Hope for the hopeless : an autobiography of John Vine Hall, author of "The sinner's friend"

John Vine Hall

Sujets

• Hall

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 4
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

LIBRARY THEOLOGICALSEMINARYOF THE
PRINCETON. N. J.
PRESENTED BY
Hupton Dixon.
BR 1725 .H34 A32 1865
Hall, John Vine, 1774-1860.
Hope for the hopeless-THE HOPELESS.HOPE FOR
AUTOBIOGRAPHYAN
OF
JOHN VINE HALL,
FRIEND."AUTHOR OF "THE SINNER'S
EDITED BY
LL.B.NEWMAN HALL,REV.
LONDON.OF SURREY CHAPEL,
WITH THE AUTHOR'S SANCTION.ABRIDGED
BY THEPUBLISHED
SOCIETY,TRACTAMERICAN
YORKNASSAU-STREET, NEW150Hill in Sur-The Eev. Newman Hall, successor of Rowland
the English edition of thischapel, London, committedrey
pages, to the Americanwork, comprising nearly five hundred
best for its widestTract Society, to be abridged as judged
Hall'shasbeen curtailed by omitting Mr. Vineusefulness. It
prison-records of his labors for criminals andmore extensive
"metallic trac-and of his applying Perkins' electric orers
" many of histhe relief of suffering, and by droppingtors for
and sundry other details.letters
principles of thevital aim to strengthen the greatThe
which he was in-Temperance Reformation, in the origin of
sometimes presentingburning and a shining light,"deed "a
as hopelessly lost, but res-assembled thousands onehimself to
of ruin and his aimDivine grace from the depths ;cued by
writing and marvellous successmagnify that grace in theto
" cherishedhave been scrupulouslyof The Sinner's Friend,"
and sacredly regarded.TO THE AMERICAN READER.
On the lip of the Mediterranean, in an obscure street, stand*
a small, gloomy chapel. In itself uninteresting, it attracts niulli.
ludes of pilgrims all quartersfrom of the world, and of all sects.
The secret of its attractiveness is, that it enshrines three pieces of
unique and beautiful statuary, each of life size, and of exquisite
workmanship. So highly are they esteemed as specimens of art,
that their weight in silver coin, it is said, has been offered for
their purchase.
The subject represented by one of these is a dead Christ, just
taken from the cross. The anatomy of the figure perfect ; the
expression in the features of placid and grateful repose, blended
strangely with the traces of recent agony, wonderfully impressive
;
the whole covered with a veil, but figure and veil alike chiselled
from the same block of marble.
Another figure, which is specially the present purpose,to and
which is also created from an entire block, represents a young
man enveloped by a net. Despair and hope are as mysteriously
blended in this countenance as are repose and agony in the other.
The captive is in the act of struggling for escape. Every nerve is
strained. He has franticallygrappled with his toils, and one or
two of the meshes have given way. But behind him, away froni
his hue of vision, stands his guardian angel, now acting as his
helper. His agency is unsuspected, but real ; and every spectator,
sympathizing with the captive of vice, exclaims unawares, "He
loill get free!"
"What is thus beautifully symbolized in the sombre chapel of
Naples, is shown as a reality in the book here presented. The pit-
iless tyranny of the giant vice horror despera-of our day; the and
tion of one conscious at last of the power that enthralls him his
;
wild struggles for deliverance ; his despair alternating with hope
;
his sinking faintness; his rallying resolution, his discouragements,AMERICAN READER.TO THE4
tbc lifebis helpers—are all depicted tobis relapses, bis impotence,
book.and in tbc writtenin tbc marble group
tbeends. Tbc emblem culminates inhero the parallelBut
But theand tbc beginning of emancipation.presence of the angel
tbe angel : tbe success, the exulta-portrays tbe efficiency ofbook
through aof emancipation, perennialtion, tbc clustering fruits
rich the reality richer.peaceful life. The emblem is ;md
the reality,suggestive, is muteTbe emblem, though touchingly ;
In that the artistone is marble tbe other, life.eloquent. The ;
-1-another; in this, the £r< iyour pity and sympathy forbespeaks
bis experience,You have tbc record ofman tells you of himself.
own heart, bis quivering notesburning words wrung from histhe
grace!" bis sadascriptions of "Grace,thanksgiving, bis fervidof
of deliverance. Andthraldom, bis subdued raptureanalysis of tbe
of the blessed usefialso tells you, modestly but truthfully,he
and impotenceraised even from tbe very miretowhich one maybe
degradation.of hopeless
itgiven in these pages by which,Many hints are incidentally
them, theyVolunteers will seize upon and ponderour Temperance
heroictbe better skilled for theirtbe better equipped andwill be
need discretiongrant it ; for if any soldierywarfare. May God
eminently do they.valor, surely andas well as
No. Beforewho are in tbe net. A word !A word to those
tbe writer will be dumb. "Wethough dead yet speaketb,him who
TbsyThey echo to your experience.only commend his words.
your sadness and yourof a true heart forbreathe tbe sympathy
"When you have read them,condition. They are big with hope.
Act onhope ?will. Andthen—and then ?hope you must, hope you
near to heli>. God willperhaps unseen—will standSome angel—
provide.