American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-12-25
from the Philadelphia Saturday Courier. J
AN ELOQUENT PREACHER.

There is scarcely an intelligent reader who
has not heard of the Rev. Thomas II. Stock
ton, of this city. He is pastor of the lnde-
pendent Methodist Church, North 18th street.
His name has been, to-day, called to our mind,
in consequence of reading just tribute to his
exalted abilities, as pulpit orator, from the
pen Of the Cincinnati Herald. It's editor, when
lately in Philadelphia, heard him, on the great
subject of "Christ's Asceusion''-and he thinks
it one of the finest specimens of pulpit oratory
he ever listened to. In his finest passages Of
spiritual soaring, he held dense auditory in
GREATNESS silence. He spoke, as he advanced,
of ''the expectant array of saints and angels,
the chariots and horses of fire, the cloud, dark
beneath, but rejecting above the glories of
Heaven, the pause of the Saviour, when the
cloud had received him, while the celestial
hosts stood silent, as he gazed once more on
familiar scenes-Nazareth, his birth place, the
temple in which he had taught, the desert
where five Thousand had been fed, the noun
tain of prayer, the grave of Lazarus, Gethse-
name, and Calvary. Then began the ascent,
the throng following, passing worlds upon
worlds in their upward flight, far above all
prncipaties and powers, and thrones and do
minions, till the gates of the Eternal City were
reached, when, with electric power, he intro.
duced the sublime coloquy in the Psalm, Lift
up your heads ye everlasting gates, and let the
King Of Gloryin! He seemed to gather pow
Ell as he rose inc the Heaven of Heavens. His
tall, slender form, stretched to his utmost
height; his eyes flashed as with the splendours
of eternity Every stroke of the pencil brought
out new featurt-added richer glow; every
tone became more and more rapturous, till the
ascent was completed, and the gates closed up
on the burning thlpng. drew long breath,
and felt as if should be glad to descend. But
no--the preacher paused for a moment, as if
gathering strength for still holder flight, and
then called his auditors II go with him to wit
ness the glories of the corOnation. | will not
attempt to give even an idea of this browning
effort. One would almost imagine that Milton
had risen from the dead, anG his lofty diction
was revealing the mysteries OF the Inner Sane
tuary. Without doubt, Stockton surpasses all
men | ever heard, in rich, bold, and we'll
proportoned imagination. For were it not
for its exact proportions, 1t wonld seem, beyond
measure, extravagant. But, in his highest
soaring, he moves with such ease, poises him
self so dexterously that the crclb Of the Hea-
vcns seems to be his natural element"
Mr.. Stockholm is, we should think, about forty
years Of age. He was originally journeyman
printer. Possessing great natural powers, per-
severance took HIM onward and Upward. He
has been Chaplain to Congress, AM now labors
most industrously in his present. high calling
as PASTORS Editor of The Chritan World
and, but for infrm health, co,ld, without
much time in their composition, protounce more
public discourses TO hold in breathlss awe i'm
mense audtores, than, perhaps, am other cler-
gyman of his time.