USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Charlestown > The history of the First church, Charlestown, in nine lectures, with notes > Part 11
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" 2. Many can speak well, but few can do well. We are better scholars in the theory than the practique part ; but he is a true Christian that is a proficient in both.
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" 3. Youth is the time of getting, middle age of improving, and old age of spending. A negligent youth is usually attended by an ignorant middle age, and both by an empty old age. He that hath nothing to feed on but vanity and lies, must needs lie down in the bed of sorrow.
"4. A ship that bears much sail, and little or no ballast, is easily overset; and that man whose head hath great abilities, and his heart little or no grace, is in danger of foundering.
" 5. It is reported of the peacock, that, priding himself in his gay feathers, he ruffles them up; but, spying his black feet, he soon lets fall his plumes. So he that glories in his gifts and adornings should look upon his corruptions, and that will damp his high thoughts.
"6. The finest bread hath the least bran, the purest honey the least wax, and the sincerest Christian the least self-love.
"7. The hireling that labors all the day, comforts himself that when night comes he shall both take his rest and receive his reward. The painful Christian, that hath wrought hard in God's vineyard, and hath borne the heat and drought of the day, when he perceives his sun apace to decline, and the shad- ows of his evening to be stretched out, lifts up his head with joy, knowing his refreshing is at hand.
"8. Downy beds make drowsy persons, but hard lodging keeps the eyes open. A prosperous state makes a secure Christian, but adversity makes him consider."
'These meditations are not selected, but the first eight in order. The last, the seventy-seventh, is as follows :
"77. God hath by his providence so ordered that no one country hath all commodities within itself, but what it wants, another shall supply, that so there may be a mutual commerce through the world. As it is with countries, so it is with men ; there was never yet any one man that had all excellencies, let his parts natural and acquired, spiritual and moral, be never so large, yet he stands in need of something which another man hath, perhaps meaner than himself, which shows us perfection is not below, as also that God will have us beholden one to another."
The volume I am describing contains also, in the hand- writing of her son, another production of Mrs. Bradstreet's, entitled,
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" A true copy of a book left by my honored and dear mother to her children, and found among some papers after her death." The manuscript begins thus :
"TO MY DEAR CHILDREN.
" This book, by any yet unread, I leave for you when I am dead; That, being gone, here you may find What was your loving mother's mind. Make use of what I leave in love, And God shall bless you from above. A. B.
" My dear Children,-I knowing by experience that the exhortations of parents take most effect when the speakers leave to speak, and those especially sink deepest which are spoke latest ; and being ignorant whether on my death-bed I shall have opportunity to speak to any one of you, much less to all ; thought it the best, whilst I was able, to compose some short matters (for what else to call them I know not ) and bequeath to you, that when I am no more with you, yet I may be daily in your remembrance (although that is the least in my aim, in what I now do ) but that you may gain some spiritual advantage by my experience. I have not studied in this you read to show my skill, but to declare the truth ; not to set forth myself, but the glory of God. If I had minded the former, it had been perhaps better pleasing to you ; but seeing the last is the best, let it be best pleasing to you."
She then proceeds to give an account of "God's dealing with her from her childhood to that day ; " the influences under which her religious character was trained ; the afflictions through which she had been carried by trust in God. There are interwoven with this personal narrative, quite a number of original hymns and poems, which are imbued with the same deeply religious spirit as her prose compositions.
I cannot look upon this relic of the piety and parental faith- fulness of a by-gone age, without peculiar interest and emotion. The solicitude which this Puritan mother exhibits for the eter- nal welfare of her children in the lines she penned and left for them to read " when she was dead," appeals to the tenderest sensibilities of the heart. Although her poetry will not com-
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pare with that of many female writers of the present day ; yet the mother and the Christian spoke in every line she wrote- a meed of praise to which but few of the daughters of song can lay claim. That woman deserves more of posterity, and has a better title to immortality, who, like Mrs. Bradstreet, by her wisdom and piety has bequeathed a sanctifying influ- ence to generation after generation of her descendants, than she, who, Sappho-like, has caught the inspiration of genius, and poured forth the sweetest strains of poesy.
