Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-03-21
Rev. w. T.. fEunSey.

The following notice of this gifted man is
from the pen Of Thomas D. Houston, Of Viz
GINA, and appeared in late number Of the
Fsncastze Herald. It will be appreciated by
those of our readers who have heard Mr.. Nun
sey preach: -.....
''On Sunday it was announced that Munscy,
the great Methodist preacher, who, coming
forth q short time before, 9 sclEmade man,
from tho backwoods Of Virginia, had electrified
the largest and most respectable audiences Of
the United States, by the brilliancy of his &C.
Mus and the power of his logical eloquenee,
was to preach that day in the Presbyterian
Church Cat Lexington, Va, Sept. l5th.) In
consequence, the house at an early hour was
filled to overlooking. Among the congregation,
rs we were informed, attracted ththcr by the
reputation of the man. were very old cltlZenS,
who had not attended divine service for many
years. =,
accompanied by several of the local ministers,
made lis appearance. A singular-lookln man
-one well calculated TO attract attention III any
crowd A tall, but thin and apparently ieoble
| frame an emaciated lower face, but u brow,
whose lofty and massive proportions were indI-
cativo of strong intellectual powers nervous
| eve that moved restlessly beneath what seemed
| from where We sat, white eyebrows, llght
| hair clipped close to tho crown, and the general
appearance of man in the prime of life, seem.
ingly not over thirtv-iive years of age, Ills
manner Of reading the opening hymn dlsap-
pointed US. 1t did not come up to our expecta--
TONS His voice was sweet enough, but seemed
to be very feeble, and IL struck us a. the time
| that he had fallen into that almost universal
| fault of preachers in reading sacred poetry, OF
| dwelling longer upon the last word OF each line
than tho sense Of the sentence required. This
| fist unfavorable impression, however, WIS soon
| to be removed. .
His text was taken from Psalms, chap eli;
verses, 25, 26, q, %. s
OF old hast Thou laid the foundation % the
earth and the heavens are the work OF my
hands, sc.
"GoD !-lTwas grand thomc, and grand!y
was it handled Ii Irresistible logic clothed in
gorgeous imagery; if the utterance OF thoughts
that thrill the soul and subduo the mind; il
fervent language that seizes hold Of tho heart
and yet, by force Of the ideas j! embodics,
speaks to the intoloct if Il great power Of raa-
soning, combined with richness Of mag lnstion;
| if the faculty Of making an audience tl1'E ano
feel at ono and the same time; If these const''
tute eloquence, then surely Mr.. Munsey is an
orator, in the nobicst meaning Of the term.
| His argument against materlalism, in tho dis
| course of which We speak, was concise com
plete, convincing, unansWerable; whilst his
| description of God, US the Great First Cause, rs
| ing to everlasting as the Universal lndivisiblo
Infinite, whose power in the begilnjng created
and whose presence now controls All matter,
down even to the most infnite&simal atom, was
grand in its conception, magnificent in It's rhct-
| Orc, and sublime in its power.
| Mr.. NJ. has been called by some the "Sppr.
geon Of America" Ono Of tho Baltimore pa
pers very properly objects to this soJriq'lct, on
| the ground that there is but little if any rcsCm
blancc between. Mr.. Munscy and tho famou;
English preacher. Spurg aon is a great revival
| ist but his published sermons will not allow Ne
| al n -nrs
other hand, Mr.. Munsey is a great thinker and
reasoner; but the effect Of his preaching thus
fur, scarcely authorizes us to classify him among
| great roVivalists. "