ent indignantly away one after the other for
saying their sins were pardoned and their souls save, and that by direct
and personal faith in Christ, without the intervention of a priest. The
reverend confessor, unlike the honest Latimer, said these young men had
come to mock him.

Notwithstanding these instances of usefulness and encouragement, I
continued to be very unhappy, for want of more general work, and felt as
if God had cast me off. I can now see that this testing and perplexing
dispensation through which I was passing, was not altogether such a
barren desert as I felt it to be at the time. It was fraught with many
lessons, which have stood by me ever since, though I must confess I
never revert to this period without many unhappy memories.

I will record one more lesson which I was taught in this place, and then
go on to other subjects.

One warm spring day, while I was sitting in my house with the doors and
windows open, a gentleman came running into it in great haste, somewhat
to my surprise, he being a perfect stranger to me, and I to him.
Standing in the passage, and looking into the room where I was seated,
he said, "Sir, are you a clergyman?"

I replied, "Yes, I am."

"For God's sake, come; follow me!"

So saying, he went away. I immediately took up my hat, and ran after him
down the side of the square, and noticing the gate where he turned in, I
walked leisurely to the same place, and found him in the passage of his
house panting for breath. He had run so fast that he could not speak,
but made a sign to me to go upstairs; then pointing to a door, he bade
me go in. On doing so, I saw at once it was a sick-chamber, and found
myself alone in the presence of a lady, who was sitting up in the bed. I
bowed to her, and said, "Can I help you?"

She said, "Oh, no! it is too late!"

"Too late for what?"

"I am dying; I am lost! I am lost! It is too late--too late!"

"But Christ came, and is present, to-save the lost."

"Oh, yes! I know all that. I taught it to others, but I never believed
it myself. And now it is too late: I am lost!"

"Then believe it now! Why not 'now'?"

"Because it is too late!"

"While there is life there is hope! Lose no more time. 'God so loved the
world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on
Him should not perish'" (John 3:16).

"That is not for me. I know that text very well, but it will not do for
me. I am lost! I am lost! It is too late!"

W