CHAPTER IX.

Life of Dr. Mather subsequent to his resigning the Presidency. His habits as a student. His liberality. His gentlemanly manners. His character as a preacher. His solemn testimony. His humility and penitence. His last sickness, death, funeral, &c.

DR. MATHER'S connection with the college ceased, as we have seen, A. D. 1701. After this he lived about twenty-two years, during the greater part of which time he performed his ministerial duties much as usual, and continued to take a watchful interest in every thing which concerned church and state. In this time also, and in addition to all his other labors, he issued from the press not far from fifty distinct publications, the most of them on important practical subjects.

I have said that, during this latter portion of his life, Dr. Mather exercised his ministry much as usual. When he had been settled forty-nine years, he preached a Jubilee sermon; and as the servants in Israel were released at the Jubilee, so he requested a release from any further public labors. But his people set too high a value on his services, to consent to such a proposition

At a later period, they kindly voted, that "the labors of the pulpit should be expected from him only when he found himself able and inclined to perform them." Still, he actually did preach frequently and powerfully, to the very last year of his life.

Dr. Mather was an indefatigable student, all his days. Indeed, prayer and study may be said to have constituted his principal business. His people sometimes complained that they saw so little of him in their families, and from the following account of the manner in which he ordinarily spent his time, we think their complaints were not without reason. "In the morning, repairing to his study, he deliberately read a chapter, and offered prayer, and then plied what of reading and writing he had before him. At nine o'clock he came down, read a chapter, and made a prayer with his family; after which he returned to the work of the study. Coming down to dinner, he quickly went up again, and commenced the afternoon with another prayer; when he went on with his studies till evening. The studies of the evening were commenced with another prayer, and went on till nine o'clock. Then he came down to his family sacrifices. From these, he again repaired to the study, where he continued, often, till after mid

night. The studies of the day were always closed with prayer. Sixteen hours of the four and twenty were commonly spent after this manner in the study."

Not a few, on reading this account, will wonder how the subject of it lived to the long period of eighty-four years. Most ministers, with so little relaxation and exercise, would have died of dyspepsia or hypochondria, in one sixth part of the time. But if Dr. Mather could live and enjoy health, none need wonder at the interest which continued to be felt in his publications and pulpit performances. His intellectual machinery never grew rusty from disuse. He not only kept up with his age, but kept in advance of it. Younger men might study as hard, and preach as well as they could; he studied harder, and preached better. To all the advantages of intellectual progress and new discoveries and improvements, in respect to which he was on a par with them, he added the more important advantages of a long experience, which were beyond their reach. In this way, Dr. Mather continued to bear fruit in old age; and his example is one of great importance to ministers and others, as they approach the evening of life. Most old men lay off their armor, and retire from the duties of active life too soon. They conclude pre

maturely that their work is done, and their usefulness ended. There is no reason why clergymen, who enjoy good health, should not be better ministers, and more useful preachers, between the ages of fifty and seventy, than between those of thirty and fifty. Let them study, if not as closely as Dr. Mather, enough at least to be even with their age, and in advance of it; let them keep up their interest in the concerns of the church and world, and their habits of activity and usefulness; more especially, let them grow, as did the venerable man of whom we are speaking, in prayerfulness and heavenly mindedness; and there will be little danger of their becoming stale and neglected. They will, like him, bear fruit in old age, and their labors will be appreciated and blessed.

Dr. Mather, like most other ministers, was little burthened with this world's goods; but in the use of what he had, he was truly liberal. He was so, on strictly Christian principles. He believed that, as God has reserved a seventh part of our time to be devoted more especially to his service, so he has required a tenth part of our substance. Accordingly, he constantly devoted a tithe of his income to pious and charitable uses. This, he held, was the least which a

Christian could in conscience do. He often did much more than this.

That habit of prayerfulness and communion with God, in which Dr. Mather so uniformly lived, imparted to him, not sternness and severity of manner, but a remarkable seriousness and gravity. He lived, and he seemed to live, as seeing him who is invisible. His very presence was a rebuke and a check to every thing bordering upon indecency or levity.

Still, he was distinguished above most men of his age for ease and gentleness of manner, or for what may be denominated true Christian courtesy. It is required of a bishop, in the Scriptures, that he be "of good behavior." Dr. Goodwin interprets this to mean, that he "must not be slovenly, nor of such an unmannerly carriage as to bring his calling into contempt. He must avoid all that rudeness that flows from ill nature, or ill nurture, and be of such a modest, comely, pleasing behavior as to render him fit for the company of gentlemen." Such, preeminently, was Dr. Mather. Recluse as he was at some periods, he had mingled much with the world at others. He had frequented the best company, both in this country and in Europe. It had been his lot to stand before kings. And it is testified of him that "he was of a very