Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1876-11-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
DEACON lea WARNING TO
ALL MISCHIEF MAKERS.

| II EACON LEE, who was kindly, silent,
iauhtul, gracious man, was one day wait
cd upon by a restless, ambitious. worldly
church member, who was laboring to create
uuessinGss in the church, aud especially to
drive away the minister.
The deacon came in to meet his visitor,
who, after the usual greetings, began to la
mfn' the low state of religion, and inquired
as the reason why there had been no revival
toE the last two or three years past.
Now, what do you think IS the cause Of
things being dull here 2"
The deacon was MT ready to give his opin.
ion, and after little Thought frankly an
swcred, al don't know"
''Do you think the churches are alive to
the work before them?"
"NO, don't"
DO yOu think the minister fully realizes
the solemnity OF his woIk?"
I ''1',z ,,,',s,a,r.s,,g.
7 twinkle sacn in the eye of the troubler
in Zinn, and, trking courage, he asked:
Do y"n think Mr. b. = very extraOrdi-
nary ?''
''No, don't"
''Do you think his sermons, in their ewes,
are held anything wonderfully great %
M" don't"
"'rhcn don't you think VIC had better dis
miss this msn and hire annther?'
The old deacon strrtcd as if shot with an
arrow, and, in a tone louder than Was his
won't, shouted
No, d"p't"
"You talk so litt'e, sir, y replied tho qncs
| toner. not little nha-hed, that no one can
fnd "ut what yuu do mean.
| Il talked enough once" replied the old
urau, rising To h,s feet. 'ior six praying Chris.
t'"ms Thirty years ago GOT my heart
hun'bled, and my tongue bridled aud ever
since that I've walked softly before God. /
then made vow-, solemn as eternity aud
/ don I tempt me I" break them"
The tr"ubIer wa> sIsrtled at the earnest
ness Of the hitherto silent, immovablo man
! aud asked
"Whar baprcDed to you thirty years ego ?"
well sir. I'll tell You IL Il Was drawn
into schcm" just like this of yours, to up.
root one of G"n's servants from the field in
which he had planted him. In my blindness
/ faucied it slight thing to remove one Of
the stars which Jesus h"ld- IN his right hand.
| if thereby my car could be tickled by mere
/ h"wing words, and the rews & led with those
who turned away from the simplicity Of the
! gospel-tor ! admit that was dupe and
fool. We flttcred Ourselves thst We were
| doing God service when we drove that hoIv
!
! We considered his work done 10 B, where
/ then lived. We groaned becau4e there
was no revival while we were gassipine shout
and criticising- him instead Of upholding
/ his bands by our efforts and our prayers the
very instruments at whose hand We harshly
demanded the blessings
! '.WeIl, sir, he could not drag on the cha
| riot of salvation with half dozen of ms
tauDting him for his weakness, while we hung
as dead weight to the wheels; he had not
the spirit we thought, and could not con>
vert men; we hunted him ike deer. till
worn and bleeding, he fed into covert TO
die.
Scarcely had he gone, when God came
IN among US by his Spirit 10 show that he
had blessed the labors of his dear rejected
servant Our own hearts were broken, and
our wayward children converted and | re-
solved at convenient season to visit nv
! former pastor aud confess my SIM and thank
MN ior ms IathtuIness to my WsyWsTd sOps.
/ which like buried seed had now Eprunp up
But God denied me thst relief, thst he might
! tesch me lesson that every child OF his
| ought to lesrn-thst he who toucteth one of
his little ones toucheth the apple Of his eye.
Il heard my pastor was III. and taking my
oldest son with nae, set Out ON q twenty five
mile ride 20 see him. II was evening when
l arrived. and his wife, with the spirit which
any whman ought 10 exhibit inward one who
had so wrODged her husband, denied me sd>
mitiance to his chamber She said land her
w"r'ts were like arrows my sOul He may
he dying and the sight of your face may sdd
To his anguish. Had il come 10 this. l said
TO myself thst the man whose lsbors had,
through Christ. brought me into his fold,
who had coDsoIed my spirit in terrible be-
reavement, and who had. till designing men
aIien.ted us, been to me br"ther-tb this man
could not die in peace with my fsce before
him! God pity mel I cried what have