,,the ,,children',s ,,six ,,minutes ,,bruce ,s4 ,,wright ,,the ,,children',s ,,six ,,minutes ,,by ,,bruce ,s4 ,,wright ,,new ,,york ,,george ,h4 ,,doran ,,company ,,copyright1 #aibb1 ,,by ,,george ,h4 ,,doran ,,company ,,the ,,children',s ,,six ,,minutes4 ,,ii ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,to ,,harriet ,,elizabeth ,,and ,,robert ,,introduction ,for many years it has been my custom to give1 every ,sunday morning1 a brief sermon to the boys and girls of my congregation4 ,this sermon is never more than six minutes1 often only three4 ,as a result there has been a growing attendance of young people at our morning worship4 ,they are thus made to feel that they are wanted1 and have a part in the ,church which all too often is looked upon as a ,church solely for the grownups4 ,no part of my ministry has given me greater delight and satisfaction than the thought that ,i am helping to establish in the lives of many boys and girls that habit so indispensable to a steady ,christian experience1 namely--the habit of ,sunday morning worship4 ,the ,memory ,texts and ,memory ,hymns1 from the ,methodist ,episcopal ,hymnal1 suggested with each sermon are given for the reason that girls and boys gladly do memory work if it is definitely assigned them4 ,,contents ,,happy ,,new ,,year #ab ,,growth #ad ,,snow #af ,,kindness #ah ,,god',s ,,call #bj ,a ,,happy ,,home #bb ,,system #bd ,a ,,boy ,,from ,,the ,,country #bf ,,the ,,most ,,beautiful ,,thing ,,in ,,the ,,world #bh ,,easter ,,light #cj ,,april #cb ,,helping ,,fingers #cd ,,two ,r',s ,,and ,,an ,a #cf ,,candle ,,children #ch ,,alas1 ,,the ,,marks #dj ,a ,,blind ,,man ,,who ,,saw #db ,,choosing ,a ,,king #dd ,,worship ,,and ,,toil #df ,,god',s ,,clock #dh ,,the ,,human ,,kodak #ej ,,watch ,,lessons #eb ,,what ,,did ,,you ,,see8 #ed ,,knife ,,lessons #ef ,,letters #eh ,a ,,unique ,,psalm #fj ,,the ,,father',s ,,care #fb ,,yokes #fd ,,good ,,advice #ff ,,if ,i ,,were ,a ,,boy ,,again #fh ,,one ,,by ,,one #gj ,,come #gb ,,love ,,and ,,loyalty #gd ,,kummogokdonattoottammoctiteaongannunno nash #gf ,,what ,,the ,,trees ,,said ,,to ,,me #gh ,,banks #hj ,,work #hb ,,the ,,big ,,store #hd ,,bread #hf ,,god',s ,,measure #hh ,,sleep #ij ,,on ,,time #ib ,,doors #id ,,cheapest ,,and ,,best #if ,,in ,,the ,,dark #ih ,,the ,,still ,,small ,,voice #ajj ,,thanksgiving #ajb ,,marbles ,,in ,,the ,,pocket #ajd ,,the ,,first ,,month #ajf ,,him ,,and ,,hymn #ajh ,,the ,,christmas ,,tree #aaj ,,the ,,best ,,word #aab ,,last ,,but ,,not ,,least #aad ,,the ,,children',s ,,six ,,minutes ,,happy ,,new ,,year ,happy ,new ,year1 ,juniors6 ,the morning of the first day of every year we enter into a contest4 ,we see who will be the first to give that day's greeting4 ,before ,i was awake this morning my boy ran into my room shouting1 ,happy ,new ,year6 ,happy ,new ,year6 ,he won in the contest4 ,now1 however1 you are in ,church and it is not proper for you to speak out loud1 so ,i am able to get ahead of you4 ,a ,happy ,new ,year to you1 every one4 ,well1 what will make this year a happy year for you8 ,i will tell you4 ,let us take this word ,happy1 and instead of writing it across the page let us write it straight up and down4 ,h stands for ,helpful4 ,you cannot have a happy year unless you are helpful4 ,he who does not try to be helpful is never very happy4 ,a for ,active4 ,i want your year to be full of activity4 ,i hope you will be able to skate and slide down hill many days this winter1 and that you will enter into all the spring and summer sports with zest and joy4 ,p for ,playful4 ,all work and no play makes ,jack a dull boy4 ,you will want to do something other than play1 of course4 ,you will have some home responsibilities1 but sandwiched in with the work may there be a good measure of play4 ,p for ,purposeful4 ,yes1 early hi life you should form a purpose4 ,two questions will help you gain that purpose4 #ast--,what is it that ,i want to do8 #bnd--,what is it that ,god wants me to do8 ,y for ,youth4 ,helpful ,active ,playful ,purposeful ,youth4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #ai3 #ad ,let the words of my mouth1 and the meditation of my heart1 be acceptable in thy sight1 ,o ,lord1 my strength and my redeemer4 ,,memory ,,hymn1 #egb ,break1 newborn year1 on glad eyes break4 ,,growth ,this second ,sunday morning of the ,new ,year ,i desire to talk to you about growth4 ,the most important holiday afterthought is the thought of growth4 ,you are going to grow every day of this year4 ,whenever ,i see a boy on his way to school1 or on the field or gymnasium floor1 running1 romping1 playing1 ,i say to myself1 ,can it be possible that this restless1 energetic lad was ever a quiet1 helpless little babe in the cradle6 ,yes1 he was1 but he has grown1 and he is going to keep right on growing4 ,it was said of the boy ,jesus1 ,he grew4 ,his growth was natural4 ,there was nothing of precociousness in the childhood of ,jesus4 ,he grew1 just as every boy grows4 ,a simple-hearted child was he1 ,and he was nothing more2 ,in summer days1 like you and me1 ,he played about the door1 ,or gathered1 where the father toiled1 ,the shavings from the floor4 ,his growth continued4 ,it did not stop with childhood1 but right on through boyhood1 youth and manhood he kept growing4 ,best of all his growth was balanced4 ,he grew physically1 mentally and spiritually4 ,he had a sound body4 ,he loved the out-of-doors4 ,he companionshiped much with nature4 ,most of his graphic illustrations were taken from living1 growing things4 ,he talked1 almost chiefly1 about seeds1 grain1 harvests1 trees1 birds and living waters4 ,boys and girls1 strive to grow4 ,be like your ,master who grew inward1 outward1 and upward2 selfward1 manward1 and ,godward4 ,how can ,i grow8 you ask4 ,i will tell you by passing on to you the secret as given by ,maltbie ,babcock4 ,go ,right ,on ,working ,,memory ,,verse1 ,luke #b3 #dj ,and the child grew1 and waxed strong in spirit1 filled with wisdom2 and the grace of ,god was upon him4 ,,memory ,,hymn #fha ,brightly gleams our banner4 ,,snow ,goody1 goody1 it's snowing6 ,this is what ,i heard early yesterday morning4 ,i think there were many other homes in which this shout of joy ushered in the day4 ,it being ,saturday the day was mostly free for playing in the snow4 ,what did you do8 ,you made a snow man4 ,you built a snow fort or house4 ,you had a snowball battle4 ,you slid down hill4 ,you played fox and geese1 tracking one another across white fields and through the woods4 ,you had a happy1 wonderful day1 ,i know you did4 ,have you ever thought how snow is made1 and whence it comes8 ,it is formed high in the air1 from vapor1 and comes down from the clouds1 just like rain4 ,snowdrops are like people in one respect1 no two are alike4 ,if you will look at the snowflakes through a magnifying glass you will see a great variety of shapes4 ,and all of them are beautiful4 ,we talk about the sparkling beauty of diamonds and other precious gems2 crystal snowflakes are more beautiful by far4 ,if only we could keep them from melting what a necklace or a setting for a ring a collection of snowflakes would make6 ,god's love is shown to us in the snow4 ,for a fall of snow is like a great blanket1 covering the tender roots and seeds1 keeping them from freezing1 assuring us of another harvest4 ,as to-day you walk home through the snow let it speak to you of your ,father's love4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,job #ch3 #bb ,hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow8 ,,memory ,,hymn #cee ,love divine1 all loves excelling4 ,,kindness ,one day last week ,i saw a huge pair of bobs1 heavily loaded with coal1 being pulled up the street by two big1 fine-looking horses4 ,there were two men on the load4 ,their faces were black1 but it was the dirt of honest toil1 it was coal dust4 ,they stopped the horses in front of the house directly across the street from me4 ,i watched them with interest4 ,the first thing one of the men did was to get down1 take a board1 go around to the front of the horses1 lift up the heavy wagon tongue1 place the board underneath it as a brace that the necks of the horses might be relieved of the strain of the wagon tongue4 ,at the same time the other man took two warm blankets and covered the horses with them1 tucking in the corners beneath the harness to make them tight and warm4 ,then the men set to work to carry the coal1 basket by basket1 into the cellar4 ,that was kindness1 was it not1 to see that the horses were so well cared for on a cold winter day6 ,to my mind one of the finest acts of our city government is the way we are taught kindness to dumb animals and birds1 by permitting them to make their homes and nests in the public park4 ,what a delight it is to walk through the park and have the squirrels come running up so close1 to eat from one's hand6 ,that is kindness4 ,how about kindness to people8 ,have you ever seen an older person walking along the street with a little child of three or four years of age1 the child reaching up as far as he could to take the hand of the older person1 the older one jerking1 pulling1 yanking1 all the while saying1 ,come now1 hurry up1 hurry up4 ,that is not kindness1 is it8 ,howe'er it be1 it seems to me ',tis only noble to be good2 ,kind hearts are more than coronets1 ,and simple faith than ,norman blood4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,ephesians #d3 #cb ,be ye kind to one another4 ,,memory ,,hymn #eed ,how sweet1 how heavenly is the sight6 ,,god',s ,,call ,god calls each one of you4 ,he asks you to give your life to him4 ,he has a special work for you to do4 ,you have heard of ,wendell ,phillips who did so much to make slavery unlawful in ,america6 ,once1 when ,wendell was a boy fourteen years of age1 he heard ,lyman ,beecher preach4 ,in the course of his sermon the preacher said1 ,you belong to ,god4 ,the boy ,wendell thought that the preacher looked straight at him when he said that4 ,he went to his home at the close of the service1 climbed the stairs to his room1 shut the door1 knelt in prayer1 saying1 ,o ,god1 ,i belong to thee1 take what is thine own4 ,he heard and answered ,god's call4 ,many1 many years before ,wendell ,phillips lived there was another boy4 ,he worked in the temple4 ,he was a youthful assistant to the minister4 ,i suppose he ran errands for him1 and performed any and every service about the temple the minister desired4 ,one night1 as usual1 the boy went to bed and fell asleep4 ,as he slept he heard a voice calling him4 ,now he was an obedient boy1 and though it was hard for him to rouse himself from a sound sleep and leave his comfortable bed he did so4 ,he ran to the minister saying1 ,here ,i am1 you called me1 what do you want8 ,the minister said1 ,no1 my boy1 ,i did not call you1 go back to bed4 ,the boy returned to his bed and again went to sleep4 ,a second time1 and even a third time he was called4 ,each time the faithful1 obedient lad leaped from his couch and ran to the minister4 ,the third time it dawned on the mind of the minister that the voice the lad heard was the voice of ,god1 calling him to himself and to his special service4 ,being a wise and loving man he said to the boy1 ,return to your bed1 and if you hear the call again1 say1 ',speak1 ,lord1 for thy servant heareth4' ,the boy did as instructed and that night was forever memorable in his life1 for that was the night ,god called ,samuel and ,samuel answered4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,samuel #c3 #aj ,and the ,lord came1 and stood1 and called as at other times1 ,samuel1 ,samuel4 ,then ,samuel answered1 ,speak1 for thy servant heareth4 ,,memory ,,hymn #fgd ,hushed was the evening hymn4 ,a ,,happy ,,home ,this morning1 the first thing1 my boy said to me1 ,tell me a story4 ,this is the story ,i told him4 ,once upon a time1 it was a long1 long time ago1 so long ago that we can scarcely realize how long1 more than twenty-five hundred years ago4 ,well1 once upon a time there was a home--homes then were quite the same in most ways as homes are now--there were children in that home4 ,they played and were happy4 ,and too1 ,i suppose they had their misunderstandings1 and sometimes the children quarreled4 ,one day the children heard music4 ,looking up the street they saw a great company of men marching right toward them4 ,they were soldiers4 ,there were thirty thousand of them4 ,in the center of the marching army were some oxen4 ,the oxen were harnessed to a fine1 new cart4 ,on the cart was a chest1 most beautifully carved and decorated4 ,on the soldiers came4 ,what was the amazement of the boys and girls when they stopped right in front of their house6 ,then the king1 majestic in his bearing and gorgeously arrayed1 came to their father and said1 ,i want to leave this chest here in your house4 ,take good care of it4 ,the king's men brought the wonderful