The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-07-05
From the Lehigh Valley Times.
Henry Huebner.

This gentleman, formerly resident of
this Borough but now residing in Chest
nuthill, Monroe county, near the old To-
dian missionary station, Wechquetunk of
former days, where he itinerates on his
own hook, Independent of support from
or connection with any church, the
love of Christ constraining him, addressed
a respectable and quite numerous audi
ence, last Sunday afternoon in that part of
the great temple of nature, which our en-
terprising townsman John Fl. Rice has
appropriated for the purpose of building
Round Bows and Flat Bottoms. Stand
ing upon rude "pulpit of wood" per-
chance "made for the purpose" with the
singing choir on his left, and his audience
seated before and beside him, on seats
hastily constructed in primitive manner,
between the sheds of the establishment,
giving to the whole somewhat the appear
ance of Methodist camp-meeting, our
old townsman held forth in free and
easy, off-hand style, fuently, and unham-
pered by notes, for about half an hour, to
the edifcation of some, and the satisfac-
tion of all, some few over fastidious, per-
haps only excepted.
The fact Of the case is simply this
Curiosity to hear Mr.. Huebner, induced
the majority of those present to repair to
to the spot, and whatever their opinions
about his preaching beyond the mountain
may have been heretofore, they are now
convinced that his services may accom-
plish good in his adopted home. His
language is such as may be understood
by all who hear him, and his discourse
is certainly thoroughly evangelical, and
if report speaks true, that many sermons
heretofore preached in his locality, might
as ftly have been preached by Jew or
Unitarian, without doing violence to their
convictions and consciences, evangelical
discourscs will surely not come amiss.
In days of yore our forefathers held to
Solomon's declaration, that "the race is
not to the swift, nor the battle to the
strong," and therefore they sent out their
evangelists and itenerant preachers under
the conviction that, no matter who, or
what the instrument might be, "the bat
tie is the Lord's," and the success they
had, cannot be gainsayed. And, while
in theory, we may still hold to these same
principles, yet, somehow or other, rather
afoat on the Dead sea as we are, our
practice does not exactly accord with our
theory, and for that reason it seems rath-
er odd and strange to us that man whom
we al know so well, and who, while liv.
ing in our midst never made any preten-
sions to the Office and function of teacher
should at some other place turn up as q
preacher of the Gospel, and not whi tthe
worse because what he does, he does at his
own expense. Whether the late Synod in
its tender concern for the conversion ot
heathen in foreign realms, and heather
within the bounds of our own land, has
done aught to revive our work as of old
will first become known to every man,wo
man and child in the Church, when the
enormous edition of 3O0-say three hun
dred copies of the journal of their pro.
ceedings shall once, at some future unde.
fined day be published, and distributed
or perhaps suffered to rest quietly on the
shelves of the church library.
Whether churches or church authoritie:
approve of Mr.. HIS services or not, need
not discomfort nor discourage him. Bu
though the countenance and support Of
these is not indispensably necessary tc
the preachers success, they may yet be
very desirable and convenient, and Mr.
H. was not little encouraged in his la.
bours, by the kind notices taken of him
and his usefulness by the late venerable
Bishop Van Week. Aside from all this
however, Mr.. II. seems to be fully con
vineed in his own conscience, that he is
called to labour as an apostle by his mas
ter Jesus, and so thoroughly persuaded i:
he that the change from his former la.
bors in his temporal vineyard, the rem.
nant of which was in light from his pulpit
of last Sunday, to his present tolls in the
spiritual vineyard, is by divine authority
that he is ready to exclaim with Paul OF
old "woe is unto me if 1 preach not the
Gospel" So, old neighbor, ultramontane
60 on in your heaven appointed work on
your self-chosen field, and preach the
Gospel in all simplicity, taking heed, how.
ever, to yourself not to become elated al
your success your labors may be crowned
be ever willing to ascribe to God alone
all praise and glory.