becoming, in his latter days, a further illustration of the Divine
narrative that "God adds daily to the Church those who are to be saved."




CHAPTER XV.

THE CONVERSION.


"The Lord be praised; I am glad to hear it," said Paul, one day, as he
sat by the bedside of uncle Jacob, who was now in the last stage of his
disease. "Paul," said the dying man, "while I was robust, and
independent in means, I relied too much on these gifts of God, and too
little on the Giver of them. But now, when this frail wall, that shuts
the soul in from her world of kindred spirits, is nearly worn down, and
the glorious light of eternity shines through the chinks of this earthen
rampart, in all directions I see the necessity of having the soul
prepared, thoroughly washed, before she goes into a world of such purity
and justice; and you have convinced me, or, rather, God has taught me,
that it is only in that religion of which God alone is the Author that
the means of purification can be found. So, Paul, in God's name, take a
team, and go for the priest of God immediately; there is no time to be
lost. 'Tis consoling to reflect that there is a priest of God now to be
had on earth, as well as in the days of the ancient patriarchs. How
merciful God was," said he, soliloquizing, "in leaving us on earth a
priest, a representative of his divine Son, to prepare the soul for the
terrible voyage of eternity! All eternity is not too long to thank him
for this blessing."