studied in his discourses to condescend to the capacity of the meaner sort of hearers; yet it must be owned, that his gift of preaching was not so much accommodated to a country congregation, as it was to the judi cious and learned. Mr. Binning's method was peculiar to himself; much after the haranguing way. He was no stranger to the rules of art; and knew well how to make his matter subservient to the subject he handled. His diction and language were easy and fluent, void of all affectation and bombast; and has a kind of undesigned, negligent elegance, which arrests the reader's attention. Considering the time he lived in, it might be said that he carried the orator's prize from his contemporaries in Scotland; and was not at that time inferior to the best pulpit-orator in England. While he lived, he was highly esteemed, having been a successful instrument of saving himself, and them that heard him; of turning sinners unto righteousness, and of perfecting the saints. He died much lamented by all good people who had the opportunity of knowing him. That great divine, Mr. Durham, gave him this verdict: "That there was no speaking after Mr. Binning;" and truly he had the tongue of the learn ed, and knew how to speak a word in season.

'Besides his works, which are bound up in one quarto volume, and that wrote upon occasion of the public resolutioners, which has been already mentioned, some other little pieces of his have been published since. There is also a book in quarto said to be his, entitled, An useful Case of Conscience, learnedly and acutely discussed and resolved, concerning as sociations and confederacies with idolaters, heretics, malignants, &c. first printed in 1693, which was like to have had some influence at that time upon King William's soldiers while in Flanders, which made him suppress it, and raise a prosecution against Mr. James Kid for publishing the same at Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

MR. ANDREW GRAY.

MR. ANDREW GRAY, by the calculation of his age, and the date of his entry into the ministry. seems to have been born about 1634; and being very early sent to school, where he learned so fast, that in a short time he was sent to the university; and there, by the vivacity of his parts and ready genius, he made such proficiency, both in scholastic learning and divinity, that before he was twenty years of age, he was found accom plished for entering into the holy office of the ministry.

From his very infancy he had studied to be acquainted with the scriptures; and, like another young Samson, the Spirit of God began very early to move him, there being such a delightful gravity in his young conversation, that what Gregory Nazianzen once said of the great Bazil, might be applied to him;- That he held forth learning beyond his age, and fixedness of manners beyond his learning."

This earthly vessel being thus filled with heavenly treasure, he was quickly licensed to preach, and got a call to be minister of the outer kirk of the high church of Glasgow, though he was scarce twenty years of age complete, far below the age appointed by the constitution of this church, unless in cases extraordinary.

No sooner was this young servant of Christ entered into his Master's vineyard, than the people from all quarters flocked to attend his sermons, it being their constant emulation who should be most under the refreshing drops of his ministry; insomuch, that as he and his learned colleague, Mr. Durham, were one time walking together, Mr. Durham observing the multitude thronging into that church where Mr. Gray was to preach, and only a few going into the church where he was to preach, said to him, "Brother, I perceive you are to have a throng church to-day."-To which he answered, “Truly, brother, they are fools to leave you, and come to me."-Mr. Durham replied, "Not so, dear brother; for none can receive such honour and success in his ministry, except it be given him from Heaven. I rejoice that Christ is preached, and that his kingdom and interest is getting ground, for I am content to be any thing, or nothing, that Christ may be all and all."

And indeed Mr. Gray had a notable and singular gift in preaching, being one experienced in the most mysterious points of a Christian practice and profession; and in handling of all his subjects, free of youthful vanity, or affectation of human literature, though he had a most scholastic genius, and more than ordinary abilities; that he did outstrip many that entered into the Lord's vineyard before him, his experience being very warm and rapturous, and well adapted to affect the hearts of his heaters; yea, he had such a faculty, and was so helped to press home God's threatenings upon the consciences of his hearers, that his contemporary, the aforesaid Mr. Durham, observed, that many times he caused the very hairs of their heads to stand up.

Among his other excellencies in preaching, which were many, this was none of the least, that he could so order his subject as to make it relish every palate. He could so dress a plain discourse as to delight à learned audience, and at the same time preach with a learned plainness, having so learned to conceal his art. He had such a clear notion of high mysteries, as to make them stoop to the meanest capacity. He had so learned Christ, and being a man of a most zealous temper, the great bent of his spirit, and that which he did spend himself anent, was to make people know their dangerous state by nature, and to persuade them to believe, and lay hold of the great salvation.

