Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-03-22

pI,;ton M mint. and, nfter the hymn and
Z uii.an er and the reading Of a chapter
s9o y ~ Scrintures announced his text:
u aI SrV am He that blotteth out Thy trans
or.ss;ons as a cloud; and as a dark
Cloud thy sins.
=. tha and of the one long village street,
ond was surrounded by forest trees. Inc
onL o and the maple, the birch and the
I;cLory beat their branches on It's root.
r. 'front.' Grew the wild hawb- rry, which, |
- ;ta season. was loaded down with |
h-ioht. red berries, and in the rear were
tI,n oreres which ma ked the saints VINO
had gone to heaven.
II was strange sermon, and SO I'M
,rassed the listeners. The subject seem
q ed to have nothing 10 do with the great
fact which was filling the minds OF the
conorepation. Mr.. Grsnville preacned
as he had never preached before, and the
NONE m listened with wondering awe. was
his the decrepit man who had wearisd
them with his platitudes about COOS
Judgment and foreordinationf was .uis
the man whom they had grown 10 iooA
upon as stern and unforDlaon8I~
preached rather an unforgiving Goa 'nan
a God Of sinners2 A..
The minister said: Beloved, tne
clouds are On emblem of sin. Ihey 1oas
above us in Gods air and are so DARK
th It they hide the sun from US. lasJ
come from earth, they ris' from 'ns
brook. the river, the ocean, ana no man
sees them rise. And yet, when they leave
us and rise to that clear space Which pe-
longs 10 God, they stand out in clear re-
lief and are beyond our reach Iney
float in Gods air and hide from Us 'he
sun. from,
usand ofttimes we know not OF them even
ne thew are rising But when once tney
have gone upward, they gather ana we
see the black cloud between US and 900:
They form on earth, in our hearts, Du'
when they have risen, no mans hand can
reach them. They then be'ong to 0oo'
| and He alone can drive them away.
There is then left to US moth ng. buS
God has said that even as He scltteie'n
the clouds 80 will He drive away our SINS;
Thew NAV be dark and threaten ng, an
nothing that We can do can drive tnem
away. But He has promised thai lis
hand shall stretch out and lake 'nen
away" -, ord.
The sermon closed with these words;
God is love and He is meiciful, AMI lie
will stretch out His strong hand ano
take away the dark cloud which hangs
betwee1 Him and US; and all that We
have 10 do is to fall upon our knees ano
beat upon our breasts and cry, 'God' o.
merciful o me a nner.
The minister ended and gave out
hymn, which was sung by the choir in in'
gallery. Then the choir received tn'
benediction and departed. -,
The sermon was the cause or muon dls
cussion in the villa.e, particularly IN tn
doctors hou sehold, where Egbert an'
Dorothea stopped that night. EgDer
said: O:,,
At never have understood Mr.. Granvlll
before. Take courae. Doro.hea. III
means to do right, and If we c n Du
nrove to him that his distorted lmagin
tion is wrong, from being your enemy
will turn to o your friend. -,
The next morning the whole vllisg
fa'hered in the meeting house.
was q solemn occasion. Prayer wa
offered by the minister, and Purl
ian hymn was sung, at or which Doro'ne
was brought tefore the pulpit TO answt
The charge which her life long enem
, had been preparing. -, -
, The first acc sation was with reBaru
, her evil influence over the minister +
!. d,nphte-. This Dorothes denied, ana
= rebnttal Doctor Lennox told OF the Inc
|. dent in his Office, giving as his oplnlo
that Achsah's trouble was mere nerVou
,, ness. and that the herbs of the forest,
\ rightly applied, would prove restora'lV
This statement of his created ravorao
o impression. Then the minister arose al
!, said: ho
!, mistress Dorothea ingram, who ha'
= you met in the forest during the last n
/. yearsH" .o.h,os
r. for the answer.
u "Reverend sir. / might answer yo
" ouestion were 1t not for promise TO OF
o to whom I am bound by the most sacr
r ties"
II !, %stopl" cried the minister. Speak n
- in this place of sacred ties which Dll
= YOU to the evil one."
a The congre at on experienced sno
- and believed that the minister was rigl
"a Before Dorothea could reply the minis
I asked aga'n:
- %Will YOU tell me now who visited
= ON the night of your marriage and ga
! Won such presents as no other maiden
ii the village could hope to receiver"
;s To this Dorothea answered:
- ~Who il was that visited me my h'
u hand knows, and if he is satisfied,
~ does not concern you.
:, This also. as the minister saw, creal
80 favorable impression in Dorothea's
y half But his work was not yet do
"a Drawing folded slip of paper from
pocket he said:
aMy brethren, ye have heard the M
ner in which this woman hath eluded
Guardians which would condemn b
A. Here is written proof against her.
VI found it in her cabin two years ago.
el was left there by a man who entered
III nlace after night-fall. / found q n
wv written on birch bark. took 1t nc
l." and kept it for two years, and Dea.
: Bethnai saw it, and was witness vi
A that same note was taken away by the
ee VIM wrote It. The Prince of the Po
ne of the Air But, so d eply had
a' words burned into my mind, that the
- day I rewrote them, and he:e they are:
OIL a.Dorothea! Obey the one who Ike
=" YOU. and the one who looks after you,
no , whom YOU cannot see, will provide
ch you.
aBrethren." continued the minist
Iso what more proof is needed Mistr
1in Dorothea has refused to tell who l.
cir hath met her in the woods, and who
Il that provided for her on the eve OF
marriage. Behold! hsre - his own G.
le. munication. You will note that ne s.
ing 'Oleyr because he has a right to c.
be mand. obey the one who keeps y
led Who could this refer TOT Satan. !
,ed the one who keeps you Who wa
ng kept her? The evidence is clear. 1t
hlv the evil one. And if anything NOR