Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-08-07

to die; but he remained silent.
"A few days afterwards | asked him
if he would not permit me to send for the
Rev. Dr.. B., most kind man in sickness,
who would be of the utmost service to
him in his present situation. He declined
firmly and positively.-Then detcrmin-
cd to solve this mystery, and 10 under
stand this strange phrase of character i'll a
mere child Ny dear boy said !, Il
implore YOU not to act in this manner.
What can so have disturbed young mind !
Iou certainly believe there is God, to
whom YOU owe debt of gratitudeP
His eye kinkied, and to my surprise
Il might almost say horror heard
from his youag lips
"'No, don't believe that there is a
Godp
Yes that little boy, young as he was,
was all atheist, and he even reasoned in q
logical manner for mere child like him.
"I cannot believe that there is a God
said he; for if there were God, he
must be mcrciful and just; and he never,
nercr, NEVER. could have permitted my
father, who was innocent, to be hanged
Oh, my father my fathcrp he exclaimed
passicnately, hurying his face in the pii.
low, and sobbing as if his heart would
break.
"I was overcome by my emotion;
but all that I could say would not change
his determination -hc would have no
minister of God beside him-no prayers
by his bedside. was unable, with all
my cndeavors, to apply any balm to his
wounded heart.
"a few days after this | called rs usu-
al, in the morning, and at once saw very
clearly that the little boy must soon
depart.
"'Willie,' said I, Il have got good
news for you to day. Do you think that
you can bear to hear it!' for really was
at loss how to break to him what | had
to communicate.
"He assented, and listened with the
deepest attention. / then informed him,
as best could, that from circumstances
that had recently come to light, it had
been rendered certain that his father was
innocent of the crime for which ne sui
fered an iguominious death. ...sg.r
f1eTer Shall forget the frenzy Of emo
ton which he exhibited at this announce
mcnt. He uttered one scream-the blood
rushed from his mouth-he leaned for.
ward upon my bosom-and died."
The Truo Score: of Christian Power.
When we think how hard it is to con
vert to Christ drunken savages, and what
repclIcncies hcathens of the lowest grade
of debascmcnt present to evangelical et-
fort, and much more, what they did pre-
sent hundred years ago, when the en-
couragcmont to missionary effort was so
small, it strikes us as = wonder approach.
ing to a miracle, that Bra;nard could
have done what he did among the In
diars. lie went among them stranger
to their language; spoke TO them through
heather interpreter. He found them
fully answering to Paul's description of
the healhcn character in Lis first chapter
to the Romans" full of all unrighteous-
ncss"--stccped and tanned in sin. And
vet by a labor of but few months, he
wrought wonderful revolution of char
actcr, and gathered numerous converts,
as distinguished for Christian sraces and
patlity, rs they had been for all unccan-
illness.
Now, what gave to that servant Of
Christ power 50 strange overa people
so hardened9 1t was no superiority Of
mental cndowmcnt-no peculiar skill ac-
quircd in the schools. 1t could have
been nothing but the power Of Christ res.
ting upon him. But what was il that
gave him access TO so large measure OF
that power! Any reader OF his hiogra.
ply would say, that it was lis simple and
strong faith excrcised;n prayer. The way
in which he cxccllcd others in this matter
was, that he could believe, while others
could rot, that the grace of God would
exert itself Oh those hardened wretches
And the way in which he broke in upon
the intrenchmen.s which satan had thrown
around his victims, while others could
not, was this-be!icving with a child
like faith in the promises Of God. Be-
lieying that Christ was able to do this,
and would do it in answer to the prayer
of q feeble man, he asked God to do it.
He believed that he would do it, or some
thing better, and he went to work in ac.
cordance with that belief This twas
that gave him power with God and man.
And this is the true secret of the
Christians power, TO do any difficult and
seemingly impossible work. Every Chris
tan secs around him work to be done
which to the eyes of sense, seems impos,
sible. Those who need to be converted
are "afar off," hardened and resisting
And he is powerless for good with them
till he can begin to believe that God is
able and willing to exert his power upor
them in answer to his prayer. But a;
soon as this conviction takes firm hold O
his mind, and he takes God at his word
and finds him willing to give the Holy
Spirit TO them that ask, he begins to make
I an impression. Then 4 little one be
comes thousand, and a small one ;
strono nation.