The Osceola times., 1881-07-02
rUs MOU"TAly MESSIAH.
The Kentucky prsachsr who Initiates the
bumble Nszariue-

oulnhif NHAttiuc-
CievClsrd Herald
A religious excitement has broken out
among the mountains Of South western
Kentucky. 4 new Messiah has made
his appearance among the moonshiners
and rough mOunlalneers, and at bis
preaching their hearts are stirred as the
trees are stirred by the Storm" Miracles
are wrought, the sick are healed by
amounting and pray er, and other Won
ders attend the preachings and minis
traiions of the Kentucky evangelist.
Rev. George o. Barnes, the mountaia
evangelist, is a regularly educaled and
ordained minister of lhe Presbyterian
church, now in the fifty fifth year of his
age, and who has for twenty-seven wears
been preacher Of the Gospel. He was
prepared for the ministry at Princeton,
emerging from that institution well
equipped with a knowledge of Greek,
Hebrew, Sanscnt and seyerrl modern
languages. For seven years afer bis
ordination he was a missionary in
llindoostan, where his health failed and
he returned TO the United States, with
constitution seriously imprlFed. When
sufficiently recovered he took charge OF
a church at Stanford, KY, and preached
acceptably for nearly eight years, bnt
gave no sign Of unusal powers. Toward
the close of his connection with the
Stanford church his preaching became
somewhat erratic. Toe elders SAID he
was shaky on doctrinal points and
demonstrated with him. His response
ives a declaration from the pul pit that
the devil had rJt out of bis own terri
tory into that OF the church; that he had
crept into the hymn books, into false
tfanslations of the Bible, into the Catech-
i'm and even into the Articles OF Faith.
The Presbytery rebuktd him and he
withdrew in disgust. In October 1871,
he lefl his Stanford church telling his
congregation he did so "wiihout a dollar
in the world, but with faltn IL GDd
Some of his flock offered to build an in
dependent church, but he refused. A
Stanford man who had removed TO
Chicago aud became wealthy induced
him to remove to that ci;y. He built
a chapel in which Ma. Barnes preached.
An Offer was made to the preacher of the
church, with furnished residence and
$4,000 a year, for which he was 10 preach
two sermons q month. That startled
him, and he literally fled to the moun~
tains' 10 escape temptation.
At the beginning Of 1856 he COM
menced his work as mountain evangal-
1T, poor. in delicate health, and with no
other comp1Hions than his wife and
daughter Ills Chicago friend sent him
several checks OF $50 each, with the as
surance that he would have one each
month as long as both lived. lie sent
the money back and refused all aid from
his former friends and associates. He
would trust everything to God" His
throat was weak, but be "uusted 10
God" and for four years and half has
preached uuinterrup'edly two sermons
every day, with the result of strength
ching instead of destroying his voice, al
though at every preaching he violates all
the rules for vocal preservation. He
bought small reed orsan which is play
I'd bv his ddus shter, who also leads the
singing. Sne had no musical education
whatever, but she "rusted IN God" and
PLAYS and sings correctly. The trust OF
MIR. Barnes that he would also be able TO
sing accepiably has been, in the opinion
of his hedIers, misplaced, though he
does not seem to have discovered the
fact. He accompanies his daughter in
the hymns, but with a voice that will
make the heavenly choir stop their ears
in agony unless ii is improved before lie
Joins them.
His success among the people Of the
mountains has been wonderful He
breaches in the plainest language to
them, but they never resent his structures
and ms converts are numbered by thou
sands. His disciples follow him from
one village to another. The most lawlts
and violent communi les become orderly
and pCaceahie under bis minis'TauOn.
judge Randall, Of the notorious Breadth
ut county, SAYS he WAS stronger in that
county in restoring pea g than the whole
State militia, aud the Judge adj Jurned
court that Brother Barnes might address
the armed factions ready to shoot each
other down. He takes no collections,
accep no money ifom the poor, W Ill re-
ce We nothing beyond the supply Of the
DAYS needs, and will not stay in the
house OF a man who can not afford It,
He receives revelations, or new light"
directing bis progress and shaping his
teachings. The last light that broke in
upon HIM revealed his duty to heal the
sick by anoinung and prayer, as set
lorlh in the sacred Scriptures, aud he is
now curing by these means cases given
,ver ry TIE do tors. lie does not cam
that he will always be successiul in such
cases, nor does he think it necessary iJI
him TO Uothcr hlms,l If about the matter
lie "Ieavcs it all to God" 1t may be
that he will die like other people, bu
it has been borne in upon him that he
will 90 10 heaven without dying.