that measure is the same in Ohio, Mexico, England or Spain. If it is
wrong to steal in Germany, it is wrong to steal in Brazil. If it was
wrong to commit murder in the first century, it is wrong to take life
in this century. The Ten Commandments are some of God's measures for us.
John, come up here, I want to measure you. Stand there, that's right. I
have the mark, now let us see how tall you are. Four feet, three and
one-half inches. That is fine. You are a big boy, aren't you? I wish too
that I could measure you according to God's measure. But I cannot do
that. You must do that yourself. How tall are you as you look at
yourself in the light of the Saviour's life? According to his measure I
pray that you may be tall and strong.
MEMORY VERSE, _Ephesians_ 4: 13
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ."
MEMORY HYMN [128]
_"We may not climb the heavenly steeps."_
SLEEP
I hope you had a good sleep last night. I hope you sleep well every
night. God's best gift to his children is sleep. You think there are
some better gifts, do you? Name them. Ah, I thought you were mistaken.
The more you think about it the more you will agree with me that sleep,
the Father's loving provision for tired people, is a most blessed gift.
Now God gives sleep not only to girls and boys but to all of his
creatures. Do you know how some of those creatures sleep? I will tell
you. Elephants and horses commonly sleep standing up. How would you like
to hear your mother say to you, "Robert, it's time to go to bed, stand
in the corner there and sleep." Most birds sleep with the head turned
toward the tail and the beak poked in under the feathers. Storks, gulls
and all other long-legged birds sleep standing on one leg. It would be
more difficult to sleep that way than just standing in the corner,
wouldn't it? The fox and the wolf sleep with the tip of the nose and the
soles of the feet close together, and the big, bushy tail covering all
to keep them warm. Owls sleep in the daytime. They have eyelids, and
over the eyelids, curtains. These curtains are drawn across the eyes,
sideways, and keep out the strong light of the day. Hares, snakes and
fish sleep with their eyes open.
Why does God give us sleep? Is it for the pleasure of sleeping? No. He
gives us sleep that our bodies and minds may be refreshed. The strength
we have expended during the day is repaid us in the sleep of the night.
Be grateful to your heavenly Father when to-night you kneel to pray:
"Now I lay me down to sleep."
MEMORY VERSE, _Psalm_ 127: 2
"So he giveth his beloved sleep."
MEMORY HYMN [541]
_"Of all the thoughts of God."_
ON TIME
I once lived in a town of some five thousand population. In the center
of the town was a public square, and at the most prominent corner of the
square was a jeweler's store. In the window of the store was a clock
which regulated the coming and going of nearly all the inhabitants. You
see the children on their way to school had to pass this store, and they
always glanced in the window to see if they were on time. People going
away had to pass this store to get to the depot; they too looked at the
jeweler's clock to see if they had plenty of time to make their train.
The men who worked in the main factory of the town went by this corner;
each man as he passed would pull out his watch and set it by the
jeweler's clock.
Now one morning, for some reason or other, the clock was fifteen minutes
slow. Children, hurrying to school, looked in at the window, and, seeing
how much time they had they loitered and were late. Men and women, going
to the train or work, glanced at the clock, as was their custom, and,
finding that they did not have to hurry some missed their train, while
others were behind time at work.
We are all human clocks. We set the time for others. Your example, girls
and boys, has much to do with the way other young people, your
companions, act. If you, Mary, fail to get your lessons, some of your
friends are going to say, "Mary doesn't study much and I'm not going to
either." Robert, if you indulge in some bad habit your chum is going to
say, "Robert does this and I guess I can too." Is your life clock
running true? Are you on time?
MEMORY VERSE, _I Peter_ 2: 21
"For hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps."
MEMORY HYMN [420]
_"True-hearted, whole-hearted."_
DOORS
This morning, after you were awake, you passed through your bedroom
door. Then you went through the bathroom door. Later you entered,
through a door, the dining room. After a time, with your father and
mother, you left the house through the outside door. You walked down the
street and here you are in church, having entered through yonder door.
Every day you are passing through various doors. What wonderful things
doors are! I wonder who invented doors. What would we do without doors?
