THE PERSONAL TOUCH

BY

J. WILBUR CHAPMAN, D. D. 

CONTENTS

 FOREWORD

 I. A TESTIMONY

 II. A GENERAL PRINCIPLE

 III. A POLISHED SHAFT

 IV. STARTING RIGHT

 V. NO MAN CARED FOR MY SOUL

 VI. WINNING THE YOUNG

 VII. WINNING AND HOLDING

VIII. A PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION

 IX. WHOSOEVER WILL

 X. CONVERSION IS A MIRACLE

 XI. A FINAL WORD

_FOREWORD_

IF

If to be a Christian is worth while, then the most ordinary interest inthose with whom we come in contact should prompt us to speak to them ofChrist. 

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If the New Testament be true--and we know that it is--who has given usthe right to place the responsibility for soul-winning on othershoulders than our own?

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If they who reject Christ are in danger, is it not strange that we, whoare so sympathetic when the difficulties are physical or temporal, should apparently be so devoid of interest as to allow our friends andneighbours and kindred to come into our lives and pass out againwithout a word of invitation to accept Christ, to say nothing ofsounding a note of warning because of their peril?

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If to-day is the day of salvation, if to-morrow may never come, and iflife is equally uncertain, how can we eat, drink, and be merry whenthose who live with us, work with us, walk with us, and love us areunprepared for eternity because they are unprepared for time?

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If Jesus called His disciples to be fishers of men, who gave us theright to be satisfied with making fishing tackle or pointing the way tothe fishing banks instead of going ourselves to cast out the net untilit be filled?

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If Jesus Himself went seeking the lost, if Paul the Apostle was inagony because his kinsmen, according to the flesh, knew not Christ, whyshould we not consider it worth while to go out after the lost untilthey are found?

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If I am to stand at the judgment seat of Christ to render an accountfor the deeds done in the body, what shall I say to Him if my childrenare missing, my friends not saved, or if my employer or employee shouldmiss the way because I have been faithless?

 * * * * *

If I wish to be approved at the last, then let me remember that nointellectual superiority, no eloquence in preaching, no absorption inbusiness, no shrinking temperament, no spirit of timidity can take theplace of or be an excuse for my not making an honest, sincere, prayerfuleffort to win others to Christ by means of the _Personal Touch_. 

CHAPTER I

_A Testimony_

I have the very best of reasons for believing in the power of thepersonal touch in Christian work, especially as it may be used in thewinning of others to Christ. 

My boyhood's home was in the city of Richmond, in the State of Indiana, my mother was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and inthe first years of my life in company with my father and the otherchildren of the household, I attended the church of my mother. When shewas just a little more than thirty-five years of age she was calledhome. My father in his youth had been trained as a Presbyterian; manyof his ancestors having belonged to that denomination; therefore it wasquite natural that he should return to the Church of his fathers whenmy mother had gone home. 

It was thus I became a member of the Presbyterian Church, and my Churchtraining as a boy after fifteen years of age was in that denomination. Because of this special interest in both the Church of my father and mymother, I attended two Sunday Schools. In the morning I was in a classin the Presbyterian school and in the afternoon was a member of a classin the Grace Methodist Sunday School, my teacher in the afternoon schoolbeing Mrs C. C. Binckley, a godly woman, the wife of Senator Binckley ofIndiana, through all her life from girlhood, a devout follower of Christand a faithful teacher in the Sunday School. Not so very long ago Iheard that she was still teaching in the same school, and I am sure, asin the olden days, winning boys to Christ. 

I fear that I was a thoughtless boy, and yet the impressions made uponmy life in those days by the death of my mother, the teaching of myfather, and the influence of my Sunday School teacher, were such that Ihave never been able to get away from them. 

One Sunday afternoon a stranger came to address our school--his name Ihave never learned; I would give much to find it out. At the close ofhis address he made an appeal to the scholars to stand and confessChrist. I think every boy in my class rose to his feet with theexception of myself. I found myself reasoning thus: Why should I rise, my mother was a saint; my father is one of the truest men I know; myhome teaching has been all that a boy could have; I know about Christand think I realise His power to save. 

While I was thus reasoning, my Sunday School teacher, with tears in hereyes, leaned around back of the other boys and looking straight at me, as I turned towards her she said, "Would it not be best for you torise?" And when she saw that I still hesitated, she put her hand undermy elbow and lifted me just a little bit, and I stood upon my feet. Ican never describe my emotions. I do not know that that was the time ofmy conversion, but I do know that it was the day when one of the mostprofound impressions of my life was made upon me. Through all theseyears I have never forgotten it, and it was my Sunday School teacherwho influenced me thus to take the stand--it was her personal touchthat gave me courage to rise before the school and confess my Saviour. 

In the good providence of God, during my student days, as well asduring the first years of my ministry, I was thrown in contact with menwho knew God, who were being marvellously used by Him, and who seemedready and willing to give assistance to one who was just beginning thejourney of life with all its struggles and conflicts ahead of him. 

When I was a student attending Lake Forest University, not far fromChicago, I was very greatly troubled about the matter of assurance. Iheard that Mr Moody was to be in Chicago, and in company with a friendI went in from Lake Forest to hear him. Five times in a single day Isat at his feet and drank in the words which fell from his lips. Hethrilled me through and through. I heard him preach his great sermon on"Sowing and Reaping, " when old Farwell Hall was crowded with young menmany of whom were students like myself. 

The impression that Mr Moody made upon me as a Christian young man, wasthat I myself was not absolutely sure I was saved. I analysed myexperience and found that sometimes I was more than sure and at othertimes dwelt in Doubting Castle. When the great evangelist called for anafter-meeting, I was one of the first to enter the room where he hadindicated he would meet those who were interested, and to my great joyhe came and sat down beside me. He asked me my difficulty and I toldhim I was not quite sure that I was saved. He asked me to read John v. 24, and trembling with emotion I read: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hatheverlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passedfrom death unto life. "

He said to me, "Do you believe this?" I said, "Certainly. " He said, "Are you a Christian?" and I replied, "Sometimes I think I am, andagain I am fearful. " Then he said, "Read it again. " And I read it oncemore. His question was again repeated, and I answered it in the samemanner as before. Then he seemed to lose his patience, and the onlytime I can remember Mr Moody being sharp with me was when he turnedupon me and said, "Whom are you doubting?" And suddenly it dawned uponme that I was doubting Him who said I was possessed of everlasting lifebecause I believed on the Son and on the Father who had sent Him, andin spite of this possession and His sure Word of promise concerning it, I was sceptical. But as I sat there beside him I saw it all. Then hesaid, "Read it again. " And I read it the third time, and talking to meas gently as a mother would to her child he said, "Do you believe this?"I said, "Yes, indeed I do. " Then he said, "Are you a Christian?" And Ianswered, "Yes, Mr Moody, I am. " From that day to this I have neverquestioned my acceptance with God. 

For some reason Mr Moody always seemed to keep me in mind. He came intomy church in the early days of my ministry, told me where he thought Iwas wrong and suggested how I might be more greatly used of God. Headvised me to give my time wholly to evangelistic work, and when I saidto him one day that I was going to take up the pastorate after threeyears of experience in general evangelism, he seemed disturbed. To himmore than to any other man, I owe the greatest blessing that ever cameinto my life. 

Through Mr Moody I met the Rev F. B. Meyer, and one sentence which heused at Northfield changed my ministry. He said, "If you are notwilling to give up everything for Christ, are you willing to be madewilling?" That seemed like a new star in the sky of my life, and one dayacting upon his suggestion, after having carefully studied the passagesin the New Testament which relate to surrender and to consecration, Igave myself anew to Christ and I shall never be able to express in wordsmy appreciation of what this man of God to whom I have referred, did forme by personal influence. 

All along the way I have been brought in contact with men whom God hassignally blessed, and I am persuaded that there are many to-day whosehearts are hungering for a blessing, who are waiting as I was myself, for someone to speak to them personally, and help them out of darknessinto light; out of a certain kind of bondage into a glorious freedom. The personal touch in Christian work, to me, means everything. 

CHAPTER II

_A General Principle_

I have been amazed in my study of the biographies of men and women whohave been specially used of God, to see how almost universal is therule that they have come to Christ, or to an experience of power, through the personal influence of a friend or acquaintance. Preachingis not enough, it is sometimes too general; the impressions of a songmay soon be effaced, but the personal touch, the tear in the eye, thepathos in the voice, the concern which is manifested in the veryexpression of one's countenance; these are used with great effect, andthousands of people are to-day in the Kingdom of God, or in specialservice, because of such influences being brought to bear upon theirlives. 

John Wesley is a notable illustration of the influence of the personaltouch. Peter Bohler of the Moravian Church, came into his life when hewas in sore need of just such assistance as he seemed able to give. DrW. H. Fitchett of Australia, writes:--

"The Moravians of Savannah taught him exactly what Peter Bohler taughthim afterwards in London, but the teaching at the moment left his lifeunaffected. Wesley's own explanation is, 'I understood it not; I wastoo learned and too wise, so that it seemed foolishness unto me; and Icontinued preaching, and following after, and trusting in thatrighteousness whereby no flesh can be justified. '

"The truth is that Peter Bohler himself, had he met Wesley in Savannah, would have taught him in vain. The stubborn Sacramentarian and HighChurchman had to be scourged, by the sharp discipline of failure, outof that subtlest and deadliest form of pride, the pride that imaginesthat the secret of salvation lies, or can lie, within the circle ofpurely human effort. Wesley later describes Peter Bohler as 'One whomGod prepared for me. ' But God in the toilsome and humiliatingexperiences of Georgia, was preparing Wesley for Peter Bohler. "

Bohler described Wesley as "a man of good principles, who did notproperly believe on the Saviour, and was willing to be taught. " Lateron, in the city of London, where Wesley had been intimately associatedwith Peter Bohler and had come directly under his influence, he onenight attended a religious service in Aldersgate Street, where the oneconducting the service was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle tothe Romans. The effect of that service upon Wesley is best told in hisown words. 

"About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change whichGod works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heartstrangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for mysalvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away mysins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. I began topray with all my might for those who had in a more special mannerdespitefully used me and persecuted me. I then testified openly to allthere what I now first felt in my heart. But it was not long before theenemy suggested, 'This cannot be faith; for where is thy joy?' Then wasI taught that peace and victory over sin are essential to faith in theCaptain of our salvation; but that, as to the transports of joy thatusually attend the beginning of it, especially in those who havemourned deeply, God sometimes giveth, sometimes withholdeth, themaccording to the counsels of His own will. "

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, in speaking of his own early experiences, writes thus: "When I was a young child staying with my grandfather, there came to preach in the village Mr Knill, who had been amissionary at St Petersburgh, and a mighty preacher of the gospel. Hecame to preach for the London Missionary Society, and arrived on theSaturday at the manse. He was a great soul winner, and he soon spiedout the boy. He said to me, 'where do you sleep? for I want to call youup in the morning. ' I showed him my little room. At six o'clock hecalled me up, and we went into the arbour. There, in the sweetest way, he told me of the love of Jesus and of the blessedness of trusting inHim and loving Him in our childhood. With many a story he preachedChrist to me, and told me how good God had been to him, and then heprayed that I might know the Lord and serve Him. 

"He knelt down in the arbour and prayed for me with his arms about myneck. He did not seem content unless I kept with him in the intervalbetween the services, and he heard my childish talk with patient love. On Monday morning he did as on the Sabbath, and again on Tuesday. Threetimes he taught me and prayed with me, and before he had to leave, mygrandfather had come back from the place where he had gone to preach, and all the family were gathered to morning prayer. Then, in thepresence of them all, Mr Knill took me on his knee and said, 'Thischild will one day preach the gospel, and he will preach it to greatmultitudes. I am persuaded that he will preach in the chapel of RowlandHill, where (I think he said) I am now the minister. ' He spoke verysolemnly, and called upon all present to witness what he said. "

D. L. Moody was thus won to Christ. His Sunday School teacher in Bostonwas Mr E. D. Kimball. He was not one of the ordinary type of SundaySchool teachers. Mere literal instruction on Sunday did not satisfy hisideal of the teacher's duty. He knew his boys, and if he knew them, itwas because he studied them, because he became acquainted with theiroccupations and aims, visiting them during the week. It was his custom, moreover, to find opportunity to give to his boys an opportunity to usehis experience in seeking the better things of the Spirit. The day camewhen he resolved to speak to young Moody about Christ, and about hissoul. 

