The Autobiography of a Cornish Smuggler: (Captain Harry Carter, of Prussia Cove) 1749-1809Carter, Harry
History
The Autobiography of a Cornish Smuggler: (Captain Harry Carter, of Prussia Cove) 1749-1809
Carter, Harry
Carter, Harry, 1749-1829; Smuggling -- Great Britain -- History
Mr. Morld said to him, "Brother Carter was here inquiring after you." I
heard him, and was immediately struck with wonder to think a such man as
he should be so humble as to call a such poor creature as me, brother.
So these was some of the ways I was tryed. Some times up, sume times
down, sume times in hope and sume times allmoste ready to give up.
Notwithstanding all this I continued still in prayer, and I remember
when walked the streets I was like one with his eyes shut, crying for
salvation, and likewayse crying to the Lord that there might nothing
take my attention or the least of my afection from Him in this world. I
think I was there aboute three or four weeks, when I was asked why I did
not go to sacrament. I answered, "I am unworthy." The person answered,
"You are the very person that is worthy." So as he could not prevail
upon me to go, he told the preachers of it, and after class meeting on
the Sabbath morning, as they was going to a friend's house to breakfast,
asked me to go with them. They soon opened their commission, and asked
me to come to the sacrement to-day. I answered, I could not. They asked
my reason. I said, "Him that eateth and drinketh unworthy, eateth and
drinketh his own damnation," and immediately I burst out in a flood of
tears, and desired the company to pray for me. The whole large company
kneeled down, and prayed for me with great powar, so that I had not the
only wet face by many in the company, and after prayer took me to
reason, so I consented to go. And I went with much fear and trembling. I
feeled nothing particular in the ordinance, but ever after continued to
go. I think it was in the beginning of June I begun to abstain from
eating, and as I eate to the full before, I slackoned a little every
meal. I was afraid to fast for fear the family should take notice of me;
and aboute this time I sent home for sume money, then thinking to set on
a shop in C^{o.} with Rob^{t.} Snow, then thinking to leave my bones
there. So I still went on sume times thinking I was getting into
lukewarm state, other times a little hope of mercy, and sume times
allmoste despair of all mercy. But I remember 19 July I went to
preaching as usual, when, as the preacher was pointing out the
odiousness of sin, and the hartfeelt sorrow that a true penitent soul
feeled for it, he mentoned of a woman that had a cancer cutt out of her
breast a few days before, and when she was asked if the pain was not
very great, her answer was, "Not so great as when I was under
convictions for sin." I immediately concluded I was out of the way. I
had hardley the least hope left of Christ, Heaven, or happyness. So in
my way home in company with Mr. Cooper, a little before we parted he
said, "Capt^{n.}, what is the matter? You seem to be lowspirited
to-night." I answered, "Yes, and well I may." He said, "What then is the
matter?" I said "Did you not hear Mr. Morel saying aboute the woman that
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