special manifestation of his presence. He has always filled my mouth with something to say: my greatest difficulty has been that I am disposed to say too much, and that I do not know when to stop, seeming to be insensible of the fleetness of time. An old preacher, who is able to show himself a workman, would doubtless edify and instruct a congregation more in half an hour than I would in double that time. So much for my preaching, and so much for my dreaming.

CHAPTER XVI.

READER, at this point I found myself again under solemn conviction, strange as it may appear; and this was the work of the Holy Ghost. While an humble local preacher, a hard-working farmer was simplifying the way of holiness; he was made the agent in the hands of God of rousing up my redeemed powers and brightening my spiritual eye, and giving me a panting after greater riches.

I have heard that among the early gold-diggers in California, three men, while walking on the bank of a river, saw at a little distance a golden strand of yellow dust that had been washed out of the rock near by. They saw at once that they had stumbled upon an almost inexhaustible treasure; but to prevent any jealousy in the distribution of it, they

agreed that each man should have all that he could embrace, by falling down and stretching out both his hands. They then advanced and fell upon the golden sand, and each man spanned to his utmost and marked his portion. Do you not think, reader,

you would have made a long arm on that golden opportunity? So I felt. My eyes were opened, and I saw in the distance the inexhaustible treasure, the gold that perisheth not, enough not only to enrich me but the whole world. I saw and I believed; but as I began to move towards it I met the universal foe, more formidable than the host of Pharaoh, the Red Sea, or the Alpine mountain. It was the same enemy that, with his single arm, beat back six hundred thousand men of war, and caused their bones to bleach on the desert of Arabia, so that they never entered into the promised land.

But, says the reader, pray tell us the name of this mighty potentate. I will let the apostle answer: "They entered not in because of unbelief." Remember, reader, we have now our eye upon the rich treasure that lieth in the distance-a treasure far superior to anything that the richest mines of earth can produce. It is nothing less than to be sanctified wholly-soul, body, and spirit. We are not now seeking for the pardon of our sins, but to be made perfect in the love of God. We are now leaving the milk, and calling on the Father for strong meat.

Our petition is definite, and we expect a definite answer, that is, the very thing we ask for; for we saw in the distance the Spirit raising up a standard, upon which was written in golden characters the command, peremptory and unqualified, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." At this juncture of the case, temptations came in like a flood. Like the sacrifice spread out by Abraham, I found my offering set upon by strange birds, which sought to pick it away. But Abraham's faith failed not. Although a horror of great darkness fell upon him, yet he with vigilance watched and warded off the foul birds until the time of the evening sacrifice, when, in God's own time, he sent down the smoking furnace and the burning lamp. Thus was I called upon to contend with the emissaries sent by the enemy of all righteousness to drive me from my purpose. The first that victorious faith drove away was a modest little devil, who whispered that to expect such a high state of grace might do for now and then a D. D. in God's Lebanon; but that it was presumption for a poor man, who had been recently quarried out of Egypt's horrible pit, to think of such a thing. The next messenger of Satan sent to buffet me came clothed in the form of an angel of light, telling me that I was unworthy to receive so great a blessing.

I was like a little yellow bird. I remember catching when I was a boy. I tied a long string to it and then let it fly, and just as the poor little trembler was rejoicing in its escape, it would come

to the end of the string, and be pulled back into captivity again. So it was with me when faith would begin to plume her victorious wing, and just as I was hoping to escape my tormentor, I would find my feet entangled in some new snare. But man's extremity is God's opportunity, and no doubt he often permits the seeking soul to run into the greatest difficulties on purpose to show us where our own wisdom would lead us, and to make known his power in our deliverance. It is when the Red Sea is before us, an impassable mountain on either side, and Pharaoh's host in the rear, that we may look for a miracle of mercy to be wrought in our deliverance. In seeking for justification I tried a great many ways before I tried faith in Christ. And now I had not grown so wise by past experience, but that I had to work up about the same amount of rubbish, so perverse is the human heart. I have heard persons who. professed to have a justified relation toward God, when spoken to about holiness of heart, say they did not feel worthy to enjoy so great a blessing. How absurd! to think that you can be justified in the sight of God while trampling under feet his express command, "Be ye holy." But, says one, how can it be that a person just converted is so happy, and so ready to die, and a little while after conversion we find him preaching that without holiness we can never see the Lord? I wil tell you how, and may every one who reads these lines remember the solemn truth. Justification is

the first degree of holiness. The justified soul is reconciled to God, and, if called immediately to enter heaven, goes fully prepared into the presence of its Maker. God cuts short the work in righteousness. But to retain this state of reconciliation with God, we must walk in all his ordinances blameless. He commands us to go on to perfection. Can we feel justified in neglecting that command? Suppose you tell your son to go to school; he says, "Yes, father," and starts immediately. You smile with approbation, and feel pleased with his ready obedience. Suppose that when he gets half-way there he falls down and breaks his leg. He is brought home. Do you feel displeased because he did not go to school, as you told him? Certainly not; he obeyed you as far as he had the power, and you take him in your arms with feelings of the greatest tenderness and love. Just so Christ receives the soul that, saying in his heart, "Yes, Father," has started on his heavenly journey. There is no rebellion, no disobedience in that heart. Suppose now, instead of meeting with an accident, your boy had stopped to gather beech-nuts, and failed to reach the school until the afternoon, would not the pleasure with which he received your smile of approbation in the morning give place to a feeling of guilt? Could he feel that his father was pleased with him, until he confessed his error and hastened to obey? Observe, he did not incur guilt by going back, but by stopping on the road. This will show