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/9

 with the attached members of his congregation to Broughton-place. The fact is, while free from excessive pain, he was indisposed to make the nature of his sufferings known; in his coversation, he manifested so mnch cheerfulness and vivacity, and in his pulpit exhibited such liveliness and vigour, that those acquainted with him must have concluded that he enjoyed a measure of health equal to the energy of his animal spirits. But he must always have been sensible of his own situation, and his physicians (who, during his illness, did everything within the reach of medical skill and assiduity,) expressed their suprise, after having completely learned the causes of his malady, that he had been able to undergo half the fatigue to which he had subjected himself. Men, alas look only on the outward appearance, but the Lord knoweth the real condition of his creatures. Imperfect and insagracious mortals, therefore, should beware of rash censure or arrogant presumption, and pay particular attention to that inspired admonition—" Judge not, that ye be not judged; for with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

As a member of ccelesiastical courts, his judgment was more than usually respected. He assumed no dictatorial airs, no superiority of discernment, no disposition to become the leader of a party; but his thorough acquaintance with the forms of business, his just understanding of the causes that came under discussion, his clear comprehension of the reasening employed by parties corcerned, and the tendency of argnuments advanced by members of court; the deep interest he took in the concerns of the church, his impartiality in the weighing of evidence, aud his unbiassed attachment to eqnity, justice, and the general interest of religion, enabled him to deliver his sentiments with a luminous precision, a pertinence of remark, and a flueucy of unpremeditated expression, which were well calculated to produce