BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 153
him, then it blessed him ; and when the eye saw him, then it gave witness to
him ; because he delivered the poor, and him that cried, and the fatherless, and
him that had none to help him. The blessing of them that were ready $0 perish
came upon him ; and he caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.' The blandness
of his manners, and the kindness of his heart, united to the liberality with
which he used the more abundant means and substance which the providence
of God had graciously bestowed on him, made him a special benefactor to many
of our youth who were training to the same service in which he so honourably
laboured ; and there are not a few surviving-nay, some but very lately entered
on their ministerial duties-who can trace, both to his seasonable counsels, and
to his ready loans and generous gifts of useful publications, suited to their state
of mind and the progress of their studies, the decided bias which, under God,
they then received towards that personal faith and holy living, of which, as
themselves partakers and exemplars, they are now assiduously employed in testifying
the importance and necessity to others."
Among other modes of encouragement, by which the Doctor sought to benefit
his young friends, was the practice of maintaining an open table at breakfast
every Monday morning during the classes ; on which occasions he made anxious
inquiries regarding their welfare, and the progress they were making in their
studies. A rather amusing incident occurred at one of these meetings, the first
that had been held after the commencement of a new session. Somewhat late,
a young student of fashionable appearance rang for admission, and was ushered
into the apartment where the Doctor and those who had already arrived were
engaged in the usual devotional exercises of the morning. He of course joined
in the service, by bending the knee ; but,, from the manner in which he set
about arranging his hair and adjusting his whiskers, his thoughts were evidently
very differently engaged. When prayers were finished-and after addressing a
few kindly inquiries to several of the student,s, as to the manner in which they
had been engaged during the vacation-the Doctor approached our friend with
the nicely frizzled hair and large whiskers, whom he interrogated in a similar
way. Evidently unprepared, and much embarrassed, the beau answered in a
general way, that his time had been principally devoted to reading. What
were the works that had occupied his attention P was the next query put by the
Doctor. " Sermons, sir-sermons, sir ! " was the hesitating and confused reply.
" Sermons are very good," continued the worthy catechist ; '' but whose, or of
what description were they 1'' The agitation of the student was excessive-he
hesitated, he hemmed ; in vain he ran his fingers through his hair-all eyes
were turned upon him, when at last, indistinctly recollecting Harvey's Meditations-
the only title-page of a religious work of which he seemed to have any
knowledge-he exclaimed with apparent triumph:" Sermons--among the
tombs !" It was impossible to suppress the titter occasioned by this grotesque
reading of a popular work ; even the Doctor bit his lip, and was glad to change
the subject.
Dr. Buchanan exerted himself greatly in the erection of the New Street
.
VOL 11. X
