Chapter I: HAVE here a clock, with which I desire to illustrate and emphasize the

truth taught us in the twelfth verse of the ninetieth Psalm, where it says, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

Whatever is valuable we measure. Some things are measured by the yard, some things by the quart or gallon, other things by the pound or by the ton. Land is measured by the acre. One of the most valuable things that God gives to us is time. Queen Elizabeth, when she was dying, was willing to give her entire kingdom if she could only have one hour more in which to prepare for death.

As time is very valuable we measure it in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, centuries. In the earliest time men had no means of measuring time, except as they saw it measured with the great clock which God has set in the heavens; for He tells us in the first chapter of Genesis that He made "the sun to rule the day, and the moon to rule the night." The most accurate clocks in the world are those which most nearly keep time with the sun. All the effort to regulate clocks and watches is simply to adjust their movements so as to have them keep time with the movement of the sun. God has given us a conscience which is designed to regulate our lives until they shall be in harmony with the life of Christ, who is the Sun of Righteousness. Hundreds of years before Christ came, people may have had some very rude way of dividing the time during the day and night, but their principal division of time was simply day and night, summer and winter. These changes of day and night, summer and winter, helped to mark the progress of time, and they still do. If it were all daytime, or all night, and we had no clocks, we would have no means of measuring time. When Baron de Trench was liberated from his dungeon in Magdeburg, where the King of Prussia had confined him in darkness for a period of ten years, where he had no means of measuring how the time passed and had even very few thoughts--when he was liberated, and was told that he had been in prison for ten years, his astonishment was almost beyond expression, for it had not seemed to him to be so long. It had passed away like a painful dream.

In the early period of the world's history, human life was much longer than at present. Men lived to be several hundred years old. I suppose you can all tell how old Methuselah was. He was the oldest man who ever lived. When human life became shorter, time consequently became more valuable and men were more anxious to measure it.

I want to show you how to measure time, and what makes it valuable; for David asked to be taught properly to number his days; and the purpose was so that he might apply his heart unto wisdom.

Now, this watch and this clock are instruments with which we measure time. Once there was a king who desired not to forget that, like other men, he must die, and he had a man whose duty it was to come before him each hour and repeat the words: "Remember thou art mortal!" That is, every hour he had this man remind him that sometime he would have to die. Each time the man came in before the king, he was reminded that he had one hour less to live; so, each and every time that you hear the clock strike, you should be reminded of the fact that another hour has passed, and that you have one less to live. In this sense every clock has a tongue, and when it strikes it tells us that we will now have one hour less to live upon the earth.

The earliest device for measuring time was doubtless the sun-dial. Perhaps you have never seen one. It is simply a round plate or disc of metal, with a small piece of metal standing upright in such a position that when the sun shines, the shadow will be thrown upon the round cylinder or disc, around which are figures like those on the face of a watch or clock. Such methods of measuring time we know were used at least seven hundred and thirteen years before Christ, for in the book of Isaiah, thirty-eighth chapter and eighth verse, we find a very direct allusion to it. King Alfred of England used to use candles that were of uniform length; each candle would burn three hours, and by burning four candles, one after another, he could measure the hours of the day. In order to prevent the air from blowing against the candle and thus making it burn more rapidly or interfering with its accuracy in measuring time, he placed a horn or shield around it, and in the old cathedrals this was the way they measured time. Later on they had hour glasses, such as you sometimes see placed on the piano when girls are practicing their music lesson. Sometimes you see small ones in the kitchen, which are used for timing the eggs while they are boiling, and it is to these forms of glasses that various poetical allusions are made when death is spoken of as the "sands of life" running out.

Later came the clocks. They were first made about 2,000 years ago, but were very rude and awkward. The first watches were made about 475 years ago, but they were very large, and you would almost need to have a man to carry your watch for you, it was so heavy. Smaller watches were first made about 200 years ago, and now they have some that are so very small that you could carry six or seven of them in your vest pocket without inconvenience. How else could we tell about the time of the departure of trains and steamboats, the hours to go to work in the factory or to go to school, when to go to church? And the enjoyment of many other things depends upon knowing accurately what moment we should be on hand. You should learn never to be late, but always to be prompt. Suppose that, with an audience of six hundred people, the preacher should be five minutes late. Each person would then have lost five minutes. This, for the entire six hundred present, would have been equal to more than forty-eight hours for a single person--more than two days and two nights.

But now what is it that makes time valuable? It is the use that we can make of it. David wanted to know about it, so that he could apply his heart unto wisdom. The man who does nothing with his time, in the eyes of others, is worth nothing; but the busy man always finds that his time is very valuable. It is strange, also, that when you go to idle people and ask them to do anything they always say they haven't time, so that the expression has come to be used that "if you want anything done go to a busy man." The more busy the man is the more likely he is to find time, in some way, to undertake any new form of useful endeavor and work.

