William Carvosso - A Memoir - Chapter 2

I now went to live with my daughter at Dowstall, in the parish of Mylor, about three miles distant from Ponsanooth. Since I have given up the world, my peace has flowed as a river, and my joys have abounded like Jordan’s swelling stream.

“All glory and honor to Jesus alone.”

Oh! what a salvation is that which Jesus has purchased for poor sinners! It is a full, free, and present salvation; a salvation from all sin, its guilt, its power, and its very in-being; and a salvation into all the glorious image of God. And this salvation is attained by simple faith. Oh, how great are the privileges of believers! Not only are they cleansed from sin, but they are become the children of God—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. “All are yours, and ye are Christ’s.”

“Oh for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise;
The glories of my God and King,
The triumph of His grace!”

Many circumstances have occurred in my life, besides those already mentioned, in which it has pleased the Lord to make me useful, both to His own people and to sinners. The first that now strikes me is as follows.

Returning one Sabbath day from worship, I happened to look behind me and saw a neighbor of mine coming. It was immediately impressed upon my mind that I must speak to him about his soul. So I stopped till he came up with me. I then spoke freely to him about his future state; but I soon found death and eternity were subjects he had thought little about, for he was asleep in his sins. I began to preach the law to him, and often, while speaking, lifted up my heart to God to bless what I said.

I asked him if he was willing to die in his present state. He acknowledged he was not. As he was laboring under an illness, I earnestly requested him that as soon as he should reach his house he would go into his room, fall down upon his knees, and implore that mercy of which he stood so much in need.

Blessed be God, he took the warning. He went home and instantly retired for prayer. The Lord gave him to see and feel that he was a poor, lost sinner. He soon obtained an interest in the blood of Christ, lived for some time a striking witness of the power of divine grace, and died happy in God.

At another time, while I was giving a word of exhortation, the Lord was pleased to bless my feeble endeavors in awakening another poor sinner. He has now stood fast in the faith for many years, and has become a class leader. No tongue can express the gratitude to the Lord which my heart has felt on account of these things. To think that the eternal Jehovah should use such a worm as I am to effect such a great and glorious work! I trust to praise Him for it to all eternity. And Oh, how is my faith hereby strengthened to go forward in my humble endeavors to do good!

In the latter part of the year 1815, I was going to see my son, who was then traveling in the Liskeard circuit. When I came to Teague’s Gate, between Grampound and St. Austell, a young lady, about eighteen or nineteen years of age, came out to take the toll. She was a stranger to me; but the moment I saw her I felt such a love for her soul and such a concern for her salvation that I thought I could have died for her, if that would bring her to the Lord and be the means of saving her soul. But as soon as I had delivered to her the toll she instantly retired, and I had no opportunity of speaking to her.

When I had proceeded a few steps from the gate, I stopped my horse and lifted up my heart to God. I was at a loss what to do—whether to go forward or turn back to inquire into the state of her mind. While I reflected for a moment, it was impressed upon my mind that I should see her again when I returned. So I proceeded on my journey. But, during the eleven days that intervened, she was seldom absent from my thoughts when on my knees before God in secret.

On my return, a little before I came to the gate, I resolved before the Searcher of hearts that if she should again come out I would not deliver her the money till I had made some inquiry into the state of her mind. As soon as I saw her come out, my heart said, “Surely the Lord has a hand in this matter!” As soon as we came near to each other, to open the way for a conversation, I said to her, “Can you be happy in this lonely place?” I soon found she was a stranger to happiness; for she was an unawakened sinner, without God and without hope in the world. While talking to her for a short time, her mother, overhearing the conversation, came to the door. On seeing her, the young lady slipped from me and went in. On this account I felt sorry, as I had not said to her all I intended.

I immediately alighted, went in after her, and found that the Lord had touched her heart, for she was bitterly weeping. At the sight of this I soon wept also. Her father was present, a pious man and a class leader, but unknown to me. He requested me to pray with her. The Lord poured His Spirit upon us, and my soul seemed overwhelmed with the divine Presence.

After prayer, her father said he had often wished his daughter to go with him to class meeting, but he could never induce her to do it. I urged her to promise me that she would go that night, for I learned that was the night of the class meeting. She felt the cross and seemed reluctant to take it up, but I continued to urge my plea. She wept much, and my own mind was much affected. At length I was constrained, by the love I felt for her soul, to say, “I cannot let you go unless you will promise me that you will tonight go with your father.” She paused for a moment and then said, “I will go with him.”

I now turned my attention to her sister, who was present, and also a stranger to divine things. She was already much affected by the conversation which had taken place, and I felt considerable hope that I should not in her case find a very difficult conquest. Accordingly, she soon promised me that that night she would go with her sister and join the people of God.

After this I heard nothing of them for four months. About this time, Liskeard friends having requested me to pay them another visit, I had again to pass through Teague’s Gate. When I came near, I labored to conceal my countenance as much as possible by leaning forward on the neck of the horse. But the moment Jane saw me she knew me and exclaimed, “You were sent here to save my soul!” I said, “It is the Lord that did it, and you must give the glory to Him.” Her sister, hearing my voice, ran out with Heaven sparkling in her eyes and shouting aloud the praises of the Most High. “Come in, come in!” was their language. I went in. They told me that they both went to class meeting that night, according to their promise. “And now,” said they, “we are both happy.” Their father assured me there was now no need to urge them to go to class meeting, for they were anxious to go at every opportunity.

