A Fellow of King's College
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CHARLES
SIMEON, one of the greatest powers
ever
known in Cambridge, founder of the "Simeon Trust,"
gained a scholarship at King's College in 1779, and was
there converted to God, as thus detailed in his life:
It was only three days after his entrance on college
life, that he was startled by the information that in
about three weeks' time he would be expected to attend
the Lord's Supper--a most evil compulsion truly, and
one that must have wrought much harm to many a youth.
"What!" said he, "must I attend? On being informed
that I must, the thought rushed into my mind, that Satan
himself was as fit to attend as I, and that if I must attend,
I must prepare for my attendance there. Without a
moment's loss of time I bought the Whole Duty of Man--
the only religious book I had ever heard of, and began to
read it with great diligence, as the same time calling my
ways to remembrance, and crying to God for
mercy; and
so earnest was I in these exercises, that within three weeks
I made myself quite ill with reading, fasting, and prayer.
From that day to this, blessed, for ever blessed be my God,
I have never ceased to regard the
salvation of my
soul as
the one thing needful."
For months he continued in great distress of mind,
until, in the week before
Easter, as he was reading in
Bishop Wilson on the Lord's Supper, he fell upon this
expression, "that the Jews knew what they were doing
when they transferred their sin
to the head of their offering;"
and the thought rushed into his mind. "What!
may I
transfer all my guilt to another?
Has God provided an
offering for me that I may lay my sins on His head? Then,
God willing, I will not bear them on my own soul one
minute longer." Accordingly I sought to lay my sins
upon the sacred head of Jesus, and on
the Wednesday
began to have a hope of mercy; on the Thursday that hope
increased; on the Friday and Saturday it became more
strong; and on the Sunday morning (Easter Day, April 4,
1779) I awoke early with those words upon my heart and
lips:
‘Jesus Christ is Risen to-day: Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!’
From that hour peace flowed in rich abundance into my
soul; and at the Lord's table in our chapel I had the
sweetest access to God through my blessed Saviour."
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