Echoes of Grace: 1974

On a stormy night a middle-aged man staggered into the Bowery Mission. He was intoxicated, his face unwashed and unshaven, and his clothes soiled and torn. He sank into a seat and, gazing around, seemed to wonder what kind of a place he had come into. "Rescue the Perishing" and other gospel hymns were sung and seemed to interest him, and to recall some memory of his youth long since forgotten.

As the leader of the meeting rose and told the simple story of the gospel, and how the Lord had come to seek and save sinners, the man listened intently. The speaker in his younger days had been a soldier and had seen hard and active service. In the course of his remarks he mentioned several incidents which had occurred in his experience during the war, and he gave the name of the company in which he served.

At the close of the meeting the man staggered up to the leader and in a broken voice said: "When were you in that company you spoke of?"

"Why, all through the war," said the leader.

"Do you remember the battle of ?” "Perfectly."

"Do you remember the name of the captain of your company at that time?"

"Yes; his name was—.”

"You are right! I am that man. I was your captain. Look at me now and see what a wreck I am. Can you save your old captain? I have lost everything I had in the world through drink, and I don't know what to do nor where to go."

Through the grace of God and faith in His Son the old derelict was saved that night. Ere long he was helped by some of his former friends to get back his old business position. He delighted to tell the story of how a soldier was used of God to save his captain. What a joy it was to hear him sing "Rescue the Perishing."

"Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the Mighty to save.

"Rescue the perishing, care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

"Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving hand, weakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

"Rescue the perishing—Jesus is with you;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide!
Back to the narrow way patiently win them,
Tell the poor wanderer a Savior has died."

God, Don't Let Me Drown

Heavy summer storms had filled to overflowing the drainage canals in a southern city. So much water was a mercy to the farmers in the parched area and a delight to all who enjoyed water sports. Yet, unprotected by lifeguards as these streams were, they posed a peril for the unwary and a safety problem for many anxious observers.

Among those frolicking in her neighborhood canal was a teen-aged girl. She was not a very strong nor expert swimmer and seemed unaware of danger. Even when the swift center current swept her relentlessly downstream, she believed she could fight her way back to dry land.

How like the soul drifting away from God this is! To enjoy the "pleasures of sin for a season" he drifts in the current of worldliness or ungodly amusements, trusting to his own ability to return to the safety of early counsel or Christian teaching. Just so have many made shipwreck of otherwise promising lives.

At last, realizing her inability to overcome the "pull" of the current, and seeing the ever-widening expanse of the storm-swollen waters, the frightened girl screamed for help. A young fisherman on the bank saw the thrashing, screaming girl and plunged in, hoping to reach her. He was not a very strong swimmer; but he fought the current in his attempt to help until he himself was exhausted and had to be rescued. He said: "I had to try!! There was nothing else to do."

Meanwhile another observer on the bank had thrown an empty five gallon chemical container to the girl. She had grabbed it as it bobbed past her, and encircled it with both arms. Yet the relentless flood swept her on.

About two hundred yards further downstream and still in the swift center current, the poor girl seemed to realize fully her helpless situation. Within sight was the great culvert filled to overflowing with the flood-stream from the canal. Once within that watery trap no human help could avail.

Did the thought of her only possible Helper now come to her mind? Did He, the soul's only sure Refuge, present Himself to her? How can one know?

Those few watchers on the bank, themselves helpless and distraught, were suddenly startled into action by a desperate scream: "O God, PLEASE don't let me drown!"

On the banks of the canal stood two men watching the struggle in the water. Neither was a good swimmer, and both were painfully aware of physical disabilities. Yet at the hopeless cry one of the men muttered, "I may die first, but I can't just let her drown."

Quickly he shucked off coat and shoes. He plunged into the yellow flood and started swimming. Letting himself drift with the current as much as possible, he finally reached the frantic girl. He had feared that, in her panic, she might endanger both their lives; but both of her arms still clasped around the can were numb and useless. Grasping her and the empty container, he fought against the rushing water while holding fast to the fainting girl. Half-way back to the bank, exhausted with his efforts, he was met by his friend and another man. They relieved him of his burden and brought both rescuer and rescued safely to dry land.

Unsaved friend, why will you die? The course of this world is ever swifter towards eternal destruction. In Christ alone is everlasting life. Will you not acknowledge Him now as your Savior and a sure Refuge from life's storms?

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1.

"Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

Hardness

Luxury and religiousness help to harden the heart, and they give to the heart a peculiar hardness and callousness.

The rough man who swears at, and scorns God's mercy is hard in his way; but his hardness is like that of the rock which the blow of the hammer breaks in pieces.

The religiously hardened heart is like a lump of India rubber, which, hit it as you will, only flings back the stroke of the hammer.

The ancient battering ram, which would crash down stone walls and iron gates, was often baffled by bales of straw and bags of sand or other soft substances placed in front of the walls and gates.

It is this India rubber kind of hardness, this respectable, religious hardness of heart, which is so difficult to overcome, and which repels, which flings back, the blows of the gospel.

Scripture says: "Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not you heart." Psalm 95:7, 8.

Old Hundred's Heart Trouble

"Have you any pills for heart trouble?" asked Ah Kung, or Old Hundred, as he was generally called.

The colporteur, or Bible man, in the Chinese street chapel looked up as the old man came in.

"Does your heart pain you?" he asked.

"No," Old Hundred answered. "It doesn't pain."

"Does it jump? Or beat irregularly?" he queried.

"No," sighed the old man, "not exactly."

The colporteur was puzzled. He was not a doctor and had no pills of any kind. Still he was eager to know more about this peculiar heart trouble and to help the man. He asked him, "How does it feel?"

"Like lead," groaned the old man. "It feels like lead— in— here," pointing to his heart. "I have no peace in here."

"Oh," smiled the colporteur, "we do have a remedy for that kind of heart trouble. But it is not medicine to swallow. It is something to read." Reaching into the box in which he kept a lot of books, tracts and scripture portions, he took out a small red paperback copy of the Gospel of John.

"Take this little Book with you," he said, "and read it every day. Then your heart will get better."

"I can read!" exclaimed the old man joyfully, and his quivering bony fingers clutched the booklet. "I will follow your directions and read it every day."

He thanked the colporteur and turned and walked down the street. Slowly he picked his way along the cobble stones that led to his home, still clutching the little Book in his hand.

That night Ah Kung sat by the flickering light of his peanut oil lamp. His big spectacles were balanced across his nose as he began to read the Book that the colporteur had given him. The next day people on the street passing by his house observed the old man intently reading down one page and then another in a little book. Every day he was seen thus reading in the red-backed Book.

A week passed. Ah Kung still had the ache in his heart. It was just as heavy as ever in spite of his faithfully reading the written remedy every day "as directed."

"Maybe this medicine isn't right for my kind of heart trouble," he thought. "Or maybe I do not read it as I should."

One morning soon after this, he decided that there must be some mistake. This remedy was not for his heart trouble. So getting his cane he plodded back to the chapel.

"I read the book," he sadly told the colporteur as he handed it back. "It is not for me. My heart sickness is no better."

The colporteur gazed at the distressed old man. Drawing a chair close to him, he said: "Old Hundred (an honorable term in China for an aged man) you are like a man who lived in Ethiopia years ago. He read the Book but did not understand. Now listen. I will explain to you how this remedy will help you and heal your heart sickness. Your heart trouble is a disease that is common to all mankind. It is sin that makes your heart hurt. If you get rid of your sins, your heart will be all right. The heavy feeling will leave, and you will be light and happy. This remedy has never failed. It has helped thousands and thousands of people for many years. It has cured heart trouble worse than yours."

"How can I get rid of my sins?" The old man questioned the colporteur further. "Can I get rid of this ache in my heart? Have I not been trying to do this for many years? How many offerings I have made! To Buddha, to Confucius, and to long rows of countless idols in the temple, time without number I have sacrificed."

The colporteur began telling the old man the story of Jesus, who came to take away the sin of the world. He first told him about the Creator. Pointing to the trees outside, he asked, "Have you seen the trees, the grass, the flowers growing all around us?"

Old Hundred nodded his head approvingly, and cupped his ears as if eager to hear more.

"The true God made these for us," the colporteur went on. "He gives us many things to enjoy. In spite of the goodness of the great God, man rebelled against Him. Then one day God sent His very best gift to the world—His own Son Jesus. He came as a little babe and was born in a manger. He was poor for our sakes so that poor people would know how much He loved us."

The colporteur continued telling the story of Jesus. At last he told how mankind hated Him. "Finally," he said, "Jesus was nailed to the cross and died so that our sins and the sins of the whole world could be forgiven."

"And did He die for me too?" asked the old man.

"Does it say so in the Book?"

"Yes," replied the colporteur and turned to John 3:16 in his copy. "Listen to this: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that if Ah Kung (whosoever) believes in Him he shall not perish, but have everlasting life.' "

"Let me see it!" cried the old man, putting on his spectacles. "Is my name there?"

The colporteur explained the meaning of the word "whosoever." "You, me, or anybody else," he explained.

"I'm whosoever," cried Ah Kung. He had grasped the truth. "I believe it, and," he placed his hand over his heart, exclaiming, "and it feels all right in here, too. The written remedy works."

A Modern Fallacy

"Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other Name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

This text shows us the foolishness of being satisfied with the state of any, if they are ONLY SINCERE!

Today there are thousands who say, "We have nothing to do with the opinion of others. They may be right, they may be wrong; but if they are sincere we hope they will be saved even as we."

This is entirely contradictory to the Bible! There is no scripture that says anyone was ever accepted of God, if he were only sincere in maintaining his own views!

The priests of Baal were "sincere" when they cut themselves with knives till the blood gushed out. It did not prevent Elijah commanding them to be treated as wicked idolaters.

Manasseh, king of Judah, was "sincere" when he burned his children in the fire to Moloch!

The apostle Paul was "sincere" when he made havoc of the Church; but when his eyes were opened, he mourned over this special wickedness.

On such principles the Druidical sacrifices, the systematic murders of the Thugs, and the fires of Smithfield, might each be defended! Once such notions are allowed as "truth," we may as well throw away our Bibles.

"Sincerity is not Christ, and therefore sincerity cannot put away sin." A religion that takes away from Christ, or one that adds anything to Christ, or that puts "sincerity" in the place of Christ, all are dangerous, and to be avoided as contrary to the test of Scripture.

Out of Christ, there is no salvation at all. It is not atheism I fear so much as pantheism! Not the system that says, "Nothing is true," but the system which says, "Everything is true!" Confucius, Zoroaster, Socrates, Mahomet, the Indian Brahmins, the African Devil-worshipers, Arus, Pelagius, Ignatius, Socinus, the Koran, Hindu Vedas, Swedenborg, Mormons—are all these to be listened to, and none denounced as lies?

What a system that is so scrupulous concerning the feelings of others, that one must not say they are "wrong"! That system should be emphatically denounced. It sacrifices Truth upon the altar of a pretense of charity! Beware of it!

Has the Lord God spoken to us in the Bible, or has He not? Has He shown the way of salvation plainly, or has He not? From peace that is bought at the expense of truth may the Lord deliver us!

The greatest charity is to tell the greatest truth; the least is to be complacently indifferent to seeing a man drinking slow poison, and not tell him.

The great gulf between the holy God and sinful man is so great that it requires a mighty Helper to bridge it—a mighty Savior to nullify it. IF the Lord Jesus Christ were not very God, of very God, He never could accomplish it.

Never forget that the same apostle Paul who wrote that "Charity never fails," says also, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema." 1 Cor. 16:22.

If our liberality and charity are wider than the Bible, they are worth nothing!

God's X-Rays

God has His spiritual X-rays!

"The Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Sam. 16:7. "His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men." Psa. 11:4. "Thou understandest my thought afar off." Psa. 139:2. "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins." Jer. 17: 10.

Would you and I like our inner history to be published or revealed? God's X-rays reveal all. And if sin is not blotted out by atonement, the "plates" as it were will come up for judgment. No one can play with sin: it is a dreadful reality. God knows what we desire—imagine—think. He will bring every work into judgment.

Are you unmoved? As the tubercular spot is shown up by the X-rays, so your hidden sin will come to light at God's investigation.

"Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord." Jer. 23:24.

An evil man "hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten, He hideth His face; He will never see." Psa. 10:11.

God's answer is clear: "They consider not in their hearts that I remember." Hos. 7:2. "I know the things that come into your mind." Ezek. 11:5.

Many who say, "I have done no one any harm... I have a clean sheet... I stand as good a chance as any," boast unthinkingly. Some even stifle consciousness of wrong by vain talk. Let there be a deep sense of God's permanent record that is being made, and they will speak less of themselves.

God's X-rays have a subduing effect. They cannot lie. Nothing escapes His notice. Nothing is too small for His piercing investigation. Neither you nor I can blur it out, or blot it out. But "the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin."

There is a hope, a sure hope; there is one, and only one. All else fails. The blood of Christ never fails. Let guilt be acknowledged; let the precious atonement of the one Redeemer be realized. Then and only then there is "peace with God," which abides never to be changed to judgment.

Reader, God's X-rays prevent all self-confidence. But the very One who knew all your guilt has provided complete salvation at infinite cost. God reigns through righteousness. It is grace abounding, grace triumphant. You and I have no "chance" of salvation in ourselves; but such as we are welcome NOW to a sure salvation in Christ.

Sin

SIN Adds to your troubles,
Subtracts from your energy,
Multiplies your difficulties,
Divides your interest in your work,
And its wages is death.

"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

"I know a place where sins are washed away;
I know a place where night is turned to day,
A place of burdens lifted, blind eyes made to see:
There is wonder-working power in the blood of Calvary."

"Not by works of righteousness which we have clone, but according to His mercy He saved us."

Titus 3:5

Effectual, Fervent Prayer

"No," said the lawyer, "I shall not press your claim against that man. You can get someone else to take the case, or you can withdraw it, just as you please."

"Think there isn't any money in it?"

"There would probably be a little money in it; but it would come, as you know, from the sale of the little house. That man has occupied it and called it his `home' for years. I don't want to have anything to do with the matter."

"Got scared out of it, eh?"

"Not at all."

"I reckon the old fellow begged to get off?"

"Well, yes, he did."

"And you caved in, I suppose?"

"Well, yes."

"What did you do?"

"I believe I shed a few tears."

"The old fellow begged hard, you say?"

"No, I didn't say; he didn't speak to me."

"Well, I ask you, who did he talk to?"

"His father in heaven."

"He took to praying, did he?"

"Yes, but not for my special benefit. I may as well tell you. It was this way. After finding the little house, I knocked on the outer door. It stood partly open. No one heard me, so I stepped into the little hall, and looked through another partly open door into what may have been the sitting room. There upon a bed with her silver head high on the pillows was an old lady. She looked just like my mother did when I last saw her on earth. I was going to knock again when she said: `Come, Father, begin: I am ready now.'

"Down on his knees went the silver-haired old man, still older I suppose than his wife. I couldn't have knocked then for the life of me. Well, he began. First, he reminded God that they were still His submissive children, 'Mother and him,' and no matter what He saw fit to bring upon them, they would not rebel against His will. Of course, it was going to be hard for them to go out homeless in their old age, especially with poor mother so sick and helpless. Still, they had seen sadder things than that. But oh, how different might it now be, if even one of their boys had been spared to them!

"Then his already trembling voice broke, and a thin white hand stole from under the coverlet. It moved softly over his snow-white head. Soon he went on to repeat that nothing could hurt so bad again as had the loss of their three sons—unless mother and himself had to be separated!

"At last he fell to comforting himself with the fact that the gracious Lord knew that it was no fault of theirs that mother and he were about to lose their little home. It would mean the poorhouse for them, a place they prayed the Lord to deliver them from entering, if He might so will.

"Then he quoted a number of promises from Scripture about the safety of those that put their trust in the Lord. Yes, I should say he begged hard. In fact, it was the most thrilling plea to which I ever listened. And in conclusion he prayed for God's blessing upon those who were about to demand justice."

Pausing a moment in silence, the lawyer continued slowly, saying, "And I believe I would go to the poorhouse myself than stain my heart and hands with the prosecution of such a case as that."

"Scared you might defeat that prayer, eh?"

"Bless your soul, man, you could not defeat that prayer. I tell you, he left it all subject to the will of God! Yet he did not fail to make known his desires, claiming that we had been commanded to make our requests known unto God. But of all the pleading I ever heard, that was the most impressive. You see, I was taught that kind of thing myself in my childhood; and why I was sent there to hear that prayer, I am sure I don't know—but I hand the case over."

"I wish you hadn't told me about the old fellow's prayer," said the client uneasily.

"Why not?" asked the lawyer.

"Well, because I do not want the money that the little place would bring. But like you, I also was taught the Bible straight enough when I was a youngster. I would hate to run counter to what you have just told me. I wish you hadn't heard a word of it. Another time don't listen to what was not intended for your ears!"

The lawyer smiled. "You are wrong again, my dear fellow! It was intended for my ears, and yours too. God intended it so. I remember hearing my mother sing about God moving in a mysterious way."

"Well, my mother used to sing the same song," said the troubled client, crumpling the claim-papers in his fingers. Rising to his feet he stood irresolute a moment. Then came the decision. "You can call them in the morning if you like, and tell 'Mother and him' that the claim has been met."

"In a mysterious way," added the lawyer smiling.

"Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses." Psalm 107:6.

God's Giving

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Love undiminished, in spite of man's departure, shines out in all its brilliance and casts its beams, as it were, on a perishing world. It says: "He gave His only begotten Son."

What an appeal lies in those words! God has come in to satisfy His own love—comes in the only way that was possible. It could get no help from you, nor you from me, for we are both on the same road and the end of that road is "perishing." At such a moment God steps in, in the might of His love, and gives His only begotten Son to deal once and forever with the great sin question.

Was He equal to the conflict? Blessed be God, He was! Justice is satisfied—the sentence so great, so terrible, was executed on Him in order that I, the sinner, might go free. That is God's salvation! That is the extent of God's giving!

Something Special for Me

"Brother Jay, I am at my wit's end as to the way to bring my sister to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I love her too much to be content for her just to drift into hell. Will you come with me to try to show her God's way of salvation?"

This was the anguished plea of an earnest young Christian. Elmer Graham himself had not been long converted and was eager to tell others what great things the Lord had done for him. And just as gladly did brother Jay, a visiting evangelist, desire to be used of God in telling out the Good News.

So it was that the two Christians were soon in the Graham home. The sister, Margie, received them graciously; but when she perceived that her flow of "small talk" and other social accomplishments were not desired, she sought to excuse herself and leave them to themselves. Since this was certainly not their wish the evangelist came to the point immediately.

He opened the subject by saying: "Miss Margie, I am here to see you, and with a very definite purpose. My blessed God and Father, whose messenger I am, wants you to know of His great love for you.

"Down through the ages He saw you as one of His creatures, made by Him and for Him, but with a will of your own—a will capable of Saying NO to the Creator. It has been your pleasure and His sorrow that you refuse to believe on His dear Son.

"This holy, spotless Son loves you too, so much that He willingly gave Himself for you. On that shameful cross He was not only crucified, but in the darkest hours the world has ever known He, the sinless Son of God, bore sin's judgment. He was made to be SIN itself that we, believing and receiving Him and His mighty work of redemption, 'might be made the righteousness of God in Him.'

"Margie, you have heard many times this wonderful love story. It was God's great love for such as you and me that caused Him to 'buy us back' or redeem us by the sacrificial death of the dearest object of His heart. And it was that same beloved Son who loved us and gave Himself for us. How can you reject such love?"

While the preacher tenderly and reverently spoke of that marvelous love for lost sinners, one could have seen hardened unbelief settling over the features of the young lady.

As that last question was asked, she rose to her feet. The two gentlemen also arose and stood together facing her. Defiantly came her answer: "I'll not believe, unless. He does something especially to prove Himself to me."

Aghast at such a spirit of defiance, the evangelist retorted: "My dear young woman, when Christ on the cross said, 'It is finished,' I can assure you that the work was DONE. He nor God Himself would ever add one iota to the perfect accomplishment of their divine purpose—not for you, nor for any other poor earthly creature."

At this powerful pronouncement Margie's state of rebellion seemed to weaken. Almost limp, she sank back into her chair. Without a word she watched the two men depart. They too appeared to be "stricken dumb" by the unforeseen end of their visit; but, in truth, each was silently appealing to the God of all grace to melt the ice in that willful woman's heart.

A few days later the answer came. Margie had gone in tears, on account her miserable condition, to a Christian friend. Kneeling by her side, she besought this woman to present her case at the throne of grace for, Margie said, "I don't even know how to pray!"

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1:6.

Earthquakes

A loud-mouthed fellow-traveler on a train was boasting of having survived two severe earthquakes in a western state. He said that in the first and most serious one, his hotel had swayed back and forth. He had been thrown violently from his bed on to a wardrobe that had fallen flat on the floor. It and the other furniture had knocked him about pretty badly. Resulting fright and excitement had brought on an acute heart attack from which he still suffered. He added that the next day the number of guests in the dining room fell from about two hundred and fifty to less than ten. At least fifteen thousand visitors had immediately fled from the city.