There are doors to houses and there are doors to life. Let me tell you
about them. A door is made of wood. What beautiful wood is in these
church doors! The doors of life are made of our will. By the exercise of
our will we open and close whatsoever doors of life we choose.
The doors of our houses swing on hinges. Heavy doors seem as light as a
feather because they are so delicately hung upon hinges. The hinges of
the doors of life are made not of brass or iron, but of love.
When, in a little while, you leave this church you will take hold of a
knob and pull open the door. The doors of life have knobs. Those knobs
are called courtesy. You can open well nigh any door you choose if only
you will use the knob courtesy.
What about the lock? Yes, doors have locks. So also have the doors of
life. Can you guess what locks the door of life? It is faith. If you
have faith, faith in God, faith in the Saviour, faith in things that are
true and pure, you need never fear that your house of life will be
broken into by burglars. You are secure if you have the lock of faith.
Now here is a strange paradox, namely--you lock your door only by
opening it. Open your door to the Master.
MEMORY VERSE, _Revelations_ 3: 20
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice
and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him
and he with me."
MEMORY HYMN [282]
_"O Jesus, thou art standing."_
CHEAPEST AND BEST
A business man would not consider this subject a very good
advertisement. He believes that the best things are never cheapest.
There are a few instances however in which that is not the case.
First, the air we breathe. It does not cost us anything, it isn't
metered out to us, so we have a saying, "as free as air." You go down to
the drug store and buy a bottle of perfume. A good perfume will cost not
less than a dollar a bottle. The air we breathe is infinitely purer and
better than the costliest perfume.
Second, the water we drink. Do you like ice cream soda? I am sure you
do. If you do not you are not a normal girl or boy. How much do you have
to pay for a good ice cream soda? That depends; some places it is ten
cents and some fifteen cents. You think you might like to have ice cream
soda every meal, but you would soon tire of it. The water you drink is
necessary, and it costs you nothing.
Third, a book, that is this book, the Bible. If you wish to buy an
up-to-date book of fiction it will cost you anywhere from $1.00 to
$3.00. But here is a book, the most popular, the most wonderful book
that was ever written. You can buy a Bible for a few pennies, and if you
do not have the pennies there is a great Bible Society that will give
you a copy, that none may be without the Word of Life.
Finally, the things that are cheapest and best are the things of the
soul, the spiritual ministries and influences of life. They are worship,
communion, faith, hope, prayer and love. No one stands at yonder door
and demands a dollar of you as you enter. The seats in this church are
free to rich and poor, aged and young. These free seats typify the
salvation that is here proclaimed.
MEMORY VERSE, _Isaiah_ 55: 1
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price."
MEMORY HYMN [304]
_"I heard the voice of Jesus."_
IN THE DARK
I have here what are commonly known as Chinese lilies. Two weeks ago
they were only two or three inches high. Now they are between two and
three feet. How rapidly they have grown! I How can we account for it? I
can give one reason. It is because they had adequate preparation. The
bulbs from which these lilies grew were kept in the dark for ten days.
There, in the dark, they stored up strength and energy for the work that
was before them.
Many years of our Saviour's life were spent in obscurity. They were
years when, as far as the world is concerned, he was in the dark,
preparing for the great work of his public ministry. My dear young
people, do not be fretful over the days and years you have to go to
school. They are not simply days of waiting, they are days of
preparation.
Again, these lilies come from dark and humble surroundings. Here is a
very plain dish. In the dish are a few ordinary stones; picked up in
our yard. Water is poured upon the stones. Among these stones the lily
bulbs take root. Girls and boys, it does not matter a great deal what
sort of a home you have, if only it is a good home. John Wesley's youth
was hid away in a poor Methodist parsonage. Abraham Lincoln was born and
grew up in the dark and humble surroundings of a log cabin. Our Saviour
himself was born in a manger, and his boyhood home was far from being a
palace. Make the best of what you have and all will be well. God will
take care of you and bring you out of the darkness.
How fragrant these lilies are! Faith, hope, love, patience, strength and
truth, these fragrant qualities of life often grow best in the dark. May
our good Father make your life fragrant is my prayer.
