Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-05-20

He had died Unexpectedly to his physician,
about one O'Clock that morning.
The Sons of Temperance attended his funeral,
and Mr.. Hoge preached sermon, giving the
people only part of the dreadful history, (for he
doubted whether the whole could be true and
drawing from this a warning which must have
been felt even by that company of strangers.
May we not hope that those who knew, and adj
mired, and loved the man, in the days of his pros
.perity, will derive from his case a warning, which
shall never be forgotten? The history OF the
fall of N. E. Johnson abounds with instruction.
The son of a Connecticut pastor, he was trained
in the school of the Puritans. Early converted
to God, as he and others supposed, he solemnly
consecrated his noble talents to the service of
God, in the work of the Christian ministry. For
more than ten years he discharged the duties of
a minister without stain on his character, or a
a breath of suspicion to mar his rising fame.
He was conscious, too conscious, 1t is to be
feared. of the estimation in which he was held
and felt himself strong in the affections and con-
idence of the Christian community. He was
bold, and even reckless in the pursuit of his
schemes of action. He thought that such a man
as he might walk in safety, where others would
be in danger of falling. He undertook to explore
the depths of iniquity in our great and guilty
metropolis. He dared to crafty his curiosity at
the expense of Christian prudence. He dared
to try the effect of the intoxicating bowl on his
own system-though he earnestly advised others
not to touch it. He trusted that he had strength
to walk in safety on the very verge of that prec-
ipice, where he knew that thousands had attempt
ed to walk before him, and fallen to rise no more.
IL 4p,,o4oJ bie oYuD baorf fool tbot bn Uvac and
fell like other men, and went down to the lowest
depths of infamy. Deposed from the ministry
and communicated from the kindly
received by the friends that Christian compassion
drew around him-he made all effort to recover
himself, but in VAN.
The Philistines we're upon him, and he shook
himself only to feel the power of these chains
with which they had bound him, and were dragging
him to the prison of despair. Again and again
he made the attempt to break his letters and be a
man, but the spell of the destroyer was upon him,
and there seemed no hope in this case. His best
friends became disheartened, and even the wife
of his bosom ceased to regard his reformation as
an event to be expected. He became a Fugitive
and vagabond in the earth" and wandered far
away from the home of his childhood, and the
scenes of his better days. What he did, what
he felt, what he suffered, during these long dreary
months of his exile, he had no opportunity to tell
His strength was wasted, his energies were gone.
The destroyer had done his work-he had only
one brief opportunity to converse and pray with
a Christian minister-and then he was hurried
away to the bar Of God. There we leave him
without one word of conjecture as to his final re-
ward.
But we may with propriety speak to the living
and ask them to look on that poor wandering, dy,
ing outcast-and take warning. See what q
wreck sin has made of that fine form-of that
noble mind-of all the bright prospects that
once glittered in his path. Conceive, if you can.
of his agony of spirit, as he lay down to die in
the land of strangers, and thought of what he
was, and where he was going. Think of that
precipice down which he so foolishly plunged
himself, by dallying with temptation whilst he
trusted to his own strength to steady him on that
giddy height. Think how he has been pursued
ever since by the judgments of Heaven, scatheC
with his lightnings, and pelted by the tempest:
of Jehovah's wrath, till he seems just ready tC
plunge into the eternal pit-he just has time and
strength to lift up one prayer for mercy, anC
make one feeble effort to escape the fiery gulf
then sinks to the grave, and is hidden from our
view till the day of final reckoning. Who that
values his soul, will be willing to try the expert
ment after him?