THE Emperial Magazine; OR, COMPENDIUM OF RELIGIOUS, MORAL, & PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE. JAN. "THE TORCH OF LITERATURE ILLUMINATES THE PATHS OF WISDOM." MEMOIR OF THE REV. JAMES KIDD, D. D. &c. (With a Portrait.) AMONG the public characters which present themselves to the notice of the biographer, the pious divine occupies the foremost rank. To him, the events, the incidents, and the revolutions which the world calls magnificent and glorious, are only objects of inferior consideration. He views them as fluctuating in their nature, limited in their extent, and transitory in their duration. He therefore mounts above their influence, penetrates futurity, mixes with spiritual agents, and holds communion with God. In his boundless excursions of thought, he ranges through the empires of intellect and morals, explores the latent motive in its dark recess, traces its influence in the production of overt action, and, connecting effects with their proximate and distant causes, learns to estimate the importance of those consequences, which, in all their greatness, can only be perceived by the light that beams from revelation on the realities of eternity. Illuminated by the inspired volume, he passes the bridge which it throws across the gulf of death; and, leaving the mutations of time, expatiates in the regions of immortality. From perceiving simple existence, he proceeds to inquire into its mode, and finds it connected with everlasting happiness or misery. In his development of moral principle, he discovers a path by which he ascends to the divine perfections, and, combining earth and heaven together, he beholds man in an immediate connexion with the justice and mercy of God. Awed into reverence at the discoveries he has made, he learns also, from the inspired volume, how God is accessible to man; and it is the business of his life to direct sinners to the throne of mercy, through the Saviour whom the scripture reveals. Traversing these ample and inte85.-VOL. VIII. [1826. resting fields of knowledge, many individuals have acquired much honourable distinction in the Christian church; and, embalmed in the writings with which they have enriched the world, their names will descend to posterity with undiminished lustre. Many others are still pursuing the same glorious career, and in due time they will reap the harvest of all their toil. But among the divines of the present day, few have been more indefatigable in their researches, or have prosecuted their inquiries with a greater degree of spirit and acuteness, than the subject of this memoir, of whom we now proceed to give some brief account. The REV. JAMES KIDD was born near Loughbrickland, in the county of Down, Ireland, on the 6th day of Nov. 1754. His parentswere of humble situation in life, yet highly respectable in their station: Soon after Mr. Kidd's birth, he had the misfortune to lose his father;-and his mother, who was left with three sous, of whom he was the youngest, removed to her native place, Broughshane, in the county of Antrim. Here he received the first rudiments of his education, from the careful attention of his mother, and of an uncle who was considerably better informed than most country farmers at that period. From the first leaf of the Shorter Catechism, agreed upon by the assembly of divines at Westminster, and appointed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, he was taught the alphabet; and after spelling and reading each question in rotation, he committed the whole to memory. Thus was he grounded, in the early years of childhood, in the doctrines of that church of which he was destined to become so distinguished a member. His memory, too, was cultivated by exercise, at a period when that faculty is rarely called into action; and to this circumstance may be mainly attributed those wonderfully retentive powers which supply at will, to his 4 B capacious mind, the rich stores of ancient and modern literature. Having now mastered his theological horn-book, his mother provided him with a copy of the New Testament, and carefully superintended his perusal of that sacred volume. Commencing with the Gospel of St. John, the pious matron caused him daily to commit to memory the passage he had just read; but what he experienced most useful in after-life, from her instructions, was, the particular manner in which she pointed out Jesus Christ, in every place where his name was mentioned, uniformly inquiring of her pupil, "Who Christ was? What he did? What he said?"-shewing how mysterious he was as God and man, and how graciously and powerfully he exhibited himself, in all his parables and miracles. This was real instruction; and it laid a foundation on which her pupil has since raised an immortal superstructure. Under such instructions, his mind caught a flame of love for the New Testament. He reposed with it under his pillow at night. It was his last care when going to sleep, and his first when he awoke. He could now repeat many chapters and psalms. His mind expanded in the knowledge of the scriptures, and his memory became retentive of their truths. As he began to feel the force of the pulpit ministrations in the Presbyterian place of worship, of which his mother was a member, the good woman regularly required his repetition of the passages of scripture from which the clergyman