a Presbyterian minister, was born in South Carolina in 1773, of the Scotch- Irish race. When about twenty years of age, Mr. Blain entered Liberty Hail, near Lexington, to complete his education, and afterwards took a theological course in Washington College. He was licensed by the Lexington Preslvtery about 1796. He taught in the New London Academy at Bedford, and preached regularly to the congregations of Old Oxford and Timber Ridge. He was. appointed as one of a committee by the Synod in 1803, to consider the subject of establishing a religious periodical, and the first number of The Virginia Religious Magazine was issued in October, 1804. He. died March 19, 1814. Some of his contributions to the magazine are as follows: "Christian Zeal," "Observations on the Sabbath," "Death of Voltaire and Mrs. Leech Contrasted," "Religious Curiosity," "The Scriptures Profitable," "Professor and Honestus," "Lines on the Dark Day in Lexington." See Foote, Sketches of Virginia (2d series).