chest within1 set it down1 went out1 and the army marched away4 ,from that hour the home was a different home4 ,there was joy1 and peace1 and an utter absence of quarreling4 ,three months passed by4 ,then one day the king came again and took the chest away4 ,but peace and happiness did not depart with the chest4 ,the home was as happy and peaceful and free from bickering through all the coming months as through the three when the wonderful chest was in the house4 ,what was the chest8 ,it was not the king's chest2 it was the ark of ,god4 ,you will find this true story in ,second ,samuel1 the sixth chapter4 ,memory ,verse1 ,,ii ,samuel #f3 #aa ,and the ark of the ,lord continued in the house of ,obededom the ,gittite three months2 and the ,lord blessed him1 and all his household4 ,,memory ,,hymn #fga ,o happy home1 where thou art loved the dearest4 ,,system ,here are three books4 ,i put them down like this1 one beside the other1 that is system4 ,i throw them down carelessly1 that is not system1 it is not orderly4 ,here is a little box4 ,inside are letters1 such as you see on the sign in front of the ,church4 ,each letter has a space all its own4 ,now if ,a were put down at ,m1 ,m at ,z1 and ,e at ,x1 what a task it would be to pick out the letters and make a sign6 ,one day ,i visited a ,chinese school4 ,such lack of system1 such disorderliness ,i never did see6 ,such noise ,i never did hear6 ,they were all studying at the tops of their voices1 sitting around in all sorts of ways1 each trying to out-shout the other4 ,another day ,i went into a school here in our city4 ,i saw the desks arranged in systematic fashion1 each child with a desk all his own4 ,in front ,i saw a platform1 with a larger desk1 for the teacher4 ,all was quiet and orderly4 ,here ,i have a package of envelopes4 ,there are fifty-two envelopes1 one for each ,sunday in the year4 ,each envelope is divided in the center4 ,on one side ,i read1 ,for others4 ,on the other half ,i read1 ,for ourselves4 ,i need not tell you that these are church envelopes4 ,in this way1 this systematic way1 we support our local church and pay to missions4 ,we like to have the girls and boys1 as well as older people1 use these envelopes4 ,the financial secretary of your church is just as willing to keep the records of young people who give but five cents in each side of the envelope as he is to keep the account of the man or woman who places five dollars in each side of the envelope every ,sunday4 ,you see we want you to grow up systematic and orderly in all your religious life4 ,our ,master is pleased when we do our religious duties decently and in order4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,corinthians #af3 #b ,upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store1 as ,god hath prospered him4 ,,memory ,,hymn #fca ,jesus shall reign where'er the sun4 ,a ,,boy ,,from ,,the ,,country ,once upon a time there was a boy who lived in the country4 ,it was said of him that he was ruddy and withal of a beautiful countenance1 and goodly to look to4 ,i think that description fits a country lad4 ,well1 this boy had brothers who were away from home in the army1 fighting4 ,one day the boy's father said to him1 ,i wish you would go down and see how your brothers are getting along1 and take with you this present4 ,the boy started on his journey4 ,now when he came to the place where the soldiers were encamped he saw a strange sight4 ,a giant1 from the opposing army1 came out1 blustering and issuing his challenge to any one who would dare come against him4 ,all seemed afraid of him4 ,even the big1 strong soldiers would not do battle with him4 ,therefore this youth from the country volunteered saying1 ,i will go out and fight him4 ,they tried to dissuade him1 but he insisted4 ,now he was a perfect shot with the sling4 ,he chose five smooth stones from the brook4 ,with one of these he prevailed over the giant4 ,this lad1 however1 had some other things which stood him in better stead even than the sling and the stones4 ,what were they8 ,first1 he had courage4 ,he possessed what all the others lacked4 ,second1 he had the ability to do one thing and do that one thing well4 ,he could use a sling with the utmost accuracy4 ,third1 he had confidence in himself and faith in ,god4 ,he was not conceited1 no1 we do not like that4 ,rather he had self-confidence4 ,above all was this--,i come to thee in the name of the ,lord of hosts4 ,so said the lad from the country as he went to fight the giant4 ,what was his name8 ,it is a good name--,david4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,samuel #ag3 #de ,thou comest to me with a sword1 and with a spear1 and with a shield2 but ,i come to thee in the name of the ,lord of hosts4 ,,memory ,,hymn #daf ,faith of our fathers4 ,,the ,,most ,,beautiful ,,thing ,,in ,,the ,,world ,the most beautiful thing in the world6 ,now what is it8 ,if you will lift your eyes just a little you will see the flowers on the table1 but lift them higher than the flowers1 higher than this pulpit1 higher than the pipes of the organ1 above the lights1 above the arch1 you will see the most beautiful thing in the world4 ,do you see it8 ,it is the ,cross4 ,do you know1 girls and boys1 that long ago the cross was the most repulsive thing in the world8 ,it was odious4 ,it had none of the charm and beauty that is now woven about it4 ,but from the day that ,jesus was crucified on the cross it took on new meaning1 and it has grown in charm and power until ,i think we all agree that it is the most beautiful sight in the world4 ,out in ,colorado1 high up the side of a mountain1 where the snow never melts in the crevices1 may be seen two long ravines1 one straight up and down1 the other straight across4 ,the snow is packed into those ravines all through the year1 and lifting the eyes one may see upon the lofty mountain side the ,holy ,cross4 ,in the summer seas1 one of the things that mariners are guided by and that tourists look for1 is the ,southern ,cross4 ,there it is1 fashioned by the position of the stars in the clear skies of the tropics4 ,there are many men who wear a cross as a watch fob4 ,there are women who wear a cross as a pendant about the neck4 ,this is an outward sign of an inner devotion4 ,the important thing1 my dear young ,christians1 is to have the cross1 its power and meaning1 stamped upon one's heart4 ,is that where you wear the ,saviour's cross8 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,corinthians #a3 #ah ,for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness2 but unto them which are saved it is the power of ,god4 ,,memory ,,hymn #adc ,in the cross of ,christ ,i glory4 ,,easter ,,light ,this glad morning1 when the world is so bright and beautiful1 ,i want to talk to you about ,easter ,light4 ,one of the most interesting men in our city is a man who goes about our streets with two long sticks4 ,he is the lamplighter4 ,here he comes down the street6 ,see how he pauses at each lamp post4 ,with one stick he pulls the little chain that turns on the gas2 with the other he sets the light going4 ,he walks into the dark1 but he leaves behind him miles of lighted streets4 ,i hope we shall have always many streets lighted with gas1 for ,i love to see the lamplighter dot his way along the streets and avenues with lighted periods4 ,in the center of our city is the tall ,electric ,light ,building4 ,on the very tip of the tower is a high power electric light4 ,it is lighted every evening from eight to eleven o'clock4 ,children1 looking out of their windows as they go to bed1 think that it is another star in the sky1 it is so bright and steady4 ,more wonderful than any of these lights is the source of all light4 ,it is the light that ,god provides for all of his children4 ,the sun warms our fields1 makes our gardens grow1 and causes our harvests to prosper4 ,the sun never fails us4 ,now there is another light1 a light that is above even the sun4 ,that is the light of ,easter day4 ,the tomb of death is no longer dark1 for the resurrection light brightens every corner and shines in radiance through the open doorway4 ,the light of ,easter also lights up the windows of our heavenly home4 ,when you are out of an evening it is not pleasant to return to a dark house4 ,there is a wondrous welcome in lighted windows4 ,that welcome ,god gives us in the light of ,easter day4 ,christ1 and his resurrection1 shine in the windows of heaven to greet us when we go home4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,matthew #bh3 #a ,in the end of the ,sabbath1 as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week1 came ,mary ,magdalene and the other ,mary to see the sepulchre4 ,,memory ,,hymn #aef ,christ the ,lord is risen to-day4 ,,april ,i have in my hand a small branch from a big tree4 ,this branch is from an apple tree4 ,here are seen the tiny buds1 the promise of the blossom1 and after that the fruit4 ,have you ever seen an apple orchard in blossom8 ,people rave about the cherry blossoms of ,japan1 and the fire trees1 flaming red1 of the ,philippines4 ,i have been in both countries1 but ,i think there is no more beautiful sight in any country than the blossoming apple orchards of ,america4 ,as you came to church this morning you saw all along the streets and avenues hundreds of trees like this branch1 sending forth their first buds4 ,what do these buds tell us8 ,first of all they tell us of ,god4 ,i do not see how any one can live through the awakening spring season and not think daily thoughts of ,god4 ,most people remember the ,creator4 ,only one person has ever denied ,god4 ,the fool hath said in his heart1 there is no ,god4 ,he said it to himself1 he did not dare speak it out loud4 ,in the second place1 this branch tells us of ,god's ,love4 ,he1 the loving ,father of all people1 makes blessed provision for the care and nurture of his children4 ,he reminds us each year1 in seedtime and harvest1 of his boundless love4 ,his love never fails4 ,there have been many hundreds of years in the history of the world1 yet each year has had its spring1 its seedtime1 and its ,resurrection4 ,young people1 let ,god's ,april speak to you4 ,when ,i am gone1 somehow ,i hope that ,april ,will typify my life1 my faith1 ,my hope of victory through the years1 ,my steadiness of step1 my clear and visioned eye4 ,the early flowers1 the birds ,singing in the rain1 ,the increasing light1 the slowly opening buds1 ,the almond blooms1 the trees in vernal dress ,are like the silver crown upon the head2 ,a prophecy of heaven's summer time4 ,yes1 even now it is the ,april ,of my great immortality4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,john #aa3 #be ,jesus said unto her1 ,i am the resurrection1 and the life4 ,,memory ,,hymn #chi ,sow in the morn thy seed4 ,,helping ,,fingers ,for three years ,i lived in ,manila1 ,philippine ,islands4 ,not far from my home was an orphanage for children who were deaf and dumb4 ,frequently these children were seen at different entertainments that were given about the city4 ,one evening ,i went to attend a lecture in the ,y4,m4,c4,a4 ,right in front of me sat three children4 ,they were very quiet and orderly4 ,when the lecture began the boy who sat in the middle began to make his fingers go as fast as he could1 the two children on either side watching him intently4 ,that center boy could hear1 the other two were deaf4 ,so he heard the lecture for them and told it to them by the finger language4 ,one day a girl1 coming out from school1 got on a street car to go to her home4 ,the car was crowded4 ,she found a seat next to a woman who was heavily laden with bundles4 ,she had all she could do to hold those bundles in her lap and keep them from falling and scattering their contents on the floor4 ,then a string about one of the packages became untied4 ,she struggled to get that string fastened securely4 ,she had so many packages1 her fingers were numb with cold1 and again and again the string slipped just at the crucial time4 ,finally this school girl1 who was an attractive1 well-dressed girl1 reached over and placed her nicely gloved finger on the obstreperous knot4 ,there was a grateful smile from the troubled woman and a hearty ,thank you4 ,the next stop was the girl's home4 ,as she went to the end of the car she passed a school friend who had watched the little incident4 ,she said to her1 ,i see you belong to the helping hand society4 ,no1 replied the girl1 not the helping hand1 just the helping finger society4 ,this is a great society1 girls and boys4 ,admission to it requires no initiation fee1 no dues1 simply the desire and the will to be helpful wherever you are4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,ecclesiastes #i3 #aj ,whatsoever thy hand findeth to do1 do it with thy might4 ,,memory ,,hymn #cdi ,saviour1 thy dying love thou gavest me4 ,,two ,r',s ,,and ,,an ,a ,do you know what week