He read the scriptures in order; beginning a book, and going thro’ with it regularly; fixing at the same time upon such parts, as had most immediate reference to the doctrines and precepts of the gospel-state of things; which he not only read most frequently, but likewise committed to memory. *And the degree of perfection to which he arrived in this particular, was really surprising. His acquaintance with the letter of scripture, and his retentive memory, supplied him as with a constant concordance. And I believe there was not a remarkable passage, historical, doctrinal, or preceptive, from Genesis to the Revelation, which he could not, on the bare mention of, turn to immediately.
“Thy word (says he) O Lord, I have for mine inheritance for ever. It is the joy of my heart, and of more value to me than millions of worlds. O God, give me understanding, that I may keep thy law! But let my whole dependance be in Jesu’s merits. He is my advocate. Only by faith in him I stand. He is my sure refuge, and portion, in the land of the living!”
Being at sea one time, and the weather becoming extremely tempestuous, the mariners themselves were apprehensive of death. He in like manner expected the same, and put into his bosom, a small bible which he had with him, resolving that what he so loved in life, should not be parted from him even in death. Such was his love to, and singular esteem for the word of God.
In this manner it was, that he became in truth, a scribe, well instructed to the kingdom of heaven, and brought out of the treasury of his heart-experience, the old and new, and deep things of the word of Jehovah. It was from this fountain he derived his ideas, sentiments and expressions, on all occasions; explaining doctrines, enforcing duties and resolving difficulties, well nigh, altogether in scripture words. The spirit of wisdom so rested upon him, that there was nothing of a divine nature, which occurred to his own mind, or was proposed to him by others, respecting doctrines, experience, or practice, of which he could not speak with convincing clearness and satisfaction.
He had a singular faculty for throwing light upon doubtful cases; and it was not unusual with him, by two or three words to set to rights, and entirely quiet the minds of persons, perplexed before, about points of doctrine, or experience. A most remarkable instance of this I remember to have known in Ireland: a person who was greatly embarrassed in his mind concerning a point in religion, which appeared to him of great importance, and who had received no satisfaction from all his former researches on the head, came to Mr. Walsh, and related the matter to him; which having heard, he only asked one question, requiring the person to answer. And whether it was, that God, just then shone upon the man’s soul, and by his immediate light solved the difficulty; or whether it was through mere rational conviction, resulting from the arguments implied in his question, I know not; but he was instantly satisfied, and being convinced of his former mistake, had no further uneasiness on the head.
His insight into the invisible world, so realized to him things to come, that he spake of them as one who both heard and saw them. And they had their proportionable influence on the whole of his behaviour. He acted as in the immediate presence of God; and thus went on reading and meditating day and night, in the law of his God; and devouring, like another Ezekiel, the whole divine volume.
CHAPTER VIII.
His manner of preaching.
AT first his sermons consisted chiefly, of a number of well chosen texts of scripture, suited to the particular subject on which he treated, and which, he, for the most part, cited with both the chapter and verse. He had in this manner formed, as it were, a body of divinity in his head, which was a kind of store house of his sermons. Time and experience however, brought him off from the custom of, so particularly citing the places of the scriptures, he made use of; unless where he judged it singularly useful, both for the conviction and satisfaction of the hearers.