E-text prepared by Emmy, D Alexander,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
(http://www.pgdp.net)

WITH THE CHILDREN
ON SUNDAYS

Through Eye-Gate and Ear-Gate
into the City of Child-Soul

By Sylvanus Stall, D. D.

Author of "What a Young Boy Ought to Know," "What a Young
Man Ought to Know," etc., "Methods of Church Work,"
"Faces Toward the Light," etc., etc.
———————
This book is published and sold exclusively in the United States by
THE UPLIFT PUBLISHING COMPANY
PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Copyright, 1911, BY SYLVANUS STALL.
Entered at Stationers' Hall, London, England.
Protected by International copyright in Great Britain and all her
colonies, and, under the provisions of the Berne Convention, in
Belgium, France, Germany, England, Spain, Switzerland, Tunis,
Hayti, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro and Norway.
All rights reserved.
[PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES.]
COPYRIGHT, 1893, BY SYLVANUS STALL.
COPYRIGHT, 1896, BY SYLVANUS STALL.
COPYRIGHT, 1907, BY SYLVANUS STALL.
———————
All the drawings and color-pictures in this took have been specially prepared by C. M. Burd, of New York City, for exclusive use in these pages. Each of these has been copyrighted in the United States and throughout Europe, and all copyright privileges are reserved.

SYLVANUS STALL, D.D.

DEDICATED
TO PARENTS AND CHILDREN WHO DESIRE
TO MAKE SUNDAY THE HAPPIEST AND MOST
IMPRESSIVE DAY OF THE WEEK.

CONTENTS

PREFACE.

SUNDAY ought to be the most cheerful, sunniest, happiest and best day of the week in every home. In most homes it is the dullest and most dreary day of the week to the children, and the most taxing and the most wearying to the parents, especially to the mother. It not only ought to be, but it can be made, not only the brightest and happiest but also the most influential in the character-building and religious training of the children. In some households Sunday is looked forward to with anticipations of pleasure throughout the entire week. In these homes, the father does not come down stairs on Sunday morning and say: "Now, children, gather up those flowers, throw them out of the window, pull down the blinds, get down the Bible and we will have an awful solemn time here to-day." Neither is the day given to frivolity or the home to demoralizing influences. From morning until night there are two great principles that govern; first, the sacredness of the day, and second, the sacredness of the God-given nature of childhood. The day is not spent in repressing the child nature by a succession of "don't do that," "now stop that," etc., that begin in the morning and continue throughout the day, and end only when the little ones lose consciousness in sleep on Sunday night. In these homes, the parents recognize the fact that the child nature is the same whether the day is secular or sacred. On Sunday the child nature is not repressed, but the childish impulses are directed into channels suited to the sacredness of the day. In such homes the children, instead of being sorry that it is Sunday, are glad; instead of regretting the return of the day with dislike and dread, they welcome it as the brightest, the cheeriest and the best of all the week.

The purpose of the author in the preparation of this book in its present illustrated and slightly changed form, is to afford all parents a valuable aid in making Sunday not only the brightest, happiest and best day of the entire week for both parents and children, but also to aid the parents to make Sunday pre-eminently the day around which shall cluster throughout the entire life of each child the sweetest, tenderest and most sacred recollections of childhood, of father and mother and of brother and sister, and especially of their knowledge of the Bible and of everything sacred.

Did it ever occur to you, as a parent, that between the birth and the age of twenty-one years there are three solid years of Sundays—an amount of time almost equal to the number of years given to an entire course of college training? The Creator has not laid upon parents the responsibilities of parenthood without giving them ample time and opportunity to discharge these obligations to Him, to themselves, and to their children.

The idea which has been successfully demonstrated in hundreds of homes, where the impulses and natural inclinations of childhood have been turned into sacred channels on Sundays so as to enable the parents to teach spiritual truths in the most effective manner, is the method which is suggested by the author to the parents in the use, on Sunday afternoons, of the fifty-two little sermons given in this volume.

The parent who fails to use wisely the opportunities of Sunday afternoons for impressing the children with spiritual truths, loses the greatest opportunity that family life affords. Among the different instances known to the author, the following three may serve as illustrations of what may be found in many communities:

I knew a mother who regularly on Sunday afternoons gathered her children about her and read them religious books and literature. In her considerable family, every child became eminently useful. One, who was a university professor, told me that those Sunday afternoons with his mother in the nursery embodied the most formative influences of his life.

I know another family, of some seven or eight children, where Sunday was always used for religious instruction with the children. With the reading and other things, they always "played church", and the experience of those early childhood days made the boys splendid public talkers, and the girls were also very capable in the same direction. No better school of oratory was ever organized.

I know another family of four children, where the entire family looked forward throughout the week to the special and larger pleasure which Sunday always brought. They grew up naturally into a religious life, and developed that ability for public address and service which could not so well be gained in any other way.

Sunday is about the only day in most of households where the father is home with his family. It adds greatly to the pleasure and impressiveness of the day and its services if the father, with the mother, enters heartily into the spirit of that which will be all the more enjoyed by the children. It will enable him also to stamp his personality deeper into the character of his children than possibly any other opportunity which may be afforded him in life.

These brief object talks grew out of the necessities found in the author's own parish. When called to the pastorate of the Second English Lutheran Church, of Baltimore, I found a depleted congregation, while at the same time the Sunday-school was one of the largest and most flourishing in the city. It was then for the first time that I introduced regularly the preaching of "Five-minute object sermons" before the accustomed sermon on Sunday morning. In a very brief period, about one-fourth of the infant department and two-thirds of the main department of the school were in regular attendance upon the Sunday morning service, and, even after this particular form of address had been discontinued, the teachers and scholars continued regularly to come direct from the morning session of the school to the services of the church.

These sermons were preached without notes, were subsequently outlined and then spoken into the phonograph, put in manuscript by a phonographer, and, that the simplicity of style and diction might be preserved, were printed with only slight verbal changes.

The objects used in illustrating these talks have been chosen from among the ordinary things of every-day life. Such objects have the advantage of being easily secured, and on account of their familiarity also prove more impressive, and being more often seen, more frequently recall to mind the truths taught.

To any thoughtful student who has marked the simple language and beautiful illustrations used by that Great Preacher and Teacher who "spake as never man spake," it will be unnecessary to say a single word in justification of this method of presenting abstruse truths to the easy comprehension of the young. Upon all occasions Jesus found in the use of the ordinary, every-day things about Him, the easy means of teaching the people the great truths of divine import. The door, the water, the net, the vine, the flowers which sprang at His feet, the birds that flew over His head, the unfruitful tree that grew by the wayside, the wheat and the tares that grew together in the field, the leaven which a woman hid in three measures of meal, the husbandman pacing his field engaged in sowing his grain, the sheep and the goats which rested together on the slopes waiting to be separated each into their own fold, the old garment mended with a piece of new cloth, the mustard seed, the salt—anything that chanced to be about the Master was used as an illustration, that He might plainly and impressively teach the people the saving truths of redemption and salvation. May we not also reasonably suppose that if Jesus were upon the earth to-day He would still exercise this same distinguishing wisdom in the use of the common, every-day things by which He would now find Himself surrounded?

