With the Children on Sunday Part 12

Now, I want to show you that death does not affect the existence of the soul. I will now lift these works out of the watch case.

I now hold the case in my left hand, and the works in my right hand. As these works const.i.tute the real watch, so the soul const.i.tutes the real person, and as these wheels and hands continue to move, and to keep time regularly even after they have been removed from the case; so the soul, when G.o.d removes it from the body, continues to exist and to be possessed of all that makes the reasoning, thinking, immortal and indestructible being of man. I might take this case, which I hold in my left hand, and bury it in the ground, but the works would not be affected by this fact, but would continue to run on just the same.

Suppose I were to leave this case buried in the ground until it had all rusted away. Then suppose that, as a chemist I could gather up all these particles again and make them anew into a watch case, and then put the works back into the case which had been restored or made anew; that would represent the resurrection of the body, and the reuniting of the soul with the body, which will take place at the resurrection day.

Some years ago there was a great chemist, whose name was Faraday. It happened one time in his laboratory that one of the students, by accident, knocked from the table a silver cup, which fell into a vessel of acid. The acid immediately destroyed or dissolved it, and the silver all disappeared, the same as sugar dissolves or melts in a tumbler of water. When Professor Faraday came in and was told what had happened, he took some chemicals and poured them into the acid in which the silver had disappeared. As soon as these two chemicals came together, the acid began to release the silver, and particle by particle the silver settled at the bottom of the vessel. The acid was then poured off and the silver was all carefully gathered up and sent to a silversmith, who melted the silver and made it anew into a silver cup of the same form, design and beauty. It was the same cup made anew. So, my young friends, our bodies may dissolve in the grave and entirely disappear, but G.o.d is able to raise them up again. He tells us in the Bible that these bodies which are buried in corruption shall be raised in incorruption, and that these mortal bodies shall put on immortality.

I trust that I have ill.u.s.trated to you how the soul and the body are separated when we die, and G.o.d's Word a.s.sures us that they shall be reunited again in the morning of the resurrection, for all these dead bodies "shall hear the voice of the Son of G.o.d and shall come forth." It matters not whether they were buried in the ground, or in the water, they shall arise from every sea and from every cemetery, and every grave in all the world, and shall live anew and forever, either in happiness with G.o.d in heaven, or in misery with Satan in eternal banishment from G.o.d's presence.

QUESTIONS.--What are the princ.i.p.al parts of a watch? Which part is like the body? Which part is like the soul? Which is the real watch? Could the works alone run and keep time without the case?

When does the soul become separated from the body?

Does death affect the existence and life of the soul? If a watch case were buried and rusted away, could it be made new again? Does the Bible say our bodies are also to be raised again from the grave?

What is that raising up of the body called? Will it make any difference whether a body was buried in the sea or in the earth? ("The sea shall give up its dead"). Whose voice shall call the body to immortality? Will the immortal body ever die?

PEARLS.

ONE OF GREAT PRICE.

SUGGESTION:--A single pearl, or a string of pearls will serve well for ill.u.s.tration.

[Ill.u.s.tration: String of Pearls.]

MY YOUNG FRIENDS: Here is a whole string of pearls. One time I found a large pearl in an oyster. I thought it might be valuable, and I took it to a jeweler, but he soon told me that it was not worth much, because it was not perfect. It was unusually large, but to be valuable it must be perfectly round and have no defects. When Jesus was upon the earth He told of a merchant who went in search of a very valuable pearl, and when he had found it, he sold all that he had and bought that pearl, in order that he might have the largest and most valuable jewel in all the world.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Diving for Pearls.]

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, had a pearl that was worth three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, and one day she dissolved this costly pearl, and drank it in a gla.s.s of wine to the honor of Mark Antony, one of the Roman rulers. There are pearls to-day worth two and three hundred thousand dollars, and possibly more.

The pearl in this parable is the symbol of salvation. Now, salvation has cost more, and is worth more than all the farms, and houses, and stores, and wealth of all this nation, and all the nations of all the globe, and all the created universe about us. It cost the life of the Son of G.o.d, and it is desirable, therefore, that you and I should obtain it, because of the many blessings it secures to us, both in this world and in the world to come.

For two thousand years men from all the largest nations of the earth have gone to the island of Ceylon, seeking pearls. It is a barren and deserted island, but during the months of February, March and April, every night at ten o'clock, many boats sail out about ten miles, to the place where men, with large leaden weights at their feet, dive down through the water until they come to the banks where the large pearl oyster has his home. They quickly pick up several of these oysters and drop them into a basket of network, and in about sixty or seventy seconds are again drawn up by their companions into the boat.

