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 UNITED STATES OF AMEEICA. 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE 
 
 EMBRACING EXPERIENCES AND OBSER- 
 
 YATIONS FROM A PASTORATE 
 
 OF FORTY YEARS. 
 
 By the Rev. REUBEN" SMITH. 
 
 V 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : 
 
 PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION. 
 
 NO. 821 CHESTNUT STKEET. 
 
 
fi 
 
 •>% 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by 
 
 JAMES DUNLAP, Treas., 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District 
 
 of Pennsylvania. 
 
 STEHEOTFPED BF 
 
 JESPER HARDING & SON, 
 
 INQUIRER BUILDING, SOUTH THIRD STREET, PHILADELPHIA. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Introductory, . 
 
 . 5 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 
 Its nature and authority, 
 
 10 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Pastoral qualifications, . . .23 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 My call to the gospel ministry, . , 68 
 
 The installation, . . . .86 
 
 My first charge, .... 94 
 
 (3) 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 The writer's idea of a Pastor has 
 been entertained from early life ; in 
 some things, visionary perhaps, but 
 mostly conformed, so far as it went, to 
 what he has been led to understand of 
 this relation, from after experience, and 
 from the sacred Scriptures. 
 
 After more than a forty years' Pas- 
 torate, and now drawing near the ordi- 
 nary boundary of human life, when it 
 might be expected that his maturer 
 views would have some worth, and 
 
 l* 15) 
 
6 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 while his recollections are still fresh 
 and impressed on his own mind ; it has 
 been his wish to furnish a little work 
 on this subject, which might do good 
 when the writer is no more. 
 
 But there are obviously difficulties, 
 in furnishing a Pastorate, which should 
 include one's own experience. 
 
 The difficulties are, first, that no man 
 is willing to write the whole of his own 
 experience, as fidelity might seem to 
 require. A faithful and full journal 
 would reveal much to humble him be- 
 fore men, and this, unless required in 
 justice to others, must be omitted and 
 left before God alone. It is only there- 
 fore by judicious selections that this 
 difficulty can be avoided ; the writer 
 must confine himself to such facts and 
 examples, as he is willing to be re- 
 sponsible for before his fellow-men, 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 7 
 
 and by which he hopes to profit without 
 injuring. 
 
 The other difficulty is kindred to 
 this ; and consists in the fact, that if a 
 Pastor should tell all his trials and 
 difficulties, and offer his present views 
 of them, together with his joys and 
 sorrows in one of the most sacred re- 
 lations of life, he might seem to violate 
 confidences in some instances, while in 
 other revelations, he must undoubtedly 
 expose human errors, and thus give 
 offence. 
 
 It has been in obedience to this con- 
 sideration, more than to any other, 
 probably, that so many good men have 
 declined to give their experience to 
 the world ; and Pastorates which have 
 been prepared for the press, have after- 
 wards been kept back. 
 
 But we do not. see, that this objec- 
 
8 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 tion should suppress a statement of 
 useful truths, provided, as before, that 
 only a judicious selection be offered. 
 Examples are the world's property and 
 must not be lost ; they need not be, 
 provided that every man in giving them 
 will remember to write " nothing which 
 dying he would wish to blot." 
 
 On the whole, the writer of the fol- 
 lowing pages humbly and prayerfully, 
 he trusts, concluded to go forward. 
 
 He was well aware that valuable 
 Essays on the Pastoral charge are al- 
 ready extant, but it has ever appeared 
 to him, that these Treatises are for the 
 most part too abstract, and the pre- 
 cepts, advice, and directions given, not 
 all that is wanted, especially by the 
 present generation. We want a Pas- 
 torate a little more experimental, if I 
 may so speak ; a work, with which 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 9 
 
 should be mingled what a man has seen 
 and felt, and been connected with, and 
 to show what are his views of the 
 whole on a sober review, at the evening 
 of his days.* 
 
 This has been the scope, the inten- 
 tion at least, of this little production. 
 Should a further apology be necessary 
 for such an employment of time, it 
 might be found in the diversion of mind 
 it has furnished, when that diversion 
 was much needed. 
 
 Beaver dam, Wisconsin, June 1859. 
 
 * The late Dr. Yale, it was said, left such a work, 
 and no man certainly was more capable. But for 
 some reason it has never yet been published. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 ITS NATURE AND AUTHORITY. 
 
 The Hebrew word, translated Pastor 
 or Shepherd, describes an office ; and 
 the general idea is that of a leader 
 and ruler, or one who provides for and 
 feeds his flock. Thus kings were 
 called shepherds of old, and Christ is em- 
 phatically "the good Shepherd," who 
 was also to be "Ruler over Israel," (see 
 Mic. v. 2.) It has its variations, of 
 course, according to the position of the 
 person to whom it is applied. Thus 
 God himself is a Shepherd (Ps. xxii.), 
 and Moses was a shepherd (Isa. liii. 
 11), and the prophets and teachers 
 
 of Gods people addressed in their 
 (10) 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 11 
 
 general capacity, under the Old Testa- 
 ment dispensation. But the normal 
 idea, that of ruling and feeding, is re- 
 tained in them all.* 
 
 Whatever then pertains to leading, 
 directing, defending, feeding, or govern- 
 ing a flock, over which one is set, be- 
 longs to the office of the Pastor or 
 shepherd. His it is to see that they 
 are provided for in all things intended 
 by this important relation. To lead 
 them aright, to protect them in danger, 
 to feed them with knowledge, to restore 
 them when they wander, and if need 
 be to restrain them with salutary dis- 
 cipline; in one word, to be, in this re- 
 lation, what Christ was to his flock 
 
 * In conformity to this also, is the use of two 
 Greek words (/3o<tku and noinaivu) in Christ's com- 
 mands to Peter. — (See John xxi. 15, 16.) 
 
12 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 on earth, an under shepherd, giving, if 
 need be, " his life for the sheep." In- 
 teresting and delightful, as well as 
 solemn relation ! Is there authority 
 for such a relation now ? This is 
 what we next propose to inquire. 
 And we may remark here: 1. The 
 fact that God did so abundantly provide 
 this relation for his people in ancient 
 times, would be a presumption in favour 
 of expecting it now, unless it could be 
 shown that the circumstances were es- 
 sentially different. That he set over 
 them a Moses, and David, and Nehe- 
 miah, and all the prophets, under the 
 name of shepherds, would lead us to look 
 for this office to be perpetuated, when 
 human w r ants and circumstances are 
 essentially the same. 
 
 2. But the language of prophecy is 
 explicit and very forcible, as it plainly 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 13 
 
 refers to the glory and felicity of the 
 church in the latter day. In Jer. iii. 15, 
 God graciously promises, that he will 
 give his people " pastors after his own 
 heart." But this shall be when " they 
 shall call Jerusalem the throne of 
 the Lord, and all nations shall be 
 gathered unto it," (v. 17.) 
 
 3. Refer we now to New Testament 
 authority. And what can be more 
 express, or more interesting, than the 
 parable of the good shepherd (John x. 
 1), as pronounced by Christ himself? 
 Here Christ is emphatically "the good 
 Shepherd," and then all other shep- 
 herds are required to be like him, enter- 
 ing the sheep-fold by the same door, 
 and exercising the same functions, as 
 respects the flock. How can any one 
 read this most touching of all the 
 parables, and doubt whether Christ 
 
14 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 intended to perpetuate this office in 
 his church ? 
 
 4. And conclusively, we have this 
 office expressly mentioned, as among 
 those ascension gifts which Christ pro- 
 vided "for the perfecting of the saints. 7 ' 
 Wherefore when he ascended on high, 
 he gave gifts to men : — and " he gave 
 some apostles, and some prophets, and 
 some evangelists, and some Pastors, 
 poimenas, and teachers, for the perfecting 
 of the saints, for the work of the minis- 
 try, for the edifying of the body of 
 Christ." Eph. iv. 8-12. 
 
 5. Nor is the practice of the church, 
 during the apostolic age, on this subject, 
 at all to be doubted, although the 
 names given to these rulers in particu- 
 lar churches are somewhat various. 
 Sometimes it is Elders (presbuteroi) , 
 and sometimes Bishops (episcopoi) . But 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 15 
 
 they were equally overseers of the 
 flock, and that flock was in a particular 
 city. See Acts xx. 17, &c. In the same 
 manner Paul and Silas ordained them 
 Elders in every city. Acts xiv. 23. 
 And such, as we think, were those 
 Elders, who were appointed " in Crete," 
 (Tit. i. 5,) that there might be " noth- 
 ing wanting to the churches/' For this 
 Elder is called a Bishop in the 7th 
 verse, and then his duties are so de- 
 scribed, as clearly to show that the 
 office intended is that of a particular 
 Pastor. See also 1 Tim. iii. 
 
 Now some of these Elders may have 
 been merely Ruling Elders, but it is 
 certain all were not; and then the 
 whole manifest truth is this, that the 
 apostles did not consider any church 
 wholly provided for, even in their day, 
 without a Pastor or Pastors. 
 
16 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 6. We might mention in conclusion 
 of these New Testament authorities, a 
 somewhat disputed passage in Rev.iii. 
 and onward, where messages are ad- 
 dressed to " the angels of the churches." 
 It has always seemed to us most reas- 
 onable to understand by these " angels" 
 the particular and responsible heads 
 of the several churches ; nor do we 
 conceive that the doctrine of the parity 
 of the ministry is at all endangered by 
 this admission. But whatever may be 
 supposed, as meant, whether one or 
 many are addressed ; whether one was 
 superior or all equal, as we believe ; the 
 bearing is the same on our argument, 
 since an angel for each church is here 
 found, and the case shows how carefully 
 God provided that their churches should 
 not want Pastors. 
 
