It was the custom in our office for the new stenographers to be broken in for the new work in my department. On a certain day, the office manager introduced a young lady who had applied for a position. Some mail had accumulated ready for handling, so I asked her to be seated, while I gave her the first letters in her new position.

Just before dictating, I said to her, "Miss M---, are you a good girl or a bad girl?"

She looked at me with astonishment, her face flushed a bit, as she replied: "Why, I am a good girl. Has someone been telling you otherwise about me?" It was quite evident that the thought of being bad was rather abhorrent to her.

"How good are you?" I asked.' Are you real good, or just a little bit good?"

"I want you to know that there is nothing wrong about me," she replied, "And I cannot understand why you should ask such a question."

"How old are you, Miss M---?" was my next inquiry.

"Really, sir," she said, "I cannot see what that has to do with taking your dictation."

She certainly was ruffled and disturbed by these questions which to her mind were quite apart from the job for which she was engaged. I looked at her rather intently, and then, taking a pencil and paper, I said, "I would think that you were about thirty years of age, is that right?"

"You can say anything you please," she said, "I came to take your letters."

"Very well," I continued, "If you are about thirty, then you have had at least twenty years of personal accountability. You may not have been responsible for the first ten yours, but you are for the last twenty."

I wrote down the twenty on my pad, and said: "During each of these twenty years you have lived 365 days. Let us multiply these together. You will notice that you have lived 7,300 days for which you are responsible, and perhaps you have committed one sin on each of these days. Do you think you have done so?" I inquired.

"I am quite sure that I have," she said, looking rather puzzled at the figures on the pad.

"If you have 7,300 sins against you today, Miss M---, would you call that being a good girl or a bad girl?"

"I certainly wouldn't think that I was very good," she said, "but I never had figured it up before. It may be I am not as good as I thought I was. Really, I think that I have committed many more than one sin a day."

"Perhaps you have," I answered. "There are sins of omission, sins of commission; sins of ignorance, and sins of presumption. Do you think you might have committed one of each of these each day?"

"Yes, and more than that," was her quick response.

By this time my friend was getting quite interested. Her mind was running back over her life, and no doubt her memory was filled with things which she would like to have forgotten.

"Shall we make it ten a day?" I asked, kindly.

"Yes, that is not too many," she answered.

The pad lay conveniently near, where she could continually see the figures. I multiplied the 7,300 by ten, and wrote in large figures 73,000, and underneath it the words, "Sins committed by a GOOD girl."

Turning to her again and watching her countenance closely, I said, "In view of these figures, Miss M---, do you still think you are a good girl, or are you a bad girl?" Her face was flushed, and the agitation of her mind and heart were quite evident. She was deeply interested now.

"Do you think, Miss M---, that there might have been some days when there were more than ten sins?"

"Doctor," she replied, "if you only knew what a temper I have and how easy it is for me to do some things that are wrong, you would not need to ask me that question. I know I have been unusually sinful on some occasions. Really, I never dreamed how bad I am."

This was the confession which I knew preceded salvation. It was easy now to turn to the gospel story and tell of the Saviour and His power to save.

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," I quoted, (1 Timothy 1:15). "He knew that you would be a sinner, and would need Him. He knew that you could not change yourself, nor save your own soul. He knew that you could not change yourself, nor save your own soul. He knew that you could not blot out the black record of these many sins by any efforts of your own. That is the reason He came to save you. Would you like to have that Saviour blot out all of these sins today?"

"I am not sure," she answered. "This is all so new to me."

Seeing her perplexity and astonishment, I said, "We will talk about this again when you wish it," and took up the letters to give the dictation.

The next morning, when I came to the office, Miss M--- had preceded me and was sitting at my desk, waiting for a continuation of the conference.

"I could not sleep last night," she said. "My sins kept coming before me like a great mountain. I realized, as I had never done before, how very wicked I am. Is there no remedy for me? No way of blotting out these sins?"

We turned at once to the precious Word of God which is so full of the remedy, and which gives such a clear answer to this question. Our first passage was Isaiah 44:22 -- "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee."

"The one against whom you have sinned, Miss M---, is the One who has found a way to blot out those sins. That way is by Calvary. It is the blood of Christ that blots out sins, and God has ordained it so Himself. (1 John 1:7-9). It was God's way to send the Lord Jesus to die for you. 'The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all' (Isaiah 53:6). Peter also records that He bore our sins in his own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). Christ will take those sins away from you, if you but trust Him today with your soul. Listen now to these words by Paul: 'In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace' (Ephesians 1:7).