Men and women could not have pearls if it were not that these men are willing to risk their lives by diving way down under the water to obtain them. No one could secure salvation had not Jesus left His throne in heaven and come down to this wicked world to suffer and die, that He might make atonement for our sins upon the cross, so that you and I might not perish but have everlasting life--so that you and I might have salvation, both here and in heaven.

When I went to the jeweler, he told me that the defects on the pearl which I had found could not be removed and the rough places polished.

Diamonds have to be cut and polished. Many precious and costly jewels when found look only like rough stones in the field, but the pearl is perfect when found; nothing can be done to make it more perfect or more valuable. Just so is the salvation of Jesus perfect; no human wisdom can improve upon it. The best book that any man ever wrote has been equaled by what some other man has thought and written. The religion of the heathen can be greatly improved, but the Bible and the salvation which it reveals, man has never been able to equal, much less to improve upon.

To-day, as thousands of years ago, pearls are worn as ornaments to the body, but the salvation which Jesus Christ came to bring is an ornament to the soul that possesses it.

The pearl is valuable and desirable, because it cannot easily be stolen away from its owner. When Jesus was upon the earth they did not have banks, with large iron safes where people could deposit their money and jewels for safe keeping. There were many robbers then, and people buried their money and valuables. Often the places where these were concealed were discovered, and then all that they had was stolen. A pearl is small, and could therefore easily be hidden in a place of safety. If war occurred, or for any reason a man and his family had to flee from their home or their country, they could easily carry even the most valuable pearls. The owner could hide it in his mouth, or even swallow it if necessary. If a man had much gold, it was too heavy to carry, and it could readily be discovered and stolen. But a pearl was not so difficult to hide and keep.

The Bible tells us that salvation is something that the world cannot give, and which the world cannot take away. Daniel had this pearl of great price, and even though the king cast him into the den of lions, he could not get it away from him. His three companions with those hard names, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, had this pearl of salvation, and even in the furnace of fire it was not destroyed or taken from them. If you have this pearl of salvation, you can keep it in spite of all the wicked people in the world; you can hide it away in your heart, and all the armies of the world cannot take it away from you. In sickness or in health it will be yours, and even death itself can not rob you of it. It will stay with you in this world, and it will be your joy and gladness in the world to come.

As the merchantman went out seeking the most valuable pearl, so all the world is to-day seeking for something which will satisfy and render their owners happy. There are many good things in this world, but none of them can make any one contented and happy, like the salvation which Jesus gives when we repent of our sins and in faith accept Him as our Saviour. Before you get, or even desire any other pearl, I want each of you to accept of this "Pearl of great price," which is Jesus Christ.

QUESTIONS.--Of what is a pearl the symbol in the Bible? Are pearls valuable? Is salvation valuable?

Where are pearls princ.i.p.ally found? How are they obtained? Are pearls polished like the diamond?

Why do people wear pearls? Can we lose pearls by having them stolen? Can we lose salvation? Who would steal it away? Who can give us the "Pearl of great price"?

It is well to have the children learn the answers to many of the leading Bible questions. Try them in the following:--Who was the first man? Who was the first woman? Of what did G.o.d make Adam and Eve? Who was the first murderer? Who was the oldest man? Who built the ark? Who had the coat of many colors? Who was the strongest man? Who slew Goliath the giant? With what did David slay Goliath? Who was the wisest man? Who was cast into the den of lions? Who went to Heaven in the chariot of fire without dying? Upon whom did Elijah's mantle fall? A goodly number of similar questions are found on pages 25 and 26.

COAL AND WOOD.

JESUS THE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL LIGHT AND WARMTH.

SUGGESTION:--The objects used to-day can be a piece of wood, a piece of coal, a candle and a piece of electric light carbon, such as are daily thrown away in towns where the arc lighting is used.

DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS: When Jesus was upon the earth, He said of Himself, "I am the light of the world." Now, I desire to-day to ill.u.s.trate to you something of the truth which Jesus had in mind when He uttered these words.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Sun and Moon.]

We are told in the Bible, that when G.o.d created the world, on the fourth day He created the sun and the moon to give light upon the earth, the sun to rule over the day, and the moon to rule over the night.

