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redemption originated, and that he also appointed all the means by which
it was to be brought about. Further, that the Son, to save us, had
fulfilled the law, to satisfy its demands, and with it also the holiness
of God; that he had borne the punishment due to our sins, and had thus
satisfied the justice of God. And, further, that the Holy Spirit alone
can teach us about our state by nature, show us the need of a Saviour,
enable us to believe in Christ, explain to us the Scriptures, help us in
preaching, etc. It was my beginning to understand this latter point in
particular which had a great effect on me; for the Lord enabled me to
put it to the test of experience, by laying aside commentaries, and
almost every other book, and simply reading the word of God and studying
it. The result of this was, that the first evening that I shut myself
into my room, to give myself to prayer and meditation over the
Scriptures, I learned more in a few hours than I had done during a
period of several months previously. _But the particular difference was,
that I received real strength for my soul in doing so._ I now began to
try by the test of the Scriptures the things which I had learned and
seen, and found that only those principles which stood the test were
really of value.

My stay in Devonshire was most profitable to my soul. My prayer had
been, before I left London, that the Lord would be pleased to bless my
journey to the benefit of my body and soul. In the beginning of
September I returned to London, much better in body; and as to my soul,
the change was so great that it was like a second conversion. After my
return to London, I sought to benefit my brethren in the seminary, and
the means which I used were these: I proposed to them to meet together
every morning from six to eight for prayer and reading the Scriptures;
and that then each of us should give out what he might consider the Lord
had shown him to be the meaning of the portion read. One brother in
particular was brought into the same state as myself; and others, I
trust, were more or less benefited. Several times, when I went to my
room after family prayer in the evening, I found communion with God so
sweet that I continued in prayer till after twelve, and then, being full
of joy, went into the room of the brother just referred to; and finding
him also in a similar frame of heart, we continued praying until one or
two; and even then I was a few times so full of joy th