this is8 ,we have all sorts of weeks1 don't we6 ,there is ,sunday ,school week1 ,go to ,church week1 ,boy ,scout week1 ,red ,cross week1 ,social ,welfare week1 ,hospital week1 ,y4,w4,c4,a4 and ,y4,m4,c4,a4 week4 ,sometimes we wish we could have one week all to ourselves4 ,well1 this is a special week4 ,it is called ,good ,literature week4 ,i want to tell you about ,good ,literature week by the use of these three letters1 two ,r's and an ,a4 ,the first ,r stands for ,read4 ,by all means read4 ,there is no excuse for not reading1 there is so much to read4 ,indeed ,i think that is the chief difficulty1 we have too much1 at least too much of that which is not good to read4 ,here's the bulky daily paper4 ,when it is delivered there is a rush for it4 ,the children want the comic supplement4 ,so do some of the grownups4 ,a little nonsense now and then1 ,is relished by the wisest men4 ,that is true1 and all right1 but read something beside the comics4 ,the second ,r is ,remember4 ,you cannot remember all that you read4 ,you can remember much4 ,you should train your mind to remember the best4 ,john ,ruskin1 one of the most gifted of ,englishmen1 said1 ,to this ,i owe all that ,i have of power1 to the fact that when ,i was a boy my mother made me learn1 every day1 and remember1 a verse of the ,bible4 ,now the ,a4 ,the ,a stands for1 can you guess8 ,it means ,action4 ,read1 remember what you read1 and then apply it1 put it into action4 ,it is a fine thing to read a story like ,pollyanna and get all excited over it4 ,it is much finer to read ,pollyanna and then put her spirit into action in the daily life of the home4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #aai3 #aa ,thy word have ,i hid in mine heart1 that ,i might2 not sin against thee4 ,,memory ,,hymn #bja ,how precious is the book divine6 ,,candle ,,children ,what is this ,i have here8 ,it is a candle in a candlestick4 ,there is something about a candle we all love4 ,we have our clear gas lights and our still more brilliant electric bulbs1 but when the birthday comes we want a cake with candles on it4 ,think of this as a birthday candle and let it speak to you4 ,first of all this candle speaks of ,symmetry4 ,how perfectly formed is this candle6 ,it is smooth1 there are no rough places that stand out like an ugly wart on one's face4 ,your life should have symmetry4 ,god asks you to give heed to your physical1 your mental and your spiritual duties that your life may be well rounded1 a life of beautiful symmetry4 ,second1 this candle stands for ,fragrance4 ,this is a fragrant candle4 ,it is what is known as a barberry candle4 ,there are some children we do not like to have around1 they are surly1 sulky and mean4 ,there are others we dear love to have with us at all times4 ,they have what ,i call fragrance4 ,they have the fragrance of thoughtfulness1 the sweetness of unselfishness4 ,in the third place this candle means ,erectness4 ,how straight it stands in the candlestick6 ,stand up straight1 girls and boys4 ,do not stoop4 ,do not hump yourself over your school desk4 ,walk erect4 ,it means so much now1 it will mean much more in later years4 ,some day1 if you heed my word1 you will be grateful that the preacher once said to you so emphatically that you could not forget1 ,john1 ,mary1 stand up straight4 ,fourth1 the candle stands for ,light4 ,it is useless until the wick is lighted4 ,it burns for others4 ,your life is a light4 ,jesus wants all ,christians to think of themselves as lights in the world4 ,let your light shine4 ,be a lighted candle for the ,lord4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,proverbs #bj3 #bg ,the spirit of man is the candle of the ,lord4 ,,memory ,,hymn #hd ,the spacious firmament on high4 ,,alas1 ,,the ,,marks ,there is an old1 old story about a father who had great difficulty in making his boy obey4 ,the boy did wrong in spite of all that the father could say or do4 ,one day the father said to the boy1 ,here is the shed door1 now every time you do wrong ,i am going to pound a nail into the door4 ,one by one the nails were pounded into the door1 until it was literally filled with nails4 ,the boy did not like the looks of the door1 the thought of it began to trouble his conscience4 ,so he spoke to his father about it4 ,well1 said his father1 ,i'll tell you what we will do4 ,every time you are obedient1 every time you do a good deed rather than a wrong one1 we will pull a nail out4 ,the bargain was struck1 and as1 one by one1 the nails were driven in1 so1 one by one1 they were pulled out4 ,finally the day arrived when there was but one nail left4 ,you can imagine the joy of the boy when he and his father went together to pull that nail out4 ,with great glee the claws of the hammer were fastened about the head of ,mr4 ,nail and1 jerk1 out he came4 ,oh1 exclaimed the boy1 the marks are left4 ,yes1 it was true1 for every nail driven in and pulled out a mark was left1 and it was an ugly looking door4 ,that is the sad thing about it all1 said the father1 every time you do an evil deed a mark is left upon the life4 ,it is never the same as if the evil deed had not been committed4 ,it is fine that we have all the nails out1 but it would have been much better had they never been driven in4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,jeremiah #b3 #bb ,for though thou wash thee with nitre1 and take thee much sope1 yet thine iniquity is marked before me1 saith the ,lord ,god4 ,,memory ,,hymn #cdh ,take my life and let it be ,consecrated1 ,lord1 to thee4 ,a ,,blind ,,man ,,who ,,saw ,once upon a time there was a boy who had a call to be a preacher4 ,now this boy was ,scotch1 and the fondest ambition of a ,scotch mother is that her son shall become a minister4 ,you may believe that this particular lad's mother was very1 very happy4 ,so ,george 7,george was his name7 went to school4 ,he was not a brilliant student1 but he was faithful1 he did his work well and passed his grades4 ,one day he noted some difficulty with his eyes4 ,the trouble increased rather than diminished4 ,before he had finished his education1 while he was yet a young man1 he became totally blind4 ,he was greatly discouraged4 ,he was tempted to give up entirely1 stop trying to do anything4 ,certainly he could not be a successful preacher if he was blind4 ,who would listen to him8 ,how could he do his work8 ,however there was another voice inside him1 the voice of courage1 hope and faith4 ,it was the voice of the ,lord that bid him go right on with his plans4 ,he heeded the urge of the inner voice4 ,he was ordained4 ,people loved him1 and flocked to hear him preach4 ,though his natural vision was darkened1 his spiritual vision was so much brighter4 ,though he could not look upon the beautiful sights of the world1 he had eyes to see more clearly the wonderful things of the soul4 ,his fame spread throughout ,edinburgh1 ,scotland1 ,england1 and all the ,english-speaking world1 and everywhere he was known and loved as the blind preacher4 ,this blind preacher wrote many hymns4 ,the greatest hymn he ever wrote1 and one of the finest in all the ,english language1 is the ,memory ,hymn for to-day4 ,his name8 ,well1 ,i almost forgot that4 ,his name is ,george ,matheson4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,isaiah #db3 #af ,i will bring the blind by a way that they knew not2 ,i will lead them in paths that they have not known3 ,i will make darkness light before them1 and crooked things straight4 ,these things will ,i do unto them1 and not forsake them4 ,,memory ,,hymn #dha ,o love that wilt not let me go4 ,,choosing ,a ,,king ,what would you do if you were asked to select a young man who should some day be president of the ,united ,states8 ,what tests would you apply8 ,would you look upon the clothes that he wore8 ,would you consider the color of his hair8 ,would you insist that he should be of a certain height8 ,once upon a time there was a good and wise man who was asked to choose a king for his people4 ,he started on his journey in search of the most promising youth he could find4 ,by and by he came to a home where there were many boys4 ,one of these boys stood before him4 ,he was tall4 ,he was well formed4 ,he had a good bearing4 ,surely1 thought the king-chooser1 here is just the man4 ,but something inside him1 the still small voice ,i think it was1 said to him1 ,no1 do not choose him1 he is not the one4 ,the father then called a second son4 ,like the first he was goodly to look upon4 ,the great man commissioned to choose a king was about to select this one when the same voice inside warned him to wait4 ,a third son was summoned4 ,a third time the voice said1 ,no1 he is not the one4 ,how chagrined the father must have been to have all seven of his splendid sons rejected6 ,all8 ,no1 not all4 ,for the king-chooser said1 ,have you no more sons8 ,yes1 ,i have one other1 but he is young and the keeper of the sheep4 ,i am sure you would not think of him as a king4 ,nevertheless1 said the prophet1 send for him4 ,and he came1 the youngest1 the most unlikely one of all1 at least so the father and the brothers thought4 ,but the voice within said1 ,this is the one1 choose him4 ,you will want to read all of this wonderful story and you will find it in your ,bible1 ,first ,samuel the sixteenth chapter4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,samuel #af3 #g ,and the ,lord said unto ,samuel1 ,look not on his countenance1 or on the height of his stature2 for the ,lord seeth not as man seeth2 for the man looketh on the outward appearance1 but the ,lord looketh on the heart4 ,,memory ,,hymn #ced ,o for a heart to praise my ,god4 ,,worship ,,and ,,toil ,one day about one hundred years ago a little boy named ,jean stood by his father's side watching the setting sun sink into the waves of the sea4 ,the glory of the scene stirred his boyish enthusiasm and he poured out his heart in an ecstasy of joy4 ,the father reverently took off his cap and said1 ,my son1 it is ,god4 ,the boy never forgot that word1 ,it is ,god4 ,jean came of a peasant family1 so he had to take his place in the field and earn his bread by the sweat of his brow4 ,on ,sundays the fields were forsaken and the family went to the village church where the father was the leader of the choir4 ,after church friends and relatives sometimes came home to spend the afternoon with the family4 ,one ,sunday1 soon after the return from church1 the bent figure of an aged peasant slowly made his way along the road4 ,there was something about the figure that struck the boy ,jean4 ,he took a piece of charcoal and hurriedly drew a sketch upon the wall4 ,every movement and attitude was so perfectly depicted that everybody laughed--everybody but the father4 ,he sensed the gift possessed by his boy1 whose growing talent he had been watching4 ,my ,jean1 he said1 ,i will no longer hinder you from learning that which you are so anxious to know4 ,jean ,francis ,millet1 for such is his full name1 became the artist of peasantry4 ,he never made any other boast4 ,his character was of the highest4 ,he had a firm faith in ,god4 ,he believed in the ,bible as the ,word of ,god4 ,he looked upon his use of the brush as preaching upon canvas the purity and truth he believed4 ,the ,angelus is the name of the best known picture that he painted4 ,it shows two workers in a potato field1 a man and a woman1 who hear from the near-by village the faint tones of the ,angelus bell calling them to prayer4 ,they pause1 stand erect1 bow their heads and worship4 ,it is a beautiful picture4 ,i hope you have a copy framed in your room4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,luke #aa3 #a ,lord1 teach us to pray4 ,,memory ,,hymn #die ,from every stormy wind that blows4 ,,god',s ,,clock ,do you own a watch8 ,if you do not now you will some day4 ,i have a friend whose watch came to him in this wise4 ,his father said to him1 ,when you graduate from ,high ,school ,i will give you a watch4 ,is there a town clock where you live8 ,is it dependable8 ,do men set their watches by it8 ,do people1 passing it1 glance up to see if they are late8 ,in the village where ,i began my ministry the ,baptist tower held the town clock4 ,i lived but a few doors away4 ,i went to bed by it4 ,i studied by it4 ,i was wakened by it4 ,even now1 and many years have passed since then1 ,i can hear its clear bell strike the hours4 ,the strangest clock ,i ever saw was in ,china4 ,i went up the ,west ,river to the city of ,canton4 ,i was carried through the narrow1 smelly1 crowded streets to the top of a little hill at the city's edge4 ,there1 on the very tip-top ,i saw the ,water ,clock4 ,i read1 ,this water clock is a most ancient1 authentic1 celebrated and sacred relic of ,kwong ,tung ,province1 over #a1cjj years old4 ,it was erected on the top story of the north ,worshiping ,tower which was built by ,chin ,to1 ,king of the ,south of ,china4 ,it