He Couldn't Keep It a Secret.
GEORGE PENTECOST tells the following story in his "Out of Egypt:"— I knew of a man who was converted at one of our meetings in America. He was a commercial traveler. He determined that he would not let anybody know that he had been converted. He was going to serve God "in the land." Well, only the day after he was converted, he was standing in front of one of the large hotels in Boston, when he was accosted by one of his fellow commercial men. "How are you, old fellow?" said his friend, in the familiar style of an old acquaintance. "Come in and have a drink," and started at once toward the bar-room. Here was a crisis. It instantly occurred to our newly converted friend, who was going to keep his conversion a secret, that to go into a public bar with an ungodly friend, and hold fellowship with him over a glass of whisky, would be utterly inconsistent with his new life in Christ. What was he to do? He thought he would excuse himself, so he said:— "No, thank you; I think I will not drink to-day." This did not satisfy his friend. "Why, what's up? I never knew you to refuse a drink before." "Well, I don't feel like drinking to-day; that's all." "Well, come and have a cigar, then." But this was also declined. He was unwilling to go into the public-house and fraternize with his friend over the bar. Again the astonished questioner asked:— "Why, what's the matter with you? Come along." "No, I can't go to-day," said our secret convert, in great confusion, and then stammered out hardly knowing what he said, "I have a Friend with me." "Oh, that's all right. Bring your friend with you; any friend of yours is welcome to drink at my expense." "No, I cannot bring him in; in fact, he would not go in there," said the young convert, things beginning to clear a little in his mind. "Then come without him; it will take you but a moment." "No, I will not go without him." Looking about among the bystanders, the inviter said:— "Where is your friend? and who is he, that he won't come in and have a drink, and that you can't leave for a moment to have a glass with an old friend?" There was nothing for it now but to confess; and so, with some trembling, and yet with perfect frankness, he said to his acquaintance: "The fact is, I only last night became a Christian; I did not mean to say anything about it, but you compel me to speak. My friend is the Lord Jesus Christ. He would not go into that bar-room and take a drink, I am sure; and by the grace of God, I do not mean to go anywhere or do anything that will make me part company with Jesus Christ." You see that man could not keep his conversion a secret.