All which singularities seem to have been his peculiar mercy from the Lord, to make him a burning and a shining light in the western climate, for about the space of two years* only, the Spirit of the Lord as it were stirring up a lamp into a sudden blaze, that was not to continue long in his church. On which a late prefacer of some of his sermons has very pertinently observed,-" Yea, how awakening, convincing and reproving, may the example of this very young minister be to many ministers of the gospel, who have been many years in the vineyard, but fall short of his labours and progress! God thinks fit now and then to raise up a child to reprove the sloth and negligence of many thousands of advanced years; and shews, that he can perfect his own praise out of the mouths of babes," &c.

His sermons are now in print, and well known in the world. His works do praise him in the gates; and though they are free from the

According to the date of his exhortations at Kirkliston, June 12, 1653, and his letter to Lord Warriston, when on his deathbed, affixed to his select sermons, dated Feb. 7, 1656, it should appear, if both be authentic, that he was at least two years and a half in the ministry.

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metaphysical speculations of the schools, yet it must be granted that the excellencies of the ancient fathers and schoolmen do all concentre in them: for his doctrine carries light, his reproofs are weighty, and his exhortations powerful: and though they are not in such an accurate or grammatical style as some may expect, yet that may be easily accounted for, if we consider, (1.) The great alteration and embellishment in the style of the English language since his time; and, (2.) There can be no ground to doubt that they must be far inferior unto what they were when delivered by the author, who neither corrected, nor, as appears, intended that they should ever be published; and yet all this is sufficiently made up otherwise; for what is wanting in symmetry of parts, or equality of style, is made up in the pleasure of variety, like the grateful odours of various flowers, or the pleasant harmony of different sounds; for so is truth in its own native dress.

It hath been often said, that Mr. Gray many times longed for the twenty-second year of his age, wherein he expected to rest from his labours by a perpetual jubilee, to enjoy his blessed Lord and Master. However, it is certain, that in his sermons we often find him longing for his majority, that he might enter into the possession of his heavenly Fa ther's inheritance, prepared for him before the foundations of the world were laid.

He escaped death very narrowly, when going to Dundee, in company with Mr Robert Fleming, sometime minister at Cambuslang; which remarkable sea-deliverance was matter of his thankfulness to God all his life after.

There is one thing that may be desiderated by the inquisitive, i. e. what Mr. Gray's sentiments were concerning the public resolutions, seeing he entered the ministry about the third year after these resolutions took place. Whatever his contentions in public were, it is creditably reported, that he debated in private against these defections with his learned colleague, Mr. Durham, who afterwards, on his deathbed, asked what he thought of these things?-He answered, that he was of the same mind with what he formerly heard ;-and did much regret that he had been so sparing in public against these woful resolutions, speaking so pathetically of their sinfulness, and the calamities they would procure, that Mr. Durham, contrary to his former practice, durst never after speak in defence of them.

But the time now approaching that the Lord was about to accomplish the desire of his servant, he fell sick, and was cast into a high fever for several days. He was much tossed with sore trouble, without any intermission, and all the time continued in a most sedate frame of mind.

It is a loss that his last dying words were neither wrote nor remembered; only we may guess what his spiritual exercises were, from that short but excellent letter sent from him, a little before his death, to Lord Warriston, bearing date 7th February, 1656; wherein he shews, that he not only had a most clear discovery of the toleration then granted by Cromwell, and the evils that would come upon these lands for all these things, but also was most sensible of his own case and condition, as appears from the conclusion of that letter, where he accosts his Lordship thus: "Now, not to trouble your Lordship, whom I highly reverence, and my soul was knit to you in the Lord, but that you will bespeak my case to the great Master of requests, and lay my broken state before him who hath pled the desperate case of many, according to the sweet word

in Lam. iii. 5, 6. Thou hast heard my voice, hide not thine ear, &c. This is all at this time from one in a very weak condition, in a great fever, who, for much of seven nights, hath sleeped little at all, with many other sad particulars and circumstances."

Thus, in a short time, according to his desire, it was granted to him by death, to pass unto the Author of life, his soul taking its flight into the arms of his blessed Saviour, whom he had served faithfully in his day and generation, being about twenty-two years old. He shone too conspicuous to continue long, and burned so intensely, that he behoved soon to be extinguished; but now shines in the kingdom of his Father, in a more conspicuous and refulgent manner, even as the brightness of the firmament, and the stars for ever and ever

He was in his day a most singular and pious youth; and though he died young, yet he was old in grace, having lived long, and done much for God in a little time, being one, both in public and private life, who possessed in a high degree every domestic and social virtue that could adorn the character of a most powerful and pathetic preacher, a loving husband, an affable friend, ever cheerful and agreeable in conversation, always ready to exert himself for the relief of all who asked or stood in need of assistance; which uncommon talents not only endeared him to his brethren the clergy, but also to many others, from the one extremity of the land to the other, that heard or knew any thing of him, who considered and highly esteemed him as one of the most able advocates for the propagation and advancement of Christ's kingdom.

