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RELIGIOUS MAGAZINE,

OR

SPIRIT OF THE FOREIGN THEOLOGICAL JOURNALS AND REVIEWS

FEBRUARY, 1828.

From the Congregational Magazine. MEMOIRS, INCLUDING LETTERS AND

less estimated by years than by deeds and acquisitions, and if none have lived in vain who have lived to God, then the poignancy of our SELECT REMAINS, OF JOHN URQU-regrets may be softened, and our sense of loss HART, late of the University of St. Andrew's. By Wm. Orme. 2 vols. 12mo. 10s. Holdsworth.

THE sensibilities of nature, as well as the benignant anticipations of grace, constrain us to drop the tear of unfeigned sorrow over the tomb of early and consecrated genius. The sight of the scathed sapling, or withered rosebud awakens a displacent sympathy. But when a whole harvest is ravished from us by blasting mildew, just when the ear was bursting from its hood-it is not a bare frustration, it is a mockery of hope, that sharpens regret, and augments the sense of desolation. Yet such visitations are ordained to come upon an apostate race, to subserve the high purposes of a retributive and corrective dispensation. We are apt to call these displays of divine sovereignty mysterious, while their obvious tendency is not merely to impress the lesson of the universal reign of sin and death, but to teach the renovated part of human intelligences, that the God of grace is independent of the selectest agency, and that what he condescends to use, be it illustrious or mean, owes its efficiency to his own blessing. If the sympathies of nature seem to be all violated when youthful bloom and vigour are given as a prey to the destroyer, how much sharper does the pang become where there had been promise of eminent talent and rare endowment! Add still to the bitterness of the visitation-the disappointment of benevolent desires, the frustration of gracious hopes, the sudden extinction of a burning and a shining light in a benighted world-and the sadness both of natural feeling and of gracious sympathy, can rise no higher. Genius -the rarest of human endowments, and piety -the choicest of divine benedictions, fading like a nipt blossom or an unripe fruit, and dropping into the portion of weeds and withered leaves; this is a stroke that rankles, while it pierces to the holiest sanctuary both of natural and devout sensibility. Science and Religion

mitigated. The premature fall of one man has
been more useful than the long life of another.
God has granted some of his servants more suc-
cess after they were dead than while they lived;
and made their graves more eloquent than their
tongues. The good we design, and the promise
we give in life, may yet be fulfilled, when we
live only in the memories and regrets of man-
kind. Our very dust, at God's bidding, shall
put forth a virtue, which living we could not
command, and the bones of a dead prophet pro-
duce effects surpassing all that accompanied his
life. Great, as we might fairly calculate, would
have been the usefulness of a Spencer, and a
Kirk White, and a Martyn, had their
age been
lengthened only to the ordinary lot of man, yet
there is satisfactory evidence, in the excitement
their deaths occasioned, in the impulse their
characters gave-an impulse not yet subsided-
and in the fragrancy of grace which their me-
mories still diffuse, that the promise of their
youth has not failed-they still bloom, still
preach, still write. An honour has been accord-
ed them not granted to many of our race, of
having their youth immortalized, and all their
fair colours and brightest hues perpetuated in
the dewy freshness of the morning, before age
had dimmed their lustre; just as we have seen
flowers and fruits enshrined with all their love-
liest tints in a bed of amber. And now another
naine must be added, and Urquhart be entwined
with this flowery wreath of Zion's choicest blos-

soms.

In performing our duty, which we can hardly persuade ourselves ought to be that of critics, we are too much wrapt in admiration of the extraordinary youth, to allow any feelings to predominate but those of regret, for so much excellence torn from us before we knew that we possessed it; and of ardent hope that the burning love, and matured piety, and inanly wisdom of young Urquhart may yet display a seminating virtue, and rise again multiplied a hundred fold from his ashes, through the memorial by which

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ing, and far outstripped all his compeers; and of them it may be said, the fame of Dr. Chalmers had drawn some of the choicest youths of the North, and several from the South, to the University of St. Andrew's, at the time that young Urquhart made his appearance. It is not necessary for us to follow the narrative of his rapid and brilliant transit. We shall first give our readers the opportunity of perusing the brief but expressive outline of his character from the pen of Dr. Chalmers, which is contained in the preface to the memoir. It is addressed in a letter to Mr. Orme.

