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/7

 theology, which qualified him for bringing from the treasury of eternal truth, matter admirably adapted to every exigence; such a complete understanding of human nature and experimental religion, as made him administer to each individual a suitable portion of satisfactory mood in the most appropriate season, an admirable aptitude to strengthen weak hands and confirm feeble knees, to soothe the anguish of excessive grief, and comfort the diversified mourners in Zion—to establish the doubting or unconfirmed believer on the sure foundation which the Lord hath laid, restore back-sliders to the good course they had unhappily abandoned, allure diffident disciples to determined perseverance, excite slothful performers of duty to diligence and activity, and provoke all whom he immediately addressed, to the exercise of love, and the practice of good works, to run in the righteous ways of God with accelerated steps,—adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things, live soberly, righteously, and and godly in the world, and look for the blessed hope, the glorious appearance of the great God, even their Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for them, that he might redeem them from all iniquity, and purify them to himself, as a peculiar people, zealous of good works. In short, though he sometimes found it necessary to assume the character of a Boanerges, he appeared to take much more pleasure in exhibiting himself as a on of consolation. When he ascended the pulpit, it might, with much propriety, be said concerning him:

“There stands the messenger of truth; there stands

The legate of the skies! his theme divine,

His office sacred, his credentials clear.

By him the violated law speaks out

Its thunder; and by him, in siraints as sweet

As angels use, the Gospel whispers peace.

He stablishes the strong, restores the weak,

Reclaims the wanderer, binds the broken heart,