and the rest to Columbia. Will you be glad to
see us ? Now my letter is full. Good-bye. Give our love to all. Be
good boys."

"New York, July 19, 1864.

" Did you ever receive a letter before? Now remember that this is
all yours, so that when mamma has read it to you, you can fold it up
and put it in the envelope again, and carry it about in your pocket, and
say, 'This is papa's letter to " Little Sunshine." ' Won't that be splen-
did ? How papa misses his little boy ! The study is so quiet now ; the
chairs keep in their places ; the old valise stays in the cupboard ; no
whoop to tell that the locomotive is coming ; no invitation to go in the
cars to Columbia ; nobody asks for my lead-pencil now ; or for a sheet of
white paper now ; or for a book with pictures in now. When papa sits
down at the table he is all alone. No little darling Will to sit close
alongside and wait for his buttered bread, or perhaps for a little sip of
papa's coffee, which you know is particularly nice. Don't you pity poor
papa ? Never mind. It won't be long. Two or three weeks, and then
pa will get in the steam-cars again. The old ilocomoshs ' will go ' chu !
chu ! chu ! ' and after a while he will come to Columbia. Then he will
look out of the car window, and there will be bright-eyed little Willie
on the fence waving his white handkerchief, shouting, ' Hurrah, boys !
hurrah ! here comes my precious papa ! ' Won't that be splendid ?
But I hear my little boy say, ' What will you bring me ? ' Kisses — ever
so many sugar-candy kisses. Don't you love my kisses ? I am sure I

BEREAVED OF A CHILD. 205

love yours. I wish you were here to give me one of those real, ripe,
sweet, juicy kisses that grow on your little red lips. Tell mamma that
papa is right well. He has just been writing letters to uncle Frank and

Edmund Y . This afternoon he expects to attend Dr. Palmer's

meeting, and perhaps afterward ride out to Harlem and see grandma.
Now, if little ' Streak of Sunshine ' was along, we would go on board
the 'Tiger Lily,' and sail as far as High Bridge. Wouldn't that be
splendid ? I hope that while I am away you will be a first-rate boy.
Never strike your dear little sister — no, indeed ! Never quarrel with
your little brothers, or pout or be disobedient to your precious mamma.
At the table do you eat with your fingers? — no, indeed, but with your
fork. Did you know it ? William Wilberforce Cookman is a perfect
little gentleman. When I get back to Columbia, I will ask mamma
and aunt Beckie and grandma, and if they say you have been a good
boy, then you shall have one of those nice, new, beautiful two-cent
pieces. Now don't you laugh — it is so. I will put it in that fat little
hand, and you shall feel — 'it is mine.' Now I must close Willie's
letter. When mamma gets through reading it, then give her a splendid
kiss, and tell her that is from papa ; and then go all around and give
every one one of your best, and tell them all it is from your dear pa
Good-bye,- my little darling."

Before leaving Trinity, Mr. and Mrs. Cookman suffered
a deep affliction in the death of little Rebecca, a child three
years and six months old. She was absent from home
when she died. This was the first time the Destroyer had
invaded their family circle. The father thus touchingly
alludes to their bereavement : —

" We have just been placing in the cold grave another beautiful gem,
to develop and re-appear in the promised resurrection. Our sweet little
Rebecca is now in the special keeping of Him who looks down and
watches all her dust till He shall bid it rise. I have many times sought
to comfort bereaved parents. God, by this providence, has been better
preparing me for this part of my ministerial duty. Our precious darling
was incomparably more beautiful in death than during life. Losing all
her baby-like look, she presented the appearance of a lovely little girl
— her features regular and perfect, her face little wasted, and indescrib-
ably sweet in its expression ; indeed, her exceeding beauty in death was

206 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

a matter of universal remark. I felt to-day what a trial it is to bury one
who is ' bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh.'

"Returning from the grave, the heart-stricken mother could not
restrain the audible ' Farewell, my precious darling ! ' I thought, ' Yes,
until we meet again in a tearless and deathless realm.' Oh how pre-
cious the word ' Comforter ' is to me this afternoon ! The blessed Third
Person comes unusually near, and comforts me with the comfort of God.
I have no doubt that this experience is in answer to the prayers of those
who are very dear to me."

Thus closed the pastorate at Trinity, and with it Mr.
Cookman's ministry in New York. The General Con-
ference, at its session of 1864, in Philadelphia, had ex-
tended the time that a minister could be appointed to any
one charge from two to three successive years ; but, for
reasons which seemed sufficient to all concerned, he de-
clined a re-appointment for the third year, and accepted a
pressing invitation to return to Philadelphia. He and the
Trinity people parted on the most agreeable terms, and
among them to this day no name is more revered for the
fragrant memories which cluster about it than his.

CHAPTER XVI.

RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA. — PASTORATE OF THE SPRING
GARDEN STREET CHURCH. — AMONG THE CHILDREN.

The immediate cause of the transfer of Mr. Cookman
again (1865) to the Philadelphia Conference, so soon after
leaving it for New York, was that his services were
earnestly sought for the new church which had been erected
in Philadelphia in Spring Garden Street. Several of his
former parishioners at Green Street were active men in
erecting the new church, and they felt that no one was so
well qualified to build up the new charge, to give it con-
sistency and stability, as their former beloved pastor.

The authorities having determined upon Mr. Cookman's
transfer to Philadelphia, he hastened to the session of his
old Conference at Harrisburg. Thence he wrote to his
wife :

"Harrisburg, March, 1865.

" I should have written yesterday, but duties multiplied, engrossing
all my time ; among the rest the responsibility and trial of preaching
last night. Oh ! it was a heavy burden, but I took it up in the name
of my Master, and was helped. I feel very humble and quiet and
grateful this morning. We have commenced an eight o'clock prayer-
meeting this morning ; the season was very blessed. You will be
interested in every step of my progress, and so I will go back. On
Tuesday night I left Philadelphia with quite a number of ministerial
brethren. Comfortably ensconced in a berth of the sleeping-car, I

2o8 • LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

dozed until Harrisburg was announced ; proceeding to our friend C.'s,
I met a most affectionate reception. The brethren at Conference were
very cordial ; business was rapidly dispatched, and a place assigned me
on one or two committees, and at the close of the morning session my
appointment for evening was announced. During the day I met
friends in every direction ; they were as cordial as though I had been
their pastor last year. God has given us a strong hold upon the hearts
of this people.

' ' The duty of preaching last night involved a terrible trial. I would
rather have taken severe lashings ; but I dared not refuse — it seemed to~
me that it might be in the order of God ; and what is my will in com-
parison with the Divine will ? My Heavenly Father knows how simple
and pure was my motive. I had a good time — the brethren say great
good was accomplished ; but this morning I feel like a whipped child,
indisposed to look anybody in the face. My soul, however, is full of
tender love for Jesus ; I cling to Him with increasing affection and
devotion. ' Happy, if Thou, my Lord, approve.' Pray for me : I
want that this Conference time may be a Pentecostal season for us all."

Mr. Cookman's welcome was, if possible, even heartier
than on the occasion of his return from Pittsburgh. It is
doubtful if any friends are like the heart's first friends. His
early associates were now more deeply attached to him than
ever before. His re-entrance into their ranks was hailed
with delight ; and he, as was natural, felt again the tran-
quillizing sense of home, which gave him a new spring for
his chosen work. The reception which the people would
give him could not be questioned, in view of his popularity
when stationed in the city and the enthusiastic greetings
which always met him on his occasional visits. His brother
George wrote in the winter of 1863 to his mother after one
of these brief sojourns :

" We enjoyed Alfred's visit hugely. He is a prime
fellow, and his trip over here was productive of great
good. I never saw such a sight as the Monday evening
he preached at Green Street — altar crowded, and some
thirty or forty in the congregation rose for prayers. We are

AMONG THE CHILDREN. 209

going to have him back to Philadelphia some of these
days."

The Spring Garden charge presented the most favourable
conditions for Mr. Cookman's resumption of the Christian
ministry as a pastor in the great city of the Keystone State.
The new, capacious, and elegant church, with every modern
facility for effective church Work, was admirably located to
accommodate the growing population in the north-west
section of the city. It was thoroughly manned by official
boards full of energy, zeal, and liberality. Its success was
assured from the beginning. The new pastor's name was a
tower of strength. The pews immediately after the dedi-
cation were rapidly taken, and it entered promptly upon a
career of usefulness such as has been hardly surpassed by
any charge in any of our great centres.

Among the features of the Church was its large and well-
conducted Sunday School. No minister ever more highly
appreciated the Sunday School as an arm of pastoral success
than Mr. Cookman. He was in the truest sense in all
places a part of his school, regarding himself as responsible
for a close contact with it and a most intimate knowledge
of its workings. He felt that the same heart must send its
pulsations through the whole congregation, composed alike
of adults and children. His habit was to know and to be
known to teachers and scholars, to meet them on the most
familiar terms, and so to inspire them with affection as to
be able to utilize them as instruments and as materials for
the incessant supply of workers in the Church and additions
to its members. The secret of his great power with children
was his love for them. This the children could always see
and feel, and hence he invariably enlisted their sympathies.
He was one of the most successful talkers to youth America
has known. His tact in awakening and keeping attention,

14

210 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

by presenting truth under the drapery of description, or in
the form of illustration, or by some apt question, or by
the flash of gentle humour, or by a tone of solemn appeal,
was really consummate. Who ever knew an audience of
children to tire under him ? Who has not seen congrega-
tions of them, wearied by some prosy homilist who had
preceded him, suddenly electrified as he rose before them,
and his look of familiar sweetness and voice of melody
caught eye and ear? He was never happier than when
before the upturned faces of his "little brothers and sisters,"
as he loved to call his youthful auditory, or when, sur-
rounded by a throng of them, they plucked familiarly at his
coat to catch his notice, or when, seated at the fireside of
his own or some other Christian home, the boys and
girls drew about him to listen to his naive and simple
stories.

It is said of the celebrated John Charlier Gerson, who
was Chancellor of the University of Paris, and the theo-
logical leader of the reformatory councils of Pisa (1409)
and Constance (141 5), that, after taking a prominent part
in all the great questions of his age, he retired to a convent
at Lyons, and found his chief delight in the instruction of
children.* Alfred Cookman was never greater than when
in his humility he stooped to be the companion and friend
of Christ's little ones. Talking one day with a lad of one
of his charges, he said, " Willie, do you pray ? " " Yes,
Mr. Cookman," was the reply. " When you pray, what do
you pray for ? You know we must have an object when we
pray." " Why, sir, I have a very bad temper, and I pray
to God to help me to overcome it." "And does He help
you ? " " Yes, sir, I think He does." Such was the affection,

* Lange's Comm. on Matt., p. 323.

THE PASTOR AND THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 211

the directness, with which he approached the children and
youth of his parishes.

It may not be amiss here to present at some length in
his own words his views of the relation of " the pastor and
the Sunday School." The report, though not full, is very
suggestive : —

" A practical talk on the relation of the pastor to the Sunday-school
was made by the Rev. Alfred Cookman.

"He did not design discussing the theory of this relation, but to give
his views of what it should be, illustrating by his own experience in
trying to carry out his convictions on this subject.

"1. A pastor ought to spend a part of every Sabbath in the midst of
his school ; be intimately interested and identified with it. He should,
if possible, know the name, secure the confidence, and engage the affec-
tions of every child in his charge. To further this, he may pass around
the school from time to time quietly, unostentatiously, taking the hand
of the teacher, smiling upon or speaking to the class, or to members of
it, by name, as, ' Brother Charley, I hope that you are very well to-
day,' or, ' Harry, my little brother, I trust that you are enjoying your
lesson — do you find it difficult ? ' or, ' Mary, my little sister, you must
not fail to give God your heart ;' or, ' Lizzie, I am hoping that, after a
while, I shall have the pleasure of meeting you in heaven, as I now
have the pleasure of meeting you in Sabbath-school. ' Thus the presence
of the pastor will be greeted as a living, moving blessing, and as he
crosses the threshold of the room little eyes will brighten, and hearts
overflow with loving gladness.

" The pastor should also recognise his scholars in the street and at
their homes, as well as in the schoolroom. The speaker had charged
his children to run up to him and take him by the hand in the street,
and to make themselves known whenever and wherever they should
meet him.

"2. A second suggestion is that the pastor should preach steadily or
regularly to the children of his Church, members of his Sabbath-school.
This is not to say that he should monopolize the superintendent's time
by remarks, but have fixed periods when^ after due preparation, he shall
speak a word of loving counsel, warning, or encouragement. ' After
due preparation, ' mark, for there can hardly be a greater mistake than
to suppose that this exercise requires little or no preparation. Dr.
Newton, that prince of children's preachers, had told him that he

212 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

devoted as much time and labour to his ' children's sermons ' as to those
which he prepared for the great congregation. The reason why it has
come to be a received truth that so few are adapted to talk to children,
is because so few take the time and thought necessary to prepare them-
selves for the work. Then, after thorough preparation, they must put
themselves in sympathy with their youthful hearers, and should aim
rather to talk to them than ' address ' them.

" In connection with the service called ' Children's Sermon,' Mr.
Cookman has found it advantageous to encourage the older scholars to
submit to him, the Sabbath after they have heard it, a report of his
sermon, which may be longer or shorter as they may please. He re-
ceives it, takes it home, carefully examines and corrects it, marks it
'very good,' 'excellent,' 'good,' according to its merits, and signs it
carefully, ' Your affectionate pastor,' appending his name. The report
is then returned to the scholar. The idea has proved useful in several
very obvious ways.

"3. As a third suggestion, a pastor would find it helpful to him and
his school to have a week-day meeting of a children's class, over which
he could have supervision in the matter of Christian duty and walk. In
most of his charges, Mr. Cookman had held such a class on Saturday
afternoon at three o'clock. Punctuality is insisted upon, the roll called,
and absentees marked. If a scholar is absent two or three weeks con-
secutively, without an excuse, his name is stricken from the roll. After
singing and prayer, and singing again, the pastor asks a few questions
bearing on practical religion — as, whether they have remembered to read
their Bibles daily, and pray to God morning and night since they last
met, the answers being given by raising the hand. In such an exercise
the speaker had been impressed with the fact that so few of his scholars
were accustomed to pray twice a day. They are then encouraged to
stand up in their place and recite a passage of Scripture on a topic
announced the week before, or one having the name of Jesus in it, or
one beginning with A, B, C, D, etc., going regularly through the
alphabet. An opportunity is then given to the pastor to reply person-
ally to the scholars, giving a short word to each on the text they have
recited perhaps, and then general remarks to the class for fifteen or
twenty minutes, with the aid of the blackboard, concluded with singing.
These exercises last three-quarters of an hour, never exceed an hour.
Tracts and children's papers and reward-cards are then distributed, and
the class separates. Each child is taken by the hand on parting, and
some such sentiment expressed as, ' I hope you will be found obedient
at home, kind to little brothers and sisters during the week,' etc.

".4. As a last suggestion, the pastor should be concerned to organize

FAMILIAR LETTERS TO HIS BOYS. 213

a Bible-class, composed of his teachers and members of the larger classes
who might choose to join it. This class may meet during the week to
study their next Sunday's lesson. They had organized one in the
speaker's charge, which promised most important results. It meets on
Saturday evenings. The first hour is devoted to the lesson, in asking and
answering questions, using the question-book as a guide, but not con-
fining themselves to it. This exercise is made a free, familiar inter-
change of thought and inquiry. The next half-hour of one week is
devoted to teachers' experiences, the relation of encouragements and
discouragements, or to prayer over the work. On the next week this
half-hour is given to reading by the pastor of short biographical or other
sketches of religious interest, making it eminently practical. On the
third meeting two or three short essays, written by scholars, are read.
On the fourth, after the regular exercises, committees appointed by the
pastor on various subjects — such as sick and delinquent members, on new
members, the prayer-meetings (which the young men and young women
conduct separately), on sick and afflicted church members, on tract
distribution, etc. — all make their reports. Thus an interest is taken in
all the work of the Church, and the pastor is training helpers all around
him. The whole secret of his success lies in some such efforts, by
which his flock, young and old, shall be kept employed in the Master's
vineyard.

" For a pastor to neglect the command, ' Feed my lambs,' and thus
to turn aside from a field ' white to the harvest,' is to indicate a strange
unfitness for the veiy work to which he ought to believe himself Divinely
called beyond any question."

Several letters of Mr. Cookman to his children have
already been given. I insert others here, written about this
date, as illustrative of his manner of dealing with his
own children. His children were summering at or near
Columbia.

" This letter is for ' Posse kin,' as ma sometimes calls you. I expect
you are having an elegant time at grandpa's — rolling your hoop, flying
your kite, playing with Rollo, and helping grandma to make garden.
' You must not eat up all the gooseberries and cherries and currants before
pa comes to Columbia ; if you do, pa will lay you down on the floor,
and he will tickle you— oh, how he will tickle you ! I hope that you
are a very good boy, that you obey everything that aunt Beckie tells

214 LIFE OF AIFRED COO KM AN.

you, that you say your prayers every morning and evening, that you
never quarrel with little Bruner, and that you keep away from the rail-
road and river. Would you not like to see the little sister ? She is a
bouncing, beautiful girl, and begins to crow like a chicken. Frank
Simpson talks a great deal about Bruner and George : he says, ' Boys
gone in the cars — gone to Columbia.' When pa and ma come they
will bring Frank and the little sister. Then you will take Frank in the
garden and show him the flowers, won't you ? and you will put little
Annie in a carriage, and take her riding. Then pa will get a big
carriage and a live horse, and with his little boys he will drive out in
the country. Won't we have a good time ? Now remember to be a
good, obedient boy, and pa will bring you a pretty present. Give a
kiss to grandma, grandpa, and aunt Rebecca, and all the rest. When
they will let you see that new baby at uncle Aby's, you must ask him to
let you give it a kiss for pa, and let it be one of your very best kisses.
Pa and ma send you a locomotive full of love."

' ' Bruner's letter came to hand this morning. We were glad to learn
that you were quite well and enjoying yourselves. You must be very
good boys during your stay in Columbia. Make as little noise and
trouble as possible. Grandma and grandpa are both old, and therefore
cannot bear as much as they once could. You must try and remember
this, and when you are in the house talk in subdued tones and sit
quietly in your chairs. I think you ought to take a part of every day
for reading. If all study and no play makes Jack a dull boy, then all
play and no study makes Jack a very good-for-nothing boy. Select
some interesting book, read more or less every day, and when I come
to Columbia you can each one report the number of pages you have
read, for I shall certainly ask the question. Do not quarrel with one
another ; such conduct is disgraceful, and especially between brothers.
This spirit often leads to blows, and blows to serious injuries, and even
death. Nothing could grieve me so much as to know that my boys
did not feel kindly or affectionately toward each other. Always be
gentle and patient and affectionate in your conversation and sports and
intercourse.

"Another thing — never forget that you are young Christians,
members of the Church. The eyes of others are upon you. I do not
suppose that you would tell falsehoods or say bad words, or take what
did not belong to you. But remember that angry tempers and angry
words are inconsistent with the Christian character. You have not left
your religion in Philadelphia, but taken it with you. Let it influence
you to read your Bible every day, to pray three times a day, and to go to

MEETING FOR PROMOTION OF HOLINESS. 215

class-meeting every week. Ask aunt Beckie if she will not take you
with her ; and though it may be a trial — a great trial — yet for the sake
of your dear Saviour consent to the trial, and resolve to attend a class-
meeting every week. In this matter take your father's advice. He
knows what is best, for he has been through all your experiences. Read
this letter over and over again, think of and remember the advice we
have given. Be quiet as possible, read a little every day, don't quarrel,
act like little Christians, go to class- meeting. About going down the
country, we will see when I go to Columbia. This morning we are all
pretty well. The baby, who was quite sick all day yesterday, seems
better. This is probably owing to the agreeable change in the weather.
Mamma says that when it suddenly becomes cool you must not forget
to put on thicker clothing. Will scalded his foot this morning, and for
a while was a lame and crying little soldier. But petroleum and flour
have cured him so far that he is now out of doors playing. How is
little sister Puss ? Let every brother give her two kisses for me. I am
glad she was pleased with her book. Of course she will read it all
through, and be able to tell us all about it when we meet."

A meeting for the promotion of holiness was promptly-
established at Spring Garden ; but for sufficient reasons
Mr. Cookman allowed it to be removed to the Methodist
Book-rooms, in Arch Street. He by general consent was
continued the leader of the meeting while he remained in
the city. This " Friday-afternoon meeting " has become an
institution, and is resorted to by persons of all denomina-
tions from far and near. Mr. Cookman also frequented,
as when previously in Philadelphia, the meetings under the
conduct of Mrs. Keen.

The first year of the pastorate at Spring Garden was one
of solid and abiding usefulness. There is no record which
acquaints us with the details of the devoted pastor's labours,
but the minutes of the Conference show increase in all
departments.

As evidence of the high esteem in which the pastor and
his wife were held, the congregation, on the 6th of March
1866, the fifteenth anniversary of their marriage, gave them

2i6 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

a " crystal wedding." Their home in Wallace Street was
crowded with the members of the congregation, who
brought with them many tasteful articles as mementoes of
the occasion. A presentation speech was made to the
happy pair by Mr. Alexander Irwin, to which Mr. Cook-
man replied in his usually felicitous style. He was much
moved while he spoke, and at the close called upon the
company to sing, "Praise God, from whom all blessings
flow," and then offered prayer.

Mr. Cookman never appeared to greater advantage than
amid those scenes, when he was surrounded by the com-
pany of his friends, drawn together in honour of himself,
or of some friend, or for the advancement of the social
culture of the Church. He was commonly the central
attraction of all such gatherings, not so much by his official
station as by the charm of his person and character : hand-
some, dignified, and affable, he moved among the circles
which he frequented with a modest grace, an instinctive
recognition of the claims of others, a kindly salutation for
every one, an evident appreciation of all that is best in
his fellow-beings, which, while it showed him to be a
man of

"Cheerful yesterdays, and confident to-morrows,"

also made it manifest to all that the source of his cheerful-
ness and of his friendship was deep in the springs of a pure
nature.

Mr. Cookman's close sympathy with the Young Men's
Christian Association during his former residence in
Philadelphia will be remembered. He shows himself again
on their platform, and speaks in the following timely and
earnest words :

"Ecclesiastical history tells us of one of the ancient Christians who,

THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 217

when summoned before the tribunal where he was to receive his sentence
of death, was asked, ' What is thy name ? ' He immediately responded,
'I am a Christian.' 'What is thy occupation?' He answered,
' I am a Christian. ' ' What is thy native country ? ' He answered, ' I
am a Christian. ' ' Who were thy ancestors ? ' He answered, ' I am a
Christian.' And to all the inquiries he responded consistently in the
words, ' I am a Christian.' Sir, it is with a feeling akin to this that I
appear upon your platform to-night — not as an American, not as a
Methodist, not as a sectarian, Mr. President — I am a Christian. I
glory in this worthy distinction ; and in the presence of men and angels
I announce the fact, ' I am a Christian ' — a humble member, an un-
worthy representative of the Young Men's Christian Association of the
City of Philadelphia.

"Allow me, sir, to congratulate you and the friends of this worthy
enterprise upon the brilliant and truly inspiring scene which greets our
vision and crowns our anniversary. Certainly these Christian labourers
are encompassed about with a great cloud of witnesses. Look at them
sitting in these boxes, occupying this lower floor and yonder gallery
— filling the entire house, making it appear almost like an ancient
amphitheatre, which, during the progress of the Olympic games, would
be crowded in every part, causing the place to look like a living, breath-
ing structure. It shows how dear to the heart of every Christian is the
cause of Christianity, and the welfare of every instrumentality intended
to promote the interests of religion. These young men shall rise up
like a race of young giants, showing themselves mighty in pulling down
the strongholds of the wicked one. Now we have in the midst of us
the Ark of the Covenant. Upon our banners are inscribed the words,
' Christ and Him crucified.' This is the motto under which we success-
fully battle. It is true, we still want the baptism of fire— that fire
which shall constantly burn in our hearts, that shall glow in our -
countenances, kindle upon our tongues, and shine in our lives.

"Mr. President, I was greatly excited by the cordial welcome you
extended to these delegates, hailing as they do from the North, South,
East, and West. Only a week since I was in the city of Pittsburgh,
and spent there one of the happiest evenings of my life. That such may
be the case with you all to-night is my earnest wish. But a few years
have elapsed since the veterans of 181 2, hailing from almost every state
in the Union, assembled in yonder hall in Chestnut Street, where more
than eighty-three years ago there was prepared for publication to the
world the memorable Declaration of American Independence. Finding
the room too small for the number present, they adjourned to the
Chinese Museum, which afforded them more spacious accommodations.

