However, another awakening to God was yet reserved for her before leaving Torbay. One day Ellen was hurrying homeward, when the darkened sky alarmed her; and being unprepared for rain, she stepped into a small cottage, inhabited by one of the men employed in guarding the bay from smugglers, to borrow a cloak or some additional defense, and was earnestly persuaded by him not to adventure till the shower passed on.
She was more than three miles from home; a storm set in. The whole bay was covered with the white foam of the breaking billowy; the thunderclouds rapidly advanced, and bursting over the sea, spread such a sheet of lightning as for a moment covered the whole expanse. Ellen’s heart sunk within her when she heard the man repeating as he viewed the storm —
“Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly;
While the billows round me roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide,
Oh, receive my soul at last!”
The rain and wind beat upon the cottage, as if about to sweep it into the sea, and a large portion of the cliff near them fell with such a crash that it shook the very place on which it was built; still, the man was calm, and turning to her perceived her terror; when he spoke so forcibly of Christ as a Refuge from every tempest, and of the safety of the soul in Him, even when the elements themselves shall melt with fervent heat, and the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, that Ellen regained sufficient composure to question her kind host how he attained this delightful confidence. “Through grace, by walking with God,” was his reply; and it was a volume for her (Eph. 2:8, 9, 108For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8‑10); 1 John 2:3-63And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:3‑6)).
Being faint, she took some refreshment, which he thoughtfully placed before her, and accepted his offer of accompanying her across the sands as soon as the rain subsided; indeed, the assistance was necessary, for the land rivulets, which ran into the bay, were so swollen that she would have found great difficulty in passing them without aid. On the way they met her alarmed husband, who, by inquiry, had traced her route, and was anxiously seeking her. The next day they quitted the coast, and returned home.
Fully determined now to enter no more into that fatal course of worldliness which had so fearfully destroyed her comfort, after spreading the matter earnestly before God in prayer, she seriously unfolded to her husband the whole state of her soul, and earnestly entreated his assistance in conducting their household, and training their children in the ways of God. She found his heart so deeply wounded by affliction that he did not at first attempt to waive the discourse, or to divert her attention from it, but expressed his willingness to unite with her in serving God. The only difference which remained was in what this devotedness consisted; for he could form no idea of that walking with God in the habits of fellowship and communion on which she was now intent. Religion to him appeared nothing more than strict uprightness of conduct with our fellow-creatures, and regular attention to the outward forms of worship. Ellen founded her descriptions on the Scripture, and portrayed a Christian in his likeness to Christ, both in obedience to the requirements of love to God as well as in duty to man. The following scriptures helped her as to her daily walk: Romans 12, Ephesians 4 and 5. In short, she found the scriptures exhibited a Christian as one who, by being quickened together with. Christ (Col. 2:1313And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; (Colossians 2:13)), is dead to the world, and the world to him; who is renewed in the spirit of his mind, so as to set his affections on things above (Col. 3:22Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2)); who is the property and the willing servant of Christ Jesus his Lord, whose will is his guide, whose work is his employ, whose fellowship is his happiness, and whose heaven is his home.
When she spoke of having the heart fixed on heavenly treasures (Matt. 6:19-2419Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:19‑24)), according to the command of Christ, Mr. R- acknowledged that it was not the case with him, but maintained that it was equally unpracticed by others; and, while he admitted the truth of all the Scriptural delineations of a true Christian, he contended that they were utterly above nature, and quite unattainable—rather set before us as marks to be aimed at, than a description of practicable piety. Yet he allowed that neither he nor any of his associates appeared at all to aim at such religion, and, in consequence, he could not but confess a sad deficiency, while he yet maintained that it was not fatal. But Ellen closed all his excuses by quoting 1 John 5:44For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4): “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” “All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:1616For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)). This was conclusive; for he could not but allow that he had always loved these things, and had been so overcome as constantly to be influenced by them. He acknowledged that he had never possessed the faith treated of by the Apostle.
Such conversations became long, and deeply interesting; and it was during a winter’s evening, when he had, as usual, referred the commands of Scripture to the inability of nature, that Ellen entered on the subject of man being born again by the Spirit of God, and took the opportunity to relate to him her early experience of its truth, the sweet intercourse she had then enjoyed with God, the actings of living faith in raising the soul to heavenly things; and the clear distinction between this condition and her previous cold, formal, unproductive assent to divine truth. She declared her firm persuasion that before this change her state was one of unbelief, and of condemnation. Then faithfully, with the most earnest affection and many tears, she besought him no longer to trifle with his soul. He was greatly moved, and starting at the idea, that because destitute, as he acknowledged, of this living faith, he was an unbeliever in the sight of God, he asked her eagerly if she thought that it was by this grace she had turned her back on the world, and entered into such a spiritual state of mind as he had before thought impossible? She declared it was, and deeply lamented the decay of its practice, assuring him that, much as she had appeared to take interest in worldly substitutes for this piety, she had never known what happiness was since she had ceased closely to walk with God, and concluded by referring him to Hebrews 13.
The result of this conversation appeared important. He seemed to be gradually yielding to conviction; yet still, although more faintly, he would question whether the influence of this living faith might not be some enthusiastical impression on her mind, and whether her former morality was not as true religion as these spiritual feelings; but, unable to resist the force of Scripture, he gave way to her simple distinction of the believer, as an accepted, pardoned, blessed child of God, and the unbeliever as condemned, the enemy of Christ, and yet in his sins. The consequence was, that he seemed to desire such a change in himself, and gladly yielded to her design of forming religious acquaintances. Among these was a young couple of decided piety, who manifested the utmost willingness to cultivate mutual friendship; and the first evening of receiving a visit convinced Mr. R-that the highest enjoyment of society might consist with the purest godliness. The conversation was animated, serious, and interesting. At the hour of eight o’clock the servants were called in to family prayer. The whole service was conducted with simplicity and fervency; and, upon their return home, Mr. R-could not refuse Ellen’s arguments of the propriety, excellency, and duty of the sacred practice by all who profess to be followers of Christ. Indeed, he promised to take the matter into the most serious consideration, whether it were not really his duty as the master of a house.
He now read the Scriptures with care, and appeared so willing to enter into all Ellen’s views, that her wound began to be somewhat healed for the loss of her Jane, whom she everywhere missed. The hope that possibly her husband’s change might make up for the loss of her child began now to gladden her heart, and to introduce a new feeling of animation in the prospects of life. Alas! she little thought how much her own disobedience to her Lord, in forming the connection at the first, was to overthrow every pleasing anticipation.
(Continued and to be continued)