hed twice this evening in the open
air. Precious as this work is, yet I am sure it is not that to which
I am called for a constancy, as I have no strength of body for it.
But I have seen afresh this evening how greatly it is needed. The
second time I preached, I took my stand in a court, filled with poor
people, almost every one of whom was dirty, though it was the Lord's
day evening. A woman readily lent me a chair on which I stood, and
could thus be heard by the people in the houses behind and before me,
and on my right and left hand. Judging from their dirty appearance, I
should not suppose any of these poor people had been any where, to
hear the Gospel preached throughout the day. How plenteous is the
harvest, and how few are the labourers! Lord of the harvest, send
Thou, in compassion to poor sinners, more labourers into the harvest!
--How well a brother who has some gift, and a measure of strength of
lungs, might employ a part of the Lord's days, or of other days,
either by reading the Scriptures from house to house to such persons,
and making some remarks on them; or by standing up in a court and
reading the Scriptures aloud and speaking on them. It is very rarely
that one meets with decided opposition on these occasions; at least I
have generally in such cases found far more readiness to listen, than
decidedly to oppose.

Aug. 1. A few days since a brother was staying with me, on his way to
his father, whom he had not seen for above two years, and who was
greatly opposed to him, on account of the decided steps which his son
had taken for the Lord. Before this brother left, that precious
promise of our Lord was brought to my mind: "If two of you shall
agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be
done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. xviii. 19.
Accordingly, I went to the brother's room, and having agreed to pray
about a kind reception from his father, and the conversion of both
parents, we prayed together.--Today this brother returned. The Lord
has answered already one part of the prayer. The brother was most
kindly received, contrary to all natural expectation. May the Lord
now help us both to look for an answer to the other part of our
prayer! There is nothing too hard for the Lord!

Since the publication of the third edition, the father of this
brother died. He lived above ten years after Aug. 1, 1840, until he
was above 86 years of age; and as he continued a life of m