God had created him for an especial mission. His existence in
time was his chrysalis condition; to make this as nearly perfect as
was possible to his nature, he was gifted with mind, passion, and
propensities--the former to conceive and control the discharge of the
duties imposed upon him in this state: this done, he perished as to
time, and awoke prepared for eternity. These ideas were impressed with
a logic irresistible to the enlightened mind--not clouded with the
bigotry of fanaticism--and an eloquence so persuasive and sweet as to
charm the heart and kindle it into love.
He never burned brimstone under the noses of his auditory, nor
frenzied their imaginations with impassioned appeals to supernatural
agencies. He expounded the Scriptures as the teachings of men. His
learning was most profound, especially in the languages. He understood
thoroughly the Hebrew and Greek. He read from the originals the
Scriptures, and interpreted them to his hearers, as to their meaning
in their originals, and disrobed them of the supernatural character
which an ignorant fanaticism has thrown over them, and which time and
folly has indurated beyond the possibility of learning and science to
crack or crush.
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