Let it be distinctly understood that this book is not a substitute for the regular services of God's House. I believe in "the Church in the house," but I also believe that the entire family, including the children, should also be in the Church on the Lord's day. The absence of the children from the services of the sanctuary is one of the alarming evils of our day. There are but few congregations where children can be found in any considerable numbers. No one will attempt to deny the sad consequences which must follow as the inevitable results of such a course. The children at eight years of age who have not already begun to form the habit of church attendance, and are not quite thoroughly established in it at sixteen, will stand a very fair chance of spending their entire life with little or no attachment for either the Church or religious things. The non-church going youth of this decade will be the Sabbath-breakers and irreligious people of the next.

Who are to blame for this state of affairs, and to whom are we to look for the correction of this existing evil?

Manifestly, first of all, to the parents. That parental authority which overcomes the indifference of the child and secures his devotion to the irksome duties of secular life, should also be exercised to establish and maintain a similar fidelity to religious duties and spiritual concerns. If left to their own inclinations, children will invariably go wrong in the affairs of both worlds. Attendance upon the church should be expected and required, the same as attendance upon the secular instruction of the schools; for the best interests of the child are not more dependent upon the discipline of the mind than upon the development of the heart. In the formation of the habit of church attendance, it would be well to remind parents that example will be as helpful as precept. They should not send, but take their children to church. They should make room for them in the family pew, provide them with a hymn-book and see that they have something for the collection. Parents owe it to their children to teach them to be reverent in God's house, to bow their heads in prayer, to be attentive to the sermon; and while requiring these things of their children, they should also see well to it that after service, at the table, in the home, or elsewhere nothing disparaging of God's house, message or messenger should fall from their lips upon the ears of their children.

As these little talks were originally used before the main sermon on Sunday morning before a mixed audience of adults and a large number of children, it has seemed best, in order to carry out the idea of preaching, that the manner of speaking as though to an audience should be retained in this book. It is better suited than any other method for use also by the parent when reading these pages to the children in the home.

The earlier issues of these talks under the title: "Five Minute Object Sermons to Children" and the second volume: "Talks to the King's Children" were accorded a place of usefulness in nearly every land, and the author now sends forth this volume in its present illustrated and slightly revised form for a place in every home, trusting that it may be as influential in the lives of the children of to-day as it has proven in the lives of the children of yesterday.

Sylvanus Stall.

DR. STALL WITH HIS DAUGHTER AND HIS GRANDCHILDREN DRIVING TO CHURCH

THE LITTLE PREACHER AND HIS INTERESTED AUDIENCE

LITTLE BILLIE TAKING UP THE COLLECTION

DR. STALL READING TO HIS GRANDCHILDREN

SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS.

HELPFUL METHODS FOR MAKING SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE CHILDREN THE MOST PLEASANT AND PROFITABLE DAY OF THE WEEK.

The idea of "playing church" is by no means an innovation. What is shown in the pictures upon a preceding page has been actualized in many homes. Let me quote from a single letter which lies before me:

"The writer was one of a large family of children and well remembers the Sunday afternoons spent in his village home. 'Playing church,' was one of its features. The chairs were placed in regular fashion, imitating the seating arrangements of a church, every one of us took his or her turn as preacher, hymns were sung, a real collection was taken and one of us, as preacher, took his text and preached the sermon. There wasn't a dull moment in those good, old Sunday afternoons in our home. Occasionally, the preacher would provoke a smile by his original way of handling the text and of emphasizing some point in his discourse.

"We have all grown up since those happy days; some of us attained to a degree of efficiency as public speakers, and we attribute much of our efficiency and character in life to those profitable Sunday afternoon hours."

From the experiences of the children as narrated above, the suggestion occurs, why not use these object talks in like manner? "Play church" Sunday afternoons, read an "object sermon," show the illustrations, ask the questions at the end of each chapter and then follow it up with a discussion from the children, giving their ideas and experiences.

You will find that you will get as much benefit and entertainment from these Sunday afternoons "playing church" service as the children will. You will be surprised at their interest and the originality that they will display in these discussions. You will be quickening their faculty of observation and stirring their imaginations, in a manner that will surely make observant, thoughtful and considerate men and women of the children, and consequently, affect their entire destinies in the years to come. Then, too, you yourself will be helped mentally and spiritually, because it is absolutely true that in the devotion that we exhibit and the time and attention that we give to our children in this companionship, we will ourselves be receiving large blessings in the development of our own character and the finer characteristics that make for good people.

PLAYING CHURCH.

The following suggestions will be helpful, to which original ideas may always be added.

1. Make the "Afternoon Church" a real, not frivolous, occasion. The time it requires to make careful, pains-taking preparation on the part of the parent, is always profitably employed.

2. The afternoon church should always be a regular, fixed engagement. It adds to its importance.

3. Do not postpone nor omit it for any trivial reason. Treat it as any other important engagement.

4. When visitors are in the home, invite them to be present and to participate. It will help them as well as the juniors.

5. The fact that there is only one child in the family does not preclude the idea of playing church; for the dolls can be brought to church and even chairs can be converted into imaginary people.

6. Never permit the realness of the occasion to be questioned. Always avoid embarrassing the child and never ridicule. Refrain from laughing at any mistakes that may be made in speech, thought or conduct of the child, unless he first sees the mistake and invites you to join in his mirth.

7. Ask any additional questions pertinent to the subject besides those suggested at the end of each sermon. It will develop wider thought and increase the interest.

8. Encourage the child to ask questions, but always lead in directing the thought.

9. Adults present should always enter seriously and earnestly into the whole program or plan with the child's spirit. Where adults enter upon the execution of the plan with this spirit it adds much to the enjoyment of all. If they cannot do this, they should not participate.

10. A bell can be slowly rung as the time for church approaches.

11. Use the brightest and most cheerful room in the house for the afternoon church. Add to the furnishings on Sunday anything which may make the room even more than ordinarily attractive.

12. Chairs may be suitably arranged and a child can drive the others to and from church in an imaginary carriage, as shown in one of the pictures upon another page.

13. When the church is held in another room, an older child or person can receive the attendants and usher them to seats.

14. Open the church service with singing. Select several simple devotional hymns or songs, such as are used in the primary department of Sunday-schools. Have all the children learn the tunes and teach a verse of each song to any child that cannot read.

15. A collection can be lifted by one of the children. A toy bank may be used in which to save the money received at this child's service, and subsequently contributed through the Church or Sunday-school for missionary purposes.

16. Teach the children the importance of saving from their own spending money, or earning what they wish to give in the collection.

17. This money should always be regarded as sacred, and care should also be exercised lest this little fund might become a source of temptation to the children during the week.

18. At some time during the service a brief prayer should be offered. This may consist of a sentence prayer by each in rotation or by all uniting in the Lord's Prayer, or in some brief selection from the Prayer Book.

19. When a child is willing or wishes to do so, have him preach the sermon in his own way of expressing the thought, using the text or object of the day for his subject. Always give the same interested attention to him that is expected from him when another leads.