 Thus end, at present, our scriptural 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 17 
 
 authorities.* And we may now add, that 
 the history of the church, so far as it 
 goes, is to the same purport. Immedi- 
 ately after the death of the Apostles, 
 Elders, also called Bishops or overseers, 
 were found in all the more important 
 churches. Even after some began to 
 be called Bishops as a more distinctive . 
 title, there appears to have been one 
 at least to every particular church, and 
 the duties they discharged were those 
 of parochial ministers. 
 
 * " The angel of the church," says Yitringa, " is a 
 phrase borrowed from the Synagogue, and was given to 
 experienced and learned men, especially to Doctors (or 
 teachers), who were usually delegated to pray for the 
 public assembly, whether in ordinary or extraordinary 
 cases ; so that by the angels of the churches, must be 
 understood those Rulers of the christian church, whose 
 office it was to offer up public prayers in the church, to 
 manage sacred concerns, and discourse to the people." 
 (Yitringa. as quoted by Mason on Episcopacy, p. 148.) 
 2* 
 
18 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 Even Ignatius of the second century, 
 to whom our Episcopal brethren are 
 so fond of referring, is evidently for 
 the most part speaking of parochial 
 Pastors, (see Dr. Miller on the Christian 
 Ministry.) 
 
 The same conclusion was arrived at 
 by an eminent Professor in one of our 
 colleges, T. Lewis, LL. D., who was 
 studying the Fathers merely for the 
 Greek. 
 
 But there is abundant evidence that 
 the order of the ministry was gradually 
 changed about this time through inordi- 
 nate ambition. We soon find the name 
 and office of a Bishop assuming a 
 higher and more distinctive grade, and 
 thus have also Diocesans, Metropolitans, 
 and Archbishops, until we arrive at the 
 embodiment of all unholy assumption 
 in the Pope of the seventh century. 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 19 
 
 All this does not invalidate, but 
 rather confirms our argument ; since 
 there were doubtless some humbler 
 Pastors still : nay, the idea of a Pas- 
 torate was clearly implied in the higher 
 orders, though thus mixed up with a 
 secular and corrupt system. We find 
 accordingly, in the middle ages, the 
 significant ceremony of the ring and 
 crozier on inducting these men into of- 
 fice. They were thus made shepherds, 
 or were married to the universal church, 
 if not to its particular departments. 
 
 In the time of the Saxon Reforma- 
 tion, we suppose it will not be denied that 
 they had their local ministry, whether 
 under the name of Bishops, Priests, 
 Pastors, or others. D'Aubign6 speaks 
 repeatedly of the parochial clergy; and 
 says, these were they who denied their 
 
20 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 pulpits to the reforming preachers. 
 Vol. ii. p. 113. 
 
 The reformed churches generally 
 adopted a system of church polity, in 
 which this office is recognized and re- 
 garded as highly important. 
 
 In Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Swit- 
 zerland, England, and Scotland, the 
 office was early introduced, and still 
 continues, under somewhat variant 
 names, but alwa}^s with the same 
 essential nature and object. There are 
 evangelists, and other teachers, and 
 rulers indeed ; but always there were 
 stated Pastors. Our fathers never con- 
 sidered the church as complete without 
 them. 
 
 The only essential exception would 
 seem to be in the itinerant system of the 
 Wesleyan Methodists : but even here 
 arrangements are made for supplying 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 21 
 
 certain churches by local preachers, and 
 this relation, we are told, is often con- 
 tinued for an indefinite time. Thus 
 something like a Pastoral relation 
 seems to be acknowledged even here. 
 The s}'stem of Wesley was thought 
 expedient at first : and we have no 
 objection that it be continued with 
 them ; for, we doubt not, it has often 
 done much good. It is very doubtful, 
 however, whether it has not done its 
 work, and that a better and more en- 
 during scheme will finally be adopted. 
 One thing is perfectly manifest from 
 this whole review. The Pastoral re- 
 lation seems to have its foundation in 
 the very nature of human wants. It 
 is found accordingly in the old dispen- 
 sation and in the new. It is found in 
 all the history of the christian church, 
 in all her better states, and wherever 
 
22 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 a healthful order, or an edifying super- 
 vision and stated instruction has been 
 cared for. It is God's ordinance, and 
 to despise it or treat it lightly, is to 
 depart from scriptural authority, and 
 suffer more or less in the results. 
 
 We do not teach, by these remarks, 
 that none other than Pastors are to be 
 recognized in our churches. The same 
 authority warrants the use of evangel- 
 ists, missionaries, and other teachers in 
 certain circumstances. Let them be 
 provided to all suitable extent ; but 
 never to the setting aside of Pastors, 
 the more important relation. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 PASTORAL QUALIFICATIONS. 
 
 These should be well understood, 
 and duly pondered ; since without this, 
 the abstract authority is of little use, 
 and no man could satisfactorily know 
 what is his duty or his rational pros- 
 pects. It is for want of duly consider- 
 ing before hand, what is reasonably 
 expected in this calling, that some men 
 have so entirely failed here ; until, like 
 Scott and Chalmers, they have after- 
 wards been converted ; or they have 
 remained only to be a curse to the 
 church in a dead and heartless formality. 
 We shall therefore give a somewhat 
 
 (23) 
 
24 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 more extended discussion to this part 
 of our subject. 
 
 1. And the first of all qualifications 
 must be, undoubtedly, a satisfactory evi- 
 dence of sincere and deep heart piety. 
 This is requisite to all office bearing 
 or private membership in a church, and 
 indeed to every individual in reference 
 to his eternal interests ; but what we 
 mean now to say is, that the man, who 
 aspires to the ministry, should have 
 this piety in some eminent degree. 
 Unless it is deep, sincere, and truly 
 spiritual, he cannot hope for either 
 success or comfort in this high calling. 
 " God," says Paul, " who commanded 
 the light to shine out of darkness, hath 
 shined into our hearts, to give the 
 light of the knowledge of the glory of 
 God in the face of Jesus Christ." " We 
 believe, and therefore speak." " Lovest 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 25 
 
 thou me ?" said the Saviour to Peter ; 
 "feed my sheep, feed my lambs." 
 "I will/' saith God, "give them pas- 
 tors after my own heart." 
 
 None of the truly great preachers, 
 whom God has raised up, have failed 
 to give evidence that this was their 
 character ; while many of the most 
 successful have had little else to 
 distinguish them. In this way does 
 God humble the pride of man, and give 
 evidence that success is not by might 
 nor by power, but by his Spirit. 
 
 2. Competent natural gifts. In the 
 old dispensation, a man was not permit- 
 ted to serve at the altar who was in any 
 way deformed in body ; much more is 
 it reasonably required, that there 
 should be appropriate mental gifts. 
 The Pastor should be apt to teach, and 
 it is evident that a good mind, ability to 
 
26 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 acquire learning, and ability for accept- 
 able public speaking, will be necessary. 
 We are aware that these endowments 
 are not possessed in a prominent de- 
 gree at once, even in those who are 
 finally found competent. Much may 
 be done by improvement here, and 
 very great obstacles (especially in the 
 ability of speaking) are sometimes 
 surmounted. But a radical and insur- 
 mountable difficulty, in any of these 
 particulars, would, we think, disqualify 
 for this profession. 
 
 3. Next, of course, must be consid- 
 ered, what is usually styled, a call of 
 God to the ministry. We believe in this. 
 u No man taketh this honour to him- 
 self ; but he that is called of God, as 
 was Aaron." Yet is not this call, in 
 all instances, equally distinct and un- 
 questionable. Men have been called 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 of God. by voices, or visions, as were 
 Moses and Jacob ; but it is equally cer- 
 tain that some have been more silently 
 and gradually drawn like Jeremiah and 
 John the Baptist; and as it is of this lat- 
 ter class that most men probably are now 
 brought into the ministry, it becomes a 
 question for careful inquiry, in what 
 particulars this call is to be sought. 
 
 (1) We would say then (assuming 
 that decided piety, on which we have 
 before insisted) that such an one is 
 conscious of a strong drawing of soul to- 
 wards this calling, and an intelligent 
 choice of it, so far as he can understand 
 its nature and requirements. He " de- 
 sires the office of a Bishop." 
 
 We do not suppose indeed that he 
 ever does fully understand it before- 
 hand ; perhaps it is best that he does not. 
 But, so far as he does understand the 
 
28 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 nature of the calling, and looking at it, 
 frequently and honestly, he does de- 
 cidedly choose the calling, and feels 
 that he could not well be contented 
 in any other. This drawing is fre- 
 quently continued for a long time, some- 
 times even from childhood. He can- 
 not relinquish it, and he comes at last 
 to conclude he must and will go for- 
 ward. 
 
 (2.) Connected with this, then, there 
 is a leading Providence, and the open- 
 ing of a practical way for making 
 necessary acquisitions. We suppose, 
 for instance, some good degree of 
 human learning, with theological study 
 and the exercise of gifts, to be necessary. 
 Miracles are not expected for the ac- 
 quisition of these, and if the way were 
 entirely hedged up, therefore, and one 
 absolutely could not get forward, it would 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 29 
 
 be an evidence that he was not called. 
 
 But the contrary is, sooner or later, 
 
 the pleasing experience of him we are 
 
 now considering. If able to sustain 
 
 his own expenditures, if rich, or the 
 
 son of the rich, he gives himself to 
 
 study on his own account, and his 
 
 health permits him earnestly to pursue 
 
 it ; if poor, he finds patronage and 
 
 help, so far as he needs, and sometimes 
 
 when his way seems most dark, and he 
 
 hardly knows how he is to proceed any 
 
 farther, God wonderfully opens some 
 
 other door, new friends are raised up, 
 
 he is sustained, encouraged, and finally 
 
 succeeds. This is what we mean by a 
 
 leading Providence, and we know of no 
 
 more pleasing employment, than to 
 
 look back in after life, and trace this 
 
 river of mercies, in all its remarkable 
 
 wanderings. 
 3* 
 
30 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 ( 3.) Suppose one thing more now, 
 and this full call to the gospel ministry 
 is completed. The candidate is sanc- 
 tioned by others. Those already in the 
 ministry, with other proper officers of 
 the church, examine and approve him. 
 He is found having the qualifications 
 which have been noticed. He is pious, 
 has competent natural gifts, has been 
 drawn by strong desires to this calling, 
 God has opened the door, and he is ap- 
 proved. He is considered as compe- 
 tent, is licensed to preach, and in due 
 time ordained, or advanced to the full 
 work of the ministry. 
 
