Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-04-16
More Ministerial Experience, &c.
CoNconp, N. II. March %. ,6:

J
the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vinss'
For an apprentice, it was a well-built sermon.
The same man is now, and for some years has
been the pastor Of one of the largest churches in
one Of our New England cities But he has done
taking the foxes" though they are making
sad havoc among the vines. They are now, to
him, interdictod game.
was so well pleased with the sermon, that
went Immediately into the preparation of one
from the same text And among the "little
foxes" enumerated Tobacco. the frightful use
of which seemed to me hindranco 10 the prev
alcncc of a pure piety. But the sermon never
was delivered. For before n convenient OPP
pmtunity came, had discovered that tobacco
was no "huic For" but a shiny, loathsome
snake, as poison in his tooth, as he was hateful
in his touch-and far better symbolized by the
seven loaded dragon in the vision of Patmos,
that pulcd out of his salvated multi mouths, a
food, "to destroy the woman and her child"
So that sermon was so much labor lost.
! went myself to the Theological Seminary
with mouth and pockets full of tobacco. Ny
father and my minister were both great smo-
kers and never to my youthful fancies, did
religion appear more lovely, than when over
thcir pipes and mug of cider, (our cellar was
famed for its cider), they sat before our huge
kitchen ilrc. and held solemn discourse upon
its doctrines and its mysteries. Mysteries,
which, as they said, the natural man could not
comprehend.
The hidden things of the pipe and mug, were
however, revealed to me quite carly; and to tho
sacramento of cider and smoking, came, liter
ally, in tho days of my youth" Indeed there
was a pretty general millennium at that time,
in respect to the spread and practice Of these
two Articles of Faith" oil over the country.
The Temperance Hcrcsy however, "crcpt
into houses" Afterwards, and lied captive many
silly women" and men, too, myself with the
rest, so far as the cider was concerned. But
not SO with tobacco. Upon that. there was
wonderful perseverance Of the Saints. And
went into tho study Of Divinity, with checks
puhred out with the sickening wadding, as with
the mumps. So did several other.
But, (withont moro triling), my purpose
was q sacred one. My aspiration to the minis
try, was Of the holiest character. Accordingly
abandoned tobncco as a part of the sacrifice to
be laid upon The altar of temperance. So,
however, did not all my fellow students. Nor
have they yet. Neither is it a matter of won
der. For the very first pulpit / entered to
preach, had spit box in it as large as the Bi.
bic and hymn book both and literally hcaped
up like muck wagon, with exhausted quids.
And that side of the pulpit, was completely
frcscocd with tho spray of the spittoon, or from
the fountain itself. from whence issued the
stream.
was sometimes sent for to assist brother
ings as they were called, wo used to converse
with each one separately, and in an under tone,
so as not to be heard by the nearest person pres
ent. Some of the Old Ministers made this, in
effect, real "AWiealar Confession"
Now could you have seen what have seen,
when / thrust my face into that of some old,
veteran tobacco chewer, to whisper with him a
few words on the state of his mind and heart,
you would have felt that the work Of purifca-
tion should begin much nearer the surface
The blood of whole prairies of bullocks, could
not cleanse such unclcanness. When ho would
open his mouth to answer my questions, you
can have no idea what a cavern yawned before
me. The waters of Avcrnus wero pure as Cas-
Italian fountains, compared with the submcrsion
have seen in many a mouth, at such q time.
The pillows would bo surging up against a
shore of snagscd teeth, or toothless gums ,on ci-
thcr side AS you looked inward and onward,
you would discover in the distance. a huge
qud, lifting a hemisphere of itself above the
surface, like a floating island. The sight, and
ono inhalation of the poor sinners breath, if you
dared to breath, soon made you forget that you
had asked aitor the state of his soul.
have witnessed all this and more. not fit to
be told. And 1 have seen old ministers con-
ducting these conversations, with their own
mouths in just such conditions. And moro than
that; when vcntured to allude to the subject
in public meetings, they heve sharply rebuked
me, for tuning aside from the truth of the gos-
pei, to what at BEST they said, was only max
ing clean the outside of tho cup and the plat
tor"
| In one OF my parishes, had venerable dea-
con, who in religious zeal against other sects,
and sinners in general, might have furnished
the Scottish poet thcme for another Holio
Willie" One day, at q conference in the
church, / asked him to offer the concluding
prayer. Whatever might have been in his heart,
it was soon upparant what was in his mouth
He stepped forward and leaned his hands up
on the back of tho next pew. At the end of
every period he made, (and they were not long),
no spirited great mouthful of the pure extract
over on to the floor of the pew before him,
which fell with splash, that in the silence,
| echoed through all the arches and recesses of