Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-02-10
Z The Purpose Of His Coming.

One night after ] had preached in
the church in Brooklyn of which /
was then pastor, a gentleman came
walking up the aisle, and grasping
my hand, said, "Sir, do you think
there is any hope for mcY" "Cer-
tainly there is," was my reply.
"Please come home with me and tell
me about it them" he answered.
So we went together TO his house,
and, entering into his parlor, sat
down and began to talk. Before we
had talked very long discovered
that he was the victim of the awful
habit of drink; that it had gotten a
fearful hold upon him and was ruin
ing him, as he willingly confessed.
besought him to then and there
give himself just as>he was to the
Saviour, and promise Him he would
quit the fearful habit; to cry for
forgiveness, and to trust the Saviour
for strength to battle against the
destroying habit of which he had be-
come the slave. But the gentleman
would not. He said he wanted first
to fit himself for coming to the
Saviour; that he was man of strong
will that he would promise me never
to touch another,drop; that he pre-
ferred to vanquish the habit himself !;
that after he had done 80, he could
with some decenoy go to Christ and
own himself Christian. | tried as
hard as l could to show him that
was not the way; that the true way
was to at once commit himself wholly
to Christ, repenting of his sin, and
relying on Christ's strength. But
found it impossible to persuade him,
and finally sorrowfully left him.
A few days after, the gentleman
came to me in great distress, and
with all the marks of terrible
debauch upon him, beseeching me to
help him. l did what 1 could for
him, and then pleaded with him
again to give himself just as he was
to Christ, and to trust His strength.
Again he refused, declaring that he
himself could and would conquer
the evil habit.
1t was not many days before the
same thing was again repeated.
Then again besought him to accept
Christ, and by faith lay hold on His
strength. This time the man borke
down, fell on his knees, and asked
Christ to take him just as he was-a
poor, miserable, weak sinner; he
promised Christ he would try in His
strength, for he had lost all hope of
overcoming in his own.
Thereupon there followed most
wonderful thing. saw that gentle
man happysand glad Christian.
saw him subjected to all manner of
trials and temptations, but he never
once failed, never once 80 much as
faltered. What he could not do in
his own strength, Jesus Christ did
for him and in him. The man seemed
to be clad in triple armor against the
sin which had 80 enslaved him. He
joined-the church and signally hon
ored his public confession of Christ
by most consistent and beautiful
life. He died little time ago
died as he had lived, a Christian.
l have told you this incident be
cause it so perfectly illustrates the
two things for which our Scriptures
tell US our Lord and Saviour came
into this world.
The first purpose for which our
Lord came was to save. "For the
Son of Man is come to save that
which was lost" How gloriously
and with what complete forgiveness
did Jesus save this gentleman when
he was at last willing to accept Him
The second purpose for which our
Lord came was to give life. 81 am
come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abun-
dantly." That means the true,
strong, triumphing, spiritual life
which was illustrated in this gentle.
man.-Wayland Hoyt, d. D.