Autobiography of Rev. Emerson Andrews

Emerson Andrews

As a minister of the “glorious gospel,” I have often felt most deeply my need of divine grace in my study, in preaching, in traveling, in mingling with my brethren, in circulating among my fellow-mortals. But now I feel especially my insufficiency, and my great dependence on Jesus Christ for help; — help to tell the truth, the whole truth; — to bequeath my all, and to leave my last will and testament for God and for man; — help to make a full, true, correct, and clean record for time, and for the Judgment Day.

Long have I deliberately and prayerfully considered this solemn and momentous duty, — this arduous enterprise and spiritual privileges The Lord direct!

Christian friends — elder brethren and young converts — have often sought and prayed for the issuing of this memorial, — my “Living Life,”— as an additional legacy, a spiritual keepsake, a farewell gift, a crowning gospel TESTIMONY.

After much delay, anxiety, hesitation, labor, and sacrifice, I have prepared and brought out the present imperfect volume. Such as it is I give you: indeed the very best that I could furnish, amid the multiplicities of my cares, calls, labors, and circumstances. Such a book I now cheerfully, prayerfully, and gratuitously present to my appreciative friends and earnest readers, for their daily use and future welfare. In writing about myself I may seem to be egotistic, but I am compelled to appear so, in giving you my Life. Let me not be “dead while living!”

My active, diffusive, itinerant, eventful, self-sacrificing, laborious, imperfect, responsible, successful, prolonged, and happy life, — a LIFE of LIVES, — has already been written and read, as a gracious, “living epistle,” in the four quarters of the globe, and over most of Christendom. This, I trust, the Holy Spirit has engraved, revised, corrected, “dedicated, and already published,” as a verified, faithful, and practical edition of pure Christianity, for the salvation of myriads of believing souls.

But, as I am soon to finish my present course and ministry on earth, and part with my dear Christian friends till the “first resurrection,” and then give to God an “account of my stewardship,” — I am truly grateful for this gracious opportunity; yea, for the sublime pleasure of presenting to you and others this, my closing address, — this real and cordial expression of my regards for friends, acquaintances, and posterity, in thus exhibiting instructive, refreshing, converting, and sanctifying truth, and in giving some kind advice or suggestions for our present and future prosperity. May God sanctify and bless, and have all the praise.

Beloved friend, herewith you have my “LIVING LIFE,” — a mere sketch of my parentage, birth, youth, education, conversion, consecration, profession, ministry, protracted meetings, testimonials, travels, writings, items, and success.

May you, dear friend and reader, with right motives, patient research, and prevailing prayer, be surely guided on to heaven, by wisdom and rich grace. Yea, as truly as the beautiful hum-bird is directed by its instinct to the opening flower, or the happy, busy bee to the sweet honey, or the faithful “ox to his kind owner.” Finally, may you be crowned, on each perusal of this work, with richer stores, reviving grace, renewed success, continued prosperity, a sanctified mind and heart, a full preparation for life, death, and glory, and at last rejoice in eternal blessedness, with God, angels, and saints!

But O, what more can I say or do for the salvation of the impenitent? O, let them now read, pray, repent, submit, believe, obey, and be saved. And may the Lord have mercy on our souls, till we gain “the victory,” and share with saints in heaven!

EMERSON ANDREWS.