"He is altogether worthy of the biographical notice which you purpose. My first knowledge of him was as a student, in which capacity he far outpeered all his fellows; and in a class of uncommon force, and brilliancy of talent, shone forth as a star of the first magnitude.

"I do not recollect the subjects of his various Essays; but the very first which he read in the hearing of myself, and of his fellow-students, placed him at the head of the class in point of estimation: a station which he supported throughout, and which was fully authenticated at the last, by the highest prize being assigned to him for those anonymous compositions, which are submitted to my own judgment, and among which, I decide the relative and respective merits, without any knowledge of their

authors.

"For several months I only recognised him as a person of fine taste, and lofty intellect; which, teeming forth, as they did from one who had not yet terminated his boyhood, gave the indication, and the promise of something quite superlative in future life. It was not till after I had, for a time, admired his capacities for science, that I knew him as the object of a far higher admiration, for his deep and devoted sacred

ness.

"It was in the second session of my acquaintance with him, that I devolved upon him the care of a Sabbath-school, which I had formed. In the conduct of this little seminary, he displayed a tact, and a talent, which were quite admirable, and I felt myself far out-run by him, in the power of kind and impressive communication; and in that faculty, by which he commanded the interest of the pupils, and could gain, at all times, the entire sympathy of their understanding. Indeed, all his endowments, whether of the head or of the heart, were in the best possible keeping. For example,-he was alike literary and mathematical, and combined the utmost beauty of composition, with the rigour and precision of the exact sciences. But his crowning excellence was his piety; that virtue, which matured him so early for heaven, and bore him in triumph from that earth on which he hath so briefly sojourned. This religious spirit gave a certain etherial hue to all his college exhibitions. He had the amplitude of genius, but none of its irregularities. There was no shooting forth of mind, in one direction, so as to give prominency to certain acquisitions, by which to overshadow, or to leave behind, the other acquisitions of his educational course. He was neither a mere geometer, nor a mere linguist, nor a mere metaphysician; he was all put together; alike distinguished by the fulness, and the harmony of his powers.

"I leave to you, Sir, the narrative of er characteristics. I have spoken, a spoken, of the attainments of his philo to you it belongs, to speak of the sub tainments of his faith.

"Had I needed aught to reconcile transition which I have made, from th a pastor, to that of a professor, it would the successive presentation, year afte such students as John Urquhart, nor, up the direct work of a Christian min I regret the station to which Provid translated me, at one of the fountai the Christian ministry in our land."xx.

Mr. Orme was his friend and p Chalmers was one of his tutors at the ty, and it may be deemed probable, th has been swayed by personal frien the other by an innocent kind of f not unusual in teachers who enterta interest in the improvement and e their pupils. But so far as our jud tends, though there should be a little mating in some branches of his chara we by no means profess to have de there is none in the total amount: convinced that, after all, some of hi cellences, and those the most astor lad of his age, considerably surpass biographer and his literary friends b It is abundantly evident, from the contained in these interesting vol however splendid were his litera ments, his gracious endowments wer

So.

He might have found elsew compeers in every department of s letters, in which, at St. Andrew's stood without a rival; but we very if there existed his equal among the Great Britain, either in theologica practical piety; and certainly, for th nary assemblage of genius, learnin and holy zeal, it may be long befor hear of such another. His college short, but from the very first, sp high degree. He entered the U gaining the first bursary, or exhi thirty-three competitors, in the yea every subsequent session he outst lengthening distance, all his fellow cessively attained the highest di every stage of his curriculum. Bu has wisely forborne to enter into literary and scientific eminence-h er object in view than to hold for friend, as a favourite son of geniu light of science. The youthful U felt the promptings of a nobler a had consecrated all to the service of and his short, yet happy career of fulness was begun at St. Andre the Missionary standard was erec youthful leader, who stood unriv the venerable Halls of that ancien and bore off its highest honou ashamed to stand at its gate and c on the Lord's side? let him com A band of choice young spirits flame; and there did he assembl time to time, to fire their breasts ardour than that which urged the

