The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-03-20

very cold weather. There was an east
wind blowing, and the sleety rain fell.
1t was getting.d dark, too; and the pleas
ATTEST place, as you all know, at such a
time, is the freside. As I came by the
farmhouse, l saw the .candle-ight shining
through the windows, and the smoke OF
a good fire coming out of the chimney.
But there was still the man outside,
knocking, knocking And as 1 looked
at him, saw that his hands and feet
were bleeding, and HIS visage was that of
one marred with sorrow. Ny heart was
very sad for him, and l said: "Sir, you
had better not stand any longer at that
hard mans door. Let me advise you to
go over the way to the poor widow. She
has many children, and she works for
for her daily bread; but che will make
you welcome.
81 know her" he said. 81 am with
her continually; her door is ever open to
me; for the Lord is the husband of the
widow and the father of the fatherless
She is in bed with her little children"
"Then 60, replied, Ito the black
smiths yonder. see the cheerful blaze
OF his smithy; he works early and late
His wife is kind-hearted woman. They
will treat you like prince"
He answered solemnly, ~ am not come
to call the righteous, bat sinners to re-
pentGmce.
At that moment the door opened and
the farmer came out cursing and swear
ing, with a cudgel in his hand, with
which he smote him, and then angrily
shut the door in his face. This excited a
fierce anger in me. 1 was full of indig.
nation to think that Welshman should
treat stranger in that fashion. was
ready to burst into the house, and NAL
treat him in HIS turn. But the patient
stranger laid his hand upon my arm and
said: Blessed are the meek; for they
shall inherit the earth"
Sir, l exclaimed, "your patience and
your long-sufering are wonderful; they
are beyond my comprehension"
THE Lord is long suffering, full of
compassion, slow to anger, not willing
that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance. And again
he knocked as he answered me.
1t was dark, the smithy was closed,
they were shutting up the inn, and I
made haste to get shelter for the night,
wondering more and more at the patience
and pity of the man. In the public
house l learned from the landlord the
character OF the farmer; and, late as it
was, L went back to the patient stranger
and said: Sir, come away; he is not
worth all this trouble. He is a hard,
cruel, wicked man. He has robbed the
tatherless, he has DETAINED his friend, he
has built his house in iniqulty. Come
away, sir. Make yourself comfortable
with us by the warm freside. This man
Is not worth saving" With that he
spread his bleeding palms before me, and
showed me his bleeding feet, and his side
which they had pierced; and I beheld it
was the Lord Jesus
'Smite him, Lord, I cried in nv in.
dignation; "then perhaps he will hear
thee.
of truth he shall hear me. In the
day of judgment shall he hear me, when
| say Depart from Me, thou worker of
iniqaity, into everlasting darkness, pre-
pared tor the devil and his angels
After these words I saw him no more.
The wind blew, and the sleety rain fell,
ouN L nChJ OdCh 10 Ju6 ll0.
In the night there was knocking at
my chamber Mr.. Evans" cried my
landlord, get up, get up; you are
wanted with a neighbor, who is at the
point of death"
Away 1 hurried along the street, to
the end Of the village, to the very farm.
house where the stranger had been
knocking. But before I got there,
heard the voice of his agony "Oh, Lord
Jesus, save me Oh, Lord Jesus, have
mercy upon me Yet day, yet an hour
for repentance Oh, Lord, save ne
His wife was wringlng her hands; hia
children were frightened out of their
senses. Pray, pray for me, he cried.
oh, friend Evans cry to God for me
He will hear you; me he will not hear. &"
l knelJ to pray, but it was TOO late; he
was gone.
Reader, may the Spirit Of God write
the lesson Of this parable on your heart
Jesus waits to save you. but delay not to
60 to him.-Amertcdn Tract ,Societu.
II IA worth avaru ros p, 81 ,,g.;1e 10 49,