For the past year a desire to attend the communion at the Mother Church in June, 1902, has been ever with me. The way has never seemed more obstructed.
About May first, the obstacles began one by one to disappear, and by the first of June there seemed to remain but one obstruction, the lack of needful money for expenses. I seemed shut out entirely by this; but I recalled the widow who appealed to Elisha for needed supply. Elisha said, "What hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, ... So she . . . shut the door upon her and upon her sons, . . . and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest" (2 Kings, 4: 2-7). Her need was supplied, but not till after she shut the door, not till she shut out all personality and looked to the one Source. She limited the supply. The oil stayed not, till "There was not a vessel more." Supply equalled her demand. Abraham had laid the sticks before he saw the ram. ' The children of Israel marched up to the brink, before the way opened. The five thousand sat down, before they saw the supply. These beautiful lessons ran through my thought for weeks. Error argued, You lack their faith and understanding. Then I saw that not faith and understanding, but obedience was the key-note of these lessons. I solemnly resolved to march to the brink—to make ready.
On Monday (I was to leave on Wednesday), I asked for the money, was refused, the person on whom I had depended said it was impossible for him to let me have it. I remained quiet, made no further application. On Tuesday morning before breakfast, I packed my satchel and grip, still not seeing the way, but determined to march the last step of the way.
