Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-05-06
@oral mo Relt0tolis.
ASai1or's Story of his Conversion.

At one of the recent prayer meetings in
! New York, a sailor rose and narrated to the
congregation the circumstances of his con-
version. He was young man, anative of
England, with an intelligent face and an
impressive manner of speech and his re-
marks were received with great attention.
He said
| am a stranger here, and such scene
as this, is one that until very recently.
would have Leen altogether new to me.
Nine weeks ago | was converted, and since
then have become in some degree familiar
with prayer-meetings and church-seryices,
though before that [ knew little of either.
[ have been very wicked man For one
so young, have gone into almost incredible
dissipation, and have committed almost ey-
cry known sin. ! can hardly imagine
person to have gone Il greater round of
wickedness than l. am the Youngest of
a large family Of children My father is
dead, but my mother is living. She is an
! old woman, now more than 70 years of age.
/ She is devoted Christian, and has always
tried to bring up her children to be like
her, and some of them have followed her
/
| ters are earnest and sincere christians, who
with her, have oftentimes at home prayed
for my salvation But ! could never ell
dure single thought Of religion When
ever the subject was mentioned to me, |
| Immediately repeled it, and repelled it of
ten with horrid oath The thought that
the members Of the family prayed for me
always made me angry. | was warned
against my dissipation, but went more into
it the more | was warned | grew more
and more wicked every day, out of spite,
and | tried to be great sinner. At last
determined to leave home | wanted to
get away from the influence Of PRAYING
mother ! wanted to be free from all re-
straints, so that might indulge myself in
whatever / chose, TO my own satisfaction.
| My mother implored me not to 90. told
her | was going to sea, and acOuld 90 Her
eyes filled with tears, and she could say
nothing more With whatever sins | had,
| had some love for my mother, and gave
way before her tears. She asked me to
promise her that would never 90 to sea,
until I could first obtain her consent. |
asscntcd, and remained awhile at home
A young man, whp was my companion
in dissipation, left England and came to
this country, and after being here short
time returned III the same ship. He told
me | could enjoy myself grandly if would
90 away from home as he had done, and
that there was all manner Of pleasure in
New York. | again determined to go to
sea in company with him. Ny mother see
ing that | was bent on going, could not
bear the thought that should leave with
out her consent, 50 she gave it. | accor-
dngly made preparations to ship at Liver
pool Just before | started, which was
about the first Of last December my moth
er gave me u sealed letter and a small Bi-
BILE TO put in my trunk, and told me not to
open the letter until the DIST of December.
That was her birth day, when she would be
IS years old. She gave me her blessing,
which | shrank from receiving, and went
off. As soon as | got Gear Of home felt
at liberty. / said to myself Now there
will be no one to pray for me, and shan t
be annoyed with Bibes@nd texts I left
home without any sadness, but rather with
kind Of wicked pleasure; and when /
got on board ship, ! soon forgot all about
my mother, and brothers, and sisters AZ
ter we had set sail, and were we'll on with
the voyage, storm arose that was very Vi
olent Just about this time | was taken
very Sick-not with sca-sickness, but dan
gerous fever / lay in my bunk, tossing
about with the ship, as wretched and mis-
cradle as any man could be. The doctor
told me that | was at the point of death,
and that if had any preparation to make
for eternity had better make it, for had
not long to live. This he repeated in
the cabin among the passengers, one OF
whom, an aged man, came to see me.
remember his face; it was all kindness
but [ hated the sight Of him. He came
with book in his hand, and said to me
Young man, you are almost gone; | have
come to read to you something out of the
word Of God ! looked up at him mo-
ment, and said in a rage, Hand me the
, book : and when he offered it to me took
it and put it to my lips, and made solemn
) oath that I would have nothing to do with
God or with religion. | told him that il
he read it to me would not listen and bid
him, with an oath, leave me alone. lie
, then went away, and lay stark alone in my
bunk 1t seemed to me | was at that mo-
ment more miserable than had ever been
before in all my life; l do not refer to my
bodily sickness, but to my distress of mind
1t was evening and there was no light neal
, me, but all was dark as midnight. Sud
+ denly the thought came over my mind that
it was the 2lst of December, and remem-
bered my mothers letter. / could not rise
and get it, for | was not able, and my frs
impulse was to call one of my messmates tt
, get it for me. But | remembered that i
! was between the lids of my Bible was