子浪小说

第16部分（第1页）

ness；　and　Abraham　wastheir　father；　Moses　had　elected　to　suffer　with　them　rather　that　glory　in　sin　for　a　season。　Shadrach；Meshach；　and　Abednego　had　gone　before　them　into　the　fire；　their　grief　had　been　sung　by　David；and　Jeremiah　had　wept　for　them。　Ezekiel　had　prophesied　upon　them；　these　scattered　bones；　theseslain；　and；　in　the　fullness　of　time；　the　prophet；　John；　had　e　out　of　the　wilderness；　crying　that　thepromise　was　for　them。　They　were　enpassed　with　a　very　cloud　of　witnesses：　Judas；　who　hadbetrayed　the　Lord；　Thomas；　who　had　doubted　Him；　Peter；　who　had　trembled　at　the　crowing　of　acock；　Stephen；　who　had　been　stoned；　Paul；　who　had　been　bound；　the　blind　man　crying　in　the　dustyroad；　the　dead　man　rising　from　the　grave。　And　they　looked　unto　Jesus；　the　author　and　the　finisherof　their　faith；　running　with　patience　the　race　He　had　set　before　them；　they　endured　the　cross；　andthey　despised　the　shame；　and　waited　to　join　Him；　one　day；　in　glory；　at　the　right　hand　of　the　Father。

My　soul！　don’t　you　be　uneasy！

Jesus　going　to　make　up　my　dying　bed！

‘Rise　up；　rise　up；　Brother　Johnny；　and　talk　about　the　Lord’s　deliverance。’

It　was　Elisha　who　had　spoken；　he　stood　just　above　John；　smiling；　and　behind　him　were　thesaints—Praying　Mother　Washington；　and　Sister　McCandless；　and　Sister　Price。　Behind　these；　hesaw　his　mother；　and　his　aunt；　his　father；　for　the　moment；　was　hidden　from　his　view。

‘Amen！’　cried　Sister　McCandless；　‘rise　up；　and　praise　the　Lord！’

He　tried　to　speak；　and　could　not；　for　the　joy　that　rang　in　him　this　morning。　He　smiled　up　toElisha；　and　his　tears　ran　down；　and　Sister　McCandless　began　to　sing：

‘Lord；　I　ain’tNo　stranger　now！

‘Rise　up；　Johnny；’　said　Elisha；　again。　‘Are　you　saved；　boy？’

‘Yes；’　said　John；　‘oh；　yes！’　And　the　words　came　upward；　it　seemed；　of　themselves；　in　thenew　voice　God　had　given　him。　Elisha　stretched　out　his　hand；　and　John　took　the　hand；　and　stood—so　suddenly；　and　so　strangely；　and　with　such　wonder！—once　more　on　his　feet。

‘Lord；　I　ain’tNo　stranger　now！’

Yes；　the　night　had　passed；　the　powers　of　darkness　had　been　beaten　back。　He　moved　amongthe　saints；　he；　John；　who　had　e　home；　who　was　one　of　their　pany　now；　weeping；　he　yetcould　find　no　words　to　speak　of　his　great　gladness；　and　he　scarcely　knew　how　he　moved；　for　hishands　were　new；　and　his　feet　were　new；　and　he　moved　in　a　new　and　Heaven…bright　air。　PrayingMother　Washington　took　him　in　her　arms；　and　kissed　him；　and　their　tears；　his　tears　and　the　tears　ofthe　old；　black　woman；　mingled。

‘God　bless　you；　son。　Run　on；　honey；　and　don’t　get　weary！’

‘Lord；　I　been　introduced；To　the　Father　and　the　Son；And　I　ain’tNo　stranger　now！’

Yes；　as　he　moved　among　them；　their　hands　touching；　and　tears　falling；　and　the　music　rising—as　though　he　moved　down　a　great　hall；　full　of　a　splendid　pany—something　began　to　knockin　that　listening；　astonished；　newborn；　and　fragile　heart　of　his；　something　recalling　the　terrors　ofthe　night；　which　were　not　finished；　his　heart　seemed　to　say；　which；　in　this　pany；　were　now　tobegin。　And；　while　his　heart　was　speaking；　he　found　himself　before　his　mother。　Her　face　was　full　oftears；　and　for　a　long　while　they　looked　at　each　other；　saying　nothing。　And　once　again；　he　tried　toread　the　mystery　of　that　face—which；　as　it　had　never　before　been　so　bright　and　pained　with　love；had　never　seemed　before　so　far　from　him；　so　wholly　in　munion　with　a　life　beyond　his　life。　He　wanted　to　fort　her；　but　the　night　had　given　him　no　language；　no　second　sight；　no　power　to　seeinto　the　heart　of　any　other。　He　knew　only—and　now；　looking　at　his　mother；　he　knew　that　he　couldnever　tell　it—that　the　heart　was　a　fearful　place。　She　kissed　him；　and　she　said：　‘I’m　mighty　proud；Johnny。　You　keep　the　faith。　I’m　going　to　be　praying　for　you　till　the　Lord　puts　me　in　my　grave。’