Now, I want to ask you, What use do you make of your time? Are you faithful in the use of every moment at home, diligent in doing the work assigned you, looking about you, and doing your own thinking, finding, for yourself, what is to be done, instead of standing around and waiting to be told? Are you diligent in school, always studying your lessons, learning all that you possibly can, remembering that everything that you can learn will at some time be of service to you? If you are employed in a store, or engaged in any other kind of business, are you faithful, using each moment and each hour, remembering that you are not to be faithful simply when your employer is looking at you, but you are to be faithful at all times? As the Bible says, "Not with eye service, as men pleasers" (Colos. iii: 22), but doing everything as unto the Lord. Are you faithful in the matter of attending church, and then when you are in the church, giving your mind to the consideration of the truth which is being presented, rather than allowing your mind to be engaged with the amusements and plays of last week, or the plans and purposes of next week? Are you faithful in the Sunday-school? Do you listen attentively to the lessons which are taught by your Sunday-school teacher? Each minute of the thirty devoted to the study of the lesson is very important, and all of the other moments in the Sunday-school are very important.

I was wondering the other day why the clock should have the long hand point to the minutes, and the short hand to the hours; but after all, it seems very wise that the greater emphasis, and greater importance should be attached to the longer hand. It points to the minutes, as though it were constantly saying to you and to me, look out for these minutes, look out for these small parts of the hour, and the whole hour will take care of itself. The big hand points to the minutes because, after all, they are the important things. It is like the old saying, "if we take care of the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves." If we will take care of the minutes, the hours will take care of themselves.

If you have never thought on these things, and have been an idler, I want to ask you to "Redeem the time." (Eph. v: 16.) That is, do not let your time go to waste. If you are not a Christian, even though you are very busy and very industrious concerning temporal things, you are really wasting your time. We are placed here upon the earth in order that we may love and serve God. That is our main business here. If we are going to serve Christ, we should study to know His life and His teachings, and yet some people know very little about the Bible. Did you ever stop to think that a man who is thirty-five years old has had five solid years of Sundays? And the man who is seventy years old, has had ten solid years of Sundays? With ten years given to worship and the study of God's Word, a man at seventy ought to know a great deal concerning the teachings of the Bible. May God teach us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

QUESTIONS.--How do we measure cloth? Are sugar and
coal measured by the yard? How do we measure land?
How do we measure time? How many divisions of time
can you name besides seconds? What was the first
instrument with which time was measured? With what
did King Alfred measure the hours? What was later
used for measuring time, after the sun-dial? About
how long ago were clocks first invented? About how
long ago were watches first made? Why did David
want to be taught to number his days? Can the idle
man or the busy man more easily find time for
necessary duties? Will you always make diligent
use of your time? Why does the larger hand of the
clock point to the minutes? If we take care of the
minutes, what will the hours do?

PLANS.

LIVING WITH A PURPOSE.

SUGGESTION:--Object: Architect's drawings for the
building of a house.

MY DEAR LITTLE MEN AND WOMEN: I have here what the architect calls "plans," or drawings for a house. Unless the carpenter and builder had a copy of the plans he is to follow he would not be able to build successfully. He would not know what kind of material he would need. He would not know where to place the doors, or how large to make the windows, and whether to put the dining room on this side of the house or on the other side of the house; whether the parlor was to be on the first floor or on the second floor. So when a man is going to build, the first thing to be done is to decide what kind of a house he wants, and then to get an architect who is able to draw the plans perfectly, so as to show the size of every door and window and room, and the exact position and place of everything that is to enter into the building of the house. These plans cost a great deal of thought and oftentimes much delay in beginning, but in the end they save both time and expense, and secure the most desirable results.

Every boy and girl should have a plan, for we are all builders. We build day after day and week after week, and year after year. First of all, you should have some great purpose in life, and then all your other plans and purposes should be made to further and help the great main object which you have in life.

Once there were two boys who were very intimate when they were young. They played together, and came to love each other very much. One was a boy who always had a plan. He had a plan for studying his lessons; he had a plan which showed what time he had resolved to get up in the morning; how many hours he would devote to study; what portions of the day he would give to play, and how much to work. So each and every day he had his plans. At the beginning of the year he had his plans for each month of the year.

The other boy never had any plans. Everything went along just as it happened. The boy who always had the plans had no money; his father was poor. But the boy who had no plans had plenty of money, for his father was rich. These two boys both became merchants, had stores in the same square in a large city. The one who had the plans always knew what he purposed to do, before the season began. He knew just when to purchase his goods for the spring trade; he knew when to sell them; everything was done methodically and with a plan. As the result of his thoughtful plans he soon began to accumulate wealth, obtained a place of confidence in the minds of business men, and eventually became one of the most honored and influential men in the city. With the other boy it was not so. He bought his goods whenever he chanced to see something that he fancied; often bought too much of one thing; had no method in business, and consequently in the course of a few years lost what money he had and died a poor man.

Let me hope that you will always have a plan for everything you do. God is the God of order, and we should also be orderly in all that we do.

These plans of the architect, when followed by the builders, will tell the stonemason, the bricklayer, the millman and the carpenter, the plasterer and the painter, just what each is to do, and all will be able to work in harmony, so as to secure a nice, comfortable and desirable home when the work is completed.

Now, we are all laying foundations in this world, and the perfect character cannot be obtained until in eternity. So when you come to plan for life, do not think that your stay in this world is to be all there is of your life. Let your plans take in eternity. If they leave out eternity they leave out the greatest portion of your existence. If you leave out the idea of eternity you will be like the man who simply lays the foundation and then never builds a house on it, and there, year after year, the foundation stands as the monument of his folly.

