THE VOICE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD--HEBER CONVERTS WHOLE VILLAGES--THE
SPIRIT OF THE MASTER UPON HIS SERVANT--THE CHRISTMAS CONFERENCE IN
PRESTON.
"My sheep know my voice, and a stranger they will not follow." So said
the Shepherd of Israel.
The test is true in all time. How many in these latter days bear
witness, that, until Mormonism came, they had no religion, and desired
none, but were instantly converted on first hearing it proclaimed.
Again, how many wandered in quest of it, from church to church, from
creed to creed, scarce knowing what they sought, yet conscious of "an
aching void" which nothing else could fill, and only happy when at
last it was supplied.
"My sheep know my voice, and a stranger they will not follow."
A remarkable instance of this truth now occurred in Heber's ministry.
Says he:
"Having mentioned my intention of going to Downham and Chatburn, to
several of the brethren, they endeavoured to dissuade me from going,
informing me there could be no prospect of success whatever, as
several ministers of different denominations had endeavored in vain to
raise churches in these places, and had frequently preached to them,
but to no effect, as they had resisted all the efforts and withstood
the attempts of all sects and parties for the last thirty years, who,
seeing all their attempts fail, had given them up to hardness of
heart. I was also informed they were very wicked places. However this
did not discourage me, believing that the Gospel of Jesus Christ could
reach the heart, when the gospels of men proved abortive; I
consequently told those brethren that these were the places I wanted
to go to, for that it was my business not to call the righteous but
sinners to repentance.
"The next day we received a very pressing invitation to preach in
Chatburn, but having given out an appointment to preach in Clithero
that evening, I informed them that I would not be able to comply with
their request that night; this did not satisfy them, they continued to
solicit me with the greatest importunity, until I was obliged to
consent to remain with them, and requested Elder Fielding to attend to
the appointment at Clithero; there was a feeling of reluctance on his
part to go, as he feared the rabble might break up his meeting; but
seeing the importunity of the people that I should stay with them in
Chatburn, he consented to go to Clithero alone. As he feared it might
be, so it was; his meeting was broken up.
"In Chatburn I was cordially received by the inhabitants, who turned
out in great numbers to hear me preach. They procured a large tithing
barn, placing a barrel in the center, upon which I stood. I preached
to them the first principles of the Gospel, spoke in simplicity upon
the principles revealed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the
conditions of pardon for a fallen world and the blessings and
privileges of those who embraced the truth; I likewise said a little
on the subject of the resurrection. My testimony was accompanied by
the Spirit of the Lord, and was received with joy, and these people
who had been represented as being hard and obdurate, were melted into
tenderness and love. I told them that, being a servant of the Lord
Jesus Christ, I stood ready at all times to administer the ordinances
of the Gospel, and explained what was necessary to prepare them for
baptism; that when they felt to repent of and forsake their sins, they
were ready to be baptized for the remission of sins, like the jailor
and his household, and Cornelius and his house. When I concluded I
felt someone pulling at my coat, exclaiming, 'Maister, Maister,' I
turned round and asked what was wanted. Mrs. Elizabeth Partington
said, 'Please sir, will you baptize me?' 'And me?' And me?' exclaimed
more than a dozen voices. Accordingly I went down into the water and
baptized twenty-five. I was engaged in this duty, and confirming them
and conversing with the people until after midnight."
The next morning I returned to Downham, and baptized between
twenty-five and thirty in the course of the day.
"The next evening I returned to Chatburn. The congregation was so
numerous that I had to preach in the open air, and took my stand on a
stone wall, and afterwards baptized several. These villages seemed to
be affected from one end to the other; parents called their children
together, spoke to them on the subjects which I had preached about,
and warned them against swearing and all other evil practices, and
instructed them in their duty.
"We were absent from Preston five days, during which time Brother
Fielding and I baptized and confirmed about 110 persons; organized
branches in Downham, Chatburn, Waddington and Clithero; and ordained
several to the lesser Priesthood, to preside. This was the first time
the people in those villages ever heard our voices, or saw an
American.