was a strange1 crude affair1 run by water4 ,i stood and looked at it and thought1 ,this clock was running when ,george ,washington was president2 it was running when ,christopher ,columbus sailed on his great voyage of discovery2 long years1 long centuries before that it was built4 ,but there is a clock surpassing all others4 ,i call it ,god's clock4 ,it is the ,sun4 ,since time began ,god's clock has kept time4 ,it is the central clock of our universe4 ,it regulates all others4 ,it does not have to be wound4 ,god has seen to that4 ,how can we help worshiping the ,god who has made such a clock6 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #gd3 #af ,the day is thine1 the night also is thine2 thou hast prepared the light and the sun4 ,,memory ,,hymn #dg ,sun of my soul1 thou ,saviour dear4 ,,the ,,human ,,kodak ,i wonder how many of you have a kodak4 ,yes1 many of you own one4 ,what a wonderful little machine a kodak is6 ,first we buy a film1 then we open the kodak and place the film4 ,now pull the paper over to the empty roll and fasten1 close the kodak and begin to wind4 ,oh1 here you are1 ,no4 #a4 ,the day is clear1 for we must have a clear day to get the best picture4 ,we hold the kodak very steady1 then snap1 we have it4 ,next we pull a little slide in the back1 take a pencil and write down the date and name4 ,let me see1 what was that picture8 ,oh1 yes1 ,chrysanthemum 7is that the way to spell it87 exhibition4 ,next the films are developed1 and the kodak pictures are complete1 all but pasting them in a big book4 ,for all that the kodak is a whole lot of fuss1 isn't it8 ,but1 do you know1 each one of us has a kodak ,god has given him which works itself4 ,we have the open circle through which the pictures are taken1 our eyes1 and beyond the eyes1 in the brain1 are thousands of films4 ,we start out in the morning and the moment we open our eyes we begin exposing those films4 ,we do not have to do any clicking for these pictures1 one after another1 click1 click1 click1 and they are developed as fast as they are taken4 ,if you should say to a man who has reached three score years and ten1 ,tell me the clearest picture you can remember1 he would not show a picture that was taken yesterday1 or last week1 or last year4 ,he would turn back the pages of his memory book fifty1 sixty years4 ,the clearest pictures he possesses are those that were snapped in his boyhood4 ,every day you are taking pictures that are going to remain with you as long as you live4 ,let us resolve1 girls and boys1 that as we go out each morning and our human kodak begins clicking1 we shall take only pictures that are true1 pure and clean4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,proverbs #d3 #be ,let thine eyes look right on1 and let thine eyelids look straight before thee4 ,,memory ,,hymn #a ,o for a thousand tongues to sing ,my great ,redeemer's praise4 ,,watch ,,lessons ,my grandfather was a foreman in a tannery for a great many years4 ,finally1 as he was approaching seventy years of age1 he left the tannery to retire to a quieter life4 ,the men who worked in his department had a real affection for him4 ,as an expression of that esteem they presented him1 on his last day with them1 a beautiful1 solid gold watch4 ,on the inner cover they engraved his name1 the date1 and the occasion of the presentation4 ,when my grandfather died the watch became my father's possession4 ,then upon my father's death the watch came to me4 ,what a joy it is to carry such a watch6 ,here are some lessons my watch teaches me4 ,the case is but the outside4 ,it is nice to have a gold case1 it looks so well4 ,but that does not make the watch keep any better time4 ,it would keep just as accurate time if the case were iron4 ,you see it is the inside that counts4 ,it is the same with life4 ,the soul is the important part of us4 ,now here is the tiny second hand4 ,it rushes around1 jumping1 hurrying1 fussy1 as though it were doing the whole job4 ,but you cannot tell time by the second hand4 ,knock it off and the watch goes right on running4 ,here's the minute hand4 ,how big1 and solemn and serious it looks6 ,surely the minute hand is important4 ,what time is it8 ,fifteen minutes after4 ,fifteen minutes after what8 ,the minute hand does not say4 ,ah1 here's the hour hand4 ,strong1 steady1 dependable4 ,the hour hand does not move very fast1 you cannot see it move4 ,it makes no fuss at all1 but you can tell time by the hour hand4 ,let your life be like the hour hand of the watch1 so true and steady that other girls and boys who daily watch you may know life's time1 may never be led astray4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,corinthians #ae3 #eh ,therefore1 be ye steadfast1 immovable1 always abounding in the work of the ,lord1 forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the ,lord4 ,,memory ,,hymn #che ,soldiers of the cross1 arise6 ,,what ,,did ,,you ,,see8 ,a few days ago ,i made a trip on the train4 ,when ,i returned home one of the first questions my little boy asked me was1 ,what did you see8 ,i shall tell you what ,i told him4 ,looking out of the car window ,i saw an immense field1 acres and acres1 and in that field were planted hundreds1 yes thousands1 of little trees4 ,i inquired of the man who sat next me1 ,what are those little trees for8 ,he said1 ,they are growing those little trees to reforest the desolate1 burned over regions of the ,adirondacks4 ,i said to myself1 ,that is just what we are doing in my church4 ,we are growing girls and boys to reforest the needy places of the earth4 ,i inquired1 ,how long do they keep those little trees there8 ,not very long1 said he1 just long enough to give them a good start4 ,then they transplant them4 ,again ,i said to myself1 ,that is exactly what we do4 ,we keep the girls and boys only a little while1 then they are transplanted4 ,i had another question4 ,when they transplant these little trees how do they plant them1 haphazard1 every-which-way8 ,no1 indeed1 was his answer1 they are planted in rows1 and close together4 ,exactly what we are doing in our church1 ,i thought4 ,we are growing our girls and boys1 and we are keeping them close together1 because they are such a help to one another1 and there is great inspiration in numbers4 ,looking out of the train window at those trees of future forests1 ,i thought of the verse in ,isaiah1 ,the mountains and the trees shall break forth before you into singing1 and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands4 ,i can hear the mountains and the hills of the ,adirondacks singing because of the growing trees1 and ,i hear the mountains and the hills of earth singing because of the millions of growing girls and boys who shall reforest the desolate places of earth4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #ib3 #ac ,those that be planted in the house of the ,lord shall flourish in the courts of our ,god4 ,,memory ,,hymn #fgg ,saviour1 like a shepherd lead us4 ,,knife ,,lessons ,i have here a knife4 ,it was given me by a friend1 a token of his affection and esteem1 when ,i went aboard the steamer in ,manila1 ,philippine ,islands1 to return to the homeland4 ,all these years since then the knife has been on my study desk1 daily teaching me4 ,what lessons does this knife teach8 ,first of all the knife tells me of ,strength4 ,the most important part of this knife is what ,i call the backbone4 ,it is the main portion of the knife to which all the blades are fastened1 as well as the polished pearl handle4 ,this would be a weak and useless knife did it not have a backbone4 ,it says to me every day ,be strong1 stand up1 have convictions1 be steadfast4 ,lesson number two1 ,discipline4 ,this knife has been subjected to many trials and tests4 ,the steel of which these blades are made had to go through a hard1 hot1 trying process before they were tempered and fit to take an edge and hold it4 ,sometimes ,i rebel about certain processes of the days1 then ,i think of my knife and learn from it the lesson of discipline4 ,the third lesson this knife teaches me is ,neatness4 ,now ,i can picture the man who bought this knife4 ,as he went into the store1 he stood before the glass show case wherein were displayed scores of different kinds of knives4 ,there were dark knives and light knives1 big knives and little knives4 ,his eye caught this knife1 with its graceful lines1 its smooth pearl handle1 and he said1 ,that is a neat knife1 ,i'll take that one4 ,people are attracted to you by your neatness4 ,the fourth lesson is ,usefulness4 ,really it is quite wonderful the variety of uses to which this knife can be put4 ,here is a big blade1 and a small blade2 here is a blade with a file2 folded in the back is a tiny pair of scissors4 ,so the great test of life is its usefulness4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,corinthians #i3 #bb ,i am made all things to all men1 that ,i might by all means save some4 ,,memory ,,hymn #ede ,jesus calls us4 ,,letters ,who is the most popular man in your town8 ,the ,postman4 ,who is the man who is most eagerly looked for as he comes down the street8 ,the ,postman4 ,who receives1 at every door where he stops1 a most cordial welcome8 ,the ,postman4 ,i wonder if the thrill of getting a letter will ever pass away4 ,when you come home from school the first thing you do is to look on the hall table to see if the ,postman has brought you a letter4 ,it is the same when we grow up4 ,no matter how many letters we may receive we never get over the keen delight at having the ,postman bring us letters4 ,last ,sunday afternoon you wrote your grandmother4 ,you said1 ,only two months more of school and then ,i am coming to see you1 and all the summer vacation ,i am going to play around your big house1 and in the barn1 and across the fields1 and through the woods4 ,on your way to school ,monday morning1 you posted that letter4 ,monday afternoon you began looking for an answer4 ,tuesday you were impatient that you had not received a reply4 ,wednesday you were almost in tears1 though1 had you only stopped to think you would have known that it takes two days for a letter to get to your grandmother1 she lives so far away4 ,thursday the answer came4 ,i am eager for vacation time to come so that you1 my dear grandchild1 may be here with me4 ,i have here an unusual book4 ,it is a book of letters4 ,all the letters were written by a big man1 a father1 to little children1 his children4 ,the man who wrote them was ,theodore ,roosevelt4 ,what fortunate children were his6 ,not many fathers take time to write to their children as did our great president4 ,oh1 for more fathers like ,roosevelt6 ,oh1 for appreciative children1 who will not only gladly receive1 but cheerfully write1 letters of love6 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,john #b3 #ab ,i write unto you1 fathers1 because ye have known him that is from the beginning4 ,i write unto you1 little children1 because ye have known the ,father4 ,,memory ,,hymn #edd ,i love to tell the story4 ,a ,,unique ,,psalm ,i want to tell you about a unique ,psalm4 ,which ,psalm is it8 ,it is the #aaith4 ,the #aaith ,psalm is unique because of its length4 ,it is the longest of the ,psalms4 ,it has one hundred and seventy-six verses4 ,it is unique because of its arrangement4 ,it is divided into twenty-two equal parts4 ,each part contains eight verses4 ,again1 the #aaith ,psalm is an acrostic1 or an alphabetical ,psalm4 ,it is built around the ,hebrew alphabet4 ,each of the twenty-two portions begins with one of the letters of the ,hebrew alphabet4 ,the ,psalm is unique because of its content4 ,it is given over entirely to a consideration of the law and commandments of ,god4 ,indeed1 if you will read the ,psalm1 you will find that every verse says something about the precepts1 or the statutes1 or the commandments1 or the word of ,god4 ,the #aaith ,psalm contains some of the verses with which we are most familiar4 ,wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way8 ,by taking heed thereto according to thy word4 ,open thou mine eyes1 that ,i may behold wondrous things out of thy law4 ,thy word is a lamp unto my feet1 and a light unto my path4 ,the ,psalm reaches its highest point1 and finds its fullest expression in the #idth verse1 three words1 ,i am thine4 ,young people1 ,i want you to read this #aaith ,psalm1 and when you come to the #idth verse ,i want you to stop and say over very earnestly1 very prayerfully1 ,i am thine4 ,and may you be ,his for all time is my prayer4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #aai3 #id ,i am thine1 save me2 for ,i have sought thy precepts4 ,,memory ,,hymn #cdb ,lord1 ,i am thine1 entirely thine4 ,,the ,,father',s ,,care ,i have here a nut4 ,it is a pecan4 ,it grows in our southern states4 ,it is a well formed nut with a hard shell4 ,this nut ,i have is cracked4 ,i open it and ,i notice just inside