wn in splendor. The "bunch" followed him
to the grave. They could not quite understand even yet what had happened
to him. It was a wonderful change, and his life had won their respect, and
they followed him silently to his last resting-place. After the burial
they stood talking it over in a little group by themselves, "I thought the
drink had him sure," said one; "I don't see how he beat it." "It was not
Bill who did it," said a quiet voice behind them; "it was Jesus Christ."
They turned and saw the pastor walking away. "Guess the parson must have
it right," said one of them. "It was a pretty good job, too."

TALK NINETEEN. DIVINE AND WORLDLY CONFORMITY

The Scriptures say, "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12: 2). They also say that we should
be "conformed to the image of his Son" (Rom. 8: 29). We have here two
sorts of conformity, one of which is condemned and the other approved.
Much is said by some classes of religious professors about worldly
conformity, while little is said about divine conformity. It is my purpose
herein to point out the essential nature of these two kinds of conformity.

By worldly conformity most religious teachers mean outward likeness of
dress, manner, customs, etc. This, however, is not its true significance.
Conformity to Christ does not mean dressing as he dressed, speaking the
language that he spoke, eating the same kind of food that he ate, or
observing any of those externals that went to make up his life.

In the true meaning of the word, conformity goes deeper than externals.
Two things may look very much alike and yet be very different in their
natures. Pyrites of iron looks so much like gold that it has deceived many
a person into thinking that he had found riches. For this reason it is
called "fool's gold." Likewise things may outwardly seem very different,
while in reality they are very much the same. A sparkling diamond seems
very different from a lump of coal, but the chief difference is only in
the arrangement of their particles. Both are composed chiefly of carbon,
so in nature they conform closely to each other.

Conformity is a thing of nature, not of external appearance. We are "by
nature the children of wrath." Our likeness to the world consists in a
likeness of character, and for that reason we are told that we must be
transformed. This transformation is a change of character; it has to do,
first of all,