Shortly after the date of this letter, he joined the academy at Lawrenceville, under charge of the Rev. Isaac V. Brown, and began his preparatory studies. The reader cannot but have remarked the earnestness of his desire to enter the ministry; the singleness of his motives in desiring the sacred office; and the grateful joy manifested, when Providence rendered plain the way for him to begin his studies. With the utmost alacrity he left an employment which promised wealth, and all the consideration in the world which wealth insures, and devoted himself to the service of the church, with the expectation of being poor and laboring hard during his whole life. In all this, however, there was none of the rashness of a young enthusiast, but the deliberate self-denial of a true Christian. He adopted no plan, he took no step without first consulting his parents and most judicious friends, and obtaining their approbation.

At the age of nineteen he was willing to sit down to a course of eight years' study, that he might be qualified for usefulness, and, in some measure at least, prepared to meet the awful responsibilities of the ministerial office. These responsibilities he deeply felt. and while he most earnestly desired to be a preacher of the Gospel, he was too conscientious and too prudent to rush into it without that mental discipline, and that culture of the heart which would, in his own deliberate judgment, justify him in going forward as a teacher of others.

He who teaches religion, has to teach persons of all classes the master spirits of the nation, who expect justness and force of thought, propriety of language, enlarged and liberal views, united with "the meek

ness of heavenly wisdom:"-and the uninstructed poor, who need that the truth should be set forth in terms so clear and familiar, that they cannot be mistaken. The man of real learning alone is able to perform this service. Accustomed to investigation, he arranges his thoughts in a natural order; habituated to the search after truth, he employs words with precision; and knowing how greatly the energy of language is increased by simplicity, he uses "great plainness of speech." Whereas, the untaught and the half taught foolishly imagine that they are great and profound, in proportion as they are unintelligible. The most eloquent men whom I have ever known, such as Patrick Henry and John Randolph, among statesmen; and James Waddell and James Turner, among preachers, were remarkable for the simplicity of their manner and the perfect intelligibleness of their language. They made every one, learned and rude, feel their intellectual power.* The art consists mainly in setting the subject so plainly and distinctly before the people, that every one shall think that he can see it himself. But it requires much intellectual discipline to enable a public speaker to do this.

It deserves also to be remarked, that James Brainerd Taylor did not rely for evidence of a call to the minis

* An old soldier of the revolution told me, that in some severe encounter during the war, his commanding officer, perceiving that his men, though fighting bravely, were overshooting the enemy, in his peculiar slang cried out, "shin them, boys! shin them!" and at the very first fire after this command, the advancing column of British grenadiers wavered and reeled, and was very soon entirely broken. Let the soldier of the cross imitate the example-let him fire low

try on the impulses of his own mind, or some undefinable feelings, but looked carefully at the leadings of Providence, at the wants of the world, and at the state of his own heart. He consulted his friends, and prayed over the subject. In a word, he adopted every measure to enable him to form a wise determination; and as the result of the whole, went forward under a firm conviction of duty.

CHAPTER II.

First two years in Academy.

On the 13th of January, 1820, Mr. Taylor arrived at Lawrenceville, and began a course of study preparatory to his entering college. A young man in this situation is exposed to temptations which require much vigilance and care; otherwise his religious interests will suffer; and while he is growing in knowledge, he will be declining in piety.

A new, dry, and difficult study at once occupies and harasses the mind. If there is an ardent thirst for knowledge, and any waking up of ambition and rivalry, the attention is so engrossed that little opportunity is found for prayer and that devotional reading of the Scriptures which is indispensable to one's growth in holiness. And if religious exercises afford high enjoyment, there is great danger lest the young student should go from them to his daily studies with reluc

tance, and in process of time with feelings of disgust. It requires, then, much firmness of religious principle, and great self-watchfulness, to go through this early part of preparation with no diminution either of the piety of the student or his desire of intellectual improvement.

Besides, a promiscuous school of twenty or thirty boys, lodging in the same or neighboring buildings, has a spirit generally unfavorable to religious improvement. Their petty jealousies, their occasional dissatisfactions, the general levity of boys, and a thousand things of this kind, operate injuriously. And it happens, sometimes at least, that a young man enters college with less of the spirit which becomes a minister of Christ, than he carried with him to the grainmai school.

If, then, an example can be shown of one who went through these dangers without injury; and if it can be shown by what means he grew in grace, while others in similar circumstances often decline, this part of James B. Taylor's memoir may be useful to numbers, in whose high-toned and fervent piety the church and the world have a deep interest.

His first letter from Lawrenceville is addressed to his friend C- — H- who was then preparing

for college, at Bloomfield, N. J.

"I left New-York on Tuesday, and lodged in NewBrunswick. On the next day, at six P. M. I set out for Lawrenceville. After we had proceeded about eight miles, the horses suddenly started off, and before we had discovered that the driver was left behind,

they were on the run. There were four passengers in the stage besides myself, who appeared to be much agitated; nor did I wonder at it, for they were very irreligious persons, and there appeared to be no way of escape. I did not know what the issue would be, but of this I was certain, that the Judge of all the earth would do right, and my mind was in a great degree composed. The suddenness of the affair caused a little anxiety at first. But I thought of the distinguishing mercy of my heavenly Father, who had been. pleased to call me to trust in him; and I felt that it was a time to set a value on the religion of Jesus, and the hope which it imparts. O that I might value it more! The horses ran about two miles at full speed, and then turned into the yard where they are accustomed to stop, without any injury to the passengers or stage. I consider the escape as entirely providential, and feel that I am called on 'to praise the Lord for his goodness,' and say, 'hitherto hath he helped me.' My situation is pleasant. Religious privileges are better than I expected. We have family worship morning and evening, preaching every Sabbath, and prayermeetings on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.

"As yet I have made very little progress in my Latin. I find it pretty dry, and rather trying, for I go on more slowly than I expected. This has troubled me somewhat; but as it is the way to usefulness, I hope I shall not yield to such feelings. I think that we may be as happy now, as at any future period of life, if we only use our present privileges with a right spirit. Having been here but a short time, I have not yet adopted any particular plan for disposing of my time. I design before long to draw up such an one for 4 J. B. Taylor.