Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1867-09-25
11oetrg,
PETER MCGUIRE OR, NATURE AND
GRACE.

reported for the Banner of Light DR.. H. f. Gard
| ner,
1t has always been thought most critical case,
When man was possessed OF more Nature than
Grace
| For Theology teaches that man from the first,
| Was sinner by Nature and justly accurst
And Salvation by Grace !" was the wonderful plan
Which God had invented to save erring man.
Twas the only atonement he knew how to make,
To annul the effects of his own sad mistake.
| Now this was the doctrine of good Parson Brown,
Who preached, not long since, in a small country
town.
He was jealous and earnest, and could so excel
In describing the tortures of sinners in He'll.
That famous revival commenced in the place,
And hundreds of souls found "Salvation by Grace"
But he felt that he had not attained his desire,
Till he hal converted one Peter Mc9uro
This man was blacksmith, frank, fearless and
bold,
With great brawny sinews like Vulcan of old;
He had little respect for what ministers preach,
And sometimes was very profane in his speech.
His opin ions were founded iu clear common sense
And he spoke as he thought, though be oft gave
offence
But however wanting, in whole or in part
He was sound, and all right when you came to his
heart
One day the 8 cod parson, with pious intent,
To the smithy of Peter most hopefully went
And there, while the hammer ndustrously swung,
lie preached and he prayed, and exhorted, and
swung,
And warned. and entreated posr Peter to fly
From the pit of destruction before he should die ;
And tolwash himself clean from the worlds sim
full strife
In the Blood of the Lamb, and the River of Life.
WelI-and what would you now be inclined to ex-
pect
Was the probable issue and likely effect
Why he swore "like Pirate" and what do you
think
From little black bottle took something TO drink
And he said-''1'Il not mention the Blood of thC
Lamb,
But as for that River it aren't worth a"
Tier pauslng as if to restrain this rude force
He quietly added mill dam, of course"
Quick out of the smthy the minister fed,
As is a big bonb-shel had burst near his head
And as he continued to haste on his way,
He was too much excited to sing or to pray /;
But he thought how that some were elected by
Grace
As heirs of the kingdom-Inade sure of their place
While others we're doomed to the pains OF HelI-fre
And if e'er there one such, twas Peter Nc,
CURE.
That night. when the Storm King was riding on
high
And the red shafts of lightning cleaned bright thro
the sky.
The church of the village-'the Temple of God"
Was struck, for the want Of good lightning rod,
And swiftly descending, the elepent dire
Set the minister's house close beside it on fire.
While be peacefully slumbered, and had not fea
Of the terrible work of destruction so rear.
There we're Mary, and Hannah and Tommy, ans
Joe,
| All sweetly asleep in the bedroom below.
While their father was near, with their mother a
| rest,
| (Like the wife of John Rogers with one at th
breast")
| But Alice, the eldest, gentle young dove,
| Was asleep all alone. in the room just above,
| And when the wild cry of the rescuer came,
She only, was left to the li;iless fame.
| The fond mother counted her tire asures of love,
| When 10 one missing-"Oh Father above %
| How madly she shrieked in her agony wild
| "My Alice My Alice! Oh save my dear child =
Then down on his knees fell the Parson, and praye
That the terrible wrath Of the Lord might be stage
Said Peter McGuire-" Prayer is good in Its place
But then 1t don't suit this particular case"
lie turned down the sleeves of his red flannel shirt
To protect his great arms all besmutted with dirt
Then into the billows Of smoke and Of fire,
Not pausins an instant, da shed Peter Mcclure.
On tndG IeTrlDle moment OF anxious suspense
How breathess their watching their fear how il
| tense ..A
And then their great joy which could not be e1
pressed,
When Peter appeared with the child on his breast,
shout rent the air when the darling he laid
in the arms of her mother, so pale aad dismayed
And as Alice looked up and most gratefully smile
He bowed down his head and he wept like a chill,
Oh! those tears of brave manhood that rlined OF
his face, ...r
Showed the true Grace of Nature, and the Natul
of Grace
Twas amanifest token-a visible sign,
OF the indwelling life of the Spirit Divine.
Consider such natures and then, if you can,
Preach of total depravity'' innate in man.
Talk of blasphemy why, tits profanity wild
To say that the Father thus cursed his own child,
Go learn of the stars, and the dew-spanged sod,
That all things rejoice in the goodness of God,
That each thing created is good in its place,
And Nature is but the erpres sion of Grace, .
A Missouri farmer being asked if rails