Cross, Jonathan; Evangelists -- United States -- Biography; Missions -- Appalachian Region
In the first cabin we called at, we found a young woman in the last
stages of a decline. I have seldom seen any soul so full of joy and
peace. She talked more like an inhabitant of heaven than of earth.
While we spoke of Christ’s love, and what he had done for her, I saw
the tears course down my companion’s cheeks. When we left her he said,
“Religion is a reality.”
After visiting a few more families, we came in sight of a beautiful
farm, which lay in a valley. Mr. W---- said to me, “I will not go with
you to that man’s house. He is an unbeliever, and a shrewd fellow, and
if you talk to him on religion as you have done to others, he will get
mad, and insult you. His wife is pious; but I have heard him say that
when the preacher came to visit his family he kept out of the way,
because he did not wish to insult him; and he will certainly insult
you, if you speak to him on that subject.” Said I, “He has the more
need to be visited. Such persons are the very ones I am sent to hunt
up; but as he may take offence at you for leading me to his house, you
may fall behind, and come up after me,” which he concluded to do.
As I approached the house, I got off my horse, and took my big
saddle-bags, filled with books, on my arm, and stepped into the house.
In a few minutes all the children were in. They were fine, intelligent
children; and to my surprise, I recognized their mother as a once
dashing young lady I had known well fifteen years before; but she had
entirely forgotten me.
In a few minutes in came my travelling companion and Mr. C---- with
him; Mr. C----’s face indicating great determination and firmness. I
immediately began to hunt for a text to begin with, and chose a little
girl of three or four years old, whom I called to my side. I began to
tell her about Jesus, and what he did to save sinners, and how deeply
praying fathers and mothers felt for their dear children, whom they
would soon meet at the bar of God. I asked her if father and mother
did not pray for her. By this time the mother and the oldest daughter
were weeping freely. I asked the mother if she would not rather see
her children converted to God than any thing else. “Oh, yes,” she
exclaimed, “it burdens my heart.” I cast my eye round towards Mr. C----
and Mr. W----, and both were weeping.
“Mr. C----,” said I, “don’t you feel concerned about the souls of this
interesting group of children which God has given you to train up for
Him?” “Not as much as I ought to do.” His heart was so full he could
scarcely utter one word. Said I, “Are you not a professor of religion?”
“No, I am not. I have been a very careless man on that subject. When
I was a young man I was very much concerned for a while, but I fell
in with wicked young men, and read bad books, and I have entirely
neglected religion ever since. But I don’t know what has come over me
now.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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