Grapefruit Highball, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Actor Dean Cain on Celebrities Signing Letter to Defund Police: ‘Hollywood, Thy Name Is Hypocrisy’ -- “...Hollywood celebrities typically hire either former officers, or private security firms, so they’re covered and they have their security, and now they’re calling for defunding the police for everyone else.”
• An Alternate Reality -- “...author John Howard Griffi...used medication to temporarily darken his skin and then traveled through the South as a black man for more than a month.”
• An experience with the San Augustine Grapefruit Highball -- “Since 1928, the drink is one of the most asked-for drinks at the soda fountain.”
• Another Culture -- “The cedar choppers were descendants of Scots-Irish immigrants who had migrated from the hills of Appalachia after the Civil War.”
• China Unquarantined -- “COVID-19 shows the dangers that the Western world ignored when it embraced the CCP imperial dynasty.
• Cory Bahr Shares His Grandma’s Fried Chicken Recipe -- “If I could choose a final meal on this earth, it would without a doubt be my grandmother’s fried chicken.”
• Lancet, NEJM Retract Surgisphere Studies on COVID-19 Patients -- “Two controversial studies of COVID-19 patients have been retracted after the authors failed to demonstrate that the data were reliable.”
• Michigan Supreme Court Rebukes Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Unanimously Sides with 77-Year-Old Barber -- “This is a huge victory for Manke, for other small business owners in the state and a slap in the face of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.”
• Minneapolis Manufacturing Company Will Leave City after Plant Burned in Riots -- “A Minneapolis manufacturing company whose plant was set on fire by rioters plans to leave the city, saying that city officials afforded them no assistance in handling the destruction.”
• Norway Scientist Claims Report Proves Coronavirus Was Lab-Made -- “The study from Sørensen and British professor Angus Dalgleish show that the coronavirus’s spike protein contains sequences that appear to be artificially inserted.”
• One of the most unique syrups you’ll ever taste comes from small-town Alabama -- “To achieve that personal touch and hometown feel, each bottle of syrup is still hand-fastened by a local employee in the downtown Fayette facility.”
• The Legend of Old Rip -- “Old Rip now lies in state in a velvet casket and may be viewed at any time in the lobby of the Eastland Courthouse.”
• The Lizard Brigade -- “Experts around the state of Texas are trying to revive populations of the beloved and threatened horny toad.”
• The San Augustine Drug Store -- “While mixing up soda drinks, Jones came up with the Grapefruit Highball, a delightful mixture of ingredients that have remained secret to this day.”
• There Are No Good Narratives on Race -- “...it’s not enough to reject the racial gnosticism of The Narrative. You need a positive replacement, a story that’s sufficiently broad to include everyone but sufficiently narrow to make inclusion seem worth it.”

In other words, things we’re talking about

• bullying, noun. The abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger, more powerful, etc.
• critical race theory, noun. The view that the law and legal institutions are inherently racist and that race itself is socially construct and used by white people to further their economic and political interests at the expense of people of color.
• cuckservative, noun. A political conservative who buys into the key premises of the Left, and sympathizes with liberal values (combining the words cuckold & conservative).
• gibsmedat, noun. (Slang) Goods, services, or material given predominately to minorities; a derogatory term for social welfare programs.
• identity politics, noun. Political activity or movements based on or catering to the cultural, ethnic, gender, racial, religious, or social interests that characterize a group identity.
• intersectionality, noun. The cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups.
• microaggression, noun. A statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority.
• photo op, noun. An arranged opportunity to take photographs of politicians, celebrities, or other important people (short for photograph opportunity).
• racism, noun. Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority; the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities that distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another.
• social justice, noun. Uniform state distribution of society’s advantages and disadvantages.
• virtue signalling, noun. Sharing of one’s point of view, often on social media, in order to garner praise or acknowledgment of one’s righteousness, or to passively rebuke those who do not share the view.
• white privilege, noun. In critical race theory, a way of conceptualizing racial inequalities that focuses as much on the advantages that white people accrue from society as on the disadvantages that non-white people experience.
• woke, adjective. Aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice); the act of being very pretentious about how much you care about a social issue.

Lynching and Crucifixion

On June 3, 2020, Chance the Rapper Tweeted: “Jesus was lynched.” I did not spend a lot of time reading replies, but it appears he got fairly “mixed reviews.” A fellow member called attention to it in a Facebook group, and the statement received mixed reviews there as well (more in favour, it seems).

