Lancashire (England) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
to that which when discovered to them made their badness
unbearable--in other words, "took away their sin." Lost souls,
damned souls, souls in hell--as the theologians termed them--were
simply souls lost to their right relationship. And the work of
Christ was to find _in_ men, and find out _for_ men, what this
right relationship was. This was what was meant in the text, the
Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Their
friend Moses Fletcher had found something in himself. He had found
love, and courage, and a sense of goodness. These had been
discovered to him by the One who was always revealing the good in
us if we would but let Him, and if we would but open our eyes to
see. He, Moses Fletcher, had seen the good, and believed in it,
and he was saved because he allowed the good to move and have its
being in him. It was his better self, so long unknown to himself,
so long lost in him, and to him, that awoke and led him to save
Oliver o' Deaf Martha's child. When he plunged into the Green Fold
Lodge he found what had been so long lost to him: he found
himself. Then was fulfilled the saying, "He that loseth his life
shall save it." That was salvation. Moses was now a saved man
because he had found the sane and whole part of his nature. The
Divine in him had been awakened. He was at last true to the law of
his being.'
Then, closing his Bible, he asked Moses Fletcher to give his
'testimony.'
Standing up, and with tremulous tones, which none recognised as
the once harsh voice of Moses, he said:
'Yo' happen willn't let me co yo' friends because I've bin an
enemy to so mony on yo'! But Him as they co'd a friend o'
publicans and sinners hes made me His friend, and He's made me a
friend on yo' all. I know haa yo' all hated me, and I gave yo'
good cause for doin' so. But He's put His love i' me, and naa owd
Moses 'll never trouble ony on yo' ony more. Owd Moses lies i'
Green Fold Lodge yonder, and he'll stop theer; it's time he wor
done wi'. An' if you'll try me as God's baan to try me, aw think
you'll happen larn to love me as I know I'm loved aboon.'
As he sat down many in the large congregation would fain have
risen and grasped him by the hand, but propriety forbade.
In another minute Mr. Penrose came out of the vestry prepared for
the rite of immersion, and Moses was a second time baptized in
Rehoboth.
As he stepped out of the waters a cloud passed from before the
October sun, and a flood of light poured through the open window
above the baptistery, while a white dove from the neighbouring
farm perched for a moment on the wooden sill. Then Milly once more
turned to her father and said:
'Yon's th' brid, faither, but I don't yer th' voice!'
'What voice?' whispered Abraham Lord.
'Why, faither, thaa knows--"This is My beloved Son."'
But Moses heard that voice in his heart.
III.
AMANDA STOTT.
1. HOME.
2. LIGHT AT EVENTIDE.
3. THE COURT OF SOULS.
4. THE OLD PASTOR.
I.
HOME.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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