would not
be able to preach on the next day, and conveyed the request that
"Brother Adkin" would "fill the pulpit for him in the morning."

Brother Adkin almost groaned in spirit at this unwelcome and
not-to-be-denied invitation to perform ministerial duties on the
Sabbath. Of theological subjects, scarcely a thought had entered his
mind since Monday morning; and, certainly, the states through which
he had passed were little calculated to elevate his affections, or
make clear his spiritual intuitions.

It was twelve o'clock before Mr. Adkin was able to retire on that
night. As he rested his weary and now aching head on his pillow, he
endeavoured to turn his mind from worldly things, and fix it upon
things heavenly and eternal. But, the current of thought and
affection had too long been flowing in another channel. The very
effort to check its onward course, caused disturbance and obscurity.
There was a brief but fruitless struggle, when overtaxed nature
vindicated her claims, and as the lay preacher found relief from
perplexing thoughts and a troubled conscience, in refreshing
slumber.

In the half-dreaming, half-waking state that comes with the dawning
of day, Mr. Adkin's thoughts flowed on again in the old channel, and
when full consciousness came, he found himself busy with questions
of profit and loss. Self-accusation and humiliation followed. He
"wrote bitter things against himself," for this involuntary
desecration of the Sabbath.

Rising early, he took his Bible, and after turning over book after
book and scanning chapter after chapter, finally chose a verse as
the text from which he would preach. Hurriedly and imperfectly our
lay preacher conned his subject. Clearness of discrimination, grasp
of thought, orderly arrangement, were out of the question. That
would have been too much for a master mind, under similar
circumstances.

Eleven o'clock came around quickly, and painfully conscious of an
obscure and confused state of mind, Mr. Adkin entered the house of
God and ascended the pulpit. A little while he sat, endeavouring to
collect his thoughts; then he arose and commenced giving out a hymn.
Lifting his eyes from the book, as he finished reading the first
verse, he saw, directly in front of him, the man from whom he had
purchased the forty bushels of corn. He was looking at him fixedly,
and there was on his countenance an expression of surprise and
contempt, that, bringing back, as the man's presence did