,,the ,,art ,,of ,,soul-,,winning4 7,,specially ,,adapted ,,for ,,personal ,,workers47 ,,by ,j4,w4 ,,mahood1 ,,evangelist1 ,author of ,the ,missing ,wheel ,found1 and joint-author of ,the ,young ,people's ,history of ,methodism4 ,and he brought him to ,jesus4 ,,cincinnati3 ,,jennings ,,pye4 ,,new ,,york3 ,,eaton ,,mains4 #aija ,,preface4 ,never was there such great need for a mighty1 ,pentecostal revival in all our ,churches2 and the key to such a revival is earnest personal work4 ,but the membership of the ,churches are not prepared to enter upon this work4 ,multitudes know nothing of a personal ,pentecost4 ,many are utterly indifferent4 ,they do not realize their opportunity and responsibility before ,god4 ,if they did1 the revival would come at once4 ,with the hope that many professing ,christians may be awakened to duty1 and hear ,god's call to personal work in soul-winning1 this little volume is written4 ,let the pastor see that a copy is put into every home one month previous to the time set for special revival-meetings4 ,let him secure a pledge from the people to read the study for each day1 commit the memory verses1 and meditate upon the ,scripture suggested4 ,once each week1 either at a special meeting appointed for this purpose1 at the week-night prayer-meeting1 or at the young people's devotional meeting ,sunday evening1 let the studies for the week be reviewed and the memory verses recited4 ,short talks may also be given on each topic by persons previously selected4 ,when the entire ,church membership shall begin to think and speak upon these vital themes2 when the spirit of grace and supplication shall take the place of formality and worldly desire2 when the ,holy ,ghost of ,pentecost shall come upon the waiting1 praying ,church1 then the times of refreshing will be sure to come from the presence of the ,lord1 and the perishing multitudes will be saved4 ,sioux ,city1 ,iowa4 ,,contents4 ,,first ,,week--,,the ,,soul-,,winner',s ,,motive4 ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,christ4 ,,page ,,study ,i ,foreword and ,appeal #i ,,study ,,ii ,the ,lord's ,command #ab ,,study ,,iii ,by ,personal ,effort #ae ,,study ,,iv ,trophies of ,personal ,effort #ah ,,study ,v ,the ,worth of a ,soul #ba ,,study ,,vi ,the ,death of a ,soul #bd ,,study ,,vii ,the ,supreme ,motive #bg ,,second ,,week--,,the ,,soul-,,winner',s ,,life4 ,,yield ,,yourselves ,,to ,,god4 ,,study ,,viii ,a ,definite ,experience #cc ,,study ,,ix ,a ,complete ,surrender #cf ,,study ,x ,the ,spirit's ,witness #ci ,,study ,,xi ,every ,weight #db ,,study ,,xii ,prayer #de ,,study ,,xiii ,faith #dh ,,study ,,xiv ,self-,sacrifice #ea ,,third ,,week--,,the ,,soul-,,winner',s ,,equipment4 ,,completely ,,furnished4 ,,page ,,study ,,xv ,knowledge of the ,scripture #eg ,,study ,,xvi ,tact #fj ,,study ,,xvii ,earnestness #fc ,,study ,,xviii ,perseverance #ff ,,study ,,xix ,tenderness #fi ,,study ,,xx ,burden for ,souls #gb ,,study ,,xxi ,a ,personal ,pentecost #ge ,,fourth ,,week--,,the ,,soul-,,winner',s ,,methods4 ,,by ,,all ,,means4 ,,study ,,xxii ,direct ,approach #ha ,,study ,,xxiii ,correspondence #he ,,study ,,xxiv ,tracts and ,books #hh ,,study ,,xxv ,the ,prayer ,list #ia ,,study ,,xxvi ,work ,among ,students #ic ,,study ,,xxvii ,meeting ,objections #if ,,study ,,xxviii ,no ,effort in ,vain #ajj ,,the ,,soul-,,winner',s ,,motive4 ,,for ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,christ4 ,,study ,i4 ,,foreword ,,and ,,appeal4 ,memory ,verse3 ,and they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament2 and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever4--7,dan4 xii1 #c47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,matt4 vi1 #ai-bc2 ,rev4 iii1 #ad-bb4 ,fred ,b---- was a medical student4 ,he was stricken1 with that dreaded scourge1 consumption4 ,the physicians advised a trip to the mountains4 ,during the first few months among the ,rockies he improved rapidly1 and hope and ambition flamed anew2 but it was only a brief respite from suffering before the final collapse4 ,lying in a ,denver hospital1 he was visited by some consecrated young people1 who sang and prayed with him4 ,he yielded himself to ,christ1 and the peace of ,god filled his heart4 ,they brought him home to a little ,iowa city to die4 ,the day after his arrival the pastor was summoned to his bedside1 when the young man related the circumstances of his conversion4 ,the pastor said1 ,then you are not afraid to die8 ,no1 said he1 not afraid1 but not ready4 ,when asked why he was not ready1 he replied3 ,i have done nothing for my ,master4 ,i have won no souls for him4 ,could ,i have six months more to live that ,i might bring some souls to ,jesus1 and thus not go into his presence empty-handed1 ,i would be satisfied to die4 ,i am not afraid to die1 but not ready4 ,just then the door of the room opened1 and the dying boy's father1 an old1 white-haired man who had been absent from home and had not seen his son since his return1 came in4 ,the old man was not a ,christian4 ,then occurred a pathetic scene4 ,the young man threw his arms about his father's neck1 and drew him down upon his knees at the bedside1 urged him to give himself to ,god1 and then1 with shortening breath1 uttered such a prayer of intercession as is seldom heard4 ,the old man sobbed aloud1 yielded to ,christ1 declared his faith1 and the dying boy had won one soul for his ,master4 ,in a few hours he had gone into the presence of the ,king2 but not empty-handed4 ,o ye to whom ,god has given the strength and vigor of manhood and womanhood1 and who have pledged your allegiance to the ,christ of ,calvary1 are you winning any souls for your ,master8 ,or are you going into his presence empty-handed8 ,what if in the judgment-day it shall be seen that some souls who might have been saved have been lost through your neglect8 ,what if it shall then be seen that the crown of many stars which you might have won is given to another8 ,and what1 if in the great day of his appearing you shall be found1 having gathered no sheaves and empty-handed8 ,,study ,,ii4 ,,the ,,lord',s ,,command4 ,memory ,verse3 ,go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature4--7,mark xvi1 #ae47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,ezek4 xxxiii1 #a-aa4 ,by the ,master's final words to his disciples the obligation is laid upon every ,christian to be a soul-winner4 ,ye shall be my witnesses1 is the risen ,lord's message to all his followers4 ,no one is excused4 ,follow me1 said ,christ1 and ,i will make you fishers of men4 ,and when his face was set toward ,calvary1 he said to the ,father1 ,as thou hast sent me into the world1 even so have ,i also sent them into the world4 ,by the mouth of the prophet ,ezekiel1 ,god distinctly says that1 if we neglect to warn the wicked from his way1 that wicked man shall die in his iniquity2 but his blood will ,i require at thine hand4 ,we are all sent1 and if we shrink or excuse ourselves from our great mission we shall come into condemnation4 ,the unsaved multitudes know that every ,christian should be an ambassador for ,christ1 and when we fail to do our duty we are condemned in their eyes as well as before ,god4 ,a writer in the ,epworth ,era says3 ,a college professor who was noted among his fellow-teachers for his habit of addressing young men upon their personal relations to ,christ1 was asked by one of his fellow-professors1 ',do they not resent your appeals as an impertinence8' ,he replied3 ',no6 ,nothing is of such interest to any man as his own soul and its condition4 ,he will never resent words of warning or comfort if they are prompted by genuine feeling4 ,when ,i was a young man1 ,i felt as you do4 ,my wife's cousin1 a young fellow not yet of age1 lived in our house for six months4 ,my dread of meddling was such that ,i never asked him to be present at family worship1 or spoke to him on the subject of religion4 ,he fell into the company of a wild set1 and was rapidly going to the bad4 ,when ,i reasoned with him ,i spoke of ,christ4 ,do you call yourself a ,christian8 he asked1 assuming an astonished look4 ,i hope so1 ,i replied4 ,but you are not4 ,if you were1 he must be your ,best ,friend4 ,yet ,i have lived in your house for six months1 and you have never once named his name to me2 no1 he is nothing to you6 ,i have never forgotten the rebuke4' ,,study ,,iii4 ,,by ,,personal ,,effort4 ,memory ,verse3 ,and he brought him to ,jesus4--7,john i1 #db47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,john i1 #ce-de4 ,have you ever noticed that much of the work which the ,master and his disciples did was personal work8 ,some of our ,lord's greatest sermons were preached to one person4 ,the apostles were all won individually4 ,turn to your ,bible now1 and read the account of the visit of ,nicodemus to ,christ1 and of the meeting with the woman of ,samaria at the well4 ,if you take the time to follow this theme through the ,gospels and through the ,acts of the ,apostles1 you will be sure to see that the work of winning souls for ,christ by personal effort is the work of every ,christian4 ,and a conviction of this is the greatest need of the ,church to-day4 ,it is the key to the twentieth-century revival4 ,the world would be evangelized in this generation did each professing ,christian win only one soul each year