James Ludwig

The Prodigal

"For months before (the prodigal) was converted he had only been able to do enough work to pay for his miserable board and lodgings and meet the expenses of the meanest drinks and the poorest tobacco. He was still in the prime of life, but sin had robbed him of character and hope and health and was hurrying him on headlong to death. After he was converted and had given up his wicked habits, his health seemed to improve, but it was only for a little while. He had a work to do and God lent him strength to do it, but strong drink had attacked every vital organ and his whole body was full of disease. He spoke with a strange force and eloquence, when he had scarcely strength to stand upon his feet. His fame spread throughout the whole city and to adjoining cities, but it was only the transient gleam of a meteor that was soon to be hidden in the night of death."

"Those were wondrous days for Brighton-true pentecostal days, when the people were baptized with the Holy Ghost and with power. Through the instrumentality of Hedges, "The Prodigal" was led to see the presence and nature of inbred sin and to seek and obtain the blessing of perfect love, and then these great Bible doctrines, Pardon, Regeneration and Sanctification, were preached in the upper part of the city by Henry Ludwig, with a learning and eloquence that led multitudes into the experience, and in the lower part of the city the same doctrines were preached to the working men by "The Prodigal," with scarcely less of eloquence and with convincing logic of hard facts that were known by bitter experience to all his hearers, and there, too, multitudes were regenerated and sanctified to God. I cannot take time to follow in detail the developments and happy results of this great and glorious revival in Brighton-the book of the recording angel and the unfolding years of eternity alone can tell the good that was done. But I must not close the story until I have told of the happy death of "The Prodigal."

This prodigal held a great secret.
 

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