a thin1 brown coating that covers the meat4 ,i touch this coating to my lips4 ,it is bitter and causes me to pucker my lips4 ,this is the ,creator's blessed provision for the protection of the nut in its growing stage4 ,the bitter coating keeps insects and pests away4 ,on my way to church this morning ,i looked up and saw a long piece of yarn flying across the street at a rapid rate4 ,i wondered what could cause that4 ,then at the front end of the yarn ,i saw a bird4 ,the bird flew to the gable of a big house4 ,there1 in a protected corner1 she was making her nest4 ,the yarn was to be woven into her new spring house4 ,so ,god gives instinct to birds and all his creatures as a mark of his loving care4 ,the most delicate1 sensitive portion of your body is the eye4 ,when ,i consider how tender and open to harm the eye is ,i wonder that so many of us go through life with our eyes unhurt4 ,but ,god has provided a sleepless protection for our eyes4 ,there is a guard1 always on duty4 ,whenever danger comes near1 that guard1 our eyelid1 closes and effectively wards off impending trouble4 ,we started with the lowest form of life1 an inanimate nut4 ,now we come to the highest1 the soul of man4 ,for in each one of you there is something eternal1 something akin to ,god himself4 ,the name we give that eternal spirit is the soul4 ,for the protection of our soul ,god gives us faith1 a sense of right and wrong1 conscience1 the still small voice4 ,he surrounds us with ,christian homes1 the ,church1 helpful fellowship1 the means of grace4 ,all these things are a protection for the soul4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,matthew #f3 #bh1 #bi ,consider the lilies of the field1 how they grow2 they toil not1 neither do they spin2 and yet ,i say unto you1 that even ,solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these4 ,,memory ,,hymn #eag ,while thee ,i seek1 protecting power4 ,,yokes ,a ,yoke is a help1 not a hindrance4 ,our first thought is that a yoke is burdensome4 ,a little study reveals to us the great usefulness of the yoke4 ,have you ever seen a yoke of oxen8 ,what heavy1 slow-moving creatures they are6 ,but they are pullers of heavy loads4 ,these loads could not be drawn by them were they not yoked together4 ,now there are different kinds of yokes1 that is1 there are many ways of rendering easier the carrying of heavy loads4 ,for example1 there is the ,oriental way4 ,first1 there is the manner in which one man will carry a heavy load4 ,he takes a pole1 on each end of the pole hangs a rope4 ,then he divides his load1 fastening half of his load to either rope4 ,he gets beneath the pole1 which is shaped to fit his shoulder1 lifts1 and off he trots as easily and jauntily as can be4 ,sometimes the load is too heavy for one man4 ,he then summons a companion4 ,they get a longer1 heavier pole1 with a much stouter rope4 ,this time they do not divide the load1 rather they keep it together4 ,they fasten the rope securely about it1 and then tie it about the pole4 ,the men stoop1 one at each end of the heavy pole4 ,they stand up straight1 the load is lifted from the ground1 only a few inches perhaps1 but enough to clear the ground1 then1 singing and laughing1 keeping perfect time each with the other1 they swing down the street4 ,it is incredible the heavy loads they carry4 ,i could not believe my eyes when ,i looked upon some of them4 ,jesus perfectly understood the helpfulness and value of the yoke4 ,he made it most beautiful in that he told his followers that he would help them1 that he would carry his part of the burden1 that he would share with them the other side of the yoke4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,matthew #aa3 #bi-cj ,take my yoke upon you1 and learn of me2 for ,i am meek and lowly in heart3 and ye shall find rest unto your souls4 ,for my yoke is easy and my burden is light4 ,,memory ,,hymn #ddi ,my times are in thy hand4 ,,good ,,advice ,most of us1 men and women as well as girls and boys1 do not take kindly to advice4 ,we very much prefer that people keep their advice to themselves4 ,there are times1 however1 when we are compelled to listen to advice1 because of the source4 ,here is a bit of advice that commands our attention4 ,it is from the great ,english novelist1 ,charles ,dickens4 ,charles ,dickens' youngest boy1 ,edward1 left home when he was sixteen years of age and went to ,australia4 ,his father wrote him a parting letter1 which is worth while for all boys1 whether or no they leave home4 ,in that letter the great ,dickens said1 ,i put a ,new ,testament among your books for the very same reasons and with the very same hopes that made me write an easy account of it for you when you were a little child4 ,because it is the best book that ever was or ever will be in the world4 ,and because it teaches you the best lessons by which any human creature who tries to be truthful and faithful to duty can possibly be guided4 ,as your brothers have gone away1 one by one1 ,i have written to each such words as ,i am now writing to you and have entreated them all to guide themselves by this book1 putting aside the interpretations and inventions of men4 ,never abandon the wholesome practice of saying your own private prayers1 night and morning4 ,i have never abandoned it myself1 and ,i know the comfort of it4 ,now that we are done reading this letter it does not sound like advice at all1 does it4 ,it is all so wholesome and sturdy that we feel like speaking right out loud1 ,thank you1 ,mr4 ,dickens1 thank you very much4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #aai3 #i ,wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his ways8 ,by taking heed thereto according to thy word4 ,,memory ,,hymn #bje ,lamp of our feet4 ,,if ,i ,,were ,a ,,boy ,,again ,chicago ,university1 one of the great schools of ,america and the world1 received its impetus from the tireless energy and brilliant leadership of its great ,president1 ,dr4 ,harper4 ,after his death there was found among his papers a memorandum which read as follows3 ,if ,i were a boy again ,i would strive to find out from goods books how good men lived4 ,if ,i were a boy again ,i would study the ,bible even more than ,i did4 ,i would make it a mental companion4 ,the ,bible is a necessity for every boy4 ,if ,i were a boy again ,i would more and more cultivate the company of those older whose graces of person and mind would help me on in my good work4 ,i would always seek good company4 ,if ,i were a boy again ,i would study the life and character of our ,saviour1 persistently1 that ,i might become more and more like unto him4 ,now ,president ,harper was a great1 wise and good man4 ,if he felt that he would do certain things were he a boy again1 surely the rest of us could improve upon our boyhood years had we the chance4 ,if ,i were a boy again ,i would be more attentive to ,church and ,sunday ,school and the things that were taught me there4 ,if ,i were a boy again ,i would get my day school lessons with greater care4 ,if ,i were a boy again ,i would be more obedient to and more thoughtful of my parents4 ,why should ,i talk like this1 for ,i cannot be a boy again8 ,but you boys have your boyhood4 ,it is a present reality4 ,let ,president ,harper teach you4 ,be the boy he pictures4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #ajc3 #a-e ,bless the ,lord1 ,o my soul 444 who satisfieth thy mouth with good things2 so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's4 ,,memory ,,hymn #fgh ,by cool ,siloam's shady rill4 ,,one ,,by ,,one ,here is this great church building4 ,it is a beautiful structure1 is it not8 ,it is so substantial1 it has stood here so many years1 we take it so for granted that it seems as though it had always been here4 ,but there was a day when the ground upon which this building stands was vacant ground4 ,then men came with picks and shovels1 wagons and plows1 and set to work4 ,they laid the foundations1 stone upon stone4 ,then the walls rose1 stone upon stone4 ,then the spire1 stone upon stone1 until the very peak was reached1 for our church is stone from the foundation to the top of the spire4 ,how were these thousands of stones put in place8 ,one by one4 ,think also of the roof of our church4 ,it is a tile roof4 ,how in the world did they get all those tiles up on the roof and fitted in place8 ,did some man who was very strong stand back and throw a handful of tile at the roof8 ,no1 it was done one by one4 ,to-day it is snowing outside4 ,some one has figured that in a square mile one foot of snow would weigh #fe1jjj tons4 ,if you should take sleds and horses1 and put a ton of snow on each sled1 and arrange the horses and sleds in a procession1 the sleds carrying the snow from that square mile of territory would reach from ,philadelphia to ,new ,york1 and beyond ,new ,york1 straight up the ,hudson1 almost to ,albany4 ,that is only one square mile1 and there are thousands of square miles every winter covered with snow4 ,how does this snow come8 ,in tiny flakes1 one by one4 ,it is the same with life4 ,god gives us many days1 but he sends them one at a time4 ,he also sends us many duties1 but they do not come en masse4 ,he is good and sends them one by one4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,matthew #f3 #cd ,take therefore no thought for the morrow1 for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself4 ,sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof4 ,,memory ,,hymn #dai ,one more day's work for ,jesus4 ,,come ,there is not a girl or boy here this morning who does not feel within the desire to do good4 ,the drawing power of good--in other words1 the drawing power of ,god4 ,he it is who says to you1 ,come4 ,i want to illustrate this by a few things which ,i have here4 ,the first is this magnet4 ,and here are some small nails4 ,these tiny nails represent girls and boys of about eleven or twelve years of age4 ,i apply the magnet to these nails and ,i lift up--can you see me--twenty-five or thirty nails4 ,you see it is a great deal easier to respond to the drawing power of good1 to answer the great ,come1 in girlhood and boyhood4 ,now here are some nails that are a little larger4 ,i can lift up only five or six of these larger nails4 ,they represent young people of eighteen or nineteen4 ,as one gets older he does not hear as readily1 at least he does not answer1 ,christ's blessed ,come4 ,next we have some nails still larger4 ,the magnet will lift up only one or two of these4 ,they stand for men and women in mature life4 ,oh1 if one has not responded to ,christ's call in childhood or youth1 it becomes increasingly difficult as the years pass4 ,how seldom1 how very seldom1 does an aged one answer the divine call and give his heart to the ,lord6 ,here is a very large nail1 and it is rusty4 ,indeed it is literally coated with rust4 ,this represents the life that is deep in sin4 ,for long years this life has been persisting in his evil ways4 ,as the magnet must be very strong to penetrate the rust and grip the nail1 so ,christ's call must be strong and loving to reach the sinful soul4 ,christ can save from the uttermost1 but how much better it is to say in early youth1 ,i hear thy voice1 my ,lord4 ,gladly ,i come4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,matthew #aa3 #bh ,come unto me1 all ye that labor and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest4 ,,memory ,,hymn #dfb ,in heavenly rest abiding4 ,,love ,,and ,,loyalty ,once upon a time1 long1 long ago1 there was a man who had a wife and two sons4 ,there was a famine in the land where he lived1 so he said to his wife and sons1 ,we will journey down to another country where the crops have not failed4 ,there shall we find plenty to eat1 and there will we make our home4 ,so the family moved to the strange land where they prospered and were happy4 ,in time the boys grew to young manhood and married young women of the new land where they dwelt4 ,then sorrow entered their homes1 as sorrow comes sooner or later to every home4 ,the father and the two sons died1 and the mother and her two daughters-in-law were left alone4 ,the mother1 whose name was ,naomi1 said1 ,i am going back to the land where ,i lived in former days1 back to the people of my girlhood4 ,the young women said1 ,we shall go with you also4 ,no1 replied ,naomi1 you must not do that4 ,go back to your homes1 there you shall be cared for1 and may the ,lord deal gently with you4 ,the names of these two daughters-in-law were ,ruth and ,orpah4 ,it was ,ruth who then spoke up and said in words that are not surpassed in all the ,english language3 ,intreat me not to leave thee1 ,or to return from following after thee2 ,for whither thou goest ,i will go2 ,and where thou lodgest ,i will lodge2 ,thy people shall be my people1 ,and thy ,god my ,god2 ,where thou diest will ,i die1 ,and there will ,i be buried2 ,the ,lord do so