MEMORY VERSE, _Psalm_ 139: 12
"Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as
the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."
MEMORY HYMN [460]
_"Lead, kindly light."_
THE STILL SMALL VOICE
What is the loudest noise you ever heard? Did you ever hear an immense
cannon fired? Of course you have heard thunder. The loudest, most
terrifying noise I ever heard was a boiler explosion. The town heating
plant was only three doors from my home. The whole plant blew up one
prayer meeting evening. The church building was plunged into darkness,
the walls shook, windows were broken on every side. In terror people got
down on their knees and crept toward the door. That was the loudest
noise I ever heard.
Now I have here a hammer. I will drop it to the floor. Listen. Is the
noise very loud? Here I have a heavy railroad spike. Hear the noise this
makes as it is dropped. And now I shall drop this large nail. The noise
that made is not nearly as loud as the noise occasioned by the falling
hammer. Here is a small nail. You will have to listen very carefully if
you hear the sound of the nail as it strikes the carpet. Have you good
ears? Let us test them. Here is an ordinary pin. If you keep very quiet
you will be able to hear the falling of this tiny pin. Do not move in
your seat. Every one, attention! Listen. Did you hear it? Yes, most of
you did.
That pin did not make much noise. No sound could be more subdued than a
dropping pin. Ah, but there is a sound that is infinitely more quiet. At
the same time it is louder than the roll of thunder, or the firing of a
huge cannon, or the explosion of a great boiler. Some call it
"conscience." I like to think of it as a voice. It is the still, small
voice within. When you go to do wrong this voice speaks to you. Hear the
voice, and give good heed.
MEMORY VERSE, _I Kings_ 19: 12
"And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the
fire: and after the fire a still small voice."
MEMORY HYMN [320]
_"I want a principle within."_
THANKSGIVING
What does Thanksgiving mean to you? I hear one boy say, "It means a big
dinner." I think we all agree with him. Who does not welcome and enjoy a
good dinner! I hear Mary say, "Thanksgiving means a day off from
school." I guess you are right too. School is not such a charming place
that girls and boys are unwilling to have an occasional holiday.
Now I am going to ask some of the older people what the day means to
them. There is a young woman. She is a stenographer. She says,
"Thanksgiving means a day away from the office. I am at the office every
day except Sunday, and I do appreciate, now and then, a day that is
really my own." Yonder is a traveling salesman. What does Thanksgiving
mean to you? He says, "It means a day at home. Last year I spent one
hundred and sixty-nine nights away from home. I have three children. I
should like to see them every day. There are times when many days pass
and I do not see them. Thanksgiving week I plan to be at home."
There are others I could ask. Each has his answer. But Thanksgiving has
a special meaning for us. It is the Harvest time. I have here an apple.
Isn't this a beautiful apple? What color! Who mixed the paints, who
handled the brush to give such color to this apple? God. He, in his
infinite love and wisdom, has provided, through the unfailing laws of
nature, for the growth, sweetness, coloring and beautifying of all the
products of the fields. This apple is but one of many kinds of fruits.
Praise, then, is the great meaning of Thanksgiving. God, our heavenly
Father, sends us every good gift. From his bountiful hand come our daily
and nightly mercies. We should praise him every day. But the day for the
united chorus of praise is Thanksgiving.
MEMORY VERSE, _Psalm_ 150: 6
"Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the
Lord."
MEMORY HYMN [717]
_"Come, ye thankful people, come."_
MARBLES IN THE POCKET
Do you know what a Missionary Box is? Well, I will tell you. It is a box
or barrel sent from a missionary society in a city or town to a
missionary family or school on the frontier. The box contains clothing,
bedding, and sometimes toys, dolls and picture books if there are
children at the frontier end of the journey.
In a certain city one Christmas season the children of the Sunday School
brought gifts to fill a box. Some brought clothes they had outgrown.
Some who had two coats decided they could give one. Others brought
books. One little girl brought a beautiful doll. She had other dolls,
and this one she dearly loved, but she said, "I want some other little
girl to be happy, and I think I can get along without this doll, though
I shall miss her dreadfully."
