Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-25
BROTHER JOHN JASPER.
HIS CELEBRATED SERMON EMIT
TIED 1.-THE SUN DO MOVE

HIS CELEBRATED SERMON EMIT
TIED 1.-THE SUN DO MOVE"
Ana1yzine the Figures Of the ''Phf1nss-
phers,- and Proving. To Jssper's sstts-
faction, Their Erro1s-The Story Of His
Early Life-In Slavery Days.
One cannot be in this city for any length
of time without having his attention attract-
ed TO Rev. John Jasper, oolorod divine, 50
many illusions being made to him and to q
certain famous sermon Of bis entitled The
Sun Do Move" In fact, the writer had his
curiosity so aroused to hear the ssrnlon that,
being told Mr.. Jasper would preach it when
ever requested, he made the request and re-
csived reply that 1t would be delivered tbs
next Sunday morning.
Accordingly on that day the writer, with
other friends from the north, found himself
proceeding in search of the reverend gentle
mans church, which is situated in the district
known as Africa called so on account Of
bong almost wholly occupied by colmed peo-
pie.
On arriving at the church which proved
to be very creditable structure, we we're
very politely received and shown to seat.
About 300 colored people were present, many
of them being dressed in the height OF fashion,
and ali neat and clean After some excellent
singing and prayer, FIR. Jasper rose and
said that by request be would deliver his ser
mon, THE Sun Do Move" adding that be
had already delivered it IT'S times.
But before giving any detail Of this truly
wonderful exposition Of Bible doctrine it
may be we'll to give q brief account OF the
life of the preacher. John Jasper was born
in 1912, in Fluvanna county, Va, OF slave
parents AS a boy he was noted for his
brightness, and WAS allowed to work in bis
masters house as waiter, etc. When he was
Is years old he was sent to Richmond to work
in the tobacco factories, where he labored
until the close of the war, though changing
masters once OF twice.
In 1889 he became converted, and soon af
ter claimed that he had been chosen by God
to preach. In 1910 he began his ministry,
although at that time he had only learned
how to spell the simplest words. Such was
the power Of his discourses that his fame e1-
tended oil over Virginia and he was often
away on preaching tours Lasting two or three
weeks, his mastsr receiving from those wish
ing his services the sum of 81 day, except
Sundays During the civil war be preached
to the sick and wounded soldiers in the Con-
federate hospitals.
When Richmond surrendered and Mr.. Jas
per became free man, he had only seventy
three cents in his pockets, and was in debt
for house rent to the amount of a42. 1t may
be said here that lie is now worth some thou
sands Of dollars Until 1867 he did general
,iccio both IN off
try, during which time he had great many
calls to different coiored churches, but ac-
cepted none On the first Sunday in Septesn
Der, 1867, MIR. Jasper organized bis present
church, with nine members, On an island in
the Jsxnes river, inst opposite the city, in
little wooden shanty which had been used by
the government for stable. The church
grew and prospered, was moved from the
shanty to a carpenters shop and then to its
present quarters, and now has membership
of over 1000. Mr.. Jasper at one time bap
tiled 300 candidates in two hours.
a member of Mr. Jaspers church and
white man few years ago got into con
troversy about the rotation Of the sun, and
finally decided to ask Dir. Jasper to preach a
sermon on the subject. He did SO, and took
for his text Exodus XIV, S: ''The Lord is a
man of war, the Lord is his name" This ia
the sermon he has since delivered 50 many
times, and which is briefly outlined below.
He began by giving graphic sketch OF
the Israelites, beginning with Abraham, and
continuing until the persecution of theia by
the Pharaohs lie graphically described this
plaques that were sent as a means OF dedv-
erance, and gave a thrilling description Of
toe passage of the Red Sea, whore be said
God fought the first battle for his people.
"God does not fight like other people" he
said. When we fight we can see each other,
but when God fights be is invisible. He does
not need to throw up breastworks like
men" He then spoke briefly of the suffer
ings Of tie children OF Israel in the desert,
and then came to the time when Joshua
commanded the sun to stand stall, which it
accordingly did
'Now," said tho preacher, philosophers
say that the gun does not move. ! want to
make :. fire of those philosophers books to-
day. The Bible said the sun stood ssiN. Is
anybody going to say that the sun was sssnd-
ing still before Joshua told it to stand stilli
Do you think Joshua wooh have asked God
to stop the sun If she had not been ,novingl
And yet the philosophers say the sun stands
still and the world revolves around it.
Where in the name of God they get their al
thority from don't know 1t is nonsense to
cay that the sun does not move. David, IN
the fifty-iifth Psalm, says: The mighty God
even the Lord. hath spoken, and called the
earth from the rising of the sun unto the go
ing down thereof Is it possible that this
means that the sun doesnot movea That man
who says the sl<n does not move, he doas not
read his Bible"
The preacher went On to express bis SUI
absurd and contrary to the teachings Of toe
Bible, and then returned to his attack On the
philosophers 'Some of them tell U.s." he
said, that the sun is 95,OoO, 600 mikes from
the earth; Others say 100, 900 Gao, and Others
g., 0O00O0. This IS conclusive proof Of their
ignorance on the subject. How can the dis
tance of the sun from the earth be meae-
ured2 L IS said that cannon BAH travel
ing at the rate Of four miles q secoud would
take 81 years to reach the sun. Now, it
would take tue same time to come back, and
who is there that can live 7o2 years to see if
it really does take that longs And who can
go on the cannon bah and take the tape line
70 measure the distancez'
he now left the sun. and attaci1rd the phil
osophers on the argument that the earth is
round. He read Revelations VII, l: And
after these things saw four angels standing
on the four corners Of the earth, that the wind
should not blow Oh the earth, nor on the sea,
nor any tree" If the earth is round he
exclaimed, chow could angels stand on the
four cornersr ''They tell us, " he continued,
that people are living directly under as