The life of Jacob Gruber

Preface

"Jacob Gruber was a character, and copied after no man," was a remark made by one of his cotemporaries, an aged minister of the Baltimore 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, presenting 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 incidents connected with his life, furnished by personal friends, the reader need not fear that we

PEEFACE.

have taxed our imagination to fill up tlie picture. His whole life was full of incident. Possessed 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 autobiographic, 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 furnished by its estimable secretary for copying the same. He also desires to mention the kindness of numerous ministei"s in the Baltimore, Philadelphia, and other conferences, for the facts and incidents furnished by them, and which have proved of great value in the prepai-ation of the work.

Chapter I

Early Life — Parentage — Itinerant Preachers — Conversion — Simon Miller — Singuliir Notions about Keligion — A learned Ministry — Valentine Qook — Wicked Wish of a German Woman — Griiber's Call to the Ministry— Goes upon a Circuit — Predictions — Takes his Degrees among the Mountains — Hard Service and Poor Fare — Father Turck — Dumb Man's Speech — W. M'Lenahan — An old Preacher's aversion to Biographies— Second Year's Field of Labor — Power in Prayer — A remarkable Case — A German Indian — Lorenzo and Peggy Dow — An Indian Eshorter — An amusing Incident — Carlisle Circuit — Early Methodist Literature — Winchester Circuit — Ministerial Dignity— Bishop Asbury on Solids and Fluids — Dyspeptic Preachers — Asbury's Cure for a Clerical Parvenu — Father Richards Page 9

Chapter II

Bishop George — Story of "Bishop George and the Young Preacher" unfounded — Young Americas — Eockingham — James Ward — Eevival — Strange Exercises — Gruber made Presiding Elder — Camp-meetings — Letter to Dr. Coke from a Presbyterian Minister — Water and Fire — Lost in the Mountains — Death ut 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 l;)efore the Time — Description of Solomon's Tenjple — Coughing up the Kegroes — A Slave-trader — Strangers tested by Prayer — A good Master — Wicked Elders 35

Chapter III

Camp-meetings on the Greenbrier District — Commendable Emulation among tlie Preachers — A jolly Wedding — A Slaveholding 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 Religion; — A Shout in the Wrong Place — A happy Man — A Termagant — Quarterly Meetings — A Maa

CONTKNTS, in Distress — A zenlous Exhorter — Interesting Historical Item — Last Interview with Bishop Asbury — High Heads — Fashionable Dress — Letter to a General Conference Delegate — Opposition to Dogs — A Dandy Preacher — Eestoring Order at a Camp-meeting — Singular Reproof— Blowing out the Fire — Fine Style in Preaching — Preacliiug before the Professors and Students of Dickinson College — Opposition to Tobacco — Preachers reproved for Smoking Page 58

Chapter IV

Preaching in Cabins — Appointed to Baltimore — Light-street and Sharp-street Churches — Quaker Opposition — 'Conversation with a Quaker — The Battle at North Point — Preaching to the Soldiers — Bombardment— Burial with the Honors of War — Sermon on the Fourth of July — A Strange Procession — Dreams and Visions — Old Joe's Vision 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 Bretlircn Church — Opposition Line — Bisliop Asbury's Wish — Gruber's Sermon at the Washington Camp-meeting — National Sins — Address to Masters and Slaves — Displeasure of Slaveholders — Letter from Rev. S. G. Roszel — Warrant issticd 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 Rebellion 123

Chapter VI

Bill of Indictment — Opening of tlie Case — Examination of Witnesses in behalf of the State — Opening Address on behalf of the Defendant by Roger B. Tauey of Washington City — Examination of Witnesses for the Defense — Testimony of Rev. N. Snethen — Rev. J. Mason — Rev. J. Forrest — H. G. O'Neal — Mr. Long — Rev. L. Everhart — Rev. S. L. Davis — Jacob Bowlus — John Bowlus — Messrs. Brazier, Hunt, Bealer, Blake, Middlekautl", White, and Reynolds — Ee v. F. Stier — Rev. Stephen G. Roszel — Rev. Abner Neal — Closing Argument for the Prosecution — Mr. Martin's Argument for the Defense — Argument 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 — Gruber's Sermon at Camp-meeting — Different kinds of Hearers — Repnblicap Slaveholdere — History of Arrest and Trial — Eeflectious — R«vie w

CONTENTS.

