cafily to investigate what would have been very difficult to others, not poffeffed of fuch a depth of thought and clear way of reasoning. These fhining qualities, which were the gifts of nature, were confpicuous in him: and being enabled, by divine grace, to improve them aright, he made a more confiderable figure, in practifing the various duties incumbent on the Minifter and the Chriftian, than many others of his cotemporaries.

Though his natural and acquired abilities juftly procured him the title of a learned man; yet he endeavoured to make all his learning fubfervient to his theological ftudies, which is more than many can boaft of who are much extolled for their literature. For this purpose he carefully and diligently fearched the fcriptures, had much pleasure in them, retained a vast deal of them upon his mind, as is evident from his quotting thefe, with facility, to prove every point of doctrine he was difcourfing on: He likewife read over, with attention of mind, many bodies of divinity, compared thefe with the oracles of truth, on which the compillers of them founded them; and had ever at hand the beft comméntators on the Bible, to fee who moft reached the mind of the Holy Spirit. This being the cafe, it is little wonder he made fuch proficiency in his researches after truth, and that his PRACTICAL WRITINGS have been fo much efteemed and admired.

Under the character of a minister of the gospel, having now a pastoral relation to a particular flock, in the church univerfal, he determined not to know any thing fave Jefus Chrift and him crucified: He was inftant in feafon and out of feafon, in all the parts of his minifterial labours, and gave himself wholly thereunto; exhorting the people under his truft, from houfe to houfe, in the way of family-vifitation; examining them more publicly upon the principles of our holy religion; vifiting the fick, when called; and preaching the everlafting gospel, in which he had a very pleafant and edifying gift. He preached, by turns, with his colleague, every Sabbath and Thursday, through the year; and afterwards, when he had none, for feveral years before his death, he officiat

ed.

ed alone, very punctually, both on Sabbath and weekday.

He delivered few extemporary productions. His fermons were generally the fruit of diligent study, and asfiduous application. For the most part he wrote all; and kept very close by his notes in the delivery, except when the Lord was pleafed to carry in upon his mind, in time of preaching, fome pat and appofite enlargements, whereof he had no previous ftudy, and to which he nevertheless chearfully gave way, as coming from HIM, who has the tongue of the learned; who knows how to speak a word in feafon to him that is weary; and who fays, It fhall be given you the fame hour what ye shall Speak; for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that fpeaketh in yout.—He was bleffed with a rich and fertile invention, as appears in the agreeable and entertaining diverfity, wherewith his heads of doctrine are every where adorned. The poetical genius, with which he was happily endowed, contributed not a little to the embellishment of his difcourfes, with a variety of pertinent epithets and ftriking metaphors.

His gift of preaching was both inftructing and fearching. Few outfhone him in the nervous and convincing manner, whereby he confirmed the truth of the doctrines he insisted on; and fewer ftill in the warm and pathetic addrefs, in which he enforced the practice of them.

He peculiarly excelled in the ample and free offers of Chrift he made to his hearers; and the captivating and alluring methods he ufed, for gaining their compliance, or their receiving and refting on Chrift alone for their falvation, as thus freely and fully exhibited unto themin the gofpel. On all which accounts he was jufily fteemed, and much followed, as one of the most popular and edifying preachers of his day. During his time, facramental folemnities, at Dunfermline, were much crouded; numbers of people, from feveral parts of the kingdom, reforting unto them; and the Lord was pleased to countenance fome of these communions,

* Ifa. 1. 4.

+ Matth. x. 19, 20.

A 2

with

with fignal evidences of his gracious prefence and influence, to the sweet and comfortable experience of

many.

It appears from what our Author has published, that he was an able, close, and clear reafoner; and could, when he fet himself to it, exhaust a subject. His stile was of a medium, between the lofty and combaft, being natural, unaffected, manly, and fcriptural; and free from meannefs and lownefs; though indeed he studied much to adapt himself to the capacity of the auditory. There centered in him gravity, without dulnefs; and fmartnefs, without forthinefs; never choofing, in his public appearances, to come to his hearers, with the intifing words of men's wisdom; but to preach the truths of the everlasting gospel in their genuine purity, and naked fimplicity. He was poffeft of excellent talents for the pulpit; he had a pleasant voice, free of any disagreeable tone and falfe pathos: and every unprejudifed perfon will readily grant, who have any relish for fubftantial matter, and that doctrine which is according to godliness, delivered in an unaffected manner, that he was an agreeable, as well as a faithful, judicious, evangelical preacher.

