The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1911, Page 59

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

59

heart and does its work there. ‘The following inci-
dent in the life of Rev. H. Norton is a case in point:

Rey. Norton, in his missionary travel through
the western part of New York, came to a village
where there was a society of Universalists, whose
preacher was a man of great zeal. He tried various
experiments to draw Mr. Norton into debate, but
the latter avoided him. One day, however, they met
and were introduced to each other. ‘The Univer-
salist would not let the opportunity slip.

“Well, Mr. Norton,” said he, “I am one of those
who hold that all will be saved.”

“T am aware of it,” said Mr. Norton.

“And I think I can convince you that the doc-
trine is true,” said the Universalist.

“TI will hear you, sir,” said Mr. Norton.

The other then entered upon the usual argu-
ments in support of such views, receiving an atten-
tive hearing on the part of Mr. Norton, until he had
said all he wished to say.

“T have but one answer to make to all that,”
said Mr. Norton, looking him steadily in the face.

“Well, sir, what is it?” said the Universalist. -

“except you repent, you will perish.”

The reply sorely nonplussed the other. He
_ complained that Mr. Norton had not met the case;
but being assured by the latter that he had nothing
else to say, he rallied and’ put forth some other
argument, being determined to draw him out, if
possible. Mr. Norton heard him quietly until he
was through, and again said, “I have but one reply
to make to all that.”

The other paused to hear what it would be,
when Mr. Norton solemnly repeated the awful
words, “Except you repent, you will perish.”

“Why,” said the wounded man, for the sword
of the Spirit had pierced him deeply, “you will not
argue at all.”

 “T have nothing more to say,” quietly wea
Mr. Norton.

After a short pause the Universalist turned to
leave the room. ;

“Stop, my friend,” said Mr. Norton, “I wish to
say to you that there is one thing that you will not
be able to forget.”

“What is it, sir?” he asked.

“xcept you repent, you will lose your soul.”

A bitter smile of incredulity was the only reply
to this last remark. Mr. Norton saw nothing more
of him that day.

On the following day the Universalist called

upon Mr. Norton, and expressed a desire to have
more conversation. “No,” said the latter; “I do
not wish any more conversation with you.”

“Oh sir,” said the other, “I have not come to
argue with you. You were right yesterday when

you told me there was one thing I would not be

able to forget. I feel that it is true, that except
I repent, I must perish, and I have come to ask
you what I must do to be saved.”

“My dear friend,” said Mr. Norton, “if that be
the way, I shall be happy to talk with you as long
as you please.” And they did talk together, and
the result was, that the Universalist became a happy
believer, and a preacher of the truth which he had
previously labored to avert and destroy.

A Blessed Privilege.

Dr. Paton, the pioneer missionary to the New
Hebrides, said, “What we do in the Lord’s service
we must not look upon as a sacrifice. It is not a
sacrifice; it is a blessed privilege.” When $70,000
were due him in the way of profits from his auto-
biography, he would not hold any part of this for
his own use, but gave the whole sum to the mis-
sionary society which had supported him, saying:
“Tt is the Lord’s. Pass on the bread of life to my
brethren in the South Seas.” And when some one
spoke of “Paton’s sacrifice,” he said, “Not a sacri-
fice, but a blessed privilege.”

* When Dr. Livingstone, the African explorer and
missionary, visited England after a long absence, he
was much praised for his sacrifices. In reply he
said: “People talk of the sacrifices I made in spend-
ing so large a portion of my life in Africa. Can
you call that a sacrifice which is only a small pay-
ment on that great debt to God which can never be
fully discharged ? Say rather that it is a blessed
privilege.”

James Chalmers, the martyr missionary of New
Guinea, wrote: “Recalling the twenty-one years of
my missionary life, give me its shipwrecks, give me
its standing in the face of death, give me its sur-
roundings with savages, with spears and clubs flying
about me, with the club knocking me to the ground,
give me all of these, and I will still be glad of the .
blessed privilege of being your missionary of the
Christ of God.” 5

“Tn Christ’s service,” recently wrote a reader of
the Pronger, “the result of full consecration is
blessedness.”