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His powers of comparison, analogy, and JUDGMENT have been rarely equalled. These had been exercised so long and with so much energy on all the conditions and relations around him---on the word of God---on his own mind---on the history, opinions, passions, prejudices, and motives of men in every age, and of every character and station---on moral causes and effects ---on every subject that can come within the grasp of a philososophic mind---that the result was a WISDOM so prominent and commanding, that every man felt himself with a mind of the very first order both in capability and acquirement. In some cases, wherein my wishes, perhaps, formed my opinions; and, trying to hide the truth from myself, I have asked his opinion as a confirmation of my own---he has unmasked my heart to itself, by his wise and searching replies. His decisions were more according to circumstances than in most men: and, when he gave them, it would generally be with a declaration that other circumstances might wholly change the aspect of the thing; and he did this in such a manner---if I may judge by my own case---as often to make a man look about him, and bethink himself what a treache rous and blind party he had to transact with in his bosom.

To those who did not know him intimately, he might sometimes appear to want a quickness of perception. The appearance of this faculty is often assumed, where God has not given it. Where the mind does decide rapidly, its conclusions are generally partial and defective, in proportion to their rapidity. Intuition is not a faculty of the present condition of being, whatever it may be of that toward which we are advancing. He affected no such quality, yet he possessed more of it than most men. When he did not fully understand what was addressed to him, he said so; and his mind was so familiar with the difficulty of discovering truth through the veils and shades thrown over her by prejudice and self-love, that he did not hastily bring himself to think that he possessed your full meaning.

His good sense and wisdom led him to AVOID ALL PECULIARITY AND ECCENTRICITY. He was decidedly adverse to

every thing of this nature. "When any thing peculiar appears," he would say," in a religious man's manners, or dress, or furniture, this is supposed by the world to constitute his religion. A clergyman indeed is allowed by common consent, and indeed it is but decent in him, to have every thing about him plain and substantial rather than ornamental and fashionable."

THE PERSONAL CHARACTER of Mr. Cecil had a manifest influence on his MINISTERIAL. We find him frequently accounting for those views and feelings which prevailed in his Ministry, by a reference to his constitution and his early history.

HIS SENTIMENTS ON THE MINISTERIAL OFFICE are scattered through his writings, as this was ever present to his mind. Wherever he was, and whatever was his employment, he was always the Christian Minister. He was ever on the watch to do the work of an Evangelist, and to make full proof of his Ministry.

I have collected together his thoughts on this subject in some sections of his "Remains:" and I think it impossible that any young Minister should read these thoughts without imbibing a higher estimation of his sacred office. More will be found on these points in the following views of his Ministerial Character, gathered from his own lips.

These views were most striking and sublime.

"A Minister is

a Levite. In general he has, and he is to have, no inheritance among his brethren. Other men are not Levites. They must recur to means, from which a Minister has no right to expect any thing. Their affairs are all the little transactions of this world. But a Minister is called and set apart for a high and sublime business. His transactions are to be between the living and the dead---between heaven and earth; and he must stand as with wings on his shoulders. He must look, therefore, for every

thing in his affairs to be done for him and before his eyes. I am at a loss to conceive how a Minister, with right feelings, can plot and contrive for a Living. If he is told that there is such a thing for him if he will make such an application, and that it is to be so obtained, and so only, all is well---but not a step farther. It is in vain, however, to put any man on acting in this manner, if he be not a Levite in principle and in character. These must be the expressions of a nature communicated to him from God--a high principle of Faith begetting Simplicity. He must be an eagle towering toward heaven on strong pinions. The barn-door hen must continue to scratch her grains out of the dunghill."

He thought that the life of a Minister, with respect to worldly affairs, ought to be, peculiarly above that of other men, a life of faith. It was his maxim, to lay out no money unnecessarily--and, with this principle, he regarded his purse as in God's hand, and found it like the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil. He confessed that he could advise this conduct in no case but in that of a Christian Minister, who was a wise and prudent, as well as a right-hearted manager of his affairs. His habit was, to be the child of simplicity and faith---acting as a servant of God, on those principles which he judged most suitable to his character and station.

