Part 26 (2/2)

He told me that he was born of respectable parents in Germany; but that, for his bad ways and bad habits, they had sent him to this country to work for his bread; that he had taken the pledge several tih he had prayed and done all he could think of; but it was to no propose

”If you had stayed last night,” I said, ”I e?”

”Oh,” he said, ”it ca of beer and spirits, not wine; so I took some, and it flew to my head; and soon I was as bad as ever”

”Now,” I said, ”you have renounced wine and all; have you?”

”Yes, I have”

”Well then, will you give your heart to God also?”

In course of conversation it came out, that this man's first impressions were effected some years before, by a drea by, but, somehow, turned to look at it; when, to his surprise, he saw that the eyes of the figure were looking at hi on the ground, and beckoning, when a sudden fear came over him; he stopped, and the vision faded away Ever since that time, he had felt that Jesus was the Friend he needed; and that nothing less would satisfy him

Unfortunately, too many, like this man, stop at a critical point of their history; and, often, the crisis is not prolonged for theo there was a sinner arrested by a si a description of it:--

”I saw One hanging on a tree, In agony and blood, Who fixed His languid eyes on me As near the cross I stood”

He continues,

”My conscience felt and owned its guilt;” and when he did so, he received a second look, which spoke forgiveness to hiht hied this e hi so, he obtained forgiveness and peace, and has since, by grace, been enabled to live a happy, consistent, and devoted life, and has been a blessing to many souls No sooner had he found the Saviour, than ian to plead for and with his friend James I know not what passed between theht him to me with a heart prepared to receive Christ We had only to point hie him to thank God, when he realized the truth in his own experience

So that Monday I rejoiced over five people brought to the Lord; and then the work began in real earnest Every week after that, remarkable conversions took place, besidesthe one just th in tracts, and are also published in a volu fro this, a brief allusion to the so particularly connected with the work here

A wo by, and told h still unconverted, for whom she had prayed continually ever since his birth She said, when he was a very little child, she heard hi in his rooht this was in answer to her supplication; but as he grew up he becae

”Soo,” she said, ”he had a dream or vision, and saw you so plainly that he pointed you out to ymen, and said, 'Mother, that o, in a dream, as plainly as I see him now; I know that is the man' We did not knoho you were then, or where you caain till you caht,” continued the mother, ”after he returned from church, ht I heard hireat distress He told , when I asked him about it, that he dreamt that the last day was coan im till he heard soh out at him, and say, 'Ho! ho! ot you now---you are too late!' This frightened hian on his knees to pray in earnest for the Lord to haveShe did so; and when he arrived I frankly told him what I had heard about hiht before

”Your mother has prayed for you for years; and when you were a little boy you prayed the Lord to save you: last night, again, you were constrained to cry for ood intentions and purposes towards you Can you trust Hi before they make the venture of faith), I continued, ”These tokens are better than feelings, for they are facts and sure signs by which youyou”

Webefore the Lord, who had so marvellously opened his eyes to see his sins, enabled him by the same Spirit to see Jesus as His Saviour, and to rejoice in the forgiveness of his sins Then I asked hiain, for I was curious to hear about the dream or vision which he had had some months before he ever saw me

”William,” I said, ”did you ever see me before I came to this parish?”

”Yes,” he replied, ”I saw you once in a vision,me about it?”

After a little hesitation, he answered, ”I often drea on a wild barren common; there were many bare places where people had cut turf, and there were prickly furze-bushes about I knew there were some did open ht; but I alking along without thinking of danger, and was not afraid, though it was dark, and I was alone I don't kno long I went on like this, but next I found I alking with you I could see you very plainly, just as if it had not been dark, and you were talking about Jesus and His love to sinners

I liked your words very much, and was so taken up with theht; for now I could see the rough co this path, we cao any further; but you walked on as if there were no wall Presently you stopped, and, turning to me, said, 'Why don't you come on?'

”I answered, 'I cannot'”