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and endowments it is not necessary for me to say that they were of very great and varied excellence; probably there have been few, if any, in any church, possessing, in such a degree, all the essentials of an able and acceptable minister of Christ. It is long since his name has had a wide pre-eminence in the United Presbyterian Church, in this respect, of which I perceive an unmistakeable proof in the feeling of interest exhibited by his brethren on the occasion when he preached the Synod sermon in Edinburgh as retiring moderator, a few years since, as well as in the opinion which was universally entertained of that sermon after it was preached. Nothing but the modesty and retiring disposition of your late pastor, prevented that sermon from being given to the world.

"On looking back on his ministry during the few years of my connection with him — years, alas! which have greatly added to my responsibility, and which, although I did value them, yet not as I ought to have done; on looking back on these years, and reflecting on the character of his preaching, I would say, in the

"FIRST place-That it was distinguished by its thorough evangelical spirit.

"To say that it was evangelical would be saying nothing at all; but what I mean is, that it was thoroughly imbued with a strictly gospel spirit, with that peculiar warmth and richness of sentiment which belong to the doctrines of grace, and by which they stand for ever apart from everything that is merely human in its origin, or from every human modification of what is Divine; the sentiment of the gospel-the feeling of the cross was fused, as it were, through every sermon he preached. While the collateral truths received their proper attention, and were always kept in their proper place, the doctrine of the cross was his chosen theme, on which he was accustomed to dilate with all the

clearness of an accomplished theologian, and all the warmth and eloquence of a sanctified heart. It was this that imparted their great charm to his public ministrations, and which brought them so closely home to the sympathies of the child of God; a charm which was especially felt in his table addresses on communion occasions, when there was often such a gush of fervid and glowing eloquence, as he seemed scarcely able himself to control, and as produced upon his hearers an almost overpowering impression of the exhaustless fulness of Divine truth, as well as the extent to which he had it at his command; it appeared as if, the conventional trammels of a sermon being removed, his thoughts and feelings found ampler vent, somewhat as the stream, unexpectedly raised to a higher level, overflows its banks, and rolls along with increased impetuosity and breadth of surface, to the main. With this peculiarity in his table addresses we have been often struck, and have remarked it to others. But in every part of his public ministrations, his prayers or his preaching, this evangelical spirit to which I have referred, was very conspicuous; a quality which, always important, indeed always essential, was of unspeakable importance in the earlier part of his ministry, when preaching of a very different kind prevailed in the north; it was a precious leaven, of which the effect will continue, we trust, till the whole is leavened.

"SECONDLY-I would say that his preaching was of a highly intellectual

cast.

"It was severely logical with all its warmth, and we had not listened to him many minutes, before being convinced, not only that we were in contact with a clear and vigorous mind, but with one who was disposed to recognize the rationality of his hearers, and to deal with them accordingly; who sought no acceptance of what fell from his lips, apart from the scriptural evidence, or the chain of argumentation in connec

tion with which he advanced it. He preached in the spirit of that declaration, 'I speak as unto wise men; judge ye what I say.' He abounded, indeed, in faithful and stirring appeal-pathetic entreaty-or solemn remonstrance, but it always had a doctrinal basis; it was always preceded by a forcible statement and elucidation of truth, so that the appeal sprang out of it in the shape of a strict logical inference, the great advantage of which over mere declamation is, that the individual is shut up to the necessity, either of immediately yielding to the appeal or doggedly resisting it; all the false refuges being previously swept away, and conscience left unsupported and solitary in the presence of truth. It is seldom, indeed, that we find such a happy combination of the argumentative quality with the persuasive or hortatory: while some of the more eminent of the old English divines are content with the former, and those of Scotland with the latter, so that the clearness of the one is devoid of earnest and practical power, stopping short, as it does, at the very point where another step would have brought it into the region of conscience; and the warmth of the practical appeals of the other has that vagueness which is invariably found when the judgment has not been previously convinced by a process of reasoning-the preaching of your late pastor proceeded on a distinct recognition of the importance of boththe conclusion of his argument only preparing the way for the glowing appeal to the heart, so that the calmness and clearness of the systematic divine were united to the warmth and animation of the earnest ambassador of Christ. At the close of his discourses I have often felt at a loss to determine whether the intellectual perception of the truth, or the moral sense of its practical value, was the more vividly stamped on the mind.

"THIRDLY-Another characteristic, and a very marked one, of your late

pastor's discourses, was their amazing simplicity. He handled the truth always with dignity, and yet in a manner that all could appreciate; he made no unwarrantable demand upon the attention of any; his methods were easy and natural, his illustrations pertinent, and essentially scriptural, to which his intimate acquaintance with the word of God largely contributed; Scripture indeed became its own interpreter in his hand. This simplicity of which we are speaking was not the result of superficiality, but of the clearness of his own perceptions of the subject discussed, and hence it was not only compatible with intellectual vigour, but the direct consequence of it, so that while the most ordinary mind could scarcely fail to discern his meaning, the most tutored and vigorous intellect was arrested and impressed.

