The gospel object book

THIS book is dedicated to the wonderful children of the Cedar Falls (Iowa) Bible Conference. They have seen these lessons during the summers of 1923 and 1924. Many of them thus seeing have entered the Glad Game of the Christian.

I wish also to acknowledge the brotherly kindness of Rev. Parley E. Zartmann, D.D., the spiritual director of the Conference which made my meeting with the children possible.

This book is now sent forth on its mission, every lesson crowned with the smiles of the Happy Children of Cedar Falls, Iowa.

PREFACE

JESUS said to Peter—Lovest thou me—and when Peter had given his answer Jesus said "Feed my Lambs." The Master told him first to Feed the Lambs, afterward he said "Feed my Sheep." Jesus put first things first. Did Peter obey this command? We have no record of him giving especial attention to the Lambs. I imagine he was like the most and best of us—he forgot the Lambs. Let us try to remember what Jesus said. Feed the Lambs. The best way is to get them through the eye. Children see 18 times more through the eye than they hear through the ear. Eighty per cent of all the knowledge we receive from the cradle to the grave comes through the eye. It is the Big Highway with wide gates ever open to the heart of a child.

The moving pictures of the day are visited daily in the United States by six million of little children. This one, thing they are doing for the children: they are training them to look and see things; they are learning to be good lookers; they come to us in our Sunday Schools and children's meetings with eyes trained to look and happy is the teacher if he can show them truth. This he can do by object lessons. I have talked to over a million and a half of children by the use of objects; many of them have grown into adulthood and often when I talk to them of other days, they rehearse these lessons to me and I can thus see how well they remember and how deep and lasting is the impression made when truth enters the eye. It enters to stay. These visual lessons outlined in this book will help you to Feed the Lambs.

Somewhere I read the other day, about the boy who was present when Christ was feeding the multitude and this was the analysis that the teacher made of the boy with the loaves and fishes. First you will always find the boy in a crowd. Second, he always looks out for his stomach and so brought with him his lunch. Third, he can be worked and won if he is approached in the proper way, and to find the proper way is to find the golden key which unlocks a golden heart that will welcome the entrance of the golden truth of Jesus. One of the first principles of the knowledge of a child is that he is all eyes. Psychologists tell us that we see eighteen times more than we hear, but no psychologist has ever been able yet to figure out how much a boy can see. It seems to me that he sees fifty times more than he hears. That has been my experience, as I have labored with a million and a half boys and girls. Hence it is the first principle of the art of knowing children, the quickest and best way to teach them is through the eye, and so the use of pictures and objects and all things which appeal to the child's eye are master keys that unlock hearts. They receive the impressions through the eye, and these they seldom ever cast away. In discovering a child, always remember what a child may be and what he is now. We must have this long look into the future or we won't [iv] be able to look into the present, He is a whole congress of possibilities. Possibilities are the seeds that may germinate into a mighty force for good or evil.

There was once a teacher in old New England who taught a little district school, who had the gift of reading the possibilities of her children and trying to develop those possibilities. Her name was Miss Crochet. She could easily tell whether the disorderly boy was vicious or suffering from an overdose of animation. She understood children. One day while she was at prayer, a little boy in her class laughed out loud. After the prayer she said, "Who was that laughing while I was praying?" A little bit of a fellow held up his hand and said he did the laughing. The teacher said, "What were you laughing at?" "Something that Billy said, who sits next to me." "Billy, what did you tell him that caused him to laugh?" "I saw a little mouse." "What did you say about that mouse, Billy?" He said, "While Miss Crochet was saying her prayer a little gray mouse ran down the stairs." Of course, all the children laughed and the teacher said, "That was very bright, Billy. I think you have got the making of a poet in you. At least I am going to satisfy myself on that point." So Billy was called to the front. Miss Crochet, wanting to find out something about the boy, looked down at him and said, "I wonder if there is a possibility of making a poet out of this child." It certainly sounded so when he composed his first lines of poetry. So she said to him, "I will see whether you are a boy of mischief and interrupted my prayer as a disorderly act, or whether it was simply an overflow of an unrestrained impulse to say words poetically. I will give you three minutes to compose another line. If you do it in that time, and it is as good as your first lines, I will not punish you, but if you do not, I shall bring my rod down over your shoulder." So she said to him, "Compose your lines in three minutes or take your punishment." One minute passed, the second minute passed and there was no response from the boy. The teacher said, "There is only one minute left, now speak or be punished." The little fellow lifted up his head and said, "Here I stand by the side of Miss Crochet, when she brings down the rod, I intend to dodge it." She laughed, they all laughed, she said he would make a bright boy. She encouraged him in the writing of lines and he afterwards became a poet of fame. She understood Billy and so made Billy great.

Don't forget the boy is all eyes. Fill them full of truth. What you tell him may "go in one ear and out the other" but what you show him will not go in one eye and out the other eye. What does go in the eyes will stick in the head. And so the truth is carved in with it. The boy likes to see things, so show him Bible truth. That is the way to interest him, It is a sin to make Bible truth uninteresting. Know the child, and that will go a long way to prevent you from committing this sin.

INTRODUCTION

WHEN the disciples were concerned as to precedence and position in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus took a little child, and set him in the midst of them. The act was in itself full of significance; and the teaching He gave in connection therewith, abides for all time, a clear revelation of Kingdom conditions and obligations.

It is only as men and women become as little children that they can enter into that Kingdom; and the measure in which they approximate to the child spirit, is the means of their greatness therein.

Further—any one receiving a little child receives the Lord—the child is forever the ambassador of the throng; rather than cause one such to stumble, it were preferable to pass out of life by a violent way. These little ones are to be held therefore in high honour—never despised.

To gather and hold the children it is necessary, not only to understand the child, but also to be of the child spirit. The study of child psychology is fascinating, and of great value; but one may be an expert therein, and never attract a little one. To do that, the very tone and temper of childhood is necessary.

The writer of this book, Dr. C. H. Woolston, fulfils these conditions in the most conspicuous way; and is fulfilling the obligations with the most radiant success. He has dedicated the book to The Children of Cedar Falls. He might have dedicated it to children in every centre where he has worked among them. It is fitting, however, that I should be privileged to write a brief foreword to this book because it is here, at Cedar Falls, that I have seen most of him at his work, though I have seen his work also at Winona Lake.

I am certain that I speak, not only for myself but for all the speakers at this Conference, and for those who have attended it, when I say that one of the supreme things of delight and of light has been Dr. Woolston and his bairns.

The children gather about him, and follow him round, not only to their own meetings, but to adult gatherings like bees about the flowers. Moreover, when he is at work, there is invariably a fringe of children of an older growth at his meetings. In his eyes are the dancing lights of childhood yet, and he radiates the child spirit.

What wonder then that the bairns love him, and God uses him so wonderfully to shepherd and feed the lambs of his flock.

The reader of these talks will not have the wonderful personality of the writer, but they will surely find much of the charm of his remarkable ability to talk to children, not patronizingly as one apart and aloof, but in close comradeship, as one of themselves, gleeful in their glee, tender in their sorrows, sympathetic with their trials, representing to them the Lord and Lover of them all.

With unbounded affection for the man, and confidence in his work, I commend this book to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth, and who therefore perforce are lovers of the little ones.

	PAGE
I NTRODUCTION	vi
CHAPTER
I. T HE T EN D EMANDMENTS	1
II. O BJECT T EACHING IN THE B IBLE	4
III. U NDERSTANDING Y OUR O BJECT	7
IV. I NCENSE L ESSONS	9
V. T HE B URNING OF THE I DOL	10
VI. E ARS O PEN TO G OD'S C ALL	11
VII. I T W ILL A LL B E R IGHT AT L AST	12
VIII. T HE M AKING OF A C HRISTIAN	13
IX. T HE H AND OF F AITH	16
X. B EFORE AND A FTER	17
XI. W HY I S HOULD J OIN THE C HURCH	18
XII. S EEING THE S ERMON	19
XIII. T HE B IG S IX	20
XIV. H OW G OD S EES T HINGS	21
XV. J OHN 3 : 16 IN C OLORS	23
XVI. T HE G OSPEL A CCORDING TO THE M AGNET	25
XVII. T HE S TAR B OX	26
XVIII. H OW M ARY L OST H ER B EAUTIFUL D OLL	29
XIX. T HE P RODIGAL S ON IN R AGS	31
XX. W HAT C AN T AKE A WAY M Y S INS	35
XXI. T HE G OSPEL C OPY B OOK	37
XXII. I N H IS K EEPING	38
XXIII. A C ANDLE L IGHT L ESSON	40
XXIV. T HOSE T EN F RIENDS OF M INE	42
XXV. T HE H EAVENLY M AIL FOR THE D ISCIPLES	44
XXVI. T HERE'S A M ESSAGE IN THE C ANDLE	46
XXVII. T HE L ONG AND S HORT OF I T	48
XXVIII. P ULLING O UT THE N AIL H OLES	50
XXIX. T HE B URIED B IBLE	51
XXX. T HE C HRISTMAS C ANDLE	56

CHAPTER I

"THE TEN DEMANDMENTS"

A Chapter to be often read as we study the art of object teaching. Follow these 10 Rules—they are Ten Steps to the Palace of Success

IN teaching children and others how to visualize God's truth, we must remember the Ten Demandments and keep them.

First Demandment: You must love the child. Preaching to children is an affair of the heart. You must love them before you can reach them with the truth. A teacher seeking to win and teach little hearts must first have the degree of L. L. C. which being interpreted means "Love Little Children." God will confer on you this degree. Don't begin until God marks you with it.

Second Demandment: You must remember that the eye is the child's open door to the heart. It is eighteen times larger than the ear gate. They receive eighteen times more truth by their eyes than they do through their ears. They are always seeing things. You must remember this—sayeth the Second Demandment.

Third Demandment: You must believe in the large opportunity and high privileges of working with children. It is the mountain top of importance. It is dealing with the largest soul value of the world. It yields quickly its reward. Be first on the ground. It is the richest ground in the Kingdom of Heaven. It brings early harvest—a harvest of Gold.

Fourth Demandment: You must learn to know the child, study him like you would a book, or as carefully as you do your lessons. Study him at close range, and by loving contact. Chum with him. The best text book on the child question is the child himself. Master your object as well as your subject. This is the highest teaching of the highest order. Read Chapter III of this book.

Fifth Demandment: You must use short words. Little folks like to catch your meaning at first hearing. Listen to them as they talk one with another. They use but few words, and they are short and to the point. Use common words, because they use them. Don't use silly words or baby talk, or speak in an unnatural tone of voice. They don't like affected tones. They don't talk that way when they address each other. They don't want you to talk to them in that fashion. They [2] call it "silly" and "sissy." It takes an educated man to use their language, but go to the University of Childhood and learn there to be an uncommon talker—which means—talk the talk of childhood.

Sixth Demandment: You must be brief. Much of our work with children is useless, because it is over done in the matter of time. Cut it short so it will cut in—always just when they want more, and the next time, they will be glad to listen to you. Clothe your ideas in short sentences. Seldom use words over two syllables, and even then make them the words they use when they are doing their own talking. In using the objects always hold them up in full view of the children, and keep them there. In a short sentence name the object you are thus about to use. It will keep them from spending the time wondering what the object might be. Let the object talk and it will. Make your talk short, and stop when you are through. Be brief, but full of ideas.

Seventh Demandment: You must be sure to preach the Bible. To get the Bible into their hearts is your task. Stick to your task. All truth is good, but Bible truth is best. Use the best with little hearts. The Bible is the greatest story book in the world. That is the reason little folks like it when you tell them the wonder stories out of it. Show them a story. Clothe a lad in oriental garb, and call him Joseph, and while they are looking at him, tell them the much loved story of Joseph and his brethren. Give the boy a lunch basket, and tell the story of the boy that supplied five thousand with his lunch one day when he passed the basket and its contents, over to the Master. This is putting the story over by objects, and it puts it in and under and it sticks for all time.

Eighth Demandment: You must begin with the known, and work up to the unknown in the handling of objects. Jesus asked for a drink of water from the Samaritan woman and from that water from Jacob's well from which she had drawn the water for her home since childhood, He began to reveal to her the water of Life, and she drank from that fountain, and her home town in Samaria had a Billy Sunday awakening from the well of Jacob. Jesus began with water from the Well of Jacob. He ended with a talk about the water which cometh down from above.

It will help you and greatly vary your program if you ask the children to bring their own objects with them some times which they have found by the wayside, and then you may give them a spiritual lesson. They will never forget the lesson, and often, in other days, when they see those objects again, they will remember your lesson.

Ninth Demandment: You must not be afraid of object lessons which may have a little slant in them toward a happy little surprise.

