Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-03-19
The Man In the Pit-HoW he was Saved.

Ine MAN In the Flt-H0W he was Saved.
Brethren, I am now going to show yol
how poor sinner is saved by grace; and
am sure many of you have been so saved
Let us take the case of miserable man il
! the pains of conviction. He is we'll suppose
down at the bottom of the pit of despair
Now, let me ask him how he got there
and how he means to get up" Then lean.
ing over the pulpit to the right hand, the
preacher curved and followed his hand
and, applying his mouth to it, spoke aloud
his imaginary colloquy, as if from the sur
face down through the pit-shaft, after the
manner of the s,sbanksnan" at thecolliery.
sHallo! halo! who's down there?"
''Oh, minister, poor sinner-a misera-
1 BILE sinner. = e
slow came you there, my-poor brother?
| how came you there?" IT, :.
| sMyload of sin weighed me down, and
/ fell deeper, and deeper"
| sob. Wretched man that you are! how
qosyeV mean to get up2'' 81 yusg.4 ais
( II shall never get up. I am lost! lost
forever! I've been trying ever so long to
felimb up by the side of the shaft, but L
cannot; fall down again."
''You cannot succeed of yourself. I'll
send you down the rope of faith. Lay
hold of that and you will be got out
Cling to it-cling to it; here it is Gmitat-
ing the paying out of a rope.) Now, then,
| it must be down to you. Lay hold of the
only hope set before you. Have you got
hold now?'' s''i
''I'm so feeble can hardly grasp it; but
I think have got a good grip now"
''Then pull ahoy, lads! Let us help this
poor sinner up. Oh, how heavy he is.
Why, what have you got besides yourself
hanging to the rope?
s'Only Il few good works Of my own.''
Good works! good works! Throw them
down. Down with them, or they will
break the rope"
well, if l must, I must, but sure they
would do some good"
The preacher continued 10 represent the
lifting. but suddenly stopped, as if his
arms had received a check, exclaiming to
the imaginary attendant:
''Why, what's the matter now? What
are you struggling with?;'
Doubts. and fears, sir. am afraid I
cannot hold on.'
clay lirmer hold of the rope. Doubts
and fears are nothing to strong faith. But
what now? Trembling again? What is
it now?"
"a great fight of Affections, master, and
cannot hold on"
'sHold on, sinner-hold on; you'll come
out of the affections. But what is this?
Shaking again? What can be the matter,
now?"
''Strong temptation. master. Oh, I /
shall fall, I'm falling off! Oh, help me!
Oh, help mef'
$50 we will. But, ah, what dreadful
thing has happened now? The weight isl
three times as great. What horrible
noiseA What have you got tileres''
s'It's the devil himself has gripped me.
He is gripping me hard. Oh, minister,
I'm lost! Pm lost!''
Hereupon the excitement in the congre-
cation became intense. Women wept,
men rose up, and the minister Selling his
opportunity continued:
''Now, lads, let us all pray and pull to- |
gether. This poor sinner is in real dan
ger. But Satan cannot long buffet him. |
The great Captain is with US, and he is
too strong for demon and devil"
Straining at the lifting Of the imaginary
load, the preacher greatly excited himself
as we'll as his hearers. Finally he appeared
TO succeed iii bringing the imperiled and
hard gripped penitent to the surface. Then, |
with great effect, he uttered the words,
s'Lads, he's safe! he's saved! There he is!
The rope of faith never broke yet, and l |
knew it wouldn't break now-Dr Guthrie.