cuity, precifion, 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 five volumes of fermons, befides feveral detached difcourfes, already published-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 stage, 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 hiftory of man, and the ftate of fociety. The pernicious influence of that amufement on the public taste and morals, was, perhaps, never more clearly elucidated. On the following interefting fubjects, the nature and neceffity of regeneration-Juftification by free grace, through Jefus "Chrift; and the importance of truth in religion, or, the connexion that fubfifts between found

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 humour, and delicate fatire. A happy fpecimen of this is feen in his Ecclefiaftical Characteristics. The edge of his wit, in that performance, was directed against certain corrup

tions 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 cele brated Bishop of Gloucester, mentions the Cha racteristics with particular approbation, and cxpresses his wish, that the English church, as the needed too, had likewife fuch a corrector.

This may be the proper place to mention his general character, as a member of the counfels and courts of the church, and the part particularly that he took in the ecclefiaftical politics of his native country. The church of Scotland was divided into two parties, with refpect to their ideas of ecclefiaftical difcipline. The one was willing to confirm, and even extend the rights of pronage the other wifhed, if poffible, to abrogate, or at least 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 strictness, as contained in their national confeffion of faith. The former were willing to allow a greater latitude of opinion; and they preached in a stile that seemed to the people lefs evangelical, and less affecting to the heart and confcience, than that of their opponents. In their concern, likewife, to exempt the clergy of their party from the unreafonable effects of popular caprice, they too frequently protected them against the juft complaints of the people.

Thefe were

ftiled

ftiled moderate men, while their antagonists were diftinguished 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 measures of the mo→ derate 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 often does among fcrupulous and confcientious men, who are not verfed in the affairs of the world, that each purfued inflexibly his own opinion, as the dictate of an honeft confciHe 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 Witherfpoon's enlarged mind did not refufe to combine 'the wisdom of the ferpent with the harmleffnefs of the dove.' He had, probably, the principal merit of creating among them union, and harmony of defign; of concentrating their views, and giving fyftem to their operations. One day, af ter carrying fome important questions in the General Affembly, against the celebrated Dr Robert

ence.

fon

fon, who was at that time confidered as the leader of the oppofite party, the latter faid to him, in a pleasant and eafy 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 seen 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 most embaraffed fubjects clear and conclufive in his reasonings and from habit in bufinefs, as well as from a peculiar foundness of judgment, always conducting every difcuffion to the moft fpeedy and decifive termination. The church has certainly loft in him, one of her greateft lights; and, if I may use the term in ecclefiaftical affairs, one of her greatest politicians.

Before entering on his talents as a prefident, fuffer me, in a fentence or two, to call to your mind his focial qualities. When not engaged in the great and serious businesses 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 perfons.' He never fuffer

ed

ed an opportunity to escape him of imparting the moft 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 poffible to forget it.

On his domeftic virtues I fhall only fay, he was an affectionate husband, 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 fyltem of education in the college.

An univerfal fcholar himself, he endeavoured to establish the fyftem of education in this inftitution, upon the most extenfive and respectable bafis, that its fituation and its finances would ad- ́ mit. Formerly, the courfe of inftruction had been too fuperficial; and its metaphyfics and philofophy were too much tinctured with the dry and uninftructive forms of the fchools. This, however, was by no means to be imputed as a defect, to thofe great and excellent men, who had prefided over the inftitution before him; but rather to the recent origin of the country-the imperfection of its ftate of fociety--and to the state of literature in it. Since his prefidency mathematical fcience has received an extenfion, that was not known before in the American feminaries. He introduced into philofophy, all the moft liberal and modern improvements of Europe. He extended the philofophical course to embrace

the