Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-05-20
From the Religious Recorder, Syracuse, NJ Y.
Melancholy Obituary,

"DIED, in Richmond, Va, on the 18th of Jan
uary, Nathaniel E. Johnson, former editor of the
New York Evangelist. He was attended in his
last sickness by the Sons of Temperance, to
which order he belonged"
Such is the notice which appeared in the Tri-
bune few weeks since, and which has been
copied into several other papers. Many have
doubted whether the notice could have been au-
thentic, as it has not appeared in the Evangelist !;
but we learn from a source entitled to credit, that
it is even so. The man whose eloquence COM
manded the attention of listening thousands, and
whose pen guided the thoughts and enrolled the
sentiments of tens of thousands whose &C.
tivity and skill were relied on to guide our
branch of the church, through one of the most
%perilous trials that has ever befel her--the
man to whom hundreds looked as their spir-
itual father, and whose aid was sought by our
most judicious pastors in seasons Of %revivas
the man who knew how to favor new school
theology, without f~avoring Plagiarism, and how
to advocate the cause of temperance, moral re-
form and anti-slavery, without favoring radicatiSm,
schiSm and reuoEutiOn-whose course for a season
was admired by all consistent reformers, and all
enlightened, steadfast and jealous christians ;
the man who seemed destined to be a burning and
shining light in the church, has gone down to the
grave in early manhood, and this is all the notice
zoe haze Of his crit. The paper which he once
conducted with SO much talent, does not even
record his death-and we are indebted to a Sec
ular paper for all the notice that has yet appeared
of the death of one whom so many delighted to
honor. Far away from his home and his friends,
dependant on the charity Of strangers, for a tenn
porary home in the "Medical infrmary'-he
died, and was buried, as an unknown and friend
less stranger, and the first notice which his own
brother received of the sad event, was the above
cited article in the Tribune.
The wicked may triumph over the fall of such
amQn, and point the finger of scorn at the church
who nourished him in her bosom-and at all the
schemes of philanthropy and benevolence of
which he was once so distinguished an advocate;
but it is much more manly, as well as Christ-like,
to sit down and weep over this poor wreck of
humanity, and pray for grace to keep us from
falling as he did. 1t may comport with some
mems ideas of religion, to turn away in disgust
from the loathsome spectacle of a man, thus ru-
ined by his vices-but it is much more like our
Savior, to shed the tear of compassion, and ex-
tend the hand of kindness, and pray even to the
last, for the return of the poor wandering prodi-
cal to the home and bosom of his Father.
1t will be a relief to the anguish which has Ia
ken hold of many a stricken heart, to know that
he was visited in his last sickness by a minister
of the Gospel, to whom he made a free comics
sion of his wandcrings, and from whom he sought
direction and counsel in the hour of his dread
extremity.
The Rev. Mr., Hoge, pastor of a Presbyterian
church in Richmond, writes that being called tc
see a stranger in the "Infirmary," he was struck
at once with his aspect of intelligence, and gen
teel department. He commenced instruction
but soon perceived that the stranger knew the
whole of it-and therefore paused.
The sick man perceived his embarrassment
and proceeded at once to disclose his name anc
history, with evident indications of the deepes
emotions. and yet with a calmness of self-posses
sion which appeared astonishing" He said, "h'
had wanderedfar very far from God-and contin
ned to wander. till want, sickness and suffering
drove him back to the Savior. He thought hi
trusted in Christine believed he had true sorrow
for sin-but he did not feel the joys of a chris
tan"
Poor man! How could he expect the joys o
the Christian, after wallowing in sin as he haC
done for more than two years! What a mere,
that he was not left in utter despair. How fear
fully must such a man look on the opening scenes
of eternity. How wildly must the recollection
of what he used to preach and write, about thu
faIlacy of a death bed repentance, have CONF
over his soul at this trying hour. How fully HI
realized in his own experience, the truth which
he used to preach to Others with SO much force
The way Of the transgrcssOr IS hard
Mr.. Hoge writes further, that as Mr.. }, hat
many things to say in order to give a full view c
his case, and as the effort to converse was becom
ing quite painful, it was agreedth Mr.. H.shoule
cal the next day at 10 o'clock. At the hour ap
pointed he went, but the poor man was gone !