Chapter I: Lay My Sins on Jesus (4)

This day should always be kept as a religious day. The noise of gunpowder should no longer be heard. It should be a day exalting peace, not commemorating bloodshed, therefore cause the decorations to be white intertwined with the flag. Let the little girls dress in white and the boys wear a white flower or have white bands around their arms.

War love must be crushed for the sake of the best things. The idea that might is power plunged the world into the great World War. The only war the kingdom of heaven knows is war against war and all its evil things. Display the conquest flag, and tell the story how the Cross of Jesus is marching on to save this old world from sin.

Close by telling them that when they forsake all sin and come to Jesus and are saved, they are an assembly of braves and have put their names to the new declaration of independence.

=Labor Day. September (First Monday)=

For the Scripture lesson for this day read the story of "the laborer being worthy of his hire," as you will find it recorded in Luke 10:1-11. Also the call for laborers for the vineyard, as written in Matthew 20:1-15.

Take a walk into the carpenter-shop of Nazareth and watch Jesus working at his trade at the carpenter's bench. Talk of Jesus as the model Carpenter. Use the carpenter tools as object-lessons: the saw a separator from wrong. A divider of good things, Jesus shared his life with the world as a saw divides the board.

The hammer can be used to show how to fix things in their places so they will stay fixed. Jesus nailed down his commandments as fixed laws by which the world was to be saved.

Show the rule, and talk about the Golden Rule that measures things correctly, and gives a wonderful standard by which we should govern our acts among men.

Display the plane, an instrument to smooth things out and to take off the rough places. Love is that plane, and Jesus always used it to smooth out the hard and ugly places that hate had made in life. So continue to talk about Jesus and his tools. Put up a cardboard sign on the outside of the church containing a message for the laboring man. Let it read, "'God bless the working man' is the prayer of the Children of this Church."

=Columbus Day. October 12=

Tell the story of Abraham, who, like Columbus, went forth on a wonderful adventure. You will find this recorded in Genesis 12:1-10.

Show the children pictures of ships which sail the deep sea.

Show them a handful of reeds, and explain that Columbus discovered floating in the sea a number of weeds which did not grow in his country and therefore reasoned they must come from an unknown land.

Write on a piece of large white paper the word "AMERICA"; roll it up and hide it, and then during the meeting ask some boy or girl to pretend to be Columbus, and let him go forth to find the new world. If he fails to find the parchment let another child try. Let the fortunate child who does at last find it come back to the platform, and then give him a new name--call him the "Discoverer."

Teach the lesson that all of us are starting out in life to "find things," but the best thing to find is the truth. Place in his hands a Bible and say, This will be your guide to all truth, follow its light, and you will find the Cross which is the door to salvation and to heaven.

=Hallowe'en. October 31=

Read as the Scripture lesson for this service Romans 1:1-12. It announces the fact that we are all called to be saints. Every good boy and girl made good by being saved is a saint according to the New Testament.

Hallowe'en is the eve before All Saints' Day, and the term means "Holy Evening."

It does not seem much like an holy evening when we remember it is a time of unearthly noises, witches, spirits, ghosts, elfish creatures, etc., the time when fortunes are supposed to be told in many a walnut shell or in a tub with a burning candle. All of this superstition belongs to the realm of frolics.

Display some post-cards with pictures of witches on them and say, "We do not fear these witches because they don't live," but tell them of the true witches, lying, stealing, profanity, falsehood, anger, temper, etc., which are all witches that we should fear for they are real and seek to get into our hearts at all times.

Explain the "new" meaning of the decoration you use for this special season, "the black and orange." Let the black stand for the night of sin, and the orange, the color of the rising sun, for the dawn of the day of truth and the coming of the light. Darken the room, and let a child from the rear with a lighted candle represent the light that God sends into our world of darkness. This is a simple but entertaining pastime.

For the conclusion of the service have a peanut party.

Hallowe'en is the season of nuts of all kinds. So the peanut can be used to the best advantage because it can be easily secured everywhere. Secure a number of peanuts and hide them in all parts of the room, explain this to the children, and at your command let them all start in to find them. The one finding the largest number should be given some simple little prize. Ask them to drop them all in a large bowl, then ask six children to shut their eyes, and reach in one hand and take out a handful, and the one having the number nearest to 25 will receive another simple little prize.

Conclude by having a peanut auction. Prepare a number of parcels containing simple little things such as an apple, a stick of candy, an orange, a bunch of raisins, a lead-pencil, etc. Wrap these articles up in large bundles so the contents cannot be guessed by the shape. Ask some merry-hearted lad to be the auctioneer and sell the package to the highest bidder, payment to be made of course in peanuts, which at last you cast on the floor--asking the children to help themselves. If so desired serve peanut sandwiches as a special refreshment.

