£04 Original Notices of Eminent Charatters.---Dr. MeCaufland. [ Novs 
aftet removed, and by a kind Providence was 
continued in that important ftation till the time 
of his death. Mr. W. though moft cordially 
invited to fucceed him in the office of preacher 
and paftor to that fociety, yet entered on his 
work with confiderable apprehenfion and diffi- 
dence, both on account of divifions which had 
formerly fubfifted in that large congregation, and 
alfo from the diftinguifhed talents and eminence 
of his predeceffor. But the encouragement he 
received, the union and harmony of his people, 
the increafe rather than diminution of his audi-- 
tory, the affection with which they always 
treated him through a period of almoft fifty-fix 
years, and the many reafons he had to believe 
that his labours were inftrumental in the hand 
of God in promoting ferious, vital, practical re- 
ligion—all concurred in their teftimony, that 
this was the place marked out by Providence as 
the fcene of his labour, and the {phere of his 
ufefulnefs. 
During this extenfive number of years, he 
was twice afflifted with fuch alarming indifpo- 
‘fitions, as threatened the entire extinction of » 
both his fervices and life. The former of thefe 
happened in 174.6, when-he preached but once 
m feven months; and the latter in 1770, when 
he was laid afide from the duties of the pulpit 
nineteen fabbaths. In the long period of fifty= 
four years, however, he regularly preached an 
annual fermon on Chriftmas-day, addyeffed to 
the juvenile part of his congregation. With 
thefe exceptions, few men were ever bleffed 
“with a greater fhare of health, or lefs interrupt- 
ed, in the fervices of half a century; although 
his conftitution was never robuft, and he was 
obliged to obferve a ftri€t regimen, by abftainmg 
from animal food, and from every other liquor 
than water.—During this extenfive period, he 
* never had an affiftant till the year 1793, when 
he had entered on his eighty -fecond” year. 
About thirteen months prior to his deceafe, 
his eye-fight greatly failing, he was obliged to 
Jay afide preaching; but every other paitoral 
- function he ftill difcharged, with an affiduity and 
-faithfulnefs which may have been equaled, but 
probably were never exceeded. He was in his 
pulpit the fabbath before he died, and v.fited 
and prayed with fome of his people on the very 
day in which his laft fhort illnefs commenced. 
Thus was he favoured with the privilege he had 
jong moft humbly but earneftly defired, of life 
and fervice clofing together. He departed, as 
he had lived—a CHRISTIAN. 
His publications, as an author, were not nu- 
merous, but well received by the public. They 
confift of a Funeral ‘Difcourfe for the Rev. Mr. 
Dawfon of Hinckley ; three Charges to young 
Minifters; an Affe€tionate Addrefs to his 
Countrymen during what is called t4e Seven 
Years War; anda volume of Sermons, fome 
on critical, but moft of them on plain and 
pra&tical fubjeéts. It is intended in a few 
months to publifh another volume of Difcourfes 
with a particular reference to the improvement © 
of the young, and the edification of families, 
Such was his diligence, that the numberof fer- 
_ years old. 
mons compofed and fairly written by his own 
hand, including many which were never deli- | 
vered, amounts to about three thoufand. Whil 
his fight was perfeét, there.was no book of 
importance, whetler theological, hiftorical, or 
political, which he did not perufe; and fre= 
quently with a pen in his hand, for the purpofe 
of making marginal notes, or of tranfcribing 
the moft interefting fentiments into his com- 
mon-place-book. His: fons *, and afterwards 
his grandfons, he educated himfelf with un- — 
wearied affiduity. The knowledge he had ac. 
quired in early: life of the ancient languages, 
and efpecially the Hebrew, he never (like i 
many of his brethren, both in the church and — 
among the diffenters) afterwards fuffered to de- 
cline. With all this bufinefs, perfonal and do-= 
mettic, he carried-on a moft extenfive corref- 
pondence with the greateft readinefs and punce 
tuality +, and fill found leifure for daily exey- 
cife, and vifiting his peaple. Sbtould it be 
afked, how he gained time for executing fuch 
various plans? the an{wer is as fimple as it is 
true—by very early rifing, and tenacioufly ad-— 
hering to method. ; 
It may be hoped, that by-the recollection of © 
his inftru€tions and examp’e, as wellas by the 
perufal of his publications---though dead, he yet 
feecketh. An active mind, indefatigable ing 
quiry after truth, fentiments equally diftant 
from enthufiafm and {cepticifm, a piety rational - 
and {ub!ime, uncommon prudence in words 
and actions, and an unceafing attention to the 
improvement and comfort of every member of 
his flock, were diftinguifhed and indubitable_ 
qualities in the character of this veteran preacher. 
Art Carlifle; the sth of OGtober, RoBerT 
M‘Caustanp, M.D. defcended in the mater- 
nal line from one of the moft ancient and 
refpectable families in Jreland; he had the 
misfortune to lofe his father before he was ten 
His mother, one of the beft of 
parents and moft excelient of women, after 
‘the death of her hufband (for fhe benefited 
little by the wealth of her family) fettledan 
the North of England, refolving, in retires 
ment and forrow, to devote her life to the 
education and f{upport of this her only child. 
After beftowing upon him the beft grammar 
education the neighbourhood: of her refidence. 
afforded, fhe placed. her fon with an eminent 
furgeon and apothecary, in Wigton, in Cum-~- 
berland. After he had paffed the time ufually 
{pent in this introdu€tory procefs, his methets 

* One of his fons, the Rev. Huce WorTEH- 
INGToN,. of Highbury-place, Iflington, is the 
refpeftable paiter of the congregation of Pro- 
teitant Diffenters meeting at Salters-hall, and 
the author of feveral efteemed publications, 
well known to the literary world. © 
+ This correfpondence often extended to 
perfons whom he had xewer feen ; pecan 
to that moft venérable of men the late REV. 
Micayau Towcoop, with whem for gp 
five years ‘he interchanged letters as With 2h 
own brother, . 
“at 
