Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1891-07-23

REMARKABLE SERMON.
A Discourse Delivered BY a
"Hard Shell'' in the Early
Days of Audrain County.

log meetIn' house about s miles
from Mexico, out on Skull Lick,
This locality was the thickest set.
tied portion of the county at that
time, and although the log cabins
of the early settlers were far apart,
the minister usually had a fair size
audience. Rev. Solomon Peery
also preached in .he same house,
often filling Mr.. Griggs' pulpit.
The first regular church edifice in
Audrain county, log cabin, was
erected by the Methodists on Lit
tleby creek, just below the forks.
Rev. Peery was the pastor of this
humble house of worship.
A REMARKABLE SERMON.
Among some old documents in
possession ofthe LEDGER was found
the following copy of the most re-
markable sermon believed to be on
record, delivered by Elder Elihu
Griggs at the little meetin' house
out on Skull Lick. 1t is given
verbatim ct iteratim:
| "He that is not for us, is against US and he
that gathereth not with US, scratcheth board. "
After having delivered the above
text, Rev. Mr.. Griggs proceeded
thus:
This passage ov scripter, my
deer brethring, which l have jist
read, is frum holey rit. 1t is in.
spenscable truth that he who is not
for US is against US. We can fine
no better imblamatic pruf ov this,
mi brethring, than jist tu look
round and see who is not with US.
see them here, mi brethring, to
da. Thar sets the sott-handed
Prisbiterians, and here the self
commissioned Baptists, and yam
der the back-slidden Methudis.
Whar ar they, brethring? Ala
all fitin one anuther besides
they're all linked and twisted and
connivin tugether, trying to upset
us, but thanks my dear brethring,
they're not got US yit. No, deer
brethring, they're not able. Let
'em rip with their hell fire faith
and hi skooled relygun. Let 'em
fling their wooden thunder bolts at
US !! We're the primatives. Yes,
my brethring, we, the hard shells
as they call US, hev stood the shock
of their fry slang, and stand as
long--as long as the iron wheel ov
time kontinues tn role on in the
world. But, my deer brethring,
now Gums the orful pint in the sub.
jeck-'He that gethers not with
US, scratches a board.
Mark, mi deer brethring, the
latter claws, scratches board.
understand bi this, mi deer breth'
ring, that he that is not with us
and does not gether untew oul
flock, neither lays hold ov the pix
ak and digs that thare may be
abundant harvist gathered untew
the Lord. Yes, them demagogs
snekin and hulkin and skulkir
about like an old red fox in a her
house, tryin' to win the effechuns
ov a shankhi chicken, tina will b'
doomed to scratch board through
all eturnety.
| Yes, mi deer brethring, methink
I see that tender fingered Prisbi
terian whu was called Off tur etur
nety fue years ago, scratching
board, and methinks I see upol
his rite bac slider scratching hi
board, and upon his left the por'
misshunary Baptist whu had bee,
sent tew kollidge and got a fin
edecashun, he tew is skratchin
board, and will have to skratcl
> and skratch thru all eturnety.
And thar's that pore sinner, th
, weepin and walen Methods; b
never saut the salvashun of hi
sole. Methinks I see him ungul
ed in the sulphuric of an orful he'll
, thar he is a wepin, walin, mashi
: his teath, and skrachin a board
o, sinner, tern, why don't ye
!. tern2 Now is the time, for whe
=. yer stan befour the judgment bal
yer will here that orful dune pre-
nownced against yu, "Departe, ye
!. kussed intew the dismul PVT an
e skrach board" And thar yu W
haft tew skrach and skrach harde
. than ever a gra hound skrached
rabbett from his den.
But-ah, mi dieing friend, ah,
q will not be a saft pine board y
: will haft twu skrach, ah. No, nj
ah; it will be ruff, snarly, crosse
, grained, tuf oke board, ah. Ye
= yes, ah, it will be clabb board @
, nets and splinters, ah, which y
viii haft tew skrach and skrac
from everlastin tew everlastin, al
untel the foundashuns ov brimstu
is burnt out, ah, an its flaimes
II punched, ah, and the wauls a
: kooled, ah, and untel the blast {
a and endless eturnety freezes yu ,
u stiff as pokurs, ah. Amen.