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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
to save souls—these seemed to become his only objects, and the ruling passion o f his life. In pursuit of-them he compassed sea and land,- putting aside all considerations o f ease and rest, and forgetting all earthly feelings. Few men but himself could have gone to Epworth, stood upon their father’s tombstone, and preached to an open-air congregation, “ The kingdom o f God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Few but himself could have seen fellow-laborers, one after another, carried to their graves, till he stood almost alone in his generation, and yet preached on, as< he did, with unabated spirit, as if the ranks around him were still full. But his marvelous single ness o f eye carried him through all. “Beware o f the man o f one book,” was the advice o f an old philosopher to his pupils. The man o f “ one thing” is the man who in the long run does great things, and shakes the world. The second thing I ask thè reader to notice is his extraordinary diligence, self- denial, and economy of time. It puts one almost out o f breath to read the good man’ s Journals, and to mark the quantity o f work which he crowded into one year. He was to all appearance always working, and never at rest. “ Leisure and I,” he said, “have taken leave o f one another. I propose to be busy as long as I live, if my health is so long indulged to me.” This resolution was made in the prime o f life; and never was resolution more punctually observed. “Lord, let me not live to-be use less,” was the prayer which he uttered after seeing one, whom he once knew as an active and useful man, reduced by age to be a picture o f human nature in disgrace, feeble in body and mind, slow o f speech, and understanding. Even the time which he spent in traveling was not lost. “ His tory, poetry, and philosophy,” ' said he, “ I commonly read on horseback, having other employment at other times.” When you met him on the street o f a crowded city, he attracted notice not only by his bands and cassock, and his long silvery hair, but by his pace and manner; both indicating
that all his minutes were numbered, and that not one was to be lost. “But though I am always in haste,” he said, “ I am never in a hurry, because I never under take any more work than I can go through with perfect calmness o f spirit.” Here, again, is one secret o f great usefulness. W e must abhor idleness; we must redeem time. No man knows how much can be done in twelve hours until he tries. It is precisely those who do most work who find that they can do most. TIRELESS WORKER The last thing which I ask my reader to notice is his marvelous versatility o f mind and capacity for a variety o f things. No one perhaps can fully realize this who does not read the large biographies which. record all his doings, or study his wonder ful Journals. Things the most opposite and unlike—things the most petty and trifling—things the most thoroughly secu lar—things most thoroughly spiritual—all are alike mastered by his omniverous mind. He finds time for all, and gives directions about all. One day. we find him condens ing old divinity and publishing fifty vol umes o f theology, called the “Christian Library;” another day we find him writ ing a complete commentary on the whole Bible ; another day we find him composing hymns, which live to this day in the praises o f many a congregation; another day we find him drawing up minute directions for his preachers, forbidding them to shout and scream and preach too long, insisting on their reading regularly lest their ser mons become threadbare, requiring them not to drink spirits, and charging them to get up early in the morning; another day we find him calmly reveiwing the current literature o f the day, and criticizing all the new books with cool and shrewd remarks, as if he had nothing else to do. Like Napo leon, nothing seems too small or too great for his mind to attend to; like Calvin, he writes as if he had nothing to do but write, preaches as if he had nothing to do but preach, and administers as if he had nothing to do but administer. A versatility like
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