A Book of Quaker SaintsHodgkin, L. V. (Lucy Violet)
Religion
A Book of Quaker Saints
Hodgkin, L. V. (Lucy Violet)
Society of Friends
A moment later, as if already ashamed of his impulsive generosity, he
set spurs to his horse and disappeared as swiftly as he had come.
Leonard, meanwhile, remounting, pursued his way in safety, with both
his horse and his money once more restored to him. But more precious,
by far, than either, was the knowledge that his friend's teaching had
again been proved to be true. In his own experience he had discovered
that there really and truly is an Inward Light that does shine still,
even in the hearts of wicked men. Thus was Leonard Fell in his turn
enabled to 'put these things in practice.'
II
ON THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM
A few years later, on another desolate road, crossing another lonely
plain, another traveller met with a very similar adventure thousands
of miles away from England. Only this traveller's experiences were
much worse than Leonard Fell's. He was not only attacked by three
robbers instead of one alone, but this happened amid many other far
worse dangers and narrower escapes. Possibly he even looked back, in
after days, to his encounter with the robbers as one of the pleasanter
parts of his journey!
This traveller's name was George Robinson, and he was an English
Quaker and a London youth. He has left the record of his experiences
in a few closely printed pages at the end of a very small book.
'In the year 1657,' he writes, 'about the beginning of the seventh
month [September], as I was waiting upon the Lord in singleness of
heart, His blessed presence filled me and by the power of His Spirit
did command me to go unto Jerusalem, and further said to me, "Thy
sufferings shall be great, but I will bear thee over them all."'
This was no easy journey for anyone in those days, least of all for a
poor man such as George Robinson. However, he set out obediently, and
went by ship to Leghorn in Italy. There he waited a fortnight until he
could get a passage in another ship bound for St. Jean d'Acre, on the
coast of Palestine, where centuries before Richard Coeur de Lion had
disembarked with his Crusaders. Innumerable other pilgrims had landed
there, since Richard's time, on their way to see the Holy Places at
Jerusalem. George Robinson refused to call himself a pilgrim, but he
had a true pilgrim's heart that no difficulties could turn back or
dismay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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