Part 5 (1/2)

CHAPTER XII

”butterfly Preachers”

Abe had no sympathy with men who allowed themselves to be called preachers, and yet could treat with indifference the hich was allotted to theo to their work, until they sahat kind of weather it was likely to be;damp, nor in the wind because it exhausted them, nor in the sun because it broiled theht miss their way He called them ”butterfly preachers,” and often declared he would be asha them

Yet he did not lay all the blame of their conduct upon the shoulders of these ht the people helped in some ood ot somewhat badly used by the weather, sohten and dishearten hiain ”Oh dear, have you coht you would be here; nobody could bla at home on such a day; you are very wet, you'll be sure to take cold and be laid up,” and Abe used to say that kind of talk was enough to give a chill to any ht rain

It did not make any difference to him, however; he went in all weathers, rain or sunshi+ne, winter and su--

”Coo”

One Sundayhe was planned to preach at Shepley, and it was pouring down rain He, however, set off under his u before he reached his destination he was drenched to the skin Prior to going into the chapel he called at the house where he was going to dine that day; the good worieved to see him in such a condition ”Dear me,” said she, ”you are alo to bed” ”Nay, nay,” replied Abe, ”yo'

to bed i'

dayloight, I' man, he said, ”Thaa mun lend me some o' thy claathes” The proposal to adorn hi that Abe was a little ht out ”Aye,” said theinto th' pulpit in s” But Abe wasn't to be put off: ”Come,” said he, ”thaa mun foind me some o' thy claathes” They found him a spare suit, and in a fewsuch a figure that the nified nothing to Abe who laughed or who didn't; off he went to chapel He was a few ation were in their places He was therefore very eager to get to the pulpit; but in going across the chapel for this purpose, one of his borrowed shoes slipped off, which brought him to a sudden standstill, and caused special attention to be drawn to his singular outfit; and the s, it was i; and yet while they laughed at his odd figure, their hearts war so far, on such a day, to preach to theood tiood deal; but it was noticed that he had frequently to be looking down on the pulpit floor, and shuffling about with his feet It afterwards came out, that, in his excitedthe receptacles This occasioned him a considerable amount of inconvenience, which ultimately exhausted his patience He kicked the shoes aside, and said, ”I have been trying all th' e it; I'm in borrowed claathes, too, but, thank God, my sermon is my own”

This little diversion set him off in another direction, and he turned the incident to such good and practical account, showing that Jesus once stood in our place and bore our stripes, that reat pleasure

TOILING ON

On one occasion, when going to a distant appointree that surely he would have been excusable if he had turned back and gone hoation He used to say, ”If I slip theoa”

He had to set out one Sundayrain for a walk of about sixmore or less for several days; the roads were in a sad condition for a ”travelling praacher,” as he often styled himself The strea their abundance out on the highroad, until it was very little better than a bog Under these circuh Abe's boots and clothes ”Ne'er moind,” he said to hiet there” So on he went over the rough bleak hill that wouldn't afford shelter for a rabbit,gutters of water ”Aye dear,” said he, ”I' my booits off” At the bottoht to a standstill Along this bottoh Berry Brow, before na a wall on either side

The water in the river had risen so high with the rainfall, that it ran right over the bridge at both ends, and threatened to carry it away; all the low ground about the bridge was under water to soht to a halt His only as over that bridge, and now that was not available ”Well,” thought he, ”I'et over?” Further up and down the river ollen, over its boundaries, and was out into the fields, while at the bridge it rushed along like a torrent ”Naa, Lord,” Abe began, ”Thaa knohere I'm plann'd to-day, and Thaa knows this is my only rooad to th'

place; that's Thy watter, and I'm Thy sarvant; I mun be over somehaa; tak' care o' ed, andthis he tucked his ue, and scrambled across on his hands and knees, while the torrent rushed along underneath at a horse-pace Had he fallen into the water he would probably have been found drowned on one of the banks down the river, but it was not permitted ”Bless the Lord,” he exclaimed, when he was safe on the other side, ”I'm over! Ah! but I'll do better nor that when I coo over Jordan withaat wetting a threead on me!”

So thou wilt, Abe Jordan's waves could not har man like thee; they know a true-born saint by the traht of death, and on his approach, they fall back into line like Royal Guards when the king goes past

”Though waves and storth, and health, and friends be gone; Though joys be withered all and dead, Though every comfort be withdrawn; On this my steadfast soul relies, Father, Thy mercy never dies”

CHAPTER XIII

Various Ways out of Difficulties

Alet into trouble, but it is not always so easy for any one to get out again Abe knew both ways,--the way in and the way out,--and auntlet, and save hi story told of a little passage which the Rev P J

Wright once had with hi at the Honley railway station Mr Wright was at that time Superintendent of the Circuit, and was on his way to preach at Woodroyd, whilst Abe was going to Honley on a si the ordinary salutations, the reverend gentleive the informed of Abe's subject, he further inquired how he intended to treat it; whereupon his coive an outline of his serator rejoined, ”Why, you are wrong, altogether, Abe, you e the order of your divisions, and put the first last, and the last first; you have got the cart before the horse”

”Ne'er , sir” ”Cart before the horse” was no insuperable difficulty with Abe; he kne to e his own pony, and must drive in his oay; he was not very particular which caoa” He took what suited his mind best, and paid very little attention to the rules of ser; he was in this respect a law unto himself, and the favour hich his humble ministrations were received was a sufficient excuse for hi three or ether void of body or matter of any sort; at other times it appears as a skeleton, without for only the barest outline Perhaps this in some measure explains why some people so seldom attend our places of worshi+p; they fear to come _within the reach_ of a sermon, and therefore stay away,--they have heard of some persons that have been _actually struck_ with a ser fastened to their seats_ by it; how dreadful! Ah, anything will do for an excuse when people don't want to go to the Lord's house; ”a poor excuse is said to be better than none at all,” but in this case we doubt the wisdo

Abe Lockas not very particular about the number of heads in his sermons, or whether they had any heads at all; his care was that the sermon should have some soul in it, wherefrom mainly resulted his power in the pulpit