preached, the various collateral texts that were referred to, and the heads of every sermon that he heard. When about eight years of age, he went to the meeting-house of Broughshane, on a communion-sabbath. The assembly being more crowded than usual, he did not find admission into a pew; but as the sacramental seats were to remain unoccupied until the commencement of the communion service, he was permitted to sit on one of the benches, in full view of the minister, the Rev. Charles Brown. Agreeably to the ancient usage of the Scottish Kirk, it was at that time customary for Presbyterian clergymen to be habited in blue, when dispensing the Lord's Supper. The appearance of the minister in this singular dress, the white covering of the sacramental table, the view of the holy elements, the solemnity of the subject, and the devotion of the people, made an indelible impression on his young mind; and he has been frequently heard to declare, that, on that day, and in that place, he formed the resolution of using every endeavour to become qualified for being a preacher of the gospel of Christ. But to defeat this intention, many difficulties presented themselves. The first and most serious, was pecuniary disability. Mrs. Kidd, having his two brothers to provide for, was not in circumstances to afford her aspiring boy what he so ardently desired. Struggling with these obstacles, he borrowed a copy of Wittenhall's Latin grammar, and began repeating lessons to a young man named James Ritchie, a pupil of Mr. Linton, the ablest teacher in the county. Ritchie, who was accounted the best Latin scholar then attending the school, became exceedingly attached to the young tyro, and assiduously laboured to promote his improvement. It was now that the embryo Professor of languages set to work in earnest. The intensity of his application so absorbed every thought, that his mind was both night and day upon the stretch. He never arose from his humble pallet, but his task was uppermost in his thoughts. He awoke frequently in the silence of night, and lighting what in the country is called a split, looked at the passage in which he found himself deficient; and, having mastered the difficulty, consigned himself again to the arms of sleep. At the tender age of nine, he accustomed himself to rise by the first glimpse of dawn, and since that time, to the present day, he has continued to inculcate and practise early rising. In this manner he had continued to pursue his Latin studies through the grammar, vocabulary, Corderius, and Justin, when death deprived him of Ritchie,-his friend and benefactor. New difficulties now presented themselves. Many lamented Ritchie, suddenly cut off from the fairest worldly prospects, and many sympathized with his young protegee. The one was lamented for his removal from life; the other for the loss of his affectionate teacher. So much, however, had the industry and perseverance of our young scholar attracted general notice, that Mr. Allan, a neighbouring farmer, offered to place him for six months at the school which his deceased friend Ritchie had attended. A son and a nephew of the Rev. Mr. Brown, already mentioned, were here his fellow-students; and though they were considerably farther advanced in their studies, he was soon enabled, by the assistance they voluntarily gave, to join readily in the exercises of the class. The study of English grammar was, at that period, little attended to in country schools, and this our young teacher soon discovered to be a great desideratum His knowledge of the Latin grammar had given him at best but an imperfect view of the subject; and though he understood it in theory, he found great difficulty in reducing his knowledge to practice. Having communicated his embarrassment to the Rev. Henry McNiel, of the Cameronian persuasion, that gentleman kindly undertook his tuition, at such hours as he was unoccupied in school, and accompanied his instructions with many salutary advices and wholesome warnings for his conduct in after life. By extreme parsimony having succeeded in accumulating a small sum of money from the proceeds of his school, be repaired to Belfast, for the purpose of studying under Mr. Mason, the most popular teacher of English in the north of Ireland, Feeling daily the importance of knowledge, and stimulated by the approbation of his teacher, and the good-will of his school-fellows, he began now to entertain hopes of his original design. He was still farther induced to look forward to the object of all his wishes, from the circumstance of Mr. Bankhead, a neighbouring clergyman, who had been lately ordained, having surmounted many difficulties, in prosecuting the various branches of a liberal education; and hope gladdened his breast, when reflecting that it might be possible for him to accomplish a similar achievement. He now began to rival those who had formerly assisted him. It gave him no uneasi-him on the great road between Balleyness that they were better dressed than be, but his young heart was like to break if they excelled him in preparing his daily tasks. While thus making rapid progress in the study of Latin, writing and arithmetic were not neglected; and when he left school, scarcely ten years of age, he was so well grounded in these departments, that, with the assistance of such class-books as he could procure in loan, he