THE EVENING OF LIFE; or, Light and Comfort Amidst the Shadows of Declining Years

Boston: Gould and Lincoln, 1859. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket. Jeremiah Chaplin was a 19th century Reformed Baptist theologian who became the first president of Colby College in Maine in 1817. He returned to his pastorate in Rowley, MA, in 1833 continuing to preach and to write before a final move to Hamilton, NY, where he died in 1841. His seven published works were all issued posthumously, "The Evening Of Life" being the first in 1851. It is a collection of prayers, devotions, and religious and philosphical excerpts from numerous authors directed primarily at an older audience. This copy is from the "Revised and Much Enlarged" edition issued by Gould & Lincoln in 1859, a first edition thus and noted as a new edition on the title page. There were also 3 earlier printings by Jewett & Co., Boston, in 1854 and 1856. This copy is about 5 x 7 5/8 inches, 281 pages plus 12 pages of publisher's ads, bound in black paper-covered boards stamped with a geometric design and the Gould & Lincoln symbol. Lettering on spine is in gold. The boards are considerably worn at the edges, corners and spine ends, with chipping at top of spine cover revealing top edge of binding. The bottom edge of the spine cover is worn through but not yet lost. The boards' surfaces show shelf wear and rubbing. That said, the binding itself remains firm with all hinges, interior and exterior, intact with no signs of cracking. A previous owner's name is neatly written on the fep in pencil. The text was probably exposed to damp conditions at some point but is now dry with a slight spine lean and very minimal foxing and staining. It is otherwise clean, complete, unmarked and easily read. This book is now very scarce in any of its 19th century editions, usually found only in divinity schools and large university libraries.