The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-16
"rhe Harp of a Thousand strings"


lit was so long since we had seen and read
this famous sermon that, coming across it the
other day In the scrap-book of friend, we
'prigged' it and republish it for the benefit OF
those who wish to preserve a copy. 1t is saio
to have been delivered many years ago, az
Bra1don, Mississippi, by reverend captain OF
a Mississippi fiat boat:-Haverhill Gazette.
= T. ta o-H THE SERMON. lE AstNe
ri may say to you, my brethren, that am
not an edicated man, an am not one o. them
as believes that etlicashun is necessary for a
gospel minister, for believe the Lord edicates
bis preachers just as he wants 'em to be edi-
Gated, and, although say it that oughn't to
say it, yet, in the State of Indianny whar I
I'VE, tnars no man as gifts bigger congrega-
Thar may be some here to-day, my breether-
ing, as don't know what perswashun am ov.
Wei, NAV say to you my breethering that
I'm Hardshell Baptist. Thar's some folks
as don't like Hardshell Baptist, bat I'd
ruther hev a hard shell as no shell Ae all You
see me here to-day my breetherins, drest up
IN tine close: you mout think was proud, but
am not proud my breethering, and, although
I've been q preacher ov the gospel for twenty
years, although I'm capting ov that fiat boat
that lies at yuIe landing, I'm not proud my
breetherng. .s1si71I rsJ
ST am not gwine to tell you ezzackly whar,
my tex may b. found suffice it to say, it's in
the leds ov the Bible, and you'll find it some
whar between the tust chapter oil the Book
of Generation and the last chapter of the Book
ofReyolutions, and if you will go and sarch
the Scriptures as hev sarched the Scriptures,
yon will not only find my tex thar, but great
many luther texes as win do you good to read,
an my tex when you shill find, it you shill find
it to read thus: ~ '9 h " -
sand he played on a harp of THoUs-a and
srings-sperits ov just men made perfeck"
My tex breethering, leads me to speak ov
sperits. Now, thars great many kinds ov
sperits In the world-in the fust place thar's
the sperits ov some folks called ghosts; then
thar's the sperits ov turpen-time, and then
thar's the sperits as some folks call liquor, and
I've got as good an article ov them kind ov
spirits on my fatboat as ever was fetched down
tie ais siSslppi river; but tharS great many
luther kinds oy sperits, for the tex says-He
played on harp ov thousand strings, sper-
its Oy Just men made perfeck.
"But I'll tell you the kind oy sperits as is
ment in the tex; it's fire That is the kind oy
sperits as Is ment In the tex, my breethering.
Now thar's great many kinds ov fire in the
world. In the tust place thar's the common
sort ov fire you lite segar or pipe with, and
then thars camfre, frs. before your reddy, fire
and fall back, and many other kinds ov fire,
for the tex says-He played on harp ov a
thousand strings, sper1ts of just men made
perfeck. s51 - 81 s7lsi a..ls
.But I'll tell you the kind ov fire as is ment
In the tex, my breethering gifts hell frel and
that's the kind oy fire as great many ofyou'll
come to, eff you don't do better nor what
you've ben doing, for-He played on harp
oy thousand strings-sperits ov just men
male perfeck. 80 .ra.l 100
3Now the different sorts ov fire in the world
may be fkened unto the different perswa-
shuns in the world. In the fust place we hey
the Piscapils, and they are high-saiin', high
falutin set, and they may be ikened unto a
turkey buzzard, that flies UP into the air, and
he goes and up, till he looks no bigger than
your finger male, and the fust thing You know
he comes down and down and down. and Is
fllin'himself on the carcass of a dead hoss by
the side ov the road-and, He played on a
harm OF thousand strings sperits ov Just men
made perfeck. - -.te9 -'-isi' I'M -
sand then thar's the Methods, and thew ma
be lAeled unto squirrel run1in' I'D into
tree, for the Methods believe in gwine on
from one degree ov grace to. another, and f.
naily on to perfection, and the squirrel goes up
and up, and be jumps from linn to linn, and
prancn 70 branch, and the fust thing you
know he lalls, and down he comes kerfumux:
and that's like the Methods, for they is alters
faiiln' from grace, aht and, He played on a
harp OF Mou1sand strings, sperits of just men
"And then, my breethering, thar's the Bap-
fist, ali! and they have been lkened unto
possum on 'simion tree, and thunders may
roll, and the earth may quake, but that pos
sum clings thar still, ali ! and you may shake
one foot loose, and the others thar, and you
may shake all fee. loose and he laps his tail
around the linn, and he ciings forever, for
He played on harp OF thousand strings,
Sperits OF lust men made nerfeck
Here the reporter could contain himself no
longer and his notes became entirely uaintel-
lglble. II !