=Election Day. November= (first Tuesday after first Monday)

Read as the Scripture lesson Romans 13. This teaches the lesson that we are to be subject unto authority. Read also Matthew 22:15-22, which gives us a lesson of the "citizen's duty."

Secure if possible a sample ballot. Display it before the children, and explain how the people of proper ages vote. After this, in the place of the names of the candidates and party write such words as Temperance, Good Citizenship, Good Schoolhouses, Full Churches, and Large Sunday Schools, and say we can all vote for all of these. Put down your cross mark under each name. Sing "America," salute the flag, and all say, "God Bless Our Native Land." Let us help to make it God's Great Land.

=Armistice Day. November 11=

For the Scripture lesson read about the time when wars shall cease, as you will find it mentioned in Psalms 46 and 47, and also in Isaiah 2:1-11, describing the time when nation shall not lift sword against nation.

Talk about the World War and display the flags of all nations. Have a large white flag prepared, and call it Armistice Day, that great day when the guns ceased firing. As you say this ask the children who hold the flags of all nations to come forward and stand around the white flag in a circle. Tell how glad the people were on that day, and describe the noises the children made. But this day did not bring lasting peace among the nations, for there is a whisper about war coming back again, and nations seem to be preparing for that event. The only peace which shall last and endure is the Peace of God--the world can never take that peace away.

Ask a boy to come to the platform holding a large cross in his hand, and as he does this let all the nations kneel around it. The power of the Cross alone will give the nations of the world God's wonderful peace; until then there will be no lasting peace among the peoples of the world.

=Thanksgiving Day. November= (last Thursday of month)

Read Isaiah 12 as a thanksgiving song, also read 2 Samuel 22:1-18, which contains the same thought. Psalms 92, 100, and 136 are called thanksgiving songs. Ask some boy or girl to read these lessons.

Read Luke 17:11-19, the story of a good thanksgiving example. Read this lesson at the close of the meeting. Display on the table some fruits, also some large vegetables, all showing how good God is in his wonderful gifts at harvest-time.

Tell the story of the early settlers, and why the first Thanksgiving proclamation was made.

Thanksgiving Day is Old Home Day. The separated family come together in one glad reunion, and the young folks go bounding to see grandma and grandpa, and all have a good time.

Now tell the children we will all consider ourselves one big family, and so prepare for a good time. Pass around a number of candles, and when each has received one, ask the children to eat them. The candles are made out of apples; the wick is made of a bit of almond, which on being lit will blaze for a minute. After this suspend a hoop in the doorway and make snowballs of tissue-paper by crushing them into round shapes. Give each scholar four balls, and standing them a given number of feet away, see how many of the balls each can put through the hoop at the first trial. Give the child who can do this a bag of peanuts as a reward.

If you wish an exclusive religious service for that day, secure a small-sized tree and place it on the platform, Distribute small paper hearts, and ask the children to write on them the reason they are thankful, and at the proper time ask them to bring the heart to the platform. After you have read them to the children, pin them on the tree and call the tree the Thanksgiving Tree. It should grow all the year around in everybody's home.

=Christmas Eve. December 24=

Ask the children to keep their eyes on the door. Turn down the lights of the room until only a dim light is seen. Tell them the Christmas Eve story. Long ago the people had a kind of Christmas fancy that the Child Jesus came to earth again each Christmas Eve and wandered about the streets looking for some one to recognize him and take him into their house.

Through the winter night he tramps on, cold and homeless, so the story goes, peeping in at the windows where evergreen wreaths and warm fires make all who live in that house comfortable and happy. At last some one is sure to see the dim face outside the window, and will fling wide open the door and bid him come in, and give the little stranger loving welcome to all their comforts. Here recite the text Revelation 3:20: "Behold I stand at the door and knock." Open the door of the heart, for the real Christ is there tonight and every other night also. Did you ever notice that the paneling of the door resembles a cross, so it is true of the door of the heart, we must take up his cross in our heart first, and then the door will open wide to let Jesus in. Open the door of the heart to Jesus on Christmas Eve, and that will make every day a Merry Christmas.

It is a good plan to read by candle-light a Christmas story. Place a lighted candle on the table, extinguish all other lights, and say, "Now listen to a Christmas Eve story," and then read Luke's account of the Nativity.

Wish the little folks a Merry Christmas and send them early to their homes.

=Christmas Day. December 25=

For a good Christmas lesson read the story of the Nativity as recorded in the second chapter of Luke. Read also the story of the Wise-men as written in Matthew 2:1-12.

