The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-05-26

2 Presbyterian woman, and run m
chances of breakin' her into the saviu
! doctrines of feet washin' and INNER
sion afterwards"
Just at this point he was interrupted
by two spotted hounds that had beer
continually running up and down the
pulpit stairs. One Of them jumped
upon the seat and began to gnaw his
coat tail, in which was something he
had brought along for his lunch.
He turned slowly around and took
him by the ears and tail and threw
him oIt of the window behind him as
easily az if it had been young kitten.
The other took warning and got out
as rapidly as possible, though net
without howling and yelping as if it
had been half killed.
He then turned to the audience and
said, smilingly: "St. Paul exhorted
the brethren to beware of dogs I
wonder what he would do If he were
in my place this morning? It appears
like l am compassed about with dogs,
as David says he was"
He had scarcely commenced preach
ing again before there was a squealing
and kicking among the mules and
horses that were tied to the trees close
by. He put his head out of the win
dow and said: "Ho harm done, my
brethren. Just a crittur with side
saddle on has broken loose. VIII
some brother head the animal? for no
sister can walk home this hot day."
Quiet being restored, he continued:
'Well, nay brethren, I will nov try to
say what I allowed to about the Pres
byterians. AS I said before, they
raise their children heap better than
We do. They behave better in church
and keep Sunday better, and read the
Bible, and learn the catechism better
than ours do. declare, my brethren,
their children are larnt that Westmin-
ster catechism by the time they begin
to talk plain.
''It amt three weeks since I was cut
cattle huntin', for two of my yearlins
had strayed off-and I stopped in at
old brother Hardey's, on Rund creek,
and took dinner. He is a deacon in
the Presbyterian church over thar.
Well, as shure as 1 stand here, my
brethren, sister Hardey had her little
gal a stanin' right before her, with
toes just even with the crack of the
floor, and her hands were a hangin'
down by her side, and her mouth
turned up like a chicken when it
drinks, and she was putting this CUES
ton to her out O that catechism:
what are the benefits which in this
life do either accompany or flow from
justification, adoption and sanctifca-
ton?
'ENow the question itself was enough
to break the child down. But then
she began to say that question all over
(for that's the way it was in the book
ana then hitch the answer to it, and
which all put together made this: The
benefits which in this life do either
flow from justification, adoption and
sanctifcation are peace of conscience,
joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of
grace and perseverance to the end >
l thought the child was the greatest
wonder 1 had ever seen in all my life.
She tuck it right through, too, without
balkin or missin' the first word. And
she spoke so sweet and she looked SO
ike a little angel, that before /
knOwed it the tears was runnin' down
my cheeks as big as buckshot. I've
seen the day when 1 could have
mauled and split a thousand rails
quicker and easier than could have
larnt that thing and said it off like she
did.
"Now, my brethren, that child
didn't understand or know the meanin'
of one word O that. It 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 viii come back to her, and
her character viii stiffen up under it,
and she will have the backbone Of the
matter in her for life.
"Now l can't put things into my
children that way. Nothing don't stay
somehow. Its ike drivin' a nail into
a rotten log"
This last remark I never forgot. |
For thirty years afterward, as I would |
stand at the blackboard trying to fix
rules and principles in the mind of a
dull pupil, this remark would come
back to me with oil its peculiar peril |
nacity.
81 tell you, my BRETHREN" he con-
tinued, "if our children had little |
more catechism and the Presbyterians
had little less, it would be better for
both.
''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, it's the |