The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-08-09

; It is quite half generation since the Harp
Sermon wcnt the rounds of the papers, and il
is time the rising generation enjoyed the bcne
fit Of that cmincntly orthodox production:
Harp sermon.
BY A DISTINGUISHED HARDsHELL BAPTIST
PREACHER.
Ny Beloced Bretheriag:-My text, which |
shall choose for the occasion, is in the leaves
of the big and the good book, somewhere be
tween the second Cronnkills and the last
chapter of Timithy Titus Sisters, you won't
| find it in the songs of that great and wise man
solomon, so you ncdn'te look but when you
find it, you will find it in these words; For
they shall knaw file and flee unto the noun
tains of Hcpsdam, where the lion roarcth and
the wang.doodlc mOurncth for his first
| born"
Ny children rejoice with you all, and
most especially with the sisters, that your
beloved pastor is again permitted TO stand
before You, restored to health and happiness
! hale and hearty as Il twoyearold. And why
do rejoice more on the sisters account than
upon the brothers; | would merely say that
most of the sisters, that is the gOOd-lOoking
ones, will understand why and it is only
necessary for me to ircpeat it here For they
shall knaw file and flee unto the mountains
of IIepsidam, where the lion roarcth and the
Iwangdoodle mourneth for his frst-bOIn.'
How like angles did they seem, as they
moved noislcssly, in the dim light of one tai.
low dip. across my chamber floor, or smOothed
the pillow for my fevcrish, aching head Oh!
how many times did they call back to mem
DRY the early days of my Mary Ann but
who, long years since, became back slider
and the companion of the fellow who plays
on a harp of thousand strings" and went
with him to live where the spirits of just
men, and | suppose women too, are made per
feet But let me tell you, my hearers, they
will have n hard time of making her perfect
For they shall knaw file and flee unto
the mountains of Hepsdam, where the lion
roarcth and the wang-doodlc mOurneth for
his first-born."
Ny beloved brethering, the text says they
shall knaw file 1t does not say they may
but MaR Now, there is more than one kind
of file There's the hand saw file, the rattail
file, and single file, and double file, and pro
file; but the kind of file spoken of here isn't
one of them kind neither bckaws it is figure
of speech and mean eoin' it alone and gettin'
ukered For theY$hall knaw IA file, and flee
unto the mountainsof Hcpsidam, where the
hon rourcth and the wang-dOOdc mOurneth
for his tirstbOrn'-ah!
And there be some here that with fine close
on thar backs, blass rings on their fingers,
and lard ON thar har, what goes II while
they're yung; and thar be others here what
rs long as thar COnstitOoshins and forty cent
whiskcy last goes il blind. Thar be sisters
here what, when they gets sixteen years old,
cut thar taillarropcs and goes it with a rush.
But say, my dear brethering, take care you
don't find, when Gabriel blows his horn,
you're hands played out, and you're ulcrcd
-ah For they shall kuaw file, and flee
unto the mountains of llcpsidam, where the
lion roarth and the wangdcodlc mourncth for
his trStbOrn.'
Now, my brcthcring. "thcy shall flee unto
the mountains of lIcpSidam;' but thar'S more
dams than Hcpsidam. Thms Rotterdam,
Had dam. Anstcr DAM and Don tCarc- adam
and the last of which, my brcthrring, is the
worst of all and reminds me Ola ~irkumstanS
onst knOwcd in the state of lllcnoy. There
was man what built him a nail on the north
fork of Agcr Crick, and it was good mill
and ground a site of grain but the man what
built il was miserable sinner, and never
gave ANYTHING TO the church; and, my dear
hrCtEcring. one night there came Il dreadful
storm of wind and rain, and the mountains OF
the great deep was broken up, and the waters
rushed down and swept that mans miIl-dam
To kingdom cum, and when he woke up, he
found hc wasn't worth dam-ahl For they
shall knaw IA file and fee unto the mountains
of lIcpsidum where the lion roarcth and the
wangdoodlc mourncih for his firSt,horn'-
ahl
Now, where the lion roarcih and the wang.
doodle mOurncth tor mis- iir~tbom' ali, This
part of my text nv bcSccching brctherin', is
not 10 he taken rs it says. II don't mean the
bowling wildcrnc>, whar John. the Hard shell
Baptist fed on lucuscS and Wild asScS, but il
means. my brclhcrng, the city ot--thc
mother of harotS and hard lots, whar corn is
wuth six bits one day, and nary red the
next; whar niggerS are - thick H. black
bugs in split bacon ham, and gamblers.
thieves and pick-pockcts goes ~ncaking about
the streets like wcascl~ IN a harnyard: whar
honest men are >Carccr than hens teeth: and
a strange woman once took in Your beloved
teacher and bamboozlcd him ont of two hun
drcd and twenty dollars m the twink
ling of a sleeps tail; but she can't do il again
IIallclmah-ah, For they shall knuw a file
and lcc unto the mountains OF Icp>idam.
where the lion roarcth and the wang-duodlc
mourncth for his first hOn'-ah,
My brcthcring am captain of that boat
you see tied up Thar, and have got aboard ut
her flour, bacon, tatCrS, and a. good MunnngJ-
hala Whi>kry ~ ever was drunk, aud am
mighty apt to get q big price for them ILL
but what, my dear brcthcriug. would IL all hc
wuih il hadn't got religion Thar'S moth
ING like religion, my hrrlh,r,u-, it'- better
nor silver or gold gimcracks; Won can no.
more get 'o heaven without 10, iiun iuy bird
can iiy without q tail--ah Thank the Lord
I'm au uucducJtad my hrr'hcIiug; hut I've
been >ir,hinE The ~cripivrS from Dan jo
Bcor.heht, ami found Zion right side, ami
hard shell religion the best kind OF religion
.h' II, Lu' iI.r thc Methodist, what >pcck-