When Mrs. Bradstreet came to this country, although it was from the bosom of cultivated society to a wilderness, she did it without repining ; for she was sustained by a lofty faith, and a Christian mother's heart, desiring for her children a crown of life, rather than earthly distinctions. But her maternal faitli- fulness was no more marked than the blessing with which God followed her exertions, and sealed his fidelity to that covenant in which he engages to be the God of the believer and of his children after him. Her son, who bore her hus- band's name, and to whom she dedicated her " Meditations," spent his days in the ministry at New London; and his son was the pastor of this church for forty years. The fourth who bore the name of Simon Bradstreet, (the son of the last named,) was a baptized child of this church, and spent his life in the ministry at Marblehead. The reverence he was taught to feel for his pious ancestor is testified by this book, for he translated her letter of dedication to his grandfather into Latin, and also began the translation of the meditations.
Anna Bradstreet, her children, and children's children, to the third and fourth generations, now sleep in death; but her influence lives,-how widely God only knows, how happily eternity only will reveal. Christian mothers! your influence must also live to mould the character and destiny of your pos- terity. May God give you grace that when you and your children appear in his presence, it may be to rejoice together in the fruits of parental faithfulness!
LECTURE VII.
PSALM CXXVi. 3-6.
THE LORD HATH DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US, WHEREOF WE ARF GLAD. TURN AGAIN OUR CAPTIVITY, O LORD, AS THE STREAMS IN THE SOUTH. THEY THAT SOW IN TEARS SHALL REAP IN JOY. HE THAT GOETH FORTH AND WEEPETH, BEARING PRECIOUS SEED, SHALL DOUBTLESS COME AGAIN WITH REJOICING, BRINGING 11IS SHEAVES WITH HIM.
WE resume our narrative to mention the death of Mr. Stevens, and to add some particulars respecting his character. I have already said that his ministry was a short one, extending through a period of only eight years ; he was suddenly cut down in the fortieth year of his age, and in the midst of his usefulness, by the small-pox, a distemper which had now for the second time spread death through the town, and for the second time stricken down the shepherd of this flock.
We can, at this distance of time, form but a faint conception of the distress and agitation of mind, which the ravages of this disease occasioned. The rich and the poor were attacked indiscriminately ; almost every house was filled with mourning, and some families were nearly exterminated. The register of deaths contains the names of one hundred and seventeen who died in this place of the small pox in the space of about six months ; during the same period, about eight hundred died in the town of Boston. But no family appears to have suffered more severely than that of our pastor, the Rev. Mr. Stevens ; taking the disorder, probably, as his predecessor, Mr. Shepard had done, by visiting his dying parishioners, he deceased on the 16th of November, 1721, and on the same day his only daugh- ter, his wife's sister, and her servant. His son Joseph fell a vic- tim to the distemper ten days after, and his widow on the 8th of
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the following month. So that of a family which, on the 16th of November, numbered a father, mother, daughter, and two sons, on the Sth of the following month only one remained, an infant son of seven months. This member of the family, however, was spared, and having completed his education, entered the ministry, and was settled at Kittery, in Maine, where he distin- guished himself as a preacher, and became extensively known as the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Stevens. His daughter married the late Dr. Buckminster of Portsmouth, and became the mother of the Rev. Joseph Stevens Buckminster, late pastor of Brattle- street church, Boston.
The sudden and afflictive circumstances attending the death of Mr. Stevens, appear to have produced a deep sensation. He was at this time preaching a series of discourses on Hebrews xi. 16: "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly." The subject of his first discourse was, "That there is another world after this, even an heavenly." On the 5th of November, he preached the second of this series, which was the last he ever delivered, in which, with great elevation of thought and feeling, he endeavored to show "that the heavenly world is a better world than this." In the two next discourses, it was his purpose to show that we should chiefly desire this better country, and that all true believers do so ; but before the middle of the week, he was seized with the pesti- lence, and died on Thursday of the week following, but not alone, for on Saturday evening his only daughter, and his sister, were borne with him and laid in the same tomb. A most affecting illustration of the instability of all human plans ! Before he had finished a short course of four sermons on the heavenly country, he was called to enter it, and experience the joys he was designing to portray for the benefit of his people. And such was the interest with which these discourses were listened to, and so cherished his memory, that, at the request of many of the flock, they were published, under the superintend- ence of the Rev. Dr. Colman, minister of the Brattle-street church, Boston, who prefaced them with some account of their author.
