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he began, not to complain, for no complaint was heard to pass his lips, but to shew symptoms of a little tendency to fever, and to feel, what he called, a palpitation at the heart, and a more than usual difficulty in breathing,This he considered as a gentle warning of the approach of that awful messenger, whose business it would soon be to summon him hence, and was thankful, he said, "for this " previous knock at the door, rather than that the har"binger of death should abruptly come in, and tell him "instantly to remove." In the midst of these friendly intimations, that the concluding scene could not be far distant, yet not knowing precisely the extent of that distance, he would talk now and then with his Son, when by themselves, of this and the other literary pursuit, in which they would employ the dreary months of winter, and thus, if God pleased, get through that gloomy season, in a way the most congenial to their feelings, affording mutual comfort and support to each other. But the will of heaven, always wise and good, had ordered otherwise, and as it was said of the patriarch Israel, so was it true of this happy partaker in the faith of Israel," the "time drew nigh, that he must die." On the 16th of June, he had passed the forenoon in reading and conversing as usual, and being told after dinner, that it was the birth-day of his grand-daughter from Forfar, who with four of her children were all about him, he took a glass of wine and water, and grasping her hand, with all the warmth of paternal love, wished many returns of the day, and all happiness to her and hers. After reposing a little while, he felt himself somewhat uneasy, and said, he would take a gasp of air in the garden. He had not been there many minutes, when his strength seemed to be

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pletely gone, and it was with much difficulty he was helped into the house, where being placed in a chair, and supported by his Son, and others, he calmly closed his eyes, and without the least appearance of struggle, without even a sigh, or a groan, expired. This was, so literally, falling asleep, or had so much the resemblance of a fainting fit, that for some little time, the usual restoratives were tried, but all in vain. The spirit had left its mortal tenement, never to return to it more, till that great change take place, when "this corruptible shall put on "incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immorta"lity;" and then to him, and all the saints of God, shall death be for ever" swallowed up in victory."

Having taken his Son's promise, that his remains should be deposited in the same grave with those of his departed wife, the request was readily complied with, and his funeral attended by a numerous assemblage of sorrowing friends, to the Church-yard of Longside, where two of his Grandsons, Presbyters, joined with the Bishop in reading the Burial Service, with the most impressive solemnity. No sooner was the interment over, than the principal members of the congregation set on foot a subscription for erecting a Monument, in testimony of their sincere regard to the memory of their much-beloved and justly-respected Pastor. The Monument is now to be seen at his grave, and on a handsome tablet of fine statuary marble, is engraved the following inscription

GLORY TO GOD ALONE!

SACRED TO THE MEMORY

OF

THE REVEREND JOHN SKINNER,

FOR LXIV. YEARS AND UPWARDS
EPISCOPAL CLERGYMAN IN THIS PARISH;
WHOSE ATTAINMENTS AS A SCHOLAR,
AND SCRIPTURAL RESEARCH AS A DIVINE,
OF WHICH MANY WRITTEN DOCUMENTS REMAIN,
ACQUIRED HIM A NAME,

NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN IN THE CHURCH,

IN WHICH HE EXERCISED HIS MINISTRY;

WHILE HIS PASTORAL LABOURS IN THE CHARGE COMMITTED
TO HIM,

ENDEARED HIM, ALMOST BEYOND EXAMPLE,
TO THE SORROWING FLOCK, BY WHOM,

IN TESTIMONY OF THEIR HEART-FELT REGARD,
THIS MONUMENT

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ON THE XVI. DAY OF JUNE, 1807, AGED 86 YEARS, HE SLEPT THE SLEEP OF DEATH, IN THE ARMS OF THE RIGHT REVD. JOHN SKINNER,

BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF ABERDEEN,

HIS ONLY SURVIVING SON,
WHO,

WITH HIS FAMILY, AND OTHER NUMEROUS DESCENDANTS,
SHALL NEVER CEASE TO FEEL THE MOST DEVOUT

AND LIVELY VENERATION FOR THE TALENTS,
THE ACQUIREMENTS,

AND CHARACTER OF A PROGENITOR,
WHO LIVED

SO JUSTLY RESPECTED,

AND DIED

SO SINCERELY LAMENTED.

PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.

1

[IN the preceding MEMOIR of the Life, Studies and Character of the Author of the following Works, particular notice has been taken of two of his Manuscripts, a Dissertation on the Trinity, and a Declaration of Faith; and sufficient reasons have been assigned to shew the propriety of extracting the substance of both, for the purpose of blending and incorporating it into one Tract, under the form of "Letters addressed to Candidates for Holy Orders in the Epifcopal Church of Scotland."

In these Letters now offered to the public, as a part of the Author's posthumous Works, all the essential Articles of the Christian Faith are handled in a manner, which can hardly fail to interest, not the Student of Theology only, but every serious minded Reader, who desires fully to apprehend the things which make for his everlasting peace, and to be " taught as the Truth "is in JESUS. Such of the Letters as treat of the Deity of our ever-blessed Redeemer, and the commonly received doctrine of his "Eternal Generation," have been acknowledged, by very competent judges, to contain a more edifying illustration of the "great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh," than has been yet exhibited in any modern work on this profoundly deep, and therefore but ill apprehended subject.]

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