The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-01-26

counters; and yet, outlaws as they we're, dis
'egardng my interest diT.g irdinS my
Eifs's plsadina,s, and toe tears OF my child
rem. and Designating the very law Of TIE
and they stu continued 70 slpply ms with
he horrible draught for which 10y Utmost
nature sssmsd craving with insauety.
81 even employed attendants and detec-
lives who followed me as l went aot1, on
my business ia the streets OF my city, and
they followed me With the pdIpose. and
were employed fer the purpose 81 keeping
these men who would not keep the law
Themselves from furnishing me With WHISKY,
and vet l. 10 CONJUNCTION, with them, was
abls 70 hood wink sHd defy detectives and
law
"Furthr aud further, d soper AMI deeper,
was sinking; | vas getting hopeless for
business; hupsiess for all sVcaal standing;
hopeless Tor all toe temporal Interests or
this world, hopeless for eternity; and in
tbs very madnes OF my dtsordered brain,
and In my very soul, there seemed at times
no avenue u escaps at all from this self
imposed bondage except through insanity
on ons hand and through suicide on the
other.
II saw that nay wife and children had
giyen up all hope; they did not know from
day 10 day how | would come home 70 them.
They had seen ms brought there day after
day, tins after time, insensibls and unable
TO recognise them from the influence Of this
deadly ana poironous drug. They had seen
mo when was brought in and leid on my
bed covered with blood, and It seemed as
though my days we're indeed numbered and
that would soon fall In the midst OF my
iniquity They had seen me when | was
brought home with tho wounds Of the knife
and pistol on my body, ami they had heard
the rumors from the streets and dives OF the
dangers with which | had been constantly
surrounded Of late To them 1t seemed as
though there Was no avenue, no lOophole OF
escape for me from terrible death, There
was not the sign OF hope or spirit Deafning
out from their beautiful faces. They knew
not from day 70 day whether | would
live 10 greet them another day. They knew
not whether II my life was prolonged, they
would be able to procure the very necessi-
ties OF lite from day 10 day.
They knew not at what hour the very
shelter that shielded them from the storm
aud from the heat wouli be removed from
over their head, aud they removed from
under its shelter. There were visions Of UNI
certainty, OF the sheriff 10 dsposess, of the
heartless landlord 70 distrAn for rent, Of the
debtor to come and take all There was no
future ahead Of them except future OF
impgnetThtnble gloom through which seemed
10 come nothing but warnings OF deeper woe
and agouiss Vet 10 come. Oh, Lord, how
cool thou wnst to me, thou has given Ins
relief from that bondage at my seeking
"At last there came a time when | SEEING
10 have reached the limit Something
strange impelled me 10 take my little child
rem, AZ a loving act, an act IL seemed TO me
" reparation ~ negects of weeks preceding
and go upon the train 10 Cartersville, where
Brother Jones was preaching to immense
audiences and from which the report had
come that there we're many and many hun
dredl, and even thousands who were coming
back into harmony With God. And rs | sat
upon tho platform endeavorod to take In
sJenograpby the words IA they fell from his
lips, 1t SCENE to me that God had inspired
him 10 preach upon one certain Hne He
preached IL win that filth which is his
alone; he preached 1t with that filth which
Is bis distinguishing characteristic; he
preached With tho earnastness and with the
conviction that broke down tine easements
| OF my heart, and went home 10 II. When he
| had finsned thoss words of Consciencel
| Consciencel Conscence and OF Record
! Record, Record OF God, the infinite, the
! all seeing an1 the ever Judging Uod, came
| to me
Il went away from there troubled in
mind aud soul. l went homo and back into
the devious ways, back into the bnr-room,
back into the open highways, back TO the
maddening pool, in order TO set away from
! the torments | was suffering from an awak-
me | could tlnd no solace where ! had often
| found insensibihty. 1 could tind no relief in
potations, where hhi often found indiffer-
ence AMI capability 10 take on cool ex.
terror. There was nothing there to give me
surceaaa rom the sorrow IN my bosom; and
| went on an! on until the second day,
on Tuesday, at noon, | went into my library
room. fell upon my knees, buried my face
in my bands, and pleaded with Christ that
no would lot me cling To His cross, key down
all my burdens and SINS there, and be res
cue1 and saved by His compassion; that
might be washed in tha stream II His blood
from His bleeding side, an that my sins,
though they were scarlet, might ha white az
snow.
II wrpst,ed for four long hours in MS much
agony as ] ever suffered. AT tina end of that
time when | had reached conclusion
when had cone to understand that there
was nothing OF earth that cout avail me
least Of all with Christ, then gave myself
entirely to Him, made an unconditional sur
render, an that mement lie seized my soul.
tie dipped it IN the stream which was white
and pure, an1 the light Of heaven shone II
upon me.
"ln my new found joy rushed into the
presence of wife and children, | proclaim
cd the glad tidings to their astOuished ears
aud they could hardly believe il, though
they saw that some great revolution had
taken place They knew not whether il
was a surrender 10 Christ, or whether i
had been a surrender TO madness
but when | went out that evening bad
three thousand circulars printed and dis
tributed all over Atlanta, telling the peopl,
had found my Savior; hal made peacl
with God and that | would live q lif,
of righteousness ever after, aud desired {,
make proclamation oncs md irrevocable
They gathered at O'clock upon the publ,
streets that night, aud there before them
proclaimed tho fact, AMI blessed be God
have been proclaIning il ever since with in
creased Joy, amd with the certainty tina
my salvation is completa
Returning home | could see that Jesu
had shocked at the tomb Of my wifes life
il did at that OF Lazarus, and had calleC
it forth IN all its pristine strength an,
beauty, aud its bloom aud blossom has beer
my pathway ever since Icluld sea that
my children bad found tongua To sing the
Joy aud praise, and their hearts had beer
set 6ttuned as they never had been before
to the melody Of childhood, singing to the
ears OF fathorhood | could sae that Their
was glSdneSs Wherever / went upon the
FACES Of friends and acquaintance and whsr
the news had gene abroa in the laud thost
who had known me abroad sent their glai
congratulations and their encouragement
blessed he Col that from the day HI
reached down and lifted me up from TIL
mrey pit, aud established my feet upon the
rock OF Christ that is higher thsn we, hav,
been going on from joy to joy, bird o
liberty, singing the praises of my Redeemer
And ~, having been thus Savel and thu
healed, would call you who are in that ter
ribe bondage to seek relief Of this sam,
great physician, and TO draw yoar medicin,
from the same infallible spring.
What are We doing with ourSelyesl Oh
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