Weekly North Carolina standard., 1857-12-02
THE REV. GEORGE. G. GOODMAN.

Mr. Cookman, the talented Methodist minister, who
was chaplain of the United States Senate, and SUBJ
sequeRtly lost in the steamer g. President"
The following sketch from the "reminiscences Of
the Hon. O. H. Smith, published in the Indianapolis
Journal, will be highly interesting to all who re-
member the eloquent preacher and sterling man:
1t was Sabbath morning The last of the city
church bells ringing as left my boarding house
on Capitol Hill, a, Washington city, for Wesley
Chapel. 1t was quarterly meeting. The preacher
had closed his Sermon when there arose at the desk
slender spare man, about five feet egh, dark m
plexion, black hair falling careessly over his high
forehead lean, bony face, wide mouth round breas-
ted black coat with velvet falling collar black vest
and pantaloons. Addressing the congregation, he
said: I'VE 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 the congregation" and took his seat. A large
collection followed. whispered to Patrick u. Good,
OF Ohio who sat by NE, "Who is that?" Z" Don't
you know him? 1t is George G. Goodman"
The next Sabbath went to the chapel again. Mr..
Goodman preached. returned satisfied that he was
no ordinary man. The election for Chaplain OF the
Senate came few days after, and without the
knowledge of Mr.. Goodman, privately suggested
his name to the Senators around me. The most OF
them had heard him preach. He was elected Chap
lain by decided vote the Rev. Henry Slicer,
against whom there was not the least objection but
we wanted TO bring Mr. Cookman more prominently
before the public The next Sabbath he preached
his first in the hall of the House, to very
large congregation, from the text: "The sword of
the Lord and of Gideon" He made profound i'm
preston on his hearers that day, which seemed to
increase with every succeeding sermon.
II is not my purpose to sketch the many sermons
OF Mr. Goodman during the time he was Chaplain Of
the Senate, the most of which heard He was
clear, distinct and powerful preacher. The remark
able clearneSs of his mental vision enabled him to
see and describe whatever he touched so as almost
to make Panl, Silas, Peter Mark and John stand be-
fore you he named them His tone of voice,
he warmed with his subject, and the tear stealing
down was irresistible As pulpit orator, take him
all in all, he had few equals and superors, that
ever heard. There no place for choir whore
. Cookman sang. His voice melody itself ]
heard him in the >enate Chamber on the funeral oc-
casion Of Senator Belts of Connecticut The Cham
ber crowded. The President, Departments,
Foreign Ministers, Senators and Representatives
were there. | distinctly remember one of his figures
of speech.
"As the human family come upon the great stage
of life they find at every fork Of the road the finger
board distinctly pointing to the grave-to the grave
There is other road to travel from infancy TO old
age and death but the road that leads the grave"
There was not a dry eye in the Chamber when he
closed his sermon of one hour, he sang alone the
single verse Of the hymn
And must this body die
This wel-wrought frame decay?
And must these active limbs of mine
Lie mouldering in the clay?
The session of Congress was about to close upon
the administration of Mr. Van Buren, The inaugu-
ration of General Harrison to take place.
Mr.. Goodman had all his arrangements made to visit
England on the steamer President. The first dis
patch from the new administration to be conf
ded to his charge. The next Sabbath he to take
leave of the members Of Congress in his farewell SER
mon The Gay came. An hour before the usual
time the crowd was filling the pavements Of the
Avenue, and pressing up the hill to Representative
Hall, which was soon filled to overhow!ng, and hun.
dreds unable to get seats went away disappointed.
| q in from of tha cla 20 dpSE
John Quincy Adams sat in the speakers chair, ia
cling Mr.. Goodman. The whole space on the ros.
trum and steps was filled with Senators and Repre-.
sentatives The moment had come. Mr.. Goodman
evidently much affected, knceled in thrilling prayer
and rose with his eyes blinded with tears His
voice faltered with suppressed emotion, as he gave
out the hymn
"When marshalled on the nightly plain,
The giitterng hosts besud the sky,
One star alone of all the train,
Can nix the sinners wandering eye
Hark! bark. to God the chorus breaks,
From every host, from every gem,
But alone, the saviour speaks,
1t Is the Star Of Bethlehem.
Once the raging seas rode.
The storm loud the night dark
The ocean yawned, and rudely blow ID
The wind that tossed my laundering bark.
The hymn was sung by Mr.. Goodman alone.
can yet in imagination hear his voice, as it filled the
large hall, and the last sounds, with their echoes,
died away in the dome.
{" And saw great white throne and him that
sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fed
away; and there 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 the 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 him before. He sew
era times passed his handkerchief his eyes be-
fore he began. The first sentences are fresh in nv
recollection:
"When Massillon, one of the greatest divines that
France ever knew, was called to preach the funeral
sermon of the departed King, in the Cathedral at
Paris before the reigning King the royal family
the chambers, and the grandecs of France he took
with him to the sacred desk little golden urn con.
tanning lock of hair of the late King The i'm
mense congregation was seated, and the silence of
death reigned. Masson arose, and held the little
urn in his fingers, his hand resting upon the sacred
cushion. All eyes were intently fixed upon the
King As his hand was returned to the sacred
cushion, the loud and solemn voice of Massilon
heard in every part of the cathedral God alone is
great" Sol say to you, today my beloved hearers,
there is no human greatness, God alone great p"
The subject the Day of Judgment. l had
heard it preached many times, but as heard
it then. The immense congregation was held almost
breathless with the most beautiful sublime and pow
erfu sermon ever heard. He spoke of the final
separation in the great day of Judgment and fanccd
the anger of the Lord locking the door that opened
to the bottomess pit. stepping upon the ramparts,
letting fall the key in the abyss below and dropping
| the last tear over fallen and condemned man. He
| closed
II 60 to the land Of my BIRTH to press once more
to my heart my aged mother, aud drop tear on the