t Peter Newby, who led off without consulting
anybody. "Read the first verse, Mrs. Johnson. Everybody follow the
reading. There are so many present tonight that only a small portion
will get to read. Pay strict attention."

After the chapter was read, Peter began:

"Neighbors," he said, "you have known me for a long time, and all of
you know that I am fair and square to everybody. I try to treat my
neighbors right. I have been a Christian a long time. I was baptized
fifty years ago in the Big Sandy River. Water baptism is essential to
salvation, so somewhere between the time I went down into the water
and came up out of it, I was converted.

"Now we are studying the seventh chapter of Romans. Paul gives his
experience in this chapter. Paul was a great man but he said that he
was 'carnal, sold under sin' (v. 14). Now my experience is just like
Paul's. He says, 'For what I would, that do I not; but what I hate,
that do I,' and then in verse 19, 'For the good that I would I do not:
but the evil which I would not, that I do.' This is my experience.
I do many things I ought not to do, and I leave undone many things I
ought to do. This old tongue of mine says many ugly things, and when
I get with wicked boys and men I crack my jokes too, and these hands
often do wrong, but, friends, I am trying in my weak way to serve the
Lord and to make heaven my home. But I do not expect to be better than
Paul. He said that when he would do good, evil was present with him.
This is my experience. I would like to do good, but the flesh is too
weak, and there is too much sin in me." Peter sat down.

Robert Davis arose. Every eye was upon him. Bibles and Testaments
were opened. Old Mr. Stephenson was there with his Bible, and very
attentive was he. Charley Moss had his Testament open at the proper
place.

"At first glance, it may seem," Robert said, "that Romans 7 upholds a
life of more or less sinning in a Christian. A closer view, however,
reveals that it does not. The first night that I was present at
these prayer meetings, Brother Newby laid down one sound method for
interpreting the Scriptures. He said, 'First, one should know who was
writing, second, one should know to whom he was writing, and third,
one should know what he was writing about.' This is a sound theory.
Let us apply it to the text in question. First, who was writing? Paul.
Second, to whom was he writing? To the Christians at Rome. Third, what
was he writing about? His