There are some Christians (yes, I believe they are _Christians_) who have to be wound up by some external pressure before they will start off in any work of benevolence. Others will engage in some kinds of benevolence spontaneously, but will not touch other benevolent efforts unless specially wound up. Free under the saddle, but balky in carriage. I knew of one good member of our church who would never give a cent to our Domestic Missionary Board unless he happened to hear of some missionary in the West who was actually without the necessaries of life, and then he would send in liberally. It took that to wind him up. Another would never give to the Board for educating young men for the ministry unless he happened to become acquainted with some candidate who was being aided. Then his gifts would come in for helping that man. Another would never give to the Bible Society unless he chanced to hear of some particular town out West where but two Bibles could be found in a population of five hundred, although he knew perfectly well that there were hundreds of such communities among whom the American Bible Society was daily endeavoring to introduce the Divine Word. He must be wound up by a special case. But it was especially of my visits through the churches in connection with our foreign missionary work that I was thinking when I said that I had so often recognized my horse that had to be wound up, in all the different stages of his training. Thank God, I found hosts of noble-hearted men and women all through the Church that needed no winding up; whose conversion and consecration had extended down to their pockets; who were always at the forefront in every good work; who required no spasmodic appeals. They gave from a deep set principle and an intelligent love for Christ and His cause; some even pinching themselves in the necessaries of life, as I know, to be able to give. It is on such that the security and continuance of our missions depend. We know that we can rely on them. They never fail us. But there are others that have to be “wound up,” willing or unwillingly, before they will do anything in the missionary work. Some are very willing to be wound up. “Dominie,” said a good elder who had just introduced himself to me one day, “I have come in on behalf of our church at ---- to see if you would not come out and give us a missionary talk. We ought to have sent in a collection to the Foreign Board months ago, but we neglected it, and now we have been talking it over and have made up our minds to do something handsome if you will come out there and give us a talk.” “Well,” said I, “I shall be very glad to come and tell you something of our work just as soon as I can edge a day in between other engagements. But if you have made up your minds to do something handsome for the Board, why not do it at once and relieve their present pressing need, and I will come as soon as I can and give you the talk all the same.”