Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-03-05

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The writer cherishes very peculiar and
tender interest in THIS lately departed
divine. from the fact that the latter was the
very fist preacher he rememh her, ,Ver 10
have heard. Never will he forget his
mothers taking him by the hand. while YET
a mere boy. and leading hin one evening, in
the winter time, to the old country school
house GA Dorset street. where a revival of
religion was in progress. Nor will be ever
forget the pale face, sanity and shorn. nor
tie solemn mellow, tender, pathetic .o..es
OF that preacher, rs with great esrnestness
and junction. he said Now let u all kneel
right down here and pray" think |
must have been the only one present who
did not kneel. distinctly remember feel
ing that that was truly very solemn place.
That young preacher was thelate Stephen
d. Brown, then stationed in Burlington.
and since - deseryedy distinguished
throughout our connection
From the hour that / first pat eyes upon
| him and heard his voice in that old school
house, not unnaturally $. d. Brown was
my ideal preacher When youth, though
as yet unconverted. never spared any
pains to hear him-at that period, without
a doubt, Nv far the most popular preacher
OF the whole Champlain Valley Ii was
| always enough, almost any where in Yves
/ tern Vermont. TO announce that Stephen -
Brown was to preach, TO cram any church
! on that territory. Since the days Of Noah
Levings, there has probably been TO sach
universal pulpit iayorte in all that region.
Meantime, whenever, from time to time. he /
revisited Burlington, nothing could have 1
dlssuad't the writer from attending his /
services. aud listening to his matches di-- !
cOurse--Ilcourses which always proved n .
charming a. impressive Indeed. ~ deeply 1
was he wont 10 fix h!- tex:s IN my mind and /
memory tba; evrn u lhi- day | can prOha-
bly rehearse quite every teXs from which
have ever heard him speak On q certain
occasion. in the old Methodist Chapel. on
White street, he discoursed on They
have Moses and the Prophets" etc. and |
had only got fairly planted, as thought,
IN my pew, when to my astonishment the
Bible was closed and was hanging breath
less over the closing sentences Of his most
impa> sioned and impressive peroration.
turned To look at the clock Thirty-fy
minutes had elapsed Time. in nv ease
had, under the spell of that wonderful
VOICE, beVn practically dunlhiiuteu.
DR.. Browns oratory wa- chaste, ornate.
yet emlnently popular. Ills hueney wa,
very remarkable. and. tow ards the close Of
a sermon. often rose TO yehemence. His
voice, in his prime already intimated,
was wonderful acknowledgements TO
even the subtlest movement of his emotions
and. IN various ways, the best adapted to
pulpit uses-t0 all the purposes Oh sacred
oratOry-of any have ever heard twas
melodious, energetic, admirably suited 10
his ryhmical, flowing sentences more than
this, 1t had IN 1t tinge OF sentiment and
pathos which at times gave it remarkable
power, while in its characteristic csdences,
there seemed ever to he sounding the echoe, ,
of the unearthly life.
One great source Of DR.. Browns power
with the people lay doubtless in his chasten-
ed, yet imperial Imagination. He knew
how, as very few preachers do. mos, effect
lveiy and gratefully, to surprise his hear
ers with striking, vivid, impressive Scenes
Though fresh and vigorous thinker, Il
diligent scholar, singularly apt in his way
OF putting things, and always fully abreast c
Of the times, perhaps DR.. Brown greatest {
strength lay in his sympathies. lie had +;
a great heart and it always melted as he con- c
templated the cross, and the sinners awful !
peril. Often have | heard him with an ,
uuSoit1Af WIN Tue uDCOu- a
verted, leaning over the pulpit, while tear r
after tear followed each other down his !,
sweetly moarnful iace-the tears in his :
voice. meanwhile. being even more per=ua-
sive than those which sutfused his eyes
But he has gone. How vide the circle Il
that will mourn his loss! Every one Of q
the many churches ne has - effectively
served will :ell personally and deeply be
reaved. The faithful minister, meantime, n
has passed on to meet the loved ones who il
have preceded him to the better land, as \
well as the thousands whom IT bad been h
his joy On earth TO lead TO the cross. "
Those once eloquent lips are now silent "
Those eyes. so often fearful, will weep no =.
more. When shall We ever see MS like ,,
again On whom will his prophetic mantle :.
alll K. Ii. IA. :,
Hudson, Mass. Feb. 20.