The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1856-02-02
For the Central Presbyterian.
The Lily Among ThOrns.

Messrs. Editors,-Some months ago, the
"Board of Publication" issued a little work,
which have read with great pleasure, and
to which l wish to draw the special atten-
ton of all your readers from "Auld Scot
land"
The heroine of the little story, is "Jeanie
Wilson," Gipsy,,w was led by hand
that she knew not, to so one Sacramental
Sabbath to hear a sermon. "She had no
sooner come within hearing Of the minis
ter's voice than the text was given cot,
"Cursed is every one who continueth not in
all things written in the book Of the law to
do them," Gal. iii: 10. 1t was sharp ar
Tow from the unerring hand of the Holy
Spirit, and it went deep down into Jeanie's
soul. eff they are cursed" thought she,
"wbo continue not in all things, how can l
escape everlasting punishment; l who have
never in any one thing done the will of
God" During the remainder of the SER
vice she sat and trembled, and when the
congregation had dispersed, she was found
by the door-keeper sunk down on the
ground. He supposing her either drunk
or beside herself, called for a person to
assist him in carrying her away, but she
told the man, cit was soul distress that
allied her, and begged to see the minister" "
Page 10.
Poor Jeanie was deeply ignorant about
divine things, and could not even read, but
she now forsook her old companions, and
former mode of life, and took the first op-
portunity of hearing Mr.. Campbell of the
Secession Church, Stirling, whose first SER
mon to her was from the words, "Come unto
me all We that labor and are heavy laden
and l will give you rest," Mat. xi: 28.
Mr.. Campbellsministry was richly blessed
to her hungering and thirSting soul. Under
it the Holy Spirit more fully unfolded to
her the way Of life. She learned that it is
not toiling but "beieving" that brings
rest, that it is not anything good about as,
but our very badness that makes the sinner
and the Saviour so suitable to each other,
and that we are welcome to the great for
giver with nothing to recommend us, with
everything to disqualify, with nothing in
our hands but our sins. About this period
she heard another sermon, of which she
often spoke with great gratitude to God,
as having been instrumental in breaking
her fetters and setting her at liberty. 1t
was founded on the text, ''The law of the
spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me
free from the law of sin and death," Rom.
viii: 2. She now saw in the Spirits light,
how, from above the cross, God was turn
ing towards her an eye filed with love,
sweetly and wooingly beckoning her ap-
proach, hell-deserving as she was. She
saw enough in the blood Of Jesus, without
addition or modification, to give immediate
good hope to any sinner that hears its voice,
because it speaks of God satisfied, and
satisfied by being abundantly glorifed.
This quelled the agonies of her awakened
conscience; and the distractions Of the war
that had ragged within her were now ex-
changed for "the peace which passeth un-
derstanding.' From that hour the whole
current of her life was changed. Con-
formity to Gods law became her privilege
and her joy; and living as she did, in the
midst of careless relatives and acquain-
tances, she was truly eight shining in