THE

UNITED SECESSION MAGAZINE,

FOR SEPTEMBER, 1844.

MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. ROBERT BALMER, D.D.*

DOCTOR BALMER was born on the 22d day of November 1787, at Ormiston, in the parish of Eckford, Roxburghshire, of parents distinguished not by rank or wealth, but by good sense, moral worth, and unfeigned Christian godliness. His father was a member of the Associate congregation of Morebattle, connected with the General Associate or Anti-burgher Synod; and his mother of the congregation of Jedburgh, connected with the Associate or Burgher Synod. Thus was he from birth intimately related to the two religious bodies of which, in their united state, he was destined to be so distinguished an ornament and benefactor. Like many other great and good men he owed especial obligations to his mother, a woman of uncommon sagacity and piety, who lived not only to see the son of many prayers raised to honour and usefulness, but to enjoy his pastoral care during many of her declining years, and to have her death-bed softened by his filial attentions and holy ministrations.

By her he was a lineal descendant of a good man, who has found an enduring record of his worth in that most interesting book the Autobiography of the Venerable Thomas Boston. "James Biggar," says the primitive pastor of Etterick, in reference to his settlement in that parish, "an elder with his family were the family which was the most comfortable to me as a minister of the gospel. So it was all along, and so it continues to this day. May the blessing of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,' rest on them from generation to generation. May the glorious gospel of His Son catch them early, and maintain its ground in them to the end." Is it superstition to suppose that this "fervent prayer" of so righteous a man "availed" something towards the formation of that character, and the production of those events, in which it has found so obvious an answer? His father, who was distinguished for his intimate knowledge of the scriptures, died when he was only ten years of age. On the evening of his father's funeral day, his mother,

* Extracted from a Sermon delivered in Golden Square meeting-house, Berwick, on 14th July 1844, on occasion of the death of the Rev. Robert Balmer, D.D., by Joh Brown, D.D., Edinburgh.

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after putting to bed her four younger unprovided for fatherless children, found relief in an irrepressible burst of sorrow. Her eldest son, but a boy, put her in mind that the God of her fathers, of whom he had often heard, would be her and their God: and thus "out of the mouth" of one little more than a babe, "God perfected strength" for the comfort of the desolate widow. In consequence of his losing his father at this early period, he attended, along with his mother, the ministrations of the venerable Alexander Shanks of Jedburgh, a man who in his appearance, as well as in both the substance and manner of his pulpit services, called up the idea of one of the Old Testament prophets; and of his colleague, the Rev. Peter Young, a most amiable man, pleasing preacher, and affectionate pastor; and some of Dr Balmer's friends, have supposed that they found in him, as a public teacher, combined many of the qualities characteristic of both his early religious instruc

tors.

Robert, the eldest son of this worthy pair, was early distinguished for his eager thirst after knowledge, and his perseverance and success in its pursuit. His elementary instruction was received in the village of Crailing from a venerable man, then little more than a boy, who has been honoured of God to communicate the most valuable of all kinds of instruction to a number who are now in this country, or in foreign lands, serving God with divine benediction in the gospel of his Son, and who, by the remarkable arrangements of divine providence, had long for his honoured religious instructor his early pupil, who esteemed him as a Christian friend, and an efficient coadjutor in the spiritual superintendence of the flock over which the Great Shepherd had made him overseer. After having obtained, at the grammar school of Kelso, under a ripe scholar and accomplished teacher, the late Dr Dymock of Glasgow, a more complete preparatory education than at that time was common in the country parishes, or even in the minor provincial towns of Scotland, he entered the University of Edinburgh in November 1802. His course of study there was unusually extensive and protracted, embracing not only all the literary and philosophical, but a number of the medical, classes. To all these branches of education he yielded a close attention, and acquired the high esteem of the professors and his fellowstudents. The philosophy of the mind, as taught by those distinguished men, Dugald Stewart and Thomas Brown, especially engaged his mind, and inquiries into the constitution of man, and the foundation of morals, continued deeply to interest him during the whole course of life. While at the university he attended the ministrations of the Rev. James Peddie, D.D., whose manly and clear expositions of Christian truth had a considerable influence in forming his theological tastes, and who, with characteristic sagacity, at an early period discovered his superior talents, and anticipated his future eminence.

