led them, might have found expression in a more quiet and
orderly manner. To hinder their rejoicings therefore, though they were
considered so obnoxious, would have been to withstand the Spirit of God.
As the people had not been taught better, I could not interfere with
them; I would rather bear the obloquy of men.

For instance, one day, by way of change, I had a meeting for the Bible
Society, and invited some of the clergy who sympathized with its object.
They attended, and others came out of curiosity "to see these revival
people." We had a large gathering, and everything began smoothly. 'My
Scripture-reader, who was naturally a most excitable and noisy man,
tried to do his best before the clergy; he spoke of the sweet words
which they had heard from the reverend speakers; it was charming, he
said, to hear of a good cause supported in such "mellifluous accents,"
and so forth. He got a little wild towards the end, but on the whole he
was to be praised for his kind efforts to give a quiet tone to the
meeting'. By this time, our friend "Billy Bray" had appeared on the
scene, and gave us chapter and verse from one end of the Bible to the
other, on the subject of "dancing for joy." He propounded his theory,
that if a man did not praise God, he would not rise in the resurrection;
if he only praised God with his mouth, he would rise like those things
carved on the tombstones, with swelling cheeks and wings; if he clapped
his hands (suiting his actions to the words) he would have a pair of
hands as well at the resurrection; and if he danced with his feet, he
would rise complete. He hoped to rise like that, to sing, to clap his
hands, dance, and jump too. The worst of jumping in this world, he said,
was that he had to come down again, but even in heaven he supposed the
higher he danced and jumped, the higher he would be; walking in heaven,
to his mind, was praising God, one foot said "Glory," and the other
"Hallelujah."

Under Billy's original theories the people were warming up, and becoming
a little responsive, and "Billy" himself was getting excited. In
reference to some remarks which had been made by a previous speaker
about Samson, he said that he felt as happy and strong as Samson; then
suddenly he put his arms round me, as I was standing gesticulating and
making signs to the people to be still, and taking me up as he had done
once before, he carried me down the schoolroom, crying out, "Here go the
postes! Glory! halle