The
Gospel Object
Book

By

REV. CLARENCE H. WOOLSTON, D.D.

The RODEHEAVER
HALL-MACK Co

Dedication

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.

C. H. Woolston, D.D.

Study of the East Baptist Church,
Philadelphia, Pa., U. S. A.

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 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.

C. H. WOOLSTON

Philadelphia, Pa.

CONTENTS

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.

G. CAMPBELL MORGAN

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

THE TEN DEMANDMENTS

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 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.

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

OBJECT TEACHING IN THE BIBLE

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 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. 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

UNDERSTANDING YOUR OBJECT

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 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

Objects: Common Incense Cones

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

Objects: Denatured Alcohol; White of an Egg

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

Object: A Blackboard

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

Give them further illustration in knocks. They will like it.

CHAPTER VII

IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT AT LAST

Objects: A small number of little toys

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

Objects: Various Parts of a Flag Assembled in Their Respective Places

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.

Figure 8.—This is the old Colonial flag. A wonderful flag of the