most offensive to him was the statement as to “base fabrication.” That
hit him between the joints of the harness. His soul was stirred with a
furious resentment, and when he got before that council and fell afoul
of the three men who had charged him with “a base fabrication” it was
a day not to be forgotten. When he had got through it would be hard to
say how many baskets would have been required to hold the fragments.
The man who had really written the letter suddenly discovered that it
had no reference on the earth to Brother Jasper. It was intended to
answer something that had been said in a paper in New York. Attempts
were made to refresh his memory. Quite a respectable minister reminded
this letter writer that they had talked together concerning this
letter, and that the attention of the writer was called to the “base
fabrication” part of it, but the memory of the brother could not be
revived. No stimulant could reach the case. Other folks might charge
Brother Jasper with base fabrication, but not this man. It was a
lamentable and discreditable conclusion. He was crippled in both feet
and respected by none. This ended the matter. Jasper strode away from
the council with the marks of victory about him; and while bad feeling
could not die at once, yet the attacks on Jasper went entirely out of
fashion. Let it be added that there were multitudes who shared the
prejudice against this old warrior, but little cared he. On he went his
fine way, growing in nobleness, and loving the God in whom he believed.
Jasper’s pleasures were of the meditative sort. For a long time his
church gave him an ample vacation in the summer. He retired to the
country and courted its quiet. His only sport was fishing along the
streams, and that suited his task. If the fish didn’t bite, his
thoughts always did. Like the fish they ran in schools, but unlike the
fish they ran in all weathers and in all seasons. But Jasper never
achieved marked success in the art of recreation. Go where he might,
his fame was there to confront and to entangle him. Demands for him
to preach always came in hot and thick, and there was hardly a Sunday
when Jasper was in the country that he was not surrounded by a crowd
and preaching with ever-glowing fervour and delight. Indeed, Jasper
was sought after to dedicate churches, deliver lectures and to preach
special sermons in every part of Virginia, and often beyond it. It was
said that he preached in almost every county and city in Virginia. He
was the one ever sought Virginia preacher, and in that respect he stood
unmatched by any man of his race.
As a rule, Jasper did not preach very long sermons. His Sunday
afternoon sermons very rarely exceeded fifty minutes in length, but
on extraordinary occasions he took no note of time. Jasper was not
a sermon-maker. He did not write them, and homiletics was a thing
of which he had never heard. He was fond of pictorial preaching and
often selected historical topics, such as “Joseph and His Brethren” or
“Daniel in the Lion’s Den,” or “The Raising of Lazarus.” He had quite
a large stock of special sermons,--sermons which had grown by special
use, and which embodied the choicest creations of his mind. These
he preached over and over again and in his own pulpit, and without
apology to anybody. But after all the themes which interested him most
profoundly and on which he preached with unsurpassed ardour and rapture
were the fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures. The last sermon he
ever preached was on Regeneration; and on many phases of the Christian
system he preached with consummate ability. He believed fully in the
doctrine of future punishment, and his description of the fate of the
lost made the unbelieving quake with terror and consternation. His
preaching was of that fervid, startling, and threatening sort, well
suited to awaken religious anxieties and to bring the people to a
public confession. He was his own evangelist,--did chiefly the work of
bringing his congregation to repentance, and the growth of his church
consisted almost entirely of the fruit of his own ministry. His church
on the island began with nine members, and it was reported that there
were over 2,000 at the time of his death. He had uncommon caution about
receiving people into his church. He was not willing to take people
to count, and he preached searchingly to those who were thinking of
applying for membership.
Just two little and yet important things call for a place in this
chapter. Jasper was an inexorable debt-payer. The only debt that he
could tolerate was a church debt, and he could ill tolerate that. The
unsettled account of his great new church building grappled him like
a nightmare. It was his burden in the day and his torturing dream at
night. Even during his dying days the church debt haunted and depressed
him, and loud among his parting exhortations was his insistent plea
that the church debt should be speedily paid.
In his early life Jasper contracted the use of tobacco,--as, indeed,
almost his entire race did, and he was also quite free with the use of
alcoholic drinks,--though never, so far as is known, to the extent of
intoxication. No question as to his sobriety has ever ridden the air.
