The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-07-30
THE GREAT, PULPIT CoMmoNER.
Sam Joncs's Wonderful Success az o
Hovivalist.
Correspondence Nashville american.

Correspondence Nashville american.
freely confess myself much less at q
loss TO make up my mind as to whether
Brother Jones is q great preacher than
have been to finally determine whether
Grant is great general. II he were not
thoroughly earnest and honest Ia his
professions he could lnot deceive not
only the people where he has preached
abroad, but those at home who have
known him (as saint and sinner) from
infancy-as q minister for twelve or
thirteen years. have just conversed
with gentleman who was long o resi-
dent of the county In which Cartersville
(Jones's home) is situated. He thinks
very much of this modern Jonah says
every word ia true of the story he himself
tells Of his former revelry and rapscal.
lionism. That he drank, drank, drank.
and went down, down, down, until he
got to driving dray for living. This
may be true or not; II not, hope
Brother Jones, in his next reference to
the press, will candidly admit that not
the newspapers, but the people, are the
champion liars of the age. Newspapers
are always honeat, truth.telling interpre.
ters. Indeed, they could not be other.
wise. They reflect, just as mirror does,
that portion of the world held before It,
and If liars are abroad, or lies, like lousy
bats, encircle the air, they must be rep.
resented in the faithful newsgatherer.
Papers are invariably truthful It Is you,
sir, and you, and you, who are the liars.
No ordinary Georgia scrub could come
to Tennessee and take possession as
Brother Jones has done. He is either the
greatest revivalist of the United States
to-day or Tennesseeans are the most con-
summate asses living. So, indeed, are
the Texans, Mississippiaps and others,
for he has aroused the same excitement
everywhere. Col. B. F. Lillard, oc shis
city. pronouuces him tho great pulpit
commoner, as Pitt, Clay and johnson
we're the great commoners Of the politi.
cal world. Flick out from the list Of the
converts the names of the few hardened
sinners" at the head of this letter.
They are men of brains and courage and
convictions men whom no ordinary
breeze could move from any position.
Read his sermons. Are they not, for the
most part, full of plain, practical sense
and theological orthodoxy? IF the
ChEistion's Bible is the foundation of
hope. who could better testify to the
common people Tor the uncommon
people ei.her) his faith in the divinity of
the written word than when he says:
II believe the whale swallowed Jonah /;
believe It literally. ! only..do not believe
that Jonah swallowed the whale simply
because the Bible doesn't say he did"
To the sinner who hesitates, who waits
for his feelings" to- move him, who
wants to "feeW that he ia good enough
to 60 before he makes any change In his
conduct. was there ever more homely
or more convincing illustration presented
than the anecdote of the man who sat
down, axe in hand, at the root of tree
one cold, frosty morning, waiting for the
sweat to break out before he went to
work2
Brother Jones admits his natural
weakness. he has the appearance OF
q man of hasty and once violent tenn
per. It must have been difficult at first
to keep lock upon his lips; hi is no
doubt man, brave, impulsive, courage.
ous-the very sort open to temptation.
Was there ever q better illustration OF
one liable to fall, yet determined to etand,
thar that made yesterday of himself:
II -4)n't care how often one errs, II
he'll HONESTLY strive to restrain himself
aud recover his proper balance when he
does orr. All along the way we meet
with conhicts and temptations. When
stumblo aud fall, thank God always
fall lika an India rubber ball, I fall
bouncing Ged will put his angels on
! half retions to keep an honest man and
his family from starving"
Withal, he reaches men of less impos:
Sible sympathies by mixing horse sense
| logic with horse sense anecdotes and
Illustrations, for no one can more clearly
establish to the multitude his proposi.
ton that religion iG matter Of princi.
pie and conviction"
But this best answer to all his critics Is
to point to results. What If Brother
Jones's words are plain and blunt 2
the devil rather than "His satanic excel.
lency from the burned district2' Or
likes unshirted "hell" better than "shoelr'
in purple and fine linen9 He moves his
hearega. He holds In his hand the
assembled thousands; and whether he
preach forty minutes or two hours they
results decide the issue. Men of all
grades and classes enjoy his sermolll
alike. They rise ct 5 in the morning Ia
prepare for his 6 o'clock eeryice-meu
women and children, who, perhaps, have
never seen the sun rise till now. And
when the exhortation is delivered snG
.Ppalms of Victory" sung, they move
forward from all parts of the tent, and
"those who came to scof remain tc
pray" The barkeeper and his patron
the gambler and his victim, the doctor
and his patient, men and women, lawyer
and client, good and bad, hardened age
and tender childhood, till within t6e
PAST three days, at this meeting alone
three or four hundred have either pro
fsssed religion or declared themselye.
penitent.
It is the proud boast of Brother Jones'i
friends and admirers that In q single re-
yival at Knoxville he closed tweuty.seyen
barroons, and thus redeemed two hun.
dred aud seventy drunkards. How poor
and Insignificant seem all the results. oi
the Maine liquor and bleeding Kansas
prohibition laws, in comparison with Q
work like thatf