David said to young King Solomon, “Be . . . a man." 1 Kings 2:2. You will never become a man in God's sight until you become a real Christian - until you accept the Man as your substitute. To try to be a man without owning Christ is to fail at the vital point. It will never do for you to say as did Joseph's brothers, "We are true men.' Your reputation may be good; that is what men think about you. Character is all that counts; and that is what God knows you to be. Jesus can make a man of you.

In a great city telegraph office, scores of instruments. were clicking away. Presently, in the midst of the din and the clatter, the door opened, and in walked a young man a stranger. He was tall and rather awkward, and had on a linen duster that reached nearly to his feet. He asked for employment, and in response to his request, the chief operator motioned him to a seat.

By and by another instrument began to click. The most important work for the day was at hand. The press dispatches were ready at a distant city, and by his table in that city sat one of the swiftest operators in the service, waiting to begin his rapid sending. The chief motioned the young stranger to a place at the desk where the press news was to be received. The other workers lifted their heads from their work, and smiled at the rustic stranger in his attempt to "take" the fastest man on the line. They were all expecting him to fail miserably. But that was the last thing this young man expected to do.

Answering the call, he took up his pen and began to write. Page after page he wrote, as hour after hour he sat there, dropping the sheets to the messenger boy. Now the others looked on in astonishment and admiration. When the task was over, the position was his without question. “What is your name?" asked the chief. "Thomas Edison," came the quiet answer. This was the beginning of Thomas Edison's life work. He

Re

was prepared, and all he needed was a chance. ceiving it, he did marvels, and he is still doing them. Dear friend, God is prepared. He is able to save you. He has done marvels, and is still doing them. All He needs is a chance to work in your life. Will you surrender yourself to Him?

A tiny boy, two years old, stood in a ray of sunshine that came through the trees in the front yard. In a few minutes, he cried out gayly, "Me standing in God's smile, mamma." The mother replied, "God grant that my boy may so live as to be always standing in God's smile." Shortly after this, his mother died. The baby boy grew up to manhood and into favor with a great man of the world. This man became his ideal. The young man tried to please him, and forgot to put God first. He was reckless and unhappy. God's smile was gone.

One day, while looking over some relics in an old trunk, he found a parcel in which was a pair of baby shoes. And there was a note in his mother's handwriting. It said: "These shoes were worn by my darling boy when he was two years old. He stood in a ray of sunshine, saying, 'Me standing in God's smile, mamma.' God grant that my boy may so live as to be always standing in God's smile."

His life passed before him, and through these lines, God spoke to the boy grown older. He saw plainly that he had been standing in a man's smile. He had lost the favor of God. Here he anew dedicated his life to his mother's God. Then God's smile came back. I ask you, Whose smile are you standing in? Whose smile do you desire most · God's smile or the smile of the world? One has in it present and eternal joy; the smile of the world has in it but the ashes of Sodom. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

“I Don't Feel Like Being a Christian”

FTER some one has appealed to you most earnestly to give your heart to God, have you ever given this excuse: "I don't feel like being a Christian"? I have heard it, and I am sure every evangelist of any experience has heard it, some of them many times. It is such an easy excuse to give!

Suppose you cling to this excuse to the very last. To all God's invitations to repent, you say, “I don't feel like it," until finally the time comes for you to be called before the great court sitting in heaven. Will you not feel strange then as you say to your heavenly Father, "Father, I received Your urgent invitation, but I didn't feel like coming"! When God asks you why you did not keep His commandments, you reply, "I didn't feel like it."

Suppose a thief on trial would say, "Your honor, I didn't feel like keeping the laws of the land." How much weight would such an excuse have with the jury?

As I have pondered this excuse, I have wondered. what kind of feeling a man thinks he must have before he may become a Christian. My Bible says very little about "feeling." It says a great deal about "believing" and "doing." One man is mentioned in the Bible who wished to feel poor old blind Isaac - and he was deceived in his feeling. The scripture says, "Whosoever will," not, Whosoever feels. We have "The Acts of the Apostles," not "The Feelings of the Apostles."

I do not think the prodigal son had much joyous feeling, or that he thought very much about feeling, until he knew he was forgiven, and had his feet again under his good father's table. Then he did have feeling, I am sure. Peace and joy come as a result of faith, not before faith.

As I look back upon my own experience, I remember that I had two kinds of feelings. The first was a very sad, discouraged-with-myself feeling. It was caused by a deep conviction of sins which I must confess and of wrongs which I must make right. It was like cutting off the right hand and plucking out the right eye. I felt miserable for weeks. The Holy Spirit pointed out my duty very clearly, and I knew what I must do in order to find forgiveness, peace, and heaven. But would I do it? The moment I did repented and confessed my sins and claimed forgiveness through the blood of Jesus that moment I had just the kind of feeling I wanted. I knew that I was pardoned, and joy and happiness filled my heart.

Yet, after all, feeling has little to do with our salvation. Do not wait for feelings of any kind before you yield yourself to God. If your duty is plain, do it. If you know you should come,- and you do know it,— come. Do not let this thing cheat you out of eternal life. Be sure it is only a worthless excuse put into your heart by the devil to enable him still to hold you in his control.

During the American Civil War, millions of slaves suddenly found their hearts overflowing with joy. Why? Had they seen President Lincoln? No. Had they heard him? No. They simply believed what

others told them, that Lincoln had made them free. They believed, therefore they were happy. Friend, here is God's promise. Believe it. "Whosoever will, let him take." The Bible is full of such promises. Every one of them is far more certain than was Lincoln's proclamation. Believe and act on these, and the result is sure, no matter what the feeling. The Book says that God can not lie. You know He can not. If He could, He would cease to be God. Then do not, by your life or word, testify to the world that you think He has lied. We have a God too wise to err, too strong

to fail, and too loving not to do the very best for each one of His children.

Our belief makes all the difference in the world in our actions. Suppose that some night, you and your family are all sleeping soundly. About midnight, a neighbor pounds on your door, and cries, "Your house is on fire!" In this case, will not belief alter your actions? Certainly your course will be quite different if you believe your neighbor, from what it would be if did not believe him. In one event, you will hurry to try to save your family, your home, and your goods; in the other, you would take no notice sleep on and lose all. As soon as you are awakened, you see for yourself that your home is on fire, and you act accordingly.

you

There is a great deal of truth in the words of the old Negro who said: "I have heard folks say, 'I hope I has religion, but I don't know'; but I nebber heard a man say, 'I hope I has money, but I don't know.' Dat sort of religion ye hopes ye's got but don't know, ain't goin' to do ye no more good dan der money what ye hopes ye's got but don't know."

Dear reader, it is your privilege to say with Paul: "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.' 2 Timothy 1: 12. Will you not throw away your excuses, and do what God, His Spirit, His Word, and your own conscience tell you to do? The moment you decide to give up your own way and take God's way the moment you yield your will to Him - you are His. The only hard thing about being a Christian is to be willing.

As another says, "It is the easiest thing in the world to become a Christian, and it is almost the most difficult." He explains this seeming contradiction this way: A little boy threw his uncle's Bible on the floor. His mother said, “Charlie, pick up uncle's book." The little