Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-11-23
From tie Lexirgton Observer.

lady traveller recently passing through
| Mobile. Ala. visited the grave of this eloquent
Methodist divine. She says it is. marked
only 10y few bricks and not even rose q
violet or forgei-me-not are planted there."
| Mr. Mafit was well known in this ciry as well
as throughout the South and West, as one of
the most eloquent. remarkable and success
| fnl speakers that ever graced the pulpit
! That his grave should be thus neglected
while there yet are living thousands who
have hung in rapt admiration on his words
and. p rtaps. profited fy his teachings is a
burning shame. We have heard much pulpit
/ eluqnence. but none like his. No one that
We have yet listened to. could I'll like him
t4Ic thrilling, melting story IF the Cross. So
earnest his manner, sublime and touching
his words, so musical his voice, that v hen he
wal med with his subject, it sc, med as though
! an angels finger hid touched aud fii I'd bis
| lip with insl iration. He follow ed, in its
fight, the Star of Bethlehem whence IL r, Sc
in beauty DER Jndea's plains. along its pain
f"l cNurs.'. until in glotm aud blood il darkly
! set on .Calvary's Mid heights with a fancy
truly woRdrous. You felt when he closed as
though awakened .r"m some splendid dream.
This man OF genius -of unearthly eloquence,
died lit.rNly Of a broken heart Tha, such
| would he the manner of his death, he seemed
himself 10 entertain a presentiment, years
| preceding The sad event. AS an evidence of
this, during his first visit TO this city, some
twenty years since, while we were sitting in
| bis company on an occasion where lively
| party OF ladies and genil men were assembled.
/ IN The pause OF an animated conversation h-
brow suddenly b. came cloud d. and, abslrac-
teddy, he feeiingly quoted these lines:
Thou soon wilt reach thy home,
Poor wOu ded heart, farewell
The pun thou II feel in breaking
less better far ill be.
Than that long. deadly aching,
Tits life has been o thee"
The manner of his death. as we have heard
it described was truly touching and sad. vet
linked with the BauiifnI to which he was
ever earnestly devoted. After being
driven about and fairly haunted down by
malignant foes. he at last found a retreat Of
quiet in the house of friend, who kindly
opened TO him his hospitabie doors. After
he had here remained for a short time, the
accomplished daughter Of the gentleman
whose guest he was, sat down to play and
sing mt his request iavoIte air. When The
song was done size and turned TO find
her listener. who had sank from his chair.
lying at full length upon the floor dead
His spirit had pass, away while the words
Of tavOrite melody. gushing in softest ca
drnce from the lip OF b' auty, fell upon his
ear However sad, it WAS. perhaps fitting
time and place for him 10 die--to obtain re-
lease from griefs that rested too heavily
upon him for mortal well tn bear. Passion
aieiy fond OF music. (and none could slug a
swecter song than himsclf) it was pr, per
that his LIES lamp should have been cxIiu-
guished while its haTmonies were ringing
about his troubled soul.
Mr. Mafii's visit TO This CITY was the first
occasion we had ever had an opportunity to |
hear him. H. Game unheraded. and preach- |
I'd bis has sermon on Saturday. There |
were but a very few present. His exordium |
was so mild aud in 80 low a voice, aud alto |
grther so unlike what might have been ex- |
p,ctcd of him, that some time after he had |
commenced, friend whispered 10 us that |
surely cannot ne Maffitt." Scarcely had the |
words been utter d. when the speak RS voice /
was raised to a high pitch, and with passion |
ate enthusiasm CLOWN upon his face. he |
addressed himself 10 the erring: Come OUT |
Come right out. Ike Him who came down ]
through STARS, and suns. and syst ms, and |
announced himself to angels, to men. and to
devils. Why should you be- ashamed to az
knowledge Him who died for you % and |
never b, fore or since have we listened TO a
m"ie eloquent or stirring appeal from the
pulpit. than was contained in The remainder
of his discourse. lie preached after that
some forty consecutive SCI mons, and The ill.,
tcrcs' he eXcl, d i'll his first fort never flag
ged on any alter occasion. When he preach
al his farewell sermon every seat in the
house was occupied. while the isles, the lob
We have never seen 80 large an audience so
deeply affected; for many an eve
Unus"d TO the melting mood,
Dropr'd trars as f'st rs the Arabian trees
Their medicinal gum
After he left here he preached in several
of the adjoining towns. and on each of these
occasions throngs from This city followed
him. We think il was ait,.r his visit here hat
he was appoint, d Claplnin 10 Congress- aud
No minister i'm this caDacjfV- III WAS then said |
had attracted such numbers 10 hear him. His
farewell discourse was so markal,le for its
great beauty that the lett,r-wriierS from
Washington were in exsiacies about it, and
reported brief extracts which were largely
copied into the papers. The concluding
words of that address were very impressive
and beautiful. They were given by one OF
the lctter-writcrs TINS: ITO that mighty
Congress gaih,rcd from all nations-to the
gr al assembly OF he First Born in Heaven
i would take your recogu zance and bind
Won over ia appear. TIL, re may meet Won
all: and may no shade OF ministerial unfaith-
fnlncss there dim nv brow, and 10 palor or
duty neglected or opportunity lost, fall upon
yours"
In rcgard to n monument TO Mr.. Maffiit
the late traveller ref FRED to in the comm, n
cement of this article. prrrincntly asks: "if
every person whom Mr. Maffitl has received
into the church, or who has in any way re-
ccved spiritual benefit from his preaching
should contribute the small sum Of one dollar
wonder if it would not build him very
nice monument; something better. al least.
than this brick pavement
Being of those who deemed Mr.. Mafitt
perS, cuted man and harshly and ilIibcrally
Judged hy many during his life in the minis
Try. we have thought it but Justice 10 his
memory 10 make this alluson TO him.