 (4.) We mention in the next place, 
 that he should be a man having very 
 humble views of himself, and of his 
 sufficiency for this calling. " Who," 
 says Paul, u is sufficient for these 
 things V or who indeed, of mortal birth, 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 31 
 
 can be. when the whole nature of the 
 calling is duly considered ? We said 
 before, that it is best perhaps that 
 young candidates for the ministry do 
 not fully understand beforehand the 
 difficulties and responsibility of the call- 
 ing, for who then would, in ordinary 
 cases, dare to go forward ? 
 
 Moses, under the clearest call, be- 
 sought the Lord, " to send by whom he 
 would send ;" and Isaiah, on a like occa- 
 sion, cried out that he was undone, be- 
 cause " his eyes had seen the king, the 
 Lord of hosts." But fear not, ingenuous 
 and truly humble young man. Isaiah 
 was qualified when his lips were touched 
 with a live coal from off the altar ; and 
 Moses, when once he had properly 
 entered upon his office, never repented 
 it, and was abundantly successful. 
 
 But we speak now of a case where 
 
32 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 this humbling sense of one's self is sup- 
 posed to be wanting ; and we hesitate 
 not to say that one who did not regard 
 himself as an "earthen vessel," un- 
 worthy, and entirely unfit in himself 
 forbearing such a treasure : who thought 
 he was sufficient for those things — 
 had exalted views of his talents — and 
 felt that he might look for distinguished 
 stations in the ministry, would by this 
 give mournful evidence of a wrong 
 spirit, and probably meet with sore dis- 
 appointment. 
 
 Might the writer refer to his own 
 experience here, he would say, that at 
 the time of his ordination and installa- 
 tion, long and ardently as he had been 
 desiring it, this feeling of unfitness had 
 nearly overcome him. He felt, for a 
 moment, that he could not go forward, 
 and he hardly knows what he should 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 33 
 
 have done, had not an aged friend 
 gone aside and prayed with him in a 
 neighbouring grove, 
 
 ( 5.) We allude to another qualifica- 
 tion of the Pastor in saying that affec- 
 tionateness of disposition is exceedingly 
 desirable, if not indispensable. John 
 was naturally affectionate, and* Peter 
 acquired it through grace, until (as 
 appears by his Epistles) he was as 
 sweet tempered and condescending as 
 John; indeed when we consider, that 
 the Pastor has to visit the flock, 
 comfort the afflicted, bear with the 
 ignorant, and lead back those that 
 wander from the path of duty, we do 
 not see how the qualification we are 
 now considering can well be dispensed 
 with. 
 
 But especially is this seen, in the 
 relation which the true Pastor holds 
 
34 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 to the lambs of the flock. Them he 
 is to feed (bosko) — feed them " with 
 milk," entice and draw them, to love 
 first God, and as a means, himself. A 
 large portion of the Pastor's duties in- 
 deed is concerned with children. Chil- 
 dren are pre-eminently observing of 
 the disposition of those who deal with 
 them ; and we should hesitate very 
 much " to lay hands " on any man, 
 who was too rough, or austere, to win 
 the minds of children. 
 
 On the other hand, what more appro- 
 priate, what more lovely, and rewarding, 
 than to have the children of a flock 
 show that they do love, as well as re- 
 verence their Pastor ! to rejoice, when 
 one comes to their houses ! to arrest 
 him, when met in the streets, and 
 " pluck his gown to share the good 
 man's smile ?" Such a Pastor was the 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 35 
 
 late Daniel Baker, and we are not sure, 
 that this was not the principal natural 
 element in his great success. He loved 
 little children, and they loved him. True 
 it is that this affectionate sensibility 
 exposes the Pastor to keener sufferings, 
 on some occasions, for he cannot be the 
 stoic under trials : but who would 
 wish to forego a quality so necessary, 
 and which renders him like his Saviour? 
 He was " the good Shepherd," and he 
 " carried the lambs in his bosom." 
 
 (6.) But the Pastor must also be a 
 man of sound judgment, true prudence, 
 and firm decision of mind. He is to 
 be a ruler as well as a feeder : he has 
 to do with the discipline of the church, 
 and thus to deal with a great variety 
 of cases in the social, religious, and 
 physical conditions of men. On the 
 subject of ruling, in general, we re- 
 
36 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 member a fact of this sort-. A minister, 
 after labouring many years with a peo- 
 ple, was told by one, on his being about to 
 leave them, as an expression of regard, 
 but also as describing a defect : " You 
 made us love, but not fear you." 
 The Pastor thought with himself if he 
 could not rule by love, he did not care 
 to rule at all; and yet perhaps there 
 was importance in the remark. How 
 shall the Pastor get along without true 
 prudence, without discrimination, with- 
 out knowing w T hen to act and when to 
 forbear — when to speak, and what to 
 say, in the endless variety of cases 
 with which he has to deal ? He could 
 never say with one, " We did not wish 
 our people to pray that we might have 
 prudence, but only zeal and boldness." 
 Yet prudence is not timorousness, for 
 the Pastor must have decision and firm- 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 37 
 
 ness also. At times he will feel that 
 he can retreat no further, and then he 
 is bold as a lion, and will not " give 
 place by subjection, no, not for an 
 hour." His discernment will also often 
 be put in requisition, by cases of 
 physical disease. Many instances of 
 mental distress must undoubtedly be re- 
 ferred to this, and it would be well, that 
 some degree of medical science should 
 therefore be possessed, as is more 
 generally required in the ministry of 
 Scotland. But thus to bind up the 
 broken hearted, to probe the wounded 
 in order to heal them, and to sit as a 
 judge, and the administrator of chas- 
 tisement, when necessary, requires an 
 admixture of gifts and acquirements, 
 which few entirely possess. 
 
 ( 7. ) As to preaching, the pre-eminent 
 business of the gospel ministry, one 
 
 4 
 
38 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 comprehensive Scripture will describe 
 the whole : the true Pastor " feeds the 
 people with knowledge ;" as indeed, 
 with what else can he feed them ? He 
 is a firm believer himself in the doc- 
 trines of the Bible so far as he under- 
 stands them. These, therefore, he 
 preaches, clearly, discriminatingly, and 
 with all boldness and affection. He 
 must be his own judge, under his re- 
 sponsibility to God, how often and in 
 what connections thus to bring forward 
 the doctrines. But one thing is certain, 
 " the whole counsel of God" must, 
 sooner or later, be preached, and in all 
 its relations. He offends his Master, 
 and wrongs his people if he do not this. 
 
 ( 8.) He " gives himself therefore to 
 these things," as his appropriate work. 
 
 There are two things, says a distin- 
 guished living preacher, which the 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 39 
 
 ministry cannot give away, these are, 
 the " ministry of the word, and prayer/' 
 Acts vi. 4. Of the last of these we 
 shall have occasion to speak in another 
 place. But it is of authoritative public 
 preaching, and administering the ordi- 
 nances, we now speak ; to this they 
 are separated as a calling, and should 
 so consider it. See Mark xvi. 15, 16. 
 It will be profitable often to think of 
 this, and most sustaining also, for the 
 sweetest of all the promises stands in 
 connection with it, " Lo, I am with you 
 alway, even unto the end of the world." 
 ( 9.) We must add here, that Faith, 
 Patience, and Hope, will be constantly 
 required, and should be sought for as 
 indispensable gifts. Faith as the foun- 
 dation of all other graces, Patience 
 like our Saviour's to endure without 
 fainting, and Hope, to look on the 
 
40 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 brightest side of things. It is exceed- 
 ingly desirable, that this last should, 
 if possible, be a natural gift. 
 
 For we know well the influence of 
 different temperaments; some are nat- 
 urally desponding and timorous, others 
 cheerful, always looking, so far as 
 they are permitted, on the brighter 
 prospects. This gift can be cultivated, 
 and these prospects are generally war- 
 ranted by the promises of Scripture. 
 How desirable then — how much does 
 it promote our own happiness and that 
 of others — how much does it often add 
 to our usefulness, when looking on a 
 dark cloud, we are able to see it "turn 
 its silver linings out !" and to say with 
 a good old man, whom we remember, 
 "However, there is one bright side to 
 this subject." 
 
 (10.) The Pastor should be a man 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 41 
 
 of extensive and liberal acquirements. 
 With theology, with languages and 
 philosophy, and with all knowledge 
 depending on, or connected with, a 
 critical acquaintance with the Bible, 
 we suppose that no one of the present 
 day would think of dispensing. But 
 much, which may be called collateral 
 knowledge, will be found to be neces- 
 sary. He should be extensively ac- 
 quainted with history, and the state 
 of the nations ; and with the natural 
 sciences, if possible ; for here will be 
 found some of his finest illustrations, and 
 it is just here too, that Sciolists, and 
 half learned Infidels, will often assail 
 his faith. With mental philosophy and 
 even with metaphysics he should be 
 in some measure familiar also, since 
 it is sometimes necessary to stop the 
 
 mouths of gainsay ers, by showing that 
 4* 
 
42 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 you really know more of their favourite 
 subjects than themselves. 
 
