Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-11-30
An OLD-TIME SERMON.

"A lady correspondent OF the Indei
pendent gives sketch of sermon
/ she heard in Georgia nearly half a
century ago, from which we give an
extract:
The preacher was apparently about
fifty years of age, large, muscular and
well proportioned. On entering the
pulpit, he took off his coat and hung
| it or a nail behind him. then opened
his collar and wristbands, and wiped
the Precipitation from his face, neck,
and hands He was clad in striped
cotton homesprn, and his shirt was of
the same material He had travelled
several miles that morning, and SEEM
ed overcome by the heat But the
brethren sung couple of hymns
while he was tanning and cooling of
and when he rose he looked comfort
able and good natured.
He had preached there once or
twice before, but to most of the
audience he was stranger. Hence,
he thought it necessary to announce
himself, which he did as s.Old Club
Ak Davis, from Scriven county, a
iIalf-Hard and Half Soft Shell
Baptist ~
II have given myself that name, y
said he, s'Decanse [ believe the Lord
elected me. from eternity, to 90 ahead
il, the backwoods and grub out a ath
and blaze the way fer other men to
follow. After the thlckest of it is
cut away, good warm Methodist
brother will come along and take my
trail, and make things a little smoother
and a good deaf noiser. After all the
undprbrush is cleaned out. and the
owls aid wolves are skeered back, and
rattlesnakes is killed off, Presbv>
terian brother, ia black broadcloth and
white cravat, will come along and cry
for decencv and order. And they'll
both do good in Their sphere. | don't
despise a larnt man, even when he
don't dress AMI think as d.. You
couldn't pay me enough to wear
broadclolh, summer nor winter, and
you couldn't pay Presbyterian
brother enough to go without it IN
dogdays.
"God didn't make lis all alike, my
brethren but every man has his own
sphere. When God has a place to
ill, he makes 4 man and puts him in
it, When he wanted General Jackson,
he made him, set him to fghtin'
Injuns and the English: when he
wanted George Whitfield, he made
him for to tlow the Gospel trumpet
as no other man ever bowed it; and
when he wanted Old Club Ak Davis,
he made him, and act him to grubbin.
in the backwooda.
"But my shell isn't SO hard but
can see good pints in everybody ; and
| as for the Presbyterians, they are
along way ahead of us Baptist and
Methodist in some things. They
| raise their children better than any
people on the face of the earth Only
few days ago a Methodist class
leader said to me ''Brother Club AK.
| was born a Methodist, | was raised
q Methodist. and by the grace OF God
| hope to die a Methodist but, thank
God, Two got Presbyterian wife t.
raise my children And believe,
nv brethren, il the Lord should open
the way for me to marry again, II
try my best to find a Pres byteriaf
woman, and run my chances o
breakin her into the saving doctrine,
of etwashin' and immersion after
wards
Just at this point he was interrupted
by two spotted hounds that had beer
continually running up and down tll'
pulpit.stairs. One Of them julnpe'
upon the seat and began to gnaw BIZ
. at tail, in which was something he
had brought along Tor lunch til
turned slowly around and took hin
by the ears aud tail and threw hin
ynt Of the window behind him, a,