"I started down to Holton's shoe store, " says Mr Kimball. "When I wasnearly there, I began to wonder whether I ought to go just then, duringbusiness hours. And I thought maybe my mission might embarrass the boy, that when I went away the other clerks might ask who I was, and whenthey learned might taunt Moody and ask if I was trying to make a goodboy out of him. While I was pondering over it all, I passed the storewithout noticing it. Then when I found I had gone by the door, Idetermined to make a dash for it and have it over at once. I foundMoody in the back part of the store wrapping up shoes in paper andputting them on shelves. I went up to him and put my hand on hisshoulder, and as I leaned over I placed my foot upon a shoe box. Then Imade my plea, and I feel that it was really a very weak one. I don'tknow just what words I used, nor could Mr Moody tell. I simply told himof Christ's love for him and the love Christ wanted in return. That wasall there was of it. I think Mr Moody said afterwards that there weretears in my eyes. It seemed that the young man was just ready for thelight that then broke upon him, for there at once in the back of thatshoe store in Boston the future great evangelist gave himself and hislife to Christ. "

Many years afterward Mr Moody himself told the story of that day. "WhenI was in Boston, " he said, "I used to attend a Sunday School class, andone day, I recollect, my teacher came around behind the counter of theshop I was at work in, and put his hand upon my shoulder, and talked tome about Christ and my soul. I had not felt that I had a soul tillthen. I said to myself. This is a very strange thing. Here is a man whonever saw me till lately, and he is weeping over my sins, and I nevershed a tear about them. But, I understand it now, and know what it isto have a passion for men's souls and weep over their sins. I don'tremember what he said, but I can feel the power of that man's hand onmy shoulder to-night. It was not long after that I was brought into theKingdom of God. "

The personal touch is necessary. It is not so much what we say, as theway we say it, and indeed, it is not so much what we say and the way wesay it, as what we are, that counts in personal work. We cannot delegatethis work to others. God has called the evangelist to a certain missionin soul winning. He has given ministers the privilege of winning many toChrist. Mission workers, generally, are charged with the responsibilityfor this special work. But this fact cannot relieve the parents, thechildren, the husband, the wife, the friends, the business man, thetoiler in the shop, from personal responsibility in the matter ofattempting to win others to the Saviour. 

CHAPTER III

_A Polished Shaft_

"He hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me, "Isaiah xlix. 2. [1] Personal preparation is essential to the best successin personal work. No familiarity with the methods of other workers; nodistinction among men because of past favours of either God or men; nopast success in the line of special effort; no amount of intellectualequipment and no reputation for cleverness in the estimation of yourfellowmen will take the place of individual soul culture, if you are tobe used of God. 

[Footnote 1: Suggested by Dr Charles Cuthbert Hall. ]

 Thou must be true thyself, If thou the truth would teach; It takes the overflow of heart To give the lips full speech. 

The words of Isaiah the Prophet literally refer to Him who was theservant of Jehovah. He was God's prepared blessing to a waiting andneedy people. He came from the bosom of the Father that He might lift alost and ruined race to God. And swifter than an arrow speeds from thehand of the archer when the string of the bow is drawn back, He came todo the will of God. In the Epistle to the Hebrews we find Him saying, "Lo I come, in the volume of the Book it is written of me I delight todo thy will. " This was the spirit of all His earthly life. When He washungry and sent His disciples to buy meat, He found it unnecessary topartake of the food they brought to Him, saying, "My meat is to do thewill of him that sent me. " And when He came to the garden of Gethsemane, well on to the climax of His sacrificial life, we hear Him saying again, "Not my will, but Thine be done. " In such a completely surrendered lifewe have a perfect representation of the prepared Christian worker. 

In the expression of Isaiah we have also the thought of His anguish. "He was made a polished shaft. " In these days when there is a dispositionto place Jesus upon the level with others who have wrought for the goodof humanity, it is well to remember that He is the Lamb slain from thefoundation of the world. There is also the thought of the beauty of Hischaracter, for He is a "polished shaft, " "chiefest among ten thousand, "and "the One altogether lovely. " He is "the lily of the valley" forfragrance, and "the rose of Sharon" for beauty, and thus prepared Hestands before us beckoning us on to a work which is indescribable in itsfascination. Calling His disciples He said, "I will make you fishers ofmen. " The same promise is made to us. Working His miracles He said tothose about Him, "Greater works than these shall ye do. " We have onlyto follow in His footsteps and walk sufficiently near to hear Hisfaintest whisper when He directs us to be, in the truest sense of theword, successful personal workers. 

It is a great encouragement to hear Him say, "As the Father hath sentme, even so send I you. " The shaft mentioned by Isaiah is an arrowprepared with all care. The quiver in which this arrow is placed iscarried on the left side of the archer, placed upon the string of thebow, the archer drawing back the string adds to the elasticity of bowand string his own strength, and the shaft is off to do the archer'swill. There is in this story an illustration for all Christian workers. Fitness for service lies first of all in divine endowment. God hasgiven to each one of us special and peculiar qualifications. If we liveas we ought to live, exercising the gift that is in us; the painter maypaint for His glory; the poet may sing and speak of Him; the preachermay preach and declare His righteousness, and should we live in lessconspicuous spheres than these, we have only to do our best with thatwith which He has endowed us and our lives will be pleasing to Him. 

It lies also in the divine call. The shaft was made for a specialpurpose. We have been created to do His will. The possession of poweris not enough; talents unused will rise at the Judgment Seat to rebukeus. God gives us ability and then calls us forth into the field that wemay exercise it. Fitness for service also lies in the response to God'swill. The possession of power and the call of God may both be realisedand we may still fail. It is when we say "I will, " to God that humanweakness is linked to divine strength and then a great service ispossible. 

Life is not drudgery, it is an inspiration. 

 "Let me but do my work from day to day, In field or forest, at desk or loom; When vagrant wishes beckon me away, Let me but find it in my heart to say, This is my work, my blessing not my doom; Of all who live I am the only one by whom This work can best be done. "

The word of the Prophet Isaiah is a picture of the child of God, aswell as of Him who is our inspiration for service. There is the thoughtof definiteness of use in the shaft. Other articles may be created fora variety of purposes. This shaft is made to go at the owner's will. There is only one way to live in this world and that is according tothe will of God and for His glory. 

 It matters little where I was born, Or if my parents were rich or poor; Whether they shrank from the cold world's scorn, Or walked in the pride of wealth secure; But whether I live a surrendered man, And hold my integrity firm in my clutch, I tell you, my brother, as plain as I can, It matters much!

 It matters little where be my grave, Or on the land or on the sea. By purling brook, or 'neath stormy wave, It matters little or nought to me; But whether the angel of death comes down And marks my brow with his loving touch, And one that shall wear the victor's crown, It matters much!

There is also in this picture of the shaft the thought of directedmotion. The aim is everything. The arrow cannot aim itself. There is nosuch thing as an aimless life. Our energies are either being directedfor Christ or against Him; in the interests of humanity or contrary tothem. Every child of God must reach the place where he will say, Not mywill, but Thine, O God, be done; not my path but Thine, O Christ, betravelled; not my ambitions realized but Thine own purposes in mefulfilled, my Heavenly Father. The progress of such a life is peace, the consummation of it the most perfect victory. 

 When I am dying how glad I shall be That the lamp of my life has been blazed out for Thee. I shall be glad in whatever I gave, Labour, or money, one sinner to save;

 I shall not mind that the path has been rough, That Thy dear feet led the way is enough. When I am dying how glad I shall be, That the lamp of my life has been blazed out for Thee. 

In the picture of the archer and his arrow, there is an illustration ofderived energy. The arrow placed upon the string and drawn back by thearcher speeds away to do the master's will. It has no power in itself;it flies forward in the master's strength. God is always seeking anoutlet for His power along the line of service. It is when our livesare surrendered to Him that victory is possible. A friend of mine tookfor his year text the expression "I believe, and I belong. " We mightwell add, "I live and I love, " and because I do both I will obey. OleBull once played his violin in the presence of a company of Universitystudents. He charmed them, they knew at once that they were in thepresence of a master. When he was finished playing, one who was presentsaid to him, "What is the secret of your power, have you a special bow, or is it in the instrument you use?" Ole Bull responded, "I think it isin neither, but it has always seemed to me that I had power in playingbecause I waited to play until I had an inspiration, when my soul wasoverflowing with music and I could not stay the torrent that was backof me; it is then that I take my violin and the music flows forth. " Ifwe were always passive in the hands of the Master He would show forthin and through us His marvellous grace and power. 

The polishing of the shaft is always necessary. God uses all ourexperiences to equip us for life. Parental influence; the power ofprayer as offered in our behalf by others; the education given us inthe schools; the disappointments of life which seem almost to crush us;the sorrows which are indescribable; all these are like the touch of amaster's hand, and forth from such a school and such a training weought to come prepared to do the will of God. 

The arrow was carried in the quiver and the quiver was near to themaster's side. Nearness to God is essential if we are to be used ofGod. He chooses the vessel nearest His hand. This has always been true. The apostles, martyrs, missionaries, and saints who have finished theirwork and have gone on before, as well as those who live to-day, provethe statement that we must be in closest relationship with Christ if weare to be entrusted with the gift of power. It is when we are in thesecret place of the Most High that we learn God's will concerning us. Many people do not know God's will because they live too much in thebustle and confusion of life. God speaks His best messages to us inwhispers, not in thunder tones, and we must be still to know that He isGod and study to be quiet that we may go forth from quietness to conquer. The practice of the quiet hour is the secret of many a soul's victoriousservice. 

 Shut in with God alone, I spend the quiet hour; His mercy and His love I own, And seek His saving power

 Shut in with God alone; In meditation sweet, My spirit waits before the throne, Bowed low at Jesus' feet. 

 Shut in with God alone; I praise His holy name, Who gave the Saviour to atone For all my sin and shame. 

 Shut in with God alone; And yet I have no fear, I rest beneath the cleansing blood, And perfect love is here. 

CHAPTER IV

_Starting Right_

"Every one over against his house, " Nehemiah iii. 28. The first part ofthe Book of Nehemiah gives us a striking picture of destruction, and aswe look about us we see a city in ruins: the walls are down; the homeshave been destroyed; the people are in despair, so great is thedesolation that even the temple has been defaced. When the tidingsconcerning the havoc which has been wrought in the city of Jerusalemreached Nehemiah he was well nigh heart-broken. Speaking about thestory that had been brought to him he said, "And they said unto me, Theremnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are ingreat affliction and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem also is brokendown, and the gates thereof are burned with fire, " Nehemiah i. 3. Whenhe reaches the city of Jerusalem he goes about to view the ruins, andhe thus describes his journey: "So I came to Jerusalem and was therethree days. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good uponme; as also the king's words that He had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for thisgood work, " Nehemiah ii. 11 and 18. 

This picture of despair as seen in the olden days in Jerusalem is almostif not altogether being repeated to-day. The case is really desperate. The need of Divine help in the re-construction of human lives has neverbeen greater. Hosts of men find the following testimony a descriptionof their own experience. It is a young university man who is speaking, and before a great crowd of people he says:--

"Probably nine out of every ten of you men standing in front of me knowwho I am and know my family well. You will no doubt be surprised tohear of the awful experiences through which I have gone during the pastsix months. Just six months ago, as most of you know, I was an activeChristian worker, and there are many of you in front of me who asrecently as last July sat and heard me preach. During the last sixmonths trouble came upon me, and in a weak moment, losing faith in God, I took to drink, and sank as low as it is possible for any man to sink. Not even the prodigal in the parable could have fallen lower than Idid. Disowned by my mother; cast aside by my brother and sisters;despised by the members and officers of the church to which I belongedand in which I preached, I was in every respect an outcast. Just beforeChristmas, whilst tramping on the road, I actually took the shirt offmy back to sell it for drink, so miserable was I. My nights I spent inthe open fields, waking in the morning covered with frost. Somethingseemed to compel me to attend the meetings in this city. I attendednight after night, and although the singing and the address had awonderful effect upon me, I kept struggling against the working of theSpirit, until the singing of the chorus "I am Included, " brought hometo me as never before, the fact that even I, wretched outcast that Iwas, had not gone too far. I then and there made up my mind to acceptthe promise of John iii. 16. From that time I have realized, as neverbefore, that Christ went to Calvary not so much for the world, as Hedid for me. And I intend to devote the rest of my life to winning soulsfor Him. "

There is surely cause for great alarm because of the present conditionof affairs, and for the following reasons: Home life is not what itused to be. In the olden times the home was a harbour into whichtempest-tossed souls came day after day, and thus protected, had timeto regain lost strength and go forth again to battle with the storm. Itwas once true that fathers were priests in their own households andmothers were saints. The best memory that some of us have is that whichcentres in a home where love ruled and reigned; where Christ washonoured; where the Bible was read, explained and loved, and where thevery atmosphere was like heaven. In many instances to-day this ismissing and he is to be pitied who has not such a memory as this, andsuch an influence for good in his life. The family altar in too manyhouseholds has been broken down or given up. "What led you to Christ?"was the question asked of a distinguished Christian worker. And theanswer quickly given was, "My father's prayers at the family altar. They followed me through my manhood and compelled me eventually toaccept Christ. " When the family altar is gone from a home, it is likethe taking away of a strong foundation from a building or depriving thearch of its keystone. Better sacrifice everything than this spirit andpractice of prayer in the home. 

It is barely possible that because of conditions family prayers may notbe conducted to-day as in other days, but there is at least time for averse of scripture and a prayer out of a full heart, and the influenceof even so brief a service will keep the members of the household frommany a failure. 