for ,christ2 and the great social and labor problems of the day would be speedily solved were the great ,christian ,church actively engaged in leading men and women to ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,mightier than the influence of great sermons and fine music and splendid ritual is the influence of a life consecrated to personal effort in seeking the lost4 ,that remarkable soul-winner1 ,dr4 ,j4,o4 ,peck1 now translated1 said3 ,so great is my conviction of the value of personal effort1 as the result of a lifework of winning souls1 that ,i can not emphasize the method too strongly4 ,if it were revealed to me from heaven by the archangel ,gabriel that ,god had given me the certainty of ten years of life1 and that as a condition of my eternal salvation ,i must win a thousand souls to ,christ in that time2 and if it were further conditioned to this1 that ,i might preach every day for the ten years1 but might not personally appeal to the unconverted outside the pulpit2 or that ,i might not enter the pulpit during these ten years1 but might exclusively appeal to individuals1 ,i would not hesitate one moment to make the choice of personal effort as the sole means to be used in securing the conversion of one thousand souls necessary to my own salvation4 ,dr4 ,theodore ,cuyler once said concerning the three thousand souls he had received into ,church fellowship during his ministry1 ,i have handled every stone4 ,,study ,,iv4 ,,trophies ,,of ,,personal ,,effort4 ,memory ,verse3 ,and he that is wise winneth souls4--7,prov4 xi1 #cj1 ,r4,v47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 #b ,cor4 v1 #ad-ba4 ,is it not a suggestive fact that nearly all those men who have shone brightly in the galaxy of martyrs1 preachers1 and reformers in the ,christian ,church through the centuries have been won to ,christ by the personal effort of some consecrated life8 ,think of some in our own age4 ,dwight ,l4 ,moody1 when a clerk in a store1 was visited by his ,sunday-school teacher1 who put his hand upon the young man's shoulder and talked to him about ,christ2 and ,mr4 ,moody says1 ,i had not felt ,i had a soul till then4 ,colonel ,h4,h4 ,hadley1 who has kneeled and prayed with over thirty-five thousand drunkards1 declares that one of the agencies which led him to ,christ was a brief interview with ,chaplain 7now ,bishop7 ,mc,cabe on a railway-train in ,ohio just after the ,civil ,war4 ,lord ,shaftesbury1 one of the greatest ,christian philanthropists of the nineteenth century1 was won for ,christ in early boyhood by the effort of ,maria ,willis1 a servant-girl in his father's home4 ,the conversion of ,diaz1 the great ,cuban evangelist1 was due to the faithfulness of a consecrated young lady of ,brooklyn4 ,she found him in a hospital at the point of death1 procured a ,spanish ,new ,testament1 read to him the words of mercy and invitation1 pointed him to ,christ2 and he went back to his own country1 a flaming herald of the gospel4 ,j4 ,wilbur ,chapman1 one of the most successful pastor-evangelists of this generation1 says that while in a revival-meeting1 when a boy1 his ,sunday-school teacher touched him on the elbow1 and said1 ,do you not think you had better stand8 and that one touch1 as much as anything else1 pushed him into the kingdom4 ,joseph ,f4 ,berry1 whose name is a household word in the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church1 was led to ,christ by two young friends who took the young printer to his father's barn1 and held a prayer-meeting with him1 which resulted in a glorious conversion4 ,,study ,v4 ,,the ,,worth ,,of ,a ,,soul4 ,memory ,verse3 ,for what is a man profited1 if he gain the whole world1 and lose his own soul8 ,or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul8--7,matt4 xvi1 #bf47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,luke xv1 #a-aj4 ,what is a life worth8 ,what is your life worth8 ,what is the life of your son or daughter or mother or wife worth8 ,what would you take for a life8 ,but if the life of a dear one be worth so much to you1 what must be its value in ,god's sight1 who sees to what depths a soul may plunge and to what heights it may rise8 ,it may be a small matter to you that in yonder saloon is a man dissipated and drunken4 ,but what if he were your father or brother or husband8 ,it may be a very small matter to you that the boy whom you met on the street is puffing a cigarette and wears already upon his face the marks of an evil life4 ,but what if he were your boy or your brother8 ,yet1 in ,god's sight1 his life is as valuable as if he were your boy or your brother2 and every soul is of infinite worth4 ,jesus ,christ set a high estimate upon human life when he left his ,father's throne and came into this sin-cursed world to suffer and die that he might redeem us from death4 ,the ,church of to-day needs a new vision of the worth of a soul4 ,we need to stand beside ,calvary and see the price that was paid there for human life4 ,john ,keble1 the poet-preacher of the ,english ,church1 said that the salvation of one soul is worth more than the framing of the ,magna ,charta of a thousand worlds4 ,it was meditation upon the words of the memory verse of this study that fired the souls of ,ignatius ,loyola and ,francis ,xavier with a holy enthusiasm to rescue the perishing multitudes4 ,had their successors and disciples been1 filled with the same enthusiasm1 and kept themselves free from the machinations of politics1 they would have long since evangelized the world1 and ,jesuitism would not have been the scandal of ,christianity4 ,,study ,,vi4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,a ,,soul4 ,memory ,verse3 ,let him know1 that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death4--7,james v1 #bj47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,luke xvi1 #ai-ca4 ,what is death--the death of a soul8 ,what is it to die eternally8 ,in the passage for meditation our ,lord gives us a glimpse into the realms of death4 ,surely the ,son of ,god is not trifling here2 nor does he speak to confuse4 ,for a moment the curtain is drawn1 and we see what is actually transpiring in the future world4 ,in these days there is a disposition in some quarters to make light of the future punishment of the wicked4 ,some preachers are dumb upon the awful punishment of sin1 or preach only half a gospel1 saying1 as ,bishop ,warren puts it1 ,you must repent1 as it were2 be converted1 in a measure2 or you will go to hell1 so to speak4 ,but ,christ did not speak with any uncertain sound about the future punishment of the impenitent4 ,he is authority4 ,take your ,bible and read such passages as ,matt4 xxv1 #da1 #df2 ,matt4 viii1 #ab2 ,luke xvi1 #bc2 ,john v1 #bi4 ,in the light of these words1 we must see that the death of a soul means eternal separation from ,god1 from mercy1 and from heaven4 ,and yet how indifferent we are concerning the unsaved multitudes all about us who are drifting into a hopeless eternity4 ,the ,church needs a vision like that of the little lad in ,olive ,schreiner's ,story of a ,south ,african ,farm1 who1 waking at midnight1 sees multitudes drifting over the precipice into eternal night1 and throws himself on his face on the floor1 crying out in the agony of his burdened heart to ,god to have mercy4 ,some one tells of a shepherd in the ,far ,west who1 on a dark1 stormy night1 found three sheep missing4 ,going to the kennel where the faithful shepherd-dog lay with her little family1 he bade her go to find the sheep4 ,an hour afterwards she returned with two4 ,when these had been put in the fold1 he said1 ,one sheep is yet missing4 ,go6 ,the faithful dog took one mute look of despair at her little family1 then was off in the dark and the storm4 ,in two hours she had returned with the lost sheep1 but was torn and bleeding1 and1 as she staggered toward the kennel1 fell dead at the door4 ,but if a poor1 dumb brute1 with no immortal hope1 be obedient1 even unto death1 what shall we say of men and women who know the destiny of the soul1 and whom the ,king of kings has bidden seek the lost1 yet are disobedient1 indifferent1 and thoughtless as to the dying multitudes about them8 ,,study ,,vii4 ,,the ,,supreme ,,motive4 ,memory ,verse3 ,for the love of ,christ constraineth us4--7#b ,cor4 v1 #ad47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 #a ,cor4 xiii1 ,r4,v4 ,but the supreme motive in all our efforts to win others should be the glory of ,god4 ,possessed of an undying love for him who first loved us1 we will have an inspiration to seek the lost for whom he gave his life4 ,and all our efforts shall be1 as ,paul puts it in his letter to the ,ephesians1 unto the praise of his glory4 ,the love of ,christ doth me constrain ,to seek the wandering souls of men4 ,love never faileth4 ,love knows no impossibility4 ,he who works for wages and he who works for love live in two different realms4 ,a lot of men were entombed in a coal-mine1 and great crowds gathered to help clear away the earth and rescue the miners4 ,an old1 gray-headed man came running up1 and1 seizing a shovel1 began working with the strength of ten men4 ,some one asked to relieve the old man4 ,get out of the way1 he cried2 ,i have two boys down there4 ,love will triumph2 and he whose heart throbs with love to ,christ will find real joy