Chapter I: Preface

The publisher of a large metropolitan journal, a most effective man in reaching and influencing his fellows, once expressed to me the thought, "From what I know of myself and others, were I a writer or speaker desiring to enforce truth, I would always try to vivify that truth through illustration and story. The every-day intelligence of man rejoices to have truth put before it in living form."

It is with these words in mind that this book is written. Its purpose is to set forth great ideas, and so to set them forth, each one illustrated by a historic life already familiar, that these ideas shall be made luminous, and even vivid, to the reader. The characters chosen for such illustration are from the Old Testament--those men of ancient times whose humanity is the humanity of every race and clime, and whose experiences touch our own with sympathy and suggestion. May these old-day heroes live again before the mind of him who turns these pages, and may the ideas which they are used to illustrate be an abiding power in the memory of every reader.

JAMES G. K. MCCLURE.

LAKE FOREST,
ILLINOIS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Open to the Best 11

II. Winning the Best Victories 31

III. Making the Best Use of Our Lives 49

IV. Putting the Best into Others 67

V. Developing Our Best under Difficulties 87

VI. The Need of Retaining the Best Wisdom 105

VII. The Best Possession 123

VIII. Using Aright Our Best Hours 141

IX. Giving Our Best to God 161

OPEN TO THE BEST.