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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. irrata to pelure. n A i n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■1!^ ^P AN Accojwr OF Tolly Sterns^ A GIRL OF TWELVE TEARS OF A«E, I WHO LI VXD ON LOAD COLLlEH't MAVOft) IN TiClb PKOVINCE OF LOWER CANADA: i, "WHO WAS COnWRTKD TO THE lOVB 01 OOD l?f A WONBERfUL MANNFtt) AMD IT FROVBD TO JIE A HOPEfSL CONVERSATION OF THE WHOLE VAMILT AND A GREAT MAKT OF THE NEIOHSQ^HS IN THE TOWN-^ ^^^^^^i JfCTDSOJV.- V PRINTED BY ASHBEL STODDARD, 1816. b ^' .-. rV' r*- p*— ♦— — ' •.-• *'* •> ACCOUNT, &c. I shall now relate the wonderful conver- sion of a girl, who lived on Collier's Man* or in the province of Lower Canada, called Polly Sterns, Her father was a poor man, a man that was apt to drink hard, and a man of no religion ; no, not so much as a form of religion, ht was very unguarded in hisconversasion and would frequently curse and swear very bad and his wife and chil- dren followed his example, and there was much quarrelling and contention between him anc? his wife. She would often up- braid him for drunkenness, and he would upbraid her for laziness and wastefulnws ; .thus it was an uncomfortable family, ami they did not seem to fear God nor man. They had about two miles from them, a ■very godly neighbor by the name of Marsh, whose wife wanted thi*& Polly Sterns to .come and with her, and Polly's mother said she might go, if she was willing. Polly said she was willing, and Mrs. Marsh took her home with her. As they were going along, Mrs. Marsh asked how old she was? She said a little above twelve years. Why, said Mrs. Marsh, your mother is well off for help. Yes, said Polly, if they were willing to work; rriy oldest sister is sixteen years old, and the other fourteen, and al- though my mother curses and swears at them almost half the time, yet they do not both of them do a maid's days work in a day. Can you spin, Polly ? said Mrs. Marsh, Yes, said PoUy, a little, I should have learned better, but the girls were al- ways swearing at me if I meddled with their wheels ; it was that which made me so willing to go to your house, I hope you will let me learn to spin ? Yes, Polly, said Mrs. Marsh, you may spin as much as you please, and I will learn you all that I can. At nightjbefore Mr. Marsh went to bed, he went to prayer, and as Polly had never heard a prayer in her life before, she wa» surprised to see Mr. Marsh talking to something, as if he saw and was convers- ing with somebody. She could not see any body that he could be talking to, and this gave her some uneasines in her mind, as she afterwards related. But the next mor- ning, Mr. Marsh had another spell of talk- ing as he had the night before, and Polly was now more surprised than she was be- fore ; for she knew there was nobody in "sight, as she went to the windows and look- ed out to see if she could find who he was talking :o, but she could not, and she felt so uneasy, that soon after prayers she told Mrs. Marsh she wanted to go home. Mr. Marsh asked her what she wanted to go home for ? She would not tell, biit said I will come again. Well, said Mrs. Marsh, you may gohomie,but I ho^»« ou will come 1 \ \ %: again. She said she would and home she went, • As soon as she got home, she informed her father and mother of Mr. Marsh's talk- ing last night and this morning, and dear daddy said she, who do you think he was talking to? To the devil, I suppose, said the father. The poor girl got no satisfaction, and went back to Mr. Marsh's, but looked ex- ceeding sober, as she could not find out who it was, or for what it was that he had these spells of talking. At night Mr. Alarsh went to prayer again, and as soon as he had done, Polly went to him and said, pray Mr. Marsh who have you been talking to.^ Mr. Marsh said the question struck his mind with such a serious inquiry, whether he had been in heart praying to God, or whether he had been mocking God with lip service, that at first he made no an- swer, but at length he said, why Polly, I have been trying to pray to God. To God, said Polly, where is he ? Oh ! said Mr. Marsh, he is in all places and spaces, he fills immensity, he sees, hears and knows all things, even all our thoughts; did you know, Polly, that there was such a God ? I have heard, said Polly, my father and mother swear by God, a great many times, but; I did not know who he was, or where he was i neitter did I think of his being so 4. -. ^.>?>. > X :v \ ^o le she brined s talk- d dear le was e, said n, and cd cx- id out he had It Mr. s soon dsaid, :alking struck iquiry, ing to gGod no an- oily, I 3 God, d Mr. es, he cnows id you God? r and times, where ing so ' f ■ % m near to us as to hear or know what we did » or said. Mr. Marsh then went on, and informed Polly of God's creating the Avorld, of Ad- am and Eve, of their being made upright and free from sin, of their being placed in the garden of Paradise and of their rebell- ion against God, by eating the forbidden fruit, and that all mankind must have been sent to hell after death, to a place of fire and brimstone, if it had not been for the Lord Jesus Christ, who, said he, has su&r- ed for our sins, died on across of wood, his feet being nailed to the fatal wood, and there expired for the love he had for poor sinners, so that all sinners may now be sa*. - ed that will believe in and love the Lord Je- sus Christ, but all that dg not repent of their sins, and believe in and love him, must still go to hell, for if they love sin more than Christ, they must eternally per- ish. '. Mr. Marsh talked and enlightened her mind in gospel truth for the space of two hours, till at last Polly cried out, Oh ! Mr. Marsh, what shall I do ? I am a poor un- done creature, Ihuve lied, cursed and swore, been disobedient to my father and mother, quarrelled with my brothers and sisters and and oftentimes wished them in hell, and did not know whata place htUwastill this night; and now 1 expect I am going to that dread- - -^ 'i'i -* It 'J^' 6 f ■J r^ !: 1 • ) \ ful place myself. Mr. Marsh told her, that if she would believe