[3] Sometimes the effect we were not looking for makes the most lasting impression. It is this quality that makes a fairy tale so fascinating to children. Wonder objects can make truth as charming as the ways of fairies. Wonder objects provoke curiosity, and curiosity is the mother of attention. This is the best type of attention. Look over the wonder lessons of this book and work them. Children never forget a thing as long as they continue to wonder about it.

Tenth Demandment: You must pray over and about your objects. Just as the minister prays over the elements of the Lord's Supper, so pray over your objects. God can bless things as well as words, and this He will do if both things and words are used for His glory. These Ten Demandments are like ten guiding stars throbbing in the night. All of them are Pilot Stars seeking to guide the wise lovers of children as did their Father's star long ago to the place "where the young child lay."

CHAPTER II

"OBJECT TEACHING IN THE BIBLE"

In this chapter we find the Bible authority and example for Object Teaching. Read this chapter before you give your first lesson

THE Bible is the teacher's best handbook of object training. This is true because the Bible is an oriental book, and the orientals received truth through symbols and visual instruction. Their mannerisms were symbolical, their holy writings radiant with visualized truth. So the Bible weaves into its cloth of truth this gorgeous method of appeal. Hence the Bible is something to look at as well as to read through. The oriental mind grasped truth and the human mind elsewhere is cast in the same mould. The universal mind follows the same program. The perfect art of the religious teacher is to teach Bible truth in the Bible method, and that method is "through the eye-gate into the kingdom of the soul." Let us wander through the wonderland of the Bible that we may learn the perfect art of great teaching.

The prophet Ezekiel was commanded to go out and set his face toward Jerusalem, and there, in the presence of the people hold aloft his sword and drop it to the ground and say "A sword is also sharpened" meaning that war was soon to come down upon them, and the sword of battle was sharpened for the fray. God was against them, and because of their sins they were to be punished. Jeremiah also was an object teacher for God and this was one of the lessons he taught the people. He saw a potter shaping a vessel and it was marred in his hands. It was defective in substance. Too much earth, and not enough of clay. He broke the marred vessel and made another of better stuff; by this object lesson, the prophet declared, Israel was defective; it had in its composition too much earth; it was marred with idol dust and earthly parts and so God would break Israel and make it over again. Jeremiah at another time produced two baskets of figs and set them before the Lord in the temple. One basket contained good figs, and the other basket spoiled figs. The prophet explained this object lesson by saying the-basket of good figs were God's good people. God will keep them and save them. The bad figs represented the unfaithful people, and they shall be scattered over the earth. This same prophet [5] once took a girdle and hid it from sight in a dark damp place where it finally became mouldy and worthless. Then he brought it forth before the people and holding it up said, "This girdle represents God's people who have left the true fold, and joined themselves to idols of the heathen races. They are no longer a fit girdle to wrap around His loins as His peculiar and holy peoples." The prophet explains "Cleave unto your God, as the girdle clings to the body, so shall ye be kept close to him." Once more, this same prophet took a parchment and before all the people wrote thereon the sins of the people. He then read it once to them, rolled it up and bound a stone about it and cast it into the river saying, "So shall Babylon be destroyed and pass away."

This same object teaching prophet called the order of Rechabites before him and set before them ten pots of wine and ordered them to drink thereof, which of course they refused to do, and quoted the law of their clan in defense of their act. The prophet then said—so will you obey your earthly leaders, and their laws, but will not obey God and his heavenly commandments. So we learn from these illustrations, that God taught His people in their early days to "See Truth." Objects were His text books. His first manuscript on the art of object teaching He flung out upon the heavens,—it was the beautiful rainbow which was an object to look at and when it appeared they were to remember its teachings. There should never be another Deluge to destroy the world. Ever since that day when He wants the earth to look up and see His gorgeous object lesson, He sends forth the thunder to herald its appearance. He washes out the atmosphere with His rain that they can gaze upon it, and flashes out the lightning that their eyes may be arrested to behold it. Then in glorious peace, with sunshine dancing on its arching curves, He hangs out His object lesson, and we look and remember the promises of God. Behold an object lesson in colors! But, it has been remarked, this was God's method in teaching the races back in their nursery days, but now the kindergarten days are passed, and we are living in the golden age of civilization and philosophy, and we must put away childish things. Let me remind you that Jesus and Moses are alike as to method. They both represented the Father, so both utilize the same method. They both taught by objects. Moses of the Old Testament times, and Jesus of the advanced New Testament times. Jesus knew the human heart and He knew it was best for His day so to teach, for we receive eighteen times more truth through the eyes than through the ear.

Jesus used this royal, broad and open wide road to the soul. It was the best in the days of Moses. It was the best in the days of Jesus, because it was the surest and quickest and most lasting of all methods. [6] Jesus left us two ordinances—the baptism of the believer and the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. Both of these ordinances are built around objects—water, bread and wine. All stand for the highest things in our holy faith. These two ordinances are both holy pantomimes, which by action, and use of objects, the faith of heaven is perpetuated among men. This was the Master's method—make it yours. the Master's truth in the Master's way is the masterful way of telling forth the message of Peace on Earth Good Will Toward Men.

CHAPTER III

"UNDERSTANDING YOUR OBJECT

Know your subject well, but know also your object. Know the latter just a little better. This chapter will help you to do this task

BEFORE you teach young folks or old folks, fix it in your mind that it is just as important to understand your object as well as your subject. It is not sufficient that we know our subject well —this we must do, of course. We must have a full knowledge of the subject and then "some more," but this does not make us a Master teacher. A teacher training class only goes half way in making us fit if it simply prepares us to teach the subject matter of the lesson. You must also understand the object. And the object is the child before you. So often all the teaching is over their heads. They don't see the point. There is no point, to them. How can they see it if in their minds it does not exist? When the lesson is over they are "glad." Glad it is all over, and they don't know what it is all about. The teacher did not know the full lesson. She was full of her subject—she was ignorant of her object. She did not understand the child. Understand your object and by this we mean—understand the child. Always remember the true child is not only a miniature adult and so dismiss the thought at that— "only a man in the making" he doesn't count much until he grows up and is not worthy special study in the period of making. This is crotchet thinking. He belongs to as distinctive a race as does the man of eighty. He has his own laws, his own reasons for acting, and every act has a meaning all his own. It becomes our business to discover the reasons why he says "those words" and to discuss their meaning with him. We must try to see as the child sees, and look at things from his viewpoint.

It is related that one of the most famous artists of his day had a compelling ambition to paint the face of children. He was a pronounced failure. The faces he painted resembled those of sober adults. He could not dash into his pictures the touch of youth. He did not understand children. He could not see with their eyes. One day, when his study door was open, a little fellow came in and stood gazing at a picture leaning up against the wall, its base resting on the floor. By and by the artist saw him get down on all fours and gaze with passionate intensity at the picture. The artist said "I would give most anything if [8] I could see what he sees." "You can," said a voice in the halls of his mind, "if you look at the picture from his level." So the artist got down on his knees beside the child and looked at his own picture from the child's level. What he saw he never related, but after that hour, he painted the "Angelic Faces"—a picture admired the world over. He had found out a secret. He had seen things from a child's level. What a miracle it is to know this! I would climb the highest mountain, pierce the darkest jungle, cross the wildest sea, explore the trackless desert, push on through the maddest night, gird the earth a score of times— just to find him. I would rather know the child and understand him, so I could reach his little soul than to have discovered the North Pole.

Once upon a time there was a teacher who was instructing her class of boys on the lesson of Jonah. She was a graduate of a string of teacher-training classes. She had gone the limit in preparing her lesson. She was full of the subject. She talked over the heads of the boys. They did not understand even a little bit of the lesson. After she had finished, she turned to her class and said "Now boys, what does the story of Jonah teach you?" and one little fellow piped out, "Please, teacher, the story of Jonah teaches me that you can't keep a good man down." The teacher turned to young George and administered to him a stinging rebuke, "How dare you," said she, "on the Sabbath Day, in God's house and before the open Bible, make light of religious matters? I am ashamed of you. If you were my son I would feed you on bread and water for a week." Little George kept his eye on the door, wondering if he could, with safety, make his escape. He never came again. Now the teacher knew Jonah, but she didn't know George. If she had said to George, "Now, George, that wasn't exactly the reply that I wanted, but I am glad that you have got a thought about the lesson. Come to my house next Tuesday night and take supper with me and I will show you pictures of Jonah and tell you stories about this wonderful man and then I think you will get it right in your head." If she had tried this method she would have got the real Jonah into George and she would have gotten George into her heart. If she had known as much about George as she did about Jonah, she would have known that that reply was a bit of pleasantry, coming spontaneously from a young heart. She did not understand her object.

CHAPTER IV

INCENSE LESSONS

CHILDREN like to watch incense burn. In their imagination they see dancing around in the little columns of smoke strange and wonderful little shapes. Let us try to cause these smoke columns to tell God's great message.

Incense is frequently mentioned in the Bible. It ascended from the golden altar of the Tabernacle and was burning night and day. It was never out. It stood for prayer, and we will now try and find out what it says to us about talking to God.

Call to the platform a number of boys and girls each holding a little plate: a tin plate will answer. Put on each plate about four incense cones, which can be easily secured in the shops. One cone is not sufficient to give enough smoke to be seen distinctly by the entire audience. Say to the children as you light the cones, that incense reminds us of prayer, because the smoke ascends just as our prayers go up; and also tell them how to pray and how thoughtful they should be as they pray, for God hears every word they say. For prayers go up like incense. In the old Temple the incense was always burning, so they should pray always as the good Book says "Pray without ceasing." Now scatter them in various parts of the room. That will represent secret prayer. Call them all to the platform and place them as close to each other as possible; that will represent united prayer. While they are standing in that position a large volume of smoke will be ascending which will appeal to their little eyes and make a lasting impression upon them. This you can call the prayer meeting of one accord.

As you call the children to the platform you can name them after the various denominations, and thus illustrate how all the churches can come together for prayer and how beautiful it looks to see them in united prayer for the world.

The odor of the burning incense will be very evident by this time and you may let this remind them that it is like the influence which always emanates from the prayers that go up to God from believing hearts.

CHAPTER V

THE BURNING OF THE IDOL

THIS is a Temperance lesson, full of meaning for these days. Don't fail to keep this Red Light of Danger burning. This lesson will be a signal of fire. Pour out on a plate a small quantity of denatured alcohol, and say "it looks like water." Shake the bottle— but it is not pure, heaven-sent water, but a deadly poison. Read to them Proverbs 23:31; 20:1. These are warnings from heaven against this deadly poison. These words are like matches from God to light the red lamp of danger. Alcohol is a deadly thing. God says so. Tell them that it is the greatest idol in all the world. Millions worship it, for every drinker of this red poison bows to this idol whenever he drinks. Strike a match and set fire to it, and as it blazes forth say "I will now burn the idol, because it is a burning idol, like the great Moloch about which we read in the Old Testament, within whose blazing arms little children were cast and burned to death. So this fiery idol destroys millions. The Indians call it "fire-water" because it burns the throat. This is the reason if you take one drink you want another. Alcohol absorbs all the moisture of the throat and creates a thirst which alcohol alone will quench; so it keeps on burning until it burns up the stomach, the lungs, the heart, the brain, and yet men continue to drink this fire of death.

Once upon a time there was a little monkey that was owned by the keeper of a county tavern. Frequently he gave it a little taste of this fire-water which caused him to jump about in great glee. This pleased the bad men of the barroom greatly. One day a man lit a match and set fire to the spoonful, and when the monkey saw it he fled in terror and never touched it again. This was monkey sense; this was better than man sense, for man knows it will burn, and yet returns to it again. He needs a few monkey lessons. To deepen the impressions of this lesson, you can take the white of an egg, a substance which resembles the brain of a human being, place it in a cup and pour upon it a small quantity of alcohol; then stir it with a spoon and it will congeal as if it had been cooked. Take this out of the cup and it will be solid like a boiled egg. This will illustrate the effect of alcohol on the human brain. This is a lesson which burns itself into the memory of the children for all time. This will hang up the 18th amendment on nails of fire in the memory of the little folks and other folks also. May the whole world soon go into this sort of fire business.

CHAPTER VI

EARS OPENED TO GOD'S CALL

GOD is speaking to us all the time. We so often pay no heed to His voice. Do we know the language he speaks? It is a secret tongue. Let us try to learn it.

