The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-11-06

strated from the nature of his moral gov
ernment and the constitution he had Civ
en- to man, the absolute impossibiity o.
such persons enjoying any true peace
This position he confirmed by recitine
the Confessions of Rousseau, Yoltaire
and Hume, together with some striking
cases coming under his own observation
He then turned with most searching ap
peal to those of his hearers still unrecon
ciled to God, asking whether their con
sciences did not often testify that they
had never found the happiness they
craved. Here the emotions of the
preacher, which at various points of the
discourse he had with much effort con
trolled, became almost overpowering.-
His benignant face was bathed in tears
for like Paul, and Whitfield, and others Of
the same spirit, he often thus besought
men. 1t was, in fact, sometimes with
great difficulty, and only after consid'
erable pause, he could find utterance.-
Under this appeal the whole congrega-
ton was deeply moved, and many of the
stout-hearted were melted like wax. His
own feelings, though still under intense
action, at length found vent, and were
more calm. With unspeakable solemnity
he next pointed the class he was address.
ing to the future. If they had been like
the troubled sea in the past, what could
they expect in dying hour, and day
of judgment? Here he recited Jer. xii
5: elf thou hast run with the footmen
and they have wearied thee, then how
canst thou contend with horses? and if in
the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst,
they wearied thee, then how wilt thou dc
in the swelling of Jordan ?" If in this
world of mercy, said he, sense of guilt,
and apprehensions of the wrath of God
make you sometimes so unhappy, how will
it be in that hour when mercy is depart
ing forever? when such sense of aveng-
ing justice shall seize upon you as will COM
pletely reverse the very instincts of nature
ITSELF?
In illustration of this last point, he added
-"Suppose, as you are seated here this
moment, you should see the heavens
above suddenly gathering blackness, and
feelthe earth, under some mysterious pow
er, trembling beneath your feet; and you
who are seated upon the mountain should
feel it shaking to its foundation; and
looking up to its top, we should see it
nodding to its fall. What would nature
dictate? We should all flee in horror
from the fated spot. But how complete
ly will all this feeling be reversed to the
impenitent at the last day. O, you vii
then say to the mountains and to th'
rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from th'
wrath of the Lamb; for the great day o
his wrath is come, and who shall be abl
to stand? ?'"*
This was the substance, and in tn
most material parts, the language used
[ do not think it possible to convey t.
others an adequate idea of the impres
sion Immediately produced. The effec
was indescribable. Something, however
may be gathered from a simple. state
ment of what witnessed. was sittin
with other boys close by DR.. Baxter, Oh
the edge of the platform, and facing tn
vast assembly. From the very beginnin
of his sermon their attention had bee
riveted. 1t had increased with ever
step in the preachers advance, until
more complete absorption in the subjec
and consequently forgetfulness of every
thing else, can hardly be imagined. Th
emotion of the crowd now reached il
climax, and an amazing one it was.
have since beheld many assemblies deer
ly wrought upon under a sense of etel
nal things, but never scene to be com
pared to this. Many sitting below an
on the mountain side at once rose up, an
can testify that l saw number of pei
ms turn to see if the mountain was nc
ally about to fall. Indeed, so wrapt wa
y whole soul in the subject, that ais
[or a moment looked up in apprehensio
of such catastrophe. The concludin
hymn had often heard before, but nev
with such an awful view of the la!
Hgment.
"That awful day will surely come,
The appointed hour makes haste,
When 1 must stand before my Judge,
And pass the solemn test"
Among all the instances noticed
history, where whole multitude wei
swayed like forest before some might
wind, l doubt whether there is a MOI
remarkable one than this. When D
mosthenes,-
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