The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-02-17
The rsarp Of a Thousand Strings
4 HAED SHELL SERMON.

i may say to you my brethring that l
am not 2n.edicated man, AN | am not one
of item as believes that edication is ne
feessary for d Gospel minister, for l he
llieye the Lord edicates his preachers just
as he wants 'em to be edieated; and yet
in the State Of mdianpy, whar | live,
thar's no man as gifts bigger congrega-
Itions nor what gifts.
Thar may be some here to-day, my
bretbring. as don't know what PERSIA
lsion am Nv Well, l must say to you,
nv brethring, that I m Hard Shell Bsp,
ltist. Tbar's some folks as don't like
/ Hard Shell Baptists, but I'd rather have
a hsrd shell ss no shell at all. You. see
me here to-day, my bretllring, dressed up
in my fine clothes you mout think | was
proud, but / am not proud, my hreth-
Iring; and although I've been preacher
.lof the gospel for twenty years. an al
Though I'm captirg Of the fatboat at
-|your landing, I'm not.proud, my, breth-
ring sq
| I'm not gwine to tell edzactly whar my
tex may he found suffice to say, it's in
the leds Of the Bible, an you'll flnd it
somewbar between the first chapter Of
Generations and the last chapter of Rev
i oIutione, an ef you'll go and search the
Scriptures, you'll not only find my tex
THAR, but great many other texes as will
! do you good to read, an my tex, when
Iyou skill find it, you shill find it to read
thus:
/ San he played on harp Of thou,
sand strings-sperits Nv jest men made
Iperfeck,"
! My tex, my brethring. leads me to
speak OF sperits Now, thar's a great
many kinds of sperits in the world-in
the fust place, thar's the sperits as some
folks call ghosts an thar's the sperits as
some folks cali liquor. and I've as good
an article of them kind NV sperits on my
hatboat as was ever fotch down the Mis-
sissippi River; but thar's great ma
my other kind Nv sperits, for the tex
says,
| "He played on harp NV thou
Isanfd strings, sperits Of just men made
lperfeck 5
But I'll tell you the kind Nv sperits as
is meant by the tex, is FIRE. That's the
kind Nv sperits as is meant in the tex,my
lbrethring Now, thar's great many
kinds NV fire in the world In the fust
place thar's the common sort NV FIRE you
light your cigar or pipe with, and thar's
foxfre, an eatnphire, fire before you're
ready, an' fire an fall back, an many
other kinds nv FIRE, for the tex says,
..He played on harp Nv a thousaad
strings, sperits Nv just men made per-
| Ifeck' -
But I'll tell you the kind nv fire as is
meant in the tex my brethring-it's HELL.
FIRE! an that's the kind NV FIRE as a
great many nv you9l come. g, ef yoa
don't do better nor what you have been
doin'-for
He played on harp Nv thousand
strings. sperits Nv just men made per-
i feck."
i Now the different sorts NV fire in the
world may be likened unto the different
persuasious NV Christians in the world.
In the fust place we have the 'Pseepali-
ans, an they are high ,sailin' an high
falutin' set, and they are likened unto a
turkey buzzard, that flies up INTO the air,
ap' he goes up, an up. til he looks no
bigger than your, finger nail, an the fnst
thing You know, he comes down, an is
film himself on the carkiss NV dead
! boss by the side NV the road an.
"He played on harp wv thousand
strings. sperits Nv jest men made per-
feet"
I. An then thar's the Methods, an they
may be likened unto the squirrel ruhnin'
mp into tree for the Methods believes
in gwinc from one degree NV grace TO an
other, an finally on to perfection, an the
squirrel goes up, an up, an he Jumps
| from limb to limb, an branch to branch,
an the fust thing you know be falls, an
down he comes kerfumix, an that's like
the Methods, for they is alters falin'
] from grace, ah! an
| ale played on a harp nv thousand
strings, spelits Of Jest men made per
feck."
And then, my hrethring, thar's the
, Baptist, all /! and they've been likened
unto ;possum on 'simmon tree. and
thunders may roll, and the cath may
/ quake, but that possum cliaes thar still
ah! and you may shake One foot loose
and the others thar, and you may shake
all feet loose, and he laps his tail arounf
the limb, and he clings furever, fur
Gle played on harp NV thousand
strings, sperits Of jest men made per
feck'