Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-09-23
The Teaching Of the Spirit.
A NARRATIVE.

: Having preached occasionally in the village Of
Oyerton, in Hampshire, 1 was informed of poor
cripple who lived there, of the name Of William
Cburchmau, remarkable for his knowledge of the
Scriptures, who. did not appear to have read any
book but the Bible, nor conversed with religious
people of any denomination, nor to have attended
divine worship. Ny curiosity was much excited
by this account, and formed IN instant determn-
! alton to visit him the following Sabbath. As /
approached the Cottage, its exterior gave me at
once an idea of the wretched poverty of the in
habitant; the roof was decayed the windows OF
wHirh there were two, with scarcely one unbro-
ken pane, were stopped " tn me hay, and many
coioEed rags The shatter d door was open On
entering behed, seated on a little stool (which
with broken chair and oaken table, composed
the whole furniIure of this miserable hove an OBJ
ject, whose app, arance was expressive OF greater
wretchedneas than even the habitation itself. His
conntenance appeared to be that of a man about
thirty years old, pale and squalid his head of an
immOderaie size formed shocking contrast to his
withered limbs, which were not larger than those
Of child ten years old distorted and deformed by
several caryatures, DO b in the legs and spine;--
he was reading when went ia and designing TO
conceal my errand accos,ed him with a careless
air,--"W sm, how DO yo0 do9 What book is
that you are readingf' He raised his head to
look at me, and replied, with lock and tone OF
seriousness and afectiun, which instantly removed
ell those unpleasant sensations which his appear
ance had excited d,-"rhe New Testament Of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" "Ha," said |, 81
have heard you religious people say that greaf
deal of good may be got from thst book, perhaps
you can tell me if it be so for am sure am bad
enough, and if it will make me better, II read it
too
He replied very gravely,-'Tf the same Spirit
who moved holy men of old 10 write, open your
heart TO understand it, then it will do you good;
but not else for the natural receivetn not the
things of the Spirit of God for they are fooishness
to him neither can be know them, because they
are spiritually discerned.'"
But" said l, still affecting ignorance of bis
meaning show came you to unders and them?-
Surely you cannot be a learned man."
Eyeiug me with solemn and piercing attention
he said,-"Sir, / don't know you, nor do know
why you come here; but this do know, that am
commanded by this book, to he ready to give TO
every man that asketh, reason of the hope that
is ia me; and pray God, that may be able to
do it with meekness aud fear. You see, Sir, wha,
a cripple am, bat you don't know what sinner
am"
"You sinner!' exclaimed /, chow can that he
you are not able to get about to drink game dance,
and carOuse as the rest of us can; how, then, il
the name Of wonder is it possible that you should
be sinner ?"
"True," said he, 81 could not but yet l am one
of the viest of sinners, for believe no son Of
Adam ever sinned in the way have done; for
thought becau.e God Almighty had made me suck
q poor lame cripple, aud punished me so much,
supposed for nothing, that, therefore, might take
the liberty to sin without fear; for l thought He
would never be so hard as to punish NE here and
hereafter too 30 because that was the sin could
most easily indulge, delighted to curse al swear
a I'd made such new Oaths AID curses, that even
if you have been used to swear yourself they would
make you tremble to hear them However, bless
ed be God who, during Sickness, awakened me-
IN the prospect of death, and made ne miserable
for then knew no other way 20 heaven than BY
my own works"
"Dear me" interrupted I, "what other way can
there be than doing all the GOOD We can, in order
to gain the favor Of God Almighty? q
He answered "By the deeds of the law shell
no flesh living be justified, for BY the law is the
Knowledge of SIM Not By works of righteous
MSS, which we have done, but according to HIS
mercy He saved US, By the washing OF regenern-
ton and renewing of the Holy Ghost But" con
tinued be- "in this distress prayed, but of all tn
prayers you ever heard believe yoa never hear,
anything like it. | said, Lord, am poor 81
ner that never did any good IN my life, aud now | 81
en- afraid must die and go to he'll but, o Lor,
i thou eanst save m, pray do, though do nu
know how it en- be. o try me once more, and J
will be better than David, he prayed seven times
day, but I will pray eight times, and read twelv
chapters" But by praying, | only meant reading
eight collects out of my mothers Prayer-book"
"Well," Interrupted l again, what can be bet
ter praying than reading those excellent collects
"Ah sir" said he, very earnestly, you nigh
read all the prayers over that ever were made
man you might make very good prayers; or il
you we're bishop, or some such grear m,n, you
might make prayers for other people, and yet nev
er pray yourself in your life"
well" said I, "that is very strange what
praying, then p
He replied, Praying is telling the great God
what we leel that We want of Him"
Returning to his story, he said he got somewhat
better and SET about his task, but soon found tha'
be did not pray. But, blessed be God" said lie
although left off performing my task, He did
not suffer me TO leave off reading the Testament
Him before the foundation Of the world, that we
though the more read the worse was, for l read
it all through, aud all seemed TO condemn me-
Now can see in it exceeding great and precious
promises, but could not see any Of them then F.; l
could only attend to such awful words as these
'Ye serpents, ye generation of vpers, how can ye
escape the damnation of help Where the worm
dieth not. and the FIRE is not q1enched.' Yet ]
began to read the Testament over again, aud when
came the second time to the blessed first chapter
OF the first Epstle of John, and read these pre-
cious words The blood Of Jesus Christ, Gods Son,
cleanseth Us from all sin, felt that precious blood
relieve my wounded conscience, and seemed to
myself as if were in a new world, could now re-
pent l could believe ; l could love God and if |
had FhnvN. L 1 Il ~