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“3Iarch 29, 1826. — The bridge of boats set up again! Spring returning! 0 Thou who makest summer and winter, warm and invigorate my heart, and make all my beloved friends joyful in Thee! Shed down upon us all the precious and invigorating influences of Thy Spirit, and make us fruitful in every good word and work. I have lately sent forth some of my sermons. Gracious Father, break not the bruised reed, quench not the smoking flax, but accept and bless this feeble efi’ort to serve Thee. Amen.”
It was thus that Mr. Knill, amid increasing difficulties, girded himself afresh for iis work. Only by a nearer approach to God, and a steadier faith in His promises, could he have rightly met these difficulties. The faithful fellow-labourers, who hailed him on his arrival in the country, and had proved most able and
affectionate counsellors in times of perplexity, retired from the scene, and left him more sensibly dependant on the Divine arm. His domestic sorrows had been leading in the same direction. To his correspondent at Bideford he writes, “I think I have never had my mind so much in heaven as since the death of my beloved daughter. Thus our gracious God makes all things to work together for good.” The death of his parents, too, which now occurred, awoke many solemn and tender recollections of his former life: —
Journal. — “June 20, 1826, Lords-day. — Preached in the evening, from Rev. xiv. 13, a funeral sermon for my honoured mother. She and my father were married about 55 years, and, I think, for about 30 years she has been a disciple of Jesus. For four or five years she has been confined almost every hour to her bed, and latterly she seemed to have lost all recollection. A few hours only before her departure she had the use of her reason restored, and she began to pray. Her last words were * Eliza, pray;’ and so she yielded up the ghost, having just completed her 80th year. Lord, give me grace to follow Thee, as she followed Thee. Oh, how warm was her love, how great her attachment to the Word and house of God! May all her relatives be like her!”
^’’December 11. — A letter from my niece states that my dear father is very ill; that she had received a letter from him on one week, and on the next, a message, that he was not able to write.”
Perhaps the following touching passage in a letter to the family at Loveacott ought not to be withheld: —
“Often have I exclaimed, when passing through the streets of this splendid city, ‘Oh that all was right with my father’s soul, and that he considered his latter end!’ I am happy to think there is any change of a consoling nature; but we want things to be very sure for ourselves and our friends before we can take comfort in their death. People who know not what conversion is, take it for granted that all their friends go to heaven, particularly if they receive the sacrament on their death-bed; but we know how deceptive all these tilings are. A new heart and a right
spirit — a creation luito holiness by the Spirit of Christ — is what we need, and without it we must perish.” He was not without reason to hope that such prayers had been graciously answered before the event which he thus records: — “In the afternoon, received a letter announcing the death of my dear and honoured father, on the 15th December, 1826.”
Meanwhile, the peace and usefulness of the little church suffered no interruption. “I am happy to inform you,” he writes to his faithful correspondent in Edinburgh, “that a few have been united to us in church fellowship since Dr. Paterson left us. The Lord gives us unbounded reason for thankfulness for personal and domestic comforts. I heard from good Princess Metschersky last week. She is at her estates near Tver, living among her serfs, and trying to do them all the good in her power. I never perceived her heart so much affected with their spiritual misery as she appears now to be. She is capable of doing much to enlighten their darkened minds. Oh, Miss Ross, how shall we sufficiently adore the Lord for His goodness to us in making us experimentally acquainted with His love and power, in giving us to taste and see that He is good! How shall we praise that matchless Kedeemer who undertook our cause, and gave us His Holy Spirit to be our Comforter! Is it not wonderful that we think so little of it? May we in future feel it more, and exemplify our attachment to Him in a more lively manner. Amen.”
To the same correspondent, a few months later, he mentions the continued prosperity of one of the most useful of the institutions: —” The gentlemen of the committee charged me to return their sincere thanks for your continued favours to the school; the Lord reward you, and all who contribute to its support. A few days since we had our annual examination. Oh, how gratifying was the sight! Many of the young people attended who were formerly scholars with us, but are now apprenticed to various tradesmen in the city. Their appearance was peculiarly encouraging. We never had so many children in attendance as we now have. Sometimes there are sixty girls simultaneously at work on various kinds of gar-GLEAMS.
ments and useful articles for families. They can make every garment usually worn by women, which enables some of them already to support themselves, and many who have left the school support also their friends.”