But these habits lingered with him long after he entered the ministry,
and even until he was winning enviable and far-spreading favour as a
preacher. So far as known, these facts did not becloud his reputation
nor interfere with his work. Of course, he never entered a barroom,
and never drank convivially, but he kept liquor in his house, and took
it as his choice dictated. But gradually it worked itself into his
conscience that these things were not for the best, and without the
least ostentation or even publicity he absolutely abandoned the use
both of tobacco and alcoholic drinks. He made no parade about it, and
took on no fanatical airs. Just as he thought it was wrong to owe money
which he could not pay and therefore hated a debt, so he felt that
these habits, useless at best, might really be harmful to him and to
others, and therefore he gave them up.
[Illustration: MONUMENT OVER JOHN JASPER’S GRAVE]
His moral and religious ideals were very lofty, and he lived up to
them to a degree not true of many. Not long after his death a really
magnificent monument was erected over his grave. It was quite costly,
and the money for it was raised by his church people and other lovers
of whom he had legions. While he lived, legislators, judges, governors,
and many men of eminent distinction, went to hear him preach. Many of
the most distinguished white ministers of the country made it a point
to go to his church on Sunday afternoon whenever they were in the city,
and he was justly ranked as one of the attractions of Richmond.
Now that he has found his grave not far from the site of his church,
and this stately shaft has been placed as a sentinel over his dust,
multitudes as they come and go will visit the tomb of the most
original, masterful, and powerful negro preacher of the old sort that
this country has ever produced.
XI
SERMON:--THE STONE CUT OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN
(_Text, Daniel 2:45._)
This rugged specimen of historical eloquence constituted the sermon
delivered on Sunday afternoon, July 20, 1884. Jasper mounted the pulpit
with the dash of an athlete and tripped around the platform during the
preliminaries with the air of a racer. A sense of strength imparted to
his face the triumphant glow. A smile parted his lips, and told the
secret of an animated and aggressive courage.
“I stan’s befo’ you to-day on legs of iron and nun kin stay me from
preachin’ de Gospil uv de Lord Gord. I know well nuff dat de ole
devul is mad as a tempest ’bout my bein’ here; he knows dat my call
ter preach kums frum Gord, and dat’s wat meks ’im so mad wen he sees
Jasper ’scend de pulpit, fur he knows dat de people is gwine ter hear
a messige straight frum heaven. I don’t git my sermuns out uv grammars
an’ reterricks, but de Sperrit uv de Lord puts ’em in my mind an’ meks
’em burn in my soul.”
His manner was radiant, courageous, defiant, and was prophetic of one
of his greatest discourses.
“It hev always bin one uv de ways uv Gord ter set up men as rulers uv
de people. Yer know dat Gord ordains kings and rulers an’,--wat kinder
bodders sum uv us,--He don’t always mek it a p’int ter put up good men.
Yer know dat our Lord giv Judis a place ’mong de twelve, an’ he turn’d
out ter be one uv de grandes’ raskils under de sun.
“Jes’ so Nebukidnezzur was pinted uv de Lord ter be king uv
Babylon,--dat same robbur dat tuk de vessuls out uv de temple at
Jerusalem an’ lugged ’em away ter his own country. Dat man had wun uv
de powerfullest kingdums evur known on dis flat earth. He ruled over
many countries and many smaller kingdums, an’ even had under his hands
de servunts on de plantashun an’ de beasts uv de feil’. He was one uv
dese unlimertid monnuks. He axed nobody no odds, an’ did jes’ wat he
wanted ter do, an’ I kinnot stop ter tell yer wid wat a strong hand
an’ outstretched arm he ruled de people wid an irun rod. It kum ter
pass dat one time dis king dat did not fear Gord (tho’ Gord had sot
him up), had a dream. Dreams iz awfully curus things. Dey used ter
frighten folks out’n dere senses an’ I tell yer dey sometimes frighten
folks now. I’ve had many dreams in my day dat got mity close ter me.
Dey gravuled inter de very cords uv my soul, an’ made me feel lik de
groun’ under my feet wuz libul ter giv way any time, an’ I don’t dout
dat hundreds uv yer dat hear me now hev bin frightened an’ cud not eat
nor sleep nor wuk wid any peace ’caus’ yer done hev strange dreams. Yer
better watch dem dreams. In de anshient days de Lord spoke ter folks in
dreams. He warned dem, an’ I don’t dout dat He duz dat way sometimes
now.
