conspicuous, as the white balls contrasted glaringly with his begrimed, if not actually sooty face.

"Perhaps," continued the speaker, "some of us thought last night when the merry bells were ringing out the old year and ringing in the new, that they were bidding farewell to the past for us. But I tell you, my friends, that thougn they might ring out the year they had no power to ring out the past, for God requireth' it at your hands. You may think to bury it-as the saying is, 'Let the dead past bury its dead' but God will waken it out of your graves, when the secrets of all hearts are opened, and our sins meet us face to face at the great white throne. Is it not so? Listen again to God's words: 'We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, whether it be good or bad.'1 Now what does that mean but the past returning on you? The things done in the body. Done is past; it is God's to deal with, but yours to suffer the penalty of, or else to reap its golden fruit. Do, only, is yours in the present, it has no yesterdays, no to-morrows. 'Do this and live,' God says to you to-day, through His Holy Spirit; to-morrow it may be said to you, 'If ye had done this; if ye had known in this, your day, the things which belong to your peace,'' and when once this is said to a soul, the doom of that soul is fixed, and, to its lasting woe, it finds that 'God requires that which is past.'

3

Then, in a few earnest words of entreaty, Mr. Morgan laid the sweet gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ before his hearers, telling them that though God did not promise for to-morrow, inasmuch as we know not what a day may bring forth, yet his offers of free salvation through Christ were so full for to-day, that were every sin-laden soul in the universe to go, each would find acceptance, pardon and peace for Jesus' sake. Nor did he let them suppose that in their own strength they could do this apparently easy thing, "Believe, and be saved." He plainly told them that 3 Prov. xxvii. I; James iv. 14.

1 2 Cor. v. 10.

2 Luke xix. 42.

they needed the Spirit's power, first to incline their souls for salvation, and then to draw them to it, or to Christ, who is salvation. "Lord, I believe! Help Thou mine unbelief,' is a short prayer," he said, "but one that God loves to hear, when His Holy Spirit opens the poor penitent's lips to cry for help."

The service over, the men quickly departed, and shouldering their tools were soon on their way towards an honest day's work, each feeling pleased with himself, and therefore with all around him, for, apart from any spiritual good gained, the men were glad to see their minister's evident gratification at their having gathered in full force at God's house on this solemn occasion. Rather to his disappointment, Mr. Morgan heard no more of New Year's Day for some time, when one morning his housemaid came to him with a rather curious expression on her face, as she said:

"Please, sir, Black Jack's here, and he is so queer-like ; he will have it that your study chimney must want sweeping by this time. He is not in drink, for I never saw him soberer in my life. Indeed, 'tis said he has not been tipsy since New Year's Day."

"Since New Year's Day!" ejaculated Mr. Morgan.

"Yes, sir, and cook says as the milkman told her, 'twas all along of some words you spoke then."

"He wants to sweep this chimney, does he? Let him come in, Anne."

Black Jack entered, but the eager, anxious glare of his eyes told of something more than his soot-bag.

"Well, Jack, so you think my poor chimney is bound to want sweeping?"

"Sir, I was drived to know how to send in a message to you, 'cept through the chimney."

Mr. Morgan could not help smiling as he said, "Whatever you want to say, I see it is coming straight from your heart, and that's better than through the chimney, isn't it?"

But Black Jack was too intent on his "

message" for

anything but sober earnestness, so, tucking his bag tight between his knees, he said,

66

Please, sir, them requirements are more than I can stand. They'm just like a thousand ghosts let loose on me; they most drive me mad by day, and as for the night, why, I daren't go to sleep for the scares."

"God requireth that which is past;' do you mean that, Jack?"

"I do, sir. I never heard them words before, and when I heard you give 'em out, I was taken a bit a-back; but then, says I to myself, 'Never mind, Black Jack, that's old Scripture; it's nothing to you.' But when you comes out with the same thing, only stronger, from the New Scriptures, then says I to myself, 'Then it's all over with you, for, from first to last, there isn't a single back thing you've got to show that isn't either a sham, or a sin, or a falsity.' Oh, sir, what can Black Jack do, when God requires the past of him?"

And overcome with emotion Jack wept like a child, then, raising his eyes still streaming with tears, he cried piteously

66

Sir, I thought you could help me."

"I can't, but Christ can, and will."

"If I only knew how," sighed Jack.

"Come over here" (Jack was standing at the door), “and I will show you how. There now, look in that looking-glass; what do you see?"

Black Jack looked, but saw nothing but his own soiled face, which seemed all the more soiled by contrast with the streaks where the tears had run down his cheeks. He shook his head, on which Mr. Morgan said,

"I tell you what I see: just what Christ will do for you."

Jack turned round in amazement.

"I see drops of water rolling down and washing away the stains from your cheeks, and they remind me of that text, which tells us what the precious blood does for us:

they needed the Spirit's power, first to incline their souls for salvation, and then to draw them to it, or to Christ, who is salvation. "Lord, I believe! Help Thou mine unbelief,' is a short prayer," he said, "but one that God loves to hear, when His Holy Spirit opens the poor penitent's lips to cr for help."

The service over, the men quickly departed, and should ing their tools were soon on their way towards an hone day's work, each feeling pleased with himself, and there with all around him, for, apart from any spiritual good gai the men were glad to see their minister's evident grati tion at their having gathered in full force at God's hous this solemn occasion. Rather to his disappointment, Morgan heard no more of New Year's Day for some when one morning his housemaid came to him with a curious expression on her face, as she said:

"Please, sir, Black Jack's here, and he is so que he will have it that your study chimney must want s by this time. He is not in drink, for I never saw him in my life. Indeed, 'tis said he has not been tip New Year's Day."

"Since New Year's Day!" ejaculated Mr. Morg "Yes, sir, and cook says as the milkman told all along of some words you spoke then."

"He wants to sweep this chimney, does he? come in, Anne."

Black Jack entered, but the eager, anxious g eyes told of something more than his soot-bag. "Well, Jack, so you think my poor chimney want sweeping?"

ersons, I prayer of ng change my converministry, I answers to

s, both young down blessings ers from heaven. does hear and ay which appears is the telegraph of es the world." goods in my student pect in business, and p and contumely on

I might have made did before me, had I ther to suffer affliction yield my powers to the consecrated to the Lord's mother. She had held n was going, and besought

d and inclined to

1. Although

for