Part 15 (1/2)
”Dear and affectionate Wife: I suppose you have some days been expecting this letter, but my labors here are of that arduous and oppressive kind which consume all my moments, and scarcely leave me time for repose and refreshment, much less to enjoy any innocent relaxation, or to bathe my weary spirit in the sweet and endearing reflections of HOME. You know, Maria, that home has charms for my heart this summer, which I scarcely ever felt so sensibly before; and since I left you, at any time would these four little letters, (H O M E) p.r.o.nounced aright, cause the blood to flow more warmly about my heart, and a chain of endearing recollections to visit my soul in a manner which, in spite of all my masculine powers and native fort.i.tude, would cause the briny tear to flow; and then ashamed of my childlike weakness, I have mingled with the crowd and wrapped these tender scenes in smiles, to hide them from my unfeeling a.s.sociates, who, of course, would only mock my affection if they knew it. But this Monday morning, after the labors of one more holy Sabbath, I accept the pleasure and the duty of communicating to you a few lines to feed that sacred fire which should ever burn in your affections toward your G.o.d, your duty, and me.”
Pa.s.sages like these reveal unmistakably a serious depth of heart, almost wholly unindicated by the great self-control, and by the free and cheerful manner that shrouded his inmost life from the notice and perception of the world, and from the circle also of acknowledged friends. He adds:--
”Nothing but duty could confine me to this city the present month. I am in hopes to get time to spend one day with Mr.
Bowman in the country, this week. I expect to receive several members next Wednesday, and to baptize on the coming Sabbath.”
Whilst in Boston, Mr. Badger became acquainted with the clergymen of other denominations, particularly with Dr. Ware, Gannet and Tuckerman, of the Unitarian faith, of whom he always spoke in exalted terms. His acquaintance and intercourse with Ware and Tuckerman were familiar; and often did he speak of the divine spirit of Henry Ware, and of the benevolent heart of Mr. Tuckerman. Indeed, at one time Mr. Badger thought of accepting a proposal to join Mr. Tuckerman in his missionary labors in Boston, at least, so far did he think of it as to consult his family on the propriety of accepting the unanimous call of the Christian Society[43] in Boston, for a settlement of three or five years, or instead of this, to join Mr. Tuckerman in his missionary labors, with a permanent settlement and a thousand or twelve hundred dollars per year.
For a work like this, the gathering in, the instruction and persuasion to virtue and religion of the neglected and unprosperous cla.s.ses, Mr. B.
had extraordinary gifts; yet, from the weight of considerations founded chiefly in his relations to his home and former field of labor in the State of New York, neither of these positions was accepted. An anecdote somewhat characteristic of the man was lately given me by a friend, and as it relates to extemporaneous preaching, I will transcribe it.
”While he was in Boston, he occasionally a.s.sociated with clergymen of the Unitarian denomination, men who were perhaps distinguished above the average of ministers by the careful and elaborate manner in which they prepared their written discourses. One day he was accosted by one of them thus: 'Mr. Badger, how do you manage to prepare and preach so many sermons?' 'Why, sir,' he replied, 'I never study the _words_ of my sermons. I study _ideas_, and clothe them in words when I want them.'”
Before me lies a plain 12mo Bible, published in 1826, on whose margins, in delicate marks and letters, are pointed out every text (and the day of its use) that he spoke from during his ministry in Boston. A simple mark declares the pa.s.sage, and at the bottom or top of the page the date is seen, so that, without any journal, a clue is given to every topic of his public discoursing, for _his_ texts very generally pointed out his subjects. Whoever will look over this book, could, in the character of the pa.s.sages chosen, at once see that Mr. B. had a practical mind, good taste, and knew how to be to the point and purpose. His chosen pa.s.sages are full of expression. These, of course, cannot here be quoted, but a list of these pa.s.sages written out, as they range from Genesis to Revelation, would be an instruction as well as a reproof to those who preach from irrelevant and inexpressive pa.s.sages; and they would likewise form a n.o.ble chain of Scripture gems. A man shows what is characteristic in him by his texts, taken as a whole, often as clearly as by what he preaches.