218 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

At the second organization it was ascertained that some of the delegates
were absent. The New York delegation was every moment expected.
Soon the stentorian voice of the door-keeper was heard, and the shout of
the ' New York Delegation ' resounded throughout the building. That
vast audience sprang upon their feet, and made the edifice literally vocal
with their shouts of enthusiastic welcome. The Baltimore veterans,
coming in immediately after, were received with the wildest shouts of
enthusiastic joy. And now, when the good soldiers of Jesus Christ are
coming from the battles of our world to sit down in a convention that
shall never adjourn sine die, an angel at one door, with shouts of joy,
will announce the names of the Young Men's Christian Association of
New York ; another angel, at another door, will announce the Young
Men's Christian Association of Troy ; another the names of the associa-
tions of Baltimore, Germantown, and a thousand other places, all
coming to mingle together in the Paradise of God. May God grant
such may be the case, and that we may all be united in a bond of union
that shall hever know dissolution ! "

CHAPTER XVII.

spring Garden street church. — civil rights of the
coloured race. — vacation at camp-meetings.

The session of this Conference of 1866 over, Mr. Cook-
man hastened to the help of his brother John, who was
stationed in Poughkeepsie, New York. He found him in
the midst of an extensive revival, but greatly prostrated in
health ; and although he was himself just out of an arduous
winter's work, he could not refrain from entering earnestly
into the work on his brother's hands.
To his wife : —

" Poughkeepsie, Monday, March 26.

..." We found John in bed, a victim of diphtheria and great
nervous prostration. Last Wednesday the doctor was very much
alarmed. Yesterday morning early, and again in the afternoon, he had
very bad spells. This morning, however, he seems better, and we hope
will recover rapidly. His people are earnest and united in the prayers
for the preservation of his life, which seems to them exceedingly valu-
able. His labours have been singularly blessed. It is estimated that
nearly three hundred have professed to experience religion, among
whom are a large number of heads of families, and strong, stalwart
young men. The end is not yet.

' ' I preached yesterday morning on the cloud of witnesses. After the
sermon the altar was surrounded by gentlemen and ladies, who pro-
posed to join the Church on probation. In the afternoon we had a
prayer-meeting, with an altar full of penitents. In the evening I
preached on ' Ye will not come,' etc. The altar was again filled with
mourners, and some occupied the front seats. This morning, and every

220 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

morning at nine o'clock, a meeting, largely attended, is held in the
lecture-room. I preach to-night, to-morrow night, and perhaps on
Wednesday night. John has not been out of his bed since last Tuesday,
so that he is entirely laid aside. The friends interpret my presence
as a providential interposition. If you need me before Thursday,
telegraph, and I will be forthcoming at the earliest moment, but, unless
there should be some emergency demanding my presence, I reckon I
shall stay till Thursday. I have the prospect of incessant labour while
I remain here, but this work shall make my heart rejoice, and ' spend
the remnant of my days. ' "

The successful close of the late civil war, it will be re-
membered, entailed upon the nation problems of reconstruc-
tion second only in importance and difficulty to that of
maintaining the unbroken authority of the general Govern-
ment. The chief problem was the settlement of the relations
of the freed coloured race to the new order of things. The
negro was free — he could not be again reduced to slavery.
Should he advance in the essential conditions of freedom to
the possession of those civil rights without the exercise of
which liberty is but a name ? Such was the question which
in 1866 forced itself upon the true lovers of the country and
of humanity for a speedy and practical solution.

It cannot be denied that the first stage of transition from
bondage to freedom was to the coloured people of the
South a period of fearful trial and suffering. " The reaction
which followed at the waters of strife, upon the exultation
of the passage of the Red Sea, has been fitly described
as the likeness of the reaction which, from the days of
Moses downward, has followed on every great national eman-
cipation— one very just and beneficent revolution — when
the ' evils it caused are felt, and the evils which it removed
are felt no longer.' " * Many of the worst results of emanci-
pation, which the enemies of the slaves had predicted and

* Stanley's " History of the Jewish Church."

JUSTICE TO THE NEGRO. 221

their friends had feared, fell upon them. They wandered
about in multitudes, without food, clothing, or shelter.
Their irresponsible and defenceless condition exposed them
to sickness and immorality. They were tempted to drunken-
ness, theft, and murder. It is not surprising that they, like
the Israelites, longed at the " bitter waters " for the "flesh-
pots of Egypt." When in bondage, they felt only the evils
of their sad state, and anticipated in freedom naught but
the sweets of liberty. In their recollections they dreamed
of their snug quarters, their hoe-cakes, their merry evening
songs and dances, but forgot the chains, the whip, the ex-
tinction of manhood and all its ties ; and thus, as they saw in
the present only privation and peril, no wonder their hearts
failed them and hope well-nigh died out.

Many of the advocates of freedom were also alarmed.
The old, oft-repeated sophistry, that the negro is incapable
of self-government, seemed too well supported by the abuses
and shiftlessness which could not but follow upon the heels
of a people suddenly liberated, without the least education
in the habits of self-help. It again required the faith and
nerve to insist upon the rights of citizenship for the black
man that it had originally required to demand his liberation.
Mr. Cookman was among the number who stood forward
quite early in the reconstruction agitation for the bestowal
of these rights in all their fulness.

"Philadelphia, June 6, 1866.

" Last night I made a speech in the largest coloured church in Phila-
delphia. Two bishops, a book agent, a missionary, an editor, etc. (all
black), on the platform. Justice to the negro and justice to the traitor
was my political creed announced : duty to their brethren in the
South, the exhortation urged. We had a glorious time. I thought of
our honoured father, how he would have revelled and kindled and
flamed on such an occasion or under such circumstances.

" This suggests your inquiry respecting colonization. My impression
is that colonization belongs to some future providential development.

222 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKAIAN.

God is using the African race just now to teach us a lesson of justice
and human brotherhood. We are not sufficiently instructed or disci-
plined yet, and cannot dispense with the lesson-book. When we are
disposed to do justly in every particular, then I rather expect that
Providence will open some gold mines or oil wells, or something else in
the African coast, or in some other locality where black people can best
live, and so we shall work out the problem of colonization. At the
present time they are not only important for testing our integrity, but
also for cultivating our soil. As labourers they are indispensable to our
wealth and prosperity. I think colonization must be left to Providence
and the coloured people themselves. . We cannot force them away ; it
would be unwise, unkind, unchristian ; and to colonize as we have been,
doing is like emptying a river by taking out a bucketful now and then.
Let us live for the present, faithfully discharging the duty of the passing
hour, which is to educate and elevate a people whose unrequited
labours, multiplied wrongs, tedious bondage, and deep degradation give
them a special claim upon us. Give them the spelling-book, the Bible,
equal rights before the law, and the elective franchise as their weapon
of defence, and then leave all the rest to God. In such a case I would
implicitly trust the providence of One who is Himself infinitely just and
holy and good.

" We were very grateful to learn of the improvement in dear mother's
health. She does not know how unspeakably precious she is in the
appreciation of her children. As time leaves its mark upon face and
form, our love seems to be gentler, tenderer, and more sacred. We
feel to say, ' Handle her carefully, speak to her lovingly ; pour all the
sunshine .possible over the remaining years of her earthly sojourn.' Oh,
we enjoyed beyond expression her presence in Philadelphia. She never
before seemed so beautiful in my eyes. I felt as if I wanted to see her
every day. My visits were always too short for myself. God bless her
with the best of His blessings — and He does, for Hegives her Himself, and
next to this He gives her the enthusiastic love of her devoted children.-
We give her her vindication before she is taken from us, that she has
always been true, tender, sympathizing, loving, faithful — yes, the best
of mothers.

' ' I have written you a long letter, and yet I have not said nearly all
that is in my heart. My soul still trusts and triumphs in God. Oh
for a gust of praise to spread abroad the preciousness and power of full
salvation ! "

The summer of 1866 found Mr. Cookman, as usual,
turned "evangelist." Instead of spending the vacation

LETTER TO A PROMINENT CITIZEN. 223

month as a holiday, he went from camp-meeting to camp-
meeting, a herald of salvation. "What is the use of giving
you vacation ? " said one of his official brethren ; " you don't
rest, you go to all the camp-meetings and preach more than
if you were at home. I cannot favour it unless you will
rest." He replied, " I cannot accept on such condition. I
must preach. The Gospel is free."

A letter to a prominent citizen of Baltimore, and an
active layman of the Methodist Episcopal Church in that
city, indicates the extent to which his services were useful
at the Shrewsbury meeting, and for which his advice was
subsequently sought : —

" Philadelphia, September 3, 1866.

" I thank you for your fraternal letter. Any tidings from Shrewsbury,
blessed Shrewsbury, would be welcome, but such tidings were specially
grateful and encouraging.

" Restoration to perfect health, or the reception of an ample fortune
in the case of a dear friend, ought not to be as cheering intelligence as
the fact that one we love has by faith appropriated a perfect Saviour,
and is living in the enjoyment of sanctifying grace.

" ' Glory to the Lamb,'1 that the young men of North Baltimore are
putting on the whole panoply of God ! Full of the Divinity, and
valiant for the truth, may they prove themselves mighty in pulling down
the strongholds of sin and hell. If I had their ear, I would say, with
a brother's love and earnestness, Hold fast to that whereunto ye have at-
tained.' Do not allow any temptations or influences to lure you from
the experience and profession of Christian holiness. For Chrisfs sake,
for the Church's sake, for the world's sake, for the sake of this precious
doctrine, for the sake of that virgin purity which is now upon your
souls — for all these reasons do, I beseech you, do continue steadfast and
immovable, testifying humbly but definitely that ' the blood of Jesus
cleanseth from all sin.'

" Let no one think for a moment that because God has answered his
prayer, and granted him a deeper work of grace, that therefore he may
hope for an exemption from trials, temptations, and difficulties. These
will come, but if we are ' looking unto "Jesus ' they will not move us off the
Rock, and that is the important matter. In the time of conflict or dark-
ness, be concerned about tzoo things. First, Is my consecration entire?

224 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

Yes. Second, Do I this moment accept and trust in Jesus as my perfect
Saviour ? Yes. Then ' all is well ' — I am on the Rock. The Rock
may be in the valley or on the hill-top, in the cloud or in the sunshine
— it matters not ; if we are on that sure foundation, all is well. It is
not darkness or temptation or trial that separates the soul from God — it
is only sin. Let, then, our trusting souls adopt as their motto, ' Any-
thing but SIN.'

' ' The days I spent at the camp-meeting were among the happiest
and best of my life. Can I ever forget some of those blessed scenes
and seasons ? Sabbath morning — Sabbath evening ; Tuesday morning
— Tuesday night in the preachers' tent ; Wednesday morning, when I
so reluctantly withdrew myself from those hallowed privileges. Oh ! I
remember it all. It supplies a rich feast of memory. It constrains at
this moment a heartfelt glory to the Lanib. I shall never cease to praise
God for the Shrewsbury camprmeeting of 1866. My Baltimore friends,
always precious, never seemed so dear before. Oh ! I want to walk
with them upon the King's highway of holiness, and after a while spend
an eternity with them in the sweet groves of bliss. Convey to any
whom you may meet, assurances of my Christian affection, and believe
me, beloved brother, yours for full salvation."

Another honoured layman* of Baltimore, alluding to Mr.
Cookman's labours at the same camp-meeting, wrote subse-
quently : —

" I owe more, under God, to Brother Cookman than to
any other being for the experience which I now enjoy. His
sweet voice, ringing out so clearly, ' Be ye holy,' was the
first to awaken in my mind an anxious inquiry on the subject
of Christian holiness. He led me into the higher life — into
the possession of a brighter and deeper religious experience.
Now that he has fallen, I feel more than ever like being
true to the doctrine which it seemed his special mission so
forcibly to proclaim."

A letter written to his sister, February 15th, 1867, will be
read with interest because of its references to the deaths of
cherished friends, especially that of the Rev. Dr. Monroe,

* Mr. John Hurst.

LETTER TO HIS SISTER. 225

Secretary of the Church Extension Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. It is not too much to say that the whole
Church shared in the feeling of sorrow here expressed by
Mr. Cookman. The letter, which was written soon after
from the seat of the Conference at Harrisburg, will recall
to those who were present the tender fidelity which he
showed as chairman of the committee on memorial services
for deceased brethren. The beautiful service for rendering
the occasion impressive was due to his thoughtfulness.

"February 15, 1S67.

" We have had an unusually solemn week. The tribe of Levi, with
its immediate adherents, seem, in the providence of God, to have been
placed in the front of the battle. The arrows of death are flying
around us thick and fast. First the self-sacrificing Beckwith, of the
Bedford Street Mission, fell, with this sentiment upon his lips : ' I am
safe in Jesus — all is well.' Last Saturday a daughter of the Rev.
William Barnes went to Heaven ; her last words were, ' I have fought
a good fight.' Tuesday I made the address at the funeral of Helen
Batcheldor,* and accompanied the cortege to Trenton. Her dying
testimony was, ' I see Jesus. ' On Wednesday we had the funeral
obsequies of the lamented Munroe, one of the most useful and
efficient ministers of American Methodism. It was one of the most
impressive occasions of the kind I ever witnessed. Hundreds of minis-
ters, great multitudes of people, the deepest bereavement, the most un-
disguised affection, and the most tender and touching eulogies. Munroe
died gloriously. It was virtually a translation, while the character of
the man and the circumstances of his death make the event a sermon
addressed to a continent. Personally I am greatly bereaved. Dr.
Munroe was a great favourite of mine — one of my model ministers.
My estimate of him is expressed in the resolutions of the Philadelphia
Preachers' Meeting. Dr. Mattison's address on the occasion of the
funeral was especially beautiful. I wish you could have heard it. In
the midst of ' deaths oft ' I cling to that perfect love that casteth out all
fear, sweetly realizing that with my life hid with Christ in God, nothing
shall be able to separate the bond. All is well — all is well."

* Widow of the late Rev. Mr. Batcheldor, of the New Jersey Con-
ference, and daughter of the Rev. Dr. Bartine.

15

CHAPTER XVIII.

SPRING GARDEN STREET CHURCH. THE DEATH OF GEORGE

COOKMAN AND OF ALFRED BRUNER COOKMAN.

The unremitting pastor had hardly rested from the evange-
listic labours of the summer, when one of the heaviest
calamities of his life fell upon him in the sudden death of
his brother George, which occurred October ist, 1867.

The death of this Christian man, though sudden, was not
without premonitions. His health had been precarious
for some time, but immediate danger was not apprehended.
He lived, however, in constant preparation for death, by-
living in constant devotion to God and duty. He was
almost literally translated from the scenes of his earthly
activity and joy.

Wide and deep as was the sorrow felt at the loss of a lay-
man uniting so many qualities of the Christian, the gentle-
man, and the business man, it could do but little to conduct
from the heart of Alfred the ache which settled upon it.
Rarely had two brothers been so joined from boyhood ; and,
subsequent to George's conversion, their fellowship had
been of the most intimate and intense character. There
was the most perfect natural and spiritual kinship — they
thought, felt, and acted together ; and when the one fell it
was like tearing from the survivor his other half, the comple-
ment of himself.

THICKENING SHADOWS. 227

Laurel Hill was within the next few months to become
even more sacred and precious, by reason of others who
should be gathered to its silent bosom. In the spring follow-
ing he was called as the pastor of Bishop Simpson's family
to stand by the dying bed of their son, Mr. Charles Simpson,
and to administer to him and to them the consolations
which now more than ever experience had taught him to
understand. He had seen its embrace receive his minis-
terial friends Munroe, Heston, and Brainard, his young
friend Simpson, his child Rebecca, his brother George ; but
the grave was yet unsatisfied, and the demand soon came
for one even nearer and dearer than all the rest. His eldest
son, Bruner, who had so long struggled with disease, and
who at times had given signs of improvement with the hope
of ultimate recovery, at last succumbed to the destroyer.
The brave boy died March 2nd, 1868. Thus the shadows
thickened around the devout pastor and his family. Yet in
the deepest darkness he retained his cheerfulness ; under all
the suffering his spirit — as grapes when pressed give forth
the invigorating juice — seemed to grow in saintliness both
as to intrinsic depth and visible influence.

' ' The darts of anguish fix not

Where the seat of suffering is thoroughly fortified
By acquiescence in the will supreme."

The following " Biography of a Good Boy " was written
by Mr. Cookman, and afterwards published by request in
the Methodist Home Journal, and is so creditable alike to
father and son, and so well adapted to benefit the youthful
readers of this volume, that I insert it almost entire : —

" BIOGRAPHY OF A GOOD BOY.

" Our precious son, Alfred Bruner Cookman, brought to our home
great joy, and for nearly sixteen years was a constant satisfaction and

228 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

comfort. If there is such a thing as natural goodness, he seemed to be
its fortunate possessor. His instincts were all in the direction of virtue
and propriety. Strictly conscientious, we never heard of his uttering
either a profane or an obscene word. No one ever suspected him of
anything like falsehood. As our memory serves us now, we cannot
recall a single act of disobedience to his parents. In the family circle
he stood as a faithful little monitor, constantly careful respecting the
morals, habits, manners, and appearance of his brothers and sisters.
Naturally dignified and thoughtful, he impressed all by his quiet move-
ments, his perfect politeness, and his singular sense of propriety.

" With these superior qualities of character he associated fine intel-
lectual characteristics. His feeble health, extending through a number
of years, had hindered somewhat his literary culture, nevertheless few
boys of his age had read so much. He was a voracious reader. Some-
times we would chide him for his application to his book, and had
literally to drive him into other exercises.

"In the use of the pencil he evinced great taste and skill. An
amateur artist of Philadelphia, after looking at some of his productions,
congratulated us on his superior talent, suggesting that it furnished
promise of future fame.

" In his recitations on the occasions of anniversaries and public
meetings (exercises that he always enjoyed), he was graceful; impressive,
and popular. It is a significant fact in this connexion that his last,
and one of his happiest declamations, was ' The Burial of Sir John
Moore.'

" His thoughtfulness revealed itself in his attention to and remem-
brance of sermons, the numerous questions he would ask on Scriptural,
theological, and general subjects, and his interest on the vital question
of his personal salvation.

" Five years since, when we expected him to die, he professed to
experience on his bed of sickness the forgiveness of his sins. When he
partially recovered, one of his first wishes expressed was to unite him-
self with the Church. Accordingly, on the first Sabbath of 1863,
when he was ten years of age, his dear mother led him to the altar,
while his father had the exceeding joy of welcoming him as a pro-
bationer in the Central Methodist Episcopal Church, in the city of
New York.

" His Christian life was marked by consistency of conduct and strict
attention to religious duty. His prayers were never forgotten. His
Bible was read every day. His class-meeting was regularly attended.
Fond of his Sabbath School, he was always in his place, and for his
teacher and classmates cherished a special love. Those classmates had

GRACE CHURCH, WILMINGTON. 237

its large rooms and efficient 'control, grew to great propor-
tions, and in all the elements of strength and self-propaga-
ting power. It soon projected a mission-school, known as
the Epworth Chapel.

The customary meeting for the promotion of holiness
was established. Such a meeting was now with him a
necessity, not only of his ministry, but of his personal
religious life. He must gather some of his flock and of the
Christian community, however few, into the closest fellow-
ship, for the distinct purpose of conference and prayer upon
the great object which he believed to lie at the very founda-
tion of individual and Church growth. When a little dis-
sent from his opinions and plans was expressed — though
feeling sometimes that he was misunderstood — he would
simply reply to the suggestion of friends that he should
explain himself, " Oh ! the Lord Jesus has my reputa-
tion in His keeping ; I have committed it all to Him,
and He will take care of it." There were those in the
charge who were not prepared to accept his teachings on
Christian purity ; but who as time wore on espoused them,
and became the strongest supporters of his ministry and his
warmest personal friends. The Wednesday-afternoon meet-
ing was soon an institution of the Church and of the city,
and comprised among its habitual attendants meihbers
of all the orthodox churches, of whom none were more
constant and prominent than many of the Society of
Friends.

Mr. Cookman's ministry had always had a charm for these
godly, thoughtful people — probably on account of its ex-
ceeding simplicity and spirituality — but never before did he
obtain among them such marked influence as in Wilmington.
They feasted on his words with as much regularity and zest
as his own members. They took him to their hearts and

238 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

homes — a partaker of their quiet,'unostentatious hospitality,
breathing the pure atmosphere of their simple piety, he
returned their kindness and confidence with the benefactions
of a spiritual prince.

The pleasant impressions received by Mr. Cookman on
his first appearance in his new charge, as told a letter to
his wife, were more than confirmed by succeeding results.

"Grace Parsonage, Wilmington, Del., Aprils, 1868.

" At my study table again ! in one of the nicest, coziest studies I
have had for many years. You want a detail of proceedings, and, as I
am a systematic man, it will be better to commence with Sunday.
Preached twice ; in the morning on ' Old Paths,' in the evening on the
' One thing needful ' ; administered the Sacrament and made an address.
It was a glorious day ; congregation magnificent ; Sacrament the most
blessed service of that kind I have enjoyed for years. Friends seemed in
highest spirits, and my soul praised God. Monday our goods were
delivered at the parsonage. I unwrapped the furniture, unpacked the
piano, my pictures, and a part of my books. Monday night and
Tuesday it rained like a young deluge, and as some of the goods were
getting wet, and I was almost alone, I concluded it was better for me
to unpack a little more. The house began to look like home when I
started on Tuesday in the rain for Philadelphia.

" At half-past one or a quarter to two R and the children

arrived. I intended to have taken them in the steam-boat at four p.m.,
but they had ordered their carriage to the depot, and so, after lunching
in the city, we left again in the half-past three train. The friends had
carriages, expecting us by the steam-boat, but we anticipated them.
Proceeding to the parsonage, we took the ladies a little by surprise. It
did not, however, make the slightest difference. The children are
delighted with their new home. Frank says it is delightful, and thinks
his ma will enjoy it very much, and indeed, everything is very pretty
and very comfortable. It suits me. The trustees and their wives gave
us a most affectionate welcome. Supper was provided and served —
fried oysters, chicken salad, ham, rolls, Maryland biscuits, sliced,
oranges, cakes, tea, coffee, etc. The evening was spent most delight-
fully. About half-past ten, when they would leave, I proposed some
singing, and then knelt down and offered our new home to God. It
was a season of interest and comfort.

' ' This morning I have been arranging my books, while Rebecca is

CAMP-MEETING AT MANHEIM. 239

here, there, and everywhere — the best sister-in-law that the Lord ever
made. The boys behaved beautifully last evening. I was proud of
them. This morning they have been helping me with my books, but
now they are out in the field enjoying a game of ball. This evening
they are all invited to a birthday- party at Brother B. 's. If the weather
is favourable I think Rebecca and the children will make a little
excursion to Philadelphia to-morrow in the steam-boat. Going at
seven a.m., they can have nearly seven hours in the city. Rebecca
says I must tell you there are mattresses on every bed, blankets on
every bed, pillows for every bed, sheets for every bed, etc. Providence
permitting, I wish to start for Columbia on Monday, and bring you to
the city on Tuesday. Then you must decide where you will stay, for
all want you. Wednesday, after interring our dear boy, we will leave
for Columbia."

The summer of 1868 opened auspiciously, and Mr.
Cookman entered, about the middle of July, upon the cus-
tomary religious campaign. The first camp-meeting was
that of the National Association, held at Manheim, Lancas-
ter County. The location had been selected by himself.
The attendance from north, east, west, and south exceeded
all expectations — the friends of the cause came together
from the remotest parts of the country.

Mr. Cookman, as might be expected, was everywhere
present and active throughout the meeting. He was selected
to preach the sermon on Sunday evening. The responsi-
bility he felt to be well-nigh insupportable, but after unusual
time spent in prayer and meditation, he chose his subject
and went to the pulpit, when to his surprise the conviction was
forcibly made upon his mind — " You must abandon your
sermon and tell your experience." He yielded reluctantly
to what seemed to be the Spirit's guidance. As he pro-
ceeded to narrate the manner in which God had led him,
particularly into the blessing of full salvation, the impression
upon the congregation deepened with every word, until the
effect was overwhelming. The immense audience was

240 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

entirely subdued, notes of victory rang over the whole
ground, and throughout the night from every tent might be
heard the songs of spiritual joy.

