The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1872-03-27
Remarkable Conversion of Brahmin.
BY HENRY MARTIN scUDDER, D. D.

BY HENRY MARTIN sCUDDER, D. D.
North of the place where l lived in India
lies the district in which is situated the great
temple of Jagannatha, the so-called "Lord
Of the world. A few years since Brah-
min lived there. He may be still living. |
have had not heard of his death. His fore
fathers wOrshipped at that shrine, and so
did he. A Christian treatise falls into his
hands. He begins to read it. His naughty
features contract into an indignant scowl.-
what, does it say that Jagannatha, the
god of my ancestors, worshipped in this
land from time immemorial, is no god /?
What other and blasphemous thing will it
say He reads on. There are arguments
there. They are arrows shot by skillful
archer. Ibey stick fast. He can not pluck
them out. He tries to escape from the
truth that has begun to seize upon his soul !;
but it follows him, like his shadow, by day ::
it haunts his dreams by night. He is con-
strained to examine further. He gets a
New Testament. This, like milestone
round his neck, sinks him still deeper in
doubts and distresses. A question now
rises palpably before him: is Jagannatha or
Jesus the true object of worship? The
agony of doubt grows more intense. He
can not endure it. He proceeds to settle
the question after fashion of his own. He
procures ramrod from Sepoy, and sharp
ems its point At twilight he steals up to
ward Jagannatha' S frowning pile. He skulks
along, like culprit, under the shadow of its
lofty walls. He enters the inner shrine,
and stands in the dismal recess behind the
huge image. What is his thought? 1t is
this: If l can summon courage to plunge
this whetted iron into Jagannatha's middle,
| shall ascertain whether there be a god in
side of him or not. What struggle takes
place in this mans heart He fights within
himself battle, such as no gladiator ever
fought on the sands of Roman amphithea
ter He stands alone. No mortal foe con,
fronts him. His warfare enters into higher
and more terrible sphere. perhaps Jagan-
natha is indeed God. My mother taught
me so. My father was wise and learned,
and he told me SO. My forefathers all be-
lieved SO. The whole of this great country
regards this temple as its sanctuary, and
this image as its deity. If he is a god he
will trample me under his feet or transfx
me with his thunderbolt." The Brahmin's
knees smite together. His lips quiver. His
teeth chatter. The ramrod trembles in his
aaccid grasp. He is about to give up his ex-
pertinent.
Then, creeping up over the low flats of
this nan's sonl, comes the slow, but sure
food. tide of a resistless thought. "Fhat
crucifed 0nel His is a wondrous story
Did He suffer for me? Did He weep and
bleed and die? Was it for me? Why does
my heart so throb when think of it? In
all our Shastras. there is no such touching
story as that. 1t knocks at the door of my
heart. Does He demand di8cipleship as the
condition of participation in His love and
If deny Him, have | sold the
true God and Redeemer?"
There is pause. Upon the horizon of
that dark and doubtful soul there arises the
disk of the Sun Of Righteousness, with its
calm, sweet, warm light. The tempest is
hushed. The moment of resolution has
come. His fingers contract upon the ram
rod. The muscles of his arm SWELL With
flashing eyes, compressed lip, dilated nostril,
and planted foot, he draws back the weapon,
and dashes it with one dire stroke into old
wooden Jagannatha. Jagannatha takes it
quietly. 0, glory be to God on high The
spell of Satan is broken. The victory is
won. Jesus is God, and Jagannatha is a
lie. He treadS idolatry under his feet. He
embraces Christ with all his soul. There,
in that recess behind the idol, the man is
There he makes the covenant
that shall never be broken. He goes forth.
He seeks the missionaries. He is baptized.
He deveopes in the nurture of the Christian
Church. He is ordained, and becomes him
self a missionary, and no Hindoo in all the
district can meet him in argument.-Inde
pendent.