Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-04-09
Practical Preaching.

COlored ministers often excel In those
qualities in which many of their white
brethern are specially deficient pun
gency and directness; and the following
sketch of a sermon, for whose accuracy
the editor of an exchange gives his per-
sonal voucher, is a good illustration of
these important qualities: 1T
Dropping into an African meeting
ese
found the sermon just stcommenced. The
topic seemed to be the depravity of the
human heart, and the sable divine thus
illustrated his argument: r... sr...z,
'Breddern, when was in Virginia,
one day de ole woman's kitchen table
got broke, an was sent into de woods
to cut a tree to make a new leaf for it.
So / took de axe on my shoulder, and
[ wandered into de depths of de. for
est.
All nature was beautiful as lady GO
ing to de weddin'.. De leaves glistened
on de maple trees like new quarter dol
lars in de missionary box, de sun shone
as brilliant, and nature locked as gay as
buck rabbit in a parseley garden, and de
little bell round de old sleeps neck
tinkled softly and musieally in the dis
tance. ~ '.a:ae Il ~at''- -t...s.
I spied tree suitable for, de purpose,
and raised dc axe to cut into de trunk.
It was a beautiful tree. De branches
reached to de four corners of de earth
an raised up so high in de air above,
and de squir'ls hop about in de limbs
like little angels Topping their wings in
de kingdom of heaven. Dat tree was
full OBJ promise, my friends, just like a
great many OBJ you. .+.ta .-5. -.-
Den l cut into the trunk, and make
de chips fly like de mighty scales drop
ping from Paul's eyes. Two, three cuts
I gave dat tree, and las, twas holler in
de butt!
Dat tree was berry much like you my
friends-full OBJ promise outside, but
holAv az de buHt' ..-
| The groans from the amen corner of
the room were truly contrite and affect
ing, but we will venture a small wager
that that was the most practical sermon
proachek in the city, on that day at
least. .......
The YoUru OF OUR R-AGE.-Nhore
is now our youth ?-where our old age p
Where are our rboys?-where our men p
We have men-boys and boy men. But
where are the veritable boys--the boys
with eager heart, throbbing pulses, buoy
ant spirits, gay hopes, glowing fancies,
unreasoning beliefs, and ready faith
the boys with the young thoughts and
the young feelings gushing through them
like the juices of young life-the boys,
who hail their stage of existence joyful
ly, gathering its pleasures, battling its
SORROWS, and venting its impulses; not
striving and straining after an unripe
knowledge and forced maturity? Where
are now our veritable gray -beards-the
old men who calmly and of course enter
on their stage of life assuming its digni-
ties, claiming its privileges, and fulfil
ling its tsfunctions; separating themselves
from the turbid action, the toll and strife
of the world, and reposing honorably in
the retirement of experience and coun-
sci? not clinging to the semblance of
foregone periods, not envying the ener-
gies of youth or the prime of manhood,
but keeping alive the memories and
feelings of both to ray their declining
day with mellow light-the old men
who rejoiced to wear their grey hairs
as crown of glory, and stood amid their
fellows with their hoary heads, their
wise hearts and brows engraven with the
lines of thought like.
The White almond trees full OF good days.
Such men may still exist, scattered
like old pollards over the leveled face
of society; but they are not thy products,
not the result of thy materialism, 0 Age !
The youth which opens under thy au-
spices, and runs by the creed, cannot
SOW the seeds of such harvest. The
youth formed under thy Influences and
action will have no growth, will not
know the natural process Of maturi-
tion-''First the blade, then the ear,
after that the full corn in.the ear -
Thy youth will be put up and fashioned
like piece of mechanism, set to work
like steam engine, moveing ever by
the same hard heavy material laws-so
much speed from so much power, so
much knowledge from so much pressure.
Blackuood.
L. l. II,