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Untitled Article
ter for hearing it . On myself , at least , I must say , that it produced more effect than almost any that I have heard in the course of my life . And what was it to which this effect was to he attributed ? - It was not merely the speaking eye and the animated countenance of the preacher , which are the very seat and residence of genius ; but it was his admirable tact in seizing upon such topics and illustrations as were best fitted to call forth the religious feelings of his audience ; and still more , it was the fervour of his spirit and the plain , downiight , unaffected iinpressWeness of his manner . These , all
united , were calculated beyond any thing that I ever witnessed to carry conviction to the understanding and persuasion to the hearts of moral and accountable beings—to lay open all the arts and subterfuges of the guilty conscience—to drive the sinner from one of his strong holds to another , and to fill him at length with an overwhelming determination to devote himself entirely and without reserve to the practice of his duty . At the conclusion of the service the Lord's Supper was administered , and I had great satisfaction in receiving the elements from the hands of one by whom I had been so much edified . Truly it is a beautiful sight to behold talents of the first order thus consecrated to the noblest of causes !
8 th . In the morning I heard M . Basset , fils 9 at the Temple JVeuf ; he gave us a good sermon on the Reformation , of which the centenary had just been celebrated in the Canton of Berne . In the afternoon I went to the chapel of M . Malan , the orthodox seceder from the Geneva church . There were present about two hundred or two hundred and fifty persons at most . The hymns 3 which were sung , the tones of the preacher , and the strain of the sermon , ( from Matt . xvi . 24 , " Then said Jesus unto his disciples , 'If
any man will come after me , let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me / ) all partook of the peculiar character by which the high Calvinistic party is distinguished . The hymns are entitled Chants de Zion , ( Songs of Zion , ) and the preface , which is dated from Pre-beni , ( Blessed or Holy Meadow , ) is addressed to "the Church of God , which he has purchased with his ow ^ n blood ; " and begins , "My dearly beloved brethren , we are the redeemed of the Lord . * ' Ex his disce omnia . * With the manner of the
preacher I was thoroughly disgusted . He had that insipid , mawkish whine of the voice which some persons mistake for the evidence of a devotional spirit ; and then there was such shutting and turning of the eyes , and such raising of the eye-brows , and in the whole style of the address such an impertinent familiarity , such a gross and offensive affectation , that every one , who was not absolutely blinded by religious prejudice , must have said to himself as I did , " That man has neither dignity nor sincerity of character . "
Thursday , 12 th . At Geneva there are prayers read in one or other of the churches every day in the week , and on Thursdays there is a sermon also on a subject fixed by the Compagnie des Pasteurs , I went this morning , at eight o ' clock , to the Auditoire , and heard M . Thouron preach from Joshua xxiii . He had undertaken the service for a friend , and only on condition
* An English gentleman , resident at Geneva , told me , that as he was one day travelling in ^ diligence , the conveyance went so much to oue side , with a tiemendous jog , that all the passengers started up from their seats under the idea of saving themselves—all , except one young lady , who remained perfectly still . When the danger ¦ was over my informant expressed his surprise that slie had not stirred from her place . "O , Sir ! " she replied , " you do not know who I am . " " No , Madam , 1 have not that pleasure . " "I must tell you then , " she resumed , " that I am a disciple of M . Malan ; and if I were to die this instant it would be nothing to me ; nay , it would even be gain , for I am sure to go to heaven !"
Untitled Article
308 Journal of a Tour on the Continent .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1829, page 308, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2572/page/12/
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