第41章

“Andnowletmeaskyouwhatansweryouhavemadetothisquestionhitherto？Whosefriendshiphaveyouchosen？If，knowingwhatyouknow，youhavenotyetbeguntoactaccordingtotheimmensityoftheknowledgethatisinyou，thenhewhobuildshishouseandlaysuphistreasureontheedgeofacraterofmoltenlavaisasane，sensiblepersonincomparisonwithyourselves。Isaythisasnofigureofspeechorbugbearwithwhichtofrightenyou，butasanunvarnishedunexaggeratedstatementwhichwillbenomoredisputedbyyourselvesthanbyme。”

AndnowMrHawke，whouptothistimehadspokenwithsingularquietness，changedhismannertooneofgreaterwarmthandcontinued-

“Oh！myyoungfriendsturn，turn，turn，nowwhileitiscalledto-

day——nowfromthishour，fromthisinstant；staynoteventogirdupyourloins；looknotbehindyouforasecond，butflyintothebosomofthatChristwhoistobefoundofallwhoseekhim，andfromthatfearfulwrathofGodwhichliethinwaitforthosewhoknownotthethingsbelongingtotheirpeace。FortheSonofMancomethasathiefinthenight，andthereisnotoneofuscantellbutwhatthisdayhissoulmayberequiredofhim。Ifthereisevenoneherewhohasheededme。”——andhelethiseyefallforaninstantuponalmostallhishearers，butespeciallyontheErnestset——“IshallknowthatitwasnotfornothingthatIfeltthecalloftheLord，andheardasIthoughtavoicebynightthatbademecomehitherquickly，fortherewasachosenvesselwhohadneedofme。”

HereMrHawkeendedratherabruptly；hisearnestmanner，strikingcountenanceandexcellentdeliveryhadproducedaneffectgreaterthantheactualwordsIhavegivencanconveytothereader；thevirtuelayinthemanmorethaninwhathesaid；asforthelastfewmysteriouswordsabouthishavingheardavoicebynight，theireffectwasmagical；therewasnotonewhodidnotlookdowntotheground，norwhoinhisheartdidnothalfbelievethathewasthechosenvesselonwhoseespecialbehalfGodhadsentMrHawketoCambridge。Evenifthiswerenotso，eachoneofthemfeltthathewasnowforthefirsttimeintheactualpresenceofonewhohadhadadirectcommunicationfromtheAlmighty，andtheywerethussuddenlybroughtahundredfoldnearertotheNewTestamentmiracles。

Theywereamazed，nottosayscared，andasthoughbytacitconsenttheygatheredtogether，thankedMrHawkeforhissermon，saidgood-

nightinahumbledeferentialmannertoBadcockandtheotherSimeonites，andlefttheroomtogether。Theyhadheardnothingbutwhattheyhadbeenhearingalltheirlives；howwasit，then，thattheyweresodumbfounderedbyit？Isupposepartlybecausetheyhadlatelybeguntothinkmoreseriously，andwereinafitstatetobeimpressed，partlyfromthegreaterdirectnesswithwhicheachfelthimselfaddressed，throughthesermonbeingdeliveredinaroom，andpartlytothelogicalconsistency，freedomfromexaggeration，andprofoundairofconvictionwithwhichMrHawkehadspoken。Hissimplicityandobviousearnestnesshadimpressedthemevenbeforehehadalludedtohisspecialmission，butthisclenchedeverything，andthewords“Lord，isitI？”wereupontheheartsofeachastheywalkedpensivelyhomethroughmoonlitcourtsandcloisters。

IdonotknowwhatpassedamongtheSimeonitesaftertheErnestsethadleftthem，buttheywouldhavebeenmorethanmortaliftheyhadnotbeenagooddealelatedwiththeresultsoftheevening。Why，oneofErnest’sfriendswasintheUniversityeleven，andhehadactuallybeeninBadcock’sroomsandhadslunkoffonsayinggood-

nightasmeeklyasanyofthem。Itwasnosmallthingtohavescoredasuccesslikethis。

Ernestfeltnowthattheturningpointofhislifehadcome。HewouldgiveupallforChrist——evenhistobacco。

Sohegatheredtogetherhispipesandpouches，andlockedthemupinhis