"HE FIRST FINDETH HIS OWN BROTHER."

"HE FIRST FINDETH HIS OWN BROTHER."

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BY L. E. T.

T is a great gladness to think how many all over our land have been praying about Mr. Moody's visit to London. The changed lives of countless numbers who have listened to God's message delivered by his servant, and who have yielded to Christ as their Saviour and Lord, have been, and are, God's glorious

answer.

Let me tell you of one such answer. I am sure it will stir our hearts to praise, and to increased faith and earnest work.

A young man connected with the railway (how much we all owe these workers!) went for the first time to the closing Sunday Evening Service. He had been very unhappy about himself, but told me he would not stand up to be prayed for (which Mr. Moody asks those to do who are anxious) nor would he go into the Enquiry Room. "A young gentleman came up to me," he said, "and spoke to me. I told him to go away for he could not do me any good, but he would stay. However, at last he left me, saying he would pray for me. I went home, and when I came to the door, my wife (a dear Christian young woman) met me and asked me to fetch a jug of beer from the public-house. She had never done such a thing before on Sunday night. I gave a great cry and said, 'What! so you are going to be my tempter, I see Satan has gone home before me.'

"What did you do then ?" I said.

"I went away and prayed, and in the middle of my prayers a voice said to me, 'Thy sins are forgiven thee' (Matt. ix. 2). I started up and thought it was too good news to be true, but a great burden rolled off me and I have never had it since."

His wife was in terrible distress when she found what she had done. He says he could not have believed he could have been so happy as he has been since he came to the Lord. He is a very bright happy Christian and so is his wife. He had a great trial in

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"HE FIRST FINDETH HIS OWN BROTHER”

her dangerous illness. It was beautiful to see the loving trustful spirit he showed all through this trouble.

He was not ashamed to tell at a men's meeting of the great things God had done for him. He is deeply in earnest to bring others to Christ, and immediately wrote to his brother, who was an atheist.

Was it any use? Let us read his answer.

"DEAREST BROTHER,-With God's help I will write you my experience, which I have felt, of the love of God for me, and I leave it to you to see how He has answered prayer.

"You, dear brother, know some of my blasphemous character towards my blessed Saviour, but even you did not know to what an extent I had carried it, and in my sins and health and prosperity, the higher I attained towards the aims of men, the more I denied the existence of my God. Oh! brother, when I think of it, how near He was cutting me off in my sins and yet had the loving Hand of mercy to spare me, I cannot but praise His most loving and holy Name.

"You know, two years ago I had scarcely seen a day's affliction, and in my strength I trusted to the infidel's belief, science. He laid His hand upon me, and said Stop!'-even the hand of affliction came upon me. Then I summoned up my science, and that of others combined; I expended pounds both in books of science and medicine. I gradually became worse in health, pocket, temper, and science; yea, my soul became sick even unto death. I had so thoroughly relied at last upon the science of the hospital, that my hope did revive; at last it broke through completely, I left my calling as cab driver, and came into the country for my health. Yes, the country air seems to revive me; I get a little stronger and begin to talk of returning to London. Here the Baptist Minister meets me, and politely invites me to a prayer meeting. I decline the offer. Had I not my science? I even told a person in the village that I should never turn coward and disbelieve science. He said others had done so before me, and so should I; if not now, I should on my death-bed. Never!' thought I. Science can relieve me of pain.'

"HE FIRST FINDETH HIS OWN BROTHER."

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"But, oh! my dear brother, I cannot longer keep on in this strain. Let me, oh, my beloved Saviour, in whom I trust, tell my loving brother how Thy loving arm stayed me from destruction and hell. Dear brother, all of a sudden my illness returned, the greater part of my reason forsook me.

"Last Monday week I was sitting by the fire about four in the afternoon, thinking as best I could. I can remember now the occurrence, although I had not the power to stop myself at the moment. There on the hearth rug lay a pair of scissors-yes, the scissors that I had been told were my earthly father's. I caught them up. Yes, science was in my mind. I bared my left arm. I insert my fingers in the scissors. There is the blood-vessel; if I snip that right in two no science or medicine can save me. I put forth my hand to press the points of the scissors so as to sever the vessel; but no, the scissors are torn from my grasp with a suddenness which startles me. I look up; there stands my loving wife. 'What were you going to do?' I was astounded. Who gave her the presence of mind to snatch the scissors from me? Not science

"I go to bed, I awake in the morning. I find two letters, a business one and one from my brother, and also a book from him. I must read business first, I expect money, but times are bad; I turn to the one from my brother, I break it open melancholy, I read my brother has been praying for my soul; oh, how I devour that letter! Oh, how my soul quakes. The finger of the Lord my God is upon my heart, the power of my brother's prayer; he has prayed to his God to bring me to Himself. I see the hand of my loving Father in all. Oh, merciful Father, I pray have mercy upon me a miserable sinner. Oh, the anguish of my soul as I pour it out before my God; oh, Father, show me Thyself, show me myself, my God; how my sins stare me in the face. Was there ever such a sinner? My sins are so many they reach higher than any mountain. My God, I see them, they will kill me, they suffocate me; how can I breathe with this burden on me? Oh, my loving Saviour, I am dying, a poor lost sinner, my sins are sinking me into the depths of hell, my Saviour, my Christ, my all; oh, come near me, a poor struggling sinner; nay, turn not Thy back

on me though I have blasphemed. Lord, I repent. Oh, Lord my life, my all, in Thee will I place my trust. Give me Thy hand, blessed Saviour, unworthy as I am, and by Thy great goodness I will cling unto Thee even as the ivy clingeth to the oak. Thou shalt be my strength and my support. Amen.

"How I do wish, dear brother, we could all kneel at our Saviour's feet together-those blessed pierced feet, and thank, or endeavour to do so for I feel I can never thank Him for His, kindness. My dear wife found Him when reading Trust.'

"I must conclude, I cannot try to thank you.

"He first findeth his own brother, and he brought him to Jesus." "Unto HIM be glory."

PAN

A SUN DANCE.*

be

RESIDENCE in the North-west Territories of Canada naturally brings one more or less in contact with the native population, and especially so should you located in proximity to an Indian Reserve. This was my case, and I therefore had frequent opportunities of cultivating an acquaintance with the chiefs, and of endeavouring to probe

that mystifying problem,-the 'Indian mind.'

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Although I can get few to agree with me, I think the Indians are a charming people. They seem to be much influenced by kindness-but what man or beast is not?-and I discovered that simple acts of

* We are indebted to the Colonial and Continental Society (9, Serjeant's Inn, E.C.) for this telling account from a correspondent in Rupertsland, of the horrors of a Sun Dance," and also for the accompanying picture.