COMFORTER WILL NOT COME.
Rawlings Refuses to Believe There is Hope for Him.
Ministers Called Upon Him Yesterday but he “Outraged” Them —
Their Visit Inspired him to Write Out His Views on the Questions of Grace and Forgiveness of Sins.
(From Wednesday’s Daily)
J.G. Rawlings was visited in the county jail yesterday by Rev. J.P. Smith, of Madison County, who said that he had traveled thirty-nine miles for the purpose of trying to throw one ray of hope for the hereafter across the path of the condemned man. Preacher Smith was accompanied to the jail by Mr. Sim Griffin, who also does a little preaching on occasions, but Mr. Griffin remained in the jail only a short while. Brother Smith’s doctrine did not suit him and he left. The Florida minister had no comment, while Griffin thought that the Bible and the Holy Ghost were the only commentators left.
Preacher Smith remained in the jail about three hours talking with Rawlings, and after he left, the prisoner wrote out the following statement of his views on sin, grace, and the hereafter, and sent them to The Times, requesting that they be published.
After the ministers had finished their talk of several hours with Rawlings, he wrote out the following statement and sent it to The Times requesting its publication, as giving his views upon the unpardonable sin which he is sure that he has committed:
“Mr. Editor:
The sin against the Holy Ghost is a subject that people seem to be very ignorant about. Most people think that it is some special act, but if they will examine carefully the places that I will refer them to, they will see that it is no special act or sin, but a turning away of God’s people from him (see Matthew 12:31-32; Psalm 19:11; Jeremiah 5:16; Deuteronomy 17:12; John 5:14; Hebrews 6:4-6).
There are a few of the many places this subject is mentioned in the Bible, but it is enough to convince anybody that there is a condition which, when entered by a man, he is lost in this world and the world to come.
I know there are many people who will differ with me on this question, but there are very few people who are willing to accept the Bible for what it says. What I have referred to is in the Bible and if we accept one verse in the Bible, we have to accept it all, for God says if we take any from it, He will take away our part of the tree of life (Rev. 22:19). If you will notice, you will see this subject is mentioned by all classes of writers. The lawgiver warns the people of it in giving the laws; David prayed to God to keep him from it; the prophet Jeremiah dwelt upon the subject a great deal, and Christ said positively that there is no forgiveness for it in this world or in the world to come. Paul in his teachings dwelt upon the subject and warned the Hebrews of the danger of falling away after they had entered in by the new and living way (Hebrews 10:19-20).
But we find people who can turn this about to suit the occasion, but I am afraid that when the great day of His wrath comes, their excuse will be like my own; it won’t stand. I am not censoring anybody, but I am trying to warn those who have not sinned away their day of grace to be careful, for I realize what it is to have God’s vengeance staring me in the face.
Some who talk with me say that because I have a desire for good for myself and others, that I am not lost, but I will refer you to the rich man who fared sumptuously and went to hell (Luke 16:19-31). There are very few who want to talk about the condemnation of God, but they want to talk about His mercy, goodness, and love, and take His wrath after a while. For the same Bible that teaches about God’s mercy and love to those who obey, love, and serve God, also teaches about God’s wrath on the children of disobedience.
Now, we realize that God’s mercy is great, for if it were not, He would destroy us as He did those of old. We see the wicked being punished every day and we say it just happened so; others just as wicked are not punished, and so it goes.
Now, if we examine the Bible, we find that God threatened man with vengeance as soon as He created him, that His wrath was poured out upon man for his disobedience, and we find all the way through the Bible that His wrath has been upon the wicked as it was prophesied. And we find in the last book of the Bible, Revelations 6:17, a description of the last judgment, showing that to be the great day of God’s wrath, and also that in those days, now, and those days that are past, God’s wrath is not as bad as it will be at the judgment.
Now, Mr. Editor, I hope you will print this and I hope other papers will copy it, as I don’t see any harm it can do and it may cause someone to consider their way before it is too late.
Very honestly and earnestly,
J.G. Rawlings“
This letter gives a pretty good idea of his state of mind two days before the day of his execution, for in it he wrote that he did not know at the time that the United States Supreme Court had made it necessary to grant him another month or so. He is so thoroughly certain that there is no hope for him in the life to come that he really does not like for his spiritual advisers to tell him differently. As one minister expressed it, “He seems to have reached the point where nothing but hell and a heap of it will satisfy him.”