תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

be attained, will find his account happily in fuch lives as that of Mr. Abernethy: It may be very ferviceable to all who attentively perufe it, particularly to thofe, who have chofen the holy miniftry for the business of their lives: They will fee this ftation adorned with every thing neceffary to render it reputable and useful; one of the foundest minds joined with one of the best of hearts; and a life under the power of the worthieft principles.

HE was the fon of Mr. John Abernethy, diffenting minifter in Colraine. His mother was a daughter of Walkinshaw of Walkingfhaw, in Renfrewshire in Scotland. He was born October 19, 1680, and continued nine years under the care of his parents. In 1689, he was feparated from them, his father being fent by the diffenting minifters to London, to follicite fome public affairs; his mother, in the tumult occafioned by the infurrection of the Irifh, withdrew from her own dwelling to Derry. He at this time was with a relation in Ballymenagh, who, in that general confufion, determined to remove to Scotland; and, having no opportunity of conveying this child to his mother,

5

mother, carried him along with him. This was the means of his escaping the hardships of the fiege of Derry, in which Mrs. Abernethy loft all her other children. When he had been three years in Scotland, which he spent at the grammar-fchool, he returned to his father's family, then fixed. in Colraine. Here he continued at school, till he was thirteen, and then was fent to Glasgow-college: This he often regretted as an error in the management of his education; feeing however parents might flatter the genius of a child in their own imaginations, it could not be reasonably thought, that he had fufficient knowledge of claffical authors, to fit him for academical ftudies, or that his mind was enough ripened for that reflection, which is neceffary to make them fuccessful.

Ir may not perhaps be disagreeable to the reader, to mention a very remarkable interpofition of providence in preferving his life, when on his way to Scotland. At Belfast, he was diverting himself with a servant who attended him, upon the great bridge, by which that town is joined to the county of Down; they stood upon the bridge

a confiderable time; but Mr. Abernethy happening to caft his eye upon fomething at a distance which catched his fancy, they ran off on a fudden; and, the moment they removed, the arch, upon which they had been standing, fell down; fo they very narrowly escaped being cruflied to pieces.

He continued at colledge, till he took the degree of Maßter of Arts: Then his own inclination led him to the study of phyfic; but he was diverted from this by the advice of his friends, and applied himself to that of divinity; in purfuance of which he went to Edinburgh, and was some time under the care of the celebrated profeffor Campbel. Upon his return home, he proceeded in his ftudies with great fuccefs, and was foon taken notice of by the prefbytery of Route, (of which his father was a member) and, under their direction, went through the ufual trials, as a candidate for the ministry. He was licensed to preach, before he was one and twenty. In June 1701, he had an invitation to preach in the diffenting congregation at Antrim, which was then vacant; and the people, upon hearing him, expreffed an inclination to call him

to

1

to the paftoral charge; but he refolved, before he fettled any where, to spend some time in Dublin. He preached in several congregations in the city, particularly that of Woodfreet, from which he received an invitation to stay with them fome time: This they defired, with an intention of choofing him to the paftoral office, in conjunction with the late Reverend Mr. Boyfe; but his father's advice, not difagreeable to his own inclinations, determined him to return to the north. He quickly received an unanimous call from the congregation of Antrim; but before he was ordained there, his father died, of whom all who knew him, had an high esteem: And a judicious friend, who was intimately acquainted with him, writes thus concerning him: "He

was an eminent chriftian, a learned di"vine, a vigilant, laborious paftor, a man "of deep penetration, and folidity of judgment, of a strength of memory almost unparalled, of an extenfive public fpirit, a delicate tafte for correct fpeaking and writing, and a man of polite behaviour

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

" and addrefs."

23

COLRAINE

COLRAINE being vacant by the death of the father, presented a call to the fon; fo there being a competition between that congregation and Antrim, the matter was referred to the general* fynod, who gave their decifion in favour of Antrim, where Mr. Abernethy was ordained, August 8, 1703. A little after this he married Mrs. Sufannab Jordan, whofe father was dead, and her mother married to Dominic Heyland, Efq; of Caftleroe. Mrs. Heyland was a woman of a very uncommon character, much admired, efpecially for the generosity her spirit and tender affections, and for moft exemplary piety. Her daughter Abernethy had, with great fuccefs, imitated the fair pattern fhe had every day before her; and Mr. Abernethy found himself every way happy in the conjugal relation.

His congregation at Antrim was a large one, and he applied himself to the pastoral work

* That is, the yearly meeting of the whole diffenting minifters afïociated in the North, with a ruling elder for each minifter. This, according to their conftitution, is the higheft church judicatory, to which appeals lie from leffer affociations, ufually called Sub-Ĵynods: As to these last, appeals lie from the feveral Prefbytries within their bounds.

« הקודםהמשך »