20. Some of the objects mentioned in the sermons can be easily and cheaply obtained for use at the church. When such an object is secured, it should not be shown to the children in advance of being used.

21. Do not prolong the service too greatly so as to weary the children. Effectiveness and pleasure usually terminate at the same time. Lend animation to the service and interest will not so soon flag. It is well also to impart interest by having the parent enter heartily into every part of the service.

22. A social period after "returning home" from the "children's church" should be introduced. If the children have played driving to church before the service, the idea should be continued and completed by driving home in the same manner.

AFTER CHURCH.

23. After the conclusion of the church service, additional exercises or games suited to the sacredness of the day may be appropriately used to entertain the children and continue their happiness. By methods of this kind, Sunday may be made not only the most profitable, but the brightest and best day of the week.

24. Some light refreshment may be introduced, as fruit, cake or candy. This refreshment should be something very simple and inexpensive, and also something not calculated to spoil the appetite or injure the digestion of the child. In recognition of good conduct, close attention or special help at the church service, one of the children may choose what the refreshment is to be for the next Sunday. This choice should be kept a secret during the week.

25. Pictures and illustrations can be cut from magazines, and these can be pasted in a scrap book or on blank paper to represent Bible characters and scenes, or those used in the sermons.

26. Many acting games and tableaux can be arranged by the children from the sermons and Bible stories. Chairs can be arranged so as to represent a pit or tent, and the children within them may be "Joseph in the Pit" (Genesis xxxvii) or "Daniel in the Lion's Den" (Daniel vi). See illustrations on pages [80] and [91].

FOR OLDER CHILDREN.

27. Let one child represent an idol. He must stand motionless and give no sign of life. The others are to ask him questions and for favors. If the "idol" laughs, moves or speaks, he loses and another takes his place. Idols are lifeless things that cannot move, see, hear or speak.

28. Children's blocks are useful in building a well, altar, castle, temple, chariot, etc. Have the children give a text or verse from the Bible referring to the objects builded. A Bible story may be told about the object, its history, use, etc.

29. One child, or more as may be needed, can pose to represent a character or scene. The others are to guess the character represented. For example: A child can sit with hands upheld. A child on each side of him hold up the extended arms. They represent Moses with Aaron and Hur during the battle (Ex. xvii: 12).

30. Charades, or words and scenes may be represented by the children in motion. The children may be divided into groups. One group will select a word and represent it in the presence of the others by motions. For example: Children come into the room and go through the motion of sowing ("Seeds"), reaping ("Harvest"), threshing with a flail ("Wheat and Chaff"), picking flowers ("Weeds and Flowers"), taking pictures ("Eye and Camera"). Many of the sermon subjects may be used in this manner. Cutting stone, measuring, eating husks, washing dirty face, etc. The other groups are to guess the word and have their turn.

31. Children are always fond of riddles; especially when they are able to guess the answer. The suggested review questions at the close of each object sermon for afternoon church, may often be effectively used with slight changes. For example: "What is it that cannot see nor hear, but always knows when danger is near?" The answer is—"The Oyster."

What is it which no boy or girl can see or hear, and the approach of which can not be made known by any of the natural senses? (Sin.)

What is it which tells us when sin is near? (Conscience.)

Have the children try to make up their own riddles from the objects shown and their uses, or lessons learned from the sermons.

SLATES AND CRAYONS.

32. Provide slates, or paper and pencils may be provided, and the children draw the object or something suggested by its use. Always have blank paper and pencils on hand for some of the games or exercises mentioned below.

33. Cheap colored crayons can often be used with added value.

34. Each Sunday appoint one child to take charge of the slates, papers and pencils, which are to be kept in a safe place and not disturbed during the week, and then to distribute them on the following Sunday.

BUILDING AND WORD GAMES.

35. Word building games are always interesting. Cut small squares of cardboard and plainly mark each with a letter. Many more vowels than consonants will be required. (These little squares with printed letters can be purchased at any toy-store.) Mix up the squares on a table, and the child who spells the largest number of names of places or objects mentioned in the sermons, using the letters on the squares, wins the game.

36. This can be played in a variety of ways. For instance: Select the name of an object, person or place, and the one who first picks out the necessary letters to spell it, is declared the winner.

37. Each child is given the same number of assorted letters and all try to make up the largest list of names from his portion of letters in a given time.

BIBLE GUESSES.

38. Tell a Bible story, or review one of the object sermons, omitting the names of characters or objects. Without warning, the one reciting the story stops, and the next player carries on the story if he has been able to guess the omitted names, without mentioning them. If he has not discovered or guessed the right story, the next player takes it up, and so on until the story is completed and everyone knows it.

39. One of the children goes out of the room and the others decide on some object used in a sermon, or a certain thing mentioned in the Bible, which is to be described. For example: A watch, telescope, or the Ark, Joseph's coat of many colors, etc. Upon entering the room, the child may ask all manner of questions which can be answered by "yes" and "no". When the right thing is guessed, another goes out of the room and the game is repeated. Two or more children, or groups, may be the guessers at the same time.

40. The game of thinking is equally interesting. The leader thinks of some character, place or object in the sermons or mentioned in the Bible. The "thinker" then says—"I am thinking of some thing (person or place) and the name begins with 'C' (or the initial letter)." Each of the other players asks a question in turn, that can be answered by "yes" or "no". The questions are continued until some one guesses the name. The one who first guessed the name becomes the leader.

41. Make word pictures by describing persons and scenes without mentioning names. The others are to guess what it is. For example: The leader may say—"I see some ladies walking beside the water. Suddenly they stop and listen. Then one of them wades into the water and finds something," etc. If the picture is not promptly guessed, the story or picture of Pharaoh's daughter finding the baby Moses (Ex. ii: 3) is further described, until the picture is made known. Other stories may be used in the same manner.

42. One or two players go out. The others sit in line and choose a well known proverb, Bible verse, or sentence from the object sermon, having as many words as there are players. Each player having made certain what his word is, the others are called in. It is their duty to put the sentence together. They ask each player in turn a question on any subject, and in answering the player must use the particular word given him. The questions may be continued, and the word must always be used in the answer, until the one guessing has discovered the particular word that player has, and so on until all the words in their order are guessed and the sentence or proverb discovered.

In the same way, instead of the questions, the particular word may be acted, as charades, until the person guessing has discovered each word and at length composed the complete sentence.

43. Distribute paper and pencils. Let a single letter be selected and have each child write down the names of characters, objects and places mentioned in the sermons, or the Bible, that have the same initial letter. For example: The letter "A" may be selected, then would follow "Apple", "Adam", "Apostles", "Angels", "Army", "Asia", etc. Other initial letters may be selected and the game continued.

44. Have some one call out and write down a Bible name beginning with "A", as "Abram". The next one is to think of a name beginning with "B", as "Benjamin". "C" would come next, as "Caleb", then "David", "Eli", etc. The object is to see how many letters of the alphabet can be used and how often without repetition. Also names of places, objects and titles may be used.

45. Ask the children to write down as many as they can of trees, or stones, flowers, birds, instruments, animals that are mentioned in the Bible.