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'In his discourses to the young, in which he greatly excelled, this plainness and simplicity were of essential value, while the manliness of his style with which these qualities were associated, was calculated to have strengthening and elevating effect on the youthful minds whom he sought to instruct. He let himself down to them to a certain extent, but he always contemplated the bringing of them so far up to him.

"I have already adverted once and again, to his command of Scripture, but this may be said justly to have constituted a leading feature of his style; its Scripturalness was remarkable; and in his case the word must be used in a somewhat peculiar and extended sense; it was not that he was never at a loss for an appropriate verse to support his position or illustrate his subject, but Scripture characters and Scripture incidents were always at hand, and the manner in which he introduced and applied these, from time to time, was occasionally little short of startling in its effect.

"As to his manner, it was calm,

easy, and dignified; always affectionate, earnest, and warm, sometimes rising into the tones, attitude, and gesture of the practised orator, or the earnest pleader for truth. This might be delayed for a considerable part of his discourse, but it was seldom that the discourse was closed without some exemplifications of it, and generally the latter part was in this manner of resounding and impetuous eloquence.

"It may be expected of me now to say something regarding his personal character, and the principal difficulty here is the temptation to enlarge beyond the reasonable limits of a discourse.

"His piety was cheerful, enlightened, and steady-the gracious habit of his life-displaying itself not in the pulpit alone, but in the closet, and in his study, where he would often be heard pouring out his soul unto God-and in the readiness with which he took up any religious topic in the private intercourse of life.

"His missionary spirit was one of his most distinguishing characteristics. The spread of the gospel, the glorious gospel of the blessed God, might be said to have been a master passion of his soul; he prayed for it, he advocated and recommended it, on all proper occasions, and he contributed towards it with unwonted munificence. He felt a noble pride (if we may be allowed the expression) in the enlarged schemes of missionary enterprise on which the religious body to which he belonged had of late years entered, as well as in the liberality towards this cause displayed by that part of the body to which he ninistered. His liberal soul experienced a thrill of satisfaction at the result of the special effort recently made by the young of this congregation in behalf of the missionary ship. He was always ready to encourage the missionary ope rations, not only of his own church, but of every other evangelical body. He was accustomed to receive deputations from the London, the Baptist, and other missionary societies, and numerous are

the expressions of gratitude which I have heard from the various deputies, for the warm and hospitable manner in which they were treated while under his roof.

"As a proof of the esteem in which he was held by those at the head of the great missionary associations of the country, I may mention the fact, that he was earnestly invited to go to London, by the London Missionary Society, to preach their annual sermon a few years ago, having been some time previously chosen an honorary director of that Society.

"While feeling for the spiritual wants of his fellow-creatures abroad, he was mindful of the wants of the poor at home, and was always ready to supply them. He gave with a kindly heart and a liberal hand-indeed, in this he was almost quite unexampled-so that the blessing of many who were ready to perish came upon him.' Sometimes his readiness to relieve needy applicants laid him open to the impositions of those from a distance-instances of which he has himself mentioned to me; although, as a general rule, none had a keener eye for the discernment of character and the balancing of a plausible story than he. By his removal, the poor of the district have undoubtedly been deprived of their best earthly friend.

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He was public-spirited in no common degree. He was alive to all the great questions which have agitated the political and religious world during the last half-century. He made up his mind upon them, and entered into them with all the enthusiasm of a sincere and ardent lover of liberty and truth. He was always found on the side of freedom, and was never unwilling to advance his voice and influence in its behalf; indeed, I am not aware that I have ever met with one in whom the indignation of everything in the form of tyranny and oppression was more intense; the individual who would enslave or oppress his brother man was to him an object of positive loathing, and he

BRIEF MEMOIR OF THE LATE REV. THOMAS STARK.

hailed with enthusiasm every successive advance which was made in the world towards freedom and truth. His mind was evidently progressive to the last; he did not linger amid antiquated forms merely because they were old; he was open to the consideration of any improvement, and ready to adopt it. He moved with the age, nay, in some things he was a-head of the age, and this imparted a youthful freshness to his feelings and conversation, not frequently found at such an advanced period of life.

"I must still farther advert to the great interest which he took in the young, the pleasure he felt in their society, there was something peculiarly amiable and beautiful in this; anything connected with the interests of the young lay near his heart. The Sabbathschool has always occupied much of his thoughts, time, and energy; with what enthusiasm did he enter upon the subscription for a juvenile library! and with what intense satisfaction did he refer to the fund which he intended to raise by the sale of his portrait, and which, at the suggestion of a dear relative, he has applied to the Sabbathschool! and with what animation did he enter into the proposal to give the scholars a soirée at the beginning of the year, the last time, alas, that he had them gathered around him, and the last time that they, in their assembled capacity, had the pleasure and privilege of listening to his much-loved voice-all this has now passed away, we shall see his face no more; let us strive to imitate him now, and we shall meet with him in a better world hereafter.