Once there was a prisoner who was cast into jail because he preached Jesus. It seemed to him he was alone and without friends to help. But there was another prisoner in an adjoining cell who knew him but could not speak to him because the guards would hear his voice. At night the lonely man would hear some one knocking on the wall. What did this sound mean? What did the knocks say? At last he thought the knocks might stand for the letters of the alphabet. One knock meant A, two knocks B, etc. so he counted the taps one night. He counted twenty-one taps. "That," said he, "means U." When he counted again it struck fourteen times; that meant N. The next time it struck four times; that meant D. Now he heard five taps; that meant E. Again he heard eighteen taps; that stood for R. Then nineteen taps; that stood for S. Then twenty taps; that meant T; then one tap which meant A; then fourteen, N; then four, D; then the taps ceased and he knew the message had been delivered and discovered the word meant UNDERSTAND. He answered by twenty-five knocks which meant Y; then five taps for E; then nineteen taps for S which spelled out his answer which was YES. They talked together because they knew each other's language. God often knocks at our heart's door. Some great trouble comes to our home. Over and over He knocks and the knocking spells out the word COME, let us answer ²⁵ _Y ⁵ _E ¹⁹ _S

CHAPTER VII

IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT AT LAST

ASK two little girls to come to the platform and say to them "I know you little girls love each other, but do you like to see each other receive good things?" Then say, as you hold up some small gift, "This little treasure has been given to me to give to some little girl that would be glad to receive it: but you see I cannot give it to both of you, and how will I decide which girl shall receive it? If I give it to this little girl then the other will be disappointed. Sometimes great trouble comes to this world because one receives and the other does not. However, I will take a chance and give it to this little girl." And as you speak pass the toy to her. Turning to the other girl, you say, "You don't feel hurt do you? I know you are glad to see your little friend made happy. I also trust you are not displeased with me for not giving it to you. Here learn the lesson some people seem to get the good things of life, and others seem to go without." Now without further remarks give the same girl another toy. Then that is true to life also. Some seem to get all, and others get little or nothing. Perhaps this little girl without anything seems to be saying in her mind, she has two already, she might give me one, and at the point pass a toy to the little girl that has none, but she says even yet, the other girl has twice as many as I have, so she does not seem to enjoy the one she has when she remembers the other girl has two. It doesn't look right, does it? But she is a good little and girl and says, "I will be thankful for what I have and try to be glad." At this point you seem to be in deep study and finally say, "I just remember that I have overlooked a little box," which you produce from some corner and on opening it you discover another toy which you give to the little girl with the one toy. Now they both have the same number and so it is all right at last. This teaches us a lesson so hard to learn in life,—how one man receives much, the other but little. Strife and war are often the result of this condition but we must be patient with our lot. God knows best. He will reward us in full by and by so it will be all right at last.

CHAPTER VIII

THE MAKING OF A CHRISTIAN

FOR this lesson procure parts of the flag and on some background put them together according to the diagram until you have made the perfect flag (see diagram). You will then notice the flag marked "I" has no red stripes in it, and therefore is not perfect. It has six stripes only; so in the making of a Christian if the blood has not been applied and sins washed away, there can be no true Christian Life.

Figure 2.—No white stripes and only seven stripes in all. If there is no white in the life, there is no Christian Life. It is short of the standard of thirteen stripes. Only seven appear here.

Figure 3.—Red and white stripes appear, not thirteen but eleven. In the making of a Christian there cannot be a perfect Christian with some of the commandments left out. He that fails in one is guilty of all.

Figure 4.—Here we see the field but the stars left out. This is not the flag of the U.S.A. That man who calls himself a Christian without the Star of Bethlehem is not a New Testament Christian.

Figure 5.—Here we have nothing but stripes—no blue field. This is not the national banner of our country. It lacks the one thing— the blue. In making of the Christian we must not lack one thing; if we do, the life is rejected. "One thing thou lackest:" Such a life cannot have the mark of a Christian.

Figure 6.—All stars and no stripes. This cannot be the National flag of our people. The number of stars is correct, but the red and white stripes are missing. In the making of a Christian if we lack the red of the Blood, and the White of right living we cannot pass as the Bible Christian in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Figure 7.—Here we note sixteen stripes and fifty stars. This would also be rejected. Congress stipulates a banner of thirteen stripes and forty-eight stars; that alone constitutes the lawful banner of America. In the making of a Christian, we must not add to that life what is not given in the law. No other doctrine can be mixed with God's truth. Just God's word alone, nothing added from the worldly philosophy or the worldly wisdom of man.

past, but not the mighty flag of today. So in the making of a Christian, the past will not suffice. We must grow, in grace, and have an experience up to date.

Figure 9.—This is the American flag with a foreign mark upon it. It is not truly American. It would be rejected by the government of the United States. So in the making of a Christian, all marks of another government must be cast out. Jesus only. God and not mammon, must obtain.

Figure 10.—Is the correct picture of the flag according to the laws of the nation. So in the making of the Christian, we must be according to the Pattern. We must do His commandments to bear His family name of Christian. Thus we can learn from the making of the flag to make a Christian.

CHAPTER IX

THE HAND OF FAITH

HERE is a lesson on the meaning of Faith. Hold up the hand, showing the five fingers spread out and say, "Here is the hand of faith." There are as many letters in the word "faith" as I have fingers on my hand. Spell the word out commencing with the little finger and call it "F." Little Faith sometimes it often proves, but our faith increases as we travel on in the path of faith. The next finger stands for "A" of faith. You notice it is larger than "F" so our faith increases as we spell it out in experience and works. The next finger stands for "I" a little larger still. The next finger is for "T" a little shorter as sometimes our faith wanes; at last the thumb standing for "H," strong and confirmed in the way, so the fingers spell out the word "faith." A living faith—as the hand is a living organ of my body. An active faith, as each finger has its own individual action and a grasping faith, for the fingers were made to seize hold of things and take them. So our faith must seize and hold on to God. The faith that seizes the Cross—my fingers—another name for faith—seize it and hold it. This is Salvation. Jesus says "take" of the water of life. The hand of faith takes it, seizes it, and that makes it ours. This is the faith that bringeth the victory. At last make your appeal to them to take Salvation now. Ask them to hold up their hand, open their fingers, and if their faith will take Jesus, to close their fingers as if clasping something, and that something is Jesus. This is taking Jesus by Faith.

CHAPTER X

BEFORE OR AFTER

PUT the figure of a cross on the blackboard and on the left side put the letters B. C. On the right side, the letters A. D. This in the language of the day stands for Before Christ and the Year of Our Lord. For our purpose, we will cause B. C. to stand for Before Conversion and A. D. After Deliverance. Before and after the Cross (See Figure).

Great questions come to the Christian for his decision. "Shall I" are the words often on our lips. Does it belong to the life before the Cross (Before Conversion) or After Conversion? Put it down where it belongs. "Shall I dance?" that belongs to the B. C. side of the Cross. "Shall I play cards?" that belongs to the B. C. side also. "Shall I pray?" that belongs to the A. D. side (After Deliverance) of the Cross. "Shall I join the Church?" that belongs to the A. D. side also. It would be a very helpful exercise to ask the audience to name daily matters, and ask which side of the Cross they belong. If you have a doubtful thing in your mind take it to the Cross and mark it B. C. or A. D. This will make an instructive exercise for a young people's meeting. Always be an A. D. Christian.

CHAPTER XI

WHY I SHOULD JOIN THE CHURCH

IT is the wrong thought of some Christians that they count just as much for God outside of the church as in it. Christian membership harnesses up the Christian to a giant power. Build out of cardboard the form of a village church, place it on the platform before the audience. If using blackboard draw the Church and numbers in the air first. As they enter the Church rub the figures out, and place on the roof. Hang up the numbers 1-2-0-4-9-6-7 in various parts of the platform. They represent Christians who will not join the Church, separate units, standing for themselves only. They have no relation to each other and have only individual power. Persuade them to come into the A diagram of two churches, one with numbers around it, one with numbers in it

A diagram of two churches, one with numbers around it, one with numbers in it

Church organization and be linked together by common tasks. Take these numbers now in various parts of the platform and place them on the roof in the following order: 9763210—now they are an army of giants with power of millions of separate units. If the Church should be made of wood, take seven candles and light them. Put them in various places in the room. They represent the separate Christian. Bring them to Church, Put them all inside of the Church. Turn out all the other lights on the platform and the effect will be most striking. Jesus said "Let your light so shine" and the way to make it shine the most, is to all shine together. So will the Church be like a city set on a hill. Its light cannot be hid.

CHAPTER XII

SEEING THE SERMON

THIS is a striking and attractive way to preach a short object sermon in the regular church service. Just before the regular sermon, ask all the children to leave their seats and come forward to the platform in a happy little group, then hand each a Perry picture all on the same subject. Then preach to them a short sermon drawing out the point of the picture, and explain every line of it to them. They will then understand the picture and the lesson it teaches. After the little sermon is over, tell them to keep the picture. And send them back to their seats. It is a beautiful and affecting scene to see the little people with happy step and smiling face coming down the aisle and hastening back to their folks and saying "See what he gave me." They are instructed to put these pictures in a scrap book to keep them together. You can go through the Life of Jesus this way and the children will thus have a valuable scrap book to keep for years to come. Ask your denominational house where these pictures can be secured. They cost but trifle, but they help you to cause the children to see a sermon.

CHAPTER XIII

THE BIG SIX

THIS is a simple little diagram which can be drawn on a blackboard or made over on a linen chart to be hung up on the wall for permanent use. First make a large six like this large 6

then toward the top place a smaller size six. Thus large 6 with 6 in a column to the left

. This means there are 66 books in the Bible. Then add below the small 6 the figure 3, like this large 6 with 6 and 3 in a column to the left

. This teaches that there were 36 human authors who wrote the Bible. Last of all add below this three the figure one like this large 6 with 6, 3, and 1 in a column to the left

large 6 with 6, 3, and 1 in a column to the left

which means that it took sixteen centuries to write the Bible.

Let the children one by one, come to the front and with pointers explain these figures. Let them repeat it in concert until they have memorized the diagram.

In addition to that diagram, this one may be of service in remembering the number of the books of the Old and New Testament. Write in large letters the words OLD TESTAMENT. Count the letters in the Word OLD, which are three. Put down the figure 3. Count the letters in TESTAMENT and you will find the number to be nine. Put down the figure 9, after the figure 3, and you will have the number 39 which is the number of the books in the Old Testament. Write out the words NEW Testament; count the letters in NEW. There are three. Count letters in TESTAMENT; there are nine. After the figure 3 place the multiplication sign x, then follow with the figure 9. Multiply 9x3 and you have 27, which is the number of the books in the New Testament. Say to the children and others if you ever forget the number of the books either in the Old or New Testament, write the words Old Testament and New Testament. Count the letters in each word and you will find the number you desire. For the Old Testament put down the figures side by side. For the New Testament multiply the first number by the last. Write this lesson on the blackboard or draw on the chart the following diagram:

CHAPTER XIV

HOW GOD SEES THINGS

THIS is a lesson on seeing things as God sees them. Man looks on the outside, God looks on the inside. We look at the clothes and manners of other people. God looks at the heart. God's way is the best. The only way to see things as they really are, and all wise boys and girls will try to see as God sees. In giving this lesson select the brightest cups possible. Place them on a table by themselves and say "Here are two cups." They look alike; they appear to be alike. Judging from outward appearance, they are alike. That is the way man sees cups and people, but God looks on the inside as well. This we should do also if we wish to see as God sees. Here is a bright and beautiful cup. Let us together see what it contains. The first cup contains nothing but soiled, dirty, greasy rags. They are worthless. Mother would burn them as they are good for nothing. Have the cup painted black on the inside and as you hold up the cup so they can see the inside you say "It is filled with night as black as evil deeds." Down on the bottom of the cup place a small toy serpent which you produce last and say the reason the inside of the cup of life is bad is because down deep in the heart you will find sin and that makes the whole heart bad. To illustrate the nature of sin write on a cardboard the word sin like this S I N—say the first letter of sin resembles a serpent. You cannot speak the letter S without hissing like a serpent. The curves of the letter also resemble the serpent in the act of striking. The serpent before it strikes must curl up and lift its head high before it can give its fatal bite. So this teaches us the fact that sin is active and ready to assault at all times. Note the second letter I. That means sin is in you. I find sin is inside. Increase the letter I like this S I N which means sin is growing in us all the time as we grow older and older, it gets larger and larger. The only way to get it out of our heart is to come to Jesus and ask Him by the power of His cross to cleanse the inside of the cup and He will do it.