of science. He had, with some others of his youthful associates, resolutely devoted himself to the Missionary work; was endeavouring to spread the holy leaven; concerting measures for uniting the pious youth in all the Universities of Scotland, England, and America, in one Missionary Association, and was labouring to induce affectionate and reluctant relatives to resign him for ever to the Lord's work among the heathen, when, like a too early flower, that had untimely discovered its beauty, he faded, and sunk almost without warning, before the astonished and admiring gaze of his friends. There is, if not a melancholy, (for we would not seem to use a murmuring word in reference to his fall,) yet a plaintive satisfaction now in the perusal of those remains which particularly exhibit his attainments in divine knowledge and personal religion. Mr. Orme has dedicated his work to the London Missionary Society, who were to have had the living youth, as soon as his affairs and the feelings of his relatives, and his age, would have justified them in accepting his services. They have his memory; they have the picture of a missionary student, such an one as may yet do them and their cause much more essential service than could have been rendered by his personal labours, had they been extended to hoary hairs.

We shall now present our readers with one or two specimens of his religious attainments. These, in the style and grace of their execution, will enable every qualified person to judge of the general superiority of his faculties, as well as show, in its results, the amount of his various attainments. The first is only a fragment, and is entitled

"ON THE LOVE OF FAME.

"And seekest thou great things for thyself?"&c.

Jeremiah.

"I have often thought it peculiarly interesting to compare that morality which is to be found in the systems of ancient philosophy, with the morality which is contained in the Bible;-to see the heart of man still reflecting, though dimly and imperfectly, that image which was stamped upon it at first;-to observe the harmonious accordance which obtains between the law that is written in the heart, and the law which has been revealed to us by the Spirit of God, and thus to identify that God who hath formed the heart of man, with that God, who, in times past, spake unto the fathers by the prophets; and who hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.

"Some of these theories of the ancients are so beautiful, and so perfect, that we are apt to feel disappointed that their practical influence was not extensively and powerfully felt. But we shall not wonder at this, if we consider how difficult it is to arrest the attention by abstract truths; and how little of practical efficacy there is in such truths, even when most fully apprehended. To cultivate any feeling, we must not look to the feeling itself; but to the

have to do is to direct the attention to these facts, and the proper state of feeling is the invariable and immediate result.

"But not only are the systems of the ancient philosophers deficient in practical efficacy; they are even imperfect as theories of morality. Pure and elevated as they appear, when viewed abstractly and in themselves, they cannot stand a comparison with that purer system which has been given us by revelation.

"To most of the precepts which are given us in the Bible, we can find some. counterpart in the writings of heathen philosophers; but there is one virtue which we hesitate not to say, is more frequently inculcated in the Bible than any other;-for a counterpart to which you may search the whole writings of ancient philosophy, and find nothing that bears to it the most distant resemblance. Never did there come from the pen of a heathen, sentiments like those contained in our motto ;-"Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not." It is a very striking fact, that, in the language of Greece and Rome, there is not a word to express humility as a virtue:-those words which are generally used signify rather meanness and that crouching to power, which is the feeling not of a humble, but of a dastardly spirit. On the other hand, pride and haughtiness were considered as the concomitants of prowess and bravery; and hence the heroes of ancient poetry are generally furnished with an abundant portion of both.

"Yes: that vice which we inherit from the author of our misery, lurks, too successfully in the recess of the human bosom, to be discovered by the light of reason alone;-it requires a more searching scrutiny to drag it from that place, while it has taken up its abode in the inmost penetralia of our souls. In the present depraved state of the human heart, it is difficult to distinguish between those desires and propensities which may have once been pure, but which, at the fall, were perverted; and those which are radically evil, and which could not have existed in the heart of man, in his state of original purity. Without hesitation, we would class pride in the latter division, as a feeling altogether of demoniacal origin; and which could not exist in the mind of a pure and holy being.

"But though we can thus give a most unhesitating deliverance with regard to this vice itself, there are some of its modifications about which we cannot denounce so decidedly. The desire of fame, and the desire of power, and all that is described in our text by the seeking after great things, have so often been declared by our theological writers to be innocent, if not laudable propensities, that we almost feel as if it were presumption for us to give it as our opinion, that they are inimical to the spirit of true religion.

