A very excellent Thanksgiving Sermon was also given to the public, in 1820, for a similar reason, viz. a promise, which was amply fulfilled, that it should be made to produce something for missionary purposes.

His "Address to Seamen" was the next in order of his publications. Men, affecting considerable pretensions to literature, have been heard to speak of this production as a gross violation of good taste. But the author knew his object, and the way in which he could best accomplish it. He was not writing an oration for the alumni of a college, nor an article for a Quarterly Review, nor a "pretty discourse" for a fashionable auditory, but an address to seamen. He had enjoyed more than common advantages for studying the character of this class of his fellow men, and understood their vocabulary almost as well as themselves so well, that an experienced sea-captain was able to detect, in the whole address, but a single nautical term whose application involved a misconception of its use. As a model, it would be dangerous to imitate it— the attempt, indeed, would be ridiculous. But if it is not a good address, the public is strangely erroneous in its "taste," and the effect which it produced, not only on its hearers, but on its readers, far and wide, is wholly unaccountable. Its popularity, from the very first, has been unrivalled by any thing of its kind. Copies of it have been multiplied to an extent past computation. It has been translated into some of the languages of the old world, and pretty extensively circulated on the coasts of the Mediterranean, from the press at Malta. And, if report be true, some divines of the mother country have not thought it disgraceful to claim a parental relation to it. Still it was no labored production; it was happily conceived, but the author does not appear to have laid himself out to produce any thing very extraordinary. It was thrown off almost at a sitting, and at a time when he was encompassed with infirmities," and heavily pressed by other labors. This is evident from his private record :

Could

"Oct. 22, 23, 1821. Very unwell these two days. do nothing, though I have four sermons to prepare this week. Was, for a moment, tempted to murmur; but the recollection of God's past kindness and faithfulness prevented me, and caused faith to revive.

"Oct. 24. Was better to-day; and wrote almost the whole of an address to seamen, to be delivered Sabbath evening.

Felt some degree of gratitude, and resolved never to refuse to improve any opportunity of doing good because I seemed not to have time for it.

"Oct. 25. Was furnished with a suitable text and sermon for this evening, without much labor. How graciously and wisely does God deal with me! How much I ought to love and trust him! Tried to preach my sermon to myself. Went to the house of God in much such a frame as I should wish to go; but had no assistance in preaching, and got through with difficulty. But felt satisfied that it should be so, and was enabled to rejoice in the Lord.

"Oct. 26. Was assisted to-day in writing, and had a precious season in prayer.

"Oct. 27. Sick to-day-a violent head-ache, with some fever. Did not see how I could complete my preparation for to-morrow, but felt satisfied and easy. Saw it was best I should have some rebuff; took courage from it, and hope that God meant to bless my labors to-morrow. In the evening, wrote considerable, notwithstanding my head-ache; and, after I retired, was almost painfully happy, rejoicing in God with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

"Oct. 28. Sab. Some better this morning. Finished a sermon for the afternoon, on increasing in the knowledge of God. Was almost insupportably happy, and could hardly refrain from shouting aloud for joy. Was assisted in praying for others; yet had no assistance in public prayer or preaching. In the evening, preached to seamen an overflowing house; aisles and pulpit stairs full, and hundreds went away who could not get in. Was enabled to go through tolerably. As soon as I came down, was beset so importunately for a copy for the press, that I could not refuse."

"Portland, Nov. 25, 1821.

My Address to Seamen is published, and I shall send you one with this. They have printed nine thousand copies; three thousand in the sermon form, and six thousand in the form of a tract. They mean to send them to every seaport in the United States. I know you will pray that a blessing may go with it. It produced a great effect upon seamen and others for a time; but I do not know that any have been really awakened by it. One hundred and forty sailors applied, the next day, for Bibles, most of whom paid for them. I could not but wonder to see God work by it. I had only ten days' notice, and, during that time, had to prepare and preach six

sermons, besides the Address, and another sermon which I did not preach."

"Dec. 26.

