The sermon was delighting and touching him, but he was not quite sure whether this was a good sign in him or no.

He set himself now and then to find fault with the sermon, but the preacher was so humble, so respectful, and above all, so earnest, that Donald Ross could not bring himself to criticise.
The application came under the third head.

As a rule, the application to a Fast Day sermon was delivered in terrifying tones of thunder or in an awful whisper.

But to-day the preacher, without raising his voice, began to force into his hearers' hearts the message of the day.
"This is a day for self-examination," he said, and his clear, quiet tones fell into the ears of the people with penetrating power.

"And self-examination is a wise and profitable exercise.