Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-06-26

sing on what he had seen and heard, (of which
the greater part is necessarily untold here. =
And his description of what he had seen was SO
remarkably vivid that it brought to her mind
passage after passage of scripture where proph-
cts and others had seen celestial appearances,
and at every quotation he cried out in surprise
FThat's it--that's exactly it." Seeming to recog-
nize the bible language as more perfect than
any of his own to describe what he saw. Yet for
years he had scarce looked into Bible and had
almost entirely forgotten its contents.
After a short time, other visions of the same
kind began to present themselves, following
most methodical and precise order. He began
to see scene unfolded, and as he saw gazing
intensely forward he described to his wife.
The interior of military hall, or fortified
place was before him, and there was Seat of
Justice, Judge, and men in armor standing
around. Before the tribunal stood one whom
he did not recognize. Yet something about this
figure strangely moved him. He strained his
eye as endeavoring to MAKE out something that
perplexed him. There was something, he said,
bound round the prisoners head, that looked
singular-it looked more like branch of thorns
than anything else. Mrs. N. exclaimed, "Why
it's Jesus with the crown Of thorns p and quoted
the passage from the gospel. eyes ~ he ex-
claimed, it is Jesus with the crown of thorns !"
After gazing with deep emotion on this for
time, the vision slowly melted away, and he lay
as before conversing with Mrs. N, who saw
nothing, and whose mind, as may be supposed,
was wrought up to pitch of the most intense
excitement What had come upon her husband /?
Was he crazy, or were the days of miracles
come back? Nothing like this had she ever
seen or heard before and yet he seemed to be
perfectly calm and rational, and assured her he
had never felt more selfpossessed in his life.
And now another scene began slowly and
mysteriously to open before him. Far in the
distance he saw figure suspended upon cross.
Yet for some reason or other he seemed uneasy
because he could not see distinctly. As Mrs.
N. afterwards described it to me, he would rise
up in bed, and lean forward and turn this side
and that, and strain his eyes as if to gain a
distant view. 1t seemed, he afterwards told me,
as if something was in the way as if there was
a Grape of gauze before him, or, as he finally
expressed it, it looked just as things looked
when.seen through piece of smoked glass.
Now at the time it did not occur to either Of
them what that mysterious darkness could be ;
but the moment he spoke to me of looking
through smoked glass, the idea of an eclipse oi
the sun, when had myself used smoked glass,
rushed across me. Instantly turned to Luke
% A, and read" .4nd there toas darkness ove,
all The land until the ninth hour and the sun vas
darkened"
"That was i'll" he exclaimed" That was
what saw!p and he felt that he had seen Che
cross under the shadow of that perternatural
gloom.
There was something to me indescribably af-
fecting about this-for it was so remote from
his expectation, or from the usual workings oi
a vivid Imagination that he did not recognize
what he saw, nor his wife either till three days
after, when the Scripture language suggested tc
them what it was.
After this vision had faded away, and anoth-
er interval had passed, he saw vision us of &
Sepulchre into which many persons were con
veying dead body.
When that had passed-after long interva
another, and more brilliant vision presented
itself Far on tie horizon he saw bright fig
ure. 1t seemed small in the distance, and wa
slowly ascending through the skies. But whel
it had risen, shining brightly, to an inconceiva
lie height, it began to shoot through the loft
clouds coming gracefully over where he Ia
watching. Hoveung there moment it bega
to draw nearer-growing more beautiful, NOR
radiantly glorious, and more living and real, ii
at last it suddenly stopped with full flight {
mighty wings, and came until it almost touche
him, and he shlvered with ecstacy, and shrun
back with instructive shudderng from the into
erabIe splendor and purity of its presence
Then soaring aloft, further and further ava,
the vision disappeared.
"I have seen Jesus as an infant" he now e.
claimed to his wife" have seen Jesus on til
cross-I have seen Jesus in the Sepuchre-
have seen him ascending to heaven-I iOond
# / shall see him upon his throne.
This also was granted. He saw throne
inconcevable splender, surrounded by pagea
, of angels. AT the apex of the pyramidic
group sat Jesus, with a crown so brilliant, CO
cred over with fine sprnkling dust of ligt
each little point or mote blazing like sun, y
: so small that millions seemed clustering togeth
in one spot, and his face, noble, calm, majesti
, and full of love. Among the angels he saw IL
I forms of two little children he had lost Tht
smiled, said they were happy, and were wi
e their grandmother.
s This closed the series of celestial Visions
During their course he heard many things,
n well as saw for there was Voice seemingly
y u spirit-that accompanied him throughout, al
= spoke to him in words of wonderful power
c sweetness, concerning his soul, and salvatl
:. by Jesus. The whole doctrine of salvation
n declared was made known to him and he f
l. that he had embraced his Saviour.
W But after these things there ensued a week
lie more of fierce and terrible trial. He felt hi
'r self accompanied by an evil spirit. He s.
nothing, but heard all the most horrid blaspl
'e mies-all the most subtle arguments, all
p most damning doubts, the most derisve sne
as and saFcasms, all the most unearthly oaths, jes
or and hideous revelries were uttered in his ear,
z words as loud and plain as may be heard spok
'st by his neighbors and fellow-ctizens. Yet
1t was sane, apparently, and sound in body a
st mind. In church, in the street, and at home.
on day. by night, in prayer, in reading, in busine
Nl 1t