"You have the privilege, Miss M---, of coming to Christ Jesus just as you are in your sins, accepting Him as your Saviour, and letting Him accept you. He cleanses those who bring their defilement to Him. That is His work. 'As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name' (John 1:12). Will you receive Him just now?"

The tears and the trembling hands indicated the deep work that God was doing in that heart. The Holy Spirit had convicted her of sin, and now He would reveal to her the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners.

"I will accept Him," she answered, slowly and deliberately. "I want to be saved, and I want to be saved right now. I cannot go on in my sins any longer."

"Then tell Him," I urged; "tell Him now that you accept Him, that you trust in His precious blood, and thank Him for bearing away your sins on Calvary."

With bowed head, she did so, and rested her all on the Lord Jesus Christ. Her subsequent life in the office, and later in a neighboring city, has testified to the good work of God by which she was born again.

You, too, my friend, should examine yourself to see just how BAD you are. Then when the terrible facts are revealed to your heart, you will quickly flee to Jesus Christ, who is the Refuge from the storm of wrath.

Three physicians occupied a suite of rooms in a great office building devoted to the medical profession. These men had engaged a number of young ladies for secretarial work at different times. None had given such satisfactory service as a Miss B---, who seemed especially fitted for this type of work. She was pleasant in her manner and quite efficient in all of her service.

One evening about half-past four, this lady who was a stranger to me, telephoned my office and requested an interview at five o'clock, which was granted. She was soon at the door in a taxicab, and came into the office. I could see that she was greatly agitated about something, and since I did not know that she was in a doctor's office, asked her whether she wanted to see me as a physician or as a minister. "As a minister," she said, "for I work in a doctor's office."

I asked her to tell me the condition of her soul, and what her particular trouble might be.

"I am a terrible sinner," she replied; "no one knows it but God and me. It is making me most wretched -- in fact, so much so, that I fear my mind will give way under the strain. It is such a horrible sin that I cannot even tell you what it is. I know that God will never forgive me for it, and I am not seeking that; I know there is no remedy. I only want you to tell me whether there is any way that I can get relief for my mind and heart now. I simply cannot endure this agony any longer."

Such a case as this had never before come to my attention. I asked her to kneel with me while we prayed together for wisdom and light. After praying, the Holy Spirit put it into my heart to find for her those Scriptures which assure us that ALL sins may be washed away by the blood of Christ. I found a number of such passages, but before giving them to her, I pleaded for more information concerning her case. She steadfastly refused, but assured me that no other human being was involved in the sin; that she had sinned only against the Lord Jesus and no one else.

We then turned to the Scriptures, such as Colossians 2:13-14; Isaiah 44:22; and Isaiah 53:5-6. None of these gave her any help or relief.

Again, I urged her to tell me the character of the sin. I assured her, that as a doctor, I could not help my patients until I knew the symptoms and found the seat of the disease. The fireman would not be content with throwing water on smoke; he must find the fire before he could put it out. Thus I encouraged her, for it was quite evident that her sin was not such a one as was common among men, but must be of some peculiar character which would need special Scripture passages to solve.

Supper time had now arrived and the gong summoned us to the table. I requested that supper be reserved for a while, because the situation was too acute to leave just at this juncture. The contact was too vital. Continuing with her, I said: "I really think we should not continue any longer unless you are willing to tell me your need, in order that I may bring to you God's Word which will meet that need."

She then laid aside her reserve and told a most remarkable story of her attitude towards the person of Christ. It was the most unusual and peculiar attitude I have ever heard from any human lips. It was unbelievable in its character, were it not that it came from the lips of one having that experience.

"This is none other than a demon, Miss B---. No other power on earth would put such thoughts in your mind. The devil hates Christ and would like to keep you from trusting Him, therefore he has given you this strange attitude. The Lord Jesus is the only one who can conquer Satan. He will give you the victory just now, if you will trust Him."

We turned and read Acts 13:38-39, where the Holy Spirit has recorded: "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him ALL that believe ARE justified from ALL things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Her attention was called to the word "ALL" in this verse. The first "all" included herself, the second "all" included her sins. We read the verse over several times, while I pressed upon her these two words.

