Oh, I am so glad

That Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves me.

The words went to her heart and her conscience, and she said, "I cannot sing that." When that meeting broke up she went to the meeting for anxious inquirers, and is now a rejoicing Christian.

A missionary of the American Sunday School Union in Missouri, after he had organized a Sunday School recently, sang to them Mr. Bliss' delightful song,—

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

and followed it with the question, "Are you glad? If not, why?" He had hardly finished when a young man rose, and rushing up to him, threw his arms around his neck, sobbing, "Oh, sir, you must not leave here till I'm a Christian!" Prayer was offered for him, and he was saved. Then he exclaimed, "Oh, that song! I could not get away from it and it has saved me."

A young woman in England went to a meeting where she heard Mr. Sankey singing this same hymn,

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

and while the hymn was being sung, began to feel for the first time. in her life that she was a sinner. All her sins came up in array before her; and so numerous and aggravated did her sins appear, that she imagined she never could be saved. She said in her heart, "Jesus cannot love me. He could not love such a sinner as I." She went home in a state of extreme mental anguish, and did not sleep that night. Every opportunity of obtaining more light was eagerly seized. She took her place in the "Inquiry Room," There she found to her astonishment and joy that Jesus could, DID, DOES love sinners. She saw in God's opened Word that it was for sinners Jesus died, and for none others. When she realized this she too began to sing:

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me, even me.

THE POWER OF SONG.

177

In a praise meeting, during the revival services in Chicago, Mr. Sankey spoke as follows in regard to the power of this and other hymns:

What I have to thank God especially for is the wonderful way He has used the power of song. I remember about five years ago coming to yonder depot one morning early. It was my first visit to this great city, and I knew none here save one man. I went along Madison street, up State street, to the North Side, and met my dear brother Moody. I had met him one year before in a distant State, while he was engaged in the work of the Master. As I went along those streets, I recollect how I wondered if God had a work here for me in my coming to this city, or whether I had come on my own volition, and how while thinking in this way I sent up a prayer to God to bless me in the service in which I was about to engage. With thankfulness I remember the very first day I spent in this city. Somewhere down here we came among the sick and lowly, and went from one house to another singing and praying with the people; and what a blessing we received!

God led us into other fields. I remember when the Tabernacle was rebuilt how I used to enjoy gathering the little people in, and teaching them those sweet songs that are already encircling the globe. Yes, encircling the globe, for but a few days ago I received a copy of these Gospel Hymns printed in the Chinese language. They are sung in Africa and Asia, and are heard in France and Germany, England and America. I remember what peace and pleasure I had as I first taught these little hymns on the North Side. One day a lady called on me when I first had those classes, and said, “There is a little singing girl belonging to one of your classes who is dying. She wants you to go and see her." I went to her home-a little frame cottage-and there I found a little maid dying-one whom I had known so well in the Thursday evening meetings. I said, "My dear child, how is it with you?" "Will you pray for my father and mother as you pray for us?" was the reply. "But how is it with yourself?" I again asked. "Oh, sir," she answered, "they tell me I am about to die, but I have found the Lord Jesus Christ." "When did you become a Christian?" I inquired. you were teaching me to sing

Don't you remember one Thursday when

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me;

and don't you remember how you told us that if we only gave our hearts to Him, He would love us?—and I gave it to Him."

What that little dying girl said to me helped to cheer me on more than anything I had heard before, because she was my first convert. Thank God, there have been many since.

During a Western Sunday School Convention, there arose a cry of dissatisfaction, "A ring!" "A ring!" The strange and

false charge was made that the managers were conducting the convention according to some recent scheme. Quite a discordant excitement ensued, during which a distinguished singer who was present, was called on to sing. He sang,

All this I did for thee,

My precious blood I shed

That thou mightst ransomed be,

And rescued from the dead;

All this I did for thee

What hast thou done for me?

Through the song Christ seemed to whisper to the discordant convention," Peace, be still," and when the song had ceased, a calm, Christ-like spirit had filled the convention and continued with it to the end.

A gentleman in Edinburgh was in distress of soul, and happened to linger in a pew after the noon meeting. The choir had remained to practice, and began

Free from the law, oh, happy condition, etc.

Quickly the Spirit of God carried that truth home to the awakened conscience, and he was at rest in the finished work of Jesus.

Mr. Sankey was with Mr. Moody in Philadelphia, years since, during the progress of a very interesting meeting at Dr. Reed's church, when many were being awakened, and sang the beautiful Gospel hymn, "Almost Persuaded." After the close of the meeting, an attorney, who had been very much interested, came forward and said that he was not only "almost" but "altogether persuaded" to put his trust in the Lord Jesus. This sweet song was used of the Holy Ghost in carrying the blessed Gospel of God's Son

to his heart.

CHAPTER XVIII.

MR. BLISS' HYMNS IN ENGLAND-LETTER FROM REV. HENRY BURTON—A

LIFE CHANGED BY A HYMN—SINGING AT NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE-LETTERS FROM MINISTERS, SINGERS AND CONVERTS.

HE following letter from Rev. Henry Burton bears testimony to the influence of Mr. Bliss' hymns upon the people of England.

MY DEAR BROTHER:

15 APSLEY CRESCENT, BRADFORD, Eng. Feb. 19, 1877.

I am much obliged for your letter received yesterday, with its deeply interesting notices of our beloved friend. His death has been quite a shock to us all on this side the water, for though not personally known to us, his name has become a household word in all the Christian churches of Great Britain. We seemed to love him as a brother. There was such a sweet and winning power about his simple songs that they carried us captive before we knew it. No one can estimate the influence his melodies have exerted upon the spiritual life of England. We praise God for His precious gift of song, and now that He has called our dear brother up to the hallelujahs of the sky, we are dumb because He has done it.

I had a letter from Brother Bliss, dated, "Rome, Pa., 25th May, 1876." It was mainly in reference to the hymns I sent him, but there is one sentence in it that is so characteristic of the humble follower of Jesus, I will transcribe

it for you:

Thanks for your complimentary mention of the songs I have had the pleasure of writing. You need not call them mine. If there is any good in any of them, it came from Him, the Source of all good. To Him be all the praise.

As to the hymns I sent, you are quite at liberty to make any use of them you may see fit.

Praying that the rich blessings of the All-Mighty, the All-Loving One may rest evermore abundantly upon your labors, I am

Yours in Christian Fellowship and Love,

HENRY BURTON.

The following, from an unknown writer, is clipped from the Youth's Companion :

On the stage at one of the Liverpool theaters, a comic singer came out before the footlights to sing. Just as he was about to commence his waggish melody, the tune of a sweet Sunday School hymn, learned before, came suddenly to mind, and so confused him that he completely forgot his part. He stood a moment trying to recall it, and then retired, covered with shame. The manager, enraged at his failure, and still more enraged at his apparently foolish explanation, paid him the remainder of his wages and ordered him at once to quit his service. Out of employment, he wandered about the city like the unclean spirit, seeking rest and finding none. His heart was full of curses, and to drown his mortification he drank deep and desperately, till his days and nights were one continual debauch.

In the meantime, Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey began their meetings in Liverpool. The fame of the evangelists was in every mouth, and the young actor, hearing them discussed and ridiculed among his low associates, conceived the idea of writing a burlesque about them, to be put upon the stage. He sobered himself sufficiently to begin. But he felt he could not make his work complete without more points" or "hits" to give it zest. So he determined to attend a meeting himself, and hear the men whom he intended to lampoon. He went, and the same power that in the sudden memory of that early hymn had driven him once from the stage arrested him and held him a reverent listener. At the close he remained among the penitent inquirers, and was soon led to accept the Lord Jesus as his Master. The young man is now in London, preparing himself to be a missionary.

Often a remembered hymn will keep sacred hold of a wicked heart when nothing else can. That simple Sunday School song, to the poor comedian, was a voice come back from his by gone and better days. In spite of himself it changed his fate, and led the way to the still better days beyond.

Our meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, were advertised to commence April 15. When the time drew near, the writer was detained in Chicago by sickness in his family, and Mr. Bliss started alone. Before starting, application was made by telegraph and letter to different brethren to accompany him and preach at the opening services, but without success. Bliss prayed over the matter, and left Chicago very happy and peaceful in mind, saying, "Don't you worry a bit, W. The Lord has some one to be with me, I know." We had both thought of telegraphing Dr. Brookes, of St. Louis, to go, thinking of him as just the one needed, but deciding that it would be of no use to send to him, as he was too busy in his work at St. Louis to go so far from home. The morning after leaving Chicago, before the train reached Louisville, Bliss went through the cars, distributing Scripture texts. As he entered the St. Louis sleeping car, there sat Dr. Brookes. With a joyous