THE

Evangelical Magazine,

FOR FEBRUARY, 1801.

BIOGRAPHY.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE REV. ALEX. SHANKS, Late Minifter to the Affociate Congregation in Jedburgh; From the Conclufion of a Sermon, on Pf. xxxi. 5, delivered by the Rev. Mr. Hill, to his Congregation at Kelfo.

FTER what has been faid in illuftration of this im

portant truth, "that the laft work of the Chriftian is the fiducial refignation of his foul into the hands of his heavenly Father," your minds muft naturally have turned towards that interefting event, which has given occafion to the train of these our prefent meditations. Upon fuch an occafion, I know this congregation will indulge me in paying the last tribute of refpect to the memory of that great and good man, in whofe removal, by death, the Church has been deprived of one of her brighteft ornaments. Praifes, I know, avail not the dead; but when bestowed with judgment on the memory of those who deferve them, may be of fervice to the living. I confefs I am not fond of obtruding upon the public attention every friend whom I love and honour; but when I reflect upon that uncommon affemblage of qualities which formed the character of that great and good man, I feel that his duft ought not to be depofited as common duft, nor his monument infcribed with common characters. It is furely no unreasonable demand we make in behalf of his memory, when we fay, "Give him of the fruit of his hands, and let his own works praise him in the gates." In attempting to do juftice to the memory of our worthy father, I feel myfelf embarraffed, from an apprehenfion that thofe who did not know him may think I have faid too much, and that thofe who did know him, may think I have faid too little. With regard to his parentage, I know but little. I have heard is, that his father was a peasant; a VOL. IX.

H

All that

man of

great

great primitive fimplicity of character, and who poffeffed an uncommon fhare of the public esteem. For piety and usefulness in the humble fphere in which he moved, his eminence in the district where he lived, was felt and acknowledged by all. With regard to our worthy father himself, fo foon as his mind received a determination in favour of the ministry, he gave himfelf wholly to ftudv. So intenfe was his application in preparing himself for the service of the church, that it proved the occafion, as I am well informed, of bringing upon him that paralytic diforder under which he laboured during the subsequent period of his life.* Upon his obtaining licenfe, his gifts as a preacher were highly acceptable to the church; and immediately he received a call to the affociate congregation in Jedburgh, where he was ordained, and exercifed his miniftry for thirty-nine years.

A grave and dignified compofure characterized his countenance. His deportment was modeft and unaifuming, yet there was that in it which always commanded retpect. His paffions, originally ftrong, were brought under remarkable government. In council, he was wife; in reproof, gentle; in friendship, fincere: in every thing virtuous, exemplary and praife-worthy. His manner of life was plain, altogether removed from every thing that looked like oftentation. Simple in his manners, fimple in his tafte of living, he moved through life little folicitous about the advantages of worldly fortune. When Mr. Dundas, Secretary of State, wrote him in his Majefly's name, a letter of thanks for the fermon he had published upon PEACE and ORDER, and fignified his intention of procuring for him fome considerable emolument, he thanked him for his offer, and humbly declined accepting it. A little before his death, fent a donation to the London Miffionary Society. + In his charity to the poor on all occafions he was liberal; and when it is confidered, that he poffeffed but a flender in

he

For about fifteen years before the close of his ministry, this difrder made the performance of his duty very difficult to him. Yet he continued carefully to commit his difcourfes to writing, while he was obliged with the one hand to hold firm the other, to prevent it from shaking;. and frequently while thus employed, to lie at full length on his ftudy floor.

When he gave the money, five pounds, to Mr. Young, his fucceffor, he faid, it is the laft they will receive from me, and, although I cannot go all their length, yet I fee it my duty to countenance the scheme, perceiv'. ing that were I to ftay till all were of my way of thinking, nothing would be done at all,”

come,

tome, there is nothing wonderful in his having died without wealth, yet without debt.

The character of his mind was ftrong and masculine. His understanding was found and juft; his memory retentive, his imagination bold. His thoughts were fublime, his language correct, forcible, and expreffive. The natural endowments with which he was favoured, he mightily improved by a close application to ftudy. It has been obferved, as fomething peculiar to himfelf, that he did not. confider ftudy as his labour, but as his recreation. Even when advanced in life, he was as affiduous in adding to the treasures of ufeful knowledge, with which his mind. was enriched, as if he had been but beginning to prepare himfelf for the miniftry.* Prudence formed a diftinguishing feature in his character. So much was the whole of his public and private life characterized by prudence, that very few have paffed through a world, unhappily too much inclined to be malevolent and cenforious, with their character fo entire, as we all know it was his happiness to have done.

In his religious principles, he was firm, but not bigotted; confcientious, but not prefuming to any domination over the confciences of others. He was a lover of all good men. His clear and extenfive knowledge of religion enabled him to discern where the main ftrefs fhould be laid, and his zeal was proportioned accordingly. He did not confider the vifible kingdom of Chrift as confined to this or that particular denomination'; nor fuppofe that the caufe of Chrift and truth was to be found only in the hands of that church, with which he was more particularly connected. Hence he gloried more in being a Chriftian than in being a Prefbyterian and Seceder, though he was both from principle. -He loved the peace and the truth. He never

The

His conviction of the value of time led him to abridge the hours of converfation, even with his moft intimate friends. During the three latt years of his life, after, on account of his bodily infirmities, he had refigned his charge, and feldom preached, he continued to compofe fermons, bęcause it afforded an agreeable exercise to his mind. There are as many of his fermons written out for the prefs, as will make three volumes. first volume may be expected in a fhort time; befides a small volume of nine fermons, on Acts xv. 11. and Titus ii. 11, 12. entitled, “ Salvation through the grace of our Saviour difplayed-the Doctrine of grace illuftrated-and righteoufnefs in all manner of converfation recommended," publifhed at Edinburgh in 1788. He afterwards publifhed, on occafion of the poJitical ferment among the lower ranks of people in the country, two fermons, the one on "Peace and Order in the Society," from Jer. xxxiii. 7, the other, on "Curfing the King and the Rich," from Eccl. x. 20.

put