“Neberkidnezzur’s dream stirred him powerful. He rolled all night
an’ did not sleep a wink. So he sent out an’ got de magishuns an’ de
strolgurs an’ de sorserers an’ de Kaldeuns, an’ dey wuz brought unter
him. He tell ’em dat he had dreamed a dream dat had trubbled his
sperrit. An’ de Kaldeuns axed him wat de dream wuz. De king say dat de
dream done gone clear out’n him, an’ he can’t cotch de straight uv it
ter save his soul. He tell ’em, moreovur, dat dey got ter dig up de
dream an’ work up de meanin’ too, an’ dat ef dey don’t dat he gwine
ter have ’em cut all ter pieces an’ turn dere houses inter a dunghill,
an’ den he tell ’em dat ef dey will git de dream back fur him an’ give
de explernashun he gwine ter give ’em nice gifs an’ put gret honurs on
’em. It waz too much fer de Kaldeuns. Dey cudn’t dream de king’s dream
fer ’im, an’ dey kum squar out an’ tell Nebukidnezzur dat no man on de
earth cud show sich a matter ter de king, an’ dat in dere erpinyun dar
is no king on de earth dat wud ax fer sich a thing frum proffit or
magishun.
“Den Nebukidnezzur got high. He went on a tare an’ yer know wen a king
gits mad yer better git out er his way. He is got de power; an’ so he
up an’ sent out a decree through all de regiuns uv de kingdom dat all
de wise men everywhar shud be slain. Jes’ see wat a mad man will do wen
he git furius mad. Dey got no mo’ sens dan a mad tiger or a roarin’
lion. Jes’ befo’ de slaughter uv de wise men kum on, Daniel hear ’bout
it, an’ he axed de king’s captin wat it wuz all ’bout an’ why de king
wuz so hasty, an’ de captin tol’ Dan’l all ’bout it. Dan’l brushed
hissef up quick and struck out to see de king an’ ax him ter hol’ up de
exercushun uv his bloody profesy, an’ he’d promise to splain his dream
ter him. Den Dan’l goes off an’ gits all his Godly frien’s togedder
an’ ax ’em ter pray ter de Gord uv heaven dat he an’ his frien’s shud
not perish in de slaughter uv de tricksters uv dat country. One thing
de Lord can’t do;--He can’t refuse ter answer de cries uv His people;
an’ wen all dat prayin’ wuz gwine on Gord appeared to Dan’l in de nite
an’ revealed ter him de secret uv de king,--an’ wat yer reckin? Wen de
Lord giv Dan’l dat dream an’ de hinterpertashun dar of, Dan’l raised a
gret shout an’ giv thanks to Gord for wat de Lord had done fer him. But
he didn’t shout long, fer he had important bisnis ter attend ter; an’
very soon he went ter de king an’ kerried wid him de secrit dat de king
had demandid at de han’s uv de erstrolgers an’ magishuns. He told de
king rite ter his face de thing dat he had dreamed, an’ wat Gord meant
by it. Truly Dan’l did behave hissef befo’ de king in a very pretty an’
becomin’ manner. He tel de king he did not hav no mo sens dan udder
people, an’ dat he wuz not perpar’d to do things dat udder men cud do,
but dat it wuz by de power uv Gord dat all dis matter had bin made
known ter him. He tol’ de king dat wat he saw wuz a gret imige; dat de
imige wuz brite an’ splendid an’ de form uv it wuz terrerbul; dat de
hed wuz uv fine gold, his brest and arms uv silvur, his belly an’ thize
uv brass, an’ his legs uv irun and his feet part uv irun an’ part uv
clay. An’ he tel de king fudder dat he saw er stone dat wuz cut widout
han’s out’n de mountin an’ dat de stone smote de imige erpun his feet
an’ broke ’em in pieces, an’ dat de stone dat brok de imige became a
gret mountin an’ filled all de wurl’. Den Dan’l,--dat brave an’ feerles
bruther, dat nevur quailed befo’ de mitiest ruler uv de earth,--faced
de king an’ tel ’im an orful an’ a warnin’ troof. He say ter ’im, ‘Yer
is a gret king now. Yer hav er mity country an’ all power, an’ thy
glory civers de groun’. Man an’ beas’ an’ foul obey yer. Yer iz de hed
uv gold, but arter yer will kum anudder kingdum dat shall not be lik
yourn, but still it shal be big an’ dar shall kum anudder kingdum and
dar shall be a fo’th kingdum strong as irun, an’ dis kingdum shall
brooz an’ smash all de udder kingdums.’
