give "a preaching" in his garden.
Accordingly, on a fixed day, I went, and tried to speak, but found it
most difficult to do so. I know not why; but again and again I felt as
though I had lost the thread of my discourse and was rambling--that I
was at a loss for words, and could not hold the attention of the people.
Perplexed, and greatly discouraged, I was not sorry when the time came
to conclude; therefore I did not invite the people to remain for an
after-meeting for prayer. Several persons came up and asked me why I had
dismissed the assembly. "Ah!" I replied, "because there is no power. I
could not get on at all!" They were surprised, and said they thought
that I had been helped more than usual, and were quite sure that the
Lord was working among the people. However, the congregation had gone
now, and could not be recalled. This only made me feel more distressed
than before.

The feeling was very strong with which I had been so burdened while
speaking; and, to add to my perplexity, I observed three coast-guard
men, who had come some five or six miles, behaving badly, and laughing
all the time (as I thought) at my discourse, to the great discomfiture
of my preaching. Open-air addresses were not common in those days, and
for a man to set up (as some said) and pretend to be a second Whitfield
or Wesley, was bad enough, but to fail was most humiliating!

Three years after this, I was travelling outside a coach, when a rough
sailor-looking man came climbing up to the top, although he was told
that there was no room. "Never mind," he said; "I will sit on the boxes.
I want to talk to this here gentleman." So saying, he perched himself on
the luggage, and offered to shake hands with me. "Do you know me?" I
asked.

"Oh yes, bless you, of course I do! Don't you remember three coast-guard
men at Captain O--'s garden?"

"Yes," I said, "indeed I do, and am not likely to forget them easily;
they behaved so badly, and disturbed me so much."

"Well," he continued, "I'm one o' them. I don't know why we laughed and
made fun, for we all on us felt your words deeply, and went home to
pray; and a few days afterwards we were all three converted--that we
were. Praise the Lord! After that, we volunteered for the navy, to go to
the Crimea war. I've been in some hot scenes, sure enough. One day we
got a little too near the Russian battery, and they peppered us
brave--no mistake, I assure you; they cut our masts and rigging to
pieces,