The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-30
Rev. Sam Jones' Style.

The following is an extract from a
sermon by Rev. Sam Jones, the Southern
revivalist:
The saddcst attitude Of the soul as it
lies on the brink of perdition is the atti-
tude of slumber. A man sleeping over
his immortal interest! Can you imagine
a man like that; In our State we have
a Nh. William A. Rogers, President Of
the Marietta Female college. One morn.
ing his wife was i%ndisposed and he sent
his servant to the drug store for q~uinine.
In q few moments the servant clme back.
Mrs. Rogers took the powder and put it
on her tongue. She rinsed it down with
water, but as soon as she had swallowed
it she walked to the front porch, and to
her husband, who was in the flower
yard, she said: "Husband, that was not
q~uinine I took just now. I sent for
quinine, but I am satisfied that was not
quinine." Mr.. Rogers ran down with all
his might to the drug store, snd said:
What was that you sent my wife2' The
druggist threw up his hands and said:
"Sir, I have sent enough morphine to
your house to kill a dozen PERSONS" MIR.
Rogers ran over to the doctors office
and carried two physicians home with
him. They administered emetics and
strong coffee and various remedies, and
directly a death like stupor began to
crawl over her frame. The agonlzed
husband turned to the doctors and said:
els there chance to save my poor
wife?" eyes," they replied, eff we can
keep her awake for four hours we can
save her life." The minutes seemed like
hours as they walked her up and down
the floor, and threw cold water in her
face and whipped her person with cruel
switches, and every means was used.
Directly that death like stupor became
so oppressive hat she turned to her hus-
band and said: Husband, please, sir,
let me go to Sleep" and he said, ooh,
wife, if you 60 to sleep you will never
wake up again in this world" II know
that, "shc said, s'but please, sir, let me go
to sleep" And they walked her up and
down the floor, aud, directly, when the
stupor overwhelmed he who,e being, she
turned to her husband, and said: Illus
band: please, sir, let me sleep for just
five minutes" And he said: "Wife, if
you 60 to sleep for five minutes, you will
never wake up. Arise! Arouse" And
thus they waited until the four hours
had passed, and the doctors pronounced
her safe.
And 1 have seen the soul of man just
in that condition. l have worked with
him and wrcstled with him day after
day, and week after week, and the devil
would administer opiates to his soul and
he would say: sJust let me sleep until
this service is over-this last hours SER
vice of the meeting. Just let me sleep
through this" And I have aroused him
and we have sung, Come humble stu
ner," and on and on, and then he said:
"Just let me sleep through this last
verse;"
But if I die, that mercy sought
That on the King nave cried,
It's then to die-delightful thought
AS sinner never died.
And he sang the verse through, and
he closed his eyes and slept and slept
and slept, until in hell hs opened his
ewes, wide awake forever! Oh, brother,
can you sleep that way9 Oh, brother!
Oh, how men sleep over their immortal
interest! How men sleep over the in
terest of their souls!