Perhaps the “shock value” of such a statement will cause us to “stop, look, and listen,” and learn. We can learn from the statement, even though I think Chance the Rapper is technically incorrect. We will find lynching and crucifixion merge and diverge at particular points. First, consider the definitions of “lynch” and “crucifixion.”

• Lynch, verb (used with object). To put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.
• Crucify, verb (used with object). To put to death by nailing or binding the hands and feet to a cross (and in this discussion, specifically the putting to death of Jesus by nailing him to and hanging him on a cross).

Lynching and crucifixion are both methods of execution, though the first is clearly without legal authority to do so – specifically in the U.S. it is without due process, without a trial. Crucifixion was once a preferred method of execution in the Roman Empire, and generally carried out under the authority of Roman officials.[i]

Similarities

• Lynching and the crucifixion of Jesus share the element of hanging. Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
• Lynching and the crucifixion of Jesus share the element of the bloodlust of a mob. Mark 15:14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
• Lynching and the crucifixion of Jesus are murderous acts derived from deceitful and desperately wicked hearts. Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Differences

• A lynching is illegal and unlawful, whether or not the person lynched is innocent or guilty. The crucifixion of Jesus was carried out under legal authority, but the person convicted was innocent. Mark 14:15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
• Lynching breaks the laws of state, but Jesus’s crucifixion fulfilled the law of God. Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Romans 3:25 whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God
• The death of the lynched perpetuates anger, guilt, and sin. The crucifixion of Jesus makes peace by the blood of the cross. Colossians 1:20 and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

By comparing the death of Jesus to other deaths, including lynching, we learn. We hear notes that touch chords in our hearts. Yet, in the end, the death of Jesus Christ the Son of God is unlike any other.

• It is an offering made by free eternal determination, rather than by forced human intervention. Acts 4:27-28 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. John 10:17-18 I lay down my life...No man taketh it from me...
• It is the making of a sin offering by one who never sinned. 1 Peter 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
• It is the offering of the just in the place of the unjust. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God... Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
• It is a one-time sufficient sacrifice for sin. Hebrews 9:26 ...but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Our sins are many, God’s mercy is more; He’s wash’d and cleans’d us, for this we adore.

As on the cross the Savior hung,

And wept, and bled, and died;

He poured salvation on a wretch,

That languished at His side. (Samuel Stennett)

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride. (Isaac Watts)

---

[i] Experts differ on the legality of the trial of Jesus. José María Ribas Alba, one of the top modern scholars on Roman law, has concluded from his years of study that the trial of Jesus was perfectly legal [For example, Jesús es condenado a muerte: reflexiones sobre el contexto histórico y jurídico de la Pasión de Cristo (Jesus is sentenced to death. Reflections on the historical and legal context of the Passion of Christ), José María Ribas Alba, Mergablum, 2013]. On the other hand, in The Trial of Christ: From a Legal and Scriptural Viewpoint, David K. Breed argues that many legal errors were made. Many Christian scholars focus on the legality or illegality of the proceedings of the Sandhedrin.

Hate has a taste all its own, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify when possible.)

“Hate has a taste all its own, that fills your throat and chokes you.” -- Cheated-on spouse on Perry Mason

“I never knew whether to pity or congratulate a man on coming to his senses.” --
William Makepeace Thackeray

“Our government is in place in order to protect our liberty – not make life easier for politicians.” -- Michael Cloud

“What man is is more important than what he has.” -- Merrill C. Tenney

“The problem is sin, not skin. The answer is grace, not race.” -- Unknown

“There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect.” -- G. K. Chesterton

“There is no place in the Constitution where it says your right to free speech is valid only as long as folks are not coming down with the flu.” -- Bryan Fischer

“I suggest not to rely on Facebook as it mostly spreads ignorance, lies and is becoming a problem with our social discourse.” -- Steve Newhouse

“Let’s not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves.” -- Former President Barack Obama

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” -- Henry Stanley Haskins

“In a world where you can be anything, just be kind!” -- Martha Ivey-Underwood

He that is down need fear no fall,
He that is low, no pride.
He that is humble ever shall
Have GOD to be his guide.
John Bunyan

Truth must be preached

Many people who profess to be Christian do not care about doctrinal purity. They have created an all-inclusive form of Christianity that allows one to follow their own twisted beliefs without correction. The Bible is no longer a lantern to guide, but is more of a church decoration. Everything is becoming emotion and feeling driven. However, the truth must be preached. 

