A Memoir of the Rev. A. Waugh, D. D. By the Rev. James Hay, M. A. And the Rev. Henry Belfrage, D. D. With a Portrait. London. Hamilton and Adams. 14s.

THE scenes and associations of Dr. Waugh's early life, throw much light upon his subsequent character. He was a descendant of the covenanters, and brought up amidst their graves, before their mantle, or their spirit, had begun to fade away. Hence, their memory was to him, through life, like a second conscience, sprinkled with the blood of their martyrdom. It was the twilight of their glory, as much as the clearness of the northern heavens, which enshrined, to him, the mountains and moors of his native land. In like manner, "Caldron-brae,' and Stitchell-brae," were associated in his mind, as Bethel in the mind of Jacob, or the bush of the Midian wilderness, in the mind of Moses, with high and holy recollections of the divine presence. It was not merely, nor chiefly, as lofty or lovely braes, that they inspired him whenever he spoke of them; but as seats of communion with God and the Lamb. On Caldron-brae, his parents had I walked with God. On Stitchellbrae, he had united with them in the sacramental commemoration of the great atonement. These were the cords which bound his soul to the blue hills of the north, as to "the horns of the altar." This fact is beautifully illustrated by the following passage of the Memoir, from the pen of one of

his sons.

He was wont "to escape, in imagination, to Scotland, and to solace himself, after his ministerial labours on the Sabbath, N. S. No. 65.

by talking, especially, of the celebration of the Lord's Supper," on the mountains.

"In a softened mood,' he would say, in his old age, and when much exhausted, life to my countrymen in my own land, I shall never again break the bread of nor myself commemorate there the Saviour's dying love. O the solemnity of 'But, father, those tent-preachings!' some of us would say, you would still make an effort to go to Stitchell-brae." To Stitchell-brae!" his eyes kindling, and his soul lighting up with hallowed I! I should rejoice to preach again from enthusiasm, 'to Stitchell-brae! ay would that tent at its base, and to see the hundreds of God's redeemed people sitting on the face of the hill, above and around me, drinking in with joy the glad tidings O that I could again sit among them. It was a scene on which God's eye might love to look. Such sermons, such prayers! none such to be heard now-a-days. What are your cathedrals, and your choirs, and your organs? God laid the foundations of our temple on the pillars of the earth; our floor was nature's verdant carpet; our canopy was the vaulted sky, the heaven in which the Creator dwells. Perhaps, the tune Martyrs! 'martyrs' sung on Stitchell-brae, might arrest an angel on an errand of mercy, and would

of salvation.

afford him more delight than a' the organs, in a' the cathedrals o' Europe.'” chanting, and a' the music, and a' the

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Thus was Dr. Waugh's nationality one of the forms of his piety. It was indulged from holy feelings, and for holy purposes. It was also one of "the weapons of his warfare," as a minister; and, as he used it, not carnal." He acquainted himself with every trait and tradition of Scotland, that he To the might win Scotchmen. highlanders, he became a highlandman; and to the lowlanders, a lowlandman; and to the borderers, a borderman, that he might gain

some.

"The highlanders he would arouse 2 L

with the stern and striking imagery of the torrents, lakes, craggy cliffs, and lonely heaths of their mountain land; and that not in the vagne terms of general allusion, but by calling up the hills, and glens, and streams, by name, before them-Ben-Lomond, Ben-Nevis, Glengarry, the Spey, the Tay, &c. To the hearts of the lowlanders he would appeal with softer pastoral recollections of Teviotdale or Lammermuir, of Cheviot or Pentland Hills, of Nithsdale or Stitchell-brae. To the English borderers he would recall the field of Flodden, the

Till, Otterburn, the feudal days of Percy and Douglas."-p 186.

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of our readers have heard, on the subject of Dr. Waugh's eloquence that his finest passages were often repeated, almost without variation; and that, on great public occasions, he concentrated one dazzling orb, the whole sum of his best ideas and images. There is much truth in this; and, withal, more compliment to his head and heart, than the authors and repeaters of the remark intended, or are aware of. It certainly was not from any lack of crea

"They felt it of importance that their brae or burn should be known to their minister; and wondered that he should be able to describe it with a fidelity so correct, and to enter into their feelings with all the enthusiasm of a companion of their youth.”

