Messages of God's Love: 1965

During the Franco-Prussian war, men were drafted to serve in the Prussian army. A wealthy Prussian gentleman was called to go to the war. The marshal of the town came to him with the unwelcome tidings, and ordered him to prepare for military service. His poor wife and family were quite overcome with grief.

It so happened that an unmarried brother lived with them at the time. He bravely volunteered to become his brother’s substitute. Then, dressed in his brother’s uniform, he went into the front lines. He was killed in the first engagement with the enemy and buried on the battlefield.

Later on a second call for soldiers was made and again the Prussian gentleman was called for service. When the marshal went to him the second time, the gentleman said, “I am a dead man; you cannot compel me to go.”

“How can that be,” said the marshal in surprise, “when I see you standing alive before me?”

“I am dead and buried in yonder battlefield, in the person of my substitute, my own brother; and the law has no further claim on a dead man,” was the answer.

The case was tried in court, and the gentleman was declared by Prussian law to be legally free. The claims of the law had been met once, and it could not urge them again. It had claimed the man once, it had gotten his service which was unto death in the person of another; it could ask no more.

God’s holy claims against sin have all been met in the death of Christ, the believer’s substitute. The sinner who becomes identified with Christ by believing on Him, stands dead to the law.

Complete atonement Christ has made,

And to the utmost farthing paid.

Whatever His people owed;

Payment God will not twice demand,

First at my bleeding Surety’s hand,

And then again at mine.

Dear young friends, can you say, “I am free from the law, for Jesus died for me.”?

ML 01/03/1965

Free From the Law

Free from the law, O, happy condition!

Jesus hath bled, and there is remission!

Cursed by the law, and bruised by the fall,

Grace hath redeem’d us once for all.

Now are we free—there’s no condemnation;

Jesus provides a perfect salvation;

Come unto Me! O, hear His sweet call!

Come, and He saves us once for all.

“Children of God!” O, glorious calling!

Surely His grace will keep us from falling;

Passing from death to life at His call, Blessed salvation once for all.

Soon He will come, the saints shall be raised;

We, who remain alive, shall be changed;

Then all, caught up, at His blessed call,

Changed to His likeness, once for all.

ML 01/03/1965

Bubbles

Jack likes bubbles, and chases them around the room. They are very pretty to look at while they last, but that is only for a minute or two, when Jack tries to catch them in his hand they are gone. Bubbles, therefore, are very useless things after all. They please for a moment, then pass away.

I have known many boys and girls, yes, older men and women too, who are very fond of chasing bubbles. Not exactly the soap and water kind, that Jack chases, but bubbles every bit as hard to get hold of.

Some are chasing the bubble of pleasure, very pretty while it lasts, but never can be gotten enough of to satisfy; at death it is gone, and often much sooner than that.

Others chase the bubble of riches and power; they want to be wealthy and great in this world. So eager are they to get hold of these great bubbles that they lose their souls in the attempt to reach them. Then they die with no provision for eternity.

Still others eagerly grasp after the bubbles of popularity and fame. I know many young folks who like to be popular.

But how foolish it is to chase these poor bubbles which only last for a brief passing moment, and then collapse forever. To possess Christ and the riches of His grace, is to have that which will never flee from your grasp. Dear boys and girls, can you truly say, “Jesus is mine?”

To have Christ and His salvation now, with a title to eternal glory hereafter, is no bubble, but a blessed reality. Let me tell you, there are hundreds of boys and girls who are in possession of these abiding realities. They have Christ as their Saviour. They are saved and satisfied, peaceful and happy here, and can look forward to that blessed home and rest in heaven. Are you?

“Those that seek me early shall find me.” Proverbs 8:17.

ML 01/03/1965

Rajji, the Hindu Girl

Rajji was about sixteen years of age when she was brought from her native village to the Mission hospital to be treated for TB. From the first, her case appeared hopeless, yet her parents would not believe it.

However, Rajji herself seemed to wow that her life would not be long, Ind from her first day in the mission hospital she gave much attention to reading the Word of God, and she given joined in singing some of the hymns. It seemed so extraordinary in the part of a Hindu, so we inquired into her history.

When she was but a little girl, she had come in contact with some Christians and had learned something about Jesus, how that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6). But at the age of thirteen, according to Hindu custom, she was married to heathen husband. All those three years that she lived with her husband, in her father-in-law’s house, she had never heard about Christ. However, Rajji was truly “born again,” divine life was in her, and she testified for Christ as her Saviour. One day she left earth with its sorrow and suffering behind forever, and went to that happy land to be with Jesus forever.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4.

“Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.

“Open their eyes, and... turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.” Acts 26:18.

ML 01/03/1965

Bible Questions for January

The Children’s Class

1.“Promised before the world began.”

2.“That bringeth salvation.”

3.“According to His mercy.”

4.“Faith, which thou host.”

5.“By the word of His power.”

6.“Crowned with glory and honor.”

7.“An evil heart of unbelief.”

The Young People’s Class The Glory of God

1.How is THE GLORY OF GOD manifest to everyone of all generations? Psalms 19.

2.How have we all come short of THE GLORY OF GOD? Rom.

3.How can the Christian show forth THE GLORY OF GOD in his life? 1 Corinthians 10.

4.How does the abundant grace of God resound to THE GLORY OF GOD? 2 Cor.

5.What miracle did the Lord perform to display THE GLORY OF GOD? John 11.

6.What will every tongue confess in a coming day to THE GLORY OF GOD? Phil.

7.How will the GLORY OF GOD be manifest in the millennial scene? Revelation 21.

ML 01/03/1965

Bible Talks: Genesis 11:29-31

Genesis 11:29-31

“Terah begat Abram, Nahor, Haran; and Haran begat Lot.... And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah,...” vv. 27,29. Haran died before his father, leaving his son, Lot, who attached himself to his uncle Abram, much to the latter’s grief in later years.

“And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot... and Sarai...; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.” It was a long joey that they undertook, well over 600 miles from Ur to Haran, and that far again to Canaan.

Now Abram had had a distinct call from the Lord to leave his country and kindred to go into a land which the Lord would show him (Gen. 12:1). But at first he only partially obeyed the call. He did not leave his father’s house, for his father went along. This is often the case with those whom the Lord calls for special service. He not only did not separate from his father’s house, but he went only halfway. He did not complete the journey until after his father had died, after natural ties were broken.

The path of faith is a path of separation from this world, and very often the Lord’s people stop halfway, instead of seeking grace and wisdom for the path as marked out in the Scriptures. They allow friendships and relationships to interfere. They may leave that which in deep exercise of soul has become a great burden to them, but they stop at something which is perhaps a little nearer the truth, yet still is just a halfway house after all.

Some may wonder why they went northward by the way of Haran, instead of going straight west to Canaan. But it does not appear that the Lord told him at first what was the final destination of the journey, for He desires to have the exercise of faith for each step of the way.

The more direct way would have been across the desert, a journey over a route with many hazards along its course. In a later day the Lord did not lead the children of Israel in the more direct route, by way of the Philistines, lest they be discouraged by their warlike attitude, but took them by a way that led around these nations.

We are told that “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” Psalms 103:13,14.

The path of faith is in a sense one in which we cannot see far ahead. We journey on it from day to day in dependence on the Lord for guidance. Matthew 7:13,14 is a good description of it. We may be sure that Abram’s journey was one that required a constant prayerful attitude for guidance each step of the way in order that he might carry out the purposes of his call. There may have been a letting down in this when they first arrived in Haran. It may have looked pleasant to the eyes, and so they remained there, perhaps much longer than he first thought of, but this is the way if we lean on our own understanding instead of waiting on the Lord for His guidance.

Memory Verse: “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” Job 22:21.

ML 01/03/1965

"Past Redemption Point"

The waters of the English Channel flowed broad and deep. Hitherto they had never been crossed in their entire breadth by a human swimmer. Fired with ambition to do what none had done before, and conscious of his great muscular powers, the celebrated swimmer Webb swam those twenty-five miles and set foot on the coast of France. Once more the overruling providence of God guarded him from the dangers of the deep, and spared him a little longer in His long-suffering mercy.

Often in the water, and always unharmed, he seemed to think he bore a charmed life. And so, one day looking at the boiling current of Niagara, he determined to risk his life for fame—fame that never yet satisfied any yearning human heart. “It’s all luck, in the end,” he declared. “I don’t think about that; I’m going to take my chance.”

For the last time, though he knew it not, he dressed in his familiar swim suit, and took that fatal leap out into the angry whirling torrent. Rising from his dive as usual, he floated for a moment and then began those powerful strokes. But the eddying waters had him as a straw in their giant grasp. He was hurled unseen and powerless into the vortex he had so madly braved—lost in sight of thousands standing in safety around him, safe themselves, but with no power to help him.

On the shore of that great river is a rock called “Past Redemption Point.” It is only a little cape jutting into the water, unnoticed by travelers, but beyond it no human being has ever been known to be saved. On one side is life, hope, and salvation; on the other, death, despair, destruction; and only such a little way apart.

In the ever flowing stream of life we are daily drawing near the point from whence no traveler returns. Oh, dear unsaved reader, you do not know how soon you may drift past “redemption point”—that whisper in your heart today of a text learned at your mother’s knees; that wonderful preservation in a moment of great danger; that day you went to a funeral and looked into the open grave; that illness when you felt so near God and eternity; that night at the gospel meeting when you halted between two opinions. Oh! who shall say when the voice of the Spirit shall plead with you for the last time. Can you tell which of these circumstances shall be the “Past Redemption Point” of your life? God says, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man.” Genesis 6:3. “Quench not the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19.

Remember! there will come the last time when you will go forth to your daily duties, and you will not know it is the last.

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

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

ML 01/10/1965

Snow White

Great white snowflakes had been falling all day long. The roads and fields were covered with snow. Our annual Sunday school treat was to be held in the schoolroom, two miles from our house, and I had been eagerly looking forward to that event. A stranger from a distance was coming to speak to the children, and he was to stay at our house overnight. The storm passed away, and to my great delight I started off across the sparing snow with the moon shining brightly overhead.

We had a good time. Lots of sandwiches, buns, and cakes and drinks first; then prizes and gifts, and last of all, a short interesting gospel address from the stranger who had come from the city.

After the meeting, I was introduced to the stranger, who was to stay at our house, and I was to be his guide down the road and across the fields to our home. I felt very proud, I assure you. As we walked along over the crisp, sparkling snow, with the full moon shining down in all her splendor, we chatted together quite freely. After a while the stranger suggested that we should sing his favorite hymn, the chorus of which goes like this:

Though your sins be red, as by crimson dyed

And deep as the scarlet’s glow,

Yet by trusting in Jesus the crucified,

They shall be white as snow.

“Are you white as snow, Jack,” my friend asked? I did not know what to answer. Although I knew the way to be saved, I could not say that I was saved. The word went like an arrow to my heart, and I never had a moment’s rest until I too trusted the precious blood of Jesus, and by it was made white as snow.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18.

“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalms 51:7.

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

ML 01/10/1965

Margie

Ever since I was a little girl I knew that I was a sinner and was more or less anxious to be saved. But where I lived it seemed there were few to whom I could turn and unburden my heart or seek help on eternal things. Where I lived there was only the old stone church, with one long dreary sermon in the week, and my home was five miles away, so that in winter I seldom got there. Now and then a stranger would come and speak of conversion, but after a few days’ discussion of the subject among the church members, things settled down to the old dull routine.

Then one week-end I visited my cousin, Fran, who was a bright Christian. She seemed so very happy, and I was astonished to hear her speak with such assurance of how she was saved and on her way to heaven. It aroused all my former thoughts and anxieties, and set me longing to have the same salvation she possessed and enjoyed.

Sitting by the fireside one night, after the rest had all gone to bed, my cousin put this straight question, “Margie, are you saved?”

I answered, “No, Fran, I am not, but I want to be.”

“I have prayed for your conversion since I was saved,” said Fran tenderly. “I believe God has brought you here at this time to have the matter settled.”

“I have tried my best to attain to it,” I said, and so I had. For, groping in the dark as I was, I had prayed and striven, expecting to earn salvation by my own efforts.

“Let me read you the text that showed me the way,” said my cousin, and opening her Bible she read and explained the story of how in Acts 16, the Philippian jailer was converted.

“What must I do to be saved?... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:30,31.

I had never heard that story bore.

“It is not by doing or trying, you see, Margie, but by believing,” said Fran. “That is, trusting Another who has already done everything for you. Jesus died to put your sins away, and if you will believe what God says of Him and trust Him as your Saviour, you can be saved right now.”

That moment, the light of the gospel entered my heart. I saw that Christ had finished the work, and that in believing Him, I was saved. Now I love to quote and repeat the text that set me free: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

Praise His name, I have seen many a soul since then set free by the power of that word.

Now, back home, the children from the neighborhood farms come to our house, and I read to them stories from the Bible and other books, and seek to lead them to the Saviour who saved me and brought me to Himself.

Often in the evening we stand under the trees on our lawn and under the moonlight we sing His praise.

“Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood... to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5,6

ML 01/10/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 11:31,32

Genesis 11:31,32

In our last reading we learned 1 of Terah, Abram, Sarai and Lot journeying from Ur to Haran. The Spirit of God is pleased to let us know just what took place to bring this about: “The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran (Haran), and said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.” Acts 7:2,3.

It was not Terah, the father, who induced his family to leave home. No, it was Abram, his heart stirring with a revelation from God Himself, who answered the call to leave that dead scene. In what manner God appeared to him we do not know, but by whatever means, it was as “the God of glory”—surely an amazing and awesome experience for Abram who apparently knew no god but his own idols in that distant land. What a remarkable example of divine grace this is! But such is ever God’s way with the lost. The Lord could say, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:13. Romans 5:8 tells us: “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

What a mistake it is for any to think that God will only look on the sinner when he has cleansed his way and “made himself acceptable” by good works. Abram, we may be sure, was not aware how far he was from God, until God’s divine grace came to him. Marvelous love that searches out the sinner and says, “Come unto Me,” even as the Good Shepherd searches out the lost sheep and brings it safely home to the fold! Perhaps the reader is one whom God is searching out this day.

While it is true that God cannot allow sin in His presence, He does not require that we first put away our sins and then come to Him. No, that would be impossible for us to do, because without a new life we cannot overcome sin; we are under Satan’s power. Instead, God shows us what we are in our lost state; He exposes the evil and worthlessness of all that marks our godless ways, and then shows us the worth of all He offers. When we taste His love in offering up His Son for our sins, when we see and own our sinful, helpless condition, and accept that atoning work, then we are transformed—no longer servants of sin, but servants to Him who loves us and has bought us with His own blood.

It was just in this manner that God awakened Abram. He revealed His glory to him, freely gave him a better calling and it was then that Abram put aside his gods, answered the call and determined to separate himself from the poor and paltry things of Ur. The Thessalonians of a later day also “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven”. 1 Thessalonians 1:9. What a happy change for every believer who finds his needs met and heart satisfied in God’s love through His Son.

Memory Verse: “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the son of man also confess bore the angels of God.” Luke 12:8.

ML 01/10/1965

A Holland Girl's Love

Two little school girls in Holland were returning to their home one afternoon, when they were overtaken by a terrible storm of wind and rain. For a time they were sheltered under a large umbrella which one of them had, but after a while the wind overturned it and broke it. Then the eldest covered her little sister with her cloak, but it was also torn by the force of the storm. The youngest little girl, who was in delicate health, finally became faint and could not go on any further. Her devoted sister, although almost exhausted herself, lifted her and carried her on her back through the storm that seemed to increase in fury.

Reaching home, she sank exhausted on the doorstep. Her younger sister was safe, but that noble act cost the elder girl her life. She never recovered from the effects of that exertion, and was an invalid from then on.

One day, grasping her sister whose life she had saved with her wasted feeble hands, she said: “I am so glad I brought you safely home that day. Will you think of me when I am gone, and remember you had a sister who loved you?” With many tears and kisses, the younger girl promised she would ever remember her love.

A few months later in the village cemetery, a plain stone was erected above a green grave, bearing the simple but touching inscription in Dutch:

“In loving memory of my dear sister Wilhelmina Who gave her life to save mine.” “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. “We love Him, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19.

Many who visit that quiet spot are told the story of that sister’s love, and are led to think of a greater love, even the love of Jesus, who died not only for His friends but for His enemies, that they might be saved.

Have you believed on and welcome Him as your Saviour, dear young reader? Can you truthfully say: “I live, because He died”?

“Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8.

ML 01/17/1965

My Favorite Text

John 3:16 hung on the wall of our bedroom when I was a child. It was the first verse I learned to repeat. I got a prize at Sunday school for saying John 3:16, when I was six years old. But although I was able to say it from memory correctly, I did not personally believe it, nor know its saving power.

When I first left home, my mother gave me a Bible, and marked John 3:16 in it with her own hand. For her sake I often read it, but beyond that it had no power over me. Then a companion, who was a true Christian, asked me one night what verse was the means of leading me to the Lord Jesus, for evidently she thought I was converted. I was unable to answer, so she said, “How long have you had eternal life?”

I hung my head, for I was ashamed to tell her I did not have it at all. She drew me to her side, opened my Bible at John 3:16, marked by my mother’s hand, and told me how she had been saved by believing on the Lord Jesus as He is presented there. “God loved me, God gave His Son to me. I believed, I received everlasting life.” It all seemed so simple. I saw it was for me, as well as her, for “whosoever” included me.

O, how different John 3:16 was to me then, for it showed me God as loving me, His Son as given to me, and everlasting life as mine. I have it framed in my room. I call it my favorite text, but, better than all, it lives in my memory and heart.

ML 01/17/1965

The Hindu's Resting Place

“This Is What I Want”

Five hundred miles from his village home on the bank of the Godavery River, a tall Hindu had traveled across the sultry plains under the scorching sun, wearing’ painful sandals that had blistered his feet until they were inflamed and swollen out of all shape.

What was the cause and what was the purpose of such a journey? I will tell you. The tall Indian had for long been laboring under a burden of unforgiven sin, which of all burdens is the heaviest and hardest to bear. He had gone to his priest and told him his trouble, but they, like himself, knew nothing of Jesus, who is the Rest for the sin-burdened soul. They sent him on a pilgrimage to an idol shrine, torturing himself all the way, so that he might be pleasing to the gods and thus appease their anger. But these Indian gods are no gods at all. Their deluded worshippers receive from them no love, no mercy, nor blessing.

Blessed be His name, the God of the Bible is a God of love, who so loved His enemies as to give His only begotten Son to seek and to save them, and who, although He is holy and just, is yet full of compassion and delights to save and make happy all who come to Him.

Passing through a village, the unhappy man, footsore and weary, came upon a company of Hindus standing around a missionary. Under the wide spreading shade of a tree, the missionary was telling the story of redeeming love to the natives in their own language. So uncommon was the sight, so unheard of were the words, that the Hindu stood still and listened.

Now the gospel of the grace of God is good news to people of every nation, and no matter where a sinner is found, it comes to him “as water to a thirsty soul,” exactly meeting his need, and bringing near to him that which he has vainly sought elsewhere to obtain.

The servant of Christ spoke plainly, pointedly and solemnly about sin, its nature and its punishment. He told how foolish it was to suppose that bathing in sacred waters, offering gifts to dumb idols, or doing penance by hurting the body, could take away the sin of the soul. Last of all, he told of the precious blood of Christ, shed on Calvary to atone for sin, and quoted the ever-precious words of 1 John 1:7: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Now the gospel is God’s power unto salvation. Even man who has never heard it before, may be brought out of the dark regions of idolatry into the light and liberty of God’s salvation by its mighty delivering power. As the Indian stood under the tree listening to the message, his longing soul drank in every word. Pulling off his sandals, which had so many a day and night hurt him, he threw them away, and lifting up his arms cried aloud, “This is what I want; this is what I want.”

The missionary was very glad to take him to his home and tell him more fully of the One who died for sinners, whose precious blood cleanseth from all sin, and who gives rest to the weary, sin-burdened soul. The Indian was saved, just as you must be, if you want to be saved—by simply believing, by trusting in Jesus.

For many years, he showed by his life that he was a genuine disciple of Christ.

Mere works, prayers, nor religion, cannot cleanse the soul from sin. Nothing can make a sinner white as snow and fitted for heaven, but the blood of Jesus. Dear reader, do you know personally its cleansing power? Has your conscience been relieved of its burden and set at rest, through faith in that atoning blood of Christ?

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18.

ML 01/17/1965

The Saviour Bids Thee Come

Poor trembling lamb! Ah! who outside the fold

Hath bid thee stand, all weary as thou art?

Dangers around thee, and the bitter cold

Creeping and growing to thy inmost heart.

Who bid thee wait till some mysterious feeling,

Thou know’st not what, perchance may never know:

Shall find thee where in darkness thou art kneeling,

And fill thee with a rich and heavenly glow.

For miracles like this who bid thee wait?

Behold the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”

The tender Shepherd opens wide the gate,

And in His love would gently lead thee home.

Long years ago He left His home above,

The Shepherd died for Thee; believe His Word,

The work is finished, now receive His love,

And own thy Saviour, Jesus Christ the Lord.

ML 01/17/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Genesis 12:1

Genesis 12:1

In an earlier talk mention was 1 made of a man in the lineage of Abraham, named Peleg, whose name means “Division.” In our present portion the time had come for the prophetic division of that household to take place. “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.” verse 1.

It is no easy thing for one who finds his family standing in the way of faithfulness to God to give up that natural tie. Yet the Lord was later to say, “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37. Strong though these natural ties may be, when they become a barrier to obedience to God, the first place must go to Him, even if it means a severance from loved ones. Many a child of God has had to make such a decision throughout the ages, but God is a sure rewarder of those who faithfully follow His Word.

Since Abram was born into a family that had departed from the God of their fathers, had traveled into a distant and strange land, and there had fallen into idolatry, it is not difficult to see why God instructed him to leave those surroundings. But we have already noted that he was not cast on his own resources in connection with such a separation. It was as “the God of glory” that the divine voice spoke to him and encouraged him with the promise that He would show him a better place. We can readily believe that once Abram had experienced such a glorious display to his heart and mind that his possessions at Ur and the idols of his past life lost all interest to him. Deeply stirred by this experience he set about to put into execution the instructions given him.

Evidently it was not revealed to Abram that the land of Canaan was to be his ultimate goal; he determined to travel by way of Haran. A journey of such distance being no small undertaking in that day, we can imagine the preparations required, the reviewing of the route and questioning of competent travers who were familiar with it, so that landmarks indicating helps or hazards might be recognized when encountered. God has given the present-day believer just such instructions as to the earthly path enroute to the heavenly home. They are to be found in His Word, from cover to cover. He has also provided helps for His own, through the witness of faithful men who have already trodden the path in godly fear.

The child of God need never be taken unawares by the pitfalls and dangers of the wilderness way; “For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5. It can be said of the believer’s path: “There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: the lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.” Job 28:7,8. Yes, such is God’s provision for us. Satan himself (a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”) cannot touch the child of God who remains faithfully on the path God has marked out.

Memory Verse: “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the lord be god, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21.

ML 01/17/1965

My Birthday

It was my birthday. We were not used to getting expensive gifts, for our parents were poor. But our dear godly Mother always gave us a little remembrance on our birthday. This time she gave me a neat little pocket Testament, with a bright new quarter made the same year. It looked as if it had just newly left the mint.

“Read the Testament every day,” she said, “and it will guide you aright. Keep yourself from bad company if you would be clean and bright as that new quarter is.” Dear Mother was a Christian, having believed the gospel many years ago, but though I had professed to be saved for several years, it was only a profession. I had not really been born again; I did not love the Saviour. I kissed Mother, thanked her for the presents, and started off to let some of my friends see the quarter—not the Testament, for they would have laughed at me. Away down the street I met two boys who said they were going to have a game of cards in a small room behind a confectioner’s shop. When they saw my quarter they seemed especially anxious that I should join them, saying that I would be sure to win.

Foolishly I went along, and soon lost my new quarter. When we came out, they ran off and left me, and I stood wondering what I should do. I knew my mother would be greatly grieved if she knew what I had done. I resolved to cover my sin by saying I had lost it. This I did, but oh the misery! I could not sleep. In the night I got up, knocked at Mother’s door, and told her all the truth.

Mother drew me to her side, knelt beside me, confessed to God my sin, and asked Him to save me if I was not His child. I prayed too. That was the turning point in my life. I knew the gospel before, but I had it in my head. Now I received it into my heart, and was truly born of God. Years have gone by; the Lord has kept me, blessed me and guided me, and I look forward to His coming to receive His own to Himself.

“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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9,10.

ML 01/24/1965

Bible Boys

Four pairs of boys—brothers—whose life stories God has told us, are in the Book of Genesis. From each of them we may learn something.

First, we have CAIN AND ABEL (Gen. 4:2), the first boys who ever lived. No bad companions to lead them astray, yet one of them became a proud religionist, an angry man, a murderer. Cain began by going to offer a sacrifice without blood, denying his fallen, sinful condition, and ended up by going out from the presence of the Lord, where he set about to make himself as happy as he could without God. Abel brought a lamb to the altar, shed its blood, and stood by its side, confessing himself a sinner, and by faith looking on to the promised Saviour. Cain was of “the wicked one” (1 John 3:12), the first one to substitute human religion for faith in Christ. He became a persecutor and a murderer. Abel was reckoned “righteous” through faith.

ISHMAEL AND ISAAC (Gen. 21:8,9). Both were sons of a godly father, both brought up in the same home, yet how different. Isaac was an obedient boy, a beloved son, a man of faith, of whom God was not ashamed— “I am the God of Isaac.” Ishmael, fourteen years older, mocked his brother, persecuted him, chose the life of an archer (vs. 21), and became a wild man of the desert.

ESAU AND JACOB (Gen. 27:30). They too were brothers—twins—but how different their choice, their lives, their destinies. Esau sold his birthright for “a morsel of meat” (Heb. 12:16). Jacob, although a supplanter, or cheater, was blessed not because he had a title, but because of God’s sovereign grace toward him. He had faith in God. He was saved by grace.

EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH (Gen. 48:13). They were Joseph’s two sons, born in Egypt, but blessed by their aged grandfather, Jacob. “Bless the lads; and let my name be named upon them,” was the patriarch’s prayer. What better portion could any boy have than that! To be saved and blessed, to be one of God’s children, able to call Him “Father,” is surely the best of all blessings, worth far more than popularity, wealth and fame.

To be saved, blessed, and serving God in early days, is the only happy life.

ML 01/24/1965

"Whosoever Means Me"

“Whosoever means me, better than my name,

Any one, every one, is not that the same?

Believing is salvation, present, full and free,

Whosoever is the message, that means me.”

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13.

“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.

ML 01/24/1965

Gertie and May

Gertie and May were cousins and they lived in England. They had been playmates from their earliest years and were the best of friends. When school days came, they started off together, tripping merrily along the country lane, strewn with daisies, to the little schoolhouse on the corner. They were classmates, and often on their way home they lingered long, talking of the things they planned to do when they grew up to be big girls.

May’s parents decided to emigrate to Canada, to live on a farm in Manitoba where some of their neighbors had already gone before. It was a great sorrow to the girls to have to part, and many a long talk they had planning how their friendship might be kept up, while they were far away from each other. They would write a weekly letter to each other, and then one day Gertie would call up her cousin on the trans-ocean telephone, or some such communication. Such were the daydreams of the two girls.

May and her parents crossed the ocean and settled in their new home, when an event took place in Gertie’s life that neither of them had counted on. What do you think this was? I will tell you: it was her conversion—the greatest event that can possibly take place in any boy or girl’s life.

Do you not think so? If not, then I am sure you have not yet experienced what real conversion is. Gertie was saved. She had received Jesus Christ as her Saviour, and she openly confessed Him as her Lord among her classmates. The very first one she thought of after she was saved was her cousin May in far-off Canada.

“I wish I could telephone her now,” she said to her mother. “Wouldn’t I ring up May and give her a surprise! And I wouldn’t hang up and let her go until I had told her how to be saved and happy too.”

However, in the absence of a telephone, a long, earnest letter was written by Gertie and sent to May, telling her the whole story, how that she had been made anxious about her soul’s salvation, by hearing an address on “The Great White Throne.” She told of how she had tried to make herself love God and could not, and then she learned that God loved her just as she was, and gave His Son to die for her. She closed with an earnest appeal to May to trust herself to Jesus “and He would save her.”

How beautiful to see a girl so newly saved desiring the salvation of her companion! This is what happens when the love of God fills the heart. There is nothing else that can produce it. All who have been saved by the Lord Jesus long to see others, especially their friends and companions, saved. I wonder if you have been converted? If not, why not? The way is clear; Jesus has died, God welcomes you, the door of heaven is open. The terms are easy: come just as you are, with all your sins, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” The time is Now. See that you do not linger or put it off. There is danger in delay.

“Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

ML 01/24/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:1

Genesis 12:1

Abraham remained in Haran until his father, Terah, died. Surely there is a lesson in this for all who would enjoy the fruit of God’s blessing. If one compromises and hesitates to engage in what the Lord has given him to do, He in love may come in and remove the attachment that hinders, perhaps in a way more difficult than if the sacrifice had been obediently made in the first place.

If some of our readers have been confronted with similar conditions, with restraint on the part of family or worldly companions, the experiences of Abraham should prove helpful. He was inspired by the heavenly promise. The true believer should also be inspired by the words of our Lord Jesus: “There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, who should not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.” Luke 18:29-30. Too, his determination to be faithful may appear foolish to those who would hold him back, for they cannot grasp the value of that to which he is committed. Such a one needs to ever remember that God’s message has been directed to him personally. Comfort will be found in carefully searching the Scriptures to reinforce the call to faithfulness in the midst of oppression or hindrance.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God... But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:12,14. May each child of God, seeking to please Him in the earthly walk, look for strength and guidance to Him who “giveth more grace.” (James 4:6).

The journey to Haran is not detailed to us. But if we look at a map we would find a logical route along the Euphrates River for a distance of some 600 miles. On the way this company would go by the tower of Babel and perhaps be visited by Nimrod who established his kingdom there. But Abraham would have no time for, nor interest in Nimrod and the condemned city. We read in Hebrews 11:8: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” The 10th verse goes on to say, “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Babel held no attraction to such a one. May our eyes be on that heavenly city, too?

ML 01/24/1965

My Anchor Holds

A dear Sunday school boy passed away to be with Christ in heaven only a short time ago. His last song, sung while a few of his schoolmates were gathered around his bed, was that glorious hymn—

“In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the vale;

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand.”

Turning to a schoolmate Charlie said, “Are you sure your anchor holds, Willie? Oh, be sure, Willie; everything else will fail.”

Memory Verse: “Draw nigh to god, and he will draw nigh to you.” James 4:8.

ML 01/24/1965

Little Carl's Faith

A lawyer who holds a high post in West Germany recently became a Christian, though before this he had lived far from God, and was even bold in speaking against Him. Not long after he met an old friend he knew at the university, and he told him the story of his conversion.

He had had a good mother and in his boyhood days he had received from her faithful Christian teachings, but in spite of her exhortations, God to him was but a vague idea and remained far away. He thought of Jesus only as a good and virtuous man who was martyred for His teachings. To his friends he would explain that all that the Bible tells about heaven and hell was a fantastic story.

Yet in spite of this he had brought up his children in the spirit of Christianity, for he could see that “the fear of the Lord” would lead them to better moral behavior.

One evening his little boy Carl was naughty and his father had scolded him. As the little fellow sobbed aloud, he looked up and said, “Daddy, all the naughty things I have done are now written in God’s Book. Can they not be wiped out of the Book again?”

Touched by this anxious inquiry coming from his sobbing little boy, the father answered that these naughty deeds could be wiped from the Book if Carl would ask the Lord’s forgiveness. The little boy sat up eagerly, and then he knelt down to show God his sincerity. A moment later, he begged his father to kneel with him.

“Father,” said he, “I think it would be better if you were to kneel too, then perhaps God will forgive me more gladly.”

Now his father was confused and embarrassed, and even ashamed at the thought of being seen; however, he knelt by his little boy’s side. Then Carl begged his father to do the praying because he could “tell the dear Lord so much better.” So, with his mind and thoughts in a great turmoil, he prayed the strange words and together they said “Amen.”

Then, in a deeply affecting and serious tone, Carl asked his father whether the big “Book” was now wiped quite clean.

“Yes, my boy, quite certainly.”

“What have they wiped it with? A sponge?” questioned the little fellow.

“No, Carl; with the blood of our Saviour.”

Still tearful, the little boy asked, “Father, have your bad deeds been in the Book too? And Mother’s?”

When his father nodded sadly, Carl went on: “But your sins have been wiped out, haven’t they?” At this question, the father felt an inward shaking and trembling as if he stood, not before a tiny boy, but bore the flaming eyes of a holy God and righteous Judge. In a low voice, he answered, “I hope so.”

His wife, who had entered the room and witnessed the scene and heard the conversation, now wept too. Together, father, mother, and their little son began to pray to a merciful God who, though a stranger to them before, had used the little boy in making Himself known through His beloved Son, who came into this world to put away sin. There was blessing in that home from then on, for Christ was honored there.

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

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3.

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

ML 01/31/1965

The Temple of God

This picture is a drawing made to represent Jehovah’s beautiful dwelling place, the temple built by Solomon, the King, on Mount Moriah, on the very place where Abraham offered up Isaac. Later on it was here that the Lord Jesus was offered up upon the cross. The temple, therefore, stood on the place of sacrifice, just where every sinner must stand, in order to be saved and become a temple for God to dwell in. God says to those whom He has redeemed, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you.” 1 Corinthians 6:19.

ITS FOUNDATION (1 Kings 5:17): The foundation was laid with “great stones and costly,” all brought up from the deep quarries, like sinners at conversion. Christ is Himself the Rock upon which the Church is built; all who are built upon Him are safe forever.

ITS CEDAR WALLS WERE ONCE GREAT TREES GRONG ON MOUNT LEBANON (1 Kings 6:15). But they were cut down, floated down to sea, and brought up to Jerusalem. I know some who are like them—cut down by the truth, “for all have sinned,” laid low by God’s judgment upon man at the cross of Christ, but now raised up by grace, and soon to be brought to glory.

GOLD: Those cedar timbers were covered with gold. Gold speaks of divine glory and righteousness.

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

That glorious temple is just a type of what those will be who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, built on Christ, raised with Christ. They shall be filled with the glory of God, and have God dwelling among them forever. Dear reader, will you be there? Are you redeemed by the blood of Christ, and built upon Him, the blest Rock of Ages?

ML 01/31/1965

Strike When It's Hot

There was once an earnest young blacksmith in our Bible class who was a real soul winner. At the close of our gospel meetings for the young children, he would be down among the children, earnestly pointing them to the Saviour.

“I like to strike when it’s hot,” he used to say, “for if you don’t do that, it’s no use after.” By this, he meant that when the heart is tender and when the conscience has been aroused by means of the word spoken, souls should be urged to decide for Christ.

The young blacksmith believed in this because he was himself converted, by means of an earnest young fellow who laid his hand on his shoulder as he was going out the door.

“Will you go, rejecting Christ, or will you receive Him now?” he asked the young blacksmith. Our friend did receive Him then and there.

You have no doubt had your days of such anxiety, dear reader, but have you been converted? Did you accept the Lord Jesus when your heart was thus tender, or has your heart become hardened by continued rejection of Him. Remember, He will not knock forever, but, Soon thy heart be cold and silent, And the Saviour’s pleading cease.

Decide for Christ today,

And God’s salvation see;

Yield soul and body, heart and will,

To Him, who died for thee.

ML 01/31/1965

The Lord Our Keeper

A word to those who are afraid they might “fall away.”

I used to fear I might fall away,

And get lost on the heavenly road;

Till I saw in the Word of the Lord one day,

I was “kept by the power of God.”

What a flood of joy came into my heart,

As I trusted the precious blood;

And believed that from Christ I would never more part,

Being “kept by the power of God.”

My companions may laugh, the ungodly may sneer,

And say, “He will soon fall away”;

But, while kept by God’s power, I have nothing to fear,

For His strength shall uphold me each day.

I am saved, and rejoice of His goodness to tell,

Who has kept me each day and each hour;

Since the day that He saved me from sin and from hell,

He has guarded me safe by His power.

If any are fearing to come to the Lord,

Lest they stumble, and then “fall away,”

O remember that promise so plain in the Word:

“I will keep thee by night and by day.”

(Psa. 121:6.)

“He that keepeth thee will not slumber... The Lord is thy keeper:... The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul.” Psa. 121:3,5,7.

Memory Verse: “Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid.” Isa. 12:2.

ML 01/31/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 12:2-7

Gen. 12:2-7

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Heb. 11:8.

Abram, whose delay in Haran had postponed his viewing and searching out the land of promise, now goes forth in confidence toward Canaan. “He went out, not knowing whither he went,” but in the assurance that the message from God was certain. Haran had been a prosperous place to him, but he left it because of a compelling promise: “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee,... and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” vv. 2,3.

Yet he did not fully respond to God’s instructions, “Get thee out... from thy father’s house,” for Lot, his nephew, went along also, and he proved to be a trial to Abram. Nonetheless, “they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.” vs. 5. The long trip from Haran to Canaan —some 500 miles or more—is passed over in silence. Such was Abram’s faith and such were the promises of God to him, that this long journey was counted only as a connecting link between the call of God and the land where His promises would be realized.

Well it is for us if we who are God’s children can say the same of our heavenly journey. We too have a sure promise from God, who “according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively living) hope... to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God.” 1 Peter 1:3-5. May we not permit the things of this world to interfere with the brightness of our heavenly calling. The child of faith can go on in spirit and in the comfort of the scripture: “though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” 2 Cor. 4:16-18. Furthermore, that which characterized Abraham on that long wilderness journey was that he looked “not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Surely this should characterize more the Lord’s people in this day also.

When Abram paused in the plain of Moreh he found “the Canaanite was then in the land.” It might have disturbed him to find the land of promise already occupied. But if any doubts arose he was given renewed encouragement: “the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land.” vs. 7. This pledge lifted Abram’s thoughts upward and accordingly he built an altar there unto the LORD, “who appeared unto him.” This is the first reference to an altar in his life, but from this point on his walk was marked by both his tent and his altar —he lived by faith and he worshipped by faith. He was a true pilgrim and a stranger. We are told in Hebrews 11:9,10: “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles (tents).. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

ML 01/31/1965

The Hymn Beneath the Window

In an upper room a sad-faced mother sat sorrowing over the death of her only child, a bright girl of twelve years of age. Kathy had gone to heaven to be with Christ. She had been converted in her early years, after attending a Sunday school, and her simple, earnest testimony to the gospel’s saving power brought forth little sympathy from her worldly mother.

But now Kathy had gone, and her mother had time to think. Many of her little daughter’s words were coming back to her memory, as she sat that evening at the open window, looking across at the little cemetery on the hillside where Emma’s body lay awaiting the glorious resurrection morning. The poor mother’s weary, unsatisfied heart longed for rest; she had not found it in the world and the pleasures of sin.

Sitting there brooding over the past, and wondering what the future would bring, sounds of singing fell upon her ear. She rose up and looking out of the window, she saw a circle of young men standing in the street below, only a few yards from her door, singing a hymn. The first sounds that fell upon her ear were:

“I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary and worn and sad,

I found in Him a resting place,

And He has made me glad.”

The tears fell thick and fast. She was weary and sad, but she had found no such resting place. When the hymn was finished, one of the young men spoke, and then another, telling the story of their conversion. The well-known words of the Lord Jesus, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” were especially dwelt upon, and the way of light and peace through Christ alone was made plain. God blessed the word to the heart of the mother, and she received the message by faith.

That night she was born of God, and the first evidence of her new life was manifested by her going down and taking her place in the circle on the street. Not only did she open her heart, but she opened her home, for when the meeting was over she invited the speakers to her house, and to their joy she told them what the Lord had done for her soul.

What a resting place is Christ for the weary sinner! Reader, is He yours? “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

ML 02/07/1965

Sowing and Reaping

I would like to have a little talk today with our dear boys and girls about sowing and reaping, or as I sometimes call it, the Word and the work of God. These two are very closely connected. You have all seen the picture of a man sowing seed, and of another bearing home the sheaves.

THE SEED SOWN (Luke 8:5). This is the Word of God. The memory texts, the Bible lessons, the gospel addresses, and all the rest that you hear, are just the sowing of the seed. We sow in hope of reaping, that is, of seeing you saved. The seed is sown in the spring, out in the field, in expectation of seeing the golden grain in the harvest. What a joy to see you saved, to live for Christ on earth, and to praise Him in heaven forever.

THE SEED STOLEN (Luke 8:5). But the seed did not all grow. Why? Some of it was picked up—stolen. It fell on the hard, trodden path at the side of the field, where the ground had not been plowed up, and the birds picked it up. This is what Satan does with the texts and lessons many of you hear. You forget them—they are gone.

THE SEED ON THE ROCK (Luke 8:6). Some seed fell on rocky ground—a thin layer of soft dirt on top, but hard rock underneath. This is like the boy or girl whose feelings get touched when reading or hearing the gospel; but there is no deep conviction of sin in the soul. The conscience is not aroused. Such a one seems to be happy, but is not saved. When reproach comes, he is afraid to be laughed at, or persecuted, and so turns away from Christ.

THE SEED CHOKED (Luke 8:7). Some seed fell among thorns which came up and choked it. The cares, riches and the pleasures of this world “choke” the Word. Often after Sunday school or a gospel meeting, boys talk of football and basketball games on their way home, while girls talk of hats, dolls, parties and so on. Thus the gospel is choked.

THE SEED GROWN (Luke 8:8). Some of it falls in good ground; some of it grows. Look at the green blade in spring, the plump ear in summer, the golden grain in autumn. Oh how good it is to see boys and girls saved in the springtime of their youth, becoming more and more Christlike as they grow up, and bringing forth fruit even to old age. This is the happy life. There is none like it. May the seed sown today grow and bear fruit in many lives, to the praise of Him who loves us, died for us, and is coming again.

ML 02/07/1965

The Penance Stone

On the top of a hill about three miles from Kollegor, South India, there stands a stone slab, which bears the remarkable name of “The Penance Stone.” It has stood there for many years, and is visited by crowds of Hindus at a certain season. In the center of this stone there is a hole through which the Hindus squeeze their bodies, an act which they think will gain themselves merit and favor with gods of their temples. The process is extreme torture, and judging from the size of the hole, few persons of ordinary stature would be able to get through it.

The missionary shown in our picture got his head through the hole in the Penance Stone, but it is quite clear he will never squeeze his whole body through.

How sad to think of poor deluded souls seeking by self-inflicted torture to gain the favor of the temple gods. There is no God of love in the Hindu religion; their gods are no gods at all. But the true God of the Bible is a God of love and holiness. He has made His love known to us sinners by the gift of His dear Son, Jesus, who came into this world to save sinners.

“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. “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.

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3.

Memory Verse: “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15.

ML 02/07/1965

Bible Questions for February

The Children’s Class

1.“Quick, and powerful.”

2.“Faith and patience.”

3.“Their sins and their iniquities.”

4.“Goats and calves.”

5.“New and living.”

6.“Author and finisher.”

7.“Yesterday, and today.”

The Young People’s Class Through faith

1.What do we understand THROUGH FAITH about the worlds? Hebrews.

2.What are the holy Scriptures able to do THROUGH FAITH in Christ Jesus? 2 Timothy.

3.By what gift are we saved THROUGH FAITH? Ephesians 2.

4.What promise do saved Jews and Gentiles alike receive THROUGH FAITH? Galatians 3.

5.Will those who inherit the promises THROUGH FAITH have need to exercise patience? Hebrews.

6.If we own that we have been buried with Christ in baptism, what else can we say THROUGH FAITH? Colossians 2.

7.Unto what is the power of God keeping us THROUGH FAITH? 1 Peter.

ML 02/07/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:7

Genesis 12:7

God had promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation and that He would make his name great. He would be the father of God’s earthly people. But he received an even greater promise when the Lord told him that “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Many New Testament scriptures shed further light on this promise, and Abraham is declared to be the father of all the faithful, Jew and Gentile alike. In Galatians 3:8,9,14, we read: “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel to Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.... That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

In our chapter Abraham is a type of the Christian today. Called out of a land of idolatry and spiritual darkness, he was a child of God in a land where he was always a stranger and a sojourner. He had expectations that were very real to him, but which actually he enjoyed only in faith, knowing that to others coming after him these promises would be fulfilled. Thus he was listed among those who “died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.... And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:13-16.

We are told in 1 Peter 5:7, in confidence to cast all our care upon God, “for He careth for you.” Abraham experienced divine guidance and care when he walked with God, and the believer today will find the way marked out for him if his confidence is in God.

The believer too is called to walk through this world in faith as a stranger and pilgrim, taking no part in the affairs of the world around him, but seeking to bear a testimony that will honor his Saviour. The Christian who goes on in singleness of heart before the Lord will have no desire to be attached to this world, and he will feel no need of turning to it for comfort or entertainment. He has a better and more satisfying Object.

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that,.. they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.

“And the Caananite was then in the land.” This would remind us that this world, which one day will be under the blessed reign of the Prince of Peace, is now occupied by those who are opposed to Him. But just as Abraham was not discouraged by the presence of these hostile nations, so the believer who would be faithful to his Lord will walk in separation from the people of the world around, knowing that God has given him a higher calling.

ML 02/07/1965

The Echo in the Wood

It was a bright spring morning, the birds warbled blithely among the trees, while Joe and his school chums walked along the country road to the village school. Just then a bird flew out of a thick fir tree in the woods close by, and two of the boys cried out at once, “A nest!” In a few minutes books were thrown down, and one or two were quickly climbing the tree looking for the nest. After at least twenty minutes searching, they had to descend disappointed, for no nest was there.

In the meanwhile time had been passing. The boys were still in the woods when the school bell rang. They knew well enough that they would be late and kept in after school.

“Let’s stay in the woods until dinner time,” suggested one. “Nobody will know.” Sad to say, this arrangement found general favor among the boys. Though Joe knew well that his parents had warned him that he must not go into the woods on the way to school and that they would be very grieved if they knew he had played hooky, he fell in with the plan, and was soon as much interested as the rest. Still Joe was far from easy, and while the other boys were out searching for nests, he listened, thinking every vehicle going by on the road might be his father going to town. A baker’s van passed along the road, and the driver, seeing the boys robbing a nest, shouted as he passed, “Be sure your sin will find you out!”

Whether the boys in the tree heard him or not, those strange solemn words fell distinctly on Joe’s ear, as they echoed through the woods. How he wished he had not come there, but it was no use wishing that now. He was glad to get out of the woods, but very unhappy at the thought of appearing before his father and mother. The words still seemed to sound in his ear, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”

Nothing was said at dinner time, his parents not suspecting anything wrong. But at night when bedtime came, when Joe came to kiss his father and mother goodnight, he broke down and told the whole story.

Grieved as his parents were, they sought to show him how God had sent that voice to sound a warning text in his ear, that he might be awakened of the sinfulness of his ways, and thus be made to see his need of a Saviour.

Joe never forgot that day on which he played hooky, nor did he forget the text that was echoed through the wood. Joe is now a happy Christian boy, saved and on his way to heaven.

Dear boys and girls, let the echoed words speak this day to you: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Num. 32:23.

Sin may be very sweet in its bud, but the fruit will be bitterness and sorrow. Hasten to the Saviour in the days of your youth; He can also remove sin’s stains and break sin’s power, giving peace to your conscience and rest to your heart.

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

ML 02/14/1965

The Freethinker and the Countryman

Collins, the freethinker, met a plain countryman one Sunday morning walking along the road. He asked him where he was going. “To yonder meeting place, sir.” “What to do there?” “To worship God.” “Is your God a great or a little God?” “He is both, sir.” “How can He be both?” “He is so great, sir, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him; and so little that He can dwell in my heart.” Collins declared that the simple answer by the countryman had more effect upon his mind than all the volumes which the learned doctors had written against him.

ML 02/14/1965

Only

Only a smile, yes, only a smile,

That a woman o’erburdened with grief

Expected from you; ‘twould have given relief

For her heart ached sore the while:

But weary and cheerless she went away,

Because as it happened that very day

You were “out of touch” with your Lord.

Only a word, yes, only a word,

That the Spirit’s small voice whispered, “Speak”;

But the worker passed onward unblessed and weak,

Whom you were meant to have stirred

To courage, devotion and love anew,

Because when the message came to you,

You were “out of touch” with your Lord.

Only a note, yes, only a note,

To a friend in a distant land;

The Spirit said “Write”; but then you had planned

Some different work and you thought

It mattered little. You did not know

‘Twould have saved a soul from sin and woe—

You were “out of touch” with your Lord.

Only a song, yes, only a song,

That the Spirit said, “Sing tonight,

Thy voice is thy Master’s by purchased right”;

But you thought: “Mid this motley throng,

I cared not to sing of the city of gold.”

And the hearts that your words might have reached grew cold:

You were “out of touch” with your Lord.

Only a day, yes, only a day,

But, oh! can you guess, my friend,

Where the influence reaches, and where it will end,

Of those hours that you frittered away?

The Master’s command is: “Abide in Me!”

And fruitless and vain will your service be

If “out of touch” with your Lord.

ML 02/14/1965

Jehoida Brewer

In the town of Newport, Monmouthshire, England, many years ago (1752) there was born a little boy who, though little known to the world, nevertheless was destined to write a beautiful hymn which God has used in blessing to thousands since.

Jehoida Brewer, whose portrait appears above, grew to young manhood and entered business life as a merchant and trader. However, while still young, it seems the Lord spoke to him in His grace, made him to see what a sinner he was, and showed him Christ as His only hope of salvation. Young Jehoida became deeply impressed and anxious until his soul found a resting place in Christ and His work on the cross.

He first thought to enter the church but changed his mind and became an independent preacher. He began to preach the gospel at 22 years of age, first at Rodborough, Gloucestershire. Later he went to Sheffield and then to Birmingham. There a large hall was being erected for him when he died on August 24, 1817. He was buried in a plot adjoining the unfinished chapel.