He had exalted ideas of ministerial authority---not the authority which results merely from office, but from office united with personal character---not the claims of priestly arrogance; but the claims of priestly dignity. "I never chuse to forget that I am a PRIEST, because I would not deprive myself of the right to dictate in my ministerial capacity. I cannot allow a man, therefore, to come to me merely as a friend, on his spiritual affairs, because I should have no authority to say to him, 'Sir, you must do so and so.' I cannot suffer my best friends to dictate to me in any thing which concerns my ministerial duties. I have often had to encounter this spirit; and there would be no end of it, if I did not check and resist it. I plainly tell them that they know nothing of the matter. I ask them if it is decent that a man, im

mersed in other concerns, should pretend to know my affairs and duties, better than myself, who, as they ought to believe, make them the study of my life. I have been disgusted---deeply disgusted---at the manner in which some men of flaming religious profession talk of certain preachers. They estimate them just as Garrick would have estimated the worth of players, or as Handel would have ranged an orchestra. Such an one is clever---he is a master'--Clever !---a master!---Worth and character and dignity are of no weight in the scale."

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These views are just and noble; and they are suited to his own great mind, and the entire hold which his office had on his heart. But--listening with his whole soul to that injunction, Meditate on these things, give thyself wholly to them---it may be doubted whether he did not sometimes challenge to his office more respect than the party concerned could be expected to allow due.

Mr. Cecil's PREPARATION AND TRAINING FOR THIS EXALTED OFFICE have been already spoken of in the view of his Personal Character, and may be further traced in the Memoir of his Life. This was, as has been seen, of no common kind.

His QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE DISCHARGE OF THE MINISTRY were peculiar. The great natural powers which God had given him, were moulded and matured by the training and discipline through which he was led, and were consecrated by grace to the service of his Master. It will not be requisite to recapitulate what has been said on this subject. I shall here speak only of those qualifications which were more appropriate to him as a public teacher.

His LEARNING consisted more in the knowledge of other men's ideas, than in an accurate acquaintance with the niceties of the languages. Yet he was better acquainted with these, than many who devote a disproportionate time to this acquisition. His incessant application, chiefly by candle-light, when at Oxford, to the study of Greek, of which he was enthusiastically fond, brought on an almost total loss of sight for six months. He had determined to become a perfect master of the niceties of that refined and noble language. The counsel, however, which he

received from Dr. Bacon, and which is recorded in his "Remains" (pp. 121, 122), put him on proportioning his attention more according to the future utility of his pursuits than he had been accustomed to. "I was struck with his advice," he said. "I had an unsettled sort of religion, but enough to make me see and choose the truth which he set before me."

So solid and extensive was Mr. Cecil's real learning, that there were no important points, in morals or religion, on which he had not read the best authors, and made up his mind on the most mature deliberation; nor could any topic be started in history or philosophy, on subjects of art or of science, with which he was not found more generally acquainted than other men. But while he could lay these parts of learning under contribution to aid him in his one object of impressing truth on man, he was a master in the learning which is more peculiarly appropriate to his profession. He was so much in the habit of daily reading the Scriptures in the originals, that, as he told me, he went to this employ naturally and insensibly. He limited himself to no stated quantity: but, as his time allowed, he read one or two, and sometimes five or six chapters daily.

Mr. Cecil had the POWER OF EXCITING AND PRESERVING ATTENTION above most men. All his effort was directed, first to engage attention, and then to repay it--to allure curiosity, and then to gratify it.

Till the attention was gained he felt that nothing could be effected on the mind. Sometimes he would have recourse to unusual methods, suited indeed to his auditory, to awaken and fix their minds. "I was once preaching," he said, "a Charity Sermon, where the congregation was very large, and chiefly of the lower order. I found it impossible, by my usual method of preaching, to gain their attention. It was in the afternoon, and my hearers seemed to meet nothing in my preaching, which was capable of rousing them out of the stupefaction of a full dinner. Some lounged, and some turned their backs on me. 'I MUST HAVE ATTENTION,' I said to myself. I WILL be heard.' The case was desperate; and, in despair, I sought a desperate

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