"MY FATHER "LL GIE THE" THIS HAASE" (House).
When Abe had been conducting his cla.s.s for some years in the cottage before named, an event transpired which greatly disturbed his mind, and led him to fear he might have to remove his meeting to some other place. Now this was a sore trouble ta him and to every one of his members; they had got accustomed to going there, and some of them had never met anywhere else, so that they could not bear the thought of being obliged to leave, yet there was some ground for the fear.
The person who owned the cottage was mother-in-law to the man by whom it was occupied; she died and left her property, which consisted chiefly of cottages, to be divided equally among her children. Soon after the funeral the family met in this very house to arrange the division of the estate. The plan adopted was to draw lots for houses, and as they were nearly of the same value, this seemed equitable. So the lots were all prepared and placed together, and each person was to draw one, and take the house named on the lot; the drawing was to commence with the eldest, and go down to the youngest. Now the wife of the man in whose house the cla.s.s met was the youngest member of the family, and therefore must take what all the others left. When everything was ready for the drawing to begin, the proceedings were interrupted by a knock at the door. The man of the house opened it, and found, to his surprise, "Little Abe" there. "Come aat a minute,"
said he, "I want to spaike to the"." On getting outside Abe resumed, "I knaw what ye are baan to do in there."
"Haa dost ta knaw?" said the man.
"Ne"r moind, I knaw;" and going close up to his ear and placing his hand on the man"s arm, he said, "My Father "ll gie the" this haase, He telled me soa; I"ve been to Him abaat it, and I have His word on "t; but afore thaa gets it, I want the" to promise me that while I live I shall have my meetin" here."
"Yo" shall," was the ready response; "as long as thaa and me lives this haase shall be oppen to the" if we get it."
"Bless the Lord," said Abe, rubbing his hands, "I could loike to shaat"
(shout) "but they"d hear me insoide. Ne"er moind, I knaw tha"ll get it;--gooid-noight!"
His friend then returned into the house, and immediately the drawing began. Each drew one lot; then they all read them together, and as Abe predicted, the house in which they were a.s.sembled fell to the share of the man who lived in it. But this is not the end of the story: it appears that one of the sons was not satisfied with his portion, and began to complain. The fact is he wanted this house, and if he had got it Abe and his cla.s.s would have been turned out. So, rather than have any unpleasantness in the family, they all agreed to cast lots again and abide by the issue. This was done, and to the astonishment of all, this house fell a second time to the same man, and though it was considered the best lot, everyone felt it was fairly his, and he has it to this day.
It may suit some people to say this was a mere accident; yes, just the same as the world is an accident and a thing of chance. Perhaps it was an accident, too, that "Little Abe" was able to foretell the issue of that lottery with such confidence, and was so eager to make his bargain for the use of the room before the lots were known. The chance that can show such intelligence, foreknowledge, and power, that can communicate its intentions beforehand, and afterwards verify them in this manner, has the attributes of G.o.d, and must be Divine; a chance that can hear and answer prayer, that can work out its own designs and baffle those of others, that can reveal secrets to His favourites and honourably keep covenants, deserves the faith and worship of all men: this was Abe Lockwood"s G.o.d, and He shall be ours for ever and ever.
There are some who say, "What is the Almighty that we should serve Him?
and what profit shall we have if we pray unto Him?" These scientific theorists and unbelievers are intensely anxious to prove that prayer is only wasted energy, that nothing can possibly come as direct answering to prayer, that if things do follow which seem to be in response to earnest and devout pet.i.tion, they result from some other causes, which have no connection, except coincidental, with prayer.
Men who talk so don"t pray, never did. They don"t know what prayer is; they are wrong in their first principles, and therefore all their deductions are awry; it is impossible for anyone who discredits prayer to know what he is talking about. Prayer is a something going on within the soul, it is something which must be experienced to be understood; and yet those who have no experience presume to philosophize on the subject as if they had spent all their life in the exercise and study of prayer. Just as well might "Little Abe" try to talk scientifically, as those scientists speak on the merits or worth of prayer, it is out of their sphere, they are out of their depth, and therefore it was a sad want of discretion which first tempted them to venture so far.
