mother, or brother or sister, or anybody-I live with a lady, and when the gentleman told us about Jesus, I went home and asked her, and she told me a great deal more.' What makes you love Him?' I asked. 'Because He came to save me from my sins.' 'So you have been a sinner?' 'Oh, yes, I did a great many wicked things before I knew how wrong they were, but Jesus forgave me.' 'How do you know He forgave you?' 'I know He did; I just asked Him, and left Him to do it.' 'And do you want others to come to Jesus and get a new heart?' I wish every one would come, and then they'd be so happy.'"

MOCK PRAYER-MEETING.

" Oh, yes,

"At another time, a group of six boys were kneeling, and having as I supposed a prayer-meeting, but on watching, I discovered they were laughing instead of praying, and as they rose from their knees I saw plainly they were making sport, by a mock-meeting, of some boys who were holding a real one near by. I turned to ask some gentleman to go and speak with them, when something within me said, Go yourself. So with a trembling heart I went, not with any special purpose of then leading them to the Saviour, but to try and show them what a terrible thing they were doing in so mocking God. One of these boys did find the Saviour, and tells the story in his own words, as follows:

"A lady met me on the street, and asked me if I had been to any of the children's meetings at the Tabernacle. I told her no, and asked her what they were. She said Mr. Hammond met the children there every afternoon and talked with them about Jesus, and many had begun to love the Saviour. I said perhaps I'd come, and a few days after came to the meeting and brought some boys-thought I'd have some fun. Something that was said made me feel badly, and when a gentleman came and talked and prayed

with me, I thought I'd like to be good, and two or three days after I came to meeting again. Mr. Hammond said, after the meeting, that unless we were waiting to be talked with, or to have little prayer-meetings, we must go home, so I told the boys we'd have a meeting. We knelt down, laughing all the time, but when we got up and began to sing "I love Jesus," a lady came to us and told us we were doing a terrible thing—we were mocking God; that He had seen even more plainly than she did what we were doing, and that when we sang "I love Jesus," we were telling a lie, for we were really hating Him. I saw we had been doing wrong, and told her I was sorry, but she said I must tell God so, and ask Him to forgive me. Then she prayed with us and went away. A gentleman came and talked to me, and he made me feel how very wicked I had been, not only in doing this, but all my life long. I felt so bad about my sins that I went and found the lady again and asked her, when she prayed her own prayers at home, if she would not pray for me, for I had been such a bad boy. She said we would not wait until she went home, but took me in a side seat and prayed and talked with me. I went right upstairs as soon as I went home, and asked God to give me a new heart and forgive my sins. Mother prayed with me too, and I think God heard me, for I have been very happy ever since. I didn't love to go to Sunday-school before, but now Sunday is the pleasantest time of the whole week. We have prayer-meetings now, but they are not mock ones. I find some trouble sometimes in doing right, and often have to run in the house and kneel down, I come so near getting mad with the boys.''

Mr. Hammond was in Brooklyn four weeks holding three meetings daily. Among the adults were some striking conversions.

CHAPTER XIII.

Utica Analogical Reasoning-Way Prepared-RochesterNine Hundred in a Day-Dr. Shaw-Niagara Falls-Child and Father-Eddie and Black Joe.

In February, 1863, at the invitation of Rev. P. H. Fowler, D.D., and most of the ministers of Utica, Mr. Hammond commenced a series of meetings in that city. A few months before, when he was holding services in Dr. E. F. Hatfield's church in New York, Morgan L. Savage, a well-known character on the Long Island race-course, was converted. We have been informed that Mr. Savage is still showing by his Christian life that the change in him was wrought of God. He sold his fast horses, engaged in mercantile business, and connected himself with the church. He was indeed one of the missing links to reach after and lift up those far gone in sin. Afterward when he spoke in Newark to a great open-air meeting, a noted gambler was led to renounce his nefarious business and give himself to the Lord's work. The Utica Daily Observer says:

"Never has there been such a large assemblage in the First Presbyterian Church as there was last evening. The

body of the church was full, the aisles completely choked up, while large numbers left the building, unable to secure an entrance.

"Mr. Savage alluded to his having visited Utica twentyfive years ago on a different mission from the present one. He was then WITH A CIRCUS COMPANY. He told of the influences which had worked upon, without affecting him; among which were the death of four children, and finally that of his wife, a patient, suffering Christian woman. None of these things moved him. He pursued his evil courses all the same-gambling, horse-racing, and the likenever going to church, nor listening to the voice of conscience. He had good Christian friends who endeavored to get him to go to church, but he fought them with all persistence possible. Not until last January was he induced to attend church. He was then prevailed upon to attend Mr. Hammond's meetings at Dr. Hatfield's church. At first he was talked to by the members, and the second night he concluded to sit nearer the door, hoping thus to avoid conversa_ tion. Finally he made up his mind that he had been to church enough. He would not be a Christian. It would do well enough for women and children. He had, previous to this time, been so far wrought upon as to make two prayers, and to ask a blessing over his food twice. He decided to go to the theatre. He took a front seat. The plays were uninteresting. He began to feel serious, and finally to cry. He thought it must be the work of the Spirit. He wanted to get out, which he did with much difficulty, and said he would cry for the distance of a whole block, and see what good that would do. He went home, and found some church people there, and talked very rudely to them; finally ordered them out of the house, and his daughters cried, and he thought everybody must be crying that night. He then ordered his daughters to go to bed. When alone, he sat

down to think, and so he spent the night. He continued a similar relation of his trouble of mind, of his church-goings, of the efforts Mr. Hammond to get a visit from him, and finally of the manner in which the reverend gentleman secured an interview by asking Mr. S. to drive him out in his carriage. This he did; took him up to the Central Park, pointed out the different equipages as they drove past, Mr. H. in the mean time talking to him about his soul. He determined not to be caught that way again. This sort of a struggle continued for fourteen days, when the Spirit took hold of him, and he became a changed man. He spoke with great ease and told his experience in a straightforward, earnest manner, which carried with it the conviction of sincerity.

แ "Mr. S. was followed by Mr. Hammond, in a short sermon, from the words, 'This is a faithful saying,' etc. The audience were much impressed. The inquiry-meeting held many hundreds for another hour, and at eleven o'clock the meeting closed.”

The superintendent of the Westminster Sundayschool thus wrote to the Sunday-School Times of Philadelphia of the work of God in Utica :

"A glorious work of grace is in progress in our city. Two weeks ago last Sunday the Rev. E. P. Hammond began his labors. Ministers of the various denominations placed themselves in sympathy with this blessed work. The earnest desires and united prayers of Christians swelled the tide of religious feeling, so that sectarian distinctions and jealousies vanished, and all hearts seemed to flow in one harmonious current.

THE NATURE OF THE WORK.

"This work of grace is in many important respects unlike