Pin strips of red paper over the I , and you make the Cross. This is the only power which will kill the serpent of sin and make clean the inside of the cup of life. Then when God looks in He does not see the evil of sin. That makes the cup all right. Now show the second cup [22] and say "Here is a cup, right outside, also right inside. Let us look in as God does, and see what we find." First produce a small New Testament. If you cannot secure one small enough for the cup, write on small strips of paper short texts of scripture, and bring them out, one by one, and read them. David says "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." That is the first big reason why the cup is clean inside. Now produce from the cup a large piece of white silk, or other thin fabric, and declare as you draw this silk out, that "what comes forth from the heart is pure, and white, and right." "Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life." Prov. 4:23. The issues are streams of good works. If you so desire you can use white ribbon instead of silk. In that case, cut the silk in small pieces and name each of them after some good quality such as Help, Kindness, Love, Truth, etc. After this produce a number of short blue ribbons which you can name Faithful, Friendship. Blue standing for "true blue" meaning true friendship. Have the ribbons tied together, meaning the pure heart and true heart makes friends who are friends indeed. At last produce a small streamer of red which stands for the cross. God looks inside of such a cup and smiles and blesses it. Let us all try to see things as God sees them and we will wear the smile that does not come off. To simplify this lesson for use of very little eyes, you can use the following objects. Secure a plain tin cup, and larger and more ornamented one, and place them side by side. Say to the children "Which is the better cup? If I should offer you one of the cups which would you choose ?" They would all declare the silver cup as their choice. Now show them that is not the way God looks on things. We decide our choice by looking at the outside. God looks on the inside also. Now show them the beautiful cup is full of dirty water and the tin cup full of pure water. Which of the cups is worth more to you when you are thirsty? They will all tell you the tin cup is worth the most. Always look in before you decide. That is the way God does. He sees the heart first. In arranging this lesson, prepare the cups first. As you think it over, you will find it easy to think up other things to make up the contents, but have them all prepared before lesson time. Do not permit the children to look into the cups before the lesson or the real point of the truth you wish to teach them will be lost.

CHAPTER XV

JOHN 3:16 IN COLORS

THIS lesson will help you fix the truth of John 3:16 as well as the words of this golden text in the memory and heart of the little audience for a life time.

This verse is called by Martin Luther "the gospel in a nutshell." By this remark he meant that the truth of the Gospel was condensed into a few words. These colors will help you nail down on the wall of memory this condensed Gospel of John 3:16 so it will be the Gospel not only in a nutshell but the Gospel in the heart and memory. Draw on a heavy paper, a large heart at least sixteen inches high. Pin that up on a blackboard or some back ground where all the class can see it well. Now say you will try to put the little Gospel of John 3:16 in the heart so it will stick there. Take a small strip of gold paper or golden yellow paper and place it on the bottom of the heart. Gold is the richest and best of all things so we will let it stand for God, Who is the Best of all things. That strip stands for "GOD SO." Just above that you place a strip of red which stands for "LOVED." This represents the "Love" of God. Next take a strip of brown, the color of the common earth, placing it above the red, which will stand for the earth. This represents "THE WORLD." Above the brown place a white strip which represents "HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON." White stands for the purity for God's son who had no sin in Him, also "The only begotten son, as He was the only earthly being who had no sin."

Above the white place one long strip of four colors, and if possible let the colors in the strip be of a different shade from those used in the single strips. They are red and yellow, black, and white. These colors stand for "WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH."

Other races have faces shaded from these principal colors. These papers can be made of independent strips, going completely across the heart, or of shorter colors joined together endwise.

[24] A black strip is now placed above this which stands for "PERISH." Black suggests death, and the lost soul in eternal night. Add now a green strip. Green is the eternal color. The ivy and the pine trees are always green. Let this strip stand for "EVERLASTING." And so the heart is thus built up.

Now ask them to name the word for which each color stands, then put the words together as in the Bible verse. On another chart write out the verse in colors using the proper color for each word. FOR GOD (gold) SO LOVED (red) THE WORLD (brown) THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON (white) THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH (yellow) (black) (white) (red) SHOULD NEVER PERISH (black) BUT HAVE EVERLASTING (green) LIFE, Tell them this is the Gospel of Christ in John 3:16 in colors and this should be the Gospel in their hearts.

CHAPTER XVI
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE MAGNET

ROBERT RAIKES, the founder of Sunday-schools in England, has left on record only one of the many lessons he taught the children of his day. It is beyond all doubt the oldest Sunday-school lesson ever recorded. It is an object lesson in which he used a magnet. He said, "You know what a magnet is, do you not? It is that strange kind of stone, or magnetized piece of steel which attracts all iron to itself. Perhaps you have seen boys and girls who had toy ducks and fishes drawn about by a magnet in the water. Well, the magnet has a strange, unseen power to draw some things to itself. Perhaps you have owned a little horse-shoe magnet, and have amused yourself drawing needles and other things to it. Now notice, I will place in this saucer a number of needles and also a number of pins. Now you know pins are made of brass while needles are made of steel or iron. You now notice that I take my magnet and hold it just a little above the saucer. Now, see what happens! The magnet attracts all the needles at once and they all fly up and stick to it. But notice the pins. They do not move, as they are made of brass, and there is nothing in them to be drawn by the magnet, so they remained quietly behind, just as they were. Now listen, the Lord Jesus is just like this magnet, and every one who belongs to Him, everyone who has repented and believes in Him, is like these needles. They have a nature now that loves the Lord Jesus, so when He comes He will draw all those who belong to Him up to meet Him, but all other people who have not been born again and have not had their natures changed by Jesus, are like these pins. They do not rise up to greet Him. There is nothing in their hearts to respond, so when He comes, they will remain behind. How is it with you, dear children, are you like the pins or needles?"

This was the lesson which Robert Raikes taught the children long ago. You have already thought out how he did it and no further explanation is needed. There are many lessons the magnet teaches which will fasten gospel truth in their hearts to stay. You may fasten the base of the magnet to a small wooden cross, and teach the lesson of the attractive power by plunging the foot of the cross into a plate of tacks and note how many tacks will cling to the cross. Call attention to the fact that they not only cling to the magnet, but to each other. The power of the magnet passes through the tack to other tacks and so on and you have a crowd of tacks clinging to the cross. This teaches us the fact—if we have the power of Christ in the heart, we will also draw others to Jesus.

CHAPTER XVII

THE STAR BOX

IF this lesson is used simply as "The Star Box" you can use it any time of the year as it is a lesson on the "Baby Days of Jesus." Secure a fair sized box, a pasteboard box will answer if a wooden box is not available. Cover it with sky blue paper to represent the night and on the front of the box place a large golden paper star. Place this on a table before the children and tell them our lesson this hour will be from the Star Box and the baby days of Jesus. Open the box and produce the following colors and objects.

1. The Bible. The coming of Jesus was foretold by the Old Testament prophets. They longed to see His day, just as we now long to see the second coming of Jesus. Here quote some of the Scriptures announcing His first coming. These Scriptures were all like guiding stars to the Old Testament people, which would some day lead them to the baby Jesus. The New Testament says He has come and we believe it, for the Wise Men said, "We have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him." If you desire you can make a scroll like the ancient scriptures and bring this out of the box; this can be used in place of the Bible book. A scroll is made like a roll of wall paper. Make it about eighteen inches long, and have on it the references in the Old Testament which declare His coming. When it is unrolled and you have finished with it, pin the object, and all other objects you produce from the box, somewhere up on the platform where all can see them, and to which you can refer if you so desire a little later in the meeting. Use glass push pins for this and all objects requiring to be pinned up before the audience.

2. Next produce from the Star Box a piece of striped goods about one foot square. This will represent the robe of the shepherds who long ago were watching their sheep, Here teach the lesson of the dignity of labor. God has given us work to do. The shepherds did theirs, and God sent them a wonderful message as they worked. They attended to their sheep. God talked to David, the Shepherd, once, and helped him to sing, and we have the book of the Psalms, the church's oldest hymn book, and many of these songs were given young David as he watched his sheep. So the shepherds just watched and worked.

[27] 3. Now produce a field of stars. Some black muslin upon which a few small stars are sewed. This represents the night in which the shepherds watched their flocks. The robbers and wild beasts did their deadly work at night so the shepherds took their turn in watching by night. Here learn a lesson of faithfulness when the hour is dark. So the shepherds did not slumber and sleep by the comfortable fires, but kept both eyes and ears open for the call of the wild beast or the sudden visit of the robber, and as they watched there they heard a joyful song.

4. Here produce a piece of white silk or cloth which represents the angel's song of "Peace on earth, good will toward man." The white silk is an emblem of peace. So they heard the angel's song and its good message of "peace on earth." It is a wonderful thought that God used songs to first announce the glad tidings of the coming of the Son. It is God's way yet—a message of song often finds the heart quicker than a golden word. Learn to "sing for Jesus." Perhaps God may use you, as he did the angels, to bring the message of heaven to some poor heart on earth.

5. Now produce a piece of yellow cloth or felt. This stands for the yellow straw which the shepherds found in the manger when they went to Bethlehem to see the things the angels said had come to pass. Here you may produce, if you desire, a small handful of straw tied tightly together, so it will hang up all right. This straw made the bed for the humble Christ. We should not complain if we are spending our days in humble quarters. Jesus thus spent His baby days.

6. Now produce from the box a piece of violet silk or cloth. This stands for humility, which was displayed when the shepherds bent the knee before the baby Jesus and worshipped Him. They knew He was as poor as they were yet they knew God and knew Jesus was God's son, the new-born King so they bowed the knee to Him. Some kings have been born amid splendor, and placed in cradles, decked with gems, but they were not kings. We only call them so. They were princes, they did not become king till the death of the king, which in some cases was years after their birth, and sometimes they died before the king did and so they were never kings. Jesus was the only one born a King. The shepherds knew this, and that made it all the more wonderful, so like the little modest violet, they bowed their heads before the new-born King. We should bow our hearts always to Jesus; that is, we should have a violet heart. We should be humble.

7. Here produce a star, sewed on a black background. This represents the star seen by the Wise Men from the east, and when they had followed it, they found it led them to the house where Mary and Joseph were dwelling with Jesus. Some people think they know too [28] much to be a Christian. They say, "When I part with my brains, I will follow Him." And these wise men and all other wise men do part with their brains when they do not follow Him for all really wise men have joined in the procession which started a long time ago across the desert to find Jesus. The greatest wisdom of the world is to follow Jesus. There are five letters to the word Jesus, five points to the star, and the star points spell "Jesus."

8. Now produce from the box three colors—yellow for gold, gray for frankincense, purple for myrrh, all fastened together as if in a cluster. The yellow for the gold they brought Him, for He had none of His own. Gray for frankincense which represented or resembled gray smoke when ascending in the sacrifice. These were gifts, the first gifts Jesus ever received. The first Christmas gifts ever presented to anyone in the world. There seems to be no record in Scripture of many gifts ever being given Jesus when He was here among men. He, who was all the time giving good gifts, received but few, if any, in return from the children of men. He never owned a home. He slept for three days in a borrowed grave. Let us learn from the Wise Men, a sweet lesson of giving gifts. It pleases Him.

9. Now produce from the box, an empty bag. This represents the need of the poor—the condition of many a poor soul. They have nothing of their own. In the name of Jesus we bring gifts to them. If we do it in His name it is accepted by Him as gifts to Him. Here put in the bag a few small things if you desire representing the things they need and say, "This is my Christmas present to Jesus."

10. Here produce from the box a small heart. This is my only Christmas present I can give directly to Jesus. My heart He asks of me. My heart I will give to Him. When we give our heart to another, we mean that we give ourselves.

11. Now take from the box a Cross. This can be cut from pasteboard and as you hold it up, fasten the heart to it. This means you will give your heart to Him and make humble confession to the world of what you have done by taking up your cross and following after Him. Salvation is an affair of the heart. It is an affair of the lips, and we must openly proclaim him our Savior, for with the lips confession is made of salvation received. Now ask the children to tell you the truth each object represents.

CHAPTER XVIII

HOW MAY LOST A BEAUTIFUL DOLL

ONCE there lived a father in a little country town, far back from the great city and its wonderful streets and shops, who said to his little girl that it was his plan to go to the city after things, and that he would take her with him if she cared to go. Of course she was full of glee as she thought of the wonderful things she would see in the great windows of the city shops. Her father had planned to purchase for her a beautiful doll, but kept the thought to himself so it would be a glad surprise to May. When they reached the city, May's eyes were open wide, and like all little girls, she wanted lots of things at once. As she and her father passed through the streets, May's eyes fell on a large box on the outside of a toy shop filled with a large number of cheap little dolls. They were made of celluloid, and cost only a few pennies. (Secure one of the sort and show the class and say, "This is a poor cheap doll, wears only painted clothes, will last only a few days, and is very common as well as cheap.") Her father said, 'Wait, dear little May, I will get you a doll by and by." But May would not wait. She wanted that little painted doll now. Her father said, "I promise you that you shall have a doll, dear, before we go home. Just be patient and wait. Father knows best.'? At this denial May grew angry and said, "You don't love me, father, or you would get me what I wanted. I won't wait, | want this doll. I'm going to have it right way." And as she said this, she took one out of the box, and held it tight in her hand and said she intended to keep it. She stamped her foot, and cried, and said, '"'I won't wait any longer, I won't give this doll up. I will keep it and not put it back."

