OnhisreturntoCambridgeintheMaytermof1858，Ernestandafewotherfriendswhowerealsointendedfororderscametotheconclusionthattheymustnowtakeamoreseriousviewoftheirposition。Theythereforeattendedchapelmoreregularlythanhitherto，andheldeveningmeetingsofasomewhatfurtivecharacter，atwhichtheywouldstudytheNewTestament。TheyevenbegantocommittheEpistlesofStPaultomemoryintheoriginalGreek。
TheygotupBeveridgeontheThirty-nineArticles，andPearsonontheCreed；intheirhoursofrecreationtheyreadMore’s“MysteryofGodliness。”whichErnestthoughtwascharming，andTaylor’s“HolyLivingandDying。”whichalsoimpressedhimdeeply，throughwhathethoughtwasthesplendourofitslanguage。TheyhandedthemselvesovertotheguidanceofDeanAlford’snotesontheGreekTestament，whichmadeErnestbetterunderstandwhatwasmeantby“difficulties。”butalsomadehimfeelhowshallowandimpotentweretheconclusionsarrivedatbyGermanneologians，withwhoseworks，beinginnocentofGerman，hewasnototherwiseacquainted。SomeofthefriendswhojoinedhiminthesepursuitswereJohnians，andthemeetingswereoftenheldwithinthewallsofStJohn’s。
IdonotknowhowtidingsofthesefurtivegatheringshadreachedtheSimeonites，buttheymusthavecomeroundtotheminsomeway，fortheyhadnotbeencontinuedmanyweeksbeforeacircularwassenttoeachoftheyoungmenwhoattendedthem，informingthemthattheRev。GideonHawke，awell-knownLondonEvangelicalpreacher，whosesermonswerethenmuchtalkedof，wasabouttovisithisyoungfriendBadcockofStJohn’s，andwouldbegladtosayafewwordstoanywhomightwishtohearthem，inBadcock’sroomsonacertaineveninginMay。
BadcockwasoneofthemostnotoriousofalltheSimeonites。Notonlywasheugly，dirty，ill-dressed，bumptious，andineverywayobjectionable，buthewasdeformedandwaddledwhenhewalkedsothathehadwonanick-namewhichIcanonlyreproducebycallingit“Here’smyback，andthere’smyback。”becausethelowerpartsofhisbackemphasisedthemselvesdemonstrativelyasthoughabouttoflyoffindifferentdirectionslikethetwoextremenotesinthechordoftheaugmentedsixth，witheverystephetook。Itmaybeguessed，therefore，thatthereceiptofthecircularhadforamomentanalmostparalysingeffectonthosetowhomitwasaddressed，owingtotheastonishmentwhichitoccasionedthem。Itcertainlywasadaringsurprise，butlikesomanydeformedpeople，Badcockwasforwardandhardtocheck；hewasapushingfellowtowhomthepresentwasjusttheopportunityhewantedforcarryingwarintotheenemy’squarters。
Ernestandhisfriendsconsulted。Movedbythefeelingthatastheywerenowpreparingtobeclergymentheyoughtnottostandsostifflyonsocialdignityasheretofore，andalsoperhapsbythedesiretohaveagoodprivateviewofapreacherwhowasthenmuchuponthelipsofmen，theydecidedtoaccepttheinvitation。Whentheappointedtimecametheywentwithsomeconfusionandself-
abasementtotheroomsofthisman，onwhomtheyhadlookeddownhithertoasfromanimmeasurableheight，andwithwhomnothingwouldhavemadethembelieveafewweeksearlierthattheycouldevercometobeonspeakingterms。
MrHawkewasaverydifferent-lookingpersonfromBadcock。Hewasremarkablyhandsome，orratherwouldhavebeenbutforthethinnessofhislips，andalookoftoogreatfirmnessandinflexibility。
HisfeatureswereagooddeallikethoseofLeonardodaVinci；
moreoverhewaskempt，lookedinvigoroushealth，andwasofaruddycountenance。Hewasextremelycourteousinhismanner，andpaidagooddealofattentiontoBadcock，ofwhomheseemedtothinkhighly。Altogetherouryoungfriendsweretakenaback，andinclinedtothinksmallerbeerofthemselvesandlargerofBadcockthanwasagreeabletotheoldAdamwhowasstillalivewithinthem。Afewwell-known“Sims“fromStJohn’sandothercollegeswerepresent，butnotenoughtoswamptheErnestset，asforthesakeofbrevity，Iwillcallthem。