Some years later he said he had gone through another but much less severe earthquake. In it comparatively few had lost their lives and damage was not so widespread. Yet it, like the first, was a scary experience.

I inquired: "How would it have been with your soul if, instead of your falling on top of that wardrobe, it had fallen on you and caused your death?"

"Oh," said he, "I hope I would have been all right! I've been a good moral man all my life, and am a guardian of the poor in my home town. Besides, I try to be useful wherever I am."

I questioned him: "Did you ever read the account of the earthquake 'at Philippi? It roused the jailer out of his sleep and freed his prisoners from their bonds. The jailer was so frightened that he was about to commit suicide. In his extremity he cried out to Paul and Silas whom he had so brutally beaten earlier that night: 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'

"The answer came: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:31.

"He believed in God with all his house, and they were saved."

"I do remember," said the traveler; "but that was a long time ago, wasn't it?"

"Quite true," I answered; "but note two things as regards the jailer and the earthquake. It had the effect God desired; and one earthquake suffered to arouse the man to his need of being saved. Evidently, sir, you will require more than two earthquakes to accomplish the same blessing for your soul."

The erstwhile boaster looked very serious and somewhat ill at ease as he responded: "No doubt you are right. I do get the feeling sometimes that God is speaking to me. I am on my way now to consult a heart specialist."

"Why not come to the Great Physician?" I said. "He can heal your immortal soul and ease the burden of sin from your heart. With Him as your Savior and Lord, and cleansed from all guilt by His own precious blood, you would be able to face and endure the "earthquakes" of this life and the present uncertainties of all that's to come. Will you receive Him now? Hear Him plead with you: 'Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' " Matt. 11:28.

As we were now pulling into his station, our conversation was abruptly terminated. The result must be left for God's great reckoning day to disclose.

How is it with you, friend? Is your never-dying soul saved or not through believing on Him "who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification"? Are you waiting till God must send a special earthquake to make you realize your need of Him?

"God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not." Job 33:14.

"He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Prov. 29:1.

The Bird and the Serpent

In the tropical forests of Brazil, a Christian naturalist was on an expedition. All morning he had searched without success for a special plant. As the heat of midday approached, he grew weary and gladly found a log handy to rest on.

As he sat there his attention was drawn to a tree nearby. There a bird, apparently in great distress, was fluttering over her nest. Looking around for the cause of her alarm, he saw a snake creeping towards the tree with its eyes fixed on the frightened bird and her nest.

Presently, from among the green covered branches the male bird darted away. His flight seemed direct and purposeful as if he had an important errand. This indeed he had, for in a little while he returned. Held firmly in his bill was a twig covered with leaves. Perching near the nest he carefully laid the twig over the frightened bird and her young, entirely covering them. Then, taking his place on a much higher branch of the tree, he awaited the arrival of the enemy.

By this time the snake had reached the tree. Twisting himself around the trunk he climbed up and glided out along the branch till he came near the nest. Tantalizingly he lifted his head as if he were going to dart upon the poor bird. His eyes glittered as he gazed at his prospective victim for a moment. Then, suddenly throwing his head back, and doubling his body after it, he slithered down the tree as fast as he could and was soon lost to sight on the forest floor.

Puzzled at the snake's sudden departure, the naturalist also climbed to the nest. He wanted to examine the twig whose leaves had apparently been a shield and defense to that helpless bird. To his amazement he found that it had been broken from a bush known to be poisonous to coldblooded reptiles, though harmless to warm-blooded creatures. It was from a plant that snakes instinctively avoided.

To this Christian's mind came the question: "Who taught this little bird its only weapon of defense in such an hour of danger?" And as quick as the thought came the answer: "None but God."

Friend, have you thought how God's all-knowing, tender care is over all His creatures? It is God who has given even the snake a wholesome knowledge of that poisonous plant. Upon you, His highest creation, He has bestowed the greatest Gift of all—the unspeakable gift of His dear Son. In the power of His precious blood shed on Calvary's cross for poor lost sinners, God has provided a sure cure for sin to everyone who believes in Him. Have you received Him? Are you washed in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? Believe God's Word; accept the gift of His love, the Lord Jesus Christ; and "thou shalt be saved" for time and eternity.

"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?...

"Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." Luke 12:6, 7.

Coming!

"The Lord is at hand!" These are good words for us to speak one to the other. The sentinels on the hills of faith can say to the dwellers in the valleys, "The Lord is at hand!" We clasp hands with those who love our Lord Jesus Christ, and say, "The Lord is at hand!"

We must remember this glorious truth in our daily lives. It should be as golden bells upon our garments, or as a song within our hearts, keeping us mindful every step of the way that the dawning of eternal day is near.

"He is coming again!" Yes, coming very soon. Faith listens for His footsteps, and the sound of His loving voice. "Behold! I come quickly!" 'Tis the voice of our risen glorified Lord. He speaks from heaven; from the "many mansions" and the scenes of endless rest, to His loved ones toiling still on their wilderness pathways. We can cheer one another with the glorious words, "He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry."

The light that falls upon our pathway comes from above. The peace that fills our souls is His peace. The rest that gives such glory to our lives is His rest. The Name we bear is His. The cross we bear is His; and the crown that waits is His also.

He may come today! Heaven and all its wonders may burst upon us at any moment. Let all His saved ones lift their hands to heaven and with adoring hearts exclaim, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

Out of This Life

Out of this life I cannot take
Things of silver and gold I make;
All that I cherish and hoard away,
After I leave on earth must stay.

Though I call it mine and boast its worth,
I must give it up when I quit the earth;
All that I gather and all that I keep
I must leave behind when I fall asleep.

I wonder often just what I shall own
In that other life where I go alone;
What shall He find, and what shall He see
In the soul that answers the call for me?

Shall the great Judge say, when I am through,
That I've laid up treasure in heaven too?
Or shall it at last be mine to find
That all I had worked for I left behind?

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6.

That's What I Want

Dr. Jowett the evangelist, tells an interesting story of the late Dr. Charles Berry, a well known and gifted preacher.

"One night," said Dr. Berry, "there came to my door a Lancashire girl with a shawl over her head, and with clogs on her feet. 'Are you a minister?' she asked.

“‘Yes,' was my answer.

“‘Then I want you to come and get my mother in.' "Thinking it was some drunken brawl, I said, 'YOU MUST GET A POLICEMAN.'

“‘Oh, no,' said the girl; 'my mother is dying, and I want you to get her into salvation.'

“‘Where do you live?'

“‘I live about half a mile from here.'

“‘Well,' said I, 'Is there no minister nearer than I?'

“‘Oh, yes, but I want you. You have got to come.'

"I was in my slippers, and I soliloquized and wondered what the people of my congregation would say if they saw their pastor walking late at night with a girl with a shawl over her head. I did all I could to get out of it, but I saw it was no use. The girl was determined, and I had to get dressed and go.

"I found the place was a house of ill-fame. In the lower rooms they were drinking and telling lewd stories, and upstairs I found the poor woman dying.

"I sat by her bed and talked about Jesus, the beautiful example. I extolled Him as a leader and teacher; and she looked at me out of her eyes of death, and said, `Mister, that's no good for the likes of me. I don't want an example. I'm dying and I'm a sinner."

"Jowett," said Dr. Berry, "there was I face to face with a poor soul dying, and I had nothing to tell her. I had no gospel! Then I thought of what my mother had taught me, and I told her the old story of God's love in giving Christ to die for sinful men. I told it whether I believed it or not.

"Now you are getting at it,' said the woman. `That's what I want; that is the story for me.'

"That's how I got her in-and I got in myself!

"From that night," added Dr. Berry, "I have had a full gospel of God's salvation for lost sinners. How wonderful is the word: 'CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY."

A Blessed Blunder

At a gospel meeting in Des Moines I had preached as, clearly as I could the glorious Word of the Christ of the cross. Afterward I spied a young man who evidently sought to elude me. To him I made my way.

After a brief conversation I persuaded him to come with me into a small adjoining room. Here I learned that it was through a "mistake" that he had "blundered" into the meeting. But surely God by His Spirit was leading.

The young man was a Jew and, as he thought, on his way to a concert. The brightly lighted gospel hall appeared to him to be the place he sought for an evening's entertainment. The preaching was just beginning as he found a seat, and an immediate departure would have been embarrassing. He decided to "tough it out" and escape as soon as possible.

As to the Christian preacher's message that night, perhaps little was heard by the unwilling listener. He was utterly indifferent to Christianity, and almost insulting in his attitude toward me. In my frustration I looked earnestly to the Lord for guidance. I knew that He alone could give the right word.

"My word... shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where to I sent it." Isa. 55:11.

Taking a small Testament from my pocket, I held it out to the young man. I said: "If you will promise me that you will get on your knees this night and read this verse I have marked, I will make you a present of the Book."

The verse was John 5:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

Glad to be rid of me so easily, the young fellow agreed and was soon on his way. Did he really get away?

It was several years later that a news item came to my attention: "Albert Nathan," I read, "a converted Israelite, is holding Bible studies in B—."

"Nathan"? That was the name of my Jewish listener! That night being a free one for me, I went to take the place of a listener. As I slipped into a rear seat, the announced speaker saw me. Hurrying down the aisle, he kept calling out: "I kept my promise! I kept my promise!"

As he grasped my hand, he exclaimed: "I got away from you, but I couldn't get away from God. I kept my promise to you; and that night on my knees I read the precious words of John 5:24. Through it and through both my New Testament and the Old, the God of Jacob has by His Spirit brought me to know His Son Jesus as my Savior and my Lord. Going into that hall was the most blessed blunder I ever made."

He Leadeth Me

In pastures green? Not always; sometimes He
Who knoweth best, in kindness leadeth me
In many ways where heavy shadows be.
Out of the sunshine warm and soft and bright—
Out of the sunshine into the darkest night,
I oft would faint with sorrow and affright,
Only for this: I know He holds my hand;
So whether in the green or desert land
I trust although I may not understand.
And by still waters? No, not always so;
Ofttimes the heavy tempests round me blow,
And o'er my soul the waters and billows go.
But when the storms beat loudest and I cry
Aloud for help, the Master standeth by
And whispers to my soul, "Lo, it is I."
Above the tempest wild I hear Him say,
"Beyond this darkness lies a perfect day:
In every path of thine I lead the way."
So whether on the hilltops high and fair
I dwell, or in the sunless valleys where
The shadows lie—what matters? He is there.
So where He leads me, I can safely go,
And in the blest hereafter I shall know
Why in His wisdom He hath led me so.

Head versus Heart

Some years ago at a social event, a great actor who was an honored guest was asked to recite something for the pleasure of his fellow guests. He consented, and asked if there was anything special that his audience would like to hear.

After a moment's pause, an old clergyman present said: "Could you, sir, recite to us the twenty-third Psalm?"

A strange look passed over the actor's face. He paused for a moment, and then said: "I can and will, upon one condition; and that is, that after I have recited it, you, my friend, will do the same."

"I?" said the clergyman, in surprise. "But I am not an elocutionist. However, if you wish it, I will do so."

Impressively, the great actor began the psalm. His voice and his intonation were perfect. He held his audience spellbound, and as he finished a great burst of applause broke from the guests.

Then as it died away the old clergyman arose and began the psalm. His voice was not remarkable; his intonation was not faultless. When he had finished no sound of applause broke the silence—but there was not a dry eye in the room, and many heads were bowed.

The actor rose to his feet again. His voice shook as he laid his hand upon the shoulder of the old clergyman and said: "I reached your eyes and ears, my friends; he reached your hearts. The difference is just this—I know the twenty-third Psalm, but HE KNOWS THE SHEPHERD!"

Reader, do you? Can you say, "The LORD is MY Shepherd?"

The Great Physician

Some years ago a young Frenchman went to London to consult Dr. Forbes Winslow, the elder. He was an eminent pathologist in diseases of the mind. The sick man brought with him letters of introduction from leading Frenchmen soliciting Dr. Winslow's best skill and attention in his case.

He presented his letters and the doctor inquired, "What is your trouble?"

The young man replied, "Dr. Winslow, I cannot sleep. I have not had a good night's sleep for two years, and unless something is done for me, I shall go insane."

Dr. Winslow inquired, "Why can't you sleep?" The young man replied, "I can't tell you."

"Have you lost any money?"

"No, I have lost no money."

"Have you lost friends?"

"No."

"Have you suffered in honor or reputation?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well, then," said the doctor, "why can't you sleep?"

The young man replied, "I would rather not tell you."

"Well," said Dr. Winslow, "if you don't tell me I can't help you."

"Well," he replied, "if I must tell you I will. I am an infidel; my father was an infidel before me. Yet, in spite of the fact that I am an infidel, and my father was an infidel, every night when I lie down to sleep I am confronted with the question, 'Eternity! and where shall I spend it?' All night that question rings in my ears: 'Eternity, and where shall I spend it?' If I succeed in dropping off to sleep my dreams are worse than my waking hours; and I start from my sleep again, trembling and full of dread."

Dr. Winslow replied, "I can't do anything for you."

"What!" exclaimed the young Frenchman in alarm. "Do you mean to tell me that my case is hopeless? Have I come all the way from Paris only to have my hopes dashed to the ground?"

Dr. Winslow repeated: "I can do nothing for you, but I can tell you of a Physician who can."

He walked across his study, picked up his Bible lying on a table, opened it at Isaiah 53:5 and 6, and read: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Looking at the Frenchmen he said: "That is the only Physician in the world that can help you."

A scornful smile curled the Frenchman's lips. He said: "Dr. Winslow, do you mean to tell me that you, an eminent scientist, believe in that worn-out superstition of the Bible and Christianity?"

"Yes," replied the doctor. "I believe the Bible. I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believing in the Bible and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ has saved me from what you are today."

The young man was startled. He decided that he must think on these things. After a moment he questioned, "Dr. Winslow, if I am honest with myself I ought at least to be willing to consider this, ought not?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, will you explain it to me?"

Then the eminent physician became a physician of souls. For several consecutive days he sat down with the open Bible, and explained the way of life to the young man.

At last light broke through the darkness. He saw Christ as the divine Son of God atoning for sin. He accepted Him as Savior and trusted in His shed blood as payment for all his iniquities. Now the thought of eternity, which hitherto had filled him with sickening dread, was a source of pleasure and delight as he contemplated the joys of being forever with the Lord in the glory of the Father. "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." Psa. 4:8.

Yes, the patient could sleep. Resting in the finished work of Christ he was not long in regaining his health; but above all these blessings, he returned to Paris a believer in Christ Jesus—a saved man.

Unsaved friend, ask yourself the question: "Eternity is at hand; and where shall I spend it?

What a tremendous question! We all need the great Physician. It is only at Calvary that you will find Him and receive the blessing you need, if ever you are to spend a blissful eternity. The matter is urgent. Life is uncertain. Only you yourself can decide in this matter.

Looking for Jesus

In a restaurant one day I observed a young man who, I later learned, "sought to see Jesus." Sitting off to himself, he looked distressed and restless. At a gospel preaching some time previously he had been aroused to a true sense of his lost condition. Now he was in deep anxiety about his soul, earnestly desiring to find peace with God.

Pressed in spirit to join him, I immediately spoke to him of the Savior and His finished work, knowing for myself that there is no other remedy for a soul in such a state. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12

His quivering lips told the depth of his feeling as he answered: "They have taken my Lord away and I know not where they have laid Him. Sir, I am looking for Jesus. Can you tell me where I can find Him?"

Here was reality, a soul in earnest. He was looking for Jesus. The sinner was seeking the Savior, crying like one of old, "Oh, that I knew where I might find Him!"

"But where are you looking?" I asked.

The question seemed new to him, requiring some thought. He finally answered vaguely: "I don't know. Just anywhere, I suppose."

"Where is He whom you seek? Where is Jesus now?"

It was some time before he spoke, and, with an inquiring look, he slowly said, "In heaven?"

"Yes! Jesus the Lord, crucified, dead, and buried in a grave here on earth, is now in heaven. He is the risen, living Savior in heaven, Victor over sin and death and hell. He has borne our judgment and is now seated in the glory at God's right hand. Man, lift your thoughts to Him where He is. From that glory He is speaking peace to you! He is telling you that He has borne the judgment for your sins. They were all put away when He died on Calvary's cross.

"Now He is in heaven without them. They can never rise against you again. They were washed away in His blood shed in His atoning death. Now God sees them no more. Christ bore them in His own body on the tree when He died for our sins. He rose from the dead without them. They are gone—put away from before God forever."

The young man was listening eagerly. These few words seemed to lift the load from his heart, and with relief and joy he exclaimed: "I never thought of that before! Jesus is in heaven. The sins He bore on the cross are gone. God sees them no more."

"Yes! God sees them no more. Fix your eyes on Jesus in heaven. No one could look up into the face of Jesus Christ upon the throne of God, and have a doubt. Could you? Impossible! For no sin can enter there."

What joy it was to see the young man's happy acceptance of the finished work of Christ! These few words brought light to him, contented now to find Jesus in the glory, this same Jesus whom he had been earnestly seeking.

One has said: "A truly seeking soul is sure to find the Savior seeking him." Blessed are the words of that same Jesus: "Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

Troubled soul, look up! "He is not here, but He is risen, as He said."

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace."

How to Love God

Margaret Moore was a miserable young lady. For years she had been dissatisfied with her life and anxious about her soul's salvation. She prayed earnestly and sought desperately to "love God" enough to merit the forgiveness of her sins. Instead, however, the world seemed more and more enticing and her heart seemed further from Him.

At last, despairing of her ability to "register" enough "love" to the God of all the earth to avail for her redemption, Margaret had about decided to throw in her lot whole-heartedly with the godless, self-loving "fun-seekers" of her acquaintance. At least she would grasp and enjoy the "pleasures of sin for a season." God, in His mercy, would wait.

"But God" —! He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

What was known as "revival meetings" were being held in the area. News of a good speaker and rousing music came to Margaret's ears and drew her to the hall. Yes, the music was good and the speaker personable; but what a simple text! "He first loved us." 1 John 4: 19.

Suddenly the critical listener sensed that the message was meant for her—the preacher had singled her out and was presenting her case and arguing her cause. She now listened intently.

"Do you think God requires you to love Him in order to be saved? Examine your heart, dear lost one. Not one particle of love to Him will you find there. If you cannot be saved till you love Him you will never be saved at all. But HEAR THE GOOD NEWS: 'God so loved the world,' and that means you. Ephesians 1: 4. Think of it; rest upon it. The blessed truth is, HE LOVES US?

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10.

The sword of the Spirit entered Margaret's heart with that verse. She now saw God's great love in giving His Son to be the propitiation for her sins. Peace and joy filled her very being, and a stream of love flowed out to Him who had given Himself for her.

Friend, have YOU been trying to love God in order to be saved? How useless are your efforts! Instead, dwell upon His mighty love for you. Meditate on it, and you will gladly say: "I do love Him, BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED ME." 1 John 4:19.

"God's NOW is sounding in your ears,
Oh, let it reach YOUR heart!
From everything but Christ alone,
He bids YOU part."

Ye Killed the Prince of Life

I see the crowd in Pilate's hall,
Their furious cries I hear;
Their shouts of "Crucify" appall,
Their curses fill mine ear.
And of that shouting multitude
I feel that I am one,
And in that din of voices rude
I recognize my own.

I see the scourgers rend the flesh
Of God's beloved Son;
And as they smite I feel afresh
That I of them am one.
Around the cross the throng I see
That mock the Sufferer's groan,
Yet still my voice it seems to be,
As if I mocked alone.

`Twas I that shed the sacred blood,
I nailed Him to the tree,
I crucified the Christ of God,
I joined the mockery.
Yet not the less that blood avails
To cleanse me from my sin,
And not the less that cross prevails
To give me peace within.

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."

1 Peter 3:18.

Where Is Bill?

A Christian lawyer sat listening to a sad-faced woman in his office. She had not come for legal advice but to obtain information as to the soul of one very dear to her. It was her husband who had suddenly passed away. In pity for her evident distress, he bade her to feel free to talk, and promised to help her if he could.

She began: "We were married eighteen years ago after knowing each other for a couple of years before. We had bargained together to save our money, not spending any foolishly or recklessly. He was a professional man and I a trained nurse. We would live frugally and save all we could until Bill was fifty years old. Then we would retire.

"That was eighteen years ago, and we have done just that. We never took a regular vacation, for that would cost money. Once recently Bill suggested to me, `Let's go down to Florida for a two weeks' rest.' He did look tired and maybe I did too; but I said, 'No.' I reminded him that it would take lots of money which we must save to retire on."

The lawyer realized that the woman was recounting things about which he knew nothing. Thinking it might relieve her sorrow and in some way reveal its cause, he encouraged her to continue.