From this Bible, which does not strike the reader as being marked up so as to mar at all its regular character, I learn that on March 30th, 1828, on leaving the flock of his charge to remain for a time at Mendon, his three sermons were from the following texts:--Job 19: 25: ”For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” John 16: 22: ”And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” John 17: 20, 21: ”Neither pray I for these alone: but for them also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
Though from the Old Testament he drew many pa.s.sages, and from Job, the Psalms, Proverbs and Isaiah somewhat freely, it is from the Gospels and the Epistles that he chiefly made his selections. Some of his texts may be called ingenious, requiring a free play of a.n.a.logy to set them forth, as, for instance, Prov. 30:24-5-6-7-8, preached January 20, 1828: ”There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; the conies are but a feeble folk, yet make their houses in the rocks; the locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; the spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.”
From the same source we learn that, on the first Sabbath of his ministry in Boston, September 30, 1827, he spoke from Rev. 22: 14, James 1: 17, and Prov. 29: 1; his valedictory sermons were given September 14, 1828, from Psalms 46: 4, and from Ecc. 11: 9. July 13, 1828, he spoke from Luke 19: 41: ”And when he drew near, he beheld the city and wept over it.” December 9, 1827, Psalms 133: 1, 2, 3: ”Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore.” But the only sermon written out at length is founded on two words found in James 1: 27, ”Pure Religion,” and was delivered February 10, 1828. From this I offer the following paragraphs.
”Never did I arise in this congregation under a greater sense of my responsibility, than on this occasion. Never did I come before you with a subject of greater magnitude.
Divest religion of purity, and a subject of horror, misery, and disgrace is presented. Religion has been the cause of wars; has divided kingdoms; has imprisoned the saints; has lighted the f.a.gots about the disciples of Jesus, and has even in this favored city banished the Baptist and hung the humble Quaker; but this was not the religion of my text.
But turn from those scenes of superst.i.tion and misery, and _add_ to religion the word _pure_, and all is changed; all is meekness, simplicity and heaven. The horrors of death are dispelled, a world of glory and immortality is opened to the reflecting soul of man. By its influence the sorrowful widow receives comfort, the weeping orphan smiles, circ.u.mstances of misfortune are sanctified, the poor are enriched, the sick are supported, and the chamber of death is illuminated with the gracious smiles of the Son of G.o.d. Pure religion requires no f.a.got to light it, no science to adorn it, no human arm to defend it, and no carnal weapon to enforce it.
”The word religion, in its common acceptation, is applied to the four great bodies of wors.h.i.+ppers which divide our World, Jews, Pagans, Mohammedans, and Christians. The Jews'
religion embraces a belief in one G.o.d in one person, with the practice of those legal rites enjoined by the law of Moses; but it rejects the Messiah, and hopes in one yet to come. The Pagan religion embraces all that part of mankind who are involved in the wors.h.i.+p of idols. The Mohammedan religion embraces a belief in one G.o.d, and in Mahomet as his Apostle; whilst the word Christian is applied to all who believe that Christ has come in the flesh, which includes all professed Christians.
”But what saith the Holy Scriptures? In the Bible the word occurs but five times, and is once used in reference to 'our religion,' (Acts 26: 5); twice to Jews' religion, (Gal. 1: 13, 14); and once to 'vain religion,' (James 1: 26); and once, in the language of our text, to 'pure religion.' Thus four kinds of religion are mentioned in the Bible, and but one of them is good. Four kinds of religion are found in the world, Jewish, Pagan, Mohammedan, Christian, and but one of them is good. This accords with the parable Jesus spake of the sower. The good seed fell on four kinds of ground, the wayside, among thorns, on stony ground, on good ground; four kinds, but only one brings forth fruit. So 'our religion' 'Jews' religion' and 'vain religion' bring forth no acceptable fruit to G.o.d; but 'pure religion' is like the good soil which brings forth 'some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred fold.' Thus do the facts of history and of Scripture correspond.
”The word religion means to _bind_, as it puts a restraint upon our conduct and pa.s.sions, and unites the soul to G.o.d, to good people and to virtuous actions. Pure religion is the soul's ornament; its fruits are the ornament of the life. To ill.u.s.trate this subject further, I shall explain pure religion to be: first, purity of spirit; second, kindness and benevolence of practice.”