Secure nine tall candles, and as you light them remark how beautiful the candle-light looks on Christmas night, for this is the happy eve of twinkling lights. Even the stars throb and glow as if trying to smile on little children. You will notice that I have here nine candles, each candle standing for a letter in the word Christmas.

Let us see what each sparkling Christmas light says to us. This first light stands for the lights of the inn, the place where Joseph and Mary went the night Jesus was born. This light made plain the path to the rear of the inn where they found the manger crib that God had prepared for the little Son. It was a humble nest, but it was all the inn-keeper had to offer his guests. They were lights of welcome to Jesus, and so Merry Christmas was born there. He who walks in the light of humility walks in the Christmas light.

The next light represents the light from the camp-fires of the Shepherds, around which they gathered and read the words of the Great Prophet of Israel as to the Coming One, while they watched their flocks by night. These were quiet lamps of patient waiting. They were lamps of faith which made stout their courage as they believed with all the heart. Jesus was coming soon, and so God rewarded their faith, for their fires were not extinguished until he came indeed. We should keep the camp-fires burning while we are waiting for his glorious coming again. Every Christmastime should cause us to be glad because he did come once, and we have his promise he will come again. Never let that lamp of hope die out.

The next light stands for the heavenly light shining in the skies. For a bright light shone about them, "the Light of the World" was about to be born. This light was full of angels who sang by that golden light the story of "peace on earth and good-will toward men."

The next light represents the light of the stable lantern which the shepherds brought with them. They were the lamps of the "seeker," they had heard of the little Saviour, and they went forth to seek him. Always carry the seeker's light with you, for it is the _finding_ light. As Bobby Burns puts it, "They never seek the Lord in vain who seek the Lord aright."

The next light represents the starlight which the Wise-men saw. They followed it, and it brought them to the place where the young child lay. The wisest men of this world are led by heaven's lamp of truth. Holding up a Bible, say, "This is the lamp from Heaven, follow it and you will at last find the Christ on his throne where it is Christmas every day."

The next light represents the lamp of the house where the Wise-men found Jesus and his mother. What a wonderful house that must have been. It was a house glorified because Jesus had once lived there in all of his heavenly beauty. Let Jesus into your house, and it will be full of golden lamps which will make the home all glorious within.

What did those lamps see? They saw the gifts of gold which the Wise-men brought, and it seemed to turn to a shining crown and the babe's voice was the voice of the little King. They shone upon a beautiful urn of frankincense. This is a pure gum from a certain Arabian tree which when burned gives a sweet-smelling smoke. In history it has always been used as a symbol of prayer and praise. This gift meant that all the world was to pray to him and praise him with all their heart. These home lamps saw also a golden cup of myrrh. This is a bitter gum and very precious. It used to be wrapped up with the coverings of those who died. It was to teach us that into the baby's life some day the cross would come, and the winding-sheet with its precious myrrh would prepare his precious body for the grave; so that house was made beautiful by the shadow of the wondrous Cross.

Let the Christmas light come into your heart, and all the people will see in you the beautiful life of peace, contentment, faith, love, and joy.

The next light represents the light which Jesus brings to the dark places of the world. He is a light which shines through the darkness. Here tell the story of heathen countries waiting for the light. He is the Light of the World.

The next light represents the light of his church. Paul Revere saw the lights flashing from the tower of Old North Church of Boston, and on his fleet-footed horse dashed down through the valley spreading the message of alarm to the people of the sleeping homes. Every true church is a light-house. It warns us of the power of sin. It shows us the way of the Cross.

The next light represents the lamp of heaven. Jesus came to open the doors of heaven, where there is eternal light, and to bid us enter and be at rest. When he ascended he left a light in the window for us all, which is his good promise that "Where I am there ye shall be also." These are the Merry Christmas lights. Once, years ago and miles away, there was an ancient castle. It was the home of the silent and absent Prince. It was always dark and gloomy, no light could be seen in its windows day or night. There was an old tradition that some time the Prince would return, and then the lights would appear at every window and the bells would chime out most merrily. Often the quiet villagers would look up at the castle on the hill and wonder if the Prince would ever return, and if their eyes should ever see the long-promised lights. One night the people of the village were startled by the sound of bells, and from every window of the castle beautiful lights were shining. The Prince had returned, and there was great joy among the people. Let us light these nine Christmas lights now, and we shall all have a Merry Christmas, for the long-expected Prince from heaven has come to this old dark castle, the world dwelling in darkness.

=Wilson's Birthday. December 28=

Read as the special Scripture lesson for the hour Isaiah 11:1-10, which describes the man of peace. Read also Proverbs 3:13-26, which describes the scholar and education. Secure a picture of the late President and dwell on his dreams of peace.