From this source, we learn that Mr. Stevens was possessed of great personal beauty, and no less distinguished for the bril- liant qualities of his mind. His countenance was grave and
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florid, of a sweet expression, and full of life and vigor. He excelled in conversation, and the modesty of his deportment, gave a singular grace to an air of superiority and dignity that was natural to him. In the delivery of his sermons, he was distinguished for his animation ; his eyes as well as his tongue were wont to speak with such majesty as well as solemnity, as commanded the ears and hearts of his audience. Indeed, his natural accomplishments were such, that while they formed a distinguished divine, they might have qualified him equally as a judge or commander, had Providence called him to the bench or the field.
"The first time I saw Mr. Stevens," says Dr. Colman, " he gained my esteem. It was as he stood for his first degree, when he so distinguished himself in the exercise for the day, that I sought out his chamber to encourage him in his studies, and congratulated his father upon the favor of God to him in so promising a son. Others also, better judges than I, spake of him that day with great esteem and applause ; nor did he fail the expectations he had raised in us. Being formed by the Father of spirits for thinking, and loving his studies, he soon became eminent for his years in acquired learning, and was chosen a tutor in the college whereof he was an ornament. From the college he was called into the pastoral office at Charles- town; and a precious gift of Christ he was to them, to whom I need not say how he was among them, laboring in the word and doctrine, and ministering to their souls. He was eloquent and fervent in the pulpit, solemn in praying and preaching, cheerful and grave in his common conversation, wise in his con- duct, gentle as a father, and naturally caring for the flock, endearing and endeared ; more especially he was an example of profound respect to the senior pastor, the Rev. Mr. Bradstreet, who, through the favor of God, still continues with us, and is every way the fittest person to have prefaced these sermons, and most able to have spoken of his dear deceased colleague, who was with him as a son with a father in the work of the ministry. In short, he was a pastor deservedly beloved and desired by his people. I might justly repeat here much of the character that was given some years ago, upon the death of the Rev. Mr. Brattle and Mr. Pemberton, the beauties of whose souls seemed to survive in Mr. Stevens; the meckness of the
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one, and the fervor of the other. How bright this shade! He was early chose a fellow of the corporation, and of a dutiful and affectionate son, he became a careful and tender father, and a very faithful servant of the college, of the rights and interests whereof he was a wise and religious judge. When I remem- ber the spirit and force with which he conversed and taught among us, methinks he yet seemed meant for many a year to come, and that his children's children might have known his aged face, and been taught by him; but the burning and shining light was lent us for a few days to rejoice in ; and who shall say unto Him that formed and gave him, why is he so soon taken away ? To himself it seemed not too soon or sudden, being helped by God to meet his death with a most happy composure, calmness, constancy, serenity and peace ; committing himself to God with becoming devotion, naming and taking leave of his friends with devout affection, praying . for the flock, and blessing his family with his dying breath. But the sovereignty of God is unsearchable in the great and wide breaches on his family ; himself, his wife and two child- ren dying of the small-pox within a few weeks, and only one single branch left, his Benjamin ! whose blessing let be (by the will of God) according to his name : 'Beloved of the Lord, and dwelling in his temple and covered by his sanctuary. Deut. xxxiii. 12.' "'
I have also been put in possession of a manuscript volume, originally owned by Mr. Stevens, in which he has written a sermon, and various memoranda of a literary and personal char- acter.1 The sermon was preached by him, on the 23d of August, 1707, and is, therefore, one of his earliest discourses. It is founded upon Luke xiii. 2, 3 : " And Jesus answering, said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you nay ; but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." It is a very serious and pungent discouse, teaching " that the sharpest miseries, or saddest periods of this life are no demon- strative arguments to conclude the greatest sinners ;" and "that all those who do not unfeignedly repent of their sins will certainly perish." And having discussed these points at con-
1 Note 12.
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siderable length, he concludes with a doxology to the Holy Trinity.
