A

SHORT ACCOUNT

OF THE

REV. THOMAS HALYBURTON.

MR. THOMAS HALYBURTON, Professor of Divinity in the New College at St. Andrews, was born in Duplin, in the parish of Aberdalgy, December 25, 1674, of worthy and godly parents, Mr. George Halyburton and Margaret Playfair. His father was descended from the family of Pitcur, in the county of Angus, and was minister of Aberdalgy, in the presbytery of Perth, out of which he was summarily ejected by the government, in the year 1662, as well as about three hundred other ministers, without any legal process, simply for nonconformity to Prelacy.

Mr. George Halyburton, the Bishop of Dunkeld, who had been a zealous covenanter, suddenly became so forward for the national defection, and so cruel a persecutor of his former fellow-presbyters, that he would not spare him more than others, though he was his near kinsman, but turned him out of his charge. And yet that prelate was scarcely well in the enjoyment of his benefice, when the

Lord smote him with sore sickness, of which he died, and went to his place.

Our Author's father never repented his faithfulness in adhering to the covenanted work of reformation; but rejoiced that he had been honoured to suffer on that account: and when he fell asleep in the Lord, in the year 1682, in the 55th year of his age, he died in the faith of this, that God would deliver this church from the sore persecution it was then under. His mother was daughter to Mr. Andrew Playfair, the first minister of Aberdalgy parish after the reformation from Popery; to which her husband succeeded, a little before the restoration of Prelacy. She was allied to some of the best families in the kingdom by the mother; but, what was their far greater glory, both of them, from their youth, were truly religious. His mother excelled many of her sex for knowledge of the principles of religion, and an uncommon memory of the Scriptures: she would have repeated exactly many of the choicest chapters of the Bible. They had a numerous family, no fewer than eleven children, and very sickly. All of them died young, except their eldest daughter Janet; and their son, Thomas. But, to sweeten these trials, they had peculiar comfort in the death of their children; some, even of the youngest of them, gave singular evidences of their dying

in the Lord.

When his father died, he was happy to be under the care of such a mother. The Episcopal persecution for nonconformity daily increasing, she, with her son-in-law and daughter, were forced for their

safety to withdraw to Holland, and took him along with them while he was very young. He quickly learned the Dutch, and went to Erasmus' school to learn the Latin. There they remained till August 1687, when they returned home, narrowly escaping shipwreck.

At their return he went to school, and afterwards to the university, where he made great proficiency, beyond many of his equals. of his equals. When he had finished his course there, he entered as chaplain to a noble family, where a person that had been his schoolfellow, and had drunk in the principles of the Deists, began to attack him on that subject, which obliged him, in the beginning of his studies, carefully to read that controversy; and what progress he made in this will appear from his book against the Deists. He could not attend lectures of divinity in any our colleges, while in that family; and though he had read divinity only two years, the presbytery of Kirkaldy importuned him to enter on trials, and he was licensed by them to preach, June 22, 1669.

of

He was settled minister in Ceres parish, May 1, 1700.

In 1701, he was married to Janet Watson, a virtuous and pious gentlewoman, daughter to Mr. David Watson, an heritor in the parish of St. Andrews, a zealous good man, and one that suffered much for nonconformity.

Some few years after his settlement at Ceres, his health broke, and his indisposition daily increased, so that he was hardly able to go through his ministerial duties in that large parish.

In April 1710, having received a patent from her majesty, and an invitation from the presbytery, he was transferred by the synod of Fife, to St. Andrews, to be Professor of Divinity in the New College.

In September 23, 1712, at seven in the morning, he slept in Jesus; " and him will the Lord bring with him."

He was of low stature; his body but thin and small; his hair black, but his complexion pretty clear and fair.

In April 1711, a dangerous sickness seized him, which obliged the physicians, at several times, to take from him about forty-four ounces of blood. He recovered and went about again; but his wasted body never attained the little strength he had before his sickness shortly after, his arms and legs became a little benumbed and insensible, and also swelled, which at his death increased greatly. But O how noble a spirit, how great a soul, dwelt in his weak and frail body. He was naturally of a pleasant and agreeable temper. He had an equal and cheerful spirit, which he retained under surprising vicissitudes. This evenness of temper appeared much in his frequent and dangerous sickness. He had a calm, peaceable, healing disposition, and yet bold as a lion in his Master's cause. He had a peculiar talent for reconciling differences. How afflicting the prospect of divisions was to him, the following pages will testify: and had some others been blessed with more of this spirit, his and our fears would have been utterly disappointed. He was master of a