But you may desire to know where you can get the plans for a good and noble life--a plan that will include eternity. I will tell you: in the Bible. This is the best book in which to find the plans for a perfect and complete life. Just the same as the man who is going to build a house desires to go and examine other houses, so if you desire to be great and good, you should desire to read the biographies, the story of the lives of great men. I do not mean the fancied stories of lives which were never lived, which are so often told in some kinds of books, but I mean the lives of real men. When you see the difficulties which have been overcome by others; when you see how great and good other people have been, it will help you to be great and good. But after you have studied the lives of all the greatest and best men who have ever lived, and then compare them with the life of Jesus Christ, you will eventually come to see very clearly and distinctly, that after all there has never been but one perfect life lived on this earth, and that was the life of Jesus Christ. So you will readily see that if you desire to use a model which is perfect, you will have to take the life of Christ. You will find it fully portrayed in the Bible, especially in the first four books of the New Testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This will give you the model of a perfect life and enable you to live so as to make your life glorious while upon the earth, and prepare you for an eternity of happiness and joy beyond this world. Have a plan and live to it, and let your plan include eternity. And may God give you grace to live up to a high ideal, to be noble Christian men and noble Christian women.

QUESTIONS.--What are needed before a house is
built? Are all boys and girls builders? Builders
of what? Do they need plans? Should we all have a
main object in life? What must we use all other
plans and purposes for? Which boy in the story
turned out the better? What does the story
illustrate? Should we have a plan for each thing
we do? Does God love order? What foundation are we
laying in this life? Should our plans concern only
this life? What kind of a builder are we like, if
we make no plans for the life to come? Where can
we get our plans? What perfect model can we
follow?

THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

THE LESSONS WHICH IT TEACHES.

BOYS and girls often think that big people have set apart Christmas as a day for gathering around the Christmas tree, as a time for Santa Claus, for the giving of presents and for having a good time generally. This is not the case. I will tell you why we celebrate Christmas, and particularly the significance and meaning of the Christmas tree. Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came into this world to redeem us from sin and everlasting death; and the Christmas tree, laden with its many gifts and suggestive of so much joy and blessing, is a symbol of the Saviour. In order that you may best understand the full meaning of the Christmas tree, I must call your attention to the season of the year when Christmas came. You will remember that last summer, when the sun rose at half-past four in the morning and did not set until half-past seven in the evening, the days were very long, and you could see to go about in the evening until about eight o'clock and after. At Christmas time the sun goes down at half-past four in the afternoon, and does not rise until half-past seven in the morning. So you see that the days are about six hours shorter in December than they are in the latter part of the month of June. Christmas occurs at that season when the days are shorter and the nights are longer than at any other period of the year. In the Bible darkness represents sin and unbelief and wickedness; and the daytime or light represents truth and righteousness and godly living. So you will see that the long nights at the Christmas period of the year, and the short days, fitly represent the condition of the world at the time when Jesus, the Son of God, was born in Bethlehem. At no other time in the world's history was there so much of moral darkness and sin and wickedness and corruption in the world. Cruelty and crime and wickedness abounded everywhere. If I were to stop and tell you of the condition of society, of the wrong and the iniquity, which abounded everywhere, you would be greatly horrified. It was at such a time as this in the world's history, when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this world, that sin might be banished and righteousness might abound. So you see that Christmas occurs at that period of the year when the night and the darkness are the longest of any of the entire year, and it very fittingly represents the condition which existed in the world when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as the Saviour of the world. He came to banish the moral darkness which covered the whole earth.

Not only the time of the year, but also the character of the Christmas tree suggests something. With the long nights comes also the cold winter. The earth is wrapped in snow. The trees, which a few months ago were green and beautiful and in the fall all laden with fruit, are now all naked and bare, and if you were to go out into the orchard or forest you could not tell the difference between a dead tree, and all the others which seem to be dead. Among all the trees you would only find such as the pine, the hemlock, the fir and other varieties, such as are known as evergreen trees, that would be green and give evidence of life. So you will see again how the Christmas tree fittingly represents Christ, because these evergreens, in the field and in the forest, seem to be the only things that have greenness and life, while all else around them seems to be dead and laid in a shroud of white snow.

Copyrighted 1911 by Sylvanus Stall]

The custom of setting up a tree at Christmas time and loading it with fruit and gifts seems to have originated in Germany, and the thought of these people in introducing this custom centuries ago, was that they might teach their children this very lesson to which I have referred.

Now, I desire to call your attention also to the fruit which is so often hung on the Christmas tree. The Bible tells us that a tree is known by its fruit. If you go into the orchard you could tell the apple tree from the pear tree, and you could tell the plum tree from the peach tree. If you did not know them by their leaves, you would at least know them by their fruit. But when you come to look at this tree you find oranges upon it. Now, this is not an orange tree. You find dolls upon it, but it is not a doll tree. Here are a pair of skates, but it is not a skate tree. Here are some candies, but it is not a candy tree. Neither can it be known by the name of any one of these various things which hang upon the tree. But it is a Christmas tree. And all these various kinds of things are properly hung upon the Christmas tree to represent the fulfillment of that promise that, with His Son Jesus Christ, God would also give us all things richly to enjoy.

