Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-08-31
AFFLICTIoN sANCTIFIED.

smi;ten By the rod Of the Divine judy
ments before It yields cheerful o5edi-
enoe to the Divine commands. Many
an eminent saint has said with devoui
thankfuluess FOR the chasteniag received, I
Before was afflicted, ] went astray,
b.. row have I kept Thy word. At a
late meeting Of the Bible Society at
Liverpool, Mr.. Dudley related the fol-
lowing incident:
In the year 1917, was, said be, at
Liverpool, for the purpose Of establish
ing Sailors Bible Society. We had
MT in large hall which was crowded 70
excess; and after going through the
usual form Of proposing a chairman, I
rose and moved that the meeting should
form itseifinto a society, called the Liver
pool Sailors Bible Society and that I
would not call upon any one to second
the motion, as was IN hopes that some
sailor present woold DO so. Immediately
a hollow voice was heard from the fcrtber
end Of the hall, saying, I am the ftte.-
person under heaven TO DO So. Our eyes
were instantly directed towards the place
whence the voice cane, and we behed
an old blind sailor standing on a bench,
surrounded By other sailors. lie said,
L viii repeat my words; ] AN the fJtesi
person under heaven to second this mo-
ton, and VII explain the reason Why
Every noise was Immediately hushed +;
our eyes were fixed on bis with no snail
interest, and be began as fellows:
4 entered upon a seafariag Hfs very
young, and was for many years the most
abandoned character that any one could
imagine On the face Of the earth. Al
the age Of twenty I was grown Cd in
crime, and well versed IN every species
Of iniquity; I never used 70 open ny
mouth bot to blaspheme, and considered
day lost if did not invent some new
oath. ! was the darling Of the whole
Of the ships crew, for was the ring
leader in every sin, which then called
pleasure; and except when I was engaz-
eli init, 1 was never happy, for It was the
very element IN which I lived. I went
on this course till I was twenty-five, when
] was in a frigate.' I forget the name
oftbs place which 1r. Dudley said they
were at) One day I accompanied
some Of my comrads to the shore for
water, where we bad not been Ion- be-
fore the heavens grew black. the thunder
pealed and the lightning flashed. The
bolt Of Col was directed against ne, ard
lost ny sight Ny companions got ne
instantly into the boat, and we returned
to the ship. The surgeon examined my
eyes; / was pronounced incurably blind
and sent home on pension. The loss
Of ny sight seemed 70 quicken o,hsr
senses for the service Of sin, and I became
if possible, more abandoned than ever
1t was my custom to ask those who Wis.
tied me to read to me, and the more
blasphemous and Prosans the books we're
the better / liked them.
Some time after, cousin Of mine
who was visiting Liverpool, came to SCI
me. He asked me a few questions abou
M sight, and after that said.
hear you are very fond Of bayinj
people read to you; if you viii ALLOW
me, 1 Will DO so; 1 have a book in m,
pocket
Il replied, should be glad to hea
hin, and asked hin its name, when h
said,
i VIII not tell you now, bot before
leave Liverpool, you shall know it..
He read some Of il; and althoue
il was not ike any thing I had ever hear
before, my attention was fixed. II
came the next day, and the day afte
that, and the day after that, till a fort
night had passed away; when, for n
first tine in ny life, 1 trust the tear
Of repentance trickIeI down my cheek.
and / experienced a sensation l nevs
before felt.
80 John. exclaimed /, in an agony
mind past description, who's the Autbo
Of that book 2
"He replied, God
Il said, never knew God wrote
book
He answered, Il IS the Bible
From that time trust have fz
the Effects ofregeneratiug grace upon n
heart, and have experienced the lov
Of God shed abroad in It BY the Hol
Ghost.
Here the sailor ceased; and after ha,
ing established the society, continued VI
Dudley, joined him, and went HON
with hiI1. where he cor6rrnsd rVb,t +