But I selected this passage, “Your fathers, where are they? Your prophets, do they live for ever?” feeling that it is peculiarly appropriate to the painful event which we are called upon to improve. I refer to the death of our venerated FATHER CRANDAL. He has for some time constituted the only connecting link between the fathers of our denomination and their successors in the ministry. Thomas Handly Chipman, Edward and James Manning, Harris and Theodore Ansley, and Joseph Crandal, for many years stood prominently before the people as the “Fathers” of the Associated Baptist Churches of these lower Provinces. A class of most excellent and useful men were united with these valiant soldiers of the Cross in their day; such as Estabrooks, Hammond, Ennis, Peter Crandal, Reece, Davis Harris, Potter, Towner, Burton, M’Culley, and others of the precious memory. All those first mentioned were converted to God about that same time, and embarked together, with the exception of Thomas Ansley, in the great work of winning souls to Christ. These men were all preserved to a good old age—all of them to three score years and ten, some of them to upwards of four score years, and one, Harris Harding, to the extraordinary age of ninety-six years; and what is remarkable, they all retained their pastoral connection with the churches over which they were called to preside in the days of their youth, until their Master called them to their reward. They lived to see the third and fourth generation called, sanctified, and saved, and to introduce them in person into the churches which they had planted in the morning of their ministry. No marvel, therefore, that they should be spoken of as the “fathers” of the denomination. Father Crandal was the last of the eight patriarchs to leave the conflict below. One after another took his departure, in the full assurance of a blissful immortality. Joseph Crandal, last but not least, has gone also. Your father, where are they? your prophets, do they live for ever? These fathers all sleep in death; Father Manning in the old grave-yard at Cunard; Father Chipman at Nictaux; Father Harris Harding at Yarmouth; Father Ansley at St. Andrews; and Father Crandal at Salisbury; all side by side with the precious dust of those whose souls they had been instrumental in bringing home to Christ. Sleep on, ye heralds of salvation, until your Master bids you rise! The trumpet will ere long sound long and loud, and yon and your beloved associates in death will hear that sound, and start from death’s sleep, to meet your Lord in the air. “Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonour, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.” Yes, “death shall be swallowed up in victory.”