The gifts hung on Christmas trees are usually presents from one person to another--often not only from parents to children, but from teachers to scholars, and from friend to friend. Now, until Christ was born, there were no Christmas presents. There was no Christmas day celebrated. But the reason we give presents on Christmas day is to remind each other of God's Great Gift to man, the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Redeemer and Saviour. With Jesus Christ, God also gave us grace and truth, reconciliation, and pardon and peace and salvation. Man had sinned against God; was living in open rebellion against God. Whatever was good, man hated. He loved to do wickedly. He preferred to serve Satan, rather than to serve God. And Jesus came in order to reconcile men to God--to get them to turn away from sin, wickedness and Satan, and to accept of God's love and pardon and everlasting salvation, and to do that which was right and good and holy.

If you could travel through the countries where they do not know of Christ and do not worship Him, and then travel through Christian countries, where Jesus is loved and honored, you would soon see what a great difference there is between the two. We have railroads, steamboats, and telegraphs, and telephones, and phonographs, and every kind of cloth, and silk, and furs with which to clothe ourselves for greatest comfort, and when we sit down at our tables there is no good thing that is produced in any nation under the sun, that is not available even to those of limited means.

In the heathen countries it is not so. They are still riding in carts drawn by oxen. Without clothing and without comforts, the people in Africa are still groping through the bushes and jungles. And if you go to India and China and Japan you will find that only in so far as they have been brought under the influence of the religion of Jesus Christ, do they have even now the material blessings which come with the Gospel.

But there are other blessings which come to us with the preaching of the Gospel. In heathen countries they have no asylums to care for the orphans, no hospitals for the sick and the distressed and the dying; no institutions of charity and of mercy; but few schools, and these only for the rich and the upper classes. So you see that these things are among the gifts which God has given us with His Son Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate on Christmas day.

Then there are also the spiritual blessings and gifts. God's grace, communion with God, and the joy and satisfaction we have in our hearts in knowing that we are the children of God; that Jesus Christ has redeemed us from sin and death; that we are the heirs of everlasting life, and of everlasting glory. And the Bible promises us that in the world to come we shall enjoy everlasting blessedness, and happiness and joy--that we shall dwell forever with Jesus Christ; that we shall be made kings and queens unto our God. The Bible tells us, that it has not entered into the heart of man to think or to conceive of the things which God has in store for those who love Him. If we were to laden this tree with all the richest treasures of the world they could not adequately suggest the great blessings which God has in store for you and for me.

How fitting, then, that we should be glad and joyous on Christmas day!--that you and I should receive not simply these material gifts, but that we should also accept of Jesus Christ in our hearts and receive His spiritual blessings; and so be adopted into the family of God, and be permitted to dwell for ever in His presence on high. May God always bless you in your Christmas joy, and may you be glad not only because you receive the gifts of your parents and friends, but also because God gives to us all, His Only Begotten and Well Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Redeemer and Friend.

QUESTIONS.--What event does Christmas Day
commemorate? About what time of the year are the
days shortest and the nights longest? What does
the darkness of the long nights represent? Was the
world in moral darkness when Christ came? Is He
the world's Redeemer? What trees are green in the
winter? Whom does the evergreen tree represent?
Why? Where did the custom of having Christmas
trees probably originate? What do the things on
the Christmas tree represent? Did people give
Christmas presents before Christ came? What do our
gifts to one another represent? With His Son, has
God given us other things which we are to enjoy?
Where do people enjoy the greatest material
comforts and blessings, in Christian or heathen
lands? In what lands are the largest spiritual
blessings enjoyed?

EASTER SUNDAY.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY.

SUGGESTION:--Objects: An egg and a little chick in
a cage, or a toy chick, such as are often
available at Easter time may be used.

MY LITTLE FRIENDS: Can you tell me what we commemorate on Easter Sunday? Yes, we commemorate the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

You remember how some weeks ago I showed you a watch-case.[A] You thought it was a watch, but when I opened it it had no works in it, consequently it was only a watch-case. When I placed the works in the case, then it made a complete watch.

So you have also seen the body of a dead person and you have possibly thought that that was the individual, the person whom you had known; but that which you saw was only the body. The soul, the immortal part, had taken its departure and gone back to God who first placed it in the body. Now, just the same as the works of a watch can keep good time without being in the case, so the soul can exist apart from the body. If you were to take the watch-case and bury it in the ground, that fact would not affect either the existence or the accuracy of the works of the watch in measuring time. So when God takes the soul out of the body we say that it is a dead body, and it becomes necessary for us to bury it out of our sight.

On Good Friday we commemorate the death of Christ upon the cross on Calvary. You remember how, after the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus came and took the body of Christ down from the cross and laid it in a new tomb which Joseph had hewn out of rock in his garden. When this had been done, Pilate remembered how Jesus had said that if He were put to death, after three days He would rise again. Now, Pilate did not believe that Jesus would rise again, but was afraid that His disciples or some friends might come by night and steal away His body and circulate the report that Jesus had risen from the dead; so he placed Roman soldiers around the sepulchre to prevent His disciples from coming near the tomb, or sepulchre where Joseph had laid away the body of Christ. Pilate purposed to prevent the possibility of Christ's resurrection, but in the fact that he placed the soldiers there he secured for all after ages the most positive proof that Jesus did actually rise from the dead. These soldiers were Roman soldiers, and if they had slept while they were upon guard duty, the penalty would have been death. But when the angel came down from heaven and rolled away the stone, then we are told that these Roman soldiers became as dead men.

