OF THE FIRST VOLUME HE Life of Dr. LEECHMAN, with The Temper, Character, and Duty of a 1 TIM. iv. 16. Take heed unto thyfelf, and unto thy doctrine, and continue in them; for in I CORINTH. i. 21. For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wifdom knew not God, it The Excellency of the Spirit of Christianity. 2 TIMOTHY, i. 7. For God hath not given us THE LIFE OF DR. LEECH MAN, WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF HIS LECTURES. R. WILLIAM LEECHMAN was one DR of the few whom Divine Providence fometimes raifes from an humble to a diftinguished and useful ftation in life, chiefly by the influence of eminent talents and amiable virtues. It may not be unpleafing to trace the fteps of this progress. To his numerous friends and scholars, who knew him thoroughly, and to the world, who have formed a favourable judgment of him from his writings, fome account of his life may perhaps be acceptable. Of the early and retired part of it little can now be recovered. VOL. I. B 1 recovered. Any thing, however, worthy of notice, which has come to the knowledge of the writer of these memoirs, fhall be faithfully marked. Dr. Leechman was born in the year 1706. He was the son of William Leechman, a farmer, who lived in the parish of Dolphinton, in the fhire of Lanark, and always maintained a character refpectable for piety and integrity. His fon learned the rudiments of the languages at the parish-school of Dolphinton, under the care of Mr. Henderfon, who was afterwards a clergyman. He completed his education at the Univerfity of Edinburgh, not without fome affistance from the family of Baillie of Jervifwood, a gentleman of note in that country. The family confidered themselves as under an obligation to Mr. Leechman's father, who, when a young man, at the head of two or three of his companions, had the spirit to take down one of the quarters of Mr. Robert Baillie*, affixed to the This gentleman was one of the last who fuffered for confcience fake by the profecution of that tyrannical court. He |