"Little Abe" was a much better judge of the value of prayer than these theorists; he was much further learnt in this direction than any of them, and therefore his testimony was more reliable than theirs; what to them was a mystery and impossibility was to him a simple daily enjoyment. They that would test the value of prayer _must really pray themselves_, and believe while they pray, otherwise they will be no wiser. Prayer is not disproved by the failure of improper pet.i.tions, but it is proved by the success attending supplications presented in the right spirit. If men expect nothing, they get what they expect, the Bible says so; "But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to G.o.d must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Heb. xi. 6).
Prayer was an exercise in which Abe was a proficient and spent much time; at his work he prayed, and in his chamber, long and earnestly, until he prevailed. Sometimes in the meetings, as Abe would say, "they gat agaat o" wrestling," and then he often became so importunate in his intercessions that his whole body prayed as well as his soul, and quite unconsciously he beat the bench at which he knelt, struck the floor with his clogs, sweat at every pore, and really wrestled with G.o.d in mighty prayer, and then the glory was sure to come down and fill the place. Certainly at those times Abe and those who were with him were very noisy, and some who had no sympathy with anything of the sort, would make some disparaging remarks. There were some of old who would have silenced the loud cries of poor blind Bartimeus, but they could not, nor can they stop the voice of vehement prayer. Pray on, brethren, get hold of G.o.d, and then make what noise you like.
We want more of this praying spirit among the Lord"s people, and less of the cold calculations of the unbeliever. Here lies the strength of the Christian Church, and not in its immense wealth, its high culture, its refined pulpit, or luxurious pew; it is that praying power which brings the Divine unction down. May G.o.d give us the praying power.
CHAPTER XVIII.
"Working Overtime."
The time came when "Little Abe" was much sought after to speak at week-night meetings, such as tea-meetings, missionary meetings, and the like. It was considered a great point to have him as one of the speakers; they were sure to have a lively time if Abe came--for what with his own original speech, his running comments and responses while others were talking (a liberty which every one allowed him), he kept the whole meeting alive throughout.
This was what he called "working overtime." All his Sundays were given, as a matter of course, to the Lord"s work, and the week-days to his daily calling; consequently what he did, in this way had to be done at nights, after his day"s work was finished. Now as this kind of work grew upon Abe, there were some who would tell him he was doing too much, that he would injure himself; but he would remind them that when he had to work at the mill night after night, week after week, no one ever thought of telling him he was doing too much. "No," would be the response, "because you were paid for that." Then Abe"s soul was roused. "Well, and does the" think my Father doesn"t pay me? Bless Him, He owes me nowt, He"s paid me double wages for every minute I have warked for Him." And so he went on serving the Church and honouring G.o.d to the utmost of his ability.
LITTLE ABE AND THE MULE.
He had a singular experience one dark rainy night when going to a missionary meeting at Sh.e.l.ley. He was late in arriving, so that the meeting was somewhat advanced when he put in an appearance. As he entered the chapel he was greeted by a burst of clapping, and in a moment every face brightened at the sight of him, though, to tell the truth, he was rather unsightly, for he was bedabbled with mud from his feet to his head, and his big umbrella looked as if it had been on the spree and rolled in the gutter; altogether he appeared in unusual style for a public meeting. It was no matter to him, however. He just shook himself like a dog out of the water, placed his bundle of whalebones and gingham in a quiet corner, rubbed his numbed hands together, and went smiling on to the platform. Nothing would satisfy the people but that he should speak at once, so he rose to his feet amid the hearty clapping of the whole audience, and said, "I niver knew so mich of th"
trials of missionary wark in my loife as I do naa. I"ve been in trainin" for this meetin". I"ve had to endure storms, rain, tempest, and dangers seen and unseen, for it wor that dark on th" road I could hardly see mysen, so, loike a returned missionary, I think I ought to let yo" knaw some"at abaat my trials." (Hear, hear.) "Well, yo" knaw, when I promised to come to this meetin", I meant being here somehaa, but I "av had a job. I thowt as I wor comin" I would mak" it as easy as I could for mysen, so I borrowed aar neighbour"s mule. I didn"t knaw mich abaat riding, so he telled me I wor to keep tight hold o" th"
bridle, as th" owd mule had a way o" tumblin" fore"ards. Well, I gat on th" back wi" my umbrella oppen, for it wor pouring daan rain, and we set off, all three on us, umbrella, th" mule, and me. We gat on alroight most o" th" way. I had to scold th" owd animal sometimes, and tell him to get on or we"d be too late for th" meeting, so we kept gaining a bit o" graand by degrees, but troubles wor ahead. What wi"
thinking abaat my speech and holding th" umbrella roight, I forgat to keep a toight hold o" th" bridle, and all at once th" mule tript, and th" umbrella and me went roight over his head into th" dike. I really wor astonished at mysen, and didn"t know which to blame--th" mule or me. I think I ne"r gat off a cuddy so quick in my loife afore; and th"
owd mule would hardly understand me I daresay, for he stopt in a moment and look"d over at me as if he wor wondering if I always gat off in that fashion. However, I soon scrambled aat o" th" dike, and after a good bit o" trying I maanted agean and set off on th" road; but I hadn"t gone far before I faan some"at wor wrang wi" th" bridle. I couldn"t guide th" beast roight somehaa, so I felt abaat to try if I could foind aat what it wor, and behold I had gotten th" bridle all on one soide. Well, I dar"n"t get off to set it roight, so I wor fain to let th" owd beast goa his own gait till we gat to Sh.e.l.ley."