Church attendance is not what it once was. The old-fashioned family pewis a thing of the past in too many cases. In other days the father, themother, and the children attended divine worship in the house of God. They sang the hymns of the church together; they worshipped God withthe same spirit of devotion; they listened to the minister's preachingand they came forth from such a service clothed with a power that madethem able to stand against the mightiest influences for evil. Becausethe family pew is out of date many boys are wandering, and many girlshave gone astray. 

With the beginning of the fourth chapter of Nehemiah there is a changein the story as told by the Prophet. There is a ring of triumph when heannounces: "So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined togetherunto the half thereof; for the people had a mind to work, " Nehemiahiv. 6. And the completeness of his work is described when he says: "Nowit came to pass when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed . .. "Nehemiah vii. 1. I am sure it is quite true that out from all thedespair which sometimes appals us, we shall come into the same completevictory. But if we are to win others to Christ and if our work is to bea work of prevention, so that our children shall not go astray and ourfriends may not wander, then it will be essential that we should, likeNehemiah of old, begin to build everyone over against his own house. Itis a sad thing to find so many people in the world who are a publicsuccess and a private failure. Great superintendents of Sunday Schools, and poor fathers; experienced Sunday School teachers, and inconsistentin their own homes; eloquent preachers and poor illustrations of thespirit of Jesus; famed for piety as revealed to the public eye andquite as famed for lack of piety, when living out of the lime light, inthe common round of daily duties with those who know us best and oughtto speak of us most highly. 

If our work is to be as God would have it where shall it begin? By allmeans let it begin with ourselves. There is a text of Scripture whichevery Christian must say over and over. He might begin the day with itand it might not be amiss for him to say it over before he closes hiseyes in sleep. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know mythoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, " Psalm cxxxix. 23, 24. It is quite unnecessary to study the methods of men if we cannotbear the test of God's searching eye. 

We must be right in our own homes. In a meeting conducted recently inWales a gentleman rose to say: "I came to the meeting on Fridayafternoon and made a covenant with God that I would speak to someoneabout Christ. It laid so hold of my heart that I went home and spoke tomy little girl. I asked her if she loved the Lord Jesus Christ, and shesaid, 'Yes, I do. ' I said, 'Will you accept Jesus as your personalSaviour?' 'Yes, I am willing to' she said. I went to the steel works, and had been praying that God would use me. I asked the young man withwhom I was working if he were a Christian. He looked black at me, but Iasked him to be honest before God. In a moment his face changed as hesaid without hesitation, 'I will accept Jesus as my Saviour now. '

"I was working during the night, and it came to food time, so I askedseveral of the men if they would come into the smith shop and have aword of prayer. There was a young man there whose little boy I hadspoken to. This young man came to me at three o'clock in the morning totell me that he would accept Jesus as his personal Saviour. I askedsome of the men if they would come up to my house and have a littleprayer meeting after work, at six o'clock in the morning. They came upand I spoke to them, quoting the texts John iii. 16 and John v. 24. Some of the men present were not saved. I asked them if they reallyunderstood the Scriptures, and they told me they did. 'Now, ' I said, 'will you not accept Jesus as your personal Saviour?' and one who wasin the smith shop told me that he had definitely given himself to Godat three o'clock that morning. Then I asked a boy of fifteen if heunderstood the words. 'Yes, ' he said, so I asked him if he would notaccept Christ. 'Yes' he replied, 'I will. ' The following night I spoketo another in the works, concerning his soul, and asked him if he hadfully surrendered, because I knew he was in trouble. About one o'clockI spoke to him and said, 'Will you give yourself to the Lord now?''No, ' he said, 'not now. ' 'Well, ' I said, 'come to the smith shop atfood time and have a word of prayer. ' After food time he came out, andstarted again at his work. Presently he came across to me. 'Well, ' Isaid, 'have you fully surrendered?' 'Yes, Tom, ' he said, 'I have givenmyself to Christ, now. '"

Beginning in the home it is quite easy to go out into a wider circleand serve. The tendency, however, is to begin in some public place, andoftentimes because of this we fail to win those who work by our side, who sit with us at our own table and who live with us day after day andfor whom we are specially responsible. It will also be necessary for usto enlarge the circle and reach the people in our own places of business. Two business men journeyed into a New England city together for twentyyears. One of them was a Christian, the other was not. They were bothdying the same day, and the man who was not a Christian when he heardthat his friend was dying, had a right to say to his wife, as he did, "It is a strange thing that my friend and I have known each other sowell, and love each other so dearly, that he has allowed me to come tothis day without a warning. "

A business man rose in a meeting to say, "I have been greatly concernedabout one young man who works in my office. I asked him if he would notcome to the office a little earlier this morning. When he came and wewere alone I asked him if he knew why I had got him to come a littleearlier. When he told me that he did not, I said to him 'I am aChristian, I have never spoken to you about Christ and I have asked youto come this morning that I might explain the way to you and urge youto take your stand for Him. ' That morning I had the great joy ofleading my employee to Christ. I gave him a little pocket Testament inwhich I wrote his name, and under his name I wrote this Scripture, 'Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee, ' and after that Isigned my name. Three days later, " said the business man, "the youngman of whom I speak, led three others to Christ, one of them was thehead book-keeper in my office. "

If we are to be successful soul winners it is essential not only thatwe should get right with God but that we should keep right with Him. There must be a quick confession of sin and a quick turning away fromall that would work against Christ. Our friends with whom we live andlabour are keen critics, and as a rule, just ones. They know when weare wrong and nothing so hinders a testimony as to allow a wrong to gounrighted. When before our own households and with those who know usbest, and by whose side we toil, in shop, or store, or office, or withthose whom we employ, we keep ourselves unspotted from the world, wehave an unanswerable argument for Christ and a testimony as regards thevalue of following Him which cannot be gainsayed. 

CHAPTER V

_No Man cared for my Soul_

"No man cared for my soul, " Psalm cxlii. 4. All about us people aresaying these words, and they really think we do not care. I believethere has never been a story of a man in which was found more contrastthan in this account of the man who sobs out the words, "No man caredfor my soul. " He is a shepherd boy, then a king, a saint, writing thetwenty-third Psalm, then suddenly turned into a sinner blackening thepages of the Old Testament with the story of his transgressions. Theworld has not had better poetry than that which came from the heart andbrain of this marvellous man. In addition to all this, he is a musician, and all through the Psalms he is keeping time to heaven's music until, when he comes to the close of the Psalter, he stands like the leader ofa mighty chorus, and calls upon every living breathing being to praisethe Lord. He is a pursuer of men, and the hosts of the enemy run andcry and flee before him. 

Suddenly the scene is changed. He is himself pursued. He is in the caveof Engedi. The cave is dark, and it is in the gloom that we hear himcrying out, "I looked upon my right hand and beheld, but there was noman that would know me: refuge failed me. " And as he said this I thinkhe must have said, with a sob, "No man cared for my soul. " But it isnot my intention so much to tell the story of this man whose life wasso filled with contrasts, but rather to speak of those who live to-day, and who think they have a right to use the same words as the Psalmist, "No man cared for my soul. "

They walk on the streets of our cities; they live in our homes; theymeet us in our places of business; they are members of our circle offriends; they know that we are Christians, and they are often thinkingor saying, "No man cared for my soul. " It is strange that we shouldpermit this, because we read in the Bible, "He that believeth not iscondemned already. " "He that hath not the Son of God hath not life, butthe wrath of God abideth on him. " It seems strange that one could sayhe believes the Bible to be true; that he accepts these statementsconcerning the one who is not a Christian, and yet lives and works andassociates with him and never speaks to him about the salvation of hissoul. 

It would seem as if they at least had a right to say, "No man _seems_to care. " But some may say, "They have the Church, and the doors arewide open; they have the minister, and his message is faithful. " Yet, the average man who sits in church and listens to the most impassionedappeal of the preacher, rarely considers the sermon personal. He findshimself saying, sometimes against his will, that the preacher isprofessional, that his plea is perfunctory, and so he goes out ofchurch and says again, "No man _seems_ to care for my soul. "

There came into my church in an Eastern city a man who worshipped withus for a time. His family were in the mountains. I made it a rule neverto allow one to attend the church that I did not speak to him personally. One day I called on this business man. He took me into his privateoffice. When I took him by the hand I said, "I have come to ask you tobe a Christian. " He looked at me in amazement; and I said, "I am notasking you to join my church, that may not be the church of your choice, but I am asking you to be a Christian. " He drew his hand out of mine, walked away to the window, and stood looking down upon the busy streetfor fully five minutes. I thought I had offended him. Then he came back, and, brushing the tears out of his eyes, he took my hand again and said, "It is the first invitation to be a Christian I have ever had in all mylife. Nobody ever asked me before. My mother never asked me; my wifehas never asked me; no minister has ever asked me. " Then, sinking backinto the chair by his table, he used the words which are almost identicalwith the words of David, "I thought no one cared. "

Such men are all around us; men in deepest need; men with sore achinghearts. There was a man in an American city who occupied a highposition among men. He took his own life. Under the stress of politicalexcitement he misappropriated the funds of the bank, thinking he couldrepay them, and in his beautiful home he put the revolver to his templeand shot himself. The saddest letter I have ever seen was written bythat man. He wrote to his wife asking her forgiveness. He told her topray for the children whom he had dishonoured. Then he concluded hisfarewell letter with this statement: "Through all the months I havebeen wishing somebody would speak to me about becoming a Christian. " Inthe light of such facts I believe that what we need in these days isnot so much, more men to preach--although that would be a greatblessing--as people in the church who will be absolutely consistent. Ifthey say they believe God's Word to be true, they must speak to thoseover whom they have an influence, about the personal acceptance ofChrist. 

I was waiting one day outside the office of the Governor of one theWestern States, and while I waited, the Lieutenant-Governor spoke tome. He said, "I was in your service last night, and I want to takeissue with you on what you said. You told your hearers to go up anddown the streets asking the people to become Christians. I think ifanyone should come into my office and ask me to become a Christian Ishould tell him to go about his business. " "You surely misunderstoodme, " I said; "what I told them was this, that if a business man was nota Christian, his friend who is a Christian ought to speak to him kindlyabout his soul. " I had been introduced to the Lieutenant-Governor byone of the great politicians of the State, who was a sincere Christian, and I said, "Suppose our mutual friend here should come to you and say, 'I am a Christian. I think it is the best thing for a man to be aChristian. I am not always what I would like to be myself, but I shouldlike to invite you to become a Christian. ' Then suppose he should tellyou what a strength and help it had been to him, what would you say tohim?" He looked at me for a moment, and said, "I think I should say'Thank you. '" I am sure thousands could be won to Jesus Christ if themembers of the Church were consistent in the matter of living in Christand giving an invitation to people to become acquainted with Him. 

It is not fair to charge the minister with being professional, nor tosay that in his appeal he is perfunctory. Nor is it always just tocriticize those who are in the church, for not speaking to the unsaved, for there may be an explanation. Sometimes we feel a sense of our ownunworthiness. There are business men who know that if they should speakto their employees, the first speech would have to be a confession offailure. There are women who know that if they should go to theirhusbands or children, and ask them to come to Christ, they would havefirst of all to say, "You must forgive my inconsistency. " There arefathers who know that they could not go to their homes and call theirchildren around them, and bid them come to Christ without first saying, "You must forgive your father. " But if a confession is necessary, thenmake it. It is sometimes a sense of unworthiness that seals one's lips, but remember if you have a friend who is not a Christian, and to whomyou have never spoken of Christ, your friend counts you inconsistentbecause of your failure. 

I said to the officers in my church one evening, "How many of you haveever led a soul to Christ?" About half of them said they never had. Oneofficer said, "That is a sharp question for me. If you will excuse me Iwill go home and speak to my children, to-night. " He did so, and Ireceived two of his sons into the church shortly after. 

Again, we seem to have failed to warn our friends because we have sucha slight conception of the meaning of the word "Lost. " A mother inChicago one day carried her little baby over to the doctor, and said, "Doctor, look into this baby's eyes, something has gone wrong withthem. " The doctor took the little child and held it in his arms so thatthe light would strike its face, He gazed at it only for a moment, then, putting it back into its mother's arms, he shook his head, andthe mother said quickly, "Doctor, what is it?" And he said, "Madam, your baby is going blind. There is no power in this world that can makehim see. " She held the baby in her arms close up against her heart. Then with a cry she fell to the floor in a swoon, saying as she fell, "My God--blind!" I think any parent must know how she felt. But Jesussaid, "Better to be maimed, and halt, and blind than to be lost. "

If you believe the Bible you cannot be indifferent. But you say, somewould not like to have you speak to them. I have been twenty-sevenyears a minister, and have spoken to all classes and conditions of menand women, and only in one single instance have I ever been rebuked. Iwas once asked to speak to the president of a bank. I went into hisoffice, and was introduced to him by the pastor with whom I was staying. I said, "My friend is very interested in you, and I wish I could leadyou to Christ. " He looked at me in perfect amazement. Then, rising fromthe chair, he took me by the hand, and said, "Thank you, sir. " I sawhim that night, make his way down the crowded aisle of the church, givethe minister his hand, and say, "I will. "

But I had a sad experience at college. I roomed with a man when I was astudent for the ministry, and never spoke to him about his soul. Whenthe day of my graduation came, and I was bidding him good-bye, he said, "By the way, why have you never spoken to me about becoming a Christian?"I would rather he had struck me. I said, "Because I thought you did notcare. " "Care!" he said. "There has never been a day that I did not wantyou to speak; there has never been a night that I did not hope you wouldspeak. " I lost an opportunity. I fear some day, I must answer for it. 