46. Bible geography can be made interesting and profitable. Get a shallow box and fill it with fine sand. Cities and countries may be wonderfully made. A small pile of the sand will represent a mountain, strips of blue or white paper can be used for rivers and lakes. Use small blocks and spools for houses and temples, small pebbles for roads. The people can be represented by matches and trees by tiny branches or leaves. When Palestine, for instance, is to be studied, small pieces of paper may be laid on the sand for the cities; the names or initials of the cities should be written on the pieces of paper.

47. Maps may be drawn and colored crayons used to show the roads, water, cities, buildings, etc.

48. From one of the sermons or a Bible story, select the name of a person, place or thing. Have each player write a sentence with the selected name embodied in it. When the sentences are read aloud, it will show quite original uses made of the name.

49. To supply missing letters is an easy, simple game. Write names of sermon objects or Bible characters with letters omitted. The children will enjoy supplying the missing letters necessary to complete the name. Sentences and Bible verses may be used with missing words for the children to supply.

BIBLE DRILLS.

50. Bible drills are entertaining and especially valuable to children old enough to read and commit the lessons to memory. By a simple method the children can figure out the books in the Bible and their classifications. By pursuing the studies, the names of the books will soon be learned and in their regular order.

51. Have the children count the letters in "Old" (3) and "Testament" (9). Place them together (39) and it gives the number of books in the Old Testament.

52. Now multiply these two figures (3 × 9) and the result will give the number of books in the New Testament (27).

53. Add together the two sets of figures (39 plus 27) and you will find the whole number of books in the Bible (66).

54. The figure "6" is found in the number of books in the Bible (66), the number of known authors or writers of the books (36), and the number of years during which the Bible was written (1600).

Thus we have 36 authors, 66 books, 16 centuries.

55. The books of the Old Testament may be divided into five groups: as the Pentateuch (Books of Moses), History, Poetry, Major Prophets and Minor Prophets. Have the children trace the outline of a hand on paper and the thumb and fingers will represent the groups. Thus, the thumb will represent the Pentateuch; the first finger, the History; the second finger, Poetry; the third finger, Major Prophets; and the fourth finger, Minor Prophets.

56. The New Testament may also be divided into five groups and represented by the other hand in the same manner. The five groups are Biography, History, Pauline Epistles (or Paul's Letters), General Epistles (or letters), and Prophesy.

57. The number of books in each group of the Old Testament are: 5 plus 12 plus 5 plus 5 plus 12—equals 39 books. In the New Testament, the five groups are made up of 4 plus 1 plus 13 plus 8 plus 1—equals 27 books.

58. The name of each group with the number of books in the group, may be written on separate cards. The cards are shuffled and the children sort them and place them together in their proper order, forming the Old Testament, then the New Testament.

59. The names of the different books which make up the groups are looked up and written under the name of the group. Take the groups in their regular order. Thus, group one would be Pentateuch, 5 books: Gen´e-sis, Ex´o-dus, Le-vit´i-cus, Num´bers, Deu´ter-on´o-my. The second and fifth groups, where there are twelve books each, may be subdivided into threes and fours for greater ease in committing to memory.

60. If the proper spelling of the names has also been committed to memory, or learned, then a regular spelling-bee may be held and the names of the Bible books used for the test words. The same tests may be made with the spelling of names of persons, places and things mentioned in the Bible.

61. After the books of the Bible, in their order, have been learned, open the Bible and call out the book at which it is open. Name another book and ask which direction (toward the front or back of the Bible) shall the pages be turned to find that book. Many other test questions may be asked, such as: "What book is between Job and Proverbs?" "In which group is Lamentations to be found?" "Between what books is that of Luke?"

62. Arrange the children in a row, or let them take their places in tents as shown on page [60], and then, as in a spelling-bee, ask the preceding or the following questions, or any other Bible questions that would be suited to the age of the children. When one fails to answer he loses his place and the child who gives the correct answer moves forward. The element of play is thus maintained.

BIBLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

63. Who was the first man? Adam.

Who was the first woman? Eve.

Who was the first murderer? Cain (Gen. iv: 8).

Whom did he kill? His brother Abel.

Who went to Heaven without dying? Enoch and Elijah.

How old was Enoch "when God took him"? 365 years (Gen. v: 23, 24). The same number of years that there are days in a year.

Who was the oldest man? Methuselah.

How old was Methuselah when he died? 969 years (Gen. v: 27).

Who built the Ark? Noah (Gen. vi).

How many persons were saved in the Ark? Eight (Gen. vii: 7). Noah and his wife, his three sons and their wives.

How old was Noah at the time of the Flood? 600 years (Gen. vii: 6).

Who had the coat of many colors? Joseph (Gen. xxxvii: 3).

How many brothers did Joseph have? Eleven (Gen. xlii: 3, 4).

What did they do with Joseph? Cast him into a pit and afterwards sold him to the Ishmaelitish merchantmen (Gen. xxxvii: 28).

Where did the Ishmaelitish merchantmen take Joseph? To Egypt.

To whom did they sell him? Potiphar (Gen. xxxix: 1).

Who lied about Joseph and had him cast into prison? Potiphar's wife.

Who were in the prison with Joseph? The king's chief butler and chief baker (Gen. xl: 1, 3).

Who was King of Egypt at the time Joseph was in Egypt? Pharaoh.

Why did Pharaoh make Joseph ruler? That he might gather the grain during the seven years of plenty to lay up in store against the seven years of famine.

What did Pharaoh dream? About seven fat kine, or cows, and seven lean cows (Gen. xli).

What did Joseph do with the grain he gathered during the seven years of plenty? Put in great store houses.

Why did his brothers come to Joseph in Egypt during the famine? That they might get food (Gen. xlii).

Did his father, Jacob, and family go to live in Egypt? Yes.

How old was Joseph when he died? 110 years (Gen. l: 26).

How long did Jacob's descendants remain in Egypt? A little more than two hundred years.

Why did they desire to leave Egypt? Because of the oppressions and cruelty of Pharaoh (Ex. i: 8, 14).

Whom did God raise up to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt? Moses.

How long did they wander in the wilderness? Forty years.

Was Moses permitted to enter the Promised Land? No.

Who led the Children of Israel into the Land of Canaan, which was the Promised Land? Joshua.

How did the Children of Israel cross the Red Sea and the Jordan? The waters were divided and they crossed "dry shod."

Who was the strongest man? Samson.

Who was the meekest man? Moses.

Who, as a ruler, was a man after God's own heart? David.

Who built the Temple? Solomon.

Who went to Heaven in a chariot of fire? Elijah.

On whom did the mantle of Elijah fall? Elisha.

Who was swallowed by the great fish? Jonah (Jonah i: 17).

Who destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem and carried the Children of Israel into captivity? Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24, 25).

Where did he take them? To Babylon (2 Kings 25).

How long were they captive in Babylon? Seventy years.

Who interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream? Daniel.

How did Nebuchadnezzar reward Daniel? Made him ruler over Babylon (Daniel ii: 48, 49).

What were the names of Daniel's three friends? Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

What heathen names were given them instead? Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego (Daniel i: 6, 7).

What befell the three friends of Daniel? They were cast into the burning fiery furnace.