Copied, Author unknown

A Superior Shelter

Our favored old English hymn writer Isaac Watts wrote “Death and Immediate Glory,” based on 2 Corinthians 5:1, 5-8:

1. There is a house not made with hands,
Eternal and on high;
And here my spirit waiting stands,
Till God shall bid it fly.

2. Shortly this prison of my clay
Must be dissolved and fall,
Then, O my soul! with joy obey
Thy Heavenly Father’s call.

3. ’Tis He, by His almighty grace,
That forms thee fit for heaven,
And as an earnest of the place,
Has his own Spirit given.

4. We walk by faith of joys to come,
Faith lives upon his word;
But while the body is our home,
We’re absent from the Lord.

5. ’Tis pleasant to believe thy grace,
But we would rather see;
We would be absent from the flesh,
And present, Lord, with thee.

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (for we walk by faith, not by sight:) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

We humans dwell in a tent, a temporary shelter designed for our earthly pilgrimage. As Christians mature they should progressively turn their gaze more and more away from the temporal (the things which are seen) to the eternal (the things which are not seen). See 2 Corinthians 4:18. We learn there is a shelter superior to the body in which we dwell. In location, it is heavenly rather than earthly. In style, it is a building rather than a tabernacle (tent). In origin, it is not made with hands (by God, born of God) rather than born of man. In duration it is eternal rather than temporal (dissolves). It is life versus mortality. It is present with God versus at home in the body.

Baking with Dessert Darling, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• An Ugly and Complex Story: Norma McCorvey from Roe v. Wade Said She Was Paid to Change Her Views on Abortion -- “This reminds us of a logical and moral quandary that is as old as ancient Greece…If it is true that all Cretans are liars, then can you trust a Cretan when you are told that he or she is lying?”
• Baking with Dessert Darling Dolester Miles -- “Earlier this year, Dolester Miles took home gold at the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards, where she was named the most Outstanding Pastry Chef in the country.”
• Black Lives Matter leader declares war on police -- “...we want the immediate end of government sanctioned murder by the police. And we prepare to stop these government sanctioned murders by any means necessary.”
• Blexit -- “The Blexit movement aims to uplift and empower minorities to realize the American Dream.”
• Civil rights veteran: ‘Guilty white people and angry, rich, entitled blacks who continue to play the race card’ are destroying our country -- “And now, after 50 years of liberal Democrats running the inner cities, where we have all of these inequities that we have, race is being used as a ruse, as a means of deflecting attention away from critical questions such as why are poor blacks failing in systems ran by their own people if race was the issue, even the criminal justice system?”
• Damaged Gravestones -- “If you are photographing a gravestone that is partially unreadable due to cracking, look for family members on nearby gravestones and then link the data together.”
• History of the Woodson Center -- “...the Woodson Center has worked to bring recognition, training, and funding to community-based leaders and organizations to strengthen their efforts to uplift their neighborhoods...”
• Hot Chicken, Indian Style -- “My first impression of the iconic Nashville hot chicken is a memory I will never forget as it was filled with both laughter and tears...”
• Liberty University, once accused of being reckless for reopening during pandemic, finishes semester — with 0 coronavirus cases -- “In March, the Christian university came under heavy fire for its decision to resume classes.”
• Racial Reconciliation, the Gospel, and the Church -- “...diversity is not the same as gospel-centered racial reconciliation and the goal of gospel-centered racial reconciliation is not simply diversity.”
• Rand Paul Appears to Be Right about School Closures -- “Writing at Mother Jones, a left-leaning American magazine, Kevin Drum said an abundance of research supports Paul’s assertion that school closures are an ineffective way to contain the spread of COVID-19, and may actually increase deaths.”
• Riding the Cemetery Railroad -- “By placing the cemetery so far from the city with the railroad as the only means of transport, the LNC hoped to lock down a monopoly on London’s funeral business.”
• Shame on Justice John Roberts -- “One pastor whose church was forbidden even to meet at all demonstrated the absurdity of the restriction by taking his entire church to Wal-Mart, where his parishioners, all of them, were freely able to meet and mingle.”
• SHAPIRO: 11 Leftist Myths About Criminal Justice -- “In an effort to explain away continuing wealth and lifestyle differentials between racial groups, the Left has hit on a new narrative: the criminal justice system is to blame.”
• The Moral Authority of the Lockdown Fetishists Is Gone. Thank the Protestors and Rioters -- “Politicians like Kamala Harris have even joined the protestors in the streets, doing what she demanded others avoid just a few weeks earlier.”
• The Most Important Coronavirus Statistic: 43% Of U.S. Deaths Are From 0.6% Of The Population -- “Among states reporting their death totals, 42% of COVID deaths have taken place in long-term care facilities; we estimate the share as 43% for the full U.S. population, based on incorporating the demographics of the non-reporting states.”
• Top 10 Reasons I Won’t Support the #BlackLivesMatter Movement -- “You can’t talk about the sins of the past and expect to move forward if there is no intention of forgiveness. I’m tired of the deeply prejudiced oppressed/oppressor critical race theory paradigm. It’s not Gospel-centered.”