I suppose you all know that the earth is round, and that while the sun is shining on our side of the earth, and making it day here, on the other side of the earth it is night and is all dark. Now, I want to tell you that the sun is the source of all light upon the earth. The sun shines and dispels the darkness, and makes it light. And do you know that the moon does not shine by its own light, but it simply throws back again, as we say, reflects, the light of the sun, just the same as when a boy takes a small piece or looking-gla.s.s and throws the light across the street? There is no light in the looking-gla.s.s itself, but it simply takes the rays of light which fall upon it from the sun and bends them, or turns them, so that the boy can throw the rays of light across the street, or upon anything that he desires that is in range of him. So the light of the sun falls upon the moon, and is turned again or reflected back upon the earth. G.o.d has so placed the moon in the heavens that it reflects the light of the sun upon those portions of the earth which are in darkness. Or, in other words, as He says in the Bible, the moon has been "made to rule the night." So you see that even the moon does not shine by its own light.

Jesus Christ is the Sun of Righteousness. All the good there is in the world, all the righteousness, all that is holy and pure, come from Jesus Christ. The Church is also a source of purity, of holiness, of religion, and of Christianity. But the church does not shine of itself. It does not have these influences within itself. All its light is derived from the Sun of Righteousness. All influences which tend for goodness and holiness and purity are derived from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of all that is good, and only in so far as the Church reflects the life of Jesus, and the truth which is revealed in His Word, and in the teachings of Jesus, does it become the source of saving power in the world.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Candle, Coal and Wood.]

Now, here I have a piece of coal, and a piece of wood, and a candle, and a piece of carbon from an electric light. You might ask me whether the light that comes from the coal when it burns, or the wood when it burns, and the candle when it is lighted, and the electric light when it illuminates the street so brightly, whether they are not shining by their own light? No; they are not shining by their own light. All the light that there is in the wood, or in the coal, or in the candle, or in anything else that makes a light at all, derives its source and origin from the sun. The light that comes from the burning of this wood is simply the releasing of the light that has been acc.u.mulated from the rays of light shining from the sun upon the tree while it was growing, year after year, in the field or forest. And now, when it is burning, it simply releases or throws out that light which it received from the sun, and which was stored up in the wood of the tree while it was growing.

This coal is simply a portion of a tree which grew many, many hundreds or thousands of years ago, and which, in some great convulsion of nature, was buried deep under the surface of the earth in what we now call coal mines. The coal has undergone some chemical changes, but, nevertheless, all the light there is in the coal is simply that buried sunshine, which was stored up centuries and centuries ago, in the form of vegetables and trees. Now, when it burns in the grate or in the furnace it simply releases that heat and warmth and light, which was stored up in these trees many, many centuries ago. It is simply buried sunshine which G.o.d has stored up for our use. The same is true of the light of the candle; if it were not for the light of the sun there would be no light giving power in any oil or tallow, or in this carbon, which is used in the electric light; they all derive their light from the sun itself.

Just so it is with all the truth and righteousness there is in the world. When you see a man who is good and Christlike, it is not because that man has the power in himself to be good, but it is because he has received that power from the Lord Jesus Christ. The light of the Sun of Righteousness has shone into that man's heart, and the light that goes out through his daily conduct and character, is only the light of the Son of G.o.d shining out through that man.

All objects which live in the sunlight drink in this light-giving power, and all people who live daily in the light of the Sun of Righteousness will partake of His nature and of His character, and then live that nature and character in their own daily lives. In this way they do as Jesus commanded, let their lights so shine, that others seeing their good work, glorify their Father which is in heaven.

You should be careful to note that Jesus does not say that we ourselves are to shine so that others may glorify us. No, not at all. Many people try to shine or to attract the attention of others to themselves, but that is not what Jesus said or meant, but rather the reverse. Neither are we to attempt to shine, or to attempt to attract the glory or honor to ourselves. Let not yourself so shine, but let your _light_ so shine that others seeing your good works may glorify--not you, but your Father which is in heaven. We must let Jesus Christ shine in and through us.

Whenever you see men or women, or girls or boys who are living beautiful Christian lives, it is not they that light up the moral darkness that is in the world, it is Jesus Christ who lives in them and shines through them, that makes them good and holy, and consequently a source of light and blessing to all about them.

QUESTIONS.--What does Christ call Himself? What is the source of the light of the natural world? Does the sun shine by its own light? Does the moon shine by its own light, or does it reflect the light of the sun? What is the source of light displayed when coal and wood and other substances are burned? Does all natural light come from the sun? Who is the source of our spiritual light and knowledge? Are the Church and Christian people lights in the world? Do they shine of their own goodness like the sun, or are they like the moon in that they reflect the divine light? Does any person have the power in himself to be good? Where does this power to be good come from? Does Christ want us to shine as lights in the world? Are we to let our lights shine to glorify ourselves, or to glorify Christ?

[Ill.u.s.tration]

LANTERNS.

THE BEST LIGHT FOR OUR PATH.