improving partner. Thus, after a short privation of domestic comforts, he was restored with a relish heightened, not diminished, by absence, to the highest enjoyment of their improving influences.

It was in the midst of this happy combination of circumstances, so calculated to render his religion cheerful, and his piety grateful, that he entered the sacred ministry. And seldom has such a union of gracious providences met together on a subject, better suited to improve under their kindly operation. His affections, ardent and easily aroused, experienced with each day's repetition of each individual mercy, a renewed emotion of thankfulness, which gradually settled down into a deep and fervent gratitude; while in daily calling to mind "the mercies of old," which had followed him from earliest childhood, the sanguineness of his natural temperament was imperceptibly spiritualized; and, without losing any thing of its native fervour, acquired all the resignation and constancy of Christian faith.

With such qualifications of mind and manner, as have been noticed, it was natural to expect, that he would be popular in the University; and accordingly he soon became a favourite tutor, and had numerous pupils. Partly, however, from an easy temper, and partly from an unwillingness to refuse his assistance to any young struggler entering into life, his classes generally contained an unusually large proportion of pupils, who not only received from him gratuitous

instruction, but caused him in some instances, a consider

able expense.

But he proved in a still more important point his desire to benefit those, whom Providence placed in his way, by pursuing the plan (too little attended to at that time,) of devoting one day in the week to the religious instruction of his pupils. It cannot indeed be regarded as any other than a difficult and a thankless task, to attract to religious subjects, the minds of young men just freed from the restraints of home or of school, and either entering the lists of literary fame, or still more eagerly starting in the heedless career of pleasure. And it can hardly be expected, if parents have neglected during its tender growth, to train the plant to the proper standard, that increasing years will render it more pliant.

The same benevolent anxiety for the temporal and spiritual welfare of youth, extended itself to the students in general; and gave a peculiar attraction to the discourses, which he addressed to them from the University pulpit. Consequently he became at once a favourite preacher in College, and, together with one or two others, contributed to excite among the young men a seriousness and spirit of religious inquiry, but little felt before.

This popularity among the students, continued even after his powers of delivery had somewhat diminished; and when his time was so much occupied by the researches necessary for his published works, as to prevent his making sufficient preparation for the pulpit.

On this point I may be excused for quoting here the testimony of one, who, besides being himself a competent judge, was also acquainted with the opinions of the best scholars of his day; the productions of some of whom, as well as his own, have since been favourably received by the public. "I had the privilege of knowing him from my entrance into College, and of being "one of his first class of divinity pupils, and thus receiving by his guidance and encouragement many "advantages in my studies for the ministry.

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"He had long been the most popular preacher both "in College and the city pulpits. I heard two distinguished Fellows bear testimony to his merits as a preacher, in very characteristic terms. The one said, "he was the first College preacher, who put heart "into his sermons. The other, that he was the only one in his memory, who gave unction to academic "preaching.

"I remember that not only my eyes, but the eyes of "the students generally, turned towards his seat, near "the hour of sermon, with the hope of seeing some "note of preparation, (the tucking up of the surplice, "or the adjustment of the spectacles,) for a move "towards the pulpit; and there was a look of disappointment, when almost any one else stepped for"ward.

"I retain a more distinct impression of his sermons, "than of most I have ever heard. The sermon on the

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prodigal son, and on the denial of Peter, (though I "don't say they rank highest,) certainly engaged my

"attention particularly.

*

*

*

"In the first sermon the anecdote of Saladin is in"troduced in a truly oratorical manner.* The open

"ing of the fourteenth sermon is as solemn and awaken"ing a piece of pulpit eloquence as can be found 66 any where."

His success, in these efforts was highly gratifying to his longings after ministerial usefulness, and both prepared and encouraged him to extend his exertions in this department, as far as his academic duties would permit. He therefore readily yielded to the calls of his brother clergy of the metropolis, to assist them in spreading the knowledge of the truth; and in pleading for the most important of the public charities. And the collections obtained, on some of these occasions, by himself and Kirwan for the widow and orphan, have not since been equalled.

Indeed, his qualifications as a preacher, were such as are rarely found united in the same individual, and some of which, even taken singly, would have insured popularity.

The comprehensive course of studies, philosophical as well as classical, necessarily pursued by a successful candidate for a fellowship in the Dublin University, had accustomed him to the exercise of a sound judgment, and the calm investigation of truth. In prosecuting religious inquiry, he was therefore enabled, on the one side to discard the reveries of enthusiasm, and on the

* Vol. iv. pp. 6, 137, 149, 167.

other, to approach the sublime topics of revelation, with a due sense of their awful importance. Hence he always sought, not merely to awaken, but to convince his hearers; and while endeavouring to enlist their affections on the side of religion, he also took care to lay in the depths of their understandings the abiding foundations of permanent feeling.

His imagination was animated and fertile; his diction copious and diversified, and often, when the sense required it, spirited and striking. He had a full and flexible voice, which both feeling and taste had unconsciously accustomed him to modulate in unison with his subject. But that which gave the soul to this combination of external attractions, was his evident and ardent anxiety, to impress on his hearers the awful truths, which he proclaimed; an anxiety, which displayed itself in such an affectionate and awakening earnestness of manner, as could hardly fail of rivetting attention to the sublime doctrines thus announced, and communicating to his audience some at least of that deep conviction, from which they so evidently proceeded. "All his sermons (I quote again from the same authority) are characterised "by the same fervent and flowing eloquence. There "is a constant equable glow of feeling, which never "amounts to heat or rapture-which always leaves 66 room for the full exercise of his intellect. The "warmth and exuberance of expression never hurries "him into vague declamation: nor does the control of "reason clash with the play of feeling, or clog the

VOL. I.

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