One day the committee came together to sort the gifts and pack the box.
One woman picked up a boy's coat. She felt something, hard in one of the
pockets. Another woman said, "Better look all through those pockets;
you can never tell what a boy will use his pockets for." So she went all
through the pockets. In one of them she found a soiled handkerchief tied
in a knot. With much pulling, for it was a hard knot, she loosed the
little package, and there she found five marbles. With the marbles was a
note scrawled in a boy's hand--
"DEAR BOY WHO GETS THIS COAT,
I have eight marbles. First I put in four for you. Then I put in
another one. I hope you will like the coat, and the marbles.
From your friend,
JOHN MASON."
Now what do you think of that? Isn't it glorious? To give more to the
other fellow than you keep for yourself, especially when that other
fellow is some one you have never seen, is Christlike.
MEMORY VERSE, _Matthew_ 7: 12
"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye
even so to them."
MEMORY HYMN [411]
_"O Master, let me walk with thee."_
THE FIRST MONTH
What month is this? December. It is the first month in the year. "No,
no," you say, "December is the last month." I cannot entirely agree with
you. December is last on the calendar but first in importance. Now you
agree with me, do you not?
How many days has December? One day. "No, no," I again hear you say,
"December has thirty-one days." I think we can reach an agreement on
this point too. There is one day in December of unexcelled importance
and loveliness; that day is the twenty-fifth. Yes, we all say there is
but one day in December. How readily we agree when we understand one
another!
What is the twenty-fifth? It is the pivotal day in the history of the
world. It is the day upon which the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
was born. Jesus, son of man and son of God, came into the world as we
all come, as a tiny babe. It brings him much nearer to us, does it not,
to think that our Saviour was once as we are? He grew up as a child, a
boy, a youth, a man. It is the birthday of Christ the Saviour we
celebrate on the twenty-fifth of each December.
To whom did Jesus come? He came to a lowly people. He was revealed first
of all to the shepherds. The shepherd's task was not an enviable one. He
was out in the open, subject to storms and winds and wild beasts. His
business was to shepherd the sheep, to lead them to good pasture, to
protect them from all harm and danger. The shepherd's task was lonely as
well as lowly. His days and nights were passed in solitude. Occasionally
a group of shepherds would come together, but for the most part they
were alone with their flocks. God chose these people, whose minds were
clear, whose lives were pure, to be the first messengers of the glad
tidings of great joy.
MEMORY VERSE, _Luke_ 2: 8
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flocks by night."
MEMORY HYMN [115]
_"While shepherds watched their flocks."_
HIM AND HYMN
I want to tell you to-day about two "Hims." The first is a man "Him."
The second is a song "Hymn."
The man "him" is Phillips Brooks. He was born in 1835 and died in 1893.
He never married, so he had no girls and boys of his own. But he loved
all children. He had a great, warm heart, and in that heart was a big
corner for all young people. He became a minister. His first church was
in Philadelphia. Later he moved to Boston. He had not been in Boston
very long when, one night, about midnight, the people saw flames
breaking out through the roof of the church. A sorrowing congregation,
with their pastor, watched their loved church as it burned to the
ground.
When, after the fire, they came together, they inquired, "What shall we
do? Shall we rebuild here or shall we take another location?" Finally it
was decided to build a new church on Copley Square. That was many years
ago. They built a beautiful temple of worship. It is still known
everywhere as "Phillips Brooks' Church," so wonderfully did his
personality enter into the project.
Now the second "hymn." When Phillips Brooks was a young man in
Philadelphia he made a trip to the Holy Land. As Christmas drew near he
wrote and sent back to the girls and boys of his Sunday School, a
Christmas poem. The organist of his church composed music for the words,
and this hymn was sung for the first time in Trinity church,
Philadelphia. It is a beautiful Christmas hymn. Yes, it is my favorite.
"Oh, little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie."
MEMORY VERSE, _Matthew_ 2: 6
"Thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the
princes of Juda: For out of thee shall come a Governor that shall
rule my people Israel."
