CHAPTER IV.

Retires to Rindge, and devotes himself exclusively to his preparation for the ministry.

In the month of August, 1806, Mr. Payson relinquished his charge of the Academy in Portland; and after settling his business, went on board a packet for Boston,' in which he remained several days, "tossed about by contrary winds, and wounded by the oaths and blasphemies of the wretches on board." He has described "a set" of his fellow passengers by two words, indicative of all that is revolting to modesty and pious feeling, and suited to "vex the righteous soul;" the bare mention of which would cause others to join him in the exclamation-"How dreadful to spend an eternity among such wretches!" On the fifth day from his embarkation, the vessel "arrived in Boston in a violent gale of wind, attended with some danger." He tarried in the neighborhood, till after commencement, and, notwithstanding the noise and confusion, found more pleasure than he had expected, in meeting his classmates.' On his way from Cambridge to Rindge, he rode as far as Groton; but whether the stage rested there over night, or took a different route, and his desire to tread again the threshold of his beloved home, alone urged him forward-so it was, that he left the stage, and "walked home from Groton after six" in the evening, and was at his journey's end "about four the next morning," ready to 66 receive the congratulations of his friends." His father's house continued, from this time, to be his hallowed and chosen retirement, till he entered on the active duties of the ministry.

"Wisdom's self

Oft seeks to sweet retired solitude;

Where, with her best nurse, Contemplation,

She plumes her feathers, and lets grow her wings."

This step, considered in all its aspects, may justly be regarded as one of the most important in Mr. Payson's life, and reflects the highest honor on his judgment and good sense. Four months previously to this time, as has been seen in the preceding pages, he seriously contemplated making application for license to preach the gospel. Whatever were the cause

that prevented him, a gracious providence is visible in it; not that he was particularly deficient in sacred learning; on the contrary, his theological knowledge was probably equal to that of most 'candidates.' Among the works which he is known* to have read with care, might be named Watson's Tracts, Witsius, Stackhouse, Jonathan Edwards, besides many works of devotion and practical divinity. Abstracts of several other treatises still exist in his hand-writing, which were made before he left Portland; also a collection of "Thoughts on the Composition and Delivery of Sermons." Still, during all this time, he was invested with a public trust of no light responsibility. His school must have mainly engrossed his time, his thoughts, and his cares. To suppose that his professional studies were allowed more than a secondary claim to his attention, were to suppose him unfaithful to an important charge, which he had voluntarily assumed. And though he could hardly have been other than a distinguished preacher, even had he entered on the sacred office without further preparation, yet he would not have been the minister he afterwards was. This season of retirement has an intimate connexion with his subsequent eminence and usefulness. To the occupations of these days of seclusion from the world, more than to any other means, may be traced his gigantic growth in the knowledge of God,' and that extraordinary unction which attended his performance of official duties.

This period of his history is memorable, and highly instructive to the student of theology. Having, after much deliberation and prayer, chosen the ministry of reconciliation as the business of his future life, he gave himself up to the work of preparation with an exclusiveness and ardor perhaps never exceeded. From every study and pursuit, whatever its charms and attractions, which was not directly subsidiary to his grand design, he resolutely divorced himself, at least till he had acquired the art-analogous to the supposed properties of the philosopher's stone-" of turning all to gold." He seems to have concentrated and directed all his powers to the acquisition of scriptural knowledge, and the cultivation of Christian and ministerial graces, in obedience to the apostolical precept, "give thyself wholly to them." A decision once formed was with him usually final; and, in executing his purpose," what

* His progress in some of them is noted in his diary, near the "hiatus" already spoken of, which probably contained more notices of the same kind. The diary, which was " commenced as a check upon the misemployment of time," and which did at first record the occupations of every hour, ere long became almost exclusively a record of his religious exercises and experience.

ever his hand found to do he did with his might." These, his permanent characteristics, were eminently conspicuous at this period, while learning to

"negotiate between God and man, As God's ambassador, the grand concerns Of judgment and of mercy."

With the most exalted views of the holy office to which he was looking forward, and of the qualifications requisite to its competent and successful execution, he sought them with a proportionate zeal, devoting himself to the study of the sacred pages, if man ever did, "with all the heart, and soul, and strength, and mind.”

own.

For "Systems of Divinity," as drawn up by men, Mr. Payson seems to have felt but little reverence. It was not his habit to decry them as useless; but he regarded them with a watchful jealousy, and felt it unsafe to trust to them, as his practice evidently demonstrates. He found" a more excellent way" to the knowledge of his Master's will, by consulting directly "the law and the testimony." Thus to honor the "lively oracles" is the wisest and safest course for every man; for to embrace a system, with the intention of retaining or rejecting it, either wholly or in part, as it shall afterwards be found to agree, or not, with Scripture, is to incur the hazard of perpetuating error-since a man's theory is more likely to modify his views of the Scriptures, than the Scriptures are to correct the mistakes of his theory. This every one may have observed in regard to those whose sentiments differ from his Before this time, indeed, the works of the most eminent divines of our own and other countries, which were then accessible, and which he is known to have read, had doubtless exerted some influence in forming his religious opinions; but he was obviously wedded to none. To none did he feel the attachment of a partisan; he had not arrived to that state of mind which made him feel interested to defend an opinion because any human master had said it. The polluting and disorganizing tendency of loose opinions on the one hand, and the scarcely less deplorable effects of dogmatism on the other, which could not have escaped his observation, not less than the spirit of religion and his constitutional independence of mind, conspired to lead him to a just estimate of the value of human authority in matters of religious belief, and to consummate his reverence for the "sure word of prophecy," and his confidence in Revelation, as an adequate foundation for his faith, and an infallible guide in duty.