=New Year's Eve=

It is hardly possible that you will hold a watch-meeting for the juniors, but the following program will make a good order for adults as well as for such children who will attend with them. Secure a number of candles, one for each hour of the service. If the service commences at eight o'clock and continues until midnight, put four lighted candles on the table, one for each hour, and extinguish one at the end of each hour, and you will have one candle left for the last hour. This will be impressive.

At the last moment of the hour extinguish this candle and in total darkness let the old year pass out. At the first minute of the New Year turn on all the lights, arise, and sing, and after the Lord's Prayer, in which they all join, say to the people "A happy New Year to all," and the meeting has ended, and the New Year begun.

As an additional feature for this meeting prepare as large a book as possible with all the pages white and say, This is your book of the New Year. It is a fresh start for you, There will be nothing written on its pages of white except what you write there. Begin tonight and go straight and keep white. Write over the first page, "In the beginning God." That makes the start right, so it will always be white. Write this on the fresh page of every day also, and you will go straight for the whole year.

=43

PUTTING A GOD TO BED

OBJECTS: Three Small Idols=

I suppose you have often heard of little girls putting their dollies to bed. Well, here is a story of a full-grown woman by the name of Michal who put her little god to bed.

We read this strange story in the Bible and we will find it written in 1 Samuel 19:13. "And Michal took the image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with the clothes." But who was this Michal who put her god to bed? She was the wife of King David, and you would have thought she had thrown her idols all away long ago, but she did not do this but continued to put one god to bed long after she had become the wife of a king who believed only in the one true and living God. I suppose she often sang with David her husband, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want," and often with her husband had repeated, "God is our Refuge and our Strength," but with all this she nevertheless put her idol to bed and motherlike, she found herself down on her knees placing the bolster under the head of her idol and carefully covering it with clothes just as mother tenderly tucks in her little baby boy for the night.

Well, after all, I guess she was just like the most of us, she openly confessed her belief in the true God, but on the side had a darling idol or two.

Let us examine ourselves and see if we are putting idols to bed also. Secure three images of Buddha. They can easily be purchased in the shops as they are now sold for incense-holders. The first idol we will label "Irreverence." I am afraid that most all of us have this idol in our possession. We pray to God on Sunday, and then the rest of the week we live any old way. Sometimes when we are in church we whisper, talk, and run about during the service, or look about the room during prayertime, and pay but little attention to the minister who is speaking to us for God. We often pay more attention to our earthly friends than we do to God who is our Chief Friend. All this is a display of Irreverence. Do not let us do this, but put this idol out of our life, and worship the true God only. The best way to cultivate reverence is to go to God's house and learn how to worship him. The music, the message, and the holy surroundings of the place of prayer all make it easy for us to be reverent.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said he had a tender little plant in his heart which he called "Reverence," which he needed to water once a week to keep it fresh and fragrant, so he went to church to water that plant; there he came under the showers of blessing which God sends to his people who are reverent and worship him. Reverence grows fast when we go to church. After you have said this, put the idol in an old bag which you have made to hold cast-off things.

The second idol we will label "SELFISHNESS." When we put ourselves first and are self-willed and always want our own way, then we are putting the idol of "selfishness" to bed. This idol is like the white ant of Africa which is a secret destroyer. It feeds on wood.

A man built himself a house on a piece of land that he thought was a safe place, and after it was finished all the people said it was a thing of beauty. But suddenly one day it fell with a great crash. Now look over the wrecked timber, and you will discover that the inside of the timbers had been eaten clean away. This ant is no respecter of things. It eats books, furniture, trunks, chairs, dolls, and toys, or anything.

Selfishness is like this ant. It secretly eats away the heart of love, and we are dead to the appeal of the world for sympathy. No boy or girl can love himself or herself above all others without dying inside. Like the African ant, selfishness destroys from within, it kills the heart.

Bishop Butler, one of the most learned men, said, "Be more afraid of thyself than of the world." Be afraid of the idol of selfishness, it is yourself at your worst. Put it away, _not_ to bed.

A poor little girl in the slums of London one cold snowy night said to her little brother who was shivering with the cold by her side, "Come closer to me, dear little brother, come under my shawl, it will stretch and cover us both." She never knew anything of the idol of selfishness, no one ever does who stretches the shawl for two. Put this idol in the old rag-bag and put it out of sight.

The third idol we will label "Hatred." We worship this idol when we say to another, "I hate you," and then add all sorts of evil words designed to hurt and kill, and so often we seem glad to believe all the evil said about our enemies, and so worship this idol with glad hearts. Often we get some foreign substance in our eye, and we cannot see except with a blurred vision. We do not see things as they really are. Thus "hate" often blurs our sight, and we cannot see straight. "Hate" is a foreign substance in the mind's eye and we cannot see people as they are.

