Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-03-09
First Speech Of the Rev. Peter Smith.
SuJect-Spiritaal rheumatism.

EISG opcEcu OI the heV. ceLeF SuIt0.
SuJect-Spiritaal Rheumatism.
REPORTED By AUTHORITY.
My BELOVED BRETHREN 81 must con-
'ess that | feel highly honored on this in
teresting occasion. Tt is but seldom this
house has been so well filled as it is to-
day, and reckon it has never been nv
privilege to appear as an instructor in the :
presence of a more intelligent assembly.
| would feel quite proud Of my position,
but J know this is a very beautiful morn
ing, and you all knew this was an extra
ordinary meeting, and you knew there were
to be quite number of distinguished
speakers present besides myself. There
| tore | dare not be so vain AS to presume
that you have all turned out just to hear
me. But am glad to see YOU all here
on any consideration and must heartily
congratulate yoa-or most of you-on
the visible Improvement in your health
Some of you, we'll know, have been ter
rlbly afflicted for a long time with that
terrible disease called spiritual rheumatism,
and you havnt been out to church for
many months, and especially have you
been absent from the house of God on
Sunday evenings. I suppose that the
rheumatism is always the worst of nights,
) and particularly Sunday nights. 1t is
strange how many good sort of people
these days have this ugly complaint; and,
to my mind, my beloved brethren, it has
always appeared very mysterious that the
doctors have not, up to this junctnre, been
, able to explain the pathology of the dis
e ease, SO as to enlighten the people on the
! subject of its causes and means of its pre-
rention. Now, there is our dear sister
n Jones, whom you all know, brethren, who
hAs 9aa this drefu complaint fer In thsss @
e it, she always says she can't tell to save
e her life; and then she says it seems so
+ strange that her well days depend SO
much on the state of the weather, and
d smarter when anything extraordinary is
= going on in town or at church. She believes,
= though, that it is mainly attributable to
le the nature of the circumstances by which
is she happens to be surrounded; and [
n think so, too, my beloved brethren. / am
te right glad, however, to see nv dear sister
Jones out this beautiful morning, and
IL, hope she may have refreshing time OF
u, it, for certainly she has had as long u
= dry spell as anybody in the congregation
ly Indeed, my beloved brethren, the old
Vn philosophical proserb, that circumstan-
ly ces alter cases. is very true one, and
u, all of you, think, will admit that it is
ke applicable to the rheumatism disease par
be ticularly.
an In looking over this large and intelli
nd gent audience, | see quite number who
have had very severe turns of this terri
he bic malady, and l know they at least vii
So, understand me when say that it mos
ce, always affected the heart or the head o
lp- the pocket and in some severe cases, all O
he them together. In some few instances
ith though, l have known it to merely stifiel
lid the joints, and to give kind of cant.do
Ter anything sort of disposition, SO that til
poor sufferers have had to leave off goin
at to class and prayer meetings; and, as
night meetings, they have had to Civ
en-, them up entirely.
md In some places, my beloved brethren
where have known the disease to tax
uu, tuto hluu vi LuIu. OHc OuuuAF ulgub COZ
the gregations were mostly made up of II
but worlds people; SO that if the preache
as ! at any time, invited seekers Of religie
cart forward for prayer, he had not q corpc
ure RAILS guard of his peculiar people,
Del assist him in offering prayers for the
he'd conversion In such charges as the.
in my beloved brethren, the rheumatics q
ted terrible drawback on the success of t
the gospel; and if the preachers woaId b
come discouraged under such cireumsta
the ces, | wouldn't wonder at it.
INV Strange to tell, though these very peo,
,isfy never 60 to meeting on Sunday mig
Christians will often scold and gruml
!, at their preacher at wonderful rate if
sue doesn't visit them just as if they were |
pre- most healthy and consistent folks that {
Iose; be found with their faces professelly
cheu onward.
'fole + | trust you will not think me person
per beloved brethren, fer do not wish
lot deal in personalities. Ny aim is only
W. stir MP those poor afflicted ones who h
auu been SO long and SO frequently abs
gave from the house of God, that some of
oin'e brethren have thought they were perh
nc dead, or had gone on long Journey
had grown tired of the church, and