72
A VISION.
that it be) "turneth away from the wickedness
that he hath committed" (and no reservation as to
amount), " he shall save his soul alive." (AmenO God-dear-merciful-omnipotent!)
There needed no more. The painful delusion
was over. It had passed like a cloud. I drew
a long heavy breath of freedom as I stood gazing
at the words. I had been shivering a minute
before, but now the warm moisture broke over
me like a restoration to life.
Thus this brief trite sentence, so often heard
without emotion, had come charged to me now
with the salvation of a world. How was this, or
how was it I had not so felt it before ?
The answer was easy. In my vision of suffering I had realized that need of my nature to
which this declaration was the answer. The burden of sin had been felt; and what wonder that
my soul leapt at the promise of relief, as I listened
to the concluding words of the Exhortation!'
Here was the call; here the explanation of this
gathering of ourselves together-of the directions
how rightly to use the blessing: and for once I