"Here is firm footing-all is sea besides."

Most men, however discordant their principles, profess to have derived them from the Scriptures; but, with Mr. P., this was something more than pretence. The Bible was with him the subject of close, critical, persevering, and, for a time, almost exclusive attention, his reading being principally confined to such writings as would assist in its elucidation, and unfold its literal meaning. In this manner he studied the whole of the Inspired Volume, from beginning to end, so that there was not a verse on which he had not formed an opinion. This is not asserted at random. It is but a few years since, that, in conversation with a candidate for the ministry, he earnestly recommended very particular and daily attention to the study of the Scriptures, and enforced his counsel by his own experience of the advantages which would accrue from the practice. He observed that before he commenced preaching, he made it his great object to know what the Bible taught on every subject, and, with this purpose, investigated every sentence in it so far as to be able to give an answer to every man who should ask a reason for it.'*

In this way he acquired his unparalleled readiness to meet every question, on every occasion, whether proposed by a caviller or a conscientious inquirer, which, it is well known, he usually did in a manner as satisfactory as it often was unexpected. The advantages hence derived were, in his view, beyond all computation. It secured for him the unlimited confidence of people in the common walks of life, as "a man mighty in the Scriptures." It gave him great influence with Christians of other denominations. It enabled him to confound and silence gainsayers, when they could not be convinced, as well as to build up the elect of God on their most holy faith. It furnished him, too, with ten thousand forms of illustration, or modes of conveying to ordinary minds the less obvious truths, with which he was conversant in the exercise of his ministry. He believed "all Scripture to be given by inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for

* It is not here alleged that Dr. Payson comprehended all that is contained in the Scriptures, much less that he arrogated to himself such knowledge; for, though "the word of Christ dwelt richly" in him, he doubtless continued to "increase in the knowledge of God" by every perusal of it, how often soever repeated, till the last, and even then saw as through a glass, darkly, compared with the visions of heaven. Some truths cannot be fully comprehended, and may have various relations which never will be known on earth. Many things respecting unfulfilled predictions can be known by no man till after their accomplishment. But he had made every passage a distinct object of attention, and, if "hard to be understood," he could state to the inquirer the causes of the obscurity, and in the very fact find a powerful motive to humility, diligence, and prayer for divine illumination, thus rendering the darkest texts "profitable."

correction, and for instruction in righteousness;" and he was himself a most striking exemplification of its competency to render "the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work."

Of Mr. Payson's devotion to the Scriptures there is evidence of a different nature from that which has just been given. Among his papers has been found a small manuscript volume, containing "Notes" on most of the books of Scripture. It is among the few interesting relics of this period of his life. The manuscript ends with remarks on 1 John, v. 8. Whether they were continued, in another volume, to the end of Revelation, does not appear. These notes are short in themselves, and much abbreviated in the form of expression, but bear marks of a kind and extent of investigation highly creditable to his learning* and judgment, as well as to his diligence and fidelity. Discrepancies are accounted for and reconciled; figures are explained; chronology, philosophy, topography, natural history, ancient languages, are made to contribute to the elucidation of Scripture. Against prophecies, which have received their completion, are found references to the historical characters and events by which they are supposed to have been fulfilled. It is difficult to characterize these notes by any general term, except that they are exegetical, in distinction from practical and experimental. Those on the New Testament are professedly collated, in part; and, though the same should, on examination, be found true of the rest, the manuscript is evidence of his careful study of the Scriptures; and for this purpose it was introduced to notice.

To learn more fully Mr. Payson's estimate of the Scriptures, the reader should peruse, in this connexion, his sermon, entitled "The Bible above all Price." In that discourse the preacher is much at home; he treads on ground where he delighted to linger. He explores a field with whose riches and beauties he was familiar. He clusters together its excellenges with a dexterous and bountiful hand, and describes its efficacy like one who' spoke that which he knew, and testified that which he had seen.' His familiarity with the Scriptures was strikingly apparent in his pulpit addresses generally; not so much by long quotations as by their general spirit, and the sacred associations he was continually awakening. They bore prominent traces of the divine model he so faithfully studied,

* To what extent Dr. Payson was familiar with the original language of the Old Testament, the writer is not informed. That it was among the objects of his attention at this time, there is evidence in his own hand-writing; but none very conclusive that his acquaintance with Hebrew was minute and critical.