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funds. The college has never enjoyed any resources from the ftate.a It was founded, and has been supported 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 Massachusetts 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 obferving, that perhaps his principal merit appeared in the pulpit. He was, in many respects, one of the best models on which a young preacher could form himself. 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, perspicuous and fimple in his manner; an univerfal scholar, acquainted deeply with human nature; a grave, dignified, and folemn fpeaker, he brought all the advantages derived from thefe 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 handfome donation from the Legislature of New Jersey.

A peculiar affection of his nerves, which always overcame him when he allowed himself to feel very fervently on any subject, obliged him, from his earliest 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 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 most clear and comprehenfive views of it. His fermons were diftinguished 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 difplay 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 fecure the greateft refpectability, as well as usefulness, 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 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 ferioufnefs of manner, in 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 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 difcourses, to alter, add to, or abridge what he had written; but this ne ver infringed upon the ftrictest accuracy.

every fubject which he treats, accurate and extenfive-his matter always weighty and important-clofely 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 ftage, 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 state 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 generation— Justification 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 serious 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 Bifhop of Gloucefier, mentions the Characteristics with particular approbation, and expreffes his wifh, that the English church, as fhe 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

fiaftical politics of his native country. The church of Scotland was divided into two parties, with respect to their ideas of ecclefiaftical difcipline. The one was willing to confirm, and even extend the rights of patronage-the other wifhed, if poffible, to abrogate, or at leaft limit them, and to extend the rights and influence of the people, in the fettlement and removal of minifters. The latter were zealous for the doctrines of grace and the articles of religion, in all their ftrictnefs, as contained in their national confeffion of faith. The former were willing to allow a greater latitude of opinion; and they preached in a ftile that seemed to the people lefs evangelical, and lefs affecting to the heart and conscience, than that of their opponents. In their concern, likewise, to exempt the clergy of their party from the unreasonable effects of popular caprice, they too frequently protected them against the just complaints of the people. These were ftiled moderate men, while their antagonists were diftinguifhed by the name of the orthodox. Dr. Witherspoon, in his church politics, early and warmly embraced the fide of the orthodox. This he did from conviction and a fenfe of duty; and, by degrees, acquired fuch an influence in their councils, that he was confidered at length as their head and leader. Before he had acquired this influence, their councils were managed without union and addrefs, while the meafures of the moderate party had, for a long time, been conducted by fome of the greatest literary characters in the nation. It had happened among the orthodox, as it of ten does among fcrupulous and confcientious men, who are not versed in the affairs of the world, that each purfued inflexibly his own opinion, as the dictate of an honeft confcience. He could not be induced to make any modification of it, in order to accommodate it to the views of others. He thought that all addrefs and policy, was ufing too much management with confcience. Hence refulted difunion of meafures, and confequent defeat-But Dr. Witherspoon's enlarged mind did not refufe to combine the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the dove. He had, probably, the principal merit of.creating among them union and harmony of defign; of con

centrating their views, and giving fyftem to their operations. One day after carying fome important questions in the general affembly, against the celebrated Dr. Robertfon, who was at that time confidered as the leader of the oppofite party, the latter faid to him, in a pleasant and ealy manner," I think you have your men better difciplined than formerly." "Yes, replied Dr. Witherspoon, by urging your politics too far, you have compelled us to beat you with your own weapons."

We have feen him in our own church judicatories in America, always upright in his views-remarkable for his punctuality in attending upon them—and able to feize at once the right point of view on every question—able to difentangle the moft embarraffed fubjects-clear and conclufive in his reafonings-and from habit in bufinefs, as well as from a peculiar foundnefs of judgment, always conducting every difcuffion to the moft fpeedy and deci fiye termination. The church has certainly lost in him, one of her greateft lights; and, if I may ufe the term in ecclefiaftical affairs, one of her greatest politicians.

Before entering on his talents as a prefident, fuffer me, in a sentence or two, to call to your mind his focial qualities. When not engaged in the great and serious bufineffes of life, he was one of the most companionable of men. Furnished with a rich fund of anecdote, both amusing and inftructive, his moments of relaxation were as entertaining, as his ferious ones were fraught with improvement. One quality remarkable, and highly deferving imitation in him was, his attention to young persons. He never fuffered an opportunity to efcape him of imparting the most ufeful advice to them, according to their circumftances, when they happened to be in his company. And this was always done in fo agreeable a way, that they could neither be inattentive to it, nor was it poflible to forget it.

On his domestic virtues I fhall only fay, he was an affectionate hufband, a tender parent, and a kind master; to which I may add, he was a fincere and a warm friend. -But, I haften to confider him as a scholar, and a director of the fyftem of education in the college.

An univerfal scholar himself, he endeavored to establish

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