The whole story was so amusing, and the more so as told in Abe"s inimitable style, that the people laughed themselves into tears; and yet they could not but admire the zeal of the little man, and their hearts warmed towards him, and to the missionary cause as well, for as soon as Abe resumed his seat, the chairman, who knew how to take the tide at its flood, called for the collection to be made, and there is no doubt it was a good one. Just at that moment Abe shouted out, "Bless the Lord, I"ve made th" collection speech to-noight."
A QUOTATION FROM SALLY.
At one of the meetings where "Little Abe" was a speaker, he was exhorting the people to give freely to the Lord"s cause. "Some folk,"
he remarked, "say that Methodists are always after money; well, we canna" do very mich withaat it, I wish we could, it"s a deal o" bother, and takes sich a lot o" getting; and yet it is a far worse job to be withaat ony." Then throwing his head over a little on one side he went on, "Aar Sally says money is th" rooit of all evil, but I says, "Aye, la.s.s, I knaw it wad be, if I wor to come home on Sat.u.r.day withaat ony.""
A LIST OF THE FAMILY NAMES.
At another meeting in which our little hero was speaking he got into an exceedingly happy mood, and was dwelling on the honour of being a child of G.o.d. His face shone with delight, his eyes glistened with joyful tears. "Bless the Lord," said he, "I"m a King"s Son, and one of a royal line. Ah, and there are hosts maar in th" family besides me.
Let"s see," said he, "there"s Jonathan Cheetham, King"s Son; there"s James Crossland, King"s Son; there"s James Carter, King"s Son; Glory!
there"s Mary Carter, King"s Son. Hallelujah!" How far he would have pursued the list of family names we don"t know, had not the whole meeting burst into laughter and tears at Abe"s unwitting mistake in calling Mary Carter a King"s Son; but it was of no consequence to him; a little slip of his happy tongue didn"t mar his meaning; the people cheered him, and on he went as blythe as ever.
It was reward enough for Little Abe to know that he had done his Master"s work and brought honour to His great name. The exertion which these extra meetings entailed upon him, the long weary marches out and home, were all performed without a murmur or the slightest abatement of zeal. He didn"t serve the Lord with a footrule in his hand, measuring and marking off to the eighth of an inch. Abe strode over all narrow and stinted measurements, and served his Master out of the fulness of his warm and generous heart.
That miserable devotion which does as little as possible for G.o.d, and magnifies that little into importance, Little Abe knew nothing about, and he is a poor, pompous, pitiable thing that does; the open heart, the willing hand, the ready feet, are among the few things that G.o.d Almighty is pleased to see among His people; the penitent that sheds his tears by the dozen, the man that goes just the length of his sixty-feet tape-measure and no more, the champion that quenches his zeal in the first obstacle that comes in his way, and turns back from the fight, is unworthy the name and honour of a Christian; he is unfit to march in the glorious succession of martyrs and confessors who follow a Leader that dedicated His all to the world"s welfare and His Father"s will. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich."
CHAPTER XIX.
Methodist Lovefeast.
Methodism has created new inst.i.tutions and coined new words to express the object of them. The lovefeast is purely Methodistic: it is a meeting of Christian people belonging to one or more societies, where they relate their religious experience, and bear their testimony to the worth and influence of Divine grace in the soul.
