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
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