_This book is dedicated
to the many Boys and Girls
who have both heard and seen
these visual addresses
at Bethany Hall, Winona Lake, Indiana
and to Mrs. Carrie Besserer
who made these wonderful gatherings possible_
_For what shall it profit a church if it gain
the whole world and lose its own children_
=INTRODUCTION=
Dr. C. H. Woolston is the one man I know who is most eminently fitted
to write a book for children or for the teachers of children. First,
because he loves and understands children; for work among children is
an affair of the heart. In the second place, through many years he
has proved his theories by actual, practical experience and testing.
We know that his plans really work.
He is being urged by many of his eminent friends in children's work
to give all his time to this great service. He will have a large
mission in teaching preachers and teachers how to win children and
young people to Christ. For twenty years he has appeared in the great
Bible conference at Winona Lake, Ind., and has always been received
by adults with great appreciation while the children have hailed him
with huge delight.
We must all admit that there is nothing of greater importance among
all the problems of the church today. While he has not been able to
give all his time to this work he has been most generous and patient
in showing others how to use the mechanical and wonder object-lessons
in the teaching of children.
In this work he gives the worker something entirely new and off from
the beaten path of the regulars, something which would cost months of
study and research and literally hundreds of dollars to acquire.
In addition to the wisdom of this and other works he has published
and thus given to the world, he will always be glad to help in any of
the problems of winning for Jesus the children that may present
themselves. His study is an open post-office. Write to him.
And so, for these reasons and many others I am especially glad to
commend this newest book of Doctor Woolston. I hope the readers of
this book may be able to have him in their churches or in Bible
conferences some time. To know him personally is a rare pleasure. He
is, in my estimation, the greatest talker to children we have in this
country at this present time. His new methods of reaching children
and adults through their eyes has given him the highest place among
gospel illustrators.
HOMER RODEHEAVER
SUNDAY PARTY, Winona Lake, Ind.
=PREFACE=
These short addresses are designed to help the busy pastor get a
flying start in his effort to fill the minds of his church children
with compelling imagery and their eyes with the sweet lessons by
Seeing Gospel Truth.
I have made no attempt at phrase-making, nor have I sought to create
a literary marvel.
I have used the greatest simplicity of language at my command, in
some cases employing the unpolished words of the children themselves.
This I have done because many of these chapters have been framed for
their eyes and ears, and it has always been my ambition that the
children should hear the truth in their own tongue.
Perhaps my words and sentences would not pass the Sanhedrin of the
universities, but my ideas are on the run to catch the child before
the ever-shortening days of youth have passed, and perhaps sometimes
I have run by some of the standards of the school.
When Evangelist D. L. Moody was in London, England, the first time
some of the critical divines made sport of the fact that Mr. Moody in
pronouncing the word "Jerusalem" did so in two syllables. The secular
press also took up the matter and made high glee over it. C. H.
Spurgeon, then in all his glory at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, in
one of his sermons used the following language, "I am glad there is
one minister in London who is in such haste to give the gospel to the
people that he does not stop to pronounce every syllable."
The King's business requires haste, and this business of gaining the
King's children requires double haste. This will explain some of the
sentences of this book that may cause you to stop and think why I
said them. C. H. Spurgeon has given you my answer.
These talks aim to fill the eye as well as the ear. This is the
reason that a line of simple objects is used.
These objects are golden hooks which hang up ideas in the hall of
memory to stay "put" evermore.
Some of the chapters are designed for children and adults alike, for
there are some adults who, like Peter Pan, refuse to grow up and
still "like to see things."
Read over each chapter twice before you attempt to work it out.
Think yourself back to childhood's happy days and "be a child again
just for tonight," and then when your ideas are romping about in your
head with the zest of youth, tell your lesson and show them "the
things."
And may it come to pass that you may turn the Wonderful Eyes and
Hearts of the Wonderful Children toward the "Rose of Sharon" as the
rose of the garden turns toward the light of the Sun.
This is the prayer of the author to whom God has given the
distinguished honor of talking to a million and a half of little
folks about Jesus, "who loves the little children of the world."
