192 History of Methodism 



hot, and lie was very thirsty, yet he would not drink 

 because he was a sinner; but he allowed his horse to 

 drink, saying, "You are not a sinner, but I am; you 

 may drink, but I will not." He says he was totally 

 ignorant of the great principles of Christianity: 



I understood that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and the 

 Saviour of the world ; but that lie had died for my sins, and for his 

 sake, and his sake alone, the Father would forgive my sins, was 

 what I knew nothing at all about, And, what was worse, I knew of 

 nobody to whom I could go but one man, and he was an elder in 

 the Presbyterian Church; and so little did I know of the true spirit 

 of Christianity, I thought, as I had been up for the Methodists to 

 pray for me, that this man would show me no favor. But at last, so 

 deep and pungent were my convictions, I concluded to go and see 

 this old Presbyterian man anyhow. So I went. I did not know 

 how to make any apology, so I just told him plainly my condition. 

 Think of my surprise when this good old man took me into his open 

 arms, saying to me: "The Spirit of the Lord is at work with you; 

 see that you do n't quench that Spirit. Make my house your home; 

 I will give you all the help I can." 



This Presbyterian gentleman with whom Mr. Gas- 

 saway remained about three months, until he was con- 

 verted, was Maj. Joseph McJunkin, of Union District 

 in South Carolina, long since gone to his heavenly 

 home. He was a good man in the best sense of that 

 term, honoring God in private and in public, by a life 

 of straightforward and Christian piety. He was the 

 principal instructor of Mr. Gassaway in the things of 

 God. He exhorted his young friend never to look 

 back, but to persevere unto the end, for only such could 

 be saved. He advised him to read Baxter's Saints' 

 Rest. Could he have put a better book in his hands ? 

 Mr. Gassaway says that he took the book and walked 

 out into the woods near a little stream of water. He 

 had long been weeping over his sins, and confessing 

 to his God, and in deep sorrow he sat down to read. 



