The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-31
HE PLAYED UPON A HARP WITH
A THOUSAND STRINGS. g
DISCOURSE DELIVERED AT BRANDON, MrsssIs
: sIpPI, BY A REvERENT FLATBOAT CAPTAIN

| ~ may say to you, my breetherinp
| that am not an edicated man, an, |
am one o. them as belives that education
is necessary fur a gospel minister, fur
believe the Lord edicates his preacher
Jest as he wants 'em to be edecated, and
although say it that oughtn't to say it.
yet in the state Of Indianny, whar
| live, thar's no man as gifts bigger con-
gregation nor what / gifts. 7~Gb ann
THAR may be some here to-day, my
breethering, as don't know what persua-
sion am NV. Well, may say to you,
my breethering, that I'm Hardshell
Baptist, but I'd ruther hev hard shell
as no she'll at all. You see me here to.
day, my breethering, drest up In fine
close you mout think was proud, but
am not proud, my breethering, and
although I've been preacher Nv the
G4 a Pssap faE tWssntSa f fafboaf that lies at
yur landing, I'm not proud, by breeth-
ering. ta.ts ys5a IA s544l.
"I'm not gwine ter tell you edzack-
ly whar my tex may be found /; suffice
1t tn say, it's in the leds OF the Bible, and
you'll find it somewhat tween the first
chapter of the book of Generation and
the last chapter of the book of Revolu-
tons, and eff you'll go and sarch the
Scriptures, as. i have sarched the Scrip
lures, you'll not only find my text thar,
but great many luther texes as will do
you good to read, an my tex, when you
shin find it to read thus =
Sand he played harp Of a thousand strings sper
Its Of just men made psrfeck' .....ru s.5i.s5
my text, breethering, lends to speak
of sperit Now thars great many kinds
of sperits In the word--in the fust place.
thar's the sperits NV turpentine, and
then thars the sperits as sum folks call
liquor, and I've got as good artikel of
them kind NV sperits on my flatboat as
ever was fetched down the Mississippi
river; but that's great many other
kind of sperits, for the tex SEE He
played on a harp of thousand strings
| sperits of just men made perfeck.'
| "But I'll tell you the kind Nv sperits
az is meant in the tex: it's fire. That
Is the kind of sperits as is meantin the
| tex, my breethering. Now thar, 8 a great
many kinds of fire in the world. In the
| fust place, thar's the common sort NV
fire you lite segar or pipe with, and
then thar's cam-fire, fire before you're
reddy and fall back, and many other
kinds NV fire, for the tex seq He
played on harp OF a thousand strings
sperits of just men made perfeck.'
"But I'll tell you of the kind of fire al
is ment in the tex, my breethring-it'i
hell-fre an that's the kind Nv fire al
a great many of you'll come to, eff you
don't do better nor what you bin doin
for 'He played on harp of a thous
and ,strings Of just men mad
Now the different sorts Of fire in til,
world may be likened unto the difieren
| 80 cios,o In tho Ss,orIA Tn, tho ft,a
sIssa..ss.e-l>~ss-- .ns.-s~-r..tsnrs.x
set. and the may be glikened unto tut
key buzzard, that flies up into the all
and he goes up and up till he looks NJ
bigger than your finger nail and the ftIs
thing you know he Gums down ant
down, and is film himself on the kar
kiss of dead hoss by the side NV tn
road--and He played on harp of /
thousand strings--sperits of just mel
made perfeck.'
and then thar's the Methods, ant
they may be likened unto the squire
runnin' up into tree, for the Methedi
believes in gwine on from one degree u
grace to another, and finally on to per
feckshun, and the squirrel goes up an
up, and he jumps from linn to lim,' an
branch to branch, and the fust thin
YOU know he falls, and down he cum
fiummux, and that's like the Methods
for they is alters fallin' from grace, an
And he played on a harp of Mou-san
strings-sperits of just men made per
feck.' nif ulaAa
"And then, my breethring, thar's th
Baptists, all and they hev bin likene'
unto postum on 'simmon tree, ant
/ the thundersimay roll, and then tn
earth may quake, but that postum cling
: thar still, all And you may shake on
} foot loose, and the others thar, and yo
may shake all feet loose and he laps hi
tail round the linn, and he clings fur
ever-1He played on harp of a thou
I sand strings-sperits OF just men mad
!. perfeck. a.a adT a9i
/, Here the reporter could no longer con
o tain himself, and his notes became en-
q tirely unintelligible. N4