ligion, which sometimes assumes the name and the honors of liberality and superior wisdom. Any existing superstition, any of the common stages of fanaticism, is to be preferred to that dead, profane, sensual, worldly heart, which has never feared, never thought, never resolved upon the service of God. I would rather you would count your beads, and macerate your bodies, and pour out your prayers to the virgin and the whole calendar of saints, and even admit all the absurdities of scholastic theology, than that you should claim to your self the merit of superior wisdom, because you can laugh at absurdity, and think there is nothing left of religion, when stripped of these corruptions. I would rather you would sink into the depths of mystical devotion, than that you should imagine a religion may be tolerated by the God of love, in which your affections have no share. I would rather you should suffer the terrors of superstition, and hear the voice of an angry God in every blast that passes by you, or see a ghost in every dream and every solitude, than that you should live on without God in the world, without thought of eternity-in luxury, in dissoluteness, in secret sins-with the vain hope that religion will come at last, and offer you mercy and salvation in a dying hour. I would rather your life should be spent in the most vulgar and childish acts of devotion, or that your religion should consist in a succession of the most fanciful impulses and dreadful agitations of mind, than that you should live on without ever having asked the question, "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." If you do this, you will find the fruit of the spirit of religion to be "love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperanee;" against which there is no law. B. at first bore an unfavorable aspect on the future fortunes of the subject of this article, who was the youngest son, proved advantageous to him by the necessity of personal exertion which it imposed, and by the early and powerful stimulous which it gave to the innate energies of his mind. He studied the languages at the grammar school and university of his native place, and there Jaid the foundation of that critical erudition, by which he was afterwards so much distinguished. At first, he intended to follow the profession of the law, and actually completed his course of preparation for it; but he soon abandoned his situation, and began to qualify himself for the elerical office. The short time, however, which he spent in'studying law, was advantageous to him, as it furnished him with a general knowledge of that im portant subject, accustomed him to closeness and ingenuity of reasoning, and gave him the faculty of drawing up papers with accuracy and skill. Having attended the theolog. ical classes both at Edinburgh and Aberdeen, during the requisite number of years, and having undergone the probationary trials, prescribed by the laws of the church in such cases, he was licensed to preach the gospel by the presbytery of Aberdeen on the 11th of June, 1746. On the 2d of June, 1748, he was ordained minister of Banchory Tarnan, a parish in Kincardineshire, 17 miles from Aberdeen. In this situation he was chiefly distinguished by his powers of lecturing, or expounding the scrip tures, a practice which forms a regular part of the service of the church of Scotland. Here he formed the plan of his translation of the four gospels, and here he also drew up a part of his Philosophy of Rhetoric. During his settlement in this parish, he married a lady, who contributed in a very great degree to the prolongation and happiness of his life, and who was spared to him till a very few years before his death. After he had been nine years the minister of this place, he was translated to Aberdeen, June 23, 1757, and became one of the ministers of that city. This new situation, in which he had easy access to books, enjoyed the opportunity of associating with literary men, and lived in the immediate neighborhood of two universities, stimulated him to greater efforts, and led him on to higher attainments than he could have been expected to make in the narrow sphere to which he had been hitherto confined. Here his reputation as a lecturer, or expounder of holy writ was established and increased, and whilst he was sedulously attentive to the peculiar duties of his profession, he cultivated, with diligence and success, the taste he had already indulged for literature and philosophy. About a year after his settlement in Aberdeen, a society was formed, which afforded him the means at once of improving his mind, and displaying his talents. Among his associates in this society, were Reid, Gregory, Gerard and Beattie, and here were first conceived and partially produced, many of those writings by which these eminent men have done honor to themselves and service to mankind. In 1759, he was made Principal of Marischal College, then vacant by the death of Principal Polloch. Hitherto he had published nothing but а sermon, preached before the synod of Aberdeen in 1952, on the character of a minister as a teacher and pattern; and he himself thought so little of it, as to exelude it from the collection of sermons which he made a little before his death. Soon after his appointment to the office of principal, he published his celebrated Dissertation on Miracles, in answer to Mr. Hume's essay on that subject. The substance of it was delivered in a sermon before the provincial synod of Aberdeen in 1760, and afterwards moulded into the form of a dissertation. Before it was published, a copy of it was sent to Dr. Blair of Edinburgh, and communicated to Mr. Hume; and when the author had availed himself of the remarks both of his friend and his opponent, he presented it to the public in 1763. Previous to this, he had received, without any solicitation. on his part, the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the neighboring university of King's college in Old Aberdeen; a title which he was more ambitious to deserve than to obtain. The dissertation on miracles has passed through many editions, and has been translated into the French, Dutch and German lan guages. For twelve years Dr. Campbell continued to discharge the offices of principal of Marischal college, and one of the ministers of Aberdeen; which he did with great honor to himself, and satisfaction to those with whom he was connected. During this time, he became a proficient in the science of Botany, and afterwards found it highly useful in the critical illustration of scripture. He also improved his acquaintance with the Greek and Latin, acquired