The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1859-03-24
The Harp Of u Th0nsa aA Strings.

referred to, that many who have not read
it have Il curiosity to do so, and many
who have read it will be glad to indulge
another laugh at its whinsicality. The
scene is laid in the town of Waterproof,
Miss:
may say to you, my brethring, that
am not an educated man, an | am not
one of them as believes that education is
necessary for gospel minister, for be-
lieve the Lord educates his preachers
just as he wants EN- to be educated an
although | say it that oughtnt to say it,
yet, in the State of lndianny, whar |
live, thar's no man as gifts a bigger con-
gregaton nor what gifts.
Thar may be some here to-day, my
brethring, as don't know what persuation
am NV. Well, must say to you, my
brethering, that I'm Hard Shell Bap-
list. Thar's some folks as don't like the
Hard Shell Baptists, but I'd rather have
a hard shell as no shell at ALL You see
me here to-day, my bretbring, dressed
up in fine clothes; you mou't think | was
proud but l am not proud, my brethring,
and although I've been a preacher of the
gospel for twenty years, an although
I'm capting of the flatboat that lies at
your, landing, I'm not proud, my breth-
ring.
am notgwine to tell edzactly whar
my text may be found suffice to say,
il 5 in the leds of the Bible, and you'll
find it Somewhar between the first chap
ter of the book of Generations, and the
last chapter of the book of Revolutions,
and ei you Il 20 and search the Scrip
lures, you'll.not only find my text thar,
but "a great many other texes as will do
you good to read, and my tex, when you
shall find it, You shall find il to read
thus
"And he played on a harp Nv thou
sand strings-sperits of just men made
perfcck.' -
My text, my brethring, leads me to
speak of sperits. Now, thar's great
many kinds of Sperits in the world. In
the fuss place, thar's the Sperits as some
folks call ghosts, and thar's the speritS
Nv turpentine, and thars the sperils as
some folks call liquor, an I've got as
good an artikel of them kind of sperits
On my flatboat as ever was fotch down
the Mississippi river; but thar's great
many other kinds Of sperits, for the tex
says, He played on IA harp Nv ath-ou-
sand strings, Sperils of just men made
perteck. >
But III tell you the kind ov sperits as
is m,nt in the tex is FIRE That's the
kind NV Sperits as is meant in the tex,
my brethring. Now thar's great many
kinds Of fire in the world. In the fuss
place thar's the common sort of fire you
light your cigar or pipe with, and then
thar's toxiire and campfire, fire before
you're ready and fire and fall back, and
many other kinds NV fire, for the tex
says, !" He played on harp nv a Mou-
sand strings, sperits Nv just men made
perfeek.' y
But I'll tell you the kind of fire as is
meant in the tex, my brethring-its HE'LL.
FIRE an that's the kind NV fire as a great
many Nv you'll come to, ef you don't do
better nor what You have been don'--
for He played on a harp NV a thousand
strings, sperts of jest men made per-
feck" h
Now, the different sorts Of fire in this
world may be lkened unto the different
persuasions of Christians in the world
In the first place we have the Piscapa-
lions, an they are a high sailin' and a
high-falutin set, and they may be liken-
ed unto turkey buzzard, that flies up
into the air, and he goes up, and up, and
up. till he looks no bigger than your fin
ger nail, and the fust thing you know,
he Gums down, and down, and down, and
is film himself on the cafkiss of a
dead boss by the side of the road, and
/" He played on harp NV thousand
strings, spcrits Nv jest men made per-
teck.'
And then thar's the Methods, and
they may be ikened unto the squirrel
runnin' up into tree, for the Methods
beleeves in gwine on from one degree Of
grace to another, and finally on to per-
fection, and the squirrel goes up, and up,
and up, and he jumps from limb to limb,
and branch to branch. and the fust thing
you know he falls and down he comes
kerhumimx, and that's like the Methods,
for they are alters fallen from grace, ah
and " He played on a harp Nv Mo1-
sand strings, sperits Nv jest men made
perfeck."
And then, my brethring, thar's the
Baptist, ah and they have been likened
unto possum on a 'simmon tree. and
thunders may roll and the earth may
quake, but that possum clings thar still,
ah /! and You may shake one foot and the
others thar, and he clings furever, for
!" He played on harp Nv thousand
strings, sperils Nv jest men made perfeck."