enware bowl and hurt myself sadly; and another was
when I was attempting to go up the chimney: I put my foot upon fire
and burnt myself, and that awoke me. I suffered in this way for several
years. After I went to bed at night I soon fell asleep, and slept
perhaps an hour or nearly two. I would then begin to cry, or moan,
or howl, and at times to sing. One night I sang a whole hymn of eight
verses through; the hymn in Wesley's Hymn Book, beginning

With glorious clouds encompassed round
Whom angels dimly see,
Will the unsearchable be found
Or God appear to me?'"

Few persons who have not attended the "class-meetings" of the Wesleyan
Methodists can form an adequate idea of the stereotyped phrases and
absurd sayings indulged in by those who "speak their experience,"
etc., at those meetings. Certain sentences are learned, and uttered
indiscriminately, without reference to time, place, or other conditions.
Mr. Barker, after speaking of the recklessness of speech thus indulged
in, says:--

"In many cases this false way of speaking is the result of mere
thoughtlessness perhaps, or of ignorance, joined with the notion that it
is their duty to pray, or to say something in public. The parties have
no _intention_ to deceive: but being called on to speak, or invited to
pray, they begin, and catch hold of such words as they can find, whether
right or wrong, whether true or false. And their words are oftener
foolish or false, than wise or true. Their talk is at times most foolish
and ridiculous. I will give an example or two. It is customary for
people, when praying for preachers, to say, 'Lord, bless thy servants
when they stand up to declare thy word: be thou _mouth matter, and
wisdom_ to them.' This has some meaning in it when offered in reference
to a preacher, especially a preacher about to preach. In other cases
it would be most foolish and ridiculous. Yet I once heard a person in a
prayer-meeting at Chester use this same form of expression in behalf
of the sick and the dying. 'O Lord,' said he, 'bless the sick and the
afflicted, and those that are in the article of death;--be thou mouth,
matter, and wisdom to them.' At another prayer-meeting at Chester, on a
_Friday_ evening, one of the leaders gave out the following lines:--

'Another six days' work is done;
Another _Sabbath_ is begun.' etc.

I once heard a woman say in class, 'I do thank God that he ever gave me
a desire to see