Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-09-28

if he were of the number who loved and
longed for the appearing OF Christ! He
began stealthlly to SOW his poisonous
seeds among the younger and weaker OF
the flock, and when he saw the first to-
ken of their taking root, he grew bold,
and began to. cast them inIon the strong
high hills. But here he found resistance;
the soil which had borne such rich har-
vests of grace repelled his seed from its
bosom and he came to the mad resolve
to assail the deacon, and try how he
would take it. If he, with his piety,
zeal and influence, opened his bosom to
it, the end was easily attained The min
ister was not worthy consideration in the
matter-ministers are so readily put cut
of the way if they do not yieldto ungod-
liness. 1t he proved a dead sentinel, he
would not tmolest him; if alive and ieal-
Gus of his Masters honor, one bullet
would settle him for ever. is zoos
In pursuance of his 1iberal views and
his deep-laid plan, our valiant reformer
rode up and fastened his horse before the
unpretending dwelling OF Deacon Lee.
Ushered into the neat 'keeping-room' to
await his coming from the harvest-field,
his restless spirit was almost awed by the
silence which reigned there The tall
clock in the corner, with its ever-sailing
ship, ticked painfully loud and even the
buzzing of the few flies on the panes an
noyed him. He suffered much the same
oppression as do those who wait long in
silent, darkened room the coming Of a
minister to a funeral n He wished for,
and then dreaded the good man, being
not quite sure of warm reception. He
had just decided on clandestine flight,
when the door opened and the deacon ell
tered, as calm and neat as if toll had
neve: ruffied his spirits or soiled his gar
ments. After the usual greetings, and a
dead, awful pause, the visitor began
think of the wiles of Satan by lament
ing the low state of religion, asking the
good man why this church had enjoyed
no revival for three or four years What
cared he for Gods set time to visit Zion ?
He was far more deeply interested in the
opening of new stage road to the Sum
nit and in getting up stock in the pro
jected hotel there.1gls l-.1 -... r.
Now what do you think is the cause
of things being dull here ? Do you
know p he persistedin asking. F
The deacon was not ready to give his
opinion, and, after little thought, frank
ly answered, No, l don't ....- ....... ...
Do>you think the church are alive to
the work before them p ra.a ..-
NO, L DON'T irn".'. ...'- ..'
DO you think the minister fully reali-
yes the solemnity of his work? p
NO, DON'T
A twinkle was seen in the eye of this
troubler in Zion, and, taking courage, he
asked. 2 --H
DO you thipk Mr., B, a rery e.rtraordi-
nary man| .a-, .H.-.
No, l don't
eDo you think his sermon on 'Their
eyes were holden,' anything wonderfully
great? .. ..
No, / DON'T H.- r.
Making bold, after all this encourage
ment in monosyllables, he asked, Then
don't you think we had better dismiss
this man, and hire another?'
The old deacon started as if shot with
an arrow, and, in a tone far louder than
his wont, shouted, No, don't
p why cried the amazed visitor, you
agree with me in all have said don't
you p fsH sals -s7'yB.asg -rs "a. 8
NO, 1 don't a.a -.l iea',,a.a H....f 3
sYou talk so little, SIR replied the
guest not little abashcd, that no one
can find out what YOU do mean.' ana
Italked enough once,' replied the old
man, rising to his feet, for six. praying
Christians !. but thirty years ago, / got
my heart humbled and my tongue brI-
died, and ever since that Pve walked soft
ly before Gcd. | then made vows sol
emn as eternity ]; and don't you tempt
me to eak-them ? .., si... et5rn.i g
The troubler was startled at the ear
nestness of the hitherto silent, immova-
Bile man, and asked, what happened to
you thirty years ago" q -..l a,oI1 = s..
sWell, sir, I'll tell you. Twas drawn
into scheme Just like this of yours, to
uproot one of Gods servants from the
field in which He had. planted him. In
my blindness / fancied it as a little thing
to remove one of the stars which Jesus
holds in his right hand, if thereby my
ear could be tickled by more fowery
words and the pews filled by those who
turned away from the simplicity Of the
Gospel. / and the men that led me-for
/ admit that was dupe and tool
fattered ourselves that we were consci-
entious. We thought we were dong
God service when we drove thai holy
man from his pulpit and his work, and
said we considered his labor ended in
B - where then lived. We groaned
because there WAS no revival, while we
were gossipping about and eriticising, and
crushing instead of upholding by our. eff
forts and our prayers, the Instrument at
whose hand we harshly demanded the
blessing. Well, sir, he could not drag
on the chariot of salvation with. half a
dozen of us taunting him for his weak
ness, while we hung on as dead weight
to the wheels he had not the power OF
the Spirit, and could not convert neil
so we hunted him like deer, till, torn
and bleeding, he fled into a covert to die.
Scarcely had he gone, when God came
among us by His Spirit to show that he
had blessed the labors of his dear, reject
ed servant. Our own hearts We're bro
ken and our wayward children convert
ed, and l resolved at convenient season
to visit my former pastor and confess my
sin, and thank him for his faithfulness to
NV -xyavward sons. which. like long buri-