Of his ministry, Rev. Dr. Thomas Whittemore, at the time of his death, in 1850, wrote:-- "As a preacher he excelled in certain respects. He was a man to move the masses. He spoke without writing, and delivered his message of divine truth with great power. He aimed not at elegant words and polished sentences, but to speak the truth in demonstration of the spirit. He aimed to reach the heart. He would keep the attention of a thousand people fixed intently upon his theme through a long discourse. His sermon, delivered in the Warren Street Church, during the session of the United States Convention in Boston, in 1845, is an illustration of the truth of what we say. There an immense auditory listened to him with the greatest interest for a long time, for they were unconscious of its rapid flight. They caught his feelings, they rejoiced with him, they wept with him, and at the close the general expression of the people was, '_that_ was the Gospel, _that_ came from the preacher's heart and reached our hearts.'" Cut off in the midst of his years, his memory is a blessing for what he was enabled during his short life to accomplish. [47] Rev. Dr. T. J. Sawyer. [48] For a more particular acquaintance with the life and character of Dr. Chapin, the reader is referred to the excellent Memoir of him by Rev. S. Ellis, D. D., just issued by the Universalist Publishing House. CHAPTER XVII. SKETCHES OF MINISTERS--_continued_. "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand."--JESUS. A fervent and devoted servant of the Christian Master was Rev. A. W. BRUCE. Born in Bennington, Vt., he was taught the Methodist faith, and held it until his nineteenth year, when by his own diligent investigations he became a believer in Universalism. After practising as a physician for a short time, he entered the ministry, and became an indefatigable and successful worker therein. He was ordained in 1843, had settlements in New England and in three of the Western States, and died in Lafayette, Ind. in 1871, leaving a good name in the churches and with all who knew of his work for human reform, and were co-operators with him.