Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-09-27

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little stuff TO quiet my cough. :,
"Then think of what | have said. II
your time be but short, so much the greater
reason have you te improve The little that re-
mains. Good morning."
Rchec;ng on this melancholy case, as he
returned to his own dwelling, the visitor
thought it an altogether helpless one in re.
gard to both worlds: the body wasting with
the ravages of disease, and the mind given
over to s'rong deluson; refusing to listen
to instruction, and treating the most awful
subject of contemplation with carlessness,
and even with levity. What, indeed, could
be more unpromsing! He could not but
be thankful for the happy contrast which
had been presented to his view in his own
family. There it had been seen, that the
influence of pretty can smoo;h the path to
the grave, and throw upon us darkness the
light Of immortality. His meditatons then
reverted TO their former topic. He thought
ofthe chasm which death had made in his
own once cheerful, but now dreary and for
saken home and when he arrived there, he
had almost forgotten his visit 10 the cottage.
Perhaps he would hardly have thought Oft
again, but for the following circumstance,
which took place few weeks afterwards:
81 hope, sir" said Iabourer, who had
been shown into the parlour, you will ex.
cusc my making so bold; but would you be
so kind sir, as to come and see my wife! |
can't think what's come TO her. She is
reading her Bible, and crying over, it. from
morning till night; and taking about you,
sir, and Jesus Chris! and the new birth and
yet she says, sir, that she is quite happy,
and that old things are all taken away! To
my mind, sir, she is downright crazy; but |
should like you TO see her, and tell me what
you think And she vans to see you: she
has been wishing to send TO you ever so
mauy times, only | would not let her; but |
she gave me no peace. sir, and so | prom
issed to come myself
1t was no; long before this summons was
obcycd. DIS 'ase had made alarming pro.
gress. The afflicted inmate was now unable
to leave her bed. Her kind visitor entered
the Groom where consumption was completing
its work, and there, atntervals, as the cough
would allow, he heard the following nara.
tive -
81 bless God, Sir, that ever you called to
see me in my Affections. hope you will
orgive my treating you so rudely when
you came. knew no better then ; and |
was angry with you because you did not
think so well Of me as did of myself but
know better now. feel myself poor
lost sinner, but cast myself on Him who is
able 10 save and | hope can say, In the
Lord have righteousness and strength"
Though treated You so rudely a fortnight
age. and hardly listened TO what you said,
there was one thing which | could not for.
get. You told me about being born again,
and told me 10 read some chapter in the
Testament which would explain it. While
[ was looking after little matters about the
house, and trying 10 think Of other things,
caught myself several times saying, loud
enough for any one 10 hear,' Have | been
born again 2" Wherever | went, and
whatever | did, it was still the same the
only thing ] could think about was, 'Have
been born again ?" then tried to re.
member what chapter it was you told me
TO read and so took down the Bible, and
looked in the New Testament till found
the one | wanted. But when had found
it, it still seemed very hard to know what it
meant and so | prayed in my poor way,
as we'll asl was able. that God would teach
me what is meant by being born again:
and that if were not fit to die and go 10
heaven, he would make me SO.
81 had just been praying in this way
when my eldest boy came running into the
room with tract, that some ladies had
thrown Out of carriage into the road.
"This little book, Sir, told me that being
born again was the same thing as having
new heart, and being made like Christ. |
cannot tell you What felt when | came to
be quite sure that | could never 90 to heav-
en- without being born again, and just as
sure that | had never known any thing
a5outit. But read my Bible again, and |
found that there was mercy for the chiefot
sinners.-Thcn said, it'so, why not for
me? And | have found mercy
feel as | never felt before. seem to be
in new world. 'Oid things are passed
away, and all things are become new.'
| am not afraid to die, for believe in Him
who is the resurrection and the life ) and,
therefore, TO live is Chris, 10 die'is gain"
Hereis persentedto 10 the reader but faint
sketch OF the change which divine grace
wrought in the heart ofthe dying cottager.
1t may, perhaT :, he imagined, that the con-
trast between the first and second inter-
views, as described above, is too strongly
drawn. But that is not the case. The
fact was, as her husband had stated, that she
had been, day after day, reading the word
of God, from morning I'LL night, and read.