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


you no" = Poor sinner is saved ky grace;
and am sure many Of YOU have been 40
saved. lie, Us take n miserable man in
the pains OF conviction. He is, We will
suppose, down at the bottom Of the ri, OF
despair. Let US nov aak him how he
got there and how he means to 90, up
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 colloquy, =. il
from the surface down through the pit,
shaft. after the manner Of the "bankman"
At the colliery:
"HalIol halo ! whose. down .h.re I"
"Oh. minister. poor SHINE, . mi.era.
ble sinner!"
"How came you 'hsre, my poor broth
eri how came you there ~
"Ms Load of sins weighed ,us down,
and | fell deeper and deeper"
"Ob, wrs,ched man tia, you are: how
do you mean to get upi'
81 never shall get up! am los, lo.,
forever I've been trying ever 90 long TO
climb up bv the side OF the shaft, bu, I
cannot fall down again."
"fou cannot succeed Of your.elL III
send you down the rope oftaih. Lay
hold 81 that. and YOU will be go, out
Cling 10 it; ehng TO Il =; hero i, is ~
(mitsting the paying out of a rope y
Now. then. it must be down to you.-
Lay hold 'ofths only hope Sc, before you '
Have you got hold nowi"
"I Am so weak I can hardly grssp i, 4;
bu, ] think I've got = good grip now"
Then pu'la hov lads! lie, u, hs!p
Ibis p"e' sinner up. Oh. how heavy lie
m WHY. what have you 60, beside.
vou'se'f hanging on to the ropei"
''O"lv f-~ good cork. Of nv own"
GOOD sorks good ,oorks! Throw
them down. Down with Them, or they II
break the rope"
well, il must. I must; but sure
they would do me some good
The preacher continued to rep,e.en,
the lifti'c. bu, suddenly stopped. as il hi.
arms had received a check. exc:sir,ing 10
the imaginary ascendant:
"Why, ~ha, is the matter nov -
What are you s'rugglinC wihi
"Douh,s and fesrs. am ~ffsid can
not hod ou."
LAY 6rmer hold Of the rops. Doubts
and lea" are no'hiae TO strong faith
But what no"i Trembling again -
What is il n"wi"
"a great fight Of sfi c,ion., msatsr
and I cannot hold on"
"HoId on, sinner. hold on !; you'll come
ont OF the affections. But What i, this
shHkinp AGENT Whs, can b. the mat.
ter uowi
Strong temptation, master. Oh. !
shall fall IN, i~llink! Oh. help the
Oh. help mel"
so va will. Bot what dreadful thing
hss happened no~i The weight ia three
times . erea, Wha, a horrible noise
What hsve yon 90, there I"
Its tie devil himself has gripped me
lie 10 gripping me- hard. Oh. minister
I'm los, Tn losil"
Hereup"n tbs excitement il the cnn
greRation hecsm- intense. Women wrpt /;
men rose Up. and the minister, ssiling bis
opportunity. continued:
Nov. lads. 10, u. all pray and pull
together. This poor sinner is 10 g,sa:
danger. But Satan cannot long huffe,
him. The great Captain is with Us. and
tie is too strong for y demon O, devil.
susini"g a, and lifting the inss ssinary
load. the preacher greatly excited himself
- well - bus hearers. Finally be ap
pesred to bring the impe,illed and hard
gsiPped Psoitsnt to the surface. Then
whh great stisc,. he uttered the ~os,is
"tsds. bee safe! he's s4ssal Thess he
is! The rope Of faith never broke get
| and ] Eosw il wouIdo't b,enk novr