As to his miniftrations in general, it will be readily acknowledged, that he was an able minifter of the New Teftament. He made choice of the most interesting fubjects to preach upon; and it was his peculiar delight to preach Christ crucified, and to exalt the doctrine of free grace, through his imputed righteoufnefs. He could rightly divide the word of truth; and fkilfully parcel out to every one their portion in due feafon. He was none of those flat, dull, leazy, infipid preachers; but delivered his fermons, with pathetic zeal, fervour, and affection. He was a fon of thunder, when he made known the terrors of the Lord to hypocrites, falfe and carnal profeffors and had the tongue of the learned to speak a word of confolation to those who were weary and heavy laden; inviting them to truft in the name of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and to ftay themselves on him as the God of their falvation.

His ministry was very trying and searching; he had a peculiar

a peculiar way of addreffing himself to the confcience; could easily delineate the foul, and represent the finner in his native colours. He was a clofs and hard student to his old-age, took a great deal of pains in the compofition of his fermons, and digefted them well. When he preached occafionally in other places, abroad from his fixed charge, his miniftrations were very acceptable, and often left a deep impreffion on the minds of the hearers. He was a wife, prudent, learned, and accomplished minifter; well understood, conftantly inculcated, and strenuously defended the truth as it is in Jefus. In fhort, he had the teftimony of all who had a true relish for the glorious and fublime doctrines of the bleffed Redeemer.

It will easily appear to the judicious and experienced reader, in perufing his writings, that he had as dexterous a faculty in ranfacking the plagues of the heart, and defcribing the diverfified circumftances of ferious and exercised fouls, as if they had fully communicated their feveral doubts and cafes unto him; while, in the mean time, he was only unfolding the inward exprience of his own foul, what he himfelf felt of the workings of unbelief, and of the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit, in oppofition thereunto; which could not but quadrate or agree, with the operations of the self-fame Spirit of God in others; for, as in water, face anfwereth to face, fo doth the heart of man to man*.-No trial or temptation can befal any of the faints, but fomething fimiliar thereunto has happened to others before them, as the apostle afferts, when he fays, There hath no temptation taken you, but fuch as is common to mant.

This eminent fervant of Jefus Chrift, being exercised, to godlinefs from his youth, became by the grace of God, a fcribe inftructed unto the kingdom of heaven, whom our Lord compares to an houfholder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure, things new and old t. Old invariable truths, but new illuftrations of them; old experiences, the fame with other faints before, but new obfervations and improvements upon them: fo that, with abundance

* Prov. xxvii. 19. + 1 Cor. x. 13.

Matth. 13. 52.

of

of propriety, it may be faid, that there are few perplexing doubts, or intricate cafes, which the faints have, at any time, been exercised with, that are not in fome one or other of his fermons, very judicioufly folved, and diftinctly elucidated, or cleared up.

His converfation was holy and blamlefs, favoury and refreshing, warm and affectionate, spiritual and edifying. In all things he acted as one that had experienced the grace of God bringing falvation. Many yet alive are witneffes of his pious converfation, and fhining deportment. Every one, who had opportunity to mark his actions, can atteft, that he lived up to the truths he preached. He defired and affected to be of the party of fuch as fpoke well of, and were for advancing and defending the declarative glory of his exalted Lord; pleading for the fufficiency and freedom of divine grace; for debafing the creature, and exalting holinefs.

He was favoured, by his bleffed Mafter, with uncommon degrees of the manifeftations of the love of God, and enjoyed the higheft measures of affurance. He was much honoured by the Moft High, in his public miniftrations, in anfwering the doubts, and folving the perplexing cafes of the truly exercifed foul; inftances whereof his works abound with. He converfed much with thofe exercised to godlinefs; and by this means came to be well acquainted with the various exercifes of the Lord's people: and he had a particular regard for all fuch, and took great pleasure in being ferviceable to them, however mean their circumftances in the world were. The rich in faith were to him the excellent ones in the earth, in whom he had peculiar pleafure and delight. This, together with the feeling fenfe he had of thefe things upon his own foul, juftly procured him the character, and induced many to term him, the experimental preacher.

He ever had a mighty zeal for the declarative glory of God; a great concern for the Redeemer's intereft; and a becoming efteem for the peculiar doctrines of Christianity; he was deeply affected with what injured the firft; fenfibly touched with any thing that endan

gered