It was seven o'clock before her heart yielded and her mind accepted the statement of God's Word concerning that word "all." Finally she yielded.

"It doesn't seem right to me," she said, "but since God has said it, I must believe that it is so. What wonderful grace on His part that He should make such a provision for one so utterly wicked."

"Will you tell the Lord Jesus that you believe Him?" I inquired. "If you will trust Him just now, you should tell Him so, then He will give you His peace and the assurance that all your sins are blotted out." She readily agreed, and as we knelt together beside the wicker chair, she poured out her heart in gratitude to the One who would blot out such terrible sins.

Bring Him YOUR sins, my friends, whatever they are and however so many they may be, and Christ will pardon and cleanse you from all sin.

A Union Bible Conference was being held in the little city of S---recently. It was to convene two days, with three meetings a day, and each service was to be held in a different church. The Lord very graciously reached the hearts of many. Some of the lost souls were saved, some backsliders came home to the Father's house, and the Christians were edified.

Just before the closing service on Saturday night, the pastor who was entertaining me, and who had promised to drive me to a neighboring town twenty miles distant to catch the train, informed me that a young man had requested the pleasure of taking me to that city after the service. He further mentioned that this friend was the son of one of the pastors of the city. He had been attending college, and was home only for the week-end. To this I agreed, hoping that the student had a desire to know the Lord better, and was choosing this method of having a personal visit with me about the matter.

The meeting closed that evening at half-past eight, and in five minutes I was able to get away from the many friends and hurry out to the waiting car. The auto was of a very ancient vintage, sometimes known as a "rattling good car." It did not look very safe, in view of the fact that we must make the drive in twenty-five minutes. The train left at nine o'clock, and therefore we must waste no time on the gravel road which took us to the station in the neighboring city.

As soon as I had entered the auto and was seated, my young friend opened the conversation by saying: "I hope that you are not offended because I requested the pleasure of taking you to the train, instead of the pastor. I wanted to have a talk with you about my own condition, and did not know of any other way in which I could have a time alone with you."

We were now driving out of the little village and were on the gravel road. The speedometer kept climbing until it reached sixty miles. The darkness around us, together with the loose gravel underneath, did not make me feel altogether comfortable at that speed.

"Tell me about yourself," I ventured, between breaths.

"My name is John T---," he said, "and I am a son of the pastor with whom you had your service yesterday morning.

"My father thinks I am a Christian. I went through the training classes, was confirmed, have been baptized, and have sought to live a clean, good life, as my father so well prepared me for."

I was holding on to the sides of the car as we swayed along the road, but managed to reply, saying, "You might have all this, John, and simply be a lovely lost sinner with a wonderful religious experience."

"I know that," he said, "and I have realized, since going off to college, that although I had my father's faith, I have never made it my own faith. I have not been able to stand the test at school, and have fallen into ways and habits that would hurt my father terribly if he knew it. I do not want to be defeated nor deceived."

My companion was a delightful young fellow of about twenty years of age. I admired his candor and honesty as well as his earnestness in seeking for the light and truth.

"May I remind you," I said, "of a beautiful old passage of Scripture? -- 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' You will notice, John, that here is God's remedy for sin, and His way to avoid perishing. I know that is what you want. You neither want your soul to perish, nor your life to be lost. Christ will save you from both."

By this time the car had become quite unsteady, for his hands were trembling and tears were in his eyes. I suggested to him that we slow down the car, for it would be better to be late for the train than early across the "divide." To this he readily assented. When we had slowed down to about forty miles, I prayed that our Lord would hold the train as long as necessary while my friend heard the gospel and accepted the Saviour.

"Please explain to me, doctor, just how it is that Jesus saves a fellow? It is not at all clear to me. I have had lots of religious teaching, but really I know very little about how God forgives sins, and that is what I want to know." This opening was certainly the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart.

"John, this verse tells clearly that God sent His Son to save you, because you need Him. No one else can save you but Jesus. The Saviour found, however, that you had many sins in your life" (at this he nodded his head), "therefore it was necessary for Him to put those sins away in a righteous manner. He must take the punishment for you, suffer for your sins on the cross, and bear your sins in His own body on the tree."

The car was slowing down still more, as John sought to calm himself and to dry the tears from his eyes. "It is not enough, John, for you to know these facts. You must accept the gift that God has given, so that your own case and cause is committed to that Saviour," I explained.