C. H. WOOLSTON.
EAST BAPTIST STUDY, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
April, 1926.
=CONTENTS=
CHAPTER PAGE
1. JUST A FEW WORDS TO THE CHILDREN ............................. 1
2. WHEN THE BABY DISCOVERS AMERICA! ............................. 3
3. A MILLION-DOLLAR CIGARET ..................................... 5
4. HEALING LEAVES ............................................... 10
5. WHAT THE BIBLE IS LIKE ....................................... 12
6. JUDGING BY APPEARANCES ....................................... 17
7. A CHILD FOR SALE ............................................. 20
8. WEEDS ........................................................ 25
9. THE SWORD OF -- .............................................. 28
10. WHAT CAN TAKE A WAY MY SINS? ................................. 33
11. WORDS OF ANGER ............................................... 37
12. THE COPPER-FACE GIRL ......................................... 41
13. MAKING A CHURCH FLAG ......................................... 44
14. AN IMMORTALITY LESSON ........................................ 48
15. "OFF FOR HAPPY LAND" ......................................... 51
16. FORGOTTEN HOLY NAMES ......................................... 55
17. I LAY MY SINS ON JESUS ....................................... 59
18. THE LORD'S PRAYER IN CANDLES ................................. 62
19. HOW GOD COVERS MY SINS ....................................... 68
20. WHAT THE FLAG SIGNALS SAY .................................... 71
21. THE DEVIL'S GOAT ............................................. 75
22. SHINING TRUTH ................................................ 77
23. THE BEATITUDES IN COLORS ..................................... 82
24. THE GOSPEL IN THE FLAG ....................................... 84
25. WHAT THE LETTERED BLOCKS SAID ................................ 87
26. BLOTS TAKEN AWAY ............................................. 89
27. A LOST HEART, AND WHERE IT WAS FOUND ......................... 92
28. "BRIGHTEN YOUR CORNER AS A BUSINESS" ......................... 97
29. THE POSTAGE-STAMP AS A PREACHER .............................. 101
30. CANDLES IN THE PULPIT ........................................ 105
31. A POST-CARD SERMON ........................................... 109
32. MAKING JOY ................................................... 112
33. YE LITTLE OLD FOLKS .......................................... 114
34. THE CRUCIFIXION IN COLORS .................................... 116
35. THE GOSPEL BY RIBBONS ........................................ 119
36. JOINING THE CHURCH ........................................... 122
37. GOD'S MAIL-BAG ............................................... 126
38. TURNING THE PALMS INTO A CROSS ............................... 131
39. JESUS CHANGES THINGS ......................................... 134
40. THE BUNDLE OF LIFE ........................................... 137
41. THE NORTH POLE OF THE BIBLE .................................. 142
42. OBJECT-LESSONS FOR SPECIAL DAYS .............................. 146
43. PUTTING A GOD TO BED ......................................... 174
44. HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS FLAG ................................. 179
45. THAT SOCIAL HOUR ............................................. 183
46. "THE WORDLESS BOOK" .......................................... 189
47. THE HEART OF SEVEN DEVILS .................................... 196
48. SHOW YOUR COLORS ............................................. 204
49. THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN STORY FORM ................. 208
50. WHAT TEN CORDS COULD NOT DO .................................. 210
51. OBJECT-LESSONS EXTRAORDINARY ................................. 214
52. A BOTTLE OF MOSQUITOES ....................................... 222
53. A CHRISTMAS TREE IN AUGUST ................................... 228
54. THE JUNIOR POST-OFFICE ....................................... 232
55. THE BLACK FLAG ............................................... 236
56. HOW FIVE SPADES DUG THROUGH .................................. 240
57. THE KAISER'S CUP ............................................. 245
58. HOW TO MAKE A RAG MAP ........................................ 248
59. STATIONS OF SALVATION ........................................ 252
60. A SUGGESTIVE PROGRAM ......................................... 261
61. A MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER ................................. 263
=LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS=
OPPOSITE
PAGE
A Group of Children Just After a Happy Hour Service at
Winona Lake, Indiana; These Represent the Children to
Whom This Book is Dedicated .............Frontispiece