238 



Meihoirs of Dr. Lindsay^ 



[April I, 



Temple, and his first literary production 

 was a Law Journal. He then accepted a 

 commission in the army, and served with a 

 regiment of foot in Jamaica. Retiring on 

 half-pay, he married a most amiable branch 

 of the Drydcii fumily, and, settling in the 

 neighbourhood of London, passed his time 

 between his books and much respectable 

 society, for the latter of which he was cmi- 

 ncully qualified by his conversational pow- 

 ers, his stores of anecdote, and his urbanity 

 of manners. 



His literary and domestic habits preclud- 

 ed him from public life, but, as a speaker, 

 he often distinguished himself in the local 

 concerns of his parish : on one occasion, 

 filling the chair of the Middlesex Grand 

 Jury, he arraigned the conduct of the 

 notorious Aris, and exhibited his mal- 

 practices in a petition to the House of Com- 

 mons, which led to a Royal commission, and 

 ultimately to the dismissal of the governor 

 from an employment which had been abused. 

 His spirited conduct on this occasion pro- 

 cured him the plaudits of all independent 

 men. 



He sometimes acted as agent for suitors 

 to the House of Lords, and conducted with 

 honour and success the claim to the Rox- 

 burgh Peerage, during which he became 

 acquainted with some of the principal 

 members of that House, and ol>tained their 

 personal esteem and friendship. 



In his circle he has left a void which will 

 not easily be supplied. He was, in many 

 respects, a noble of nature, and was re- 

 spected wherever he was known. In per- 

 son he was above the ordinary size ; and 

 his voice corresponded in its volume, but 

 it was governed by the independence of his 

 60ul, and if he g-enerally spoke with energy, 

 it was always created by his sense of rec- 

 titude, and by the fearlessness of conscious 

 integrity. 



THE REV. JAMES LINDSAY, D.D. 



Bi/ DR. REES ; extruded from his Sermon 

 preached in Monkn-ell-strcet, Feb. 25. 

 The Rev. James Lindsay, was the son 

 of Mr. William Lindsay, of Pitcarity, in 

 the county of Forfar ; he was born in 

 the month of November or beginning of 

 December in the year 1753, in the parish 

 of Kirrimuir in that county, and educated 

 in the grammar-school of that parish under 

 the tuition of Mr. ]Mowatt, an eminent 

 classical scholar, who was afterwards elect- 

 ed master of the grammar-school of St. 

 Andrew's. 



In the year 1769, he .vas removed from 

 the grammar-school of Kirrimuir to that of 

 Aberdeen, and in November of that year 

 admitted a student of King's College. Ha- 

 ving passed through the regular course of 

 education in that university, with the dis- 

 tinguished approbation of all the professors 

 under %vhom he studied, he was admitted to 

 the degree of M.A. in April 1773, and soon 



after became domeBtie tutor in the family 

 of the Rev. Kenneth M'Aulay, miniuter of 

 the parish of Calder, near Inverness, and 

 author of the History of St. Kilda. 



In this situation he continued five years ; 

 during which period he attended for three 

 sessions the Divinity Halls both of King's 

 and Marischal Colleges, and delivered 

 discourses on subjects prescribed to him in 

 each of these colleges, to the entire satis- 

 faction of the celebrated professors of the- 

 ology. Dr. Alexander fierrard, of King's 

 College, and Dr. George Campbell, of Ma- 

 rischal College. Having received ample 

 testimonials from each of them to this effect 

 and submitted his testimonials to the pres- 

 bytery of Nairn, the members of that pres- 

 bytery admitted him in April 1776 on the 

 probationary trials prescribed by the Church 

 of Scotland to candidates for the ministry. 

 Having undergone these trials to their en- 

 tire satisfaction, he was on the 2nd day of 

 September, 1770, licensed by that presby- 

 tery to preach the gospel. When he had 

 completed the education of the sons of Mr. 

 M'Aulay, he was employed in a similar 

 capacity in the family of Mr. Forbes, of 

 Schivas, in the county of Aberdeen, through 

 the recommendation of the late Rev. Dr. 

 Macleod, principal of King's College. 



Finding that he had no prospect of 

 speedy preferment in the Church of Scot- 

 land, and having received an invitation 

 from his friend and former fellow-student, 

 the Rev. Dr. Macleod, then curate of St. 

 George's, Middlesex, now rector of St. 

 Anne's, Soho, to pass some mouths in 

 London, he arrived in the metropolis in the 

 spring of the year 1781. Soon after his 

 arrival, he was engaged by the Rev. Wil- 

 liam Smith, minister of Silver-street cha- 

 pel, in the City, to preach for bira occa- 

 sionally, and to assist him in conducting 

 his respectable academy at Camberwell. 



Having thus become known as a preacher, 

 he received, on tlie resignation of the late 

 Rev. Dr. James Fordyce, an invitation from 

 the congi'egation of this place to succeed 

 that celebrated preacher. On the 21st of 

 May, in the year 1783, he was ordained 

 pastor of this christian society ; and 1 re- 

 flect with pleasure, that I had the honour 

 of beivring a part in the religious service of 

 that day ; the other persons concerned be- 

 ing Dr. Fordyce, Dr. Hunter, Dr. Kippis, 

 and Mr. Worthiugton. 



It required a vigorous mind like his own, 

 to undertake the charge devolved upon him 

 by this congregation, considering that he 

 was to succeed a minister, who had been, 

 for many years, the most popular preacher 

 in London. How wise the choice on the 

 part of the society, and how fit our friend 

 was for occupying the station to which he 

 was advanced, the event has sufficiently- 

 shown. The charge which he received 

 fi-om his predecessor ou the day of his or- 

 dination. 



