ADDRESSES, SERMONS, REMINISCENCES, VIEWS OF CONTEMPORARIES.
Elsewhere allusion has been made to the extreme difficulty, to the impossibility even, that accompanies an effort to imbody a speaker like Mr. Badger, entire, in written words. Yet it is due to the readers of his Biography that some definite attention be called to this part of his ministerial accomplishments. There was nothing of the trumpet-blast in his oratory. It was liquid. It flowed as a current from a fountain, and, like a current, at times was brisk and playful in movement. Simplicity, ease, dignity, clearness, were his graces. A power to command the entire attention, to deal in surprises in unfolding a subject, to keep an audience for hours without weariness, was, in a rare degree, his possession.
The earliest written address I have noticed is an oration delivered July 4, 1819, at Penfield, New York. Its text is, "Righteousness exalteth a nation," and its motto, the words of Barbauld,
"August she sits, and with extended hands
Holds forth the Book of Life to distant lands."
Instead of beginning as gaseous orators usually did and do on such occasions, with a patriotic vaunting, he alludes to the nobleness of man's nature, which originally was designed for self-government.
"Man," he said, "is the noblest part of the work of God. He is made capable of great good and of enjoying great happiness; is formed for society, and qualified for government; he is capable of enjoying God's blessings here and his eternal presence hereafter. In his first state he had an extensive dominion over every creature of the earth, but in consequence of sin the crown falls from his head, guilt, misery, and slavery become his companions. Nothing but righteousness can extricate mortals from this low condition and restore to them that holiness and government which Heaven designed them to enjoy. Reason and revelation concentrate their light in the human breast, and prompt us to contemplate with wonder the stupendous works of our glorious Author, 'to look through Nature up to Nature's God,' and to behold also the mighty changes and revolutions which have occurred on the great theatre of nations."
This address, which is full of historical remark and practical reflection, is throughout a cool and rational view of the topics introduced. He glances over the discovery of the Continent, the settlement of the Colonies, the Indian, French, and American wars, the memory of heroes, the effect of America on foreign nations, the origin of the two forms of government, monarchical and republican, locating the former at Egypt and the latter at Rome. After assigning five or six reasons showing wherein the American government is better than any other, he contrasts its glories with other nations, and with the savage state which had, not long previous, occupied the same theatre of action. He says:—
"Ours is the best government on the earth. 1. Because it affords greater privileges than are enjoyed in any other nation. In no other country do Jews and Gentiles enjoy equal rights; and it is only in North America that a descendant of Abraham can own a foot of land. 2. Because our government establishes an equality of rights among all classes of citizens, unknown among other nations. 3. Because we have a form of government and laws, not arbitrarily imposed, but of our own choice. 4. Because we have a voice in the election of all the officers who make and administer the laws. 5. Because the liberties of conscience are enjoyed by all. 6. Because our government establishes no theory of religion in favor of any one sect. Among the nations it has been thought a great honor to have some established mode of religion. But how gross the error! We might, with even more propriety, prescribe to our subjects a system of diet, or a course of medicine. Indeed, there was once a law in France which prohibited a physician from giving an emetic in any case; law excluded potatoes as an article of food, and even in Massachusetts the legislature once decreed that every man's hair should be cut, that none should wear it long.
"Would you see the beauties of law religion? In Babylon, the king set up a golden image and commanded all to worship it; in consequence of a refusal, Daniel was cast into the lions' den. Herod commanded all the young children to be slain. This was law religion. Saul of Tarsus obtained letters from the priests to drag men and women to prison who believed in Jesus. This was law religion. Paul, Silas, Peter and John, were whipped and imprisoned for preaching Christ. A holy Jesus was condemned by false witnesses, and by wicked hands was slain. This was law religion. Charles IX, of France, during his reign, put to death 300,000 Protestants, of which he often afterwards made his boasts; Louis IV succeeded him, and in his days there were put to death in England, 1,200,000. This was law religion. Add to these the reign of Queen Mary. From such religion, gracious Lord, evermore deliver us. In good old Connecticut it was once believed that the use of tobacco was the great and crying sin of the world. Accordingly, an edict was passed that if any man was known to use it within a mile of any house, he should be subjected to a heavy fine. How undignified government may become when it abandons its legitimate aims! True religion never needed the aid of the sword, nor the authority of human law to enforce it. It is able to support itself and all who embrace it.
