The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-10-13
THE BOY PREACHER.
John Wesley Shields, Formerly Of Ander-
son, S. c., Aged 8 Years.
atlanta Journal.


the person of John Wesley Shields, an
eight year old pupil at Fair street
school, who has developed wonderful
oratorical powers
They call him the Young Sam
Jones around st. Paul's Methodist
Church. on Hunter street. where he
preached Saturday afternoon and yes
tcrday. t. large and attentive congre-
Cations.
Jol,li, is an intelligent, looking
little blach7lcd 10y and La all the
air ana ,:-n'y Of b airing IF grown
Up man. lie Il sill in thc second
grade at >chonl but is very fond Of
Eihlc study and las learned his favor
itc chapter John lith, allnos; ly
heart
lie hes Il Slight impcdimcnt in his
speech, natural in one so young, but
when he gets under way his delivery
is splendid and he is a very interest
ing talkcr.
If there ever was born preacher
in the world he is one said his
mother who lives near the corner Of
Moore street on Hunter, his father be-
ing barber in the kimball house
block. 6 lie has been preaching for a
year and half and anybody listening
ut him might think that he had been
taught what he knows, but this is not
30.
lie says that whatever he uttcrs
God tells him TO say, and he never re-
ncats the same sermon, but talks in n
different way every time and his de-
livery is as free as that Of a trained
minister.
ave came from Virginia about a
year and a half ago. My husband is
Rev. j. w. Shields, local preacher
connected with St. Paul's Church, and
eight months ago John Wesley be-
came 2 member Of the Church. This
summer we went up to Anderson, S.
C., on visit, and while there he
preached twice in the Wesleyan
Church
Saturday afternoon he preached at
the childrcn's 8 meeting at ST. Pauls,
and again Sunday afternoon. lie
preached in nearly every grade of the
school and seems to be born orator
and preacher
Rev. MIR. Diamond, pastor Of St.
Pauls, has been conducting chill
drens meeting on Saturday and Sun
day afternoons, and on Saturday
afternoon he called on John Wesley
Shields, The little fellow responded
and preached a very strong sermon Of
fifteen minutes length, from the text
BE Sure Your Sin Will Find You
Out" 'SF
He told the children" said Mr..
Dimond, IN speaking of the sermon,
that they might SOW their wild oats
and do evil deeds while they were
young, but that they might rest assur-
cd that their sins would find them
out.
He cited the eases cf Tom Delk,
Arthur Haney and young Spinks.
See, said he, what drink Of free
whiskey cost Arthur Haney. 1t cost
him his life. Be sure your sin will
find you out. 1t found those boys out
and they were made tc suffer. It will
find you out likewise if you continue
in your sinful course
His sermon was surprise to all
who heard him. Sunday afternoon I
called on him again, and at first he
told me that he had promised to preach
for the holiness people up town, but
he changed his mind, and at the chill
dren's meeting he appeared with his
Bible in hand.
II called him inside the chancel
and he opened his Bible and read a
lesson, announcing his text, Behold
L stand at the door and knock. If
any man will open unto me I will
enter in and sup with him and he
shall sup with me-
The sermon that followed was =
lua~tcrly effort Tor enc 50 young, and
would have done credit TO n grown-up
preacher. lie is 4 wonderful little
Fellow and is a natural orator and us
fcrSSnt in his delivery as if he had
been eraincd for the ministry.
".About\ year and half ago he
was in our infant class, and he seemed
to develop the idea of preaching from
talks that he had with my wife. He
first began preaching to the children
in his mothers yard, and from that
he began preaching at atschool, and now
he is developing into regular Metho-
dist preacher"