John Hus the Reformer was bound to the stake to be burned to death because of his faith in Jesus. A poor old peasant woman came up with a piece of wood to add to the fire which was to burn the martyr to death, and when it was flung on the pile, she seemed to be happy and contented. John Hus said to her, "Have I ever harmed you or yours that you are so bitter against me?" "Never," she replied, "but you are a heretic, and wood is scarce, and it looks like a hard winter, but I am glad to do my part to rid the world of such an accursed heretic." John Hus reached out his hand and drew the fagot close to his side and said, "With my heart I forgive you," for John was a Christian. She was a heathen putting her idol of "hate" to bed. She was so blind with hate that she did not know a saint when she saw one.

Be like Jesus who loved all men. A brother of mine when he was converted said, "I feel like kissing everybody." He had put the idol of hate in the rag-bag and, like Jesus, loved everybody. Should you not go and do likewise?

If this lesson is given to small children secure a doll's bed, and have the idols all put to bed before the children assemble. Place this bed on the table or any place where it can be seen by all. Take them out of bed one by one, and give the lesson, and then say, "Shall I put them back to bed or in the rag-bag?"

After this tell them we are all to love God and not idols. Tell them the true God never goes to bed, and neither slumbers nor sleeps, but watches over us to see if there is not some good thing he can do for us the next day. His Son looks on and says, "Suffer the little ones to come unto me." Let's go.

=44

HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS FLAG

OBJECTS: A Piece of Blue Bunting or Muslin and a
Yellow Six-pointed Star=

Bring back Jesus into Christmas. This should be in our thoughts as we plan a Christmas program for children and young folks for this day. Christmas is Christ's birthday, but it is too often a birthday-party without Christ. We cannot truly celebrate his glad natal day if we crowd him out of the celebration.

I have attended Christmas celebrations where a cantata was rendered full of fairies, Brownies, and Santa Claus, and the name of Christ was not mentioned from start to finish. The cantata could have been given with entire acceptance at an infidel's celebration or in a Hindu temple. Christmas is a merry day, and I would not take one glad note from its music, but do not forget the King. It is his birthday we are celebrating.

To bring back Jesus into Christmas perhaps it will help a little to introduce a Christmas flag, and hang it up in sight of all the people. Before the festivities begin explain the Christmas flag, and by so doing we shall be introducing Jesus and giving him first place on the program.

To make a Christmas flag, secure a piece of sky-blue bunting or muslin, and explain that the blue stands for our faith in Jesus which is as clear as the blue sky above us without a cloud of unbelief in it.

We believe Jesus to be God's only divine Son without a single cloud of doubt. In the center of the plain blue background place a six-pointed golden or yellow star commonly called the Star of David. This is beyond all doubt the Bible star. Jesus was the Bright and Morning Star. Let this star stand for Jesus of the House of David.

The history of the six-pointed star is most interesting. It will be real news to many of the young people. This star now appears on the Jewish flag.

During the recent convention of the Federation of American Zionists in Pittsburgh, the display of the six-pointed star flag was very much in evidence. On a white background two heavy blue stripes are sewn, and between them the Jewish emblem, the double triangle, forming a six-pointed star, and known as the "Shield of David." The Zionist flag, therefore, symbolizes in the white background the priestly nation; the blue stripes stand for loyalty and unity of all Israel, and the "Shield of David" represents the star of faith in the unity of the one true and living God.

Inquiry has often been made as to the origin of the "Shield of David." The common opinion held among the Jews is that it originated with King David, and became the religious emblem of the nation, and was the conspicuous symbol on Solomon's Temple. From that time on it continued the popular sign of the Jews and may be seen at the present time on synagogues, temples, and Jewish institutions. Tell the children where they may see it in their own neighborhood.

The popular belief regarding this emblem, however, finds no historical support. Its origin is shrouded in impenetrable mystery. The Jewish Encyclopedia does not shed very much light on the subject and makes only the following observation:

The Jewish view of God, which permitted no images of him, was and still is opposed to the acceptance of any symbols, and neither the Bible nor the Talmud recognized their existence. It is noteworthy, moreover, that the "Shield of David" is not mentioned in Rabbinical literature. The "Shield of David," therefore, probably did not originate within Rabbinism, the official and dominant Judaism for more than 2,000 years, nevertheless a David's Shield has recently been noted on a Jewish tombstone at Tarentum, in Southern Italy, which may date back as early as the third century of the Common Era. (C. M. Adler in _Jewish Quarterly Review_, 14, 3.)

