DUCHAL. 115 uncle, a venerable and learned man; and he also had the benefit of the instructions of the celebrated Mr. Abernethy of Antrim, from whose example and councils he derived much benefit in his future life. His principles as a dissenter prevented his entering Trinity College, and he therefore went over to Glasgow; he there completed his studies, and took his degree of master of arts. Soon after entering upon the Christian ministry, he was settled with a small congregation at Cambridge, in which situation he con tinued eleven years. He industriously availed himself of the advantages afforded him, and, in the perusal of learned works, laid up that vast stock of knowledge for which he was so eminently distinguished. During his residence at Cambridge, in 1728, he published, in octavo, three sermons, entitled, “The Practice of Religion recommended.” In 1780, he was invited to come to Antrim to succeed his worthy tutor, Mr. Abernethy, who had removed to a con gregation in Dublin. About ten years after, on the decease of that gentleman, he was chosen to succeed him, by the congregation of Wood Street, Dublin, and this situation he accepted. He was now past the meridian of life, and of a weakly state of body, circumstances, which might have induced him to indulge in ease, and abate the unceasing ardour of literary occupation. This temptation however, he resisted; and, notwithstanding the multitude of sermons he had already prepared, having ascertained from his own experience the superior zeal and animation with which a new discourse is delivered, and anxious to promote the spiritual advantage of his people, he composed so many new sermons, as to amount to upwards of seven hundred, in the course of the twenty years which he sur vived. Towards the conclusion of 1752, Mr. Duchal published what may be considered as his principal work, “Presump tive Arguments for the Divine Authority of the Christian Religion, in ten Sermons; to which is added, A Sermon upon God's Moral Government,” octavo. They abound in sound and judicious reasoning, pure principles of morality, and liberality of sentiment. Soon after the appearance of this