in rescuing from sin those who are the purchase of his blood1 that his name may be glorified4 ,study his life of self-sacrifice4 ,see again his suffering for sinful men4 ,linger in ,gethsemane1 and behold the agony of ,calvary4 ,then your heart will begin to throb with love to him who first loved us4 ,get a new vision of your crucified1 but now risen1 ,savior1 until the beauty of his matchless life charms your heart and you are ready to say3 ,come1 and possess me whole1 ,nor hence again remove2 ,but sup with me1 and let the feast ,be everlasting love4 ,then you will possess the highest motive that moves human hearts1 and personal work in soul-winning will become a real delight4 ,,the ,,soul-,,winner',s ,,life4 ,,yield ,,yourselves ,,unto ,,god4 ,,study ,,viii4 ,a ,,definite ,,experience4 ,memory ,verse3 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 except a man be born again1 he can not see the kingdom of ,god4--7,john iii1 #c47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,john iii1 #a-ae4 ,in a prayer-meeting a young lady was asked1 ,what is the first thing we must do if we would win others to ,christ8 ,she replied1 ,we must live holy ourselves4 ,she was right4 ,just as the telegraph wire must be insulated1 so must the life of him who expects to be the messenger of ,god be insulated from the old life of sin before he can hope to carry the loving messages of the gospel to other souls4 ,this implies a definite experience of conversion4 ,he who would engage in this most fascinating of all work must have nothing short of an inner consciousness of sins forgiven and of the presence of ,christ in his life4 ,he must be able to say1 like ,andrew and like ,philip of old1 ,i have found him4 ,he must know what it is to have a new heart and to have peace with ,god4 ,william ,butler1 the veteran missionary and soul-winner1 now translated1 wrote the author of these studies a letter1 in which he said3 ,first and foremost1 ,i thank ,god for a true conversion4 ,when ,i got religion1 ,i got it good and thorough4 ,christ became everything to me4 ,the law of sin1 or temptation to worldly conformity of any kind1 was completely eradicated from my heart2 and from that hour to this the law of ,christ has fully satisfied my soul1 and made me gloriously free and independent of the world and its maxims and pleasures4 ,and now1 after fifty-five years' enjoyment of peace with ,god and humble devotion to his service1 ,i bless him that ,i ever gave him my heart and devoted myself to his work4 ,i am happy4 ,the consoling comforts of the grace of ,god are with me by day and by night1 and the blessed future is radiant with the hope of being 'numbered with the saints in glory everlasting4' ,in these days of compromise and doubt we need to have as definite an experience of salvation as had ,william ,butler4 ,he who would win others to a new life must himself possess that life1 and know it1 being able to say with ,paul1 ,i know whom ,i have believed4 ,,study ,,ix4 ,a ,,complete ,,surrender4 ,memory ,verse3 ,i beseech you therefore1 brethren1 by the mercies of ,god1 that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice1 holy1 acceptable unto ,god1 which is your reasonable service4--7,rom4 xii1 #a47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,rom4 vi1 #a-ac4 ,john ,wesley said1 ,give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but ,god1 and ,i care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen1 they alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven upon the earth4 ,a life surrendered to ,god will be an invincible life1 while the life only partly surrendered will know nothing but defeat4 ,someone says that1 in the transfer of property1 any reservation implies1 also1 reserved rights4 ,if a man sells a ten-acre lot1 and keeps a yard square in the center for himself1 he has a right of way across what he has sold to get to his reservation4 ,and if1 in our surrender1 we keep back anything1 that constitutes the devil's territory1 and he will trample over all we call consecrated to get to his own4 ,therefore a complete surrender of the life to ,god is absolutely necessary4 ,to the rich young man who came to him1 ,jesus said1 ,one thing thou lackest4 ,he demanded an unconditional surrender of every interest of his life4 ,but the young man was not willing to make the surrender1 and went away sorrowful4 ,of every man and woman ,jesus asks the same surrender4 ,but many now wander off in the darkness of formality and doubt because they are not willing4 ,three things are implied in such a surrender3 7#a7 ,an acknowledgment of the ,divine ownership and human stewardship in all temporal affairs2 7#b7 ,a complete submission of the will to ,god2 7#c7 ,the supremacy of ,jesus ,christ in the heart and life1 so that the interests of his kingdom are first1 always1 and everywhere4 ,there is an old story of a monk who1 having been disobedient to the rules of the monastery1 was told he must die4 ,they took him out into the graveyard1 stood him upright in a grave1 filled in the earth about his feet4 ,then they asked1 ,are you dead yet8 ,he said1 ,no4 ,the earth was then filled in about him to his waist1 and the question again asked4 ,he replied1 ,no4 ,then they filled in the earth until he was covered1 all but his head1 and could scarcely breathe4 ,when asked if he would die1 he replied1 ,yes1 ,i will give up2 ,i will die4 ,so may we die to the old life of self and sin1 and live the new life of entire surrender to our risen ,lord6 ,if ,christ would live and reign in me1 ,i must die1 ,i must die4 ,like him ,i crucified must be1 ,i must die1 ,i must die4 ,so dead that no desire may rise1 ,to pass for good1 or great1 or wise1 ,to any but my ,savior's eyes1-- ,let me die1 let me die4 ,,study ,x4 ,,the ,,spirit',s ,,witness4 ,memory ,verse3 ,the ,spirit ,himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are children of ,god4--7,rom4 viii1 #af1 ,r4,v47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 #a ,john v1 #a-ae4 ,when the life has been wholly surrendered to ,god1 and ,christ1 the crucified and risen ,savior1 is enthroned in the heart and confessed before men1 then the blessed assurance of our sonship with ,god will be clear and joyous4 ,no longer shall we say1 ,i hope ,i am a ,christian1 or1 ,i am trying to be a ,christian2 but1 like ,paul1 we shall exclaim1 ,i know whom ,i have believed4 ,the witness of the ,spirit will give a holy confidence to the soul-winner4 ,what we have seen and felt1 ,with confidence we tell4 ,much of the timidity and reluctance shown by ,christians toward personal work may be traced to a refusal or neglect to live the surrendered life and have the clear assurance of acceptance with ,god4 ,this direct testimony to our adoption is given only by the ,holy ,spirit1 and given only to believers because they are the sons of ,god4 ,it is ,god's seal which he places upon his own1 and we then no longer receive the spirit of bondage unto fear2 but we receive the spirit of adoption whereby we cry1 ,abba1 ,father4 ,the voice of ,god is heard in the soul bearing witness to our acceptance1 and then the fruit of the ,spirit speedily follows in the life to corroborate the inner voice and give unmistakable confirmation to the testimony which was primary and direct4 ,to some1 this assurance comes like a sudden flash from the sky2 to others1 like the gentle breathing of the evening zephyr4 ,but it comes1 it surely comes2 and no soul should be satisfied until it comes2 for it is essential to a useful1 joyous life4 ,look up now1 and with eager expectancy await the blessed assurance4 ,why should the children of a ,king ,go mourning all their days8 ,great ,comforter1 descend and bring ,the tokens of thy grace4 ,assure my conscience of her part ,in the ,redeemer's blood2 ,and bear thy witness with my heart1 ,that ,i am born of ,god4 ,thou art the earnest of ,his love1 ,the pledge of joys to come2 ,may thy blest wings1 celestial ,dove1 ,safely convey me home6 ,,study ,,xi4 ,,every ,,weight4 ,memory ,verse3 ,wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses1 let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us1 and let us run with patience the race that is set before us1 looking unto ,jesus1 the author and finisher of our faith4--7,heb4 xii1 #a1 #b47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 #a ,cor4 viii1 #i-ac2 ix1 #bd-bg4 ,we hear much about personal liberty in these days1 and1 to hear some talk1 one would think that personal liberty was a gift to be selfishly guarded rather than to be sacrificed for the good of others4 ,but ,paul1 the apostle1 sacrificed his liberty for the sake of others2 so did ,onesimus1 the ,christian slave4 ,surely those professing ,christians who make personal liberty their plea for engaging in some form of worldly amusement 7such as dancing1 card-playing1 or theater-going71 and those who are given to some filthy habit 7such as the use of tobacco71 have not studied the life of ,jesus1 or of ,paul1 or of ,onesimus4 ,if there were no other reasons why these things should be renounced1 that they injure our influence as soul-winners would be sufficient2 for who ever heard of a man or woman who engaged in these forms of questionable amusement becoming illustrious as a soul-winner8 ,to say the least1 they are weights1 and must