It is on Easter Sunday that we commemorate this rising of Christ from the grave or sepulchre. Now, can you tell me why it is that on Easter we have these Easter eggs, such as I hold in my hand? I will tell you why it is. It is because while the outside of this egg is like the outside of a vault or grave, yet inside there is a germ of life. If you take a dozen perfect eggs and place them under a mother hen, and have her set on them for three weeks, at the end of that time out of these eggs which seem to have nothing of life in them, there will come forth little chickens, just such as I hold in my hand, only this one is not alive. But it is a very accurate representation of a little chicken a day or two old.

Now, just in this same way if you were to drive through a cemetery and look at a vault, which is the nearest that we have in this country in likeness to the sepulchre in which the body of Christ was laid, you would not suppose for a moment that there would be living people in that vault. While the bodies that are in the vault are dead bodies, yet they have the promise of life, God will some day raise them up, unite again the soul and the body and give them that everlasting life and resurrection glory which Jesus has promised. And as Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday morning, so we have the promise that in the final resurrection the bodies of all who have ever lived upon the earth shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall come forth; those who have lived Christian lives to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of death and eternal punishment.

The egg then is the symbol of life, for out of this seemingly lifeless object there comes forth the living chick; so out of the graves and sepulchres there will eventually come forth the bodies of all who have ever died, and these bodies shall become resurrection bodies. These mortals shall put on immortality, and these corruptible bodies shall put on incorruption; and then the souls and the bodies of all shall be reunited, never again to be separated throughout all eternity.

Perhaps during the past few months or years you may have laid away in the grave the body of some dear little brother or sister, or perhaps of a kind father or mother, or some other friend; if so, the spring season of the year will suggest to you the resurrection. The grass and the flowers which appeared to be dead last fall, and which during the winter have been wrapped in a white shroud of snow, now feel the warm breath of spring, and life and beauty are coming forth out of the sepulchre of the winter.

Soon all the trees will put forth their leaves and then beauteous blossoms and sweet fragrance will tell of the spring time as the resurrection period of the year.

So at Easter time we properly turn to the cemeteries where rest the bodies of our loved ones and know that the long winter of death and decay shall eventually give place to the promised resurrection of life and beauty. On that Easter morn the bodies of our loved ones shall be raised up, the soul and the body shall be reunited, and we shall see them and know them as they are.

Now, just how God shall gather again all the scattered parts of these bodies that were buried in the sea, or have decayed back to earth in the ground, we do not know. But our ignorance does not change the fact. I do not understand how at first God created man out of dust of the earth, nor do I know how the bread and meat and food which I eat each day nourish my life and become part of my own body. I do not know how, out of the same handful of earth, either an apple or a flower might grow. I know that it is so, but the how I do not know; nor does my ignorance prevent or hinder God from accomplishing it. If each day I eat food which by some strange power which God has placed within me is changed into bones in my body, to hair on my head, to nails on the ends of my fingers, to teeth, and eyes and ears and thus becomes a part of myself, why should I question, or desire to know how God is able to quicken in the grave the power to make the body to live again. If in the beginning God only spoke and worlds came into being, I know that when He shall command these bodies to rise from death and the grave they also will hear His voice and obey.

I am sure that no boy nor girl here would want that, on the morning of the resurrection his or her body should refuse to obey God's voice when He shall command the dead to come forth from their graves in life and beauty. You will want to obey Him then, but should you not also desire to obey Him now? When God tells you in the Bible what He wants you to do, are you obedient? Do you do as He commands? If you are disobedient now, then in the morning of the resurrection you might even desire, rather to remain in your grave, so that you should not have to look into the face of Him whom you have disobeyed and offended. If you want to awake on that final Easter morning in the likeness of Jesus and be forever with Him in glory, remember that you must obey God now as Jesus did when He was upon the earth. If we would be like Jesus in glory, we must strive to be like Him in all that we do, and I trust that you may think of this daily. At all times when you are uncertain what it is your duty to do, ask yourself this question: "If He were in my place, what would Jesus do?" And then act and do as nearly as possible as you think Jesus would do under the same circumstances.

QUESTIONS.--What does Easter commemorate? Is a
dead body actually the person you knew? What has
become of the soul? What do we commemorate on Good
Friday? Of what are Easter eggs the symbol? What
does the shell represent? What does the inside
represent? Will the bodies of all who have died be
raised some day? Who tells us this? What will God
do with the risen bodies? What will become of the
good? What of the wicked? Do we know how God will
gather the scattered parts of the body? Does it
make any difference whether we know how or not? Is
anyone likely to refuse God's summons on the
Judgment Day? Do we always obey Him now? When in
doubt what question should we ask ourselves?

FOOTNOTE:

[A] NOTE--Sermon on Watch and Case, see page 125.

CROWNS.

THE CHILDREN OF THE KING.

SUGGESTION:--Objects: A crown of leaves or paper,
or of both.

BOYS AND GIRLS: I have to-day two or three crowns, and I want to talk to you about those who are children of the King.

First of all, I have here a crown which is made of leaves. This was the first kind of crown ever used. Three thousand years ago or more, those who excelled in strength, or running, or wrestling, or in any of the games which were common then, received a crown like this, which was placed upon their heads. This was regarded as a very great honor. Afterward, the kings of the earth began to use crowns. Their crowns were made of gold and set with costly jewels. These they wore on state occasions to indicate their high rank and position. Here is a crown made of gilt paper and set with a few silver-paper stars, meant to represent the crowns which kings and queens wear. While this crown is only made of paper, the crowns of kings and queens are made of gold, set with many costly stones. Besides the larger jewels in the crown of King George V. of England, there are also sixteen sapphires, eleven emeralds, nearly three hundred pearls, and some twenty-eight hundred very costly diamonds, and it is estimated to be worth many millions of dollars.

