Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-02-12
WuErLrro. IA. FEB. 10, 1874.

WHEELING, lA.t reu. w. io'
Ed. yorgK: Il notice you have had
no correspondence from this place for
some time. and hence conclude to
send you few items. There 10 no.
thing transporting here At pressed wor-
thy OF notice except protracted meet
ing, conducted by Rev. J. L. Turner,
an able minister Of The Methodist
Church." and man, who though az
| nicted In body and enfeebled by age,
labors to promote the good Of his fei-
low men and forward the cause OF
Christianity with nm untiring energy
and zeal worthy Of emulation. The
cause OF Christianity has been lansI
gushing condition in this place for
several years. The "old ship of Zion"
has been aground upon the islands OF
selfishness and indifference; her
crew had all deserted her. There she
has been sinking deeper and deeper
in the sand, surrounded As 1t were
by quagmires of sin which rendered
it almost impossible to get aboard.
While In this condition, some two or
three captains, who claimed great pro-
ficiency In handling the helm OF the
old ship, were sent to examine her
and see II it was possible to push her
off, but they only returned to the
edge of the quagmire, looked across
at the old dilapidated chip, turned
upon their heels, shook their heads ih
despair, and left without an effort to
remove her.
Some of them did not even venture
to the edge Of the quagmire Of sin
which surrounded her, but mounted
an eminence afar off, and with a spy
glass, as 1t were, looked across at the
old ship, and under its magnifying
infience the smallest crack in her di-
lapidated hull looked large enough for
an elephant to pass through; and in
his Imagination, he must have seen in
the boys surrounding her, which APP
peared as many times their natural
size, an innumerable number of little
devils popping their heads up and
gazing him square in the face, in u
very threatening and saucy manner.
The forlorn and dilapidated condition
of the old ship and its fearful sur
roundings, as he beheld it through his
magnifying glass, must have shocked
him with terror, and he gave vent to
his feeling by denouncing the place as
perfect hell hole, and left to return
no more. We do not wish to say a
single word, that would lead any per-
son to think our town and vicinity were
not in bad condition, both morally |
and spiritually, for we know they
were. The cause Of christianity had
been fearfully neglected; parents al
lowed their children to grow up in
wickedness, and we had reached that
crisis in sin and immortality, that
fear If we had been called upon, as
We're the inhabitants Of Sodom and
Gomprrah, our end would of necessity
have been like theirs. But here is
the idea, men upon whom God has
called to preach the gospel of Christ,
should be bold and always ready to
preach the gospel under all cream
stances, for it Is their duty to call sin.
ners to repentance, and where sin
abounds most, they should be found
laboring hardest. We say this, not
intending to dictate, but as solemn
truth.
1t was while we were in this pros
trate condition, morally and relig-
iously. that brother j. l.. Turner came
to our relief, and we do not hesitate in
giving him due credit for the faithful
manner In which he has discharged
his duty as minister since he has
been among us and we believe that
he has been instrumental In the hands
Of God in doing much good in our vi
entity.
We can now recommend our town
as being moral place. Persons need
have NJ fears now, OF being insulted
when passing through our streets;
peace, harmony and good will to man,
seem TO prevail almost unanimously.
Indeed. we have much to be thankful
for. The old ship Of Zion" which
has been so long aground, was under
the judicial management of Father
Turner launched out into the bitter
waters of repentance. and now she Is
gliding under full sail. with crew of
siSty-six valiant sailors. OH the smooth
waters Of salvation, toward the port
of immortal glory. w. w. III.
- . -
Ever Fab