Living words form living men...

Front matter

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

TRIUMPHS OF GRACE.— FULTON STREET I PRAYER MEETING.

LIVINGS T^ORDS

Contents

Page.

Atheist in the Prayer Meeting - - - 5

Infidel Mate of a Ship 21

CHAPTER I. The Atheist in the Prayer Meeting

In the Fulton Street Prayer Meeting, in New York, a gentleman arose, and stood a moment deeply affected. He was in the middle lecture room, and the hour for the meeting was about half gone. All eyes were turned upon him, for he was a stranger. He had a fine, intellectual face, and a marble, polished brow. All indicated that he was a man of high intelligence and culture. He said:

" 1 came into this meeting one year ago. I came here an atheist — an atheist of no common order — but made such by science, falsely so called. I was honest and earnest

1* (5)

6 THE ATHEIST IN

in my views, and had not a thought but that I was right. I came into this Fulton Street Pra3^er Meeting because I had heard much of it, and because I supposed I should here see another phase of the human mind. And, moreover, I wished to judge for myself. I wished to be a witness of the meeting.

" I liad not been here many minutes before my mind became deeply impressed with the conviction that there was something true and real in these things, which was above my knowledge — something in what was said and done — ^but more in that which had no voice^ but was hid in the recesses of these hearts, of which I was entirely ignorant. I looked upon these faces — all intelligent— faces evidently of business men, and I said to myself, ' Why do these men come here, in the middle of the brief, flying hours allotted to business, the din and roar of which

THE PRAYER MEETING. 7

is in all ears? What brings these men here V

" I had started a question, which as a philosopher I was bound to answer. Here was an effect, for which I was' bound to find the real and adequate cause. What could it be ? I had to say to myself, ' I am unable to assign that cause.'

" I came again and again, and was a silent and most attentive listener. I had to admit, to my own mind, that there was an unseen power operating upon all these minds — a mind above these minds — and that must be God. I confess that a conviction, stronger than any external evidence, of the nature of the highest kind of evidence, seized upon my mind, that God was here, or what was here, as the moving power, must be God. When that was settled, I said to mj'-self, ' What these men pray for, I ought to pray for ; what they feel, I ought to feel ; and what

8 THE ATHEIST EC

they need, I need as mucli as they.' I inquired, * Is this religion ? ' My heart answered, ' It is religion.' My conscience said, ^Tou ought to embrace it.' My despairing heart said, ' Oh ! that I might embrace it.' How long and how diligently I sought, yet how blindly, I need not say. Tliat is past.

" My friends," and his voice was in a tremor of deep emotion, as he stood struggling for voice to speak, '' I am here, just a year after my first coming into this room as an atheist, to tell you what a precious Saviour I have found — humbly, yet joyfully, to ackno^tledge what he has done for a sinner like me."

He held a small Bible in his hand, and continued : " 1 have found him of whom Moses and the prophets did write — Jesus exalted a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sin. This," said he,

THE PRAYER MEETING. 9

holding up his Bible, " is the warrant of all my hopes. I fold this Bible to my heart, which I so long rejected as having no authority — I fold it to my heart as a revelation to my soul of all I hope for and all I enjoy. Oh! the glad hour when Jesus washed my sins away. As a little child I have received Hlie kingdom of heaven.' I knew nothing, and God has taught me. 1 understand now who inspires these prayers. I undez'stand now why these business men come here to pray at the middle of the day — hour of all the day the best."

He then said that he had a father and mother for whom he asked prayer. They had never taught him the Scriptures when he was young — never teaching him even that religion was a reality. He wished we would earnestly pray for them. He urged reasons why we should not' be faithless in regard to them, but believing. " Oh ! do

10 THE ATHEIST IK

pray— pray," said lie, "for my poor father and mother." And he sat down amid flowing tears.

On the ensuing day he appeared again, and renewed his request for prayer for his dear father and mother. He said they were intelligent, at ease in worldly circumstances, surrounded with comforts ; but since the change in his views, their comforts and ease had departed. He had tried to be faithful. He was praying and hoping that they would become Christians. What it had cost him to openly write eool on all his former boasted knowledge and opinions, no mortal mind could know — no language could describe. Again he held that precious little Bible up— "Here are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

" * This is tlie Judge that ends the strife, When wit and reason fail ; Our guide to everlasting life, Through all this gloomy vale.*

THE PRATER JIEETING. 11

"Oh! that I had been instructed in this blessed book when I was a child. Then, perhaps, my life wonld not have been a blank, so far as all good doing is concerned, xip to this late day. Then, perhaps, I should have been saved from the sad influences which I have been under, and which I have exerted. Oh ! teach the blessed words which this book contains to your children, that even while young they may lay hold on eternal life."

The meeting heard this confession of Christ, and of his confidence in the Bible, with glad surprise.

A clergyman, after a moment's pause, arose and said :

" You cannot well conceive the surprise I had, on visiting a people whom I had been some time absent from, to see a man rise to pray, who had been an infidel. He was a hardened, scoffing infidel, of the Fourierite

12 THE ATHEIST.'

school. At every place, and under all circumstances, he was there ready to cast ridicule upon religion, if he was there at all. Now to see that man rise to lead in prayer, is it any wonder that he was surprised ? It was a delightful surprise. That prayer was so humble, so earnest, so full of confession for all the past, so full of thankfulness for the glorious gospel. It was no wonder that men were deeply touched, no wonder that some tears fell, and that the chords of the hearts of all present were swept by a master hand, and vibrated to that heart which was now so full of the love of Christ. Who could doubt that this was the work of the Holy Spirit?"

