the Knowledge of Chrift, renewing their Wills, and both→ perfuading and enabling them to receive Chrift, in all his Offices, and for all his Benefits; to turn to God in and through Chrift, and chufe the glorious God, in Chrift, as their fupreme Ruler, Portion, and End; to embrace the Promifes, to live by Faith, and to look for the Mercy of the Lord Jefus Chrift unto eternal Life. In Sum, he preached Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift: teftifying the Gofpel of the Grace of God, in its Requirements and its Encouragements, it's Precepts and Promifes: often taking, occafion to fet forth the many invaluable Privileges of Believers, both here and hereafter; and the infinite Wisdom, Holiness, Justice, Truth, and Grace of God, difplay'd in the whole of their Salvation.

On fuch Subjects as thefe, Mr. Walter laid out very much of his Miniftry. But at the fame Time, while he conftantly affirmed thefe Things, it was to the End that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good VVorks. Well knowing, that Men are fantified through the Truth, he preached the Truth, even as it is in Jesus. He was a Preacher of Righteoufnefs, in the whole Scripture-Meaning of thisCharacter. He adapted his Preaching to the bleffed Defign of promoting Conviction, Converfion, and Sanctification. His Sermons were full of Motives and Directions, to this Purpofe-But he always pointed out the true Caufes of Salvation, the Grace of God, the Merits of Chrift, and the Power of the Holy Ghoft; and keeping thefe in View, he much inculcated a diligent Ufe of inftituted Means, under Gofpel-Encou ragements, Ariving to enter in at the Arait Gate, and to walk in the narrow VVay which leadeth unto Life. He often and earnestly preffed the Duties of the Chriftian Life, and infifted on the Neceffity of our following univerfal Holinefs, labouring after the higheft moral Improvements attainable in this Life, and longing for the Perfection of the upper World. In fhort, he was a moft practical, and truly evangelical Preacher. For the Proof of this,

we

we need only appeal to his printed Works; which are thefe. (1.) Unfruitful Hearers detected and warned. (This was lately re-printed.) (2.) The Body of Sin anatomized. (3.) A Difcourfe on vain Thoughts. (4.) The great Concern of Man. (5.) The VVonderfulness of CHRIST. (6.) The. Holiness of Heaven. (7.) Faithfulness in the Ministry; (A Sermon preach'd to the Convention of Ministers.) And the following Difcourfes, on the 55th Chapter of Ifaiab; with his last Sermon annexed. All which bear the visible Signatures of his Piety, Orthodoxy, Skill and Diligence in his Work. We may look upon them as the true Tranfcript of his fettled Sentiments and habitual Thoughts,as the Exemplification of his ufual Frames, and as fo many Specimens of his common Preaching, with regard to Subject, Spirit, Style, and Method.

It was very much his Manner, to felect particular Chapters of the Bible, or large Portions of them, and to go over them verfe by verfe, in his Sabbath-Sermons especially. He had a happy Talent at illuftrating the Scripture, and frequently with a few plain Words he would fet a difficult Text in an advantageous and perhaps uncommon Light. His Method of handling a Subject appear'd always exceeding natural and juft. With a Dignity of Sentiment, there was ever an eafy Train of Tho't. The late Rev. Dr. COLMAN, who was himself a valuable Preacher, used to say of him, When one is hearing Mr. Walter, it feems as if any Man could preach so; and yet it's difficult preaching like bim, and few can equal bim. So the late Rev. Mr. PEMBERTON, of the South Church in Bofton, who in his Day fhone as a fuperior Light, once faid of him (in Converfation with one of us) I know no Man, that in his Preaching reconciles Perfpicuity with Accuracy, like Mr. WALTER. He ufually difcourfed on his Text by way of Dorine and Ufe, according to the an cient Custom of the New England Miniftry. He dealt not in loofeHarangue,but laid out his Matter clearly,under diftina Heads, and number'd thefe as he went along, for the Eafe and Benefit of his Hearers; though for the

fame

fame Reason, he was careful not to multiply them to Ex cels. He was folicitous, in the Compofition of his Dif courses, to digest Things into the best Order, for common Edification of the Auditory; and to enforce every Point with the beft Authority, by citing pertinent Scriptures.And when he had fufficiently led them into the Under-: fanding of any Truth, then he apply'd it, to awaken their. Mind and Heart, to move and guide them to an answerable Experience and Praftice. Here he often expatiated in a Variety of fuitable, practical Reflections and Exhortations; yet in the whole was commonly very brief and: comprehensive. And as to his Style, or Diction, it was, not only exceeding clear and plain, but withal fo correƐt, that the Sermons he deliver'd in the ftated courfe of his. Miniftry (as were the enfuing) wou'd bear to see the Light. His Periods and Sentences concife, his Words emphatical and very expreffive, and most eafy to be une derstood. He had few Redundancies, and affected nothing of Luxuriancy or Pomp of Language. He was Jike the wife Preacher, SOLOMON fpeaks of, who fought to find out acceptable Words; and that which was written, was upright, even VVords of Truth; and thefe he fet in. Order. Because the Preacher was wife, be fill taught the People Knowledge. And the VVords of the VVife are as Geads, and as Nails fafined by the Mafters of Affemblies, which are given from one Shepherd. His Sermons were fcriptural,and rational, always fpeaking theThings that become found Doctrine, couched in few and familiar Words, with a noble Negligence of Style; and in the whole, calculated both to enlighten the Mind, and affect the Confcience.:

