y his church became the centre of a work of God,
as Mr. Aitken's church and mine were in our respective neighbourhoods.

The power of the Lord overshadowed the place, and there was as usual a
simultaneous melting of hearts all over the parish, and a running
together of the people to hear the Word, and what is better to obey it.
Then followed a true Cornish revival with full manifestations, and Mr.
Aitken came to preach. The fire was burning and shining before; but when
this mighty man stirred it, it rose to a tremendous height. The
excitement of the parson and people was intense, and hundreds of souls
were added to the Church, who had been brought from the death of sin
into the life of righteousness which all the previous preaching on
Baptism and the Lord's Supper had failed to produce.

CHAPTER 18

A Visit to Veryan, 1853.

Next, I will tell of a clergyman who was altogether different to the
others I have mentioned. He was one to whom I was much attached,
although we were diametrically opposed to one another, especially in my
Puseyite days. He was Evangelical; I was High Church; consequently, we
fell out more or less, at every meeting, though we never really
quarrelled. After my conversion I made sure this friend would sympathize
with me; but I found to my disappointment he was in reality more opposed
now than before, because I had become, as he called it, "a dissenter."
He would scarcely speak to me, and said, he was not so sure of my
conversion as I was, that he would give me seven years to prove it, and
then pronounce.

I said, "You are an old bachelor, and know nothing about the treatment
of babies; we do not put our babies out on the lawn for seven days
before we decide whether they are born or not!"

He could not resist joining in the laugh against his inexperience in
this respect, although he was not over-pleased. With all his
head-knowledge of Gospel truth, he had not seen anything of the work of
the Spirit, and moreover, like too many others, could not distinguish
between death and grave-clothes. Because I announced some sacramental
views after my conversion, he fancied that I must be dead still; whereas
these were only the grave-clothes in which I used to be wrapped. We
shall speak more of this hereafter.

One day, he came to me and said, "I have been thinking for some time
that I should like to come to your church one Sunday, and see your
work."

I agreed to this with thanks, as the first sign of