e of the
brethren exhorted me to continue to pray, saying that the Lord surely
would again smile on me, though now for a season, for wise purposes, He
seemed to have withdrawn Himself. I did so. At the Lord's table, in the
morning, a measure of enjoyment returned. Afterwards I dined in a family,
in company with the brother just referred to. My former enjoyment
gradually returned. Towards evening the Lord gave me an opportunity of
speaking about His return, and I had great enjoyment in doing so. At eight
o'clock I was asked to expound at family prayer, and was much assisted by
the Lord. About half an hour after the exposition was over, I was
requested to come out of the room to see one of the servants, and the
mother of another of the servants, who had been present at family prayer.
I found them in tears, and both deeply impressed and under concern about
their souls. I then went home, at least as happy as on the previous
evening. I have related this circumstance, because I am aware that it is a
common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and
prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the
Scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were of no use to pray
when we have no spirit of prayer; whilst the truth is, in order to enjoy
the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit
of prayer, is, to continue praying; for the less we read the word of God,
the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to
pray.

About the beginning of the next year my fellow students had a fortnight's
vacation, and as with them I had conformed myself to the order of the
Institution, I felt that I might also partake of their privileges; not
indeed to please the flesh, but to serve the Lord. On December 30th, I
therefore left London for Exmouth, where I intended to spend my vacation
in the house of my Christian friends, who had kindly lodged me the summer
before, that I might preach there during this fortnight, and still more
fully weigh the matter respecting my proposal to time Society. I arrived
at Exmouth on December 31st, at six in the evening, an hour before the
commencement of a prayer-meeting at Ebenezer Chapel. My heart was burning
with a desire to tell of the Lord's goodness to my soul, and to speak
forth what I considered might not be known to most with whom I met. Being,
however, not called on, either to speak or pray, I was silent. Th