The Appointment in Samarra

(Narrated by Death)

There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, “Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me.  She looked at me and made a threatening gesture, now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate.  I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.”  The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went.  Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, “Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?”  “That was not a threatening gesture,” I said. “It was only a start of surprise.  I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”

The Appointment in Samarra, as told by W. Somerset Maugham

How long is long?

Q. How long should a sermon last, in terms of minutes or hours? 

A. In much of the “Western World,” the clock has become the enemy of the pastor and the congregation. Some preachers who are done in five minutes think they must drone on another 20 or 25 minutes to fill the time slot they have been given. Some preachers who are not finished in 20 or 25 minutes will slice off some important things that they should say so the morning service will be over by noon.

There is no biblical evidence that the length of a sermon is important. What is important is its “breadth and depth.” A sermon should last as long as it takes. Content is the important thing. The content should be the truth and the truth should be covered adequately. Was the sermon “long enough” for listeners to hear the truth and comprehend it? If so, that should do it!

Rufus Norton Grisham

Back in 2016, I posted about the song The Church That Jesus Built by R. N. Grisham. This song was Dedicated to the American Baptist Association. Then, I tentatively identified Grisham as Rufus Norton Grisham (1877–1936), who is buried at the Hickory Grove Cemetery at Laurel in Jones County, Mississippi. I believe that identification is correct. A friend on Library Thing has put together some information that supports this, and I post the following picture of Grisham with his permission.

R. N. Grisham was co-editor of Songs of Heaven circa 1924, while living in Greenville, South Carolina. He was an associate editor on Service Songs for Christian Work and Worship, 1929, published by Firm Foundation and Showalter Publishing (edited by J. W. Gaines). He published Heaven’s Highway while living in Ellisville, Mississippi and Our Bells of Heaven while living in Laurel, Mississippi.

Grisham also taught singing schools. For example, an ad in the Jones County News (November 14, 1912, p. 11) identifies R. N. Grisham as “Principal” of the Analytical and New Light Music School, to be held at Indian Springs and continuing 6 days a week for four weeks. When Grisham registered for the World War I draft in September of 1918, he was living in Greenville, South Carolina. He listed his occupation as “Vocal Teacher” and his employer as James D. Vaughan of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.[i]  The (Laurel) Morning Call in 1928 describes him as “an evangelistic singer, song publisher and has conducted several normal schools in the county.” The article also indicates Mr. & Mrs. Grisham recorded on Columbia Records a song called We’ll Be At Home Again.[ii] (The Morning Call, March 22, 1928, p. 3)

R. N. Grisham was the son of Isaac Grisham and Sarah Mason. He married Lavada Bush in 1912. The Bush family was active gospel singers as well.

Movement

1880, Blackland, Prentiss County, Mississippi (Census)

1915, Lawrenceburg, Lawrence County, Tennessee (Birth of daughter)

1917, Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina (City Directory)

1920, Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina (Census)

1924, Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina (City Directory)

1930, Ellisville, Jones County, Mississippi (Census)

---

[i] The Grisham’s resided in Greenville, South Carolina at least from 1917 to 1924.

[ii] Columbia Record 15177, with Reaching to You on the other side.

With the spirit and understanding, and other music quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify when possible.)

