" was regarded with a degree of approbation, which exceeded his highest hopes. In no case do these expressions indicate a deliberately formed and cherished wish; on the contrary, they are the utterance of a momentary and involuntary feeling; a feeling suddenly excited, and more suddenly rejected; a feeling, therefore, which might have left the mind wholly uncontaminated with guilt. "Evil into the mind of God or man May come and go, so unapproved, and leave In judging of this class of his exercises, it should not be forgotten, that his health was already undermined, his system had lost much of its elasticity, and encountered a shock from the effects of which it never afterwards recovered. Besides, he had a constitutional predisposition to melancholy, which other branches of his family are said to have inherited to a still more painful degree. This caused him frequently to view every thing connected with his own personal security, prospects, and usefulness, through the medium of a distorting and aggravating gloom. But to make his faith accountable for his distresses, would be the highest offence to his now sainted spirit, and the grossest libel upon that religion, which bore him above the immeasurably accumulated sufferings of his last days. His religion, instead of being the cause of his gloom, was his only refuge from its overwhelming effects. The precious doctrines of grace, according to his own views of them, alone kept him from sinking. His distress, indeed, was often owing to inadequate causes, and his 'mind slow to receive the comfort,' which God is ever ready to bestow; but if, with his own views of the gospel, he was sometimes melancholy, with different views he would have gone distracted. These remarks are not intended as a defence, but as an impartial exhibition of facts. We are not concerned to approve of every thing in Mr. Payson's character. He was a man-a sinner; and it is well for survivers that he had faults, lest, in looking at him, they should lose sight of his and their Saviour. To a man, whom so many excellencies rendered lovely, and who was, in the best sense, the benefactor of thousands, they would be in danger of rendering a sort of idolatrous homage, if there were no features in his character, to be contemplated with pain and regret. So far as the destruction of his health was brought on by his own imprudences, he is to be blamed; and is in a measure responsible for the consequences. He did not foresee them, it is true, but thought himself an exception to a general law; still he should have hearkened to the parental voice which warned him. He erred too-if one may say it without arrogance, whose pretensions to piety are as nothing compared with his-in looking too much to frames for the evidences of his piety. He was too solicitous for sensible enjoyment, and too much disturbed by its absence. Yet however deep his sadness at these times, he had not a settled melancholy. With his susceptibility he could not, probably, have survived a long period of spiritual desertion, and to this he was not doomed; but he was too impatiently eager for total exemption, and for this he was most severely chastised by the same kind hand which so plentifully rewarded his fidelity. There is, however, one aspect, in which all the hardships that he imposed on himself, the ruin of his constitution by abstinence, night vigils, and extraordinary exertion and even all his mental agonies, may be viewed with a feeling of entire reconciliation. All these trying processes, to which he subjected his mind, may justly be regarded as a series of experiments on himself, designed by Providence for the good of the church, indeed of the human race. To him, in the exercise of his future ministry, they were incalculably valuable. The knowledge acquired by this painful experience was not without vast expense to himself; but it constituted one of his most important qualifications for aiding numerous other souls through the labyrinths of error and mental distress. In this way he was taught "how to speak a word in season to him that is weary"-to be "a guide of the blind, a light to them that are in darkness, a teacher of babes." So familiar did he become with almost every possible case of conscience, every form of spiritual trial and delusion, to which either inquirers or established Christians are exposed, that he could instantly recognize their symptoms, and apply the needed antidote. In all his revolutions of feeling, varied exercises, and changing frames, there is discoverable an unvarying simplicity of purpose. The destruction of sin, and the extension of the empire of holiness in himself and others, are the objects constantly before him. His eye was single, and directed to the glory of God; and he longed for the salvation of men, as the work, in which the divine glory eminently appears. He complains frequently of his pride, vanity, and selfishness-qualities, doubtless, eminently congenial with his unrenewed nature, but which were now evidently most unwelcome intruders, and which it was his constant grief that he could not wholly dislodge. Let those, who would convert his full confessions into a proof, 'that he