faithful friends of His. When they made the prayer Jesus answered it in His own heart, but He knew that it would be infinitely better for them and for the world for Lazarus to die. Their prayer was answered. What they wanted was their brother spared to them, and though He carried them to the grave yard to answer it, the prayer of His friends was answered. If there is one thing in the world that I am sure of it, is that of Jesus Christ’s friendship for me. Were it not for that I would not now be preach ing. I sometimes think of the things that I have given up for Jesus sake. I sometimes think of the things 1 would like to do.but for the love of Jesus restraining me. Oh, that friendship that guides and protects and directs! I thank God for it. Again, the salvation of Jesus brings to us the possibility of prayer. How much would we take for our privilege of prayer"? We do not use it as we should. Sometimes we neglect it; sometimes we neglect it so long that we are ashamed to go to Him again. But listen, my brother, however far from God you may be, 1 ask you, what would you take for your opportunity to pray"? To know that you can go on your knees any time, under any cir cumstances, and pray. I was talking with a woman some time ago about her privileges in religion 'and she said, “Well, of all the privileges that I have, the one privilege that I appreciate most and practice less, is prayer.” The very next day I got a mes sage from that woman, asking me to go off right then and pray. She said that her husband, who was an engineer, had just been in a collision, and she did not know how badlv he was hurt. That woman wanted everybody whom she believed to have the ear of God to pray for her husband, and that was one time when she did not neglect to pray her self. Prayer is well illustrated by the telephone. If you want to speak to a friend who has the same ’phone you have, just pick up the receiver, tell the central office what number you want, then there will be a response at the other end of the line, and you have the privilege of talking to your friend. God has a system that the telephone does not hold a candle to. Yonder is a friend in China, laboring with the benighted heathen. I cannot call her over Pie telephone and talk to her, because science has never yet succeeded in putting telephone connec tions from continent to continent. Yonder is another missionary in India. Yonder are some warm hearted loving friends in England. Yonder are others in Australia. Yonder are some friends in Canada and scattered over this country. I should love to see and commune with those friends, and it has come to me that God has arranged a mode of communica tion for us through Him. I have connection with Him and they have connection with Him, and so we have connection with each other. Many a mother has that connection perpetually made and is talking through God to that son. Oh, the salvation of Jesus. No wonder that the wise man said, “He that winneth souls is wise” for he is at work upon the wisest and deepest and the broadest scheme that ever beat in the heart of God or throbbed in the brain of man. THE LIFE TO COME. I have been talking of salvation simply as it re lates to this present life. I have said nothing about the life that is to come; the great hereafter. We all believe that there is only the choice betwen two places for the hereafter. One is hell with all its hideousness, with all its suffering, with all its com bined sorrows apart from God; the other is heaven, the glories of which beggar even the faintest de scription. And this salvation of which we are speaking is a salvation that guarantees the friend ship and the personal association and co-operation of Jesus in this life and all that is good and holy and blessed 'and happy in the life to come. With this one word I want to close. My friend, if there has settled over us the faintest conception ot what it means to be lost or what it means to have a lost friend or a lost loved one, there would go out from this building such a restlessness, an agony, an eagerness to grapple with the problem of the unsaved about us that would bring things to pass. The great trouble with us is that we never really have had a conception of what it means to The Golden Age for February 11, 1909. be lost. We talk about the love of God until we forget there is any such thing as the justice of oGd. I have a friend, a woman, who was the wife of a minister before he died, and who spent her day and generation well in Christian life and service, and who now is laid on the shelf because of old age. Some years ago she told me this story of her own personal experience. In her husband’s church there was at one time an evangelist holding revival ser vices. The attendance was poor. The church itself was not aroused. One afternoon when there were only about seventeen present, the man of God who was conducting the services, said: “My friends, ev ery one of you sitting before me today has a lost soul hanging upon your influence and that soul will at last either go to heaven or to hell. It may be your child. It may be your brother, your sister, your mother or your father.” My friend said that when he said that the door of her heart opened. She thought of her children at home, none of whom were saved. She thought of that boy of fourteen years, a bright, promising lad. That boy especially seemed to step in through that open door, and her heart was nearly crushed as she thought of him. She said she never had such a feeling before or since. When the service was over she went home and straight to her room. She fell upon her knees and began to pray. Her husband came in directly and she said to him, “I want you to join with me in prayer. I must have that boy saved. ’ ’ Her husband said, “Yes, I have preached all those years endeavoring to save other people’s boys and it has never really occurred to me that mine were lost.” They prayed together until time came for the service, and the wife would not go. She said, “No, I can never face the people again until my boy is saved. Our boy is lost. If he should die tonight his soul would be lost forever.” She went to the boy and urged him to go to church with his father, but he said, “No, I have my ex aminations tomorrow, and I can not go.” But that night just as the invitation was being given that boy was seen to step inside the church door. But just as the service ended he hurried out. The father went home and again joined his wife in prayer. All the night they prayed until just about sun-up the wife said, “I think you had better lie down and get as much sleep as possible before time to get up.” He thought he would, but he felt his loving father heart throbbing so for his boy that he thought he must go to his room before he could sleep. So, leaving the mother down-stairs still in prayer, he climbed the stairs to the boy’s room, gently pushed open the door, and there by the early morning light he saw that boy kneeling by his bed with his head buried in his hands. As the father entered, the boy got up and impulsively threw his arms around his father’s neck saying, “Father, I have given my heart to Jesus.” Later in the morning at family devotions, that boy led in prayer, and he prayed for the conversion of his sister, and she gave her heart to God before they left the house. Oh, that God would baptise His church with such a desire for lost souls! Such a revival would break out in our midst that would startle the world and set all the angels in heaven to shouting with joy. n * Preparing Tor Heaben. The good are preparing for heaven. No one goes home on earth who cares nothing for home, takes no thought of it, does not plan with ardent longing for the home-coming. The very life good people live on earth is a preparation for heaven and an unfitting of them for any other future. Each soul will go “to his own place.” There is a legend of an Indian chieftain who, migrating with his tribe, journeyed over the high mountains and through dis mal swamps, and at last, having reached a valley fair to behold and good to dwell in, threw down his burdens, exclaiming, “Alabama!” meaning “Here we rest.” The true Christian is journeying toward the real “Alabama,” the valley home of the redeem ed, where they lay down their burdens and rest. “They rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.” There is such a “home for the soul.” —G. B. F. Hallock. Old Letters. Fold them up tenderly, lay them away; Dreams that have blossomed and died Sleep in their folds, while time and decay Seek 'their fair faces to hide. Sweet was the birth of those beautiful dreams! Sweet as the promise of heaven. Surely, we thought, resting in their fond beams, Nothing more sweet could be given. Years! can it be that Time in his flight, Has passed by the mile-stone of years Since these letter's came, with promises bright, Hushing our heart’s deepest fears"? From their now faded lines so fondly we seek The perfume of comfort to breathe; So keen is the anguish that lips cannot speak, O’er their loss we so bitterly grieve. We could not believe did not the deep lines That furrow our wan cheeks to-day, Prove beyond doubt that the architect Time Has chiselled their smoothness away. I i es, years it has been since those letters were penned; And hope blossomed fair as a lily. Now through the heart’s glen, where music flowed then, Wail autumn winds lonely and chilly. The dear hands that penned them are still fondly dear, Tho ’ some ’neath the damp mold are sleeping; While others have ceased their missives of cheer To give to our heart’s sacred keeping. Fold them up tenderly, lay them away, Hopes to be realized, never In this sad world of change and decay — Lost to our earth-life forever. Tenderly, lovingly, lay them away. Who knows in the mansions of heaven, Clad in the robes of reality they Back to our heart may be given. Mobile, Ala. S. BURTON LUCAS. * * A Year At His Teet. What will be the result of a year’s tuition under the Spirit"? A year with the wonderful Teacher will so change you that you will hardly know yourself. In one year of following the voice, with all your life conformed to Him, what developments in love, in humility, in patience, in spiritual discernment, in faith, in wisdom, in light on God’s Word, what change in outward life, what increase of power for service may be yours! 1 hink what we might learn in one year in heaven by talking with God, hearing Him speak, being under the influence of His presence. But here under trial is the place to be changed into His image. Our as sociation with Him, and the degree of His power over our lives, are limited only by the degree to which we yield to him. “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all thing-s.” Great sums are paid for the most com petent instructors, but who can estimate the value of such a teacher? The poorest may have the best. —Preface to the Morning Watch Calendar for 1909. The lesson is for all. None can know what may be God’s purpose in His discipline; but all may be certain that faithfulness in little things is the evi dence of fitness for greater responsibilities. Every act of life is a revelation of character, and he only who in small duties proves himself “a workman that needeth not to he ashamed,” will be honored by God with weightier trusts. —“Education.” Why should one be content with being half a Christian, devoted partly to God and partly to the world? He hath bought, hath redeemed the whole, and let Him take the purchase of His blood. 3