Much more might have been recorded of one so able and earnest in the cause of Christ but for his dying request that no memoir of him should be published.

The following beautiful hymn—it is believed—was the only one Jehoida Brewer ever wrote; it appeared first in the Gospel Magazine in 1776, when he was but 24 years of age.

HAIL, sovereign love, which first began

That scheme to rescue fallen man!

Hail, matchless, free, eternal grace,

Which gave my soul a hiding place.

Against the God who built the sky

I fought with hands uplifted high;

Despised the mention of His grace,

Too proud to seek a hiding place.

Enwrapt in thick Egyptian night,

And fond of darkness more than light,

Madly I ran the sinful race,

Secure without a hiding place.

And thus the eternal counsels ran,

“Almighty love, arrest that man!”

I felt the arrows of distress,

And found I had no hiding place.

Indignant Justice stood in view,

To Sinai’s fiery mount I flew;

But Justice cried with frowning face,

“This mountain is no hiding place.”

On Jesus, God’s just vengeance fell,

Which would have sunk a world to hell;

He bore it for a sinful race,

And thus became their Hiding Place.

Should sevenfold storms of thunder roll,

And shake this globe from pole to pole,

No thunderbolt shall daunt my face,

For Jesus is my Hiding Place.

A few more rolling suns at most,

Shall land me on fair Canaan’s coast,

Where I shall sing the song of grace,

And see my glorious Hiding Place.

A very interesting and affecting story is connected with this hymn. It was found in the pocket of Major Andre, who was shot as a spy in the American Revolutionary War. We are led to believe that perhaps Major Andre was deeply impressed with these stirring lines. We can only hope that he too turned to the Lord Jesus in the hour of his greatest need and found peace and pardon in Him who died for sinners.

ML 02/14/1965

Can You Fill Your Name in Where the Dotted Lines Are?

God so loved—— that He gave His only begotten Son, that when———believeth in Him he (or she) should not perish, but have everlasting life.

ML 02/14/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:8

Genesis 12:8

“And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD.” verse 8. Bethel was later to be known as the “house of God,” but it is not so identified here. However, it proved indeed to be such to this patriarch.

The place where he pitched his tent was only a short distance from Sichem where he had erected his first altar, and near to Bethel. Here he built his second altar. It was as though he concluded: “So much blessing resulted from the first that I don’t want to go very far without another.” In the first instance the LORD appeared unto him—truly a remarkable experience to this man of faith. We may be confident that the presence of the Lord had been with him ever since leaving the land of Ur, where He first appeared as “the God of glory.” But here in a strange land, on the occasion of his first altar, he enjoys a closer manifestation of God than ever before. This was no doubt connected with his heart’s response in the erection of the altar, with an offering presented to God.

When coming before the second altar we read, he “called upon the name of the LORD.” This is the first time we learn of Abram in communion with the Lord. This was true spiritual progress — not peculiar to Abram alone, but to every child of God who lives in the atmosphere of the “altar,” that is, the place of worship, of nearness to Him who has provided His Son, the “Lamb without blemish and without spot,” to meet the sinner’s need. When Abram thus called upon the name of the Lord, it was in the boldness of the altar with its sacrificial offering which spoke to God, in figure, of His own beloved Son who ever intercedes on behalf of those who, out of a true heart, call upon Him.

Do we not wonder what expressions were voiced as he thus found a new relationship with the One who had called him to this land? We cannot be sure just what was communicated at that altar, but there was certainly a renewing of heart and mind as to the calling of God. Walking in the enjoyment of that communion, his step must have been lighter and his eye clearer than before. And, dear reader, have you proved the good to your own soul of calling upon the name of the Lord? What a place of encouragement and refreshing it is for the child of God to open his heart and express every need and burden of the way to Him, and there at the altar (so to speak) bring the sacrifice of praise to Him who says to His redeemed one, “Sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.” Song of Solomon 2:14.

Yet it is feared there are many who “offer prayers” but who have never owned the name of the Lord as personal Saviour. Such prayers will not be acceptable to Him, no matter how ably they may be expressed or how pious they may sound.

The invitation to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16), is a privilege extended to every child of God.

Memory Verse: “Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God: and to wait for his son from heaven.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10.

ML 02/14/1965

Nellie's Love

Dying to Save

Among the mountains of Switzerland and a little girl named Nellie lived with her father and mother. She was only seven years old, but she was a true Christian, for she trusted the Lord Jesus as her Saviour.

A huge rock had rolled down the mountainside and came to rest in a deep ravine not far from their house. It formed a kind of a bridge over the ravine, thus enabling the people to cross from one side to the other. This went on for some time, and the strange bridge came to be looked upon by the mountain folk as quite safe.

One day while Nellie was out gathering flowers in the valley, she overheard some neighbors say that a storm the night before had loosened the big rock, and made it unsafe to be crossed. Immediately the dear child ran up the mountainside as fast as she could, and told her mother what had happened. When her father came home from his work that night, Nellie told him about the bridge being unsafe, but he only laughed at her. He did not know the Lord, but Nellie’s mother loved the Saviour.

The following night, Nellie’s father said he would have to cross that bridge. The little girl tried hard to persuade him not to go, but he only laughed at her fears. When she saw that he was determined, she asked if she could go with him. He consented to her going, but he did remark that it would be very late before he got home. Off they went together. As they walked along, little Nellie looked up into her father’s face and timidly asked, “Daddy, if I should die, will you promise to trust in Jesus and meet me in heaven?”

“That’s a strange question,” he replied. “What put such a wild thought into your head, my child? You are not going to die, I hope. You are only young yet, and have many years to live.”

Not satisfied with his answer, Nellie repeated her question, but her father told her not to speak about it anymore. “But if I should die, promise me, Father, that you will meet me in heaven,” she persisted.

“Yes, yes,” he said, just to please her.

They walked on, and soon the bridge of rock came in sight. When they were about to cross, Nellie stopped again, saying, “Daddy, please stand here for a moment!”

Her father stopped, wondering what she was about to do. Walking quickly along, she set one foot on the great boulder of rock, and then another. Suddenly there was a loud crashing roar, and the great rock plunged into the gulf below, carrying with it brave little Nellie.

Speechless with terror, her father crept to the edge of the precipice, and through his blinding tears gazed down into the abyss where his noble child had gone. She had given her life to save his.

I know of only One who had greater love than this. Nellie died for her father, because she loved him; but Jesus, the Son of God, died for His enemies—for those who did not love Him, that they might be saved from that awful abyss, the “lake of fire.”

Have you ever thanked Him for dying thus for you, dear reader? Do you trust Him now as your Saviour? Will you meet dear Nellie, and all who are saved, in heaven?

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13.

ML 02/21/1965

Paul Gerhardt

Years ago there was in Germany a great preacher named Paul Gerhardt. He loved to preach about Jesus, to show people what a great Saviour He is, and that unless they believed in Him and repented of their sins, they could not be saved. However, the ruler of that part of the country, the Elector of Brandenburg, did not like that kind of preaching. Accordingly he sent word to Paul Gerhardt saying he must quit preaching that way or leave the country.

Paul Gerhardt sent back this message— “that it would be very hard for him to leave his country and his friends, and go with his family among strangers, where they would have nothing to live on; but as for preaching anything else than what the Bible taught him, he would rather die than do that.” So he had to go into exile with his wife and little children.

At the end of their first day’s journey, they came into a wood and rested the first night at a little inn they found there. The little children were crying from hunger, and clinging to their mother; but she had no food to give them and no money with which to buy any. She had tried to keep up all day, but now she began to cry too. This gave Paul Gerhardt a very heavy heart.

ML 02/21/1965

"Suffer Little Children to Come unto Me"

Leaving his family Gerhardt went into the wood to pray. It was a time of great trouble to him. There was no one to whom he could go for help but to God. While he was alone in the wood praying, this text of Scripture came into his mind. It seemed to him as if an angel had come and whispered to him: “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalms 37:5.

This gave him great comfort. “Yes,” he said to himself, “though I am banished from my home and friends, and do not know where to take my wife and children for a shelter, yet God, my God, sees me in this dark wood. He knows all about us. Now is the time to trust in Him. He will how me this. He will ‘bring it to pass.’”

Paul Gerhardt was so happy as he thought on this text, and so thankful to God for bringing it into his mind, that as he walked up and down under the trees he composed some verses in it. Later they were written down and printed. Each verse begins with we or three words of the text so that when you have read through the hymn, you get the whole text. Perhaps you would like to hear the verses before we finish the story. Here they are—

“Commit thy way,” O weeper—

The cares that fret thy soul—

To thine almighty Keeper;

He makes the world to roll.

“Unto the Lord,” who guideth

The wind, and cloud, and sea;

Oh, doubt not He provideth

A footpath, too, for thee.

“Trust also,” for ‘tis useless

To murmur and forebode;

The almighty arm is doubtless

Full strong to bear thy load.

“In Him” hide all thy sorrow,

And bid thy fears “good night”:

He’ll make a glorious morrow

To crown thy head with light.

“And He shall bring it” near thee,

The good thou long hast sought;

Though now it seems to fly thee,

Thou shalt ere long be brought

“To pass” from grief to gladness—

From night to clearest day;

Then doubts, and fears, and sadness

Shall all have passed away.

ML 02/21/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 12:9,10

Gen. 12:9,10

“And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.” vs. 9.

Let us remember that the times of refreshing for Abram were the result of keeping near to God. As noted earlier, the distance between his first and second altar was very short—an important principle for all who would walk in the confidence and enjoyment of God’s power and grace.

Now the Word of God, ever faithful in presenting the story of these men and women of old, brings us to an unhappy period in Abram’s life. He was still exploring the land of promise as he journeyed toward the south, but we do not read of another altar as he went in that direction. Could it be that his spiritual senses had become dulled? Yes, even Abram, the man of faith, had to learn the penalty of neglect of communion. At Bethel he had been near “the house of God,” but the farther south he traveled the nearer he got to Egypt —type of the world. As each step drew him nearer that border of worldliness, the more he needed daily dependence on God, but this need was sadly neglected.

The spiritual dullness and sorrow that overtook Abram and his wife at this time is often witnessed in the lives of some of God’s children today. Drawing close to the world is most dangerous, and communion with God should be a daily experience so that we might walk with Him and have His guidance as to what our next steps should be. At Bethel Satan could not successfully attack that heart and mind enjoying communion with the Lord. But the spiritual enjoyment of yesterday will not suffice for today, and as Abram drew nearer and nearer to Egypt, the more the enemy’s influence was manifest. In the same way the Christian will find his steps toward the world attended by Satan’s attacks and his own coldness of heart.

“And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.” vs. 10. The more Abram neglected his altars, the more he became overtaken with circumstances until he was finally caught in a grievous famine. This too is a picture of a child of God who, forgetting his dependence on God, and through neglect of spiritual things becomes careless and self-willed, finally experiences a spiritual famine. Oh, these treacherous hearts of ours! How they, by nature, respond to the allurements of a world that is foreign to God’s ways. When Christ, the Bread of Life, is neglected, the famine is very real indeed. In the delusion of this sad state of soul the enemy proposes that the famine will be relieved in the world. There, in type, Abram went, to his ultimate sorrow.

Surely a return to Bethel would have been the wise course for him when he encountered the famine. God would not have allowed him to perish for hunger in the very land which He had promised him. But Abram was no longer in communion with the One who had thus far sustained him, and he went down into Egypt “to sojourn there.” Sad and unexpected lessons were before him, as we shall see.

Memory Verse: “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev. 22:17.

ML 02/21/1965

Jean Michel

The Grape Grower

In the sunny south of France, there lived a grape grower named Jean Michel. He had a son named Martin, a sharp, intelligent little fellow. One evening as the shadows began to fall, Martin ran in to his father with the news that a gospel preacher had come to the village and would hold a meeting the following night.

“I must gather in the grapes,” said Jean Michel. “Our bread is more important than listening to preachers.”

“But, Father,” said little Martin, “in my New Testament there is the story of a man who had such a good harvest that he said he would build bigger barns to hold his crops. But that night, God came to him and said, ‘Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee,’ and that he must die, and oh, Father, he was not ready to die.”

The next day was stormy, but Martin’s father determined to gather in his grapes. Martin stayed in the house. As the day wore on, the storm grew worse. Great black clouds filled the sky, loudly rolled the thunder, and great flashes of lightning lit up the heavens in rapid succession. The workers in the fields fled to the nearest shelter, but Jean Michel remained behind busy in his vineyard.

When the storm was past, Martin went out to search for his father. He was horrified to find his blackened body lying under a hedge. He had been struck by lightning. God had called him into eternity. His vintage and the things of this world were of no value to him then. Was he not very foolish in neglecting the need of his soul?

You may soon enter eternity also, my dear reader. Are you ready? Are you saved? Is Christ yours? Or are you losing your soul to gain the world?

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36.

ML 02/28/1965

A Rich Man's Folly

“The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: “And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

“And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?

“So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21.

ML 02/28/1965

Paul Gerhardt

(continued)

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Psa. 37:5.

“Commit thy way,” O weeper—

The cares that fret thy soul—

To thine almighty Keeper;

He makes the world to roll.

When Paul Gerhardt had finished composing these verses, he went back to the inn. He told his wife about the sweet text that had come into his mind, and repeated to her the verses he had composed on it. She soon dried up her tears, and began to be as cheerful and trustful as her husband. The children were in bed and asleep. Gerhardt and his wife knelt down together and prayed, and they resolved to “commit their way unto the Lord,” and leave it for Him to “bring it to pass” as He saw fit. Then, after writing down his sweet verses, they went to bed.

Before they had dropped off to sleep, a great noise was heard at the door of the inn. It seemed as if some important person was knocking there. When the landlord opened the door, a man on horseback was standing before it. He said in a loud voice: “I am a messenger. I come from Duke Christian of Merseburg, and I am trying to find a preacher named Paul Gerhardt, who has just been banished from Brandenberg. Do you know whether he has passed this way?”

“Paul Gerhardt?” said the landlord: “why, yes. He is in this house, but he has just gone to bed. I cannot disturb him now.”

“But you must,” said the messenger. “I have a very important letter for him from the Duke. Let me see him.”

The landlord went upstairs and told Mr. Gerhardt, who came down to see what it was all about.

The messenger handed him a large sealed letter. To his great joy, he read in it that the good Duke Christian had heard how Gerhardt had been banished, and had written to him, saying: “Come into my country, Paul Gerhardt. You shall have a hall, and people, and a house and home, and plenty to live on, and liberty to preach the gospel just as much as you please.”

Gerhardt went upstairs and told his wife the wonderful news, and tether they praised God for His love. The next morning they started off light of foot and with glad and cheerful hearts to their new home.

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7.

ML 02/28/1965

Laki Kala

The Famine Orphan

Whenever the land of India comes into our minds, we cannot help but think of her teeming millions of men, women and children, living in the worst poverty. It seems that India never could sufficiently support and feed her vast population. Even now, at this very moment, when we in these favored lands live in such luxury and prosperity, along the roadsides and in the villages of faraway India, thousands of little children, and fathers and mothers too, are dying from famine.

This sad picture is the actual photograph of a little orphan girl named Laki Kala, who was rescued and placed in an orphanage in Gujaret, India. Poor Laki was found by the roadside, just as you see her. Her little arms and legs were like sticks, and her body was wasted by hunger so terribly as to give little hope of recovery. Her mother had died of starvation by the way. When Laki was picked up, she was so weak that she could not stand, but for many days she could only lie on her little cot. When she began to recover she wondered why all this was done for her.

When once she was strong enough, little Laki was sent to school. There she heard for the first time the story of Jesus, who came down from His home in heaven to seek and to save the lost. She had never heard His precious name until she had entered that orphanage. Now she heard it every day. How wonderful it will be to hear that Laki Kala was saved and a follower of Jesus.

Dear young friend, you have so many greater privileges and blessings, but are you saved? There will be multitudes of little children in heaven, from the ranks of the poor and forgotten—yet those for whom Christ died, who never enjoyed such comforts and plenty as you enjoy, but who believed the story of Jesus and His love and trusted in Him as their Saviour.

God is going to fill heaven with redeemed ones from every kindred and tongue and people and nation, to sing the song of glory and praise unto Him and His beloved Son. Will you not be among that number? The Saviour bids you come, now.

“And Jesus said ... , I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35.

Around the throne of God in heaven

Will many children sing;

Children whose sins are all forgiven,

Will heavenly anthems bring,

Singing, “Glory, glory, glory, be to

God on high!

Because the Saviour shed His blood

To purge away their sin,

Now washed in that most precious flood,

Behold them white and clean!

On earth they sought the Saviour’s grace,

On earth they loved His name;

So then they’ll see His blessed face,

And praise before the Lamb,

Singing, “Glory, glory, glory be to

God on high!

ML 02/28/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 12:11-13

Gen. 12:11-13

“And it came to pass, when he (Abraham) was come near to enter into Egypt that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: And they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.” 10:10-13.

The Lord has said of His own: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17:14. In the same chapter (John 17) He brings out in a most blessed way the difference between being in the world and yet not of the world. The children of God in all generations are warned never to be part of the world: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” 1 John 2:15; “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2.

But the believer cannot attain to this by his own strength. It can only be in the power of the Holy Spirit who delights to occupy him with heavenly things. And He can only so entertain the heart when one goes on in a sense of his own utter weakness, and relies on the strength of the Lord Jesus.

This then was the failure of Abraham at this point. He who had proved God’s strength and grace over so long a time, now puts himself at a distance from the One who alone could have kept him in the trial. He foolishly places himself in a position where he must learn his own weakness and taste the bitter fruit of his folly.

One of the first signs of his getting away from the grace of God was taking matters into his own hands. The flesh in us will ever seek to avoid the trial of faith. God had not told Abraham to go into Egypt. What caused him to go there was the subtlety of Satan who brought to him word of the attractiveness of that land. The abundance and comforts of Egypt had a strong appeal to one who for a moment had forgotten to place his way entirely with God.

Another indication that he had gotten out of communion with God was the scheming of his own mind as he became aware of the hazards to be encountered when he crossed the border. Here we witness the shamefully low state in this “man of faith,” for now he determined to save his own life, even at the expense of his wife. What a contrast to this was the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might bring us from death unto life.

But if Abraham fell so sadly short of his proper path, there should be profit to us in reviewing the humbling account of this part of his history. Scripture tells us, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition.” 1 Corinthians 10:11.

Memory Verse: “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.

ML 02/28/1965

The Foolish Sheep

We lived on a farm when I was small, and my father had a number of sheep. When we came home from school, my sisters and I, it was one of our chores to go to the field and look after the sheep.

There was one sheep that was always missing. It would wander away from the rest, and join up with another flock in a field where there was very little grass. It looked so thin and ill-fed compared with the rest of our sheep, and we got tired chasing it back to its own pasture.

On one occasion we caught it and after getting it away from its stranger companions, we pushed it along tard our own field; but we found this was very tiresome work. While we were pushing and pulling and doing our best, my father came up and seeing our difficulty he took off his scarf, put it around the sheep’s neck, and led it gently back to the flock.

When we reached the field, Father took some grain in his hand and held it out toward this unruly, unworthy sheep. At once it began to eat out of his hand. Then he said to us gently, “Did you ever try this way with it?” No, we hadn’t, but we learned a good lesson that day.

That strange sheep was just like what we all are—sinners, for it is written, “All we like sheep have gone astray.” Isaiah 53:6.

By nature we love the world, and the company of worldly companions. Now, how does God separate us from the world? By holding up before us Jesus, the Saviour of sinners, and the joys which He has to give. By this He seeks to win the sinner’s heart from the follies of the world which do not satisfy. Oh, it is so wonderful to have Christ, to be saved, and to be feeding in the green pastures of His Word, in the company of His own sheep, who are fed and led by His hand.

Dear boy or girl, are you one of His blood-bought flock? “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.” John 10:11,27,28.

ML 03/07/1965

Come!

It was a cold spring day, the sea was rough and the wind boisterous. As we were resting awhile beside a shelter on the beach, we noticed an old sailor close by. We spoke to him about the weather and he sat and talked with us about old times.

“Forty years have I been here on this beach,” he said, “but I remember those days well. Those were very different times; the fishermen and sailors were a rough set then and, although there was a ‘Bethel’ or chapel there, the ‘Rag’ we called it, there were few places where us searing men could be spoken to, or could hear anything about Jesus.”

“Do you know Jesus?” we asked.

“Yes, thank God,” replied the old sailor, “I do.”

“Do you know Him as your Saviour?”

“Oh yes,” he answered. “I know I am saved. I knew about Him, in a way, ever since I was a child. But I grew up rather wild and always went out with my boat on Sundays, as I’m sorry to say my son does now. The Lord had to bring me right down low. I had taken over a fish shop but times became bad and then a long illness overtook me. I got downright hard up, though I didn’t like to tell anybody till at last it came about that our very last cent was spent. Just then a lady heard how sick I was and called to see me—a preacher’s wife she was — and so my wife told her how I couldn’t get the proper food I needed, and her husband brought me a little help, bless him!”

Waving his hand towards his boats, and pointing to a row of some dozen or more hath houses at a little distance, he added, “All these are mine now, and they all sprang from the help that dear man gave to me.

“That was the turning point in my life in another way too, for the first Sunday I could get out I thought I would go to hear the gospel, and the Lord sent the Word straight to my heart. I do remember the verse now. I went back to my bedside and, kneeling down there, asked God to save me, a poor lost sinner and, praise His name, He forgave me. I do ask the Lord every morning to give me some opportunity during the day to serve Him in my humble little way, whether by giving a few cents to some poor man, or saying a word to some rich man, and He does give me such an opening; it’s just wonderful!” The old sailor’s weather-beaten face told its own story of the joy of such service for the Lord.

“I’m getting old now and I don’t go out with my boats except sometimes with the visitors’ families, for I do love little children. And what do you think,” he added, with a bright smile, “I’m having a new boat built, you know, and I ask the children to guess the name I’m going to give her. Some say one name and some another, and they grow quite curious to know. Well, I say, I’m going to call her ‘Come.’

“‘Oh!’ they cry, ‘what a strange name!’ And then I tell them how Jesus said, ‘Suffer little children to come unto Me,’ and that He wants them to come, and so I talk to them of Jesus and His love.”

As we rose to go, the old man said, Good-bye, we will pray for each then I have unsaved sons, you know, that I do believe they will be brought in yet.”

ML 03/07/1965

Once Too Often

He did it once too often! Who? A boy whose immense folly launched him into eternity within the twinkling of an eye.

He lived in Valparaiso, Indiana. He would run across the tracks before the oncoming express train. It was us custom, from sheer bravado, to wait until the last moment and then lash across before the roaring train, laughing loudly as the engine almost brushed his very heels.

But he did it once too often. Perhaps he miscalculated the distance, or the speed of the train, or he may have slipped or stumbled. Somehow or other he was caught by the engine and in an instant dashed to death.

Poor, foolish young boy! How sad for him to throw his young life away like that!

But you, unconverted reader, you may do it once too often! You who are risking your precious never dying soul! Once too often you may reject God and Christ, or you may put off salvation, to your own destruction. You may take your chance once too often. Where? In a land with Bibles scattered on every side in rich and merciful profusion; in a land with privileges such as not to be found anywhere else, and where none need perish in the dark or miss the entrance into Heaven because they cannot learn the way.

The Lord Jesus says, “I am the Way,” John 14:6. Receive Him as your Saviour now. Refuse His love no longer, for remember, you may do it once too often!

ML 03/07/1965

Bible Questions for March

The Children’s Class

1.“Receive the crown of life.”

2.“Be swift to hear.”

3.“Rich in faith.”

4.“The tongue can no man tame.”

5.“Resist the devil.”

6.“Appeareth for a little time.”

7.“The coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

The Young People’s Class Lessons from the word “Till”

1.What TILL tells of the consequences of man’s shameful fall? Genesis 3.

2.What TILL tells us how often we should forgive those who sin against us? Matthew 18.

3.What TILL told Peter how soon he would deny the Lord three times? John 13.

4.What TILL tells us how long the Lord wants us to remember Him in His death? 1 Corinthians 11.

5.What TILL is connected with maintaining an attitude of sincerity without offense? Phil.

6.What TILL speaks concerning the giving of evangelists, pastors and teachers? Eph.

7.What TILL is linked up with the coming universal reign of Christ? 1 Corinthians 15.

ML 03/07/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:14,15

Genesis 12:14,15

“And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.”

Sarai, caught up in the scheming of her husband, is now put in a place of severe testing. The Egyptians saw that she was a very attractive woman, and so did Pharaoh. Now the very scheme that Abraham and Sarai thought would preserve them from trouble, opened the way to dangers they had not thought of. Is it not ever so, when the believer leaves the place of dependence before God and resorts to his own planning to overcome problems? James tells us, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men literally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5.

In the divinely instituted marriage relationship God sees the husband and wife as a type of Christ and the Church. Those who are united thus have the wonderful privilege and the important responsibility to display this precious type. But Abram failed sadly here in his place of headship, and exposed his wife to dreadful hazards. Certainly it was not a noble place for a husband, nor a worthy use to make of his wife. But so it is, when one who ought to have been walking in faith falls back on the slippery paths of his own fears and the world’s favors.

Sarai permitted herself to be taken into Pharaoh’s house in the utterly false position as an unmarried woman. May we who are the Lord’s ever remember that the child of God is “married to another, even to Christ,” and may we never be ashamed before the world of that relationship or fail to confess it. In Pharaoh’s house there could not be a testimony to her true relationship with Abraham, nor could she speak of the wonderful God who had brought them through such varied experiences.

It is indeed a wonderful privilege for a wife to display herself as a type of the Church, the Bride of Christ. In doing so, it should ever be her desire and pleasure to adorn his home and his person with every act of faithfulness and devotion, and allow no contrary behavior on her part to bring dishonor to him. She will ever seek to display herself as the devoted companion of her loved one. But this delightful pattern is marred in the measure in which she fails in her husband’s claims on her. If outside interests detract from her faithfulness, or if she allows worldly activities to sap her energies, her testimony to that oneness with her husband is spoiled and her affections accordingly dimmed. The church today, in general, is far detached from Him who is its Head in glory, because of these very things.

Both Abram and Sarai must have been extremely unhappy under the conditions in which they had placed themselves, and we may be sure they longed to be back in their own land and free from these compromises. Yet how often Satan gains the victory over the believer, who finds himself powerless to escape, even though desiring to do so.

Memory Verse: “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12.

ML 03/07/1965

Little Amy's Bible

The fishing had been poor all that season along the seacoast, and not a few of the fisher folks were feeling the pinch of want before the winter had come to the quiet fishing village. Two us three Christian fishermen met together to pray that God who had oved them as sinners, and had given to them His best and greatest gift, even His own beloved Son to be their Saviour, would as the Lord of earth and sea, provide them and their families with the necessities of life.

That prayer of faith was answered sooner and more abundantly than either of them expected. The following bright autumn morning brought such a shoal of fish, that the fishermen and their wives had been busy since daybreak gathering into baskets the harvest of the sea.

The sale from that one night’s fishing enabled the simple fisher folks to lay in store of such things as they needed for the coming winter. Nor was the Lord forgotten, for they had learned that the first fruits of all His people’s increase is the Lord’s own portion. When the fathers and mothers went off to town to go shopping, the children put in a strong plea to be remembered with a gift. None pleaded more earnestly than little Amy, the youngest of the family, whose request was, “Please buy me a Bible.”

Bibles in those days were not so plentiful or so cheap as they are now, but her godly father, rather than disappoint his little girl, denied himself a new jacket and brought with him Amy’s treasure. It was only a secondhand Bible, and had been evidently much used by its former owner, but it was greatly prized nevertheless.

“I will read to you every night now, Daddy,” said the little girl triumphantly, and then and there, she began to read the word of God to the circle around the fisherman’s fireside. Then she stopped reading.

“Here are some pages fastened together, Daddy. I cannot read any more till you loosen them,” said Amy, handing the book over to her father. Her father took the Bible, moistened the leaves and separated them reverently, lest he should damage the Book of God, when lo and behold, there fell from between the leaves a number of bank notes. Astonished, the fisherman called his wife to see the strange find.

“They are not ours,” said his wife; “you must take them at once to the Notary; he will tell you whose they are.” So they did. The lawyer examined the bills, and from the center of the pile he pulled out a piece of parchment on which there were a few lines of writing. It proved to be a will, and read as follows: “I have gathered this money; it is all my own. I have no friends to whom I can leave it. Whoever becomes the possessor of this Bible, and reads it, I make my heir.”

The fisherman returned to his humble home with thankful heart, and around the fireside that night they listened with fresh interest to the wonderful words of God’s own Book. And Amy found other riches there, even “the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7); the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). The dear girl was saved in her early years, and through a long life she delighted in the Book which she read and searched for hidden treasure. She was used in that fishing village to lead many to the Saviour.

And now, dear young friend, do you know Jesus as your Saviour, and is the Word of God to you more than gold that perishes? There is nothing in this world to be compared to being Christ’s, and having God’s Word as your guide.

ML 03/14/1965

Bright Testimonies

From Boys and Girls

Made Happy—

“I never really knew what it was to be happy until this summer when a companion told me of Jesus, and led me to the Saviour. I had often wanted to know the Christian’s joy, but could not make out how to obtain it. I find it all in Christ. He saves and makes happy. “Willie E. S.—.”

ML 03/14/1965

"All All"

It was a wild wintry night when 1 two teenagers, Martha and Maureen, started out for the gospel meeting. The blast was so cold and strong that they almost decided to turn back, but impelled by an unseen hand they struggled on and finally arrived at the little hall. Few were present on account of the blinding storm, but the word of God was quick and powerful in the souls of these young hearers. The speaker chose for his theme the well-known verse of Isaiah 53:6:

“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.”

The speaker dwelt upon the need of all, for all have gone astray; the danger of each was spoken of, for everyone has turned to his own way.

The searchlight of God’s word shone upon the lives of those two young girls who sat side by side listening to the well-known truths. They were convicted of their sin and danger; they felt their need; they longed for rest. So it came about that after the service, while others left the building they remained seated until they were spoken to by one who was well accustomed to the blessed work of pointing weary sinners to the Saviour Who says, “Come unto Me ... and... rest.”

Said he simply, “Go in at the first ALL and go out at the last ALL.”

What could he mean? He was referring to the verse, ‘All we like sheep Lave gone astray,...” Had they one in at that “all”? Did they really believe that they were needy lost inners? Yes, indeed they did! and stricken in conscience as their past sinful life condemned them now, they longed for salvation. “Then go out it the last ‘all,’” said their helper. But what did this mean?

They looked at the verse and its meaning dawned upon them. They saw how wonderful a provision God lad made for them — guilty, lost though they were.

“The Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.” Marvelous grace! God has taken our iniquity—all of it, and has laid it and the judgment it deserved upon His blessed Son, the Lord Jesus, when He was upon Calvary’s cross. “The LORD hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.” Now, all believers are entitled to say, “He has borne my iniquities away; His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” 1 Peter 2:24.

Our two young friends, having gone in in sorrow by the first “all,” could now go out in joy by the last “all.” God Himself had dealt with the whole question of their sins and guilt, and removed it all in righteousness from before His holy eye.

Martha and Maureen had rest of conscience, and so may you, dear young reader, for the Saviour lives and still waits to save.

“Might I but hear now from His lips

The whisper, ‘I forgive’!”

Listen, His message comes to thee;

He says, “Believe and live.”

“How shall the past be blotted out?”

“There is a crimson tide.”

“What shall I answer to thee for?”

“This only, ‘Jesus died.’”

“Lord, I believe, I bring no plea

But just my sin and need,

And that Thy gracious word is ‘Come.’

Now Thou art mine indeed.”

ML 03/14/1965

The Hermit

It was one of the strangest dwellings you ever saw. It was out in the country among the hills. The walls were made of turf, several feet thick, and the roof was covered with a kind of grass. There was one small window about two feet square, but scarcely sufficient light could penetrate to allow one to see what was inside. The furniture was very scarce, and what there was rough and plain.

The only occupant was an old man, how old no one knew. His clothing was many years behind the times. Nor did anyone know how long he had lived there. Another old man who lived in a neighboring village claimed it was “ever since he was a boy.”

The old hermit had no relatives, it seemed. One day a gentleman visiting the district called to see the aged man, and much to his surprise he was warmly received. The old man told him part of his history and it was evident he had experienced no little sorrow. But he ended by saying, “I have lived here alone for forty-five years; and yet not alone, for God, my true and faithful friend, has been with me night and day all that time. When I leave this hut where He has been my guest, I will go to dwell with Him forever.”

Hermit though he was, the old man was happy, for he was saved. He enjoyed the blest companionship of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear reader, this is the only true and lasting joy. Do you know Jesus as your Saviour and Friend?

“There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24. I’ve found a Friend, O such a Friend!

He loved me ere I knew Him;

He drew me with the cords of love,

And thus He bound me to Him.

And round my heart still closely twine

Those ties which Naught can sever,

For I am His, and He is mine,

Forever and forever!

ML 03/14/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:16

Genesis 12:16

“And he (Pharaoh) entreated Abram well for her (Sarai’s) sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.” verse 16.

If Abram was exercised by the circumstances in which he had placed Sarai and himself, Pharaoh had treated him well. Sad indeed is the case of a Christian who is comfortable in the world because it is treating him well, but who has lost his identity with the One who has the only true claim on him. “Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19,20.

Pharaoh’s showing favor to Abram has had its counterpart in the history of the church. In the year 325 A.D., with the decree of Constantine, the Roman Emperor, persecution of the Christians ceased. Then the world, which prior to that time had displayed its relentless hatred of Christ and His followers, began to treat them well. The sad result was that the church was soon mingling with the world and the world with the church, so that there was no longer any real definition between the two. This mixture brought on “the dark ages” with only here and there a ray of Christian testimony showing forth.

How wily is the enemy of our souls! If he cannot cause the Christian to give up his loyalty to Christ under persecution, he will then see to it that the world invites him into its circles and makes him comfortable there. Abram accumulated wealth and many possessions in Egypt, but he and his wife were much happier without all these gifts from Pharaoh, when in their own land, with only a tent and the altar, going on in dependence on God and in communion with Him.

What then is the safeguard of the believer who would avoid the snares of the world and be faithful to his Lord? It is recommended that the reader turn to Ephesians 6 and read for himself verse 10 to 18: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God,...” etc. Constant faithfulness and dependence on God each day is essential, as well as prayer in communion with the loving Father; feeding on Christ, “the bread from heaven,” the Word of God being both one’s guide and encouragement; avoiding alliances with the world; not coveting riches, being content with God’s provisions along the way; then there should be faithful assembling together with those who call on the Lord out of a true heart and in conformity with His Word. These and many other similar admonitions from the precious Book of Life will help every child of God who desires to be a faithful witness.

Still God had not forgotten Abraham and was making all things work together for his good. If Egypt had betrayed him, it had at least taught him a lesson. He had yielded through weakness and want of faith in trial; but his heart was right, and after the trouble his fault had occasioned, and his restoration, the very effect of this humbling experience was to give him a sense of superiority to all worldly influence which saved him from the fatal mistake of Lot later on.

Memory Verse: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.

ML 03/14/1965

Her Soldier Boy

Far away in a hospital on the banks of the river in a foreign land, a young soldier lay seriously ill. He had been badly wounded the day before in a battle, and it was very uncertain whether he would recover.

Standing by his side and holding his fevered hand, was one of the Lord’s own servants, who sought to care not only for the bodies but also for the souls of the wounded. He quoted the words,

“None but Jesus, none but Jesus, Can do helpless sinners good.”

The suffering soldier opened his eyes. Those words were once so familiar to him in his boyhood days when he attended the little Sunday school in his native village. Now they seemed to bring back to his memory long forgotten words which he had heard and learned then. Drawing the earnest soul winner close to his side, he gently whispered, “I have a prang mother.”

“That’s good, but you need Jesus, Donald; Jesus alone must save.”

Pointing to his tunic, he asked the visitor to take a packet of papers from his pocket, and drawing one from the bundle he handed it to his newfound friend. It was an earnest, loving appeal from his aged mother, pleading with him to “trust in Jesus,” and with it was a sweet little verse from his own little girl, who had sat by Granny’s side as she wrote to her soldier boy. Day after day, the earnest Christian worker visited the wounded young man, and spoke to him of Jesus, believing that God who heard that mother’s cry would bless His own Word to his salvation. Nor was he disappointed, for the wounded soldier told him he was “cleansed in the blood of the Lamb,” and ready to go, should God call him away.

We are glad to tell you that the young soldier did not die, but that he lived, and wrote home to tell the glad news of his salvation.

“Praise the Saviour!
Magnify the sinner’s Friend.”

Memory Verse: “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive: and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” Psalms 86:5.

ML 03/21/1965

The Missionary Rabbits

When I was a small girl, a missionary, who had spent many years in China, visited our little village, and came to our Sunday school. He told us stories about the Chinese children, how hard their lives were compared with ours, how they had no happy Sunday schools, no bright gospel hymns, and no Bibles or Testaments. He told us about a boy and a girl who had saved enough money to send six copies of the Chinese Testament to poor Chinese boys and girls. This is how they did it.

They had a number of pretty rabbits as pets. These rabbits were of a rare species, so they got good money for their young ones, and this money was laid aside to buy Testaments for poor children. Said the speaker: “This would be a good work for some of you boys and girls, and I hope you will begin to serve God in this way in your early years.”

He forgot to tell us that we would need to be converted to God ourselves first, before we could serve Him acceptably. Maybe he did not know that himself, for I have learned since then that there are many missionaries in foreign lands, as well as preachers and Sunday school teachers at home, who are preaching to others but who, themselves, know not the Saviour.

When my sister and I got home, we told our mother the story, and resolved that we would “begin to serve the Lord” by making “missionary rabbits” of our own bunnies. So we began right off. We had good success too, and we were not a little flattered when it was told out publicly to the whole Sunday school that Margaret and Kathleen had earned a dollar and a quarter for foreign missions with their missionary rabbits.

All this, simple as it may seem, was used by the great adversary of our souls—Satan—to instill into our young minds the terrible lie that we could serve the Lord before we were converted. And with this small beginning, we started on a course of religious works which increased as we grew older, until we were the two principal “workers” in the “congregation.” Both were teachers in the Sunday school; yet all the time we were “without Christ,” for we had not seen our true place as sinners in the sight of God — “without strength,” and “condemned already.” (Rom. 5:6; John 3:18).

However, the Lord in His mercy aroused Margaret and me soon after this, to see that we needed to be “born again” before we could serve the Lord, or do anything else to please Him. Missionary rabbits, good deeds, moral lives, church work, and all the rest of our religious profession, had to be let go as “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6), which is just what God esteems our own righteousness to be. And when we were stripped of all this, we came as lost sinners, just as we were, the Lord Jesus received us and saved us, as He does every sinner who thus comes to Him now.

What a change it was to know we were saved and on our way to heaven, not because of “works of righteousness” which we had done (Titus 3:5), but saved by grace alone, because of what Jesus had done for us. We did not cease our work. Oh no! But instead of working for salvation, and to gain a place in the favor of God, we labored because we were saved, constrained by love to Him who saved is. Often we sing that little hymn:

“I do not work my soul to save,

For that my Lord has done;

But I would work like any slave,

From love for God’s dear Son.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: its the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.

ML 03/21/1965

How Elizabeth was Saved

We had been holding some special meetings down by the seacoast. Three were many children there, bright merry boys and girls from the towns and villages around, as well as visitors from afar. There were some older folks too. They came time and again in the summer evenings and heard the story of Jesus and His love. Heaven alone will declare the results of those happy meetings, but some we know were truly converted there, and are now happy in the knowledge of the Saviour’s love.

Here is a letter from one little girl which I think you would like to read. It will tell you how to be saved, if you are not already. Elizabeth is a happy girl just ten years old.

“Dear Sir:

“I am writing this to let you know I was saved at the meeting last night. I just came to Jesus as I was, with all my sins, and all my badness, and told Him I was a sinner, unable to save myself. I gave myself over to Him as you told us, and believed He would not cast me out, and He did not, but received me as He said, and saved me. That beautiful verse was in my mind all day: “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. I am happy, not in my feelings, but resting in His Word.

Your little friend,

“Elizabeth C.”

If you would know Elizabeth’s Saviour, and be as happy as she is, “give yourself over” to Jesus as she did. He will receive and save you. There need be no doubt about it, for He has promised, and He can never fail to keep His word.

If you promise to do something, you feel in honor bound to fulfill your promise, and surely you do not think that the Son of God will do less. He is faithful that promised; and if you desire to prove His faithfulness to receive you, to save you, and to make you truly happy, then like little Elizabeth, “rest in His Word.”

I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary and worn and sad,

I found in Him a resting-place,

And He has made me glad.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

ML 03/21/1965

Bright Testimonies

From Boys and Girls

A School Girl’s Conversion—

“As I was leaving a gospel meeting in a tent one evening, the young lady near to me was asked the question, “Are you saved?” I do not know what effect it had on her, but it caused me to think. I spent a miserable night; I woke up worse. I tried to get comfort, but found none, until a text which I had often heard came into my mind. It was this: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” I caught at that, clung to it, and as its meaning became clear, I had peace. Next morning I could not study or read for joy. Thank God I am saved. Jesus is mine. Several of my schoolmates are Christians too.

“Mary L—.”

ML 03/21/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:17-20

Genesis 12:17-20

“And the Lord plagued Pharaoh... because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.”

The Lord dealt in His own marvelous way, for he did not smite Abram, but “He plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues.” His righteous government was at work; for Pharaoh knew well enough that he had no right to take the woman, even if she were Abram’s sister. He was taking advantage of his position to claim what did not belong to him. Struck by the evident hand of God, he called Abram and found out the truth.

Pharaoh’s anger was justified, for Abram’s duplicity might indeed have resulted in serious consequences. If a Christian conceals an identity with Christ and intrudes himself as a partaker in this world’s things, he is guilty of an injustice to those with whom he thus mingles. God’s deliverance of Abram was affected through plagues on Pharaoh, and so, those in the world with whom a Christian may identify himself may experience sorrow and plagues before God delivers His own from their company. May each of us through grace seek that path where one can walk having God’s approval.

Although Abram’s defection must have been abhorrent and grievous to the Lord, yet He never took His eye off that one whom He had called. “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” Psalms 33:18,19. Self-will may take one of His sheep away from the path of blessing, yet such a one shall never perish. In faithful love the Lord may have to speak harshly to the wayward one, but in one way or another He will come in to remove him from the place of danger and shame.

Abram’s deliverance was not without deep humiliation. What answer could he give to Pharaoh’s questions? None whatever, and he must have blushed in shame as this worldly ruler reproved him and called for him to leave the land. Abram’s humiliation, however, was the beginning of his restoration.

We are reminded that Abram was a man of nature, as well as a man of faith. Instead of keeping the old nature in subjection, he allowed it to overcome him. May the story of his mistake make each of us more aware of the danger of going into the world. It had been better to have had little with God’s blessing in Canaan than to have gained treasures in Egypt and leanness of soul.

ML 03/21/1965

Whosoever

Richard Baxter was particularly fond of the verse, “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. He used to say, “That word whosoever is the most comforting in the whole Bible. If God had said that there was mercy for Richard Baxter, I am so great a sinner that I would have thought he meant some other person of the same name. But when He says ‘whosoever’ I know that includes me, the worst of all Richard Baxters.”

ML 03/21/1965

"That's Thee, Jim!"

It happened outside a book store I where Mr. Carr, the Christian owner had placed an assortment of Bibles for sale in the window.

A troupe of young fellows, who called themselves Ethiopian Serenaders, with blackened faces and hands and dressed in very strange costumes, had arranged themselves for one of their performances. They sang some comic songs and some plaintive melodies, accompanied by some amusing acts and gestures. Then one in the group, a tall, interesting young fellow, who had the air of one who was beneath his proper station in life, stepped up to the door, tambourine in hand, and asked for a few pennies from people going in and out.

Here it was that Mr. Carr took one of the Bibles out of the window and addressed the youth: “See here, young man,” he said, “I will give you a shilling, and this Book besides, if you will read a portion of it among your comrades there, and in the hearing of the bystanders.”

“Here is a shilling for an easy job,” chuckled the young fellow to his mates. “I am going to give a ‘public reading!’” Mr. Carr opened the Bible at the fifteenth chapter of Luke, and pointing to verse eleven, he requested the young man to begin reading at that point.

“Now, Jim, speak up,” said another of the party, “and earn your shilling like a man.”

Jim took the Book and read: “And he said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.”

There was something in the voice of the reader, as well as in the strangeness of the circumstances, that caused a silence to fall on everyone. At the same time, an air of seriousness took possession of the youth, and still further commanded the rapt attention of the crowd.

He read on: “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”

“That’s you, Jim!” exclaimed one of his friends. “It’s just like what you told me of yourself and your father!”

The reader continued: “And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.”

“Why, that’s you again, Jim!” said the voice. “Go on!”

“And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.”

“That’s like us all!” said the voice, once more interrupting. “We are all beggars, and might be better than we are! Go on: Let’s hear what came of it.”

The young man read on, and as he read his voice trembled; “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father.”

At this point he fairly broke down, and could read no more. All were deeply impressed and moved. The whole reality of his past rose up to view before the eyes of the young man, and in the clear story of the gospel a ray of hope dawned upon him for his future. His father—his father’s house—and his mother’s too; and the plenty of love ever bestowed upon him there; and the hired servants, all having enough; and then himself, his father’s son, and his present state, his companionships, his habits, his sins, his poverty, his outcast condition, his questionable means of making a living—all these came climbing like an invading force of thoughts and reflections into the citadel of his mind, and fairly overcame him.

That day—that scene—proved the turning point in the life of the young prodigal. He sought the confidence and the advice of his Christian friend, Mr. Carr, who had thus through providence intervened for his deliverance. Soon they got in touch with his parents, and before long the long-lost dearly loved child returned to the love and shelter of the home he had left years before. And still better, the young prodigal returned to the heavenly Father. He found, as we trust our reader will also find that God is a gracious and forgiving God, that He receives all who come to Him through the work of His beloved Son who died upon the cross for sinners.

ML 03/28/1965

"Be of Good Comfort"

During an awful hailstorm a traveler sought shelter under a farmer’s porch. He saw no one in the house, but he could hear a voice of one in earnest prayer. It was the farmer’s wife who prayed that her little field of corn be preserved from the hail, as it was all they had to help supply their needs during the coming winter. When she had finished praying, she stepped out of the house. “Be of good comfort,” said the traveler, “God has surely heard your prayer. Let us go out and see.” They went. All about them the crops were destroyed by the storm, but the field of the poor farmer remained untouched by the hail.

ML 03/28/1965

Bright Testimonies

From Boys and Girls

From a Canadian Girl—

“I attended gospel meetings in a schoolhouse near our home, and was deeply convicted of sin. I tried to hide it, but my friends must have seen my misery. At the close of the meeting one night, the preacher asked me if I would like to be saved. I said, ‘Yes.’ ‘Well, you may be saved tonight; for God is waiting.’ Then he read in Romans 5:6: ‘Christ died for the ungodly.’ I saw that meant me. So I just put in my claim as an ungodly sinner, and confessed, ‘He died for me.’ I know I am saved, because Romans 10:9 says so. Praise His name! “Amy R—.”

ML 03/28/1965

One Verse Will Do It

In a children’s gospel meeting the question was asked, “How does faith come?” A number of children answered: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

Then in answer to another question, “How much of the Word does it take to save a sinner?” a little fellow answered, “One verse will do it!” “What verse is that?” the speaker asked. At once he quoted, “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.”

How true and wonderful this is! A single verse of God’s Word telling of our needs as sinners, of God’s love for sinners, and of Jesus as a sinner’s Saviour, if believed, gives eternal life to the one believing—as soon as the Word is believed.

What matter how the winds may blow,

Since fair or foul alike is best?

God holds them in His hand I know,

And I may leave to Him the rest,

Assured that neither calm nor gale

Can bring me danger or delay

As I still toward the haven sail

That lies, I know, not far away.

Memory Verse: “Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.” Hebrews 7:25.

ML 03/28/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 13:1-4

Genesis 13:1-4

“And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him.”

We have looked sorrowfully on Abram involved in the results of his leaving the path of dependence upon God and going down into Egypt. Now we are refreshed to see the new goal of the one who though he had failed had never lost his place as a child of God. We learn too that the exercise of his heart in returning to Bethel resulted also in his taking back with him those who had originally accompanied him to Egypt.

“And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel,... unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.” 10:3,4.

There is a reminder in this of the principle previously considered; that is, he must return to the point from which he ought never to have departed. The return to Bethel was suited to his need at this time, for Bethel and the altar spoke of counion with the Lord—a privilege he could not enjoy in Egypt, type of the world. He had no altar in Egypt—nor could he erect one en-route to Bethel. We are happy to read of his going all the way back, for anything short of this would not do in relationship with God.

Now again in the good of counion with God, he proves anew the joy of putting all his circumstances into His hands. Ah, what lessons he had learned since he had last been at Bethel and we wonder just what confessions and expressions of repentance went up as he there “called on the name of the LORD.”

We are not told exactly, but we can be certain that his heart was opened in confession of the sad errors he had made and that he looked to God in renewed dependence on Him. This is ever the pattern of restoration when a child of God goes astray. “I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD, and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.” Psalms 32:5.

Dear Christian, if the enemy has gained an advantage over you, may this word prove an encouragement. May you prove the cleansing and healing effects of “returning to the altar at Bethel,” as it were, there to confess the whole matter in true repentance to the Lord, who loves to restore His own.

Again we are reminded, however, of a past mistake on the part of Abram, that was to have its consequences with him all his life. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7. Lot, his nephew, went with him into Egypt and back again into the land of promise.