"I have said nothing about his more private excellences, as I scarcely think that I am warranted to introduce such a subject here. I may only add, that his manner in private was all that could be desired; that from his great stores of knowledge on all subjects, his conversation was exceedingly valuable, so that it has been often remarked, that it was impossible to be long in his presence

6

without being both interested and im-
proved. Many conversations it has
been my privilege to hold with him,
and I always found him readily ac-
cessible, on whatever subject I might
happen to consult him.

"But I must draw this hasty sketch to a close. You are all painfully familiar with the solemn circumstances of his departure; on the 5th day of this month at 6 o'clock, he was seized with paralysis, and on Friday the 9th, about 10 p.m., he slept in Jesus;-the Master called him hence, and gave him his crown, as a good soldier, who has been faithful unto death.

"We all felt it a great loss, that, from the nature of his malady, the power of speech was almost entirely taken away; it was only short words-abrupt sentences, that could be obtained, but these were amply sufficient to indicate the train of his feelings and the direction of his thoughts. When a minister from a neighbouring town came into the room where he was, we thought that he said,

come to see how a Christian can die;' the minister said, 'The latter end of that man is peace,' to which he readily assented. I told him that I was about to hold a prayer-meeting with the elders, and to lay our case before the Lord; he said, quite distinctly, 'Right-the rock -the refuge.' Again, when I said that I felt so weak since he was laid there, as I had leaned too much upon him, his answer was, 'Almighty strength.' He seemed perfectly conscious of all that was going on around him, and of his own state, up to Thursday night, when I left him. About 2 o'clock on Friday morning a remarkable circumstance occurred whether he was sensible or not we cannot determine, although those who were present at the time supposed that he was; but so it was, that he began to speak exactly as if he were praying and preaching, and continued in this exercise for more than an hour; his articulation was better than it had been, and some words were intelligible; he was understood among many things

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to say, that he had finished his course, and was now about to mount up Zionward.' He spoke no more; his strength was exhausted by the effort; all Friday he laboured heavily in his breathing, till death released him, and his spirit soared to immortality.

"On Tuesday last he was 'carried out,' amid the lamentations of many. His fellow-townsmen, of all denominations, marked their respect for his memory; for, with one or two exceptions, all the shops and places of business in the town were shut, while the mournful procession was passing through it. The near relatives of the departed, a large number of the presbytery, and several elders and members of the congregation, accompanied the hearse to the burial ground of Mr. Stark's family at Duthel, in Strathspey, where they deposited, in mournful and solemn silence, all that is corruptible of one who was long the centre of so many interests, and the object of affection and esteem to so many hearts, and where he sleeps in Jesus till the heavens be no more.'

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And now, my brethren, what shall I say? My father, my father, the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof! Our loss is great, it would imply deep insensibility not to feel it; apart from the loss sustained by his widowed partner, to whose feelings I may not allude, he who addresses you has lost an endeared father, counsellor, and friend; this congregation, an efficient, devoted, and eminent pastor; the presbytery, a sagacious and influential member, whose natural soundness of judgment had been quickened and strengthened by a lengthened experience; the poor, a warm and liberal friend; the cause of truth and of liberty all over the world, an enlightened, able, and fearless champion; and the church an eminent pillar and ornament.

"What is our comfort in this?The Lord reigneth, let the earth be glad.' This was the subject of one of the last sermons your pastor preached,

and one of the ablest I ever heard from his lips. A particular part of it which struck me as remarkably beautiful at the time it was preached, has since occurred to my mind as peculiarly applicable to his now weeping relatives and flock, and illustrates, at the same time, one characteristic of his preaching, to which I have already referred.

"His first remark on the text was, that the Lord who reigneth is mediator, directing, controlling all events in his mediatorial capacity, for the good of his church, and for that of his people as individuals. He spoke of this as calculated to impart comfort in the hour of greatest adversity, and in illustration he referred to Ezekiel's vision, which, he stated, was generally considered symbolical of the operations of God in his providence. Here he read first part of the vision to 25th verse. 'Now,' he said, this is frequently the case with his church and people on earth; his dealings with them may be so mysterious, so perplexing, that they are like a wheel within a wheel, so high and so portentous that they are dreadful-the eye recoils from the very sight;' having made these remarks he added, 'But let us look again: above that region of darkness and storm there appears another region where all is bright and serene verse 56, "And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it." This,' he said, in conclusion, is the Lord, the mediator who reigneth, in whose hands are all events, and all results of all events, and who will, in due time, dispel all darknesssolve all mysteries-harmonize, with both wisdom and benignity, all seeming anomalies and thus bring forth judgment unto victory. Wherefore let us comfort one another with these words.' Amen."

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