The father desiring to teach her a lesson, said, "Well, May, if you know best and better than your father, who loves you, you may keep the doll. I will pay for it. You need not wait for a doll any longer. It belongs to you now." Now May thought on her ways and said, "I wish I had not been so naughty about it. Dear father was good and kind to me, and I was hateful to him." She was silent but thoughtful, when her father stopped before a window of the toy shop, and there in the window was a beautiful doll (borrow a beautiful doll for this [30] lesson and produce it). Her father said, "Look, little May, there in the window is the doll I intended to purchase for you if you had waited for me to get to this shop. I intended to surprise you. That was the reason I did not tell you, but since you would not wait or trust your father's word, I will not purchase it for you, but you must be contented with the doll you have, the doll you said you would have and so the doll you would not wait for will stay in the window. It cannot be yours. My little May must learn that Father knows best and that it will always pay to wait for father's time." It was a hard lesson for May to learn but that day she said to herself, "Father knows best. I will wait for his time, because it is the best time." This is how May lost her beautiful doll. There is a lesson in this story for us all. God has a plan for our lives. Wait for Him to work it out. If we seek our own way our lives will be full of disappointments and sorrowful failures. Wait for God's time. It is the best time. It will bring us to the best of everything.

CHAPTER XIX

THE PRODIGAL SON IN RAGS

THIS is the story of the Prodigal son told in rags. Have a common rag bag brought in, and its contents emptied on a table. This will make quite a display of rags. Heap them up a little so the audience will see them all. The ragman's bag is going to preach a sermon. Among these rags is a bunch of rags fastened together with a pin to keep them separated from the others, which you will not use in this lesson. Take out the pin. Spread out these rags which you have thus kept together and arrange them in their proper order. Now say, "I will tell you the story of the Prodigal son as the ragman sees him. I will tell the story of the LOST SON IN RAGS. " Now put up a rope across the back of the pulpit, or before the meeting have one put there, and from the pile of rags place upon this line the following:

I— A yellow cloth, a square piece of cloth as the Prodigal has not yet come to rags. The yellow stands for the home he left,—the land of plenty. Yellow stands for the rich grain fields, and is also the color of the bread he found on his Father's table. Full and plenty and for the fields, ripe for harvest. How often he had sung the harvester's song in the field when working with his dear old father when they lived together on the good old farm. Now from the rag table pick up

II— A piece of red. This should be cut in the shape of a heart. Red stands for love and the heart of red for the loving heart of his father. It should not be forgotten that the big point of this parable is "The Loving Father," not the wayward son. It teaches how kind is the great heart of the loving heavenly Father and how sweet is His welcome to the wanderers who seek His face and favor. The son in rags knew this and no matter how far he got away from God, he never got away from the memory of the fond old father at home, yet he left it all for rags. Now pick up

III— A blue piece of cloth. This stands for the dissatisfied heart of the boy. He had "the blues." Tired of home; longed for excitement; unhappy in his father's house. So he thought of the big town where he thought he would be happy, and told his father so; he asked for his share of the estate because he wanted money. He must have money to be happy. So his father granted his request. Now pick up

[32] IV— Gray cloth. The color gray was the color of the silver coins which his father gave him. (Make this cloth crooked.) This was a crooked step. He was crowning his own will. He was turning from the wisdom of his father. That alone was crooked. The misuse of money is often the first crooked step the youth takes. So often they leave home for larger wages, not because of the privilege of saving, but the sin of spending. After the estate is settled, the youth, with his new inheritance, gets the crooked foot, forgets God and His counsels. In one of our great high schools a prize essay was to be written. This was the subject: "If you had ten thousands dollars, what would you do with it?" In discussing this question, most of the boys had selfish answers. One would spend a year in traveling, another would make investments which yielded large returns quickly, etc. One lad said he would give it to his parents to save for him. This boy won the prize; he would never be a prodigal because of the misuse of money. The Prodigal wanted it for self use, and he got a handful of rags in return. Now pick up

V— A gay rag of several colors, or a cluster of gray colored ones (cut crooked). This represents the gaieties of the far off country into which he had plunged. The sins of the far-away country seemed tipped with gold; he fell for it at once. Satan whispered here is joy, let loose; you are away from home; no one knows you; plunge in; and he did. Here pick up from the table

VI— Short pieces of gay ribbons tied together in various lengths. This represents the kind of friends he had found. Some long, some short, some were his for a few days, others for longer time; all tied together, representing friendship. They were purchased friends. They were his so long as his purse was long and full. When he had spent all they all left him. No man gave to him, not even the friends to whom he had given. Now he was poor, down and out and under. A man down in the world,—a Prodigal son in rags.

VII—Now pick up the gay cloth of colors in rags. This represents the Prodigal poor and forsaken, ragged and dejected. This is the product of sinful companionship. This piece of rag should be the same pattern as the one used representing his home garment but torn in strips. A famine strikes the country. He is in need of bread. "The way of the transgressor is hard," and the end thereof is harder still. He has but one last resort. A tender of swine.

VIII—Here pick up brown rag. This represents the color of the brown earth and the dried husks which he used as his only food. As a Jew, this was bad business. It was the only business left. Satan drives us to the bad. This is what happened to the Prodigal. Satan [33] clothes us in purple and fine linen, then tears it to shreds, and we cannot help ourselves. Sin has a swift descent. There are no brakes for this decline. Bad, worse, and then some more. That describes this man in rags.

IX—Now pick up yellow cloth. This should be of the same shade as used in the first story as he now thinks of the bread in the father's house. Misfortune stirs up memory and we think; this is just what he did. He thinks of home, of bread, of servants in the old house and land of plenty. Sometimes we think of the better life too late. We cannot retrace our steps and begin over again, but that God does: When we repent and come to God, we may begin all over again.

X—Here pick up purple cloth. Make this a perfect square. This color stands for repentance. It is the penitential color in the church world. So he said, "I will arise and go to my Father, and say unto him, 'I have sinned.'" This is the quick way home. It is a short cut to God. The forgiving father is at the end of this road. So he goes back in his rags. That is the way to go home. This is coming "Just as I am, without one plea." Don't take off your rags. The Father alone must do this and He will.

XI—Here pick up red cloth. This represents the long love of the loving father. Red stands for love, a flaming love which causes the father to run to meet him. This is the only time when God is said "to run," and He does it every time when he sees the sinner coming.

XII—Here pick up a striped cloth. This represents the new robe just like the first robe used when he went to the far country. He now looks just like he looked when he left home. The past is all covered up with Father's forgiveness, and when the neighbors come in, they don't see rags but the garment beautiful. Perhaps they don't know of his misfortune. They only know he was lost and found and lost so long to the Father that they thought him dead, but he is alive again, and they began to be merry.

XIII-Here pick up green cloth. This represents the jealous anger of the elder brother who knows all about his downfall, and stayed outside and grumbled about the past sins of his brother, and the fact that never was a fatted calf slain for him that he might make merry with his friends also. His Father pleads with him, and since we hear nothing about this elder brother again, we would conclude that he went in and joined in the festivities of his brother's return. The Father's love had conquered both of his sons.

XIV—Here take red cloth, and cover the green with it for the Father's love (red) had conquered the jealousy (green) of his son's heart.34

[34] XV—Here pick up white cloth —the white stands for peace, which was now in the dear old home. Peace which we believe was also in the elder brother's heart. Peace which we know was in the Father's heart, and in the heart of the Prodigal, who had exchanged his rags for the glad robe of eternal salvation. As they all hang upon the line, remember the lesson, and ask the class to tell you what each rag stands for. You can, if you so desire, in place of hanging them on a line, place them on the furniture of the pulpit. The matter of using cloth, muslin or silk or any other substance, is left to the convenience and judgment of the teacher. Even colored papers can be used in place of the rags. In that case name the lesson "The Prodigal Son in Scraps of Paper." Place these scraps in a waste basket and from that place of cast-off things, produce them as you desire.

CHAPTER XX

WHAT CAN TAKE AWAY MY SINS?

Objects used: Large transparent jar of clear water; a small quantity of oxalic acid; some powdered ox gall; a quantity of tincture of iron; a small cluster of flowers; a few coins; a dictionary, It is a lesson with chemical effects.

PLACE on the table a large jar of plain untinted glass; fill it two-thirds full of water and before the class assembles drop in a few drops of tincture of iron. This receptacle we will call the Human Heart. Secure a two-ounce bottle, paint it red, in which you place a strong solution of oxalic acid. You cannot get this solution too strong. This represents the Blood. Secure a third bottle and paint it black. In this place some powdered nut galls. This represents Sin. On the table have,—a silver coin, a music box, a cup of pure water. These you will use in the body of the lesson later. Announce that you will choose a text for your talk this time and it will be found in I John 1:17. "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." Call attention to the large jar which represents the Human Heart. To all appearance it looks as pure as a lily. There seems to be nothing in it to make it evil. It does not look like evil. So it often happens that the evil in us, does not always show on the surface, but is hidden away in our heart. It was born in us. All men are not born sinners, but born in sin, and later on, that sin manifests itself, and we begin to choose evil in preference to the right, and that makes us sinners. The seed of sin was hidden deep in the heart. The jar apparently pure has in it a hidden property no eye can see, but it is there and when evil gets in it finds a response from that hidden power and at once the apparently pure water has turned black with sin. I now pour a few drops from the black bottle, the evil bottle, into the jar. Even these few drops seem to be clear and white also, but when I drop them into the jar of water, all is blackened because the apparent cleanness was only on the surface. "There is a way that seemeth right in the eyes of men, but the ways thereof are the ways of death." You can now talk about things which men do which they say are not bad. They look all right, that is true, but when they enter the soul, they soil it, and sin is supreme. What shall I do to get rid of my sin? What can take away my sin? Can I purchase my salvation? Let us see. Now cast in the jar a number of silver coins, and say these will bring me the white again, but the blackness [36] is yet there, showing that salvation cannot be bought with silver or gold. Can education or refinement take away sin? Let us see. Place over the top of the jar a number of school books to represent education. Of course you see the water is yet black, because you cannot make a black heart clean by learning. Will music take away my black sin? Let us see. Place a music box on top of the jar, and let the music sound forth, but you note the heart is still black and will remain black notwithstanding the finest music of the world. Shall I say the power of the mind can take the blackness away? Let us see. I will say to myself "There is no blackness in this jar. It is a mental delusion. I am mistaken. I don't see black, and if I continue so to do long enough the black will disappear to the eye for it was never there. It was a mental defect to say it was there." All of this sort of thinking would never change the contents of the jar. Can beauty take away the black? Let us see. Cast in now a few flowers. The most beautiful things God has made. Will the handful of beauty take the blackness away? This beauty can never do. What will do it? What is the soul's cry? What can take away my sins? Here produce the red bottle. "The blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanseth us from all sin." Pour a few drops or more from the red bottle into the jar. Continue to pour it in until the water is made white again. Behold! the blackness of despair has disappeared. The Blood has taken away the sin forever. Before you put the drops of black into the jar, take out a small glass full of the black water and place it down on the table and after the water has been cleared up say "When the blood of Christ takes away our sin, He keeps us when tempted to go black again." To illustrate that truth, pick up the small glass of black water, and say "This represents temptation, and it seeks to get back into the soul again and make it black with sin as before." Pour the contents into the jar but you notice that at once there is a power in the purified water in the jar to resist all temptation and the black does not blacken the water again. The effect of the illustration will be made more striking if you put two or more lighted candles back of the jar. By rehearsal in private, work out the necessary proportions of these chemicals so they will work out correctly when you use them before your audience. Be very careful and keep these chemicals away from the reach of the children as some of them are deadly poisons.

CHAPTER XXI

THE GOSPEL COPY BOOK

Objects used: A small blackboard; a small New Testament; a number of children to write on the blackboard

THIS is a lesson showing how important it is to copy Christ, not Christians. Many go astray in their life and conduct because they do not follow the copy. There is a gospel copy book. Christ is that book. Follow His words and your life will not be crooked, and what you do and say will cause people who watch you to say "He is following the copy. He has studied well his lesson in the Gospel Copybook." Write the word "Christian" in large letters at the top of the blackboard and ask a tall boy to copy it as exactly as possible. After this is done, cover up the original line, and ask another boy to copy the copy. Keep covering up all but the last line, having various ones to copy till six or seven have been made. Now take off the covers and compare them with the original. You will note every copy is different from each other and all different from the original, because each child looked at some one else's writing and not at the original. We are apt to copy each other's mistakes and example. This we do when we look at Christians, and try to do as they do instead of taking Christ as our example.

