The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1850-07-06

we had to take stand on the outskirts,
and catch the intellectual mama which
fell in the wilderness as we might We
however, heard and saw the orator dis
tinctly. His appearance. manner aud
eloquence were magnificent ans sublime
as with the Bible raised aloft in his hand
) he described the spread of the gospel III
heather lands. We listened like the
rest Of the audience, IN rapt attention
for ten or fifteen minutes, when, as he
laid the Bible down aud paused for mo-
ment, my fair friend at my side, eXclaim
ed in a glow Of admiration.
ole is, indeed, Prince in Israel"
"Ile is, indeed, Prince in Israel"
Aud | thought so, too In one bright
spot the setting sun was flashing through
the quvering leaves, throwing over ms
breast and brow and countcnance halo
of living light. The orator gloriously al
luded to the departing luminary, whose
rising beams, he SAID, enabled the mission
arv to read the word Of God 20 the Heath
en- OF the larthest East in his own language,
and whose setting beams flashed upon the
blazonry OF the Bible, bearing civilization
and Christianity to the tarthcst West.
Mr.. Bascom has been brought particu-
larly to my mind, in reading a volume OF
sermons which he has lately published. 1t
appears, by his preface, that he "com-
menced preaching when he was but six
teen years old.' One would not think so
to read his sermons He has none of the
cant, Il USE the word no, disrespectfulv,)
oil the trained preacher about him-noth-
ing of ''mere pul pit patoiS," to use his own
phrase in speaking OF this connection. He
seems studiously to avoid it, In his pre-
face he says:
"1he author has long been impressed
with the idea-perhaps he should say con-
viction-that the force and value Of pulpit,
instruction are greatly lesSrned by the
restraints and mannerism Of puIpi style
arising, mainly, perhaps, from undue at
tachments to creeds, confessions, and
church formularies, as the tests and stand
ards Of truth and uniformity among differ
ent denominations Of Christians, and the
vicious standards of critical judment al
ready referred to. The natural, manly,
and varied freedom Of expression found IN
the Bible, and preserved, in a greater or
less degree, in all its TRANSACTIONS into dit
ierent languages, is laid aside, and gives
place 10 the stadness and precision of an
exclusive technical phraseology, and often
having all the essential characteristics of
mere pulpit patois. And on this &C
count alone, with or without reason the
pulpit too often becomes to the hrarer q
mere limbo of commonplace, from which
he turns away with indifference, if not
disgust"
These remarks are strong, but they are
truthful, and Mr.. Bascom has not, GER
tainly, fallen into the error. With the
hacknied phrases too often heard in the
pulpit, he has nothing to do vhatever.-
Though he is often ornate, and Is too fond
OF antlthesis and ALTERATION, it is evident
that the vast store house of literature,
sacred and protane, has furnished his sup
ply. He makes few quotations, not even
from the Bible, except when he is estab-
fishing some very particular point by Di-
vine authority; but he bold v and bravel,
expatlaes upon the subject as it strikes
his own mind. The volume before us is
iull OF beauties, and it certainly has some
startling defects. Almost all speakers have
some pet words, which they drag in upon
all occasions, and MIR. Bascom is no snail
transgressor in this way. He is fond,
very, Of the words ssantagonsm" and
acknowledgement he has taken the lib
erty OF coming words, too; for which DR..
johnson would find him guilty without
benefit of clergy. Some of his phrases,
100, arc against all taste;--tor instance:
"Thp smile of infdeIty transformed to a
gloan IN the very act OF parturllon,' sc.
1t is to be hoped that Mr.. BaScom will
never give birth to such a phrase as that
again but let ii die like the "smile OF inf
deity" aforesaid. But away with fault
findIng-this volume of 'sSermons from
the Pulpt'' abounds with aphoristic
thoughts and pages of burning eloquence.
Speaking of the duties of the preacher, he
says: "He should teach all; with unwear-
led urgency of appeal that life is an orbit;
through which mortality can pass but
once; that this is but an hour lass, and
that every sand ought TO be a plous deed
or virtuous thought And he says:
'Honest severity in the pulpit is like the
Lightning OF heaven, it makes holy what
1t scathes. 1t resembles the thunderbolt
passing through tainted exhalatons but TO
purify them.'' Every day you live with
out repentance, say, with the startled EN-
peror ofan,iquity, q have lost a day. and
say, with the Blessing Of God, will new
er lose another" Speaking Of heaven: he
says: "Ours may be the only prodgaI in
the great family of worlds, and after due
time and trial, all may NEE, in this vast
region"
| But must not make thij article t,,o