Evening journal., 1911-12-02
CONCERNING,
CONVERSION
BY The REV. R. L. JACKSON

lie who writes an aiticle on conyer-
sion will be disappointed II he expects
everybody who sees it, TO ravenously
devour it, No doubt many will give
such an article q thoughtful, unpro-
JUDGED and even sympathetic peru
sal, but how many will coolly sniff at
it and turn over the page to something
more congenial.
Conversion is not a word Of ravish-
ing meanings TO the average non-re-
ligious man. His eyes will run away
from It every time when given q
chance. This is not altogether strange,
considering some Of its past associa-
tions The term recalls too forcibly
certain types of Old-time revivals in
which a sensuous cmotionalism pre-
dominated which brought forth no
high and lasting results Getting con-
verted in one of these revivals was
getting an emotional upheaval and
sooner or later thereafter experience
ing a reaction which left the subject
I'm a worse case than before. Such an
exhibition is calculated to prejudice
even the most uncritical Of Onlookers.
What is Il TO be converted? Reduced
TO its simplest terms, IL is to about
face and change eyes with God. II is
to resolve to do the will Of God. II is
to determine to let the Spirit Of God,
control ones life.
There may be, there generally are,
certain emotional accompaniments,
but these need not be of a violently
explosive character; neither need
/ they be the product of a specially got
ten up revival. The modus operandi is
not the important thing about a con-
version; the character Of the outcome
/ is what counts. What it does for a
man is the test to be applied. Does
/ conversion give a man a new con.
/ ception of life? Does it spiritualize the
meaning Of his life? Does IL change
/ the center of his life from self to God
| Does it make him more unselfish ant
noble, more sympathetic and charit
able, a better man TO live with in
| the home, to do business with I'm th5
market place, to get on with in the
community? Getting religion does no
mean getting a ticket Of admission fOl
ones soul to a place commonly called
Heaven in return for going through
] certain ceremonies and making Ger.
tain professions. II means establish
ing a personal relationship with Goo
! Of such an intimate loving character
as to be drawn by II into all manner
of beautiful, noble service for one:
| fellow men.
The man who is not willing to ge
this kind of religion is not yer,
promising candidate for Heaven. The
4 man who is selfishly bent upon savinl
his own soul, whatever be fate of th'
souls OF his fellow men, Is a problem
only the infinitely wise and fair Coz
can deal with.
I'm conclusion. let me say that get
ting converted is an experience which
has its counterpart in every successful
! business mans life. The business mai
| who does not every now and thei
about face and march in new direc
tion brings up the rear of the pro
Cession. No man wants this fate {,
overtake him and yet how many mel
are content to travel with the mora
laggards and spiritual straggler
whose pace is too indifferently SLOW
TO give one ground for believing tha
they will arrive in time 10 save them
selves the disgrace OF final rejection
n I referred last week to rich fool II
thought himself uncommonly shrewd
As things turned out, he was un
commonly stupid. The man who balk
at getting converted and living IN
unselfsh Christlike life may thin
himself wondrously clever. He ma
! one day know what .he prophet meals
when he said God aIs>o Is ciever."