“Music should be rendered with the spirit and understanding; that the very soul and heart should enter into the song being sung.” -- James L. “Jim” White

“Our singing will not be melody to the Lord unless hearts beat in harmony with hymn.” -- “Mountain Hoosier” in The Paulding New Era, May 29, 1885

“There is not enough singing in the churches these days. There is too much mechanical music for the spiritual welfare of the churches.” -- J. P. Reese

“Natural harmony seems to have more of the spirit of inspiration than much of the so-called harmony of the present age.” -- J. P. Reese (Reese was referring to singing without instruments vs. singing with an organ)

“Our sacred music is like pure gold. The more it is rubbed, the brighter it shines.” -- Prof. R. E. Bartlett

“There is no better music this side of the pearly gates than that found in the old ‘Sacred Harp’.” -- Cedartown Standard, Sept 7, 1911

“The Harp is going to float when this world is on fire.” -- J. G. Land

“The more I learn about the Sacred Harp, the better I love it.” -- J. G. Land

“The real music is the silence and all the notes are only framing this silence.” -- Miles Davis

“Heaven was very near as the music upward rolled.” -- A. H. Reneau

“When the old family Bible gets out of date, then the old Sacred Harp will be a back number too.” -- J. G. Land

God’s Predestination is not Fatalism

Fatalism implies that all events come to pass through the working of a blind, unintelligent, impersonal non-moral force which cannot be distinguished from physical necessity and carries us helplessly within its grasp as a mighty river carries a piece of wood.

Predestination teaches that from all eternity God has had one unified purpose which He is bringing to perfection through this world order of events. The power of God is that ability and strength whereby He is able to bring to pass whatsoever He pleases, whatsoever His infinite wisdom may direct, and whatsoever the infinite purity of His will may resolve.

Credited to Loraine Boettner

The Search After Happiness

The following hymn is an excerpt from A Search After Happiness: A Pastoral in Three Dialogues, written by “A Young Lady” (Hannah More), in 1762/1773.[i] In the second edition, the title was changed to The Search After Happiness: A Pastoral Drama, and this portion of the poem was expanded to seven 4-line stanzas.[ii] The poem/hymn as used in The Sacred Harp and other shape-note books has some word changes, and only six stanzas (the third stanza is not used).

In later printings, the “Preface” explains the purpose of the “Pastoral Drama”:

The object of the following Poem, which was written in very early youth, was an earnest wish to furnish a substitute for the very improper custom, which then prevailed, of allowing plays, and those not always of the purest kind, to be acted by young Ladies in boarding schools. And it has afforded a serious satisfaction to the Author to learn that this little Poem, and likewise the Sacred Dramas, have very frequently been adopted to supply the place of those more dangerous amusements. If it may be still happily instrumental in promoting a regard to Religion and Virtue in the minds of young persons, and afford them an innocent, and perhaps not altogether unuseful, amusement in the exercise of recitation, the end for which it was originally composed, and the author’s utmost wish in its re-publication, will be fully answered.

In the drama this portion is sung by the character Florella, a young shepherdess.

1. While beauty and youth are in their full prime,

And folly and fashion affect our whole time;

O let not the phantom our wishes engage,

Let us live so in youth that we blush not in age.

2. The vain and the young may attend us a while,

But let not their flattery our prudence beguile;

Let us covet those charms that shall never decay

Nor listen to all that deceivers can say.

3. I sigh not for beauty, nor languish for wealth,

But grant me, kind Providence, virtue and health;

Then richer than kings, and far happier than they,

My days shall pass swiftly and sweetly away.

4. For when age steals on me, and youth is no more,

And the moralist Time shakes his glass at my door,

What pleasure in beauty or wealth can I find?

My beauty, my wealth, is a sweet peace of mind.

5. That peace! I’ll preserve it as pure as ’twas given

Shall last in my bosom an earnest of heaven;

For Virtue and Wisdom can warm the cold scene,

And sixty can flourish as gay as sixteen.

6. And when I the burden of life shall have borne,

And death with his sickle shall cut the ripe corn,

Reascend to my God without murmur or sigh,

I’ll bless the kind summons, and lie down and die.

The third stanza that Florella sings is:

How the tints of the rose, and the jessamine’s perfume,[iii]
The eglantine’s fragrance, the lilac’s gay bloom,
Though fair and though fragrant, unheeded may lie,
For that neither is sweet when Florella is by.