Though his Organs of Speech were naturally feeble, and his Utterance very deliberate, with frequent Paufes ; yet his Afpect, Gefture, Pronunciation, and whole Manner of Addrefs, were with fuch a Decorum, becoming the Pulpit; fo habitually grave and folemn, fo free from every aukward Air and difguftful Tone, and from all Sign of Indolence, Formality, or Affectation; his Voice nothing effeminate, and fo well modulated, his Words,

fo

fo juftly accented, his Paufes fo judiciously placed, his Eye and Action under fo proper a Regulation, and fuch a De gree of genuine Pathos difcover'd, accompany'd frequently with Tears, as indicated his Difcourfes to be the genuine Breathings of a warm Heart, tho' the Produce of a clear and cool Head.-In the Beginning of his Miniftry, for about feven Years, he preach'd memoriter, or without Notes, after the ufual Manner of that Day. But by a fevere Fit of Sickness, which brought him very low, and of which he recover'd only by flow Degrees, he found his Head fo affected, and his Memory weakened, that when reftor'd fo far as to be able to preach, he neverthelefs thought it prudent, not to commit his Sermons to Memory, and much lefs to venture upon preaching extempore; fo he then took up the Practice of using bis Notes in the Pulpit, and never faw fit to depart from it. And indeed he had a very happy Art in ufing them, as though he used them not; commonly but glancing on them (latterly with the Help of a Glass in his Hand) and then delivering his Matter, with his Eyes erect and pointed to the liftning Audience. For his agreable Elocution, and his excellent Compofition, added to the Importance of his Subject, feldom fail'd to draw the Eye and Ear of ferious Hearers, and engage their clofeft Attention: by Means whereof, a deeper Silence reigned in the Affembly, which gave Advantage to his low Voice, the more easily to be heard and a great vifible Solemnity in the Audience increas'd every one's Difpofition to attend with Wakefulness and Reverence.-His Sermons appear excellently good, in the Reading; but it must be confefs'd, they appear'd with a peculiar Grace and Advantage from the Pulpit. Truly, bis Doctrine dropped as the Rain, and bis Speech, difilled as the Dew:

But to leave his Character, which we have only given some imperfect Sketches of

About the Year 1717, as we fuppofe, from his long and close Application to Study, and other Labours of his Charge (in Conjunction perhaps with fome Incidents in

Providence)

Providence) he contracted a vertiginous Disorder, and fell into fuch a State of Debility, as obliged him for a confiderable Time to fufpend the Exercife of his Ministry, to intermit his Studies, and throw afide Books being feldom able to bear a Moment's intenfe Thought, and fcarce capable of carrying on Family-Duties or ClosetDevotions, without being quite overcome though still never wholly taken off from converfing with his Friends. On this melancholy Occafion, (if we do not mifremember) his kind People kept a Day of Fafting and Prayer; when many from the Vicinity, both Minifters and others, áf fembled with them, to help together by Prayer to GOD, that he would prolong fo precious a Life, and restore to Health and publick Service.The Prayer of Faith receiv'd an Answer of Peace, in a Divine Bleffing on the Means used for his Recovery. A Minifter of Bofton pur into his hands Dr. FULLER on Exercife, and urg'd him to ride. Upon which, he took a Journey; and by that and other Means, he happily obtain'd fuch a Recruit of Spirit and Strength, as enabled him to return to his be loved work.

For above 28 Years he had been in the Paftoral Office. without a Co-partner; till Q&ober 19. 1718, when his very valuable Son, Mr. THOMAS WALTER, was ordained his Colleague, to his prefent Help and Support; and in him he was ready to promise himself much Comfort, through the whole Remainder of his Days. For he was a most ingenious young Gentleman, an accomplish'd Scholar, an orthodox Preacher, and began to be a great Bleffing to the New England-Churches, in bravely and Jearnedly defending their Scriptural Profeffion and GofpelOrder; as appears by his printed Works. But the fovereign God was pleas'd to take him away by Death, on Jan. 10. 1724,5.-by which, his Father, his Family, his Congregation, his Town, and the Land in general, fuftain'd a great Lofs.

And now again the whole Weight of the Paftoral Care devolv'd on the Father alone. But his People, in Con

fideration