The Life of Jacob Gruber
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Iiiill,lt i'liiiiiH i,ii'>li|l|l,!ii f; iSilllllilillll II 11, ii "''*^*'''''^!,:!!iiiii!lillili!i Ij^i 'I ,. PW/'^f'l,i! '''^iiiiifrliiiiiiifeh^'''^imm\] ii auii±Lj i, fat.2>aA.a,^<f: l\^V\> 9724 Cornell University Library BX8495.G88 S91 Stricklan Life of Jacob Gruber / by, W-P. 3 1924 029 471 889 olin a Cornell University y Library The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 924029471 889 _^^^2l^ 4^^*^-fe' tf 'i.^jyO^'i^ THE LIFE JACOB GRTJBER. By W. p. STEICKLAND. THIRD THOUSAND. ^tvo Ij) r k : PUBLISHED BY OAKLTON & PORTER, 200 MULBEEEX-3TEEBT. 1860. 5 A5.eif.vAS. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S60, by CARLTON & PORTER, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New-York. PREFACE "Jacob Geuber was a character, and copied after no man," was a remark made by one of his cotemporaries, an aged minister of the Bal- timore Conference, and whoever reads the sketch of his life presented in the following pages will, we think, be fully convinced of the fact. He was himself always and everywhere, and he never lost his individuality as one of the most humorous, witty, and yet withal grave and earnest preachers of his day. We have aimed at giving a faithful portraiture of the man, pre- senting the salient points of his character as they were developed during a ministry of over •half a century ; and as our materials were ample, apart from the recollections of numerous inci- dents connected with his life, furnished by per- sonal friends, the reader need not fear that we 4 PBEFAOE, / have taxed our imagination to fill up the pic- ture. His whole life was full of incident. Pos- sessed as he was of such a striking individuality of character, it may be safely affirmed, that among all the varieties found in the ministerial ranks he stands alone. There are not many Cartwrights or Finleys; there was but one Gruber. A considerable portion of the work is autobi- ographic, and will prove the more interesting on that account. The writer desires to tender his grateful acknowledgements to the Baltimore Historical Society for kindly giving him access to the Gruber papers, and for the facilities fur- nished by its estimable secretary for copying the same. He also desires to mention the kind- ness of numerous ministers in the Baltimore, Philadelphia, and other conferences, for the facts and incidents furnished by them, and which have proved of great value in the prepa- ration of the work. — CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Early Life — Parentage — Itinerant Preaciicrs — Conversion — Simon Mil- ler — Singular Notions about Keligion — A learned Ministry—Valentine Cook — Wicked Wish of a German Woman — Gruber's Call to the Min- istry — Goes upon a Circuit — Predictions — Takes his Degrees among the Mountains —Hard Service and PoorPare — Father Turck —Dumb Man's Speech —W. M'Lenahan — An old Preacher's aversion to Bi- ographies — Second Year's Field of Labor — Power in Prayer — A remarkable Case — A German Indian — Lorenzo and Peggy Dow — An Indian Exhorter — An amusing Incident — Carlisle Circuit^ Early Methodist Literature — Winchester Circuit — Ministerial Dig- nity — Bishop Asbury on Solids and Fluids — Dyspeptic Preachers Asbury's Cure for a Clerical Parvenu — Father Eichards Page 9 OHAPTEB II. Bishop George — Story of "Bishop George and the Young Preacher" unfounded — Young Americas — Eockingham — James Ward — Eevival — Strange Exercises — Gruber made Presiding Elder — Carap-meetings — Letter to'Dr. Coke from a Presbyterian Minister — Water and Fire — Lost in the Mountains — Death at a Camp- meeting — Wonderful Exercises — Presbyterians shouting —^A Young Divine seeking a Call — A Family Quarrel settled — An eccentric Local Preacher — A Backwoods College — Master Workman — Books of the Bar — Getting happy before the Time — Description of Solomon's Temple — Coughing up the Negroes — A Slave-trader — Strangers, tested by Prayer — A good Master — Wicked Elders 35 CHAPTER III. Camp-meetings on the Greenbrier District — Commendable Emulation among the Preachers — A jolly Wedding — A Slavoholdiog Preacher Monongahela District — Statistics of Camp-meetings —Bold Sinners — A young Man with a Pistol — Conversion of a Major — Camp-meetings among the Presbyterians — An- Infidel Club — Assault and Battery — A "strait and stiff" Professor of Eeligion —A Shout in the Wrong Place — A happy Man — A Termagant— Quarterly Meetings — A Man — b CONTENTS. in Distress — A zealous Exporter —Interesting Historical Item — Last Interview with Bisliop Asbnry — High Heads — Fashionable Dress — Letter to a General Conference Delegate — Opposition to Dogs — A Dandy Preacher — Eestoring Order at a