Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-04-04

;ou relation oil Christian EXpeTicnCc"oi
ot a place in your valuable paper, yon
will please give it an insertion. 1t was
penned and read to the writer's family ten
or fifteen wears before his death, and IN
the possession Of one OF his children It was
recently found, ani the favor solicited OF
transcrlbing it for publication. Yours res
pectfnily, H. l'' H.
CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE SIXTY lLA"S ''00'
March II, 1906. this day enter tha
Och year of my age; and . the aston
ishin: goodness of God in preserving me
trough SO many successive years, ana ID
CARRYING me through 81 many varied
scenes On what useless lie nave
IiveJI Little did l think when | gave
nvself up TO God alnos, forty years ago.
that if spared so long l should live to SO
little purpose.
shall now enleavor to relate some OF
the early exercises of my mind respecting
INV souls concerns. was bora in Beth
lehem, Conn, and there lived till my Ia
,h.r died, AT which time | was Is years 0,
aye. was not only favored with the IN
struction of pious parents, bat enjoyed the
privilege of attending on the ministry OF
the late DR.. Bnllamy, in consequence OF
which, as well remember, my mind was
often seriously affected, even before was
eight years old.
|, was to me, at tines, Distressing re-
tlr,,ion that | was in the hands OF sovcr-
eign God who, if he pleased, would damn
me forever. Oiten was | greatly distress
sell for fear of his dreadful wrath; and at
snch times, was wont to retire TO some Sc
cret place. and to entreat him that he
would afford me some relief, though knew
that was not converted, s. that if lremaIn-
ed this state, Il must be lost. Twas not how
ever, without hope that my cries and tears
and earnest supplications would move his
compassion towards me, and induce him
70 change my heart. Thus [ continued
more or less awake to my spiritual con-
Germs, though sometimes relaxing into STU
piditv, till l arrived at the 2Olh year OF
nv age. About this time, (l767 my
mother moved with her family 10 Wlnches-
ter. This being new town, and no pub
lie worship as yet established, went to
Norfolk, about 6 miles, to hear MIR. Rob
bias preach. There was, at that time,
among his people, considerable attention
to The subject of religion, and | began my.
self to think more seriously of death and
eternity than | had done for some years
previous. Calling one day at the house OF
a friend in Norfolk, he soon began to COP
verse with me- on the subject of religion,
and at length took up Erskine's Gospel
sonnets, ami read from it his description
of" the terrible doom of unbelievers, and
the endless duration of the tormontS OF The
damnad.'' My mind was filed at once
with horror and alarm, and Immediately
began in earnest to seek the salvation OF
NV soul. wept and prayed, and en-
deavored TO reform my life, and TO keep
the whole law, hoping thereby to obtain the
divine favor, bat | found no relief. felt
PRESSED down under sense of the wra:h OF
God. Previous to this time, had no other
idea of he'll than that it consisted IN lying
down in u lake of fire and brims one, but
now felt its anguish kindled up IN my own
bosom, the wrath Of God poured ou, upon
Inc, and was compelled 10 cry out "a
wounded spirit who can bcar!" AS yet,
however, had seen but little Of my own
heart, for verify though that my anguish
at this time, was true conviction; and in
nv greatest terror for fear Of the wrath CT
God, sill desired that my anguish might
he increased, hoping that it might possibly
resul; in my conversion. And yet my dis
1ress was now, at times SD great, arising
from a sense Of the wrath of God, that |
feI, fully convinced that to hc admitted
into the immediate presence Of God, il
heaven, would be to me the most dread
fol hell Imaginable Indeed, | verify
thought that to lie down in a lake Of fire
and birthstone, with every part or my body
alive and sensible to the keenest sensations
OF pain, especially if that lake would Gov
or me from the all-seeing eye Of JeEcvah
would be heaven. compared with what
my hell would be if compelled to lie down
under the frowa Of his indignation forever.
This however knew could not be, because
his p.asencc fills the universe. Thus, for
DAYS and for weeks ! remained pressed
down under q sense OF the wrath of God.
At length began to lose in degree the
terror and anguish which had for some
time felt, and was apprehensive that my
conyic,ion was wearing off. l b came,
however, more convinced than ever that |
had hard and impenitent heart. Yet
had no wish to sec its detormity, and en-.
deavored to keep it out of my sight as
much as possible. Now, as in former
times, often retired 10 pray but not un-
frequently found myself so shut up, and SO
shut out from God as to be compelled to