horse, and who should set the dogs upon him.

Mr. Fletcher, all unsuspectingly, prepared for his walk to the wood,
but on the threshold was met by a messenger who had forgotten to give
notice of the burial of a child who was even then being carried up for
its funeral. Here was a duty which could not be put off; the Vicar
stayed to attend to it, and so missed his preaching appointment.

The men waited in vain, then repaired to a public-house to drink and
curse their ill-luck. As they swore horrible oaths a huge china punch-
bowl standing in the room fell in small fragments. This so impressed
one of the number that he rose and left the place, vowing there and
then to break with his old companions, and seek the salvation of his
soul.

A somewhat well-known story is connected with Fletcher's sensitiveness
to the influence of the Spirit with regard to his message for men. He
had entered the pulpit one Sunday morning at Madeley to preach a
sermon prepared for the purpose, when all remembrance of it fled; he
could not even recall the text. Instantly throwing himself upon the
Spirit of God for guidance, he turned to the First Lesson for the day,
which happened to be the history of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
As soon as he began to make some remarks upon it thoughts flowed,
words burned, and he found himself so strangely upheld and inspired
that he felt certain God intended the word for someone of whom he was
not himself aware. So sure did he become of this fact that he
requested to be privately informed if this were the case.

Three days later a woman called at the vicarage and told him that she
had for some time been greatly concerned about her soul through