CHAPTEK n.

Hunting Him a Year.

The following was related by a clergyman, in a prayer meeting at Philadelphia, at the time of a convention held in that city, and was repeated in the Fulton Street Prayer Meeting :

A gentleman said he had been an attendant at the late convention, and he tarried over a day, in order to be at the Noon Prayer Meeting held in Sansom street. He found the church well filled at the hour of prayer, and after the first half hour the brethren remaining over after the convention were invited to occupy the time. The

2 (13)

delegate from California, who was a Methodist clergyman, arose, and said he had wished to relate one incident, in connection with his own experience and observation, which illustrated the power of a mother's prayers and love, and he begged a little indulgence.

As he had a large circle of friends and acquaintances at the East, and as it was known that he was traveling, tq a great extent, over California, he received many letters from anxious friends, begging him to hunt up a brother, or a son, and endeavor to bring them to Christ. Many an earnest letter of this kind he had received. Among the rest was one from a mother, so urgent, so full of entreaty, that it took a deep hold upon his heart. The letter told him how she had agonized and prayed for a son in California, until she had lost all traces of him, and begged of him that, on her behalf, he would endeavor to look up the lost boy, who, she feared, was in the broad road to ruin, and, as he loved souls, do all he could to save him.

Then, the speaker went on to say, I hunted for that son a whole year. I made inquiries for him everywhere. I determined to find him, if possible. At last I found him in a gambling saloon, at the card table, deeply engaged in play. In the midst of his game, I approached him, and told him I wished to speak with him. We descended into the street together. I told him how long I had been on the hunt for him, and it was all about the salvation of his soul.

He laughed me to scorn. He assured me I used my time and money to very poor advantage in looking for him, and, as he would take good care of himself, he did not know but thanks for all my painstaking would be superfluous. He said much that indicated that he looked on my efforts with haughty disdain and contempt.

But I had a commission to fulfill. So I requested him to go with me to the temperance rooms, and there sign the temperance pledge ; and then I wished him to go to the prayer meeting with me. He flatly refused to do either.

Stepping up close beside him, I placed my hand upon his shoulder and said, " Charlie, I believe you have a pious, praying mother. I am here at the request of that mother. All this long year have I sought you, from place to place, in obedience to a request of that mother. I have the letter in my pocket, asking this of me ; would you like to see it?"

The young man was struck dumb for a moment with astonishment. I ran my hand into my pocket for the purpose of showing him the letter. " Oh ! " said he, " don't show it to me ; don't produce the letter. I cannot bear to see it. If any young man owes a debt of gratitude to a mother, none more than I." I asked him again to go with me. He answered, " Let me go back and finish my game, and then I will come and go with

you."

He went back and played out his game, and, good as his word, he came out and went with me. We first went to the temperance rooms, and he signed the pledge. Then we went to the prayer meeting. The man was soon in great agony of spirit. To make a long sto'ry short, that young man became hopefully converted, and witnessed a good confession before many witnesses. He was a liberally educated young man. He was, in process of time, chosen to be a judge of the court of the county in which he resided. He was a conscientious judge.

One day he was trying a man, who was

2* indicted for gambling and similar offences — just sucli as lie had before been guilty of. The man at the bar was a desperado, and he shot the judge upon the bench. He was mortally wounded and life was fast ebbing away. He sent immediately for me, continued the speaker. I had just time to reach him and receive his last words. Oh! what precious words they were.

" Tell my dear mother," said the dying young man, " that I am dying in the assured hope of a glorious immortality beyond the grave. Send to her a thousand thanks that she sent you that letter, and oh ! a thousand thanks to you, that you so faithfully followed me up, and hunted that whole year for me. Tell my darling mother I thank her for that love which never tired, and for tiie prayers which were never omitted for her far-off son. I am going — going to heaven. I shall meet her there. Oh ! who can value a mother's prayers ? And who would complain of the faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God, if they would give him no rest — as did this mother, my dear, dear mother. Farewell."

The gentleman then added :

While I was laboring for the salvation of men in California, I had an impenitent father, and mother, and brother, and two sisters, all of whom opposed me when I devoted myself to the gospel ministrj'-, and for all whom I prayed. Now I am on my way to meet them, and next Sabbath I expect to give them the right hand of fellowship on their admission into the Church, and sit down with them at the sacramental table of the Lord. All of them have been converted within the last seven weeks, and when I shall meet them, whom I have not seen for many years, how different will be the scene from that in which I parted with them years ago — all of them opposed to the Gospel of Christ — now all of them rejoicing in Christ Jesus. So I believe God has been a covenant-keeping God with me, and been faithful to his promises to hear and answer prayer.

And now, said the gentleman making the narration, suppose we, any and all of us, should follow up our impenitent friends with the same intensity of industry and desire as were manifested in this case, should we not win our impenitent friends to the Saviour ? Who would stand out against it ? Would not the Spirit of all grace make it the means of their conversion — our faithful, humble, persevering efforts? Surely he would.