The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-12
=. ~ ,.,.,. ..... IN
At A NEGRO REVIVAL. "
Unlettered Men Who Wisely Expound The
Truth.

Unlettered Men Who Wisely Expound the
Truth.
We were party of SIX, all Sunday
school Teachers all supposed Scrlptural
experts. Ono Of our. number was u re,
tired American Missionary association
worker and another one had been prepar.
ing for the foreign mission field when her
health failed her. The five Of lib accepted
tho invitation of the sixth, oNr hostess, to
attend q oolored revival meeting near BY.
| We were the only white people In tho
crowded church. All about US were dusky
faces; all around us tho mellow negro
voices rang out IN characteristic negro re,
vival songs. The words were trivial. the
choruses but disjointed bits of sentences
but the melody was Intoxicating to tho
senses. Though uptuned, what voices
unframed, without rule, yet with a
strange rhythm and passionate fire TINT
stirred ones pulses as nevor operatio aria
oouldl
Our dark skinned brethren were of the
Christian religion; therefore they were
nearer to us than heather. Nevertheless
between US and them rolled great gulf.
They were illiterate, emotional babes In
the gospel They had never heard of the
higher criticism and never studied Barnes
or Adam Clarke and wore not afraid of
DO Veto or Rennn. So we sat there with
tho patroni2iDS air that human beings are
apt to assume when thrown In contact
with mortals loss wise than themselves
Brother Jonah Watkins, white wooded,
bent backed man of 20, was called upon
to pray. He responded, in nowisc over.
awed by our superior presence. He prayed
as fhnnOh hfc Inns ho1 i,.lo okna
by live coal from God s own altar.
go Lord" he prayed, thou knowest
dis people. Hero we are befo' de, down on
our lnarrer bones III de lowlands of sorrow.
Raise US up, deah Lord, an stan us I'D
upon our feet upon de mountain tops Of
glory. An do sinnahs Of dis congregation,
deah Lord, smite EN- wild de hannah Of
Jeremiah"-
heard no more. 1.-THE hannah of
jeremiah was ity had read the
prophet Jeremiah through and through,
with tho commentaries and Bible diotion.
aries open at oyory page but never syl-
liable had caught about jeremiah y ham,,
NOR. What did this bent backed colored
man know about Jeremiah that the wise
teachers of the law had oyerlookedp The
question was broaohed on the homoward
walk Our party mad oil been struck with
the expression, but not one of us six Sun.
day school teaohers had the remotsst idea
of what Jeromiah's hammer might be.
The next day six mon and women read
their Bibles, and each of the six began at
the first verse Of tho first chapter of .Jero.
miah. One by ono as we reached the
twenty-ninth verso of tho twenty third
chapter we found what VIC were after.
us not my word like Grop saith the |
Lord, and like hammer that breaketh tho
rock in poces?" .Jeremiah's hammer was
Gods word, TINT was able to break down
the fiinty resistance Of the Indifferent soul
Could Scripture reference have been more
applicableS And the wonder Of all was
that this low born son Of toll. spelling his
text out word by word should have found
tho kernel Of the meat, while others, with
every help ut hand, passed over tin
1eDendent