“An’ den Dan’l gits ter de big pint. He tels de king dat de Lord is
gwine ter set up er kingdum an’ dat in de times ter kum dat kingdum
shall crush an’ cornsume all de udder kingdums. Dat shall be de kingdum
uv Gord on de earth, an’ dat kingdum shall stan’ fer evur an’ evur. You
knows how yer saw de stone dat wuz cut out’n de mountin an’ how dat
broke in pieces de irun, de bras, de clay, de silvur, an’ de gold, an’
my Gord hev made known ter you, O king, wat shall tek place in de gret
herearter, and dis is de dream an’ de hinterpertashun dar of.
“Dat wuz a mity sermon dat Dan’l preached ter Nebukidnezzur. It ort
ter hev saved ’im, but it look lik it med ’im wuss. De debbul got ’im
fer dat time an’ he turn rite agin de Lord Gord an’ sot at nort His
stashutes an’ countid His ways onholy.
“Yer know ’bout dat imige. It wuz med uv gold, an’ wuz threescore
cubits high and six cubits wide, an’ twuz sot up in de plain uv Durer,
not fer frum Bablun. Yer know er cubit is about eighteen inchis, an’
ef yer multerply dat by threescore cubits yer git 1080 inches, wich
mean dat de imige wuz ninety foot high an’ nine feet broad. So yer see
Nebukidnezzur got ter be a Gord-makur, an’ wen he got dis gret imige
bilt he sont out ter git all de princis an’ guvnurs an’ all de res’ uv
de swell folks ter kum an’ bow down an’ wurshep dat gret imige dat he
had sot up. Now dis wuz de gret folly an’ shame uv de king. By dat deed
he defied de Lord Gord an’ de raff uv de Lord wuz stirr’d agin ’im.
“An’ now, my brudderin, yer member Dan’l tol’ de king dat de imige
dat he saw in his dream wuz ’imsef rulin’ over all de udder kingdums.
He tol’ ’im also dat dat stone dat wuz cut out uv de mountin an’ kum
rollin’ down de craggy sides an’ broke in pieces de irun, de brass
and de clay, dat dat wuz de kingdum uv de Lord Jesus Christ. An’ he
tel ’im, fuddermo, dat de kummin’ uv de stone ter be a great mountin
means de growth uv de kingdum uv our Lord tel it shall fil dis wurl’
an’ shall triumf over all de udder kingdums. Dan’l tel de king dat his
kingdum wuz gwine ter be taken frum him, ’caus’ he had not feared de
Gord uv heaven, an’ in his folly an’ crimes he turned away frum dat
Gord dat rules in de heaven an’ hols de nashuns uv de earth in de pams
uv His han’s. He tol’ ’im dat de kingdum uv Satun, dat arch ennimy uv
Gord, wuz gwine ter tumbul flat, ’caus’ dat stone cut out uv de mountin
wud roll over Satun’s derminyuns an’ crush it in ter flinders.
“Glory ter Gord in de highis’; dat stone cut out uv de mountin is a
mity roller. Nuthin kin stay its terribul progris! Dey dat fite erginst
Jerhover had bettur look out,--dat stone is still rollin’ an’ de fust
thing dey know it will crush down erpon ’em an’ dey will sink ter
rise no mo’. Our Gord is er cornsumin’ fire, an’ He will overturn an’
overturn tel de foundashuns uv sin iz brokin’ up. Yer jes’ wait er
little. De time is fas’ rollin’ on. Evun now I hear my Saviour sayin’
ter His Father, ‘Father, I kin stay here no longer; I mus’ git up dis
mornin’; I am gwine out ter call My people frum de feil’; dey hav ben
abused and laughed at an’ bin med a scoffin’ long nuff fer My name’s
sake. I kin stay no longer. My soul cries fer My chillun. Gabrul, git
down yer trumpit dis mornin’; I want yer ter do some blowin’. Blow
gently an’ easy at fust, but let My people hear your goldin notes. Dey
will kum wen I call.’
