The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-04-01
})ulpit skctf!)cs.
For TIE Cecil Wig.
Sketches Of Popular Preachers;
TD. 3.
JOHN =. njHBiN, D. D.

IN CnconUn, we think, justly deserved.
lie entered the ministry when about eighteen
years Of age. Wchayc more tl.an once heard
him relate his fist appearance on his first cir
cult in the then western wi!dS. IS he rode
up and al;ght Cd at the pubic house, Lear
which hc was TO preach, many were the sur
,niscs as to who the young Stranger was, and
the conclusion was general, we believe, that
he was a Presbyterian Clergyman. At twen-
ty-iivc, he was elected Professor of Laneua-
yes in Augusta College, Ky, where he re-
manned some six years. whcnhc became Edl-
tor of the Christian Advocate. He is now
about fifty four.
Sitting undcrhis preaching for the first tin.c
feeling disappointment possesses you the
moment he commences tie exercises. Tie
prestige Of his name and his intellectual ap-
pCarancc, give promise Of something unusual
which is disiratcd 10y his manner at the com
,ncnccmcnt ofhs discourse. When he names
his text and begins to unfold his subject you
at once feel treasured: his scf-collcctcdncss,
his perfect command Of his subject, leave no
ground 10 fear failure. \ few introductory
remarks, and he comes to the point, his soul
rouscs, his lasSitudc disappears and you see
lctorc YOU Il man Of more than ordinary intel
l,ctual power. Whtn fairly in his subject he
seems another being, his eye flashes, his face
CLOVIS, lis once feeble voice swolls TO thun-
der tcnc and lie stands leforc you as if just
fiom within The vol, rtdol,nt with the sane
1ity of a silent and close communion with lis
Master, while tie immense assembly hang
broathl,ss uron 1.-The gracious words" that fall
from MS lips. At such moments tiie cong,e-
Cation soon to trtnbic under his urgent APP
pcas o.. 9 me- occasions such las Locn the
excitement reused by lis powerful eloquencc
that he has bccnccmpelled to plead for silence
that he might proceed undistmbtd.
His voice, naturally i'll adapted to oratori-
cal purposes, has by ass;duous cultivation
bon made mighty instrument of his mind
His gestures, though few, indicate refined
ard cultivated intellect. lie is a complete
master Of rhetoric and oratoIy and a close OH
server will not fail to see that he avalS him
selfof all their advantages. lie occasionally,
nay, frequently indulgcs inspoc ,'lation: some
times, Vcn after the laying out of his subject,
a thought leads hhn of to Il favorite theory,
CT to combat some nice metaphysical fabric
which crumb!cs to nothing in his hands, and
though he may clcse with practical enforce
mcnt of the points i'll hand, yet the original
subject seems to be entirely forgotten. Al
though it might not be suspected from his
pulpit ministlatiCns, yet thuc is in his pri-
vatc intercourse and platform speeches play
full humor, a chasc wit, which wins, at once,
Its way to thc heart. In the pGrlor or at the
tca-tablc, learned without ltdantry, cheerful
without l,yity, d4nif,d yet social, noble vet
familiar, lie is an agreeable guest and an af.
fcciona:c fiiGd.
In wold1aintimg lie has, probably, no su-
rcrior; he filings the color upon the canvass
with the hands Of Raphael and the scene
stands cut to the minds eye clearly defined
glowing with life and blushing with beauty
We cannot venture TO give any illustrations of
this wonderful power, from his sermons know
irg we could not do justice to him, but we
join with another in recommending his Notes
IN the East as containing many examples of
this talent; as tie description Of tie Valley of
,I,hosharE at-Thc Garden Of GHthsemane &c
The pictures so,m TO be clear to his own mind
and while mcntslly gazing upon thtm, lis
language seems to reflect thtm on the minds
oihis hearers; true, there docs not seem TO be
the slightest attention otle words, vet the
expressions arc most cha.lningly flicitous
No woods could be more highly chosen; 10
speaker could appear more thoughtloss of
thm. We remember an incident of his
ihCughtcssLcss. lie was describing in lee
turc, the passage of the lsraclitos through tie
Rcd Sea, cntl,ayoring to demonstrate thcp,c-
else locality, he spoke of a pass near the head
Of The Sea as being too shallow to answer to
The Bible narrative, said lie, 'cvcn Camcls
pass over on horseback" \ litter went over
the congl cgation, the DIR. hcsiatcd second,
looklnely pleasantly yet cnquringly around
the house utterly unconscious of what had
caused the meriimcnt. The above expire ssion
was not happily chosen it is true, such slips
do not often occur with him.
We have before US sermon which lie
preached twenty odd years ago, and though
there has been with him a wonderful inteloctu-
al advancement since then, yet the reader will
doubtless agree with us that he has no need
to be ashamed of it.
Looking through all the orders, classes,
genera, and species Of cxistcnces, operations,
and actions, they are perfectly INELIGIBLE
wien referred to the continual personal pres
'ncc of the Almighty. Are starry worlds
son existing in difltlc nt parts ofthc heavens?
Tod Is there, sustaining their existence. lisa
ilttlen i;roscopic insect, in the down ofa peach
or In drop ofwater? God is there, sustain
ing It's existence, Are planetary worlds seen
revolving in thtir orbits harmcniously and
steadily! God isn each giving it motion
ana direction. DO the tides of the ocean act
rerpetualy, and periodically? God is in
'hem' to give them impulses, and to assign
'ielr umcs and bounds. Do we see the n,in-