You had an idea that you had no influence, but you must remember thatwhen you speak in the name of Jesus Christ, God stands back of you;that when you plead for the salvation of a person, all the power ofheaven is working through you. Some may ask, What is the best time tospeak to my friends about Christ? I should say, speak to them when theyare in trouble, seek them out when others are being saved, but, best ofall, go to them when the Spirit of God says go, that is the best time. Whenever God says "Go, " He is always making ready the heart for ourcoming. I was one day walking down the streets of an American city witha Methodist minister, when he said to me, "What would you do if youwere impressed that you should speak to a man?" I said, "Speak to him. "He said, "But this man has not been in church for thirteen years. ""Nevertheless, " I said, "speak to him. " He turned and made his way tothe great house where this business man lived. He rang the bell, andthe door was opened by the gentleman himself, who said, "Doctor, I amglad to see you. I have been in all day thinking you might come. " Andin a very few minutes he was kneeling in the library with thisgentleman whom he quickly led to Christ. 

A year later I was passing through the city of Chicago, when, pickingup a newspaper, I noticed that this man whom the minister had won toChrist, had died suddenly. I got a letter from the minister not longafterwards, and he said, "I was with him when he died. He sent amessenger for me to come and see him, and when I arrived he turned hisface towards mine and said, "Dr ----, thank you for coming that day, for if you had missed that day, I might have missed this. Then he beganto sing as best he could. He raised himself on his pillow, with hisarms outreaching, and said, "Jesus Lover of My soul, " and passed away. The minister's letter was marked with tears, and down at the foot of itwas written this sentence; "God helping me, I will never hesitateagain. " They are all about us, men with aching hearts, men caught bythe power of sin, young people and older people as well. They arewaiting. Preaching may not win them; singing may not touch them. Butpersonal effort will. 

I might change the text and make it read: "The world does not care foryour soul, " You may win it, and it will mock you. Satan does not carefor your soul. He will fascinate you and snare you, and when you say, "Oh, wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of thisdeath?" there will be no deliverance. But God cares. Christ cares. Theminister cares, and thousands of others care. Some are saying, "Whatmust I do to be a Christian?" A gentleman once said to me, "I do notlove God. " Another person once said, "You talk about love for Christ;is it like love for my mother, because if it is I have not got it. " No, it is not like that. That is not the first step in the way. Tell themGod does not say, "Love me, and I will save you. " God says, "Trust me. Accept my conditions, believe on my Son and follow Him. "

There was a great man in a Western city who had a little girl who wasdeaf and dumb. He loved his child so much that he would not allowanybody to teach her. She had a kind of sign language which they bothunderstood, but nobody else was allowed to teach her. This gentleman atone time had occasion to leave home and go abroad. He could not takehis daughter with him, so his minister persuaded him to send her overto an institution where she could be taught to use the sign language ofthe deaf and dumb. He took her over himself, never for a momentimagining that she would learn to speak with her lips, as she did. Themonths passed by, and when the father returned, the minister went withhim to see his child in the institution. The little girl had been toldthat he was coming, and looking out of the window she saw her fathercoming through the gate. She sprang to the door, and ran down thesteps, and along the walk until she reached her father. Then she climbedup into his arms, and, putting her lips up against his ear, she said, "Father, I love you, I love you. " The great man held her out at arm'slength, looked into her face, then pressed her more closely to hisheart and fell in a faint--when he recovered consciousness he wassobbing. All the day he kept saying, "I have heard her speak, and sheloves me, she loves me. " So tell the people very plainly that God doesnot say, "Love me. " He says, "Believe on me; trust me; follow me. " Thenask them, Will you do it? And if they will follow Him, having acceptedHis Son as their Saviour, and with his help having turned from sin, then if they will obey Him, they will come to love Him with all theirhearts. 

CHAPTER VI

_Winning the Young_

"There is a lad here, " John vi. 9. Jesus had just crossed over the seaof Galilee and, attracted by the miracles which he had wrought, greatmultitudes had followed after Him. In order that He might escape thethrong, He went up into a mountain and there He sat with His disciples. When the Master saw the great company stretching out on every side ofHim He said unto Philip, "Whence shall we buy bread that these mayeat. " Philip was so amazed at the crowd that he answered Him, "Twohundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every oneof them may take a little. " Then one of His disciples, Andrew, SimonPeter's brother, said unto Him, "_There is a lad here_ which hathfive barley loaves and two small fishes. " Then Jesus made the multitudesit down, and took the loaves and gave to the disciples, and thedisciples to them that were seated, and likewise of the fishes as muchas they would, and when they were filled, the fragments that remainedfilled twelve baskets. 

The presence of this lad and the service which he rendered to Jesus, aswell as the use which the Master made of him, all help us to teach ourlesson. Youth is the time to turn to Christ. The wise man knew thiswhen he said, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth; whilethe evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh; when thou shalt say, Ihave no pleasure in them. " Sin has not so strong a hold upon a life inthe time of youth, therefore it is the easiest time to turn to Christ. 

I once heard a man tell the story of his special work among outcast menand women, and when I asked him he told me how he himself was converted. He said that as a boy in London, he was left one day in charge of theprivate office. He said "I wanted to write a letter and I took thefirm's note-paper; I used one of their envelopes, and when I wantedpostage I opened the private drawer of the safe, the door of which wasswinging open, and took out one postage stamp, and when I put this stampupon my letter and dropped it into the post-box I felt as if I haddropped my character with it. That was the beginning, and the end was aprison cell, for I went from one form of thieving to another until I wasobliged to pay the penalty. I found Christ while I was in prison, but Ifeel as if the mark of my early sin would never leave me. I would urgeevery boy to accept Christ, " he said, "before the cords of sin bind himtoo securely. "

When one reaches the age of eighteen he finds it extremely difficult toturn away from the sins that are mastering him, and when he passesbeyond twenty years of age, the tide against him is extremely heavy. The critical time in the life of boys and girls is from twelve totwenty. If they do not accept Christ during these years, it is wellnighimpossible to win them. If this is true then we must make the most ofthe opportunities of influencing the youth whom God is ever bringingbefore us. 

The Scripture used in connection with this feeding of the multitude isa good illustration. It is a lad who confronts us, and this is, as hasbeen said, the favourable time for bringing Christian influence to bearupon him. There is a time in the life of every boy when it iscomparatively easy to win him to Christ. Parents surely know this, andSunday school teachers may easily discover it. "How did you come toChrist?" said a New York minister to a little boy. His reply was, "MySunday school teacher took me last Sunday out into the park. She drewme away from the crowd and took her seat beside me. She asked me if Iwould become a Christian. I felt that I ought to do so, and because herinvitation was so definite, and she seemed so interested, I told her Iwould do so, and because I am a Christian I went to join the Church. "

Too much cannot be said in favour of reaching the young while they arein the days of their youth. Recently in an audience of 4500 people Ifound that at least 400 of the audience came to Christ under 10 yearsof age; between 10 and 12, 600; between 12 and 14, 600; between 14 and16, about 1000; between 16 and 20, fully one half, and in the entireaudience not more than 25 people came to Christ after they were 30years of age. Five hundred ministers were in the same audience. Themajority of them were converted before they were 16 years of age; 40 ofthem between 16 and 20; and only 15 out of the 500 ministers wereconverted after they were 20. This in itself is an unanswerableargument in favour of personal work for the young. 

The lad is here now before us, but he will soon be gone. Boys quicklygrow into manhood. As a rule religious influence weakens as they passon, while the power of sin increases. Many young men would turn toChrist if they thought they could, but it seems to them that theattraction towards evil is almost, if not quite irresistible. Irecently heard a Christian gentleman speaking before a great audiencein London. He was telling of his going over the Alps in the care of atrusted guide. As they came to one of the most dangerous places in thejourney his guide stopped him, and said, "Do you see those footprintsoff here to the right?" The gentleman said he did, plainly. "Do younotice, " said the guide, "how they get farther and farther apart?" Andwhen asked to give an explanation he said that a week before a youngtelegraph operator had attempted to cross the mountains without aguide, that just at the place where they were standing his hat blewoff, and, without thinking, he reached out after it, lost his balanceand started to fall. In trying to recover himself he started down themountain to the right. The way was all covered with snow; when once hestarted he could not stop; farther and farther apart were his footprintsuntil at last they were lost on the edge of a great abyss. He had goneover to his death. It is thus that young men go to destruction. Becausethey do, we ought to be instant in season and out of season in seekingto arrest their downward progress. 

When Jesus took the loaves and fishes in the possession of the lad andbrought to bear upon them his own marvellous power, the results weregreat. No one realises what is being accomplished when he assists orinfluences a boy. I am wondering what that minister, who led Spurgeonto Christ, thinks of his work now that he sees it from the heavenlystandpoint, and I have many times thought I should like to ask thebusiness man who spoke to D. L. Moody about his soul, what estimate heputs upon the importance of the work he did that day. To win a boy toChrist may be to turn towards the Master one who may one day move theworld for Christ. 

A great number of Chinese young men have come from their native landto study in the educational institutions of the United States. Someof them have found Christ in these institutions, others have passedthrough their course of study and returned to their native land withouta hope in the Saviour. What a marvellous work might have been accomplishedif the Christian students in these educational institutions had setthemselves to win these Chinese boys. The students in China are to havean increasing influence in the Government, and if the majority of themhad been led to Christ, the whole Chinese Government might have beenpowerfully affected. Some years ago there came to the United States alittle Chinese boy. He was sent to a New England educational institution, and made his home in the house of a very humble woman. She knew Christand loved Him, and she recognised the presence of this little boy aspresenting an opportunity for service. She treated him as if he wereher own child. She mothered him and grew to love him. She taught himhow to read the Bible and she told him the story of Jesus and His love. That little boy came to Christ. He passed through the educationalinstitution, went back to China to exercise his strongest influence forrighteousness, and has recently been entrusted with the commission ofbringing to the United States a number of other Chinese boys, all ofwhom, it is said, he will place in institutions that are Christian. Thepoor woman in New England did not realise that when she led one boy toChrist that she was touching forty others. This is the fascination ofChristian work. 

Some of the noblest men and women the Church has ever known came toChrist in youth. Polycarp, Matthew Henry, Jonathan Edwards, theimmortal Watts, John Hall, and a countless host of others who haveserved conspicuously in the advancement of the Kingdom of God, came toChrist before they were fifteen years of age, some of them coming asearly as seven. The lad is here, it will be a pity if we allow him togrow to manhood without a hope in Christ all because we do not seek towin him. 

CHAPTER VII

_Winning and Holding_

"From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able tomake thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus, "2 Timothy iii. 15. Timothy's inheritance was invaluable. His equipmentwas superb, and his experience from the day of his birth until the endof his life upon earth, ideal. He had a good grandmother. Evidently sheinfluenced him profoundly. I am quite sure that his parents too musthave fulfilled their obligations to their child, and in addition to hisown immediate ancestry, he had Paul, the Apostle, who looked upon himas a son in the Gospel, and honoured him by sending him his lastmessage when he said, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished mycourse, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me acrown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall giveme at that day, and not to me only, but to all them also that love Hisappearing. Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me" 2 Timothy iv. 7-9. 

It is a great loss to any child to be deprived of what Timothy had. Wemay not all be rich, and we certainly cannot all be great, but we mayall be true and faithful as parents, and when a child has such aninheritance he is well started in life. It is because children do nothave this that many of them drift. Given a good ancestry it iscomparatively easy to draw children to Christ, and even to draw themback when once they have wandered. It is the testimony of rescuemission workers that when they have the privilege of appealing to lostand ruined men in the name of a mother who was saintly and a father whowas true to Christ, they have a hold upon an almost irresistible force, to bring the wanderer back to the faith of his father and the teachingof his mother. 

There is the sorest need to-day of a special and continued interest inbehalf of our young people. David Starr Jordan is authority for thestatement that "one-third of the young men of America are wastingthemselves through intemperate habits and accompanying vices, " theconditions in other lands are also very serious. The secretary of theCollege Association of North America has been quoted as saying thatthere are twelve thousand college men in New York City alone who aredown and out through vice. "Talk of the ravages of war. The ravages ofwar, pestilence and disease combined are as nothing compared with theawful moral ravages wrought in the teen period. The shores are strewnthick with the wasted lives of those who have been wrecked in youth. "

"We have been seeking results too far afield and overlooking greatopportunities near at hand. If you take a census of a Christiancongregation and ask those who were converted before their eighteenthbirthday to rise, five-sixths of your congregation will stand. Thismeans that five-sixths of all the people who give themselves to Christdo it on the under side of the eighteenth year. Put beside this thefact that we have more than 12, 000, 000 children and youth in theProtestant Sunday Schools of America under eighteen years of age andyou will see that our great evangelistic opportunity does not lieoutside of the Church, but inside, in the Sunday School department. Here we have a vast army, ready and waiting for the Christian call. "[1]

[Footnote 1: Rev Edgar Blake. ]

It is one thing to lead souls to Christ, it is quite another thing tohold them when once they have been won. The serious time for driftingis between the ages of twelve and twenty. If we could but safeguardthese years we would hold for the Church many who drift out upon thesea of life, make shipwreck of their hopes and break the hearts ofthose who are interested in them. 

