Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1911-06-16

to hear him understandingly without
an effort, which may account for the
fact that his pastorates have been for
the most part. among churches and
in towns far humber and smaller
than his talents and learning would
otherwise have commanded. In the
pulpit he is striking figure and a
study. Tall, slender, straight as an
Indian, his closely cropped beard
and hair. what little he has, as white
as snow, dressed in becoming digni-
fled black clothes, calm, earnest and
houghefll, bu ndle of nerves. agile
of movement. all unconscious of him
self-a kindly, benevolent face and
expression-something like this, and
yet fur from it, is the picture of DIR.
Hearon. DR.. Price once said: "Hea-
ron is Nebulous. You can't get n
hold upon him. he is elusive, and still
he grips you tenderly yet strongly as
with "hooks of STEEL" and holds
you, that is, if the substance of which
you are made is sufficientlySstrong to
prevent his hooks pulling out as he
pulls up, for all his pulls are upward.
HIS manner, as speaker-well, its
his. No man can copy it. No need
that he should concern himself with
patent right protection. 1t is perhaps
equally true, that few men would
ever want to copy his manner, unless
they could at the same time, assim-
llate his matter. A poor staff in the
hand of little Gehazi was insignifi-
cant, and perhaps ridiculous, but
what whacking Elijah did with it,
was wonderful to behold. DR.. Hearon
is nothing if not peculiar. On Thurs
day he preached great sermon, and,
of course, there was the peculiar fea-
ture all through it. He appeared in
the pulpit with small silk cap OH
the top of his head to ward off the
cold. This would have looked odd as
'sky piece" for any other man in
pulpit, but on the shapely head of
DIR. Hearon was just the thing. 1t
was Hearonism. No doubt his crl.
tured wife had she been present on
the occasion would have thought SO,
too. In fact, the writer forgot all
about the cap and the handicaps, as
he proceeded with his great sermon
sermon, the like of which we sell
dom hear these days. The theme,
"Chrst and Him Crucified, the Sum
and Substance of the Gospel Mes
sage" That old sweeping hymn, as
truly an inspiration as the saying of
the Apostle from which it was taken.
was inspired "In the Cross of Christ
Glory, " was announced and read
through in DR.. Hearon's own impress
sve manner-itself a sermon, which
seemed to make deep Impression.
Pity twas that the ministers and peo-
pie present didn't sing it more ear
nestly than they did. All Methodist
preachers used to be great singers.
The sermon-I forgot to look Mt my
watch at close. and forgot all about
the speakers peculiarities - the
f4earonisms, so deep and interesting
was what he said. He said that Christ
was the sum and substance of the
Bible Story, of Christian doctine and
teaching, and of Christian experience.
These three topics he elaborated.
There was pathos, science, theology,
rhetoric, poetry, sociology, geology,
astronomy, natural history, and
through it all the evidence of deep,
religious experience, which had been
piled up within him for years past.
Some of his gestures and his articula-
tion and manner at times would have
given an elocutionist the shivers, but
what matter! Sanctified weakness is
stronger than unsanctified strength.
For, as he read, "the weakness of
God is stronger than men,"
The writer tried, at first, to listen
to DIR. Hearon critically, as a report
er. but couldn't do it, and gave it up,
hence this poor and inadequate pic
ture must be accepted for what it is
worth. You have heard of the man
who "went to mock and remained TO
pray" went, perhaps, to criticize,
but remained to forget to do it.
Reporter.
DIR. McALLISTER.
The address last night by Rev j.
1 IN ltnN1 G-l1