Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-27

A COIOrsd Moody who Wants No
FOOIin wild de LOrd',-GBetter Whfs-
bah 10 de Lord dan HOIIer at de
DebbIe.s
Mississippi correspondence Cincinnati CONNER
ciaI.
We must give the reader a few specimens
Of a prayer and an exho. tatiOn We heard in
a revival meeting among the cOlored folks.
A shining black preacher, glossy as a var
nished beaver, gave US a characteristic ar
ticle 10 this line. Beginning his prayer in
allow and reverential voice, he addressed
the Deity as aThOu' and "YOu" indis-
criminately, and sometimes Inducing in
the doubtful grammer Of "ThOu knoWeth,"
and "YOu knows" Soon his words were
uttered as a kind of wailing chant, with a
prolonged sound in a higher key on en-
phatic words and syilables. The peculiar
information, especially when the cOngrega-
ton would catch the key from the p~laintive
sounds, and unite with the D eacher in a
piteoUs moan, between words, gliding down
from the dominant note to the minor third
below, and dying through diminuendOes
into sobs and signs. The effect was at
times thrilling. Some parts Of an exhOrta-
ton to which we listened, however, while
less eloquent, were certainly very practical.
The preacher struck nails square on tie
head IS lie hammered away. For instance:
"Now, brethren and sisters, We want
mOUnahs heah tonight. No fOOlin'. Eff
you can't moulin for your sins, don't come
fOOlin' roun' dis allah. knows We. You's
twin mighty ha'hd 10 be convarted 'thOut
bein' hurt. The Lord 'spises mOckery.
Sometimes you sinnahs comes fOh'rd an
holds your head too high a-cOmin'. You
come foah yOu's ready. You starts too soon.
You don't repent; you's no mOunah. Your
fOOlin' wild de Lord. You comes struttin'
up to de allah; you fopS down on your
knees, an you peeps fiu you tingahs dis
way, an you cocks up you eahs to see
who's maxim de bes' pray'r. YOu's 'tirely
too peaTt for peniten's. AOu's no mOunahs.
Eff you comes heartc fool, you bettah stay
away. Bettah 90 to hell from de pew
asleepin', or from your cabin a sWearin',
dan from de mOunah's bench a fOOlin'. Eff
yOU's not in earnes', keep away from he'eh;
don't bOdder Us Do you want US to make
ourselves hOase an weah out ouah lungs
a-prayin' for you when you knows you,s
only fOOlin' wild de Lord? Itells you to be
mighty cahfUl. 1 want to see you a comm
so buhdened by de weight oh you sins dat
you can't hold up you heads. 1 want to
see you so heart-bIoke dat you knees knock
tOgedder when you walk. You mus be
lOw-minded. De Bible lays great stress on
de IOug. You's got to get low down in De
dus'. De good book says, Low dob in de
vOllem of de book it is writ Now, min
dat and be low"
Then addressing the members Of the
church more particularly, esaid: "Brede-
rem in de Lord, you mus be airnes' prayin'
fOh desc pore sinnahs. You mus wakeup.
In dis spring time OBJ yeah, when the leaves
is comm, an de 6OWahs is a-Winklin' an
a-blOomin', what does de leaves an de
howahs say? Dey says, cit Upr"
T"Amen, dat's So from an old brother in
the corner. at is mohnin, de day is
breakin'. Git up. Wake up in the mOhn-
in" TAmen, wake EN- up, Brudder Gin
ton" from the corner Too many OBJ
YOU fessahs oh 'ligiOn has been sleepin' on
de wheels OBJ time. Git up an put yOuah
shOuldah to de wheels. Den when yOu
kneeI rOun' dis allah to cOmfOht de noun
abs, don't boiler" T~Amen, halleluyah,''
yelled a sister from The wOmen'S side
eEvery time YOU hOllers de debble he put
another thought in you heart. You'd bet
tab whispah to de Lord dan to hOller at de
debble. Talk low. Let de mOunahs pray
for themselves. You bOdder dem wild your
hollern'. Git down lon side dem, an
'StruCt dem when dey AK, but don't waste
breff ober any who's peepin' rOun' listenin'
for nice talk. Don't tell de mounah to
watch for visions an wait for miracles. Jus
show dem how to res on de wohd an Tesk
de promises"