tion, by advising him to turn his thoughts to some other profession. Accordingly, he actually was engaging himself in the study of the law, when his friend, Dr. Clark, hearing of his difficulties, generously offered to remove them. In October 1719, he was placed under the tuition of the Reverend Mr. John Jennings, who kept an academy at Kibworth in Leicestershire, a gentleman of great learning and piety; and, during the course of his studies at this place, he was noted for his diligent application to his proper business, serious spirit, and extraordinary care to improve his talents. He was first settled as a minister at Kibworth, where he preached to a small congregation in an obscure village, and where he had much time to apply himself to study, which he did with indefatigable industry. On Mr. Jennings's death, he succeeded to the care of his academy, and soon after was called to the care of a large dissenting congregation, whither he carried his academy; and the number of his pupils increased. Here and at Market Harborough just by, and lastly at Northampton, he spent his life, in his closet, in his academy, and in his congregation. He died at Lisbon, where he went for the recovery of his health, on the 26th of October 1751, in the fiftieth year of his age: And his remains were interred in the burying-ground belonging to the British factory there. A handsome monument was erected to his memory in his meeting place at Northampton, at the expence of the congregation. As to his person, he was rather above the middle stature, extremely thin and slender: He had a very remarkable sprightliness and vivacity in his countenance and manner, which commanded attention both in private and in the pulpit. He left one son and three daughters behind him, as well as an excellent and affectionate wife their mother, who accompanied him to Lisbon. It was very much to the honour of a minister of the established church, that the Doctor was enabled to make this voyage in point of expence: And it would be very much to the comfort as well as credit both of churchmen and dissenters, if they entertained the same catholic regard which the Doctor had to good men of all persuasions. Mr. Job Orton, who hath drawn up an excellent account of his life at large, relates many very edifying passages concerning the Doctor's studies, engagements, and conduct, which cannot fail of giving satisfaction fo every pious reader. Speaking of him, in his ministerial office, Mr. Orton says, That the vital truths of the gospel, and its duties, as enforced by them, were his favourite topics. He considered himself as a minister of the gospel, and therefore, could not satisfy himself without preaching Christ and him crucified. He never puzzled his hearers with dry criticisms and abstruse disquisitions; nor contented himself with moral essays and philosophical harangues, with which the bulk of his auditory would have been unaffected and unedified. He thought it cruelty to GOD's children to give them stones, when they came for bread. "It is my desire, saith he, not to entertain an auditory with pretty lively things, which is comparatively easy, but to come close to their consciences, to awaken them to a real sense of their spiritual concerns, to bring them to GoD, and keep them continually near to him; which, to me at least, is an exceeding hard thing." He seldom meddled with controversial points in the pulpit; never with those, with which he might reasonably suppose his congregation was unacquainted; nor set himself to confute errors, with which they were in no danger of being infected. When his subject naturally led him to mention some writers, from whom he differed, he spoke of them and their works with candour and tenderness; appealing constantly to the Scriptures, as the standard by which all doctrines are to be tried. He shewed his hearers of how little importance most of the differences between Protestants are, and chose rather to be a healer of breaches than to widen them. He always spoke with abhorrence of passionately inveighing against our brethren in the pulpit, and making Christian crdinances the vehicle of malignant passions. He thought this equally affronting to GoD and pernicious to men; poisoning instead of feeding the sheep of Christ." Viewing his conduct as a tutor, we are told, that one of the first things he expected of his pupils, was to learn Rich's short hand, which he wrote himself, and in which his lectures were written; that they might transcribe them, make extracts from the books they read and consulted, with ease and speed, and save themselves many hours in their future compositions. Care was taken in the first year of their course, that they should retain and improve that knowledge of Greek and Latin which they had acquired at school, and gain such knowledge of Hebrew, if they had not learnt it before, that they might be able to read the Old Testament; a care very important and necessary to this end. Besides the course of lectures in a morning, classical lectures were read every evening, generally rally by his assistant, but sometimes by himself. If any of his pupils were deficient in their knowledge of Greek, the seniors, who were best skilled in it, were appointed to instruct them at other times. Those of them who chose it, were also taught French. Systems of logic, rhetoric, geography, and metaphysics, were read during the first year of their course, and they were referred to particular passages in other authors upon these subjects, which illustrated the points on which the lectures had turned. To these were added lectures on the principles of geometry and algebra. After these studies were finished, they were introduced to the knowledge of trigonometry, conic sections, and celestial mechanics. A system of natural and experimental philosophy, comprehending mechanics, statics, hydrostatics, pneumatics, and astronomy, was read to them, with references to the best authors on these subjects. This system was illustrated by a neat and pretty large philosophical apparatus, part of which was the gift of some of his friends, and the remainder purchased by a small contribution from each of the students, at his entrance on that branch of science. Some other articles were touched upon, especially history, natural and civil; as the students proceeded in their course, in order to enlarge their understandings, and give them venerable ideas of the works and providence of GOD. A distinct