After the death of Mr. Stevens, Mr. Bradstreet was without any settled assistant for more than two years, until February 5th, 1724, when the Rev. Hull Abbot was ordained associate pastor. This gentleman was a native of Boston, where he was born June 15, 1702. His father appears to have followed the seas, for he was lost at sea in February, 1718, when his son was between fifteen and sixteen. He was educated at Har- vard College, and is said to have been the first student who received assistance from the Hollis fund. In the year 1731, 27th July, he became united by marriage to Mary Bradstreet, the daughter of the senior pastor of the church. Mr. Abbot was pastor of the church for more than fifty years. For about fifteen years he was associated with his father-in-law, in per- forming the labors of the ministry ; but the infirmities of Mr. Bradstreet rendering him unable to preach, the people became desirous of having another minister settled, and accordingly the Rev. Thomas Prentice was installed an associate pastor, October 3d, 1739.1 The death of Mr. Bradstreet took place on the 31st December, 1741.
We have now arrived at a period when it will be necessary to say something of the state of practical religion. It was under the joint ministry of Abbot and Prentice, and very soon after the settlement of the latter, that the Great Awakening commenced in this region, under the preaching of the elo- quent Whitefield and other divines of our own country. To account for the great excitement of this period, and the wide- spread consequences for good and evil which followed from it, we must begin with the religious declension that preceded it, and the causes which for a long time had been operating to bring on this declension. The churches, and to no inconsidera- ble extent the ministry, had undergone a material change from what they were originally ; their creed indeed remained the same, but the spirit with which they held it, was a very differ- ent one from that of the fathers. Evidence of personal religion not being strictly required of those who approached the sacra- ments of the church, a profession of religion, as it became more
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1 Note 43.
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general, became less significant than formerly. The members of the church were, in not a few instances, confessedly igno- rant of experimental religion. A similar degree of laxity in admitting candidates to the ministry, had produced similar re- sults, and the character of the clergy corresponded, as it always will, with that of the churches.
This unhappy decline was caused in the first instance, per- haps, by the connection of our churches with the state. It is to be remembered that at the time our country was settled, the independence of church and state was a thing entirely unknown throughout Christendom ; nor was it supposed possible that either could exist without the assistance of the other. Our Puritan fathers, in the establishment of their civil and eccle- siastical institutions, went further than any before them had ever gone in rendering the church independent of the state; but still there was a real union between the two. No man could vote or hold an office unless he were a member of the church. This principle, although in all its modifications it is unjust and hurtful, would have been accompanied with less inconvenience in practice, had the terms of communion been in this country, what they were in England, a good moral character, or rather exemption from scandalous vices. But when it came to be applied in connection with the very strictest terms of commu- mion-distinct and satisfactory evidence of regeneration-a condition of membership which was regarded by the fathers as essential to the life of our churches ; it became of all princi- ples the most preposterous and pernicious. For as a matter of course, when church-membership was a condition of the right of suffrage, it became an object of worldly ambition, as much as any thing else which might be necessary to obtain the rights of a freeman. At first, the number of those who were outside of the pale of the church was comparatively small ; but very soon, by the rapid increase of population, and by continual immigrations from England, not only the number, but the proportion of the disfranchised was increased, and thousands began to clamor for their rights. It required but little acquaintance with human nature to foresee, that, as a con- sequence of this ill-advised law, the constitution of the churches would be trampled under foot, and the strict terms of com-
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munion, established by the fathers, be reduced so as to extend the right of suffrage to the multitudes who desired and deserved it. This result was at length effected, not indeed by the aggrieved, but by those who introduced the half-way-covenant, a covenant which went half way to full communion, far enough to give those who embraced it the right of church-member- ship, and the privilege of baptism for their households, but not far enough to entitle them to partake of the Lord's supper. It required that those who entered into it, should renew their baptismal vows, and subject themselves and their families to the watch and discipline of the church. Had the theory of that covenant been carried out, it might have been the source of all the good anticipated ; but probably it was the vice of the system that it could not be carried out faithfully. It was looked upon by many as a form, devised to procure a respecta- ble standing in the community ; and it was practiced as a form, with no intention to discharge the duties, or submit to the dis- cipline it implied. In this way it happened that the discipline of the churches was neglected ; indeed, so numerous had the children of the covenant become, that it became well nigh im- possible to exercise a faithful discipline, inasmuch as almost the whole community were members of the church by baptism.
