Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-05-04
wv. G. II. " ~

How an idiot Saved ilIs Home.

Hse'ocse>c,cscacs,e essoco
aow an idiot Saved als Home.
Not long after 1 entered the min.
istry went 70 certain town TO
hold series of meetings. IL was
one of these good old Southern
towns, the inhabitants of which
banked on aristocracy and fed their
souls upon the glory of departed
days. They had never known what
it was to be spiritually warm. The
first night / was there l preached to
great audience. That was in my
early ministry, when l made many
propositions. The first one / made
that night was for any one to STAND
who wanted prayers offered for their
friends. A soon as / made it q little
boy got up and walked out in the
aisle, where he stood looking me.
square in the face. / said, "God
bless you, little man." and he sat
down. then asked any one who
wanted the prayers of Gods people
TO rise. That boy got out in the
aisle again and looked me in the face,
and again said, "God bless YOU" 1
asked if there was anybody present
who was willing to accept Jesus.
That boy stood up again and looked
me in the face, and again said, "God
bless YOU" Nobody else stood up
that night, and began to think that
had struck about the hardest and
coldest crowd / had ever run up
against.
The next night l preached as hard
as | knew how to sinners, and when
finished, ] asked anybody who
wanted to be prayed for to stand up.
That same little rascal popped out
into the aisle as he had done the
night before and stood looking at
me Nntil ] saw him and said, "God
bless YOU" ! thought I'd vary the
thing little, 80 / asked if anybody
present was willing to come forward
and give me his hand as an indica-
tion that he would accept Jesus.
That same boy came shuffiing out of
his seat, straight down the aisle and
gave me his hand. ! saw smiles on
the, faces of some in the congrega-
ton. Nobody but the hoy showed
any interest and / went off some
what dishesrtened. The third night
preached, and when asked all
who wanted prayer to rise, that boy
popped out in the aisle. The people
had begun to regard it as joke, and
they nudged each other with their
elbows, while a broad smile fared
from one side of the house to the
other. When l asked anybody who
was willing to accept Jesus to come
and give me their hands, that boy
came, and the congregation smiled
broader than before, and some
actually Uttered. After the meet
ing the deacons came to me and told
me that the boy must be stopped,
as he was a half idiot, and was
throwing damper on the meeting.
| said: "Stop nothing! How are
you going to throw damper on an
ice house ?"
For the whole of that week the
boy was the only person in the house
who showed any interest in the
meeting. Then he wanted to Join
the church. The pastor was absent,
and | was to open the doors of the
church. The deacons came to me
and said l must not receive that boy
as he didn't have sense enough to
join the church. I said: aLook
here, brethren, won't take this re-
sponsibility on my hands. Pm go
ing to put that boy on you, and if
you choose to reject him, his blood
be upon your hands," At the con-
clusion of the morning service, I in
vited all who desired to unite with
the church to come forward. That
boy came. l asked him if he had
accepted Christ for his personal
Saviour. That's all ever ask. He
said he had. "Brethren," said /,
"you hear what this boy has to say.
What will you do with himp An
ominous silence fell on the congrega-
tion. After while from way back
by the door, heard muffled and
rather surly, "Imove he be received" ;"
Another painful silence followed, and
then from the middle of the church
l heard muffled, "I second the mo-
tion." When put the motion,
about half dozen members voted
"aye" in tone go low that it seemed
as if they were scared. I gave the
boy the right hand of Christian well
come awaiting baptism, and then
dismissed the congregation.
The next day the boy went out to
see his old grandfather, man whose
feet were taking hold upon the shift
ing sands of eternity. "Grand-
father" said he, "won't you 60 with
me to church to- night and hear that
preacher ?" We always feel kindly
toward those that are afflicted, you
know, and are willing to please them ;
so the old man agreed to go. That
night saw the boy and the old man
sitting way back near the door.
When the sermon was finished one
of the members of the church arose
and said: 81 have a request to
make. We have with us tonight
Mr.. Blank, one of our oldest and
most respected citizens, but he is
out of Christ. I want special prayer
for this, my special friend" With
that he laid his hand upon the head
of the old man, down whose fur
rowed cheeks the tears were stream
ing. The next night I saw the old
man sitting about half way down
the aisle. When all who wanted to
accept Jesus were invited to come
forward and give me their hand,
saw the half idiotic boy coming
down the aisle leading the old man
by the hand.