His Duration in the Miniftry, and where be laboured; with bis valiant Appearance in contending for the Truth, and the great Lofs fuftained by bis Death.

AT Ecclefmahin firft this Prophet great

Had for a time his minifterial feat. *
At Airth this filver trumpet long did found, †
To folemn feafts conveening thoufands round.
Stirling was blefs'd next, e'er this herald's death,
With twelve years warning of his dying breath.

But how he fhould with zeal proclaim the truth
Seem'd first to be predicted in his youth:
When bloody hands that gave the fatal blow,
Set up the martyrs heads a public fhow;
To their difgrace, whofe glory is their fhame,
But to the fuffering faints their standing name.
AS CHRIST their Lord did on the cross fubdue,
And made of all his foes an open fhew:
So thefe crown'd heads long over men of blood
On fummities of ports triumphing flood.

When martyr'd GUTHRIE ‡, famous and renown'd,
Had thus for many years been highly crown'd;
When, by his head expos'd in open place,
GoD mean'd his honour, devils his difgrace;
Our HAMILTON, infpir'd with early zeal,
Ev'n in his youth, against the gates of hell,
Mounting the port, brought, like a gallant foul,
That bleffed dead down from the dying pole.
Heav'n thus prefaging how in very deed,
He fhould unto the martyr's work fucceed,
And bear his meffage as he bore his head.
Now, (might the martyr fay) no hand but thine
Had ever pow'r to move this head of mine,
From this high poft, to which it was preferr'd;
Thy zeal to fee it decently interr'd,
Makes thee the fittest hand to go and bear
My laft addrefs a-new to Stirling's ear:

}

Six years. Twenty-fix years. Mr. James, minister at Stirling,

There'mong my clofet-papers mould'ring lies
My farewel fermon, bury'd from their eyes,
Heav'n fhall forbid, whoe'er poffeffion have,
All hands but thine, to raife it from the grave.
For that fame hand that buries this my head
Shall be employ'd to raise it from the dead.
But as my head at reft, ere touch'd by thee,
Sleep'd in the Lord; fo thine at reft fhall be,
E'er mine this figur'd refurrection public fee:
Yet thus far rais'd by thee fhall from the prefs,
As from the public pole, its former place,
Stand up again, and witnefs to the following race.
And as thy feet on fellow's fhoulders ftood,
Rifking thy life to make thy purpose good;
So fhall thy feet on necks of brethren ftand,
Till martyr'd truth be refcu'd by thine hand,
And this laft ftep thy life and perils all difband.'
Grant then this honour'd head its honour loft,
When thus brought down from its exalted poft,
Of witnefling as clearly after death,

As e'er it did before with vital breath:
Yea, witneffing as from a pulpit high,
By this long public preaching to the eye:
If Hamilton's brave hand did ought amifs,
This head from labour wholly to difmifs,
Or from its place of honour thus to rend;
Why, then, this bold adventure might portend,
The Martyr's pulpit laft fhould all his labours end.
Fame alfo founded once his fencing art,

So great that few could act the counter-part,
In's younger years; which might perhaps prefage
The nobler wars of his advancing age;

For then, arm'd with the Spirit's fword in hand,
He kept antagonifts at his command.
Nor while he flourish'd, did his nation yield.
A greater champion on the gofpel-field.
Bleft Plenderlieth declar'd his dark eclipfe,
Till conqu'ring light beam'd from his balmy lips.
His captious brethren, captives at his feet,
Gladly confefs'd his vict'ry was complete :
Great Brisbane own'd himself his happy profelyte.

}

}

His arguings drew him, like a mighty chain,
Quite from the legal to the gofpel-ftrain;
So bright, that henceforth he appear'd to all
Molt accurately evangelical.

His doctrine too with wifdom well fupply'd,
With magazines of learning fortify'd.

