King's Business - 1916-01

THE ' KING’S BUSINESS

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ceeding farther. As soon as it was known that I was in Rochester, Judge G. called on me, and with much earnestness, request­ ed me to stop and preach. Some o f the ministers, also, insisted upon my stopping, and preaching for them. I informed them that I was worn out, and the time had come for me to be at home. However, they were very urgent, and especially one o f the min­ isters, whose w ife was one o f my spiritual daughters, the Sarah B. o f whom I have spoken as having been converted at West­ ern. I finally consented to stop and preach a sermon or two, and did so, But this brought upon me a more importunate invi­ tation to remain and hold a series o f meet­ ings. I decided to remain and though wearied, went on with the work. “ In the meantime, Judge G. had united with other members o f the bar in a written request to me to preach a course o f ser­ mons to lawyers, adapted to their ways of thinking. Judge G. was then one o f the judges o f thé court o f appeals in the state, and held a very high place in the estima­ tion o f the whole profession. I consented to deliver the course o f .lectures. I was aware o f the half skeptical state o f mind in which those members o f the bar were, many o f them at least, who were still un­ converted. There was still in the city a goodly number o f pious lawyers, who had been converted in the revival, o f 1830 and ’31. “ I began my course o f lectures to lawyers, by asking this question : ‘Do we know anything?’ and followed up the inquiry by lecturing, evening after evening. My con­ gregation became very select. Brother Burchard’s meetings opened an interesting place for one class o f the community, and made more room for the lawyers, and those especially attracted by my course o f lec­ tures in the house where I was preaching. It was completely filled, every night. As I proceeded in my lectures, from night to night, I observed the interest constantly deepening.

accusing himself in a terrible manner. I said a few words to him, . to which he seemed to pay but little attention. The Spirit o f God had his attention so thor­ oughly, that I soon desisted from all efforts to make him attend to what I said. When I told the congregation who it was, they all knew him and his character, and it pro­ duced tears and sobs in every part o f the house. I stood for some time, to see if he would be quiet enough for me to go on with my sermon; but his loud weeping rendered it impossible. I can never for­ get the appearance o f his wife, as she sat and held his face in her hands upon her lap. There appeared in her face a holy joy and triumph that words cannot express. SENT FOR HIS FRIENDS “W e had several prayers, and then I dis­ missed the meeting, and some persons helped 'Mr. H. to his house. He immedi­ ately wished them to send for certain of his companions, with whom he had been in the habit o f ridiculing the work o f the Lord in that place. He could not rest until he had sent for a great number o f them, and had made confession to them; which he did with a very broken heart. “ He was so overcome that for two or three days he could not get about town, and continued to seek for such men as he wished to see, that he might confess to them, and warn them to flee from the wrath to come. As soon as he was able to get about, he took hold o f the work with the utmost humility and simplicity o f charac­ ter, but with great earnestness. Soon after, he was made an elder, or deacon, and he has .ever since been a very exemplary and. useful Christian. His conversion was so marked and so powerful, and the results were so manifest, that it did very much to silence opposition. APPEALS JUDGE IS SAVED “A fter resting a day or two in Boston, I left for home. Being very weary with labor and travel, I called on a friend at Rochester, to take a days rest before pro­

(T o be continued.)

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