Why were they cast into this furnace? Because they refused to fall down and worship a great golden image which Nebuchadnezzar, the King, had set up in the plain of Dura.

Were they consumed in the furnace? No, God delivered them (Daniel iii).

What befell Daniel years later, when Darius was King? He was cast into the den of lions (Daniel vi).

Why was he cast into the den of lions? Because he prayed to the true God.

Did the lions harm Daniel? No, God stopped the mouths of the lions and delivered Daniel.

The author's intense interest in the safeguarding and saving of the boys and girls from the evils which have wrought the ruin of such countless multitudes, prompts in connection with this introductory word, to call the special attention of the parents to an advertisement which has been placed at the close of this volume.

Through Eye-Gate and Ear-Gate Into the City of Child-Soul

THE OYSTER AND THE CRAB.

CONSCIENCE.

Suggestions To Parents:—It will awaken the curiosity and add greatly to the interest of the children if the parent will have them secure during the week preceding a couple of oyster shells. In most of cities and towns, these can be easily obtained. It is better for the children themselves to secure them, because it makes them participants and important factors in what is to be done. Do not tell them in advance what use is to be made of the oyster shells; simply say that they are for use in connection with Sunday afternoon.

Introduce the play idea from the beginning. Let the children arrange the chairs to "drive to church," as shown in the preceding pictures. If there are two children who both want to do the driving, suggest that one can drive to church and the other can drive when returning from church—and a third may drive from the house to the stable when the horses are to be put away.

At the church service let everything be done reverently, and make it a matter of real worship. One of the children can act as usher, and if there is but one child, this one can usher her dolls to seats; or imaginary people may be shown to seats. All of this will appeal very strongly to the child. Select hymns suited to the children's tastes and such as they can sing. Do not sing too many verses. Children like variety.

The service ought to be such as is in harmony with that regularly attended by the parents, and such as the children are familiar with. It may be as informal as the Salvation Army, or a greatly abridged form of the "Episcopal Service" can be used. The Lord's Prayer may be repeated in unison, or sentence prayers used, or a brief selection from the Prayer Book. The preaching by one of the children should precede the reading of the Object sermon.

After carrying out the idea of the church service, the other ideas presented may be introduced, and after the imaginary drive home some simple refreshments can be served, as also mentioned in the chapter of "Suggestions to Parents" on [page 17].

Oyster and Shell.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS: I want to speak to you to-day about "Having a good conscience." (I Peter iii: 16.) This is rather a hard subject, but I desire to make it plain by the use of a familiar object. "What's this I have in my hand?" I rather expected that you would say an oyster; but, really it is nothing but an oyster shell. I suppose you have all eaten stewed oysters, or oyster broth. I remember, when a little boy, that one day when we had stewed oysters for supper, I found a little yellow something in my broth. I did not know whether my mother had put it in purposely, or whether it had fallen in by accident; whether I should push it aside of my plate, that it might be thrown with the crumbs to the chickens, or whether I should eat it to discover what it was.

Little Crab.

I suppose you have all seen these little animals in your soup, and know that they are called crabs. Now, do you know how the crab comes to be in with the oyster? I will tell you how it is. The oyster lives in the water at the bottom of the bay, and some bright day, when the sun is shining down genial and warm, just the same as in the summer, we open the doors, and sit out on the porch to enjoy the cool of the day; so the oyster opens his shells and lets the cool currents of water move gently through his house. But while lying there with his shells wide open, along comes a great hungry fish. He sees the oyster, but the oyster cannot see him. The oyster cannot see, for he has no eyes. He cannot hear, for he has no ears. Of the five senses which each of us have, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and feeling, the oyster can only tell of the presence of his enemy when he feels himself being dragged out of his house, and being quickly swallowed by the fish. But his knowledge of what is happening only comes when it is too late.

Fish Going to Eat the Oyster.

Now, with the little crab, who also lives in the same neighborhood with the oyster, it is quite different. The crab has eyes, and can see the hungry fish that comes to eat him up. He has legs, with which to try and run away; but the fish can swim so much faster than the little crab can run that he is sure to be devoured before the race is half over. So what do you think the little crab does? He crawls along quietly, and creeps into the shell with the oyster, and the oyster and the crab enter into a kind of partnership for mutual protection. After this, when the oyster opens his shells, the little crab uses his eyes very diligently to look around, and watch for the approach of any fish. As soon as he spies any sly fish coming near, he pinches the oyster, and immediately the oyster closes his shells very tightly, and the oyster and the crab are both within, safely protected from the fish.

Now, boys and girls, we are something like the oyster. We are constantly exposed to the danger of being destroyed by sin. We cannot see sin, we cannot hear sin, we cannot perceive it by any of our senses. So God has given us a conscience, which means "to know with God." When you are tempted to do a sinful act, it is conscience that quickly whispers, "Now that is wicked," "If you do that, God will be displeased."

Let me illustrate this thought. One real pleasant day, when the birds are singing, and everything is attractive out of doors, Johnnie thinks how hard it is to be studying his lessons in what he calls a prison of a school-room. He knows that papa and mamma will not give him permission to stay at home; so a little before nine o'clock, as he saunters towards the school, Satan suggests to him to play "hookey," and when he comes to the corner of the street, looking back to be sure that no one sees him, he turns the corner to remain out of school, intending to come home at the regular time for dinner and escape discovery. Just as soon as he turns the corner, and even before that, conscience has seen the danger, and whispers strong and clear, "Johnnie, this is wicked; you will surely get into trouble, and you will make papa and mamma sad, and also displease God." Now, if Johnnie does not turn right back when conscience warns him, he is sure to go on without having any pleasure all that forenoon, because his conscience continues to warn and reprove him.

"Willie is more frightened than the dog."

Or suppose that Willie goes down the street and sees Mr. Brown's dog a little ways off. He looks around quickly for a stone, and immediately conscience says, "Now, Willie, don't hit the poor dog, for the stone will cause him pain, just as it would if some one were to hit you with a stone." But Willie does not listen to conscience. He throws the stone with all his might. It strikes on the pavement, just by the side of the dog, glances and breaks in many pieces the large plate glass in the window of the drug store.

Willie is more frightened than the dog, and without a moment's forethought he runs around the corner, to get out of sight. And after concealing himself for a time in the alley, he steals quietly into the house at the back door. How he dreads to meet his father and mother. Every time the door bell rings he thinks surely that it is the druggist or the policeman. Oh! how this sin pains him; just like the oyster would be hurt if he does not heed the little crab, when he warns him that the fish is coming to destroy him. If Willie had only listened to conscience, what sin and trouble it would have saved him. So, boys and girls, God has given each of us a conscience, and if we want to be saved from sin and suffering, we should always be quick to obey our conscience. Let each of us try and "keep a good conscience."

Questions.—Can the oyster see or hear? Can it feel? What often destroys the oyster? What lives down under the water near the oyster? Can the little crab see? Can he get away from the fish? How does he assist the oyster? How does he warn the oyster of danger? Can boys or girls see sin? What has God given each of us to warn us of danger when sin is near? Does every boy and girl have a conscience? Does conscience always give warning? Do boys and girls always obey their conscience? Should conscience always be obeyed? Will you always try to obey conscience in the future? The parent may ask additional questions or make application in any other manner they deem best.

