Some years ago a lighthouse keeper fell asleep at his post of duty. When he awoke it was to find to his horror that the machinery that controlled the revolving of the light had stopped working and the light had become fixed for at least half an hour. Awaking, he leaped to fix the machinery as if for his very life. He peered into the darkness and saw no light of any ship, but he could not be sure what had happened while he was asleep.

Should he record his act of negligence which might have had such fearful consequences to life and property? Would anybody be the wiser if he did not record truthfully in his log what had happened? He waited. His desire to hide his guilt became stronger. Day by day passed and no reprimand came. He determined to give no record of his dereliction of duty. As time went by the incident began to fade from the memory of the lighthouse keeper.

Four months later a captain of a ship which had just retuned from a voyage to Australia sat next to an official of the Trinity House at a public dinner. The Trinity House is the department that is responsible to look after the lighthouses that dot the English coasts. The captain asked the official when this certain lighthouse had become a fixed light. "A fixed light? You are dreaming," replied the captain. "It always has been and still is a revolving light." "Well," replied the captain, "when I took my ship down the channel four months ago, I passed that lighthouse at two in the morning. The light was fixed. I can produce witnesses to prove it." "Ah," said the official, "will you be good enough to give me the date and hour on which you passed?"

The next morning an inspector traveled from Trinity House, London, to the lighthouse in question. One can imagine the feelings of the keeper when he learned that his neglect of duty was discovered. If he had only honestly entered on the log his dereliction of duty he might have gotten off with a severe reprimand, but to hide it made things much worse. What could he say in excuse? He was dismissed from the service.

Has this incident not a voice to the reader in matters of far weightier importance? The keeper went to sleep for some hours at his post of duty. How many of our readers have been asleep all their lives as to God's claims? We have been guilty of not one but many sins, sins of commission and sins of omission, secret sins, public sins—sins, sins, sins—-yet many treat this as of no account. But GOD KNOWS! GOD KNOWS! Multitudes, alas! go on as if there were no judgment day. Had the keeper thought that his neglect of duty would be found out, he would have honesty entered it on his log and hoped for the best. But YOU know, reader, that your sins are all known to God, and yet in how many cases this is treated as if it were of no account. Just as this keeper would have been wise if he had confessed his neglect in his log book, so you will be wise if you honestly confess your sins to God. If you do not, you will rue it eternally. Further, men and women treat the death of Christ as if it were of no value to them yet the Saviour died for them, for you! Of all the sins we can be guilty of there is none greater than that of not trusting the Saviour. Through Him, and Him alone, can we be saved. Neglect Him and our doom is sealed. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" (Heb. 2:3). "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him" (John 3:36).

GOD KNOWS! This is a matter of your soul and eternal issues. Wake up, we urge you, before it is too late! "Behold NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2). You may be saved today. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

—A.J.P.