be laid aside4 ,in a revival service1 a lady rose1 and1 with tears raining down her face1 said3 ,i have taught a ,sunday-school class of sixteen young men for three years1 and have not seen one of them converted4 ,i believe ,i know why1 and now confess my sin4 ,being a teacher in the city schools1 ,i thought ,i must see a ,shakespearean play1 and went to the theater one night4 ,i saw several of my class there1 and they all seemed to be looking at me as if surprised4 ,next day ,i met some of them1 and they confessed surprise that ,i was at the theater4 ,i have been conscious from that time that ,i had lost my influence to win these young men to ,christ4 ,within one week after this confession was made this lady had won seven of her class for the ,savior4 ,a young lady1 once a society belle and fond of worldly amusements1 consecrated her life to the ,lord's work4 ,in a rescue mission she was asked to speak to a poor wreck of a man who had been a gambler4 ,he looked at her suspiciously as he asked1 ,do you play cards1 or dance1 or go to the theater8 ,no1 not now1 she replied4 ,well1 then you may talk to me2 but ,i won't listen to one word from you fine folks who are doing on a small scale the very things that brought us poor wretches to where we are4 ,and the young lady afterwards said she had found more real joy in leading that lost soul to ,christ than she had ever found in the pleasures of the world4 ,lay aside every weight2 lay aside every weight1 just now4 ,,study ,,xii4 ,,prayer4 ,memory ,verse3 ,the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much4--7,james v1 #af47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,gen4 xxxii1 #bd-cj2 ,luke xi1 #a-ac4 ,nothing is more essential to the soul-winner than prayer4 ,prayer will generate a spiritual atmosphere in the individual life4 ,the prayers of many will generate a spiritual atmosphere in a community4 ,in answer to prayer1 the ,holy ,spirit will do his office1 and produce such pungent conviction of sin that men will carry out1 as on the day of ,pentecost1 ,men and brethren1 what shall we do8 ,in the ,life of ,mr4 ,finney it is related that1 during a revival at ,rome1 ,new ,york1 the air seemed surcharged with ,divine power4 ,a sheriff1 who had laughed about the meetings1 came over from ,utica4 ,he felt this strange influence when he crossed the old canal1 a mile west of town4 ,when he sat in the hotel dining-room1 he had to get up and go to the window two or three times to divert his attention and keep from weeping4 ,after dinner he hurried away1 but was afterwards converted4 ,see what spiritual triumphs and great revivals the early ,church witnessed2 but the secret of it all was that they continued steadfastly in prayers4 ,why is it that to-day many have so little courage and so little power to win others to ,christ8 ,they neglect prayer4 ,they that wait upon the ,lord shall renew their strength2 they shall mount up with wings as eagles2 they shall run1 and not be weary2 they shall walk1 and not faint4 ,how little time we spend daily in prayer6 ,study the life of ,paul1 and ,savonarola1 and ,catherine of ,siena1 and ,martin ,luther1 and ,john ,knox1 and see how they all gave themselves continually to prayer1 and so prevailed4 ,all they who have become illustrious as great soul-winners have been1 without exception1 men and women mighty in prayer4 ,they came to understand that ,god's storehouses of wisdom1 prayer1 and grace are inexhaustible1 and with the key of prayer they unlocked every door4 ,prayer avails for the salvation of others when every other means seems to fail4 ,the disciples spent ten days in prayer4 ,then came ,pentecost and a revival that brought thousands into the kingdom4 ,john ,livingstone1 with a few friends1 spent a whole night in prayer1 and the next day five hundred persons gave themselves to ,christ4 ,two sisters agreed to spend the night in prayer in behalf of an unconverted brother4 ,that night1 although twenty miles away1 the young man tossed on his bed in agony of conviction1 and next day started for home1 and found salvation4 ,prayer is omnipotent2 and1 if we would see the kingdom of ,christ come speedily in the world1 we must have a great revival of prevailing prayer4 ,,study ,,xiii4 ,,faith4 ,memory ,verse3 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he that believeth on me1 the works that ,i do shall he do also2 and greater works than these shall he do2 because ,i go unto my ,father4--7,john xiv1 #ab47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,heb4 xi4 ,not the mystery of faith1 nor the philosophy of faith1 does the soul-winner need to study2 but the simplicity1 the childlikeness of faith4 ,to believe ,god implicitly is to have victorious faith4 ,i can do all things through ,christ which strengtheneth me1 said ,paul2 and everywhere in the ,bible we find the clear teaching that ,god and one make a majority4 ,to realize this in one's own life is to live the victorious life4 ,but perhaps we should distinguish between trust and saving faith4 ,trust gives the life to ,god2 faith takes from ,god that which he has promised in his ,word4 ,trust is continuous2 faith is a definite act4 ,faith is the giving substance to things hoped for1 the evidence of things not seen4 7,heb4 xi1 #a47 ,it is true that we walk by faith now2 but faith has a clear eye4 ,faith can see the clouds full of chariots and horses4 ,faith can see legions of angels marshaling themselves for our defense4 ,faith can see that every promise of ,god is steadfast1 and will surely be fulfilled1 and can claim its fulfillment4 ,faith1 mighty faith1 the promise sees1 ,and looks to that alone2 ,laughs at impossibilities1 ,and cries1 ',it shall be done4' ,of ,barnabas it is said1 ,he was a good man1 and full of the ,holy ,ghost and of faith4 ,the fullness of faith will make unbelief and moral darkness impossible in the soul1 and will generate a triumphant confidence in ,god4 ,to have faith is to have power2 and the little child1 as well as the grown man1 may possess this power1 and exercise it in winning souls for ,jesus4 ,a little girl who had bowed at the altar and given her heart to ,god1 pulled the pastor's coat at the close of the service1 and said1 ,will you please pray for my mamma8 ,certainly1 said the pastor4 ,and the next evening the little girl brought her mother to the service4 ,when the invitation was given1 she took her hand and led her to the altar4 ,that little girl's faith won her mother to ,christ4 ,faith will give courage for personal work4 ,with a strong1 unfaltering confidence which takes ,god at his word1 we shall not hesitate nor fear to approach the unsaved and seek to win them to the ,savior4 ,faith is nourished by the ,word4 ,faith cometh by hearing1 and hearing by the ,word of ,god4 ,if we feed our faith upon the ,word1 and exercise it1 then we shall have the faith of those mentioned in the eleventh chapter of ,hebrews1 and we shall prove the promise of the ,savior1 ,all things are possible to him that believeth4 ,,study ,,xiv4 ,,self-,,sacrifice4 ,memory ,verse3 ,for whosoever will save his life1 shall lose it2 and whosoever will lose his life for my sake1 shall find it4--7,matt4 xvi1 #be47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,matt4 xvi1 #bd2 #b ,cor4 iv4 ,the words of ,christ1 ,if any man will come after me1 let him deny himself1 and take up his cross1 and follow me1 can not be mistaken4 ,the earthly life of ,jesus was a supreme example of self-sacrifice4 ,all the way from ,bethlehem to ,calvary his life was a constant denial of self4 ,the early ,church followed their ,master4 ,they were ready to sacrifice all4 ,men sold their fields and houses for the work's sake4 ,they counted nothing too good for sacrifice1 even to life itself2 and many went gladly to the arena and the fiery stake rather than be untrue to their ,lord4 ,as long as the early ,christian ,church maintained this spirit1 she went from victory to victory4 ,nothing could withstand her progress4 ,and when the followers of ,jesus ,christ in this twentieth century shall again put on the beautiful garments of self-sacrifice1 the ,church will become invincible4 ,there is now a great opportunity for men and women to sacrifice1 in personal liberty1 in popularity1 in social standing1 and personal comfort1 for the sake of the perishing multitudes4 ,none are too poor1 none too old1 to do something to win souls4 ,an aged widow1 who had all her money invested in a farm in a drouth-stricken part of the ,west1 found herself almost penniless4 ,she was compelled to find shelter in a ,refuge ,home4 ,at first she was discouraged and heart-broken2 but ,god put upon her heart the multitudes of perishing women in ,india4 ,she tried to occupy her mind piecing a quilt4 ,this she sold1 and the money was sent to ,india4 ,then she made another for ,africa1 then another for ,japan1 until now1 in six years1 she has given four hundred dollars to home and foreign missions1 and has six people at work as her substitutes in foreign lands4 ,and she says1 ,i was surely called of ,god to teach that no one is too poor to give to missions1 or too old to work for ,god and souls4 ,a young man1 twenty-four years old1 working on a farm for twenty dollars a month and board1 has1 in nineteen months1 sent six substitutes1 and says1 ,i pray ,god to make me