The ensuing autumn and winter found him steadily de-
voted to his pastoral work, with such occasional outside
engagements as claimed him throughout his career. Very
soon a gracious influence began to pervade the congrega-
tion. All the means of grace increased in the numbers who
frequented them. The meeting for holiness grew not only in
numbers but m unction, and worked like leaven through the
whole religious community. The ordinary prayer-meetings
were thronged, and awakenings and conversions were of
common occurrence. Before the winter had passed a deep
and thorough revival of religion took place, and many acces-
sions were made to the Church. The revival thus begun
continued with more or less power during the entire term,
resulting from year to year in the salvation of penitent
sinners and in the purification of believers — in view of the
results of which one has said, " I believe eternity alone
will reveal the good he accomplished at Grace." While the
congregation and Sunday School generally shared in the
blessed fruits, the students of the Wesleyan Female College
participated largely in them — very many of the young ladies
were converted and established in the principles and habits
of a Christian life.

The Fiftieth Anniversary (Jubilee) of the Missionary
Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was held in the
city of Washington, on Sabbath and Monday, the ioth and
nth of January, 1869, and Mr. Cookman was invited to
take part. He preached on Sunday morning at Wesley
Chapel, spoke at a platform meeting at the Foundry in the
evening, and on Monday evening delivered one of the ad-
dresses at the continuance of the anniversary proper. There

MISSIONARY SPEECH. 241

had been four or five able addresses in the morning, and
three or four equally able had been delivered in the even-
ing before Mr. Cookman was introduced to the audience.
For two long days the people had heard of nothing but
"missions," and it seemed as though both they and the
subject had been exhausted — that there was nothing left for
him to say, or, if he found anything to say, that he would
have to say it to a worn-out and retreating audience. With
peculiar adroitness in his first sentences he conciliated the
congregation, and was heard to the last with unflagging
attention.

A correspondent of The Christian Advocate wrote : " The
address was pervaded with the blessed Spirit of the Master,
and at times in rapt delight the audience wept and rejoiced ;
and when the speaker closed his remarks, all present must
have felt that they had been with him at the feet of Jesus
receiving instruction and comfort for further effort."

Another correspondent said of it : " His theme was the
true missionary spirit. His melting pathos and indescribable
sweetness of tone won every heart to the missionary cause.
It is impossible to express the power of his address upon
the audience gathered on the occasion, and the limits of
our paper forbid any attempt to reproduce the words or
thoughts presented."

It may not be amiss, as the missionary cause lay near
Mr. Cookman's heart, and enlisted — as it had done with his
father — his deepest sympathies and strongest efforts, to give
extracts from this address as published in the Annual Report
of the Missionary Society.

After introducing himself in his hard-pressed position as
a gleaner, he said : —

" And now, sir, looking round upon the field, I do not seem to see a
standing stalk of truth. These brethren, with their bright blades or

16

242 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

their keen sickles, have been gathering the harvest — they have even
carried it to the mill. They have ground it out in their close, clear,
vigorous thinking ; they have manufactured it into nourishing and
delightful food, and it has been dealt out among the people ; you have
been enjoying it in the morning and in the evening, and are now
entirely satisfied. It seems to me that it only remains to return thanks
and go home. Or, sir, if I may change the figure, I have thought
during the evening, while occupying my seat, that we have been
engaged during the day in the inspection of our great missionary ship :
its keel, its timbers, its planking, its deck, its machinery — a most
magnificent piece of machinery, — its pilotage, and its larder. Our flags
are flying, our officers are in their places, and all that we are needing,
as it would seem, is the missionary spirit, which might be entitled the
motive power."

After showing that liberal contributions of money might
be made in the absence of the real power necessary to
success, he continued : —

" What is the missionary spirit? Is it an ordinary interest in, or a
kind of general concern for, the heathen abroad, or the heathen at
home? — a cold and calculating love for those millions that have so long,
too long, lingered in the shadow of sin and of death ? Nay, sir, such
a spirit as that would never convert the world — has never illustrated
itself as the secret spring or motive power of self-sacrificing and suc-
cessful endeavour in this world. There must be love, it is true, but
then let us remember it must be love on fire ; it must be love in a
paroxysm ; it must be love intensified, absorbing, all-controlling.
Observe, if you please, the missionary quitting his home, kindred,
native land, and accustomed comforts. He is willing to abide in the
ends of the earth, encompassed by heart-sickening idolatrous super-
stition and crime. Wherefore? Is it because of a simple concern
respecting the temporal, or even spiritual, welfare of those by whom he
may be encompassed ? Nay, I insist it is rather because of the Christ-
given and Christ-like love that burns in his heart and literally consumes
his life. Oh, sir ! it is the missionary spirit that crosses broad seas,
that clambers cloud- crowned mountains, that traverses far-distant
regions, that sails around the world if it may save but a single soul. It
is the missionary spirit that breathes miasmas, that bears heavy burdens,
that challenges adversaries, that imperils precious life, that laughs at
impossibilities, and cries, ' This must, and this shall be done ! ' It is the

TRUE MOTIVE OF MISSIONS. 243

missionary spirit that gives and bears sacrifices, and dies, if it were
necessary, and if it were possible, a hundred thousand deaths, if, like its
Divine Exemplar, it might be going about doing good. Now, as I have
said, there may be liberality, but there cannot be the missionary spirit
where there is not a conscientious, Christ-like liberality."

Inquiring, then, how this missionary spirit shall be ex-
cited and maintained, he replied — "First, by the careful
contemplation of the spiritual necessities of the unregenerate
around us." With a few brief touches he illustrated the
power of the eye to report to and sensibly affect the heart,
and proceeded further to discuss a more vital condition : —

" Again, it might be asked, ' Are there not many of our own com-
munity who are familiar with temporal and spiritual wretchedness, who
are acquainted with the necessities of the heathen world, who hear of
this subject not only from year to year, but more frequently, and yet
they have none of those exercises or experiences of missionary zeal ? '
That is true — that is undeniable ; and so we are constrained to the con-
clusion that something more is indispensable than this simple considera-
tion. What is that something? I answer that it is a union and a
living sympathy with the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. And now, sir, at
the close of these anniversary exercises, this thought brings me where I
joy to come, and where I should like to lead this little company — that is,
to Calvary. I throw the arms of my affection around the consecrated
cross of Je"sus ; I drink in, in constantly increasing measure, His tender,
sympathizing, self-sacrificing spirit. Now from this standpoint of the
cross — from the measure of that feeling which influences the heart and
life of the Divine Redeemer — I look out again upon the world ; but now
with what different feelings ! Now I hear with Christ's ears, I feel with
Christ's heart, I see with His eyes ; now I am ready to labour with
Christ's energies ; now I am disposed to give or go, or do or dare, or
sacrifice or die — anything and everything — if I may but help in lifting
our sin-cursed world up to God. This experience of which I am
speaking is a vitalizing principle ; it is a Divine force. It is Jesus
reigning, not (as my brother would say) simply in the skies ; there is
something better than that. We can have heaven on the way to
heaven. It is Jesus reigning in personal consciousness in the individual
heart ; it is Christ living, breathing, dwelling, and triumphing in
personal life. Philosophy is contemplative and studious, fond and full

244 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

of plans and of theories ; infidelity, as we all know, is given to boasting
and to detraction ; both of them laying special stress upon the human
rather than upon the Divine.

"But, Mr. President and Christian friends, after all their proud
vaunting, pray tell me what heathen shores they have ever visited for
purposes of mercy ? What funeral pyre have they ever extinguished ?
"What dumb idol have they ever cast down from its pedestal ? What
nation have they ever lifted up from its barbarism and degradation ?
What profligate have they ever reclaimed ? What sorrowful heart have
they ever cheered? Where to-night are their earnest, self-sacrificing
missionaries? Where are their organizations for the amelioration of
human suffering and the extension of wholesome and blessed truth in
the world ? Where are their Pauls, their Barnabases, their Wesleys,
Wilberforces, Thomas Cokes, Asburys, Howards, Phebes, Dorcases,
Nightingales, and Elizabeth Frys ? I ask it with confidence and with
Christian exultation. In vain I wait for an answer— there cometh none.
Sir, we must come to Christ ; we must drink in His spirit ; for it is
there, and there only, we will find the source and the fountain of this
missionary spirit, which is so needful and so indispensable. The theory
and practice of missions, as I take it, can be expressed almost in a
single sentence. It is love to the blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who has
bought us with His blood, drawing forth the stream of human sympathy,
human affection, and human endeavour — a stream which, by an invariable
law of nature and of God, seeks the lowest place — for, let me say to you,
that Christian compassion, like Christ's compassion, always flows down-
ward, and fixes upon those who need it the most. Was it not so with
Paul ? The love of Christ constrained him, and he counted not his life
dear unto him so that he might but glorify his Saviour, propagate His
Gospel, save immortal souls, and finish his course with joy.

" Mr. President, that great man had been to Calvary. ... As we
heard remarked this morning, with him it was a master-passion in
death. I lingered in the dungeon, I looked over the shoulder of that
great servant of Jesus Christ as he wrote his last epistle that he indicted
to a faithful apostle, and I read with the speaker this morning these
words : ' I am ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at
hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous-
ness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day. '
Here my brother stopped ; but I read on a little farther, ' And not for
me only.' There came out his missionary spirit. That would have
been too narrow, circumscribed, and selfish for that great heart. ' Not
for me only.' Oh! Paul at that hour took in the hundreds of millions

MISSIONARY ANTICIPATIONS. 245

of the world's population — ' Not for me only, but for all those that love
His appearing.' . . .

" Mr. President, I am not by any means despondent or discouraged ;
but, on the contrary, I am full of cheerful hope and of Christian con-
fidence. I believe the clouds above will vanish. I believe the right
is about to conquer.

" ' Clear the way !
A brazen wrong is crumbling into clay.

With that right
Shall many more enter, smiling, at the door.

With that wrong
Shall follow many others, great and small,
That for ages long have held us as their prey.
Men of thought and men of action,

Clear the way ! '

I believe in the future. ... I believe in the government of the future,
and in the Church of the future. I think there is a day not very far
distant when from the watch-towers of Asia, once the land of lords
many, there shall roll out the exultant chorus, ' One Lord ! ' when from
the watch-towers of Europe, distracted by divisions in the faith, there
shall roll up the grateful chorus, ' One faith ! ' when from the watch-
towers of our own America, torn by controversies respecting the initia-
tory rite into the visible Church of our Lord Jesus, there shall roll
forth the inspiring chorus, ' One baptism ! ' when from the watch-
towers of Africa — as though the God of all the race were not her God,
as if the Father of the entire human family were not her Father — when
from the watch-towers of neglected and despised Africa there shall, roll
forth tbe chorus, ' One God and Father of all ! " when the sacramental
host, scattered all over the face of this lower creation, shall spring upon
their feet, and, seizing the harp of thanksgiving, they shall join in the
chorus that shall be responded to by the angels : ' One Lord, one faith
one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through
all, and in you all ; ' ' to whom be glory, dominion, and majesty, and
blessing for ever ! '

" Mr. President, these eyes of mine may not see that day of rapture ;
but if not, then I expect with the great cloud of witnesses to stand
yonder upon the glory-illumined battlements of immortality, and looking
down, I shall surely enjoy the feast of vision. I may not be associated
with those who shall send up from the earth the shout that ' Jesus reigns ! '
if not, it seems to me I shall crowd a little closer to the throne with all

246 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

the glorified company, and I will join with them in singing that the
kingdoms of yonder world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of
His Christ. Oh, sir ! at the close of this anniversary day, as the result
of what I have seen and heard and enjoyed, I resolve to be a better
man, and to be a more devoted friend to the missionary cause."

Ah ! how little it was thought, as the noble, healthful-
looking orator took his seat amid shouts and tears, that
these concluding references to himself were so painfully
prophetic ! Three brief years — and yonder he is on the
battlements, crying to Christ's hosts still in the conflict,
"Forward ! and I will be looking down upon you."

By an act of the General Conference of 1868 the Phila-
delphia Conference had been divided. All that portion ot
its territory in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia lying be-
tween the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, and known as
the Peninsula, had been set off to itself, and denominated
the Wilmington Conference. The new Conference held its
first session in Wilmington. Mr. Cookman remained in the
Conference, and was re -appointed to Grace Church for the
second year. He thus found himself a leading member
in a leading charge of a forming Conference, and, with a
loyalty to Methodism exceeded by none, he addressed him-
self vigorously to the development and conservation of the
elements of progress within its bounds.

The National Committee had appointed their annual
camp-meeting for July 6th, at Round Lake, near Saratoga,
New York. The success of the two previous meetings at
Vineland and Manheim, the eligibleness of the location at
Round Lake, the increasing attention awakened on the sub-
ject of Christian holiness, drew together a vast concourse of
people. Representatives were there from well-nigh all the
states, the Canadas, and even from England.

On returning home from Round Lake, he barely took

HIS UNTIRING ACTIVITY. 247

time to brush from his feet the dust of one field before he
was off to another. He attended at least four camp-meet-
ings in the Peninsula — hastening from the Camden Union
to Talbot Union, near Easton, Maryland, and thence to
Ennall's Springs, and thence homeward to Brandywine Sum-
mit. His labours at any one of these meetings would have
been enough to exhaust most men, but he went through
them all with an unflagging interest. His zeal and strength
seemed to know no abatement. Everywhere his presence
excited the utmost enthusiasm, and both preachers and
people rallied under his leadership with a unanimity and
intentness which rendered his services during this season
ever memorable for the marvellous victories achieved for the
cross of Christ. The like had not been known in this time-
honoured region for many years — the old battle-grounds ot
Asbury, Garrettson, Smith, Laurenson, Cooper, and others
of the fathers, resounded with songs of triumph, which
carried the "oldest inhabitants living" back to the former
days, and made them feel that modern Methodism was still
instinct with apostolic fire.

As evidence of Mr. Cookman's power in prayer, an inci-
dent which occurred at this meeting is given by the Rev.
John Field, of Philadelphia, who was with him at the time :

" Captain D had presented himself repeatedly at the

altar of prayer. One day at the close of the morning ser-
vice the Captain came out of the woods, where he had been
engaged in private prayer, and bowed again at the altar.
Brother Cookman noticed him, and immediately called
attention to him. 'Now,' said he, 'God has promised to
answer the united prayers of two or three : let us put Him

to the test.' Turning to Brother A , he inquired, ' Do

you believe this ? ' Brother A answered in the affirma-
tive. He asked Brother B the same question, and he

248 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

also answered in the affirmative. Brother Cookman said,
' I also believe God's Word and His promise.' Amid
profound silence the company bowed in prayer. Brother

A prayed, then Brother B . Brother Cookman

followed. He carried the case of the poor penitent right
to the Cross, and just as he closed his earnest prayer, —

' ' ' Heaven came down our souls to greet,
While glory crowned the mercy-seat.'

God's blessed Spirit witnessed with Captain D 's that he

was bom of God. The Captain put his hand into his side-
pocket, and, taking therefrom his pocket Bible, said, ' Now
I understand it ' — the passage still marked and pointing to it.
' I went out alone, bowed beneath the shade of a friendly
tree, and opened my Bible ; my eye rested on this passage,
" But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is
in secret ; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward
thee openly." I was to be rewarded openly, and I am,
amid this vast assembly — Glory be to the Lamb ! ' Brother
Cookman took the Bible, and wrote in it, ' McNeil's Woods,
August, noon, a.d. 1869, the happiest day of my life,' and
the Captain signed it."

During the progress of the meeting he preached frequently
and with great power. On one occasion he remained up
the whole night, going from tent to tent, instructing peni-
tents, and praying with them.

Nowhere was Mr. Cookman more at home than at
Ennall's Springs, Dorchester County, Maryland. He had
been accustomed from his early ministry to resort to that
beautiful spot, honoured of God in the conversion of so
many people. This year was the semi-centennial of its
appropriation as a place for camp-meetings. The most

CONVERSION OF CHILDREN 249

delightful memories thronged about the place ; thousands
on earth and thousands in heaven had been brought to
God there, and it was proposed to observe the occasion
by suitable services.

At Brandywine Summit, a few days later, he was preach-
ing and working with equal power. It was not enough for
him to deliver one of the sermons on Sunday, but he must
occupy the pulpit the last evening of the meeting. He was
found, too, among the children, lifting, by his tender,
Christ-like spirit, the little ones to God.

" Rev. A. Cookman on the last night of the meeting preached a
searching sermon, calling upon the people to estimate the value of the
soul, and what is lost in losing it, and what profit it would be if all else
in this life were gained but the soul lost. At midnight, in the greatest
solemnity, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered to
about thirteen hundred persons.

" The children's meetings, held during the progress of the camp, and
under the management of Rev. Messrs. Cookman, Clymer, Gracey, and
Pancoast, were of more than usual interest. They were not mere
occasions of amusement in story-telling and pleasure in singing, but the
most searching appeals were made to the children, and prayer-meetings
followed, when scores presented themselves at the altar for prayers, and
many were converted. Nothing during the meeting was more impres-
sive than to see these little ones of the household arise and tell of the
love of Jesus as they felt it in their hearts. In these meetings, little
boys and girls, from ten to fourteen years of age, led in earnest prayer.
While a sacred stillness prevailed in the immense tent in which the
services were held, the voice of a boy or girl arose in sweetest tones
to the throne of heavenly mercy ; aged veterans knelt before God with
faces bathed in tears, and vast crowds looked on, while a little child
should lead them. On the last day, the brethren above mentioned stood
in the midst of this exceedingly large and interesting group of children,
and, while many tears were shed, shook hands with each, and invoked
on each the Divine blessing. Mothers came leading their little ones
forward to be prayed for by Christian pastors."

In connection with the children's meetings referred to, a
pleasing incident which occurred while Mr. Cookman was

250 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

at Spring Garden may be appropriately mentioned. A
gentleman from the far West, writing immediately after his
death, said : —

" I attended his ministry at Spring Garden, Philadelphia, during the
winter of 1866. I loved him then, but not as I have for the past five
years. ... I shall never forget one incident that occurred at that
church — that was when a dear little son of his, of only eight years,
presented himself as a candidate for probation. My heart melted then,
as hundreds besides, when I saw the strong man bowed like a child,
and heard him ask the Church if he should receive that lamb into the
fold. I saw the loving father then as never before — also the spirit of
Christ, when He said, ' Suffer little children to come unto me, and
forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'

' ' When I saw Brother Cookman years afterwards, I asked him if he
remembered that incident, and if that little boy had remained faithful.
' Oh, yes,' he said ; 'he is about twelve years old now, and is a sancti-
fied boy.'"

While on this subject it will not be amiss to insert an
extract from a short speech which fell from his lips on
one occasion at a Sunday School convention : —

" The Rev. Alfred Cookman arose, and expressed his confidence in
the conversion of children, declaring that he did not believe ' the way
to heaven lay through the territoiy of sin,' but that children at an early
age might be brought to a saving knowledge of redeeming love ; citing
as an illustration the case of a boy who was converted at the age of ten,
who was a pupil in the Sabbath School, became a teacher, a librarian,
an exhorter, afterwards a minister of the Gospel, who then stood before
them, to speak his faith in the power of regenerating grace in the hearts
of the young.

" Mr. Cookman of course referred to his own history ; and those
who are familiar with his love for children, and his rare power to
interest them, cannot but feel grateful that he was so early called of
God, since perhaps to this may be attributed that sympathy which he
entertains for them ; a sympathy which has encouraged many youthful
hearts to beat with holy aspirations for the favour of that Saviour who
said, ' Suffer little children to come unto me.' "

CHAPTER XX.

GRACE CHURCH. — SKILL IN THE PASTORATE. — NATIONAL

CAMP-MEETINGS AT HAMILTON, OAKINGTON, AND

DESPLAINES.

The camp-meetings over, the devoted pastor was once
more quietly seated in the bosom of his family, and again
engaged in those regular pastorial duties which to him were
more congenial than all besides. It was in vain that he
was invited to step aside from his chosen work into an
educational institution : whatever might be the advantage
of a settled home and school facilities for his children, his
mission, to himself at least, was clear. The immediate
care of souls was to him unspeakably precious ; to feed the
flock of Christ, an employment beyond any other which the
Church could offer him.

He was invited to Philadelphia to speak at the anniver-
sary of the Young Men's Christian Association, held in the
Academy of Music, November 30th. In the address which
he delivered, one can but be struck with the great theme
which seemed more and more to fill his mind, and which he
deemed so important to Christian workers as hardly to be
omitted without recognition upon all occasions — dependence
upon the Holy Ghost.

..." The people heard Seneca, excellent man as he was ; they
heard Seneca and the excellent truths he spoke, and deteriorated in

252 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

their morals — they got worse and worse. The world has been listening
to the teachings of Jesus — listening during all these centuries ; and, as
these gentlemen will bear me witness, the world has been getting better
and better in consequence of these truths.

"Mr. President, I know of no satisfactory answer that can be
supplied, except that our Christianity has the Holy Ghost in it. It has
the Word ; it has the truth which gives light ; but it has the Holy
Spirit of God that gives life. And what we want is life ; for the
world is dead, terribly dead, in trespasses and sins. In illustration of
what I mean : I take it that there is not an individual in any of these
galleries or under the sound of my voice, not one but is familiar with
that fundamental truth, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart and soul and mind and strength. ' We all hold that now ; but
how many of this vast audience really do love God ' with all their
heart and soul and mind and strength'? Perhaps, if appealed to
personally or privately, many would say we have not the disposition ;
some would confess that they were lacking in the ability. Now, markr
they have the truth ; they have it all their lives long ; but yet they do
not love God with all their hearts. What then ? Let these come to
God ; let them ask for the ability ; let them ask in the name of Christ
and Him crucified ; let them plead with a humble reliance upon God's
strength, His strength ; this is leading men in Christ Jesus. In answer
to their prayer the Holy Ghost shall be given, and then they will not
only know to love God, as they have during all these years, but they
will love God with all their heart. It will not only be a fact in their
minds, but it will be an experience in their hearts ; it will be a power,
a blessed saving power in their lives.

"This, sir, I feel is just what our associations and churches and
communities are now so much needing. We need this Divine power,
this supernatural power ; it is necessary to accompany and apply
the truth to the minds and hearts of those with whom we have to
do. . . .

" In trying to do good in the world, the Infinite One fills us, inspires
us, emboldens us, ennobles us, saves us, blesses us, makes us strong in
nature and in the power of His might. Oh ! does no. this quiet,
thoughtful, attentive audience see the point I would make? Entirely
consecrated to the service, and then filled with God ! A co-worker
with Omnipotence ! I challenge the world to supply a more sublime
ideal of character, of experience, of life ! "

The Christmas festival was a delight to Mr. Cookman,
and was always appropriately observed by suitable religious

CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL. 253

and social exercises. His house, with its interchange of
gifts and salutations, was a scene of cheerful gaiety. With
his own children and the children of the Sunday School he
mingled freely, reminding them by his innocent mirthfulness
that the religion which Jesus was born to establish is fitted
to make everybody happy. The enthusiastic and tasteful
celebrations of the season on its annual returns while he
was at Grace Church were among the pleasantest occur-
rences of his pastorate, and cannot soon be blotted from
the memories of his young parishioners.

In March, 1870, Mr. Cookman was re-appointed for the
third year to Grace Church.

His delicate tact and tender thoughtfulness as a pastor
were happily illustrated quite early in the year in connection
with the last illness of one of the devout ladies of his
Church, Mrs. Bates, the wife of Chancellor Bates. Mr.
Bates's note, accompanying the letters written by Mr.
Cookman to Mrs. Bates, afford the best explanation of the
case, and also offer a very just tribute to the worth of the
faithful pastor.

"The letter, of which the enclosed is a copy, was written by Mr.
Cookman to Mrs. Bates during her last illness, at a period when a
failure of voice precluded her from conversation with friends — hence the
occasion for his giving her pastoral advice and sympathy by letter. It
was most gratefully appreciated by her, and often read with expressions
of great pleasure, and with much consolation and help under her feeble-
ness. She held him in affectionate confidence and regard, and cordially
received and rested upon his counsels ; and this letter, together with a
subsequent one written from New England, of which also a copy is
enclosed with this, did much toward inspiring her with a more cheerful
and resigned spirit under her declining strength. It is a beautiful
outflow of pastoral affection, breathing the very spirit of Christ
Himself, and containing sentiments worthy to be written in letters of
gold. It is a memorial of both the departed far more precious than
rubies."