"No country has risen to rank, power, and respectability so rapidly as the United States. England has been six hundred years in arriving at what she now is. France has stood eight hundred years as a nation. Austria has had one thousand years of advancement from her primitive barbarous state. Russia, in this respect, most resembles the United States, for in the space of one century, and under the influence of one man, she has risen to rank and authority in the civilized world. But how interesting is the reflection, that two centuries ago, this land, which is now ornamented with villages, highways and vineyards, was a howling wilderness. It is now a fruitful field. Arts and sciences here flourish, while mechanism exhibits its glories on every hand. Oh, favored America! Prosperity be thine forever. Be an asylum to the thousands who throng thy shores to escape the rage of foreign tyrants. Over them extend thy protecting banner. Thy fame is known throughout the earth; thy sons are honored in every nation. Righteousness has exalted us. 1. In enjoyment. 2. In usefulness. 3. In honor. 4. In the favor of Heaven. With all the world we are now at peace; plenty crowns our cheerful toil; party rage gradually subsides as light advances, and truly may every American say, 'The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.'
"Before me are aged veterans of the Revolution. Honored fathers, your names and services are not forgotten by your country. Let your hearts expand in gratitude to God, who has more than crowned your sanguine hopes. Before me are many who were active in the preservation of the Republic during the conflicts of the late war, whose services have saved our wives from the tomahawk of the savage, our daughters from the power of a hostile foe, and our helpless innocents from the grasp of unsparing violence. On you shall rest their grateful recollections. May you imitate the virtues of your ancestors, be free in deed, and long enjoy the blessings of the Republic."
As space, in a degree, is limited, I shall offer but one more address, delivered in the city of New York, May 1, 1836, at the ordination of the Rev. D. F. Ladley. At the house of Rev. I. N. Walter, whose cordial and extensive hospitality must still be remembered by hundreds who have been his guests, I had the pleasure to meet Mr. B., a few days previous to the ordination services of May 1. Having listened to the delivery of the charge, which was extemporaneous in its manner, it become my surprise afterward, that so little of the impression there made should have been given to the written statement. After the ordination sermon had been preached by Mr. Walter, Mr. Badger, who was seated in the altar, arose and said:—
"Brother Ladley,—It becomes my duty, by the arrangements of the solemn exercises of this day, in behalf of those ministers who have united in your ordination—this church and the whole body of Christians with which you stand connected, to deliver to you on this occasion, in the name of the great Head of the church, a charge to be faithful and to perform all the duties now devolving upon you as an administrator, with dignity and integrity. You now fill one of the most important stations ever occupied by a human being. A minister of the Gospel, an ambassador of the Lord Jesus, you bear a message of eternal life to dying men. Your work is to save perishing sinners from the miseries of sin and the wrath to come; your station is responsible, your work is arduous, but your reward is sure. The strongest who have ever entered this important field have trembled at the thought of the greatness of the work and the awful responsibilities of the station, and no doubt you have been ready to exclaim, 'Who is sufficient for these things?' That you may be able to occupy the holy ground on which you are called in the providence of God to stand, with satisfaction to yourself and profit to your hearers, suffer me to introduce for your solemn consideration the following leading points:
"1. You should be truly pious. No man, without a genuine experience and the constant influence of true piety upon his heart and life, is fit for an ambassador of Jesus Christ. Sin is odious in whatever form or place it exhibits itself. In the profane circle, in the gambler's group, in the drunkard's shop, in the vilest streets and haunts of wickedness in this great city, how hateful it appears. But it appears not so bad as it would in the parlors of the rich, in the circle of learned and refined society, in the halls of justice, the councils of the nation, or in the house of religious worship. In no person does sin appear so bad as in a minister of the Gospel; and in no place is it so unfit as in the sacred desk. What would be considered innocent in another man, in another place, would be regarded as impious in you while ministering at the altar of a holy God. Your life must be pure, your conversation blameless, and your heart must cherish holy affections for the people you address; it should be like the pot of incense which sent forth sweet odors constantly to God. Your life must be one scene of solitude, study, and devotion. You must be so far crucified to this vain world, that prayer, preaching, and all your sacred work shall be your meat, your drink, your theme, your life. Be ye holy that bear the vessels of the Lord.