In addition to these causes, it became, about the beginning of the eighteenth century, the prevailing opinion that the sacra- ment of the Lord's supper was a converting ordinance, and con- sequently that all who were seriously disposed to use the means of grace, were to be invited to it. This of course put an end to discipline, and soon destroyed the distinctive character of the churches. It was also disseminating a new theology, which taught that man's duty was to attend upon the means of grace, in hope that God would, at some future time, see fit to bestow renewing grace. This was the seminal principle of Arminian- ism, as distinguished from Calvinism. The first-mentioned system did not deny any of the cardinal doctrines of the Scrip- tures, but was chiefly to be distinguished from the last by its practical spirit. The Arminian, while lie admitted the doc- trines of the Gospel, would speak rather of its precepts ; while he believed in the necessity of regeneration by the Spirit of God, and the doctrine of justification by faith alone, he would exhort sinners to the faithful performance of moral duties, trust-
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ing in God that he would secretly perform his work in the heart. Such was the state of things the first quarter of the eighteenth century. Arminianism was not publicly avowed, for it was generally the people's abhorrence ; but it was secretly cherished, and it was gradually gaining strength in conse- quence of the lax practices of the church. In a word, it was the beginning of an apostasy from the principles of the fathers, which has issued in the present century in a division of the Congregational churches into two denominations.
In the book of admissions to the church, we find the years 1728 and 1741, distinguished for the number received into our communion. The first mentioned, was the year after the great earthquake, which took place October 29, 1727, and shook the whole country north of the Delaware river. It was on the night of the Sabbath, a calm and serene evening. "About forty minutes past ten o'clock," says Mr. Prince, pastor of the Old South church, "was heard a loud, hollow noise, like the roaring of a great chimney on fire, but inconceivable more fierce and terrible. In about a half a minute, the earth began to heave and tremble. The shock increasing, rose to the height in about a minute more; when the movables, doors, windows, walls, especially in the upper chambers, made a very fearful clattering, and the houses rocked and crackled, as if they were all dissolving and falling to pieces. The people asleep were awakened with the greatest astonishment ; many others affrighted, ran into the streets. But the shaking quickly abated, and in another half minute, entirely ceased."1 The next morning a large assembly convened in the North church, Boston, for religious services ; and in the evening, the First and South churches were crowded with attentive auditories. The ministers availed themselves of this opportunity, and preached the gospel with renewed faithfulness to an awakened people. And as a consequence of these efforts, and by the blessing of God, large numbers were added to the several churches in Boston, and upwards of seventy to the communion of our own church during a period of six months. In the year 1735, a remarkable attention to religion took place in Northampton, under the ministry of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards. This may
1 Wisner's Hist. O. S. Chh. p. 25. See also Note 44.
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be regarded as the commencement of the "Great Awakening."1 It was a scene which I need not describe, for happily the grace of God has so multiplied them, that we are all familiar with them. " The town," says Edwards, " seemed to be full of the presence of God : it never was so full of love, nor so full of joy, and yet so full of distress as it was then. There were remark- able tokens of God's presence in almost every house .- Our public assemblies were then beautiful; the congregation was alive in God's service, every one earnestly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words of the min- ister as they came from his mouth ; the assembly in general were, from time to time, in tears while the word was preached ; some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors." 2
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