Now suppose that we had gathered into this room the children, the boys and girls, of all the kings and queens of earth. Suppose also that they could all understand English, and that none of them knew that they were the sons and daughters of kings and queens, and that it was my delightful privilege to tell them how great and rich and powerful their parents are; and then I were also permitted to tell them, for the first time, what beautiful crowns their parents own. Suppose also that after exciting their curiosity about these things, I should have the crowns of all the kings of earth placed on a long table at my side, covered with a beautiful cloth, and after telling them about the crowns, I should uncover this table with all these crowns of gold, studded with jewels. Don't you suppose that the eyes of all those boys and girls would sparkle with curiosity and delight?

But now, suppose that it were my privilege to do more than to show them the crowns. Suppose that I were permitted also to tell them that they were heirs to these crowns, and that after their fathers and mothers, the present kings and queens, had died, they were to become kings and queens, and were to receive these crowns as their own. Suppose that, more than this, it were my privilege to pick up the crown of Denmark, and then calling some little boy to me I were to hand it to him, and tell him that he was to keep it, and that some day it would be placed upon his head, and he would be King of Denmark. And then I should take the crown of Sweden, and calling another girl, I should give her that crown, and tell her that she should keep it, until some day it would be placed upon her head, and she should be Queen of Sweden. Suppose that in the same way I should take the crowns of Germany and Russia, and Austria, and Italy, and Spain, and the great crown of England, and all the crowns of all the nations of the earth; and calling the boys and girls by name, should have them come forward and receive these crowns, to be kept until they should be placed upon their heads, when they should be Kings and Queens, ruling in great pomp, and splendor, and honor, and power. Do you not think that it would be a very happy hour to these boys and girls, when all these great thoughts should be disclosed to them for the first time, and they should look upon such costly crowns, and receive them into their own hands, as their very own?

Now, boys and girls, while you have been listening to me, you have possibly not thought that what I have told you is really being fulfilled in your own hearing to-day, for the Bible tells us, "I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. vi: 18.) Then, in another place, it also says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be." (1 John iii: 2.) So you see that it is my privilege to-day to talk, not to the children of earthly kings, whose glory is only temporal and whose honor is always uncertain, but I am permitted to talk to the children of the King of kings. (1 Tim. vi: 15; Rev. xix: 16.) The Scriptures not only tell us that God "is the only Potentate (the only powerful one), the King of kings," but it also tells us that He "hath made us unto our God kings and priests." (Rev. v: 10.) The same great book also tells us, not only, that we shall be kings and priests unto our God, but that we "shall reign forever and ever." (Rev. xxii: 5.) When a king dies he ceases to be king upon earth, but when God shall make us kings and queens and crown us in Heaven, we shall never die again, or cease to be kings and queens. The Bible tells us very clearly that our Father in Heaven is King over all earthly kings; greater than any of them; greater than all the kings of earth put together; a million times greater; yes, millions and millions of times greater; so much greater that the two do not compare in reality, but earthly kings simply suggest to our minds something of our great Heavenly King. God, this great King, created us and we were His children. But our first parents sinned and rebelled against Him, and refused to recognize Him as Father and to obey what He wanted them to do. But God loved them and us as a tender Father, and sent His only-begotten and well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile us; to tell us that God the Father loved us; that He was willing to forgive us, and that He would still accept us and make us kings and priests unto Himself, would crown us with glory, would give us dominion and make us kings and priests forever in Heaven. So you see that there can be no mistake about our being sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. We are not only His children, but He has promised us crowns of glory and thrones of dominion and power.

If you and I were in England to-day and could walk into the Tower of London, where they keep the crown and the jewels of the royal family, and we could learn the value of these costly jewels, and crowns and scepters, it matters not how rich we might be, I am sure we would have to despair of ever being able to purchase these costly crown jewels. They are estimated at many millions of dollars. Now, if an earthly crown, which can only be retained for a few years, is so valuable, how much more valuable are the everlasting crowns, such as God gives, and which are to be ours for all eternity? And if we are not able to buy such an earthly crown, how much less are we able to purchase or buy a heavenly crown? The heavenly crowns are so valuable that we could never hope to buy them, therefore God gives them to us because He loves us.

More than two hundred years ago a man by the name of Colonel Blood attempted to steal the crowns and the crown jewels of England. He was not altogether successful, but was arrested before he escaped with them. But do you know that there are many who would steal your crown, and my crown of everlasting glory, if they possibly could? Therefore, God tells us in the Bible, "Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Rev. iii: 11.) So you see it is very important that we should be constantly on our guard. The King of England has soldiers to watch day and night, lest any one should steal his crown. And so also you and I need to be constantly on our guard, lest wicked people and sinful influences should rob us of our heavenly crown.

