Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-22
EFFECT OF ENLIGHTENMENT.

time ago. lney uSeu 10 respect icheioh,
but now they don't care anything about 1t.
EFFECT OF ENLIGHTENMENT.
people call this an enlightened age.
but l can't see 1t; for IL enlightenment
does anybody any good IL will make them
conduct themselves decently, respectfully.
and honorably, and make them show some
respect TO God, even if they are not Chris
tians. There are a great many now who
boast education. They may have IL, but
they don't know how 10 use IL. II Is one
thing to have education and another thing
to use IT, Education Is a good thing. l
don't condemn any one for wishing 10
get Il. But what good does Il do some.
If they get IL? Intelligence, II l under
stand anything about IL, is first 10 fear
God, and then keep his commandments,
and that will keep people from vice and
crimes OF all kinds. IL they reverentially
try to serve God. and seem TO be thankful
that God should spare them so long, then
1t is intelligence. But all this gambling
and such vice is extreme wickedness and
folly. Such intelligence l don't want I
learned what intelligence was about nifty
six years ago. | learned 10 fear God.
They can't see 1t now, though. / know
what Is the matter. People are dying out
Just like diseased sheep, and IL Is because
they have forgotten God, and they have
taken up worldly amusements. III people
were to try TO love God these undertakers
would not have half the business TO do
that they have now. 1t Is sad TO see tho
state OF things in this land now. and
counted for intelligence. / never could
see in my life that merrlment and frollcs
fashions, and styles were intelligence. I
have been all around through this country
preaching for ffty-six years and the
best meetings we have had have general
ly been in the Christmas times. The
whites and colored people all enjoyed
themselves better then. But II don't seem
so now. 1t is anything but that claim
this TO be heather intelligence.
GOD ALWAYS CONQUERs.
"T fear God" the venerable minister
continued. II have never seen battle
that God did not conquer. l have seen
when they fought against Him, but God
always conquered. When God converted
! my soul / had never read a line In the
Bible. He placed me at the head OF this
people as a Moses, and said l should not
be succeeded In my day, and should an
swer the infidel Some laugh and sneer
at me. Moses didn't lead the Ancient
! Church but forty years. and I have been
| leading this church ffty-six years. I am
| called uneducated, and said 10 have no
| learning But / am educated from the
| theological school above, the great foun-
tain head OF knowledge I have just such
| an education as God wants me TO have.
ONLY ONE NOW LIVING.
"I have been here to know something
of the history OF the nations. Richmond
is pretty large now, but there is not a
single person, white or colored, In the
| city OF Richmond to-day who was here
when came here, a boy 13 years old, In
| the year 1875. This place was then gov
erned by seven officers, and that Will show
the size OF this place when came here.
When I came here anything like q rail-
/ road-car hadn't even been spoken OF.
| There was not q railroad-car In Virginia.
And the first track that ever was laid In
Virginia was the one across the river
that ran 70 Stony Hinge Pits. IL was
laid about 1927, but there were no engines
| then 10 pull the cars. l was here TO sec
| every railroad built. The city then ex-
| tended on Broad street as far as the city
ian. and west OF Fourth street was in
the country At that time there were not
| more than a dozen houses In Manchester.
Right at Seventeenth and Cary streets I
have sat many time ana caught big
lunches OF fish. The dock then came up
that far
THE SHOWER OF STARS
The octogenarian then said that he had
witnessed sights that people laughed az
vhen told them, and didn't believe them
because they themselves hadn't seen
them.
~ was 10 years DID," said Jasper. when
the big shower OF stars fell. had occa-
sion 10 20 to the porch about O'clock in
the morning to get some water. and l
saw the stars falling like snoN said.
Look here, boys. the stars are Hing In
every direction. 1t must be Judgment
The stars were falling. but not ono ,oucl.-
ed the ground. They fell for TWO hours.
We, sorre people don't believe IL because
thev didn't see IL. Soon after that Z
cholera Epidemic broke out. Richmond
has never had any plague that wss a,
dreadful as this. A perscn would be well
and hearty one hour and dead The next.
They died so fast that the citizens could
not dig graves for them. but had to dig
great hole and pile all the corpses H."
After this recital the reporter bade the
aged pastor good-by, and when he reached
the street he could not help feeling glad
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