The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-08
Captain BalPs Experience.


I" I have had strange experience"
said Captain Ball, speaking with much
emotion; " it began about three weeks
ago. l had lately been making some
very good trades, and one night as l
was walking home, reckoning up my
gains, and feeling pride and triumph
in the start / had got in the world by
my own shrewdness and exertions-it
was starlight and very still, | could
scarcely hear noise but the field crick-
cts and the tramp of my horse on the
dark road-when suddenly voice said,
What shall it profit man if he gain
the whole world and lose his own soul?'
"'W Was it actually voice?' l ques-
toned, as hesitated.
"No; / knew it wasn't all the time.
But the impression was just as distinct
and as unexpected as if it had been
spoken by some person in my ear. L
went to talk with my minister; wanted
to get into the church, where thought
/ would be safe. / had no conception
Of repentance and change of heart. l
supposed our pastor would commence
questioning me about doctrines and so
forth, to let me know what l would
have to believe before could become a
church member. But he didn't take
any such course. He made me 90 into
the house and sit down in his study,
where he talked about the blessedness
Of this world, independently of its re-
wards hereafter. Then he said:
"'Captain Ball, do you know the
first thing required to be done if you
would be Christian?'
g did not know.
"'The Christian life of faithful fol-
lower of Jesus Christ said he, can be
founded only upon repentance. Now
it is easy to say we repent, but the only
repentance that is worth anything is an
active repentance-by which l mean
not only sorrow for sin and an earnest
desire to avoid it in the future, but one
that goes to work, and seeks, so far as is
in it's power, to make amends for every
thing wrong that we have done. Is
there person in the world, Captain
Ball, who can look you in the face and
say you have wronged him?'
"He knew my weak point" added
the captain. Every one has his weak
point, and suppose the lancet must be
applied there first. That question was
like a sharp steel driven into my soul;
l writhed and groaned inwardly, and
struggled and perspired long time be-
fore could answer. / saw it was 60
ing to be dreadful hard for me to be a
Christian. l meant, however, to get
off as easy as l could. So determined
to confess something which l supposed
was known to everybody who knows
me-my horse trade with Peter Sim
mons last spring.
:" Did you wrong Peter?' said the
minister.
s' / shaved little said /.
GO How-much?' said he. Tell me
honestly what you think
''' let him have a ringboned nag
that / had physicked up to look pretty
gay-worth for actual service not ovel
ten dollars-and got in return sound
and steady beast worth sixty dollars and
twenty-five dollars to boot. So / hon
estly think said |, that | shaved hin
out of about seventy-five dollars
And with seventy-fve dollars il
your possession belonging to poor Peter
Simmons do you think you can com
mence life of Christian purity? Dc
you think that Christ will hear YOU
prayers for pardon with stolen money
in your pocket?' said the minister.
81 said something about trade, an(
men must look out for themselves wheI
they swap horses-but he cut me short
90 Your own soul, said he, will no
admit the excuses which your selfish
ness invents.'
'''But the rule you apply said l
will cut off the heads of church mem
bers as well as mine. There's Deacon
Rich, he trades horses, and shave
when he cam
GO No NATTER said he, whose heat
it cuts off; no matter what Deacon
Rich does. You have to deal with you
own soul and with your Lord And
tell you, whether you are out of tn
church or in it, single dollar whicl
you have unjustly and knowingly takel
from any man without rendering hin
its full value of your ability-a singl
dollar, | say, will be like a mill-ston
hung upon your neck, to sink your sou
into the sea of spiritual death
81 couldn't stand that. The Spiri
of God used those words with terribl
effect upon my heart. / was great
agitated. The truth spoken by tn
pastor appealed to my understandin
with irresistible power. | went away
but / couldn't rest So / took seventy
five dollars and went to Peter and pal
him, making him promise not to tie
anybody, for was ashamed to have
known that / was conscience-stricke
and paid back money. Then i went
the minister again and told him what
had done. He didn't praise me as
thought he would. He took it as