melody needed to modulate the fiery boldness of the lay preacher Here they worked together in harmony, and were blessed with many souls as their hire, until the city of Chicago was swept by a storm of fire in the following October. These companions then lost all their possessions and had to separate. Mr. Sankey now rejoined his family in Pennsylvania, and set about singing for conventions again, until a telegram from Mr. Moody, three months late, to "Come at once," recalled him to the work of the new Tabernacle in Chicago. This disaster strengthened instead of shattering the trustful faith of these evangelists, for it opened the hearts of the people more readily to receive their message of the Savior's love, and made the frame building a sanctuary for relieving the bodily and spiritual wants of multitudes of the homeless.

Just in the midst of this season of trial Mr. Sankey was very much encouraged by the testimony of a little dying girl. This incident, which was destined to have an effect upon his whole after life, was thus narrated by him at Dundee, Scotland: "I want to speak a word about singing, not only to the little folks, but to grown people. During the winter after the great Chicago fire, when the place was built up with little frame houses for the people to stay in, a mother sent for me one day to come and see her little child, who was one of our Sabbath-school scholars. I remembered her very well, having seen her in the meetings very frequently, and was glad to go. She was lying in one of those poor little huts, everything having been burned in the fire. I ascertained that she was past all hope of recovery, and that they were waiting for the little one to pass away. 'How is it with you to-day?" I asked. With a beautiful smile on her face, she said, It is all well with me to-day. I wish you would speak to my father and mother.' 'But,' said I, 'are you a Christian?' 'Yes,' 'When did you become one?' 'Do you remember, last Thursday, in the Tabernacle, when we had that little singing meeting, and you sang 'Jesus Loves Even Me?' 'Yes.' 'It was last Thursday. I believed on the Lord Jesus, and now I am going to be with him to-day.' That testimony from that little child in that neglected quarter of Chicago, has done more to stimulate me and bring me to this country, than all that the papers or any persons might say. I remember the joy I had in looking upon that beautiful face. She went up to heaven, and no doubt said she learned upon the earth that Jesus loved her from that little hymn. If you want to enjoy a blessing, go to the bedsides of these bedridden and dying ones, and sing to them of Jesus, for they cannot enjoy these meetings as you do. You will get a great blessing to your own souls."

The joy of having this first convert through his own ministry of song led the gospel singer to a more thorough reliance on the leading of his Master and a still deeper study of God's Word. When Mr. Moody paid a visit to England in the spring of 1872, his yoke

fellow was naturally left to act as leader in the services at the Tabernacle. His leisure hours at this time were spent in gathering a number of spirited hymns that appeared to be adapted for evangelistic services, and in fitting a few of them with appropriate music. These were arranged into a "Musical Scrap Book," and that was the only book, besides his Bible, that he took with him on the voyage of faith across the Atlantic. Among these sacred songs were P. P. Bliss' "Hold the Fort," "Jesus Loves Even Me," and "Free from the Law;" Mrs. Dr. Griswold's "We're Going Home To-morrow;" Mrs. E. Codner's "Lord, I hear of Showers of Blessing; Mrs. W. S. Ackerman's "Nothing but Leaves;" Rev. S. Loury's "Shall we Gather at the river;" Miss Anna Warner's "One More Day's Work for Jesus;" Kate Harlsey's "I Love to Tell the Story;" Mrs. A. S. Hawks' "I Need Thee Every Hour;" Mrs. Lydia Baxter's "Take the Name of Jesus With you;" Mrs. Emily S. Oakey's "Sowing the Seed by the Daylight Fair;" Fanny J. Crosby's "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," and "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior;" Rev. Joseph H. Gilmore's "HeLeadeth Me;" and Rev. W. W. Walford's "Sweet Hour of prayer.

Two other chief favorites of his selection were "Ninety and Nine" and "Jesus of Nazareth Passeth By." The first of these was written by Miss Eliza C. Clephane, of Melrose, Scotland, in 1868, and was printed a little while before her death, in the Daily Treasury, edited by Dr. Arnott. Six years elapsed before it came, providentially, to Mr. Sankey's notice, while he was in Scotland. It chanced that he bought, among other religious weeklies, a copy of The Christian Age, of London, of the date of May 13, 1874, and found the "Ninety and Nine" reprinted as a poetical waif. He was at once so impressed with its value for his mission of gospel song that he composed an air for it, and sang it three days later in the Free Assembly Hall, Edinburgh. A letter of thanks from the sister of the poet gave him the facts of its authorship, and led to the receipt of one other precious hymn, "Beneath the Cross of Jesus," which now appears as the forty-ninth in "Gospel Hymns." Miss Campbell was the author of Jesus of Nazareth Passeth By." Her heart was deeply moved by a revival at Newark, N. J., in 1864, and her imagination was fired by an address by R. G. Pardee, on the reply to blind Bartimeus: 66 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by." The second stanza is given herewith, as it is omitted in the commʊn version:

66

E'en children feel the potent spell,
And haste their new-found joy to tell;
In crowds they to the place repair
Where Christians daily bow in prayer.
Hozannah's mingle with the cry:
"Jesus of Nazareth passeth by."

In the spring of 1873, two paths of usefulness were opened to the choice of Mr. Sankey. His brother evangelist desired his aid for a gospel visitation to Great Britain, while Philip Phillips offered him brilliant prospects for a singing term of six months on the Pacific coast. His decision was destined to be of great moment to the welfare of his generation. He looked to prayer for guidance, and then was led to adopt this advice of a friend: "Two workers in the same line, especially two singers, are sure not to agree. Go with Moody; then do you can your work, and he can do his, and there will be no occasion of conflict between you." So, attended by his little family, he trustfully set forth on a journey of four thousand miles, on a mission of gospel evangelization which was to attain far grander results for good than one could dare to hope.