This is the stanza not used in songbooks. The other six stanzas are used with the tune Morality, number 136 in The Sacred Harp. It is in other shape-note tune books as well, such as The Southern Harmony. It can be found on YouTube sung at Waycross Primitive Baptist Church.

Hannah More was born February 2, 1745 in the village of Fishponds in Gloucestershire. She was a daughter of Jacob and Mary Grace More. He was a schoolmaster. She was taught by her father, then attended a girls’ school of her oldest sister Mary. Hannah later taught at the school, and wrote A Search After Happiness circa 1762.[iv] She left teaching and earned most of her living through writing. After a religious conversion she became close friends of John Newton and William Wilberforce. She was one of the most successful writers of her time. She died September 7, 1833 and is buried at All Saints Churchyard in Somerset, England.

---

[i] A Search After Happiness: A Pastoral in Three Dialogues, A Young Lady, Bristol: S. Farley, 1773, pp. 30-31

[ii] The first printed version had 26 lines rather than 28 lines.

[iii] The first version appears to have jessamine (jess’mine’s), while later versions change this to “jasmine.”

[iv] The “Advertisement” in the Google version purported to be printed in 1773 strongly suggests that this is the first printed/book version of A Search After Happiness.

The deceitful wicked heart

Man’s problem and God’s cure.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Diagnosis, sin. Inbred, ingrained sin in the heart, that is both deceitful and desperately wicked. It is not just the actions, but the heart itself that is sinful.

A people who dismiss the diagnosis will have no idea of a cure. Our society and even many of our churches reject the diagnosis of the deceitful and wickedness of man deep down in his heart – a diagnosis they cannot know by applying human reasoning. Only God searches, tries, and knows man’s heart. We cannot muse and meditate until we figure out the problem. Nevertheless, by revelation God has diagnosed the problem. “All have sinned.” “There is none good.” “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” “There is none good, but one, that is, God.”

By revelation God has prescribed the answer, the cure.

Isaiah 53: 4-5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Acts 8:34-35 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The Matthew 18 Principle for Conflict Resolution

Compiled and written by Lance Lloyd of Sequatchie, Tennessee; worth sharing and used by permission (by owner of web page where it was shared)

Matthew 18:15-17 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

From these verses, several guidelines can be found for resolving conflicts between Christians.

Before beginning the process, one should first consider if he/she is able to bear the other’s sin (I Peter 4:8 – And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins; Romans 12:18 – If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men).

Step One: A Christian who has a conflict with another Christian is called to address the matter with the other person personally. When matters are handled privately, misunderstanding can be addressed, and there is great potential for the other person to respond positively. In addition, a private meeting helps to avoid the problem of gossip.

Step Two: If a private discussion does not solve the issue, a Christian is to take one or two other believers and meet with the person with whom they have conflict. The clause “that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” refers to the Old Testament law that required a charge to be supported by two or more witnesses to be valid. In the case of personal conflict, this principle allows for additional witnesses to observe the matter firsthand and help determine the proper course of action.

Step Three: When there is no resolution after steps one and two, the matter is to be taken before the local body. Only in rare cases will a Christian seeking to follow the Lord refuse to resolve conflict when the entire congregation is involved.

Finally, if the person in the center of the conflict refuses to respond positively even when the entire congregation is involved, then that person is to be considered as “a pagan or a tax collector.” This simply means to excommunicate the person, removing the negative influence from the congregation.

Christians are called to handle disputes in love, with a goal of restoration. Conflict should be handled according to the steps listed in Matthew 18 out of a desire for holy living and love for the person who has committed wrong.

(See also Go to Him by R. N. Davis.)