Those who understand human nature, and have studied the forms of revealed instruction, will see as much piety as philosophy in all this. And those who see neither in it, should say nothing about, if they value their own credit; for thus the prophets spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

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Dr. Waugh's rich and sanctified imagination is almost proverbial. Specimens of its splendour abound in the Memoir, and especially in the Appendix. Some of the

Pulpit Recollections" in the latter, did not at all require the apology by which they are introduced. They are not what the excellent biographers suppose "memoranda, hastily taken;" nor is their style more "abrupt or unfinished" than the original. Some of them were from the author's pen. We deem it right to correct this mistake, because know who furnished what we refer

to.

we

It may not be improper here to advert to a remark, which many

fined himself to a limited (limited!) Had he been range of figures. but the half as intent on producing such images, as such hearers evidently were on finding them, it would have been a reflection upon his good sense. He had a higher object than to dazzle; and that object was most before him, when he dazzled most. He was not figurative for the sake of figures, but that truth might have the force of trut; and, accordingly, when he found out a sufficiency for this holy purpose, he showed the singleness of his heart in confining himself to them. Besides, his imagery was chiefly drawn from the eternal forms of natural beauty and sublimity; and, therefore, could never tire those who had taste to enjoy the originals. His sameness, in this respect, was just the sameness of NATURE!

But we must hasten on. Our readers will be delighted with this memoir-it is so wise, so beautiful, and complete. It might have been written by the guardian angel of our venerable friend; it is so true to nature and fact. And for nothing do we prize it more, than for its irresistible, but undesigned, tendency to fill the mind with the question, "What was the real secret of Dr. Waugh's sweet and mighty influence?" His biogra

phers have wisely left their memoir to suggest this question, by its own general character. And it does so at every step. It contains also much of the true answer to the inquiry. It does not, however, furnish a full, nor a formal answer. Indeed, that could hardly be given on the other side of the Tweed. There, more than anywhere, his high devotional character would be understood and appreciated. There, as much as anywhere, his wisdom and wit, his patriotism and benevolence, his genius and euthusiasm, would be comprehended. But neither there, nor here, is the real secret of Dr. Waugh's influence, generally understood. Too much of it cannot be ascribed to his devotional character; and, by that, we do not mean, at all, what distinguished his public prayers from those other ministers, who pray in the Spirit; the question is, what made him so prayerful? His devotional spirit was the chief charm of his character; but, what raised and sustained it, as a moral power over all hearts? Many men are as sincere, and fervent, and even as frequent in communion with God, as Dr. Waugh was; but, in their case, its influence does not tell widely. The fact is, he was entirely and intensely consecrated to the cause of God and In it, he "lived and moved, and had his being." All his interests and happiness were identified with it; and all his powers absorbed in it. For him to live, was Christ; nothing but Christ; and Christ he recognized in every thing that had bearing upon human welfare. This public spirit was the "fine element," in which all his powers breathed, and burned, and matured. lu his house he was the representative of all his family; in his pulpit, of all his flock; on the platform, of all mankind; every where

man.

any

lost in others! No man could ever suppose that Dr. Waugh was a professional pleader in the cause of religion and humanity; or that he felt as if he were conferring a favour upon that cause by his advocacy. All saw that the good old man could not be happy apart from that cause; and felt that he had nothing else to keep him out of heaven, but the glory of God, and the good of man. In this lay the secret of his influence: he was not his own centre.

Well might his daughter, in her fine sketch of him, say

"I never saw him so thoroughly happy as when he had succeeded in relieving the distressed: Blessed is he that considereth the poor;' and surely he used to appear as having a foretaste of glory. The poor man himself, though the joy of added to his cup, was not, I am confia wife and hungry children might be dent, so happy as my father. I have seen him call us all to kneel around the throne, and praise God for his goodness to some poor family. But the loveliest feature in these scenes was, that he never saw himself in them So complete was this abstraction, that we saw only the goodness of God, and the joy of the poor man. It was not till the first glow had gone by that we recollected, with honest pride and sacred emulation, the agent employed. His modesty was genuine, and could never be misunderstood. applied to that excellent man, to whom I never applied in vain,' was given at these times with an emphasis that left the impression of our admiration just where he meant it.

I

"Such was his devotedness to the make him swerve from their service; in poor, that no personal interest could illustration of which I may tell you the following circumstance: One of my brothers was applying for a public situation, which would have been of very great importance to him, and which it was thought the interest of Mr Wilberforce could have secured; and, of course, as my father had been long honoured with the friendship of that excellent man, we urged exceedingly that he should apply to him. But he decidedly refused, and on this ground;-That good man is one of the props that God hath put in my way for the support of my poor widows and orphans, and I dare not, for their sakes, risk the shaking of his faith