THE great secret of witnessing is to become acquainted with the Lord, and to know his sin-cleansing and his keeping power. He who knows this for himself, because he has the Spirit's own testimony, so that he has no need of any human assurance of the fact, can speak with an authority that is impossible to the greatest scholar in the world, who has not that witness. The whole secret of the power of the apostles was that “they had been with Jesus.” Not only will one who has been with Jesus, and who walks with him, be able to witness for him, but he will not be able to keep from testifying. The rulers threatened the apostles with the severest punishment if they persisted in witnessing for Christ, but they said, “We can not but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20. Jeremiah had a similar experience. He was derided and reproached and threatened, and he says: “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” Jer. 20:9. Remember that these men were ordinary men, such as we are. The apostles were fishermen whom the Lord called; and Jeremiah was a timid child until God put his words in his mouth. Jer. 1:4-9.—Selected.