We were now on a straight stretch of road, so that the driving was easy. Turning to me and running very slowly, he said: "Of course, Christ cannot save me unless He has me. I will accept that gift, I will just now let Him have me and my sins. I believe that He will save me from perishing. Why did I never understand this before? How dumb I have been. I have read John 3:16 many times. Why did I never see that I must accept the gift and have Christ for my own self? Thank you so much, doctor, for showing this truth to me so plainly."

We had now arrived at the town of Y--- and the time was exactly nine o'clock. As we approached the depot, we found that a freight train was moving slowly out of the town on a <31> track between our car and the station, where the passenger train was standing. I prayed that the Lord would hold the train until the freight had passed, so that we might reach it. Of course He did so. We hurried through the station, and the conductor held the train until I purchased my ticket, and then immediately it pulled out. I stood on the steps and waved goodbye to my friend, who called out to me. "Good-bye! He saved me; thank you." Has He saved you?

One afternoon, as I was busy at my desk, an old gentleman entered the office, walking with a cane, and carrying a derby hat in the other hand. It could be seen that the storms of many winters had injured the frail old body and that some heavy burden was crushing the heart.

After extending a cordial invitation to be seated, he did so. "I am glad to meet you, sir. What is your name?" I inquired.

"My name is B---," he said. "For quite some time I have been wanting to see you, because I have no joy in my life nor peace in my heart, and I am sure that the reason for this is that I am not a saved man. For many years I have been in the church. In fact, I became a member when I was about twenty years old. My life has been one of 'ups and downs' with a lot of trouble and plenty of sins."

The old gentleman was very calm, but it was quite apparent that in his heart there was a great anxiety over his condition and his future. He looked at me very closely after telling his story and seemed to wait for a reply, which I was slow to give until I should know more about his need. Because of my hesitation, he continued: "I have been listening to your morning Bible lessons on the radio for some years. I did not know what was wrong with my soul until one day you explained the need of the lost sinner for eternal life. I knew I did not have this gift and have sought opportunity since then to see you and find out how to obtain this gift from God."

"Are you a lost sinner?" I inquired. "You see, the Saviour came to save lost men, and my experience is that He does not come to those who have no need of Him, and who, therefore, are quite satisfied without Him. If you are a helpless sinner, needing the Saviour to deliver you, I am quite sure He will do it."

"I am lost," he said, "and that is the reason I came down to have this visit. My life has been spent in disobedience and rebellion, and I know I deserve to be punished and shall be, unless God will forgive. Do you think He will?"

"Let us turn to the Scripture and see what we may find in God's own Word," I answered. My Bible was at hand, lying on the desk, and we soon found 1 Peter 2:24, "Please listen to this message, Mr. B---. I will read it to you slowly, for I want you to get every word of it and to understand what it says." He was a little hard of hearing, so I read loudly and clearly these words: "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree."

"Wait a moment," he interrupted. "Will you please read those words to me again?"

It is indeed a blessed sight to see the Word of God taking hold of a human heart, bringing conviction and then turning that heart to Jesus Christ. This aged friend was grasping for salvation and peace, and was only waiting until he would clearly know from the Scriptures God's wonderful supply. I complied with his request and read the passage again. It was indeed a pleasure to witness his facial expression, as the words reached his ears. He was in deep study, listening most attentively, and as I finished the words, again he leaned forward and said most anxiously: "Please do not be impatient with me; I am not trifling at all with this matter. Will you please be so good as to read those words to me again the third time?"

The WORD of God tells the TRUTH of God, and does the WORK of God. I repeated the passage to him, emphasizing the different words, and again intently watching his face. I could see that the truth of the portion was penetrating his heart and was being received by him gladly. His thoughtful expression revealed the fact that he was studying the statement of the Word of God, without a question or a doubt.

"The One this passage is referring to, Mr. B---, is the Lord Jesus," I explained. "He came to bear your sins away and to blot them out, because you could not pay the price, and He did not want you to be lost." Mr. B--- listened to this message and then slowly arose, took his cane and derby, and started away.

"Wait a moment, Mr. B---," I cried. "Do remain a little and let me help you to see the Saviour and His work for you. Please do not go away without finding Christ and having your soul saved by Him."