254 LIFE OF AIFRED COOKMAN.

"Wilmington, May 31, 1870.

' ' You must not think that we have forgotten you in your affliction.
A hundred times you have been in our thoughts, and very frequently,
if it had been deemed practicable or best, we would have offered you in
person the sympathy of a pastor's heart. It has occurred to me that a
message of love through this medium might not be unwelcome, and
hence I take a moment to communicate that there are some hearts out-
side of your happy home that are concerned for your welfare, and that do
not fail or forget to present you in your feebleness to that Father who does
not willingly afflict any of His dear children. The dispensation that
withdraws you from the active duties of domestic life is profoundly
mysterious. We will not presumptuously venture an explanation of this
providence. At the same time, you will be comforted by the remem-
brance that our Father, if inscrutable, is never -wrong. Clouds frequently
cover His ways, but there is light on the other side of the cloud — light
to reveal the fact of mystery- — light with which we may meet the obliga-
tions and trials of the passing hour. We must ' trust where we cannot
trace,' and remember that while living the life of faith we are moving
as safely as though we understood everything. ' He that dwelleth in
the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty.'

"May I affectionately counsel that, with an implicit and steady
reliance upon Jesus for the help of the Almighty Spirit, you accept all
the will of God moment by moment — aye, take that will into your heart,
and love it better than all beside ; for the difference between the unsaved
and the fully saved is, that while the former find the will of God without
them, and are obliged to submit to what they cannot change, the latter
find that same will within them, and very cheerfully submit to what
they would not change.

" Let this season of affliction be an epochal time in your earthly
history — constituted such not only by a fuller, but by the fullest sub-
mission of yourself and family and all to the infinitely excellent will of
your Father in heaven. You may safely trust that will, for it is never
arbitrary, never wrong. It is always the expression of Divine wisdom
and love.

"As you sometimes indulge in prospective vision, say that all the
rest of your life shall be, in the fullest and strictest sense, a consecrated-
life — a life hid with Christ in God — a life blessed in its experiences and
in its results, concerning itself principally for the spiritual welfare of
those around you, and linking itself with the glory and triumph of the
eternal future. Take this opportunity that the providence of God gives

HAMILTON CAMP-MEETING. 255

to write on all you have and are and hope for, ' Sacred to Jesus,' and
spend the rest of your life in steadily 'looking only unto yesus.' These
two sentences may be profitable mottoes for every useful and glorious life.
" Excuse the liberty I thus take in writing to you. My note may be
a word in season. In any case, it will furnish assurance that you are
remembered with sympathy and love and prayer by your tenderly
attached pastor."

"Hamilton Camp-ground, Massachusetts, June 29, 1870.

"You will be surprised perhaps to receive this letter, but it will at
least indicate that, although far away, still you are remembered by your
affectionate pastor ; and not only have you a place in my thoughts, but
also in my prayers. Many times in this consecrated forest I have been
reminded of you in your feebleness, and lifted up my soul to God that
He would be with you and bless you, and make your sickness a signal
and glorious passage in your earthly history. We are having really a
most wonderful time at our Hamilton camp-meeting, the first service of
the kind I have ever attended in New England. The attendance is
from all the surrounding states, and the interest and Divine power
exceed, I think, anything I have ever witnessed. Hundreds ot
ministers and people are concerned to enjoy their full privilege in the
Gospel. The community in this section is generally more intellectual
and less demonstrative than that in the Middle and Southern States.
They can and do meet mind with mind, but that still leaves the heart
untouched. They want Holy Ghost power, and, asking, God is glori-
ously giving it to them. Unless I am greatly mistaken, the effects of
this extraordinary meeting will be far-reaching and most blessed. Oh !
my dear sister, I do so much wish that your kind heart and whole
being shall be entirely filled with God, submitting to His will in every
particular, and tasting the joy of perfect love. Let us be altogether and
eternally the Lord's.

' ' I thought that a breath of love from New England might bring a
moment's refreshment to you in your sick-room. Give my tenderest
love to the Judge, and to your sons and daughters."

Mr. Cookman's judgment in dealing with the sick was
proved not alone in the feminine gentleness with which he
could anticipate the needs of the cultured pious lady, but
also in the force and skill with which he would approach
the hardened and impenitent man. When he was stationed

256 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

at Trinity, New York, a gentleman called upon him and
requested him to visit a son, who was ill. The young man
had been very wayward, was still obdurate, and refused all
religious counsel and prayer. Mr. Cookman went, but the
young man declined conversation— wished to have nothing
to do with him ; but instead of insisting, he immediately
withdrew, with the quiet, loving remark, " Well, my friend,
you may refuse to let me talk and pray with you, but you
cannot prevent my praying for you." This kind word had
its desired effect. He called again very soon to inquire for
the invalid, and, to the surprise of all, was welcomed by
him and invited to pray. The visits were repeated until the
young man professed to be converted, and died confessing
his faith in Christ.

From the last letter it will be seen that Mr. Cookman had
already, thus early in the summer, entered upon his yearly
camp-meeting tour.

The National Association had determined upon three
camp-meetings for the year 1870 — the first at Hamilton,
Massachusetts, June 21st; the second at Oakington, Mary-
land, June 12th; and the third at Desplaines, Illinois,
August 9th — all of which Mr. Cookman attended, preach-
ing at them all, and labouring with the untiring zeal which
had heretofore characterized him.

His impressions at the Hamilton meeting have been
already partially presented. At the meeting alluded to in
this letter he is reported to have said, " How I joy in that
Divine declaration, ' Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,
that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.'
This has been the very best Sabbath-day of all my earthly
Sabbaths. An isolation from the world in the sense of
non-conformity is the secret of spiritual power. I am able
and I am willing to be a witness — and if alone, I would hold

ADDRESS AT 0 A KINGTON. 257

up this banner." The Sunday evening service was assigned
to him, but, instead of preaching, he narrated his expe-
rience.

The camp-meeting at Oakington, July 12th, near Havre
de Grace, Maryland, was very numerously attended. At
one of the earlier prayer-meetings Mr. Cookman, address-
ing the friends, spoke in substance as follows : —

"We desire for your own sake, for the sake of your comfort, useful-
ness, but especially for Jesus' sake — we desire for you a rich, round,
full, abiding, blessed religious experience and life. Oh how gladly
and thankfully we would help you this morning if we could ! But we
are reminded that there is a better Leader, a better Teacher, even the
Holy Ghost. He guides into all truth. He takes of the things of
Christ — the truth of Christ, the power of Christ, the blood of Christ, the
grace of Christ — and shows them unto us. Let us put ourselves under
His Divine tuition. Blessed Spirit, Third Person of the adorable
Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son, we acknowledge
Thee, we worship Thee, we praise Thee, we love Thee, we seek
fellowship with Thee, we want to be filled this day, and every day,
and constantly, with all this fulness. Oh, hear our prayer this morning
service ! Come and direct our thoughts ; come and quicken our desires ;
come and help our faith ; come and enable us in all the services this
day to sing —

" ' Come, Holy Ghost, for Thee we call ;
Spirit of power and blessing, come.' "

To accommodate the numerous friends of the national
movement in the West, a camp-meeting was also held at
Desplaines, Illinois, near Chicago, on the 9th of August.

Some estimate of Mr. Cookman's ministrations at this
meeting may be formed from one or two facts communi-
cated by John Emory Voak, M.D., of Bloomington, III.,
who was present at the time :

" While attending the meeting, having known Brother Cookman, I
took particular pains to attend all his ministrations and every meeting
that he led, and oh how my soul fed and feasted on the bread of life as
dispensed by him !

17

258 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

" I never shall forget his sermon on the theme, ' Entire Sanctification.'
Surely the Holy Spirit spoke through him to many hearts, and won
them to Christ as a Saviour to the uttermost.

"I wish 1 could describe one of the most glorious meetings I ever
attended, led by him. After answering the objection often urged
against labouring for the promotion of holiness (instead of the conver-
sion of sinners) most beautifully, he gave a sketch of his experience.
He said that ' on these hands, these feet, these lips I have written,
Sacred to Jesus. ' After his enlarging on that beautiful motto, I am
sure many in that meeting of preachers saw entire sanctification as a
more comprehensive and sacred work than they had been wont to view
it, and that they were then set apart as never before.

' ' One other incident which cannot be described occurred at the last
service of that meeting. The time had come when we must part ; all
Christian hearts were solemn — some were sad — at the thought of leav-
ing that hallowed ground. The leader felt he could not close without
giving one more opportunity for sinners to come to Jesus, and for
Christians to plunge anew into the fountain. To the surprise of perhaps
every one, nearly two hundred arose for prayers. The scene seemed to
inspire Brother Cookman, and he offered a prayer such as I never
expect to hear equalled. The Holy Ghost made intercession in his
soul with groanings that could not be uttered. He was in audience
with Deity — aye, more, he had hold on God, and it literally raised him
from his knees. I never heard such a fervent, effectual prayer, and it
prevailed, as many will testify in the Day of Judgment."

This communication, together with Mr. Cookman's own
account of the meeting, affords ample evidence that he
never sought the entire sanctification of believers to the
neglect of " calling sinners to repentance."

Besides attending the National camp-meetings, Mr.
Cookman was present at the usual number of local camp-
meetings through the summer, and performed at every one
the same almost superhuman work. He could allow him-
self no respite, but flew like a herald of light from place
to place. Ennall's Springs, Talbot County, Brandywine
Summit, Camden Union, Ocean Grove, and possibly others,
shared his ministrations.

He wrote from Ennall's Springs to Mrs. Cookman : —

LETTERS TO MRS. COOKMAN. 259

"Ennall's, Mdnday, 1870.

"Sabbath is over; it was a bright, beautiful, blessed day — the
atmosphere cool, pure, invigorating. We had good congregations. I
preached both morning and evening, superintended the love-feast and
two prayer-meetings, and at half-past ten went to bed pretty well worn
out. This is vacation ! Our services have all been very profitable, the
prayer-meeting last night and this morning especially. There are a good
many hungry souls here, and I have great joy in inviting and leading
them to the blessed provisions of the Gospel. There are many tender,
loving inquiries respecting your welfare. You would have met a most
affectionate welcome at the hands of these Dorchester County people.

Annie T is rather sad, occasioned by the change in her circumstances

and the absence of her dear husband. Their tent, however, is just as
attractive in its social circles and its bountifully spread table as ever.

"This afternoon we leave for Easton. Willie* seems to be very
happy. The tables suit him. He has a wonderful weakness for the
feathered creation — wings, legs, breast, and side-bones quickly dis-
appear before his vigorous assaults. Thus far he behaves himself
beautifully — keeps his clothes clean, and acts like a little gentleman. I
feel proud of him. My own soul is strong in the Lord. I feel that in
leading up the Church I am doing God's will, and am wonderfully
blessed. The blessed Spirit shines upon my mind and seems to give
efficiency to my feeble words. Pray for me. I do not forget you.
Your unwavering love has not failed to make the deepest impression
on my heart. May God have you ever in His special care and keeping ! "

" McNeill's Woods.
" On another battle-field ! Arrived here last night about eight
o'clock, after a four hours' ride from Ennall's. Will enjoyed the
journey, especially the driving. This a delightful spot — a larger
meeting decidedly than the one in Dorchester. Our reception was
most enthusiastic. This morning I led the eight o'clock meetino-. It
was really one of the most precious and powerful services that I ever
enjoyed. Brother Quigg, the presiding elder, preached this morning,
and Brother John Field this afternoon. The meetings are increasing
in interest, and presage victory. President Wilson and wife are here —
arrived last evening. Will finds pleasant companions, and receives a
great deal of attention. The friends here insist upon my staying until
Friday morning. They think that the interest of souls and the Church
are involved. I shall be better able to judge to-morrow."

* The fourth son, William Wilberforce.

CHAPTER XXI.

GRACE CHURCH. — THE PENINSULA CONVENTION.

Mr. Cookman was appointed chairman of a committee to
arrange for a Peninsula Methodist Convention. Indeed,
"the conception of the Convention," in the language of
one, " was his. He was the presiding genius as well as the
moving spirit." At the call of the committee the Conven-
tion assembled at Smyrna, Delaware, on November 15,
1870, and continued for three days.

The topics discussed were : The Methodist Episcopal
Church — its active and relative growth, and its present
position on the Peninsula ; Education— its claims upon the
Church; Working Forces of the Church — local ministry,
women's work, young people's associations, etc. ; Relation
of the Church to the Moral Questions of the Day — Bible,
Christian Sabbath, and Temperance cause ; Family Re-
ligion ) The Sabbath School ; and The Spiritual Life of the
Church. These themes were severally treated in one or
more written papers and by open discussion. The first
topic elicited many valuable facts concerning the past and
present status of Methodism in one of its chosen fields.

This Peninsula Mr. Asbury was accustomed to call his
garden for Methodist preachers. It still retains much of its
original Methodist simplicity. To no one in the Conven-
tion was this statistical exhibit more gratifying than to Mr.

SPIRITUAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH. 261

Cookman. On no field outside of his immediate parish
work had he spent so much energy as on this ; and as he
contemplated the status of the Church, its numerical, social,
financial capabilities, his mind was impressed with a sense of
the great importance of a rebaptism of all these forces by
the Holy Spirit, for the "consolidation, instruction, and in-
spiration of Peninsula Methodism."

It was therefore just to his taste that " The Spiritual Life
of the Church " was assigned as his theme. I give the
essay which he read entire, as containing some of his best
thoughts on the relation of holiness to the Church : —

" THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH.

'The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in
which the pure Word of God is preached and the sacraments duly
administered.

' ' It stands above all other organizations ; the repository of the most
valuable truth ; a fountain of light and life and love ; a blessing to the
world.

" The spiritual life oj this Church, that is, the life of God developing
in the experience of its individual members, is its highest and best life
— aye, and because of the important relations and the exalted position
of the Church, it is the best life of the world ; the highest to which the
race at large can possibly aspire. It links itself intimately and indis-
solubly with personal character, social order, family comfort, national
prosperity, and our world's complete redemption.

"Now, will it not occur to any observant mind that this spiritual life,
like our natural life, may exist in various stages of development ?

" In a hospital, for illustration, may we not find a patient paralysed,
unable to do anything, and yet life flickering in its socket ? May we
not find other invalids, feeble, complaining, scarcely able to stand up,
not willing to communicate, knowing little of the joys of life, and yet
not actually dying ? It may be they have brought this upon themselves
as the consequence of their own folly or neglect. There has been some
temptation, comparatively harmless to others, but injurious to them,
and they have balanced the gratification it has afforded them against
the fearful results that have developed, and so they have carnally and
culpably clung to the doubtful indulgence until the effect is as we see.

262 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Ah, brethren, do we not know by observation, and some of us by
experience, that this is a sad picture of too many who profess to be the
subjects of spiritual life ? Through neglect, or failure, or folly, or
doubtful indulgence, or partial obedience, their religious life is feeble
and sickly — some trust, but more of distressing doubt ; some hope, but
more of torturing fear ; some joy, but more of spiritual joylessness ;
little appetite for Divine things ; little disposition to exercise themselves
in matters pertaining to godliness ; little interest in those means and
measures that are intimately related to the salvation of the race and the
glory of God.

' ' Oh how different from that spiritual life that hungers and thirsts
after righteousness ; that runs in the way of obedience ; that works,
and rejoices to work, in the vineyard ; that fights, aye, and endhres
hardness in the great battle with sin and Satan ! ' I am come,' said
Christ, 'that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly.'

" Brethren, ought it not to be with us a matter of congratulation and
thanksgiving that the home of our spiritual nature is in a Church that
has always given so much attention to the development of the spiritual
life ? For, observe, while some of the other denominations have
arrayed themselves around their citadels of doctrine, waging occasion-
ally an offensive, but more frequently a defensive warfare, Methodism,
adventuring into the field of the wide, wide world, has employed her
time and talents and energies in the culture and dissemination of
spiritual life. Meanwhile her fundamental doctrines have remained in-
tact and unchanged, proving that orthodoxy is much better conserved by
the cultivation of the spiritual life than the spiritual life is promoted by an
elaborate defence of orthodoxy. But, more than this, gaining constant
accessions of this best life, growing stronger with the strength that the
Divinity supplieth, our success, as a Christian denomination, has been
almost without parallel or precedent. From a small class organized in
the city of New York, with Philip Embury as the leader, the Methodist
societies have grown until within their folds they enrol, upon this
continent, more than two millions of members, and directly influence
some seven or eight millions of our American population. . . .

"Nearly a century since, Thomas Coke, Francis Asbury, Benjamin
Abbott, William Watters, Freeborn Garrettson, and others, whose
names are as ointment poured forth, heralds of grace, filled with
apostolic love and zeal and power, visited our Peninsula, unfurling the
blood-stained banner, and preaching a salvation, free, full, present,
conscious, and glorious. Their word was in demonstration of the
Spirit : opposition gave way — prejudice vanished — hearts were opened

ORIGINAL SIMPLICITY OF METHODISM. 263

— spiritual life was accepted ; and now for about a hundred years
Methodism has had a home upon this Peninsula, much of the time the
dominant religious denomination of the region.

"As we overlook the field to-day, can we not find occasion for
encouragement and rejoicing in the fact that the spiritual life of
Methodism all through this section retains very much of its original
simplicity ? We still hold fast and hold up the old distinctive doctrines
of salvation for all through the mediation of Christ — justification by
faith a personal necessity and a present privilege — the distinct and
direct witness of the Holy Spirit with our spirit that we are children of
God — entire sanctification, through the blood of Christ and by the
power of the Holy Ghost, made available by an exercise of present
trust in Jesus. We still retain, appreciate, and enjoy the class-meeting,
the love-feast, the watch-night service, the quarterly-meeting, the camp-
meeting, the protracted-meeting — means of grace that were originally
the gift of God's providence, and which our fathers found to be so
valuable and profitable. While in some other sections there is a
disposition to lay aside or treat carelessly some of the old weapons,
conforming to the spirit of an extravagant age and a fashionable world,
Methodism on the Peninsula still satisfies herself with plain, free-seated
churches ; still experiences and shouts the joy of God's salvation ; still
goes in for earnestness of expression and of operations ; still agrees that
the people of God while ' in, must not be of the world, ' but must stand
separate from and exalted above the world's littleness and vanities and
falsities ; still clings to and would battle in defence of the old and well-
tried landmarks.

" But now, while we offer the language of congratulation and com-
mendation, let us, still continuing our observation, ask, Is the spiritual
life of our Church, within the limits of the Wilmington Conference, up to
the New Testament standard ? Let us ' examine ourselves. ' Instead
of offering God a perfect love, do we not yield Him a partial affection*
allowing other objects to dispute in our hearts the sovereignty of His
most holy and excellent will ? Instead of brotherly kindness, is there
not in our intercourse with fellow-Christians too frequently uncharitable-
ness, backbiting, and even bitterness of spirit ? Instead of self-denial
and cross-bearing, conditions of Christian discipleship, is there not an
acknowledged avoidance of the cross, and an inveterate disposition to
self-pleasing ? Instead of a liberal spirit and systematic beneficence, is
there not an absence of settled principle that sometimes expresses itsel f
in the language, ' I will give little or nothing, just as I please ' ? In-
stead of simplicity in our attire and in our styles of living, so that we
may have more to give to Christ's blessed work, is there not an aping

264 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

of the world's fashions and follies, a conformity that we know is preju-
dicial to a deep and growing spirituality ? Instead of words seasoned
with grace and tending to edification, are not too many of our words
idle, gossipy, unkind, and unprofitable? Instead of a burning and
abiding seal prompting to steady aggressions upon the kingdom of sin
and hell, are we not fitful in our efforts, soon wearying in well-
doing ?

" These" pointed inquiries suggest some of the delinquencies and
shortcomings of too many of our Church members, and constrain the
conclusion that there is a higher spiritual life for the Church — a life
whose exercise will reveal in personal consciousness to the believer, and
present to the world around more beautiful and valuable fruit. Now
the question arises, What is that higher and better life ? We have no
hesitation in saying it is what in Methodist parlance we entitle ' Entire
Sanctification,' implying the specific, intelligent, complete, and ever-
lasting consecration of all our regenerated powers to God — a consecra-
tion, of course, including the surrender of every doubtful indulgence,
and the willing acceptance of any and every test of Christian obedience
—and, in addition, implying the constant resting in Christ by faith
as our full and perfect Saviour, trusting Him not only to save us, but
to keep us saved. Let the Church accept this privilege, so exceeding
great and precious — let her perform this service, so reasonable and
Scriptural, and her spiritual life will be more Divine, more practical, and
more enduring.

" i. It will be more Divine. Consecrating ourselves without any
reservation or limitations to the service of God, and concerned to accept
of Christ in the fullest sense, we necessarily come nearer to God, and, in
a broader and deeper and fuller sense, become partakers of the Divine
nature — partakers of the Divine wisdom, and purity, and gentleness,
and patience, and loving-kindness, and power. But some one will ask,
Is this different from the grace received at conversion ? We answer,
No ! it is only more of that precious grace — as we sometimes hear, it is
a ' deeper work of grace. ' Christ comes in His spiritual presence to
abide in our soul, and while we trust in Him, He assumes the entire
responsibility of our complete salvation. Now, without wasting time
on disputed theories or theological distinctions, let us ask, Is not
this the great need of the spiritual life of the Church ? — is not this
a conscious and confessed want in our experience as professing
Christians ?

" We have life, but we do not have.it abundantly. We love God,
but we do not love Him with a perfect love — for a perfect love is
necessarily dependent upon a perfect consecration ; just at the point

HIGHER SPIRITUAL LIFE. 265

that our consecration is imperfect our love is imperfect, for it is then a
divided, which is an imperfect love. We walk in the path of obedience,
but we do not always stand up and go steadily forward in that path.
We have peace with God as the result of our justification and adoption,
but we cannot testify to perfect rest — the rest of perfect order, perfect
activity, perfect security, perfect faith, perfect love, and perfect peace
in the soul. The spiritual life of the Church needs, beyond all cavil
or controversy, the elevation, invigoration, and inspiration that this
grace of Christian holiness would give it.

" 2. But again, the acceptance of our full Gospel privilege would
make the spiritual life of the Church not only more pure and Divine,
but more practical.

"Need we say that one of the greatest desiderata of the Church,
and one of the most peremptory demands of the world around, is a
more practical piety ? Men will judge of our religion, not so much by*
what it is, as by what it does. Now you will be reminded that the
higher Christian life for which we plead involves an entire consecration
of ourselves to God, and this consecration implies the use of all we
have and are in harmony with the Divine will, and for the promotion of
the Divine glory. It writes on our hands, our feet, our senses, our bodies,
' All sacred to Jesus. ' It uses our understanding, judgment, imagina-
tion, memory, conscience, will, and affections, all as belonging to Jesus.
It holds the gifts of God's providence — such as time, health, energy,
reputation, influence, home, kindred, friends, property — all as subor-
dinate to the will of Jesus. It takes the entire man for Jesus. In his
life it makes him temperate, gentle, careful, humble, earnest, honest,
liberal, and loving. In his political relations it makes him as conscien-
tious and pure as in the ordering of his private religious life. In his
business it lifts him up from the mere drudgery of a respectable but
debasing selfishness, and, filling him with Christian principles, and
linking all his secular transactions with the Divine service, it makes him
a co-worker with God in the world's elevation and salvation. In his
family it erects the altar of domestic worship — supplies the inspiration
of a Christian example, diffuses around the atmosphere of love,
welcomes the presence of Jesus, and thus constitutes the home as the
house of God and the very gate of heaven.

" 3. One other suggestion is, that the spiritual life of the Church
needs to be more enduring.

" Confined at present too much to sacred places and special seasons,
the tendency is to impulsive, spasmodic, irregular, and unreliable
religious life. It glows in the summer amid the hallowed privileges of
the consecrated forest. It burns in the fall or winter when revival fires

266 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

are blazing upon our Church altars. It emits fitful gleams on the
Sabbath Day, or in the class-room, or in the prayer-meeting : but a
strong, round, full, regular, satisfying, steadily increasing religious life
— a life that is as consistent at home as away from home, as faithful in
little things as in great matters, as careful in a transaction that the
world will never hear of as in one that shall be blazoned before the
Church and the world — ah ! this is the pure and abiding life that the
Church needs and must have. Let Christ in His spiritual presence
abide in the heart, the life of our life, the soul of our soul, bringing all
our habits and practices into harmony with the Divine will, and the
spiritual life of the Church shall of necessity become more Divine — more
practical — more enduring.

