A benefactor of the world, ancestor of countless thousands

 Though I've had a copy on Kindle for a year or so, I ordered a hard copy of Vol 1 of an 1851 book called The Works of John Robinson, Pastor of the Pilgrim Fathers, an anthology of his books, tracts, correspondence, and a memoir collected by Robbert Ashton. I've written several times in my history blogs that Rev. John Robinson was my 9th great-grandfather (12 generations). He lived from 1675 to 1625, passing after a short respiratory infection at age 49. 

One of the chapters in Vol. 1 is "The Descendants of the Rev. John Robinson," traced by Rev. William Allen, D.D., 1784-1868, Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and member of the American Antiquarian Society, and of the Historical Society of Maine, New Hampshire, and New York; and formerly Congregational minister, Pittsfield; regent of Harvard University; and president of Dartmouth University and Bowdoin College, Maine. 

Since the book and chapter are well out of copyright, I will reproduce parts of it here. 

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"Many a man," says Milton, "lives a burden to the earth; but a good book is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit, imbalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life." 

As Mr. Robinson did not live a burden to the earth, but a benefactor of the world; so it is a great satisfaction to witness now a reviviscence of his valuable but long forgotten writings, and to perceive, that they are to be accessible to a great multitude of his Puritan followers.

It is but the truth to say, that many tens of thousands of Christian men hold his name in honourable remembrance. He yet lives by his example, and by the influence of his sacrifices and toils; and in the third century [1851] after his death, he enjoys the singular distinction of being equally honored in the east and west, -- in two countries separated by a mighty ocean.

Doubtless the natural inquiry will now spring up in many minds--Has Robinson "a life beyond life" in a different sense from being the author of "a good book?" Does his "life-blood" still flow in the veins of descendants who are the imitators of his virtues? 

In answer to such inquiries I am happy to be able to say, that I have recently conversed with several of his descendants, who bear his name, ministers of the gospel, who receive and love the same truths which commended themselves to his intellect and heart, and who, by reason of their descent from him, feel an incitement to preach faithfully the same pure, uncorrupted gospel of salvation, which he announced to his fellow-men, and in the maintenance of which he was constrained to flee from his beloved native land, finding, as an exile, his grave among strangers. Useful and distinguished men, now deceased, have been also among his descendants, of whom the following is a brief account. 

... ... [The author gives pages of descendants of Rev. John Robinson's son John and daughter Faith, focusing particularly on the ministers who were descendants, but no mention of Isaac's descendants. Isaac is my ancestor.]

From this very imperfect and incomplete account of the descendants of Robinson, it will be concluded that they are very numerous, scattered over New England and other States of the Union: it will be seen that they are in various respectable and useful stations in life. 

The pride of ancestry is not a very commendable emotion; but the consciousness of being descended from the excellent of the earth--the servants and friends of God--whose example lives in faithful history, and the benefit of whose prayers, long since uttered, may descend even to us, should be an incitement to the imitation of their virtues, and to strenuous efforts in the cause to which they were devoted. 

After surveying the life of the illustrious Robinson, in respect to whom we are assured, that he has passed away from the toils of the earth to the paradise of God, how can the words of the great Head of the Church fail to come with new force upon our heart--"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life!" 

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