Pen-Portrait of Mr. Boston, by Messrs. Colden, Davidson, and Wilson

“Mr. Boston was of a stature above the middle size; of a venerable, amiable aspect; of a strong and fruitful genius; of a lively imagination, such as affords what is called a ready wit, which, instead of cultivating, he laid under a severe restraint; of tender affections; a clear and solid judgment; his temper candid, modest, cautious, benevolent, obliging, and courteous; had a natural aversion to anything rude or uncivil in words or behaviour, and a delicate feeling in meeting with aught of that sort; could be heavy and severe in his words where there was just occasion, or he judged the same necessary.

“He was early called by Divine grace; all along afterwards exercised unto godliness; walked indeed with God, in all his ways daily acknowledging Him; frequent in solemn extraordinary applications to Heaven (namely, upon every new emergent of duty, difficulty, or trial), followed with evident, comfortable, and confirming testimonies of Divine acceptance and audience; a judicious observer, recorder, and improver of the dispensations of Divine providence in connection with the Word, his own frame and walk, and consequently of great expeiience in religion.

“He was accurately and extensively regardful of the Divine law in all manner of life and conversation, even in things that escape the notice of the most part of Christians; of a tender conscience, carefully watching against and avoiding the appearance of evil; compassionate and sympathising with the distressed, charitable to the needy; a dutiful husband, an indulgent father, a faithful and an affectionate friend, to which he had a particular cast in his temper, which proved a rich blessing to those who were favoured with his friendship.

“He was a considerable scholar in all the parts of theological learning, and excelled in some of them. What he was for a humanist, even toward the bitter end of his days, his translation of his own work on th(; Hebrew accentuation into good Ronjan Latin will abundantly testify: was well seen in Greek, and for the skill he attained in thc Hebrew, he will, we are satisfied, in ages to come be admired and had in honour by the learned world, especially when it is understood under what disadvantages, in what obscurity and seclusion from learned assistance, the work was composed, and when it is considered how far, notwithstanding, he had outstripped all that went before him in that study — namely, of the Hebrew accentuation. He understood the French; and, for the sake of comparing translations, could read the Dutch Bible. There were few i)ieces of learning that he had not sone good taste of But all his knowledge behoved to be otherwise discovered than by professing it.

“He was a hard student, of indefatigable application, so that whatever he was once heartily- engaged in, he knew not how to quit, till, by help from heaven and incessant labour, he got through it. He had a great knowledge and understanding of human nature, of the most proper methods of addressing it, and the most likely handles for catching and holding of it. He had an admirable talent for drawing a paper; was an admirer of other men’s gifts and parts, liberally giving them their due praise, even though in some things they differed from him; far from censorious, assuming, or detracting. As a minister, he had on his spirit a deep and high sense of divine things, was mighty in the Scriptures, in his acquaintance with the letter, with the spirit and sense of them, in happily applying and accommodating them for explaining and illustrating the subject. His knowledge and insight in the mystery of Christ was great, though a humbling sense of his want of it was like to have quite sunk and laid him by after he began to preach. He had a peculiar talent for going deep into the mysteries of the Gospel, and at the same time for making them plain, making intelligible their connection with and influence upon Gospel holiness, notable instances of which may be seen in his most valuable ‘Treatise on the Covenants,’ and in his ‘Sermons on Christ in the form of a Servant.’

“His invention was rich, but judiciously bounded. His thoughts were always just and often new, his ex])ressions proper and pure, his illustrations and similies often surprising, his method natural and clear, his delivery grave and graceful, with an air of earnestness, meekness, assurance, and authority tempered together. No wonder his ministrations in holy things were all of them dear and precious to the saints. He was fixed and established upon solid and rational grounds in the Reformation principles, in opposition to Popery, Prelacy, superstition, and persecution, was pleasant and lively in conversation, but always with a decorum to his character, quite free from that sourness of temper or ascetic rigidity that generally possesses men of a retired life. He fed and watched with diligence the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him overseer; and notwithstanding his eager pursuit of that study which was his delight, he abated nothing of his preparation for the Sabbath, nor his work abroad in the parish, nor did he so much as use the shorthand, whereof he was a master, but always -wrote out his sermons fair, and generally as full as he preached them. Far from serving the Lord with that which cost him nothing, it was his delight to spend and be spent in the service of the Gospel; was a faithful and, at the same time, a prudent reprover of sin; was imbued with a rich measure of Christian wisdom and prudence, without craft or guile, whereby he was exceedingly serviceable in judicatories, and excellently fitted for counsel in intricate cases. Zeal and knowledge were in him united in a pitch rarely to be met with.

“He had a joint concern for purity and peace in the Church; no man more zealous for the former, and at the same time, more studious of the latter, having observed, and felt so much of the mischief of division and separation; was exceeding cautious and scrupulous of anything new or unpresented, until he was thoroughly satisfied of its necessity and ground. It was his settled mind that solidly and strongly, to establish the truth was, in many cases, the best, the shortest, and most effectual way to confute error, without irritating and inflaming the passions of men to their own and to the truth’s prejudice; on all which accounts he was much respected and regarded by not only his brethren that differed from him, but generally by all sorts of men. To conclude, he was a scribe singularly instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, happy in finding out acceptable words — a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, a burning and a shining light. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.”

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