Ohio History Journal

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THE DIARY OF JOHN BEATTY, JANUARY-JUNE 1884

THE DIARY OF JOHN BEATTY, JANUARY-JUNE 1884

Part IV*

 

edited by HARVEY S. FORD

Head Librarian, Toledo Blade

 

Sunday, May 11, 1884 Went to hear Dr. Gladden this morning.

He preached from the text "Lord I believe help thou my unbelief." It

was the posture of the man's mind which interested the preacher. It

was that of one trying to believe and anxious to have all impediments

to full belief cleared away. Not that of one who exclaims obstinately

"I do not believe convince me if you can." "I shall not seek for the

proof, but when brought to me I will consider it." There are some

things that can only come to men who are willing and anxious to re-

ceive them. You may warm a man's body against his will, force food

down his throat sufficient to sustain life, but you cannot compel him

to love. He must be willing to do this before he can do it. If he averts

his face from God and looks persistently in the wrong direction he is

not likely to come to believe in God and love Him. But if on the con-

trary he turns his face toward God and shows a willingness to receive

Him, he is likely to have any doubts which he may have entertained

removed, and to become a Christian. A person may not by conversion

at once become a saint, but he changes his attitude with respect to God.

He turns his face toward Him, he says "Lord I believe help thou my

unbelief." The plant that has grown yellow and feeble in the shade,

when transferred to the sunlight does not at once assume the deep green

indication of health, but it is in the way thereafter to find strength, and

if it continues in the sunlight will obtain it.

Monday, May 12, 1884 The plan of attack referred to under date

of May 5th was agreed upon nearly a week before the date named, in

my office, but there was some little delay in putting it into execution.

Mr. Sherman's friends have been timid, and the plan itself as it is now

being carried out was suggested by me and not assented to by them

until after much unnecessary consultation, but I think by this time

* Parts I, II, and III of General Beatty's diary appeared in the April and

October, 1949, and January 1950 issues of the Quarterly, Vols. LVIII, pp. 119-151,

390-427, and LIX, pp. 58-91.

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