Morning Star

A Warning to the Impenitent.

The following letter has been handed to us for publication. The gentleman to whom it is addressed, is now preaching every evening at the First Presbyterian Church in this city. It is hoped that the following warning may induce some to attend to the salvation of their souls.—Chicago Citizen.

Michigan City, Ia., Jan. 13, 1845.

Dear Bro. Avery—Allow me to give you the following facts, which recently occurred in this place. On Friday afternoon, the 27th December, I called at the shop of a Mr. S——, and found him reading a tract—"Convictions Stifled"—which he said a lady (whom I afterwards ascertained was Mrs. Avery) had just left there. As he rose to shoe a horse, I followed him, and conversed with him. He "did not know about God, the soul, and eternity." I urged him to attend to the subject of his salvation. He said he thought he would come to meeting that evening. He did so, hearing your discourse from Prov. 29:1. During it, you said, that, while a godly minister in New York State was preaching a solemn discourse, a young man, in the gallery opposite to him, rose and walked out of the house; and that the minister said, after a pause, that, though no prophet, he should not be surprised if that young man should be brought in feet foremost. It was so. You then said that some reviler of religion here might soon be brought in after the same manner. At the close of your sermon, you desired such as wished to come to Christ to remain, and gave to others the liberty of then retiring. S—— rose instantly, and walked out first, others following. Afterwards, he spoke contemptuously, I was told, of the meetings, and never again came to them.

On Saturday, the 14th inst., he sickened. On the Monday following, I was sent for to see him, the physician having told him that he must soon die. I endeavored to direct him to Christ—urging him to repentance and faith. He said, "there were so many denominations and views, he knew not which was right. He had not attended meetings, nor had he read suitable books, so as to know the right way. Could he recover, and live two or three years, he would attend to these matters." He had tried to be an infidel and an atheist. I said to him, that, as his time was short, he should think of nothing but Christ Jesus and him crucified—referring him to the thief on the cross. Several times he was pointed to the Savior. He said, "It was now too late; he had not in health attended to this matter; and now, pained and dying, he could not; the death-bed was no place for attending to the salvation of the soul; he must now go where he supposed others went; he did not know what would befall him." (His infidelity had left him, but in darkness and confusion. He said, when asked if I should pray for him, No; it will be of no use to pray." The next day, and a few hours before he died, he exhibited to Deacon Peck the same state of mind as he had before to me. He finally became rather stupid, and died. This was the first death and burial after your sermon, God keeping alive a lad, sickened before he was, seemingly to impress what you said. What a solemn Providence! When men are reproved for the last time, and thus fill up the measure of their iniquity, does not God sometimes suddenly cut them off with "NO REMEDY?"

Yours, in the Gospel.