tactics of destroying souls. His deceived followers are found everywhere, holding on to all they possess, unwilling to be taught of those whom God has placed in the breach in these last days, and very few will ever get their eyes open until they open them in the under world.

We are standing today upon the advance line of opportunity, and the battle between counterfeit religion and the true is waxing fiercer than ever before. The fight is almost in the last ditch and the time is short. May the Lord help people to submit to the discipline that will enable them to stand at their post of duty until He calls them from the battle-field to receive their reward.

T

CHAPTER XXIV

THE POWER OF SACRED VERSE AND SONG

HERE is no greater incentive to a holy life than sacred verse and song. We believe more souls have been reached through them than any other agency outside the Bible. Methodist hymns for more than a century have been used of God in the salvation of souls. When the spirit of inspiration came upon the Wesleys and others in the writing of hymns, God had a work to accomplish through these hymns, reaching farther than the human mind could comprehend.

Through them heaven has been enriched and hell robbed. There are no words that can properly express the effect an inspired hymn has upon a receptive heart. Music and words combined form a double weapon with which to combat the powers of evil. Whole congregations are moved and swayed under the influence of sacred song, often when

the simplest words are used, which without rhythm or music would have but little effect.

There is a stimulus in sacred music that makes the burdens and cares of life grow lighter. It is much easier for a person to let go his grip on the world and start to run the Christian race when his heart has been touched by soul-stirring hymns. The things of the world that are highly prized by him will appear very insignificant when his heart is melted under the power of song. As a sinner he sees his doom sealed, unless he repents of his sins, and when the words of soul-stirring hymns reach his ear, they have wonderful persuasive power and enable him to yield, whereas he might have become hardened under different conditions.

"O that my load of sin were gone!
O that I could at last submit

At Jesus' feet to lay it down—
To lay my soul at Jesus' feet!

"Rest for my soul I long to find;
Savior of all, if mine thou art,
Give me Thy meek and lowly mind,
And stamp Thine image on my heart.
18-N.T.C.,VOL.II.

"Break off the yoke of inbred sin,
And fully set my spirit free;

I cannot rest till pure within,

Till I am wholly lost in Thee.

"Fain would I learn of Thee, my God,
Thy light and easy burden prove,
The cross all stained with hallowed blood,
The labor of Thy dying love.

"I would, but thou must give the power;
My heart from every sin release;
Bring near, bring near the joyful hour,

And fill me with Thy perfect peace."

When words and music are wedded by the Spirit, they never die, but live on for generations in the hearts and minds of the people. The artistic blending of them touch the finer sensibilities of the soul and produce spiritual results that could not be otherwise obtained. Many of the hymns of inspired writers are spoiled by not having suitable tunes. The world is full of discord,— in heaven there is music and all things are harmoniously blended. When such music takes hold of a soul, there is a foretaste of heaven.

In the history of the early Methodists, preachers knew how to appreciate their hymn

books. A circuit rider was considered well equipped for his duties if he had a Bible and a hymn-book in his possession. It was his duty to learn a few short, long and common meter tunes, so that he could lead the congregation in singing. Hymn-books were very scarce and the people too poor, as a rule, to buy them. The preacher would line the hymns, or rather read the verses, and the congregation would sing them. If they were familiar with the verses, it was not necessary to read them first. Often while the hymns were being read, and even before the sermon was preached, penitents would fall on their faces and cry to God for mercy, conviction having pierced their hearts while hearing the hymns read.

We know a preacher who once stood up to read a hymn when some one began to weep. He had not finished it when some one else began to sob. For a moment he was confused, and asked the persons thus affected if they could not forbear until he had finished reading the hymn, but the words had scarcely escaped his lips before a number of others were weeping aloud. He regained his presence of mind, closed the hymn-book and made an altar call without even an exhor