 We do not mean that the minister 
 of God should be much given to these 
 last studies, or often parading this, 
 knowledge. He had better not. But 
 he should be able to do so ; and in 
 order to this, should read many books, 
 and keep himself well possessed of 
 current literature, as well as his higher 
 and more appropriate studies. He can 
 hardly be safe himself, or properly lead 
 others, without it. 
 
 How great, how extensive, how 
 almost indispensable, that full and 
 liberal course of acquirements, which 
 the minister is now expected to make ! 
 If some few men (as we are rejoiced 
 to believe) have succeeded without 
 this, it is only because God has greatly 
 favoured them : but we can truly say, 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 43 
 
 as the result of our own observation, 
 that we have known no man, who 
 would not have been, as we thought, 
 more useful with the advantage of 
 liberal acquirements. 
 
 (11.) Something must be said now, 
 of the great duty of Pastoral visitation. 
 God rebukes his shepherds of old for 
 not "searching out," and administering 
 to the several members of their flocks. 
 See Ezek. xxxiv. 4. " I was sick and 
 in prison," says our Saviour, " and ye 
 visited me not." 
 
 We lay it down as a requirement of 
 God, therefore, and a duty altogether 
 necessary' to the prosperity of any 
 Pastoral charge, that it should be visited 
 for religious purposes, and frequently. 
 And yet were the question now pro- 
 posed to us, as it sometimes has been, 
 In what manner do you prefer to have 
 
44 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 the duty discharged ? It would not be 
 easy to give a specific answer. We 
 should have to say as Nettleton once 
 said to one, who inquired of him how 
 to converse with an anxious sinner, 
 " There can no specific rule be given ; 
 the great thing is to feel right your- 
 self." So here, there are great varieties 
 of cases and dispositions. Try to feel 
 right yourself, and then go forth and 
 meet them in the fear of God. 
 
 We believe this talent is an improv- 
 able one. The Pastor should do 
 something in this way every week, 
 and if possible finish the whole round 
 of visitations at least once in a year. 
 He should, as far as possible, make 
 himself acquainted with the varied 
 characters and conditions of his people 
 for this purpose; it should be understood 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 45 
 
 beforehand that these visits, at least, 
 are to be strictly religious : he should, 
 as far as possible, converse with the 
 different individuals of the family, and 
 all such visits should be sought to be 
 closed with prayer. 
 
 Such Pastoral visits do great good. 
 They conciliate confidence and affection, 
 procure our best materials often for 
 sermonizing, comfort the afflicted saint, 
 and become, through the Spirit, the 
 means of convicting and converting 
 sinners. 
 
 On the subject of visiting the sick, 
 particularly, we must say a word further. 
 We have ever found with Cecil, that it 
 is a difficult thing to deal with the 
 souls of the sick, especially with the 
 unconverted: fidelity here seems to be 
 imperatively required, but we have to 
 confess for ourselves, that in no part 
 
46 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 of ministerial duty, are we conscious 
 of a greater deficiency. Cases are so 
 different, knowledge of divine things 
 often so small and deficient ; and the 
 patient is suffering too, perhaps feeble 
 and timorous, and his friends unwilling 
 to have his tranquillity disturbed ; so 
 that your own sympathies and kinder 
 feelings tempt you to soothe him with 
 hope, or at least leave him to go out 
 of the world as he is. It is indeed an 
 awfully responsible as well as difficult 
 duty. It must however be attempted, 
 and with right motives and much 
 prayer we need not err. To deal with 
 the dying saint is more easy, and often 
 most delightful as well as profitable. 
 Behold then the duties, as far as this 
 is concerned, the varied, the tender, 
 and responsible duties of the faithful 
 Pastor ! He is the good shepherd, he 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 47 
 
 visits the flock. In the words of the 
 Poet : he 
 
 " Establishes the strong, restores the weak, 
 Reclaims the wanderer, binds the broken heart, 
 
 And trains by every rule 
 Of holy discipline to glorious war, 
 The sacramental hosts of God's elect." 
 
 Delightful duty ! who would not at- 
 tempt it at whatever sacrifice it might 
 cost in his more private studies ? But 
 it does not require this sacrifice. We 
 verily believe a man of regular habits 
 will study more, at least to better ad- 
 vantage, who devotes a portion of his 
 time to Pastoral visitation.* 
 
 (12.) Our description of the good 
 
 * We have dwelt the longer on this branch of our 
 subject from the growing conviction we have of the 
 importance of Pastors, as distinguished from mere 
 preachers. Said a correspondent of the 1ST. Y.Ob- 
 server lately, *' If I had but one prayer to offer for the 
 
48 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 Pastor would not be complete without 
 a suggestion as to his domestic rela- 
 tions. In general we believe it is 
 expedient, as well as according to 
 Scripture, that he be a married man ; 
 " a bishop must be blameless ; the hus- 
 band of one wife/' and " one that ruleth 
 well his own house." Indeed, we do 
 not see how a stated minister is to 
 discharge the whole duties of his pro- 
 fession, comfortably or successfully, 
 without this help. The wife, if quali- 
 fied, may do much to sustain her 
 husband, and to take the lead in many 
 acts of benevolence and mercy. We 
 do not think it would be just, to regard 
 
 interest of Zion, and but one minute to utter that 
 prayer, it should be couched in language somewhat 
 like the following, ' Lord, for the sake of Jesus 
 Christ, give thy children, not great preachers but 
 pious pastors.' " 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 49 
 
 her as under the same obligations as 
 her husband to these services, or to 
 make her a public drudge, as is some- 
 times attempted to be done; but she 
 may unquestionably be of great service 
 in these things, and we have known 
 most happy cases, where the wife was 
 as her husband's right arm in many 
 parts of Pastoral influence. But her 
 great mission is no doubt at home ; and 
 we do not see how the intelligent 
 Pastor, in any ordinary circumstances, 
 is to do without this help. She solaces 
 him in trials, defends his character, 
 sweetens his temper, corrects his errors ; 
 and in one word, is an " help meet" for 
 him, as every wife was originally de- 
 signed to be. She should therefore 
 be truly pious, willing to go with her 
 husband, wherever his sense of duty 
 calls him, and count the cost, when she 
 
50 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 enters into the connection, to see 
 whether she is willing to take this risk. 
 
 In family duties also will her tran- 
 scendant worth be felt. The house 
 is to be ruled well ; but ministers are 
 less prepared for this, on some ac- 
 counts, than other persons ; and this 
 want seems to be most happily provided 
 for in a judicious and a devoted com- 
 panion. Hers it is, to be the first 
 instructor of her children, to limit the 
 range of their indulgences, and to se- 
 cure for them good examples in their 
 associations. By her is family prayer 
 also to be maintained when her com- 
 panion is absent. She is to counsel her 
 household, and in one word, by all the 
 means of God's appointment, to train 
 them up in the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord. 
 
 The favoured Pastor, who has a 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 51 
 
 companion with all these qualifications, 
 has a treasure indeed, and should ascribe 
 it to the Lord. 
 
 (13.) But let us return now to one 
 or two more spiritual requirements. 
 It seems to us all but indispensable, 
 especially at the present day, and in 
 this country, that the Pastor should 
 be a believer in the doctrine of revivals 
 of religion. Assuming now that he re- 
 ceives the scriptural view of the Holy 
 Spirit's person, nature, and offices, (as 
 he must in order to be orthodox,) 
 there is yet this more, that he seeks 
 his special influences according to the 
 modern dispensation. These are some- 
 times called revivals of religion, and 
 however they may be abused, and in 
 whatever form God may be pleased 
 to grant them according to his sov- 
 ereign will, we believe these dispense- 
 
52 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 tions to be real, and altogether desir- 
 able. But the Pastor or the church 
 will not seek for what they do not be- 
 lieve in ; and hence the necessity of 
 this faith as a doctrinal basis. The 
 true Pastor, therefore, believes in and 
 earnestly labours to secure this bless- 
 ing; he labours in all scriptural methods 
 for this ; he prays, he longs for, he ex- 
 pects the special outpourings of the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 (14.) And this leads us to the last 
 particular in the requirements now to 
 be set forth. The true Pastor is to be 
 pre-eminently a man of prayer. This 
 was said before on the authority of 
 scripture, (Acts vi. 24,) but it seems 
 to demand a more particular consider- 
 ation. The pre-eminence here required 
 is obvious, from the nature of the Pas- 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 53 
 
 tor's position as an intercessor for his 
 people, and from all his more private ne- 
 cessities. He prays to God in public; 
 and here, however we may like what 
 are called gifts in prayer, these are not 
 what are principally needed. Many 
 fluent and eloquent prayers have we 
 heard from lips of doubtful piety. 
 Still less is public prayer the same as 
 exhortation, with which it is too often 
 confounded ; it is speaking directly to 
 God of our felt wants ; it is a solemn ap- 
 proach to the Holy One, and though it be 
 a mercy-seat, and therefore a privilege 
 to come before it, it would seem that 
 no sensible mind could engage in 
 prayer, without awe and an hesitating 
 carefulness ! Some of the most holy 
 men we ever knew, accordingly, were 
 
 brief and hesitating in prayer, though 
 5* 
 
54 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 eloquent and pungent in all their 
 other performances.* 
 
 In praying with the sick and dying, 
 marvellous results are sometimes wit- 
 nessed, evincing that the prayer was 
 truly given by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 11 Beside the couch where parting life was laid, 
 And terror, guilt, and pain, by turns dismayed, 
 The reverend champion stood ; at his control, 
 Despair and anguish fled the struggling soul ; 
 Comfort came down the trembling wretch to raise, 
 And his last faltering accents whispered praise." 
 