MEMORY HYMN [121]
_"O little town of Bethlehem."_
THE CHRISTMAS TREE
For a few years I lived in a country where "December is as pleasant as
May." The weather was warm all through the year. The ground was never
frozen, for there was never any frost. I never saw a snowflake in all
the years I lived in the tropics. The trees were trees of the hot
climate, mostly palm, bamboo and acacia trees. When Christmas drew near
I thought the day would be a very dreary day, and wholly unChristmaslike
because there would be no snow, and we would be without our accustomed
tree.
A few days before our first Christmas in the tropics a friend said to
me, "I am sending a tree down from the mountains for your children." In
due time the tree arrived. You can imagine the joy of our entire
household when they looked upon a genuine, evergreen, Christmas tree. We
set it up in our big "sala," that is our living room, and there it
remained for many days, the delight of our eyes.
The tree of the Christmas season has some specifically Christmas
messages. First, it is evergreen. That reminds us of the eternal
Saviour, "the same yesterday, to-day and forever." At the very tiptop of
the tree we place a star. There it shines, high above all else,
reminding us of the higher, holier life to which we are summoned. The
star beckons us to loftier aspirations. Christ came down from heaven. He
became one of us, sharing our human life. But he is ever above us as
well as with us, luring us on to the life of God. The Christmas tree is
ablaze with lights. Jesus brought light into the world. How dark the
world would be without him! About the base of the tree, and suspended
from the branches are many gifts. They are tokens of the love and esteem
we hold for each other, and remind us of God's great gift of love,
Christ himself.
MEMORY VERSE, _John_ 3: 16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life."
MEMORY HYMN [112]
_"There's a song in the air."_
THE BEST WORD
What is the best word! I think I can hear each of you as he answers. One
says "Mother is the best word." Another says, "Father." Still another,
"Daddy." A fourth one answers, "Home." Now I hear a voice that says,
"America." Another voice shouts, "Friend." Yes, there are many, many
words to which we might rightfully give the title "best word."
But for this season of the year, and for this particular Sunday, there
is one word that stands out from among all the others. That one word is
"Christmas." To-morrow will be Christmas day. I think this word
"Christmas" is the best word because it includes all the other good
words.
In your home you have a rug. There are many colors in that rug, yet it
is all one fabric. The many colors are skillfully woven and beautifully
blended to make the one fabric. Think of this word Christmas as a rug,
made up of many words of many colors. We see in this rug the word
"mother." What would Christmas be without mother! We see also the word
father, and the words sister, brother, grandfather, grandmother, aunt,
uncle, friend, home. Then clearest of all in this wonderful rug is the
word Christ. Christ is Christmas. Yes, Christmas is the best word for it
gathers within its meaning all other good words.
"This happy day, whose risen sun Shall set not through eternity;
This holy day, when Christ, the Lord, Took on him our humanity;
For little children everywhere A joyous season still we make; We
bring our precious gifts to them, Even for the dear Child, Jesus'
sake."
MEMORY VERSE, _John_ 1: 4
"In him was life; and the life was the light of men."
MEMORY HYMN [107]
_"Joy to the world!"_
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
How often have we heard this phrase! You girls and boys use it, "Here I
am, last but not least."
When Jesus was on earth there was often a discussion among the disciples
concerning rank among them. Some were fearful that they would be last.
One day a mother, very proud of her two sons, as mothers are apt to be,
asked Jesus to grant permission that her two sons might sit, the one on
his left hand, the other on his right, in the kingdom. Then He made a
very beautiful as well as perfectly true statement, "Whosoever will be
chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came
not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a
ransom for many."
There was another time, when Jesus sat at supper with his disciples,
wishing to show them, by example, the utter worthlessness of station,
for station's sake, rose from the table, took a towel and basin, and
began to wash the disciples' feet. Peter objected, but when he
understood, he said, "Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."
At the last Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, the servant is not
greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent
him."
Girls and boys, if you desire a high place in life, begin low. If you
want to occupy a leading place you must be willing to serve in the
least. It always has been so, it will never change, this great law of
life, that he who would be first must be willing to be last. It is the
eternal law of service.
MEMORY VERSE, _Mark_ 10: 31
"... But many that are first shall be last; and the last first."
MEMORY HYMN [402]