The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-10-03
The Rope Of Path.
A coLLIER's sxRnoM.

"b'sihren. ! Am now going to show
you how Pnc' sinner is saved bv grace:
and am sure many Of you have been so
saved. Lot us take miserable man in
the pains Of conviction. He is, ~e will
suppose, down At the bottom Of the ri, of
despair. Let US now ask him how he
got there and how he mean. to 90, up y
Then leaning over the pulpit to the righ,
hand, the preacher curved and followed
bis hand. and applying his mouth 10 it,
spoke aloud this imaginary coIloquy, a. il
from the surface down through the pit,
shaft. after the manner Of the "bankmsn"
at tho colliery:
"HalIoi aalIo who.e's down .b.,e ~
son. minister, poor sinner; = mi.er..
ble sinner !"
"Ho~ came you 'here, my poor broth
eri how came you there I"
INV Lad Of sins weighed ps down,
and fell deeper and deeper
"Oh, wretched man that you are: how
do you mean to get upi'
81 never shall get upl lam los, lo.,
forever I've been trying ever 60 long 10
climb up bv tho siIe OF the ia aft, bu, I
cannot I fall down again"
"fou cannot succeed Of vour.elL III
send you down the rope offaith. Lay
hold of that. and you will be 90, out
Cling 10 it; cling to II hero i, isr
rm''s,ing the paying out Of a rope y
Now. then. il must be down to vou.-
Lay hold of the only hope Sc, before you
Have you got hold nowi"
~ Am so weak I can hardly sr.,p i,
bn, ! think I've got good grip now"
Then pu'a hov ladsl lie, u, bs!p
his poor sinner up. Oh. how heavy lie
i. Whv. wha, have you 60, besides
vourse'f hanging on to the ropei"
"OnIv f-w good ~ork. Of nv own"
"Gnod ,sork, good works! Throw
them down. Down with Them, or they II
break the rope"
We'll. il must, I mu,,; but sure
they would do me .ome eood"
The preacher continued to rep,e.en,
the lifting. hu, suddenly stopped, A. if hi.
arms had received a check. e1c!simiug to
the imsgiusrv ascendant:
"Why, ~ha, 10 the matter nov -
What are YOU s,ruggling whit
doubts and fears. am ~ffxid [ can
not ho'd on."
Lay 6rmer hold Of the rope. Doubts
and ira's are no'hiae to strong f~i,h.-
But what no"i Trembling again -
What 10 il now I"
"a great fight Of sfl c,ions, master {;
aud cannot hold on"
Hold on, sinner, hold on you'll come
ont OF the ~ffi'c,ions. But what 10 this I
shaking AGENT Wh., can b. the mat.
ter uowi
Strong temptation, master. Oh. I
shall fall! I'm falling! Oh. help me
Oh. help mel"
so We will. But what dreadful thing
has happsnsd no~i The weight ia three
times ~ grest What a horrible noise
Whist have yon go, there I"
''It's tie devil himself has gripped me
lie 10 gripping ma hard. Oh. minister !
I'm lost ] Tn los,I"
Hsreup"n The excitement il the CON
gregstion became intense. Women w-pt {:
men rose Up. and the minister, ssiIing his
opportunity, continued:
Nov. lads. let us sll pray and pull
together. This poor sinner is 10 g,ss:
danger. But Satan cannot long buffe,
him. The great Captain is with us. and
tie !. too strong for demon or DEVIL"
su"ioi"a a, and lifting the ina sinary
load, the prsscher greatly excited himself
as we'll as hm hearers. Finally be ap
pesred to bring the imperIlled and hard
gsipped penitsnt to the surface. Then,
whh great effect. he uttered the ~osis.
+Esas. bee sssel he. ssv-dI Taess he
10! The rope Of faith never broke yet.
and knew IL wouldnt break now"
LARGE PCRoHksE OF CosFEDERArE