of the Trial — Lawyers — Inefficiency and Uncertainty of Law — Love of Money — Conference — Bishop Koberts — Exercise of Episcopal Functions — Bishop's Cabinet — The AVay Appointments are now made — Eight of Choice — Frederic Circuit — Kest Week — Incident illustrating the Power of Bigotry Page 249

Chapter VIII

Conference at Georgetown — "Haltering the Condition " — Marriage — Housekeeping — Dauphin Circuit — Preacher's Allowance — Travehng Expenses — Bishop Asbury's Opinion of City Stations — Frohcking Christians — Harvest Sermon— Conference in Philadelphia — Bishop Soule — Questions — Appointments — Something strange 268

cm^J'TER IX.

Bristol Circuit — Germans and Quakers — Early Field of Labor — Strange Texts — A Wonderful Preacher — Pointless Sermon — Lancaster Circuit— Pride, Whisky, and Tobacco — Camp-meeting — Sutlers — A Sheep and a 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 ■ — Philadelphia— St. George's Church — ^ Colleagues — Great Reform in Baltimore

— Mutual Rights — A fine House — Withdrawal of a Reformer from the Church — Singular Certificate — Salem Circuit — Benjamin Abbott

— Rum Drinking — -Tobacco Chewing — Prosperity — Sermon at St. George's in 1830 279

Chapter X

Waynesburgh Circuit — Dr. Sargent — Bishop M'Kendree — Removal to Baltimore — Opposition to Transfer — Port Deposit Circuit — William Hunter — Baltimore, Sharp-street and Asbury — -Death of Mrs. Gruber — Colored People — Ebenezer, Washington City — A Hollander and a Priest — Questions — Title to Heaven — ^ Extravagance in Washington— Chaplain to Congress — Singular Sermon at a Camp-meeting— Carlisle Circuit — Opposition Lines — Feet Washing — Christians— 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 Revivals— Profession and Practice — Visit to Rachel Martin 303

Chapter XI

Lewistown — Removal — Rachel 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 —

CONTENTS.

Mifflin Circuit — "A better Day coming" — Animal Excitement — Church Building — Preachers' Salaries — A Bargain proposed — Meaning of the Word " all " — Trough Creek Cii-cuit — Bad State of Things

— Reformers — Camp-meetings — A Slip — Tobacco Chewing and Feet Washing — The " holy Kiss" — Church sold Page 327

CHAPTEPw XII.

Warrior's Mark Circuit — Witches — An Ugly Old Woman — Consistency— A Witch tried — Shirleysburgh Circuit — A Friendly Family

— Education of Daughters in Catholic Seminary — Anxiety of the Mother — Eeflections — Personal Interview — Admission — Purgatory

— Location — Heaven — Priestcraft — Short Way with the Catholics — Conversation with a Priest — "Old Mother Church" — The True Church — St. Peter a sorry Foundation — Invincible Ignorance — A Mass Meeting — High Mass — Low Mass — The Original Languages — Horse and Mass in Latin 339

Chapter XIII

Hints to young Preachers — Treatment of — A Union Meeting-house — Prayer for a young Preacher — Clerical Vanity — Bombast — Eolation of an Incident — Preaching at Conference — A smart young Preacher

— Improving the Style — "Going to Heaven by way of the Moon to see the Angels " — A Wonderful Man 350

Chapter XIV

Personal Recollections — Peculiar Characteristics — Uncompromising — Education — Gruber's Style as a Preacher — The Door of Heaven shut and the Key lost — Dietetic Scniples — Theological Attainments

— Deep Piety — Cider and Beer — Augmentum ad Mulierera — Falling from Grace — Fire in the Head — Preaching to the Fishes — The Borrowed Shirt — Indian Squaws — Misquotations — Odd Reproof. 359

Chapter XV

Tribute to the Memory of Gruber — Last Round — Last Sermon — Dr. Bond — Right to a Jubilee — Letter to the Conference — Unintermitted Labor of Fifty Years — Work done — Great Sufferings — Attachment to the Sanctuary — Last Sabbath in the Church — Discourse — Religious Enjoyment — Adjustment of Temporal Affairs — Bequests to Chartered Fund, Missionary Society, etc. — Rev. S. V. Blake — Closing Scene — Last Sabbath on Earth, first Sabbath in Heaven — Portraiture of his Character — In Memoriam 370

LIFE OF JACOB GEUBEE.