THIS is now nearly a year since the first drops fell of the copious shower of blessing that has since continued to pour upon the town and county of Sligo. And while the streams of grace flowed down from the Father’s hand, a continuous volume of sweet incense, ascending from glad and grateful hearts, has gone up before the throne, an offering of a sweet-smelling savor, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Many declining Christians, whose first love and zeal and devotion had gradually subsided by reason of the cold and lifeless atmosphere that surrounded them, have been quickened and revived; and, with hearts full of gratitude, they count it their reasonable service to present their bodies to God as living sacrifices, and are spending and being spent in the effort to win souls for Christ, and to swell the numbers of the happy and rejoicing company who have lately passed within the Father’s threshold.
Nor is it the least remarkable feature of the work, that no sooner do the new-born souls enter into the joy of their salvation than they begin to call their neighbors and friends to come in and share their happiness with them; and thus the laborers are multiplied, and many souls are won.
Besides the gospel meetings, two of which are held in Sligo weekly, and one in most of the neighboring villages and towns, wherever it is practicable, believers’ meetings are also held, where much prayer is wont to be made, and the Christians are instructed in the Word, and exhorted to consistency, faithfulness, and intimate personal communion with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ our precious Lord.
These believers’ meetings have been made a great means of blessing for the strengthening and building up of the Christians; and many, I may say all, are searching their Bible as for hid treasure, some evidently determined to follow its teaching though it cost them dear.
From time to time there is also a good deal of house to house visiting carried on, and it is pleasant to see the way in which even a strange visitor, as your correspondent is, is welcomed, provided he come to speak of “Jesus only.” This is so in a great number of houses where a year ago it would have been very different.
When I say that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ has shone into hearts in a hundred houses since last June, sometimes converting every member of the family, I am very far from exaggerating. And this I say of Sligo and its neighborhood alone, not to speak of Boyle, and Balling, and Colloney, and Coolaney, and Ballymote, and Killalla, and Mullaferry, and Ballinglen, and Skreen, at each and all of which places God has done marvelous things in saving souls from death, and heaping honors upon the name of Jesus. Of the work in these places a history in itself may be written that would cheer your readers’ hearts; of Christians quickened, backsliders restored, drunkards reclaimed sleepers awakened, formalists brought nigh, children saved, and gray-headed men and women converted.
Truly we have reason to raise a loud and long-continued song of praise to our loving, gracious, and merciful Father, who, in his long-suffering yet puts forth His hand to save in such mighty power, using worms to accomplish His purpose, that all the glory may be His own. Amen. Bless the Lord, O our souls, and all that is within us bless His holy name.
As to laborers, they are almost all as yet come from a distance to tell the joyful tale, but there are several who, it is hoped, will, before long, be workers in their own fields. Certain it is, the laborers from a distance cannot do the work that is to be done; no, nor if their numbers were to be doubled could they preach in all the places where there is an open door and hearing ear, to say nothing of keeping watch over individual cases, and visiting amongst them; so we pray―and will your readers join us?―that those who are fitted may no longer hold back from their work through false humility or slothfulness, but, remembering that the time is coming when no man can work, let fall their water pots of earthly pursuits, and go into the city to call their fellow-men to “come and see” Jesus. The God of the harvest will answer us, for the Master told us so to pray.
But you will ask, “What about the ministers of the various denominations? do they work with you and share the burthen of the sheaves?” I regret to have to answer that as a rule they do not. Here and there are bright exceptions, and God is honoring them and giving them joy in their ministry that they never knew before, as some of them have testified: would to God their fellows were partakers of their joy! But some are standing aloof―neutrals, though owning the work as God’s, and some are opposing and hindering, and bringing sore trouble upon those who, in obedience to the words of Jesus, are keeping His commandments, taking up His cross and following Him. The servant is not greater than his lord; and in their troubles they ass comforted with the same comfort wherewith the Lord Himself was comforted of God, when He stood in our place in the world before us, to leave us an example that we should follow His steps.
In many places the work has been so blessed that now but little remains to be done but to take by the hand and lead the new-born souls to the Fountain of living waters, if peradventure they may be refreshed by drinking there, that never again will they forsake those streams for the broken cisterns of the earth, even though meetings should cease and pastors fail.
But though this is so in many of the older fields, new doors are so constantly being opened that a week seldom passes in which many souls are not saved, and wanderers brought home.
G. T.
A FEW Cherokee women, who had been converted to Christianity, formed themselves into a society for the propagation of the gospel, which was now become so dear to them. The produce of the first year was about ten dollars, and the question was, to what object this should be applied. At length a poor woman proposed that it should be given for the benefit of the Osage nation; “for,” said she, “the Bible tells us to do good to our enemies (Matthew 5:4444But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44)); and I believe the Osages are the greatest enemies the Cherokees have.”― An Extract.