In other words, arbitrium and arboretum

• arbitrium, noun. Power or ability to act, decide, or judge; will; authority.
• arboretum, noun. A specially designed garden of different types of trees.
• dataveillance, noun. The collection or monitoring of (esp. digital) data relating to personal details or activities, regarded as a form of surveillance.
• dicker, verb, intransitive. Originally: to arrange a trade, barter, or other deal. In later use: to engage in bargaining or negotiation; (sometimes) spec. to dispute small or trivial details while bargaining or negotiating (for or over something); to haggle.
• eschatology, noun. (Theology) Any system of doctrines concerning last, or final, matters, as death, the Judgment, the future state, etc.; the branch of theology dealing with such matters.
• herbose, adjective. Abounding with herbs.
• literose, adjective. Literary in a studied or affected way.
• locuplete, adjective. Ample; richly supplied.
• logophile, noun. A lover of words.
• longueur, noun. A dull and tedious portion (as of a book) — usually used in plural.
• philobiblist, noun. A lover of books.
• pilose, adjective. Covered with hairs, especially fine soft ones.
• propinquity, noun. nearness in place (proximity); nearness of relation (kinship); nearness in time; affinity of nature (similarity).
• stupor mundi, noun. The wonder of the world; a person who or thing which is an object of general or widespread astonishment, admiration, or bewilderment; a marvel, a prodigy.
• vehemence, noun. Great or excessive passion; eagerness or fervour of personal feeling, action, expression, etc.; passionate force, intensity, or excitement.
• vel sim., phrase. (Latin, to wish or see similar) Used after a word, statement, etc., to indicate the possibility of similar alternatives.
• verbose, adjective. Characterized by the use of many or too many words; wordy.

20 Homeschool Genealogy Ideas, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• 20 Homeschool Genealogy Ideas -- “Older children can help calculate how much time it will take your family to document an entire cemetery (beginners take about 250 photos per hour). Younger children can learn how to use a map.”
• A Texas Time Capsule: the 1847 T.C. Lindsey & Co. General Store in Jonesville -- “Not exactly lost but not exactly in plain sight, the community of Jonesville sits near the Texas-Louisiana border, just as it has since Texas’ earliest days as a state.”
• Century-old memorabilia box opened at Arlington Cemetery -- And now, a peek inside the old copper box, along with its historic relics, are available virtually, as ANC hosts it’s first-ever online exhibit starting this week.”
• Coronavirus and the smell of Saul Alinsky -- “Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and chance the future.”
• Deepfakes Are Going To Wreak Havoc On Society. We Are Not Prepared. -- “Deepfake technology enables anyone with a computer and an Internet connection to create realistic-looking photos and videos of people saying and doing things that they did not actually say or do.”
• Did Japan Beat COVID-19 with a Decentralized Response? -- “Rather than uniform, top-down, centralized, and nationwide policies, the Japanese people mostly resorted to diverse, bottom-up, decentralized, and local responses and achieved much better results than many countries that imposed lockdowns and other draconian measures.”
• Fired Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin charged with 3rd-degree murder, manslaughter in George Floyd’s death -- “For his part, [County Attorney] Freeman noted that his office has never before charged a police officer four days after a lethal force incident. “This case has moved with extraordinary speed,” he said.”
• Gravestone Cleaning Tips 101 -- “Time has been hard on gravestones that were originally considered nearly permanent. Weathering, erosion, neglect, and vandalism have all taken their toll.”
• Headstones sinking underground at West Side cemetery to be reset after found illegible -- “...in July 2019...the headstone was completely visible. They were shocked to see that in less than a year’s time, it had been completely covered by grass and dirt.”
• New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says -- “...new infections and fatalities have fallen steadily in May and the country is unwinding some of the most rigid lockdown restrictions introduced anywhere on the continent.”
• The Story Behind a Forgotten Symbol of the American Revolution: The Liberty Tree -- “Early in the morning of August 14, Bostonians discovered the effigy hanging from the tree. Initials pinned to the effigy, ‘A.O.’, identified it as Andrew Oliver, the Boston merchant who had agreed to collect the stamp tax.”
• Trump signs social media executive order that calls for removal of liability protections over ‘censoring’ -- “Twitter’s...move immediately backfired...Twitter’s fact-check itself contained false statements; and Twitter failed to apply the standard of review to other users.”
• Twitter “fact checks” the president – so why not these lies by Biden and other Democrats? -- “American Priority then showed eight instances which Breitbart cited that showed over the past few weeks where Twitter allowed misinformation and downright lies from leftist sources to go unchallenged.”
• WHO Now Says Only Wear a Mask If You are Sick or Working with Sick — Otherwise You Don’t Need One -- Excuse us if we don’t believe a word coming from these fickle elites.”
• Wisconsin city refuses to arrest rioters, but hands out hefty fines to churches with more than 50 worshipers -- “While Madison didn’t do much to prevent the barrage of looting in the city, officials want citizens to know that church services of more than 50 people will absolutely not be tolerated.”

