The Christian and the infidels, or, The logic of the life : a true story

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No. 624.

CHRISTIAN AND THE INFIDELS ;

THE LOGIC OF THE LIFE.

A TRUE STORY,
BY THE ItEV HUGH STOWElL, M.A.

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ERE is one way, and that, after all, the best way, in
which the simplest and least learned believer may meet
and put down the subtlest infidel ; a way in which he may
face the scorner as David the uncircumcised Philistine,
with nothing save a sling and a stone, yet, in " the name of
the Lord of hosts," be " bold as a lion." The way I mean
is, to contend, not so much by words as by deeds ; not so
much by the logic of the lip, as by the logic of the life,

I shall best make my meaning plain by a simple account,
which shall be quite true, because it will be about what
lately happened in my own parish, and partly under my
own eye.

John is a dyer, who lives in a corner of my district.

Some years ago, he was as bad a character as can be well
conceived ; a drunkard, a blasphemer, a cruel husband, a
noted boxer, a practical infidel. As is usual in such cases,

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, INSTITUTED 1799;
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2 NO. G24. — THE CHRISTIAN AND THE INFIDELS.

his house was the home of wretchedness, unfurnished and
deserted ; his wife was in rags, his cupboard empty, and
debt and shame were his constant companions. About
three years ago, however, he came under the notice of an
assistant of mine. His wife was induced to open her house
for a cottage lecture, and the husband, after a time, began
to steal into the back part of the dwelling during the little
services, and to lend a half-unwilling ear to what was going
on. It pleased Him, who leads the blind by a way that
they know not, to reach his conscience in this manner.
He became very uneasy, and, spite of his mean clothes,
began to attend church. For a time his anguish of mind
was greater than can be told. But at last that Saviour
who came " to bind up the broken hearted," and who died
on the cross to save sinners, manifested himself to him as
he doth not to the world, giving him " beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the
spirit of heaviness,,, Isa, lxi. 1 — 3.

The calm morning after a stormy night is not a greater
change than that which followed in the life and lot of happy
John. All things became new. He set himself at once to
wipe away the heavy scores which stood against him at the
tavern and the shop, till at last he owed no man any thing
but love. His house was made clean and tidy, and one
piece of furniture after another was purchased, till the
whole face of his cottage was changed. His wife and him-
self, decently dressed, were in their places at church when-
ever the sabbath-speaking bell bade them to the house oi
prayer, and ere long they were seen kneeling side by side
at the table of the Lord.

A light thus put on a candlestick could not be hid. So
6triking a change in one who had been so notorious called
forth much notice. He became a wonder unto many. Some
admired, others mocked, and many persecuted him. His
former infidel companions were more especially mad against
him. They jeered him, reproached him, enticed him,
swore at him, and did all in their power to draw or to drive
him from his Saviour. But, deeply sensible of his own
utter helplessness, he clung to the strength of God, and
thus, out of weakness being made strong, his enemies only
served to prove his faith, exercise his patience, and increase
his watchfulness. The blast of temptation, which lays in
the dust the plant which our heavenly Father hath not

N0 624. — THE CHRISTIAN AND THE INFIDELS. 2

planted, only roots the deeper every " tree of righteous-
ness" which he has planted in the garden of his grace.

John had most to bear at his daily labour in the dye-
house. It was his hard lot to work amongst a band oi
" Socialists," and they had it nearly all their own way.
For a time, indeed, two men, members of a religious body,
timidly took the Christian's part; but after a while, even
these, worn out by annoyance, and ashamed of the cross,
deserted both him and their profession of religion, becoming
apostates, the vilest of the vile. The humble confessor was
thus left alone, like a sheep in the midst of wolves ; but hr
was not alone, "for the Lord stood by him." He was en-
abled to walk blamelessly and unrebukeably before them.
Sometimes he reasoned with them, at other times he in*
treated them, but most commonly he did as his Master had
done when beset by his accusers, " he answered not a word."
His meekness was the more lovely, because he had been
aforetime a terror to his companions, nor was there one of
them who would have dared to provoke him. But now the
gentleness of the lamb restrained the strength of the lion.

The quiet influence of John's consistent walk could not
fail to be felt. His life was harder to answer than his
tongue. A beautiful proof of this occurred one day. His
fellow- workmen had been for nearly an hour decrying
Christianity as the source of all crime and wretchedness,
whilst they boasted what their system would do if fairly
tried — what peace and purity would reign in their " New
Moral World." John held his peace for a long time, till
at last " the fire kindled," and lifting up his voice, he
turned upon them and said feelingly, but firmly, " Well,
I am a plain-dealing man, and I like to judge of the tree
by the fruits which it bears. Come then, let us look at
what your principles do. I suppose they will do in a little
way what they would do in a great. Now there," said he,
pointing at the two apostates, " there are Tom and Jem, on
whom you have tried your system. What, then, has it
done for them ? When they professed to be Christians, they
were civil, sober, good-tempered ; kind husbands and fond
fathers. They were cheerful, hard-working, and ready to
oblige. What are they now ? What have you made them ?
Look at them. How changed they are ! But not for the
better. They seem downcast and surly ; they cannot give
one a civil word ; their mouths are full of cursing and

4 NO. G-M«— THE CHRISTIAN AND THE INFIDELb.

filthiness ; they are drunk every week ; their children
are nearly naked; their wives broken hearted, and their
houses desolate. There is what your principles have done.
This is the ' Nexo Moral World' they have made.

" Now I have tried Christianity, and what has it done for
me ? I need not tell you what I was before ; you all too
well know. There was not one of you that could drink so
deeply, or swear so desperately, or fight so fiercely; I was
always out of humour, discontented, and unhappy. My wife
was starved and ill-used ; I had no money, nor could I get
anything upon trust ; I was hateful and hating. What am
I now ? What has religion made me ? Thank God, I am
not afraid to put it to you. He has helped me to walk
carefully amongst you. Am I not a happier man than I
was ? Can you deny that I am a better servant to my master,
and a kinder companion to you ? Would I once have put
up with what I daily bear from you ? I could beat any one
of you as easily as ever : why don't I do it ? Do you ever
hear a foul word come out of my mouth ? Do you ever
catch me in the public house ? Is there any one that has
got a score against me ? Go and ask my neighbours if I
am not altered for the better. Go and ask my wife : she
can tell you. Go and see my bouse; let that bear witness.
God be praised for it : here is what Christianity has done
for me ; there is what Socialism has done for Tom and Jem."
He stopped. The appeal was not to be withstood. For
that time, at least, the scoffers had not a word to answer.
They were overpowered by the eloquence of example.

My brethren of the working class, follow this beautiful
pattern — " With well doing put; to silence the ignorance of
foolish men." " Be not afraid of their terror," 1 Pet. ii. 15 ;
iii. 14. Witness w a good confession/' 1 Tim. vi. 13.
Stand fast, like Daniel before the den of lions ; or Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, before the burning fiery furnace.
If you "cannot argue, you can act. If you cannot reason
down, you can live down the artful infidel. There is a
logic of which, through grace, you may be masters ; a
logic so simple that a child can understand it, so conclusive
that a philosopher cannot disprove it ; it is the logic John
made use of — it is the logic of the life.

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