The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1916-11-10
A SERMON BY UNCLE
PETER GRAY

The other day | received letter
from Dad Jones asking me to come
and preach at the Union church on
Smoky Ridge He said the people
were so good that they would not come
to preaching and that he wanted some
one to wake them up. So l went, and
to my joy | found the church pretty
well filled with women and children.
My text was "And they all with one
consent began to make excuses"
"My friends:--I am here today to
show you that times have not chang
ed, unless it is that people find more
excuses for not doing their duty. /
guess there are some men living in this
settlement. don't guess you women
and children live here all alone. Where
are your men this bright Sabbath day?
Why do they neglect their Masters
invitation to meet together and con-
TESS their faults one to another?
Maybe their excuse is that they enjoy
themselves better sitting around Bud
Snorter's store, drinking soda pop and
vieing with each other to see who can
tell the slimiest and dirtiest yarn for
the edification of the young boys
standing around. Now these men don't
mean to be as bad as they really are.
Most of them are church members and
are counting on borrowing little
credit from their good wives when
they approach the pearly gates. When
old Jake Spafford comes to the gate
and knocks st. Peter will say "Who
is that?" "This is Jake Spafford."
"Well, what do you want ?" 81 want to
come in" II guess you are at the
wrong place-Bud Snorter's crowd are
below" eyes, but l want to come in
here. My old woman is here, isn't
she?" "0h, yes, but she attended
church and tried to live right" "Well,
| tried to live right, too. | didn't go to
church because the preacher always
said things that made me mad. II
know | was not any worse than other
people, but he was always telling some
thing | did not like and l told the
church people if they would get the
right kind of preacher l would go to
hear him. well, why didn't you
send your children to Sunday SCHOOL,"
20, you know | did not like the super
intendent. In fact, | did not have any
confidence in him." "Well, you see
what your boys are doing now, don't
you? One of them is a sot, and the
others are following the paths that
lead to the lowest depths of shame.
Your daughters are doing as you have
corresponding their Sundays in fast
and riotous company-all your fault.
No, you cannot come in here. This
company would not suit you" "But
my wife is in there" eyes, that is
true, but yu can't fool her now like you
did on earth. You can CO."
The next one to come was Johnnie
Spafford: "Well, what do you want 2"
Il want to come in" "Why, Johnny,
you wouldn't feel at home. These are
church people up here" eyes, would, |
wv mother is there. | want to see
her. | would have gone to Sunday
school and church if my father had
gone, but he would say that the most
of the people at church were hypo-
critics, and that he did not want to
have anything to do with such a set; I
and thought he knew" "Wel, |
Johnny, you will have to follow your
father. You can't come in"
The next was Bud Shorter. He
came up in his brusque way: "Hello
there! let me in" st. Peter says "Why,
what do you want to come in here for?
None of your crowd are here" 'Well,
| guess not, but | want to 90 with
that crowd in there" "You did not 20
with them while on earth. You desc
Grated the Sabbath day by working
all day. You lived lie by being
church member and working against
it. Yes, but Sunday was my best
day." Eyes, your best day for working
for the devil. You kept others from