"An investigation in the Wesleyan Church of England showed that onlyten per cent of the Sunday School were held in active membership in theChurch. Ten per cent. Were held in a merely nominal relationship. Eighty per cent. Were lost entirely. This is a fair statement of thesituation in many churches. We have lost multitudes of our youth whomight have been saved if they had been properly cared for. 

"At the very time the Church loses its grip upon the boys and girls thepublic school loses its grip also. The exodus begins about the fifthgrade, and at the eighth grade fifty per cent. Of the scholars havedeparted. At the twelfth grade, near the middle teens, ninety per cent. Of the scholars have gone out from the public schools. Thus these twomost powerful forces in the creation of character, the Church and theSchool, lose their hold upon youth at the same time. 

"The home also loses its hold at this period. Up to his middle teensyour youth accepts everything on the authority of others, but midway ofthe critical teen period there comes an awakening. The consciousness ofhis own personality, his right to make decisions for himself comes tohim for the first time. Sometimes spontaneously, sometimes gradually, but always he breaks with authority. He insists upon deciding mattersfor himself. Parents may counsel, but they cannot determine[1]. "

[Footnote 1: Rev Edgar Blake. ]

"A gentleman came to a friend of mine at the close of an address whichhe had delivered and said to him, 'I was much interested in what yousaid about the boys we lose. I teach a class of the finished product. ''Where do you teach?' said I. 'In the State prison' he said. A fewyears ago seventy-five per cent. Of the inmates of the Minnesota Stateprison were boys who had once been in Sunday School and had beenpermitted to drift away. The later teen age, sixteen to twenty, is thecriminal period. It is an appalling thing that 12, 000 children werebrought before the courts of New York in 1909, and in the same yearmore than 15, 000 boys and girls suffered arrest in Chicago. Ourcriminal ranks are added to, at the rate of 300, 000 a year, and in thevast majority of cases the criminal course is begun in the teen age. Isit necessary? Is this awful waste--this moral havoc--unavoidable? Ibelieve not. Recently a young man in his teens was convicted of theftin the court of Milwaukee. When the judge asked him if he had anythingto say before sentence was pronounced upon him, the young man arose, pale with excitement and said, 'Your honour, my father and mother diedwhen I was three years old. I never had anyone who loved or cared forme. I have been kicked about all my life. Judge, I never would havebeen a thief if I had had a chance. ' This is the pitiful plea ofthousands who have been wrecked around us. They were not shepherded andthey went astray. "

There is a way to hold the majority of those whom we may win to theSaviour. A friend of mine led to Christ a young man who had gone to thevery depths of sin and shame. He was a drunkard; he had disgraced hisfather's name; had broken his wife's heart, and when his little boydied he did not have enough money to bury the child decently; when themother put the child in the grave the father was wild with drink, andhe was buried without his father being present. But my friend won thisman to Christ. After he was saved, every day for three weeks he went tosit by his side and talk with him; he guarded him at the critical time;he kept him from growing discouraged; he hindered him from drinking. To-day this man is himself one of the most noted rescue mission workersin the world, and is being used of God to save multitudes of men wholike himself had gone down through drink. 

It is what we are ourselves that largely counts in the holding of ourfriends for Christ. Paul wrote to Titus saying, "In all things showingthyself a pattern of good works . .. That he that is of the contrarypart may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you, " which is onlyanother way of saying that a Christian life is an unanswerable argumentin favour of Christ. When our lives are right with God; when we keepourselves unspotted from the world; when we quickly confess our ownfailure or wrongdoing; when we have a concern not only that othersshould be saved, but that they might do something for Christ aftertheir salvation, it is comparatively easy to hold them, and to keepfrom drifting those who have just started along the way. 

When my friend S. H. Hadley, the great rescue missionary, was lying inhis coffin, a timid knock was heard at the door of the room where thebody was resting. When the one who had knocked entered the room it wasfound that he was a drunkard, he had fallen from a high position to thevery depths of despair, and as he stood timidly in the presence of thesorrowing friends of the great man, he said, "I thought I would like tocome and look into his face and if I might be permitted to do so Iwould like to touch his hand. He did his best to win me while he wasliving and now that he is dead I cannot let his body be placed in thegrave without coming here by the side of his casket to yield myself toChrist. All that he has said has followed me and I cannot get away fromit. "

Timothy knew the Scriptures, and a familiarity with God's Word is oneof the best preventives in the case of drifting. One verse of Scripturecommitted to memory each day would help us to overcome the tempter;would keep us in loving touch with Jesus Christ; would inspire us tohigher and holier living; and these suggestions made to those whom wewin to Christ would keep them from wandering. It is the man who doesnot know his Bible who finds himself an easy prey to the wicked one. The ability to pray is also a God-given force which keeps us fromdrifting. When we read the Bible God talks to us; when we pray we talkto Him. We cannot always speak plainly of our condition to those aboutus, but we may tell Him what we are and what we wish we might havebeen. And while it is true that He knows before we speak, it is alsotrue that in the telling we draw nearer to Him, and drawing nearer weabsorb a little bit more of His spirit, and in that spirit we stand. 

Service is also one of the surest preventives from wandering. It iswhen the brain is idle that evil thoughts master it; when the heart isgiven up to impure imaginations that we find it easy to fall. And it iswhen we are busy lifting others' burdens; making the way easier forothers to travel; comforting those who are in distress; speaking a wordof cheer to the cheerless, and above all, when we are seeking to leadothers to Christ, that we ourselves grow in grace and in the knowledgeof our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If these things are true, and weknow they are, then it is the duty of every Christian not only to seekto win another to Christ, but by all means to seek to hold him whenonce he is won, and that which we know holds us will keep others fromstumbling. 

The suggestions made above are for the young as well as the moremature. Young people will be interested in spiritual things if we havesufficient interest in them ourselves to make them attractive. 

If we would show as great interest in helping to keep those whom we mayhave won for Christ, as we revealed when we were seeking them, fewer ofthem would drift. 

CHAPTER VIII

_A Practical Illustration_

It will be a great day when the Church is aroused to the responsibilityand privilege of personal work. 

In Swansea, Wales, with Mr Charles M. Alexander, I had the satisfactionof conducting a mission in which I preached for an entire week on SoulWinning. I then urged the people to go forth and labour, and asked themto come back with their reports. These reports were thrilling. Oftenten or twelve people would be standing at the one time waiting tospeak. The following are only a few testimonies taken from the many:--

A minister said: "I spoke to a bright young fellow, under the influenceof drink, as I was going home in the car last night. He got off the carwhen I did, so I stood at the street corner and talked with him for afew minutes. He told me that he had been a follower of the Lord Jesusmany years ago, but had fallen away through bad company. I asked him topray for himself. He said he could not, but asked me to pray for him. And there on that street corner I put my arm around his shoulder and weprayed together, and he has promised to come to the meeting to-night. "

"About three years ago, " said another, "I came in touch with a man whohas been the biggest and most hardened scoffer I have had to contendwith. He had such a sarcastic way of ridiculing the Lord Jesus Christ. But this last fortnight I have seen a distinct change in that youngman's life. Last week, as we were working near to one another, I spoketo him and his eyes filled with tears. He said, 'I have decided to comeout and accept Christ. ' I could hardly credit it, but it has proved tobe real, and when I see God moving in such a hard case as this, I havehope for every sinner in this city. "

Another said, "I came to the Lord three years ago, one of the worstdrunkards in Swansea. Since the Saviour found me, I have spoken to menon their death-beds. I have spoken to drunkards all over Swansea, but Ineglected my own charge that God had given to me. Dr Chapman woke me upto approach my own household and children. It was the greatest strugglein all my life. I went to my two boys and put my hands on their shoulderssaying, 'I want you to do something for Jesus and for your father. ' Theysaid, 'Father, we will do it. ' Two of my boys came to the Albert Hallyesterday and gave their hearts to Jesus. This has been one of the mostblessed weeks I have had since I was saved three years ago. "

"On Thursday night I had been asking the Lord to lead me to the rightone to speak to. He led me to a young man of sixteen years of age whowas under tremendous conviction. He said, 'I think I will make a cleanbreast of it. I have done something, ' and he told me his story. Thisyoung lad, in his employer's service for four years, last week, for thefirst time, began to steal. He turned out his pocket and showed me whathe had. He said, 'What shall I do? I go to bed at night and I cannotsleep, it is haunting me. ' I said, 'Look here, laddie, do this. Go toyour master to-morrow morning, and make a clean breast of it and getthe victory. ' 'What about my situation?' said the boy. 'I will pray foryou, ' I said. 'If your master is so unkind as to dismiss you, come tome and I will see what I can do. ' It was a long time before he gave in, but eventually he said, 'I will. ' I prayed for him, and last night Igot this letter: 'Victorious! Devil conquered; overjoyed. I cannot verywell explain what I experienced so will be pleased to meet you onThursday next in the mission at Albert Hall. '"

A week later this gentleman said: "I have a lot to thank God for theselast ten days. I have had a glorious blessing. I can say with allhumility, I have been on fire for Jesus. I had a letter yesterday fromthe young man whom I was talking about last Sunday. He says, 'DearFriend, My only regret now is that I did not accept Jesus as my Saviouryears ago. It would have saved me so much trouble. I explainedeverything to my master and handed him the article back. Then he gaveme two-thirds of this particular article and burned the letter. So thatis what I got for owning up. '"

Another said: "I do thank and praise God this morning for the greatthings He has done in my home. He has brought my children to trust inthe Saviour. I have great pleasure in reporting that a brother at theworks, to whom I spoke a week ago, has decided for Christ. One of theworkers presented me with a Testament to give to that brother, who wasin very poor circumstances, and he received it with joy. The followingday he came to tell me that he had read a chapter to his wife. His wifeis travelling the wrong way. They have five little children, and onThursday I took them to the meeting. On Friday morning he came to thankme for taking them there, and told me that during his absence from thehouse, his eldest boy, of about ten years of age, had got into a BibleReading Circle, led by a Christian boy, and he asked his father if hecould spare sixpence for him to buy a Testament. What joy filled myheart and soul from the fact that I could present that little lad witha Testament, and I sent my own lad back a mile, yesterday, with it. 

"I spoke to a dear Christian brother last night at the works. I askedhim if his household were saved. 'I have one boy of sixteen not saved, 'he said 'Brother, will you promise me to speak to him when you gohome?' He went home and put his hand on the shoulder of the lad andgave him the invitation. The boy gladly promised to accept Jesus. "

Continuing with the reports, one said: "Last night, in one of ourpublic houses I spoke to a woman about Jesus. Years ago she had losther husband and instead of going to God for comfort she had turned todrink. She became a drunkard and had separated from her children. WhenI spoke to her she said, 'I know I am a sinner. I am the worst woman inSwansea, but I want to be good. ' 'Will you decide now?' we asked her. 'Yes, ' she said. She came out into the cold biting wind and knelt inthe open air, and there she sent up this simple prayer: 'Oh, God, although I am a bad woman, please make me good, for Jesus' sake. ' Latershe arose in a crowded meeting and told her story, concluding with thisremark, 'By God's help I am going to be a child of God. '"

Another said: "On the second night of the mission I was led to speak toa dear brother who was a back-slider. I plead with him that evening toturn to Christ, but he did not come to a decision. The next night Iwent in and talked with him. I asked him again at the close of themeeting would he come back to the Lord Jesus Christ. He told me hecould not come back that night. On the following night I went up andspoke to him again. When we got outside the building I said, 'I may notever have the privilege of speaking to you again. Will you kindly giveme your name? I will give you a guarantee that no one but God shallknow about it. I want your name that I may pray for you. ' On Tuesdaynight in the minor hall at the after meeting I searched for him. I hadbeen praying continually every night and morning, and sometimes duringthe day. When I found him that night I said, 'You have withstood theSpirit of God long enough. Make a definite decision to-night to returnto the Lord. If you do not care about coming to the front, fill outthis card, but make up your mind to give yourself to Christ. ' He tookthe card and filled it out. Then I said, 'You know the way of salvationbecause you have been that way before. When you get home tonight, willyou kindly make a definite decision at your bedside?' And he told me hewould. "

Another gentleman rose to give his testimony and said: "I belong, asyou know, to another city, but I want to speak a word to the glory ofGod, and for the encouragement of those who have taken up personal workfor Him. Some two years ago in our city I spoke to one who was aninspector in the Police Force, but who is to-day the Chief Inspector ofour Police, about the claims of Christ. He told me that I was the firstone who had ever spoken to him as to how he stood in relation to thesematters for a period of fifteen years. Having once broken the ice andspoken to him, I never gave him up. 

