p42 [Mr E Maylon] [From the French.] VERY DEAR BROTHER, - I wish to write you a few lines. . . . Some days have passed; I had to go to Lausanne, and to interrupt my letter. I rather fear, beloved brother, that we have failed somewhat in the energy of faith; I speak of myself. I fear I have lost some months of service, although I do not well know how; I thought of being in France almost at this time, and I see scarcely any probability of it as yet; perhaps I can say that Satan hindered me. I am not so much troubled about it, because G. and R., who will be much better worth than I, will have gone there, but I am afraid of remaining here a while, because I am like a piece of furniture here. There has been blessing lately, more especially in the valley of St. Imier, where the work is fresh and happy; and in your own dear valley, which I hope soon to visit, they are going on very well, and are happy. Perhaps you may have heard that E. B. has been terribly beaten. I had a letter from him the day before yesterday, or the day previous. He cannot walk, or walks with difficulty; he rather fears it is a chastisement, because he did not go forward in France; it may be so, for when the Lord loves us He is jealous, and he shews it; still it will be for the blessing of our dear friend. . . . I do not know how our journey will succeed. I shall be very glad to have you with me, if our gracious Father should so arrange things. We are praying a little more, I hope, and through the grace of God this will be done. But what would comfort me, if I remain a little longer in Switzerland, would be to encourage those in the interior, for surely God would have it so in His grace: there is some need of it. May God teach us to give ourselves to prayer: it is easily forgotten in the work itself, and this is the first bad symptom for the work, as for the soul. As to the ruin of the church, the theory came for me after the consciousness of it, and even now, the theory is but a small thing to my mind; it is the burden which one bears, and which has of late even weighed me down somewhat; but God, who raises up those who are cast down, has comforted me, and encouraged me a little, for indeed, the arm of Him who sustains us is not shortened, blessed be His name, nor is His love enfeebled. Thank God, we are in peace here; our meetings are in general happy, and even, blessed be God, very happy, and the brethren love each other, and but for some dissenting bickerings, there is nothing painful in the country at present; but in Vaud the activity of service is rather wanting. Good-bye, dear brother. May God keep us very near Him; we need it, and ineffable joy and peace are there. Greet warmly our dear D., and reckon upon all the love of your poor brother in Jesus, In great haste. I had written to G. on the subject of baptism. It is a common phase of modern research, one has but to leave every one to act entirely according to his conscience. V. has strong feelings about it, but without much ground it seems to me, still very natural. The same thing amongst brethren in England had its day, and, every one being left free, it produced no effect that I know of. If people dispute, it is bad: that tends also to contract the heart and the understanding, but in allowing full liberty this disappears. Geneva, October 8th, 1840. [51019F]