 But the man of prayer, he who is 
 given to this, will principally evince it 
 in his private devotions. He cannot 
 but pray in this manner, for he loves 
 it as a privilege ; he cannot forego it, 
 for a thousand trials and perplexities 
 
 * Nettleton, and Dr. Archibald Alexander were 
 striking illustrations of this. 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 55 
 
 of life would be unendurable without 
 prayer, and many of them can be men- 
 tioned in no other way. And these 
 he carries to his heavenly Father ; 
 therefore, he prays always ; he prays 
 as he walks the streets ; he prays in 
 his closet ; he prays like Paul on 
 shipboard ; he prays as Hannah did 
 when approaching the altar ; he prays 
 like the Saviour, in the mountains, and 
 by night ; he prays like Daniel, for a 
 suffering Zion, thrice a day with his 
 face towards Jerusalem; and yet all 
 this is private prayer, the spontaneous 
 outpourings of a full heart to God. 
 
 Oh ! could we draw near the private 
 sanctuaries of these holy men and 
 hear their prayers, we should no longer 
 wonder at their remarkable success. 
 Such a prayer as Luther is reported to 
 have offered, as he approached the Diet 
 
56 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 of Worms, (see D'Aubign6, vol. ii. p. 
 223,) explains the wonderful result of 
 that most remarkable convocation. The 
 truth is that prayer, such prayer " opens 
 heaven/' and therefore, if the Pastor 
 would succeed in his work, be sustained 
 in his trials, or prepare himself for giv- 
 ing up his account, he must be given to 
 this duty. 
 
 In bringing this whole subject to a 
 close, it seems desirable to make one 
 or two remarks on other points. And 
 our first is on the perpetuity of Pas- 
 toral relations. The office is of course 
 enduring, and so in our view should a 
 particular Pastoral relation be regarded, 
 except in special cases. In the lan- 
 guage of our formulary for a Call, the 
 legal obligation to payment is, of ne- 
 cessity, limited to the time " of con- 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 57 
 
 tinuing to be the Pastor." But our 
 forms are far from having intended, 
 that such connections are merely com- 
 mercial, or during the pleasure of 
 the parties. So also of special causes 
 for a dissolution, when there arises 
 real incompetency, or when the call is 
 to a higher station or special mission, 
 the parties may, no doubt, agree to 
 separate ; but always under advice of 
 a superior body. But how far is this 
 from that light regard to the relation, 
 w r hich is too often seen to prevail at 
 the present day ! The Pastoral relation 
 seems to us to be normal, and to look 
 to perpetuity. " I have not hastened 
 from being a Pastor, Lord, thou 
 knowest." 
 
 Whether this view be correct or not, 
 all will agree, that the Pastoral relation 
 is a very sacred one ; and that the 
 
58 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 light and frequent dissolutions which 
 occur at the present day, are matter 
 of grief and serious alarm. 
 
 A writer in one of our periodicals 
 has told us, from his own observation, 
 that out of 120 Pastors in four Synods, 
 108 had been dismissed in six years : 
 and that two congregations actually had 
 three pastors a piece in the same time ! 
 We have also read, that in 1300 con- 
 gregations in Massachusetts, 300 dis- 
 missions had taken place in one year ! 
 (See the Presbyterian, for Jan. 29, 
 1859.) Such a state of things certainly 
 indicates something wrong, either in 
 the Pastors or their congregations, or 
 perhaps in both. Either such relations 
 ought never to have been formed, or 
 they should have been more enduring. 
 The practice in question is a serious 
 evil. It is calculated greatly to lower 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 59 
 
 the character of the ministry, and to 
 lead to many evils in the church. It 
 is seldom effected without divisions 
 and heart burnings. Many that are left,- 
 feel themselves robbed of their favour- 
 ite teachers, and that, as they say, 
 to accommodate a few, or on principles 
 of mere expediency. It often leads to 
 long and painful destitutions. 
 
 We say not so much now of the 
 sufferings of the other party. If the 
 incumbent chooses to go and first moves 
 in the matter, let him go. But this 
 is not generally the case, or seldom, 
 unless he is driven to it, by what he 
 considers as oppression. It may be 
 true, as is often said, that one man had 
 better suffer than a whole church. But 
 his rights ought to be regarded, and 
 it should be known also, that he does 
 often suffer under such a dispensation. 
 
60 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 Our view is, that a Pastor should 
 have deep natural sensibilities as one 
 of his qualifications. He is, as we will 
 suppose, strongly attached to his people, 
 and how shall he be separated from 
 them, without the keenest suffering ? 
 We say as before, if he wishes it, we 
 have nothing to object; but if (as we 
 believe is far more frequently the case) 
 it be against his will, or for causes 
 that ought not to exist, then it is 
 wrong and cruel in the last degree. 
 
 But secondly, we must not, in order 
 to escape these evils, reject the Pas- 
 toral relation altogether. We have 
 heard this advocated. What is the use 
 of installations ? Let every one labour, 
 when and where he pleases ; stay, or 
 go, as he and others can agree, and 
 thus escape many of the embarrass- 
 ments of a more permanent relation. 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 61 
 
 It were sufficient answer to this sug- 
 gestion, to say, that the Pastoral rela- 
 tion is authorized by Scripture, as we 
 have seen ; but it requires only a 
 moment's reflection to see, that such a 
 scheme, as is here proposed, would 
 defeat some of the most benignant 
 objects and influences of ministerial 
 labour. Let us have our evangelists 
 and our missionaries in their places, 
 and let those, who prefer it, addict 
 themselves to these labours ; but let it 
 not be to the disparagement, much less 
 to the setting aside, of the Pastoral re- 
 lation. 
 
 And finally, there is a view some- 
 times urged at the present day, that 
 would seem to destroy altogether the 
 distinctive office of the Christian min- 
 istry. It is said that the first Chris- 
 tian converts " went every where preach- 
 
62 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 ing the word," and it is hence inferred 
 that there is not so much distinction 
 between this, and what is called the 
 regular ministry. Now, so far as the 
 object of this is to show that laymen, 
 as welt as others, ought to be more 
 active in spreading the tidings of sal- 
 vation, we agree, and see good reason 
 for urging the duty. But if it is thereby 
 taught, or even impressed, that there is 
 no distinction between the laity and a 
 regular and authorized ministry, then 
 we wholly dissent, and think there is 
 evil connected > with the representa- 
 tion. For authority it is sufficient 
 to say here, that the same per- 
 sons whom the Saviour commissions 
 to preach, he commands also to bap- 
 tize and to disciple the nations. See 
 Mark xvi. 15, 16. But it cannot be 
 shown from the Scriptures, that lay- 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 63 
 
 men ever did baptize or administer ordi- 
 nances. Such a dogma was left for 
 the church of Rome. Our laymen are 
 indeed our fellow-labourers, and they 
 have enough of motive, and enough of 
 authority, to exert themselves at the 
 present day, as we are rejoiced to see that 
 many do. But they need not, in order 
 to this, be urged by that which is not 
 true. To destroy the Scriptural distinc- 
 tion between them and the regular min- 
 istry would be to introduce confusion 
 and every evil work. 
 
 But let us take leave now of all this, 
 and return to close with our main sub- 
 ject. The authority, the nature, and 
 the qualifications of the Pastoral office 
 have been discussed, and we have dwelt 
 also on some of the practical errors 
 related to this subject at the present 
 day. The ideal of a good Pastor has 
 
64 THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 
 
 been dear to us from our youth, and 
 we have laboured, in our age, to exalt 
 the office. Behold, then, the good 
 Pastor. I would present him, as I 
 have read of him in Scripture, and in 
 the better ages of Scottish history. 
 He is the spiritual father of his flock ; 
 their teacher, ruler, counsellor, and 
 friend. He acts by the authority, and 
 is like " the good Shepherd that gave 
 his life for the sheep." 
 
 i( I would present him, simple, grave, sincere, 
 In doctrine uncorrupt, in lauguage plain, 
 And plain in manner, decent, natural, chaste, 
 And natural in gesture, much impressed, 
 Himself, as conscious of his awful charge, 
 And anxious mainly that the flock he feeds, 
 May feel it too." 
 
 He feeds his people with knowledge ; 
 he bears with their infirmities ; conde- 
 scends to all, cares for all, feels for all, 
 
THE PASTORAL OFFICE. 65 
 
 sympathizes with them in afflictions, 
 visits, comforts, and presents their 
 petitions before God. He leads in every 
 good enterprise ; moreover, is a pillar 
 in the hour of danger, and looks on- 
 ward with hope when others faint and 
 are discouraged. The consequence is, 
 he is loved and feared, and deeply 
 cherished while living, supported and 
 upheld in duty, and followed to the 
 grave with many tears. 
 
 " But all his higher thoughts are 
 fixed on heaven." He does not forget 
 that he has a soul to save for himself. 
 This therefore he scrutinizes, cultivates, 
 and seeks to sanctify ; he grows in 
 grace, with the growth of all his years, 
 and when his strength fails, and he can 
 labour no more, he prays for a peace- 
 ful end, and that he may " teach his 
 
 loved children how to die." 
 6* 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 I have been requested, repeatedly, to 
 give some account of my Pastoral life. 
 This having been a protracted one, it 
 was supposed that it might be instruc- 
 tive and perhaps interesting. So far 
 as this can illustrate any principles of 
 the Pastoral office, which I have dis- 
 cussed, or afford hints, guidance, or 
 encouragement to others, I have been 
 willing to comply with the suggestion. 
 But no further. No man would be 
 willing to tell to men, the whole of 
 his experience. Besides that there are 
 trials in every Pastor's life, which he 
 
 could not tell without injury to the 
 
 (67) 
 
68 MY CALL 
 
 living. In what is offered in this 
 appendix, therefore, reference will con- 
 stantly be had to this distinction : a 
 selection of events and experiences, 
 and not a connected and perfect history 
 to be offered. 
 
 MY CALL TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. 
 