"You have doubtless seen many enter the work of the ministry with but poor success,—men of talents, of erudition, fine orators, who never witness the conversion of souls; whose labors appear to make the sinner harder, and more averse to the Gospel, and to divide and separate the precious flock of Christ. The reason is plain; such ministers are not enough like Christ, are not in the spirit of the Gospel they profess to preach. Good men are sure of success, be their talents few or many; Christ is with them, and the word will prove a savor of life unto life. If you are and continue to be a good man,—have salt in yourself,—go to your work with prayer, perform your duties faithfully, come down from your pulpit on all occasions with a conscience void of offence towards God and man; your labors will be a blessing to the world, your peace will be like a river, and your reward will be great in heaven. Therefore, dear brother, suffer me to exhort you on this solemn occasion, while you stand upon the threshold of your great work, to study and labor, every day of your life, to possess and enjoy genuine piety in the sight of God. This will give life and energy to all your labors, and will be a source of never-failing consolation in every hour of trouble.
"2. The great object of your labors should be to make others pious. Every sermon should be one persuasive oration for men to be good. To win the applause of your hearers, to instruct them in the theory of the Christian religion, is not enough. Thousands of such superficial Christians will, no doubt, sink down to hell. Gospel truth must be set home in faithfulness to the sinner's heart He must be made to feel that unless he is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. The minister should never feel satisfied with the condition of his hearers unless he is confident that they are 'in Christ'—'are new creatures'—that with them 'old things are passed away and all things are become new.' In order to be successful in producing spiritual reform, all your addresses and labors must assume the tone and character of friendship, and of kind entreaty. You can never frighten rational intelligences into the love of God; you cannot drive men into the kingdom of heaven; you cannot storm and force sinners home to the bosom of the Saviour. But, Sir, you can reason with them, you can persuade, entreat, and pray them in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God. You must exhibit the glorious majesty and bountiful dealings of the great God, the atonement, the sufferings, the love and compassion of the glorious Redeemer, the intelligence, doctrine, promises and claims of the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation. These truths, proclaimed in the right manner, and under the direction of the right spirit, will surely produce the desired effect. Remember that when you have influenced one sinner to forsake the error of his ways and to embrace and conform to the Saviour, you have accomplished more than when you have made any number of wrangling proselytes to party. To win men to Christ, and to make them good, is the great object to which your energies should be devoted.
"3. It is your duty to cultivate holiness, union, and zeal in the church of God. A careless way of living, a vain, a licentious, a cruel and haughty spirit should never be encouraged by a minister of Christ. Every disciple of Jesus should be plainly taught that without holiness no man can see the Lord.
"Again, look abroad in Christendom and behold the divided and subdivided flock of Christ. See the infidel vulture feasting upon the havoc which wicked and unskilful ministers have made in Zion. While you behold this gloomy picture, and listen to the holy injunction of the great Head of the church for his people to be one; raise the warning voice, lift the banner of truth, and with the authority of Heaven, plead for union and peace among all that love and serve God.
"Also labor to encourage zeal for the truth, and liberty of the Gospel among the saints. The Catholics are zealous, infidels are zealous, proud sectarians are compassing sea and land to make proselytes; and saints who have no creed but the Bible, and no master but Christ, should be zealous to advance and promulgate the truth. Influence should be exerted, talent should be employed, and a part of our earthly treasures should be cheerfully dedicated to the holy cause. These things you should teach and urge upon the consideration of all who love the truth.
"4. I charge you to love the cause, and to consider no sacrifice too great for its advancement. The nature of your calling is such that you cannot with propriety enter into the speculations of the world. The prospect, therefore, of worldly honor and worldly treasure, must be laid aside for the humble cross of the meek and lowly Jesus. You should glory in nothing save the cross, by which you are crucified to the world and the world unto you. Your work as evangelist will separate you from many of the friends of your youth, and deprive you of a thousand domestic joys which are the portion of your brethren in a private circle. Also your work is hard and laborious, which has caused thousands of the best constitutions to sink under it. I have been devoted to the ministry only twenty-four years, and have seen many of my first associates, young and in the prime of life, sink under their labors into premature graves. I have seen the strong and robust youth, whose eye was bright, whose nerve was strong, whose cheek was like the rose, when he entered the work; but after a few years, he falters, he fails, he dies, a holy martyr to the truth. I trust, Sir, you have seriously counted the cost, and received Christ at the loss of all things. How will unfaithful ministers appear in the great day, who have sought the applause of men, studied their own ease, and made no sacrifice for the cause of God? If we suffer with him on earth, we shall be glorified with him in heaven.
