Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-11-03
=" Hard to Please" ("

ing around, will apply to editors as well as
preachers-inasmuch as both arc often favored
with advisers -
Mr.. Jones was once the pastor of a church
in a small country village, in which, as is usu-
ally the case, each knows all about every 9TH
er persons business. The paster and his fam
lily were prominent objects of scrutiny and of
free remark, not from unfriendly feelings, for
he was much beloved. One pleasant morning
in April, he took his cane and set off to visit
the families of his charge. He first met o man
who was seldom at church, who said to him,
'Well, Mr.. Jones, | had the pleasure of hear
ing you preach, yesterday afternoon, sir; and
if you always preached as you did yesterday,
should 60 to meeting oftener. You preached
without notes, and that is what call preach
ing The next man he visited was lawyer,
who very courteously greeted him with Good
morning, Mr.. Jones am happy to have the
opportunity to tell YOU how much we were
gratlfed with your forenoon sermon. It was
an admirably written discourse, and you will
pardon me, Mr.. Jones, for saying that think
If clergymen have not time to write two ser
mons week, they had better exchange more
frequently, so as not to preach without notes
Mr.. Jones was man of acute sensbilites,
and he felt such remarks, but under the tuition
OF his Saviour, he had learned self-control. AS
he continued in his walk, lost in thought,
man ploughing in the field by the roadside ex-
claimed, { How do you do, Mr.. Jones' Mr..
Jones responded kindly to this salutation-
This farmer was an active and useful member
of the church. In the conversation that en-
sued on the subject Of religion and Of sermons,
he said, . If | may be so bold, you preach doc
trinal sermons little too much, Mr. Jones'
have been reading some Of WhitefeId's ser
mons lately, and am taken with them might
ily,-all heart, sir, all heart After a little
further conversation, he went on his way and
called on his aged deacon, eighty years old.
The good old man gave his pastor cordial
greeting, for he loved him; but he thought
the times were sadly degenerate, and taking
tence, and placing it in Mr.. Jones hand, said,
There is a very interesting volume. 1t is a
real treat for me to get hold of one of these
good old-fashioned doctrnal sermons. The
fact is, Mr.. Jones, your modern preachers are
altogether out of the way. The doctrines are
the very marrow Of the gospel 1t is doctrin-
al preaching that we want Mr.. Jones, after
talking on the subject of practical godliness,
and uniting with the deacon in prayer, contin-
ued his calls
As Mr.. Jones was about entering milliner'
shop, he heard female exclaim, Well, DOM
you think it is very improper for ministers
wife to dress as Mrs. Jones does Last Sab.
bath she had two large bows on her bonnet
do think it is inconsistent with the spirit OF
the gospel. 1t is a scandal for christians to
act so.' 'Why Mary said another, | was
at Mrs. Bently's last week, and she said it was
too bad for Mrs. Jones to dress so meanly-
She was finding fault with that very bonnet.
She says Mrs. Jones is lady, and she feels
provoked to see her assuming such a demure
appearance Mr.. Jones left, and walked
home to his study, panied at heart, and dis
couraged, rather than animated by his morn
ing walk. He took up his pen to write,-i
dragged heavily along. He laid it aside to
arrange his thoughts for extemporaneous ser
mons, but his ardor was paralysed. He knelt
in prayer, but was soon interrupted by par
ishioner, who had been absent somo weeks
How do you do, Mr.. JONES' half smiling
and half serious, have been at Harlem
They have quite a revival of religion there
o, they have most precious minister. He
is all the time among his people, visiting from
house to house. They were interrupted here
by another visitor, Mr.. Hay, man of sincere
piety. He, after the usual salutations, says,
Well, Mr.. Jones, / had the pleasure of hear
ing DIR. Simpkins preach, last Sabbath. lie
is most eloquent man. They say he is the
most indefatigable student in the region al
ways in his study, generally twelve hours In
day. How wretchedly those ministers mis-
take who fritter away their time in running
from house to house. There is the minister
at Harlem, for instance, very pleasant and
friendly, but no matter what text he takes, he
always breaches the same sermon. They say
they are going to dismiss him next year, and
get a more eloquent man. The men who live
in the study, and prepare for the pulpit, are
the men who do the most COED Mr.. Hay
and the first visitor, as may we'll be supposed
were soon engaged in an ardent dispute. Mr.
Jones smiled, as he listened few moments to
this contest, and then pleasantly suggested to
them the propriety of embracing some other
time and place for their discussion. AS they
withdrew, Mr.. Jones found his own mind
lghtened of it's transient load, and with a
cheerful heart, he resolved, as he had done a
thousand times before, that he would do that
which he thought right, and leave others to
think and say what they pleased.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. one thus adds few OF
the advantages of modern inventions sOne
boy, with Fourdinier machine, will make
more paper In twelve month than all Egypt
could have made in hundred years during
the reign of the Ptolemies One girl with a
Dower-nress will strike off hOoks faster than