Page:God Manifest.djvu/76

55 by a fiill report, to make the facts known to the nation at large, and to those who had the power to apply the remedies. Laboriously, patiently, and not without the exercise of much tact and prudence, did he accomplish this task of inspection. Devoting himself then to the labour of preparing a full report of what he had seen and heard, in his sublime but painful tour of visitation, he published it at length in the form of a large quarto volume. The subject being thus brought to the attention not only of the public but of Parliament, excited general interest and sympathy, and the author received the public thanks of the legislative body, and, what was of much more value to him, the assurance that the evil would be at once looked to, and the means of removing it speedily undertaken. His mind being now deeply interested in the whole subject, he determined to extend his inspection to other countries, discover if possible the condition of prisons abroad, learn what excellences, if any, could be copied from them, and what defects were to be remedied in them; and thus ascertaining with exactness the condition of this class of the distressed, whether suffering from the effects of their own crimes, or from injustice or oppression, do what might be done to improve or to relieve those, who, by all else save God and angels, seemed to be forsaken and despised.

Thus, truly, was this good man a follower of his Divine Master, in going forth to "bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that were bound." But not only was he a follower, but a servant and instrument, of that Good Master,—and this is the point which we wish to keep more particularly before the