"It may be true, that such feelings existed in the bosom of our first parents, before their expulsion from the blissful abodes of D

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gerous, if not sinful, to give way to this propensity.

"It may be argued, indeed, that the love of praise operates as a very powerful principle in restraining many of the fiercer passions, and that without it the moral world would soon become a scene of wild confusion and disorder; but in the same manner might we plead for anger and selfishness, and even avarice itself. These are all very powerful checks in restraining many of our grosser propensities, and to them we are indebted for many of the decencies which adorn civilized society; but who would make this a plea for their virtuousness? "There is one circumstance which makes the love of fame a very dangerous propensity; it is the very low standard of virtue which generally prevails in the world. Were the standard a perfect one, then would the case be different. He only would be praised, who was truly virtuous, and the love of fame would be identical with the love of virtue. But this, alas! is not the case. The men of the world have fixed on a standard of virtue convenient for themselves; and whoever by his actions goes beyond this standard, tacitly pronounces condemnation upon them, and most assuredly will meet with their hatred and disapprobation. It is thus that the most virtuous in all ages have been met with ignominy and contempt. And it is thus that this deference to the opinion of the world has diverted many from the conscientious performance of what they knew to be right.

"Thus, even in a worldly point of view, and considered merely as an abstract question in morals, would we consider the opinions of our fellow-men a most improper standard whereby to regulate our actions. But when we add yet another element, and consider the subject as it bears upon our religious character,-when we consider it not only as it affects our duty to our fellow-men, but as it affects our duty to God, we shall feel that to make the praise of men the standard of our conduct is still more dangerous.

"The love of praise is, perhaps, an original principle of our constitution; and if it be, then it were vain to attempt its annihilation. Nor is this required of us. All that we are bid do in the Bible, is to give it a new direction. And the condemnation of the Pharisees of old, was not that they loved praise, but that they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. "We know of no feeling in our constitution which is stronger, which is more difficult to overcome than the love of fame, or the love of praise, for we hold them to be very nearly the same. So strong is it, that it is capable of carrying us through the greatest difficulties and dangers, of enabling us to persevere in the most unwearied exertion, and urging us onward even to death itself."-pp. 190-195.

Our second extract shall consist of part of an essay, or sermon, which we fully agree with Mr. Orme is entitled to be denominated an extraordinary effort of so young a mind. We should, indeed, be glad to make room for the whole of it, but it is too long to be inserted entire. We take only a few of the first pages;

"2 CORINTHIANS, iv. 13. "We having the same spirit of fait ing as it is written, I believed, there I spoken; we also believe, and speak."

"There is a common proverb, that should not be always told.'. In oth that it is not always a good reason for that we believe. Although apparent sight a little paradoxical, this sayin found, like most other proverbs, to en wisdom of very extensive experience

"There are some truths which con a few individuals, and in which th mankind have no interest whatever. be nothing absolutely wrong, there is something very trifling in publishing ters. And you cannot, perhaps, pite character more universally despised, of the busy-body or the tell-tale. Ye these deservedly detested character perhaps, allege in excuse for all his versation, that he spoke because he be

"There are other truths which it not only idle and improper, but which be cruel, or even criminal to promulgat man could have but little tenderness nity in his disposition, who should ass relate the disgraces, or the crimes of a parent, to the surviving children; and not hesitate to pronounce it a breac second great commandment of the law pose to public view the defects in the character of our neighbour. You are indeed, that the latter action not only pable transgression of the law of C comes under the cognizance even of jurisprudence. Truth is a libel; and be no excuse in a court of justice, fo famer of his neighbour's good name t that he had published only what he l ground to believe.

"You perceive then, that the qualit motive which Paul affirms to have him in his public speaking, and in his must depend upon the character of thos which he so assiduously proclaimed. were truths which concerned only a f viduals, or which, if they had a refe all, were of comparatively insignifican tance, then it was folly in Paul to 1 hard, and to suffer so much to proclai and, notwithstanding all the cogenc reasoning, and the sublimity of his el we should, in such a case, be tempte cur in the opinion of the eastern ki after all he was but a learned madmar

"If again, the truths which Paul j tended only to harrow up the feelings kind, and to destroy what might be prejudices; but yet were prejudices wi those whom they influenced had asso that they held dear as patriots, and they thought sacred in religion:truths tended only to bring to light had long been hidden, and which had the common consent of mankind been concealed :-if, finally, they tended or monstrate to mankind that their wis

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heaven, not only was altogether unable to expiate their crimes, but was itself too much tainted with impurity to find acceptance before God:-if this alone was the tendency of the truths which Paul preached, it was more than folly, it was cruelty to proclaim them. Better far for the world, they had never been promulgated.

