acquired reputation for his affiduity in his ftudies, and for a native foundness of judgment, and clearness and quickness of conception among his fchool-fellows; many of whom have fince filled the highest stations in the literary and political world."

At the age of fourteen he was removed to the univerfity of Edinburgh. Here he continued, attending the different profeffors, with a high degree of credit, in all the branches of learning, until the age of twenty-one, when he was licensed to preach the gospel. In the theological hall, particularly, he was remarked for a moft judicious tafte in facred criticifm, and for a precifion of idea and perfpicuity of expreffion rarely attained at that early pe

riod.

Immediately on his leaving the university, he was invited to be affiftant minister with his father, with the right of fucceffion to the charge. But he chofe rather to accept an invitation from the parish of Beith, in the weft of Scotland. Here he was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry, and fettled with the univerfal acquiefcence, and even with the fervent attachment of the people: A circumftance which, under the patronage that unhappily exifts in that church, is but too rarely the cafe in the fettlement of their clergy. His character as a preacher, which rendered him fo acceptable and popular, will come more naturally 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 thofe great, diftinguifhing and practical truths of the gofpel, which, in every Chriftian country, most 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 Paifly, fo celebrated for its various and fine manufactures.-Here he refided in the height of reputation 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 Paifly, he was invited to Dublin, in Ireland, to affume the charge of a numerous and

refpectable congregation in that city. He was alfo called to Rotterdam, in the Republic of the United Provincesand to the town of Dundee, in his own country. But he could not be induced to quit a sphere of fuch refpectabili ty, comfort, and usefulness. He rejected also, in the first inftance, the invitation of the truftees 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 honor -and in his middle career, to bury himself, as he apprehended, in a new and diftant country.

But warmly urged by all those friends whofe judgment he moft refpected, and whose friendship he most esteemed -and hoping that he might repay his facrifices, by grea ter usefulness to the caufe of the Redeemer, and to the in. terests of learning, in this new world—and knowing that this inftitution had been confecrated, from its foundation to thofe 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.a Their expectations have not been disappointed. Its reputation and fuccefs, under his administration, have been equal to our most fanguine hopes.

Almoft the firft benefit which it received, befides the eclat and the acceffions of ftudents procured to it by the fame of his literary character, was the augmentation of its

a Dr. Witherspoon arrived with his family at Princeton in the mouth of Auguft, 1768. He was the fixth Prefident of the College, fince its foundation in the year 1746. His predeceffors were, the Rev. Mers. Jonathan Dickenfon, Aaron Burr, Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Davies, and Dr. Samuel Finley-Men defervedly celebrated for geni us, learning, and piety. Mr. Dickenson and Mr. Edwards were advanced in life when chofen to the prefidency.

Not long before Dr. Witherspoon left Scotland, and while in fufpence refpecting his duty, a gentleman, poffeffed of a confiderable property, an old bachelor, and a relation of the family, promifed to make him his heir, if he would not go to America.

VOL. I.

D

funds. The college has never enjoyed any resources from the state.a 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 declining condition, at the period when Dr. Witherspoon arrived in America. But his reputation excited an uncommon liberality in the public; and his perfonal exertions, extended from Maffachusetts to Virginia, foon raised its funds to a flourishing state. The war of the revolution, indeed, afterwards, proftrated every thing, and almoft annihilated its refources; yet we cannot but with gratitude recollect, how much the inftitution owed, at that time, to his enterprize and his talents.

But the principal advantages it derived, were from his literature; his fuperintendency; 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 observing, that perhaps his principal merit appeared in the pulpit. He was, in many refpects, one of the best models on which a young preacher could form himself. It was a fingular felicity to the whole college, but efpecially to those who had the profeffion of the miniftry in view, to have fuch an example constantly 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 deeply with human nature; a grave, dignified, and folemn fpeaker, he brought all the advantages derived from these fources to the illuftration and enforcement of divine truth. Though not a fervent and animated orator,b he was always a folemn, af

a Since this fermon was delivered, the college has been favored with a handiome donation from the Legislature of New Jersey.

b 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 earlieft entrance on public life, to impofe a ftrict restraint

fecting, 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 ftrict 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 fermons were distinguished for their judicious and perfpicuous divifions-for mingling profound remarks on human life, along with the illuftration 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 diftinguishing truths of the gospel. 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 difcuffions, and never to entertain them by a mere display of talents. All oftentation in the pulpit, he viewed with the utmoft averfion and contempt. During the whole of his prefidency, he was extremely folicitous to train thofe ftudious youths, who had the ministry of the gospel in view, in fuch a manner, as to secure the greatest refpectability, as well as usefulness, in that holy profeffion. It was his conflant 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 Republic.

As a writer, his ftile is fimple and comprehenfive-his remarks judicious, and often refined-his information, on

and guard upon his fenfibility. He was, therefore, under the neceffity of fubftituting gravity and ferior-fnefs of manner, iu public speaking, 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, nor used 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 difcourses, to alter, add to, or abridge what he had written; but this never infringed upon the ftricteft accuracy.

every fubject which he treats, accurate and extenfive-his matter always weighty and important-closely condenfed, and yet well arranged and clear. Simplicity, perfpicuity, precision, comprehenfion of thought, and knowledge of the world, and of the human heart, reign in every part of his writings. Three volumes of effays, and two of fermons, befides feveral detached difcourfes, already publifhed-and treating chiefly on the most important and practical fubjects in religion-have defervedly extended his reputation, not only through Britain, Ireland and America, but through moft of the proteftant, countries of Europe. His remarks on the nature and effects of the flage, enter deeply into the human heart. We find there many refined obfervations, after the example of the Meffieurs de Port-Royal in France, not obvious to ordinary minds, but perfectly founded in the history of man, and the ftate of fociety. The pernicious influence of that amufement on the public tafte and morals, was, perhaps, never more clearly elucidated. On the following interefting fubjects, the nature and necessity of generationJustification by free grace, through Jesus Christ; and the importance of truth in religion, or, the connection that subsists between sound principles and a holy practice, there is, perhaps, nothing fuperior in the English language. But Dr. Witherspoon's talents were various. He was not only a ferious writer, but he poffeffed a fund of refined humor, and delicate fatire. A happy fpecimen of this is feen in his Ecclesiastical Characteristics. The edge of his wit, in that performance, was directed against certain corruptions in principle and practice prevalent in the Church of Scotland. And no attack that was ever made upon them, gave them fo deep a wound, or was fo feverely felt. Dr. Warburton, the celebrated Bishop of Gloucester, mentions the Characteristics with particular approbation, and expreffes his wifh, that the English church, as the needed one too, had likewife fuch a corrector.

This may be the proper place to mention his general character, as a member of the councils and courts of the church, and the part particularly that he took in the eccle