"About two months ago I had occasion to go to the Police Court to askhis assistance on behalf of a woman who wanted an ejectment noticeagainst another woman who was living in the same house. When he heardthe name of the woman who wished to obtain the notice he refused tohave anything to do with the matter. She had been a bad character. Hesaid, 'I tell you candidly, she ought to be drowned for her cruelty toher children. ' I said, 'You knew her once, but you do not know her now. How long is it since you saw her?' 'About nine weeks' he replied. 'Well, ' I said, 'nine weeks ago she and her husband both came to Christin our mission hall. For the first time in thirteen years they entereda place of worship. She had a black eye that covered over half herface, but both her husband and she are now Christians, and arefaithfully following Christ to-day. And yet you call her a lost soul. 'He said, 'Certainly I do. If there is a lost soul she is one. ' 'ThenSir, ' I said, striking him on the shoulder, 'Jesus came to seek and tosave that which was lost. Jesus has saved that woman. When she comes onMonday night, Inspector, just look at her and see what Christ haswrought. I ask you to grant her request. ' He shook himself free. 'Waita moment, Inspector, ' I said, 'I have never given up praying for you. You have risen to the position of Chief Inspector, but I want you notto forget Christ. '

"On the Thursday of the following week he came to my home. When I sawhim there I was glad, for he had kept away from me for a long time. Isaid, 'I am glad to see you in my home. ' He said, 'You will be more gladwhen you know why I have come. In my room the other night I knelt downand gave myself to Jesus Christ, and asked the Lord to save me. ' I wouldask those of you who are working for souls not to get disheartened anddiscouraged. When the mission ceases do not give up taking a personalinterest in those for whom you are concerned. 

"Some months ago I was sitting in the Assize Court in your city. I satnext to our Chief Inspector. The case that was being tried was one ofattempted murder. As I sat there following the case this ChiefInspector turned to me and said, 'Why didn't they know Him on the roadto Emmaus?' I said, 'I suppose because their eyes were holden. ' Hesaid, 'How did they know Him when they got to the home?' I said, 'Probably in the breaking of the bread. ' 'Don't you think, ' said he, 'that in the breaking of the bread they saw for the first time themarks of the wounds in His hands and knew Him by them?' What adifference Christ had made in the life of that Chief Inspector. "

A man employed in the steel works rose in one of our meetings to say:"I made my covenant with God last Saturday. The burden was laid heavyon my heart on behalf of two souls. One of them was my own little girl. I spoke to her about Jesus, and she told me she would accept Him as herSaviour. I have been working this week on a shift that ran from teno'clock at night to six o'clock in the morning. On Tuesday night Iasked the Lord to pour out His blessing on our workmen. About oneo'clock in the morning I had an opportunity of speaking to a young man. I asked him if he had accepted Jesus as his Saviour, and he said he hadnot. Then I asked him to be honest before God, and I said, 'Will youaccept Him now?' With a smile he looked up at me and said, 'Tom, I willaccept Jesus as my Saviour now. ' I have brought some of my mates withme here to-day and I thank God for what He has done. 

"Down at the works the other day there was a young man who came on dutyat three o'clock in the morning. I knew he was troubled about his soul, and I spoke to him. I said, 'Are you in trouble about your soul?' Hesaid, 'Yes, I am. ' 'Well, ' I said, 'Jesus has died to save you. Willyou accept Him now?' He said to me, 'But, Tom, I have done this andthat, ' 'Well, ' I said, 'Jesus has died for you, will you accept Him?'As he looked me straight in the face he said, 'Yes, I will. '

"I asked these men who had accepted Jesus and one or two others, tocome up to my home at six o'clock when we finished work. As we wentthrough the yard there was a boy about fifteen years of age standingthere and we got him to come along with us. In my home we had a smallmeeting. I asked God to pour down His blessing upon us. I asked onefriend who was drifting, if he had ever accepted Christ, and he said atone time during a revival. I said, 'Praise God for that. He is willingto receive you back. Will you come?' and he said, 'At three o'clockthis very morning, I came back to the Lord Jesus. ' And then I turned tothe boy of fifteen and said, 'Are you willing to accept the Saviour?'And he said he didn't think he was ready. I said, 'Well, my boy, if youdon't, what will become of you?' He said, 'I will go to hell, Isuppose. ' Not long afterwards he accepted the Saviour. [1]

[Footnote 1: This man worked at night and slept during the day. ]

"Yesterday I could not sleep. I went home from my work. I was up in themorning with a burden on my heart because of the poor souls who weregoing to eternity without a Saviour. A young woman came to our houseand started to sing 'Lord save Swansea, ' and the words kept ringing inmy ears. I went back to bed but could not sleep. I had no peace. Isaid, 'Well, Lord, I believe Thou hast surely started the work. ' I wentto the works last night. I did not feel very well as I had been up allday. I asked some of the men if they would come to a prayer meeting forthe mission. We did not have much time before work commenced, but wewent in and I asked one of the young fellows if he would accept Jesus. He replied, 'I must have time to think of it. ' The next night I said tohim, 'Johnnie, have you thought of what we spoke on last night?' and hesaid, 'I have been in trouble about my soul. ' Before we had tea I askedhim if he would accept Christ now. He said, 'I cannot do it now. ' Isaid, 'God will give you strength. ' We went into a little shop and Iprayed for him. At three o'clock this morning I spoke to him again. 'Johnnie, ' I said, 'can you see the way clear?' 'Yes, ' he said, 'I cansee the way clear now. I will accept Jesus as my personal Saviour. '"

CHAPTER IX

_Whosoever Will_

All classes of persons may do personal work if they will. A prominentbusiness man in a Welsh city began to do this work and one morningspoke to eighteen people before breakfast. Several, to whom he spoke, accepted Christ. Making a further report of his work, he said. "An oldman, about seventy years of age, whose face was white and who appearedto be very ill, was leaning against the wall of a building near where Ihave my office. I said to him, 'Have you been to the mission?' 'No, ' hesaid, 'I have not. ' I then asked him if he had accepted Christ. 'Well, 'he said, 'I have been a believer all my life. ' I said, 'Are you saved?''I cannot say that, ' he replied. 'Why?' I asked; 'God says, "He thatbelieveth on the Son hath everlasting life. Do you believe that?' Hestood staring me in the face for a few minutes, when he said, 'I neversaw it in that light before. ' I said, 'Will you take him at His wordnow?' And he replied, 'Yes, I will. '

"An old woman, an office cleaner, was making her way up the steps of abuilding. As I came up I recognised her, and said, 'Mrs Bell, I havebeen constrained to ask you if you have accepted Jesus Christ as yourpersonal Saviour. ' She looked at me, then setting down her broom shesaid, 'I want to, but no one has ever asked me, ' 'Well, ' I said, 'I askyou now. Will you accept Him just here? Will you say, Lord Jesus Iaccept Thee as my personal Saviour?' But she could not see the way. After some conversation I asked her if she would come to the hall andhear Dr Chapman and Mr Alexander, and she said she would go thatevening. I was unable to go to the service myself that night and didnot see her until the following Saturday morning. She came to my officeand said, 'Since you spoke to me a few days ago I have had no peace. Iam in an awful state, and unless I take Jesus I shall die. I am sure Ishall because I cannot live like this. ' And right there in the officeshe knelt down and accepted Christ as her Saviour and had the joy thatalways comes with this acceptance. 

"This morning, the very first man I met, I was constrained to speak toabout Jesus. I introduced myself by asking him if he had been to themission. He said, 'Yes, I was at the Grand Theatre last Sundayafternoon. ' 'Well, ' I said, 'did you give your heart to the Lord?''No, ' he replied, 'I did not. ' I said 'Why?' 'Because I missed myopportunity, ' was his answer. I said to Him, 'Will you do it now?' 'Doit now!' he exclaimed. 'Listen, ' I said, 'God says in His Word. As manyas received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God. Willyou receive Him? It is either one thing or the other--receive orreject. Your sins have been atoned for by His precious blood. Will youtake Jesus now?' And suddenly, taking me by the hand, he said, 'Iwill. '

"From time to time I have been speaking to a young man belonging to arespectable family. At one time he was being brought up for theministry, but he got into sin and sank very low. I persuaded him toattend one of the mission meetings. When Dr Chapman requested all thosewho wished prayer offered for themselves or for their loved ones, thispoor fellow got up in the balcony and said, 'Pray for me. ' Prayer wasoffered for him, and there, that night, he experienced the joy ofsalvation. He came to me the other day and said that he had definitelytaken Jesus Christ as his Saviour. "

One would not expect a police officer to be a personal worker, but manyof them are, and notably so in Great Britain. Ex-Sergeant Wheeler ofOldham came to attend one of our meetings, and being asked to speak, hesaid: "Though an Ex-Sergeant, I am not an Ex-Christian. There are alarge number of people who look upon a policeman from many standpoints, but it is very seldom that they see him in the position in which I amplaced to-night. They have an idea that a policeman does not exist topreach the Gospel or to tell them about Jesus Christ, and it isChristian people who get that idea sometimes. "

"I know a police sergeant in London who is a particular friend of mineand a great Christian worker. A lady went to one of our ProvincialPolice Conferences in connection with the Police Association and sawthis big man who was so enthusiastic in connection with the work thatthe lady doubted his genuineness, and to satisfy her curiosity sheascertained his private address, travelled by rail from London, visitedhis home during his absence, and asked his wife what sort of a man hewas. That is the way to find a man out. But she found that he was evena better man in the home than he was out of it. If you want to findwhat a man's character is, you do not ask about it on special occasionswhen he is on his guard, you ask what it is when he is at home, it isthere that he unconsciously reveals it, and this revelation justbecause of its unconsciousness, proves invariably correct. 

"When the Lord Jesus brought me out of darkness into the light, when Hebroke the fetters and snapped the chains eleven years ago, I went homeand said to my wife, 'I am going to live for Jesus, and we will starthere, at home. We will have family prayers--we were not a large family, only nine of us, and for the first time in their lives, my childrenheard their father pray; and there on my knees in all humility Ipledged myself before God that I would do anything, make any sacrifice, if by so doing I could help a weaker brother and lift him out of thegutter. That is the way I started. I am not what I ought to be, I amnot what I hope to be, but, thank God, by His grace and love, I am whatI am and not what I once was. The Lord changed my desires when he put anew heart within me. When I see a drunken man in the streets I do notpass him like I used to. My heart goes out to him and I look beyond theman in the streets to the life in the home he comes from, and see themisery there; but I thank God that He put the desire in my heart to tryto help that brother. And how often opportunities present themselves. 

"On one occasion at five o'clock on a Sunday morning in the month ofAugust, a policeman and I were going along the street. There was a manstanding at a gate near the corner. As we approached he said to me, 'Sergeant, can you get me a drink of whisky?' I said, 'That is rather astrange thing to ask a Sergeant of Police, ' 'Well, ' he said, 'I haveplenty of bottled ale in my home, but it sticks in my throat. ' I said, 'Do you take whisky when you are thirsty?' 'Yes, ' he replied. I got intoconversation with him and after a while I said to him, 'Do you ever goto a place of worship?' 'No, ' he said, 'I don't, I pay a sovereign for asitting. ' 'That won't get you to heaven, ' I said, and after a littlefurther talk with him he remarked, 'Sergeant, I am all right financially, but wrong here, in my heart. ' And then he said, 'Will you come to myhome and pray for me?' 'Yes, ' I replied, und we went. It was not faraway, a fine home, a palace to mine, I thought, as I walked across thevelvet carpet into the drawing-room. He brought a Bible and said, 'Readme something out of that. ' And he sat down like a little child, tolisten. I turned to Isaiah liii. 6, and read, 'All we like sheep havegone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hathlaid on Him the iniquity of us all. ' 'Now, ' I said, 'it starts with Alland finishes with All, so we are both included. ' Then I took him toJohn iii. 16, and then to the last chapter in the Book of Revelation, verse 17: 'And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him thatheareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst--I stopped at that--andwhosoever . .. ' 'Now, ' I said, 'we will read it again. And after we hadread it again we knelt down, and there in that large home I poured outmy soul to God over that man. I plead for him, and while I prayed hesaid, 'Lord, if I am not too bad, save me. ' I said, 'Amen. ' And the Lordheard his prayer, and before I left the house he was a changed man. WhenI was leaving he came to the door and said, 'I never bargained for this, this morning, Sergeant. ' The man who wanted whisky got Christ. He drankof something different, he drank of the living water which Christ spokeabout at the well of Samaria when He said, 'Whosoever drinketh of thewater that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that Ishall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up intoeverlasting life. '"

"I left him and went back the following day. I rang the bell and heanswered the door himself. I asked him how he was, and he said, 'Grand, I have had no whisky. ' I went back a month later and he told me he wasnever so happy in all his life. He said, 'Do you remember me tellingyou I paid a sovereign for my sitting in church? Well, I occupy thatpew myself now. ' And that day he gave me a donation for the ChristianPolice Association and told me to call again at any time. That is whatthe Lord does when he changes a man's heart. There are many men to-daywho may be all right financially; they may have a seat in God's House;they may be members of a Church and yet not be right at heart. I urgeupon you, get right with God and you will have, not the peace of thisworld, but the peace that passeth all understanding. 

