e children's
bed, when he meekly said to her, "Will you not sleep in your own bed?"
She thought he meant to mock her, and would beat her again, if she
did go into her own bed. As, however, he continued in a meek and kind
way to desire her to lie down in her usual bed, she did so. All night
from Saturday to the Lord's day he lay groaning by her side, turning
about in the bed, but having no sleep. On the Lord's day morning he
rose early. After awhile he came to her and said, "My dear, it is
time to get up: if you will get up and make the breakfast, I will go
with you to the meeting." Still the wife thought, he only meant to
mock her, and that perhaps he would beat her again, when she was on
the point of going to the meeting. Nevertheless she rose, prepared
the breakfast, and at last, as he continued meek and kind as before,
she made herself ready to go to the meeting. How great was the
astonishment and surprise of the people in the small town, where the
thing had become known almost to every one, when arm in arm he walked
with his wife to the meeting and entered it himself, which he had
never done before! After the meeting was over, he related before all
persons present, what had passed in his mind between Exeter and
Ashburton, how he had most cruelly beaten his wife, how he had
ordered her to go to the children's bed, how he had run into the
kitchen to fetch a piece of wood to beat his wife a second time, how
he had thrown her on the bed for that purpose, and how he had already
lifted up his hand with the piece of wood in it, when there was like
an audible voice saying to him: "Why persecutest thou me!" The piece
of wood had then fallen out of his hand, and he had felt instantly
that he was persecuting the Lord Jesus. From that moment his soul had
become most distressed. He had been sleepless and miserable during
the night from Friday to Saturday. On Saturday morning he had left
the house early in the greatest agonies of soul, and had been roving
about in the fields and neighbouring villages all the day. He had
come home, and spent another sleepless night from Saturday to the
Lord's day. And then passed what has been related.

From this time this persecutor became a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
He found peace through the blood of the Lord Jesus, by faith in His
name, and walked about thirty years in peace and love with his wife,
and adorned the gospel of the grace of God.

His wife outlived him. The husband died more th