The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-03-27
THE FLOOD AND THE ARH
A HARD-sHELL METHODIST SERMON ON Ma
TURE AND NOAH.
From a L.Nllenfcnf.

rum tisc iH'ft ltFtt'af.
In the autumn of 1880 l attended 4 Meth
odist camp meeting IN the interior ofGeor-
gia, and heard sermon which 1 have
never been able to forget or describe
The speaker had just been licensed, and
1t was his first sermon. In person he was
small, buleJ-headed, of a fair, sandy COM
plection, and his countenance was indictive
of sincerity and honesty. He was taking
up the Bible in regular order for the first
time in his life, and had gotten as far as
the history of Noah, the ark, the food, &c.
Besides, just before his conversation he
had been reading Goldsmith's Animated
Mater and the two together, by the aid
and assistance of the Sperit, had led him
into a powerful train of thinking as lie
stood at his work bench, day in and day
OUT The text was: LAS it was III the
days of Noah. so shall the coming of tie
Son Of Man be-" and he broke out in the
following strains:
'.Tes, my brelhern, the heavens Of the
window was opened all, and the floods of
the great deep kiverod the waters-ah,
and there Shem, and there Ham, and there
Japhet-ah, all a-gwine into the ark-ah.
And there was the elephant-ah that
great animal-ah, of which Goldsmith
describes III his animated Mater '-ah, what
is as big as a house-ah, and his bones as
big as a tree-ah, depending somewhat up
on the size of the tree-ah, all a-gwine in
10 the ark-ah. And the heavens of the
windows was opened-ah, and the floods Of
the great deep kivered the waters-ah,
and there was Sheln, and there was Ham,
and there was Japhet-ah, all a-gwine in
to the ark-ab
''And there was the hippopoPtamusa all,
that great auimal-ah, of which Gold
smith describes in his Animated Mater
ah, what has g-r-e-a horn-sh a-sticken'
straight up out of his forehead-ah six feet
long, more orless-ah, depending somewhat
on the length of it-ah, all a-gwine into
the ark ah.
''And there was the giraffe-ah, MY breth-
erin, that ill-contrived reptile of which
G oIdsmith describes in his Animated Ma
ter'-ah, whose fore legs is twenty-fi five feet
long-ah, more or less-ah, depending some
what on the length of em-ah, and a neck
so long he can,eat hay off the top of barn
ah, depending somewhat on the hithe of
the barn-ah, all a-gwine into the ark-ah.
And the heavens of the window was open
ed-ah, and the floods of the great deep
kivered the waters-ah, and there was Ham,
and there was Shem, and there Japhet-ah,
all a-gwine into the ark-ah.
"And there was the zebra, my brother
en-ah, that b-e-a-u-t-i- f-ji-l animal of which
Goldsmith describes in his Animated Ma
ter'-ah, what has three hundred stripes
a-runnin right straight around his body
ah, more or less, depending somewhat on
the number of stripes-ah, and nary two
stripes aIike-ah all a-gwine into the ark
ah.
''Then there was the anacondon all.
that great sarpint of which Goldsmith
describes in his Animated Nater'-ah,
what can swallow six oxen at meaLah,
provided his appetite don't call for less-ah,
all a-gwine into the ark-ah. And the
heavens of the windows was opened-ah,
and the floods of the great deep kivered
the waters-ah, and there was Shem, and
there was Ham, and there was Japhet-ah,
all a-gwlne into the asi,-ah.
And there was the lion, brethcrcuah,