Watts - BX5200 .W3 1813 v.1

Ril ME MOttl9 OP b*. wArry of faith. To say he had his imperfections is only to assert, that he was man and not an angel. If his natural tempers were hasty, andheoccasion. ally expressed himself with a keenness bordering on resentment, lie was habi- tually meekand lowly. With a mind eminently susceptible of the emotions of friendship and gra- titude, he was superior to the contracted views, and the untempered zeal of thebigot. " It wasnot only in his book but in his mind that orthodoxy was united with charity." He knew how to sustain injurious treatment without retaliating. His meekness of opposition was remarkable, and the good he performed wasunclouded by pharisaical ostentation. Hispopularity was duly tempered byhis low opinionof himself, and his afflictions were sanctified by patientsubmission to the unerring will of heaven. The love of money in a minister of Christ, he looked on with contempt and detestation. A thirdpart of hisincome he devoted to the purposesof charity, and when he was incapa- ble of his public labours he refused to receive his salary. " Happy will be that reader whose mind is disposed, byhiswritings, to copy his benevolenceto man and his reverence to God. In company he assumed not superiority, nor could any wise and good man feel his superiority with other sentiments than suchas were mutually ho- nourable. His conversation betrayednone of the weakness of egotism, nor themalevolence ofdetraction. Hecould be entertaining without levity, and serious without austerity. With a natural easy flow of thought hecombined aptness, ptuity, and elegance of expression ; so affable and engaging was his deportment wherever he went, that the enquiring virtuousmind was always gratified, whilethe gayand thoughtless were fixed in attentive veneration, and so conspicuously were thebeauties of sincerity delineated in his"social charac- ter that hewas not moreadmired asa manof talents and learning, thanhewas sought, loved and trusted ás a faithful friend. As a preacher, Dr. Watts ranks with the most eminent: His published sermons afford a happy specimen of the spirit whichpervadedhit pulpit exer- cises. Here is no trimming, no disguise of sentiment, all is transparent and clear as crystal. He thoughtwith thehumility that becomes a fallibleman, but he spoke with all the perspicuity, decision, and boldness, of anhonestman. Whatis said of Mr. Philip Henry is not less applicableto him. He was ad- miredandloved, because, thoughso excellent a scholarand so polite anorator, hebecame so profitable and powerful a preacher, and so readily laid aside the enticing words of man's wisdom, which were so easy to him. While lie avoided whatsoever could disgust the learned and polite he was equally cau- tious not to soar above the illiterate. Inhis sermons dignity and simplicity are so conspicuous that everyone sees he only wished to gain access to the passion's through the mediumof the understanding. Sometimes he thought he descended too low in accommodating his style to ignorance and dulness of apprehension. Inhis discourseon Humility, representedin the characterof St. Paul, he makesthis apologyfor descending to familiar and low scenes of life. " I almost reprove myself .. here, and suspect my friends will reprove me too for introducingsuch low scenesof life, and such trivial occurrences intoa grave discourse. I have put the matter into the balancesaswellas Ican, and weighed the case,and the result is this : General and distant declamations seldom strike the conscience with suchconviction as particular representations do; and since this iniquity often betrays itself in these trivial instances, it is

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