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rally before us in another place. Let it fuffice to remark here, that, always interefting and inftructive in the pulpit, he was affiduous in the discharge of every parochial duty when out of it. And his preaching generally turned on those great, distinguishing, and practical truths of the gofpel, which, in every Chriftian country, moft affect and attach the hearts of the great body of the people.

From Beith he was, after a few years, tranflated to the large and flourishing town of Paisley, fo celebrated for its various and fine manufactures. Here he refided in the height of reputa tion and usefulness; and riveted in the affections of his people, and his fellow citizens, when he was called to the prefidency of this college.

During his refidence at Paisley, he was invited to Dublin, in Ireland, to affiume the charge of a numerous and refpectable congregation in that city. He was also called to Rotterdam, in the Republic of the United Provinces-and to the town of Dundee, in his own country. But he could not be induced to quit a fphere of fuch refpectabilty, comfort and usefulness. He declined alfo, in the first inftance, the invitation of the trustees of this college. He thought it almoft impoffible for him to break connections at home, that had been fo long endeared to him-to violate all the attachments and habits of the female part of his family to leave the scene of his happiness and honour and, in his middle career, to oury himfelf

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felf, as he apprehended, in a new and diftant country.

But warmly urged by all thofe friends whofe judgment he most refpected, and whose friendfhip he most efteemed and hoping that he might repay his facrifices, by greater usefulness to the cause of the Redeemer, and to the interests of learning, in this new world-and knowing that this inftitution had been confecrated, from its foundation, to those great objects to which he had devoted his life, he finally confented, on a fecond application, to wave every other confideration, to cross the ocean, and to take among us that important charge to which he had been called, with the concurrent wifhes, and the highest expectations, of all the friends of the college.* Their expectations have not been difappointed. Its reputation and fuccefs, under his adminiftration, have been equal to our moft fanguine hopes.

Almoft the first benefit which it received, befides the eclat, and the acceffion of ftudents, pro~ cured to it by the fame of his literary character, was the augmentation of its funds. The college has never enjoyed any refources from the state. It was founded, and has been fupported, wholly by private liberality and zeal. And its finances, from a variety of caufes, were in a low and de

clining

*Dr Witherspoon arrived with his family at Princeton in the month of Auguft, 1768. He was the fixth Prefident of the College fince its foundation in the year 1746.

clining condition, at the period when Dr Witherfpoon arrived in America. But his reputation excited an uncommon liberality in the public; and his perfonal exertions, extended from Maffachusetts to Virginia, foon raifed its funds to a flourishing state. The war of the revolution, indeed, afterwards, proftrated every thing, and almost annihilated' its refources; yet we cannot but with gratitude recollect, how much the infti-tution owed, at that time, to his enterprize and his talents.

But the principal advantages it derived, were from his literature; his fuperintendancy; his example as a happy model of good writing; and from the tone and tafte which he gave to the literary pursuits of the college.

In giving the outlines of the character of this great man, for I attempt no more, I fhall begin with obferving, that perhaps his principal merit appeared in the pulpit. He was, in many ref pects, one of the best models on which a young preacher could form himfelf. It was a fingular felicity to the whole college, but especially to those who had the profeffion of the miniftry in view, to have fuch an example conftantly before them. Religion, by the manner in which it was treated by him, always commanded the respect of those who heard him, even when it was not able to engage their hearts. An admirable textuary, a profound theologian, perfpicuous and fimple in his manner; an univerfal fcholar, acquainted,

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deeply with human nature; a grave, dignified, and folemn fpeaker, he brought all the advanta ges derived from these fources to the illuftration and enforcement of divine truth. Though not a fervent and animated orator,* he was always a folemn, affecting, and inftructive preacher. It was impoffible to hear him without attention, or to attend to him without improvement. He had a happy talent at unfolding the strict and proper meaning of the facred writer, in any text from which he chofe to difcourfe; at concentrating and giving perfect unity to every fubject which he treated, and prefenting to the hearer the moft clear and comprehenfive views of it. His fer

mons

A peculiar affection of his nerves, which always overcame him when he allowed himself to feel very fervently on any fubject, obliged him, from his earliest entrance on public life, to impole a ftrict restraint and guard upon his fenfibility. He was, therefore, under the neceffity of fubftituting gravity and ferioufnefs of manner, in public fpeaking, in the room of that fire and warmth, of which he was well capable, by nature; and which he fo much admired in others, when managed with prudence.

He never read his fermons, or ufed fo much as fhort notes, in the pulpit. His practice was, to write his fermons at full length, and commit them to memory; but not confine himself to the precife words he had penned. He often took great liberties, in the delivery of his difcourfes, to alter, add to, or abridge what he had written; but this never infringed upon the ftricteft accuracy.

mons were distinguished for their judicious and perfpicuous divifions for mingling profound remarks on human life, along with the illustration of divine truth--and for the lucid order that reigned through the whole. In his difcourfes, he loved to dwell chiefly on the great doctrines of divine grace, and on the distinguishing truths of the gofpel. Thefe he brought, as far as poffible, to the level of every understanding, and the feeling of every heart. He feldom chofe to lead his hearers into fpeculative difcuflions, and never to entertain them by a mere difplay of talents, All oftentation in the pulpit, he viewed with the utmost averfion and contempt. During the whole of his prefidency, he was extremely folicitous to train those studious youths, who had the ministry of the gospel in view, in fuch a manner, as to fecure the greatest refpectability, as well as ufefulnefs, in that holy profeffion. It was his conftant advice to young preachers, never to enter the pulpit without the most careful preparation. It was his ambition and his hope, to render the facred miniftry the most learned, as well as the most pious and exemplary body of men in the Repub

lic.

As a writer, his ftile is fimple and comprehenfive-his remarks judicious, and often refinedhis information, on every subject which he treats, accurate and extenfive-his matter always weighty and important-clofely condensed, and yet well arranged and clear. Simplicity, perfpi

cuity

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