New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-30
PULPIT SKETCHES.
THE rev. JOHN r. PAXTON, ID. d., OF THE
WEST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,

hanaa of worshjp was erected Carmnost at the head
Of vasick In 1891 IT was abandoned, and the present
church was completed and occupied IN 1854 under the
ninistry Of DR.. Hastings.
Fronting on Reservoir Of the most attrac
tive among the lesser psFks-with southern exposure
the site IL exceptionally attractive. UnhapPy, the
cramped and insufficient ground nearly smothers the
structure among the great dwellings that shut IT closely
In but the bold fertile genius Of Wrey Mould, the 40
compshed architect has produced OF such rare
and finely ordered proportions, that every cultivated
wayfareF pays IT, Involuntary the tribute OF haisur
prised admiration Mr. MOuld innovator and
played mad prsnks among the architectural convention.
alIes Of the time Almost the first man TO insist upon
the Free bold use Of color, his Unitarian church In
Fouithaye, with Its Venetian landings Of Caen and
pressed brick was for years butt OF dcu until the
conviction slowly but steadily well to the front that
the architect right and the incubus OF brownstone
monotony must In some way be got rid Of.
Tue use of polished granite columns In the Res
eryoir Square Church, brilliant innovation in relig
lous architecture Indeed that canoped porch with Its
exquisite basrelevos in Caen is in the finest Venetian
spirit and is by rash conclusion that the en-
tire front elevation, with its boldly cOntrasted masses
and beautiful rOn-work and crestings stands almost
unique in its picturesque completeness The interior ts
perhaps the best possible management Of the problem Of
difficulties in which the lacking elements were square
Of almost equal desno sideghts and no perspec-
flves in place OF columns therefore, the ingenious de-
sgner resOrted to four roundbeaded arches
rising from the four Sides and sustaining vaued sky
hight or quadrangular lantern. Narrow galleries cross
the three sdes and the fourth filed with great upper
ehOrspace with the organ divided either side, and TIA
derneath coisterke space for the pulpit ana Its co.,
venencA Theirs 10 lavish OF polychrOme and ara
besque decorations but the pulpit is seemingly over
Whelmed crushed into obscurtty by the overnanging
structure and in unturgo church the chief point OF
interest that is the pulpit and it's occupant are meta
pboricaly hidden under bushel.
h.ho
Dr. Paxton even by an architectural blunder will pres
emily appear. great congregation, Of attentive and
cultivated people, fills the church. The voluntary breaks
the silence with group Of bold modulaons and stirring
harmones door at the end Of the pulpit platform opens
and firmly KNIT erect figure, with half soldiery bear
ing In academic gown, brskly along and '~nns
quietly into armchair behind the pulpit. The swo I
or the gown. which, or both
MILITANT PRESENCE.
The first impression favors he sword and the gown
seems almost tut Of plscefor the head modelled after
the type Of the athlete and the short cropped hair Of
brisng iron gray creeps well the forehead leaving
but Q strip above the boldly arched flexible
brows. Besides there is dairtly trimmed moustache
Then the cheeks uddy and muscular while the almost
delicate lines Of the chin and mouth suggest lurking
sensibiity either for merment or melancholy Certain
IL there is hint Of the eccesac Tho blue eyes do
not SPARKLE but they beam brightly enough under the
heavy ds There deep lines craven here and there by
there pulling suggestion Of contendnG maturity and
boyishness
He springs to his feet and seems to spring into the
opening petitions Of his invocation with importunate al
most impetuous urgency. strong Virgnian sccentf
with absolute for the arts and elegancles
the olocuonist characterize the dying voey OF simple,
glowing words which seem to master the speaker, with
Gvehemenoe of which he Is unconscious He winds up
as he began-wth an abruptness almost startling. The
service is something Ike bold free sketch Of the Epis
copal prayerbook Is read with the impetuOus
imperative pace in thoroughly realistic manner 1t
the business and the only business Of the day.
erenty, too, with deep SAVIOR OF JUNCTION and fervor
warming 1T all the way through The feeling Of double
parsonage gives way, and stirring hotboOded, great
hearted evangelist stands before u.s. he burts bis
Christmas texts.
His spontaney and simplicity at times inexplicable.
There is almost bucoo roughness Of slmie idom'
which IN different man would pass for aRectatOn:
but the rustcty in Dr. Paxtons method is Doricit s
bred in the bone Like the vernaculsr of Burns the
Ettrick Shepherd, and conventlonshsm will i'm
prison Its vgor or take away It's fascination
He reads his sermon, but he writes he talks that
have the freshness and drectness OF personal CON-
Enncaton There Is neither art srtinco IN the
discourse. It Is rather q homogeneous growth about
very positive central purpose which mistake
Is rather the rafting recitstive Of Overu
than the elaborate brsin-Spinnng of bOokworm Not
that the doctor Is not q reader.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SERMON.
His discourse was hecked all the way through with
chance illusions, references, quotations Of homely
pleasant and picturesque sort but the substance Of It
was Of home creation outburst OF ripe convictions
glowing emotions, OF exhortaton, admOnitiOn and
decOrous irony In turn, hot and heavy Now flush OF
sympathetic humor swept all faces under finely
masked pleasantly; but much Ofener there heart
20 heart struggle with the tremendous pathos OF the
speaker who in his boisterOus progress sweeps all the
strings Of emotion and that with no light hand.
He 10 an orator not only in the warmth ana brhancy
OF his conception, but in its strength and
commanding Individuality. He is necessarily,
therefore, O staccato, imperative man, and men
are compelled to hear and attend to him whenever he
opens his lips And such o life abounds in large ex-
uberance and endless variety of wellfed mountain
stream, perpetual fountain Of natures handling
There s nothing stale, or commonplace secOnd-rate
In hs Intellectual experience Hedoes not feed his flock
on hay canned meats with him II is the living pasuraSc
of his own best, heartiest experience
Most possessed Of such luxurious full flushed
temperament would easily lose Roadway under the heat
or pressure OF public duty and fall into all manner of
tnfelictttcs and quagmires Of expression; but the
doctor reOlces In steadily poised, weLadusted nature
that carries heavy s securely through heaviest seas
fine quality Of prudence trims his restless fancies 30
there healthy, orderly atmosphere in his speech and
It's enecvcness and pungcncy honest average Of
the for he has not caught the trick Of thR ruokman
In dressing out hs f-a show Of beauties on top to be-
gue the unWay, with plenty Of windfals end nubbins
underneath. His stock runs honestly the same all the
way through and II s watered" The preacher Is
IN cptns not from sheer GlugSsh good nature nor from
logical mpulsons; but habit he looks for good and 20
ands IL In every thing and In every Thrown BY cir
eunstaaces into tho Swiftest of ne-ofen the
dareSt and deades-he has kept hts faith sweet ana
sound In man ~ IN his God He may fall into righteous
anger and indignation. on occasion, but there viii DO
found no bitterness cyncism in all hs boraers
he never IL caught &C loose ends In ha speech or
writing HE brilhancy and intensity do not Affect the
most sensitive cancns Of literary form. II power-res
tive sometimes in violent ebultiOE-6ur always power
under strong. unfaing hand. There might here and
there b suspicion Of intellectual Hloyenness or un
concern Of structural grace, tho rare simplicity and
AnanA.as.1a.s -