He

Office about twenty two Years, and during that Time had about two hundred young Men under his Care; of whom, one hundred and twenty, as far as I can learn, entered upon the Ministry, and several intended for it died, while under his Inftructions. had several Pupils from Scotland and Holland. One Per-son, that was intended for the Ministry in the Church' of England, chose to spend a Year or two under his Inftructions, before he went to the University; others, whofe Parents were of that Church, were placed in his Family, and they were readily admitted as Pupils and allowed to attend the established Worship; for the Constitution of his Academy was perfectly catholic. Some young Divines from Scotland, who had ftudied: and taken the ufual Degrees, in the Univerfities there, and had began to preach, came to attend his Divinity-lectures, and receive his Inftructions, before they fettled with Parishes in their native Country. During their Refidence with him, they preached occafionally in the diffenting Congregations in that Town and Neighbourhood, and two of them were ordained

there.

When he had published some Hints of his Method of Education, in his fhort Memoirs of Mr. Steffe's Life, he received Letters from fome eminent Divines of the Church of England, expreffing their high Approbation of his Plan, as affording Students, intended for the Ministry, fuperior Advantages for appearing with Honour in the ministerial Character, than were enjoyed in fome more public Seminaries.

Before I conclude this Chapter, it may be proper ta observe, that the Account here given of the Doctor's Lectures and Plan of Education is taken from what

they were between twenty and thirty Years ago. He night, in fome Circumftances, change his Method afterwards; but I believe in no material Point. I mention this, left any, who have been under his Care fince that Period, fhould perceive that my Account does not exactly correspond with their Knowledge of his Academy, while they belonged to it.

Thus have I endeavoured to give fome Idea of the Manner in which this excellent Perfon filled up this difficult and honourable Station; and I am perfuaded the pious Reader will, from this Survey, be inclined to join with me in acknowledging the Wisdom and Goodness of Providence, which gradually prepared him for, and, by the feveral Steps already pointed out, led him into, fo large a Sphere of Ufefulness. May the fame divine Hand, that fo richly endowed him with those Gifts, which qualified him for this important Service, raife up, thro' every fucceeding Period of the Church, others, who may difcover a like Spirit; and who may be honoured as the Inftruments of forming the Minds of their younger Brethren, and, by this means, of tranfmitting the Knowledge and Power of Religion thro' the most diftant Ages!

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CHA P. VII.

Some Account of Dr. DODDRIDGE's Genius, Learning and Writings.

T

HOUGH I am chiefly folicitous, in this Work, to represent Dr. Doddridge under the Character of a Chriftian and a Minifter, as an Example worthy the Imitation of others; yet I cannot, without great Injustice, pass over in Silence his Character as a Man of Genius and a Scholar. Nor will this View of him be foreign to my main Design; as it will tend, in the Opinion of Many, to fet his other Qualities in a more ftriking Light; and will prove, if indeed it needs any Proof, that very high Attainments in Piety and Devotion are no way inconfiftent with great Eminency in Learning and Knowledge.

The Doctor was poffeffed, in a very high Degree, of two Qualities, which are rarely united, viz. a natural Activity and Ardour of Mind, joined to invincible Refolution and Perfeverance. The one led him to form an Acquaintance with the various Branches of Science; while the other fecured him from the Evils attending a boundless Curiofity, and kept him steady to those Pursuits, which he thought deferved his principal Attention. His uncommon Application, even with moderate Abilities, would have enabled

him to lay up a large Stock of Knowledge: It is no Wonder therefore, that, when it was joined with great natural Quickness of Apprehenfion and Strength of Memory, it fhould enable him to make distinguished Advances in the feveral Parts of useful Learning.His Acquaintance with Books was very extensive. There were few of any Importance on the general Subjects of Literature, which he had not read with Attention ; and he could both retain and eafily recollect, what was most remarkable in them. As he cautioned his Pupils against that indolent and fuperficial Way of Reading, which many Students fall into, fo he took Care that his own Example should enforce his Precepts. His ufual Method was, to read with a Pen in his Hand, and to mark in the Margin particu lar Paffages, which ftruck him. Befides which, he often took down Hints of what was most important, or made References to them, in a blank Leaf of the Book, adding his own Reflections on the Author's Sentiments. Thus he could eafily turn to particular Paffages, and enriched his Lectures with References to what was moft curious and valuable in the Course of his reading.- -But he was not one of those who content themselves with treasuring up other Men's Thoughts. He knew, and often reminded his Pupils, that the true End of reading is only to furnish the Mind with Materials to exercise its own Powers and few Men knew better, how to make Use of the Knowledge they had gained, and apply it to the moft valuable Purposes. His Mind was indeed a rich Treasury, out of which he could, on every proper Occafion, produce a Variety of the most important Inftruction. This qualified him for lecturing to his

Pupile

Pupils in those several Branches of Science, of which his Course confifted; it enriched his public Writings, and rendered his private Conversation highly instruc- tive and entertaining.

In the younger Part of Life he took Pains to cul- tivate a Taste for polite Literature, which produced a remarkable Eafe and Elegance in his Letters; and the Marks of it appear in all his Writings. And, confidering the natural Warmth of his Imagination, which must have rendered these Kind of Studies peculiarly pleafing to him, it was a great Inftance of his Refolution and Self-denial, that he did not fuffer them to ingrofs a disproportionate Share of his Time and Attention, but made them fubfervient to the more serious and important Ends he had in View. -With Regard to the learned Languages, tho' he could not be called a profound Linguist, he was fufficiently acquainted with them to read the most valuable Pieces of Antiquity with Taste and Pleasure, and to enter into the Spirit of the Sacred Writings. Of this, the World has had a Proof in his Paraphrase and Notes on the New Teftament, in which he has often illuftrated the Force and Beauty of the Original with great Judgment and in the true Spirit of Criti cifm. He had alfo nearly compleated a new Tranflation of the minor Prophets, in which he has fhewn his critical Knowledge of the Hebrew Language.-Tho' The feemed formed by Nature for cultivating the more polite, rather than the abftrufer, Parts of Science, yet he was no Stranger to mathematical and philofophical Studies. He thought it inconfiftent with his principal Business to devote any confiderable Part of his Time to them; yet it appeared from fome EfF 6 fays,