Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-05-19

Irbm the SpITIt OI tne lIues
4 Hard Shell Baptist Sermon.
A T0pessee friend sends Us IN epitome
Of Hard Shell Baptist sermon he heard
ont on Long creek" He tells us be is
not equal to spelling according 70 the pro.
nuncistion nor can he suggest the slight
est idea Of the originality Of the action
which accompanied the utterance Of the
''blsssed words" 1t has been our good
fortune often to hear these bsckwoods b.
Anglers and if We were not always deeply !
impressed by what was flashed upon our
minds, w we're always highly amused,
and sometimes "deeply edited "Broth
er Randolph the orator, is well known in
"old Jefferson County, and Friendship
meeting house" is . very favorite place
with hin from the fact that the congrega-
ton is composed Of welI-to do farmers,
who have brought from old Virginia and
the old North State some notions Of cook.
cry, that, when particularly executed, are
hard to beat. Our correspondent says
that Friendship" stands upon the summit
of q hill overshadowed by deep grove Of
oak, walnut and hickory trees, and when
he arrived at the church the grove was
alive with the members Of the congregation
the country girls employed in Sticking
down their dresses" previous to entering
the church, the gentlemen in hitchiLg
their horses and passing the compliments
Of the day.
After the congregation was seated, Broth
er Randolph assembled the pupilt and drew
from bis pocket small Bible, which he
opened and laid before him. He then rose
and read hymn, in singing Of which the
congregation joined. A prayer and another
hymn followed, and then Brother Randolph
rose, drew of his coat and hung it on the
back of the alter, opened his shirt collar,
and began bis discourse as follows:
THE SERMON.
"My dearly beloved bretbcren and sis
tiers! as was coming along this morning
was wondering what the Lord would put
into my mouth to say to this dear people
for, thank God am poor ignorant
creature, yet knew be would enable me
to say something to you that would be
good for your souls. Well, as was com,
ing along this morning by Billy Nelson's
cornfeld, saw where Billy Nelson had
been replanting bis corn-for the crows
had dug up some Of his corn and eat it,
and while looked at the cornfeld and
heard the birds singing. l thought Of the
beautiful words Of King Solomon, where
he says, The time of the singing Of birds
is come, and the voice of the turtle is
heard in our land" and made up my
mind to preach from that text"
"Now, my brethren, my text leads me
in the first place TO speak Of Faith, for
: when Billy Nelson ploughed his field and
I planted his corn, be knew God Almighty
would make his corn come up and bring
forth ears, but the crows dug some Of ii up
but Billy Nelson still had faith, and wen,
and replanted it, for 1.-THE time of the sing
ing OF birds is come. and the voice of the
turtie Is h.euIu our ianl. Dut let me
tell you, my brethren, that crows are no,
singing birds, but they come with the sing
, ing birds, just ike the devil did when be
took seat with the sons Of God, and there
by made himself ridiculous. No, breth.
rem, if they had been singing birds they
would not have taken up Billy Nelson S
corn; but they came like thieves, and dug
; it up after his back was turned. Just as
: the devil digs up the seeds of grace tina.
l plant i'll your hearts from Sunday to Sun
day. No sooner do you get outside the
door Of Friendship" than the devil digs
up all the good ! have planted, but, like
Billy Nelson, have faith, and will keep
replanting, for crows are black, and so is
the devil. After ! passed Billy Nelson
cornfeld, l come to Long Creek, and while
my horse was drinking looked up tn e
Creek, aud ! saw turtle sitting on a
chunk right in the middle Of Long Creek.
and as | sat looking at him, he turned off
, ke-chug into Long Creek. and under he
went, head, legs, shell, and tail, and thus
proved the glorious doctrines Of our relig-
ion te be true, that the Baptis,s are right,
for my text says, 1.-The time Of the sing
ing Of birds is come, and the voice of the
turtle is heard in our land"
20, how wish that all the Me,hodis,s
and Presbyterians had been there to have
{ seen that turtle plunge into Long Creek,
for ] believe in my soul that at least some
of them would have been converted to our
: faith Blu: tell you, brethren, that The
Methodists are Leadstrong. and you might
as well look for pin. feathers on new born
gosling as to look for religion in one of
that ere sort.
|, my bible tells me that Philip and the
unique, both went down into the water Just
as the turtle did-ah. Let the Methodist
and the Presbyterians sprinkle, but the
hardshells will not be afraid of the water ::
they will plunge into it, for we feel that it
is an awful thing to have the hydrophobia
Of cold water, for "the time of the singing
Of birds is come, and the voice of the tur-
tie is heard in our land
he ~ l.