Adventures in the Land of CanaanBerry, R. L. (Robert Lee)
Religion
Adventures in the Land of Canaan
Berry, R. L. (Robert Lee)
Christian life
"I fell on my knees, while the old Giant dealt me a blow over the head
with his club. 'You have cursed,' he shouted. 'See, your mind is full
of evil words. And you would steal; for the suggestion lodged in your
mind to steal that sheep. You are a sinner, that's what you are. Christians
never have such thoughts as you are having.' And again he struck me with
his club.
"I was too weak to fight. Finally I felt as if I really had sinned.
"The Old Giant then fell to beating me, and after half killing me and
laughing right in my face and telling me he was going to drive me out
of Canaan before he was through with me, he walked off.
"I lay there a long time thinking over the situation. Not an angel
appeared, and God seemed to have forsaken me. My mind was all confused
over the battle.
"While I was lying there, the old Giant came again. I was terribly
frightened, because it seemed I had no weapon that he feared; if I had,
I did not know how to use it. I tried to resist, and felt indignant
within that he should treat me thus; but how to overcome him I did not
know. I prayed, 'O God, help me! Help me!' But no voice answered, and
no help came. The Giant strode right up and, without saying a word, again
struck me with his club. The blow seemed to fall right on my heart, and
a sickening feeling of utter discouragement and helplessness filled me.
I groaned in complete confusion and bewilderment.
"'See how discouraged you are! You are not happy as are others in Canaan.
Evidently something is wrong. People in Canaan ought not have such
discouragements as you are having.'
"Then from some cause or other (it may be the Giant insinuated these
things into my mind), a whole variety of slimy thoughts, vulgar words,
bad imaginings surged through my mind and, together with a feeling that
all was lost, seemed to dig down into the depths of my soul. There I
lay, alone, forsaken, while the towering bulk of the Giant hovered over
me ready to club me back into utter helplessness any minute. Finally I
attempted to rise; but down came that dreadful club. Once more I struggled
to my knees, determined to arise; but a terrific blow just at my heart
felled me again.
"'You have sinned,' he hissed. 'You can not stay in Canaan. God has cast
you off. See, He has abandoned you. He loves you no more. Die and be
done with it. You are a sinner, anyway; you might as well do something
desperate and end all.'
"I was so confused, I hardly knew what to do. The Giant dealt me one
more blow, then left me to nurse my wounds.
"Finding myself alone, I began to endeavor to collect my thoughts and
find the significance of the encounter. But my mind was so confused that
the more I tried to reason out the why of the affair, the more confused
I became.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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