The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-09

hAiAAA5 lCLlOulOIduCCo VI LII OudPlu
himself. And DR.. Chapin's spirit
still kept possession of me, for look
ing up from the front pew, where l
was seated, could see on the wall
straight before me, not many feet
away, at the right of the pulpit,
somewhat indistinct- it hung in
shadow-but very life-like medallion
profile of him, which showed that
rugged strength of features, that ma
jestic energy and earnestness which
characterized the living form. /
heard DIR. Chaplin often in his best
days, on the lecture platform and in
the pulpit, and l could almost i'm
agine him standing up in his old
place today, facing his large audience,
reading his hymns and his Scriptures
with force and beauty of intonation
seldom heard, bearing the people
heavenward on his uplifting prayer,
swaying and charming them into
ecstacy of feeling by his splendid ell
oquence and poetic images.
The contrast between DR.. Chaplin, as
/ remembered him, and the man who
actually occupied the pulpit on this
occasion, was marked, thought it cast
no belittling reflection upon the
latter. DIR. Eaton's decided ability
as pastor and preacher has been
amply attested by the handsome sue
cess he has achieved in his continued
charge of that parish. DR.. Chaplin
was, physically, stout and thick-set;
and he wore full beard; DR.. Eaton,
though not thin, is rather slight and
delicate in figure, and has fair COM
plexion. His hair is dark, his fore
head high and full, and except his
slender mustache, his face is shaven.
Like his predecessor he wears glasses.
DR.. Chaplin used a manuscript al
ways in preaching, and was with
momentary exceptions, closely though
not objectionably, confined to it. DR..
Eaton has never, when / have heard
him before, appeared to have writ
ten sermon in sight; on last Sunday,
however, he read for awhile,or seemed
to, at the beginning, then he stepped
aside to the left and the right of the
pulpit alternately and extemporized
with great ease and exactness.
His voice is pleasant, winsome, but
not powerful. His manneri is polished.
He INDUCES in no startling attitudes
and is moderate in his gestures. His
style is not by any means dull or
common place, and yet it is not
strained nor the least bit sensational.
He succeeds, which is the main thing,
l suspect, in holding the attention of
of his listeners, in satisfying their in
telligence, and in stirring their emo
tions, not by boisterous or vehement
or surprising oratory, but by bold
diaphanous reasoning, sprinkled with
frequent well-chosen illustrations.
He is of course cognizant of the
latest thought in religion and other
literature, and he appreciates proba-
bly, what is best in it, but he does
not appear to have suffered any un-
dermining of his faith. / was glad at
any rate to hear him pronounce upon
us, in substance, the benediction of
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
He selected for his text, Jobs pa
thetic exclamation: "Oh that | knew
where l might find him, Dob xiii 81
wish I were able to give in this
brief sketch of his discourse, his
exact language, but this l cannot do,
and shall not attempt, for took no
notes.
He began by quoting few SEN
tences of Froude's high praise of the
book of Job. He agreed with that
distinguished historian, and others,
in considering the book of Job as
among the greatest works in litera-
ture, ancient or modern; that it is a
grand epic, fictitious yet profoundly
valuable for its ethics, high religious
aims; that it is as much an invented
drama as any Of Shakespeare's COM
positions; that it is froG an unknown
time and an unknown author; that it
deals principally with an unexplained
and unexplainable problem-a prob
lem regarding human suffering.
Job had been visited with various
awful calamities, and his "orthodox
friends" who went - and honestly
doubtless-to condole him, insisted
that his singular and repeated mis-
fortunes were just punishment for
his sins. This Job candidlY denied.
He had not in his own consciousness
been such a wicked man as their
theory implied. He had desired and
tried to be just man, to do his duty
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