The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1861-08-14
THE BLIND PREACHER.

An anonymous manuscript was found
in Virginia many years ago, and published
as Letters from the British Spy," IL
tie appropriate to many of the remarks it
contained. 1t proved to be from the pen
Of Mr.. Writ, now Attorney General of
tie United States. The following beau
tiful extract has been often published and
much admired:
1t was on Sunday, as l travelled thro
the county of Orange Va, that my eye
was caught by cluster of horses tied
near ruinous old wooden house in the
forest not far from the road side. Hav-
ing frequently seen such objects before in
travelling in these States, | had no diff
Guilty in understanding that this was a
me 10 JoIn III UII0 uuvrSS' 80
ton; but must confess that curiosity to
hear the preacher of such wilderness,
was not the least Of my motives. On en-
tering was struck with his preternatu-
raj appearance. He was tall and very
spare man; his head, which was covered
with white linen cap, his shriveled
hands, and his voice were all shaken un-
der the influence of a palsy, and few
moments asccrtained to me that he was
perfectly blind. The first emotions that
touched my heart, were those OF mingled
pity and veneration. But ah! sacred
God! how soon were all my feelings
changed. The lips of the apostles ap-
peared never more touched with holy fire
than were those of this holy man. II
was day of tho administration of the
sacrament, tho subject was, of course, tho
passion of our Savior. had heard The
subject handled thousand times; l hac
thought it exhausted long ago. Little die
suppose, that in the wild woods o
America, | was to meet with man whos'
eloquence would give tho subject new
and more sublime pathos than | had ev
er before witnessed.
AS he descended from the pulpit T.
distribute the mystic symbols, there wa
peculiar, a more than human solemnlt
in his air and manner, which made IN.
blood run cold and my whole frame shi'
er.
ale then drew picture of the suffer
> ings of our Savior; his trial before Plate
, his ascent up Calvary; his crucitixion an
death; | knew the whole history; bu
never till then, had l heard the circun
> stances so selected, so arranged, so colo
: ed2 1t was all new, and | seemed
: have heard it for the first time in my lit
II His enunciation was so deliberate, thu
his voice trembled on every syllabl
> and every heart in the assembly in I'm
y son. His peculiar phrases had that forC
If of description, that the original scene al
,s peared to be, at that moment, acting b
fore our eyes. We saw the faces Of Il
Jews; the staring, frightful distortions
er malice and rage-we saw the buffet; n
a soul kindled with flame Of indignation
,r and my hands were voluntarily and co
=. vulsively clenched.
But when he came 10 touch on the P
Q, tience, the forgiving meekness Of o
is Savior; when he drew, to the life, !
II blessed eyes streaming in tears TO heave
+, bis voice breathing to God soft al
!, - gentle prayer of pardon on his enemi'
70 "Father forgive them, for they know 4
n, what they do"-the voice of the preach
BIT which had all along faltered, grew faint
bo and fainter, until his utterance being
tirely obstructed by the force of his fe
W. ings, he raised his handkerchief to
b eyes, and burst into loud and inexpre
ible food of grief. The effect was inct
cievable. The whole house resound