T hese photographs were sent unto me by dear saints who have likewise taken up the practice of copying the Holy Scriptures with their own hands. It rejoices me much to behold them thus employed, slowly committing the Word of God unto paper, line after line and word after word. There is, I am persuaded, much sweetness and profit in the exercise. It constrains the hurried soul to become still before the sacred text. The eye reads the word, the tongue pronounces it, the ear receives it, and the hand afterward writes it down; and thus the senses are gathered, as it were, about one table, there to feast together upon that which God hath spoken. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Proverbs 7:3 How easily do we read and yet scarcely stay long enough to consider what we have read! But here the hand travels slowly, and not so hurriedly as the wandering mind. We are made to linger over the words; and many a little thing which might otherwise have escap...

T his day hath been spent, very early, in much activity, the labor of it having begun even the night before, while the teachers prepare the materials and the food, the prizes and the place, for the children's review of those lessons which they had formerly received. Most of the little company who first began with us, and continued these three years, have now grown older and gone their several ways, leaving their places to be filled by others. It affected me somewhat to consider how quietly these years had passed. Children whom we once gathered and instructed are children no longer; and now another little company sits where they once sat. Of the nearly twenty children presently coming amongst us, three have also begun joining us in the celebration of the Lord's Day. This giveth me no small encouragement. We know not what the Lord may be pleased to do with these little ones, nor how much of what is now spoken they shall carry with them into years which we ourselves ma...

An aged woman came toward me whilst I stood near the entrance of the park, giving away tracts unto those who passed by. As she drew near, her eye caught the cross printed upon the paper which I held out unto her. “What is this?” she asked. “It is about the Christ who died for sinners,” I replied. At this she smiled. “I also am a Christian, and am doing ministry at my age.” Her words immediately warmed my heart. Here was an aged mother, whom I had never before seen, meeting me for but a few moments beside the road; yet we knew one another by the same Christ.  “Then I shall see thee in the kingdom after all, dear mother.” She gave me a little sign of approval, and, as she continued on her way, turned her words once more toward me:  “Continue what you are doing.”  And so she departed. I knew nothing of her name, whence she came, nor what labors for Christ occupied her remaining years. Our whole acquaintance had lasted but a few moments. Yet her words remained with me aft...

Journal Entry. 8th of September, 2023. Morning, 5:34.  The world declares its hatred of God by violence and rebellion. The man of the world saith in his heart, "There is no God . I will live unto myself until I die . Trouble me not, but leave me to my religion in peace." ( Psalms 14:1 |  Luke 12:19a |  Amos 7:12) Thus he casts off the rule of Christ, refuses His yoke, and desires only that he might be left undisturbed to walk in his own way. But may not the nominal Christian speak another language of hatred, though with a quieter tongue? His rebellion makes little noise. He strikes no blow, utters no blasphemy, and perhaps would shrink from being numbered amongst the enemies of Christ. Yet he saith within himself, "I do well to remain silent, even unto death. Trouble me not, but leave me to my religion in peace." The one would have Christ silent that he might continue in his rebellion; the other would himself remain silent that Christ might never disturb anothe...

Journal Entry. Thirty First of August, Twenty Twenty Sixth. Morning. Second hour. I have at length mustered courage enough to begin writing in my notebook; and now that the first chapter of the book of Genesis is committed unto the page, there is no going back. The undertaking before me is no small one. I suppose it may require the better part of two years to accomplish, should the Lord lend me such time; and even this consideration made me somewhat fearful of beginning. For near two weeks I had been preparing myself for it, trying one manner of handwriting and then another, considering carefully how much space each would require, yet unwilling to purchase economy at the expense of plainness. I desired a hand small enough that much might be contained upon the page, but sufficiently clear that what is now written may still be comfortably read in years to come. But preparation must at length give way to doing. The empty page cannot forever remain empty. How far the Lord shall permit my...

..he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days.. Deuteronomy 17:18-20  I have been much persuaded that this may prove a sweet and profitable exercise for my dear wife and me, namely, to begin scribing the Holy Scriptures with our own hands, copying them word for word. My heart is much drawn unto the undertaking; for whilst the eye reads, the tongue utters, and the hand writes down each sacred word, the mind is constrained to dwell and remain where otherwise it might too quickly pass along.  This is indeed no new practice; yet methinks there is so...

The dead may teach thee many things concerning the life you have now; yet of life thou canst teach the dead nothing. Their silence instructeth thee, but thy voice can no longer reach them. There are the dead who cannot answer, and there are the dead who will not answer. There are those who know not that they are dead, and those who care little whether they be so. The very words, the dead , have something in them at once dreadful and instructive; and the more I consider them, the more solemn doth the distinction appear. Death came not merely by the doing of the deed, but by rebellion against God; not first from the hand that took, but from the heart that coveted. Neither is death to be understood merely as the ceasing of breath. Man died when he was separated from God, the fountain of his life. To be lost is to have wandered from the way; and to love a lie is already to have turned the heart against the truth. I am the Way I am the Truth I am the Life. John 14:6 For whilst t...

Journal Entry. 19th of August, 2026. Early morning. 3:12 AM Obedience is a great enigma to me. The concept of one creature's will bowing before the will of another. The will remains free in its exercise, and yet yields itself to another will proceeding from without. It hears, considers, and then either bows, resists, or seeketh some other master whose commands are more agreeable to the flesh. Yet herein is something which deeply exercises me: in refusing to obey God, the will still obeys. Only that it obeys another master. In every determination of life we obey either ourselves, our fellow-creatures, or God. That which we are ready to call independence is often nothing more than obedience unto our own inclinations; and that which passes among men for worldly wisdom may be but a secret subjection to affirmation of pride, the desire for the praise of men, or or the fear of their judgment. Poor man boasts that he will bow to none, whilst all the while he is bending low before hi...

S he appeared at first very reserved, and seemed unwilling to hold any discourse with me, attending quietly to her poor little stock of biscuits, sweetmeats, and cigarettes. I offered her a tract, directing her eye to the cross upon it; but she received it coldly, and presently laid it aside. Whether she could read I knew not. Her countenance, however, bore the marks of many a weary year, and her hands seemed no less acquainted with hardship. My heart was much drawn toward the poor woman, and I yearned the Lord to furnish me with some occasion of speaking to her; for I perceived that to press myself upon her would profit little.  At length I bought a biscuit from her, if only that some intercourse might begin between us. Whilst opening it, a poor child came begging; whereupon I took but a small piece for myself and gave the remainder unto her. This little circumstance seemed to make the way somewhat easier. I inquired again concerning the things she sold, and by degrees she beg...

F or three weeks, the southwest monsoon brought with it heavy rains, depriving us of three days of our weekly street meetings. It hath now been two weeks since the last public pleading; and had not my equipment failed me after getting drenched, I would gladly have continued even through those wet and troublesome days. But my gout also returned with greater pain, disabling me for a full week and some days besides. Thus, determined not to remain idle, I devoted myself to writing, finishing my appointed readings, and study. These were profitable employments, and I was thankful for them; yet the long inactivity from the public work brought my spirit very low. To be kept from that labor wherein my heart longs to spend itself is a peculiar trial of its own. Today was the first day of sunshine, and I knew not where to go. And so I began where I have learned always to begin—before the Lord in prayer. I did not feel inclined to go. I did not desire it. I would rather have rested. But ...