Impressive Incident


There was a time of great religious interest

in one of our Atlantic cities, and a large church

was filled to overflowing with a congregation

convened for social worship. Men of age and

experience of wealth and station and renown

were there, giving in their testimonies in favor

of the religion of the meek and lowly Jesus,

when lo! A little girl about eight years of age

arose and told that great congregation what a

great sinner she had felt herself to be, and how

happy she then was in the knowledge of sins

 forgiven.

She told her story with so much childish

simplicity that strong men hardened in sin

and crime, bowed themselves and wept before

the Lord, who were apparently unmoved during

the exhortations of the talented and gifted

of their own sex and age.-

About twenty years afterwards this same little

girl, now grown to woman's estate, was riding

in a public coach, and was very much annoyed

at the profanity of some of her traveling

companions, and was just about to reprove them

in the name of Him who hath declared, He

will not hold him guiltless that taketh His

name in vain, when much to her relief a very

elderly gentleman reproved them with so much

startling earnestness and affectionate 

admonition that their attention was immediately

 gained to the narration of his religious 

experience, which was briefly as follows:

"Young men, I was once wild, reckless, and

profane as you are, a disbeliever in the holy

Bible and the religion it teaches, and continued

this way, only growing harder and more

obdurate in heart every day, until my head was

whitened with the frosts of many winters, and

might have continued so till this time had not

my attention been arrested to give heed to the

things which make for our peace in the following

manner: 

"Business called me to an Eastern city, and

while passing a church, observing a great

crowd wending thitherward, I had the curiosity

to mingle with them. I found myself seated

in a dense congregation, where one after 

another, men that I knew personally and by 

repute, were giving their religious experience 

and exhorting sinners to comply with the terms

 of the gospel; but I thought them all misled, 

fanatical or hypocritical; but when a little girl

 arose, and with the artless simplicity of 

childhood, told her simple story of faith and love,

 I could not find it in my heart to think here was

 any hypocrisy or any evil intent whatever. My 

whole soul was moved with the effect of her 

childlike story. I left the meeting with the great

 deep of my heart all broken up, my infidelity 

entirely submerged; but for weeks I was like 

Noah's ark drifting upon the mighty waters;but

 blessed be God, the heavenly Dove

came to the window of my heart with the olive

 branch of peace in its mouth, the waters were

assuaged, and I planted my feet firmly on the

Rock Christ Jesus, and no storm has yet been

able to unloose me from my moorings. Under

God, that little girl was the instrument of my

conversion."

What an interesting listener this person

must have been who was thus led by the hand of

providence to see the practical result of this

most beautiful passage of holy writ: "Cast thy

bread upon the waters, and after many days

shall ye find it again."

Let us, dear young friends, go and do likewise.

And though we may never be permitted

to have such an occular demonstration of the

glorious harvest of our endeavors, yet if we in

the name of our great Master withhold not our

hand from sowing the good seed, He who

watcheth even the sparrow when it falls to the

ground will not pass by our humble efforts 

unnoticed.

"Withhold not thy hand from sowing

in the morning or in the evening, for thou

knowest not which shall bring forth this or

that, or whether both shall alike prosper."




* * *

Battle Creek, Michigan., Feb. 28, 1860.