The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-11-29
A NEW VIEW OF SPIRITS.

The Brandon (Mississippi) Register reports
the following curious sermon, preached u the
town of Waterproofs, not far from Brandon;
1" may say to you, my breethring, that ! am
not an edecated man, an | am not one o. them
as bleeves that edecation is necessary for a
gospel minister, fur | bleeve the Lord eJe-
Gates his preachers jest as he wants 'em to be
edecated an although l say it that oughtnt to
say it, yet in the State of Indianny, whar live,
thar's no man as gifts bigger congregation
nor what | gifts.
"Thar may be some here to-day, my breeth-
ring, as don't know what pursuasion am nv.
Well, / may say to you, my breetbring, that I'm
q Hardshell Baptist, but I'd ruther hev hard
shell as no shell at all. You see me here to-
day, my breethring, drest up in fine cose you
mout think | was proud, my breetheTiru, and
although I've been a preacher Nv the Gospel
for twenty years, an although Pm capting o
that fiat boat that lies at your landing, Am not
proud, my breethering. =
"Tm not gwine ter tell you edzacL y whar
my tex may be found suffice it tn say it's in
the leds Of the Bible, an you'll find it soaewhar
tween the first chapter of the book o. Gener-
lions and the last chapter of the book Of Revo-
luiions, and eff you'll 60 and sarched the Scrip
lures, you'll not only find my tex thar, but a
great many luther teres as will do you good TO
shill find it to read thus:
And he played OH a harp NV n tio1,-sand strings
spirits of just men made perfeck'
"My tex, breethering, leads me to speak Nv
sperit. Now, thar's great many kinds of
sperits in the world-in the fust place, thar's
the sperits as sum men call ghosts, and then
thar's the sperts Nv turpon time and then
thar's the sperits as sum folks call liquor, an
I've got as good an artickel Of them kind Nv
Sperits on my fat boat as ever was fetched
down the Mississippi river; but thar's a great
many other kind of sperits, for the texssez :
He played on harp Nv a thousand strings
sperits of just men made perfeck.'
"But I'll tell you the kind nv sperits az is ment
in the texts fire. That is the kindof sperits
as is ment in the tex, my breethripg. Now,
thars great many kinds of fire III Che world.
In the fust place, thar's the common sort Nv
fire you light segar or pipe with, AID; then
thar's cam-fre, fire before yure reddy, and fall
back, and many other kinds nv fire, for the tex
soz He played on a harp Nv thousand
strings-sperits NV just men made perleck'
"But I'll tell you the kind Nv fire as IL ment in
the tex, my breethring-its hell fire! an that's
the kind Nv fire as a great many NV You'll come
to, eff you don't do better nor what you have
bin doin'-for He played on harp w attou
sand strings-sperits Nv just men made per-
feck
"Now, the different sorts NV fire in the world
may be likened unto the different persuasions
of Christians in the world. In the fast place,
we have the Piscapalons; and they are . high
sailin and high-falutin set, and tsey may be
likened unto turkey buzzard, that 6yes up into
the air, and he goes up and up, till e looks no
bigger than your finger nail, and thu fust thing
you know, he Gums down and down and down
and down, and is a film himself on he karkiss
NV dead boss, by the side Nv the rdad-and
He played on harp NV thou-san strings
sperits of just men made perfeck.