USA > Ohio > Twenty-five years in the West > Part 7
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heaven before morning." "God forbid," said the cler- gyman. This reminds me of a courageous preacher in Indiana. Some boatmen, after toiling all night in a flat- boat on White river, tied up their craft, and sought a place to rest. They selected a barn for that purpose. Over its floor was a scaffold covered with hay, on which they laid their weary bodies. Being much fatigued they slept sound and long. When they awoke, they found there was a congregation worshipping on the floor below, for it was Sunday morning. The preacher was in the midst of his theme-the judgment day, that day for which all days were made. He had got to where the saints were about to be raised, and he of course, was one of them. "O-ah, "said he, " I want to go-ah ; I am
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tired-ah of this wicked-ah world-ah; " and looking straight at the roof of the barn, he cried loud as he could scream, “ Gabriel-ah, Gabriel-ah blow-ah that trumpet- ah, that I-ah may leave-ah this ungodly-ah world-ah, and go to heaven-ah. I-ah say-ah, Gabriel-ah, blow-ah that-ah trumpet-ah this-ah minute-ah." The boatmen having a tin horn, one of them at this place in the ser- mon gave a loud blast, which made every worshipper bound to his feet. The preacher stopped short, cast one agonizing glance upward, and then leaped through and over his flock out of the barn, and ran home fast as his legs could carry him. One old lady, in her haste to get out of the way 'of Gabriel, broke a limb.
In Philadelphia I was introduced to Asher Moore, a well known minister in the East. Z. Fuller, for many years an influential clergyman in that city, had recently died. Being anxious to return to my western field of labor, I tarried but a few hours in P. Proceeded by railroad and stage over the mountains to Pittsburg, where I delivered several discourses. Thence by steam- boat to Cincinnati, and in a few days was on the road to Chicago.
A journey to Chicago from Cincinnati was not as easi- ly, or as quickly made in those days as now. Instead of a few hours, it took, most of the year, about two weeks of hard traveling. Instead of a smooth, iron road, it was about the roughest and softest road ever traveled by man or beast. . Considerable portion of it was rail way, but the rails were unhewed logs laid across the track, which endangered the legs of the horse, and the wheels of the carriage, if the traveler had one. Part of the year it was hard finding the bottom of the mud. It was indeed a wretched road most of the way through;
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and the driver had to keep both eyes open to avoid stumps, holes and quagmires ; and often with good eyes, and they used to the best advantages, he did not escape shipwreck. Lectured in Richmond, Ind., four times. This is a Quaker town. Had a long conversation with a preacher of that order.
M. "You do not pray in public ? "
Q. "No; Christ enjoined secret prayer."
M. " True ; but he prayed in the presence of others ; on the cross in the presence of thousands, 'Father for- give them for they know not what they do.' The seventeenth chapter of John is a prayer offered in the presence of his disciples. The apostle Paul, on one oc- casion, knelt on the sea shore in the midst of a large assembly, and vocally implored the divine blessing. And most of good men and good women, in all ages and climes, whether Christian or Pagan, have sanctioned the practice. The tongue loves to speak what the heart feels, and a prayer straight from the heart, often has more influence than a good sermon. Of course it is a great sin to pray or preach 'to be seen of men,' but praying and preaching with the spirit and the under- standing, are heaven-appointed means for Christianizing man. There is, doubtless, much hypocritical praying as well as preaching, but the abuse of a good thing is not a valid reason for its abandonment. You oppose sing- ing, I understand. Why ? "
Q. " The Friends in their worship are governed by the spirit, and singing is an art, taught and learned, hence, they exclude it from their worship."
M. " Learning to read is an art, and yet you read the Bible. Speaking correctly is an art, but you cultivate correct speaking in your meetings. The spirit does not
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teach reading or speaking. Music is a divine science, and in studying it we learn of the wisdom of God, and in singing we sing his praise. A good hymn sung cor- rectly is a sermon and a prayer ; it unites the hearts of all who hear, and stirs the soul to its depths. Why do you all wear the same style of dress?"
Q. " Because we abhor fashions."
M. " But it seems to me that your people are great dovers of fashion. There is a Quaker fashion, and you all, men, women and children, stick to it through thick and thin. If one of your members deviates therefrom an iota he is dealt with as an offender. You do not run after every fashion, but you adopt the fashion of the times of Charles II., and make no improvement. I de- spise fashion and consult my own taste, not the frivo- lous whims of crack-brains in the nineteenth or sixteenth ·century."
A gentleman here related a singular story. A physi- cian and a lawyer lived in Richmond - they were intimate friends and spent much time together. Both were in- fidels, and promised each other, that the one dying first, if he found he still lived should return, if possi- ble, to his friend left on earth. The physician died, but the survivor thought not of the promise, for he was sure death had annihilated his friend. Several months after, the lawyer was astonished to see his departed friend en- ter his office. He slowly approached the couch on which he was lying, for it was night, the full moon was shining brightly in the room, and reminded him of their mutual promise ; said he had made several efforts before to visit him but failed ; told him that both of them were mistaken about death; that the man did not die : he only put off the body and entered on a higher sphere
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of existence, and that most of mankind were in error concerning the second stage of life, that being much more like life in this world than many imagined. After an affectionate adieu, he disappeared, promising to return, if possible, but he saw him no more. The gen- tleman related the circumstance to his friends, and they, of course, laughed, and said he was crazy or asleep, whereupon he went before a magistrate and testified un- der oath, that what he related was strictly correct. He was ever after a believer in immortality; said he knew there was a future life, for he had seen one from the land beyond the vale.
A gentleman in Ohio told the following: He ran a flouring mill, located at the foot of a hill, on the summit of which was his residence. His aged father often spent an hour or two in the mill. One day he observed him enter the building, staff in hand, and after remaining a few minutes, walk out. Nothing was said by either par- ty, and several times they passed within three or four feet of each other. Stepping to the door soon after the old gentleman retired, he saw him slowly ascending the hill. He immediately had occasion to go to the house, and not seeing his father, inquired for him, and was informed he was taking his daily nap. Going into his room he found him asleep, and was told he had been on the bed a full hour.
Another intelligent friend related the following: His family and another family occupied one house in an Ohio town- the former the front, and the latter the rear part of the building, and a gate, two feet from the front door, was the entrance to the rear of the house. The gate swung hard on its hinges, and with much noise. About ten at night, my informant, from his front
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door, observed a person on the sidewalk approaching the house ; having a peculiar appearance, he requested his wife to step to the door to see who it was. To both he seemed a stranger, and both remarked that he made no noise walking on the stone pavement. When opposite the gate, and two feet from where they were standing, he turned and passed through the gateway to the rear ot the building out of sight. Supposing the gate was open, as the traveler did not stop to open it, the gentleman stepped aside to close it, when to his astonishment, he found it shut. On opening the gate it made as loud a report, and required as much effort, as usual. Not be- ing able to account for all this, he inquired of his neigh- bor if any one had called, and was answered, nay. That night a woman in the rear part of the building died. It is quite fashionable to cry humbug and delusion, when such stories are related; but I do not raise that cry, neither have I a satisfactory explanation to offer. The history and tradition of all nations and people abound with what seems supernatural ; and if that part is all false, how can we credit the balance of their history ? But most people, after all, have, at least, vague impres- sions, that the departed have something to do with the world they once inhabited. And why should they not ?
Had an appointment in a Methodist chapel in Wash- ington ; and while the congregation were assembling, the pastor of the church told us we could not occupy his meeting-house. I told the people as we were not allowed to occupy the Methodist house, we would ad- journ to the house of the Lord - a beautiful grove in the vicinity. This being an unexpected reply, and part of the congregation being rather pleased, the preacher
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good-naturedly said 1 might say what I pleased in the Methodist house. Visited many places where I had before spoken, and reached Chicago, August, 1840, where I preached three Sabbaths and then proceeded to Joliet. Lectured there three times. We have now a church in that place and an elegant meeting-house. Aaron Kinney then resided in Joliet, and preached there and in the region round about. He subsequently moved to Farm- ington, Ill., where he and his wife died. He was one of the first ministers of our faith in Illinois, and encoun- tered many hardships. Liberal Christians were few in number, for the country was thinly populated, and he consequently was poorly supported. But he persevered in the good work until death closed his labors. Delivered one discourse in Peru, but did not find a soul in sympa- thy with me. The congregation was large, but all seemed afraid of me. Was informed of a friend residing a few miles out of town on the canal, which was then being excavated. Spent one night with him; and though seemingly a good kind of a man, he lived like a hog. The bill of fare for the night was, Ist, A hot night ; 2d, A filthy bed; 3d, An army of bed-bugs; 4th, Ditto, fleas ; 5th, Ditto, musquitoes. I was glad to leave the dirty hole. Reached Magnolia in the night ; and after being refused lodging at half of the houses in the village a poor drunken man took me in. He treated me to the best his cabin afforded, which was poor enough. Found some friends the next day, and delivered several dis- courses before I left town. A preacher could not let me pass without a hit.
" If this man," said he, "is correct, he is a fool for traveling about this new country preaching. If I be- lieved as he does, I would never preach again."
In the West.
"My friend," I replied, "I preach the truth, Ist, Be- cause it is the truth; 2d, Because I love the truth ; 3d, Because truth benefits man. But you seem to have more regard for party than for truth. What is not found there you seem to care nothing about, be it ever so valuable. You need the baptism of the spirit of truth, for you have been baptized only with the spirit of some party. Jesus, whom you profess to follow, but really run away from, was an ardent lover of the truth. He toiled, bled and died for the truth. He cared nothing for party, but was true to the truth as the needle to the pole. He never varied from it one iota in the darkest hour of his life. When I hear men talk as you have to-day, I know that they know nothing of the spirit of Christ."
Lectured in Hennipen several times. Dr. Pulsifer who had recently moved from the East, took much inter- est in getting up the meetings. Have often been there since, and always found him a faithful friend. Met several families which formerly resided in the East, and were there regular attendants at the sanctuary, but had not heard a discourse on the Restitution for several years ; and their hearts leaped with joy to attend once more a meeting of their choice. "Thank God," said one lady, "for the blessed privilege of hearing the gospel of our salvation once more, before I go hence. The Lord be with you ; and may you long live to pro- claim the unsearchable riches of Christ."
During this year was the noted presidential campaign, when General Harrison and Martin Van Buren were can- didates for the White House, and the whole country was in an uproar. The air was vocal with "Tippecanoe and Tyler too," and log cabins, and cider barrels were mov- ing in all directions at the tap of the drum. The Dem-
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ocrats, disdaining such humbuggery, lost the day, but ever since they have not been a whit behind their oppo- nents in all sorts of electioneering tomfoolery. Whisky, beer and such senseless exhibitions often command more votes than a just cause. Meeting a boy eight or ten years old in the road one day, he cried, "Hurrah for Harrison." Wanting some amusement, I said, "You rascally tory !" "Well, then," said he, as quick as light- ning, and jumping from the ground, "hurrah for Dick Johnson and his black ones." That was a poser for a Democrat, for Richard M. Johnson, who was the Demo- cratic candidate for the Vice Presidency, was the father of several darkies. If that boy is living, he is doubtless now one of our stump orators. I made no reply to the little politician, but left him alone in his glory.
Lectured in Washington. A preacher delivered a dis- course against the Great Salvation. His chief argument was based on what he termed "the justice of God." " The justice of God," he said, "requires the endless punishment of the wicked." Some of my remarks in reply were as follows : What the preacher calls justice is injustice, is malignity - dark, cruel, infernal malignity. Because frail, finite man, worm of the dust, steps aside from the line of duty, and thereby harms himself and no one else, the Creator of heaven and earth pounces upon him with the wrath and vengeance of a thousand tigers, and pursues him from the cradle to the grave, from the grave to the resurrection, from the resurrection to the infernal regions, and there commissions the devil and all his crew to keep up the chase through the length and breadth and depth of hell forever and ever. Why, justice would turn pale at such injustice. But to make out that such cruelty is pure justice, the preacher said
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man violates an infinite law, it being the law of an infi- nite God, and therefore justly merits everlasting hell- torments. Then all God's laws are infinite, and the transgressor of them deserves endless woe. Breaking a bone, cutting the flesh, eating improper food, are viola- tions of God's laws, and according to the preacher, richly deserve ceaseless punishment. A child or a man steals a pin; that is a violation of the divine law, and merits eternal suffering. If disobeying God's law merits infinite punishment, then obeying it merits infinite hap- piness. What, then, becomes of the Bible doctrine that "eternal life is the GIFT of God?" Rom. vi. 23. If the gentleman is correct, there are no degrees in crime, in guilt, or in punishment. There cannot be if every infringement of God's law is an infinite offense. He who steals a pin, and he who murders a man commits crimes of equal magnitude, and are equally guilty, and equally deserve infinite punishment.
If one sın merits infinite punishment, ten thousand can merit no more, and so a man will be punished just as long and as severely for one sin as for a million! Every man and woman, then, that ever lived will have to make their home in an everlasting hell, as all sin, and come short of the glory of God. But, said the preacher, Jesus has made an atonement for the sins of the world, has satisfied divine justice, and sinners can escape the penalty due their crimes. How is that? The justice of God satisfied with the sacrifice of Christ ? Did Jesus suffer the penalty man merits ? Did he suffer infinite misery the few hours he was on the cross? Did he suffer all the pain that all mankind deserve for break- ing the law? The preacher must reply, yes. If Jesus satisfied justice for the "sins of the whole world, origi-
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nal and actual," as his creed-the Methodist creed - asserts, then will not all be saved ? Is not God bound to save all for whom Christ made an atonement? If the gentleman is correct - if the law is infinite, if the penalty is infinite, if all do deserve endless hell-torments, and if Jesus has made " an atonement, a perfect satis- faction for the sins of the whole world, original and actual," all are bound to escape, and reach heaven.
But let the law of God be infinite or finite, man's guilt is in proportion to his knowledge of right and wrong. An idiot may kill a man, but he is not guilty, for he knows no better. An intelligent person would be deeply guilty for such a deed. Our guilt, then, and the punishment we merit, are in exact ratio with our knowledge of right and wrong. These facts upset the preacher's whole theory of infinite sin and punishment. Justice does not require so much pain for so much sın. To demand that would be vengeance, retaliation, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, just what Jesus condemns. Exercis- ing justice is giving all parties their due - restoring the equilibrium, making the crooked straight, the rough smooth, causing all flesh to see the salvation of God. It is not destruction, but restoration ; it does not hurl men from God, but draws them to him ; it consigns us not to hell, but exalts us to heaven. This view of justice har- monizes with the mercy and goodness of God, and refutes the absurdity of the poet, that
" A God all mercy is a God unjust."
Lectured in Pekin three times. We have now a church and meeting-house in this place. It was then a small village, is now a large town. Proceeded to Tremont where I spent several days, and lectured four times. At a subsequent visit to this place, I had an appointment in
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Washington, twelve miles north, on a cold December Sunday morning. The thermometer was below zero, the snow deep, and the wind blew hard from the north. Started on horseback and was soon very cold. Walked, ran, kicked and thrashed my arms; but this exercise fatiguing me I remounted my horse and soon felt com- fortable. But I did not consider what that betokened. A hole being in one of my gloves, I noticed one of my fingers looked rather pale, and was not long in discover- ing that I was actually freezing. It was then two miles to a house, and on reaching it feeling so comfortable, I hes- itated about stopping. I, however, went in, and soon found that my fingers, ears, nose, and face were badly frozen. Remained there till the next day; but if I had not stopped, I should probably have frozen to death, as it was several miles to a house, and across an open prairie.
Spoke again in Washington. The preacher I replied to a few days before, was still howling about the abomi- nations of Universalism, but I said no more to him. Went to Bloomington ; lectured three times, and got into a controversy. The preacher, a strong believer in water baptism, was sure there was no salvation without it. I told him his creed damned nearly all mankind. A per- son might love God and his fellow-men, like John ; be- lieve the whole gospel, like Paul; repent of his sins, like Peter, but unless he was immersed in water in the name of Christ, he would be lost forever. If he was correct, heaven would be almost empty and hell crowded ; Christ redeem but a small portion of mankind while the devil would get nearly all. The truth is, the wise and benevolent Author of our being bases salvation on prin- ciples, not on rites- not on going into water, eating wafers, drinking wine, or offering incense. Love is the
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fulfilling of the law. God is love, his will is love, his power is love, his spirit is love, his work is love, his law is love, his gospel is love, and our whole duty is included in love to God and love to man. The great need of the world is more love and less show and profession; more purity of the heart and less washing of the hands; more soul religion and less materialistic religion.
Proceeded to Urbana. Met a man hobbling along on one leg. He had heard me preach somewhere, and abruptly said :
T. " If all are to be saved, what is the use of being religious ? "
M. "I see you have only one leg. I suppose you would like to have two sound limbs."
T. "I would freely give my farm for a leg made of flesh and bones, instead of this concern made of wood, iron and leather."
M. " You remarked a moment since, that you hoped you were a Christian, and expected to go to heaven when you left this world. Do you expect to be a one- legged cripple in heaven ? "
T. "Of course not; all will have perfect bodies there."
M. "Well, then, what is the use of troubling yourself about your lameness in this world? You will be all right in heaven. You can hobble out your three score years and ten, and then all will be well with you."
T. "But that is no reason why I should not have a sound body in this world. I want to enjoy all the bless- ings possible in this world."
M. " My friend, you have answered your question You want a sound body in this world, if you do expect one in the next. So, we should be religious in this
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world, if we expect to partake of God's blessing in heaven, for a religious life only is a happy life, a heav- enly life."
I then proceeded to Lafayette, Ind., holding meetings in most of the towns on the route. This was the end of my journey, as I did not return to Cincinnati. Had traveled full eight hundred miles since leaving that city, and delivered eighty-eight discourses.
CHAPTER VII.
Instead of revolving around Cincinnati as I had been doing, I resolved to make Lafayette the center of my labors ; and for an auxiliary to my work I commenced the publication of the Christian Teacher, a monthly jour- nal of twenty-four pages. The first number was issued April, 1841. There were then two other denomina- tional publications in the West - the Star in the West, a weekly, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Philomath Ency- clopedia, a monthly, in the eastern part of Indiana. The Better Covenant and the New Covenant had no existence ; the Glad Tidings and Berian were discontinued. When the first number of The Teacher was issued, I had two hundred subscribers, and at the close of the first vol- ume, eight hundred subscribers. I owned no printing materials, but had the work done at the office of the Lafayette Journal, published by Major Seaman, a zeal- ous Methodist and an honorable man. He went hence many years since.
In addition to getting out the magazine, I traveled extensively this year, preaching and obtaining subscri- bers for the journal. Wherever I went I had no difficul- ty in introducing it, humble and imperfect as it certainly was. I also established a circuit which I traveled month- lv. It included Lafayette, Dayton, Yorktown, West Point, Perrysville, Jefferson, Independence, Rainsville, Thorntown, Crawfordsville, Ladoga, Terre Haute, Lock- port, and perhaps two or three other places. The dis-
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tance round was about three hundred miles. In Perrys- ville a church was organized this year, and a meeting- house commenced. There was also one formed in Terre Haute, and preparations made to erect a house of worship. In Lafayette, Dayton, and Yorktown, there were also churches established. As I was the only min- ister in Western Indiana where this work was going on, I had my hands full.
The first time I visited Frankfort, I spoke in a vacant lot by the way-side, as no house could be obtained. The Presbyterian clergyman, Mr. Taylor, told his con- gregation he had rather the cholera would come to town than a preacher of my stamp. A few months after, he attended one of my meetings, and replied to my dis- course. My subject was the Old Testament doctrine of punishment, and I discoursed as follows :
I. As the Old Testament contains a record of God's first revelations to man it is reasonable to expect the whole truth concerning the consequences of wrong do- ing would be there clearly stated. 2. Also, as that book speaks of the creation of man, and the introduction of sin into the world, infinite wisdom must surely tell the whole truth concerning sin's direful results-tell when and where, punishment is inflicted, and how long it is to continue. 3. The Old Testament contains the law of God. Jesus said, " The law came by Moses." Examine the statutes of any state published by its law-makers, and you will find that the page containing the law also con- tains the penalty, the whole penalty, for transgressing that law. Is this right, or is it wrong ? If it is right for hu- man legislators to write the law and the penalty in the same book, and on the same page, is it not right for the Divine Legislator to do the same? Would not an
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