"I cannot refrain from relating an occurrence which took place while
Brother Fielding and myself were passing through the village of
Chatburn on our way to Downham: having been observed approaching the
village, the news ran from house to house, and immediately the noise
of their looms was hushed, and the people flocked to their doors to
welcome us and see us pass. More than forty young people of the place
ran to meet us; some took hold of our mantles and then of each others'
hands; several having hold of hands went before us singing the songs
of Zion, while their parents gazed upon the scene with delight, and
poured their blessings upon our heads, and praised the God of heaven
for sending us to unfold the principles of truth and the plan of
salvation to them. The children continued with us to Downham, a mile
distant. Such a scene, and such gratitude, I never witnessed before.
'Surely,' my heart exclaimed, 'out of the mouths of babes and
sucklings thou hast perfected praise.' What could have been more
pleasing and delightful than such a manifestation of gratitude to
Almighty God; and from those whose hearts were deemed too hard to be
penetrated by the Gospel, and who had been considered the most wicked
and hardened people in that region of country."
"A rare scene, indeed, and a suggestive one, for the parallel of which
the mind must leap backward nigh two thousand years:
"On the next day, much people that were come to the feast, when
they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
"Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and
cried, Hosanna; Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the
name of the Lord.
"The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye
prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him."
So was it with this servant of Christ, this brother of Jesus in the
British Isles. The hireling priests, the pharisees of Christendom,
prevailed nothing. The "world went after him," whole villages at a
sweep, singing praises, and shouting in tones of rapture: "Blessed is
he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
There was divine harmony in all this. In Heber, his character, manner
and methods--we say it reverently--there was much of the Christ; the
might of the lion, with the meekness of the lamb. His, also, was the
Savior's lineage; in his heart a kindred spirit, in his veins the
self-same blood. Where causes are similar, should there not spring
similar results?
And is it not truly a Christ-like sentiment, with which he concludes
his description of that wonderful scene:
"In comparison to the joy I then experienced, the grandeur, pomp and
glory of the kingdoms of this world shrank into insignificance, and
appeared as dross, and all the honor of man aside from the Gospel as
vanity. The prayer of my heart was, 'O Lord do thou bless this people,
save them from sin, and prepare them for Thy celestial kingdom, and
that Thy servant may meet them round Thy throne; and grant, O Lord,
that I may continue to preach the Gospel of Christ, which shall cause
the hearts of the poor to rejoice, and the meek to increase their joy
in the Lord; which shall comfort the hearts of the widows and cheer
the soul of the orphan; and that I may be an instrument in Thy hands
of bringing them to Zion, that they may behold Thy glory and be
prepared to meet the Savior when He shall descend in the clouds of
heaven."
On Christmas a special conference was held in Preston by the Apostles.
About three hundred of the Saints assembled, delegates being present
from the various branches in and around Preston, extending some thirty
miles. Joseph Fielding was ordained an Elder, and ten Priests and
seven Teachers were ordained and set apart to take charge of the
several branches where they resided.
At this conference, the Word of Wisdom, the temperance revelation of
the Church, was first publicly taught in Great Britain. The Elders had
taught it more by example than precept heretofore. It became almost
universally observed among the brethren. In the "Cock Pit," where this
conference was held, had first been lifted the standard of temperance
reform. It was the motto on one of the banners of this movement,
"Truth will Prevail," which greeted the Elders so opportunely, as an
omen of success now verified, on their arrival in Preston from
Liverpool, five months before. Says Apostle Kimball:
"The Spirit of the Lord was with us; and truly the hearts of the
Elders were rejoiced beyond measure when we contemplated the glorious
work which had been done, and we had to exclaim, 'Blessed be the name
of the Lord, who has crowned our labors with such success!' During the
conference we confirmed fourteen members and, blessed about one
hundred children."
One hundred little children blessed in Preston, Christmas, 1837!
A beautiful and fitting celebration of that blessed day of days, when
"unto us a Child was born" to take away the sins of the world; when
God descended from His throne and took upon Him flesh, exchanging
crown for cross, and sceptred rule for martyrdom, in the cause of
man's redemption. Shine out, ye blazing stars, and sun and moon give
forth your warmth and lustre! Ye cannot dim the glory, nor vie the
matchless love, of Him who set you there to light and cheer, on,
onward to celestial heights the world He died to save!