Morning journal and courier., 1885-02-09
nonxnRs1oN oF 1nF1pE1s.

Discourse By Rev. Dr. Peck at Trini- ty M. K. Church Last Even1ng-The Revival Meetings To Contfnue-Cor- Poral Tanner To Lend A Helping Hand.
 At the Trinity M E. church last evening the subject of Rev. Dr. Psck's discourse was ssThe conversion of three Ingerson infdels.' , The purpose of the discourse was to show | that 'tGod hath power to save to the utter most everyone that believeth." The three I cases of conversion from inidelity or Ginger | sollism" were those of persons who came | under the doctors personal observation and | by his ministrations. Two of them were, at the time of their conversion, residents of Chicago and the other & resident of Brooklyn and large manufacturing jeweller in New York city. One of those converted in Chica- go is at present resident of Philadelphia. He was converted ten years ago and is now local preacher in the Methodist denomina- tion In letter written to Dr. Peck last week, which was read in the church last even- ing, he gave brief history of his conversion which was in substance as follows:
 You ask me to turn back to the pages of life wherein were recorded the black, har- rowing days of despair. You ask me to re-
 call g time Gin the hope it might be profitable to someone else) when the beliefs and con-
 fdences in infdelity were swept aside as by mighty tornado and stood helpless and alone in the presence of an awful Jehovah You ask me to write of time when I was shorn of my false armor, whenI was beaten
 and whipped by the lashings of Gods spirit
 until the hopes, beliefs and comforts in the
 thoughts that in the broad road which so
 many were leading they were right were de-
 stroyed in an instant, as suddenly and as ap
 pallingly as the Gghtnings flash 'athwart
 eloudless summer sky. What pages to turn
 to! What associations they call up of striv
 ings against the. spirit of nights passed in
 struggles; of useless clingings to old faiths;
 of the utterly helpless condition; looking for
 help to Gods mercy and finding nothing
 but leaves! Ohl the utter desolation, alone
 against God. The foundation gone, every thing swept away and guilt and it's conse
 quences the only harvest after years of labor. Of my turning to my infdel associations and instead of comfort finding misery instead of assurances, only promises, such as man gives, promises valuable only as a handful of withered fall leaves, which crumble at the touch. call to mind how struggled for victory over the strivings of the spirit of how turned resolutely away resolving not to go near your church, and yet how I would be found in the meeting. Do what would I was beaten at every turn. The devil was hanging on to my soul with hooks of steel fastened to my very life Oh! God, what a struggle. I sometimes fancied that heard the shouts of triumph kIah hNo@ 0fh bell afi fiu,ooS ho voices say, "Yes, it is sad; but then you had your choice; it is too late now. Had you done this before it would have been all right, but you have grieved the Holy Spirit; no more will it strive with you" Yet my mothers God was somewhere near me, and her sublime faith in mighty God was help full would go to the prayer service, come what would. I remember the night you were saying: @
 Almost is but to fail;
 Almost cannot avail,
 Sad, sad, that bitter wail
 Almost-but lost.r
 There and then I went to the altar. O, my God, what 8 struggle. In my soul, down deep in my soul, was told that it was absurd. Shame, modification felt in every drop of my blood. I felt that was the only sinner in the room. If was 8 foot high I was as tall as the Washington monument, Every feeling within me was stirred. One of my or business associates was with me; his impression was that was acting a burlesque. How ever got to that altar and ! knelt down is mystery to me. I had sworn not to do so. I believed, or I thought l ! did, that God was not would never ask for ! pardon; no, no, I would die first. No, kneeling at the Methodist altar might do for | old women and youth. All my life had | ridiculed Methodism and now at an altar cry ing for mercy.
 You know of the duration of the struggle |
 Ill L,4 ;o4o 11o lieve I told you of my first public prayer, of | how the clerical force I had charge of both | male and female were infdels, and how we \ had organized into club having some thirty | or moro members. The person who was \ with me that night immediately told all my I of what he had witnessed. It was I with difficulty he convinced them that my | movement was an honest one. When the an nouncement was made that I was believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and that I had the assurance that "Jesus was mine" was sud lenly set upon; ridicule, sneers, jibes and so ,n were hurled at me. was in a horrible position, just coming into light and | o be thus set upon was awful But the re- .lization of the tremendousness of the truth, I am safe in the arms of Jesus" helped me ntil was asked to lead in prayer in hooking way by one of the party. What What place to pray in! Never will forget how terrible sounded the invi- aClOn III GnAI OulCe Dy tuo crONu, | j., won't you lead us in prayerF' A convert f twenty-fcur hours, set upon by former ompanions, hurling at me former savings of ny own. Only just conscious that I Vas the recipient of Fathers nercy, trembling to confess Jesus, in he midst of a high carnival at my esertion, asked to lead in prayer. Where was Christi had for moment for otten him. Ihad no diplomacy; there was o retreat The devil would have me again faltered. The promises were true or they rere a lie. The God of Abraham, of the ( ,artyrs, of the apostles was mine, or the rhole history was false. ..
 I knelt in prayer. What power came from pat act? A silence like unto death. Gods ! cry presence filled the room. Shame was ( leirs not mine. From that day to this I 1 t ave never faltered in the line of duty. This l s
 an epitome of my conversion. You know le rest
 Continuing his remarks the doctor said: c This man was reared in the Episcopal lurch, but he became wicked, corrupt and I III lower and lower. He was reclaimed by ' le power of religion and became an orna- T ent to the church and society,"" The Brook D gentleman, after an experience of six l \ .ars, wrote to the doctor letter concerning s conversion and how he was reclaimed om Ingersollism. The letter was glowing l a to the power of the Christian re- 1 st case instanced by Dr. Peck was that of & I 4 inverted gambler and infdel. It was equal
 striking. The sermon was listened to ith wrapt attention.
 There were between thirty and forty con- | , 'rsions at this church last week, and owing U the increasing interest revival services sl ill be continued every evening this week il cept Saturday. d Next Sunday evening Corporal Tanner, of l :, -ooklyn, the eloquent ex-soldier and Chris o