Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-10-13

about TO utter-and announced hl'
text: Peace | leave with you: my
peace | give INTO You
HE began in the same calm, simpl,
way. A natural, manly candor certi
fed the truth of every word he spoke
The voice-at first in tone, and swing
ing. as it Were. in long. wave-like in.
fiections-grew gradually deeper, and
more equally sustained. There wa.
scarcely any movement of the hand:
or arms: on V now and then the finger
was raised. or the hand gently spread
and waved. As he warmed in his dis
course kind of celestial grace glim-
mered about his person, and his pale,
thoughtful face kindled and beamed
with holy i.ght. His sentences were
entirely simple. There was no rhetor-
ic, no defamation or display. Yet
the soul of the hearer seemed to be
fused in a spiritual eloquence which,
like white flame, burned all the per-
sonality of the speaker away. The
people sat as if they were listening to
disembodied soul.
but the appeal and the argument
were never to passion, or prejudice, or
mere sensibility. Fear and horror,
and every kind of physical emotion, so
to say, were impossible in the calm
ness and sweetness Of the assurance of
the Divine presence. 1t was Father,
whose peace was inherited, whose
message the preacher brought. Like
a father, pitieth his children, so the
Lord pitieth His children, said he, in
tones that trickled like tears over the
hearts of his hearers, although his
voice was equable and unbroken. He
went on to show what the children of
such a Father must needs be; to show
that, however sinful and wandering
and lost. vet the Father had sent to
tell them that the doctrine of wrath
was of old time; that the eye for the
eye and the tooth for the tooth was
the doctrine of an imperfect knowl-
edge; that faith which was truly child
like knew the Creator only as pa
rent; and that out of such faith alone
arose the life that was worthy of him.
Wandering princes are wel cried
the preacher, with profound ecstacy
and exultation in his tone, while the
very light of heaven shone in his as
pect-wandering princes are we, sons
of the Great King. In foreign lands
outcast and forlorn. grovcling with
the very swine in the mire, and pin
ing for the husks that the swine do eat;
envying, defying. hating. forgetting
but never hated nor forgot; in the
depths of our rage and impotence and
SHIN the darkest moment of our
moral death, when we would cruelty
the very image of that Parent who
pities us-thcre is one voice deeper and
sweeter than all music, the voice of
our elder brother pleading with that
common Father-'Forgivc them, for
give them, for they know not what
they do!'
"He sat down. but the congregation
did not move. Leaning forward, with
upraised eyes glistening with tears,
and beaming with sympathy, with
hope, with quickencd affection, they
sat motionless, seemingly unwilling to
destroy the holy calm IN which with
him they had communed with their
Father. There were those in the fur
thcr part of the church who did not
hear, but their mouths were open with
earnest attention, their eyes glisteped
with moisture; for they saw afar off
that slight, rapt figure, and so strong
was the common sympathy of the au-
Gience that they seemed to feel what
they could not hear"