" Brothers, is not this our need? Observe, we do not plead for
changes or improvements in our ecclesiastical machinery — we hold that
nearly all the main features of our working economy are the gifts of
God's providence, and cannot with advantage be substituted by
different arrangements. Again, we do not argue for or insist upon a
higher standard of piety. The standard, as we conceive, has been fixed
by Christ Himself, and is as old as the Apostolic age. Not able to
elevate it, and not willing to lower it one iota, we simply say to those
who are equally responsible and interested with ourselves, Let us
measure up to it. Let us be a holy people. Holiness is power. What
the Church needs, what the world around is looking and waiting for, is
more of power. We must have it for the fulfilment of our high and
holy mission, viz., the spiritual conquest of the world. Entire sanctifi-
cation — says Dr. Abel Stevens, in his admirable history — was the great
potential idea of early Methodism. It made our first preachers mighty,
irresistible, a flame of fire. It made our fathers and mothers an aggres-
sive power and an almost unparalleled blessing in their day. It took
hold upon the consciences and hearts of the unsaved in great communi-
ties. ' Wherever, ' said Mr. Wesley, ' the work of sanctification
revives, the work of God revives in its different branches.' 'This,' he
remarked, ' is the great depositum which God has given to the people
called Methodists. Their mission is to spread Scriptural holiness over
these lands.' Observe, not that generic holiness which, promoting
repentance, faith, justification, regeneration, and holy living, claims
that it is spreading Scriptural holiness. All the evangelical churches
join with us to do this. Our special mission, as we understand, is to
hold up entire sanctification as an experience to be obtained by faith,
and, because by faith, to be obtained now. This, secured in a specific
sense, becomes our best preparation to spread it in both a specific a?id a
generic sense.

CHRISTIAN UNITY. 267

" Oh brothers ! successors to Coke and Asbury and Abbott and
Garrettson, take up and carry forward the banner of holiness that they
planted so faithfully in this region. Methodist people of the Peninsula
who in the midst of fierce fires of opposition have demonstrated so un-
deniably your civil and ecclesiastical loyalty, clinging with a heroic
devotion to your mother-nation and your mother-church, covenant
that this historic ground, already glorious, shall be made more glorious
still.

" Rekindle the old fires, rekindle them in every county, in eveiy
township, in every neighbourhood, in every home, in every heart.
Take the entire region for God. Bring its warm hearts, its growing
wealth, its multiplied comforts, its rich abundance, its acknowledged
advantages, and lay all upon the Christian altar. Ask, believe, and
wait for the promised baptism of the Holy Ghost, and, with an un-
precedented endowment of spiritual life, the Church and territory
within the limits of the Wilmington Conference shall vindicate the
language of prophecy : ' Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the
hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou
shalt no more be termed Forsaken, neither shall thy land be termed
Desolate ; but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah ;
for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. ' "

I quote from the published proceedings an account of the
concluding service of the Convention : —

" The Communion service that followed formed a most beautiful,
appropriate, and profitable finale of these days of privilege. Ministers
and members from all parts of the Wilmington Conference gathered
around the same hallowed altar. The pastors of the Presbyterian and
Protestant Episcopal Churches of Smyrna, with many of their com-
municants, participated in this service. It was an hour never to be
forgotten. Surely

' ' ' Heaven came down our souls to greet,
And glory crowned the mercy-seat.' "

At the close of this memorable Communion, when the
very atmosphere around seemed sacred with the Divine
presence, Rev. Alfred Cookman, called upon, said : —

;' Brethren, it is good for us to be here. As we look around and
recognise these ministers and people of sister-churches uniting with us

268 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

in commemorating the love of our common Lord, the sentiment
instinctively leaps to our lips, 'Behold, how good and how pleasant it
is for brethren to dwell together in unity.' Over this scene I fancy I
see stretching a rainbow composed of the different evangelical churches ;
for while, like the colours of the natural rainbow, each Church retains
its identity, yet at the same time beautifully blending, sweetly har-
monizing, we present altogether the advancing sign, the infallible pledge
of our world's triumphant redemption. During these hallowed
moments I have been reminded of the broken alabaster box of which
mention is made on the New Testament page. It has occurred to me
that each of the denominations may be supposed to have their
fragment still redolent with the fragrance of truth. When we come
together on these delightful occasions, is it not to unite our fragments,
and so reconstruct the box? and oh, say, does not the great Head of the
Church vouchsafe the unction of the Holy One ? does not the precious
perfume arising fill the house — aye, and does it not promise to fill
earth and heaven too with love and joy and praise?

" Brethren, it is the moment of parting. We shall never all meet
again under similar circumstances. How blessed the truth that
Christians never part for the last time ! We separate, but it is as the
angels do, going forth for the performance of the Divine will, but with
the assurance that our home is before the throne, and that

" ' We shall meet again,
Meet ne'er to sever ;
Meet when love shall wreathe her chain
Round us for ever.'

' ' Thank God, we belong to a sky-born, sky-guided, sky-returning
race, and sweetly the peace-march beats, ' Home, brothers, home ! ' "

The tide of feeling had now reached its highest point,
and, overflowing, the entire congregation sprang to their
feet, when Mr. Cookman, grasping the hand of the Episco-
pal clergyman on his left and the hand of the Presbyterian
pastor on his right, proposed that members of the Conven-
tion and all the Christian people present should clasp hands
and join to sing —

" Say, brothers, will you meet me
On Canaan's happy shore ? "

MINISTRY AT WILMINGTON. 269

It was a beautiful scene. Tears were flowing, praises re-
sounding all over the house, as, with thrilling tones, the
large audience pledged themselves, singing again and
again —

" By the grace of God we'll meet you
Where parting is no more."

A member of the Convention, the Rev. J. H. Lightbourn,
in a letter, says, " Mr. Cookman's closing address, though
impromptu, was one of the most beautiful and thrilling to
which I ever listened."

The time drew nigh when Mr. Cookman's pastoral rela-
tions with Grace Church must be dissolved. He probably-
had never been more useful for a single term. With a
magnificent church building, a large congregation of
thoughtful, sympathizing persons, in a city small enough to
be easily compassed, and yet large and active enough to
afford variety, surrounded by a community of generous
hospitality, and assured by the most marked results of the
usefulness of his ministry and his acceptability with the
people generally, his days had glided along most delight-
fully. No great sorrow had entered his home or his im-
mediate family, except the death of the aged Mr. Bruner,
which was in the course of nature ; and really the term at
Grace seemed as a day in the lightness which love, joy,
friendship, and success had imparted to every burden. He
loved the people, and they loved him. The services he
rendered to the cause of vital religion and good morals
will not soon be forgotten by the citizens of Wilmington.

The Rev. George H. Smyth, late pastor of the West
Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, Delaware, has kindly
furnished some of his impressions of Mr. Cookman while
they were neighbouring ministers in that city : —

270 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

" It was my privilege to labour in the city of Wilmington, Delaware,
side by side with Brother Cookman for more than two years. The last
year of his residence there we were often thrown together in devotional
meetings, and met at social gatherings.

" The same unbroken uniformity of a calm, genial temperament ever
rested upon him. Truly he looked like one that possessed a peace the
world can neither give nor take away. Nor was it an acquired, stoical
indifference that made him insensible to surrounding influences, for he
had a most susceptible nature, that sympathized with everything that
was innocent around him. He always appeared solemn and dignified
in his bearing, and at the same time easy and unaffected in his
manners.

" He had a keen sense of the ludicrous, and would laugh till he
shook all over. I remember on one occasion we were in one of the
Union prayer-meetings, held the first week of the new year, when an
amusing incident occurred. . . . Mr. Cookman was seated on the
platform, and, as a suppressed smile passed all over the meeting, I shall
never forget the efforts he made to preserve his gravity, his hands over
his face, and his whole body shaking with laughter. 'Oh,' said he
afterward, ' I did want to get off the platform to some place where I
could laugh ! '

* " And yet, with all his pleasantry and readiness to contribute to the
enjoyment of the social gathering, no man was freer from a spirit of
levity or irreverence for sacred things than was Brother Cookman. He
was a very spiritually-minded man, and seemed to breathe continually a
devotional atmosphere.

" In no place did he seem more at home than in a prayer-meeting.
He was a fine singer, and in his selection of appropriate and beautiful
hymns, sung with his rich, mellow voice, and in his earnest pleadings
with God, he would diffuse the sweetest devotional spirit into all
present, and often melt the congregation to tears. While the people
were kneeling sometimes at the close of a prayer, he would start a
hymn, which contained a petition just as suited to the occasion as if it
had been written for it, and all would sing it through on their knees
before God, and then one and another would burst forth with earnest
prayer.

" In this way, without calling on any one or urging any one to speak
or pray, he" would kindle the flame of devotion until no one could keep
silent.

" The Orthodox Friends — than whom no more godly people are to be
found in that city — were many of them attracted to his church, and as-
sociated with him in Christian work.

TRIBUTE TO HIS USEFULNESS. 271

" Perhaps no man ever exerted a wider or better influence in that
community, in the same time, than did Alfred Cookman, and no man
was more highly esteemed or more tenderly loved. And why should
he not ? To very many his life and labours had proved, under God, an
unspeakable blessing.

" The moulding power of Brother Cookman's godly life over Grace
Church just at a most important period of its early history will continue,
I doubt not, to bless that Church to its latest day ; so it will many
outside of that Church who were brought in contact with his great,
catholic, Christ-like spirit.

" For, while a decided Methodist, Brother Cookman was a man of
large heart, expansive views, and a charity that cordially fellowshipped
with all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence he was ever ready
for co-operation with any or all the other denominations in any move-
ment for advancing the cause of Christ in the community or in the world.
I have heard it said by old men, that never before had there been such a
kind, fraternizing spirit among all denominations of Christians as there
was at that time in Wilmington."

The following tribute, in harmony with Mr. Smyth's
statement, appeared just before Mr. Cookman's removal, in
The Wilmington Co7nmercial : — -

" The Rev. Mr. Cookman closes the last three years- of his ministry
in this city on next Sabbath. They have been years of indefatigable
labour, of great acceptability, and distinguished success. Being the
first pastor in the great Grace Methodist Episcopal Church — the most
beautiful church, we think, on this continent — it was his to settle its
spiritual foundations, and give tone and evangelical views to its wor-
shippers, and start the Church on in deeds of great enterprise. He has
borne up the ark of testimony by his own personal piety, by his faithful
and eloquent preaching, his labours in Sabbath Schools, in the temper-
ance cause, missionary operations, and, in fact, in every good word and
work among the sister churches and other denominations. He truly
possesses a union and fraternal spirit, and wherever he goes he has a
hand and heart for everybody.

'"It is with deep regret that his brethren of the Wilmington Con-
ference part with him, and many of the laity will follow him with
tearful eyes, and prayerful wishes that they may meet again on this side
of the grave, and if not, they may meet in heaven. The young, to
whom he has been peculiarly useful, and who are sincerely attached to
him, will be deeply affected. May good angels go with him ! "

272 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

The parting interviews of the beloved pastor with his
Church in all its departments — the general congregation,
the Sunday School, the social meeting — were deeply affect-
ing, but with none more so than with the chosen circle of
persons who were in the habit of attending the Wednesday-
afternoon meeting. Mr. W. S. Hillis, a minister of the
Society of Friends, in opening the Wednesday-afternoon
meeting at which Mr. Cookman was last present before
leaving, felt impressed to select the account of St. Paul's
last charge to the elders of the Church of Ephesus, Acts
xx. 17, etc. ; and as he read the verses concluding, "And
they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him ;
sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that
they should see his face no more," he was overcome by his
emotions. Mr. Cookman and the whole audience wept,
and for some time the sorrow was so uncontrollable as to
make it impossible to proceed with the services. Alas !
how prophetic the selection of those words !

CHAPTER XXII.

CENTRAL CHURCH, NEWARK, N.J. OCEAN GROVE CAMP-
GROUND.— NATIONAL CAMP-MEETINGS AT ROUND LAKE

AND URBANA.

For months prior to March, 187 1, Mr. Cookman's mind
had been agitated with the question of his next appoint-
ment. He had been invited to Boston, Mass., Chicago, 111.,
Cincinnati, Ohio, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pa., and
Newark, N.J., and pressed earnestly in all these cases to
entertain the proposition for a transfer. He undoubtedly
meant, when he returned to the Philadelphia Conference, to
remain in it for life ; but the division of the Conference in
1868 had unexpectedly thrown him out of it into the Wil-
mington Conference, and now his Conference relations were
again unsettled. So imperative seemed the demand for his
services in certain important churches in the controlling
centres of population and influence, that he finally yielded,
though reluctantly, to higher convictions of duty— in regard
to the freest interchange of ministers throughout the whole
Church — and consented to be transferred to the Newark
Conference, and was stationed at the Central Church,
Market Street, Newark, N.J. This proved to be his last
transfer and his last appointment in the Church. At the next
roll-call, at the name of Alfred Cookman, instead of the
round, full, silvery " here" there would be silence and tears.

18

274 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

In view of the frequency of Mr. Cookman's transfers from
one Conference to another, and of the class of churches
which he generally served, a communication from Mr. John
Thompson, of Philadelphia, will be found pertinent. A
letter from himself to a lady friend reveals the same earnest
desire that ever attended these changes, to know and follow
the Divine will. An incident also occurred before he left
Grace, while his mind was yet undetermined as to the
course he should take.

There was a little prayer-meeting at which were present
some of his closest friends. He prayed earnestly to be
directed to go where God might will — to suffer or to die for
Him ; and requested his friends to make special prayer.
The next morning they all said " Newark."

The Central Church, Newark, gave a cordial welcome to
their new pastor. He found a large and handsome church
edifice, well located, with a thrifty, active, and generous
membership, disposed in every way to promote his comfort
and usefulness. Within a few brief weeks he was ensconced'
with his family in their pleasant home, and he was as deeply
immersed in the duties of the pastorate as if no change
had taken place from one charge to another. The facility
with which pastors go from church to church, and with
which the churches accept one pastor after another, is
inexplicable to persons outside of Methodism. The only
explanation is, it is law and usage — ministers and people
have become accustomed to the system, and, content with
its workings, they accept it as a matter of course, and as
the wisest arrangement for the whole Church. The prompt
arid cheerful acquiescence in the plan does not, however,
preclude the sharp pangs caused by the severance of pas-
toral relations — many times the pastor's heart aches for the
absent flock, and the people's hearts yearn for the recent

QUICKENING POWER OF HIS MINISTRY. 275

pastor — but soon the new pastor and the new people
become so taken up with each other as to prevent undue
pain, while the strong attachments of former relationships
are silently cherished as the pure and tender memories of a
past which is ever present.

As in every previous charge, so at Central, Mr. Cookman
began very soon to see the effects of an earnest ministry in
a quickened Church, an increasing congregation, and the
general signs of the esteem of the people. There seemed
to be every reasonable indication that in coming to Newark
he was in the path of duty.

Far-reaching as was Mr. Cookman's ministerial influence,
by reason not only of bis fame, but his actual pastoral and
occasional services in the Church, he never became too great
for the little duties of the parish. Outside engagements,
however numerous and clamorous, were not allowed to press
aside the work which was due to his own people in their
proper organization, visitation, and instruction. Here at
Newark, as elsewhere, the spring and early summer were
devoted to regular pastoral calls, to the formation of such
helps as would facilitate his own usefulness and develop the
talents and graces of the members of the Church and con-
gregation. He believed in woman's work for the Church
and for humanity ; and as a minister was always successful
in winning the affections and confidence of the ladies of the
Church, and organizing them for high and beneficent ends.
Ere midsummer the Central Church was alive with religious
activity. The whole membership had caught a spark from
the heart of the living, working pastor.

Reference has been already seen in Mr. Cookman's corre-
spondence to Ocean Grove camp-ground. He had become
so charmed with the spot as to buy a lot there, building a
cottage upon it for the accommodation of his family. He

276 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

was particularly fond of the sea-side. As with his father, so
with him, the ocean possessed a great attraction — he could
sit by the hour and look out upon its -restless life, and com-
mune with its never-ceasing music. His highest physical
spirits were excited when he was laved by its waves or
walked amid its breezes. He was only too glad to avail
himself of the capital opportunity which the Ocean Grove
Association afforded of uniting a summer residence with the
facilities of religious culture upon the sea-side, under con-
ditions which would be free from the objections of ordinary
fashionable watering-places. The modern innovation of
combining the social element of the family life and the
devotional element of religious worship in the camp-
meeting was pleasing to him, as meeting not only his own
want, but also a want which he believed to be very generally
felt among Christian people. Some such resorts had long
been needed, where healthful air and innocent pastimes
could be had, with cheapness, plainness, and sobriety,
associated with such religious exercises as tend to keep
alive the pious habits and sentiments of the home left
behind; where the moral feelings of those who prefer the
stricter virtues will not be constantly shocked with customs
which are a violence to good taste, to say nothing of sound
morality and vital religion ; and where people can be practi-
cally taught the union which should always subsist between
social and spiritual enjoyments.

The first notable example of this peculiar feature of the
camp-meeting was set by the company owning the Wesleyan
Grove Camp-ground, on Martha's Vineyard Island, Massa-
chusetts. From rude beginnings the Martha's Vineyard
Camp-meeting has grown until it Jias become a vast water-
ing-place, with additional grounds adjoining under different
companies. Whole villages of cottages have been erected,

CAMP-MEETING AT ROUND LAKE. 277

many of them at much cost, with all the devices which
necessity and taste can suggest. It is not an uncommon
thing for families from remote parts of the country, and of
all the different religious denominations, to go thither early
in the warm season, and to remain till autumn. The
success of Martha's Vineyard has caused similar efforts in
various sections, both on the sea-coast and inland, within
the past few years. Prominent among them is Ocean Grove,
New Jersey. Mr. Cookman was greatly pleased with its
success; he prized highly the moments he was able to
spend there in the summer of 1,871, and those persons who
had the happiness to be with him through those brief days
will long cherish the memory of his personal and ministerial
influence as among the most pleasant of their lives.

The first trumpet of the summer's campaign summoned
Mr. Cookman to the sixth National camp-meeting at Round
Lake. Thither the hosts of the higher life were moving ; the
prospect was for an immense meeting, and the responsibility
of the National Committee was correspondingly great j it
was felt that none of the active members could be spared, —
least of all the man whose modest presence, wise counsels,
persuasive speech, and holy character constituted him to the
cause a tower of strength. He was not well ; to his rather
enfeebled body and worn mind it would have been delicious
to go at once to the sea-side— but no ; among the promptest
to start for and reach Round Lake was Mr. Cookman.
Though young in years he was a veteran in service, and
as the war-horse snuffeth the battle afar, and in the first
noise of the tumult forgets his stiffened joints, so this our
hero of a hundred victories, with the first step upon the field
of contest, with the first notes of God's Israel preparing for
the charge, forgot all his wounds and weariness, and from
beginning to end was in the thickest of the fight, himself

278 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

farthest on to the front, where the battle raged the fiercest
— here, there, everywhere — personally contending, and by
his voice and example cheering on the soldiers of the cross.
When the conflict had closed, the smoke had rolled away,
the field was won, and the day pronounced glorious in the
annals of holiness, no heart was more serenely happy than
Mr. Cookman's. His wounds, however, were seen to bleed
afresh. His natural force had abated— the elastic spring,
the gay, buoyant carriage was perceptibly broken, and the
beginning of the end was at hand. But other battles were
still to be fought, and further victories to be won.

Immediately upon his return from Round Lake he took
his family to Ocean Grove. It was evident to all that his
health was much impaired, but it was hoped that the invigo-
rating sea air and sea bathing, with the quiet of the place,
would soon restore him to his usual strength. In all likeli-
hood this would have been the effect, had he remained
during the season thus in repose, desisting from the extreme
labours and excitements of successive camp-meetings. It
was expected by his friends that he would do so — some of
them urged its necessity upon him — but, despite all remon-
strances, the earnest persuasions of his wife and kindred,
he could not be constrained to rest. The fact is, he did
not know how to rest ; it was a lesson he had never needed
to learn hitherto, and now it was exceedingly difficult for
him to begin it. If Mr. Cookman had foreseen the probable
consequences of unintermitted work through the summer,
it is doubtful if he would have persisted in his purpose — as
he had never had cause before to take care of himself, he
could not now feel the necessity of it, nor fully appreciate
the fears of his friends. The habit of " campaigning " was
strong upon him. The second National camp-meeting for
the season had begun at Urbana, Ohio; the brethren of

THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK. 279

the committee were there, and how could he stay away in
ease, while they were at work and needed him? "Oh,
Alfred !" said his wife, in tears — and she knew better than
any one else -how sick he really was — " you will not go to
Urbana?" "My dear," he replied, "it is God's will."
When he arrived at Urbana, the members of the committee
were surprised but extremely gratified to see him.

In addition to what has been already said of Mr. Cook-
Oman's preaching at this meeting, I give an account of it
which appeared in one of the Cincinnati papers shortly .
afterwards : —

" At ten o'clock the clang of the bell called the congregation to

Church Square, where Rev. Alfred Cookman delivered another of those

grand sermons that are rapidly placing him in the front rank of the

eloquent and effective pulpit orators of the Methodist Church. His

text was read from Ephesians v. 18—' Be ye filled with the Spirit.'

The preacher said, by way of introducing his subject, that on an

occasion like this it would be superfluous to employ time to insist on

the personality or individuality of the Holy Ghost, the Third Person of

the Trinity. Unanimous assent to that doctrine may be taken for

granted. He then referred briefly to the various offices of the Spirit,

as contradistinguished from those of the other Persons of the Trinity,

and quoted from various inspired writers to establish the fact that the

promise of the Spirit's presence was one of the understood guarantees

given to man in the Scriptures. When the Holy Spirit comes to man

it is not to speak of Himself, but to take of the things of Christ and

show them unto us. The Spirit does not reveal Himself, but reveals

the personality and presence of Christ. This explains the prominence

given to Christ in all effective preaching of the Gospel. I detract not

an iota from the merits of Christ. I am not surprised to hear you sing,

' Oh, how I love Jesus ! ' but we must not fail to recognise that it is our

glorious privilege and duty to speak of, pray to, live in, have fellowship

with, be filled by the Holy Spirit.

" The effects of being filled with the Holy Spirit are developed in the
consciousness, character, and life of man. Its effects on man's con-
sciousness are : First, the soul will be hallowed in thought, feeling, and
motive. Second, the soul will have a deep, full, and abiding experience
of love— a valuable and beautiful fount of the very nature of the Spirit

280 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

Himself. Third, the soul will have the realization of real rest. Antago-
nisms will be allayed ; antagonists transformed into servitors. The
soul where the Spirit makes His home will be made a perfect home.

" In character, religion aims to produce perfection. Character in its
highest form is not the product of merely human agencies ; and a cha-
racter developed by the Spirit's operation will involve : First, holiness ;
freedom from littleness, lowness, or vileness. Second, gentleness ; no
agent is comparable with the Spirit in this matter of gentleness — and
gentleness makes man great. Third, wisdom ; this is pronounced in
God's Word ; God's children shall be the happiest, best, and wisest on
His footstool. In personal life : first, a soul filled with the Spirit
supplies the impulse of an earnest, useful, and valuable life ; second, it
will supply not only the motive power? but the ability to accomplish ;
third, it associates with the words and labours of life the unction of the
Holy One.

"The speaker discussed at some length the question, What is
unction ? He said : ' It is that subtle, intangible, irresistible influence
of the Holy Spirit that seals instruction upon the hearts to which it is
given. It is not the eloquent men of this world, the orators of great
occasions, whose words linger longest in their influence upon the hearts
of men. The unction may oftentimes be rather in the utterances of a
humble disciple than in the delivery of a powerful sermon. For this I
am more concerned than for anything else. ' . . .

" His clear, ringing voice penetrated to the remotest bounds of
the great square, and under the influence of his eloquence men stood
motionless as statues. The hour of twelve came, and the gongs and
dinner-bells around the inclosure began an interruptive clangour. But
no person in that congregation could have been tempted away by an
epicurean feast. _ In that moment there was food for the moral and
religious nature being dispensed with all the liberality of eloquence, and
the wants of physical nature were unheeded in these appeals. An im-
perfect report would utterly mar the beauty of the speaker's utterances,
and a perfect report would fail to convey any idea of the glowing
eloquence of his style and the telling effect of his pathetic appeals to
men and women to ' be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Your types could
print the mere words, but no pen-power that I know of can clothe them
with the garb of oratory in which they trooped forth from the speaker-s
lips, to take by storm the stubborn citadels of men's hearts and
minds."