We do not read of Lot getting into trouble in Egypt, as Abraham did. He is a type of the “worldly Christian” and appeared to feel right at home in worldly surroundings. Returning to Bethel, his uncle reverently went to the altar and called upon the name of the Lord, but we do not read of Lot doing so, nor do we ever read of him looking to the Lord for guidance in any part of his life. He could never contribute to Abram’s spiritual good, but on the contrary, became increasingly a burden to him.

ML 03/28/1965

Ruthie's Ducklings

Two Natures

Ruthie was a little girl who lived on a large farm. Her mother had given her a hen and a setting of eggs. Ruthie looked forward to the time when she would have a brood of little chicks all her own.

But these eggs were not all of the same size, for seven of them were hen’s eggs and six were duck eggs. For days the little mother hen patiently sat on the nest. Then sure enough at the appointed time, two distinct broods of little yellow downy things made their appearance. Ruthie clapped her hands with delight and set about to make a house for the new family.

One morning a few weeks later, when she went on her regular visit to the chicken house, to her sorrow she found that all of the young ducklings were gone, and only the chickens were left. In dismay she ran and told her mother the sad news. Mother laughed, and said to her little girl, “You go down to the pond in the meadow and look; perhaps you may find them there.” So Ruthie hurried off to the pond, and to her great delight, sure enough there were six little ducks having a wonderful time sailing about, enjoying their first swim on the water. She tried her utmost to persuade them to come back to the shore, but no, they were too much at home on the water and having too good a time to leave. It was just as natural for them to be on the water as it was for the chicks to be on the land. Although both were hatched in the same nest, the two broods had different natures.

Mother used this little incident to teach Ruthie that day a lesson she never forgot, and I hope our young readers may learn it too. It is this: we all were born with a nature that is self-willed, loves sin, loves the world and its pleasures, and is enmity against God. But when one gets saved, he is “born again,” born of God; he receives a new nature that loves only holiness, righteousness, and finds its delight in obeying and pleasing the Lord Jesus. However, the old nature still remains in the Christian, and will do so as long as he is in this body. The believer is called on to keep this old nature in the place of death, through the power of the death of Christ, though sad to say we let him become very active at times.

The old nature can only sin; the new nature cannot sin. May the Lord help each of us who are saved, to walk in the power of that new life, so that Christ might shine forth in us.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:17,18.

Memory Verse: “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36.

ML 04/04/1965

Ivan, the Russian Boy

Near to a town in the far north of Russia years ago, there lived a Christian peasant and his wife and two children. They were very poor as far as this world’s goods are concerned, but they were rich in faith, for they had heard and believed the glad tidings of the Saviour’s love. The children, too, had been saved early in life, and in their own humble way they sought to please and to serve the Lord.

Young Ivan went to the market with his mother one day, and for a small sum he bought a book which told of how in far-off heathen lands many children had never heard the Saviour’s name, nor read the Word of God. Ivan’s tender heart was touched, and he wondered what he could do to help send the gospel to them. He had just four Russian coins, worth about a penny apiece, in his box, and he resolved to give them to the Lord.

Soon after this, the dear boy became sick and the Lord took him home to heaven. Before he died, however, he expressed the wish that the four coins that he had saved might be used to buy a little printing type, enough at least, as he expressed it, “to put the dot above the ‘i’ in Christ’s precious Name.” Thus his little legacy was used in sending the gospel to the poor in far-off lands.

For when the precious boy had gone

To Jesus’ home above,

His sorrowing father handed o’er

The little gift of love

To one who on a distant shore,

Made known that blessed Name,

And to the heathen children told

Of Christ the Saviour’s fame.

And when he told the way of life,

The tidings of great joy,

He loved to show its saving power

In that dear Russian boy.

ML 04/04/1965

Come!

Do you know that every time a Chinese person uses the above character (the ordinary Chinese word for “COME”) that he draws a picture of a cross, a Man, (written thus, A.), on that cross, between two other men, on either side one?

Yet so it is.

Every time the Chinese write the word Come, they must draw this wonderful picture. Most of them do not know the meaning, but does it not bring to your mind those words about the Lord Jesus, — “They crucified Him, and two others with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.” John 19:18.

What a picture! A Man on a cross, His pierced hands stretched wide calling to you, “COME”

Have you heard His call? Have you obeyed? Have you Come? May this little paper be a voice from that same blessed Man, now in the glory, saying to you, “Come Home!”

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

ML 04/04/1965

"I Ought to Rejoice"

When the Emperor Rudolph 2 was near death, he was asked by his friends whether or not he longed to depart. He replied: “When I was in Spain in my childhood, a messenger arrived from my father to accompany me on my journey home. I was so happy I could not sleep all that night for joy. Don’t you think I ought to rejoice now, when my heavenly Father is about to call me home to the everlasting mansions prepared for me by His Son, Jesus Christ.”

ML 04/04/1965

Bible Questions for April

The Children’s Class

1.“Rejoice with joy unspeakable.”

2.“He might bring us to God.”

3.“Be sober, be vigilant.”

4.“Given unto us all things.”

5.“Unto the day of judgment.”

6.“Not willing that any should perish.”

7.“Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.”

The Young People’s Class Abundance

1.What did the Lord say about a man’s life and the ABUNDANCE of things possessed? Luke 12.

2.What will not satisfy those who love abundance? Ecclesiastes 5.

3.What did the Lord, as the Good Shepherd, enable us to have more ABUNDANTLY? John.

4.What will the wicked and unrighteous ABUNDANTLY receive if they return unto God? Isaiah 55.

5.When we are saved, what is it that is shed on us ABUNDANTLY? Titus.

6.By what power is God able to do exceeding ABUNDANTLY above all that we ask or think? Ephesians 3.

7.What is promised ABUNDANTLY to those who put their trust in God? Psalms 36.

ML 04/04/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 13:5-13

Genesis 13:5-13

“And Lot also, which went with Abraham, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle.” 10:5-7.

In Lot we see one who profits by his opportunities, wherever he may be, while Abraham shows us one who went out, as it is said, “not knowing whither he went.” Lot on the contrary took good care of where he was going, first with whom, and next when alone, he looked out well for what would be useful to his cattle, that is, to himself.

There was a strife between their respective herdmen. Lot was the nephew, and Abraham the uncle; besides the promises had been made to Abraham. Nevertheless, when the dispute arose, he stood up for no rights of his. He had learned too well his wrongs, and having been down before the Lord at Bethel, he is as far as possible from taking a high place even with one who ought to have been subject. His spirit here was most commendable. Why should he be in temporary conflict with Lot over the division of the land, when he was assured that the promises of God to him were far greater. Accordingly, he told Lot: “Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” verse 9.

Lot coveted what seemed to be, and we suppose it really was, the best of the land. A single eye is quick to discern that which concerns the glory of Christ, a covetous one is sharp enough to see its own interest. Those well-watered plains of Jordan, “like the land of Egypt,” appealed so strongly to Lot that he makes them his choice and he “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Lot remembered what he had seen in Egypt, and the world in his heart responded to that which reminded him of it. But while the land of Lot’s choice outwardly appealed to the eye, we also read, “The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” verse 13. After all, Lot had made a bad choice. The Lord grant that we might learn a needed lesson from his poor example. Surely we will find no blessing from God if we go into the world, with its lusts and snares, to pitch our tent among the ungodly.

The word of God gives a very solemn warning; “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” Proverbs 4:14,15. Again, “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil.” Proverbs 14:16.

Lot was not actually a wicked man; in fact, we read in Peter that he was “a righteous man,” but he was unwise, and being greedy of prosperity he placed himself in the neighborhood of the wicked. Perhaps he felt he would be able to resist the effect of what was around him and even improve Sodom. But like many a believer has proved since, he did not know his own heart, nor did he correctly estimate the power of the world in the hearts of the people of Sodom.

ML 04/04/1965

Goodnight or Goodbye

A devoted Christian businessman was struck by an automobile and hurried to a hospital. He was informed he had only about two hours to live. His faith was implicit in the goodness of God hereafter. He had called his family to him and thus addressed them: “Good night, dear wife. Through sunshine and shadow we have walked together. You have been my inspiration in everything I have undertaken. Many times I have seen the Spirit of God shining in your face. I love you far more than the day you became my bride. Good night, dear, I’ll see you in the morning; good night.”

“Good night, Mary. You are our firstborn. What a joy you have been to your father. What a Christian you are, Mary; you will never forget how your father loved you. Good night, Mary, good night.”

“Good night, Will. (He turned to his eldest son.) Will, your coming into our home has been an unmixed blessing. You love the God of your father. You will continue to grow in every Christian grace and virtue. You have your father’s love and blessing. Good night, Will, good night.”

“Good night, Gracie.”

(Charlie was the next. Charlie had fallen under evil influences and grievously disappointed his father and mother. The dying man skipped him and spoke to the youngest child, a beautiful-young girl.

“Gracie, you have long been a song of gladness, a ray of light. When not long ago you surrendered your life to Christ, your father’s cup of happiness was full to overflowing. Good night, little girl, good night.”

“Good-by, Charlie.” He then called Charlie to his side. “Charlie, what a fine promising boy you were. Your father and mother believed you would develop into a noble man. We gave you all the opportunities we gave to the other children. If there has been any difference, you yourself must admit that the difference was all in your favor. You have disappointed us. You have followed the broad and downward road. You have not heeded the warnings of God’s holy Word. You have not hearkened to the call of the Saviour. But I have always loved you and love you still, Charlie. God only knows how much I love you. Good-by, Charlie, good-by, good-by.”

Charlie seized his father’s hand and between sobs he cried out, “Father, why have you said good night to the others and good-by to me?”

“For the simple reason that I shall meet the other members of the family ‘in the morning,’ but by all the promises that assure us of a reunion, by those same statements of God’s Word, I can have no hope of seeing you ‘over there.’ Good-by, Charlie, good-by.”

Charlie fell on his knees by his dying father’s bed and cried out in agony of his soul, praying God to forgive his sins.

“Do you mean it, Charlie; are you in earnest?”

“God knows I am,” said the heartbroken young man.

“Then God will hear you and save you, Charlie, and it is good night and not good-by. Good night, Charlie, good night, my boy.” And he was gone.

Charlie is now a preacher of the Gospel.

The foregoing account of the bright homegoing of this dear man was sent to me by a friend, and in passing the incident on it is with earnest prayer that it might reach the hands of many “Charlies” that are making their way down the broad road to destruction.

“Behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

“I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.” Revelation 3:20.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Hebrews 2:3.

ML 04/11/1965

The Young Actress

A beautiful young actress had earned the admiration and acclaim of the world by her lovely voice and clever acting.

It was evening, and she was on her way to the theater, where she would again win the applause of the crowds. Their applause was pleasant enough to receive (so she may have thought as she went on), and yet why was she so weary-hearted tonight? How was it that she felt so unsatisfied in spite of her success? She would be growing old, her voice would be going, and then how long would these sort of friends remain true to her? And—well, there was something further on still; there was death—and what should she do when that drew near? There was the great question of her sins to be settled! Oh, perhaps it was that which caused her heavy heart tonight.

Suddenly through the hum of the busy city there broke on the evening air the clear ring of children’s voices singing in the street. They were close beside her, and the words fell distinctly on her ear—

“Depth of mercy, can there be

Mercy still reserved for ME?

Can my God His wrath forbear?

Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

There for me the Saviour stands,

Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.

God is love, I know and feel—

Jesus lives and loves me still.”

It was a new, a strange message, to the sin-sick soul, and the young actress listened eagerly to the words. When they were finished, she asked the children to repeat them, which they did over and over again. Then, giving them a few pennies, she passed on, with the lines still ringing in her ears and heart.

Could it be true? Was there really mercy reserved for a sinner such as she had been? Was the Saviour showing His wounded hands and the marks of the cruel cross, to God His Father, to prove that He had taken her place and borne the punishment that was due her? And was it true that the holy God was also a God of love, and that He was perfectly satisfied with His Son as her Substitute. Could He say in all truth, “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins”? Isaiah 43:25.

She reached the theater, and prepared in a dreamy way to act her usual part. The building was crowded; but as she stepped upon the stage, her thoughts were far away from the audience around her, or from the enthusiasm that her appearance had aroused. She opened her lips, but it was not to break forth as usual into a song of this world. Almost unconsciously the words rang out,

“Depth of mercy, can there be Mercy still reserved for me?

God is love, I know and feel—
Jesus lives and loves me still.”

The words were followed by an astonished silence. The actress turned and left the stage—left the theater—and hurried out into the dark streets, never pausing until she had reached the room where she was staying. There, with the door locked, she threw herself upon her knees and poured out her heart to God. She accepted that “depth of mercy” that had been reserved for her, and gave herself, body, soul and spirit, into the hands of the blessed Saviour who had died in her stead. From henceforth her lovely voice, which hitherto had served to entertain and thrill the world, would now be employed in the service of praise and thanksgiving to Him who alone is worthy— “worthy of all homage and of praise.”

“The Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

ML 04/11/1965

Bright Testimonies

From Boys and Girls

Life In a Look—

“I like the Sunday school papers; they often cheer me on in the heavenly race. I got ‘life in a look at the crucified One’ over three years ago; and I rejoice in ‘looking unto Jesus’ still. “Ann F. G—.”

Memory Verse: “All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him, and none can keep alive his own soul.” Psalms 22:29.

ML 04/11/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 13:14-18

Genesis 13:14-18

“And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.” 10:14,15.

After Lot was separated from him, God says to Abram, “Lift up now thine eyes...” And what does He show him? All the land! In every direction he looked his promises lay. Even that which Lot had thought to claim for his own was part of that promised to Abraham. God is indeed a generous giver, and one who walks in obedience to Him and His word will find He will do beyond every expectation. He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20.

How sweet for Abram to have trusted in the Lord, leaving all the question, though apparently with Lot, really with the Lord. May we too learn to be thus simple and confiding. There is never a giving up of self that is not answered by the Lord, in His grace and in the sweet assurance of it to our souls, by a better gift still through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth.” This speaks plainly of earthly blessings connected with the nation of Israel. In a later chapter when God again appears to Abram these promises are made to include the Gentiles also. Thus Abram is called “the father of the faithful”—God’s earthly people, Israel, and his heavenly people, the Church.

After viewing the land of promise, God told Abraham, “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it,” verse 17. So he moved onward to the plains of Mamre, in Hebron, where he built another altar to the Lord. Mamre means “vigor” or “faithfulness,” and it seems to have been a place of encouragement to Abraham. We cannot but help notice the difference between Abram’s going to Mamre, where he could enjoy unbroken counion with God and Lot’s going into the plains of Jordan, which means “death.”

But the Lord would not be satisfied to have His servant merely dwell in, and look out on, his blessings. He called him to “arise and walk through it.” In a later day when the descendants of Abraham, having been redeemed out of Egypt and having crossed the desert, were coming into the land of promise, Joshua was told: “Arise, go... unto the land which I do give to them... Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.” Joshua 1:2,3. Nor is it enough for the Lord’s people now to merely rest on the assurance of eternal salvation, precious as this is. But to fully enjoy all that we possess in Christ, those “spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3), we need to lay hold of them by faith and walk confidently in the good of them. “Arise, walk through the land” is as important a word for the Lord’s people today as it was for those of long ago. “That ye,... may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.” Ephesians 3:17-19.

ML 04/11/1965

The City Fountain

In one of the busy thoroughfares in Glasgow, there stands a pretty fountain which bears the name of “Little Folks’ Fountain.” It received this name because it was provided for by the pennies of a great many boys and girls in many parts of the world, who desired to provide a free drink of pure Loch Katrine water to anybody and everybody in the great city. On a hot summer day, I saw a crowd of thirsty schoolboys quenching their thirst at the fountain.

As I stood looking upon the fountain, its crowd of thirsty school boys, its free drinks for “whosoever will,” I thought of another Fountain to which God invites all who thirst.

“I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” Revelation 21:6. Again, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.

John the Evangelist tells the story of how the Lord Jesus, weary and thirsty, sat by the well of Sychar. A poor sinful woman from the city came there with her pitcher to draw water. The Lord Jesus asked her for a drink. She was surprised that He, being a Jew, would ask a drink from a poor despised Samaritan woman. But the Lord Jesus said to her: “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.” John 4:10.

Then the blessed Saviour went on to show the difference between the water that was in the well and the living water that He gives. Said He: “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13,14.

The “living water” is the Holy Spirit sent down from above, whom He gives to all those who own Him as Saviour and put their trust in Him, those whose sins He has washed away in His precious blood. That living water first quenches our thirst, and then it becomes a springing well in the heart of the believer—flowing back up to God in worship.

The water in the well would tell us of this world’s pleasures, which only satisfy for the moment. They do not give lasting joy; but the living water that Jesus gives to all who come to Him satisfies and rejoices the heart forever.

Dear reader, Have you this living water?

Jesus gave her water,

That was not in the well.

She went away singing,

And came back bringing

Others to the water

That was not in the well.

ML 04/18/1965

Margie's Conversion

Margie was my companion. She was the first to hear of my conversion. I ran straight from the Sunday school in which I was converted to Margie’s home and told her.

“Oh Annie,” she said, as she burst into tears, “I’ll never be saved, I’m too bad.”

“No, Margie; it was sinners that Jesus came to save—bad ones, too. I have as black a heart as you have, and He saved me.”

We walked along for a time talking about it. All of a sudden, it seemed, a great change took place in Margie’s heart. The light shone into her soul. She stood still, clapped her hands, and said, “I see it now, Annie. It was not good ones, but bad ones Jesus came to save. That suits me.”

Margie just came as she was, and Jesus saved her. We are now both companions of the Lord, on our way to heaven, both saved and happy. Are you, dear reader? Remember, it was bad ones Jesus came to save.

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Mark 2:17.

ML 04/18/1965

Brave Eddie

Little Eddie came to our children’s meetings when he was just four years old, and at that early age I believe the Lord opened his heart to the gospel. He lived some distance out of town and often he tramped the dark road all alone after meeting, carrying with him some magazines and prizes, or messages for his mother. But the brave little fellow never feared, nor even on the darkest night did we ever miss him from the meeting. His parents were careless and indifferent to the gospel, but they always listened to Eddie when he told them what he heard at the meetings, and his mother read very eagerly the Sunday school papers and prizes that he brought home.

I believe God used the dear boy’s testimony, simple as it was, backed up by his consistent life, to turn the parents’ hearts toward eternal things, and to make them wish to know Eddie’s Saviour. It was a great triumph for Eddie to get his father and mother to come to the annual children’s treat, to which parents as well as children were welcome. His face shone as he led them into a seat in the hall that night.

But the best part of my story has yet to be told. Eddie’s father and mother became anxious about their souls’ salvation, and we had the joy of going out to their home one night, telling them more simply of the way of life. Now both are saved and happy in the Lord. Eddie is a bright Christian boy, a true witness for Christ, and much loved by his parents. And well they might love him, for it was by his means that they were led to the Saviour.

Dear young friends, how wonderful it is to be saved in life’s early days. What a joy to yourself, what a blessing to your friends it would be, if you were really saved and witnessing for Jesus, as did brave Eddie.

“A little child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:6.

“Suffer the little children to come unto Me.” Mark 10:14.

ML 04/18/1965

Joseph

A Type of the Lord Jesus

In Joseph, beloved of his father, 1 faithful in his service, hated by his brethren, suffering for righteousness, and exalted to save and bless, we see a very beautiful type of the Lord Jesus in service, suffering, and glory.

JOSEPH IN SERVICE (Gen. 37:2). He was sent by his father on an errand of love; he was envied and hated by his own brothers, who agreed to kill him. So it was with Jesus. You might look up the Scripture references as we go along, and link them with this story. They tell that the Lord Jesus loved His Father (John 3:35), and was sent with a message of love (John 3:16), to His own (John 1:11), but they received Him not. They hated Him and conspired to kill Him (John 15:24; Matt. 21:38).

JOSEPH SOLD (Gen. 37:24). They stripped him of his “coat of many colors” and sold him for twenty pieces of silver—the price of a slave. So Jesus was stripped and sold (Matt. 26:14; 27:28) into the hands of wicked men.

JOSEPH IN PRISON (Gen. 39:20). In Egypt, Joseph suffered for righteousness, as Jesus did at the hands of the world (Acts 4:27). There he was “numbered with the transgressors” (Isa. 53:12). One of Joseph’s fellow prisoners was exalted: the other was hanged. So from Calvary, one converted thief went to Paradise: the other died a railer.

JOSEPH BEFORE PHARAOH (Gen. 41:14). Because of his wisdom and his faithfulness, Joseph was raised from the dungeon to the place of ruler (Psa. 105:20-22). There he received a new name, “Zaphnath-Paaneath,” meaning “The Saviour of the world,” revealer of secrets, which is just what the Lord Jesus is (1 John 4:14). God has “highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” Philippians 2:9,10.

JOSEPH EXALTED (Gen. 41:43). In Egypt, Joseph received a Gentile bride, and Afterward revealed himself to his brethren, who in their need were brought to him, owned their guilt, were forgiven, and dwelt “in the land” over which Joseph ruled. The Lord Jesus is through the gospel taking out a people for Himself from among the Gentiles—the Church, His bride, for whom He is coming soon. Moreover, He will yet be owned as the true Messiah by His brethren, the Jews, who once slew Him. He will be not only King of Israel, but King of kings and Lord of lords. Those who put their trust in Him as Saviour, and share His reproach and rejection now, will share His throne of glory in that soon coming day.

Memory Verse: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3.

ML 04/18/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 14:1-12

Genesis 14:1-12

“And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; that these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah,... Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled....” Chedorlaomer and those kings with him came again to subdue their tributaries, four kings against five, and the battle raged in the vale of Sid-dim, near the Dead Sea. “And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there.... And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah,... and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.”

War was not an uncommon thing, but there was something very unusual in the results of this battle. God ordered things so as to draw unmistakably the attention of all to Himself. God caused the strife to be brought close to the spot where His witness Abraham walked. There was a lesson shown then to the world, as surely there was a lesson now taught to Lot, and one which has been preserved for our instruction now.

After choosing the land that looked so promising, Lot had “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” It seems that at first he only wanted to go part way into the world—just enough to enjoy some of its pleasures and comforts without getting too deeply involved. But now it is recorded, “he dwelt in Sodom.” Dwelling nearby he soon was drawn closer to the wicked city until eventually he was involved in its affairs. Then when the enemy came, he and his family and all his possessions were carried away. Solemn warning to every child of God! The world’s affairs are not our proper occupation and the believer who exposes himself to its influence will surely be overcome by Satan. Lot did not improve Sodom; but Sodom ruined Lot. One day, like Sodom, this world with all its proud achievements will be utterly destroyed. Should we not forsake these things, dear Christian reader, and “seek those things which are above?” Colossians 3:1.

Lot’s connections had taken him out of communion with the Lord and from His people, and his worldly companions being unable to help him, he was entirely at the mercy of the enemy. What a contrast he is to king David who could say in a time of trouble and danger: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust.... I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” Psalms 18:2,3.

Our chapter tells of a twelve-year period of servitude and the revolt of the oppressed. Does not this remind us that the world has long been in servitude to Satan? “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey?” Romans 6:16. In seeking his pleasures and satisfaction in this world, man has become a servant of Satan. His conscience at times may make him wish to be free from sin and Satan, but while Satan holds the victory, no one can in his own strength escape from him. It is only after one has realized his utter helplessness and, turning to Christ for deliverance owns Him as Saviour and Lord, that he can say: God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” Colossians 1:13.

ML 04/18/1965

Fritz, the German Boy

The doctor passing through the hospital ward noticed a little boy with a very sad face lying in one of the beds. Little Fritz was a German lad, far from his native land. He could not speak a word of English, nor could he understand what the nurses said to him.

It so happened that the Doctor could speak German well, so he went up to the little fellow and asked his name. Delighted at hearing the language of his fatherland, the boy sat up and clasping the Doctor’s hand, he felt he had found a friend. He told him his story, how that he had left his home and come to England with his uncle, and having been taken ill he was brought to the hospital.

“Do you think I shall soon be well, Doctor?” asked little Fritz anxiously.

“Well, Fritz, I cannot say, but I am sure everything will be done for you here to make you well,” said the doctor tenderly.

“But what if you do not recover, Fritz. Where do you think you will go after you leave this world?” The boy shook his head. He had not thought of that. So the doctor who was a Christian and loved to tell others about the Saviour, told Fritz of the love of Jesus in coming down to earth to die, that Fritz might be saved and go to heaven. The boy drank in the truth, and when the Doctor asked, “Do you think you can trust yourself to such a Saviour, Fritz?”

“Yes,” said the boy, “for He so loves me.”

Day after day, the Doctor sat by the little patient’s bed, and told him more of Jesus. Fritz believed and he became very happy in knowing his sins were forgiven and he had peace with God.

Fritz did not die, but got better, and returned to his fatherland to tell his friends and others of the wonderful love of Jesus, the Son of God, who came into this world to save sinners.

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” 1 John 4:9.

“Jesus... saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” Mark 5:19.

ML 04/25/1965

Happy Annie

Annie was an orphan child. Her father and mother died when she was very young, so young that she did not remember ever seeing them. However, when her mother died, she took her little babe in her arms and with her last breath prayed that God would save her in her early days.

Annie lived with her grandmother in a small cottage some distance from town. But she never seemed lonely or anxious to join with the crowd of boys or girls on the city streets. She went to a pretty country school, around the door of which entwined honeysuckle and roses. It was there she learned the story of the Saviour’s love.

When only five years old, Annie believed on the Lord Jesus and was saved. Then began her days of true happiness. Her face always wore a smile. She was generally singing and the neighbors called her “Happy Annie.” If you were to ask her what made her sing as she walked along to and from school, she would tell you, “‘Cause Jesus makes me glad.” Wasn’t that a very good reason why she should sing? If Jesus made her glad, she could not be silent.

And Jesus can make you glad, just as He did little Annie. He will if you believe on Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, as Annie did.

“I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me.” Proverbs 8:17.

“We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9.

ML 04/25/1965

The Prodigal's Return

“The wanderer no more will roam,

The lost one to the fold hath come,

The prodigal is welcomed home,

Lamb of God, to Thee!

“Though clothed in rags, by sin defiled,

The Father did embrace His child;

And I am pardoned, reconciled,

Lamb of God, in Thee!

“It is the Father’s joy to bless,

His love has found for me a dress,

A robe of spotless righteousness,

Lamb of God, in Thee!

“Yea, in the fullness of His grace,

God put me in the children’s place

Where I may gaze upon His face,

Lamb of God, in Thee!

“And when I in Thy likeness shine,

The glory and the praise be Thine,

That everlasting joy is mine,

Lamb of God, in Thee!”

ML 04/25/1965

How I was Saved

I could not have been more than five or six years old when deeply convicted of sin. My parents were waiting for the Lord’s coming, and I knew if He came I was not ready to meet Him. Sometimes after being put to bed I would listen and think: “The house is very still; perhaps He has come, and I am left behind!” Then I would slip out of bed, creep downstairs, and listen for any sound that might relieve my fears.

How many times have I prayed, as a little child: “Lord Jesus, don’t come for millions and millions of years!” But I did not then know the Lord Jesus as my Saviour, and so feared His coming. Perhaps you are passing through a similar experience. Then do not delay as I did, but come to Jesus “NOW” (2 Cor. 6:2).

Two things often troubled me—one was my own sinfulness; and the other, the holiness of God.

Then the day of my conversion came. It was Sunday evening, and I found my way to a little meeting room where I knew the gospel would be preached, determined to have the matter settled that night, whatever it might cost. The preacher’s message brought no relief, and well did I remember the distress of my soul when he finished. “I have had my last chance,” I thought, “and now it’s too late.” But hark!

The closing hymn was being given out, and the words at once arrested me:

God could not pass the sinner by,

His sin demands that he must die;

But in the cross of Christ we see

How God can save, yet righteous be.

As a drowning man grasping at a rope thrown to him,

I laid hold upon the truth in those two verses.

The third verse contained these wonderful words:

The sin alights on Jesus’ head,

‘Tis in His blood sin’s debt is paid;

Stern justice can demand no more,

And mercy can dispense her store.

As it was being sung, I altered the words and sang it:

“My sins alight on Jesus’ head,

‘Tis in His blood my debt is paid.”

The load of guilt was at once removed from my conscience, for now I saw, by the Saviour’s teaching, that the claims of a holy God, and my need as a guilty sinner, had been met by the death of the Lord Jesus.

And the last verse of that blessed hymn was sung from an overflowing heart:

The sinner who believes is free,

Can say, “The Saviour died for me,”

Can point to the atoning blood,

And say, “This made my peace with God.”

Perhaps you feel as I did, yet He who sought the wandering sheep until He found it still seeks you. Receive then God’s message of pardon through Christ’s death, and go on your way rejoicing. Rest not until you can say, “Behold, God is MY SALVATION, I will trust and not be afraid.”

F.A.G.

ML 04/25/1965

Bible Questions

Last Call for Answers

This issue brings us down to the close of another year of publishing Messages of the Love of God. To the God of all grace and to the Saviour, His beloved Son, the Lord of the harvest, be all the praise.

We are thankful for so many who have faithfully answered the Bible Questions for this term now ending. May the Lord Himself bless each one abundantly through searching and meditating on His Word.

If you have missed sending in your answers for any of the past months we urge you to do so at once so that you may receive the best possible reward.

Rewards will be mailed early in June, the Lord willing, and names of Answerers will be published in June 13 issue.

Memory Verse: “If thou knewest the gift of God,... Thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” John 4:10.

ML 04/25/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 14:13-16

Genesis 14:13-16

“And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram... and when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan... and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah.” 10:13-15.

This event presents a lovely picture of the way God will sometimes use a faithful believer to help one who has fallen into worldly ways and grief. After Lot separated from Abram there was apparently little, if any, communication between them. Lot dwelt in Sodom. It was not one standing only for God, but one striving to care for himself. His portion lay, by choice, in the comforts and prosperity of a wicked city. On the other hand, Abram’s portion was seeking God’s desires and he therefore had no interest in the world and its follies.

In his faithful walk, Abram enjoyed more prosperity than Lot. Spiritually, the faithful walk of a believer is always more rewarding than a path of self-will and pleasure-seeking. These rewards may not always be recognized by others, but the earnest Christian proves that God is liberal, that He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. One who seeks to please the Lord finds an enjoyment in his Christian pathway that a caress or worldly believer cannot experience. When word of Lot’s disaster reached Abram, it drew out his feelings of loving desire for his deliverance. He immediately determined to go to his rescue and he did so at no small expense and effort. In this unselfish act we are reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul to the believers at Corinth: “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you.” 2 Corinthians 12:15.

By this time, Lot’s captors had taken him and his family more than 150 miles north. A weaker or less devoted man than Abram would have considered going after them a hopeless task. But Abram loved Lot in spite of his past misbehavior, and displays the power of grace which arises above whatever had been personally wrong. Together with 318 armed servants, he made the long trip, smote the enemy, and successfully brought back Lot and all those who had been taken captive.

If Abram lived in peace and in the blessings of God, how did it happen that he could raise such a large company of well-trained men on a moment’s notice? Well did he know the hazards of the country where he dwelt, and made provision against the day when he would encounter the enemy. This is what should characterize the Christian today, only in a spiritual and not in a fleshly way, “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but... against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Then in 1 Peter 5:8,9, we are told: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith.”

Let us consider this large company of trained men, born in Abram’s house. They had witnessed his faithfulness to God, and were ready and able to fight together when called upon to do so. Timothy was admonished in a later day: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ....” 2 Timothy 2:3.

ML 04/25/1965

Barney the Hero

Many true stories have been told of animal heroes. The story today is about Barney, the brave monkey.

A rich nobleman had a favorite monkey—a large orang-outan which you know, is the largest species of monkey, except the gorilla. Barney the monkey was very much attached to his master, and to little baby Charles who was the pet of the whole family.

One day a fire suddenly broke out in the mansion, and everybody was running here and there trying to put it out. The little boy was upstairs in his nursery, and in the excitement and confusion he was almost forgotten. When they did come to rescue him they found the staircase was all in flames. No one could go upstairs. What could they do?

Outside they were all looking up at the second story windows, wondering and frightened, when suddenly a large hairy hand and arm opened the window, and presently Barney, the monkey appeared with little Charles in his arms. Holding the little child carefully with one arm, he climbed down over the porch and brought him safely down to his mother. Oh how glad and thankful they all were! No one else could have done it, for a man cannot climb like a monkey, and is not nearly so strong.

You can well imagine how the faithful family pet was praised and petted after that. This is a true story, for the child who was saved was the young Marquis of Kildare.

The story of old Barney’s faithful love and bravery both stirred and warmed my heart. I think if I had been there at the fire, I should have patted and hugged him, like the rest. But there is another story, more wonderful and true, that has stirred my heart more deeply. It is the story of the Lord Jesus, the good Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep. Old Barney came out of the fire safe and sound. But not so the Lord Jesus. He went into the fire of God’s judgment to save perishing sinners. He knew it meant death for Him. He knew that only through the death of a spotless victim could sin be atoned for. Yet such was His love for you and for me, that He came to die.

Nor did He die for one only, but for all, so that now all who believe in Him, all who by faith claim Him as their Saviour, are saved from the judgment to come. Now whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Jesus died and was buried, but God raised Him from the dead, and now He lives forever in heaven, a Prince and a Saviour. Has the story of His redeeming love stirred and won your heart yet, dear young reader? God grant that it may do so, for He alone is worthy, “worthy of all homage and of praise, worthy by all to be adored”.

ML 05/02/1965

Won by His Little Girl

A man who had once professed to be a Christian had gotten away from the Lord and became a backslider.

One day his little girl looked up earnestly into his face and inquired, her lips quivering the meanwhile, “Daddy, is God dead?”

“Why, no, my pet,” he replied. “Why do you ask that?”

“Why, Daddy, ‘cause you never talk to Him now like you used to,” she answered with emotion.

These words from his little girl went home to the father’s heart like an arrow; they haunted him day and night. Finally he broke down before the Lord, confessed his sin and failure in neglecting prayer and reading his Bible, and the Lord graciously restored him to communion, joy and peace with Himself.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:10,11.

ML 05/02/1965

How God Used a Telephone

A man was once deeply concerned about his soul’s salvation, but he was determined to fight off his convictions. He stayed away from preaching of any kind, and carefully avoided getting into conversations of a religious nature. One day he was in an office and asked permission to use the phone. It seems the line was still in use for when he picked up the receiver the sound of children’s voices filled his ear. Four little children were singing: “What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear...” This appeal quite overcame him; the message went right to his heart. He could not hold out on God any longer. Right then and there He determined to surrender to Christ. And surrender he did. He found the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep was still seeking him, and the lost wanderer was found at last. God used the voices of four little children as a means to His blessing.

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:7.

Memory Verse: “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7.

ML 05/02/1965

Bible Questions for May

The Children’s Class

1.“Cleanseth us from all sin.”

2.“Believe on the name of His Son.”

3.“We might live through Him.”

4.“Know that ye have eternal life.”

5.“That we receive a full reward.”

6.“He that doeth good is of God.”

7.“Keep yourselves in the love of God.”

The Young People’s Class “Walk”

1.What characterizes those who WALK after the flesh? 2 Pet.

2.In what relationship with Christ must we be if we would WALK in newness of life? Romans 6.

3.What will be manifested in our lives when we WALK worthy of the Lord? Col.

4.What is the contrast between those who WALK circumspectly and those who do not? Ephesians 5.

5.How should we WALK toward them that are without (i.e. outside of Christ)? 1 Thess. 4; Col. 4.

6.What example should those follow who seek to WALK in love? Eph.

7.How should we WALK so as not to fulfill the lust of the flesh? Gal. 5.

ML 05/02/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 14:13-16

Gen. 14:13-16

(Cont’d)

Why do you suppose the enemy, conquering and plundering, passed by Abram’s dwelling? Could it be that they knew of his preparedness and the strength of his whole house? Perhaps so. It is refreshing to witness a devoted Christian home, where parents are faithful in the things of God, where the Word is a much-used sword, and where all who are born into that home are taught the value and security of faith in God. Without such preparation, the devil can indeed “take captive at his will,” as many a Christian has proved to his sorrow.

Because of his preparedness, Abram was able to save Lot from total disaster. For the heart of a believer is often moved with compassion to help another child of God overtaken in sin or carelessness. God loved his errant child, too, and no true child of His can ever be taken so far away that His eye will not be upon him. In love and faithfulness he may allow His disobedient child to weep tears of bitterness and sorrow, but it is that there might be genuine repentance. Then in his own time, He will provide a means of escape.

God’s way of recovery will always be best suited to the individual need. It was through the faithfulness of another that Lot was delivered. Yet Abram did not boast of his help to his nephew, nor do we read of his chiding him as to that in his life which had led to his great difficulty. He may have exhorted him to turn from his foolish way of life and from his bad associations, and to leave the wicked surroundings in which he had placed himself. Exhorting one another in spiritual things is good and proper for the Lord’s people. “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” Heb. 10:24.

But harsh and cold correction is unbecoming. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Gal. 6:1,2.

We may be certain that it was in just such a spirit that Abram returned with Lot to their own land.

In this chapter, the struggle between the kings, the potsherds of the earth, the carrying off of Lot, his rescue at the hands of Abram, are all a prophetic type. In the land of Palestine there will be a mighty conflict at the end of this age, and in it the guilty people of the Lord will be involved. When the victory seems to be won that sweeps them away, the mighty power of God by a greater than Abram — Christ Himself — will interfere on their behalf.

ML 05/02/1965

Bright Testimonies

From Boys and Girls

Born Again—

“I was born again on the first Sunday of this year, and it has been a happy year indeed to me. I had heard of Jesus since I was a child, but I never saw my need of Him until I was ten years old. A companion of mine died. I saw her coffin laid in the grave, and I said, What if that had been me?’

Next Sunday, our teacher was telling us in the lesson that to be born into God’s family, we had only to receive Jesus as our individual Saviour. I did just that, and was born again.

“Ruth S—.”

ML 05/02/1965

A Storm

We were boys together—David and I—and lived in the same town. My father was a business man, while David’s father was a doctor—a fine handsome man.

A dangerous epidemic broke out and the doctor himself fell ill from the infection. He died leaving his young wife and family to struggle on alone.

David and I were fond of ships, and our greatest amusement was to board the vessels and climb the masts. Our best friends were captains of some of the trading and whaling ships.

David knew that it would go hard with his mother and that the education he had hoped for was now impossible, so bracing himself up he declared he would go to sea and be able to help his mother with the education of his younger brother and sisters. He had an uncle who was a ship captain and who took him aboard for his first voyage.

At the end of long voyages David came to visit us. Once the ship he was on came into port and I had several pleasant hours on board with him. I had found the Lord as my Saviour by that time, and I felt it would be my duty to speak to my friend of Christ, which I did. With tears of joy, he told me that he too had sought and found the Saviour. His experience seemed very interesting to me. I can never forget it.

It was one terrible night at sea, he said. The ship was rolling in the waves and every few minutes they threatened to swallow it up. Now and then the deck was swept by a huge breaker, and it was with considerable difficulty that even the best sailors could save themselves from being washed overboard.

David’s uncle, the captain, ordered David below to stow away some things that would be rolling about. Down into the darkness, through a hatch below the level of the wild waves, he went, and as he did so, he imagined that his uncle believed the ship would go down, and that he had better be below when it did. A heavy lurch just then rolled him over in the darkness, and he felt as if the ship would never right herself. A terrible feeling that he would be drowned like a rat, along with the rats about him, came over him. He thought of his mother, left without husband or son, to fight the battle of life alone. Then there came the thought of his father in heaven and the fear that he would never see him again; and the fear brought before his mind visions of all his sins. They seemed hopelessly many and great. Then his mother’s teaching and her many entreaties to seek the Lord came to his help. Falling on his knees in that dark hold, with a broken contrite spirit, and a strange sense that even there God would hear, he cried for mercy.

“Oh, God, forgive me, for Christ’s sake,” he whispered amid the din of the waves and the cracking, creaking timbers and sails, and rolling cargo—unheard by any living soul, but heard by the Lord of glory, and speedily answered, for scarcely had the words been uttered than the dear fellow felt as if the light and joy of heaven had flooded the darkness, and it seemed that the Lord was there. His work done, he went again on deck and felt like a new boy. The flood of light was within his soul—the joy of heaven was in his own bosom, and he knew now what it was to be a saved, forgiven, redeemed soul.

From henceforth he feared not the waves; he felt that God loved him, and that He had the sea in the hollow of His hand. What if he were to be drowned? He would go and be where his father was in glory, he would be with the Lord Jesus who had died for him, and had saved him and washed him from his sins in His own blood.

The storm passed away but the sweetness of a new life remained, and at his first opportunity David wrote home to tell his mother that her fondest wish had been realized, that her earnest prayers had been answered, for her boy was now saved by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Years passed away, and David became a ship captain himself. The Lord prospered him even as his soul prospered (3 John 2). Regularly he sent home funds to his mother and a brighter home took the place of the dull one into which at first as a poor widow she had crept. Then one day she looked on with feelings of thankfulness as her manly son walked the deck of a fine new ship to which his owners had promoted him as captain.

ML 05/09/1965

Winnie

Winnie was a delicate little child. Her father and mother died when she was very young. Then a kind Christian aunt took her to live with her. Her house was situated in a lovely part of the country, surrounded by pretty woods, but no houses were near, so Winnie had no playmates. But with her dolls and other toys she seemed quite happy and content.

A young lady who lived nearby sometimes took Winnie to spend the afternoon with her. Then on Sunday afternoons this young lady had a class for little ones, to which Winnie always went. When she was about six years old she began to show signs of much anxiety about her salvation.

Winnie had learned at that Sunday school class, and also from her aunt, that she needed to be saved before she could go to heaven. The uncertainty of life, and the great eternity beyond, seemed to take an early hold of Winnie’s mind. One of the earliest verses she was able to repeat was:

Days, months, and years must have an end,

Eternity has none;

‘Twill always have as long to spend,

As when it first begun.

When Winnie was sitting alone with her aunt one evening, she asked, “Auntie, are you afraid of eternity?”

“No, my dear,” replied her aunt. “I do not need to be, because to me it will be an eternity of happiness. I am going to be with Jesus and all His redeemed ones. I used to be afraid of that word ‘eternity’ before I was converted, for then I knew that if I died it would be eternal misery and weeping. But after the day that I came to Jesus as a poor lost sinner and claimed Him as my Saviour, eternity has been a word of great delight to me.”

“Would Jesus take me if I came to Him, Auntie, and would He take me to heaven too?” earnestly inquired dear little Winnie.

“Yes, He says He will, Winnie, and whatever He says is sure. Long ago, He spoke the word from heaven, ‘Whosoever will may come,’ and ‘whosoever’ means Winnie, or anybody else.”

The next morning when Winnie came downstairs to breakfast, a hay smile played on her face.

“What makes my little maiden smile so this morning,” said her Uncle Jim.

Throwing her tiny arms around his neck, Winnie said, “‘Cause Jesus has taken me, and I am not afraid of eternity now.” Winnie had truly come to Jesus; He had received her, and she was saved. She went off to school that morning singing in the gladness of her heart:

Oh, what can equal joy divine and what can sweeter be,

Than knowing that this Saviour’s mine

For all eternity.

The next Sunday afternoon, Winnie stood with her Bible in her hand waiting the coming of her teacher. She had news to tell her, which she knew would make her glad. When Miss Moore came around the corner, Winnie ran to meet her and, putting her arms around her, said, “Jesus has taken me, and I am safe for eternity.” Miss Moore lifted the little girl up in her arms, kissed and hugged her, and as they walked along hand in hand together, she heard Winnie tell how anxious she had been for many days, how the long eternity had troubled her, and how at last she came to Jesus and was taken by Him and made safe for eternity.

Reader, are you safe for eternity?

ML 05/09/1965

A Converted Farmer

A small group of children were on their way to Sunday school one Sunday morning. One of them had a little packet of gospel tracts. They passed the farm of a neighbor who had long neglected going to the gospel preachings; in fact, he had gone downhill for some time.

One energetic little gospeler climbed over the fence and fastened a tract caller “The Swearer’s Prayer” to the man’s plow, and then went on to Sunday school.

Monday morning the farmer returned to his plowing, found the tract, read it, took it home and read it again and again. His heart and conscience were stirred. In repentance he sought the Lord, who graciously received him, for He has said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. The farmer found peace in the Saviour’s love. And all this through a gospel tract given out by a little child.

ML 05/09/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 14:17-19

Genesis 14:17-19

“And the king of Sodom went out to meet him (Abram), after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him...” verse 17.

Abram, victorious in delivering Lot from the power of the enemy, was now confronted with a very real danger to himself. He had gone out in the strength of faith and dependence on God who had given him full and undisputed victory. But it was at this very time that he was in need of extreme caution and further dependence on God, for the flesh in a believer will readily seek to find somewhat to boast in, to accredit itself with the triumphs of faith, and looks for praise and reward for the achievement. Satan had arranged a very subtle temptation for Abram at this time, in the guise of the king of Sodom.

But the eyes of the Lord are ever on His own and in His faithfulness His Word proclaims: “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall... but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:12,13. Before ever the king of Sodom reached Abram another king came on the scene, at just the right time to prepare Abram for the trial.

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” verse 18. If we turn to Hebrews 6:6, we learn that Melchizedek is a type of Christ of whom it is said, “Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Then in Hebrews 6 and 7, further references are made showing God’s purpose in raising up Melchizedek at that time, as a type of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We read of Melchizedek that he was “King of righteousness and... King of peace; without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” Hebrews 7:2,3. Thus he was a most unusual man of Scripture, as to his office, without predecessor and without successor — a true type of Christ, the Eternal One. He will be both King and Priest in the millennial kingdom. Christ is the great High Priest of His people now, at God’s right hand ever interceding for them, but this is more after the order of Aaron. He will appear as Melchizedek by-and-by when He comes in His glory and His heavenly saints will be with Him.

Melchizedek presented bread and wine to Abram—the bread to stay and the wine to cheer. And the Lord Jesus ever looks down upon those He loves—and comes, though often uninvited, to encourage and to cheer their hearts, to supply nourishment and joy, and preserve them from the dangers of the way.

Abram was also reminded at this moment too that although he had been the means for overcoming the enemy, the victory had really been God’s. Abram accepted the words and gifts of this King of Peace, and was refreshed in his own soul. It was this that gave him strength to resist Sodom’s king who approached him immediately after.

Memory Verse: “Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.” Isaiah 55:1.

ML 05/09/1965

John Newton

A baby boy was born in England long ago and they called the little fellow John. He had a lovely mother who gave all her time to his schooling and to his spiritual education as well. She labored hard to store up in his mind passages of Scripture which she knew, if well learned, could never be wholly shaken from his mind. She prayed for and with him every day.

But when John was but seven years of age his mother was stricken with a fatal illness and lay on her deathbed. The thought of leaving her little son to the mercy of a hard cruel world was a great sorrow to the dying mother. But she had sown the seed faithfully, and she died trusting God for a rich harvest in the life of her dear child.

However, John soon forgot all her words of instruction and wisdom, for at the age of eleven he ran away to sea. Many times did God bring to his remembrance the things that he had learned at his mother’s knee.

On one occasion he fell from a horse and death looked him right in the face. He was deeply moved at this close call, but he soon forgot, and went on in his careless way of living.

Another time, he was to go with some friends boating. He was late in arriving and they went off without him. The boat capsized and all his friends were drowned. He went to their funeral and God spoke to him again. He was deeply moved, but he soon forgot.

Then on another occasion, God spoke to him in a dream. Again he was deeply moved, but again he soon forgot.

So it was, because he forgot, that he ran away to sea that he might do as he pleased, and sin to his heart’s content. He sailed to many places, and finally he arrived in Africa where he became involved in the atrocities of the slave trade. He sank lower and lower until for a time he himself became a slave.

In the meantime, he had fallen in love with a young girl named Mary Carlett, and he married her when she was twenty. Mary was a good woman and John loved her deeply, but not enough to change his ways. It seemed as if the influences of his mother and his wife had no effect upon him.

One night out on the high seas, in a terrific storm, the ship on which he was sailing began to founder. The hold filled rapidly with water. As John took his place hurriedly at the pumps, he heard himself say to the Captain, “If this will not do it, the Lord have mercy upon us.” His own words startled him. “Mercy,” he said. “what mercy can there be for me?” This was the first desire he had breathed for mercy for many years.

Later they managed to pump the hold of the ship free from water, and then came a gleam of hope. John said, “I thought I saw the hand of God displayed in our favor.” “That 10th day of March is a day I can never forget,” he wrote afterward, “for on that day the Lord came from on high and delivered me indeed out of the deep waters. It seems as if He came and looked into my very soul.” There on the high seas John’s memory was stirred to the extent that he thought not so much of physical as of spiritual safety. He sought the Lord’s mercy and found Him a gracious forgiving God, for he received an abundant pardon. He proved that the blood of Jesus could cleanse the vilest sinner, and he found peace in believing in Jesus, the Saviour of sinners.

After that, the one-time infidel and slave trader gave himself up to the work of the Lord, and God used him greatly. Many indeed were those who were influenced by the ministry and hymns of John Newton. Some were mightily used of God in carrying the gospel of His grace to the world. And still today, thousands of Christians love to sing John Neon’s hymns, such as, “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound,” “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds in the Believer’s Ear,” and many others.

John Newton was a tireless worker in the cause of Christ. When he was an old man, someone suggested that he should take things more easily. “What?” he asked, “Shall this old blasphemer cease to serve while he has breath with which to speak?” He was determined while he lived to preach the grace of God toward sinners as found in Jesus Christ. until he could speak no more.

On his study wall was a text he greatly loved, “Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondsman,... and the Lord thy God redeemed thee.” Deuteronomy 15:15. Just before the end of his life, he said, “My memory is failing me, but two things I shall never forget: I was a great sinner, and Jesus Christ is a great Saviour.”

Before he died, he prepared an epitaph for himself and on a plain tablet were inscribed his own words:

John Newton, clerk

Once Infidel and Libertine was by

The mercy and grace of the

Lord Jesus Christ

Pardoned... Redeemed...

