The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-09-16
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MISCELLA N EOUS.
The Rev. Georee n f.oo,,man.

The Rev. George a.. Goodman.
The following sketch from the "reminiscences of
the Hon o. II. Smith, published in the mdian
Apostle Journal, viii he highly interesting, to all
who remember the eloquent preacher and 3te,ling
man:
II was Sabbath morning The last Of Tie city
church bells were ringing as I left my boarding!
house on Capitol Hill, at Washington City, for
Wesley Chapel. II was quarterly meeting. The
preacher had closed his sermon, when tbel arose
| at the desk SLENDER spare man, about FIVE feet
eight, dark complexion black hair falling carelessly
over his high forehead, lean beny face, wide mouth
round breasted black coat, with veleet falling col
| lar, black vest and pantalpons. Addressing the
Icongregation, he said We desire To take up
small collection for the relief of destitute worn out
Methodist preachers and their families We appeal
to-day to the hearts of Che gationn and took
ISais seat AsIarga collection followed Iwhispered
to Patrick g. Good, of Ohio, who sat by me, "Who
is that N Don't you know him? tits George G.
Cookman. The next Sabbath was at the chapel
again. MIR. Coekman preached. II returned sat-
isfed that he was no ordinary man. The election
for Chaplain OF the Senate came on few days
alter, and without the knowledge of Mr. Cool<man
4 privately suggested his name to the Senators
around me. The most of them had heard him
preach, He was elected Chaplain by decided
vote over the Rev. Henry Slicer, against whom
there was not the least objection; but we wanted
to bring Mr.. Goodman more prominently before
the public, The next Sabbath he preached his
first sermon in the hall of the House, to very
large congregation, from the text 4 The sword Of
the Lord and OF Gideon" He made profound
| Impression on his hearers that day, which seemed
| 10 increase with every succeeding sermon.
| X 1t is not my purpose to sketch the many ser.
mons of Mr.. Goodman during the time he was
chaplain of the Senate the most of which heard
The remarkable clearness of his mental vision
| enabled him to see and describe whatever he
touched, so as almost to make Paul, Slas, Peter,
Mark, and John stand before you as he named
them. His tone of voice. as he warmed with his
subject, and the tear stealing down his check, were
irresistible, As pulpit orator. take him all in
all, he had few equals, and no superiors, that |
ever heard There was no place for choir where
Cookman sang His voice was melody itself. I
heard him in the Senate chamber on the funeral
occasion of Senator Belts of Connecticut. The
chamber was crowded. The President Depart
ments, Foreign Ministers, Senators and Represent
atves were there distinctly recollect one of his
| figures of speech CAS- the human family come
upon the great stage of life theyfnd at every fork
on the road the finger board distinctly pointing
to ihe grave--to the grave! There is no other
road to travel from infancy to old age, and death
is but the road that leads to the grave" There was
not dry eye in the chamber when he closed his
sermon of one hour, and sang alone the single
verse of the hymn a3reir .... s .sg'.a E
And must this body die rsa8 81
| This wellwrought frame decay
! And must these active limbs of mine
| Lie mouldering in the clayg" s.D
The session of Congress was about to close upon
| the administration of Mr.. Van Buren,. The nau-
| guration Of General Harrison was soon to take
place. Mr. Goodman had all his arrangements
made to visit England on the steamer President
The first dispatch from the new administration was
/ to be confded to his charge. The next Sabbath
| he was to take leave of the members of Congress
in his farewell sermon. The day came. An hour
before the usual time the crowd was seen filing
| the pavement Of the avenue, and passing up the
hill to Representatives Hall, which was soon filed
TO overflowing, and hundreds unable to get seats,
went away disappointed. / obtained a seat early,
in front OF the clerks desk John Quincy Adams
sat in the Speakers chair, facing Mr.. Goodman.
The whole space on the rostrum and steps was
filed with Senators and Representatives The
moment had come. Mr.. Cookman, evidently much
affected, kneeled in n thrilling prayer, and rose
with his eyes blinded with tears. His voice fall
tered with suppressed emotion, as he gave out the
hymn
When marshaed on the nightly plain,
The gittering hosts bestud the sky,
One star alone Of all the train,
Can Fix the sinners wandering eye. r
Hark hurk TO God the chorus breaks.
From every host, from every gem;
But one alone the Saviour speaks,
r II is tho star Of Bethlehem.
Once on the raging seas rode,
The storm was loud the night was dark
The ocean yawned, and rudely bowed
The wind that tossed my laundering bark
The hymn was sung by Mr.. Goodman alone.
can yet, in Imagination hear his voice, It filed
the large hail. and the last sounds, with their
echoes, died away in the dome.
"And saw great white throne and him that
sat on il, from whose face the earth and the hea-
ven fed away, and there was no place for them.
And saw the dead, small and great stand be.
fore God, and the books were opened, and another
book which is tic book of life, and the dead were
judged out Of those things which were written in
the books, according TO their works"
Mr.. Goodman was more affected when he gave
us the text, than had ever seen him before He
several times passed his handkerchief over his ewes
before he began. The first sentences are fresh in
my recollection -" When Masslon, one of the
greatest dvines that France ever knew, was called
TO preach the funeral sermon of the departed King
in the Cathedral, at Paris, before the regning King,
the royal family, the chambers, and the grandees
Of France, he took with him to the sacred desk
little golden urn, containing lock Of hair Of the
late King. The immense congregation was seated,
and the silence Of death reigned. Massillon arose,
held the little in his fingers his hand resting
upon the sacred cushion. All eyes were in
tently fixed upon him. Moments, minutes passed,
Masslon stood motionless, pale as a statue the
feeling became intense; many believed he was
struck dumb before the august assembly many
sighed and groaned aloud many eyes were diff
| fused with tears, when the hand Of Masson was
seen slowly raising the little garden urn his eyes
| fixed upon the King. As the hand was returned
| to the sacred cushion, the loud and solemn voice
Of Massillon was heard in every part Of the Cathe-
dral, 4" God alone is gredt~ So | say to you to-
day, my beloved hearers, there is no human great
ness, !" God alone is great" The subject was the
day ofjudgmcnt. had heard il preached before
many times, but never as heard il then. The
immense congregation was held almost breathless
with the most beautiful, sublime, and powerful
sermon / ever heard. lie spoke of the final sep
aration in the great day Of judgment, and fancied
the angel Of the Lord locking the door that opened
to the bottomlcsspit, stepping upon the ranrparts,
letting fall the key into the abyss below and drop
| ping the last tear over fallen and condemned
man. He closed, :" go to the land of my birth
to press once more to my heart my aged mother
and drop tear on the grave Of my sainted father
| Farewell, farewell" And he sank oveipowered t,
his seat, while the whole congregation respoude,
i with synpathiZnp tears sa