Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-04-14

rapidity and ardor, as by composed en-
ergy, judiciousness, and expansiveness.
You have an emblem of it in the full,
transparent and equable stream, spread
ing around it iruitfulness and delight
His views were often original and often
profound, but were especially marked by
ljustness, clearness and compass of
|taought ] have never known man,
so young, Of ripper judgment, of more de-
liberate investigation, and of more COM
prehensive views of all the bearings and
connexions Ola subject, on which he was
called to decide. He was singularly free
from the error into which young preach
ers most readily fall, of overstating ar
gments, and exaegerating and straining
the particular topics which they wish to
enforce. But in avoiding extravaganza,
he did not fall into tameness. There
was force and freshness in his concep-
tons and even when he communicated
the thoughts of others, he first grated
them on his own mind, so that they had
the raciness of a native growth. His
opinions were the results ofmuch mental
action, of many comparisons, of large
and liberal thinking, of looking at sub
ject on every side and they were ex-
pressed with those limitations, which long
experience suggests to others. He read
with pleasure the bold and brilliant spec
ulations of more adventurous minds but
he reserved his belief for evidence, for
truth and if the most valuable gift of
the understanding be an enlarged, dis
eliminating, judgment, then his was a
most highly gifted mind.
From mind so balanced, and taste
so refined, we could hardly expect that
fervid eloquence, which electriies an
assembly, and makes the speaker for a
moment an absolute sovereign over the
soul, of men. His influence, like thai
of the great powers in the natural world,
was mild and noiseless, but penetrating
and enduring. That oratory, which
overwhelms and bears us away like a
torrent, almost always partakes of eXag-
geration and extravaganza, and was
therefore incompatible with the distin-
gushing properties of his mind. His i'm
aginaton was fruitful and creative but,
in accordance with his whole character,
it derived its illustrations more frequent
ly from regions of beauty than ofgrand-
eur, and it impaired colouring, at once
rich and soft, and peculiar grace to ev-
cry subject susceptible of ornament.-
His command over language was great.
His style was various, vigorous, unbor-
rowed abounding in felicities of express
sion, and singularly free from that trite-
ness and that monotonous structure,
which the habit of rapid composition on
familiar subjects almost forces on the
preacher, and which so often enervate
the most powerful and heart-stirring
truths. His character as a preacher
needs no other testimony than the inn
preston left on his constant and most
enlightened hearers. To his people,
who could best Judge of his intellectual
resources, and of his devotion to his work,
his public services were more and more
interesting. They tell us ofthe afiluencc
of his thoughts, of the beauty of his i'm
agery, OF the tenderness and earnestness
of his persuasion, of the union Of judg-
ment and sensibility in his discourses,
and of the wisdom with which he display
ed at the same moment the sublimity and
of Christian virtue
They tell us, that the early ripeness of
his mind did not check its growth but
that every year enlarged his treasures
and powers. Their tears and counte-
nances tell us, more knowingly than words,
their deep sorrow, now that they saall
hear his voice no more.
OF his social character | need not
speak to you. No one, who ever met
him in friendly circle, can easily forget
the attraction of his manners and CONVEX
sation. He carried into society cheer
fulness, and sunshine of the soul, derived
partly from constitution, and partly from
his bright, confding views of religion