Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-03-17
The sHard shelp' Sermon.
"TnE HARP OF A THOUSAND Strives" )"

AhH hAhp oF THOUSAND STRINGS"
Tho following is the old "Hard- shell
sermon, which frst appeared some % years
ago 10 New Orleans paper and had for
years afterward the run Of tho press of the
country. 1t has not been the rounds, how,
ever, for dozen years or 30. The locality of
the sermon is supposed to be at village on.
the bank of the Mississippi River, to which
the person who delt in tho commodities of
the country as we'll as preached to the rural
congregations, has brought his fiat boat for
purposes of trade:
l may say to you, my brethriug, that l
am not an edioated man, an 1 am not one
Of them as believes that edioation is neccs-
sary for a gospel minister, for believe the
Lord edoutes his preachers Just as he
wants ,em to be odioated; on although I
say it that oughtn't to say it, yet in the
State Of Indiunuy, whero live, thurs no
mau as gifts bigger congregations nor what
gifts.
Thar may bo some here TO day, my breth.
ring, as don't know what pesuasion I am
Nv. Well, must say to you, my breth-
ring, that am a lIord Shell B,ptist.
Thars some folks as don't like tho Hard
Shell Bsptists, but I'd rulher have hard
shell than 40 shell at all. You see me here
to day, my brethring, dressed up in Cue
clo'bes; you mout think 1 was proud, my
bretbring, and although I've been q
prescher of tho gospel for twenty years, an
though I'm capting of tho fat boat that
ics at your landing, I'm not proud, my
breihring.
am not going to tell edzaotly whar my
tex may be found; suffice it to say it's in
the leds Of the Bible, and you'll find it
somowhar between the first chapter of the
book Of Generations, an the last chapter Of
Revelations, an as you'll not ouly find mino
thar, but great many other texes, as will
90 you good to read, aud my tex, when you
shiil fiud it to read thus:
can he played on q horp of thou
sand striugs-sperits of jest men made
perfrck.
My tex, my brethrng. leads MO to speak
of spcrits. Now, thars great many kinds
of sperits in the world-in the fuss place,
thor's the speriis as some folks call ghosts,
and thurs the sperits of turpentine, and
thar's tho sperits us some folks call liquor,
and I've go os good an srtikle Of them
kind O. speri's on my fiat boat us ever was
fotched down the Mississippi River; but
thars great many other kiuds of eperits,
for the tex Gays, "He played on harp of
thousand strings, eper,s of jest men made
perfeck
But I'll tell you the kind Of spe,its
meant iu the tex is fire. That's the kind
Of sperlts az is meant iu the tex my breth.
ring. Now, thurs great uany kinds of
fire in tho world. In tie fuss place, thor's
common kind Of fire you light your cigar or
pipe with, an thar's foxfire or canGre. fire
before you're ready, and fire and fall back,
aud many other kinds of fire, for the tex
says, "He played on hurp NV thou.
sand strings, spcrits of jest men made per-
feck."
But I'll tell you the kind of fire as is
meant 10 tho tex, my brcihriug--it's hell
fire, an that's the kind of fire you'll coma
to eff you don't do better nor you huve been
doiog'--for "He played on harp of a
thousand strings, sperits Of jest men made
perfeck"
Now, the different sorts Of fire 10 the
world mny DO likepcd unto tho different
persuasions of Christians 10 the world. In
the first place we have Pisospulons, on
they are high sailin' an high faIutin' set
an they may be ikcned unto turkey |
oo6c''o HUN up Iuo BlCt nuu nc |
e res up and up till he looks no bigger than
your fDgcr nail, and the fust thing you
know he comes down and down and il
a.filln' himself on the oarkiss of a dead
hoss ty the side of the road, aud "fIe !
played on harp of thousand strings,
spcrits of jest mon made perfeck."
Aud thsrs tho Methodists, al d they
may DO likened unto squirrel running up
intos tree, for the Methodist believes 10
gwine on from one degree of grace to
another. and fiually to perfection, and the
squirrel goes up and up and up and up and
no jumps ron limb to limb, and from
brupch to branch, and the fust thing you
know be falls an down he comes kerAumix,
on that's like the Methods, for they is
alters fallin' from grace, ah, and "He
played on harp Nv thousand strings,
spertr Of jest men made perfeck."
Aud then, my brethren, thar's tho Bap-
tist, oh, and they huve been lkened unto
possum on simnon tree, and thunders may
roll and the earth mny quake, but that
possum clings thar still, oh, and you may
shuke one foot loose, and the others thar,
and you may shake oil feet loose and he
laps his tell around the limb, and olines
futever, for ole played on harp Nv a
thousand strings, sperits of jest men made
perfeok."