The two men started at once for the bereaved home.  The first part of the journey was tramped in solemn meditation.  At last Jimmy broke silence by asking his companion if he thought God had taken his child from him as a punishment for his sins.  Turnbull said—­

“Well, James, I believe your heavenly Father has some work for you to do.  He has often warned you of the wrath to come by confronting you with danger at sea; and only a short time since you were caught in the act of committing a crime, and narrowly escaped being banished to a penal settlement, and He mercifully used a friend as an instrument to save you from this degradation.  But you still maintained the spirit of defiance, and were a law unto yourself.  The Almighty saw that drastic measures would have to be taken to break down your wilful opposition.  Your child was stricken with illness, and still you went on cursing God and man; and then in His wondrous compassion for you and hundreds of other men and women to whom I believe He has planned you shall carry the message of peace, He has taken your child in order that you may be saved.  He knew that was the only way of bringing you to see the great plan of salvation, and to save your innocent little girl from growing up in a heathenish home, where there was no beauty, no kindness, no good example, no God.  I beseech you to surrender yourself at once.  Remember, the Spirit will not always strive with you, and if you chase it away now it may never return.”

That night, kneeling by the side of his dead child, Jimmy implored God to be merciful to him, and professed to have experienced the great transition from death unto life.  Now, Jimmy, though quite uneducated, had an intellectual head and great natural gifts, and when he was careful he spoke with amazing correctness.  He commenced to take part in the prayer meetings at once, and having a good memory, he picked up all the stock phrases and used them vigorously.  Being an apt pupil, he soon learned to read, and then commenced one of the most extraordinary religious campaigns that has ever been witnessed in that part of Great Britain.  Hundreds of men and women were led to change their lives by this rugged, uncultured, but natural preacher.  A certain number of his own class viciously persecuted him for years, and none more so than his own wife.  It seemed as though Hell had been let loose on him, and yet he went on undisturbed, steadfastly believing that he was the agent of the living God to carry the message of truth to the heathen.  His old enemy Turnbull had become his fast friend, from whom he sought and received much help and many acts of kindness.  He owed the conversion of his wife and many of his persecutors to this spiritually-minded man, and it was remarkable that nearly all the worst characters who were “brought in” opened their doors whenever he wanted to have a prayer meeting or a preaching service, and the rooms were always packed with people.