a ,christian drunkard1 that ,i may spend my time and money for him as the drunkard does for the devil4 ,and when the whole ,church shall begin to show the same spirit of self-sacrifice in giving time and money1 and in sacrificing pleasure and comfort and social standing for the ,lord's work1 and for dying multitudes about them1 then we shall soon see the dawn of the millennial day4 ,,the ,,soul-,,winner',s ,,equipment4 ,,completely ,,furnished4 ,,study ,,xv4 ,,knowledge ,,of ,,the ,,scriptures4 ,memory ,verse3 ,let the word of ,christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom4--7,col4 iii1 #af47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,heb4 iv1 #ab2 #b ,tim4 iii1 #ac-ag2 ,ps4 cxix1 #a-aa4 ,a thorough knowledge of the ,word of ,god is essential to success in soul-winning4 ,the ,word is the sword of the ,spirit1 the hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces4 ,if we are not skilled in the use of the ,divine sword and the ,divine hammer1 then we can not expect that the ,spirit will use us4 ,in an excellent little book on ,how to ,obtain the ,fullness of ,power1 ,dr4 ,r4,a4 ,torrey says3 ,there can be no fullness of life and service if the ,bible is neglected4 ,in much that is now written on power2 also in much that is said in conventions1 this fact is overlooked4 ,the work of the ,holy ,spirit is magnified2 but the instrument through which the ,holy ,spirit works is largely forgotten4 ,the result is transient enthusiasm and activity1 but no steady continuance and increase in power and usefulness4 ,we can not obtain power1 and we can not maintain power1 in our own lives and in our work for others1 unless there is deep and frequent meditation upon the ,word of ,god4444 ,of course1 it is much easier1 and therefore much more agreeable to our spiritual laziness1 to go to a convention or revival-meeting1 and claim a 'filling with the ,holy ,spirit1' than it is to peg along1 day after day1 month after month1 year after year1 digging into the ,word of ,god4 ,but a 'filling of the ,spirit1' that is not maintained by a persistent study of the ,word will soon vanish4444 ,evidently ,paul knew of no filling with the ,spirit divorced from deep and constant meditation upon the ,word4 ,the most remarkable movement among young men in this generation is the ,world's ,christian ,student ,federation1 organized by ,mr4 ,john ,r4 ,mott4 ,through this movement multitudes of young men the world over have been led to keep what is called ,the ,morning ,watch1 by which they rise at least half an hour earlier than usual each morning1 and spend the time in devotional ,bible-study and prayer4 ,what a mighty impetus would be given to ,christian work everywhere if all ,christian young people would form the habit of keeping ,the ,morning ,watch6 ,have a plan for your ,bible study1 and faithfully follow it4 ,commit to memory the texts found in ,study ,twenty-seven1 and thus be able to use skillfully the ,sword of the ,spirit4 ,,study ,,xvi4 ,,tact4 ,memory ,verse3 ,i am made all things to all men1 that ,i might by all means save some4--7#a ,cor4 ix1 #bb47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 #a ,cor4 ix1 #ai-bg4 ,the successful business man knows the value of tact1 and the ,christian worker should know the value of consecrated tact4 ,a special study of the life of ,christ to notice his methods of dealing with various people1 and to see the aptness with which he used parable and exhortation1 would prove very helpful to every soul-winner4 ,the life of ,paul might also be studied in the same manner with profit4 ,he knew how to become all things to all men to save some4 ,christ's exhortation to his disciples was1 ,be ye as wise as serpents1 but how little wisdom many seem to have in seeking to win the unsaved to ,christ6 ,and this1 too1 when we have the promise1 ,if any of you lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god1 that giveth to all men liberally1 and upbraideth not3 and it shall be given him4 ,now if ,i could tell you1 said a pastor to an unsaved business man1 who had been relating how much a friend had helped him in business1 how much ,christ has helped me1 and what he has been to me1 ,i believe ,i could win you to him4 ,the value of tact was well illustrated in an incident which occurred during ,mr4 ,finney's meetings in ,new ,york ,city4 ,the big cutlery firm of ,sheffield1 ,england1 had a branch house in ,new ,york4 ,the manager was a partner of the firm1 and very worldly4 ,one of his clerks1 who had been converted in the meetings1 invited his employer to attend4 ,one evening he was there1 and sat just across the aisle from ,mr4 ,arthur ,tappan4 ,he appeared affected during the sermon1 and ,mr4 ,tappan kept his eye on him4 ,after the dismissal1 ,mr4 ,tappan stepped quickly across the aisle1 introduced himself1 and invited him to stay for the after-service4 ,the gentleman tried to excuse himself and get away1 but ,mr4 ,tappan caught hold of the button on his coat and said1 ,now1 do stay2 ,i know you will enjoy it2 and he was so kind and gentlemanly that the cutlery man could not very well refuse4 ,he staid1 and was converted4 ,afterwards he said1 ,an ounce of weight upon my coat-button saved my soul4 ,to watch for opportunity1 and then to know how effectively to make use of the opportunity1 is all-important in soul-winning4 ,and there is no better teacher than the ,holy ,spirit1 of whom it is said1 ,he shall teach you all things1 and bring all things to your remembrance4 ,,study ,,xvii4 ,,earnestness4 ,memory ,verse3 ,whatsoever thy hand findeth to do1 do it with thy might4--7,eccl4 ix1 #aj47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,mark ii1 #a-ab4 ,the testimony of ,charles ,h4 ,spurgeon should have weight here4 ,he said3 ,if a man is to be a soul-winner1 there must be in him intensity of emotion as well as sincerity of heart4 ,you may repeat the most affectionate exhortations in such a half-hearted manner that no one will be moved either by love or fear4 ,i believe that for soul-winning there is more in this matter of earnestness than in almost anything else4 ,when we become as much in earnest to rescue our friends and dear ones from eternal death as we are to save them from physical suffering and death1 then we shall see the rapid spread of the kingdom of ,christ4 ,a man falls overboard from the deck of a vessel1 and his wife screams3 ,stop the boat6 ,my ,god6 ,my husband is drowning6 ,but no one criticises the woman for her passionate outcry1 or bids her keep still4 ,it was so natural for her to cry out for help4 ,and when the ,church of ,jesus ,christ becomes thoroughly awake to the worth of a soul and the awful danger to which all out of ,christ are exposed1 it will be the most natural thing in the world for them to show an undying earnestness in seeking the lost4 ,then propriety1 and reticence1 and restraint1 and rules of rhetoric will be thrown to the winds1 and a divine passion will possess the life4 ,the world may sneer at it as fanaticism1 but it is the fanaticism of ,pentecost4 ,when the crowd saw the intensity of emotion shown by the newly-anointed disciples1 they exclaimed1 ,these men are full of new wine4 ,here was shown an enthusiasm that leaps over all difficulties and rises above every discouragement--the enthusiasm of ,pentecost2 and every soul-winner must have it4 ,then1 like ,paul1 wishing himself accursed that ,israel might be saved1 or like ,john ,welch1 wrapped in his plaid1 kneeling in the snow1 unable to sleep1 and praying mightily for the souls of men1 this holy earnestness will not let us rest until we see the salvation of the lost4 ,it will tell in look1 and tone1 and manner4 ,it may lead us to do things that may shock the sense of propriety of the dead1 formal ,church member1 such as being obedient to the ,master's command1 ,go ye out into the highways and hedges1 and compel them to come in4 ,jeremiah preached repentance in the streets2 and the early ,church preached everywhere1 on the streets1 by the river's bank1 in the market-places1 and in prisons4 ,john ,livingstone stood on a tombstone1 and preached with such power in the midst of a falling rain that multitudes were born in a day4 ,so did ,john ,wesley4 ,o that the great ,church of ,jesus ,christ might now have the enthusiasm of ,pentecost6 ,,study ,,xviii4 ,,perseverance4 ,memory ,verse3 ,ye that are the ,lord's remembrancers1 take no rest4--7,isa4 lxii1 #f1 ,r4,v47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,luke xv1 #a-aj4 ,how we are willing to persevere to save our friends from physical suffering and death6 ,no night is too long to watch1 no sacrifice too great to make1 no burden too heavy to bear1 that the life of a loved one may be saved4 ,but should we not be just as persistent in our efforts to save from eternal death those whom we love8 ,perhaps we have no more illustrious example of devotion to soul-winning than evidenced in the life of ,uncle ,john ,vassar4 ,two incidents1 related by the ,rev4 ,walter ,b4 ,vassar1 illustrate the perseverance with which he sought the perishing4 ,a young man was noticed to come night after night to revival-meetings1 but would slip away before one could grasp his hand4 ,mr4 ,vassar felt he must see this soul1 and walked five miles to the farm where he lived1 arriving as the family was about