The earliest Jewish literature which mentioned it, the _Eskol Hakofer_ of the Karaite Judah Hadassi (middle of the twelfth century), says in chapter 242 some names of angels precede the Mezuzah (a tiny tin case containing a scripture fastened on the side-posts of doors of orthodox Jewish houses): Michael, Gabriel, etc. Tetragrammaton protect thee! And likewise the sign called David's Shield is placed beside the name of each angel. It was therefore at this time a sign on amulets. Later Jewish writers speak of its popularity, but little of its origin.

In using this star you will make a strong appeal to Jewish children and to all Christian children. It will help to keep Christ in Christmas.

After you have finished your address on the Christmas flag teach them the following _salute_. Tell them to place their hands upon their heart and to fix their eyes on the flag and to say the following words:

"I salute thee, dear old Christmas flag, I will give my love and service to Jesus whose birthday we are celebrating. I believe in his Church and the Holy Bible, and will defend it with all my heart."

Now all stand and sing "Joy to the World, the Lord Is Come." Close by using a Christmas march. On a staff carried by a boy place the Star of David. He will lead the march, the children will follow him around the room, representing the Wise-men following the star.

=45

THAT SOCIAL HOUR

OBJECTS: A Series of Stunts and Pastimes=

When I ask the young folks to spend a pleasant evening with me at my home, what shall I do to entertain them and give them a pleasant time? This is a vexing question. I do not understand the children at the play-hour. What shall I do?

You are entirely right; plan a play-hour for the children of "the meeting." They have a right to their play. God gave them that right. Help them to use it to the limit. Let them make merry with their friends. It will do more for them than just give them a happy evening; it will give them a blessed memory, for when they are grown up, and look back to their childhood days, then will they remember that their religion was all tangled up with smiles and glee.

In those older days they will not say Christians are "joy-killers" and have outlawed the smile. Write it down in letters which stick. They must have their play-hour, they _shall_ make merry with their friends.

It may help you to build your program by looking over the following simple little stunts and pastimes. A half million children have given them their O. K.

=1. Doing Something No One Else Can Do=

Announce that you will do something in this room that no other person can possibly do, "I will seat myself where it will be impossible for another person to do so." Now, sit down in another person's lap. Nobody else can sit there while you sit there.

=2. Can't See the Candlestick=

For this stunt you hold in your hand an ordinary candle in a common candlestick. State that you will put this candle in a place where everybody but one can see it, and that person will not be blindfolded, nor shall he be prevented from examining every part of the room to find it, neither shall the candle be hidden. This is done by placing the candle on his head, taking care that there is no mirror or looking-glass in the room.

=3. A Coin Trick=

Stand up before the children. Place a coin in each hand, and stretch out both hands as far from each other as possible. Now say, "Without bringing my hands together, I can cause both coins to come into the same hand." This is the way to do it. Place the coin on a table, then turn around and pick it up with the other hand.

=4. The Prison Circle=

The circle that makes you a prisoner. Draw a circle around a person, placed in the center of the room, so that he will not be able to jump out of it, though his legs be free. This is done with a piece of chalk. Draw the circle around his body.

=5. Crawling into a Pint Bottle=

How to crawl into a pint bottle. This is a play on words in every sense, so it is played by playing on words. Hold in your hand a little ink bottle, or a pint bottle, and state that you will ask some little boy to crawl into this bottle. Watch every movement, keep your eye upon him. Select some little boy, who has been instructed beforehand, and also rehearsed in private, to come forward and place the pint bottle in the center of the floor. He is told to go out of that room and think how it can be done, and when he is ready to do it, he is to knock on the door. You then open the door, and he crawls into the room on all fours. This is crawling into the pint bottle.

=6. Candies Under the Hat=

Place three candies on the table about ten inches apart, and cover each with a hat. Announce that you will now place these three candies under one hat without touching but one hat. Look wise and approach the hats with a thoughtful and solemn face, waving your hand over them and muttering some incoherent words like "Hocus-pocus," and then call upon three boys to lift the hats to see if the sweets are yet there; after they have lifted the hats, quietly pick up the three candies, place them in your mouth, and put a hat on your head, and say, "The three candies are now all under one hat, and I touched only one of the three hats." You can add a little variation to this game if you so desire by saying after you have placed the candies under the three hats, "On second thought I will turn my back, and when I do so, I would like some one to rearrange the candies under the hats." You have previously arranged with one of the boys to do this service. He appears to be playing the joke on you by eating the candies himself. When you look under the hats you will find nothing there, but when you turn around, you quietly put one of the hats on his head so the candies are now all under one hat.