"If I do not feel thankful for any other favor which God gives me, I do feel some gratitude when he enables me to do any thing which gives pleasure to the heart of my mother. If you were dead, one half the gratification I feel, when I publish any thing which is well received, would be gone. I should also lose one half of my hopes, that any thing I publish will do good; for I build my hopes very much on your prayers for a blessing. I suppose you or H. sent me the Keene paper, which contains my Address. It has been published in two other papers, and in a Baptist Magazine at Boston; and I have just received a letter from Professor P.'s wife, at

in

behalf of a number of ladies there, who wish to publish a large edition, in the form of a tract. I have requested our church to pray that a blessing may go with it, and I doubt not you will continue to pray. If it does any good, it will be owing to prayer."

His other publication was a sermon, preached before the "Marine Bible Society of Boston," entitled "The Oracles of God"--a much more labored production than either of his other published discourses, and yet, for some cause, it has been far less popular.-Besides these, he furnished one or two manuscript sermons for the National Preacher, which appeared soon after his decease.

1

CHAPTER XVI.

His exertions without the bounds of his parish-Influence on his ministerial associates; in resuscitating and edifying other churches-Visits "The Springs"-Effect of his example, conversation, and prayers on other visiters-Excursions in behalf of charitable societies-Translation of ministers— He is invited to Boston and New York.

It is not easy to estimate the usefulness of a man in public life, whose numerous relations bring him into contact with his fellow men, in a great variety of circumstances. A minister

of the gospel, especially at this day, is not an insulated individual, whose influence is limited by parochial bounds. His presence, counsel, example, prayers, give shape, tone, direction, energy, to public institutions for enlightening the human species, alleviating its sufferings, and extending the empire of holiness. It is, indeed, no slight honor to be permitted to feed and build up a single branch of the church of God. To see the number of believers multiplied, and converted sinners joining themselves to the people of God, as the fruit of his labors, is an adequate reward for the pastor's most arduous toils, and for all the solicitude, with which his anxious bosom is afflicted. And yet the increase and edification of his own particular charge may be only a small part of the good which is to be traced, more or less directly, to his instrumentality. The many hundreds, to whom Mr. Payson's labors were blessed in the place of his residence, and whom it was his happiness to welcome to the church under his special supervision, are only a part, and may be found a small part, of the gems which will embellish his crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord. To ascertain the whole amount of his usefulness, we must know the nature and degree of his influence upon his fellow laborers in the ministry, the effect of his occasional labors in different and distant parts of the country, his agency in raising the tone of piety in all the churches which could be reached by his influence, the results of his powerful pleadings in behalf of religious and charitable enterprises, of his counsel in ecclesiastical concerns, and as one of the guardians of the principal seminary of learning in Maine,-all, in short, that

flowed from his conscientious and ever watchful regard, wherever he was, and with whomsoever he met, to the apostolical precept "Consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works."

It is not intended here to give him a character at the expense of his brethren, or to introduce their names as a foil to his excellences. Such comparisons are always invidious; and, besides, where many are associated in the same cause, it is difficult, indeed impossible, to define the precise degree of influence which ought to be ascribed to each; though all, probably, will admit Mr. Payson's claim to a large share; and not a few, on reviewing the past, will see, in the exigencies of the churches in this region, and in the existing standard of ministerial disinterestedness and zeal, causes of thankfulness to that gracious Providence which raised up and sent such a man among them.

His presence in the ministerial association to which he be longed, though often prevented by the frequent recurrence of his agonizing" head-ache," and by duties at home, which he could not dispense with, was highly valued by a majority of his brethren. He was a strong advocate for devoting the first part of the time occupied by such meetings, to social prayer. Prayer was his own preparation for every duty; and he felt it to be equally important, that it should be a common preparation for a social duty. When on a council for the ordination of a minister, he was always on the watch for some interval of time, to be consecrated to united prayer, with particular reference to the occasion and its consequences. In ministers' meetings, whether the immediate object were mutual edification, or a solution were requested of cases of conscience, and other difficulties which often arise in the discharge of the sacred office, or trying cases of discipline were presented for advisement, he was always ready to speak in his turn, and always spoke to the purpose. A topic seldom passed him without fresh elucidation. Any proposition, which bore the least trace of a time-serving policy, or mere worldly wisdom, he would instantly discountenance. The writer has known him to do this, at once and effectually, by a very few words of his own, pointed with one of Witherspoon's "Characteristics."

He occasionally performed services for other parishes, of most auspicious bearing on the cause of religion; services which thousands have regretted that his health and engagements would not permit him to repeat. The nature of the services alluded to will be seen by an extract: