Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1879 — Pastor Johnson’s Sermon. [ARTICLE]

Pastor Johnson’s Sermon.

It is a sad truth that people are apt to give to the church what they can spare as well as not, and then regard themselves as very liberal. There are still others who too closely resemble the little girl who told her mother that the contribution-box was passed to her and that there was lots of money in it, but she didn’t take any out, expecting to be praised for her self-denial. This is a negative kind of Christianity, which does little credit to the worshiper. Rev. Plato Johnson seems to have met this crisis in a recent sermon, and, though his language is not particularly choice, his ideas are very clear. He said, at the conclusion of an eloquent sermon, “ Brederen, de plate will now pass aroun’, an’ I has a word to say on de ’portant subjeck ov givin’. De peoples wat puts bone buttons and lead nickels inter, de plate may pass for orful free givers ’mongst der fellow-sinners, but dey can’t cheat de Lord. I want to ’press on your minds dat fact-—dey

can’t cheat de Lord. When de Lord said He liked a cheerful giver, He didn’t hab his eyes on dat sort ob trash. You can put dis down as a sartin shore thing, brederen, dat dose wat gibs de chu’ch wat dey has no use fur themselves won’t git no free pass inter glory. In de day ob jedgment de Lord will say to sich men, ‘I don’t know you bone-button fellers; go sit on de back seats, quick.’ Now, den, pass de plates.”