 A call to the gospel ministry ap- 
 pears, according to Scripture, to be of 
 two kinds : first, that which is distinct 
 and received in mature years, like 
 that of Aaron, and Isaiah, and Amos, 
 or the early apostles ; or that which is 
 more silent and running back to the 
 beginning of life, and of which no very 
 definite account can be given, save in 
 early desires, and the leading provi- 
 dences of God. Jeremiah, and John 
 the Baptist, were consecrated from the 
 womb ; David's call to the regal office 
 
TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. 69 
 
 was silent, early, and gradual, and we 
 are inclined to think that most of the 
 calls to the ministry, in modern times, 
 partake of this character. 
 
 My own call (if I ever was called) 
 seems to me to have been remarkably of 
 this latter kind. I can scarce remember 
 the time when, if I thought of my 
 future at all, I did not decidedly and 
 unwaveringly think I must be a minister. 
 Whether it was from some natural gifts 
 of speaking, which happened to be 
 early called out ; or from conversation 
 in my father's family, by good mis- 
 sionaries and others ; or a strong love 
 of learning, and a distaste for all other 
 pursuits, I know not ; but the fact is 
 certain, that from very early life, this 
 decision was in me, and I never changed 
 or regretted it, unworthy as I have 
 
70 MY CALL 
 
 now reason to know my views then 
 were. 
 
 What is remarkable in my case, and 
 what causes me to hesitate much in 
 presenting this example to others, I 
 have little or no reason to suppose 
 that I at that time knew anything of 
 true piety. On the contrary, I was as 
 thoughtless and selfish as most other 
 youngsters of my age; and if ever I 
 entertained a satisfactory hope of a 
 saving change, it w 7 as not until many 
 years afterwards. And yet reviewing 
 the whole period now, (presumptuous 
 though it may appear,) I cannot but 
 think that, in my case at least, there 
 was a leading of God in all this, and a 
 high and overruling design. 
 
 Besides this long and singular desire, 
 there have been some preserving provi- 
 dences in my life, which I like now to 
 
TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. 71 
 
 connect with the same supposition. 
 Twice I was rescued from drowning, 
 when I had given up all exertions for 
 myself. I had fallen in, unobserved 
 and alone, and was abandoned ; but 
 the hand of a sister was directed that 
 way at the last moment, and I was 
 " drawn out." Another affecting view 
 in this connection which I often take, 
 is my deliverances in the hour of 
 temptation. In my youth, in my man- 
 hood, and even in my public life, I can 
 now see, that I often walked on a 
 snare, and have been on giddy precipices, 
 where, unless I had been held back, I 
 should certainly have fallen over, and 
 been destroyed. The remembrance of 
 these things astonishes and humbles me ; 
 but I gather from it at times a new 
 hope, that God had something for me 
 to do, and for which he was thus 
 
72 MY CALL 
 
 strangely preserving me. There may 
 be danger of vanity and self-adulation 
 in this, but I cannot but take this 
 view. 
 
 , Another view from which I derive 
 a favourable hope, is in remarking 
 what was passed through in obtaining 
 my preparatory education. 
 
 The difficulties were great, greater 
 than can now well be imagined, for 
 a poor and unknown young man, to get 
 to college and the theological seminary. 
 Reared among the mountains of Lake 
 George, at a time when it was on the 
 very borders of civilization, my father 
 a poor man, and with no college nearer 
 than Middlebury in Vermont, no Acad- 
 emy or High School, which I had 
 ever heard of, nearer than about forty 
 miles- — I had still such an inexpressible 
 thirst for a liberal education as to 
 
TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. id 
 
 begin. So I procured Riggs's Latin 
 grammar, and made my first recitations 
 to the only man in all the region who had 
 any acquaintance with these subjects, 
 and often when riding on horseback to 
 mill, three miles from home. 
 
 I will not detail all that followed. 
 If that story is ever told, it must be 
 on other pages than these. Only the 
 first movement shall be particularized. 
 I had heard of an Academy, forty 
 miles from us, to the eastward of the 
 Lake George mountains. My father 
 consented to give me all he had to offer, 
 my time and his blessing. 1 took just 
 seventy-five cents in my pocket, and 
 a change of linen in my hand, and 
 persuaded an elder brother to set me 
 across the water in a skiff. He set me 
 down in a wild and pathless region, on 
 the eastern side of the lake, turned 
 
74 MY CALL 
 
 away, and left me. I felt that the 
 Rubicon was then passed ! I found my 
 way out of the wilderness at last, the 
 next day reached Granville Academy 
 made the acquaintance of the excellent 
 Salem Town, (then its principal,) en 
 gaged my board for a quarter to be paid 
 in labour afterwards ; and thus began 
 my preparatory course of study. 
 
 What I suffered in going into a 
 brick-yard after these delightful months 
 were passed, and submitting to the 
 hard labour and rough jeers of associates 
 in that employment, I need not now 
 say. Sufficient, that I lived and en- 
 dured. 1 lay in my straw shanty to 
 watch the burning kilns by night, had 
 for this, the privilege of keeping my 
 Latin books by day, and so finally 
 finished my Egyptian service. After 
 this I procured the more congenial 
 
TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. 75 
 
 employment of school-keeping, and so 
 went on teaching in winter and giving 
 myself wholly to study during the other 
 months, until a more eligible path 
 seemed to be opened. 
 
 I will mention here what might seem 
 trifling incidents, did I not regard them 
 as providential links in leading to my 
 call to the ministry. More than once 
 the deciding of an apparent contin- 
 gency, as of choosing one road rather 
 than another, has determined my des- 
 tiny in some important matter. For 
 example : I had gone far from home 
 among strangers, to seek a school- 
 employment for the winter. I re- 
 member I was set up for examination, 
 in a particular house, as on trial with 
 a rival candidate. The decision of the 
 Trustees was in my favour ; and I re- 
 member that, while thus employed, 
 
76 MY CALL 
 
 there came into the room a young girl, 
 who afterwards became my first wife. 
 As this afterwards led to an acquaint- 
 ance with a worthy family also, who 
 much aided me in the prosecution of my 
 preparatory studies, I hope I shall not 
 be considered presumptuous in regard- 
 ing the incident as one link in the 
 leadings of providence. "Who is wise 
 and he shall understand these things." 
 At length the time came when con- 
 sistency required that I should make 
 some more decided manifestations with 
 regard to my course. I was yet, as I 
 supposed, without piety. I experienced 
 at times a good deal of distress on ac- 
 count of my sinful state ; but I could 
 not change it by all my strongest ex- 
 ertions, and my heart seemed harder 
 than ever. In this state of mind, I 
 was one evening asked by a pious 
 
TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. 77 
 
 female long since gone to her rest, to 
 pray in the family, her father being 
 absent. I was astonished at her, and 
 equally so at myself. For strange as 
 it may seem, I complied with her re- 
 quest, and I remember using this ex- 
 pression in my prayer, for which the 
 good friend afterwards reproved me ; 
 " Lord, if thou canst hear the prayers 
 of an unconverted person, bless this 
 family." This incident, small as it 
 may seem, put me on the course of a 
 more regular observance of the duty 
 of prayer, and what was more, in- 
 creased my convictions. 
 
 I now went to Presbytery, and pre- 
 pared to put m} T self under their care 
 as a candidate ! I told them frankly I 
 was not yet a professor of religion, and 
 did not suppose that I had any reason 
 
 to regard myself as a regenerated 
 
 7* 
 
78 MY CALL 
 
 person. The good Dr. Coe of Troy, 
 who was acquainted with my history, 
 and had first encouraged me to study, 
 was partial to me, and the motion to 
 receive me prevailed. This, I now 
 think, was presumptuous : but it was of 
 great use to me, and may be regarded, 
 perhaps, as another link in my chain 
 of Providences. I was now introduced 
 to some aid from a Presbyterial fund, 
 and advised, as soon as I could con- 
 scientiously do so, to make a profes- 
 sion of religion and go to College. 
 
 Now came the trial point. I knew 
 I ought to be pious : I knew I must 
 be pious soon, or become a hypocrite, 
 or relinquish my long cherished hopes. 
 The struggle was great. I tried to 
 pray and think I was sincere. But it 
 w T as all north wind : the heavens were 
 as brass over me, and I only groaned 
 
TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. 79 
 
 and strove in vain, until one day, 
 standing under an apple tree, (I can 
 see that tree now, although it is more 
 than forty years since,) as I was 
 attempting to pray, there came upon 
 me, some how, from without, such a 
 sweet sense of God's reconciled favour 
 and goodness as I had never expe- 
 rienced before. I felt strangely softened. 
 I thought I loved God and all mankind, 
 and this point of experience it w 7 as, 
 which more than any other since 
 occurring, except once, when in sickness 
 the same afflatus came over me, in- 
 duced me at length to hope, and thus 
 rolled away my principal difficulties. 
 
 1 soon after connected myself with a 
 Presbyterian church in Milton, Saratoga 
 County, New York, then under the 
 pastoral care of a Mr. McCabe ; and 
 
80 MY CALL 
 
 the succeeding autumn, entered the 
 junior class in Middlebmy College. 
 
 I now came under decidedly more 
 favourable influences. Middlebury was 
 at that time greatly distinguished for 
 revivals of religion. Indeed it was 
 said that no class had ever passed a 
 collegiate course there, without wit- 
 nessing at least one of these displays 
 of divine mercy. I was treated aa 
 one expected to be active in them ; 
 and with such associations as I then 
 enjoyed, with such men as the Mortons, 
 Weeks, Aliens, Hoyts, Fisks, Larneds, 
 and Parsons, of that institution, — men 
 who have since been known extensively, 
 it is to be hoped at least, that I did 
 somewhat grow in grace and religious 
 experience. 
 
 I had indeed some severe trials of 
 
TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. 81 
 
 my religious hope, but found it on the 
 whole more established. 
 
