midnight
It would be fearful . As for the minister , he presented every word of his sermon as though he felt it thrilling to his very soul . And so he did . If you had chanced to pass the parsonage on that Saturday evening which preceded its delivery -- passed it as late as midnight -- you would have seen a gleam of light from his study window . Not that he was so late with his Sabbath preparation -- at least the _ written _ preparation . It was that he was on his knees , pleading with an unutterable longing for the souls committed to his charge -- pleading that the sermon just laid aside might be used to the quickening and converting of some soul -- pleading that the Lord would come into his vineyard and see if there were not growing some shoots of love and faith and trust that would bring harvest . It was not that minister 's custom to so infringe on the sleeping hours of Saturday night -- time which had been given to his body , in order that it might be vigorous , instead of clogging the soul with the dullness of its weight .