The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-05-20


| Pioneer Preachers
From Lamps, Pitchers ana Trump
| ets, a recent work by Edwin Paxton
Hood, an English writer, we make the
following extracts:
The Methodist pulpit of the United
States is not one whit less interesting
rather more so, think-than our own
Had not DIR. Sprague brought together
such an interesting variety Of biOgra.
ply and anecdote in his Annals Of the
american Methodist P1alpit, we should
have hoped that the subject would have
brought from DR.. Stevens a fourth vol
ume; and still there is room; and from
his pen 1t could only be most pleasant
reading.
For very wonderful is the story of the
lamp and pitchers in many of the dark
places of that great continent-the va
r1ed region of the United States-the
lives of bishops, not addressed as "My
Lord" wearing no episcopal title or
dignity, having no splendid palace, no
magnificent cathedral, no snug diocese,
princely income. Scholars, men of
genius, like Asbury, separating them
selves from all the comforts and con-
veniences Of life, for sixty dollars a
year, with travelling equipage, not of
and one; plunging into the wilderness
to seek for lost sheep, preaching in
barns, on stumps OF. .trees, in log huts,
in illimitable woods IN the household
forest, by blaZed tree II deep prairies !;
hOundering through Sswamps, swim
ming vast rivers, drenched by pitiless
rains, scOrched by suns, bitten by frosts
and driving SHOWS. From some of
these places they wrote for a preacher:
BE sure and send us a goods swimmers -
there was considerable Wonder as to
what this could mean, until it turned
out tha8lIe district as full Af bridge
less streams, anu " last minister had
been drowned because he could not
swim: Sometimes the travelling preach
er or bishop found himself among hos
tile Indians in the solitude of the for
est; he knew their track and trail at
night he heard their yell, and uneX-
pectedly found himself in the neigh
borhOOd of their campfire and the
crack of the Indian rifle. The intrepid
and heroic preacher urged his way
over the mountains and through val
leys, stirring the community, wher-
ever he came, with hymn and sermon;
reaching the villages and little settle
ments dOtting the country, amidst ex-
tensiVe wildeFnesses, for the most part
the un&iSlurbed abode of the wolf and
the p9&her. Neither the cold nor
storms Of winter, nor the abuse he re-
ceiVed from wicked men, could eveaken
his energy or impede his progress. If
the horse was noe in the way, then of
ten the saddle-bags had to be carried
over the shonlder, and he tra8 eled on
foot. AT times there were no saddlebags.
= GEORGE said Bishop jAsbury to
George Roberts George where are
your clothes?n
'sBishop, they are on my bacl8 On
receiving my appointment at syOuT
hand, sir, am not compelled Ito re-
turn to my circuit for my clotk ! but l
am Seady at a moments to
go whithersoever you direct
~ hon, DR.. Roberts, sa nave
in Il possession the needle read
case which was his constal
ion. If his clothes, from
pected cause, needed atteR
i'll the habit of turning
retired spot for the pJ
them off and mending
lives of Ron1ish SaintsAsS
st. DomipGA these would Betilc
and wonderful relics.
Ometimes the preacher, in the del
ae prarie, came upon 8 bang
heathens. Thus Richard ,
those good and great mo
he track Of an emigrant fami1
ollOwed it.
:" said the man who " as
alng ii into the wilderness, ga Meth
Odist preaTger! quit Virginia to be
out of the ~ of them, but in my set
in Orgia I thought 1 should
be beyond gir reach. There they
were, and the 1t my wife and daugh--
ter into their rch. Then / come
here to ChOctaIEA. Corner, find q good
piece of land, feel sure that Ishall have
some peace from the preachers, and
here is one before I have unloaded my
Wagonu
'My friend" said Motley, ''if you go.
to heaven, you'll find Acknowledgment
ers there; and if you go to he'll, Pm
afraid you'll find some there; and you
see how it is in this world. I'd advise
you to come 10 terms with God, and
then you'll be at peace with us."
Sometimes they died in the wilder
ness, and ''nO man knew the place of
their sepulchre." Months, and some
times years elapsed before it was known
they had gone to their reward. These
men have been called the graduates of
Brush College, Fellows of Swamp Uni
verify.
GLOW is it you have mo Doctor of
~ said one to the fine old Ja-
cob Eruber, q preacher of this order.
'Our Divinity is not sick, and does
not need doctOring,n said the old man.
\ witty, satirical old creature, this
KFuber-able, learned, sarcastic, and
eloquent. He lived during the days
Of the Revolution in America, and be-
ing called on to pray on some great
public occasion, he delivered himself
of the following petition:
80 Lord, have mercy Oh the soVer-
eignS of Europe; convert their souls
give them short lives and happy deaths;
take them to heaven, and let us have
no more of them"
Sometimes the bitter got bitten.
When he lived at Lewiston he came
into contact with Catholic
priest, not much behind him III the use
of edged tools. He met the priest one
day- not as usual, on horseback, but
on foot. Said Kruber:
''Where's your horse? why don't
you ride ?"
"the beasts dead %
"Dead! well, I suppose ile IS i'll pur-
gatory 2"
Nay, the wretched creature turned
Just before he died, and went
straight to hell"
Old Kruber was greatly averse to
read sermons, for even in those days
there was readers of sermons in the pull
pit. Once a youthful Congregational
minister read before him; Jacob also
had to follow the young man in preach
ing, and it was expected be would give
the Young brother a thrust for the use
of his notes. He finished, however,
without saying a word that looked to-
ward the manuscript; but in his con-
prayer he uttered these strange
petitions: 1Lord, bless the young man
who has read to us to-day: let his heart
be as soft as his head, and then he Will
do US some good"
elbow do you make your preachers %
was once said to one of these fine old