Smith, Thomas (2)

Smith, Thomas (2), a Congregational minister, was born in Boston, Mass., March 10, 1702, graduated from Harvard in 1720, and was licensed to preach in April, 1722. On account of his youth he declined a call from the Church in Bellingham, Mass., but preached in various places as a supply. On March 8, 1727, a Church was constituted at Falmouth and Mr. Smith was ordained its pastor, and continued such until 1764, when, on account of infirmity, he received Rev. Samuel Deane as his colleague. He, however, preached in his turn till the close of 1784. His death took place May 23, 1795. The only publications of Mr. Smith are a Sermon (1756) at the ordination of Rev. Solomon Lombard, and a Practical Discourse to Seafaring Men (1771). See Sprague, Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, 1, 326.

a Methodist Episcopal minister, was born in Kent County, Md., June 3, 1776. He was converted in early life, began to preach in his eighteenth year, was received into the Philadelphia Conference May 20, 1798, and. "the demonstrations which had attended Abbott's labors were repeated at almost all his appointments, and hundreds of souls were gathered into the societies." He labored as follows: Caroline Circuit, 1798; Flanders Circuit, N.J., 1799; Northampton Circuit, Va., 1800-1; Dover, Del., 1802; Annamessex, Md., 1803; Talbot Circuit, 1804; Seneca Circuit, N.Y., 1805; Burlington, N.J., 1806; Asbury, N.J., 1807; Lewiston, Del., 1808; St. George's, Philadelphia, 1809; Cecil, Md., 1810; Smyrna, Del., 18; Kent, Md. 1812; Accomack, Va., 1813; from 1814 to 1816 he was allowed a respite on account of ill health; Kent Circuit, 1817; New Brunswick, 1818; Kensington, 1819; Kent, 1820-21; supernumerary in 1822, in which relation he continued until his death, in May, 1844. Mr. Smith was a man of unquestioned piety, a superior pastor, and a powerful preacher. He preached "with the utmost brevity, but with the utmost power." He possessed a faith admirable in its earnestness and sublime in its power. See Minutes of Annual Conferences, 3, 595; Experience and Ministerial Labors of the Rev. Thomas Smith, edited by the Rev. David Daily (N.Y. 1848); Stevens, Hist. of the M.E. Church, 3, 379, 415; 4, 269. (J.L.S.)