South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1837-05-20

VIII not De dlspleased-We once held
the same opinions hold them no
longer-I renounce that creed-I can
not die an infdel--I beg you to re-
nounce it ALSO" He continued to
speak to them at considerable length,
and with great pertinency and force.
When they left the room he asked me
if he had done wrong-if he had said
any thing amiss--adding + could not
let SO good an opportunity pass of try
ing to do them good. pray they may
never forget it."
This open and unqualified renunci-
alton ofinfidelity, was accompanied by
symptoms of unaffected repentance.
He was not overwhelmed with fear
indeed he very seldom alluded to the
consequences of sin--but seemed to be
wholly engrossed with thoughts of its
intrinsic vilcness. A very common
expression Of his was, "all can say is,
God have mercy on me, a poor, mean,
vile sinner" At another time he spoke
substantially as follows; ~ am aware
that my acquaintance have always
considered me very upright, moral
mana good citizen-and they love
me great deal more than | deserve
But had they known what heart | had,
they would have thought very differ
emily. With all my outward morality,
have been at heart a vile sinner"
|Smiting on his breast he exclaimed,
"1ere have been thousands, and tens
ofthousands of sins, which no eye has
ever seen but the eye of God"
told him of Gods ability and will
lingness to pardon the repenting sinner
for Christ sake. He replied, "of Gods
ability, ! have no doubt; nor have | any
of his general willingness to pardon sin;
but I cannot, dare not believe that He
will pardon me. / have gone too far.
Every man has his day, his opportunity;
l have had mine, and an ample one it
has been-but | have misimproved it.
That day is gone, and | am lost." This
last remark brought to my recollection
the passage "The son ofman is come,
to seek and to save that which was
lost" To this ground of encourage
ment and hope | pointed him, remark
ing, as you are really a lost sinner, if
you are truly sensible ofthe melancho-
ly fact, then you are one of the very
persons Christ came to seek and to
save. On this he seized with amazing
avidity, and said, "there is encourage
ment in that; God may yet hav mer-
cy. Suppose could from this time
forth do aoeH; do my duty fully; would
this avail in the sight of God? By no
means, something more than sceU doing
is called for. No works of my own
could ever save me-"
That his influence had hitherto been
exerted in behalf of infdelity was now
the occasion of the bitterest anguish.
On this subject he often spoke most
freely. He frequently exclaimed, 30
that I could repair the mischief | have
done-That had health and strength
to visit my friends one by one, and
warn them against the SHARES ofinfdel-
ity."
On Saturday morning, four days af-
ter my first interview with him, | ap-
preached his bed side to take leave of
him, saying, I must go, as | have to
preach to-day at III o'clock. He re-
Dlied "ffyou have to preach, I must
not dctain you. / almost envy the
Clergyman the privilege ofgoing about
doing good wish | could be with
you'll have many things to say to
my friends who will be at church. But
this is impossible. viii you deliver
them message from me?" With the
greatest pleasure, l replied. "Theu
tell them" said he, "that after living
sixty years, and doing all that | could
for thirty years of that time to establish
myself in infdelity, did not succeed.
AS death approached, | found it would
not answer. Give them my dying
warning on this subject" He also de-
sired his particular friend, F. L., Esq.
to deliver substantially the same mes
sage toeach of his neighbors separately.
I did not see him again until Mon
day. He had several pious friends
constantly with him, however,to whom
he expressed himselfas freely as he did
to me. These friends spared no pains
in pointing him to the sinners onlyre-
fuge. When / entered his room on
l found him administering
consolation to an afflicted father and
mother who had just buried child in
infancy. bespoke with great proprie-
ty-assured them of his thorough con-
viction that their little one was in Hea-
ven, and that it was selfish to grieve.
"You have yet four living children"
said he land they are promising ones
they are likely to do well in the