My friend paused a moment, removed his hat again, and said very earnestly and happily: "I do not need to wait any longer; I am going home to praise the Saviour because He took all of my sins away and they are gone. The Bible says, 'He bore my sins,' and I believe He did. I can sing now; my heart is glad, for the load is gone." He replaced his hat and slowly made his way to the door, going home to sing at eighty.

Let me urge the reader of this story to settle the matter in early life. Give our Lord not only your soul to save and keep, but your life to preserve and make fruitful. He loves to redeem and He loves to enrich. Will you let Him have all of yourself just now?

A telephone call came to the office one day, and upon answering it, a woman's voice asked: "Could you spare the time to meet my father at the L--- Hotel tomorrow? He lives out of the city and will come in on the bus line if you will give him a little of your time. He is very anxious to see you about an important matter, but being old and rather feeble, he feels that he cannot go out to your office."

This seemed to be a call from God, and I was happy to answer that it would be a pleasure to meet her father at whatever hour he might find it convenient to come. "At two o'clock in the afternoon would be the best time," she said, so this arrangement was agreed upon.

The next day I called at the hotel and found, sitting in the lobby, a very old gentleman, having a long white beard, beautiful white hair and large bushy eyebrows. I approached him and asked whether he was waiting to see someone, to which he replied that he was waiting for the doctor who had promised to meet him there at two o'clock. After introducing myself to him, we followed his suggestion and found seats on the mezzanine floor where we could be alone for our conversation.

"My name," he said, "is Judge A---. I have been a judge in the County court at M---" (a city not far from Kansas City), "for many years. I am an old man as you can see, and have sent many men to the penitentiary. I am now nearing the end of my own life and I know quite well that the great Judge of all the earth will send me to His penitentiary, for I have not been a Christian nor made any provision whatever for the sins that are recorded against me. I have come to you, doctor, to see if there is any remedy for an old man whose life has been spent in worldly pursuits, with no fear of God and no Christian training."

It was interesting to observe, with mingled feelings, that here was a life spent in the service of his fellow-men, enjoying the blessings of God, but untouched by the grace of God and unmoved by His goodness. I could see that the judge was not trifling. He was in real earnest. Life at eighty is not full of foolishness. Things more serious occupy the mind and heart. The judge was facing death and after death the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27.)

The one who had judged others realized that now he must be judged himself. He knew that the record was filled with sins of every kind and character. He remembered that no one had been engaged to defend him at this great bar of justice. He was aware of the fact, too, that no provision had been made for the pleading of his cause; and he realized that there were no extenuating circumstances which could be presented to the Judge for the willful sins of many years. He felt that his case was hopeless.

Taking my Bible, I turned to John 5:24. Here we read those wonderful words: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and SHALL NOT COME INTO JUDGMENT; but is passed from death unto life." As those words were read slowly: "SHALL NOT COME INTO JUDGMENT," the judge became very attentive. His curiosity was aroused at once. "I never heard those words before," he said. "What is the meaning of the passage? Is it possible that a sinful man may escape the judgment?"

My aged friend was quite familiar with judgments, courts and trials, with all the accompanying evidence and arguments. These subjects had been his portion for many years. It was the judgment he feared and which he wanted to escape. No wonder these five great words from the lips of the Lord Jesus stirred his soul with a wonderful hope. His whole desire now was to know how this statement could be true in his case.

In order to explain the passage and answer his question, I chose Colossians 2:14, where these words are recorded: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."

"Judge," I said, "you will understand of course, that where there is a plain case of guilt and the evidence is undeniable, the only escape for the defendant is that someone will pay the price."

"Yes, I understand that perfectly; but where can I find one who will pay my price?"

"Oh," I replied, "that is the story of the last Scripture we just read. Christ at the cross was paying your price. Because He was a sufficient Saviour and was acceptable to God for you, God let Him die for you at Calvary, taking your punishment, bearing your sins, becoming guilty of your wicked ways and evil deeds. There He died in your room and stead that you might go free."

The old gentleman was in a deep study by this time. I could see that his heart was greatly affected by this new revelation of a substitute in the judgment. His eyes were closed under those great bushy eyebrows, and as I placed my hand on his I felt that his body was trembling with emotion. He looked at me shortly, and said, "Did He do that for me, doctor?"

"Yes, judge," I was happy to reply, "He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). You are the lost man. It was you He came to save. Will you trust Him to do it?"

