The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-05-25

UrlanQO, 1Ao11
loeician, he was by no means dehcleh
in ability as ttentlOh an'
reason. In his sermons that L near
there were no ecllpses or opscuil.e
Or a~bsurdities. If he did not impress
vo,, bv great cumulative power, n
would give you at least lucid state
ments and clear tracts Of thought.
never heard him when his sermon wa
not clear and W~ell-arranged and thor
| ouehly coherent. But as l nave Sdlt
he was most distinguished Tor NJ:
sweet and abundant elOquence, tina
flowed as from an ineNhaustlDle 1ouH'
tain. and for a rich IMAGINATION ina
delighted to lay fresh garlands o
poetic imagery upon the altar VI III
|Redeemer and God.
have not drawn consciously gu
little upon the address / made. Ii
fact | had not read it in its entirety
in some years, but l now use Wha was
said in order to furnish my readers
with a very striking incident in the
career of my dear and most glfteC
friend. / have somewhere referred
to his being e~nthralled with his sub,
ject when he would speak with won
drous force and eloQuence. Let me
illustrate:
At a camp-meeting held near Hen
derson, then Granville ounty but now
Vance, Granville county, n. c., about
1858 or 1859, he preached on Satur-
day. 1t was a failure for him. Or
Sunday morning he was selected tc
preach again. He assembled the pull
thousand people. He vas very pale.
His text was: How shall We eS-
cape if We neglect SO great salvatiOn.'
He spoke calmly, deliberately, unim-
passiOnedly for a few minutes. Pres
emily his eye began to brighten, his
voice to swell out n play upon that
key that never failed to move and
thrill. His imagination put on her
singing robes, and then for over
thirty minutes such a strain Of supra
mortal e%loquence issued from his lips
as was rarely heard before. He
seemed utterly unconscious Of the
presence Of his hearers. He leaned,
as was his wont, upon the pulpit, his
eyes lifted to heaven, where they con
tinued fastened for perhaps twenty
minutes. His voice was sweet as lutte
or harp, and his grand periods rolled
forth in glorious harmony. His des-
crlptlOns were simply wonderful. The
immense congregation sat spell
bound; a death-like stiffness prevailed,
to be broken but once by the sud
den sWooning Of a lady who sat watch
ing the inspired orator. The tension
was tremendous. 1t appeared, if the
speaker continued IN his unearthly
strain, that the very. heart-strings Of
his auditors would break. 1t became
almost ~unbearable when the great
magician closed. Never before had
any Of that congregation heard such
m11CJC C1cb y,
such pathetic pleading, such entranc-
ing and prolonged eloquence. We once
mentioned this great effort to Mr..
Lowe, n the remarkable effect it
mad upon the congregation. His reply
was, Il remember but little Of the
sermon. l had but little preparation
| only recollect that had no mental
or physical pain-that l spoke with
u any conscious effort"
MT. Lowe died in his mental prime.
A1ter singing UGH marvellous notes
passed away leaving not one finish.
illustrative sermon Of his own. The
u!lns man sung his last and sweetest
notes, and then went to the home Of
the good and glorifed. Rut feu,
sWeeter singers have sojourned in this
land. May his
never 1ade and may his friends who
ioNeu MN n hOnOred him meet him
AGAIN IN those many mansions in
glory, where it is perpetual rest and
b~lessedness. NV
II could afford the expenditures T
Would be glad to print a new edition
!oi my Grafton. | am Of the opinion.
4 mistaken, that. + could not leave nv
descendants and kindred and friends
any better mental legacy Of nv own
l write this as I am approaching nv.
birthday, in August nexf