DR. GUTIIRIE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 22, Issue 277, 22 May 1873, Page 3

DR. GUTIIRIE.

The " Grlasgow Herald " has the following sketch of the deceased gentleman's religious character and professional career : — Our Scottish ecclesiastical lights appear one by one to be dying out. First, Norman Macleod, then William Anderson, and now Thomas Gruthrie, all within a year, have gone to the silent land. They were, perhaps, the threo men in all Scotland best known and most widely beloved. On the whole, too, they had more of geniality — amounting almost to what we call genius — than any other prominent Scotchmen of our time. And now wo shall see them no more among us, nor hear their voices, welcome alike on platform, or in pulpit, or at home. It is impossible not to compare these three representatives of our three great Presbyterian communities, who were, each of them in his own way, the ornaments of their churches, and yet none of them was accepted by his church as its typical minister. The Established Church was proud of Macleod, and nearly tried him for heresy. The United Presbyterian Church boasted of Anderson, and did actually try him for heresy, or something like it. And the Free Church made as much capital out of Outline's genius, yet it watched his movements with considerable distrust. It looks almost as if churches nowadays were given over to mediocrity, and no clergyman was safe who departed in any measure from i*espectable commonplace. Not one of these men had the slightest heretical taint. Indeed, none of them could be properly called a theologian at all, being mainly concerned with the practical aspects of religiou. But being men of genius, they all created an uneasy feeling, as persons who could not be counted on, ard who might any day run off the rails. They had all of them a great hold on the hearts of the people, But, though their speeches were heard with enthusiasm, they were not much behiud tho scenes ; they were good for getting huzzas, but not for pulling the strings. And now they have gone, almost together, beyond these noisy voices, where there is peace. Of the three, Macleod had the most massive intellect, Anderson the keenest and bravest mind, while Guthrie was the most perfect artist ; but all were genuine men, full of humor, beuevolence, and genial piety, and as far as possiblo from Mr. Buckle's idea of a sour Calviuiatic divine. Dr. Gruthrie was born in Brechin, in ISO 3, of a respectable stock of burghers there, who had for several generations been bankers, brewers, bailies, and provosts under the old round tower, so puzzling to antiquaries The Doctor himself, being for a season an unacceptable " probationer " vainly look-ing for a " call " or a presentation, took a stool, we believe, in his father's bank at ono time, though we doubt if he waa evor so apt at the figures of arithmetic as he was at the figures of speech. He studied at Edinburgh University, but probably cut no very striking figure among its alumni, as ho never made any pretence to the special learning of the schools. Subsequently he walked the hospitals in Paris, very likely being still rather uncertain whether he should take to curing souls or bodies. At first, his preaching does not seem to have taken with tho people. Not that it was then different from what it afterwards becaino when high and low hung upon hia lips, and old Harry Cockburn went, as lie said, " to get a good greet " in St. John's. For there are no signs of special growth or change in his teaching. His art as a speaker was, of course, perfected by careful cultivation. But he was not like Chalmers, a man who passed through a great spiritual revolution after his ministry had begun; nor, like Campbell or Irving, did his views of theology materially alter their character vturinsr his whole life. The backbone of his teaching was always the familiar doctrine of the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, with the very slight omissions and modifications which were natural to a man of his benvolence. For a while, we believe he was not a popular preacher ; but he never faltered in maintaining the rights of the people in the choice of their minister. His first charge was at Arbirlot, in Forfarshire, where he did good work — work so good that the Arbirlot folk soon felt they could not keep him long. In ISO 3, therefore, he went to Edinburgh, as colleague to the late Mr. Syme, in Greyfriars' Church. But its pews being soon filled to overflowing, a new church was built for him, and named St. John's, not far from the Grassmarket, the scene of so many martydoms fondly remembered by him in many a passionate discourse. It was here he came to be recognised gradually as one of the greatest preachers of his age. Deeper thinkers there were in the various pulpits in Edinburgh and elsewhere ; but there has been no ono. in these latter days, who united in himself so largely all the elements of a grand pulpit, orator — a tall and stately form, a striking faoe, whose every feature lent itself to express each changeful emotion ; a voice singularly rich, and mellow, and flexible, that sounded like a trumpet, or trembled in the pathos of his pleading ; and, added to all these, a vigorous common-sense and sufficient imagination to fringe bis thoughts with eloquent fancies, and sometimes even thoroughly to inter-

penetrate them and make them glow and burn. Yet, great as his preaching power was, his platform appearances were still more wonderful. In the pulpit one-half of his rich nature -was necessarily restrained. He could be pathetic there, but not humorous, though we did once hear him begin a sermon by saying that God, on one occasion, used an. Asa to preach to a sinner, but that ho was not in the way of using asses when he could get better instruments. This tine faculty, however, which he possessed in rare abundance, though kept down in the pulpit, was all the more freely indulged on the platform, and alternating with pathos, like light and shadow, it stirred his audience to tears and laughter at his will. Now and then it was used more effectively than wisely, as when, in the old Disruption clays, he likened the Established Church to one's dead mother, still very dear, no doubt, but the more one lo\ed her all the more he was anxious to bury her out of sight ! But it was rarely that he let himself be carried beyond bounds by his humorous fancy, for essentially he was a man brimful of pity ; and great as his fame as an orator was, it was specially as an energetic laborer in the field of benevolence that he came to be a power in the land. His advocacy of ragged schools, invented by John Pounds, but popularised and raised into a national characteristic by Guthrie, was a great publio service, worthy of the highest honours a nation has to bestow. AYe are not snre that he was wise in ininsisting on an arrangement which created a schism among the philanthropic supporters of those institutions in their infancy ; but no one can doubt the genuine enthusiasm that impelled him to engage in this work or the splendid results which followed The " City Arab " has almost gone from our streets, and to Guthrio it is largely owing that he has a chaneo of growing up into a respectable citizen. It was in connection with this work that he mado his first appearance as an author. But though he has published since theu various successful volumes of sermons, he will not probably retain any abiding place in our literature. The theologian will not often consult his gospel in Ezekiel ; nor will the general reader long care for a form of religious thought which is rapidly passing away. Indeed, the better orator a man is th> 10.-^s should he venture into print. Things meant to be spoken are seldom good to read. And |in his case in particular one misses the kindling look, the rich tone. and the sweep of the impressive hand, not to speak of the frequent — perhaps too frequent handkerchief and tears. As editor of tho " Sunday Magazine," he had the courage to introduce a new style of Sabbath reading, and it speaks well for tho freedom and breadth of his spirit that he did this, and persisted in it oven when some good people gloomed darkly at him and hia periodical together. But ho has hardly gained a lasting place in letters. A great orator ho was — ono of the greatest we evjr heard speak, able to sway a multitude by its highest passions, if not always to persuade its reasons} ; a man, too liberal and charitable ; and there are few forms thai will be more misled in Edinburgh streets and Assemblies, and in many other places besides, than the long, lank figure and flowing hair and shrewdly humorous countenance of Thomas Guthrie.