Part 3 (2/2)

He had a great aversion to Low Church clergyed on the lawn, had the saround between his horns The poor o, which he did, but stood and looked at the obnoxious individual as if he would like to have hih he would not hurt hielical,” he continued, ”had a tail coat; he was dressed like an undertaker, sir Once upon a tiypt, with a si him the 'father of saucepans, with a slit tail'” This part of his speech was evidently meant forit hted

He persuaded ave me one of his old cassocks for a pattern; this I succeeded in getting made to my satisfaction, after considerable difficulty

I cahts and plans, deterht” and this in spite of all fears, whether an to thinkof the services of the Church; I e I also paid arded them; for, as I said, ”the Druids never preached; they only worshi+pped”

I help up my manuscript and read my sermon, like Mr Hawker; and I wore a square cap and cassock, instead of the ”saucepan” and the ”tails”

This costuh I was frequently laughed at, and often pursued by boys, which was not agreeable to flesh and blood; but it helped to separate me from the world, and to make me feel that I was set apart as a priest to offer sacrifice for the people

In course of tian to make preparations for ns for it, passed therand cere procession We had banners, chanting, and a nuation

The Earl of Falmouth, who laid the stone, contributed a thousand pounds towards the edifice; his ave three hundred pounds for a peal of bells; and others of the gentry ere present contributed; so that upwards of eighteen hundred pounds was promised that day Just twelve months after, July 20, 1848, the same company, with many others, and the Bishop of Exeter (Phillpotts) came to consecrate the ”beautiful church”

In theand the consecration, the Parsonage house had been built, and, more than that, it was even papered, furnished, and inhabited! Besides all this, there was a gardeninto the churchyard, with this inscription over it:--

”Be true to Church, Be kind to poor, O minister, for evermore”

In this church there were super-altars, candles, triptych, and also a painted ; organ, choir, and six bells; so that for those days it was considered a very co ”The priest of Baldhu,” with his cassock and square cap, was quite a character in his small way He preached in a surplice, of course, and propounded Church tactics, fir The Wesleyans and others had their distinctive tenets, the Church must have hers: they had their members enrolled, the Church uild,”

with the view of keeping his people together Outwardly there was an esprit de corps, and the parishi+oners cas; but it was easy to see that their hearts were elsewhere Still I went on, hoping against hope, ”building fro people to live before they were born!

CHAPTER 6

The Awakening, 1848-51

Hethe people, and the better I knew them, the more I saw that the mere attachment to the Church, and punctual attendance at the services or frequency of Co deeper I wanted to reach their hearts in order to do the up in the ordinary progress by which God was i , I know not--perhaps froround prepared to receive the warning The story was about a dreareat visitation--greater than the Bishop's The clergy werealone, they had part of their congregations with thereat e when their na, as he supposed, with a large number of people at his back When his turn came he went forward; but, as he approached, he saw that the Judge's countenance was sad and dark In a sudden impulse of suspicion he looked back; and lo! there was no one behind hi to look at the Judge, saw that His countenance was full of wrath This dreaan to attend to his parish and care for the souls of his people

I also was beginning to see that I ought to care for the souls of my people-at least, as much as I did for the services Of the Church As a priest, I had the power (so I thought) to give them absolution; and yet none, alas! availed theiveness if they did not come toto Holy Communion, and that it was, indeed, the true preparation for that sacred ordinance I used to speak privately to the members of the Church Guild about this, and persuaded some of them to come to me for confession and absolution: but I was restless, and felt that I was doing good by stealth Besides this, those whom I thus absolved were not satisfied, for they said they could not rejoice in the forgiveness of their sins as the Methodists did, or say that they were pardoned In this respect I orking upon round, but I did not knohat else to do

I used to spend hours and hours in , e texts over the s and on the walls, and in painting orna over the chancel arch, with much interest and exultation, ”Now is codom of our God, and the power of His Christ” (Rev 12:10)

I idom of Christ was come, and that the ”accuser of the brethren” was cast down I thought I saw, in the power of Christ given to His priests, such victory that nothing could stand against it So , till it fills the mind Yet I cannot say that all this ithout prayer I did wait upon God, and thought my ansere from Him; but I see now that I went to the Lord with an idol into it (Ezek 14:3)

One day I saw a picture in a friend's house which attractedartistic, nor was it over well drawn, but still it engaged my attention in a way for which I could not account When s; but even after I left the house this picture hauntedabout it--so , and went to a bookseller's shop, where I bought a large sheet of tracing-paper and pencil, and sent the hi of the picture in question

I had to wait for reat wasa white cloth on -paper upon it; and there was the veritable picture of the Good Shepherd! His countenance was loving and kind With one hand He was pushi+ng aside the branch of a tree, though a great thorn went right through it; and with the other He was extricating a sheep which was entangled in the thorns The poor thing was looking up in helplessness, all spotted over withto escape Another thing which struck e of a precipice, and had it not been for it (the tree), with all the cruel wounds it inflicted, the sheep would have gone over and perished

After considering this picture for a long tier size on the wall of my church, just opposite the entrance door, so that every one who caht see it I cannot describe the interest hich I e that it wanted a good bold foreground, I selected a short text-”He came to seek and to save that which was lost”