"Something like seven years ago I went to some services in Manchesterthat were being conducted by Dr Torrey and Mr Alexander. At the closeof these services I went to the front and took some Gospel literaturethat was there for distribution. When I got home and commenced myduties I began to give this literature to the policemen. I thought thepolicemen stood as much in need of it as anybody else. If he is apeacemaker, sometimes he is a peacebreaker, and with all due respect tohim he is not always a law-abiding man. 

"There were two booklets in which I was specially interested. One whichwas called 'God's Sure Promise, ' asked several questions at the close, and then requested the reader to sign his name. The other was, 'GetRight with God. ' I gave the latter to policemen on their beats, andasked them to read them carefully. I went on with my praying. One manreceived the book with great scorn. About a week after I visited thisparticular man, and with a smile upon his face he said, 'You rememberthose two booklets you gave me?' 'Yes, ' I said. 'Well, ' he said, 'theone called "God's Sure Promise" I tore up and put into the fire, theother I tore up and threw over the wall, but not before I read themboth. Now, I have never got away from that, and about half an hour agoI came to the climax. I got down on my knees in the street, and now Ican honestly say that God for Christ's sake has pardoned all my sins. 'I felt overjoyed with his testimony, for he was the most scornful andbitter man in the division. I was so overjoyed that I walked round hisbeat with him, talking with him, and giving him words of encouragement. I can never forget that night. From ten o'clock until six in themorning it was one continual downpour of rain. We were soaked through. As we walked round I said, 'We will have a word of prayer. ' We took offour helmets, knelt down on the pavement and there we had a littleprayer meeting just about two o'clock in the morning. The showers ofrain were nothing compared to the showers of blessing we had. I was sodelighted when we went off duty that morning that I could not sleep. 

"I came to Manchester when Dr Torrey was holding a meeting, and duringthe meeting I sent a note up to Dr Torrey saying that a policemanwanted to say something. However, the opportunity did not presentitself that night. A week after that another policeman came to me andsaid, 'Sergeant, do you remember that booklet you gave me, "God's SurePromise?"' I said, 'Yes. ' 'Well, ' he said, 'here it is signed. ' Sevenyears have passed away since that time, and those two policeman and Ihave stood together on the platform many and many a time telling thestory of Jesus and His love. We have had some meetings together and Ihave seen them speaking to hundreds of men and the Lord has blessedthem both. If the Lord Jesus Christ can save a policeman, He can saveanybody. 

"I found that we existed for something more than locking uppeople. I wanted to arrest people in their sin, and going along thestreet one night in company with another constable we were called intoa little house. The kind people there had taken in a woman off thestreet. She was lying on the floor in a very drunken condition, unconscious of everything around her. I knew this woman, she was abouttwenty-seven years of age. I made her acquaintance when I used to be onnight duty. Every Saturday night or in the early hours of Sundaymorning I used to find her door open--her home was in a little sidestreet, that kind of people generally live in a side street. It wasabout three o'clock on Sunday morning when I walked in and saw the manlying on the floor and the wife who was also drunk, lying on a sofa. The next time I was on night duty I found the same door open, and thistime the wife was lying on the floor and the man on the sofa, and bothwere drunk. 

"These kind people that I spoke of, consented to keep the woman therewhile I went to see the husband. I got to the house but found that hehad removed to a little room in a little back street. There he waslying on a bit of a shake-down. I roused him up and told him where hewould find his wife. He said, 'What time is it?' I said, 'Three o'clockin the afternoon. ' He had one shilling left and he took a cab and wentand brought his wife home. 

"A few days afterwards I got them both to sign the pledge. The man wasabout the same age as his wife. He told me he did not know the taste oftea and coffee, he drank nothing but beer. He only had the clothes hestood up in. Four months passed after he signed the pledge. I met himone night and he had on a black suit of clothes and a watch and guardin his pocket. I was delighted to see him. Some time after that I wentto address a very large temperance meeting. The hall was packed, andwhen I went on to the platform who should be there but this youngfellow occupying the chair. What a sight it was to me! He pointed outto me his wife in the audience. There she sat, all smiling and welldressed. Time went on and I was the means not only of keeping them tothe pledge but of bringing them to Christ; the Christ of the Gospel;the Christ that has bridged the gulf between God and the gutter;between the saint and the sot; between the pew and the slum. 

"Oh, what a pleasure it has been to see how that man works for Jesus. Iwent to his house some time after that. It was not in the back streets, although he worked there and got some people to sign the pledge. But hecame out into the front street, and there was a knocker on his door. When I knocked, his wife admitted me into the sitting room. She told methat Sunday morning that her husband was out visiting the sick. I knowthat he brought many men to the Sunday morning Bible Class. He told methis story. 'Do you know, ' he said, 'When I used to spend all my moneyin the public house, oftentimes on the holidays I would take thelandlord's luggage to the station for the price of a pint of beer. Notlong ago we had our holiday, and instead of taking the landlord'sluggage to the station I had a man to carry mine, and as we were goingup the street with this man walking in front of us we passed one of thepublic houses where I had often spent my wages. The landlord wasstanding at the door. When he saw me passing he said, 'What does thismean?' I said, 'It means that I am going to Ireland instead of thee. 'That man is being used to-day in God's service. The blood of JesusChrist cannot only save but it can keep. "

CHAPTER X

_Conversion Is a Miracle_

When one turns from sin to Christ and thus becomes a new creature, itis entirely the work of God. He must feel a sense of his need andappreciate the power of the Saviour, but it is the power of the HolySpirit of God that transforms him. The stories of men and women whohave been brought to Christ are always thrilling. 

Every Christian ought to be a soul winner, and however many otherobligations may rest upon him, the obligation of introducing others toJesus Christ is of the first importance. If our lives are right; if weare wholly submitted to Him; if we are quick to do His bidding; if wehave a familiarity with the Scriptures; if we have a confidence in thewillingness of God to save; then we are emboldened to seek the lost andturn to those who are furthest away from Christ. 

To know that others have been won to Him is always an inspiration. Recently in one of our meetings in New York, the Salvation Army forcescame to assist us, and they brought with them some men and women whosestories of conversion were truly remarkable. In quick succession theyappeared before an audience of several thousand. 

The first speaker modestly began by saying: "What I am this afternoon, I am by the grace of God. For years and years I had been nothing but anevery-day drunkard. Not far from where the Salvation Army held theiropen air meetings was an old lamp post. One Sunday afternoon I heardtheir music and their singing, and I made my way to this lamp post. Ifit had not been there I believe I would never have been saved, for Iwas so intoxicated I could not stand. 

"After the meeting was over one of the sisters came to me and said, 'Mybrother, wont you come along to the meeting? You need salvation. ' 'Yes, 'I said, 'I need something better than what I have got. ' At the same timeI did not go--I finished up the day in the saloon. I came out into theopen air again and the devil said, 'You cannot mix with these peoplethey are too far above you. ' By and by there came a man who said he hadbeen every bit as bad as I was, and he told me how his life had beenchanged. And my eyes were opened then and there, and I kept going to themeetings and I got some decent clothes, and a home of my own--though Ihad been working every day I had not a home to go to--but when I wasconverted all became changed. And now I am perfectly happy. My life iscompletely made over. I never think of drink and have no desire for it. I have a happy home and a "little lump of glory" for a wife. 

"When I first became a Christian the devil said to me, 'You cannot staythere with those people, there is a whisky bill you have not yet paid. Suppose you are out in one of those open air meetings and the saloonkeeper should see you and say, 'Why, he owes me six dollars, ' whatcould you say then?' I went to that saloon keeper and said to him, 'Howmuch do I owe you?' And he said, 'Six dollars. ' 'Well, ' I said, 'I wantto pay it. ' I did pay it then and there, and glory to God He has keptme from then to this day. "

The next testimony was that of a former anarchist. Before he wasconverted he did not have a shirt to his back. He is now a business manin New York City, and prosperous. 

"It was about eighteen years ago that I was with a group of men in aback street attending a meeting of anarchists, when the police camealong and broke up the meeting. I made off as fast as I could, but Idid not get away fast enough, for the police officer caught me by thearm and took me away to prison. While I was there the Salvation Armycame to preach to us. Thank God for that night! It was the first time Ihad heard salvation preached, for I come from the stock of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When I got out of goal I went to the Salvation Army. There stood on the platform that night two girls. They told me aboutJesus. They spoke of salvation for the drunkard, but that did notappeal to me; they spoke of salvation for the unbeliever, but that didnot appeal to me; and when they spoke of salvation for the thief, neither did that appeal to me. Then one night they said salvation isfor the Jew. I said to myself, 'That means me. ' I came forward thatnight and got rid of my wretchedness and my misery; I came forsalvation, and the Jew got salvation. '

"I moved away from the Bowery, for that was where I spent most of mytime. I have walked down the Bowery many a night with not a place tolie down in, with not fifteen cents to pay for a bed, and not a shirtto my back. Thank God, I moved away from the Bowery. I started inbusiness myself. To-day I have a splendid business connected withtwenty houses on Broadway. Hallelujah! Godlessness, sin, vice, takes aman off Broadway and puts him on the Bowery; salvation takes a man fromthe Bowery and puts him on Broadway. "

In the year 1880, the second convert in the Salvation Army in theUnited States was made, and after years of testing he came before us tospeak as follows: "I started to drink when about thirteen years of age, and I kept drinking till the Salvation Army came to New York in 1880. Iread in the papers about seven sisters coming over to open up theforces in the United States. There used to be an old lady who came toour house to see my mother. She was a Methodist, and my mother was alsoa Methodist. She used to come there like an old grandmother and darnstockings. One day she said she would like to go to the Salvation Army, and asked me to take her. I was leading such a dissipated and drunkenlife, that I had no money to pay the car fare, but she slipped tencents into my hand and we went to the Salvation Army that night. Shewas very deaf and got me away up to the front. The Spirit of God tookhold of me, and the Salvation Army people, in the way they have, gotafter me. One of the officers came up and said, 'Are you saved?' Isaid, 'No, I could not be saved. ' I managed to get out of the meetingthat night without giving my heart to God. But all the time there wassomething taking hold of me. I tried to drown it in drink. On Sundaynight with the old lady I was back at the Army again. On Monday night Iwas drunk again. On Tuesday night I knelt down and gave my heart toJesus, and a Salvationist said, 'Now brother, if you want the Lord todo anything, you just tell Him. '

"Before that time I had served two terms in the penitentiary. Sometimestwice a week I would be brought into the Police Court for drunkenness. Every time I went out and got drunk I would get arrested. I tried toget away from this life and went out West. I thought if I got out thereand got into new surroundings things would be different. I got as faras Hornsville, New York, and got arrested there. I got a little furtherWest and was arrested again. But I never got rid of the kind of life Iused to live until I came to the Lord Jesus Christ. That was thirtyyears ago. The Lord is not only able to save a man but, thank God, Heis able to keep him. "

This is the story of an English baronet. He went wrong in England, cameto America as a cow boy, was wild and reckless, but was soundlyconverted. He said: "I will not say much about myself. Perhaps youalready know something about me. You may have seen my picture in thepapers, telling of my past life, but I want to try to tell you, to theglory of God, how I was born again. 

"When I succeeded my father to one of the oldest titles in England, inthe year 1907, I was wild and reckless. I came over to America. Toescape from a wild scrape I beat the sheriff in Colorado into Utah. Then I went home to England in 1908 and took over the title of theestate, and I made the occasion simply one drunken spree. I was out forall the devilment I could get into. I hated the Church. I hatedreligion. I hated anything good. When I went down to the old churchwhich is in the grounds of the estate, they said to me, 'What will youdo about the minister?' I said, 'I would kick the fool out, but the lawwould make me put in another. ' If anybody mentioned the Salvation Armyto me, I would refer to them as thieves and liars. 

"I came back to America and immediately got involved in some moresprees, such as driving horses into saloons, and other devilment. ThenI crossed again to London and started a wild-west show of my own in theLondon Hippodrome. I came back to America deeper in sin than ever. Oneday I was sitting in a saloon planning a fresh escapade when aSalvation Army sister came in with her tambourine and some 'War Cries. 'She looked at me and said, 'Are you a Christian?' I said, 'No. ' Shegave me the address of the Headquarters and asked me to come up. Thebar-tender turned round and said, 'Go up and rope somebody. ' I said, 'Iwill go up. ' There was something different about me. I did not knowwhat was wrong with myself I went up to the open-air meeting and was asquiet as a mouse. For five or six days I could not keep away from theHeadquarters. I did not know what was wrong. I went out to see somemoving pictures to see if I could see myself amongst them; then I wentand had another drink; but back to the Salvation Army Headquarters Ihad to go. I was getting almost crazy. I reached the point when I hadeither to give in or kill myself. 