After portraying the Christian spirit as one of meekness, as merciful, tender, forgiving, peaceful and patient, as valiant, as charitable, as contented and devout, he proceeds to show the practical fruits of the spirit he has portrayed in alleviating the sorrows of life. In describing pure religion, Mr. Badger sees fit to correct the following error:--
”One of the greatest errors which has ever infested the church militant, is that of having our fellows.h.i.+p bounded by a theory, opinion, or creed. While this exists, division, misery and ruin are spread through all the flock of G.o.d. While a party name or creed is valued higher than _experience_, it is no wonder that we are divided. But whenever the scene is reversed, when rect.i.tude of spirit and practice shall outweigh the poor inventions of men and become the criterion of fellows.h.i.+p, there shall then be one fold and one shepherd; watchmen shall see eye to eye, and the people shall lift up their voice together.
”'We'll not bind a brother's conscience, This alone to G.o.d is free; Nor contend for non-essentials, But in Christ united be.'”
After speaking of the kind offices which Christian sympathy extends to the widow, he alludes to the fostering, paternal care it spreads over the path of the orphan, in the following strain:--
”Again, we reflect with tender sympathy upon the case of the orphan who in early life is cut off from the instruction and care of its fond parents, and is turned into the wide world without education, without experience, without friends, without bread or shelter. What a world of misery, deception and sin he is left in! What snares are spread for his strolling feet! What woes for his expanding soul! The provision made in this city for male and female orphans is not only a subject of admiration and praise to the good of every cla.s.s, but I have no doubt the departed spirits of their ancestors and parents look down with satisfaction and joy upon the benevolent founders of those asylums, that are now the living monuments of Christ's spirit on earth; and can we doubt that He who is the orphan's Father, delights in these inst.i.tutions and in the kind and fostering care now extended unto them? You cannot imagine the pleasure I enjoy while on my way to this house.
Almost every Sabbath I meet the female orphans, who, in uniform, follow their instructresses to the house of wors.h.i.+p. This city, I am happy to say, not only abounds in profession, but there is no city in the world, of its population and ability, which abounds more in works of charity and benevolence. The friends.h.i.+p and kindness of the inhabitants of Boston are proverbial in all parts of the Union, and a Bostonian is respected throughout the world.”
In the spring and summer of 1835, which the writer of this memoir pa.s.sed in Boston, he well remembers the kind tone of regard in which Dr.
Tuckerman uniformly spoke of Mr. Badger. They had been intimate friends, had conversed often on the present imperfect state of society, on its moral and temporal evils, and especially on the best ways of reaching it effectually with the saving principles of Christianity, for both concurred in the idea which may be called invariably the key-note of Mr.
Badger's ministry, that the Gospel of Christ, properly understood and applied to life, is the only science of human happiness.
The last published letter of Mr. Badger from the field he at this time occupied, is dated Boston, September 16, 1852. He says:--
”Having now completed three months' labor in this pleasant city, I am about to start for my residence again. My visit here has been as successful as could be expected under present circ.u.mstances; each month has added some new members to the Church, and every communion has been crowned with the Lord's presence. 'The little opposition party' who were drawn off from this church three years ago, who have been much engaged to slander and revile the society, as well as many useful ministers and other churches and conferences in the connection, have, finally, so far lost what little influence they had, that nothing now is to be feared from them.
”But there is still another cla.s.s of disorganizers in the land, and not a few in this city, who deny that the Bible is a sufficient rule of faith and practice, who ridicule the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, who despise church order and a preached Gospel, unless it is accommodated to their poor, frail, weak, and changeable imaginations. They also pretend to great revelations, which fills them with self-righteousness and prepares them to pa.s.s judgment on all their fellow-Christians who have the misfortune to differ from their notions. How often we see the basest principle of pride in the garb of _singularity_, slovenly idleness, and in what the apostle calls a voluntary humility. The church in all ages has been tempted by conflicts from without, and unholy and unreasonable persons of their own number, but happy are they who endure hardness as good soldiers, and are overcomers through the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; and it is through great tribulation that we enter into Heaven.