"We have $45,000 in the bank and around $25,000 in stocks. We took out several insurance policies, maybe $100,000 worth. These will come due on or just before Bill's fiftieth birthday. We planned to have about $200,000 stashed away by then, and we could retire. We planned to buy a small place in the country and really and truly live. Our future looked good to us."

As she finished this "case history" her enthusiasm waned and she gazed mournfully at the lawyer. He was nonplussed. Had something gone wrong? Seeing her distress, he asked, "What is the problem?"

In a toneless voice she answered: "Last week Bill died. I don't know where he is. I didn't have a chance to say a word to him. He just went. Oh, if I only knew where he went!

"He came home that evening not feeling well. He lay down and didn't eat any supper. After a while he took some medicine and lay down again and went to sleep. When I went to waken him for bed, he was gone! Oh, Where is Bill?

"For eighteen years I always knew where Bill was. We were always together. Our plans were always to be together; we were interested in the same things. He always told me where he was going—but not this time. Can't you tell me where Bill is? Is it true there is a place where, after death, people live—where they will be together forever after?"

Now the lawyer felt sure she was not concerned about the money. She wanted Bill! And as a Christian consultant, he was on familiar ground. "Yes," he replied; "that place is called heaven. Don't you know about it?"

"Not much," she answered; "but do you think Bill is there? I would not want to go there if he isn't."

The lawyer tried to help her by asking: "For the twenty years you were together did you never read the Bible, nor talk about the birth, the death, and resurrection of Christ? You talked about your own possible death—you were prepared for that, were you not?"

"We did not talk about dying. Why, we were going to live! Don't you understand? We were going to retire and live—we were going to do and live for all the nice things we had saved for. We never even thought of dying. And now, where is Bill?"

"My dear woman," the Christian answered, "if he had never received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior there is only one other place for a departed soul."

Distressed for the bereaved wife, the lawyer stopped. He hated to name that dread place, but the woman urged him to go on. He had to say: "It is hell."

To his surprise his visitor showed no repugnance, though her comment was: "I wouldn't like to think of him being there; but I'd want to go wherever he is anyway." She said this last almost defiantly.

"But," said the Christian, "hell is not for companionship, nor where you will meet friends. It's totally without kindness, goodness, or love. It is a place of torment in the 'blackness of darkness' forever.

"The only place of eternal joy for those who must leave this earthly life is with our Savior-God in heaven. If you will take Christ Jesus as your own Savior now, you will be sure of an entrance into heaven, and find peace and comfort in knowing His love. You have planned and worked to accumulate money, and now you have it. You did not plan for heaven and a blissful eternity, but God by His Spirit offers them to you. Will you accept?"

She cried out: "I hate the money! Getting it killed Bill. Oh, what shall I do?"

Gently the Christian urged on her the claims of Christ who so loves us, and gave Himself for us. How all-important it is for everyone to settle the question of "eternity—where?" ahead of all others!

"Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee." Job 22:21.

"Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Prov. 27:1.

When a dearly loved one departs this life, what is the heart question of those left behind? From the grief-stricken Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb of her crucified Lord comes the implied query: "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him."

What soul-stirring consolation was hers in hearing the messengers from the glory proclaim: "He is not here: for He is risen, as He said." (Matt. 28:6.)

Then this joyful proclamation was further confirmed when she beheld with natural eyes that blessed One and received His commission: "Go tell my brethren." (Matt. 28:10.)

Bereaved friend, have you heard and believed this blessed truth? Do you know that this risen One is also the ascended Christ—a Man in the glory? If you are by faith resting in His finished work, then you can be assured that your own destiny will be "with Christ; which is far better." Phil. 1:23.

Workers Together

A Methodist preacher in Colorado had four sons, one of whom was named Paul. His father often told Paul that if ever he had an opportunity to hear D. L. Moody preach, he should make every effort to do so.

Finally, young Paul heard that Moody was to preach in Denver where he lived. Such crowds were attending that tickets were necessary for entrance to the auditorium. Paul did his best to get a ticket, but when he reached the building it was filled and the ushers would not admit him. While he stood outside in great disappointment, a chunky man came along and asked him if he wanted to get in. "Yes," said the boy, "but I can't."

"Take hold of my coat-tail," said the man, "and hang on." Paul did so and was led right up to the front. He had been grasping the coat of Moody himself! Moody little dreamed what would happen in the life of that boy twenty-three years later.

Paul Rader became a Christian devoted to the salvation of sinners. As an evangelist, he preached to great multitudes to whom he often repeated the story of how he heard Moody.

By the power of the Spirit of God, he won hundreds to the Savior. Later, he himself founded the evangelistic center where untold thousands heard the gospel message.

The Apostle to the Gentiles expressed the precious truth: "For we are laborers together with God: I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." 1 Cor. 3:9, 6.

How to 'Cross Over'

In a suburban station a crowd of passengers were awaiting the arrival of the interurban train for the City. Some were pacing to and fro, some were chatting or reading the newspapers. Suddenly, from the opposite side of the station, a gentleman leaped on to the rails, sprang nimbly over the various obstacles, and quickly joined the throng. At the same time, the incoming train was seen approaching. It had passed under the little bridge that spanned the line, and which formed the proper means of communication between the two sides of the station.

As the newcomer mounted the side of the platform, he was addressed by one of the passengers among whom he had so suddenly arrived. Between them an interesting dialog took place.

"What made you so suddenly change your mind and cross the tracks as you did?"

"Oh, on the approach of the train I discovered that I was on the wrong side of the station."

"Did you know you were taking an awful chance? If that approaching train had been moving more rapidly than you imagined, or had you been less agile than you were, you might have been knocked over and killed. Who would have been to blame for your death?"

"I suppose that in reality I should. It would have been my own fault."

"And why would you be to blame?"

"Because I should have crossed by the bridge. The company has posted up a notice saying that everyone must cross the tracks by that way."

"So you disregarded, first of all, their clear warning of danger. Secondly, you deliberately refused the means of safety they have provided."

"Yes, you are right. It is as you say, although you have presented the case more seriously than I had thought it."

"Then, if you had been run over, the railway company would have been completely free from blame?"

At this point the two friends seated themselves side by side in the railway train. They continued their conversation as they went on their way to their destination.

The older man asked: "Now, sir, do you know why I put your recent action in so strong a light while we were on the platform?"

"No."

"Just because it afforded such an excellent illustration of the gospel. Do you realize what great danger you are in by not availing yourself of the provision God has made for those who are on the wrong side of the way to heaven? Yet they can cross over in perfect safety to the other side. They may thus escape the inevitable dangers that eternity has in store for those who neglect God's way, and be safely transported from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Those who were afar off may be brought nigh. This is why Christ has suffered. He suffered, 'the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.'

"Did the beauty and wonder of that verse of Scripture ever dawn upon your mind? He suffered! He would bring, not send for us; He would bring us to God, and set us right down in His presence, as the Good Shepherd carried home the sheep. What love! What devotion! What blessedness! This is God's way—by way of Christ on Calvary's cross.

"Will you avail yourself of it? Or will you keep on neglecting God's way as you disregarded the company's bridge? If so, you must inevitably be cut down—perish forever—never to behold His face, never share in the joy of His presence.

"Be wise! Be as wise in matters of eternal import as in the affairs of daily life. Cross now to the right side by Him—the Way wail yourself of the provision that God has made, and taste the love of God that is in Christ Jesus."

Before the train arrived at the end of its short journey, the arrow of conviction had gone right into the heart of the listener. He alighted from the train fully convinced that Christ is the only One in whom he could trust to carry him safely beyond the reach of judgment, and into the presence of God with great joy. May you, reader, learn, before it be too late, to definitely avail yourself of God's provision for your safety and blessing.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

Three "Comes

God is inviting poor sinners to a feast where complete satisfaction awaits them. "He, every one that thirsteth," He says, "COME YE to the waters." Isa. 55:1.

Have you listened to His voice, dear reader? He offers you "wine and milk," "bread," "that which is good," and "fatness." He requires nothing to be spent by you for the possession of these things, and promises you gratification and delight in partaking of them from His hand. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." John 4: 14.

But remember that in order to give you this satisfying portion forever the Lord Jesus had to go through death. He must shed His precious blood in which to wash away the sins that would eternally bar your entrance to His feast.

Men are also saying, "Come." "COME YE, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant." Isa. 56:12.

Has anyone ever yet found lasting pleasure in these things? The very fact of looking forward to a "tomorrow" proves that today has not satisfied. God says of them, "They are greedy dogs which can never have enough." (v. 11.)

Solomon tasted all the kinds of pleasure that this world can offer, but he found them all vanity. He found out too, "that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment."

Yes, dear reader, if you refuse God's feast and choose man's the voice of the Lord God will say to the wild beasts of the field. (Rev. 19:17, 18), "COME to devour." (Isa. 56:9.) Then you will be given over to Satan, to dwell with him in the lake of fire forever and ever. What a "tomorrow"!

Oh, may you listen to God's words of invitation before it is too late: "Incline your ear and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live."

Afraid of the Consequences

God had been mightily working that night. Sinners had been awakened to a sense of their lost condition, anxious souls had found "peace in believing," and the people of God were stirred up and refreshed. While passing from one to another during the inquiry meeting at the close of this gospel service, a fellow-laborer in the harvest field said to me: "Here is a young man who does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ."

"And are you not a sinner?" I asked of the youth in question.

"Oh yes, I suppose I am," was the somewhat careless reply.

"Then, if so, do you not need a Savior?" I continued.

"No, not tonight, thank you," he calmly replied.

"Yes, my dear lad, you do need Him, but it is evident that you do not want Him. There is a great difference between needing Christ and wanting Him. Every sinner needs Him; but, sad to say, some sinners do not want Him.

It evidently was thus with our young friend. I felt pressed to point out to him the awful risk he was running in rejecting the offer of forgiveness and salvation that God was making him, through faith in Christ and His work.

"It's no use," said he. "I simply will not even consider it tonight. Why, the young fellows down at the works would laugh it all out of me in no time."

"And do you think," I urged, "that if you die in your sins, and enter eternity rejecting Christ, that those young fellows will be able to laugh you out of hell? Take care they do not laugh you into it, for they most certainly will never laugh you out of it."

Oh, my friend, let not Satan rob you of your precious soul's salvation by filling you with the fear of man. Have you ever read the descriptive list of those who find their part in the lake of fire? If not, turn to Revelation 21: 8. Read these solemn words slowly and attentively, and may the Spirit of God send them home to you in soul-awakening power! Do you see yourself described there?

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone."

Let there be no mistake on this point. Do not imagine that those described in this verse shall by some means or another find their part in heaven. No. "In the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone," is the solemn declaration of God's Word, and remember,

"HE HATH POWER TO CAST INTO HELL."

But awful as is the doom of the godless, the abandoned, the wicked, and the depraved, it is shared by the "fearful and unbelieving." Is the reader one who is afraid of the consequences of believing in Christ? Then oh, beware! The "fearful and unbelieving," just as much as the murderer and the whoremonger, have their part in the lake of fire—they even head the list!

Away then with the moral cowardice that is afraid to believe in and confess Christ, and oh, for more of the courage that is not ashamed to confess Him before men.

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:9.

Do You Feel Saved?

Martin Luther, in one of his conflicts with the devil, was asked by the arch-enemy if he FELT that his sins were forgiven. "No," said the great reformer, "I don't FEEL THAT THEY ARE FORGIVEN but I KNOW they are! God says so in His Word."

Paul did not say, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt FEEL saved." His statement is, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt BE SAVED."

No one can FEEL that his sins are forgiven. Ask that man whose debt was paid by his brother: "Do you feel that your debt is paid?"

"No," will be the reply. "I don't FEEL that it is paid; I KNOW FROM THIS RECEIPT that it is paid; and I FEEL HAPPY because I know it is paid."

It is thus with you, dear reader. You must first believe in God's love to you as revealed at the cross of Calvary; and then you can rejoice in sins forgiven. You will FEEL HAPPY, because you will KNOW that you are saved.

A happy old Christian, on hearing persons speak of their feelings, used to say: "Feelings! Feelings! Don't bother yourself about your feelings. I just stick to the old truth that Christ died for me, and He is my surety right on to eternity. I'll stick to that like a limpet to the rock."

"Be my feelings what they will,
Jesus is my Savior still."

Hear and Fear

Loud His trump will soon be sounding,
YES! there is judgment coming,
Sinner, hear it!
And "the day" is fast approaching,
Sinner, fear it;
`Twill unman thee!
Should'st thou pass from earth away,
Dead in sin, and Satan's prey,
It will be an awful day—
beware, beware!

Yes! there is a throne uprearing;
Sinner, hear it!
Every moment it is nearing;
Sinner, fear it!
`Twill confound thee!
When that throne is once erected,
And the lost are there collected,
Every thought will be dissected;
O beware, beware!

Yes! there is a Judge soon coming;
Sinner, hear it!
Loud His trump will soon be sounding,
Sinner, fear it!
He will spurn thee!
Heralded by unknown grandeur,
Clothed with an unearthly splendor,
Thou to Him account must render;
O beware, beware!

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Heb. 9:27-28.

"There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus."

1 Timothy 2:5.

The Merciful Mistake

He lay in the hospital that day racked with pain and impatient to be out again with his carefree friends. He was a young man who had been thrown from his horse while riding. Now as he lay in bed, he was resolving to become master of horsemanship and was almost decided to take the law course at the University. Why, oh, why did the pain in his leg...

Suddenly everything changed for him. A sober nurse quietly brought a folding screen into his ward and placed it carefully around his bed.

The screen! That meant he was expected to die. Now, soon! The world began to collapse around him. Horses and law courses were forgotten. He heard the hospital clock chime one. Perhaps before it chimed again he would be gone. Why hadn't they told him before? He wasn't ready to die. Perhaps before the hour was passed he would be face to face with God. He hated the thought. Not that he had ever done anything so very bad, but he just hadn't got acquainted with God. He had always figured there was plenty of time. Why had he kept at such a long distance from God?

His life began to pass before his eyes and he tried to see it as God would look at it. He shuddered. He hadn't even kept the second commandment about loving your neighbor, let alone the first commandment about loving God with all your heart. For the first time in his life he felt the crushing weight of the load of his own sin, and groaned at the judgment of a holy God. Restlessly he tossed. His eyes roamed feverishly over the ceiling and walls.. That ominous screen! The dread ticking of the great clock!

Then the, answer came. It was written on a little placard on the opposite wall. He could just see it above the screen:

COME UNTO ME

ALL YE THAT LABOR

AND ARE HEAVY LADEN

AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.

—Matthew 11:28

That was it! Jesus Christ, the Son of God—somehow a fellow would be saved if he came to Him. The sick man remembered pictures of the Christ with His hand stretched out to help—and one vivid picture of Christ on the Cross. Yes, the Cross! Christ had died, and in some way that meant pardon for sinners and rest for the soul. This time he didn't stop to question it or argue it or put it off. He read the verse again: "Come unto Me... and I will give you rest."

Right out loud he said: "I will come! I do come! I come to Thee. Is it too late?"

The man in the next bed thought, "Poor guy, he's delirious now." But the man behind the screen was smiling. He knew it wasn't too late. A light shone into his soul. The burden of his sin rolled off and peace filled its place. He rested on the finished work of the Son of God and he knew he was forgiven. He had never been so deeply happy in his life. Now he was ready to die.

And yet, he wasn't ready to die. He thought of his own brother and the fellows he chummed with. Most of them cursed and scorned the name of God. Why hadn't he come to Christ sooner—while there was still time to tell them? If he could only have one chance to shout this wonderful news from the housetops! He would give such a plea from a dying man that would make the whole world wake up! If only—

Then the nurse came back.

"I'm very sorry, sir," she said, "there's been a mistake. We placed the screen at the wrong bed. Very sorry, sir."

To her astonishment the patient sat bolt upright in bed and said: "Sorry! Why, that's the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my life!"

Have you come to Christ for salvation? There may not be "plenty of time" for you.

Are you telling others of Christ as though it were their last chance? Today may be your last chance— or theirs.

A Red Russian Saved

This young Russian girl had known only atheism all her life. Naturally she became an earnest propagandist among young Communists. As a prominent leader of a godless group of Russian young folks she earned for herself the title "The Infidel." How marvelous to know that the gospel of God's love and grace finally wrought in power through the Spirit to deliver her from communism and skepticism, and brought her into the light and joy of eternal salvation!

Her repentance was deep and abiding, as she realized how many she may have led into the dark labyrinth of infidelity and wickedness. Her desire was, in some measure, to undo the harm she had done by owning her terrible guilt publicly.

Against the advice of some, she attended a meeting of the so-called "Godless." A Christian friend accompanied her to lend her support and to record the result. The latter states as follows: "After the singing of the 'Internacionale' Vasca asked permission to speak. She went to the front and gave a splendid testimony of her faith in Christ, and of what He had done for her. She humbly begged their pardon for her past influence in misleading them, confessing that she had been blind, and had not then known that the way she was following led to eternal perdition.

"As her speech ended there was dead silence. No one had interrupted her, and she concluded her testimony by raising her beautiful voice in singing, 'What a Friend we have in Jesus.' Then she was arrested and escorted from the hall.

"Sometime later I visited Vasca in prison. My heart was grieved for her. She is only 19, and young in the faith; but she loves the Lord and from the start resolved—at all costs—to confess Him.

"Often hungry through insufficient food, she was pale and weak, but there was a bright light in her eyes as she spoke of the peace in her heart.

"As she stood behind the bars, I asked her if she regretted the step she had taken? 'No,' was her reply. `If they should set me free, I would return to tell of the love of Christ. I am happy because the Lord permits me to suffer for His sake.'

"Later the young disciple was sent to Siberia. The only reason given was that she had become a believer in Christ. Vasca managed to get a letter to'er friends in which she wrote: 'It is not necessary for me to describe conditions here. You know them too well. I thank the Lord for grace given me. Sister Anastasia and I have been sent to the workshop. The work is hard, and Sister A— not well, so I do part of her work as well as my own. We work twelve to thirteen hours a day! The food is insufficient, as it is with you. My heart is so full of His love and I know His grace is sufficient for me.'

"In the workshop I tell them all He has done for me—a sinner; that I was lost, and He made me a new creature in Christ Jesus—a new creation. How can I be silent as to this? They condemn me, and each time punish me more; but I cannot be silent. NO, NEVER! Until the end of life, I cannot cease proclaiming His great love.'

"Desiring to publicly proclaim her faith by baptism, she wrote: 'Several brethren came, and at night broke the ice in the river and prepared a place where I and seven brothers were immersed. Oh, how happy I am, and how I long to undo the wrong I did to others, and all the suffering I caused before my conversion.' "

And so even in atheistic Russia, in spite of all the bitter hatred towards God and Christ, the power of God triumphs. The gospel which reached the heart of that proud and bitter persecutor in the days of old, "Saul of Tarsus," still revolutionizes lives and transforms souls. Little wonder that he wrote: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith." Rom. 1:16, 17.

Reader, has that gospel reached YOUR heart, and saved YOU?

Calamity

Throughout the past year notable calamities have befallen various parts of the earth. Explosions and earthquakes have suddenly cast the gloom of death over many communities. They became the foremost topics of conversation, and newspapers recorded them in graphic detail.

As in the case of the earthquake at Managua, Nicaragua, scientists have endeavored to explain the natural cause. Looking at the demolition of such a city, one would hardly expect to hear, from the midst of the havoc of fire, water, and rubble, a voice of love speaking to the whole world. Yet the God-opened ear can catch the undertone of His voice. He speaks, yet man perceives it not. But how, one may ask, can such catastrophes speak with accents of love?

Let us take an illustration from life.

A celebrated painter had been engaged to do a tremendous work of art. It reached to some height from the ground. Giving the finishing touches to it, he stepped back on the scaffold to view his work. A workman near, apprehending his danger, seized a paintbrush, and daubed the beautiful picture. The artist indignantly stepped forward to stop the spoiling of his artistry; but his wrath was immediately changed to thankfulness when he was shown how near death his step backward had brought him. If he had fallen from the scaffolding he would most surely have been killed.

It is not hard to trace the cause of the damage done to the picture, however beautiful or valuable it may have been. Because of the workman's desire for the artist's salvation from death, he had ruthlessly spoiled his work.

And may not God, in order to speak to man, allow the destroyer to ruin man's work? He may even permit calamities in order to bring men to consider Him, and their eternal destiny.

"When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when He hideth His face, who then can behold Him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only." Job 34:29.

The ruins of Jerusalem, compared with its former magnificence, are eloquent with loving warning to all. There is danger in refusing to listen to the voice of God. He speaks to nations and to individuals. Shall the calamities that have befallen the world have been in vain for you?

"A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." Prov. 22:3.

"It is not too late
To Jesus to flee;
His mercy is great,
His pardon is free!
His blood has such virtue
For all that believe,
That nothing can hurt you
If Him you receive."

Pay up!