=7. Will Tell the Date=

Ask some one in the room to select a penny and note its date. You will now say, "I am under the charm of King Copero, and I will try to tell you the date. Don't let me see the coin at close range, because I want to tell the date without seeing the coin and cause you to witness King Copero's mystic power. I will now ask you to place it under the corner of the rug, and then stand on it, and King Copero will tell me the date." You now close your eyes and exclaim, "Copero the mystic, come to my thoughts and tell me the date!" Open your eyes, and look around the room for the King, and then place your hand back of your ear and exclaim, "Speak, Copero, tell me the date." You now exclaim, "I hear you, King. You have spoken indeed." Then with great dignity say, "The date is 1925. I did not say I would give you the date on the coin, but would give you 'the date,' and the present date is 1925 or the year in which you play the game." This will produce a smile and provoke genuine jollity.

=8. Making a Strong Man Sweat=

Here is the way to make a strong person sweat and become tired by carrying a small stick out of the room. This seems impossible, and it causes you to smile as you think it over.

This is the way to do it. Select the strongest and tallest boy or man present, and say that you have a task for him to perform. Place in his hands a thin stick not much thicker than a pipe-stem and about six inches long. Tell him he is to carry it out of the room and lay it down one foot from the other side of the door without sweating or becoming tired. Of course, he not knowing your intention will laugh at this proposition.

As soon as he promises to do this task take the stick and with a knife cut off a little bit so small he can hardly see it; then bid him carry that first. Then give him another piece of the stick, and so until it is all carried out. This would cause him to make about a thousand trips and more before he has carried out the entire stick, and it would take him two weeks working day and night to complete the task. It would surely make him sweat and grow weary. He himself will so conclude. This little stunt seems quite insignificant at first, and that makes the laugh more hearty at the last. This was a stunt quite common in the days of Washington and the Colonial children.

=9. The Disappearing Square=

Draw a square about two feet square on a large sheet of common paper. Pin it up on the door and say you have the pleasure of presenting to your audience the Wondrous Square which has the marvelous power of disappearing and reappearing right before your very eyes. Then ask the audience to close both eyes and they will note the square has perfectly disappeared. Then ask them to open their eyes, and the square immediately reappears again. This little stunt has been used by over a thousand little friends of mine and has helped them to make "merry with their friends."

It will often help a little to secure a small box of tricks and show them how to do them. Sometimes one of the invited boys may own such a box. Ask him to bring it with him, and show them how to do wonders also.

This can be made a large evening for the teacher personally. Be careful to listen to the children as they speak, observe the laws of their conversation, note down the words they use when they talk to each other, and when you talk to them talk as they talk, observe the same rules of conversation, and use their words when you talk to them in the lesson, then will they hear a lesson in their own tongue. It will be something new for them, and the lesson will be a success, and you will feel well paid for the labors of your social hour.

=46

"THE WORDLESS BOOK"

OBJECTS: A Small Book with Five Colored Pages[1]=

Some years ago in one of the mining-towns of central Pennsylvania, a Christian English miner was noticed going to a secluded spot every noon, and holding in his hand a small red book. He seemed to be reading it, and was deeply interested in its contents.

This caused his fellow workmen no little astonishment as the book was so small that he could easily read it through in a few minutes, yet he continued to keep the book before his eyes each noon for many long months. What could he be doing? Was he reading it or just looking at it?

That was the big question they all had in their minds. At last they determined to find out the truth about the book if possible, so one day they approached him with the question: "What makes that little book so interesting to you? It certainly must contain a most wonderful story to engage your attention for so long a time." The man made a courteous reply by saying: "It is a wordless book, and you are quite correct when you say it must contain a wonderful story, for it does record the most wonderful story the world has ever heard; it is the story of salvation." He then showed them the book. It was a book of colors only, not words, It was the Story of Salvation in Colors. He then explained: "The first page is black; that stands for sin. The second page is red; that stands for the blood of Jesus which covers the black. The third page is white; that stands for righteousness. And the last page is yellow; that stands for heaven with its streets of gold. This is the most wonderful story of the world, because it is the Story of Redemption which never grows old, and I never grow tired of thinking about it and seeing it by colors."

Years ago when I was a child I saw a little book just like that. It was published in London, England. When I first began to use object lessons in talking, I made an enlarged copy of it.

Later I got out an improved edition of this book, using one additional color (green) and have put it on the market. It is called the "American Improved Wordless Book."

With but little difficulty you can make one for your own use. This is the way to do it. Secure an ordinary note-book and cover the two open pages with black paper; this stands for sin. Cover the next two open pages with red paper, which will stand for the blood of Christ. Cover the next two pages with pure white paper without the ruled lines on it; this will stand for righteousness. Cover the next two with green paper; this will represent fruitfulness or good works. Cover the last two open pages with yellow; this will stand for heaven, with its sheets of yellow gold. You may make this book as large as you desire, and when you have finished it hold it up before your hearers and open it at the black pages and say, "The black stands for the sinful heart of man."

