to become one of the ministers of the city, particularly with a view to his being
appointed to the divinity chair in the university, so soon as a vacancy should take
place ; and they were disappointed in their views with regard to him, only by
the voice of the general assembly of the church, which appointed him to St Andrews. Relieved from the duty of teaching others, Mr Rutherford seems now to have devoted himself to the study of divinity under Mr Andrew Ramsay,
whose prelections, it is not improbable, he frequented during the time he acted as a regent in teaching humanity. Theology, indeed, in those days, was conjoined with every part of education. This was particularly the case in the college of Edinburgh, where the principal, every Wednesday, at three o'clock, delivered a lecture upon a theological subject, to the whole of the students, assembled in the common hall. The students were also regularly assembled every
Sunday morning in their several class-rooms, along with their regents, where they were employed in reading the Scriptures ; after which they attended with their regents the public services of religion; returned again to the college, and
gave an analysis of the sermons they had heard, and of the portion of Scripture they had read in the morning. By these means, their biblical knowledge kept pace with their other acquirements, and they were insensibly trained to habits
of seriousness and devotion. In this manner were all our early reformers educated; and though they spent less time in the theological class, properly so called, than is generally done in modern times, judging by the effects that followed their
administrations, as well as by the specimens of their works that yet remain, they were not less qualified for their work, than any of those who have succeeded them. When, or by whom Mr Rutherford was licensed to preach the gospel, has not been recorded; but in the year 1627, he was settled pastor of the parish of Anwoth, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright Anwoth, before the Reformation, had been a dependency on the monastery of St Mary's Isle; but was united quoad sacra to Kirkdale and Kirkmabreck, and the three parishes were under the ministry of one clergyman. In consequence of "this most inconvenient union," the people of Anwoth had sermon only every alternate Sabbath. It was now, however, disjoined from the other parishes, and a place of worship had been newly built for their accommodation; which, though the parish has erected a modern and more elegant church, is still preserved, and regarded, for the sake of the first occupant, the subject of
this memoir, with a kind of religious veneration. The disjunction of the parishes had been principally effected by the exertions of John Gordon of Kenmure, afterwards created viscount Kenmure, who had selected the celebrated Mr
John Livingstone to occupy it. Circumstances, however, prevented that arrangement from taking effect; and "the Lord," says Livingstone in his memoirs, "provided a great deal better for them, for they got that worthy servant of Christ, Mr Samuel Rutherford." Of the manner of his settlement, we know no particulars; only that, by some means or other, he succeeded in being settled without acknowledging the bishops, which was no easy matter at that time. Perhaps no man ever undertook a pastoral charge with a more thorough conviction of its importance than Rutherford; and the way had been so well prepared before him, that he entered upon it with great advantages, and his endeavours were followed by very singular effects. The powerful preaching of Mr John Welsh, aided by his other labours of love, had diffused a spirit of religion through all that district, which was still vigorous, though he had left Kirkcudbright seventeen years before.
Rutherford was accustomed to rise every morning at three o'clock. The early part of ihe day he spent in prayer and meditation; the remainder he devoted to the more public duties of his calling, visiting the sick, catechising his
