Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-04-25
A BAPTIST BROTHER.
He Gives His inside Opiui0n About tho Presby
toFians.

A lady correspondent Of the New
York Independent gives a sketch Of a
sermon she heard in Georgia nearly q
half century ago, from which we give
an extract.
The preacher was apparently about
SO years of age, large, muscular, and
we'll proportional. On entering the
pulpit he took off his coat and hung
it on ,All behind him. then opened
his collar and wrist. bands aud wiped
the perspiration from his face, neck
and hands. He was clad in striped
cotton homespun, and his shirt was OF
the same material. He had travelled
several miles that morning, and seem
ed almost overcome by the heat. But
the brethren sarg a couple of hymns
while he was tanning and cooling off,
and when he rose he looked comfort
able and good natured
He had preached there once or
twice before, but to most of the aud
fence he was stranger. Hence, he
thought it necessary to announce him.
self, which he did as "Old Club AK
Davis, from Scriven county, Halt
Hard and Half Soft Shell Baptist
81 have given myself that name,"
said he, because / believe the Lord
elected me from all eternity to go
ahead in the backwoods and grub out
a path and blaze the way for other
men to follow. After tie thickest of
it is cut away good, warm Method
ist brother will come along and take
my trail, and make things a little
smoother and good deal noisier.
And after all the underbrush is
cleared out, and the owls and wolves
are skeered back, and rattlesnakes is
killed off, a Presbyterian brother, in
black broadcloth and white cravat,
will come along and cry for decency
and order. And they'll both do good
in their spere. don't despise larnt
man, even when he don't dress and
think as do. You couldn't pay me
enough to wear broadcloth, summer
nor winter, you couldn't pay Pres
byterian brother enough to do with
out it in dog days.
"God didn't make us all alike, my
brethren but every man has his own
sperc. When God has place to fill
be makes q man and puts him 10 it.
When He wanted General Jackson
He made him and set him to fghtia'
Iniuns and the English when He
George Whitefeld He made
him for to blow the gospel trumpet
as no other man ever blowed it.; and
when he wanted Old Club AK Davis,
He made him and set him to grubbin'
in the backwoods.
"But my shell isn't so hard but
can see good p'ints in everybody and
as for the Preshyterians, they are
long way ahead Of US Baptists and
Methodists in some things. They
raise their children better than any
body on the face of the earth. Only
a few days ago Methodist class
leader said to me: "Brother Club AK
/ was borne Methodist was raised
a Methodist, and by the grace of God
hope to die Methodist; but thank
God, I've got good Presbyterian
wife to raise my children" And
brethren,i if the Lord should
open the way for me to marry again,
I'd try my best to marry Presbyte-
rian woman, and run my chances of
breakin' her into the saving doctrines
Of feet washin' and immersion after
wards.
y
1t amt three weeks since / was out
a cattle huntin' for two Of my yearlin's
had strayed off; and I stopped in at
old brother Harkers, on Mud Creek,
and took dinner. He's deacon in
the Presbyterian church over thar.
Well, as true as l stand here, breth-
rem, sister Harker had her little gal
standing right before her, with toes
just even with the crack OF the floor,
and her hands was a hangin' down
by her side and her mouth turned up
like chicken when il drinks, and she
was putin this question to her out
O. that catechism q
what are the benefits which in
this life do either accompany or flow
from justification, adoption and sane.
LITIGATION ?"
Now the question itself was enough
to break the child down. But when
she had to begin and say that ques:
ton all over (for that's the way it
was in the book) and then hitch the
answer to 1t, which made this
"sBenefts which in this life do ell
Their accompany or flow from justifi-
cation, adoption and sanctifcation are
assurances of Gods love, peace of
conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost in
crease of grace and perseverance
therein to the end
81 thought the child was the great.
est wonder / had eyer seen in all my
life. She stuck it right through, too,
without balkin' or missin' the first
word. And she spoke so sweet, and
looked so like little angel, that be-
fore | knowed it the tears was a run
MIN down my cheeks as big as buck
shot. | have seen the day when /
could have mauled aud split a tEous.
and rails quicker and easier than /
could have larnt that thing and said
it off like she did.
snow, my brethren, that child did
Mt understand or know the meanin'
o one word o. that. 1t put me up to
all | knew to take it in myself. But
just let that Presbyterian young
un grow up, and every word of that
Catechism will come back to her, and
her character will stiffen up under it,
and she'll have the backbone OF the
matter in her for life.
snow, / can't put things into my
children that way. Nothin don't
stay, somehow. Its like drivin' a nail
into log.
"Then we don't pray in our families
like they do. | know their prayers
are mighty long, and they pray all
over creation, but, after all, its the
right way. Its better than prayin'
too little.
"Now my father and mother were
good Baptists, aud raised their chill
to be honest and Industrious but