The heavenly voice; a life of Christ in blank verse: His work and word in sonnets

Front matter

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Preface

In the sere and yellow leaf of 1899, when clouds as a thick darkness spread over the sky of the author, it pleased the Lord to bestow upon His lowly handmaiden a gift of light, to irradiate the inner and outer life with increasing glow.

Falling noiselessly, as the first droppings of a plenteous shower, it increased to the continual flow, which has uplifted a life from its littleness of human aims and selfish endeavofs, to the greater and higher one of a work for God.

Obeying the gentle intimations of the Holy Spirit, it manifested itself in the lines of my first verse — ^"The Royal Road" — which was published within the year in a local paper. So it came with great and greater frequency and richness, sanctifying and blessing its possessor with wondrous unfolding.

The return of the lines — Thoughts On Our Lord's Prayer — when offered for publication in the following year, January 5th, 1901, wrought such discouragement and despondency in the mind of the writer, as to lead the Lord to manifest His gracious approval and encoviragement that very night, in a wondrous vision of ineffable light, as from His glory, filling a window square in outline, let in as it were on the blank wall of my room, through which the rays shone on my vi Preface

face, to amaze my waking sight and strengthen me with this radiant manifestation of His approval to use my spiritual gift solely for His honor and glory.

As year succeeded year with the rich fruitage of the heavenly gift, more and more were published in the church periodicals for the uplifting of other lives.

The Portraitures, Sonnets, and The Dual Life, were direct leadings and inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Upon the completion of The Dual Life it again pleased the Lord to vouchsafe His approval of its writing and publication, by a second vision, on the night of October first, 1903, which was like a window or dome of light, in the ceiling over my bed, partly covered with a large openwork grating, through which the beams of light from the uncovered portion were streaming in my face. I awoke to see this wondrous sight and to behold the grating slide, to wholly cover the window, and so to disappear.

So what was so divinely given and sanctioned for the uplifting of a soul to God, I offer without apology to a public, that will likewise be quickened to new spiritual life, and closer communion with Him from whom all blessings flow, by its study and perusal.