Next Sunday the sermon will be about the worm in the apple. Let one of the children get a nice, large, perfect apple, and also another apple which has been dwarfed and deformed because of a worm inside the apple. These will be the objects which we shall use next Sunday.

THE WORM IN THE APPLE.

SIN IN THE HUMAN HEART.

Suggestions to Parents:—The objects used to-day are a large perfect apple and a stunted, wormy apple. Have also a knife with which, at the proper time, to open the wormy apple. With these preparations made, let the children "drive to church" after the manner suggested for last Sunday.

After the singing of a hymn or two, prayer and collection, let one of the children, in the manner of the preacher speaking to his audience, tell in his own way of the "Oyster and Crab" and of God's purpose in giving us a conscience, and let him or her draw the moral lessons and impress the spiritual truths. Even if it is done in but few words, or a faltering way, do not embarrass or discourage by criticisms. Speak words of encouragement. If preferred, the little sermon may be a presentation of the sermon preached by the pastor in the morning, or one child may present the object sermon of last Sunday and another child the sermon by the pastor in the morning. The more who take part, the better, as variety adds to the interest.

Then gather the children around close so they can see the pictures as you read the following sermon. Have the apples at hand also for demonstration.

THE object which I have chosen to-day, is one with which I am sure every boy and girl is thoroughly familiar. The moment you see it you recognize it. This large and beautiful apple is one of the most perfect of its kind, large in size, beautiful in color, and one which tempts the appetite of any one who is hungry.

Now, boys and girls, I have here another object. Can you tell me what this is? I expected that you would say that it was an apple, and that is true. But you have not told me the whole truth concerning it. This is not only an apple, but it is a wormy apple. It did not grow as large as the other, and, by looking at the outside, I see that it is defective. It is stunted, like wormy apples quite universally are. You might think that the worm went into this apple because it was not full grown and strong and large, the same as it is sometimes thought that boys who have never improved their advantages, but have failed to become noble and good, therefore sin has entered their hearts. The truth is just the reverse; wickedness first possessed their hearts, and that has been the cause of their failure to improve their opportunities, and to become manly, and noble, and good, and kind. If they had first got the evil and sin out of their hearts, they would surely have stood a much better chance. They would have become Christians, and have grown up more and more like Christ, to be good, and kind, and generous, and useful.

Worm in the Apple.

I want to ask you a question concerning this worm. But to be sure that we are not mistaken, let me take a knife and cut this apple in two, and see whether or not there is a worm inside. Just as I said, this is a wormy apple. It has evidently had two worms in it. Here is one of them, and the other has taken its departure. Now, boys and girls, I want to ask you, did this worm eat his way into the apple, or did he eat his way out of the apple? Quite as I anticipated. I expected that you would say that he ate his way into the apple; but the fact is, he ate his way out of the apple. I am sure that you will ask immediately, at least in your minds, how then did he get in, if he ate his way out? I will tell you how it was. Early last spring, just after the apple trees had been in blossom, and when this apple had just begun to form on one of the branches, there came along a bug and stung this apple, and deposited in the inside the germ of the worm. As the summer grew warmer, and the apple grew larger, the germ began to develop, until finally it grew into a worm. When it began to grow strong, it discovered that it was confined in the interior of something, and soon it began to eat, and continued until it ate its way out of the apple. This other worm, which still remained in, had continued to eat in the various portions of the apple, and possibly because of having less bodily vigor had concluded to remain there for a time, but you can see from the inside of the apple that it has done great injury, at the very core or heart, and I suppose that if it had been left to itself, in the course of a few days, or a few weeks at most, it also would have eaten its way out of the apple, in order to escape from its confinement.

Insect Stinging Bud.

Now, boys and girls, this worm represents sin in the human heart, or wickedness possibly presents the thought better, and when you see a boy or girl doing wrong, they are simply giving outward expression to the wickedness which exists in their hearts. Boys are bad, not so much because the influences by which they are surrounded are bad, but because their hearts are sinful, and wicked, and bad. But I am sure that you will want to know how wickedness gets into the human heart. I will tell you how it is. Way back in the spring-time of the history of the human race, way back in the Garden of Eden, soon after God had created Adam and Eve, Satan came and inspired in the hearts of these first people the desire to disobey God. God told Adam and Eve that they should not eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree, and that when they did they would die, that is, they would be separated from God. Satan came and told them that they would not die, but that when they ate of the fruit of this tree they would become very wise. They believed Satan rather than God, and they did that which was wicked and wrong. And so throughout all the generations since, there has been that willingness to believe Satan and to do what he wants us to do, rather than to believe God and do what God would have us to do.

Boys and girls who find themselves inclined to disobey their father or mother, to be disrespectful to those who are older than they, to do wrong on the Sabbath, to remain away from the Sunday-school and church, and to enjoy the beautiful spring-day, by strolling through the fields or wandering through the woods, do so, not alone because the day is pleasant or because of the opportunities from which others turn away, but because there is wickedness in their hearts. So when boys quarrel and fight, or steal, or do any other thing that is wrong, it is not so much the influences by which they are surrounded, the temptation from without, but the wickedness and the evil and the sinfulness which there is in the human heart, eating its way out through their heart into their lives, and deforming their lives, which otherwise would be upright, honorable and manly and Christ-like. I trust that when you are tempted to do wrong you will recognize the fact that there is evil in your heart, and that you will go to Jesus and earnestly pray Him to take away this evil out of your heart, and to give you a new, clean heart. Just the same as with these apples, if you had the privilege of choosing, I am sure you would prefer the large one, which has not been spoiled because of the destructive worm inside, so I trust you will choose to have the good heart, which God can give you, rather than the heart that has wickedness and sin within. If you will go to God in prayer and ask Him, He will give you a good heart, a true heart, one that has no sin and no wickedness within.

Questions.—Which is nicer, a big, red apple or a little stunted one? What prevented the little apple from growing big and beautiful? When did the little worm get into the apple? If it had not been for the worm in the apple, would the apple have grown large and well formed? What causes boys and girls to desire to do wrong? Who tempted Adam and Eve to do wrong? Did they listen? Did they believe God or did they believe Satan? Are boys and girls still tempted to do wrong? Are they likely to yield to temptation? To whom should we go when we are tempted to do wrong? Who alone can cleanse our hearts from sin? Should we always go and ask God for strength when we are tempted? Which would you choose, a good heart or a wicked heart?

Suggest to the children (or better still select one or have them select one) to procure for next Sunday some weeds that grow by the wayside and also a few cut flowers or potted plants.

After "driving home" from church and after putting the horses away, which little action gives the children a few moments' diversion, then other methods contained in the chapter of "Suggestions to Parents" can be selected according to the age, intelligence and interest of the children. After this, refreshments or whatever is best suited to the thought of the parents and the conditions of the household may be introduced.

WAYSIDE WEEDS AND GARDEN FLOWERS.

NEGLECTED VERSUS CHRISTIAN CHILDREN.