was able to commence bis own instructor. Having for several years assiduously struggled "to climb the steep where Fame's proud temple shines afar," many speculations of castlebuilding engrossed his attention; but these were uniformly subservient to the one great aim he had in view. As a step towards its accomplishment, he formed the intention of becoming a teacher of youth; and though his age was yet tender, and his knowledge of the world extremely limited, no other employment suggested itself, that appeared so likely to correspond with his intentions. He accordingly opened a school at Elginy, an adjacent farm-town, where his success exceeded bis best expectations. Having acquired a competent knowledge of teaching, and obtained from Mr. M. the most flattering testimonials of abilities, he repaired to Kildowne, where a school-house was erected for money and Ballymena, about 20 miles from Belfast. Here he laboured for about four years, with the most persevering activity. During this period an intimacy was established between Mr. Kidd and the family of Mr. Robert Boyd, a respectable farmer at Carnlea, near Ballymena, which ended in his marriage with Miss Jane Boyd, Mr. Boyd's second daughter. Britain having now acknowledged the independence of her late colonies in America, Mr. Kidd formed the resolution of emigrating to that interesting country, in the hope of being able to push his fortune. Having accumulated some little capital by persevering industry, he accordingly embarked for Philadelphia, with Mrs. Kidd, in April, 1784, on board the "Irish Volunteer," from Larne, in the north of Ireland. He carried with him not a single letter of introduction, and ou his arrival, after a passage of nine weeks, he had no friend to bid him welcome. Having been recommended to lodgings by Capt. Baird, of the Volunteer, his first inquiry was concerning the probability of succeeding as a teacher of youth; and being recommended to his countryman, Mr. James Little, a schoolmaster in the neighbourhood, he waited on that gentleman, and communicated to him his situation and intentions. There was something providential in this meeting; Mr. Little, who was considerably advanced in life, was a man of genuine piety, and of consummate prudence and knowledge of the world. His sympathy for a stranger, his compassion for youthful inexperience, and his partiality for a fellow-countryman, conspired to excite his benevolence and humanity. and was elected to the situation. Having continued to act in this capacity for some length of time, he was enrolled a student in the university, where he went regularly through the course of the classics, natural and moral philosophy, with civil history and mathematics. During his academical career, he became acquainted with Mr. Young, an eminent printer, and was, by this gentleman, employed in the capacity of corrector for the press. In this situation, to the duties of which he devoted every moment of On Mr. Little's recommendation, leisure he could spare from his other Mr. Kidd undertook the tuition of a avocations, he had access to Legoneer's family near Egg Harbour, New Jersey, Printer's Grammar, and in this work he where he removed with Mrs. Kidd; first saw the Hebrew alphabet. In a but hearing, soon after, of a preferable very short time he became perfectly. situation in Maryland, he became pre-master of the letters and points, and ceptor in the family of Nathaniel Ew-placed himself under the tuition of a ing, Esq. brother to the provost of the College of Pennsylvania. This migratory life but ill agreed with his early resolution of becoming qualified for a preacher of Christ's gospel, and he hailed with pleasure, an invitation from his friend Little to settle in Philadelphia, and take part with him in the labour of conducting his school. A mutual intimacy was soon established between Mr. Little and his assistant;-esteem was succeeded by regard;-regard by confidence; and confidence by friendship, which continued through life; not merely without diminution, but with perpetual accessions of affection. Death has, some years since, broken the link that connected them in this world, but the survivor has the remembrance of the past to console him, and the expectation of that future life, in which he hopes to rejoin him, and which, by this very hope, presents a new motive to his own virtues. By his friend's persuasion, Mr. Kidd was some time afterwards induced to open a classical academy. In this undertaking, he was particularly successful; and several individuals, who have since acted conspicuous parts on the theatre of public life, received the rudiments of their education under his charge. Amongst these was the celebrated Commodore Decatur, between whom and his respected teacher a correspondence continued until the death of the former, in a fatal duel. A vacancy for an usher having occurred in the college of Pennsylvania, Mr. Kidd became a candidate, Portuguese Jew, by whose instructions, and his own intense application, he became familiar with the book of Ge nesis in the course of a few months.: The exorbitant charges of his Jewish teacher, and the expenses consequent on a rising family, reduced Mr. Kidd's finances, at this period, to a very low ebb. With extreme parsimony, lié had accumulated as many dollars as would purchase a suit of clothes, ot which he stood very much in