of true
repentance. We owe it to the world, to our fellow-Christians, to
ourselves. He died to redeem us, and shall we be ashamed or afraid to
confess Him? Religion as an abstraction, as a doctrine, has little
interest for the world, but what people can say from personal
experience always has weight.

I remember some meetings being held in a locality where the tide did
not rise very quickly, and bitter and reproachful things were being
said about the work. But one day, one of the most prominent men in the
place rose and said:

"I want it to be known that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ; and if
there is any odium to be cast on His cause, I am prepared to take my
share of it."

It went through the meeting like an electric current, and a blessing
came at once to his own soul and to the souls of others.

Men come to me and say: "Do you mean to affirm, Mr. Moody, that I've
got to make a public confession when I accept Christ; do you mean to
say I've got to confess Him in my place of business, and in my family?
Am I to let the whole world know that I am on His side?"

That is precisely what I mean. A great many are willing to accept
Christ, but they are not willing to publish it, to confess it. A great
many are looking at the lions and the bears in the way. Now, my
friends, the devil's mountains are only made of smoke. He can throw a
straw into your path and make a mountain of it. He says to you: "You
cannot confess and pray to your family; why, you'll break down! You
cannot tell it to your shopmate; he will laugh at you." But when you
accept Christ, you will have power to confess Him.

There was a young man in the West--it was the West in those days--who
had been more or less interested about his soul's salvation. One
afternoon, in his office, he said:

"I will accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior."

He went home and told his wife (who was a nominal professor of
religion) that he had made up his mind to serve Christ; and he added:

"After supper to-night I am going to take the company into the
drawing-room, and erect the family altar."

"Well," said his wife, "you know some of the gentlemen who are coming
to tea are sceptics, and they are older than you are, and don't you
think you had better wait until after they have gone, or else go out
in the kitchen and have your first prayer with the servants?"

The young man thought for a few moments, and then he said:

"I have asked Jesus Christ into my house for