The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-10-29
Yaller M0ses's SermOn-The Blessings
e. of Poverty.

A correspondent of the New York
EUe'siag Post, in letter from Heailhg
Springs. Va. writes as follows: Last sum
iav assisted at a baptisnlal meeting con-
Quoted by - Yaller Moses, al the pool on
Jackson River. i'm front OF the "Oak
Swami Meetin'-hOnse." Moses Is what
one might cali a sensation preacher. lie
can read. but otherwise is totally unedu-
Gated. and speaks in the broadcast negro
dialect. On this occasion there were only
four candidates for baptism-three women
and one man, Zeb jenkins. jenkins had
long been looked upon as a hardened sin
ner. He was born and raised in Dinwid-
die. was brought up by a gentleman from
Lvnchburgh. and has for the last ten years
gained precarious livelihood by working
around here and there for the farmers In
the upper valley of the Jackson River.
He is between fifty and sixty years Of age.
There was sermon before the baptism.
Moses is very fond of showing his know
ledge of the holy book, which he always
quotes, verse, chapter and page. He APP
parently thinks this gives him importance
in the eyes OF the simple people whom he
addresses. His sermon on the Sunday in
question was so remarkable as to make me
take short notes of it, which | here give !:
Belubbed bruddern and sisters, take
my text dis day from de gospel OF st. Mat
thew, chapter nineteen, verse twenty-iour.
Its easier for camel to go through de
eye Of q needle than for rich man TO en-
ter into de kingdom of God Likewise,
also from degospel of st. John, chapter
| fifth, verse twenty-nine: Sarch We de
| scriptures | often hear de cullud man
! complain of his hard lot in dis lie !;
/ he say he do nOtin but hoe corn,
/ rala nnfQfnaE
| while the white folks dress up fine, and
ride round de country on boss back a
| sInokin' Lone Jack tobacco. You, Bill
Flanders. who's sittin' thar on the second
bench. wild your new brack coat, yer was
a lamentin' 10 me no later dan fodder day
tho yer work hard all de year round yer
lief off no richer in December den when
yer commence in January. Yer don't
want to be port yer want to be rich.
Why yer por simple benighted African,
poverty is de gratest Dressing; we should
i all pray for it. De pOr man he go TO
heavin widout going trou dc eye ob
needle. but de rich man he must trabel on
dat road and will iis show you what q
mighty por chance he has OBJ gettin frou
de eve of de needle. De camel is berry
large animal. and is used in de east as 9
beast of burden; when / say de east
don't mean east Virginia, but de lar easl
OBJ which ST. Matthew speak in de seconc
chapter and first verse OBJ his gospel, where
he saw: 'Beheld dere come wise mer
from de east to jerusalem Your 'spect.
ed preacher was in dat situation hisself Ill
he visit old John RobinsOn's tricky
moral show which pass dis way las week
Dose of my bruddern and sisters who ha;
seen de camel in dat show will understand
the great difficulty he would hab in get
ting frou de eye OBJ needle, on account OF
de hump on his back. If man be POI
an honest an truthful, he 60 straight tC
de kingdom OBJ God without beil.g trou
bled by de needle. But yer must likewise
.sarch de scriptures Lew Marshall tel
Bob White las Sunday, How can WI
"sarch scriptures when we done got NJ
!. Bible, and donno how to read i? Yes,
hear him say so. | reckon you thinl
WALLER Moses Is gwine to search the scrip
lures for the whole congregation. NO
old Moses can't make yer good; he car
only tell you how ter make yerselfs good
, But cherry brudder, cherry sister can sarcl
: for hisself and trace truth frou her MAJ,
lair. and dra her howlin' to de light o'
daV''