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as Thou wilt come again in Thy glory to judge them at the last。
Amen。”
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Adam Bede 33
Dinah opened her eyes again and paused； looking at the group
of villagers； who were now gathered rather more closely on her
right hand。
“Dear friends；” she began； raising her voice a little； “you have
all of you been to church； and I think you must have heard the
clergyman read these words： ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me；
because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor。’
Jesus Christ spoke those words—he said he came to preach the
gospel to the poor。 I don’t know whether you ever thought about
those words much； but I will tell you when I remember first
hearing them。 It was on just such a sort of evening as this； when I
was a little girl； and my aunt as brought me up took me to hear a
good man preach out of doors； just as we are here。 I remember his
face well： he was a very old man； and had very long white hair； his
voice was very soft and beautiful； not like any voice I had ever
heard before。 I was a little girl and scarcely knew anything； and
this old man seemed to me such a different sort of a man from
anybody I had ever seen before that I thought he had perhaps
come down from the sky to preach to us； and I said； ‘Aunt； will he
go back to the sky to…night； like the picture in the Bible？’
“That man of God was Mr。 Wesley； who spent his life in doing
what our blessed Lord did—preaching the Gospel to the poor—
and he entered into his rest eight years ago。 I came to know more
about him years after； but I was a foolish thoughtless child then；
and I remembered only one thing he told us in his sermon。 He told
us as ‘Gospel’ meant ‘good news。’ The Gospel； you know； is what
the Bible tells us about God。
“Think of that now！ Jesus Christ did really come down from
heaven； as I； like a silly child； thought Mr。 Wesley did； and what he
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Adam Bede 34
came down for was to tell good news about God to the poor。 Why；
you and me； dear friends； are poor。 We have been brought up in
poor cottages and have been reared on oat…cake； and lived coarse；
and we haven’t been to school much； nor read books； and we don’t
know much about anything but what happens just round us。 We
are just the sort of people that want to hear good news。 For when
anybody’s well off； they don’t much mind about hearing news from
distant parts； but if a poor man or woman’s in trouble and has
hard work to make out a living； they like to have a letter to tell ’em
they’ve got a friend as will help ’em。 To be sure； we can’t help
knowing something about God； even if we’ve never heard the
Gospel； the good news that our Saviour brought us。 For we know
everything comes from God： don’t you say almost every day； ‘This
and that will happen； please God；’ and ‘We shall begin to cut the
grass soon； please God to send us a little more sunshine’？ We
know very well we are altogether in the hands of God。 We didn’t
bring ourselves into the world； we can’t keep ourselves alive while
we’re sleeping； the daylight； and the wind； and the corn； and the
cows to give us milk—everything we have comes from God。 And
he gave us our souls and put love between parents and children；
and husband and wife。 But is that as much as we want to know
about God？ We see he is great and mighty； and can do what he
will： we are lost； as if we was struggling in great waters； when we
try to think of him。
“But perhaps doubts come into your mind like this： Can God
take much notice of us poor people？ Perhaps he only made the
world for the great and the wise and the rich。 It doesn’t cost him
much to give us our little handful of victual and bit of clothing； but
how do we know he cares for us any more than we care for the
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Adam Bede 35
worms and things in the garden； so as we rear our carrots and
onions？ Will God take care of us when we die？ And has he any
comfort for us when we are lame and sick and helpless？ Perhaps；
too； he is angry with us； else why does the blight come； and the
bad harvests； and the fever； and all sorts of pain and trouble？ For
our life is full of trouble； and if God sends us good； he seems to
send bad too。 How is it？ How is it？
“Ah； dear friends； we are in sad want of good news about God；
and what does other good news signify if we haven’t that？ For
everything else comes to an end； and when we die we leave it all。
But God lasts when everything else is gone。 What shall we do if he
is not our friend？”
Then Dinah told how the good news had been brought； and
how the mind of God towards the poor had been made manifest in
the life of Jesus； dwelling on its lowliness and its acts of mercy。
“So you see； dear friends；” she went on； “Jesus spent his time
almost all in doing good to poor people； he preached out of doors
to them； and he made friends of poor workmen； and taught them
and took pains with them。 Not but what he did good to the rich
too； for he was full of love to all men； only he saw as the poor were
more in want of his help。 So he cured the lame and the sick and
the blind； and he worked miracles to feed the hungry because； he
said； he was sorry for them； and he was very kind to the little
children and comforted those who had lost their friends； and he
spoke very tenderly to poor sinners that were sorry for their sins。
“Ah； wouldn’t you love such a man if you saw him—if he were
here in this village？ What a kind heart he must have！ What a
friend he would be to go to in trouble！ How pleasant it must be to
be taught by him。
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Adam Bede 36
“Well； dear friends； who was this man？ Was he only a good
man—a very good man； and no more—like our dear Mr。 Wesley；
who has been taken from us？ 。 。 。 He was the Son of God—‘in the
image of the Father；’ the Bible says； that means； just like God； who
is the beginning and end of all things—the God we want to know
about。 So then； all the love that Jesus showed to the poor is the
same love that God has for us。 We can understand what Jesus felt；
because he came in a body like ours and spoke words such as we
speak to each other。 We were afraid to think what God was
before—the God who made the world and the sky and the thunder
and lightning。 We could never see him； we could only see the
things he had made； and some of these things was very terrible； so
as we might well tremble when we thought of him。 But our blessed
Saviour has showed us what God is in a way us poor ignorant
people can understand； he has showed us what God’s heart is；
what are his feelings towards us。
“But let us see a little more about what Jesus came on earth for。
Another time he said； ‘I came to seek and to save that which was
lost’； and another time； ‘I came not to call the righteous but
sinners to repentance。’
“The lost！ 。 。 。 Sinners！ 。 。 。 Ah； dear friends； does that mean you
and me？”
Hitherto the traveller had been chained to the spot against his
will by the charm of Dinah’s mellow treble tones； which had a
variety of modulation like that of a fine instrument touched with
the unconscious skill of musical instinct。 The sim