Remember when the policeman stopped you and asked to see your driver's license? You knew you had just made an illegal turn. You were nervous— and repentant. He was very polite; but you still ended up with a little yellow ticket. You had to report to the police station within three days.

It was a ten dollar fine—normal penalty for such an offense.

Suppose you say to the officials: "I'm short of money this month. Tell you what I'll do. I'll attend church every morning and evening for the next two months."

"Well, that's a wonderful idea, sir, “they would say. "But that's not the penalty."

"O.K. I'll try to be a better husband than ever before. I'll take special care of my children."

The answer would likely be: "You're a fine man. There is always need for improving family relationships. But the penalty is ten dollars."

There's only one thing that would satisfy them: the ten dollars. That was the penalty. The good life, church attendance will not satisfy. Either you or someone else must pay your debt to the law.

God says the penalty for sin is death. Every other solution is no payment. Either you must pay it or someone must step up and pay it for you.

And that's precisely what has happened. "The proof of God's amazing love is this: that it was "while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us." (Rom. 5: 8).

For in all the world no other name has been given to men but this, and it is by this Name that we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).

I Come Quickly

What a short and strange announcement—I COME QUICKLY! Imagine these words posted in large letters all over the walls of your town. What effect would be produced upon the inhabitants?

As they awake one morning, and begin to stir about, they see everywhere around them the words, "I COME QUICKLY." What can they mean? They are on everybody's lips. The children on the way to school stand and stare at them for a few moments in mute astonishment. The business man hurrying to work wonders with perplexity as he sees at every turn the startling sentence: "I COME QUICKLY." Neighbors too gather together in little knots to discuss with curious interest the singular announcement that overspreads their city.

"I COME QUICKLY." What mean these words?

"Bah!" say some. "They mean nothing at all. Why bother our heads about them? We have no time for such foolishness. Let us be off to our business and our pleasures, and dismiss them from our minds."

Reader, we need not wait till some future day to see these words, for if you will turn to the last chapter in your Bible you will see the very sentence, "I come quickly," three times over.

Not a few there are, no doubt, who treat this message with scorn and indifference. So far as any interest on their part is concerned, that statement might just as well never have been written. And if they ever do give it a passing notice, it is but in the words of the last day scoffers: "Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." 2 Pet. 3:4.

These present-day scoffers continue to be as heedless as were the people in Noah's day; as certainly as they were destroyed, these too shall be overtaken by destruction when "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night."

On the other hand, thank God, there are those that believe this word. Is the reader among the number? If so, let him open his Bible, and read the last chapter of Revelation.

"Behold, I come quickly" (verse 7).

"Behold, I come quickly" (verse 12).

"SURELY I COME QUICKLY" (verse 20).

Does the reader say: something is going to happen; some event is going to take place; some prophecy is to be fulfilled? No, will he not rather say, Some person is coming? Yes, a Person is coming! 1 Thessalonians 4:16 announces His soon coming. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God."

Let this thought lay hold of the heart, that the coming of the Lord is not merely concerned with events that are to take place, and prophecies that are to be fulfilled, but with the return of a real living Person. Friend, that Person is none other than Jesus, the Savior and Shepherd now, and soon to be revealed as Lord of lords and King of kings.

"I come quickly," says the Lord Jesus. Yes, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." 1 Cor. 15:52. Before even this paper is laid down, Jesus Himself may come. Will your response to the thought of His coming be: "Even so, come, Lord Jesus?"

Oh, friend, turn not a deaf ear to the Savior's promise. Heed the solemn warning in the Word: "Surely I come quickly." If unsaved, His coming would for you be judgment and eternal darkness. Respond to His loving call while it is yet day.

"Soon that voice will cease its calling,
NOW it speaks, and speaks to thee;
Sinner, heed the gracious message,
To the blood for refuge flee—
Take salvation,
Take it now, and happy be."

Proof

She was a very intelligent young woman and an avid student of the sacred Scriptures. Yet with all her knowledge of holy writ she was a stranger to the grace of God. She had never had face to face dealings with the Savior of sinners.

Professor Kirk, a devoted Bible teacher, sought to explain to her the gospel of God's salvation and the efficacy of Christ's atoning death. He quoted as the all-embracing principle that marvelous John 3: 16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"Do I understand you to mean that God loves me? Am I to believe that Christ died for every sin, past, present, and future?" So questioned the young lady, and unequivocally Dr. Kirk's answer was: "Yes!"

"Then prove to me that the work of Christ is accepted in full satisfaction for MY sins: not simply that God loves me, but that His Son made full atonement for me."

"That is easy to do," was the professor's answer. "You admit that you are a sinner?"

"Yes."

"And you know that the wages of sin is the curse of death."

"Yes."

"Then I ask you how it is that, instead of receiving the accursed wages due your sins, you are the recipient of continual blessings? How is it that instead of being blighted by a single curse you receive thousands of blessings? It is indeed the goodness of God that turns one to repentance, and the greatest evidence of that goodness is the gift of His Son.

"It was God's own dear Son 'who loved ME and gave Himself for ME.' It is the shed blood of that same beloved Son that cleanses from ALL sin. Could our loving God refuse one iota of the efficacy of that precious blood? No! 'The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from ALL sin.' "

Tears were in the eyes of the questioner as she answered: "And I too am now satisfied."

"Precious, precious blood of Jesus,
Shed on Calvary;
Shed for rebels, shed for sinners,
Shed for ME."

Sin and Its Cure

The worst of all diseases
Is slight compared with sin;
On every part it seizes,
But rages most within;

`Tis palsy, plague and fever,
And madness, all combined;
And none but a believer
The least relief can find.

From men great skill professing
I thought a cure to gain;
But this proved most distressing,
And added to my pain;

Some thought that nothing ailed me,
Some gave me up for lost;
Thus every refuge failed me
And all my hopes were crossed.

At length the great Physician
(How matchless is His grace!)
Accepted my petition
And undertook my "case";

First gave me sight to view Him,
For sin my eyes had sealed;
Then bid me look unto Him,
I looked and I was healed.

"Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

Proverbs 27:1.

Saved!

Only a few people were astir on the beach, enjoying the fresh, cool morning hours. Had there been any watchers, they might have seen a strong swimmer strike out boldly to sea. Every stroke told, and put the shore at a greater distance from him.

He was in the very prime of manhood and he never thought of danger. On he swam, further and further out. At last, a little wearied, he rested for a moment, and thought of returning. As he headed back he found he had been carried far beyond his intentions. He struck out for land; but now the current was against him. His utmost efforts made little headway. Still he struggled on, until he was utterly exhausted. The beach was beyond his line of vision and the pull of the undertow was irresistible. As his strokes grew feebler, the realization of his serious plight struck home. What could help? In despair he turned on his back, and gave himself up for lost.

This man had been religiously brought up; yes, more: he was the pastor of a large congregation. He had lived an exemplary life and till this moment he had been on good terms with himself. Now he was face to face with death, and in his soul he knew he had no hope of eternity with Christ. He was not ready to die! One thing was lacking: he had no link with the Savior!

Horror seized him. The waves seemed to be roaring in his ears again and again: "When I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 1 Cor. 9:27.

He found that he had preached a Christ he had never known. He had told others of a salvation still foreign to himself! His life with its outward religious ceremonies he now loathed as mockery. All the forms and rites he had performed so conscientiously he saw now at their true value—"dead works"—Hebrews 9:14. As his mind tried to accept the physical death just ahead, his whole being cried out against the further issue: "and after this, the judgment." In either case he knew he could not help himself. All the work of rescue and salvation must be done for him-done by another.

Oh, it was not concerning his body but for his soul that he agonized there on the mighty deep. There alone with God, on the waves, a desperate cry ascended: "Lord, save me, or I perish!"

As the plea arose, the answer came: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." "Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Into his heart came the assurance, as he accepted those blessed promises, that Christ's work on the cross was for him. That precious blood was shed for him. Life and peace came to his soul—then unconsciousness.

"Father! Father! Look ahead! What is that on the water? It looks like—it is a man!"

This was the cry of the son of the skipper of a fishing smack. The father looked. He sprang to the oar, calling out, "Row, men, row for very life."

The men rowed, putting forth all their energies.

The skipper saw the body sink once and rise again nearer to the boat. It sank a second time. This time it might rise close to them if they made a desperate effort. "Bend to your oars for one last pull."

And it did rise within reach. Strong arms brought the apparently lifeless body into the boat. Quickly they used every means in their power to restore animation. At last, when willing hands carried him ashore, he was again a living, breathing man and not a corpse. Most blessed, he was living in two ways: possessing now not merely natural life, but eternal life. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life." John 6:47. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life." 1 John 5:13.

Some days later, seated in that same fishing smack, he recounted what the Lord had done for his soul when death and judgment had threatened him. He spoke to his rescuers of Jesus the Savior; of the impossibility of our doing anything to save ourselves. He extolled the work of Calvary—that work that must all be done by God's only Son, spotless, pure and holy—or we must be forever lost. With deep feeling he read to them from God's Word: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)... not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephes. 2:5-8.

As they listened to these solemn words more than one of those fishermen turned to the Lord in repentance for their sins and accepted Him as their Savior.

Unsaved reader, receive Christ now and be forever sure of a blest eternity.

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12.

The Duke of Wellington's Answer

When the English and French were fighting each other in the Spanish Peninsula, an English general had planned an attack on the enemy. He ordered an officer, whose duty it was to provide the troops with food, to have rations ready at a certain place by twelve on the following day.

At times it was no easy matter to provide sufficient supplies for the army and the officer replied that the rations could not be ready on such short notice.

"I cannot march my men without food," said the general. "I say that the rations must be there at twelve o'clock tomorrow."

"But, sir, it's impossible to do this," replied the officer.

"Well," said the general, "remember this: if the rations are not there at twelve o'clock tomorrow, I'll hang you."

The officer departed in a rage, saying to himself, "How dare he talk to me like that! Hang me! Hang me! We shall see about that!"

Wellington was then the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces, and to him the officer went at once to complain of the general's order. The Duke listened in silence. Presently he inquired: "Did the general really say he'd hang you if the rations were not there by twelve o'clock?"

"Yes, sir," replied the officer.

"Are you sure he said he would hang you?"

"He did, indeed, sir," replied the officer, thinking that a severe rebuke was in store for his superior.

"Well," said the Duke, "I know the general is a man of his word! If he really said that he would hang you, then if I were in your place, I would take care to have the rations there."

The officer went away, and the rations were there punctually at twelve o'clock.

Yes, when the man was convinced that his neck was in danger, he no longer refused to take the needful trouble to do the business promptly. He would not presume on the chance that for once in his life the general would not keep to his word. When it is a question of life or death a man generally takes good care to put himself on the right side, even if it cost him a world of pain to do so.

Whether for good or for evil, we can believe the word of a fellow man. Is God less worthy of credit? If we can be fully persuaded that a man will keep to his word, how can we imagine that God will not keep to His?

"All have sinned" (Rom. 3:23), God says, and "The soul that sinneth it shall die." Ezek. 18:4. Do you believe this, dear reader?

Oh, do not presume that God will not punish you for your sins, but accept His offer of mercy now.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

Death Rides the Skies

Shall I tell you of the first air raid in man's history? It happened about 3,000 years ago when the destroying angel flew throughout the land of Egypt. He did not carry bombs, but held the sword of justice unsheathed. No antiaircraft gun could bring him down, no fortification could keep him out. He was invincible and invulnerable. He was on a mission of death and destruction, and the only protection from him was the blood of a lamb applied to the lintel and the two side posts of the doors of the houses of the children of Israel.

The Egyptian masters of that land had cruelly oppressed the Israelites. Now God visited them in righteous judgment and the firstborn in every house unmarked by the blood was slain.

An agonizing wail rose from that stricken nation. Again and again God had tried, through His servants Moses and Aaron, to win Pharaoh the king; but he sought to compromise, and finally rejected God's commands and refused to obey Him.

Friend, there can be no compromise with God, nor with sin. Men and women seem to have deliberately shut God out of their lives and to have slammed the door in His face, as it were. Like those who murdered His Son, they say, "We will not have this Man to reign over us."

They refused God's love; they scorned His mercy and grace. They despised and rejected the Lord Jesus. Soon they must face this holy God in judgment.

God had said to Israel, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." Ex. 12:13. That blood was for God's eye and His alone. He knew how to value it. He has given the Lord Jesus as a sacrifice for man's sin. His blood shed on Calvary's cross is the full payment to everyone that believes. His Word, the Bible, bears uniform testimony to the shed blood of Christ as the only way of cleansing and shelter from judgment. Like a mighty river this testimony flows from Genesis to Revelation.

Friend, have you received this so great salvation? Are you cleansed from sin by belief in the blood of Christ? Accept HIM now and be saved.

"When I see the blood I will pass over you." Ex. 12:13.

"The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

The Works of Faith

Faith is a living power from heaven
Which grasps the promise God has given!
A trust that cannot be o'erthrown,
Securely fixed on Christ alone.
Faith finds in Christ whate'er we need
To save and strengthen, guide and feed;
Strong in His grace, its joy to share
His cross, in hope His crown to wear.
Faith to the conscience whispers peace
And bids the mourner's sighing cease;
By faith the children's right we claim,
And call upon our Father's name.
Faith feels the Spirit's kindling breath
In love and hope that conquer death;
Faith brings us to delight in God,
And blesses e'en His smiting rod.

A Deadly Foreign Substance

I was in fine shape—at least, so I thought. For some time I had traveled on government business more than one thousand miles per week. Thus I had an excusable pride in my physical ability to withstand the strain.

How like that is to the spiritual condition of many people! They look well. They are pleased with themselves, they are admired in the world and especially in the churches. They are honored by those who know and participate in their good deeds. They are doing their bit, as they think, in the great battle of life, and hope for ultimate victory in an entrance through the pearly gates.

But all unsuspected by me during this period there was forming in my body a foreign substance which was soon to lay me low. One morning on getting up to resume my journeyings I was seized by severe internal pains. Our family physician was called in. He was puzzled, and brought out a specialist from a nearby city. Together they took me to be x-rayed. Then my body which outwardly made such a good appearance was examined as it really was, and the x-ray photograph exposed sternly but truthfully the true state. A foreign substance was there. Furthermore, if not immediately removed, it would ere long cause a lingering and painful death.

Friends, you who outwardly are irreproachable, but inwardly are lost, ruined, and undone, what a terrible condition would be revealed in you if examined under heaven's x-rays! A cancerous foreign substance will also be found. That foreign substance is Sin, and unless it is put away it will sooner or later end in eternal death.

The entrance of sin is clearly shown in the Scriptures. "By one man sin entered into the world." Rom. 5: 12.

Not only does it enter into the degraded and low, but into ALL, for "all have sinned." Rom. 3:23. An unflattering photograph it is indeed, but an examination of ourselves by God's standard convinces us of its correctness. "There is none righteous, no, not one." Rom. 3:10.

But my X-ray photograph was not taken to show how bad things were. Its purpose was to guide the physicians to the proper remedy. So is it also with the photograph in God's Word. It is not given to insult us or to merely make us disgusted with ourselves; it is given to make us realize our need of Christ who alone can put away sin. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. His desire is that all should come to Him for life.

"'When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. 5:6.

Our sin demanded God's wrath and judgment, but the Lord Jesus bore our sins on the cross, being made a curse for us. Since He has suffered in our stead, the Just for the unjust, we may by believing in Him have all our sins put away by the precious blood which "cleanseth from all sin."

"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

The Old Railwayman's Decision

"I was at my old mate's funeral when the friends walked past his grave to take a last look," said an old railway man to some of his comrades. "I thought, as I looked down, 'if that were my body, where would I be now?' And I thought, 'I would be in hell, where no mercy ever comes!'

"I felt rather miserable, and the next Sunday I went to Tom's old meeting room. After hearing the preacher there, a lady said to me: 'Do you love Jesus?'

"I couldn't tell a lie, mates. I'd drink and swear, and was rough enough, but I could not tell her a lie. I said, 'I don't know anything about Jesus; what should I love Him for?'

"But bless His name, He soon found me out. What a blessing He did, for I should never have found Him -I didn't know where to look.

"I thought I would have a lot of trouble with my mates, but I did not! And I do thank God all things have become new to me now.

"My old companions, fare you well;
I will not go with you to hell-
I'm going with Jesus Christ to dwell;
Will you go?"

"Will you go," dear friends—any who tonight are out of Christ? Take an old railway man's advice, and decide tonight.

"When I took my ticket for glory, I found the fare had been paid right through by UP express, for Jesus had done all the work for me."

Anchored

The 16,000 ton tanker "British Sportsman" was berthed at an oil dock in Antwerp, Belgium. Her cargo, three million gallons of crude oil from Kuwait on the Persian Gulf, had just been unloaded. Preparatory for her return journey and to make the vessel easier to handle on the high seas, the emptied oil tanks were being filled with water for ballast.

It was miserable weather in late fall. The air was beginning to turn cold and leaden clouds dropped their loads of moisture with annoying frequency as they passed. A welcome sight it was when the sun came out occasionally.

After supper one evening some of the crew planned to stay aboard, and made themselves comfortable in their cabins. The others were preparing to go ashore when a sudden storm struck. Almost immediately a light shower became a downpour. The hitherto few gusts of wind blew stronger, and doors aboard ship slammed shut as it whistled through the passage-ways. It seemed that instantly a howling gale was blowing.

Suddenly and without warning there was a sound of grinding metal. The ship gave a lurch. People on the dock and some aboard ship began to shout. One of the deck-hands ran through the vessel crying out: "ALL HANDS ON DECK!"

Everyone from the captain down came running. The ship had broken her mooring lines and was drifting helplessly. Four large unattached cables and numerous broken ropes hung loosely down the sides of the ship. Her engines were in the process of being overhauled. Thus, having no power of her own and no firm attachment whatever, she soon was blown about a quarter of a mile out from her berth.

The captain hastily ordered anchors to be let down. When the winches holding the anchor-cables stopped whirring, we knew that the massive iron weights had struck bottom. But would they hold? Only if they could stop the heavy ship from drifting was she safe from following her helpless, dangerous course.

What a picture this is of every child of Adam! Man, woman, boy or girl, the whole human race was born in sin. Out of control, we drift toward destruction. Like this ship, we have no power within ourselves to work our own salvation. Nothing within us can prevent our going to a lost eternity.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:4-5, 8-9.

Before the "British Sportsman" could be safe and secure, the anchor, useless while lying on the ship's deck, had to be let down into the ocean to secure the vessel. Only when it was dropped overboard, outside the ship, and was safely held in the water's depths was it of any use in saving the boat.

How this typifies the need of every lost soul! Not by our own doings can we be saved. Our faith must be in a sure place outside ourselves—in Christ. He is the mighty Anchor that can never fail those who put their trust in Him. Will you trust Him?

Will Your Anchor Hold?

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love.

Will your eyes behold through the morning light
The city of gold, and the harbor bright?
Will you anchor safe by the heavenly shore
When life's storms are past for evermore?

Christ is the Anchor! He cannot fail,
For He is now within the veil.
He will hold you fast with His cords of love
Till He lands you safe in His home above.

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Romans 10:9

The Fatal Temptation

Long before our times Christian parents often recognized the insidious allurement that "the dance" held for their young folks. The beautiful gowns of the girls and women, the handsome attire of gallant young men, and the seductive strains of voluptuous music blended with the odors of flowers and perfumes to obscure in participant and beholder alike all sense of right and wrong. Could anything so beautiful be evil? Why, it must be fun, for all the dancers looked happy. So argued the very young; and sad to say, some of their worldly elders supported them in this mistaken judgment.

It was not so with Mr. and Mrs. Hauff. From their own personal experience they had long ago learned the folly and snare of following blindly such leaders of the blind. Through the mercy of God they had both been stopped in a downward course and brought into a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 14:12 had been pointed out to them, with the dire consequences of following their own way to the sad end—spiritual DEATH. Thereafter they had sought to honor their Savior as Lord of their lives, and to bring up their children also in His way. Towards this end they had tried to guide them away from the unprofitable practices and evil associations to which all are exposed in this scene.

However, the young are not prone to learn unpleasant truths by hearsay; and to Anna Hauff, their beloved teen-age daughter, an often quoted scripture was an unproved text. It was: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9.

Another scripture, an important admonition which Anna passed up as not pertaining to her, is found in Proverbs 1:10: "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

How much sorrow might have been avoided if poor Anna had clung to the answer the Psalmist gives to his own question: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word." Psalm 119:9.

One evening when her parents were absent, a group of her companions urged her to join them at a public dance hall. Anna had often watched others dance and felt sure she knew the steps. Oh, if she could only dance just once! Her parents need not know. It was not hard for her to yield to the enticement of her friends, for her heart had already deceived her into thinking that her parents were withholding legitimate pleasure from her.

Anna went; and Anna danced, not once but several times. And as she danced she questioned, just as Satan had in the garden: "Hath God said"—?

