The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-12-16

ginia, he preached from brief notes.
His sentences were short and pithy, ant
when his soul was fired by his subject
he would throw out thoughts that woulC
fall upon the minds of his hearers with
an almost irresistible power Some Of
the most eloquent andimpressive thoug hts
l have heard from the pulpit, were ut
tered by him when his mind was enkin
died by his theme, and without any pre-
paration. He loved to preach: and
Christ and him cruci6ed constituted the
great theme upon which he delighted to
dwell.
REV. SAMUEL BROWN.
Samuel Brown was native of Vir-
ginia, of English and Scotch extraction.
He was born in 1766, studied at Liberty
Hall, and was licensed to preach in 1898
After few years spent in missionary
work, he was settled as pastor at New
Providence: and here from 1896 to his
death in 1918, he passed the remainder
of his life in faithful and successful la
bors. He died in the full vigor of all
his fine powers, and in the midst of his USE
fulness, deeply lamented by his devoted
people and the whole surrounding coun-
try. He had none of those outward
personal graces that often render oratory
attractive. He was plain, simple, un-
pretending man, quite unindebted to thu
tricks of art. Yet such were his talents,
his power of argument, his soundness of
judgment, his experimental knowledge
of Divine truth, and his deep piety, that
his preaching was always emnently in
structive, impressive and attractive. Dr..
Ruffner remarks that among all the
preachers he had ever heard, Mr.. Brown
could best unravel the intricacies and
solve the doubts of experimental reli-
gon. He was fond of preaching from
texts in the seventh and eight chapters
of the Epistle to the Romans: and here
he displayed the skill of master. Pro-
foundly as he discussed these deep pro-
blems of Christian experience, he was
still SO lucid and practical in his exposi-
tions, and made the truth so plain even
to common minds, that none thought of
the profound wisdom of the speaker,
"just as a mountain lake will seem not
to be deep, because its limpid waters en-
able us to see the bottom distinctly. >
Mr.. Brown is said to have resembled
Rev. James Turner, his contemporary and
friend, in this respect-that his ordinary
pulpit exercises manifested no remarka.
bic power. "But on extraordinary oc.
casions," remarks DR.. Rufner, "they
both could rivet the attention, and mas
ter the souls of their hearers. Turner
awakened the sympathies of the heart,
and made his auditors laugh and weep
without their knowing the cause. Browns
was the luminous eloquence of the un-
derstanding-not dry nor cold, but the
warm radiance of truth, that charmed
the intellect. He thought deeply, and
sometimes pondered long, before he felt
prepared to bring the finished compost
ton into the pulpit. When he came
forth with one of his matured discourses,
and had suitable audience, he preached
to the understanding with power seldom
equalled. Without having written a
word, or perhaps given to single pas
sage of the discourse fixed verbal form,
he spoke in a style simple and una
dorned; he made the path of his thoughts,
original and profound as they were, quite
as luminous as common preachers can
make the course of their common place
ideas. He exhibited old things in new
points of view and new relations, so that
the trite topics of preaching came forth
fresh and bright from the workshop of
his intellect -
DR.. Alexander, in his own autobiogra-
ply, speaks of Mr.. Brown as having a
mind like President Edwards, to whose
writings he became early attached-not
remarkable for quickness, but profound
and sure, free from the alterations to
which men of greater vivacity are ex-
posed. His highly original mind was
constantly employed in thinking out diff
ficult points in theology, and be became
a profound theologian even before he
had completed his course of study. eff
he had possessed advantages of person
and voice." remarks DR.. Alexander, "he
would have exceeded as preacher all
that ever heard. Though he had a
fine eye, and much benignity of counte-
nance, his face was plain, with a slight
distortion of his mouth, and certain
efflorescence over the cheek bones which
was unsightly. Nevertheless he was a
clear, original, powerful, and often elo-
ouent preacher. Even his voice became
forcble and penetrating, when toned by
strong feeling; and he succeeded in COM
municating to his hearers the elevation
of his sentiments and the benevolence of
his feelings He excelled in apt illus