to eat an early dinner1 of which he was urged to partake4 ,after being seated1 the face of the young man not appearing in the family group1 ,mr4 ,vassar excused himself from the table1 and hunted through all the farm-buildings where a man might possibly be in hiding4 ,at last1 when about to confess himself defeated1 he walked to the further end of the corn-crib1 and there1 in an old hogshead1 he found the fellow lying low4 ,he confessed afterward that he had taken satisfaction in looking through the bunghole of the hogshead1 in believing ,uncle ,john would not find him there4 ,but this winner of souls1 knowing his opportunity1 leaped over by the side of the runaway1 and then and there turned1 as ,charles ,spurgeon has said1 the hogshead into a ,bethel1 and won a soul for heaven4 ,an ,irish woman in a village was told about a strange man calling about her place1 and affirmed he would not be kindly treated if he knocked at her door4 ,mr4 ,vassar1 not knowing her feelings1 came there in his visits1 but the moment she saw he was the man--according to the description of him--she slammed the door in his face4 ,he sat at once upon her doorstep and began to sing3 ,but drops of grief can ne'er repay ,the debt of love ,i owe4 ,in a few weeks she wanted admission into the ,protestant ,church1 and all her experience was1 ,those drops of grief1 those drops of grief2 ,i could not get over them4 ,see how men persevere to get rich or to gain political prestige6 ,see how insurance agents1 and book agents1 and traveling men persevere in their efforts to convince men6 ,they seek most favorable times1 and then often go again and again4 ,and shall we who win immortal souls be any less diligent8 ,,study ,,xix4 ,,tenderness4 ,memory ,verse3 ,i am the good ,shepherd2 the good ,shepherd giveth his life for the sheep4--7,john x1 #ab47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,luke xv1 #c-g2 ,john x1 #a-ah4 ,what infinite depths of tenderness are revealed in these sweet parables of the ,lost ,sheep and the ,good ,shepherd6 ,the tender1 loving heart of the ,savior goes out in eager compassion and pity for the straying4 ,what boundless sympathy is revealed in the words1 ,he calleth his own sheep by name2 ,he goeth after that which is lost2 ,when he hath found it1 he layeth it on his shoulders1 rejoicing6 ,the seeker after souls must be like his ,master4 ,a heart ready to melt at the sight of human suffering and human need is necessary to successful soul-winning4 ,there are many whose hearts are hardened by long years of rebellion against ,god2 whose power of will is emasculated by long years of neglect2 and they will never be saved until some earnest ,christian worker shall find them1 whose heart has been touched with the same sorrow that ,jesus felt when he stood on the ,mount of ,olives weeping over ,jerusalem4 ,j4 ,hudson ,taylor1 of the ,china ,inland ,mission1 tells that when he was a college student he had charge of a man with a gangrenous foot4 ,it was his duty to dress the man's foot every day4 ,he soon learned that his patient was not a ,christian1 and had not been in a church for forty years4 ,such was his hatred of religion that he refused to go inside the church at his wife's funeral4 ,young ,taylor made up his mind to speak to this man about his soul every time he visited him4 ,the man cursed him1 and refused to allow him to pray4 ,the student persisted in presenting ,christ until one day he said to himself1 ,it's no use1 and was leaving the room4 ,when he reached the door1 he turned around and saw the man looking after him as if saying1 ,why1 you are going away to-day without speaking to me about ,christ6 ,then the young man burst into tears1 and returning to the bedside1 said3 ,whether you wish me to or not1 ,i must deliver my soul4 ,will you let me pray with you8 ,the man assented1 began to weep1 was converted4 ,mr4 ,taylor says1 ,god broke my heart1 that through me he might break this wicked man's heart4 ,ask now that the ,holy ,spirit may give you a tender heart1 and make your eyes a fountain of tears1 that1 with the sympathy of ,christ1 you may seek the lost and perishing4 ,,study ,,xx4 ,,burden ,,for ,,souls4 ,memory ,verse3 ,for ,i could wish that myself were accursed from ,christ for my brethren4--7,rom4 ix1 #c47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,gen4 xviii1 #af-cc4 ,how the great heart of the ,savior was burdened for the lost6 ,see him standing on ,olivet and weeping as he said3 ,o ,jerusalem1 ,jerusalem1 thou that killest the prophets1 and stonest them which are sent unto thee1 how often would ,i have gathered thy children together1 even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings1 and ye would not6 ,where there is no real soul-burden for sinners1 there will be no revival4 ,the early ,church travailed in pain for the souls of dying men4 ,one preacher said1 ,as ,i entered the pulpit1 ,i could scarcely stand erect because of my concern for the people and solicitude for souls2 and another said1 ,i spent a whole night in prayer1 and what ,i passed through was inexpressible4 ,when we get a glimpse of the worth of a soul1 and then of the death of a soul1 and begin to realize that we stand between lost men and heaven or hell1 then we shall have real concern1 and the ,lord will hear our prayer of intercession4 ,when ,mr4 ,moody first went to ,london he preached in a ,congregational ,church1 ,sunday morning4 ,there was no particular stir4 ,that evening he spoke to a large audience of men in the same place1 and scores expressed a desire to become ,christians4 ,he went to ,dublin next day1 but was recalled by a telegram saying that a great revival had broken out4 ,and ,mr4 ,moody accounts for this wonderful work of grace which followed by telling that1 on that ,sunday morning1 a lady went home and told her invalid sister that ,mr4 ,moody from ,america had preached4 ,i know what that means1 said the invalid4 ,we are going to have a great revival4 ,i have been praying for months that the ,lord would send him here4 ,she would not eat any dinner1 but spent the day in fasting and prayer4 ,the revival began in that invalid's room4 ,a gentleman waked his wife up at three o'clock in the morning to have her join him in prayer in behalf of a neighboring family who were unsaved2 and at daybreak went to his neighbor's house to entreat them to yield to ,christ4 ,when such concern for the perishing is manifested by the ,church1 there is sure to be a gracious ingathering4 ,,study ,,xxi4 ,a ,,personal ,,pentecost4 ,memory ,verse3 ,but ye shall receive power1 after that the ,holy ,ghost is come upon you3 and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in ,jerusalem1 and in all ,judea1 and in ,samaria1 and unto the uttermost part of the earth4--7,acts i1 #h47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,acts ii1 #a-d2 xix1 #a-f4 ,but1 above all1 the soul-winner must have a personal ,pentecost4 ,christ does not send us alone to seek the lost4 ,in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of ,st4 ,john's ,gospel1 he definitely promises the ,comforter4 ,and again1 on the day of his ascension1 he bids his disciples tarry at ,jerusalem until the ,holy ,ghost is come4 ,then as they waited1 with one accord in one place1 a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind filled all the house where they were sitting1 444 and they were all filled with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,since that day the one supreme qualification for ,christ's witnesses is the enduement with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he will give a better knowledge of the ,scriptures2 he will re-enforce tact and earnestness and perseverance2 he will give tenderness of heart and the burden for souls4 ,what a marvelous change the coming of the ,spirit wrought in those waiting disciples6 ,they had forsaken him2 they had doubted his word2 ,peter had denied him4 ,but now they all became flaming evangels1 and spake the word of ,god with boldness4 ,a personal ,pentecost will help the soul-winner to overcome timidity1 give utterance and a holy boldness1 and make effective the words he speaks4 ,it is the supreme need of the ,church to-day4 ,god wants men and women in every vocation of life who are ,spirit-filled2 and who1 by diligent study of the ,word of ,god1 by prayer1 and by ,christian testimony1 live a ,spirit-filled life that is perennial4 ,the personal worker will succeed only when endued and empowered with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,wilbur ,chapman tells of a young ,irishman who was a member of his ,church1 and who had not had the educational advantages many young people have4 ,dr4 ,chapman says3 ,with a heart burdened for the men of the city1 ,i called together a few of the men of the ,church1 and laying before them the plan ,i had in mind1 told them first of all that we could do nothing without the 'infilling of the ,holy ,ghost4' ,when this had been explained1 ,i noticed this man leave the room4 ,he did not return while the meeting was in session4 ,when ,i sought him ,i found him in one of the lower rooms of the church1 literally on his face before ,god4 ,he was in prayer4 ,i shall never forget his petition3 ',o ,god1 ,i plead with thee for this blessing6' then1 as if ,god were showing him what was in the way1 