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or memoriter,) was increased by his acute discernment and lively fear of inaccuracy, either of speaking or reasoning. This somewhat operated against the ready and universal appreciation of his high qualities as a preacher and divine.”

Both these witnesses are true, the latter as well as the former. But though both the cast of his thoughts and the manner of his utterance were not such as readily to attract the tide of popularity, his preaching commanded more than general respect. Its richness and instructiveness are the theme of praise by all who have favoured me with communications respecting him.

Mr. Campbell's monthly Sabbath evening lectures were on subjects of deep, practical, and general interest. But of these subjects I can furnish only a partial list. In 1837 and 1838, he delivered ten lectures on the evidences of personal piety, or the fruits of the Spirit, founded on Galatians v. 22-24. In 1839 he lectured on prevailing religious errors or evils. The following are some of the titles of this series:— "On some states of mental excitement which are regarded as evidence of a state of salvation, but which are frequently delusive."-" Errors connected with the doctrine of the necessity of divine influence in regeneration." "The abuse of the doctrine of election as affecting the spiritual interests of man.”"On the unpardonable sin."-" On the sectarian spirit, and the evils to which it gives rise."

The course which has struck me as exhibiting the greatest power in the conception of it, and in the

execution, so far as I can judge from skeleton manuscripts, was one on the evidences of Christianity.

In this course he proposed to himself “no particular regard to order in the choice of subjects," but intended that " each lecture should contain a distinct argument," or should establish "the truth of some one proposition, which truth necessarily involves the truth of Christianity." Some of the titles of these lectures may be of service in suggesting similar topics to others:-"On the evidence of the truth of the gospel from the resurrection of Christ."-"On the divine authority of the Jewish lawgiver."—" The law given from Sinai suited to the circumstances of man, and of universal adaptation."-"The facts of the gospel history brought to the test of the moral sense." -"The fitness of Christianity as an instrument to renovate the world."-" The truth of a divine and spiritual influence as revealed in the Scriptures, confirmed from the history of Christianity and the experience of Christians."—" The gospel as a scheme for the recovery of mankind to virtue and happiness, tried by its adaptation and actual success."-" On the conversion of Paul, as an evidence of the truth and power of the gospel." These lectures were not "written out," but the outlines from which they were delivered exhibit a careful and elaborate process of thought, a care and elaboration which issued not in a show of learning, but in clear and simple statement.

The last course of evening lectures which Mr. Campbell attempted was on the distinguishing principles of Evangelical Protestantism. The condition

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of the Church of England, and the bearings of what he considered in one respect its rapid apostacy, and in another the rapid development of its essential principles, occupied his thoughts intensely, and awakened his apprehensions of a coming struggle for which few were prepared, and for which he was anxious that himself and his brethren in the ministry should be prepared by a more minute and extensive acquaintance with the controversies of the past, a more thorough understanding of the Scriptures, and stronger faith in God. He began this course in February, 1842, but was interrupted by the hand of affliction. gether there were only six of them delivered, and only four of them had been fully written out. They excited much interest, and it was no uncommon thing for strangers who heard them to remark that they had no idea there was such a man in Greenock. They will now speak for themselves in this volume. They exhibit what is far better than a mass of undigested learning a manful and energetic grappling with the adversary—a masterly dissection of sophistical reasoning, and clear, simple, and generally irresistible argument. The author of these lectures had not yet reached the maturity of his powers, but was fit to hold no mean place among the defenders of the faith.*

* The complete course which Mr. Campbell proposed included the following topics: The present position and duty of Evangelical Protestants, Jude 3.-The right of private judgment, church authority, 1 Cor. x. 15.-The standard of religious truth, Isaiah viii. 10.-Tradition, Col. ii. 8.-The unity and catholicity of the true church of Christ, 1 Cor. xii. 13.-An examination of the exclusive claims of the Church of Rome, and her modern allies,

As to Mr. Campbell's ordinary ministrations, it was universally felt, as more than one of my correspondents express it, that he did not give to his people what cost himself no labour. He was a diligent and conscientious student; and his discourses were always characterised by exact, clear, and consecutive thought. Less argumentation and more unction would have pleased some; but how far there was a superabundance of the one, and a lack of the other, I am not prepared to say. The severe and logical structure of his mind accounts sufficiently for a tendency to excess in the former. The general reader may not care to know (but the subject is interesting to preachers,) that Mr. Campbell was not in the habit of writing out his sermons. A digest or skeleton, occupying from one to three or four octavo pages, is all that remains of nineteen-twentieths of his discourses. But each of these skeletons exhibits the marks of careful premeditation and study. I am not aware of the grounds on which my friend preferred this mode of preparation for the pulpit, but the labour of full composition would have been, in many instances, less trying and exhausting than the care and excitement connected with the use of extemporaneous language. And those who know the difference between unpremeditated or unstudied sermons, and sermons whose to scriptural unity and catholicity, 1 Cor. xii. 13.-The validity of the Protestant Ministry, 2 Tim. ii. 2.-Apostolic succession, 2 Tim. ii. 2.-Justification by faith alone, Gal. ii. 16.-The Romish doctrine of justification, James ii, 24.—The nature and design of baptism; baptismal regeneration, John iii. 5.-The nature and design of the Lord's Supper; the real presence, Matth. xxii. 26.

language merely is extemporaneous, will require no apology for Mr. Campbell's practice. It would be out of place here to discuss the best mode of preaching; but few will refuse their assent to the statement of Ware, in his Tract on Extemporaneous Preaching:"There can be no good reason why the preacher should confine himself to either mode. It might be most beneficial to cultivate and practise all. By this means he might impart something of the advantages of each to each, and correct the faults of all by mingling them with the excellencies of all. He would learn to read with more of the natural accent of the speaker, and to speak with more of the precision of the writer.""Let extemporaneous preaching, (extemporaneous, that is, in language,) be diligently cultivated by educated men, and we shall find no more cause to expel it from the pulpit than from the forum or the parliament." But, I may add, to be fit for effective use, it must be the result of diligent cultivation, and diligent cultivation by educated men. "Maximus studiorum fructus est, et velut præmium quoddam amplissimum longi laboris, ex tempore dicendi facultas."* Mr. Campbell's extemporaneous speaking came up to the requirement of Quinctilian-" Mihi ne dicere quidem videtur, nisi qui disposite, ornate, copiose dicit."+ And I know of no better description of his style. It was well arranged, ornate, and copious.

We have referred to Mr. Campbell's labours in the

* Quinct., Lib x. 7. "The power of speaking extempore is the highest fruit of the studies I recommend, and it is a very ample reward of long continued labour."

+ Idem.

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