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He had
been given up by some as a hopeless case. One man, however, prayed for him
until he prevailed, and the infidel was saved. |
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A revival
was in progress, and in the midst of a melting meet mg he arose and to the
surprise of many, “with face shining as did the face of Moses when he saw
God,” he gave the following striking and suggestive testimony: |
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“I stand,”
said Mr. R----, “to tell you the story of my conversion.” His lips trembled
slightly as he spoke, and his bosom heaved with suppressed emotion. “I am as
a brand plucked out of the burning. The change in me is an
astonishment to myself; and all brought about by the grace of God, and
that unanswerable argument. It was
a cold morning in January, and I had just begun my labor at the anvil in my
shop, when I looked out and saw Mr. B---- approaching. He dismounted quickly
and entered. As he drew near I saw he was agitated. His look was full of
earnestness; his eyes were dimmed with tears; he took me by the hand; his
breast heaved with emotion, and with indescribable tenderness he said: ‘Mr.
R----, I am greatly concerned for your salvation-greatly concerned for your
salvation,’ and he burst into tears. He stood with my hand grasped in his; he
struggled to regain self-possession; he often essayed to speak, but not a
word could he utter; and finding that he could say no more, he turned, went
out of the shop, got on his horse, and rode slowly away. |
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“‘Greatly
concerned for my salvation,’ said I, audibly, and I stood and forgot to bring
my hammer down. There I stood with it upraised – ‘greatly concerned for my salvation.’ Here is a new argument for
the truth of religion, which I have never heard before, and which I know not
how to answer. Had the aged man reasoned with me I could have confounded him;
but here is no threadbare argument for the truth of religion.
Religion must be truth or this man would not feel as he does ‘Greatly
concerned for my salvation, it rung through my ears like a thunderclap in a
clear sky Greatly concerned I ought, for my own salvation, said I "What
shall I do? |
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“I went to
my house. My poor pious wife, whom I had always ridiculed for her religion,
exclaimed: ‘Why, Mr. R---- what is the matter with you?’ ‘Matter enough,’
said I, filled with agony and overwhelmed with a sense of sin. ‘Old Mr. B----
has rode two miles this cold morning to tell me he was greatly concerned for
my salvation. What shall I do? What shall I do?’ |
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“‘I do not
know what you can do, said my astonished wife; I do not know what better you
can do than to get on your horse, and go and see him. He can give you better
counsel than I, and tell you what you must do to be saved.’ |
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“I mounted
my horse, and pursued after him. I found him alone in that same little room
where he had spent the night in prayer for my poor soul, where he had shed
many tears over such a reprobate as I, and had besought God to have mercy
upon me. |
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“I am
come,’ said I to him, ‘to tell you that I am greatly concerned for my own
salvation’ |
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“‘Praised
be God,’ said the aged man. ‘It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save
sinners,’ even the chief: and he began at that same scripture, and preached
to me Jesus. On that same floor we knelt, and together we prayed-and we did
not -separate that day till God spoke peace to my soul. |
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“I have
often been requested to look at the evidence of the truth of religion, but
blessed be God, I have evidence for its truth here,” laying his hand upon his
heart, “which nothing can gainsay or resist. I have often been led to look at
this, and that argument for the truth of
Christianity; but I could overturn and, as I thought, completely demolish and
annihilate them all. But I stand here tonight, thankful to acknowledge that
God sent an argument to my conscience and heart, which could not the answered
or resisted, when a weeping Christian came to tell
me how greatly concerned he was for my salvation. God taught him that
argument when he spent the night before him in prayer for my soul! Now I can
truly say, I am a happy man. My peace flows like a
river. My consistent, uncomplaining wife, who so long bore with my impiety
and unbelief, now rejoices with me, that, by the grace of God, I am what I am
--- that whereas I was blind, now I see. And here permit me to say if you
would wish to reach the heart of such a poor sinner as I, you must get your
qualifications where he did, in your closet and on your knees; So it shall be
with me. I will endeavor to reach the hearts of my infidel friends through
the closet and by prayer. |
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He sat
down overcome with emotion, amid the tears and the suppressed sobs of the assembly.
All were touched; for all knew what he once was, all saw what he had now
become. --Tract. |
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Touching
Incidents and Remarkable Answers to Prayer By S. B. SHAW. |
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From: http://www.ccel.org/ |