Year: 1867

to uproot one of Gods servants from
the field in which He had planted him.
In my blindness fancied it as little
thing to remove one of the stars
which Jesus holds in his right hand, IT
thereby my ear could be tickled by
more fiowery words, and the pews filled
by those who turned away from the
simplicity of the Gospel. / and the
men that led me-for | admit that
was a dupe and tool-fattercd our
selves that we were conscientious. We
thought we werc doing God service
when we drove that holy man from.
MS Pnlpit and his work, and said we
considered his labor ended in B,
where | then lived We groaned oc-'
cause there was no revival, while we =
were gossipping about and criticising,
and crushing instead of upholding by
our efforts and our prayers, the instru
ment at whose hand we harshly de-
manded the blessing. Well, sir, he
could not drag on the chariot of saliva
ton with halfa dozen of US taunting
him for his weakness, while we hung
on as dead weight to the wheels; lie
had not the power of the Spirit, and
could not convert men; so we hunted
him like deer, till, torn and bleeding,
he fed into q covert to die. Scarcely
had he gone, when God came among
US by His Spirit to show that he had
blessed the labors of his dear, rejected
servant. Our own hearts were broken
and our wayward children converted,
and resolved at a conyenient season
to visit my former pastor and confess
my sin, and thank him for his faithful
ness to my wayward sons, which, like
iong-buried seed, had now sprung M.
But God denied me that relief, that
He might teach me a lesson every
child of his ought to learn, that he
who toucheth one of His servants,
toucheth the apple of His eye l heard
my old pastor was i'll, and taking my
oldest son with me, set out on IL TWEEN
ty-fve miles ride to see him. 1t was
evening when | arrived, and his wife,
with the spirit which any true woman
| ought to exhibit towards me who so
wronged her husband denied me admit
| tance to his chamber. She said, and
her words were as arrows to my soul:
He may be dying, and the sight OF
your face might add to his anguish!
Had it come to this | said to N.Y.
self, shat the man whose labors had,
| through Christ, brought me into His
fold, whose hand had buried me in
baptism, who had consoled my spirit
in terrible bereavement, and who
had, till designing men had aliennIrd
US, been to me as q brother that this
man could not die In peace with my
face before him. God pity me ? cried,
what have | done!


| confessed my sin to that meek wo-
man, and implored her for Christ's
sake to let me kneel before His dying
servant, and receive his forgiveness.
What did | care then whether the
pews by the door were rented or not
[ would gladly have taken this whole
| family to my home forever as my own
| flesh and blood, but no such happiness
was before me.


AS [ entered the room ofthe blessed
warrior, whose armor was just falling
| from his limbs, he opened his languid
| eyes and said, Brother Lee brother
Lee = | bent over him and sobbed out,
my pastor, my pastor!' Then rails
ing his white hand, he said in u deep,
impressing voice, Touch not mine
anointod, and do my prophets no
harm!


I spoke tendorly to him, told him |
had come to confess my sin, and bring
somo of his fruit to him, calling my
son to tell him how he found Christ.


But he was unconscious of all around;
the sight of my face had brought the


last pang Of earth to his spirit.


| kissed his brow, and told him how
dear he had been to me; craved his


pardon for my unfaithfulness, and


promised to care for his widow and
fatherless little ones; but his only reply,


,nurmured as if in a troubled dream,


was,


sTouch not mine anointed, and do
my prophets no harm


| staid by him all night, and at day
break / closed his eyes | offered his
widow a house to live in the remainder
of her days; but like Il heroine she
said:


Il freely forgive you. But my chill
dren, who enter deeply into fathers
| anguish, shall never see me so regard
less of his memory as to take anything
from those who caused it. He has left
us all with his covenant, God, and He
will care for u.s.


well, sir, those dying words sound
ed in my ears from that coffin and from
that grave. When slept, Christ stood
before me in my dreams, saying:
Touch not mine anointed, and do


my prophets no HARM


These words followed me till rea-