One morning a business man who lived in the suburbs was hastening to catch the train, which he supposed was almost due. It was important that he should go to town, but, as he was walking along in nervous haste, he saw a gentleman ahead of him, walking with deliberation and ease. They always took the same train, so he watched him and not his watch. But to his great dismay, he saw the train come in and go out, and they both were left. The watch of the man he followed was five minutes slow. He learned his lesson—follow no man—watch the watch and the schedule, and go straight ahead. Run yourself on railroad time. That is good business sense for the traveler. Jesus has given us a gospel copy book. Here it is. It is the New Testament. Follow its teachings and your life will be straight, and you will be like Jesus. Follow Christ and not Christians." Be not content in saying "I am as good as most Christians." You are not asked to be as good as even the best Christians, but to be like Jesus.

CHAPTER XXII

IN HIS KEEPING

THIS is a lesson based on the text John 10:28: "They shall never perish." They shall never perish because they are in His keeping. Oh how safe are those who trust Him in the hollow of His hand, for "they shall never perish."

This is an object lesson teaching the divine "security of the Believer." Produce a fair sized cardboard heart on which write your name. This is the way of announcing your salvation. Religion is an affair of the heart. It goes to the heart, changes the heart, keeps the heart. An old whaler once said he'd been in the business for so many years he could talk about nothing else save whales and said "When I am dead, if you should open my heart, I think you would find the word 'whale' in its centre." His business was an affair of his heart. I am sure that deep in the believer's heart you would find the name 'Jesus' written, because religion is an affair of the heart to every true believer.

To put this lesson over in a large way, secure a number of boxes each just a little larger than the other so they will nest well. On the first box, print a large cross as large as the side of the box will permit. Now drop the heart into that box and close the lid tightly. The heart is now hid in the Cross, and is safe forever. Your money you may lose, a thief may make way with it. It may take wings and fly away out of your sure keeping place, but when you give your heart over to the keeping of the Cross, you are safe forevermore. The word says "They shall never perish" because they are in His keeping. Now take a slightly larger box marked "His care." Place the box marked with a cross inside of this box and close the lid. Now I am doubly safe, for I am in Christ, and also in God's care. God cares for the sparrow, for the Word says, "Not a sparrow falleth to the ground without your Heavenly Father." Not alone that He sees and counts the fallen bird, but that He comes down with it. God attends the funeral of even a fallen sparrow. If He so cares for a bird, will He not care more for me! And He does and so I am safe in His care.

Take the next larger box and mark it "His Love," and in this box place the one marked "His Care." Every believer tents in the love [39] land of the heart of God. "He so loved that we might not perish." And so we are safe in His love. No man dare tamper with the love marked children of His. Even Satan is afraid of that power. Put this box into the larger box marked "His Power." Another wall has been built around the believer. It is God's great wall of power. Now the Love box believer is surrounded by God's power. Christ said "All power is given unto me." And it wraps the believer up in this girdle of strength for the Gospel in the heart is "the power of God unto Salvation." In I Peter 1:15 we are told we are "kept by the power of God." The hand that holds the sea in the hollow thereof holds me in safety. His power is my fortress. I can smile at all foes. I am safe in the hollow of His hand of power. Now place this box in the next larger size box, have it marked 'His Promise.' He has given me His promises "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 15:5.) He whispered those dear words to me when he lifted me from the cross of penitence and gave me the kiss of salvation. He is able to keep His promises and | am trusting in His word. He has said that "He that begun a good work in you shall perform it until that day." The day of His coming. I will trust that promise, and tremble not, nor fear what man can do unto me. "As the mountains are around about Jerusalem, so is the Lord round about them that fear Him. As the sides of this Promise box are around about me, so are the mountains of His power. I am closed in by tons of mountains, a congress of giants, so Salvation is God's safety box. It shuts the soul in His Cross, His Care, His Love, His Power, His Promises. No wonder it is written "They shall never perish." Marvel not it is written "No man shall pluck them out of my hand." When Noah and his wife, and his three sons, and their wives went into the Ark, God shut them in, and they were safe. When God shuts the door He shuts the soul in. No man can open. God holds the key. It is a secret combination lock. God knows the combination. No man can know it. It is a secret God will not whisper to any one in all the world. Closed in—locked in— that is enough, my soul, to live by and keep me divinely calm, now, and in the hour of death. "In His keeping" is Heaven's way of writing the word salvation.

If the box method is too elaborate, to work out, you can use a nest of envelopes. They put the lesson over just the same.

CHAPTER XXIII

A CANDLE LIGHT LESSON

THIS is a simple yet shining lesson, using a small collection of ordinary candles as illustrators. Children's and older eyes are always attracted by sparkling lights. Watching the glittering stars is always a delight. These candles talk: They are white robed prophets. They preach to you. Look and listen. Have the candles mentioned in this chapter hidden from sight, with the exception of one tall candle which you have placed in the centre of the table. This represents The Light of the World. Have this burning when the audience enters. It will have an attractive effect. Produce the other candles as you introduce them. Say of this first tall candle that Jesus said of Himself "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:5.) This is the text which this candle is declaring by its light —Jesus—the Light of the World. Without this light the world would be in darkness. At this moment, cause all the lights of the church to go out for a moment and say "If this candle should now be extinguished there would be complete darkness in this room. Just so would it be if the Light of the World—Jesus—should turn His face from the world, all would be in darkness indeed." Cause the lights of the church now to be turned on and proceed with your shining talk. Next produce a small spirit lamp. Let this represent the Holy Spirit. Light it from the Light of the World candle, and say "The Holy Spirit takes the light of Jesus, and scatters it among men. He represents Jesus. He was sent to continue Christ's work of sending forth the light of truth." Now tell of the ascension of Jesus, and as you do, take away the big candle and put it in another room if possible and say "Jesus has now gone to shine in the Glory, but has left the Holy Spirit here to continue His shining work. Now bring in twelve candles, standing for the twelve disciples. Light each one from the spirit lamp and say "The disciples have been sent to carry the light to the uttermost parts of the world, go ye into all the world," etc. From a corner of the platform produce candles standing for the races of the world. They are now in darkness, "Go ye into all the world" and then quote the last five words of Matthew 5:14. "The Light of the World." Name each candle one of these words, so the candles will read "The Light [41] of the World." Jesus said these words about His followers, and all the races are His followers. This illustration shows how the Holy Spirit can cause Jesus to shine forth through the nations of the world. If you wish to make an elaborate finish to this lesson, call up five boys to represent the nations mentioned. Let them carry a flag of each nation or marked in such a way that they may be known as a representative of the nation whose name they bear, and let them go to different parts of the church bearing these candles. One may go to the gallery and call that spot Africa; another to the rear, and call that locality India, etc. And when they have been distributed, turn off all the lights for a moment and say "The Holy Spirit is world wide in His mission. The light is just beginning to shine. Pray that the Holy Spirit may continue in the work of light-sending and He will do so if we do our part, and we will." Let the lights be now turned on, and the people sing as a closing hymn "The Morning Light is Breaking."

CHAPTER XXIV

THOSE TEN FRIENDS OF MINE

NO one can truthfully say "I have no friends." If you do say those words, you are mistaken, because I know your friends so well, I can shut my eyes and count ten of them without stopping, because all boys and girls have ten good and helpful friends. These ten friends are never failing friends. They say to you "I'll stand by you, and perhaps I can make you rich and great some day." We must all depend on these ten friends, and they will never fail us. Now hold up both hands, open wide the fingers and say "These are your ten friends. They are your ten friends, and they are your ten best friends. They are ten obedient friends. They always do just what you tell them to do. They are never disobedient. They never refuse to work for you. They never go on a strike." A little boy selling newspapers on the streets of London, overheard a kind lady make the remark, as she looked at him, "Poor boy! how sad and lonely that poor little boy looks." He replied to the remark, by saying "I am not a bit lonely, good lady, because I always have lots of company, as I have these ten friends of mine ever with me." And as he spoke, he held up both his little hands. He was right. He was not lonely, because he had his ten faithful friends ever with him. Having these little working friends we should always work with them. Many a little boy has worked himself up the ladder of success by the aid of these ten friends. Give them something useful to do every day. They will do it for you and some day your friends may make the world watch you and your company of ten, doing things. The Bible says that "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." That is what the Bible says about your ten friends. When our ten friends all cuddle up together, as if hugging each other, then we have a strong weapon to defend us, then we can strike with the strength of the arm. These ten friends helped the boy David, as they clinched the cords of the sling, and brought the giant down. They go to war for us, and every last one of them fights bravely. An old college chum of mine was helped through school by these ten friends who worked hard for him. These friends paid his way through school, for he worked his way through by the labor of his hand. Sometimes the errand boy [43] of the store has been helped so well by these ten friends that they helped him to a place in the firm, and he became part owner of the store. Sometimes these ten friends are bad little friends, they strike little sister, they steal things from shops, sometimes they lift strong drink to our lips and do lots of evil things but we must always remember they are only doing what we tell them to do. We are responsible for all the evil they do, for they only do as they are told. We should train them only to do well, and then they will only do well. There was a little boy in the great city of Philadelphia, that never knew the name of his father and mother, who was one day left on the doorstep of a stranger. The good lady who lived in the house, had pity upon the little stranger and took him in. They called him "George Washington," for they found him on Washington's birthday, and they called him "Child" for his last name. So his full name the good lady gave him was "George Washington Child." He and his ten friends sold papers on the streets of Philadelphia. His ten friends worked so hard and well that afterward he became the owner of the great Public Ledger of Philadelphia. Thus we see how much a poor boy and his ten friends can do when they all work together and for each other. These ten friends can work for God also. They can give a cup of cold water to the thirsty, and Jesus says it is giving unto Him. These ten friends can lead other little boys and girls to the church where they can hear about Jesus and be saved. Hold up the left hand and give the fingers a letter. Call the little finger "W," the next "O," and the next "R," and the following fingers "K" and "S"—"WORKS" is the name of the left hand. Now hold up the right hand and spell out the word "F.A.I.T.H." "FAITH" is the name of the right hand fingers, so working with both hands, these five friends called "WORKS" and these five called "FAITH" we can do wonders. Faith and Works can conquer the world. So our ten friends are an army of conquerors.

CHAPTER XXV

HEAVENLY MAIL FOR THE DISCIPLES

THIS is a fine test for the memory which can be used for older children and adults. It will require some study before it can be used effectively.

Secure twelve large envelopes and enclose in each a beautiful scripture and floral card. Say you are about to distribute in the mail twelve letters for the Disciples. You will not call out the names. Now, ask twelve children, or adults, to come forward and say I have here twelve letters for the Disciples. I will not read their names, but will describe them. If you recognize them by the description I give, you are to speak the name and I will give you the letter to be delivered to them. If you cannot find the disciple whose name you pronounced, then you are to keep the letter and its contents as yours. Ask the first one in the row the first question: if he fails to answer, ask him to take his seat. If he answers it let him stand there in his place, but don't ask him again unless all the others have failed. The question about the second letter to the second individual, and so on, for the letters. Holding up the first letter you say "I have here a letter for one of the Disciples (on the envelope you have the description of the Disciple written) who was believed to be the oldest of them all. He once tried to walk on the water, wrote two epistles which bear his name, dined his Lord three times. What was his name? (Peter.)

After this question is disposed of, ask the next question. "I now hold in my hand a letter for the Disciple who first brought another to Jesus" (Andrew.) "I hold in my hand a letter for the Disciple who was called the "Son of Thunder" the first martyr—who was he? (James.) "I have a letter for the Disciple who took Mary away from the crowd on Calvary, to his own home. Wrote five books of the New Testament and was especially dear to Jesus. Who was he? (John.) "I have a letter for the Disciple who brought the second Disciple to Jesus, Can you name him?" (Philip.) "I hold in my hand a letter for the Disciple who was an Israelite indeed and was also called Bartholomew. What was his other name?" (Nathaniel.) "I have a letter for one who was a doubter. What was his name?" (Thomas.) "I have one for the Disciple who was a collector of [45] taxes and wrote one of the Gospels. Can you name him?" (Matthew.) "I hold in my hand a letter for a Disciple who was perhaps the brother of Matthew, and the son of Alphaeus. Can you speak his name?" (James, the son of Alphaeus.) "I have a letter for the Disciple who had three names whose father's name was James. What were his names?" (Judas Thaddeus Lebbaeus.) "I have one for a Disciple who belongs to the zealots. What was his name?" (Simon of Cana.) "I have a letter for the Disciple who committed suicide and betrayed his Lord. Who was he?" (Judas.)

This is a good scripture exercise and can be used in the number of ways. If you so desire you may fasten their envelopes on some background in full view of the audience and ask the questions a week ahead of time, so they might have time to look up the questions and come prepared to answer them. It is a good drill for children which will enable them to learn the names of the Disciples and something about each of them. Study it out well, and then try it out.

