member there was a
story about a man going over the falls in a boat, and lots of other
interesting things as I thought. I took the paper home and studied as
hard as I could to get it into my head.

The night came on which I was to take the meeting--that eventful night
in my life. I got on the platform, took the papers out of my pocket,
and opened the big Bible at the chapter I was going to read, and laid
out the talk just as I thought a minister might do. I read the chapter,
then we had a song, then it was up to me.

Do you know I made the greatest mistake of my life that night! I went on
that platform trusting in my own strength and not asking God's help. I
got a swelled head and imagined I was the real thing. But God in His own
way showed me where I was standing and brought me up with a short turn.

I began reading the article written, and was getting on well, as I
thought, taking all the credit myself and not giving God any. I read
three pages all right, when some one opened the window. It was a March
night, very windy, and when the window was opened something happened,
and I thank God that it did.

The wind came directly toward me and took the sermon I was preaching and
scattered it all over the room. I didn't know what to say or do. I
forgot everything that was written on the papers, and I knew if I tried
to get them back I would make a fool of myself.

There was a smile on every face in the congregation. There I stood,
wishing the floor would open and let me through. I certainly was in a
box!

Just at this moment God spoke to me and said, "David, I did that, and I
did it for your own good. Now listen to me. You were not cut out for a
minister. Just get up and tell these people how God for Christ's sake
saved you, and I'll be with you."

I listened to the voice, bowed my head in prayer, and it seemed as
though the Lord put the words in my mouth. I told that roomful of people
of my past life and how God saved and had blessed me for four years. We
had a grand meeting and a number were saved that night, and, above all,
I received one of the greatest blessings of my life.

On his return the minister said, "I hear you had a great meeting. How
did the reading go!" I told him what had happened, and he was
astonished, but saw God's hand in it, and said so.

From that night on I never wrote up anything to read to my audience, and
I have spoken all over within a circle of fifty miles of New York, and
even farther