Afterapreliminaryconversationinwhichtherewasnothingtooffend，thebusinessoftheeveningbeganbyMrHawke’sstandingupatoneendofthetable，andsaying“Letuspray。”TheErnestsetdidnotlikethis，buttheycouldnothelpthemselves，sotheykneltdownandrepeatedtheLord’sPrayerandafewothersafterMrHawke，whodeliveredthemremarkablywell。Then，whenallhadsatdown，MrHawkeaddressedthem，speakingwithoutnotesandtakingforhistextthewords，“Saul，Saul，whypersecutestthoume？”WhetherowingtoMrHawke’smanner，whichwasimpressive，ortohiswell-knownreputationforability，orwhetherfromthefactthateachoneoftheErnestsetknewthathehadbeenmoreorlessapersecutorofthe“Sims“andyetfeltinstinctivelythatthe“Sims“wereafterallmuchmoreliketheearlyChristiansthanhewashimself——atanyratethetext，familiarthoughitwas，wenthometotheconsciencesofErnestandhisfriendsasithadneveryetdone。IfMrHawkehadstoppedherehewouldhavealmostsaidenough；ashescannedthefacesturnedtowardshim，andsawtheimpressionhehadmade，hewasperhapsmindedtobringhissermontoanendbeforebeginningit，butifso，hereconsideredhimselfandproceededasfollows。Igivethesermoninfull，foritisatypicalone，andwillexplainastateofmindwhichinanothergenerationortwowillseemtostandsadlyinneedofexplanation。
“Myyoungfriends。”saidMrHawke，“IampersuadedthereisnotoneofyouherewhodoubtstheexistenceofaPersonalGod。Iftherewere，itistohimassuredlythatIshouldfirstaddressmyself。
ShouldIbemistakeninmybeliefthatallhereassembledaccepttheexistenceofaGodwhoispresentamongstusthoughweseehimnot，andwhoseeyeisuponourmostsecretthoughts，letmeimplorethedoubtertoconferwithmeinprivatebeforewepart；IwillthenputbeforehimconsiderationsthroughwhichGodhasbeenmercifullypleasedtorevealhimselftome，sofarasmancanunderstandhim，andwhichIhavefoundbringpeacetothemindsofotherswhohavedoubted。
“IassumealsothatthereisnonewhodoubtsbutthatthisGod，afterwhoselikenesswehavebeenmade，didinthecourseoftimehavepityuponman’sblindness，andassumeournature，takingfleshandcomingdownanddwellingamongusasamanindistinguishablephysicallyfromourselves。Hewhomadethesun，moonandstars，theworldandallthatthereinis，camedownfromHeaveninthepersonofhisSon，withtheexpresspurposeofleadingascornedlife，anddyingthemostcruel，shamefuldeathwhichfiendishingenuityhasinvented。
“Whileonearthheworkedmanymiracles。Hegavesighttotheblind，raisedthedeadtolife，fedthousandswithafewloavesandfishes，andwasseentowalkuponthewaves，butattheendofhisappointedtimehedied，aswasforedetermined，uponthecross，andwasburiedbyafewfaithfulfriends。Those，however，whohadputhimtodeathsetajealouswatchoverhistomb。
“Thereisnoone，Ifeelsure，inthisroomwhodoubtsanypartoftheforegoing，butifthereis，letmeagainprayhimtoconferwithmeinprivate，andIdoubtnotthatbytheblessingofGodhisdoubtswillcease。
“ThenextdaybutoneafterourLordwasburied，thetombbeingstilljealouslyguardedbyenemies，anangelwasseendescendingfromHeavenwithglitteringraimentandacountenancethatshonelikefire。Thisgloriousbeingrolledawaythestonefromthegrave，andourLordhimselfcameforth，risenfromthedead。
“Myyoungfriends，thisisnofancifulstorylikethoseoftheancientdeities，butamatterofplainhistoryascertainasthatyouandIarenowheretogether。IfthereisonefactbettervouchedforthananotherinthewholerangeofcertaintiesitistheResurrectionofJesusChrist；norisitlesswellassuredthatafewweeksafterhehadrisenfromthedead，ourLordwasseenbymanyhundredsofmenandwomentoriseamidahostofangelsintotheairuponaheavenwardjourneytillthecloudscoveredhimandconcealedhimfromthesightofmen。
