,
what a terrible moment of suspense.

A gentleman on horseback seeing their danger, just galloped across the
track of the frightened animals. This acted like magic; they stood still
at once, and every one was safe. A few minutes more and they would have
been dashed to pieces. When they turned back into the road they found
the coachman coming to meet them, and no worse for his fall.

Did not God keep His promise to the man who had "set his love upon Him"?
"_He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy
ways: they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot
against a stone._"--Psalm xci. 11, 12.

Mr. Wesley was an old man when this happened, just seventy-two; it was
in June, and his birthday was on the 17th. But he was so strong and
well, not at all like an old man. Listen to what he says of himself:
"This is my birthday, the first day of my seventy-second year, and I am
wondering how it is that I am just as strong as I was thirty years ago.
Indeed, I am better than I was then; I can see better, and my nerves are
firmer. The grand cause is 'the good pleasure of God.' But three special
things have helped to keep me young:

_First_--Getting up at 4 o'clock every morning for
fifty years.

_Second_--Preaching every morning at five o'clock.

_Third_--Travelling by sea or land 4,500 miles in
every year."

These are funny things to keep any one young, are they not? I am afraid
if to follow these rules is the only way to keep young, most of my
readers will be content to grow old.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Little Mary and what she did with her
money.--Caught on the stairs.--Cheered by the
children.--Boys and girls converted.

IN the year 1770 the Methodists had grown so numerous that they counted
forty-nine different circuits or societies in England, Scotland, Ireland
and Wales. They had one hundred and twenty-two travelling preachers, and
twice as many local preachers, who did not travel, and at the covenant
service which Mr. Wesley held at the beginning of this year in London,
there were eighteen hundred members present.

Mr. Wesley, like our ministers nowadays, was often wanting money for
different purposes, and, like our ministers too, he was always glad of
the children's help. Once, when the Foundry wanted repairing, he
specially asked for help at an evening service. A littl