• In 1739, two years before he had completed. his academical studies, Dr Blair took his degree of A. M. The subject of his thesis on that occasion, was, De fundamentis et obligationte Legis Miura•• ; which_gave him an opportunity of displaying the ex tent ot his reading on this important subject, and of exhibiting that virtuous sensibility of heart, and that love of moral truth, which form so striking a feature in his character as a man, and in his instructions as a Christian teacher.
His academical course being completed, he under. went the customary trials. before the presbytery of Edinburgh, and was, on the 21st October 1741, li censed by that venerable body to preach the gospel. His first appearances in the pulpit, though they ex hibit some of the flowery redundances of a youthful style, were so far above mediocrity as to be heard' by the well-educated audiences of the metropolis with surprise and pleasure ; and one sermon, in par ticular, which he delivered to a crowded congrega tion in the West Church, procured him so much de served applause, that the. Earl of Leven, unsolicited; interested himself warmly in his favour, and procured for him a presentation to the church of Colessie, in Fifeshire ; of which parish he was, on the 23d of. September 1742, ordained minister. In this obscure, situation, however, he did not remain more than ten months. His eloquence in the pulpit, joined to the amiable virtues of his private life, had attached to him many friends in his native city, who eagerly watched for an opportunity of spewing their admi, ration of his talents ; and a vacancy having occurred in the Canongate Church of Edinburgh, whicb.was to be supplied by popular clection, he was propoied as a candidate. Although his competitor in the can vas was Mr Robert Walker, a man in high estima tion for his flowery and popular eloquence, who was supported by a powerful and zealous party, yet, with circumstances honourable to his character, he ob tained a decided majority, and was accordingly trans. lated to a situation where a greater field was opened to his talents. In this station he remained with a growing reputation for the period of eleven years, assiduously devoting himself to the duties of his of fice, and carefully attending to every circumstance which might improve his compositions, and render them more worthy of the applause they so liberally received. This laudable industry soon met with the
reward which it merited. His more mature taste easily rejected the youthful ornaments with which his earlier productions were loaded, and his style, whilst it lost nothing of its original warmth and energy, assumed a polished chasteness and propriety that hand of a master. His success as a preacher, indeed, depended almost entirely on the intrinsic merit of his discourses, and owed nothing to the charm of delivery, which so wonderfully em bellishes even moderate talents, and gives such a ficti tious value to the sentiments of a public speaker. Though his manner was serious, his voice was weak and unmusical, and his pronunciation, which was by no means remarkable for its correctness, was marred by a burr, or indistinct articulation of the letter R. Notwithstanding these unfavourable circumstances, however, the superiority of his abilities was univer sally acknowledged, and paved the way to him for higher preferments. In 1754, he received a call from the town council of Edinburgh, and was, on the 11th October, translated from the Canongate to Lady Yester's Church' in the city. Whilst he remained in this charge, the Uni4ersity of St An drew's paid a very flattering, tribute to his talents; by conferring on him the degree of D. D. a lite rary honour which was at that time of some value in Scotland. During this period, too, he found sufficient leisure, from the laborious duties of his pro fession, to turn part of his attention to subjects of general literature, -and, in conjunction with some of the ablest men in the kingdom, to conduct for a short time a periodical work of -great merit, entitled The Edinburgh Review. In this work Dr Blair had an opportunity of sheaving the • extent and accuracy of his critical acumen, by a review of several contempo rary productions, and particularly of Dr Hutcheson's ingenious system of moral philosophy.
A farther advancement was yet in reserve for Dr Blair,—the highest and most honourable to which, in the line of his profession, a clergyman of the Church of Scotland can aspire. On the 15th June 1758, he was promoted to the High Church of Edinburgh, at the express request of the lords of council and session, and of the other distinguished characters who, from their official situation, attended divine service in that church.