spot.  On the Friday evening of that week our lecture-room was packed, and when the elder requested that any who desired special prayer should rise, two very prominent men in this community were on their feet in an instant.  The meeting was electrified; every one saw that God was with us.  There was no extraordinary excitement; the feeling was too deep for that.  We felt as the ancient Hebrew prophet felt when he heard the “still small voice from heaven,” and went out ready for action.  I felt at once that a great work for Christ had commenced.  I called our officers together at once, and, to use the naval phrase, we “cleared the decks for action.”  As the good work had begun in our own church, without any external assistance, we determined to carry on the work ourselves; and during the next five months, I never had any pulpit help except on two evenings during the week, when two fervid, discreet neighboring pastors preached for me.  Commonly, every church should do its own spiritual harvesting—­just as much as every pair of young lovers should do their own love-making, and wise parents their own family training.  Looking outside is a temptation to shirk responsibility.  If a preacher can preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully, and the Lord God is with him, why rob him of the joy of the harvest by sending away for any stranger?

My plan of action was this.  Twice on each Sabbath, and on two evenings in the week, I preached as clearly and pungently as I could; sometimes to awakened souls, sometimes to backsliders, sometimes to the impenitent, sometimes to souls who were seeking salvation.  I spoke of the great central truths:—­personal guilt, Christ’s atoning work, the offices of the Spirit, redemption, the claims of the Saviour, the necessity of immediate repentance, immediate acceptance of Christ and the joy and power of an useful Christian life.  During a revival, sermons make themselves; they grow spontaneously.  On the Monday evening of each week our young people had the field with their regular gatherings, and new converts were encouraged to narrate their experiences.  On three other evenings of the week the whole church had a service for prayer and exhortation, conducted by our laymen.  The praying women met on one afternoon; the girls by themselves on another afternoon, and the boys on another.  During each week, from eleven to twelve, different meetings were held, and in so large a congregation, these sub-divisions were necessary.  After every public service I held an inquiry meeting.  I invited people to converse with me in the study during the day, and I made as much pastoral visitation from house to house as possible.