"The old-fashion'd Bible, the dear, blessed Bible,
The family Bible, which lay on the stand.'

"Had you been blessed, my friend, with such a sire, and had you been trained in such a family band, you would not ask me where I got the Bible;" and sung on:

"Ye scenes of tranquillity, long have we parted,
My hope's almost gone, and my parents no more;
In sorrow and sadness, I live broken-hearted,

And wander unknown on this far-distant shore.
Yet how can I doubt a dear Saviour's protection,
Forgetful of gifts from his bountiful hand?
O let me with patience receive his correction,
And think of the Bible that lay on the stand.
"The old-fashion'd Bible," " etc.

The audience now stood in a circle about twenty deep, as close as possible, and the fruit dealers in the center. I then said, "Grapes, pears, and oranges! Gentlemen, you must not suppose that I have any interest in this Sunday traffic in calling you together around it. I hope you will not patronize these Sabbath-breakers. You are not so grape-hungry but that you can wait till to-morrow, and then during the six days in the week lay in a supply for Sunday. These fellows have set up here, expecting to make a fine speculation out of my audience this morning; but they will find that they have brought their fruit to the wrong market."

The fruit dealers by this time would gladly have got out of the range of our artillery, but they were completely environed; and I gave them grapes gratuitously, and pared them down to the smallest point my pity would allow me. I then preached from Jacob's dying address to his sons, and a blessed season we had.

The poor Spaniard and his French neighbor, like the Shechemites of old, did not understand the refined arts of modern times for making religion subservient to mercenary purposes. They, however, did not miss it so much as did a grocer I heard of, who, for a long time, paid a high pew-rent in a certain church in this city, and afterward complained, in his simplicity, saying, "Now, for so many months I have paid my pew-rent in that church, and I and my wife always went in just as the congregation turned to face the choir, so that I know they could not help seeing us, and I don't believe that it has benefited my business one cent. Not one of them comes to buy at my store."

The Lord pity such miserable sinners, who make a "stalking horse" of religion. The possessor of gains thus acquired, will have more trouble with them than Rachel had with her stolen gods, and in the end share a worse fate than Hamor and Shechem.

CHAPTER XXII.

WAYSIDE HEARERS.

ONE Sunday morning in October, 1851, I preached to a large audience on "Long Wharf," from the parable of the Sower. Illustrating how "Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts," I said of his Satanic majesty, that "Just at the moment the good seed would take effect, he excites in the heart of the hearer opposing passions, or diverts his attention by presenting to his mind some attractive scheme or train of thought, while he devours the seed; or by sending a wagonload of calves through the midst of the audience, to the great annoyance of attentive listeners." (A load of calves for the market at that moment was passing through the crowd.)

The audience so blocked the street sometimes from side to side with a living mass of humanity that it was difficult for a man to get through. A wagon or dray would therefore be subjected to considerable delay in making a passage through, and I frequently took advantage of the opportunity, and gave them a

little "grape" as they passed. Once when a leanlooking man, driving a poor horse, was trying to urge his way through the crowd, I said, "Look at that poor man! Working seven days in the week is bringing him rapidly down to his grave! A man cannot break the law of the Sabbath without violating a law of his own constitution. Look at his sunken, sallow cheeks, and his dim eyes!

How the sin of Sabbath-breaking is telling on him! He'll die soon if he don't reform. Look at his poor old horse! The Lord ordained a Sabbath for that horse, but his merciless master is cheating him out of it. See there, how he beats him. After all, I had rather be the horse than the man, if he dies as he lives."

On another occasion a wag, thinking to have a little sport, tried to ride through the crowd on one of the smallest of that small species of animals, the Jack. His animal refusing to go through, I said, "See there, that animal, like Balaam's of the same kind, has more respect for the worship of God than his master, who only lacks the ears of being the greater ass of the two."

The man, in great confusion, beat his animal out of sight in double quick time. The reader may wonder how I managed to restore the equilibrium of the audience after such a scene. I always tried to anticipate that difficulty, and would follow such scenes by the most solemn appeal the subject in hand would

allow. The sudden surprise of such appeals sometimes produces a thrilling effect for good. An important end is accomplished when a sleepy congregation is by any legitimate means fairly waked up. First melt, and then mold the metal.