Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-03-30


tive discourse. Now, it cant be pious with
out being instructive ; and moreover. DR..
Webster's definition excludes a considerable
class Of sermons, which are neither rlous uor
instructive, but only logical, or tbeogical.
which is worse. For believe, with one Of
our greatest preachers, that all theology
comes OF the devil and when man gets
INTO bis pulpit and begins TO lay out the
Christian doctrine to me by rule OF thumb
or by any other rule but that golden one Of
which Christ said tha: he who keeps this ful.
fills ull the law ami the prophets--tbeu try
very hard to run my thoughts of on some
little side track Of my own. where they may
quietly take another train and GO TO quite
different place from the preachers.
When Paul rose be read aloud those beau
ti!ul promises ol Christ 90 the Mount. And
as he read, his heart, so long Cumb with fear
before this strouge people, grew strSng aud
full with the dear love which speaks 10 every
Iiue Of those blessed words. 1t is not so
much words o speaker needs as thoughts
aud so much thoughts as the one great in.
spring thought which shnll bind his audience
to him, aud make him and them from that
time kindred and of one spirit. In this sign
we conquer, And this sign I'll call it sym.
palhy lie called it love- In what manner
sUOulu Ub Spthh IlO" suOulu us "
please them? Had been Paul's troubled
thought. But now they we're no longer they.
y iOnger farmers, rude, uncouth, peculiar,
dGereu:-but men and brethren, Of the same
thoughts the same hopes, the same fears,
the same heaven born aspirations Not strsn.
gers but kindred, saved by the same blood,
reapiug the same promises, tempted in oil
things, even as was III who suffered oil that
we might follow him. BE you all things to
all men," said the Apostle 10 whom this
command was doubtless palmer than TO some
Of bis successors.
DO you think words fail the man whose
heart is full to burstiugt Words these were
of Paul's, neither brilliant nor fine, nor pro-
found nor trashy but very simple Indeed.
And though this young man had satisiacto-
rily displayed his talents before divers cult.
waited city congregations, this was in truth
the first sermon OF his which went TO his own
heart. DO you know what Christ meant
when he said To them "Go aud ye preach
this gospel to all nations, beginning at Jeru.
salem 2"
Jehoram Baker, the caiious Yankee peda-
gogue, who could stand more hard preaching
than any man J.! ever knew, was cheated OF
his customary nap that morning. The peo-
pie were very much surprised. They didn't
quite understand il. That is to say-they
did. When Paul came among them alter
service it was not as The new minister" but
as au old friend. lie needed no introduction
to meu aud women whose hearts he had
touched so nearly. He was one themselves.
No fine city gentleman come to teach rough
ilooslers what they knew perhaps better
than be. Nor any rude soldier Of the Cross,
SO overwhelming them with the thauder of
his gospel artillery os to leave 10 hearing Tor
the soft loving voice of the great Captain OF
our salvation, who wills not the death OF sin.
ners land surely never wished TO see them
damned before they were dead Nor, lastly,
was he, to their conception, any theological
mummy, stiff with the wrspplngs OF formulas,
and with dry husks where live men keep their
hearts.
Only gentleman.
hope nobody will ask me to soy Chris
tisn gentleman :" because then | shall think
my corrector does not know what il is TO be
u gentleman.
And do you think gentleman cannot pre-
vail with such plain folks as these without
buster, and casting away his own true na
ture Does not the greater contain the
l less? And who told you that this old II 90
sier farmer, in cowhiGe boots and homespur
clothes, slow of speech and awkward in man
ner, is not the truest gentleman God ever
made ?
Father says you must come home with US,
said Miranda Leighton, pointing to where "fa
lher stood before the meeting. house door holding
the mare, who was restive for her dinner l her,
were a plenty of invitations to "come and stay
with US = hut esquire Leighton" carried the day
bore oil Paul, who found himself presently in
comfortable farm house, where his host PresenteC
him in farmer fashion:
/ This is the old lady this IS Miranda ; snl
this is John, my boy wish he wasn't such
bad boy. Make yourself at home, aud try to Iik'
US and our ways. They amt very ilnei but wt
mean what we say"
In what way is John such bad fellow =
| Paul yentured to inquire, by way of Sc Ting him
self at ease with that young man, who looked a
the certain degree OF suspicion, as one OF his nat
ural enemies.
WherupOn Johns mother made sOrTewful con
fession OF his tricky propensties, Of his dislike
church. Of his londness for other boys just like him
aud Miranda completed the display OF Johns utIel
deprsyity by relating the incident of the cat.
| At which the Reverend Paul laughed SO heart
/ lily that even glum John Nentured ON SMILE and
Miranda had her fun all over again
When dinner was over, aud while the old folks
/ smoked their pipes, Paul persuaded John 10 sho"
! him over the farm. The consequence Of which
| showing was that John returned to Miranda with
a puzzled look, and the remark that that thar
minister warn't BIZ like any other be ever saw
! Why ST." said the poor fellow, "he laughs just
like other people; aud made me tell him about
everything on the place. And he likes fishing
and I'm going 10 show him the creek. And he
didn't know what harrow Till | told him :;
added John with chuckle, land I'm 10 show hl'l
how 10 plow."
so you think he'll do J" querried Miranda
quietly.
II dunno yet" said John, rssuming his caution
look al dunno yet--but think"
Having won over John, Paul's fame soon wen
through all the country side; and ss he prove
himself tolerabls shot, good fisherman, aud
a sensible fellow generally, 1.-The hoys," who ha
been long the plague of Shottcver meeting
house, presently made him their honored cap'alr
ISwthout whose presence or countenance no i1
could prosper, while they delighted to do iuT hiI
a guard, often more jealous than wise.
But what ayails To recount at length the peace
ful tIiumphs OF the Reverend Cli on. HIS hr
victory decided the campaign; and he surprise
the brethren at the next annual Conference NEE
ing by requesting (unless some one else wisht
the place. 10 be continued" IN ShottoSer snoth'
year.
"What Paul Clifton could have found in Sho
, tovsri" was question which puzzled every boz
. but Paul Clifton himself ill one day
D Fair, and gentle, aud dearly beloved readt
I you guessed il long ago, didn't you Aud a
: not such an ungraleful bore as to disaPpoint "
till one day the bishop was invited 10 dedics