The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-04-06
miscellaneous.
%
a PATRIARCH AND APOS'
TIE.
New York Observer.

New York Observer.
-t the elements were
So mixed in him, that Nature might stand
And say to all The world, THIS WAS MAN !!
No other man so completely
filled my ideal CT one of the an
cient patriarchs as the late DR..
Plumer. If Michael Angelo had
! carved him in marble for Moses or
| Abraham, the world would have
admired the genius that could in.
vent such a model for hero OF
the early ages.
| He was an old man when young.
I knew him when be was fifty,
and then thought him to be seven
ty. Not because of infrmity. He
was strong when the "strong
men" are wont to "bow them
selves" But his dignity, gravity,
solemnity, impressed you with a
sense of the venerable, and made
you feel his presence as that Of a
father.
[ remember when be first ap-
peared in the General Assembly
with bis great white beard. DR..
Robert J. Bre ckinridge, a mem
ber also, said to me with his over
flowing humor: 'Plumer ought
to have given US notice that he
was going to bring that beard
with him ; then we might have
been ready for him-wby, that's
good for twenty votes" 1t was
g splendid beard. Long, soft, fine,
silky, kemp with elegant care, at
once an ornament and a defence
against cold, it seemed to become
him as natural and necessary to
complete his figure.
Majesty was the word that |
would apply TO him, as the most
expressive term. When he rose
in the pulpit, or appeared on the
platform, Or in the midst of a great
assembly, bis personal appearance
struck 20 the heart Of the au-
dience. They sat wondering what
could BE- said worthy Of such a
source. And his first words were
always chosen with great care.
Perhaps it was an epigram. Per-
haps an incident. AS when |
heard him in Pittsburgh COM
mence his sermon in words like
these: q sermon Of consolation to
those in affliction: i am told that
seven young mothers arc lying
dead in this city! On how many
in this house are the badges OF
mourning! And, oh how many
hearts are breaking that hang out
no signals of distress Aud then
be said: ave are all sinners, and
therefore are all sufferers. Thus
having fastened the attention Of
all, he poured the oil of the Gospel
into sheir wounds and bound
them up with the promises of
God.
He was wonderfully appropriate
in his preaching. 1t is probable
that he often decided on the sub
iect after coming into the pulpit:
but his discourses were carefully
elaborated, and he had hundreds
at his command which he could de-
liver with or without a monent's
notice. | was with him in the ante
room of a church in Brooklyn
where he was to preach for me.
We had selected the hymns ap.
propriate to the sermon he in
tended to preach. After going
into the pulpit he surveyed the
audience, and turning to me, he
said: Il have determined to
change my subject: PRAY FOR
ME-"
And then he preached with
such fervor, freedom and force,
that one who had often heard
him, said to me, Il never heard a
better discourse"
His stores of anecdote for the
illustration Of divine truth were
abundant and always ready tor
use. Only DR.. Guthrie equalled
him in this. In his letters and
essays for the press he was happy
in a story that fitted the place.
He would often relate them for