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terred. He was born at Barnstable, educated at Harvard 

 College, and settled in the North Parish in this Town, 

 Dec. 28, 1715, being their first Minister. It pleased the 

 Father of Spirits to indue him with superior natural Pow- 

 ers, which he greatly improved, by a close Application to 

 his studies, and making Divinity his principal Study. He 

 was well qualified for the important Work to which 

 he was called ; and was a great Blessing in his Station. 

 He had many Children ; whom he educated and governed 

 with great Wisdom and Prudence. His Family has been 

 called a School of useful Knowledge and Virtue. And as 

 he knew how to govern his own House, so he did also 

 know how to take Care of the Church of God. The Peo- 

 ple of his Charge had happy Experience of his Ability in 

 this Respect, while he presided over them ; particularly 

 when (some years past), this Country swarmed with 

 itinerant Preachers and ignorant Exhorters, who threw 

 these Churches in general into great Disorder and Confu- 

 sion, propagated pernicious Errors, excited wild Enthu- 

 siasm, and promoted unchristian Divisions and Separa- 

 tions ; by the Blessing of God on Mr. Chipman's wise 

 Conduct, Peace and Order were preserved in his Parish, 

 and solid, rational Religion flourished. As he was well 

 furnished for the great Work of the Ministry, with Respect 

 to the natural Powers of his Mind, his Knowledge and 

 Learning, and Wisdom and Prudence, so he was also with 

 Respect to Piety and serious Godliness. It pleased God, 

 in his younger Years, to impress his Mind with a lively 

 Sense of the important Things of Religion ; and this he 

 preserved through Life. By this he was excited to great 

 Fidelity and Care in the Discharge of the Duties of his 

 important Office. He watched for Souls, as knowing he 

 must give Account, praying with and for his People with 

 Fervency and Affection, and many Tears. It may per- 

 haps be said, his Speech was contemptible, but this was 

 said even of St. Paul, and yet he was not a whit behind 

 the very chief of the Apostles, either for Abilities or 

 Usefulness. His Preaching, in Imitation of that great 

 Apostle's, was not with enticing Words of Man's Wisdom. 

 He did not seek the Applause of Men, but the eternal 



