*The late Rev. Hugh Farmer, fo well known among the Diffenters as a molt excellent preacher, and by the literary world in general for his extenfive karning and valuable publications, was one of Mr. Doddridge's earliest students.

ing his exhortations with affectionate
prayers for their improvement and
welfare. With fuch diftinguished abi-
lities, and fuch excellent virtues, it
is not furprifing that he poffeffed the
efteem and love of his congregation.
In his lait will he bore this tellimony
to their character, That he had spent
the most delightful hours of his life in
affifting the devotions of as ferious,
as grateful, and as deferving a peo-
ple, as perhaps any minifter ever had
the happiness to ferve. This cha-
racter,' fays Dr. Kippis,
6 was, no
doubt, almost univertally true. Ne-
vertheless, he was not without his calls
for the exercife of patience. There
were perfons belonging to his fociety,
who were narrow bigots, and weak
enthufiafts; and thefe fometimes ob-
truded upon him in a foolish and
troublesome manner. He behaved,
however, to them, with a condefcenfion
and tenderness which they fcarcely
deferved, and of which few minifters
of the gospel would be able to set an
equally ftriking example.'

In 1730, Mr. Doddridge married Mrs. Mercy Maris, of Worcester; a lady, who with a delicate conftitution, and precariou ftate of health, proved an excellent wife, and received, in return, the most endearing proofs of conjugal affection.

Several of his pupils were from Scotland and Holland, One perfon, who was intended for orders in the church of England, chose to spend a year or two under his tuition, before he went to the univerfity. Others, whofe rents were of that church, were placed in his family, and were readily allowed to attend the established worfhip; for the conflitution of his academy was perfectly catholic.

pa

Mr. Doddridge, in younger life, afforded various proofs of a poetical turn. Of the lines which he wrote on the motto to the arms of his family, Dum vivimus vivamus,' Dr. Johnfon's opinion was, that they conftituted one of the finest epigrams in the English language. Though so well known, they cannot be omitted in any memoirs of the author's life :

Live, while you live, the epicure would
fay,

And feize the plea fures of the prefent day.'
Live, while you live,' the facred preacher

cries,

'And give to God each moment as it flies.'
Lord, in my views let both united be;
I live in pleasure when I live to Thee.

Mr. Doddridge's firft diftinct publication was printed, without his name, in 1730. It is entitled Free Thoughts on the moft probable Means Dr. Kippis, in his Life of our Au- of reviving the Diffenting Intereft, octhor, has employed many pages in an cafioned by the late Enquiry into the interefting account, interspersed with Caufes of its Decay.' Mr. Dodimportant reflections, of the manner dridge's pamphlet, in which he main which Mr. Doddridge conducted terially differed from the author of himself as an academical tutor. We the Enquiry, is a model of the canmuft here be content to obferve, that dour and politenefs with which refo great was his reputation in this marks may be made on the writings refpect, that the number of his flu- and opinions of another. In 1732 dents was large, being, one year with he publifhed Sermons on the Eduanother, thirty four; and the aca- cation of Children;' which contain, demy was ufually on the increafe. in a little compafs, a variety of affectDuring the twenty-two years in which ing motives, to animate parents in he fuflained this office, he had about the discharge of their momentous du200 young men under his care, of ty. In 1735, he published his Serwhom 120 entered upon the miniftry, mons to young People *.'

In

Our limits will not permit us to take notice of the many fingle fermons published by our author. But Dr. Kippis has given an account of them in their chronological order; a circumftance, to which Mr. Orton, in his very copious Memoirs, had not

attended.

cluding the evangelical history. Soon after, he publifhed, The Scripture Doctrine of Salvation by Grace through Faith, illuftrated and improved in two Sermons.' This was followed by Practical Difcourfes on Regeneration,' which had been delivered on Sunday evenings, and attended with remarkable diligence, by many perfons of different perfuafions, to fome of whom they were eminently useful. The character given of them by a foreign divine, on their being tranflated into Dutch, was, that they united orthodoxy with moderation, zeal with meekness, and deep, hidden wisdom with uncommon clearness; that fimplicity fhone in them without coldness, elegance without painting, and fublimity without bombaft.