to me1 and even more1 ,if ought but death part thee and me4 ,great words are these1 words of love and loyalty4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,exodus #bj3 #ab ,honour thy father and thy mother2 that thy days may be long upon the land which the ,lord thy ,god giveth thee4 ,,memory ,,hymn #ffh ,o perfect love1 all human thought transcending4 ,,kummogokdonattoottammoctiteaongannunno nash ,what do you think of this word8 ,it contains forty-two letters4 ,what does it mean8 ,what language is it8 ,it means catechism4 ,it is the ,indian language4 ,now for the story4 ,many years ago1 soon after the landing of the first ,pilgrim ,fathers in ,new ,england1 there was a man by the name of ,john ,eliot1 who came to this new and unsettled country of ,america4 ,he was a devoted ,christian1 an earnest1 patient1 persistent missionary4 ,he lived for sixty years in ,massachusetts1 and most of those years were spent among the redskins who inhabited that section4 ,he loved them1 worked with them1 learned their language1 reduced it to writing1 then translated for them the ,scriptures4 ,he was called1 and he is still known by the name1 ,apostle to the ,indians4 ,the word at the head of the page shows what labors he entered into4 ,all this was made possible through putting into practice his own motto1 ,prayer and pains1 through faith in ,christ1 will do anything4 ,what good ,john ,eliot did for the ,indians some one must have done for the human race4 ,who invented the first alphabet8 ,who conceived the idea of letters8 ,who planned out the putting of certain letters together to form a word1 then placing certain words in a string to form a sentence1 that sentence conveying an idea8 ,who did all this8 ,we do not know4 ,the blessed work has gone on1 until the knowledge of letters is so taken for granted that we have a saying1 as plain as ,,abc4 ,the ,bible has almost kept pace with language4 ,there are few languages to-day into which the ,word has not been translated4 ,we shall not rest until every child of every tongue is able to read ,god's message of love and salvation in the language in which he was born4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,luke #d3 #af ,and ,jesus came to ,nazareth 444 and1 as his custom was1 he went into the synagogue on the ,sabbath day1 and stood up for to read4 ,,memory ,,hymn #bjj ,o word of ,god incarnate4 ,,what ,,the ,,trees ,,said ,,to ,,me ,across the street from my home is a large and beautiful park4 ,it has inviting1 winding paths1 great quantities of flowers and many varieties of trees4 ,early one summer day1 before most people were up1 ,i strolled through the park4 ,i thought ,i was all alone1 but suddenly ,i heard a voice1 ,stand erect4 ,do not walk with stooping shoulders4 ,head up1 shoulders back6 ,now ,i confess ,i was walking1 and thinking as ,i walked1 with shoulders bent and head forward4 ,at once ,i straightened up and looked about to see who was speaking4 ,it was the voice of a pine tree1 growing hard by the path1 tall and straight as a plumb line4 ,thank you1 ,i said to the pine4 ,no sooner had ,i left the pine1 and was again deep in thought1 when ,i heard another voice4 ,be courteous1 you can never accomplish anything by scolding1 insulting or driving people4 ,be fair and just4 ,be like ,christ1 a ,christian gentleman4 ,now who in the world is speaking to me8 ,i looked everywhere and there was not the sign of a person in all the park4 ,here ,i am1 the voice said4 ,i looked and there1 right before me1 was a graceful elm tree1 smiling and courteously bowing low to me4 ,i shall try and heed your word1 ,i said4 ,going on my way ,i was no longer absorbed in thought1 for ,i knew that other trees would have something to say4 ,sure enough1 ,be steadfast1 ,i heard4 ,what tree could that be8 ,i should have known at once4 ,the maple1 of course4 ,now the white birch beckons4 ,how its face shines in the light of the early morning6 ,but dark or light ,i can distinguish it from all its fellows4 ,always white of face and clean of life4 ,so ,i hear it say1 ,be clean4 ,turning my steps homeward ,i said to the kindly trees1 ,good-by1 and thank you4 ,i shall never forget this morning's walk4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,isaiah #fa3 #c ,to give unto them beauty for ashes1 the oil of joy for mourning1 the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness2 that they might be called trees of righteousness1 the planting of the ,lord1 that he might be glorified4 ,,memory ,,hymn #gde ,into the woods my ,master went4 ,,banks ,here is a bank4 ,i have been reading lately about banks4 ,you know that in ,jesus' day they did not have banks such as we have4 ,people took their treasures and jewels and hid them in a vessel1 or dug a hole in the earth and covered their valuable possessions with dirt4 ,but now one of the most prominent institutions of any community is the bank4 ,what does this bank stand for8 ,in the first place it means ,strength4 ,it is made of very heavy1 hard material4 ,there is money in this bank4 ,it does not belong to me1 it is the property of our ,beginners' ,department4 ,each ,sunday they put their birthday money in here1 then at the end of the year they open it and the contents is given to our ,sunday ,school ,missionary ,society4 ,that the money may be kept safe and sound to the end of the year the bank is made very strong4 ,in the second place ,i notice that there is a single opening and that the opening is made very small4 ,it is meant for small coins1 ,i could not possibly get a one dollar piece into this opening4 ,no1 it is meant for dimes1 nickels and pennies4 ,that is1 it stands for ,thrift4 ,each little child brings his or her amount1 small in itself1 but when they are all together there is a considerable sum4 ,again1 ,i see that this bank is made in the form of a church4 ,it is really quite a beautiful building4 ,here is the steeple1 here the steps and the wide entrance doors1 and the windows with genuine cathedral glass4 ,i think it is splendid to have a bank look like a church1 for after all a church is a sort of bank4 ,it stands for those treasures which ,jesus talked about when he said1 ,lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven1 where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt1 and where thieves do not break through and steal4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,matthew #f3 #ba ,for where your treasure is there will your heart be also4 ,,memory ,,hymn #bjh ,i love thy kingdom1 ,lord4 ,,work ,this morning ,i want to talk to you about work4 ,all work and no play makes ,jack a dull boy4 ,we are sorry for girls and boys who are compelled to work1 who have little or no time for play4 ,now that is one side4 ,how about the other side8 ,all play and no work makes ,jack--what8 ,there are many words we can use here4 ,i have thought about this a long time and ,i have decided that the best word to put in here is useless4 ,all play and no work makes ,jack a useless boy1 and of all creatures in the world who have no place in the scheme of things it is one who is useless4 ,now the men who are useful1 we shall find1 are the men who1 as boys1 worked as well as played4 ,a few days ago ,i sat at a public dinner next to one of the best-known men in this city1 and a useful man he is4 ,we were talking about some of the things boys could busy themselves with and earn a little money4 ,i said1 ,i carried papers when ,i was a boy4 ,he replied1 ,i carried papers on the streets of ,new ,york ,city when ,i was a boy4 ,i do not doubt that if we could have gone to all the men who sat at that dinner each of the one hundred and fifty would have answered1 ,yes1 ,i worked when ,i was a boy4 ,i have here an illustration of work4 ,here are four nuts1 a brazil nut1 an almond1 a walnut and a pecan4 ,each morning as you go to school you pass through the park4 ,there in the park the squirrels are always to be seen1 and to you they seem to be ever at play4 ,there are days1 warm spring days1 lovely autumn days1 when you do not like to go to school1 and ,i hear you say1 ,i wish ,i could be like these squirrels1 playing around all day long4 ,but the squirrels do not play around all day long4 ,they are at work1 gathering nuts and storing them away for winter use4 ,if ,i should give these nuts to the squirrels they would have to work to open them4 ,all that is good in life comes through work4 ,god wants us to work as well as play1 and play as well as work4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,matthew #ba3 #ah ,son1 go work to-day in my vineyard4 ,,memory ,,hymn #dbb ,work1 for the night is coming4 ,,the ,,big ,,store ,many of the girls and boys who read this little book live in or near one of the great cities where they have huge department stores4 ,i love to visit a big store4 ,i have spent hours1 more likely days1 if ,i should count up all the time1 in ,wanamaker's in ,new ,york and ,philadelphia1 ,marshall ,field's in ,chicago1 ,hengerer's in ,buffalo1 and ,eaton's in ,toronto4 ,any season of the year1 and almost any hour of the day1 these stores are thronged with people1 for people like to go to the big store4 ,now ,i am thinking of another big store1 a truly big store1 the great big store of ,life4 ,we have to visit at this store whether we want to or not4 ,it is not a matter of choice but of necessity4 ,every morning you visit the big store of ,life4 ,every evening you return home with what you have bought4 ,not only must you visit this store but you must also buy4 ,when you visit ,wanamaker's you do not have to buy unless you choose4 ,in the big store of ,life1 however1 you have no choice in the matter1 you must buy4 ,what must you buy8 ,well1 you may buy anything you choose4 ,this is the beautiful thing about the big store of ,life--while we are compelled to buy we are permitted to choose4 ,we must also pay4 ,good morning1 ,john1 what would you like to buy this morning4 ,i think ,i'll buy a good geography lesson4 ,all right1 you can buy that1 but you must pay the price4 ,what is the price8 ,study1 earnest study4 ,never leave the preparation until the last minute or trust to luck4 ,yes1 it is true1 right on through every department in the big store of ,life1 you can buy whatsoever you choose1 but you must pay the price4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,philippians #d3 #h ,whatsoever things are true1 whatsoever things are honest1 whatsoever things are just1 whatsoever things are pure1 whatsoever things are lovely1 whatsoever things are of good report 444 think on these things4 ,,memory ,,hymn #ccb ,thou my everlasting portion4 ,,bread ,i have here a loaf of bread4 ,this is good-looking bread1 is it not8 ,i can almost hear you say1 ,please pass the bread4 ,that is1 ,i hope you say that4 ,i hope you do not say1 ,gimme the bread4 ,now every girl and boy here knows what it is to be hungry1 ,i'm sure of that4 ,and when one is real hungry there is nothing that tastes as good as bread4 ,of course there should be some butter1 or jam1 or peanut butter spread over the top--my1 it makes the mouth water1 doesn't it6 ,we speak of bread as the staff of life because we could not be strong in body if we did not have bread4 ,we love ice cream and cake1 meat and potatoes1 and many other things1 but our meal is not properly balanced unless there is a plate of bread on the table4 ,jesus taught us to pray1 ,give us this day our daily bread4 ,i think this has a twofold meaning4 ,it refers to our physical hunger and our spiritual needs4 ,all bread comes from the ,father above1 our ,father of love4 ,do you remember those beautiful lines1 ,back of the loaf is the snowy flour1 ,and back of the flour1 the mill2 ,and back of the mill1 the seed1 and the sun1 and the shower1 ,and the ,father's will4 ,jesus once spoke of himself as the ,bread sent down from above4 ,our ,father gives us daily bread for our physical needs1 and he has also sent us ,christ for our spiritual strength4 ,my dear young people1 take him as your ,saviour4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,john #f3 #ea ,i am the living bread which came down from heaven4 ,,memory ,,hymn #cbe ,break thou the bread of life4 ,,god',s ,,measure ,here ,i have some measures4 ,this is a rule1 we call it a folding foot rule4 ,here is a square4 ,and here is a tape measure4 ,there are other measures1 quarts and pecks and bushels4 ,then there are liquid measures1 quarts and gallons and barrels4 ,there are also measures of weight1 ounces1 pounds and tons4 ,now these different measures are the same all over the ,united ,states4 ,a pound of butter in ,new ,york is the same as a pound of butter in ,california4 ,there are other countries that do not have measures like ours4 ,france1 for example1 has the metric system4 ,should you go into a dry goods store in ,paris you would not ask for a yard of cloth1 but for a meter4 ,god's measures