Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 11.

There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had brought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him and his children; it did eat of his own morsel, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come unto him. . . . And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man.

Without another word the deacon sat down. You remember that Mr. Manning came to Medford right from the divinity school, and died as the pastor of the Old South.

In Deacon James' pocketbook was written ‘Thy vows are upon me, O Lord,’ and whenever aid was needed for public or private charity or the extension of the gospel at home or abroad, that pocketbook could be depended upon. The poor woman with a drunken husband, widows with little children, hard pressed ministers, missionaries, poor churches, slaves, soldiers, philanthropic objects everywhere profited by its contents. He believed in being his own executor, and for years before his death gave away money from his principal. When the Mystic Church was organized, a method of raising funds was adopted which might shock a modern congregation. A list of the town taxes was presented, and each man was assessed for church purposes in proportion to his property tax. Young men, paying only a poll tax, were assessed according to their ability to get a living. Deacon James and his brother, Deacon Joseph James, headed the list with the largest subscriptions. He never asked anyone to follow where he was not ready to lead.

I am afraid that in his connection with the founding of the churches I may have emphasized too much what his enemies called bigotry, and have not made plain enough to those who never knew him the Christian character of the man. He did nothing for effect. He was