The New Sacred Harp and Its Sources

The New Sacred Harp was published in 1884 by brothers J. L. White and B. F. White Jr., sons of B. F. White, Sr., the compiler of The Sacred Harp. The concept may have been to print a book that could be used as a supplement to The Sacred Harp, as well as avail themselves of the growing popularity of the seven-shape gospel songs. The preface of The New Sacred Harp is brief and does not mention any sources. There is a brief reference to “our best composers” and also to the intent to keep The Sacred Harp available. Some song attributions are “by permission” Many of the songs in The New Sacred Harp reflect the emerging gospel style that was increasing in popularity.

Sources of songs fall into at least four categories.

Songs written by J. L. White and composers with whom he was acquainted. (There are no songs in The New Sacred Harp written by B. F. White, Jr., but he was probably also acquainted with some of the composers). These include men associated with Sacred Harp and other musical conventions in Atlanta and the surrounding area: S. M. Denson, T. J. Denson, Absalom Ogletree, J. N. Pitman, and J. P. Reese (as well as their nephew C. J. White). Eighteen songs by A. J. Showalter are labeled “by permission.” This may suggest that he wrote them for The New Sacred Harp. I have not found them thus far in any other of his books. Showalter had one tune titled White. We cannot be sure it is named for the White brothers (J. L. & B. F.), but one might think so since he is collaborating with them on their book. We know A. J. Showalter and J. L. White were acquainted. Other composers probably acquainted with the Whites were James A. Buchanan, A. R. Churchill, and R. J. Robbins. Each of these three men had compositions in J. L. White’s later revision of The Sacred Harp, 1909-1911.

Songs from The Sacred Harp. Some of the songs in The New Sacred Harp by the White brothers were previously in The Sacred Harp by White and King – songs such as Columbiana, Coronation, Idumea, Lena, Reverential Anthem, and Windham are included. Some, if not all, were re-arranged. Those that did not have alto had an alto part added.

Songs from the reform music tradition of Lowell Mason and his collaborators. Many songs such as these (e.g., Bethany, Dennis, Rest, Retreat, Siloam, and Ware) were popular church tunes. Such composers include William B. Bradbury, Thomas Hastings, and Isaac B. Woodbury.

Songs from currently popular tune books.[i] Different song attributions credit at least five songbooks as sources used by the Whites. These books were no more than seven years old at the time The New Sacred Harp was published in 1884 (with the possible exception of The Surprise, whose exact publication date is unknown).

• Grace and Glory: a Choice Collection of Sacred Songs, Original and Selected, for Sabbath-schools, Revivals, Etc., D. E. Dortch, W. G. E. Cunnyngham; Nashville, TN: Southern Methodist Publishing House, 1882
• Last Words, or, Spirit Whispers: a Collection of Hymns suggested by the Last Words of Dying Christians and Other Songs, W. T. Dale, Dayton, VA: Ruebush & Kieffer, 1878
• Sweet Fields of Eden: for the Sabbath School, J. H. Tenney, Aldine S. Kieffer, William B. Blake; Dayton, VA: Ruebush, Kieffer & Co., 1882
• The Surprise: for Choirs, Singing Classes, Conventions, Musical Societies, &c., G. W. Lyon, Atlanta, GA: Atlanta Music Co., 18??
• The Temple Star: for Singing-schools, Conventions, Choirs, Day-schools, and Musical Societies, Aldine S. Kieffer, B. C. Unseld; Singer’s Glen, VA: Ruebush, Kieffer & Co., 1877

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[i] The abbreviations “Bost.” and “Laur.” probably stand for songbook collections.

Strong confidence

“The terrible projections about the dangers of COVID-19, not the virus itself, triggered the three severe problems that we now face. (1) Fear, (2) destruction of the economy, and (3) political abuse of power. These three problems cannot be easily resolved…Fear is a human emotion easily and instantly triggered by a dangerous situation, but also an emotion that is slow to abate…Fear provides us with the protective fight or flight reaction. When fear dominates it suppresses our conscious, logical thought processes and our critical thinking...Scared people don’t want to be scared. They search desperately for a savior. Power hungry politicians in elected offices are all too happy to be that savior. As long as those officials can convince voters to keep voting for them, they get to keep power. This was what Rahm Emanuel meant when he quipped, ‘Never let a crisis go to waste’...‘In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence.’ (Proverbs 14:26).” 

Steven F. Hotze, M.D., Katy, Texas