The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-10-13


against that beautiful fascinating wicked
Queen Jezebel, and was come to the conclu-
sion, "if Baal be Gel follow him; if the
Lord be God follow him." he had the port
and mien of the prophet without his hair
and beard And whenwith plaintive tone,
he cried bending over the audience and point
ing to the door" Ohpass not that door till
you have decided for God and then calm
ly sat down-men have paused awhile be-
fore they would go Sut;-and some have
looked for another door to pass through,
that they might not pass the mysterious line
his pointing finger marked. Then Wilson,
with sermon on Reconciliation to God
through Christ, would carry the people to
the cross of our Lord in abaSement.
Hill from Winchester, that splended spe-
cimen of manhood inperson and in bear
ing. would sometimes visit Fredericksburg.
And if he encounter a thunder-shower IN
the Piedm0ht of N.ginia, aid,aSss drenehed
5sss seSereek, or Soraich oieZSssrfa
or Bull, or any of those streams that in
their swellings taught Virginia boys and
horses how to swim, he was none the worse
fitted for the pulpit after little refresh
ment. Then such text as, "Escape for
thy life; look not behind thee; escape to
the mountain lest thou be consumed" be-
came living thing in his hand. Excita-
Bile and exciting; with voice of great
compass, and we'll modulated to express the
strong and the gentle emotions, entirely un-
der his command, he never raised the war
whoop of the Indian, the halloo of the wood
man, or the shout of the boatman, or spoke
in an inaudible voice. He always remem'
bered that he was a minister, and was deal
ing with men, to whom words were the pro-
vokers and food of thought, and the voice in
its tones was the vehicle of both thoughts
and feelings, and avoided the extremes of
sound, never deafening, he was always
heard. When he would impress, " Escape
to the mountain, the clouds of Jehovah S
dspleasure would begin to rise-and there
would be mutterings of thunder, and then
the roaring of Sinai, then raising his hands
and starting back like one alarmed at his
own vision, with an agitated voice of depre-
cation, the hot thunder bolts of Jehovah S
wrath would shoot Kissing by; and multi
tudes have bowed and shrunk as if to escape
the bolt. The whole was inimitable, it was
so natural. And Hill himself would proba-
bly, set forth another storm of wrath, while
he would not attempt to repeat the last.
Then Wilson came onNwith-
Escape to the mountain"
"For Adams lost race Christ hath opened foun-
tain;
For sin and pollution, and every transgression. y
It would be "lilse Tho clear shining of
the sun after rain
Those communions of the first ten or
eleven years of the pastorate were few and
never forgotten while the hearers lived
There is some lingering remembrance still
along the horizon of life. And what Won
der if in these delicious meetings the good
ladies seemed to themselves to hear some
tones of the sweet songs of heaven, and to
see some glimpSes of the hills of glory; it
only awakened greater thirst for the pure
waters of life, and for an entrance into the
celestial city.
In after years, when Samuel Davies Hoge
could come from Culpeper, and preach the
Gospel in the simplicity and directness of
his father; and Harrison, from Alexandria,
with his didactic sermon after the Prince
ton mould; and Andrews with his plain,
simple teachings of grace; and Rice, from
Richmond, with his rich overfowings of
Gospel treasures these were times of great
spiritual enjoyment; always leaving Wilson
with stronger hold upon the affections Of
his people. So things went on through re-
vivals, and communions, and times of trial,
as the members could not continue by rea-
son of death, till the pastor was called by
the Church to another field of labor 1t
would be but repetition to go over the last
half of his pastorate. Mr.. Wilson was
blessed with success in Fredericksburg, and
was beloved by his people, and loved them
to tho last