 At length I graduated in 1813, and 
 after spending a few months in teaching 
 in New York, went to the Princeton 
 Seminary. 
 
 I should be ungrateful indeed not to 
 mention here, the favourable and un- 
 expected aids I received in New York, 
 and especially from D. S. L., Esq, 
 who, I have reason to believe, is still 
 among the living. I hardly know how 
 I first became acquainted with this 
 gentleman, but do know and trust I 
 shall never forget what he did for me 
 in my time of need. He took me to 
 his house, as a home ; where for months 
 and indeed years, I was ever received 
 by him and his excellent family as a 
 son and brother. 
 
 He loaned me money, bought books 
 
82 MY CALL 
 
 for me, introduced me to his Pastor, 
 (the Rev. Dr. Romeyn.) and finally 
 through his means and others, it was 
 that I came on to the scholarship of a 
 benevolent institution, and was thus 
 enabled to pursue my studies. 
 
 " The monarch may forget the crown, 
 
 That od his head an hour hath been ; 
 The bridegroom may forget the bride 
 
 Was made his own yestreen ; 
 The mother may forget the bairn,- 
 
 That smiles so sweetly on her knee ; 
 But I'll remember thee, Glencairn, 
 
 And a' that thou hast been to me ! 
 
 I was here, of course, at the very 
 summit of my religious privileges. This 
 institution w r as just commencing its 
 distinguished career. I was in its 
 second class, and under the direction 
 of such men as Drs. Alexander and 
 Miller, could not fail to appreciate my 
 
TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. 83 
 
 advantages. With good libraries, and 
 faithful instructors, with the great 
 object constantly urged upon our atten- 
 tion, of attaining to eminent piety and 
 a full preparation for our profession ; 
 with the best associations, and many 
 special arrangements for improving 
 our gifts, I thought then, as I do now, 
 that the young man who did not im- 
 prove under the advantages of such a 
 school, might well conclude that there 
 was something radically defective in 
 his previous qualifications. 
 
 I was accordingly much tried at 
 times, as I believe all the pupils were, 
 as to the genuineness of my religious 
 iope. But there was a clearer sky after 
 the dark clouds. We were encouraged 
 to attend on Sabbath-schools, and 
 prayer-meetings in the neighbourhood ; 
 some of us held meetings with the 
 
84 MY CALL 
 
 coloured people. We had also, at that 
 time, much religious intercourse with 
 the college, and bore some humble 
 part in the great revival of 1815, of 
 which an account has been given by 
 Dr. Green. 
 
 Thus the time sped swiftly away, 
 and after two years, I deemed it my 
 duty to seek license to preach the 
 gospel. I accordingly applied to the old 
 first Presbytery of New- York, (under 
 whose care I then was,) was examined, 
 and finally licensed in the fall of 1815. 
 This was not, however, until after 
 another sore trial, (such as I had often 
 experienced before,) of being brought 
 to an extremity and fearing I was 
 about to fail. After arriving in New 
 York to meet the Presbytery, I had a 
 sore attack of sickness. But the good 
 providence of God, through the kind 
 
TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. 85 
 
 care of my friends, prevailed to throw 
 it off, just in time for me to proceed ! 
 I preached my first sermon in Dr. 
 Spring's lecture room, on a Thursday 
 evening, and proceeding up the river, 
 spent my Sabbath with the excellent 
 Dr. Chester, at Hudson. As my 
 preaching seemed to be approved, and 
 as I was enabled to supply a pulpit 
 the succeeding winter in Milton, my 
 old place of preparatory stud}', and 
 near to the place in which I finally 
 settled the next year, I suppose I 
 may consider my trial course as here 
 ending. 
 
 If I ever was called to the ministry, 
 it was through this long and varied 
 course of experiences, such as have 
 now been detailed. I do not present the 
 case as a perfect example for any 
 others ; but to me at least there is a 
 
 8 
 
8 6 THE INSTALLATION. 
 
 growing interest in all its steps, and I 
 have presented it in the hope it might 
 be instructive to others, perhaps en- 
 
 couraging. 
 
 THE INSTALLATION. 
 
 It was a bright October day, in 
 1816, that a } r oung candidate for the 
 pastoral office approached the con- 
 summation of his long cherished desire. 
 He had struggled through many weary 
 years of difficulty, to reach the goal, 
 and such difficulties as are not now 
 known to poor young men seeking the 
 gospel ministry. God had sustained 
 him, and the desire of his heart was 
 about to be realized. The sun shone 
 brightly ; the circumstances were fa- 
 vourable, and all smiled around him. 
 Yet was he sad, for the time, and it 
 did seem as if he could go no farther. 
 
THE INSTALLATION. 87 
 
 Such views of the responsibilities and 
 difficulties of the office as I had never 
 entertained before, as well as of my 
 own entire unworthiness oppressed me 
 almost to sinking, and I do not know 
 but I should have actually drawn back 
 and delayed the installation, had I 
 not providentially fallen in with an 
 excellent old deacon, from Vermont, 
 to whom I opened my mind, and who 
 greatly strengthened and encouraged 
 me. He went aside with me to the 
 woods. I remember now the tree and 
 the log where we prayed together ; he 
 gave me good advice ; I was re-invig- 
 orated ; we went back, and the cere- 
 mony proceeded. 
 
 The Rev. Hooper dimming, then of 
 Schenectady, preached the sermon; 
 (with that name sad and awful remem- 
 brances come, but I do not choose to 
 
88 THE INSTALLATION. 
 
 write them now). The venerable Dr. 
 Nott charged the candidate, giving 
 " his son " much excellent and affec- 
 tionate advice ; dear brother H. Wood, 
 who has slept for more than thirty 
 years in his early grave at Amster- 
 dam, New York, gave the charge to 
 the people, and the solemn ceremony 
 proceeded. Kneeling down before 
 that old pulpit, with vows, and praj^ers, 
 and laying on of the hands of the 
 Presbytery, I was set apart to that 
 high office, which, however it has 
 oppressed, and at times almost over- 
 whelmed me, I have never since re- 
 gretted or desired to lay aside. 
 
 There was now a cordial joining of 
 hands between me and a beloved peo- 
 ple, and many a congratulation passed 
 as on a glad occasion. 
 
 Still I was in a measure sad, and 
 
THE INSTALLATION. 89 
 
 could not at once regain my equanimity. 
 But my good old father, who had 
 come some eighty miles to be present 
 on the occasion, seemed to enter, more 
 than others, into the Irue nature of my 
 feelings; and another friend, Mr. J — , 
 of Albany, who is still among the living*, 
 was as a sympathizing brother w 7 ith 
 me that evening ; and so as we sung, 
 
 11 Let me but hear my Saviour say, 
 Strength shall be equal to thy day," 
 
 and bowed again in special prayer, I 
 became composed, retired to rest, and 
 arose next morning to begin a minis- 
 try, which is not yet ended. 
 
 Most of those my coevals have long 
 since, gone to their account ; " the 
 scene is afar," but it is not dim, and 
 I derive some of my most pleasing 
 meditations, and helps to confidence 
 
 8* 
 
90 THE INSTALLATION. 
 
 in God, from the recollection of u all 
 the way in which the Lord hath led 
 me." 
 
 I have passed through many trials, 
 (which I shall not now write about,) but . 
 one case of difficulty, which I was 
 early led to act upon, I will here state, 
 as it may be instructive to others. M. 
 S. was the first young person I ever 
 conversed with, as a christian minister, 
 on account of her anxious state as a 
 sinner. She sent for me, even before 
 my installation, and while yet preach- 
 ing in a neighbouring town. She had 
 heard me preach, I believe, and was, 
 at all events, in a deeply convicted 
 state of mind. I found her walking the 
 floor and wringing her hands ; she dis- 
 closed to me an intelligent, deep, and 
 truly distressing state of conviction ; 
 she knew she was a sinner, deeply felt 
 
THE INSTALLATION. 91 
 
 it, confessed her undone and guilty 
 case, and had been vainly striving for 
 some time to find the true relief. All 
 her efforts seemed powerless ; she could 
 not obtain what she desired, (as she 
 thought,) and she knew not what next 
 to do; she was more and more alarmed, 
 and had sent for me. 
 
 I further conversed with her, and 
 gave her the best directions I could, 
 but it did not seem to help her diffi- 
 culties. She knew it all before, for she 
 had been well instructed ; she knew she 
 ought to repent, and to love Christ; she 
 knew that he had died to take away 
 the sins of the world, and that all these 
 benefits were fully offered to her in the 
 proclamation of the gospel. But she 
 could not get hold of it ; she could not 
 exercise faith ; she could not change her 
 feelings, and what should she do ? She 
 
92 THE INSTALLATION. 
 
 tried to pray, but this did not do it; she 
 thought she was willing to give up the 
 world ; she knew all about it, but she 
 could not feel aright, and she feared she 
 must perish, though, as it were, in the 
 very sight of heaven. 
 
 I began to see that this, though per- 
 haps a common case, was a very diffi- 
 cult one; and while I paused to consider 
 what I should next say, I discovered 
 to my satisfaction, that this amiable 
 young girl was nervously diseased. I 
 was persuaded that it was a case for 
 the physician, and that there was little 
 opportunity for doing her mind good, 
 until certain physical difficulties were 
 removed. So I ventured for the first 
 time, and with great fears for the re- 
 sponsibility, to advise her to seek a 
 restoration of her health. I was con- 
 vinced that she needed recreation, and 
 
THE INSTALLATION. 93 
 
 I advised her (without laying aside 
 her convictions, by any means) to 
 moderate them in some measure, and 
 to take a journey. 
 
 It was a fearful responsibility, but I 
 ventured on it. She took my advice ; 
 she travelled in a private carriage 
 into the interior of New York, some 
 hundred miles, and was gone for two 
 or three months. 
 
