Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-06-18
A REMARKABLE CONVERSION.

writer had charge Of achurch in the
north of England; the following
remarkable case came under his
notice:
a man, named Robert Graham,
who supported himself and family
by hauling coal to the city from a
distance of nine miles, was awak-
encd to q sense of his guilt and
danger by the following circum-
stance:
While travelling along with his
team, a gentleman on horseback
passed him on the road. After ad-
vancing few miles, the subject of
this notice came to creek on the
road, which had been considerably
swollen by recent rains. Here he
found some friends dragging out
from the turbulent waters tho dead
body Of the gentleman who had
just passed him. The occurrence
made powerful impression OH his
mind, and brought home to his
heart with irresistible force these
words, eye know neither the day
nor the hour" This might have
hccn, as iii too many instances, a
mere transient impression, which
passes off and leaves no permanent
trace behind 1t; but in this case it
was otherwise. 1t was, as the
event proved, dart from the AL
mighty-thc sword Of his spirit
penetrating his heart. lie return
ed homo in the evening, deeply
burdcncd with a sense Of lis guilt.
and with the awful thoughts OF
DEATH, judgement, ard eternity ly-
ing heavy on his heart. lie was a
''stricken deer" and could not en-
tract the shaft. After putting
away his horses, lie spent some
time in his stable in his prayer to
God, crying for mercy, and seek
ing relief from the darkness and
distress of his soul.
lie was man, l would inform
the reader, who was, as we say a
good moral liver, free from any
gross vice, industrious, sober, COM
Portable, and improving in his
worldly circumstances; but he had
lived till this time in the cutirc
neglect of his soul and of the
things of eternity; living without
hope, without God in the neglect
of his Bible and Of all other means
of grace. But now he finds this
will not do. He is like Christian
i'll Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress
when first awakened to sense Of
his danger, and to an apprehension
of the destruction and overthrow
of the city, he hastens to make his
escape; but no evangelist appears
to direct him whittier to fec. Bur-
dened and overwhelmed, he knew
not where to go, Or how to get rid
|of his burden. fsIe wept and
trembled; and not being able lon
ger to contain, he brake out with a
lamentabie cry, saying What shall
I do p
The Sabbath came on, and he
went5to church, to him heretofore
strange place, hoping to obtain
some relief there. He wondered
about from church to church for
weeks and months, but found no
relief from his Oppressive load; his
mind still in darkness; spending
hours in his stable in the night,
crying to God for mercy and de-
liverance. Atlast til . writer sought
an interview with him, and found
him under deepsconGern, but-great-
ly in the dark as to the plan of SAL
vation. lie was warned against
the spirit of selfrighteousness;
that there was reason to fear he
was seeking salvation by the works
OF the law: The way of life, the
only way through the. precious
blood Of the Redeemef, was set be-
fore him and urged upon his atten-
ton; and after reading the scrip
lures and prayer he was left to his
own reflection, and to the, guidance
of the Spirit of grace.
After the nextintervieW shortly
after,.he said with greats earnest
ness, 1You think I am self .rieh-
teous; but I tell you theresis moth
ing 1 would not do or give, if Il
could only got rid eof thissburden-
ed distressed sou1;" thus While
discla; ming the fact, evincihg the
very SDi pit>uh;o],, L-o,,+ LS1