Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-01-24
The Harp of a Thousand Strings.

The Harp of Thousand Strings.
We reprint, by request, this famous
sermon, which the world will never fail
to read and laugh Mt:
SERMON.
! may say to you. my brethering, that
| am not an edecated man, an | am not
of them that believes edecatiou is neces
sary for Gospel minister, for / blecve
the Lord edecates his preachers just as
he wants 'em to be edecated ; an although
| say it that oughtn't to say it, yet in the
State of Indianny, whar live, thar's no
man as gifts bigger congregation nor
what gifts.
Thar may be some here to-day my
brethering, as don't know what persua-
sion am Nv. Well, | may say to you,
my brethering, that | am Hard Shell
Baptist. Thar's some folks as don't like
Hard-Shell Baptists; but had rather
have hard she'll as no shell at all. You
see me here to-day my brethcring. drest
up in fine close you mont think | was
proud, but am not proud, my brother
ing; an though | have been preacher
ov the Gospel for twenty years, an al
though Tn capting Nv hat-boat that
lies at your landing, I'm not proud, my
bretbering.
I'm not going to tell you edzactly whar
my text may be found; suffice it ter say
it's in the Bible, an you'll find it some
whar between the first chapter Of the book
of Generations and the last chapter of
the book of Revolutions, an if you'll go
an search the scriptures you'll not only
find my text thar, but great many other
texes as will do you good to read and
my text, when you shall find it, will read
thus:
And he played on harp of thousand
strings-Sperits of just men made perieck.
My tex, brethren leads me to speak
of sperits. Now thar's a great many
kinds of sperits in tho world. In the
fust place, thar's the sperits as some folks
call ghosts; and then thar's the spcrits
of turpengtinc, and thar's the sperits as
some calls Ticker, an have got as good
an article ov them kind of sperits on my
aat-boat as was ever fetched down tho
Mississippi river; but thar's great
many kind Nv sperits, for the text says,
He played upon a harp Of thousand
strings -sperits of just men made per-
feck.
But I'll tell you the kind Nv spcrits as
is meant in the tex, my brethren -
Now, thars great many kinds of fire
in the world In the first place, thar's
the common sort NV fire you light pipe
or cigar with and then thar's camfirc
fire before you are ready to fall back, an
many other kinds of fire; for the text
says, He played upon harp of thous-
and strings-spcrits of just men made
feck.
But TIL tell you the kind Nv fire as is
meant in the tex, my brethering
hell fire. An that's the kind Nv fire as
great many uf you'll come to eff you
don't do better nor what you've been
doin--for he played on a harp of thou
sand strings -sperits of just men made
perfeck
Now the different sorts Of fire in tho
world may be likened unto the different
persuasions in the world. In the first
place we have tho 'Piscopalians, and
there a high sailin' an highfalutin' set.
an they may be liked unto turkcy-buz-
zard that flies up into the air, an he goes
up an up. till he looks no bigger nor your
finger nail, an the first thing you know
he comes down an down, an is film
himself on tho karkiss Nv ded boss by
the side of the road--and he played on u
harp of thousand strings--sperts of
just men made perfeck.
And thar's the Methods, and they
may be likcned unto the squirrel runnin'
up a tree, for the Methods bleeves in
gwine on from one degree of grace to an
other, and finally on to perfection an
the squirrel goes up an jumps from limb
to limb, an branch to branch, an the
fust thing you know he falls, and down
he comes kerAummux, an that's like the
Methods. for they is alters fallin' from
grace-ah And he played on harp of
a thousand strings-sperits of just men
made perfeck.
And then, my brethering, thar's the
Baptist, all and they have been like I'M
to a possum on 'smmon tree and the
thunders may roll, and the airth quake,
but the possum clings thar still--ah =
An you may shake one foot loose, but
he laps his tail around the limb, and he
clings thar forever-for he played on a
harp Of thousand strings-sperits Of
just men made perfeck.