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE LAST CAMP-MEETINGS. — FAILING HEALTH. — THE LAST

SERMON.

With the camp-meeting at Urbana, Mr. Cookman's public
services with the National Committee ceased. Some of
the committee, during the season, moved farther westward,
and held meetings in a large tent at Topeka, Kansas, Salt
Lake City, and in different parts of California; but he
was not able, for want of time and strength, to accompany
them.

Mr. Cookman returned from Martha's Vineyard, spent
two weeks at Ocean Grove, and then brought his family
home, and early in September was at the regular work of
his charge. The great spiritual preparation which he had
earnestly desired for his fall and winter work had evidently
been granted; his mind began promptly to unfold plans
of increasing usefulness, and in all the public and social
services there was an enlarged attendance and a manifest
deepening of religious fervour. The special service for the
promotion of holiness, not hitherto appointed, was now
established, and from it the happiest results were antici-
pated.

There was, however, one drawback to the pastor's plans
and expectations— a disturbing element had thrust itself
forward and demanded recognition— a strange element,

282 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

which heretofore had never entered into his reckonings,
beset him : his health, always before so firm and reliable,
was now weak and treacherous. His physical constitution
had lost its elasticity; accustomed hitherto to recover its
vigour immediately with the suspension of hard work, it
now failed to show signs of recuperation. The bow, strung
too long, had lost its spring, and when the string was
loosed there was no rebound. Alfred Cookman had gone
too far for his strength : this last summer's campaign
had finished what former summers' work had begun and
hastened — the premature decay of his bodily powers.

It is impossible, as I now enter the shadows which begin
to gather about our friend, whom I have thus followed step
by step until this period of his life, to dismiss wholly from
sight a question which, despite the sanctity of his character,
the usefulness of his career, and the triumph of his death,
obtrudes itself upon me : Can his uniform course of attend-
ing and working at successive camp -meetings during the
summer seasons be wholly commended ? The difficulty of
seeing any mistake in a life so full of good fruits is very
great ; and yet, when the loss to the Church and to the
world which the death of such a man entails is weighed,
those who feel it most deeply may be forgiven if they
suggest conditions which, humanly considered, may have
prevented it.

" Oh, sir ! the good die first,
And they whose hearts are dry as summer dust
Burn to the socket,"

is an utterance which gratifies a sort of vengeful feeling
when we see the good stricken down in their prime and the
wicked living to old age ; but it is not such as Christianity
warrants. The earth needs the good. The cause of God
needs the wisdom" of age as well as the zeal of youth. Life

PRUDENCE IN WORK DEMANDED. 283

is the order of God, and, except where it can be clearly
pointed out as a duty, it is not to be unduly exposed.
Times may come, calls may arise which demand its
jeopardy and even its sacrifice as the price of conscience,
liberty, humanity ; but ordinarily God is most glorified
when, by a due observance of the law of health, it is
prolonged and preserved in cumulative perfection to
advanced years.

There is no reason why a holy man should not increase
in holiness and usefulness until old age, and present, though
in a different aspect, quite as beautiful an exemplification
of the force of religion in the aged as in the young. This is
a view of the subject quite necessary to be looked at,
especially by youth. There is something peculiarly fascinat-
ing to ardent natures in the halo which invests a rapid, fiery
course and an early, triumphant death ; but to other minds
there is something repellent, as implying a logical connec-
tion between a life of the highest devotion and a premature
death. A devout man may conscientiously refuse incessant,
overtasking labour, and insist upon the hours and days of
relaxation, for the preservation of his health, in order that
he may thus offer to God a larger and more effective service.
St. Paul had a desire to depart and be with Christ, which he
felt to be far better for himself, because he would thus
sooner be free from suffering, and be present with the Lord ;
but he yielded to the motive of usefulness to the Church
as a reason sufficiently strong to control his personal
preference, and consented to remain in the body.

The desire for the greatest usefulness may lead one man
to such intensity of action as to preclude intermission of
labour, under the impression that time thus spent is lost ;
while the same desire may lead another to the strict ob-
servance of vacation, as more economical of time, because

284 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

regarded as indispensable to the maintenance of an equable
and steady strength. One man's motto is, " Labour here,
rest hereafter " ; another's motto is, " Some rest and more
labour." Both may be equally religious, be alike governed
by the glory of God ; but certainly if the human race,
before its universal death and resurrection, is to possess the
earth, — if in humanity as now constituted, only saved from
sin and immorality, God is to be glorified in what is ordi-
narily expected as the millennium, — then conservation of
physical health and the prolongation of human life must
be considered one of the first duties of practical religion.
God's greatest glory will be revealed in the highest perfec-
tion of the threefold man — soul, body, and spirit.

A doubt cannot be raised as to the thorough conscien-
tiousness of Mr. Cookman ; nor, with the notions of in-
dividual liberty, which must be conceded in preference to
personal conduct, especially in view of the good sense and
the extreme care with which he canvassed all questions of
religion and morals, both for himself and others, is it easy
to say that he should have acted differently in the use of
his time and energies than he did. While he was in the
fulness of his vigour, fame, and usefulness, his friends used
to remonstrate with him against devoting his vacations in
the heats of summer to the same mental and bodily work to
which he was accustomed all the year round. He thought
the change of scene and place would be sufficient to pre-
vent damage to his health. But the trouble was that, while
change of scene did bring a degree of relaxation, the mind
continued, only in an intenser degree, to be excited in the
same direction as in the ordinary work of the pastoral
charge. If, after the exhaustion of the camp-meetings, he
could have had freedom of care for a month each year, his
labours could have been continued, in all likelihood, for

SELF-SA CRIFICING DE VO TION. 2S5

many years, for his physical resources were truly remark-
able ; but it was not possible for a man, even of his bodily
powers, to go directly from the cares of a charge to the
herculean work of five or six camp-meetings every season,
and to return immediately to the exacting duties of the
pastorate, without detriment to his health, and probable
premature decay of his vital force. He did not realize his
danger in the beginning, and with each additional year his
zeal became so absorbing as to consume him ; so that I
believe his course was finally one of deliberate choice, taken
with his eyes fully open to the worst consequences.

I cannot approve his election on general principles. I
may accept it as that which God's Spirit pointed out to him
as his proper path ; and, in accepting it, I must be carried
away with admiration for so sublime an embodiment of that
ancient, heroic, self-sacrificing devotion which inspired the
apostles and confessors of the primitive ages, and which
still in these modern times impels scores and hundreds of
believers to brave the pestilence, the savage, and the deep
for the Cross of Christ. Surely no one can turn away from
the career of this saint of God, after contemplating his
self-sacrificing zeal for the salvation of his fellow-men, and
say " the age of heroes is past."

After all, it may be that one lesson, in addition to many
others, which Divine Providence meant to teach in the
history of His servant, is the greater moral beauty, the
richer blessedness of a zeal which consumes, in contradis-
tinction to the dwarfed religiousness which the thought of
self and the love of ease engender — low principles which,
alas ! are too prevalent in our day. Sometimes extremes
can only be met by extremes ; a low stoop is necessary to
reach a deep depression — so Alfred Cookman may have
been a sacrifice to an excessive zeal, whose force, all the

286 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

greater by its contrast, shall kindle the breasts of others,
and arouse them from a too utilitarian and cold policy for
the work of saving a selfish world.

But the day is passing — the sun nears the west — the
shadows are lengthening : enough of my reflections. We
will hear more from him. Some one remarked to him
during his last illness, " Perhaps you have worked too hard,
and have not been sufficiently careful of your health."
"Well," he replied, "I do not know — I have enjoyed my
work ; I have not been conscious of overtaxing myself. I
had but one life to live here, and it was for the glory of
Jesus ; and He has abundantly recompensed me."

The last article which came from Mr. Cookman's hand
for publication, was a preface, written at the request of
Mr. W. S. Hillis, of Wilmington, Delaware, for a little tract
containing the account of Dr. Coan's labours in the island
of Hilo. The tract was afterwards published. The article
was conveyed in a letter to Mr. Hillis : —

"Newark, N.J., October 19, 1871.

" I ought perhaps to take a season of rest, but in my relations, both
family and ecclesiastical, this seems impracticable. I am the child of
the best of fathers, and He is pledged to the supervision of all my
interests. What may be His design in my present condition I cannot
know. Lying quietly and lovingly and confidently in His blessed
embrace, I look up and say, ' Good is the will of the Lord. ' I want to
be entirely willing to do or not to do. "

Mr. Cookman continued to fulfil all his ministerial duties
during the weeks of September and October. But it was
evident to his family and friends that his bodily strength
was not adequate to the tasks he was performing. It was
the opinion of medical men that his health was seriously
impaired and needed absolute rest, and he was advised to
take a tour to Europe. The way did not appear to be open,

LETTER OF THE REV. L. R. DUNN. 287

and so he toiled on — hoping, though not without alternations
of fear, that with the cold frost of autumn his strength
would return. He would at this time, after being out through
the day making pastoral calls, come home and throw him-
self on the sofa utterly exhausted, and say, " Sometimes I
think my work is nearly done, and when I take my bed, it
may be my last sickness." Then again he would rally, and
talk of his plans for the future. He still moved quite freely
among his ministerial brethren. As late as the first of
October he was over to New York in attendance upon the
Preachers' Meeting, interchanging greetings and showing
all his wonted buoyancy of feeling. His hearty grasp
and glowing expressions on that occasion cannot soon be
forgotten.

While instant in labour in his own charge, he was ever
ready, sick as he was, to render outside help to the ministers
of neighbouring cities.

The Rev. L. R. Dunn writes : —

" After the summer campaign was over, he resumed his work with
great hopefulness. Having been a pastor for five years of the same
Church, and knowing intimately its official boards and its entire
membership, I can safely say that never before in all their history were
they labouring with greater unanimity, with loftier inspirations, and
with more assured promise and hope for their future enlargement and
prosperity. Every movement he made, every word he spoke, every
meeting he held, and every sermon he preached seemed to distil a fra-
grance not only in his own Church, but as far as he was known through
all the churches and all the community. . . . -

" As an illustration of this, an intelligent young man, who had been
brought to Christ during my ministry in the Central Church, although
afterwards connected with another of our churches in the city, was con-
versing with me after his death about his goodness and purity. So
impressed did he seem to be that I asked him if he had often heard him
preach. ' No, ' said he, ' I have never heard him preach, but I have
■watched him as he was walking along the street.' So that his very
shadow as he walked left its impress on the mind and heart of that

288 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

young man. ... I had arranged to have a few days of extra services
in my charge, and he had promised to spend a day with me. He
came in during the afternoon meeting, and talked very sweetly and
impressively to all present of his experience of full salvation. After
service he went to my house with one of our dear mutual friends, and
remained until the evening service. When leaving the house he said
to me, ' Let me take your arm : since my sickness this last summer I
have been a little lame, and my limbs sometimes seem to give way.
Little did I think then, as he walked and talked of Jesus and His love,
that he was so near to his heavenly home. . . . He preached with
great power on ' Put ye on the Lord Jesus,' and his sermon seemed to
produce a deep impression."

Nothing could exceed the spiritual-mindedness of Mr.
Cookman through these weeks. He was full of plans for
life, but a deep under-current of feeling bore all his thoughts
heavenward. He almost literally lived and moved in God.
His spirit was becoming so filled with the atmosphere of
the skies, that its tendency was upward ; and, imperceptibly
to himself and his friends, he was so ready for the ascent
that it was with difficulty he could be held to earth. Walk-
ing out one evening with his wife, as he looked up to the
heavens he said, " Those are my Father's stars " — " That
is my Father's moon." A short time before he was taken
sick they visited a house where they saw an oil-painting of a
saint just entering heaven ; lingering by it, he said, " How
I covet her ! — she is almost within the gate"; and then
requested his wife to sing —

" Oh, the city ! oh, the glory !
Far beyond the rapturous story
Of the ages old and hoary —
Oh ! 'tis heaven at last ! "

He gazed in transport as he seemed to fancy her just
entering the heavenly city.

The month of October, with its keen, crisp breath, was
fast speeding away without reviving the flagging steps of the

LAST PUBLIC SERVICES. 289

weary invalid. He grew perceptibly weaker. While in
attendance upon the National Committee in New York,
about the middle of the month, he made a call at his
brother's house in West Thirty-fourth Street. Though
feeble, he was very brightand cheerful. His whole conver-
sation was about Jesus and His cause. That visit proved
the last. Two days before his final illness he attended a
love-feast at the Halsey Street Methodist Episcopal Church,
Newark. His ankles were then very weak, but such was his
devotion to the Master's work that he could not refuse to go.
At the close of the meeting he gave his experience from the
commencement of his religious life, dwelling especially upon
the holy influence and example of his mother. Returning
home, two of his warm friends walked on either side of him
to support his feeble steps. He said to them, " I know it
is not popular to hold up the doctrine of holiness, but I
thought I would do my whole duty then ; I feel this may
be my last opportunity."

On Sunday, the 22nd of October, he performed his last
public services. He had said many times when in health,
" I would like to die, if it is God's will, with my armour on,
and preach by my death as well as by my life." He often
spoke of the Rev. Dudley Tyng, with whom he was inti-
mately associated in Philadelphia, and said, " It was glorious
to die as he did, for his dying testimony was yet echoing
through the world." He even said he " would prefer to die
in the pulpit." His wish, though not literally, was about to
be substantially gratified. His work and his life were to
end together. His death was to be the most effective
sermon of his whole career — a fitting vindication and illus-
tration of the power of the docrines he had preached and
lived — a death which, for its singular spiritual glory, is
destined to be spoken of while the annals of Christian saints

19

290 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

shall be read, and which for its wondrous force will be
quoted and dwelt upon as a Divine inspiration while there
shall be a Church to cherish the memory of the good, or
a trembling believer who shall need cheer amid the stern
struggles of life and death.

In the morning he preached from Mark iv. 25, "From
him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he
hath " — a very solemn and effective sermon. In the after-
noon he visited the Sabbath School, as was his custom, and
shook hands with every teacher and scholar. Toward even-
ing he complained of not feeling well, and Mrs. Cookman
was very anxious to get some one to fill his pulpit for the
evening service. But he would not consent — saying, " I
think I have a message from God for this people ; I shall
preach from ' the faded leaf " As he arose 'to announce
his text, he held in his hand a faded leaf, saying, " This is my
text : 'We all do fade as a leaf.' " Several persons remarked
afterwards to his wife that " he looked like one transfigured."
A lady said to her husband, " She did not think that
Fletcher could have looked more seraphic." As he finished
his sermon his feet gave way, and passing from the pulpit
he handed the leaf to a friend, saying, " The leaf and the
preacher are very much alike— -fading." He limped home,
and when his wife received him in the parlour he was almost
distracted with pain. As he was assisted to his chamber
he remarked to her, " I have preached my own experience
to-night, — ' Fading as a Leaf.' "

The physician in attendance pronounced the disease
mialgia, or acute inflammatory rheumatism, the pain being
confined to the ankles and the soles of the feet. There was
also a torpid condition of the liver, which added very much
to his discomfort. The next few days were accompanied
with intense suffering; but he was heard to say "that, while

HIS LAST ILLNESS. 291

his whole lower nature was quivering with agony, his higher
nature triumphed in God." At times he would be so filled
with the Spirit as to burst out in the midst of his anguish
into expressions of praise and love. I quote again from
the Rev. Mr. Dunn : " In attempting to describe his
sufferings to me he used the following language: ' If,' said
he, ' the bones of my feet were all teeth, and each one
had what we call the jumping toothache, it would give you
some idea of what I suffer.' After conversation and prayer,
when I rose to leave, he grasped my hand, and looking
up so lovingly in my eyes, he said, ' My precious brother,
how I love you ! I have always felt a special nearness to
you ever since I have known you.' But, great as his
sufferings were, he seemed then to have no idea he was so
near his end, but talked freely of his plans for the future,
and his hope of a speedy recovery."

After about one week of almost constant pain, approach-
ing sometimes to convulsions, alleviated only by slight
intervals of ease, he became apparently convalescent.
When a lull in his sufferings took place he was very bright
and cheerful, and he manifested the keenest interest in
everything which occurred around him both beyond and
within the house. Every little incident in the outer world
was referred to with the liveliest appreciation ; while the
acts of kindness performed by those in attendance upon
him, even of the most trivial kind, were received with the
sweetest look of pleasure and gratitude. Always to the
question, "How are you?" he would reply, "I think I
am a little better." After rallying from the first paroxysms
of suffering, he had his books and paper brought to him,
and employed his time as he was able in reading or being
read to, and in writing notes to his friends. His Bible was
daily by his side ; when he was unable to read it, either the

292 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

children or his wife would read it to him, and he would
respond, " There is nothing like the Word of the Lord ! "
or " Oh, how precious !" At his request his daughter Annie
read to him the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of St. John
— always a favourite chapter with him. She said to him
one day, as he was suffering with pain in the back of his
neck, " Pa, are you not afraid that it will go to your brain ?"
"No, darling," he answered, "not unless the Lord Jesus
would have it." October 29th, one week from the time
of his prostration, a meeting being held by the members of
his Church to pray especially for his recovery, he dictated
for them the following note : —

' ' Mr. Cookman wishes me to say that he appreciates more than he
can express the sympathy and love of his dear people. He loved you
all very tenderly before his present illness ; he feels that he will love
you much more in the future. This a Sabbath of great physical suffer-
ing, and yet it is proving, doubtless in answer to your prayers, the
most precious of all his life. He says he is Christ's suffering little
child ; and with every sharp, keen, excruciating pain, he feels that
Jesus presses him even more closely to His great heart of love, and lets
him realize the power of His Divine sympathy and tenderness. He
says, ' God bless you all ! — the kindest, dearest people that any pastor,
ever served.'"

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE LAST HOURS. — SWEEPING THROUGH THE GATES.

It was after reviving from one of the severe paroxysms
to which Mr. Cookman was subject, about one week from
the first attack, that he had what may be regarded as a
remarkable vision. He found himself just inside of heaven.
He was first received by his grandfather Cookman, who
said, " When you were in England, I took great pleasure in
showing you the different places of interest ; now I welcome
you to heaven, my grandson, washed in the blood of the
Lamb ! " He was next received by his father — whose features
were as distinct as when he saw him in his boyhood days :
he also said, " Welcome, my son, washed in the blood of
the Lamb ! " Then his brother George took him in his arms,
and said, "Welcome, my brother, washed in the blood of
the Lamb !" And lastly his son Bruner received him with
the same salutation — " Welcome, father, washed in the
blood of the Lamb ! " Each one of these in turn pre-
sented him to the Throne. When he told his wife of what
he had seen and heard, he remarked, "That was an
abundant entrance." She asked him if it was a dream. He
replied, "No, it was between sleeping and waking." Saint
Stephen is not the last of God's suffering, dying servants
who have seen heaven opened before their entrance into it.
He was often heard to repeat the simple words, —

294 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

" I'm a poor sinner, and nothing at all,
Jesus Christ is my all in all. "

He now seemed to understand as never before the expres-
sion, "Perfect, or purified through suffering." "I have
known for many years what it is to be washed in the blood
of the Lamb ; now I understand the full meaning of that
verse, ' These are they which came out of great tribulation,
and have washed their robes and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb.' I used to maintain that the blood
was sufficient, but I am coming to know that tribulation
brings us to the blood that cleanseth." His mother, who
visited him frequently, reminded him that the Saviour
suffered in His feet, to which he afterwards often referred.
' ' You know the nails pierced His precious feet, and He
can sympathize with me in my sufferings. ' In all their
afflictions He was afflicted.'" To his son Frank he said,
" The effect of this sickness is to draw me closer and closer
to the heart of Jesus."

The last letters he wrote will be read and cherished as
well-nigh messages from heaven.

" Newark, N.J., November 6, 1871.

"lam still the prisoner of the Lord — but oh, what an honour ! what
a privilege ! what a joy ! Infinite Love is my Keeper, and the Lord's
prison-houses are incomparably more desirable than the gorgeous
palaces of wickedness.

" This is now the third week of my affliction. Lying on my back,
I am grateful to be able to use ray pencil in communing with the dear
friends whose tried affection is cherished among my heart's richest
treasures, and the expression of whose sympathy is so soothing and
welcome. When our Christian boy was wrested from us, no voice was
more tender, no heart more sympathizing than your own. We have
not forgotten it— and now that it pleases the best of fathers to afflict
your unworthy brother, it is most encouraging and inspiring to know
that the same true heart turns to the human in love and to the Divine
in prayer.

HIS LAST LETTERS. 295

" Precious sister, your prayers have reached the Throne, and the
gracious answers have been blessing me both in my body and my soul.
Two weeks since I was struck in my own pulpit, just at the close of the
evening sermon. I felt my feet giving way ; I limped home, I scarcely
know how. Lying down on my bed, the pain rapidly developed, until
it was almost more than I could endure. Confined to the ankle and
soles of the feet, it was as if that part were full of teeth, and all were
quivering at the same moment with violent, jumping toothache. This,
of course, made the feet so sore that I could not bear to have them
touched. The pulsing pain in the sore feet, continuing day after day,
involved my whole nervous system, until in the paroxysms I was almost
like one the victim of convulsions. Oh the long, weary nights ! — the
throbbing pain beating the seconds of hours that seemed like little
ages !

" Since Tuesday last I have had measurable relief, though prostrated
beyond expression in my general system. Owing to the soreness of my
feet, and the condition of my liver and other organs, the doctor insists
on my remaining in bed a few days longer. I have thus entered into
detail respecting myself, because I thought it might be what your kind,
warm heart would desire to know.

" But now turning from the sick and suffering man, let me humbly
acknowledge that the inward man, walking in the furnace, has been
wonderfully sustained and enabled to triumph day after day. Oh,
Sister Emily, how precious is full salvation in our times of extremity !
When every nerve was quivering with agony, the heart sent up its
blessed testimony — ' Washed in the blood of the Lamb.' I realized,
too, that I would have some little claim to the other part of that blessed
Scripture — ' These are they that have come up through great tribula-
tion,' etc. I could, if I were physically able, fill many pages with these
experiences — all of grace. Join me to sing, ' Glory to the Lamb ! '

'• All the rest are well, and send you and Brother Edward tenderest
love. Do please write soon again — your letters are like so much light
thrown into my sick room. God bless my Wilmington friends ! "

" Newark, November 8, 187 1.

" To-day they are allowing me to sit up for a little while. Thank
God for this indication of convalescence ! — but I am still very much
prostrated in my physical nature. To rest my weight on my feet or to
take a single step would be quite out of question. As yet, there is no
developing appetite whatever. I nibble a little, but it is a mere matter
of form, or to make some contribution to the reduced strength of my

296 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

system. The great concern on my mind has been to know exactly what
is the will or design of my Heavenly Father in this dispensation. It
has wonderfully increased my interest in and sympathy for suffering
humanity. Oh, it seems to me I would most willingly rub or bathe the
feet even of a suffering brute. It has realized to me the power and
preciousness of many parts of Scripture bearing upon suffering —
passages that previously had their exposition principally in my intellect.
It has satisfied me of the independent action of the soul, for when my
whole lower nature seemed to be quivering and quailing through
excruciating pain, my higher being not only trusted, but triumphed in
the God of my salvation. The best hours of my illness were when the
fierce fires of suffering were kindling and scorching all around me. It
has convinced me that full salvation is the only preparation for the ten
thousand contingencies that belong to a mortal career. Oh, how sooth-
ing to feel, hour by hour, that the soul has been washed in the blood of
the Lamb, and to experience the inspiration of that perfect love that
casteth out all fear that hath torment ! These, with other lessons, have
been most precious and profitable ; and yet I cannot but think that my
faithful Lord has some ulterior meaning in this affliction that is not as
yet fully or satisfactorily revealed. I want to sit like little Samuel, and,
with a humble and obedient heart, say, ' Speak, Lord, for Thy servant
heareth.' God's will is so infinitely good, that without fear I would follow
where it leads. Your allusions to the grassy hillocks in the Clyde
Cemetery were most tender and touching. Truly, as you intimate, those
sacred mounds become our earthly Pisgahs. They lift us above the
world, and enable us to retrospect profitably the past and anticipate
rapturously

" ' Canaan, fair and happy land,
Where our possessions lie.'

i<

Let me thank you, my dear sister, for your gentle sympathy and
strong and valued affection. ' A world in purchase for such a friend
would not be too dear.' Your beautiful letter was read arain and arain
in my sick room, and in every instance it lifted me up in my thoughts
and feelings. Will you not remember me most affectionately to your
beloved daughters? We shall still indulge the hope of sharing with
them the hospitality of our itinerant home. "

" Saturday, November n, 187 1.