"5. Shun the delusion and wickedness of sectarism. This is an age of party, of sectarian rage and bitterness. It is a time of universal strife, excitement and war. The civil and religious world are in a state of unnatural and unreasonable commotion. Almost every subject is driven to an alarming extreme, and the basest measures are sometimes employed to advance sectarian objects. What blindness and delusion mark the progress of sectarism! What cruelty and wickedness follow in her train! The commands and institutions of Jesus are trampled under foot, and brotherly love and Christian forbearance are banished far from the soul of the bigot. This, doubtless, is the time spoken of in the Scriptures, when the heavens and the earth are to be shaken. Now is the time for the man of God to be cool and candid. Never descend from your high and holy calling to the low pursuits of grovelling sectarism; never forsake the great message of love and salvation you are destined to proclaim, to mingle in the petty wrangles of party. Never turn aside from the path of justice and charity to vend the cruel slanders of the times, or to censure and condemn a brother who differs from you in opinion. Let justice, kindness and charity mark all your proceedings, and you will be a good minister of Christ, and a light in the world. Be a Christian, a liberal, genuine Christian; and never suffer any sectarian act of cruelty to tarnish your fame, nor wound your conscience.
"6. Be patient in the sufferings, and humble in the success that may attend your ministry. One of the greatest arts of human happiness is to keep the mind, under all circumstances, in one even, regular position, neither too much elated by flattering prospects, nor too much depressed by misfortunes. It requires as much strength and exertion to sustain ourselves against the temptations and allurements of prosperity, as it does to bear up under the heavy pressure of adversity. We see but few men who are raised to important stations in life, who have sufficient wisdom and strength to act the part of plain, natural, sensible men. See a person raised from poverty to wealth by some unexpected smile of fortune; how frequently he becomes a proud, haughty, intemperate novice. Some men raised to important stations in State, are filled with vanity and egotism; useless, hateful sycophants. As lamentable as the fact is, in the church likewise this trait of human weakness is sometimes discovered. But a man who is filled with pride and importance on being inducted into office in the Church of God, has no just views of himself or his calling, and is altogether unfit for the station he fills. Such vain and deceived persons will be lords over God's heritage, are miserable examples to the flock of Christ; their labors will be a constant source of corruption and temptation to the saints, and the sooner congregations are purged from such tyrants, such wells without water, the better.
"My brother, when prosperity smiles all around, when your labors are crowned with a rich harvest, when your praise and popularity are the theme of every tongue, and affectionate greetings and cheering smiles of applause are seen in every countenance; then, oh! then be humble; like Mary, weep at the feet of Jesus, and press the holy cross closer and closer to your trembling heart, and bless the Lamb of God, that his blood was ever applied to such a sinner. On the other hand, when afflictions gather thick in your path, when base envy shall prompt the tongue of slander to assail you, when the storms of persecution shall gather in threatening aspect on every side, and pale poverty stare you in the face; then is the time to collect all your energies, all your strength, and all your fortitude. Then, while you repose with unshaken confidence on the immutable promises of Jehovah, be sure to put forth your efforts still for the promotion of holy truth; be the same man in spirit and in life now, that you wore in your favored days of success. Never suffer your heart to indulge despair under any circumstances, and ever wear a becoming cheerfulness upon your countenance. But, Sir, I must close, by expressing my happiness in my short acquaintance with you—my confidence in your ability and integrity, and my fervent wish for your prosperity, happiness and success. And when the Great Shepherd shall come to gather all his faithful watchmen, and his precious elect from the four winds of heaven, may you be numbered among the sanctified, and meet the precious souls for whom you have labored on earth, at God's right hand! Amen."
His sermons, not being written, cannot be offered to the world. They only live in the effects they produced, and in the memories of the people; and his written plots were so brief, that their presentation would be but the mockery of a just idea of the discourses given. I will, therefore, not transcribe them; these plots, however, range over every variety of subject. He once said to a few young ministers, that he disliked the plan of announcing to a congregation, at the commencement, the order of a subject, for the reason that it gave them the opportunity of anticipating too readily what he would say. "Let the order of the subject unfold to them as newly as possible," was his usual motto in preaching. He also said:—"Be sure to preach so plain that the most ignorant person in the house will understand you; then even the learned will be pleased." A very conscientious man who believed in the annihilation of the wicked—which he called the second death—once came to him for advice in relation to its having a prominent place in his ministry. "I will tell you," said Mr. Badger, "what to preach. Preach life. Preach life, my brother; the people want life, not death."