Suddenly there was a cry: "FIRE! "

In their excitement, everyone ran for the exits, as did poor, disobedient Anna. Panic followed, and the weak gave way to the strong. In the crowded hallway Anna stumbled and fell. The terror-stricken crowd rushed over the prostrate form, and poor Anna Hauff was trampled to death.

What a tragic home-coming for the parents! What sorrow for their disobedient child!

An official wrote: "I have often seen this young lady. Now I stand at the graveside. Oh, had she only considered and obeyed her parents! They tried to bring her up in the fear of the Lord, and to lead her to the Savior. The hour of temptation came; and through the allurement of the flesh, she fell."

Dear young friend, as far as we know, that was Anna Hauff's one mistake. Just to think—maybe only once, but it was fatal; and with what dreadful consequences! Take stock. If you are on that broad road, turn around before it is too late. "For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matt. 7:13, 14. Translated from the German "Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7.

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Saved in Three Minutes

As I came out of a gospel meeting not long ago, a messenger met me. He urgently requested that I go at once to see a young man who was nearing life's end.

I went at once. On entering the room I sat down by his bed. Seeing that the time was short, I came at once to the all-important subject. I said: "Friend, I see that you are very ill. Are you prepared for what is before you?"

"I only wish I were," he replied, giving me a look of despair. "If I could just be spared for two or three weeks I believe I might then be ready. But the doctor tells me I cannot live for more than a few hours probably." So saying he caught hold of my hand, and held it as a drowning man would hold on to a plank.

"Three weeks," I said. "Why do you want three weeks?"

With faltering voice the lad went on to give me his idea of preparation and conversion. "You see," he said, "there must first be conviction; then, time for a careful review of my life, and its sins. And then, there must be repentance, and godly sorrow, long and deep, to be acceptable to God. And then faith, and the new birth, when the heart by this process has been made ready. All of this must occupy some weeks."

Having given me this detailed account of "The Plan of Salvation," he sank back exhausted. He looked at me imploringly as if to say, "You see, you can do nothing for me; it's too late!"

"What!" I exclaimed. "Three weeks in order to be saved? Let me tell you that you may be saved, yes, in three minutes."

So saying I opened the Word of God, and read: "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name."

"If I give you this gold watch," I continued, "how long would it take you to receive it? Could you not take it at once?"

As he assented, I said: "The gift of God is eternal life." What do you do when presented with a gift?

Do you buy it or beg it, or wait a long time to be prepared to accept it? God offers His Son to you, and eternal life. He says, "He that hath the Son hath life." In order to have a gift you must take it; and in order to have the Son of God, you must just take Him."

With an earnest look he replied, "But how can I take Him? Do tell me exactly the way to do it, "he pleaded.

Turning to Romans 10, I said, "Here you have the way told you exactly: `If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.'

"Now," I said, "if you want to be saved just accept Jesus as your Savior, and tell Him that you do."

Immediately I knelt by his side, and asked him to follow me in a simple prayer of acceptance. "Lord Jesus, I come to Thee. I am a sinner, Thou art the Savior. I take Thee now to be my Savior. I trust Thee, I receive Thee, and I put my soul in Thy hands."

That was all. Then I had to leave, but felt confident that saving faith had been exercised.

Some hours later in the evening I called again, and was shown into the same room where the conversation had taken place. There lay the young man in the sleep of death with the calm of heaven on his face.

"Oh," said the lady of the house, "if you could have heard him talk to us just after you went away! He called us in, and said: 'Isn't it wonderful? That man showed me how I could be saved, yes, in three minutes, when I had been thinking I must have weeks to prepare to die.' Then he added, 'Oh, come and kneel down here; I want to thank and praise God, that He has saved me." '

The lady added, "Such a happy death I have never witnessed."

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

Propaganda

Soon after the United States officially entered World War 2 printed leaflets were given to the Royal Air Force by the British government to be dropped over France. This was propaganda of the right kind.

Although Webster defines propaganda as "any method for the propagation of doctrines, principles, etc., religious or secular," the word has borne a bad name because of the subtle and often false "propaganda" used to defeat whole nations. Every government knows that propaganda plays an increasingly important part in war.

After World War 2 the London Times printed the following sentence from a letter written by a high German officer: "What caused the most damage to us was the 'paper war' waged by our enemies. They daily flooded us with hundreds of thousands of leaflets, well arranged and well edited."—Reuter.

Quoting from the Times of even later date: "Propaganda has been one of the greatest forces of the world, and Napoleon was a master of it. But there was no comparison between its force in Napoleon's time and that of the present day. They had it on authority of the word of Kaiser Wilhelm that Lord Northcliffe had done more to win the war by his propaganda than any other force used."

Long before Hitler, Northcliffe or Napoleon, God was propagating the greatest story ever to fall upon human ears. Sometimes it falls upon ears that are indifferent or careless. Sometimes it is ridiculed. Many times it is denied. But that does not change this grand message. Millions have read it, believed it, received it, and have been eternally saved through it.

This greatest of all messages has been told in a hundredfold ways. "God is love," and He is anxious that men should know of His great provision for them. These are some of the invitations He is extending to you.

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6: 23.

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1:15.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Isa. 1:18.

This is God's propaganda: the words and promises of God. You have received it because God is interested in your soul's salvation and has used one of His instruments to give you this message. As you consider these quotations, and as you realize that your sin has separated between you and God, can you not see that the Son of God was sacrificed for your sins? Will you not believe?

"The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the Word of faith, which we preach: that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:8, 9.

Your Future

Want to know your future? Let's sit down here and write out the details. You can know what to expect.

This world is one of law and order. If you know the law, you can use it to your advantage. If you plant radishes, you'll get radishes. You don't expect pansies. If you plant wheat, you know you'll reap wheat. This is nature's law, and it cannot be broken. The One who wrote that law for nature wrote the same law for us.

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." Gal. 6:7.

You are positive of getting corn if you plant corn, but you may think you can sow one thing in your own life and reap another. God says don't be deceived.

You may think you can live for yourself. Sure you can—but you'll also die by yourself. You know: plant corn; get corn.

Can you think evil, read evil, hear evil, or watch evil without these becoming a part of you? Sow the wind, and you'll reap the whirlwind!

Perhaps you haven't done any outstanding evil. Getting ahead in the world is most important for you. Good and well. But then don't expect it to carry over into the next life. You'll reap what you sow.

"For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life." Gal. 6: 8.

How can you reap life everlasting?

A doctor, and anyone else with a goal in life, has to be willing to sow many long hours of preparation to reap the rewards of his profession. Is it not a tremendously good investment to sow to the Spirit for the few years you are on this earth, in order to reap life everlasting?

What is sowing to the Spirit?

Doing whatever the Spirit of God demands; living a spiritual life; desiring only to please God.

What pleases God? First of all, one must believe on His Son, Jesus Christ, who died that the justice of God might be satisfied. God gave that Son for you. It grieves Him when you refuse to believe on Him.

Secondly, one's whale life must express gratitude for this salvation. Whatever we do must be not for self, but for God's glory. Does this seem stifling and restricted? It is in truth the only happy way to live.

How to live by the Spirit may be found in the Spirit's Book, the Bible: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." Josh. 24:15.

You must choose today! Not living by the Spirit is, automatically, living for self. If your goal is merely the things of this life, you will reap only one thing: Corruption. Everlasting damnation. God isn't mocked.

Accept Christ today. God requires it of you, but promises a tremendous reward as well: "Far God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3: 16.

That's your future: You will reap what you sow!

Prayer

Stanley, the great African explorer, said: "Have I not joined the scoffers and smiled in contempt at such puerile ideas, and said, 'Prayers were well enough when we were children, but not now when I have lived so long without the sign of a miracle'? Yet prayer saved me, physically and spiritually.

"When my own jungle people have willfully misbehaved, after repeated warnings, I have prayed for that patience which would enable me to regard their crimes with mercy, and that my memory of their gross wickedness should be dulled; and after the prayer it has appeared to me that their crimes had lost the atrocity that I had previously detected in them.

"In all my expeditions prayer made me stronger, morally and mentally, than any of my non-praying companions."

Speaking of a desperate situation he writes: "And thus that night was passed in prayer, until the tired body could pray no more. But the next dawn, a few minutes after the march began, my people were restored to me, with food sufficient to save the perishing souls at the camp.

"I have evidence, satisfactory to myself, that prayers are granted. By prayer, the road sought for has become visible, and the danger immediately lessened, not once or twice or thrice, but repeatedly, until the cold, unbelieving heart was impressed.

"I have repeated the Lord's Prayer a countless number of times; but I must confess my thoughts have often wandered from the purport of the words. But when I have prayed for light to guide my followers wisely through perils which beset them, a ray of light has come upon my perplexed mind, and a clear road to deliverance has been pointed out." He adds: "When I have been earnest, I have received God's answer."

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16.

All Things for Good

A sincere and beautiful young woman dedicated herself to go as a missionary to India. Before she could leave, her mother had an accident. The journey to India had to be postponed, and for three years the devoted girl stayed and cared for her mother.

Before the mother died, she asked her daughter to visit an older daughter in the Far West. The young woman decided that she would keep her mother's request before sailing for India. She went West and there found her sister dying of a lingering illness. There was no one else available to take proper care of the sister and her children. Again her plans were changed. She stayed in the West until her sister died. Again, she felt free to plan to sail for India. Suddenly, the sister's husband died, leaving five little children, orphans, with no one to care for them.

The young woman wrote to a friend: "I can no longer plan to go to India. My mission is to stay in this lonely household and take care of these five little children."

The young woman was greatly disappointed; but she was cheerful as she set herself, with loving devotion, to a mother's task. Fifteen years she devoted herself to her sister's children. In her forty-fifth year, God showed her why He had held her back from India. In that year, she laid her hand in blessing on the heads of three of the young people whom she had mothered. They were sailing as missionaries to India. Her broken plan had been replaced by a larger and better one which God had for her life! She could truthfully say, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God."

Man proposes, but God disposes. Dear Christian, longing for a wider field of service to the Lord, take heart. Your disappointment may be His appointment to a service more complete, more suited to Himself. He keeps the feet of His saints, and often uses circumstances to point the way.

His" Word

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord,
With flowers bright and fair;
And every one that seeks may pluck
A lovely nosegay there.

Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine,
And jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths
For every searcher there.

Thy Word is like the starry host;
A thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler,
And make his pathway bright.

Thy Word is like a glorious choir
And loud its anthems ring;
Though many tongues and hearts unite,
It is one song they sing.

Thy Word is like an armory,
Where soldiers may repair,
And find for life's long battle-day
All needful weapons there.

Oh! may I love Thy precious Word,
May I explore its mine!
May I its fragrant flowers glean;
May light upon me shine!

Oh! may I find my armor there—
Thy Word my trusty sword;
I'll learn to fight with every foe
The battle of the Lord.

"He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."

Isaiah 53:5

Cornered in a Cabin

One of the great Atlantic liners was fast plowing its way across the waters of the great deep that divides America from Europe. On board a strange little scene was being enacted. It occurred in one of the splendid staterooms on "C" deck, occupied by two gentlemen who, until they met in the stateroom, were quite unaware of each other's existence. One was an officer of high rank in the army. The other occupant of the stateroom looked like a keen business man. To this business man the military man seemed strange in one particular: he would frequently pull out his Bible and read it. Then he would lay it down open on the table when he went out of the cabin.

The business man was annoyed, and his anger got the better of him. Finally, picking up the despised Book, he flung it on the floor of the stateroom—an action which was repeated on two later occasions. On the afternoon after the third affront was made to the officer, (for he was aware it was meant for him) he suddenly entered the stateroom. Facing his fellow passenger, he demanded in tones of authority: "Did you do that?"

He pointed to the Book on the floor. "Did you throw down that Book?" he reiterated deliberately and slowly. Still no answer. At last the business man blurted out something indistinctly but made no apology.

"Play the man and pick it up, seeing you say you threw it." Still no move was made, so he continued, "If you don't"—and here the officer locked the door—"you don't get out of this room until you pick up that Bible." He looked at his watch. It was early afternoon.

The passenger saw he was cornered, and he was no match for this powerful opponent if they did come to blows. Silence reigned. The same words were repeated, but no move was made. First bell for tea was ringing. Surely now he would relax and let things go; but no. The door remained locked and tea was forgotten in the game of patience. The hours trailed slowly on until the dinner bell rang throughout the ship. They were now decidedly hungry but not an inch further on with their controversy.

"Come on, like a man. Let's get to dinner. Just pick up the Book quickly," said the officer.

Conscience and hunger both agreed. So the business man bent down slowly, picked up the Bible, and laid it on the bed. Then came the thunderbolt!

"Just let us have a word of prayer before we go." Both were on their knees instantly, and the Christian poured out his heart on behalf of his roommate, pleading for his conversion. It was brief and definite. Then he added another surprise: "Come back from dinner with me and we'll have another word of prayer." It was audacious, but it won the day and both returned to the cabin after a hearty meal.

It was a different man now, a subdued man, who knelt again and listened to his shipmate laying hold of God on his behalf. Here was one who had a genuine concern for his eternal soul. He gradually softened until the tears came to his eyes. At last, quite broken down, he cried to God for forgiveness: "Oh, God, I've resisted Thee; I've shut Thee out of my life. I've tried to live without Thee; but my life has been a failure. I'm lost; I'm lost."

The very Book that had been so abused was opened again and made to speak. How wonderful and strange everything was! It seemed as if it had been especially written for him. The way of salvation was explained to him: how Christ has removed every barrier that stood in man's way back to God; sin has been put away, death vanquished, hell subdued, heaven secured for whosoever will. Then, with his hand on his friend's shoulder, the military officer asked: "What is it to be? Are you going to receive the Savior?"

"I have received Him, right now, and I want to thank you for all you have done for me," came the answer. And they rejoiced together.

Friend, are you too fighting God? Remember: He uses the Sword of the Spirit, His own precious Word. Do not dare to blaspheme that Word! He has set it above His name. Read it, honor it, obey it and rejoice in its precepts (Psalm 16:11).

It's All on Before

I was driving lately with a friend on one of the beautiful side roads in the Great Smokies of North Carolina. We came to a gate across the road, put there to prevent cattle from straying away from a piece of pasture land close by. When we were getting near the gate, my friend told me that a young man who was half-witted would be there to open it for us, and added: "Say a word to him about the Lord."

Sure enough there he was; and as we approached he came out of a little hut that he had made to shelter himself from sun and storm while he earned his few cents daily by opening the gate for passersby.

His face was a remarkable one. It bore the unmistakable stamp of one who had but little intellect; and yet it showed a brightness mixed with manifest simplicity that could not fail to strike the most casual observer. After a few words had passed, I asked him if he were happy.

"Oh, yes; quite happy," he replied.

"But you have not much to make you happy here," I said.

No words of mine can express the bright look that lit up that otherwise unintelligent face. Pointing onward and upward, as. if to a land far away, he said, "It's all on before."

No need to ask what he meant. The bright smile and the few words—so simple, and yet conveying so deep a reality—told of a portion that was his, far beyond anything this poor world could give—a prospect which all the wealth of this world could never purchase.

As we drove on down the road, my friend told me something of the gate-keeper's history. A miserable home, dissolute parents, great poverty, told the story of his earthly path. Five years ago, at a mission-service, the old, old story of the grace of God and the love of Christ to poor sinners had reached and touched his heart. In a moment, as it were, all was changed for him. His life, hitherto so dark and hopeless., was lighted up with the brightness of a Savior's love, known and enjoyed as a blessed reality. Earthly circumstances were unchanged; but what did that matter? It was., as he said, "all on before."

"As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit." 1 Corinthians 2:9, 10.

All-All

Edna Johnson was a Christian nurse and took her profession very seriously. Upon her graduation from nursing school, she had dedicated her skill to God. It was her desire to be used for His glory in ministering to the sick, whether in body or soul. In pursuit of her high resolve, Nurse Johnson found herself called for at all hours, and required to go to all sorts of homes.

One night she was returning home quite late. As she rose to leave the bus she placed on the seat a small booklet containing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. This small action was accompanied by a silent prayer that God would direct the message to some needy soul.

Hurrying up the shadowy street, Nurse Johnson uneasily realized that she was being followed. As she left the bus she had caught a glimpse of a rough looking man as he picked up the little tract and left the conveyance by another door. Perhaps he thought she had left something of value—and indeed it was something "better far than gold." Now she was frightened, and fear lent wings to her feet; but hurry as she might, the pursuing footsteps were faster.

Soon, almost at her side, the man called out: "Lady, wait! I don't want to harm you. I want your help."

In spite of her terror, this call for help could not be denied. She stopped to listen as he explained: "I picked up your book, Lady, and I saw by it that you must be a Christian. Will you come and see my wife? It isn't far, and—she is dying."

At first Nurse Johnson hesitated; but seeing a policeman, she hailed him and explained the request, asking him to accompany her. This officer could not leave his "beat" at that time, but directed her where to find one who could. With this protector, the little group were soon at the sick woman's address. The policeman offered to wait outside while the nurse went in to see what could be done.

The woman's husband led the way to a back room. It was dimly lighted, but on the bed could be seen the form of the poor sufferer. As. Nurse Johnson approached her the invalid called out with amazing strength in her voice: "Oh, tell me about 'ALL, ALL.' "

Her visitor repeated the words, "All, all." Suddenly into her mind came the remembrance of a gospel message Bro. Jay had given a short time before. He had spoken on the first part of Isaiah 53. When he came to the sixth verse, the nurse was struck with his emphasis on the two ALLS, and his remark to a young seeker of salvation: "Go in with the first ALL and come out with the last ALL; for 'all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us ALL."

Reverently the nurse quoted the precious portion; and was rewarded with the cry, "That's it, that's it!" As the dying one added: "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us ALL," her spirit passed into the presence of Him who had borne her sins "in His own body on the tree."

"Our sins were borne by Jesus,
The holy Lamb of God;
He took them all, and freed us
From that condemning load."

The Church and the World

A short time ago I was called to a small town on business. I had to spend the night in the house of professing Christians. I had known these folks for years and was aware that they took a prominent place in the interests of their "church."

My host had just built this beautiful home and furnished it with every luxury that money could buy. He showed me over the place with much apparent pride and satisfaction. When he had shown me all, he looked for my approval. I said to him, "Friend, this house wouldn't do for me."

"Why, what's the matter with it? Any alteration to improve it could be easily made, you know."

"Well," I said, "I want to live in that 'house not made with hands.' "

"Oh!" he said, and turned away to join a friend who had come for a game of billiards with him.

I was left with his wife and sister in the living room. I felt keenly the worldly character of this so-called Christian household, for they were all professors. Disgust rose within me at so much sham, and I suppose I was very plain-spoken to these ladies, for they knew me well. The wife, who did the speaking, turned to me suddenly with great earnestness, and said, "Mr. Parks, do you mean to say that there is no good in me?"

"Well, lady," I said, "we are told in the Word that God looked down from heaven to see if He could find one that did understand, and seek God; and what does He say about it? 'There is none that doeth good, no, not one.' Therefore, how can good be in you?"

"Why," she said, "you make me quite afraid."

"Lady," I said, "if I could make you afraid perhaps it might do you a great deal of good." After some further talk of this kind we retired for the night.

The next day I did my work and was to return to dinner at the same house. I came in about two o'clock with the brother of my hostess on the previous evening. She met us in the hall. "Oh, Brother John," she said, "I wish you would speak to Mr. Parks, for he made me so afraid last night."

While waiting for dinner, we two men sat talking together. I might say here that this gentleman was also a leading deacon at his chapel. He began the conversation with, "Now you know, sir, we can be too much occupied with the future. It is the present we ought to be occupied with."

"Well," I said, "I know for certain I am going to live much longer in the future than in the present, and I feel I do not think nearly enough about the future."

"But," he said, "you can get quite morbid on that line. You have only to do all the good you can, all that you are told to do in the Bible, and you will be all right.'

"Ah!" I said, "but I do not feel that I can ever do all I see in the Bible! Besides, there is the question of my sins that has to be settled."

But he would have none of it. He thought I was quite morbid, and very plainly said so. We went in to dinner, and afterward I left.

Three weeks later, one Saturday night, I received a message from a clerk in the employ of the gentleman who had pronounced me and my conversation "morbid." It was a shock to learn that the poor man had just died, following but four days' illness. Yet the man's own brother said: "My brother died a glorious death. He laughed and joked right up to the last!"

But I said: "Was he happy to go? Scripture says that 'to depart and be with Christ is far better.' "

"Well," he replied, "I cannot say he was happy to go. You see, he had such a beautiful garden, and he was so fond of his garden and disliked leaving it!"

He died. He was buried. He had a sumptuous funeral. An account of it nearly filled a column in the local paper. The minister proclaimed his virtues: he was a very kind man, very active in the church. "To crown all the rest," said the preacher, "he looked upon all his assistants as brothers and sisters in Christ!"

Oh, friend, do not be deceived by outward appearances. God judges the heart. Beware when all men speak well of you. Seek the honor that cometh from God only, for He has said, "Them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." 1 Sam. 2:30.

