WHEN he reached his home the Wiltshire villages were again being stirred, but not now by the crazy predictions of a self-appointed prophet, but by the mighty work of God's Spirit in the hearts of poor sinners. It was the revival times, a revival not in word only, for in very deed new life through God's Holy Spirit was spreading its freshness and beauty far and wide. A weekly paper, then called "The Revival," was regularly telling the story of the irresistible force of God's grace in its subduing power through the word preached. It was the very springtime of new life where only darkness and death had been manifest. Not only was it clearly seen that sinners were being converted to God, but that, like a river the force of God's love in those who had received it, was in all freshness flowing through them to others; and as the gospel net was everywhere bringing up its objects of mercy out of darkness and sin, into the warmth and light of a Saviour's love, eyes were opened to the holiness of God, and hearts touched by His great love to sinners. Such men as these, instead of tampering with sin, shrank from their former ways and habits. Those who had been foremost in the service of Satan were found now amongst their companions, clothed and in their right minds, telling, and showing by their lives, what great things God had done for them, and in their God-given ability standing up for Jesus, owning and confessing His blessed name.
This was the state of things into which the soldier lad found himself brought when he arrived again at the old home, and he disliked it so much that the folks there felt deeply the cold contempt with which he regarded them. An incident will illustrate this. One evening a preacher had been invited to take tea at the father's house, when in walked the young man. His looks so affected the preacher that calling the father aside he sought to be excused from staying, giving as his reason the wild defiant look of the son. "But," said he, "what we seem powerless to touch, we can ask God to do.”
Accordingly, some little while later the father invited a few praying people to his house, and at the hour of prayer the young man, unconscious of the gathering, opened the door of the cottage and walked in. Before he could retrace his steps a hand was laid upon his shoulder, and the kindly voice of one of the company sounded in his ears, "Stay with us we love you, and God loves you.”
By this simple, tactful means he was induced to sit down in a corner. A hymn was given out, and the words which were so heartily sung by the assembled company made a deep impression upon him.
“Thou God of grace our Father,
We now rejoice before Thee,
Thy children we, and loved by Thee,
'Tis meet we should adore Thee.”
Then it was that for the first time he felt himself exposed before God and among His people as a sinner too deeply dyed to think of forgiveness. All was very real now. God loved those people, and those people loved God; and he—words cannot describe his feelings. "It seemed," said he "as though the eyes of their Father-God were fixed on me." He was filled with shame, and nothing could keep him in their company as he realized his sinful state. He went up to his bedroom only to feel more keenly his condition in the sight of a sin-hating God. His past misspent life passed in review before Him, and, for some days, remorse filled his mind. He thought of none now so much as those whom he had before despised. As for his former life and his old companions, all was like a blank. It was himself—what he was that mattered now.
Christian friends talked to him of the forgiveness of sins; but it was himself—a sinner—that troubled him. No amount of forgiveness could meet what he realized himself to be. He could see nothing before him but banishment from God and from His people and to aggravate his condition the enemy instilled into his mind the idea that he was a "son of perdition," and therefore bound to perish. Not knowing any other like himself, despair now filled his soul. Being at this time back in the fields, he determined that he would see for himself what the Bible he had so long neglected said about it. So making his way home he took up the Book, but instead of his eye resting upon the "son of perdition," it fell upon a slip of paper which told of the Saviour's death for the worst of sinner as that which enabled God to justify the one who believes in Jesus. It was all of God to just meet his case.
His father, whose words had seemed of no effect before, wondering at the change, at once embraced him, saying, "Thy mother's prayers are answered; thy soul is saved," and both of them fell on their knees together. There the Holy Spirit not only touched the hard heart, but the eyes were opened and Christ was endeared to the heart as his personal Saviour. From this time the presence of God with His people became a reality to the young man, and his delight in their company made it evident to all that he had passed from death unto life. His Bible, too, was now in general ties amongst his fellow-workmen, as during the intervals of rest allowed in the field-work, he interested them in its blessed contents, sheaving how he himself had been delivered from the cruel bondage of sin into the happy liberty and service of love which he now enjoyed.