rather than as a duty from which we, perhaps, would turn away, if we could; for we do not attain solid happiness, abiding rest, and sweet peace until the fullness of that love is ours. O, how differently, too, everything looks to us then! Our complaints cease; we cannot retain hard feelings towards any one; all is peace and love at home and away from home; and we speak tenderly even of those we think have done us an injury.

er

In a town where I was engaged in a meeting, several members had left the church because of a certain resolution it had passed. One of them came to me one evening, as I was about to dismiss the congregation, and, with much earnestness, asked me to request the church to wait a few minutes, until he had (to use his own words) given them a blowing up; they have abused me," said he, "and cannot be blessed until they acknowledge it, and undo what they have done." I asked him if he would not defer his speech, inasmuch as it would have an injurious effect on the meetings just at that stage in their progress. He consented to wait a few days. He came again at the expiration of the time; but again was prevailed upon to wait. He was a good man, and I knew if God restored unto him the joy of salvation, he would feel and talk differently.

Before long his wife came forward for prayer. I

asked him to pray for her. He did so; and in that prayer the draft was opened for the fire to burn in his bosom, and, in a short time, the love of Christ filled his heart.

Everything then began to look differently to him. All his old love for the church came back. Again he asked to speak to the church. The privilege was readily granted. With a happy face and a humble, loving spirit, he said to them, "If you can consent to receive me back, I will return, and will say nothing about my old complaint - I am satisfied to let it pass." So changed did everything seem, when he had the joy of religion in his heart.

My dear Christian hearer, let me ask, Are you now enjoying the fullness of Christ's love? Were you ever nearer Jesus than you are at present? Have you that same tender, happy heart you once had? Or is it the case that you were never very happy in Jesus' love? In either case, whether you have less love and joy than you once had, or have never known much happiness in your religious experience, - do not rest until you can say, "My cup runneth over." The effort to regain your first love may, and no doubt will, cost you more than it did to be converted. You will be like a man who has strayed away from his lantern - he must travel in the dark, until he finds it. Or like the woman

spoken of in the gospel, who, having lost one of her ten pieces of silver, was obliged to search long and diligently, making at the same time all her other property and labors secondary, until she found it; but she found it at length, and was happy-so happy that she called her friends and neighbors together to rejoice with her; and you will be happy when you have regained the joy of salvation, and you will want those around you to rejoice with you.

Let me, then, in conclusion, say to each believer who is within the sound of my voice, Be thorough in the examination of the state of your heart; not now as to the evidences of your hope, but as to your love to Jesus, - whether you have all your first love, and all the increase thereof which you may and ought to have. Is it as pleasant and as easy as it used to be to speak to the impenitent, and warn them of their danger? Are the closet and the prayer-meeting as dear to you as they once were? If not, let me urge you to go to Jesus, as you did when you felt yourself a lost sinner. Ask Christians to pray with and for you. Do not offer another cold, half-hearted prayer to God. Go down to the lowest door of mercy, and knock, and seek, and ask importunately, until you feel your heart running over with the fullness of Jesus' love, and then ask and receive the grace to abide in that

blessed condition until you are transferred to that home on high where there is fullness of joy for

evermore.

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

Amen.

A

CHAPTER VI.

INCIDENTS.

"MA, GIVE HIM MY TWO ONE-DOLLARS."

T the close of a series of meetings in Springfield, Mass., a mother handed me a little girl's picture wrapped in two one-dollar bills, at the same time relating the following touching incident:

Her only child, at the age of six years, gave her heart to the Savior, giving, as the pastor with whom I was laboring said, the clearest evidence of conversion.

At once she went to her mother and said, "Ma, I have given my heart to Jesus and he has received me; now, won't you give your heart to him?" (The parents were both unconverted at the time.) The mother replied, "I hope I shall some time, dear Mary." The little girl said, "Do it now, ma," and urged the mother, with all her childlike earnestness, to give herself to the Savior then.