Restored—

And appointed to preach the faith

He had so long sought to destroy.

ML 05/16/1965

The Elephant on the Bridge

I was traveling on the train the other day, and was talking with a friend who had traveled many parts of the globe. He had lived for years in a foreign land. We got talking about lions and tigers, and other wild animals, and he told me some very interesting things about elephants.

When an elephant is wanting to cross a bridge, he is most careful to find out whether that on which he treads is safe footing. In crossing a bridge which has only been built for men, the elephant will first test its strength before trusting himself to it. This he does by placing his trunk and one of his feet upon the bridge first. If he finds it strong enough, he then trusts himself to it, and passes over to the other side. Now if you or I saw a huge elephant cross the bridge safely, I think we would have no hesitation in trusting ourselves to it. We would say, if that bridge has carried the great elephant safely across, it will surely be strong enough for us.

This is how it was with one who was long anxious to be saved, anxious to pass from death unto life, out of the regions of sin and death where Satan rules, into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. But he was afraid that the bridge would not carry him safely over; in other words, he was afraid to trust himself at once to the Lord Jesus.

One day he was reading in 1 Timothy 1:15: “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.” He thought, If Christ had already saved Saul of Tarsus, the “chief of sinners,” and taken him safely to heaven, then surely He can take me, for if the greatest of all sinners has been saved by Him, I may trust Him for salvation also though I am a great sinner too. And he did trust himself to that wonderful “Bridge of Salvation,” and was immediately landed in the kingdom of God’s dear Son.

Do not be afraid to trust yourself to Christ. Great sinners have already trusted Him and passed over. You too may be a great sinner, but never mind, plant your foot firmly on the Word of God and the work of Christ this day; then you will prove His promise true.

ML 05/16/1965

A Shepherd Converted

A poor aged shepherd lay dying in his humble cottage. Only his little granddaughter was with him. As he neared the end he asked the little girl to bring the old family Bible and to read to him. She read many passages and then she came to that blessed verse,

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

“Stop there,” exclaimed the old man. “Is there such a verse as that there?”

“Yes, grandpa,” she answered.

“Then, if that is true, there’s hope for me,” said he. After meditating for a little while he added, “Tell my friends that I die in the faith of that verse.” Soon after he passed away peacefully, to be with Christ.

“But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace.” Ephesians 2:13,14. “Having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Colossians 1:20.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1.

ML 05/16/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 14:21-24

Genesis 14:21-24

Abram’s joy at the blessings bestowed upon him by Melchizedek brought forth a suited response: “And he gave him tithes of all.” verse 20. That is, he acknowledged the person and authority of the one before him, and felt the conviction that the first portion of what he had recovered should go to him. We should bear in mind that the law and its stipulated tithing was not yet established, nor is there any record that Melchizedek suggested any gift to come from Abram. It was rather the voluntary act of an outflowing heart.

Later, for the period that the law was to prevail, God did establish that the giving of a tenth should be compulsory, because through the hardness of their hearts and, without a commandment to guide them, many of His people might fail to give any portion to Him at all. However, the Christian now is not under the law: “For ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14. Christian giving is on a higher level than the law. The Lord’s own words are, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35. The believer should delight to give liberally, according to his circumstances. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:7,8. Is this not a lovely rule for the child of God to follow? As the Lord has given to each in material blessings, He then calls on His own to return willingly out of that abundance.

“And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.” verse 21. This request may seem at first to have been reasonable. One might say, if it had not been for Abram, nothing would have been recovered at all. Should he not then claim for his own the fruits of the victory? No. Abram’s meeting with Meichizedek enabled him to put things in their proper light. Had not God already greatly enriched him in every temporal way? Why then should he add to it that which had its origin in Sodom? Furthermore, it was not in the spirit of personal gain that he had ventured forth on the campaign; but rather to rescue his nephew Lot. Abram was entirely devoid of any selfish purpose in what he had done and while Satan would have liked to introduce greed and selfishness through the offering made by the king of Sodom, his heart was above temptation because he had just been refreshed in the remembrance of God’s blessings to him.

“And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.” 10:22,23.

Memory Verse: “He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already.” John 3:18.

ML 05/16/1965

The Brave Swimmer

We were spending our vacation on the seacoast. It was a bright summer evening, and many small boats were out on the water. Some were rowing, others were fishing. A number of us younger folks were swimming and playing in the waves along the beach.

Suddenly a shrill cry rang out. I looked and saw that a small boat had struck one of the rocks and was being dashed about, in the surf. Four boys were in it, two of them not more than twelve years of age.

I ran up to my mother who was sitting on the beach and told her what had happened. By the time we got to the nearest point to where the boat was, a crowd had gathered, but no one knew what to do. The little boat was filling fast and would soon go down. The four boys, frantic with fear, were clinging to each other and crying out for help.

Poor fellows! How I felt for them, but I could not help. Were they to perish before our eyes?

“If we only had a rope,” said someone, “we could pull the boat around to the sandy beach.”

“Who would go out with it if we had,” said a young lady.

“We’ll see, when the rope comes,” said a young fellow who had just come down, and was busy taking off his shoes.

In a few minutes a rope came, and amid the tears of not a few and the cheers of the rest, this young fellow plunged from a rock into the sea. Every eye was fixed on the swimmer as he struck out for the wrecked boat, whose occupants were now up to their knees in water. A few mites more and he had reached them and made the rope fast to the boat. Then he gave a signal to those on shore to pull as he directed them. Willing hands hauled on the rope, and soon the sinking boat, with its four trembling occupants, was safe on the beach. The brave swimmer followed breathless and exhausted, but thankful that the boys had been rescued from a watery grave.

What do you think the boys did as soon as they got on shore? Did they walk away without saying a word to their rescuer? Ah no! They grasped his wet hand as soon as he came ashore and amid their tears they thanked him with all their heart. The crowd carried him home on their shoulders, and the following day he was presented with a handsome gift by the boys’ parents and the people of the town.

Those four boys in the sinking boat remind me of a sinner—disobedient to God, taking his own way, sinking down to death and judgment, and unable to save himself. It was just such helpless sinners that the Lord Jesus came to save. He came to deliver, to save souls from going down to hell. Have you allowed Him to rescue you, or did you refuse His hand outstretched to save you?

What folly would it have been had these four helpless boys, in danger every moment of plunging into a watery grave, pushed away from them the noble rescuer who at the risk of his own life had come to save them! Would they not have been considered mad had they done so? Yet there are thousands doing this very thing to the Son of God, who came down from heaven and entered death’s dark waves, to save sinners going down to hell. They reject His outstretched arm and perish. Are you one of these Christ rejectors, my dear reader? Are you pushing away from you the only One who is both willing and able to save, or will you not let Him save you now?

Only trust Him, only trust Him,

Only trust Him now;

He will save you, He will save you,

He will save you now.

ML 05/23/1965

Sandra's Prize

It was a cold, rainy Sunday evening, and Mr. Williams dropped into his big arm chair by the fireside. Ordinarily he was in the habit of spending Sunday evenings at the homes of his friends, but this rainy night he decided to stay indoors. And Sandra, his little daughter, was at home with him.

“Daddy, shall I read you a story out of my book that I got for a Sunday school prize?” she asked earnestly.

“If you like, Sandra,” replied her father carelessly. And Sandra, glad of the opportunity, sat down on the hassock and began to read from the book that her Sunday school teacher had given her for good attendance.

It was only a simple story about how two young men were converted to God, and Afterward spent their lives in the service of the Saviour. But the Spirit of God used it to cause Mr. Williams to think about his soul. When Sandra finished reading, he asked her to read it again, which she gladly did. And he sat thinking silently for a long time.

That was the turning point in Mr. William’s life. Though he was a molly upright and good-living man, he came to realize that this was not good enough for God. Not long after, he turned to the Lord Jesus, and confessed Him as his Saviour. He became a decided Christian and follower of the One who loved him and gave Himself for him.

Sandra had already been saved at Sunday school, and she had longed to see her dear father saved too. This was the way she took to reach him with the gospel, and the Lord owned it.

Dear boys and girls, if the Lord Jesus has saved you, seek, as Sandra did, to lead your friends—perhaps your parents—to Him also. If you are not yet the Lord’s, then come to Him as you are and He will save you now.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” Rom. 1:16.

ML 05/23/1965

A Singing Parrot

I wonder if any of our readers I have a parrot. I suppose very few do, but perhaps you know someone who has, and you have heard it say, “Pretty Polly,” or some other words. I remember some neighbors of ours had a parrot that used to say “Goodbye,” when anyone went out.

But I was reading about a parrot that actually would sing a hymn. It was in southern Spain in a house where some ladies lived, three of whom were happy Christians. Every morning and evening they would sing hymns together, and from hearing the words so often, Polly learned to sing the lines, “Come home, prodigal, come home!” Of course, the parrot did not know what it was singing, for it was only a bird.

I cannot help thinking that sometimes children, and grownups too, sing hymns in the same way as Polly did—without thinking a bit about what they mean. Do you think God is pleased with such worship as that? Now He wants people to worship Him “in truth,” that is, really, not with their lips merely, but from the depths of their heart. The Lord Jesus declared that “true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” John 4:23.

Next time you find your thoughts wandering while you are singing in a meeting or at Sunday school, remember poor Polly, and try not to be like her, but to really mean what you are singing.

Then there is another thing. How many children sing hymns about coming to Jesus, and by their singing invite others to come to Him, yet they themselves have never come to the Saviour. It is like Polly’s singing, “Come home!” Dear young friends, don’t be like her any longer, but come to the Lord Jesus now for yourselves, and really mean it when you next sing an invitation to others to do so too.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28.

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

Memory Verse: “They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.” Prov. 1:28,29.

ML 05/23/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 14, with further thoughts on vs. 21

Gen. 14, with further thoughts on vs. 21

“And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.”

Since the king of Sodom is a type of Satan and his inducements the lusts of the world, it is not strange to hear him say to Abram: “Give me the persons.” Satan will readily leave man with every material benefit prosperity, business or social success, the world’s acclaim, or whatever else may keep him occupied—if he can but have “his person.” Tragically, the one who has followed these things to the neglect of his soul will someday learn that he is “sold under the sin” (Rom. 7:14).

If the reader is one who lives in careless pursuit of what this world offers, ponder this solemn quotation: “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke 9:25. Turn to Him whose invitation is “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

Should not Christian parents think too of Satan’s subtlety in approaching them with this same request: “Give me the persons and take the goods to thyself?” It is not likely that he will now use these same words, but the object of his appeal will be the same. Well he knows the result of persuading a parent to decide it is safe to neglect the little ones “for a little time” while getting ahead in the world. Thus the children, neglected even though loved, learn Satan’s ways and are snatched up by him. When parents tardily endeavor to turn them into the ways of truth and life, the effort often appears sadly fruitless. Many a Christian parent has suffered anguish of heart on account of neglect of their children.

It is not necessarily a degraded, sinful life that results from being a servant of Satan. One may be molly upright in every outward appearance, may follow “the golden rule” in his behavior and be a model citizen in every other respect; even, perhaps, an active participant in religious activities, and yet have given “his peon” to Satan in exchange for “the goods of this world.” How many there are who think they are masters of their own lives, making their own choices as to pleasure and the affairs of this world, who are not ruling their own lives at all. Satan is ruling and dictating the way for them, but with so much subtlety that they are deceived into thinking everything is of their own ordering. Is this not tragic?

How is it with you, dear reader? Are you so well satisfied with earthly progress, earthly pleasures and activities as to never have a thought of eternity? Have you ever faced the issue of God’s appraisal of this world and thought how He is someday going to bring it into terrible judgment? Where, then, will you be when His judgment falls? God invites all to “Flee from the wrath to come” and to turn to Christ the Saviour of sinners, “while it is called To-day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13.

Abraham’s household reflected his faithfulness, which kept them near the Lord and safe from the enemy. May every believing parent seek through grace to walk the path of faithfulness to God.

ML 05/23/1965

Anati

Anati was a tiny African baby. When she was born her mother, Nagusi, was so happy to have a little girl of her own.

The same day that Anati was born, another little baby girl, the daughter of the king of the tribe, was also born, and they called her Bangalla.

Bangalla’s mother then told Nagusi that she must be nursemaid to Bangalla, and that she must always remember that she is a king’s daughter. Now Nagusi had two babies to care for.

When they got older, the two little girls played together. But if they both wanted the same toy, Bangalla always got it. If Bangalla slapped Anati or pulled her hair, Anati must let her do it. She must not slap her back. Nor could she even run away. Bangalla, the king’s daughter, could do whatever she liked. Anati must go where Bangalla wanted her to. Often did poor Anati long to be free.

Bangalla and Anati liked market day, when many people would gather to sell or trade their goats, their corn, their eggs, and their beads. They liked to watch the native dancers whirl about with their feathers and bright costumes. It was at the market one day that the young girls saw a white man for the first time. He had come from a long distance and as he held to his mouth a big hornlike thing, his voice carried over the whole market so that everyone heard what he was saying.

The white man told of how he had come from across the sea to bring a message from the God of heaven and earth. He told them of how this God loved them, and that He had sent His only Son into this world to die for sinful men. Bangalla’s father, the king, was very much interested in what the white man had to say. Day after day he and the missionary would sit in front of the king’s hut talking together.

Bangalla and Anati heard the white man tell of how all had sinned and that God must punish sin because He is holy. But God’s dear Son had taken the sinner’s place in judgment and His precious blood washes away all sin. The missionary told the king that if he or any of his people would come to God and accept His Son as his or their Saviour, God would forgive them and they would go to heaven when they left this world.

The king would not believe the missionary’s message, nor would Bangalla. But little Anati heard; she believed, and she was saved. She became a happy follower of the Lord Jesus, and everyone, including Bangalla, noticed the difference in her life.

Not long after this, the king and men of the village had gone away to celebrate a feast. The women and children were left alone in the village. Out of the jungles came a band of fierce warriors with spears and clubs. They said they were going to carry off Bangalla because some of her father’s men had stolen their cattle. Bangalla’s mother pleaded with them not to take her little girl away, but they would not listen.

Inside the hut Bangalla trembled with fear, while Anati sought to comfort her. “I will pray for you,” said Anati, “and God will help you.”

“Oh, He will not help me because I have not loved Him, like you,” sobbed Bangalla. “God does not love me.”

“But God does love you,” said Anati, “and so do I.”

“How can you love me when I have been so mean and selfish, Anati,” said Bangalla.

Then Anati proceeded to show Bangalla how much she loved her. Said she: “If they take you and you die, you will be lost forever. But I know Jesus and if they take me I’ll go to be with Him. Let me put your clothes on and your jewels, while you lie down here on the floor. When the men come into the hut they will take me instead, thinking it is you.”

Quickly the girls exchanged their clothes and Anati soon looked like an African princess while Bangalla looked like a little servant girl.

In came the fierce warriors. They snatched up Anati and carried her down the village street. Bangalla’s mother screamed in terror.

As they came to the edge of the village a powerful voice sounded out from a tall palm tree. They heard in their own language the words, “STOP! PUT THAT GIRL DOWN!” The warriors were so taken by surprise that they stopped at once. They put Anati down, saying, “The palm tree talked. We must obey.” Then they fled into the jungle.

Anati came running back and told what had happened. When Bangalla saw her, she said, “Oh, Anati, I never understood the love of Jesus until you were willing to take my place—until you were willing to die for me. I have been mean to you. Now I know that Jesus took my place and died on the cross for me. I take Him as my Saviour.”

How happy Anati was then. When the king and all the men came back they heard what had happened. The missionary had rigged up his loud speaker in the palm tree only the day before, and though he had actually spoken from his hut, his voice had sounded from the palm tree. Everyone laughed when they heard what had happened, but it broke the hard heart of the heathen king. He too received the message of the gospel and became a follower of the Lord Jesus. Then the Saviour’s praise was sung in the village by many after that.

How about you, dear reader? Have you, too, learned to sing the song of praise to Jesus? Is He your Saviour?

“And they sung a new song, sang Thou are worthy..., for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Revelation 5:9.

Memory Verse: “He that hath the son hath life; and he that hath not the son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:12.

ML 05/30/1965

Dona Veronica

Dona Veronica was born in Piedmont, north Italy. As a little girl she went to school there, but then her family decided to cross the ocean to live in Brazil. Here, after a few years, Dona married a respectable, religious Brazilian man, and having bought some land they settled down to farm life. Dona Veronica had ten children whom she brought up strictly with more care and firmness than are most Brazilian families. She feared greatly the evils abounding on every hand, though she had never read the Bible; however, she did have a book of Bible history, a mixture of true and mythical stories, which she read diligently.

One day her eldest son, Joseph, went to play the guitar at a feast. At the feast there were two young girls present who were believers; they had found Christ as their Saviour. Neither took part in the dancing that followed, and one of them greatly attracted Joseph (so much so, that she later became his wife). Between the music and the dancing they talked to Joseph about the gospel, and encouraged him to get a Bible and to read it for himself. This advice, coming from such very attractive young girls, appealed to the young man, and he bought a Bible at the very first opportunity, and soon became very interested. He went to live in the village to take a bookkeeping course, and then he entered business. In this village there were Christians who had regular gospel meetings, and Joseph began to attend them. Soon he was saved and happy in the Lord.

On his next trip home, Joseph began to bring the gospel before his mother, but she was shocked at his new ideas, and told him that he was but a child and that she knew better than he did. Poor Joseph retired, disappointed.

His mother, Dona Veronica, soon after that visited a sick woman on their farm. This lady was a believer and invited Dona to come to a gospel meeting in her house. She went, and she recognized the Bible stories she heard during the preaching as being what she had read in her Bible history, and she told her husband afterwards that it was very good. Soon after this, another farmer nearby began to have gospel meetings in his house and Dona attended regularly. She became deeply interested, and then one day she really and truly opened her heart to the Lord Jesus. A light from heaven flooded into her soul, and the knowledge that her sins were forgiven and all put away through that precious blood brought her happiness and peace. She bought a Bible and her husband too began to read it. He also was converted. Now all her children are believers, and two of her sons go about preaching the gospel. Nearly all are married and bringing up their children for the Lord.

Who can tell what the harvest shall be from a few seeds sown by two Christian girls at a feast.

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6.

ML 05/30/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 15:1-5

Genesis 15:1-5

“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”

When Abram acted faithfully it was the Lord’s delight to encourage him. This is ever His way with His people. It was after his experience in delivering Lot from the enemy and himself being preserved from temptation, that the word of the Lord came to Abram with its cheering promise. Abram had employed the sword in victory, but now the Lord tells him, “I am thy shield”—reminding him there would be further attacks to contend with. He would never be without need of a shield and the Lord presented Himself as such to him. He was also Abram’s exceeding great reward. How much better this reward than the spoils of the enemy! The world’s trophies might be enjoyed for a season but the divine reward was promised for his entire lifetime and for eternity as well!

“And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?” verse 2. Many years earlier Abram had heard the promise: “I will make of thee a great nation,” and “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.” These words had been a real encouragement and he had never forgotten them. God did not forget them either, although He permitted His servant’s faith to be tried for more than twenty years.

“And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.” verse 4.

Now, made bold by the reassurances of the Lord’s words, Abram inquired in what way the promise would be fulfilled, since he was without a son of his own. The Lord told him plainly that Eliezer should not be his heir, and for the first time definitely promised that he would have a son, who would be his true successor.

God had told Abram earlier, “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth.” (Gen. 13:16). But now He brought him forth and said, “Look now toward heaven, and tell (count) the stars... so shall thy seed be.” verse 5. The whole scope of blessings becomes expanded and we are given some insight of the way in which Abraham, through faith, became father to a heavenly, as well as an earthly people. The “heavenly people” are the true Church now, composed of all who rest in faith on the work of Calvary. “God,... hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6,7. How suited it was that God called on Abram to look upward when the greater blessings were given.

ML 05/30/1965

Noble Sam

Sam was a big Newfoundland dog. He belonged to a gentleman who operated a fishing business on the Newfoundland coast. Sam was a remarkably intelligent dog and faithful as well.

One day one of the fishing crews were in a small boat just outside the harbor, and off one of the rocky points that jutted out into the sea. Outside the harbor the sea was very rough. The men were near a line of breakers, and the waves were dashing and roaring in fury. The men were afraid to pass those breakers, brave as they were, fearing they could not survive. A crowd of people stood watching on the shore with great anxiety, but no one could help them. Time was passing, and the danger seemed to increase every minute.

Among the people on the shore was big Sam, the fishery master’s Newfoundland dog. He seemed to understand what the danger was. Presently he ran to the water’s edge, jumped in, and began swimming towards the boat in distress.

The great waves tossed him about, but he made his way through the surf, and the men in the boat saw him coming nearer to them. At first they thought he wanted to get into the boat, but it soon became evident that that was not his purpose. He did not come near the boat, but kept swimming around it. While he swam he kept looking earnestly at the men, and whining from time to time. They wondered what he wanted. At last one of them cried out, “Give him a rope; that’s what he wants.” They threw him a rope. Immediately Sam seized the end of it in his mouth, and turning around he struck out for shore. Back through the pounding waves he made his way, and finally reached the beach. Those waiting on the shore immediately took hold of the rope and began to pull. In a short time the boat with its crew aboard was hauled through the dangerous seas and the men on board were landed safely on the shore.

Noble Sam! He did a great job of life-saving that day, did he not? Sam’s one thought and purpose was to save the lives of those men, at the risk of his own. And it was love for perishing souls that brought the Lord Jesus into this world. “He came into this world to save sinners.” He knew what it would cost Him—His life—before He came. But as He hung upon that cross in the darkness of those last three awful hours, the waves and billows of God’s infinite judgment against sin rolled over Him. He could have come down from the cross, but love for you and me held Him there.

Himself He could not save,

Love’s stream too deeply flowed;

In love, Himself He gave

To pay the debt we owed.

The storm that bowed His blessed head is hushed forever. Jesus died. Now all who trust in Him as Saviour are saved forever, and soon will be landed on the peaceful shores of heaven.

But those who refuse to have Jesus as their Saviour, will have to go into that awful storm of judgment themselves. Their judgment will be eternal —in the lake of fire forever!

God grant that you, dear young reader, may put your trust in Jesus NOW, while it is yet the day of grace.

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

ML 06/06/1965

Led by His Children

Two little sisters and their brother were coming home after a gospel service. Their father had no heart for God though he didn’t discourage his children from going to Sunday school.

“I wish we could get Daddy to go to the gospel meetings,” said Janet.

“I’ll tell you what,” said Harry, “we’ll all pray for him. You go into the parlor and I’ll go into the barn.”

A few minutes later Father came in from the fields and peeked into the parlor. As he quietly opened the door he heard the voices of his little daughters lifted up in prayer for his salvation. Softly he withdrew and decided to go out to the barn. There he was surprised to hear little Harry’s voice coming from the haymow. Harry was asking the Lord to make his father want to come to the gospel meeting. As the little fellow slid down from the mow, his father put his hand gently on his curly head and said, “My boy, I’ll go to the meeting with you.” Great was the joy of the three children when their father went along with them that evening to the gospel. But best of all, he came to Jesus, for his heart melted before the story of the Saviour’s dying love and soon he confessed Him as his Lord. God delights to answer when children pray in faith and it will be His joy to reward all that is done for Him in that coming day of glory.

ML 06/06/1965

Sailor Jack's Conversion

Sailor Jack was a careless, indifferent fellow, but he had a brother, Tom, who was an earnest Christian.

“I suppose, Tom,” said Jack one day, “that if I should be wrecked, and a ship were to heave in sight and take me off, you’d call it merciful providence. But I say these things happen just as other things happen —that is, by mere chance.”

Soon after Jack went to sea again. God had His eye on him and hadn’t forgotten his unbelieving words. They had been out on the ocean for some days when a great storm arose and the ship was completely wrecked. Jack and his mates drifted about on the ocean for three days and almost despaired of ever being saved. The infidel words he had spoken came back to him and he wondered if God had cast him off forever. Then a ship appeared; he and his companions were picked up and saved.

“Ah, Tom,” said Jack to his brother when he got back home, “when that ship hove in sight, the words I said to you came back to me like a clap of thunder. I was thankful to own that God’s hand was in the matter of saving my life. Now I’m going to do the fair thing by Him. I trust Christ as my Saviour now and will seek to serve Him the rest of my days.”

“But God, who is rich in mercy...

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:4,8.

Memory Verse: “Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things.” Acts 13:38,39.

ML 06/06/1965

Bible Questions for June

The Children’s Class

1.“Blessed is he that readeth.”

2.“In the midst of the paradise of God.”

3.“Hast not denied My name.”

4.“Thou art worthy, O Lord.”

5.“Redeemed us to God by Thy blood.”

6.“Hid themselves in the dens.”

7.“God shall wipe away all tears.”

The Young People’s Class “Keeping Ourselves”

1.How may we KEEP OURSELVES in the love of God? Jude.

2.How will we be KEEPING OURSELVES if we are not partakers of other men’s sins? 1 Timothy 5.

3.Is “to KEEP OURSELVES unspotted from the world” the practical expression of our standing in grace before God the Father? James.

4.From what should we endeavor to KEEP OURSELVES? 1 John 5.

5.To whom should we commit the KEEPING of our souls? 1 Peter 4.

6.Through whom will the peace of God KEEP our hearts and minds? Phil.

7.From what may we expect the faithfulness of the Lord to KEEP us? 2 Thessalonians 3.

ML 06/06/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 15:6-16

Genesis 15:6-16

“And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” verse 6. This is a very important verse, being repeated frequently in the New Testament. Where it is quoted in James 2:23, it is said of Abraham, “And he was called the Friend of God.” What a lovely expression? Would you also like to be a friend of God, dear reader? The same faith that led Abram to believe God’s promise, when acting in your heart to believe on the Son of God as your Saviour, will also bring you to Him in peace, and He will then count you as His friend. “I have called you friends.” John 15:15. What a contrast between the friend of God and the friend of the world! “Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4.

Abram’s faith was imputed to him for righteousness. It was not his works, nor his testimony, nor his words, but his faith that God looked upon. “For by grace are ye saved through faith;... it is the gift of God; not of works.” Ephesians 2:8,9.

Although Abram’s faith accepted the promise, he was still perplexed to know how these things should be. “And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” God told him to take a heifer, a she goat, and a ram, all of three years old, a turtle dove and a young pigeon. These he divided in the midst, except the birds, and laid them one against another. “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.” The Lord here confirms through death the covenant regarding the earthly seed and the land (assured in the death of Christ, without which they could have nothing). It was the earthly seed, Israel, who would inherit the land, but Abraham (heir of the promises) undergoes the terror and shadow of it.

“And He said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again.” 10:13-16. As we look back over Israel’s history we can plainly see how these things came to pass in exactly the same manner and times that God foretold.

Abram, however, had to accept this all in faith, knowing that God’s ways would prevail. He, like many another Old Testament saint, who trusted in God, was precious to Him. Of them it is written: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth... wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:13-16.

ML 06/06/1965

Jackie Benson's Happy New Year

In a tumble-down cottage, a little I crippled boy named Jackie Benson lived with his father, whom everyone called “Ned Dick.” Jackie’s mother had died when he was but a child. Often did he long for her tender love and care, for his father was a rough, ill-tempered man who did not treat his little boy as kindly as he ought to have done. Ned Dick used to make baskets and mats for a living, and Jackie did all he could to help him. However, when the sales of his baskets and mats were poor, his father would come home in a bad temper, so Jackie had never known a happy home life since his mother died.

One evening when Jackie was sitting at the door of the cottage, he heard a voice singing in a neighboring garden:

There is a happy land,

Far, far away,

Where saints in glory stand,

Bright, bright as day.

Presently, a small face with curly hair appeared over the fence, and a voice inquired, “Who are you, boy?”

“I am Jackie Benson,” replied the crippled lad.

“Then, Jackie, I’ve got something for you,” said little Mary Reid, and leaning over she threw a large red apple down on the ground.

Jackie’s eyes sparkled. He had watched these apples grow and ripen on the tree in the neighbor’s yard for weeks, and how often he longed for one. Now he was to have one for himself, and such a big one! He thanked his new little friend with all his heart.

But the apple was not the uppermost thing in his mind at that moment. He was thinking of “the happy land,” about which he had heard for the first time only a few minutes before. Such a beautiful place it must be, he thought, so different from his own unhappy home.

Jackie thought that the little girl would know, so he asked her to tell him all about the happy land. Mary told him all she knew, and promised to come and tell it over again the next day. However, the poor boy was not permitted, in good health, to hear it again. That evening his father came home in a worse temper than usual, having sold very little. As he gave Jackie his meager supper he remarked that it was quite enough for a good-for-nothing cripple. Poor Jackie’s eyes filled with tears at his father’s remark but he did not reply.

He went to bed that night with a heavy heart. The next morning he was too ill to get up, and for many days he lay sick in bed. During that time he was visited regularly by his little friend Mary. He often heard about “the happy land,” and of how Jesus, the good Shepherd, died to take poor sinners there.

One bright moonlit night in winter he managed to hobble down to the river side, for the river was frozen over, and there were many young folks skating on the ice. He had heard that his Mary was to be there too. He watched the skaters as they glided to and fro over the ice but none of them attracted him as much as the movements of Mary. Then suddenly she glided across the spot which he had heard some men say was very dangerous for the ice was thin there. All at once the ice gave way beneath her and Mary disappeared. Jackie waited no longer, but jumped in crutches and all. Grasping hold of the sinking girl, he held her until some of the other skaters came to the rescue. Soon both of them were pulled out of the freezing water and carried to the little girl’s home.

Jackie was at once put to bed and covered with blankets, but being already ill, the shock he had sustained in the cold water was too much for his feeble frame. He lingered for a few days, during which he heard more of the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep. Jackie came to know and to really love Him as his Saviour. As the end came a peaceful smile played on his face, and he passed away, leaving behind his sorrows and sufferings for the joy and bliss of the Saviour’s presence. He had gone to be forever with Him he loved in the Happy Land.

“He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.” Isaiah 40:11.

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” John 10:11,27,28.

ML 06/13/1965

Nail Holes in the Floor of Heaven

It was a beautiful clear night, and the stars twinkled in the sky. Two small girls, Nancy and Alice, were on their way home from a gospel meeting. The speaker had read from Revelation 21, and his subject was “The glories of heaven.” He had thought to impress upon the minds of his young hearers the beautiful description given of the heavenly Jerusalem, the blest Home of the redeemed—that fair city, with its street of pure gold and transparent walls, having “the glory of God.” Then, in order to impress upon them the need of being saved before they could enter that city, he read to them the dark description that God gives of the unconverted sinner in Romans 3, ending with the words, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

The speaker had told the story of a small boy, named Charlie, whose little brother the Lord had taken to be with Himself. Charlie had received Jesus as his Saviour into his heart, and he was so happy. He knew now that he too was ready for that glorious mansion, where little Willie had already gone.

Often Charlie would go out at nights and look up at the stars, wondering what Willie would be doing away up there beyond the sky. One night he told his mother he thought the stars were like “nail holes in the floor of heaven, to let little rays of the glory shine out.”

This strange idea of Charlie’s seemed to take possession of the minds of Nancy and Alice as they walked along the road, and several times they stood looking up, saying to each other, “What a bright place heaven must be, when the light shines out like that through the nail holes in the floor.”

“I’d like to go there when I die,” said Nancy, the elder of the two. “I wish I was ready.”

“Me too,” said her little cousin. “But I’ve done lots of naughty things, and teacher says it’s only white and pure ones that go there.”

“Yes, but he said too, ‘the blood of Jesus makes us white, and if we believe on Him we get all our sins washed away,” said Nancy.

“Then I’ll just believe in Him now, and get mine washed away,” said Alice.

“Teacher says we have nothing to do, because Jesus did it all, long, long ago,” Nancy went on. “The hymn says:

“It is finished, yes, indeed,

Finished every jot;

Sinner, this is all you need.

Tell me, is it not?’”

The two little girls walked together, talking of the things of the heavenly kingdom, and from that night onward they knew and confessed the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour. There was no deep awakening, no alarm of coming judgment in their case. They heard the blessed gospel message of God’s love to guilty sinners, and of how Jesus died to fit them for His holy, happy home above. They simply believed what God said; they took it in as His Word of truth; and they were saved. Their young hearts were won for Christ and for heaven. They were born again, converted.

And now, dear reader, there is no other way for young or old. Only one way—God’s own choice. If you, like Nancy and Alice, will believe God, you will know and rejoice in His salvation. But if you trifle with the gospel message, if you prefer the sins and follies of this present world to Christ, then remember, as you live you must die, and according as your choice on earth has been, so will your destiny be in heaven. As dear little Alice said, “Only white ones and pure ones go to heaven,” and if you are not made white by the blood of Jesus, you could never fill a place in God’s holy, happy home above.

“Ye must be born again.” John 3:7.

ML 06/13/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 15:17-21

Genesis 15:17-21

“And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.”

It might be thought that this was merely a dream that overtook Abram, but it is apparent that in the darkness, God did produce a literal smoking furnace and burning lamp for Abram’s eyes to see. The sacrifices prepared by Abram in accordance with God’s instructions were types of Christ, the one true Sacrifice, offering Himself without spot to God.

In the smoking furnace and the burning lamp we have set forth in figure the history of Israel and of God’s dealings with them. The smoking furnace tells of those times in their history when they were brought into suffering and trial, particularly the long period of their bondage in Egypt, as Abram was given to see. “For they be Thy people, and Thine inheritance, which Thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron.” 1 Kings 8:51. But they were often to experience the furnace on their journey toward Canaan, especially in those periods of disobedience when God’s correction was required. Then there was their captivity in Babylon, and in their present dispersed condition they are still passing through the furnace.

But the burning lamp told of a light in the midst of the darkness. David could say, “The LORD is my light and my salvation,” Psalms 27:1; and again, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105. The lamp tells of divine grace that has ever shone forth, first to proclaim a way of escape from sure judgment, and then to guide through the midst of the darkness of this world.

The smoking furnace and the burning lamp passing between the pieces of the sacrifice then are a type of the fire that consumes the dross, “For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29); and a light for the path.

These symbols, appearing between the pieces of the sacrifice, are a reminder that it was only through the work of Calvary that light could shine in the hearts of those overtaken in darkness. The darkness tells us of a moral condition that has overtaken this world in its rejection of Christ. John’s Gospel tells us that “the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not,” and that “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 1:5; 3:20. The Lord Jesus was the true Light of the world, and those who know Him as Saviour are called to “walk as children of light.”

“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:...” 10:18-21. The whole land that was to be Abram’s inheritance is defined for him and the promise bound up in a divine covenant. The land of Palestine was later contained within these borders.

Memory Verse: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1.

ML 06/13/1965

Ching

In the city of Richmond, Virginia, a wealthy plantation owner was lying very ill. He had a dangerous and infectious fever, and his doctor thought he was dying.

He had lived carelessly, without any thought of God or of his soul’s need. When the doctor told him he had not long to live, he cursed and said, “It’s too bad, so young I am, with so much to live for, to think of dying now. But it has always been so. Everything is against me.” Finally the nurse who was afraid of catching the fever left him. Then the doctor asked him if he might get a Chinese boy to wait on him.

“Oh, it makes no difference,” said the sick man; “You might as well let me die like a dog. It will soon be over anyhow.”

The doctor knew a Chinese family who operated a laundry. Ching, one of the boys, was a native of China, but he had come to this country and learned to read and love the Bible, and believing in the Lord Jesus as his Saviour he had become a happy Christian. The love of Christ in his heart and the hope of one day going to be with his Saviour made him very happy. The great desire of his heart was to get an education, and go back to China and tell his countrymen of Jesus and His love.

The doctor asked Ching if he would be willing to wait on a patient of his who was sick with a dangerous fever. “He is a rich man and will pay you well,” he told Ching. Ching expressed his willingness to go, trusting that God would take care of him.

The doctor took him and introduced him to his patient. One day, while the sick man lay dozing on his bed, Ching was sitting in the corner of the room reading his Bible. The sick man opened his eyes and seeing Ching reading a black-covered book, he asked, “What confounded book is that you are reading?”

Ching was much hurt, but he meekly replied, “This no confound book; this my Jesus’ book; this my passport.”

“Huh! your passport! What do you mean?”

Then Ching merely read these two short verses:

“There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,” but the name of Jesus.

“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7.

“Did you say ‘all sin,’ Ching? Read that again. Would it cleanse my sin?” asked the sick man, becoming more interested.

Ching read it again, and then he said, “Yes sir, it will cleanse your sin, and satisfy all your hopes and longings.”

Then at the request of the sick man, Ching knelt down by his bedside, and prayed. In his simple way he asked God to pardon his master’s sins, because Jesus had died for him also, to give him eternal life, and to make him happy. This was repeated day by day for some time. Then one day a great change came over that sick man. The thought of the Lord Jesus’ love in dying for such a wicked sinner as he felt himself to be now, melted his heart. He asked the Lord Jesus to be his Saviour too, and then he found pardon and peace in the knowledge of sins forgiven.

A great change came over his body as well as his soul. His fever was broken, and he soon got quite well again.

When he learned that Ching was anxious to get an education and go and preach the gospel to his countrymen, he sent him to school and paid for his education. He himself became an active and devoted Christian. The once ungodly infidel now used his strength and wealth to promote the interests of Christ in the South. Ching went back to his homeland, became an honored missionary, laboring faithfully to make Christ known among his countrymen.

ML 06/20/1965

Children of Leper Parents

Our picture today shows a group of boys and girls whose parents are lepers. They have been separated from them, and may never see them again on earth, for there is no cure for the disease of leprosy. It is like sin in the nature—incurable.

Some of these parents have been received into leper asylums which have been built by those who love the Lord Jesus. Faithful, dedicated nurses do all they can to make them comfortable, while the sands of life run out.

Those dear children, who may be looked upon as orphans, have been taken to a home where they are cared for by others who love the Lord Jesus. They have not yet showed any sign of being tainted with leprosy, but seeing they were with their leper pants for a time, they must be kept apart from other children. Nevertheldess, they hear daily of the Lord Jesus who loves little children, as well as grownups too.

In the Bible we read that only the Lord could cure leprosy; apart from Him there was no hope for a leper.

He is doomed to suffer with it till he dies. Nevertheless, we read of some lepers who were healed by the Lord Jesus when He was on earth.

Only the Lord can heal the dreadful disease of sin. Apart from Him, there is no hope for the sinner. “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.

ML 06/20/1965

The Third Finger

A little girl named May was visiting her Christian aunt who sought to tell her of the love the Lord Jesus had for her. She asked her little niece, “What are the first words of Psalms 23?” Promptly the little one answered, “The LORD is my Shepherd.”

“Now,” said her aunt, “these words just answer to your five fingers—try it.” “The,” putting her finger on the thumb of her left hand; “LORD,” touching the first finger; “is”—touching her second finger; “my”—touching the third; “Shepherd”—touching the fourth.

“Now,” asked her aunt, “which of these five words do you like best?” And on May’s little fingers she went over and over the words till at last she paused; her mind was made up—it was the one that stood for the “My.”

This is just what faith does. It is taking Jesus as my own Saviour; it is believing that He loves me, and gave Himself for me. Faith says, “He was wounded for my transgressions.” “He gave Himself a ransom for me.” Faith takes all that Jesus did, as done for me personally, and all His love, care, and faithfulness are my very own.

Little May went home shortly after, and it was not very long before she was stricken with paralysis, which so affected her speech that she could not make herself understood. As the end drew near, her mother asked her had she really found peace through faith in the Lord Jesus, and the only response was when little May clasped the third finger of her left hand with her right. And thus she died. Her parents could not understand it, though they marked the movements of the little hands and wondered what it might mean. Sometime after, they told her aunt of how little May had passed away holding the third finger of her left hand.

“Oh, I know what it meant,” said her aunt, joyfully. She told the sorrowing parents about the lesson of the first five words of the 23rd Psalm. Thus, all was plain.

Can you say, “He loved me and gave Himself for me; I take Him as my Saviour, and the Lord is my Shepherd?”

ML 06/20/1965

Bible Questions Answers

“Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read.” Isaiah 34:16.

“Till I come, give attendance to reading... Meditate upon these things; that thy profiting may appear to all... continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1 Timothy 4:13,15,16.

“Study to show thyself approved unto God.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

We desire to encourage all those interested in answering the Bible Questions, whether young or old. If you wish to start with the beginning of the new term but do not have May 2 or June 6 issues containing the Questions, please write us. We will be glad to send you as many copies as you require at once.

Be sure to put your name and address at the top of your answers, and please WRITE OUT THE REFERENCES IN FULL.

ML 06/20/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 16:1-3

Genesis 16:1-3

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” vv. 1,2.

It is one thing to have faith in a promise, but another to have patience regarding the fulfillment of it. We may be certain that Abram had full confidence in God’s promises concerning an heir for we have already learned in the preceding chapter: “Abram believed in the Lord and He counted it to him for righteousness.” But Abram allowed himself to come under the influence of one who was weak in faith. Sarai behaved as one who lacked faith as to circumstances, even though the word of promise had reached her through Abram’s lips. Nature seemed to have failed her and so she determined to turn to nature through another channel. Was this not a sad mistake, when God had already given His promise? “The LORD,” said she, “hath restrained me from bearing.” It was true, certainly, that she had thus far been restrained, but she should have counted it only a waiting period, rather than a hopeless case.

The delay was hard for her to endure and so she set about to bring an heir into the family in her own way. In her determination to work out her own problem she failed to consider the consequences of such an act as she proposed—a mistake not at all uncommon to those who act in the flesh. What sorrows she would have avoided, had she been content to leave so vital a matter with God, who alone knows the end from the beginning. As is so often the case, Sarai’s self-will eventually brought unhappiness, not to herself alone, but to the many who were involved at the time, as well as to entire future generations.

One might question: “If Sarai was the companion of a man of strong faith, why did he not show her the error of her proposal?” Faith is always a personal thing and the faith of one will not do for another, even in so close a relationship as man and wife. In this instance her own failure brought Abram down to her level (the enemy having triumphed for a time), rather than his faith lifting her up. Elsewhere the Scripture says: “Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God.” Romans 14:22. How important it is that our faith actually be before God and not just a declaration before one another. Nor can those who have no true faith, rely on the faith of another to save them.

It is to be feared that there are many about us living in the influence of godly homes or closely tied to the lives of believers, in whom faith in the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour is lacking. One will say: “I have been brought up in a Christian home”; another, “My father was a gospel preacher”; still another, “I attend services regularly and sometimes take part in religious activities.” But these dear souls cannot say, “Faith has made Him my personal Saviour too.” Dear reader, nothing in this life is more important than to know Christ in your heart by faith.

Memory Verse: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3.

ML 06/20/1965

Two Little Birds

A gentleman who had been an officer in the British army was a Christian. Formerly his one object in life was to serve his King and country, but now his one object was to serve the Lord Jesus and to tell others of this wonderful Saviour.

One day he was asked to visit a policeman who was sick in bed. The policeman was a big husky man, while the officer was quite small in stature. Somehow the thought of going to talk to this big man was almost too much for him, and he hardly knew what he would say to him. However, trusting the Lord to give him a message, he started out. On the way, the only verse that would come into his mind was Proverbs 27:8: “As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.” It seemed a most unsuitable verse to bring before the big policeman, but still he felt that this was what the Lord would have him say to him.

So when he reached the sick man’s bedside he said, “Mr. Timmer, I have come to see you and the only thing I can think of to say to you is, ‘As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.’”

“Well,” said the policeman, “that is very remarkable. I have just had a very interesting experience with a bird that wandered from his nest.

Very early the other morning as I was walking along, something fell just in front of me. It was still half dark and I could not see very well; but when I reached it I found that it was a little bird that had wandered from its nest. At once I thought, I must get that little bird, put it in my pocket, and take it home to my wife who would take care of the little thing. But the bird fluttered away into the gutter, and eventually it got down a hole between the pavement and the wall. I could not get my big hand down after it, so I had to leave it there to perish.”

“Now,” said the Christian officer, “I must tell you about a little bird. I live on the corner of a road in a house with a big veranda around three sides of it. Under the roof in one corner of the veranda lived two little birds which had built their nest there. After a while the eggs in that nest hatched. One morning, just as my wife came out of the door, one of the little baby birds hopped off the nest right into a tub of water. My wife immediately ran to it, rescued it from the water, dried it as best she could, and put it back in the nest.

“I see now why God wanted me to give you that verse. The little bird that fell out of the nest would not let you catch it, and finally perished in that dark hole, is like the picture of the sinner away from God. He does not know the loving heart of the Lord Jesus who longs to take him up in His arms, save him and bless him. And so he runs away from the One who loves him best, and perishes in the blackness of darkness forever.

“But the other little bird who fell into the water is a picture of the sinner who finds out that there is nothing but death and judgment for him. Just as my wife put her hand into that water, which meant death for the little thing, so the Lord Jesus has gone into death for the sinner. Such a one is thankful to have that blessed One stretch forth His hand to save and deliver him from his folly.”

The Lord used these simple stories to show the policeman how much he was like the first little bird. He had tried to get away from the One who loved him best, but now when he was ill he discovered that he was like the other little bird, and that he must perish unless Another delivered him from his perilous position.

“Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3.

The policeman found his Deliverer in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ who went into death for him on the cross, to save his soul and to have him in His bright eternal home of glory, where there shall be no sickness, pain, or death.

Which little bird are you like, dear young reader? Are you running away from the Saviour, who wants to save you? Will your end be the pit of death and judgment, forever? Or, will you not turn to the Lord Jesus and cry, “Lord Jesus, save me; I perish.”? He will not keep you waiting, but will save you in a moment, will put you in the place of safety forever, and you will find yourself on the road to heaven. W.E.S.

ML 06/27/1965

Their Names Were Changed

My name was Abram, but it was changed to———.

My name was Jacob, but it was changed to———.

My name was Sarai, but it was changed to———.

My name was Simon, but it was changed to———.

My name was Saul, but it was changed to———.

My name was Joses, but it was changed to———.

You can find the answers in the following references: John 1:42; Acts 4:36; Genesis 17:5,15; 32:28; Acts 13:9.

ML 06/27/1965

Timmy's Fear What About Tomorrow?

“I would like to be a Christian I too, Mother, same as Katie,” said Timmy, “but I’m afraid I might not be real.”

Timmy had come home from the gospel meeting which had been an unusually solemn one, and was sitting thoughtfully in the parlor beside his mother and sister.

Katie had been converted a few weeks before, and was now a very happy girl. Mother had known the Lord and followed him for many years, but Father had gone on home to heaven. Timmy was the only one of the little family circle yet unsaved, and he felt it very keenly. He was a gentle, obedient boy, a real comfort to his mother, yet it was a burden on her heart that he was unconverted to God. Timmy knew well that he was a sinner and needed the Saviour, but he feared, as he said, that he might profess to belong to Jesus and then go back to the world.

To add to these fears, there were several boys of his own age who had professed to be converted some time before, but now they seemed to act worse than ever. The devil uses such cases to stumble and hinder those who are truly seeking the way of life.

Timmy’s mother tried to show him clearly from God’s word that all who trust in Christ Jesus are “kept” as well as saved (Rom. 1:16) by “the power of God.” (1 Peter 1:5). He seemed to grasp the meaning of the word “kept.” Said he, “That’s just what I need. I have been anxious many a time at nights, but when I thought of trusting myself to Jesus, the thought would come to me, ‘What about tomorrow?’ when I remembered I had to go to school and the boys would laugh at me, I thought it was no use, I could never stand it.”

“But you see, Timmy dear,” said Mother, “It is not your strength, but God’s, and the question is, will His power be sufficient to keep you cleaving to the Lord, and following Him?”

“Yes, I see that now,” said Timmy. Then the cloud passed from his brow. That night Timmy passed from darkness to light, and was truly converted. He trusted himself to Jesus, for today, tomorrow, and all along, and has proved since that Jesus is both able to save and to keep. Often he has been tempted by sinful boys to leave the “paths of righteousness,” and to sin against God, but in these moments of trial, he has trusted the Lord and sought to obey His word, which says, “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” Proverbs 1:10. God has preserved him and kept him.

“Kept by the power of God.” 1 Peter 1:5.

Dear boys and girls, perhaps some of you find yourselves in the same difficulty as Timmy—afraid to face tomorrow, but you need not. Jesus is a daily Saviour and Keeper for all who trust Him. Trust Him now for your soul’s salvation, and He will keep you forever.

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

ML 06/27/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 16:1-3

Genesis 16:1-3

(Continued)

Even though Sarai was weak in faith, Abram, whose faith was real, should have been in a position to refuse her suggested remedy of their problem. He, the man of God, and the head of his own house, should have said, “No, Sarai, we will wait for God’s way and He will in His own time, fulfill His promise.” But there is no record of such a conversation; in fact, no evidence that he even protested this strange program which was so unsuited to one whose ear had heard God’s voice again and again.

In Abram’s strange relationship with Hagar there were at least two things that interfered with his acting in a faithful manner. One was the influence of a companion who did not truly know the language of faith; the other was a temptation that had its beginning back in Egypt, where Abram had placed himself in worldly surroundings. From that dark land he had brought Hagar back with him. This bondwoman of Egypt then became the channel through which much trial and unhappiness resulted, because his faith was not equal to the testing that resulted from her being in their house.

We are reminded in these things of how the believer will be on dangerous ground if he heeds the voice and counsel of one who is out of counion with the Lord. Also we might think it scarcely necessary to mention the other danger—attachment to worldly persons and things. But it is one of Satan’s most-used devices to catch the Christian off-guard and spoil the enjoyment of a walk of faith. If Abram and Sarai had left the Egyptian woman back in Egypt where she belonged, she would not have become a source of compromise and un. happiness to them — delaying the blessing that God had in store for His own. Every child of God needs a constant vigilance and prayerful concern that he may be kept apart from the world and its allurements. The rewards of this world never give lasting happiness. We may say of Abram’s decline at this point of his life that it is a picture of the believer, betrayed by nature—relying on self and not realizing how altogether useless “self” is in the sight of God. His behavior said, in as many words, that he had departed from God’s way. He never lost his relationship with the God whom he loved, but he lost the blessing of communion and, for the time, was not walking in that intimacy with God which he had previously known.

