Part 27 (1/2)

”Why not?”

”Because there is a wall here”

”No,” you said, ”there is no wall--it is an open door”

”I was surprised at you saying that, for I feel the wall and see it”

”What would you do if there was no wall? Do that It is not a wall, but a door,” you said; ”walk forward!”

”When I ventured forward I found your were true It was, indeed, an open way, leading into a beautiful garden I was very happy, and said, 'Whose garden is this?'

”You answered, 'It is the Lord's, and you are to dress it and work in it”

”Then I saw the Lord Hi me welcome, said that you should teach me for three years Then I awoke”

Fros for myself

First, that God intended me to come to this place

Secondly, that I was to labour here for three years

Thirdly, that I was to teach the people not to wait for feelings, but to act upon the Word of God

This last intinified by Willia force I had been speaking on this very subject ht this delusion about waiting for feelings was from the devil, to hinder the work of God in the soul It certainly did hinder us, veryto see people, ere manifestly i for Him; because they did not feel some token, which they had set their iven in the Church, and also in the cottagethat the Lord had begun to use s who had been awakened under the ordinary preaching of the Gospel; soht them; and some out of curiosity One of the latter cases I willof the hich was going on It see in connection with a Church e for herself, without the re converted God's ways are not as ours; while she was listening, the word reached her with power, so that she was convicted and converted, and ca believer, lost in wonder, love and praise She was indeed strikingly and ed, and did not hide it It was such a joy and surprise to her that she could not help telling every one Out of the abundance of her heart her lips spoke to tell of the loving kindness of the Lord

CHAPTER 32

Bible Readings, 1858-59

The church (so-called) in which I now ministered had been built by persons who intended to accoest number of people for the smallest amount of alleries on three sides On the re one there used to be a pulpit, conspicuously placed in the middle of the wall This important portion of the edifice was now removed to one side, toarranged chancel-wise, facing one another, for the choir This was quite a daly in the extre ornalass in them, to make some improvement I also painted a diaper pattern round the side walls; and upon the high blank wall behind the Communion table exercised all the skill I possessed, but fear it was sons looked very well on paper, but when displayed on the wall gave no satisfaction; so one after another they disappeared, till e floriated cross of gold, with a round

When once, however, the Lord began to bless the Word, and souls were awakened, despite all anti-ecclesiastical appearances, reatly I could never have believed that my fored as they were

In those days it was a strange thing to hold an after- in a church; it was never done, even by the feho had such s

Therefore, I took the anxious ones and others toservice Having taken up the carpet in the drawing-room, we fitted it up with chairs and forms to accommodate ninety people, while half as many more occupied the hall, and often numbers stood outside the s In this house it pleased God to give us very ht in week by week for several months I believe every rooe, was consecrated as the birth-place of one or more of God's children

The nureat, that we found it necessary to go to the large schoolroom This place will also be remembered in eternity, and ht, when I returned ho, I was called to see a person in Feat distress of soul As I went down the street at eleven o'clock, I was surprised to see lights in alent and i The whole street was alive, and indeed there was ain one house or another all through the night, which was one never to be forgotten

A glorious work of salvation was going on without the extravagant noise and excitely thankful for this also, and began next to consider as to be done with these new converts Besides inviting the, I urged the thees where they wished for explanation, that I ood and profitable to speak about when I visited them Then I invited thes, which Cornish people rely upon so much On these occasions I endeavoured to instruct the people from God's Word, and put Christ before them as the object of faith, hope, and love After prayer I encouraged the and also instructive on the very points upon which they required inforreat blessing to those who attended the other souls with the water of life I was more abundantly watered The questions of the people drew my attention to distinctions and differences I had not noticed before, and helped to take off the coloured glasses through which I had hitherto read the Word

I observed that the third, sixth, and twentieth chapters of St John's Gospel had been held and interpreted byI had taken the first of these as bearing on Baptism, the second on the Holy Communion, and the third on Priestly Absolution

I pondered much over these chapters, and inal and obvious ; and, more wonderful still, that countless enerations It was a bold thing, and seeht and all Christendo; but I soon found that mine was no new discovery, and that iftheht on one side, there were also ht on the other