William Arnot
William Arnot [1]
a Presbyterian minister, was born in Scotland in 1808, being the son of a farmer. After having passed through the University of Glasgow, he was licensed to preach ill connection with the Church of Scotland. In 1843 he went out with the Free Churchmen, and became pastor of Free St. Peter's Church, Glasgow. For twenty years he stood in this pulpit, and gave to that people and the city of Glasgow the best days of his life. He then succeeded Prof. Rainey in the pastorate of the Free High Church, Edinburgh; and in that prominent position he spent the remaining years of his ministry. His excessive labors, in the prosecution of his duties as a pastor-and in literary work, impaired his health; and a few days prior to the meeting of the Free Church: General Assembly he left Edinburgh to try the effect of a change of scene and climate. But no permanent effect was experienced, and he realized that his work. was done. Dr. Arnot was well known in America. He was twice in the United States-first as a deputy to the General Assembly which met in Philadelphia in 1870, and then as a member of the Evangelical Alliance which met in New York in the fall of 1873. He died in Edinburgh, June 3,1875. He was the author of a number. of popular works; among others we mention his Illustrations of the Book of Proverbs :- Parables Of Our Lord:-The. Church In The. House. His first publication bears the quaint title, Race for Riches and Some of the Pits into which the Runners Fall. But the book, bearing his name on the title-page, which has been read with more interest than any other is his Life of Dr. James Hamilton. He also wrote a Memoir of James Halley, who, with Hamilton and himself, were college classmates. See Presbyterian, June 26, 1875. (W. P. S.)
