d by his Sister to "Beware of
Pickpockets."

I remember when I was a boy and went to Boston, I went to the postoffice
two or three times a day to see if there was a letter for me. I knew
there was not, as there was but one mail a day. I had not had any
employment and was very homesick, and so went constantly to the
postoffice, thinking perhaps when the mail did come in my letter had
been mislaid. At last, however, I got a letter. It was from my youngest
sister, the first letter she ever wrote to me. I opened it with a light
heart thinking there was some good news from home, but the burden of the
whole letter was that she had heard there were pickpockets in Boston,
and warned me to take care of them. I thought I had better get some
money in hand first, and then I might take care of pickpockets. And so
you must take care to remember salvation is a gift. You don't work for
salvation; but work day and night after you have got it. Get it first
before you do anything, but don't try to get it yourself. Look at what
Paul says in Ephesians: "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and
that not of yourself, it is the gift of God"--it is the gift of
God--"Not of works, lest any man should boast." There is one thing we
know: We have all got to get into heaven the same way. We cannot work
our way there; we have to take our salvation from God.

A Heavy Draw on Alexander the Great.

There is a story told of Alexander the Great. A general in his army was
a great favorite with him, and he told him to draw anything from his
treasury that he wanted. Well, he presented a bill to the treasurer, and
the treasurer wouldn't honor it. It was for such an enormous amount that
the treasurer was astonished. The General went rushing to the Emperor
and told him, and he called the treasurer and said, "Didn't I tell you
to honor the draft of the General." "But," replied the treasurer, "do
you understand its amount?" "Never mind what it is," replied the
Emperor, "he honors me and my kingdom by making a great draft." And so
we honor God by asking for grace in abundance. I tell you, my friends,
it is a pity there are so many half-starved, mean Christians around when
God says, "Come and get all you want."

A Long Ladder Tumbles to the Ground.

I remember hearing of a man who dreamt that he built a ladder from earth
to heaven, and when he did a good deed up went his ladder a few feet.
When he did a very good deed his ladder went higher, and wh