ordinances of the gospel, and their special observance of keeping sacred the Lord's day. He found a sad lack of family devotion among them; few families in his parish, in the course of his ministry, could be singled out as omitting this solemn and improving exercise. And many were the instances of the careless sinner aroused and subdued by his preaching; and many, he had the happiness of witnessing, in their lives and conversation, as the humble and devoted followers of that Saviour whom he unceasingly held forth to the acceptance of all. In short, the moral change wrought among them by his ministry, was a notable instance of the power of God accompanying the exertions of one of His choicest instru

ments.

And a choice instrument he was. He was a man of great power in the pulpit. His sermons were enriched with the stores of a mind equally distinguished for native vigour and strength, and for literary and theological acquirements. He was a close and hard student in his youth, and this habit of assiduous application never forsook him. But the peculiar charm in his sermons was the glow of evangelical feeling and sentiment which pervaded the whole.-The pointedness and adaptation of his illustrations, sent home to the plainest understandings the truths which he expounded, and rendered clear and winning those peculiar doctrines of the gospel, which, when declared in the meagre form of an abstract truth, have

over many parts of Scotland at this day, where the population, from the immense boundaries of parishes, is destitute of churchaccommodation.

often a repulsive tendency.

And the deep insight

which he had of the workings of the human soul made the application of his discourses the most heart-searching and powerful. No conscience could escape the glance of his keen perception into the mysteries of the soul; and he knew well where to hunt out those "refuges of lies" which are so deadening to the conscience, and insidious in their hold of the inner man. And while he was one of the most arousing and alarming preachers to careless sinners in Zion, he was no less successful in nourishing the people of God with proper spiritual supplies, so necessary * for their growth in grace and holiness, and in guarding them against every temptation, and the danger of falling into spiritual lethargy. Out of his own varied and extensive experience he clearly read the condition of others. He sympathized with those of a fearful and alarmed disposition; for he himself had undergone all the pains and struggles of a most anxious apprehension for the fate of his own soul, when under the ministry of Mr. Samuel Rutherford, as we have already noticed. And he was able to pour into the wounded spirit the consolations which had been as balm to his own soul. And of those subtle feelings and thoughts which overcome many a professed disciple of Jesus, and lull their consciences into a profound repose, he was an able exposer; and there were few sins, however deep-seated, which he did not probe by the power of that instrument which is " sharper than any twoedged sword." The Scriptures were his chief study and delight; although his excellent education gave

him a peculiar relish for the varied pursuits of literature. His perfect knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew enabled him to read his Bible in these original languages, and gave him a decided superiority over those who were obliged to stand at a distance from such noble fountains, and satisfy themselves with the streams which flowed to their doors by the industry and skill of others. From the treasures of God's word, he brought forth "things new and old,” and his invention and power seemed as inexhaustible as the materials he had to work upon. No wonder then that his popularity as a preacher was great, and that persons from Glasgow, Hamilton, Lanark, and many places at a distance, came almost regularly to enjoy the benefit of his public ministrations. Many were well contented with hearing out of doors, which his powerful voice and animated delivery put fully in their power; for although his church was large, it was crowded to that excess, that a great part of his audience had to remain without. But his soul spread itself in delivering his sermon, over the whole of his audience. His manner was all earnestness. The importance and value of immortal souls lay always before him. He felt the impulse of his commanding situation over his audience; and filled with the thought of the risk and danger which the thoughtless and indifferent ran in hearing the gospel without improving it, and with the great responsibility which lay upon himself to deliver faithfully that message with which his master had intrusted him— these considerations brought tears to his eyes, and gave him a peculiar solemnity and interesting ap

pearance, which at once rivetted the attention, and awed the most careless and abandoned.

And he knew human nature too well, and the various avenues to the human heart, to circumscribe his ministerial duties by the services of the pulpit. Catechising and visiting from house to house, were means of instruction which the Bible and his prudence would have dictated for the benefit of his parishioners, although the articles of the church had said nothing on the subject. "In performing whereof he joined an indefatigable diligence to a holy skill, knew how to embrace every opportunity of discoursing upon the most important and awful subjects in a plain and familiar manner, and of recommending religion to the consciences of every one in the way which their special circumstances called for. And it was his peculiar care to endear the ways of God to the youth of his parish, and give them early impressions of an eternal world, before the devil and their lusts had seized upon their hearts, and enslaved them; and the seed of grace, that was thus sown during the spring of life, was, through the divine blessing, preserved in many, as they advanced in years, and brought forth much fruit."

And he knew that in the family circle, where the solemnity and generality of public discoursing was superseded by the free, open, and pointed remarks of familiar conversation, was the place peculiarly suited to make an impression on the heart. Here thought flashes upon thought, and feeling upon feeling, with no intervening circumstance to ward off or destroy the direct object of the interview. Cases

of conscience are laid open without reserve, and the admonition or consolation is delightfully seasoned, by the affectionate tones of friendship with which the visit of a faithful pastor is almost always accompanied among his parishioners. A word is thus said in private to a particular case which remains untouched by the most particular application which can be condescended upon with propriety from the pulpit. Mr. Guthrie's manner was finely fitted for this duty. Grave without austerity, warm in feeling and friendship, and easy and familiar, he stole, as it were, into the chambers of their thoughts, and saw the state of their souls with an intuitive perception, before they were aware that they had laid themselves open to his keen but friendly inspection. His visits, which he paid regularly to his people, were hailed by every family with peculiar feelings of delight. The dim eye of fourscore sparkled with the lustre of the grandchild, as his footsteps approached the threshold.

And

although it was afterwards suffused by tears, as his pious voice lifted itself up to a throne of grace, in behalf of the happy groupe standing around him, yet they were tears of joy which the heart spontaneously yields when overcharged with affection and pleasure; and the eye looks nothing the dimmer for them. And O! in this vale of tears, we know of no human exhibition more interesting, than the man of God bending with the earnestness of devotion to heaven, over the emaciated sufferer, in behalf of that soul which is fluttering on the confines of eternity; cheering the spirit sunk and forlorn, with the offers of mercy, and spreading the bright suffusion of hope