"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth."

Psalm 145:18.

Turn to God from Idols

She was an old Chinese woman and stood balancing herself on her tiny bound feet with the aid of a cane. She was listening intently to a missionary who was telling the story of Jesus to a group of native women.

"That sounds wonderful," she said to herself, "but the foreigner must be mistaken. I will ask the Chinese woman who is with the missionary if the story is true."

"Yes, it is true," said the Chinese woman in answer to her question, "and I will come and see you and tell you more."

The next day the Chinese woman went to call on her new acquaintance. She spent an hour telling her the gospel story and about the true God. Finally the old lady grasped the truth of the beautiful story and owned that great joy, and peace filled her heart.

A few nights later she had a strange dream. A bright light seemed to fall across the floor of her room and the idols on the shelf began to move. Then a figure who she knew must be Jesus stood in the doorway. To her amazement, all the idols scrambled down from the shelf. "Where are you going?" she asked them.

"When Jesus comes in, we have to get out," they replied.

When the old lady awoke, she had learned a new lesson. When Jesus comes into our hearts the old idols of the world must get out. Our affections must be set on things above. Like the Thessalonians, she now turned whole-heartedly to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

The All-Important Matter

Tim Burrows was brought up religiously, but he remained for years a stranger to peace with God. Then a noted evangelist came to hold meetings in Tim's home town. Young Tim was a student of oratory and went to hear—and criticize—this speaker. At that time this fledgling orator was preparing to compete for a valuable prize as an elocutionist; but the preacher's earnest discourse was the ever effectual "sword of the Spirit" to pierce the young man's armor.

Awakened to real concern about his precious soul's eternal well-being, the coming competition was no longer paramount to Tim. Now he remembered the many Christians who had urged him to "come to Jesus," but the way had remained dark. He was still "without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world."

One night he went to recite some pieces before his elocution teacher who, through grace, was himself a saved man. He expressed surprise at his pupil's uninspired rendering of the selections and remarked that he was behind with his studies. The young man's answer was, "I am far more concerned about another matter."

The master discerned at once what his pupil meant, and asked him to remain for conversation. The Bible was brought, and 1 John 5:9 was read: "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son."

The teacher remarked to the young man, "Suppose I told you that something extraordinary had happened in my house this morning. Would you believe my word?"

"I would," the young man at once replied.

"Why would you believe me?"

"Because I have confidence that you would speak the truth."

"Well, you see, whatever I say would only be the witness of a poor fallible man. If you therefore would believe, without hesitation, the word or witness of man, why not believe the unerring testimony of God about His Son?"

Light broke in upon the young man's hitherto darkened spirit. He raised himself up from the arm chair where he was sitting and exclaimed, "I'll go now. The scales are falling from my eyes."

The scales of unbelief did indeed fall, for Tim has been rejoicing in the Lord ever since. Often since then has he raised his voice in testimony for Him who came into his heart in saving grace.

Now, my reader, why not you? "WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED," not by our prayers or tears, or even our feelings, however important these may be in their place. Believe; take home to yourself what God has witnessed about His Son—that He died for our sins, that He is risen and sits at God's right hand in heaven, glorified because His work is finished. Peace will then be yours. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand." Rom. 5:1, 2.

Lord, I Come to Thee

O Lord, I bring to Thee
This sinful life of mine;
There is no rest for me,
Save in Thy love divine.
WEARY I come to Thee,
For, Lord, Thou callest me.

I own to Thee my guilt,
No merit can I plead;
But, Lord, Thou canst, Thou wilt
Meet e'en my deepest need.
SINFUL I come to Thee,
Have mercy, Lord, on me.

Take Thou this ruined life,
I yield it up to Thee;
And change sin's bitter strife
For peace and liberty.
HELPLESS I come to Thee,
For Thou hast died for me.

Sinful and weak I fear
To make my way alone;
Savior, I look to Thee,
Exalted on the throne.
I'd draw my strength from Thee,
For, Lord, Thou lovest me.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Acts 4:12.

The Power of Song

Ira D. Sankey, singer-evangelist and companion of Dwight L. Moody, told this story of a strange happening on a Christmas Eve. It was some years after the War between the States and Sankey was still a soldier boy. This incident occurred on a steamboat making its way up the Delaware River.

This Christmas Eve was beautifully calm. The stars were shining, and most of the passengers were on deck. Someone who knew Sankey asked if he would sing for them. He was standing, leaning against one of the great funnels of the boat, and raised his eyes to the heavens in silent prayer. At first he thought he would sing a Christmas song; but somehow he seemed—almost against his will—forced to sing the "Shepherd Song." There was profound silence. Then the words and melody rose upon the still night air, and every heart seemed touched with the spirit of the song.

As the last sweet note sounded, a man with a rough weather-beaten face came up to Mr. Sankey. "Did you ever serve in the Union Army?" he asked.

"Yes," was Mr. Sankey's reply, "from beginning to end of the Civil War."

"Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a bright moonlight night in 1862?"

"Yes, I do remember, because of a great sense of loneliness I once experienced." Mr. Sankey seemed very much surprised at the question and added: "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I too was on picket duty one night," said the man, "but I was serving with the Confederates. We had bivouacked opposite your lines, and when I saw you at your post I said to myself: 'that fellow will never get away from here alive.'

"I raised my musket, took aim, and was standing in the shadow completely concealed, while the full light of the moon was falling upon you. At that instant, just as a few minutes ago, you raised your eyes to heaven, and began to sing.

"Music, especially singing, has always had a wonderful effect upon me. I took my finger off the trigger. `Let him sing his song to the end,' I said to myself. 'I can shoot him afterward. He's my target, and my bullet can't miss him.'

"The song you sang then, was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly!

`Cover my denseless head,
With the shadow of Thy wing.'

"Those words stirred up many memories: I began to think of my childhood and my God-fearing mother. She had many, many times sung that song to me. But she died too soon; otherwise much in my life would no doubt have been different.

"When you had finished your song, it was impossible for me to take aim at you again. I thought, 'The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death, must surely be great and mighty!' My arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side.

"Since the war I have wandered far and wide, but when I saw you just now standing there praying as you did on that other occasion, I recognized you. Then, my heart was again pierced by your song. Now I ask you: help me find a cure for my poor sick soul."

Deeply moved, Mr. Sankey threw his arms around the man who in the years of the conflict had been his enemy. That night God gave Mr. Sankey the joy of leading him to Christ.

Friend, is Ira D. Sankey's Savior yours? Listen to these tender words: "Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

The Gospel of Christ

After a very fluent infidel had been holding forth in a public park, an aged farmer stepped into the center of the circle. He uncovered his head and stood for a moment, silent, his gray locks waving in the breeze. Then holding up his horny hands above his head, he said: "My friends, my hands will tell you I am a working man, earning my bread by the sweat of my brow, following the plow and tilling the ground. I am no preacher, but I owe a debt of everlasting gratitude to the God of heaven and to His gospel which you have heard lightly spoken of here today.

"Forty years ago I was a drunken bum. I had spent all I had in the service of sin and the devil. When I was homeless and helpless, the gospel of Jesus Christ was brought to me by one who knew and had proved its saving power.

"I had tried to reform but had failed in my own strength to free myself from sin and the devil. Others had experimented upon me with many remedies to raise me up and bring me into a better life—but they all failed.

"The gospel of Christ, which asks nothing, but gives all, coming down to the sinner where he is—'lost' (Luke 19:10); 'without strength' found me where I was— in the gutter. I cast myself upon Him in all my sin; and blessed be God, I was not disappointed. He became the power of God unto my salvation. (Rom. 1:16).

"I was rescued from ruin. I was made a new man in Christ; and the grace of God that thus reached me has kept me happy and satisfied these many years. I work for what I need on earth; I have awaiting me an eternal home with God my Father, and Christ my Savior, in heaven.

"I can recommend to you from my experience of the gospel of Christ, that it is all-powerful to ease your load and give you peace and satisfaction for time and eternity. Why not believe it now?"

When the old farmer had finished, there was silence. Nobody disputed his testimony, not even the infidel who had listened to the simple narrative of the grace of God. As the meeting ended, several warmly shook hands with the Lord's aged servant, convinced, we trust, that the gospel is the only remedy for human sin and woe. Friend, have you proved it so?

Never Perish

"My sheep... shall never perish." These are the words of Jesus, the Son of God. He is the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep; and now risen, He gives His own eternal life to the sheep. His own pledge is, "They shall never perish."

No, He does not say, They shall never wander; He does not say, They shall never backslide; He does not say, They shall never stumble, but He does say, "They shall never PERISH."

"Yes," you say, "but there are other scriptures which, it seems to me, say that a believer may be finally lost."

Now stop, my friend, one scripture at a time. Does Christ say of His sheep, "They shall never perish?"

"Yes," you reply, "but surely that must mean so long as they are faithful."

But He says, "NEVER."

Now which is right: your word, that a true believer may be lost after all, or Christ's word, "They shall never perish?"

If "never perish" means anything, it means one cannot be finally lost. There are no ifs, buts, or conditions of any kind attached, but a bare, unqualified, absolute statement: "They shall NEVER PERISH." You are bound to admit that at least one text of Scripture assures the true believer of final security. This being so, I have only to add that if there is any other scripture that appears to you to contradict or qualify this text, it must be that you do not understand that other; for, thank God, there is no possibility of misunderstanding such plain words as "never perish."

My reader, you run no risk in venturing your soul on ONE WORD of the "God that cannot lie" and "cannot deny Himself." Take this word as your sheet-anchor, and wait on God to make clear any other that troubles you.

Do you think, friend, that you could by any possibility sink into hell at last if, as a poor sinner, you had taken Christ at His word and relied on His "NEVER PERISH?" If it could be so—with reverence I say it—all heaven would blush to find the Christ of God unfaithful to His pledge. No, beloved friend, Jesus Christ is "a tried stone, a precious stone, a sure foundation," and "he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded" (1 Peter 2: 6).

The Coffee Break

Time for mid-morning coffee! I had joined my usual coffee pal in the cafeteria of the big corporation for which we worked. It was Monday morning, and the talk turned to a week-end drowning in a neighboring small river. "I cannot understand how anyone can drown in that little old river!" exclaimed my friend.

The drowned man was well acquainted with this river for he spent many of his weekends in its vacation area. He was a likeable chap; and although he had a paralyzed hand, he was a good swimmer. He should have known whether it was safe or not.

Monday a week later rolled around. My coffee pal was missing when I went for coffee. Another fellow-worker joined me. "Did you hear what happened?"

My heart sank. Yes, my fears proved true. Our friend, who liked to swim in "that little old river," had drowned in it the day before! It could not have been because the river was treacherous; it was not. Nor could one say our friend couldn't swim. He had won many swimming and diving contests. Then why had he drowned? An autopsy showed he had been stricken with sudden paralysis while in the water. Thus that "little old river" had claimed another victim.

What a solemn warning as to the uncertainty of life!

We may scoff at a hazard one day only to have it claim us a victim the next. It could happen to you or me! And what about the long eternity into which your soul would be so suddenly thrust? Would it be the blackness of darkness forever, or "eternity with Jesus" for you? Take heed, my friend, while it is today. For Scripture warns: "Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. 3:7, 8.

Where

Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, the second son of Charles Bonaparte, assessor of the royal tribunal of the island of Corsica, was born at Ajaccio in 1769. He had an eventful career equaled by few of the human race. During his ascendance he rose from comparative obscurity to the Emperor of France, King of Italy, and virtual Controller of Naples, where he placed his brother Joseph on the throne. Answerable also was Holland, with his brother Louis on the throne; Westphalia, with Jerome Bonaparte on the throne; and Spain as well.

The height of his fame was reached in 1812, when he assembled the largest army ever led by a European general. At the head of 500,000 well-trained men he passed into Russia. Though he was unconquered by legions of soldiers, the frost of a Russian winter compelled him to commence a precipitous retreat. The greater part of his mighty army perished in the snow, or found a grave in the icy waters of Beresina. Thus we see that "God's ways are behind the scenes, and He moves the scenes He is behind."

From this time "the little corporal" seemed to have passed over the summit of his hill of fame. Gradually he descended its sorrowful steeps, reaching the eventful turning at Waterloo on 18th of June, 1815, and the tragic terminus on lonely St. Helena in 1821.

Napoleon Bonaparte's remains were brought to France on board a man-o'-war in 1840, and placed under the dome of the Invalides at Paris. After lying there for more than sixty years, it was rumored that the body was not there. Some even assumed that Napoleon had taken an Enoch-like form, and "was not found, because God had translated him" (Hebrews 11: 5). The power of rumor at last asserted itself—the marble lid was lifted, and it was officially certified that the body was still there.

But, friend, it will not lie forever in this splendid mausoleum. Be assured that "the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28, 29). The dead, small and great, shall stand before God.

Concerning Napoleon in life, the opinions held are as numerous and conflicting as his many biographers. Concerning Napoleon in resurrection, we are safe in asserting: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25). Concerning the person whose eye now runs along these lines of type, we can speak with more certainty.

(1) For God's Word declares as to your present: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). If here and now, like the chief of sinners, you realize that "the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20), and "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," you will be "saved" (Acts 16:31).

(2) As to your resurrection, if through faith in the Son of God you have been "born again" (John 3:7), and become a "new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17), as "every good tree bringeth forth good fruit" (Matthew 7:17), you shall be in "the resurrection of life." If you refuse Him that speaketh from heaven, and remain in your sins, then as "a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit" (Matthew 7:17), you shall be in the "resurrection of damnation."

Ponder solemnly these words, and whatever may be the eternal future, wherever Napoleon the Great may be at this moment, make certain that through faith in "the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:19), you are begotten "to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."

The Unpardonable Sin

If there is one Bible passage more than another which is a source of worry to many a distressed sinner it is this: the "unpardonable sin." It brings constant fear to the unsaved soul. Yet the whole portion in which the words are found is a magnificent gospel for the worst unsaved sinner out of hell.

I was asked once to go to see a troubled man who feared he was about to die. At first he was beyond my understanding. He just sat and wept, seeming to be utterly broken down and in despair.

At last, when urged, he said: "To tell you the truth, sir, I've committed the unpardonable sin." "That's serious. Why did you not tell me?"

"I did not like to. I've committed the unpardonable sin, and I'm going to die, and there's no hope for me."

"There's no hope for you if you have committed the unpardonable sin. But do you know what the unpardonable sin is?"

He did not know and asked me to tell him.

At once we turned to Matthew 12. I said, "The Lord Jesus was here a man amongst men, and performing the most wonderful miracles. The scribes and Pharisees dared to say that the Lord did those miracles by the power of the devil. All the venom of Satan was in their accusation. Is that the sin you're committing?"

"No; I've never done that."

"Well, you've gone from bad to worse. You have done something that is a disgrace to your manhood. Does this make you think there is no mercy in the heart of God for you?"

"How do you know all this? I had a praying mother and father."

"You've never committed the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost?"

"No."

"Then listen to the message: 'All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.' " Matt. 12:31.

When the light of God comes into a man's soul it thrills him with a new and abiding joy. This poor fellow had not committed the unpardonable sin. He had gone to awful depths, but that verse covers all: "All manner of sin." No sinner in the universe can engineer himself out of it.

The light of the gospel shone into the distressed man's soul. He saw the fullness of it and could rest in what the Savior said.

Then a sudden cloud came over his mind. "I'm going to die," he said, "and there's my wife and children. What shall I do about them?"

"Oh, you are a silly man. The perfect love of God has measured our need and He is infinite in His resources. He has measured everything as to our sins and ourselves, our circumstances, and responsibilities. Cannot you trust Him?"

"I see it! Now I see it! God's love covers all."

And in the love of God he found rest.

Comic Chummy Smith

"Chummy" Smith was a soldier of the old-fashioned rollicking kind, apparently without a care or fear. He was very popular in his regiment because he had an excellent voice and a quaint way of singing comic songs. One night he was standing on a table in a canteen where his regiment was stationed, entertaining the men as usual, when the sound of singing was carried into the place on the evening air. Not far away a little band of Christian soldiers were pouring forth their joyous praises to God.

The singer of comic songs on the canteen table stopped and listened intently. Suddenly he said: "The Christians are happier than we, and I can't sing any more."

His friends urged him to go on, but it was useless. He had sung his last comic song. Crying like a child, he rushed to the barrack room.

I was unconverted at the time and could not imagine what was wrong with the mirth-maker of the company. I thought that he must be drunk; but I began to understand when "Chummy" went to the prayer meeting instead of the canteen, and returned to the barracks a saved man.

Chummy's conversion may be attributed to the happy singing of a few Christian comrades. The Holy Spirit may well use such as instruments to tell out God's love and grace. But Chummy's life subsequently bore fruit in telling out the Christian's true Source of joy and the reality of the happiness which he could never have known as a comic singer.

"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men." 2 Cor. 3:2.

Pardon and Power

The reception of the gospel is the real starting point of a holy life. Till that point is reached every effort to be holy is utterly futile. It is only the sense of pardoning love that can impart power for holy living.

Man reverses the order! "Prove," he says, "by a holy life that you are worthy of God's love, and He will love and bless you." But this is not the gospel. The Lord did not say to the sinful woman, "Go, and sin no more, and I will not condemn thee." John 8:11. He said: "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

His love is not dependent on ours. "We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19.

An Unexpected Song

It was in a large ward of a military hospital. Lying on a cot near the center of the long room was a wounded Australian soldier. He had undergone a serious operation and was still unconscious. Suddenly his fellow-sufferers were amazed to hear a beautiful tenor voice sing:

"When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Lord of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride."
It was that soldier unwittingly witnessing to his Savior! He continued:
"Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my Lord;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I'd sacrifice them to His blood."
The nurses paused to listen, and the orderlies stood at attention as the still unconscious man sang on: "See! From His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?"

Strange to say, no one was more surprised than the soldier himself when told of the thrilling testimony he had borne to his Lord by that song. How wonderful is the knowledge of the love of Christ in the heart and an appreciation of His sacrifice! Reader, can you complete that song, and from your heart won by His love, sing:

"Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an off'ring far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all."

"In whom (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."

Ephesians 1:7.

The Closed Shop

Gospel meetings were being held in a small town and handbills announcing them were printed and scattered among those who lived near. On Sunday morning two Christian men were out early delivering them from door to door.

As they went along one street, they came to a barber's shop. It was open, for on that morning very often the best trade was done. They went in and handed the barber one of the announcements. Looking at it, he quickly said, "No use to me; here, take it back. I am not coming."

One of the men said: "But why not? The meeting is not till evening. You will be closed then. Why not come? Seats are free, and there's a welcome for you."

Immediately he said, "Oh, that's true. I do close my shop before then. But just the same I am not coming. I know what you would say if I did."

"What would we tell you?"

"Oh, you would tell me to close my shop on Sunday."

"Nothing of the kind! You come tonight, and you'll not hear a word about closing your shop. But you WILL hear the gospel."

Assured over and over that nothing would be said about his closing up, he said: "Well, I'll not promise, but I may come along."

As the Christians went on they passed out the handbills with a prayer to God that He would incline the barber to be there.

That night as the meeting began, they looked around and soon discovered the barber sitting among some others. As they had told him, there was no word as to "shutting up shop" nor anything else put before the sinner as needful to be done. All stress was laid upon the fact that man is a sinner before God, guilty and vile; no efforts on his part could suffice to cleanse that guilt away. The barber had thought of at least one thing needful, "closing his shop." Now he was being shown his own heart as God saw it, and he learned that the heart is "desperately wicked." Sin is there, and all the doing of a sinful man is sin. If he had, as a sinner, shut his shop, would it have helped him as to his salvation? Impossible! The preacher said, "Ye must be born again." As payment for sin, Christ must be lifted up—Christ must die, or sin never could be judged in righteousness for man's salvation. Without belief in the power of that death for himself, there never could be forgiveness of his sins.

That night the barber lost sight of all he might do, and became absorbed in the thought: "I'm a sinner. I AM! Never mind about others."

Before the week ended he was in deep distress. Hopeless and helpless as to doing anything to work out his own salvation, at last he turned to the One who has already done it all. He accepted as for himself alone the triumphant cry on Calvary's cross: "It is finished."

The following Lord's Day morning, those two Christians were around with their handbills again. As they came near the barber's shop they wondered: What would he do? Sunday was his best morning for customers.

The answer was before them. The shop door was shut. Several customers had come as usual. They were startled to see, not the well-known barber pole, the usual sign, but a new one, a most singular one. There on the closed shutters was nailed a large text: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Friend, will you too accept the finished work of Christ? Simply believe. Receive Him as your all-sufficient Savior, and know the joy of a full and present salvation.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8, 9.

Under the Blood

Rob Kincaid was "skeptically inclined." Like Festus, he supposed, he reasoned, and he doubted concerning the truths of the Bible. Also like that rationalist, he thought it a matter of superstition on the part of those who affirmed that Jesus who had died was risen again. This, however, was only on the surface. Deep down was an undercurrent, restless and disturbed.

