Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-14

A PULPIT SKETCH.
Rev. Thomas II. Stockton, n. D.-Hls Last
Sermon in Philadelphia.

Rev. Thomas II. Stockton, y. D.-His Last
Sermon in Philadelphia.
One OF the most imposing pulpit scenes
witnessed in Philadelphia for a long time |
was on the occasion of Rev. T. II. Stocktons |
closing sermon in Philadelphis, on Saturday |
evening, the oath ult prior to resumiug his |
duties as chaplain OF the National House of |
Representatives at Washington. DR.. Stock
ton, strangely enough, exhibits increasing
mental vieor as his physical powers decline.
He is at once a brilliant analytical thinker,
a devoted and fearless preacher, wonderful |
orator, poet, aud an Independent theo'ogian,
ard 50 ems daily 10 sustain these character |
isiics in higher degree. His eection--ws |
mby say his repested re elections to the |
Congressional chaplaincy are not more COM
plime ntaTy to him than they arc creditable |
TO the sppTeciatve ssgaGity of that august |
body. He is, in fact the clergyman among |
ten thousand for that position. Wholly in
dependent in his ecclesiastical views, he of. |
iends no orc by even the accident of denomi- |
national bias; singularly grave and devout |
in person, be impresses all who see him with |
the sarctity of his Office; possessing the fer |
tility of true genius, every subject be touches |
is invested with interest; classic in his rhe. |
toric, ard almost faultless in his elocutiou,
he holds and peases the most cultivated ear;
self made, he represents the genius Of our in.
stitUtions; polished and atfable in his social
intercourse he wins and retains the esteem
OF citizens and statesmen irrespective Of sec
tion or creed.
The church was filled in every part. When
the devotional services-conducted by Rev.
Or. Krautb-were concluded, the venerable
looking, though not sged minister, so feeble
in body rs TO be obliged to deliver his ser
mon slttiug, prefaced bis discourse with
few in mpromptu remarks The choir had just
concluded the hymn containing these beauti-
1ul words:
"B'est be TIE tie that biuds
Our hcArtv in Christian love;
The ieiiowshiP + sindred minds
Is lize TO that above
The preacher, repeating the last two of these
lines. and giving the is in the latter W .th
bis peculiar aIched emphasis, said the enjoy
ment Of this was heaven upon earth. He
Continued have just closed my fifth year
of irregular minister rial services this tune in
Philadelphia. During this interval we have
WoTshiped in National Hall, in Jayne's Hall,
in Washington Hail. in Handel and Haydn
Hall, in the Assembly Buildings, and in the
little ball where we row are, on the corner
of Thirteenth and Girard-avenue any
where, in fact, where we could find refuge.
If ask why this has been, | shall probably
lie told, "Psrtiy on account Of your delicate
health; partly on account Of your absence;
but chiefly because OF the fact that you be-
long to noue of us" "And yet" be con-
tnued, Il should very gladly belong to any,
and desire above all else TO belong to all.
After serving a congregation some time
since, they determined TO make me life
member by the contribution of fifty dollars,
by IS many mem bers contributing the sum
of one dollar each, and so | was made, aud
suppose am now, a member of the John
street Methodist Episcopal Church. Any
one, every one, so it be one of Gods love.
A congregation that has no church of its
own may occasionally borrow one. 1t is in
this way that we are permitted TO meet here
to night We have Sabbath School 10
which | feel a deep interest; this cougrega-
tion has generously consented 10 take it un-
der its fostering care, and it is my desire that
the CoutribUt tiops to be taken here tonight
will go far toward providing for the peces.
sary expenditures in its behalf during the
winter"
He then announced his text, 1st Cor, xiii,
ii, in these words:
'When was child, spske as a child, l
understood as a child, thought as a child;
but when became man, put away child
ish things"
The analytical treatment of this text was
comprehensive and beautiful. The apostle,
be said, here spoke of two changes: first,
change in this life, and secondly, change
in the life TO come.
He proposed first to consider the change
etc. Surely these were intensely interesting
topics to begin with-the child, the man,
and the difference between them. In ex,
smining them, be began with the infant.
The infant of week or two old, what q
wonderful thing it was Neither one of the
famed seven wonders of the world, nor all of
them combined, were, he said, as wonderful
nor balf as wonderful, as a fine little child,
an all-aliVe infant. Behold it. said the
speaker, (apparently bent upon his subject
with the deepest philosophic interest) There
was in it no indication of hardihood or
coarseness, or of power TO take care ofitself
In mute innocence, it simply claimed the
attention OF intelligent love. It's soft, deli
cate skin was ruddy with the perfect circu.
lation of its rich, red blood. So plump and
round, it was dmpled all over. In taking
it up it must be handled with Rentleness.
1t WIS., indeed, full of bones, but these were
still in their gIizzle, as plrke had once sad
of America. And then, its little lips, how
delicately they we're chiseled, and curled
like the blushing petals of rose And il
we kissed them, how soft and fragrant was
its breath, and how glossy and ailken its
hair This picture, as drawn by the preacher
was exceedingly graphic, and no DOUBT
awakened ajoytul response in many q moth.
er's heart. We confess that the exquisite
touches of DR. Stockton's rhetorical brush
invested the subject Of babyh with new
CUdILU even 10 us.
But he had, as yet but portrayed the 5o1y,
and merely the outer surface of that. The
wonderful operation of the little lungs, heart,
and whole internal viscera of the week or
two old bumsn breather was next referred
10. The greatest wonder, however, was yet
unnamed-the infants soul He had said,
take up the baby gently; handle its body
carefully, because that might perish; not SO
the soul.
But why had he said 80 much about the
intent? some one might Inquire. Paul said
nothing about infants 10 the text; he speaks
of The child that understands aud speaks
a cbil0, we must observe, speaks according
TO bis understanding. To little boy Of FIVE
years, the house Ia which he lived, the street
in which be played, or, perhaps, the city and
its surrounding gardens, were The world
The sun ard stars were, TO him, no larger
than they seemed to be. He looked not al
things philosophcslly, but poetically; not
like man OF learning, but like savage. To
him, what affected his plays and sweetmeats
were the most important interests in the
world. At that age, in fact, the child was
nomore1han playful little animal. Some
mothers, he knew, expressed a wish tha
their darling little one, at this interesting
period, might always remain so yet uothiDe
could be greater mistake; and if those
making the wish should be taken at theil
word, they would weep tears Of blood ovel
offspring dWATfed in mind aud body through
all their years He, the preacher, had him
self sometimes thought that he would civ,