from duty, and then turn to these uninspired volumes for the kindling of a higher devotion.  For a good while this satisfied her; but, at length, she came to feel grieved about it.  She thought it a dishonor to God’s word that any book should be as interesting to her as the Bible.  She tried to change this, but, at first, with little success.  The Bible was still duty—­Baxter was pleasure and spiritual elevation.

“At length, she could bear it no longer; so she took the case to God, with strong crying.  She told her Heavenly Father how grieved she was that any book should rival the Bible in her affections.  She asked this one thing—­and she renewed her prayer every day—­that her first delight might be in reading the word of God.  I think it was some time before she felt that her request was granted.  But, at length, the answer to her prayer was complete and marvelous.  A strange light came over the sacred page.  A fascination held her to her Bible.  She discovered a depth, a meaning, a curiosity, a charm, which were all new and most wonderful.  Sometimes, when she had finished reading her Bible for the night, and had closed the book and had moved towards her bed, she would go back again and enjoy the luxury of a few more verses.

THE BLIND RESTORED TO SIGHT.

At the age of twenty years, a lady in Winchester, Iowa, began to lose her health, and in a short time was confined to her bed.  And she writes:—­“In addition to this I lost the use of my eyes, and was blind and helpless, a greater portion of my time for five years.

“I enjoyed the blessing of prayer and trust some six months before feeling a liberty to pray for the healing of my body; fearing I should desire it without due submission to God’s will.  It was with fear and trembling that I first made known this request.  Though my pleadings in this direction were earnest, and often agonizing, yet I could say with a fervor as never before, ‘Not my will, but thine be done.’

“About the end of November, or early in December, 1873, I realized that my faith was perfect, that I was ready now to be healed, that my faith was momentarily waiting on God, resting without a doubt on the promises.  From this time forward my faith remained fixed with but one exception.  During the time between December, 1873, and July, 1874, I was healed to such an extent that I could walk some, and see more or less every day, though sometimes with only one of my eyes.  A portion of this time I felt as though in a furnace of fire; but amid the flames I realized the presence of the Son of God, who said, ’have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.’  This for a time seemed an answer to my petition, and so thought it my life-work to suffer; for a while my faith became inactive, and I almost ceased praying for my health.  Though I felt submissive, yet somehow I was soon crying, and that most instinctively, ’Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.’  After this, my faith did not waver.  Oh, the lesson of patience I learned in thus waiting on God’s good time.  And with what comfort could I present my body an offering to Him, realizing that as soon as at all possible with His will, I should be healed; I had an assurance of this, but did not know whether it would be during life, or accomplished only at death.