“Well, William, how are you?”

“Oh, pretty well.  I had only eighteen pence and an old hen when I signed, and a few old scores; but now I have about ten pounds in the bank, and my wife and I have lived through the summer without getting into debt.  But as I am only thirty weeks old yet (so he styled himself), I cannot be so strong yet, my friend.”

“How is it you never signed before?”

“I did sign; but I keep it different now to what I did before, friend.”

“How is this?”

“Why, I gae doon on my knees and pray.”

Here was the real strength of prayer.  His own resolves were of no value; but when he called on God to help, then came new strength, and he was kept by restraining grace.  The bitter experience of those who pledge and pledge over and over again, and never gain the victory, at last must come to either of two ends—­their utter destruction, or else to call on God in prayer, to help them keep the pledge manfully, and make them steadfast in their resolutions.

ONE WHO REFUSED THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The following incident is related by D.L.  Moody, the Evangelist, which contains a warning, how the Holy Spirit avenges itself to those who refuse its admonitions.  It is a remarkable instance of the control of an overruling God, who alone knew that man’s mind, and which alone could bring that text so often to his memory: 

“There was a young man in my native village—­he was not a young man when I was talking to him—­we were working on the farm together one day and he was weeping; I asked him what he was weeping about, and he told me a very strange story.  When he left home his mother gave him the text:  ’Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.’  He was ambitious to get rich, and thought when he had got comfortable, that was the time to give his attention to religion.  He went from village to village, and got nothing to do.  Sunday came, and he went into the village church. What was his great surprise to hear the minister preach from that text.  It went down into his heart—­he thought that it was his mother’s prayers that were following him—­he thought the whole sermon was for himself, and thought he would like to get out.  For days be could not get that text and sermon out of his mind.  He went on still, from village to village, and at last he went into another church after weeks had rolled away.  He went for some Sundays to the church, and it wasn’t a great while before the minister gave out this very text.  He thought surely it was God calling him then, and he said, coolly and deliberately, he would not seek the Kingdom of God.  He went on in this way, and in the course of a few months, to his great surprise, he heard the third sermon from the third minister on the same text.  He tried to stifle it, but it followed him.  At