The truth is Rob Kincaid had had a Christian father, one who believed in Jesus Christ and feared God. His godly life had left its imprint on his boy. While quite young, Rob's mind had been impressed; and years of contact with the world had failed to brush away those early impressions.

Unknown to any but to God and to himself, he had gone through serious struggles with his conscience.

Sickness came upon him, and his once powerful frame was brought down by deadly disease to the weakness of a child. It became fairly certain that soon he must pass out of this world. An endless future was before him; a God whom he had sinned against was to be met; judgment was his appointment. He was awakened, aroused, and alarmed. He thought of his boyhood, his early impressions, and a life consistent only with his own will and vanity. What must he do? Self-righteous he had been; he was not so now. The truth had come upon him: "There is none righteous, no, not one."

Like the balm of Gilead to a throbbing wound, he remembered that his beloved father had spoken to him of the blood of Jesus. This soothed his troubled conscience; but at present he knew very little of the efficacy of that precious blood. He had not yet grasped by faith that it "cleanseth from all sin."

At this time the Lord guided one or two of His servants to visit the sick man, and they through grace were enabled to put the gospel of the love of God before him. He believed the gospel, received the Savior, and was saved.

The reader may now be prepared to hear that Rob Kincaid peacefully passed out of this world into glory, but no. Contrary to what might have been expected, and what even the medical men who attended him believed, the sick man rallied, rapidly gained strength, and appeared to be quite recovered.

Some had thought it a case of cancer; but now the still pallid cheek wore an appearance more like health. He became an object of interest to all, and more so to those who had a care for his spiritual state. Would he continue to show the same desire for the things of God, or would he now turn back to the things of the world? To our joy he went on, perhaps slowly; but his desire for the Word of God increased rather than decreased. It seemed as though he had been raised up to give assurance to others of the reality of simple faith in Christ.

But after a few months the old symptoms returned, and rapidly Rob grew weaker and weaker. Springtime was coming on. How he had longed to be raised up the previous spring! His desire had been granted. Now that desire as regards the coming of spring was gone. A fairer vision filled his heart as he now looked forward to where "everlasting spring abides."

One morning, too weak to arise, he had been reading his Bible. Letting it drop from his hands upon the table at the side of his bed, he said to his wife who was in the room: "The blood on the door; that's where I am."

These were the last words he spoke with distinctness before "he fell asleep." Under the shelter of the blood. Blessed place of security! Beloved reader, where are you? Are you sheltered? By what? If by anything but that which God in His mercy has provided, you will discover that it will prove to be like the covering: "narrower than a man can wrap himself in it," or like a bed "shorter than a man can stretch himself on it." "All have sinned and come short." Seek the shelter of the blood of Christ NOW, before it is too late.

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10.

Hearts Revealed

In the early spring of last year I saw a very striking proof of the truth of Simeon's words, that by the introduction of Christ "the thoughts of many hearts should be revealed." I was on the way by train to lecture at a suburban town.

Scarcely had I taken my seat when a lady offered me a gospel tract. She also gave one to each of the five or six others who were in the same compartment. The leaflet was very simple, containing only words of Scripture, such as "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

While he was reading it, one man exclaimed: "I hate such bigotry!" And then in unprintable language he began to denounce the one who had given him the tract. Since it was now a question of Christ and His truth, I felt justified in replying. Remembering the Lord's words: "He that is not with me is against me," I interrupted his abuse and said, "It is not bigotry to distribute the Word of God."

This remark called forth another torrent of blasphemy that revealed only too plainly that the speaker was a rank atheist. Knowing how useless it is to reason with one in such a state of mind, I merely warned him of his danger and of the awful position he was taking in refusing the Word of God. I added, "When God speaks, it is for man to hear."

The train now drew up at our first stopping place, and the atheist leaped out of the coach. As soon as he was gone, another gentleman remarked: "I'm glad you defended the Bible! I have no sympathy with such remarks as he made. Still," he added, "I have my difficulties."

"Indeed! And what are they?"

"Well, I cannot understand the justice of dooming any to everlasting destruction."

"Who has done this?"

"Why," he said, "it does say somewhere that God has chosen some to salvation and doomed others to destruction."

"Where have you read this?"

"Somewhere in Romans."

"No," I replied, "you have not read it there, nor indeed anywhere in Scripture. This is just a sample of the way in which the Bible is often dissected."

I then pointed out what God had said, and explained that while the salvation of any is of pure and sovereign grace, God in His mercy has offered grace to all. I mentioned that the last message to sinners in the word of God is: "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22: 17.

All therefore are without excuse, for the precious blood of Christ avails for every one that believes in Him. Earnestly, I sought to press upon him a present and eternal salvation through faith in Christ.

Almost before I had ended still another man commented: "I am a Christian, but I cannot go along with all you have said."

"To what do you object?"

"Well," he replied, "I believe in Christ; but I think it is presumption to say that you know that you are saved. I hope I shall be saved, but I cannot know this now."

"But," I answered, "is not the word of God the ground of our faith and the warranty of our assurance? This is what we read: 'These things have I written unto you... that ye may know that ye have eternal life.' 1 John 5:13. Doesn't that make it plain that God wants us to know that we are saved? It cannot be presumption to rest with implicit confidence in His own word."

Once again, I pointed out the value of the precious blood of Christ in cleansing us from all sin (1 John 1: 7) and that this work is forever.

As soon as these words had escaped my lips, the lady who had given us the tracts interposed and said, to our great surprise: "I cannot agree with you in that. I feel that I need the cleansing of the blood every day of my life."

In answer to this, I expounded the truth of Hebrews 10, the threefold testimony to the eternal putting away of the sins of believers by the sacrifice of Christ. "By one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified."

What a gracious provision God has made through the washing of water by the Word in connection with the advocacy of Christ, for the cleansing of the sins of believer (1 John 2:1)! When the Lord Jesus died upon the cross He bore all our sins—past, present, and future. Therefore all His people can rejoice in the knowledge that they are gone forever. In proof of this, the place which the Lord Jesus now occupies is at the right hand of God. For if He had our sins upon Him on the cross, it is clear that they must now be forever gone since He is in the glory of God.

As I made this final statement the train was arriving at my destination. The last occupant of the coach made a parting remark: "I am so thankful you have spoken in this way. Now I can see it clearly."

So far as I know no other effect followed our conversation; but the remarkable thing was, as noted at the outset, that the thoughts of every heart in that carriage were brought into the light by the simple action of the word of God. Surely this was no mean foreshadowing of that time when all must be manifested before the judgment-seat of Christ. Then, my readers, I ask with all solemnity, and yet with all tenderness: Are you prepared for this? Meet Him you must, sooner or later. And remember that "Now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation."

The Scarlet Dot

A critic was standing in Turner's studio, examining one of the latest of the great artist's productions. Apparently he was perplexed; the picture seemed all mist and cloud, hazy, indefinite and incomprehensible.

But Turner was a master of his art, and the critic did not venture to express his opinion as freely as he would have done if he had been surveying the work of a less famous man. He could, however, make nothing of the picture and was about to turn away, discomfited, when Turner himself stepped forward, and with his brush added a single dot of scarlet to the picture.

The result was startling. That scarlet dot brought all the parts of the picture into proper relation to one another, suggested the proper point of view, and made the whole work intelligible.

Is there among my readers one to whom the plan of salvation seems hazy and incomprehensible? Does the outline appear to lack definiteness, and is the whole scheme wanting in that clearness and simplicity which one feels to be so necessary in a matter of such vital importance? Does the subject seem to be beset with difficulties?

Perhaps you are leaving out of your account the scarlet dot! The "scarlet dot" of the gospel plan is its keynote. It makes every part of the picture clear and intelligible.

What do I mean by "the scarlet dot of the gospel plan?" I mean the atoning blood of Christ.

The blood of Christ exhibits, first, in all its gaunt and ugly ruggedness, the sinfulness of men. For if nothing could purge away our sin but the blood of God's Son, how great must be the sin! If nothing else could atone for our misdeeds, how unspeakable must be the horror of them! If nothing else could cancel our guilt, how deep must be the dye of it! The exceeding sinfulness of sin, then, is brought into clear relief by "the scarlet dot."

Not less clear, by means of that same precious blood, appears the righteousness of God. We learn thereby that God could not possibly pass over sin without its penalty being borne. He must, in righteousness, smite sin with His wrath, even when the sin-bearer is His own Son. The blood declares that God is a God of uncompromising righteousness, who never clears the guilty without atonement being made. He who imagines that God can be merciful at the expense of justice does not know the God of the Bible and cannot read aright the meaning of "the scarlet dot."

But there is yet another truth thrown into striking prominence by the blood of the cross: the greatness of God's love. For, if righteousness could not pass over our sins, love could and did give Jesus to die for them. In the blood that He shed for our sakes we learn, as nowhere else, the magnitude of His love. Rather than let us perish without hope, He delivered up His Son to death. Could love go further? Could a more tender, a more eloquent, a more convincing proof of God's love be found than that which the precious blood of Christ affords? No! That love is seen in all its immensity by means of "the scarlet dot."

Reader, have you ever gazed at the great gospel picture in the light of the scarlet dot? Have you learned the lessons which the blood of Christ teaches? Are you impressed with your own sinfulness and God's infinite abhorrence of sin and, at the same time, His mighty love for you?

If so, sure am I that you will never attempt to arrive at a settlement of the great outstanding question between God and yourself in any other way than by the precious blood of Christ! It will be your only hope, your only plea. It will be the foundation on which you build for eternity.

"It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17: 11).

Setting the Sails

When the famous missionary, Hudson Taylor, first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Near the Cannibal Islands the ship was becalmed and was slowly drifting shoreward. Savages were eagerly anticipating a feast. The captain sought out Mr. Taylor and begged him to pray for the help of God.

"I will," said Mr. Taylor, "provided you will set the sails to catch the breeze."

The captain hesitated, for he did not want to make himself a laughing-stock by unfurling in a dead calm. However, Mr. Taylor would not pray until the sails were up. It was done, and the missionary knelt and prayed earnestly for divine intervention.

A little later, while Mr. Taylor was still engaged in prayer, there was a knock at his stateroom door. It was the captain. Greatly excited, he told him to stop praying. "There's more wind than we can manage," he said.

It turned out that they had drifted to within a hundred yards from shore when a strong wind suddenly struck the sails. It was God's answer to His child's faith. Mr. Taylor could not have taken such a course had he not been abiding in Christ and ready to obey the leading of the Spirit. "Faith sees the heavenly legions, where doubt sees naught but foes."

"The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth." Psalm 145:18.

"Oh, 'twas love, 'twas wondrous love,
The love of God to me;
It brought my Savior from above,
To die on Calvary."

A Reaping Time

Take courage, fellow Christian,
And hail the light of day;
The Lord will come to take us
To be with Him alway.

The night will soon be over
With all its sorrows 'vest;
The morn of joy is coming!
With Christ we'll be at rest.

Our efforts may seem fruitless,
Whatever means employed;
The "Seed" is ever precious;
His word returns not void;

That day will soon declare it.
The fruit springs forth in light;
A reaping time is coming!
After the darksome night.

If we go forth in weeping
God's precious "Seed" to sow,
We'll surely gather precious sheaves,
Rejoicing as we go.

So courage, fellow Christian,
And labor while you may.
His "well done" will requite you
The sufferings of the way.

"Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Gal. 6:9.

"Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,... but with the Precious Blood of Christ."

1 Peter 1:18, 19.

Found Out

A man's guilt may be unknown by his fellow men, but nothing can be hidden from the eye of Omniscience.

Several miles out to sea on the east coast of Scotland lies a huge sunken rock. It is barely visible even at low tide, and is known as the Inchcape Rock.

Many years ago a buoy with a swinging bell attached to it was fastened to this dangerous rock by the Abbot of Arbrothok.

The clanging bell could be heard far over the water as the buoy danced up and down on the waves. Well did the sailors understand its warning, and many a time did they bless the kind abbot as they steered safely away from that dreaded rock.

Not far from this spot a pirate ship was becalmed. Not a breath of wind stirred the drooping sails. The sea lay shimmering in the brilliant sunshine, and the stillness was broken only by the cries of the seagulls as they circled in the air.

Sir Ralph the Rover was a daring pirate. As he paced his deck and looked over the still water, his attention was attracted to the black speck in the distance. It was the Inchcape buoy. A gleam shot from Sir Ralph's fierce black eyes as he ordered his men to lower a boat and row him to the rock.

Drawing alongside the buoy, he leaned over the side of the boat and cut the rope which held the bell. As it sank to the bottom with a gurgling sound, Sir Ralph exclaimed: "The next who comes to this rock Won't bless the Abbot of Arbrothok."

Then he returned to his ship and sailed away.

After many years of roaming and plunder, Sir Ralph at last steered again for the coast of Scotland. As he sailed in the direction of Arbrothok a storm came up. The wind rose to hurricane force, lashing the sea into a fury of crested ridges and black seething depths, and obscuring everything in a thick cloud of mist and spray. So violent was the storm that the sailors were forced to let the ship drift. They completely lost their bearings.

As night approached the wind fell, but the gathering darkness became even more dense than the mist. Knowing they were near the Inchcape Rock, intense anxiety prevailed among the crew. They could distinguish the dull roar of breakers above the sound of the storm. How they longed to hear the Inchcape bell ringing over the angry sea! But, alas for them, it had been buried in the depths of the ocean years ago.

Suddenly with a fearful crash the ship struck. It was the Inchcape Rock! A huge hole was smashed in her side; the water rushed in, and she began to sink. In frantic despair Sir Ralph cursed himself, and Sir Ralph perished with it.

Though he had escaped the punishment due his guilt at the hands of his fellow men, yet his sin had found him out at last.

The sins of a lifetime must sooner or later be confessed to God. Not a boy or girl, not a man or woman, can escape this exposure, for it is written, "every tongue shall confess to God."

This confession must take place either in the present day of salvation or in the coming Day of Judgment. "Behold, now is the day of salvation." The penitent sinner who comes to Christ NOW confessing his guilt receives full forgiveness because of the atoning work at Calvary.

But if a man refuse to repent in the day of salvation, he must in the day of judgment appear before God and make full confession of his sinful past. His own lips will prove his guilt, and everlasting punishment be his fearful doom.

Reader, are you still unrepentant? Are your sins still unconfessed to God? On which then of these two days shall your life's history be disclosed? Shall it be now in the day of salvation, or shall it be in eternity in the Day of Judgment? If you do not choose the first and the forgiveness offered, then the condemnation of judgment must be your portion forever.

But why perish when full forgiveness is proclaimed? As lost and guilty, turn now to the Savior before it is too late. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.

Chiang Kai-Shek's Discovery

A few years before the take-over of mainland China by the Reds, General Chiang Kai-Shek, the Chinese Nationalist leader, was seized by a junior general and held captive. It appeared at the time that he might lose his life. Eventually the matter was amicably settled; and what might have been a telling incident in Chinese military history ended tamely. However, it did become an epoch-maker in the General's life. It was revealed in a speech he made in 1937, shortly after he regained his liberty. This was his remarkable testimony: "I have been a Christian, as you know, for nearly ten years, and during that time I have been a constant reader of the Bible. When my sudden capture, and imprisonment took place, I found myself under detention without having a single earthly belonging.

"From my captors I asked but one thing—a copy of the Bible. In my solitude I had ample opportunity for reading and meditating; and there in my prison cell, reading and meditating upon that sacred Book, the greatness and love of Christ burst upon me with new inspiration. It flooded my heart, increasing my strength to struggle against evil, to overcome temptation, and to uphold righteousness.

"The greatness and love of Christ burst upon me," the general repeated.

Reader, have you, like General Chiang Kai-Shek, been overwhelmed with the GREATNESS and LOVE of Christ as it is displayed in the gospel of the grace of God? Have you appropriated the blessing of it? General Chiang Kai-Shek, in his hour of need and under most trying circumstances, found the all-sufficiency of Christ. The Word of God was his comfort in the few weeks of his imprisonment.

Will you listen to the message that Word brings YOU? "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Tim. 1:15.

Trust Him NOW. BELIEVE HIS WORD. Let the mighty love of Jesus flood your heart with its cleansing power. It will impart new life, the life of God Himself; as His own, your life will have new meaning and joy.

"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:11, 12.

An Agnostic Silenced

He was well educated and very courteous, but he was an agnostic. Having private means, he did not need to practice at his profession as a surgeon. He traveled a good deal, and visited relatives from time to time. Among these was a singularly attractive Christian lady, his aunt, who welcomed him always to her home, but deeply regretted his attitude to the Word of God.

One day I had an invitation from her asking me to dinner to meet her nephew. She believed I would be able with God's Word to combat the skeptical views which he discussed with her and his cousins and which they, "poor women," were not able to answer. I gladly went, and at table found myself seated opposite to him. Very soon, looking across at me with a pleasant smile, he said, "Do you believe in THAT STORY ABOUT THE FLOOD?"

"Every word," was my positive answer.

"In that case, your God must be a demon willing to destroy men, women and children in that fashion."

"On the contrary, His destruction of them in order to save humanity proved His wisdom and His goodness," was my reply.

"You will never convince me of that," said the doctor.

"Don't be too sure," was my reply. "You are a surgeon. Suppose you had a real interest in helping men, and noticing a disease in my arm that would otherwise prove fatal to my life, amputated the limb. Would it be 'correct to describe your action as that of a demon? The antediluvians, in proportion to humanity now, were immensely smaller in their population at that time than the man's arm is to his body, and the disproportion of the spiritual realm does not affect the principle.

"Further, to remove the arm made necessary the removal of the hand and the fingers. Men when destroying themselves with vice destroy also their families, as for example in the case of 'the drunkard. The arm may represent the man, the hand his wife, and the fingers his children. Would you be a demon to take off my diseased arm?"

"Certainly not," was the doctor's somewhat startled conclusion.

"Then where is your argument?" I asked.

He very courteously and intelligently admitted defeat, but hastened to say, "You cannot, however, defend His action IN CREATING MAN if you believe in His foreknowledge of human misery."

"Here again you are mistaken," was my answer. "That act, and its gift of moral relationship, proved His goodness and wisdom."

"Impossible!" was his exclamation.

"Not so," I said. "Suppose we were twin brothers, and that our father planned to give us each $250,000 on reaching maturity.

"Suppose he well knew that I would misuse my portion, but that you would improve yours. Would it be just to deny you your happiness because of my self-imposed misery?"

"No, it would not."

"In that case you must admit that God's goodness and wisdom were demonstrated in the creation of man."

With admirable temper and intelligence he admitted the argument, but urged that it was WRONG TO ENDOW HIM WITH FREE WILL, and that such an action could not be defended.

"In that matter also," I replied, "you can recognize God's goodness and wisdom. You are a bachelor. Suppose you had to marry, and that you had to choose between two women, one having no will and the other a will in every point opposed to yours: which woman would you marry?"

"The woman with the will, of course! The other would be a lump of clay."

Warm applause from the ladies greeted this admission as I hastened to add: "Just so did God the Father desire His family to have wills to choose Him, to be able to decide between right and wrong, light and darkness, heaven and hell. To have made man without free will would be to create a robot. God wanted those whose love would respond to His own, freely and without coercion. So He made man in His own image. Heaven will be filled with God's own children who freely chose to love and worship the all-wise Creator God."

The doctor abandoned further discussion. We later became great friends when he had ceased to be an agnostic. He professed publicly his faith in 'the Lord Jesus Christ, and supported his avowed profession by consistent Christian conduct for the remainder of his life.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. 10:4, 5.

Rock of Ages

In the middle of the 18th century, James Morris, a poor, illiterate Irish peasant, was living near Cody-main, Ireland. James had not enjoyed the advantage of formal schooling, and what little reading ability he had he learned by himself. Even this untutored ability was more than most of Jim's friends and neighbors could boast of, so that when he came to know the love of God in Christ Jesus, the unlearned peasant determined to use what skill he had acquired in reading God's Word to them.

So it was that James gathered into his old barn all who would come to listen. As his own knowledge of Scripture increased, James found less difficulty in reading and in presenting Christ to his friends, while they gladly heard the sweet story of God's love.

Then one day a visitor from England, a young sixteen year old lad, came in among the little company. He was many miles from his cultured home where he had often heard of Christ the Savior, but he had never been willing to yield to Him his heart. However, there was something in the presentation of the truth by this stammering backwoods preacher that carried deep conviction to his heart. In that barn he accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Thus it was that Augustus Montague Toplady was "born again."

Toplady, the young Christian, went forth from that unique sanctuary to become a mighty teacher of the Scriptures and the author of many of our most enduring hymns. The whole Christian world resounds to his "Rock of Ages," and thousands of hearts have been melted and drawn by his hymns to find beauty in Christ. How encouraging is the saying: "Little is much, if God be in it." Of James Morris the Lord can say in that day, as of Mary of Bethany in Mark 14:8. "She hath done what she could."

"Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Gal. 6:9.

Speak to Us, Lord!