A sermon for moral enterprise he gave at Iona, N. Y., January, 1835, could it be given as he spoke it, would do more toward setting forth his pulpit ability than all we can publish or say on the subject. His text was Neh. 2: 20: "The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore let us arise and build." The same might be said of any of his ablest discourses; this is mentioned simply because it was the first sermon I ever heard him preach. As the plot of a sermon, then delivered on the excellency of the Gospel, lies before me, I will present it, it being a fair specimen of his usual manner of committing the points of a sermon to paper. Text, Rom. 1: 16: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ."
"1. To arrive at a state in which we glory in the Gospel above all other institutions and systems, is the highest condition of perfection on earth.
"Reasons why we should not be ashamed of the Gospel: 1. The dignity of its author. 2. Its authenticity. 3. Its salutary influence on society. It civilizes man; it elevates woman. It enlightens, convicts, and saves sinners. It unites Christians; is the bond of society. 4. Its doctrine is rational and consistent. 5. Its institutions are all agreeable. 6. Its worship is satisfying and delightful. 7. Its end and object is immortality."
In passing over his dedication services, one is oft times struck with the moral weight and elegance of the passages from which he spoke, as, for instance, at the consecration of the Christian chapel, September, 1832, in Canandaigua, N. Y., he addressed the people from John 8: 32: "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." He dwelt on the extent, the power, and the excellence of truth, the conditions of knowing it, and the freedom it brings. In speaking on the last division of the subject, he alluded to four evils from which the truth liberates believers, namely, ignorance, sin, the misery of guilt, and the enslaving fear of death. On the last idea, he dwelt with peculiar force, showing how the revelation of immortality dissipates death's fears and glooms. Temples of worship, indeed, derive much of their sacredness from the consideration that they are meant to be temples of eternal, imperishable truth.
Also at Berlin, N. Y., 1834, he spoke at the consecration of the Christian chapel, from Rev. 22: 1, 2: "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Only those who have seen his ingenious dealing with passages of lively imagery can imagine the exhibition of thought this text would inspire, whilst he traced the clear Gospel river which flowed, not from human creeds and institutions, but from the eternal throne, causing life, in its large variety, to bloom in its course.
April, 1824, he held a public debate with a liberally educated clergyman at Rochester, N. Y., in which, by general consent, he triumphantly maintained his cause. The rank of Jesus appears to have been the principal topic. April 7, 1825, at Royalton, N. Y., he preached two sermons, embracing the supreme deity of Jesus, and the doctrine of the Trinity in reply to Rev. Mr. Colton. Sermon first is founded on Rom. 9: 5: "Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever." Sermon second is founded on 1 Tim. 2: 5: "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." In laying out his work on the former passage, he observed the following plan:—
"1. Explain the text. 2. Give a general view of the Christian doctrine of God and the Son. 3. Examine and criticise Mr. Colton's sermon. 4. Give my reasons for rejecting the doctrine of the Trinity. In explaining the passage, he says, 'I regard this text as a simple declaration relative to the fulfilment of the promises alluded to in the preceding verse—promises made to the Israelites, of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came—that is, of or through those Israelites his lineage is traced, and to them was the promise of the Messiah made.' This is the first doctrine of the text, and is so self-evident that it requires no further remark.
"The second thing in this verse is, that Christ is declared to be 'over all,' which represents his extensive reign, his universal dominion, his superintendency over all the affairs of the New Dispensation, his being head over all things unto the church, which is his body. 'The head of every man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God.' 1 Cor. 11: 3—which agrees with the Saviour's final address to his apostles after his resurrection, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,' Matt. 28: 18. A beautiful description of his being first, of his having preëminence, is given, Col. 1: 18, 19: 'And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that, in all things, he might have the preëminence; for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.' There are but two rational conclusions that can be drawn from the words 'God blessed forever,' to neither of which have I any special objection. 1. That the promise is fulfilled, Christ is come, is over all, therefore bless God forever, or let God be blessed for ever, for his fulfilment of so great and glorious a promise; which accords with another expression of St. Paul, Rom. 9: 15: 'Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.' According to this view, it is only an exclamation of praise. 2. That he is 'blessed of God forever,' as the expressions—God blessed and blessed of God signify the same. He was blessed of God, and he shall be blessed of him forever. God promised him, God sent him, God strengthened and glorified him, raised him from the dead, received him at his own right hand, and has committed to him judgment; and, under God, he shall reign over all till the last enemy is conquered. Where is the word or the idea of a Trinity in this text? I cannot find it."