“Ah, my brutherin, you an’ I wil be dar wen dat trumpit soun’s. I
don’ think I shall be erlarm’d, ’caus’ I shall know it iz my king
marshallin’ His people home. It won’t frighten you my sisters; it will
hev de sweetnis uv Jesus vois ter yer; an’, oh, how it will ring out
dat happy mornin’ wen our king shall kum to gather de ransomed uv de
Lord ter ’imsef. Den yer shall hev a new an’ holy body, an’ wid it
your glorified sperrit shall be united, an’ on dat day we shall go in
ter see de Father an’ He shall smile an’ say: ‘Dese iz My chillun; dey
hav washed dere robes and made dem white in de blood uv de Lamb; dey
hav kum out uv gret tribberlashun an’ dey shall be wid Me for ever an’
ever.’ I speck ter be dar.
“‘Well, Jasper,’ yer say, ‘why yer spec ter be dar. How yer know?’ Yer
read de foteenth chapter uv John, will yer? ‘I go ter prepar er place
fer yer,’ an’ dat word is ter rule; an’ so yer will see ole John Jasper
rite dar, an’ King Jesus shall kum out ter meet us an’ tek us in an’
sho’ us de manshuns dat He hav prepared fer us.
“O Lusifer how thou hav fallin! You proud ones will find den dat your
days iz over, an’ ye dat hav despised de chillun uv my Gord wil sink
down inter hell, jes’ as low es it is posserbul ter git. Yer needn’t
tel ’im dat yer hev preached in His name, an’ in His name done many
wonderful works. Yer can’t fool Him! He’ll frown down at yer an’ say: I
don’t know yer, an’ I don’t wan’ ter know yer, an’ I don’ wan’ ter see
yer. Git out uv My site forever, an’ go ter your place ermong de lost.
“Ah, truly, it is a mity stone, bin rollin’ all dese senshuriz, rollin’
to-day. May it roll through the kingdum uv darknis and crush de enemis
uv Gord. Dat stone done got so big dat it is higher dan heav’n, broader
dan de earth, and deeper dan hell hitsef. But don’t be deceived. Don’t
think dat I don’ let yer off. I got somethin’ more fer yer yit.
“Yer member Dan’l and Shadrick, Meeshick an’ Erbedniggo. Dey all
stubbonly fused to bow down ter Nebukidnezzur’s golden imige. Dey stood
straight up. Dey wudn’t bend a knee nor cruk a toe, an’ dem Kaldeeuns
wuz waatchin’ um. Dat’s de way hit always iz; de debbul’s folks iz
always er watchin’ us an’ tryin’ ter git sumthin’ on us an’ ter git us
inter trubbul an’ wid too many uv us dey succeed. Dey saw dat Dan’l an’
his friens wud not git down lik dey dun, an’ up dey jumped an’ away dey
cut an’ kum ter de king.
“Oh, king, liv ferevur,’ dey say. ‘Yer know, O king, wat yer sed,--dat
dercree dat yer made, dat at de soun’ uv de kornit, de flute, de harp,
de sackbut, de saltry an’ de dulsermur an’ orl kines uv musik, dat
ev’ry body shud fall down an’ wurshep de goldin imige, an’ dat dose dat
duz not fall down an’ worshep shud be put in de furnis; an’ now, oh,
king, dey say dat a lot uv dose men dun refews. Dey doan regard yer.
Dey hate yer Gods an’ spize de imige dat yer sot up.’
“Coarse de ole king got mad agin an’ in his fury dey brought dese three
befo’ him. He axed um ef wat he had heerd ’bout um wuz so,--’bout dere
not worsheppin’ de goldin imige. ‘Mayby yer med a mistake,’ de king
say, ‘but we gwine ter hev it ovur agin, an’ ef wen de ban’ strikes up
nex’ time yer will git down an’ worshep it’ll go eezy wid yer, an’ ef
yer doant de fires in de furnis will be startid quick es litenin’ an’
inter it ev’ry one uv yer shall go.’
“Dese wuz yung men, but, ah, I tel yer, dey wuz uv de loyul stock.