CHAPTER XXVI

THERE'S A MESSAGE IN THE CANDLE

Objects used: A Large Candle, standing for the story of Joseph and His Brethren

ONE day a candle spoke out from a shelf in a minister's study and said "I see you watching me and with your eyes you seem to say—what shall I say next to the Juniors. Listen to me and I will answer your question." And the Candle said "Well now, Mr. Preacher-man, I will take your place next Sunday and preach for you. I have a message hidden away for your people." Then I though as I watched the candle that a hidden hand, holding a lighted taper thrust itself out from the mystic land, and glowed and throbbed as a little star of light which crowned its upright form. Then said I "Now, Mr. Candle, what will you tell the people?" and it said "Hold me above your head and thus exalt me, or debase me by putting me on the floor, I will still keep on shining. In whatsoever state I am, I shine just the same. Men may honor me by placing me on the King's table before the lords and ladies, or place me in a humble cottage window, to help the pilgrim of the night to see his way onward, I will still shine. I was made to shine. It is God's will that I shine—just shine." Learn, ye people, the lesson. It is a message from the candle. This is true goodness. This is pure Christianity. This is Jesus' way—no matter where—just shine." "That is beautiful, good prophet," said I, as I drew out a golden dart from my own heart. "That arrow of light pierced me." "But," said the candle, "Do you know my true name? Well, I will tell you. My name is Joseph. I was shining long ago when the race was just tumbling over the side of the cradle of infancy. I was there and did what I ask you to do. When I was in Father Jacob's home, or in the field tending sheep, or carrying messages to my brother shepherds, or when I was hated by my home folks, or cast into the pit with creeping things and devouring mouths, or sold into Egypt as a slave, or robed in grandeur as a mighty ruler with Pharaoh, or when I was covered with the poisonous lies, or cast down into prison, or when I stood before Pharaoh, and made clear his dreams, or when I was exalted to Pharaoh's side, and lived in untold glory, or when I met my brethren who sold me into slavery, and with whom I could even up the old score [47] and sore, or when I stood face to face with my dear old father in Egypt land, and found myself and the boys and home folks all united under the royal canopy of Pharaoh's care, I just kept on shining all the time. Up or down, in or out, over or under—just shining all the time. Go thou and do likewise." Then I saw the mystic hand come out from dreamland, and remove the white robed priest, and I heard him exclaim as he was removed out of sight—"Here endeth the sermon of the white candle." When at last my thought spoke out, I said, "God was with the white minister and his message was like an echo of the sermon on the mount." To visualize the lesson, place a plain candle on the table, and be seated a little distance from it. Secure a good reader, who will not be in sight, to speak the part the candle says, and you in turn make the answer. Make it a dialogue with the object.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

THIS is a lesson which illustrates how important it is to give God our whole life. Samuel did this. He did not wait until his life was almost burned out, and then give to God the stump which was left, but gave God the whole life, from early childhood to ripe old age.

Secure one full length candle, and also one almost burned out. If both are lit at the same time, the short one quickly burns away while the tall one burns for a long time. "The tall candle stands for youth, and where youth is given over to God, it sheds light for many happy days. We should all offer our whole life to God and not wait till it is almost gone and then offer a few short feeble days to Him. Don't wait until life is almost burned out and only a little stub left like this to offer God." As you say these words, hold up the little stump of candle. "Here is a candle almost burnt out. It will not give light much longer." In the old fashioned days when candle light was used it would be cast aside as good for nothing, and yet the little stump can do a little good for Jesus. Come to Him before it is burnt out altogether. Come now, tomorrow darkness may come and the little candle be entirely consumed.

One evening some years ago, when I was preaching in my Philadelphia church, a sermon called "A Sermon of a Hundred Candles" I lifted up a little stub of a candle almost burned out, and said "This resembles the sinner almost burned out, only a few minutes more and it will be gone. Turn to God quickly before time will snuff out your flickering taper." In that audience that night sat a man well known in river circles. He was known as Capt. Evans, a man that knew the Delaware River like a book. Many efforts had been made to bring him to Jesus, but everything up to this point had failed. He said "That little stub of a candle got me." And it brought him to Jesus, and for the rest of his days was a shining light for the Master. Oh, ye little stubs. Turn to Jesus and shine. You cannot go back to the happy days of youth to begin over again but begin to shine now for Jesus. Hearken, ye youth, boys and girls, of the order of the long candle. [49] Come now to Jesus and shine from the days of your youth until God bids you come up higher and shine for Him in the White City of God.

To elaborate this lesson let a number of boys and girls come to the platform, each bringing an unlit candle which they light from the tall candle on the table called "The Light of the World." And then let them place them back on the table until they are all lit. Don't let them hold them in their hands in a lighted condition as there is danger in this. Ask them to stand around the table while the lights are burning and sing "Jesus bids us shine."

CHAPTER XXVIII

PULLING OUT THE NAIL HOLES

HERE is a story so old that it is new. That is, it is new to this generation. It is about a post that may be a pulpit or a lesson desk, and from it they may hear a loud message proclaimed. This is the story.— Many years ago when Grandpa was young, just like you, his mother told him a story about a boy that did wrong things, told falsehoods, and used bad words. His mother, in order to cause him to see how ugly sin was, and what a bad scar it left in the heart, drove a nail into a post for every evil word he spoke. By and by there were a large number of nails in the post and it looked very ugly and he felt just a little ashamed of his deeds being shown up this way. So he went to his mother and said he was very sorry, and promised he would try not to say bad words any more if she would pull all the nails out. This she agreed to do on the following terms: For every good word or deed, he would say or do, she would pull out one nail. After trying real hard he saw the nails come out one by one, at last they were all out, but he noticed the holes left by the nails, and wanted his mother to pull them out also, which, of course she could not do. This taught the boy a lesson, that even good deeds could not erase the scars evil deeds left behind them. His father said, however, if he continued to be good, he would fill all the holes up with a paint filler, and recoat the post with fresh paint, and it would like quite like new, and right again. After his father had given the post a number of coats of fresh paint, the scars all disappeared, and the little boy never forgot the lesson when he looked at the bright, fresh post.

Now, secure a fair sized post or board. Have it nicely planed and painted, if possible, polished, so it will present a finished appearance. Take now a hammer and nail and drive one in, at short distances, at every evil deed mentioned. He told a lie—drive in a nail. He said a swear word—drive in a nail. He stole a book—drive in a nail, and so continue this operation until there are fifteen or twenty nails driven in. "How shall I get rid of my sins?" Let us see. For every good word said, pull out a nail and continue in this fashion until the nails are extracted. But good works will not blot out our evil deeds, for you notice that the nail holes are there. We cannot pull the nail holes out, the scar of sin is left, The only way the scar can be blotted out is by the planing off of the board, or filling up the nail holes, or better still, get a new piece of board. So God must give us a new heart, and this He will do if we pray "Create in me a new heart, O God."

CHAPTER XXIX

"THE BURIED BIBLE"

Objects: A Large Bible; a Daily Newspaper; a Sunday Newspaper; a Cash Book; Entertainment Program; a Theatrical Window Poster; a Book of Fashions; a Book of Personal Engagements; a Popular Work of Fiction; School Books; a Phonograph Catalogue

IN the Old Testament days we read of the Scriptures or "The Law" being hidden away under the rubbish of the neglected temple. There is great danger in these days that we might lose our Bible in this way also. We so easily and frequently put it aside, neglect it, and then forget it and often forget where we put it. The cares of this world and its sinful pleasures are the dust which so often covers our Bible, and which covers it over to such an extent that we find it is not even in our thoughts.

In many of our homes, the Bible is out of sight. The children do not find it open and ever before their eyes. It is a buried book. There should be a Bible in every room, always kept open, which will speak in a silent tongue of power "Search me, and in so doing you will find eternal life." To illustrate the fact that in most homes this is not done, and that the Bible has been covered with the rubbish of life, secure a good sized Bible, and before the children assemble, cover it all over so it is entirely out of sight with, first, a Sunday newspaper, next, a cash book used in business, next an entertainment program, then a theatrical window poster folded up, then a fashion plate picture, after this a book containing your engagements for every night, and late night affairs; also a popular work of fiction, a pile of school books; a well worn catalogue of Victor records, and at last a daily newspaper. When the audience is assembled, explain you will talk to them about the neglected book of God or the buried Bible. Let us all look and see what we use to cover up our Bible, and thus put it out of sight. This pile of stuff on the table covers up the dear word of God, and prevents us from reading it as we should. The Bible is the world's greatest medicine chest, and it is lost. The world is in dreadful pain and we cannot find the medicine. Let us see together what has covered it up, and search together under the rubbish until we find it.

[52] First lift off the daily newspaper. This is always read first by most people, and when we have finished reading it, there is no time to read the Bible, and we are not in a good mental state to grasp its meaning, so we neglect to read our Bible. We should go to the Holy Book first, if only to find one verse for the day, for in so doing, we begin the day with God. But the daily newspaper has hid it out of sight. Next take up the Victor talking machine catalogue, which should be much worn by frequent use, and in so doing explain that one-half the time listening to God speak through His word, as we give to the popular song and music of the day, our Bibles would be in as prominent a place as the talking machine. Popular music is good in its place but when it takes the Bible's place, it is all wrong and out of its place. Don't hide the Bible back of the talking machine, or you will lose it some day.

Next, take off the School books. "No time to read the Bible, | have so many lessons to study." This is often the cry we hear from boys who attend school. Sometimes the school books are enemies to the word of God and destroy all taste for the Bible. Often when the boys and girls have finished their book learning, they have not only no time for the Bible but no use for it at all. They cast it into the rubbish and say "The world has outgrown the Bible." So under the books of the school, they have buried it and called it dead and that is the reason they buried it. Bright boys and girls should know the Bible is the king of all books of learning, and the highest crowning wisdom of all is to know God, that alone is the perfect education. Don't therefore, hide your Bible under your school books. Now pick from the rubbish heap—the novel. "I am so interested in reading fiction I have no time to read the Bible." This is just what the boys and girls often say. They will sit up all night if possible to see how the story "turns out." Of course there is no time to read the Bible if this is the way we spend our reading time and so the Bible once more is pushed aside by the novel. Reading is a splendid means of mental culture, and it makes a full man, but the best reading of all is the Bible. Mix a chapter of the good Book in with your other reading, and you have a superb mixture. The Bible contains the world's best literature, and it is more than good literature. Its words are life and concentrated power. They are bits of radium. They glow with inside light, they never lose their lustre. Their light is as penetrating as the X-ray. They shine into the other life. Don't hide the light of the mighty word with the novel or secular reading of the present day.

Now take from the pile of stuff your book of engagements. Open it, and discover you have an engagement for every night in the week. [53] They are social functions. You must go; you will lose your standing among the "high class" if you don't. Put down among your engagements this one. I have an engagement of thirty minutes with my Bible. This is imperative. Keep that engagement with your Bible as you would keep all other engagements and you will never lose your Bible under a heap of dates.

At this time take from the heap of rubbish the book of fashion plates. "Must attend to this book—every month brings me something new. If I hold my own with 'my set' I must follow the fashion plates to appear just right." This is burning incense to the Goddess of Vanity, and this Goddess is not satisfied with a fragment of time, but it demands full time and it generally gets it. Fashion plates and the scriptures are impossible mates. They never mix well because they are not of one blood. So the plate stays and the Bible goes under it. It is right that we should give attention to our dress and address, and the way to do this is to seek the Bible way of beauty of dress and character adornment. To look beautiful we must commence to be beautiful inside, and at last it will shine forth and transfigure the outside. Follow the teaching of the Bible and be pure in heart: put on the robe of Christ's righteousness, and then you will be in heavenly style and unmatched by anything the wide world can dream of for personal adornment. Follow the Bible, the world's divine fashion plate.

Next remove the theatrical poster. In this day the popular amusements have gripped the young people with a mad hand. No time for the Bible. Much time for the show. "What shall I do to amuse myself" is the cardinal question of this age and every moment possible is given over to the answer. People grow white in the face in their excessive seeking to find the latest thrill, and they stay white until he cold hand of death gets them. Pleasures pure are pleasures right. At the right hand of God there are pleasures forever more. If they are right for heaven, they are right for the world, but pleasures worshipped are always bad for they are tipped with sin and bar the gates of heaven from the pleasures at the "right hand of God." There is deep sweet pleasure in the reading of God's word. Sing with Psalm 103. Whisper Psalm 23 when the night cometh. Read John 14 when the darkness is at hand, and nothing in the wide, wide world can be compared to the heart pleasure this gives. It puts the soul in touch with a little bit of heaven. Don't cover up God's great pleasure garden—the Bible— with a ton of worthless worn out, dried and faded earthly flowers.