Speak to us, Lord, when sadness fills our breast,
When days are dark and night brings us no rest;
When one we love with tortured body lies—
Dear Father, speak, and hear our plaintive cries.

Speak to us, Lord! At times our souls rebel
And question Thee, with doubts of heaven and hell;
Confused, unsure, Thy will we cannot see;
Speak, speak, oh Lord, and help us yield to Thee.

Speak to us, Lord! Thou gavest Thy only Son
For such as we; dear Lord, Thy will be done—
Thy will, not ours-so strengthen Thou our trust;
Help us to know all else must turn to dust.

All else save this: that Christ is Lord of all;
In life or death to heed His loving call
Renews our lives, and gives us safe release;
Speak, speak, oh Lord, and give us lasting peace.

Famine

Although one of the oldest of plagues, famine still menaces vast areas of the modern world. "Another great Bengal famine feared." "The famine bell tolls for the Nomads of Nigeria." "Present grain outlook a frightening world problem." News headlines such as these remind us that famine cannot be dismissed as a thing of the past. The threat of it is with us today. A U. S. authority has stated that today's shortages can be translated into as many as thirty million lives lost in the next year.

But while governments grapple with the problems of food shortages, how few people are concerned with an even more dreadful kind of famine foretold in the Bible!

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord, and shall not find it." Amos 8:11, 12.

How sad it is to see so many today who are closing their ears to the truth and turning to fables This is particularly so in so-called Christian lands so richly blessed with the Holy Scriptures. The Bible warns us that the day will come when the grieved Spirit of God will have left the earth, and the very Scriptures of truth shall, as it were, be taken from those who have esteemed them so lightly.

Then "shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst" (Amos 8:13), because the water of life which they refused shall no more be offered.

Thank God that in this present day of His grace, the word of the Lord still goes out to all.

"If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink." And "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." John 7:37. Revelation 22:17.

Christ Our Righteousness

(JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU)

Even when I was a very small child I was taught to "say my prayers." I heard nothing of Jesus, the Savior of sinners. At times I longed to be "good", and, like many others, tried to make myself fit for heaven. This I continued until I was twenty-one when God saw fit to send me a deep sorrow. A dear brother, the idol of my heart, was taken from me by death. My longing after God became more real after this; but still the Lord Jesus was a stranger to my soul.

About a year after my brother's death I had to leave my old home and go to work some distance away. I was among strangers there, but the blessed God led me into a Christian home. Their Christianity shone out and I soon saw the great difference between us. More and more I longed to be "a child of God."

Day after day I asked God to "make me good," to make me "feel better." How I missed the mark! Oh, it's ruinous to try to cover filthy sores of sin with rags of righteousness more foul in His sight. True wisdom is to strip them all off before Him, so that, by His grace His blood may cleanse and make us whole.

But as yet I was unaware of Proverbs 9:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."

One night I could not sleep, and hoping to induce drowsiness I took up a little book to read. It had been given to me years before, but I had not been interested enough to read it. It was called "God's Glad Tidings"; and as I turned the pages I saw an odd quotation: "That no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Corinthians 1:29.

Then how could I ever attain to the righteousness that would please God? I read on, and the next verses gave the answer: "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:30, 31.

Light began to dawn, and I saw for the first time the efficacy of the Savior's atoning work on Calvary. With solemn wonder I realized that the whole plan of salvation centered in Christ Jesus, and that by simply believing His Word and trusting in Him my sins were all blotted out. In Him, I found, I was free from condemnation.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1.

In the years since I received the Lord Jesus as my Savior, He has never, never failed me. Daily I learn more surely that He is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever." How blessedly I can rest in Christ, my righteousness!"

FRIEND, will you not yield to this mighty One?

He Speaks Peace

He speaks peace; His voice it is we hear,
Who speaks above the storm in accents clear;
He slept, He rose, He shows amidst the din
That He is there to bring salvation in—
He speaks peace.

He speaks peace: "My peace I give to you,"
That peace which He possessed-so real, so true;
"Peace I leave with you," peace His blood has made,
Such words of comfort has the Savior said—
He speaks peace.

He speaks peace, and shows His hands and side;
The wound-marks love endured, they still abide.
With gladdened hearts, we see our risen Lord,
And know Him as amidst us with that word—
He speaks peace.

He speaks peace, and sends us forth
In life to bear the tidings of His worth.
As servants of our Lord while here below,
It is for us to tell as well as know,
He speaks peace.

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."

1 Timothy 1:15.

The Brevity of Life

It was a June night in the North Atlantic, the season of the Midnight Sun. It was also the season when the warmth of summer begins to creep into the cold of the Arctic Circle and ice floes and glaciers break up into icebergs. Some of these are giants as high as 250 feet, and, generally, from 1,000 to 1,500 feet long. About seven-eighths of an iceberg is hidden below the surface of the water, and creates a serious hazard to all who sail the North Atlantic waters.

As an officer in the United States navy, I have been sailing the seas for nearly 15 years, often in he waters of the North Atlantic. On clear days, when visibility is good, the icebergs are not a great threat, as they can be seen from some distance away; but on this June night it was foggy, and visibility was very limited. Fog, as you probably know, is another hazard to the sea-faring man.

Our squadron of eight destroyers was steaming in formation; homeward bound; and all of the ships had lookouts up on the foc's'le (forecastle), to warn of icebergs or other hazards. The "International Rules of the Sea," under which all ships sail in time of peace, states that, "during fog, haze, rain or other conditions of reduced visibility, all vessels shall station lookouts on the lowest and forwardmost part of the ship which, in the judgment of the captain of the ship, is safe."

In making his determination as to the safety of a lookout station, the captain has to consider the wind velocity and its direction; the ship's heading in relation to the wind and sea; the state of the sea, etc. The captain alone is responsible for making this decision. On this night in June, the winds were westerly, as were the seas, and the ships were on a westerly course, riding comfortably, pitching up and down just enough to lull to sleep the lucky ones not on watch. It was 1959 hours (7:59 PM), when the signal to turn was sent out from the flagship to the squadron; and at 2000 hours (8:00 PM) the signal was executed, and all ships commenced their turn to the newly signaled course.

Earlier in the day, a patrol plane had spotted a large iceberg and had plotted its position and course. Then, upon return to its home base, the plane had sent the information out to all ships. We had just received this message telling us of this iceberg. Its position was directly ahead of us, in the path of our formation. To avoid a peril of collision, the squadron commander had signaled a turn.

At 2004 hours, the radio in the squadron commander's plotting room came alive and blared this message: "Man overboard, man overboard, starboard side! Am coming about to attempt pickup."

Two lookouts on the foc's'le of one of the destroyers were young men, one nineteen and the other twenty years of age. As their ship had altered course, it leaned over to one side, and the waves which the bow had been knifing through just seconds before, now struck the ship with a mighty force. Submerging the bow, the deluge of water washed the two young men over the side. We all realized that seconds were precious, for in the near freezing water human life could not exist very long. Immediately upon receiving the "Man overboard" report, the flag ship came about to assist, if possible, in recovery of the two sailor lads.

Visibility was limited in the fog; but when the ship came about the men on the bridge could see those in the water. The captain maneuvered his ship to get into position to pick up the men, but it was to no avail. Just four short minutes after the men had been swept overboard, they rose to the surface for the last time. Though the depths of the sea now claimed their bodies, we continued the search for hours, knowing full well the futility. As I stood scanning the cold, black waters through a pair of binoculars, the words of a song kept running through my mind:

"Life at best is very brief,
Like the falling of a leaf;
Like the binding of a sheaf,
Be in time!"

These two young men could not have known just how brief their lives were to be when they went up to the foc's'le to relieve the watch. Just 23 minutes after leaving the safety, warmth, and comfort of their quarters, they had been ushered out of this world and into eternity. Were their souls saved? I do not know; but if not, they shall never have again the opportunity to confess Christ as their Savior.

Dear friends, perhaps just 23 minutes after you finish reading this, or even less, you may be ushered out of this world and into eternity. Where would you go? The Lord Jesus Christ is "not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance." Oh, dear friend, "Be in time," and accept Him now.

The Kiss That Heals

One morning Evangeline Booth stood outside the iron gates of a city police court and temporary prison. Others were waiting there too, some out of curiosity and some because of an imprisoned relative or friend. It was a chilly morning with a biting wind, and the, circumstances and atmosphere were far from pleasant.

As the little group waited expectantly for the opening of the gate, the sound of shuffling, heavy feet approaching was welcome. The footsteps came closer and heavier; then loud voices were heard. One voice especially rose louder and more shrill—the voice of a woman. The gates were thrown open revealing a sight which only eternity can erase:— time never could.

It was the woman whose voice we had heard. Two policemen walked in front of her and two behind. One stalwart man held firmly the arm on the right, another the arm on the left. Her hair was uncombed, matted, and disheveled. Her temple on the right was blackened with bruises; clots of dry blood stood upon the temple on the left. Her clothes were torn and bloodstained. She tried to wrench her arms from the grasp of the police. The very atmosphere was polluted with her curses and her oaths. She tossed her head wildly as the six policemen dragged her bodily down the passageway and through the open gate.

Used as she was to such scenes among the poor creatures to whom Evangeline Booth had devoted her life, a look of horror almost wiped the pitying love from her face. As she later said: "Never have I felt so helpless. What should I do? One moment, and this golden opportunity to be used for God would be gone. What could I do?

"What could I do? Could I offer a prayer? No, there was not time. Could I sing? It would have been absurd. Could I give a check? She could not take it. Could I quote a verse of Scripture? Whether it was a divine command, I know not; I never stopped to find out! The impulse of a burning desire filled my heart as she passed. It made me step quickly forward and kiss her upon her cheek.

"Whether the police were taken off guard by my extraordinary action and relaxed their grip, I do not know; but with one wrench she freed her arms. Clasping her hands as the wind tossed her unkempt hair, she looked toward the gray skies with the cry, 'My God!'

"Looking wildly around for a moment, and then up again, she repeated: 'My God! Who kissed me? Nobody has ever kissed me since my mother died.'

"Lifting up her tattered apron she buried her tear-wet face in her hands. Like a little lamb she let them lead her to the 'paddy wagon' which took her to prison. Over and over she was saying: 'No one has ever kissed me since my mother died.' "

A few days later Evangeline Booth went to see her. She told us: "At the door stood the prison matron, swinging her keys around and around. 'Oh, yes,' she said, 'we've had her here many times before. Many times. Poor thing; now we think her mind is gone. She just walks up and down her cell, and asks anyone who goes in if they know who kissed her. Plain balmy!' "

Miss Booth asked the matron: "Will you let me go in and speak to her? I think I am her only friend. Please let me go in, right inside her cell."

As the door was opened for her, the Salvation, Army lassie stepped quickly inside. And how different the prisoner looked! Said Miss Booth: "Her face was clean, and her eyes were large and intelligent. Like a little child she again asked: 'Do you know who kissed me? When the police were bringing me in here somebody in the crowd put a kiss upon my face—the first since my mother died. Do you know who kissed me?

“‘I was a very little girl when my mother died. It was in a dark basement room, for we must have been very poor. She had called me to her and took my little face in both her hands and kissed it. And from that day on, nobody has ever put a kiss upon my face.' And then again she questioned: 'Who kissed me?'

With flowing tears Evangeline Booth confessed, "I kissed you; it was I who kissed you. A kiss on, your poor sin-marred face was all I could offer to express my love for your lost soul. But I can tell you of One whose love was so much greater and more tender than mine could ever be that He gladly came from His heavenly home to this sin-cursed, wicked world to suffer and die for such as you and me. He endured the penalty due our sins so that He might put the kiss of pardon on our brows."

Tears of pity and tears of sorrowful repentance mingled as the two women knelt and besought the Lord that this might be another trophy of His grace. It was clear to Evangeline Booth ere long that the heart that punishment had only hardened over the years was now broken and contrite before God by one touch of love and understanding. Beholding the shining eyes and hearing the happy responses to the old, old story of Jesus and His love, Evangeline Booth could only marvel and say: "What hath God wrought!"

A Sixty-Day Offer

Some countries have many secret visitors who do not want to return to their homelands. So they remain sometimes for years without any real legal right. They are afraid to go to the authorities for permission to stay, because they are afraid they will be refused, arrested, and sent back. Such people are known as aliens, which means "belonging elsewhere." Many of them are wanted at home—by the police, or not wanted —by their relatives.

In Canada it was believed there were well over fifty thousand illegal aliens. Recently the government decided to pardon all such offenders. Over one million dollars was spent to frankly invite one and all to come forward and apply for legal permission to remain in the country. It was a sixty-day, last chance, "all-is-forgiven" offer, and about fifty thousand came forward to accept it. Around four thousand applied at the 11th hour.

One man came just 15 minutes before the deadline. "Now I'm free, I'm happy. I don't have to hide!" he exclaimed.

Years ago when there had been a rebellion in northern Scotland, King William III made a proclamation that all who came and took the oath of allegiance by the 31st of December should be pardoned. Maclan, the proud chief of one rebellious clan, decided to return with the rest of the rebels, but resolved that he would be the very last one to take the oath. So he delayed his journey until December the 29th just two days before the offer expired.

Alas, a snowstorm hindered his journey and before he arrived to take the oath and receive the pardon from the king the time was up and past. While others were set free, Maclan was miserably put to death.

He started too late and arrived too late. In like manner many are in danger of losing forever the amnesty of the gospel. Many are going to be forever too late.

Unsaved reader, remember the fatal mistake that Maclan made! Come to Christ now.

"Behold, now is the accepted time:
Behold, now is the day of salvation."

2 Cor. 6:2

Jesus, the Lord

"He is a Path, if any be misled;
He is a Robe, if any naked be.
If any chance to hunger, He is Bread;
If any be a bondman, He makes free.
If any be but weak, how strong is He!
To dead men, Life; to sick men, Health;
To blind men, Sight; and to the needy, Wealth.
A pleasure without loss;
A treasure without stealth."

Sudden Conversions

I had been holding a series of gospel meetings in a tent pitched in a little country town. Among those who came from time to time to listen to the sweet and gracious message of God's salvation were a gentleman and his two daughters.

Each meeting they attended seemed to leave a deeper and deeper impression. It was more than interesting to observe their curiosity give place to interest, interest deepen into exercise, and exercise into real soul-anxiety. The three tried, at first, to disguise the inward struggle; but at last it was openly confessed, and I was invited to pay them a visit.

During the visit the father sat with heaving breast and tearful eyes listening to the message of peace. The mother busied herself with her needlework, apparently in utter indifference to the whole thing.

Presently a half-suppressed sob bursting from her husband roused her. She at once turned to me and began to apologize for her husband's "emotional weakness." Then, turning angrily upon him, she chided him for his want of manliness. "Don't make a fool of yourself," she demanded of him.

Next, she took up the conversation, trying to turn it from its very personal character into a merely religious discussion. She began with the remark: "I don't believe in sudden conversions."

"Oh! You don't believe in sudden conversion, Mrs. Wilson?" I answered.

"No; I don't indeed," was her heated reply.

"Well, Mrs. Wilson, I have not the slightest hesitation in saying the devil does! Furthermore, I believe, he is very anxious at this moment that neither you nor your husband should have one.

"Besides, there is not a shadow of doubt that God believes in sudden conversions. Did you ever read the story of the dying thief on Calvary? It is recorded of him that in the MORNING he reviled the Savior; at NOON he confessed Him as Lord; and at NIGHT he was with Christ in Paradise. That was quick work, wasn't it?

"Then we read in Acts 16:19-40 of the jailer in Philippi. One day there were put into his custody two of the Lord's servants. Scripture is careful to tell us they received at his hands the most merciless treatment. He then retired to rest with a conscience as easy as his heart was hard.

"Giving an account of his conversion, Scripture says, 'Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.' It woke the jailer up from his natural slumber. It likewise woke him up from his soul-slumber, producing in him a moral earthquake.

" 'Suddenly' his eyes were opened, and he found that he stood face to face with a lost eternity.

" 'Suddenly' the desperate need of his soul was plain before him. No laggard footsteps now—no time for delay. With light in hand he 'sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas.' On the very verge of desperation, he cried, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'

"Never was physician's cordial more readily at hand nor more eagerly appropriated than that short peace-speaking gospel message: 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' Acts 16:31.

"Observe, Scripture is careful to mention that 'he took them THE SAME HOUR of the night—washed their stripes-and was baptized... STRAIGHTWAY—believing in God all his house.' Genuine work and speedily accomplished, eh?

"Let me give you one more testimony, Mrs. Wilson. Saul of Tarsus; an eminently religious man, and yet a hater of Christ and the mad persecutor of the saints of God, was on his way to Damascus to prosecute his plans for stamping out the name of Christ.

"Giving an account of his own conversion in Acts 22, he says, 'Suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.'

" 'Suddenly' upon the ears of the persecutor there rang a voice from heaven.

" 'Suddenly' there streamed into his dark heart a light from heaven; and he, too, cried out, 'What shall I do?'

"Three days after this you will read he was full of the Holy Ghost, and 'straightway' preaching Christ in the synagogue that He is the Son of God. Acts 9:20. Pretty sharp work that, Mrs. Wilson, wasn't it? Too sharp altogether for the devil, that arch-enemy of his soul and yours."

"Well," replied Mrs. Wilson, "I don't think it can be jumped into all at once like that. It requires thinking over."

Many in this world confess to having thought about it for years, as Mrs. Wilson had. She certainly could not be charged with 'jumping into it all at once.' It is true she had thought about it, but she had stopped at thinking.

Friend, thinking about salvation cannot save you. God offers it to you now, saying: "Now, is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6: 2.

If men and women only knew their awful danger they would be in earnest to be saved on the spot.

Reader, there is no halfway ground. At this moment you are either saved or lost, SAVED OR LOST! Which?

Saved

Past the withering cloud of judgment,
Hushed the tempest's roar:
Sin and Satan's power can triumph
Nevermore.
Soon, enthroned in heavenly glory,
Savior, Lord, with Thee,
I shall share the golden triumphs
Won for me.
Savior, Shepherd, Lord of glory,
Teach me now Thy way:
Lead me in the path Thou troddest,
Till that day.
Till that day of cloudless morning
Dawns upon my soul:
And the gladsome songs of victory
Endless roll.
Keep me, Savior, in Thy footsteps,
Cleaving close to Thee:
Bearing shame and rude rejection
Patiently.
Let Thy love and sweet approval
Bear me up and on:
Pressing homeward to the goal, where
Thou art gone.

Lord, I Come to Thee

O Lord, I bring to Thee
This sinful life of mine;
There is no rest for me,
Save in Thy love divine.
WEARY I come to Thee,
For Lord, Thou callest me.

I own to Thee my guilt,
Na merit can I plead;
But, Lord, Thou canst, Thou wilt
Meet e'en my deepest need.
SINFUL I come to Thee,
Have mercy, Lord, on me.

Take Thou this ruined life,
I yield it up to Thee;
And change sin's bitter strife
For peace and liberty
HELPLESS I come to Thee,
For Thou hast died for me.

Sinful and weak I fear
To make my way alone;
Savior, I look to Thee,
Exalted on the throne.
I'd draw my strength from Thee,
For Lord, Thou lowest me.

"He (God) hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man (Jesus) whom He hath ordained."

Acts 17:31.

Echoes of Grace: 1974

Table of Contents

Out of the Depths

God, Don't Let Me Drown

Hardness

Old Hundred's Heart Trouble

A Modern Fallacy

God's X-Rays

Sin

Effectual, Fervent Prayer

God's Giving

Something Special for Me

Earthquakes

The Bird and the Serpent

Coming!

Out of This Life

That's What I Want

A Blessed Blunder

He Leadeth Me

Head versus Heart

The Great Physician

Looking for Jesus

How to Love God

Ye Killed the Prince of Life

Where Is Bill?

Workers Together

How to 'Cross Over'

Three "Comes

Afraid of the Consequences

Do You Feel Saved?

Hear and Fear

The Merciful Mistake

A Red Russian Saved

Calamity

Pay up!

I Come Quickly

Proof

Sin and Its Cure

Saved!

The Duke of Wellington's Answer

Death Rides the Skies

The Works of Faith

A Deadly Foreign Substance

The Old Railwayman's Decision

Anchored

Will Your Anchor Hold?

The Fatal Temptation

Saved in Three Minutes

Propaganda

Your Future

Prayer

All Things for Good

His" Word

Cornered in a Cabin

It's All on Before

All-All

The Church and the World

Turn to God from Idols

The All-Important Matter

Lord, I Come to Thee

The Power of Song

The Gospel of Christ

Never Perish

The Coffee Break

Where

The Unpardonable Sin

Comic Chummy Smith

Pardon and Power

An Unexpected Song

The Closed Shop

Under the Blood

Hearts Revealed

The Scarlet Dot

Setting the Sails

A Reaping Time

Found Out

Chiang Kai-Shek's Discovery

An Agnostic Silenced

Rock of Ages

Speak to Us, Lord!