ailu tilat rest, wiicu true repentance and faith in in 3. on re, he he rst ge, le, ed vil of h al gs, ›b ng THE MOTHER'S ASSISTANT. VOL. III. MARCH, 1843. [Written for the Mother's Assistant.] REMARKABLE CONVERSION OF AN INFIDEL. BY THE EDITOR. NO. 3. The following interesting facts in relation to the conversion of an infidel, through the instrumentality of his wife, were, furnished us by a gentleman well acquainted with all the circumstances. In December last, a revival of religion commenced in the town of C, Mass. In the neighborhood where it first commenced, there lived a man of more than fifty years of age, who had never but once in his life read a chapter in the bible, and then, by the persuasion of his wife! He was a professed infidel, and never attended public worship, nor was he willing his family should. Thus they lived when the spirit of the Lord visited the place. The mind of his wife and daughters then became deeply impressed on the subject of the salvation of their souls, and they wished to attend the meetings, but he forbade it. One evening, one of the daughters, unobserved by her father, stole away to attend a religious meeting in the neighborhood. She was burdened with a sense of her sins-weary and heavy laden, and wanted to find that pardon and that rest, which true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, alone can give. Her father, however, soon, missed her, and suspecting her design, went after her, and, before she reached the meeting, overtook her, and compelled her to return home! The poor girl, with a disappointed and sad heart, obeyed. The father then threatened, that, if any of his family again attempted to go to meeting, he would take their lives! His poor wife, however, still begged permission to go, but unsuccessfully, until one evening, moved by a 50 CONVERSION OF AN INFIDEL. sense of her lost condition, and her need of the prayers of Christians, it occurred to her, that she would make one desperate effort to accomplish her laudable end. This she did, by solemnly promising her husband, that, if he would go with her that evening, she would never ask him again. To her surprise he replied, "Though I care neither for God or man, yet to get rid of your importunities, and to have the question forever settled, I will go this once." To what an interesting crisis have we arrived in this narrative! That woman's hopes of salvation for her own soul, and her deep solicitude for the conversion of her husband and daughters, all hung upon the result of this desperate experiment! With what trembling anxiety must she have retired for a few moments previous to leaving, to pour out her soul in earnest supplication to God, that the Holy Spirit might that evening find way to his heart. He went with his wife. He was in a new place, and sounds he was unused to hear, greeted his ears. He became interested, and listened with attention. Soon arrows of conviction pierced his heart, and he groaned in agony at a view of his sins, and cried to God to have mercy on his soul! Notwithstanding his long life of wickedness and opposition to God, his prayer was heard and answered, and he is now rejoicing in God his Savior. His faithful and devoted wife has also found joy and peace in believing; and the daughter, who, with a broken and contrite heart, was on her way to a meeting, to seek the forgiveness of her sins, and who was overtaken and driven back, together with three other daughters, have all sought and found the forgiveness of their sins, through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! This lion, who has been transformed into a lamb, takes up the cross in the prayer meeting, and bears decided testimony to the power of divine grace to convert even the hardened sinner. He declares that he has enjoyed more happiness during the two months since his conversion, than in all his previous life. Hereafter, let no religious woman despair of the conversion of her unbelieving husband, for "God moves in a mysterious way, Boston, Feb., 1843. A WARNING TO PROSPEROUS TRADESMEN. A WARNING TO PROSPEROUS TRADESMEN. 51 A pious tradesman, conversing with a minister on family worship, related the following highly instructive circumstance respecting himself: "When I first began business for myself, I was determined, through the grace of God, to be particularly conscientious with respect to family prayer. Accordingly, I persevered for many years, in the delightful practice of domestic worship. Morning and evening every individual of my family was ordered always to be present; nor would I allow my apprentices to be absent on any account. In a few years, the advantage of these engagements appeared manifestly conspicuous-the blessings of the upper and nether springs followed me-health and happiness attended my family, and prosperity my business. At length, such was my rapid increase in trade, and the necessity of devoting every possible moment to my customers, that I began to think whether family prayer did not occupy too much of our time in the morning. Pious scruples arose respecting my intentions of relinquishing this part of my duty; but at length, worldly interest prevailed so far, as to induce me to excuse the attendance of my apprentices; and, not long after, it was deemed advisable, for the more eager prosecution of our business, to make the prayer with my wife, when we arose in the morning, suffice for the day. Notwithstanding the repeated checks of conscience which followed this base omission, the calls of a flourishing concern, and the prospect of an increasing family, appeared so imperious and commanding, that I found an easy excuse for this fatal evil; especially as I did not omit prayer altogether. My conscience was now almost seared as with a hot iron, when it pleased the Lord to awaken me by a singular providence. "One day I received a letter from a young man, who had formerly been my apprentice, previous to my omitting family prayer. Not doubting but I continued domestic worship, his letter was chiefly on this subject; it was couched in the most affectionate and respectful terms; but judge of my surprise and confusion, when I read these words:-'O, my dear master, never, never, shall I be able sufficiently to thank you for the precious privilege with which you indulged me, in your family devotions. O, sir, eternity will be too short to praise my God for what I learned there. It was there, I first |