The national leader., 1889-02-09
regeneration" these antagonists of
evangelism say.

otduS0ilSm say.
WHAT Is REGENERATIONp
WHY. regeneration is reconstruction.
Anybody can understand that. Have
you not seen people who are all made
over again by some wonderful influence?
In other words, they are just as differ
ent now from what they used to be as
possible. The old Constellation, man
of-war, lay down here at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard. Famine came to Ireland.
The old Constitution was fitted up, and
though it had been carrying gunpowder
and bullets, it took bread to Ireland.
You remember the enthusiasm as the
old Constellation went out Of our har-
Dor. and with what joy it was greeted
by the famishing nation on the other
side of the sea. That is regeneration.
A man loaded up with sin. and death
loaded up with life. Rehtted. Your
observation has been very small indeed
If you have not seen changes in charac-
ter as radical as that.
LIQUOR SELLER CONVERTED.
A man came into this church one
night, and he was intoxicated, and at
an utterance of the pulpit he said in
subdued tone: ''That's lie." An
officer of the church tapped HIM on the
shoulder, and said: You must be silent,
or you must go out" The next night
that stranger came, and he was con-
verted to God. He was in the liquor
business. He resigned the business.
The next day he sent back the samples
that had just been sent him. He began
to love that which he hated. l bap-
tiZed him by immersion IN the bapistry
under this platform. A large salary
was offered him if he would return to
He would rather suffer with Jesus Christ
than be prospered in the world. He
wrote home a letter to his Christian
mother. The Christian mother wrote
back congratulating him, and said: ''If
in the change of your business you have
lack of means, come home; you are
always welcome home" He told of
his conversion to dissolute companion.
The dissolute companion SAID: swell,
if you have become a Christian, you
had better go over and talk to that dy-
ing girl. She is dying with quick con-
sumption in that house." The new
convert went there. All the surround
ings were dissolute. He told
THE DYING GIRL
that Jesus would save her. "Ohl"
said she "that can't be, that can't bel
What makes you think so?' II have it
here In book in my pocket" he re-
piled. He pulled out New Testament.
She said; ''Show 1t to me; if can be
clou ~ RI IN fhof haolr -
He said: II have neglected this book,
as you have neglected it, for many
years, and don't know where to find it
but / know that it is somewhere be-
tween the lids" Then he began /, turn
over the leaves, and, strange and beauti-
full to say, his eye struck upon this pas
sage: "Neither do condemn thee; go
and sin no more" She said: ''1t isn't
possible that is therel' "Yes," he
said, THAT is there" He held it up
before her dying eyes, and she said:
"Oh, yes, see it for myself; l accept
the promise: Neither do l condemn
thee: 60 and sin no more" In few
hours her spirit sped away to the Lord
that gave iG. and the new convert
preached the funeral sermon. The man
who a few days before had been a bias
phemer and drunkard and hater OF
all that was good, he preached the SER
mon. That is regeneration that is re-
generationl If there are any dry husks
of technlcality in that, where are they2
All made oyer again by the power of
the grace of Godl
A few years ago
SHIP.CAPTAIN
came in here, and sat yonder under the
gallery. He came in with contempt
for the Church of God, and with an
especial dislike for Talmage. When an
opportunity was given he arose for
prayer, and as he was more than six
feet high, when he arose for prayer no
one doubted that he arose! That hour
he became Christian. He went out
and told the ship-owners and the ship
commanders what great change had
been wrought in him, and scores and
scores have been brought to God
through his instrunlentality.
A little while after his conversion he
was on ship off Cape Hatteras in
thick and prolonged fog, and they were
at their Wits ends, and knew not what
to do, the ship drifting about hither
and thither, and they lost their bear
ings: and the converted sea-captain
went to his room, and asked God for
the salvation of the ship. and God re-
yealed it to him while he was on his
knees that at a certain hour, only
little way off, the fog would lift; and
the converted sea-captain came out on
the deck, and told how God heard his
prayers. He said: sit is all right, boys;
very soon now the fog will lift" men
tioning the hour. A man who stood
there laughed aloud in deriSion at the
idea that God would answer prayer;
but at just the hour when God had as
sured the captain the fog would lift
there came a flash of lightning through
the fog, and the man who had jeered
and laughed was stunned, and fell to
the deck. The fog lifted. Yonder was
Cape Hatteras lighthouse, The ship
was put on the right course, and sailed
on to the harbor of safety.
When in seaport the captain spends
most of his time in evangelical work.
He kneels down by one who has been
helpless in the bed for many months,
and the next day she walks forth in the
streets, well. He kneels beside one who