With a trembling voice filled with emotion, he answered, "Yes, I will gladly trust Him. I never knew before that God had sent Him to die in my place, to take my punishment, to suffer for me. I thank Him for it. I believe His word. He said it and it must be so."

I knelt beside the chair, holding his hand in mine, and with deep gratitude praised the Saviour for His wonderful love, thanked God for His gracious work, and thanked the Holy Spirit for revealing the Saviour to this aged sinner who had sought and found the Saviour.

Do not wait, my friend, until you are eighty. Trust Christ NOW! You may never have the opportunity which God gave the old judge at his advanced age. THIS judge met his JUDGE, and the records were cleared before the judgment day. You do this, too!

A special meeting was in progress at the Memorial Church, and a great interest had been shown on the part of both the saved and the unsaved in the messages which were being given. One evening, as I came to the church just before the service was to begin, the head usher addressed me at the door and said that an old gentleman, sitting near the front, would like to have a personal conversation before the preaching began.

The usher led me down to the third seat from the front, where I found a tall, straight figure, a man about eighty-one years of age. His solemn face told of the turmoil going on within his heart. The gray hairs and the wrinkles told of a long life of hard labor. He asked for a personal interview immediately, stating: "This matter is too important to delay until the close of the service. I would like to talk with you right now."

Taking the old gentleman by the arm, we went into one of the Sunday school rooms to be alone. The pastor opened the meeting and continued until I was free to come to the platform.

Sitting down, I said to him, "What is your name, and what is your occupation?" Giving his name, he added that for thirty-five years he had been the engineer of a fast passenger train on the Santa Fe running out of Kansas City.

"Has the Lord Jesus saved you yet?" I inquired, "or would you like to be?"

The tears coursed down his cheeks as he replied: "I have attended all of your services here and have not been able to sleep or rest, because I realize that the years of my life have been spent for the devil, and I am not ready to die. Will the Lord Jesus save a wicked old man?"

What a joy it was to see the work of the Holy Spirit, convicting this friend of his sinfulness and his need of the Saviour. He was deeply in earnest and had prayed that he might know that his sins were forgiven. Opening my Bible to Luke 19:10, we read together: "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." We next read 1 Timothy 1:15, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."

"You will see from this, my friend," I said, "that the Lord Jesus Christ wants to save you. He has COME to do it, He is READY to do it, and he HAS done all of the necessary work at Calvary in order that He may save you."

"Because the Lord Jesus must save you in a righteous way, Mr. E---, it was necessary for Him to go to Calvary and suffer for your sins --paying your debt. He did this fully for you, as He says in 1 Peter 2:24, 'Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.'

"Tell me, Mr. E---," I continued, "did you ever run past a red semaphore along the right-of-way?"

He raised himself up straight as an arrow, looked down upon me from his six feet four inches in height, and said with pride: "Young man, I never did. Do you think that the Santa Fe would have kept me in their service on a 'crack' passenger train for thirty-five years if I had ever done such a foolish thing? I never did!"

"No, Mr. E---, I am quite sure they would not, and I can well believe that you were a faithful and dependable engineer, following out the rules of the road. Have you been as careful with God as you were with the Santa Fe? He, too, has a semaphore, which He erected along your pathway to eternity. His semaphore has two arms on it. It is the Cross of Christ, and is red with the blood of the Saviour. You have perhaps been running past this danger signal all of your life. You knew it was there, but perhaps you didn't care. You knew you should stop, but perhaps you were too busy -- too occupied with other things.

By this time Mr. E--- was in deep meditation. He sat thinking of his relationship to this Saviour and of his neglect through his long life of the One who would have saved him, kept him, and made him fruitful. Since he did not reply to my question, I said to him further: "Will you, just now, stop at that Cross where Jesus died and think of His love for you when He paid the penalty for your sins? He is now in heaven seated on the throne, watching and waiting to see what you will do with Him, and waiting for you to trust Him. He is not on the Cross now, He is on the throne, and wants you to trust Him, believe in Him, and accept Him. If you will, just now, commit your case, your cause, your sins and yourself to that lovely Saviour, He will make you His own child and will blot out every sin."

The engineer arose from his seat, knelt beside the chair, and said with sobs: "Lord Jesus, I believe in you; I want to stop right now beside your Cross and accept you. You died for me and you live for me, and I trust you with my soul."

