Irving, Edward, "the great London preacher, and pmtiK tcr of a strange fanaticism, whose name thirty years ago was in c-'er>-body's mouth, and whose career, so strange, grotesque, solemn, and finally so sad, was the theme of the sneers of the thoughtless and of the wonder of the thoughtful," was born Aug. 15, 1792, at Annan, county of Dumfries, Scotland, where his father was a tanner. He was piously brought up, having been early destined by his ambitious parents for the ministry. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh, and shortly after graduation (1805) was appointed to super- intend the mathematical school at Haddington, whence he removed in 1812 to Kirkcaldy to assume the duties of a similar but more eligible position. About this time lie also began his theological studies, and, in accordance with the usage of liis alma mater, he entered as one of her students of tlieology. After a stay of about seven years, having completed the probation reciuired by the Church of Scotland, he attained, by action of the Pres- bytery of Annan, to "the ambiguous position of a li- censed preacher and candidate— a layman in fact, though often recognised as a clergyman by courtesy; and he only waited an opportunity to escape from his present occupation to that for which he had been formally des- ignated." But not finding an opening immediately, and tirod of the occupation of teaching, he reoomnienced Btudy at Edinburgh, devoting most of his time to tlie
writings of Bacon, Hooker, and Jeremy Taylor. At last there came an invitation to preach in the hearing of the celebrated Dr. Chalmers, who was desirous of procuring for himself an assistant in the great parish of St. John's, Glasgow ; and shortly after Irving was cho- sen for this position, and so enabled to begin " in earn- est the great life-work for which he had been prepar- ing, and which he had anticipated with most painful longings. A parish of 10,000 souls, mostly the families of poor artisans and laborers, composed the pastorate of St. John's, Glasgow, and Irving at once entered on its varied duties with all his energies." But as his associ- ation in this parish with Dr. Chalmers only afforded him an inferior place, he soon grew dissatisfied with the position ; and, his preaching having secured him quite a favorable reputation, he was invited to the great Eng- lish metropolis as minister of the Caledonian Church, a kirk of Scotland in Cross Street, Hatton Garden. Early in July, 1822, he began his labors in this little out-of- the-way church, composed of only fifty members, occa- sionally enlarged bj' some stray Scotchmen visiting the great city. In a very few weeks he began to attract large congregations; in three months the applications for seats had risen to 1500 ; at length it became neces- sary to exclude the general public, and to admit only those who were provided with tickets. Statesmen, or- ators, the noble, the wealthy, the fashionable, occupied the seats of the church, and their carriages thronged the adjoining streets. His ability and success as a preacher are thus stated by a writer on " Henry Drum- mond" in the London Quart. Review, October, 18G0, p. 275 : " The preacher's great stature, his bushy black hair hanging down in ringlets, his deep voice, his solemn manner. I he im|)ns>ivenessof his action, his broad Scotch dialect, his aiitinuatcd yet forcible style, all combined to rivet attention, and made j'ou feel that you were in the presence of a power. Nor did his matter belie the im- pression which was thus created. He was bent upon accomplishing the end of the Gospel ministry in saving souls from death ; and at the beginnmg of his course, . before the disturbing influences of his position had done their full work upon him, he preached with great force and effect." The influence which Irving exerted among all classes of society of London was really surpriiing. Such an amount of applause as was awarded to his pul- pit discourses has never fallen to the lot of man since his day, excepting perhaps in the case of Spurgeon. In 1824, a volume containing some of his discourses was sent forth, not as sermons, but under the title of Ora- tions: For the Oracles of God, four Orations; For Judgments to come, an Argument in nine Parts. The author shared the same popular favor as the preacher, and three editions of the book were sold in less than half a year. " Aimless, and without a wide or lasting interest, curiously quaint in style and manner, while the matter generally bears upon the topics of the pass- ing hour, it contains many passages of extraordinary beauty and depth, many an outpouring of lofty devo- tion, and frequent bursts of the most passionate elo- quence" {Encyclop. Britan. xii, 625). But, as the pro- duction of the preacher of the little Hatton Garden chapel, everybody who wished to be up with the times had to read it, and so it soon " became the talk of the town, and was criticised by each according to his posi- tion and temper." The book had many vulnerable points, one of which, not the least perhaps, was the thrust in his introduction against the evident lack of success of the ordinary instructions of the pulpit, charg- ing it all as the result of the defective manner of preach- ing generally prevalent in England at that time. But if this arrayed a number of critics against him, an es- trangement of the great body of contemporary evangel- ical Christians only followed his course of action in 1824. In this year he was called upon, as one of the pulpit celebrities of the great metropolis, to preach before the London Missionary Society. He had long dreamed of a revival of apostolical missions, and to advance " these