The Personal Touch | Page 8

down; the homes
have been destroyed; the people are in despair, so great is the
desolation that even the temple has been defaced. When the tidings
concerning the havoc which has been wrought in the city of Jerusalem
reached Nehemiah he was well nigh heart-broken. Speaking about the
story that had been brought to him he said, "And they said unto me,
The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in
great affliction and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down,
and the gates thereof are burned with fire," Nehemiah i. 3. When he
reaches the city of Jerusalem he goes about to view the ruins, and he
thus describes his journey: "So I came to Jerusalem and was there three

days. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon
me; as also the king's words that He had spoken unto me. And they said,
Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good
work," Nehemiah ii. 11 and 18.
This picture of despair as seen in the olden days in Jerusalem is almost
if not altogether being repeated to-day. The case is really desperate.
The need of Divine help in the re-construction of human lives has never
been greater. Hosts of men find the following testimony a description
of their own experience. It is a young university man who is speaking,
and before a great crowd of people he says:--
"Probably nine out of every ten of you men standing in front of me
know who I am and know my family well. You will no doubt be
surprised to hear of the awful experiences through which I have gone
during the past six months. Just six months ago, as most of you know, I
was an active Christian worker, and there are many of you in front of
me who as recently as last July sat and heard me preach. During the last
six months trouble came upon me, and in a weak moment, losing faith
in God, I took to drink, and sank as low as it is possible for any man to
sink. Not even the prodigal in the parable could have fallen lower than I
did. Disowned by my mother; cast aside by my brother and sisters;
despised by the members and officers of the church to which I
belonged and in which I preached, I was in every respect an outcast.
Just before Christmas, whilst tramping on the road, I actually took the
shirt off my back to sell it for drink, so miserable was I. My nights I
spent in the open fields, waking in the morning covered with frost.
Something seemed to compel me to attend the meetings in this city. I
attended night after night, and although the singing and the address had
a wonderful effect upon me, I kept struggling against the working of
the Spirit, until the singing of the chorus "I am Included," brought
home to me as never before, the fact that even I, wretched outcast that I
was, had not gone too far. I then and there made up my mind to accept
the promise of John iii. 16. From that time I have realized, as never
before, that Christ went to Calvary not so much for the world, as He did
for me. And I intend to devote the rest of my life to winning souls for
Him."

There is surely cause for great alarm because of the present condition
of affairs, and for the following reasons: Home life is not what it used
to be. In the olden times the home was a harbour into which
tempest-tossed souls came day after day, and thus protected, had time
to regain lost strength and go forth again to battle with the storm. It was
once true that fathers were priests in their own households and mothers
were saints. The best memory that some of us have is that which
centres in a home where love ruled and reigned; where Christ was
honoured; where the Bible was read, explained and loved, and where
the very atmosphere was like heaven. In many instances to-day this is
missing and he is to be pitied who has not such a memory as this, and
such an influence for good in his life. The family altar in too many
households has been broken down or given up. "What led you to
Christ?" was the question asked of a distinguished Christian worker.
And the answer quickly given was, "My father's prayers at the family
altar. They followed me through my manhood and compelled me
eventually to accept Christ." When the family altar is gone from a
home, it is like the taking away of a strong