Rev. Samuel Pearce, A.M.
I had not a great deal of intimacy with Mr. Pearce, but I knew him and heard him sufficiently to appreciate him, and to make me thankful that I had not to depend on report for my knowledge of his character or preaching. It may seem saying much, but I speak the words of truth and soberness, — when I have endeavoured to form an image of our Lord as a preacher, Pearce has oftener presented himself to my mind than any other I have been acquainted with: not, however, as he began his ministry. Then he was too rapid, and had a kind of tiptoe motion in the pulpit; but after awhile — when his delivery was distinguished by mildness and tenderness, and a peculiar unction derived not only from his matter but his mind. I cannot accurately convey the appearance and impression he made, yet I can see the one, and feel the other, even at this great distance of time.
If, after days of drought, in a summers evening, you have viewed from your window the rain from heaven, not falling in a pouring torrent, but in a kind of noiseless distillation, every drop soaking in, and sure to be useful, and you thinking of” the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed’ — that emblem would aid you a little in conceiving of the mode and effect of his address. He was a man of a most affectionate disposition and candid temper, having much of the meekness of wisdom and the wisdom of meekness. He was the first Baptist minister I ever heard use the Lord’s prayer, which he did as he prayed before my sermon, when I preached at Battersea for Mr. Hughes.
There, too, I had my last interview with him. Mr. B e had
sent his carriage to town for two others and ourselves, and it was to take us back the next morning; but preferring to be by ourselves we privately took boat, and returned by water. In our conversation I well remember asking him what views of heaven he found the most attractive and affecting? He replied, “These have varied, (perhaps owing to some change in my condition or experience,) at different times; but for a good while past, I think my most delightful view of heaven has been derived from it as a place and state of blessed and endeared society, with Jesus at the Head. Hence I have frequently touched upon it in my sermons, and have more than once preached from such texts as these: — ‘I beheld a great multitude,’ &c., and ’ by our gathering together unto him.’ He will present us together with you, kc.” Thus we reached the stairs of Blackfriars Bridge, and parted to meet no more till” adieus and farewells are a sound unknown.’’ But what a savour does communion with such a man leave upon the spirit! And how blamable are we in not turning our social moments to more account! for we never know but our present intercourse may be our final.
What a noble and deserved Memorial of him did Fuller publish, and what a beautiful motto did he prefix to the work I-^ “O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thy high places!” Who was not, therefore, mortified to find, in a new edition by his son, this exquisite motto exchanged for a good, but common-place pjissage of Scripture? Fuller, all polemic as he was, had no little geniua and sensibility; and sometimes he had expressions which verify Shakspeare’s remark, —
“One stroke of Nature makes the world our kin!”
N.B. The son promised, in case of a new edition of the Life, to replace the beautiful motto.
Pearce seemed beatified before his time. How young he died! and with what prospects of usefulness before him! and with what qualifications to serve his generation! What can we say to these things? Nothing;. “Be still, and know that I am God.^^
But there is something peculiarly mysterious and afiecting in the removal of such men, and in the midst of these days; especially,
1st, When contrasted with the continuance to long life of many of the worthless and injurious. And,
2ndly, When viewed in connexion with the disposition and influence to do good, and the numberless calls for their exertion. Alas for this dark world of ours! We have had a few burning and stining lights, and can we see the most luminous among them extinguished without concern? We want all their talents, and all their zeal; and shall they perish and no man lay it to heart? or pray, “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men?”
When the Reminiscent informed Dr. Davies of the death of Dr. Williams of Botherham, he burst into tears, and said, ‘’ I am almost ashamed to be alive, when so many great and good men die.’’
The hoary head is a ‘^ crown of glory,’’ if it be found in the ‘^ way of righteousness;” and Job speaks of it as a privilege: “Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in, in his season.” Be it so, and let all whose days are lengthened be concerned to “bring forth fruit in old age.” Yet, is protracted life always the mark of Divine approbation and distinction? May not the produce remain longer on the tree because of its slow ripening? May not persons go late to rest, because the business of the day is not yet discharged? Do not some live because they are not fit to die?
Of one thing we may be assured, that, whenever we are summoned, we shall not be detained for want of means of removal.
“Dangers stand thick through all the ground
To push us to the tomb;
And fierce diseases wait around
To hurry mortals home.”
Though I was not a personal witness of the following occurrence, I cannot deny myself the pleasure of recording it, from the testimony of one who was. Mr. Pearce was preaching on a public occasion; the sermon was excellent and well arranged; but after he had appeared naturally to have ended it, he broke forth afresh; and what was added, though excellent, seemed not to grow out of the particular subject of the discourse.
When it was over, Mr. Fuller, who had heard it, said,” Mr. Pearce, will you allow me to ask a question? I much liked and admired your sermon; but did you make intentionally any alteration of or addition to it, in the close? because, valuable as it was, it seemed not of a piece with the former parts. After a pause, Mr. Pearce said, — ‘’Well, if I must answer, the case was this: — When I was uttering the last two or three sentences, I saw running up to the crowded place a poor man, wiping his face and head, and eager to hear. I thought, this poor creature had come from a distance, and it would be cruel to let him go away without hearing a word of the Saviour; and so my pride yielded to my pity, and I tried to be useful, by adding a few things, regardless of connexion or order.^^ And what said — not fastidious critics — but lovers of souls, and angels, and God, the Judge of all?
In confirmation of Mr. Jay’s exalted judgment of this eminent minister and Christian, we could add something from
.; - REV. SAMUEL PEARCE, A.M. 87f
our own recollections, but prefer the insertion of a few words from the pen of the Rev. W. Ward, missionary to India, and a brief description of Pearces character by the Rev. Andrew Fuller.
Mr. Ward says, in a letter to a friend, dated January 5th, 1799, “I am happy in the company of dear brother Pearce. I have seen more of God in him than in any other person I ever knew. O how happy should I be to live and die with him! When well, he preaches three times on a Lords day, and two or three times in the week besides. He instructs the young people in the principles of religion, natural philosophy, astronomy, &c. They have a Benevolent Society, from the funds of which they distribute £4iO or £50 a-year to the poor of the congregation. They have a Sick Society for visiting the afflicted in general; a Book Society at chapel; a Lords-day School, at which betwixt two and three hundred children are instructed. Add to this, missionary business, visiting the people, an extensive correspondence, two volumes of mission history preparing for the press, &c.; and then you will see something of the soul of Pearce. He is everywhere venerated, though but a young man; and all the kind, tender, gentle affections make him as a little child at the feet of the Saviour.^’
Mr. Fuller says,” There have been few men in whom has been united a greater portion of the contemplative and the active; holy zeal and genuine candour; spirituality and rationality; talents that attracted almost universal applause, and the most unaffected modesty; faithfulness in bearing testimony against evil, with the tenderest compassion to the soul of the evil doer; fortitude that would encounter any difficulty in the way of duty, without anything boisterous, noisy, or overbearing; deep seriousness, with habitual cheerfulness, and a constant aim to promote the highest degree of piety in himself and others, with a readiness to hope the best of the lowest; not breaking the bruised reed, not quencldng the smoking flax/^ * Mr. Pearce died October 10th, 1799, at the early age of thirty-four, universally admired, beloved, and lamented.
* Memoirs of Pearce by Fuller, pp. 208 and 245.