Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-01-28
A Remarkable Experience.

have been preaching in Essex this week,
and took the opportunity to visit the place
where my grandfather preached so long and
where spent my earliest days. Last We'd
nesday was to me day in which walked
like man in dream. Everybody seemed
bound to recall some event or other of nv
childhood. What a story of Divine love and
mercy 1t did bring before my mind Among
other things sat down in place that must
be sacred to me. There stood in my grand
fathers manse garden, two arbors made Of
tyew trees cut in sugar-loaf fashion Though
the old manse hes given way to a new one,
and the old chapel has gone also, yet the yew
trees flourish as aforetime. / sat down in
the right hand arbor and bethought me of
what had happened there many years
ago. When L was a young child staying
with my grandfather, there came to
preach in the village Mr.. KniII, who had
been missionary at st. Petersburg, and
mighty preacher of the Gospel He came
to preach for the London Missionary Society,
and arrived on Saturday at the manse. He
was great soul-winner, and he soon spied
out the boy. He said to me, ''Where do YOU
sleep! for want to call you up in the morn
ing" | showed him my little room. At six
o'clock he called me up and we went into the
arbor. There, in the sweetest way, Re told
me of the love of Jesus, and of the blessed
ness of trusting in Him and loving Him in
our childhood. With many story no
good God had been to him, and then he
prayed that | might know the Lord and
serve Him.
On Monday morning he did as on the Sab
bath, and again on Tuesday. Three times he
taught me and prayed with me. and before
ne had to leave, my grandfather had come
back from the place where he had gone to
preach, and all the family were gathered to
morning prayer. Then, in the presence of
them all, Mr.. Knill took me ON his knee and
said, This child will one day preach the
Gospel, and he will preach it to the great
multitudes, l am persuaded that he will
preach it in the chapel Of Rowland Hill
where q think he said ] am now the minis
ter" he spoke very solemnly, and called
upon all present to witness what he said.
Then he gave me six-pence as a reward if
would learn the hymn:
God moves in mysterious wav
His wonders to perform
/ was made to promise that when I
preached at Rowland Hills chapel that hymn
should be sung. Think OF that as a promise
from child Would it ever be other than
an idle dream? Years flew by After had
begun for some little time to preach in Lon
don, DIR. Alexander Fletcher had to give the
annual sermon to children in the Surrey
chapel, but as he was taken i'll, ] was asked
in hurry to preach TO the children. "Yes,n
moves IN mysterious way / made a
promise long ago that it should be sung"
And SO it was; preached in Rowland Hills
chapel and that hymn was sung My
emotions on that occasion I cannot describe.
Still that was not the chapel which Mr.. Knill
intended. All unsought by me, the minister
at Wottonunder Edge, which was Mr. Knilrs
summer residence, invited me TO preach
there. went on tho condition that the con
gregation should sing God moves in a mys-
ferrous way"-which was also done After
that went TO preach for Mr.. Knill himself.
who was then at Chester. What meeting
we hadl
God moves in mysterious way
His wonders to perform
After more than 40 years Of tho Lords
loving kindness, sat again in that aTbor!
No doubt IL is a mere trihe for outsiders 10
hear, but TO me it was an overwhelming
moment. The present minister Of Stambourn
meeting house and the members OF his fami-
~, including his son and his grandchildren
we're in the garden, and / could not helm
calling them together around that arbor,
while praised the Lord for His goodness
One irresistible impulse was upon mo: it WINS
TO pray God to bless those lads that stood
around me. The memory begat the PRAYER
&c. H. Sturgeon.
A weak mind is lie a microscope. which
magnifes tTihing things, but cannot receive
great ones.-lC field.
II our religion is not true, we are bound 10
change it;if u be true, we are bound 20 prom
agate it. --Archbishop Whately.
The best and noblest lives are those which
are SET toward high ideals. And the high
est and noblest ideal that any man can have
Is Jesus OF Nazareth. L Anderson.
Heaven is the day Of which grace Is tho
dawn; the rich, ripe fruit, Of which grace Is
the lovely flower; the inner shrine Of that
most glorious temple TO which grace forms
Ine approach and outer court.-[Dr. Guth