“Itmaybesaidthatthetruthofthesestatementshasbeendenied，butwhat，letmeaskyou，hasbecomeofthequestioners？Wherearetheynow？Doweseethemorhearofthem？Havetheybeenabletoholdwhatlittlegroundtheymadeduringthesupinenessofthelastcentury？Isthereoneofyourfathersormothersorfriendswhodoesnotseethroughthem？IsthereasingleteacherorpreacherinthisgreatUniversitywhohasnotexaminedwhatthesemenhadtosay，andfounditnaught？Didyouevermeetoneofthem，ordoyoufindanyoftheirbookssecuringtherespectfulattentionofthosecompetenttojudgeconcerningthem？Ithinknot；andIthinkalsoyouknowaswellasIdowhyitisthattheyhavesunkbackintotheabyssfromwhichtheyforatimeemerged：itisbecauseafterthemostcarefulandpatientexaminationbytheablestandmostjudicialmindsofmanycountries，theirargumentswerefoundsountenablethattheythemselvesrenouncedthem。Theyfledfromthefieldrouted，dismayed，andsuingforpeace；norhavetheyagaincometothefrontinanycivilisedcountry。
“Youknowthesethings。Why，then，doIinsistuponthem？Mydearyoungfriends，yourownconsciousnesswillhavemadetheanswertoeachoneofyoualready；itisbecause，thoughyouknowsowellthatthesethingsdidverilyandindeedhappen，youknowalsothatyouhavenotrealisedthemtoyourselvesasitwasyourdutytodo，norheededtheirmomentous，awfulimport。
“Andnowletmegofurther。Youallknowthatyouwillonedaycometodie，orifnottodie——fortherearenotwantingsignswhichmakemehopethattheLordmaycomeagain，whilesomeofusnowpresentarealive——yettobechanged；forthetrumpetshallsound，andthedeadshallberaisedincorruptible，forthiscorruptionmustputonincorruption，andthismortalputonimmortality，andthesayingshallbebroughttopassthatiswritten，’Deathisswallowedupinvictory。’
“Doyou，ordoyounotbelievethatyouwillonedaystandbeforetheJudgementSeatofChrist？Doyou，ordoyounotbelievethatyouwillhavetogiveanaccountforeveryidlewordthatyouhaveeverspoken？Doyou，ordoyounotbelievethatyouarecalledtolive，notaccordingtothewillofman，butaccordingtothewillofthatChristwhocamedownfromHeavenoutofloveforyou，whosufferedanddiedforyou，whocallsyoutohim，andyearnstowardsyouthatyoumaytakeheedeveninthisyourday——butwho，ifyouheednot，willalsoonedayjudgeyou，andwithwhomthereisnovariablenessnorshadowofturning？
“Mydearyoungfriends，straitisthegate，andnarrowisthewaywhichleadethtoEternalLife，andfewtherebethatfindit。Few，few，few，forhewhowillnotgiveupALLforChrist’ssake，hasgivenupnothing“Ifyouwouldliveinthefriendshipofthisworld，ifindeedyouarenotpreparedtogiveupeverythingyoumostfondlycherish，shouldtheLordrequireitofyou，then，Isay，puttheideaofChristdeliberatelyononesideatonce。Spituponhim，buffethim，crucifyhimanew，doanythingyoulikesolongasyousecurethefriendshipofthisworldwhileitisstillinyourpowertodoso；
thepleasuresofthisbrieflifemaynotbeworthpayingforbythetormentsofeternity，buttheyaresomethingwhiletheylast。If，ontheotherhand，youwouldliveinthefriendshipofGod，andbeamongthenumberofthoseforwhomChristhasnotdiedinvain；if，inaword，youvalueyoureternalwelfare，thengiveupthefriendshipofthisworld；ofasuretyyoumustmakeyourchoicebetweenGodandMammon，foryoucannotserveboth。
“Iputtheseconsiderationsbeforeyou，ifsohomelyatermmaybepardoned，asaplainmatterofbusiness。Thereisnothingloworunworthyinthis，assomelatelyhavepretended，forallnatureshowsusthatthereisnothingmoreacceptabletoGodthananenlightenedviewofourownself-interest；neverletanyonedeludeyouhere；itisasimplequestionoffact；didcertainthingshappenordidtheynot？Iftheydidhappen，isitreasonabletosupposethatyouwillmakeyourselvesandothersmorehappybyonecourseofconductorbyanother？