I, too, prayed with deep thanksgiving, and worshipped the God of heaven who had brought another wanderer to the fold and pardoned him in the sunset of life. As we came from the little room into the church auditorium, the audience saw the radiance of his face. The wife arose to embrace him with a new joy in her heart.

You, too, my friend, may "Stop, Look, and Listen" at the Cross of Calvary, then turn to the Christ in the glory and make Him your own Lord and Saviour. Will you do it now?

Gertrude was a precious little girl eight and one-half years old --the only child of her devoted mother, very attractive in her ways and very beautiful in appearance. She loved the Lord, read often of His love to her in the beautiful new Bible, received as a prize at the Sunday school, was always first in her class for memorizing Bible verses, and devoted to her mother in the home as well.

One day a dreaded disease of childhood struck this beautiful flower, and she was stricken helpless. Day and night the mother and father prayed and watched. They sought the best help obtainable in the medical profession, but it was God's will to take this little one home for Himself to raise instead of these parents. Leaving the little body in its last resting place, the distracted mother left the beautiful home to sorrow alone in her grief at the lake-side resort.

Through the kindness of God, a Bible conference had been planned in the little village where she was resting and she attended the first service. It was arranged to devote this service to questions and answers. We observed a lady in the audience weeping throughout the service, especially when the question touched on death, or the condition of the soul after death.

Immediately after the meeting, this friend departed. However, I made inquiry of the pastor concerning her. He told me the story of her sorrow and heartbreak, after which we prayed together that our Lord would bring to this troubled heart His own peace, and give her the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. She returned that evening with others of her family, and listened very intently as I sought to tell the friends how the Lord Jesus Christ saves from a life of sin here, and saves from an eternity of punishment hereafter.

We observed that the message seemed to be taking hold of her heart, and that there was an attitude of hopefulness and expectancy which told us that the Holy Spirit was dealing with her. She remained a while after the evening meeting, so that I had an opportunity to speak to her personally and to learn a little of the tragedy which had cast her soul into such darkness. Before leaving her, I gave her Ephesians 2:14 -- "For he is our peace," and said to her, "When you have Him, my friend, you will have the peace for which your heart craves. His presence, His Word, His work, all combined, bring peace to the troubled heart."

The next morning, while sitting at breakfast in the home of my host, a phone call came from my friend, Mrs. J---, inviting me to accompany her as she took her father and mother out for a drive around the lake in her motor car. "I want to tell you all that is in my heart," she said, "so that you may really help me to find the Lord."

It was only a little while before she drove up to the house. She was weeping when I entered the car, and as we drove out of the village into the country, she told me the story of her loss and sorrow. "I know I am a lost sinner," she said, "because last night in the service you said: 'Those who belong to Christ want to see their Saviour first of all. They will not put their relatives first, no matter how near and dear they may be. Christ will be first to occupy the heart's attention when the soul goes home to glory.' Immediately my heart said: 'I do not want to see Jesus first of all; I want to see my Gertrude. I want to go to heaven to see Gertrude, not to see Jesus.' That thought, doctor, and the terrible sinfulness of it, crowded out my sleep last night, and I was forced to rise and walk the floor in agony of spirit, because I knew then that Jesus meant very little to me. I became fully persuaded then that I was a lost sinner with no Saviour. This thought has filled my soul with deep sorrow. I must find Him."

Throughout the next two hours, as we were driving along, I called her attention to many gospel verses, dwelling on each one and explaining the work of the Lord Jesus and His love for her. None of these words, however, gave her any peace. She returned for the evening service, and the message for the night was on John 10:9 -- "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." I stressed the point of coming personally by faith to the LIVING Lord on the throne and committing the whole soul, sin and life to Him. I pressed home the attitude of heart found in those beautiful words: "Lord, I believe."

This message seemed to take hold of the heart of my sorrowing friend. She left the church without fully trusting Christ, but with an attitude of seeking Him. The next morning, about nine o'clock, the telephone rang again, and I heard this joyful message: "At midnight, I knelt at my bedside, and said, 'Lord Jesus, you are more to me than Gertrude. You gave your life for me; you came to save me. You have promised to take me to the Father, and I trust you; I believe in you.' I am saved, doctor. I want to see my Saviour FIRST of all." Thus does our Lord bind up the broken heart and heal the wounds of life.

Several letters have been received from this friend, all of them telling the same story of peace and joy in Christ, and a soul resting in His eternal love. Whom do you want to see FIRST of all?