Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-09-12
Queer. Sermon by Hoosier Minister.

The Brandon, Mississippi Register, re-
ports the following curious sermon, preach
ed at the town of Waterproofs, not far
from Brandon:
& may say to you, my breethering,
that [ am not an edecated man, an I am
not one of them as bleeves that edecation
is necessary fur gospel minister, fur I
bleeve the Lord edecates his preachers jest
as he wants 'em to be edecated, an, al
though say it that oughtn't to say it, yet
in the State of Indiany, whar live, thars
no man gifts bigger congregation nor what
[ gifts. Thar may be some here to day,
my brethren, as don't know what persua-
sion am Nv. Well, may say to you,
my brethren, that I'm Hardshell Bap-
tist. Thar's some folks as don't like the
Hardsheli Baptist, but. I'd ruther hev a
hard shell as no shell at ALL You see me
here to day, my breethring, drest up in
fine close you mout think [ was proud ;
but am. not proud, my breethering, and
although I've bin preecher Nv the Cos
pei for twenty years, an although I'm
capting Of the fat-boat that lies at yure
landing, I'm not proud, my breethering
"Pm. not a gwine ter tell you edzaclsky
whar my text may be found suffice it to
say, it's in the leds of the Bible, an you II
find it, somewhar tween the first chapter
of the book of Generations, and the last
chapter of the book of Revolutions, and
eff you'll go and sarch the Scripters, as
have sarched the Scripters, you'll not only
find my tex thar, but great many uther
teres as will do you good to read, an my
tex when you shill find it, you shill find il
!. to read thus
"And he played on a harp Nv thousand strings
spirits of just men made perfeck."
"My tex, breethring, leads me to speak
, Nv sperits. Now thar s great many kind
of sperits in the world-in the fust place
| thar's the sperits as sum folks call ghosts
: and then thars the sperits Nv turpen-tinse
and then thar's the sperits as sum folks
: call liquor, an I've got as good an arteke
r of them kind Nv sperits on ny fat boat, as
$ ever was fotched down the Mississippi riv
b er, but thar's a great many uther kind o.
}, sperits, for the tex ses: " He played on &
a harp Nv Thousand strings-sperits o.
, JuSL men maze perfecK.
!, "But I'll tell you the kind Nv sperit'
as is ment in the tex, it's FIRE. That's
: the kind of sperits as is ment in the tex
v my breethring. Now thar's great man,
o kind of fire in the world. In the fus
d place, thar's the common sort Nv fire yov
it lite your segar or pipe with, and then thar
: cam fire, fire before yure reddy, and fir
, and fall back, and many other kinds u
!, fire, for the tex sez " He played on har
e, Nv a thousand strings of just me
Ut made perfeck."
ID "But I'll tell you the kind Nv fire as
ID ment in the tex, breethring HE'LL FRI
e an that's the kind of fire as great many u
ID you'll come to, ef you don't do better NJ
al what you hav bin doin'-for He playe
at on harp Nv a thousand strings-speri
IN Nv just men made perfeck."
Now, the different sorts Nv fire in Il
er world may be likened unto the differe
wv persuasions Nv Christians In the world
Id In the fust place, we have Piscopalian
nv and they are high sailin', and high f
ief utin set, and they may be likened unto
ds turkey buzzard, that flies up into the a
of and ne goes up and up, and up and u
yes till ne looks no bigger than your fne
Ny nail, and the fust thing youknow, he GU
lie, down and down, and down and down, a
ace is film himself on the karkiss NV
ee- dead hoss, by the side Nv the road-a
M " He played on a harp Nv a dbou-sa
ed, strlngs-speritso just men made perfect
her " And then thar's the Methodist, a
re- they may be hkened unto the squirl
her runnin' up into a tree, for the Methec
ky bleeves In gwine from one degree Nv or
to anuther, and finally on to perfecsh
and and the squirrel goes up and up and
nju- and up, and he jumps from linn to Ii
you and branch to branch, and the fust th
son. you know, he falls, and down he CT
in kerHummux, and that's like the Methe
'our for they is alters fallin' from grace-ah
rus And" He played on harp Nv Il
par sand strlngs-sperits Nv just men m
/ perfeck"
rave And then, my breethring, thar's
row Baptlst-ah and they hev bin hkened l
ep a a possum on 'simmon tree, and the Il
are ders may roll, and the earth may qu
Pray but that possum clings there still-ah
the And you may shake one foot loose,
may the others thar, and you may shake
INT" feet loose, and he laps his tail around