CHAPTER V.

HIS GROWTH IN KNOWLEDGE.

FROM this period Mr. B. had the Scriptures read to him regularly, and began also to seek after a knowledge of Divine truth; but the unenlightened state of his mind rendered the simple reception of the doctrines he heard extremely difficult. They appeared incomprehensible, and even contradictory. The light was beginning to shine upon his dark mind, but the darkness there comprehended it not; and he again had to encounter the same difficulty which in a former instance had proved so injurious to him. His friend assured him that the same conflict had once harassed his own mind, but that as his knowledge of Divine truth increased, it became less severe, and these difficulties gradually vanished. He was earnestly advised, therefore, to wait on God,—to implore

the teaching of his Holy Spirit, to ask wisdom of Him who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not. Mr. S. was very desirous to show him, that all spiritual blessings come from God, and are all free gifts of the Most High. It is He who by his Spirit leads his people into all truth; it is He who bestows saving faith,—“ By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God:" it is He who "sheds abroad his love in our hearts," and who indeed is the Giver of "every good and perfect gift." This endeavour to convince Mr. B. of the important truth of man's salvation being from first to last the gift of God, led him to show the necessity of seeking God in prayer, and to a consideration of the manner in which prayer should be made. He had hitherto always neglected this great duty and privilege, and knew not how to pray. He had, it is true, admired God in his created works, and expressed powerfully his admiration of the Divine attributes displayed in them, and had even formally sometimes joined in public worship, but his mind had perhaps never made a direct appeal to God, as a God of justice, truth, and love. In prayer

we address immediately an invisible and everpresent God, whose power could crush us in a moment; whose justice might doom us to eternal death; who requires truth in the inward parts; who is "glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders."

Mr. B. felt his mind almost overpowered by the idea of attempting to draw nigh to so great and gracious a God in prayer. At this time too he felt himself a sinner: he knew that he had broken the Divine law, and was obnoxious to its denunciations; but he knew not Jesus as the Mediator between God and man; the only way of access to the throne of grace was but dimly seen. Such, however, was the state of his heart, that he could not be satisfied with remaining far from God any longer; he was miserable without him; and at last, after many severe conflicts, he endeavoured to pray.

On the following morning when Mr. S. called, he said that he had attempted to pray to God, but that he found something so overpowering in doing it, that he hardly, from a sensation of awe, knew what to say. The work of grace was evidently begun within him; and did the

limits of this memoir allow a full delineation to be given of the gradual progress of the Divine life in his soul, it would prove a striking instance of the reality and power of vital religion, and of the operation of the Holy Spirit on the sinner's heart, overcoming all obstacles, and prevailing to the overthrow of the dominion of Satan and of sin.

Mr. B. was necessarily deprived of the benefit of all the public means of grace: the sabbath returned to millions with its promised public blessings, but not to him: he had not the advantage of hearing the blessed truths of the gospel from the ministers of religion, nor of joining with the Lord's people in prayer and praise, and thanksgiving: he was even unable, as has been stated, to read the Bible; all that he enjoyed, as means of grace, was limited to hearing that sacred Book read and explained by his friend, with occasional conversation on some of the leading doctrines of christianity. Mr. S. well knew that he could not himself effect a saving change in the heart of his afflicted friend; that he could not give him "an understanding in Him that is true." But it afforded him great

satisfaction to perceive that he was made instrumental in comforting and cheering the many dreary hours his friend had to pass through, and also, he trusts, of imparting to him, in some measure, a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. This knowledge was blessed and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, who enlightened the afflicted man's mind, and worked in him both to will and to do of his good pleasure. This was done, not by impulses and visions; but by giving him the power to comprehend the truth in his mind, and to receive it in the love of it. It not unfrequently happened, that some passage of the word of God would remain upon his mind as hard to be understood; his memory being tenacious, other passages would be brought to bear upon it, and to elucidate it; and this, with earnest prayer to God, enabled him to overcome many difficulties, and obtain a clearer insight into "the mystery of godliness." The writer of this memoir was, at this time, much astonished and gratified by the soundness and excellence of many remarks he made on the subjects of their conversation. We have said that he had begun to pray. This was at first considered by him