The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-02-17

C.rie~s APrlaessssn e ylAiicsl Texts
tz

tAA1ktk OnCDStNC
Not at all,n said the courtiers, "but
the textn "The text ldidn't make"
was the Deans response
This unequal yoking of text epd ser,
mon recalls q story IF tho famous OLD
'colored preacher Of Vermont. "Father
Haines was present at cle.ica! asse
alton when sermon was read VIII
had not the slightest Conference WIN
the text; when Mr.. HaineS turn as
critic came, he remarked dryfy, "Wen,
/ don't know as I've got anything 70
saw about the sermon, only If you ever
should want to marry 1t to the text,
nobody could forbid the bans, because
there aiu't any blood relation between
'em.u The same judgment might have
been passed upon sermon once preach
al nv the Rev. Mr.. Spaulding Ian early
nastor of the Tabernacle Church, Se-
f,m, Mass, J. from the text, "And there
was a rainbow round about the throne;;"
vet one can but imagine the ingenuity,
even if he cannot accept the eonclu-
sions of this Jealous Pedo-baptist, who
contrived to express from his text the
doctrine Of infant baptism! The only
part of the argument which has come
down to me Is this, which the most
obstinate immersionist cannot gainsay:
at is impossible to have a rainbow
without sprinkling."
Those who are familiar with that
rich and rare old book, "Turnails
Christian Armor," will recall the
somewhat violent, but often exquisitely
happy applications of Scripture win
which every page abounds. L once
heard from Welsh preacher sermon
which was similarly pointed and
adorned, and was, indeed, from first to
last an agreeable reproduction Of Turn
alps style of composion. His theme
was, Goods Methods of Reclaiming
His Wandering Children" One Scrip
tural application in point which 1 re-
member was as follows: "God deals
with us when we have become estrang-
ed from Him, as Absalom did from
Joab. He had cent for Joab to come
to him again and again, but he stub
bornly refused; then at last 'Absalom
said unto his servants: See Joab's field
is near mine, and he hath barley there;
90 and set 1t Oh fire; and Absalom's
servant set the field on fire. Then
Joab arose and came to Absalom unto
his own house and said unto him,
Wherefore have thy servants set my
field on fire?' So God often sets fire to
our barley fields, not because He wants
to destroy our barley, but because He
wants to see our face and hear us speak
to Him. if it is only to ask, Wherefore
have Thy servants set my field on
fire?'n
DIR. H., a former professor of East
Windsor Theological Seminary, was
singulariy happy in his selection OF
texts, which won his hearers interest
from the outset of the discourse. On a
sacramento occasion his text was,
''rhis man receiveth sinners and eat
eth with them;u and an earnest SER
mon mingled warning and encourage
ment, addressed especially to those
who were no longer young, though
still unconverted, was found on the
passage, "For the man was above forty
years on on whom this miracle was
But let us leave the pulpit and come
down to the pews. In a Vermont par
ish, wears ago, there was an old soul
whose intelligence was just on pal
with that of Cowper's woman who ye
outshone the brilliant Frenchman,
because she knew her Bible true. Blu
good Brother L. shamed wiser men by
his delight in social worship, and hi.
feeble voice was often heard in ejacu.
latory prayer or eXhortation. On ont
occasion the silence which sometimes
broods like horrid nightmare oveI
conference meetings, was suddenly dis.
pelled by Brother LIS piping note;
tive fought o. q word" pause fol-
lowed. and then be despairingfy clutch.
ed his straw-colored thatch and said
"There, it's gone" and incontinently
fell to praying without any warning
No words were audible at first, but
finally the good man cried out vehe
mendy, 10 Lord, give us more syca'
more trees, We want more sycamor'
trees." and took his seat, but instantly
hoped up sgain with, 20, Pve tough
o. that word; the Psalmist says m,
heart is 'ditting good matter; thinl
we all ought to have our minds 'dittin
good matter" This supplementary re
marx gave the minister time to puzEl
ont the arboral allusion to the praye
and to make O forcible application
the fact that ii was by the help of a syt
amore tree "that little Zaccheus ovel
came his native inability and all SUI
rounding hindrances in eager detel
mination ito see Jesus who He was
In the parish adjoining the scene of Il
last story, there Is man who alWNz
astonishes any stranger who -
chance to he present at mee<anI
the church in which he takes paxt,
offering this petition: so grant that 6
form al the Fourth may be here" IT
initiated, however, understand th'
this Is not . geometric proposition, o.
a reference to the experience OF II
Three Children, when One was SEE
walking with them in the fiery fu
mace, sand the form of the Fourth wi
the Son Of God"