His pastoral vigilance continued to be attended by many encouraging incidents. “On the 29th of June, 1826,” He writes to the Rev. J. Arundel, “I one day called on a watchmaker, lately become pious, to ask him where I could buy a good spy -glass. ‘If you want a good spy-glass,’ said he, ‘I should like to speak with you on that subject.” Proceed, if you please.” The summer before you arrived, I bought a beautiful spy-glass in a walking-stick, for my amusement on Sundays; but God in His mercy has enabled you to direct me to objects more glorious than that glass discovers. I have now better work for Sundays, and have no further use for the glass. I beg you to accept it as a trophy of the grace of God; keep it, sir, as an encouragement in your labours of love, and be assured that it was only the same power that sent the Otaheitan idols to the Missionary Museum that brought that glass to (JLEAMS. you.’ I have it as a valuable and precious testimony to the power of God. The former owner of it is a bright Christian; many also of his relatives have become pious.”
A circumstance of a similar kind affords a lively illustration of his manner, which was at once kind, bold, and discriminating. A Russian whom he had employed in the capacity ot a tailor having called one day when he was engaged with a gentleman, he asked him to sit down,-’ handing him at the same moment a tract in the English language, which he knew he could read.
I soon returned, and paid him his bill, and as he was going away, he said —
“I hope you are pleased with your coat?”
“Yes,” I replied, “I am much pleased with my coat; how are you pleased with my book?”
“Oh,” said he, “I never trouble myself about books.”
“Do you not? I am sorry for that, sir; you are getting an old man, and if you do not trouble yourself about books, I fear there is something else which you neglect.”
“What is that, sir?”..
“Why, your precious soul. ‘And what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
“Ah,” said he, “I guess what you mean; you think I ought to become religious.”
“Yes, that is it.”
“Bless you, sir,” he replied, “it would be impossible for me to carry on my large business if I were religious.”
“You astonish me, sir. How would religion interfere with your business?”
“Why, if I were religious, then I must go to church on Sundays.”
“To be sure you would; aye, and you would rejoice when Sunday came, that you might hear something of God and salvation.”
“I tell you, sir, that would be impossible with my business. I have thirty men, and I pay most of my bills, and receive most of my money, on Sunday; it is my busiest day.”
“What! do you never go to church?”
‘’Never.”
“This is worse and worse, sir. You say you do not read good books, and you do not go to church; depend upon it you are going to hell. I have long thought that no man would go to heaven merely because he read the Bible and went to church; but I am deeply convinced that the man who neglects these things is not going to heaven. How can you live so? Do you not believe there is a God
At this he looked angrily at me, and said,” God, sir! God! Have you ever seen God
At this I trembled to think how far down a man might sink in his iniquity, and I replied — “I have not seen God, but I have seen you, and you are one of God’s works.”
“Very well,” said he, “when you meet with any one who has seen God, please to let me know it. Good morning, sir.”
The old man then took his leave, and I saw him no more until I met him at the funeral of the friend who had introduced him to me. This excellent man was seized with typhus fever, and died; and great lamentation was made over him. The funeral sermon was numerously attended, and among them I saw the Russian tailor, and the tears rolling down his (JLEAMS.
aged cheeks, but I could not tell whether it was anything that I said, or the death of my friend that so deeply affected him. On the following Sabbath, I saw him present again; on the second Sabbath again; and on the third Sabbath again. This was very strange to see; yet I was afraid to call upon him, lest he might take the alarm and keep away altogether; but I said to one of my friends, “Did you see Mr. B?”
“Yes,” said he; “I can tell you something very interesting about that old man.”
“Indeed! what, sir?”
“He has purchased an English Bible, and says he is determined to read it; yes, and to read it all through, to see whether what you say is true or not.’’
“Then,” said I, “there is hope of him. There is always hope of a man when he begins to read the Bible with attention.”
I now found him a constant attendant on week-days as well as Lord’s-days, and I often saw his countenance lighted up with joy; but I never spoke to him until one Saturday night I was sitting in my study, when my wife catered, saying, “There is a stranger inquiring for YOU.”
Who is it?”