are the same4 ,god has a measure for girls and boys1 and that measure is the same in ,ohio1 ,mexico1 ,england or ,spain4 ,if it is wrong to steal in ,germany1 it is wrong to steal in ,brazil4 ,if it was wrong to commit murder in the first century1 it is wrong to take life in this century4 ,the ,ten ,commandments are some of ,god's measures for us4 ,john1 come up here1 ,i want to measure you4 ,stand there1 that's right4 ,i have the mark1 now let us see how tall you are4 ,four feet1 three and one-half inches4 ,that is fine4 ,you are a big boy1 aren't you8 ,i wish too that ,i could measure you according to ,god's measure4 ,but ,i cannot do that4 ,you must do that yourself4 ,how tall are you as you look at yourself in the light of the ,saviour's life8 ,according to his measure ,i pray that you may be tall and strong4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,ephesians #d3 #ac ,till we all come in the unity of the faith1 and of the knowledge of the son of ,god1 unto a perfect man1 unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ4 ,,memory ,,hymn #abh ,we may not climb the heavenly steeps4 ,,sleep ,i hope you had a good sleep last night4 ,i hope you sleep well every night4 ,god's best gift to his children is sleep4 ,you think there are some better gifts1 do you8 ,name them4 ,ah1 ,i thought you were mistaken4 ,the more you think about it the more you will agree with me that sleep1 the ,father's loving provision for tired people1 is a most blessed gift4 ,now ,god gives sleep not only to girls and boys but to all of his creatures4 ,do you know how some of those creatures sleep8 ,i will tell you4 ,elephants and horses commonly sleep standing up4 ,how would you like to hear your mother say to you1 ,robert1 it's time to go to bed1 stand in the corner there and sleep4 ,most birds sleep with the head turned toward the tail and the beak poked in under the feathers4 ,storks1 gulls and all other long-legged birds sleep standing on one leg4 ,it would be more difficult to sleep that way than just standing in the corner1 wouldn't it8 ,the fox and the wolf sleep with the tip of the nose and the soles of the feet close together1 and the big1 bushy tail covering all to keep them warm4 ,owls sleep in the daytime4 ,they have eyelids1 and over the eyelids1 curtains4 ,these curtains are drawn across the eyes1 sideways1 and keep out the strong light of the day4 ,hares1 snakes and fish sleep with their eyes open4 ,why does ,god give us sleep8 ,is it for the pleasure of sleeping8 ,no4 ,he gives us sleep that our bodies and minds may be refreshed4 ,the strength we have expended during the day is repaid us in the sleep of the night4 ,be grateful to your heavenly ,father when to-night you kneel to pray3 ,now ,i lay me down to sleep4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #abg3 #b ,so he giveth his beloved sleep4 ,,memory ,,hymn #eda ,of all the thoughts of ,god4 ,,on ,,time ,i once lived in a town of some five thousand population4 ,in the center of the town was a public square1 and at the most prominent corner of the square was a jeweler's store4 ,in the window of the store was a clock which regulated the coming and going of nearly all the inhabitants4 ,you see the children on their way to school had to pass this store1 and they always glanced in the window to see if they were on time4 ,people going away had to pass this store to get to the depot2 they too looked at the jeweler's clock to see if they had plenty of time to make their train4 ,the men who worked in the main factory of the town went by this corner2 each man as he passed would pull out his watch and set it by the jeweler's clock4 ,now one morning1 for some reason or other1 the clock was fifteen minutes slow4 ,children1 hurrying to school1 looked in at the window1 and1 seeing how much time they had they loitered and were late4 ,men and women1 going to the train or work1 glanced at the clock1 as was their custom1 and1 finding that they did not have to hurry some missed their train1 while others were behind time at work4 ,we are all human clocks4 ,we set the time for others4 ,your example1 girls and boys1 has much to do with the way other young people1 your companions1 act4 ,if you1 ,mary1 fail to get your lessons1 some of your friends are going to say1 ,mary doesn't study much and ,i'm not going to either4 ,robert1 if you indulge in some bad habit your chum is going to say1 ,robert does this and ,i guess ,i can too4 ,is your life clock running true8 ,are you on time8 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,peter #b3 #ba ,for hereunto were ye called2 because ,christ also suffered for us1 leaving us an example1 that ye should follow in his steps4 ,,memory ,,hymn #dbj ,true-hearted1 whole-hearted4 ,,doors ,this morning1 after you were awake1 you passed through your bedroom door4 ,then you went through the bathroom door4 ,later you entered1 through a door1 the dining room4 ,after a time1 with your father and mother1 you left the house through the outside door4 ,you walked down the street and here you are in church1 having entered through yonder door4 ,every day you are passing through various doors4 ,what wonderful things doors are6 ,i wonder who invented doors4 ,what would we do without doors8 ,there are doors to houses and there are doors to life4 ,let me tell you about them4 ,a door is made of wood4 ,what beautiful wood is in these church doors6 ,the doors of life are made of our will4 ,by the exercise of our will we open and close whatsoever doors of life we choose4 ,the doors of our houses swing on hinges4 ,heavy doors seem as light as a feather because they are so delicately hung upon hinges4 ,the hinges of the doors of life are made not of brass or iron1 but of love4 ,when1 in a little while1 you leave this church you will take hold of a knob and pull open the door4 ,the doors of life have knobs4 ,those knobs are called courtesy4 ,you can open well nigh any door you choose if only you will use the knob courtesy4 ,what about the lock8 ,yes1 doors have locks4 ,so also have the doors of life4 ,can you guess what locks the door of life8 ,it is faith4 ,if you have faith1 faith in ,god1 faith in the ,saviour1 faith in things that are true and pure1 you need never fear that your house of life will be broken into by burglars4 ,you are secure if you have the lock of faith4 ,now here is a strange paradox1 namely--you lock your door only by opening it4 ,open your door to the ,master4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,revelations #c3 #bj ,behold1 ,i stand at the door and knock2 if any man hear my voice and open the door1 ,i will come in to him1 and will sup with him and he with me4 ,,memory ,,hymn #bhb ,o ,jesus1 thou art standing4 ,,cheapest ,,and ,,best ,a business man would not consider this subject a very good advertisement4 ,he believes that the best things are never cheapest4 ,there are a few instances however in which that is not the case4 ,first1 the air we breathe4 ,it does not cost us anything1 it isn't metered out to us1 so we have a saying1 as free as air4 ,you go down to the drug store and buy a bottle of perfume4 ,a good perfume will cost not less than a dollar a bottle4 ,the air we breathe is infinitely purer and better than the costliest perfume4 ,second1 the water we drink4 ,do you like ice cream soda8 ,i am sure you do4 ,if you do not you are not a normal girl or boy4 ,how much do you have to pay for a good ice cream soda8 ,that depends2 some places it is ten cents and some fifteen cents4 ,you think you might like to have ice cream soda every meal1 but you would soon tire of it4 ,the water you drink is necessary1 and it costs you nothing4 ,third1 a book1 that is this book1 the ,bible4 ,if you wish to buy an up-to-date book of fiction it will cost you anywhere from #a4jj to #c4jj4 ,but here is a book1 the most popular1 the most wonderful book that was ever written4 ,you can buy a ,bible for a few pennies1 and if you do not have the pennies there is a great ,bible ,society that will give you a copy1 that none may be without the ,word of ,life4 ,finally1 the things that are cheapest and best are the things of the soul1 the spiritual ministries and influences of life4 ,they are worship1 communion1 faith1 hope1 prayer and love4 ,no one stands at yonder door and demands a dollar of you as you enter4 ,the seats in this church are free to rich and poor1 aged and young4 ,these free seats typify the salvation that is here proclaimed4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,isaiah #ee3 #a ,ho1 every one that thirsteth1 come ye to the waters1 and he that hath no money2 come ye1 buy1 and eat2 yea1 come1 buy wine and milk without money and without price4 ,,memory ,,hymn #cjd ,i heard the voice of ,jesus4 ,,in ,,the ,,dark ,i have here what are commonly known as ,chinese lilies4 ,two weeks ago they were only two or three inches high4 ,now they are between two and three feet4 ,how rapidly they have grown6 ,i ,how can we account for it8 ,i can give one reason4 ,it is because they had adequate preparation4 ,the bulbs from which these lilies grew were kept in the dark for ten days4 ,there1 in the dark1 they stored up strength and energy for the work that was before them4 ,many years of our ,saviour's life were spent in obscurity4 ,they were years when1 as far as the world is concerned1 he was in the dark1 preparing for the great work of his public ministry4 ,my dear young people1 do not be fretful over the days and years you have to go to school4 ,they are not simply days of waiting1 they are days of preparation4 ,again1 these lilies come from dark and humble surroundings4 ,here is a very plain dish4 ,in the dish are a few ordinary stones2 picked up in our yard4 ,water is poured upon the stones4 ,among these stones the lily bulbs take root4 ,girls and boys1 it does not matter a great deal what sort of a home you have1 if only it is a good home4 ,john ,wesley's youth was hid away in a poor ,methodist parsonage4 ,abraham ,lincoln was born and grew up in the dark and humble surroundings of a log cabin4 ,our ,saviour himself was born in a manger1 and his boyhood home was far from being a palace4 ,make the best of what you have and all will be well4 ,god will take care of you and bring you out of the darkness4 ,how fragrant these lilies are6 ,faith1 hope1 love1 patience1 strength and truth1 these fragrant qualities of life often grow best in the dark4 ,may our good ,father make your life fragrant is my prayer4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #aci3 #ab ,yea1 the darkness hideth not from thee2 but the night shineth as the day3 the darkness and the light are both alike to thee4 ,,memory ,,hymn #dfj ,lead1 kindly light4 ,,the ,,still ,,small ,,voice ,what is the loudest noise you ever heard8 ,did you ever hear an immense cannon fired8 ,of course you have heard thunder4 ,the loudest1 most terrifying noise ,i ever heard was a boiler explosion4 ,the town heating plant was only three doors from my home4 ,the whole plant blew up one prayer meeting evening4 ,the church building was plunged into darkness1 the walls shook1 windows were broken on every side4 ,in terror people got down on their knees and crept toward the door4 ,that was the loudest noise ,i ever heard4 ,now ,i have here a hammer4 ,i will drop it to the floor4 ,listen4 ,is the noise very loud8 ,here ,i have a heavy railroad spike4 ,hear the noise this makes as it is dropped4 ,and now ,i shall drop this large nail4 ,the noise that made is not nearly as loud as the noise occasioned by the falling hammer4 ,here is a small nail4 ,you will have to listen very carefully if you hear the sound of the nail as it strikes the carpet4 ,have you good ears8 ,let us test them4 ,here is an ordinary pin4 ,if you keep very quiet you will be able to hear the falling of this tiny pin4 ,do not move in your seat4 ,every one1 attention6 ,listen4 ,did you hear it8 ,yes1 most of you did4 ,that pin did not make much noise4 ,no sound could be more subdued than a dropping pin4 ,ah1 but there is a sound that is infinitely more quiet4 ,at the same time it is louder than the roll of thunder1 or the firing of a huge cannon1 or the explosion of a great boiler4 ,some call it conscience4 ,i like to think of it as a voice4 ,it is the still1 small voice within4 ,when you go to do wrong this voice speaks to you4 ,hear the voice1 and give good heed4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,i ,kings #ai3 #ab ,and after the earthquake a fire2 but the ,lord was not in the fire3 and after the fire a still small voice4 ,,memory ,,hymn #cbj ,i want a principle within4 ,,thanksgiving ,what does ,thanksgiving mean to you8 ,i hear one boy say1 ,it means a big dinner4 ,i think we all agree with him4 ,who does not welcome and enjoy a good dinner6 ,i hear ,mary say1 ,thanksgiving means a day off from school4 ,i guess you are right too4 ,school is not such a charming place