Whilst in Boston, Mr. Badger became acquainted with the clergymen of other denominations, particularly with Dr. Ware, Gannet and Tuckerman, of the Unitarian faith, of whom he always spoke in exalted terms. His acquaintance and intercourse with Ware and Tuckerman were familiar; and often did he speak of the divine spirit of Henry Ware, and of the benevolent heart of Mr. Tuckerman. Indeed, at one time Mr. Badger thought of accepting a proposal to join Mr. Tuckerman in his missionary labors in Boston, at least, so far did he think of it as to consult his family on the propriety of accepting the unanimous call of the Christian Society[43] in Boston, for a settlement of three or five years, or instead of this, to join Mr. Tuckerman in his missionary labors, with a permanent settlement and a thousand or twelve hundred dollars per year. For a work like this, the gathering in, the instruction and persuasion to virtue and religion of the neglected and unprosperous classes, Mr. B. had extraordinary gifts; yet, from the weight of considerations founded chiefly in his relations to his home and former field of labor in the State of New York, neither of these positions was accepted. An anecdote somewhat characteristic of the man was lately given me by a friend, and as it relates to extemporaneous preaching, I will transcribe it. "While he was in Boston, he occasionally associated with clergymen of the Unitarian denomination, men who were perhaps distinguished above the average of ministers by the careful and elaborate manner in which they prepared their written discourses. One day he was accosted by one of them thus: 'Mr. Badger, how do you manage to prepare and preach so many sermons?' 'Why, sir,' he replied, 'I never study the _words_ of my sermons. I study _ideas_, and clothe them in words when I want them.'" Before me lies a plain 12mo Bible, published in 1826, on whose margins, in delicate marks and letters, are pointed out every text (and the day of its use) that he spoke from during his ministry in Boston. A simple mark declares the passage, and at the bottom or top of the page the date is seen, so that, without any journal, a clue is given to every topic of his public discoursing, for _his_ texts very generally pointed out his subjects. Whoever will look over this book, could, in the character of the passages chosen, at once see that Mr. B. had a practical mind, good taste, and knew how to be to the point and purpose. His chosen passages are full of expression. These, of course, cannot here be quoted, but a list of these passages written out, as they range from Genesis to Revelation, would be an instruction as well as a reproof to those who preach from irrelevant and inexpressive passages; and they would likewise form a noble chain of Scripture gems. A man shows what is characteristic in him by his texts, taken as a whole, often as clearly as by what he preaches.