He was
equally right in his views then, but he gave them forth more
dogmatically, and allowed self to peep in; now self was wholly swallowed
up in the Word itself; and so Howel gave heed as to God, and not to man.
He laid bare Howel's heart to himself, for the first time that it had
ever been so exposed, and then showed him the denunciations of the law
against sin. He did not spare him. He knew that the only way to save
such a man was by bringing him to know himself first, and then to ''
preach repentance and remission of sin.'
In his energy and longing to rescue him from destruction, he stood
before him as one sent to tear up his unbelief by the roots not to dally
with it.
'Flee from the wrath to come,' might have been the text of his
discourse, as it was that of the Baptist.
When he paused, as if for breath, Howel exclaimed,--
'Enough! enough! Stop! I can hear no more; you have opened to me the
gates of hell wide enough.'
'And now I would open those of heaven. Let us pray.'
Rowland's eyes flashed such a fire as Howel had never seen in them
before; his voice and words had a command that he had never heard.
Perforce he obeyed. And there, in that narrow cell, actuated by fear,
rather than remorse, astonishment rather than contrition, bowed by a
will yet stronger than his own, Howel fell on his knees beside his
cousin, and listened to a prayer for pardon and help, that might have
melted the heart of a Nero.
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