Camp-meeting — Singular Re- proof— Blowing out the Fire — Fine Style in Preaching'— Preaching before the Professors and Students of Dickinson College —Opposition to Tpbaoco — Preachers reproved for Smoking Page S8 CHAPTER IV. Preaching in Cabins — Appointed lo Baltimore — Light-street and Sharp- street Churches — Quaker Opposition — Conversation with a Quaker — The Battle at North Point — Preaching to the Soldiers, — Bombard- ment — Burial with the Honors of "War — Sermon on the Fourth of July — A Strange Procession — Dreams and Visions — Old Joe's Vis- ion of Jacob's Laddei- 93 CHAPTER V. Opposition to a City Station — Appointed to Carlisle Circuit — Appointed to the District — Great Times in the Mountains — Model Professors — Albright and his People — An honest Dutchman judged — United Brethren Church — Opposition Line — Bishop Asbury's Wish — Gru- ber's Sermon at the Washington Canip-meeting — National Sins — Address to Masters and Slaves — Displeasure of Slaveholders — Letter from Eev. S. G. Eoszel — Warrant issued for his Arrest — Arrested at Quarterly Meeting — Gave Security for his Appearance at Court Indicted by the Grand Jury for inciting Slaves' to Mutiny and Ee- bellion 123 I CHAPTER VI. Bill of Indictment — Opening of the Case — Examination of Witnesses in behalf of the State — Opening Address on behalf of the Defendant by Eoger B. Taney of Washington City — Examination of Witnesses for the Defense — Testimony of Eev. N. Suethen — Eev. J. Mason — Eev. J. Forrest — H. G. O'Neal — Mr. Long — Eev. L. Everhart — Eev. S. L. Davis — Jacob Bowlus — John Bowlus — Messrs. Brazier, Hunt, Bealer, Blake, Middlekauff, White, and Eeynolds — Eev. F. Stier— Eev. Stephen G. Eoszel — Eev. Abner Neal — Closing Argument for the Prosecution — Mr. Martin's Argument for the Defense — Argu- ment of Mr. Pigman, Counselor for the Defense — Mr. Taney concludes the Defense — Verdict of the Jury 142 CHAPTER VII. Eev. David Martin — Testimony of the Bible — Traffic in Slaves — Gru- ber'B Sermon at Camp-meeting —^Different kinds ofHearers — Eepubli- oan Slaveholders — History of Arrest and Trial — Eeflections — Review — CONTENTS. 7 of the Trial — Lawyers — Ineffioienoy and TJnoertainty of Law — Love of Money — Conference — Bishop Koberts — Exercise of Episcopal Functions — Bishop's Cabinet —The Way Appointments are now made — Eight of Choice— Frederic Circuit — Best Week — Incident illustrating the Power of Bigotry Page 249 CHAPTER VIII. Conference at Georgetown — " Haltering the Condition" — Marriage — Housekeeping — Dauphin Circuit — Preacher's Allowance — Traveling Expenses— Bishop Asbury's Opinion of City Stations — Frolicking Christians — Harvest Sermon— Conference in Philadelphia — Bishop Soule — Questions — Appointments — Something strange 268 CHAPTER IX. Bristol Circuit — Germans and Quakers — Early Field of Labor — Strange Texts — A Wonderful Preacher — Pointless Sermon — Lancaster Cir- cuit — Pride, Whisky, and Tobaooo — Camp-meeting — Sutlers — A Sheep anda Goat — Burlington Circuit — A good Beggar — A Singular Druggist — Chester Circuit — J. B. Finley and his Indian Chiefs — Presbyterians and Anxious Seats — A Baptist Experience — Philadel- phia — St. George's Church — Colleagues — Great Eoform in Baltimore — Mutual Eights —^A fine House — Withdrawal of a Eeformer from the Church — Singular Certificate — Salem Circuit — Benjamin Abbott — Eum Drinking — Tobaooo Chewing — Prosperity — Sermon at St. George's in 1880 279 CHAPTER X. Waynesburgh Circuit — Dr. Sargent — Bishop M'Kendree — Eemoval to Baltimore — Opposition to Transfer ^ Port Deposit Circuit — William Hunter — Baltimore, Sharp-street and Asbury — Death of Mrs. Gru- ber — Colored People — Ebenezer, Washington City —A Hollander and a Priest — Questions — Title to Heaven — Extravagance in Wash- ington — Chaplain to Congress — Singular Sermon at a Camp-meet- ing — Carlisle Circuit — Opposition Lines — Feet Washing — Chris- tians — Miracle Workers — Camp-meeting on Huntingdon Circuit Amusing Discourse — The Crow's Nest stirred up — Card Playing "A Particular and Confidential Friend" — Sharp-street and Asbury, Baltimore — "Old Wesley"- Colored Preachers — Spurious Eeviv- als — Profession and Practice — Visit to Eachel Martin 303 CHAPTER XI. Lewiatown — Eemoval — Eachel Martin's House — Gruber outdone — An Irish Family — Wesley's Bed — An Episcopal Parson — Undeserved Compliment — A liberal Circuit — A new Thing under the Moon — — O CONTENTS. Mifflin Cironit'— "A better Day coming" — Animal Excitement — Church Building — Preachers' Salaries — A Bargain proposed — Mean- ing of the "Word " all " — Trough Creek Circuit — Bad State of Things — Eeformers — Camp-meetings ^- A Slip — Tobacco Chewing and Feet Washing— The " holy Kiss " — Church