In the last part of the discourse, he assigns seven reasons for rejecting the Trinity, which are:—
"1. It is not a doctrine of Revelation, but is an invention of men in a dark age. 2. It contradicts plain declarations of Scripture. 3. It contradicts reason. 4. It has always caused contention in the church, and now is the greatest subject of controversy in Christendom. 5. It is a doctrine which obliges its believers to contradict themselves in preaching and in prayer. 6. It involves the idea it claims to despise—a human Saviour, a human atonement. 7. It is the foundation of deism."
February, 1841, whilst conducting a series of meetings at Stafford, N. Y., he was challenged into a public debate at Morganville, by Rev. J. Whitney, an ultra Universalist, in which Mr. W. engaged to prove: 1. That the last judgment is confined to this life. 2. The final salvation of all men. 3. That ultra Universalism is better, in its moral tendency, than any other system of faith. The order of discussion was a sermon each. Mr. Badger spoke first, taking for his entire speech four hours and twenty minutes. The plot of his sermon is very lengthy, and laid out in the form of a massive strength. It was one of those masterly efforts to which a successful reply would seem impossible.
Volumes of interesting personal reminiscences, those that would be characteristic of the man might be written, provided his contemporaries would pour out their recollections in a form that would be available for a writer's use. I would here narrate an incident given me on good authority, which illustrates his readiness for an emergency. In the village of his residence, some eight or ten years ago, the Episcopal Church, and the citizens generally, had assembled in their chapel, splendidly illuminated on Christmas Eve, expecting to hear a sermon for the occasion from an Episcopal clergyman from a distance. The clergyman arrived in town, but not sufficiently early to look over his papers, and to prepare for the service. He declined to speak. The leading man of the society, who felt deeply the disappointment, saw but one method by which to save the credit of the occasion, which was to get Mr. Badger to preach. No other clergyman would dare to attempt it. The people were assembled, expectations were high. He at once came to Mr. Badger's house, found that he had just returned from Lakeville, weary with labor, and was reclining in front of the fire. He told him the facts of the case, that he must go to the church and preach the sermon, that not a moment could be lost. Mr. Badger arose, and without waiting to find a text, to brush his coat, or to comb his hair, walked with him to the chapel, entered the desk, and without much apology, gave, what the citizens have ever since declared to be, a most eloquent and able discourse—a better than which, they had never heard him give.
In the village of Springport, during his labors there, a few men of skeptical cast of mind thought they would embarrass him by sending him a text, accompanied by a respectful request that they would be glad to hear him preach from it. The text was Ecc. 3: 21: "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" It was handed to him one evening, and he preached from it the next. After speaking respectfully and thankfully of his indebtedness to some three or four gentlemen for the subject on which he should speak, he proceeded to give the import of the passage thus: King Solomon, he said, was an observer, a thinker, and a man of knowledge. He saw the two natures of man, his body and spirit: that as respects the former, all go to one place, man and beast; but that notwithstanding the plainness of these outward phenomena, an impenetrable mystery remains in respect to the spirit of each. "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward?" that is, who comprehends it, who can declare the whole mystery of its powers? Who comprehends the spirit of the beast?—this too is mystery. The wise man, said Mr. Badger, knew the limit of knowledge. After giving this view of the passage, which cleared it of all imagined difficulty, and which is justified by the letter of the text, he preached a sermon on the immortal nature and destiny of man. Near the close, after applying the subject quite effectively, he called attention to the object for which the gentleman had given the text.
"The only purpose," said he, "why this passage was sent me under these peculiar circumstances, was to establish the doctrine that man is a beast, that he has only the destiny of a beast. This," said he, "is a grave position. Were I to meet one of those gentlemen to-morrow, and in my salutation call him a beast, would he not regard it as a gross insult? Look at the origin of this request. A few men, or beasts if they are determined to have it so, meet and talk about the Bible, the church, religion and the ministers. They say the Bible is a fable, religion is imagination, and the clergy are after the people's money. Now let us send the minister a text that proves there is no hereafter. Is not this conversation on a pretty high order of subjects for beasts? And this handwriting too (holding up the note) looks very handsome and fair for a beast. Animals are fast ascending."
