FORDYCE, James, a Scotch divine, justly esteemed for his piety and ingenuity, as well as for his pulpit eloquence, was born at Aberdeen in the year 1720. He received his classical education at the public grammar school, and went afterwards to the Marischal college, where he went through the usual course of studies necessary for a minister of the gospel. His natural abilities were excellent, and he improved to the utmost the favourable opportunities he enjoyed at the university, which made him be considered as well qualified for a preacher of the gospel at an early period of life. His first appointment was that of second minister in the church of Brechin in the county of Angus, after which he accepted of a call to Alloa near Stirling. The people of that parish were prepossessed in favour of another, and prejudiced against Mr Fordyce, which could not fail to be a most unpleasant circumstance; yet by his impressive delivery, and indefatigable attention to every part of his ministerial duty, he soon changed their prejudice into esteem, and their esteem into admiration.
During his residence at Alloa, he drew on him the notice of the public by three excellent sermons; the first on the eloquence of the pulpit, the second on the method of promoting edification by public institutions, and
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the third on the delusive and bloody spirit of popery, preached before the synod of Perth and Stirling. But still greater wonder and astonishment were excited by his inimitable sermon on the folly, infamy, and misery of unlawful pleasure, preached before the general assembly of the church of Scotland in 1760. It contains such masterly composition with respect to description, spirit, and elegance, and was delivered with such uncommon solemnity, animation, and pathos, that it filled his learned fathers and brethren with astonishment, and justly raised him to unrivalled eminence among his clerical contemporaries. About this time he was complimented with a degree of doctor in divinity by the university of Glasgow, probably on account of the fame he acquired by this extraordinary sermon.
The friends of Dr Fordyce being mostly in London, he was invited to that metropolis to be the colleague of Dr Lawrence, minister of a respectable congregation in Monkwell-street, on whose death, which happened a few months after, Dr Fordyce became once more famous for his pulpit eloquence, always preaching to overflowing audiences. This popularity he justly deserved, whether with respect to the elegance of his compositions, or their happy tendency to impress the heart with the love of virtue and religion. Yet even Dr Fordyce lived to see his popularity on the decline; for such as attend a place of worship from mere motives of curiosity must have fickle and unstable minds, changing their preachers as they do their dress, loving to be where others are, of doing what others do, and of admiring what others admire, for they have no taste of their own.
His pews were thinned from another cause, which was the failure of a younger brother, an extensive banker, which ruined many of the doctor's constant hearers and most liberal supporters. Although the doctor could not be reasonably blamed for the failure of his brother, yet it is certain that it brought a degree of odium on the whole family. Another cause of the diminution of his hearers was an unhappy difference between him and Mr Toller his colleague, which happened in the year 1755, and which ended in a division of the congregation, many respectable families following Mr Toller to another place of worship. Soon after this he declined officiating as a minister, the impaired state of his health rendering such a step necessary. The best specimen of pulpit eloquence which perhaps ever came from his pen, was delivered at the ordina-
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tion of his successor Mr James Lindsay, and highly meriting the attentive perusal of every clergyman. The remainder of his valuable life he spent chiefly at a retirement in Hampshire in the vicinity of the earl of Bute, with whom he lived in the greatest intimacy, and to whose valuable library he had unlimited access. He afterwards went to Bath, where he suffered much from an asthmatic affection, but bore it with the heroic fortitude of a Christian, and expired without a groan on the first of October 1796, in the 76th year of his age.
The doctor's writings discover much genius and imagination, a correct taste, extensive knowledge of the world, and a happy method of engaging the attention; full of ardent piety, and a zeal for the interests of genuine virtue. His religious sentiments were manly and rational; in private life he was highly amiable, and deservedly beloved by all who knew him. He was author of Sermons to Young Women, in two volumes 12mo, which have been translated into several European languages; A Sermon on the Character and Conduct of the Female Sex; Addresses to Young Men, in two volumes 12mo; Addresses to the Deity; A volume of Poems; A discourse on Pain, and Additions to his brother's Temple of Virtue.