Suggestions To Parents:—The objects to be used to-day are a bouquet of flowers or some potted plants and a bunch of weeds that grow by the wayside. These will illustrate the difference between neglected, untaught and undisciplined children, and the children of a well trained household. Make the lesson impressive, so that the children will appreciate that the restrictions and discipline which are imposed upon them are all for their own good—that without these careful attentions they would grow up like the children in the slums. The neglected character of the clothing of undisciplined and uncared for children is only indicative of the minds and hearts and character of these children.

Arrange the chairs, "drive to church"; let the ushers show the different real or imaginary persons to seats. Then let the hymn, prayer or "opening service" precede the "preaching" of the object sermon of last Sunday or the regular sermon at the morning church service by one or more of the children, after which a hymn may be sung, and the parent gather the children close so they can see the pictures, and read the following sermon on "Wayside Weeds and Garden Flowers." During the reading, or before, or after, let the children gain the impressive lessons from the colored picture which so beautifully illustrates the sermon.

Copyrighted 1911 by Sylvanus Stall.
Wayside Weeds and Garden Flowers

THE land of Palestine, in which Jesus lived, has always been noted for its flowers. They grow everywhere in great abundance, and oftentimes in very great perfection and beauty. One time, when Jesus was preaching on the mountain, He used the flowers which were growing on the side of the mountain, to preach an object sermon to the multitudes about Him. He said, "Consider the lilies of the field; how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these." (Matt. vi: 28, 29.) Let us to-day take the same object lesson, to set forth to our minds a clearer understanding of some truths, which are very important to every father and mother, as well as every boy and girl.

As you see, I have here two bouquets. This, which I now hold in my hand, is indeed very beautiful. Here are some lovely roses, some tulips, some peonies. Here is a dahlia and heliotrope. Here are some tube roses, and a great variety of other flowers, which together constitute a very beautiful bouquet.

Now, here is another bouquet. I see you smile, but indeed it is a bouquet. I spent a great deal of time gathering these flowers, at which you laugh. I sought them in such places as would afford the best varieties of these several kinds.

Now, boys and girls, I want to ask you where these flowers grew? I will hold up this beautiful bouquet and ask the question. I know what will be your answer; you will say that I bought it from a man who keeps a hot-house, or that I gathered them in some flower garden which was very carefully tended; and such, indeed, is the case.

Now, I will hold up this other bouquet. Can you tell me where I gathered these? I did not think that you would have much difficulty in determining. I gathered them along the roadside, in the fields and in the woods. These flowers are what the farmer calls "weeds." Here is a rose with a single leaf that grew in a neglected corner, along the outskirts of a woods. It is a genuine rose, but it is by no means pretty, or at all to be compared with those in the other bouquet.

I will tell you why there is such a difference in the appearance of these two bouquets. One grew in the garden, where it was protected by a fence from being tramped upon. The weeds that grew about it were all pulled out of the ground, and the stalk upon which this flower grew was given a fair chance, so that it might grow successfully. The roots of the plants were carefully nourished, and whenever there was not sufficient rain the flowers were all watered, and thus the plants and flowers grew to their greatest perfection and beauty.

Now, these other flowers which I gathered in the fields and along the roadside and in the woods, have had a hard time of it. In their growth they had to contend with other weeds. They have been tramped upon by the cattle. They have been scorched by the sun. And year after year they have grown in these neglected quarters with great difficulty, consequently they are stunted and have never attained any perfection or beauty.

Do you know that these very beautiful flowers in this bouquet at one time grew just the same as the flowers in the other bouquet? But they were removed from the roadside, and from the fields and from the woods, and placed by themselves where they could be properly cared for and cultivated, and they grew more beautiful from year to year, until we have this present satisfactory result.

Boys and girls are very much like flowers. Those who are neglected, who are permitted to walk the streets, to stroll along the roads and over the fields, to go along the streams fishing on Sunday, instead of being in Sunday-school and in church, those who are permitted to run out at nights and play with all kinds of company—these are the boys and girls who are like the flowers which grow by the roadside. Nothing very beautiful, or very good, or very perfect can reasonably be expected from them.

This beautiful bouquet represents those boys and girls who have Christian fathers and mothers, who surround them by influences which are well calculated to make them pure in thought and upright in life, so that they may grow up to be good Christian men and women. These flowers represent the boys and girls who grow up in the Sunday-school and in the Church, who give their hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ, and grow up into His likeness, and into His image, and into His stature, and become noble Christian men and women.

When parents permit their children to run wild, they cannot expect them to grow up Christians. It is only by culture and education and Christian influences that they can be improved, so as to become honorable and upright.

Nearly all the products of the field have been improved by cultivation, just the same as these flowers have been improved. Wheat in its native state, as it may still be found in France and Italy along the shores of the Mediterranean, was a stunted and straggling plant, with a small and inferior seed, but after long years of patient and continued cultivation, it has grown to its present plump and prolific proportions. All the beautiful fruits which now grow in our orchards were at one time unsightly and undesirable. The apple was small and sour, and unpalatable; but by pruning and grafting and fertilizing, it has grown to be not only beautiful to the eye, but delicious to the taste. The acrid and unwholesome berries, which formerly grew on the mountain ash, have been developed into the sweet and juicy pear. By cultivation, the acrid and bitter sloe has grown into the beautiful plum. The same is also true of the potato, the turnip and the cabbage.

Boys and girls can only be developed into useful men and women by the influence of the week-day and Sunday-school, the Christian home and the Church, by reading and studying the Bible and other good books.

When you are restricted or corrected by your parents, you may oftentimes feel very much irritated and may feel rebellious, and may think that you do not have as many privileges or as much freedom as some of the other boys and girls whom you know. But you must remember that all this is done by your parents for your good, and later on in life you will see the value of it all and be very grateful to your parents for what they have done for you.

When I was a boy, in the little village where I lived they organized a cannon company of six or eight boys, who were to accompany the men who went to other villages to listen to political speeches before elections, and then to march in a torch-light procession. I was at that time a boy about twelve years old. I was asked to join. The boys were all to wear red blouses and red caps, and to my thought just then, nothing in the world was so much to be desired as the torch-light procession and the red blouse and cap, and to be permitted to march behind the drum and the fife, hauling the little cannon after us.

I shall never forget how I cried and how ugly I felt toward my father when he would not let me be one of the cannon boys and wear a red blouse and a red cap. He said that at night I ought to be at home and in bed, and not be exposed to possible bad influences, the danger of catching cold and of other bad results which he could clearly see, but which I, at that time, thought were only imaginary.

When I grew to be a man, I saw that my father was right, and later when at intervals I journeyed back to my boyhood home and visited the cemetery, I frequently placed one elbow on the tomb-stone of my father and the other elbow on the tomb-stone of my mother, and with my face buried in my hands thanked God that He had given me Christian parents who were wise and judicious enough not to let me have my own way in all things when I was a boy, but who had restricted me and guided me wisely and well.

So, boys and girls, it will be with you when you have grown to the estate of manhood and womanhood. You will be, oh, so thankful again and again that father and mother have oftentimes denied you things which you have most desired to have.

