The sword is, as it were, consecrated to God; and the art of war becomes a part of our religion.” –Samuel Davies

Friday, June 13, 2014

A Missing Horse and the Advance of the Gospel

     In my last post, we looked at an excerpt from the memoirs of Rev. John Gano, a Baptist preacher who was travelling the Southern Appalachians in the mid 18th century.  Here is another look into Gano’s life.

I preached, on Lord's day, at Mars-bluff; where the people attended from a considerable distance. From here, I set off again, on my journey.  I was told there was a route to Tar-river, which would shorten the distance, near fifty miles; and a person offered to accompany me ten miles, provided I would stop at a place, on the banks of Cape-Fear, [I] told him, I could not stop, for I had made an appointment at Fish-creek, and it was necessary for me to proceed, in order to fulfil it. When I arrived at the last place, I meant to have started early in the morning, to avoid the importunities of the people. I was obliged, however, to tarry some time; for, in the morning, I could not find my horse, and was fully convinced, he was put out of the way on purpose.  After hunting for him several days, in vain, I was obliged to get another.  I, however, tarried here some time and preached, and I trust to the eternal welfare of many souls.  I have often thought, what a blessing, was in my disappointment, and how anxious I then was, to avoid that opportunity, of being instrumental in the conversion of the people.  I thought it a heaven upon earth; and the remembrance of it, even at this day, produces a strong wish to see one more such time, before I die.  The people presented me a horse, which they purchased of Mr. Fuller, their former minister.
Another circumstance of a singular nature, which took place here, I cannot pass over in silence.  A man in the neighbourhood of this place, who had formerly been a preacher,  but latterly had openly professed Deism, came to hear the last sermon that I preached.   I think I spoke from these words: “Acquaint now, thyself with him, and be at peace; and thereby good shall come unto you.”  As he had been pointed out to me, I watched him closely, and could not but observe the contempt he discovered  at   the  beginning of service; but before it ended, the tears rolled down his cheeks, and when I had finished, he came to me, and urged me to stay and preach again.  I replied, I had staid so long, that all those, who had any regard for God, and his word, had improved the opportunities of coming to hear me, and those that cared not for their own souls had rejected these opportunities.  After standing a moment, he asked me, where I expected to make the next stop.  I told him, about seventy miles off, at Fish creek, in North Carolina.  He offered to bear me company.  I told him, I had company.  At this reply, I observed his countenance to change; and I felt hurt, at the answer I had given him: I turned to him, and told him, that if he wished to converse with me about his soul, I should be glad of his company.  He said, that was his wish.  The next day we started, and on the road, he convinced me of that, which, before, I did not, and probably, now, should not believe,—that there might be an Atheist in principle.  That there were many in practice, was very evident.  He told me, that doubts arose in his mind respecting the divinity of Christ, the Bible, heaven, and a hell, till those doubts became very strong; when he connected himself with a set of Deists.  He afterwards joined the Atheists, who furnished him with books and arguments which established him in his infidelity, in which he had remained till yesterday; but under that sermon, he had such impressions, that nothing, but the operation of the divine  spirit could have made.  He said, he did not then doubt the existence of a God, but believed his word.  He said, his wish was to hear those arguments answered, which the Atheists advanced, that he might be enabled to resist future attacks.  I must confess, some of his arguments, gave me a little trouble to answer, either to his or my own satisfaction. 1

     Lord-willing we will look at Gano’s life again in my next post.

Christ, not man, is King!
Dale

1)      John Gano, Biographical Memoirs of the Late Rev. John Gano (New York: Southwick & Hardcastle, 1806), p. 69-73.




No comments:

Post a Comment