The Union and journal., 1870-12-09
A Negro Sermon.


The following report Of n unique dis
course by = famous colored preacher, wa,
originally published about 4 dozen years
ago:
II came TO pass in the course Of time,
that Hiram and l rode out one pleasant
Sunday evening per rail, TO pleasant
place over in the Jarseys, where we dined
with friend. Mr.. Crane Green Cowen-
hoven voorhees,, and had n good time,
generally speaking. After dinner Crane
says
"Gentlemen. If you want to see fun.
Just lay down low now and I'll show il
20 you. just over the way I've got a
small vacant house to let, and the back
potico looks right into negro meeting.
The window II be open, and we can sit
there and smoke our cigars, and hear the
sermon first rate. just overheard our
cook say that the great preacher from
New York1l expound this evening. so IL
you want some strong orthodoxy, nows
your time. Tell you what, mild preach
inc don't 90 down with that flock. sir"
1t was pretty well into the evening. and
by the time we had gotten chairs on the
balcony. the sermon was under way. As
voohees had promised, Il was not one Of
.he mild sort. The clergyman from New
York went in strong for punishment. gave
very small chances. and let out his doc
trine in voice which might have been
split into six. and filed Grace Church
with any one Of the half dozen. IL has
been observed that the darkey population
like strong medicines and big doses for
their bodily complaints, and suppose it's
according To the same rule that they reck-
on most highly those preachers who get
on Bible steam up to the top of the regis
ter. and tie down the safety valve.
..Cut down an cass into de fiah," roared
the preacher from New York as we quiet
ly stole on to the portico and sat down.
.'Ycs, my Gresham frens, and dc barren
fig tree won't be de only tree dat'll be cut
down and cass into de fiah In dem days.
DerIl be guine into timber stitch n, you
never did see-a sawin' offo'branches and
n chopin up o. back logs. and bustin'
up de old stumps wild powder, bark seal
in of. and de chips afiyin' in way dat'll
trimble and skeerify do most owdacious
sinnas in dc flock OBJ Zion. Dar's many
and many tree. my bred'ren dat'll find
itself split wood den, dat used TO tink it.
self too fine fur emmy thing but to grow up
putty to look at. or may be shelter fur
all sorts of carnivcrus sins-as de Script
ure says dey sinned in all dc high ole
places, and under every green tree.
Who,is de sinna dat'll be cut up in dose
days fur kindlins. and set fab TO de fnst
and burn. and burn, and burn wild de eb-
erlastin' birthstone match at dc bottom oh
de heap2 Whar is de sinna? whar is de
whar he spreads forf his wings
and spreads his branches and leefs to dc
rain dat fall on de Just and unjust, Just rs
Il happen TO come? NY bredren, its dc
pine tree dat grows dc highest and holes
his head up the wainest-de pine tree dat
looks exactly like de Trinity steeple opp
site Wall street, and dc little steeple up
an down Fif avenue, and in all de FASH
'nable plumendes. Denis de pine trees,
brcdren, dat grows out nifty poor sile.
of Ii has got dc gold duss in it an ef it
does git so stuck up dat 1t can't see dc
weeds il used to keep cumpny wild when
IL was n little saplin. DENIS do trees dat's
orful sptt ga de grain, Of dey Is white and
delikit, and denis dc trees dat'll be rolled
eber fur kindlins wherebcr dey grows, ef
IL fall toward de souf. or ef II fall toward
de norf, fur in de place whar de tree fall,
dere ii shill be.
But rAJ Is de sinna dat'll be cut up in
dose days wen de woodman Gums along
wild dc axt ob judgment and oh de pos
ties? Dere's many u tough old tree, my
bredren. dat grows jiss rs il pleases all
fru life. and bleeves Il wus predustynated
fur muffin else but TO make nice timber uf.
An must allow, bredren. dat some of
dem tough ole trees dus make putty good
timber arter all-prccious for AK handles
and whip stocks-but arter n while do aX
handles break. an de whip stocks git
cracked, and de timber is burned, and
den de crooked part oh de tree what was
leit Is hunted up and cass into dc fiah. for
in dat day II shill be as u fussakin bough
and an uppermose branch which dey lef '
because OBJ de children oh Isrel, and dere
shell be desolation.
But ,cho Is de sinna dat'll be cut up in
dose days an roll into dc furnace Oh raft
and hab de dore shut and de draft turned
on wild de ole poker oh vengeance stirrin
him ober an ober an oberp What is de
tree dat grows by de riber-side and bleeves
il aint no count less it gifts dipt in dc wa
ter and puts all its fafe in washing-like
do new fashion doctor folks dat cures et-
ryting wild baff tubs and wet rags, and
spackins? Dar'll be time, my bredren,
when dc water'll be wantin' to dat tree,
when dc twigs'll 60 of like shavins un-
der dc crate. an dc fiah will consume Il
utterly. fur all dc trees OBJ dc feel shill
know dat do high tree has been brought
down, and dried up de green tree, and
made do dry tree to tlorish.
But ,ch0 Is de sinna dat'll be forgiven
an made into precious furnitoor dat'll be
KEEP furever unbroken and set up in dc
parlor9 Not de pine tree oh pride. nur
tree oh dcwaters dat weeps fur muffin,
wurl widout end. No, my Crestian frens,
its dc beautiful ebeny-de dark wood dat
nebcr gifts cass into de fabian de fine
black walnut. an de dark complected ce-
dar, an de African pam. Denis de sort
dat You ncbcr see split into kinlins, fur
its do kind dat de true beliebers is made
NV. an de righteous shin florish like dc
pam tree; he shill grow like dc cedar in
Libinum. Amen!
Here the preacher cavcd In. completely
done up. and falling back on the seat. be-
gan to fan himself with white cambric,
while the congregation went Of In par
ticulsrly steep hymn. adapted to the ex-
ira sky-larking. short lick meter.