BY THE LATE ROBERT GRIBBLE.
In the summer of this year, I accompanied a beloved brother on a short missionary excursion into some destitute villages of our neighborhood. We were without purse or scrip, and had no settled plan for our journey, our object being to preach the gospel, distribute tracts, and ascertain the moral condition of the people. About noon on the first day, we preached at Chittlehamptolt, a village three miles from the parish church. The inhabitants were noted for lawlessness, having driven away all who had before attempted to minister there; yet about thirty persons heard with attention, and a house was offered for preaching. In the evening, we preached in Chittlehampton, the church-town—as it was called—of the same parish, which, being under high aristocratic influence, no house had been used for preaching there within the memory of any inhabitant, and the rain prevented our ministering out of doors. In this emergency, the Lord provided for our need. A cottage which had been quitted that same day was offered us, and crowded with attentive hearers.
On the second day, a large company belonging to a club assembled to hear the word at High Bickingtou, after which we walked until day-light, being unable to discern any shed to lie down in, and the rain falling during the greater part of the night. Having lost our way, we found ourselves in the morning near Winkleigh, a small town where the word was preached at nine o’clock. Here dwelt one family of disciples, who received us gladly.
On the morning of the fourth day, we again lost our way, and wandered to the small village of Kingscot, where our hearts were much cheered by finding many dear Christians, with whom we had a short season of happy communion. The news of our arrival spread so rapidly, that thirty persons were soon gathered in one of the cottages to hear the word of life. We then went to the village of St. Giles, two miles distant, where we purposed to spend the evening; and my dear companion preached with great power to about one hundred persons. One of them, who came from the village where we tarried in the morning, was converted; so that our mistake in losing our way, through which our meeting was known, was used by the Lord for bringing a soul to Himself. How wonderful are the ways of our God, who causes all events to fulfill His own blessed purposes! This village was very near the mansion of the most influential nobleman in the county, whose decided dislike to all public worship, except that of the Establishment was well known; and in the whole surrounding district, which formed a part of his vast possessions, his word was considered almost as law. He is now dead, and his title extinct.
Being greatly interested in the appearance of the people, I gave notice of a second service on that day fortnight, though the place was ten miles from my home. Two dear brethren accompanied me on this second visit, when many again assembled, while some individuals endeavored in many ways to annoy us The regular ringers, it is true, refused to ring the church bells to drown our voices; but some young learners made noise enough to answer that purpose. We were delivered from this in a very singular manner. The clergyman, riding to the church-gate where we were assembled, and giving his horse in charge to one of the hearers, hastened to the church tower, where he stopped the bells in much anger, supposing they were rung to compliment, instead of to disturb us! On going to the inn for a pony on which one of my companions had ridden, we were grossly abused by the schoolmaster of the place. The poor man’s arm was in a sling, and we were afterward told that he had intended to get up a dance on the green when we came to preach, and had offered sixpence to each person who would join, while he played the fiddle. But the Lord interfered: he was thrown from his horse in the meantime, and the arm which was to have been used in the service of Satan was disabled. How oft is that solemn word fulfilled, “The wrath of man shall praise thee, and the remainder thereof shalt thou restrain.”
I felt encouraged to give notice of a third service; and on coming to the village on that occasion, I found that the publican could neither receive my horse at the inn nor sell me any refreshment, having offended the clergyman by doing so before, and by allowing his family to attend the preaching. This, however, did not discourage me, as I generally went on foot; and when I again rode, the Lord provided my horse a shelter. Having a shoe loose, I took him to the blacksmith, who kindly offered me to leave him there at any time, and refused to be paid for his labor. The Lord had touched this man’s heart, and he refused to work while I was preaching. I believe he was one of the first converts there. On this third visit, the schoolmaster rode into our midst, and tried by every means to make his horse plunge and kick to disturb us. The people generally were, however, favorable to the gospel; but no one as yet ventured to ask me into his house, lest he should incur the displeasure of the great; so that I have walked the whole distance out and home without any intermediate rest. But in the end I was richly repaid for my toil and labor.
When the approach of autumn prevented preaching in the open air, I was still anxious, and I may say impelled, to continue my labors at this village. There was no way to accomplish this, so as not to interfere with my other duties, except by a short service early on the. Lord’s day, which I continued unto the middle of November, at half-past nine in the morning, at the gate of the churchyard.
As a specimen of the ignorance which we met with on our tour—one poor man, when asked if he knew Jesus, replied, “He had often heard of the man, but had never seen Him yet; but he hoped he should someday.” At another place, a deaf woman mistook us for quack doctors, and thought our tracts were papers to recommend our medicines, perhaps from never having seen any before. We were much touched. with the sufferings of another very afflicted, and asked if she wished us to pray with her; when she burst into tears, and said, with much feeling, she had nothing to pay us!