they had less nonsense, and that served them as
well--so they took their rubbing quietly; and hence the smoothness of
their surface, and the beauty of their shape. Now here we are, living
stones in the great stream of time, tumbled about and rubbed one against
another. Let us take our rubbing patiently, and give ourselves a chance
of getting rid of our unevennesses, and of being brought to a comely
shape. Have patience, my friends. The trouble will not continue long.
When we have got our proper shape, God will remove us to our proper
places in that living temple which He is building in the heavens, and
our rubbing will be at an end for ever.

When I was first invited by the Primitive Methodists of Tunstall to
preach in their chapel, one of the class-leaders and local preachers in
the circuit threw up his plan, and sent in his class-book, saying he
would not belong to a society that would allow Joseph Barker to preach
in their pulpits. He was under a wrong impression with regard to my
views. One of the Tunstall travelling preachers went to see him, and
told him that he was laboring under a mistake, and advised him to take
back his class-book and plan. "Come," said he, "and have a little talk
with Mr. Barker." He came, and found he had been mistaken. "Forgive
me," said he. "I cannot," said I; "you have committed no offence. I will
save my pardons till you do something really wicked." "Then let us
pray," said he; and we knelt down, and prayed for one another, and we
all felt better. He came that night to hear me lecture. The subject was
THE CHURCH. I spoke of the unpleasantnesses with which we
sometimes meet from our brethren, and while exhorting my hearers to take
their trials patiently, I used the illustration I have given here. The
old man sat on my left in the front of the gallery, and was much
excited. He wept. At length, unable any longer to restrain his feelings,
he cried aloud, "Glory; Hallelujah; I'll stop and be rubbed." He did
stop. But he had not much more rubbing to endure. In less than twelve
months, on retiring one night to rest, in his usual health, he passed
away suddenly, and peacefully, to his rest in heaven. Let us "stop and
be rubbed." Better be rubbed in the Church, than thrown out into the
broad highway of the world, and broken with the strong man's hammer.

11. And now with regard to reform. It is right that we should be
reformers. There are plenty of evils both in the Church and the State,
as wel