Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-12-11
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"No, don't"
''Do you think the minister fully
realizes the solemnity of his work."
'No, don't"
A twinkle was seen in the eye of thi:
troubler in Zion, and, taking courage
the asked:
"Do you think Mr.. B. very extra
ordinary mani"
"No, 1 DON'T"
ado you think his sermon on 'Theil
eyes were holden" anything wonder.
fully great?"
"No, DON'T"
Making bold, after all this encourage.
ment in monosyllables, he asked:
"Then don't you think we had better
dismiss this man and hire another"
The old deacon started as if shot with
an arrow, and, in a tone far louder
than his wont, shouted:
| "No, 1 don't!"
"Why," cried the amazed visitor
I"you agree with me in all have said,
don't you?"
"No, 1 DON'T" 4r-lE--
"You talk SO little, sir" replied the
guest, MOI little abasAed, "thar no one
can find out what you do mean."
1 81 talked enough once" replied the
old man, rising to his feet, "for six
praying Christians. Thirty years ago
| got my heart humbled and my tongue
bridled, and ever since that I've walked
softly before God. 1 then made vows
solemn as eternity, and don'tyou tempt
me to break them"
The troubler was startled at the
earnestness of the hitherto silent, i'm
movable man, and asked, "What hap
pened to you thirty years ago?"
"Well, sir, I'll tell you. Twas drawn
into scheme just like this of yours, to
uproot one of Gods servants from the
field in which He had planted him. In
my blindness fancied it little thing
to remove one of the "stars" which
Jesus holds in His right hand, if there
by my ear could be tickled with more
flowery words, and the pews filled with
those who turned away from the SIM
plicity of the gospel. 1 and the men
that led me-for 1 admit that was
dupe and fool-flattered ourselves
that we were conscientious. We thought
we were doing God service when we
drove that holy man from his pulpit
and his work, and said we considered
his labors ended in B., where then
lived. We groaned because there was
no revival, while we were gossipping
about and criticising and crashing, in
stead of upholding by our efforts and
prayers the instrument at whose hand
we harshly demanded the blessings.
Well, sir, he could not drag on the
chariot of salvation, with half dozen
of us taunting him for his weakness,
while we hung OH as a dead-weight to
the wheels; he had not the power of
the Spirit, and could not convert men
so we hunted him like a deer till, worn
and bleeding, he fled into covert to
die.
"Scarcely had he gone, when God
came among us by His Spirit to show
that He had blessed the labors of His
dear, rejected servant. Our own hearts
were broken and our wayward children
converted, and resolved at convent
ent season to visit my former pastor and
confess my sin, and thank him for his
faithfulness to my wayward sons, which
like long buried seed, had now sprung
up. But God denied me that relief,
that He might teach me lesson every
child of His ought to learn, that he
who touched one of His servants touch
eth the apple of his eye. l heard my
old pastor was ill, and taking my oldest
son with me, set out on twenty-five
miles ride to see him. 1t was evening
when l arrived, and his wife, with the
spirit which any woman ought to ex-
hibit toward one who had SO wrOnged
her husband, denied me admittance to
his chamber. She said, and her words
were arrows to my soul, "He may be
dying, and the sight of your face might
add to his anguish"
"Had it come to this" / said to my
- hn Ia
through Christ, brought me into His
fold, whose hands had buried me in
baptism, who had consoled my spirit in
a terrible bereavement, and who had,
till designing men had alienated us,
been to me as brother-that this man
could not die in peace with my face be-
fore him. "God pity met" 1 cried;
what have I done?" 1 confessed my
sin to that meek woman, and implored
her for Christ's sake to let me kneel be-
fore His dying servant and receive his
forgiveness. What did 1 care, then,
whether the pews by the door were
rented or not? 1 would gladly have
taken his whole family to my home for
ever as my own flesh and blood, but no
such happiness was before me.
"As entered the room of the blessed
warrior, whose armor was falling from
his limbs, he opened his languid eyes
and said, "Bro. Lee! Bro. Lee" bent
over him and sobbed sout, @My pastor!
my pastor .s Ven, raising his white
hand, he. said in deep, impressive
voice, ssToueh not mine anointed, and
do my prophets no harm" l spoke
tenderly to him, told him had come to
confess my sin, and bring some of his
fruit 70 him, calling my son to tell him
he found Christ. But he was uncon-
scious ofsHIf around, the sight of my
face had brought the last pang of earth
to his spirit. I,..i,,
aI kissed his brow md told how dear
he had been to me; sffsed his pardon
for my unfaithfulness, and promised to
care for his widow and fatherless little
ones; but his only reply, murmured as
if in a troubled dream, was, "Touch not
mine anointed, and do my prophets no
harmr"
81 stayed by him all night, and at
daybreak 1 closed his eyes. offered
his widow q house to live in the re-
mainder of her days; but, like hero
inc, she said, 81 freely forgive you. But
my children, who entered deeply into
their fathers anguish, shall never see