neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten
it, and the Lamb is the light thereof" (Rev. 21:2-3), I began to feel
somewhat uneasy, and feared that he was venturing on tender ground, when
all at once there was heard a shriek of joy, and in a moment almost the
whole class was in an ecstasy of praise. My friend was greatly dismayed,
and also frightened at the noise, and seizing his hat, he made hastily
for the door. "Stop! stop!" I said; "you must stand fire better than
that." I quietly gave out a hymn, and asked some of them to help me
sing, and then we knelt down to pray. I prayed in a low voice, and soon
all was still again, excepting the responsive "Amens," and the gaspings
of those who had been thus excited.

It may be asked, why did I permit such things? I lived amongst a people
who were accustomed to outward demonstrations; and by descending to them
in their ways I was enabled to lead many of them to higher things, and
to teach them to rest not so much on their feelings, as on the facts and
truth revealed in the Word of God. But theorize as we would, it was just
a question, in many cases, of no work, or of decided manifestation. We
could not help people being stricken down, neither could they help it
themselves; often the most unlikely persons were overcome and became
excited, and persons naturally quiet and retiring proved the most noisy
and demonstrative. However, it was our joy to see permanent results
afterwards, which more than reconciled us for any amount of
inconvenience we had felt at the time.

When the power of God is manifestly present, the persons who hear the
noise, as well as those who make it, are both under the same influence,
and are in sympathy with one another. An outsider, who does not
understand it, and is not in sympathy, might complain, and be greatly
scandalized. For my own part, I was intensely happy in those meetings,