Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-02-06

people who are all made over again b.
some wonderful influence? In other words,
they are just as different now from what
they used to be as possible. The old Con.
stellatioD, man-of-war. lay down here at
the Brooklyn Yard. Famine came to Ire
land. The old Constellation was fitted up,
and though it had been carrying gnupowder
and bullets it took bread to Ireland, Ycu
remember the enthusiasm as the old Con
stellation went out of our harbor, and with
what joy it was greeted by the famishing
nation on the other side the sea- That is
regeneration. A man loaded up with sin
and death loaded up with life. Refiued.-
Your observation has been very small in
deed il you have not seen changes in char
acter as radical as that.
A man came into this church one night,
and he was intoxicated, and at an utter
ance 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 90
out" The next night that stranger came,
and he was converted to Sod. He was In
the liquor business. He resigned the bust
ness. The next day he sent back the
samples that had just been sent him. He
began to love that which he hated.
baptized him by immersion in the baptistry
under this platform. a large salary was
offered him if he would return to his former
business. He declined it. He would
rather suffer with Jesus Christ than be
prospered in the world. He wrote homo a
letter TO his Christian mother. The Chris.
tian mother wrote back congratulating
him, and said: '1f in the change of your
business you have lack of means, come
homs; you are always welcome home. -
He told of his conversion to dissolute
companion. The dissoiute companion said:
Wen, if you have become Christian you
had better go over and talk to that dying
girl. She is dying with quick consump-
ton in that house." The new convert
went there. All the surroundings were
dissolute. He told the dying girl that
Jesus would save her. "Ob," said she,
'tbst can't be, that can't be! What makes
you think suf" II have it here in q book
in my pocket" he replied. He pulled out
"a New Testament. She saJd: ''Show it to
ME; if eau be saved show it to me in that
book" He said: "Izhave neglected this
book as you have neglected it for many
years, aud | don't know where to find it,
but know it is somewhere between the
lids." Then he began to turn over the
leaves, and strange and beautiful to say,
his eye struck upon this passage: Neither
do condemn thee; go and sin no more"
She said: SIT isn't possible that is thorer'
Yes" he said, ''that is there" He held
it up before her dying eyes, and she said:
"Oh, yes, see it for myself; I accept the
promise: "Neither do / condemn thee; go
and sin no more" In few hours her
spirit sped away to the Lord that gave it,
and the new convert preached the funeral
The man who few days before
had been biasphemer and drunkard and
u hater of all that was good, he preached
the sermon. That is regeneration, that is
II there are any dry husks
of teehnicalIty in that, where a1e they? Ali
made over again by the power of the grace
# God.
A few years ago a ship captain came in
here and sat yonder under the gallery. He
came in with a contempt for The Chnrch OF
God and with an especial dislike for Tai
mage. When the opportunity was given he
arose for prayer, aud as he was more than
six feet high, when be arose for prayer 10
one doubted that be arose! That hour he
became Christian. He went out and told
the ship owners aud toe ship commanders
what great change had bseu wrought In
brought to God through his Instrumental
ity.
A little while after his conversion he was
On ship on Cape Hatterss 10 a tn OK aad
fog, aud they wera at their wits
snds and knew not what to do, the ship
drifting about hither and thither, and they
lost their bearings; and the converted seq
captain went to his room and asked God
for the salvation of the ship, and God re-
Vealed it to him while he was on his knees
that at a certain hour, only little way off,
5he fog would lift; and the converted sea
captain cams out on the deck and tod how
God heard his prayers. He said: ''It is all
right, boys, very 5000 nog the fog will
ift," mentioning the hour. A man who
stood there laughed aloud in derislon at the
dea that God would answer prayer; but at
Just the hour when God had assured the
captain the fog would lift there came a
flash of lightning through the fog, aud the
man who had jeered and laughed was stun
ned ano fell to tae deck. The fog lifted. |
Yonder was Cape Hstteras lighthouse. The
ship was put on the right course, and sail
ed on to the harbor of safety.
When 10 seaport the captain spends most
Of his time in evangelical work. He kneels
down by Que who has been helpless in the
bed for many months, and the next day she
walks forth in the streets we'll. He kneels
beside one who has long been decrepit, and
he resigns the crutches. He kueels beside
one who had not seen erough to be able to
read for ten years, aud she reads the Bible
that day. Consumptions go away, and
those who had diseases that were appalling
to behold come up TO rapid convalescence
and to complete health. am not telling
YOU anything second handed I have had
the story from the lips of the patients In
this very house, those who we're brought to
health of body while at the same time
brought to God. No secondhand Story
this l have heard the testimony from
men and women who have been cured.
You may call iG faith cure, or you may call
it the power of God coming down in answer
to prayer; do not care what you call it, it
Is fact. The scoffing sea captain, his
heart full of hatred for Christianity, now
becomes q follower of the meek and lowly
Jesus, giving all the time to evangelical Ia
bors, or all the time he can spare from
other occupations. That is regeneration,
that is regeneration. Man all made over
again:
rious sacrifice" Say these men who have
CuS Gu up bA5 fIbtio OOOA VI CLOCdS duu
have the consequent embittered stom ach.
'.Vicar;ous sacrificed Let every man suffer
for himself. Why do l want Christ to suf-
fer for me? I'll suffer for myself and carly
my own burdens" They scoff at the idea
of vicarious sacrifice, while they admire it
everywhere elsa except in Christ. People
see It's beauty when a mother suffers for her
child. People see it's beauty when pat
riot suffers for his country. People see its
beauty when a man denies himself for
friend. They can SIS the beauty of vicari
Gus sacrifice 10 every QUE but Christ.
A young lady in one of the literary iusti-
tutious was a teacher. Sac wss very reEi
cent and retired in her habits, and she
formed no mpauionships in the new post
tion she occupied. aud her dress was very
plain-sometimes it was very shabby.
After while she was discharged from the
place for that reason, but no reason was
given. In answer to the letter disehargiug
her from the position she said: swell, if l
have failed to please, suppose it is my
own fault" She went here and there for