His well-known sermons are printed in several small pieces. Those called his Works are bound in one volume octavo. To the eleven sermons printed some time ago, are lately published a large collection, to the number of fifty-one, entitled, his Select Sermons; whereof only three, for connexion sake, and his letter to Lord Warriston, are inserted, which were before published in his works. So that by this time, most, if not all, of the sermons are now in print, that ever were preached by him.

MR. JAMES DURHAM.

MR. JAMES DURHAM was born about the year 1622, and lineally descended from the ancient and honourable family of Grange Durham, in the parish of Monifieth, in the shire of Angus. He was the eldest son of John Durham of Easter Powrie, Esq. now called Wedderburn, after the gentleman's name who is the present possessor thereof.

Having gone through all the parts of useful learning with success and applause, he left the university before he was graduate, and for some time lived as a private gentleman, at his own dwelling-house in the country, without any thought then of farther prosecuting his studies, especially for the ministry; and although he was always blameless and moral in his life, both in the university and when he left it, yet he was much a stranger to religion in the serious exercise and power of it; and through prejudice of education, did not stand well affected to the Presbyterian

• It appears that Mr. Gray was some short time married to that worthy young gentlewoman, who afterwards was married to Mr. George Hutcheson, sometime minister of the gospel at Irvine.

government. He first married a daughter of the Laird of Duntervie: his wife and her mother were both very pious women.

To you

His conversion to the Lord was very remarkable. For, going with his lady to visit her mother in the parish of Abercorn, some miles west from Edinburgh,-it happened, that at this time the sacrament was to be administered in that parish. Upon Saturday his mother-in-law earnestly pressed him to go with them to church and hear sermon: at first he shewed much unwillingness; but, partly by their persuasion, and partly by his complaisant disposition, he went along with them. The minister that preached that day was extremely affectionate and serious in his delivery; and though the sermon was a plain, familiar discourse, yet his seriousness fixed Mr. Durham's attention very closely, and he was much affected therewith. But the change was reserved till the morrow. When he came home, he said to his mother-in-law, the minister hath preached very seriously this day; I shall not need to be pressed to go to church to-morrow. Accordingly, on Sabbath morning, rising early, he went to church, where Mr. Melvill preached from 2 Pet. ii. 7. To that believe he is precious, &c. where he so sweetly and seriously opened up the preciousness of Christ, and the Spirit of God wrought so effectually upon his spirit, that in hearing of this sermon, he first closed with Christ, and then went to the Lord's table, and took the seal of God's covenant. After this he ordinarily called Mr. Melvill father when he spoke of him. Afterwards he made serious religion his business, both in secret and in his family, and in all places and companies where he came, and did cordially embrace the interest of Christ and his church, as then established, and gave himself much up to reading: for which reason, that he might be free of all disturbance, &c. he caused build a study for himself; in which little chamber he gave himself to prayer, reading, and meditation; and was so close a student there, that he often forgot to eat his bread, being sometimes so intent upon his studies, that servants who were sent to call him down, often returned without answer; yea, his lady fre quently called on him with tears, before he would come. Such sweet communion he had with the Lord sometimes in that place.

He made great proficiency in his studies, and not only became an experimental Christian, but also a very learned man. One evidence of which he gave in a short dispute with one of the then ministers of Dundee, while he was in that town. He met, in a house where he was oc casionally, with the parson of the parish, (for so the ministers were then called,) who knew not Mr. Durham. After some discourse, he fell upon the Popish controversy with him, and so put him to silence, that he could not answer a word, but went sneakingly out of the room from Mr. Durham to the provost, craving his assistance to apprehend Mr. Durham as a Jesuit, assuring the provost, that if ever there was a Jesuit in Rome, he was one; and that if he were suffered to remain in the town or country, he might pervert many from the faith. Upon which the provost, going along with him to the house where the pretended Jesuit was, and entering the room, he immediately knew Mr. Durham, and saluted him as Laird of Easter Powrie, craving his pardon for their mistake; and, turning to the parson, asked where the person was he called the Jesuit? -Mr. Durham smiled, and the parson, ashamed, asked pardon of them both; and was rebuked by the provost, who said, Fy, fy! that any country gentleman should be able to put our parson thus to silence.

His call and coming forth to the ministry was somewhat remarkable;