The Gipsies' Advocate: Or, Observations on the Origin, Character, Manners, and Habits of the English GipsiesCrabb, James
Religion
The Gipsies' Advocate: Or, Observations on the Origin, Character, Manners, and Habits of the English Gipsies
Crabb, James
Romanies -- England
The night's diversion having received a change, the golden moment was
eagerly seized to impress on their minds the infinite power, holiness,
and justice of their Creator. This being done, the origin of sin, and
the immortality of the soul, were, in the second place, impressed on
their minds. Then followed the awful effects of sin, and the soul's
eternal punishment in hell, because of offending this great God, whose
holiness could not look on sin, and whose justice would punish it.
Representing the soul's eternal punishment by the wrath of an incensed
God, never did the preacher before witness such an effect; the poor
Gipsies, with tremulous voice, crying, '_Did you ever hear the like_! _
What ever shall we do_?' These expressions gave new energies to the
preacher, and still brighter hopes of a good effect. Going on with the
awful representation, and in the act of turning, as if to leave them, he
bade them the long farewell. 'Never, never more to meet till we meet in
hell! Oh! what a dreadful thing it is, my fellow-sinners, that we have
to part in this world with the thought of meeting in an eternal world of
pains, never to see God! never to see heaven! never to see any thing to
comfort our poor souls! Oh! we are lost, lost, poor souls, we are lost
for ever!--farewell!' In the act of leaving them, these poor creatures
cried, 'Not yet, Sir, not yet.' Now was the glorious moment come, which
the preacher eagerly anticipated of proclaiming the glad tidings of
salvation through a crucified Saviour. Asking how long they would stand
to hear the way of escape from the wrath to come, they instantly lifted
up their voices, answering, 'All night, Sir, all night.' Then the
preacher, without much persuasion, exhibited a Saviour, in all his
sufferings, merits, death, and glory. They were sorry that such a good
being should suffer so much; but the preacher took care to show the
absolute necessity of his sufferings. Their manner bespoke an imperfect
idea of a substitute. This was soon made clear to their understandings
by comparisons, when the master of the gang cried, 'I see it, I see it!'
He was asked what he saw? 'I see Jesus Christ getting between us and
God, and satisfying our great God's justice by dying instead of us.'
This truly made the preacher's heart glad, seeing the great plan of
salvation was so clearly understood by those who declared (although in a
land of light,) they never heard of Jesus Christ before.
"The preacher sang the hymn:--
"How condescending, and how kind
Was God's eternal Son, &c,"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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