Smyrna times., 1859-05-19
Hard Shell Preacher.

correspondent in Mississippi, writing to
Mrper's Drawer" gives the following as a
veritable passage in a discourse which he heard
with his own ears, and we transfer it to our
columns as a specimen of the Hard Shell learn
ing and religion in that section:
"My Deer Breethren, you may find my tex
in the l3tn chapter Of Mark, Sth and part of
9Th verse. 1t reads somewhat thus: For
nation snail rise up against ton, and Kingdom
against kingdom; aud there shall be earth
quakes IN dtuine places, and there shall be
tamines and troubles these are the beginnings
Of sorrows. But take heel to yourselves
"And now my heerers as the last part of the
tex is the most important, shall cObfne my
self principally to that portion and it means
the same 10 say Take to your HEELS as to
say Take heel TO yourselves, and as that
manner of sayiu' Is more easily understood, |
shall take the liberty (although | am not in
favor OF a new BIble), OF transpOsn' it thus:-
Take to your heels ) for it is certainly meant
to flee away, and nolhn' else.
"And in the first place, my deer congrega-
tion, would not have you act like towards and
run away for every little trte when there is no
danger. No, | would have you stand firm, like
bold soldiers. But, my deer friends, there are
some things that we should be Altered of; and
fools and be destroyed. No, but Take to yo r
heels!'
Aud, my heerers, the wars and famines and
earthquakes are not the only things that you
| should be ateerd OF. No. my deer friends, there
is the wicked, the hypocrite, and great many
/ of these holering and money preachers, and
sich like. From such, my heerers, Take TO
your heels =
But, my brethren. before you know who TO
be afeerd of aud when to obey the tex, you
must be able to tell IA gIunyw,ne Christian
from hypeIcrIIe. And let me tell you how
tell them. | tell them by the way they take
their dram. You see, my heerers, when a hyp-
ercrile goes to take his dram he slips around
and enters the backdoor of the grocery, but
when The true ginnywine Christian goes 10
take his dram be walks boldly in at the front
door and calls for what he wants like man,
, aud he dSn't put both hands to the glass to keep
tother tolkes from seein how big a dram be
takes. No. my friends but if one glass amt
enough he takes another, jest like he dIdn' t
care if all the world seed him. Mark it, my
! heerers, whenever you see perfesser do that,
he is a ginnywIne Christian; but when you
, see him slIppin' around to the backdoor jest
like he was agwne to steal somethin', you ma y
q know that mans hypercrite; and tell you,
A my brethren, as YOU love your deer souls, not
TO go ABOUT lnelni Dul lake 10 your HeeIS!
And, my deer young people, there is ano
), ther sci OF folks that would charge you par
| ticuIarly to watch and be afeered OF. Yes, my
o deer, tender young ladies and gentlemen, if any
of you should ever far forget the teachings
n Of your parents and yOur poor old preacher al
g to 90 TO any of these big summer meetIn'S, anC
: heer the Methodist preachers begin 10 Shout
= and holpr, and ma kin Christians of you b.
e rollin' you in the straw aud mud, oh let ne
Il warn you not to stay there, but Take to youI
II heels !
y "Ah, yes. my deer Christians. it pains my
a heart to think that after | have been preacher
to you 50 long, there is great danger of youl
:. children agwine off after these new-tashIOne'
n churches. Oh my deer congregation, IN con
70 clusion let me exhort you TO read my tex ever!
ar day, bhh for you and your children; so tha
~ whenever any Of you are likely TO be led off b.
NJ any Of these new doctrines it may ever com
up to your minds in thunder.tones, Take /
of your heels!"