Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-01-05
WONDERFUL 10Y rRnAonnR.

Pascal Porter, the boy preacher, is
asking. This prodigy Is product of
Jefferson County, and Is not IL years
old. When not In the pulpit he is the
most ordinary OF boys, possessing moth
ing that would distinguish him from
hundreds of other boys seen through
out the country. In fact, the cursory
observer would place him below the
average OF Indiana boys. While In q
state Of repose, he is listless, with dull
looking eyes and expressionless coun-
tenance. He walks with an awkward,
stumbling gait, not appearing 10 notice
those things which generally attract
the attention Of boys Of his age. Placed
with any dozen boys OF his nelghbor-
hood, he would be chosen out as the
stupid one Of the lot. Yet this awk-
ward country boy, with his shambling
gait, lisiless air and dull look Is one Of
the wonders OF this century. He is q
preacher, and the leading preacher Of
his peculiar sect, and If his sermons
are his own production he Is the lead
ing preacher in Indiana OF any de-
nomination. He 10 lecturer, and II
his lectures are original. he Is far
ahead Of any man who Is now on tho
platform In this country. This may
sound like rhapsody, but 1t Is the YER
dict Of every one who has heard him.
He Is plain country boy, with little
or no education, and yet In his ser
mons and lectures he uses language
equal to the most polished and cul
tured of the present day.
His thoughts are those of a strong
and original thinker, and his words
are well chosen and those OF all others
that ought TO have been used, express
ing his thoughts clearl, and strongly
His sermons are logical In their ar
rangement and show wonderful and
most intimate acquaintance with the
holy Scriptures.
Not only do his sermons display an
intimate acquaintance with the Bible,
but with current history, and he takes
up and applies current events to eluci-
date and make plain his topic and en-
( rec his teachings. Nor is this all.
They display most remarkable com.
prehension of the Scriptures. When
he states proposition he backs II up
and en!orces 1t with quotations from
the Bible that are exceedingly well
chosen for the purpose.
AS said, out of the pulpit he Is the
most ordinary Of boys, but when he
enters the sacred desk a transformation
takes place. His face lights up and
fairly CLOVIS. His dull eyes sparkle
with enthusiasm and Intelligence
His awkward and shufiling manner
leaves him and he Is a new creature
When he prays It ia with simple
childlike earnestness and deep pathos
that melts all hearts. He prays rs |
he were asking tavors from one will
whom he was on terms OF loving ant
familiar intercourse. His God is ont
who is not aiar of, but who Is very
near, and in whose love he has th,
supremest confidence. Hence h,
prays to Him as such. His prayers, |
uttered in one of our city pulpits
would give the hearers new ideas o
what the Savior meant when he spok
of those who should worship him il
the spirit.
lie announces his text In the sam,
earnest manner, and without an,
apologies or attempts to show off pro
ceeds at once to elucidate his text
He breaches from his text, and In thi
differs from most of the preachers O
the present day, for their texts ar
never heard of after the reading @
them. In many cases any verse il
the Bible would have suited their ser
| xUa1l NO hn tnN.e tl,aNr a
nounced, but II is not 80 with this DO,
preacher. His text furnishes tn
ground work and foundation of hi
discourse.
He belongs to that peculiar sec
known as "eoul Sleepers." The doc
trine that at the death OF the body tn
; ioul went INTO sleep AM remained II
that condition until the final resurrec
ton, when 1t would be united with tn
body obtained an early foothold anon
the followers of Christ, and numbere
among them many earnest advocates
One thing is certain, there is not
preacher In Indianapolis who woul
not gladly father his sermons. ii
: has recently delivered two lectures il
Madison before large and cultivate'
audiences-one on temperance an
: the other on the history and characte
of the Jewish race-that were maj
: wells, and won the unbounded applaus
of the audiences. Like his sermons
his Lectures were models of style, die
ton and eloquence, while that on tn
Jewish race displayed an erudilio
that astonished every one. As sal
before, the language he uses is that c
one who has thought long and well
: and who has had the aid of scholasti
training and extensive reading. Now
. where does this boy get all thisS II
has had no education and has had n
opportunity for extensive reading,
In fact his chances of information
from reading have been very limited
; Are the sermons and lectures his, O
are they the product of some matur
/ and maguifcently developed mind
| committed to memory by himY 1t
) a puzzllng question. In their deliver
their are no evidences of memorizing
There is nothing mechanical about th
, delivery, as may be seen in length
: recitations by even the best elocution
/ lists. There is no pausing and hum
ing around for zone word" Their
are no repetitions or skips, but tn
/. whole is spoken deliberately and with
out any seeming straining, but as
. the boy comprehended the full mean
ing Of all the words he uses and tn
1 thoughts to which he gives utteranct
! II they are memorized, the boy is sti
!. prodigy, for there is not another on
of his years and with as little trainin
? as he has had, who can week ATE
! week commit 70 memory and recite q