Read the following Scripture, "By one man sin entered into the world, so death [black crape] passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12). Quote also John 3:19, "Men love darkness [black] rather than light because their deeds are evil" (black). Romans 6:23 is also a black verse; it reads, "The wages of sin is death" (black). Ezekiel 33:11 is another black verse. It says: "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil [black] ways; for why will ye die?" (Black.)

This is a picture of the heart covered with unforgiven sin, just as Jesus sees it and just as the judgment will show it.

What shall I do to get rid of the black? Look, and I will show you how. Open the next two pages, and they are red; that stands for the blood of Jesus. Now you notice that the black is hidden because it is all under the blood. Read Hebrews 9:22: "Without the shedding of blood [red] there is no remission." Isaiah 53:5-8 tells us: "He was wounded [red] for our transgressions, he was bruised [red] for our iniquities, ...the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity [red] of us all." Also quote 1 John 1:7, "The blood [red] of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin." Make it clear that the only thing that will cover sin so it will stay covered is the blood (red) of Jesus. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (Ps. 32:1).

God's red covering, the blood of Jesus his Son, is the only covering for sin; the Bible has so revealed it. Sometimes we try to cover over our sins with a lie or smooth words, but our sins will not stay covered that way. The Bible says, "Be sure your sin will find you out," which means, Be sure your sins will find their way out also.

I read in a little old story-book years ago this interesting little tale. Three little brothers had been promised by their father that if they planted a certain number of hills with beans they might go to the circus that afternoon, and see the clown and everything. They began early in the morning and worked with great vigor and zeal to finish their task, but just before they got to the last row they heard the circus band playing and saw the horses and elephants passing by in the great street parade of the greatest show on earth. They were sure they would be too late if they finished that row and planted all the beans their father had given them, so the Tempter said to them: "Dig a hole, put all the beans you have left into it, and fill up the hole and roll a big stone over it, and they will be hidden out of sight. Then go and tell your father you have finished your planting, and he will then give you your circus money, and you will thus see all of the show."

They listened to the Tempter, and did as he told them, and reported to their father their work was done, and the father according to his promise sent them to the circus. Some weeks afterward the father was inspecting his garden, and noticed there was an entire row of bean-hills from which no little green blades had yet made their appearance. The father sent for his sons and called their attention to the fact that in every row but the last one the beans had sprouted; he wanted to know if they could explain to him the failure of the last row. The boys assured the father that the seeds had been planted and if he would wait just a little while longer they would come up like the other seeds. The boys were troubled a lot about it, but they thought their father would never know why the seeds did not come up, because they had been cast into a hole and a great stone had covered them over so no one would ever see them. But one day a week or so after this the father was walking out again in that part of the garden and thought he noticed some little green blades pushing themselves out from beneath the stone; so he rolled away the stone and there in the hole were the little seeds trying to sprout and come up out of the dust.

He called his boys to him and showed them the sight, and they confessed their wrong-doing and promised they would never deceive him again, even to go to the greatest show on earth. So we see how their sins did not stay covered, they found their way out. So it will be with all our sins, they will find us out, and at the day of judgment will find their way out also.

The only thing that will cover sin so that it will not find us out is to put it under the Blood. There it will not find its way out, because forgiven sin is taken away to stay forever.

Open now the next pages, and you will find them pure white. The white stands for righteousness. Read Psalm 51:7: "Whiter than snow." This is the Snow Prayer. Ask the children to repeat it in concert. Read John 13:10: "Clean every whit"; this means all the black has gone, and the all white has come in its place. Only the blood of Jesus can do this. Make no effort to explain this, but quote it as a fact. It is so stated in the Bible and the Bible is true.

Now open the pages showing the green and say: "Green stands for fruitfulness, as it is the green branch which bears the leaf, blossom, and fruit, so should we bear much fruit or as the great Sankey sang in other days, 'When Jesus has found you, tell others the story'; that is what I am doing now, telling you the story and trying to bear fruit." Read Matthew 21:28, "Son, go work today in my vineyard." Read also Galatians 6:10, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men."

Say to the children that as the pine and ivy are green all the year around and never change with the seasons, so should the Christian always be abounding in the work of the Lord. Read Galatians 6:9; "And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."

Now open the last pages and you will note they are both "yellow"; these pages stand for heaven, with its streets of yellow gold. These pages remind us of our eternal home, the home of the soul to which we will all go if we follow the teaching of this book. Quote John 14:2,3: "I go to prepare a place for you... I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you may be also." Read also selections from Revelation 22.