In 1736, the univerfity of Aberdeen conferred on Mr. Doddridge the degree of Doctor, in Divinity; upon which occafion his pupils thought it a proper piece of refpect to congratulate him in a body. He was gratified by their compliment, but told them, that their learning, piety, and zeal, would be more to his honour, and give him a thousand times more pleafure, than his degree, or any other token of public esteem.' In the fame year, he published Ten Sermons on the Power and Grace of Chrift, and the Evidences of his glorious Gofpel.' The three laft, on the Evidences of the Gospel,' were afterward feparately printed, at the particular request of one of the firft dignitaries of the church of E gland. They contain a very judicious fummary, of feveral of the principal arguments in fupport of the Chriftian revelation, and efpeci-Christianity not founded on Argually of those which prove the genuineneís and credibility of the evangelical hiftory. The author had the fatisfaction of knowing that thefe difcourses were the means of converting to the belief of our holy religion two gentlemen of diftinguished abilities, who had been fceptical upon this head. One of them, who had endeavoured to prejudice others against the evidences and contents of the gofpel, became a zealous preacher of Chriftianity, as well as a fhining ornament to it in his life and manners.

In 1739, our author published the firft volume of The Family Expofitor; or, a Paraphrafe and Verfion of the New Teftament: with critical Notes, and a practical Improvement of each Section.' This volume contained the former part of the Hiftory of our Lord Jefus Chrift, as recorded in the four Evangelis, difpofed in the order of an harmony. The fecond volume was published in 1740, con

In 1743, Dr. Doddridge published an answer to the pamphlet, entitled

ment,' which, under the appearance of a zeal for orthodoxy, contained, in reality, an attack upon our holy religion. This anfwer was comprised in three letters, written with the utmoft politenefs and candour, and for which he was thanked by fome men of diftinguished rank and abilities. The laft letter, in particular, is thought to contain the beft illuftration, and most rational and full defence of the influences of the Spirit upon the human heart, which had hitherto been published.

In the fame year, our author publifhed, The Principles of the Chriftian Religion, expreffed in plain and eafy Verfe, for the Ufe of Children and Youth.' In this performance, eafe, plainnefs, and elegance are happily united; but it might have been more extenfively useful, if no doctrine of a difputable nature had been introduced *.

Dr. Doddridge was active in the

attended. We muft notice, however, that he published a fermon, on a very melancholy and affecting occafion- the lofs of his eldest daughter, a hopeful child, nearly five years old. It is entitled, Submiffion to Divine Providence on the Death Children, recommended.' Few fuperior inftances of pathetic eloquence are to be met with in the English language.

*There is fome reafon to believe, that they were made ufe of in the education of the royal children. See Letters to and from the Rev. Philip Doddridge, D. D. p. 89. scheme

Scheme for erecting a county infirmary at Northampton. He published, in 1743, a Sermon in favour of that benevolent defign; and the fuccefs of it was greatly owing to his exertions.

In the fame year, Dr. Doldridge became member of a Philofophical Society at Northampton. In the courfe of their meetings in 1744, he exhibited a paper on the doctrine of pendulums, and another on the laws of the communication of motion, as well in elastic as in non-elastic bodies. The most material propofitions relating to both were fet in a very plain light in thefe papers. He likewife wrote and communicated to the Royal Society three papers, which evince the extraordinary activity of his mind.

character and circumftance, with a devout meditation or prayer added to each chapter. This was one of the molt popular and useful of his practical works. It met with the warmest applaufe, not only from the Diffenters, but from feveral perfons of rank, learning, and piety, both clergy and laity, in the established church. A perfon of diftinguifhed literature and goodnefs always carried the work with him; declaring that it was every thing on the subject of serious and practical devotion *.

In 1747, Dr. Doddridge publifhed Some remarkable Paffages in the Life of the Hon. Col. James Gardiner.' His defign was not merely to perform a tribute of gratitude to the memory of an invaluable friend, but of duty to God and his fellow-creatures; as he had a cheerful hope that the narrative would, under the divine bleffing, be the means of fpreading a warm and lively fenfe of religion t.

*There are fome ftrictures on this performance, that deferve attention, in a Letter to the Doctor, written by one of his best friends, and inserted in Dr. Kippis' Life, page 91-95.

Among the Doctor's literary correfpondents who thought highly of this performance, was the learned Warburton, who expreffed the most unqualified approbation of the whole work. I had the favour,' fays this eminent writer, of your letter, and along with it colonel Gardiner's Life, which I have just read through with very great pleafure. Nothing can be better or more judicious than the writing part. Many confiderations made the fubject of great importance and expediency. The celebration of worthy men who facrificed themselves for the fervice of their country; the tribute paid to private friendship; the example, particularly to the foldiery, of fo much virtue and piety, as well as courage and patriotifm; the fervice done to the furvivors of their families, are fuch important confiderations as equally concern the writer and the public. I had a thoufand things to remark in it which gave me pleasure. But I have room but for two or three. The diftinction you settle between piety and enthufiafin in the 78th page, is highly juft and important, and very neceflary for thefe times, when men are apt to fall into the oppofite extremes. Nor am I lefs pleased with your cbfervations on the mutilated form of Chriftianity, in the 130th page: we fee the terrible effects of it. The fane pleafure your 162d and 163d pages afforded me. Your hymns are truly pious and poetical. The note at the bottom of page 176 is fine. I entirely agree with your fentiments concerning the extraordinary circumftance of the good man's converfion. On the whole, the book will do you honour; or, what you like better, will be a bleffing to you by its becoming an inftrument of public good.'