And henceforth thefe two fouls were no more twain,
But knit with Jonathan and David's chain,

He spent his breath in Hamilton's pure air,
As Hamilton did his at laft in Brisbane's chair.
When'gainst the truth proud church-men were enrag',
He had the honour early to be flag'd;

But when arraign'd before fam'd committees
For purity of doctrine, could with ease
Teach his pretended teachers, and impart
Deep things of grace, furpaffing fhallow art.
His judges, learn'd enough, were forc'd to yield,
And crown their pannel Victor on the field.
Thus in the church, though not in wordly ftate,
This ALEXANDER may be term'd the Great.
He teftifying to his latest years

For Chriftain liberty in choofing feers,
Could never fee the flock of CHRIST opprefs'd,
And in their room nobility carefs'd;

Nor under-rate a pearl was bought fo dear,
To compliment a patron or a peer.
In conflicts very late he was the man
Who for the people's freedoms led the van.
These were among (and mark it, careless age)
The laft contendings of the dying fage.
The words and deeds of this departing faint
Impreffions fuiting with his zeal implant.
He earnestly contended for the faith,
By zealous teftimonies to his death:
By him were witneffes for truth belov'd;
He all their proud oppofers difapprov'd
And did his zeal for Reformation fhew,
By daily prayer for the reforming Few: *
His aptnefs in that caufe to speak and write,
Made him the but of ecclefiaftic fpite.

The ASSOCIATE PRESYTERY, which, in his public prayers, he termed the Reforming Few.

Yet 'gainst his face when furies fierce awoke,
What barking dogs and railing monsters spoke,
Could nor his paffions, nor his fmiles provoke.

When five in feffion male content withdrew,
And courts fuperior countenanc'd the crew,
Into their hands depofiting the helve,
Exauctorating all the other twelve:
His meek, and yet unanswerable plaint
Of this procedure, ftrange and violent;

They have defpos'd me from my facred power
Of government, in this my watching tower;
Yet me they never heard, nor cited to an hour.'
Was he then equal to his worth esteem'd?
Or from reproach and calumny exeem'd?
No, no; hell furies did him hot purfue;
He was the fcorn of an abandon'd crew.
Why with fuch fury, O malignant race!
Do ye to death, the faithful watchmen chace?
Have patience, Gentlemen; have patience, pray;
Behold them flying faft enough away!

See Zion's battlements broke down in hafte;
And temples glorious once, but now laid waste;
Flocks fcatter'd, faithful fhepherds turning rare,
And bleeting lambs left to the foxes care!
The prophets do they live for ever? No!
See worthy Hamiltons, how faft they go!
Look to the north and fouth, the eaft and west,
Where's Cuthbert, Stuart, Webster, Boston blefs'd;
With Mair, M'clarine, Brifbane, and the reft!

Thofe that tormented you before your time

Are quickly moving to another clime.

You need not beat your brains how to lay waste
The zealous clergy; lo! themfelves make hafte
To get into the ark, before the cloud

That gathers thick, pour down a fhow'r of blood.
Well may we fear GoD is intending wars,
When calling home his great Ambassadors.

O Stirling, Stirling! Thou haft been the feat
Of famous martyrs and confeffors great!

Some thou haft fton'd by thy fierce butcherous bive.* Which never fince have had a day to thrive :

The fleshers that ftoned Mr. GUTHRIE.

}

}

And others thou haft kill'd by thy contempt;
And few of them from cruel rage exempt.
How oft would heav'n have gather'd thy poor race
Beneath the fretched wings of glorious grace?
But if thou wouldeft not expect thy fate,
Tby temple left unto thee defolate.

But ftay, is fov'reign mercy's door of hope
Not wholly fhut as yet, but partly ope?

Hafle, hafte, t' improve the light that fhines about,
Ere vengeance blow thy hindmost candie out;
And GoD most high provoked to depart,
Give paftors not according to his heart,
But to thine own, unto thine endlefs fmart.
Hear, hear, the quickening, yet the dying knell
Of grace, ftill fluttering, loath to bid farewell;
Left ftretching vain her pinions o'er the prey,
She quickly clap her wings, and foar away.

In Theologum eximium Dominum ALEXANDRUM HAMILTON, Paftorem nuperrime Strivilingenfem.

DOTIBUS hic quantis, tam parvo carmine dici,

Enituit, nulla conditione poteft.

Lux erit in tenebris, fed eum cum fata tulerunt;
Inde caret regio Scotica luce fua.

CHRISTUS, Evangelii fulgente ardente lucerna,
Arcanus Iesus hac patefecit opes.

Præco facra præter multus dam præftitit arte
Hic ut Evangelii, fic et Evangelicus.
Victor ALEXANDER fuet olim magnus in orbe,
Hic victor pariter magnus in Æde facra.
Regifice adverfos vicit Gladiator amictus

Enfe viri primum, denique at enfe Dɛr.
Indoctos docuit, doctos domutque fuperbos,
Ut verum teneant, falfaque rejiciant.
Qui tulit in terris palmam victoris acuti,
In fuperis victor læta trophæta canit.