moral filth and vice, living wretched lives and dying miserable deaths. On every hand he heard the cries of the perishing. Parents saw their children dying without an interest in Christ's blood; members of the church saw their neighbours, teachers saw their scholars, and preachers saw their hearers on the broad road to ruin. The 'live coal from off the altar' made parents pray more earnestly; teachers taught better; there was more life and spiritual power in the prayer-meeting; there was holier living; there was more soul-converting energy in the preaching.

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The power iz com', Lord, tho vire iz 'ere,' said Jimmy Templer. And so it was. Some of the old saints told me they thought they were going 'straight off to glory.' But there were a few of us there who thought we should sink down through the floor of the chapel, and be lost.

At the evening service the chapel was full to overflowing, and I saw some there that could not be matched for wickedness for many miles round. The singing and praying had power in it; yes, it had come, the 'live coal from off the altar' had 'touched their lips.' The holy baptism of the morning had prepared the servants of God. The preacher's work was easy; he was being carried along. The host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.' The strongholds of hell were to be assailed and shaken; and many a rebel in the ranks of the enemy would be wounded, captured, and chained to the chariot of the Eternal King. Faith caught the sound of the chariot wheels, and cried, 'Triumphant Lord, appear!'

In the first book of Samuel, the seventeenth chapter and the forty-seventh verse, you have my

text,' said the preacher. ""For the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands." 'Alleluia,' shouted the old warriors of the Society; but that was not enough for Jimmy. "It 'em 'ard, Cap'an Jazus,' he said. Jimmy's prayer was answered before nine o'clock that night.

'We are not afraid to fight this battle,' said Mr. Strong. 'We know we have some before us who are considered giants in sin. You are ringleaders in the devil's cause. You have been a curse to yourselves, to your families, and to your neighbours; you defy the people of God; you mock them for their consistent holy living; you cannot get much worse and live out of hell. You are giants in drunkenness, in swearing and blasphemy; you are unclean; moral leprosy is the loathsome disease you are carrying about with you. We charge you with being God's enemies; fighting against His truth. You are helping the devil in his ruinous, deadly work of damning souls; peopling the regions of darkness. You come out against us in your coat of mail, and wielding your formidable weapons. You say that you are armour-proof; there is not an arrow or bullet that may be shot or fired that can bring you down. You are not afraid of man or God. You have defied the Eternal to do His worst again and again; you have lifted the arm of rebellion against Him; you have struck hard blows "with the fist of wickedness; " and like that bloodthirsty young Jewish zealot, Saul of Tarsus, you are even in the midst of His people to intimidate them. are not afraid of you,' said Mr. Strong. ""The Lord will laugh at you; He will have you in derision." "Who hath fought against the Lord and prospered?" "The Lord is a Man of War." With you "is an arm

We

of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, Who will fight for us, and deliver us." He can "save by many or by few," as it pleaseth Him. You may not think it, but we have the best weapons in the universe to fight the army of the devil and destroy his kingdom. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual, and mighty to the pulling down of the strongholds" of sin and Satan. "of sin and Satan. You talk about your sword; we have "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." "The word of God is

sharper than any two-edged sword." "Is not My word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

'Stout-hearted rebel against God, what are your weapons to God's weapons? God's hammer will hit you in penitence at His feet, or it will hit you into hell. Sinner, submission there must be, or you will perish for ever and ever. But you need not perish: "all may live, for Christ hath died." Are you wounded by the Word? the same Word will heal you: it can wound, and it can bind up; it can kill, and it can make alive. Come now,' the preacher said, 'throw down the weapons of your rebellion, and "fight against your God no more." God is here.'-'I veel 'Im,' said Jimmy.-' You are wounded by the Spirit's sword: come and kneel in penitence at His feet, and make your peace with Him to-night.'

'Will one of the brethren pray?' said the minister. Charles Garfield began, but could not proceed. Sobs were heard from every part of the chapel; my own tears were running down my face; I felt I could not leave that place without pardon; I was crushed, I was perishing. The blows inflicted by the preacher with the weapon of God's Word had made me

shake. How long I remained in that state of agony I know not; I do not suppose it was long, but it seemed a very long time.

Some one's hand was placed on my shoulder; I was trembling in every part. 'Biz tho willin' in tho da' ov 'Iz power?' asked Jimmy. Times ov 'frezhin' 'av' come vrom tho prezence ov tho Lord, blezz 'Im. Malevactor vound 'Im on tho cross, wen o ax'd to be 'member'd be tho blezzed Jazus. An' Ozed, "To-da' thou zhal' be we' Me in paradize.' 'E war converted an' tuk wum to 'eaven almoz' bevor o cud underztan' w'at it al' meant. 'Twar done in a vew 'ours at tho mozt. Benny, thou muz' not let tho dyin' thiev be't thee. Ax tho blezzed Lord to ge thee tho vuzt peart ov tho blezzin', an' we' 'Iz permizzion yo' 'ool sta' in thiz peart ov 'Iz dominions a bit longer.' More Jimmy would have said, but some one commenced singing very near where I was kneeling, with such power and thrilling influence attending it as I never expect to feel again this side of heaven. The words were :

'Come, Lord! the drooping sinner cheer,
Nor let Thy chariot wheels delay;
Appear, in my poor heart appear!

My God, my Saviour, come away!'

I know not how many times they sang those lines; but I do know that He came, as I knelt and

'Groaned the sinner's only plea,
"God be merciful to me.'

Yes, I knew that a change as great, and to myself as evident, as that of day following night had been effected. Old things had passed away, and, behold, all things had become new.'

I

CHAPTER VI.

MIRACLES OF GRACE.

T is not given to the servants of God in every place, and especially in the first engagement with the enemy's forces, to triumph in such a signal manner as Mr. Strong and his brave helpers did in the Methodist chapel at Hathercott. I was not the only one captured and brought into the camp of the Lord Jesus that night. Some found Him in the vestry; others at the communion rail; while a few, like myself, were unable to rise from their knees, on the spot where they had been struck down by the weapon of God's Word, until they were made conscious of the Saviour's pardoning love.

Twenty persons, male and female, had surrendered to the great Captain Jesus. Twenty souls were enjoying liberty, the glorious liberty of the sons of God.' Among them were a few of the most desperate young men that ever came under the power of God's Word. Many more were wounded. Judge of my surprise, when my tears of joy would allow me to look round, to see two of my old boon