The joyous, prayerful singing of the gospel in hymns by Mr. Sankey, came like a revelation of unexpected truth and grace to the Scottish and English peoples. In Scotland especially, to the surprise of all who are acquainted with the cautious, distrustful and clannish character of the followers of John Knox, the masses were moved with an indescribable impulse. The unimpassioned worshipers, who had been accustomed for generations to reject as uninspired all other services of praise than their own rude, unpoetic version of the psalms, now listened with a hungry delight to the testimonies of spiritual song, as it fell like a blessing from the lips of the most gifted Christian singer of the age. His intense earnestness made the old, old story enter as a divine message into the consciences and hearts of those who came to hear him out of curiosity, or as doubters. Thus the singing of hymns and the use of a melodeon as an accompaniment were welcomed at sight with a heartiness that dissipated the prejudices of centuries.

One of his hearers, Mrs. Barbour, thus described the abiding impressions made on his audiences at Edinburgh: "Mr. Sankey sings with the conviction that souls are receiving Jesus between one note and the next. The stillness is overawing; some of the lines are more spoken than sung. The hymns are equally used for awakening, none more than Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.' When you hear the Ninety and Nine' sung, you know of a truth that down in this corner, up in that gallery, behind that pillar which hides the singer's face from the listener, the hand of Jesus has been finding this and that and yonder lost one, to place them in his fold. A certain class of hearers come to the services solely to hear Mr. Sankey, and the song throws the Lord's net around them. We asked Mr. Sankey one day what he was to sing. He said, 'I'll not know till I hear how Mr. Moody is closing.' Again, we were driving to the Canongate Parish Church one winter night, and Mr. Sankey said to the young minister who had come for him, 'I'm thinking of singing

"I am so glad" to-night. 'Oh!' said the young man, 'please do rather sing "Jesus of Nazareth." An old man told me to-day that he had been awakened by it the last night you were down. He said, "It just went through me like an electric shock." A gentleman in Edinburgh was in distress of soul, and happened to linger in a pew after the noon-meeting. The choir had remained to practice, and began 'Free from the Law, Oh happy condition.' Quickly the Spirit of God carried that truth home to the awakened conscience, and he was at rest in the finished work of Jesus."

"The wave of sacred song," she added, "has spread over Ireland, and is now sweeping through England. But, indeed, it is not being confined to the United Kingdom alone. Far away off on the shores of India, and in many other lands, these sweet songs of a Savior's love are being sung. Mr. Sankey's collection of sacred songs has been translated into five or six languages, and are winging their way into tens of thousands of hearts and homes, and the blessing of the Lord seems to accompany them wherever sung."

At a noon-day prayer-meeting, when the hymn

"Sowing the seed by the daylight fair,"

was announced for singing, Mr. Sankey spoke as follows: "Before we sing this hymn, I will tell you one reason why we should sing these hymns. It is because God is blessing them to many a poor wanderer who comes to this building night after night. Last week a man who had once occupied a high position in life came into this hall, and sat down. While I was singing this hymn he took out his pass-book and wrote out these words

"Sowing the seed of a lingering pain,
Sowing the seed of a maddened brain,
Sowing the seed of a tarnished name,
Sowing the seed of eternal shame;
Oh! what shall the harvest be?'

"Last night that man in the inquiry-room went on his knees, and asked God to break the chain that had dragged him down from such a high position to the lowest of the low. He said he had resolved when he went out of that praise-meeting that he would cease to indulge in the intoxicating cup; but before he reached home he went into a saloon, and broke his resolution. We prayed for him last night. He is now praying that God may break his chain. I want you to pray that this brand may be plucked from the burning, and that God may use these gospel hymns to turn the hearts of sinful

men."

A touching account has been given in an English journal of the last hours of a young girl only ten years old, who had listened in delight to Mr. Sankey's singing. "Oh, how I love those dear hymns,"

said she. "When I am gone, mother, will you ask the girls of the school to sing the hymn:

"Ring the bells of heaven! there is joy to day,
For a soul returning from the wild;
See! the Father meets him out upon the way,
Welcoming his weary, wandering child."

The night before her death she said: "Dear father and mother, I hope I shall meet you in heaven! I am so happy, mother! You cannot think how bright and happy I feel." Again: "Perhaps Jesus may send me to fetch some of my brothers and sisters. I hope he will send me to fetch you, mother."

Half an hour before her departure, she exclaimed, "Oh, mother, hark at the bells of heaven! they are ringing so beautifully."

Then, closing her eyes a while, presently she cried again, "Hearken to the harps! they are most splendid. Oh, I wish you could hear them!"

Then, shortly after, she spoke again: "O mother! I see the Lord Jesus and the angels! Oh, if you could see them too! He is sending one to fetch me!"

She had been counting the hours and minutes since she had heard the mill-bell at half-past one, P. M., longing so earnestly to depart, yet expressed a hope she might see her dear father (then absent at work) before she went. At last, just five minutes or so before her expiring breath, she said: "O mother! lift me up from the pillow, -high, high up! Oh, I wish you could lift me right up into heaven!" Then, almost immediately after-as doubtless conscious that the parting moment was at hand-" Put me down again-down quick!" Then calmly, brightly, joyously, gazing upward, as at some vision of surprising beauty, she peacefully, sweetly, triumphantly, breathed forth her precious spirit into the arms of the ministering angels whom Jesus had sent to fetch her; and so was forever with the Lord she loved.