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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Life of Professor Wodrow . 407
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To his father ' s enlightened suggestions he had beeu much indebted iayel earlier life : "I remember , when I ^ was very young , a little after our coming to Glasgow , and reading Latin , I turned a iittle discouraged One day my father observed it , and asked me what ailed me . I said-1 did not find that satisfaction in reading my grammar and Latin books ,, and found little that way as to any thing that was ' serious and relative to eternity , of which I had some thoughts , though , alas , very raw , then and since . My father said , Robin , your knowledge is but small ; but you would [ should ] remember , when you are reading your book , and repeating Despauter ' s * rules , if you have God's glory before you , and serving him and your generation , you are as really serving uod , and he is as well pleased with you , as if you were praying and reading the Scriptures . ' This was of use to me . "—Pp . 168 , 169 . The record of such admirable observations , will , we trust , be of use to many others .
On the eve of his entrance into public life , Professor Wodrow laboured under extreme modesty , and was thus animated by Mr . Robert Blair : " Mr . Blair asked him , what in himself discouraged him , for he found his master at Glasgow had a good opinion of him . Mr . Wodrow answered , I am so blate ana diffident , and so much overrun with slavish fear in public , that I think God does not call me to look to serving him in the ministry ; and even in my discourses in the hall , though Mr . Baillie allows me all the familiarity and friendship I can desire , yet , after I have mandated my exercises , my slavish terror confounds me so that I am in hazard of losing what I have prepared . Mr . Blair answered , 'Be not discouraged ; that will gradually lessen ; and though it should not altogether wear off , yet it will not marr you ; ' adding , * I'll tell you for your comfort , I have been now near forty years in the ministry , and the third bell scarce begins to toll when I am to preach , but my heart plays dunt , f dunt . ' This from so great a man , was , he told me , very useful to him afterwards /'—Pp . . 31 , 32 .
Let the instructive anecdote soothe and encourage many a diffident candidate for the ministry ; while it reproves the confident and the forward . From the eminent Mr . James Guthrie , whom he saw in prison the day before his death , Mr . Wodrow received encouragement , of which he could never be forgetful .
" I have a savoury report of you Mr . Wodrow ; continue in your studies , and be not discouraged under thir evil times . Let your eye be singly to God , and your aims sincere . "—P . 33 . The character of Professor Wodrow was formed in no common times : nor was it a character of ordinary excellence . He was a man of habitual ,
fervent piety , of uniform , solid worth , and of great parts and learning . For the period in which he lived , his views were large and comprehensive ; but on the subject of toleration he does not seem ( p . 110 ) to have gone beyond the opinions and practice of his age . The magistrate should equally protect all religious communions ; and then truth and virtue are most likely to be predominant . We agree with Dr . Burns J in his estimate of the volume , from which we _^^_^_______ * * ni i - ^ ' rm ' j i
^ ^^ * Despautere was a Fleming , and died in 1520 . He wrote several grammatical treatises , which once were popular on the Continent , f Dunt , " stroke or blow . " Gloss , to . Geut . Shep . X Mem ., &c , p . 11 , Note .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1829, page 407, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2573/page/39/
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