About eighteen months after this, it pleased God to remove Jane to a better world. She held fast the beginning of her confidence, and died in sure and certain hope of eternal glory. A short time after her death, I called to see the family, and said to Robert, her elder brother, “You must now go and fill up your sister’s place in the church.” Jonathan, the younger brother, being present, burst into tears, and from that time gave his heart to the Lord. He continued steadfast in the ways of the Lord three years, and then died happy in a Savior’s love.

About twelve months after the death of Jonathan, I called once more on the family. Finding Robert still unconverted, I felt a longing desire for his salvation. When he came in, I requested the other members of the family to leave the room. I then asked him what objection he had to give his heart to God. The silent tear soon began to flow, and before we parted he promised he would give himself to the Lord and go with his father to class meeting. Five years he walked in wisdom’s ways, and then finished his course with joy. Oh how do these things humble my soul in the dust! With a heart deeply affected with my nothingness, I sweetly fall at the feet of Jesus,

“And the Lover of sinners adore.”

Yes, I will give all honor to my precious Jesus alone. His love is as a fire in my heart while I am writing, constraining me to cry out:

“Oh how precious! Oh how precious!
Is the sound of Jesu’s Name.”

But I must leave this delightful subject and go on to record more of His wondrous works.

Can I forget the happy seasons and manifestations of the power of God which I have witnessed at Bicton-Mill with my brother Body and his family? No, never by me can these things be forgotten, particularly while at one time conversing with his eldest daughter, Mary.

She had for some time known her acceptance in Christ; but now she said, “I want to be cleansed from inbred sin and to love God with all my heart.”

“The will of God is your sanctification,” I told her, “and God Himself has expressly said, ‘I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. . . a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.’ Here the eternal God speaks to you. Take Him at His Word. At once ‘reckon yourself to be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God, through Jesus Christ.’”

She obeyed the command; and, through an act of faith in the Atonement, entered into the glorious rest of the people of God.

“A rest where all our soul’s desire
Is fix’d on things above;
Where fear, and sin, and grief expire,
Cast out by perfect love.”

She now told me she felt the blood of Christ had cleansed her from all sin.

I corresponded with her for some years. She was a burning and a shining light, but the Lord did not leave her long a member of His Church below. A short time before she was taken ill she said to her sister, “I dreamed last night I was with you and others in a prayer meeting. It was a blessed time, and we were all happy in God. But it seemed to me I was suspended in the air above you all.” She died in faith, leaving a blessed testimony behind her that she is gone to Glory.

The first time I visited Callington, a friend asked me to take a walk before meeting. We called on Mr. Jope; and I fell into conversation with his daughter, Nancy, on the necessity of preparing to meet God and the danger of delaying such an important work.

After I left her, her spiritual state so lay on my mind that I could sleep but little during the whole night. In the morning I felt it a duty impressed on my mind to see her again before I left Callington. It was not a little cross “to flesh and blood,” but I saw I must do it. So I went to her, and delivered my own soul. She wept much and promised to give herself to God and to unite with His people.

The next time I came into that neighborhood, I found her at a friend’s house where I took tea. She was then concerned for her soul, but in a state of bondage and quite unacquainted with the plan of salvation. I spoke to her of Jesus Christ, and of the punishment which He had borne in His own body on her account, and showed her that now there was nothing wanting but faith on her part. Afterward, in an exhortation at the chapel, I offered Christ, in my simple way, as a full, free, and present Savior, able and willing to save unto the uttermost. When I came out of the meeting, she caught hold of my arm and said in the fullness of her heart, “I am happy! I am happy! These words were applied to my mind:

‘Thy debt’s discharged, thy ransom’s paid;
My Father must forgive.’

I instantly believed, and received the pardon of my sins.” She has since been ranked among my much-esteemed correspondents.

I have sometimes had seasons of remarkable visitation from the presence of the Lord. I well remember on one occasion paying a visit to my Camborne friends. One night in bed I was so filled, so overpowered with the glory of God, that, had there been a thousand suns shining at noon-day, the brightness of that divine glory would have eclipsed the whole! I was constrained to shout aloud for joy. It was the overwhelming power of saving grace.

Now it was that I again received the impress of the seal and the earnest of the Spirit in my heart. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, I was changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. Language fails in giving but a faint description of what I then experienced. I can never forget it in time, nor to all eternity.

Many years before, perhaps not fewer than thirty, I was sealed by the Spirit in a somewhat similar manner. While walking one day between Mousehole and Newlyn, I was drawn to turn aside from the public road and under the canopy of Heaven kneel down to prayer. I had not long been engaged with God before I was so visited from above and overpowered by the divine glory that my shouting could be heard at a distance. It was a weight of glory that I seemed incapable of bearing in the body. I therefore cried out (perhaps unwisely), “Lord, stay Thine hand!” In this glorious baptism, these words came to my heart with indescribable power, “I have sealed thee unto the day of redemption.”

Giving glory to my God, I can say to the present moment that I feel the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth me from all sin. I am become a living temple, all glorious within. I can now love God with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my strength. My inward heaven of joy and peace was, I think, never so great as of late. Oh Lord, help me to make some suitable return of love and gratitude! Oh stupendous redeeming grace! Feelingly can I sing this verse:

“Oh Love, Thou bottomless abyss!
My sins are swallow’d up in Thee;
Cover’d is my unrighteousness,
Nor spot of guilt remains on me,
While Jesu’s blood through earth and skies,
Mercy, free, boundless mercy, cries!”

[Editor’s Note: In recording some of the preceding incidents, my father has anticipated the time. It appears that, in some instances, after he had made the first record, subsequent occurrences led him to make additions. This is particularly the case in the interesting account of Mr. Robert Josc’s family at Teague’s Gate. My father, having now finished his recollections, proceeds with his narrative in the form of a journal.]