The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-10-12
From the North British Reyiew.
WHITEFIELD.

lie was the Prince of English preachers. Ma
ny nave surpassed him as sermon-makers. bur
none have approached him as a pulnit orator =
Many have Outshone him in the clearness Of ,be;r
logic the grandeur of their conceptions. and the
sPaIAing beauty of single sentences but in the
power oil darling the gospel truth direct into the
SoiiSeiehce, he eciipSed them ALL With n full and
oeai1ing countenance, and the frank and easy port
MIIicn Ihe English people love-for it is the SYM
y; noest purpose and friendly assIfrance-he
comOihed voice of rich compass which could a.
qually thrill over Moorfields in mnsicoI ,bnnlo,.
or Whisper Its terrible accents in eveyv nr;y,ate
ear; ana TO this calmly aspect and tuneful voice
ne ADDED most expressive and eIooucn, act;o,
improved Oy conscientious practice and irstinct
win MS earnest nature this elocution was II cpct
cd sermon, and by Its pantomimic portrait enabled
Tue eye 10 anticipate each rapid utterance help
cd the memory to treasure mp the palpaLle ideds
None ever used so boldly, nor with more success
the highest style OF Improvisation. His "Harki
mark! could conlure up Gethsemane with its fall
tering moon, ana awake again the cry of horror
stricken innocence and an apostrophe TO PetSr
on the Holy Mount would light up another 7 abor
ana drown 1t III glory from the opening heaven
Ills thoughts We're possessions, and his feelings
were transformations; and if he spoke lecsuse he
lelt his hearers understood because thev :
They were not only enthusiastic amateurs Iike
Garrick, who ran TO weep and trcmbIe NJ hi,
bursts Of passion, but even the colder critics AZ
the Walpolc school were surprised into Yno,,ent,-
ry sympathy ana reluctant wonder I6rI Cbrs-
terheid was listening in Lucy Huntingdon, pew
wneh NhtGhtld was comparing the bcnigh,ed
sinner to blind beggar on dangerous road -
lis little dog gets away from him when ssirtiner
the edge OF precipice, and he is left IN cNpIore
the path With his irOn-ShOd staff On rbr very
verge of the cliff this bind guide slips thr,.b HI,
fingers, and SKINS away down the aLyss An nm
CONSCIOUS lis owner sleeps down TO regain il. md
SUMMING ior"ani-" Good God he is gone -
snouIep OheS'eIhrhl, VITO had been watching with
GREATNESS alarm The blind mars movements and
who jumped from lis seat TO save The c.t,s,ro,hs
But the glory Of WhiteficI,Ts PREACHING Jvns NJ
heart klndllng and heart-msltnr GOSPEL I'm, fr
this, all his bold strokes and L,illirn, s,'r;,,
might have been no better tlan the rhetorical nj;
nInplis OF hirwan and other pulpit framniists =
lie WIS an orator. but he only sought TO be m e.
vangelist. Like volcano where go,d and oers
may be darted forth as well rs fou.,p,,,, H..
but where gold and molten granite flow. ali 81
IN merry fusion, bright thoughts and sl,Icndid ina
ges might he projected from Eis naiuin- ,rIr;,
but all were merged m the stream wLicL lore -,
long the gospel and himself in blended frr,or-
Indeed SO simple was his nature that Glory Ia
Tod and good viii 10 man haviuo, fIled y ,icr,,
was room for little more. Hayinr no cl,,,r'h y,
found, no family TO enrich. and 10 memory IN IN.
mortah]e he was the mere ambassador Of God:
and inspired with its genial pitcous snirit-so G,r
OF heaven reconcilod and humanity restorpd-be
soon himself became n living gospel Radiant
with ITS benientv and trembling viii, IL; t,rde,
ness, by sort of spiritual induction n ye, nrdi-
cnce would speedily be broi.ht into 3, frame of
| mind, the transfusing Of his own: and the ,,litc
burrows on their SoOy faces told that Einosyrocd
golfers were weeping, or the quivcrina Of an os-
irich plume bespoke it. elegant wearcr's dccpeuo-
ton And coming 10 lis work direct fioni COM
munion with his Master and in MI m, strength If
| accepted PRAYER, thcre was an elevation, in Lis
mien which often paralyzcd hostilitv aud 4 self
possession which only made him. amid u;,roarnnd
/ fury the more sublime. With I'M electric Lolt he
would bring the jester in his foOrs-esp from his
perch on the tree, or galvanize the lqik lat from
the skuikinS mlscreants grasp, or sweep down in
crouching submission and shame faced e;lc,ce Tho
whole of Bartholomew Fair willis g.. rcrcai;no,
Hash OF sententious doctrine or vivifcd ScriDtnre
would disclose to awe-stritck Hundreds the f5rrot
ten varieties Of another world. or the 1ususpectcd
arena OF the inner man. 81 came 70 break vour
head, but, through you, God has broken nv
| heart was sort OF confession with which lie
was familiar and 10 the deaf Old s,cntIcwo.
man, VINO used TO muiter imprecaiiOns AT him rs
nc passed along the street, clam cring NJ tic pull
PIT STAIRS to catch his angelic word, was Il sort of
spectacle which the triumphant gospel often Wit
messed in his dag. And when il IS known that lis
voire could be heard by 10000 and that ran.;,i,.
al the empire, as well H. America he would omen
preach thrice on working-day, and that he has
received III one week is many rs n thousand let
tcrs from persons awakened Nv his sermons; il no
estimate can be formed Of the results of his minis
try, some idea may be sugccstc, of its ya.i extent
and singular effectiveness