“I do not know, but I think it is the Russian tailor.”
So I walked out, and there I saw him. He began: “Saturday night is not just the time to call on you, Mr. Knill, but I have a little business.”
“What business, sir?”
“One of your hearers wished to present you with a new coat, and I have brought it; I hope you will not be angry.”
I answered — “I am not in the habit of being angry with any person, but especially with one who would give me a new coat; pray, what kind and considerate friend has done this?”
“Ah,” said he, “that is a part of the business; he will not tell you his name.”
“Is it a young man?”
He answered — No.”
“Is it an old man?”
“Yes, an old man with a grey head.”
There he stood by my side, with his hair as
white as milk, but I had no conception that he was the man.
“Perhaps, sir, you will tell my wife who it ^Yas r
“Yes, I am not bound to keep it from her.”
So I left them, and he told my wife that he was the person who had given me this coat. Of course, I soon knew it; and very peculiar were the feelings produced in my mind by the transaction.
“Now, sir, I know who my benefactor is, and I am greatly obliged to you for this kindness; but do tell me what induced you to give me the coat?”
At this he burst into tears, and said — “Ah, sir, if God had not changed my heart I never should have thought of giving you the coat.”
“Thank you,” said I, “for this explanation, and if it be connected with a change of heart, then the coat is invaluable.”
He then gave me a striking proof that his heart was changed indeed. He began to consult me about the spiritual good of his people.
I want to ask you, sir, what I should do for my men? I feel very much about their souls. What do you think I should do for them? Should I give them copies of the Testament?”
I was delighted to behold this mark of spiritual life, and urged him by all means to give them the Scriptures. This encouraged him. His youth seemed renewed like the eagles’. He ran home, and called his men together, and said to them —” Can you read V
“Yes, sir, I read Swedish.”
To another — “Can you read?”
“Yes, sir, I read German.”
To a third — “Can you read?”
“Yes, I read Finnish.”
To a fourth — “Can you read?”
“Yes, I read Russ.”
Having ascertained how many of his people could read, and in what languages, he came to me again, saying — “Now, sir, so many books in so many languages; for I am resolved that no man shall remain in my employ, who is able to read, without a copy of the blessed New Testament.”
“The inquiry he thus made led to another discovery. He not only found out who could
read, but he also found out who could not read, and for them he bought spelling-books, and set the readers to teach them; for he also resolved that every man and boy in his works who could not read should be instructed.
In addition to all this, he usually spent half an hour in the evening with them in reading and expounding the Scriptures. The sight was at once novel, amusing, and affecting. The old man would fix upon a chapter, then they would all read the same verse in their different languages, and then the master would give them a short exposition of it in the Russian language, which they all understood. By this means his house passed through as great a change as the master. Instead of being polluted with worldly occupations on the Lord’s-day, now every day was turned into a Sabbath. Prayer, and praise, and religious instruction were carried on daily. The voice of joy, thanksgiving, and praise, was heard in the tabernacle of the righteous.’’^
In the midst of these and other evidences of the Divine blessing, which cheered his
* “The Russian Tailor.’’ Eeligioiis Tract Societj.
naturally trustful and hopeful spirit, the year approached its close.
^’Decemher 26. — Mr. Mirrielees has arrived from Moscow, and gives a very interesting account of all our friends. It is now finally settled ( D. V.) that Mr. Parkinson shall leave for Rotherham College, about June next. Thus from our dear little congregation, Mr. Ton Essen, Mr. James Lyon, and Mr. Parkinson have chosen that blessed work, which surely is to be preferred above all others. — Gracious Lord, Thou hast all fulness in Thyself; in mercy supply these Thy servants out of Thy infinite store. Amen.
“Wednesday, 29. — Preached in the evening on those beautiful words, ‘Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness,’ and it becomes me to look back with gratitude on a year of mercies.
“Blessed be Thy holy name, for every temporal comfort and every domestic blessing: for the means of grace — precious Sabbaths and sacramental feasts — not one of which has failed; for help from dear Dr. Paterson when I was sick; for several excellent persons added
to the Church, and for others who give evidence of a concern for their souls. 0 my God and Father, my Saviour, Friend, and Portion, bless Thou my dear people — cause true and undefiled religion to increase and flourish T’