In the autumn of the year 1806, after undergoing an examination by the Presbytery of Selkirk, he entered the Divinity Hall, connected with the Associate (Burgher) Synod, which had been for nearly twenty years under the care of George Lawson, D.D., a man venerated by all who knew him, not less for his naturally powerful mind and extensive professional learning, than for his Christian wisdom and worth, the guileless integrity of his heart, and the engaging simplicity of his man

ners. Under the tuition of this great and good man he studied theology for five sessions, possessing a large measure of the esteem of his tutor, with whom, from his living during a considerable portion of the term of his study in the neighbourhood, he enjoyed a frequency and intimacy of intercourse with which comparatively few of his fellow-students could be favoured,—a privilege which he highly prized and carefully improved.

Eager to avail himself of all practicable means for obtaining theological knowledge, he entered the Divinity Hall in the University of Edinburgh, then presided over by William Ritchie, D.D., and completed there the course of study required for receiving license in the Established Church. In the course of his attendance on that class, he obtained a prize for the best essay "on the character of Moses as a legislator." From his having studied in the Divinity Hall of the University, he naturally formed an acquaintance with young men of congenial spirits connected with the Established Church. This acquaintance in some instances was matured into friendship, and had its influence probably in unfolding that catholicity of spirit which formed one of the leading ornaments of his character.

During his academical studies he contributed to his own support by his labours in teaching both publicly and privately. His classical attainments fitted him for officiating as private tutor, in a number of most respectable families, by all of whom he continued, through life, to be regarded with high esteem. He taught a school for some time in the village of Barnyards, in the parish of Kilconquhar, Fifeshire; and at a later period of his studies he undertook the tuition of the family of the Rev. Dr Douglas of Galashiels, and a select number of pupils from the village and its neighbourhood. He secured the entire confidence of the Doctor, a man distinguished for his acute perception of human character, who showed his regard for him by offering to use his influence, which was considerable, to obtain for him a living in the Establishment, should he find himself at liberty to take license in connexion with that body.

On the close of his theological academical studies, he set himself to a thorough re-examination of the question between the Established Church and the churches of the Secession, which terminated in a firm conviction that the Fathers of the Secession had acted rightly, and that he could not conscientiously take office in the Establishment. It was not, however, without much reflection that he saw his way clear to accept license even from the body with which he was connected in church fellowship.

Having overcome these difficulties and undergone the ordinary course of trial, to the entire satisfaction of his judges, he was licensed, on the 4th of August 1812, by the Associate Presbytery of Edinburgh, to preach the gospel.

Though by no means distinguished by the graces of manner, either of elocution or of action, his discourses, full of important Christian truth, clearly and impressively unfolded, in a style which, though fully more classical and academical than was common in the pulpit, was easily understood by every attentive hearer; and delivered with an entire freedom from affectation, and with deep gravity and affectionate

earnestness, were highly estimated by the churches in general; and in the course of a few months he received calls from the vacant congregations of Loch winnoch in Renfrewshire, Leslie in Fifeshire, Ecclefechan in Dumfriesshire, and Berwick-on-Tweed. At a meeting of the Associate Synod in September 1813, the competition among these congregations, according to the usage then prevailing in the Secession Church, was judged in, and in entire conformity with his own convictions and feelings, the presbytery of Kelso and Coldstream was appointed to take measures for his settlement in the last of them. His ordination accordingly took place there on the 23d of March 1814.

In his ministerial life, his conduct realized, to an uncommon degree, the character of the servant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared himself to do it. He well "knew his Lord's will." He possessed a critical knowledge of the inspired books in their original languages, and his extreme familiarity with our admirable version of them, that "pure well of English undefiled," joined with his sound judgment and exquisite taste, enabled him to give a peculiar beauty and richness to his pulpit discourses, by appropriate citations and allusions. He prayerfully studied his Bible as his pastoral directory, — and, "knowing his Lord's will," he "prepared himself."