that girls and boys are unwilling to have an occasional holiday4 ,now ,i am going to ask some of the older people what the day means to them4 ,there is a young woman4 ,she is a stenographer4 ,she says1 ,thanksgiving means a day away from the office4 ,i am at the office every day except ,sunday1 and ,i do appreciate1 now and then1 a day that is really my own4 ,yonder is a traveling salesman4 ,what does ,thanksgiving mean to you8 ,he says1 ,it means a day at home4 ,last year ,i spent one hundred and sixty-nine nights away from home4 ,i have three children4 ,i should like to see them every day4 ,there are times when many days pass and ,i do not see them4 ,thanksgiving week ,i plan to be at home4 ,there are others ,i could ask4 ,each has his answer4 ,but ,thanksgiving has a special meaning for us4 ,it is the ,harvest time4 ,i have here an apple4 ,isn't this a beautiful apple8 ,what color6 ,who mixed the paints1 who handled the brush to give such color to this apple8 ,god4 ,he1 in his infinite love and wisdom1 has provided1 through the unfailing laws of nature1 for the growth1 sweetness1 coloring and beautifying of all the products of the fields4 ,this apple is but one of many kinds of fruits4 ,praise1 then1 is the great meaning of ,thanksgiving4 ,god1 our heavenly ,father1 sends us every good gift4 ,from his bountiful hand come our daily and nightly mercies4 ,we should praise him every day4 ,but the day for the united chorus of praise is ,thanksgiving4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,psalm #aej3 #f ,let everything that hath breath praise the ,lord4 ,praise ye the ,lord4 ,,memory ,,hymn #gag ,come1 ye thankful people1 come4 ,,marbles ,,in ,,the ,,pocket ,do you know what a ,missionary ,box is8 ,well1 ,i will tell you4 ,it is a box or barrel sent from a missionary society in a city or town to a missionary family or school on the frontier4 ,the box contains clothing1 bedding1 and sometimes toys1 dolls and picture books if there are children at the frontier end of the journey4 ,in a certain city one ,christmas season the children of the ,sunday ,school brought gifts to fill a box4 ,some brought clothes they had outgrown4 ,some who had two coats decided they could give one4 ,others brought books4 ,one little girl brought a beautiful doll4 ,she had other dolls1 and this one she dearly loved1 but she said1 ,i want some other little girl to be happy1 and ,i think ,i can get along without this doll1 though ,i shall miss her dreadfully4 ,one day the committee came together to sort the gifts and pack the box4 ,one woman picked up a boy's coat4 ,she felt something1 hard in one of the pockets4 ,another woman said1 ,better look all through those pockets2 you can never tell what a boy will use his pockets for4 ,so she went all through the pockets4 ,in one of them she found a soiled handkerchief tied in a knot4 ,with much pulling1 for it was a hard knot1 she loosed the little package1 and there she found five marbles4 ,with the marbles was a note scrawled in a boy's hand-- ,,dear ,,boy ,,who ,,gets ,,this ,,coat1 ,i have eight marbles4 ,first ,i put in four for you4 ,then ,i put in another one4 ,i hope you will like the coat1 and the marbles4 ,from your friend1 ,,john ,,mason4 ,now what do you think of that8 ,isn't it glorious8 ,to give more to the other fellow than you keep for yourself1 especially when that other fellow is some one you have never seen1 is ,christlike4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,matthew #g3 #ab ,all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you1 do ye even so to them4 ,,memory ,,hymn #daa ,o ,master1 let me walk with thee4 ,,the ,,first ,,month ,what month is this8 ,december4 ,it is the first month in the year4 ,no1 no1 you say1 ,december is the last month4 ,i cannot entirely agree with you4 ,december is last on the calendar but first in importance4 ,now you agree with me1 do you not8 ,how many days has ,december8 ,one day4 ,no1 no1 ,i again hear you say1 ,december has thirty-one days4 ,i think we can reach an agreement on this point too4 ,there is one day in ,december of unexcelled importance and loveliness2 that day is the twenty-fifth4 ,yes1 we all say there is but one day in ,december4 ,how readily we agree when we understand one another6 ,what is the twenty-fifth8 ,it is the pivotal day in the history of the world4 ,it is the day upon which the ,king of ,kings and the ,lord of ,lords was born4 ,jesus1 son of man and son of ,god1 came into the world as we all come1 as a tiny babe4 ,it brings him much nearer to us1 does it not1 to think that our ,saviour was once as we are8 ,he grew up as a child1 a boy1 a youth1 a man4 ,it is the birthday of ,christ the ,saviour we celebrate on the twenty-fifth of each ,december4 ,to whom did ,jesus come8 ,he came to a lowly people4 ,he was revealed first of all to the shepherds4 ,the shepherd's task was not an enviable one4 ,he was out in the open1 subject to storms and winds and wild beasts4 ,his business was to shepherd the sheep1 to lead them to good pasture1 to protect them from all harm and danger4 ,the shepherd's task was lonely as well as lowly4 ,his days and nights were passed in solitude4 ,occasionally a group of shepherds would come together1 but for the most part they were alone with their flocks4 ,god chose these people1 whose minds were clear1 whose lives were pure1 to be the first messengers of the glad tidings of great joy4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,luke #b3 #h ,and there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field1 keeping watch over their flocks by night4 ,,memory ,,hymn #aae ,while shepherds watched their flocks4 ,,him ,,and ,,hymn ,i want to tell you to-day about two ,hims4 ,the first is a man ,him4 ,the second is a song ,hymn4 ,the man him is ,phillips ,brooks4 ,he was born in #ahce and died in #ahic4 ,he never married1 so he had no girls and boys of his own4 ,but he loved all children4 ,he had a great1 warm heart1 and in that heart was a big corner for all young people4 ,he became a minister4 ,his first church was in ,philadelphia4 ,later he moved to ,boston4 ,he had not been in ,boston very long when1 one night1 about midnight1 the people saw flames breaking out through the roof of the church4 ,a sorrowing congregation1 with their pastor1 watched their loved church as it burned to the ground4 ,when1 after the fire1 they came together1 they inquired1 ,what shall we do8 ,shall we rebuild here or shall we take another location8 ,finally it was decided to build a new church on ,copley ,square4 ,that was many years ago4 ,they built a beautiful temple of worship4 ,it is still known everywhere as ,phillips ,brooks' ,church1 so wonderfully did his personality enter into the project4 ,now the second hymn4 ,when ,phillips ,brooks was a young man in ,philadelphia he made a trip to the ,holy ,land4 ,as ,christmas drew near he wrote and sent back to the girls and boys of his ,sunday ,school1 a ,christmas poem4 ,the organist of his church composed music for the words1 and this hymn was sung for the first time in ,trinity church1 ,philadelphia4 ,it is a beautiful ,christmas hymn4 ,yes1 it is my favorite4 ,oh1 little town of ,bethlehem1 ,how still we see thee lie4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,matthew #b3 #f ,thou1 ,bethlehem1 in the land of ,juda1 art not the least among the princes of ,juda3 ,for out of thee shall come a ,governor that shall rule my people ,israel4 ,,memory ,,hymn #aba ,o little town of ,bethlehem4 ,,the ,,christmas ,,tree ,for a few years ,i lived in a country where ,december is as pleasant as ,may4 ,the weather was warm all through the year4 ,the ground was never frozen1 for there was never any frost4 ,i never saw a snowflake in all the years ,i lived in the tropics4 ,the trees were trees of the hot climate1 mostly palm1 bamboo and acacia trees4 ,when ,christmas drew near ,i thought the day would be a very dreary day1 and wholly un,christmaslike because there would be no snow1 and we would be without our accustomed tree4 ,a few days before our first ,christmas in the tropics a friend said to me1 ,i am sending a tree down from the mountains for your children4 ,in due time the tree arrived4 ,you can imagine the joy of our entire household when they looked upon a genuine1 evergreen1 ,christmas tree4 ,we set it up in our big sala1 that is our living room1 and there it remained for many days1 the delight of our eyes4 ,the tree of the ,christmas season has some specifically ,christmas messages4 ,first1 it is evergreen4 ,that reminds us of the eternal ,saviour1 the same yesterday1 to-day and forever4 ,at the very tiptop of the tree we place a star4 ,there it shines1 high above all else1 reminding us of the higher1 holier life to which we are summoned4 ,the star beckons us to loftier aspirations4 ,christ came down from heaven4 ,he became one of us1 sharing our human life4 ,but he is ever above us as well as with us1 luring us on to the life of ,god4 ,the ,christmas tree is ablaze with lights4 ,jesus brought light into the world4 ,how dark the world would be without him6 ,about the base of the tree1 and suspended from the branches are many gifts4 ,they are tokens of the love and esteem we hold for each other1 and remind us of ,god's great gift of love1 ,christ himself4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,john #c3 #af ,for ,god so loved the world1 that he gave his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,,memory ,,hymn #aab ,there's a song in the air4 ,,the ,,best ,,word ,what is the best word6 ,i think ,i can hear each of you as he answers4 ,one says ,mother is the best word4 ,another says1 ,father4 ,still another1 ,daddy4 ,a fourth one answers1 ,home4 ,now ,i hear a voice that says1 ,america4 ,another voice shouts1 ,friend4 ,yes1 there are many1 many words to which we might rightfully give the title best word4 ,but for this season of the year1 and for this particular ,sunday1 there is one word that stands out from among all the others4 ,that one word is ,christmas4 ,to-morrow will be ,christmas day4 ,i think this word ,christmas is the best word because it includes all the other good words4 ,in your home you have a rug4 ,there are many colors in that rug1 yet it is all one fabric4 ,the many colors are skillfully woven and beautifully blended to make the one fabric4 ,think of this word ,christmas as a rug1 made up of many words of many colors4 ,we see in this rug the word mother4 ,what would ,christmas be without mother6 ,we see also the word father1 and the words sister1 brother1 grandfather1 grandmother1 aunt1 uncle1 friend1 home4 ,then clearest of all in this wonderful rug is the word ,christ4 ,christ is ,christmas4 ,yes1 ,christmas is the best word for it gathers within its meaning all other good words4 ,this happy day1 whose risen sun ,shall set not through eternity2 ,this holy day1 when ,christ1 the ,lord1 ,took on him our humanity2 ,for little children everywhere ,a joyous season still we make2 ,we bring our precious gifts to them1 ,even for the dear ,child1 ,jesus' sake4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,john #a3 #d ,in him was life2 and the life was the light of men4 ,,memory ,,hymn #ajg ,joy to the world6 ,,last ,,but ,,not ,,least ,how often have we heard this phrase6 ,you girls and boys use it1 ,here ,i am1 last but not least4 ,when ,jesus was on earth there was often a discussion among the disciples concerning rank among them4 ,some were fearful that they would be last4 ,one day a mother1 very proud of her two sons1 as mothers are apt to be1 asked ,jesus to grant permission that her two sons might sit1 the one on his left hand1 the other on his right1 in the kingdom4 ,then ,he made a very beautiful as well as perfectly true statement1 ,whosoever will be chief among you1 let him be your servant2 even as the ,son of man came not to be ministered unto1 but to minister1 and to give his life a ransom for many4 ,there was another time1 when ,jesus sat at supper with his disciples1 wishing to show them1 by example1 the utter worthlessness of station1 for station's sake1 rose from the table1 took a towel and basin1 and began to wash the disciples' feet4 ,peter objected1 but when he understood1 he said1 ,not my feet only1 but also my hands and my head4 ,at the last ,jesus said1 ,verily ,i say unto you1 the servant is not greater than his ,lord2 neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him4 ,girls and boys1 if you desire a high place in life1 begin low4 ,if you want to occupy a leading place you must be willing to serve in the least4 ,it always has been so1 it will never change1 this great law of life1 that he who would be first must be willing to be last4 ,it is the eternal law of service4 ,,memory ,,verse1 ,mark #aj3 #ca 444 ,but many that are first shall be last2 and the last first4 ,,memory ,,hymn #djb ,hark1 the voice of ,jesus calling4 ,,the ,,end