Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-25

! preaching OF MI HAMMOND, but we give some
OF our impressions of him. He is an extemporane-
Gus speaker, and always breaches from HIGH plat
form where he can get as near hishearers as posi-
bic, and be seen from head to foot It is said that
John E. Cough speaks with his coat-tail sometimes
as effeetuay as with his tongue, and certainly we
! have seen some good ideas, or shades Of meaning
| communicated by Mr.. HAMMOND from the platform
which would have been lost behind an ordinary
pulpit. You may call his gestures, and action on
the stage, theatrical if you please but we can Ger
tainly see no reason why the Devil should have all
the good speaking and acting, any more than .sall
| the good singing" Wesley said. Then again.
the singing from his little book, the Praises of
Jesus as published by Bradbury, is made a pow
ertui means of conveying truth awakening the sin
ner' directing him to Jesus by some pointed SEN
tence often repeated in lively tune or expressing
the JOY of the believer who has found the Saviour
Not confning himself to any order of exercises he
often rests himself during his protracted sermons
after some exhausting effort, by singinga hymn, at
the same time resting the audience by a change of
position by their rising, and ventlatng the room.
His discourses are also sardwiched by an occa-
slon"i short. strong, earnest prayer the audience
bowling their heads, and sometimes wsentcnces
are repeated aloud after linn by the people.
lie is wonderfully successful preacher How
does he do it: What is his system? We can only
answer what think about it. If Il man of strong
bodily constitution, and with the other physical
qualifications, prepared by thorough education
with good abilities, good fund ofchoice language
and fine natural powers Of eloqucnce and inspired
by grea zeal and eXhaustless energy starts ont in
early life to prepare himself and devotes his whole
soul to one subject and with one object in view, he
can almost always do wonders. Nature has done
more than We have stated for Mr. HAMMOND. and
the grace OF Con has done the rest The result of
his success is his strong earnest faith and his more
than magnetic power Of impressing his hearers
with the saving faith in Jesus He breaches only
on one subject, but that is as wide as the world
faith in Jesus repent believe and be saved - Just
now. He comes INTO town, or to an individual
with confident assurance that admits Of 10 doubt
and insists nay, urges, with en immoyabIe finn
ness that that town or person can and stat and
must be converted from the error of their vays and
turn to Christ. He IS SO sure of it that YOU cannot
help believing him, and generally he has his own
way about it. But this on course is only the low
est aspect Of the matter, behind and over it al is
the unseen but deeply felt power Of Con which ac-
companies this mans words. ana which soon IN
ables rs to forget the messenger and heed only,
the message. Without parallels spake he moth
ing has been Mr. HAaINaNp's lesson i. rhetoric.
Not that he is destitute Of powers of persuasion
and alluing in the ordinary forms Of DuI1it elo-
quence or that he fails to use them. Ii is evident
he could preach as splendid thirdly and G4,rtIlr
sermons as any man. But that snot his business
He Is a mental artist his sermons are pictrres 10
be seen and felt as well as heard His powers of
Illustration are admirable and ineyharstalla
point which any amount Of plain reasonif, v.o,,1l
not convince you of or make clear. Won nj cpca
concede and remcmbertoreyer aftcrin corseorerca
Of some little narrative about q tree or I,,nc og
moss. or incident of foreign travel "a description
of some picture which Won almost sec ao,ir ,,i,+
ed on the wall "a dangerous bridge q slcnber1 and
a lamb,-o some scripture incident in which
he shows you meaning You never saw before. or
perhaps single comparison conveying world Of
truth and meaning like skiIlful stroke Of pencil.
Are his meetings very solemn Ifitis solemn
thing to see persons shedding tears for their sins
and for the suff erngs Of a crucitied Sayiour then