Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-02-02
Jerry Maoaulay.

A few years ago Jerry Macaulay was ono
Of the leaders Of the Fourth Ward. He is
by build cut out for leader. He was what
men call converted" we believe while he
was in prison. When he came out he went
straightway to converting" others. lie
converted" dance.house into a chapel
The work grew on his hands. He had lit.
tie money. lie put it all into the treasury
a little was put in by few others; builder,
who also took an interest in converting"
men, built it for nothing, and furnished half
the capital. Last week we spent a night in
the new house.
1t is in size and shape something like
good-sized city store. When the sermon be-
gan il was we'll filed At n guess the con.
gregation numbered couple hundred. There
were no silks or satins or broadcloths among
them. The Christians, Fourth Ward Chris
tians all Of them, gathered about the cabinet
organ at the upper end Of the room. Mrs.
Macaulay led and played tho organ. The
music was sharp rather than sweet, but the
singing was with a will. Mr.. Macaulay
called for experiences. A red-faced man
arose and said he aud his wife wanted
to find Christ they did not know how; they
wanted help. The red.iaced maa looked
very much as though he did need help. His
appearance would have discouraged Son Of
Temperance or a Good Templsr.
Then followed q series of experiences
which we cannot transcribe. Can we por.
tray the dramatic gestures or preserve the
vernacular or repeat the eloquence of the
broken rhetoric aud the MANNED grammar I;
or put in print the simple hearted and genu-
inc earnestness of spirit that attested the
truthfulness of the most unconventional set
of experiences we ever heard
Number ono was q bald.headed, gray.
bearded sea-captain. "When l came in here, "
said he, 81 was a-shakin' like that"-and
Cough never dramatically portrayed the
nervous feebleuoss and feverishuess of a
drunken life more effectively than he "now,
bless the Lord, l haven't touched drop
of liquor for these five years. An | don't
want it. He took the appetite away. And
then, after while, l asked him how about
the tobacco; and he took that away and
haint smoked or chewed since thea, and that
was last winter and bless the Lord, l DOM
want to. And he helped me and am here
to tell you he'll help you"
"And l." said number two, "was worse
drunkard and sot than you ever were, my
friend and it sent me to the states prison
and had no shoes to my feet when cam'
10 here and no work; and couldn't ge
none. And now. bless the Lord, dom
want help from anybody; have got all thu
work l want; and decent clothes; and I
happy life; and | owe it all to Him."
Sand l." said q third, a woman; "yol
most Of you here know what was; wa
Just as bad as bad could be. And you know
where live, over in that tenement hous
over there; and it's about the worst den il
the city; an I'm the only one in the hous
that loves the Lord, or cares for what's de
cent or right; but the Lord loves me, IN,
cares for me, and keeps me, aud gives IN
peace.
And so they followed, one after another
that had been thieves and drunkards, publ
cans and sinners, Mary Magdalenes out q
, whom the Lord had cast seven devils, beaI
ing testimony not only by lips, but by thei
clear eyes, by their clean faces, by their dc
. cent clothes, to the change that had bee
wrought 10 them; and all bearing testimon
to the power by which in poverty they wer
rch in temptation triumphant, in sorro
t joyful.
And we thought as we went away if W
we're going to write treatise on the evidence
of Christianity we would not 60 back to III
I 6rst century for our witnesses, and that it "
t we're going to enter into an argument with
modern deist we would take him, not to va
e. or Princeton, not to Andover or Union, bu
!, to Jerry Macaulay's.
5 Every effect must have a cause. WhC
you see score of men apd women who hay
n broken more resolutions OF reformation thO
, there are days in the year converted" al
then standing 10 unbroken and undmmed il
It tegrity, what is the cause? Is this the oil
o effect that is causeess Or is there now,
Of old time, q "power Of God unto sav
= ton 2"-Christidn Union.