Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-08-10
"The Harp Of a Thousand Strings"
pRTs SERMONS


l may say to you my brethering, that l am
not an educated man, an [ am not one Of them
that bleeves education is necessary for Gospel
minister, fur [ bleeve the Lord educates his
preachers jest as he wants EN- to be educated !;
an although say it that oughtn, { to say It,
yet in the State of Indiany, whar live, thar
no man as gifts a bigger congregation nor what
gifts. Z 80 l'l'A
/ Thar may be some here to day, my. brother
| ing, as don't know what persuasion | am Nv
Well, [ may say to you my brethering, that
don't like Hard shell Baptist; but I'd rather
hev a hard-shell as no shell at at all. You see
me here to to-day, my brethering, drest up in
I fine close; you mout think was proud, but
am not proud, my brethering, an although |
have been preacher Nv the gospel for twenty
years, an although I'm capting NV fat boat
that lies at your landing, I'm not proud, my
bretherlng.y --EghuV 81 stsaiEs-rri q
I'm not gwine to tell you edzackly whar my
tex may be found suffice it ter say it's 10 the
leds of the Bible, an you'll find it somewhat
tween the fust chapter of the book of Genera
tlons an the last chapter of the book of Revo-
buttons; an if you'll go an sarch the Scriptures
you IL not only lind my tex thar, but great
many other teces as will do you good to read !;
an my tex when you shall find it, you shall find
it to read thus aiA as- z-aa3oI
"And he played on a harp Nv thousand
strings-sperits Of just men made perfeck.''
My tex. brethering, leads me to speak of
sperits. Now thar's great many kinds of
sperits in the world. In the fust place, thar s
the sperts as som folks coils ghosts; then thar
the sperits Nv turpingtime; an then thar s the
sperits as some folks call liquor, and I've got as
good artikel Nv them kind NV sperits on my
fat boat as ever was fetched down the Missis-
1,,k %Io~'
kinds Nv sperits, for the tex says "He played
just men made perfeck.''
But [ II tell you Nv the kind Nv sperits as is
meant in the texts fire. That is the kind Nv
sperits as is meant In the tex, my brethering.-
Now, thar's great many kinds of fire in the
world. In the first place, thar's the common
sort Wv fire you light a pipe or cigar with an
then thar's camfre fire before you re ready to
fall back, an many other kinds Nv fire for the
tex says: He played on harp of q thousand
strings-sperits NV just men made perfeck."
But IL tell you the kind Nv fire as is meant
in the tex, my brethering-it's helljGe! an
that's the kind of fire as great many of you Il
come to eff you don't do better nor what you We
bin doin'-for ''He played on harp Nv a thou
sand strings-sperits Of just men made per-
feck." ei " 80 .ss s.i..so4 I-lsqu5 sreg .
Now the different sorts Nv fire in the world
may be Hkened unto the different persuasions
in the world. In the fust place we have the
'Pscopalians, an they're high-salin' set, and
they may be likened unto turkey-buzzard that
flies up into the air and he goes up and up till
he looks no bigger than your finger nail, an
the fust thing you know he cum down, an is
a-fillin' himself on the karkiss Nv dead boss
by the side Wv the road-and He played on
harp Nv a thousand strings-sperits of just
men made perfeck."
And then thar's the Methods, an they may
be likened unto the squirrel runnin' up tree !;
for the Methods believes in gwine on from one
degree Nv grace to another, an finally on to
perfeckshun an the squirrel goes up an up,
an he jumps from lin to linn, an branch to
branch, an the fust thing you know he falls,
an down he comes. keraummuo; an that S
like the Methods, for they is alters fallin from
Grace-ah He played on harp of off thou
sand strings-sperits OF just men made per-
feck."
And then, my brethering, thar's the Baptist
-ah! and they hev' bin lkened unto pos
sum on a 'simmon-tree an the thunders may
roll, an the airth may quake but the possum
clings thar still-ah An you may shake one
foot loose. but tother's thar; an you may
shake all. his feet loose, but he laps his tail
around the him. an he clings fur ever; for
she played on harp Nv thousand strings
sperits Of just men made perfeck 'a-ll@