“ He was well qualified, indeed, for rousing the careless, alarming the impenitent, and impelling the guilty to flee from the wrath to come; but while exhibiting the love of God, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and the astonishing wonders of redemption to poor, miserable, wrath-deserving sinners, he never failed to shine with a surpassing lustre. ”

“ The memoirs of departed saints are interesting to surviving Christians, as they tend to unfold the providence of God towards his people, the experimental work of Christianity in their hearts, and the influence of Divine grace on their characters and conduct, and thus add confirmation to the truth of the Gospel of Christ. ”

“ The unavoidable intermission of a duty so important was ascribed to false or conjectural causes, by the inconsiderate, the less sympathizing part of his people, such as were seldom suhjected to affliction themselves, and too apt to judge unfavourably of others, without being furnished with proper grounds ”

“ His literary accomplishments, the extent of his information, the versatility of his talents, his quick comprehension of all that was said, and his admirable facility of expression, qualified him for conversing on all subjects, and with all characters, with almost equal aptitude, and in a manner which seldom failed to communicate pleasure, entertainment, and instruction. ”

“ He showed that the marriage feast represents all the blessings which were purchased by the death of Christ, adapted his discourse to the circumstances of his congregation, in which the Lord's Supper was to be dispensed on the succeeding Sabbath, and pourtayed, in impressive colours, the sad condition of those who come to the sacramental table without the wedding garment. He intended to preach on the communion Sabbath, from Isaiah x. ”

“ After attending the prelections of that eminent Divine and honourably undergoing the usual course of preliminary trials, he was licenced to preach the everlasting Gospel early in the year 1776, when he had just completed the twentieth year of his age.
Before he had been many months a probationer, He received a unanimous call to become the minister of a new congregation at Cumnock, in Ayrshire and was ordained there in the following April, being then only 2 (illegible text) years of age. ”

“ Early on Thursday morning, while stretched back in his sick-chair, and labouring under severe pain, he made the following remarks at intervals: 'I find that the same spiritual processes, the same processes of spiritual reasoning, and the same hopes which go on and animate us in health, when we are well, go on when we are ill: and encourage, support, and delight us more abundantly in the hour of sickness, and in the prospect of death. ”

“ Men, alas look only on the outward appearance, but the Lord knoweth the real condition of his creatures. Imperfect and insagracious mortals, therefore, should beware of rash censure or arrogant presumption, and pay particular attention to that inspired admonition—" Judge not, that ye be not judged ”

“ The fact is, while free from excessive pain, he was indisposed to make the nature of his sufferings known; in his coversation, he manifested so much cheerfulness and vivacity, and in his pulpit exhibited such liveliness and vigour, that those acquainted with him must have concluded that he enjoyed a measure of health equal to the energy of his animal spirits. ”

“ The members of his family, with his brother and sister, he committed by name to the protection of God; but the burden of his supplication was the session and congregation of Broughton-place, for whom he prayed, that they might individually be blessed, and that the Holy Ghost might be poured out npon them, and that God would, in due time, give them a paster, taught by his spirit, who should preach the Gospel in purity and be well acquainted with his Bible. ”

“ Hall, for he appeared to be equally qualified for conversing agreeably with a girl before entering her teens, a philosopher on his most abstract theories, a statesman on interesting topics of legislation, and a theologian on the most abtruse points of natural and revealed religion. ”

“ And, on many occasions, his exertions were essentially serviceable to the Secession Church, in getting its civil concerns settled on a firm foundation, securing religtous privileges, of which it was in danger of being denuded, and procuring annnal allowances from government for such of its clergymen as were to be placed in any of his Majesty's foreign dependencies. ”

“ They had several children, who all died before reaching the years of maturity, except one daughter, who still survives, with her widowed mother, to lament the irreparable loss of a beloved and affectionate father. About the same time, he was called to be the pastor of West street congregation, in London ”

“ In short, though he sometimes found it necessary to assume the character of a Boanerges, he appeared to take much more pleasure in exhibiting himself as a son of consolation. When he ascended the pulpit, it might, with much propriety, he said concerning him:
“There stands the messenger of truth ”