Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-11-12
A Fashionable Church.

ta A taSlllOIlaDe Clufcl.
Come gentle reader let us go to-day, in iuiagiOn-
alton at least, to fashionable church-one with
an organ, g choir, carpetted aises, rented pews-
with two thousand or twenty-five hundred dollar
D. ProgTsssiOnist or Young Ap1srican as Pas
tor, And that you may not charge us with hypoc-
racy, let Us go others do "to see and be SEEM;
put on therefore, your best apparel, and let Us go
] early and take prominent position, that we may
the better observe the multitude as ostensiby they
"COue up to the worship Of Godp s.a
We are there but finding no conductor, or sex
ton seat ourselves about the centre Of the house.
Presently. however, very thin man, whose fea-
lures in fact are whitfield of to the very point of
mental attenuation, informs US, The pew you oc-
cupy is mine please let my friends here, and my
family have it." SO politely indeed are we invited
out, that we almost feel obliged to the gentleman
though fortunately for our equanimity and comfort
an acquaintance across the way beclons, and VIC
| enter another seat, soon to have our attention
rested by the firm elastic step ofa plump sleek red
/ complected well-fed looking gentleman dressed in
black, bearing In his right hand kid glove, a
smooth silk hat, and white handkerchief; 10 bis
left, a silk umbrella, gold headed walking stick,
and buuch of rose geranium he approaches,
and seats himself in the sacred desk and for awhile
we muse on the vanity of all earthly pretensions !;
and wish for some one TO reconcile the lavish cost
of the magnificent church edi6ce, with the beliefin
the eternal loss of soul5,--fOr want of the breed
Of lie-which from the extra cost of the rich vol
ute, hypertbyrUn, and entabIature, might have
been conveniently furnished to thousands of per
sons who will otherwise perish in their sins Bui
Hark thai rustic Of dress
Stiff With lavish costiaessn .a.r
worn by one, who with lofty air, sweeps along,
and after ecitiDg general attention reaches TIE
door Of her softly cushioned paw, and twirs her
self in it.
After reading the 9th Psalm Let the people
praise thee God d--let all the people praise thee
o let the nations be glad and sing for 10y" ETC.
the preacher announces the hymn The deep tones
of the organ ere beginning to reverborate along The
walls; and looking up. We see that all the pret,y
girls aud rsH dressed gentlemen have approached
the railing, are standing erect, and singing delight
fully. " Let az the people praise thee" said the
PsaImist-those in choir, constitute only a por-
tion of the people present. Why do not the others
sing2 Ia the meantime, however, the widows and
orphans, the common people such as more than
once heard Jesus gladly--and the poor, such as
in the days of the APOSTLES had the Gospel preach
ed unto them seen Growding into the aises. and
impatienty waiting for the too sIothful sexton TO
furnish them back seats, uncuaiOqe9, and beneath
the gallery. But see their confusion What
means their batting looking back, and swaying
to and fro )? Ah see now. tits all explained for
Here comes one whose cheek would flush. .
Blu, TO have her garments brush
Gainst girl whose fingers thin
Wove the weary 'broidery In
And the midnghts chIi and narke.
Stitched her life into the work;
Bending backward from her toll
Lest her tears the silk might soil:
Shaping from the bitter thought
Heart'sease and forget menot;
Satirizing her despair
With the emblems woven there?"
All seated, the minister holds up his hands, and
the people of the congregation rise to their feet,
and the preacher very prettily tells God where lie
is-how long He has been there-what he has been
doing, and probably that some of the people will
expect Him here soon, etc, etc During the
prayer, lovers exchange glances, ladies observe
each Others dresses and bonnet trimmings and the
gentlemen, many Of them doubtless think Of the
cost Of wife, aud daughters ieEelry, and the ap-
preaching hard times. The text-from the 2od
verse of the Psalm Just read That Tsv 1cvs
may be kaorcn upon earth. etc, becomes the apollo
gy, the pretext to sneak mere clercally the ia
sis Of lengthy dissertation upon Natural PLiloso-
ply and the wisdom of the world in general. In
the discourse there is place 20 rear the cross and
nothing which points to Christ
Another flourish Of wordI, denominated
prayer, and which scarcely touches upon the real
wants OF the audience, and We hear from tie rul-
pit
"Praise God from whom all blassinEs aow.
Praise Him all creatures here below"
And again the organ sends forth deep and sos1ri-
Gus tones, and few of the members of choir Who
tslep during services, added TO those who chanced
to be sufficiently interested to remain now chime
in but tbsy have It all to themselves "the cres-
lures here below" are silent as tho tomb, the D.
temeu, probably from fear Of making horrible dis
cord, and the ladies, regarding it iaelegant to
opeu their mouths wide enough TO sing below
stairs,
And now, my gentle friend, how hre you pleased
with the house the Pastor2 and the woFshipers:--
And are you surprised that their is SO ite real
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