E CROSS
--Salvation
--Repentance

An Illustration Which Has Inspired Many to Hopefulness and Victory.

THE LESSON--That a complete surrender to Christ is the only
successful way to purify a sinful life.

This illustration, in varied form, has been used by speakers for many
years. It is here given, however, in a new presentation, with a hope
that the revision may be helpful to others in spreading its
usefulness. If paper is used, attach several thicknesses to your
drawing board and provide yourself with a sharp penknife. If used as a
blackboard illustration, an eraser will be needed.

~~The Talk.~~

"It is a good deal safer, boys, for you to walk the streets with your
thumb in your mouth than with a cigarette there. The thumb can't hurt
you, but the cigarette is bound to. I heard, once upon a time, of a
young man who lived in a good home--maybe just as good as yours--who
fell into the cigarette habit. I can't understand why a boy, when he
knows what a terrible thing the cigarette habit is, will not leave the
thing alone. But, like some whom you may know, this boy failed to heed
the many warnings and, before he was aware of it, the deadly habit had
him firmly in its grasp. I will ask one of the boys to please spell
the word 'Habit' for me. [As each letter is repeated put it down on
the drawing sheet. If you have previously outlined the entire picture,
the location of the cross will determine the location of the letter T,
in the center, as the T is later changed into a cross. Place the other
four letters in proper relation to the letter T, completing Fig. 29.]

[Illustration: Fig. 29]

"Now, then--one day this young man awoke to the fact that he must rid
himself of his terrible habit if he would amount to anything in the
world. He was working in a distant city, and there, alone, how do you
suppose he started in to get rid of his habit? He did it this way: He
made up his mind to wipe it out gradually by cutting down the number
of cigarettes which he smoked each day. So he started in. The first
day he smoked two less than he did the day before--cut out some, you
see. [With your penknife cut out the letter H and throw it away.] You
will observe that although he cut out some of his habit, he had A BIT
left. The next day he did the same thing, by cutting out two
more. [Cut away the letter A.] Although he had a BIT of the habit
left, he felt somewhat encouraged and declared to himself that he
could cut it all