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/10

, and carry the cause he undertook to advocate. It is true, he was not uniformly successful. but in such cases, the courts had sometimes cause to regret that they had not been governed by his views.

His conversational powers were of a superior description. His literary accomplishments, the extent of his information, the versatility of his talents, his quick comprehension of all that was said, and his admirable facility of expression, qualified him for conversing on all subjects, and with all characters, with almost equal aptitude, and in a manner which seldom failed to communicate pleasure, entertainment, and instruction. Hence it was said, by an eminent American Divine, with whom he had contracted a particular intimacy, while he was in this country, that he could not help admiring the talent of Dr. Hall, for he appeared to be equally qualified for conversing agreeably with a girl before entering her teens, a philosopher on his most abstract theories, a statesman on interesting topics of legislation, and a theologian on the most abtruseabstruse [sic] points of natural and revealed religion. But while he gave a peculiar zest to any convivial companies with which he associated, he was ever ready to check the smallest approach to moral impropriety, and to introduce subjects calculated to edify as well as entertain. His dignified demeanour and numerous accomplishments, recommended him to the notice and friendship of persons moving in the higher circles of society: and though he neither courted, nor appeared ostentatious of such a distinction, it gave him an opportunity of more extensive usefulness than he might otherwise have enjoyed; for he was generally employed to prepare and transmit addresses from the ecclesiastical courts with which he was connected to the Secretary of State, or some other influential member of the British Parliament. And, on many occasions, his exertions were essentially serviceable to the Secession Church, in getting its civil concerns settled