The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-04-15
and most monrnfuI visage, the convert
mean while shaking the bands of the pastor

8. Pray harder than before,o said the par
son. Don't do like my little girl, who
got the idea when she had religion that she
needn't pray any MORE"
i The convert. soon after this admontion,
retired, still mumbling his texts and clasp
ing the hands of those he met.
/ After that incident the reporter asked,
How many members has the First church
Well, said the parSon, we have about
$500 on the record. We are taking new
list now. Good many OF our members have
moved away. In 1871 we dropped about
1000.
| Further he talked about his charge, Civ
ing evidence OF deep concern for their well
fare, regretting their ignorance and super
stitions, and expressing firm conviction
that the revival now SO wide-spreading and
all.peryading is the largest on record.
REV. JOHN JASPER.
This clergyman, whose cosmograpbical
calculations have given new food for
thought to scientific men and proftabIy EN-.
ployed some Of the leisure hours OF report
ers and newspaper paragraphers, was found
IN his study, at his residence, on north st.
James street. He was in his slippers, was
seated in comfortable chair, and above his
venerable head, in majestic wreaths, rose
the smoke from bis Powhatan pipe. The
scene was one Of philosophical contentment
and domestic peace. He laid down his pipe
to welcome his reportorial visitor, and en-
tered into an easy and unrestrained CONVEX
sation with him. There he showed fine
sense. Some men, after they have attained
eminence, put on airs with reporters, and
are thereby guilty OF one Of the very worst of
crimes-ingratitude to the creators OF their
tame and fortune.
rhn ,of tI1
TEN was asked if there Was a revival going
on at his church; if 50, how long had it
been going on, and what was the character
Of it BE answered:
Yes, sir; the revival has been going on
about three weeks. There are now about
400 or 500 anxious ones pressing the Mercy
Seat. Friday night the seekers filed all the
church from the pulpit to the choir, and
we had to place benches for them in the
aisles.
The question was asked, What started
this revival?
My sermon [on the movement Of the SUM
I suppose did it, modestly replied Rev.
John. I won't undertake to say that rs q
fact, however, because ] don't know it.
But Pve heard it as a verbal argument.
But warnt thinking about the revival; it
come on SO.
|
verts?
will baptize some Sunday morning.
Where?
At the church.
This revival is n very extensive one, isn't
it? asked the reporter.
Yes, said he; believe it is going on at
all the churches, but haven't had time
to visit any OF them but mine. I heard so,
though from verbal expression.
Well, what do the people say in giving ac-
count Of their conversion?
They give reasonable explanation. They
tell what caused them to set out and mani
fest desire to lead new life. The con-
verts are men, women, and children gene
rally. though there are some youths between
fourteen and fifteen. don't take 'em I'M
der twelve years Of age, because l aifft see
in New Testament where the apostles ever
baptized any such children. The Reverend
John benevolently intimated that at Ebene-
zer they were taking children OF too tender
years. That led the questioner to remark:
Some OF the preachers seem not to like
your sermon ? meaning the sun sermon
Oh, that's all because Of jealousy. Mr..
Wells (of EbeneZeT is more jealous than
any OF them, because he never had the in
fiuence Pye had, though he did have theo-
logical education.
That they do; not only them, but lots Of
people from other chuchcs, and white folks.
too That's because produced evidence OF
what l said by uncontradcted testimony.
I have received letters from all portions Of
the country asking me to come and deliver
that sermon. Got letters from Washington,
New York, Rochester, Illinois, and other
places, asking me to preach it. But told
all them that can't leave my people du-
ring the revival. Gentlemen from the North
tell me that they have seen it in all the
newspapers
Gently turning the Rev. John back in his
course little, the reporter prepounded in
terroeatories, and the parson said
[ have got to attend an eXperience-meet-
ing this evening. We have an examination
OF the candidates in regards to seeing if
thev brought forth fruit-meet. II not, they
are turned back.
Isn't this the biggest revival you ever
saw?
No, not the biggest. 1t is the biggest 1'ye
seen for thrty-eight OF thirty-nine years.
Then there was no walking the streets for
the mourners. That was just about the
| time Of the falling stars--when they fell like
snow, but didn't tech the ground. But
twas mighty skeery time. Four or five
years afterwards got converted.
| Il it true that the mourners are often to
be seen in great numbers on the hill-sides
praying? -,
They tell me that all on the suburbs and
! in the woods, especially on the Sabbath,
they go out to pray for their souls. The
idea is that they can pray better than when
they are encumbered.
How many members have you in your
church?
/ started with only nine now have 1900;
but many Of them are scattered abroad.
You know they have to go wherever they
can get work, therefore they are not all in
regular tendency.
He went on:
The First church, suppose. has 1000
members. All the other churches are
branches Of it pretty much 'cept mine. L
remember when the First was the only
Baptist church in Richmond, and white and
black both worsh:pped there.
Have you read any OF the answers OF the
scientific men to your sermon about the
sun?
No, sir. They didn't appeal to me par
ticulary. I did, now remember, get
paper describing microscope, and parties
wrote me letter offering to send me one,
saving that it was useful to agrlcultur1sts
and others, but Pve not answered it yet.
Here the reporter bade adieu to his Ia
nous friend and went off in search OF more
| information.
| THE SECOND BAPTIST.
TIE Rev. w. Fl. Brooks, who was next
found, said that the revival at bis church