20_th_.—­The meeting at Pastor Marzial’s last evening was much larger than we had expected.  Van Maasdyk came in unexpectedly after the service which had been held at his dwelling, and with him a part of his flock.  Many of the company were those who had renounced Romanism; some of the young men interested us exceedingly.  I had a deal of conversation with them as to their religious experience.  There were several young Germans among them, who are residing in Brussels; with these I conversed in their own language, which was highly gratifying to them.  As Pastor Marzial speaks English well, I clung to him in the hope of having him for an interpreter; but he encouraged me to speak as well as I could in French, as the natives like it much better, and consider it a compliment to their language.  This made me very low, it being a company of well-educated persons, and I asked Van Maasdyk what I should do.  I would rather, he replied, hear ten words from your own mouth, than ten thousand through the mouth of another; we shall understand you, and what comes from the heart goes to the heart.  This settled the question; I gave myself up to the language, and was helped through.  My M.Y. was favored in her communication.  After a short address from M., I concluded the meeting with supplication, also in French.  I do believe the Spirit was poured upon us from on high; many hearts were touched, and tears flowed freely from many eyes.

The Lord has indeed opened a wide door for us in this place; the dear people follow us from meeting to meeting, entreating us for an opportunity of the like kind in their own houses; but we must be watchful to see our own way.  However, if the oil is staid, it is not for want of vessels, for what we have to communicate seems like seed cast into the prepared ground.  May the Lord himself be their teacher, and carry on his own work; for it is most assuredly his.  To those who are spiritually minded, to hear of a society holding spiritual views, is like marrow to their bones.  It is not so much what we are able to say to them, but our being as living witnesses to the truth which these awakened people feel in their own hearts.

21_st_.—­Attended a meeting of Van Maasdyk’s in the poorer district of Brussels; about seventy to eighty persons present, consisting of converted Romanists, seeking Protestants, and two awakened Jews.  Two of the company were blind men, very pious, who gain their living by selling matches.  Our friend read, explained, and applied the tenth chapter of John, in Flemish; he also interpreted for me a few words, which I spoke in German.

On their way to Charleroi, after passing through Mons, they traversed the great Belgium iron and coal country, where the people speak a patois but understand French.  Here they made a free distribution of the religious tracts they had taken with them, and found an able co-adjutor in their postillion.  When he understood what their object was, he allowed few opportunities to pass by without putting these little messengers into the hands of his fellow-countrymen.