Questions.—Which are the prettier, flowers which are neglected by the roadside, or those which are cultivated in the garden? Are boys and girls like flowers? Which boys and girls are the best, those who are neglected and not taught, or those who are cared for and carefully trained? Is it more pleasant for boys and girls to have their own way in everything, or would they prefer to be taught and trained by their parents? Which kind of flowers are the heathen boys and girls like? Can wild flowers be made more beautiful by care and cultivation? Can the boys and girls in heathen lands be made like Christian boys and girls? What is necessary to effect this change? How can Bibles and missionaries be sent to them? Did the writer of this book want to have his own way when he was a boy? What did he want to be? What kind of a cap and blouse did he want to wear? When he became a man, was he thankful to his father for not allowing him to have his own way at that time? Will all good boys and girls, when they become men and women, be thankful to their parents for right training?

"The Cannon Boys."

NUTS.

GOD MEANS THAT WE MUST WORK.

suggestion:—The objects used are some nuts of various kinds.

If the parent has not already familiarized himself with the different methods of entertainment in connection with the reading of the object sermon to the children, he would do well to turn to the chapter on "Suggestions to Parents" on [page 17] and introduce some one or more of the play ideas which have accomplished so much of pleasure and profit in many homes.

Arrange chairs and "drive to church," let the audience, both real and imaginary be shown to seats, and after the opening service let one of the children in his or her own way present the lessons remembered from the sermon of last Sunday, or recast what was said by the pastor in his morning sermon. After the collection and singing, let the children "drive home" and let refreshments or some one of the Scriptural entertainments previously suggested round out the pleasure and profit of Sunday afternoon.

NOW, boys and girls, I have here some hickory nuts, walnuts, butternuts, chestnuts, and filberts, or hazel nuts as they are sometimes called, and I want to tell you something that I suppose God means to teach us by these nuts.

Nuts.

Many people remember that when Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden, God told them that "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (Gen. iii: 19), and also that God drove them out of the garden to "till the ground from whence man was taken." (Gen. iii: 23.) On this account some people suppose that if Adam and Eve had not sinned it would never have been necessary for us to work, but that is a mistake. If you turn to the second chapter of Genesis, in the fifteenth verse, you will find that it says, "The Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." So you see that Adam was required to work, even before the fall. Of course his work was not as severe as it was after he was driven out of Eden and his labor brought him a richer fruitage.

Now, what do these nuts teach us? I think that most all boys and girls like to eat hickory nuts and butternuts, and chestnuts and filberts, and indeed all kinds of nuts. But did you ever stop to think that God has made it necessary that we should crack the shell before we can eat the kernel that is inside? God has purposed to teach us that labor is necessary before we can eat even of that which He gives us, so on the outside of this desired food he places the shell, in some instances hard and difficult to be broken, in order to teach us that labor is necessary before we can eat of His gifts.

Now the same thing is true with regard to the grain that grows in the field. No one ever saw potatoes grow without being planted and cultivated. Rye and oats and wheat do not grow wild. Weeds will grow without being sown or planted, but grain and vegetables not only have to be planted, but have to be taken care of. Possibly you might think that my statement was not wholly correct, because we go out into the orchard and gather apples and pears and peaches, and other kinds of fruit which have no hard shells on them, and which do not have to be planted in the spring of the year. But do you know that we could not gather this kind of rich fruit from the trees unless trees of these kinds had been cultivated for long centuries, grafted and developed so as to produce the rich fruit which is now placed upon our tables? So you see that even this has cost labor, and if we were to neglect the trees in the orchard, it would only be a few years until they would produce only a very small variety of fruit, and even that would be sour and have an unpleasant taste.

But God means to teach us this lesson also in another way. Man has found it very necessary to use the different kinds of metals, iron and copper, silver and gold. God has not laid these metals on top of the ground, but has made it necessary that we should dig down into the earth and secure these metals at the cost of a great deal of labor. The same is also true with regard to the coal and the oil, and all the rich mineral products which God has blessed us. None of them can be secured without labor.

Apple Tree.

We are all naturally lazy. I have oftentimes thought that we are all born lazy. Some learn to be industrious with less effort, but all have to be taught to work. God means that we should work. Have you ever thought that God could feed us without our labor if He chose to do so? He could rain down our food from heaven, just the same as He gave manna to the Children of Israel, while they were journeying to the promised land. He could not only feed us, but He could also clothe us from heaven. I am sure that if God gave us our clothing from heaven, He would not make such foolish fashions as wicked people over in Paris invent, and which all the rest of the world seem to think they have to imitate. Not only our food and clothing, but God could also have made it necessary that there should be no preachers. Instead of giving us His Word in the Bible, and then asking us to go into all the world and to preach it to all creatures, He might have used the stars at night, just the same as the printer uses the different kinds of type and prints the letters and words upon the page; so God could have used the stars in order to write His law upon the heavens in a universal language that would be known by all peoples, and so at night, and even in the daytime, people could look up into the heavens and read God's law. Thus it would have been unnecessary ever to have printed Bibles, or to send preachers to preach. The cost of building churches and supporting ministers would thus have been unnecessary, but God does not do things in that way. Lazy people might desire that things were arranged in this way, but God has seen fit to make it very different.

But why do you think that God means that you and I should learn to work? There are two or three good reasons which I can think of. We are so constituted that no one can be in good health for any considerable period without physical exertion, and so you see that if we want to be well—and no one can be happy who is not well—it is necessary that we should learn to work. You will always find that lazy people who eat a great deal suffer many physical ailments. They are always complaining, and I think you will always find that they really are sick, but they could be well if they would only go to work as God meant they should.

Then there is another reason. An idle man is always a dissatisfied man. A boy or girl with nothing to do is sure to be unhappy. If we desire to be happy and contented we must learn to work.

But there is also another reason. Our spiritual well-being also renders it necessary that you and I should have something to do. Work is really one of God's greatest blessings, and we are told that those who are idle tempt Satan to tempt them. I do not believe that an idle person can be a good Christian. An idler is of no use either in the world or in the church. God can make no use of him, and Satan must surely despise him also.

So if you desire to be delivered from sickness and to remain well and strong, if you desire to be contented and happy, if you desire to be good and useful, if you desire to be helpful in the great purpose for which God has created you and placed you upon this earth, you must learn to work, and the best time to learn to work is when we are young. We are to learn to labor with our hands, with our minds, always remembering that whatsoever we do, we are to do all to the glory of God.

Now let us all join in singing,

"Work, for the night is coming."

Questions.—Did God assign some work to Adam when he was first created? What was he to do in the Garden? Why does God place the kernel of nuts inside of a shell? Do vegetables and grain grow without being planted? Will weeds grow without being planted? Why did God place the metals, and coal and oil down below the surface of the ground? Are we naturally industrious or lazy? Could God clothe and feed us without our labor? Why does He not do it? How could God have printed His law so that it would not be necessary to have Bibles and preachers? Are idle people healthy and contented? Why not? Whom do idle people tempt? Can an idle person be a good Christian? When is it easiest to learn to work? What should we always remember in our work?

BANKS.

GATHERED AND GUARDED TREASURES.