Part 20 (2/2)

I confess that this threefold truth was not so satisfying to my own soul as I expected it would be I remembered that I had not learned it fro, in answer to prayer I could not i, and did not discover, for several years after, that the h it is about Christ, cannot deliver It is not the truth of Christ that delivers, but the Christ of the truth In itself, it is but an instrument in the hand of the Spirit; and our expectation should be not from it, but from the Divine Person, whose it is

I have found that the power is Christ Himself; that where He is really the object of faith, He keeps the believer in peace; and that if there is no peace, it is only because there is a deficiency of trust: that He, as the object of love, constrains us to work for His Father's glory; and that He, as the object of hope, can and does separate us fro our affections to things above and beyond the present Not having discovered this simple yet important truth, I was restless; and frohts of men I fell in with the ”Life of Madame Guyon” Here I foundfor Then I read the writings of the Port Royal school, the Jansenists, Butler's ”Lives of the Saints,” and other such books These diverted my mind, employed and interested it; but I cannot say they satisfiedwhich I had not found yet, and had to wait three years or o to a parish in Ply was the rule The incumbent was evidently as ation as I ith ht I did likewise Accordingly I went and preached in his pulpit, and the word spoken produced a ht to the vicar's mind many truths he had heard and loved in early days, and for this reason he urged ain Then, to my surprise He invited me to leave Cornwall and come to Plyht help hiether such an unsought-for thing, and so unexpected, that I took time to consider The next day I told him that I could not entertain his proposition, and that for three reasons:--

1 I said, ”I am sure that the Bishop would not consent”

2 ”I have a debt laid onthe church for him”

3 ”I am responsible for a debt of 300 l as security”

He still urged it, and said he would go and see the Bishop, and speak with hi The Bishop at first said flatly, ”No;” and then, upon further inquiry, recalled the word, and said, ”Youwith this inforreatly But what made me wonder stillby the sa me from the responsibility of the two debts; and this without any request on my part The three difficulties, which were like mountains before me only three days before, were now removed I did not knohat to say, and therefore detero home and consider the step

When I had related these astonishi+ng circuether to consult with Mr Aitken On arriving I said to him, ”You must please to sit still and hear all before you speak” Then I told hio to Ply, the unexpected proposal to remove thither, the Bishop's answer, and the remission of the 3,300 l

”Now,” I continued, ”what do you say?”

”You o, my brother,” he replied; ”for you will never make Catholics of the Cornish people: the Methodist mind is far too deeply rooted in them”

Our friend's decision was fir for us to do but to follow it The novelty of the proposition, and the surprising circu, and took away our thoughts for the time froiven and accepted, then Baldhu seee its clai tie which bound us to this place; but nevertheless, on our return hon ht take a district in Plynation After I was thus pledged, o; and Mr Aitken changed his tone also, and said that the text had co God Yet all the steps I had taken had been in prayer, and had been taken very reluctantly, for I was much attached to Baldhu

For nearly three months I was torn with distractions; sometimes hope lifted up the ain I did not knohat to do; the work at ho, nation; therefore every now and then the thought came over ing ” Soo;” then others would coo” It was desolating, as well as distracting beyond description

I had a fareat expense to , it was quite as easy for Him to move eleven people as one; and I had ten claims upon Him At last, suspense was over;I signed s for it; then, suspense was changed into unned and built that church and house, and had seen thearden, and had had many happy and wonderful days in this place I found it had taken a deep root in ether to go away But it was done now, and the friends who had advised n, seeo, were discouraged and grieved at my sorrowful state My dear wife cheered up when she saw an to pack up as if delighted at going, and went about everything most cheerfully

I told the people that I could not bear a leave-taking, but there would be a service in the church, and Holy Co ere to leave Many cae to do so I put ave it to God with hbour came to officiate forexceedingly dejected and overwhel that which God would not havemy family out from a comfortable home, I knew not whither, or to what discoh, that s I had no idea till then, that that place of my own creation had taken such a hold upon me It ell to be loose from that, and free for my Master's service

After breakfast we left the old place;by the roadsides; some ventured to speak, and others only thrust their hands into the carriage s for a hearty grasp, without saying a word It was indeed a sorrowful day, the reh it iswe arrived at the house of some friends, who had kindly invited us to break our journey, and re we proceeded on our way to Plymouth When we reached the house, we found our furniture unpacked, and distributed in the various rooms, and the table spread ready for us to take some refreshment The word ”Welcome” was done in flowers over the door, besides many other demonstrations of kindness; but I am afraid ere all too sorrowful at the time to show our appreciation of, or to enjoy them

We never settled in that house, and did not care to unpack anythingup the pictures or texts

My work did not prosper here, for I found I was unequally yoked with strangers, and accordingly felt dry and wretched I sent nation of Baldhu to Bishop Phillpotts, and with itthat I would wait on his lordshi+p for institution on a certain day

At the appointed tireat surprise, he very calmly said he could not appoint me to that district I could not understand this, for as I had told hined conditionally, and ren, for the purpose of taking this district

”How can I consciously appoint or license you to anything inme full in the face, and then in his courteous way he laid his coed ”if I would do hiarden, as he was busy, and would be occupied till luncheon

I felt that I needed a little quiet and fresh air to get over this cli, and not into another; and that with a wife, six children, and three servants, with very little to live on Here was a state of things! I had plenty to occupy hts and prayers I feared and ry with me ”Oh, if I could only know this is the will of God, then I should not care a fig for all the bishops on the bench, and would not ask one of the!”

I was soon roused frohter, who had coarden and the view I had known this lady slightly for several years, and so she was not altogether a stranger to me, or I to her She talked so cheerfully and pleasantly, that it ca me He will not appointbetter hich he reatly At luncheon he was as kind and happy as if he had neither done anything dishonourable, or had any intention of doing so; so that I felt quite sure soan to wonder at intervals, ”What part of the diocese I was to be sent to?--Where is there a vacancy?” and so on

The Bishop was as friendly to me as he used to be in other days After the repast, he suht, ”I shall hear where I aed, and must take leave of me”

I was more than astonished at this, and said, ”I can scarcely believe that you refuse to appoint me!”