Weekly Trinity journal., 1873-05-17
NUMBER 20.
UNTUTORED ORATORS.

a contributor to the New York hide
pendent recalls some pleasant reminis-
cerces of Southern pulpit eloquence:
When | first went South, forty years
since, l used frequently on Sabbath
morning to ride several miles in the coun-
try to attend the Piney Woods Church.
es." The audience was mostly composed
of the poor white population, many Of
whom could neither read nor write 1t
was pleasing to see them collect for wor-
ship. In fact these stated monthly meet
ings We're the only opportunities they ever
had for exchanging words of sympathy
and kindness, and they were always an
ticipated with much pleasure.
They did not have an educated minis-
try, for they did not require il. They
Were honest, faithful men, and preached
the saving doctrines of Christianity with
much lervor and bodness.
One, rs an introduction to his discourse
said that "his crittor had died that week
that his children had been sick that his
crop was in the grass; and that he had
not been able to give moments thought
to the sermon. Consequently, he would
be compelled to depend entirely on tho
teaching of the Spirit, and he expected it
would bo pretty poor stuff" In tho clos
ing prayer he besought the Lord "to
wake them all to Il sense of duty, aud
right then and there to come down upon
them with all His ponderosity." A class
meeting followed tho sermon and other
exercises. One old lady was asked it she
felt she loved the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Well, BROTHER" she said, "I don't know
that have anything again Him." An
old man apparently near the end of liie's
journey, was asked if he was willing TO
die. He said "As he never took to
strangers, and was acquainted here would
rather stay if he could
A preacher who had recently lost his
wife, after commenting upon her great
moral worth concluded with tho follow
ing pathetic remarks :" My dear breth-
rem and sisters, for six long months be-
itiu my pun WIN htNAil Nut HNHtltQ
divers diseases and torments. II she tuck
medicine for ailment. it was sure to inter-
ilict with another, and the last case was
worse than the first. But rheumaty pains
and codicil of the brain tuck her oil. But
thank God, she had breath to tho very
last, and went shouting To glory. My
dearly beloved brethren, l'vo lost sheep
and I've lost cows, but | tell you tho
death of my wife was the worst lick |
ever got. | still feel like an orphin, and
for one whole month artcr | put hcraway
| felt like could lie down and go to sleep
anywhere"
Another ministerial brother, who mar
ried rather sooner after the death of his
wife than some of the sisters thought
proper and becoming, excused himself rs
follows: "My dear brethren and sisters,
my grief was greater than / could bear.
| turned every way for peace and COM
fort, but none came. | searched tho
Scriptures from Genesis to Revelations,
and found plenty of promises to the Wild
der, but nary one to the widdcrer; and so
| took it that the good Lord didn't SYM
pathy on man when it wos in his power
to comfort himself, and having first
rate chance to marry in the Lord, | did
so, and would do the same thing again.
Besides, my brethren, considered that
poor Patsey was just as dead US she ever
would be-"