Now take off the cash book. The Bible has often been hidden by the business ledger,—so often business crowds the Bible out. Hard [54] work, mental strain, and the fierce fight of the present day business man gives but short time for the reading of the Bible, and more often no time at all. Head and nerves are worn out at the end of the day, and the soul also is worn out with business cares, so the cash box, the ledger and typewriter have covered up the Bible and it is out of sight and buried under business activities. It must be remembered in this day of fever heat and mad rush that a business man must give his utmost to his trade if he wishes to put it over, but it should also be remembered that in the soul's great ledger if "A man gains the whole world" it is reckoned as loss in the Book of God. We can serve God and read His Book and yet be successful. Mr. John Wanamaker, the best known citizen, and foremost Christian of the business world of America, blended the Bible with his great commercial enterprises by always putting up a Bible verse over his office desk and mixing up its truth with the trade of the day. He honored God's word and God honored his trade. He never lost his Bible under his cash register.

Now remove the bundle of Sunday newspapers. It is because these are read on Sunday that no time is found to read God's book on God's day. The newspaper is on the Sunday morning breakfast table inviting us to spend Sunday with it. No time to read the Bible. The Sunday Newspapers often contain as many words as the entire New Testament. We will read the papers first, after that we have no time or mind for the Book. Very often if all the words we read were counted they would be more than the words of the four gospels and yet we have no time to read even a chapter of God's good book. We mean we have no mind to read it. We have buried it under the sensational and often nauseous Sunday newspaper. After we lift up the last paper from the Bible, we exclaim "God's Book—long lost—now found." Lift the Bible up and say "I will place it next to my heart and cover it with my love, so shall the Bible not be covered with sin. 'Thy word have I hid in my heart.' May it always thus be covered and evermore in the battle and strife of life my Bible shall always be first."

A great merchant in the city of Philadelphia, submerged with business cares and thoughtless about God, said to his little boy one day he had no time to read the Bible, he was so bothered with bonds and stocks. His little boy could not understand these big words, and continued to ask him to read his Bible and be good. One morning the father came down stairs with a quick step and hurried to his paper to look over the morning news when the little boy just recovering from a severe spell of sickness, crept up into his lap and said "Bible first, Daddy." The father looked into his little pale face and his heart was touched, his eyes filled with tears, and he said "It shall be as you say, [55] dear little fellow. God has given you back to me, and I will go back to my Bible" and he did, and he said it made a great man of him and a greater merchant also. Let this be your motto "Bible first" and it will never be buried under the rubbish of the things of this life again. "The Bible first, Daddy," is the voice of God.

CHAPTER XXX

THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE

Objects used; A Small Candle; in a Common Candlestick; A Representation of a Window. This is a Story Object Sermon

CHRISTMAS fires and lights are as old as the story of the birth of Jesus. The earliest form of lighting was the wood fire in the cave. Around this light the ancients sat and told the stories of old. Around the fire on the field of the shepherds, sat the ancient guardians of the sheep, as they read from the holy parchment, of the "coming ONE" and as they sat watching the dying embers of some such fire, were startled by flash of heavenly light and heard the angels' song of the new-born King. That was the first Christmas light. Ever since that day, whenever the glad Christmas day approaches, lights, beautiful and cheerful seem to shine out the glad light of the first Christmas day and so from window on hill top or valley, from tree and toy room of countless homes, the Christmas candle plays its happy part in the drama of Merry Christmas. To illustrate this Christmas candle story, construct a large background like the inside view of a window, and place a tall candle in front of it. If the window cannot be erected draw one on a blackboard or sketch one on a piece of muslin. If there is a small window in the alcove of the pulpit platform in good sight of the people, use that. Then tell the following story: A little crippled child, in one of the back alleys of a great city, wondered what she could do to brighten Christmas day for some one else. She was too poor to give even "the widow's mite" yet she had a kindly heart for other children poorer than herself. Her mother, with tears dropping from her eyes, said "God had not made it possible for us to do anything for the rest of the world except just to be glad and they would both try to do that in the name of the little Lord Jesus, who was once as poor as they." She remembered that in her own native land, far over the sea, the children of her childhood always put a lighted candle in the window (here light the candle in front of the window) which sent out a cheerful light over the snow on Christmas. They could do that, at least, and with a glad heart they lit the candle and prayed "God bless the light." From the outside the little glittering light looked like the star of Bethlehem. The darkness hid the ugly surroundings of the dilapidated home and it looked supremely beautiful on the "Night of Nights." A laboring man, hastening by to the corner saloon, with his wages in his pocket, thinking only of himself and a night of sin, saw the light in the window. Said he, "It is Christmas eve" and all about him he saw, hastening to and fro, men and women bearing Christmas gifts to the loved ones. It had been many a year since he had made his little ones happy by Christmas [57] gifts. He had forgotten Christmas was so near until he saw the little candle in the window. The light held him—a prisoner—It called him back—back to his childhood days and the happy Christmas time he had spent in his own home. His father and mother had taught him in the early days to love God and keep His Commandments. He wiped away a tear—turned about face as he looked again at the Christmas candle, and went home. They had a Merry Christmas in that home that glad day, and the poor little girl's Christmas candle blessed of God, brought the wayward son back to God, home, and Christmas. Just across the narrow alley, a window of a room, in which an old man, worn out with years, trying to sleep, heard the snow beating against the window pane, arose and looked out at the falling snow. As he did so, he saw the light in the window across the way. That reminded him it was again Christmas eve. Not for long years had he even given it a serious or religious thought. He had lived for self alone because he was alone. His children had forsaken him; wife had died long years ago, but somehow this light had "got him" also. Memories of other years came back and rang the Christmas bells of long ago. In his thoughts he was back to his childhood day. How happy those memories made him feel. "Christmas back again" said he as he looked again at this lone light in the window across the way. "I'll put one in my window" and he relit the candle he had extinguished as he slipped into bed. Another window with a candle in it was shining out until, when midnight came, the dark alley was aglow with lighted windows. The old man said as he closed his eyes in slumber, "Tomorrow I will make the day merry for the little mother and child across the way" and he kept his promise.

A lady of high degree and great wealth, passed by in her car loaded with Christmas gifts, saw the little girl's Christmas candle in the window. She stopped at the house, hurried upstairs, there she saw the poor little girl trying to keep Christmas with one candle. The good lady's heart was touched by the child's simple faith and beautiful little deed, left for her toys and little comforts, that the dear mother and little girl accepted with tears of joy. When Christmas day came, the sleepers in the alley were awakened by the carol singers chanting "While shepherds watched their flocks by night." Our little girl who put her Christmas candle in the window was the happiest little girl in the great city that day. Yes, and not that day only, but the good lady, attracted by the candle, became a constant friend, and in all the coming days helped her to win out in life's battle. So it was Christmas day every day in that humble home, and the lone Christmas candle in the window had been a candle blessed by God.

Benediction Taps

Day has gone
Night has come
Day has gone
Night has come
God is near
God is near
All is well

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28 East Jackson Boulevard	124 North Fifteenth Street
CHICAGO	PHILADELPHIA

O LD T ESTAMENT	N EW T ESTAMENT
3 9 = 39	3 x 9 = 27

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The gospel object book

The
Gospel Object
Book

Dedication

PREFACE

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I

"THE TEN DEMANDMENTS"

CHAPTER II

"OBJECT TEACHING IN THE BIBLE"

CHAPTER III

"UNDERSTANDING YOUR OBJECT

CHAPTER IV

INCENSE LESSONS

CHAPTER V

THE BURNING OF THE IDOL

CHAPTER VI

EARS OPENED TO GOD'S CALL

CHAPTER VII

IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT AT LAST

CHAPTER VIII

THE MAKING OF A CHRISTIAN

CHAPTER IX

THE HAND OF FAITH

CHAPTER X

BEFORE OR AFTER

CHAPTER XI

WHY I SHOULD JOIN THE CHURCH

CHAPTER XII

SEEING THE SERMON

CHAPTER XIII

THE BIG SIX

CHAPTER XIV

HOW GOD SEES THINGS

CHAPTER XV

JOHN 3:16 IN COLORS

CHAPTER XVI
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE MAGNET

CHAPTER XVII

THE STAR BOX

CHAPTER XVIII

HOW MAY LOST A BEAUTIFUL DOLL

CHAPTER XIX

THE PRODIGAL SON IN RAGS

CHAPTER XX

WHAT CAN TAKE AWAY MY SINS?

CHAPTER XXI

THE GOSPEL COPY BOOK

CHAPTER XXII

IN HIS KEEPING

CHAPTER XXIII

A CANDLE LIGHT LESSON

CHAPTER XXIV

THOSE TEN FRIENDS OF MINE

CHAPTER XXV

HEAVENLY MAIL FOR THE DISCIPLES

CHAPTER XXVI

THERE'S A MESSAGE IN THE CANDLE

CHAPTER XXVII

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

CHAPTER XXVIII

PULLING OUT THE NAIL HOLES

CHAPTER XXIX

"THE BURIED BIBLE"

CHAPTER XXX

THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE

Benediction Taps

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The gospel object book

The Gospel Object Book

Dedication

PREFACE

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I "THE TEN DEMANDMENTS"

CHAPTER II "OBJECT TEACHING IN THE BIBLE"

CHAPTER III "UNDERSTANDING YOUR OBJECT

CHAPTER IV INCENSE LESSONS

CHAPTER V THE BURNING OF THE IDOL

CHAPTER VI EARS OPENED TO GOD'S CALL

CHAPTER VII IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT AT LAST

CHAPTER VIII THE MAKING OF A CHRISTIAN

CHAPTER IX THE HAND OF FAITH

CHAPTER X BEFORE OR AFTER

CHAPTER XI WHY I SHOULD JOIN THE CHURCH

CHAPTER XII SEEING THE SERMON

CHAPTER XIII THE BIG SIX

CHAPTER XIV HOW GOD SEES THINGS

CHAPTER XV JOHN 3:16 IN COLORS

CHAPTER XVI THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE MAGNET

CHAPTER XVII THE STAR BOX

CHAPTER XVIII HOW MAY LOST A BEAUTIFUL DOLL

CHAPTER XIX THE PRODIGAL SON IN RAGS

CHAPTER XX WHAT CAN TAKE AWAY MY SINS?

CHAPTER XXI THE GOSPEL COPY BOOK

CHAPTER XXII IN HIS KEEPING

CHAPTER XXIII A CANDLE LIGHT LESSON

CHAPTER XXIV THOSE TEN FRIENDS OF MINE

CHAPTER XXV HEAVENLY MAIL FOR THE DISCIPLES

CHAPTER XXVI THERE'S A MESSAGE IN THE CANDLE

CHAPTER XXVII THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

CHAPTER XXVIII PULLING OUT THE NAIL HOLES

CHAPTER XXIX "THE BURIED BIBLE"

CHAPTER XXX THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE

Benediction Taps

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

The
Gospel Object
Book

CHAPTER I

"THE TEN DEMANDMENTS"

CHAPTER II

"OBJECT TEACHING IN THE BIBLE"

CHAPTER III

"UNDERSTANDING YOUR OBJECT

CHAPTER IV

INCENSE LESSONS

CHAPTER V

THE BURNING OF THE IDOL

CHAPTER VI

EARS OPENED TO GOD'S CALL

CHAPTER VII

IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT AT LAST

CHAPTER VIII

THE MAKING OF A CHRISTIAN

CHAPTER IX

THE HAND OF FAITH

CHAPTER X

BEFORE OR AFTER

CHAPTER XI

WHY I SHOULD JOIN THE CHURCH

CHAPTER XII

SEEING THE SERMON

CHAPTER XIII

THE BIG SIX

CHAPTER XIV

HOW GOD SEES THINGS

CHAPTER XV

JOHN 3:16 IN COLORS

CHAPTER XVI
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE MAGNET

CHAPTER XVII

THE STAR BOX

CHAPTER XVIII

HOW MAY LOST A BEAUTIFUL DOLL

CHAPTER XIX

THE PRODIGAL SON IN RAGS

CHAPTER XX

WHAT CAN TAKE AWAY MY SINS?

CHAPTER XXI

THE GOSPEL COPY BOOK

CHAPTER XXII

IN HIS KEEPING

CHAPTER XXIII

A CANDLE LIGHT LESSON

CHAPTER XXIV

THOSE TEN FRIENDS OF MINE

CHAPTER XXV

HEAVENLY MAIL FOR THE DISCIPLES

CHAPTER XXVI

THERE'S A MESSAGE IN THE CANDLE

CHAPTER XXVII

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

CHAPTER XXVIII

PULLING OUT THE NAIL HOLES

CHAPTER XXIX

"THE BURIED BIBLE"

CHAPTER XXX

THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE