The Broken Font: A Story of the Civil War, Vol. 2 (of 2)Sherer, Moyle
History
The Broken Font: A Story of the Civil War, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Sherer, Moyle
Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Fiction
The poorest and least instructed could understand every thing he said;
the most learned and advanced among them found a master in Israel,
walking with a secure footing on the very summits of the mount of
God. Unseen by Noble, the young minister entered, when he was in the
middle of his discourse, and stood with rapt, devout, and breathless
attention to its close. The rugged old warlike nobleman had early
risen, and leaned over his pew with eyes fixed upon the preacher, and
half the congregation were in the like posture of attention. Of all
this Noble was utterly unconscious: his own gaze was perfectly
abstracted; he saw nothing, he thought of nothing but the Divine love.
He magnified it; he set it forth in the chaste radiance and the
heavenly light of Scripture language and Scripture imagery. He
commended it to the hearts of all around him, by speaking of it
experimentally, gratefully. He showed what the world and society would
be if subjected to its influence: drew the mournful contrast daily
presented to the eye; and, towards the close, he drew aside, as it
were, the curtains of the skies, and displayed the world of light, and
the redeemed of the Lord walking, as angels, in an air of glory. When
he had concluded, he kneeled down to pray: his few first words,
though not quite so loud as his sermon, which had been preached in
very subdued and quiet tones, were distinctly audible; but, then, they
became faint and unintelligible, his grey head bowed down upon his
pale hands, and both rested without motion upon the dark cushion of
the pulpit.
The young minister was the first to perceive his condition, and the
first to run to his succour. With the aid of Peter, he brought him
down and out into the summer air, and laid him on the grass, and
loosened his vest; but the body itself was no longer any thing but a
put-off garment:--the spirit was far off, breathing already the air of
that Eden which is above.
The young minister accompanied Peter back to the cottage with the
precious remains, and, leaving them at a few yards’ distance, entered
first, and broke the loss to his aged partner. She felt it deeply: but
as all the circumstances attending it were truly and tenderly related,
the grief of the woman yielded to the faith of the Christian; and,
while tears rolled down her withered cheeks, she was enabled to bless
and praise her God.
From that day, to the hour of her death, that youthful minister took
her to his own home, and was to her as a son.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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