a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew, and made himself master of the French and Italian languages. In the discharge of parochial duty he was assiduous and attentive, and was not above listening to the calls of humanity when made by the poorest of his hearers. On the 26th of June 1971, he was elected Professor of Divinity in the Marischal college in the room of Dr. Gerard. This appointment was attended with the resignation of his pastoral charge as one of the ministers of Aberdeen. But as minister of Grayfriars, an office connected with the professorship, he was oblig ed to preach once every Lord's day in one of the established churches. As a professor of divinity, he made great exertions to be useful. He nearly doubled the number of lectures which the students had been accustomed to receive, and introduced several improvements, which discovered the soundness of his own judg ment, and the zeal with which he labored for the advancement of his pupils. His manner of delivering his lectures was such as to captivate and fix the attention of his students. His deep and extensive erudition was ir radiated by his fine imagination; and those productions, which were the most abstracted and learned, were rendered entertaining by strokes of wit and humor, which Dr. Campbell took occasion to introduce. Besides he recommended himself to the students, not only by the justness of his criticisms and by his live ly mode of lecturing, but by the condescension and amiableness of his whole conduct. In 1776, he published his Philosophy of Rhetoric, in 2 volumes 8vo; a work on which he bestowed the labor of many years, and which reflects the highest honor on his intellectual character. In 1789, his translation of the four gospels, with preliminary dissertations and critical and explanatory notes, appeared. This is a work, of which it is hardly possible to speak too highly. The translation is in general well executed; the notes are extremely valuable, and the preliminary dissertations contain some of the ablest critical discussions, that are any where to be found. We come now to consider the opinions and character of Dr. Campbell in private life. These we shall give chiefly in the words of Mr. Keith, his principal biographer. In all opinions concerning revealed religion, he was a most sincere christian, who by extensive reading in general, and by a careful perusal of the holy scriptures, had confirmed his own faith in the christian revelation. He Vol. III. 15 was by no means fond of controversial divinity, though an able disputant. His own zeal was as much kindled by making any striking observation on the character of Christ, by discovering any beauty in the inspired writings, which had not been former. ly noticed, or by throwing any new light on a precept of the gospel, as the miad of a zealot could be pleased with a new argument in favor of any article of controversy, or of a sectary on getting a new convert added to his party. He was uncommonly liberal to those who differed from him in religious opinions. He would neither officiously offer to make converts, nor proudly refuse to reason with any one who was desirous of information, and open to conviction. He proceeded with great caution in forming his own opinion upon any subject; and, without suspecting the veracity, or good sense of others, took nothing upon trust, but wished to consider every thing himself. He had too much candor to be the leader, and too much elevation of mind, to be the adherent of a party. He was extremely candid as a judge of sermons, and was very backward in giving an opinion of a preacher, except in a private conversation with the person himself, when his remarks were free, but made with great deli studied with close application. Few men husbanded time more, or allowed themselves less reJaxation. He usually rose by five in the morning, and was engaged in study, in one shape or other, till twelve at night, excepting when called to meals, interrupted by company, or en. gaged in other duties. He wrote incomparably more after his appointment to the professorship, at the age of fifty two, than he had done all the preceding part of his life. When nearly seventy years old, by the help of a grammar, and a dictionary, he studied, with success, the German language, in order that he might be able to read Luther's version of the New Testament. In conversation, his wit often appeared to great advantage; but it was mixed with so much pleasantry and good humor, that no person could be displeased, even when he was the subject of this delicate raillery; and though extremely well bred, he was apt to laugh very freely, when any ludicrous story was told, or any thing ridiculous happened in company. From his being much absorbed in reflection, he was sometimes a little absent, but in general, he was very attentive to his guests, was an agreeable companion to those whom he visited, was very fond of conversing with young people, and, from the sweetness of his temper and condescending manners, could render himself agreeable, even to young children. The most prominent feature of his moral character, was his love of truth. No man was ever more strict in speaking truth; and the least deviation from it was accompanied with the strongest marks of his disapprobation, It was by paying this strict regard to truth and principle, that he strengthened the powers of his understanding, while he preserv ed his virtue uncorrupted. In private life he was a most affectionate husband, and a steady friend to those few, whom he honored with his friendship. He had none of those peculiarities by which learned men eith er are, or affect to be distinguished from others. He had very few, if any, enemies; for he took no concern in borough politics, or in private quarrels. His stature was below the middle size, and he stooped much in his old age; but he had a fine open countenance, a significant index of his candid mind; very regular features, which were marked with lines of thought, and a most piercing eye, which indicated his uncommon natural perspicacity. In 1791, Dr. Campbell was seized with a violent illness, and his life was despaired of. His friend, the Rev. Dr. Cruden, has recorded a conversation which he had with him at this time, and which is highly interesting "Visiting, Dr. Campbell," says he, "on being informed of his sick. ness, I found him very ill, and thinking that his disorder would bring on death. hand, he complained of pain over his whole body; thought, Taking my that as there was not the least hope of his recovery to be actively useful, it would be good for him to depart; and indeed, in his present state, he wished to he |