Part 20 (1/2)

I replied, ”Do I know it now?”

”Yes,” he said, ”you preached it experi; and I shall be very much surprised if you have not some inquiries on the subject before the day is out”

I felt reproved before this stranger's steady gaze, and confessed that I had received the blessing that very ht be a te about it

He said, ”That was a teh, to hinder you; for the Lord spoke on this subject through your sero on and tell others”

So in the evening I preached on Sanctification, and we had an after- in the schoolroom Many believers stayed behind to ask questions upon the subject of my sermon I do not remember how I replied to them; but imperfect as my statements must have been, it nevertheless led others to desire to enter into the experience of this sa, I happened to take up a tract by John Fletcher, of Madeley, in which I read, that at a breakfast party on the occasion of a wedding, to which he was invited, just in theon, he was constrained to rise up and say, ”I have three times had an experience of joy and liberty, which I believe to be Sanctification, and it has passed away; now that it has returned again, I take this opportunity to testify” The company were all struck with aathering was turned into afrom this tract never to withhold my testi an afternoon Bible class in another part of the parish; ere going through St Luke's gospel, and had come to the fifth chapter; I said with reference to theabout in their native element in all quietness and freedom, till they came in contact with a net, and it cas: 1 They are caught in the net 2 They are drawn out of their native element 3

They are laid in the boat at the feet of Christ So it is, where people are caught in' the Gospel net--this is conviction; they are drawn out of the state in which they were--this is conversion; but they are not yet in the state in which they should be, this is why it is so hard to hold theht to be drawn to Christ Hi souls; the one thing needful is to be brought to the feet of Christ

I intentionally abstained fro to typify the experience of it, and to contrast it with conversion As I went on speaking, a woan to shout and praise God, ”That is Sanctification!”

she cried; ”I have it! I know it! Praise the Lord!” There was a great stir the class; some cried, and soeneral knowledge and experience than most of the others declared, that she did not believe in Sanctification, for she had known so many who professed to have it, and had lost it ”Lost what?” I said, ”you cannot lose an experience; the joy of it may depart, and certainly does where people rest on their feelings instead of the fact, on the effect, instead of the cause” She confused the sanctification of the believer, with the effect it produced on him The Spirit which works sanctification in our souls can keep us in it, if we continue to look to Hi at His work, I said to her, what I have said ever since to all who are inclined to argue on the subject: Believers too often dispute about Sanctification, in the same manner as the unconverted do on the subject of Justification It is not worth while for those who know, to contend with those who only think I told her to go ho ive, to let her have it

She was sullen, and hard to persuade; but after a little more conversation and prayer, she consented to lay aside her prejudice and do as I had told her She did so, and ca to see me Fortunately, I was not in my house, but shut up, as my custom was in the church for aged with my Master, I answered no knocks or taps, whether at the doors or s; even on this occasion I did not respond, although I heard so impatiently for admittance When I came out, I heard that Hannah--had called and wished very much to seethe dear head of him, if she could catch him” She was happy beyond expression, for she had had a dream; and what is ”

In her dream she saell of water as clear as crystal; it was beautiful, and the clean pebbles at the bottohtness, so that she could count them ”There, there,” she said, ”What does any one want clearer and cleaner than that?” As she looked into this clear well, my voice said to her, ”Throw a pebble into it,”

when she did so; in an instant the water becaain, ”The water of grace is always clear as crystal, but the well in which it is--that is your heart is ive you a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within you” (Ps

51:10) She woke up fro the Lord for a clean heart, until she obtained it

Some may say, ”But what did she obtain?” This question is seldom if ever asked by persons who know the experience of this blessing; but to those who do not, it is very difficult to convey an idea of what it is by definitions Let it be enough to understand that there is so as the woman did

”As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man” (Prov

27:19) Those who know it, understand one another and rejoice together

There is no such mutual sympathy and joy as that which brethren have who are partakers of this higher blessing

After this, Hannah became a restful, peaceful soul; and many others, with her, found that quiet confidence which can only belong to those who can and do trust a risen and living Christ

It was quite a new era in the work, and called out fresh energies; but like every new thing, it absorbed too much attention, to the exclusion of the simple Gospel for the unsaved ”Christ died for our sins,” is only part of the Gospel, though a very i to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3, 4), is also a part, which should not be omitted in its due time and place

These two important truths, I am sure, are needful for scriptural work, and they should both be systematically preached

CHAPTER 25

The Re Perranzabuloe, and before I knew that I was to go, I felt there was a gulf between the people and norant of ecclesiastical antiquities, Church history, and Catholic truth; what isto learn about such ulf was opening between my present people and s; but on another score altogether I wanted the to content themselves with salvation instead

I wanted theift

I longed to lead them on to trust Christ as the object of faith, and froo on to devote themselves to His service, for very love of Him--to be loosed fro I could not get the people to receive this teaching, though it was God's truth, and could be verified by the Word