Page:Biographical sketch of the life and labours of that eminent minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Rev. James Hall D. D., of the United Secession Church, Broughton-Place meeting-house, Edinburgh.pdf/12

 entertain me a rancorous or revengeful spirit, or that at any time he suffered the sun to go down on his wrath. On the contrary, I know that few were more ready to forgive their offenders, to act towards them in a kind and concilitory manner, to overlook or obliterate the injury, to make considerable sacrifices for the sake of peace, and render essential services even to adversaries when provideutially put in their power. In such situations he was sometimes called to perform an irksome office; but when he had satisfied himself that it was a necessary duty, he proceeded with promptitude to discharge it, without either listening to the dissuasions of his dearest friends or selfishly consulting with flesh and blood.

It is by no means intended to represent Dr. Hall as a perfect or impeccable character; but while subject to the common infirmities of his species, it may with more than ordinary propriety he said coneerning him, “that even his failings leaned to virtue's side." He was sometimes deceived, by thinking more favourably of certain characters than they deserved; and was more apt to entertain a good than a bad report, even of those of whom he had no more than a distant knowledge-to palliate rather than aggravate the charges exhibited against culprits, and to plead for the infliction of lenient rather than severe punishments, even on the guilty. He also listened too readily to plausible propositions, and was not sufficently aware of their probable result, especially when they proceeded from unsuspected friends: hence he was led into secular engagements, which he did not imagine would interfere with the inmediate duties of his sacred function, but which might, in the eveut of anticipated success, have given him an opportunity of extended usefulness. Instead of which, however, they involved him in pecuniary embarrasment, proved a source of severe trial, and exposed him to the rash censure of such as did not take the trouble to investigate his case. But his