Lincoln telegraph., 1839-12-12
MISCELLANEOUS.
REV. MR.. TEFT'S CENTENARY
SERMON.


We have read with great pleasure this
discourse delivered before the Methodist
Society and citizens of Bangor, upon the
subject of true greatness, as illustrated by
the character of WESLEY. The style is
nervous, chasie, beautiful, and the subject
mattel is credtable to the author as
scholar, phanthropist and divine, as the
following extract we think aiests.
There is majesty in virtue which no
powers of mind, no depth or expansion of
knowledge can attain Filled with lnirm-
tiles, surrounded by temptations, and spur
red on to excess by appetiies that relish
neither restraint nor control, the man that
can battle all the efforts of vice upon his
weakness and the inslnuatlng attempts OF
the world upon his virtue who knows how,
and possesses the power OF purpose, to
check the risings OF passion at the moment
when most subject TO bis will and IN spite
of the downward tendencies of his nature
and the cords of selfishness WHICH would
bind him to this world, can lilt himself up
to the high and holy acquisitions OF moral
recti,ude and law to discharge through a
life of perse cuion and hatred, it may be,
the Offices of benevolence and love to an
ungratefu world, he is the truly great man
above all that we have named. And the
manifestations of this character are not
inevident. They exhibit themselves in
lofty views of the dignity and destiny OF
human nature in broad and commanding
survey Of the wants OF the human race in
the formation OF magnificent schemes and
prodigious undertakings for the relief and
elevation of mankind No little. narrow.
unworthy prejudlces of locality of birth bind
them to section of the world, or por-
,ion of their species. The world itself is
their Theatre. Human nature i'll all lis
broad dimensions, and man, in the greatest
extent and majesty Of his being, afford the
subject-matter Of their study. They lock
not their genius within the cell OF any one
science or department Of philosophy, how
ever splendid i'll It's appearance, or rich III
its treasures. The doors and avenues to
nature are all thrown open. The universe
of matter is their primary school, which
prepares them for an introduction into the
universe Of mind. Aud here too, amidst
the greater magnihcence of the Creators
handy work, they are yet scholars Mud
is studied Oh the widest scale. From the
child that slumbers in delicious innocence
on the Threshold of intelligence, up to
those glorious lights that rival the splen-
doris Of another world, and thence TO the
great aud mysterious Source oi all in'elli-
gence, they pursue their almost boundless
study. And then, treasured with the
science of the universe, SO tar as mortality
can comprehend it, and radiant with the
light of other worlds, they descend to the
common wants and pursuits of man, to
bind up the broken heart, to wipe the tear
Of grief from the eyes of the oppressed, to
burs,the bands of the enslaved to bind with
the restraints Of law the opptessor's arm
or melt his heart with the fires OF love. In
a word these nob!est sons Of nature devote
themselves, body and soul, to the good,
happiness, elevation and glory OF man, and
to those broad principles OF action which
affect alike the wel-being Of every nation,
of every race, and Of every age. 1t Is true
such characters are seldom known. But
this fact enhances their value, and even
adds the greater dignity to their mission.
Patriots are too iare, but philanthropls's
are still mote rare. Phllanlhrop,sts and
true patriots have nevertheless existed.
Greece and Rome present few specimens
of each-as many and as pure as we could
expect to find in heather age.-Such IN
part were Arlstides and Phocion of the
former, and Cincnatus and Camlllus OF
the latter, country. Spain has afforded
a worthy representative of this character III
Las Cases, and England has crowned it
with peculiar lustre by giving to the world
Wesley, Wilberiorce and Howard.
And these, my brethren, are the char
acters that do honor TO their species, and
elevate and dignity human nature. Alex
ander subdued provinces, these have sub
dued themselves Cesar commanded his
legons, these command, what Cesar could
not, the furious and impetuous passions OF
the soul Sesos,ris erected pyramids to
his fame, these have raised monuments
more durable than stone, to the 'honor OF
human nature Napoleon swayed the
scep,re of nations, these, the scep're oi
the world"
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