he said1 ',my ,father1 ,i will give up every known sin1 only ,i plead with thee for power2' and then1 as if his individual sins were passing before him1 he said again and again1 ',i will give them up2 ,i will give them up4' ,then1 without any emotion1 he rose from his knees1 turned his face heavenward1 and simply said1 ',and now ,i claim the blessing4' ,for the first time he became sensible of my presence1 and with a shining countenance he reached out his hands to clasp mine4 ,you could feel the very presence of the ,spirit as he said1 ',i have received him2 ,i have received him6' ,and ,i believe he had1 for in the next few months he led more than sixty men into the kingdom of ,god4 ,his whole life had been transformed4 ,,the ,,soul-,,winner',s ,,methods4 ,,that ,i ,,may1 ,,by ,,all ,,means1 ,,save ,,some4 ,,study ,,xxii4 ,,direct ,,approach4 ,memory ,verse3 ,jesus 444 saith unto him1 ,go home to thy friends1 and tell them how great things the ,lord hath done for thee4--7,mark v1 #ai47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,john iv1 #a-db4 ,john ,vassar1 than whom there has been no more successful soul-winner for a hundred years1 accomplished his work through personal conversation1 and declared that the best method of dealing with souls is to strike home at once with the most direct and searching question possible4 ,without a word of introduction he would say1 ,have you experienced that great change called the new birth8 ,that question could not be easily evaded4 ,study the methods of ,christ in dealing with such as ,nicodemus1 the ,samaritan woman1 and the rich young man4 ,how eagerly he used every opportunity6 ,how his questions search the life6 ,without any apology1 how he thrusts home warning and entreaty6 ,how easily we may lose opportunity to speak directly to men of their danger6 ,while the great ,dr4 ,chalmers was a guest at the home of his friend1 a ,highland country gentleman1 his friend died suddenly4 ,dr4 ,chalmers had never spoken to him about his soul4 ,he was much distressed1 and said1 ,if ,i had only known that he was going to be taken from earth so soon1 how earnestly ,i would have pleaded with him about his soul6 ,dr4 ,j4,e4 ,carson1 of ,new ,york ,city1 said to his congregation one ,sunday morning1 that every saved man was either a channel through which the ,spirit of ,god was reaching the unsaved1 or a barrier preventing the ,spirit doing his work4 ,one of the trustees of the ,church said to himself on the way home1 ,am ,i a channel1 or a barrier8 ,that night he could not sleep1 and cried out1 ,o ,lord1 make me a channel6 ,almost the first thought that came was that there were some men in his employ to whom he had never spoken a word about ,jesus ,christ4 ,he confessed his fault1 and told the ,lord that if he would make him a channel he would speak to these men4 ,the first man who entered his office the next morning was his confidential clerk1 who had been with him eighteen years4 ,the merchant said1 ,edward1 haven't ,i been a good employer to you8 ,yes1 sir4 ,have not ,i treated you well8 ,yes1 sir4 ,why1 sir1 what have ,i done1 said the clerk1 that you are going to discharge me8 ,edward1 ,i am on my way to heaven1 and ,i want you to go with me4 ,tears came into the eyes of both men as ,edward took the merchant's extended hand and said1 ,i will1 sir4 ,dr4 ,carson afterwards received eleven men into his ,church because this trustee had consented to be a channel for the ,holy ,spirit4 ,dr4 ,manley ,s4 ,hard talked with a physician about his soul1 and1 two days after1 the doctor entered the revival-meeting just before the benediction1 walked straight to the altar1 and begged the people to wait and pray for him1 saying3 ,i know it is late and you are all tired1 but ,i want you to stay a little while and pray for me4 ,this has been an awfully hard day4 ,i have ridden fifty miles and visited more than twenty patients1 but ,i am the sickest man of them all4 ,two sermons have been preached to me2 a faithful one yesterday by my pastor2 the other this morning when ,i had to tell a woman she had better get ready to die1 for she could not live4 ,as ,i drove away ,i said to myself1 ',you have warned another1 but you are not ready yourself4' ,to go to a man and speak to him directly and plainly about his responsibility to ,god1 and warn him to flee from the wrath to come1 may take more courage than to preach to a thousand2 but it pays1 and it must be done if the dying multitudes are ever saved4 ,,study ,,xxiii4 ,,correspondence4 ,memory ,verse3 ,ye see how large a letter ,i have written unto you with mine own hand4--7,gal4 vi1 #aa47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,philemon4 ,what a beautiful letter is that which ,paul wrote to ,philemon6 ,how it breathes affection1 and sympathy1 and tender entreaty6 ,and it was written by his own hand4 ,study this letter1 and have your heart saturated with its spirit4 ,you will then know how to write words that touch to your unsaved friends4 ,there are special occasions ,transcriber's note3 original reads 'ocasions'1 such as the time of bereavement1 of sickness1 of trial1 or of success1 when this method may be employed to advantage4 ,many a soul has been won for ,christ1 and many a lonely life cheered by a sympathetic1 wisely-worded letter1 winged by prayer4 ,sitting in a public park1 a young man was seen poring over a letter while the tears rained down his face1 and he almost sobbed aloud4 ,it is from my mother1 he said4 ,she wrote it herself1 and though ,i ran away from home and broke her heart1 yet she says that she still loves me1 and is praying for me1 and wants me to come home4 ,dr4 ,t4,l4 ,cuyler went to make his first call on a rich merchant4 ,it was a cold winter evening1 and as the door was opened when the minister was leaving1 a cold1 piercing gale swept in4 ,dr4 ,cuyler said1 ,what an awful night for the poor6 ,the merchant went back and brought a roll of bank-bills1 saying1 ,give these to the poorest people you know4 ,some days after1 ,dr4 ,cuyler wrote him1 telling him how his bounty had relieved many poor1 and then added1 ,how is it that a man so kind to his fellow-creatures has always been so unkind to his ,savior as to refuse him his heart8 ,that sentence touched him4 ,he sent for the minister to talk to him1 was converted1 and told ,dr4 ,cuyler that he was the first person in twenty years who had spoken to him about his soul4 ,do not allow letter-writing to excuse you from direct personal work2 but watch for opportunity to write1 as well as speak1 that by all means you may save some4 ,,study ,,xxiv4 ,,tracts ,,and ,,books4 ,memory ,verse3 ,and when ,i looked1 behold1 a hand was sent unto me2 and1 lo1 a roll of a book was therein4--7,ezek4 ii1 #i47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,eccl4 xi1 #a2 #a ,tim4 iv1 #g-af4 ,the influence of a tract or of a good book can not be estimated4 ,rev4 ,j4 ,hudson ,taylor1 of the ,china ,inland ,mission1 was converted in boyhood through reading a gospel tract which he found in his father's library4 ,he had been frequently troubled about his soul1 and had again and again tried to become a ,christian1 but had failed so often that he had concluded that there was no use in trying any more4 ,an agent of the ,american ,tract ,society relates the following3 ,a man on a canal-boat received a tract1 but to show his contempt for the tract and its giver1 took out his penknife and cut it up into fantastic shapes4 ,then he held it up to the derision of the company4 ,in tearing it apart1 one of the pieces clung to his knee4 ,his eyes were attracted by the only word on it--'eternity4' ,he turned it over1 and there was the word ',god4' ,these ideas remained in his mind4 ,he tried to laugh them off2 then to drink1 to play cards in order to banish them4 ,but they still clung to him1 and plagued him till he sought ,god and preparation for eternity4 ,there is an old true story about a tract1 that should be told over and over again3 ,a ,puritan minister named ,sibbs wrote a tract called ,the ,bruised ,reed4 ,a copy of this was given by a humble layman to a little boy at whose father's house he had been entertained over night4 ,that boy was ,richard ,baxter1 and the book was the means of his conversion4 ,baxter wrote his ,call to the ,unconverted1 and among the multitude led to ,christ by it was ,philip ,doddridge4 ,doddridge wrote ,the ,rise and ,progress of ,religion in the ,soul1 and the time would fail to tell its blessed influence4 ,by it ,wilberforce was converted1 and of his life and labors volumes could be written4 ,wilberforce wrote his ,practical ,view of ,christianity1 and this led not only ,dr4 ,chalmers into the truth1 but ,legh ,richmond to ,christ4 ,richmond wrote ,the ,dairyman's ,daughter1 which has been published in a hundred languages1 and many million copies have been sold4 ,but he who would make the best use of good literature must be wise4 ,how little tact some workers have6 ,in a hospital a tract-distributor handed a leaflet on dancing to a poor fellow who had lost both limbs4 ,another zealous young man gave a tract on ,the ,tobacco ,habit to a beautiful cultured lady1 the wife of a minister4 ,a good supply of common sense is just as necessary to success in the use of this method as in any other4 ,,study ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,prayer ,,list4 ,memory ,verse3 ,i will pray for you unto the ,lord4--7#a ,sam4 vii1 #e47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,luke xviii1 #a-h4 ,one of the highest privileges of the ,christian life is the privilege of intercession for the unsaved4 ,every ,christian may be an intercessor1 and bear to the mercy-seat1 in the arms of prayer1 some unsaved friend every day4 ,have a prayer list4 ,in a little memorandum-book write the names of those whom you are anxious to see saved4 ,spread these names before the ,lord daily until your prayers are answered4 ,one of the greatest ,christian movements of modern times started with a prayer-list carried in the vest-pocket of a commercial traveler1 ,mr4 ,e4,r4 ,graves1 traveling for a paper-house in ,new ,york ,city4 ,he secured permission from a merchant to allow his name to be entered on his prayer-list4 ,the merchant wrote his name in the traveler's book1 and then proceeded to inform ,mr4 ,graves that he had determined not to be a ,christian1 and that he had taken too big a contract if he expected to pray him into the kingdom4 ,but the traveler simply said1 ,i confidently expect my prayer to be answered4 ,when they met again the merchant had been converted1 and1 amid tears of rejoicing1 another name was checked off the list4 ,the merchant's name was ,samuel ,m4 ,sayford4 ,mr4 ,sayford became a secretary in the ,young ,men's ,christian ,association1 and shortly after met ,c4,k4 ,ober1 then a student at ,williams ,college1 and pushed him out into ,association work4 ,mr4 ,ober1 in turn1 found ,john ,e4 ,mott in ,cornell ,university1 persuaded him to enter ,association work among students2 and ,mr4 ,mott1 in the course of time1 started on his journey around the world1 organizing the ,world's ,christian ,student ,federation4 ,,study ,,xxvi4 ,,work ,,among ,,students4 ,memory ,verse3 ,now then we are ambassadors for ,christ1 as though ,god did beseech you by us3 we pray you in ,christ's stead1 be ye reconciled to ,god4--7#b ,cor4 v1 #bj47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 #a ,cor4 ii4 ,no more fruitful and important field for personal work can be found than in our educational institutions1 and ,christian students who make soul-winning a habit of life may win many rich trophies for the ,master4 ,bishop ,h4,w4 ,warren1 when a ,freshman in college1 was led to an open confession of ,christ through a ,saturday morning walk with a ,junior1 who talked to him about his soul4 ,dr4 ,j4,w4 ,bashford1 in ,the ,christian ,student1 tells about a ,senior in the ,ohio ,wesleyan ,university who was smitten with conviction because he had neglected personal work for the ,master4 ,he intended to be a minister1 but had been indifferent to the spiritual welfare of his student friends4 ,he offered himself to ,christ in full consecration1 and made a list of sixteen friends for whom he felt personal responsibility4 ,he engaged in systematic personal work with these friends1 and had the satisfaction before the year was completed of seeing every one of them begin the ,christian life4 ,six of his sixteen friends entered the ministry1 and some of them are even more talented and successful than the student friend who led them to ,christ4 ,as a rule1 young people during their college years are thoughtful and easily reached2 but if not saved before they leave the college halls and begin the active work of life1 they are almost certainly lost to the kingdom4 ,how often1 because of timidity or carelessness1 ,christian students and teachers allow this precious harvest time to go by1 and lose the opportunity to win a soul for ,christ6 ,a man1 who is now an eminent and widely-known minister1 says that he roomed with a young man at college for two years1 and never said a word to him about his soul4 ,when he was about to leave for home1 his room-mate said1 ,why have you not spoken to me about my soul8 ,said the ,christian student1 ,i thought you did not care for me to do so4 ,the young man replied1 ,why1 that is the very reason ,i roomed with you1 and there has never been a day for these two years that you could not have done so4 ,let ,christian students set out to win some trophies among their friends and room-mates for ,christ4 ,the results of faithful personal work may not be immediate or apparent1 but the blessed ,spirit of ,god will water the seed4 ,for thirteen months a college student prayed for and urged a fellow-student to surrender to ,christ1 and died without seeing any result of his efforts4 ,but the seed was faithfully sown1 and the young man was afterwards converted1 and became ,bishop ,hannington1 the martyr bishop of ,africa4 ,,study ,,xxvii4 ,,meeting ,,objections4 ,memory ,verse3 ,for ,i will give you a mouth and wisdom1 which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist4--7,luke xxi1 #ae47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,john ix1 #a-da4 ,the zealous personal worker will be met by objections2 but it must be remembered that these objections are often given for the sake of argument1 and often for the sake of something to say4 ,they should be squarely met1 however1 and answered2 and the best way to answer such is by ,scripture4 ,there is not an objection advanced by the unconverted that can not be met and overcome by some passage of ,scripture4 ,just as ,jesus in the wilderness met the tempter's arguments with ,it is written1 so we may meet every argument of the objector with the ,word4 ,a faithful study of ,christ's conversations with seeking souls1 such as ,nicodemus and the rich young man1 will also be helpful4 ,below are some of the objections usually given1 with the ,scripture references that may be used to meet them4 ,this arrangement of texts is taken from ,personal ,work1 by ,s4,m4 ,sayford1 by consent of the publishers3 ,i am good enough4 7,gen4 vi1 #e2 ,ps4 li1 #e-g2 ,luke xviii1 #ai47 ,i am as good as most ,christians4 7,rom4 xiv1 #aj-ab2 #b ,cor4 v1 #aj2 ,rev4 xx1 #aa2 xii1 #ae47 ,i have never done anything really bad4 7,luke xvi1 #ae2 ,james ii1 #aj47 ,i can not give up my pleasures4 7,eccl4 ii1 #a2 xi1 #i2 ,ps4 xvi1 #aa47 ,i know ,i shall fail4 7,john vi1 #cg2 #b ,tim4 i1 #ab2 iv1 #ah47 ,i can not now1 but will some time4 7,luke xiv1 #ag2 ,acts xxiv1 #be2 ,james iv1 #ac1 #ad2 ,luke xii1 #ai1 #bj47 ,i am too great a sinner4 7,luke v1 #cb2 xix1 #aj2 #a ,tim4 i1 #ae47 ,my day of grace has past4 7,ex4 xxxiv1 #e-g2 #b ,chron4 xxx1 #i2 ,isa4 lv1 #g47 ,i do not feel concerned4 7,rom4 xiii1 #aa2 ,eph4 v1 #ad2 ,heb4 ii1 #c47 ,i can not know that these things are true4 7,acts xvii1 #aa2 ,john v1 #ci2 vii1 #ag47 ,it will cost me my living4 7,matt4 vi1 #cc2 ,ps4 lxxxiv1 #aa2 ,rom4 xiv1 #h47 ,it will prevent my becoming rich4 7#a ,tim4 vi1 #i1 #aj2 ,mark viii1 #cf1 #cg2 ,rev4 iii1 #ag1 #ah47 ,i can not hold my friends4 7,matt4 x1 #cg2 xxii1 #cg2 ,phil4 iii1 #h47 ,how may ,i know that ,christ is the ,son of ,god8 7,john xx1 #cj1 #ca2 x1 #bc-be2 #a ,john v1 #ac1 #bj2 ,mark iv1 #aa47 ,how may ,i know that the ,bible is true8 7,john vii1 #ag47 ,will not ,god save me if ,i do my best8 7,eph4 ii1 #i2 ,titus iii1 #e-h47 ,why must a man believe in ,christ to be saved8 7,john xiv1 #f2 ,acts iv1 #ab2 ,gal4 ii1 #af2 ,rom4 iii1 #bc1 #bf47 ,how may ,i know ,i am forgiven8 7,ps4 xxxii1 #e2 ,prov4 xxviii1 #ac2 #a ,john i1 #g-i47 ,,study ,,xxviii4 ,,no ,,effort ,,in ,,vain4 ,memory ,verse3 ,so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth3 it shall not return unto me void1 but it shall accomplish that which ,i please1 and it shall prosper in the thing whereto ,i sent it4--7,isa4 lv1 #aa47 ,scripture for ,meditation3 ,john iv1 #cf2 #a ,cor4 xv1 #eh4 ,some day ,i hope you will preach the gospel1 said an aged minister to a little boy in ,england4 ,that boy became ,charles ,h4 ,spurgeon4 ,that great soul-winner1 ,mark ,guy ,pearse1 says that when he was a boy his father took him to see a saintly old lady1 who laid her hand upon his head1 saying1 ,god bless the boy1 and make him a minister4 ,mr4 ,pearse says that1 through this aged woman1 ,god called him to the ministry4 ,in a college chapel in ,pennsylvania a ,christian layman sat down beside a boy and talked to him about ,christ4 ,that boy became ,alfred ,cookman1 whose name will be held in everlasting remembrance4 ,an eminent lawyer of ,minneapolis1 converted a short time since1 declares that the earnest question1 ,have you found ,jesus8 spoken by a young lady to his friend who sat by his side in a revival-meeting1 and her startled look1 when she was answered roughly1 followed him for fifteen years until he was finally converted4 ,no sincere effort for ,christ can fail4 ,to human eyes there may be little encouragement1 but his ,word shall prevail4 ,every invitation and entreaty shall in the end be1 to those who reject it1 the savor of death unto death1 but to those who accept it1 the savor of life unto life4 ,we may go forth now1 weeping1 bearing precious seed2 but some blessed day we shall doubtless come again with rejoicing1 bringing our sheaves with us4 ,perhaps we are too anxious to see results now4 ,we do like to number the converts1 and add to the ,church roll4 ,far better do our best for ,christ and souls1 then leave the results to ,god4 ,he will see that the seed1 faithfully planted1 is watered1 and that no effort is in vain4