The Columbian fountain., 1845-12-30

/
them to such places. My morals became
corrupted, and acquired the fatal habit of
drinking ardent spirits, and by SO doing
disgraced myself and family with all the
curses of the drunkard. The excessive use
OF splrltuous liquor reduced my health so
much that the physicians told me that if /
did not abandon it, it would be my death.
This alarmed me, and resolved never to
taste it again; and, at the same time, deter
mined to live different life from my former
in other respects The subject of religion
soon arrested my attention, and deter
mined to seek for the salvation of my soul.
commenced reading the Bible--prayed in
secret-my conviction became pungent-I
yielded, and God let me into the light Of his
countenance and spoke peace to my troub-
led heart ] now felt it to be my duty to
become member of the Church, and, ac-
cordingly, at the age of twenty, joined the
Church, and continued member for ten
years, and was happy. But, alas! the enc
my! The enemy that never sleeps but to
deceive, assailed me at the weakest point
yielded to the inducements that were Of
Tered, and while an adverse cloud was pass
ing over, lost the victory 1t was no
strange adversary that betrayed me into my
old paths of wretchedness. No: my ene-
mics were my old associates, who had grown
hard in crime. They had laid many snare
for my feet, and caught me at last For
forty years and more, have been serving
the devil and the bottle faithfully, and they
have brought me to despair and death.''
Here he covered his face and wept bitter
ly. At this junctnre of his story there was
nothing left to me but sympathy. All, said
| to myself, drunkard's tears must be Bit
ter tears. After short respite, he resumed
the subject, and said, {: have been diving
and damned more than six months. Mercy
is clean gone for ever, and there is no sal
vatlon for me. Abou! seven months ago.
before | became SO reduced, my mind was
SO distressed with the idea of having sinned
away my day of grace, that concluded one
Sabbath morning that would 90 to Church
in hope of finding some relief just as |
entered the Church door the minister read
this text: Because have called and We
rofueod, have siratrhed out my hand and
no man regarded, but We have set at naught |
all my counsels, and would none of my re-
Iproof, | also will laugh at your calamity, | |
will mock when your fear cometh; when
your fear cometh as desolation, and your
destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when |
distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Then shall they call upon me, but will
not answer 1t was difficult for me to
keep my feet; knew not where was for
"A length Of time. The congregation was
interrupted, and the minister had to stop till
was seated away in the congregation. The
eyes of all were upon me with as much as
tonshment apparently as if had been a
spirit just caught up out of the burning
lake, dripping with lava. NV impressions
were then settled: ] was fully convinced
that my day OF grace was out and went
home much more miserable than before.
For seven months ! have been possessed
with fear that hath torment. Ali and |
am now enduring the death that never dies y
Here he sobbed most piteously--wailed
and CRASHED his teeth o that cup that
awful cup! rsNe that drinks is sure to die
and die the death that never, never dies, II
pointed him TO the Lamb of God that
taketh away the sips of the world" and
presented him with the precious promises
Of Divine mercy and prayed with him again
and again. After all that could do, he
contended that hs was already damned. SO
| he died. XANTHUs.
N. B, Thelaboye is an awful reality
and the writer has narrated the crcnm-
stances and All pertaining TO the affair as
nearly verbsim as his memory is capable
of doing. one thing is certain-there is no
cxaggeratign. N. LEMEN.
WhHc yCottage, IA.
MEANING OF FLOWERS.