The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-04-08
1)u!pit 5kettijcs.
FOR The Cecil II'hig.
Sketches Of Popular Preachers;
+. IL. CHtPih.

In our search for pulpit stars, let us pass
up Broadway, New York, 10 Tie uni luc buil,!-
ing occupied by the Dusseldorf Gallery. Co
ing through this we enter very spacious and
gorgcouSly furnished church and make part
Of its motley and immense congregation. As
YOU cast your eye around you may see here Il
western merchant, lionizing in tie city;
thcrca southern man who has so far over
come his prciudiccs to an aboli:onist: yondcr
II free and easy man about town, and yondcr
still iigh' hearted, land lighter headed, J CO.
quettc'--but, hold, we are not to picture the
people but the preacher.
We find a notice of our subject in pulpit
Portraits" lately published, and purporing
to have lccn written by a certain j. X. Dix,
but who has shame(ully, or shamlcssly, 1--WE
care not Which, stolen his matter by whole
sale from an English book. The notice of
which we speak, is very ilattcring but not
much ovclIrawn; our subject did not sit for
the picture there given Of him yet there is not
much in it we would blot out. His thoughts
tlllll WIZ NtIINIiiF- SSiiNiaiiN NibtINi
in attractive and impressive language. lie is
not without attention to the matter Of his dis
courses. but he is more careful Of the drapcry
in which they appear. The graccs Of lam
g,lage, the arts of rhetoric form no small clc
mcnt Of his pulpit power. lie loves to deal
in paadoNcs, anti,hoScs, pnzzling spccula-
tiJns, thames and topics which excite great
public interest, big fire. horrible murder,
II terrible railroad accident, or the blowing up
ola Steamboat is Il perfect God send TO him.
lie is certainly the most attractive, the most
talented preacher in his denomination: it is
remarkable, however, that he rarely Lrings
prominently before his audience the peculiar
and distinctive doctrines of his sect. 1t is
perhaps, well for him, he does not. Indeed,
so utterly superficial, in the opinion of the
writer, are the sophistrics of CnivcrSalism
that we sometime wonder how such mind
could rest in it, but more mature reflection
has led us to regard him more as a speculative
than profound thinker. His discourscs are
entirely devoid of spirituality; with him spir-
tuality and Puritanism are SYNONYMOUS, and
puriianism he cschcws as a certain old gen-
tl,nan in black is said to do holy water. Con-
Scqucntly he delivers moral essays nothing
more: he is Lecturer rather than a Preach
or. The soul, hungcring and thirsting for
spiritual food nc, d not 20 there for the satisfy
ing Of Its warnings. Ii is not in the man or
his creed to supply that rahnlrm necessary
for the inner life. But with all these def
cicncieS he is doing good We med some
fearless souls to gapplc great wrongs: some
to smiic down with giant strength monster
evils and hurl their thuncrs against the most
formidable opprcsSor. This, to the measure
Of his ability, Mr.. Chaplin does. And the
great lessons Of charity, he forgctS not, but
cnforccs thtm in his weekly ministratiors
Yet the soul who would apply these holy les
sons and seek the true inspiration Of charity
would necessarily find its,lf in a sphere far
above this Teachers platform.
Mr.. Chaplin is literally sustained in his
present positions the large hotel keepers III
that portion of the city contribute not little
10 his support for the qualification of their
patrons. The great Reforms of the day find
in him an earnest and an eloquent advocate
Right manfully docs he battle for Tic good of
his fellows, and though we could wish that
doctrincly and spiritually he was something
better than he is, yet, We trust his earnest and
faithful labors are not without good. lie who
plants a good thought or kindlcs good res
oution in any single heart has not lived in
vain. a liftlcss creed, spiritlcss religious
system, may cripple his energies and ftalful-
ly circumscribe his sphere for good effects yet
he may be at least starting point for good
resolves, or stepping stone to better purposes.
But a truce to moralizing; let us show up
some specimens of our subjects style. A
number Of his sermons and lectures have been
published, we select from one of them the fol-
lowing Passages:
ut is qui'c possible, then, that he who
commits wrong, will do something to stir
the suspicious of others, and which ultimate
~ will lead to discovery. That discovery
will be FASTENED in proportion to the charac-
ter Of the decd. tits something that arou-
Sos the interest and Indignation of the ccm-
munity the guilty person will hardly escape
however hi may be shielded. But even sup
pose he does not Immediately awaken suspl-
cion in others, How apt is he to reveal his
own secret, by an unfortunate expression,
blush, a trcmor. Sometimes, word which.
in spite of him, it would seem as if conscience
had unlocked and thrust out, lays bear all
the truth which he fancicd was so cunningly
hidden. Or while he supposes himself all
alone in the commission of his bad act, I'M
seen eyes observed him, unseen cars heard
him. God sent the nght.wind on an GRAND,
or the avcnging angel trod behind him in the
cracking of leaf" X
ale may escape exposure before men; he
may clude all human justice; his evil doing
may be tracked out only after the lapse Of
years, or after he is dead But one fact is
certain, the wrong is not hidden from his own
thoughts. Nor is this simple truism unwor-