As with
my uncle himself, and with his life, so was it also with his sermons;
they were gentle, mild, and full of lovingkindness. I could follow them
quite readily, and in the Monday repetition at school I was able to give
a good account of them. But the religious instruction of our own
school-teacher responded best to my needs; all that I had worked out for
myself was placed by him in a fuller light, and received from him a
higher confirmation. Later in life, when I had grown to manhood, I spoke
with my uncle on the excellence of this teaching, and he made reply that
it was indeed very good, but was too philosophical and abstruse for
those to whom it was addressed; "for thee," continued he, "it may have
been well suited, since thou hadst already received such unusually good
instruction from thy father." Let that be as it may, this teaching
enlightened, animated, and warmed me,--nay, glowed within me till my
heart was completely melted, especially when it touched upon the life,
the work, and the character of Jesus. At this I would burst into tears,
and the longings to lead in future a similar life took definite form,
and wholly filled my soul. When I now hear tales of the ebullitions of
my youthful spirit occurring in that period of my life, I cannot help
thinking that they must have led superficial observers to the erroneous
opinion that the monitions and teachings of religion swept over my
spirit without leaving a trace of their passage.
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