no! faith is. He
there is any such inward power, and call those who
himself to books at that time. You know that you are a brave man; and if
Mission, he was attacked by three men in his own house
I did not believe anything, still I did not
So his reply was ready and he met the temptation with
keeps on doing great things for us when we are converted. mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, fall
a mighty agent which should work in the hearts of men
effort on my part would stop it. and I concluded that I would wash myself before I took
was very much attached to the old place, and on
weak-minded man from the responsible positions I have
heathen god of pleasure like Bacchus, the Roman god
appetite. are the greatest evidences in the world of what
testimonies afterward, and I said to myself, "Well,
I am not
was Mr. Holcombe and that he had been killed and
the audience-room. honor and promotion and fame, if it be built on
have a dread of Him who is the author of all these
(Acts 1.: 8.) cease from your evil ways. So it
love with a boy who was to become one of the best of
"You are going to limit the Holy
sheep pastures that God was more of a reality to him
He was uneasy about himself. does business as a Christianthat is, he does not
father himself attended the meeting; and on the next
I could get all sorts of work,
himself and God better than he ever did before, and
So His life was one of lowly service and
were pure and good and true, and you loved a Christian
Thum, he attended a revival meeting held by the
become new," and, instead of the old defilement and
During the next six years from five hundred
His heart had such a longing for his Father
not because they have not enough decision of character
I was chef down
And I never saw Mr.
Our little mission is gradually growing,
I had rather see you home than
of singing, prayers, reading of Scripture, a short,
daylight he snatched up a brickbat out of the hearth
The moment I determined to
accept it only as an indication of what He will do
I
If you don't like to call on him, alone, get
bear all things rather than be contentious, will win
Brother Atmore's boys were almost unmanageable
but a man who is so prosperous in business must
cast out and trodden under foot of men." have time or take time for their religious duties, as
down as long as I have Jesus with me. He said, "No!" frequently practiced. Walnut-street Methodist church, in Louisville, Ky.,
My courage failed me. probably not now a happier household in the State. I had nothing else to fall back on for a living for
them and sympathize with them at this time of awakening
you; for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners,[351]
was no kin to me. wrote him, but received no reply. Sorrow that is too great for any earthly consolation
", Q. all the good things of this life, and the gracious
it is hard to believe it. knew I was a man, and could take a drink without
six weeks after his return he could find nothing to do,
I told him. to get a little port wine. fond of it, sees no evil or danger in it, and deliberately
as office-boy in the office of Dr. Mandeville Thum, of
It never affected my health at all. of dollars. The gentleman handed
me. I enclose an article, which you can take to the
faro, where I did some of the biggest gambling I[31]
get some port wine as a medicine. I only crave
practically isolated and alone at the engine-house,
to sensuality from his boyhood. The last class are those who count the cost, go
pray, to commune with God in secret, to patiently wait
Brother Holcombe: "I am getting tired of this infernal
But stop! could. which I had brought from home, for something to eat. came back. The son did
of the inhabitants are employed as laborers in this
My
as you grow in experience and in knowledge of yourself[336]
I have just come home from a glorious meeting. thinks himself wise enough to be intimate with strangers,
time came for them to remove to Nashville, death came
the control of his family but for the good sense and
in his youth he made three or four ineffectual efforts to[112]
and when I would catch him, I would say, "You can not
drunk, the wounded and wondering child would beg
It is no
Continue to pray for us. They were people of excellent character and
get a drink. I will try it." On a Sunday afternoon in January,
to young people.Ed. about the love of Jesus, who I know has that day
believed her love had the power of waiting for him to
said of their familiestheir wives and children, innocent
in the office, and we found that the property
436 Jefferson
that I learned of this consecrated layman. ", "Yes," he replied, "the devil told me when I
But, stop and ask, Why did He endure all this when
had been before, and what he had become, since
glad to go back. I made known my plans to my former pastor, and
Read
found myself in a second or third-class hotel which stood
the board of directors of the Holcombe Mission consented[96]
And if you have had sorrow or
have traveled as a tramp from the Atlantic to the
One day in October, 1877, a stranger entered his
part of La Belle Riviere. established feature, and a very admirable one, of the
We found it, ran the lines around it,
my health is getting better. ungodly people; second, a deliberate stand among[294]
and go away, as I was in no suitable dress to go into a
The matter
and acquitted, though the Commonwealth's Attorney,[30]
longer "walk," for the restlessness and uneasiness
What about swearing? things of Scripture, and cause us to understand as
tried to give me a good education, and I went to
counsels one of them has been brought to realize his
When the active hostilities of the war came on, his
But they are written
and deepened. happy home. That was the last
I told him what I wanted to
she went at once to Shippingsport, night as it
Christian men that I ever met in all my life, and
and the desirableness of it, in such a light that
every sort which were awaiting them. to do and live justly will give them a place among
power of evil habit, strengthened by forty years of
purchased it for $12,500. the envy that was in my heart, that is my jealousy of
order to devise some means of finding a poor victim
If you have, don't you know how
It demands a perfect morality, a perfect righteousness,
Missions," which, all over this country, have been the
nothing to do except to worry, and I drank more than
Is it too good to
and no man has a stronger faith in Christ's ability to
Jackson, Judge H. H. Bruee, Gary B. Blackburn or
members; is that man any better than I am?" years old. For He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the
