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the age of sixteen his father sent him to acquire the lan guages at the Lexington Academy, where he made great proficiency, and in a few years succeeded to the office of principal teacher in that institution, still pursuing a liberal course of study. In 1804 he came under serious religious impressions, and was admitted to the communion in the Associate Reformed Church. From this time he devoted himself to the holy ministry, and with diligence applied himself to those studies. which, in that church, were deemed necessary to prepare for a course in theology. Being, however, under the necessity of teaching, and becoming attached to a young lady, the daughter of the Rev. Adam Rankin, he married her in April, 1805. The cares of a family, and various trying circumstances, from this period, perplexed his mind, and retarded him in his studies.Through uncommon vigour, application, and perseverance, he nevertheless became master of more solid and useful learning than many attain in circumstances the most favourable.

In the fall of 1809, his mind became infected with the New Light heresy, but through grace, and the faithful exertions of an affectionate friend, soon obtained relief; and having sometime previous to this commenced the study of divinity, he went on to the Theological Seminary in the city of New-York, to enjoy the instructions of the Rev. John M. Mason, D. D. There he continued one session, and then returned to Kentucky, where he pursued his studies until April, 1812, when he was licensed to preach by the Associate Reformed Presbytery of Kentucky.

The winter of

he again spent at the TheologiSeminary, his wife having died the preceding fall.

At

this time he was a very popular and impressive preacher, and had an invitation to settle in the state of NewJersey. He however returned to Kentucky, and spent some time in Lexington, and in some vacant congregations in the country, until he received a call from the Presbyterian Congregation in Paris, in 1817. Previous to this he had left the Associate Reformed Church, and joined the Presbytery of West Lexington; and had also married a second time. He laboured in Paris with great success, there being added about ninety to the church in one year. In the midst of this his career of usefulness, he was attacked with the malignant fever then prevalent; and, with that joyful hope which genuine christianity inspires, he departed this life September 10th, 1818, in the 33d year of his age. Few deaths have been more generally and seriously lamented than his; and few, in a ministry of many years, were more successful in turning sinners to the Saviour. His flock and particularly the young, and those just brought into the church by his ministry, appeared to lay near his heart in his last sickness, and for their sakes chiefly he desired his days might be lengthened, but at the same time he submitted to the will of God, and longed to be with Christ. They indeed suffered a severe loss, and will ever cherish in tender remembrance his labours of love for their salvation.

Mr. Wallace was of the middle size, had naturally a good constitution and great muscular activity and strength. His intellectual talents were of the first or

der. His imagination was strong and brilliant, often too ardent for his taste and judgment. His manner in the pulpit was bold and impassioned. His countenance, set with keen black eyes, beamed with intelligence, zeal, and magnanimity, blended alternately with the "fitful play" of christian benevolence, and the flush of holy indignation. His attacks upon Satan's ranks filled them with dismay, and, being a child of affliction, he knew how to pour the balm of consolation into the wounded heart.

No. 11.

SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND LABOURS OF REV. JAMES M'CHORD.—By Rev. JOHN M'FAR

LAND.

THE Rev. James M'Chord was born in Baltimore, 29th March, 1785. In the year 1790 his father removed to Kentucky, and settled in Lexington. At a very early period he was devoted to reading, and whether at school or at home, his mind appeared intent on some book, art, or science. At the age of twelve he was well acquainted with geography, arithmetic, history, the politics of the day, the works of Shakespeare, and the most eminent poets.

He commenced the Latin language about the age of thirteen, in the Lexington Academy, where he gave convincing displays of his superior genius and talents. One of his classmates thus writes: "From his thirteenth year every thing about the Academy, except the instruction and discipline, was managed by him-all our sports, all our preparations for exhibition-the selection of the plays and speeches--the persons by whom they were to be spoken and acted, were all directed by him. Nobody assigned to him that business, and nobody charged him with assuming it, but he was always consulted, and his judgment was generally decitive."

In 1801 he finished his course in the Academy, and entered the Transylvania University. Here he continued about eighteen months, or two years, and then commenced the study of the civil law, with the celebrated Henry Clay. In pursuing this study, conscience, which had been enlightened by religious instruction, gave him much uneasiness, as he frequently had to devote part of the Sabbath to recitation.

In about six months an occurrence took place which brought him to serious inquiry and deep conviction. All the powers of his mind, and all the feelings of his heart, were engaged in the great concern. This was in the spring and summer of 1803, and in the eighteenth year of his age. Eventually he made a profession of religion, quit the study of law, and turned his attention to the gospel ministry.

In September, 1803, he put himself under the care of the Kentucky Presbytery of the Associate Reformed Church, who put him upon reviewing and extending

his literary acquirements, until the September, 1805. He was then sent on to the Theological Seminary established by the Associate Reformed Church in the city of New-York. There he pursued his theological studies under the Rev. John M. Mason, D. D. for nearly four years; and stood foremost for piety, intellectual powers, and solid acquirements. Through his whole course, and indeed through the whole of after life, he was much exercised with respect to his own state and eternal concerns; so that his studies were not merely systematic or theoretical, but pursued under the serious desire of obtaining the knowledge of the Truth for the life and comfort of his own soul before the omniscient God.

Having finished his course at New-York, he returned to Kentucky, married a daughter of D. Logan, esq. and was licensed to preach the gospel, November, 1809. His discourses were generally considered excellent, particularly by those of enlarged and cultivated minds. But having some collision with the Presbytery, and declaiming against preachers having double and treble charges, and against their starvation by the people, he excited powerful opposition; and the purse strings, in the alarm excited, were drawn so closely, that he rode the first year of his probationary state among the vacant congregations, and received but about ten dollars.

Sometime after his licensure he received an invita tion to visit a congregation in Baltimore, whose minis ter had professed an intention to resign; but changing

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