view of the human body was given them, as it tended to promote their veneration and love for the great Architect of this amazing frame, whose wonders of providential influence also are so apparent in its support, nourishment, and motion; and all concurred to render them agreeable and useful in conversation, and to subserve their honourable appearance in the ministry. A large system of Jewish antiquities, which their tutor had drawn up, was read to them in the later years of their course, in order to illustrate numberless passages in the Scriptures, which cannot be well understood without a knowledge of them: They were also referred to the best writers upon the subject. But the chief object of their attention and study, during three years of their course, was his system of divinity in the largest extent of the word, including what is most material in pneumatology and ethics. In this compendium were contained, in as few words as perspicuity would admit, the most material things which had occurred to the author's observation, relating to the nature and properties of the human mind, the proof of the existence and attributes of GoD, the nature of moral virtue, virtue, the various branches of it, the means subservient to it, and the sanctions by which its precepts, considered as GOD's natural law, are enforced: Under which head, the natural evidence of the immortality of the soul was largely examined. To this was added some survey of what is, and generally has been, the state of virtue in the world. From whence the transition was easy to the need of a revelation, the encouragement to hope for it, and the nature of the evidence which might probably attend it. From hence the work naturally proceeded to the evidence produced in proof of that revelation which the Scriptures contain. The genuineness, credibility, and inspiration of these sacred books, were then cleared up at large, and vindicated from the most considerable objections which infidels have urged. When these foundations were laid, the chief doctrines of Scripture were drawn out into a large detail; those relating to the FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT; to the original and fallen state of man; to the scheme of our redemption by Christ, and the offices of the Spirit, as the great agent in the Redeemer's kingdom. The nature of the covenant of grace was particularly stated; and the several precepts and institutions of the gospel, with the views which it gives us of the concluding scenes of our world, and of the eternal state beyond it. What seemed most evident on these heads, was thrown into the propositions, some of which were problematical; and the chief controversies relating to each were thrown into the scholia, and all illustrated by a very large collection of references; containing, perhaps, one lecture with another, the substance of forty or fifty octavo pages, in which the sentiments and reasonings of the most considerable authors, on all these heads, might be seen in their own words. It was the business of the students to read and contract these references, in the intervals between the lectures, of which only three were given in a week, and sometimes but two. This was the Author's capital work as a tutor; he had spent much labour upon it, and was continually enriching it with his remarks on any new productions upon the several subjects handled in it. This system his pupils transcribed: It is now published, and the world will judge of its value and suitableness to answer the end proposed. Critical lectures on the New Testament were weekly delivered, which the students were permitted and encouraged to transcribe, to lead them to the better knowledge of the divine oracles. These contained his remarks on the language, meaning, and design of the sacred writers, and the interpretations and criticisms of the most consider considerable commentators. Many of these he has inserted in the "Family Expositor." In the last year of the course, a set of lectures on preaching and the pastoral care was given: These contained general directions concerning the method to be taken to furnish them for the work of preaching, the characters of the best practical writers and commentators upon the Bible, many particular rules for the composition of sermons, their proper style, the choice and arrangement of thoughts, and the delivery of them; directions relating to public prayer, exposition, catechizing, the administration of the sacraments, and pastoral visits: To these were added many general maxims for their conversation and conduct as ministers, and a variety of prudential rules for their behaviour in particular circumstances and connections, in which they might be placed. While the students were pursuing these important studies, some lectures were given them on civil law; the hieroglyphics and mythology of the ancients; the English history, particularly the history of nonconformity, and the principles on which a separation from the church of England is founded. The tutor principally insisted upon those laid down by Dr. Calamy, in his introduction to the second volume of his defence of moderate nonconformity. One day in every week was set apart for public exercises; at these times the translations and orations of the junior students were read and examined; those who had entered on the studies of pneumatology and ethics, produced, in their turns, theses on the several subjects assigned them, which were mutually opposed and defended. Those who had finished ethics, delivered homilies (as they were called, to distinguish them from sermons) on the natural and moral perfections of GOD, and the several branches of moral virtue; while the senior students brought analyses of Scripture, the schemes of sermons, and afterwards the sermons themselves, which they submitted to the examination and correction of their tutor. In this part of his work he was very exact, careful, and friendly, esteeming his remarks on their compositions more useful to young preachers, than any general rules of composition which could be offered them by those who were themselves most eminent in the profession. In this view he furnished them with subordinate thoughts, and proper scriptures for proof or illustration, retrenching what was superfluous, and adding what was wanting. It was his care, through the whole course of their studies, that his pupils might have such a variety of lectures, weekly, as might engage their |