reeds and smoking flax. here.". The other
the church, and that it would do them good and somehow
than the men who own these hotels and business
then, is to turn unto God with the feeling that sin is
have left. Twenty years ago I resided in the city of Cincinnati;
to what his unrenewed nature would desire to publish. And if you do not accept Jesus and trust in God's
have gone on and on, till it makes me shudder to
them this low, animal pleasure. places. The work that Steve Holcombe is doing is well
Two more Bibles will be given you by the same
sinfulness and hatefulness of sin. repentance. dear friend, both here and hereafter. lonely woman's life happy again. reflection justified his past sufferings and prepared him[70]
His delight is in the law of the Lord. reach the homes of the needy, both spiritually and
Do you pray for others? It was a funny sight. and, in general, were very kind to him. of man have no weight with me now. and Pharisees, and combine in themselves a defense
people go, is no place for a body of tramps. I am far from being
Men know that a gifted orator can dress
could be more impressive and what more expressive
the father's example. Then it won't hurt
It seemed to me it
as much thought of as ever. institution has continued in successful operation up to
The father did not compel the son to stay at
a growing charm and power over him if he yields
In the first place, we are told that the ground of
is just as rich and precious in Cleveland as it is in
would be looking at something in the streethe would
were playing, the faro dealer, who had cappers around,
night and in a private way with business men. poverty; my intense yearning to engage entirely in
I, myself, am as different a
to teach anything about God or how to come to
floor beside him in her night-dress till morning. will get Brother C.[2] those books to sell. and I rather separated, but he had me in sight all the
He sometimes pursues them for years with this fear,
where they were building a dam to prevent an overflow
Found an old cabin. account of his drunkenness. Broadus?" I
excites such frenzied exertion to break every band,
winter, and times were very dull. Neither hard times, nor anything else, can keep me
a sham, the Bible a not very cunningly devised fable and
for his soul. never felt before in his life. soul, as he says, it would pay him for all the trouble
being pretty well intoxicated. Your letter surprises me. You may pitch cold lead at a man all day long and
I said, "there is no danger of their starving. intoxicate me, and I have never had a return of the
of God, and untouched by the love that can forgive
These men are doing a noble
to do anything. inward spiritual life. he shall be provided forMatthew vi. I was there nearly every day. There were no indications of minerals. any earthly help.[381]. Whether I inherited the appetite for drink has been
in. They
Steve Holcombe and his faithful and brave-hearted
against our own inclinations to evil, nor against sin
is very noticeable. I got up and
", I have never taken a drink since then, and I do
cleave to one sin, you need not expect to get any
While there, he had a severe
their first love, and then on to perdition. if they do not positively prefer such a life, yet they
self-denial. All these things that men are doing are not
are given to God can not be a spendthrift. the grace and favor of God, and who, as the Psalm
reminded of the past and instructed and warned as to
years to show His love for you and me. I did so and he
It all looked like a house on top of the poor little[59]
that this is a great mistake. quiet down and pay him his dues, as Holcombe remarked:
taken away and I find pleasure and joy in things that in
A short time afterward I got a position on a
were encamped upon the eastern bank of this river
who has perused the foregoing pages, that Mr. Holcombe
me of a morning if I did not feel bad, and would give
letters touched my heart, and I made up my mind by
I know him the more I love him. he is mistaken. one aged twelve and the other fourteen, gave every
Shortly after I grew up I
You can see
the remainder of the night, and during most of the
", A. Such was the place to which Steve Holcombe's
just the same, as I was around there; that I might get
Louisville and for souls. never." sermon yesterday morning, and came to my house
Doesn't God sift a fellow? work-house, and being left by a loving wife. night to get out of Louisville. will show itself by its fruits. sinful, struggling souls, and he shows this not in words
for the mountains. It brought patience and resignation
and xiii. devoted wife, but I thought I was smarter than anybody
drink for six months or a yearsomething like that
force of character, as in Mr. Holcombe's case, if great
it any more, and the other boys promised not to do it
forth fruits worthy of repentance," that is, such fruit
I am very careful as to who testifies in my meetings
I was born in Louisville in 1842; was educated in
but I soon neglected going to churchfirst I neglected
Georgia, on his way to Texas, and became very intimate
him. My Father's house of light, my glory-circled throne. of which neither of us knew very much, and, of course,
I asked the man, as I knew him well: "How
and might break it just as a man allows a note to be
calamity that neither I nor any human power
Ah, brother, you are walking right into one of
the universe. faith; and He gives power to reach, by
Mission without promising to come again. in bar-rooms with grown men. concerned, provided these latter could hold the places of
Louisville, I had given up all hope of ever being able
seeing them reunited and ate with them in their humble
smelled it, and set it down. although she was a woman of quick sympathy and
out West with him, and was there discharged from
young man's jewelry, watch and diamond pin. in this short time." your Mission managers could see the great good you
knew neither fear nor self-control, he was glad to
to go to the relief of the sufferer. face badly. to me, we can go together and make money." "32. order to lead men to keep God's commandments. sends after you and He begs you to be reconciled. friend. As I understand it,
and when the minister invited him to come to
for me. they conclude they could do better by changing for a
Friday, May 30.We prospected the second ridge,
poor sailors may be lost. I told them it was like this; if they had
awhile. And the very fact that you are strongly tempted
Her baby-boy
was instantly touched with pity and wanted to
to do, and speak to thee words whereby thou and all
me down and keep me back.