The Feeble Instrument Of A Tract

 

The following striking fact, related by one of the general agents of the American Tract Society, illustrated in a peculiar manner the feeble means which the Holy Spirit often employs in bringing about His blessed results.

In 1837, a tract distributor came abroad a brig lying in New York harbor, and handed the officer a tract. He received it very ungraciously, cursing the man to his face, asking him what wages he received, and telling him he might be in better business. The distributor mildly expostulated with him, and besought him to put the tract in his pocket, and when he should be at leisure to give it a careful reading. Impressed by his earnest manner and tearful eye, he put it in his pocket.

While at sea, sometime after, he discovered the tract in his pocket, and read it. It solemn and awakening truths went like and arrow to his heart. During the remainder of the voyage he was in great agony lest the Holy Spirit might leave him before his peace was made with God.

"O, brother," said he, "could I then have had your other tract,'what is it to believe in Christ' I should have found peace many months sooner than I did!"

After his conversion he became very active as a Christian. His efforts were blessed to the conversion of many sailors. In the course of a year or two he abandoned the sea, and for several years has been laboring with no ordinary degree of success as a preacher of the gospel,having been the means of organizing several churches, and of converting many souls.

When I look on this little tract, and think what trains of blessing and salvation never to end have been started by its feeble instrumentality, I find in it the moving argument for increased faithfulness in sowing such seed myself, and in stirring up others to sow it more bountifully.

O, that Christians understood and realized how God's Spirit is hovering over dark, ignorant, sin-ruined minds, waiting to have such seed sown there, that he may cause it to spring up and bear fruit to the glory of God!"

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