Not only are crowns sometimes stolen, but sometimes they are also lost. About fifty years ago some people were digging in France, and they found eight costly crowns, all lying close together, having been lost or hidden away in the earth. Four of them were very costly and very beautiful, while the others were smaller crowns. The first four were for the king and the queen, and the prince, and one other of the older children, and the other four crowns were for the younger children of the king's household. Yet you see that the father and mother and all the children lost their crowns. I trust that no parents here, or children either, would prize their heavenly crowns so lightly as ever to lose them.

There are thousands of people who would be willing to put forth any effort, or to pay any costs, if they could only obtain an earthly crown, and yet the Bible tells us that these people do it "to obtain a corruptible crown; but we, an incorruptible." (1 Cor. ix: 25.) Now, by a corruptible crown is meant one that, like this crown made of leaves, will fade and fall to pieces, and decay, and thus pass entirely away. Even a crown of gold, studded with costly jewels, would thus also eventually perish. The crown which God gives to us is an imperishable crown, which never fades, and never passes away. And therefore the Scriptures say, "And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (1 Peter v: 4.)

Since the Bible teaches us these truths so plainly, "What manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godliness?" (2 Peter iii: 11.) What more appropriate words could I say to you in closing, than that which God says to us in the blessed Book in which He has revealed all these things, "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace without spot, and blameless." (2 Peter iii: 14.)

QUESTIONS.--What kind of crown was first worn?
Because crowns of leaves were so perishable, of
what were crowns later made? What can you tell
about the crown of the king of England? If the
crowns of all the kings of earth could be brought
together, would people desire to see them? If the
children of earthly kings were present and we told
them for the first time that they were the
children of kings and gave them the crowns which
they were eventually to own, would they be likely
to be pleased? Are you the child of a King who is
the King above all kings? Has He promised you a
crown? Will your crown be perishable? How long
will it last? Can you quote any of the passages of
Scripture which tell of our being the children of
the King of kings? Could the crown of an earthly
king be bought? Is there money enough in the world
to buy a crown of everlasting life? How then is
this crown to be obtained? Who once stole a crown
and the crown jewels of England? Was he successful
in getting away with them? Who tries to steal our
crown of everlasting glory? Is he ever successful?
Can you tell about the eight crowns which were
found hidden away in the earth in France? In what
book are we told that our crown is to be
imperishable and unfading, and to be ours forever?
What exhortation is contained in the last sentence
of the last sermon in this book?

THE END.

A WORD TO PARENTS

THE imploring letters which come to me constantly from all parts of the globe, written by young men and women who are almost hopelessly struggling to be freed from evils into which they have fallen through ignorance, prompt me to urge upon parents the great importance of safe-guarding their children from evils unspeakable by information which should always reach the child through the parent.

Many parents appreciate their duty to their children in this matter; the only thing that restrains them is that they do not know what to say and how to say it. They are in just the situation that I found myself with my own boy and girl before I had made a special study of this subject.

It was to assist parents in this trying situation that I wrote "What a Young Boy Ought to Know," and that Dr. Mary Wood-Allen wrote "What a Young Girl Ought to Know." These two books, together with "What a Young Man Ought to Know" and "What a Young Woman Ought to Know," have proven a benediction to thousands of parents, and have saved multitudes of boys and girls; of young men and young women from evils that come from blind blundering among dangers that are attended with consequences that often project themselves throughout the entire life, and frequently involve even future generations.

These books were written to make men and women--not money. The United States Government has had the books to men placed in the libraries of all the battleships, and those addressed to boys and girls and young men and young women placed in all the schools maintained by the Government for the education of the North American Indians.

Requests have been made for permission to translate these books into some forty different languages, and most of these requests have come from Christian missionaries and church missionary societies, who have desired the teachings which these books contain for use by their missionaries.

These books, in English, sell at One Dollar per copy, and a simple post card request addressed to the writer of the little book you now hold in your hands, will bring you descriptive printed matter by early post.

SYLVANUS STALL,
206 North Fifteenth Street,
Philadelphia, Pa., U. S. A.

WITH THE CHILDREN ON SUNDAYS

* * * * *

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

* * * * *

_By_ SYLVANUS STALL, D. D.

* * * * *

_ENTHUSIASTICALLY COMMENDED BY THE PRESS_

* * * * *

FOR THE FAMILY CIRCLE AND TEACHERS.

"Delightful and instructive reading for the family circle on Sunday afternoons."--_The Ram's Horn._

"The language and style are simple and effective. In approaching the mind and heart through the eye, as well as the ear, Dr. Stall uses the method which the best instructor should use to convey knowledge to the mind of the child. The book is suggestive of effective work, and is worthy of the careful attention of all who talk to children in the Sunday School, Church and home."--_Augsburg Teacher._

"These sermons cannot help being suggestive to every one who would interest children. The sermons are fascinating, and their publication marks an era in the instruction and edification of children. They will serve a noble purpose in calling back to the simplicity of preaching so wonderfully illustrated in the words of Christ."--_Wesleyan Methodist._

SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CHILDREN.

"Dr. Stall has undoubtedly the happy faculty of presenting to children sober truths in a manner to them most interesting."--_Times_, Boston, Mass.

