Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-02-10

ly in very destitute circumstances,
and some Of them, he says, are like
ly to starve, in case the remainder
OF the winter should prove severe
enough to prevent them from going
on the chase.
QUEER SERMONS.
Curious Application Of Biblical Texts
From the Christian Union
One hears scriptural quotations
quantity applied or grotesquely mis-
applied, although the instances are
less abundant than formerly. 1t
was Dean Swift-was it not? ?-who,
when called upon to officiate at the
obsequies Of Princess of royal
blood, outraged the court by an
nouncing as his text, "take away
this cursed woman and bury her,
for she is the Kings daughter"
When demonstrated with, the
preacher inquired if there had been
anything offensive in the sermon.
''Not at all" said the courtiers, "but
the textr' "The text l didn't make"
was the Deans response.
This unequal yoking of text and
sermon recalls story of the famous
old colored preacher Of Vermont.
"Father" Haines was present at a
clerical association when sermon
was read which had not the sli ght-
est conference with the text; when
Mr.. Haines' turn as critic came, he
remarked drylv, "Well, | don't know
as I've got anything to say about
the sermon, only if you ever should
want to marry it to the text, nobody
could forbid the bans, because there
amt any blood relation between
'em." The same Judgment might
have been passed upon a sermon
once preached by the Rev. Mr..
Spaulding IAN early pastor Of the
Tabernacle Church, Salem, Mass. J,
| from the text "And there was Il
rainbow round about the throne;"
yet one can but imagine the ingenu-
ity, even if he cannot accept the
conclusions of this Jealous Pedo-
baptist, who contriyed to express
from his text the doctrine of infant
baptism! The only part of the ar
| gumcnt which has come down to me
is this, which the most obstinate
immersionist cannot gainsay: "It is
impossible to have a rainbow with
out sprinkling"'
Those who are familiar with that
rich and rare old book, ''Turnall's
Christian Armor,'' will recall the
somewhat violent, but often exquis-
itely happy applications ofScripture
with which every page abounds. /
once heard from a Welch preacher
a sermon which was similarly point
ed and adorned, and was, indeed,
from first to last an agreeable repro
duction of Turnall's style of compo-
sition. His theme was, Goods
Methods Of Reclaiming His Wan
derins Children" One Scriptural
application in point which l remem-
ber was as follows: "God deals with
us when we have become cstranged
from Him, as Absalom did from
Joab. He had sent for Joab to come
to him again and again, but he had
stubbornly refused; then at last
"Absalom said unto his servants:
See .Joab's field is near mine, and
he hath barley there; go and set it
on fire; and Absalom's servant set
the field on fire." Then Joab arose
and came to Absalom unto his
house and said unto him, "Where-
fore have thy servants set my field
on tire?" So God often sets fire to
our barley fields, not because He
wants to destroy our barley but be-
cause He wants to see our face and
hear usspeak to Him, if it is only to
ask, Wherefore have Thy servants
set my field on tire?'"
DIR. H., former professor of East
Windsor Theological Seminary, was
singularly happy in his selection OF
texts, which won his hearers inter
est from the outset of the discourse
On a sacramental occasion his text
was, "This man receiyeth sinners
and cateth with them," and an ear
nest sermon Of mingled warning
and encouragement, addressed es-
pecially to those who were no long
er young, though still unconverted,
was found on the passage: "For the
man was above forty years old on
whom this miracle Of healing was
Showed"
But let us leave the pulpit and
come down to the pews. In Yer
mont parish, years ago, there was
AN old soul, whose intelligence was
Just on par with that Of Cowper's
woman who yet outshone the ''bril-
liant Frenchman," because she knew
her Bible true" But good Brother
l.. shamed wiser men by his delight
in social worship, and his feeble
voice was often heard in calculator,
prayer or exhortation. On one oc-
casion the silence which sometimes
broods like 4 horrid nightmare over
conference meetings, was suddenly
dispellcd by Brother Is piping note
"l've fought o q word" y pause
followed, and then he dcspairingl,
clutched his straw-colored thatcl
a.sd said: "rhere it's gone," and in
continentiy fell 70 praying without
any warning. No words we're ssHdi
bic at first, but finally the good man
cried out vehemently, go Lord give
us more sycamore trees, we want
more sycamore trees!" and took his
seat, but Instantly hopped up again
with, go, Eve fought o that word
the Psamist says my heart is 'ditinc
a good matter; ! think we all ough,
to have our minds 'diting good mat
ter" This supplementary remark
gave the minister time to puzzle out
the arboral allusion of the praye,
and to make forcible application
of the fact that it was by the help OF
a sycamore tree ''that little Zacchc
! us oycrcamc his native inability