Smyrna times., 1885-06-03
A NEW EVANGELIST.

The Rev. Sam Jones, who has been
known in the South for some time as
successful evangelist, has been creating
a genuine sensation in several South
ern cities during the last few months.
His success in starting revivals of re-
ligion, has, from all accounts, been
phenomenal. As many as 5000 people
of all grades in society have frequently
met to hear him, and every one has
literally hung on the burning words of
Sam Jones, as he is familiarly called
throughout the South. The secret of
the mans success appears to be first of
all his intense earnestncss. lie Is
deeply penetrated with the reality of
the Gospel which he breaches. He
feels irresistibly impelled to preach by
a divine command. His style is
homely, directand simple. Arguments
he eschews, but he is rich in illustra-
tiOns, and his sermons are filled with
epigrams and quick flashes of biting
wit. Sometimes his hearers laugh at a
bizarre bit of humOr, and sometimes
they weep at a stirring appeal to their
emotions. He is not man of much
education, and for this reason is looked
upon with suspicion at first by the reg
ular clergy, but he soon carries all
preiudices before him. In the words
Of the Nashville american:
"Such is Sam Jones, bold, honest, earn
est matchless in his command of an audi
ence, fearing God, but not man. loving re-
ligiOn and law, but despising the affected
wisdom of men and the cOnVentiOnaltles OF
fashionable society; rough, but magnani-
nous; aggressive, but unseltish; devout,
but not Pharsaical-a bubbling fOunt fresh
from the bosom of the earth; Natures own,
without the artificial gloss Of high culti-
vatiOn-a sort of moral diamond in the
rough"
His epigrammatiC utterances some
times rather coarse, but always strong
and striking-are so compact that they
can be carried away entire by thGsim-
plest understanding, and in that fact
lies much of his power. A few exam
Piles of his style may be given.
Some preachers" he said recently
ARE so elegant that they always refer
to hell as the burnt district Thi.
sort of dignity is the starch of {
shroud." Another time he said "Pul
up your doubts by the roots and you
find seed at the bottom, and tha
seed is SIM" Once he reused the slug
gish by saying: " Many good Chris
tians sleep so sound that the devil car
come up and saw off their heads with ;
dull caseknife before they wake"
can get along BETTER" he said in Nash
Vile the other day, with most every
thing in this world than with peopl,
who talk too much. A lie is always OF
the down grade, but the truth yol
have to hitch an engine to-" Speaking
of trouble, he said: The best wO
man i'll this town is the woman VIII,
has waded through trouble that an an
gels heart could not have endured
When God wants to strike us with al
fictions let us not run but stand an,
take 'em." A few days ago he startle
a large congregation by this utterance
"A woman that marries Il man wit
whiskeY on his breath is the bigges
fool in the world, except the one VIII
stirs his toddy for him after she MAJ
ries him. If you don't like that sort {
talk you can rack out of here" Agai
he exclaimed: "Opinions ruin tn
world. That old Colonel, the old Gus
| Will say, II my oplulOu 81 anu oO
A dozen young men who hear him wi
go off and say it's my opinion 50 an,
So They get their opinions from tn
old Colonel, and he gets his from hel
say to them, shut up you old blal
mouthed FOOLS" What's cultur
worth" he asked again, "if it's notl
ing but whitewash on a rascal ?' +
rather be in heaven learning my A
C's than in hell studying Greek. NJ
God, keep my boy pure and honest an
let him die a fool" Talk about a
honest man starving to DEATH"
broke out the other day they won
starve. God will feed an honest ma
if he has to put the angels on half II
tions."
Sam Jones is evidently a man
originality and deep sincerity; and
his bold fight against the sins of h
manity he deserves the sympathy of a
who desire the world to be made be
ter.-NpU York Tribune.