The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-03-26
HOW sAMeo GETS RELIGION.
\ Mississippi prnyrr Meeting Described
Df nu Eve W ituv...

Misslssippi PrnYrr Mrriiug Described
Dr nv Eye-Mitns,..
IL is said one.hulf of the world does
not know how the other half lives. At
all the great state and national, re-
ligions and educational gatherings we
hear the Drs. Talmage and Spurgeon,
bishops and other great men declaring
the great advancement made by the
colored brother in morals and religion.
fear they get their knowledge from
their plushed and cushioned seats in the
city churches and Pullman cars. be.
lieve it will be admitted that the col.
ored people of Moss Point, Miss, are at
least on an equality in religion and in
telligence with other negroes through
out the south.
A few months since d. ]. Mcleod
and myself, as deacons of the Moss
Point Miss. Baptist church, were re-
quested to be at and assist in the or
ganization of Baptist church among
our colored friends. We went, but eN.
planned to them that we could only as
sist by suggestions and advice, as Bap-
tist churches are, and should be, inde-
pendent bodies
After much singing, praying and
preaching the preacher invited all who
wished to go into the organization of
the church to take front seats. About
fifteen men and women came forward.
After explaining the object of the meet
ing he then asked each one whether he
or she would join "by letter or by ex-
pcllance" (meaning experience). AL
though many of them had been mem.
bers of Baptist churches for years, they
all wanted to line by eXpellance" "
The preacher began to call them, one
at time, to come forward to a chair and
tell their experience. The main por-
tion of all their "expellance" was word
for word alike, and their foundations
were Works for Salvation" Yet each
one of them would associate Jesus with
their experience. They would begin by
relating some incident or accident in
their lives that had frightened them
into prayer 1.-The more they prayed
the worse they felt. When it was night
they wished it was day; when it was
| day they wished it was night" After
! seeing many ghosts and having other
strange experiences, they would find
themselves suspended by slender core
over the Jaws of hell" They would
hear voice saying: Let them down
why cumber they the ground?"
Justice would cut the cord and they
would go down, down, down; and aftet
awhile, as they passed a certain place
they would be grabbed by a strong
arm. Yet the greater part of them
which would be their load of sin, woult
keep on going down and down, anC
finally they would hear their sins dror
into hell with a sound like seven thun
ders uttering their roar" At the same
time they would hear sweet voice
singing, Come unto me, oh, come untC
me-" (This part of their experienc,
they would sing, while waving thei
bodies from side to side)
They would recognize the voice a
that of Jesus and would start out t.
find him They would begin toiling NJ
long, long hillside, the top of whicl
they could not see, and on which the,
were told Jesus could be found among
the many mansions. All of then
had to toll up this hill; yet each en-
countered different obstacles in hi
road. Jesus was represented in eacl
case as just little way ahead, ant
almost in sight.
They all seemed to be true Baptist
in one sense, for they all finally arrived
in Heaven.
While they had different experience
in toiling up the long hillside, they a
arrived finally at the "Pearly Gate
and knocked for admittance. Fac
: was asked what he wanted; the answe
always was: Il am looking for Jesus,
After several questions had been aske,
and answered, they were each admitte
and walked the golden streets of tn
New Jerusalem. On either side wer
stores filled with fruits, which were TO
1.-The healing of the nations" The
would still be hunting for Jesus
Finally they would see white hous
on hill in the center of the city. T
this they went, and each one rang tn
front door bell. A white lady woul
come to the door. They would ask 70
Jesus. The lady would tell them tina
He was out in the orchard To tn
orchard they would go, and after
while they would see a young whit
|
prove to be Jesus and the end of thei
journey, and they would be told to ''g
tell to sinners round what grea
Saviour | have found"
The meeting began at "early candl
: lighting" and we did not get away III
t til after II o'clock. The whole proceed
l ings were continued surprise from b
, ginning to end. They would say S
many good things, then so many simpl
= things, and go from the sublime to tn
ridiculous, and then back to the sublim
so often, that Brother Mcleod had one
half of his handkerchief in his mout
and the other half over his eyes, and
was difficult to tell whether he wa
. weeping for Joy or trying to ape OF
old-time Methodist brethren in "laugl
e, ing the holy laugh" Surprises were IL
l order of the day, and while most
their acts and words pointed to ''wor
for salvation" yet the preacher in OF
> part of his many talks said: "There n
three ways which people believe in fC
salvation. One is by works, another |
: grace, and third by mixture of grac
y and works" Now he added: IF ha
1 half dozen souls / would try all thes
I plans But as have only one little poe
r soul, am going to try grace alone, fC
Il all admit that that is pure gold '"-N
: A. Dees in n. o. Times Democrat