The power of this satire, as given by him, was perfectly triumphant, and it is needless to add that he was ever after left to choose his own subjects. But in this line of remark we are obliged to desist, not having been supplied with material for a chapter of personal recollections.
A few remarks from two or three of his contemporaries will close this chapter. Rev. L. D. Fleming, of Rochester, N. Y., writes as follows:
"He is associated with all the remembrances of my early Christian experience. In many respects he was an extraordinary man. Few men take as deep an interest in the wants and necessities of young ministers as he did. He was always ready to lift them up when through discouragement they were falling; and he had a most happy gift for drawing them out, for developing their mental resources, for inspiring them with hope when hopeless, and with that necessary self-reliance which many lack, and for the want of which many abandon their calling. He treated them not only as babes in Christ, 'feeding them with the sincere milk of the word,' but as fellows with him in the Gospel mission. This was an inspiring fellowship, where lay much of his hidden power. How often have I known him to ask the advice of the young minister on important subjects, not, probably, that he expected that they could unravel knotty questions, or enlighten him. He intended to draw them into a new field of thought, to set them in pursuit of their own resources, and to kindle up the fires of mentality as no other means would have done it. He had tact and talent peculiarly his own. His nature overflowed with the milk of human kindness; this, associated with his peculiar organization, gave him that great social power which was one characteristic of his life. Although I cannot hope by anything I can say, to add to his fame, I feel a pleasure in bearing testimony to those entrancing social qualities and Christian virtues, which should be emulated by all lovers of the Gospel he professed, and by which he became endeared to multitudes."
From Rev. O. E. Morrill, of Plainville, Onondaga County, N. Y., we take the following lines:
"Much has already been said, and well said by Messrs. Hazein and Fay, in their obituary notices, and it would seem superfluous in me to reiterate the same things. It may be proper for me to observe, that, within a few past years many of our worthy brethren in the ministry, with whom I have battled in the Lord's war for more than a quarter of a century, have retired from the battle field with an honorable discharge. The name of Joseph Badger now becomes classified with those of Peavy, Bailey, Clough, Morrison, Shaw, Fernald, and more recently with our deeply lamented brother Barr.
"I knew all these men when young, and loved them as my own natural brothers. They were all pious, devoted ministers of the Gospel. They were persevering, faithful pioneers, and true to the spirit and doctrine of the Christian reformation. Men of the first class of natural talents, but of moderate literary accomplishments, they were emphatically a class of self-sacrificing men, public benefactors of our race. They commenced in the ministry when young, labored hard, fared hard, lived upon short pay, and survived to see their storm-beaten vessel under full sail before a refreshing breeze, and died in peace.
"Of all these good men it may seem invidious to make a distinction, but without intending the least detraction from the rest of them, I may be permitted to say, that, from some strong affinity of our nature, or some other cause I cannot now explain, Mr. Badger was always nearer and dearer to me than either of the rest of them. We loved like Jonathan and David. Our souls were knit together. We were raised in adjoining towns in New Hampshire, and he was but a few years my senior. His whole nature was cheerful, his address familiar and easy, and all his associations were frank, kind, and interesting. His natural turn was affable, and he enjoyed sociability with an uncommon relish.
"In preaching, his voice was not heavy, but clear, soft, and musical, and capable of being heard at a good distance. His sermons were methodical, his ideas clear, distinct, and comprehensive. He was familiar with the Scriptures, and evinced a sufficient knowledge of books and of literature, for all practical purposes. He had a well-disciplined mind, a retentive memory, and a happy faculty of communication. He was never at a loss for words to express his thoughts, nor did he confuse his hearers with a redundancy of them. His preaching was not loud, but soft, easy, and pleasant to the hearer, yet pathetic and commanding. His manner was never boisterous, but mild, quiet, and agreeable. He never lost his balance of temper in debate, but always bore himself through with much unaffected pleasantry and good humor. He was a ready writer, a close thinker, a fair debater, a good editor, an excellent preacher, and a strong man. He was strictly evangelical in doctrine, according to Dr. L. Beecher's definition of that term. To the honor of his name be it said, he never had the least sympathy with Campbellism, Millerism, Calvinism, or Universalism, but was a whole-hearted Christian individually, theologically, and denominationally.
