The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-02-16
The Backsilaer Rc-Converscd.


VauS SAAs can hy my n1n0 on was one o
the most perfectly useless men among US
four years ago. He was then mere CAM
follower of the church; to day. he Is in IL
forefront Of the battle. What is the secre
Of the changer He has been re.converted
During those dreary months Of idleness ant
indifference (when he once grew angry a,
being called on to pray) he Was . backslid
ling Christian barely breathing, but still
alive. He was led Of Providence to the dy
ling chamber Of friend, and in that solemn
glorious spot under the very caves" o
heaven-the Holy Spirit came to him, and
re-converted him to Christ.
| But what is re-conversioe Is It . sec.
ond regeneration No; by no means. Tn.
Scriptures give no hint Of second. or q
shird, Or fourth ns~p birth of ths sosl n
/ generation Is radical change Of heart-the
implantation Of q new principle, q holy dis
position in tho man. The Bible does not tel
Us Of single person who was regenerated a
second time. Nor do we recognize any such
cases in our own observation. What then is
re-conversion sas o''
II is simply the rssurn to God and to ds
" Of a backslid;ng disbeIisper. or such cases
the Bibie gives Us one most striking and
conspicuous example.
You will find him II you look in the high
priests han on certain evening b.fore our
Savior's cruci6xion. He Is sitting BY the
FIRE. A group Of Christ's enemies are arouad
him. During that very day, his NJ ster had
said to him, "whcn thou art converted,
strengthen thy BRETHREN He must have
been startled by these words; for he was al
ready converted man, already . disciple Of
Jesus.
Sitting by the fre, and perhaps revolving
the startling words in his mind, the assault
comes suddenly upon him from an unex
pected quarter. A g.rrulous servant-maid
spving him out, sneers contemptuously
Thou vast also with Jesus Of Gallce. -
Now is the time for Peter to stand up for
Jesus. Alas ! with craven toae-the lie
sticking in h;s throat--he stamners ont, ~
know not what thou saye>t." Presently he
goes out into the porch, and there Satan the
sitter sifts him again. pnr thsrc another
lettering girl sets the hoot,ng rabble upon
him by exclaiming. This fellow was also
with Jesus Of Naxareth." The mob chime
IN and shout, "Surely. thou are also one OF
them; thy 6rogus betrayesh thee.' This is
moro than the poor, bounded, irritated back.
slider can bear; and with cowardly oath
he filings back the CALLING tannt in these aw.
sal words, II kaos not the man! :"
DO you doubt that Peter is backslider
now? Doyou doubt that he needs recon-
versions Had he been Judas, ne Nigh,
have ended tbst disgraceful night with tho
rope Of suicide. He is certainly close to
the verge Of spostAcy; what can save him
from DESERVING to the side of Plate and the
prosecutors Of Jesusi
One thing, and only enc thing. Christ had
not gioen him up. Christ had "prayed tor
him, that his faith should fail not" The
difference between bent tree and broken
tree is. that one springs back to it's place
""e' '"' p'eSSu'e - 'e'"'seu, ""' '"e 0'asz
never rises from the dust. Peters was .
bent faith-not . broken faith. He was .
shameless bsckslider and yet he was chris
''a". ror no sooner does tne cock'cso"
'"''e uDo" MS startled ear tnan IN an m
s'a"' "'s c"~eda"n ovofsor"e loyalty 20 "'s
beloved Mas'er leaps up ana asserts KS pres
ence oy ." "oaest ousgusn OF ms"'y Tears.
no stea's on. INTO the saroen' onder Onr's'.s
reouklng 1ooc' ana weeps o't.e''y. ne stoaAs
away rom the Judgement haii, NOT 70 give W
MS oav'0s ana MS nope. out % % rs con-
eeTse1! IoSeseas &resn' ana 10 oes'eve
aIresn' % give a'resn MS heart 70 jesus
ie comes oack "om 'nas garden an nsn'
o'ef' wiser. ana : stronger man. hs
comes oack oe''er ntee1 20 sy"Pasnne ~'tn
'"e 's'nP'ea' oo'tos As'es W "1n ."e s
somp''ols, better ns'ea 20 5 .rene'nen the
o,e'n'e" as 'e"p@A.y -. 'sosn' nun
'esso" '"a' was oul"' '"'0 "'s soSy 80
as oy nre. douos whether tho word oack
slider Was ever wns'en after tho name o.
Peter again clear on to tho hosr OF hsrei'
~afsyrdon.
Tne process through which Peter passed
!" f0s s'gn'praests gardAa Was genuine
reeon.efs'es. Conversion Is . turning =
God. It's attsaded ~ repentance OF SIN