The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-07-23
FAMOUS BAPTIST

IL - hlu0 huN NNN NbiAA "'A "NHNH
Csass 10 Laugh mt II.
1t iS timo to reprint again the famous
uard.She Baptist sermon, Tho world
will never case to read and laugh atit;
II may say to you, my brOtherlng,
that l am not an educated man, an |
Am not one Of them that believes edu'
cation is necessary for a Gospel minis
tor, for l blseye the Lord educatss his
preachers jest as he wants EN- to be
educated; an although | say tt that
oushln't TO say II, vet in the state OF ln'
danny, whar | livo, thar's no man as
gifts a bigger congregation nor what |
gifts.
"rhar may DO aome hero to-day, my
brethsrinQ, ~ don't know what persua'
sion | am Nv. VOL, may say TO Yon
my bretherinR, that | am q Hard'Shel
baptist. 1har'G some folks as doh't
like Hard.Shell Baptlstsi but ia rather
have a hard shell than no shell at all.
You see mo hero to-day, my b%rosherlng,
drest W in tius CLOSET you mous shink
was proud, but | am not proud, my
broihering; an though have been u
preacher Nv ihe Gospel Tor twenty year,
an although I'm Cauting nv q titboat
that lies at your landing, I'm not proud,
my brsthering.
tTm not going to tell you edznckly
Whar my tex may be found; suffice II
Tar say it's in tho Bible, an you'll lnd
Il iomowhar between the first chapter
Of the book OF Generations an tho last
chapter Of the book OF Revolutions an
II You'll 20 an sarch tho Scriptures
You'll not only find my tex thar, but q
great meny othOr tsxei Ra will do you
good to read; an my tex, when you
shall find it, you shall And 1t to read
thus:
"'And no played on a harp oil a thou
sand strings
SperitA OF Just men made perIeck.'
"My tex, b~fstheriag, leads mo to
speak OF aperlts, Nor, tha's n great
many kind OF sports in tho world. In
the ilst place, thar's the sperits rs come
folks call ghosts then thRr's the sPeEits
as some call Ticker, an I've got as good
an article nv them kind Nv sperits on
my nntboat as ever was lotchod down
tho Mississippi river; but thRs's a great
many kind NV spsritI, for the tex saws:
lie played upon a harp Of a thousand
TtrinCs-sperits Of just mon made per-
fOCk.' .
"But I'll toll you tho kind Of spertt, as
10 meant in tho tex, my brethering-its
fire. That is tho kind NV sports as is
meant in tue tOI, my brOthOriug. Now,
thar's n great many kinda Nv Gre in tho
world. Ia the first place thar'a the
common sort Nv fro you light q Pipe or
cigar wi N an then thar'a camdrn; fro
before you arc ready TO fall back, an
many other kinds Nv fire; for the tex
says: 'HO played on q harp OF a thou
sand slrings-sporits Of iust men made
pcriock.'
"But I'll tell you the kind Of fire as iS
meant In the tex, my brsthering-it's
hell fire. An that's the kind NV fro as
a great many Of you'll some to Of YOU
don't do better nor what you've been
doin'-for 'HO played on a harp NV a
thousand strinGs-sperits Nv just men
made poriuck.'
"Now tho different sorts Nv fire in
tho world may be likened unto tho dit.
iorent pOrsuNIiona In tho world. In tho
first place we hayO the 'PiscopRlians,
an they're q high sailin' an' q high.
falpiia' cot, nm thoy may DO likened
unto n turkey buzLard that flies up into
the air, an he goes up nu' up I'LL he
looks no bigger uor your finger nail, an
tho lust thing yaa KNOW no comes down
an down, an is film hisselt on tho
karkiss nv a ded hos by the side Nv the
road-an' lilo played on q harp OF n
thou.sand striaR8-sPeFI ts oil just men
made %perfock.'
AN thats tho Methods. an they
NAV be likenod unto tho squirrel run.
min up 4 trcc; for tho Meshodi. blaeves
in gwiue on from ono degree OF grace to
another, an finally on TO perfection;
an tho squirrel goes up, an jumps from
limb 10 limb, an branch to branch, an
the tuSt thing you know ho falls, and
down he comes kurlummnx, an' that's
like tho Methods, Tor they Is alters
fattin' from grace-ah! An lilo played
on a harp Nv u thousand strings
sperits OF Just men made pofteck.'
"An' then, my brothoring, thar's tho
Baptist-aht an' they have been like
unto a ponSum on a 'simmon tree an'
tho thundors NAV roll, an tho airth
quake, but tho posSuln clinpa thar still
-ah! An yon may shake n foot
loose, but t'other's thar an You may
shake all his feet loose, but no laps his
tail around the limb, an ho clings thar
forever; for lie played on n harp Nv a
Thousand strlngS-ipOrits OF just men
made pOriOck.'"