STUDY VI. WHY MEN NEGLECT TO BEAR PERSONAL TESTIMONY.

"But after certain days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned of righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, Go thy way for this time; and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me.' (Acts xxiv. 24, 25.)

PART 1. WE SHRINK FROM ALL PERSONAL CONVERSATION.

MEN naturally shrink from all personal conversation. The man who asks personal questions may easily become a nuisance. The man who tells you all his business is a bore. We like neither to open our hearts to all men nor to have them open their hearts to us. The sacredness of personality must not be forgotten. Even the closest friendship does not allow us to overstep the bounds of personality. The man who uses his friendship as a key to unlock the secret chambers of your heart against your will is not a real friend, for he destroys the sanctity of your private life. These facts, which are very real, make many men hesitate to talk personally about Christ. This is not peculiar to Christian testimony. We hesitate to talk to a man about his personal affairs or his personal manners; indeed, about anything personal. Many Christian workers hesitate to raise money for Christian causes because such money can be gotten only through personal association.

But there is another side to this question. The very fact that a man's personality is sacred makes it unbearable for me to stand by and see that personality robbed of its high

est development. If a man's personality were a commonplace thing, no one need take the trouble to become interested in its upbuilding. Men who refuse to bear personal testimony either have nothing to report or else they do not realize how important it is to help the other man develop his soul. It is the very sacredness of personality which calls out our personal report.

Some have tried to convince themselves that no man has a right to try to mold the personal life of another. Let us grant it. What would it mean? It would mean that no minister could ever preach again, for preaching is an attempt to help others see life as the preacher sees it. No man could teach any longer, for the teacher's life is not simply dealing out cold facts. Every fact is enveloped in the atmosphere of the teacher's personality, and of necessity molds the life of the student. No poet could write again, for poetry, real poetry, is the pouring out of the soul of man, and it must of necessity affect life. No artist could ever paint again, for that is just his attempt to interpret the meaning of life. Personal testimony as we use it is just carrying into the most important realm the message of the preacher, the teacher, the poet, the artist.

This testimony need not be impertinent and prying. If I have found a value in a great poem, it is the joy of my life to pass that value on. This is intensely personal; it is the giving to you the blessing of my own soul. If I have enjoyed a great picture, it is perfectly natural that I try to interpret that picture for you. If I have a great friendship, my most natural desire is to introduce my other friends into the delights of this fellowship. This is intensely personal, but it is not intrusion. Personal testimony is the simple sharing of that which we have with another. If done in the spirit of humility and love, it cannot be considered an impertinence.

STUDY VI. WHY MEN NEGLECT TO BEAR PERSONAL TESTIMONY.

"And Moses said unto Jehovah, O, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And Jehovah said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I, Jehovah? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak. And he said, O, Lord, send I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.” (Ex. iv. 10-13.)

PART 2. WE ARE LACKING IN KNOWLEDGE.

ONE of the glorious things about Christianity consists in the fact that its reality is not proved by logic, but by life. Experience is the final word. Hence it arises that many men who have had a genuine experience with Christ are not able to give clear expression to what has happened in their souls. The preceding studies have been written to help such persons to give expression to the reality of which they are aware.

There are other people who are not satisfied with experience; they want to go behind that and find the basis of that experience. Two of the following studies will be given to the problem of reality, or what truth is behind these experiences.

To-day I wish to urge three distinct lines of preparation. First, every Christian should study how others have been used in leading men to Christ. Secure H. Clay Trumbull's "Individual Work for Individuals." You can read it through on a Sabbath afternoon. It will indicate how he dealt with many different persons.

Every Christian should, secondly, study the New Testament anew with this thought in mind. Read a whole Gospel on a Sabbath afternoon to see how Christ and his disciples worked with different types of individuals. A Gospel can be read completely in two hours. We need for our own lives to know more about what Christ taught as the essence of Christianity.

Thirdly, I would like to suggest that you begin the habit of having a few moments for Bible study and prayer each morning before you go to your day's tasks. Keep in your Bible a list of persons for whom you are praying. Some one has said that we have no right to talk to a man about his life until we have prayed for him. You cannot long continue these processes of preparation without beginning to share your message with others.

Men and women lightly excuse themselves from personal work on the basis of insufficient knowledge. I very seriously raise the question to-day whether that is a legitimate excuse which God can or will accept. This matter is so important that no Christian dare be either an idler or a bungler. We are duty bound as Christians to learn to help others. God will accept no plea of ignorance.

For what are men better than sheep or goats

That nourish a blind life within the brain,

If knowing God they lift not hands of prayer

Both for themselves and for those who call them friend?

For so the whole round earth is every way

Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.

-Tennyson's "The Passing of Arthur."

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STUDY VI. WHY MEN NEGLECT TO BEAR PERSONAL TESTIMONY.

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth_good_tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! The voice of thy watchmen! they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when Jehovah returneth to Zion." (Isa. lii. 7, 8.)

"When Jesus saw him lying, and knew that he had been a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wouldest thou be made whole? The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me." (John v. 6, 7. )

PART 3. FEAR THAT MEN WILL RESENT OUR TESTIMONY.

MANY Christians fear to speak to another person about the Christ friendship lest it will be resented. This, however, assumes that we are forcing on others that which is not worth having. You do not fear to give a friend a beautiful Christmas present, sharing with him your blessings of life. But you do hesitate to share with him your experience with Him who made the Christmas and gave to it all its present significance. Instead of fearing to share with others, we should rejoice to do so.

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings."

The fact is, that men do not resent this simple testimony. I have talked personally with I suppose thousands of college men in the last ten years. In all these years I have had only two men who resented what I said. One of these was asked to come under false pretenses. He was told I sent for him, and I had not, for I did not know him. He became very angry, and I do not wonder at it. But somehow God blessed the interview, and the second man I met on the