"In this little volume there are good examples of excellent preaching to the young, and the book merits a wide circulation."--_Central Presbyterian._

"These little delightful sermons are models of point and brevity, and reach the little hearts through the eye and the ear."--_Christian Observer._

"A more practical series of discourses for children we never before have seen. The illustrations are simple and forceful, and the lessons worthy of consideration."--_Central Methodist._

"It is an excellent work, and the plan is admirably suited to reach and impress youthful minds with correct principles. The language is plain and easily understood and yet the central thought is well defined and easily grasped."--_The Christian Instructor._

"The topics are timely and fresh, the objects simple and telling, and the sermons themselves just what sermons to children ought to be, brief and well illustrated, fascinating and practical. Boys and girls will devour every one of them with relish, whilst we children of a larger growth will be children again."--_Lutheran Observer._

"The chapters contained in the volume are such as are sure to win the attention and interest of the children. We are confident that Dr. Stall has found the right key to the situation, and we commend his work most heartily."--_Messiah's Herald._

"The gift of talking sense to children in a way interesting to them is a rare one. These fifty-two short sermons show that Dr. Stall has this rare gift in an eminent degree. This is shown, not only in his way of putting things, but also in his subjects and illustrative objects."--_Lutheran Quarterly._

"In this volume the author seeks to attract the young through the presentation of the old truths of the Gospel in the form which arrest the eye, secures the attention, impresses the mind, and wins the heart for Christ and the right. The entrance into the city of Child-soul is sought by assaulting both the Eye-gate and Ear-gate. At the same time the illustrations used are impressive, the truths taught are simple, and the impressions made are likely to be lasting."--_Jersey City Times_.

"It is not every one who is able to present to children sober truths in a manner interesting to them, for it requires a special talent to either speak to or write for children, but Dr. Stall has undoubtedly the happy faculty of doing this. The author's object is to implant in the child's mind seeds of truth and love, nobleness and justice, and all the virtues that go to make a manly boy and womanly girl, as well as a God-loving child."--_Boston Times._

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FROM THE CHILDREN OF NEW ENGLAND.

SYLVANUS STALL, D. D., Philadelphia, Pa.

REVEREND SIR:

I wish to thank you in behalf of my school
children for having your short sermons to children
published. I read them to my school children as
part of our devotional exercises, and I often hear
remarks like this: "I wish the author would come
to Moose Meadow. I wish I could hear him. I wish I
could see him and thank him for writing those
sermons. Can't we write to him and thank him?"
etc., and so I have been led to write you,
thanking you in their behalf.

Moose Meadow is a small country place in Eastern
Connecticut, and I wish you to know that the
country children enjoy your sermons equally as
well as city children, and I am very glad that a
copy of your book was put into my hands. I feel
very grateful to God for putting it into the heart
of some one to write such interesting sermons and
beautiful object lessons.

Respectfully,
MRS. A. B. DAWE.
Moose Meadow, Town of Willington,
Connecticut.

A SUGGESTIVE BOOK FOR PREACHERS.

"Pastors in search of something suggestive for talking in a helpful manner to children will find this book both helpful and suggestive."--_Reformed Church Messenger._

"A careful reading of this book will enable any minister of anything like ordinary brightness to adapt much of his preaching to the comprehension of the young."--_Gospel Messenger._

"We do not know that we can give a stronger commendation of this little volume than to say that on a brief examination of it we got the suggestion for a series of half a dozen evening sermons to young people. The book is most suggestive, and spiritually as well as mentally refreshing."--_Christian Statesman._

"An examination of the little sermons in this book shows the reader that Dr. Stall skillfully manages each topic, and leaves helpful lessons of moral and religious truths. The book will suggest to pastors methods of work that will bring the children into a closer relation to the services of the Sabbath."--_Christian Secretary._

"Excellent, admirable, irresistible approaches through the Eye-gate and Ear-gate in the City of Child-soul. The author is a genius. There is not a dull line between the covers of this book."--_Christian Endeavor World._

OTHER ENTHUSIASTIC WORDS.

"These sermons are delightful and helpful in their explanation. We have seen nothing that compares with it."--_Herald of Gospel Liberty._

"These sermons are animated in style, bright, interesting and practical."--_The Advance._

"Dr. Stall's sermons are excellent examples of abstract lessons from the common objects of everyday life, practical and effective."--_Books and Authors._

"Dr. Stall is an expert in this line of work attempted, and we may add achieved in this little book. He addresses little object sermons as bright, pithy and taking as they can be with a good point to them always."--_New York Independent._

"These short sermons will be found wonderfully suggestive. The author goes back to Bible methods, and selects common things with which all are familiar from which to draw his lessons."--_Inter Ocean_, Chicago.

"The old truths of the Gospel in this new form arrest the eye, secure the attention, impress the mind, and win the heart for Christ."--_Herald and Presbytery._

"The illustrations used are impressive, and truths taught are important, and the impressions made are likely to be lasting."--_New York Observer._

"The author, after the manner of the parables told by our Lord, presents important truths of the Gospel to the easy comprehension of both old and young."--_Christian Work._

"These little sermons are free from sensational, mawkish, maudlin stories. At the same time, they are interesting for old and young, and the short talks to children are admirable."--_Western Recorder._

"With the objects of every day life presented to the eye, the author, after the manner of the parables, presents important truths of the Gospel to the easy comprehension of both the old and young."--_Methodist Recorder._

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Transcriber's note:

Obvious punctuation errors were corrected.

Inconsistent hyphenation was retained.

Page 118, "experence" changed to "experience" (and patience experience)

Page 260, repeated word "the" removed from text (he spend the summer)

Page 301, "Persia" changed to "Prussia" (the King of Prussia had)