34. 35. .. Rev. HOR. BONAR. Breathings after holiness, Rev. R. MACDONALD. Words of counsel, LETTER I. TO HIS FAMILY,-London, 29th March, 1839, IV. To His MоTHER,-Lyons, 20th April, . V. TO HIS SISTER,-Genoa, 24th April, VI. TO HIS FATHER,-Malta, 5th May, X. TO THE REV. R. S. CANDLISH,-Mount Carmel, 27th June, XII. TO HIS SISTER,-Beyrout, 8th July, XIV. TO HIS SISTER,-Beyrout, 22nd July, . XV. TO THE REV. A. N. SOMERVILLE,-Beyrout, 23rd July, XVII. TO THE REV. A. N. SOMERVILLE,-Bouja, 22nd August, XIX. TO HIS FATHER AND MOTHER,-Bucharest, 10th September, XXII. TO HIS FATHER AND MOTHER,-Breslau, 17th October, MEMOIR. CHAPTER I. HIS YOUTH, AND PREPARATION FOR THE MINISTRY. "Many shall rejoice at his birth; for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord."—LUK3 i. 14. In the midst of the restless activity of such a day as ours, it will be felt by ministers of Christ to be useful, in no common degree, to trace the steps of one who but lately left us, and who, during the last years of his short life, walked calmly in almost unbroken fellowship with the FATHER and the SoN. The date of his birth was May 21, 1813. About that time, as is now evident to us who can look back on the past, the Great Head had a purpose of blessing for the Church of Scotland. Eminent men of God appeared to plead the cause of Christ. The Cross was lifted up boldly in the midst of Church Courts which had long been ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. More spirituality and a deeper seriousness began a few years onward to prevail among the youth of our Divinity Halls. In the midst of such events, whereby the Lord was secretly preparing a rich blessing for souls in all our borders, the subject of this Memoir was born. "Many were to rejoice at his birth;" for he was one of the blessings which were beginning to be dropt down upon Scotland, though none then knew that one was born whom hundreds would look up to as their spiritual father. The place of his birth was Edinburgh, where his parents resided. He was the youngest child of the family, and was called ROBERT MURRAY, after the name of some of his kindred. From his infancy his sweet and affectionate temper was remarked by all who knew him. His mind was quick in his attainments; he was easily taught the common lessons of youth, and some of his peculia: endowments began early to appear. At the age of four, while recovering from some illness, he selected as his recreation the study of the Greek alphabet, and was able to name all the letters, and write them in a rude way upon a slate. A year after he made rapid progress in the English class, and at an early period became somewhat eminent among his school-fellows |