question, and I beg you will not speak, and I will pray and read.” I kneeled down and prayed again, but with little expectation. Then I opened the precious word of life and alternately read, expounded, and applied; when I saw his passion rising, I begged he would not speak, for that would hurt him.
We spent our time in this way for some hours, till at length under prayer, I heard him feebly say Amen to my petitions; which inspired me with fresh courage to persevere. When I arose, I spoke to him more closely, with all tenderness, concerning his sin and danger. Now he opened his mouth, and brake the snare of the Devil. He told me he was the son of a pious Methodist class-leader, who many years ago had passed into the heavens. I felt confident that the father’s many prayers must be answered. Now I kneeled down, and asked God in faith, nothing doubting: I heard the young man repeating my petitions word for word: I instantly personated a poor lost sinner on the brink of eternity, and on the verge of hell, yet, through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, suing for mercy. Then I cried, “God be merciful to me a sinner,— Jesus died for me; for his sake alone forgive me, but let it be just now.” We both prayed harder and louder, till we prayed with all our might.
When we arose from our knees, (for I found he had dropped upon his during the last prayer,) he walked over the room, and leaning his head against the wall, he said, “O God, if thou wilt give me a little ease and strength, I will pray as well as I can.” Immediately he turned to me, and said, “I have no pain: it is all gone!” He then poured out his soul in strong cries and tears, and his body shook like a leaf in the wind.
Considering his state of weakness, it is