" I am writing this note in my bed, to which I have been confined
for three weeks. For some months past I have been far from well, but

HIS DEATHBED HYMNS. 297

at the close of my sermon on the evening of October 22 I felt my feet
giving away. I limped home, went to bed, and for about nine days
was almost distracted with what my physicians entitled mialgia — an
acute form of inflammatory rheumatism. The pain was confined to my
ankles and the soles of my feet. It was just as if the back part of the feet
were filled with teeth, and all at the same time affected with violent,
jumping toothache. This, of course, made my feet so painful that I
could scarcely bear to have them touched. Then the pulsing pain in
the painful feet, continuing day after day, so involved my whole nervous
system that towards the last it was almost like convulsions. The only
relief that I got was through morphine and chloroform. For ten days
I have been relieved of the pain, but still am very sick. Only once
have I sat up, and then returned to bed with a raging fever. Fever,
bloody expectorations, sore throat, torpid liver, disordered kidneys,
absence of all appetite, hemorrhoids, and great weakness, are my
symptoms at present. My physician, Dr. Nichols, a skilful and ex-
perienced practitioner of the old school, is very faithful in coming to see
me twice a day. Then my precious wife (God bless her !) has been
unremitting in her attentions. Day and night, like a loving angel, she
has hovered over my pillow, studying my wants, anticipating my
wishes. Oh, I can never repay her for her self-sacrificing and
unwavering love ! I fancy she looks thin through her constant nursing,
but she would not permit any one to take her place, and I am sure I do
not want any one else.

" Above all, dear mother, I have had the precious Jesus with me
during every hour of my sickness. When my pains were most severe,
He would let down on my soul such a weight of glory that I was
obliged to break forth in strains of praise and joy. Oh, precious
mother, how invaluable is full salvation in suffering and in the prospect
of eternity! To feel that the soul is washed in the blood of the Lamb,
and to realize the perfect love that casteth out all fear that hath
torment ! Oh, this is more than all the world beside !

"But I am weary now. I can write no more."

Through all his sickness Mr. Cookman retained his fond-
ness for singing, and sometimes would have his wife and his
little Mary and Helen on his bed beside him, joining in
such hymns as "Rock of Ages," "Oh, how I love Jesus !"
" I shall be satisfied," " Jesus calls me." His voice never
seemed fuller and sweeter. One day he was so much better

298 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

as to be able to be out in the sitting-room. Lying on the sofa,
or reclining in an easy chair, his face wore a most heavenly
expression, and his remark upon everything around him
was, " Oh, it is beautiful ! " Seeing a gentleman walking
fast in the street, he said, " That is the way I used to walk.
I wonder if I ever shall walk that way again." His wife
remarked " Certainly " ; but he seemed to doubt it. On the
last evening that he sat up, his sister Mary being present, he
asked them to sing, —

" Oh, it was love, it was wondrous love ! "

and other spiritual songs. He retired about nine o'clock,
and that was the last time the family sung together.

One day he said to his wife, " Do you know what I have
been doing? I have been counting my friends." When
told that it was impossible, he had so many, and that he
could not have an enemy, — " No," he remarked, " I do not
know that I have. God has been very good to me, but
you know there are some very special friends."

Never was Mr. Cookman more devoted to his wife and
children than now. Having consecrated his children to
God from their birth, he confidently trusted them with
the Heavenly Father. Every day he wished them all
brought to his bedside ; especially the youngest, his baby-
boy, Alfred, whom he called his sunshine, he would have
on his bed and play with him by the hour. His little Willie
said to him one day, " Papa, do you think you will ever
bathe in the ocean again?" "No, darling, I reckon these
feet will never touch that gravelled walk again." He even
taught his boys to recite pieces, heard his daughter Annie
recite a hymn, was so cheerful that all thought him con-
valescent, and, indeed, no one thought him critically ill
until the day of his death.

THE SWEET WILL OF GOD. 299

On Saturday, the nth of November, Dr. J. M. Ward,
a member of the Presbyterian Church, visited and prayed
with him. The Doctor afterward gave an account of the
visit in The Guide to Holiness.

" I saw our dear Brother Alfred Cookman just two days before he
left us. Committing to me at that time the care of his weekly meeting
for the promotion of holiness, he added, ' I shall be out in a week or two,
and will resume the care of it myself. ' So he doubtless thought ; but
the dear Lord had other service for him above. He was sitting in his
chair by the bedside, his face glowing with heavenly brightness. To
speak was painful to him, from soreness of the throat ; and yet so full,
even to overflowing, was his heart with the love of Christ, that he could
not refrain from talking. As truly might it have been said of him as
of one of old, ' The love of Christ constraineth me ' ; for his utterances
were such as the Holy Spirit only could give.

" In answer to a question as to his sufferings during the week, he
said, 'They have been excruciating, and yet so gloriously has Jesus
manifested Himself to me in them all that I have been immensely the
gainer from them. Such views of Christ's presence with me — such
views of His cleansing blood have I had as never before. Oh, the
precious blood ! ' he exclaimed. Then, with an upward glancing" of his
eye, his head leaning backward upon the chair, he repeated, 'Oh, the
precious blood, the precious cleansing blood of Jesus ! '

' No marvel that he was getting clearer views of the precious blood
under clearer manifestations of Christ to him, for he was ripening most
wonderfully, all unconscious to himself and us all, for his entrance upon
his heavenly inheritance ; he was being ' made meet ' for the abun-
dant entrance so soon to be administered to him into the heavenly
Jerusalem. . . .

' The prayer was ended ; in a moment more the parting was said,
while hand was pressing hand, and the interview closed. But the
glory filling- the chamber of the sainted one seemed still to encircle
me all the way homeward, giving character to my first utterances to
friends, as I said, ' Oh, what a blessed interview with Brother Cookman
this afternoon ! ' "

During the Doctor's prayer he would frequently respond,
" The sweet will of God." To his sister he said the same
day, " If I could have life on earth by the lifting of my

300 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

hand, I would not. If Jesus should ask me, ' Would I live
or die?' I would answer, 'I refer it back to Thee.' " To
the Rev. Mr. Dunn, in his last interview, he said, " I wish
that I could tell you how precious Jesus has been to me
during my sickness. I have had such views of Him as I
never had before. Right in the midst of my intensest
sufferings He has so manifested Himself to me that I
have been lifted above them all."

He remarked to his wife, " God means something by
this sickness ; He is either fitting me for greater usefulness
here or for heaven. I am lying passive in His hands, trying
to learn the lessons He would teach me. I am sitting in
the hands of the Heavenly Artist." To one of his official
members he used substantially these words : " My Church
is very dear to me ; my wife and children are very precious ;
my friends are dear to me ; but the sweet will of God I love
better than all else ; I have no choice to live or die. God
has some design in this sickness — Jesus is very precious."
Often he would repeat, " Lo ! I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world." The same evening the Rev.
William McDonald and two members of the Church visited
him ; he enjoyed seeing them, and during prayer there was
an extraordinary sense of the Divine presence.

Sunday, his last Sabbath on earth, was a beautiful day.
He requested his wife to open the window and let the bright
sunshine in the room, remarking, " The beams of the
Sun of Righteousness are shining around me. Glory all
around ! " He requested to be sung —

' ' Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore ; "

and said, " That grand old hymn ! Yes, I am weak and
wounded, sick and sore."

CALMNESS AND CONFIDENCE OF HIS LAST HOURS. 301

He was very earnest all day in praying for the ministers
and the preaching of the Word. In the afternoon Mr.
McDonald visited him again, and they conversed closely
and fully on the subject of holiness. He said among other
things to this friend, "I have tried to preach holiness; I
have honestly declared it ; and oh, what a comfort it is to
me now ! I have been true to holiness ; and now Jesus
saves me — saves me fully. I am washed and made clean.
Oh, I am so sweetly washed in the blood of the Lamb !"
That evening he became extremely weak, and so sensitive
to pain that he could not bear the least noise, and yet he
was tender and quiet without the slightest manifestation of
impatience, and so considerate that when he heard the
voice of one of the brethren in an adjoining room he asked
to see him. The friend remarked, " Why, my pastor, you
are all ready — collar on and wrapper on." " Ah ! " he
replied, "your pastor has not much strength ; the outward
is failing, but all is right within."

Quite early Monday morning he asked his wife the ques-
tion, "Where will you live — in Columbia' or Philadelphia?"
Affected to tears, she replied, " Why do you ask me that ques-
tion ? — I could not live anywhere without you. " Seeing her
feel thus, he sweetly said, " I thought I would like to know."
This was the first morning he was unable to shave himself ;
he was very weak, and he evidently was impressed that his
end was approaching. He asked his wife again, " My dear,
if the Lord should take me away from you, could you say,
' The will of the Lord be done '? " She, startled at the ques-
tion, replied, " I feel that you belong to the Lord ; I have
always felt so, but I do not believe He is going to take you
away from me." He responded, " God's will is always right
and best, dear." "But," she said, "how can I live with-
out you?" He replied, "Jesus can be everything to you;

302 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

He has been with us in the past, and He will never leave
nor forsake you. You know the Bible is full of promises
for the widow and fatherless. Live a moment at a time,
< looking unto Jesus ' ; and then, if permitted, I shall be with
you often ; I will be your guardian angel, and be the first
to meet you at the pearly gate."

His mother spent most of Monday with him. While she
was present he lost the use of his hand. He remarked, as
he looked at it, " This hand seems paralyzed, but it belongs
to Jesus :" He then repeated part of the hymn —

"God moves in a mysterious way."

His mother said, " I feel it a privilege, Alfred, to be in
this room, there is such a Divine influence ; it seems like
the gate of heaven." He responded, "Yes, there are
heavenly visitants here." About five o'clock p.m. she left
him to return to her home in New York, not supposing him
to be near death. As she was kissing him good-bye, he
held her hand, and, gazing into her eyes, he said, "Next
to Jesus, mother, I owe everything to you. Your holy in-
fluence, your godly example, your wise counsels have made
me the Christian and the minister that I am." To his brother
John he said, " John, you have been a mercy to me — mercy
is written on your brow. My friends are all a mercy to me.
I am not afraid to die. Death is the gate to endless glory ;
I am washed in the blood of the Lamb." He desired to see
his sister-in-law, Miss Rebecca Bruner, who had just arrived
from Columbia, Pennsylvania, and after inquiring for the
loved ones at home, he said to her, " This is the sickest
day of my life, but all is well; I am so glad I have
preached full salvation : what should I do without it now ?
If you forget everything else; remember my testimony —
Washed in the blood of the Lamb ! Jesus is drawing

HIS DEA TH.

303

me closer and closer to His great heart of infinite love."
To his wife he said, " I am Christ's little infant ; just as you
fold your little babe to your bosom, so I am nestling close
to the heart of Jesus." Shortly afterwards his eldest son,
George, returning from New York, came into the room ;
looking up to him, he said, "My son, your pa has been all
day long sweepifig close by the gates of death" At his request
he was removed to the other side of the bed, when he
remarked, " How sweet and quiet everything seems ! — I feel
like resting now." Very soon he became sick, and imme-
diately an effusion of the brain took place, when he became
insensible to outward things, and within about four hours,
at eleven o'clock p.m., surrounded by his family and the
trustees of his Church, he died, sweeping through the gates
of Paradise, washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Thus, on the 13th of November, 187 1, passed to the
bosom of God, in the prime of his life, one of the most
saintly, earnest, and useful men of modern times. His
dying testimony carries us back to the glowing record of
St. Ignatius, when yearning for martyrdom : " Suffer me to
imitate the passion of my God. My love is crucified ;
there is no fire in me desiring earthly fuel ; that which lives
and speaks within me says — ' Home to the Father.' "

The intelligence of Mr. Cookman's death spread rapidly,
and was everywhere received with astonishment and pain.
His most intimate friends, even those who had seen him
during his illness, were shocked at its suddenness. The
thought of death had not been really associated with one
who had moved so recently among men with a vigour which
promised a long and healthful life. The shock at his sud-
den death was only exceeded by the universal grief which
it caused. It was as though " one were dead in every
house " where he was known or the odour of his sanctity

304 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

had entered. It is a question if the mysterious loss of his
father, though it may have gathered about it more romantic
interest, excited a more general and profound grief. "When
I heard of his death," writes a gentleman from Philadelphia,
" I spent a week silently in tears." Exclaimed an old
coloured woman in Wilmington when told of his death,
" Dat man gone straight to glory/' His family, his Church,
the churches which he had previously served, were over-
whelmed with sorrow. From private persons and public
bodies, from both the secular and religious press, there
teemed the most tender expressions of regret and con-
dolence.

The funeral services took place in the Central Church,
Market Street, Newark, at three p.m., on Thursday, the
16th. The following account appeared the next week in
The New York Christian Advocate ; —

" The parsonage was filled at the funeral with ministers, chiefly
Methodist, but also of other denominations, who appeared subdued by
the feeling that a very afflictive and mysterious dispensation had fallen
upon the Church and the family in the unexpected removal of Brother
Cookman. The plate on the beautiful coffin told the age of the
deceased to be forty-four ; and pure, sweet flowers rested on either end,
at the foot in the shape of a cross, at the head in that of a crown.

" At 2.30 p.m. the procession moved from the house, the family and
bearers in carriages, followed by the officers of the Church, and perhaps
a hundred clergymen from far and from near. One of the most
affecting sights of the occasion was the little children of our departed
brother about the coffin and in the procession, eyidently not old enough
to appreciate the fulness of their loss. The church — pulpit, altar,
gallery, choir — was heavily draped in mourning, and crowded in every
part, including the aisles, out into the street, by a deeply sympathizing
congregation. In the pulpit were Bishop Simpson, Rev. De Witt
Talmage, Dr. Porter, Dr. Crane, Rev. Mr. McDonald, and others ; the
altar, also, and a considerable portion of the centre of the church, were
occupied by brother clergymen. The opening anthem came soothingly,
' Cast thy burden on the Lord. '

"Rev. S. Van Benschoten read Psalm xc, and Mr. Talmage 1 Cor.

FUNERAL SERVICES. 305

xv., when the venerable Dr. Porter led in a solemn and appropriate
prayer. Rev. Bishop Simpson then addressed the hushed audience.
Throughout, the bishop's manner^vas very subdued, as though struggling
to repress the rising of a great sorrow.

" Rev. Mr. McDonald then rose and spoke of Brother Cookman in
his relation to holiness and the National Camp-meeting Associ-
ation. The choir sang ' White Robes,' and the deeply affected
congregation took their last loving look at their beloved pastor and
friend."

After the services the remains were carried to Philadelphia,
accompanied by the family, members of the National Camp-
meeting Committee, and a large delegation from the Central
Church. They were deposited at the house of Mr. Frank
Cookman, whence the next day they were escorted to the
Union Methodist Episcopal Church in Fourth Street, where
additional funeral services took place in presence of a
densely crowded congregation. As the clergy walked
slowly into the church, the strains of the " Dead March from
Saul" helped to deepen the solemnity of the scene. An
anthem was then-sung by the choir, and the Rev. Dr. Nevin,
of the Presbyterian Church, read the Scriptures. Rev. J.
Dickerson announced the hymn, " Servant of God, well
.done," which was sung by the congregation ; and the Rev.
Dr. Pattison offered prayer. The Rev. Dr. Suddards, of
the Protestant Episcopal Church, after reading another
Scriptural lesson, addressed the audience, in which he made
feeling allusion to his intimacy with the Rev. George G.
Cookman, and paid a high tribute to the excellence and
usefulness of both father and son. The Rev. Andrew
Longacre next followed in an extended address, relating to
the character, labours, and death of the deceased. The
Rev. Mr. Alday, pastor of Union Church, then spoke more
particularly of the last sickness of the departed. The
closing address was by the Rev. Dr. (now Bishop) Foster,

20

306 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

s

of Drew Theological Seminary, New Jersey, who spoke
substantially as follows : —

"Alfred Cookman belonged to a royalty. There are many royalties
of earth : there is the royalty of genius, but I should not class our
brother with these— he was not a genius. There is a royalty of intellect;
of scientific research ; of the power to unfold great- doctrines and grasp
great principles. Though a man of a beautiful mind, a clear and strong
intellect, the range and sweep of his observation was not his most
wonderful gift. There is royalty of eloquence : our brother was not
wanting in this ; he seemed to belong to a race whose lips were
strangely touched.

" But he belonged to a royalty rarer by far than any of these— the
seraphic royalty of earth. He was not Pauline, but he was Johannine.
He was the brother of John, who leaned upon the Master's breast,
from whom he drew his inspiration. He belonged to the race of
Fletcher and of Payson — the best and rarest royalty God has ever
permitted to grace the earth.

" When the brother prayed that the mantle of Alfred Cookman
might fall on us, I said, ' Amen, Lord Jesus ! ' Not his mantle of
eloquence or pulpit power, so much as his great, magnanimous, holy,
and sacred character.

"As my little boy brought the message of the death of Alfred
Cookman to my lecture-room, he knew how it would strike me ; he
knew he had ministered at the altar where his sainted mother and sister
used to worship ; so he said in a whisper, ' Father, Brother Cookman
is dead.' Oh, how it shocked me ! I thought at once that the most
sacred man I knew had gone away from us ; and this is my testimony
to-day. I have known the Church for thirty years ; I have known
the men of the Church during that time through all the episcopacy
and ministry ; and the most sacred man I have known is he who is
enshrined in that casket."

The casket was then opened, and the large concourse
present were permitted, moving up the central aisles and
retiring by the rear doors, to see the face they shall look
upon no more till resurrection morning. Many as they
passed bent over and imprinted a kiss on the cold lips and
marble brow, which wore the natural expression and
sweetest smile, remembered so well by all who knew him

LAUREL-HILL CEMETERY. 307

in life. Tears fell freely as the scores whom he had led to
Jesus bade him a last farewell. The preparations for burial
followed ; and Rev. Messrs. Gillingham, Turner, Dickerson,
Major, and A. Wallace, surviving members of the class of
1848, Philadelphia Conference, of which Mr. Cookman
was a member, carried the body of their classmate to the
hearse in waiting, and also to the grave in Laurel Hill Ceme-
tery, where the burial service was read by the Rev. W. L,
Gray, Dr. Pattison, and Dr. J. H. Alday. The hymn
"Rock of Ages" was sung — he having expressed when in
health a liking for singing at Christians' graves — and just
before sunset his body was committed to the earth. Laurel
Hill, hitherto his Pisgah, was now his last resting-place.

Memorial services were held in many of the churches of
Philadelphia ; in Grace Church, Wilmington ; in Central
Church, Newark ; and also in Trinity Methodist Episcopal
Church, New York. The trustees of the Central Church,
Newark, have had a Gothic tablet of Italian marble placed
in the audience-room of their church, in the wall at the
right of the pulpit, with this inscription : —

" En ffltmovy of Keb. aifreir (Eoofeman,

Born January 4, 1828,

Died November 13, 1871.

' He walked with God and ivas not, for God took him. ' "

CHAPTER XXV.

ESTIMATES OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF ALFRED

COOKMAN.

We have thus seen the earth close over all that was mortal
of Alfred Cookman. I have sought so to weave into the
narrative of his life the traits which distinguished him, as
they appeared not only to myself, but also to others, that
now there seems but little need from me for any special
characterization of the man or his work. Yet it may not
be amiss, before dismissing a subject which I have studied
with constantly increasing interest, to briefly sum up my
thoughts.

It has seldom fallen to any man to possess a nature in all
respects so admirably attempered as his was. He inherited
the physical and intellectual qualities of both his father and
mother, the distinctive type being possibly rather that of his
mother than his father— having much of the father's fiery
creative energy, he yet partook more largely of his mother's
strong common-sense. In body he was more robust than
his father ; in intellect he was less bold and incisive, but
probably equally sure, and even more tenacious. From a
child he was healthful. When grown, in person he stood
about five feet nine inches, and was well proportioned, with
a full, round chest, a head of medium size, not a prominent
forehead, surmounted and surrounded by rich, glossy black

HIS APPEARANCE, NA TURALNESS AND MODESTY. 309

hair ; his eyes were gray, large, and full, with a gentle,
lustrous, rather than a piercing look ; his nose was
straight, with sufficiently distended nostrils ; his mouth
wide, lips moderately full, well set, but not too tightly
compressed, showing an expression of mingled tender-
ness and firmness ; a chin round, smoothly shaven, and
massive enough for strength — the whole face just such as
to make you say when you had the hastiest view of it,
" There is a marked and trustworthy man." With a
ruddy complexion, a sinewy form, a steady step, an erect
carriage, he looked like one born to command ; and he
did command.

Mr. Cookman's fine physical fibre had much to do with
the exquisite delicacy of his feelings. Truly natural, with-
out the least artificiality, he responded healthfully to all the
works of God about him, and was never more at home than
when surrounded by primitive scenes and primitive people.
He was very practical ; the farthest removed from an affec-
tation of superiority to common matter-of-fact life, he ever
-manifested a keen zest in all the ordinary occurrences of the
family and the world. " There was nothing human which
was foreign to him," in the sense that whatever interested
his fellow-men interested him. He never fell into the mis-
take of a morbid sentimentalism which shuts itself away
from men and things under the plea of contempt for man-
kind. He was truly modest, shrinking whenever possible from
observation, and " wondering what the churches saw in him
that they should desire his poor services." The lowest seat
suited him best, and was invariably taken if the choice
were left to him ; and no man ever more surely fulfilled
the apostolic injunction, " In honour preferring one
another."

Generosity was strongly marked in his character. While

3io LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

he was incapable of retaining a grudge against an enemy, to
his friends he was unbounded in his devotion. He could
not say too much in their praise or do too much for their
advantage. This quality made him charming as a pastor —
no matter if the circle of his friendship was constantly
enlarging, he had capacity for its ever-widening increase —
because he never seemed to forget or overlook any one he
had ever loved; and into the circumstances of all people,
whether of joy or grief, he could enter with an ease and
directness which made all who were the recipients of his
sympathy feel its genuineness. During his last sickness a
gentleman called to tell him of the death of bis boy. He
entered promptly into the afflicted father's feelings, and in
comforting him said, "Dear brother, the heart will ache. It
is not wrong to weep. Jesus wept, and He does sympathize
with us; but remember Jesus can dwell in an aching heart."
A day or two afterwards the child was buried. It was a
stormy day, and as Mr. Cookman lay upon his bed he was
heard to pray that God would comfort the bereaved family,
"for, Lord, it is hard to put away the little darling on such
a stormy day."

This generosity of heart made him very kind to the poor.
It was not an uncommon thing for him either to send or to
take a basket of provisions to a destitute family, and oftener
than otherwise a substantial sum of money accompanied the
basket. Generosity, natural as it was, took shape under
Christian principles, and was not allowed to spend itself
impulsively. The one-tenth of his income was dedicated
to strictly religious uses. The benevolent drawer as regu-
larly received its tithe deposit as his pocket received the
stated dues on account of salary or from other sources.
Closely joined with this dedication of himself and a stated
proportion of his income to God, was a firm faith in the

HIS FILIAL AFFECTION. 311

care of Divine Providence. There were times when, with a
large family, he was reduced to great straits ; but he would
always take his burden to the Lord Jesus, and somehow,
often in a way wholly unexpected, relief would come.
During these exigencies his liberality remained the same
to others. " Their need," he would say, " may be greater
than mine."

One of the most lovely features of Mr. Cookman's cha-
racter was his filial affection. He revered the memory of his
father, and loved his mother with a devotion which led him
to sit at her feet as a little child. The recollections he
retained of his father, which were sedulously cherished by
the mother, invested the departed parent with a halo which,
to the fervid imagination of the son, lifted him to a region
ideally apart and unapproachable. The fame of the father
was the son's natural inheritance, and as such he sought to
preserve and improve upon it. And it is doubtful if Chris-
tian biography affords many instances where a guardianship
has been more faithfully rendered, or an inheritance more
legitimately and substantially enlarged. Alfred Cookman will
live in the Church of the future as in all respects a worthy
successor of his father, the Rev. George G. Cookman. That
the son owed much to the father cannot be denied ; but
where has a son so well maintained himself on heights upon
which his father's reputation placed him ?