"I locked the door of my room and then got down on my knees and askedGod to forgive me. Do you know, it seemed as if hell was turned loosearound me. Everything said, 'You have gone too far; you are too big asinner, ' I said, 'But Jesus died for me. ' I prayed and prayed, and Iheard that voice come and say, 'Go and sin no more, ' It was just as ifa finger had touched my soul. My prayer turned from one of supplicationto one of thankfulness for what God had done for me. I was born again. I rose up with the old life gone, and my two greatest blessings arethat all that old life is blotted out for ever, and that I have theknowledge that the Spirit of Jesus my Saviour is in me, and I dwell inHim. The union between us is perfect. I thank God for that. "

The following story was told by a man who had been a successful lawyer. He had gone down into the depths of sin and by the power of God's gracehad been redeemed. He began by saying:--

 Must Jesus bear the Cross alone, And all the world go free? No, there's a cross for you to bear, And there's a cross for me. 

"It is a cross for me to come here and relate my experience, but I amglad to be here inasmuch as something I say may gladden someone who isdiscouraged. I was brought up in a Christian home. My mother was a goodwoman and my father was a clergyman. I went through college and thelower school before I took a single drop of strong drink. But when Itook my first drink--I remember it well--it seemed to be something Ihad been looking for all my life and had never found before. From thattime on I drank periodically. I had a lovely family and an honouredname, but I dragged it and my family into the dust. I struggled throughmy own strength to redeem myself, but I could not, nor can any man. Itook cures, but they availed me not. I was in the hospital fourteentimes, struggling up all the time, but falling down again. I seemed toohopeless. The light seemed to be fading for ever from the horizon, anddarkness was coming over me. I was without hope. I would rather havefallen asleep in death, away from my companions, away from my lovedones, and never have been seen again, than to have lived the way I was. But through the providence of God, and through a kind wife and sister, I am able to stand here to-day. God bless the wives of the drunkardsand drinking men, for if any will have a crown in heaven, it will bethe wife of the drunkard who stands by him through thick and thin andwho never gives him up. 

"I went away to a certain town and while there I noticed the title of abook called 'Twice Born Men. ' It aroused my curiosity, and I picked itup and commenced to read it. I came to the story of the puncher, a manwho was formerly a prize fighter, and who had descended to the lowestscale of humanity. He had become a drunkard of the worst type and hadgone one night into a saloon with murder in his heart. He was goinghome to kill his wife, when there flashed in upon him some strangeinfluence, some mighty influence, some compelling influence--the powerof the Almighty--and drove him into the Salvation Army barracks, andthere he knelt at the Penitent form and God took the load from hisback. When he rose up there was a new light in his eyes, a new heart inhis breast, and he arose a new born man. He began to work for Christ. 

"As I read that story I said, 'If there is hope for the puncher, thereis hope for me. ' I had been brought up a Christian, and during mydrinking days I had attended church, and I had fought as every poordrunkard fights to redeem himself. But through my own strength Ifailed, and I want to say to you here, there is no man who sufferspangs of bitter conscience or from a broken heart more than a poordrunkard who cannot tear the chains from himself. Have pity on him. AndI read about this man going out to save those who were lost, and then Iread on further about Danny, a drunkard, who while in prison wasvisited by the puncher, who sought him out, and said, 'There is abetter life for you. ' He took him to his home, and it was a new andhappy home he took him to, with a happy wife and children, and helaboured with them. Danny the thief; Danny the drunkard; Danny themurderer. When the day had passed Danny went back to prison. But thepower of God came over Danny in prison, and he said to himself, 'If Godcan save the puncher, God can save me. ' And then there came into hisheart a light; and I said, 'If God can save the puncher; if God cansave Danny--He can save me. ' And He did save me, and He has kept me, and from that day to this I have never desired a drop of alcohol. 

"I have gone through physical sufferings that are attendant upon it, but thanks be unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ, He gave me thevictory, and I stand here to-day an example of the keeping power ofGod. Oh, my friends, what a new life it opened up for me. I thought Iwas a Christian once; but until I was thrown down, until I wascrucified twice over, not until then could I be convinced that Godcould save me from this terrible curse. And I want to say that noChristian man ever came to me and told me that God could save me fromwrong. Oh, what a duty rests upon Christians to speak to the drinkingmen! When God took me by the hand I had a new life and I wanted to goout and save drunkards, and I have been trying to save them since. Iwent to the Salvation Army Barracks in Jersey City, and if it was notfor the Salvation Army, I do not know whether I could have held out ornot, but when I felt distressed those brothers prayed and stood roundme, and if there is anyone here who is discouraged, and who is awayfrom God, and who goes round the corner to see his little childrengoing to school because he cannot go home, if there is anyone who hasleft a broken-hearted mother or wife at home; get up and go home tothem and give your heart to the Lord. "

The last story told at the meeting has to do with the completetransformation of a woman's life. It is a modern miracle. The one whotells the story is growing old and feeble, but all are thrilled as theylisten to her. 

This woman was educated in a young ladies' seminary, and had a fairlygood start in life among some of the leading people in Western NewYork. She married a man who became an habitual drunkard. She was sorelydisappointed in him, and, little by little, she started to drink, tillthere came the time when she and her husband were possibly two of theworst drunkards the State had ever known. She had been in prison twohundred or more times. But now, up in the little town of Canandaiguawhere she lives, she is treasurer of the Salvation Army, and has beenfor fifteen years. She is respected by all who know her. Not only thepeople in the army, but the well-to-do people of the town all love andrespect Mary Law. 

Her husband was not converted until recently. She had been prayingfifteen years for him, and one night she prayed specially for him, thelast half hour of the meeting passed, the last twenty minutes, and thenCharlie came. 

"I thank God for what He did for me, " she said. "Before the SalvationArmy got hold of me, I was one of the worst drunkards in the state ofNew York. The first night they came I wanted to know what the SalvationArmy was like. Just like any other old drunken sot, I wanted to knowwhat the Salvation Army was going to be. So I walked out as far as thePolice Station, and I said, 'Where is the Salvation Army going to beto-night?' 'Well, ' said the police officer, 'it is going to be up atthe Presbyterian Church, but I want to tell you one thing. If you go upthere you will get run in, ' I thought to myself for a moment, if I stayout I will get run in, so I might just as well go up there and get runin. I went up, and I suppose I was a terrible-looking object. I gotinto a corner near the door, so that if anything turned up I could getout. I had just one quarter in my purse when they came to take up thecollection, and I put that quarter in. I believe if I had been outsideI would have been run in. When I got outside I wanted that quarter fora bottle of whisky. I then went up to the Police Station. When thePolice Justice saw me coming in he said, 'Where have you beento-night?' I said, 'Up to the Salvation Army meeting. ' 'Well, ' he said, 'let me give you a little bit of advice. Keep right on going. '

"The first night they had their meeting in the hall I went to thepenitent form, and the next night I got saved. That was over fifteenyears ago. I have neither tasted nor handled one drop of intoxicatingliquor from that day to this. I did not have a home fit for a dog tolive in. I hardly ever knew what it was to be without a black eye. Ihave been pounded until I did not know where I was; until I was dazed. And when I came to, and saw where I was, I was lying on the floor andCharlie was lying on the bed with his dirty old clothes on, and ifanybody has gone through hell, it is I. But I thank God to-day I havegot just as good a husband as there is in the state of New York. I havejust as comfortable a home as anybody could wish, and every dollar ofit is paid for. Before that the saloons got the money, but I thank Godto-day the saloons don't get any of my money. 

"Charlie would get arrested, and when I saw him locked up, I would dosomething that would get me locked up too. We went in together and wecame out together, We would not be out for long when back we would goagain. If one went to the lock-up, the other went, and that is the waywe carried on through life. 

"An election campaign was being held many years ago, and Charlie wentup the street to vote. He came home drunk. I suppose it was electionwhisky, but he brought some home, and we had a drink together. We wentto bed on Tuesday night, and woke up intending to go to work the nextday. I asked one of the neighbours what time it was, and she said it isalmost night now, but where have you been for the last two or threedays? We had gone to sleep on Tuesday night and did not wake up tillThursday night. I went back, and we took another drink that night, anddid not wake up till Saturday night. If my life, sixteen years ago, wasnot hell upon earth, I do not know what you call hell. 

"Just about the time when I first started out to serve God inCanandaigua, I was an outcast. Nobody cared for me. Nobody would noticeme. When they saw me they would go out of their way to avoid me. Nobodywanted to come near me. But when I was drunk I thought I was about asgood as they were, and sometimes I gave them a little of my mind, andthat was the way I often got arrested. But to-day those very folks, whowere my very worst enemies, who tried to hurt me and who did everythingthey could to injure me, are my very best friends. I have friends amongthe rich, and friends among the poor. They do not shun my home, theycome and see me, and if I am sick some of the wealthy people come tosee how I am getting along, and if I have everything I want. For allthis I have to thank God and the Salvation Army. 

"I have been kicked and knocked and pounded until I have been almostdead. Charlie did the kicking and the pounding, but I was as much toblame as he was. I was drunk and so was he, but I was never the one togo to the police officer and get a warrant out for my husband. If hepounded me until I could hardly breathe, and he happened to getarrested for it, I managed to get arrested too. I cannot tell you howmany times we have been in jail in the little village of Elgin, and inthe penitentiary too. But I would rather go back to the penitentiaryto-day and spend my days there than to live again the life that I livedbefore I was converted. I thank God and the Salvation Army to-nightthat I do not have to carry black eyes, and that I can go home inpeace. 

"I have a nice comfortable home, and it is all paid for, and if it hadnot been for the Salvation Army coming to Canandaigua, I would havebeen in a drunkard's hell to-day. When the Army first came there, I waslike a great many others. I wanted to see what the Salvation Army waslike, and out of curiosity I went to a meeting. But I was too drunk tounderstand anything about it. The next night I went there quite sober, and I gave my heart to the Lord. That was seventeen years ago, and Ithank God that since then I have tried to do my utmost to serve Him tothe best of my ability. And it is my determination, as long as He givesme breath, to do for Him all I can, to spread His Kingdom on earth. "

CHAPTER XI

_A Final Word_

As has been suggested, it is necessary, if one is to be a successfulpersonal worker, to know well the Scriptures. The incorruptible seed, which is the Word of God, when it is received into the human heart asgood and honest ground, will, without question, produce a satisfactoryharvest. If you should attempt to win one to Christ, who insists thathe is out of the Kingdom because of his doubts, tell him to come withhis doubts, and Christ will set him free. "My doubts are round about melike a chain, " said one in the audience, with whom one of our personalworkers was labouring, and the worker said quickly, "Come, chains andall. " The doubter hesitated a second, then said, "I will, " and as herose to move forward, he testified that the chains were snapped, and hewas free. 

If the one you are seeking to introduce to Christ says that he is sucha great sinner, and because of this he cannot come, then tell him tocome with his sins. He wants him just as he is, and stands ready to sethim free from the sins that have enslaved him and blinded his eyes sothat he could not see Christ as he stood waiting to save him. 

It is a good thing to start by giving the assurance to the unsaved thatGod is Love, and that His love is boundless. This may be easily provedby the Scriptures. Tell him also that Christ is not only able, butready and willing to save. There are abundant evidences of this in theNew Testament. Tell him that no one is too sinful; none too far fromGod; none too depraved by sin to be saved. There are evidences on everyside of us of many such seeking and finding pardon. 

It is well to start with such a declaration as is found in John i. 12, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sonsof God, even to them that believe on His name. " Insist upon it thatChrist has laid down the conditions, and that if we are to be saved, wemust honestly and sincerely, with all our doubts and sins, receive Himas a personal Saviour. 

Make it very plain to the one with whom you are dealing that when onecomes into the Kingdom he is born into it. There is no other way thanthis, for Jesus said, John iii. 3, "Except a man be born again he cannotsee the Kingdom of God. " If the joy of regeneration is to be experienced, it is necessary that the acceptance of Jesus as a Saviour should bedefinite, and that there should be sufficient confidence in God's Wordto lead us to believe that when we have fulfilled our partof the contract the Saviour will keep His. 

If we are born into the Kingdom then we start as babes in Christ. Weare expected to grow. If we are to grow, we must have proper food; thisis found in the Word of God. We must be faithful in prayer. We musthave proper light and air; this is found by walking in fellowship withChrist, and learning His will as we study the Scripture, we seek withjoy to do it. We may stumble as little children do, but He will helpus, and if at times we seem to fail, He will hold us fast. 

As little babes in Christ it will not be strange that at times we growdiscouraged and faint-hearted, but if we press on to know the Lord weshall find our strength increasing and our temptations decreasing untilat last we may enter into a continuous and joyous Christian experience. 

Tell the one with whom you are dealing that the assurance of salvationis possible. Jesus said, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on Himthat sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life" (John v. 24). And the Apostle Johnwrote, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the nameof the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life and thatye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John v. 13). 

State very plainly the fact that we are saved by faith and not byfeeling, and being thus saved we are kept by Divine Power. 

When we have passed through the darkness of doubt into the light of ourconscious acceptance of Christ, and when on the authority of God's Wordwe have the assurance of salvation, then let it ever be remembered thatwe must seek to bring others to Him. And as we labour day by day our ownfaith will grow stronger, our hope will be brighter, and our consciousnessof the presence of Christ will be more marked. Day by day we may walkwith Him and talk with Him until at last we shall see Him as He is andthen we may hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant . .. Enterthou into the joy of thy Lord. "