When Abram thought he could secure an heir through the bondmaid, he was reverting to nature rather than to faith—his way, rather than God’s way. His action resulted in failure. It is another of God’s pictures to us of those who now seek salvation through their own way; who perhaps want salvation through the keeping of the ten commandments, or by other good works. But the law is not God’s method of salvation and those who seek to follow it are not in the path of salvation at all. Soon they will learn that they not only cannot keep the law, but that their best efforts bring them no peace. No, just as God would never fulfill his promise to Abram with anything less than the full measure of His love, so now souls can only know the joy of eternal salvation by accepting His way—simple and personal faith in Christ and in the saving power of His death on Calvary.

ML 06/27/1965

"Bad Jim's" Rescue

Jim was the bad boy of the village. J The boys and girls shunned him, and not without cause. His language was generally very bad and his actions were little better. He worked for a farmer and looked after his cattle. As the village children went to and from school, Jim was in the habit of teasing and insulting them as they walked along.

Poor Jim! He had no kind parents to look after him and train him, or to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. His father was a drunkard, and his poor mother, after enduring much neglect and want, had died in grief and despair. Jim had been taken in hand by the farmer to keep him out of prison.

One afternoon as the children were returning from school, Jim sat swinging on a branch of a tree that overhung the river. He seemed to be enjoying himself and when the boys and girls came in sight, he shouted to attract their attention. They stopped to gaze in astonishment at his bravery as he swung merrily above the river which at that point was very deep. Flattered on seeing the children watching his performances, he increased his speed; but alas, the branch broke carrying Jim with it into the water below.

There was a loud cry from the children on the road when they saw Jim plunge into the stream. A few of them made a rush down the slope where Jim was seen struggling to keep his head above water, and still clinging to the broken branch of the tree.

“Help! Help!” cried the drowning boy, but there was no help near, save the school children, most of whom were too frightened to go near the water.

However, two girls and a boy, older than the rest, got hold of a long board lying near the gate and, carrying it down to the riverside, stretched it toward Jim, still struggling in the deep water. He caught hold of the end of it, and they pulled him to the water’s edge, where several other children had gathered. All pulling tether, they landed Jim safely on the bank, soaking wet and quite exhausted. By this time the farmer arrived, attracted by the cries of the children, and Jim was taken to the farm and attended to.

That incident changed Jim’s attitude to the school children. He molested them no more. Ever after, he was most considerate and kind. He could see from their efforts that day that they cared for him, and this changed his feelings toward them.

In the same way, when sinners, hitherto at enmity with God, believe that Jesus loves them and gave Himself for them to die, that they might be saved from sin and hell, they love Him in return. They seek to please Him, not to merit or earn His love, or in order to be saved, but just because He has loved them, and has saved them already.

“We love Him, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19.

I am glad to tell you that Jim is now a Christian, saved by the grace of God, and on his way to heaven. Now he loves to seek out the friendless and destitute boys, such as was, and tries to lead them to the Saviour.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10.

Memory Verse: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.” Titus 3:5.

ML 07/04/1965

"Together"

“Let us exalt His name together.” Psalms 34:3

PEOPLE WHO DID THINGS “TOGETHER.”

In Ezra 3:—we read of people who gathered... together.

In Ezra 3:—we read of people who stood together.

In Ezra 3:—we read of people who sang together.

In Ezra 4:—we read of people who builded together.

You can read about them in verses 1,3,9 and 11. Place each reference in its proper space.

ML 07/04/1965

Uncle Ben, or "Tell Me Something About Jesus"

In a prayer meeting in Boston an aged man rose to his feet to tell his story. Said he: “Until a short time ago, I was a thoughtless and unrepentant sinner. I will tell you how it came about that I am now saved and a follower of the Lord Jesus.

“One Sunday evening, I was resting on the sofa in the parlor. My wife had gone out and no one was with me but my little niece, Mabel, just six years old, who was at the time vising us. For a while she sat by the table amusing herself looking at pictures. After a bit, she got tired of them, and she came up to the sofa and began putting her arms around me in her child-like way.

“‘Uncle Ben,’ she said, putting her little hand in mine, ‘tell me something about Jesus. Momma always does Sunday nights.’

“I was struck by her request, and was quite embarrassed. I evaded it, and began talking of something else. But the little one would not be put off. Again and again she came back to the same request: ‘Uncle Ben, tell me something about Jesus.’ As I did not reply, she said at last, opening her wide blue eyes, ‘Why, you know about Jesus; don’t you?’

“That question awakened thoughts and feelings in me I had never had before. I am afraid I had to disappoint my little niece that evening. But that night I could not sleep; the dear child’s wondering words, ‘You know about Jesus, don’t you?’ haunted me through all the long, silent hours. I felt I did not know about Jesus and had not wished to know about Him; and a sense of my ignorance and guilt weighed heavily upon my soul.

“I was distressed for days. I read my Bible with an inquiring, anxious heart, till at length I found the blessed Saviour, and could say in humility and faith, Now I know about Jesus,’ that precious Saviour about whom little Mabel so eagerly wished to hear.”

Oh, the power of the name of Jesus! Tittered by his little niece in her child-like simplicity, applied by the Spirit of God to heart and conscience, it wrought a mighty change in the life of Uncle Ben. It brought before him his utterly lost condition — without God, without hope in the world. It revealed to him a Saviour who died for sinners, but who rose again from the dead, and now lives forever in heaven. It charmed his soul, and captured his heart.

Has the name of Jesus charmed your soul, dear reader? Has He captured your heart? Or, do you still spurn that love, and travel the broad road that leads down to destruction?

“Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Ezekiel 33:11.

ML 07/04/1965

Bible Questions for July

The Children’s Class

1.“Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth.”

2.“Death shall flee from them.”

3.“Repented not of the works of their hands.”

4.“Glory to the God of heaven.”

5.“Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.”

6.“Worship Him that made heaven, and earth.”

7.“Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty.”

The Young People’s Class Continue

1.In what must we CONTINUE if we would be true disciples of Jesus? John 8.

2.What did Jesus receive from God the Father in which He would have us to CONTINUE? John 15.

3.In what were the early Christians exhorted to CONTINUE that they might enter the kingdom of God? Acts 14.

4.In what did Paul and Barnabas seek to persuade those newly converted to CONTINUE? Acts 13.

5.What did the first Christians CONTINUE in steadfastly? Acts 2.

6.In what was Timothy counseled to CONTINUE after evil men and deceivers manifested themselves? 2 Tim.

7.In what should Christians today CONTINUE with thanksgiving? Col.

ML 07/04/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 16:4-6

Genesis 16:4-6

The unwise decision which induced Abram to have a son through Hagar, the Egyptian bond-maid, was certain to produce difficulties, and they became evident even before the child was born. “When she (Hagar) saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.” verse 4. We can more fully understand the typical meaning and lessons in the relationship between Sarai, Hagar and Abram, by turning to Galatians 4, where we read: “For it is written, that Abram had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the free-woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants.” 10:22-24. In this we see that when Abram followed his wife’s bad advice they were both guilty of acting according to the flesh and not according to faith.

The heir of Abram, according to God’s promise, could never come through any outside channel. To be a child of Abram’s through a bondmaid (speaking of the law) was entirely foreign to God’s purposes. He must come in accordance with God’s plan, that is, through Sarai, the free-woman. Now these two types opposed each other—they had nothing in common—just as Sarai and Hagar inevitably had conflict between themselves. Hagar despised Sarai—just as those who place themselves under the law really despise the faith that acts on free grace. It may not be an outward discarding of faith, but it is actually so, nonetheless, when one puts himself under the yoke of the law for he says, in effect, “I have no use for God’s way of simple faith in His Son. I will just come my own way.”

As the law despises grace, it is equally true that grace cannot be in harmony with the legality and bondage of the law. Faith in Christ and bondage to the law are completely foreign to one another. It is this principle that is before us in our present chapter. The question is: Whose son shall the heir be? The son of a bondwoman (the law) or the freewoman (faith and liberty)? The promises given Abram as to a son and heir are a type of God’s purposes toward His true church, of which it is said: “Ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that these two women, so contrary to each other in character and position, and particularly in what they represented before God, must separate.

“Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.” verse 6. Sarai, being mistress of her own home, and with Abram’s approval, oppresses her maid. We are sorry to see that while Sarai is a type of grace, she is not gracious in this matter and so falls short of the wonderful place God had given her. But, acting in envy, she made life miserable for Hagar until her handmaid fled from her presence.

Sarai acted in the flesh in this matter and although she is able to show her authority and force matters with her maid, she is really displaying her inner confusion in reaping what she had sown. Sarai had many lessons to learn before she truly submitted to God’s ways for her and before it could be said of her: “She judged Him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11.

ML 07/04/1965

"When the Roll is Called up Yonder I'll be There."

Mr. Black was an earnest Sunday school teacher who loved to help boys and girls. One day he walked through a poor section of his native town of Williamsport and saw a sad-faced little girl sitting on a doorstep. Bessie was the daughter of a drunkard father and was poorly dressed. Mr. Black asked her if she would like to come to Sunday school. Her eyes brightened as she answered wistfully, “Yes”; but then she cast a sad look at her ragged dress, as if to say, “but I’d be ashamed to come.” However, the next day a new dress, new shoes and hat arrived, and Bessie showed up at Sunday school all smiles. She came often to Sunday school after that.

But one evening when they were having special services for the children, the roll call was made and the children each answered with a text of Scripture. But when Bessie’s name was called there was no answer. Mr. Black called her name again, but no response—Bessie wasn’t there.

When Mr. Black spoke to the children that evening, he remarked how sad it would be for anyone to be absent when in heaven the names are called of all those written in the Lamb’s book of life. It was a very impressive message and the children’s hearts were solemnized.

Wanting something to sing on this occasion, Mr. Black searched through the hymn book but could not find just what he wanted. Then after the meeting was over, as he walked home, he kept wishing for such a hymn, and the thought came to him, “Why not write one yourself?” At first he dismissed such a thought from his mind. Then as he thought of little Bessie’s absence, he prayed and thanked the Lord that he could say, for himself, “When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” He knew the Lord Jesus as his Saviour and he had peace with God.

When he reached home, Mrs. Black sensed something was troubling him, and asked what was the cause of his anxiety. Mr. Black did not reply, but just then the words of the first stanza of a new hymn came into his mind in full.

“When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,

When the morning breaks eternal, bright and fair;

When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,

And the roll is called up yonder,

I’ll be there.”

A few minutes later two more verses were also written down, and then Mr. Black sat down to the piano and composed the melody that came to him almost at the same time.

Little Bessie was too ill to come to the Sunday school that evening, and shortly after she passed away. We can only hope that she died trusting in Jesus who died for little children, the blessed Saviour she had learned about in the Sunday school. But the hymn she had inspired lives on. It has been sung around the world, and translated into many languages as well.

“Suffer the little children to comet unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14.

“And the city lieth foursquare. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass...

“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.., “For there shall be no night there...

“And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth,... but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (See Revelation 21:16-27.)

ML 07/11/1965

A Sick Student Converted

A young student lay gravely ill. The doctor who attended him was a bright Christian and he asked the young fellow if he would not accept the Lord Jesus as his Saviour.

“Would it not be mean to ask Him to save me when I am dying, after living without him all these years,” he questioned.

“It would,” replied the doctor, “but it would be meaner to still reject Him when He still loves you and wants to save you.”

This was a new way of putting the truth and the young student was impressed. The thought of the Saviour’s love quite overcame him and he opened his heart to receive Him as His own. Shortly after he passed away in peace, rejoicing in the grace that had snatched him as a brand from the burning.

ML 07/11/1965

Happy Jack

A missionary was one day crossing the bridge over a small river. Nearby stood little Jack, just seven years old. The missionary stopped to chat with the boy and ended up by offering him a quarter if he would go home and read the third chapter of John’s Gospel three times. Surprised and happy at the thought of earning a quarter by such novel means, Jack agreed. The missionary went on his way. Jack went home and faithfully fulfilled his promise.

Twenty years later the missionary passed that way again and met Jack, now a grown young man, and a happy Christian. Jack invited the missionary to his home where he told him that the reading of that precious passage of Scripture so impressed him that it was the means used of God to eventually bring him to Christ whom he joyfully confessed as his own Saviour.

“Ye must be born again.... And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:7,14,15. “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days...

“In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.” Ecclesiastes 11:1,6.

ML 07/11/1965

My Precious Bible

I love my precious Bible,

It is God’s Word to me;

A light amid the darkness

By which my path I see.

I love my precious Bible,

God’s word of love and light;

It cheers me on my pathway;

It guides my way aright.

I love my precious Bible,

For in it I can see

God’s love as told in Jesus

Who bled and died for me.

I love my precious Bible,

No other book so dear;

It soothes my days of sorrow,

It calms me in my fear.

I love my precious Bible,

Through life it’s been my stay,

My never failing portion,

My staff along the way.

I love my precious Bible,

And still shall love it more

In scenes of brightest glory,

On yonder heavenly shore.

E. B. Hartt.

Memory Verse: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20.

ML 07/11/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 16:7-16

Genesis 16:7-16

“And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness... And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go?” 10:7,8.

A variety of types and figures come before us in the interesting and dramatic story. Among others, we see in Hagar a type of the Jewish nation, when yet under the law. They too were a rebellious people, turning their back on God long bore their Messiah came into the world “unto His own,” and they were seen at their worst when that blessed One was refused. Thus they left themselves in bondage, even as Hagar. She, as a type of Israel in bondage, was neither suited to be the mother of the child of promise nor to be at peace with those who were of the household of faith. In running away from the discipline of the home, she further portrayed the rebellion of the Jewish nation, determined to follow its own way and refuse God’s direction.

When the angel addressed Hagar he not only called her by name, but also declared her true position even though she sought to escape it, for his call was, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid.” Then came those two important questions: “Whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go?” The Word of God speaks with faithful solemnity to every wandering soul today, with questions of similar meaning. Perhaps our reader is one who has left home or surroundings where the truth of God and faithfulness to His Word has become tiresome. You thought to run away from it. But there is the further question: “Whither wilt thou go?” How solemn such a question is when considered not only in the light of present life, but of eternity as well! Do you know of a certainty what your destination is? “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 1:16:25. Yet we are told of a better way by Him who could say: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6. Yes, there is only one true Way, only one release from bondage, only one entrance to heaven; and that is through faith in Christ, the Saviour of sinners.

Although Hagar was wrong in running into the wilderness, God graciously provided a fountain of water for her. This is another type of the grace that tells us that in the midst of a spiritually barren and thirsty land in which we walk, it can be said of the Lord: “For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.” Psalms 36:9.

“And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress... Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.” 10:9,11. The promise of a child includes the warning: “And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” verse 12.

Yet Hagar seemed to sense the ultimate goodness of God. The name of the well was called “Beer-lahai-roi,” meaning “The well of Him that liveth and seeth me.” Courage was given her, just as courage will be given an awakened Jewish remnant in the coming tribulation.

“And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.” verse 16.

ML 07/11/1965

A Story of the Sea

In a snug little cottage by the sea, there lived a poor fisherman, named Peter, and his wife. Both were true-hearted Christians and sought to live for the Lord who had done so much for them. One day Peter’s wife presented him with a tiny baby girl, and oh, such happiness the little one brought into their home. But not long Afterward Peter’s wife fell ill. When she knew she was not long for this world, she told Peter God had sent the little one into their home and that he must tell her of Jesus the Saviour. Then she passed away.

The loss of his dear wife was a great sorrow to Peter, but he didn’t go out and try to drown his grief in drink, as some men do. No, he went and told Jesus, who loves to lift up the broken-hearted.

However, another great sorrow came into Peter’s life. The little girl who had brought such sunshine into their humble home also fell sick. Soon after, she followed her mother to that bright Home above, where Jesus dwells. Poor Peter was now left alone. Fishing no longer held such pleasure for him as formerly, for he felt he had no one to fish for now. Still he found comfort and encouragement in his Saviour’s love.

One day when Peter was out on a fishing trip, he met a young Swede named Jan Georg, whom he brought home to live with him. Peter told Jan about his wife and baby girl, and then he told him too about Jesus who died for sinners.

One day when they were both out deep-sea fishing, a terrible storm caught them. As the billows rose and fell, tossing their little boat up and down, Peter prayed for deliverance. At last the sea became calm again and they put in their nets once more. When they pulled them in again they found they had an immense haul of fish; their boat was nearly full.

During the night they saw pieces of wreckage floating about. In the morning they saw more, so they knew that a ship had gone to pieces on the rocks nearby.

“What’s that?” asked Jan, pointing to something that had been left high on a rocky ledge by the outgoing tide. Getting into the small boat they rowed over to the rocks and Jan climbed up the ledge. “It’s a little girl that’s lashed to the lid of a chest,” he shouted, and putting his hand over her heart he added, “and she’s still alive.”

Cutting away the rope that bound her, Jan picked the little one up in his arms and lowered her gently into the boat. The tears streamed down Peter’s weather-beaten face as he thought of his own little girl. But Jan had yet to descend the slippery rocks. Suddenly his foot slipped and the poor fellow plunged downward, headfirst, striking his head against the side of the boat. Just then a big wave washed him under the boat and he was carried out to sea. Anxiously Peter waited for Jan to rise, but he never saw him again. He had saved the little child’s life—at the cost of his own. With heavy heart Peter still searched the spot, but in vain. Nor was there anything left by which he could identify the wrecked ship.

Peter now turned all his attention to the little one now rescued and in the boat with him. Pinned in the corner of her little dress, still wet from the sea, was a purse containing bank notes worth over $800.00, on the purse were the initials: “A.L.S. There was no other identification, “Then that’s what we’ll have to call you,” said Peter; “ALS, and since Jan Georg saved you, you’ll have to be ‘Al’s Georg.’”

Little Al’s grew well and strong and Peter loved her. He became a true father to her, providing for her and laying up the $800.00 for her future. Moreover, he sought to bring her up for the Lord.

I have thought of those three leers as being the initials of each one of us. They are mine surely, for I was A. L. S.—

A Lost Sinner

I was like the little girl on that rock—wrecked and perishing. But like her, I had

A Loving Saviour

who came right to where I was, and saved me. But it cost Him His life to save mine. “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

Jan was near to Peter, but how near was Jesus to God His Father. I have taken His name; now I am a Christian, and

A Living Saint.

Peter was a real father to little Al’s, laying up for her future. But what a Father God is and what has He not prepared for those that love Him!

Supposing one day, as little Al’s sat on Peter’s knee, he were to ask her if she knew why she had such a name? Perhaps she would reply, “No, Daddy, I don’t.” Then he would tell her the story of how she was once wrecked and nearly lost, but that a man named Jan Georg saved her and lost his own life in doing so. “I named you after him,” he would say.

But supposing then Peter could tell her that Jan was alive on some far distant shore. Would she not want to go and see him? Indeed she would. Well, dear friends, the Lord Jesus, who once died, now lives up yonder in the heavenly glory, and all those whom He has redeemed with His precious blood are going to see Him one day. “They shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.” Revelation 22:4. May we not be ashamed to bear His name down here, while waiting for that day.

ML 07/18/1965

A Baseball Boy Saved

Tom and I were young fellows together, and baseball was our favorite game. Tom’s parents were real “born again” Christians, and I too had known the Lord Jesus as my Saviour for some time, and had been brought up in a Christian home.

One day coming out of the house I saw Tom coming up the road. “Where are you going?” I called out.

“Up to see the ball game,” he replied.

“Well, I’m going by that way myself,” I said, and so we went along together.

Outside the ball park entrance, I said to him, “Tom, has it ever occurred to you that your folks would be so glad to see you come to the Lord and seek to please Him. Do you know that the Saviour loves you, and did you ever think how He bore you sins in His own body on the tree?” Then I also gave him John 3:16 as a 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.”

We closed our eyes, bowed our heads and had a little prayer together, right there outside the ball park. It was then that dear Tom decided for Christ, and the light of the gospel shone into his young heart. He too had found the Saviour and such a look of happiness spread over his face as the joy of his salvation filled his soul. That was the beginning of days for Tom. Now he was truly saved and on his way to heaven.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

ML 07/18/1965

Won by Love

I remember a family of boys in Chicago that used to hoot at me and my Sunday school class as we passed their house sometimes.

One day one of those boys came into the Sunday school and made fun of everything. As he went away I told him I was glad to see him there and hoped he would come again. He did come again and made a noise, but I urged him to come the next time.

Finally one day he came and after sitting quietly he said: “I wish you would pray for me, boys.” Not long after that that boy came to Christ and was happily saved.

D.L.M.

Decide for Christ today,

And God’s salvation see;

Yield soul and body, heart and will

To Him, who died for thee!

Decide for Christ today,

Confess Him as thy Lord;

Proclaim to all the Saviour’s worth,

How faithful is His word.

ML 07/18/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith -Genesis 17:1-6

Genesis 17:1-6

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me and be thou perfect.” In Abram’s failure, when he yielded to impatience and allowed the flesh to govern his actions, he was not “walking before God,” but now he is introduced afresh to God’s grace in calling him back to the pathway of blessing. He is reminded too of the character of that divine Person who, in the land of Ur so many years back, first called him to obedience and blessing. It is as “Almighty God” that He now addresses him—the same “God of glory” who spoke to him in that distant land.

“And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him.” As that voice again penetrated his conscience, Abram’s place is in prostration — an attitude suited to exercise of heart. In a sense, Abram being on his face before God is the character of this chapter for he is found in this position both in verse 3 and 17. He had learned a costly lesson and the expression, “I am the Almighty God,” awakened him to the fact that it was to Him he must always look and not rely on his flesh or own purposes. “Walk before Me, and be thou perfect.” The effect is humbling, as he thinks how imperfect he had been and how he had failed to walk before God in the circumstances concerning Hagar. Now he is undoubtedly aware that everything having to do with nature and the flesh must be set aside, and that through God alone every purpose is to be established.

Only when this is experienced can Abram “walk before God and be perfect.” Although he had known before what it was to walk with God, that walk was interrupted by his breach of faith and, as is always the case when a child of God goes in self. will, he had tasted the bitter fruit of his carelessness. But God calls him back to His place and, following Abram’s expression of humility, unfolds an enlarged project to His servant. “And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.” verse 2. If the verses that follow are read carefully it will be noted that all God tells Abram about is based on those wonderful words, “I will.” It is not here “thou shalt,” for the promises are from God and He alone could bring them to reality.

“Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.” verse 5. Abram, by which name we have known this man of faith so far, means “great father,” indicating his place as head of a great family. But Abraham means more: “father of a multitude,” promising him a place not only as head of a great family, but as head of a multitude of nations as well. It was a happy thing for Abram to be given this new name and to realize that all the new covenant given by God was connected with it —and a change of name for Sarai as well. Those who today come to God through Christ are given a new name too, as we read in 1 John 3:1: “Bold, what manner of love the Father bath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”

Memory Verse: “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16.

ML 07/18/1965

Dare to Be a Daniel

In a quiet country home, far from I the busy city, there sat a Christian mother and her little curly-haired boy of six, all alone with an old family Bible. It was Sunday evening, and while all the other members of the family had gone to the evening service, Mrs. Joyce and her little Rob were having a quiet hour, such as mothers delight to have with their little ones, telling “the old, old story” in loving, simple words, which will never be forgotten.

The Bible story to which Robbie listened with more than ordinary interest that evening was “Daniel in the Lion’s den”—a story old, yet ever new. His godly mother sought to show him that

He always wins who sides with God,

To him no chance is lost;

God’s will is sweetest to him when

It triumphs at his cost.

The little fellow’s eyes peered up into her face and with a firmly knit lip the dear child said, “Mother, I’m going to be like Daniel.” The mother’s heart could only send up to heaven a silent prayer, “God grant that it may be so.”

Years passed away and Robbie was now a bright schoolboy of twelve. He was truly converted too, and a follower of the Lord Jesus for several years. Everybody in the school knew that Rob’s religion was no “sham.” Even those who had sneered at him at first began to look up to him, and one of the worst boys in the class declared that if there were a “good fellow” in the school, it was Robbie.

“When a man’s ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7.

But the path of a Christian schoolboy is strewn with temptations, and when Robbie was on vacation one day, two of his schoolmates asked him to play “cards” with them. “I never play cards. My mother told me I was never to touch them,” said Robbie. The boys laughed and made some slighting remark about Robbie’s being his mother’s pet, but the clear, decided “No!” saved him from further trouble that day. He had “dared to be a Daniel,” and his mother’s prayer was answered.

Some years later, a young man stood in the office of a city firm. He had been with them for a number of years, and was now about to be promoted and sent as their representative in a distant land.

“We have full confidence in your integrity, Robert, and would especially warn you against temptations of business life in a far country, especially in speculation and gambling,” said his boss.

“I thank you sincerely for your counsel,” returned Robert. “It was what my mother taught me, when a child, and by God’s grace I shall always seek to remember it.” His boss rose from his chair, his eyes filled with tears, and grasping Rob’s hand, he said, “God bless you, my boy. We feel that our interests are safe in your hands.”

Rob had many a trial and temptation, but with Christ in his heart and the Word of God as his guide, he was preserved from the tempter’s snare, and he was used in leading many a weary sinner to the Saviour. He “dared to be a Daniel,” and although he sometimes stood alone, as far as man could see, the Lord, whom he trusted and whose name he sought to honor, stood by him. The Word loved and received in early years, the Saviour trusted and loved in childhood’s days, the decision formed to “be like Daniel”—God strengthened him to stand by them; and his life has been one of brightness and blessing. The beginning of such a life is in trusting Christ.

“Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!” Psalms 31:19.

ML 07/25/1965

A Mother's Love

In a recent tragedy in Mexico, a I church building collapsed and caved in upon those who were inside. Among the many dead was found a mother, her body broken and crushed by the falling rock, but when they lifted her up, they found under her two of her children, unconscious from the weight upon them, but alive. The mother had protected them with her own body. She gave her life to save them; she died that they might live.

The Bible tells us the most wonderful story of One who gave His life to save others, even His enemies. The Lord Jesus gave His life to save us from the just judgment of God against our sins. He died that we might live. But death could not hold Him, for He rose again, and lives at God’s right hand in heaven. Now He offers salvation free to all through faith in Him, and eternal life.

Those who put their trust in Him are saved eternally. But those who refuse Him and His mercy, must bear their own eternal judgment. Are you saved, dear reader?

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

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:11,12.

“The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

ML 07/25/1965

John Williams

The name of John Williams, the faithful missionary to the South Seas years ago, will not be unfamiliar to many of our young readers. John Williams translated the New Testament for the Raratongans. He was working on a version of the Scriptures in Samoan, when he was murdered by the cannibals of Erromanga.

But his spirit lived on. The name, John Williams, was given to the mission ship purchased chiefly by the gifts of children, and for twenty years that ship sailed the South Seas carrying the gospel to the islands, bearing at its prow the half-length figure of the martyr of Erromanga, with the open Bible in his hand. When the ship struck on the coral reef of Danger island, another children’s ship rose out of the wreck, and the first gifts came from the little brown children of that island.

Sometimes the question would be asked, could those natives be expected to understand a book, which after so many generations, still engages the devout scholarship of Christion lands? Let us hear the testimony of John Williams. He told of how the captain of a ship in the Royal Navy wished to find out if the South Sea Islanders were merely trained like parrots to repeat the words of the missionary. Meeting a number of them one day, he discussed with them the doctrine of the resurrection.

“Do you believe in it?” asked the captain.

“Yes, most certainly,” they replied. “In what body shall we rise?”

They answered: “In a chapter in the Corinthians it is said, ‘It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.’ The captain would not be satisfied; he wanted to know the identical nature of the body which shall be raised. The natives hesitated some time, and at last one said, ‘I have it! We shall see Him as He is, and shall be like Him.’ (1 John 3:2.)

The captain said again: “I want to know the precise body with which we shall be raised.” This occasioned considerable consultation among them. At length one said: “It will be like His glorious body...” (Phil. 3:21.)

How precious to see the work of the Spirit of God in those dear souls. Taught of Him, they had grown in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May their testimony stir up each of us, dear young readers, to a greater appreciation of the Bible, and in deeper searching of the Holy Scriptures.

Are you answering the Bible Questions this year? If you would like to start with the beginning, but do not have a copy of May and June Questions, we will be glad to send them to you.

Memory Verse: “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.

ML 07/25/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 17:7-14

Gen. 17:7-14

“And I will establish My covenant, between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, and to thy seed after thee.” vs. 7.

A covenant requires the acts of two or more for fulfillment. In vss. 2-8 God sets forth His portion. It is as though He said: “I will never fail in what I have committed Myself to—either to you or those following you. But now here is your portion of the covenant to make its blessings effective to you.” “And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep My covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.” vs. 9.

Following this Abraham is given details of the covenant of circumcision which was to be a binding token to all his earthly family and descendants. There was nothing mysterious about this act. Its purpose was to speak of setting aside the flesh—to be an ever present reminder that God’s blessings and covenant to His people were based on faith and not on nature and the acts of the flesh. It was observed faithfully by Abraham, but in later years in the history of Israel it became a mere formality in which they took pride, but lost the value of its actual meaning.

When speaking to Christians of its figurative value the Apostle declares: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew I that is, a genuine follower of God I, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Rom. 2:28,29. This plainly shows that the true value of this sign of the covenant was in the heart of the believer.

“And the uncircumcised man child... shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.” vs. 14. This tells us how important man’s side of the covenant was in God’s I sight. God would never break His side, but if man failed in his responsibility, the covenant would not be effective to him. The full work of Christ on Calvary has forever set aside the old covenant now and replaced it with His testament—which required only the work of One—the Lord Jesus Himself. (See Heb. 9:15-17). But as to principle, every believer belongs to the circumcision and the one who owns Christ as Saviour can say: “We are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Philippians 3:3.

The believer’s “mark” now is the presence of the Holy Spirit within him. Since the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) that Person of the Godhead has indwelt everyone who truly believes. It is He who exercises the heart to know that the flesh must indeed be put to death—just as the covenant of circumcision did in type — and to prove blessings through faithfulness in the walk. Abraham and his family delighted in the covenant established between God and himself, for it took away trusting in his old nature and brought him into the enjoyment of trust and confidence in God. The New Testament child of God, walking in faithfulness, will also be found “rejoicing in Christ Jesus, and having no confidence in the flesh.”

ML 07/25/1965

The Father's Kiss

Sometime ago near a small town two little boys were fishing in the river. Accidentally, they both fell into the water. A young man who was fishing nearby plunged in after them. He was not a very good swimmer, but managed to bring both the youngsters to the bank safely. He then found himself in difficulties. Weighted down with water-soaked clothing and weakened by his previous efforts, the steep, slippery bank of the river was too much for him. The more he struggled, the worse it was, and soon he was drawn under the water and drowned.

The sad news soon reached his father and mother who, of course, were greatly grieved. His young brother too, who came home soon Afterward was in deep sorrow until he heard that the boys, his playmates, were safe. Then he was comforted for the loss of his brother.

A few days later the two little boys followed close behind the coffin as it was borne to the cemetery. After the funeral, the father of the brave lad whose body had just been lowered into the grave, came up to the two sorrowing little boys. Bending down, he gave each one a kiss, and prayed God’s blessing upon them.

There was present a young man, a Christian, who that evening was to preach the gospel not far away. He went as planned, and standing before his hearers, said: “I saw today something I have never seen before. A father kissed two boys who had caused the death of his son.”

He then told them about the feral. “And,” he said, “that is what God in His great love is doing now, kissing any who come to Him believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, notwithstanding the fact that they were the cause of the death of His Son.”

It made a strong impression on his hearers. One in the audience, who was judged to be one of the worst men in that place, came up to the preacher after the meeting and said, “Does God kiss all repentant ones like that?” “Yes,” the preacher replied, “if they come to Him in faith, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, they will receive pardon, peace, and blessing.”

He replied, “I will come to Him right now!”

May God grant that your decision may be the same. As a result you will know forgiveness of your sins, and learn the joy of the Father’s kiss. “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10.

ML 08/01/1965

Wonderful Things About the Bible

The most wonderful book man has ever seen, or ever will see in this world, is God’s Book, the Bible.

It is the oldest Book. The first five books, known as the Pentateuch, were written by Moses at least 1000 years before Herodotus, the first Historian, wrote his first book.

It is the truest Book. In other books mistakes may be found, but not so in the Bible, because its Author is the eternal God— “that cannot lie.” Titus 1:2.

It is the Book most widely circulated. It has been printed in over 1200 different languages, so that millions of copies are in existence at the present time. Placed end to end, they would make a line that would almost go around the world.

It is the most hated Book in the world. Infidels, scoffers, scientists (so-called), critics—oppose, and seek to deny or destroy the Bible. It has been burned, imprisoned, exiled and prohibited; yet it lives on, and is still the best seller.

It is the best loved Book. Men have laid down their lives for it; have shed their blood, rather than give it up. The lions, the rack, the gallows, and the stake have each failed to make the Lord’s saved ones give it up, deny, or cease to love the Book. God is its Author, Christ its theme, the Spirit its teacher, the heart its home, the world its field. It is to be reverenced, read, believed, obeyed, treasured in the heart, practiced in the life.

Do you read, believe, and love the Word of God?

Have you received Christ? Can you say truly—

“Holy Bible, Book divine,

Precious treasure, Thou art mine.”

ML 08/01/1965

A Rich Man Saved

The wealthiest and most prominent citizen in a small town was a man who hitherto had shown no interest in God or Christ, or in the needs of his soul. But a faithful Christian pastor lived in that town and one day he felt a strange impulse to go and visit the rich man. Fearing his visit might create a scene, he shrank back from going, but the next day he again felt impelled to go. So he went, but as he approached the stately mansion his knees trembled.

However, God works at both ends of the line. Much to the Christian’s surprise, the old man received him kindly, and said, “I have been looking for a visit from you. I have been longing to know about the Lord whom I have rejected so long.” With joy the servant of Christ told him that God loved him, sinner as he was, that Christ died for him, and that if he opened his heart to receive Him as His Saviour he would know the forgiveness of his sins. The old man readily received the word and soon he was happy, trusting in Christ. When the call came for him to leave this world, he went peacefully home — “Absent from the body,... present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8.

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

ML 08/01/1965

Hezekiah's Words

“The Lord was ready to save me.” Isaiah 38:20.

These words of Hezekiah are true of you. The Lord is ready to save you. He died for you and now He lives in heaven, “a Prince and a Saviour,” and waits to hear your response.

Take Him as your Lord and Saviour and thank Him for His great salvation.

“JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THI LIFE: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.” John 14:6.

ML 08/01/1965

Little Answerers

Many little ones are reading

God’s most sacred Word,

Finding answers to the Questions;

Learning of the Lord.

Many little eyes are scanning

Through the sacred page,

Thus the Word of God they’re learning

At an early age.

Many little hands are writing

What God’s Word has said,

And their little hearts are feeding

On the heavenly Bread.

May they each in early childhood

Learn to trust the Lord,

And their lives be formed and fashioned

By God’s Holy Word.

E. B. Hartt.

ML 08/01/1965

Unchangeable Love

True human love is passing sweet,

As found in friend or brother;

Or where its choicest virtues meet,

The bosom of a mother.

But love that’s known through Jesus’ name,

Naught from its power can sever;

It always flows, no ebb it knows—

God loves, and loves forever.

“To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.” Ephesians 3:19.

ML 08/01/1965

Bible Questions for August

The Children’s Class

1.“Thou art righteous, O Lord.”

2.“Lord of lords, and Kings of kings.”

3.“For strong is the Lord God.”

4.“His name is called The Word of God.”

5.“And the books were opened.”

6.“The former things are passed away.”

7.“The Lord God giveth them light.”

The Young People’s Class the Lord’s Greatness

1.What nation was eyewitness to all the GREAT WORKS of the Lord? Judges 2.

2.How do we know the GREAT NAME of the Lord was to be made known to the Gentiles and heathen? Malachi.

3.How are the sons of men affected by the GREAT COUNSEL of the Lord? Jeremiah 32.

4.What confession did David make that led him to tell of the GREAT MERCIES of the Lord? 1 Chronicles 21.

5. For whom is the GREAT GOODNESS of the Lord laid up? Psalms 31.

6.When was God’s GREAT LOVE made known to us? Eph.

7.How often should we be reminded of the Lord’s GREAT FAITHFULNESS to us? Lamentations 3.

ML 08/01/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 17:15-21

Genesis 17:15-21

“And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her.” 10:15,16. Some think that the name Sarai meant “contentious” although this is not certain. We do know, however, that Sarah means “princess.” Wasn’t that a gracious name for the wife of Abraham after she had not acted like a princess in her scheming and self-will? God always does for His own “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20.

Sarai was a figure of Israel, one in whom fulfillment of promises was to take place, but seen as dead and unfruitful in the flesh. As such a type she was a barren woman, unable to bring forth in her nature anything for God. We have already seen her pathetic mistake in thinking she could devise some means of overcoming her unfruitfulness. In giving her this new name meaning “princess,” God was really preparing the way for her to come into blessing, but it must be under His power, for He can only use that which is truly of Himself. God explained to Abraham that the way was now open for her to bring forth the heir of promise, and we are introduced to a whole new phase in their history.

It is important to note that at this point Sarah did not know of the change or the new assurances of blessing in which God included her by name. It was to Abraham that He declared these things. This is a further picture to us of the way God has marked out His people Israel for blessings in the millennial period, but it is only the faithful Jew who could know the good of it. The Jewish nation today professes to look for their Messiah and for His blessings to them, but they are actually in darkness, not willing to own that Christ has already come to them Messiah and that they rejected Him. The Jew today, who has heard the gospel message is now responsible to own Christ as his personal Saviour. Those who do so are then partakers of everlasting life and will have a portion better than the millennium on earth. But those who reject the gospel will have no part in the blessings of that millennial day.

“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” verse 17. This was not the laugh of one who doubted God’s promise, but a laugh of joy in the realization that in spite of his past failures, God in His own way was going to present him with an heir.

“And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before Thee! And God said... as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful.... But My covenant will I establish with Isaac.” 10:18,20,21. Ishmael at this time was 13 years old and Abraham had a father’s love for this son, even though he was not his true heir. In the joy of the prospect of having Isaac he does not forget Ishmael and prays that he might live before God, too. Ishmael could never share in the place that Isaac the child of faith and grace, would know, nevertheless God promises Abraham that blessings would be given the older son also.

ML 08/01/1965

Crippled Eddie

Eddie could not run and jump like other boys. When but a child he had fallen down on a stone stairway and was left a cripple for life. It was very sad to see the pale-faced boy sitting by the door or window on warm days, unable to move unless someone helped him. Many of the school children pitied Eddie and often spoke a cheering word as they passed his door.

Not far from Eddie’s home there was a building where a Sunday school was held every Sunday afternoon. Sitting in his chair by the door, Eddie could hear the children singing, and on summer afternoons when the weather was warm and the windows were open, he could hear the words that were spoken and the hymns that were sung. He had a quick ear for music, and was soon able to sing several of the hymns. When the teachers learned that Eddie was a listener, the window next to his house was always left open, and a kind girl gave him a hymn book for his own, so that he could sing when the others sang. A favorite hymn of Eddie’s was: “There is life in a look at the Crucified One.”

It may have been the words of that hymn, or what he heard through the open window, that God used to show dear Eddie his need of a Saviour. At any rate, Eddie did learn his need and was most anxious to be saved. Some of the teachers visited him and spoke to him simply and lovingly of Jesus, and of His power to save, but still Eddie was without peace. He thought like many that he must do something, and feel different, before he could know that Jesus was his Saviour.

One afternoon the children were gathered for Sunday school as usual, and Eddie’s favorite hymn had been given out to be sung. However, before beginning, the teacher made a few remarks, especially on that verse: We are healed by His stripes;

Would’st thou add to the Word?

And He is our righteousness made,

The best robe of heaven He bids thee put on,

Oh, could’st thou be better arrayed?

He told the children that the best robe of heaven was put on everyone who trusted in Jesus, and that for His sake, God counted them righteous and accepted them. He explained how that Adam and Eve were clothed in those garments of skins provided for them by God, which they had no hand in making, but they simply stood while He clothed them with them; so the best robe of heaven, God’s own righteousness, covers every believing sinner and makes him fit.

Eddie heard these words and drank them in, and I believe it was just then that he trusted the Lord Jesus. He could not sleep that night for joy. In the silent night he sang:

“The best robe of heaven He bids thee put on,

Oh, could’st thou be better arrayed?”

In the morning he told his mother, “Mother, I have on the best robe of heaven.” When one of the teachers called to see Eddie, he told him the same story, and had you seen the happy smile on his pale face, you could not doubt but that his heart was happy.

Eddie got stronger, and with the help of his crutches he was able to go to the Sunday school himself. Before long, he became a teacher there, seeking to tell others of that “best robe of heaven,” which he had put on. Have you got it on, dear reader? It has been provided for you, and there is no other will fit you for heaven. But you must receive it as God’s free gift.

“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

Memory Verse: “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.

ML 08/08/1965

Bells, a Talk With Little on

Ding! Dong! Bell!

Ding! Dong! Bell! goes the bell in the old tower. I suppose some of you who live in towns and villages have heard it from your earliest days, morning, noon, and night. Sometimes it tells of danger, some times of death, and other times of joy. Strange old bell! It has lots of different messages to carry to the people from one year’s end to the other, and nobody loves the old bell a bit the less because it tells its story loud and clear. I think we could gather up a few lessons this afternoon from some of its calls. I was thinking as I heard it toll, that God has His bells too, and that the one is very like the other.

The Fire Bell

Nobody likes to hear it. It has a strange alarming sound, especially when it tolls in the calm still hours of night. I remember being awakened once by the sound of the fire bell, and getting out of bed I found that a large house nearby was in flames and others in danger. It was kind of the old bell ringer to wake us up to our danger, or we might have perished. God has a fire bell too, dear boys and girls. It is sounding loud and clear today, “Escape for thy life”— “Flee from the wrath to come.” The fire of God’s judgment is coming. Have you taken warning and fled to Christ, or are you still sleeping while the fire of His wrath comes nearer and nearer every hour?

The Death Bell

A slow, mournful peal, telling of someone who passed away into eternity, reminding us of the words, “It is appointed unto men once to die.” Again, “Be ye also ready.” Every time the death bell sounds, it reminds you that your days on earth are few, and that soon you may die and enter eternity. Where will you spend eternity?

The Marriage Bell

These are joyful sounds, telling of union and happiness. “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Heaven rejoices when a sinner believes and is united to Christ. Have you given such joy in heaven, boys? Have you been united to the risen Christ, girls?

The School Bell

It calls you to take your place in the classroom as learners, and to do what your teacher bids you. This is the bell for boys and girls who are saved. They are called to be disciples. Jesus says, “Learn of Me.” “Search the Scriptures.” Do not neglect this call, dear lambs of Jesus’ flock, but seek to be diligent scholars in the school of Jesus Christ. “Study to show thyself approved unto God.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

The Judgment Bell

Two or three times a year, in days gone by, the old bells tolled to let people know that the judge had taken his seat, and prisoners in their cells were brought forth to be sentenced. How that sound would ring through the old prison and make the prisoner tremble. He knew that the hour had come when he must appear before the judge and answer for his deed. There is a day coming when sinners will hear the call of God to judgment. Where will you be then, dear children? Saved ones will be out of the judgment and safe with the Judge; unsaved ones will stand before the Judge in that day, to be condemned and sent into everlasting punishment.

Do not linger, do not trifle, dear boys and girls, but come to Jesus, and He will save you now.

ML 08/08/1965

Saved Through a Hymn

Little Freddie sat on the doorstep and sang to himself: “There’ll be no sorrow there...”

A stranger was passing along the street just then, burdened and troubled. His ear caught the words Freddie sang, so he stopped and asked: “Where will there be no sorrow, my boy?”

Quickly Freddie responded in the lines of the hymn: “In heaven above where all is love.”

The Spirit of God used those words in blessing to that man for they led him to the Saviour where he found comfort and rest for his troubled soul. Jesus becomes everything to one who puts his trust in Him, life, peace, hope, and strength for the way.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6.

ML 08/08/1965

Sowing the Seed in Ceylon

It is not easy for colporteurs to follow up their work by keeping in touch with those who buy the Scriptures, but they frequently manage to do so, and sometimes with encouraging results. A colporteur in Ceylon told of such an instance.

“I have known a Hindu young man now for some time. He had bought first the gospels and then a copy of the New Testament from me. I go to see him very often, and we read a chapter from the New Testament and then we pray together. He has a great desire to be baptized but he has so many difficulties to face. Recently when I went to see him he told me that whatever might happen he would not be discouraged, and that he would be baptized soon, and wished me to pray for him.”

ML 08/08/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 17:20-27

Genesis 17:20-27

It is sad to learn in Ishmael’s history that he spurned the blessings that God had for him and did not live in the good of what might have been his. It was equally true of Israel after the flesh, whom he foreshadowed — the “wild man” who was “contrary to all men.” Psalms 78, which gives a summary of God’s dealings with his people Israel states, in part: “For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they steadfast in His covenant. But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not.” v. 37,38. Then finally it is recorded: “He was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He placed among men; and delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.” 10:59-61. This is the tragic place where Israel was later found. Their glory has departed from them as a nation, and will remain so until they turn in repentance and righteousness to their true Messiah. This will not be until the tribulation period, after Christian believers are taken out of this world to heaven.

Such was Ishmael’s character—claiming the privileges of the covenant, but not accepting responsibilities toward it. Stephen, addressing the Jews, after the Lord’s death and resurrection said to them: “Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” Acts 7:51.

“And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; (and did as God had said unto him.” v. 22. Abraham not only listened to and enjoyed God’s words, but he heeded the call to obedience, as well. In fa it was this character of behavior that marked his life in a general way in spite of his mistakes.

As Abraham proved that obedience to God and laying aside of his own schemes resulted in blessing, so toe will the child of God today find his path established for him in blessing if he will follow in the path of obedience. James tells us: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:22-25.

The secret of full blessing to Abraham was that he was faithful in all his house. God wants His own to be wholehearted in faith — not just going part way. How important it is, Christian reader, to give Him first place in all things — not merely it our Sunday devotions, not merely it reading His word faithfully, but having all things in subjection to His truth. This will embrace the whop household, as well as one’s business affairs. With Abraham it included “all that were bought with his money every male among the men of Abraham’s house.”

ML 08/08/1965

How Sam Was Changed

Sam was a negro boy who, with some refugees, had been taken in by a missionary when war broke out between rival tribes. The missionary saw that Sam was a very intelligent boy; therefore he chose him to carry messages and to do other little jobs. But the missionary was soon warned by others to be careful, for Sam was a thief. It was not long before he found some of his things missing, and quite valuable ones, too. The missionary did not know what to do. During the Bible hours Sam sat there with a look of indifference, not paying any attention.

The missionary prayed earnestly for Sam. Then one day he called him and said to him, “I know you are a very clever boy; I want you to help me.” Sam looked very pleased.

The missionary continued: “I have lost quite a few things and I want you to find them and also find the one who has taken them.”

The next day Sam brought one article and said, “I have found this, but I have not found the one who has taken it.” The following day he brought something else and said the same words. Then he added, “How can one get forgiveness?”

The missionary replied: “Do you not know, that if we confess our sins, God is willing to forgive us because the Lord Jesus has died for our sins on the cross?”

Then he added: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7.

The missionary also quoted to Sam Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The following day Sam came to his master with his arm full of valuables and asked him to see whether he had got all his missing things back. Then Sam said with tears: “Forgive me, I am the thief.” The missionary gladly forgave him and both knelt down to ask the forgiveness of God. There and then Sam gave his heart to the Lord Jesus. From then on not another thing was missing and Sam did his work with singing. For him old things had passed away, and behold, all things had become new. His load of guilt was gone, for his sins were all washed away in the blood of Jesus; he was now a new creature in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:17.)

When Sam grew up he became a missionary to his own people, and it was his delight to go about telling what great things the Lord had done for him.

Does our reader yet know the cleansing value of the blood of Christ? It makes no difference whether we were born in Africa or North America, we are all born in sin. Furthermore, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23. All who are not washed in the blood of Christ, shall perish one day in the judgment of God. But God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It is He who provided a Saviour, His own beloved Son, to die upon the cross for sin, and what He did for Sam in our story He is willing and waiting to do for you.

“THEREFORE IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.” 2 Cor. 5:17.

ML 08/15/1965

I Know Him to Talk to

A boy ten years of age, who had found Jesus as his Saviour, was walking home from school with his special friend, Charlie.

“Charlie, do you know Jesus?” he asked.

“Of course, I have often read of Jesus, and heard a great deal about Him.”

“I don’t mean that, Charlie, I mean, do you know Him?”

“Know Jesus! why, how can anyone know Him when He is away in heaven?”

“I do, Charlie,” returned his friend. “I know Him to talk to.”

ML 08/15/1965

Karen Ruth Johnson

March 31, 1942-June 6, 1959 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Phil. 1:21.

This paper was prepared by Karen Ruth Johnson, fulfilling a school assignment at San Marino High School, San Marino, California. It is of special interest that it was completed on Thursday night, June 4, and presented to her teacher on Fray, June 5. On Saturday, June 6, Karen’s earthly life ceased as the result of a head-on automobile collision. Karen’s high school diploma was awarded posthumously at the graduation exercises of her class on Wednesday, June 17, 1959. Her brief life was a bright testimony to the reality of life in Christ.

Karen departed early in life “to be with Christ; which is far better,” we know from Phil. 1:23. Who can tell, this side of the glory, the bliss that is her’s now of being with Jesus, that blessed Saviour, whom she loved, who once died for her. She could say, “the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Gal. 2:20.