"To be sure, Brother Badger had his foibles, imperfections, and mortal weaknesses as well as other men; but now, having gone from us, and his account sealed up to the great day, let the broad mantle of Christian charity cover these forever, as he can give no further explanations, make no defence, nor be benefited by our limited extenuations. Peace to his ashes!"
Rev. J. Ross, of Charleston, N. Y., says:
"My first acquaintance with Mr. Badger was, I think, in the fall of 1816. He then, in company with ministers Avery, Moulton, and J. L. Peavy, called at my father's house in Milton, Saratoga County, N. Y., and held a meeting. Mr. Peavy preached. This was a little over two years after my profession of religion, and the organization of the Christian church at Ballstown. There was then a church existing at Galway, ten or twelve miles distant, and brethren scattered throughout various towns in the vicinity. Jabez King and Philip Sandford, both young men, were nearly all the help we had in that vicinity. Mr. Badger and his associates called to hold a general meeting of all the brethren who could assemble at Galway, for the purpose of seeking out and commending to the work, such persons as gave evidence of having gifts profitable for the Gospel field. The meeting was held in Galway, in the first chapel ever erected by our people in the State of New York. A number of young and diffident brethren, who afterwards became ministers, were here taken by the hand, by those more experienced, and encouraged to improve their gifts, whilst the churches were taught their duty to them. The sympathy and union generated by that interview doubtless still live in several hearts. This was our first acquaintance; and the act of meeting for the encouragement of young men whose eye was on the ministry, I deem peculiarly characteristic of the subject of the memoir. No young man in the circle of his influence was permitted to hide a profitable gift in a napkin, or bury his talent in the earth. He knew how to draw out the most diffident, could make the most of them when drawn out, and none could inspire their minds with stronger fortitude. At our first conference at Hartwick, Otsego County, 1818, he was there the active, moving spirit of that body. And whatever of order and good arrangement we now have in our conferences and conventions, may be attributed, more than to any other cause, to the impetus given by him in those early times.
"There was little of Don Quixote or of Utopianism in his constitution. He judged accurately of the effect of causes. He was cool, calm, and self-possessed amidst exciting scenes that moved the multitude; and wherever his Gospel labors proved effective, society was built up and order was established. He was a close observer of men and things, took the gauge and dimensions of men quickly, and it was usually safe to take his estimate as the true one. He saw coming events in the shadows which preceded them. Seemingly inspired with the sentiment that the Gospel was the God-appointed lever designed to lift the world from its moral degradation, he showed but little sympathy for any humanly devised means of reformation. 'The Gospel! the Gospel! THE PURE GOSPEL!' was his cry for the cure of moral evil. A want of confidence in the many professedly reformatory measures and associations of the age was calculated to affect his popularity in many quarters, but he adhered unwaveringly to his motto, 'the Gospel.'
"His sermons had method peculiar to himself. They always had order and arrangement; but the coherence of the parts was not always apparent to the casual observer. His manner in the pulpit was often playful, exciting a smile from the light-hearted, and sometimes a sigh or a tear from the most devout, as he rowed out into the sea of public discourse. But the scene gradually changed as he advanced in his labors, as his design began to be revealed, and his subject was applied. The sigh and tear were oft exchanged for songs, and the playful smile for prayer and tears. He always closed well.
"As a writer 'he is known and read of all men.' His style is his own, plain, clear, ungarnished and straight-forward. For this difficult station of editor he had rare accomplishments; and the denomination have cause for lasting gratitude for the aid and encouragement rendered to inexperienced writers, and for the impetus he gave to this mode of teaching. A glimpse at those volumes of the Palladium, issued under his supervision, and then at the condition of the correspondents and contributors, or the original copy from which it was made, at once reveals the singular ability of the man. How a class of young writers clustered around him! A thousand blessings rest upon him here!
"He had quick perception, great decision, and concentration. He habitually thought at early dawn; and when his purposes were laid, every energy was concentrated upon that single point. In this he was a Washington, a Napoleon, a Wellington. As a man of tact I have not known his equal. To this quality we may ascribe much of his success in conducting the Palladium. Many who could have written a labored article as well, or better, could not have succeeded in conducting the paper at all. Many with resources would have produced a mole-hill when he formed a mountain. But we will not, we dare not, say that his positions and his means of sustaining them were always right. He was a man; and in this utterance we plainly say he was erring. The most we can say, the highest character we would give our brother is, we hope, we trust, we believe he was a CHRISTIAN."