46 
CAPE COD. 
told, which doubtless many of my readers have heard, 
but which, nevertheless, I will venture to quote: — 
“ After his marriage with the daughter of Mr. Willard 
(pastor of the South Church in Boston), he was some¬ 
times invited by that gentleman to preach in his pulpit. 
Mr. Willard possessed a graceful delivery, a masculine 
and harmonious voice; and, though he did not gain 
much reputation by his ‘ Body of Divinity,’ which is 
frequently sneered at, particularly by those who have 
read it, yet in his sermons are strength of thought and 
energy of language. The natural consequence was that 
he was generally admired. Mr. Treat having preached 
one of his best discourses to the congregation of his 
father-in-law, in his usual unhappy manner, excited uni¬ 
versal disgust; and several nice judges waited on Mr. 
Willard, and begged that Mr. Treat, who was a worthy, 
pious man, it was true, but a wretched preacher, might 
never be invited into his pulpit again. To this request 
Mr. Willard made no reply; but he desired his son-in- 
law to lend him the discourse ; w'hich, being left with 
him, he delivered it without alteration to his people a 
few weeks after. They ran to Mr. Willard and request¬ 
ed a copy for the press. ‘ See the difference,’ they 
cried, ‘ between yourself and your son-in-law; you have 
preached a sermon on the same text as Mr. Treat’s, but 
whilst his was contemptible, yours is excellent.’ As 
is observed in a note, ‘ Mr. Willard, after producing the 
sermon in the handwriting of Mr. Treat, might have 
addressed these sage critics in the words of Phsedrus, 
‘ En Me declarat, quales sitis judices.’ ” * 
Mr. Treat died of a stroke of the palsy, just after the 
^ Lib. V. Fab. 5. 