Karen’s parting testimony is given here in the hope that it might encourage other young people to come out for Christ and to boldly confess Him as their Saviour and Lord. It is written of Abel of old that “he being dead yet speaketh.” Heb. 11:4.

ML 08/15/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 18:1-3

Gen. 18:1-3

“And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground.” v 1-2.

Abraham’s pattern of life was marked not only by faithfulness in his own house but by consideration of others as well. On this occasion his hospitality to strangers was used of God as a means of conveying special news to him. It is perhaps with this narrative in mind that the inspired writer was led by the Spirit to say, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Heb. 13:2. To understand the groundwork of the disclosures to be given Abraham our notice is directed to certain things that prepared him to receive the special message.

First of all, he had pitched his tent in the plains of Mamre. It was to this place (near Hebron) that Abraham went after separating himself from Lot and it was here that he built ‘an altar to the Lord. It was also from Mamre that he went out to rescue his nephew from his difficulties. It is always a good thing to dwell in circumstances where communion with God will not be compromised by outside influences. Abraham’s altar speaks of that communion enjoyed by the believer walking close to the Lord.

Then it will be noted Abraham “sat in the tent door.” Although a rich man, Abraham sought no permanent dwelling place, but made his home in a tent—a picture of the believer living in expectation of moving on to his eternal home “prepared in the heavens,” a “city not made with hands.”

It is said of Abraham: “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles (tents)... for he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God.” Heb. 11:9,10. Wasn’t that a lovely mark of faith in him? It helps us to understand Abraham’s readiness to hear God’s message. As he extended hospitality to the three strangers he soon discovered that they were not ordinary persons and that one of the three was distinguished from the others. Note how he addressed him “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from Thy servant.” vs. 3.

The next chapter discloses that two of the visitors were angels and the other is referred to as the Lord Himself. Scripture does not enlighten us further on this miraculous appearance, but we can be certain that Abraham recognized the Person with whom he was emboldened to speak —a solemn and privileged experience for this man of faith. The believer today is invited to “come boldly unto the throne of grace” and to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” It was the sacrifice of the Lord on Calvary that opened this place to those who now are His through faith. Furthermore, when He returned to the Glory after His resurrection, the Holy Spirit was given to teach and exercise the hearts of all true believers.

Memory Verse: “Come; for all things are now ready.” Luke 14:17.

ML 08/15/1965

How a Beautiful Hymn was Written

One day Mr. Charles Wesley was sitting by an open window looking out over the bright and beautiful fields in summer time. Presently a little bird, flitting about in the sunshine, attracted his attention. Just then a hawk came sweeping down toward the little bird. The poor thing, very much frightened, was darting here and there, trying to find some place of refuge. In the bright sunny air, in the leafy trees, or green fields, there was no hiding place from the fierce grasp of the hawk. But, seeing the open window and a man sitting by it, the bird flew in its extreme terror towards it, and with a beating heart and quivering wing found refuge in Mr. Wesley’s bosom. He sheltered it from the threatening danger, and saved it from a cruel death.

Mr. Wesley was at that time suffering from severe trials, and was feeling the need of a refuge in his own time of trouble, as much as the trembling little bird did that nestled so safely in his bosom. So he took up his pen and wrote that sweet hymn:

‘Jesus, lover of my soul,

Let me to Thy bosom fly,

While the nearer waters roll,

While the tempest still is high.’

That prayer grew into one of the most beautiful hymns in our language, and multitudes of people, when in sorrow and danger, have found comfort while they have repeated or sung these lines: ‘All my trust on Thee is stayed;

‘All my help from Thee I bring;

Cover my defenseless head

With the shadow of Thy wing.’

The story of the hawk and the bird would remind us of the solemn judgment of God that is going to fall upon this world and upon “them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.” 2 Thess. 1:8,9. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” Rom. 1:18.

But God Himself has provided a refuge in His beloved Son for all those who come and put their trust in Him. “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. The wrath of God will never touch a soul that has fled to Jesus for refuge, for He has Himself born the judgment against his sins upon the cross. Dear young reader, we urge you now to “Flee from the wrath to come.” Luke 3:7.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Prov. 18:10.

ML 08/22/1965

"Seeing I am Jesus' Lamb"

An infant school, made up chiefly of Jewish children, was once put in the charge of a Christian lady. Among the hymns that she taught her scholars was a sweet one beginning,

“Seeing I am Jesus’ lamb.” Most of the scholars learned it in a short time, and they were very fond of singing it.

One day in the middle of summer, one of the scholars met the teacher, and told her that on the day before, a little Jewish boy belonging to the school had fallen into the river, and came very near being drowned.

The next Sunday this little fellow was in school again. The teacher spoke to him kindly, and asked him how it happened that he fell into the water.

He said he was walking on a plank by the edge of the river, when he stumbled and fell into the water.

“Were you not very much frightened when you found yourself in the water?”

“No, ma’am.”

“But what did you think about when the water closed over your head?”

“Why,” said the little Israelite, and his eyes sparkled as he spoke, “I thought over the words of the beautiful hymn you taught us:

“Seeing I am Jesus’ lamb,

He, I know, will lose me never;

When I stray, He seeketh me—

Death is but new life forever;

Father, to Thy home on high

Take me, for Christ’s lamb Amos I.”

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.... and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”

“My Father, which gave them Me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” John 10:11, 28-30.

ML 08/22/1965

Cyril of Caesarea

A very long time ago, in the year A.D. 260, a boy was standing on one of the wharves at Caesarea. The sea was sparkling; the sun shone brightly on the white buildings of the city and on the white sails of a ship in the harbor. As the boy, Cyril, stood there, gazing around with interest, and a gravity somewhat bond his years, a man came along the wharf and signaled with his hand to the ship. Then he turned to the boy who by this time was regarding him with curiosity. He was a strange man, he preached strange doctrines, and Cyril had often stood with the crowd and listened to him. But he had never been so near to him as now. There would be a chance of asking him a question, for so few people were about then; they were practically alone.

So Cyril, when the man turned to him, put the question at once: “Is it really true, what you say, that the Son of God came down from heaven, to die for us, that our sins might be pardoned, and we go to heaven?” The man’s eyes shone with a great light as he laid his hand tenderly on Cyril’s head. “True, yes! He died for me, He died for you. You have not accepted Him as your Saviour?”

The boy shook his head, and pointed to a distant spot beyond the white buildings. “People have been burnt to death over there for that,” said he. “I am afraid.”

“Speak not of death in connection with such, dear child. They went to Him who had died to save them—they went to a glorious Home in heaven.”

“How good to be there!” the boy exclaimed. “For this is a wicked, sad world. The power of the Emperor is over everything like a black, black cloud.”

“So it seems. But He who died declared before His ascension: ‘All power is given unto Me, in heaven and in earth’ (Matt. 28:18). To His own He says: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo! I am with you alway.’ So we, His followers, obey His commands without fear of emperors. They may kill the body—the spirit goes to God, and a life of everlasting bliss.”

A boat approached the wharf as he spoke—the boat for which he had signaled to convey him on board the ship—and he took the boy’s hands firmly in his. “I must away; we may never see one another on earth again, but we can meet up there”—pointing to the blue sky overhead— “if you will trust in the Lord Jesus, and all will be well.” He went down the steps and took his seat in the boat, and the rowers swiftly plied their oars, bearing him across the glittering waters to the white-sailed ship, now weighing her anchors. Cyril watched till his friend was on board, watched even till the mastheads had disappeared below the horizon, thinking deeply over the truths he had so often heard from the preacher’s lips, and especially of the last glad parting words: “Trust in the Lord Jesus, and all will be well.”

By and by he clasped his hands and said: “Lord Jesus, I do trust in Thee.” Then, as he turned homewards, “joy unspeakable and full of glory” came into his heart. He knew that his Lord was near him, though he saw Him not. “All will be well,” he said again.

Next day he told his boy and girl companions of his Saviour. He must, he felt, obey the command, “Go ye,” as far as lay in his power. But the children derided him, and persecuted him, and threatened him with the terrors of the stake and the fire. “All will be well.” Cyril was not frightened by them, but testified to his faith in Jesus every day.

There were others in beautiful Caesarea who acknowledged that name, and with them Cyril had happy times. He learned much about those who in earlier years of the Christian era had given their lives for the faith he himself now held. He heard of Paul the Apostle, who had been brought to Caesarea as a prisoner. He heard how courageously Paul had testified before Festus and King Agrippa, and how the king had exclaimed: “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian!” (Acts 26:28). But only “almost.” And so, day by day, Cyril ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ, boy though he was.

ML 08/22/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 18:4-8

Genesis 18:4-8

“Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts.” v. 4,5.

It will be noted that Abraham provided three things for his guests: water for their feet; a place of rest; and food. Should not the Christian learn from these simple acts something for his own good? In John 13 the Lord Himself took water and washed the feet of His disciples, saying: “If I then,... have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example.” The washing of feet was not given as a literal ordinance for the Lord’s people, but as a principle of grace toward one another, providing spiritual refreshment and comfort along life’s way. One may be exercised too by the careless walk of a fellow-Christian who becomes defiled with the contaminating influence of the world. Applying the water of the Word of God to the wanderer will have a cleansing effect and is the spiritual and practical application of feet-washing in our present day.

If attentive to the needs of others, we will soon be aware of many weary and anxious souls who, through one cause or another, are restless and burdened with care. It is a privilege to show such the comfort of the Scriptures and the restful character of God’s Word. Abraham’s visitors were invited to rest “under the tree.” It is good to rest in confidence on the work done on another tree, the cross of Calvary, where the Saviour provided a way of peace and rest to all weary ones who come to Him through faith. Direct the burdened soul there, dear Christian, and yet will find comfort for your own heart. It is profitable to frequently withdraw from the pressures of life and rest in quietness “under the tree.”

Then too how blessed it is to minister food to the hungry. But we need to select food appropriate to the need, just as Abraham brought forth the cakes of meal, butter, milk and meat suited to his visitors’ requirements. He stood by in the attitude of a servant as he presented his gifts. It is a happy thing for the believe’ to take the servant’s place and to administer spiritual food to a needs one, encouraging him on the way and providing fresh energy for the path, Abraham’s provisions were simple, and it is the simplicity of the Scriptures that will best provide for the weary soul experiencing the heat of the day and the trials of the journey.

May we not conclude then, that it is good for the child of God to be an imitator of Abraham in these three typical services? In doing so one would also be an imitator of Christ in His lowly pathway of service on earth, for we are exhorted to follow His steps. Such service is rewarding according to the promise: “He that watereth shall be watered also him. self.” Proverbs 11:25.

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

ML 08/22/1965

The Effect of a Tear

An Indian guide in the American Revolutionary War was fatally wounded. A Christian friend went to see him, and said, “Do you know anything about Jesus Christ?”

“O yes,” replied the Indian. “Me know much ‘bout Him. Long time ago —very young—me go see Indian missionary, Brainerd. In little log house, all alone, white man look sick—meet Indian—pray with him—make much prayer—talk out of spirit book. Many times he look on Indian and say, ‘Poor friend,’ and his eyes all run down with tears.”

“Do you think you will meet him in heaven?” asked his friend again.

“O yes,” was the answer. “Me certain Jesus Christ never forget poor Indian. Me never forget Him one day. Me hope to see Him before morning. Me no fear. Inside eyes all open. Inside heart all smooth.”

And so the poor Indian passed away to be with Christ. But when he said, so expressively, “Inside eyes all open,” he was only saying in different words what dear old Simeon uttered eighteen hundred years before, when he held the infant Jesus in his arms: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,... For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” Luke 2:29,30.

ML 08/29/1965

Safe at Last

Barry ran up the back steps with his black and white cocker, Peg, at his heels and into his mother’s kitchen. He put his school books on a bench and called out to his mother to tell her he was home. Receiving no reply, he called out again but still his mother’s voice was not heard. This had never happened before, and Barry became worried. He went all through the house and on outside, calling as he went. Mother was nowhere to be found.

Now, Barry’s mother and father knew the Lord Jesus as their Saviour and loved Him. They had often told Barry of the Lord’s love and how that He would, one day soon, come for all who had put their trust in Him and take them home to heaven with Him. But Barry had put off accepting the Lord Jesus as his own personal Saviour, “perhaps, till he was a little older”.

As he searched for his mother, Barry remembered these things and stopped short, with the thought that the Lord might have come that same day, while he was in school, and taken his mother and father and all the believers to heaven, leaving him behind for judgment! Very frightened, he told the Lord Jesus that, if He would give him just one more opportunity, he would take Him as his own Saviour at once.

Well, just then Barry’s mother came home from across the street, where she had suddenly been called to help a neighbor who had become ill. Oh, how glad Barry was to see his mother again—and how relieved! Right then, he kept his promise to the Lord and received Him into his heart. Today, Barry himself is watching and waiting for the Lord Jesus to come in the clouds and take him home to heaven.

Have you, dear reader, received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Will He take you with Him when He comes? Or are you waiting until some other time, as Barry did? Oh be ready now, for when the Lord does come there will be no further opportunity for those who are left behind.

“Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.” Proverbs 1:28.

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

ML 08/29/1965

Cyril of Caesarea

“What is this that I hear of you?” asked his father at last. “You are speaking everywhere of that Man who was crucified more than 200 years ago. Do you dare to tell me that you are one of His followers? A follower of that Nazarene?”

“I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dear Father, He died to save me from my sins, and to give me a Home with Himself in heaven. I cannot but tell others about Him, and try to get them to come to Him.”

The worshiper of Rome’s gods and goddesses looked at the boy in amazement. The bold confession of a faith which had brought hundreds to a cruel death in the arena, or by sword and by fire and torture. This frail child to brave these horrors so calmly! “My father, I should have spoken to you before, but I feared. Will you—will you take Him for your Saviour?” Cyril pleaded. “Think of all it means —such a God! such a Saviour! such a Home!”

The infuriated father raised a threatening hand. “Be silent! I do think of what it means—ignominy, persecution—death. I will not shelter you a moment longer if you persist in holding this faith. Give it up, my son, and sacrifice to our gods ere it be too late.”

“I cannot give it up, Father. I cannot offer one grain of incense to your gods; no matter what happens to me. All will be well!” The boy’s steadfastness and radiant face staggered the man for a moment, then anger overcame him, and he laid his hands roughly on his son and thrust him out into the street, shutting and barring the door behind him.

By this time the youthful preaches of the gospel was so well known that he was soon brought before the Roman Procurator. A kindly man he must have been, for it was not to his liking to punish the boy. “I will allow your father to take you into his home again, and by and by you will inherit his property, instead of being outcast or dead. It is far better that you should be wise and take concern for your future.”

Cyril smiled as he replied: “It does not make me unhappy to be turned out of doors. I do not mind the suffering. God is my Father, and He has a better Home for me. I am taking the best concern for my future by trusting the Lord Jesus. I am not afraid to die.”

The Procurator, astonished at the courage of the boy (for he did not know it was God-given) ordered him to be bound and led to the place of execution. “Show him that,” he said privately to the officers, “then bring him back to me. He will change his mind.”

Arrived at the spot, there they bade the boy look upon all the grim preparations for his burning, and watched him to see if he quailed. Cyril, through the sustaining power of God, was enabled to see beyond it all. These things which lay between him and his Saviour and his Home in heaven were very small. The exceeding and eternal weight of glory was what he saw. “He saw his Master in the sky, and called on Him to save.”

He turned with a questioning glance to the officers, wondering why they did not at once proceed to put the sentence into execution.

They took him back in silence, but the Procurator in real compassion reasoned with him, and tried to persuade him to abjure that name which is above every name. It was in vain. Cyril would not deny the Lord who had redeemed him. “Your fire and sword are powerless to hurt me. I am going to my heavenly Home. I pray you, make an end quickly, that I may reach it the sooner.”

“Take him hence, and dispatch him,” said the Procurator.

The boy and the officers went once more through the streets to the burning place, and as they went many children, and grown people too, mocked and scoffed. But some there were who looked earnestly upon him and wondered if, after all, he was right. And if so, what would become of them? He was going to a fire which could last only for a time, but those who rejected that Lord in whom Cyril trusted—were they not doomed to everlasting fire?

There was a great crowd of people at the place of execution, and many burst into tears. He looked at them in great pity. “My lot is happier than yours. You should rejoice for me,” said he. “You would rejoice did you but know the Saviour and the beautiful City to which I am going.”

Thus he suffered, glorifying God in the cruel death, and entered into life — “forever with the Lord.”

E.E.E.

ML 08/29/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 18:9-18

Genesis 18:9-18

“And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And He said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.” 10:9,10.

Abraham, faithful in ministering to his visitors, was quickly rewarded with the assurance that God’s promise concerning an heir was soon to be realized. However Sarah, nearly 90 years old, thought it an impossible thing at such an age and she “laughed within herself” at the statement. But every thought and intent of the heart is known to Him with whom we have to do, and what Sarah thought and expressed in secret were well known to the One who had spoken. He reprimanded her for her lack of faith, saying, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” May this question reassure the heart of each reader! With man circumstances may seem to present proems impossible to answer. Yet it is at just such times we often prove that “with God all things are possible.” Certainly nothing is too hard for the Lord—whether it be giving a son to this old couple, or the turning of mighty powers and nations in their plans and purposes. All things are upheld by the word of His power. It is a blessed assurance to the child of God to know that “He doeth all things well” and will overrule every circumstance for the good and blessing of His people.

Sarah sought to cover her failure with a denial of guilt, but was again accused of laughter unbecoming to her. Yet, so gracious are God’s ways that He did not withdraw the promise because of her lack of faith, and in this we are reminded that He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20.

The purpose of their visit being accomplished, the three went on their way toward Sodom — Abraham accompanying them for a part of the journey. There was a great contrast in their mission to Abraham and that to Sodom. Blessing had marked the first — judgment was to mark the second. As they journeyed on the Lord expressed His pleasure in revealing to Abraham the circumstances about to take place in the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In like manner, God is pleased to reveal to His people today, through His Word, things that will soon come to pass concerning this world, and future purposes concerning both His earthly and heavenly people. The diligent child of God will find the future well defined in God’s holy Word, but the understanding of it will be the fruit of faithfulness and waiting on the Lord. We have noticed that Abraham was not given knowledge of future events until his pathway had manifested faithfulness to God, obedience to His Word and devotedness in serving Him. It was then that the Lord said: “Shall I hide from Abram that thing which I do ... ..?” verse 17.

Memory Verse: “Through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:43.

ML 08/29/1965

A Dog Hero

Buddy, a pure-bred collie from Budd Lake, New Jersey, was named “Dog Hero of 1964.” Buddy was credited with saving an entire herd of female goats in a raging fire that destroyed the dairy farm operated by his owners, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Crinkley Jr.

It was one day in January, in the early morning hours, that Buddy frantically barked the alarm of fire. Then rushing into the blazing “maternity barn” Buddy proceeded to lead 70 mother goats out to safety. The brave doggie’s feet were burned and he suffered injury to his nose from the smoke but he got the goats out unharmed. How thankful were his owners and how proud of their brave pet.

Accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Crinkley, Buddy was taken on a trip to the Palmer House in Chicago to attend a banquet given in his honor. He was awarded a $1000 U. S. bond, a gold medal, a gold plaque, a gold-plated leash and collar, a custom-made dog blanket, and a year’s supply of dog food. We suppose that Buddy scarcely knew what it was all about, and cared less. A good juicy bone would probably have pleased him just as well. He thought no more of what he had done in saving the goats; it was all in the day’s work.

This story of Buddy and the fire made me think of another sacrifice and of another fire. The fire was the wrath of God against my sins. I deserved that judgment but Jesus, God’s dear Son, bore it for me on Calvary, and He set me free. Buddy was scorched, yet he lives to be honored of men; but Jesus died — for me.

“He died for all;
He died for me.
And when He died
He set me free.”

Yes, He died for you too, dear reader! How few honor Him here on earth, and yet God honors Him in heaven. He has “given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:9,10,11. Have you bowed the knee to Him yet? Have you confessed Him as your Lord and Saviour?

ML 09/05/1965

Fire!

Years ago, a friend of mine was awakened in the middle of the night by the cry of “FIRE!”

Hastily dressing, he ran out to help, and found a neighbor’s house in flames, all the inmates being rescued, except one little girl, who was fast asleep in a top room.

Oh, what agony the mother was in! My friend determined to try and save her, even though he might lose his life in the attempt.

So he rushed up the burning staircase, the flames catching his face and hurting him a good deal.

The child was sleeping, quite unconscious of her danger, so my good friend caught her up hastily, fastened his big great coat all over her, and then made a dash down the stairs, the fire burning him badly, twisting up one of his fingers.

The dear child was not hurt at all, but my friend suffered very much to save her, and whenever I shake hands with him, the twisted finger seems to whisper softly over again the story of the house on fire.

About five minutes after he had dropped the girl into her mother’s arms, the roof fell in with a crash, so you see that she was saved only just in time.

Perhaps you, like that little girl, have not known your danger, but have been sleeping on in sin, not thinking that at any moment you might die and your soul be forever lost. Only listen to the good news that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” It is a faithful saying, a true saying, and worthy of all acceptation. Will YOU accept this great salvation now? Will YOU send up the earnest prayer, “Lord, save me,” “God be merciful to ME a sinner?”

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

ML 09/05/1965

Why the Little Boy was Born Deaf and Dumb

A Christian once paid a visit to a deaf and dumb asylum in London, for the purpose of examining the children to see what knowledge they possessed of God’s Word.

A little boy on this occasion was asked in writing, “Who made the world?”

The boy took up the chalk and wrote underneath the question, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

The Christian then inquired in a similar manner, “Why did Jesus Christ come into the world?”

A smile of delight and gratitude rested on the countenance of the little fellow as he wrote, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners.”

A third question was then proposed, calculated to call his deepest feelings into exercise: “Why were you born deaf and dumb, while I can hear and speak?”

“Never,” said an eyewitness, “shall I forget the look of calm resignation, and chastened sorrow which sat on his countenance as he took up the chalk and wrote, ‘Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.’”

These are truly beautiful answers, especially the last. Many of us, I fear, think much more of our tiny troubles, than that boy of his not being able to join in talking with those around, and hearing what was said.

Oh! let us remember that nothing happens by chance to those who can call God their Father, and if trouble fall to our lot, say, like the deaf and dumb boy, “for so it seemed good in thy sight.” (Matt. 11:26.)

ML 09/05/1965

A Better Book

A man once entered a bookshop and inquired of the storekeeper if he had Paine’s “Age of Reason.” The Christian bookseller replied he had not, but that he had a better Book, which he usually sold for $1.50. He would lend it to him if he would read it. After he had read it, if he did not think it was worth $1.50, he would take it back again. His customer contented and smiled when he found that the Book he had promised to read was the Bible. However, he took the precious volume home and began to read it. Sometime later he returned to the bookstore and expressed his deepest gratitude. Through it he had found the way of salvation through Christ, the Son of God.

“The preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.” 1 Cor. 1:18.

ML 09/05/1965

Bible Questions for September

The Children’s Class

1.“He shall save His people.”

2.“Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”

3.“Healing all manner of sickness.”

4.“Let your light so shine.”

5.“Behold the fowls of the air.”

6.“How to give good gifts.”

7.“Power on earth to forgive sins.”

The Young People’s Class “Kindness”

1.What did God desire from His Old Testent people in order to show forth His great KINDNESS? Joel.

2.To what kind of people does the KINDNESS and love of God appear in this day? Titus.

3.What will God display in the ages to come concerning His KINDNESS toward us through Christ Jesus? Eph. 2.

4.What promise is given to all those who have received the KINDNESS of the Lord? Isa. 54.

5.What should be the response of our lips to the Lord’s LOVINGKINDNESS which is better than life? Psa. 63.

6.How does even the natural man regard KINDNESS? Prov. 19.

7.What should those taking the Christian stand seek to add to their display of brotherly KINDNESS? 2 Pet.

ML 09/05/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 18:19-33

Gen. 18:19-33

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord.” vs. 19. This was a lovely tribute the Lord paid to Abraham. Be encouraged, Christian parents, to bring up your household in the truth and guidance of God’s Word. He will not be unmindful of such faithfulness and, where done in dependence on Him, you may be certain of His blessing. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place,” and He is lovingly watching every activity in the households of His people, ready and willing to pronounce His pleasure on such.

“And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.” vv. 20, 21.

In Psa. 14:2,3 we read: “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Ever since the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden man has been under the power and deceit of Satan. Except his heart be turned to God he is powerless to overcome his evil ways, which only grow worse and worse from one generation to the next. Man has a conscience, but is not pleased to listen to it; or, if he does he merely devises some means of his own to “improve” himself and the society in which he lives. Thus there have been many “reform movements” undertaken throughout’ the world’s history and numerous schemes and restrictions imposed in vain attempts to control evil where it gets so far out of hand as to cause fear and terror. Yet all such schemed come to nothing when God is left out.

In our present chapter, as two of the heavenly visitors turned toward Sodom, Abraham remained behind, standing before the Lord, concerned about Lot and his family. “And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt Thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are within?” “And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” vv. 23-26. But Abraham knew there were not fifty righteous to be found and asks for 45; then for 40; then for 30; then for 20; and finally for 10. God’s gracious answer is ever the same—the city will not be destroyed if such are found.

Abraham’s courage went no further. He dared not ask for less than ten. Yet it proved there were but four who escaped and Lot alone was actually called righteous (2 Peter 2:8).

The world is spared today from God’s wrath, because He has His righteous ones here. But soon He will take all His own out of this wicked scene, after which judgment will fall. Will you, dear reader, be among those delivered from the wrath to come?

Memory Verse: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18.

ML 09/05/1965

A Night With a Lion

A wild and careless young fellow named William Stephens had enlisted as a soldier. After a time he was ordered off to Africa with his regiment, and while there had a strange and dreadful experience.

One afternoon as a few of the soldiers were going through a forest, Williams somehow got separated from his companions, and could not find them. On, on, on, he wandered, vainly trying to get out of the forest, but every step seemed to entangle him more and more in its mazes. At last the day began to wear away, and the shadows crept on the scene. Poor William was getting very tired and hungry, and wished himself safely among his comrades at the camp. But still he toiled on, hoping against hope that he might escape from his dangerous position, until at length the dark night came on, and with it the cries of wild beasts, seeking their prey.

At length our soldier friend was quite exhausted, and feeling unable to walk any further, crept into a cave and lay down to rest.

We could wish that he slept peacefully in his strange bedroom!

But no! William was not to get any sleep that night, for before many minutes had passed, he was startled by a roar, and soon Afterward another and louder one made his blood run cold. Looking out of the entrance of his cave, he saw by the moonlight an immense lion coming towards him; and then the truth flashed into his mind that he was resting in a lion’s bedroom!

Quicker than I can write he decided what to do; he must pretend to be asleep, as this was the only chance of the wild beast sparing him. So he lay perfectly still with his eyes closed, and presently with a terrific roar, that seemed to make the very ground shake, the lion bounded in. William felt his hot breath upon his face, the lion licking him all over, as the poor fellow feared, preparatory to tearing him in pieces.

Then William cried out to God in real earnest, and begged that he might be delivered from the paw of the lion, and promised that if his life were spared, he would become a Christian, return to England, and preach the gospel.

Perhaps poor William thought of that verse of Scripture: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Psalms 50:15. At any rate God heard his cry and in mercy shut the lion’s mouth. The king of beasts laid quietly down by the side of the man, having probably eaten a heavy supper, and soon went off to sleep; but before doing so he put his paw on William’s chest, and gripped his shoulder with his claws as though in a vice, seeming by this act to say, “I’ll have you for my breakfast in the morning, and will take good care you don’t run away in the night.”

Oh, what a time of suspense and agony this was for the soldier, and he did plead to the Lord with all his heart that he might get away from the powerful beast! At last, when the lion appeared to be sleeping very soundly, William managed to extricate one arm, and gently unlocked the claws from their terrible grip, his heart beating very fast, as may be imagined. Would the movement wake the monster? If so, one stroke of that great paw would instantly dash his brains out. But no! his strange bedfellow did not wake, so he slowly tried to move the heavy paw from his chest, and at last laid it down on the ground. The next thing was to creep out of the cave without making the slightest noise, and this God enabled him to do, and thus to make his escape.

I am glad that none of my readers were near enough to hear the lion roaring with rage in the morning, when he found to his mortification and disappointment that his breakfast was gone, but we can well believe that he made all the little birds tremble in their nests.

But did William forget the promise he made to God in the time of his distress? No, indeed, not like many do; for he returned to England as soon as he was able to do so, and at a little prayer meeting in his native village, told the thrilling story of his adventure, and how he had promised to be a Christian, concluding by asking them to plead that he might have all his sins forgiven.

You can imagine what joy this gave the good people, and what earnest prayers followed; how some gathered round him, and told him the old, old story of the Saviour’s love; how He came from Heaven on purpose to seek and save lost sinners—how He lived a life of sorrow; how He, who made the world, had not where to lay His head; how He was falsely accused, insulted, spat upon, ridiculed, crowned with thorns, mocked, cruelly beaten, and at last nailed to the cross between two thieves. They told him how He prayed for his murderers, saved the repentant thief, bore the jeerings of the mob, and at last cried, “It is finished”; how He was laid in the grave, but rose again, and went back to Heaven, after He had told His disciples to go into the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15); and how those who trust in His name shall receive forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43). They told him how he was really under the paw of Satan, the roaring lion of hell, a more terrible monster by far than the sleeping one in the cave, but that Christ had come to destroy the works of the devil, and would deliver him, if he only trusted in Him.

So William fell down on his knees in that little schoolroom and cried to the Lord to save his soul, just as he had cried for deliverance from the African lion, and he heard the Lord say, “Yes. Go in peace; thy sins are forgiven.”

From that time he became a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and witnessed to others of the wonderful grace of God, until at a good old age he went home to see Him who loved and gave Himself for him, and to receive His reward. He was buried in the little village where he had lived and labored for Christ, and I have stood beside his grave surrounded by a crowd of children, who were delighted to hear the story of his encounter with the lion.

“CALL UPON ME IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE: I WILL DELIVER THEE, AND THOU SHALT GLOFY ME.” Psalms 50:15.

ML 09/12/1965

Not yet

“Remember now thy Creator” was once said to a little boy.

“Not yet,” said the boy, as he busied himself with his bat and ball; “When I grow older I will think about it.”

The little boy grew to be a young man.

“Remember now thy Creator,” his conscience said to him.

“Not yet,” said the young man; “I am now about to begin my trade; when I see my business prosper, I shall have more time than I can command now.”

His business did prosper.

“Remember now thy Creator,” conscience whispered to him.

“Not yet,” said the business man. “My children must now have my care; when they are settled in life, I shall be better able to attend to the claims of religion.”

He lived to be a gray-headed old man.

“Remember now thy Creator,” was the voice which conscience once more addressed to him.

“Not yet,” was still his cry. “I shall soon retire from business, and then I shall have nothing else to do but read and pray.”

Soon after this he died — without turning to the Lord. He put off to another time, what he should have attended to when young, and that caused the loss of his soul. Those two little words, “Not yet,” were his ruin.

Dear young friends, we plead with you not to put off salvation’s day any longer. Come now to the Saviour while He is still seeking you. His word is, “Those that seek Me early shall find Me.” Proverbs 8:17. He does not promise He will save you tomorrow, or next week, or next month, but His word is: “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Hebrews 3:15.

“Now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

ML 09/12/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Genesis 19:1-11

Genesis 19:1-11

“And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them.” verse 1.

In an earlier chapter it was said, “Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Thus exposed to that worldly atmosphere, he eventually took up residence there. Within the city, although daily vexed with the wickedness around him, he remained. Finally he achieved a place of prominence, sitting in the very gate of the city. His greeting to the two strangers was: “Turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house,” to which they replied: “Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.” What a contrast to their response to Abraham, for they well knew his life of faithfulness which would not have so much as a shoe latchet from the world. But how could the heavenly visitors be comfortable in the foreign atmosphere of Lot’s house—the man of the world? They would rather remain all night in the street!

Christian friend, does the character of your life and testimony present a suitable place for the One who delights to come in and sup with those obedient to His Word? Jesus said: “If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” John 14:23. Is this not a bright promise? What a precious privilege to have the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit all delighting to make Their abode with the believer. In the light of such communion, things of this world look paltry indeed.

Being pressed, the visitors enter the house. “But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round...” verse 4. Their wicked pia, pose was recognized by Lot who cried: “I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.” Their response was, “This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee than with them.” 10:7-9. Alas, Lot learned too late the true character of his associates. He had served his purpose for them and now they would use him spitefully. Such is the way of the world and its attitude toward the Christian. Only so long as he is useful will he be tolerated.

What a solemn picture is presented of a child of God, neglecting his heavenly calling and taking up the material gains and honors of the world. Abraham sought a city, but one whose builder and maker was God. Lot was well satisfied with a city that had no room for God in its thoughts or plans. The faithful Word of God to His own is: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world... For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the Tuts of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” 1 John 2:15-17.

The reader knows his own heart’s response to these lessons from Lot’s history. May they have the sober reflection and consideration of each one.

Memory Verse: “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6.

ML 09/12/1965

Jane's Reward

A preacher was once traveling through the country holding gospel meetings. One day he stopped at a village where he had some business, and went to an inn to get his dinner. A pleasant-looking girl, about fifteen years of age, waited on him at the table. Now whenever this preacher met strangers, he liked to point out to them the way to heaven, or tell them something from God’s Word that would help them. So before leaving the inn he said to this young girl, “What is your name, my friend?”

“Jane, sir.”

“Well, Jane, do you ever pray?”

“Oh no, sir: I’ve no time for anything like that. Why, I hardly have time to eat.”

“Now, Jane, I want to make a bargain with you. I expect to be back here in about two months. I’ll teach you a little prayer, of only three words, which I want you to say every morning. It needn’t take any time; for you can say it, if you like, while you are getting dressed. And when I come back, if you tell me you have said it every day, I’ll give you half a dollar.”

“I’ll do it,” said Jane, “I’ll do it.” “Well, be sure and keep your promise.”

“Yes, you may depend on that, for I always keep my promise,” said Jane. “And now tell me what the prayer is.”

“This is it,” said the minister. “Lord, save me.”

Then he shook hands with Jane, and said good-by.

After two months, he came back to the village. On going to the inn for his dinner, Jane was not there, and another girl waited on him in her place. After dinner, he spoke to the man who kept the house, and asked where Jane was.

“Oh, she took to going to meetings, and left here, and now she’s living at the pastor’s down the road.”

Then he went to the pastor’s home. He knocked at the door, and who should open it but Jane herself. As soon as she saw the preacher, she lifted up her hands and said, “You blessed man! I’m so glad to see you again, and to thank you for teaching me that prayer. But I don’t want your half dollar, because I’ve got enough already.”

“Well, well, let me know what you’ve got. Come, tell me all about it.”

“You see, sir, after you went away, I used to say that prayer every morning. At first I said it carelessly, while I was getting dressed, without thinking anything about it. But, one morning after I had said it, these two questions came into my mind: What did that gentleman want me to say this prayer for? What does ‘save’ mean? I thought the Bible would tell me something about it, so I borrowed one, and read in it a little every morning. Pretty soon, I read one verse, which said, ‘The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost,’ and another which said, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’ Then I saw that I was a lost sinner. This frightened me. I began to pray in earnest. I asked Jesus to pardon my sins, to save my soul, and to teach me to love and serve Him. He heard my prayer. He has done all this for me, and more; and now I’m just as happy as the day is long. And so I thank you for teaching me that prayer, but I won’t take your half dollar.”

That was a happy experience for Jane, one that she will never cease to thank the Lord Jesus for through time and eternity. Has the reader yet come to know this blessed Saviour, “whose love is as great as His power and knows neither measure nor end?” Have you ever prayed the prayer of the publican, “God be merciful to me a sinner”? Luke 18:13. Perhaps you are quite ready to admit that you are a sinner, but have you felt your need of the Saviour? The first thing needful is “repentance toward God,” and next, “faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Apart from Christ there is no hope of salvation. “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 sinner is shut up to the grace of God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8. Take heed, and despise not His grace!

“BECAUSE THERE IS WRATH BEWARE LEST HE TAKE THEE AWAY WITH HIS STROKE. THEN A GREAT RANSOM CAOT DELIVER THEE.” Job 36:18.

ML 09/19/1965

"Whosoever"

There were children on the floor,

Conning Bible verses o’er.

“Which word, all the Bible through,

Do you love the best?” asked Sue.

“I like ‘faith’ the best,” said one.

“‘Jesus’ is my word alone.”

“I like ‘hope,’” “I like ‘love.’”

“I like ‘heaven,’ our home above.”

One, more small than all the rest,

“I like ‘whosoever’ best.

“‘Whosoever,’ that means all—

Even I, who am so small.”

“‘Whosoever!’ Ah! I see;

That’s the word for you and me.”

“Whosoever will” may come;

Find a pardon and a home.

“WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13.

“WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

“WHOSOEVER will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.

BUT

“WHOSOEVER was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15.

ML 09/19/1965

Anita's Prayer on the Rock

It was a bright August day and a 1 group of us little children were playing along the seashore. We were on vacation at the time and every day we would go swimming or gathering shells along the sandy beach. However, we were warned not to go out on the rocks as the in-coming tide made them very dangerous.

Besides my brother and sister and myself, there was a dear girl named Anita, who was staying with her parents at a nearby farm, who came along to play with us as she had no brothers or sisters of her own. We spent many happy days together on the shore, and Anita and I were very great friends. She was the first one I ever heard say that she had no fear of death, and when I asked her how it was she told me, “Because Jesus died instead of me and took all the sting away.” I often asked Anita to tell me about these things, for I had never heard about them at home.

One afternoon we were down on the seashore playing, and unknowingly we wandered out on to a rocky point that jutted out into the sea. Before we knew it we were surrounded by the tide. There was no one near to whom we could cry for help, so we had to scramble up on the rocks and wait for someone to rescue us. I was terribly frightened and said to Anita, “What if we are drowned?”

“Then I will be with Jesus in heaven,” she quickly answered.

“Tell me how you are so sure, Anita?” I said, for the thought of being left there to perish was uppermost in my mind.

“Just because I have given myself to Jesus, and He has received me as His own. I came to Him as a sinner, and He says in His word, ‘Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.’ I had heard of His love and His willingness to save me at one of Mr. Hunt’s gospel meetings, and ever since I came to Him I have had no fear of death, because I know He will take me to be with Him in heaven.” Then Anita prayed, asking God to send someone to rescue us, and to let Charlie and me know how “to come to Jesus and be saved.”

Anita’s prayer was fully answered, for her father and an old fisherman appeared looking for us, and rescued us from being drowned. Soon after, my brother and I were brought to Jesus, to trust Him as our own Saviour. Anita and I were always the best of friends, and we had many happy times together seeking to serve the Lord Jesus, in leading others to Him. Anita is now in heaven with Him she loved, and I live far from the sea. But I am happy, oh so happy in the knowledge of Christ Jesus as my Saviour, with heaven awaiting me, of seeing Him up there, and meeting again dear Anita and many loved ones who have gone to the land where partings are unknown.

My message to all you dear boys and girls who read my story is this: Come to Jesus now, receive Him as your Saviour, then go on following Him and learning of Him in the days of your youth.

Beyond this life of hopes and fears,

Beyond this world of grief and tears,

There is a region fair.

It knows no change and no decay,

No night but one unending day,

Oh say, will you be there?

ML 09/19/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith -Genesis 19:12-16

Genesis 19:12-16

“And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place.” verse 12. It was only the mercy of God that saw Lot safely through the terrible night when the men of the city would have broken down the door to his house, had they not been stricken with blindness. Lot, at last aware of the destruction of all he had clung to, obeyed the command and went out to warn his sons-in-law, saying to them: “Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.” But tragically, his own family would not believe the message for he “seemed as one that mocked.” No wonder there was no power in such a preacher of righteousness. Dwelling among the wicked men of Sodom is neither the way to glorify God, nor to win their souls to the Saviour.

Christian friend, as you look upon ones dear to you and see them attracted to this world and heedless of preparation for eternity, do you too hear the warning: “Bring them out of this place?” Are you prepared to show them the way of life and is your separation from the world such that your message will be soberly heeded? The warnings of one who himself is devoted to the world will have little effect on his hearers. Faithfulness to dear ones can only follow faithfulness to God. Telling of judgment to come will only be seriously heeded if the message is from one who has first separated himself from the world that will be under condemnation. The result of Lot’s failure in this was that his warnings were of no avail.

“And when the morning arose then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest these be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and up the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him with. out the city.” v. 15,16. Even when told of the coming devastation, Lot was reluctant to leave. Alas, there is no one who truly knows his heart’s capability of attachment to the world. There is no one who, falling into its snares, can of himself escape or even desire to do so. It is only by crying to God, who will show mercy to all who call upon Him, that the claims of this world will be given up.

But whether he hesitated to part with his earthly accumulations of not, Lot was compelled to do so. How futile to lay up treasures on earth! They must all be abandoned sooner or later, but what is laid up in heaven will endure for all eternity. Lot’s treasures were all here below and he went out of Sodom empty-handed and empty-hearted as well. In the light of eternity and God’s appraisal of his accomplishments, his entire life was spent for nothing of lasting value. He was one to whom the questions of Scripture apply: “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?” Isaiah 55:2; again, Who “earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:6.

Memory Verse: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts 3:19.

ML 09/19/1965

The Robber's Cave

Henry and his father were walking along a lonely road one night. They had to pass a large rock with a cave in it, known as “The Robber’s Cave.” It was said that many years before, robbers would hide themselves there and spring out to rob travelers as they passed along. Very few people cared to pass that way after dark.

As Henry and his father journeyed along, Henry asked if there would be any danger in passing the Robber’s Cave.

“Not a bit, my boy,” said his father who was a Christian. “I do not think there are any robbers here now and if there were, God would preserve us from harm.”

Henry said very little but he held his father’s hand tightly as they passed the cave.

They had hardly turned the corner of the road when a footstep was heard behind and as Henry looked around he saw a rough-looking man following them.

“Oh, father, here is one of the robbers coming after us,” said Henry.

His father smiled and quietly said, “God will take care of us, Henry,” and at the same time he lifted his heart to the Lord in prayer for preservation, if the man meant to harm them.

In a short time the man had overtaken them but before he had time to speak, Henry’s father crossed over to the other side of the road where the man walked, and taking out his wallet, gave him a gospel tract, saying, “I hope you will read this when you have time.”

The man held out his hand and as he took the tract he murmured something about wanting bread.

“I shall be glad to share what I have with you,” said Henry’s father, taking out his purse, which the man eyed with a suspicious look. The next moment, several coins fell into the man’s hand and the father said, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The rough-looking man touched his cap and said, “Thank you, sir!” and sat down by the roadside. Henry and his father went on, the boy now and then looking around to see if the man followed. They soon reached home safely and thanked the Lord for His protecting care.

Many years passed away and Henry was a tall young man. He had put his trust in the Lord Jesus and diligently sought to tell others about the Saviour. He worked among the poor and one day while visiting he entered a cottage where a sickly-looking man sat by the fireside.

“Come and sit down, sir,” said the man, “I am always thankful to get a tract, especially now that I am unable to go out. It was a gospel tract that by God’s blessing, led me to the Saviour and changed my life.”

There was something about the man that at once arrested Henry’s attention. He had seen that face before but he could not think where it was. A few more sentences solved the mystery and sent the tears down the cheeks of both of them.

“I was a robber,” said the man in a low voice; “except for God’s mercy, I might have been a murderer. I meant to rob a gentleman who walked along a country road with a little boy one night, but by the means of a gospel tract which he gave me, I was unable to do it, and God used that tract to the saving of my soul.”

Henry seized the trembling hand of the repentant and converted robber, now a humble follower of Christ and said, “I am that boy; my father gave you that tract and he will praise God from his heart for His saving grace to you.”

The old robber was a rich trophy of grace and in his own humble sphere shone for Christ. Dear reader, the same grace that met and saved that robber, is now ready to save you.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8.

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

ML 09/26/1965

Love One Another!

It was Saturday night and two children small

Sat on the stairs in the lighted hall,

Vexed and troubled and sore perplexed

To learn for Sunday the memory text:

Only three words on a gilded card;

“Love, that is easy—it means, why this

(A warm embrace and a loving kiss);

But ‘one another’ I don’t see who

Is meant by ‘another,’ now, May, do you?”

Very grandly she raised her head,

Our thoughtful darling, and slowly said,

As she fondly gazed at her dear little brother:

“Why, I am one, and you are an. other.

“And this is the meaning, don’t you see?

That I must love you, and you must love me.”

Wise little preacher! could any sage

Interpret better the sacred page?

“Love one another.” John 15:12.

ML 09/26/1965

The Gospel in Iran

Some years ago a native colporteur, or Bible man, in his travels came to a small town in the southeast of Iran. What happened then will be best told in his own words.

“It was at sunset that we arrived, and as we were looking for a lodging a man named Ahmed came to us and said, ‘Who are you, and what is your work?’ I told him who I was, and my calling.

“Then he took us to his house and said, ‘I know that you have traveled and are tired, but I cannot let you rest until you comfort my sorrowful heart. You are physically tired, I know, but my soul is in real distress, and I have longed for such a day as this. You have been sent by God to lead me to the truth.’

“‘Are you not a Moslem?’ I asked. He said, ‘No,’ and continued, ‘I have not peace of heart. This is my great need, and I thank the Lord for having brought you here.’

“I read to him portions from the Old and New Testaments, and as I read he wept. The next day he was a real help to me in selling the Scriptures, and in the evening he brought another man by name of Hadad. With them I had reading and prayer. This night Ahmed wept bitterly.

“I said to him, ‘Why do you weep?’

“He replied, ‘Before you and Ha-dad my friend, I confess I am a sinful man, full of all evil and error. The more you read from that Book the more I see my sinful nature, and the more the light and love of Christ comes to me. It is for joy at the message that I weep.’

“On Sunday morning, we climbed a mountain and sat beside a stream. I read the story of the Saviour’s suffering and crucifixion as recorded in St. Luke, and before I had finished Ahmed said in a loud voice, ‘Jesus is surely the Son of God, and in Him I can find peace. Look how He suffered and yet prayed for His enemies, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’

“The following day Ahmed joined us in prayer and Afterward helped in the colportage work, inviting his friends and many others to buy. In the evening he went with us to a certain garden, where we read John, chapter 3, and Romans, chapter 6 and 8, following which Ahmed said, ‘Please baptize me.’ I did my utmost to persuade him to wait and be baptized in Shiraz, but he kept saying, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour, and if you refuse to baptize me now you will have to answer for it in the day of judgment.’

“While we were talking we came to a river bordered with fig trees. Ahmed took off some of his clothes, went into the river, and said, ‘Baptize me.’ So I baptized him, and we prayed together under the fig trees. This is how Ahmed prayed:

“‘I thank Thee, Lord, for this opportunity of fellowship, and for Thy mercy and grace that brought me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am now sure that whenever I may be called to come to Thee, I shall have a place in Thy house of many mansions.’

“Ahmed and two others accompanied me on my way to Shiraz, where I introduced them to Mr. Rainey, saying, ‘The harvest is at hand in Kerman, and these are the first-fruits.’ Later, Mr. Rainey visited Kerman, and there exists today there a little company of about thirty Christians. They have turned to the Lord, ‘to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven.’”

ML 09/26/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 19:17-26

Genesis 19:17-26

“And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” verse 17.

Even with such remarkable intervention preserving him from Sodom’s destruction, Lot was not equal to escaping to “the mountain.” Those heights which were the scene of communion between the Lord and Abram were the source of fear to Lot. He pleaded instead for permission to escape to the city of Zoar. Poor man, perhaps he thought that because it was a “little city” it would be better than what he had left behind, but what it really expressed was that he yet wanted to hold to the world, even though “just a little bit of it.” How much better, had he even at this late hour, cast himself upon God’s mercy, owned his failure and sought the Lord’s gracious guidance for the future. Surely God would have blessed his latter years under such conditions, even as He did Job, who also lost all his earthly possessions. But Lot was not so inclined. He had so fully dedicated his life to his own devising that he hesitated to separate himself from his surroundings although knowing everything was to be consumed.

“But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” verse 26. When Lot chose the well-watered plains of Jordan and later took up residence in Sodom, his action not only affected his own life, but his entire family as well. If they were not there by choice, they were involved by reason of compulsion.

Certain it is that our behavior will affect others, either for good or bad and this is particularly true of those abiding close by us. The unholy atmosphere had its effect upon everyone in Lot’s family and, as we have already observed, it was only by physically pulling them out of their surroundings that the angels were able to deliver them from fiery judgment.

As the pathetic company was released by their deliverers, their instructions were: “Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain.” Contrary to these words, Lot’s wife turned and looked back. She became a lasting witness of the truth of the warning. Her disobedience caused her immediate death. The Lord Jesus Himself, when speaking of coming judgment, said, “Remember Lot’s wife,” and added, “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it.” (Luke 17.) It was a costly error for her to look back with longing on that which she had been told to leave and perhaps to think that she might yet find a way to save herself without giving it up.

Has the reader known something of deliverance from the strong attachments of this world? The warning still applies: “Remember Lot’s wife.” Let us not indulge in any backward glance at that from which through grace we have escaped. May the object of our hearts be Christ, for it is only in “looking unto Jesus” that the soul’s gaze can be directed with assured blessing.

Memory Verse: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matt. 6:33.

ML 09/26/1965

Saved by His Friends

It was in the Malay Peninsula that a traveler named Pringle joined in an elephant hunt on a large scale. During the hunt he became separated from his companions, and was pursued by a large female elephant. Seeing that he was unable to escape by flight, he turned and took aim with his gun. It, however, missed fire for a moment, and when it at length exploded the bullet only grazed the huge creature’s shoulder. She at once charged upon him, and began to trample him under her feet. He remained sufficiently conscious to be able to shift his position slightly, so that her weight did not come directly on his chest; but he would certainly have succumbed to her had not his friends, who had become aware of his danger, fired at and wounded her so severely that she was obliged reluctantly to leave her foes, and flee to the forest for shelter from their guns.

Now just as Pringle was powerless to save himself, so are you and I. We are “without strength,” and have no might or ability of our own. He needed to be saved by another, and friends were at hand to help. But who could save us? Who could deliver us from the power of Satan, self, and sin? Who could set us free in the presence of God, or from the fear of judgment? There was but One—the Son of God—and He came into the world to save sinners, and laid down His life for us at Calvary, so that we, set free from all that was against us, and knowing our sins blotted out by His precious blood, might be able to live unto God, and be for His pleasure and service here. Surely such a Saviour calls for our sweetest, fullest praise now and forever.

Thus Pringle was saved by his friends, one of whom, Lieutenant Chishold, hazarded his life to do so, for he approached near to the savage elephant in order to take the better aim and insure, if possible, her death.

“FOR WHEN WE WERE YET WITHOUT STRENGTH, IN DUE TIME CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY.”—Romans 5:6.

ML 10/03/1965

Young Bible Searchers

On the front steps of a plain little cottage, one of a number rented by humble but respectable laborers, three small girls could be seen of an evening peering into the pages of an old Bible with pictures.

The village doctor, who was an earnest Christian man, passed by one evening and saw the children sitting there with the big Book on their knees. Anxious to see what they were doing, he stopped and spoke to them a few minutes. He told the three little ones of some of his own children, of how they gained prizes for answering Bible Questions. These answers they found in a large old Bible just like the one the three had before them.

“I’ll tell you what,” said he; “I will give each of you a nice prize, if you will find me answers to three simple Bible Questions which I’ll give you.” The three small girls were delighted and promised to try their best to give the doctor the correct answers.

The next day the doctor handed each of them a paper on which were written three Bible Questions. The three of them set to work and in a very short time they might have been seen tripping up the sidewalk toward town to the doctor’s house with their answers. Faithful to his promise the doctor presented to each small searcher a nice book of “Stories and Pictures,” and many a happy evening they spent poring over the pages.

But this was not all. The doctor became much interested in his three young friends, and, finding there was no Sunday school nearby to which they could go, he told his daughter who was an earnest Christian girl. She gladly consented to begin a Sunday afternoon class for little boys and girls in that area. I need not tell you all that followed. There were many of the young folks of that small village who heard then for the first time of a Saviour’s love, and had their hearts won for Him.

Has your heart been won yet for the Saviour, dear reader?

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20.

ML 10/03/1965

Mariam, the Hindu Child Widow

India, the land of temples, of festivals, and of holy rivers, once boasted itself the fairest and richest part of the vast empire over which the British flag waved. Nevertheless it is still a land with customs that seem so strange and cruel to those who know the Lord Jesus.

Like most Hindu girls, Mariam was betrothed to her husband when she was but a small child. She would have been married at the age of twelve, but just before she reached that age, her future husband died. She was held by his heathen parents to be the cause of his death, and so was cast out.

Homeless and friendless, poor Mariam was found by a Christian lady who not only cared for the child’s starving body, but lovingly and simply she told her the story of Jesus and His love. The little girl’s sad heart was moved and melted by the love of Jesus. Poor child, she had never known what it was to be truly loved, either by her parents or her future husband, but often she was cruelly beaten and kicked, as the marks on her body clearly told.

“Tell me more of Jesus, Miss,” she would say, as she clung to the arm of her friend. “It makes me glad to hear.” Who could refuse such a request? Day after day, as the sweet old story was told, it reached her heart, and won it, before her mind could grasp but little of the truth of the way of salvation. It was indeed a joyful day when Mariam did confess the Lord as her own Saviour.

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Rom. 10:13.

ML 10/03/1965

In the Same Room

What strange things were going on in that room! One was as far off from Christ as a sinner can possibly be. Another was nearer to Him than an angel. And yet both were in the same room with Christ.

One had a devil, the other was leaning on the Lord’s bosom. And yet, as to space, an arm’s length did not separate them from one another or from Jesus.

It is not so now? The true and the false are side by side in everything—yea, at the same table, at the same footstool in prayer. Both in the place where Christ meets His people. And vet one is as far off as a sinner can he; the other nearer than an archangel!

Reader, how is it with you?

ML 10/03/1965

Bible Questions for October

The Children’s Class

1.“Not able to kill the soul.”

2.“I will give you rest.”

3.“Received seed into the good ground.”

4.“Be of good cheer; it is I.”

5.“Raised again the third day.”

6.“Faith as a grain of mustard seed.”

7.“Enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

The Young People’s Class “All Things”

1.To whom ought we to give thanks “for ALL THINGS”? Ephesians 5.

2.What do the “ALL THINGS,” given to us by divine power, pertain to? 2 Pet.

3.What is needful in “ALL THINGS” in order to hold fast to that which is good? 1 Thessalonians 5.

4.How ought we to act in “ALL THINGS” even to enduring afflictions? 2 Tim.

5.How ought we as servants to act in “ALL THINGS” that we may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour? Titus.

6.To what purpose ought we to be willing in “ALL THINGS”? Hebrews 13.

7.Who shall inherit “ALL THINGS” with God? Revelation 21.

ML 10/03/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 19:27-38

Genesis 19:27-38

“And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.” verse 30. Lot had asked for the little city of Zoar, rather than the mountain of refuge, but he found it a fearful place, too. There is no lasting peace in anything that this world offers.

Sad and tragic the end of this man and his family—his life a miserable failure; his final days hidden in a cave in the hills. What a contrast is found in the Apostle Paul who, nearing the end of his earthly journey could say: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” 2 Timothy 4:7,8.

The path of faithfulness is a path of vigilance, not of ease; a path marked by separation from, not joining with, the world. It may not bring riches or earthly attainment, but will produce eternal reward. It will not be marked by selfishness, for love delights to spend and be spent for others. It will not be popular with the world, but it will place one in communion with his Lord and Saviour. In short, the path of faith is the only true course for the believer who wants to enjoy the good of his position as a heavenly citizen. Lot forfeited all these blessings with a selfish and useless life. At the end of his history his daughters have sons by him; Moab, the head of the Moabites, and Ben-ammi, the head of the Ammonites, both of whom became the enemies of God’s people at a later date.

“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.” verse 29. Does it not touch our hearts to learn of Abraham’s intercession on behalf of his erring nephew? The faithful man who “stood before the Lord” had spoken earnestly on behalf of Lot and God heard and answered his request. In this loving example of intercession the saint of God is reminded of One who ever intercedes for His own at the right hand of God. (See Romans 8:34.)

Much has been said in the foregoing concerning the believer’s danger in getting involved with the world. But perhaps the reader is not himself a child of God through faith in Christ. The world may be all you know. It is hoped that if this is so you are concerned about the judgment that will soon fall upon this world and all who are not saved. Is there an intercessor for you, too? Yes indeed. Abraham, interceding for Lot is a picture of the Saviour who died to redeem sinners from their iniquity, to deliver them from “the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10). “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25.

Memory Verse: “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life.” John 5:24.

ML 10/03/1965

The Spanish Ox Driver

Don Pancho, a Honduran ox- driver, lay unconscious for hours. He had fallen drunk at his doorway, after having been brutally attacked by a man whom he had injured earlier in a drunken brawl.

When he came to himself, he was lying in bed in his sister’s home. His head and hands were bandaged and he was weak from loss of blood. Thinking he was dying, he inquired, “Sis, will I ever crack the whip over my oxen again?”

She did not answer but sadly glanced out the window. He guessed her thoughts and moaned, “No, I am not going to recover; I fear my hands are gone.”

However, his terrible wounds got better gradually, but he threatened the life of the man who had caused him all his suffering.

While convalescing he became increasingly restless. One day his sister found a book, and handing it to him, said, “Brother, I have found our one and only book in the trunk. What is it?” As Don looked at it he replied, “It is an old Spanish Bible. I’ll read it.” The hours sped by as he read God’s Word and he was greatly absorbed while turning the pages with his bandaged hands.

“Sis,” he said one day with surprise, “these are strange words, ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you.’ How could I ever love the man who cut me up and ruined my hands?”

Then he said, “I’ll read more of the Book. Maybe it will tell me the way to love my enemy.” This was his great problem for which he must find a solution.

Don Pancho went on reading the precious Word. Then he read Jesus’ cry on the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” He read Stephen’s cry as he was stoned, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” He also read, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Turning each page his interest greatly increased and he wondered, “Where, oh, where can I find this peace and love for my enemies?”

Then one Sunday he slipped quietly into a mission hall and heard the very same gospel message he had read in his old Spanish Bible, how that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and is not earned by good deeds. As a helpless sinner that night he accepted Christ as his Saviour. He found at once that the old hatred for his enemy had gone and peace and love filled his soul.

As a result of the profession of his new faith Don Pancho met much persecution from his former friends and neighbors. In spite of this he remained faithful to his Saviour. He was ready to tell others of his new found peace and joy and of the One who had died on Calvary’s cross that all might have pardon for sin and the assurance of eternal life.

Dear reader, are you enjoying this pardon that comes with the assurance of sins forgiven?

Accept this loving Saviour now, and have that peace and love in your soul. Then you will be able to sing:

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

ML 10/10/1965

Anxious Mothers

Who has not heard, and heard again, that “sweet story of old” about the mothers of Salem, who brought their little ones to Jesus to be blessed! Yet somehow we never seem to tire of the “old, old story”; for unlike the twice-told tales of earth, it never loses its charm.

Suppose in our lesson today we look at the picture of a group of ANXIOUS MOTHERS, STERN DISCIPLES, a LOVING SAVIOUR, and LITTLE CHILDREN.

A little group of ANXIOUS MOTHERS are hastening along the road, with their babes in their arms and little children by their sides, bringing them to be blessed by the Saviour. Yonder, not far from the Lord Jesus, but very unlike Him, are some of His STERN DISCIPLES, who want these mothers to go home and not trouble their Master with anything so small as a blessing for their little ones. Perhaps they thought He had too many things to look after without being troubled with little boys and girls.

But these were not the thoughts of the LOVING SAVIOUR. He was “much displeased”—not with the LITTLE CHILDREN, but with the disciples. They thought His mission in the world was to rule a kingdom; but He soon gave them to understand that it is just “such” as these little ones that enter that kingdom. So He rebuked His disciples, and taking the little children up into His arms, He blessed them. The words He spoke then are just as true now: “Suffer the little children to come unto Me.”

Just imagine how the mothers would press around Him with the little ones, and how the bigger ones would run up to Him, when they heard that sweet invitation. “He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.” Was not that worth coming for?

Well, you may have the same today. He is still “the very same Jesus,” and wherever boys and girls, even little ones, are brought to Him, He receives them, saves them, and blesses them.

Has He saved you? You must be BROUGHT TO HIM, before you can be BLESSED BY HIM.

Memory Verse: “He that believeth... shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:16

ML 10/10/1965

A Lost Sheep

The little sheep has wandered away from the flock, and has fallen over the cliff. The shepherd is seeking it. We hope he will find it.

“And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:5-7.

The Bible also tells us: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6.

Has there been joy in heaven over your repentance, dear young reader? Jesus my Shepherd is,

‘Twas He that loved my soul;

‘Twas He that washed me in His blood,

‘Twas He that made me whole:

‘Twas He that sought the lost,

That found the wandering sheep;

‘Twas He that brought me to the fold,

‘Tis He that still doth keep.

ML 10/10/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 20:1-2

Genesis 20:1-2

“And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech, king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.” vv. 1,2.

It has been noted before that when circumstances place a child of God in the company of, or close to, the world’s atmosphere, there is real need for prayerful care and faithful dependence on the Lord to keep him from falling into Satan’s snares and pitfalls. We do not know why Abraham journeyed as far south as Kadesh and Shur at this time, but find that this journey put him into territory that was occupied with people of whom he had to say, “Surely the fear of God is not in this place.” This is a reminder too of today’s pathway for the believer, who also walks in the midst of a world where the fear of God is, by and large, unknown or often professed with little reality. Indeed it would be an unusual thing if the believer should go through life without being confronted with business or necessary contacts with the world in one form or another.

What then is to be the guide for such? The Lord’s own words, addressed to His Father, provide the answer: “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” John 17:15-17. Abraham was, in the same sense as the present-day believer, in the world, but for the moment he was not proving “Thy word is truth,” Thus through his own carelessness, he was afraid of the evil company aroused him, with the result that the testimony with which he should have been honoring God was lacking. If we are to be kept from the evil of the world we must walk in the light of God’s Word, “as obedient children,’ confident through faith that God will watch all our affairs and preserve us from treacherous ways.

Abraham, whose business may have required him going into the country between Kadesh and Shur, made the mistake of taking up residence is Gerar, in company with men of this world. True faith would have caused him to pitch his tent outside the city and thus display his real pilgrim character. However, unhappily he placed himself and his wife in the company of those who should have remained strangers, and most distressing circumstances resulted.

We find Abraham here falling into exactly the same snare that previously overtook him when in Egypt—fearful to acknowledge Sarah as his wife and thus, except for God’s overruling, exposing himself to the most severe penalties. Did he not remember God’s promise: “Sarah shall her name be. I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her?” Genesis 17:15,16.

It is not likely that Abraham actually doubted that the Lord would bring this to pass, but finding himself in the strangers’ land, and permitting himself to be exposed to their presence, he apparently felt he needed to take matters into his own hands, without thinking that thus he was actually denying God’s ability to care for him.

ML 10/10/1965

Good Dog Caesar

Caesar was a large Newfoundland dog, and very clever. He once saved a child’s life.

A ship full of passengers had stopped for a few minutes at a dock along the river side. Aboard was a little child in the care of her nurse. As the nurse stood leaning against the railing on the deck, suddenly the little one gave a spring and fell from the nurse’s arm into the river.

At once the cry was raised, “Child overboard!” The passengers rushed to the side only to see the little one disappear beneath the waves.

It so happened that Caesar’s master was sitting on deck reading a book, and Caesar was stretched out alongside.

Quickly the man rose and asked the nurse for a piece of clothing that the child had worn. She handed him a tiny apron she had torn off in an attempt to save the child. Caesar was eagerly watching his master’s face. The man pointed first to the apron, and then to the spot where the child had gone down in the water. In a moment the dog had leaped overboard into the rushing stream. Everyone on board was much excited.

Some men on shore, who had seen the accident, had got a boat and rowed off to search for the child, though they hardly expected to find her alive. A few minutes later the black head of Caesar was seen to rise above the water, far away. He had something in his mouth. Bravely he struggled with the current, but it was evident that his strength was failing fast. The men in the boat pulled with all their might, and at last reached the dog. The noble fellow had found the child, and was holding her fast by her clothes. She was still alive, and soon both dog and child were safe in the boat. After a hard pull they reached the ship again, and the little girl and Caesar were put aboard.

It was here that the nurse rushed forward. Giving a quick glance to make sure that the little one was alive and safe, she sank on her knees beside big noble Ceasar, threw her arms around his wet shaggy neck, and burst into tears. How grateful she was to her brave helper and she thanked God too for being a present help in time of her great need.

It is good when we can trace all our mercies up to the hand of the Lord and to thank Him for His great kindness.

It is well for us to thank the Lord for present mercies, but how much more ought we as sinners to thank Him for His great salvation which He has wrought for us through His death upon the cross. And this is made known to our souls by the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord Jesus died for you, dear reader. May you too have this great salvation, through trusting in Him.

“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.” Ephesians 2:8,9.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Hebrews 2:3.

ML 10/17/1965

Charlie's New Song

I sat by the fireside with my widowed mother, waiting for the home-coming of my only brother, Charlie. He was a medical student and was coming home that night on his usual vacation.

I was looking forward to this homecoming with great delight and had a long program of “events” planned. First of all there was to be a supper party and a dance on the following night. Mother was very indulgent, and allowed us to do very much as we liked in these matters; and of course Charlie and I took full advantage of her liberality, and made our plans in grand style.

Finally Charlie arrived in town, and in a few minutes more he stood in the old parlor where he and I had together as children spent so many happy days.

He was taller and thinner; but the old happy smile dimpled his cheek, and I never felt so proud of my brother as I did that day. I was so eager to inform him of all my plans that I accompanied him up to his room.

He listened to me patiently, but without the great interest I had expected. When I had finished, he gave a pleasant laugh, threw his arms around my neck, and kissing me affectionately said, “Margie, my dear, you will not be offended if I tell you that these things are no longer any enjoyment for me. I have got something infinitely better.”

I looked at him in amazement and thought he was joking, for no one had enjoyed a dance more heartily than Charlie. He saw I was puzzled; then drawing me to his side he said, “Do not be alarmed, Margie. I have not turned monk; but I have got Christ as my own Lord and Master. Now He is more to me than all these follies used to be. But come on; Mother will be waiting. I will tell you both all about it.”

That night by the parlor fireside Charlie told us the story of his conversion. It was while listening to the preaching of a faithful servant of Christ. How he had longed to get back to his native town to tell his old friends and loved ones the story of redeeming love!

“What shall we do about tomorrow night?” asked my mother in dismay. “Our preparations are all made, and there are about twenty invited.”

Charlie laughed heartily and said, “Let them come by all means, Mother. I shall be delighted to see them. It’s just possible we may have some music and dancing after all, before the evening is over.”

A good number gathered at our home the following night. After supper, our guests begged Charlie to favor them with a song, as he used to do. He was a splendid singer, and never had his voice sounded better than it did that evening. After a moment’s pause, and in a voice of thrilling sweetness, Charlie sang:

“I’ve found a Friend, O such a

Friend!

He loved me ere I knew Him!

He drew me with the cords of love,

And thus He bound me to Him.

And round my heart still closely twine

Those ties which naught can sever,

For I am His, and He is mine,

Forever and forever.”

A look of blank amazement settled on the faces of the company as the words fell on their ears. Every eye was fixed on the singer, spellbound. Tears were seen in some of them; and as the singer reached the last verse his voice increasing in power and sweetness, the thrilling words pierced many hearts:

“The eternal glories gleam afar,

To nerve my faint endeavor;

So now to watch, to work, to war,

And then to rest forever.”

A few of the company rose and shortly afterward made their departure; but the greater part remained. To them Charlie in his winning hearty manner told the simple story of his conversion. He ended up with “You will not be angry with me for telling you, will you? The truth is, I could not keep it! My heart is full of it. I thought the least I could do was to tell you of my newly found treasure.”

In simplicity Charlie gave testimony to the saving power of Christ. The beaming face of the speaker, so well-known to all of the company, the genuineness of the change in him, the absence of all affectation, and the earnest closing appeal to “accept the Gift of God, His own beloved Son, to be your Saviour, and know true happiness for time and eternity,” were owned of God. At least five of our guests left our house in company with their newly found Friend, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Charlie spoke in the schoolroom on Sunday evening to a crowded congregation, and several others were won for Christ. A great in-gathering followed. And among those who were saved and who sang the new song were my mother and I. We join our dear Charlie in saying to all who read this story, “Accept the Gift of God, His own beloved Son, to be your Saviour.”

“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.” Romans 10:9.

ML 10/17/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Genesis 20:3-18

Genesis 20:3-18

We have considered Abraham’s sad mistake in failing to own his wife’s true relationship. It is relatively easy to claim faith when all that is experienced produces pleasantness, but more difficult to have faith when outward circumstances are discouraging or when the threats and ridicule of the world are feared. Faith can scarcely be strong when, like Abraham in Gerar, one exposes himself to circumstances and surroundings that are foreign to what he professes to hold dear and are contrary to God’s path.

Abimelech, who planned to take Sarah as his wife (thinking she was Abraham’s sister), was warned of God in a dream concerning these intentions and in that dream he pleaded his innocence. God answered him: “Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against Me; therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.” verse 6. God would not allow the carelessness of Abram and Sarah to interfere with His purposes concerning the promised son and thus Abimelech was forbidden to proceed further. Our hearts are refreshed to see how God looks over His own even where faith has fallen short. But this is not to say that He will not allow lessons to be learned from failure and sometimes much sorrow with them.

Abraham was called to account and severely rebuked by Abimelech who said unto him: “What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” verse 9. It is a sad thing for a Christian to be reproved by the world! In Abraham’s reply he brought to light that he and Sarah had for many years, on various occasions, resorted to this concealment of identity with each other, for he said: “When God caused me to wander from my father’s house ... . I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me; and every place whether we shall come say of me, He is my brother.” verse 13.

It was, without question, good that Abraham was finally compelled to make this confession of a longstanding error; and it is a good thing for the believer to have short accounts with God and not carry un. judged matters forward from day to day. God may be exceedingly patient with the errors of His people, but the full flow of His love to His own cannot be expressed until unconfessed sins are brought before Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” 1 John 1:9,10.

Abraham had this additional lesson to learn before the full outflowing of God’s promises could be enjoyed. Furthermore this experience took place before the joy of Isaac’s birth could come in. The confession restored peace between Abimelech and Abraham and was honored of God in removing judgment that would otherwise have fallen on Abimelech.

Memory Verse: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27.

ML 10/17/1965

David, the Coal Miner

One day there was a terrible explosion in a coal mine. Some of the miners escaped, but others were buried alive. As the awful news spread, wives, mothers, sisters and relatives gathered near the mine to learn the fate of their loved ones. Eight men and one boy were missing. The mother of the boy sobbed:

“My David, my David! why did I allow you to go down in the mine to earn your living. My dear boy, my David!”

David’s mother was a widow, having lost her husband and four sons in a former mine explosion. David, the Youngest son, was the only one left and had been the joy and rejoicing of her heart. Now she believed him to be dead also, and how great was her grief.

Although David was quite young, his job in the mine was to open and close the trap-door when the cage was lowered and raised. Most of the time he was sitting in the dark, but at times he would light his candle and read his pocket Bible—a prize he had received for faithful attendance, and for learning Scripture verses at Sunday school. At this particular moment he was reading his Bible, when the thunder-like noise of the explosion frightened him and blew his candle out.

Trembling he managed to light the candle again and tried to open the trap-door, but he found that impossible as so much coal had fallen against it. Then he tried to find another way out of the mine, but discovered that every path was blocked by fallen coal. It soon became clear to him that he was trapped in the mine, and he began to weep, and cry, “Oh Mother, Mother!”

After putting his candle out, he got down on his knees and prayed to the Lord for deliverance. Rest and peace came into his soul, and he sat down again. He lit his candle and read Psalms 23 “The Lord is my shepherd...” But the light of his candle went out and it seemed to him that he could not breathe so freely now.

“Am I afraid to die?” he asked himself. “No, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God is my Saviour, and my Shepherd, and the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanseth me from all sin,” was the answer in his heart. A few months before he had learned that he was a lost sinner before God, and he had by faith accepted Jesus Christ as his own Saviour. He knew that the Lord had died in his stead on the cross of Calvary, had washed away his sins in His precious blood.

Now as he realized himself so near death, fear had come over him for a little while, but as he prayed, the Lord gave quietness and comfort to his young heart. He thought of the love of the Lord Jesus, and was sure that He would be with him in the dark valley of death. “He will go through with me,” he thought.

Then he remembered his dear mother and realized she would be sad, and alone. He desired to give her a word of comfort, so he took a piece of sharp coal and wrote in his Bible, “Dear Mother, Jesus is with me”—then he lost consciousness.

In the meantime a rescue party was working hard to clear the coal from the trap-door of the shaft. Soon they were able to open the door and after searching, they found the unconscious boy. Carefully they lifted him up and brought him to the surface where his anxious mother was anxiously waiting. What a great joy it was to her when he opened his blue eyes, and smiled at her.

Afterward David thought to him. self, “Why has God preserved my life while others died? It must be that He desires me to be a witness for Him,” was his heart’s reply. From then on he would joyfully confess the Lord, and often spoke to others of His glorious, saving gospel. His testimony was also backed up by a faithful walk for the Lord, and many were brought to know Him as their Saviour too.

Dear young reader, is the Lord Jesus your Saviour and Shepherd? If not may David’s testimony and experience speak to you and help you to realize how you need his Saviour too. You cannot get along without Him. Someday you may be in great danger also, and face death. Give your heart to the Lord Jesus now, and He will always be with you, through life and death.

ML 10/24/1965

The Atheist

An atheist was one day blaspheming against God in a crowded market place. He challenged God to show His power by striking him dead within five minutes. Five minutes passed, and following the tense delay the man spoke to the crowd, saying, “What did I tell you?”

An old lady standing by, spoke up: “Sir, have you any children?” “Yes. Why?”

“Well,” replied the lady, “if one of your children handed you a knife and said, ‘Kill me, Daddy,’ would you do it?”

“Why, no,” replied the astonished man. “I love them too much.”

“That is exactly why God did not strike you dead,” said the lady. “He loves you too much.”

“God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.

ML 10/24/1965

Closed

The door is closed. Eric and Fritz must stay outside. They lingered too long playing with their little friends. Eric was warned; he should have come at the appointed time. But now it was too late.

Inside Eric can hear the children playing games and singing hymns. Soon they will all be sitting down to a grand supper—with lots of sandwiches and cake. There will be prizes given out too. Eric is sad and hungry.

The Lord Jesus is the Door—the only Door to salvation, to life and peace and heaven. He says: “I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” John 10:9.

Again He says: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37.

Soon that Door will be closed forever. God Himself will shut the door, and those left outside will be shut out forever—left behind for judgment.

Come to Jesus NOW, dear children. Press in through the open Door.

“They that were ready went in with him...: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other..., saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” Matthew 25:10-12.

Memory Verse: “Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3.

ML 10/24/1965

Extract

If you wish to see a future man unfit to rule, look at a boy unwilling to obey.

“Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored.” Proverbs 13:18.

ML 10/24/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith -Genesis 21:1-8

Genesis 21:1-8

“And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son... Isaac.” 10:1-3.

Here was a grand moment in Abraham’s life! When God first visited him in the land of Ur the definite promise had been given: “I will make of thee a great nation.” As has so often been noticed, Abraham was to have many trials of faith before he could visibly see the first important step of this promise—the birth of a son by Sarah. Although his pathway was not perfect and at times broken by self-will, yet his course in general was marked by faith, worship of God, and confidence that the promises given him would come to pass. One year followed another in this walk of faith and finally, at the age of 100, his son Isaac was born.

The name Isaac means “laughter.” “And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.” verse 6. We think with pleasure how this elderly couple laughed together in the joy of the birth of this baby boy. As they looked upon him Abraham’s heart must have gone up in thanksgiving as he saw in the infant all the hope of God’s earthly promises of generations to follow until a great nation would come forth.

Quite likely, as he saw the fulfillment of God’s promise, he also looked back with many regrets on the times when he had doubted. He could now see that Isaac was the result of God’s work alone. Perhaps he and Sarah spoke of these things together for she commented: “Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have... borne him a son in his old age?” verse 7. God blessed the little child and as the days went, by it grew in strength. Abraham, not forgetful of God’s instructions, circumcised him on the eighth day, Soon too came the day of weaning: “And Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.” What a happy scene it was as this couple enjoyed the reward of their faith.

There is an instructive picture for the newly converted soul in these early days of Isaac’s life. His birth speaks of the new birth of the believer, “a new creature in Christ”; his circumcision tells of separation from the world and the evidence of putting the old nature to death that should be the desire of every Christian; and his weaning expresses the spiritual growth that should mark the child of God. The one who has just found a new life through faith in Christ will enjoy the sincere milk of the Word that he might grow thereby. (1 Peter 2:2). Then, as progress is made in the new walk—and if the affections abide on his Lord and Saviour—he soon will desire a weaning to “strong meat,” that is, the deeper truths of God’s Word that through the Holy Spirit are revealed to His own who will search them out.

The great feast reminds us that in God’s Word there is boundless food for the Christian’s enjoyment and it is a happy thing to be occupied in meditating therein.

ML 10/24/1965

Faithful in Death

A man was riding home on horseback one day. He had with him a considerable amount of money which he had tied to the saddle in front of him. Alongside trotted his faithful dog.

After a long ride, he stopped to rest under a shady tree and to eat the lunch he had with him. Lighting from his horse he took the bag of money and laid it down beside him.

A little later, he mounted his horse again and rode off, but forgot to take the bag of money with him. The dog, seeing the money left bind, ran after his master and tried to draw his attention to his mistake. However, the man did not understand what his dog meant. Then the dog ran in front of the horse, and kept jumping up and down before him, barking loudly. His master became alarmed, and began to think the dog must be going mad. Still he went on barking and jumping up and down with increasing violence, till his master felt sure he was right. He thought to himself, “He might bite me, or someone else. The only safe thing to do is to get rid of him.”

Sadly he took his pistol from his pocket and shot the poor dog. He felt a deep pang as the noble creature yelped with pain and fell. Unable to bear the sight, the man put his spurs to his horse and rode on.

“I am so sorry,” said the man to himself. “I would have rather lost my money than my good dog.” Then he felt for his money, but it wasn’t there. In an instant he saw it all clearly now. The noble dog had seen him leave his money behind and was trying the best way he knew how to get his master to go back for it. And he had shot him! Oh how sorry the man felt now.

Turning his horse around he rode back to the place where he had rested under the tree. There he found the money and his faithful dog stretch alongside. He had crawled back, and laid down beside his master’s money to protect it.

Tears filled the man’s eyes and rolled down his face. Kneeling down by the faithful creature, he petted and spoke kindly to him. The dog looked lovingly into his master’s face, licked his hand, and then turned over and died.

Tenderly the man had the body of his faithful friend carried home and buried in his garden. Over his grave he had a stone slab set up with these words engraved on it: “In Memory of a Faithful Dog.”

Surely the devotion of the man’s faithful friend touches our hearts! But has the faithful love of the dying Saviour of sinners moved and won your heart, dear reader? “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13.

Jesus is the best and truest Friend you will ever have. He died to save sinners such as we, and now He seeks to warn you of the folly of going on in your own willful way without Him. Hearken to His voice saying, “Come unto Me,... and I will give you rest.” In Him alone you will find salvation, peace and joy.

“The Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

ML 10/31/1965

The Strange Awakening

Adoniram Judson Was brought up in the sheltered surroundings of a Christian home where in the warmth of parental love and care he was instructed in the things of God. The Bible was read regularly, and early in life he learned much of it. His childhood and school days were very happy.

After having finished the local school, he left home to complete his education at college. He readily adapted himself to the new surroundings, and made friends easily. Young Judson was studious and industrious, and success went with him in the new field. Unlike the God-fearing atmosphere of his home, in his college surroundings he found the chilling influence of infidelity. Among the students and faculty were many who avowed “there is no God.” Their views were varied, but they had the common result of shaking Judson’s faith in God and His Word. Some of the best students on the campus were the most outspoken in their unbelief.

Adoniram chose for his close companion one of these infidels whose name was Edward. It was not long until the seeds of infidelity had taken root, and shattered the faith of Judson. Little by little he gave up the truth he had known since childhood, and turned his back on his father’s God. By the time his years at college were completed, he was among those who would reason away God and judgment to come (Acts 24:25).

A new chapter, which was to be the parting of the ways, was about to open for each of these promising young men. Edward went on about his business according to his plans, and Judson returned home. Before settling down, however, he decided to take an extended tour of the country.

During his travels, he met an elderly man who was a Christian, and a faithful servant of the Lord. This man spoke earnestly about God, and reasoned with him of sin, death, and judgment after death. There was something real and sincere about his words that reached Judson’s conscience and made him uneasy. The power of the Word of God was felt in his soul. Young Judson was not now sure that his infidelity would stand the test.

The following night he sought lodging in a large home where rooms were rented to travelers. He was informed that there was only one room vacant, but it was next to that occupied by a YOUNG man who was DYING. The thought of taking this room bothered him, but he decided to accept it. He assured the owner that his rest would not be disturbed, and accordingly retired for the night.

Try as he would, however, sleep would not come; and the whole night was spent tossing and thinking. The thought that the man was young, and was dying, was ever before him. Also the words so recently spoken by the elderly Christian rang in his ears. Judson now felt himself face to face with eternal, and real issues. All of the baseless arguments of his infidel friends could not satisfy him, nor give him a moment’s rest. Their reasonings were all right as long as they were not in the presence of death.

With a measure of relief, young Judson went downstairs in the morning, but he looked worn and troubled. He was informed that the young man had died during the night. This news fell like a great weight on his troubled soul. Casually inquiring the name of the deceased, he learned to his utter consternation, that it was none other than his old friend and college chum, Edward. Stunned, he turned away and hurried back to his room, where for hours he could think of nothing else than those awful words, DEAD and LOST. He now realized that he had only been deceiving himself, and that someday he must meet the God he was sinning against. He thought of his old friend, and could only picture him as lost forever. Yes, he was gone never to return—gone to meet the judgment of the God whose grace he had despised.

At last, falling on his knees, he cried to God for mercy. He sought and found peace with God; he believed the Word of God and took his place as a guilty sinner before Him, accepting His offer of free salvation through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew that he had been ungodly, but he believed that “Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom. 5:6). Those precious words,

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” 1 Timothy 1:15.

“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7), also gave him joy and satisfaction. He was without doubt a sinner. God is holy and must punish sin, but he found the sinner’s Friend who bore all the judgment in his stead.

From that day young Judson sought to tell others of the Saviour, and to warn them to flee from the wrath to come. He labored earnestly for the Lord Jesus, telling those he met of the judgment to come, and of the sure way of escape through the blood of Jesus Christ.

ML 10/31/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith -Genesis 21:9,10

Genesis 21:9,10

In all the joy of Abraham and Sarah concerning Isaac, there remained an unhappy matter to be dealt with. It will be recalled from the 16th chapter that they had grown impatient regarding the birth of an heir and through their own devices another son, Ishmael, had been born to Abraham. But Ishmael’s mother was not Sarah—in whom God’s purposes were determined—but Hagar, a bondmaid. This arrangement, entirely unsuited to God, was a sad mistake that soon caused much sorrow in the household. Is this not the experience of every believer who acts in his own wisdom, without seeking God’s counsel? No lasting good can ever be expected in such circumstances.

The birth of Isaac brought the former problem out into the open. Abraham’s household now had two sons in it and they were sons of conflicting interests. If these two boys are regarded in the light of their spiritual meaning, it will be seen that there must indeed be a conflict between them that could not be remedied by any effort to adjust their characters to one another. Compromise would not do. They could not both be “the heir of promise”; one must give way to the other so that in due time a definite line of descendants would come forth, to be known as God’s people. The character of Ishmael’s mother, Hagar the bondwoman, was transmitted to her son. In type he speaks of the law and the bondage imposed upon all who would walk under it. Ishmael was a man “according to the flesh.” The New Testament in reference to this subject states: “Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh... for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai (the law), which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar ... and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her, children.” Galatians 4:22-25.

Isaac, on the other hand, was the true son of Sarah, the freewoman, and presents a type of the new nature, indeed, a type of Christ Himself, and tells us that faith can do what flesh cannot. It is extremely important for all who would be brought to God to understand the principle involved here. Law and grace, works and faith, can never be mixed together.

Sarah soon recognized that there was an impossible problem in the household while the two sons and two mothers were trying to live together. “Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.” verse 10. The sinner too must “cast out the bondwoman and her son”— the old nature, the activities of the flesh and the bondage of the law. None can ever be justified and brought to God by his own works, no matter how good they may seem, nor by the deeds of the law. He can only come to God through faith in what He has done in providing His Son as the Saviour to redeem lost souls from their sins. All who thus come in faith to Him, putting works and self entirely aside and owning the all-sufficiency of His work and grace, become “a new man” of which Isaac is our present type.

Memory Verse: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Hebrews 2:3.

ML 10/31/1965

The Tiger

What a wonderful creature is the great tiger! How much more wonderful must be his Creator—the Lord Jesus Christ—”who is blessed forever.” Romans 1:25.

The tiger, like the lion, is a giant cat. He has no mane, but his coat of bright orange-yellow, is all covered over with black stripes. In India’s jungle land, overgrown with tall thick bushes and grass, many a tiger makes his home. He can run so swiftly that the fastest horse cannot overtake him. With great bounds he goes over the ground at a fearful speed.

Like other members of the cat tribe, the tiger has whiskers. They help him to steal softly among the branches and thick bushes. By the slightest touch on his whiskers, the tiger knows even in the deepest darkness when there is anything in his path, and whether it would make too much noise as he creeps along.

Some English officers once went out hunting in India. Returning home through the jungle they found a pretty little tiger kitten, and they took him home with them. They put a collar and chain around him and tied him to the pole inside their tent. The little tiger played about, to the delight of all the men. But just as it was growing dark, they heard a sound that caused the bravest among them to shiver. It was the roar of a great tiger.

At once the little kitten strained at the chain with all its baby strength, and tried to break loose. It uttered a loud wail that replied to the terrible voice outside. Suddenly there leaped into the very middle of the tent a huge mother tiger! She caught up her kitten by the neck and snapped with one jerk the chain which bound it. Then, turning to the tent door, she dashed away at full speed into the jungle.

I am not sorry to tell you that not a gun was fired at the brave mother as she bore her young one off in triumph.

Like the little tiger kitten, I was once a captive, taken captive by Satan at his will, held fast by the chains of sin. But just as the little tiger was content to play in his captivity so long as he was well fed, so I was content to go on in my sins. Then, as the voice of the mother tiger awakened in him a longing to be free, so the voice of the Saviour speaking to my heart awakened in me a desire to be saved. I cried to the Lord to deliver me from my sins, and He heard my cry. By His Mighty power He snapped those chains which bound me, and set me free. He has redeemed my soul, and now He is taking me home to heaven. Blessed be His name!

The Lord Jesus came into this world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). In His death and resurrection He has broken the power of death and Satan (for all who have faith to trust Him), and He has been setting captives free since then. He has set them free to live for Him down here. He has gone back to heaven where He has prepared a home for all those that love Him.

Have you been set free, dear young reader? If still unsaved, may God grant that you realize the power of sin and Satan that holds you fast. If you will cry in faith, “Lord Jesus, save me,” He will come and deliver you from sin’s guilt and power.

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13.

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Timothy 1:15.

ML 11/07/1965

How Charles was Saved

One wintry morning a boy of sixteen dropped into a small chapel in the hope of hearing something which would help him in the struggle that was going on inside his heart.

The preacher had not showed up, so one of the members conducted the service. He took for his text: “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 45:22. He spoke for about ten minutes, and then seeing the boy whom he recognized as a stranger sitting under the gallery, he said, “Young man, you look very miserable. You will always be miserable — miserable in life and. miserable in death — if you do not obey my text. But if you obey now this moment, you will be saved.”

Then he shouted: “Young man look to Jesus Christ.” There and then the lad looked by faith to the Lord Jesus, and was saved eternally.

That boy was Charles H. Spurgeon who became a much used servant of Christ, through whose ministry thousands were blessed by in their souls.

Your need is great, but the Lord Jesus can meet that need, and if you will accept Him as your Saviour, He will become your unfailing guide. Look daily to Him, He will guide. The call of the world and the allurements of sin will not turn you aside if you keep your eyes on Christ. Then one day you will look into the face of the Son of God, who loved you and gave Himself for you.

“Let thine eyes look right on,” Proverbs 4:25.

“Looking unto Jesus.” Hebrews 12:2.

ML 11/07/1965

Spurgeon's Conversion

“I looked to Jesus in my sin,

My woe and want confessing;

Undone and lost, I came to Him,

I sought and found a blessing.

I looked to Jesus on the cross,

For me I saw Him dying;

God’s Word believed—that all my sins

Were there upon Him lying.

I looked to Jesus there on high,

From death up-raised to glory;

I trusted in His power to save,

Believed the old, old story.

Now one with Christ, I find my peace

In Him to be abiding;

And in His love for all my need,

In childlike faith confiding.”

El Nathan

ML 11/07/1965

Just in Time

The passengers had taken their seats, the conductor had waved his lantern to the engineer far up the track, he had boarded the train, and now it was slowly pulling out of the station.

Running swiftly down the platform came a young man who wanted to catch that train. Not a moment was to be lost. Putting forth all his energies he managed to spring onto the step of the last coach and was safe aboard. He was the last to get on that train, and a fellow-passenger remarked to him as he did so, “You’ve run it close!” Yes, but he was in!

Someone will be the last to trust in Jesus. You are perhaps “running it close,” sinner friend. Is someone else to be the last, and you—TOO LATE?

ML 11/07/1965

Bunyan and the Voice

John Bunyan heard a voice speak to him, saying, “Wilt thou keep thy sin and go to hell, or leave thy sin and go to heaven?” There is no middle course.

“No man can serve two masters.” Matthew 6:24

ML 11/07/1965

Bible Questions for November

The Children’s Class

1.“Come unto Me.”

2.“The Son of man came.”

3.“Cometh in the name of the Lord.”

4.“All things are ready: come.”

5.“Coming in the clouds of heaven with power.”

6.“Come, ye blessed of My Father.”

7.“Came and rolled back the stone.”

The Young People’s Class Justification

1.What is the honest conclusion of those who would seek to JUSTIFY themselves? Job 9.

2.Can man be JUSTIFIED by his own works? Galatians 2.

3.What is the ground of our being JUSTIFIED and saved from the coming wrath? Rom.

4.Is there a price or limit to the grace of God in His work of JUSTIFICATION through redemption? Rom.

5.How can we have peace with God about being JUSTIFIED? Rom.

6.Will anyone ever be able to bring anything to the charge of those whom God JUSTIFIES? Rom.

7.If we acknowledge that our offenses caused the death of the Lord Jesus, what evidence proclaims our complete JUSTIFICATION? Rom.

ML 11/07/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 21:11-12

Genesis 21:11-12

“And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son,” that is, Ishmael verse 11. When Isaac was born Ishmael was fourteen years of age and Abraham had, in accordance with natural affections, become quite attached to him. Certainly it was no easy matter for him to contemplate casting him out of his home. It is equally true that man, left to himself, is always attached to his old nature and the things resulting from his own efforts. Pride and self-acclaim have a great hold on our natural hearts and the longer one lives with his eye on his own accomplishments and his pride in them, the harder it is to separate from them. Left to himself, one would never turn from things of the old nature. Abraham had to look to God about this difficulty and was told: “Let it not be grievous in thy sight... for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” verse 12. It is to God too that the believer must turn if the old nature makes its claim upon him, for there is no other power sufficient to break those old ties to which the enemy would have one cling so strongly. If his own insufficiency is felt in this, it is a happy certainty that “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.” Psalms 145:18.

It was not until Isaac came that the true character of Ishmael was shown. And it is not until the sinner finds his attraction in Christ that he will have any sense of how opposed to God he was when living “in the flesh” of the old nature. “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.” verse 9. The feast that Abraham prepared at his son’s weaning spoke, in type, of the fullness of his joy in Isaac, the son of faith. It was the outflowing of a heart rejoicing in a new-found treasure. But Ishmael —a type, not of faith, but of the flesh —mocked at this display and therein revealed what was in his heart.

Sarah really had more discernment than Abraham at this time. She realized that the two sons could not abide in the same house and that no effort to overlook or change their differences and interests would be successful. Oh, that every believer might have the same discernment! It is so common to find true children of God who fail to see the important distinction between the old and the new natures and, as a result, try fruitlessly to improve or make over the old flesh. However, the Word of God says: “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other.” Galatians 5:17. There is no profit in trying to improve the old nature for it cannot be changed, any more than Ishmael could be transformed into another person.

Before any can be accepted of God he must cast that old nature aside, truly saying: “In me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing.” The moment one reaches this point and knows Christ as his personal Saviour the new life, with its new nature, is given him. The Holy Spirit comes in to encourage this new nature and keep the saved soul in the enjoyment of all that is thus opened to him.

Memory Verse: “All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned everyone to his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6.

ML 11/07/1965

Paid in Full by a Glass of Milk"

It was a hot summer day in Maryland years ago. A young medical student was busy going from house to house in a farming district selling books to earn money to pay his college expenses. Near the end of the day, hot and thirsty, he called at a farmhouse and was greeted by a bright happy young girl in her teens. Her visitor inquired if she would care to purchase some books.

She answered, “My mother is a widow, and we have no money to buy books.” Then the student asked her if she could kindly give him a glass of cold water.

“Sure,” she said. “We have plenty of milk in the milkhouse. Would you care for a glass of cold milk instead?”

“Yes, I would,” he replied, “if it is not too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” said the girl, and she went into the milkhouse. The thirsty student drank the cold milk very thankfully.

“How about another glass, mister?” said the girl.

“I would enjoy another glass very much,” he answered.

The girl brought him another glass, and then he wanted to pay her for it.

“No, no,” said the girl.

“Why not?” he inquired. “Well, my mother always told me to be kind to strangers, and that’s what I’m doing.”

The young student thanked her and went on his way.

Several years passed by. The young medical student was now a widely known surgeon, the head of a hospital in which he had performed some brilliant operations.

One day as he visited the wards of the hospital, his eye fell upon a face he well remembered. He recognized in a moment the young lady who had once given him a drink of cold milk on a hot summer day long before. The patient herself was too sick to recognize anyone but he knew her.

Then things began to happen. Activity seemed to center around the lady from the farm. She was moved into a private room, with nurses to wait on her, and everything known to medical science was brought to bear on her condition. The chief surgeon himself took particular interest in her case.

After a week of medical care and surgery, the patient recovered and was able to sit up. The nurse said to her, “You are going home tomorrow.”

“Oh I am so glad,” she responded, “but the cost of all this worries me—the bill must be immense.”

“I’ll get it,” said the nurse, and she soon placed it in the patient’s hand.

As the poor woman looked over the items in the bill, and read the staggering cost of her operation and hospital care, it made her weep “When will I ever get it paid!” she exclaimed, and then as she read a little further down she caught sight of eight words which dried up her tears.

Those words were: “Paid in full by a glass of milk.—Howard A. Kelly, M.D.”

Yes, the former young bookseller and the great Doctor Howard A. Kelly, the celebrated surgeon and scientist, were one and the same.

In his student days, ambition ruled young Kelly’s life; he aspired to fame in this world. But by the grace of God he had learned something of the vanities of this world, that his interest was in things which pass away. His eyes were opened to see that there is just one thing worthwhile seeking after in this life, that is to know, to love, and to serve God—to know Him in the only way we can really know Him, through His Son, Jesus Christ. He came to know Christ as his Saviour, and from henceforth, all his talents, his energies, were employed in the service of Him who loved him and died for him. As long as he lived, Dr. Kelly sought to encourage young men, boys and girls, and older folks too, to seek the Lord, to know Him as their Saviour, and to live for Him the little while we are on earth. If he were alive today, we know his message to you would be the same. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:31.

Dear young believer, you who would seek to please the Lord Jesus and serve Him here below, remember the story of “the glass of milk.” Nothing that you do for the Lord Jesus will be overlooked in that day.

“Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be!’ Revelation 22:12.

ML 11/14/1965

The Little Boy Who Forgot His Sins

A Sunday school teacher had brought little George home one afternoon. After supper she showed him pictures, told him nice stories and then played some children’s hymns for him on the piano. The little fellow thoroughly enjoyed himself.

After a while she began to play and sing the hymn:

“I’m thinking of my sins,

What wicked things I’ve done,

How very naughty I have been,

Although I am so young.”

However, before she had got very far little George said, “Please play something else. I don’t like that one.”

“Why not, George?” she asked. “Well, it makes me uncomfortable to think about my sins,” he replied. “But have you got some sins then, George?”

“Oh yes, lots of them.”

“And what do you do with your sins?”

“Why, I always try to forget them as soon as I can!”

This little boy tried to cover up his sins with forgetfulness. But no kind of covering will be the slightest use, for God says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper.” Proverbs 28:13. We cannot cover our own sins. God alone can, and He will cover them with the precious blood of Jesus. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7.

Instead of forgetting your sins, come to Jesus and confess them. He will receive you, pardon, and blot them all out.

“I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” Isaiah 43:25.

“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” Romans 4:7.

ML 11/14/1965

Who Loves Jesus?

“Who loves Jesus? None but he

Who knows the Saviour’s love to him;

All others hear of Him, but see

Him through a cloud that’s cold and dim.

“Who loves Jesus? None beside

The Spirit-taught, the blood-bought few

Whom He has pleased to make His bride,

And to whose heart He tells it too.

“Who loves Jesus? He who feels

The fullness, sweetness of His grace;

For whom nor sin nor dread conceals

The brightness of His loving face.

“Who loves Jesus? He to whom

The Spirit speaks in truth and love,

And tells him of a Friend to come

And take him to His throne above.

“Who loves Jesus? He who knows

That Jesus is the changeless Friend,

From whom his life eternal flows,

In whom his joys shall never end.

“Who loves Jesus? He alone

Who, drawn from sin’s profound abyss,

Can say in faith’s exulting tone,

‘Jesus is mine, and I am His.’”

S. A. W.

ML 11/14/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith -Genesis 21:14-21

Genesis 21:14-21

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar... and the child, and sent her away: and she departed.” verse 14.

It had been grievous to Abraham to part with Ishmael, but when certain that this was in accordance with God’s mind, he took care of it “early in the morning.” It was characteristic of this patriarch to give prompt attention to the things required of him. Would it not also be well if others more faithfully followed the same pattern? How often grief or trial or self-indulgence is prolonged because one lacks the courage or determination to immediately take care of its correction! Dear reader, if you have put off settling the question of your soul’s salvation, how important it is to immediately own your place as a lost sinner, guilty bore God, aware of impending judgment and turn to Christ as your personal Saviour. Postponing such an important matter would prove eternally tragic if death should overtake you, or the door of mercy be closed, while you were delaying a decision.

The daily walk of every child of God will also, from time to time, require judging and severing things unsuited to a heavenly calling. Attachment to Ishmael was very real with Abraham, but had to be cut off before God could bestow full blessing. In the believer today the old nature, sometimes referred to as “the flesh” must be dealt with too, no matter how great the cost. Turning to God in such a problem will provide courage and strength for the task. May it ever be in the attitude of “early in the morning” that such matters are taken care of.

In actuality, while Abraham definitely cast Ishmael out, the Ishmaelites were always near the children of Israel in later years, intruding to their harm wherever they could. The child of God today never should forget the old nature, even when dealt with, is still energetic and will interfere with his Christian walk at every opportunity. A very real dependence on God to preserve the heart from returning to old attachments or finding attraction in new ones is all that will keep the believer from contamination with the old nature.