His public duties were the result of much private preparation. Not only were all his discourses the fruit of much study, but his whole course of reading had a reference to his ministerial duties. His devotional services, though not precomposed forms, were evidently no extempore effusions; and the part he acted in every thing connected with the discipline of the church, was the result of careful reflection as to the best manner of applying the law of Christ in the particular case.

And while thus knowing his Lord's will, and preparing himself, he "did that will." He was a faithful and wise pastor. While "with all authority" he declared the doctrines and law of his Master, he never attempted to "lord it" over the faith and conscience of his people. He held the privilege of freedom from human authority in too high value, either to admit encroachment on it, in himself, or to attempt encroachment on it, in others. He did not beat his fellow-servants entrusted to his care -"he was gentle among them, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." He " gave those entrusted to his care their meat in due season." His discourses were peculiarly fitted for the edification of a Christian church. Their substance was important Christian truth, made to stand out, as it were, by happily conceived images, and saturated with appropriate christianly devout affection. They were full of "the marrow of the gospel." They were 66 the finest of the wheat." He never introduced matters of doubtful disputation into the pulpit-and he never trifled with the awful themes which he habitually handled there. He had favourite topics, but they belonged to the highest order of Christian doctrines, the holy benignity of the Father-the atonement of the Son-the grace of the Spirit-the wonders of the resurrection-the glories of eternity; and his attention to these did not lead him to hold back any thing that was profitable. His object was to declare, so far as he had apprehended it, "the whole counsel of God." His talents and his temper fitted him rather to be a Barnabas than a Boanerges; but while he usually spoke "in the still small voice" of affectionate

invitation, instruction, and consolation, he could make the thunder of "the terrors of the Lord" be heard in a way fitted to carry alarm into the most thoughtless mind.

Of his discourses it could not be said that the workmanship exceeded the material; but it might be justly said that the one well became the other. The jewels were suitably, that is, richly and ornately set. To use the inspired figure," they were apples of gold in pictures of silver."

In the more private duties of his office, he was not less diligent and conscientious than in his public ones. The regularity with which they were all discharged was indeed remarkable. Every thing was done at the proper time, and the whole of his ministry bore the character of expectation and preparation. Every thing said that he was expecting his Lord, and did not know how soon, how suddenly he might come. His Master smiled on his labours, and he had the satisfaction, amid such trials as all Christian ministers must experience, to see his congregation flourishing in numbers, intelligence, and active usefulness, during the whole term of his ministry.

His personal comfort and his public usefulness were materially advanced by his entering, in 1826, into the nearest of human relations, with her who survives to lament his loss, who was in truth a helpmeet for him," not merely relieving his mind from secular cares, but giving him assistance in his studies, which a weakness in his sight, induced probably by an excessive and incautious use of his eyes, rendered necessary-by devoting much time to reading to him. Rich in the sympathy of friends, and in the recollection of the excellencies and honours of him, whose labours she lightened, and whose life she made happy, may that esteemed individual be sustained under her heavy load of sorrow, by "the comforts of God," which are "not small," and by the anticipation of the destruction of the "last enemy.

While attentive to the discharge of his pastoral duties, he did not forget the connexion he held with the churches with which he was united in the bonds of ecclesiastical union, nor with the great Christian body generally. He was conscientious in his attendance on church courts, and though never obtrusive nor overbearing, willingly bore his part in public business. His judgment was highly valued by his brethren, and his wise counsels contributed in no slight degree, to the order and peace of the churches. He took a very deep interest in the movement in the two sections of the Secession Church towards union, and had the honour of presiding in the Associate Synod at that memorable meeting when that body and the General Associate Synod terminated their separate beings, and merged in the United Associate Synod. Of all the great institutions of a Christian and philanthropic character, such as Bible, Missionary, Anti-slavery societies, he was an enlightened and active supporter, and in all the questions bearing on the cause of Christian truth and liberty, he took a lively interest. In the controversy between the Edinburgh Bible Society and the British and Foreign Bible Society, which convulsed the churches of Scotland, while most decidedly opposed to the circulation of the Apocrypha, he cordially supported the British and Foreign Bible Society, after it had entirely abandoned a practice which, though easy to account for, it is impos