Sin: The Tell-Tale

Author's Foreword:

What! another book? Certainly, why not? Is there not more sin? Shall we not do all in our power to counteract it? We preach a sermon to a congregation of a few hundred, and a certain amount of good may be accomplished; but in preaching through a book we have a congregation of thousands. Hence, we take pleasure in adding to the number of books already in circulation.

A goodly number of years ago the author was conducting revival services in a southern Iowa town. He announced one night that he would preach on the following night from a text to be read at the time, and stated that if any one in the congregation could give chapter and verse where it was located, or tell the meaning of the text, he would make that one a present of a fifty cent book. When the evening came, he took for his text: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” No one told the location of text, or the author’s meaning. This was the first time we ever preached from the text. As we used it on other occasions it began to evolve and enlarge on our hands. Finally, it assumed somewhat the shape indicated in the chapter headings. In the meantime when a good illustration of some point came our way, we preserved it.

After a number of years it occurred to us to put the message in pamphlet form, and we proceeded with the work. It enlarged on our hands and we concluded to place it in book form; hence, its present size.

The incidents and illustrations have been gathered from many sources covering several years in accumulating. We are indebted to the following sources for much of our help in preparing this work: “Christian Herald,” Bible House, New York; “Wonders of Providence,” by Rev. J. Martin Rohde, published by the Evangelical Publishing Company, 602 Lakeside Building, Chicago; “500 Scriptural Anecdotes,” by H. F. Sayles, published by Geo. W. Noble, Monon Building, 440 South Dearborn St., Chicago; “Book of 625 New Bible Stories and Scripture Anecdotes,” by Geo. W. Noble; “Striking Illustrations,” by L. B. Williams; and other sources where credit is given in connection with the illustration.

We send forth this message with hopes that it will cross the path of many sinners and be the means of heading them off from sure destruction. We ask the prayers of all who peruse these pages, that God will arrest every sinner into whose hands this book may fall. May we not all assist in placing it in as many hands as possible, in every way possible, remembering that one soul is worth more than a whole world. Please send a copy to that person for whom you have been praying so long.

Our prayer is, that God will take the message to a lost world and make it a real lighthouse along the shores of time.

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This book is broken down into eleven chapters, each with a series of illustrations. This book has a total of 211 unique illustrations, with the chapter headings as follows:

Chapter 1 — Sin's Sad Tale
Chapter 2 — Exposed by the Law of God in the Land
Chapter 3 — Exposed by the Law of God in Nature
Chapter 4 — Exposed by the Law of God in the Bible
Chapter 5 — Exposed by the Law of God in Spiritual Discernment
Chapter 6 — Exposed by the Law of God in the Conscience
Chapter 7 — Exposed by the Law of God in Providences
Chapter 8 — Exposed by the Law of God in the Fear of Death
Chapter 9 — Exposed by the Law of God in the Judgment
Chapter 10 — Exposed by the Law of God's Love
Chapter 11 — Sin's Sad Retribution