Dey wuz jes’ es kam es sunrise in de mornin’. Dey sed: ‘Oh, king, we
ain’ keerful ter anser ’bout dis mattur. Ef yer lik ter cas’ us inter
de furnis, our Gord dat we surv iz abul ter git us out. We ain’ gwine
ter bow, an’ we nevur will bow ter your Gord, an’ yer jes’ es well
understan’.’
“Rite den de men went ter heet up de furnis. Dey wuz tol’ ter heet it
up sevun times hottur dan wuz de ginrul rule an’ dey hed sum jiunts
ter tie Shedrak, Meeshik, an’ Erbedniggo, an’ dey tuk de yung men away
inter de furnis. De heet wuz so terribul dat de flames shot out an’ sot
fire ter de men dat had put de Hebru chillun in an’ de po’ retchiz wuz
burn’d up, but not a hair uv de three yung men wuz sing’d, an’ dey kum
out er smilin’ an’ not a blistur on um frum hed ter fut. Dey did not
evun hev any smell uv fire ’bout dere pussuns, an’ dey luk jes’ lik dey
jes’ kum out uv dressin’ rums.
“Neberkidnezzur wuz dar, an’ he say: ‘Luk in dat furnis dar. We didn’t
put but three pussons in dar, did we?’ an’ dey tol’ ’im dat wuz so. Den
he tun pale an’ luk skeered lik he gwine ter die an’ he say:
“‘Luk dar; I see fo’ men inside an’ walkin’ through de fire, an’ de
form uv de fourth is lik de Son uv Gord,’ an’ it luk lik de king got
kunvurtid dat day, fur he lif’ up his vois an’ shout de praiz uv de
Gord uv Shedrak, Meeshik an’ Erbedniggo.
“Ah, gret iz dis story; dey dat trus’ in Gord shall nevur be put
ter kornfushun. De righteous alwaz kums out konkerurs an’ more dan
konkerurs. Kings may hate yer, frien’s spize yer, an’ cowurds bakbite
yer, but Gord iz yer durlivrur.
“But I dun forgit. Dis ole time rerlijun iz not gud nuff fer sum folks
in dese las’ days. Sum call dis kine uv talk foolishnis, but hif dat be
troo den de Bibul, an’ hevun, an’ dese Christun’s hearts, iz ful uv dat
kine uv foolishnis. Ef dis be ole fogy rerlijun, den I want my church
crowdid wid ole fogiz.
“Wat did John see ober dar in Patmos? He say he saw de fo’ an’ twenty
eldurs seatid roun’ de throne uv Gord an’ castin’ dere glittrin’ crowns
uv gold at de feet uv King Jesus, an’ he say dat out uv de throne kum
lightnin’ an’ thundurs an’ voicis an’ de sevun lamps burnin’ befo’
de throne uv Gord. An’ dar befo’ de throne wuz de sea uv glass, an’
roun’ ’bout de throne wuz de fo’ livin’ creaturs ful uv eyes befo’ an’
behine, an’ dey nevur ceas cryin’: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, iz de Lord Gord
almity dat died ter tek away de sins uv de wurl’!’
“Yer call dat ole fogy. Jes’ luk away ober yondur in de future. Duz
yer see dat sea uv glass an’ de saints uv Gord dat wuz all bruised an’
mangul’d by de fi’ry darts uv de wickid. I hear um singin’! Wat iz dere
song? Oh, how it rolls! an’ de korus iz: ‘Redeemed, redeemed, wash’d in
de blud uv de Lam’. Call dem ole fogiz, do yer? Wel yer may, fer dey iz
bin doin’ dat way frum de time dat Abel, de fust man, a saved soul told
de news uv salvashun ter de anjuls.
“‘Wel, Jasper, hev yer got any rerlijun ter giv way?’
“I’se free ter say dat I ain’t got es much es I want. Fur forty-five
years I bin beggin’ fur mo’, an’ I ax fur mo’ in dis tryin’ hour. But,
bless Gord, I’s got rerlijun ter giv way. De Lord hev fil’d my hands
wid de Gorspil, an’ I stan’ here ter offur free salvashun ter any dat
wil kum. Ef in dis big crowd dar iz one lost sinnur dat hev not felt de
klinsin’ tech uv my Saviur’s blud, I ax ’im ter kum terday an’ he shall
nevur die.”
XII
FACTS CONCERNING THE SERMON ON THE SUN