The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-01-25
Deacon Lee-.-a Church Trouble and
its Result.

1tS hcSuIts
Deacon Lee was waited upon by a
person who was laboring to create I'M
easiness in the church, and especially
to drive away the minister. He refused
to endorse the plan, and gave his rea-
sons IS follows:
- was drawn into a scheme just like
this of yours TO uproot one of Gods
servants from the field in which he had
planted him. In my blindness ] fan
cied it a small thing to remove one of
the 'stars' which Jesus holds in his
right hand, if thereby my ear could be
more tickled by more flowing VIC rds,
and the pews filed by those who
TUNED away from the simplicity of
the gospel. We flatteled ourse elves
that we were doing Gods service
when we drove that holy man from
the pulpit and his work. We
groaned because there was no revival
while we were gossiping about and
criticising him, instead of unfolding
his hands by our efforts and our prayers,
the very instrument at whose hands we
harshly demanded the blessings.
"Well. sir, he could not drag on the
chariot of salvation with half dozen
of us hanging as dead weights to the
wheels. He had not the Spirit, as we
thought, and could not convert men:
so we bounded him like deer, till,
worn and bleeding, be fled into covert
10 die.
"Scarcely had he gone when God
came among us by his Spirit to show
that he had blessed the labors of our
poor rejected servant. Our own hearts
were broken and our wayward children
converted; and l resolved at a con-
venient season to visit my former pas
tor and confess my sin and thank him
for his failhfulness to my hayward sons,
which, like long buried seed, had now
sprung up. But God denied me that
relief, that he might teach me lesson
that every child OF his ought to learn
that he who touches one of his little
ones, touches the apple of his eye.
heard my pastor was i'll, and, TAX
ing my oldest son with me, set out on
twentyfve-mile ride to see him. 1t
was evening when we arrived, and his
wife, with the spirit which any woman
ought to exhibit toward one who had
80 wronged her husband, denied ME
admittance to his chamber. She said
| (and her words were like an arrow to
my souD, He may be ing, and the
sight of your face may add TO his an
guish.' Had it come TO this, l said TO
myself, that the man whose labors had .,
through Christ, brought" me into his
fold, who had cOnsoled my spirit inI a
terrible bereavement, and who had, till
designing men alienated us, been to me
a brother-that this man could not die
in peace with my face before him?
God pity mel cried: what have |
done? | confessed my sins to that
meek woman, and implored her, for
Christs sake, to let me kneel before his
dying servant and receive his forgive
ness. What did l care then wht Their
the pews by the door were rented or
not? AS / entered the room of that
blessed warrior, whose armor was fall
ing from his limbs, he opened his Ian.
guild eyes, and said, Brother Lcel
Brother Leep l bent over him, and
sobbed out, My pastor' Then, raising
his white hand, he said, Touch not
mine anointed, and do my prophets no
harm
81 spoke tenderly to him, and told
him had come to confess my sin and
| pilnS oOluC VI Ills iIuito w ullu tCdlIluS
my son to tell him how he had found
Christi. But he was unconscious OF
all around him; the sight of my face
had brought the last pang of earth to
bis troubled spirit. | kissed his brow
and told him how dear he had been to
me. | craved his pardon for my un.
faithfulness, and promised him to care
for his widow and fatherless little ones
but his only reply, murmured as if in q
troublesome dream, was, 'Touch moi
not mine anointed, and do my prophets
no harm
81 stayed by him all night, and al
day-break closed his eyes. | Offered
his widow house TO live in the re
mainder of her days, but, like hero
inc, she said, freely forgive you; bu
my children, who entered deeply into
their fathers anguish, shall never SEE
me so regardless of his memory as tC
take anything from those who caused
it. He has left us all with his GOV
enant God, and he will care for u.s.
Well, sir, those dying word
sounded in my ears from that cofiin anC
from that grave, When slept, Chris
stood before my dream, saying, Toucl
not mine anointed, and DO my prophet
no harm These words followed me Ill
/ fully realized the esteem in which
, Christ holds those men who have givel
I up all for his sake, and l vowed t.
!. stand by them evermore for his sake