The chief obfervation that Mr. Orton makes on the work is, that the author had the pleature to hear of fome instances in which it had anfwered his defires and hopes; though many thought, and perhaps juftly, that he too much indulged the emotions of private friendship and affection in the compofition. In the truth of this remark,' fays Dr. Kippis, I entirely concur. Colonel Gardiner was indeed a man of a molt excellent character; but that character was tinctured with enthufiafin and religious bigotry. His virtues were of the awful kind. I remember well that his afpect was the afpect of dignity; but this dignity was mixed with an aufterity of appearance and

manner,

་

In 1748, appeared the third volume of the Family Expofitor, containing the Acts of the Apostles, with additional Notes on the Harmony of the Evangelifts;' and Two Differtations, 1. On fir Ifaac Newton's Syftem of the Harmony. 2. On the Inspiration of the New Teftament.' This volume is a very valuable part of Dr. Doddridge's great work. In the differtation on fir Ifaac Newton's scheme for reducing the feveral hiftories contained in the Evangelifts to their proper order, Dr. Doddridge fuccefsfully combats fir Ifaac's hypothefis. But, at the fame time, he pays him a very fine compliment. I cannot,' fays the doctor, fet myfelf to this talk, without feeling the fatigue of it fenfibly allayed, by the pleasure with which I reflect on the firm perfuafion which a perfon of his unequalled fagacity must have entertained of the truth of Christianity, in order to his being engaged to take fuch pains in illuftrating the facred oracles: a pleafure, which I doubt not every good reader will share with me; efpecially as (according to the best information, whether public or private,

I could ever get) his firm faith in the divine revelation discovered itself in the moft genuine fruits of substantial virtue and piety; and confequently gives us the justest reason to conclude, that he is now rejoicing in the happy effects of it infinitely more than in all the applaufe which his philofophical works have procured him; though they have commanded a fame lafting as the world, the true theory of which he had discovered, and (in fpite of all the vain efforts of ignorance, pride, and their offspring bigotry) have arrayed him as it were in the beams of the fun, and infcribed his name among the conftellations of heaven.'

In 1749, Dr. Doddridge published A plain and ferious Addrefs to a Mafter of a Family on the important Subject of Family Religion." This was accompanied with two prayers; one, to be used as an introduction to a stated courfe of family-prayer, where it had formerly been neglected; and the other a prayer for a family, to be ufed either morning or evening. The doctor, though a diffenter, and excelling in the copioufhefs of externporaneous adorations, was not, we fee,

manner, which was not prepoffeffing to the minds of the ftudents belonging to the academy at Northampton. The affection of his eldest fon to his father, had, I know, more of fear united with it than is ufually defirable in a child toward a parent. Dr. Doddridge undoubtedly went too far, when, in his funeral fermon for colonel Gardiner, he deliberately declared, that it was hard for him to fay where, but in the book of God, the colonel found his example, or where he had left his equal. The doftor was himself a fuperior character. Let it, however, be remembered, that if our author was fomewhat extravagant in the praifes of his friend, he faid nothing of the truth of which he was not fully perfuaded.

It is not my defign,' continues Dr. Kippis, to enter fpecifically into the story of colonel Gardiner's extraordinary converfion. That the impreflion made upon his mind was in a dream, is fufficiently intimated to be the opinion of Dr. Doddridge, though the colonel himfelf believed it to be a miraculous vilion. As a dream it may very rationally be accounted for, from the predifpofing circumftances. He had received a ftrictly pious education; he had never rejected the principles, though he had departed from the practice of Chriftianity; he often felt the anguish of his courfe of life; he was alone, in the folemn fillnefs of the night; a religious book happened to be opened by him; the dreadful crime in which he was going to engage flashed upon his confcience. Falling afleep in this agitation of his fpirits, a dream followed, accommodated to his waking reflections. Nor was he, on this account, the lefs indebted to the goodness of Divine Providence for the happy and effectual change that was produced in his difpofition and conduct. The events which are derived through a fucceffion of intermediate caufes, are not lefs the refult of the adminiftration of the Supreme Being than more immediate interpofitions. There cannot be a furer dictate of reason, than it is of fcripture, that every good and every perfect giit is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights."