His comrade did so. He was led to open at the first chapter of the first epistle of St. John, which contains that sweet passage about the cleansing blood of Christ. As he stopped reading, his friend said,—“Ah! Bill, that's it. What could poor sinners like you and me do without that cleansing blood? I shall never get back to old England, but thank God, I shall go to a better country, through the cleansing blood of Christ. O, surely if ever the Bible was written for any man, it was written for the poor soldier!"

But Jesus gives the water of salvation to comfort his people, as well as to cleanse them. When he was on earth, he said, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him, a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John iv: 14. John iv: 14. What a comfort to have a well of water like this springing up in our own hearts! People think it a great comfort to have a well of water on their place, or near their door; and verily it is so. But this is nothing compared to the well of water which Jesus opens in the hearts of his people. There is enough in this to make any one happy. God meant it to make us happy; and happiness follows wherever this water of salvation flows.

Here is an illustration of what I mean:

A Prussian nobleman who did not believe in God, nor in the Bible, once overheard a little girl singing one of her sweet hymns. He was much moved by the gentle tones of her voice. As he came near he saw tears upon her cheeks, as though she had been weeping. “Why are you crying as you sing?" he kindly asked. "Oh! it is because I'm so happy," said the little girl.

"But why do you weep if you are happy?" "I love Jesus so," she said, “that I was crying with joy.”

"But where is Jesus?" asked the nobleman.

"In heaven."

'How can he do anything for you, if he is in heaven? He cannot give you clothes, and playthings, as your parents and friends do."

"Oh! yes! he can do a great deal for me. He comes into my heart, and makes me happy."

"Nonsense!" said the nobleman. "This is all nonsense."