224 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
All who chose to come were welcome ; and many students were in the habit of
attending, to profit by his instructions, and obtain his advice, ever readily
extended, as to the prosecution of their studies.
A characteristic feature in Dr. Colquhoun was an unvarnished sincerity and
simplicity of manner. These natural traits, possessed even to a fault, and
probably increased by his seclusive habits, led him sometimes into positions
which the exercise of a due degree of prudence would have avoided. The
unhappy misunderstanding with his congregation, towards the close of his life,
respecting the appointment of an assistant, and which had nearly the effect of
breaking up the Church, was an instance of injudicious policy, if not questionable
feeling, which even his advanced age could scarcely palliate.
Several rather amusing anecdotes are told, illustrative of his exceeding
severity of religious sentiment. Oh the laying the foundation stone of the New
Church of North Leith, which was done with masonic honours, his venerable
contemporary, Dr. Johnston, as a principal party concerned in the new erection,
very appropriately presided at the dinner given in the evening. After the cloth
had been withdrawn, and the glass in circulation, a song happened to be called
for by one of the company. Dr, Colquhoun instantly rose, and addressing the
chair, protested in strong terms against indulging in such mirth, declaring that
prayer was more suitable to the occasion than a profane song. To this his Rev.
friend good-humouredly replied by observing that “ everything is beautiful in
its season,” and not only assented to the call for a song, but to the delight of
the company, set the example himself, by immediately singing a favourite old
Scottish ditty.
For several years before his death Dr. Colquhoun had been unable to preach
regularly. He appeared for the last time in the pulpit on the forenoon of the
18th November 1826. He survived, however, till the 27th of November next
year. He was interred in the churchyard of South Leith, and his funeGa1 sermon
was preached by Dr. Jones, of Lady Glenorchy’s Chapel, one of his earliest and
most attached friends.
Dr. Colquhoun is known as an author by the publication of various works.
The first, “A Treatise on Spiritual Comfort,” appeared in 1813 : another, “ On
the Law and the Gospel,” in 1815 : ‘‘ On the Covenant of Grace,” in 1818 :
“ A Catechism for the Instruction and Direction of Young Communicants,” in
1821 : “On the Covenant of Works,” in 1822 : “A View of Saving Faith,
from the Sacred Records,” 1824 : “A Collection of the Promises of the Gospel,
arranged under their proper Heads, with Reflections and Exhortations deduced
from them,” 1825 : and lastly, in 1826, “A View of Evangelical Repentance
from the Sacred Records.” A small posthumous volume of “ Sermons, chiefly
on Doctrinal Subjects,” with a memoir of the author, was published by J. and
D. Collie in 1836.
Dr. Colquhoun was twice married, but had no children.