in, and love the Lord Jesus Christ, she might be saved. Oh ! said she how can I believe that Christ can or will save me when I am so great a sin- ner ? Oh ! Polly, said Mr. Marshy your be- ing a great sinner, will not hinder your be- ing saved if you arc but willing to be saved. Oh ! dear, Mr. Marsh, said she, I feel will- ing to be' saved, and if I possibly could, I would be saved from that dreadful hell. — ' That, Polly, said Mr. Marsh, I expect is true but you must want to be saved from your sins, as well as from the punishment of sin. It had got to be late in the night, and all went to bed} but Polly slept not a wink, as she afterwards in- formed ; for, she said, she was afraid she should a- wake in hell, and therefore dare not ^o to sleep. This distress of mind continued about three weeks, when she was brought to see that God could for Christ's sake, save her and all sinners, that trusted in him ; and then she cried out glory to God, for what he is in himself, and for the gift of Jesus his dear Son, for poor perishing sinners like me ; Oh! Mr. M:*"'h, said she, 1 see such a fullness in Christ's merits that there is enough for all the world if they will but ac ccpt of it. She now wanted to go home, to see her father and mother, brothers and sisters. Well, Polly, said Mr. Marsh, you may ride my horse, and he tackled his horse with his wife's side-saddle. When Polly got home, she found her father and mother in one of their old quarrels, cursing and swearing, This almost broke Polly's heart, and she could do nothing but weep. Her fiuher siiid, wivat ails out Poll ? She has \ A [ler, that iie Lord 1. Oh! irist can it a sin- ^our be- rour be- e saved, sel will- could, I hell. — xpect is ed from ishment II went to •wards in- shoulU a- leep. ee weeks, could for trusted in , for what dear Son, r. Mi'-'h, crits that but ac" alher and said Mr. ;led his oily got e of their almost hing but She has ^v got to be ft foolt and does nothing but snivel and roar. But Polly could not speak till it got to be ne^ar bed time, when the old man said, well, I intend to go to bed. Then Polly's moutb was opened, she went to her .daddy and said, Oh ! dear daddy, Mill you go to prayer first ? Mr. Marsh prays every night and morn- ing, and the Lord hears him, and they live exceed- ingly happy ; it was toGod he was praying when 1 did not know who he was talking to. Do, denr daddy, pray before you go to bed. — 1 won't pray, suid the old man, they may pray that have a mind to, I shall not pray. Well dear daddy, said she, may I pray ' Yes, said the old man, all night if you have a mi: d to.*— Poor little Polly kneeled down, and cried out. Oh ! thou great Creator of all worlds, thou God of love, for Jesus Christ's sake help each soul of us, here in thy presence, to pray and cry unto thee for the par- don of our sins, for without help from thee we musi eternally perish. Oh ! dear Jesus, grant me thy spirit that I may be enabled to pray, for I cannot pray aright without thy spirit. Oh ! gracious God, we are all sinners and are bound to the world of hell if we do not repent ; Oh ! gracious God, wilt thou give us all a heart to repent of our sins ; Oh ! most graeious God, wilt thou help my honored father to pray ? Oh I dear Lord, give him to see that it is his indispensable duty, to pray for and with the family that God has given him. By this time the father began to pray sure enough. The Lord, said he, have mercy on my soul, I am un- done without help from God— ^what shall I do ? I have never done any thing but sin against God and I expect that hcU^muiit be my portion for ever and ever. The mother was likewise crying out, what must I do, or can 1 do ? I have spent a whole lifie in sin 1 -—Oh ! Lord, have mercy was all she could say. The children, by this nnie, were all weeping, be- ing under concern of ntind, and as soon as Polly had done prayers she began to exlioit her brothers and sisters, in a mist pressing nianner. to fly for refuge to Jesus Christ, as the only wt^^y tabt saved ; and then she re]»ted aU Ui^t Mrv Mar&h had told her and "#' 1^1^ \ affect that it had up«n her mind, and how she got comfort; and, said shO) 1 see merit enough in Christi for all the world that will tru3t in him and love himy and hate «in and forsake it. There was not a wink of sleep in the family the whole night, but all were crying and praying for mer- cy. The fatlier wanted Polly to prav again, for, said liOf I believe yoti have got an interest at the throne of grace. Poor little Polly fell on her knees, and im- plored merry for her dear father and mother, and all her tender brothers and sisters, for a long time, and ai lust cried out, Oh 1 Lord, I do not know how to let tfice go, or how to leave ofF crying to thee, except thou bless these distressed aouls by the pardon of their sins. Befoi 3 Polly had done praying, the father and mother cried out, glory to God for his infinite love and '{goodness, and they both sung redeeming grace and dying love, and pour Polly*s heart, rejoicing at God's goodness, ^vas praising God with her parents. Oh my dear wife, said the father, I used to quarrel and find fault with yeu, but Oh ! it was myself that r;iras wholly to blame, and not you— I pray, my dear wife, that you would forgive me-— I hope 1 shall nev- er do agaiii so wickedly as I have done. Oh ! ihy dear husband, said the mother, it was not yo\i that was to blame for our contentions, it was myself, my dear husband, and if you can forgive me I hope never to treat you wickedly again. All former diflficuUies were settled and made up> and within the space of three weeks, all the brothers and sisters were hopefully convened, and a very hap- py house it was. 'Phis wonderful work in this fam- ily, was noised c\ll over the manor, and almost every body came to st;e them^ and as the family were very free in telling what God had'dcme for their souls ; it proved a matter of conviction, so that in the space of about twelve months, a good number of precious souls were hopefully converted to the love of God.— This was in the year 1794, and may be depended on ^s truth, END. \ \. ^ '>■ ^\ X A •Sk