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UNIVERSITY LECTURES AND

ADDRESSES.

EIGHTON was Principal of Edinburgh University for nine years, and gave Lectures in Latin to the students. These were first issued in 1693 by Dr. Fall, and afterwards in 1828 and 1837 by Professor Scholefield of Cambridge. We are indebted to the enterprise of an Edinburgh bookseller for widening the influence of Leighton's writings, in the middle of last century. David Wilson, in 1746, published "Select Works of Archbishop Leighton, some of which were never before printed." Among these there were ten sermons, nine of which were copied "from the Bishop's originals sixty years ago," and one which "a gentleman had in his possession, taken from the Bishop as he delivered it." It is to be noted that Wilson was honoured in prefixing "some account of the Life and Character" of Leighton to this work. Then again, in 1748, he published other two volumes, entitled The Expository Works and other Remains of Archbishop Leighton, Revised by P. Doddridge, D.D., with a preface by the Doctor. A good many pieces also appeared for the first time, such as Lectures on Psalm xxxix., Isaiah vi., and Romans xii., besides Letters to the Synods of Glasgow and Dunblane, and the Meditationes Ethico-criticae in Psalmos iv, xxxii, cxxx, "translated from the Author's Latin by a good hand." Wilson was not only much indebted to Doddridge, but also to the Rev. R. (afterwards Professor) Hamilton, who "revised the sheets as they came from the press." In his note to the Reader he says, "I am now endeavouring to recover the worthy author's Discourses on the Epistle to the Ephesians, men

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tioned by Dr. Fall in his preface to the second volume of the Commentary on Peter, and, if I succeed, I intend to publish them." The recovery of these discourses is still a desideratum.1 The translation of the Meditations on the Psalms was not the work of Doddridge. In his admirable Preface he says, "I have taken care they should be faithfully translated, and have reviewed the version with as much accuracy as my other engagements would allow. It is indeed impossible to transfuse the inimitable elegance and strength of the original into any translation; but he who is incapable of the pleasure of using that, will, I hope, be glad to enjoy the benefit of such eminently pious reflections, though under the disadvantage of a dress much less beautiful and ornamental." The translation of the Lectures and Addresses appeared in 1763. Mr. West, in his edition of 1870, gives a new translation of all the Latin compositions of Leighton. The selections given are taken from the previous translations, carefully compared with the original, in order to represent, as far as possible, the style as well as the thought of the author.

No words are needed to extol the high qualities of the Lectures and Addresses. When Doddridge was requested by Wilson to introduce Leighton's works to the world by a recommendatory preface, he absolutely refused to do so, "knowing," as he said, "how very unworthy I am to pretend, by my suffrage, to add anything to the reputation and acceptance of what came from the pen of so eminently great and good a man; and the more I know of him, and

1 The Rev. Dr. Alex. Waugh of London, in a letter dated February 3, 1814, addressed to Rev. John Brown of Whitburn, says, "I begin with Leighton's MSS. When I waited on Mr. Reid in Pall Mall, he expressed great readiness to assist in the recovery of them, if at all possible. . I assured him that our object was not selfish; but that if the valuable works of so eminent a divine could only be brought to light, our object would be completely gained. He assured me that if he should be so fortunate as to light on them, he would most cheerfully give them to us."— Life of Dr. Waugh, 1839, p. 253.

of myself, the more deeply sensible I must be of this." It is not without good reason Leighton has been called "our Scottish Fénélon;" for although he passed not under the cold shade of kings and courtiers, he had, like Fénélon with Bossuet, the sharp acrimony of some of his compeers; and his saintly life was as the ægis of a Christianity of a sweeter and stronger character than that with which the name of De Guyon is identified. In these Lectures, as academical studies, there is fuller scope given for the display of his ripe erudition; while those rich qualities that impart charm and sanctity to his Sermons and Commentary are also everywhere conspicuous.

Citations from Scripture are numerous; the writings of Paul give the highest number, 39; after which the Psalms, 28; the Gospels, 25; the Proverbs, 11; and about twenty of the other books are quoted. There are three passages taken from the Septuagint, and two from the Apocryphal books. Upwards of seventy Greek and Latin authors are mentioned. Aristotle is quoted 15 times; Homer, 6; Sophocles, 5; Euripides, 6; Plato, 9; Plutarch, 5; Eschylus, Aristophanes, Thales, 2 each; while Xenophon, Isocrates, Hesiod, Menander, Pythagoras, Aratus, Ariston, and others, furnish their contributions. Among Latin authors there are quotations from Horace, 17; Seneca, 26; Virgil, 15; Lactantius, 8; Cicero, 6; and Juvenal and Persius, Lucretius and Lucan, Terence and Ovid, A. Gellius, Claudian, Varro, and others, are represented. First among the Fathers stands Bernard, 26; next, Augustine, 18; Ambrose and Basil, 6 each; Herm. Trismegistus, 5; Chrysostom and Th. à Kempis, 4 each; and Tertullian, Synesius, the three Gregories, Clemens Alexandrinus, Ignatius, Claudius Victor, and others, are more or less frequently cited. Boetius, with his Consolation of Philosophy, was a favourite with Leighton, as he was with all mediæval-minded men, and is quoted four or five times, while Luther and Lord Bacon have each a niche.

MEDITATIONS ON SOME OF THE PSALMS.

PSALM IV. 1.

The Power of Prayer.-Many of the calamities of pious men have an aspect of misery; but, to prove that they were really happy, they poured out many prayers in their calamities, they had many and seasonable deliverances shining favourably on their calamities, and many songs of praise they sang to God their Deliverer; and even when cast into the fire these odours abundantly diffuse their savour.

Hear me.-Behold the sanctuary of this holy man in all his trials; which he accordingly adorns with accumulated titles, similar to those in Psalm xviii. 1, My Rock, my Fortress, my Strength, my Deliverer, my Buckler, etc. He indeed is a place of refuge to his children, therefore in is fear his strong confidence. A wonderful enigma that, in fear confidence; bu the thing itself is most true, as Solomon puts it, Proverbs xiv. 26, and again xviii. 10, The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runneth into it and is safe. And they who know not this refuge, miserable and panic-stricken when danger is near, run hither and thither like little frightened mice, as Antoninus

· μυιδίων ἐπτοημένων διαδρομαῖς.

excellently expresses it. The life of man upon earth is a warfare;1 and it is better in the midst of enemies and dangers to know one great fortress than many by-paths. He who knows to pray may be pressed, but he cannot be oppressed.

me,

Hear O Lord. He did not deem it enough to have said this once, but he redoubles it. He who truly prays, pleads his cause earnestly, nor only earnestly, but vehemently, and is the more urgent to be heard, because his necessities and difficulties, and the ardent stirrings of his own desires and affections, constrain him. And the prayers that have such qualities are those only that are carried up on high, and offer the most grateful violence to heaven. Nor does the Divine benignity grant anything more readily, and with more inclination, than that which seems, by the most fervent prayers, to be taken by force, and, so to speak, extorted. And Tertullian did not hesitate to say, that when we pray eagerly, we advance as it were in close line of battle and besiege God.2 And St. Basil says, "We must be importunate with God." 3 These are the perpetual sacrifices of the

1 This is the Vulgate form of Job vii. 1, Militia est vita hominis super terram.

2 Acriter precantes veluti stipato agmine Deum obsidere. 3 δυσωπεῖν Θεόν.