to my main design; as it will tend, in the opinion of many, to set his other qualities in a more striking light; and will prove, if indeed it needs any proof, that very high attainments in piety and devotion are no way inconsistent with great eminency in learning and knowledge. The Doctor was possessed, in a very high degree, of two qualities, which are rarely united, viz. a natural activity and ardour of mind, joined to invincible resolution and perseverance. The one led him to form an acquaintance with the various branches of science; while the other secured him from the evils attending a boundless curiosity, and kept him steady to those pursuits, which he thought deserved 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 apprehension and strength of memory, it should enable him to make distinguished advances in the several 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 easily recollect, what was most remarkable in them. As he cautioned his pupils against that indolent and superficial way of reading, which many students fall into, so he took care that his own example should enforce his precepts. His usual method was, to read with a pen in his hand, and to mark in the margin particular passages, which struck him. Besides 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 easily turn to particular passages, and enriched his lectures with references to what was most 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 most valuable purposes. His mind was indeed In a lower and more popular sense of the term, he might be said to have been a man of genius; for he had a quick conception and lively fancy. He had a comprehension of mind, that enabled him to proceed with celerity and vigour in the acquisition of knowledge and that activity of his mental frame, which put it into his power to learn much in a little time, was happily accompanied with an invincible resolution and perseverance in the prosecution of his studies.-K. a rich treasury, out of which he could, on every proper occasion, produce a variety of the most important instruction. This qualified him for lecturing to his pupils in those several branches of science, of which his course consisted; it enriched his public writings, and rendered his private conversation highly instructive and entertaining. In the younger part of life he took pains to cultivate a taste for polite literature, which produced a remarkable case and elegance in his letters; and the marks of it appear in all his writings. And, considering the natural warmth of his imagination, which must have rendered these kind of studies peculiarly pleasing to him, it was a great instance of his resolution and self-denial, that he did not suffer them to ingross a disproportionate share of his time and attention, but made them subservient to the more serious and important ends he had in view.With regard to the learned languages, though he could not be called a profound linguist, he was sufficiently 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 Testament, in which he has often illustrated the force and beauty of the original with great judgment and in the true spirit of criticism. He had also nearly completed a New Translation of the Minor Prophets, in which he has shewn his critical knowledge of the Hebrew language.-Though he seemed formed by nature for cultivating the more polite, rather than the abstruser parts of science, yet he was no stranger to mathematical and philosophical studies. He thought it inconsistent with his principal business to devote any considerable part of his time to them; yet it appeared from some essays, which he drew up for the use of his pupils ‡, that he could * Mr. Doddridge in younger life, afforded various proofs of a poetical turn, most of which are in the possession of the present biographer.-K. To the Dr. Doddridge was well acquainted with the greek philosophers and orators, among the last of whom he was particularly devoted to Demosthenes. poets of grace he was far from being a stranger; but he was not, I think, deeply conversant with its tragedians. I remember, while I resided with him, his having read Pindar with much admiration. With the latin classics he was largely acquainted. As became a divine and a theological tutor, he diligently studied the ancient fathers, especially of the three first centuries. He paid particular regard to the apologists for christianity, and was a great master of Origen and Eusebius. Beyond the fourth century his knowledge of this species of literature did not, I believe, widely extend, though it did not wholly stop there.-K. ‡ In this number was a Treatise of Algebra, in which the rules both of numeral and universal arithmetic were demonstrated with great conciseness and clearness. easily have pursued these researches to a much greater length.--He was well acquainted with ancient history, both civil and ecclesiastical; but he did not content himself with storing-up a number of facts in his memory, but made such observations and reflections upon them, as tended either to increase his acquaintance with human nature, to exemplify the interpositions of providence, or to explain and illustrate the sacred history. But his favourite study, and that in which his chief excellency lay, was divinity, as taken in its largest sense. Whatever could tend to strengthen the evidences of natural or revealed religion, to assist our conceptions of the divine nature, or enable us more perfectly to understand the discoveries, which revelation has made, he thought deserved the most serious and attentive regard. Though he made himself familiarly acquainted with what others had written upon these subjects, he was not guided implicitly by their authority; but thought for himself, with that freedom, which became a philosopher and a christian. There were perhaps few men, who had more carefully studied the different systems of divinity, and could point out, with more judgment and accuracy, the defects of each. This appears from his lectures, published since his death; a work, which is, of itself, a sufficient proof of the extent of his learning and the soundness of his judgment, and of which some account has been already given. He was not one of those, who affect to treat the labours of wise and learned men, who have gone before them, with contempt, but was always ready to receive whatever light they could afford him; yet in forming his opinion on all matters of mere revelation, he took the scriptures for his guide, and, without any regard to human systems, endeavoured to find out the several truths they contained. As he was no slave to the authority of others, so he did not affect to distinguish himself by any of those peculiarities of opinion, which learned men are often fond of, and which in most instances are rather ingenious than solid. He chose to represent the doctrines of the New Testament in the same simplicity, in which he found them expressed by the sacred writers themselves: And of this the reader may judge for himself by his writings, already referred to.-There was no subject, which he had laboured with more care, and in which he was a greater master, than in the evidences of revelation. The view he has given of them in his lectures, is perhaps, the most complete and methodical of any extant. He had read with attention the most celebrated pieces on the side of infidelity, and has comprised in this work, a concise view of their principal arguments, with the proper answers to them. As he had himself the fullest conviction, upon the most mature and impartial examination, of the truth of the gospel, and the weakness of all the attempts, which its adversaries have made to subvert it; so, he could represent his own views in so forcible a light, as was calculated to produce the same conviction in the minds of others. Upon the whole; it may, I think, with great justice be said of Dr. Doddridge, that, though others might exceed him in their acquaintance with antiquity or their skill in the languages, yet in the extent of his learning, and the variety of useful and important knowledge he had acquired, he was surpassed by few. As he had taken so much pains to furnish and adorn his own mind with the most valuable knowledge, he was no less happy in his talent of communicating it to others. He was remarkable for his command of language, and could express himself with ease and propriety on every occasion.* In his younger years he studied the English language with great care, and had formed his style upon the best models. It was remarkably polite and copious, though perhaps, in his later writings, rather too diffuse. He excelled in the warm and pathetic; and there are in his practical works, many instances of true oratory, and the most animated moving address. He was well acquainted with all the graces of elegant composition: but he willingly sacrificed a part of that reputation he might have gained as a fine writer, to the more valuable consideration of promoting the interests of piety and virtue; and often studiously avoided those ornaments of style, which, though easy and natural to him, would have rendered his works less useful to plainer christians. As his own ideas on every subject he had studied, were clear and distinct, so his method of ranging his thoughts, when he had occasion to express them in writing, was remarkably just and natural. Perhaps we have few discourses in our language, where the divisions are made with greater accuracy, and the thoughts more strictly proper to the subject, than those which he delivered in his usual course of preaching. Such then were the intellectual endowments with which he was honoured, and the valuable acquisitions he had made. They justly entitled him to a considerable rank in the learned *He used to descant, in his lectures on the subjects treated of, with surprising perspicuity and freedom; and the same perspicuity and freedom attended him when he took the pen in hand. This was owing to the orderly disposition in which things lay in his mind.-K. world; but, great as they were, it may with the strictest truth be said, that he valued them chiefly, as they made him more capable of serving the interest of religion, and contributing to the happiness of mankind; to which great ends he had consecrated all his time and all his talents. He considered himself as a minister of Christ, and therefore thought it to be his principal business to save souls. But he had scope for exerting all his abilities in his office as a tutor, and opening to his pupils his ample stores of literature. By enriching them, he was enriching thousands in different parts of the kingdom, and making his learning more extensively useful, than it probably would have been, had he published ingenious and learned treatises, on speculative or not very interesting subjects. We are now to consider him as an author; in which cha racter he is in much reputation among many of the friends of virtue and religion of various persuasions, in these nations, in our colonies and upon the continent. He was not fond of controversy; and was determined, if he could possibly avoid it, never to engage in any of those disputes, which have been, and still are, agitated among protestants. He had often seen and lamented this, as the event of many a voluminous controversy, that "Men of contrary parties sat down more attached to their own opinions, than they were at the beginning, and much more estranged in their affections." He therefore left this work to others. The first piece he published (except some papers on the present state of the republic of letters) can scarcely be called controversial, though it was an answer to another. This was entitled, "Free Thoughts on the most probable Means of Reviving the Dissenting Interest, occasioned by the late Enquiry into the Causes of its Decay; addressed to the author of that Enquiry," 1730.* * He treats the author with great civility, and, instead of criticising upon his performance, offers some remarks which may be of general use: And they deserve the regard of all ministers. He points out the principal reasons, why many learned and good men are so unpopular and unsuccessful; and hath shewn great knowledge of human nature, and what careful observations he had made on the dispositions of mankind. This tract is little known, especially by our *The writer of the enquiry was for a time supposed to be some lay gentleman; but, in fact, it came from the pen of a young dissenting minister, of the name of Gough, who afterwards conformed to the church; and who, in 1750, published a volume of sermons, which have considerable merit, as judicious and elegant compositions. |