ting quietly by the
bedside, a little matter came before me, which was communicated from these
words: "Affliction cometh not forth of the dust."

On my return home, I could not but reflect on the necessity of having our
bow strung, and being always alive to the interest of souls, and
endeavoring to imitate the example of our great Master, whose whole life
was employed in continually going up and down doing good.

CHAPTER III.

FROM HIS COMMISSION TO RESIDE ABROAD IN 1820 TO HIS REMOVAL TO GERMANY
IN 1822.

In 1822 John Yeardley went to reside in Germany. As his residence abroad
constituted one of the most remarkable turns in his life, and exercised a
powerful influence on the rest of his career, we shall develop as fully as
we are able the motives by which he was induced to leave his native
country. By means of his Diary we can trace the early appearance and
growth, if not the origin, of the strong Christian sympathy he ever
afterwards manifested with seeking souls in the nations on the continent
of Europe, and especially amongst the German people.

The first hint concerning his desire to go abroad is contained in the
account of a dream, under date of the 2nd of the Ninth Month, 1818,
regarding which he felt much disappointed, because he could not recollect
the names of the places in Germany about which he had in his dream been
interested. The next year (the 19th of the Fifth Month) he had a second
dream on the same subject, in which he supposed his friend Joseph Wood was
about to go on a religious mission to the Continent, and he brought out
his Atlas to find the places for him. On being asked if he meant to
accompany him, he said he "was not prepared to answer at present." In the
relation of a third dream, which he had the next year (the 25th of the
Eighth Month, 1820), the locality to which his mind was attracted is first
indicated. "Pyrmont and Minden," he says, "rested very closely with me,
and to them I felt bound."

It might not have been worth while to have made allusion to these dreams,
which ought perhaps to be rather as the continuation or echo of his
thoughts than as their original source, but for the deep importance which
John Yeardley himself attached to them. He considered that by them was
first made known to him the divine will respecting his future course; and
that his longing desire to recover the name of the forgotten locality of
the first dream was answered in the last. It can admit of