was sinful above all men,' be reminded, that, if they were to watch the motions of their own hearts with the same unrelenting severity, they might find even greater abominations, than any of which he complains, holding hitherto undisturbed empire over their souls; and not, as in him, annoying, yet conquered passions, which the gracious principle would in the end wholly eradicate. On the 18th of August, he took a very affectionate leave of the family, by whom he had been so kindly entertained, and revisited home, where he spent three days; and then set out in a violent rain for Andover,' Mass. where he had an engagement to preach, and felt some consolation in reflecting that he was going on his Father's and Saviour's business.' The second day he arrived, 'wet, wearied, and dejected.' Of his performances or the following Sabbath he says-" I had little assistance in preaching, and pleased neither the people nor myself." He here expresses, not an opinion merely, but a fact. Popular as he deservedly was, his preaching was not regarded with favor by the church in North Andover, which had been left destitute by the death of Dr. Symmes. Whether it were owing to their preference, or his, or to a special providence, he tarried there but one Sabbath, and his next remove was to the scene of his future labors -a field vastly more extensive, and one which he was eminently fitted to occupy. Visits Portland-his favorable reception, and Ordination. On the morning of Monday, August 24th, Mr. Payson left Andover for Portland; his mind absorbed with heavenly meditations on the road, and praying and renewing his covenant with God at his resting places. Stop where he might, he was sure to find, or to make the place a Bethel; and while the solemnity of his devotions resembled that of the patriarch's, on his way to Padan-aram ; his faith realized what that patriarch saw in vision, and found an open way of communication between earth and heaven. Thus he journied, "Prayer all his business, all his pleasure praise." He arrived on the morning of the third day, and lost no time in renewing his acquaintance, and entering on his new duties there. The frightful reputation of being a Hopkinsian had preceded him, and accounts in part for the following entry in his Diary: Aug. 27.-Visited a number of my old friends, lest they should think me sour and morose, and so pay less regard to my preaching. Was kindly received." A letter to his parents, contains more on the same subject: "Portland, Aug. 31, 1807. "I arrived here on Wednesday morning, 26th inst. after a very pleasant ride, from which I have already derived sufficient advantage to compensate me for the time and expense. My health seems wonderfully improved; I enjoy sound, refreshing sleep, which I have not for two months before, and I feel strong and able to study. Nor shall I derive less advantage, in another point of view, from this tour. Mr. Kellogg tells me, that he had heard in Boston, that I was rapidly gaining the title and reputa tion of a Hopkinsian; and that a great part of his plan, in getting me here, was to counteract that report, and with the assistance of Mrs. K. to make something of me, to use his own expression. However this may be, he seems disposed to be of service to me, and has already given me some hints, that will be very beneficial. He has also a good library, and I shall, I trust, be able to spend the time here both profitably and agreeably. As the people here have heard that I am a Hop, and think it a great pity that a harmless young man should be transformed into such a shocking creature, I thought it might have a good effect, to call upon all my old acquaintance, in order to convince them that my religion was not of that morose, unsocial kind which they supposed; and that a Hopkinsian, supposing me to be one, was not quite so bad as the devil. My visits were received more kindly than I expected, and, I have reason to think, will in some measure, produce the designed effect." Mr. Payson entered upon the appropriate duties of his calling with the most exemplary diligence and energy, and the effects were almost immediately visible. Such was the attention excited by his preaching, that he seems to have regarded himself as in great danger of thinking more highly of himself, than he ought to think, and to have brought all his spiritual forces to bear against this propensity. With reference to this he observed frequent seasons of humiliation, and oftener renewed the consecration of himself and his talents to God. It was the burden of his secret prayers, that he might be delivered from pride, from self-seeking, from preaching himself, instead of Christ Jesus the Lord. Sept 6.-Heard my performances much commended; and fearing lest I should feel puffed up, I withdrew, and prayed earnestly that I might be preserved from it. And God was pleased to assist me in a most wonderful and unusual manner in pleading, not only for that and other mercies, but in renewing covenant with him, and praising him for all his mercies. Never felt more gratitude, more humility, more love to God and benevolence to man, than at this time. Indulged some hopes that God would pour |