"But I need not tell you that the doctrines which Paul preached were of a far different character.

"It is true that they directly tended to produce all the seeming evils I have been describing; but God be thanked, this was not their only tendency. True, the feelings of the decent and the virtuous among mankind would be harrowed up, when they were classed with the vilest of their species, and told that they had been wearing but the mask of virtue;that the hidden man of the heart was utterly polluted; that God had concluded all under sin, and that therefore, all are under condemnation. True, the prejudices of the Jews with all their associations of patriotism and sacredness, must have been shocked at being told that the descendants of Abraham were no longer God's chosen nation, but that the Gentiles were become fellow-heirs with them of the promises. True, the apostle's preaching was, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but this was not all, or I repeat it, the apostle was guilty of the greatest cruelty. But unto them who believe, both Jews and Greeks, it was the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

of his works, we conceive that men of different parties have fallen into opposite extremes. The mere philosopher would wish to convince us that nature speaks so audibly, and so unequivocally of her Sovereign, as to render all supernatural declarations of his will unnecessary; while, on the other hand, it must be confessed, that the advocates of a written testimony from above have sometimes, through a wish to magnify the importance of the communications of God's Spirit, depreciated that testimony which his works undoubtedly bear to the character of their great Creator. It is our wish to steer clear of these extremes; and, in attempting to do so, we cannot follow a safer course than that which the written testimony itself points out.

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"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth forth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.' The invisible things of our Creator, even his eternal power and godhead, are thus clearly seen from the creation of the world,— being understood by the things that are made.'

"So far the voice of nature utters a clear and decided declaration; and so far, those who have listened to no higher testimony, are reprehensible if they speak not what they believe, or what they would believe, did they attend as they ought to the evidence around "In order then to show that the simple be- them. But when we attempt from these few lief of the truths of the gospel is sufficient rea- isolated, though important truths, to form a son for preaching them,-and preaching them, system of religion,-something that may satoo, with all the unwearied diligence and fer- tisfy us as to the relation in which we stand to vent zeal which characterized the preaching of the powerful Being who created the world, the Apostle Paul; and at the risk too, of all how very imperfect does all our knowledge the losses and persecutions to which his minis- appear,-how unsatisfactory all our conclutry subjected him, we shall attempt to sions,-how dark and fearful our prospect of show,futurity!

"1. The perfection and excellency of the New Testanient dispensation.

"II. We shall also attempt to show, that the belief of the gospel is not only a sufficient reason for preaching it, but that it is the only right motive which can lead an individual to the choice of the ministry as his occupation. "The perfection and excellency of the New Testament dispensation may perhaps be most strikingly illustrated by contrasting it with less perfect discoveries.

"We remark, then, that the doctrines of natural religion, (with a very few exceptions,) are so very dark and confused, as scarcely to warrant, and by no means to encourage its promulgation as a system, on the part of those who embrace it.

"By the light of nature, it is true, we can clearly perceive the existence and some of the attributes of Deity. It is not to the doctrines of natural religion, taken individually, but to natural theology itself, as a system of religion,

"The ancient philosophers of Greece and Rome could clearly perceive, that there was one great Author and Governor of all things, -a Being of inconceivable glory, and of infinite power,-and therefore a Being widely different from those contemptible deities which the impure imagination of their poets had feigned, and which the perverted judgment of a degraded populace had accepted as the objects of their worship. They must thus have perceived that idolatry was not only a folly but a crime, and, in so far, they were guilty for not promulgating the truths they believed; and, in so far, they are liable to that fearful curse which is denounced against those who 'confine the truth by unrighteousness.'

"But it may go far, perhaps, to palliate, though it cannot atone for their crime, that, when they attempted to carry out their own speculations, they were landed in most unsatisfactory conclusions; and if they attempted to guess, when they could no longer determine

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