Under the conduct of a minister, or someone duly appointed for the purpose, the meeting is opened with singing and prayer; then, while the people are sitting, bread and water are distributed to all present, to suggest that believers are members of one great family, and partners in the same spiritual provision made by Christ who gave Himself to be the Bread of Life for men. When this is done the offerings of the people are gathered, usually for the poor of the Lord"s flock. The formalities ended, the meeting is thrown open for the relation of Christian experience, and any one speaks that is prompted.
In every period of Methodism the lovefeast has been a precious and popular means of grace. These meetings are held all through the country, every little church taking care to have its quarterly or annual lovefeast. And it is remarkable what a hold some of these meetings have upon the people; ten, or even twenty miles, have not been considered too great a distance to be travelled in order to be present at some of them, even though the entire journey has had to be performed on foot. Men and women, some of them stricken in years and bowed down with the toils and cares of a long and hard life, have joyfully walked many a weary mile for the pleasure of attending a lovefeast; old people, leading their grand-children by the hand, and telling them of the stirring times of early Methodism; younger people in groups, singing revival hymns as they plod steadily along the dusty or miry roads under melting sun or pelting rains, making their way to these attractive and soul-stirring meetings, contending against every obstacle and overcoming every hindrance, determined to be there and do honour to the Divine Master, who said, "Ye are my witnesses."
There have been some of the grandest manifestations of Divine power at these gatherings, as seen and felt in the sweet, gentle, and unconscious melting of feelings, until the whole congregation has been broken down to tears and songs of joy and praise; or coming suddenly upon them as a "rushing mighty wind," without sound or sign, save in the bending of heads, the breaking of hearts, the streaming tears, and the adoring responses of the people. Then, believers have caught the spark of sanctifying fire from G.o.d Himself, and declared it; then, men have been endued with the gift of tongues, and spoken with apostolic power; then, sinners, drawn into the place by the peculiar attractions of the occasion, have felt their souls shaken by Divine energy, like forest trees in a tempest, and trembling, bending, rending, breaking, have fallen in the storm of Heaven"s mercy, and cried for help and found it. Oh, how many there are now in glory or on the way, of whom it may be said, "Convicted in a lovefeast! converted in a lovefeast!
sanctified in a lovefeast!" Their name is "legion, for they are many."
Hallelujah!
Some things among the usages of the churches we may perhaps afford to dispense with and suffer no loss, but not this glorious means of grace.
If in any place they have lost their power, the fault is not in the inst.i.tution, but in the Church; religious declension is the greatest enemy to this good old custom. If the Lord"s people return to their first love, the lovefeast will resume its former glory and power. Oh, Lord, "wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?"
Methodism cannot afford to forsake her old ways for new and untried ones; they are intelligent, proper, and essentially Christian.
Lovefeasts are the olive branch which we have received from the revered hands of our fathers and mothers in the faith, not to be cast away, but to be prized and kept as a mark of our love for them, for each other, and for Christ our Saviour; and though the green branch which they left us may be somewhat faded, and its leaves droop in our moistureless hands, though it has lost some of the freshness it had when it first came to our keeping, thank G.o.d! thank G.o.d! it is not dead, it lives!
and can be revived. It wants more moisture; sprinkle tear-drops of penitence upon its shrunken foliage; let the springs of our sympathy once more flow over it; let us ask G.o.d to give us the "upper and the nether springs," that _His_ love and ours may flow out in one united stream; let us come to that stream, near, nearer, to the brink, and olive branch in hand, plunge in, refresh ourselves, and revivify the blessed, beautiful, and sacred symbol.
There was no meeting in which Little Abe was more at home than a lovefeast; whether as conductor or in a private capacity,--if such a term can be applied to Abe,--he gloried in a rousing lovefeast. His love for these meetings and his apt.i.tude in conducting them occasioned a great demand for his presence. He had such a way of interspersing enlivening comments between the speakers. He was a good singer, too, and was always ready with some hymn expressive of the feeling of the meeting. Then he had the power to make everyone feel at home, so that he was the very man to lead a lovefeast, although he did sometimes say things that would shock very orderly and circ.u.mspect persons.
DEVIL DIDN"T POP THEE.