Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 1
I desire to bless & praise the name of God most high, for Appointing me my Birth in a Land of Gospell Light, where the Glorious Tidings of a Saviour, & of pardon & Salvation through him have been continually sounding in mine Ears. I desire to bless him for in that whilst I have been a Rebell to his most AEquitable Laws, & an Enemy to his Honour, both by Nature & by Practice, he has nott as yett cutt me down in mine Iniquitys & gotten to himself a fearfull Name by making me a Monument of his Vindictive Justice; but has been sparing me till his tender Compassion has Aggravated mine Obstinate perversness.
And now I desire truly & sincerely to render unto Most gracious God, the Praise due to his most holy Name for all the Privelidges he has been favouring me wth.; for his Restraining Grace afforded & for preventing Goodness; but Alas! by Nature I'm a Child of Wrath, born in Sin & Shapen in Iniquity, & uncapable to yeild him Praise without the Renovation of my Mind & Will by his Holy Spirit; of my Self I'm utterly unable to do Any thing for his Praise for his Glory, for mine own Salvation or Belief in Jesus Christ, & as I'm indebted to him for Life & Breath, for all my Thoughts & Actions So for good Thoughts & Actions in perticular. I am therefore sensible that I came sinfull into a sinfull World, & that to mine 49originall iniquity, I've been Adding innumerable Actually Trangressions wch. have defild my whole Soul & render'd me loathsome to An Holy God; But I hope & trust God has given me to see the depravity of my whole nature, has op'ned mine Eyes to veiw the Pollution of my Soul & to see that out of Christ there was no hopes of Salvation for me & has been inclining me to Accept of Christ as for the Pardon of my Sins, so for the Sanctification of my Whole Nature, & I trust I'm now heartily willing to accept of him on his Own Terms, as he is offer'd me in the Gospell. I yeild to him as my Prophett to inlighten me in the Knowledge of his ways & to instill his Statutes into my Soul: As my Priest to make intercession for me before the Father & to present me One Day before him Without Spott & blameless; as my King to Subdue all my Rebell affections to himself, to keep Under the Body of Corruption that is in me & to bring me off more than Conqueror in all Temptations & trialls through himself.
I Believe the Bible to be the written word of God & to Contain in it the whole Rule of Faith & manners; I consent to the Assemblys Shorter Chatachism as being Agreable to the Reveal'd Will of God & to contain in it the Doctrines that are According to Godliness.
I have for some time had a desire to attend upon the Lords Supper and to Come to that divine Institution of a Dying Redeemer, And I trust I'm now convinced that it is my Duty Openly to profess him least he be ashamed to own me An Other day; I humbly therefore desire that you would recieve me into your Communion & Fellowship, & I beg your Prayers for me that Grace may be carried on in my soul to Perfection, & that I may live answerable to the Profession I now make which (God Assisting) I purpose to be the main End of all my Actions,
{Robert Treet Pain. 219.
Samuel Bass junr. 220."3
According to his diary, RTP spoke to Joseph Sewall about admission to the Old South Church on Mar. 10, was proposed on Apr. 2, and admitted on Apr. 16.
Sewall (1688–1769), a 1707 graduate of Harvard, went as co-minister to the Old South in 1712 and continued there until his death. He was generally on the Orthodox Calvinist side of theological issues. Along with Thomas Prince, Sewall edited Body of Divinity, the sermons of their predecessor, Samuel Willard, RTP's great-grandfather (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 5:376–393).
RTP was eighteen years old.
Samuel Bass (1720–1804), son of Samuel and Christian (Turrell) Bass of Water Street, Boston. He followed his father in the tannery business (Thwing Index).
My constant endevours to Serve you will I hope witness to the Sincerity of my professions to you, for my own pleasure I had much rather you shou'd Come down for your nesesarys than deprive my Self of the Sight of you by Sending to you; and by that means prevent your Coming to town, but Since you desire it (tho' its long Since I Saw you) I Chuse to gratifie you, rather than my self and hope by this means to testifie to you, both my high esteem of your Conduct in your own affairs; and my unfeigned desires to Serve you as far as my poor Ability will permit.
I have Several things to Communicate to you which I shou'd be glad to do by word of mouth but Since I Cant See I must Content my Self this way of Communicating my Self to you. Father informs me as a great Secret that Mr. Oliver1 has been to him to Consult the affair of a Comencement and Say that he and Mr. Green2 have determin'd to make none and this week they have wrote to Mr. Whipple3 desiring that he wou'd Comply with it but let him do as he will they are resolv'd to agree in making no preparation and desire Father to consent to join with them which he did and resolves to follow their Exemple. As it is keept a Secret I Suppose twill be news to you but dont mention it only Let me know your thoughts upon it.
Dear Brother as I wou'd Look upon you as a friend as well as a Brother (which but too Seldom are to be found in that relation but I trust I am So happy in you) I'll take this time to inform you of an affair of my own, that I make no doubt but will Surprise you as it has me. Father has at Lenth approv'd of Mr. Greenleaf's request to visit me and has given his Consent and has taken Some pains in a very tender Manner to perswade me to Comply with Mr. ——s request. Were it not for this and the reasons he urges I shou'd have no thoughts but to refusse without Consideration, but his urging it in any degree is so Strange I know not what to Say. Many of his reasons are to tedeious to name but one a Consideration of my age and his Curcumstances not being so promising as Some years 51past by reason of many Losses and disapoinments and his infirmities of body & age Come on which makes him desirious to have me Seteled, and he thinks this a good prospect for a Living and his only objection what we all know: the family.
Pray Let me know your thoughts upon this by the bearrer for a monday night I shall See him, and if tis worth Consideration I Shall See him again if you think tis not I will dismiss the point.4
Here has been many Suden Deaths this week and in perticular Mrs. Beninton5 of a Lethurgy and is buried this day.
Your desire me to Let you know when our Sacrement is next. It was Last Sabbath. Sisster Sends her Love to you and dont intend to write till you have.
Pray accept thesse from your Loving Sisster,
Next week I shall Expect you to remember your promise a monday being my birth day.
Andrew Oliver (1706–1774), father of RTP's classmate, Andrew Oliver (1731–1799). The elder Oliver was at this time serving in the House of Representatives, and later served as province secretary and lieutenant governor, and was closely tied with the Hutchinson clique (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 7:383–413).
Joseph Green (1703–1765), father of RTP's classmate Joshua Green, was a successful merchant in Boston, associated in business with Isaac Walker as Green & Walker (Samuel Abbott Green, An Account of Percival and Ellen Green [Groton, Mass., 1879], 14–16).
Joseph Whipple (1687–1753), deputy governor of Rhode Island and father of William Whipple (NEHGR, 32[1878]: 406).
Joseph Greenleaf’s courtship of Abigail Paine was ultimately successful. RTP apparently raised no objections to the match.
Mary Bennington, "Widow and Schoolmistress," aged 67, was buried Mar. 4, 1748/9 (King's Chapel Burial Register).