 The measure was blessed. The 
 season was pleasant, everything diver- 
 ted, without dismissing her anxieties ; 
 her mind was strengthened ; she re- 
 turned in fine health, and I found on 
 visiting her, that her feelings were 
 tranquil and settled down on a firm 
 religious life. 
 
 This female afterwards connected 
 herself with the church, and has long 
 adorned her religious profession, though 
 
94 MY FIRST CHARGE. 
 
 subject at times to depression from 
 excessive natural nervousness. 
 
 Such cases, I believe, are not un- 
 common, and they are certainly very 
 difficult. I cannot say with some, how- 
 ever, that I think they are hopeless. 
 It is indeed a fearful thing to advise 
 diversion, lest you finally dissipate all 
 seriousness. But when you are sure 
 it is connected with physical disease, 
 you can do little else ; and it frequently 
 does well, if such cases are judiciously 
 and prayerfully conducted. 
 
 MY FIRST CHARGE. 
 
 The first nine years of my ministry 
 at B — were successful and happy. 
 The place was an intelligent country 
 congregation of about two thousand 
 inhabitants ; had been settled for some 
 sixty or seventy years, and was named 
 
MY FIRST CHARGE. 95 
 
 from the first clergyman, some of whose 
 descendants were still amongst us. 
 The church, at the time of my instal- 
 lation, though united and at peace, was 
 in a low state spiritually, and consisted 
 of about one hundred and eighty 
 members. The call was unanimous ; the 
 Trustees made spirited exertions for 
 my support ; and a liberal individual 
 in Albany furnished me a house free 
 of rent. The town at this time was 
 scarcely divided with other denomina- 
 tions. I was young and sufficiently 
 ambitious ; so that few young pastors 
 probably have made their first engage- 
 ments under more favourable auspices. 
 God seemed to favour us ; and the 
 result was that, besides clearing our- 
 selves from a debt, the church greatly 
 increased. I left it, at the close, with 
 about four hundred members. I had 
 
96 MY FIKST CHARGE. 
 
 a good and intelligent eldership, (mostly 
 aged men, with some additions of 
 young members during my pastorate,) 
 with many praying persons, male and 
 female. 
 
 But the great and marked peculiar- 
 ity was in our revivals of religion. It 
 was an era in the history of our churches 
 in that region. Revivals, particularly 
 those under Nettleton, (of which I have 
 attempted to give a history in another 
 place,) were frequent, powerful, and, 
 as far as mortals can judge, eminently 
 spiritual and pure. Of these, it was 
 our happy experience to enjoy no less 
 than five during the time now con- 
 sidered. The results of these visita- 
 tions were most happy. The youth 
 were almost all gathered into the 
 church ; our boundaries were defended 
 on every side ; religious influence was 
 
MY FIRST CHARGE. 97 
 
 decidedly predominant; and such a 
 thing as getting up a dance or any 
 other doubtful amusement amongst us, 
 would have been considered as imprac- 
 ticable. Most of our families belonging 
 to the church were praying families ; 
 the Sabbath was observed ; and pas- 
 toral visitation constantly disclosed 
 a healthful and growing prosperity. 
 What was better, the numerous con- 
 verts generally " ran well ;" and after 
 many years of inquiry in our Presby- 
 teries, it was found, that very few 
 cases of apostasy or falling away had 
 occurred. 
 
 It is not pretended that no mistakes 
 were made, or trials experienced during 
 this period. Some of them we can 
 see now more clearly than ever, and 
 they will be duly chronicled in the 
 
 proper place. But truth requires the 
 9 
 
98 MY FIRST CHARGE. 
 
 favourable statements we have above 
 made. Years of varied experience 
 have since followed, and much have 
 I learned of which I was then ignor- 
 ant; but I can never cease to regard 
 this as the golden era in the history 
 of that people, and the happiest, on 
 the whole, of my own life. To God 
 be all the glory. 
 
 Of some of the helps to this pros- 
 perity, and of some particulars in my 
 own experience so far as it may be in- 
 structive to others, I shall now speak. 
 I have already mentioned one help, in 
 my having an excellent eldership, to 
 which I may now add my deacons. 
 They were all godly, orthodox, and able 
 men, and having good report with the 
 people. But I had other co-labourers, 
 male and female. It was not, indeed, 
 yet the day of all those multiplied 
 
MY FIRST CHARGE. 99 
 
 agencies for doing good which we now 
 enjoy. The great American Bible 
 Society was organized the same year 
 with my settlement, and Sabbath-schools 
 were introduced amongst us soon after. 
 For the cause of Domestic Missions, 
 we did something, through the General 
 Assembly ; and I remember our at- 
 tempting to aid Foreign Missions, by 
 cultivating fields of produce. Happy 
 was the day when our young men 
 turned out to cultivate those fields 
 together ! One of the young men, the 
 Rev. Artemas Bishop, is now in the 
 Sandwich Islands. 
 
 My manner of preaching on the 
 Sabbath was almost wholly mernoriter 
 during these years ; but I found it 
 extremely laborious ; and though I still 
 think it the most perfect of all methods, 
 it has been almost wholly discontinued. 
 
100 MY FIRST CHARGE. 
 
 Besides this I preached much in week- 
 ly lectures, and generally extemporan- 
 eously. I have often been told, indeed, 
 that this was my best manner ; but I 
 have never yet dared wholly to dis- 
 continue writing. 
 
 These, with numerous prayer meet- 
 ings, special seasons at our sacra- 
 ments, pastoral visitations, personal 
 conversations, and a constant view 
 to adapting my preaching to occa- 
 sions, made up our usual round of 
 means, and these God seemed to ap- 
 prove. We never adopted a new 
 measure, nor had even a protracted 
 meeting, until after the time of Nettle- 
 ton. 
 
 But the greatest help, as before said, 
 was undoubtedly in our frequent revi- 
 vals. These, especially those of 1819 
 and 1820, were truly remarkable. They 
 
MY FIRST CHARGE. 101 
 
 seemed to come in answer to prayer ; 
 but often were they amongst us before 
 we knew it, and then we had only to 
 follow, instead of going before. Here, 
 too, we had much help from abroad, 
 which ought to be acknowledged. Mr. 
 Nettleton preached for us several times, 
 and I wish I could well describe one 
 of those occasions. The revival had 
 already continued for some time, and 
 many hopeful converts were numbered. 
 But it seemed now to flag, and we 
 feared the special season was over. 
 At this time, Mr. N. preached for us, 
 on a Monday evening in the depth of 
 winter. It was good to see the heavy 
 burdened sleighs, coming from a dis- 
 tance of six, seven, and eight miles, 
 to fill our large house with an over- 
 flowing congregation. The preacher 
 appeared to be unwell that evening ; 
 
 9* 
 
102 MY FIRST CHARGE* 
 
 but as he walked up to the foot of the 
 pulpit, I could see that his nerves were 
 braced up, and began to expect some- 
 thing from him. He took for his text 
 " Escape for thy life ;" and though men 
 generally said that Mr. N. was not 
 eloquent, I thought if eloquence con- 
 sisted in impression, I had never heard 
 its like before. He made us to see the 
 very burnings of the cities of the plain, 
 and succeeded in impressing all those 
 lessons of spiritual alarm and rescue 
 which this history is calculated to teach. 
 The audience, for one hour, was as still 
 as the house of death ; many heads fell ; 
 the floor in some places was wet with 
 tears ; and we found the next day that 
 a new and decided impulse had been 
 given to the work. 
 
 The whole duration of this revival 
 was about three months, and the 
 
MY FIRST CHAKGE. 103 
 
 number added to the church in con- 
 sequence of it, one hundred and sixty. 
 It ought to be mentioned, also that the 
 Rev. T. MeAuley, then a professor in 
 Union College, often came to help us, 
 as did also several of his students, 
 whom he would bring to us in sleigh 
 loads on a Sabbath morning. 
 
 The same work was carried on, and 
 with even greater power, in some of 
 our neighbouring towns; but we are 
 speaking now only from our own ex- 
 perience. 
 
 " But if a man live many years and 
 rejoice in them all, let him remember 
 ♦the days of darkness, for they shall be 
 many." It is not pretended that 
 during this time we had no trials. 
 Many errors were committed, undoubt- 
 edly, and many afflictions of a more 
 private nature were experienced. But 
 
104 MY FIEST CHARGE. 
 
 what we feel bound to acknowledge is, 
 that these were years of great prosperity 
 and enjoyment. 
 
 When I pass through this place now, 
 as I sometimes do, I can see no school- 
 house, and scarcely a private habitation, 
 in which I have not held some meeting, 
 baptized some child, or attended some 
 funeral ; and all the tender associations 
 connected therewith come up with a 
 rushing torrent almost to overwhelm 
 me. That generation is indeed gone, 
 and the children I baptized now wear 
 gray heads. I often meet with them, to 
 be recognized and honoured, in distant 
 parts of our country. ♦ 
 
 It was about this time, also, that I 
 made my first publication, in "A Series 
 of Lectures for Young Professors." It 
 is a youthful and imperfect work ; but 
 contains the truth, as 1 believe, and I 
 
MY FIRST CHARGE. 105 
 
 have sometimes thought, might, with a 
 careful revision, be made still further 
 useful. 
 
 Thus passed, without any essential 
 variation, the years of my first settle- 
 ment. They were without division, 
 without distrust or coldness, so far as 
 I know, in a single member of my 
 charge ; and they were, by the unmer- 
 ited mercies of God, thus prospered. 
 I have been less than the least of all 
 God's mercies, in myself, and I never 
 thought otherwise ; but I may tell, 
 without vanity, of what I have seen 
 and experienced of the goodness of 
 God. 
 
 frT^jvt- lift 
 
 
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