Hagar and Ishmael wandered in the wilderness. When their water was spent Hagar resigned herself to the death of her child, but God graciously heard his cries and disclosed a well of water, after which their spirits were revived. God answered the cries of Ishmael when he came to the end of himself, just as He in mercy will always hear the cries of all who call on Him in sincerity.

“And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.” 10:20,21. We leave Ishmael here. His place was in the wilderness and an Egyptian wife only added to the worldly affiliations that were to mark his entire life.

Memory Verse: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

ML 11/14/1965

"It's Me, Jesus! It's Me!"

“Mr. Jones,” said a small girl to an old Christian one day, “will you pray for me at the prayer meeting tonight?”

She was only a little girl, but like most children she liked to run and play with her friends, and she loved stories and books. However, like all other little boys and girls, and older folks too, she had done many naughty things. She knew that she was a sinner, and this made her sad.

Mr. Jones had spoken to her about the Lord Jesus, how that He came into this world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15), and now she wanted to be saved. So she had come to her old friend for help.

“I want to be saved,” she told him. “Please pray for me in the prayer meeting tonight.” However, being a timid little girl she added, “but don’t tell Him my name. I don’t want anyone to know.”

Now Mr. Jones was a wise old man and so that night in the little cottage prayer meeting where a few were gathered he prayed thus:

“Lord Jesus, there is a little girl here tonight who wants to be saved. But she doesn’t want me to tell her name....”

Before he could finish his words, those who knelt in the prayer meeting were surprised to hear a strange little voice, and a titter went round as that voice proclaimed: “It’s me, Jesus! It’s me!”

Now we are sure the Lord Jesus heard that voice, for He knew already what was in the heart of our little friend. He knew she was in earnest. He showed her though she was a sinner He had died for her, to put her sins away, and the knowledge of this brought peace to her troubled heart. She trusted His love, the burden of her sins was gone, and now she was a happier little girl than she had ever been before.

I hope you will be in earnest about your sins too, dear unsaved young friend. If you come to the Lord Jesus and tell Him you want to be saved, He’ll not turn you away. Tell Him you know you are a sinner, that you deserve only judgment, but you believe He died in your place. He will hear your prayer and with His precious blood He’ll wash those awful stains of sin all away. Has He not said:

“Come now,... though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow?” Isaiah 1:18.

But don’t be afraid to tell others for He has also said:

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus (Jesus as Lord) and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9.

ML 11/21/1965

After Many Days

Mrs. Blick and her husband were missionaries in Malaya. One day as they were passing along a road which led to a river ferry, her husband caught sight of a rooftop among the trees down below. “That,” said he, “is a Chinese temple. There must be a village down there. Well, we’ll go down there the next time we come this way.”

And so they did. Under the temple porch, fishermen sat mending their nets, and Mr. Buick went to talk to them. Meanwhile Mrs. Blick went to a nearby house and read and talked and sang to the women and children, After some time Mrs. Blick joined her husband. Leaning against a pillar was a very old woman. Mr. Blick said to her, “Old lady, have you ever heard this story before?”

“Yes,” she said, “when I was a little girl, in my father’s house.”

“Well then,” said Mr. Blick, “let the lady tell you some more.”

So Mrs. Blick put her arm through her’s and lead her into the house. And during the next half hour read to her the precious Words of life. The light of the gospel dawned on her soul and her face became utterly changed. She walked out with Mrs. Blick again to tell the missionary that she believed the words of Jesus. She said that one day when she was a very little girl, a man came to their house and told the story of the love of Jesus to her father. This seed must have lain dormant for well-nigh eighty years.

Some months later when the old lady was failing, the missionary’s wife called to see and read to her. They found her happy in the Lord. Said she: “Teacher, that’s a very wonderful Book; you read a little and I swallow it, and it is just like taking medicine; it does me good.”

Fellow-Christians, we may seem to see very little fruit for our labors oftentimes, but we should never be discouraged. God has said, “Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.” Ecclesiastes 11:1.

Memory Verse: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” John 11:25.

ML 11/21/1965

"I Love to Pint Him Out"

A gentleman, while traveling through one of our southern states, came to a river which he had to cross in order to continue his journey. Joe Brown, a colored boatman who had charge of a ferry-boat, came and offered to take him over. The gentleman took a seat in the bow of the boat, and soon the boat was gliding swiftly out into the stream. Several other vessels were in sight going up and down the river. All at once Joe sprang to his feet, took off his ragged old straw hat, and shading his eyes with his hand, looked earnestly at some object on one of the boats in the distance.

Then he cried out, “As I’m a libbing man, dat am de captin!”

The gentleman started from his musing, and looked toward the distant vessel, but could not see anything very distinctly.

“Don’t you see him, mister?” said Joe. “Dere he is—dat strong, good-looking man leaning against de mast.”

“Perhaps I’ll see him when the vessel gets a little nearer,” said the gentleman.

“I want yer to see de captin,” said Joe.

“Who is the captain?” asked the gentleman.

“De captain?” said Joe with a look of surprise. “He am de man what sabed me. I can’t miss seeing him while he am in sight.”

“How did he save you, Joe?”

“Oh, he strip off his coat, and Jumped into de ribber and cotch hole of dis chile wid his strong arm, just as he was sinking into the deep water, with the ropes around his feet. Dat am de way he sabed me,” said Joe with very great feeling.

“You have not forgotten to be grateful, I see,” said the gentleman.

“Grateful! Why, I’d breave ebery breff I draw for him, if I could. I tole him I would work all de rest of my days for him without pay. But he wouldn’t let me. So I stay as close to him as I ken. He runs by here ‘bout ebery two weeks. So I allus watches for him, and I love to pint him out. It’s all dis poor fella can do.”

If poor Joe felt such gratitude to his friend the captain, who plunged into the river to save him from drowning, how much do we owe the blessed Saviour, the sinner’s Friend and the captain of our salvation, who went into death, and that the death of the cross, to save our souls from perishing and to give us eternal life. Surely such love as His demands eternal praise!

Joe would have been a foolish man had he refused to let the captain rescue him, and tried to reach shore himself. After a few struggles he would have drowned, for he could not swim. But how much more foolish are those sinners who reject the Saviour, whose arm is outstretched to save them, and who are trying to reach the heavenly shore by their own efforts—by good resolutions, by good deeds, going to church, and other such means. These things can never save them, for salvation is all of grace, and not of works, and all who trust in them and refuse the Lord Jesus will one day perish in their sins under the judgment of God.

“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.

ML 11/21/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith -Genesis 21:22-34

Genesis 21:22-34

“And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech... spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: Now therefore swear unto me here by God, that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son... And Abraham said, I will swear.” v. 22-24.

In the 20th chapter Abraham’s carelessness brought failure of testimony, as a result of which he and Sarah were reproved by King Abimelech. But God graciously used the experience to bring full confession from Abraham and soon thereafter he and Sarah were in position to receive blessing in the birth of Isaac. Abimelech was aware of Abraham’s true place before God and perhaps had been a witness to the faith that enabled him to put Ishmael out of his home. At least it was “at that time” that Abimelech could say “God is with thee in all that thou doest,” and requested a pledge of kindness from him. Be assured, Christian friend, that the world around you will know when your walk is in the light and power of true faith and obedience, just as it will know when your testimony is weak or failing.

Abraham, who before had been subject to Abimelech’s reproval, was now in position to stand for him for good—the result of correcting and judging his failure. Here, in the strength of his true position, the ultimate possessor of the very land in which Abimelech presently ruled, he was well able and willing to do good. This is actually the principle for the believer today in respect to those around him: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men...” Galatians 6:10. The Christian life should be outflowing not inwardly selfish.

Yet there is always a distinction between what is spiritual and that which is of the world. Regardless of the expressed promises of kindness from Abraham, the servants of Abimelech forcefully took a well of water belonging to him. Its loss was serious and Abraham rebuked Abimelech concerning it. May all who love the refreshing wells of spiritual water found in God’s Word also guard them most carefully from the encroachment of the world, lest there should be loss of the precious enjoyment thereof in the wilderness way.

“And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech;... and Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.” vv. 27-30. The offering on the part of Abraham spoke, among other things, of his grace toward an offending people and reminds all who would show the spirit of God in their walk that they are called upon to show grace to this world too.

“And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there or the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.” verse 33. All was well with Abraham. He had given no offense to those who offended him. He had recovered what was lost of his well of refreshing and in the joy of all that Isaac meant to him and the reassurances of God’s watchful care, called anew on the name of his Lord.

ML 11/21/1965

Crippled Charlie's Escape

“All tickets, please!” cried the conductor as he made the last round of the bus. He was busy punching tickets until he came to the last two passengers, young Charlie who was a cripple, and a little girl of about eight years.

The child held out her fare, but with a grim smile the conductor promptly handed it back to her. “No use to me, my dear. It’s foreign.”

At first she seemed not to understand; then she said, “But, mother gave it to me.”

“Can’t help it! Got another?” “No.”

“Then you’ll have to get off the bus. We aren’t allowed to take foreign coins.”

“Oh, please,” she begged, “not before we get over the plains and I can see the houses again.”

But the driver only mumbled something about his duty.

“Give her a ticket, driver,” spoke up the cripple. “I’ll pay.”

“Oh, thank you,” beamed the little girl, the anxious look vanishing from her face. “Thank you very much.”

“That’s all right,” returned Charlie with a smile. “Glad to do it.”

The bus rolled on across the plains. Presently the child rose and touched the conductor’s arm. “Please stop here,” she said. And then turning to her good Samaritan friend, she whispered: “Thank you again, and I know Mommy would too, because she worries about me since Daddy was killed in the war. Goodbye,” and with a winsome smile she jumped off the bus.

A half mile more and Charlie’s fare had expired. With the help of his crutch he swung himself off the bus and as he started off along the mile walk that his generosity had cost him, to cheer his spirits he broke out into the words of a hymn:

“All the way my Saviour leads me,

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my guide?”

Tap, tap, tap, his crutch sounded on the pavement, as he softly sang the second verse: “Though my weary steps may falter.”

“Dear Lord,” said he looking up, “I’m tired tonight, and my leg hurts; wilt Thou just help me home.”

Presently from the distance and gathering darkness, he could hear shouts and cries of distress. “What’s wrong ahead?” he asked a man who was hurrying by.

“The bus crashed into the rear of a big truck,” said the man.

“Was anybody hurt?” Charlie called after him.

“Everybody, maybe,” the voice shouted back. “The bus is tipped over.”

The cripple’s eyes moistened as he swung on his way again and finally turned down a side street. From an upper window, a widowed mother listened anxiously for the tap of her boy’s crutch on the pavement. He was late tonight. Presently she caught the well-known sound and ran down to meet him.

“Oh, Charlie,” she cried, “I am so glad to see you! I was afraid that something was wrong.”

“Did you, Mother?” he replied. “Well, just wait till I tell you how our loving Father took care of me tonight. After their frugal meal Charlie told his mother of his wonderful escape from the accident, and perhaps death.

God does take care of those who trust in Him. He makes all things work together for good to those that love Him (Rom. 8:28), so that whatever comes into one’s life, whether joy or sorrow, faith can say, “It is well” (2 Kings 4:26).

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty...

“He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust.” Psalms 91:1,4.

Memory Verse: “Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.” Proverbs 8:32.

ML 11/28/1965

A Publican

Once the Lord Jesus told a crowd of Pharisees who thronged about Him that “The publicans and harlots would enter the kingdom before them.” Furthermore, among the twelve apostles there was one who had been a publican. His name was Levi, or Matthew. He was converted, and called to be a follower of the Lord Jesus, just as he sat, like the man in our picture, at the receipt of custom. Levi was so full of joy when he was brought to know Jesus that he made a great feast for Him in his house, and invited a number of “publicans and sinners” to meet with Jesus there (Luke 5:29). No doubt, he wanted to honor his wonderful Master, and he would have his friends to hear the glad tidings of salvation from His blessed lips, so that they might be saved as he had been.

Then, who has not read of Zacchaeus, the little man, who lived in Jericho (Luke 19). He wanted to see Jesus but because he was so short he climbed up a tree by the side of the road where he could get a good view of that wonderful Man. As the Lord Jesus passed along the way, He looked up and called Zacchaeus down saying, “I must abide at thy house,” and Zacchaeus received salvation that day. Zacchaeus also was a publican, and the moral change in his life was seen even before this because he told the Lord he restored four times what he had taken wrongfully from his brethren when they paid their taxes. That was a proof as the work of the Spirit of God in his soul. When the Lord Jesus is received into the heart, and owned as Lord, He by His Spirit works a wonderful change in a man’s ways.

I hope these few remarks may help you understand who the publicans were, and also what kind of people they are whom Jesus receives and saves. It isn’t those who think themselves better than others who get the blessing, but those who know and own themselves to be sinners before God, and who trust in His love and mercy for their soul’s salvation.

“This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” Luke 15:2.

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

ML 11/28/1965

Saved at the Tent

We were holding some gospel tent meetings. A young boy named Arthur, just eleven years of age, had come to the evening service. Many children were there that night. They listened attentively and sang the hymns and choruses telling of the Saviour’s love.

Though all seemed interested, they all went away home after the meeting, all except Arthur. It was getting dark and away at the back of the tent Arthur sat. The Spirit of God had shown him that he was all wrong, and though not very old, still the Word of God had said, “All have sinned,” so that included him. We read to him some scriptures and he listened very earnestly. He learned that although he was a sinner, the Lord Jesus came to save such as he.

With what joy did Arthur believe the message and hurried home to tell his parents the glad news that he was “saved.”

I met him a little while later and he seemed rather sad. He told me he had no Bible and badly wanted one. How pleased he was when we presented him with a fine new copy of the Scriptures.

Soon after we received a letter from him saying he was reading it through and writing down in a notebook all the promises he found, as he came to them.

Is the Lord Jesus your Saviour, dear young friend? If so, are you faithfully reading your Bible and seeking to serve Him?

ML 11/28/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 22:1-3

Genesis 22:1-3

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abram: and he said, Behold here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” vv. 1,2.

This is one of the great chapters of the Old Testament. It tells of the outstanding example of faith shown by Abraham ‘and it also presents a remarkable picture of the love of God in the giving of His only Son in death.

There are many “temptings” (or testings) throughout the Scriptures and numerous examples of those who through faith withstood them, as well as those who failed. But there is no testing to compare with that which is of God Himself—in a sense a special mark that God is confident of the one upon whom such a trial is placed. The experience will usually produce a twofold result—one, blessing and enriching the heart of the one who through faithful obedience suits to and meets the test; secondly, its result upon others who have knowledge of the trial and testimony and draw courage for themselves therefrom. This was the character of Abraham’s trial in the present chapter. Greatly rewarded himself after it was over, his experience and testimony has been an encouragement and help to uncounted numbers of God’s people ever since.

It has been previously noticed how God prepared Abraham for this greatest experience of his life. While it may be said the whole pattern of his walk from the time God first called him, had been part of the presentation, there was a special value to the sequence of events immediately leading up to this point. In chapter 20 the “man of faith” had to correct his mistake of trying to change circumstances through his own wisdom and planning, which had produced only humiliation and failure. But the result had been a complete turning to God and restoration. In chapter 21 Isaac, the heir of promise was born, and Abraham had to learn that he could not compromise the son of promise with the one who spoke of the old nature and activities of the flesh; following which he cast out the bondwoman and Ishmael whose presence interfered with his fully entering into the promises contained in Isaac.

“And it came to pass after these things.” Now Abraham stood wholly reliant upon God and completely free of conflicts that would interfere with communion with Him. The test here presented to him could never have been met while down in Egypt, or while in the company of Abimelech. But the test must come and it was the evidence of God’s pleasure in Abraham’s new uncompromising position that brought it forth. This test of Abraham’s faith was to have a most important aspect as a type of God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who endured the death of the cross.

It is interesting to note that this is the first time in Scripture that love is mentioned: “Take now... thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest”— type of God the Father’s love for His beloved Son. How it must have touched that old father’s heart to hear such a command and be confronted with so great a challenge.

ML 11/28/1965

The Pheasant and the Snake

Have you ever seen a hay field or forest on fire? If so, you know how wildly exciting it is. All the men living nearby go out to fight the fire, which comes rushing along at such terrific speed that sometimes houses and barns are caught in the path of the flames.

Some friends of mine told me two incidents connected with a grass fire last summer. The flames were rushing up a hill with a sound like the roar of the sea. Halfway up the hill was a clump of bushes where a hen pheasant was sitting on a nest. No one could get near the bushes because of the heat of the approaching flames, but they did all they could to make the bird leave her nest. They shouted, threw stones, struck the bushes with long sticks, but all to no purpose. The brave mother bird still sat on her precious eggs.

On swept the cruel flames and reached the bushes. Alas, poor bird—but no! Just as the fire almost touched her, she flew up with a loud cry, and so escaped just in time! The nest and eggs were burned, but she was saved.

A few minutes later one of my friends saw a snake coiled round fast asleep, just where the fire must come. He tried to wake it so that it might have a chance to escape, but in vain. It only just moved in a dazed way. It would not escape, and so perished.

There are ever so many people in the world like that poor snake. Their souls are fast asleep—perhaps having beautiful dreams—while ever nearer and nearer, like the grass fire, judgment is coming. Oh, dear readers, don’t any of you be like that! Wake up! “Flee from the wrath to come!” Escape to the Lord Jesus, the sinner’s refuge, and you will be safe forever.

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:2.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation.” Heb. 2:3.

ML 12/05/1965

The Bible

The library of St. John’s College, Maryland, contains some fifty thousand volumes, including four hundred brought from England in 1696 to found the first public library in Maryland.

Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, tells us, “Of making many books there is no end.” Eccl. 12:12.

But the authority of the written Word of God was set forth by the Lord Jesus when He spoke of Moses, “If ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?” John 5:47.

Some books are important, but none like the Book of books, the Bible, of which the Lord said: “Search the Scriptures... they are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39.

Again, “The holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Tim. 3:15,16.

Again, “The Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” 1 Peter 1:23.

Again, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” Matt. 24:35.

Study it carefully,

Think of it prayerfully,

Deep in thy heart let its pure

precepts dwell;

Slight not its history,

Ponder its mystery,

None can ere prize it too fondly or well.

Accept the glad tidings,

The warnings and chidings,

Found in this volume of heavenly love;

With faith that’s unfailing,

And love all prevailing,

Trust in its promise of life from above.

(May be sung to the tune, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”)

“The word of the Lord endureth forever.” 1 Peter 1:25.

Scripture Quotation

“Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Eph. 5:14.

ML 12/05/1965

The Big Surprise

“Jean!” called Mrs. Wright. “Put your violin away now. You must go to bed, dear.”

Jean gasped as she pulled her violin from her chin. It was more than three hours earlier than she usually went to bed. “Why, mother!” she said, “Go to bed now, it is awfully early!”

“I know, dear, but you look tired, and I want you to go to bed early tonight.”

“But, mother, I don’t feel tired, and I never go to bed this early. Besides, I promised Rosemary and Gladys to go to Young People’s Meeting with them tonight.”

“No, Jean. I want you to go to bed early, and get a good rest tonight. You have a busy day before you tomorrow.”

Jean stuck her violin into its case and slammed the lid down. Then she stamped her way upstairs.

“Nobody else’s mother is half so strict,” she thought. “Why, Mother is really mean tonight.” By the time she was ready for bed, she was crying bitterly. When mother came up to wish her “Good night,” she said, “I am sorry, darling; don’t feel sad, you will be glad tomorrow morning that I sent you to bed early tonight.”

Next thing Jean knew, someone was shaking her gently. She felt so cozy and snug that she didn’t want to wake up, but she slowly opened her eyes. Mother was standing there, looking very happy.

“Did you have a good nap, dear?”

She said kindly. “Get dressed quickly, and come downstairs. I have a big surprise for you.”

“What’s got into Mother now?” thought Jean. “Why, it’s still night.”

Then she heard a voice downstairs —a voice she loved dearly, and had not heard for a long time. She dressed quickly, and soon she was downstairs in the arms of her father who had been away so long.

“Oh, Dad, are you really home from the war?” she sobbed, all excited. “I didn’t know you were coming home. Oh Mother, you’re wonderful.”

Mrs. Wright smiled. She had known all along that her husband was to arrive at midnight. But she wanted Jean to be rested so she could really enjoy the surprise of her father’s homecoming.

Jean’s mother reminds me of the Lord Jesus. He knows what is good for us, for “The Lord is good to all.” Psa. 145:9. How often when things seem against us, He is planning a happy surprise, some rich blessing for which we will thank and praise Him. “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.” 1 Cor. 2:9. Like Jean’s mother, sometimes He lays us aside to rest awhile in order that we might enjoy our Father’s love the more.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Prov. 3:5.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:31. Have you done that?

Trust and obey;

For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus

But to trust and obey.

ML 12/05/1965

Bible Questions for December

The Children’s Class

1.“Believe the gospel.”

2.“No need of the physician.”

3.“Danger of eternal damnation.”

4.“Hear the word, and receive it.”

5.“Great things the Lord hath done.”

6.“Moved with compassion.”

7.“Whosoever shall lose his life.”

The Young People’s Class Five Words

1.By what comparison does the Apostle show the value of FIVE WORDS spoken for the benefit of others? 1 Cor. 14.

2.Select FIVE-WORDS that have been a comfort to God’s people through the years. Psa. 23.

3.What FIVE-WORDS introduced the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God? John 1.

4.What FIVE-WORDS tell us the basis of our being saved? Eph. 2.

5.What FIVE-WORDS gave the disciples the promise of peace in the Lord’s absence? John 14.

6.What FIVE-WORDS remind us how often we should find joy in the Lord? Phil. 4.

7.What FIVE-WORDS does the Lord use in telling of His coming for the Church? Rev. 22.

ML 12/05/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 22:3.

Genesis 22:3.

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and slave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.” vs. 3.

Again we are reminded of the effect of faith on behavior. How lovely Abraham’s expression when God called to him in the opening verse of this chapter, “Behold, here I am,” or, “Behold me.” The immediate response in presenting himself completely open to hear God’s words, whatever they might be, spoke of the attitude of submission that marked this faithful man after all the trials and testings of his earlier life. Would it not be a happy thing for every child of God to be found walking in such a way that without delay or the need of first correcting something in his conduct, he too could say, “Behold me” when the Lord might bring a testing? Alas, how many professing the Lord need to revise some manner of behavior if the Lord should thus speak to them! There can, of course, be no readiness or ability to obey His voice, if things unsuited to the believer’s calling stand in the way. It is most important to have a pattern of life consistent with the truth so that the Word of God will always be welcomed. Perhaps the Psalmist had a sense of this need when he said: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psa. 139:23,24.

Abraham, receiving God’s instructions, “rose up early in the morning.” It has been noticed before that it was one of the characters of this man of faith to obey God promptly and without questioning. Had he been lacking in faith the story would be entirely different, for the natural mind and heart would have questioned obedience to such a demanding instruction. What but faith and complete trust in his God could prompt such full and immediate obedience to a request that seemed to threaten every hope and promise so dearly cherished in Isaac his son?

Preparation for the journey fol. lowed. It is instructive to see an application of wisdom in those who would follow the path of faith. “Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterward build thine house.” Prov. 24:27. Timothy was told: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim. 2:15. Abraham’s preparations for his journey speak thus in type of that which is suited to all who would be obedient servants. The heart that is prepared through nearness to God will be better equipped to successfully finish the matter before him, than the one who merely has the desire to do so. Such preparation will best be provided through prayerful and continued feeding on God’s precious Word. A desire to be obedient to God is indeed commendable, but to be truly obedient calls for preparation of heart. Abraham is a lovely example of such preparedness—not only setting about to do God’s conmand, but to do it in such a careful manner that his mission would not he delayed or marred by carelessness.

Memory Verse: “I am the Lord thy God ... : for there is no saviour beside me.” Hos. 13:4.

ML 12/05/1965

Stepney's Conversion

A ship was nearing the coast of Malta, and aboard her a retired Air Force Captain was pacing the deck in the brilliant sunshine. He was quickly attracted to another passenger aboard, a man with a most extraordinary face. The officer, who was a Christian, longed for the opportunity to hear this man’s life story and to speak to him of the need of his soul and of the love of the Lord Jesus, the sinner’s Friend.

To his great joy the opportunity came a few days later, and this remarkable fellow, named Stepney, told him his story. Said he: “At twelve years of age, I was a rebellious boy and was put aboard a warship because I was unmanageable. I joined the Navy and was sent to Malta but was constantly in and out of prison. On one occasion, I got ninety days on a prison ship. At the naval base I was a champion welterweight boxer, but finally I left the Navy.

“I married a young girl and together we went on the stage. But that venture ended in failure, and we were soon homeless, wandering from town to town singing in taverns, trying to make a living. Finally we did make a comeback on the stage and after eleven years of success we became fairly wealthy. But my wife’s health was failing, and both of us began to have an intense longing to know the peace of God. We had brought laughter to thousands; yet night after night, we used to cry to God to show us the way to peace.”

It was at this particular moment that the captain found them.

“Everything in life is played out,” continued Stepney. “There is nothing lasting, nothing satisfying, everything is hopeless. Even religion is played out, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” answered the captain, “organized religion has failed; but there is just One who is not played out, and His name is the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Excited by this remark Stepney swung around and inquired: “Do you know Him?”

“Yes indeed,” replied the captain. “I have known him for twenty years.”

“Oh,” he exclaimed, “that’s who I want. For hours I have been pacing the deck saying the only prayer I know—The Lord’s Prayer—hundreds of times over. For months we have been searching for God, and even on board we have wept in our bunks. We were longing, hoping, praying. My wife has been so ill we didn’t know what to do. Now you have come, please do help us to find Him.”

For a full two hours they talked together. The captain showed Stepney the way of salvation and exclained many scriptures. Stepney knew his need, for sin had bound him fast. He knew his helplessness too, but that made things easier. The captain told him of the deep, deep love which God had toward him in spite of his sin. Then he brought bore him the death of Christ, the one and all sufficient remedy. Stepney could see his own sins pass from himself to the Saviour, as He bore them away in the darkness of that great hour. His thirsty soul drank in the life-giving words as the parched ground drinks in the refreshing rain. It was all so wonderful!

“All the work is done—finished forever,” said his friend. “All you have to do is rest on what He did for you there.”

Before they knelt in prayer, the captain read one verse, “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. And then, on his knees, Stepney trusted himself in the safe keeping of the Saviour who had sought him so long, and through his tears he thanked God for His unspeakable gift.

It was not long before his wife too had heard the good news, and so she too trusted in Christ as her Saviour. The verse which especially helped her was, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 10:17. Together they entered into the sunshine of the love of God, into the joy of full and free forgiveness, and into the satisfaction which their hearts had desired so long.

And now may this joy, this peace be yours, dear reader, by simple faith in the Lord Jesus as your awn Saviour.

ML 12/12/1965

Margie's Keeper

Little Margie lived on a farm just a little distance from town. She was often sent on errands by her mother, taking mail to the post office, or shopping in town, and always wherever she went Crusoe, the big watch dog, went along with her. Crusoe was very fond of Margie and would walk close by her side all the way. She had no fear of anyone interfering with her as long as big Crusoe was by her side, for Margie placed full confidence in her brave keeper. Even on dark nights she would come and go without the slightest fear, so strong was her trust in Crusoe’s power to protect her. This went on for seral years until Margie had grown up to be a big girl, and I shall tell you what took place then.

It was a very sad day at the farm when Margie’s father died. He was a saved man and loved the Lord Jesus; so he went to be with Him in the glory. His wife and loved ones missed him greatly, especially Margie. She had often heard her father speak about going to heaven, and of how a sinner could be made fit for that holy place. Before he died he earnestly prayed that they all might be saved and meet him there.

Now he had gone, Margie at least began to think about her soul. She loved her father so much, and it came to her one day in this way: “What if I should never see my father again? He was saved, and he has gone to be with Jesus; and I too must be saved, else I cannot go there.” Such were her thoughts and they gave her more concern day by day. Margie knew the gospel well and very often she thought she believed on Jesus; but still the fear remained, and after all she might not get to heaven.

One Sunday evening she went to hear the gospel preached. The message that night was just what she needed. The preacher showed that when once a sinner puts his trust in Jesus, he need not fear, for God will save and keep that soul secure forever. Isaiah 12:2 Says, “I will trust and not be afraid”; and David said, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” (Psa. 23.)

Margie saw it all clearly now. She used to trust herself implicitly to Crusoe coming along the road on dark nights so that she feared no evil, and surely she might trust the Lord Jesus with her soul and fear less. So it was Margie trusted herself to Jesus, and she was truly saved. Her fears and doubts were all gone now, for she knew that a mightier One than Crusoe was her Friend and Keeper, even the Lord Jesus who has said: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” Isa. 41:10.

Dear young reader, have you trusted your soul to Jesus, that wonderful Saviour?

ML 12/12/1965

My Bible and I

We’ve traveled together through life’s rugged way,

O’er land and o’er water, by night and by day;

To travel without it I never would try;

We keep close together, my Bible and I.

In sorrow I’ve proved it my comfort and joy,

When weak, my strong tower which naught can destroy;

The’ death press upon me, the thought I may die,

We still are together, my Bible and I.

If powers of evil against me should come,

And threaten to rob me of Heaven and Home,

God’s Word then directs me to Him in the sky;

And nothing can part us, my Bible and I.

When evil temptations are brought to my view,

And I, in my weakness, know not what to do,

On Christ, as my Strength I am taught to rely;

So we keep on together, my Bible and I.

When life’s path is ended; if Jesus should come

And take to Himself His dear purchased ones home,

Or if, in long-suffering He waits till I die,

We shall never be parted, my Bible and I.

And when in the glory my Lord I behold,

With all His redeemed gathered safe in the fold,

My Bible and I close companions shall be,

For God’s Word abides for eternity.

ML 12/12/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 22:4,5

Gen. 22:4,5

“Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.” vs. 4. The three days journey must have been a severe further test for Abraham. During this time he surely proved God his true and only resource for strength and courage, for there is no indication that he had thus far spoken to anyone else of the object of this journey.

Faith, indeed, is a very personal thing between the believer and God. “Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God.” Rom. 14:22. The three days journey toward the mountains must have one effect or another: Either he would sorrow over the duty before him, be perplexed and discouraged—thus turning inwardly to his own poor heart for understanding; or it would draw him nearer to God and remove the natural questioning that could only alarm and disturb him. It is apparent that his behavior was of the latter character and is at least figuratively expressed in the words, “Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw.” Dear believer, what a lesson is in all this! You too may know a trial of faith; perhaps for three days, or three years, or even a lifetime, but it is only day by day that you are called to walk in that faith and strength has been promised you for it. “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Deut. 33:25. You too, as Abraham, may not be able to share your trial or testing with others, but how loving the assurance: “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7.

Until the third day Abraham apparently did not actually know just where God wanted him to go, for the instruction had simply been, “upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” So too the end of individual faith in the believer may not immediately be seen. He may not know what will result from obedience to the Word that has exercised his conscience. Yet, like Abraham, confidence in God’s abiding goodness can be the mainstay. If faith is not allowed to waver through looking down (at circumstances), but the heart gazes upward to the source of strength, then the journey will be one of confidence and quietness, even though the old nature may say “everything is contrary to my desires.”

“And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” vs. 5. What an outstanding expression of confidence! Here was every evidence of unquestioning faith in the government of God. True it was that God had told him to offer up his son as a burnt offering and he was fully prepared to do so, yet could say to his servants: “I and the lad will come again to you.” This amazing expression will be more readily understood from a passage in Heb. 11:19 which tells us that Abraham accounted “that God was able to raise him (Isaac) up, even from the dead.” Ah yes, he could rightly conclude that God would not forget His promises in Isaac and if obedience and faith demanded sacrificing his only son, then God could, and would, raise him up again. Furthermore, he counted that God would do so immediately.

Memory Verse: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isa. 45:22.

ML 12/12/1965

A Stray Leaf

A great fire blazed merrily in the plaza of a little Brazilian town. A crowd of men, women, and children were gathered around as they watched a man tearing a book to pieces and casting it into the flames. A pile of these books lay at his side, all designed for the fire.

Only a few days before there had come to that town a young man with a winning speech and a wonderful story. He had persuaded many of them to buy these books, which according to him, contained the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ. It told them how they might be saved.

One by one the Bibles, Testaments and portions—for such they were—were torn from their covers and cast to the flames. The breeze fanned the blaze and every time a fresh handful of books was cast into the fire, a gust of wind whirled some of the scorched, blackened pages aloft. It so happened that one leaf was whirled away over the heads of the crowd, above the housetops, and fell on the outskirts of the village. It fluttered down into a quiet street, where a final puff of the breeze sent it floating in at the opened window of Dona Manuel. Dona was a devout soul, and as she read the fragment that had come to her in a remarkable way, her heart was strangely moved within her. She showed the scorched leaf from the unknown Book to her husband when he returned in the evening, and he too was deeply interested. But entirely ignorant of where it came from, he came to his wife saying, “Keep it, for it must belong to a very religious book, and some day we might find the rest of the story.”

A year passed away, and the village was again visited by a colporteur. This time he came to the street where Dona lived, and knocking at her door, offered a book for sale, telling her what it was.

“Oh come,” she exclaimed, “Are you selling good books? Perhaps you can tell me about this”—and she hurried off and brought her treasured leaf. “This seems to belong to a very religious book, and we should like to get the rest of the story. Do you know it?”

“Why, senora,” he said as he recognized the familiar page, “that belongs to the Book I am offering you; see here it is.” And he turned rapidly to the New Testament and showed her the precious leaf and its proper place. Where do you think that stray leaf had come from? It was the page containing the third chapter of John’s Gospel. She and her husband had been reading the story of the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus, and “how God so loved the world.” No wonder they wanted the rest of the story.

Gladly she bought the Testament, and when her husband came home she showed him the Book from whence their leaf had come. Together they sat down to read more of that wondrous story. Earnestly and devoutly they pored over the sacred pages until the light of the gospel shone in their hungry hearts. At last they found peace and salvation in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners. One by one the whole family came to know the Lord through the reading of the Word. As the gospel light shone forth in that town, joy, gladness and salvation was brought to many hungry hearts. They turned “to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess. 1:9,10.

Memory Verse: “Thus saith the Lord..., seek ye me, and ye shall live.” Amos 5:4.

ML 12/19/1965

From Scarlet to White

Mrs. Russell felt perplexed and troubled. She was a good mother and her family of boys and girls all loved her. However, it worried her very much to see a marked change in little Ann. School went on as usual, and Ann joined in all the games, but all the sunshine was gone from her face, and the growing unhappiness in the little girl made her mother’s heart ache.

Mrs. Russell waited, feeling sure that sooner or later Ann would come and tell her troubles. But as the weeks went by, she missed her glad laughter which always made music in the home, and noticed Ann’s face grew whiter, and her eyes bore a look of sadness.

One evening she put her arms around Ann and asked her what was wrong. For a moment Ann hesitated. “Nothing,” she replied, her lips trembling. Then she suddenly broke down and sobbed out her trouble.

“Oh, Mother, I am so miserable! I don’t suppose there ever was a wickeder girl than I am. I have asked God to forgive me but He hasn’t. I know He hasn’t.”

Lovingly, Mrs. Russell talked with Ann, and asked her if there were any special sins on her conscience. But no, it was a load of guilt which had been growing and growing all those thirteen years of her life. God’s Holy spirit had awakened her to a sense of sin.

Mrs. Russell reminded her little girl that Christ Jesus came into the-world to save sinners, and that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” She also quoted that wonderful verse: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

“Yes, I know,” sobbed Ann, “but I can’t feel my sins are forgiven, and I just go on sinning every day.”

Poor little Ann! She could not realize the loving Saviour had died to pay the debt of her sins, and was even then really offering her full pardon and cleansing, and His peace. And so the days and weeks went on.

When Mrs. Russell would say goodnight to her children in bed she never failed to speak a few words about the Lord Jesus she so truly loved herself. Every night she left a few comforting verses with Ann, and earnestly prayed that God would lead her little one to Himself.

One morning Ann came to her mother looking almost transfigured. All the misery and sorrow were gone from her eyes, and instead of grief joy and peace shone there.

“Well?” exclaimed Mrs. Russell, as Ann threw herself into her mother’s arms.

“Mother, dear, I’m so happy! The burden is gone. Jesus has taken it right away. I know at last my sins are forgiven, and oh, it is such a relief!”

“Thank God, my little girl,” said her mother. “And what has made all the difference?”

“Why, this verse,” and picking up her mother’s Bible and happily turning the pages she found Isa. 1:18. “I was so miserable, Mother, last night that I could not sleep, and when daylight came I got my Bible and began to read. Suddenly this verse stood out: ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ I did come, Mother, and the burden is gone—from scarlet to white. Mother, isn’t it wonderful?”

So together they knelt down and thanked God for His infinite love in sending this message of forgiveness and cleansing to His weary little child.

Ann has had many temptations, but she is freed forever from the burden of her sins. She knows that the cleansing of the precious blood of Christ is forever, and her Saviour becomes more precious to her as the years go by.

ML 12/19/1965

Still Unsaved?

STILL UNSAVED???

After all the Spirit’s pleading

After all God’s tender leading?

After all of Calvary’s Cross

To redeem your soul from loss:

While His grace and love abound,

Can it be that you are found

Still unsaved?

STILL UNSAVED???

Will you still refuse His pardon?

Still in sin your conscience harden?

Still reject till death o’ertakes you?

Then when every hope forsakes you,

Dare you face your God at last,

When your every chance is passed,

Still unsaved?

STILL UNSAVED???

Sinner, stop, and look before you,

See the storm-clouds gathering o’er you;

Ere they burst in judgment on you

And in endless woe o’erwhelm you,

To the Cross of Jesus fly,

Lest forever you will cry—

Still unsaved!

S.C.F.

Scripture Quotation

“I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear bore Him.” Eccl. 8:12.

ML 12/19/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 22:6-10

Gen. 22:6-10

But there was yet more to attract attention in the father’s expression, “I and the lad will go yonder and worship.” One might well inquire: How could Abraham speak of worship at such a time? Surely it was the obedient heart and resulting nearness to God that called forth worship at a time when the greatest trial of his life was before him. And furthermore, he could express that spirit of worship for his son, saying, “I and the lad will... worship.” The measure of individual response to God’s ways will be reflected in others. It is happy to see Abraham’s faith and spirit of worship thus communicated to Isaac as well.

In this stirring account of Abraham’s testing, the Holy Spirit would exercise each believer’s heart, for we are told concerning the Old Testament people: “All these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition.” 1 Cor. 10:11. The believer today may not be called upon to offer his only son, but faith will experience the divine voice in many ways of life, sometimes calling for the sacrificing of things that the heart would hold dear. The old nature would hold tight to its possessions, seeking to substitute or compromise when the Word of God awakens the conscience. Richness of blessing, however, will only be experienced when everything is undertaken in faithful, unquestioning obedience. Peace and quietness of spirit resulting therefrom, the cost of the sacrifice will not be burdensome, for the vision will be lifted up to see a better Object. May God grant more courage to His own so to walk!

“And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.” vv. 6-8. Up to this point there had been no expression from Isaac. But now his question confronts Abraham: “Where is the lamb?” A searching question indeed! What answer could the father give to the one whose life he soon expected to take? The response was an answer of faith, suited to all that had transpired since God’s instructions had first been heard: “God will provide... a lamb.”

Then soon thereafter came the moment when Isaac must be told and when he, himself, must know the test of faith. “And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.” vv. 9-10.

How it must have touched that old father’s heart to be confronted with this final moment, as he looked upon his only son whom he loved so dearly, lying there ready and willing to give his life in obedience to the instructions given him. Yet this is only a feeble expression of the much greater love of God who gave the One whom He loved from all eternity —gave Him a sacrifice for sins, “the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18.

ML 12/19/1965

Drunken Jack

In new Zealand a man stepped off the train at a flag station in the woods and trudged up the track to the small sawmill town a mile away. Arriving there, he began a door to door canvass. A rough husky man in his front garden saw the stranger and wondered what his business could be. He was soon to know.

“Good morning, friend,” called out the stranger coming up to the house.

“Who are you, and what are you after?” was the surly reply.

“I am starting gospel services in this town tomorrow evening. Will you come?”

The man known as Drunken Jack, stooped down and picked up a fence picket. Brandishing it over his head, he exclaimed: “See this picket? If you come inside this gate, I’ll knock your head off. And I’m telling you,” he added.

“God bless you,” said the stranger as he passed on his way. The gospel service was held the following night in a local hall and God blessed the message. No less than seven people answered the gospel invitation and accepted the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour.

The encouraged preacher again canvassed the district and met a Christian farmer and his family. Two of his daughters were good singers and he asked them if they would sing a gospel duet at the service. They decided to sing “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” together. On Sunday evening there was a good crowd on hand and the two sisters sang their duet with real expression. Many hearts were affected, and no less than fourteen souls surrendered to the claims of the Lord Jesus. Among them were the wife of Drunken Jack and his little daughter of eight years.

Great was the joy among the new converts as they tasted of the Saviour’s love for the first time.

It so happened that a neighbor of Jack’s had seen all that had taken place, and hurried home to tell him what had happened. Letting out a string of oaths and curses, Jack paced up and down the garden path. Soon his wife and daughter arrived. Grasping each of them with an iron grip, he rushed them both to the back of the house. Savagely he tied a rope around them, binding them both together, and in spite of the cries of his little girl, he pushed them both to the mouth of the well. Swearing that he would drown them both, he fastened them to the rope and began lowering them into the well.

“I’ll teach you to go to those meetings. Promise you won’t go again or I’ll drown both of you.”

With their feet already in the water, the brave wife replied, “No, Jack, I will not promise that. It is just as near heaven down here as it is up there, and may God forgive you. We are praying for you.”

But this only enraged the terrible man even more, and he began lowering them still further. But suddenly he stopped and let out a cry of fear and pain. What had happened?

On their way home through the woods that lovely summer evening, the two girls who had sung the gospel duet were singing over again the words of that hymn:

“Jesus, Lover of my soul,

Let me to Thy bosom fly,

While the nearer waters roll,

While the tempest still is high.

Hide me, Oh my Saviour, hide,

Till the storms of life be past;

Safe within the haven guide,

Oh, receive my soul at last.

Sharper than any two-edged sword, the words pierced the heart of the sin-maddened man by the well, and the spirit of God wrought a work that night which for all eternity will redound to the glory of God. Quickly Jack began to wind up the windlass, and when his poor wife and daughter were at the top he laid them tenderly on the ground and untied the rope that had bound them. Then, throwing himself on the ground, he cried out: “Oh God, it was my mother’s voice and my mother’s song.” Bursting into tears, he turned to his astonished wife and said, “Mary, forgive me, and pray for me, for I have heard my mother’s voice again.”

There by the well Jack knelt with his wife and little Ann. They offered a broken prayer to God to forgive his sinful past and save his soul. By the picket fence the two sisters stood spellbound at the sight they saw.

The following Sunday night the hall was filled again, this time by a curious crowd who wanted to know what had happened. Jack was there, and in due time he rose to speak. In a slow stammering tongue he said, “I have come here to acknowledge that I have lived a wicked life and that last Sunday night as a sinner I asked the Lord Jesus Christ to save me. To prove that I am sincere in what I have done I have come here tonight.” The Lord Jesus had saved Jack and all knew it.

Such is the true story of the conversion of “Drunken Jack.” His afterlife proved the reality of his faith in God. This is recorded, dear reader, that by simple faith you may come to the Saviour of sinners just as you are, and prove that He is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Tim. 1:15.

ML 12/26/1965

Was It Worth It?

Mrs. Winters had just decided to hire Janet Dunn, a young girl, to help look after her home and the three children.

“There is one other thing I should like to mention,” said Mrs. Winters, “and that is that we have a short Bible reading every morning before the day’s work begins. So please don’t forget your Bible.”

Mrs. Winters thought she noticed Janet’s lip curl ever so slightly, but she merely inclined her head, and departed.

At the first of the month Janet arrived to begin her services, but she had not brought her Bible.

“I like Mrs. Winters, she is a dear,” Janet told a friend, “but I’m afraid she’ll find my memory not too good where the Bible is concerned.” And she laughed.

Nothing was said the first morning. An extra copy of the Bible was always there, and it was passed to Janet with a smile. At the end of the week, however, Mrs. Winters said, ‘Don’t forget your Bible, will you, Janet?” And Janet murmured something hardly intelligible.

This went on for some time, and although when joking about it to others, Janet’s laugh did not ring quite so true, still the Bible was not forthcoming.

Mr. Winters, who was a poor comforter, suggested to his wife that she give up the morning reading. “They are not appreciated,” he told her. “Times have changed since our young days.”

Poor Mrs. Winters was quite dressed at times, and began to ask herself whether it was really worthwhile. Was she really doing the good she so earnestly desired and prayed for?

The next morning, as usual the Bible was handed to Janet and for the first time a queer pang seized her. Mrs. Winter’s smile was just the same—so sweet yet so sad. But—surely she looked ill?

Late that evening the ambulance arrived and rushed Mrs. Winters to the hospital where an emergency operation was immediately performed. It was all so sudden. Poor Janet broke down. “I keep on seeing the look she gave me every morning,” she confessed. “I knew it hurt her, but I thought it was clever to hold out. Oh, if anything happens!”

Anxious days followed. At first, there seemed little hope. Then gradually there came a gleam, and after long weeks of waiting, Mrs. Winters began to recover. Then Janet visited the hospital and asked if she might see the invalid. The pathetic expression in the girl’s eyes caused the matron to consent to just three mites, but those three minutes did much toward hastening Mrs. Winters’ recovery. The news her visitor brought, brought the tears to her eyes. “Oh, Janet,” she exclaimed, “do you mean to say you read your Bible every morning?”

“Yes,” replied Janet, “the rest of the staff and I take turns, and we prayed God to make you well again. We are quite sure He will.”

“And I have been praying for you, too,” said Mrs. Winters, holding Janet’s hand and drawing her closer, “that you might trust your soul’s salvation to the One who died for you.”

The three minutes was up, but Janet managed to whisper, “Your prayer has been answered, Mrs. Winters.” And she hurried away.

Mrs. Winters lay with closed eyes and heart lifted in thanksgiving to God. Then she murmured quietly: “I will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more.” Psa. 71:14.

ML 12/26/1965

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 22:11-13

Gen. 22:11-13

Our attention has been repeatedly called to the faith of Abraham, but it is a joy to also see the obedience and faith of Isaac at this time. Surely the young man could have refused his father’s command and escaped, but in full obedience he permitted the binding and placing of himself on the altar. The Spirit of God does not here otherwise turn our thoughts toward Isaac for it is the father’s love and faith that is the primary subject of this chapter—yet the obedience of the son is observed with profit and pleasure. A most beautiful expression appears too, in vs. 6 and 8: “They went both of them together.” Is it not refreshing to see the singleness of purpose and obedience in these two—a type of God the Father and the Son, with which our meditations will be engaged at more length shortly?

“And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here Amos 1 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” vv. 11-13. How welcome the voice that stopped the father’s hand ere it could fall with the blow of death on his son! And yet no exclamation of surprise or relief came from his lips as the deliverance was declared. Faith had brought Abraham and Isaac to this point and faith quietly accepted the release provided. There was absolute faith that God would restore Isaac to life again. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Heb. 11:17.

God declares in His Word that “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” Heb. 11:6. Faith is always associated with patience and the Word encourages persistence in the children of God, in spite of outward circumstances that might tend to discourage. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Heb. 10:35,36.

Had Abraham seen the ram caught in the thicket before he bound Isaac on the altar, he still would not have been at liberty to take it as an offering until God released him from his test. The believer may at times be tempted to hasten the end of faith’s test by applying some circumstance as a reward for his patience. But God will ever have His own way of concluding the test of faith and it is a happy thing to wait for Him to make it clear.

Memory Verse: “Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord...: so shall it be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.” Jer. 38:20.

ML 12/26/1965

Messages of God's Love: 1965

Table of Contents

The Soldier's Substitute

Free From the Law

Bubbles

Rajji, the Hindu Girl

Bible Questions for January

Bible Talks: Genesis 11:29-31

"Past Redemption Point"

Snow White

Margie

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 11:31,32

A Holland Girl's Love

My Favorite Text

The Hindu's Resting Place

The Saviour Bids Thee Come

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Genesis 12:1

My Birthday

Bible Boys

"Whosoever Means Me"

Gertie and May

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:1

My Anchor Holds

Little Carl's Faith

The Temple of God

Strike When It's Hot

The Lord Our Keeper

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 12:2-7

The Hymn Beneath the Window

Sowing and Reaping

The Penance Stone

Bible Questions for February

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:7

The Echo in the Wood

The Freethinker and the Countryman

Only

Jehoida Brewer

Can You Fill Your Name in Where the Dotted Lines Are?

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:8

Nellie's Love

Paul Gerhardt

"Suffer Little Children to Come unto Me"

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 12:9,10

Jean Michel

A Rich Man's Folly

Paul Gerhardt

Laki Kala

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith- Gen. 12:11-13

The Foolish Sheep

Come!

Once Too Often

Bible Questions for March

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:14,15

Little Amy's Bible

Bright Testimonies

"All ­All"

The Hermit

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:16

Her Soldier Boy

The Missionary Rabbits

How Elizabeth was Saved

Bright Testimonies

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 12:17-20

Whosoever

"That's Thee, Jim!"

"Be of Good Comfort"

Bright Testimonies

One Verse Will Do It

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 13:1-4

Ruthie's Ducklings

Ivan, the Russian Boy

Come!

"I Ought to Rejoice"

Bible Questions for April

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 13:5-13

Goodnight or Goodbye

The Young Actress

Bright Testimonies

Bible Talks: Abraham the man of faith-Genesis 13:14-18

The City Fountain

"All All"