Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-04-24

A"Ee,hal Meeting" Ia Virginia.
Presently We arrived alta large frame
building. much ike a country ~chool-hou-e.
save that il was neither ceiied nor plast,red
and therein the reyiyali-t- were gathered. A
powerful spiritual wave had swept over the
clilrei population, and dozens of carts. load
ei with dusky ~earcher> Gr truth came
along the rough roads. and stopped before
the primitive door Entering. We found
every shade of color. from the coal-h.ack
full-blood % the octoroan. elegantly dressed
and gracious in manners. The congregation
was not large Owing To the excitement
which had prevailed for several previous
SlhhathS, many had retired, worn ont, from
the spiritual feast The women >lt ou the
left side, the men ON the right ui broad
aisle, running t1a plain wooden pulpit iu
which were three moln-iaecd negroes. two
uf them preachers. and the third q State
Senator. In front of the pulpit, behind q
little table. stood am o,iyc-clorci elderly
man, neatly dressed, and with willucS- IN
his eyes, and an intensity written upon his
lips which reminded me Of what had read
ul the "Conyui~ioni~ts of ST. Medard. The
audience was hrcathle-- with attention ais
the preacher, Strolling missionary, sup
ported 10y QuakcrS in Louisiana. took up the
great Bible, and, poising in on hi- lean, nrr-
sous hand poured forth such an imla~-iun-
ed appeal thar fairly tremblcd. ! was NOT
urcrarcd for such ychcmruec. Never. in
the history of New England rcyigaliSm was
there such scene The preacher stood
with many Of bis nearer, well around him,
one of the dcac1u- and cxhprter~. and black
" D
and To him he appealed from time to time
shaking HIM roughly by the shoulder, and
kissing his words m his ear with fiery We
hemcuce. The proposition with which he
started was somewhat iucomprchcn-ihlc to
us. Kiz. Christ Is the creating power Of
God" but the proposition was Of no can~e-
qucnce, because every few moments he would
burst into VaroXy-nS of eNhortation. before
which the emotional audience rocked and
trcmhled ike reeds in % wind. lie had
peculiar way of addressing himself suddenly
aud in "a startling manner to some individual
In the congregation. and in the agony ui his
exh0rtation To- that person. would pound the
table iuriou~v with both hands. and dance
vigorously with his feet. From time 10 time
he would draw in his breath with great
force, as if rcpre~-ing q sob, and, when
speaking OF love and salvation, he inevitably
itll into chant or monotone. winch waS
very effective Under the hurricanes of his
appeal, the fury Of his shouting, the mag
uetic influence of his song. one of the old
deacons went into an actual sVa>m of relig-
iouS fervor, and now and then yelled yociler-
ouSly. milder brother yenturei to re-
mou>tate, whereupon the Quaker preacher
turned upon him. saving loudly
Let dat hrudier shout. an tend dine
own business
Then be began preaching against hyVoc-
risv. lie seemed especially 10 chile the wo-
men for becoming converted with too great
ease. WOE 9" he cried, woe unto dat wo-
man what goe, dosn into de water beio' she
ready: woe unto her p" with a long. singing
descent on the last words; and then he add
ed. Sofi0 roc,, dat what make SO many wo-
men come up >tanglin' an yomitin' an
pukin' outen de water de debbll dat still
in EN- under de water Let no woman
shout for Jesus what don't know bout Je-
su~l It, one thing to git to Heaven. but
its anudder to git in Don We know what
Heaven is2 Heavens God We must
know what we Is preachin' about, an ct we
don't we ought TO SET DowN - (IhiS with
terrific emphasiS).
Ia describing the crsiion, he said Bred
dren. its now - So years Sence dc good
Lord made de world, an de mornin stars
sung toeedder Dat icaRt gcVTdGg' LA ;
read de Book o job, n see for verselfi Dat
rant a month ago I irawI dar dn"
(thus illustrating with sublime Scorn the
littleness of man, "but by de grace of God.
III git dar by-'n- by" (here his voice was
faint and suggestive of fearful joy,) "to
lin de mornin' stars, an well all sing to-
gedder Oh. YES, oh. yes Heavens God
made de world an de fulness dereof, an
hung it up on de high hooks Of Heaven.
Dere wa n t no nails dere; no hammer dere;
no nothin' but de word of God In hint
ing at the terrors of death to the unconyert-
ed. he sang wild word-pictures which had a
certain rude force even for Us. and then
shrieked out these words "Ef de brud
ders don't want to die in de dark, dey must
git Christ to hole De candle. Gods grace
shall be de candle in de good brudder's
heart. Devils may howl, lions may roar,
but nothin' shall daunt dat brudder : heart
Angels shall come down with lighted can
dles in DER hands to congratulate de brud-
der. Tehn, once more screaming and
dancing and weeping, he uttered these
words "Die right, brudder, n yo' shall
not die in de night; yo' shall die in eternal
day. Ef Christ don't bring light enough,
den God will come wild his candle: an ef
cat amt enough, den de Holy Ghostll
come wild his candle, too, an dere can't
ne no more night wild dat brudder's soul"
"a Al another period in the sermon, he said
~ III We can't preach God. we can exhort |
M mlm ei We can't exhort Him, We can live
INN an ei we can't ike Him, we can die |
HIM. I've served under Him forty-two !