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HARVARD COLLEGE

JUN 7 1920
LIBRARY

Walker fund

Southern District of New-York, ss.

B

E IT REMEMBERED, that on the fourteenth day of Fe bruary, in the forty-seventh year of the Independence of the United States of America, N. Bangs and T. Mason, of the said District, have deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to wit: "Memoir of the Rev. Jesse Lee, with Extracts from his Journal. By Minton Thrift. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.' 1 Tim. vi. 12."

In conformity to the act of Congress of the United States, entitled "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned;" and also, to the act, entitled "An act supplementary to an act, entitled "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching, historical and other prints." JAMES DILL,

Clerk of the Southern District of New-York.

PREFACE.

VOLUMES of Biography of late have flowed upon the public, so that Lord Bacon's complaint, as to the deficiency in the biographical department of literature in his day, is by no means applicable to the present times. Indeed frequent complaints are now made of the great number of books continually emitted from the press, entitled Memoirs, Journals, Travels, Tours, Experiences, Sketches, &c. These complaints, however, more frequently proceed from a certain fastidiousness of disposition than from any real or solid objections against the matter or method of those publications. To please all would require super-human abilities.

The Compiler of the following sheets, without ever feeling a wish to have his name affixed to the titlepage of a book, has, from very different motives to that of ambition, or an expectation of worldly emoluments, been induced to make an attempt at writing the Memoir of the Rev. Jesse Lee. The trust confided to him by his brethren he has endeavoured to fulfil, to the best of his abilities.

That there are many imperfections cleaving to the performance, he will not attempt to deny; but he trusts that the candid reader will throw a veil over those faults which may be presented, and endeavour to profit by the excellencies, if any, which it may possess.

Where the subject of this Memoir was personally known, the Compiler trusts that this work will be read with interest. For it cannot be supposed that Jesse Lee will soon be forgotten by the thousands who have been benefitted by his labours. A remembrance of his successful efforts among them, will doubtless cause them to pay some respect to this simple monument raised to his memory.

Mr. Lee was a faithful servant of the Church of Christ for many years. During his ministry he saw that branch of the Church to which he belonged rise from obscurity into notice, and spread from state to state through this continent, with a rapidity encouraging to its friends, and appaling to its enemies.

That the cause may still prosper among us as a people, and that it may be blessed with a holy, zealous, and living ministry, is the fervent prayer of the

COMPILER.

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