want but he had likewise, for some time; cast his eyes wistfully upon a Hebrew bible, in the shop of a Dutch book> seller, to obtain which, was to him an object of extreme solicitude. He had repeatedly called, on put pose to see the much-wished-for trea sure; and oftentimes, in passing, he looked at it through the window. While going in quest of the new suit, he went near the book-shop. The. bible caught his eye,-and that glance was sufficient. The cash was in hand,. and his heart greedy for the longcoveted object. The Dutchman was loud in his encomiums on the excellence of the type and the edition.. It was enough. Our young Hebraist threw down the money destined for another purpose, and carrying off his prize in triumph, began again, with humility and resignation, to accumulate, by private teaching and correcting the press, the sum requisite to replace, by new ones, his threadbare garments. He now occasionally attended a Jewish synagogue, every Friday evening, where he learned to read Hebrew fluently; and became intimately acquainted with the peculiarities of the language, and the Jewish ceremonials. Oriental languages became his favourite study, and two designs occupied all his thoughts-namely, travelling in the East, or studying divinity in Scotland, under the famous John Brown, of Haddington, the Burgar Professor of Theology. He was induced to abandon the former project, by his intimate friend, the celebrated Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia. "Methinks," said the Doctor, when conversing on this subject; "Methinks I see you, after you have made the tour of Asia, return to America, and lecturing to empty benches. Study men and things!" This was certainly, in Mr. Kidd's circumstances, a shrewd and seasonable reproof; but neither raillery nor remonstrance could induce him to give up his long-cherished wish for the ministry of Christ. At length, with Dr. Rush's sanction, though scarcely with his approbation, Mr. Kidd embarked for Scotland, carrying with him letters of introduction to many of the most celebrated literary characters in Edinburgh, with whom Dr. R. had been acquainted, when a student of medicine in that city. By the advice of these gentlemen, he, a second time, commenced a course of academical study, under Dr. John Hill, Professor of Humanity; Mr. Dalziel, Professor of Greek; and Mr. Dugald Stewart, Professor of Moral Philosophy. By Professor Hill, with whom he was an especial favourite, he was introduced to Dr. Erskine, of Carnock, to whose good offices he was subsequently deeply indebted. After studying chemistry under Dr. Black, and anatomy under Dr. Monro, he was enrolled a student of divinity of the established church of Scotland,-Professor Brown, of Haddington, having died during Mr. K.'s voyage from America. While attending the various duties at college, Mr. Kidd opened classes under the immediate patronage of the celebrated Rabbi Robertson, as a teacher of Oriental literature. His success in this undertaking was so eminent, that when the professorship of Oriental languages in the Marischal College and University of Aberdeen, became vacant by the death of Dr. Donaldson; Drs. Hill and Erskine, Mr. Anderson of St. Germain's, and many other distinguished individuals, recommended Mr. Kidd to the patron, Sir Alexander Ramsay, of Balmain, bart., as a gentleman amply qualified to fill the chair. After much personal intercourse with Mr. Kidd, Sir Alexander not only readily acceded to the recommendation, but proffered his thanks to those who had been instrumental in bringing under his notice this poor but deserving stranger. All thoughts of returning to America being now necessarily abandoned, Mr. Kidd wrote for his wife and family, and proceeded to Aberdeen in October, 1793. At the commencement of the college-session, he began the duties of his office, and he has since conducted this department with distinguished honour to himself, and advantage to the numerous ministers of the gospel of Christ, who have studied the original of the sacred scriptures under his care. By his instrumentality, the knowledge and study of Hebrew have been revived in the north of Scotland, where this language had been comparatively dormant for a great lapse of years. Although he had studied divinity for two successive sessions in the university of Edinburgh, he was so anxious to perfect himself for the duties of the ministry, that he attended four successive courses at the Theological Halls of King's and Marischal colleges,-in the former, under Dr. Gerard; and in the latter, under Dr. Campbell. At the end of this period, he presented himself before the very rev. the Presbytery of Aberdeen; and being found amply qualified for a preacher of the gospel, he was, by them, licensed accordingly. He was, shortly afterwards, appointed evening lecturer in the Trinity Chapel, which had been lately erected; and in this situation he continued for five years. In the beginning of the present century, the Gilcomston Chapel of Ease, in the immediate neighbourhood of Aberdeen, becoming vacant, Professor Kidd presented himself as a candidate; and the patronage being vested in those who had subscribed one guinea to the funds of the chapel, he was elected minister by a large majority. He has now preached in this chapel for 25 years, to perhaps the most numerous congregation in Scotland. |