"Light in thy light, oh! may I see, Thy grace and mercy prove! C. WESLEY. Let no "Lover of souls," then, be delicate in pressing an agonising sinner towards the bosom of an agonising Saviour! for truly, that Saviour shall answer for himself, in words, and looks, of pardoning LOVE." "Nor shall (he) to the work thou enterprisest Be found wanting, but afford thee equal aid.” Milton. In hundreds of cases the writer, together with his co-itinerant, and local brethren, in addition to the leaders and prayer-leaders, of our active religious community,* are called in "at the eleventh hour!" How momentous the duty assigned us on such an occasion! being neither more nor less than, to bring a soul to Christ! else must that soul perish without him! Depending on no arm of flesh, we courageously asserted the love of Christ (by which we were ourself constrained) to this very person and "not another." Blessed be God it was not in vain! "The Comforter" was there, as promised to the There is a perfect prestige on the talent, and hearts, of the Wesleyan body, for the visitation of the sick, and dying, in all parts of the kingdom. 66 66 Not long, but expectant and rejoicing Son, who declared, "He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you." (John xvi, 14.) After reading and explaining the precious portion of Scripture, already described, prayer was offered for its immediate application even as a nail in a sure place," to the extreme case in hand. fervent," and (may we venture to say?) "effectual," was that prayer. "The scales were now, indeed! beginning to fall from "the eyes" of her "understanding ;" and conscious of no ordinary manifestation of "the power of God" being "present to heal" her wounded spirit, we passed from the exercise of prayer, (properly so called) to that of prayer arranged for several voices, in the form of A VERSE, dictated by consecrated genius, for the special behoof of any such eventful and glorious crisis. It was this: "Now! if thy gracious will it be, Even now! my sins remove; And set my soul at liberty, By thy victorious love!" C. Wesley. The dying woman's own voice, which had responded to our earnest and believing petitions on her behalf, caught up, with even strengthened utterance, the two former lines of this verse. But no sooner were the two latter given out, than she broke forth into thanksgiving and praise. She even shouted-" Bless the Lord! bless the Lord! He has! He has! 666 -Set my soul at liberty!' Glory! glory! glory! hallelujah!" "Hallelujah!" we now responded: "Halleluiah!" echoed several voices in the room; among which, we could not fail to recognise that of her husband, (Churchman though he was), and that too of the indefatigable individual who, like another importunate widow, had pleaded for our attendance upon her neighbour, even as though it had been for her " 66 soul." own By faith," too, we were able to realise the songs and harps of the angelic choir, who are ever ready to celebrate all such trophies of redeeming grace; yea Loud as from numbers without number; sweet Th' eternal regions: lowly reverent Towards either throne* they bow, and to the ground, With solemn adoration down they cast Their crowns, inwove with amarant and gold." (Paradise Lost.) It was, by this time, hastening towards the " noon of night." We, therefore, took a joyful farewell of this new "seal" of our unworthy ministry-this * That of the Almighty and his co-equal Son, abundant "fruit" of prompt action in PASTORAL SERVICE," in season, out of season ;" and especially in connexion with the almost parallel INCIDENT of the forenoon of the same day,—this conclusive “commendation" of a select, yet prompt and frequent, use of PSALMODY, as one important element of the office under consideration. The gratulations of the happy creature, and those of "her neighbours and friends," who might have been "called together" expressly, to "rejoice with" her, because she had "found the piece which (she) had lost," (Luke xv, 9.) were accompanied (which indeed any pastor may rest assured of in any and all cases) with "a general invitation" and entreaty, for us to visit her again, as soon, and as often, as possible. Remembering always, however, that she professed to belong to another flock, we might have felt delicate in engaging to repeat our attentions frequently; lest the professional and fraternal claims of her proper pastor might have even appeared to be violated. But we had a strong presentiment that we should see her “face no more" in the flesh. A promise to call again in the course of the following day was, therefore, cheerfully given; but, at eight o'clock in the morning, she "departed to be with Christ, which is far better!" (Phil. i, 23.) Who that may honour these " Incidents” with a consecutive perusal, can forbear uniting with one who regards himself as "less than the least," in attempting to appreciate perhaps even more highly and earnestly than before, the essential MERCY of God, and "the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus." (Eph. ii, 7.) "Unfathomably deep our treasure runs New ages, when this phantom of an hour, Which courts, each night, dull slumber, for repair, Where thou, not master of A MOMENT here, How kind is GOD, how great (if good) is man." There is, doubtless, much blame due to those who procrastinate until "the eleventh hour!" that grand work, to accomplish which is our chief errand into the present world; and so emphatically the "one thing needful," that it has been vividly denominated "My sole concern! my single care!" Yet, how much guilt of this description may not be participated in by the Church, as implied in the plea of the very latest of the labourers,-" Because no |