Then　he　stood　before　his　father。　In　the　moment　that　he　forced　himself　to　raise　his　eyes　andlook　into　his　father’s　face；　he　felt　in　himself　a　stiffening；　and　a　panic　and　a　blind　rebellion；　and　ahope　for　peace。　The　tears　still　on　his　face；　and　smiling　still；　he　said：　‘Praise　the　Lord。’

‘Praise　the　Lord；’　said　his　father。　He　did　not　move　to　touch　him；　did　not　kiss　him；　did　notsmile。　They　stood　before　each　other　in　silence；　while　the　saints　rejoiced；　and　John　struggled　tospeak　the　authoritative；　the　living　word　that　would　conquer　the　great　division　between　his　fatherand　himself。　But　it　did　not　e；　the　living　word；　in　the　silence　something　died　in　John；　andsomething　came　alive。　It　came　to　him　that　he　must　testify：　his　tongue　only　could　bear　witness　tothe　wonders　he　had　seen。　And　he　remembered；　suddenly；　the　text　of　a　sermon　he　had　once　heardhis　father　preach。　And　he　opened　his　mouth；　feeling；　as　he　watched　his　father；　the　darkness　roarbehind　him；　and　the　very　earth　beneath　him　seem　to　shake；　yet　he　gave　to　his　father　their　montestimony。　‘I’m　saved；’　he　said；　‘and　I　know　I’m　saved。’　And　then；　as　his　father　did　not　speak；　herepeated　his　father’s　text：　‘My　witness　is　in　Heaven　and　my　record　is　on　high。’

‘It　e　from　your　mouth；’　said　his　father　then。　‘I　want　to　see　you　live　it。　It’s　more　than　anotion；’

‘I’m　going　to　pray　God；’　said　John—and　his　voice　shook；　whether　with　joy　or　grief　hecould　not　say—‘to　keep　me；　and　make　me　strong　…　to　stand　…　to　stand　against　the　enemy　…　andagainst　everything　and　everybody　…　that　wants　to　cut　down　my　soul。’

Then　his　tears　came　down　again；　like　a　wall　between　him　and　his　father。　His　Aunt　Florencecame　and　took　him　in　her　arms。　Her　eyes　were　dry；　and　her　face　was　old　in　the　savage；　morninglight。　But　her　voice；　when　she　spoke；　was　gentler　that　he　had　ever　known　it　to　be　before。

‘You　fight　the　good　fight；’　she　said；　‘you　hear？　Don’t　you　get　weary；　and　don’t　you　getscared。　Because　I　know　the　Lord’s　done　laid　His　hands　on　you。’

‘Yes；’　he　said；　weeping；　‘yes。　I’m　going　to　serve　the　Lord。’

‘Amen！’　cried　Elisha。　‘Bless　our　God！’

The　filthy　streets　rang　with　the　early…morning　light　as　they　came　out　of　the　temple。

They　were　all　there；　save　young　Ella　Mae；　who　had　departed　while　John　was　still　on　thefloor—she　had　a　bad　cold；　said　Praying　Mother　Washington；　and　needed　to　have　her　rest。　Now；　inthree　groups；　they　walked　the　long；　gray；　silent　avenue：　Praying　Mother　Washington　withElizabeth　and　Sister　McCandless　and　Sister　Price；　and　before　them　Gabriel　and　Florence；　andElisha　and　John　ahead。

‘You　know；　the　Lord　is　a　wonder；’　said　the　praying　mother。　‘Don’t　you　know；　all　this　weekHe　just　burdened　my　soul；　and　kept　me　a…praying　and　a…weeping　before　Him？　Look　like　I　justcouldn’t　get　no　ease　nohow—and　I　know　He　had　me　a…tarrying　for　that　boy’s　soul。’

‘Well；　amen；’　said　Sister　Price。　‘Look　like　the　Lord　just　wanted　this　church　to　rock。　Youremember　how　He　spoke　through　Sister　McCandless　Friday　night；　and　told　us　to　pray；　and　He’dwork　a　mighty　wonder　in　our　midst？　And　He　done　moved—hallelujah—He　done　troubledeverybody’s　mind。’

‘I　just　tell　you；’　said　Sister　McCandless；　‘all　you　got　to　do　is　listen　to　the　Lord；　He’ll　leadyou　right　every　time；　He’ll　move　every　time。　Can’t　nobody　tell　me　my　God　ain’t　real。’

‘And　you　see　the　way　the　Lord　worked　with　young　Elisha　there？’　said　Praying　MotherWashington；　with　a　calm；　sweet　smile。　‘Had　that　boy　down　there　on　the　floor　a…prophesying　intongues；　amen；　just　the　very　minute　before　Johnny　fell　out　a…screaming；　and　a…crying　before　theLord。　Look　like　the　Lord　was　using　Elisha　to　say：　“It’s　time；　boy；　e　on　home。”　’

‘Well；　He　is　a　wonder；’　said　Sister　Price。　‘And　Johnny’s　got　two　brothers　now。’

Elizabeth　said　nothing。　She　walked　with　her　head　bowed；　hands　clasped　lightly　before　her。

Sister　Price　turned　tom　look　at　her；　and　smiled。

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