More, however, to the mother did he owe than to any
other human being. I may repeat the thought of another
and say, Mrs. Mary Cookman was mother of the body
and soul of her son. What Wordsworth so justly and
gratefully said of his sister, Alfred could have said of his
mother : —

" She gave me eyes, she gave me ears ;
And humble cares, delicate fears ;

312 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

A heart, the fountain of sweet tears,
And love, and thought, and joy. "

Her native sense, delicate tact, moral ascendency, firmness
of discipline, religious fervour, feminine tenderness, and
withal devotion to her son, which well nigh inwardly con-
sumed her with zeal for his welfare, afforded the happy
combination of qualities which simultaneously and con-
tinuously stirred and guided the natural powers of her first-
born. She never allowed him to outgrow her, and hence he
never ceased to look up to her. In his middle age he could
as confidently rely upon her understanding as upon her
heart ; and to the fact of this mother's influence may be
largely traced not only the womanly grace of his mind and
manner, but also the subtle force and reliable judgment
which distinguished his career.

In seeking for the ultimate cause of Mr. Cookman's
power, I am obliged to find it in his moral nature. Religion
built upon a sound, natural basis was the real source of his
influence. It is impossible to estimate the man without
considering the joint and reciprocal effects of both his
natural and spiritual constitution, for their interaction was
marked from the beginning. This may be true of most
men, but it was eminently so of him. These pages have
certainly shown him to be a singularly godly person through
his whole life \ the testimony of many who knew him most
intimately, and who were well qualified by their good sense
and opportunities of observation to judge, is to the effect
that he was one of the holiest of men — as free from moral
taint as any among whom we walked. A factor so impor>
ant in the make-up of his character cannot be disregarded
in the determination of his intellectual calibre. That his
religious condition did affect his intellectual condition can-
not be questioned ; nor do I pretend to doubt, but claim it

MORAL AND INTELLECTUAL FORCE. 313

rather as a glory, that the distinctive energy of Mr. Cook-
man was spiritual rather than intellectual.

But I am not willing to concede that this energy was so
exclusive^ moral as some assert. He did not owe all he
was to religion — no, not to that highest type of it, Christian
holiness— in the sense that he could have been nothing, and
would have had no marked power without it. He possessed
by nature a very vigorous mind. Its structure was such
that with the ordinary opportunities of education it would
have put him in the foremost ranks in almost any profession
he might have chosen. He was endowed with all the essen-
tial elements of success — a discriminating judgment, a
retentive memory, a vivid fancy, a strong imagination, which
saw things most clearly, a sympathizing heart, a power of
application and adaptation ; these, united to a handsome
person and a voice of wondrous compass and melody, must
be accepted as the faculties which ordinarily warrant success.
Genius, in the highest sense, seldom falls to mortals ; but if
in its usual and lower sense it consists in the power which
enables a man to see things as they are, and to transfuse
them with a glow which makes other men see and feel
them, then may we claim it for Mr. Cookman. What he
talked about people saw and felt.

It is true that he has given no proofs of profound scholar-
ship, and that he has left no evidence of fierce intellectual
struggles and doubts. But it will be remembered that his
career was thrust upon him, by a Providence he could not
disregard, to be a preacher rather than a theologian. The
work of the evangelist was definitively pointed out as his
mission, and not the work of the student. His vocation
was consequently to make history, not to write it. An actor
in one of the most important crises of the American Church
and nation, he has left to others, who may have the leisure and

314 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

the taste, to record what he and his compeers have so nobly
done. Had he resisted solicitations to so wide-spread a
public service, and withdrawn to the seclusion of the study,
he might have been as noted to-day for the depth and
versatility of his attainments as for his popular and effective
eloquence.

He did, I allow, accept calmly the doctrines of the
Church. There is but little trace of dissent and disquiet in
the history of his religious thought. But must spasms of
disbelief, crises of fearful questioning, be regarded as the
infallible signs of a strong mind ? Shall it be regarded as
an orthodox word among those who scoff at orthodox
Christianity, that no man can be voted to the grade of able
and original thinkers who has not passed through the throes
of mortal doubt touching all the great fundamentals of truth
which the wisdom of ages has sat in judgment upon and
approved ? If so, Mr. Cookman must be rejected. But it
is a fact that many of the greatest minds of these and other
times have never passed through any such phases of unrest,
" So far from this, some of the finest spirits — those whose
vision is most intuitive and penetrating — are the most exempt
from such anxious soul travails. Indeed, I believe that
there is no such safeguard against the worst consequences of
such perplexities as a heart that is pure, humble, and ' at
leisure from itself.' "

Such was the state of Alfred Cookman. His judgments
were steadily, quietly reached ; not that his intellect was
less capable, but that a sound heart did the main work of
the intellect.

The medium of Mr. Cookman's power was the office and
work of the Christian pastor. By ruling, visiting, and
preaching, this power was exerted upon the minds and
hearts of the flock of Christ. For the threefold duty of his

HIS EARNESTNESS AND ORDER IN WORK. 315

office he was fitted by the gifts and graces just discussed.
This fitness made him ready and able to use, as circum-
stances required, all the legitimate means of ministerial
usefulness. He despised no means, neglected none, which
could give him greater access to the hearts of the people.
His invention was ever at work to impart freshness to old
means, or, if necessary, to devise new expedients of exciting
attention. He was among the first Methodist pastors to
issue printed addresses to the congregation, or cards such
as his " League of Prayer," to promote revivals of religion.
He usually spent the forenoons of each day, except Monday,
in his study, and the afternoons in pastoral calls. To the
sick, the bereaved, and the penitent he was very attentive.

His visits were an effective instrument of his great suc-
cess as a revivalist. He would follow up closely those who
in the congregation manifested a desire for religion, and the
result of his careful attention to persons thus exercised was
that they seldom failed of obtaining comfort. Underlying
his thoughtfulness and perseverance was his prayerfulness
and faith. " I knew him," writes his wife, " when in
Wilmington and other places, during a season of religious
awakening, to stay up until near daybreak alone in his
study, pleading with God for the conversion of the people ;
and when I have gone to him in the night and entreated him
to rest, he has said he ' could not, so great was his burden
for souls.' He believed in intercessory prayer, and often
remarked, ' Jesus spent whole nights in prayer ! " The
Rev. Mr. Inskip, speaking of him at the memorial service,
Ocean Grove, said : " His great strength he got from God
at the mercy-seat. . . . Perhaps on no other occasion
was this more apparent than in that wonderful season of
prayer at Vineland. A halo of glory was around him. He
rose from his knees with his hands heavenward, his eyes

316 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

closed ; and the influence that was felt all over the ground
told of his intimate relations with God." A gentleman of
the Baptist Church spoke also of the same occasion : " I
shall never forget the picture I saw at Vineland ; it was
under the arbour where Dr. and Mrs. Palmer were holding
a meeting, and Brother Cookman led in prayer. He was on
his knees, with his hands raised, asking God for blessings.
Instinctively I opened my eyes. He rose from his knees,
and reaching up as high as he could, seemed to grasp the
blessings asked for ; and then, falling on his knees again,
he thanked God again for them. How much good it did
me to see such faith that would just reach up and get what
God was about to give ! "

Prayer and faith were never lost sight of in his prepara-
tions for the pulpit. He sought direction of God in the
selection and elaboration of his topics, and then depended
upon God for their effectiveness. He was never happier
than when preaching. While always pertinent and instruc-
tive, he was at times borne away by a tide of holy feeling,
which swept both preacher and audience upon its resistless
strength. Mr. Cookman seldom attempted great profundity
or metaphysical niceties, but mostly dealt in the plainer and
more substantial facts of revelation — stating them usually in
simple language, and enlivening them with a natural imagery,
a lifelike or historical incident, so that they were appre-
hended by all, even the most illiterate, and enjoyed also
by the cultured among his hearers. The late Rev. Albert
Barnes, of Philadelphia, was exceedingly fond of his preach-
ing, as affording to his mind one of the best examples of
pure Gospel sermonizing. A peculiarity of Mr. Cookman's
preaching was the frequent recognition of the Three Persons
in the Godhead. The cross of Christ, the blood of Jesus,
was a constantly recurring theme ; while he as repeatedly

CHARACTER OF HIS PREACHING. 317

dwelt upon the person, office, and work of the Holy
Ghost.

It was by no mere novelties he drew the masses — the
common people heard him gladly, not as they rushed to see
a show, but expecting from his lips the word of life ; and
he gave them bread, the vital truth of God, to feed them,
and did not mock them with a stone. His popularity in the
pulpit was not due to meretricious ornaments, or to the low
buffoonery that caters to a vicious taste, but to what he was
as a holy man, and to what he said as the ambassador of
Jesus Christ.

If his themes were few, they were chosen conscientiously,
because he believed it was impossible for a man who
preached to save men to stir from the cross of the Re-
deemer. He did, however, present these themes with' great
freshness and unction. " To me," said an eloquent minister,
who knew him well and heard him often, " he was one of
the freshest of speakers." Whatever of light from nature,
art, or passing events could be shed on these topics for their
more forcible illustration, he sought and diligently applied.
Nothing was more apparent than that in the pulpit he was a
thoughtful man in a thinking and active age. But, above
all, did he make the invariable impression that his trust for
the success of the Word was upon supernatural help. The
hearer who did not gather this failed of the simplest teach-
ing of the devout preacher. The whole effect of the man
was, that whoever might be the instrument used, it is God
who giveth the increase. The effect of his evident reliance
upon Divine aid was also heightened by his free, natural, and
forcible delivery. His voice and gestures were always suited
to his subjects — now low, slow, and tender, and anon rising
into vehemence of sound and action with the cumulation of
thought and feeling. Ample preparation having been made,

318 LIFE OF ALFRED COO KM AN.

generally with the pen in hand, he entered the pulpit un-
trammelled by manuscript, and in the delivery of the sermon
looked his audience directly in the eyes, and as he pro-
ceeded both gave and received inspiration. It is doubtful
if, as a preacher, take him all in all, he had his superior
for effective popular discourse among the younger men of
the land.

As to his capacity as a ruler, one phrase will express the
whole — he ruled but little. He trusted his people, and they
trusted him. He was an ensample to the flock, a model of
purity in the minor as well as greater morals. His speech
was always seasoned with grace, though not indifferent to
the flavour of humour ; he was the farthest removed from
bitterness, coarseness, and trifling. He was temperate in all
things — totally so in things which might occasion offence —
moderate in dress and in household expenditures. With as
keen a relish for the refinements of life as any soul ever
attuned to the harmony of sweet sounds, he yet esteemed
saving men preferable to all the delights which art could
afford. This thought is admirably pointed by the substance
of a conversation had with him by Mrs. Battershall, of New
York, while he was stationed at Spring Garden Street,
Philadelphia.

" Mr. Cookman, with that total absence of censoriousness
which characterizes a perfect Christian charity, and yet with
that earnestness we should expect from a faithful Christian
watchman, when Zion's best interests are imperilled, re-
marked to me on one occasion that 'the culture of the
beautiful within proper limit was all well and good, but he-
considered the glory of God and the good of souls of
infinitely more value than the highest human culture.' '

Mr. Cookman's views of the ministerial vocation did not
shut him away from society or the nation. He retained fully

HIS PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 319

his position as a citizen of the state. To him, as to one
before him, "politics was the body of religion " ; and he
ever took the liveliest interest in the great social and political
questions of his times, as closely related to the welfare of
Christ's kingdom and the race. He was decided and active
in the Temperance and other humane reforms, giving to them
not only his countenance, but his cordial support. Much
less did his calling as a Methodist pastor exclude him from
the most intimate fellowship with all the people of God.
He was incapable of narrowness. He loved the image of
Jesus wherever he saw it, and was happy to count among
his dearest friends and fellow-workers many ministers and
laymen beyond the pale of his own denomination. In no
slight degree did his truly catholic spirit help forward the
deepening unity and spirituality which are now pervading
the several branches of Christ's holy church. And it may
be safely affirmed that there is no name of American
Methodism of the present generation more ardently revered
by Christians of all denominations than the name of Alfred
Cookman.

In assigning him his place in the modern Church, the
distinction which I claim for him is that of a marked illus-
tration of the doctrine of Christian holiness. Whatever
may have been originally in the mind of God concerning
him, evidently the providential circumstances of his life
tended to mould his character and to shape his mission for
this end. He was not disobedient to the heavenly calling.
He can in no sense be ranked with original men — such as
found new systems of thought, new societies, or even new
methods of activity ; his rank is with the class who afford
the material, furnish the facts out of which systems, socie-
ties, and methods are constructed. As a fact, Mr. Cook-
man's life is of incalculable value to the student of the great

320 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

problem of Christian ethics. No mind, however critical, can
contemplate so striking an exhibition of moral purity, in its
direct relation to the Gospel as its efficient cause, and ignore
the importance of the Divine element in the great process
of elevating the human race. While to Christian inquirers
with an animus to know what is the utmost that the Gospel
of Christ can accomplish for a believer in Jesus, it is an
instance which must excite the highest wonder and delight,
as affording another example of the practicability and beauty
of holiness in their own times and among their own circles.
The grace of God purified the man while walking among
fellows, lifted him up to shine as a clear, steady light by the
very pathways of busy people.

And this, to show what Christianity can actually do for
men as a purifying power, is what the world most needs to
know. One clearly defined proof of this, such as is given
in the case of our friend, is worth a thousand speculations.
The danger of our age lies in the direction of sinking out
of sight as a reality the agency of the Holy Ghost in the
work of moral renovation. The tendency is to reduce the
great First Cause of salvation to a series of subordinate and
incidental causes whereby man is manipulated into a new
life. The scientific spirit is reasoning God out of the pro-
cess of saving the world. An idolatrous worship of intellect
threatens to drown in an incense of thought, culture, ideas,
the stronger part of human nature, the heart — out of which
are the issues of life. It is sought in some localities to
politely bow out of society the Gospel of the cleansing
blood, of regenerating grace, for a new Gospel of "culture."
Mr. Cookman's life is an attestation of the abiding strength
and the spring-like freshness of the old Gospel. It is
an example of moral and spiritual purity, made such not
by the innovating process of the " schools," but by the

HIS CHILDREN. 321

power of the Holy Ghost, through the blood shed on
Calvary.

" It is the old, old story of Jesus and His love."

As such I have sought to present it to men. It may be that
greater men have died without any such extended record of
their lives ; but I doubt if any one has lived among us more
worthy of careful mention. He embodied in himself the
attributes of humanity most necessary to be known, loved,
and imitated. These attributes had their rise in the cross
of Jesus Christ — a source accessible alike to all persons. He
lived and died an example of the reality and power of
Christian purity — one of the most beautiful specimens of a
natural, simple, yet divinely spiritual manhood which it has
fallen to this or any age to possess ; and as such he takes
his position among the departed worthies of the Christian
Church.

Mr. Cookman left seven children : — George Grimston,
Frank Simpson, Annie Bruner, William Wilberforce, Mary,
Helen Kier, and Alfred ; Alfred Bruner and Rebecca Evans
having died before him. Mrs. Cookman, his widow, and
the children, have their permanent residence in Phila-
delphia, Pa.

BY THE REV. ALFRED LONGACRE.

There can be no doubt that Mr. Cookman's personal character
entered largely into the elements of his power. It was the substratum
on which his ample influence securely rested. It is difficult, however,
to distinguish in him the simple natural endowments from the pre-
cious gifts of Divine grace, since grace began its work so early in

21

322 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

him. But it is not necessary to make the distinction. As we knew
him, he was a thorough Christian gentleman, and the outward grace
in him was but the gleam of the light of the gentle spirit and fine
feelings within. To many of us he was what Tennyson calls his
friend —

' ' The sweetest soul
That ever looked through human eyes. "

He was magnanimous in every instinct, never little or mean, in-
capable of detraction himself and unsuspicious of it in others. His soul
moved on the high plain where all is broad and liberal and unselfish.

He was honest to his convictions at every cost ; and there were votes
in Conference that did cost him something in other days, as there were
convictions as a teacher of the truth more recently that were not un-
attended with trial and alienation of friends. But nobody had ever to
doubt where Alfred Cookman stood on a question of conscience. And
this was with no shadow of bravado or self-assertion, but in the
"meekness of wisdom," with the very "meekness and gentleness," the
"sweet reasonableness of Christ."

His character was rounded and well poised, and there was with it
also a deeper underlying wisdom than many who knew him well
imagined, because it was always perfectly unobtrusive. Altogether he
was peculiarly a man made to be loved. Unselfish in his friendship,
his quick sympathies and warm interest were freely given in return for
the love we gave him. Few men have ever been so widely or so
greatly beloved. In the churches he had served — and I speak under-
standing^, for I have twice followed him at considerable intervals — his
name is embalmed in a deep and peculiar affection, as one dearer and
better than other men. .

Higher than all else was his character as a man of God. It was
because he saw and felt the holiness of his life that his influence was so
strong with us. His mind was drawn to the subject of entire sanctifica-
tion in the very beginning of his ministry by Bishop and Mrs. Hamline,
then visiting Newtown, one of his appointments. For a number
of years, however, his views were undecided with respect to this
doctrine. But about thirteen years ago his conscience was awakened to
it again, and he entered into the clear enjoyment of it as a personal
experience. Hia. convictions on this subject became from that time the
profoundest of his mind and heart ; and he never failed, on all fitting
occasions, to let his belief and his experience be well understood. Yet
I need scarce remind you that his confession had in it nothing of self-

A MODEL MINISTER. 323

exaltation. He never failed to disclaim all goodness in or from himself ;
but he rejoiced always, and with exultant faith, in the power of the
blood of Jesus to cleanse him from all sin.

His own faith and experience never seemed to separate him from
others who did not think or feel as he did. No one felt at a distance
from him by reason of his holiness. It was a holiness that attracted,
not one that repelled.

He has supported this Scriptural teaching with all his consecrated
abilities. To it he has given the most cogent of his arguments, and still
more effectively his almost irresistible powers of persuasion.

But his life has been more powerful still. Men might, if they pleased,
oppose his arguments with doubts and objections ; they might even
turn away from his burning appeals; ,but no one could question the
living purity of the man, the practical embodiment of holiness in his
life. In the shadow of approaching death he expressed his joy and
gratitude that he had been permitted to experience and to uphold
this great salvation — the fulness of the power of Jesus Christ to save.

And he has gone. In the golden prime of his days, in the fresh
maturity and plenitude of his beautiful life, he has gone from his work
and from us, who have loved him so well.

Recollections of Alfred Cookman, as a preacher, by the
Rev. James M. Lightbourn, of Baltimore, Md. : —

"Alfred Cookman was the best model of a Methodist preacher I
ever knew. He was, in the highest and strictest sense of the word, a
gentleman. True politeness springs from the heart — such was his. He
was as gentle and respectful to the humble poor as he was graceful and
polite to the most refined and cultured. With suavity of manners he
united firmness of character. While his spirit was most loving, and his
nature gentle and extremely sensitive, he was a hero in the cause of
truth, both aggressively and defensively.

"As a camp-meeting preacher, Alfred Cookman was a prince
among his brethren. An announcement that he would preach always
insured a large congregation. A sermon preached by him at the
Camden Camp, upon the subject of entire sanctification, will never be
forgotten by those who heard it. It was the clearest exposition of the
great doctrine I ever heard. His appeals were irresistible, and swept

324 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

all hearts. The fire which he kindled that day he drew from heaven.
The Spirit of the Lord God was upon him — his face was like that of
an angel, and his voice rang over the vast audience, carrying conviction
to many Laodicean hearts. Revivals have been known to follow his
camp-meeting efforts. "

A tribute from the Rev. T. De Witt Talmage, D.D. :—

" The Rev. Alfred Cookman's life comes back to me like the sound
from -a church-bell embowered in trees on a soft June day. It was
nothing so much I ever heard him say, or anything I ever saw him do,
that so impressed me as himself. He was the grace of the Gospel
impersonated. I met him often on the platform of religious and phi-
lanthropic meetings. To be with him was to be blessed. The more I
saw him the more I loved him. His preaching was not made up of
ten grains of metaphysics and nine grains of German philosophy to one
grain of Gospel, but with him Christ was all and in all! Sweep a
circle of three feet around the cross of Jesus, and you take in all that
there was of Alfred Cookman.

"It is not so much the Methodist Church that suffers from his
departure as all Christendom. Oh that we all might have more of his
spirit, and die at last his beautiful and triumphant death ! "

The Rev. Dr. W. M. Paxton's estimate of Mr. Cook-
man's preaching : —

"As a preacher, I always regarded him as remarkable. His sermons
were solid, able, experimental, instructive, and sometimes brilliant,
glowing, eloquent. His pulpit power, as I estimated it, consisted
largely in two things : —

" i. In the happy faculty which he had of giving an experimental-
cast to all his thinking. Few men have been as successful as he was in
imbuing all their preaching with their own rich experience.

" 2. In a singular capacity for pictorial illustration. This, I presume,
was in a measure a natural gift, inherited from his distinguished father,
who, I am told, was in his day unrivalled in this species of eloquence — "
but when his voice was silenced, the gift was reproduced in his son. I
remember to have listened, or rather to have looked with great delight
at his beautiful pictures, for they were so graphic that they passed like
panoramic paintings before my view. I presume, of course, that a
volume of his sermons will be published ; but permit me to suggest,

REFERENCES TO HIS CHARACTER. 325

also, that a small volume of pictorial illustrations, gathered from his
sermons, might do great good. It occurs to me, however, that it is
quite probable that many of his finest things were never written. The
faculty being a gift, and not an acquirement, I can well understand that
it would be fettered rather than assisted by the pen. "

From the Rev. George S. Hare, D.D., the successor of
Mr. Cookman at the Central Church, Newark, New Jersey : —

' ' I first met Alfred Cookman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was
very open and frank, and went at once to a warm place in my heart.
The thing that struck me, outside of himself, at Pittsburgh, was that he
was so entirely loved, and almost idolized by his people. I could easily
tell why, from the impression he had made on myself. I met him again
soon after in New York, where I was a pastor, and he had come to speak
at an anniversary. I do not remember to have had any further inter-
course with him until he succeeded me as pastor of the Central Church,
in New York. I had removed to Trinity, in the same city, and of
course we saw much of each other. I think the relations of an old
pastor and his successor were never more delightful. Knowing the
Church by heart, I had an opportunity to observe his influence upon it
— to see how quickly he won all hearts, and how entirely they came to
confide in him as a friend and teacher. He followed me also at Trinity,
and our relations remained the same. We were true friends and
brothers in our work, and Alfred Cookman never impressed me but in
one way — as the gentlest, purest, and most sincere of men. I am
again his successor, but never more will he succeed me. I came here
under the shadow of his death to a broken-hearted people. It is
doubtful if he ever accomplished more for a Church in any full term of
service than for this Central Church of Newark in the few months of his
pastorate here. He was ripe in his holiness, and his influence fell like
a power of God on all around him. His triumphant death sealed it all,
and left the Church so chastened in spirit, so in love with goodness, so
aspirant toward purity, that it has been but an easy and joyful task
to lead it on to good and noble works. His memory here is as
sweet and precious as the memory of mortal man can be. I attempt
no estimate of his character, but I give these few impressions of an
influence which has fallen like sunshine on my way, with gratitude
to God that He gave me Alfred Cookman for a friend and a
brother."

326 LIFE OF ALFRED COOKMAN.

I cannot more appropriately close these testimonials to
the worth and usefulness of Mr. Cookman, nor the history
of the life which it has been my pleasant task to record,
than by quoting the reference made to his character and
death by the Rev. W. M. Punshon, in the memorable
address delivered by that gentleman before the late General
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the city
of Brooklyn. After eloquently characterizing Bishops
Baker, Clark, Thompson, and Kingsley, the Rev. Drs.
Mattison, Sewall, McClintock, and Nadal, all of whom had
died since he came to America, he said : —

" And then I think of a later loss than these — a blame-
less and beautiful character, whose name had a hereditary
charm for me, whose saintly spirit exhaled so sweet a fra-
grance that the perfume lingers with me yet, and who went
home like a plumed warrior, for whom the everlasting doors
were lifted, as he was stricken into victory in his prime, and
who had nothing to do at the last but mount into the
chariot of Israel, and go ' sweeping through the gates
washed in the blood of the Lamb.' "

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