Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-02-01
Rev. james DOugherty, D. D.
BY LEV. Z. Il. HOWARD.

The preacher whose discourses have in
structed and stimulated me more than all the
rest put together which l have ever heard,
was long the pastor of a Congregational So
ciety in one of the mountain towns of north
ern Vermont, Rev. James Dougherty, ID. D.,
of johnson. 1t is doubtful if Mr.. Dough-
erty ever received salary Of over five hun
dred dollars per annum. He was lrish-born,
but American in all his instincts, and educa-
ted at one of our best New England colleges,
coming from his sLoe-bench to the halls of
our University early disgusted with Ro-
manism, in which he bad been bred, and in
communion with which he formally remained
until be reached his majority. Communion
with the New Testament and Young's Night
Thoughts, Of which he was very fond. and
which he at one time very nearly committed
to memory, together with the Gospel Mes
sage on the lins of victorious Methodist
itinerants. rescued him from the slough Ct
unbelief and despair into which he had at
first well-nigh slipped, and introduced him
into the glorious liberty of the sons of God
For many years he had been known in the
State OF Vermont as profound and versa
tile thinker and, as in his prime, apreacher
of extraordinary eloquence and power-a
preacher uniting in himself the Arminian-
ism Of the Methodist the liberglity of the
broadest school IN philosophy, the humility
of the most rigid Calvinists, and the fervor
pathos, and simplicity of the most ardent ex-
perImenti.list. Stationed, in the same vii
lage where he settled, for two years, |
was permitted Only occasionally to listen to
his ministratlons-he even then having be-
come aged and infirm. But | have heard
single sermons from the anonted lips of
that preacher that contained original matter
enough-true as divinity, and as fresh as
fhouub the ps,pater had ravar read hooE in
his life-to stock Ealf-a-dozen Of some of our
wandering stars whose orbits are as wide as
the east Is from the west. Alas to think
that now. in the feebleness of extreme old
age and superanLu uatiOn, his lips will never
blow that rare gospel trumpet again
Permit me, while | happen at this time to
have my pen still in hand, to recall a single
instance Of the impressive effect of this able
preachers pulpit oratory. One Friday after
noon soon after my arrival in town, | ven
tured to attend this good doctors prepara-
tory lecture. / was stranger but attra cted
by his local fame, / determined to improve
my earliest opportunity to hear him. l
found, sitting in the lecture-room desk, a
man of very venerable appearance and of
sedate coUntenance having a wide and lofty
brow, wel-crowned by locks OF iron-gray.
His discourse was mainly for the benefit of
some young ChrstIans-the fruit of a recent
and very precious revival preparatory to
their being examined and "propounded" for
admission to the church HIS slightly for
eicn accent, his quaintness of speech, the
constant surprises lie WAS inadvertently
spriDging upon MS, the tenderness of his
manner, the pathos of his tones, and the
fearful eyes that often accompanied an allu-
sion 10 the name Of Jesus, all conspired at
once to riyet attention, and TO captivate both
thought and feeling
At length his discourse to the young people
was concluded. Then by way of conclud-
ing remark, he turned for a moment to those
who were already church members, and in a
most effectiouate and impressive manner,
with sweet melancholy smile playing on his
aged features. he sud And now, o We
people of God as if it were in his heart to
have added, Aud now, what shall / say to
you" But at this point his rising emotions
stirred mp apparently 10y the vast significance
OF the style of address lie had employed
suddenly interposed, and lifting up his hands
and his face beayenward, with streaming
eyes and voice now raised to its utmost
wailing pitch, he reiterated the words 80
ye peop!C # God
The effect Of this utterly unpremedited
and unauticipaied sally, may be far more
easily imagined than described. Few indeed
were the eyes in that auditory in which did
not tremble the moisture of a tear. Then
ensued a momentary pause. How WAS the
preacher safely to descend from this giddy
height With the most perfect dellberation,
he wiped his face, and then in subdued and
tremulous tones simply added ; "God for
bid that MS iN' st0Hd prOCe a m0ckery. IL
WAS enough the rich substance OF many
longer sermon. Long ! carried the blessed
effect Of that wonderful appeal upon my
heart. have heard IN my lifetime nearly all
the eminent diyines and pulpit orators, at
least in this country but | am free to state
that the aforesaid artless. unpremeditated
utterance ON The part of that village pastor,
in that humble lecture room, on that quiet
Friday aft, moon, was by far the most i'm
pressive and eloquent appeal to which it was
ever my fortune to listen Chronicle.