Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-02-17

the lips Of ms holy mani Il was day |
of the administration Of the sacrament;
and his ssbject, Of course, was the pas
sion of our Savior. had heard the sab-l
iect handled d thousand times: / had tho'tsl
lit exhausted long ago. Little did sup
nose, that ID the wild woods of America,
| was to meet with ainan whose eloquence
1 would give to this topic a new and more
sublime pathos, than 4 had ever before
witnessed.
As be descended from the pulpit. to
distribute the mystic symbols, there was a
peculiar, more than human solemnity
in his air and manner which made my
blood run cold, and my whole frame
I He then drew picture of The suffer
lings of our Savior; his trial before Pr
late; his ascent up Calvary; his cruci6x-
lion, and his death. knew the whole
history; but never, until then. had heard
1.-THE circumstances SO selected, so arranged,
so coloredl 1t was all new: and seem
ed to have heard it for the first time in
lmy life. His enumeration was so delib-
ferate, that his voice trembled on every
syllable; and every heart in the assembly
trembled in unison. His peculiar phrases
had that force of description that the orr
ginal scene appeared to be, at that mo-
ment, acting before our eyes. We saw
the very faces of the Jews: the staring.
lfrightful distortions of malice and rage.
We saw the buffet; nv soul kindled with
a fame ef Indignation; and my hands
were involuntatily & convulsively clench-
ed.
But when he came 70 touch on the pa
thence, the forgiving meekness of our
Savior; when he drew, to the life, his
blessed eyes streaming in tears to heaven;
his voice breathing to God, a soft and
gentle prayer of pardon on his enemies,
Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do"--the voice of the preacher.
which had all along faltered. grew fainter
and fainter, until his utterance being en-
ltirely DISTRACTED by the force OF his feel
lings, he raised his handkerchief TO his
eyes, and burst into loud and irrepressi.
If Bile food of grief. TIE effect is incon
lceivable. The whole house -resounded
) with the mingled groans, and sobs, and
shrieks Of the congregation.
1t was some time before the tumut hat
subsidized, SO far as to permit him to@pro
coed. Indeed, judging by The usual, bu
I, lallacious standard of my own weakness
Is began to be very uneasy for the situa
: ton of the preacher. For could no
!. conceive, how he would be able to let IN
n audience down from the height to which
d, he had wound them, without iInpairiu!
the solemnity and dignity Of his subject
oreperhaps shocking them by theabrupl
ness Of the fall. But-no; the Gescer
was as beautiful and sublime, as the ele
walton had been rapid and enthusiastic.
The first sentence, with which he broll
the awful silence, was quotation fror
al Rousseau, Socrates died like philosc
pher, but Jesus Christ, like God!''
It despair of giving you any idea of tn
;. effect produced by this short sentenc
unless you could perfectly conceive tn
in whole manner Of the man, as well as ii
tho peculiar crisis in the discourse. NeVe
before, did completely understand wh
Demosthenes meant by laying such sire
on delirery. You are tosbrlng before yc
the venerable figure of the preacher; h
blindness, constantly recalling to yoI
S recollection old Homer. Ossian and Mi
ton, aud associating with his Performance
the melancholy grandeur of their gel
fuses; you are to imagine that you he;
his slow, solemn, well-aecented enunci
be, ton, and his voice of affecting, tremblr
melody; you are TO remember the ptt
of passion and enthusiasm TO which Il
congregation were raised; and then, tt
few minutes of portentous, death-lilke S
zee. lence winch reigned throughout the hous
for the preacher removing his white han
kerchief from his aged face, (even Y
wet from the recent torrent of his tears
sand slowly stretching forth the palsi
hand which holds il, begins the sentenc
est. 'sSocrates died Ikea philosopher "-th'
OF pausing, raising his other hand, pressir
them both clasped together, with warm
and energy to his breast, lifting his ssigl
. less balls TO heaven, and pouring
whole soul into his tremulous voice
. "but Jesus Christ--like God - If
had been indeed and in truth an angel
Hight, the effect could scarcely have be
an more divine.
ich Whatever had been able to concei
lue of the sublimity of Massillon. or the for
hat of BourdaIoue, had fallen far short Oft
the power which felt from the delivery
'es- this simple sentence. The blood, viii
INT Just before had rushed in hurricane up
en- my brain. and, in the violence and ago
of of my feelings. had held my whole S,
TEN in suspense. now ran back into !
,ro' heart. with sensation which Ican
was describe kind of shuddering delicio
n horror! The paroxysm of blended p
est, and indignation. to which | had be
FREE transported, subsidized into the deepest $,
rau | ahasement humility. and alteration.